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saturDay<br />

Dhaka: February <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong>; Falgun 4, 1425 BS; Jamadi-us Sanni 10,1440 hijri<br />

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com<br />

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; No.23; 8 Pages~Tk.8.00<br />

international<br />

Nearly 24 mln<br />

Yemenis need<br />

aid: UN<br />

>Page 3<br />

science & technology<br />

Is it possible to remove<br />

Google from our life?<br />

>Page 5<br />

economy & business<br />

PRAN national pickle<br />

winners awarded<br />

>Page 6<br />

UN seeks US$ 920 mn for<br />

Rohingya humanitarian crisis<br />

2 killed in<br />

Thakurgaon<br />

clash named<br />

in BGB case<br />

THAKURGAON :Two men, killed in<br />

Tuesday's clash with Border Guard<br />

Bangladesh in the district, were named<br />

in a case filed by BGB on Thursday<br />

night, reports UNB.<br />

Nayeb Subedar Ziaur Rahman, company<br />

commander of Thakurgaon BGB<br />

50 Battalion's Betna border outpost,<br />

filed two cases against more than 250<br />

villagers over the clash that left three<br />

people dead.<br />

One of them accuses three men -<br />

including Nabab Ali and Sadekul Islam<br />

killed in BGB firing - of smuggling cattle<br />

from India. The third accused is<br />

Bakua Union's Swechchhasebak<br />

League unit President Abul Kashem,<br />

said Md Amiruzzaman, officer-incharge<br />

of Haripur Police Station.<br />

The other case specifically named 19<br />

persons for attacks on BGB troopers.<br />

There are 250 other accused in the case<br />

but they have not been named.<br />

Thakurgaon BGB 50 Battalion<br />

Commanding Officer Lt Col Tuhin<br />

Mohammad Masud confirmed filing of<br />

the cases. OC Amiruzzaman said the<br />

cases accuse the villagers of obstructing<br />

state law enforcement, attacking BGB<br />

troopers, attempting to snatch firearms<br />

and damage weapons, trying to kill the<br />

border troopers, among others.<br />

"We have accepted the cases," the<br />

police officer said. "Further steps will be<br />

taken after we get directives from<br />

Thakurgaon police superintendent."<br />

Three people were killed and at least<br />

<strong>16</strong> others injured after BGB members<br />

opened fire during, what the paramilitary<br />

force claimed, a clash with cattle<br />

smugglers.<br />

Zohr<br />

05:17AM<br />

12:15 PM<br />

04:<strong>16</strong> PM<br />

05:57 PM<br />

07:11 PM<br />

6:31 5:54<br />

DHAKA : United Nations aid agencies<br />

and NGO partners on Friday appealed<br />

to raise US$ 920 million to meet the<br />

massive needs of more than 900,000<br />

Rohingyas from Myanmar and over<br />

330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in<br />

host communities, reports UNB.<br />

They, together, launched the <strong>2019</strong><br />

Joint Response Plan (JRP), the third<br />

joint humanitarian appeal and builds on<br />

achievements made thus far in Geneva<br />

in order to further stabilize the situation<br />

of Rohingyas and address the humanitarian<br />

crisis.<br />

Critical aid and services such as food,<br />

water, sanitation and shelter represent<br />

more than half of the funding needs this<br />

year, said the UN refugee agency -<br />

UNHCR. Other key sectors of the<br />

appeal include health, site management,<br />

protection activities including<br />

child protection and addressing sexual<br />

and gender-based violence, education<br />

and nutrition, it said.<br />

More than 745,000 Rohingya have<br />

fled from Myanmar's Rakhine State to<br />

Bangladesh since August 2017, escaping<br />

violence in Myanmar and joining<br />

roughly 200,000 others already displaced<br />

in the Cox's Bazar area by previous<br />

cycles of violence.<br />

With the generosity and support of the<br />

Bangladeshi authorities and local communities,<br />

who were the first to respond<br />

to the emergency, critical needs were<br />

met and many lives were saved.<br />

"The solidarity shown by the government<br />

of Bangladesh and the commitment<br />

of humanitarian partners ensured<br />

the successful implementation of the<br />

first Joint Response Plan in 2018.<br />

Moving forward, we reiterate our commitment<br />

to meeting the dire needs of<br />

this population and urge the international<br />

community to support these<br />

efforts," said International Organization<br />

for Migration Director General<br />

Ant&oacute;nio Vitorino.<br />

UN High Commissioner for Refugees<br />

Filippo Grandi said their humanitarian<br />

imperative today is to stabilise the situation<br />

of stateless Rohingyas and their<br />

Bangladesh hosts. "We are hoping for<br />

timely, predictable and flexible contributions<br />

in order to meet the goals of this<br />

year's appeal."<br />

He said but while they tackle these<br />

immediate humanitarian needs they<br />

must not lose sight of solutions.<br />

Grandi repeated his call to Myanmar<br />

Barrister Razzaq quits Jamaat<br />

DHAKA : Barrister Abdur Razzaq<br />

resigned from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-<br />

Islami on Friday as he said the party failed<br />

to apologise for its anti-liberation war role<br />

in 1971 and reform the organistion based<br />

on reality. The Jamaat assistant secretary<br />

general sent his resignation letter from<br />

the UK to Jamaat Ameer Maqbul Ahmed<br />

in the morning, reports UNB.<br />

In his resignation letter, signed by his<br />

personal assistant Kausar Hamid, cited<br />

two reasons behind his resignation from<br />

the Islamic party.<br />

He said Jamaat did not apologise to<br />

people for its anti-liberation war role in<br />

1971 and the party could not reform itself<br />

in light of reality of the 21st century considering<br />

the political change in other<br />

Muslim majority countries.<br />

"I tender my resignation from<br />

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami with immediate<br />

effect," Razzaq, who joined the party<br />

in 1986, said in his resignation letter.<br />

Mentioning that he defended the top<br />

Jamaat leaders accused in war crime<br />

cases with his best ability, the lawyer said<br />

though Jamaat wholeheartedly embraced<br />

the independence of Bangladesh, the<br />

party's role in opposing the historic struggle<br />

for liberation in 1971 casts a deep dark<br />

shadow over all of its achievements and<br />

contributions.<br />

"For these reasons, I've always believed<br />

and continue to believe that an apology by<br />

Jamaat to the nation is not only a moral<br />

to take urgent action to address the root<br />

causes of this crisis which have persisted<br />

for decades, so that people are no longer<br />

forced to flee and can eventually return<br />

home in safety and dignity.<br />

"We encourage countries in this<br />

region and beyond to show solidarity<br />

with Bangladesh and to support<br />

Myanmar to start creating conditions<br />

for voluntary, safe and dignified return<br />

of Rohingya refugees," Grandi continued.<br />

The new JRP sets out a comprehensive<br />

humanitarian effort shaped<br />

around three strategic objectives.<br />

By bringing together 132 partners -<br />

UN agencies, international and national<br />

NGOs and government bodies in a collective<br />

effort - the Plan aims to deliver<br />

protection to refugee women, men, girls<br />

and boys, provide life-saving assistance<br />

and foster social cohesion.<br />

Over the past 12 months aid agencies<br />

have worked to improve the conditions<br />

across refugee settlements<br />

through the support provided under<br />

the 2018 JRP-providing basic assistance,<br />

upgrading living conditions in<br />

the camps and putting in place disaster<br />

risk mitigation measures for monsoon<br />

and cyclone seasons.<br />

imperative but also necessary to absolve<br />

its post-1971 generation of the stigma,"<br />

Razzaq observed.<br />

In 1971, he said, their predecessors had<br />

opposed the independence of Bangladesh<br />

and failed to publicly protest the atrocities<br />

committed by the Pakistan Army." In the<br />

47 years since independence, successive<br />

party leaderships have failed to apologise<br />

for the party's role in 1971 or even to<br />

explain the party's position on the struggle<br />

for independence. Now, more than<br />

ever, Jamaat needs to clarify its 1971<br />

stance."<br />

Razzaq said over the last two decades<br />

he had been trying relentlessly to persuade<br />

Jamaat to have a frank discussion<br />

on the events of 1971, Jamaat's role in<br />

those events and why it decided to support<br />

Pakistan and apologise for that decision.<br />

"Finally, in January <strong>2019</strong>, I advised<br />

the leadership of the necessity of taking<br />

responsibility for its predecessors' role in<br />

1971. In the absence of any better or viable<br />

alternative, I also advised to dissolve<br />

Jamaat. But, all my efforts have been<br />

unsuccessful. My decades of advice had<br />

fallen on deaf ears."<br />

The lawyer also said Jamaat's failure to<br />

address the 1971 issue and apologise has<br />

resulted in a stigma being attached to<br />

those who were not involved in the decision.<br />

This continued failure of Jamaat has<br />

given further ground for it to be seen as an<br />

anti-independence party.<br />

Children choosing their books in the Amar Ekushey Book Fair.<br />

Thousands of Muslim devotees offered Jumma prayer at Biswa Ijtema ground yesterday. Photo : Star Mail<br />

Suhrawardy Hospital<br />

fire is a lesson for<br />

all : Health Minister<br />

DHAKA : Stressing the need for<br />

improving the fire fighting capabilities<br />

at all government hospitals, Health and<br />

Family Welfare Minister Zahid<br />

Maleque on Friday said the fire incident<br />

at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical<br />

College Hospital (SSMCH) is a lesson<br />

for all concerned, reports UNB.<br />

"Now it's a must to improve the fire<br />

fighting capabilities of all government<br />

hospitals," he said at a press briefing on<br />

the fire accident at SSMCH held at his<br />

Baridhara residence.<br />

The Minister said that all the electrical<br />

connections and the damaged sections<br />

of the hospital will be examined to<br />

find out the reason behind the accident.<br />

The Health and the Home Ministries<br />

formed two separate committees to<br />

investigate whether a short-circuit<br />

caused the fire or something else.<br />

'Out of the 18 units of the hospital,<br />

only two- Gynecology and Pediatricsare<br />

closed for now as they were the<br />

most damaged," he added.<br />

The Minister hoped that the hospital<br />

will be fully operational soon.<br />

"In all government hospitals firefighting<br />

equipment will be checked regularly.<br />

Safety Drills will be conducted at<br />

regular intervals," the minister said.<br />

Director General of the Health<br />

Directorate Abul Kalam Azad was also<br />

present at the briefing.<br />

On Thursday, a fire broke out at<br />

Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College<br />

in the afternoon which was doused<br />

after around four hours. The fire<br />

allegedly originated at a storeroom on<br />

the first floor of a new building of the<br />

hospital.<br />

Photo : Star Mail<br />

Four-day Biswa Ijtema begins<br />

Gazipur : Biswa Ijtema, one of the<br />

largest Muslim congregations in the<br />

world, began on the bank of the<br />

Turag River at Tongi here after Fazr<br />

prayers on Friday.<br />

Ijtema began with "Aambayan"<br />

(general sermons) by Pakistani<br />

Islamic scholar Maulana Ziaul Haq.<br />

This year, the Biswa Ijtema is being<br />

held for four days in a single phase.<br />

On the first two days, followers<br />

of Maulana Jubair Hassan will<br />

participate in the Biswa Ijtema on<br />

Friday and Saturday and they will<br />

leave the ground after Akheri<br />

Munajat on Saturday afternoon.<br />

Later, the followers of Maulana<br />

Muhammad Saad Al Kandhalvi will<br />

take part in the Biswa Ijtema on<br />

Sunday and Monday and conduct<br />

their Akheri Munajat on the last<br />

day.<br />

Several lakh devotes are expected<br />

to offer Juma prayers on the first day<br />

of the Ijtema on Friday.<br />

Thousands of devotees from home<br />

and abroad started thronging the<br />

bank of the Turag River to take part<br />

in the religious event to seek divine<br />

blessings of the Almighty Allah.<br />

An eight-layer security measure has<br />

been taken for the event with the<br />

deployment of huge members of different<br />

law enforcement agencies in<br />

and around the Ijtema ground. The<br />

venue has been brought under CCTV<br />

surveillance.<br />

There will be special train and bus<br />

services to ease the communication<br />

of the devotees.<br />

Gazipur Metropolitan Police<br />

Commissioner YM Belalur Rahman<br />

on Thursday said the Ijtema ground<br />

is under CCTV surveillance and<br />

watchtowers have been set up to<br />

ensure security.<br />

Members of law enforcement agencies<br />

are performing their duties while<br />

intelligence surveillance has been<br />

beefed up.<br />

Check-posts have been set up in<br />

lanes, intersections and all the<br />

entries of the ground, said the GMP<br />

commissioner.<br />

Besides, free medical camps have<br />

been set up near the Ijtema ground to<br />

provide free health care services and<br />

medicines among the devotees.<br />

The first phase of Biswa Ijtem was<br />

scheduled to be held from January 11<br />

to 13 while the second one from<br />

January 18 to 20 last, but those were<br />

postponed due to the December-30<br />

national election.<br />

Later, it was decided that the Biswa<br />

Ijteam would be held once instead of<br />

two phases this year.<br />

Tabligh Jamaat has been organising<br />

the Ijtema at the venue since<br />

1967.<br />

The Ijtema was held in two phases<br />

from 2011 to 2017 to ease the<br />

accommodation and transportation<br />

problem.<br />

One-party rule imposed<br />

undercover of democracy : BNP<br />

DHAKA : BNP senior leader Dr<br />

Abdul Moyeen Khan on Friday<br />

alleged that the government has<br />

imposed an autocratic role in the<br />

country undercover of democracy,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

"The government has established<br />

an unwritten one-party rule Baksal,<br />

but they pretend to be democratic<br />

and often talk about democracy," he<br />

said.<br />

Speaking at a human-chain programme,<br />

the BNP leader further<br />

said," The country's people must be<br />

aware of the government which was<br />

branded as neo autocrat by a<br />

German-based research institution.<br />

This regime is indulging in autocratic<br />

acts undercover of democracy."<br />

He said a government which pretends<br />

to be democratic is more dangerous<br />

than an autocratic regime.<br />

Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal arranged<br />

the programme in front of the Jatiya<br />

Press Club demanding the release of<br />

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.<br />

Dr Moyeen, a BNP standing committee<br />

member, said their party<br />

wants to restore people's democratic<br />

and voting rights the way their<br />

founder Ziaur Rahman established<br />

multi-party democracy in the country.<br />

"We must restore democracy<br />

after freeing Khaleda Zia from jail."<br />

He alleged that the government<br />

sent Khaleda to jail as part of its plot<br />

to eliminate their party, but BNP still<br />

remains united and a strong party.<br />

The BNP leader said the 11th parliament<br />

does not represent people as it<br />

was formed through an election of<br />

'vote rigging and vote robbery'.<br />

Speaking at another human chain<br />

programme, Gonoshasthya Kendra<br />

founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury<br />

urged all the democratic forces to take<br />

to the streets to realise people's rights.<br />

"There's no alternative to waging a<br />

strong movement to realise people's<br />

rights. Democracy won't be restored<br />

unless all political parties get united<br />

and take to the streets," he said.<br />

Desh Bachao Manush Bachao<br />

Andolon formed the human chain in<br />

front of Jatiya Press Club, demanding<br />

Khaleda's release.<br />

Zafrullah urged BNP leaders and<br />

activists to get organised and wage a<br />

strong movement to have Khaleda<br />

released from jail.


NEWS<br />

SATURDAY,<br />

FeBRUARY <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

2<br />

A human chain was formed in front of National Press Club yesterday protesting termination of<br />

150 laborers without any salary. Photo : TBT<br />

Vasilyev no longer Monaco's<br />

vice-president<br />

Vadim Vasilyev has been released from<br />

his role as vice president and CEO<br />

following a six-year stint at Ligue 1<br />

struggling side Monaco, the club's<br />

president Dmitry Rybolovlev<br />

announced through a statement on<br />

Thursday, reports UNB.<br />

Rybolovlev said that over the six years<br />

of Vasilyev's tenure at Monaco, they had<br />

come a long way together and achieved<br />

much success, including the team's first<br />

Ligue 1 title in 17 years and a semifinal<br />

appearance in the Champions League.<br />

"However, over the past year, serious<br />

mistakes had been made that have led to<br />

the team's worst performance in seven<br />

years," he said.<br />

The 2017 French champions languish<br />

at 18th after 24 rounds this season. The<br />

team at this position need to contend for<br />

a top-flight spot next season through the<br />

School teacher<br />

injured in attack<br />

in Narayanganj<br />

NARAYANGANJ : A school<br />

teacher was injured in an<br />

attack by some young men<br />

over a trifling matter at<br />

Dhamgarh Malamat in<br />

Bandar upazila on Friday,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

The injured was<br />

identified as A Rob alias<br />

Hasan, 65, a teacher of<br />

Kuripara High School of the<br />

upazila.<br />

Rafiqul Islam, officer-incharge<br />

of Bandar Police<br />

Station, said Hossain, and<br />

alleged criminal and an<br />

associate of death-row<br />

convict Patha Samsur, used<br />

the pond of the teacher for<br />

cultivating fish without<br />

giving him any money.<br />

Recently, the teacher<br />

asked Hossain to free his<br />

pond as he wanted to fill up<br />

the pond.<br />

Angered by the incident,<br />

Hossain swooped on the<br />

teacher in the morning and<br />

beat him up with a hockey<br />

stick, leaving him injured.<br />

He was taken to the<br />

upazila health complex.<br />

Man held<br />

with arms in<br />

playoffs.<br />

"Since recently, I have had to deal with<br />

the club's problems. I took a number of<br />

difficult, but, in my opinion, necessary<br />

decisions.<br />

"In particular, I called Leonardo<br />

Jardim myself, apologizing for the<br />

mistake made back in October and<br />

asking him to return to lead the team. I<br />

have approved all of his proposals in<br />

relation to the acquisition of new players<br />

during the winter transfer window,"<br />

Rybolovlev pointed out.<br />

Jardim was fired as head coach last<br />

October, but took the helm again just<br />

three months later.<br />

"Now it is time for change. Changes<br />

relate not only to the players, but also to<br />

the top management of the club,"<br />

Rybolovlev talked about Vasilyev's<br />

departure, adding that "I am very<br />

Hailie Deegan spent more time at Daytona<br />

500 media day than any other driver. The<br />

17-year-old was a guest host for<br />

NASCAR.com, trading in her firesuit for a<br />

microphone and interviewing one Cup<br />

Series star after another. It was the closest<br />

Deegan will get to the action at Daytona<br />

International Speedway during<br />

Speedweeks, reports UNB.<br />

It also might be the last year she's a<br />

spectator.<br />

Deegan has her sights set on driving in the<br />

entry-level ARCA Series in 2<strong>02</strong>0, a<br />

precursor to what she hopes will be a lengthy<br />

racing career that rises to the premier Cup<br />

Series. NASCAR will do all it can to help,<br />

even putting the teenager in front of the<br />

camera on one of the sport's busiest days.<br />

And with fan favorite Danica Patrick<br />

missing from Daytona for the first time since<br />

2011, Deegan, Natalie Decker and others<br />

have a void to fill.<br />

"At the end of the day, there's a reason why<br />

there hasn't been a girl or woman winning in<br />

NASCAR's highest level," Deegan said.<br />

"There's a lot of room for improvement. For<br />

sure, I want to be the first to do it and<br />

hopefully more girls will end up winning.<br />

But I want to be the first."<br />

grateful to Vadim for all that he has<br />

done for our club, and I wish him all the<br />

best."<br />

Rybolovlev said that he's planning to<br />

submit a new candidate for the posts of<br />

vice president and CEO to the club's<br />

board of directors for consideration on<br />

February 22.<br />

"It is not the first time that Monaco<br />

finds itself in a crisis situation. Seven<br />

years ago we managed to get through it.<br />

We are striving to repeat that success,"<br />

Rybolovlev said.<br />

Showing his gratitude to Rybolovlev<br />

and supporters, Vasilyev added that<br />

"during this time, I did my best to<br />

ensure that the club achieved the results<br />

we expected."<br />

"Despite the challenges of recent<br />

months, I am proud of the results that<br />

we achieved over these six intense years.<br />

No female drivers in Daytona 500,<br />

but pipeline has potential<br />

DHAKA : The new executives of Indian<br />

Media<br />

Correspondents<br />

Association,Bangladesh (IMCAB) have been<br />

elected unopposed for the year <strong>2019</strong>-2<strong>02</strong>0,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

Bashudeb Dhar of the Daily Statesman<br />

(Kolkata), Quddus Afrad (Daily Anandabazar<br />

Patrika, Kolkata) and Rafiqul Islam Sabuj<br />

(Daily Desher Katha, Agartala) have been<br />

elected president, vice president and<br />

generalsecretary respectively.<br />

The other elected office-bearers are: joint<br />

general secretary- Sahidul Hasan Khokon<br />

(The India Today), treasurer Masum Billah<br />

(Daily Jugashankha, Kolkata/Assam) and<br />

organizing secretary Mir Afroz<br />

Zaman(United News of India- UNI), said a<br />

press release on Friday.<br />

Executive members are Anisur<br />

Rahman(Press Trust of India-PTI), Aminul<br />

Hoq Bhuiyan (Daily EiSomoy), Layek<br />

Uzzaman (Daily Din Darpon, Kolkata), Rajib<br />

Khan (Zee Akash Media) and Abu Ali (Daily<br />

Jagaran, Agartala).<br />

Dip Azad, general secretary ofoutgoing<br />

committee of IMCAB will remain as member<br />

of the executivecommittee according to the<br />

constitution of the organization.<br />

The election of the executive committee of<br />

IMCAB was scheduled to beheld on February<br />

17 in the biennial general meeting.<br />

Decker has a head start. The 21-year-old<br />

Toyota driver will make her Truck Series<br />

debut Friday night at Daytona, one of three<br />

women in the field. Jennifer Jo Cobb and<br />

Angela Ruch are the others.<br />

Decker failed to qualify for a trucks race at<br />

Martinsville Speedway in 20<strong>16</strong> and spent<br />

the last two years in ARCA. She had nine<br />

top-10 finishes in 20 starts last season for<br />

Venturini Motorsports. She moved to DGR-<br />

Crosley this season and will run 12 Truck<br />

Series races as well as a combination of<br />

NASCAR K&N and two more ARCA events.<br />

She finished sixth in the ARCA season<br />

opener at Daytona last weekend.<br />

She got behind the wheel of the No. 12<br />

Tundra for the first time Thursday, taking<br />

part in two practices. "I was really nervous,"<br />

the ultra-positive Decker said. "I was trying<br />

to hide it." "I'm going in trying to learn as<br />

much as I can for next year," she added. "But<br />

I really want to win a race."<br />

Decker could be in as many five series in<br />

<strong>2019</strong>. She has five starts planned in the<br />

Trans Am road-racing series and will learn<br />

in late March whether she lands one of 18<br />

spots in the W Series, an all-female<br />

developmental series set to launch in<br />

Europe.<br />

IMCAB gets new executives<br />

According to election schedule the date of<br />

submission of nomination papers was on<br />

February 12.<br />

But it was seen that eleven candidates<br />

submittednominations papers for eleven<br />

posts, one candidate for eachpost, said the<br />

press release.<br />

On this ground, Haroon Habib, Chairman<br />

and Khairuzzaman Kamal,member of the<br />

committee formed to run the election<br />

declared the candidates elected unopposed.<br />

The other elected office-bearers are: joint<br />

general secretary- Sahidul Hasan Khokon<br />

(The India Today), treasurer Masum Billah<br />

(Daily Jugashankha, Kolkata/Assam) and<br />

organizing secretary Mir Afroz<br />

Zaman(United News of India- UNI), said a<br />

press release on Friday.<br />

Executive members are Anisur<br />

Rahman(Press Trust of India-PTI), Aminul<br />

Hoq Bhuiyan (Daily EiSomoy), Layek<br />

Uzzaman (Daily Din Darpon, Kolkata), Rajib<br />

Khan (Zee Akash Media) and Abu Ali (Daily<br />

Jagaran, Agartala).<br />

Dip Azad, general secretary ofoutgoing<br />

committee of IMCAB will remain as member<br />

of the executivecommittee according to the<br />

constitution of the organization.<br />

The election of the executive committee of<br />

IMCAB was scheduled to beheld on February<br />

17 in the biennial general meeting.<br />

SSC examinee<br />

abducted<br />

outside exam<br />

centre, stabbed<br />

near pond<br />

MADARIPUR : A Secondary<br />

School Certificate (SSC)<br />

examination was stabbed in<br />

front of his examination<br />

centre in Shibchar upazila<br />

on Thursday, reports UNB.<br />

The injured Shuvo<br />

Haolader, <strong>16</strong>, who was<br />

supposed to sit for<br />

Thursday's Finance and<br />

Banking examination, was<br />

rushed to Shibchar Upazila<br />

Health Complex and later,<br />

moved to Faridpur Medical<br />

College Hospital considering<br />

the severity of his injury.<br />

Family and hospital<br />

sources said Shuvo, son of<br />

Ali Mia Haolader, hailing<br />

from Bhanga upazila,<br />

reached the exam centre at<br />

Sheikh Fazilatunnesa<br />

Government Girls' High<br />

School around 9:30am.<br />

An alleged terrorist Nahid<br />

and another called Shuvo<br />

while he was entering the<br />

centre and brought him to<br />

the bank of a nearby pond.<br />

Later, the culprits stabbed<br />

Shuvo on his legs<br />

indiscriminately with<br />

Chinese axe, leaving him<br />

severely injured.<br />

Medical Officer of<br />

Shibchar Upazila Health<br />

Complex Dr Imdadul Haque<br />

said the extent of Shuvo's<br />

injury was fatal. The tendon<br />

of his right leg might have<br />

been cut off.<br />

Officer-in-Charge of<br />

Shibchar Police Station<br />

Zakir Hossain said police are<br />

trying to arrest the accused.<br />

College student<br />

stabbed dead<br />

in Barishal:<br />

One held<br />

BARISHAL : A college<br />

student was killed and<br />

another injured in an attack<br />

by a young man at<br />

Bangabandhu Udyan in the<br />

city on Thursday, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

The deceased was<br />

identified as Rubel Hossain,<br />

1st year student of<br />

Brajamohon College and<br />

son of Gias Uddin of Ujirpur<br />

upazila.<br />

Quoting victim's family,<br />

police said Mehedi Hasan<br />

Rony, ex-husband of Sauda,<br />

daughter of Nesar Ali, used<br />

to disturb Sauda and a<br />

general diary was lodged<br />

with the local police station<br />

in this regard.<br />

On Thursday, Sauda along<br />

with his younger brother<br />

Rafasan and Rafsan's friend<br />

Rubel and Mitul went to<br />

Bangabandhu Uddyan.<br />

At one stage, Rony<br />

swooped on Sauda with a<br />

sharp weapon. When Rafsan<br />

and his friends tried to save<br />

Sauda, Rony hit Rubel with a<br />

sharp weapon, leaving Rubel<br />

and Mitul injured.<br />

Later, they were taken to<br />

Sher-e-Bangla Medical<br />

college Hospital where<br />

doctors declared Rubel<br />

dead.<br />

On information, police<br />

went to the spot and<br />

arrested Rony, said Nurul<br />

Islam, officer-in-charge of<br />

Kotwali Police Station.<br />

2 Rohingyas held<br />

with 14,000 Yaba<br />

pills in Cox's<br />

Bazar<br />

DHAKA : Members of Rapid<br />

Action Battalion (Rab)<br />

arrested two Rohingyas<br />

along with 14,000 Yaba<br />

tablets from Balukhali in<br />

Ukhia upazila on Thursday,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

The arrestees are as Sohel,<br />

21, son of Osman and Nur<br />

Halim, 22, son of Sirajul<br />

Iqbal. Tipped off, a team of<br />

Rab-7 conducted a drive in<br />

the area and arrested them<br />

along with 14,000 Yaba<br />

tablets worth Tk 70 lakh in<br />

the afternoon.<br />

The arrestees were handed<br />

over to Ukhia Police. The<br />

arrestees are as Sohel, 21,<br />

son of Osman and Nur<br />

Halim, 22, son of Sirajul<br />

Iqbal.<br />

Bangladesh signs 2 MoUs<br />

with Netherlands for watersector<br />

capacity building<br />

DHAKA : Bangladesh and the Netherlands<br />

have signed two memorandums of<br />

understanding (MoUs) for capacity building<br />

of the water sector in Bangladesh, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

The Water Resources Ministry signed the<br />

MoUs-one with Deltares, a prominent Dutch<br />

research organisation involved in waterrelated<br />

research, and the other with the IHE<br />

Delft Institute for Water Education, a world<br />

famous Dutch institution involved in<br />

pertaining education, training and research<br />

in the water sector. Water Resources<br />

Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar and Science<br />

Director of Deltares Jaap Kwadijk and<br />

Rector of IHE Delft Prof Dr Eddy Moors<br />

signed the MoUs on behalf of their respective<br />

sides on February 13, said the Bangladesh<br />

Embassy in The Hague on Friday.<br />

Bangladesh Ambassador to the<br />

Netherlands Sheikh Mohammed Belal<br />

joined the signing ceremony at the IHE Delft<br />

while Director General of Bangladesh Water<br />

Development Board Engr Md Mahfuzur<br />

Rahman was, among others, present.<br />

The MoU with the Deltares will enable the<br />

Bangladesh ministry to have support from<br />

Deltares in water research, particularly in the<br />

fields of delta planning, river management,<br />

policy planning and implementation,<br />

management of floods and droughts, water<br />

quantity and quality, disaster management,<br />

coastal polder management as well as<br />

geotechnical, river and coastal engineering,<br />

etc.<br />

The MoU with the IHE Delft will enable<br />

capacity development of future young water<br />

professionals from Bangladesh through<br />

tailor-made short courses, MSc and PhD<br />

programmes, including training courses on<br />

basin-wide water resources management;<br />

joint action research to identify innovative<br />

and practical solution for water resources<br />

management in Bangladesh; and<br />

collaboration regarding proposed<br />

international training institute by the Water<br />

Resources Ministry for water resources<br />

development and management.<br />

During his visit to IHE Delft, Secretary<br />

Anwar, Ambassador Belal and members of<br />

Bangladesh delegation exchanged views<br />

with Bangladeshi students at the institute.<br />

They discussed the modalities how to<br />

increase the number of students in the<br />

Netherlands and particularly in IHE Delft.<br />

These initiatives could be seen as a followup<br />

work of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's<br />

official visit to the Netherlands in 2015 as<br />

well as preparatory work for the<br />

implementation of Bangladesh Delta Plan<br />

2100, said the embassy. Bangladesh<br />

Ambassador to the Netherlands Sheikh<br />

Mohammed Belal joined the signing<br />

ceremony at the IHE Delft while Director<br />

General of Bangladesh Water Development<br />

Board Engr Md Mahfuzur Rahman was,<br />

among others, present.<br />

The MoU with the Deltares will enable the<br />

Bangladesh ministry to have support from<br />

Deltares in water research, particularly in the<br />

fields of delta planning, river management,<br />

policy planning and implementation,<br />

management of floods and droughts, water<br />

quantity and quality, disaster management,<br />

coastal polder management as well as<br />

geotechnical, river and coastal engineering,<br />

etc.<br />

The MoU with the IHE Delft will enable<br />

capacity development of future young water<br />

professionals from Bangladesh through<br />

tailor-made short courses, MSc and PhD<br />

programmes, including training courses on<br />

basin-wide water resources management;<br />

joint action research to identify innovative<br />

and practical solution for water resources<br />

management in Bangladesh; and<br />

collaboration regarding proposed<br />

international training institute by the Water<br />

Resources Ministry for water resources<br />

development and management.<br />

Cover of a book titled ' Dakterbari' was uncovered at Sinha Lounge of<br />

Dhaka Club yesterday.<br />

Photo : TBT<br />

Thai party fields transgender<br />

candidate for prime minister<br />

As Pinit Ngarmpring, he was a CEO and<br />

sports promoter, well known in the world of<br />

Thai soccer. Now, under her preferred new<br />

name of Pauline Ngarmpring, she's pursuing<br />

a bid to become the country's first<br />

transgender prime minister.<br />

The 52-year-old is one of three candidates<br />

put forward by a political party for the post in<br />

next month's general election, reports UNB.<br />

She says she wants her nomination to<br />

bring hope to the marginalized and to open<br />

up political space for future generations of<br />

LGBT people.<br />

With over a month to go before the March<br />

24 polling day, she campaigned this week in<br />

one of Bangkok's more infamous nightlife<br />

areas.<br />

Many vulnerable or exploited people work<br />

in this twilight zone of go-go bars, cheap<br />

hotels and massage parlors. It's exactly the<br />

constituency the Mahachon party seeks to<br />

represent, and she's eager to hear their<br />

concerns.<br />

"Our welfare, mostly. Health," masseuse<br />

Wassana Sorsawang says are her concerns,<br />

as she stands outside a shop in an alley off<br />

the street. She complains that she and her<br />

colleagues often work double shifts, and it<br />

affects their health.<br />

The Mahachon party is contesting some<br />

200 seats in the 500-member House of<br />

Representatives. About 20 of the candidates<br />

are openly LGBT. Pauline joined only last<br />

November. Now, as their second-ranked<br />

nominee for prime minister, she finds herself<br />

a political trailblazer, a unique symbol of the<br />

fight for equality.<br />

It's fine, she said, even if she cannot<br />

achieve her goal of becoming prime minister<br />

"because I am the first one who dares enough<br />

to announce . 'hey, we can do it!'"<br />

"We are not saying we are better than male<br />

or female," she said. "We just want to say we<br />

are equal."<br />

Until three years ago, Pauline was Pinit: a<br />

father of two, a reporter turned businessman<br />

who became well known by founding a<br />

soccer fan association that became<br />

influential in Thai sporting circles.<br />

Since her gender transition she's made it<br />

her mission, she said, to educate society. Her<br />

new political role gives her the perfect<br />

platform to counter those who still view<br />

LGBT rights - and her candidacy - with<br />

skepticism.<br />

"Nowadays people say, 'Oh you are<br />

transgender? You want to become our prime<br />

minister. It's going to be funny, it is going to<br />

be a very strange story,'" she said.<br />

"But I don't think that way," she said.<br />

"Whatever you are, you have your value. You<br />

love yourself and then you share with<br />

people."<br />

The party hopes its human rights-based<br />

agenda will appeal in particular to Thailand's<br />

large LGBT and sex worker population. One<br />

policy is to legalize prostitution.<br />

The result, Pauline says, could be up to 10<br />

lawmakers in Parliament, thanks to a new<br />

electoral system that allocates some of the<br />

seats through proportional representation.<br />

But, even given the country's traditionally<br />

accepting view of sexual fluidity, she knows<br />

she is not destined to lead the country.<br />

"I will not be a prime minister. But it<br />

doesn't matter. It will take some time and it<br />

is not going to be the end of the world after<br />

the next election," she said.<br />

"It doesn't have to be me. It can be the next<br />

generation."<br />

The Mahachon party is contesting some<br />

200 seats in the 500-member House of<br />

Representatives. About 20 of the candidates<br />

are openly LGBT. Pauline joined only last<br />

November. Now, as their second-ranked<br />

nominee for prime minister, she finds herself<br />

a political trailblazer, a unique symbol of the<br />

fight for equality.


INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY,<br />

FEBRUARY <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

3<br />

A 12-year-old boy carries soap supplied by the UN in the Bani Harith neighbourhood of Sana'a in<br />

Yemen.<br />

Photo : AP<br />

Nearly 24 mln Yemenis need aid: UN<br />

The United Nations and its humanitarian<br />

partners on Thursday released a<br />

needs assessment for Yemen, reporting<br />

nearly 24 million people in need of<br />

"some form of humanitarian or protection<br />

assistance," a UN spokesman said,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

"The crisis remains the worst in the<br />

world with an estimated 80 percent of<br />

the population -- that's nearly 24 million<br />

people -- in need of some form of<br />

humanitarian or protection assistance,<br />

including 14.3 million people who are<br />

in acute need," said UN spokesman<br />

Stephane Dujarric.<br />

"The number of acute need people is<br />

now 27 percent higher than it was last<br />

year," he told reporters at a regular<br />

briefing, in announcing a pledging conference<br />

sponsored by Sweden, Switzerland<br />

and the world organization set for<br />

Feb. 26.<br />

"More than 20 million people across<br />

the country are food insecure, half of<br />

them with extreme levels of hunger,"<br />

Dujarric said. "For the first time we<br />

have confirmed pockets of catastrophic<br />

hunger, with 238,000 people affected<br />

in some locations."<br />

The United Nations and its humanitarian<br />

partners have been warning for<br />

several weeks that the Arab country is<br />

on the brink of famine, a result of a<br />

nearly four-year-old civil war.<br />

"Some 3.2 million people require<br />

treatment for acute malnutrition, 2<br />

U.S. moving troops<br />

for "military<br />

adventure" against<br />

Venezuela: Cuba<br />

The Cuban government on<br />

Thursday criticized the<br />

recent U.S. troop movements<br />

in the Caribbean, saying<br />

that Washington is<br />

preparing for a military<br />

intervention in crisis-hit<br />

Venezuela, reports UNB.<br />

In a statement, Havana<br />

said that between Feb. 6 and<br />

10, there were flights of military<br />

transport aircraft to the<br />

airport in Puerto Rico, the<br />

San Isidro Air Base in the<br />

Dominican Republic, and to<br />

"strategically located"<br />

Caribbean islands.<br />

It said the flights originated<br />

from U.S. military installations<br />

where its Special<br />

Forces units and Marines<br />

operate and these forces are<br />

often used in "covert actions,<br />

including against leaders of<br />

other countries."<br />

The statement also<br />

described possible U.S. military<br />

actions in Venezuela as<br />

"a military adventure disguised<br />

as humanitarian<br />

intervention."<br />

Venezuela is currently<br />

troubled by a political crisis.<br />

Opposition leader Juan<br />

Guaido declared himself<br />

interim president on Jan. 23<br />

and was recognized by the<br />

United States and some other<br />

countries. Guaido's declaration<br />

came about two<br />

weeks after President Nicolas<br />

Maduro, who won the<br />

2018 presidential vote, was<br />

inaugurated for a second<br />

term on Jan. 10.<br />

Havana in its statement<br />

also accused Washington of<br />

seeking a "coup d'etat in<br />

Venezuela through the illegal<br />

self-proclamation of a<br />

president."<br />

In addition, it said U.S.-led<br />

humanitarian aid to<br />

Venezuela, if any really, is far<br />

from making up for the<br />

damage made by Washington's<br />

economic blockade<br />

against Caracas.<br />

million under 5 (years of age) and more<br />

than 1 million pregnant and lactating<br />

women, for a total of 17.8 million people<br />

who lack access to safe water and<br />

sanitation," he said. "Almost 20 million<br />

people lack access to adequate health<br />

care."<br />

An estimated 3.3 million people<br />

remain displaced in Yemen, up from<br />

2.2 million last year, and this includes<br />

685,000 people who fled fighting in<br />

Hodeidah and on the west coast from<br />

June onward, the spokesman said.<br />

Hodeidah is a key west coast port city<br />

and home to the Red Sea Mills, housing<br />

enough grain to feed millions of<br />

people for a month, but presently inaccessible<br />

to aid workers, the UN has<br />

said. Negotiations between government<br />

and rebel representatives were<br />

suspended last week for leadership<br />

consideration of a tentative accord on<br />

demilitarizing the port to allow access<br />

to humanitarian aid and the distribution<br />

of it to those in need.<br />

"The number of acute need people is<br />

now 27 percent higher than it was last<br />

year," he told reporters at a regular<br />

briefing, in announcing a pledging conference<br />

sponsored by Sweden, Switzerland<br />

and the world organization set for<br />

Feb. 26.<br />

"More than 20 million people across<br />

the country are food insecure, half of<br />

them with extreme levels of hunger,"<br />

Dujarric said. "For the first time we<br />

have confirmed pockets of catastrophic<br />

hunger, with 238,000 people affected<br />

in some locations."<br />

The United Nations and its humanitarian<br />

partners have been warning for<br />

several weeks that the Arab country is<br />

on the brink of famine, a result of a<br />

nearly four-year-old civil war.<br />

"Some 3.2 million people require<br />

treatment for acute malnutrition, 2<br />

million under 5 (years of age) and more<br />

than 1 million pregnant and lactating<br />

women, for a total of 17.8 million people<br />

who lack access to safe water and<br />

sanitation," he said. "Almost 20 million<br />

people lack access to adequate health<br />

care."<br />

An estimated 3.3 million people<br />

remain displaced in Yemen, up from<br />

2.2 million last year, and this includes<br />

685,000 people who fled fighting in<br />

Hodeidah and on the west coast from<br />

June onward, the spokesman said.<br />

Hodeidah is a key west coast port city<br />

and home to the Red Sea Mills, housing<br />

enough grain to feed millions of<br />

people for a month, but presently inaccessible<br />

to aid workers, the UN has<br />

said.<br />

Negotiations between government<br />

and rebel representatives were suspended<br />

last week for leadership consideration<br />

of a tentative accord on<br />

demilitarizing the port to allow access<br />

to humanitarian aid and the distribution<br />

of it to those in need.<br />

Indonesia land-burning fines<br />

unpaid years after fires<br />

Indonesian plantation companies fined for<br />

burning huge areas of land since 2009 have<br />

failed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars<br />

in penalties meant to hold them accountable<br />

for actions that took a devastating environmental<br />

and human toll, reports UNB.<br />

The palm oil and pulp wood companies<br />

involved in fires owe more than $220 million<br />

in fines and the figure for unpaid penalties<br />

for environmental destruction swells to $1.3<br />

billion when an illegal logging case from<br />

2013 is included, according to separate summaries<br />

of the cases compiled by Greenpeace<br />

and the Ministry of Environment and<br />

Forestry.<br />

Indonesia's annual dry season fires were<br />

particularly disastrous in 2015, burning 2.6<br />

million hectares (10,000 square miles) of<br />

land and spreading health-damaging haze<br />

across Indonesia, Singapore, southern Thailand<br />

and Malaysia. The World Bank estimated<br />

the fires cost Indonesia $<strong>16</strong> billion and a<br />

Harvard and Columbia study estimated the<br />

haze hastened 100,000 deaths in the region.<br />

President Joko Widodo and other senior<br />

officials vowed action but repeated legal<br />

appeals by the 10 companies taken to court<br />

by the environment ministry have dragged<br />

the cases out for years.<br />

The ministry has issued statements trumpeted<br />

progress in sanctioning companies<br />

involved in land fires. But the two companies<br />

mentioned in those statements that have<br />

paid fines totaling $2 million involved environmental<br />

damage from open cast mining,<br />

not fires, the ministry's law enforcement<br />

director-general, Rasio Ridho Sani, told The<br />

Associated Press.<br />

Greenpeace Indonesia said the unpaid<br />

fines are money owed to the Indonesian people<br />

that could pay for large-scale forest<br />

restoration and for health and emergency<br />

infrastructure for when the fires strike again.<br />

"By not enforcing these laws the government<br />

is sending a dangerous message: company<br />

profit comes before law, clean air,<br />

health and forest protection," forests campaigner<br />

Arie Rompas said in a statement Friday.<br />

In a case that cited fires between 2009 and<br />

2012, palm oil company Kallista Alam<br />

appealed its 336 billion rupiah ($24 million)<br />

fine all the way to the Supreme Court and<br />

then sought a judicial review of the Supreme<br />

Court decision against it.<br />

Fires intentionally set by the company in<br />

2012 to clear land for palm oil tore through<br />

the Tripa peat swamp in Aceh on the island<br />

of Sumatra, killing wildlife including endangered<br />

Sumatran orangutans and blanketed<br />

surrounding areas in a thick haze.<br />

Indonesia's annual dry season fires were<br />

particularly disastrous in 2015, burning 2.6<br />

million hectares (10,000 square miles) of<br />

land and spreading health-damaging haze<br />

across Indonesia, Singapore, southern Thailand<br />

and Malaysia. The World Bank estimated<br />

the fires cost Indonesia $<strong>16</strong> billion<br />

and a Harvard and Columbia study estimated<br />

the haze hastened 100,000 deaths in the<br />

region.<br />

President Joko Widodo and other senior<br />

officials vowed action but repeated legal<br />

appeals by the 10 companies taken to court<br />

by the environment ministry have dragged<br />

the cases out for years.<br />

Thick haze from forest fires shroud Palangka Raya in central Borneo in<br />

October 2015.<br />

Photo : AP<br />

Brazil proposes minimum<br />

retirement age<br />

amid social security<br />

reform<br />

Brazil proposes that the<br />

social security reform establishes<br />

a minimum retirement<br />

age of 65 for men and<br />

62 for women, the government<br />

announced Thursday,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

A bill on the new social<br />

security regime, which has a<br />

transition period of 12 years,<br />

will be sent to Congress for<br />

approval on Feb. 20, said<br />

Rogerio Marinho, secretary<br />

of labor and social security<br />

at Ministry of Economy.<br />

The social security reform<br />

requires changes to the<br />

Brazilian Constitution. To<br />

be approved, an amendment<br />

requires a majority of<br />

three fifths in both houses.<br />

Brazilians currently do not<br />

have a minimum retirement<br />

age. Men are qualified to<br />

retire once they work for a<br />

minimum of 35 years and<br />

women 30 years.<br />

They can also retire at 65<br />

after contributing at least 15<br />

years to the social security<br />

system. Some categories,<br />

such as teachers, policemen<br />

and rural workers, are<br />

allowed to retire slightly earlier.<br />

In Brazil, life expectancy<br />

at birth in 20<strong>16</strong> is 71 years<br />

for men and 79 for women,<br />

according to the World<br />

Health Organization.<br />

With the proposed<br />

reform, in addition to the<br />

required years of contribution,<br />

workers have to obey<br />

the minimum age requirements,<br />

which will lead to<br />

many citizens working for<br />

over 40 years before retirement.<br />

Full details of the reform<br />

bill will only be known on<br />

Feb. 20.<br />

Though the government<br />

has said that the reform is<br />

necessary for the country to<br />

resume growth, critics think<br />

that the new system will put<br />

an excessive burden on<br />

poorer workers.<br />

In Brazil, life expectancy<br />

at birth in 20<strong>16</strong> is 71 years<br />

for men and 79 for women,<br />

according to the World<br />

Health Organization.<br />

With the proposed<br />

reform, in addition to the<br />

required years of contribution,<br />

workers have to obey<br />

the minimum age requirements,<br />

which will lead to<br />

many citizens working for<br />

over 40 years before retirement.<br />

Death toll in deadliest car bombing<br />

in Kashmir climbs to 41<br />

Security officials say the death toll from a car<br />

bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir has<br />

climbed to 41 after rebels fighting against<br />

Indian rule struck a paramilitary convoy in<br />

the single deadliest attack in the divided<br />

region's volatile history, reports UNB.<br />

India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police<br />

Force spokesman Sanjay Sharma said Friday<br />

that at least 41 soldiers died in Thursday's<br />

attack.<br />

The attack is likely to ratchet up tensions<br />

between already hostile India and Pakistan,<br />

who administer parts of the territory but<br />

claim it entirely. Kashmir has experienced<br />

renewed attacks and civilian protest against<br />

Indian rule in recent years as a new generation<br />

of Kashmiri rebels has revived the<br />

armed rebellion.<br />

Officials said a local Kashmiri militant<br />

rammed an explosives-laden van into a bus<br />

as the convoy reached Lethpora, a town outside<br />

Srinagar.<br />

Indian paramilitary soldiers stand by the wreckage of a bus after an explosion<br />

in Pampore, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 14, <strong>2019</strong>. Security<br />

officials say at least 10 soldiers have been killed and 20 others wounded by a<br />

large explosion that struck a paramilitary convoy on a key highway on the outskirts<br />

of the disputed region's main city of Srinagar.<br />

Photo : AP<br />

Netanyahu leaves Poland after plane<br />

mishap delayed departure<br />

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin<br />

Netanyahu was forced to spend an<br />

extra night in Warsaw after his plane<br />

was damaged following an airport<br />

mishap shortly before departure. He<br />

departed around noon Friday, marking<br />

an inauspicious ending to a turbulent<br />

visit, reports UNB.<br />

The prime minister and his entire<br />

entourage were on-board a chartered<br />

El Al plane the night before after a twoday<br />

visit to a high-profile security conference,<br />

when a vehicle towing the aircraft<br />

on the runway crashed into it. A<br />

photo circulated to traveling journalists<br />

showed large scrapes in the underbelly<br />

of the aircraft.<br />

Netanyahu and his wife were taken<br />

off the plane and ushered back to their<br />

hotel. Other aides, including<br />

Netanyahu's national security adviser<br />

and his military secretary, spent the<br />

night on the aircraft, saying they did<br />

not want to go through the hassle of<br />

pre-boarding security checks again.<br />

A replacement plane was dispatched<br />

from Israel to urgently return the prime<br />

minster before the beginning of the<br />

Jewish Sabbath at sundown.<br />

The mishap happened as<br />

Netanyahu's government is trying to<br />

purchase an official plane for the prime<br />

minister to use.<br />

It capped a tumultuous visit for<br />

Netanyahu, who was in Poland for a<br />

U.S.-sponsored security conference<br />

attended by several high-profile Arab<br />

officials from Gulf countries.<br />

Netanyahu had hoped to use the<br />

gathering to showcase his budding ties<br />

with the Gulf Arabs. But a verbal gaffe<br />

and a video leaked by his office threatened<br />

to overshadow the event.<br />

On the eve of the meeting, Netanyahu<br />

appeared to call on other participants<br />

to prepare for "war with Iran." His<br />

office later said he had been mistranslated<br />

and only called on other countries<br />

to "combat" Iranian influence in the<br />

US envoy says talks<br />

made headway<br />

The Latest on China-U.S. trade talks in Beijing<br />

(all times local):<br />

Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer says<br />

U.S. and Chinese negotiators "made headway on<br />

very, very important" issues in talks on a technology<br />

dispute, reports UNB.<br />

Lighthizer expressed optimism but gave no<br />

details after President Donald Trump's economic<br />

adviser said he yet to decide whether to go<br />

ahead with a March 2 tariff increase.<br />

Business groups and economists said the two<br />

days of talks in Beijing were unlikely to be<br />

enough time to resolve the sprawling dispute.<br />

They said China's goal probably was to persuade<br />

Trump they were making enough progress to<br />

postpone the penalties.<br />

In a courtesy call on Chinese President Xi Jinping<br />

after the talks wrapped up, Lighthizer said,<br />

"We feel we have made headway on very, very<br />

important and difficult issues. We have additional<br />

work we have to do but we are hopeful."<br />

Two days of U.S.-Chinese trade talks have ended<br />

with no immediate indication whether they<br />

made progress on a battle over Beijing's technology<br />

ambitions.<br />

Delegations led by U.S. Trade Representative<br />

region.<br />

Late Thursday, his office briefly<br />

leaked a video showing Bahrain's foreign<br />

minister, and representatives of<br />

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates<br />

playing down the Israeli-Palestinian<br />

conflict and harshly criticizing Iran.<br />

Netanyahu's office said the video's<br />

release was a "technical error" and<br />

quickly deleted it.<br />

Vadim Vasilyev has been released<br />

from his role as vice president and CEO<br />

following a six-year stint at Ligue 1<br />

struggling side Monaco, the club's president<br />

Dmitry Rybolovlev announced<br />

through a statement on Thursday.<br />

Rybolovlev said that over the six<br />

years of Vasilyev's tenure at Monaco,<br />

they had come a long way together and<br />

achieved much success, including the<br />

team's first Ligue 1 title in 17 years and<br />

a semifinal appearance in the Champions<br />

League.<br />

"However, over the past year, serious<br />

mistakes had been made that have led<br />

to the team's worst performance in seven<br />

years," he said.<br />

The 2017 French champions languish<br />

at 18th after 24 rounds this season. The<br />

team at this position need to contend<br />

for a top-flight spot next season<br />

through the playoffs.<br />

"Since recently, I have had to deal<br />

with the club's problems. I took a number<br />

of difficult, but, in my opinion, necessary<br />

decisions.<br />

"In particular, I called Leonardo<br />

Jardim myself, apologizing for the mistake<br />

made back in October and asking<br />

him to return to lead the team. I have<br />

approved all of his proposals in relation<br />

to the acquisition of new players during<br />

the winter transfer window,"<br />

Rybolovlev pointed out.<br />

Jardim was fired as head coach last<br />

October, but took the helm again just<br />

three months later.<br />

"Now it is time for change. Changes<br />

relate not only to the players, but also to<br />

Robert Lighthizer and his Chinese counterpart,<br />

Vice Premier Liu He, met at a government<br />

g.uesthouse. They left without talking to<br />

reporters. Earlier, President Donald Trump's top<br />

economic adviser said he has yet to decide<br />

whether to go ahead with a March 2 tariff<br />

increase on Chinese imports from China. Companies<br />

and investors worry the fight between the<br />

two biggest global economies could drag on<br />

weakening world growth.<br />

U.S. and Chinese envoys are holding a second<br />

day of trade talks after the top economic adviser<br />

to President Donald Trump said he has yet to<br />

decide whether to go ahead with a March 2 tariff<br />

increase on imports from China.<br />

Business groups and economists say the two<br />

days of negotiations due to run through Friday<br />

are too brief to resolve a sprawling dispute over<br />

Beijing's technology ambitions. They say China's<br />

goal is to persuade Trump to push back the<br />

March 2 deadline.<br />

Trump's economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, told<br />

reporters in Washington the "vibe is good" in the<br />

talks, but he said Trump has made no decision<br />

on whether to escalate the dispute by letting the<br />

March 2 tariff hike go ahead.<br />

the top management of the club,"<br />

Rybolovlev talked about Vasilyev's<br />

departure, adding that "I am very grateful<br />

to Vadim for all that he has done for<br />

our club, and I wish him all the best."<br />

Rybolovlev said that he's planning to<br />

submit a new candidate for the posts of<br />

vice president and CEO to the club's<br />

board of directors for consideration on<br />

February 22.<br />

"It is not the first time that Monaco<br />

finds itself in a crisis situation. Seven<br />

years ago we managed to get through it.<br />

We are striving to repeat that success,"<br />

Rybolovlev said.<br />

Showing his gratitude to Rybolovlev<br />

and supporters, Vasilyev added that<br />

"during this time, I did my best to<br />

ensure that the club achieved the<br />

results we expected."<br />

"Despite the challenges of recent<br />

months, I am proud of the results that<br />

we achieved over these six intense<br />

years. "I am convinced that the group is<br />

on the right track and that by the end of<br />

the season the players will have had the<br />

opportunity to show their best to save<br />

this wonderful club," he said.<br />

The prime minister and his entire<br />

entourage were on-board a chartered<br />

El Al plane the night before after a twoday<br />

visit to a high-profile security conference,<br />

when a vehicle towing the aircraft<br />

on the runway crashed into it. A<br />

photo circulated to traveling journalists<br />

showed large scrapes in the underbelly<br />

of the aircraft.<br />

Netanyahu and his wife were taken<br />

off the plane and ushered back to their<br />

hotel. Other aides, including<br />

Netanyahu's national security adviser<br />

and his military secretary, spent the<br />

night on the aircraft, saying they did<br />

not want to go through the hassle of<br />

pre-boarding security checks again.<br />

A replacement plane was dispatched<br />

from Israel to urgently return the prime<br />

minster before the beginning of the<br />

Jewish Sabbath at sundown.


EDITORIAL<br />

SATURdAY,<br />

FEBRUARY <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

4<br />

US invite to Taiwan's leader would be too risky<br />

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam<br />

Telephone: +88<strong>02</strong>-9104683-84, Fax: 9127103<br />

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com<br />

Saturday, February <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

The regrettable outflow<br />

of a strategic resource<br />

The 1950's began amid optimism about the<br />

development of Asian countries including<br />

Bangladesh. It was assumed that<br />

investment, education, and modern<br />

management would be sufficient for their<br />

economic growth.<br />

But by the 1960's, disillusionment spread.<br />

The progress of developing countries was<br />

uneven, it fell short of aspirations, the<br />

developed countries grew faster, and therefore<br />

international gaps widened rather than<br />

narrowed. The "brain drain" issue moved from<br />

scholarly analysis and newspaper<br />

recriminations onto the floor of the United<br />

Nations General Assembly in late 1967.<br />

Resolutions introduced by developing<br />

countries demanded that richer members<br />

(particularly the United States) change their<br />

migration policies, encourage foreign students<br />

to learn the skills needed at home, encourage<br />

these students to return, and compensate the<br />

developing countries for losses.<br />

Human capital, as a strategic resource, is<br />

flowing out of the economy of Bangladesh<br />

where it can make the greatest contribution to<br />

human welfare, and into economies already<br />

well-supplied with trained, capable, scientific<br />

and administrative personnel.<br />

A nation is considered to be modern and<br />

advanced by surveying the extents of its<br />

technological developments in the field of<br />

science and industry. The main sources of the<br />

knowledge and know-how for these<br />

technologies are the educated and motivated<br />

individuals who include scientists, doctors,<br />

engineers, teachers, business pioneers, etc.<br />

But in a country like Bangladesh where most<br />

of the people are illiterate, advancement in<br />

development is at stake. On the other hand, the<br />

ones who are educated and capable of<br />

contributing towards the growth of the nation,<br />

prefer to live abroad. There is a significant<br />

number of highly educated Bangladeshis<br />

abroad who contribute to the welfare of foreign<br />

countries.<br />

Statistics show that 65 per cent of the newly<br />

graduated doctors in Bangladesh attempt to<br />

practice abroad. While in the country, there are<br />

millions of children suffering from<br />

malnutrition and childhood diseases. One can<br />

only imagine what improvements the newly<br />

graduates could have made in the country if<br />

they were to practice there. Moreover, every<br />

year thousands of people die due to untreated<br />

diseases.<br />

Even though there are some free treatment<br />

opportunities, the doctors that are available are<br />

usually inexperienced. The public is well aware<br />

of this fact and, therefore, whenever a<br />

complicated operation is to be performed, the<br />

patient, if he happens to be from wealthy<br />

family, is rushed to either Singapore, India or<br />

Thailand. The fate of the poor patient, on the<br />

other hand, lies in the hands of the<br />

inexperienced doctor.<br />

The generally held conception among the<br />

people of Bangladesh is that anything "foreign"<br />

is better. They would rather go and struggle to<br />

survive in a richer country than struggle in their<br />

own land. The underdeveloped countries have<br />

found themselves woefully short of technical<br />

and professional personnel in the key<br />

administrative and research positions. Today,<br />

as never before, there is a "common market" for<br />

brain power which transcends national<br />

boundaries. The improved transportation and<br />

communication available have facilitated the<br />

increased rate of brain drain that drags<br />

Bangladesh backwards into ignorance.<br />

The cream of our students is migrating for<br />

overseas institutions of higher learning-some<br />

through scholarships, others by self-finance;<br />

very few of them ever return. If this trend of<br />

brain drain continues, Bangladesh will surely<br />

face major challenges, if not facing them<br />

already, in the initial decades of this century.<br />

Neighbours such as India and Pakistan have<br />

taken several initiatives to bring back their<br />

expatriates from overseas destinations. It is<br />

high time for our government to act and take<br />

measures to address the situation of brain drain<br />

by initiating discussions with the Bangladeshi<br />

immigrants.<br />

With US President Donald<br />

Trump preparing for his<br />

second summit with Kim<br />

Jong Un and tensions between<br />

Beijing and Washington continuing to<br />

intensify, a group of five key American<br />

senators wrote a letter to House<br />

Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to<br />

invite Taiwan's unpopular president<br />

to address a joint session of Congress.<br />

Many onlookers have struggled to<br />

define exactly what that invitation will<br />

mean for the Taiwan Strait if it is<br />

extended. Is there a danger that the<br />

gesture will exacerbate tensions<br />

between the United States and China?<br />

China is one of America's' rivals and<br />

has constantly pressed Taiwan into<br />

submission, and tried to stifle it and<br />

maintain the fiction of the one-China<br />

policy. Beijing has continued to escalate<br />

rhetoric and actions that threaten<br />

Taiwan's democracy and sovereignty.<br />

The only way to preserve Taiwanese<br />

democracy, at this moment, is the<br />

status quo and measured, practical<br />

policy. It's a good thing the vast<br />

majority of Taiwanese voters<br />

understand this.<br />

Taiwan needs Washington's strong<br />

support, but the Americans should be<br />

careful not to adopt a belligerent<br />

posture. Relations between Beijing and<br />

SAUDI Crown Prince<br />

Mohammad bin Salman is set to<br />

arrive in Pakistan tomorrow.<br />

The visit will play an important role<br />

in strengthening the two countries'<br />

economic ties, with MBS ready to<br />

commit to a historic investment in<br />

Pakistan. Last year, Prime Minister<br />

Imran Khan travelled to Riyadh to<br />

negotiate a bailout package, which<br />

led to a $6 billion pledge from the<br />

kingdom.<br />

This significant financial support is<br />

undoubtedly a welcome relief to our<br />

economy. However, as the crown<br />

prince and our premier establish the<br />

agenda for the upcoming visit, it is<br />

important that the latter prioritise<br />

the issue of the over 3,300 Pakistanis<br />

currently languishing in Saudi<br />

prisons with the foreign delegation.<br />

Despite being a crucial geopolitical<br />

ally, the kingdom executes more<br />

Pakistanis than any other foreign<br />

nationality, with at least 20<br />

executions in 2014, 22 in 2015, seven<br />

in 20<strong>16</strong>, 17 in 2017, and 30 in 2018 -<br />

nearly 100 in the last five years.<br />

Our governments of the past have<br />

taken no notice of these prisoners'<br />

situation, providing little in the way<br />

of legal or financial assistance, partly<br />

due to a lack of proper protocols<br />

provided to Pakistani missions and<br />

largely due to political indifference.<br />

As former chief justice of the Lahore<br />

High Court, Justice Syed Mansoor<br />

Ali Shah remarked in 2017: "It<br />

appears that the government has<br />

adopted a policy of 'no policy' on<br />

overseas Pakistanis in Arab countries<br />

especially."<br />

On Feb 13, Foreign Minister Shah<br />

Mehmood Qureshi assured that the<br />

THE Warsaw meeting seems to<br />

have failed before it even started.<br />

This is due mainly to what players<br />

in the Middle East see as an<br />

unprecedented retreat by US President<br />

Donald Trump's administration in the<br />

face of an assertive Russia and Iran.<br />

The conference, as expected, did not<br />

rally consensus for a serious drive to<br />

change the behavior of the Iranian<br />

regime, since the objectives of those<br />

meeting in Warsaw were so divergent on<br />

the means to confront Tehran in the<br />

region and globally.<br />

Maybe the US and Europe should<br />

instead have called for a Euro-US<br />

meeting to counter the Russian and<br />

Iranian Trojan horses within the West,<br />

which have been interfering in elections,<br />

funding radicals, and promoting an anti-<br />

Western narrative.<br />

The US retreat from the Middle East<br />

under the Trump administration is<br />

making allies jittery, and Trump's style of<br />

erratic decisions on international affairs<br />

is pushing all those who orbit the US<br />

model of liberal democracy to scramble<br />

for containment or bilateral deals to<br />

circumvent America's chaotic foreign<br />

policy.<br />

The conference was surely a good<br />

photo opportunity but, as it drew to a<br />

close on Valentine's Day, it reflected how<br />

fractured our world has become.<br />

The US withdrawal from Syria, the<br />

inefficiency of US policies and military<br />

interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan,<br />

the trade wars with China, the alleged<br />

collusion with Vladimir Putin's Russia,<br />

Washington have been tense in recent<br />

months, and because the US does not<br />

officially recognize Taiwan's<br />

government and there are so many<br />

global flashpoints that could quickly<br />

divert the Trump administration's<br />

attention, there is a concern is that the<br />

US might take an outspoken stance on<br />

Taiwan and then suddenly soften its<br />

tone, which could leave the island in an<br />

even more vulnerable position.<br />

Taiwan is just a part of the broader<br />

context of Sino-American relations. If<br />

Beijing is taking some hard knocks as a<br />

way of expressing displeasure with<br />

Washington's actions, it pays a price in<br />

inviting President Tsai Ing-wen.<br />

Experts on Taiwan said the senators'<br />

proposal is flawed and Taiwan would<br />

suffer, as a gesture that intended to help<br />

KENT WANg<br />

it would only hurt it. This is because<br />

Beijing would take the opportunity to<br />

squeeze Taipei even more than it is<br />

already.<br />

Washington exercises tremendous<br />

influence on the Taiwan issue. How the<br />

US Congress exercises that influence<br />

could well affect the future prosperity<br />

and safety of 23 million people. Taiwan<br />

must maintain a balanced relationship<br />

with the United States on the one hand<br />

Washington exercises tremendous influence on the Taiwan<br />

issue. how the US Congress exercises that influence could well<br />

affect the future prosperity and safety of 23 million people.<br />

Taiwan must maintain a balanced relationship with the United<br />

States on the one hand and with China on the other. Will inviting<br />

Taiwan's president to Washington mean wading into a conflict in<br />

the Taiwan Strait that could escalate into outright war?<br />

government would raise this issue,<br />

specifically regarding those who have<br />

been incarcerated for petty crimes,<br />

with the Saudi delegation. It is great<br />

that the government has begun to<br />

acknowledge the plight of citizens<br />

imprisoned overseas.<br />

Over 3,300 Pakistanis are currently<br />

languishing in Saudi prisons.<br />

However, the government has an<br />

obligation to afford the protection of<br />

the law to all Pakistanis wherever<br />

they may be, as per the Constitution,<br />

especially those who face the<br />

harshest punishments. Pakistanis<br />

imprisoned abroad have to navigate<br />

local courts without access to<br />

lawyers, impartial translators, or<br />

adequate consular assistance. They<br />

are at a significant disadvantage due<br />

to their lack of understanding of the<br />

legal process, incapability to<br />

communicate directly with the court,<br />

and inability to produce evidence<br />

from Pakistan in their defence.<br />

The recent spate of executions of<br />

Pakistanis carried out by Saudi<br />

Arabia have come at a time when our<br />

government and the kingdom are<br />

negotiating a prisoner transfer<br />

agreement (PTA), which would allow<br />

and with China on the other. Will<br />

inviting Taiwan's president to<br />

Washington mean wading into a<br />

conflict in the Taiwan Strait that could<br />

escalate into outright war? The<br />

invitation is contrary to a fundamental<br />

principle of US relations with China<br />

and for Washington, it could be a fatal<br />

strategic blunder.<br />

A more urgent PTA<br />

MUhAMMAd USMAN<br />

thousands of Pakistani prisoners to<br />

be repatriated, making it easier to<br />

investigate the circumstances of their<br />

alleged crimes and allowing them the<br />

dignity of returning home and<br />

completing their sentences.<br />

The last government seemed to<br />

have made some progress in March<br />

2018. The federal cabinet approved<br />

prisoner transfer agreements with<br />

China and Saudi Arabia, subject to<br />

the 'respective inputs' of the foreign,<br />

The PML-N government suspended all PTAs in 2015 as prisoners<br />

repatriated from Britain were set free without completing their<br />

sentences under dubious circumstances. These PTAs were eventually<br />

reinstated by a Supreme Court order in April last year but it is unclear<br />

whether they are still in force, since the current government has<br />

announced that it is negotiating PTAs with the UAE and Britain.<br />

Trump's reservations on the EU as a<br />

whole, and his questioning of NATO's<br />

role are examples that will make many<br />

diplomats jittery around US Secretary of<br />

State Mike Pompeo in Warsaw.<br />

The proposed meeting of 70-plus<br />

foreign ministers in Poland was<br />

eventually watered down to 50 or 60<br />

senior representatives, mainly ministers,<br />

deputy ministers and ambassadors: A<br />

game of numbers that makes Iran,<br />

Russia and their allies grin. The initial<br />

conference theme of containment of Iran<br />

also shifted to become a "Ministerial to<br />

Promote a Future of Peace and Security<br />

in the Middle East" in order to<br />

accommodate allies with economic<br />

interests with Iran, mostly Europeans.<br />

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed<br />

Javad Zarif has dubbed the meeting in<br />

Poland the "Warsaw Circus".<br />

Many Arab countries have for long held<br />

Iran responsible for incitement and<br />

meddling in their affairs, exporting its<br />

Islamic revolution through propping up<br />

groups loyal to its cause in Iraq, Lebanon,<br />

MohAMEd ChEBARo<br />

defence and law ministries.<br />

However, no evident progress has<br />

been made on this front and 24<br />

Pakistanis have been executed since<br />

April last year. These Pakistanis<br />

could have been repatriated and<br />

reunited with their families had the<br />

PTA been finalised.<br />

The PML-N government<br />

suspended all PTAs in 2015 as<br />

prisoners repatriated from Britain<br />

were set free without completing<br />

their sentences under dubious<br />

circumstances. These PTAs were<br />

eventually reinstated by a Supreme<br />

Court order in April last year but it is<br />

unclear whether they are still in<br />

force, since the current government<br />

has announced that it is negotiating<br />

Syria, Bahrain, Yemen and Gaza to<br />

undermine the states and societies of<br />

those countries.<br />

Trump walked away from what he<br />

called a "terrible" 2015 nuclear deal<br />

negotiated by his predecessor Barack<br />

Obama, which left Tehran free to develop<br />

its ballistic missile technology and pursue<br />

its indirect military interference in many<br />

Arab countries. But the EU has defied<br />

Trump and kept its commitment to the<br />

accord by setting up a financial tool for<br />

European firms to skirt US sanctions and<br />

keep doing business in the Middle East's<br />

second most populous country.<br />

Even Poland - always eager to please<br />

Washington as it fears a resurgent Russia<br />

- has been at pains to continue backing<br />

the agreement. Poland, as co-host, even<br />

chose to tone down the conference's aims<br />

to a vague goal of seeking peace in the<br />

Middle East, rather than mentioning<br />

Iran as the main precursor for the<br />

meeting.<br />

European officials, especially those<br />

from France and Germany, are livid<br />

The use of military force would be<br />

catastrophic for those on both sides<br />

of the Taiwan Strait, and for the<br />

region. But how far does the United<br />

States intend to push this? And why<br />

would Washington conclude that<br />

this ill-considered symbolic gesture<br />

is worth the risk? The invitation<br />

would make substantive cross-Strait<br />

progress more difficult, not less.<br />

That these questions must now be<br />

considered highlights the disorderly<br />

nature of US-Taiwan-China trilateral<br />

relations.<br />

Concern over China's reaction is the<br />

main reason Congress would choose<br />

not to invite President Tsai. The<br />

Americans should ask themselves<br />

whether hosting a speech by an<br />

unpopular Taiwanese president is<br />

worth taking such a risk.<br />

If the president of Taiwan were to<br />

speak to a joint meeting of Congress, it<br />

would provoke an enormous backlash<br />

from Beijing. An act such as allowing<br />

her to address Congress might be just<br />

the excuse Beijing would use to take<br />

military action. Would the United<br />

States really commit forces to that fight,<br />

treaty or not? I hope we never get to<br />

find out.<br />

Source : Asia Times<br />

PTAs with the UAE and Britain.<br />

Regardless, it is crucial that these<br />

PTAs are finalised at once. It is<br />

equally important that our<br />

government demand that the Saudi<br />

government halt all executions until<br />

a PTA is finalised. Otherwise,<br />

prisoners that could be repatriated<br />

would remain at the mercy of judges<br />

who can overturn their sentences<br />

without any forewarning. Last year,<br />

Justice Project Pakistan came to<br />

know that several Pakistanis<br />

imprisoned in Saudi Arabia had their<br />

life sentences converted to death<br />

sentences without any forewarning.<br />

Several of these Pakistanis have<br />

already been executed.<br />

Pakistan will not be alone in its<br />

demand for the repatriation of its<br />

prisoners. India has negotiated an<br />

extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia,<br />

and the UK, US and Philippines have<br />

all signed prisoner transfer<br />

agreements with Saudi Arabia in the<br />

past. At a time when we are<br />

furthering our economic relationship<br />

with the Saudis, it is important to<br />

remember that a humanitarian<br />

obligation exists too.<br />

Finalising a PTA with Saudi Arabia<br />

and demanding that the Saudi<br />

government halt all executions of<br />

Pakistanis until a PTA is finalised<br />

would be an excellent step towards<br />

fulfilling a commitment Mr Khan<br />

made in his emphatic first speech<br />

upon taking office. It would prove<br />

that our relationship with Saudi<br />

Arabia is a mutually respectful one,<br />

one that goes beyond photo-ops,<br />

economic or military ties.<br />

Source : Dawn<br />

US-EU discord evident at troubled Warsaw summit<br />

The proposed meeting of 70-plus foreign ministers in Poland was eventually watered<br />

down to 50 or 60 senior representatives, mainly ministers, deputy ministers and<br />

ambassadors: A game of numbers that makes Iran, Russia and their allies grin. The<br />

initial conference theme of containment of Iran also shifted to become a "Ministerial<br />

to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East" in order to<br />

accommodate allies with economic interests with Iran, mostly Europeans.<br />

about the conference, which they see not<br />

only as an attempt to increase pressure<br />

on Iran, but also to lead EU members<br />

into rubber-stamping the US' Middle<br />

East agenda, as championed by the<br />

president's son-in-law and senior<br />

adviser, Jared Kushner.<br />

The sole senior EU power to send its<br />

foreign minister will soon be leaving<br />

the bloc. British Foreign Secretary<br />

Jeremy Hunt agreed to attend, if only<br />

to ratchet up support for a flagging<br />

Yemen cease-fire.<br />

The conference was surely a good<br />

photo opportunity but, as it drew to a<br />

close on Valentine's Day, it reflected how<br />

fractured our world has become and how<br />

tense the relationship between Europe<br />

and the US is. Meanwhile, the absence of<br />

Russia and China is an indication of the<br />

failure of multilateral action and<br />

diplomacy in the world today.<br />

Even amongst traditional allies,<br />

differences were prominent in Warsaw,<br />

as conflict in the Middle East intersected<br />

with other global crises like the fear of<br />

Russian assertiveness returning to<br />

Eastern Europe and the rise in tensions<br />

within the EU due to the growth of rightwing<br />

populism.<br />

If anything, Warsaw should have been<br />

a venue for Europe to clear the air with<br />

Washington, as EU officials have<br />

expressed outrage at the US' alleged<br />

efforts to widen divisions within the bloc<br />

and encourage members to leave the<br />

union or downgrade ties with Brussels.<br />

Source : Arab News


SCIENCE & TECH<br />

SATurDAY,<br />

FeBruArY <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

5<br />

Google permeates almost every facet of online life, making it difficult but not impossible to remove.<br />

Photo: Arnd Wiegmann<br />

Is it possible to remove Google from our life?<br />

Jack Schofield<br />

Google's motto used to be "don't be evil",<br />

but in the eyes of some it has now taken<br />

on the mantle of the "evil empire" from<br />

Microsoft, which Bill Gates and crew<br />

inherited from the IBM mocked in the<br />

Mac's launch advert in 1984. The EU has<br />

fined Google €2.4bn (£2.2bn) for abusing<br />

its search monopoly by favouring its<br />

products. Most recently, Google was<br />

fined €4.34bn for "very serious illegal<br />

behaviour" in using Android "to cement<br />

its dominance as a search engine",<br />

according to the EU's competition<br />

commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, a<br />

charge the company contests.<br />

Google started by taking over the<br />

search engine market. It now dominates<br />

smartphone operating systems<br />

(Android), browsers (Chrome), webbased<br />

email (Gmail), online video<br />

(YouTube) and maps. It is also<br />

challenging in other areas with its own<br />

cloud platform, an online office suite,<br />

Chromebooks, Waze, Nest and so on.<br />

Google is far advanced in driverless cars<br />

(Waymo) and artificial intelligence<br />

(DeepMind). Resistance is futile. You will<br />

Linda Kinstler<br />

Should one be so unlucky as<br />

to find oneself, as I did, lying<br />

awake in bed in the early<br />

hours of the morning in a<br />

hostel in La Paz, Bolivia,<br />

listening anxiously to the<br />

sound of someone trying to<br />

force their way into one's<br />

room, one could do worse<br />

than to throw a chair under<br />

the doorknob as a first line of<br />

defence. But this is not what<br />

I did. Instead, I held my<br />

breath and waited until the<br />

intruder, ever so mercifully,<br />

abandoned his project and<br />

sauntered down the hall.<br />

The next morning, when I<br />

raised the incident with the<br />

hostel employee at the front<br />

desk, he said the attempted<br />

intrusion had just been an<br />

innocent mistake, a<br />

misdirected early-morning<br />

wake-up call gone wrong,<br />

and what was the big deal,<br />

anyway? Fuming, I turned to<br />

the highest authority in the<br />

be assimilated.<br />

We can probably agree Google has won<br />

by delivering high-quality products, and<br />

more than 40 corpses in the Google<br />

Graveyard - soon to be joined by its awful<br />

social network, Google+ - prove it doesn't<br />

always win. But there are other problems.<br />

First, Google now controls web<br />

development to the point where not even<br />

Microsoft can compete, as shown by the<br />

latter's recent decision to replace its<br />

EdgeHTML browser engine with the<br />

open source Chromium on which<br />

Google's Chrome browser is based. Users<br />

were supposed to benefit from<br />

competition between rival<br />

implementations of open web standards,<br />

but today Chromium and therefore<br />

Chrome is the standard.<br />

As Firefox-developer Mozilla has<br />

pointed out, "from a social, civic and<br />

individual empowerment perspective,<br />

ceding control of fundamental online<br />

infrastructure to a single company is<br />

terrible". Second, many of us have<br />

problems with Google's business model,<br />

which the Harvard Business School<br />

professor Shoshana Zuboff has called<br />

"surveillance capitalism". Google<br />

world of international travel,<br />

the only entity to which<br />

every hotel, restaurant,<br />

museum and attraction in<br />

the world is beholden: I left<br />

the hostel a bad review on<br />

TripAdvisor.<br />

TripAdvisor is where we<br />

go to praise, criticise and<br />

purchase our way through<br />

the inhabited world. It is, at<br />

its core, a guestbook, a place<br />

where people record the<br />

highs and lows of their<br />

holiday experiences for the<br />

benefit of hotel proprietors<br />

and future guests. But this<br />

guestbook lives on the<br />

internet, where its<br />

contributors continue<br />

swapping advice, memories<br />

and complaints about their<br />

journeys long after their<br />

vacations have come to an<br />

end.<br />

Every month, 456 million<br />

people - about one in every<br />

<strong>16</strong> people on earth - visit<br />

some tentacle of<br />

TripAdvisor.com to plan or<br />

assess a trip. For virtually<br />

every place, there exists a<br />

corresponding page. The<br />

Rajneeshee Osho<br />

International Meditation<br />

Resort in Pune, India, has<br />

140 reviews and a 4 out of 5<br />

rating, Cobham Service<br />

Station on the M25 has 451<br />

reviews and a rating of 3.5,<br />

while Wes Anderson's<br />

fictional Grand Budapest<br />

Hotel currently has 358<br />

reviews and a rating of 4.5.<br />

Over its two decades in<br />

business, TripAdvisor has<br />

turned an initial investment<br />

of $3m into a$7bn business<br />

by figuring out how to<br />

provide a service that no<br />

other tech company has<br />

quite mastered: constantly<br />

updated information about<br />

every imaginable element of<br />

travel, courtesy of an evergrowing<br />

army of<br />

contributors who provide<br />

their services for free.<br />

Browsing through<br />

TripAdvisor's 660m reviews<br />

finances its free services by tracking users<br />

and targeting them with advertisements.<br />

In fact, it tracks you across the web even<br />

if you never visit any Google properties<br />

because other websites commonly use<br />

Google AdWords, AdMob, DoubleClick,<br />

Google Analytics, and its other tracking<br />

or advertising products.<br />

From your searches and site visits,<br />

Google probably knows more about you<br />

than your mother or your spouse, and<br />

there's no telling where that information<br />

will eventually end up. If you use an<br />

Android phone, Google can also track<br />

your physical location, and if you turn<br />

that off, you lose directions, "find my<br />

phone" and other features.<br />

The simplest way to avoid most Google<br />

products is to switch to the Microsoft or<br />

Apple equivalents, in whole or in part.<br />

Some would see this as jumping out of the<br />

frying pan into the fire. However, Satya<br />

Nadella's new Microsoft is different from<br />

the old one, and driven by other metrics<br />

(usage instead of units). It is building a<br />

broader cross-platform ecosystem than<br />

either Google (everything online) or<br />

Apple (everything on Apple).<br />

TripAdvisor: Travel in the 21st century<br />

The world's biggest travel site has turned the industry upside down.<br />

Photo: Getty<br />

is a study in extremes. As a<br />

kind of mirror of the world<br />

and all its wonders, the site<br />

can transport you to the<br />

most spectacular<br />

landmarks, the finest<br />

restaurants, the most<br />

"adrenaline-pumping"<br />

water parks, the greatest<br />

"Hop-On Hop-Off<br />

Experiences" that mankind<br />

has ever devised. Yet<br />

TripAdvisor reviews are also<br />

a ruthless audit of the earth's<br />

many flaws. For every<br />

effusive review of the Eiffel<br />

Tower ("Worth the hype at<br />

night," "Perfect Backdrop!"),<br />

there is another that<br />

suggests it is a blight on the<br />

face of the earth ("sad, ugly,<br />

don't bother"; "similar to the<br />

lobby of a big Vegas casino,<br />

but outside".)<br />

TripAdvisor is to travel as<br />

Google is to search, as<br />

Amazon is to books, as Uber<br />

is to cabs - so dominant that<br />

it is almost a monopoly. Bad<br />

reviews can be devastating<br />

for business, so proprietors<br />

tend to think of them in<br />

rather violent terms. "It is<br />

the marketing/PR<br />

equivalent of a drive-by<br />

shooting," Edward Terry,<br />

the owner of a Lebanese<br />

restaurant in Weybridge,<br />

UK, wrote in 2015.<br />

Marketers call a cascade of<br />

online one-star ratings a<br />

"review bomb". Likewise,<br />

positive reviews can<br />

transform<br />

an<br />

establishment's fortunes.<br />

Researchers studying Yelp,<br />

one of TripAdvisor's main<br />

competitors, found that a<br />

one-star increase meant a 5-<br />

9% increase in revenue.<br />

Before TripAdvisor, the<br />

customer was only<br />

nominally king. After, he<br />

became a veritable tyrant,<br />

with the power to make or<br />

break lives. In response, the<br />

hospitality industry has<br />

lawyered up, and it is not<br />

uncommon for businesses to<br />

threaten to sue customers<br />

who post negative reviews.<br />

Why Silicon Valley can’t fix itself<br />

Ben Tarnoff<br />

Big Tech is sorry. After<br />

decades of rarely<br />

apologising for anything,<br />

Silicon Valley suddenly<br />

seems to be apologising for<br />

everything. They are sorry<br />

about the trolls. They are<br />

sorry about the bots. They<br />

are sorry about the fake<br />

news and the Russians,<br />

and the cartoons that are<br />

terrifying your kids on<br />

YouTube. But they are<br />

especially sorry about our<br />

brains.<br />

Sean Parker, the former<br />

president of Facebook -<br />

who was played by Justin<br />

Timberlake in The Social<br />

Network - has publicly<br />

lamented the "unintended<br />

consequences" of the<br />

platform he helped create:<br />

"God only knows what it's<br />

doing to our children's<br />

brains." Justin Rosenstein,<br />

an engineer who helped<br />

build Facebook's "like"<br />

button and Gchat, regrets<br />

having contributed to<br />

technology that he now<br />

considers psychologically<br />

damaging, too. "Everyone<br />

is distracted," Rosenstein<br />

says. "All of the time."<br />

Ever since the internet<br />

became widely used by the<br />

public in the 1990s, users<br />

have heard warnings that it<br />

is bad for us. In the early<br />

years, many commentators<br />

described cyberspace as a<br />

parallel universe that could<br />

swallow enthusiasts whole.<br />

The media fretted about<br />

kids talking to strangers<br />

and finding porn. A<br />

prominent 1998 study<br />

from Carnegie Mellon<br />

University claimed that<br />

spending time online made<br />

you lonely, depressed and<br />

antisocial.<br />

In the mid-2000s, as the<br />

internet moved on to<br />

mobile devices, physical<br />

and virtual life began to<br />

merge. Bullish pundits<br />

celebrated the "cognitive<br />

surplus" unlocked by<br />

crowdsourcing and the<br />

tech-savvy campaigns of<br />

Barack Obama, the<br />

"internet president". But,<br />

alongside these optimistic<br />

voices, darker warnings<br />

persisted. Nicholas Carr's<br />

The Shallows (2010)<br />

argued that search engines<br />

were making people<br />

stupid, while Eli Pariser's<br />

The Filter Bubble (2011)<br />

claimed algorithms made<br />

us insular by showing us<br />

only what we wanted to<br />

see. In Alone, Together<br />

(2011) and Reclaiming<br />

Conversation (2015),<br />

Sherry Turkle warned that<br />

constant connectivity was<br />

making meaningful<br />

interaction impossible.<br />

Still, inside the industry,<br />

t e c h n o - u t o p i a n i s m<br />

prevailed. Silicon Valley<br />

seemed to assume that the<br />

tools they were building<br />

were always forces for good<br />

- and that anyone who<br />

questioned them was a<br />

crank or a luddite. In the<br />

face of an anti-tech<br />

backlash that has surged<br />

since the 20<strong>16</strong> election,<br />

however, this faith appears<br />

to be faltering. Prominent<br />

people in the industry are<br />

beginning to acknowledge<br />

that their products may<br />

have harmful effects.<br />

Internet anxiety isn't<br />

new. But never before have<br />

so many notable figures<br />

within the industry seemed<br />

so anxious about the world<br />

they have made. Parker,<br />

Rosenstein and the other<br />

insiders now talking about<br />

the harms of smartphones<br />

and social media belong to<br />

an informal yet influential<br />

current of tech critics<br />

emerging within Silicon<br />

Valley. You could call them<br />

the "tech humanists".<br />

Amid rising public concern<br />

about the power of the<br />

industry, they argue that<br />

the primary problem with<br />

its products is that they<br />

threaten our health and<br />

our humanity.<br />

It is clear that these<br />

products are designed to be<br />

maximally addictive, in<br />

order to harvest as much of<br />

our attention as they can.<br />

Tech humanists say this<br />

business model is both<br />

unhealthy and inhumane -<br />

that it damages our<br />

psychological well-being<br />

and conditions us to<br />

behave in ways that<br />

diminish our humanity.<br />

The main solution that<br />

they propose is better<br />

design. By redesigning<br />

technology to be less<br />

addictive and less<br />

manipulative, they believe<br />

we can make it healthier -<br />

we can realign technology<br />

with our humanity and<br />

build products that don't<br />

"hijack" our minds.<br />

Apple founder Steve Jobs posing with a<br />

Macintosh computer.<br />

Photo: Ted Thai<br />

What to consider before buying a mobile phone<br />

Jack Schofield<br />

Phone manufacturers and others<br />

can and do test their phones, usually<br />

for certification purposes. The<br />

performance test results you want, if<br />

you can get them, are the Total<br />

Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS) value for<br />

reception and the Total Radiated<br />

Power (TRP) for transmission.<br />

These probably don't qualify as<br />

easy for an ordinary punter to<br />

understand. Also, they are derived<br />

by testing performance in ideal<br />

conditions with a simulated base<br />

station in an anechoic chamber, not<br />

with a fading signal on a wet and<br />

windy hillside.<br />

Either way, I don't think phone<br />

manufacturers are likely to use TIS<br />

in their marketing. There are too<br />

many variables for it to be a reliable<br />

guide to real-world reception. For<br />

example, studies have found<br />

significant differences between<br />

holding a phone in the left hand and<br />

holding it in the right hand, which I<br />

assume is connected with the way<br />

manufacturers position their<br />

antenna(s). The size of your hands<br />

and the angle at which you hold the<br />

phone also make a difference.<br />

The tests were created by the CTIA<br />

- originally the Cellular<br />

Telecommunications Industry<br />

Association - to certify wireless<br />

devices' over-the-air performance,<br />

and a brief glance at the 591-page<br />

PDF will show how complicated it is.<br />

For example, you could measure<br />

peak performance with a directional<br />

aerial, but then users would have to<br />

orient the phone towards the unseen<br />

transmitter for the best results.<br />

Instead, the CTIA requires the<br />

"average spherical effective radiated<br />

receiver sensitivity (TIS) to be<br />

measured". This should mean a<br />

phone works equally well in all<br />

directions, but it's complicated to<br />

calculate and still a compromise.<br />

Another problem is making<br />

antennas work with different 2G, 3G<br />

and 4G phone networks that operate<br />

at different frequencies. A phone<br />

that works well with GSM 900<br />

might be terrible with UMTS 2100.<br />

The downside of having a phone<br />

that talks to most networks is that it<br />

won't be optimised for the one you<br />

actually use.<br />

Also, because human bodies have<br />

not been standardised, TIS and TRP<br />

measurements are made with<br />

dummy heads and hands filled with<br />

liquid. Results may vary if you use<br />

real people. In the end, the only<br />

measurements that matter are the<br />

ones you get with your head and<br />

hands with the specific frequencies<br />

used by your EE network. We are<br />

left with "ask a friend" and the notvery-helpful<br />

"try it and see".<br />

Most tests assume that all models<br />

of a particular phone will perform in<br />

the same way, but Ofcom found<br />

differences. As with other products,<br />

phones that look identical can vary.<br />

In some cases, they may have been<br />

assembled in different countries,<br />

and use slightly different<br />

components. In others, the circuitry<br />

may have been revised between<br />

editions. Even if the internal<br />

components seem to be the same,<br />

there could be some sample<br />

variation, without a phone actually<br />

being faulty.<br />

This makes me wonder if your<br />

Moto 3 is below average in reception<br />

performance. In most cases, no one<br />

would ever know, but you are<br />

literally an "edge case". With a new<br />

phone, it might be worth asking the<br />

supplier for a different sample, but it<br />

may be too late for that.<br />

It would be interesting to know<br />

what would happen if you swapped<br />

phones and sims with your wife. You<br />

may have a bigger capacitance than<br />

your wife, electronically speaking,<br />

and possibly much bigger hands.<br />

Both can and do affect reception. If<br />

your Moto 3 works better in her<br />

hands, then either you or your sim<br />

are degrading the performance. It<br />

might be worth getting a new sim.<br />

As you already know, using your<br />

phone on a selfie stick can improve<br />

performance. You may also get<br />

better reception by not touching the<br />

phone and using the built-in<br />

speakerphone. You could also try<br />

using a signal booster or repeater.<br />

Why is it that some smartphones have better reception than others and is there any way to<br />

find out which ones are best before buying them?<br />

Photo: Samuel Gibbs


ECONOMY & BUSINESS<br />

6<br />

SATURDAy, FEBRUARy <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

PRAN national pickle<br />

winners awarded<br />

The gala awards ceremony of 19th<br />

PRAN National Pickle Competition-<br />

2018 was held on Fridayevening at<br />

Bangabandhu International<br />

Conference Center.<br />

Pickle of Nowrin Ahsan of Dhaka<br />

was judged as the 'Pickle of the year'.<br />

She received Tk 2 lakh as prize<br />

money. Besides, a total of 12 women<br />

in four categories - sweet, sour, hot<br />

and mixed - won the awards while<br />

another 35 were given complimentary<br />

awards.<br />

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni<br />

handed over the awards as chief guest<br />

while Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, CEO<br />

and Chairman of PRAN-RFL Group,<br />

Uzma Chowdhury, Director<br />

(Corporate Finance), EleashMridah,<br />

Managing Director of PRAN Group<br />

and Israrul Haque, Executive Director<br />

of Channel-i, among others, were<br />

present at the function.<br />

Addressing the program,<br />

DrDipuMoni said, "Pickle is a part of<br />

our tradition. The women of the<br />

country have been making pickle for<br />

long time. But they never consider it<br />

as a commercial item. This pickle<br />

competition is working as a platform<br />

for the women to move forward."<br />

Ahsan Khan Chowdhury said,<br />

"PRAN is running its activities with<br />

the country's general people<br />

especially women and farmers. PRAN<br />

is entering to world market after<br />

processing the farmer's crops and<br />

becoming popular to the world as<br />

PRAN (heart) of Bangladesh.<br />

PRAN group is working relentlessly<br />

regarding women empowerment. We<br />

have been organizing the event for last<br />

19 years to show the respect to the<br />

activities of country's women folk."<br />

A total of 3,796 participants across the<br />

country took part at the competition<br />

with 7,892 pickles prepared by them.<br />

Nowrin Ahsan of Dhaka, Nuri<br />

Musaiyada of Chattogram, Shabana of<br />

Dhaka won first, second and third<br />

prizes respectively in sour category<br />

while SayedaAsma of Jashore, Rafeza<br />

Rashid of Dhaka and Salma Malek of<br />

Tangailgot first, second and third prizes<br />

respectively in sweet category.<br />

Abida Sultana of Barishal, Sharmin<br />

Jaman of Dhaka and Morjina<br />

Khanom of Khulna won first, second<br />

and third prizes in hot category<br />

whileFarzana Afrin, Laila Yesmin of<br />

Dhaka and Aporupa of Khulanawon<br />

first, second and third prizes<br />

respectively in mixed category.<br />

World stocks slip<br />

with few leads from<br />

US-China talks<br />

World markets were mostly<br />

lower on Friday in the<br />

absence of good news as the<br />

U.S. and China concluded<br />

yet another round of trade<br />

talks in Beijing, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

France's CAC 40 rose 0.4<br />

percent to 5,080.31 while<br />

the DAX in Germany<br />

dipped 0.4 percent to<br />

11,044.17. Britain's FTSE<br />

100 edged up 0.1 percent to<br />

7,2<strong>02</strong>.54.<br />

Wall Street was set for<br />

losses on the open. S&P 500<br />

futures shed 0.3 percent to<br />

2,735.00. Futures for the<br />

Dow were 0.4 percent lower<br />

at 25,327.00.<br />

European traders were<br />

looking out for possible<br />

snap elections in Spain.<br />

Prime Minister Pedro<br />

Sanchez was to make an<br />

announcement Friday after<br />

his government lost a key<br />

budget vote.<br />

American and Chinese<br />

officials were to wrap up<br />

two days of negotiations in<br />

Beijing on Friday. It was<br />

unclear if they made<br />

headway on prickly issues<br />

such as Washington's<br />

unhappiness over Chinese<br />

technology and trade<br />

policies. Both delegations<br />

did not speak to reporters<br />

before Friday's meeting.<br />

The U.S. is set to more<br />

than double import taxes on<br />

$200 billion in Chinese<br />

goods after March 1. But<br />

Trump has hinted that he<br />

may hold off on these if<br />

both sides made enough<br />

progress at the trade talks.<br />

Tea output increases<br />

57 pc in northern<br />

districts<br />

As the tea sector is thriving fast, the 'madetea'<br />

output marked 57 percent increase last<br />

year than previous year in the 'Kartoa Valley'<br />

ecological zone comprising of five sub-<br />

Himalayan northern districts.<br />

Officials at Panchagarh regional office of<br />

Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) said 84.67-lakh<br />

kg 'made-tea' was produced in 2018 which is<br />

higher by 57 percent than the output of<br />

54.40-lakh kg 'made tea' in 2017 in the valley,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

"Tea was cultivated on 7,645 acres of lands<br />

in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur,<br />

Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts last<br />

year in the valley," said Senior Scientific<br />

Officer of BTB at Panchagarh Dr Mohammad<br />

Shameem Al Mamun.<br />

Of them, tea was cultivated on 2,243 acres<br />

of land in nine registered and 19 unregistered<br />

tea gardens and on 5,4<strong>02</strong> acres of land in<br />

4,450 small-scale gardens in these five<br />

districts last year.<br />

In Panchagarh, 78.22-lakh kg of 'made tea'<br />

was processed from 3.77-crore kg of green tea<br />

leaves produced on 6,792 acres of land last<br />

year.<br />

In Thakurgaon, 6.45-lakh kg 'made tea' was<br />

processed from 39.07-lakh kg green tea<br />

leaves produced on 742 acres of land last<br />

year.<br />

Besides, 115 small growers cultivated tea on<br />

111 acres of land in Dinajpur, Nilphamari and<br />

Lalmonirhat districts last year.<br />

'Tea farming is expanding fast as BTB is<br />

implementing 'Expansion of Small Holding<br />

Tea Cultivation in Northern Bangladesh<br />

Project' since 2015 at Taka 4.97 crore to<br />

expand tea farming by more 500 hectares of<br />

land within 2<strong>02</strong>0 in the valley," Mamun<br />

added.<br />

The 'small-scale gardening-basis' tea<br />

cultivation on plain lands has become a<br />

highly profitable venture inspiring the local<br />

farmers to expand its cultivation.<br />

"Following continuous expansion of tea<br />

cultivation, production of green tea leaves is<br />

boosting every year in the valley bringing<br />

fortune to many farmers and creating jobs for<br />

the poor, especially women," Mamun added.<br />

"Thirteen tea companies are processing tea<br />

after producing green tea leaves in their<br />

gardens as well as purchasing the same from<br />

farmers to produce 'made-tea' in Panchagarh<br />

and Thakurgaon for selling at Chittagong<br />

Auction Market," Mamun said.<br />

Earlier, 32-lakh kg 'made-tea' was<br />

produced in 20<strong>16</strong>, and 25.21-lakh kg 'madetea'<br />

in 2015 and 14.21-lakh kg 'made-tea' in<br />

2014 and 14.55-lakh kg 'made-tea' in 2013<br />

against only 1.61-lakh kg in 2005 when<br />

commercial basis cultivation began in<br />

Panchagarh.<br />

Talking to BSS, bigger tea grower Matiar<br />

Rahman of village Sonapatila in Panchagarh<br />

said he began cultivating tea on his 4.50 acres<br />

of land as a small-scale tea grower for the first<br />

time in 20<strong>02</strong>.<br />

"I am cultivating tea on about 52 acres of<br />

land now as a small-holder and selling the<br />

produced green tea leaves to 13 tea<br />

processing companies," Rahman said.<br />

Similarly, small-scale tea farmers Abdul<br />

Hakim, Solaiman Ali, Abdur Rahman and<br />

Sekendar Ali of different villages said that tea<br />

farming has brought fortune to their families<br />

along with improving standard of living.<br />

Predicting brighter prospect for expanding<br />

tea farming in the 'Kartoa Valley' ecological<br />

zone, President of Panchagarh Chamber of<br />

Commerce and Industry Abdul Hannan<br />

Sheikh said the tea thriving sector is also<br />

boosting economy in the northern region.<br />

French minister<br />

Britain must<br />

hurry up and<br />

decide on Brexit<br />

France's Europe minister is<br />

urging Britain to "hurry up"<br />

and decide whether it's<br />

leaving the European Union<br />

with or without a deal,<br />

reports BSS<br />

Nathalie Loiseau said on<br />

RTL radio Friday that "it's<br />

time for our British friends<br />

to decide whether they want<br />

to leave amicably or<br />

brutally."<br />

She said the EU worked<br />

hard to reach a Brexit<br />

agreement with British<br />

Prime Minister Theresa<br />

May's government, and "it's<br />

a little hard to understand<br />

that they can't sell their own<br />

proposition."<br />

May suffered another<br />

embarrassing parliamentary<br />

defeat Thursday over her<br />

Brexit strategy, further<br />

raising fears that the<br />

country could crash out of<br />

the EU without a deal, a<br />

development that would see<br />

tariffs imposed on trade.<br />

Loiseau said Britain<br />

should "hurry up" and<br />

decide for all businesses and<br />

citizens affected by Brexit.<br />

US, China hold 2nd day of<br />

talks with no tariff decision<br />

U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators held a<br />

second day of talks Friday after President<br />

Donald Trump's top economic adviser said he<br />

has yet to decide whether to escalate a<br />

technology dispute by going ahead with a<br />

March 2 tariff increase on imports from China,<br />

reports BSS<br />

Business groups and economists say this<br />

week's talks are too brief to resolve a sprawling<br />

dispute over Beijing's technology ambitions.<br />

They say China's goal is to persuade Trump to<br />

push back the March 2 deadline for a planned<br />

duty hike on $200 billion of Chinese imports.<br />

"The vibe is good," Trump's adviser Larry<br />

Kudlow told reporters in Washington.<br />

Trump had made "no decision" on the tariff<br />

hike, Kudlow said. The president said Tuesday<br />

he might let the March 2 deadline "slide for a<br />

little while" if the talks go well.<br />

Kudlow declined to give no details of the talks<br />

but said, "They're covering all the ground.<br />

They're hard at it." The battle between the two<br />

biggest economies has fueled fears it will drag<br />

on weakening global growth.<br />

Delegations led by U.S. Trade Representative<br />

Robert Lighthizer and his Chinese counterpart,<br />

Vice Premier Liu He, were meeting at a<br />

government guesthouse. They said nothing to<br />

reporters before Friday's meeting.<br />

There was no indication whether negotiators<br />

made progress on the thorniest dispute: U.S.<br />

pressure on Beijing to scale back plans for<br />

government-led creation of Chinese global<br />

leaders in robotics and other technologies.<br />

Washington, Europe, Japan and other<br />

governments say those plans violate Beijing's<br />

market-opening obligations. Some American<br />

officials worry they might erode U.S. industrial<br />

leadership.<br />

Trump raised tariffs in July over complaints<br />

Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand<br />

over technology.<br />

The dispute has spread to cover cyber-spying<br />

traced to China, the country's multibillion-dollar<br />

trade surplus with the United States and support<br />

for state industry.<br />

Beijing has offered to narrow its trade surplus<br />

by purchasing more American soybeans,<br />

natural gas and other exports. But the<br />

government has resisted pressure to cut back<br />

development plans it sees as a path to<br />

prosperity and global influence.<br />

An official newspaper, the Global Times,<br />

complained Friday that Washington "wants to<br />

influence China's development direction."<br />

"From politics to economy to ideology, the<br />

United States hopes to intervene in China's<br />

affairs," said the newspaper, published by the<br />

ruling Communist Party.<br />

Chinese officials also balk at U.S. pressure to<br />

accept an enforcement mechanism to monitor<br />

whether Beijing carries out its promises.<br />

Beijing has tried to deflect pressure by<br />

emphasizing China's growth as an export<br />

market. It has announced changes over the past<br />

year to open finance and other fields, including<br />

allowing full foreign ownership in its auto<br />

industry for the first time.<br />

A delegation of the Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed companies (BAPLC), led by its President<br />

Azam J Chowdhury called on Tipu Munshi, MP, the Minister, Ministry of Commerce at the Bangladesh<br />

Secretariat recently. BAPLC congratulated Tipu Munshi, MP on assuming the office of the Minister,<br />

Ministry of Commerce. President BAPLC introduced the members of the Executive Committee and took<br />

up some important issues of the listed companies with the Minister. The delegation thanked the Minister<br />

for his patient hearing and wished him great success in this important new leadership role. Anis A. Khan,<br />

Vice President, BAPLC and Managing Director & CEO of Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTB), EC Members<br />

Ruhul Amin, Chairman, Bangladesh Industrial Finance Co. Ltd, Abdullah Al Mahmud, Managing<br />

Director, Hamid Fabrics Ltd, Shahriar Ahmed, Managing Director Apex Foods Ltd. and Md. Amzad<br />

Hossain, Secretary-General of BAPLC were also present at the meeting.<br />

Photo : Courtesy<br />

Outgoing president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries handed over the responsibilities to the newly<br />

elected president Anwar Ul Alam recently for the year of <strong>2019</strong>-2<strong>02</strong>1.<br />

Photo : Courtesy<br />

Trump's new trade decision<br />

Impose tariffs on<br />

imported cars ?<br />

Sometimes, on a bad night,<br />

Brad Strong wakes at 2 a.m.<br />

and can't get back to sleep.<br />

The insomnia isn't about his<br />

family or money or health. It's<br />

about tariffs, reports UNB.<br />

The Strong family's three<br />

car dealerships in Salt Lake<br />

City could suffer a significant<br />

blow if President Donald<br />

Trump proceeds with a<br />

proposal to impose tariffs of<br />

20 to 25 percent on<br />

imported autos and auto<br />

parts. Strong may be in for a<br />

few more sleepless nights.<br />

Tokyo stocks lose<br />

ground in morning<br />

on yen's rise, subpar<br />

U.S retail data<br />

Tokyo stocks lost ground<br />

Friday morning as the yen's<br />

rise against the U.S. dollar<br />

coupled with subpar U.S.<br />

retail data dented the<br />

market mood, reports BSS.<br />

The 225-issue Nikkei<br />

Stock Average dropped<br />

253.44 points, or 1.20<br />

percent, from Thursday to<br />

20,886.27. The broader<br />

Topix index of all First<br />

Section issues on the Tokyo<br />

Stock Exchange, meanwhile,<br />

lost 14.65 points, or 0.92<br />

percent, at 1,575.<strong>16</strong>.<br />

Food, nonferrous metal<br />

and service-oriented issues<br />

comprised those that<br />

declined the most by the<br />

morning break.<br />

Bangladesh's employment rate<br />

exceeded global average: ILO<br />

International Labour Organisation (ILO)<br />

has said the employment rate in Bangladesh<br />

and other countries in the region exceeded<br />

the global average and was expected to<br />

remain so in the coming years in view of<br />

government's social protection measures,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

"The regional unemployment rate (in Asia<br />

and Pacific countries including Bangladesh)<br />

is projected to remain at around 3.6 percent<br />

until 2<strong>02</strong>0, below the global average," the<br />

ILO said in its World Employment and<br />

Social Outlook:<br />

Trends <strong>2019</strong> (WESO), released recently.<br />

It said the global average of the<br />

unemployment rate was 5.6 percent while<br />

the figure was around 3.6 percent in<br />

Bangladesh and the other Asia and Pacific<br />

nations.<br />

ILO attributed Bangladesh's better<br />

employment scenario to significant social<br />

protection measures while the countries<br />

with higher poverty rates lacked such<br />

measures.<br />

The global labour watchdog, however, said<br />

structural transformation moved huge<br />

workers out of agriculture, but this could not<br />

create significant improvements in job<br />

quality in the region.<br />

It found a large proportion of workers<br />

lacked job security, written employment<br />

contracts and income stability.<br />

"Like many countries in the region,<br />

Bangladesh is facing a number of challenges<br />

related to job security, child labour, and<br />

equal and fair payment for women workers,"<br />

ILO Bangladesh Country Director Tuomo<br />

Poutiainen said coinciding with the release<br />

of the study.<br />

He said if Bangladesh was to meet the<br />

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by<br />

2030 there was a need to ramp up its efforts<br />

on improving social protection, skills<br />

training and occupational safety and health.<br />

"Bangladesh needs to create millions of<br />

decent and sustainable jobs each year if it<br />

wants to reduce poverty and reach middleincome<br />

status.<br />

Poutiainen, however, said Bangladesh<br />

government made important progress in<br />

these areas and continued to move forward<br />

to work on many important labour reforms<br />

jointly with ILO and other development<br />

partners.<br />

Bangladesh's Labour and Employment<br />

ministry along with the Planning<br />

Commission recently commenced a work<br />

with ILO on a comprehensive jobs strategy.<br />

The ILO country chief expected the<br />

initiative to contribute to new employment<br />

initiatives with a special focus on women<br />

and youth.<br />

The ILO report reveals a majority of the<br />

3.3 billion people employed globally in 2018<br />

had inadequate economic security, material<br />

well-being and equality of opportunity.<br />

The progress in reducing unemployment<br />

globally was not being reflected in<br />

improvements in the quality of work either.<br />

ILO feared the persistence of a number of<br />

major deficits in decent work and warning<br />

that at the current rate of progress, attaining<br />

the goal of decent work for all, as set out in<br />

the SDGs seemed unrealistic for many<br />

countries.<br />

The report cautioned that some new<br />

business models, including those enabled by<br />

new technologies, threatened to undermine<br />

existing labour market achievements - in<br />

areas such as improving employment<br />

formality and security, social protection and<br />

labour standards.<br />

It said the scenario appeared for the<br />

policymakers as a major challenge.


MISCELLANEOUS<br />

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

7<br />

The Managing Director of National AgriCare Group KSM Mostafizur Rahman has received the<br />

world prestigious award " GLOBAL ENTREPRENUERSHIP AWARD-<strong>2019</strong>" in the recently held<br />

World Entrepreneurship Summit <strong>2019</strong>, organized by the Global Entrepreneurs Grid (GEG) in<br />

collaboration with prestigious New Horizon College of Engineering on 2nd February <strong>2019</strong> at<br />

Bangalore, India for his outstanding contribution on Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable<br />

Development in Bangladesh.<br />

Photo : Courtesy<br />

First lady makes Valentine's Day<br />

art with pediatric patients<br />

Melania Trump showed love for her<br />

new hometown during a Valentine's<br />

Day arts-and-crafts session with<br />

pediatric patients Thursday, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

At a station where children wrote<br />

their "favorite things" on construction<br />

paper hearts, the first lady went with<br />

"My favorite city is Washington." She<br />

signed the heart with her name and<br />

stuck it on a board on a wall in the<br />

middle of several other hearts.<br />

During the visit to The Children's Inn<br />

on the campus of the National<br />

Institutes of Health outside<br />

Washington, she also helped make<br />

candy boxes - and assisted a line of<br />

children in filling them up with a<br />

variety of sugary treats - and snow<br />

globes.<br />

Amani, a 13-year-old boy from<br />

Judge to weigh fight over<br />

citizenship question on<br />

US census<br />

The Trump administration<br />

will try to persuade a U.S.<br />

judge Friday to let it add a<br />

citizenship question to the<br />

2<strong>02</strong>0 U.S. census for the first<br />

time in nearly 70 years, a<br />

move that opponents say<br />

would lead to an undercount<br />

of immigrants and Latinos,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

Lawsuits by California and<br />

numerous cities in the state<br />

say asking people whether<br />

they are citizens of the U.S. is<br />

politically motivated and<br />

would discourage<br />

immigrants and Latinos<br />

from participating in the<br />

population count.<br />

Judge Richard Seeborg in<br />

San Francisco is not<br />

expected to issue a ruling<br />

immediately after closing<br />

arguments. He heard nearly<br />

a week of testimony last<br />

month in the lawsuits, which<br />

assert that the question<br />

would result in an<br />

undercount that would<br />

jeopardize federal funding<br />

and the state's<br />

representation in Congress.<br />

Census numbers are used<br />

to determine states'<br />

distribution of congressional<br />

seats and billions of dollars<br />

in federal funding.<br />

The lawsuits urge Seeborg<br />

to keep the citizenship<br />

question off the census. A<br />

federal judge in New York<br />

already has barred the<br />

Trump administration from<br />

adding it in a separate set of<br />

lawsuits.<br />

The<br />

Trump<br />

administration says it will<br />

appeal directly to the U.S.<br />

Supreme Court.<br />

The U.S. Justice<br />

Department argues that<br />

census officials take steps to<br />

guard against an<br />

undercount, including<br />

making in-person follow-up<br />

visits, so the final numbers<br />

will be accurate.<br />

Households that skip the<br />

citizenship question but<br />

otherwise fill out a<br />

substantial portion of the<br />

questionnaire will still be<br />

counted,<br />

Justice<br />

Department attorneys said<br />

in court documents.<br />

Mombasa, Kenya, showed her how to<br />

turn a wooden clothespin into a<br />

colorful clip.<br />

"This is a big project," Mrs. Trump<br />

said. Amani has sickle cell disease and<br />

is preparing for a bone marrow<br />

transplant, the White House said. The<br />

first lady told Amani that she will pray<br />

for him. He presented her with a red<br />

heart-shaped box that held a silver<br />

necklace with "Hope & Faith" inscribed<br />

on a silver circle.<br />

The first lady later wrote on Twitter<br />

that she "Loved sharing an afternoon<br />

with such sweet valentines! Your<br />

bravery, strength, and love is amazing."<br />

She thanked The Children's Inn and<br />

NIH for their "lifesaving work."<br />

The Children's Inn is a private,<br />

nonprofit residence for children and<br />

families participating in pediatric<br />

Congress lopsidedly approved a border<br />

security compromise Thursday that would<br />

avert a second painful government<br />

shutdown, but a new confrontation was<br />

ignited - this time over President Donald<br />

Trump's plan to bypass lawmakers and<br />

declare a national emergency to siphon<br />

billions from other federal coffers for his wall<br />

on the Mexican boundary, reports UNB.<br />

Money in the bill for border barriers, about<br />

$1.4 billion, is far below the $5.7 billion<br />

Trump insisted he needed and would finance<br />

just a quarter of the 200-plus miles he<br />

wanted. The White House said he'd sign the<br />

legislation but act unilaterally to get the rest,<br />

prompting immediate condemnation from<br />

Democrats and threats of lawsuits from<br />

states and others who might lose federal<br />

money or said Trump was abusing his<br />

authority.<br />

The uproar over Trump's next move cast<br />

an uncertain shadow over what had been a<br />

rare display of bipartisanship to address the<br />

grinding battle between the White House<br />

and lawmakers over border security.<br />

The Senate passed the legislation 83-<strong>16</strong>,<br />

with both parties solidly on board. The<br />

House followed with a 300-128 tally, with<br />

Trump's signature planned Friday.<br />

research at NIH. The first lady was at<br />

the inn on Valentine's Day last year<br />

when she was informed by her staff of a<br />

shooting at a south Florida high school<br />

that killed 17 people. She was greeted<br />

Thursday by Amber, 9, of San Jose,<br />

California. Amber, who participates in<br />

a gene therapy trial, was among the<br />

children with whom Mrs. Trump spent<br />

time during last year's visit.<br />

Mrs. Trump is focusing her work as<br />

first lady on the well-being of children.<br />

"This is a big project," Mrs. Trump<br />

said. Amani has sickle cell disease and<br />

is preparing for a bone marrow<br />

transplant, the White House said. The<br />

first lady told Amani that she will pray<br />

for him. He presented her with a red<br />

heart-shaped box that held a silver<br />

necklace with "Hope & Faith" inscribed<br />

on a silver circle.<br />

Congress OKs border deal; Trump<br />

will sign, declare emergency<br />

Violence, displacement and extremely<br />

harsh conditions in northern and eastern<br />

Syria have killed at least 32 children since<br />

December 2018, the UN children's fund<br />

(UNICEF) reported Thursday, reports UNB.<br />

Persistent fighting in the area surrounding<br />

Hajin, in eastern Syria, has forced thousands<br />

of people to embark on a long and arduous<br />

journey to safety at Al-Hol camp for<br />

internally displaced people -- almost 300 km<br />

to the north, the report said.<br />

Since December 2018, an estimated<br />

23,000 people -- most of them women and<br />

children -- have arrived at the camp after the<br />

three-day journey in harsh desert winter<br />

conditions, with little food or shelter along<br />

the way, it said.<br />

Lack of security has made humanitarian<br />

access to children en route to the camp's<br />

screening area nearly impossible.<br />

The difficult journey, cold weather and<br />

Democrats overwhelmingly backed the<br />

legislation, with only 19 - most of whom were<br />

Hispanic - opposed. Just over half of<br />

Republicans voted "no."<br />

Should Trump change his mind, both<br />

margins were above the two-thirds<br />

majorities needed to override presidential<br />

vetoes. Lawmakers, however, sometimes<br />

rally behind presidents of the same party in<br />

such battles.<br />

Lawmakers exuded relief that the<br />

agreement had averted a fresh closure of<br />

federal agencies just three weeks after a<br />

record-setting 35-day partial shutdown that<br />

drew an unambiguous thumbs-down from<br />

the public. But in announcing that Trump<br />

would sign the accord, White House Press<br />

Secretary Sarah Sanders also said he'd take<br />

"other executive action, including a national<br />

emergency,"<br />

In an unusual joint statement, House<br />

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate<br />

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,<br />

said such a declaration would be "a lawless<br />

act, a gross abuse of the power of the<br />

presidency and a desperate attempt to<br />

distract" from Trump's failure to force<br />

Mexico to pay for the wall, as he's promised<br />

for years.<br />

Over 30 children killed in Syria by violence,<br />

displacement, harsh conditions<br />

since December: UNICEF<br />

long waiting periods at screening centers,<br />

where families wait sometimes for days, have<br />

reportedly contributed to the death of at least<br />

29 children -- including 11 infants in the past<br />

two days alone.<br />

UNICEF said it is assisting children and<br />

mothers fleeing the fighting in Hajin with<br />

blankets, winter clothing, food, water, health<br />

and nutrition services, child-friendly spaces<br />

and child protection and family reunification<br />

services.<br />

In addition, since last week, fighting in<br />

Ma'arat al-Nu'man in Idlib, in northwestern<br />

Syria, has reportedly killed three children<br />

and injured scores more.<br />

UNICEF has appealed to all parties to<br />

facilitate safe, unhindered and sustained<br />

humanitarian access to all children in need,<br />

and has called on those fighting to keep<br />

children out of harm's way, even in areas of<br />

active conflict.<br />

MAG Osmani's 35th<br />

death anniversary<br />

Saturday<br />

SYLHET : The 35th death<br />

anniversary of General MAG<br />

Osmani, the commander-inchief<br />

of the Armed Forces<br />

during the War of<br />

Liberation, will be observed<br />

on Saturday, reports UNB.<br />

Different political,<br />

sociocultural and voluntary<br />

organisations have chalked<br />

out elaborate programmes<br />

to commemorate MAG<br />

Osmani's death anniversary.<br />

Meanwhile, Bangabir<br />

General MAG Osmani Birth<br />

Centenary Udjapon<br />

Parishad, Sylhet organised<br />

several programmes,<br />

including a doa mahfil,<br />

offering fatehta and placing<br />

wreaths at his grave, on<br />

Friday.<br />

Besides, Osmani Museum<br />

will arrange a Qurankhwani,<br />

a doa mahfil and a<br />

discussion on Saturday on<br />

the occasion.<br />

Osmani was born to a<br />

landowning family in<br />

Sunamganj, Assam Province<br />

during the British era on<br />

September 1, 1918 and died<br />

in London on February <strong>16</strong>,<br />

1984.<br />

He was educated in Assam<br />

and Sylhet and graduated<br />

from Aligarh Muslim<br />

University in India.<br />

Three-day book fair<br />

at IU from Feb 19<br />

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY : A<br />

three-day book fair will be<br />

held at Islamic University<br />

(IU) in Kushtia from<br />

February 19, reports UNB.<br />

It will continue until<br />

February 21, IU<br />

Information,<br />

Publicationand Public<br />

Relations Office Director M<br />

Ataul Haque said on Friday.<br />

IU Vice-Chancellor<br />

Professor M Harun-Ur-<br />

Rashid Askari will address<br />

the inaugural session as the<br />

chief guest while short story<br />

writer Professor Hasan<br />

Azizul Huq of Rajshahi<br />

University will be present as<br />

the chief discussant.<br />

IU Treasurer Professor M<br />

Selim Toha will attend the<br />

function as the special guest<br />

while IU Pro-Vice-<br />

Chancellor Professor M<br />

Shahinoor Rahman will<br />

preside over it, he added.<br />

All preparations have<br />

already been taken to hold<br />

the fair in a peaceful<br />

atmosphere, IU Vice-<br />

Chancellor Professor Rashid<br />

Askari said.<br />

Report: Facebook, FTC<br />

discussing 'multibillion<br />

dollar' fine<br />

A report says Facebook and<br />

the Federal Trade<br />

Commission are negotiating<br />

a "multibillion dollar" fine<br />

for the social network's<br />

privacy lapses, reports UNB.<br />

The Washington Post said<br />

Thursday that the fine would<br />

be the largest ever imposed<br />

on a tech company. Citing<br />

unnamed sources, it also<br />

said the two sides have not<br />

yet agreed on an exact<br />

amount.<br />

Facebook has had several<br />

high-profile privacy lapses in<br />

the past couple of years. The<br />

FTC has been looking into<br />

the Cambridge Analytica<br />

scandal since last March.<br />

The data mining firm<br />

accessed the data of some 87<br />

million Facebook users<br />

without their consent.<br />

At issue is whether<br />

Facebook is in violation of a<br />

2011 agreement with the<br />

FTC promising to protect<br />

user privacy. Facebook and<br />

the FTC declined to<br />

comment.<br />

U.S. recalls nonemergency<br />

personnel from<br />

Haiti amid unrest<br />

U.S. State Department<br />

Thursday ordered the<br />

departure of all nonemergency<br />

U.S. personnel<br />

and their family members<br />

from Haiti due to the<br />

unstable situation,<br />

according to a statement<br />

issued by the State<br />

Department, reports UNB.<br />

White House scrambles<br />

to find pots of money to<br />

use for wall<br />

If President Donald Trump declares an<br />

emergency to build the wall with Mexico, he<br />

still needs money to pay for it. And shifting<br />

money from other accounts to deliver the<br />

$5.7 billion he wants is not without political<br />

problems, reports UNB. The administration<br />

has been eyeing several pots of money -<br />

including disaster funds, counternarcotic<br />

accounts and military construction dollars -<br />

to fund Trump's wall, according to<br />

congressional aides and White House<br />

officials.<br />

White House acting chief of staff Mick<br />

Mulvaney has said there are various<br />

accounts available. One possibility is shifting<br />

a portion of the $13 billion in disaster aid<br />

Congress approved last year for Puerto Rico<br />

and a dozen states, including California and<br />

Texas, hit hard by hurricanes, flooding and<br />

other disasters. The money funds Army<br />

Corps projects, and the Puerto Rico aid alone<br />

totals more than $2 billion.<br />

But Texas lawmakers revolted over White<br />

House plans to tap Hurricane Harvey funds,<br />

and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said<br />

Thursday they won assurances from the<br />

White House that the money won't be used<br />

for the wall.<br />

"We've been pretty clear we thought that<br />

would be a mistake," said Cornyn, who along<br />

with the state's governor and other<br />

lawmakers urged the White House to stay<br />

away from that account. "There's limited<br />

pots of money he can get into, but I'm pretty<br />

confident he won't get into disaster funds."<br />

A more likely option is the military<br />

construction account that's used to upgrade<br />

bases and facilities.<br />

Congressional aides said there is $21<br />

billion available. That includes about $10<br />

billion in funds from the current <strong>2019</strong> fiscal<br />

year that ends Sept. 30, and $11 billion<br />

remaining from the previous four years, said<br />

the aides. They spoke on condition of<br />

anonymity because they weren't authorized<br />

to speak publicly about the funding details.<br />

But tapping the military construction<br />

money also may hit resistance. The money<br />

often goes for improvements to housing,<br />

roads, hospitals and other facilities, and can<br />

be used to eliminate mold or other<br />

hazardous problems at military installations<br />

in congressional districts across the nation<br />

and around the globe.<br />

As an example, the aides said, there is<br />

funding for a medical facility at a U.S. base in<br />

Germany that has been partially constructed.<br />

If those funds were used, the medical center<br />

could be left half built.<br />

White House acting chief of staff Mick<br />

Mulvaney has said there are various<br />

accounts available.<br />

One possibility is shifting a portion of the<br />

$13 billion in disaster aid Congress approved<br />

last year for Puerto Rico and a dozen states,<br />

including California and Texas, hit hard by<br />

hurricanes, flooding and other disasters. The<br />

money funds Army Corps projects, and the<br />

Puerto Rico aid alone totals more than $2<br />

billion.<br />

But Texas lawmakers revolted over White<br />

House plans to tap Hurricane Harvey funds,<br />

and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said<br />

Thursday they won assurances from the<br />

White House that the money won't be used<br />

for the wall.<br />

Trump administration sued<br />

over shift in asylum policy<br />

The Trump administration's policy of<br />

returning asylum seekers to Mexico while<br />

their cases wind through immigration<br />

courts violates U.S. law by putting the<br />

migrants in danger and depriving them of<br />

the ability to prepare their cases, a lawsuit<br />

filed Thursday by civil liberties groups<br />

claims, reports UNB.<br />

The lawsuit in federal court in San<br />

Francisco seeks a court order blocking the<br />

Department of Homeland Security from<br />

carrying out the policy that took effect in<br />

January at the San Ysidro border crossing in<br />

San Diego. The launch followed months of<br />

delicate talks between the U.S. and Mexico<br />

and marked a change to the U.S. asylum<br />

system that the administration and asylum<br />

experts said was unprecedented.<br />

Mexican officials have sent mixed signals<br />

on the crucial point of whether Mexico<br />

would impose limits on accepting families.<br />

The effort began at a San Diego crossing<br />

with Tijuana, Mexico for adults only, but<br />

U.S. officials have started to include<br />

families, which currently account for nearly<br />

GD-283/19 (8 x 3)<br />

half of Border Patrol arrests.<br />

"Instead of being able to focus on<br />

preparing their cases, asylum seekers forced<br />

to return to Mexico will have to focus on<br />

trying to survive," according to the lawsuit<br />

filed by the American Civil Liberties Union,<br />

the Southern Poverty Law Center and the<br />

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies.<br />

"These pressures may deter even those with<br />

the strongest asylum claims to give up,<br />

rather than endure the wait under such<br />

conditions."<br />

Steven Stafford, a spokesman for the U.S.<br />

Department of Justice, said Congress has<br />

"explicitly authorized" Homeland Security<br />

officials to return migrants to a "contiguous<br />

foreign territory" during their immigration<br />

proceedings.<br />

"The Department of Justice will defend<br />

the Department of Homeland Security's<br />

lawful actions in court," he said in a<br />

statement. Homeland Security Secretary<br />

Kirstjen Nielsen said the policy is "a vital<br />

response to the crisis at our southern<br />

border."


UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY<br />

SAtuRDAy, DHAkA, FEBRuARy <strong>16</strong>, <strong>2019</strong>, FAlGuN 4, 1425 BS, JAMADI-uS SANNI 10, 1440 HIJRI<br />

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shaking hand with the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court<br />

Dr Fatou Bensouda.<br />

Photo : BSS<br />

2 more devotees<br />

die at Ijtema<br />

venue<br />

GAZIPUR : Two more<br />

devotees died of cardiac<br />

arrest at Biswa Ijtema<br />

venue in Tongi on Friday.<br />

With these, the death toll<br />

at the Ijtema venue rose to<br />

four this year, reports UNB.<br />

The deceased were identified<br />

as Shafiqur Rahman, 55<br />

of Feni, Sirajul Islam, 65,<br />

hailing from Kushita district.<br />

Adam Ali, a caretaker of<br />

Maslehal Jamaat, said<br />

Shafiqur died around 4:45<br />

am while Sirajul around 2<br />

am at their respective tents.<br />

Both of them died of cardiac<br />

arrest, said a physician<br />

at the venue.<br />

INTERESTING NEWS<br />

In the seasonally dry, deciduous forests of<br />

northeastern Brazil, obscured by walls of<br />

thorny-scrubs, is a vast landscape made up<br />

of tens of millions of densely packed earthen<br />

mounds. These cone-shaped piles of dirt,<br />

each measuring thirty feet wide at its base<br />

and twice as tall as a grown man, are waste<br />

earth excavated by the termites when they<br />

burrow tunnels under the soil. Researchers<br />

estimate that there are some 200 million<br />

mounds here, covering a vast region nearly<br />

equal to the size of Great Britain. The<br />

amount of soil excavated is over 10 cubic<br />

kilometers, equivalent to the volume of<br />

4,000 great pyramids of Giza. This makes<br />

them the biggest engineering project by any<br />

animal besides humans. Incredibly, some of<br />

these mounds are as old as the Pyramids<br />

themselves.<br />

The mounds remains largely hidden from<br />

view in the deciduous, semiarid, thornyscrub<br />

caatinga forests unique to this part of<br />

Brazil. Locals call them murundus but very<br />

Munich Security Confce kicks off<br />

MUNICH : The three-day<br />

Munich Security Conference<br />

(MSC <strong>2019</strong>) began here on<br />

Friday to discuss the future of<br />

arms control and cooperation<br />

in defence policy as well as<br />

examine intersection between<br />

trade and international security,<br />

effects of climate change<br />

and technological innovations<br />

on the international security,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

The MSC has brought<br />

together over 450 senior decision-makers<br />

and thoughtleaders<br />

from around the world<br />

to engage in an intensive<br />

debate on current and future<br />

challenges of human security.<br />

German Chancellor Angela<br />

Merkel, Afghan President<br />

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani<br />

and Egyptian President Abd<br />

al-Fattah as-Sisi, Prime<br />

Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh<br />

Hasina, member of the 19th<br />

Politburo of the Chinese<br />

Communist Party Yang Jiechi,<br />

Romanian President Klaus<br />

Iohannis, Ukraine President<br />

Petro Poroschenko, President<br />

of Rwanda Paul Kagame and<br />

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim<br />

bin Hamad Al Thani are<br />

attending the conference.<br />

Over 40 other foreign and<br />

defence ministers from the EU<br />

and Nato, Russia, Iran, Iraq,<br />

Qatar, Pakistan and the<br />

Philippines are also taking part<br />

in the conference.<br />

The conference began with<br />

the welcome speech of MSC<br />

<strong>2019</strong> Chairman Ambassador<br />

The 4,000-Year-Old Termite<br />

Mounds The Size of Britain<br />

few people outside of the region have heard<br />

about it. It was only in recent decades when<br />

some of the lands were cleared for pasture<br />

that outsiders have come to discover them.<br />

Roy Funch, from the State University of<br />

Feira de Santana, first saw these fields of<br />

mounds in the 1980s when he arrived in<br />

Brazil as a Peace Corps volunteer. He originally<br />

wrote about them in local popular-science<br />

magazines, but never managed to<br />

stoke much interest in them. Three decades<br />

later, after spotting them again on Google<br />

Earth, Funch returned to Brazil, this time as<br />

a researcher, to learn more about these<br />

mysterious mounds.<br />

Funch and his colleagues found that this<br />

colossal feat of engineering is the work of a<br />

tiny species of termite called Syntermes<br />

dirus, barely half an inch long. These creatures<br />

have been building this landscape for<br />

the past 4,000 years, and they are still present<br />

in the soil surrounding the mounds.<br />

The youngest mound is about 690 years old,<br />

while the oldest was at least 3,820 years old.<br />

Wolfgang Ischinger. Federal<br />

Minister of Defence of Germany<br />

Ursula Von dear Leyen and UK<br />

Secretary of State for Defence<br />

Gavin Williamson delivered<br />

opening statements.<br />

Over the course of the past<br />

five decades, the Munich<br />

Security Conference (MSC)<br />

has developed into the<br />

world's leading forum for the<br />

debate of international security<br />

policy.<br />

Repeatedly rated as "Best<br />

Think Tank Conference" in the<br />

world, the MSC provides a oneof-a-kind<br />

opportunity to discuss<br />

policy at the highest level<br />

in a protected and informal<br />

space. In addition to its annual<br />

flagship conference, the MSC<br />

regularly convenes high-profile<br />

events on particular topics and<br />

regions and publishes the<br />

Munich Security Report.<br />

The goal of the conference is<br />

to provide the best possible<br />

platforms for an open<br />

exchange ofopinions, ideas,<br />

and solutions on the critical<br />

security policy issues.<br />

Farhad urges students to<br />

work together for developed<br />

nation by 2041<br />

DHAKA : State Minister for<br />

Public Administration<br />

Farhad Hossain yesterday<br />

urged students and young<br />

people to work together to<br />

make the country as developed<br />

and prosperous one by<br />

2041.<br />

He said this while speaking<br />

as the chief guest at the<br />

reunion ceremony of former<br />

students at Jagannath<br />

University. Alumni<br />

Association of Management<br />

Studies Department was organized<br />

the ceremony, a press<br />

release said here.<br />

Despite having many hostile<br />

situations, he said,<br />

Bangladesh has made<br />

unprecedented development<br />

in various fields including<br />

economic, social, education<br />

and sports. "To continue this<br />

trend of development, all of<br />

us have to work with merit<br />

and honesty to make<br />

Bangladesh a better country,"<br />

the state minister<br />

added. With Management<br />

Studies Department Alumni<br />

Association's President of<br />

Jagannath University<br />

Rashedul Islam Pallab in the<br />

chair, the ceremony was<br />

addressed, among others, by<br />

Jagannath University Vice-<br />

Chancellor Mizanur Rahman<br />

and National Board of<br />

Revenue Khandaker<br />

Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.<br />

New generation brings<br />

society's positive<br />

changes: Jabed<br />

CHATTOGRAM : Land<br />

Minister Saifuzzaman<br />

Chowdhury Jabed urged<br />

the new generation to bring<br />

positive changes in the society<br />

by their talent and wisdoms,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

"The country will march<br />

forward by the fresh thinking<br />

of the new generation<br />

and their patriotism, honesty<br />

and sincerity," he said<br />

while inaugurating a<br />

"Human Fair" as the chief<br />

guest on Nasirabad Boys<br />

School ground here today.<br />

The Daily Purbokone<br />

Limited organised the function<br />

with the participation<br />

of 50 voluntary organisations.<br />

Terming the new generation<br />

as the part of a larger<br />

community, the Land<br />

Minister said now they have<br />

a different opportunity for<br />

building the nation through<br />

their unique abilities. He<br />

also urged them to take this<br />

journey with a sense of discovery<br />

and open mind and<br />

moved forward individually<br />

and collectively.<br />

Jabed said the present<br />

government has given tax<br />

free facilities to the commercial<br />

organisations under<br />

the Corporate Social<br />

Responsibility (CSR) programme<br />

and the government<br />

also wants to secure<br />

the social responsibility by<br />

them.<br />

Mentioning that the<br />

"Human Fair" is absolutely<br />

a new format in the country,<br />

he said the Purbokone<br />

authority brought the activities<br />

of those social organisations<br />

who have been working<br />

for the people's wellbeing<br />

voluntarily.<br />

The Editor of the Daily<br />

Purbokne Dr Ramij Uddin<br />

Chowdhury delivered the<br />

greeting speech while<br />

Chairman of the Daily<br />

Purbokne limited Jashim<br />

Uddin Chowdhury and Tax<br />

Appellate Commissioner<br />

Badal Sayed addressed the<br />

function, among others.<br />

Emerging technologies in oncology<br />

SCITECH REPORT<br />

Indian healthcare giant<br />

'Apollo Hospitals' has incorporated<br />

the state-of-the-art<br />

innovations of Artificial<br />

Intelligence Systems in cancer<br />

services to create individualized<br />

treatment plans.<br />

In a news release, the<br />

authorities claimed itself as<br />

'pioneer' of latest modes of<br />

cancer treatment - Proton<br />

Therapy - in South-East Asia.<br />

The Apollo Hospital<br />

Mumbai is a home of several<br />

most advanced and recent<br />

cancer treatment technologies<br />

including - the Da Vinci<br />

Robotic Surgery System,<br />

TrueBeam STx, Brachytherapy,<br />

Image Guided Radiation<br />

Therapy, SRS and SBRT.<br />

Besides, the hospital is also<br />

backed by highly experienced<br />

medical, surgical and<br />

radiation oncologists.<br />

Technological innovations<br />

in the field of oncology can<br />

drastically reduce diagnosis<br />

time, as specialists said,<br />

improving treatment outcomes<br />

with improved quality<br />

of life.<br />

Oncology is a branch of<br />

medicine that deals with the<br />

prevention, diagnosis, and<br />

treatment of cancer. The<br />

global standard organization<br />

Joint Commission<br />

International or JCI has<br />

accredited the Apollo<br />

Hospitals in Navi Mumbai<br />

which is considered one of<br />

the leading cancer care centres<br />

in Western India.<br />

The World Health<br />

Organization (WHO) has<br />

estimated a total of 9.6 million<br />

deaths globally to cancer<br />

in 2018. The major causes of<br />

Restore Rohingyas'<br />

fundamental rights: Dhaka<br />

DHAKA : State Minister for Foreign Affairs<br />

M Shahriar Alam has said the international<br />

community has a shared responsibility to<br />

help restore the Rohingyas' fundamental<br />

rights and freedoms, including their right to<br />

return to Myanmar in safety and dignity,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

"By opening our borders to the persecuted<br />

Rohingya, Bangladesh has not only saved<br />

lives but also stabilized the entire region," he<br />

saidat an OIC meeting on Thursday.<br />

He raised the possibility of creating a civilian<br />

"safe zone" for the returnee Rohingyas in<br />

Myanmar, to be monitored by the human<br />

rights and humanitarian outfits in the concerned<br />

regional context.<br />

While briefing OIC Ambassadors and delegates<br />

about the evolving situation with the<br />

crisis, State Minister Alam sought OIC<br />

Member States' support for creating a conducive<br />

situation in Myanmar for the<br />

Rohingyas' safe and dignified return.<br />

The State Minister also shared information<br />

on the government's plans to relocate a<br />

portion of the Rohingya population in Cox's<br />

Bazar to the Bhashan Char island in consultation<br />

with all concerned stakeholders.<br />

The OIC Ambassadors and delegates from<br />

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia,<br />

Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, State of<br />

Palestine and the Maldives reaffirmed their<br />

solidarity with the forcibly displaced<br />

cancer in today's time has<br />

found be obesity, poor diet,<br />

physical inactivity and excessive<br />

tobacco and alcohol consumption,<br />

according to the<br />

UN agency.<br />

Apollo Hospitals<br />

Mumbai also claimed that<br />

around 70 percent of<br />

deaths happen in low and<br />

middle income countries<br />

and globally, one in six<br />

deaths have been found to<br />

be due to cancer.<br />

Marking the World Cancer<br />

Day, there was organized a<br />

scientific session on advancements<br />

in the treatment of<br />

cancer for the medical fraternity<br />

in Dhaka and<br />

Chattogram in participations<br />

of senior consultants from<br />

Apollo Hospitals Navi<br />

Mumbai. Radiation<br />

Oncologist Professor Dr<br />

Shyam Shrivastava and<br />

Surgical Oncologist Dr<br />

Sandip Bipte conducted the<br />

knowledge sharing session<br />

here. Apollo Hospital<br />

Mumbai s Radiation<br />

Oncology Director and Prof<br />

Shyam Shrivastava has experienced<br />

with Tata Memorial<br />

for over three decades as the<br />

Professor and Head of the<br />

Department in Radiation<br />

oncology<br />

According to Prof Shyam<br />

the diagnosing cancer at the<br />

right time is of utmost<br />

importance and that cancer<br />

most certainly is treatable.<br />

Apollo Hospital Mumbai's<br />

Surgical Oncology<br />

Consultant Dr Sandip Bipte,<br />

also a specialist in breast cancer<br />

surgery who completed<br />

his training and expertise<br />

from Tata Memorial Hospital.<br />

Dr Sandip said: The treatment<br />

for breast cancer<br />

surgery is today so advanced<br />

that cancer patients can be<br />

Rohingya and commended Bangladesh for<br />

its generosity in hosting them.<br />

The OIC Member States reiterated their<br />

commitment to help find a peaceful and<br />

lasting solution to the crisis through sustained<br />

engagement in the relevant human<br />

rights and humanitarian fora in Geneva,<br />

aaccording to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs<br />

here. State Minister Alam also had a bilateral<br />

meeting with Michelle Bachelet, UN High<br />

Commissioner for Human Rights, where<br />

they discussed the latest developments with<br />

the Rohingya crisis.<br />

The High Commissioner conveyed her<br />

personal greetings to Prime Minister Sheikh<br />

Hasina, and congratulated Bangladesh on<br />

her re-election to the Human Rights Council<br />

(HRC). She assured of continued engagement<br />

of her Office in realizing the newly<br />

elected government's commitments to promoting<br />

the rule of law, good governance and<br />

human rights. The State Minister said that<br />

in course of its efforts to further consolidate<br />

democracy and sustainable development,<br />

the government of Bangladesh would make<br />

all possible efforts to deliver on the huge<br />

mandate given by the electorate.<br />

High Commissioner Bachelet welcomed<br />

Bangladesh's positive consideration of developing<br />

an Action Plan for implementing the<br />

recommendations from its 3rd cycle Universal<br />

Periodic Review in HRC last year.<br />

Govt working to build 'Digital and<br />

Developed Country' : Jabber<br />

NETRAKONA : Post, Telecommunication and ICT<br />

Minister Mustafa Jabbar said yesterday the present<br />

government has been putting its best and sincere<br />

efforts for implementing the Sustainable<br />

Development Goals (SDGs) to build Bangladesh as<br />

a "Digital and Developed Country", reports BSS.<br />

"The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh<br />

Hasina has been working relentlessly with sincerity<br />

for turning Bangladesh as a "Digital and<br />

Developed Country" soon with developing all the<br />

villages through connecting internet networks in<br />

line with the Vision 2<strong>02</strong>1 and 2041 " he said. The<br />

minister was addressing an inaugural function as<br />

the chief guest of a daylong workshop on "implementation<br />

of SDGs in local level" at local public<br />

hall here.<br />

Office of divisional commissioner in Mymensingh<br />

with the cooperation of governance innovation unit of<br />

prime minister's office and Netrakona district administration<br />

jointly organized the workshop with divisional<br />

commissioner in Mymensingh Mahmud<br />

Hasan in the chair. The function was addressed,<br />

among others, by state minister for fisheries and livestock<br />

Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, principal coordinator<br />

(SDG affairs) of prime minister's office Abul Kalam<br />

Azad, member of the public service commission Uzzal<br />

Bikash Datta and secretary of the prime minister's<br />

office Sazzadul Hasan and deputy commissioner of<br />

Netrakona Main-UL-Islam.<br />

Mustafa Jabbar underlined the need for concerted<br />

efforts of all especially public representatives<br />

and officials for achieving the Sustainable<br />

Development Goals (SDGs) for building up the<br />

country as a "digital and developed country" with<br />

ensuring all modern facilities and latest digital<br />

technologies to all.<br />

treated without any drastic<br />

cosmetic change to the physical<br />

appearance.<br />

"On average he treats<br />

about 2-3 patients weekly<br />

from Bangladesh who are<br />

Indian healthcare giant 'Apollo Hospitals' has incorporated the state-of-the-art innovations of Artificial<br />

Intelligence Systems in cancer services to create individualized treatment plans. Photo : Courtesy<br />

suffering from breast cancer<br />

at Apollo Hospitals Navi<br />

Mumbai,".<br />

All services under the banner<br />

of cancer care including<br />

medical, surgical, radiation<br />

and nuclear medicine treatment<br />

provided by highly<br />

experienced doctors from<br />

Tata Memorial hospital are<br />

available at Apollo Hospital,<br />

Navi Mumbai.<br />

Patients here experience<br />

optimum medical treatment<br />

with time, high-end patient<br />

care services and 'cost effective'<br />

treatment. For more<br />

information contact:<br />

enquiry@medicoexperts.co<br />

m or abhishek_jain@apollohospitals.com<br />

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 <strong>16</strong>7, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.<br />

Editorial and News Office: K.K Bhaban (Level-04) 69/K, Green Road, Panthapath, Dhaka-1205. Tel : +88<strong>02</strong>-9611884, Cell : 01832<strong>16</strong>6882; Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

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