31-01-2019

tHursDaY 

DhAkA : January 31, 2019; Magh 18, 1425 BS; Jamadi-ul Awal 24,1440 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; No.07; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

international 

Al-Qaida's advance 

in northern Syria 

threatens fragile truce 

>Page 7 

art & culture 

Deepika Padukone 

the new chairperson 

of MAMI Film Festival 

>Page 8 

sport 

Delport, Rahim set 

up 11-run win for 

Chittagong Vikings 

>Page 9 

BB unveils monetary 

policy for Jan-Jun 

period 

Eskaton double murder 

Ex-AL MP's son Rony 

gets life term 

DHAKA : Bakhtiar Alam Rony, the son of 

former Awami League parliamentarian 

Pinu Khan, was found guilty of murders 

and sentenced to life imprisonment by a 

court here on Wednesday, reports UNB. 

He was also fined Tk 50,000 by Dhaka 

Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge- 

2 Manjurul Imam. Rony will have to stay 

in jail for six more months if he fails to 

pay the fine. The court said it sentenced 

Rony to life imprisonment taking into 

consideration his psychological and 

physical conditions at the time of the 

incident. 

Rony fired indiscriminately on people 

near Janakantha Bhaban in New 

Eskaton from his car on April 13, 2015, 

injuring rickshaw-puller Abdul Hakim 

and Janakantha's auto-rickshaw driver 

Yakub. 

Hakim died at Dhaka Medical College 

Hospital two days later while Yakub died 

from his injuries at the hospital on April 

23. A case was filed at Ramna Police 

Zohr 

05:25 AM 

12:10 PM 

04:03 PM 

05:46 PM 

07:05 PM 

6:41 5:43 

DHAKA : Bangladesh Bank on 

Wednesday unveiled its monetary policy 

statement (MPS) for the second half 

(January-June) of the 2018-19 fiscal year, 

reports UNB 

Central bank Governor Fazle Kabir 

presented the MPS at a press briefing at 

the BB's Jahangir Alam Conference 

Hall in the morning. Speaking on the 

occasion, he also said the central bank 

has signed an agreement with US 

Federal Reserve Bank on Tuesday night 

to file a money suit with a New York 

court to recover its stolen money. 

The Bangladesh Bank team is set to file 

the case tonight (Wednesday night), he 

said, adding that the parties those benefited 

from the heist, including Philippines' 

RCBC, will be made accused in the case. 

The Bangladesh Bank chief also said the 

country's foreign direct invest (FDI) has 

substantially increased following 

Bangladesh's inclusion into China's Belt 

and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Responding to a query on Bangladesh 

joining the BRI, Bangladesh Bank 

Advisor Allah Malik Kazmi said it will not 

affect investment from any neighbouring 

country as Bangladesh has been welcoming 

FDI under a single policy. 

Malik replied to the question upon 

request when Fazle Kabir was asked 

whether Bangladesh's move will create 

any conflict with India as New Delhi has a 

strong reservation about the BRI. 

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 

an ambitious programme to connect Asia 

with Africa and Europe via land and maritime 

networks along six corridors with 

the aim of improving regional integration, 

increasing trade and stimulating economic 

growth. 

The BB chief said investment from different 

international funds, including 

China-led Asian Infrastructure 

Investment Bank and also communication 

of big corporate firms with different 

international funding agencies, will play 

an important role in raising both FDI and 

portfolio investment in Bangladesh. 

"So, this will be very important to keep 

eyes on the investment flow so that financial 

institutions can srcutinise the investment 

of the firms accredited by internationally 

acceptable credit rating agencies," 

he said, explaining the core objectives of 

the new MPS. 

The new MPS kept the domestic credit 

growth and broad money supply (M2) 

unchanged at 12 percent and 15.9 percent 

respectively. But it set the public sector 

credit growth at 10.9 percent in place of 

previous 8.5 percent and private credit 

growth at 16.5 percent instead of previous 

16.8 percent. 

About inflation, the MPS mentioned 

that the average inflation in one year is 

expected to be around 6-7 percent, with 

around 70 percent of the respondents 

anticipating inflation to be above 6 percent. 

But the BB staff projections show 

average inflation to be around 5.3-5.6 percent 

in June 2019 assuming that there 

will be no further domestic or external 

shocks, including a relatively favourable 

global inflation outcome, it said. 

Rejecting any idea of liquidity crisis in 

the banking sector, Fazle Kabir claimed 

that the sector has a surplus liquidity of Tk 

79,329 crore. 

Replying to a query whether BB has 

carried out its own departmental investigations 

into the cyber heist, the governor 

said the Criminal Investigation 

Department was given responsibility to 

conduct a probe and they are doing it. 

Station against unidentified people on 

April 15. On June 1, Rony was arrested 

from his Dhanmondi residence. 

The court was initially scheduled to 

deliver the verdict on May 8 last year. It 

was deferred as Judge Md Al Mamun 

said he could not prepare the judgment. 

The court pushed back the verdict date 

again on October 4 after the prosecution 

filed a petition to summon the investigation 

officer for rehearing. Hearing of the 

arguments was wrapped up on January 

15. Then, the court announced to deliver 

the verdict on January 30. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing the first session of 11th Parliament yesterday. 

Journo Gautam Das killing 

HC upholds life 

term of five 

DHAKA : The High Court on 

Wednesday upheld the life term imprisonment 

to five accused and acquitted 

four others in journalist Gautam Das 

killing case, reports UNB. 

The HC bench of Justice AKM Abdul 

Hakim and Justice Fatema Najib passed 

the order, said Deputy Attorney General 

Harun-or-Rashid. 

Earlier on January 9, the court fixed the 

date for delivering its verdict. The life 

term convicts are Asif Imran, Siddiqur 

Rahman Miah, Asad Bin Kadir and Abu 

Taher Mohammad Mortuza Ahsa. 

The court also ordered to release Asif 

Imtiaz Bulu, Kamrul Islam Apon, Rajib 

Hassan Miah and Kazi Murad. 

Gautam Das, Faridpur bureau chief of 

the Dainik Samakal, was strangulated to 

death by unknown assailants at his office at 

Niltali in the district town of Faridpur on 

November 17, 2005. A speedy trial tribunal 

in Dhaka On June 27, 2013 sentenced nine 

people to life imprisonment in the case 

while another accused died during the trial 

proceedings. Later, the convicts filed 

appeals with the High Court. 

Oikyafront cent 

percent united: 

Dr Kamal 

DHAKA : Jatiya Oikyafront convener 

Dr Kamal Hossain on 

Wednesday said their alliance is 

cent percent united with the country's 

16 crore people, reports UNB. 

He, however, did not make any 

comment whether his party 

Gonoforum's two MPs-elect will 

join parliament or not. 

"Our Jatiya Oikyafront is cent 

percent united. Our unity is forged 

with the country's 16 crore people," 

he said. 

He came up with the remarks 

while addressing a preparatory 

meeting of Gonoforum for its 50th 

national council at the party's 

Arambagh central office. 

Dr Kamal further said, "I visited 

many places and found our 

alliance's unity intact and it'll be 

consolidated in the days to come." 

He said their alliance's aim is to 

gather strength further involving 

all and give it an institutional 

shape. 

BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressing a human chain in front of National Press 

Club yesterday. 

Photo : Star Mail 

Photo : Star Mail 

BNP pushes for reelection to 

establish 'pro-people govt' 

DHAKA : Reiterating that the current 

parliament has not been formed with 

people's mandate, BNP on Wednesday 

demanded reelection under a neutral 

administration to establish a 'pro-people' 

government, reports UNB. 

"Awami league established a oneparty 

rule in 1975 annihilating democracy. 

In the same style, they've now 

formed a government and parliament 

without people's mandate by snatching 

people's all the basic rights destroying 

democratic institutions using state 

machinery and resorting to terrorism to 

restore its one-party rule," said BNP 

Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam 

Alamgir. 

Speaking at a human chain programme, 

he further said, "We turn down 

the election results just after the voting. 

Today, we renew our demand for reelection 

annulling the election results so that 

a government and parliament can be 

formed with people's verdict." 

Just four hours before the 11th 

Parliament going into its maiden session, 

the BNP leader came up with the 

demand. 

BNP arranged the human chain programme 

in front of the Jatiya Press Club 

protesting the start of the maiden session 

of the new Parliament. 

Fakhrul alleged that the new parliament 

was formed through a 'fake' election 

on December 30 where law 

enforcers indulged in 'vote robbery by 

snatching people's voting rights'. 

He said their party's thousands of leaders 

and activists were kept away from the 

election by arresting them before the 

polls. "They (AL) have cemented all conspiracies 

to turn the country into a failed 

state by annihilating democracy and 

snatching people's rights by creating an 

awful situation." 

The BNP leader also alleged that their 

party chairperson Khaleda Zia was sent 

to jail convicting her in a 'false' case 

ahead of the election. 

He demanded the government immediately 

release Khaleda and other arrested 

party leaders and activists from jail. 

Fakhrul also called people of all walks 

of life irrespective of their political belief 

and opinion to get united to protect people's 

voting and other rights, and form a 

new government through holding a credible 

election. 

BNP standing committee member 

Criticism 

of govt is 

welcome, 

says PM 

SANGSAD BHABAN : Mentioning 

that criticism is important in a 

democratic process, Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina on 

Wednesday assured that the opposition 

will be able to make enough 

criticisms of the government as no 

obstacle will be created to this end. 

"I can at least give assurance that 

our opposition parties will be able 

to make enough criticisms. We 

won't create any obstacle (criticism 

of the government) in this regard. 

We neither did it in the past nor 

will in the future," she said, reports 

UNB. 

The Prime Minister gave the 

assurance taking floor in the first 

sitting of the opening session of 

the 11th Parliament to greet newlyelected 

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin 

Chaudhury and Deputy Speaker 

Fazle Rabbi Miah. 

She said the people of the country 

have regained the trust and 

confidence in the government as 

the previous parliament was run in 

a good manner. 

The Prime Minister congratulated 

Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury 

and Fazle Rabbi Miah for being 

elected as the Speaker and the 

Deputy Speaker respectively. 

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the 

government and the Election 

Commission announced the names of 

so-called MPs through a plot on 

December 30 instead of holding a credible 

election. 

"The current parliament is illegal as it 

was not formed with people's mandate. 

This's a so-called and stigmatised parliament. 

This's a parliament of vote robbery," 

he observed. The BNP leader demanded a 

fresh delectation as their party does not 

accept the current parliament. 

BNP standing committee member 

Moudud Ahmed said they have got 

stunned and surprised as the way 

the December-30 election was held. 

"We never expected to watch such 

an election." 

Mentioning that they have already 

turned down the election results, he 

demanded that a fresh and fair election 

be held immediately under a neutral government. 

JaPa picks singer 

Shafin for DNCC 

mayoral by-polls 

DHAKA : Main opposition Jatiya Party 

on Wednesday picked singer Shafin 

Ahmed to contest the by-election to the 

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) 

mayoral post with its ticket, reports 

UNB. 

Jatiya Party nominated Shafin 

Ahmed to vie for the DNCC mayoral 

post in the by-polls, said a party press 

release. 

Jatiya Party secretary general 

Moshiur Rahman Ranga signed the 

party nomination paper of the singer 

nominating him as the party candidate. 

The party also sent the final nomination 

paper and a letter to the Election 

Commission requesting it to give Shafin 

Jatiya Party election symbol 'Plough', 

said the press release. 

On Tuesday, Jatiya Party announced 

the list of Jatiya Party-nominated councillor 

candidates for DNCC by-polls at 

party chairman's Banani office. The byelections 

to the vacant DNCC mayoral 

post and Kishoreganj-1 constituency 

will be held on February 28.

NEWS 

ThuRSDAY, 

JAnuARY 31, 2019 

2 

Arrests in Brazil dam disaster, dead 

fish wash up downstream 

Authorities arrested five people 

Tuesday in connection with the 

collapse of a Brazilian mine dam, 

while the death toll rose to at least 84 

and the carcasses of fish floated along 

the banks of a river downstream that 

an indigenous community depends 

on for food and water, reports UNB. 

The dam that held back iron ore 

waste, owned and operated by big 

mining company Vale SA, collapsed 

Friday, burying a company cafeteria 

and other Vale buildings and 

inundating part of the small 

southeastern city of Brumadinho. 

Grieving relatives buried some of 

the victims in Brumadinho and rescue 

teams continued a delicate search 

through swaths of muck for more 

victims or survivors. 

Lt. Flavio Godinho of the Minas 

Gerais state civil defense agency said 

Tuesday evening that the number of 

confirmed dead had risen to 84 from 

65. He said the number of missing 

stood at 276. 

The dead fish and trash were seen 

by a reporting team for The 

Associated Press about 18 kilometers 

(11 miles) downstream from the dam 

along the banks of the Paraopeba 

River. 

The Pataxo Indians living alongside 

the river who use it to fish, bathe and 

gather water for the plants they 

cultivate as food were told by 

Brazilian environmental officials that 

they should no longer do so, said 

Hayo, the village chief who goes by 

one name. 

"We used the river to take baths, to 

fish, to water our plants and now we 

can't do any of that," said Hayo, 

wearing a large feathered headdress 

and a red and black-beaded necklace. 

"We can't even water our plants 

because they say it damages the soil." 

Two agents with the Brazilian 

Institute of Environment and 

Renewable Natural Resources, the 

country's environmental enforcement 

agency, took water samples and 

talked with tribe members but said 

they were not authorized to speak 

about their findings. 

In a statement sent to The 

Associated Press on Tuesday, the 

agency said it asked Vale to "remove 

the dead fish, which are having an 

impact on the indigenous 

population." 

The statement gave no details about 

the water tests and did not say 

whether tribal members had been 

told the water was unhealthy. 

The signs of possible ecological 

consequences came as the arrests of 

company workers with links to the 

dam were made in Sao Paulo and in 

the state of Minas Gerais. 

Three of the arrested worked for 

Vale, the company said, adding that it 

was cooperating with investigating 

authorities. 

Authorities arrested five people 

Tuesday in connection with the 

collapse of a Brazilian mine dam, 

while the death toll rose to at least 84 

and the carcasses of fish floated along 

the banks of a river downstream that 

an indigenous community depends 

on for food and water, reports UNB. 

The dam that held back iron ore 

waste, owned and operated by big 

mining company Vale SA, collapsed 

Friday, burying a company cafeteria 

and other Vale buildings and 

inundating part of the small 

southeastern city of Brumadinho. 

Grieving relatives buried some of 

the victims in Brumadinho and rescue 

teams continued a delicate search 

through swaths of muck for more 

victims or survivors. 

Lt. Flavio Godinho of the Minas 

Gerais state civil defense agency said 

Tuesday evening that the number of 

confirmed dead had risen to 84 from 

65. He said the number of missing 

stood at 276. 

The dead fish and trash were seen 

by a reporting team for The 

Associated Press about 18 kilometers 

(11 miles) downstream from the dam 

along the banks of the Paraopeba 

River. 

The Pataxo Indians living alongside 

the river who use it to fish, bathe and 

gather water for the plants they 

cultivate as food were told by 

Brazilian environmental officials that 

they should no longer do so, said 

Hayo, the village chief who goes by 

one name. 

"We used the river to take baths, to 

fish, to water our plants and now we 

can't do any of that," said Hayo, 

wearing a large feathered headdress 

and a red and black-beaded necklace. 

"We can't even water our plants 

because they say it damages the soil." 

Two agents with the Brazilian 

Institute of Environment and 

Renewable Natural Resources, the 

country's environmental enforcement 

agency, took water samples and 

talked with tribe members but said 

they were not authorized to speak 

about their findings. 

In a statement sent to The 

Associated Press on Tuesday, the 

agency said it asked Vale to "remove 

the dead fish, which are having an 

impact on the indigenous 

population." 

SATKHIRA : Members of Rapid Action 

Battalion (Rab) detained a teenage boy from 

the town's stadium area on Tuesday for his 

alleged involvement in selling fake question 

papers of the upcoming SSC examinations, 

reports UNB. 

The detainee Ishtiaq Hossain Ahmed 

Yeakub, 18, son of Nur Alam Mantu of 

Razpara in Rajshahi district, used to live in a 

rented house in Palashpole area of Sadar 

upazila. 

Yeakub was involved in luring people to 

provide fake question papers of different 

public examinations including the SSC by 

creating a group in the social media site 

Facebook, said Lieutenant Commander 

BNMM Zahidul Kabir, deputy director of 

Rab-6. 

The Rab team also seized a mobile phone 

set from his possession. 

END/UNB/Corr/MAS/RH 

Rab-Arrest 

Apollo opens first Proton Therapy 

Centre for Cancer in SE Asia 

DHAKA : Apollo Hospitals 

has launched the first ever 

first ever Proton Therapy 

Centre for Cancer in South 

East Asia, reports UNB. 

The 150-bed APCC is an 

integrated cancer hospital in 

Chennai providing worldclass 

360-degree 

comprehensive cancer care 

and offers the most 

advanced site/organspecific 

personalized 

treatment procedures. 

The APCC will offer 

patients advanced multiroom 

proton therapy with 

cutting-edge pencil-beam 

GAZIPUR : Two suspected 

robbers were killed in a 

lynch-mob attack at Rathura 

village in Kaliganj upazila 

early Wednesday, reports 

UNB. 

The identities of the 

deceased could not be 

known yet. 

A group of robbers 

numbering 10-12 swooped 

on the house of one Majnu 

Mia in the dead of night, said 

Abdul Quader, chairman of 

Nagori Union Parishad. 

Sensing danger, the 

GD-176/19 (12 x 4) 

inmates of the house raised 

alarm seeking help, he said. 

GD-175/19 (6 x 3) 

Members of Rapid Action Battalion detain a teenage boy from the town's stadium area in Satkhira 

on Wednesday, Jan 30, 2019. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Zihad torture 

case: Miscreants 

torch plaintiff's 

house 

RAJSHAHI : The house of 

Zihad, who was falsely 

accused of theft and 

subjected to barbaric torture 

in Rajshahi in 2015, was set 

afire in the early hours of 

Wednesday in Paba Upazila, 

reports UNB. 

His father Imran Ali 

claimed that those who 

tortured his son were behind 

the arson. "It was an attempt 

to kill my family," he said. 

"They (the accused) have 

been threatening me to 

withdraw the case I filed 

against 13 men over the 2015 

incident," Imran said. 

"They doused our house in 

petrol and set it on fire," he 

said. "We survived but our 

livestock and chickens and 

ducks have perished." 

He suffered minor burn 

injuries while trying to save 

his livestock. He was treated 

at Rajshahi Medical College 

Hospital. 

Paba Police Station's incharge 

Rezaul Hasan said 

they had visited the spot and 

assured the victims of taking 

necessary legal measures 

after investigation. 

BCL infighting 

leaves 9 injured 

in Chandpur 

CHANDPUR : At least nine 

leaders and activists of 

Bangladesh Chhatra League 

(BCL) were injured in a clash 

between two of its factions 

over formation of the subcommittees 

at Shahrasti 

upazila sadar on Tuesday 

evening, reports UNB. 

The injured are Upazila 

Unit President Emadadul 

Huque Milon, General 

Secretary Md Sohel Hossain, 

activists- Al Amin, Saiful 

Islam, Kazi Yead, Shohag 

Hossain, Robiul Islam, 

Rafiqul Islam and Sohel. 

The followers of BCL 

upazila unit President 

Emdadul Huque Milon and 

General Secretary Md Sohel 

Hossain locked into an 

altercation at a meeting 

arranged to form the new 

committee around 6 pm, 

said Mohammad Shah 

Alam, officer-in-charge of 

Shahrasti Police Station. 

On information, police 

rushed there and brought 

the situation under control, 

he said. 

The injured were taken to 

Upazila Health Complex 

and were released after 

medical treatment in the 

night, the OC added. 

Two 'robbers' killed 

in Gazipur lynchmob 

attack 

One held for 'selling' fake SSC 

question papers in Satkhira 

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- Bqvwmb AvivdvZ/EASIN ARAFATH 

scanning technology that 

provides the highest degree 

of precision. 

Shri Venkaiah Naidu, 

hon'ble vice-president of 

India, said, "Cancer is a 

leading cause of death 

worldwide and is a major 

cause of mortality in India. 

This pioneering treatment 

also marks a new milestone 

in the medical journey of our 

One held for 'selling' fake SSC question 

papers in Satkhira 

Satkhira, Jan 30 (UNB) - Members of 

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) detained a 

teenage boy from the town's stadium area on 

Tuesday for his alleged involvement in 

selling fake question papers of the upcoming 

SSC examinations. 

The detainee Ishtiaq Hossain Ahmed 

Yeakub, 18, son of Nur Alam Mantu of 

Razpara in Rajshahi district, used to live in a 

rented house in Palashpole area of Sadar 

upazila. 

Yeakub was involved in luring people to 

provide fake question papers of different 

public examinations including the SSC by 

creating a group in the social media site 

Facebook, said Lieutenant Commander 

BNMM Zahidul Kabir, deputy director of 

Rab-6. 

The Rab team also seized a mobile phone 

set from his possession. 

country." Dr. Prathap C. 

Reddy, Chairman, Apollo 

Hospitals Group said, "The 

launch of the Apollo Proton 

Cancer Centre puts India on 

the global map for the best 

and latest in cancer 

treatment and will give new 

hope to cancer patients not 

just in India, but across 

South East Asia, the Middle 

East and Africa."

METRO 

tHUrSDAY, JANUArY 31, 2019 

3 

Special Envoy of Prime Minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dzung 

calls on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban on Wednesday. Photo : PID 

UAE Navy chief meets PM 

DHAKA : isiting Chief of Naval Staff 

of UAE Rear Admiral Pilot Saeed Bin 

Hamdan Al-Nahyan met the prime 

minister at Ganobhaban, reports 

UNB. 

The press secretary said both the 

Prime Minister and the UAE Navy 

chief stressed the need for 

strengthening cooperation in 

different fields, including training 

between the naval forces of the two 

countries. 

Mentioning that there is a 

manpower demand in the UAE Navy, 

Saeed Bin Hamada said Bangladesh 

Navy could play a role in this regard. 

He expressed his country's interest 

in the development of Bangladesh 

shipbuilding sector. 

The Prime Minister also said 

Bangladesh's shipbuilding sector is 

flourishing fast for various initiatives 

of her government. 

Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral 

AMMM Aurangzeb Chowdhury, 

Principal Staff Officer of the Armed 

Forces Division Lt Gen Mahfuzur 

Rahman, PM's Military Secretary Maj 

Gen Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin, 

PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan and 

the Bangladesh Ambassador to the 

UAE and the UAE ambassador in 

Dhaka were present. 

EC meeting Feb 3 

to decide Upazila 

Parishad polls 

schedule 

DHAKA : The Election 

Commission (EC) will hold a 

meeting on February 3 to 

decide on the schedule of 

upcoming Upazila Parishad 

polls, reports UNB. 

EC Deputy Secretary 

(Establishment) 

Shahedunnabi Chowdhury 

called the meeting through a 

letter on Wednesday. 

Sources at the EC said the 

45th commission meeting 

would be held at 3pm at the 

chief election commissioner 

office about reserved seats 

and schedule of the fifth 

upazila polls. 

EC Secretary Helaluddin 

Ahmed on January 10 said 

the polls would be held in 

phases starting from the first 

week of March. 

The first Upazila Parishad 

election took place in 1985. 

The following three were 

held in 1990, 2009 and 

2014. The last one was 

organised in six phases. 

Azerbaijan PM 

congratulates 

Hasina 

DHAKA : Prime Minister of 

the Republic of Azerbaijan 

Novruz Mammadov has 

congratulated Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina on her reappointment 

as the Prime 

Minister of Bangladesh, 

reports UNB. 

In the message, the 

Azerbaijanian Prime 

Minister has expressed that 

the existing cooperation 

between Bangladesh and 

Azerbaijan based on mutual 

confidence and mutual 

support would be further 

strengthened and deepened 

through joint efforts for the 

benefit of the two peoples, 

said the Foreign Ministry on 

Wednesday. 

2 DU students 

get M r tarafdar 

Scholarship 

DHAKA : Two meritorious 

students of the Department 

of Islamic History and Culture 

of Dhaka University 

(DU) have been awarded "M 

R Tarafdar Memorial Scholarship" 

for securing the 

highest CGPA in BA (Hons) 

examination of 2018. 

The recipients of 

scholarship are- Md. Jalal 

Uddin and Razia Sultana 

Bithi. 

Dhaka University Vice- 

Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. 

Akhtaruzzaman distributed 

scholarships among the 

students as chief guest at a 

function held yesterday at 

the VC's lounge of the 

university. 

IU CYB gets new committee 

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY : 

Shamimul Islam Sumon of 

Arabic language and 

literature department and 

Mustafizur Rahmanof 

folklore studies department 

were elected as the president 

and secretary of Consumer 

Youth of Bangladesh, a 

volunteer organisation of the 

university, on Wednesday, 

reports UNB. 

Professor M Maher Ali of 

IU English department and 

the director of Institute of 

Islamic Education and 

Research, also the 

moderator of the 

organisation, announced the 

committee in the afternoon. 

Among others, Professor 

Rashiduzzaman of IU 

Bangla department, CYB IU 

unit member and tourism 

and hospitality management 

department lecturer Shoriful 

Islam Jewel and CYB Joint 

Secretary Emran Shuvro 

were present. 

Other office bearers are - 

vice-presidents Humayun 

Kabir Shuvo and AR 

Rashed, Joint Secretary 

Wahed Ali, Treasurer Sajed 

Akter Joly, Assistant 

Treasurer Majhar Uddin, 

Organising Secretary Abdur 

Yusuf, Assistant Organising 

Secretary Shahedul Islam, 

Office Secretary Nazmul 

Islam, Publicity Secretary 

Raton Ali, Public Relation 

Secretary Saifur Rahman, 

Consumer Rights Secretary 

Shammi Akter, Research 

Secretary Reshma Akter, 

while Taskin Habib Akash, 

Kamona Khatun, Arman, 

Nazrul Islam and Ashraful 

Islam are its members. 

The newly-elected 

committee will hold office 

for the next one year, said 

Professor M Maher Ali, the 

committee's moderator. 

Professor M Maher Ali of 

IU English department and 

the director of Institute of 

Islamic Education and 

Research, also the 

moderator of the 

organisation, announced 

the committee in the 

afternoon. 

Among others, Professor 

Rashiduzzaman of IU 

Bangla department, CYB IU 

unit member and tourism 

and hospitality management 

department lecturer Shoriful 

Islam Jewel and CYB Joint 

Secretary Emran Shuvro 

were present. 

Other office bearers are - 

vice-presidents Humayun 

Kabir Shuvo and AR 

Rashed, Joint Secretary 

Wahed Ali, Treasurer Sajed 

Akter Joly, Assistant 

Treasurer Majhar Uddin, 

Organising Secretary Abdur 

Yusuf, Assistant Organising 

Secretary Shahedul Islam, 

Office Secretary Nazmul 

Islam, Publicity Secretary 

Raton Ali, Public Relation 

Secretary Saifur Rahman, 

Consumer Rights Secretary 

Shammi Akter, Research 

Secretary Reshma Akter, 

while Taskin Habib Akash, 

Kamona Khatun, Arman, 

Nazrul Islam and Ashraful 

Islam are its members. 

The newly-elected 

committee will hold office 

for the next one year, said 

Professor M Maher Ali, the 

committee's moderator.

EDITORIAL 

ThuRSDay, 

JanuaRy 31, 2019 

4 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

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

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Thursday, January 31, 2019 

Ensuring progress 

in health sector 

The health sector of the country as it observed the 

World Health Day sometime ago, presents a mixed 

picture of significant progress, some unattained 

objectives and cases of back sliding. The incumbent 

government had promised a great deal in its previous 

election manifesto and must be credited for having worked 

considerably to keep its promises. 

For example, it was stated in the election manifesto of the 

Awami League five years ago that in order to expand and 

strengthen health services at the grassroots level in the 

country, some 18,000 community clinics would be 

established at ward level under a new health policy. Some 

10,000 of these community clinics have been set up 

throughout the country. Some more of these clinics at 

upazilla and union levels are being planned to be integrated 

under the community clinic framework. 

This could be accepted as a very laudable achievement but 

for the fact that in most cases these clinics are not delivering 

amply health services consistent with their potentials. A 

dearth of doctors, nurses, technicians and medical 

equipment are noted in these clinics in many cases. Thus, 

the challenge remains to provision these clinics adequately 

and run them efficiently. The issue of absentee doctors must 

be addressed - specially-- through a proper accountability 

procedure so that such doctors are only obligated to 

discharge their duties with due sincerity at their due places 

of posting. 

Many doctors on the government's health services in 

connivance with unscrupulous officials in the Health 

Ministry are usually able to avoid serving in the rural areas. 

Many of them remain in Dhaka month after month and 

draw their salaries and other benefits without doing 

adequate work at their properly designated places while the 

health services in the rural areas suffer very seriously from 

absence of doctors. Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina 

warned such absentee doctors for their dereliction of duty 

time and again. 

However, like in all other cases of the taste of the pudding 

coming from eating it, the tough words from the PM will 

count for something only after the actual taking of the steps 

that would be required to ensure that the doctors do 

indeed feel obligated to serve in the rural areas. This is no 

easy task for on the one hand there are involved problems of 

psychology and character and, on the other, the doctors can 

point to the disincentives that keep them away from rural 

areas. The solution lies in psychologically curing the doctors 

of their inordinate fascination for working in urban areas as 

much as also providing them with further incentives, as far 

as would be truly justified, to have peace of mind to serve 

with dedication in the rural areas. But the greatest stress 

will have to be put on strict enforcement of rules and 

regulations to make it very difficult for them to go on so 

unconscientiously avoiding their duties in rural areas. 

The nation makes much sacrifice to produce a doctor with 

highly subsidised medical education and then further pays 

not unreasonably for his or her upkeep with salaries and 

other facilities. In return, the nation should duly expect to 

get his or her sincere service. If the same is not honestly 

discharged, then the nation should have the right to apply 

coercion so that the same is discharged. 

The problems complained by the doctors may not be 

ignored and steps may be taken to solve them . But the 

imperative is keeping up consistent pressure on them as 

per their service rules to do their bounden duties at their 

work stations. 

From 2009, government introduced the so called user fees 

in the publicly run medical and health care system. Under 

23 categories, user fees were introduced for 470 types of 

services in the public hospitals. The public medical care 

institutions were obliged, at least in theory, to extend free 

medical services or at nominal costs till the introduction of 

this fee. 

But in the backdrop of such free and nominal payments 

leading to poor or even no treatment of patients, it was 

decided that users' fees would be applied to bring about 

positive changes through users bearing a part of the real 

costs of treatment. This would free the government 

somewhat from paying huge subsidies ineffectively to the 

medical sector while enabling better treatment with patients 

bearing a part of their costs. 

But the real experience after introduction of the users' fees 

is that patients' treatment costs, on average, have increased 

compared to the time when they were treated for free or at 

nominal costs. Thus, it requires a rethink whether the user 

fee system should be given up with restoration of the 

previous system of free treatment or treatment at nominal 

costs only. 

If it is decided to go back to the older system, then it must 

be ensured that the free system or nominal payment system 

do not make the patients suffer like in the past due to 

corruption and neglect. The challenge would be to make the 

free or nominal payment system free from corruption and to 

make it work ridding inefficiencies. Then, it could prove to 

be a blessing. 

A major health sector priority ought to be revamping the 

family planning programme by bringing all or nearly all 

fertile couples under it at the earliest. It is shocking that 45 

per cent of potential couples from the standpoint of 

procreation abilities, remain unserved by the family 

planning programme. They are also bypassed by health and 

nutrition programmes. This neglect must be overcome with 

targeted policies. Time-bound targets must be pursued also 

in the areas of sanitation and helping people to avoid 

arsenic poisoning. 

Meanwhile people, specially common people, are happy to 

see that the big general public hospitals in the cities such as 

the DhakaMedicalCollegeHospital, are running with some 

efficiency and a sense of a duty of care compared to the past. 

Let us hope that this trend would continue and be further 

improved. 

Every business must be a computer system innovator 

There used to be a differentiation 

between "high technology" 

product companies that relied on 

proprietary innovative computer 

technology for their business success 

and "non-tech" businesses that viewed 

computer systems as the engines 

enabling good accounting systems. This 

has dramatically changed because of 

major advances in computer systems 

and software technology. 

Of course, we have computer 

technology companies selling software, 

but no business no matter what its 

product can ignore the powerful 

competitive advantage of implementing 

innovative computer systems. 

What has changed in recent years is 

the dramatic evolution of software, 

computer and communication 

technologies that together enable 

business capabilities previously too 

costly and complex for widespread use. 

These developments can be grouped in 

five broad areas. 

First, the microprocessor process chip 

capabilities that now pack in a silicon 

chip the size of a thumbnail the process 

capabilities of early mainframe 

computers (Moore's Law at work). 

Second, the ability to store data on 

chips that range in the billions of bits in 

tiny silicon areas. 

Third, the ubiquitous Internet that 

reaches most of humanity thanks to the 

parallel development of wired and 

wireless communications. 

Fourth, the emergence of "cloud" 

computer services that allow businesses 

of any size to access on demand 

computer capabilities previously only 

affordable to the biggest businesses. 

Fifth, great improvements in software 

capabilities in the area now described as 

The art of the street demo has a long 

and venerable tradition in France, 

but the era of the colour wars may 

be only just beginning. What started with 

guerrilla blockades of roundabouts by the 

gilets jaunes (yellow vests) in opposition 

to French President Emmanuel Macron's 

new fuel tax has led to weekly marches in 

Paris and across France, some ending in 

violent stand-offs between protesters and 

the police. On Saturday, for "Act XI" (the 

rather portentous title given to the 11th 

protest) the yellow vests numbered 

69,000 across France and 4,500 in Paris. 

Although down from the previous week, 

with 84,000 nationwide, the figures were 

higher than in December. 

The next day, it was the turn of the 

foulards rouges, or red scarves. Their 

"Republican march for the liberties" drew 

about 10,000 people on to the Parisian 

streets. The choice of red had nothing to 

do with the French left. Many scarfwearers 

complained that the activities of 

the gilets jaunes prevented them from 

enjoying a Saturday outside or doing their 

shopping. Their chants were pro-police 

and pro-Macron. When the gilets jaunes 

(yellow jackets) were outnumbered on 

the streets of the capital by an unofficial 

"leave us in peace" brigade, it was a sign 

that the movement which started with 

roundabouts was at a crossroads. What 

were they for, what should their tactics be, 

and how could they keep up the levels of 

popular support that placed Macron so 

firmly on the back foot? 

A crunch moment is coming. Last 

week, controversially, a branch of the 

gilets jaunes announced it would run for 

the European elections under the label 

"citizen-led rally". A list of 79 candidates 

will be published by mid-February. 

There are inaccuracies in many 

people's understanding of an 

accused person's rights under the 

law, and a widespread lack of knowledge. 

This is not helped by irresponsible media 

outlets that spread lies about the subject. 

The Saudi Criminal Procedure Law and 

its Executive Regulation ensure fair and 

proper treatment for all, both Saudi 

nationals and expatriates. The law 

prohibits any violation of human dignity 

in all circumstances, and ensures the 

maintenance of people's rights regardless 

of the charge against them. 

No one may be arrested or imprisoned, 

or have their property searched, other 

than as sanctioned by law. The law also 

prohibits exposing anyone to abuse, 

whether material or moral. 

Everyone is entitled to the services of a 

lawyer at the investigation and trial stages. 

An accused person has the right to attend 

all investigation procedures with their 

lawyer, and no investigator may prevent 

access to a lawyer. 

An accused person must be examined 

and questioned within 24 hours of being 

detained; if no evidence is obtained 

against them in that period, the 

artificial intelligence. And finally, 

coming now are fifth-generation (5G) 

wireless systems that will enable to 

dramatically improve the ability to 

reach billions of people with enormous 

amounts of data. 

You can thank the evolution of the 

transistor and the semiconductor laser 

as the core devices that enable these 

marvels of technology. And we not seen 

the limits yet of their capabilities. 

That computer systems are the 

essential drivers of businesses was not a 

secret. I remember asking, in 1990, 

Jack Welch, the legendary chief 

executive of General Electric, what he 

thought was the single most important 

system innovation he introduced. 

"Sophisticated computer systems to 

manage performance. If you can't 

quantitatively measure business 

performance, you can't improve it." 

Welch invested huge amounts of 

money in building the computer 

infrastructure. Running efficient 

computer hardware centers was once a 

differentiating business capability for 

big companies. Today such a capability 

is available to all as an on demand cloud 

hEnRy kRESSEl 

service from Amazon, Microsoft and 

others, and operating efficient 

computers is no longer a differentiating 

competitive advantage. 

The competitive advantage comes 

from the ability to creatively harness 

data management, analysis and flow 

within a corporation to offer products 

and services with better quality, 

customer satisfaction and speed to 

market. Mining corporate data is only 

the first requirement of a successful 

That computer systems are the essential drivers of 

businesses was not a secret. I remember asking, in 

1990, Jack Welch, the legendary chief executive of 

General Electric, what he thought was the single most 

important system innovation he introduced. 

"Sophisticated computer systems to manage 

performance. If you can't quantitatively measure 

business performance, you can't improve it." 

The age and professions of the 10 

known candidates vary widely. They are 

small business owners, drivers, stay-athome 

parents and civil servants. They 

range from 29 to 53 years old. For now 

they have no clear programme, but the 

mood music is more of the left than the 

right. Le Pen-style anti-immigration 

rhetoric is not part of their anti-elite pitch. 

"The citizen social movement born on 

November 17 shows the necessity to turn 

anger into a humane political project that 

will bring answers to the French people," 

read one statement. "We, French citizens, 

do not want to endure the decisions of 

European institutions and diktats of 

technocrats and financial castes, who 

have forgotten the human factor, 

solidarity and the planet." 

Top of the candidates' list is Ingrid 

Levavasseur, a nursing assistant and 

single mother from Normandy. 

Levavasseur became a well-known gilets 

jaunes spokesperson after a TV show in 

which she detailed her everyday financial 

difficulties and found she had touched a 

chord: "I thought I was an isolated case, 

but I see how everyone suffers. The 

nurses, the sick, the unemployed, the 

PaulInE Bock 

business, but its value can only be 

realized by the organization of the 

business and the control of the 

interlocked functions such as 

manufacturing, sales, marketing and 

product development. This means that 

businesses of all sizes and markets need 

internal high levels of competence in 

sophisticated data analysis using the 

most advanced technologies - areas 

such as artificial intelligence and 

machine learning. These skills need to 

be applied on a continuing basis to the 

evolving needs of the business. An 

interesting example of such amazing 

success is amazon.com, which has 

revolutionized retailing on the basis of 

France’s yellow jackets are just chaotic 

investigation department must release 

them. Investigating officers are obliged by 

law to hear an accused person's 

statements without delay. 

The detention period itself should not 

exceed five days, unless extended by the 

head of the Public Prosecution in the 

relevant region. Such an extension may be 

for one or more five-day periods, but the 

total period of detention should not 

exceed 40 days. Many inaccuracies, some 

of which amount to fictional detective 

stories, have been published about 

investigation procedures. It should go 

without saying that the right to a private 

life is afforded great consideration and 

hauliers ..." She is not the only one to be 

enthusiastic about entering politics: 

Jacline Mouraud, whose Facebook video 

condemning the fuel tax went viral in 

November, is launching a party too. It 

won't run for the European elections, but 

she has hopes for the 2020 local elections. 

But the would-be political wing is 

viewed with contempt by the gilets jaunes 

radicals, who remain devotees of a more 

grass roots democratic style combined 

with new types of protest designed to 

The next day, it was the turn of the foulards rouges, 

or red scarves. Their "Republican march for the 

liberties" drew about 10,000 people on to the 

Parisian streets. The choice of red had nothing to do 

with the French left. Many scarf-wearers 

complained that the activities of the gilets jaunes 

prevented them from enjoying a Saturday outside 

or doing their shopping. 

capture the imagination, such as the first 

"yellow night" at the weekend (a sit-in on 

Paris's Place de la Republique). 

As the various factions contend, the 

danger is that the organised chaos of the 

early protests becomes just, well, chaos. 

Since the new year, the gilets jaunes have 

developed wildly divergent strategies. 

Some weekly marches are declared while 

others happen on the spot. Unions have 

joined in, and are calling for a general 

strike starting on February 5. The gilets 

jaunes have successfully shaken things 

up, but disarray is spreading among them 

too. Prominent figures are starting to 

organise independently. Eric Drouet, a 

radical who has pledged to keep the 

DIMah Talal alShaRIF 

respect in both Islam and the law. 

Infringement on privacy is prohibited 

under normal circumstances, and the use 

of the law to do so is limited by strict 

restrictions and red lines. For example, a 

house may not be searched or inspected 

except with the authority of a warrant 

issued by the Public Prosecution or by the 

authorized investigating agent. A search 

may occur when people are caught "in 

flagrante delicto," in which case women's 

privacy is taken into consideration. 

In addition, searches are limited to 

items relevant to the case. It is not 

normally permissible for criminal 

investigators to open any sealed or closed 

innovative computer and 

communications technology and 

became one of the most valuable 

companies in the world in what is 

basically a "mundane" consumer 

service. 

The growing recognition of the 

importance of new computer systems 

became glaring to me recently when a 

friend (and former CEO of a Warburg 

Pincus portfolio company) with an 

accounting background became CEO of 

a major international fertilizer 

company. 

I asked him why he was selected given 

his financial and not chemical 

background. 

"I told the CEO selection committee 

that I knew nothing about fertilizers but 

a great deal about computer systems, 

software and architecture that allows 

the most efficient operations and 

ultimate growth and profitability," he 

said. "In fact, I had demonstrated that 

successful capability in my prior CEO 

position of an insurance company. 

"When I took that job I had no 

experience in the insurance business 

either but I took it from loss-making to 

growth and profitability by changing its 

business architecture based on 

innovative computer systems." 

So he was selected because the 

company was staffed with many 

fertilizer experts but no one with the 

proven ability to lead the building of a 

computer-based infrastructure that 

would maximize the value of the 

company's products and 

manufacturing skills. There is a lesson 

here for all businesses. 

Source : Asia times 

struggle on the streets, organised the 

"yellow night"; while Priscillia Ludosky, 

who has stopped working with Drouet, 

calls instead for peaceful marches and 

female-only events. 

In Commercy, eastern France, an 

"assembly of local assemblies" met up last 

week. They signed a common declaration 

of their values: A platform that was 

"neither racist, nor sexist or 

homophobic", aimed at coordinating the 

movement democratically, and, 

pointedly, said they had no wish to run for 

office. 

The disagreements are undoubtedly 

endangering the movement's 

momentum, which has also been 

damaged by occasional outbreaks of 

violence. Macron and others have 

denounced the violence of gilets jaunes 

"hooligans" at protests, while ignoring 

that inflicted by police on the protesters. 

Dozens of yellow vests have been injured. 

Last Saturday, Jerome Rodrigues, an ally 

of Drouet, was injured by an object 

allegedly thrown from police lines. In 

response, Drouet posted an online call for 

"an unprecedented uprising by all 

necessary means". 

Huge political opportunities remain. 

The "great national debate", launched by 

Macron to engage with the gilets jaunes, 

has been a damp squib, with the 

president even drawing red lines around 

topics he didn't wish to see debated, 

among them the possible reintroduction 

of a wealth tax. The French national 

debate committee, designated to arbitrate 

the "great debate", quit because the 

government did not want to play by the 

rules. 

Source : Gulf news 

When you’re accused - your rights under the law 

Many inaccuracies, some of which amount to fictional 

detective stories, have been published about investigation 

procedures. It should go without saying that the right to a 

private life is afforded great consideration and respect in both 

Islam and the law. Infringement on privacy is prohibited 

under normal circumstances, and the use of the law to do so 

is limited by strict restrictions and red lines. 

papers on the property being searched. If 

opening them is required, this must take 

place in the presence of the accused, or the 

person to whom these papers belong. This 

applies to postal messages, telephone 

conversations and other means of 

communication, which the law has 

affirmed to be prohibited from being 

accessed or monitored. In addition, 

searches may take place only during the 

hours of daylight. 

At the trial stage, an accused person is 

entitled to attend all hearings without 

restriction. In addition to listening to the 

statement of claim, responding to it and 

inquiring about anything that is not 

understood, they are also entitled to 

request that witnesses be heard, and to 

have the final word before the hearing 

concludes and the sentence is 

pronounced. 

Having only vague knowledge about our 

rights under the law is unacceptable at a 

time when the law is the principal 

regulator of the lives and safety of 

members of society. 

Source: Arab news

HEALTH 

THURSdAy, 

Why alcohol gives us anxiety 

JANUARy 31, 2019 

5 

Amy Fleming 

If you are looking forward to your 

first stiff drink after a dry January, 

be warned: it may feel bittersweet. 

You may feel you deserve an 

alcoholic beverage after toughing it 

out all month - but have you 

forgotten what it feels like to wake up 

haunted by worries about what you 

said or did the night before? These 

post-drinking feelings of guilt and 

stress have come to be known 

colloquially as "hangxiety". But what 

causes them? 

David Nutt, professor of 

neuropsychopharmacology at 

Imperial College, London, is the 

scientist who was fired in 2009 as 

the government's chief drug adviser 

for saying alcohol is more dangerous 

than ecstasy and LSD. I tell him I 

By drinking less you can avoid anxiety. 

have always assumed my morningafter 

mood was a result of my brain 

having shrivelled like a raisin 

through alcohol-induced 

dehydration. When Nutt explains 

the mechanics of how alcohol causes 

crippling anxiety, he paints an even 

more offputting picture. 

Alcohol, he says, targets the Gaba 

(gamma-aminobutyric acid) 

receptor, which sends chemical 

messages through the brain and 

central nervous system to inhibit the 

activity of nerve cells. Put simply, it 

calms the brain, reducing 

excitement by making fewer 

neurons fire. "Alcohol stimulates 

Gaba, which is why you get relaxed 

and cheerful when you drink," 

explains Nutt. 

The first two drinks lull you into a 

blissful Gaba-induced state of chill. 

When you get to the third or fourth 

drink, another brain-slackening 

effect kicks in: you start blocking 

glutamate, the main excitatory 

transmitter in the brain. "More 

glutamate means more anxiety," 

says Nutt. "Less glutamate means 

less anxiety." This is why, he says, 

"when people get very drunk, they're 

even less anxious than when they're 

a bit drunk" - not only does alcohol 

reduce the chatter in your brain by 

stimulating Gaba, but it further 

reduces your anxiety by blocking 

glutamate. In your blissed-out state, 

you will probably feel that this is all 

good - but you will be wrong. 

The body registers this new 

imbalance in brain chemicals and 

attempts to put things right. It is a 

little like when you eat a lot of sweets 

and your body goes into insulinproducing 

overdrive to get the blood 

sugar levels down to normal; as soon 

as the sweets have been digested, all 

that insulin causes your blood sugar 

to crash. When you are drunk, your 

body goes on a mission to bring 

Gaba levels down to normal and turn 

glutamate back up. When you stop 

drinking, therefore, you end up with 

unnaturally low Gaba function and a 

spike in glutamate - a situation that 

leads to anxiety, says Nutt. "It leads 

to seizures as well, which is why 

people have fits in withdrawal." 

It can take the brain a day or two to 

return to the status quo, which is 

why a hair of the dog is so enticing. 

"If you drank an awful lot for a long 

time," says Nutt, "it might take 

weeks for the brain to readapt. In 

alcoholics, we've found changes in 

Gaba for years." 

To add to the misery, the anxiety 

usually kicks in while you are trying 

to sleep off the booze. "If you 

measure sleep when people are 

drunk, they go off to sleep fast. They 

go into a deeper sleep than normal, 

which is why they sometimes wet the 

bed or have night terrors. Then, after 

about four hours, the withdrawal 

kicks in - that's when you wake up all 

shaky and jittery." 

Imbalances in Gaba and glutamate 

are not the only problem. Alcohol 

also causes a small rise in 

noradrenaline - known as the fightor-flight 

hormone. "Noradrenaline 

suppresses stress when you first take 

it, and increases it in withdrawal," 

says Nutt. "Severe anxiety can be 

considered a surge of noradrenaline 

in the brain." 

Another key cause of hangxiety is 

being unable to remember the 

mortifying things you are sure you 

must have said or done while 

inebriated - another result of your 

Photo: princigalli 

compromised glutamate levels. "You 

need glutamate to lay down 

memories," says Nutt, "and once 

you're on the sixth or seventh drink, 

the glutamate system is blocked, 

which is why you can't remember 

things." If this isn't ringing any bells, 

it may be because hangxiety does not 

affect us all equally, as revealed by a 

study published in the journal 

Personality and Individual 

Differences. Researchers quizzed 

healthy young people about their 

levels of anxiety before, during and 

the morning after drinking alcohol. 

According to one of the authors, 

Celia Morgan, professor of 

psychopharmacology at the 

University of Exeter: "The people 

who were more shy had much higher 

levels of anxiety [the following day] 

than the people who weren't shy." 

The team also found a correlation 

between having bad hangxiety and 

the chance of having an alcohol use 

disorder. "Maybe it's playing a role in 

keeping problematic drinking 

going," says Morgan. 

One theory as to why very shy 

people might be more at risk of 

hangxiety and alcoholism is the 

possibility that alcohol's seesaw 

effect on Gaba levels is more 

pronounced in them. Their baseline 

Gaba levels may be lower to start 

with, says Morgan. "It could also be a 

psychological effect - people who are 

more highly anxious are more prone 

to rumination, going over thoughts 

about the night before, so that's 

another potential mechanism." 

However, the study's findings have 

wider implications - after all, most 

drinkers lean on alcohol as social 

lubrication to some degree. 

The bad news is that there seems 

to be little you can do to avoid 

hangxiety other than to drink less, 

and perhaps take painkillers - they 

will at least ease your headache. 

"Theoretically, ibuprofen would be 

better than paracetamol," says Nutt, 

"because it's more antiinflammatory 

- but we don't know 

how much of the hangover is caused 

by inflammation. It's something 

we're working on, trying to measure 

that." 

Morgan suggests trying to break 

the cycle. "Before drinking in a social 

situation you feel anxious in, try fastforwarding 

to the next day when 

you'll have much higher anxiety 

levels. If you can't ride that out 

without drinking, the worry is that 

you will get stuck in this cycle of 

problematic drinking where your 

hangxiety is building and building 

over time. Drinking might fix social 

anxiety in the short term, but in the 

long term it might have pretty 

detrimental consequences." 

Exposure therapy is a common 

treatment for phobias, where you sit 

with your fear in order to help you 

overcome it. "By drinking alcohol, 

people aren't giving themselves a 

chance to do that," says Morgan. 

But there might be hope for the 

future. Nutt is involved in a project 

to develop a drink that takes the 

good bits of alcohol and discards the 

damaging or detrimental effects. 

"Alcosynth", as it is currently called, 

drowns your sorrows in the same 

way as alcohol, but without knocking 

the Gaba and glutamate out of kilter. 

"We're in the second stage of 

fundraising to take it through to a 

product," he says. "The industry 

knows [alcohol] is a toxic substance. 

If it was discovered today, it would 

be illegal as a foodstuff." 

Until Alcosynth reaches the 

market, Nutt says his "strong" 

message is: "Never treat hangxiety 

with a hair of the dog. When people 

start drinking in the mornings to get 

over their hangxiety, then they're in 

the cycle of dependence. It's a very 

slippery slope." 

Workaholics tend to die younger. 

Photo: Caiaimage 

Performative workaholism 

negatively effects human body 

Thank GodIt'sMonday! This is the rallying 

cry of a new movement of work obsessives, 

according to a widely shared opinion piece 

on "performative workaholism" in the New 

York Times. These ergomaniacs encourage 

each other to "hustle harder". They drink 

from water coolers containing floating 

cucumbers carved with pro-work slogans, 

such as "Don't stop when you're tired, stop 

when you're done." 

"No one ever changed the world on 40 

hours a week," Elon Musk, the patron saint 

of the TIGM movement announced on 

Twitter. Musk recommends "80, sustained'" 

hours a week, "peaking [at] about 100". 

e haven't always been so work-obsessed. 

During the middle ages in England, peasants 

could work just 150 days a year. Until 

relatively recently, work was seen as painful 

toil, and best avoided. 

But something changed in the 16th century 

- we started to think that work was morally 

good. Five hundred years on, 

#ThankGodIt'sMonday has made it saintly. 

Now we have a Protestant work ethic 

without the pressure of taking Sunday off to 

go to church. Instead, we should toil 24/7, 

taking #workinglate selfies to prove it. 

But is putting in long hours any good for 

us? We know that not working can make us 

miserable. People who work tend to be 

healthier. Work can give us a sense of 

purpose and meaning. It connects us with 

other people. At a minimum, work provides 

money as well as something to do with our 

time. 

But too much work can be toxic. Working 

very long hours can be bad for our health. 

Ultra-long hours can kill. Ergomania can 

lead to problems such as depression, anxiety 

and addiction and can cut us off from friends 

and family, leaving us with only colleagues. If 

work disappears, work obsessives often have 

nothing to fall back on. 

A job loss can become a deep existential 

crisis. Instead of boasting about the hours we 

work, we would be better off listening to 

Bruce Daisley, an executive at Twitter: "Go to 

lunch," "Get a good night's sleep," and: 

"Shorten your work week. 

How to beat 

a sore throat 

in winter 

Elle Hunt 

Sore throats are very common and usually 

get better by themselves within a week. 

Getting a good night's sleep always helps to 

help fight off infection. The NHS advises 

those with a sore throat to stay well hydrated, 

although hot drinks should be avoided. 

Sucking on ice cubes, ice lollies or hard 

sweets can soothe the inflammation. 

If you feel uncomfortable, take paracetamol 

or ibuprofen. There are also medicated sorethroat 

lozenges and anaesthetic sprays 

available over the counter that claim to target 

pain in the throat with anti-inflammatories. 

The NHS cautions that "there's little proof 

they help", but a 2011 study of two different 

kinds of medicated lozenge found they 

brought relief and eased soreness and 

difficulty swallowing within minutes; effects 

lasted up to two hours post-dose. 

Gargling with warm salt water may help to 

reduce inflammation. (It is not 

recommended for children.) Dissolve half a 

teaspoon of salt in a glass of partly cooled 

boiled water, gargle with the solution, then 

spit it out. Repeat as necessary. "It's 

inexpensive and everyone can do it at home - 

I recommend this to most patients," says 

Abraham Khodadi, a prescribing pharmacist 

who vlogs weekly about health on YouTube 

as Abraham the Pharmacist. 

Most sore throats are caused by a virus, so 

they cannot be treated by antibiotics - even 

though in many cases they are prescribed 

anyway. Last year, sore throats accounted for 

nearly a quarter of inappropriate antibiotic 

prescriptions in England. Such prescriptions 

contribute to the global threat of antibiotic 

resistance. US researchers reported in 2013 

that, from 1997 to 2010, about 60% of 

patients with sore throats received 

antibiotics, even though only about 10% 

needed them. Viral sore throats are 

accompanied by other cold symptoms that 

may include a runny nose, cough, red or 

watery eyes, and sneezing. The symptoms of 

streptococcal pharyngitis, "strep throat", a 

bacterial infection, are similar, but likely to be 

more severe, and possibly accompanied by a 

high temperature or feeling hot and shivery. 

Smoking cigarettes can cause a sore throat 

by irritating the windpipe. "When an irritant 

is introduced in the system, the body tries to 

get rid of it by coughing, which can result in 

more inflammation," says Khodadi. Smoking 

Getting a good night's sleep is a great way to beat infection. 

also lowers immunity, which can lead to 

recurrent viral and bacterial infection, and 

weakens the lower oesophageal sphincter 

between the stomach and oesophagus (or 

food pipe), causing acid reflux from the 

stomach, which can irritate the throat. Other 

causes of a sore throat include pollution or 

irritants in the air, allergies, dry air, and 

changes in temperature, such as going from a 

warm office to the icy outdoors. 

You can safeguard against sore throats by 

eating a healthy balanced diet, says Khodadi, 

as well as by having a flu jab. This should 

alleviate the need for supplements in 

otherwise healthy people, he says - although 

Public Health England has suggested taking 

a daily vitamin D supplement in winter, 

which may help to boost immunity. 

Photo: Getty Images 

Follow some basic health tips to defy ageing and keep the mind sharp. 

Photo: martinleonbarreto 

Stave off the brain 

from mental decline 

Kayt Sukel 

THE studies are cruelly consistent: by the 

age of 45, your basic cognitive abilities begin 

to slip. As we get older, the crucial brain 

regions involved in memory, attention and 

perception begin to shrink and no longer 

communicate with one another as efficiently 

as they once did. You may find that you 

aren't quite as quick as you once were. It 

takes longer to recall where you left your 

keys, more effort to help your kids with their 

maths homework. 

Except that isn't the final word. There are 

plenty of science-backed strategies for 

keeping your brain fitter for longer. And it is 

never too late to begin. 

The brain is often likened to a muscle, and 

for good reason: give it a good workout and 

it will stay strong. But what does that really 

mean? A few years ago, headlines were full 

of claims about brain-training apps and 

computer games that offered a shortcut to 

improved cognitive fitness. But these have 

largely been debunked. "There's no magic 

activity that will do it," says Yaakov Stern, a 

neuropsychologist at Columbia University 

in New York. 

Instead, the trick seems to be to find 

activities that boost what's known as 

cognitive reserve. You can think of this as 

spare mental capacity, a kind of extra 

padding that allows your brain to sustain 

more damage before you feel the effects. The 

concept has been used to explain why two 

people with Alzheimer's disease, and the 

same amount of damaging protein plaques 

in their brain, may not be equally affected.

NATIONAL 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019 

6 

Vice-Chancellor of Barishal University (BU) Professor Dr SM Imamul Huq was present as the chief 

guest at the annual general meeting, freshers reception and farewell program of 'Badhon' Barishal 

University unit on Wednesday. 

Photo: BU 

‘Badhon’ BU unit holds AGM, freshers 

reception and farewell program 

'Badhon' Barishal University unit on Wednesday held its 

annual general meeting, freshers reception and farewell 

program in Kirtonkhola Auditorium of the University, says a 

press release. 

'Badhon' Barishal University unit president Mujahidul 

Islam chaired the meeting while Vice-Chancellor of Barishal 

University (BU) Professor Dr SM Imamul Huq was present 

as the chief guest at the occasion. Among others, Among 

others, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Professor 

Dr. Md. Muhsin Uddin, Provost of Bangabandhu Hall and 

Rahat Hossain Faisal, Chairman of CSE Department; 

General Secretary of the Teachers Association; Abu Zafar 

Mia, chairman of the Department of Mining and Mining, 

Assistant Professor of Public Administration, Israt Jahan, 

Adviser of the Bonding and Public Administration 

Department lecturer Shirajis Sadik, Chairman of different 

departments, directors, teachers, and members of 'Badhon' 

Barishal University unit were also present at the occasion. 

At the occasion new committee of 'Badhon' Barisal 

University unit was declared for the year 2019 and the 

members of the old committee handed over the 

responsibility to the members of the new committee. The 

Vice-Chancellor said that the journey of 'Badhon' started in 

1997 in Shahidullah Hall of Dhaka University through my 

hand. From then onwards I am associated with 'Badhon'. It 

is a voluntary organization that is always engaged in the 

service of humanity. 

It is to be noted that Badhon started its journey in Barishal 

University in 2015 but its journey as a unit and started in 

2017. 

Landless char people turns fortune wheel 

by cultivating BINA China -4 peanut 

Rokibul Hoque Dipu, Magura 

correspondent: BINA China-4 

peanut is turning fortune wheel of 

landless char people. 

BINA (Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear 

Agriculture) Magura sources informed, 

cultivation of BINA China -4 peanut is 

gaining popularity among char 

farmers. Agriculturist Dr Abul Kalam 

Azad is the originator of BINA China -4 

peanut . Char land is suitable for BINA 

China -4 peanut cultivation. This 

variety is high productive. Production 

of BINA China-4 variety is 2.5 mt per 

hectare as against 2 mt in common 

variety. Cultivation of BINA China -4 

peanut is short durable. Harvesting of 

China -4 peanut takes only 100 days 

while 120 days in common variety. At 

the same time cultivation of China-4 

variety requires less fertilizer and 

insecticides compared to that in 

common variety .Consequently 

production cost of BINA China -4 

variety is low. Magura BINA official 

Shushan Chouhan told, farmers 

especially in Char area are showing 

high interest in cultivating BINA China 

-4 peanut cultivation. We are working 

to encourage farmers in cultivating this 

peanut. This season we have 

distributed BINA China -4 peanut 

seeds among 20 farmers at free cost. 

Moreover we shall give them 50% 

subsidy in fertilizer and insecticides 

cost for the cultivation. Moreover every 

day we provide at least 10 peanut 

farmers with proper advice physically 

or by mobile phone. 

Khadem Ali a farmer of village 

Kamlapur under Sreepur upazila of 

Magura told, last year I brought 2 bigha 

land in Gorai River Char under BINA 

China-4 peanut cultivation and earned 

tk 60 thousand as profit. This year I 

have extended my peanut cultivation 

and Now I am growing peanut in 4 

bigha land. I am expecting Tk one lakh 

and 20 thousand as my profit. 

Belal Mian of village Khaleshpur 

under Moheshpur upazial of Zhenidah 

district told, BINA China-4 peanut is 

turning fortune wheel of farmers in this 

upazila. This season at least 50 farmers 

in this upazila are cultivating this 

peanut. This year I have brought 5 

bigha land under BINA China-4 peanut 

cultivation and I am expecting profit of 

tk 1.5 lakhs . In the mean time I have 

got seeds from Magura BINA at free 

cost. 

When contacted, Shafiqur Rahman 

executive director of Palli Prokriti ( an 

agriculture based NGO ) told BINA 

China -4 peanut cultivation is gaining 

popularity among char farmers of 3 

district respectively Magura, 

Jhenidah and Razbair. At present 

about 500 farmers in the 3 district are 

cultivating this peanut and most of 

them are landless. If proper plan is 

adopted to expand BINA China -4 

peanut cultivation number of 

landless char farmers can improve 

their condition. 

The photo shows Magura BINA official Shampa Rani Ghosh distributing BINA China -4 peanut seeds 

free of cost in Magura recently. 

Photo: Rokibul Hoque Dipu 

Exploring tourism potential in Panchagarh stressed 

RANGPUR: Adoption of comprehensive tourism-friendly planning 

and its proper implementation could help explore the enormous 

potential of the country's tourism sector for economic advancement, 

reports BSS. 

Government officials and public representatives made these 

observations today at a district level tourism affairs public awareness 

building workshop held at the conference room of the Deputy 

Commissioner of Panchagarh. Panchagarh district administration 

organised the workshop with assistance of Bangladesh Tourism 

Board for officials of different government departments, public 

representatives, private sector entrepreneurs, professionals and civil 

society members. The main objective of arranging the event was to 

identify prevailing problems and issues in the tourism sector of 

Panchagarh and adopt a comprehensive tourism- friendly planning 

for exploring tourism potential of the district. 

Deputy Commissioner of Panchagarh Sabina Yasmin attended 

the workshop as the chief guest with Deputy Director (Local 

Government) for Panchagarh Priyosindhu Talukder in the chair. 

Chief Executive Officer of Panchagarh District Council Abdul Alim 

Khan Wareshi, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) 

Mohammad Golam Azam, Additional Police Super Sudorshan 

Roy, Panchagarh municipal mayor Tauhidul Islam and 

Panchagarh Pres Club President Shafikul Alam addressed as special 

guests. 

27 held in Dinajpur 

special drives 

DINAJPUR: Law enforcers, 

in special drives arrested 27 

persons including five drug 

traders and two activists of 

Jamaat-E-Islami from 

different areas of the district 

in 12-hour ending at 8am 

last morning, reports BSS. 

Law enforcers also seized 

150 bottles of Phensidyl and 

102 pieces of Yaba tablets 

during the drives. 

Police said they were 

picked up from different 

areas of the district on 

different charges. 

During the drives, 

Dinajpur Sadar police 

arrested five persons 

including two drug traders 

along with 102 pieces of 

Yaba tablets, Ghoraghat 

Thana police arrested two 

persons, Birganj Thana 

police arrested two persons, 

Birampur Thana police 

arrested three persons, 

Nawabganj Thana police 

arrested three persons, 

Phulbari Thana police 

arrested two persons, 

Bochaganj Thana police 

arrested one person, 

Hakimpur Than police 

arrested two persons and 

Chirirbandar Thana police 

arrested four persons 

including two activists of 

Jamaat-E-Islami. 

Narsingdi people wants 

Sheuli Mala as the MP 

of reserved seat 

Tarak Pathan, Palash 

Correspondent : People 

of Narsingdi wants to late 

freedom fighter Dr. Mujibur 

Rahman Khan's daughter, 

Bangladesh Awami Tanti 

League's popular leader, 

Vice-President of Dhaka 

Metropolitan North and 

Acting Principal of Dania 

University College, Saira 

Begum Sheuli Mala as the 

MP of reserved seat. 

It is learnt that, before and 

after the eleventh 

parliamentary elections, this 

woman leader has 

highlighted the development 

picture of the government 

with her own initiative. 

Before the election, she 

highlighted the development 

picture of the government 

among the grassroots to cast 

vote for boat symbol. 

This popular leader is the 

resident of Kajair village of 

Danga union of Palash 

upazila of Narsingdi. Her 

husband Mejbah Uddin 

Ahmed completed M.S.S in 

Social Science from Dhaka 

University. His father fought 

for the country and also 

sacrificed the life for the 

country. In continuation of 

Saira Begum Sheuli Mala 

this, popular leader, Saira 

Begum Sheuli Mala is 

always working for the 

betterment of the country. 

In the meantime, she has 

submitted nomination 

forms for the election of MP 

in one of reserved women 

seats at Bangladesh Awami 

political office on Monday, 

18 January. Besides, she has 

been working as a Grade A 

artist and presenter of 

Bangladesh Television. 

In this regard Saira 

Begum Sheuli Mala said 

that my father went to the 

war of liberation after the 

call of independence by 

Bangabandhu Sheikh 

Mujibur Rahman. From 

then onwards all of our 

families love Bangladesh 

Awami League. I was 

hoping for nomination 

from reserved women seats 

MP in 2001. If Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina 

gives me the opportunity to 

be elected MP in reserved 

women seats, then I will be 

working to maintain the 

government's development 

trend. I will be with the 

people to serve them. I 

hope that the Prime 

Minister will choose 

person for reserved seat 

MP. 

Pabna Deputy Commissioner Md Jasim Uddin inaugurated the sports competition of Imam Ghazzali 

Girls School and College by flying balloon and pigeons on Wednesday. Photo: Abdul Hamid Khan 

Annual Sports Competition of Pabna Imam 

Ghazzali Girls School and College held 

Abdul Hamid Khan, Pabna Correspondent: Annual 

sports competition and prize distribution ceremony of Pabna 

Imam Ghazzali Girls School and College was held through 

various programs on Wednesday. 

The program started with the national anthem by the 

students, recitation of the Qur'an, the Gita and Bible. Later, 

Pabna Deputy Commissioner Md Jasim Uddin inaugurated 

the sports competition by hoisting national flag and by flying 

balloon and pigeons. Among others, Chairman of Pabna 

Sadar Upazila Parishad Alhaj Mosharraf Hossain, member 

of governing body member Alhaj Shamsur Rahman Khan 

Manik, noted journalist and The Bangladesh Today Pabna 

district representative Abdul Hamid Khan and Pabna Sadar 

Upazila Parishad vice-chairperson Shawal Biswas, Advocate 

Hatim Ali, Headmaster of Al-Amana Academy Iman Ali, 

Janata Bank's (former) manager Abdur Rashid, Ajgar Ali, 

Shamim Ahmed and Wahiduzzaman were also present at the 

occasion. The program was chaired by Imam Ghazzali Trust 

and Imam Ghazali Girls School and College President Alhaj 

Abul Kashem. 

Pabna Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Jashim Uddin 

said that to the guardians that you will not only send your 

children to school for getting GPA-5 but also to play a 

significant role in building them as ideal person. If the 

teachers and guardians properly perform their duties, the 

students will develop as good human being, he added. 

Habiganj SP Mohammad Ullah 

recieve PPM-service award 

Md Mamun Chowdhury, 

Habiganj Correspondent: 

Habibganj Police Super Mohammad 

Ullah received PPM-service award in 

reorganization for bravery, 

combating crime, cracking important 

cases, efficiency, honesty and 

discipline. Besides, additional deputy 

police commissioner of DMP Wari 

zone Mohammad Nurul Amin who 

hails from Habiganj also received the 

PPM award. 

This information issued through a 

gazette on Tuesday by Deputy 

Secretary Farzana Jasmine. 

According to the home ministry 

gazette, declaring the names of this 

year's awardees, 40 officers were 

awarded BPM (gallantry), 104 

officers (BPM- service), 62 PPM 

(gallantry) and 143 PPM-service for 

recognition of their bravery and 

heroic work last year. Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to hand 

over the medals to the awardees on 

the first day of Police Week-2019, 

likely to be held from February 4 to 8. 

It is to be noted that, Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina awarded the 

BPM-service medal to Mohammad 

Ullah in January last year. This year 

he got the PPM-service. Police Super 

Mohammad Ullah was born in a 

respected Muslim family in Tangail. 

His wife Marufa Yasmin is working as 

an Assistant Professor at Kabi Nazrul 

Government College in Dhaka. In his 

personal life he is a father of 1 son and 

1 daughter. 

Office staffs of Habiganj police station on Wednesday handed over 

flower bouquet to Habibganj Police Super Mohammad Ullah 

receiving PPM-service award. Photo: Md Mamun Chowdhury

INTERNATIONAL THURSDAy, 

JANUARy 31, 2019 

7 

This photo released Dec. 4, 2018 by the al-Qaida-affiliated Ibaa News Agency, shows al-Qaida-linked 

fighters driving their vehicles during a military drill in northern Syria. 

Photo : AP 

Al-Qaida’s advance in northern 

Syria threatens fragile truce 

It only took a few days for al-Qaidalinked 

militants to seize more than 

two dozen towns and villages in 

northern Syria from rival insurgents 

earlier this month, expanding and 

cementing their control over an area 

the size of neighboring Lebanon, 

reports UNB. 

The advance by Hayat Tahrir al- 

Sham, or the Levant Liberation 

Committee, was the most serious 

blow yet to a September cease-fire 

brokered by Russia and Turkey that 

averted a major government offensive 

in Idlib province, the last main 

stronghold of the Syrian opposition. 

It highlighted the growing threat 

posed by al-Qaida at a time when its 

rival, the Islamic State group, is on 

the verge of defeat and the U.S. is 

preparing to withdraw its 2,000 

troops from Syria. Although HTS has 

formally severed ties with al-Qaida, 

experts say it is still closely linked to 

the global network founded by 

Osama bin Laden and could use its 

base in Syria to launch attacks in the 

West. 

Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle 

Eastern politics at the London School 

of Economics, says there is a "real 

danger" that the group's advance 

"will not only worsen the humanitarian 

crisis for the 3 million inhabitants 

there, but also give (President 

Bashar) Assad and his allies the justification 

to assault the province." 

"Such a scenario would be as devastatingly 

bloody as the battle for 

Aleppo," he said, referring to the 

months of heavy fighting over Syria's 

largest city in 2016, which killed 

thousands of people and ended 

with government forces and their 

allies capturing the rebel-held east. 

HTS includes large numbers of battle-hardened 

al-Qaida fighters, and 

its capture of most of rebel-held 

Syria could force aid agencies to 

withdraw, leaving tens of thousands 

of civilians to fend for themselves. 

The opposition's Free Aleppo Medical 

Directorate said that some 

250,000 people will lose medical 

support after 43 facilities it runs 

cease operations due to a drop in 

aid from Western agencies after the 

latest HTS offensive. 

The government has meanwhile 

stepped up its bombardment of 

Idlib and neighboring rebel-held 

areas. Pro-government media say 

Defense Minister Gen. Ali Ayoub 

and Brig. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan, 

who commands the elite Tiger 

Force, have recently visited the 

front lines with Idlib, raising fears of 

a new government offensive. 

HTS now controls an area of about 

9,000 square kilometers (3,475 

square miles) or about 5 percent of 

Syria's territory. The area is home to 

some 3 million people, many of 

whom have been displaced from other 

parts of the country. 

German 

police arrest 

3 suspected 

of planning 

attack 

German news site Spiegel 

Online reports that police 

have arrested three men on 

suspicion of planning to carry 

out a bomb attack, reports 

UNB. 

The site reported that the 

three Iraqis were arrested 

early Wednesday around 

Dithmarschen, in the northern 

state of Schleswig-Holstein. 

A spokeswoman for Germany's 

federal police, 

Daniela Kiss, confirmed that 

officers were involved in an 

operation together with state 

police, but referred to federal 

prosecutors for further 

details. German federal 

prosecutors, who couldn't 

immediately confirm the 

reports, are responsible for 

investigating serious crimes 

including terrorism. 

Spiegel Online reports the 

men, identified as Shahin F., 

Hersh S. and Rauf S., wanted 

to use fireworks to build 

an explosive and had 

ordered a detonator from 

Britain. 

Their surnames weren't 

provided in line with German 

privacy rules. 

Venezuela opposition urges 

walkouts to pressure Maduro 

Opposition leader Juan Guaido is looking to 

ratchet up pressure on President Nicolas 

Maduro with walkouts across Venezuela on 

Wednesday, just a day after the embattled 

socialist administration barred Guaido from 

leaving the country while he is investigated 

for anti-government activities, reports UNB. 

The man challenging Maduro's claim to 

the presidency is urging Venezuelans to step 

outside their homes and workplaces for two 

hours beginning at noon in the first mass 

mobilization since he declared himself the 

nation's rightful leader a week ago during 

another round of big protests. 

"Venezuela is set on change," Guaido said. 

The surge in political maneuvering has 

seen two dozen nations, including the United 

States and several big Latin American 

countries, back Guaido, and the Trump 

administration has imposed sanctions that 

could starve the already distressed nation of 

billions in oil revenue. 

But Maduro is holding firm in refusing to 

step down. He oversaw military exercises in 

recent days while seeking to consolidate support 

from the armed forces and he is accusing 

Washington of staging a coup. 

In an interview with Russia's state-owned 

RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday, 

Maduro said he was "willing to sit down for 

talks with the opposition for the sake of 

Venezuela's peace and its future." Maduro 

said the talks could be held with mediation of 

other countries. Russia is one of the 

staunchest supporters of Maduro and has 

offered to mediate. 

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court barred 

Guaido from leaving the country after chief 

prosecutor Tarek William Saab announced 

that he was opening a criminal investigation 

of Maduro's foe, who heads the oppositioncontrolled 

congress. Saab is a key Maduro 

ally and the high court is stacked with 

Maduro loyalists. 

"Once more we'll come out victorious," 

Maduro, dressed in a green cap and shirt, 

said Tuesday while standing before rows of 

troops. "We are on the right side of history." 

The court move came after U.S. national 

security adviser John Bolton warned that 

the Maduro government would face "serious 

consequences" if Guaido is harmed. 

Guaido has thus far managed to avoid 

arrest and the Supreme Court did not strip 

him of his legislative immunity, though the 

new investigation could signal that Maduro's 

administration is moving to take a more 

punitive approach. 

Speaking Tuesday outside the National 

Assembly, Guaido said he was aware of personal 

risks. 

"I don't underestimate the threat of persecution 

at the moment, but here we are," he 

said. 

The U.S. has emerged as Guaido's most 

powerful ally, announcing on Tuesday that it 

was giving him control of Venezuela's U.S. 

bank accounts. 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo certified 

that Guaido has the authority to take 

control of any Venezuelan government 

accounts at the Federal Reserve Bank of 

New York or any other U.S.-insured banks. 

He said the certification would "help 

Venezuela's legitimate government safeguard 

those assets for the benefit of the 

Venezuelan people." 

Indonesia’s Merapi 

volcano unleashes 

river of lava 

Indonesia's volatile Mount 

Merapi volcano has 

unleashed a river of lava that 

flowed 1,400 meters (4,590 

feet) down its slopes, reports 

UNB. 

Merapi, on the island of 

Java, has entered an "effusive 

eruption phase," Kasbani, 

head of the Volcanology 

and Geological Hazard 

Mitigation Center, said 

Wednesday. 

Kasbani, who goes by a 

single name, said the volcanic 

material that spewed 

out late Tuesday was the volcano's 

longest lava flow since 

it began erupting again in 

August. 

He said the alert level of 

the volcano has not been 

raised but people should 

stay out of a 3-kilometer 

(1.8-mile) danger zone 

around the crater. 

The 2,968-meter (9,737- 

foot) mountain, located near 

the ancient Indonesian city 

of Yogyakarta, is the most 

active of dozens of Indonesian 

volcanoes. 

Its last major eruption in 

2010 killed 347 people. 

Indonesia, an archipelago 

of more than 260 million 

people, is prone to earthquakes, 

tsunamis and volcanic 

eruptions because it 

straddles the Pacific "Ring of 

Fire." 

Clash kills 4 militants, 

wounds 7 in northern 

Afghanistan 

At least four militants were 

killed and seven others sustained 

injuries as government 

forces stormed Taliban 

hideouts in Qaisar district of 

the northern Faryab 

province on Tuesday, an 

army spokesman Mohammad 

Hanif Rezai said 

Wednesday, reports UNB. 

The government forces, 

according to the official, 

attacked a Taliban hideout 

in Arkalic area of Qaisar district 

Tuesday evening, killing 

four insurgents on the spot 

and wounding seven others. 

China to award highest state 

honor to contributors 

China will award national medals and honorary 

titles to both citizens and foreigners 

who have made great contributions to the 

country as it marks the 70th anniversary of 

the founding of the People's Republic of China 

this year, reports UNB. 

The deceased can also be nominated, 

according to a circular on the nomination 

and selection of award-winners issued by the 

General Office of the Communist Party of 

China Central Committee. 

This is the first time for the country to 

conduct the selection and conferment of 

these highest national honors to commend 

a number of exemplary contributors 

to the construction and development 

of the PRC. 

Among them, Medals of the Republic 

will be awarded to those who have given 

great contributions and meritorious service 

and are of high moral character and 

recognized by the public. 

The nominees for the Medals of Friendship 

should be foreigners who have made 

outstanding contributions to China's 

socialist modernization drive, promoted 

exchange and cooperation between China 

and the world, helped maintain world 

peace and who are firm in their long-term 

friendship with China. 

Meanwhile, national titles of honor will 

be awarded for prominent figures who 

have made great contributions and earned 

reputations in fields such as economy, 

national defense, education, science, culture 

and sports. 

Nomination of candidates and selection 

of award-winners will be led by the 

working committee on the Party and 

state medals and honorary titles and 

should be transparent and fair, the circular 

read. 

Among them, Medals of the Republic 

will be awarded to those who have given 

great contributions and meritorious service 

and are of high moral character and 

recognized by the public. 

The nominees for the Medals of Friendship 

should be foreigners who have made 

outstanding contributions to China's 

socialist modernization drive, promoted 

exchange and cooperation between China 

and the world, helped maintain world 

peace and who are firm in their long-term 

friendship with China. 

Ceremonies to present the honors will be 

held on important occasions and anniversaries, 

such as the National Day, according 

to a law approved by the National People's 

Congress Standing Committee, China's 

top legislature, in late 2015 to introduce 

the honorary system. 

China will award national medals and honorary titles to both citizens 

and foreigners who have made great contributions to the country as it 

marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of 

China this year. 

Photo : AP 

Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guardsmen line up near a Divine Mercy Jesus Christ poster outside 

the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. Venezuela's chief prosecutor 

on Tuesday asked the country's top court to ban opposition National Assembly President Juan 

Guaido from leaving the country, launching a criminal probe into his anti-government activities 

while international pressure builds against President Nicolas Maduro. 

Photo : AP 

German police arrest 3 

suspected of extremist 

bomb plot 

German authorities arrested three suspected 

Islamic extremists Wednesday on allegations 

they were planning a bombing attack, 

and searched properties in three states in 

connection with their investigation, reports 

UNB. 

Federal prosecutors said Iraqis Shahin F. 

and Hersh F., both 23, and Rauf S., 36, were 

taken into custody in an early morning raid 

by a police SWAT team in the area of Dithmarschen, 

near the border with Denmark. 

In addition, searches were carried out of 

residences in two other states of people 

linked to the three but not currently suspected 

of any crime. 

The two younger men are suspected of 

preparing a bomb attack and violating 

weapons laws, and Rauf S. is alleged to have 

aided them. Their last names were not given 

in line with German privacy laws. 

The men appear to have been in the early 

stages of planning, and had not yet built a 

functioning bomb nor decided upon a target 

for attack, prosecutors said in a statement. 

Prosecutors allege Shahin F. and Hersch F. 

decided in late 2018 to "carry out an attack 

motivated by Islamic extremism in Germany." 

There are indications that they sympathized 

with Islamic State, but a direct link 

to the extremist group or others is currently 

under investigation. 

In December, Shahin F. downloaded "various 

instructions" on how to build a bomb, 

and ordered a detonator from a contact person 

in Britain, prosecutors said. Its delivery, 

however, was stopped by British law enforcement 

agencies. 

At the same time, the two carried out tests 

using explosive powder from New Year's 

fireworks and asked Rauf S. to procure a 

firearm, prosecutors said. 

He's alleged to have contacted Walid 

Khaled Y.Y. - a man already under investigation 

- who allegedly offered them a Russian 

semi-automatic Makarov 9mm pistol, prosecutors 

said. It was considered too expensive 

and was not purchased, they added. 

In preparation for the possibility of using a 

vehicle in the attack, Shahin F. started taking 

driving lessons, prosecutors said. 

It was not clear how the plot was first 

detected nor when the suspects came to Germany, 

and prosecutors' spokeswoman Kerstin 

Wacker would not elaborate beyond the 

written statement provided. She also would 

not provide any more information on Khaled 

Y.Y. 

More than 1 million asylum seekers 

entered Germany in 2015-16, most from Syria, 

Iraq and Afghanistan. The involvement of 

several asylum-seekers in extremist attacks 

or plots has helped boost support for the 

anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party. 

In the only mass-casualty Islamic extremist 

attack in Germany, Tunisian asylumseeker 

Anis Amri hijacked a truck in 2016 

and drove it into a crowded Christmas market 

in Berlin, killing 12 people and wounding 

dozens. The Islamic State group later 

claimed responsibility. 

Bangkok schools closed 

over air pollution concerns 

More than 400 schools in Thailand's capital, 

Bangkok, have been shut as several weeks of 

dangerously unhealthy air pollution causes 

increasing concern, reports UNB. 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha directed 

Bangkok's governor to order the closure 

of 437 schools from noon Wednesday 

through the end of the week after officials 

said the pollution would continue until next 

Monday. They said still air and heavy traffic 

are causing a buildup of particles in the air. 

The Pollution Control Department said the 

amount of particularly dangerous tiny "PM 

2.5" particles has risen in all areas in and 

around Bangkok since Monday. 

The Public Health Ministry said people 

should refrain from outdoor activities and 

exercise. 

Amnesty urges 

travel sites to ban 

Israel settlement 

listings 

Amnesty International on 

Wednesday urged online travel 

sites to ban listings from 

Israeli settlements in the occupied 

West Bank, reports UNB. 

The London-based rights 

group's report, titled "Destination: 

Occupation," said rental 

sites Airbnb, Booking.com, 

Expedia and TripAdvisor are 

driving tourism to settlements 

that most of the world considers 

illegal. 

Airbnb announced last 

November that it would 

remove West Bank settlement 

listings but has yet to implement 

its decision. The company 

says it is working to identify 

the "precise boundaries" of 

areas subject to the policy. 

Amnesty called on Airbnb to 

immediately implement its 

ban and to extend it to east 

Jerusalem, which Israel captured 

along with the West 

Bank in the 1967 Mideast War. 

The Palestinians seek these 

lands for a future independent 

state. On Twitter, Israeli Cabinet 

Minister Gilad Erdan 

called the Amnesty statement 

"an outrageous attempt to distort 

facts, deny Jewish heritage 

& delegitimize Israel." 

The World Jewish Congress 

said it was disheartened by 

Amnesty's report and called on 

it to shift its focus back to 

human rights. 

"Amnesty International is a 

serious and respected human 

rights organization, whose 

work to stop abuses around 

the world should never be 

underrated, but its singular 

focus on corporate entities 

doing business in Israeli settlements 

is gravely misguided," 

said WJC CEO and Executive 

Vice President Robert Singer.

ART & CULTURE 

THUrSDAy, 

jAnUAry 31, 2019 

8 

The Book Thief 

While subjected to the horrors of World 

War II Germany, young Liesel finds solace 

by stealing books and sharing them 

with others. In the basement of her 

home, a Jewish refugee is being protected 

by her adoptive parents. 

Genre 

Directed By 

Written By 

Cast 

: Drama 

: Brian Percival 

: Michael Petroni 

: Sophie Nélisse, 

Geoffrey Rush, 

Emily Watson 

In Theaters : Nov 8, 2013 

Limited 

On Disc/ : Mar 11, 2014 

Streaming 

Runtime : 130 minutes 

Studio : 20th Century Fox 

STorylInE : 

Based on the beloved 

international bestselling 

book, The Book Thief 

tells the story of an 

extraordinary, spirited 

young girl sent to live 

with a foster family in 

WWII Germany. 

Intrigued by the only 

book she brought with 

her, she begins collecting 

books as she finds them. 

With the help of her new 

parents and a secret 

guest under the stairs, 

she learns to read and 

creates a magical world 

that inspires them all. 

Princess Diaries 

3 is coming 

After 15 long years Mia 

Thermopolis may actually 

be coming back into our 

lives, as per confirmation 

from the woman herself - 

Anne Hathaway. Appearing 

on an episode of Watch 

What Happens Live, 

Hathaway was asked about 

a potential third installment 

of everyone's 

favourite royal-inspired 

film. 

"There is a script for the 

third movie," the 36-yearold 

confirmed. "There is a 

script. I want to do it, Julie 

wants to do it, Debra 

Martin Chase, our producer, 

wants to do it. We all 

really want it to happen. 

It's just, we don't want to 

do it unless it's perfect, 

because we love it just as 

much as you guys love it." 

Hathaway went on to 

explain that a third film is 

H o roSCoPE 

ArIES 

(March 21 - April 20) : Separating 

work and rest is essential now, and 

also very successful! You'll find that 

you bring a refreshed and perhaps inspired 

"you" to your responsibilities and that you'll 

feel far more entitled to enjoy your downtime 

with a job well done. 

TAUrUS 

(April 21 - May 21) : You appreciate the 

practical thinking of Saturn's transit, 

but its relationship with Neptune helps 

soften things just enough that you're not too hard 

on yourself and that you're sensitive to your spiritual 

needs. The formation of long-term friendships 

through your studies, travels. 

GEMInI 

(May 22 - June 21) : Career matters may 

not clarify this year, but you have more 

faith that you're heading in the right direction. 

Perhaps most importantly, your expectations even 

out. You'll be seeing definite improvements to your life 

as you let go of unhealthy expectations and pressures. 

CAnCEr 

(June 22 - July 23) : There is a nice, 

creative focus on your intimate or 

financial life today, dear Cancer, and 

these energies are both logical and innovative. A 

connection between your intimacy and career 

sectors supports building exciting strategies for 

your work. 

lEo 

(July 24 - Aug. 23) : Where you've 

been too hard on yourself, you're 

now allowing some leeway. This 

aspect is useful for bringing more balance into 

your life, and it will be in effect until 

November. This can be an excellent time to 

make changes to your current lifestyle that 

will benefit you for years to come. 

VIrGo 

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23) : You're less likely to let 

your relationship goals interfere with your 

seeking of fulfillment in other areas of life. 

In fact, relationship goals may very well inspire you to 

better yourself. You're committed to making the most 

of your talents, enjoying more self-discipline reflects 

well on you, your relationships as you feel stronger. 

not a project they take 

lightly - hence the 15-year 

delay on it happening. "It's 

just as important to us as it 

is to you," she added. "And 

we don't want to deliver 

anything until it's ready, 

but we're working on it." 

The Princess Diaries was 

of course Hathaway's big 

break - she was 18 when 

she starred in the first film 

back in 2001. The movie, 

which also stars Julie 

Andrews, was based on the 

2000 young adult novel of 

the same name, by author 

Meg Cabot. 

In 2004 we were blessed 

with the sequel, The 

Princess Diaries 2: Royal 

Engagement, which was 

arguably just as good as 

the original film thanks to 

the stellar screenplay written 

by Shonda Rhimes. 

Since then, we've all kept 

our eyes wide open looking 

for any potential third 

installment. We had confirmation 

back in 2016 that it 

was definitely; maybe happening 

when director 

Garry Marshall told People 

that a third film would 

happen after Hathaway 

gave birth to her first child. 

"I was with Anne 

Hathaway a couple weeks 

ago, it looks like we want 

to do Princess Diaries 3 in 

Manhattan," Marshall told 

People. "Anne Hathaway is 

very pregnant, so we have 

to wait until she has the 

baby and then I think we're 

going to do it." 

Almost three years later, 

it seems we're all but ready 

to go with a reboot. Watch 

this space! But until then, 

enjoy the confirmation 

below. 

-Vogue 

lIBrA 

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) : While Saturn's 

transit of your solar fourth house continues 

to impart essential life lessons, 

rules, or restrictions related to your home, family, 

and personal life this year, you're finding wonderful 

outlets for releasing related stress or tension or 

coming to a better sense of balance now. 

SCorPIo 

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : Your judgment is quite 

good for making long-term plans, and a 

romance or creative endeavor can be 

both inspiring and practical. Making a dream work 

in the real world can be satisfying. It's an excellent 

time for developing skills that will benefit you 

greatly as you enter the next phase of your life. 

SAGITTArIUS 

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): You're sure to discover 

that focusing on making improvements 

to your money can boost your home life 

tremendously now and in the months ahead, helping 

direct and discipline you across the board. This aspect 

helps balance you out in key ways. 

CAPrICorn 

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

improve a relationship with classmates, 

siblings, or even neighbors during this 

period. You're both practical and imaginative, 

celebrating both sides of your personality. 

Putting your ideas into practical motion is 

favored now. 

AQUArIUS 

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Focusing on 

handling outstanding or unresolved 

issues in your life can boost 

your sense of security, feelings of self-worth, 

and your money situation. This is an exceptional 

period for balancing your attention to 

the material world with a renewed focus on 

emotional renewal and spiritual fulfillment. 

PISCES 

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Where you've 

been a little neglectful, you'll be tightening 

up, and where you've been too hard on 

yourself, you'll loosen your grip, in other words! 

Certainly, there are some aspects in play this 

year that seem to lead to the waste of certain 

opportunities. 

Citing human rights concerns, they have 

signed an open letter urging the BBC to ask 

organisers to move the contest. 

"Eurovision may be light entertainment, 

but it is not exempt from human rights considerations," 

they wrote. 

The annual contest is due to be held in Tel 

Aviv in May, following Israeli singer Netta's 

victory in 2018. The winning country usually 

hosts the following year's competition. 

However, the group of cultural figures, 

which also includes Mike Leigh, Maxine 

Peake and Miriam Margolyes, said the 

event's "claim to celebrate diversity and 

inclusion must ring hollow" in light of 

Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East 

Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. 

"We cannot ignore Israel's systematic violation 

of Palestinian human rights," their 

Bo Peep is back in new 

look for Toy Story 4 

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan and Shraddha Srinath will be 

a part of Ajith's upcoming Pink remake. 

Actor Shraddha Srinath took to Twitter on Monday to confirm 

that she will be a part of Ajith's upcoming film, tentatively 

titled #AK59. A The film will also star Vidya Balan in a role that 

didn't exist in the original film starring Taapsee Pannu, 

Amitabh Bachchan and Kriti Kulhari. The film's producer 

Boney Kapoor said in a statement, "Happy to introduce Vidya 

Balan to Tamil audiences. She is paired with Ajith and her role 

is very special. Shraddha Srinath has also been roped in for a 

pivotal role. Rangaraj Pandey plays a very important character." 

Shraddha wrote on Twitter, "There were rumours and speculations 

on the internet that I'm part of #AK59. Glad to announce 

today that those rumours are actually true. I am INDEED part of 

this incredible project." 

She revealed the crew details as well and wrote, "Directed 

by H. Vinoth, produced by Boney Kapoor, cinematography 

by Nirav Shah and music by Yuvan Shankar Raja - this is a 

team one could only aspire to work with. Thrilled to be working 

with some amazing technicians." 

Pink started a social dialogue about consent with its focus on 

the film's three female protagonists and their lawyer Amitabh 

Bachchan. Taapsee played the role of a woman who is sexually 

harassed and is shamed for her lifestyle and choices; Shraddha 

is likely to play this role. She further tweeted, "And most importantly 

- this is a film and a story that everyone needs to watch. 

It's the need of the hour. And it's crucial that it reaches the masses. 

I'm so ready for this and to give it my all." 

-The Hindustan Times 

letter read. 

"The BBC is bound by its charter to 'champion 

freedom of expression'. It should act on 

its principles and press for Eurovision to be 

relocated to a country where crimes against 

that freedom are not being committed." 

The letter comes a week before Eurovision: 

You Decide, a live BBC TV show through 

which the British public will vote for the act to 

represent the UK. 

"For any artist of conscience, this would 

be a dubious honour," the letter said. 

"They and the BBC should consider that 

You Decide is not a principle extended to the 

Palestinians, who cannot 'decide' to remove 

Israel's military occupation and live free of 

apartheid." 

The BBC has not yet commented. Dame 

Vivienne Westwood, Peter Gabriel and Wolf 

British stars 

urge BBC to ask 

for Eurovision 

to be moved out 

Alice are among 50 artists who have called 

for the Eurovision Song Contest to be relocated 

from Israel. Many of the signatories 

have previously made calls for a cultural 

boycott of Israel, criticising artists such as 

Nick Cave, Radiohead and Lana Del Rey for 

organising concerts in the country. 

Their letter follows an earlier call for 

Eurovision to be relocated, made last 

September by a coalition of artists from 

across Europe. 

That letter was organised by the Boycott, 

Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, 

which campaigns for a complete boycott 

of Israel over its policies towards the 

Palestinians. 

Israel says BDS opposes Israel's very existence 

and is motivated by anti-Semitism. 

-BBC 

Deepika Padukone the 

new chairperson of 

MAMI Film Festival 

Deepika Padukone has been appointed as the new chairperson 

of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She has replaced filmmaker 

Kiran Rao. 

According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Kiran stepped down 

from the role to focus on a movie project. Deepika called her 

appointment a huge responsibility. "It's an absolute honour and a 

huge responsibility. I believe in MAMI's vision and we are committed 

towards creating a community that cinema lovers and creators 

of a film passionate nation like ours truly deserve," she told the 

daily. Kiran also congratulated her. "I am delighted to welcome 

one of India's most loved film stars, Deepika Padukone as the new 

chairperson," she said. 

Twitter Ads info and privacyMAMI?festival director and film 

critic Anupama Chopra shared the news on Twitter. "To new 

beginnings! Thank you Kiran for your faith and generosity and 

hard work. Excited to learn from and work with our new chairperson, 

the amazing Deepika Padukone," she wrote in her tweet. 

The festival's creative director Smriti Kiran also welcomed 

Deepika on board. "Thank you for leading the way #Kiran! And a 

very warm welcome to #MAMI's new Chairperson, the incredible 

@deepikapadukone ! Excited and happy to work with you to keep 

building the Academy! #NewBeginnings #JioMAMIwithStar 

@MumbaiFilmFest," she wrote in her tweet. 

-The Hindustan Times

SPORTS 

THURSDAY, 

JANUARY 31, 2019 

9 

Chittagong Vikings players celebrate after taking a wicket against Dhaka Dynamites on 

Wednesday at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. 

Photo: Collected 

Delport, Rahim set up 11-run 

win for Chittagong Vikings 

Sports Desk: Cameron Delport contributed 

with bat and ball, and on the 

field, to lead Chittagong Vikings to an 

important 11-run win over Dhaka 

Dynamites in a Bangladesh Premier 

League match in Chattogram on 

Wednesday, reports Cricbuzz. 

Batting first after winning the toss, 

Vikings started well with Mohammad 

Shahzad and Delport till Sunil Narine 

came in and had Shahzad stumped off 

his second ball. The scoring rate dipped 

after that, Vikings reaching the halfway 

stage with just 68 on the board. But 

they did have wickets in hand - nine of 

them - and Delport had hit his stride. 

The partnership between Delport 

and Mushfiqur Rahim for the third 

wicket was an excellent one, and turned 

the tide away from Dhaka. The two of 

them added 79 in just seven-and-a-half 

Piatek scores twice as 

Milan beat Napoli to 

reach Coppa semis 

Sports Desk: Krzysztof 

Piatek said it was "just the 

start" to his AC Milan career 

after scoring twice on his full 

debut as Gennaro Gattuso's 

side beat Napoli 2-0 at the 

San Siro on Tuesday to reach 

the Coppa Italia semi-finals. 

Piatek, signed from Genoa 

last week as a replacement 

for Gonzalo Higuain, put the 

hosts ahead in the 11th 

minute before doubling the 

lead before the half-hour 

mark with a fine individual 

strike, reports BSS. 

It was the second time in 

four days that Milan had 

dealt a blow to Napoli's 

hopes of winning a trophy 

this season, after a goalless 

draw on Saturday at the San 

Siro ultimately left Carlo 

Ancelotti's men 11 points 

behind Serie A leaders 

Juventus. "I expected a 

night like this. I said that I 

was ready and I got a brace, 

but this is just the start," 

Piatek told Milan TV. 

"Both goals were great, 

even if they were different. I 

felt good tonight and it was 

marvellous playing at the 

San Siro." 

Five-time winners Milan 

will face either Inter Milan 

or Lazio, who play on Thursday, 

over two legs in the last 

four as they look to go one 

better than their 4-0 final 

defeat by Juventus last season. 

Piatek did not waste much 

time in endearing himself to 

the Milan fans, latching onto 

a hopeful long ball forward 

from Diego Laxalt, before 

calmly taking a touch and 

slotting the ball into the bottom 

corner. 

The Polish international 

continued to torment the 

visiting defence and made it 

two in the 27th minute. 

Piatek appeared to have 

few options when he collected 

the ball on the left-hand 

side of the area, but he cut 

inside two defenders before 

unleashing a powerful drive 

past Napoli goalkeeper Alex 

Meret. The 23-year-old has 

now scored an incredible 

eight goals in only three 

Coppa Italia games this season, 

having scored four for 

Genoa against Lecce in 

August and a double against 

Virtus Entella last month. 

overs before Andre Russell turned the 

game around in the final over of the 

innings. 

Not any of his first three deliveries of 

the final over were particularly threatening, 

but each of them got him a wicket. 

Rahim first miscued a full toss down 

Shuvagata Hom's throat at long-on, 

and Delport, next ball, sent Russell to 

the same fielder after not failing to get 

hold of one in the slot. Two in two, 

which became three in three as Dasun 

Shanaka attempted a scoop but only 

sent it as far as Mizanur Rahman at 

short fine-leg. 

At various points of their chase, the 

Dynamites looked likely to pull it off. 

When Shakib Al Hasan and Nurul 

Hasan were together for the fourth 

wicket, for example, and had added 50 

runs before Delport sent Nurul back 

lbw. To make matters worse for the 

Dynamites, Kieron Pollard ran himself 

out next ball, leaving Dhaka 73 for 5. 

But Russell joined Shakib for a quick 

66-run stand after that, with Russell 

hitting 39 in just 23 balls. He was dismissed, 

caught by Delport off Shanaka, 

but Shakib carried on, and brought the 

equation down to 21 from ten ball 

before holing out off Shanaka after 

scoring 53 in 42 balls. 

That left the remaining Dhaka batsmen 

with too much to do, and they fell 

short in the end. 

Vikings stayed at third place on the 

table, now level on points with Comilla 

Victorians, though after playing one 

extra match and with an inferior net 

run-rate. The loss wasn't ideal for the 

Dynamites, who are in fourth place, 

with ten points from ten games. 

Embattled New 

Zealand look for a 

lift in dead rubber 

Sports Desk: Winning and losing in sport 

has a lot to do with confidence. But such is 

the unpredictable nature of sport that even 

one failure, on occasions, could beat the athlete 

down or sow seeds of self doubt. And self 

doubt leads to vulnerability. The New 

Zealand cricket team is paddling through 

such a phase, reports Cricbuzz. 

At home, New Zealand had lost just two 

ODI since losing to South Africa in 2014- 

15. However, just ahead of the World Cup 

in England this year, New Zealand 

received a severe jolt as they slid to losses 

in the first three games of the five-match 

ODI series against India. 

The formidable Indian side has exposed 

quite a few weaknesses ahead of the mega 

event. The home side is losing too many 

wickets upfront, the batsmen have generally 

struggled to play the spin twins - 

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. In 

the third ODI at Bay Oval, New Zealand 

lost their way after being in a relatively 

decent position at 178 for 3. And to make 

matters worse, barring Trent Boult, rest of 

the bowlers haven't offered much of penetration. 

One of the few batsmen who showed the 

willingness to wade through the early 

phase and handle the spin duo with a 

degree of confidence was Ross Taylor in 

the third ODI. The mainstay of the line-up 

played with an open stance to cover for the 

over the wicket angle from Kuldeep and 

succeeded. 

In an effort to put up an improved show in 

the dead-rubber in Hamilton, the hosts have 

rung in the changes. Todd Astle, the legspinning 

all-rounder, and Jimmy Neesham, the 

seam-bowling all-rounder, replaced the misfiring 

pair of Doug Bracewell and Ish Sodhi. 

Astle, who has picked up seven wickets in 

ODIs, has shown in the past that he can handle 

pressure situations well. The point can be 

capsulised by how the legspinner handled 

the challenge of bowling with a damp ball in 

a List A game for New Zealand A against 

India A to pick up four wickets in Visakhapatnam 

in 2017. 

Meanwhile, India seem to have most of the 

bases covered. Even with Virat Kohli being 

rested for the final two games, the Asian 

nation would be confident of continuing 

their winning momentum under the leadership 

of Rohit Sharma. The impressive Shubman 

Gill, who averaged over 60 in List A 

games during the Indian domestic season in 

2018-19, would look to showcase his skills. 

The Indian camp would also be pleased 

with the all round show put up by Hardik 

Pandya on his return to the Indian side at 

Bay Oval. The fourth ODI also provides 

another chance for India's slightly vulnerable 

middle order batsmen to make an impact. 

Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami, who has 

been in prime form in the series, would look 

for another fine show as he continues to 

press for a regular spot in the Indian side for 

the World Cup. 

The track at Seddon Park is generally 

good for batting with teams preferring to 

chase, evidenced by the side batting 

second winning the last four ODIs played 

at the ground. 

In an effort to put up an improved show in the dead-rubber match in 

Hamilton, New Zealand have made few changes in team selection. 

Photo: AP 

Youth ODI 

Young Tigers eying 

series victory 

against England 

Sports Desk: Having won 

the first match, the 

Bangladesh U-19 team have 

set their eyes on securing the 

three-match Youth ODI 

series against England, 

reports UNB. 

The match will take place 

on Thursday at Sheikh 

Kamal International Stadium 

in Cox's Bazar. The last 

game will be played on February 

2 at the same venue. 

Bangladesh U-19 team got 

off to a flying start to the 

series beating England U-19 

by five wickets on Tuesday. 

Tigers also won the one-off 

T20 international by seven 

wickets last Sunday at the 

same venue. 

After the ODI series, the 

English team will travel to 

Chattogram on February 4 

to play a two-match four-day 

Youth Tests series from February 

7-10 and February 15- 

18 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury 

Stadium. 

The visitors will leave for 

home on February 19. 

In the first Youth ODI, the 

English team batted first 

after winning the toss and 

scored 209/7 in 50 overs, 

with a 70-run partnership in 

the seventh wicket between 

LP Goldsworthy (61) and 

LBK Hollman (57). 

Tanzim Hasan Sakib took 

three wickets for 47 runs 

while Rakibul Hasan 

claimed two for 41 runs and 

Ashraful Islam bagged one 

for 44 runs. 

Bangladesh U-19 scored 

210/5 in 45.5 overs. There 

were two 82-run partnerships 

in the second and third 

wicket stands. 

Parvez Hossain Emon 

(80) joined opener Prantik 

Nawrose Nabil (48) to hit 

the first 82-run stand. After 

Nabil's departure, Emon 

partnered with Mahmudul 

Hasan (33) to produce 

another 82-run partnership. 

Man City’s title hopes dented 

by 2-1 loss at Newcastle 

Sports Desk: Manchester City's chances 

of retaining the Premier League title were 

hit after surrendering an early lead to lose 

2-1 at relegation-threatened Newcastle on 

Tuesday, reports UNB. 

Matt Ritchie's 80th-minute penalty 

completed a remarkable turnaround by 

Newcastle, which fell behind to a goal 

from Sergio Aguero inside 25 seconds. It 

was the quickest goal scored in the league 

this season. 

Salomon Rondon canceled out Aguero's 

goal with a 66th-minute equalizer. 

City's loss kept Liverpool four points 

clear of the champions ahead of its home 

game against Leicester on Wednesday. 

City has 14 games to make up what could 

be a seven-point deficit. 

A fourth league loss of the season 

looked unlikely for City when David Silva 

slipped as he attempted to reach Raheem 

Sterling's cross but still managed to head 

the ball across the area to Aguero, who 

hooked home the loose ball from eight 

meters out. 

Newcastle might have been level with 13 

minutes gone when Ayoze Perez dispossessed 

full back Danilo and raced in on 

goal, only to drag his shot across goalkeeper 

Ederson and just wide. It took a 

goal-line clearance by Fabian Schar to 

deny Leroy Sane a second goal for City 

after Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva 

and Danilo combined on the stroke of 

halftime, but Newcastle made it to the 

break without further damage. 

The visitors resumed where they had 

left off with Sane drilling a 49th-minute 

cross just ahead of Sterling's run, while 

Martin Dubravka pulled off a fine reaction 

save to deny Silva after De Bruyne 

had picked him out with a sublime pass. 

De Bruyne made way for Bernardo Silva 

with 25 minutes remaining minutes after 

surviving appeals for a second yellow card 

following a challenge on Ritchie. De 

Bruyne had been booked in the first half 

for taking a free kick too quickly. 

He had barely reached the bench by the 

time Newcastle equalized, Rondon reacting 

quickest after Isaac Hayden helped 

the ball into the penalty area to volley past 

Ederson. And it got worse for City when 

Fernandinho, turning after receiving a 

pass, fouled Sean Longstaff inside the 

penalty area and Ritchie stepped up to 

smash the resulting penalty past Ederson. 

City has now lost after taking the lead 

against Crystal Palace, Leicester and 

Newcastle this season. 

The photo shows New Castle United's Matt Ritchie during an English 

Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at Saint James 

Park. 

Photo: AP 

Warnock proud of Cardiff 

response to Sala tragedy 

at Arsenal 

Sports Desk: Cardiff manager Neil 

Warnock revealed his pride despite losing 2- 

1 at Arsenal on Tuesday as the Welsh side 

returned to action for the first time since a 

plane carrying the club's record signing 

Emiliano Sala disappeared over the Channel 

Islands, reports BSS. 

Sala never got the chance to play for the 

Bluebirds as the aircraft carrying the Argentine 

and pilot David Ibbotson lost contact 

when on its way to the Welsh capital on January 

21 just two days after completing a o15 

million ($20 million) move from Nantes. 

Ahead of the game Warnock described the 

past week as the toughest of his career, but 

admitted the return to action was a relief and 

it showed as Cardiff performed admirably in 

the tragic circumstances. 

"I know we've lost a game of football but 

there are more important things. Tonight in 

the circumstances, we've only worked on the 

system, for 24 hours, they couldn't have given 

me anymore and I'm really proud to be 

their manager," said Warnock. 

"I can't explain really how it has been this 

week. But you've not wanted to get out of bed 

because everything was miserable. Nobody 

could actually do anything about it. It's been 

really difficult." 

Bobby Decordova-Reid volleyed wide and 

then headed over with two big chances as 

Cardiff ultimately were made to pay for not 

making the most of being the better side 

before half-time. 

"In the first-half, if one team deserved to 

score, they did," admitted Arsenal boss Unai 

Emery. 

A minute's reflection was held before kickoff 

and visiting Cardiff fans unveiled a banner 

reading: "We never saw you play and 

never saw you score but Emiliano our beautiful 

bluebird we will love you forever more." 

The captains of both sides also laid a bouquet 

of flowers on the pitch before kick-off, 

while Argentina shirts and flags were waved 

among the visiting support. 

"Above all our thoughts are with Emiliano 

Sala, his family, his friends, his club now 

Cardiff and his ex-club Nantes," added 

Emery. "I understand, above all for the coach 

(Warnock). He spoke with him before he 

signed with them and it is very difficult to 

prepare in this situation. 

"It was a very emotional match today, they 

worked hard in their hard moment and we 

can only say to them our thoughts are with 

them." 

Emery surprisingly not only recalled 

Mesut Ozil to the starting line-up in the Premier 

League for the first time since Boxing 

Day, but named the German captain. 

Ozil, though, failed to make an impact 

before being subbed 14 minutes from time as 

Arsenal again relied on the firepower of 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre 

Lacazette to get them out of trouble. 

After Lacazette had two penalty claims 

waived away before the break, Arsenal finally 

clicked into gear and got the penalty they 

wanted midway through the second-half 

when Bruno Ecuele Manga tripped Sead 

Kolasinac as the Bosnian burst into the box. 

Aubameyang coolly slotted away the 

penalty for his 15th Premier League goal of 

the season to move to within one of the division's 

top scorer Mohamed Salah. 

Lacazette sealed a vital three points in 

Arsenal's bid for a return to the Champions 

League next season seven minutes from time 

when his angled shot had too much power 

for Neil Etheridge. 

"I know we've lost a game of football but 

there are more important things. Tonight in 

the circumstances, we've only worked on the 

system, for 24 hours, they couldn't have given 

me anymore and I'm really proud to be 

their manager," said Warnock. 

"I can't explain really how it has been this 

week. But you've not wanted to get out of bed 

because everything was miserable. Nobody 

could actually do anything about it. It's been 

really difficult." 

Bobby Decordova-Reid volleyed wide and 

then headed over with two big chances as 

Cardiff ultimately were made to pay for not 

making the most of being the better side 

before half-time. 

The Gunners remain in fifth on goal difference, 

but move level on points with Chelsea, 

who are in action at Bournemouth on 

Wednesday. 

Cardiff on the other hand remain rooted in 

the bottom three, but did at least grab a consolation 

their efforts on the night. 

Sri Lanka suffer 

more setbacks ahead 

of Australia Test 

Sports Desk: Sri Lanka's 

preparations for the final 

Test against Australia suffered 

further setbacks 

Wednesday when coach 

Chandika Hathurusingha 

was stripped of his team 

selection responsibilities 

and their batting coach 

returned home for personal 

reasons, reports BSS. 

Hathurusingha was officially 

removed from the ontour 

selection panel, governing 

body Sri Lanka Cricket 

(SLC) said, although it is 

understood he still has a say 

on player decisions. 

"The majority decision of 

the manager, captain and 

members of the selection 

committee shall prevail on 

any selection made," SLC 

said in a statement, without 

giving details about why the 

change was made. 

It added that batting coach 

Jon Lewis was "on leave to 

attend a family matter", with 

Avishka Gunawardena flying 

to Australia to replace 

him. 

The news came as injured 

bowlers Lahiru Kumara and 

Dushmantha Chameera 

returned home after picking 

up injuries in the first Test in 

Brisbane. 

Uncapped right arm fast 

bowler 

Chamika 

Karunaratne was picked to 

replace Kumara. 

Sri Lanka are bidding to 

level the two-Test series in 

Canberra when it gets 

underway on Friday, after 

being thrashed by Australia 

by an innings and 40 runs in 

the first Test. 

Sri Lanka recently lost 

their series against New 

Zealand 3-0 and face the 

prospect of being swept 

again.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 

BANGLADESHTODAY 10 

THE 

THUrSDAy, JANUAry 31, 2019 

Trust trumps money for 

Facebook with earnings due 

A 5 day long workshop on "Innovation in the citizen service" inaugurated in the head office of Karmasangsthan Bank on 

29.01.2019. Managing director of the bank Md. Abul Hossain presided over the workshop. Additional Secretary & Chief 

Innovation Officer of Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance Md. Nasir Uddin Ahmed was present in the 

meeting as chief guest. All general managers, principal and high officials of the bank were also present in the workshop. 


Pound up after Brexit drop, eyes 

on Fed and trade talks 

London stocks rose and the pound 

rebounded slightly Wednesday after 

suffering heavy losses on worries about 

a possible no-deal Brexit, while Asian 

equities were mixed ahead of crunch 

trade talks between China and the 

United States. 

MPs on Tuesday returned to 

Westminster to vote on a series of 

proposals dealing with Britain's exit 

from the European Union after 

roundly rejecting Prime Minister 

Theresa May's controversial deal two 

weeks ago. 

In a closely watched series of votes, 

they rejected a plan to put back the 

date of leaving the EU if no new 

agreement is agreed by the end of next 

month. They then backed a proposal 

asking May to replace her deal's socalled 

backstop provision preventing a 

hard border with Ireland - a proposal 

immediately rejected by an EU 

spokesman. 

While observers still expect 

lawmakers to pass a bill that will avoid 

a no-deal Brexit - which economists 

warn could be catastrophic - the latest 

developments raised the prospect of it 

happening. 

"The pound fell because (the) vote 

leaves a no-deal Brexit on the table, but 

it has not collapsed into oblivion 

because at present there is no 

alternative to May's deal and we are 

not yet at the no-deal do-or-die 

moment," said Neil Wilson, chief 

market analyst at Markets.com. 

"Could she really get it through at the 

last? It would be a remarkable coup." 

But Minori Uchida, Tokyo head of 

global markets research at MUFG 

Bank, sounded a note of caution. 

"Players are still thinking that a hard 

Brexit will be avoided in the end, but 

the optimism is groundless," he told 

AFP. "Hard Brexit risks are still here." 

In early trade London rose 0.6 

percent, Paris added 0.5 percent and 

Frankfurt was flat. 

The pound sank around one percent 

against the dollar and the euro after 

the votes but it managed to edge back 

slightly on Wednesday. 

Equity markets swung as dealers 

look ahead to the end of the Federal 

Reserve's latest policy meeting later in 

the day, with hopes for some guidance 

on its plans for interest rates this year. 

Wednesday also sees the start of 

high-level US-China trade talks, with 

Beijing's top trade negotiator due to 

meet Donald Trump during the twoday 

gathering. 

However, while markets have been 

supported by optimism over the talks 

in recent weeks, the US decision 

Monday to charge Chinese telecom 

titan Huawei on several counts of fraud 

and tech theft has muddied the waters. 

Still, Treasury Secretary Steven 

Mnuchin insisted the two issues were 

not linked and said he saw the chance 

of a trade deal if China offered the right 

concessions. 

"Some dealers have been sitting on 

their hands in advance of the meeting 

as a hopes aren't overly high," said 

CMC Markets analyst David Madden. 

"Mnuchin… stated he expects 

'significant progress' to be made, but 

given the strained relationship 

between the US and China over the 

Huawei situation, the trade talks might 

suffer." 

Hong Kong closed up 0.4 percent, 

Shanghai ended down 0.7 percent and 

Tokyo lost 0.5 percent. 

Wellington, Singapore, Mumbai and 

Manila were all lower but Sydney 

edged up 0.2 percent and Seoul 

jumped one percent. In early trade 

London rose 0.6 percent, Paris added 

0.5 percent and Frankfurt was flat. 

The pound sank around one percent 

against the dollar and the euro after 

the votes but it managed to edge back 

slightly on Wednesday. 

Equity markets swung as dealers 

look ahead to the end of the Federal 

Reserve's latest policy meeting later in 

the day, with hopes for some guidance 

on its plans for interest rates this year. 

Wednesday also sees the start of 

high-level US-China trade talks, with 

Beijing's top trade negotiator due to 

meet Donald Trump during the twoday 

gathering. 

However, while markets have been 

supported by optimism over the talks 

in recent weeks, the US decision 

Monday to charge Chinese telecom 

titan Huawei on several counts of fraud 

and tech theft has muddied the waters. 

Still, Treasury Secretary Steven 

Mnuchin insisted the two issues were 

not linked and said he saw the chance 

of a trade deal if China offered the right 

concessions. 

"Some dealers have been sitting on 

their hands in advance of the meeting 

as a hopes aren't overly high," said 

CMC Markets analyst David Madden. 

"Mnuchin… stated he expects 

'significant progress' to be made, but 

given the strained relationship 

between the US and China over the 

Huawei situation, the trade talks might 

suffer." Hong Kong closed up 0.4 

percent, Shanghai ended down 0.7 

percent and Tokyo lost 0.5 percent. 

Wellington, Singapore, Mumbai and 

Manila were all lower but Sydney 

edged up 0.2 percent and Seoul 

jumped one percent. 

Mahanur Ummel 

Ara becomes 

Chairperson of PICL 

ExecutiveCommittee 

Noted entrepreneur of the 

country and director of 

Prime Insurance Company 

Limited Mahanur Ummel 

Ara has been elected as the 

new chairperson of the 

Executive Committee of 

Prime Insurance Company 

Ltd at its 310th board 

meeting held on 17th 

January, 2019. a press 

release said. 

After completion of 

graduation she entered 

business and created own 

way. In addition of that she 

is a Director of Shepherd 

World Trade Ltd, life 

member of Gulshan Youth 

Club Limited, Gulshan 

Society and actively involved 

with a number of other 

social organizations. 

Mahanur Ummel Ara is 

very popular in the society 

for her personality and 

understanding. 

Winning back trust is seen as the key priority 

for Facebook as the world's biggest social 

network readies its update on the final 

months of 2018 on Wednesday. 

Facebook is looking to rebound from a 

horrific year marked by a series of scandals 

over data protection and privacy and 

concerns that it had been manipulated by 

foreign interests for political purposes. 

Facebook so far has been able to keep 

revenue momentum thanks to its unique 

advertising model. Its global user base has 

risen to more than 2.2 billion, although 

growth has stalled in North America and 

Europe. 

In the quarter that ended in September, 

Facebook saw a profit of $5.14 billion on 

revenue that leaped 33 percent to $13.7 

billion. Industry tracker eMarketer expects 

Facebook's share of the global digital ad 

market to grow this year, with the social 

network claiming 20.5 percent of an overall 

$327.28 billion spent. But analysts say the 

trust issue is key for Facebook if it wants to 

move forward on its mission to connect the 

world. "Facebook needs a fresh start in 2019, 

and what it reveals about its usage and 

revenue… will tell us just how feasible that 

fresh start will be," said 

eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho 

Williamson. "In order for Facebook to move 

forward, it needs to show that its daily and 

monthly active user counts in the US and 

Canada and in Europe have stabilized, and 

that its ability to grow its ad revenue in those 

important regions has not been seriously 

impacted by the scandals and investigations 

of 2018." 

Facebook has faced criticism that it has 

been used as a platform to spread divisive or 

misleading information, as was the case 

during the 2016 election that put US 

President Donald Trump in the White 

House. It is also under heightened scrutiny 

over how it handles the sensitive personal 

data it collects from its users, with new 

privacy rules in place in Europe and 

legislation under consideration in 

Washington. "Facebook's future is going to 

be determined by whether users 

uncomfortable with being tracked disengage 

from using Facebook services," 

said Richard Windsor, an analyst who 

pens the Radio Free Mobile blog. But 

Windsor said costs are still likely to rise 

much more quickly than revenues as 

Facebook hires more people to police its 

content. "The net result is further declines in 

the valuation to match the unwinding of 

profitability," he wrote. The California-based 

company also faces demographic challenges 

as younger users shift to other platforms, 

seeing Facebook as less cool than it was. 

It may be able to compensate with gains in 

other services, including its popular visual 

social network Instagram, messaging 

services WhatsApp and Messenger and its 

Oculus virtual reality division. 

Defending the ad model - 

Facebook co-founder and chief Mark 

Zuckerberg last week renewed his defense of 

the social network's business, arguing that 

targeting ads based on interests was different 

from selling people's data. "If we're 

committed to serving everyone, then we 

need a service that is affordable to everyone," 

Zuckerberg wrote in The Wall Street 

Journal. Advertisers have generally 

remained true to Facebook, which lets 

businesses large or small precisely target 

messages to preferred demographics or 

geographies with measurable results. "There 

are more than 90 million small businesses 

on Facebook, and they make up a large part 

of our business," Zuckerberg wrote. 

"Most couldn't afford to buy TV ads or 

billboards, but now they have access to tools 

that only big companies could use before." 

eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho 

Williamson. "In order for Facebook to move 

forward, it needs to show that its daily and 

monthly active user counts in the US and 

Canada and in Europe have stabilized, and 

that its ability to grow its ad revenue in those 

important regions has not been seriously 

impacted by the scandals and investigations 

of 2018." Facebook has faced criticism that it 

has been used as a platform to spread 

divisive or misleading information, as was 

the case during the 2016 election that put US 

President Donald Trump in the White 

House. 

It is also under heightened scrutiny over 

how it handles the sensitive personal data it 

collects from its users, with new privacy rules 

in place in Europe and legislation under 

consideration in Washington. "Facebook's 

future is going to be determined by whether 

users uncomfortable with being tracked 

disengage from using Facebook services," 

said Richard Windsor, an analyst who 

pens the Radio Free Mobile blog. But 

Windsor said costs are still likely to rise 

much more quickly than revenues as 

Facebook hires more people to police its 

content. 

Citgo, the last gem of Venezuela's 

collapsed oil sector 

US sanctions imposed against Venezuela this 

week have cut off the final "gemstone" of the 

country's collapsed oil sector. 

Citgo, the US-based subsidiary of the 

Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, was 

key to President Nicolas Maduro's fight to 

stay in power. But Washington's financial 

pressures applied on Monday against 

PDVSA will freeze $7 billion in US-based 

assets and block more than $11 billion in 

export proceeds. With PDVSA in default on 

debt payments, the US-based refiner and 

retailer Citgo was a financial intermediary 

returning revenue to the regime. 

Venezuela got 96 percent of its hard 

currency revenues from oil exports, and the 

US was the biggest cash customer, buying 

half a million barrels per day. In contrast, 

about a third of production goes to China 

and Russia but is used to pay off debts. US 

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said 

Citgo can continue to operate -but its 

earnings must be deposited into a blocked 

account in the United States. 

The sanctions aim to cripple Maduro after 

the US and other countries recognized Juan 

Guaido, the head of the National Assembly 

legislature who has declared himself 

Venezuela's acting president. 

"It will crush the Venezuelan economy. It's 

going to have a dramatic effect," Christopher 

Sabatini, adjunct professor of International 

and Public Affairs at Columbia University, 

said of the sanctions. In response, Maduro 

told PDVSA to take action in US and 

international courts to defend Citgo, his last 

big overseas asset, which allowed the country 

to sell its heavy crude into the US market. 

Citgo is based in Houston and has three 

refineries that specialize in heavy crude and 

have a total capacity of 750,000 barrels a 

day, according to the company website. 

Founded as Cities Service Company by 

oilman Henry Doherty in 1910, it became 

wholly-owned by PDVSA in 1990. 

Citgo now employs 3,500 people, operates 

48 petroleum product terminals, and has 

pipelines and a network of more than 5,000 

service stations associated with the brand 

across the US. 

Venezuela is a member of the Organization 

of the Petroleum Exporting Countries 

(OPEC) and sits on the world's largest 

petroleum reserves, most of it heavy crude 

that is costly to produce. But the country's 

economy has been shrinking since 2014, the 

year global oil prices collapsed. Worsening 

conditions have forced more than two 

million people to flee the 

country, where food and medicine are 

scarce and the International Monetary Fund 

forecasts that inflation this year will reach 10 

million percent. Venezuelan oil output has 

fallen from more than three million barrels 

per day in the 1990s to 1.339 mbd last year, 

according to OPEC data. Production has 

been hampered by chronic underinvestment 

by PDVSA. Sabatini described 

Citgo as "the last remaining gemstone of the 

Venezuelan oil empire," a company which 

was "the anchor to the US market." 

Since 2017, Washington had already 

forbidden US citizens and companies from 

trading debt issued by Venezuela or PDVSA. 

"When PVDVSA began to have default and 

sanctions, nobody wanted to give credit to 

PDVSA," said Francisco Monaldi, a fellow in 

Latin American energy policy at Rice 

University in Houston. 

But Citgo has "a good cash flow" in the 

United States, which enabled the state oil 

firm to make purchases without having to 

pay up-front. The US company, for example, 

could buy products such as the diluent 

required to process heavy oil and send them 

back to Venezuela. 

"It is a strategic resource in that sense," 

Monaldi said, adding that the company also 

allowed Venezuela to have a lobbying voice 

in the US oil industry. 

Photo shows Mahanur 

Ummel Ara , new chairperson 

of the Executive 

Committee of Prime 

Insurance Company Ltd 

elected at its 310th 

board meeting held on 

17th January, 2019. 


Greece raises 2.5 bn 

euros in first bond 

sale since bailout 

Greece on Tuesday raised 2.5 

billion euros (2.9 billion) 

from a five-year-bond, its first 

since exiting the last bailout, 

the finance minister said. 

"This is 36 percent of our 

requirements for 2019," 

finance minister Euclid 

Tsakalotos said in parliament, 

according to the state-run 

Athens News Agency. 

The yield was set at 3.6 

percent, Tsakalotos said. 

Merrill Lynch, Goldman 

Sachs International Bank, 

HSBC, JP Morgan, Morgan 

Stanley and Societe Generale 

were named as managers of 

the bond, which has an April 

2024 maturity. 

The previous five-year 

bond, in July 2017, raised 3.0 

billion euros at 4.625 percent.

MISCELLANEOUS 

tHURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019 

11 

United Arab Emirates Naval Forces Commander Rear Admiral Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamdan Bin 

Mohammad Al Nahyan on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on Bangladeshi Navy Chief of Staff Vice 

Admiral Abu Mozaffar Mohiuddin Mohammad Aurangzeb Chowdhury at Bangladeshi Navy's 

headquarters in Banani, Dhaka on Wednesday. 

Photo: ISPR 

China-US row over tech giant Huawei 

overshadows trade talks 

U.S. criminal charges against Chinese 

electronics giant Huawei have sparked 

a fresh round of trans-Pacific 

recriminations, with Beijing 

demanding Tuesday that Washington 

back off what it called an 

"unreasonable crackdown" on the 

maker of smartphones and telecom 

gear, reports UNB. 

China's foreign ministry said it 

would defend the "lawful rights and 

interests of Chinese companies" but 

gave no details. Huawei is the No. 2 

smartphone maker and an essential 

player in global communications 

networks. 

A day earlier, U.S. prosecutors 

criminally charged Huawei and 

several of its officials for allegedly 

stealing technology secrets and 

violating Iran sanctions. That followed 

the detention in Canada of the Huawei 

founder's daughter - a top company 

official who was named in one of the 

U.S. indictments, and who is now 

awaiting possible extradition to the 

U.S. Huawei has denied wrongdoing. 

All that has further complicated 

U.S.-China relations amid attempts to 

defuse a trade war instigated by 

President Donald Trump and clashes 

over alleged Chinese theft of trade 

secrets and other intellectual property 

from U.S. firms. A new round of trade 

talks are planned for Wednesday in 

Washington. 

The nearly two dozen charges 

unsealed Monday by the Justice 

Department accuse Huawei of trying 

to spirit a robot arm and other 

technology out of a T-Mobile 

Amar Ekushey book 

fair begins Feb 1 

DHAKA : The month-long 

Amar Ekushey book fair is 

set to begin on Bangla 

Academy and its adjoining 

Suhrawardy Udyan 

premises on February 1. 

"Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina is expected to 

inaugurate the fair on 

Bangla Academy premises," 

Dr Jalal Ahmed, director of 

Bangla Academy and 

member secretary of 

Ekushey Book Fair 

Committee, told BSS . 

He said all the 

preparations regarding the 

fair are going on in full swing 

as only a day is left for the 

fair. 

"This year's theme "Bijoy 

1952-71: New Phase" will 

inspire the new generation 

with the spirit of Liberation 

War, he added. 

Meanwhile, Bangle 

academy will hold a press 

conference at 11:30 am 

tomorrow. 

Director General of Bangla 

Academy Habibullah Siraji, 

Poet Shankhar Ghosh, 

Misrian Writer Mohsin-Al- 

Harisi and Cultural Affairs 

Ministry's high officials will 

attend the press conference. 

The government has 

allocated 750 units under 24 

pavilions for publication 

houses. 

Highlighting security 

measures, he said 

authorities concerned are 

taking necessary 

preparations to ensure 

safety for visitors. 

smartphone testing lab. They also 

allege that Huawei, two subsidiaries 

and a top executive misled banks 

about the company's business and 

violating U.S. sanctions. 

The allegations mark a new phase in 

the dispute between the two countries 

over global technological dominance. 

The U.S. has reportedly waged a 

campaign to discourage other nations 

from using Huawei 

telecommunications equipment for 

next-generation "5G" wireless 

networks, based on concerns that the 

Huawei gear might compromise 

national security. U.S. intelligence 

chiefs who briefed Congress on 

worldwide threats Tuesday sounded 

the alarm about China's efforts to gain 

an edge over the United States. 

"China's pursuit of intellectual 

property, sensitive research and 

development plans ... remain a 

significant threat to the United States 

government and the private sector," 

Director of National Intelligence 

Daniel Coats told the Senate 

Intelligence Committee. 

"While we were sleeping in the last 

decade and a half, China had a 

remarkable rise in capabilities that are 

stunning," Coats said. "A lot of that 

was achieved - a significant amount 

was achieved by stealing information 

from our companies." 

On Tuesday, Australia's TPG 

Telecom said it abandoned plans to 

build what would have been the 

country's fourth mobile network 

because of a government ban on 

Huawei over security concerns. Last 

Directly contradicting President Donald 

Trump, U.S. intelligence agencies told 

Congress on Tuesday that North Korea is 

unlikely to dismantle its nuclear arsenal, 

that the Islamic State group remains a 

threat and that the Iran nuclear deal is 

working. The chiefs made no mention of a 

crisis at the U.S.-Mexican border for 

which Trump has considered declaring a 

national emergency, reports UNB. 

Their analysis stands in sharp contrast 

to Trump's almost singular focus on 

security gaps at the border as the biggest 

threat facing the United States. 

Top security officials including FBI 

Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director 

Gina Haspel and Director of National 

Intelligence Dan Coats presented an 

update to the Senate intelligence 

committee on Tuesday on their annual 

assessment of global threats. They 

warned of an increasingly diverse range of 

security dangers around the globe, from 

North Korean nuclear weapons to 

Chinese cyberespionage to Russian 

campaigns to undermine Western 

democracies. 

Coats said intelligence information does 

not support the idea that North Korean 

leader Kim Jong Un will eliminate his 

nuclear weapons and the capacity for 

building more - a notion that is the basis 

of the U.S. negotiating strategy. 

"We currently assess that North Korea 

will seek to retain its WMD (weapons of 

mass destruction) capabilities and is 

unlikely to completely give up its nuclear 

weapons and production capability 

because its leaders ultimately view 

nuclear weapons as critical to regime 

survival," Coats told the committee. 

Coats did note that North Korean leader 

Kim Jong Un has expressed support for 

week Vodafone, one of the world's 

biggest mobile phone companies, said 

it would stop using Huawei gear in its 

core networks. 

China's foreign ministry said it 

would defend the "lawful rights and 

interests of Chinese companies" but 

gave no details. Huawei is the No. 2 

smartphone maker and an essential 

player in global communications 

networks. 

A day earlier, U.S. prosecutors 

criminally charged Huawei and 

several of its officials for allegedly 

stealing technology secrets and 

violating Iran sanctions. That followed 

the detention in Canada of the Huawei 

founder's daughter - a top company 

official who was named in one of the 

U.S. indictments, and who is now 

awaiting possible extradition to the 

U.S. Huawei has denied wrongdoing. 

All that has further complicated 

U.S.-China relations amid attempts to 

defuse a trade war instigated by 

President Donald Trump and clashes 

over alleged Chinese theft of trade 

secrets and other intellectual property 

from U.S. firms. A new round of trade 

talks are planned for Wednesday in 

Washington. 

The nearly two dozen charges 

unsealed Monday by the Justice 

Department accuse Huawei of trying 

to spirit a robot arm and other 

technology out of a T-Mobile 

smartphone testing lab. They also 

allege that Huawei, two subsidiaries 

and a top executive misled banks 

about the company's business and 

violating U.S. sanctions. 

US intel heads list North Korea, 

not border, as threat to US 

ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear 

weapons and over the past year has not 

test-fired a nuclear-capable missile or 

conducted a nuclear test. 

The "Worldwide Threat Assessment" 

report on which Coats based his 

testimony said U.S. intelligence continues 

to "observe activity inconsistent with" full 

nuclear disarmament by the North. "In 

addition, North Korea has for years 

underscored its commitment to nuclear 

arms, including through an order in 2018 

to mass-produce weapons and an earlier 

law - and constitutional change - 

affirming the country's nuclear status," it 

said. 

Directly contradicting President Donald 

Trump, U.S. intelligence agencies told 

Congress on Tuesday that North Korea is 

unlikely to dismantle its nuclear arsenal, 

that the Islamic State group remains a 

threat and that the Iran nuclear deal is 

working. The chiefs made no mention of a 

crisis at the U.S.-Mexican border for 

which Trump has considered declaring a 

national emergency, reports UNB. 

Their analysis stands in sharp contrast 

to Trump's almost singular focus on 

security gaps at the border as the biggest 

threat facing the United States. 

Top security officials including FBI 

Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director 

Gina Haspel and Director of National 

Intelligence Dan Coats presented an 

update to the Senate intelligence 

committee on Tuesday on their annual 

assessment of global threats. They 

warned of an increasingly diverse range of 

security dangers around the globe, from 

North Korean nuclear weapons to 

Chinese cyberespionage to Russian 

campaigns to undermine Western 

democracies. 

UAE Navy 

commander calls 

on Bangladesh 

Navy chief 

United Arab Emirates 

Naval Forces Commander 

Rear Admiral Sheikh Saeed 

Bin Hamdan Bin 

Mohammad Al Nahyan has 

paid a courtesy call on 

Bangladeshi Navy Chief of 

Staff Vice Admiral Abu 

Mozaffar Mohiuddin 

Mohammad Aurangzeb 

Chowdhury, an ISPR press 

release said. 

Al Nahyan was greeted by 

a well-equipped Navy party 

and a guard of honour 

when he went to meet 

Aurangzeb Chowdhury at 

the navy headquarters in 

Dhaka's Banani on 

Wednesday. 

During the courtesy call, 

the navy chiefs of the two 

countries exchanged 

greetings. Aurangzeb 

Chowdhury also thanked Al 

Nahyan for his visit to 

Bangladesh. 

He emphasized the 

importance 

of 

strengthening the friendly 

relations between the two 

countries. 

The Navy chief also 

mentioned the two 

countries should undertake 

joint training programs that 

strengthen maritime 

research and improve on 

the countries' friendly 

relations and professional 

skills. 

During the visit, 

Mohammad Al Nahyan 

met Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina, and the Army and 

Air Force chiefs. 

Among others, the 

Defence Attaché of Saudi 

Arabia, Bangladesh's 

Defence Attaché in Saudi 

Arabia, PSOs of Naval 

Headquarters, and highlevel 

military officials were 

present at the meeting. 

GD-174/19 (11 x 4) 

Federal investigators win access 

to limo in deadly crash 

Federal investigators will finally be able to 

examine the stretch limousine in an October 

crash that killed 20 people, ending an 

increasingly testy impasse with local 

prosecutors over who has priority to probe 

the nation's deadliest transportation 

disaster in nearly a decade, reports UNB. 

Under the deal reached Tuesday in 

Schoharie County court, prosecutors 

bringing charges against the limo company's 

operator will be able to remove auto parts 

potentially crucial to the criminal 

investigation before National 

Transportation Safety Board inspectors 

begin a hands-on inspection within the next 

two weeks. 

The modified 2001 Ford Excursion blew 

through a stop sign at a T-intersection on 

Oct. 6 in rural Schoharie and crashed beside 

a country store, killing the driver, 17 

passengers on a birthday outing and two 

pedestrians. The damaged vehicle has sat for 

months beneath a tent behind state police 

headquarters outside Albany. 

"All I'm interested in is making sure 

everyone is able to do what they're charged 

with doing," Schoharie County Judge 

George Bartlett said during the hearing. 

NTSB lawyers had argued that federal 

inspectors were prevented from getting 

within 15 feet of the crashed limo, and that 

their inability to make a detailed inspection 

unnecessarily delayed potentially crucial 

safety recommendations that could be 

applied to limos nationwide. 

Schoharie County District Attorney Susan 

Mallery argued that criminal trials take 

precedence and that her office dictates 

access to all evidence. 

Under the deal, the NTSB can visually 

inspect the limousine as early as Tuesday 

and take photographs. After that, police 

experts will be clear to remove the limo's 

transmission and torque converter as part of 

the criminal investigation. The NTSB can 

then proceed with a hands-on inspection, 

which is expected to begin within the next 

two weeks. 

NTSB investigators will be able to perform 

their entire post-accident protocol "except 

take brake fluid, because there is an 

insufficient amount available," according to 

the agreement read in court after lawyers for 

the prosecution, state police, the defense 

and NTSB met privately. 

Instead, state police will send a report on 

the brake fluid testing to the NTSB 

investigators, "who have agreed not to make 

it public until completion of the criminal 

case," according to the agreement. 

NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss did not have 

an estimate on when the board would 

release those findings, stressing that the 

agreement applies only to brake fluid 

testing. 

Agency inspectors will be able to examine 

components removed from the limo, along 

with defense experts, "later in the criminal 

process," the agreement said. 

Federal investigators will finally be able to 

examine the stretch limousine in an October 

crash that killed 20 people, ending an 

increasingly testy impasse with local 

prosecutors over who has priority to probe 

the nation's deadliest transportation 

disaster in nearly a decade, reports UNB. 

Under the deal reached Tuesday in 

Schoharie County court, prosecutors 

bringing charges against the limo company's 

operator will be able to remove auto parts 

potentially crucial to the criminal 

investigation before National 

Transportation Safety Board inspectors 

begin a hands-on inspection within the next 

two weeks. 

The modified 2001 Ford Excursion blew 

through a stop sign at a T-intersection on 

Oct. 6 in rural Schoharie and crashed beside 

a country store, killing the driver, 17 

passengers on a birthday outing and two 

pedestrians. The damaged vehicle has sat for 

months beneath a tent behind state police 

headquarters outside Albany. 

"All I'm interested in is making sure 

everyone is able to do what they're charged 

with doing," Schoharie County Judge 

George Bartlett said during the hearing. 

NTSB lawyers had argued that federal 

inspectors were prevented from getting 

within 15 feet of the crashed limo, and that 

their inability to make a detailed inspection 

unnecessarily delayed potentially crucial 

safety recommendations that could be 

applied to limos nationwide. 

Schoharie County District Attorney Susan 

Mallery argued that criminal trials take 

precedence and that her office dictates 

access to all evidence.

THuRSDAy, DHAKA, JANuARy 31, 2019, MAGH 18, 1425 BS, JAMADIul AWAl 24, 1440 HIJRI 

President Md Abdul Hamid administering oath to newly elected speaker Dr Shirin Sarmin 

Chowdhury at National Parliament on Wednesday. 

Photo: Star Mail 

Syed Ashraf's sister 

submits nomination 

form for Kishoreganj-1 

KISHOREGANJ : Dr Syeda 

Zakia Nur Lipi, younger sister 

of latepublic administration 

minister Syed Ashraful 

Islam, has submitted the 

nomination form she collected 

from Awami League to 

run for the Kishoreganj-1 

seat, reports UNB. 

Syeda Zakia submitted the 

form to the returning officer Md 

Jahirul Islam on Wednesday 

while District AL President 

Advocate Kamrul Ahsan 

Shahjahan, General Secretary Ad 

MA Afjal among other party leaders 

and activists were present. 

The constituency fell vacant 

after the death of former 

Awami League general secretary 

Syed Ashraful Islam who 

was reelected MP from the 

constituency in the December 

30 national election. 

Their father Syed Nazrul 

Islam, the acting President 

of Bangladesh during the 

Liberation War, was among 

four national leaders who 

were killed in jail in 1975. 

Dr Shirin Sharmin re-elected 

Speaker for 3rd time 

Md Fazle Rabbi Miah as deputy speaker 

SANGSADBHABAN : For the first time in 

Bangladesh history, parliament on 

Wednesday elected Dr Shirin Sharmin 

Chaudhury the Speaker for the third consecutive 

term, reports UNB. 

The attending MPs of the newly-formed 11th 

Jatiya Sangsad unanimously elected Dr 

Chaudhury, the lone candidate, by voice vote 

as Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, who was 

presiding over the session, placed it for 

endorsement. The MPs, including Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina, shouted 'yes' in 

favour of the proposal made by Awami League 

general secretary Obaidul Quader and seconded 

by Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury. 

With Fazle Rabbi Miah in the chair, the 

assembly started the Speaker election on the 

first day of the opening session of the 11th parliament 

formed through the December-30 

general election. 

The maiden session of the new parliament 

began at 3pm with Deputy Speaker Fazle 

Rabbi Miah in the chair as the outgoing 

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was 

the Speaker candidate. 

Immediately after the election, the sitting 

was adjourned for 20 minutes for taking oath 

by the newly-elected Speaker. 

President M Abdul Hamid administered the 

oath to Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at the former's 

office in Parliament. Parliament Senior 

Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan conducted the 

oath-taking ceremony. The sitting of the House 

resumed at 3:53pm with new Speaker Dr Shirin 

Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. 

The House re-elected Md Fazle Rabbi Miah 

as deputy speaker unanimously by voice vote. 

Whip Atiur Rahman Atik proposed Fazle 

Rabbi's name for electing him the Deputy 

Speaker, while another Whip Iqbalur Rahman 

seconded the proposal. 

Despite having the single candidate for the 

post, Dr Shirin placed it in the House for vote as 

per the rules. Fazle Rabbi was elected uncontested 

as there is no other candidate for the post. 

Later, President M Abdul Hamid administered 

the oath to Fazle Rabbi Miah at the former's 

office in Parliament. 

In the December-30 general election, Dr 

Shirin Sharmin Chaudury was elected MP 

from Rangpur-6, while Fazle Rabbi Miah from 

Gaibandha-5. 

Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was first 

elected Speaker on April 30, 2013. 

Ex joint secy 

gets 5-yr jail 

in graft case 

DHAKA : A court here on 

Wednesday sentenced former 

joint secretary Rafiqul 

Mohamed to five years jail 

in a case filed for embezzling 

government property 

through forgery, reports 

UNB. 

Special Judge court-4 

judge Sheikh Najmul Alam 

pronounced the verdict in 

presence of the convicts. 

The court also fined him 

TK 25,000, in default, to 

suffer three months more 

imprisonment. 

When the case was filed, 

Rafiqul was an assistant 

commissioner of the 

National Housing Authority. 

The court also sentenced 

Morol Kafil, senior assistant 

and Abdul Jalil, junior 

assistant of NHA, to three 

years jail and fined them Tk 

10,000, each, in default, 

they have suffer three 

months more in jail. 

According to the case 

statement, one of the 

accused Abul Hashem 

Mollah, who died during 

the trial, took re-allotment 

of the government plot concealing 

information and 

showing fake papers. The 

convicts embezzled government 

property in collusion 

with each other and abusing 

power for their personal 

benefit. 

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

Commission inspector Md 

Roisuddin filed the case 

against the four people with 

Ramna Police Station on 

June 30, 2003. 

Later, ACC deputy director 

Reva Halder submitted 

chargesheet against them 

on March 15, 2009 and the 

court framed charges 

against them on October 

26, 2009. 

PM seeks int'l community's support 

again to send back Rohingyas 

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 

Wednesday renewed her call to the international 

community to force Myanmar to take 

back its over one million Rohingya nationals 

living in Bangladesh, reports UNB. 

"Myanmar must take their nationals back 

and the international community should help 

Bangladesh send back the Rohingyas from 

Bangladesh," she said. 

The Prime Minister said this when visiting 

Special Envoy of Prime Minister and Deputy 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Nguyen 

Quoc Dzung met her at her official residence 

Ganobhaban. 

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed 

reporters after the meeting. He said the Prime 

Minister mentioned that Bangladesh has prepared 

a temporary shelter for the Rohingyas at 

Bhashan Char to provide them with a better 

living place. 

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh and 

Myanmar have already signed agreements for 

sending back Rohingyas. "But, the implementation 

process is being delayed." 

Mentioning that Vietnam has vast experience 

in developing agricultural sector, the 

Prime Minister said Bangladesh would take 

support from them for further development of 

this sector here. She said Bangladesh has given 

importance to connectivity with Vietnam and 

emphasised enhancing trade and business. 

Both Bangladesh and Vietnam struggled a 

lot for their independence, Hasina said adding 

that when she was a student she closely 

observed the struggle for independence of 

Vietnam. After Bangladesh's independence, 

she mentioned, a youth delegation visited 

Vietnam where her younger brother was a 

member of that team. 

Special Envoy of Prime Minister and Deputy 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Nguyen 

Quoc Dzung said the government and the people 

of Vietnam were very much happy at the 

reelection of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

He said Bangladesh and Vietnam are traditional 

friends and both have lots of similarity. 

He emphasised the enhancement of peopleto-people 

contact. About the Rohingya issue, 

Nguyen Quoc Dzung highly appreciated the 

humanitarian efforts of Bangladesh for giving 

shelter to the refugees. "This is a huge burden 

on Bangladesh," he added. 

Nguyen Quoc Dzung said his country will 

donate USD 50,000 as part of their solidarity 

to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue. 

He also put emphasis on enhancing connectivity 

alongside trade and business between 

the two friendly countries. 

Nguyen invited Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina to visit Vietnam at her convenient 

time. PMO secretary Sajjadul Hassan was 

present during meeting. 

BR to commission 15 modern BG coaches 

DHAKA : Bangladesh Railway (BR) is going 

to add 15 brand-new broad gauge (BG) 

coaches with most modern facilities to its 

fleet within two months to offer smooth and 

comfortable journey to the commuters. 

Officials said the first consignment of 15 

coaches has reached Chattogram port and 

the coaches were scheduled to be unloaded 

tomorrow. 

BR General Manager and Project Director 

Harun-Ar-Rashid yesterday said they are 

procuring 200 coaches - 150 for meter 

gauge lines and 50 for broad gauge - from 

Indonesia as part of its modernization initiative. 

"The 15 coaches would be first taken to 

Tongi by special arrangement and then 

placed on Bangabanhdu Bridge towards 

Syedpur," he said. "In Syedpur, different 

types of test would be carried out before 

commissioning." 

Replying to a query, Harun said: "It would 

not take more than two months anyhow to 

commission the coaches." 

He said the government high-ups would 

decide where the coaches would be 

deployed for carrying passenger. 

The BR General Manager said the coaches 

have the option of all types of modern 

facilities such as WiFi, charging port, TV, 

special washroom etc to facilitate a comfortable 

journey for the commuters. 

The Incredible Magdeburg 

Water Bridge in Germany 

INTERESTING NEWS 

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is a navigable 

aqueduct in Germany that connects 

the Elbe-Havel Canal to the 

Mittelland Canal, and allows ships to 

cross over the Elbe River. At 918 meters, 

it is the longest navigable aqueduct in 

the world. 

The Elbe-Havel and Mittelland 

canals had previously met near 

Magdeburg but on opposite sides of the 

Elbe. Ships moving between the two 

had to make a 12-kilometer detour, 

descending from the Mittelland Canal 

through the Rothensee boat lift into the 

Elbe, then sailing downstream on the 

river, before entering the Elbe-Havel 

Canal through Niegripp lock. Low 

water levels in the Elbe often prevented 

fully laden canal barges from making 

this crossing, requiring time-consuming 

off-loading of cargo. 

Construction of the water link was 

started as early as in the 1930s but due 

to the World War 2 and subsequent 

division of Germany the work remained 

suspended till 1997. The aqueduct was 

finally completed and opened to the 

public in 2003. 

DMP chief vows 

to end extortion, 

harassment of 

women 

DHAKA : Dhaka Metropolitan 

Police (DMP) Commissioner 

Asaduzzaman Mia on 

Wednesday promised to 

provide better security for 

the capital's residents, 

reports UNB. 

"We want to turn Dhaka 

into a city where no-one 

will harass women, where 

businessmen won't have to 

pay extortion, and no-one 

will grab expatriates' land," 

he said at a police week- 

2019 rally at DMP headquarters. 

He urged policemen to 

perform their duties properly, 

not to harass anyone 

and to make sure that people 

get desired services 

from them. 

Asaduzzaman discouraged 

policemen to take 

bribes in the pretext of tips 

or misuse their power. He 

said they should stand by 

the innocent people and 

give them courage. 

"We would like to pledge 

that with the assistance of 

the city's residents, we will 

eliminate drugs. There will 

be no snatching either," the 

DMP chief said. "We want to 

gift the people a safe city." 

He said they had taken a 

tough stance against drugs. 

"It won't take time to bring 

the drug lords to book," he 

said. 

Joshore BGP officials greeted the representative team of Indian BSF with flower for a flag meeting 

at Benapole yesterday. 

Photo: Star Mail 

TIB report faulty, politically 

motivated:Info Minister 

DHAKA : Rejecting the report of 

Transparency International, Bangladesh 

(TIB), Information Minister Hasan Mahmud 

on Wednesday said the report is faulty and 

politically motivated, reports UNB. 

The minister came up with the remarks 

while talking to reporters at the secretariat on 

the TIB report. 

According to the TIB report unveiled on 

Tuesday, Bangladesh ranks second most corrupt 

country in South Asia while 149 in the 

world, the 13th from the bottom. 

"The method the TIB followed in preparing 

the graft index was faulty. They didn't make it 

clear which method they followed. That 

means their methodology is faulty," he said. 

"If there's any specific allegation, I would 

like to request TIB to inform the government 

and the Anti-Corruption Commission. The 

government will take action," said the minister. 

Responding to a question whether they will 

reject the report, he said, "Definitely... it's a 

motivated report." 

Replying to a question the minister said, 

"The ACC has already sought explanation 

from them over the report. I'll also ask TIB to 

tell ACC on which information they made the 

report." 

He said earlier TIB published another 

report ahead of the general election to 

implement BNP's agenda. "There was 80 

percent similarity of their report with the 

allegations of BNP. So, it's clear that they 

want to implement the agenda of a specific 

political party." 

Hasan Mahmud said TIB also raised voice 

that there had been corruption in Padma 

Bridge project and then the World Bank 

stopped financing the project. However, the 

allegation was proved wrong later, he said. 

The World Bank filed a case with the court 

of Canada where it was defeated, he said 

adding, "We thought TIB would seek mercy 

from the nation after their defeat, but they 

didn't," said the minister. 

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has 

announced zero tolerance against corruption. 

When Bangladesh is being praised globally 

and by the World Bank for curbing corruption 

at that moment TIB has published a 

faulty report to defame the country's people." 

BNP to present 

whitepaper on vote 

'irregularities': 

Moudud 

DHAKA : BNP senior leader 

Moudud Ahmed on 

Wednesday said their party 

will present a whitepaper on 

the 'irregularities' of the 11th 

parliamentary election. 

Speaking at a human chain 

programme, he also called upon 

BNP leaders and activists to 

wage a united movement to 

force the government to hold a 

fresh and credible election within 

the next six months. 

"The new parliament which 

is going into session doesn't 

represent people. It's also not 

formed with people's votes. 

We'll come up with a whitepaper 

based on what happened 

during the election (held on 

Dec 30)," the BNP leader said. 

He further said, "In the 

whitepaper, you'll see how 

people lost their voting rights 

in the election as only five to 

seven percent people could go 

to polling stations. 

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

31-01-2019

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