17-01-2019

thursDaY 

DhaKa : January 17, 2019; Magh 4, 1425 BS; Jamadi-ul awal 10,1440 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.16; No.341; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

international 

Trump's attorney 

general nominee : 'I 

will not be bullied' 

>Page 7 

art & culture 

Inside an Oscar 

Season of Anger 

>Page 8 

sport 

Rajshahi Kings beat 

Dhaka Dynamites 

by 20 runs 

>Page 9 

PM for solving problems among 

Muslim countries through talks 

DHAKA : Stressing the importance of 

the unity of Muslim countries, Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina on 

Wednesday said the Muslim countries 

should solve their problems, if any, 

through talks. "The Muslim Ummah 

should remain together...if there's any 

problem among themselves that can 

be solved through discussions," she 

said, reports UNB. 

The Prime Minister said this when 

newly appointed Iranian Ambassador 

Mohammad Reza Nafar met her at her 

office. 

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim 

briefed reporters after the meeting. 

He said the Prime Minister mentioned 

that it is the people who suffer if 

there is any conflict among Muslim 

countries. 

Sheikh Hasina said the government 

has reduced the poverty level in 

Bangladesh to 21 percent and has a target 

to reduce it by 4-5 percent further in 

near future. 

She said the development policy of 

her government is centred at the rural 

level. 

CEC brushes 

aside TIB's report 

on election 

irregularities 

DHAKA : Chief Election 

Commissioner KM Nurul Huda 

on Wednesday trashed the 

Transparency International 

Bangladesh's (TIB's) report over 

vote fraud in the 11th general election 

saying that it is not authentic, 

reports UNB. 

"I'm rejecting it completely. It's 

not an authentic report," he told 

reporters after a programme at 

Election Training Institute in the 

city's Agargaon area. 

The commission did not receive 

any such allegation from the 

media on the voting day, the CEC 

said when his attention was 

drawn to the TIB report published 

on Tuesday. 

In its report, TIB labeled the 

December-30 general election as 

'controversial' saying that there 

had been polls irregularities in 47 

out of 50 constituencies it surveyed 

during the election. 

About the criticism of the EC's 

role by TIB, the CEC said, "These 

are indecorous and inappropriate. 

It shouldn't have said these." 

He, however, said the commission 

will not take any step against 

such remarks. 

Claiming that no such election 

irregularity take place, he said the 

EC gleaned information from 

media, its own officials, electoral 

inquiry committees and magistrates. 

The CEC said there is no 

authenticity of the allegations 

brought by TIB. 

Zohr 

05:26 AM 

12:15 PM 

03:58 PM 

05:38 PM 

06:55 PM 

6:43 5:35 

Talking about the existing religious 

harmony of the country, Hasina said 

Bangladesh has this harmony as every 

person here participate in all religious 

festivals. 

Terming Iranian people courageous, 

she highly appreciated their economic 

progress. 

Welcoming the new Iranian 

Ambassador to Bangladesh, she 

assured him of her all-out cooperation 

during his tenure here. 

Hasina also conveyed her regards to 

the Iranian President through the 

Ambassador and recalled her visits to 

Iran in 1997 and 2012. 

Ambassador Mohammad Reza 

Nafar highly greeted the landslide victory 

of Awami League in the recent 

national election and described Hasina 

as a wise and prudent Prime Minister 

of Bangladesh. The people of Iran are 

very much fond of her, he added. 

Nafar appreciated the balanced policy 

in Bangladesh's socioeconomic areas 

and hailed the Prime Minister for the 

country's graduation from the LDC to 

developing country group. 

Bangladesh's role in UN 

Peacekeeping lauded 

He mentioned that the religious and 

cultural bonds between Bangladesh 

and Iran are very excellent and hoped 

to move that forward further during his 

tenure in Bangladesh. "Our cooperation 

at the regional and international 

level is very good; cultural relation is 

excellent, political relation is at the 

good level," Nafar said. 

But he emphasised enhancing the 

volume of trade, which is $135 million. 

"It's not satisfactory at the moment." 

The Ambassador also mentioned 

that Iran is moving forward despite 

sanctions by western countries. 

He also mentioned that the Iranian 

government is working to reduce tensions 

in the region. "We aren't a warmonger 

country...we would like to have 

the best of relations with the countries 

in the Gulf," he said. 

To reduce the tension in the region, 

he said, if the Bangladesh Prime 

Minister take any initiative', they will 

welcome that. 

Principal Secretary to the PM M 

Nojibur Rahman and PMO Secretary 

Sajjadul Hassan were also present. 

DHAKA : UN Under Secretary 

General for Peacekeeping Operations 

Jean-Pierre Lacroix has appreciated 

and acknowledgedBangladesh's role 

in the UN peacekeeping, reports 

UNB. 

He was addressing atwo-day 

"Preparatory Conference on 

Peacekeeping" in The Hague hosted 

jointly by the Netherlands and Rwanda, 

said the Bangladesh Embassy in The 

Hague on Tuesday. The UN Under 

Secretary General, recalling his visit to 

Bangladesh, appreciated Bangladesh's 

role in the UN Peacekeeping as a major 

troops and police contributor. 

Lacroix also appreciated the quality 

of professional trainings being conducted 

by the Bangladesh Institute of 

Peace Support Operations and 

Training (BIPSOT). He wished to see 

more attention being provided in the 

affairs of safety of civilian population 

of the host country. 

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok, 

Dutch Defence Minister Ank 

Bijleveld and Jean Pierre 

Karabaranga, Ambassador of 

Rwanda to the Netherlands and 

Smail Cherugi, African Union 

Commissioner for Peace and Security 

jointly inaugurated the conference. 

About 70 countries including 

Bangladesh joined this Preparatory 

Conference on Peacekeeping where 

Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed 

Belal led Bangladesh delegation comprising 

Brig Gen Md Nurul Anwar, 

Director General, Operations and 

Plan Directorate, Armed Forces 

Division and Dr K H Mahid Uddin, 

Deputy Inspector General of Police of 

Bangladesh. 

Ambassador Belal reiterated 

Bangladesh's commitment to the UN 

peacekeeping and relayed personal 

commitment of Bangladesh Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina about 

Bangladesh's readiness to contribute 

troops and police in response to UN 

call for strengthening world peace 

and stability. 

Recalling Bangladesh Prime 

Minister's role at the high level event 

on action for peacekeeping, 

Ambassador Belal urged the UN to 

consider recruiting more female 

forces and police in their contingent 

and assured Bangladesh's readiness 

to provide such forces at the shortest 

possible time when requested. 

Paying tribute to all those peacekeepers 

of the world including 145 

from Bangladesh who have made the 

ultimate sacrifice, Ambassador Belal 

reassured the world about 

Bangladesh's devotion for adequately 

training the forces and police before 

deployment. 

Bangladesh also reiterated her 

"zero tolerance" for sexual exploitation 

and abuse as well as our awareness 

for reducing the environmental 

footprints of peacekeepers. 

Police recovered the motorcycle of Shahnaj Akhter Putul from Narayanganj on Wednesday, a day 

after stolen from the capital's Manik Mia Avenue. 

Photo: Star Mail 

The 2nd namaz e janaza of Journalist Amanullah Kabir was held on Wednesday at National Press club 

in the city. 


No bar to holding 

DNCC by-election: HC 

DHAKA : The High Court (HC) 

Division on Wednesday cleared the 

way for holding elections to Dhaka 

North City Corporation (DNCC) 

and Dhaka South City Corporation 

(DSCC), reports UNB. 

The bench of Justice Gobinda 

Chandra Tagore and Justice 

Mohammad Ullah withdrew its earlier 

order that kept the mayoral byelection 

to DNCC withheld for six 

months. 

The court also rejected three separate 

petitions filed on the election 

affairs, said Kazi Mynul Hasan, a 

counsel of the Local Government 

and Rural Development (LGRD). 

The High Court withdrew the stay 

order and rejected three petitions as 

no lawyer from the petitioner was 

present during the hearing, said the 

counsel. 

Now the Election Commission will 

think about the election schedule, he 

added. On January 14 last year, a 

two-member HC bench stayed for six 

months the mayoral by-election to 

the DNCC following two separate 

writ petitions filed with HC seeking a 

stay on the election. 

As per the schedule declared by 

the Election Commission, the bypolls 

to the DNCC mayoral post 

were supposed to be held on 

February 26, 2018. 

The DNCC mayoral post fell 

vacant with the death of Annisul 

Huq on November 30, 2017. 

Besides, on January 18 last year, 

the High Court (HC) stayed for four 

weeks the elections to Dhaka South 

City Corporation (DSCC) ward 

councilor posts and reserved seats 

in 18 new wards. 

Veteran journalist 

Amanullah Kabir 

dies at 72 

DHAKA : Veteran journalist Amanullah 

Kabir died at a hospital here early 

Wednesday. He was 72. 

He had been suffering from various 

diseases and breathed his last at 

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical 

University (BSMMU) around 1:00 am 

while undergoing treatment there, 

reports UNB. 

Amanullah Kabir was admitted to the 

intensive care unit (ICU) of the BSMMU 

on January 2 with complications in kidney 

and liver. 

On January 5, he was admitted to the 

National Institute of Cardiovascular 

Diseases after he suffered a massive heart 

attack. He was later taken to the coronary 

care unit from the emergency unit. 

Amanullah Kabir left behind wife, two 

daughters, three sons and a host of relatives 

to mourn his death. 

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at 

Kalaynpur Darussalam Furfura Sharif 

mosque. Later, his body was taken to 

the Jatiya Press Club around 11:30 am 

where his second janaza was held. 

Various organisations of journalists 

paid their last respects to the eminent 

journalist there. 

Later, his body was taken to his home 

district of Jamalpur where local journalists 

and eminent citizens paid their tributes 

to the departed soul at 

Jamalpur Press Club in the afternoon. 

The mortal remains were finally taken 

to his residence at Rekhirpara of 

Shahnaj finally 

gets back her 

stolen motorcycle 

DHAKA : Police recovered the motorcycle 

of Shahnaj Akhter Putul from 

Narayanganj, a day after it was stolen 

from the capital's Manik Mia Avenue, 

reports UNB. 

Shahanaj said she bore her family's 

expenses by offering ridesharing services. 

Her story went viral on the social 

media soon after her motorcycle was 

stolen by one Jubaidul Islam Jony. A 

case was filed with Sher-e-Banglanagar 

Police Station the same day night. 

Police's Deputy Commissioner 

(Tejgaon Division) Biplob Kumar 

Sarker said they arrested Jony from 

Fatullah on Wednesday and recovered 

the motorcycle. 

Shahnaj met Jony during one of the 

rides and the man had offered her a 

'permanent' job. On Wednesday, Jony 

went to various areas on Shahnaj's 

motorcycle. They were in Manik Mia 

Avenue in the afternoon where Jony 

took the key from her for a 'test ride' 

and fled with the motorcycle. 

Melandah upazila. 

Family sources said Amanullah Kabir, 

also the former member of the Jatiya 

Press Club Managing Committee, will 

be buried at his family graveyard in 

Rekhirpara after another janaza there 

around 10am on Thursday. 

Amanullah Kabir had been working 

as senior editor of online news portal 

bdnews24.com. 

He served as executive editor of the 

Independent, news editor of The Daily 

Star, editor of Bangla Daily Amar Desh, 

and chief editor and managing director 

of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). 

Meanwhile, JPC President Saiful 

Alam and General Secretary Farida 

Yasmin expressed deep shock at the 

death of Amanullah Kabir. They also 

conveyed deep sympathy to the 

bereaved family members. Bangladesh 

Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) 

and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) 

expressed profound shock at his death. 

In a joint statement, BFUJ and DUJ 

leaders said a vacuum has been created 

in the field of journalism at his 

death. "He was not only a journalist 

but also a torchbearer of journalism. 

The death of Amanullah Kabir, who 

had been working for realising the 

rights of journalists, is a great loss to 

the journalist community." 

They prayed for salvation of the 

departed soul and conveyed sympathy 

to the bereaved family members. 

'Arrest business' by 

police now order 

of the day : BNP 

DHAKA : BNP secretary general Mirza 

Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday 

alleged that the 'arrest business' by law 

enforcers has now become a regular practice 

as a reign of terror has been established 

in the country, reports UNB. 

"The evil tricks to arrest and harass 

opposition activists have now taken a 

serious turn. The Awami League government 

has continued inexpressible 

repressions on opposition leaders and 

activists after usurping power by force 

through stanching people's voting 

rights," he said. 

In a statement, the BNP leader further 

said, "A reign of terror has been 

established in the country through 

repression on leaders and activists of 

BNP and other opposition parties after 

arresting them in false case. The arrest 

business by law enforcers has now 

become an order of the day." 

Fakhrul alleged that BNP leaders and 

workers are passing through miserable time 

in fear of arrest in 'fabricated' cases.

NEWS 

THURSDAY, 

JANUARY 17, 2019 

2 

Using swallow dredger machine, sand and soil being extracted from the various canals of Dakop upazila of 

Khulna district 

Photo : Star Mail 

Al-Shabab extremists claim deadly 

attack on Nairobi hotel 

Extremists stormed a luxury hotel in 

Kenya's capital on Tuesday, setting off 

thunderous explosions and gunning 

down people at cafe tables in an attack 

claimed by Africa's deadliest Islamic 

militant group. A police officer said at 

least 15 people had died, reports UNB. 

"It is terrible. What I have seen is 

terrible," said Charles Njenga, who ran 

from a scene of blood, broken glass, 

burning vehicles and pillars of black 

smoke. 

Al-Shabab - the Somalia-based group 

that carried out the 2013 attack at the 

nearby Westgate Mall in Nairobi that 

left 67 people dead - claimed 

responsibility for the carnage at the 

DusitD2 hotel complex, which includes 

bars, restaurants, offices and banks and 

is in a well-to-do neighborhood with 

many American, European and Indian 

expatriates. 

A Kenyan police officer said 15 bodies 

had been taken to the morgue. He 

spoke on condition of anonymity 

because he was not authorized to speak 

to reporters. The U.S. State Department 

confirmed that an American citizen was 

among those killed, but did not release 

the victim's identity. Al-Shabab 

asserted that 47 people were killed but 

its Shahada news agency post gave no 

details. 

Authorities sent special forces into the 

hotel to flush out the gunmen. Late 

Tuesday night, about eight hours after 

the siege began, Interior Minister Fred 

Matiang'i said all of the buildings 

affected had been secured and that 

security forces were mopping up. 

"I would like to reiterate that the 

situation is under control and the 

country is safe," he said. 

However, more gunfire was heard 

about an hour later, Kenyan 

broadcaster NTV reported. Some family 

members said they had been in touch 

with loved ones still hiding inside the 

complex, waiting to be rescued. 

Early Wednesday, Kenya's interior 

ministry said a tweet that all buildings 

had been secured and there was no 

further threat to the public. 

Authorities did not say how many 

attackers there were - or what happened 

to them - though Kenya's Citizen TV 

aired security-camera footage that 

showed at least four heavily armed men 

in dark-colored, paramilitary-style gear. 

Housewife 

beaten dead in 

Chattogram 

CHATTOGRAM : A 

housewife was beaten to 

death allegedly by her 

husband at Raufabad in the 

port city on Tuesday, 

reports UNB. 

The deceased was 

identified as Tahera Begum, 

32, a garment worker and 

wife of Nur Hossain of the 

area. 

Ataur Rahman, officer-incharge 

of Bayejid Bostami 

Police Station, said Nur 

Hossain picked up a quarrel 

with Tahera over family 

feud on Tuesday afternoon. 

At one stage, Nur Hossain 

beat Tahera up mercilessly, 

leaving her dead on the 

spot. 

Hearing screams of 

Tahera's children, locals 

caught Nur Hossain and 

handed him over to police. 

On information, police 

recovered the body and sent 

it to local hospital morgue 

for autopsy. 

A police officer who spoke on 

condition of anonymity because he was 

not authorized to talk to the media said 

bodies were seen in restaurants 

downstairs and in offices upstairs, but 

"there was no time to count the dead." 

A witness who gave his name only as 

Ken said he saw five bodies at the hotel 

entrance. Other people were shouting 

for help and "when we rushed back to 

try to rescue them, gunshots started 

coming from upstairs, and we had to 

duck because they were targeting us 

and we could see two guys shooting," he 

said. 

The coordinated assault began with 

an explosion that targeted three 

vehicles outside a bank, and a suicide 

bombing in the hotel lobby that severely 

wounded a number of guests, said 

Kenya's national police chief, Joseph 

Boinnet. 

Extremists stormed a luxury hotel in 

Kenya's capital on Tuesday, setting off 

thunderous explosions and gunning 

down people at cafe tables in an attack 

claimed by Africa's deadliest Islamic 

militant group. A police officer said at 

least 15 people had died, reports UNB. 

"It is terrible. What I have seen is 

terrible," said Charles Njenga, who ran 

from a scene of blood, broken glass, 

burning vehicles and pillars of black 

smoke. 

Al-Shabab - the Somalia-based group 

that carried out the 2013 attack at the 

nearby Westgate Mall in Nairobi that 

left 67 people dead - claimed 

responsibility for the carnage at the 

DusitD2 hotel complex, which includes 

bars, restaurants, offices and banks and 

is in a well-to-do neighborhood with 

many American, European and Indian 

expatriates. 

A Kenyan police officer said 15 bodies 

had been taken to the morgue. He 

spoke on condition of anonymity 

because he was not authorized to speak 

to reporters. The U.S. State Department 

confirmed that an American citizen was 

among those killed, but did not release 

the victim's identity. Al-Shabab 

asserted that 47 people were killed but 

its Shahada news agency post gave no 

details. 

Authorities sent special forces into the 

hotel to flush out the gunmen. Late 

Tuesday night, about eight hours after 

the siege began, Interior Minister Fred 

The Ananda TV authorities recently sacked 

chief reporter Anisur Rahaman Sabbir 

allegedly for his involvement in corruption, 

illegal recruitment business, extortion and 

various conspiracies against the 

organization. A trustworthy source at 

Ananda TV confirmed the matter, says a 

press release. 

It was learnt that 

Anisur Rahaman Sabbir 

used to do illegal 

recruitment business by 

taking huge amount of 

money from the office 

staffs and various district 

upazila representatives. 

The authorities took 

steps against him after 

knowing about the 

matter. On Jan 15 

(Tuesday), Managing 

Director of Ananda TV 

Hasan Taufique Abbas received the 

exemption letter at his own office. Ananda 

TV officials said in this regard that despite 

the irregularities and conspiracies against 

him are proved yet they did not take any 

lawful act and provided exemption letter 

Matiang'i said all of the buildings 

affected had been secured and that 

security forces were mopping up. 

"I would like to reiterate that the 

situation is under control and the 

country is safe," he said. 

However, more gunfire was heard 

about an hour later, Kenyan 

broadcaster NTV reported. Some family 

members said they had been in touch 

with loved ones still hiding inside the 

complex, waiting to be rescued. 

Early Wednesday, Kenya's interior 

ministry said a tweet that all buildings 

had been secured and there was no 

further threat to the public. 

Authorities did not say how many 

attackers there were - or what happened 

to them - though Kenya's Citizen TV 

aired security-camera footage that 

showed at least four heavily armed men 

in dark-colored, paramilitary-style gear. 















said. 

The coordinated assault began with 

an explosion that targeted three 

vehicles outside a bank, and a suicide 

bombing in the hotel lobby that severely 

wounded a number of guests, said 

Kenya's national police chief, Joseph 

Boinnet. 















said. 

Ananda TV's chief reporter Sabbir 

sacked amid corruption charges 

only by showing sympathy towards him. 

Anisur Rahman Sabbir earlier worked on 

Bijoy TV, My TV and Dipto TV. There too he 

was sacked due to many irregularities and 

corruption charges. An anonymous official 

of Ananda TV said that Sabbir used to extort 

money from various organizations through 

his own team. After 

hearing the matter, the 

authorities took the 

decision against him. 

It is to be noted that 

Ananda TV began its 

journey on 11 March 

2018 with the slogan. 

Since then Ananda TV 

have been praised and 

appreciated by the 

audience through its 

various different 

programmes. Ananda 

TV is moving forward 

with a bunch of creative and intelligent 

journalists of the country. Ananda TV has 

its own building, studio and latest 

equipments. The audience believes that 

Ananda TV will go ahead by facing the new 

challenges. 

27 jailed, Tk 2.30 

lakh fined on fourth 

day of DSCC antiadulteration 

drive 

In the ongoing antiadulteration 

drives 

conducted by Dhaka South 

City Corporation (DSCC), 9 

people were sentenced to 

imprisonments; various 

organizations were fined Tk 

2.30 lakh and two 

organizations were warned 

in different localities of 

Dhaka on Wednesday, says 

a press realse. 

On the 4th day of the 

operation, a total of 27 

people were jailed. 

In the anti-adulteration 

drive carried out in different 

places of Gulistan, seven 

people were sentenced to 

imprisonment and fined Tk 

1.20 lakhs. Shahjahan of Ma 

Fatima Baghdad Hotel was 

sent to three days 

imprisonment, Rustam of 

Rahim Hotel was sent to 

three days imprisonment, 

Md. Shahjahan of Bismillah 

Hotel was sent to one day 

imprisonment, Abdus Sattar 

of public transport pool 

canteen was sent to one day 

imprisonment and juice 

seller Faisal, Shamir and 

Raju were sentenced for one 

day imprisonment. Besides, 

Darbar e Mughal restaurant 

was fined Tk 100,000. 


drive carried out in Posta 

and Islambag area, Hotel 

Islamia, Sharif Hotel and 

Dhakeshwari Hotel were 

fined ten thousand taka 

each. Also, Medina Sweets, 

Hauqe Confectionary and 

Bismillah Biryani have been 

warned. 


drive carried out in places in 

Kazi Alauddin road, Md. 

Sujon and Md. Sanaullhah 

of Tayevat Hotel were 

sentenced to 15 days 

imprisonment. Besides, 

Gaussia Hotel and Haji 

Biriyani were fined Tk 5000. 

Hotel Al Nasir and Hanif 

Biriyani were warned. 


drive carried out in 

Dholaipar area, ShaHai 

Chinese restaurant and Adi 

Bonoful Mishtanno 

Bhandar were fined Tk 

30,000 each and New 

Sharma House was fined Tk 

10,000. 

US Coast Guard 

families attend 

free dinner during 

shutdown 

Spouses of U.S. Coast Guard 

members said they 

appreciated a university in 

Rhode Island hosting a free 

dinner for their families 

Tuesday, as they tightened 

their budgets due to the 

partial federal government 

shutdown, reports UNB. 

Roger Williams University 

invited active-duty Coast 

Guard members in Rhode 

Island and southeastern 

Massachusetts and their 

families to the Bristol 

campus Tuesday night. 

About 75 people attended. 

"It means a lot to us to be 

able to come here. Banding 

together is important," said 

Rachel Malcom, 32, whose 

husband serves in the Coast 

Guard in Rhode Island. They 

went to the dinner with three 

of their four young children. 

Malcom and other Coast 

Guard spouses said they're 

choosing less expensive 

items at the grocery store, 

going fewer places to save on 

gasoline and looking for 

other ways to cut costs. 

"I'm really scaling back on 

everything at this point," said 

Mariah Battermann, whose 

husband serves in the Coast 

Guard in Rhode Island. They 

went to the dinner with their 

two children. 

Several Coast Guard 

members said they couldn't 

speak publicly about the 

shutdown. The Coast Guard, 

part of the Department of 

Homeland Security, isn't 

funded during the 

shutdown. Other military 

services are receiving 

funding through the Defense 

Department. 

President Donald Trump 

has said he's willing to keep 

the government closed to get 

funding to build a wall on the 

U.S.-Mexico border. 

New migrant caravan sets out 

from Honduras for US 

Hundreds of Hondurans trekked out of a 

violent northern city Tuesday, part of a 

new caravan of migrants hoping to reach 

the United States or Mexico, following in 

the path of another group last year that 

U.S. President Donald Trump turned into 

a hot political issue during the U.S. 

midterm elections, reports UNB. 

The first groups of migrants left San 

Pedro Sula's bus station Monday night, 

with many women and children boarding 

buses bound for the Guatemalan border 

while others started walking and 

hitchhiking under a steady rain. 

Others departed Tuesday morning 

trying to catch up. Some pushed toddlers 

in strollers or walked holding older 

children's hands. More people continued 

to arrive at the bus station, making it likely 

the caravan's numbers could grow. 

Honduran media reported that the 

country's authorities had reinforced the 

border with Guatemala to make sure 

everyone had proper documentation. 

Children must carry passports and written 

parental authorization to leave the 

country, and parents could face up to 

three years in prison if found to be taking 

a child without the right documents, 

Security Minister Julian Pacheco was 

quoted as saying. 

Jenny Arguello, a migrant rights' activist 

who was with the caravan, said police 

patrols were not blocking them but were 

checking IDs. 

The latest caravan comes as Trump has 

been working to convince the American 

public that there is a "crisis" at the 

southern border to justify construction of 

his long-promised border wall. Trump's 

demand for billions of dollars to build the 

wall has resulted in a standoff with 

Congress that has forced a partial 

government shutdown. 

"A big new Caravan is heading up to our 

Southern Border from Honduras. Tell 

Nancy and Chuck that a drone flying 

around will not stop them. Only a Wall 

will work," Trump tweeted Tuesday, 

referring to Democratic House Speaker 

Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader 

Chuck Schumer. 

It's not the first time Trump has seized 

on migrant caravans to make a political 

point. In the lead-up to last fall's elections, 

Trump frequently referenced several 

larger groups that had formed at the time, 

warning that they posed a national 

security risk and deploying active-duty 

troops to the border in anticipation of 

their arrival. Opponents criticized the 

move as an abuse of presidential power. 

In the last caravan, about 6,000 Central 

Americans ultimately arrived in the 

northwestern Mexican city of Tijuana, 

across from San Diego, an area where 

there is already extensive border fencing. 

With U.S. authorities only processing 

several dozen asylum claims each day, 

migrants added their names to an already 

long list and faced months-long wait 

times. 

Honduran media reported that the 

country's authorities had reinforced the 

border with Guatemala to make sure 

everyone had proper documentation. 

Children must carry passports and written 

parental authorization to leave the 

country, and parents could face up to 

three years in prison if found to be taking 

a child without the right documents, 

Security Minister Julian Pacheco was 

quoted as saying. 

Jenny Arguello, a migrant rights' activist 

who was with the caravan, said police 

patrols were not blocking them but were 

checking IDs. 

The latest caravan comes as Trump has 

been working to convince the American 

public that there is a "crisis" at the 

southern border to justify construction of 

his long-promised border wall. Trump's 

demand for billions of dollars to build the 

wall has resulted in a standoff with 

Congress that has forced a partial 

government shutdown. 

"A big new Caravan is heading up to our 

Southern Border from Honduras. Tell 

Nancy and Chuck that a drone flying 

around will not stop them. Only a Wall 

will work," Trump tweeted Tuesday, 

referring to Democratic House Speaker 

Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader 

Chuck Schumer. 

It's not the first time Trump has seized 

on migrant caravans to make a political 

point. In the lead-up to last fall's elections, 

Trump frequently referenced several 

larger groups that had formed at the time, 

warning that they posed a national 

security risk and deploying active-duty 

troops to the border in anticipation of 

their arrival. Opponents criticized the 

move as an abuse of presidential power. 

State Minister for Disaster Management and. Relief Dr Enamur Rahman, 

MP, distributed blankets and dried food among cold hit people in Dinajpur 

yesterday. 


Japanese grand 

champion Kisenosato 

retires from sumo 

Grand champion Kisenosato, the only Japanese wrestler at 

sumo's highest rank, has decided to retire after three straight 

losses at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, reports 

UNB. 

Kisenosato needed a strong start to the New Year tourney 

to salvage his career but wasn't able to win in the first three 

days and decided to retire, his stablemaster said on 

Wednesday. 

"I spoke to him for about 30 minutes yesterday," 

stablemaster Tagonoura said. "It was his decision. He told 

me he could no longer perform at the level he wanted to." 

The 32-year-old Kisenosato was the first Japanese-born 

wrestler in 19 years to gain promotion to sumo's highest rank 

in March 2017. He won his second straight championship in 

his yokozuna debut at the following tournament. 

But injuries prevented Kisenosato from completing a 

record eight straight grand sumo tournaments and he has 

not been able to live up to the high standards required of a 

grand champion. 

Sumo has been dominated by foreign-born wrestlers in the 

past decade with Mongolian grand champions Asashoryu 

and Hakuho winning a majority of tournaments. The lack of 

Japanese wrestlers has been a cause for concern among 

sumo officials and some observers suggested Kisenosato was 

promoted prematurely to give the sport a Japanese 

yokozuna. 

In addition to the lack of Japanese wrestlers at the top, the 

sport has been rocked by a series of scandals in recent years 

including bullying of younger wrestlers and wrestlers 

gambling on professional baseball games. 

Last year, the Japan Sumo Association came under fire 

when it ordered female first responders to leave the ring as 

they attempted to revive a male official who collapsed at an 

event in northern Kyoto. 

The sumo ring, or dohyo, is considered sacred in the maleonly 

sport. Women are banned from entering it because they 

are seen as "ritually unclean." 

Kisenosato made his professional sumo debut in March 

2002 and joined the top division in 2004. 

Oil prices expected 

at around $65-$70 

through 2023 

Oil prices are expected to 

oscillate close to current levels 

well into the next decade, 

averaging around $65-$70 

per barrel through 2023, 

according to an annual survey 

of energy professionals 

conducted by Reuters. 

Despite the recent slump in 

oil prices, forecasts have 

edged down by less than $5 

per barrel compared with the 

last annual survey conducted 

at the start of 2018, and have 

changed little over the last 

three years. 

Long-term expectations for 

the average price of Brent 

crude remain anchored 

around $70 per barrel, close 

to the $72 average realized in 

2018. 

The results are based on the 

responses from just over 

1,000 energy market 

professionals to a poll 

conducted between Jan. 8 

and Jan. 11. Brent prices in 

2019 are expected to average 

$65 per barrel, unchanged 

from surveys in 2016, 2017 

and 2018. 

In 2020, Brent is also 

expected to average $65 per 

barrel, revised down by $5 or 

less compared with prior 

surveys. Far fewer 

respondents now see any risk 

of prices spiking to $100 or 

more by the end of the decade 

as a surge in US shale output 

has eased fears of supply 

shortages.

METRO 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019 

3 

Minister Yeafesh Osman inaugurated the activities of 'Human Whole Genome Sequence' in Bangladesh at the conference 

room of Bangmladesh Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (BCSIR) yesterday. Photo : Courtesy 

Climate change-induced salinity affecting 

soil across coastal Bangladesh 

DHAKA : As a country with a large 

coastline, the adverse impacts of 

saltwater intrusion are significant in 

Bangladesh. Salinity mainly affects 

land and water in the coastal areas, 

reports UNB. 

With the consequence of climate 

change, it gradually extends towards 

inland water and soil. This scenario of 

gradual salinity intrusion into the 

coastal areas of Bangladesh is very 

threatening to the primary 

production system, coastal 

biodiversity and human health, said 

researchers. 

The total amount of salinity affected 

land in Bangladesh was 83.3 million 

hectares in 1973, which had been 

increased up to 102 million hectares 

in 2000 and the amount has risen to 

105.6 million hectares in 2009 and 

continuing to increase, according to 

the country's Soil Resources 

Development Institute (SRDI). 

In the last 35 years, salinity increased 

around 26 percent in the country, 

spreading into non-coastal areas as 

well. 

"Salinity which is rising in the coastal 

areas of Bagerhat, a southwestern 

district, is casting a huge impact on 

the environment. Production of 

various crops has declined due to 

excessive salinity in soil," advocate 

Mohiuddin Sheikh, president of 

Rampal-Mongla Embankment 

Implementation Committee, told 

UNB. 

Once huge coconut and betel trees 

were there in the area, but has 

decreased dramatically, he said 

adding, "The production of sessional 

vegetables has also declined. Since 

Outgoing 

Nepalese 

envoy meets 

President 

DHAKA : Outgoing Nepalese 

ambassador Professor Dr. 

Chop Lal Bhusal paid a 

farewell visit to President 

Abdul Hamid at 

Bangabhaban on 

Wednesday, reports UNB. 

President Hamid thanked 

the envoy for successful 

completion of his tenure in 

Bangladesh. 

The President recalled the 

support extended by Nepal 

to Bangladesh during the 

Liberation War in 1971. 

The President also hoped 

that the existing relationship 

between the two countries 

will be strengthened in the 

coming days. 

He also emphasised 

bilateral visits at 

governmentandnongovernment 

level to 

strengthen the relationship. 

Expressing his gratitude to 

Bangladesh for the support 

during his tenure in 

Bangladesh,the envoy said, 

"Many of our students are 

interested to study in 

Bangladesh. Especially, the 

students are interested in 

medical education." 

Chop Lalalso requested the 

President to take the 

necessary steps for easing 

the visa processing for 

Nepalese students and 

businessmen. 

Secretaries 

to 

Bangabhaban were also 

present during the meeting. 

the late 80s, the effects of salinity in 

Rampal and Mongla areas have been 

hampering the local ecology." 

The locals, however, blame 

unplanned shrimp cultivation as the 

main cause of salinity, said the 

Mohiuddin adding, "Due to decrease 

in sweet water and fall in saline water 

flow from the ocean, the salinity has 

increased in the region." 

Studies conducted by the World 

Bank, Institute of Water Modelling 

and World Fish, Bangladesh between 

2012 and 2016 have quantified the 

effects of increasing salinity in river 

waters in coastal Bangladesh, 

including the areas in and around the 

Sundarbans - the world's largest 

mangrove forest that straddles the 

coast of Bangladesh and India. 

The broad categories of climate 

change effects that hit the coastal 

areas of Bangladesh are changes in 

temperature and rainfall pattern, sealevel 

rise, change in frequency and 

intensity of cyclones, storm surge, 

changes in river and soil salinity. 

More alarmingly, researchers from 

the International Centre for 

Diarrhoeal Disease Research 

Bangladesh (icddr,b) have noticed an 

unexpectedly high rate of miscarriage 

in a small village of Chakaria, near 

Cox's Bazaar, on the east coast of 

Bangladesh. 

As they investigated further, 

scientists reached the conclusion that 

climate change might to be blamed. 

Khulna region member of 

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon 

(BAPA) MA Savur Rana, a resident of 

Singarbunia village in Rampal 

upazila, said, "Once farmers used to 

DHAKA : Adventure movie in Bangla 

'Hridoyer Rongdhonu' (Life in Rainbow) 

will be premiered at 17th Dhaka 

International Film Festival 2019 on 

Thursday, reports UNB. 

The movie directed by Razibul Hossain 

will be screened at 7:30 pm at the Public 

Library Auditorium in the city as part of the 

ongoing month-long film festival. 

The movie in 'Hridoyer Rongdhonu' (Life 

in Rainbow) was selected as "View Corner" 

at Goa Film Bazaar in last year. 

The director told UNB that the movie will 

be released very soon in the theaters across 

the country. 

Asian Institute of Media and 

Communication Bangladesh (AIMC) 

informed that its first Asian Premier was 

held on 24th November at QUBE 2 Hall at 2 

pm in India tourist city Goa. 

'Life in Rainbow' is a story of four aspiring 

youth (3 boys and 1 girl). They are friends. 

They have everything in their life. One day 

their life turns into a mystery. They got a call 

from a mysterious character as the 

mysterious character knew everything 

about them (Mina, Shams, Shojon and 

Khing) and their desire, expectations, inner 

calls etc. 

He offered them a trip, "If you dare 

enough to take any challenges you can join 

a trip, a trip to an unknown destination!" 

They never thought this journey would 

make them a new person with enlightens of 

inner knowledge, skills and personality. 

After two years of straggling for 

censorship certificate from Bangladesh 

Film Censor Board, the film got finally 

received it on October 23, 2018. 






harvest Aman (a paddy season) 

paddy in vast croplands of their areas. 

But, due to excess salinity, Aman 

paddy has become extinct." 

This has caused a huge impact on the 

lifestyle of the local people, he 

mentioned. 

Between 2012 and 2017, the icddr,b 

scientists registered 12,867 

pregnancies in the area they have 

been monitoring for last 30 years. 

They followed the pregnant women 

through until the end of the 

pregnancy and found that women in 

the coastal plains, living within 20km 

of the coastline and 7m above sea 

level were 1.3 times more likely to 

miscarry than women who live 

inland. 

This difference, the scientists believe, 

is to do with the amount of salt in the 

water the women drink - the increase 

of which is caused by climate change. 

Another recent study conducted by 

the World Bank indicates that climate 

change will cause significant changes 

in river salinity in the southwest 

coastal region during the dry season 

(October to May) by 2050, will likely 

lead to shortages of drinking and 

irrigation water and cause changes in 

aquatic ecosystems. 

Changes in river salinity and the 

availability of freshwater will affect 

the productivity of fisheries. It will 

adversely affect the wild habitats of 

freshwater fish and giant prawn. In 

addition, the salinity increase may 

induce a shift in the Sundarbans 

mangrove forest from Sundari (the 

single most dominant and important 

species, with the highest market 

value) to Gewa and Guran. 

'Hridoyer Rongdhonu' to be 

screened at DIFF Thursday 





the country. 






'Life in Rainbow' is a story of four aspiring 

youth (3 boys and 1 girl). They are friends. 

They have everything in their life. One day 

their life turns into a mystery. They got a call 

from a mysterious character as the 

mysterious character knew everything 

about them (Mina, Shams, Shojon and 

Khing) and their desire, expectations, inner 

calls etc. 

He offered them a trip, "If you dare 

enough to take any challenges you can join 

a trip, a trip to an unknown destination!" 

They never thought this journey would 

make them a new person with enlightens of 

inner knowledge, skills and personality. 

After two years of straggling for 

censorship certificate from Bangladesh 

Film Censor Board, the film got finally 

received it on October 23, 2018. 










the country. 






5 DU teachers, 

37 students 

get Dean's 

Award 

DHAKA : A total of 37 

students of different 

departments under the 

Faculty of Sciences of Dhaka 

University (DU) have been 

given 'Dean's Award' for 

their outstanding academic 

results in BS (Hons) 

examination of 2015, 2016 

and 2017. 

Besides, five teachers of 

the faculty have received the 

Dean's Award for their 

extraordinary contributions 

to original research and 

writing books. 

DU Vice-chancellor Prof 

Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman 

distributed medals and 

certificates among the 

recipients at a function held 

at Nabab Nawab Ali 

Chowdhury Senate Bhaban 

on Wednesday, said a press 

release. 

Dean of the Faculty of 

Sciences Prof Dr 

Mohammed Abdul Aziz 

presided over the function 

while Pro-VC (Academic) 

Prof Dr Nasreen Ahmad, 

Pro-VC (Administration) 

Prof Dr Muhammad Samad 

and Treasurer Prof Dr Md 

Kamal Uddin spoke on the 

occasion. 

The DU vice-chancellor 

urged the students to equip 

themselves with knowledge, 

moral values and noncommunal 

spirit. 

He hoped that the 

recipients of this award 

would contribute to 

development of the country 

in the days to come. 

Teachers who received the 

Dean's Award are Prof Dr 

Samir Kumar Bhowmik, 

Prof Dr M Shafiqur 

Rahman, Prof Dr Tamanna 

Howlader, Associate 

Professor Dr Md Anower 

Hossain and Assistant 

Professor Nabil Awan. 

Anti-corruption 

drive in all 

departments soon: 

Health Minister 

DHAKA : Health Minister 

Zahid Malik on Wednesday 

said a drive will be 

conducted in all 

departments of his 

ministry, aiming to check 

irregularities and 

corruption, reports UNB. 

The minister came up 

with announcement while 

talking to reporters after the 

declaration of a '100-day 

programme' of the 

ministry. 

The government will not 

spare anyone if found 

involved in corruption, 

Malik said. 

Secretaries to Health 

Services Department and 

Health Education and 

Family 

Welfare 

Department will visit 

institutions and activates at 

the divisional level to 

monitor their activities. 

Meanwhile, he said, work 

on Dhaka Medical College 

and Hospital to upgrade it 

into a 5000-bed one will 

start within three months. 

The Health Minister said 

the ministry will take an 

action plan as per the 

election manifesto of the 

ruling party. 

Pathshala 

alumnus killed in 

India road crash 

DHAKA : A former Indian 

student of Pathshala South 

Asian Media Institute was 

killed in a road crash in New 

Delhi, India early Tuesday, 

reports UNB. 

The deceased was 

identified as Hardik Momi, 

25. According to Pathshala, 

Hardik Momi was killed in a 

bike accident. Momi was a 

20th batch student of the 

Professional Photography 

Programme at Pathshala 

South Asian Media 

Institute. 

Meanwhile, Pathshala 

arranged a programme on 

Wednesday evening where 

its students, teachers, 

alumni and friends of 

Hardik Momi remembered 

the former student. 

Protect migrant workers from 

traffickers: Speakers urge govt 

DHAKA : Expressing frustration over the 

low conviction rate and prosecution of 

traffickers in Bangladesh, trade union 

leaders, labour lawyers and migrant rights 

activists on Wednesday urged the 

government to take measures to protect 

migrant workers from traffickers, reports 

UNB. 

The government has to take tough 

actions against human traffickers, ensure 

exemplary punishment for them and 

justice for the trafficking victims, speakers 

said at an advocacy meeting on 'Analysis 

and Application of the Prevention and 

Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, 

2012' organised by Solidarity Center- 

Bangladesh Office at a city hotel in Dhaka 

on Wednesday. 

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas 

Employment Ministry Additional 

Secretary Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen 

was chief guest at the programme 

moderated by Solidarity Center's Senior 

Program Officer Dr Lily Gomes. 

Saleheen said trafficking in migration has 

become a big challenge for the country but 

the government had been working 

relentlessly to stop trafficking in persons. 

Referring to recently adopted Global 

Compact for Migration, he said the 

government was working to ensure safe, 

orderly, regular and responsible migration 

from Bangladesh in light of the GCM. 

The stakeholders of the migration sector 

have to cooperate with the government to 

bring down trafficking, he added. 

Solidarity Center Country Programme 

Director Christopher K Johnson said: "It is 

no longer sufficient for us to only consider 

what is best for our community. Our 

understanding of local law and 

international instrument is necessary if we 

seek to safeguard human rights within and 

outside of our national boarder." 

Advocate Saleha Begum, who made an 

analysis presentation on the Prevention 

and Suppression of Human Trafficking 

Act, 2012, said human trafficking is 

perpetrated in network and the Act has 

addressed every stage of the trafficking 

process. 

Trade unionist and founder of the AWAJ 

Foundation Nazma Akter said four 

ministries including home, foreign, labour 

and expatriate welfare would have to work 

together to tackle human trafficking. 

Labour lawyer AKM Nasim said the 

government would have to take steps to 

form 'National Agency' stipulated in the 

counter trafficking law to execute the legal 

instrument completely. 

Bangladeshi Ovibashi Mohila Sramik 

Association Chairman Lily Jahan, BOMSA 

Director Sumaiya Islam, trade unionist 

Kamrul Hasan, Awaj Foundation Director 

Anisur Rahman Khan, WARBE 

Development Foundation Director Jasiya 

Khatoon and New Age journalist Md 

Owasim Uddin Bhuyan, among others, 

also spoke at the meeting. 

Robo Carnival 2019 concluding ceremony 

to be held on Friday at BUET 

Beacon Power Systems Limited presents 

Robo Carnival 2019 will be held in 

Bangladesh University of Engineering & 

Technology, Dhaka, a press release said. 

"Beacon Power Systems Limited presents 

Robo Carnival 2019" is going to be held 

on17-18 January, 2019 at ECE Building GF, 

BUET, Dhaka with a vision to engage all the 

robotics enthusiasts of different institutions 

of Bangladesh in competitive robotics.This 

national level event will be organized by 

BUET Robotics Society this year for third 

consecutive time. 

Pathfinder, Industrial Automation 

Challenge, Soccer Bot Competition, Project 

DSCC/PRD/97/18-19 

GD-93/19 (10 x 3) 

Showcasing & Cognition: Idea Competition 

are 5 segments of Robo Carnival 2019. A 

total of around 800participants frommore 

than 20institutions from all over Bangladesh 

will be participating in 5 segments of this 

grand event. 

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister, 

Ministry of Telecommunication and 

Information Technology (Bangladesh) is the 

Chief Guest of the closing ceremony of Robo 

Carnival 2019. Professor Dr. Saiful Islam, 

Vice Chancellor of BUET is also expected as 

special guest. Besides that several high 

officials from our sponsors will be present to 

glorify the closing ceremony.

EDITORIAL 

ThUrSDAY, 

JAnUArY 17, 2019 

4 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

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

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Thursday, January 17, 2019 

Economic agenda for 

the new government 

Since Sheikh Hasina took power in 2008, 

Bangladesh's per capita income has seen a threefold 

increase. The country's gross domestic 

product (GDP) stood at $250bn in 2017, according to 

the IMF, and last year clocked a growth rate of 7.28 

percent."I promise to build a more beautiful future by 

learning from the past. We will build a noncommunal 

golden Bangladesh free from hunger, 

poverty and illiteracy as cherished by Father of the 

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," 

Hasina said at the launch of her party manifesto some 

4 weeks before the national elections held on 30 

December last. 

The AL's manifesto promises to make Bangladesh, 

one of the world's most densely populated countries 

with a population of over160 million, a middleincome 

nation by 2021 and triple its current per 

capita income of $1,750 in the next decade. 

The garment industry has emerged as one of the 

main pillars of the economy, providing jobs to 4.5 

million people. It makes up 14 percent of the GDP and 

nearly 80 percent of the country's exports worth 

$35bn.Nearly 2.5 million Bangladeshi expatriates 

send home about $15bn annually. Exciting new 

sources of income are emerging in areas such as ocean 

going shipbuilding industry and pharmaceuticals. 

The traditional economic sector, jute trading and 

industry, is reviving and diversifying. The entire 

export sector has been showing uptrends without a 

pause. The export sector growth is likely to be even 

bigger, diversified and sustainable in the future. 

Bangladesh has performed well on most human 

development index indicators by controlling its 

population growth, improving infant mortality 

drastically that has resulted into higher life 

expectancy, which at 72 years, has surpassed those of 

India and Pakistan. 

MahbubulAlamHanif, a senior AL leader, said there 

has been development in every sector under 

Hasina."Sheikh Hasina brought the country out of 

darkness to prosperity," AL Joint General Secretary 

MahbubulAlamHanif saidrecently . "The country has 

totally transformed in the last 10 years." 

But notwithstanding such accomplishments that 

has given the country strong macro economic 

fundamentals, the new third term government of PM 

Sheikh Hasina needs to take a fresh look at what 

things have remained rather skewed under her 

second consecutive term in power. It is now generally 

recognized that while the benefits of economic growth 

have generally trickled down to nearly a 

preponderant number of people in different degrees, 

economic disparity too has widened. Not most 

sections have benefited equally or proportionately 

from the higher economic growth and charges of 

wealth concentration are not unfounded. Thus the 

main economic challenge that would remain during 

the third term of the incumbents in power, is 

ensuring better distributive justice while ensuring 

growth. In other words, the greatest number in the 

population should be enabled to taste the fruits of 

'inclusive economic growth' . 

Another all important aspect in project 

implementation would be fastest and efficient 

completion of projects in the planning and execution 

boards. Projects that are completed well in time are 

most wanted by people because these generate 

beneficial outcomes for them the moment these get 

completed in time. The opposite is the case when 

projects get inordinately delayed, get soaked up in 

corruption and cost overruns. To these aspects of 

project completion, the new government under PM 

Hasina must cast their eyes sternly. No compromise 

should be allowed to these ends. 

The banking sector is suffering considerably from 

the burden of loan defaulting. Election time 

considerations may have restrained the government 

from taking cut and dry drastic punitive and 

corrective actions against willful loan defaulters and 

outright swindlers. With the election over, these 

considerations should now cease. The well 

entrenched new government is expected to take 

decisive actions against these people showing no 

favour or fear in response to none. In sum, the 

government should take steps early in its current 

tenure to ensure anti-corruption measures in the 

banking sector and to truly promote transparency and 

accountability in it. 

Government in its present term is also much 

expected to promote highly job oriented technical and 

vocational education. The much wider skill training 

opportunities at nominal or no costs should be made 

available to people in government run programmes 

and organizations dedicated to this purpose. 

One year ago, BlackRock chairman 

and chief executive officer Larry 

Fink wrote a letter to 500 CEOs 

asking them to rethink their sense of 

purpose. "To prosper over time," he 

wrote, "every company must not only 

deliver financial performance, but also 

show how it makes a positive 

contribution to society." 

Fink argued that companies' excessive 

short-term focus was hurting their ability 

to create more value in the long run. 

Some prominent politicians - including 

US Senator Elizabeth Warren and (until 

Brexit torpedoed her policy agenda) 

British Prime Minister Theresa May - 

have also advocated a more inclusive and 

less predatory form of capitalism. 

But despite these calls to action, little 

has changed. The financial sector 

remains self-obsessed and invests mostly 

in other parts of finance, insurance and 

real estate. Companies also are overly 

financialized, spending more on share 

buybacks and dividends than on human 

capital, machinery, and research and 

development. 

The financial sector remains selfobsessed 

and invests mostly in other 

parts of finance, insurance and real estate. 

Companies also are overly financialized, 

spending more on share buybacks and 

dividends than on human capital, 

machinery, and research and 

development 

And the buyback mania is getting 

worse, including at companies like Apple, 

where falling innovation is not unrelated 

to the failure to reinvest. Many businesses 

talk soothingly about corporate social 

responsibility, impact, and social 

purpose, but very few put these at the core 

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh 

Yadav (R) and Bahujan Samaj Party 

(BSP) leader Mayawati take part in 

a press conference to announce their 

political alliance in Lucknow on January 

12, 2019. 

Even as the Congress president, 

Rahul Gandhi, last week in Dubai 

came on strong, and blasted the 

Narendra Modi regime for 'four and 

half years of intolerance,' and held out 

the prospect of a progressive and 

liberal India if his party came to power 

in the 2019 general elections, the heart 

of Indian politics, Uttar Pradesh, with 

80 seats, has queered the pitch by 

entering into a new political alliance. 

On Saturday, in Lucknow, the capital 

of Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party 

president (SP) chief, Akhilesh Yadav, 

and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 

leader, Mayawati, announced a 

political partnership that will contest 

38 seats each. The SP primarily 

represents the powerful and 

propertied Yadavs and other forward 

castes in the state. The scheduled 

('lower') castes form a little over 20 per 

cent of the population, and forms the 

base of BSP. Muslims, who figure 

nearly another 20 per cent, are 

another crucial vote bank, 

traditionally a resource of the 

Congress party. 

Reacting to the partnership rather 

pointedly announced in his absence, 

Gandhi welcomed the development. 

He said Yadav and Mayawati had 

every right to form an alliance. He did 

not see it as a threat to the political 

prospects of the Congress Party in the 

state, though in the 2014 elections the 

party won only two seats. 

Let’s get real about purpose 

mAriAnA mAzzUCATo 

of their operations. Fink claimed that 

companies should instead focus on a 

broader group of stakeholders: 

"shareholders, employees, customers, 

and the communities in which they 

operate." But this would require 

corporate governance structures that 

maximize stakeholder value, not 

shareholder value - and neither Fink nor 

other business luminaries seem willing to 

go down this "Scandinavian" path. 

Real change means putting purpose at 

the center of how value is defined by 

firms, governments, and the economic 

theory that informs policymakers. 

As I argue in my new book, Adam 

Smith and Karl Marx made the objective 

conditions of production - the division of 

labor, machinery, and capital-labor 

relations - central to their understanding 

of value. In neoclassical economics, 

however, value is merely a function of 

exchange. Only what has a price is 

valuable, and "collective" effort is 

omitted, because only individual 

decisions matter. Even wages are seen as 

outcomes of people's utility-maximizing 

choices between leisure and work. 

In the neoclassical view, governments 

at best redistribute value created 

elsewhere. Furthermore, gross domestic 

product doesn't account for the value of 

essential public services such as health 

care and education. It does, though, 

account for their costs (teachers' salaries, 

for example), so that civil servants cannot 

claim to be as "productive" as former 

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein in 

2009 infamously suggested his 

employees were. Unsurprisingly, public 

fink claimed that companies should instead 

focus on a broader group of stakeholders: 

"shareholders, employees, customers, and the 

communities in which they operate." But this 

would require corporate governance 

structures that maximize stakeholder value, 

not shareholder value - and neither fink nor 

other business luminaries seem willing to go 

down this "Scandinavian" path. 

Gandhi may be truly feeling at ease 

with the prospect of the new alliance. 

If only because the consolidation of the 

caste based votes will keep the BJP 

from getting a look in. The Uttar 

Pradesh state government is currently 

led by a hard-right Hindutva 

strongman, Yogi Adityanath, who has 

so far proven inept in administrative 

matters. Though politically a very 

important state, UP sorely lags in all 

development indices. Adityanath has 

alienated the Muslim population by 

his brand of politics. And since he is 

unapologetic about his saffron agenda, 

the lower castes too do not see eye-toeye 

with him. With the realigning of 

castes and votes, the chances are that 

the BJP will find the going hard in UP 

in summer when the general elections 

are scheduled to be held. Though the 

hopefuls in the BJP believe that the 

new alliance will keep the Congress 

away from getting a look in, from what 

Mayawati has said, the alliance's first 

enemy is the BJP. Soon after the 

announcement of the alliance, she 

said: "This will rob Narendra Modi of 

his sleep.' 

Make no mistake. These are words of 

C. P. SUrEnDrAn 

officials, long accused of "crowding out" 

business, have internalized the belief that 

they should do no more than fix market 

failures. Yet the public organizations that 

put a man on the moon and invented the 

Internet did more than just correct 

market failures. They had ambition, a 

purpose, and a mission. 

To get real about purpose, we need to 

recognize that value is created collectively 

and build more symbiotic partnerships 

between public and private institutions 

and civil society. In doing so, we must 

address three questions: what value to 

expediency. In the mid-90s Mayawati 

had formed a government in the state 

with the support of the BJP - but not 

before trying her luck with SP and the 

Congress. The new alliance's main 

grouse against the Congress has been 

that that a political understanding 

with that party does not help them to 

get new votes if the past is anything to 

go by. Essentially that means the 

party's base and cadre do not trust 

BSP. The BSP and SP may have hit it 

off for the moment to offer a united 

front to divide the spoils with the 

The new alliance's main grouse against the Congress 

has been that that a political understanding with that 

party does not help them to get new votes if the past 

is anything to go by. Essentially that means the 

party's base and cadre do not trust BSP. The BSP and 

SP may have hit it off for the moment to offer a 

united front to divide the spoils with the Congress in 

the near future. 

Congress in the near future. Or to 

bargain with the Congress at the right 

time, which is round the corner. If the 

Muslim population in the state finds 

faith in the leadership of a resurgent 

Rahul Gandhi, the fortunes in Indian 

parliament will change. Gandhi's 

speech in Dubai and else where in the 

Middle East repeatedly stressed on the 

liberal 'idea of India.' If nothing but a 

sound, it still holds hope for the 

minorities and the under privileged. 

As already said, the last is the core 

constituency of the BSP. Which 

perhaps explains the pre-emptive 

haste of Mayawati's new found 

create, how to evaluate the impact, and 

how to share the rewards. 

Paul Polman, the departing CEO of 

Unilever, has rightly tried to focus 

companies on creating value in line with 

substantial targets, especially the United 

Nations' 17 Sustainable Development 

Goals. 

Of course, neither the public nor the 

private sector alone can meet all 169 

specific targets underpinning the SDGs. 

But governments can use the goals to 

create initiatives that require 

investment and innovation from many 

public, private, and civil-society 

organizations. I advocated this 

approach in a report that has become a 

key part of the European Commission's 

Horizon program. 

Similarly, companies evaluating their 

social impact should ditch fuzzy 

objectives and focus on concrete steps 

to help solve problems. Financial 

institutions would no longer evaluate 

their loans on the basis of categories of 

firms or countries, but rather in terms 

of activities that help fulfill specific 

missions - such as removing plastic 

from the ocean or creating more 

sustainable cities. 

Likewise, governments should give 

fewer handouts to companies and instead 

rely more on procurement and prize 

schemes to nurture corporate 

innovations aimed at achieving the SDGs. 

In other words, there should be less 

picking winners and more picking the 

willing. Finally, companies must share 

the rewards as well as the risks of creating 

value. 

Source : Asia times 

Grand alliance in india poses big challenge to modi 

While browsing social media, I 

witnessed a gruesome 

physical dispute among a 

group of young people that resulted 

in one of them being killed and two 

injured. I was shocked, not only by 

the dispute itself - over car parking, 

of all things - but by some public 

reactions. 

There were people who encouraged 

the violence, and even started to call 

for the collection of financial 

compensation, or diyah, to exempt 

the offender from the death penalty. 

Such incidents are worrying evidence 

that the security of this homeland 

may be compromised by tribal 

racism, the harm from which may 

range from abuse to murder. How 

can the law combat this? 

Islam is a religion that guarantees 

freedom and dignity for all, and 

Saudi Arabia is a state that 

guarantees all rights to all its 

citizens, but this tribalism distorts 

and undermines these guaranteed 

rights. With no dedicated law against 

tribal racism and a lack of specific 

penalties, cases are dealt with at the 

discretion of a judge and his 

evaluation of the circumstances. 

Most tribal racism cases are 

prosecuted under the Anti- 

Cybercrime Law, in particular Article 

6, which imposes a prison sentence 

of up to five years and a fine of up to 

SR3 million ($800,000) on anyone 

convicted of producing or sharing 

content that violates private ethics 

and morals, or the private lives of 

other individuals. A clear and explicit 

law to criminalize this racism would, 

of course, preserve national unity 

and enable a victim to bring a lawsuit 

against anyone who breaks the law, 

whether morally or physically. Until 

such a law is adopted, Article 12 of 

the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia 

ensures that national unity must be 

maintained and strengthened, and 

prevents any act that affects this 

unity and leads to discrimination 

between the people of the homeland. 

The other issue we cannot ignore is 

the social media campaign to collect 

money to pay the diyah to exempt a 

member of one tribe from execution. 

Such campaigns have become a 

business, with its own traders and 

brokers, often called "blood brokers." 

Their task is to collect donations for 

diyat that can sometimes reach 

hundreds of millions of riyals, and 

there have been cases of theft and 

friendship with Yadav. 

The BJP is aware that the odds are 

stacking up against them. On the same 

day when Mayawati and Yadav 

announced their new found love for 

each other - years ago, both parties 

had come literally to blows - at a BJP 

convention, in Delhi, Modi more or 

less said he would be in the running as 

Prime Minister for a second term. That 

the BJP will field Modi as their PM 

candidate seems pretty much set and 

certain. But when a magician has run 

out of most of his tricks, it is not likely 

that the same audience will come back 

for his next show. 

If Mayawati or Yadav garners 

around even 50 per cent of the 78 seats 

they are contesting, they will be a 

great, determining force in 

Parliament. And if that happens, 

Mayawati - who has professed to such 

ambitions - may have an outside 

chance of becoming the PM of a 

motley alliance. It is possible. But as 

this writer has mentioned in these 

columns before, no matter who comes 

to power in the coming general 

elections, no leader is talking about 

hard economic decisions he or she will 

need to take. 

After trying out just about every 

political experiment permissible in a 

democracy, Indian political parties are 

still coming together or breaking apart 

in terms of castes and religion. It is 

perhaps a pointer to how little Indian 

society and politics have moved from 

its set ways. The more things change, 

the more things remain the same. 

Source : Gulf news 

Why tribal racism has no place in Saudi society 

DimAh TALAL ALShArif 

A clear and explicit law to criminalize this racism 

would, of course, preserve national unity and enable 

a victim to bring a lawsuit against anyone who 

breaks the law, whether morally or physically. Until 

such a law is adopted, Article 12 of the Basic Law of 

Saudi Arabia ensures that national unity must be 

maintained and strengthened, and prevents any act 

that affects this unity and leads to discrimination 

between the people of the homeland. 

exploitation. 

The Ministry of Media prohibits 

press coverage or publication of any 

advertisements to collect donations, 

donor names, account numbers, or 

anything that would cause an 

increase in demand for more than 

the legal fees in murder cases. 

Everyone has a duty to report such 

campaigns to the authorities, to 

mitigate the damage they cause and 

to reinforce the principles of peace 

and forgiveness called for by our 

religion and our country. 

Meanwhile, in the absence of a 

specific law, anyone harmed by tribal 

racism may file a complaint with the 

police, and the Public Prosecution 

will investigate. 

Legislative and social efforts must 

be combined to combat this 

phenomenon, which can be a major 

obstacle to the Kingdom's social 

development and impede attempts to 

promote integration and peace in 

society. It is also important to 

emphasize that these social and 

legislative efforts should be 

complemented by awareness that 

begins at home. 

Source : Arab news

HEALTH 

THURSdAY, 

JANUARY 17, 2019 

5 

Why exercise alone won’t save us 

Vybarr Cregan-Reid 

This is the time of year when 

trainers are mined from 

under beds and gym kits are 

disinterred from the bottom 

drawer. Google searches 

relating to physical fitness 

peak in January. Many 

people even trawl the web to 

find out about "desk 

exercises" and "workouts on 

the go" in case they are too 

busy to use their new gym 

memberships. 

Our relationship with 

exercise is complicated. 

Reports from the UK and 

the US show it is something 

we persistently struggle 

with. As the new year rolls 

around, we anticipate 

having the drive to behave 

differently and become 

regular exercisers, even in 

the knowledge that we will 

probably fail to do so. Why 

do we want to exercise? 

What do we expect it to do 

for us? We all know we are 

supposed to be exercising, 

but hundreds of millions of 

us can't face actually doing 

it. It is just possible the 

problem lies at the heart of 

the idea of exercise itself. 

Exercise is movement of 

the muscles and limbs for a 

specific outcome, usually to 

enhance physical fitness. As 

such, for most of us, it is an 

optional addition to the 

working day - yet another 

item on a long list of 

responsibilities alongside 

the fulfilment of parental 

duties or earning money to 

put food on the table. But 

because the principal 

beneficiary of exercise is 

ourselves, it is one of the 

easiest chores to shirk. At 

the end of the working day, 

millions of us prefer to 

indulge in sedentary leisure 

activities instead of what we 

all think is good for us: a 

workout. 

We need to step out of sedentary lifestyles. 

Fitness crazes are like 

diets: if any of them worked, 

there wouldn't be so many. 

CrossFit, the intensely 

physical, communal 

workout incorporating free 

weights, squats, pull-ups 

and so forth, is still less than 

20 years old. Spin classes - 

vigorous group workouts on 

stationary bikes - have only 

been around for about 30. 

Aerobics was a craze about a 

decade before that, although 

many of its high-energy 

routines had already been 

around for a while. (The 

pastel horror of 1970s 

Jazzercise is probably best 

forgotten.) Before that, there 

was the jogging revolution, 

which began in the US in the 

early 1960s. The Joggers 

Manual, published in 1963 

by the Oregon Heart 

Foundation, was a leaflet of 

about 200 words that sought 

to address the postwar panic 

about sedentary lifestyles by 

encouraging an accessible 

form of physical activity, 

explaining that "jogging is a 

bit more than a walk". The 

jogging boom took a few 

years to get traction, hitting 

its stride in the mid- to late- 

80s, but it remains one of 

the most popular forms of 

exercise, now also in groups. 

The exercise craze that 

dominated the 1950s was, 

oddly, not even an exercise. 

The vibrating exercise belt 

Photo: Laurène Boglio 

promised users could 

achieve effortless weight loss 

by having their midriffs 

violently jiggled. It didn't 

work, but you can still find 

similar machines available 

for purchase today. 

These fads even came with 

their own particular fashions 

- legwarmers, leotards, 

Lycra. So is our obsession 

with fitness doomed to be 

the stuff of embarrassing 

passing "phases"? Is exercise 

itself a fad? 

t is not news that we are 

becoming more sedentary as 

a species. The problem has 

been creeping up on us for 

generations. As industry and 

technology solved the 

physical demands of manual 

labour, they created new 

challenges for the human 

body. 

Evidence about bone 

strength and density gleaned 

from fossils of early humans 

suggests that, for hundreds 

of thousands of years, 

normal levels of movement 

were much higher than ours 

today. And the range of work 

required of the human body 

to subsist was sizeable: 

everything from foraging for 

food and finding water to 

hunting, constructing basic 

shelters, manufacturing 

tools and evading predators. 

The fossil record tells us that 

many prehistoric humans 

were stronger and fitter than 

today's Olympians. 

A hundred years ago, 

while life was easier than it 

had been for our huntergatherer 

forebears, it was 

still required that shopping 

was fetched, floors 

scrubbed, wood chopped 

and washing done by hand. 

Modern 

urban 

environments do not invite 

anything like the same kinds 

of work from the body. It is 

not easy to clock up those 

miles when cities are built to 

prioritise cars and treat 

pedestrians as secondary. 

We are not assisted by our 

environments to move like 

we used to, for reasons tied 

up with motivation, safety 

and accessibility. 

Technological innovations 

have led to countless minor 

reductions of movement. To 

clean a rug in the 1940s, 

most people took it into their 

yard and whacked the 

bejeezus out of it for 20 

minutes. Fast-forward a few 

decades and we can set 

robot vacuum cleaners to 

wander about our living 

rooms as we order up some 

shopping to be delivered, 

put on the dishwasher, cram 

a load into the washer-dryer, 

admire the self-cleaning 

oven, stack some machinecut 

logs in the grate, pour a 

glass of milk from the frostfree 

fridge or thumb a 

capsule into the coffee 

maker. Each of these devices 

and behaviours is making it 

a bit more difficult for us to 

keep moving regularly 

throughout our day. 

Cause of polycystic ovary 

syndrome discovered 

Alice Klein 

The most common cause of female 

infertility - polycystic ovary 

syndrome - may be caused by a 

hormonal imbalance before birth. 

The finding has led to a cure in mice, 

and a drug trial is set to begin in 

women later this year. 

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects 

up to one in five women worldwide, 

three-quarters of whom struggle to 

fall pregnant. The condition is 

typically characterised by high levels 

of testosterone, ovarian cysts, 

irregular menstrual cycles, and 

problems regulating sugar, but the 

causes have long been a mystery. 

"It's by far the most common 

hormonal condition affecting 

women of reproductive age but it 

hasn't received a lot of attention," 

says Robert Norman at the 

University of Adelaide in Australia. 

Treatments are available for 

helping affected women get 

pregnant, but their success rates are 

typically less than 30 per cent across 

five menstrual cycles. Now, Paolo 

Giacobini at the French National 

Institute of Health and Medical 

Research and his colleagues have 

found that the syndrome may be 

triggered before birth by excess 

exposure in the womb to a hormone 

called anti-Müllerian hormone. 

The researchers discovered that 

pregnant women with polycystic 

ovary syndrome have 30 per cent 

higher levels of anti-Müllerian 

hormone than normal. Since the 

syndrome is known to run in 

families, they wondered if this 

hormonal imbalance in pregnancy 

might induce the same condition in 

their daughters. 

To test this idea, they injected 

excess anti-Müllerian hormone into 

pregnant mice. As their female 

offspring grew up, they displayed 

many of the hallmarks of polycystic 

ovary syndrome, including later 

puberty, infrequent ovulation, 

delays in falling pregnant, and fewer 

offspring. 

The excess hormone seemed to 

trigger this effect by overstimulating 

a set of brain cells that raise the level 

of testosterone. The team were able 

to reverse this effect in the mice 

using cetrorelix, an IVF drug 

routinely used to control women's 

hormones. After treatment with this 

drug, the mice stopped showing 

symptoms of polycystic ovary 

syndrome. 

The team is now planning a clinical 

trial of cetrorelix in women with the 

condition, which they hope to start 

before the end of the year. "It could 

be an attractive strategy to restore 

ovulation and eventually increase 

the pregnancy rate in these women," 

says Giacobini. "It's a radical new 

way of thinking about polycystic 

ovary syndrome and opens up a 

whole range of opportunities for 

further investigation," says Norman. 

If the syndrome is indeed passed 

from mothers to daughters via 

hormones in the womb, that could 

explain why it's been so hard to 

pinpoint any genetic cause of the 

disorder, says Norman. "It's 

something we've been stuck on for a 

long time," he says. The findings 

may also explain why women with 

the syndrome seem to get pregnant 

more easily in their late 30s and 

early 40s, says Norman. Anti- 

Müllerian hormone levels are known 

to decline with age, usually 

signalling reduced fertility. But in 

women who start out with high 

levels, age-related declines may 

bring them into the normal fertility 

range - although this still needs to be 

tested, says Norman. 

Polycystic ovaries are the most common cause of fertility issues in 

women. 

Photo: Science Photo Library 

Our workplaces are making us sick, but there are clever ways to be careful about germiest corners. 

Photo: Chris Turner 

How to avoid getting sick 

in the office 

Yvaine Ye 

The headlines are lurid. One 2012 

University of Arizona study swabbed 

chairs, phones, keyboards, computer 

mice and desktops in offices in New 

York, San Francisco and Tucson, 

Arizona. It found traces of more than 

500 different types of bacteria, the 

most abundant "common inhabitants 

of the human skin, nasal, oral or 

intestinal cavities". A study last year 

found that the "average desk contains 

400 times more germs than a toilet 

seat". In excess of 130 million UK 

working days were lost to sickness in 

2017, well over half of them due to 

complaints that could be picked up in 

the office, from colds and coughs to flu 

and gastroenteritis. Should we be 

donning hazmat suits at our desks? 

Probably not, says Sally Bloomfield at 

the London School of Hygiene and 

Tropical Medicine, as focusing on how 

many microbes there are in the 

working environment is highly 

misleading. "We're constantly 

shedding stuff into our environment, 

but these organisms are mostly 

harmless," she says. Unless we are 

made to hot-desk (see "Winning at 

work: Why hot-desking and open-plan 

offices are bad for you"), our desks are 

our safe havens: the microbes there are 

largely our own. Besides the daily 

commute if you use public transport, 

the danger zones at work are 

communal areas, says Bloomfield, 

especially shared surfaces 

Which fitness policy to adopt 

and which to ignore 

Sam Wong 

Do you start your day with a visit 

to a hyperbaric oxygen chamber? 

Or do you prefer to stare at the 

sun while doing yoga? These are 

among the rituals of four 

"wellness" obsessives who were 

profiled by The Times on 12 

January. 

The pursuit of good health is, of 

course, to be encouraged, but it's 

hardly surprising that some of the 

measures they reported - such as 

Himalayan salt lamps and a 

device called the 

"HumanCharger" - raised a few 

eyebrows on social media. 

Devotees of wellness clearly 

have a strong interest in the 

science of human health, and 

many of their habits have some 

basis in research. However, they 

could perhaps do with a little help 

at sifting evidence-based lifestyle 

advice from pseudoscientific guff. 

For anyone hoping to improve 

their own health, we've picked 

out a few of the good bits from 

their daily routines - and a few 

you should probably ignore. 

Sun staring - "I sun-stare 

because the UV rays aren't 

harmful to my retina the first 

hour after sunrise," Dasha 

Maximov told The Times. 

Though fewer UV rays will hit 

your retina when the sun is not 

yet up, they are still harmful. 

Staring at the sun is not a good 

idea at any time. 

HumanCharger - "It looks like 

an iPod and shines light into my 

ear to give me energy," says 

photographer Alex Beer. Light 

therapy may be useful for all 

sorts of things, including 

depression and neurological 

diseases, but it works best 

through the eyes. 

Seawater supplements - Tim 

Gray, a digital marketing agency 

CEO, said he takes Quinton 

Isotonic - "a supplement that 

comes from plankton and 

contains enzymes that help me 

stay hydrated". According to one 

website selling these products, 

they are 29 per cent sea water 

and 71 per cent spring water, so a 

10 ml shot of it is unlikely to do 

anything much. 

Brain-enhancing drugs - Gray 

also takes aniracetam, a drug he 

says "switches my brain on and 

gives me clearer thinking". 

Though studies have found a 

benefit in patients with 

dementia, there is minimal 

evidence that the drug is helpful 

to people with normal cognitive 

function. 

Staying hydrated - "I wake up 

and immediately rehydrate," 

says Beer. Gray has a 

spreadsheet recording his 

hydration. Wellness enthusiasts 

seem to have a particular 

concern about staying hydrated, 

but the truth is if you just obey 

your thirst, you'll be fine. 

Ditching processed food - 

We're told we must eschew 

processed food, but there's no 

good reason to do so. They have 

helped us overcome hunger and 

reduce waste. Yoga and 

meditation - Yoga has wellestablished 

benefits for physical 

strength and psychological 

health. Mindfulness meditation 

can alleviate depression and 

anxiety, improve learning, and 

perhaps even slow ageing. There 

is also evidence that yoga and 

meditation can dampen the 

activity of genes associated with 

inflammation. To enhance their 

benefits further, you can even 

combine them with brain 

zapping. 

Avoid blue light in the evening - 

There is growing evidence that 

exposure to blue light in the 

evening disrupts our circadian 

rhythms and affects the quality of 

sleep. Switching off screens 

before bed, or using an app to 

filter out blue light, may be 

helpful. "When I'm working on 

the computer, I use a program 

that dims the screen according to 

the sun's timing in my location, 

Thinking of getting into wellness? Here's a helpful guide. 

Photo: Getty 

and I wear blue-light-blocking 

glasses," says Maximov. 

Get plenty of sleep - Gray has 

analysed his sleep for four years 

and found that seven hours and 

forty-one minutes' sleep is "the 

perfect amount for me". Getting 

less than seven hours' sleep 

raises your risk of obesity, heart 

disease, depression and early 

death.

NATIONAL 

thurSdAY, JAnuArY 17, 2019 

6 

deputy inspector General (diG) for rangpur range of Bangladesh police devdas Bhattacharya 

distributed awards among the best police personnel of rangpur range recently. photo: rafiqul islam 

engineer Abdul Mannan Mian 

best Sp in rangpur range 

rAfiquL iSLAM, GAiBAndhA CorreSpondent 

The Rangpur Range of Bangladesh Police has awarded its 

five personnel and three organisations with medals in 

recognition of their professional and organisational 

excellences in discharging duties. 

Superintendent of Police for Gaibandha Engineer Abdul 

Mannan Mian has been elected as the best 

Superintendent of Police in Rangpur range for the 

outstanding performance of the range police officials. 

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) for Rangpur Range of 

Bangladesh Police Devdas Bhattacharya distributed the 

awards on Tuesday afternoon at the monthly crime, law 

and order assessment meeting held at his conference 

room. The police personnel and organisation received the 

medals for their laudable performances in handling 

crimes and maintaining peaceful law and order situation 

in December last. 

The awarded five police personnel are Additional 

50 industries to 

be set up in 

rajshahi: Liton 

RAJSHAHI: Mayor of 

Rajshahi City Corporation 

(RCC) AHM Khairuzzaman 

Liton on Wednesday said 

that more than 50 garments 

and other industries will be 

established in Rajshahi city 

in the next five years, reports 

BSS. 

"We are committed to 

expanding industrial area to 

cut the existing burden of 

unemployment here," he 

said while addressing a 

project-launching ceremony 

of a non-government 

organisation at Safawang 

Chinese Restaurant in the 

city. 

Volunteer Multipurpose 

Women Social Welfare 

Society (VMWSWS) 

organised the function 

aiming to present the salient 

feature of its Alor Thikana 

project along with its aims, 

objectives 

and 

implementation strategy. 

Bank Asia distributes 

blankets among poor 

and disabled people 

in Mohadevpur 

ShAkhAwAth hoSSAin, 

MohAdevpur CorreSpondent 

Bank Asia distributed 

blankets among the 

distressed, poor and 

disabled people in 

Mohadevpur upazila of 

Naogaon on Wednesday. 

The blanket distribution 

programme was held at 

Jahangirpur Model High 

School premises. 

Manager of Bank Asia's 

Mohadevpur branch Ekram 

Hossain chaired the 

occasion while among 

others, Jahangirpur Model 

High School Headmaster 

SM Ibrahim Sarkar, 

Mohadevpur Thana Press 

Club General Secretary M. 

Shakhawat Hossain and 

Bank Asia's Operation 

Manager Amirul Islam 

spoke at the occasion. 

In this winter, the guests 

distributed blankets among 

of 500 poor and disabled 

people in Jahangirpur 

Model High School, Rodail 

BM College, Mataji Hat area, 

Raninagar and Samasparara 

Agent Point. 

Superintendent of Police for Dinajpur (Sadar Circle) 

Shushanto Sarker, Sub-Inspector (SI) Momirul Haque of 

Gobindaganj Thana in Gaibandha, SI Mamunur Rashid of 

Jaldhaka Thana in Nilphamari, Assistant Sub-inspector 

(ASI) Shawkat Alam Siddique of Gobindaganj Thana in 

Gaibandha and SI Morshedul Alam of Sadullapur Thana 

in Gaibandha. 

Moreover, Lalmonirhat district Traffic Unit and 

Gobindaganj Thana in Gaibandha district were awarded 

as the two other best organisations. 

Additional DIG for Rangpur Range Mazid Ali, 

Superintendents of Police (SP) from Rangpur, 

Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Nilphamari, 

Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Gaibandha districts and other 

police officials were present. 

The DIG directed police officials to extend legal 

assistance to the common people and remain alert for 

curbing crimes and drug trafficking and foiling any 

attempt of militant and terrorist activities. 

pabna Civil Surgeon Md. tahajjal hossain addressed a press orientation 

workshop on the occasion of national vitamin A plus campaign at his 

office on wednesday. 

photo: Abdul hamid khan 

press orientation workshop on national 

vitamin A plus campaign held in pabna 

ABduL hAMid khAn, pABnA CorreSpondent 

The National Vitamin A plus campaign (2nd 

round) will be held across the country on 

January 19, to eliminate malnutrition and to 

prevent death of malnourished children in 

Bangladesh. In order to make this campaign 

successful, a press orientation workshop was 

held at Pabna Civil Surgeon Office on 

Wednesday. 

Pabna Civil Surgeon Md. Tahajjal Hossain 

inaugurated the workshop at his office 

conference room. Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. 

AKM Abu Jafar gave the welcome speech, 

while among others, Medical Officer of Civil 

Surgeon Office Dr. Md. Khairul Kabir, senior 

journalist and Pabna BTV representative 

Abdul Matin Khan and The Bangladesh 

Today Pabna correspondent Abdul Khan 

also addressed the occasion. District EPI 

supervisor Mohammad Rabiul Alam 

conducted the workshop. 

Civil Surgeon Dr. Tahajjel Hossain said that 

Bangladesh is now a highway of development. 

And the health sector is at the forefront. 

Everyone will have to come forward for this 

development. He said Vitamin A plus 

campaign is not only feeding children 

'Vitamin A' capsules, but also to make the 

parents aware about the requirements of 

Vitamin 'A' in the body of children, and this is 

one of the goals of the campaign. 

Vitamin 'A' prevents night blindness in 

children and increases disease prevention 

and reduces risk of baby's death. It is 

possible to reduce the rate of child 

mortality by 23% by completing the 

deficiency of Vitamin A. 

Civil Surgeon told the journalists in the 

workshop that on January 19, 3,83,447 

children will be provided Vitamin A plus 

capsule in Pabna district from 8am to 

4pm. 

Manager of Bank Asia's Mohadevpur branch ekram hossain distributed 

blankets among the distressed, poor and disabled people in Mohadevpur 

upazila of naogaon on wednesday. 

photo: Shakhawath hossain 

training on cow 

rearing held in 

Gaibandha 

GAIBANDHA : A three-day 

training on cow rearing for 

beneficiaries of Kkti Bari Ekti 

Khamar (EBEK) project 

under the Ministry of Local 

Government, Rural 

Development and 

Cooperatives ended at Youth 

Training Centre (YTC) here 

on Tuesday, reports BSS. 

A concluding ceremony 

was also held at the training 

centre with deputy 

coordinator of YTC AM 

Khaled in the chair. 

Deputy director (DD) of 

Bangladesh Rural 

Development Board (BRDB) 

Abdus Sabur attended the 

function and addressed it as 

the chief guest. Gaibandha 

Press Club General Secretary 

Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman 

was present at the event as 

the special guest. 

DD of BRDB Abdus Sabur 

in his speeches urged the 

EBEK project beneficiaries 

to apply the knowledge 

acquired from the training in 

practical life to change their 

socio-economic condition 

gradually and help the 

government build a poverty 

free country as well. 

A total of 40 project 

beneficiaries coming from 

Gobindaganj upazila of the 

district took part in the 

training. 

press conference on national 

vitamin A plus campaign held 

in rangamati 

Md. ShAfiqur rAhMAn, rAnGAMAti CorreSpondent 

A press conference was held on Wednesday at the conference room of Rangamati Civil 

Surgeon Office on the occasion of National Vitamin A plus campaign. The press conference 

was organized by Rangamati Health Department. 

Rangamati Civil Surgeon Dr. Shahid Talukder chaired the conference while among others, 

Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Nihar Ranjan Nandy, The Daily Giridarpon Editor A.K.M Maqsud 

Ahmed, Rangamati Reporters Unity President Sushil Proshad Chakma, Medical Officer of 

Civil Surgeon Office and various print, electronics and online media journalists of Rangamati 

were also present at the occasion. 

It was informed at the press conference that the concerned authorities has set a target of 

feeding Vitamin A' capsules to 78 thousand 805 children during National Vitamin A 'Plus 

Campaign (2nd Round) in Rangamati district. The National Vitamin 'A' plus campaign will 

be held on Jan 19 in Rangamati at 1,315 centers. 

A press conference on the occasion of national vitamin A plus campaign 

was held at the conference room of rangamati Civil Surgeon office on 

wednesday. 

photo: Md. Shafiqur rahman 

two regulators on rahmatkhali 

river are out of service 

MASudur rAhMAn khAn Bhutto, 

LAkShMipur CorreSpondent 

Two regulators of 14 vents along with 

navigation lock on Rahmatkhali River 

in Moju Chowdhury Hat in 

Lakshmipur are out of service for 

several months. Water from the river 

cannot enter the canal as most of the 28 

gates of the regulator are closed. As a 

result rice seedlings cannot be 

cultivated due to absence of adequate 

water. Farmers are worried about this. 

In such a situation, Boro cultivation 

in the current season is likely to be 

hampered. When visited the area it was 

seen that the regulator has 28 gates in 

total. Out the 14 main regulators, 12 

were out of order and closed except for 

2 and old 14 regulators are all closed 

out of which 3 are broken. Water can 

not be reached in Rahmatkhali canal 

because it cannot open the gate during 

tide. Even though some water entered 

through the broken gate, the tide took 

the water away to the river. Due to the 

absence of water the farmers cannot 

cultivate. During the Boro season, the 

people of Lakshmipur are dependent 

on the water of the river Meghna. 

Regular gateways were opened when 

the water was needed during the past 

years of the Boro season. The water of 

the Meghna flowed through 

Rahmatkhali canals and entered the 

surrounding canals. When there was 

sufficient water, the gates were closed. 

But the farmers are in danger now as 

most of the regulators are unable to 

enter the water this season. 

When visited Babhaniganj in Sadar 

upazila, it was seen that there is no 

water in the canal. Most farmers cannot 

cultivate Boro. Some people are trying 

to plant saplings by taking water from 

the pond in an alternate way. Farmers 

said that in the Boro season there are 

tides for four to five days before full 

moon. When the water of the tide 

enters the canal, then that water is 

pumped in the field. But now the water 

does not reach the canal because 

almost all the gates are closed. 

Moju Chowdhury Hat Regulator Gate 

Operator Fayez said that five out of 28 

gates of two regulators were broken 

and the movement wire of the rest of 

the 23 gate got torn apart, which is why 

it is not possible to open the gates. 

Farmers cannot cultivate rice due to 

lack of water. He also said that he 

reported the matter to the concerned 

authority. 

Deputy Assistant Engineer of 

Lakshmipur Water Development 

Board Mazharul Islam said that, we 

have been informed about the matter 

and we have provided the news to 

repair workers. I hope that the problem 

will be resolved within a short time. 

two regulators along with navigation lock on rahmatkhali river in Moju Chowdhury hat in 

Lakshmipur are out of service for several months. 

photo: Masudur rahman khan Bhutto 

Call to make vitamin ‘A’ plus 

campaign successful 

RAJSHAHI: Experts at a city level 

advocacy meeting here urged all the 

officials and others concerned to make 

the forthcoming January 19 National 

vitamin 'A' plus campaign-2019 (Second 

round) a total success to address vitamin 

deficiency disorders and syndromes 

among babies, reports BSS. 

They said vitamin 'A' supplement is 

essential for the normal functioning of 

the visual system, maintenance of cell 

function for growth, red blood cell 

production, immunity and reproduction. 

The supplementation is also important 

for substantial reduction of death rate 

caused by diarrhea and measles. 

Besides, various problems including 

eyesight and night blindness could be 

prevented and cured through successful 

implementation of the campaign, they 

added. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) 

organised the advocacy and planning 

meeting in association with Institute of 

Public Health Nutrition (IPHN) and 

UNICEF at its conference hall ahead of 

the campaign. 

Chaired by RCC Chief Executive 

Officer Rejaul Karim the meeting was 

addressed, among others, by Panel 

Mayors Shariful Islam, Rajab Ali and 

Tahera Khatun, Deputy Director of 

Health Dr Gopenda Nath Acharya, 

Deputy Director of Department of Social 

Services Rashedul Kabir, Regional 

Director of Bangladesh Betar Hassan 

Akter and Assistant Director of 

Department of Family Planning Tasiqul 

Haque. 

During her keynote presentation, RCC 

Chief Health Officer Dr AFM Anzuman 

Ara Begum said the vitamin 'A' plus 

supplement is helpful for reducing the 

severity and duration of illnesses 

associated with pneumonia and 

diarrhea.

INTERNATIONAL THUrSDAy, 

7 

JANUJAry 17, 2019 

New caravan of Honduran migrants 

makes first border crossing 

The latest caravan of Honduran 

migrants hoping to reach the U.S. has 

crossed peacefully into Guatemala, 

under the watchful eyes of about 200 

Guatemalan police and soldiers. 

About 500 people, including dozens of 

children, lined up to show their documents 

to a first line of unarmed security 

personnel at the Agua Caliente border 

crossing Tuesday night. Riot police 

formed a second line to contain any possible 

disturbance, reports UNB. 

Edilberto Hernandez, a former police 

officer, stood with his wife and four children 

to cross into Guatemala. After losing 

his job, he could find only low-paid 

construction work, and he decided to 

travel with his whole family to the United 

States. 

"We are going out of necessity, 

because of the poverty," Hernandez said. 

The fate that awaits them at the Mexico-U.S. 

border is uncertain. The previous 

caravans that were seized upon last 

year by U.S. President Donald Trump in 

the run-up to the 2018 midterm election 

have quietly dwindled, with many having 

gone home to Central America or put 

down roots in Mexico. 

Despite the hard-line immigration 

rhetoric by the Trump administration, 

many others - nearly half, according to 

U.S. Border Patrol arrest records - have 

sought to enter the U.S. illegally. 

About 6,000 Central Americans 

reached Tijuana in November amid conflict 

on both sides of the border over 

their presence in this Mexican city across 

from San Diego. As of Monday, fewer 

than 700 migrants remained at a former 

outdoor concert venue in Tijuana that 

the Mexican government set up as a 

shelter to house the immigrants. 

Where have they all gone? 

The U.S. Border Patrol has made 

about 2,600 caravan-related arrests in 

its San Diego sector, spokesman Theron 

Francisco said, indicating that nearly 

half have crossed into the U.S. illegally. 

Families are typically released with a 

notice to appear in immigration court. 

Mexican officials say about 1,300 caravan 

members have returned to Central 

America. Mexico has issued humanitarian 

visas to about 2,900 others, many of 

whom are now working legally there 

with visas. 

US assessment raises concerns 

over China attacking Taiwan 

Amid increasing tensions 

with Beijing, the Pentagon 

on Tuesday released a new 

report that lays out U.S. concerns 

about China's growing 

military might, underscoring 

worries about a possible 

attack against Taiwan, 

reports UNB. 

Speaking to reporters, a 

senior defense intelligence 

official said the key concern 

is that as China upgrades its 

military equipment and 

technology and reforms how 

it trains and develops troops, 

it becomes more confident in 

its ability to wage a regional 

conflict. And Beijing's leaders 

have made it clear that 

reasserting sovereignty over 

Taiwan is their top priority. 

The official added, however, 

that although China could 

easily fire missiles at Taiwan, 

it doesn't yet have the military 

capability to successfully 

invade the self-governing 

island, which split from 

mainland China amid civil 

war in 1949. The official 

spoke on condition of 

anonymity in order to provide 

more detail on intelligence 

findings in the report, 

which was written by the 

Defense Intelligence Agency. 

Its release comes just a 

week after Chinese President 

Xi Jinping called on his People's 

Liberation Army to better 

prepare for combat. China 

has warned the U.S. 

against further upgrading 

military ties with Taiwan and 

has threatened to use force 

against the island to assert 

its claim of sovereignty. 

Under President Donald 

Trump, the U.S. has taken 

incremental moves to bolster 

ties with the island, including 

renewed arms sales and 

upgraded contacts between 

officials. 

U.S.-China tensions have 

become increasingly frayed 

on the military and economic 

fronts over the past 

year. Trump imposed tariff 

increases of up to 25 percent 

on $250 billion of Chinese 

imports over complaints 

Beijing steals or 

pressures companies to 

hand over technology. 

Venezuela's opposition outlines 

roadmap for power transfer 

Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress 

has declared President Nicolas Maduro "illegitimate," 

moving a step closer to implementing 

a plan to challenge the socialist 

leader by declaring a caretaker government 

and calling early elections, reports UNB. 

A resolution adopted Tuesday accuses 

Maduro of "usurping" power and says his 

administration's acts will no longer carry legal 

authority. Another resolution seeks to pry the 

military's loyalty away from Maduro by offering 

protection to members of the armed forces 

who support any transitional government. 

"This is a historic accord," said National 

Assembly President Juan Guaido, who in less 

than two weeks on the job has managed to revitalize 

the often out-maneuvered opposition. 

However, though weakened by 

Venezuela's economic collapse, Maduro so 

far has retained the support of the generals 

and other government institutions, including 

the courts, which previously ruled actions by 

the National Assembly invalid. 

In invoking an article of the constitution 

about the transfer of power, lawmakers 

promised to hold early elections if and when 

Maduro steps aside, immediately drawing 

support from foreign capitals. 

In Washington, Sen. Marco Rubio, an influential 

voice on U.S. policy toward Latin America, 

said it was time for the Trump administration 

to recognize Guaido as interim president - 

a title that Guaido has not claimed so far. 

Vice President Mike Pence called Guaido 

and said the U.S. strongly supports his decision 

to "declare the country's presidency 

vacant." 

Tensions in the oil-rich nation have been rising 

since Maduro took the oath of office Jan. 10 

to begin a second, six-year term that many foreign 

governments considered illegitimate 

because most popular opposition parties were 

banned from running in the May presidential 

election and leading opposition politicians 

were jailed or driven into exile. 

Guaido said last week that he is ready to 

step into the presidency temporarily and call 

for new elections, but only if he sees support 

from the military and common Venezuelans 

in nationwide street demonstrations set for 

later this month. 

The resolution adopted Tuesday laying out 

a roadmap for a political transition led by the 

National Assembly came amid a frenzy of 

legislative activity. Among other measures 

approved was the one aimed at weakening 

military support for the president. 

Maduro has cultivated a stronghold within 

the military by appointing generals to powerful 

government posts as Venezuela collapsed 

into a historic economic and political crisis, 

creating steep challenges for the anti- 

Maduro politicians. 

"It's not going to be simple after 20 years of 

repression," Guaido said about the military. 

Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Venezuela analyst 

with the London-based consulting firm 

IHS Global Insight, said the military would 

be a key player behind the scenes to drive any 

regime change. The opposition is offering the 

armed forces incentives to break away rather 

than continue supporting Maduro, he said. 

Malaysia says it 

won't host any 

more events 

involving Israel 

Malaysia's foreign minister 

says the government will not 

budge over a ban on Israeli 

athletes in a para swimming 

competition and has decided 

that the country will not host 

any events in the future 

involving Israel, reports UNB. 

Malaysia, a strong supporter 

of the Palestinian 

plight, is among the predominantly 

Muslim countries 

that do not have diplomatic 

relations with Israel. 

The government has said 

Israeli swimmers cannot 

join the competition in July 

that serves as a qualifying 

event for the 2020 Tokyo 

Paralympics. 

Foreign Minister Saifuddin 

Abdullah said Wednesday 

that the Cabinet 

affirmed last week that no 

Israeli delegates can enter 

Malaysia for sporting or other 

events. He said the Cabinet 

has also decided not to 

host any more events involving 

Israel "to reflect the government's 

firm stance over 

the Israeli issue." 

Australian prime 

minister backs 

security treaty 

with Vanuatu 

Australia's prime minister 

has brushed off Vanuatu's 

resistance to a bilateral security 

treaty after a meeting in 

the South Pacific island 

nation that comes amid concerns 

about growing Chinese 

influence in the region, 

reports UNB. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison 

on Tuesday became the 

only Australian leader to visit 

Vanuatu apart from Prime 

Minister Bob Hawke in 1990. 

But Hawke was in the capital 

Port Vila to attend the Pacific 

Islands Forum, and not for a 

bilateral meeting. 

The Vanuatu Daily Post 

reported Tuesday that Vanuatu 

Foreign Minister Ralph 

Regenvanu said his government 

colleagues "haven't 

responded positively yet" to 

Australia's proposal for a 

bilateral treaty. 

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro holds up his fist to greet members of the Constitutional Assembly next to Assembly 

President Diosdado Cabello who starts a special session for Maduro's annual address to the nation, inside the National 

Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. 

Photo : AP 

Attorney General nominee William Barr testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in 

Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. 

Photo : AP 

Trump's attorney general 

nominee : 'I will not be bullied' 

Vowing "I will not be bullied," 

President Donald 

Trump's nominee for attorney 

general asserted independence 

from the White 

House on Tuesday, saying 

he believed that Russia had 

tried to interfere in the 

2016 presidential election, 

that the special counsel 

investigation shadowing 

Trump is not a witch hunt 

and that his predecessor 

was right to recuse himself 

from the probe, reports 

UNB. 

The comments by 

William Barr at his Senate 

confirmation hearing 

pointedly departed from 

Trump's own views and 

underscored Barr's efforts 

to reassure Democrats that 

he will not be a loyalist to a 

president who has 

appeared to demand it 

from law enforcement. He 

also repeatedly sought to 

assuage concerns that he 

might disturb or upend 

special counsel Robert 

Mueller's investigation as it 

reaches its final stages. 

Some Democrats are 

concerned about that very 

possibility, citing a memo 

Barr wrote to the Justice 

Department before his 

nomination in which he 

criticized Mueller's investigation 

for the way it was 

presumably looking into 

whether Trump had 

obstructed justice. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of 

California, top Democrat 

on the Senate Judiciary 

Committee, told Barr the 

memo showed "a determined 

effort, I thought, to 

undermine Bob Mueller." 

The nominee told senators 

he was merely trying to 

advise Justice Department 

officials against "stretching 

the statute beyond what 

was intended" to conclude 

the president had obstructed 

justice. 

Though Barr said an 

attorney general should 

work in concert with an 

administration's policy 

goals, he broke from some 

Trump talking points, 

including the mantra that 

the Russia probe is a witch 

hunt, and said he frowned 

on "Lock Her Up" calls for 

Hillary Clinton. Trump has 

equivocated on Russian 

meddling in the 2016 election 

and assailed and 

pushed out his first attorney 

general, Jeff Sessions, 

Iran satellite fails to reach 

orbit in US-criticized launch 

An Iranian satellite-carrying 

rocket blasted off into space 

Tuesday, but scientists failed 

to put the device into orbit in 

a launch criticized by the 

United States as helping the 

Islamic Republic further 

develop its ballistic missile 

program, reports UNB. 

After the launch, Secretary 

of State Mike Pompeo repeated 

his allegation that Iran's 

space program could help it 

develop a missile capable of 

carrying a nuclear weapon to 

the mainland U.S., criticism 

that comes amid the Trump 

administration's maximalist 

approach against Tehran 

after withdrawing from the 

nuclear deal. 

Iran, which long has said it 

does not seek nuclear 

weapons, maintains its satellite 

launches and rocket tests 

do not have a military component. 

Tehran also says they 

don't violate a United Nations 

resolution that only "called 

upon" it not to conduct such 

tests. 

The rocket carrying the 

Payam satellite failed to reach 

the "necessary speed" in the 

third stage of its launch, 

Telecommunications Minister 

Mohammad Javad Azari 

Jahromi said. 

Jahromi said the rocket had 

successfully passed its first 

and second stages before 

developing problems in the 

third. That suggests something 

went wrong after the 

rocket pushed the satellite out 

of the Earth's atmosphere. He 

did not elaborate on what 

caused the failure, but promised 

that Iranian scientists 

would continue their work. 

Iran had said that it plans to 

send two nonmilitary satellites, 

Payam and Doosti, into 

orbit. The Payam, which 

means "message" in Farsi, 

was an imagery satellite that 

Iranian officials said would 

help with farming and other 

activities. 

It's unclear how the failure 

of the Payam will affect the 

launch timing for the Doosti, 

which means "friendship." 

Jahromi wrote on Twitter 

that "Doosti is waiting for 

orbit," without elaborating. 

Tuesday's launch took place 

at Imam Khomeini Space 

Center in Iran's Semnan 

province, a facility under the 

control of the country's 

Defense Ministry, Jahromi 

said. Satellite images published 

last week and first 

reported by CNN showed 

activity at the launch site. Given 

the facility's launching corridor, 

the satellite likely fell in 

the Indian Ocean. 

Iranian state television 

aired footage of its reporter 

narrating the launch of the 

Simorgh rocket, shouting 

over its roar that it sent "a 

message of the pride, selfconfidence 

and willpower of 

Iranian youth to the world!" 

for recusing because of his 

work with the Trump campaign. 

Barr stated without hesitation 

that it was in the 

public interest for Mueller 

to finish his investigation 

into whether the Trump 

campaign coordinated 

with the Kremlin to sway 

the presidential election. 

He said he would resist any 

order by Trump to fire 

Mueller without cause and 

called it "unimaginable" 

that Mueller would do anything 

to require his termination. 

"I believe the Russians 

interfered or attempted to 

interfere with the election, 

and I think we have to get 

to the bottom of it," Barr 

said during the nine-hour 

hearing. 

In this frame grab from Iranian state TV, a video, a rocket carrying a Payam satellite is launched at Imam Khomeini Space Center, 

a facility under the control of the country's Defense Ministry, in Semnan province, Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Photo : AP 

Experts call for cracking 

down on illegal disposal 

of e-waste in China 

Experts have called for efforts 

to streamline China's collection 

system of e-waste and 

crack down on illegal disposal 

of unwanted household appliances, 

the China Daily reported 


A large quantity of electronic 

waste in China is collected 

by small businesses before 

being sold and dismantled 

illegally by unqualified companies 

that spend little on pollution 

control, said the report. 

The existence of such trade 

link is criticized by experts for 

making the cost of recycling e- 

waste by licensed recyclers too 

high and leaving the companies 

who are willing to treat the waste 

properly much lower profit margins 

than illegal recyclers. 

Yu Keli, secretary-general 

of the electronic products 

division of the China 

National Resources Recycling 

Association, suggested 

setting up public collection 

points where families could 

leave their home appliances 

to be sent directly to licensed 

recyclers, according to the 

report.

ART & CULTURE 

tHUrSDAY, 

JAnUArY 17, 2019 

8 

Inside an Oscar Season 

of Anger 

A Quiet Place 

In the modern horror thriller A QUIET PLACE, 

a family of four must navigate their lives in 

silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by 

sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, 

they hunt you. 

The furor that has flared around virtually every 

major Oscar rival this year has turned the 

ongoing awards season into a particularly ugly 

one. As the proceedings continue to devolve 

into a fit of collective rage aimed at any and all, 

it's worth a recap. 

Just before the season kicked off at the Venice 

and Telluride film festivals, the first fracas 

struck, though it ultimately amounted to little 

more than a filmmaker beef. On Twitter, 

outspoken "Sorry to Bother You" director Boots 

Riley slammed "BlacK Klans man" for 

inaccuracies, and accused director Spike Lee of 

promulgating disingenuous pro-lawenforcement 

propaganda. 

A separate Twitter confrontation with 

screenwriter Charlie Wachtel escalated until the 

"BlacKkKlansman" scribe deleted his entire 

Twitter account. The whole spat lasted at least 

until the Governors Awards in November, 

where Riley said Lee shouted to him, "I'm Miles 

Davis, you're Chet Baker!!!" 

The next controversy was an utterly bogus one 

stoked by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on, you 

guessed it, Twitter: "First Man," an account of 

the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission, did not 

explicitly depict the raising of the American flag 

on the surface of the moon. Clutch the pearls! 

The complaint seemed too silly to stick (the film 

is utterly patriotic), but it may have actually 

limited heartland box office dollars. 

"A Star Is Born" was targeted soon after for its 

association with producer Jon Peters, who has a 

long history of sexual harassment allegations. 

Warner Bros. and director Bradley Cooper dealt 

with the charge swiftly, citing contractual 

obligations to include Peters' name in the 

credits. But he did not receive the official 

Producers Guild mark on the film and would 

not share in a possible best picture nomination. 

This was all before the Toronto Film Festival 

had even come to a close with its annual 

People's Choice Award, which went to "Green 

Book". That film, too, would weather a storm - 

multiple ones, in fact.Taking its lumps as well: 

"Bohemian Rhapsody" the Globe winner for 

best drama. The Queen biopic had mostly just 

cruised along making money hand over fist, 

impervious to negative reviews and the (largely 

web-based) sniping of detractors, who felt the 

movie was cravenly broad in its approach. 

Even Alfonso Cuarón's deeply personal study 

of his childhood nanny's life, "Roma" has been 

caught in the cycle. Some have found it to be 

exploitative of its subject, Liboria "Libo" 

Rodríguez, and a film fatally told from the 

perspective of privilege. 

Cuarón has repeatedly said it was this very 

privilege he hoped to examine with the project, 

but that hasn't mollified his critics. And "Vice" 

is - quietly, given this fray - probably the most 

divisive best picture contender we've ever seen. 

Some have outright called it the year's worst 

film. The industry, so far, disagrees. 

So that's seven films which have become grist 

for the commentariat in some way, shape or 

form. That feels like an outsized number. Are 

we all so angry at the direction of things 

sociopolitically that the usual sensitivities are 

heightened? Because truly, nothing feels like it's 

going to be good enough this Oscar season. And 

if other industry favorites playing in the 

background of this mess were to find better 

traction in the race, such as "Black Panther," 

"Crazy Rich Asians" or "A Quiet Place," 

wouldn't they be more loudly dismissed as mere 

populist entertainment? 

Only "The Favourite" has managed to keep its 

nose clean. Perhaps the statute of limitations 

has expired on the possible sins of an 18th 

century-set romp about Queen Anne's court. 

- Variety 

Genre : Drama, Horror, 

Mystery & Suspense 

Directed By : John Krasinski 

Written By : Bryan Woods, Scott 

Beck, John Krasinski 

In Theaters : Apr 6, 2018 Wide 

On Disc/Streaming : Jul 10, 2018 

Runtime : 90 minutes 

Studio 

: Paramount Pictures 

Cast 

: Emily Blunt ,John 

Krasinski, Millicent 

Simmonds. 

First full length omnibus film 

of Bangladesh "Sincerely, 

Yours DHAKA" will be 

premiered at 11th Jaipur 

Shooting begins for 

Sacred Games 

season 2 

StOrYlIne : 

Say hello to the monsters in "A Quiet Place." Correction: wave hello to the 

monsters. Saying is not recommended. They are roughly the size of a horse, 

and they seem to have ravaged our planet, despite being blind. From 

hundreds of yards away, they can pick up the faintest clink of a knife and 

fork, the beep of a toy, or normal human speech-enough to bring the beasts 

running, ready to let rip. In other words, do not weep; forget laughter; stifle 

all sneezes and yelps; and never, ever sing.But if you watch the film you will 

know how to defeat them. 

|Source : Rotten Tomatoes 

Sincerely, Yours DHAKA at 

Jaipur Film Festival 

International Film Festival. 

Before, this film was premiered 

at some big film festivals of 

South Korea, Indonesia and 

India. The world premier of 

this film was on one of the 

largest film festival of Asia- 

Busan Film Festival. 

This film consists 11 

shortlegth films by 11 different 

film makers. The lifestyle of 

lower class and middle class 

people of Dhaka is depicted in 

all the films along with the the 

artistic culture of Dhaka. 

Fazlur Rahman Babu, Nusrat 

Imrose Tisha, Shatabdi 

Wadud and various artist has 

worked in the film. "Sincerely, 

Yours DHAKA" is produced 

by Impress Telefilm. 

Jaipur Film Festival is 

starting on 18th January. 

-Press release 

H O rOScOPe 

ArIeS 

(March 21 - April 20) : 

Inspiration will strike you at an 

inopportune time today, but 

there's no putting this type of 

thing on hold! Get ready to jump at a moment's 

notice to get your foot in the door of a very 

exciting and promising new venture. 

tAUrUS 

(April 21 - May 21) : If you want 

some time on your own, this is a 

good time to take it. Whether you 

want to take a vacation day, work 

from home, or schedule a getaway solo weekend, 

do what it takes to get some alone time. 

GeMInI 

(May 22 - June 21): Sorting will be 

a rewarding, energizing activity 

for you today - seek out a 

confusing set of materials or 

information and get to work! You'll get a big 

boost out of making sense of a situation that 

would only confuse others. 

cAncer 

(June 22 - July 23): Giving 

control over to another person 

isn't always easy, but it is 

definitely the best move for you 

today. Just let go of all the work involved, 

and have confidence in someone else's 

ability to take care of things. 

leO 

(July 24 - Aug. 23): You may not 

be rich or famous, but what you 

have is pretty darned special. Take 

stock of all the wonderful things 

you have in your life right now - gratitude is a 

great way to let the Universe know that you don't 

take anything for granted. 

VIrGO 

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): There is 

nothing standing in your way 

today! The road is wide open 

and slanted slightly downhill - 

sloped just enough to let you coast along 

nicely. Let your ambition take a back seat for 

today, while you just ride out the day and see 

what it brings you. 

lIBrA 

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Someone 

wants to take you for a ride today, 

and you should let him or her! 

Even if you have no idea where 

this person is going to take you, it's going to be 

an enlightening journey. Brace yourself for an 

unfamiliar location. 

ScOrPIO 

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : Your divergent 

personalities - the kind compromiser 

and the feisty rebel - will be 

coming together into one 

powerful unit today. You are connecting all your 

different objectives into one big project. 

SAGIttArIUS 

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): You have 

reached a wonderful point in your 

life - you have a great sense of who 

you are, but you're still open to 

growing and learning more about possibilities 

for your future. Take some time today to explore 

the unknown. 

cAPrIcOrn 

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20):Someone is 

really counting on you - and this 

could strike you as unfair today. 

You're frustrated that this person is 

trying to hand so much power over to you. 

Nevertheless, you will start to feel a growing sense 

of responsibility for making everything perfect. 

AQUArIUS 

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): Intimidation 

is a powerful tool, but it can be 

fairly easily tamed - the key is 

familiarity. So if you feel that the 

people around you are pushing you in a 

certain direction or pressuring you to make a 

quick decision, start asking questions. 

PISceS 

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): Pressure 

creates diamonds, they say - 

and if that's true, then you 

will be rolling in precious 

gems by the end of today! The good 

news is that you are totally prepared for 

the stress. All your ideas will work 

perfectly. 

"Sacred Games" was one of 

Netflix's biggest hits in India last 

year. Netflix had earlier revealed 

that two out of three viewers of 

the show were from outside 

India. 

Actor Pankaj Tripathi has 

arrived in Cape Town, South 

Africa to shoot for the second 

season of Sacred Games. In the 

previous instalment, Pankaj was 

seen in a brief but prominent 

role of Guruji, a mentor to 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui's 

character. The actor is expected 

Beyond Borders 

Artistic Work on Division 

As Donald Trump pushes for a 

Mexican border wall and his 

shutdown drags on, artists are 

having their say in a group 

exhibit of border art at a New 

York art gallery. Borders 

features more than 20 artists 

who look at how, with the rise of 

nationalism, barriers exclude, 

divide and separate. 

to have a meatier role in the new 

season. The role has been 

written as one of the most 

powerful characters in Vikram 

Chandra's book from which the 

show has been adapted. He will 

reportedly finish his first 

international schedule in Cape 

Town and will resume the 

remaining shoots in Mumbai. 

Pankaj had earlier spoken 

about his role to PTI, "My 

character was kind of kept 

hidden. I shot for the series for 

just one day after the main 

On view until 23 February at 

the James Cohan Gallery in New 

York, the exhibit includes Hank 

Willis Thomas, Yinka Shonibare 

and Candice Lin, among others, 

who look at borders as a source 

of inspiration for protest art. 

"Whether its Gaza, Mexico 

or Iraq, artists are keenly 

attuned to the issues and they 

shooting was over. It was a small 

role in the beginning, so we did 

not promote it as if it were a 

main one in the first season." 

Saif Ali Khan, who plays 

inspector Sartaj Singh, was 

spotted shooting for the show in 

December last year. His 

character's thumb was mutilated 

in the last season, which came as 

a rude shock for the viewers. 

have addressed them in ways 

that are engaging physical and 

poetic expressions of our 

fraught times," said Cohan. 

"Our interest is to address the 

increasingly fractious 

relationships implied in the 

word 'border'." 

The exhibit features a large a 

brick wall by Mexican artist 

Nawazuddin's character Ganesh 

Gaitonde had already died in the 

first episode, after which the 

story is narrated by him in past 

tense in a parallel track. Kubra 

Sait, Rajshri Deshpande had also 

starred in the last season but 

their characters also died as the 

show progressed. 

-The Hindustan Times 

Jorge Méndez Blake. Though 

gallerygoers can walk around 

the wall, that's not the case for 

others who might live on 

certain sides of a border. "It's 

definitely a time to talk about 

walls," said the artist, "during 

an administration which has 

been putting unprecedented 

efforts in a useless wall between 

our countries." 

Méndez Blake's brick wall is 

accompanied by a book; Franz 

Kafka's unfinished novel The 

Man Who Disappeared, which 

was published posthumously as 

Amerika, and tells the story of a 

European immigrant who fled to 

New York. 

For the artist, however, his 

family is from Tamaulipas, the 

border zone between Mexico 

and Texas. "I traveled many 

times in my childhood to the 

'border' zone," he recalls. "When 

you go there, you realize the 

connection between one side to 

the other, the cultures are but 

one. My point is that a person 

that thinks that building a wall is 

a solution is someone that has 

never been there." 

-The Guardian

SPORTS 

THURSDAy, 

JAnUARy 17, 2019 

9 

Rajshahi Kings beat Dhaka Dynamites by 20 runs during a Bangladesh Premier League game at the 

Sylhet International Stadium on Tuesday. 

Photo: Collected 

BPL 2019: Rajshahi Kings beat 

Dhaka Dynamites by 20 runs 

Sports Desk: Rajshahi Kings 

defeated Dhaka Dynamites by 20 

runs in a low-scoring Bangladesh 

Premier League game at the Sylhet 

International Stadium on Tuesday. 

Marshall Ayub came up with the 

runs and Arafat Sunny came up with 

the wickets as Dhaka slumped to 

their first loss of the tournament 

against Mehedi Miraz's Rajshahi 

Kings. 

All the Kings men, who had taken 

the field with their mother's name on 

the back of their jersey's to 'showcase 

the heart of kings' denied Dynamites 

their fifth straight win on the trot. 

Earlier, Rajshahi Kings scored a 

respectable 136 for 6 in their stipulated 

20 overs against Dhaka Dynamites 

in the 17th match of 

Bangladesh Premier League. 

Marshall Ayub hit 45 runs of 31 

balls with the help of three 4s and 

two 6s while Shahriar Nafees made 

25 off 27 on their way to help the 

Kings post the total. Wicket-keeper 

batsman Zakir Hasan scored 20 off 

18. Kings lost their first wicket in the 

third over of the match scoring only 

two runs after their skipper Mehidy 

Hasan Miraz opted to bat first. 

Since then it was Nafees and Ayub 

who helped them get out of any further 

trouble for the Rajshahi Kings, 

who have been playing the match 

wearing jerseys with the players' 

mothers' names on the back. 

Mustafizur bowled economically and 

with Dynamites needing 27 off the 

last over, Fizz conceeded just six runs 

and picked up a wicket as Kings won 

by 20 runs. 

Steve Smith surgery a 

success, but return 

date still in doubt 

Sports Desk: Steve Smith's 

elbow surgery has been 

hailed a success, but there is 

still mystery about when he 

will return to competitive 

cricket, reports AP. 

The star batsman underwent 

surgery on Monday 

and will have his right elbow 

in a brace for six weeks, after 

which Cricket Australia will 

be better placed to determine 

a return playing date. 

The timeframe has him in 

doubt to be fit for an immediate 

return to the national 

team when his suspension 

expires on March 29. 

Smith will not start rehabilitation 

on the injury until 

late February and will likely 

need several weeks to regain 

strength from muscle 

wastage. 

There are serious doubts 

as to whether Smith will be 

available for part of the oneday 

international series 

against Pakistan, which will 

be Australia's final hit-out 

before the World Cup. 

There is the distinct possibility 

Smith will not have 

played at any level for three 

months when selectors 

decide their World Cup 

squad, which must be 

finalised by April 23. 

Harry Kane set for 2 

months out with ankle 

injury 

Sports Desk: Tottenham striker Harry 

Kane was ruled out for around two months 

on Tuesday because of ligament damage in 

his left ankle, dealing a huge blow to the English 

team's chances of winning a first piece of 

silverware under Mauricio Pochettino, 

reports BSS. 

The England captain was not expected to 

return to training until early March, Tottenham 

said , after getting injured in the last 

seconds of the 1-0 loss to Manchester United 

on Sunday. 

That rules Kane out of at least seven Premier 

League games, and probably both 

legs of Tottenham's Champions League 

last-16 match against Borussia Dortmund. 

Kane also is sure to miss the second leg 

of Tottenham's English League Cup semifinal 

against Chelsea, as well as the Feb. 24 

final should his team advance. Tottenham 

has a 1-0 lead from the first leg, courtesy of 

a penalty from Kane. 

That was one of his 21 goals for club and 

country this season, with Kane continuing 

his remarkable scoring form since bursting 

into Tottenham's senior team in the 2014- 

15 campaign. 

He has twice finished a season as the 

Premier League's top scorer, and won the 

Golden Boot at last year's World Cup in 

Russia with six goals as England reached 

the semifinals. 

Since Pochettino became Tottenham 

manager in 2014, Kane has scored 36 percent 

of the team's league goals, according 

to data supplier Opta. 

"Injuries are part of the game," Kane said 

in a tweet, "but no one will be working 

harder to get back fit." 

Tottenham's other main source of 

goals in recent months has been Son 

Heung-min, but the South Korea forward 

has just left the club to join up with 

his national team at the Asian Cup. Son 

isn't expected back until early February, 

meaning he will miss at least five games 

in all competitions. 

Tottenham is in third place in the Premier 

League, nine points behind leader 

Liverpool. It is also through to the fourth 

round of the FA Cup, with Pochettino's 

side away to Crystal Palace on Jan. 27. 

In the absence of Kane and Son, Pochettino 

could turn to either Fernando 

Llorente, who has mainly been used as a 

late impact substitute in matches this season, 

or attacking midfielder Dele Alli as the 

main striker. 

The coach has already said Vincent Jansson, 

who hasn't played for Tottenham 

since August 2017 but is still at the club, 

will not be called on. 

Maxwell batting in perfect 

position: Langer 

Sports Desk: There has been a lot of 

hullabaloo over Glen Maxwell batting 

as low as No.7, but in the aftermath of 

his aggressive 37-ball 48 in the second 

ODI in Adelaide, Australian coach 

Justin Langer has reiterated his belief 

that the batting position is the "perfect 

position" for the all-rounder, reports 

Cricbuzz. 

"Maxy will be a very important part 

of our team if we're to win the World 

Cup," Langer said after Australia's sixwicket 

loss in Adelaide on Tuesday 

(January 15). "I honestly think, 

despite the debate, that [No. 7] is his 

best spot in our team for us at the 

moment and we'll flick him in (earlier) 

every now and then when we need a 

little cameo." 

Langer conceded that Australia 

have been trying different things with 

regards to batting positions over the 

last few months, and considered 

Maxwell's success lower down the 

order as something of a start. 

"We haven't had the success we'd 

like to and we're trying different 

things," he said. "And for me, Maxi, 

he's probably the best fielder in the 

world, we love it, it's contagious his 

energy. He has been captain of the 

(Melbourne) Stars, he has got good 

leadership qualities as well. So if he 

can come in and put the finishing 

touches on like he does, it's always a 

nervous time for an opposition 

(when) you still know you you have 

got a Glenn Maxwell or a Mike Hussey 

coming in down at seven. 

"I remember the days when Michael 

Clarke used to bat seven and Michael 

Hussey used to bat seven," Langer 

said. "I used to muck around with 

Huss saying, 'mate, you have got the 

best job in the world, you never bat, 

you get paid a fortune but you never 

bat because the team is going so well. 

But when Maxi can come in and put 

the finishing touches on like he does, 

for me it's the perfect position." 

Langer also said that his inexperienced 

team will learn a lot from the 

defeat in the second ODI, and hailed 

the performances of Virat Kohli and 

MS Dhoni, the latter returning to form 

with a half-century. 

"It's incredible experience for our 

team to play against India. To watch 

Virat and then MS do what he did at 

the end, it's just a brilliant tutorial for 

our young batters. Class always comes 

to the top, so we must respect that. 

The way that Virat and MS batted 

today - you hate losing, but when you 

see that it's amazing and it's why 

they're such great players," Langer 

said. "We'll gain great experience 

from it, and in big tournaments like 

the World Cup (starting in the UK 

next June), I like to see our guys under 

pressure like they were tonight. 

"We'll be much better for the experience, 

and it's still one-all in the series 

so that means it's alive and well." 

Shaun Marsh scored his seventh 

ODI hundred and Langer was all 

praise for him, and said how he's a 

big part of Australia's World Cup 

plan, even at 35. He also defended 

Aaron Finch's bad form at the top, 

and said how Australia's ODI captain 

will find a way around adjusting 

his game for the different formats, 

now that he's playing all of them. 

"He's turning into a great one-day 

international player," Langer said of 

Marsh. "I'm also really proud of the 

way (he's responded) after not being 

selected for the next Test series 

against Sri Lanka. With that pressure, 

a lot of guys can shrivel up, but 

he hasn't, he's stood tall. He's working 

really hard, he's had a couple of 

good innings now. I'm really proud 

of Shaun, he'll be a big part of our 

World Cup campaign. 

"There's not a lot of players who play 

all three forms of the game now," 

Langer said of Finch. "This is brand 

new territory for him. He's playing all 

three forms of the game, he's also captain 

of the white ball teams, playing 

Test cricket. He won't be far off. When 

he gets going, he scores hundreds. 

He's working so hard on it, he just 

needs a few breaks. Every now and 

then you need a little break, and he'll 

be away again." 

"When Maxi can come in and put the finishing touches on like he does, for me it's the perfect position." 

Photo: AP 

Tottenham's Harry Kane reacts as he receives treatment from the physio after sustaining an injury 

at the end of the match against Manchester United. 

Photo: AP 

Top-ranked Ariya ready as LPGA 

season opens in Florida 

Sports Desk: World number one Ariya 

Jutanugarn of Thailand will try to follow up 

on a season where she swept the awards 

when the 2019 LPGA campaign tees off 

Thursday in Florida, reports BSS. 

The Tournament of Champions at Lake 

Buena Vista features celebrities and winners 

from last season in a new event, but the 23- 

year-old from Bangkok comes in as a favorite 

after taking a break with family on the beaches 

of southern Thailand. 

"(I) feel a little bit still tired, but getting a 

lot better. Feel fresh. Something new," Ariya 

said. Ariya split with last year's caddie, Les 

Luark, and now has bagman Daniel Taylor, 

the fiancee of LPGA rival Pernilla Lindberg. 

"So far pretty good in the last two days. I 

like him a lot," Ariya said. "He really always 

has a good attitude, really helps me." 

Also working on her game are long-time 

coaches Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson. 

Ariya has asked them to get her back to a 

2016 mentality when she felt more free with 

her swing and game. 

"I didn't have worries. I'm not scared about 

the outcome at all, and I don't have that feeling 

for, like, two years already," Ariya said. 

"But how can I go back to have that feeling? 

So we're just working on that. 

"At that time, everything was so new for 

me. I just took some lessons with Pia and 

Lynn about playing golf, commitment, 

everything, and I feel so fresh that time. But 

I've been doing that for so long, I didn't feel 

like it's fresh anymore. I didn't have that 

good commitment so I just feel like I have to 

do something fresh, try to learn every day." 

She intends to hit more drivers this season, 

but that also means working on her wedge 

game. "If I'm going to hit driver, I have to 

work on my wedge," Ariya said. "My wedge 

has to get better, then I feel more comfortable 

to hit driver. I feel a lot better. I've been 

working on (wedge) the last two weeks." 

And she also wants to see more success 

from her 20th-ranked sister Moriya, who 

won her first LPGA crown last year to join 

Ariya in the champions-only opener. 

"I feel great that she won her first tournament 

last year, and it means so much to me 

because all we do is work on just trying to 

reach our goal," Ariya said. "Our goal is not 

only seeing me win a tournament but also 

seeing my sister win." 

Also in the hunt at the start is New 

Zealand's 14th-ranked Lydia Ko, who enjoys 

the celebrity atmosphere. 

"This is a very unique event for us. We 

don't get that many opportunities to meet 

other athletes or celebrities and actors. So 

this is, I think, a really cool experience," Ko 

said. She spent her first Christmas at her 

home in nearby Orlando after a December 

trip to South Korea. 

"It's a little shorter off-season than what 

you would like, but I think this is such a cool 

startup to our season," Ko said. 

"We've got a few more weeks before the 

Australian swing. It has been busy, but it has 

been fun. If it was this much traveling but 

this much fun, I think I would do it again." 

Only Japanese-born sumo 

champ retires: media 

Sports Desk: The only Japanese-born 

grand champion or "yokozuna" in sumo has 

decided to retire following a disastrous run of 

form and injury, leaving two Mongolians on 

top of the ancient sport, reports BSS. 

Kisenosato, the first Japanese-born 

wrestler to reach the heights of yokozuna 

since 1998, decided to throw in the towel 

after three straight losses in the New Year 

"basho" or tournament, local media said, citing 

his stablemaster. 

With the expected retirement of the 32- 

year-old, there will only be two fighters left in 

the top ranks - Hakuho and Kakuryu, both 

Mongolians. 

Kisenosato won promotion to yokozuna in 

March 2017, much to the delight of fans 

eager to see a home-grown champion. 

He had a promising start, winning his first 

basho as a yokozuna but suffered a chest 

injury that forced him to miss eight consecutive 

tournaments. He managed to win the 

autumn tournament last year but was again 

forced to retire in the basho after that following 

four consecutive losses. 

Struggling Fulham 

sign Babel from 

Besiktas 

Sports Desk: Fulham 

signed former Liverpool forward 

Ryan Babel from 

Besiktas on Tuesday as the 

Premier League strugglers 

bid to bolster their spluttering 

attack and avoid relegation, 

reports BSS. 

Netherlands international 

Babel has joined Claudio 

Ranieri's side, who sit 19th 

and five points from safety, 

until the end of the season 

and could make his debut 

against Tottenham Hotspur 

this weekend. 

"My first impressions are 

good and I'm very excited," 

former Liverpool attacker 

Babel told Fulham's website 

after returning to England. 

"I definitely have faith that 

Fulham can stay up. That's 

one of the reasons that I'm 

here, to try and help that to 

happen. "I'm ready to go, I'm 

excited and I can't wait." 

The 32-year-old will be 

expected to spark a Fulham 

team who are deep in a relegation 

battle after losing 2-1 

at fellow strugglers Burnley 

on Saturday. 

The Cottagers have scored 

only 20 goals and won just 

three of their 22 league 

games despite splashing out 

around o100 million ($127 

million) on new players in 

the summer following promotion 

from the Championship. 

Babel made 146 appearances 

during his three-anda-half 

year spell with Liverpool. 

He left Anfield in 2011 and 

played for Hoffenheim, 

Ajax, Al Ain and Deportivo 

La Coruna before joining 

Besiktas in 2017.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

BANGLADESHTODAY 10 

Rumee A Hossain, Chairman, Executive Committee of the Board, Bank Asia Ltd. inaugurated 49th Foundation Training 

Course (FTC) for 42 Management Trainees of the Bank as Chief Guest Md. Arfan Ali, President & Managing Director and other 

senior officials were present in the program held at Bank Asia Institute for Training & Development (BAITD) in Lalmatia, 

Dhaka, yesterday. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Hundreds of flights axed as fresh 

strike hits German airports 

The coordinated industrial action 

marks a major escalation in Verdi's 

dispute with employers, following 

previous walkouts at Berlin, Stuttgart, 

Cologne/Bonn and Duesseldorf 

airports 

At least 220,000 travelers will be hit 

by cancelations and delays 

Germany's flagship carrier Lufthansa 

accused Verdi of ramping up tensions 

'to an unacceptable extent' 

Hundreds of flights will be canceled 

at eight German airports Tuesday, 

including at the nation's busiest travel 

hub Frankfurt, as security staff walk off 

the job in a deepening row over pay. 

Germany's powerful Verdi union said 

the strike would last from 02:00 a.m. 

until 8:00 p.m. at the airports of 

Frankfurt, Munich, Hanover, Bremen, 

Hamburg, Leipzig, Dresden and Erfurt. 

At least 220,000 travelers will be hit 

by cancelations and delays, the ADV 

airport association said, in a calculation 

that includes knock-on effects in other 

airports. 

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport, 

which has axed 570 out of 1,200 

scheduled flights, has urged passengers 

not to come to Europe's fourth-busiest 

airport during the strike hours. 

The coordinated industrial action 

marks a major escalation in Verdi's 

dispute with employers, following 

walkouts at Berlin's airports last 

Monday and in Stuttgart, 

Cologne/Bonn and Duesseldorf last 

Golden opportunity' 

exists for investment 

in Saudi renewables 

Saudi Arabia plans to 

generate some 59 

gigawatts (GW) of 

electricity from solar and 

The sun is shining on Saudi 

Arabia's renewable energy 

sector - with plans for 

dozens of contracts over 

the coming years posing a 

"golden opportunity" for 

investors, according to 

delegates at the Abu Dhabi 

Sustainability Week 

(ADSW). 

Speaking at the cleanenergy 

conference, Saudi 

Energy Minister Khalid Al- 

Falih on Tuesday outlined 

ambitious plans for solar 

and wind power, as the 

Kingdom plans to create "a 

global hub of renewable 

energy capability" over the 

coming decades. 

Saudi Arabia plans to 

generate some 59 

gigawatts (GW) of 

electricity from solar and 

wind by 2030, and 

eventually produce upward 

of 200 GW from renewable 

sources, Al-Falih said, 

according to AFP. 

Under Saudi Arabia's 

clean-energy program, Al- 

Falih said Riyadh would 

tender dozens of renewable 

energy projects every year, 

with at least 12 such deals 

slated for 2019, it was 

reported. 

The news follows a string 

of renewable-energy deals 

struck by the Kingdom, 

which last week signed a 

deal to establish a 400- 

megawatt (MW) wind 

farm, following an 

agreement last year to 

build a 300-MW solar 

plant. 

On Monday, plans were 

announced to develop a $2 

billion solar and carbon 

black integrated complex 

in the heart of the 

Kingdom. 

The deal was struck 

Thursday. 

Germany's flagship carrier Lufthansa 

accused Verdi of ramping up tensions 

"to an unacceptable extent." 

The ADV airport association blasted 

the wave of strikes as "irresponsible." 

"Verdi is unjustifiably carrying out 

these strikes on the backs of travelers, 

airlines and airports," ADV head Ralph 

Beisel said in a statement. 

Verdi, which represents some 23,000 

aviation security workers, said it was 

forced to ramp up pressure because 

talks with the BDLS employers' 

association were deadlocked. 

"Employers did not respond to last 

week's warning strikes at all, they 

haven't come up with an improved 

offer," Verdi board member Ute Kittel 

told public broadcaster ZDF. 

The union wants to see wages raised 

to €20 ($23) per hour for workers 

carrying out passenger, freight, 

personnel and goods checks at all 

German airports. 

Rates currently vary nationwide, with 

staff in some airports in eastern 

Germany earning around €14 hourly, 

compared with just over €17 for their 

peers in the capital and western parts of 

the country. 

"Security is not worth less in the east, 

and the employees are not worth less," 

said Kittel. 

The BDLS has baulked at the 

proposed wage hike, instead offering 

pay bumps of up to 6.4 percent. 

A Tokyo court on Tuesday rejected a request 

by former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn for bail 

following fresh charges, dashing his hopes 

for an early release from his Japanese jail 

cell. 

The decision means the 64-year-old auto 

tycoon is likely to stay in custody until his 

trial, which even his own defense lawyer has 

admitted could take six months to begin. 

The Tokyo District Court said in a 

statement that "a request filed by lawyers for 

his bail release was rejected today." 

On Friday, prosecutors pressed formal 

charges against Ghosn over two more 

allegations of financial misconduct - all of 

which the Franco-Brazilian-Lebanese 

businessman denies. 

In a dramatic courtroom appearance on 

Tuesday, Ghosn denounced the allegations 

against him, saying he had been "wrongly 

accused and unfairly detained." 

He has been indicted on two counts of 

allegedly under-declaring his income by 

more than nine billion yen ($83 million) in 

total over eight fiscal years in documents to 

shareholders. 

Ghosn also stands charged with 

"aggravated breach of trust" over a complex 

alleged scheme in which he is said to have 

tried to transfer foreign exchange losses to 

Nissan's books. His ongoing detention has 

prompted some international criticism of 

The next round of talks is slated for 

January 23. 

Lufthansa, among the airlines worsthit 

by the strikes, said Verdi "has no 

interest in making its contribution to 

improving Germany as an aviation 

location." 

"We already have the lowest quality 

security checks at the highest costs, 

compared to Europe and other 

countries around the world," said 

Lufthansa board member Detlef 

Kayser. 

The dispute is the latest upheaval for 

air travelers in Germany, after a series 

of strikes by Ryanair cabin and cockpit 

crew in the second of half of 2018, 

including two pan-European walkouts, 

caused huge disruptions. 

The union wants to see wages raised 

to €20 ($23) per hour for workers 

carrying out passenger, freight, 

personnel and goods checks at all 

German airports. 

Rates currently vary nationwide, with 

staff in some airports in eastern 

Germany earning around €14 hourly, 

compared with just over €17 for their 

peers in the capital and western parts of 

the country."Security is not worth less 

in the east, and the employees are not 

worth less," said Kittel. 

The BDLS has baulked at the 

proposed wage hike, instead offering 

pay bumps of up to 6.4 percent. 

The next round of talks is slated for 

January 23. 

Tokyo court denies ex-Nissan 

chief Ghosn's bail request 

Japan's legal system, which permits 

prosecutors to hold suspects while they 

investigate an allegation, and also allows 

lengthy pre-trial detention once charges 

have been filed. 

Carole Ghosn, his wife, has alleged her 

husband is being held in "harsh" conditions 

and subjected to round-the-clock 

interrogations intended to extract a 

confession. In a letter to Human Rights 

Watch, she sought to "press the government 

to reform its draconian system of pretrial 

detention and interrogation." 

But deputy chief prosecutor Shin 

Kukimoto has defended Japan's 

investigative procedures, saying he had 

anticipated overseas criticism. 

"We expected various reactions since it is a 

criminal investigation into a globally famous 

person," he said."We are acting 

appropriately in accordance with the existing 

laws."However, some local media have 

expressed understanding of the criticism 

from overseas. The Asahi Shimbun daily said 

in an editorial that the country "needs a 

debate toward improvement" of its 

controversial legal system.Ghosn's lawyer 

has acknowledged his client is unlikely to be 

freed before a trial, and that the case could 

take six months to come to court given its 

complexity and the need to translate 

documents into Japanese and English. 

Hamdard Laboratories (WAQF) Bangladesh arranged annual Sell 

Conference-2018 which was held at Framgate Krishibid Institution 

Bangladesh Complex. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Demand for oil 

is strong, says 

Saudi energy 

minister 

Saudi Arabia's Energy 

Minister Khalid Al-Falih: 

The global economy is 

strong enough, 

Saudi Arabia's Energy 

Minister Khalid Al-Falih 

said that oil demand 

remains strong and that he 

sees no impact from US- 

China trade tensions. 

"The global economy is 

strong enough, I'm not too 

concerned. If a slowdown 

happens, it will be mild, 

shallow and short," he told 

reporters in Abu Dhabi on 

Monday. 

"The fundamentals of oil 

demand are sufficiently 

strong and the oil market 

will not be impacted. On the 

supply side, we are vigilant 

to take appropriate 

response if there is an 

impact on demand." 

Al-Falih said earlier that 

the oil market was "on the 

right track" and there was 

no need for an 

extraordinary OPEC 

meeting before its next 

planned gathering in April. 

Oil prices tanked in the 

last quarter of 2018 but 

have since partially 

recovered. 

Brent prices slipped to 

around $60 a barrel on 

Monday after data showed 

weakening imports and 

exports in China, the 

world's second-largest oil 

consumer. 

"The fundamentals of oil 

demand are sufficiently 

strong and the oil market 

will not be impacted. On the 

supply side, we are vigilant 

to take appropriate 

response if there is an 

impact on demand." 

World leaders are preparing to head to 

the annual meeting of the World 

Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, 

Switzerland, amid the riskiest global 

backdrop in years, according to a report 

from the event organizer itself. 

As the WEF announced the names of 

some of the 3,000 participants set to 

attend the meeting and details of the 

four-day agenda, it also 

published a gloomy outlook 

on international politics, 

economics, the environment 

and technology. 

Rising geopolitical and 

geo-economic tensions are 

the most urgent risks in 

2019, with 90 percent of 

experts surveyed expecting 

further economic 

confrontation between 

major powers, according to 

the WEF's annual Global 

Risks Report. 

"The world's ability to 

foster collective action in the face of 

urgent major crises has reached crisis 

levels, with worsening international 

relations hindering action across a 

growing array of serious challenges. 

Meanwhile, a darkening economic 

outlook, in part caused by geopolitical 

tensions, looks set to further reduce the 

potential for international cooperation 

in 2019," it added. 

Although political and economic 

worries were top of the immediate 

agenda for the 1,000 experts polled by 

the WEF, the environment and climate 

change are also a cause for concern, as 

are "rapidly evolving" cyber and 

technological threats, the WEF said. 

THE 

Oil prices rose 1 percent on Tuesday amid 

supply cuts led by producer club OPEC and 

Russia, although a darkening economic 

outlook capped gains. 

International Brent crude oil futures were at 

$59.64 per barrel at 0257 GMT, up 65 cents, or 

1.1 percent, from their last close. 

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude 

futures were at $51.09 per barrel, up 58 cents, 

or 1.2 percent. 

"The impact of OPEC+ (OPEC and others 

including Russia) cuts, Iran sanctions and 

lower month-on-month growth in US 

production should help to support oil prices 

from current levels," US bank J.P. Morgan said 

in a note. 

The Middle East-dominated producer club 

of the Organization of the Petroleum 

Exporting Countries (OPEC) and some non- 

OPEC allies, including Russia, agreed in late 

2018 to cut supply to rein in a global glut. 

Meanwhile, the US last November reimposed 

sanctions against Iran's oil exports. 

Although Washington granted sanctions 

waivers to Iran's biggest oil customers, mostly 

in Asia, the Middle Eastern country's exports 

have plummeted since. 

"Iranian exports have already fallen sharply 

and are likely to remain at around 1.3 million 

barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, 1.3 million bpd 

down vs their 1H18 average," HSBC said in its 

THuRSDAY, JANuARY 17, 2019 

Oil rises 1% on supply cuts, 

but economic slowdown 

weighs on outlook 

The German economy, Europe's largest, likely 

recovered slightly in the fourth quarter of 2018, 

avoiding a technical recession after negative 

growth in the third quarter, national statistics 

body Destatis said Tuesday. 

"There were signs of a slight rebound at the 

end of the year," Destatis expert Albert 

Braakmann told reporters. The office will 

release its preliminary fourth quarter growth 

figure on February 14. 

German output shrank by 0.2 percent from 

July to September, dragged down by problems 

in the crucial car sector. 

Uncertainty about Brexit and weaker 

Chinese growth as a result of US-led trade 

tensions have further rattled nerves in exportreliant 

Germany. 

But many economists have been quick to 

stress that Germany's underlying 

fundamentals remain strong, powered by 

healthy domestic demand. 

"Even if it happens a technical recession 

should not leave any marks on the labor market 

but should be the very final wake-up call to step 

up investments and structural reforms," said 

ING Diba bank analyst Carsten Brzeski. 

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, who 

expects German growth of around 1.5 percent 

for 2018 compared with 2017's 2.2 percent, has 

also rebuffed the doomsayers. 

"Germany is not at the beginning of a 

recession, even if there are unresolved 

2019 oil market outlook. 

While OPEC and Russia cut supply and Iran 

is restrained by sanctions, crude oil production 

in the US hit a record 11.7 million bpd late last 

year. 

The surging output increasingly allows US 

oil producers to export crude, including to top 

importer China. 

Three cargoes of US crude are currently 

heading to China from the US Gulf Coast, the 

first departures since late September and a 90- 

day pause in the two countries' trade war that 

began last month. 

The tankers are scheduled to arrive at 

Chinese ports between late January and early 

March, according to shipbrokers and vessel 

tracking data. 

Looming over oil and financial markets, 

however, is an economic slowdown. 

Tuesday's oil price increases came after 

crude futures fell by more than 2 percent the 

previous session, dragged down by weak 

Chinese trade data which pointed to a global 

economic slowdown. 

"The outlook for the global economy 

continues to be highly uncertain," HSBC said. 

The bank said it had cut its average 2019 

Brent crude oil price forecast by $16 per barrel, 

to $64 per barrel, citing surging US production 

and an "increasingly uncertain demand 

backdrop." 

German economy likely saw 

'slight rebound' in the fourth 

quarter: statistics body 

Børge Brende, the WEF president, 

said: "With global trade and economic 

growth at risk in 2019, there is a more 

urgent need than ever to renew the 

architecture of international 

cooperation. We simply do not have the 

gunpowder to deal with the kind of 

slowdown that current dynamics might 

lead us toward. What we need now is 

coordinated, concerted action to 

sustain growth and to tackle the grave 

threats facing our world today." 

The leaders who will begin to arrive 

in Switzerland in the next week include 

Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan; 

Jair Bolsonaro, president of Brazil; 

Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany; 

and Wang Qishan, vice president of 

China. 

With US President Donald Trump 

pulling out of the meeting to deal with 

the partial government shutdown, the 

American delegation is expected to be 

led by Steven Mnuchin, Treasury 

secretary, and Mike Pompeo, secretary 

of state. 

problems in international trade with Brexit and 

the United States," Peter Altmaier told 

Handelsblatt last week. 

Europe's powerhouse "has a strong 

reputation globally, the mood is good among 

businesses and many order books are full," he 

said.Altmaier, of Chancellor Angela Merkel's 

center-right CDU, however acknowledged the 

government could do more to give businesses 

"a tailwind" at a time of sluggish global 

expansion. 

"It makes sense right now to set incentives 

for growth," he said, including through "tax 

relief for companies." 

That puts him on a collision course with 

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz of the center-left 

Social Democrats, who has said he sees no need 

for corporate tax cuts and recently warned that 

"the fat years are over" when it comes to 

Germany's run of tax revenues overshooting 

expectations. 

In 2017 federal, regional and municipal 

governments took in €36.6 billion ($42 billion) 

more than they spent, helped by record-low 

unemployment, high wages and the European 

Central Bank's ultra-low interest rates. 

Germany, which also boasts a massive trade 

surplus with the rest of the world, frequently 

faces calls from abroad to spend more of the 

proceeds of its wealth to encourage 

consumption at home - which would indirectly 

benefit trading partners. 

World leaders prepare for Davos 

amid gloomy forecasts 

The Middle East is well represented 

at the meeting, with at least nine heads 

of state or government from the region, 

including Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, 

Jordan and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia will 

be represented by a team of senior 

policymakers and business leaders. 

The risk report will give them all food 

for thought in the Alpine resort. 

Asking whether the world 

is "sleepwalking into a 

crisis," the report 

responded: "Global risks are 

intensifying but the 

collective will to tackle them 

appears to be lacking. 

Instead, divisions are 

hardening. The world's 

move into a new phase of 

strongly state-centered 

politics continued 

throughout 2018. 

"The idea of 'taking back 

control' - whether 

domestically from political 

rivals or externally from multilateral or 

supranational organizations - resonates 

across many countries and many 

issues." 

Macro-economic risks have moved 

into sharper focus, it said. 

"Financial market volatility increased 

and the headwinds facing the global 

economy intensified. The rate of global 

growth appears to have peaked," the 

report said, pointing to a slowdown in 

growth forecasts for China as well as 

high levels of global debt - at 225 

percent of global gross domestic 

product (GDP), significantly higher 

than before the financial crisis 10 years 

ago.

MISCELLANEOUS 

ThUrSDAY, JAnUArY 17, 2019 

11 

Managing Director of Kumudini Welfare Trust rajib Prasad Saha as the chief guest attended the orientation programme of the first year 

MBBS students of Kumudini Women's Medical College in Mirzapur recently. 

Photo: Md. rayhan Sarkar 

Fight against India joins 2 

Kashmir teens in life and death 

On a hot day in August, members of a 

Kashmiri youth soccer team watched 

their 16-year-old captain, Saqib Bilal 

Sheikh, and goalkeeper Mudassir 

Rashid Parray, two years his junior, 

walk off the field toward a man on a 

motorcycle. The two teenagers were not 

seen again until months later, when 

they were returned to their hometown 

in body bags, reports UNB. 

Dying with his teammate in an 18- 

hour firefight in December, Mudassir 

became the youngest militant slain 

fighting Indian troops in a three-decade 

insurgency in Kashmir. The rebellion is 

drawing greater numbers of teenage 

boys and young men as New Delhi has 

increased its suppression of protest 

against Indian rule in the Himalayan 

region. 

Anti-India unrest has been on the rise 

since a charismatic rebel leader was 

killed in a 2016 gunbattle with Indian 

troops in southern Kashmir. Police say 

since then, hundreds of young 

Kashmiris have joined rebel groups, 

leading to a surge in attacks on 

government troops and pro-India 

Kashmiri politicians in the region, 

which is divided between India and 

Pakistan and claimed by both in its 

entirety. 

Indian authorities have responded by 

stepping up anti-rebel operations and 

cracking down on civilian protests, 

often responding to stone-pelting with 

live bullets. 

"Young people feel frustrated and 

pushed to the wall," said Khurram 

Parvez, a program coordinator for the 

Jammu-Kashmir Coalition of Civil 

Society. "They feel the only way by 

which the government of India is going 

to listen to them is by coming out and 

joining militancy." 

Saqib and Mudassir came from 

different economic backgrounds, 

united by their passion for soccer and 

their hometown, Hajin, which since the 

1990s has seen brutal fighting between 

anti-India rebels and pro-India 

counterinsurgent groups armed and 

funded by the Indian military. 

The two boys watched as the peaceful 

summertime street marches that began 

in Kashmir in 2008 turned into 

battlegrounds. 

Their parents had generally distanced 

themselves from the civilian uprising 

against India. But both families 

described their sons as martyrs, 

speaking to a common resentment of 

India in Kashmir as a violent occupying 

force. 

Saqib, who was famous among his 

friends for appearing as an extra in the 

Bollywood film "Haider," an adaptation 

of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" set in 

Kashmir, grew up in a wealthy farming 

family, excelled at school and aspired to 

become an engineer. 

The DusitD2 complex, which 

houses several multi-national offices 

and a hotel, is located in the leafy 

Riverside area of Westlands, Nairobi. 

About four gunmen armed with 

rifles and grenades drove to the 

complex at around 3 p.m. local time 

and staged a deadly attack, leaving a 

trail of destruction. "We have secured 

all the buildings that had been 

affected. The situation is under 

control and the country is safe. 

Terrorism will never defeat us. We 

will not surrender or bend," Matiang'i 

said. 

He did not say how many people 

were killed or injured in the attack, 

but there were reports that 15 people 

were killed. The U.S. State 

Department has confirmed that one 

of the victims was an American 

citizen. Al-Shabab, a Somalia-based 

extremist group, has claimed 

responsibility for the attack. 

Saqib and Mudassir came from 

different economic backgrounds, 

united by their passion for soccer and 

their hometown, Hajin, which since the 

1990s has seen brutal fighting between 

anti-India rebels and pro-India 

counterinsurgent groups armed and 

funded by the Indian military. 

The two boys watched as the peaceful 

summertime street marches that began 

in Kashmir in 2008 turned into 

battlegrounds. 

Their parents had generally distanced 

themselves from the civilian uprising 

against India. But both families 

described their sons as martyrs, 

speaking to a common resentment of 

India in Kashmir as a violent occupying 

force. 

Orientation of first 

year MBBS students of 

Kumudini Women's 

Medical College held 

Md. Rayhan Sarkar, 

Mirzapur Correspondent: 

The orientation 

programme of the first year 

MBBS students of 


Medical College was held 

in Mirzapur on Monday. 

The program was held at 

Satish Banik Hall of 


Medical College. 

Managing Director of 

Kumudini Welfare Trust 

Rajib Prasad Saha was 

present as the chief guest at 

the function. Professor Dr. 

MA Jalil, former Principal 

of Kumudini Women's 

Medical College, 

administered oath to 106 

students of the 19th batch. 

Principal of Kumudini 

Women's Medical College 

Professor Dr. MA Halim 

presided over the function 

while among others, 

Director (Education) of 

Kumudini Welfare Trust 

Pratibha Mutsuddi, former 

Principal of Kumudini 

Women's Medical College 

Dr. MA Jalil, Director of 

Kumudini Hospital Dr. 

Pradip Kumar Roy, 

Professor Dr. Ranjan 

Kumar Nath, Dr. 

Khandakar Shah Newaz 

and Dr. Jahangir Kabir 

were also present at the 

occasion. 

After the ceremony, 

guests handed over flowers 

to the 19th batch students. 

Chinese yuan 

weakens to 6.7615 

against USD 

Wednesday 

The central parity rate of the 

Chinese currency renminbi, 

or the yuan, weakened 

73.00 basis points to 6.7615 

against the U.S. dollar 

Wednesday, according to 

the China Foreign Exchange 

Trade System. 

In China's spot foreign 

exchange market, the yuan 

is allowed to rise or fall by 2 

percent from the central 

parity rate each trading day, 

reports UNB. 

The central parity rate of 

the yuan against the U.S. 

dollar is based on a weighted 

average of prices offered by 

market makers before the 

opening of the interbank 

market each business day. 

Beijing subways 

to launch oneday 

pass 

Beijing subway will soon 

offer passengers more ticket 

options, with the one-day 

pass the first to be launched, 

according to the municipal 

commission 

of 

transportation, reports 

UNB. 

The one-day pass, valid 

for 24 hours of unlimited 

metro travel, will be 

GD-91/19 (8 x 4) 

convenient for visitors to 

Beijing and help boost 

tourism, the commission 

was quoted by Wednesday's 

China Daily as saying. 

GD-92/19 (10 x 3) 

United Airlines posts smaller 

profit but tops expectations 

United Airlines reported Tuesday that its 

fourth-quarter profit slipped 20 percent due 

to higher fuel and labor costs, but its profit 

and revenue both beat analysts' expectations, 

reports UNB. 

Shares of United's parent rose in afterhours 

trading. 

United is adding seats faster than its rivals 

Delta and American, but it has filled most of 

them, and at higher prices. A key measure of 

pricing power, revenue for each seat flown 

one mile, climbed 5 percent in the three 

months that ended Dec. 31. Total revenue 

jumped 11 percent. 

Chicago-based United expects more modest 

revenue growth in the first three months 

of this year, however. It predicted that the 

revenue-per-seat figure would be flat to up 3 

percent. 

The partial government shutdown might 

play a role. Delta officials said earlier Tuesday 

that they expect to lose $25 million in 

revenue this month because of less travel by 

government workers and contractors. United 

didn't comment on the subject. 

United predicted that 2019 earnings will 

be between $10 and $12 a share this year, in 

line with analysts' forecast of $10.98 per 

share, according to FactSet. 

In financial performance, United lagged 

Delta and American for several years. Under 

a strategy outlined more than a year ago, 

United has been trying to win back customers 

it lost by improving its on-time performance, 

reducing canceled flights, and 

offering new routes between its big U.S. hubs 

and smaller airports. United launched 93 

new routes last year, more than its rivals. 

CEO Oscar Munoz said in a statement that 

the financial results showed that the strategy 

is working. He said United had succeeded 

despite higher-than-expected fuel costs in 

2018. 

United earned $462 million, down from 

$579 million a year earlier. United said profit 

excluding special items worked out to 

$2.41 per share, handily beating the mean 

forecast of $2.01 per share among 19 analysts 

surveyed by FactSet. 

Revenue was $10.49 billion, also beating 

analysts' expectations. 

Profit was dragged down by sizeable 

increases in the airline's two biggest expenses. 

Its fuel bill jumped 27 percent from a year 

earlier - an extra $500 million in spending - 

while wages and benefits increased about 9 

percent, or nearly $250 million. 

Company executives are scheduled to discuss 

the results with analysts and reporters 

on Wednesday. 

Shares of United Continental Holdings 

Inc. closed up $1.29 to $81.20 before the 

earnings report. In after-hours trading following 

the release of the earnings report, 

they climbed $4.70, or 5.8 percent, to 

$85.90. 

More people rescued from site of attack 

in Kenyan capital; 15 reported killed 

More people were rescued early 

Wednesday from the site of an attack at an 

upmarket hotel and office complex in the 

Kenyan capital, Nairobi, as authorities 

warned the public to avoid the area, reports 

UNB. 

Live TV broadcasts said more than 170 

people were rescued from the DusitD2 

complex and that gunshots could still be 

heard. 

"We wish to caution all members of the 

public including politicians that Dusit 

Hotel and the area around 14 Riverside 

Drive is a Crime Scene that is under an 

active security operation," the Kenyan 

National Police Services said on its Twitter 

account. 

"Until it is declared safe, everyone not 

actively involved in the operation should 

avoid the area," it said. 

Late Tuesday, Cabinet Secretary for 

Interior and Coordination of National 

Government Fred Matiang'i said security 

teams have evacuated scores of Kenyans 

and other nationalities from the buildings 

after a nine-hour operation. "We are now 

in the final stages of mopping up the area 

and securing evidence and documenting 

the consequences of this unfortunate 

event," he told journalists. 

"I can now report that the country is now 

secure and that the nation remains calm, 

that Kenyans and all our visitors are now 

safe," he added.

UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY 

THURSDAy, DHAKA, JANUARy 17, 2019, MAgH 4, 1425 BS, JAMADIUL AWAL 10, 1440 HIJRI 

It's Oikyafront's version, Hasan 

about TIB's election report 

CHAttOgRAM : Dismissing the 

report of transparency 

International Bangladesh (tIB) that 

found irregularities in 47 out of 50 

constituencies during the national 

election as 'questionable and controversial', 

Information Minister Dr 

Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said 

it is similar to Jatiya Oikyafront's 

version, reports UNB. 

"the version of Jatiya Oikyafront 

and the tIB report are the same. tIB 

has published such fabricated report 

to create an opportunity for the 

defeated force to talk against the 

election," he said while speaking at a 

press briefing at his Dewanji 

Pukurpar residence in the city in the 

afternoon. 

the minister also said there are 

some organisations that always 

work to tarnish the country's image 

and tIB is one of them. "Earlier, 

they (tIB) found corruption in the 

Padma Bridge project in their report 

but failed to prove it. they should 

apologise to the nation for publishing 

the wrong report," he said. 

Hasan also came down hard on the 

anti-graft watchdog for not covering 

the 'nomination trade' of BNP in its 

report. 

the tIB on tuesday said election 

irregularities took place in 47 out of 

50 constituencies it surveyed during 

the last national election. the constituencies 

were selected randomly, 

it said. 

It reported the casting of fraudulent 

votes at one or more centres of 

41 constituencies and ballot stuffing 

in 33 constituencies. 

the anti-graft watchdog said 

polling stations were occupied in 30 

constituencies and polling agents 

obstructed in 29 constituencies. 

Voters were forced to vote for a particular 

symbol in 26 constituencies 

while opposition leaders and 

activists were beaten up in 11 constituencies. 

It recommended appointing honest 

and neutral people as the chief 

election commissioner and election 

commissioners. 

the tIB also suggested investigating 

allegations of violence and 

breach of electoral code of conduct 

and taking effective steps based on 

the findings. 

Ahead of the victory rally of Awami League on 19th January, the preparatory work is being 

continued at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka. 


Now Quader asks Fakhrul to 

quit BNP accepting failures 

DHAKA :Awami League general secretary 

Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said 

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul 

Islam Alamgir should resign from his 

party shouldering the responsibility for 

the failures both in the movement and 

the election, reports UNB. 

"As a secretary general he couldn't 

carry out a movement for 10 minutes 

over the last 10 years while his party 

couldn't get even 10 seats in the election. 

BNP has failed both in the movement 

and the election. He (Fakhrul) 

should resign taking the responsibility 

for the failures if he has the minimum 

sense of shame," he said. 

A day after Fakhrul asked him to apologise 

publicly for committing the offence 

of "vote rigging" in the 11th parliamentary 

election, Quader hit back at his BNP 

counterpart while talking to reporters at 

Awami League's Bangabandhu Avenue 

central office after an extended meeting 

of Dhaka south city unit Jubo League. 

Quader, also the Road transport and 

Bridges Minister, said those who turned 

down people's outstanding victory 

should apologise to the nation. 

He also said Fakhrul is now behaving 

like a 'reckless driver', and urged all to 

remain alert about him to avert any 

accident. 

On tuesday, Fakhrul said Awami 

League is now unable to handle such a 

major 'rigging' in the election. "Ask Mr 

Quader (AL general secretary) to go to a 

stadium and apologise to the nation for 

resorting to blatant lies and deceiving 

people." 

Mentioning that the December-30 

national election was transparent and 

excellent one, Quader questioned 

whether any agent of the candidates of 

BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront raised any 

objection about the transparency of the 

election on the voting day. 

7He also trashed the report of 

transparency International Bangladesh 

(tIB) on various election irregularities, 

including stamping ballot papers the 

night before the polls, terming those fictitious 

ones. 

"tIB has now come up with the fairytale 

after so many days of the election. 

We know why they've cooked up so many 

imaginary and unbelievable stories. the 

country's people will give a reply to it," 

the minister added. 

Kola Superdeep Borehole 

INtEREstINg NEWs 

It’s hard to imagine that under this 

small metal cap lies the world’s deepest 

borehole. Now surrounded by ruins, the 

Kola superdeep Borehole was a scientific 

project undertaken by the soviet Union in 

the 1970s to better understand the Earth’s 

crust. 

the crust is the earth’s outermost layer. 

It is a thin shell in comparison to the 

earth’s dimension—about 30 to 50 kilometers 

thick and is made of light rocks 

such as granite and basalt. the crust 

floats above the Earth’s mantle, the semisolid 

mass of molten rocks that make up 

the bulk of the planet. Underneath the 

mantle is believed to lie a solid core of 

iron. 

the first attempt to drill through the 

crust was undertaken by the United 

states in the early 1960s. It was an ambitious 

attempt because the objective was 

not to simply drill into the crust but to 

drill all the way through it and into the 

mantle. In the process, geologists hoped 

to gain valuable insight into the earth's 

age, makeup, and internal processes, as 

well as to provide answers to the mystery 

of continental drift, which at the time was 

still controversial. 

In the spring of 1961, five holes were 

drilled off the coast of guadalupe Island, 

Mexico, under Project Mohole, which was 

described by one historian as “the earth 

sciences' answer to the space program.” It 

was chosen to drill through the sea floor 

because the earth’s crust was thinner 

under the oceans. the hole reached only 

183 meters before the government pulled 

funding and the project was abandoned 

in 1966. 

BTRC against 

less than 7-day 

mobile internet 

packages 

DHAKA : Mobile phone 

operators will not be allowed 

to offer internet packages 

with less than seven-day 

validity from January 27, 

said the Bangladesh 

telecommunication Regulatory 

Commission (BtRC) on 


the telecom regulator will 

send letters to mobile phone 

operators soon in this 

regard, BtRC's acting 

Chairman Jahurul Haque 

told a views-exchange meeting 

with 'telecom Reporters 

Network Bangladesh' members 

at its office. 

"Ensuring quality mobile 

network and data service is 

our big challenge this year," 

he said. 

BtRC received 2,947 complaints 

about mobile phone 

services last year and disposed 

of 2,838 of them, the 

acting BtRC boss said. 

BtRC Commissioner Rezaul 

Kader said mobile phone 

operators would be ranked 

based on their service qualities. 

"Customers can choose 

operators after checking the 

ranking," he said. 

"We want to start 5g services 

in 2020. We're working 

on it," said BtRC 

Commissioner (spectrum) 

Aminul Haque. 

Gatco case 

Boil develops on 

Khaleda's leg; 

she skips hearing 

DHAKA : Although she was 

facing a production warrant, 

the jail authorities could not 

produce BNP Chairperson 

Khaleda Zia before a court 

on Wednesday in the gatco 

corruption case as she got a 

boil on one of her legs, 

reports UNB. 

Dhaka special Judge 

Court-3 was scheduled to 

hear the charge-framing in 

the case yesterday. 

However, Anti-Corruption 

Commission lawyer 

Mosharraf Hossain Kajal 

told the court that the BNP 

chief could not be produced 

as an abscess developed on 

her legs. 

He also prayed to the court 

to continue the hearing in 

the absence of Khaleda Zia. 

However, the BNP chairperson's 

counsel Masud 

Ahmed Parvez said they 

want to hear the chargeframing 

in her presence. 

Later, Judge Abu syed 

Diljar Hossain fixed January 

24 for the hearing. 

On January 10, the court 

issued the warrant for producing 

Khaleda who has 

been in jail since February 8 

last year, before it in the case. 

Xulhaz-Tanoy murder case: Key 

accused put on 3-day remand 

DHAKA : A court here on 

Wednesday put on a threeday 

remand the prime 

accused in LgBt magazine 

editor Xulhaz Mannan and 

his friend Mahbubtanoy 

murder case, reports UNB. 

the prime accused is 

Asadullah alias Fakhrul 

alias Faisal Zakir alias sadik, 

an important member of 

military wing of banned militant 

outfit 'Ansar Al Islam'. 

He was arrested from tongi 

in gazipur district on 

tuesday. 

Dhaka Metropolitan 

Magistrate Md Mamunur 

Rashid passed the order when 

investigation officer of the 

case Monirul Islam, inspector 

of Counter terrorism and 

transnational Crime (CttC), 

Woman candidates collecting form for reserved seats of 11th National Parliamentary Election, on 

2nd day. 


Want to highlight Bangladesh's 

heritage, culture: Priota 

DHAKA : Priota Iftekhar, 

the winner of 'Miss Culture 

Worldwide-2018', says her 

goal is to inform the world 

about the culture and heritage 

of Bangladesh, 

reports UNB. 

"I'm elated at such an 

achievement on the Victory 

Day," she told a media 

briefing, her first since the 

competition in Zimbabwe 

in December last year. 

It was Bangladesh's first 

win in the competition. 

Priota shared her experiences 

at a press conference 

arranged by surecell 

Medical at Jatiya Press 

unit sought a 10-day remand 

to interrogate the accused. 

tipped off, a team of 

Counter terrorism and 

transnational Crime (CttC) 

unit of Dhaka Metropolitan 

Police (DMP) conducted a 

drive in the area and arrested 

Asadullah, said DMP Deputy 

Commissioner (Media) 

Masudur Rahman. 

Briefing reporters at DMP 

Media center on 

Wednesday, Additional 

Commissioner of the DMP 

and also the chief of the 

CttC Monirul Islam said 

during investigation, it was 

revealed that 13 people were 

involved in the killings. 

Arrested Asadullah is one of 

them. He took part in the 

killing mission directly, the 

Club on Wednesday. 

"My main goal was to 

highlight Bangladesh and 

its culture. And I did it," 

she said. "the feeling of 

hoisting the national flag at 

an international event cannot 

be described in words." 

"I dressed as a female 

freedom fighter in the final 

stage of the competition to 

represent my country," 

Priota said. she suffered a 

leg injury before the competition 

but took part 

ignoring the doctor's warning. 

"I never thought that I 

would be the champion. I 

CttC chief added. 

He said that Asadullah 

was also directly involved in 

snatching firearms from 

police in the city's North 

Badda in 2016. 

"so far, four suspected 

killers have been arrested in 

this connection. Of them, 

two killer group members 

are-Asadullah and Arafat 

while other two members 

are from intelligence group. 

Xulhaz Mannan, editor of 

LgBt magazine Roopbaan, 

and his friend 

Mahbubtanoy, an activist of 

theatre group Loknatya Dal, 

were hacked to death by 

some unidentified miscreants 

at an apartment in the 

capital's Kalabagan area on 

25 April, 2016. 

thought at best I would 

reach top three," she 

added. 

Priota established 'Flag 

girl' in 2008 to help 

women travellers at home 

and abroad. It currently 

has over 200 members. 

she was also a recipient 

of Joy Bangla Youth 

Award-2018. 

Priota, also the ambassador 

of Bangladesh 

tourism Corporation, 

starred in a telefilm titled 

"Impossible five" back in 

2013 and later in sri 

Lankan film "Pani 

Makuluwo" in 2017. 

Hearing on chargeframing, 

Khaleda's 

bail plea deferred 

CUMILLA : A court here 

Wednesday deferred the 

hearing on charge framing 

and bail petition of BNP 

Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a 

case over the killing of eight 

people in an arson attack on 

a bus in 2015. 

Cumilla additional district 

and sessions judge Md Ali 

Akbar passed the order after 

hearing of a time petition 

filed by the prosecution, said 

Khaleda's counselKaimul 

Haque Rinku, reports UNB. 

However, the court did not 

fix any date for next hearing. 

Eight people were killed 

and at least 20 others injured 

in a petrol bomb attack on a 

bus at Jogmohanpur in 

Chouddagram upazila on 

February 3, 2015 during the 

BNP-led alliance's movement. 

KOICA President 

due Jan 20 to 

discuss dev, 

Rohingya issue 

DHAKA : President of Korea 

International Cooperation 

Agency (KOICA)Lee Mikyungarrives 

here on 

January 20 on a four-day 

visit to discuss development 

cooperation between 

Bangladesh and south Korea 

through KOICA and visit 

Rohingya camps in Cox's 

Bazar, reports UNB. 

she will lead a six-member 

high-level delegation, said an 

official on Wednesday. 

It will be the first-ever 

visit of KOICA's President 

in Bangladesh after starting 

its programme here since 

1993. 

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

17-01-2019

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