08-03-2019

FriDaY 

DhaKa: March 8, 2019; Falgun 24, 1425 BS; Jamadi-us Sanni 30,1440 hijri 

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www. tbtbangla.com 

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; No.41; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00 

international 

Blasts in Kabul hit near 

ceremony attended 

by top officials 

>Page7 

art & culture 

Kylie Jenner becomes 

the youngest self-made 

billionaire ever 

>Page 8 

sport 

Mahmdullah emphasizes 

on good start to dictate 

Wellington Test 

>Page 9 

Support women, girls to create a 

better world for all : UN chief 

DNCC mayor 

Atiqul Islam 

sworn in 

DHAKA : Newly-elected mayor of 

Dhaka North City Corporation 

(DNCC) Md Atiqul Islam took oath of 

office on Thursday, reports UNB. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 

administered the oath at a ceremony 

at Shapla Hall of her office in the city. 

Later, 38 newly-elected general 

councilors and 12 female councilors of 

the reserved seats, who were elected 

from the extended areas of the capital's 

two city corporations, were also 

sworn in at the same venue. Local 

Government, Rural Development and 

Cooperatives Md Tajul Islam administered 

the oath to the councilors. 

Local Government Division's 

Senior Secretary SM Ghulam 

Farooque conducted the oath-taking 

ceremony where State Minister for 

LGRD Swapan Bhattacharjee was 

also present. 

On February 28 last, Awami League 

candidate Atiqul Islam won the byelection 

to the DNCC mayoral post by 

a huge margin. Atiqul bagged 

8,39,302 votes while his nearest rival 

Shafin Ahmed of Jatiya Party polled 

52,429 in the by-election. 

On the same day, 38 general councilor 

candidates and 12 female councilor 

contenders won the polls held in 

20 wards of DNCC and 18 wards of 

Dhaka South City Corporation 

(DSCC). 

Of them, 20 general councilors and 

six female councilors of reserved seats 

were elected from DNCC, while the 

remaining 18 general councilors and 

six female councilors of six reserved 

seats elected from DSCC. 

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant 

with the death of mayor Annisul Huq 

on November 30, 2017. 

Juma 

05:01 AM 

01:15 PM 

04:25 PM 

06:08 PM 

07:21 PM 

6:14 6:05 

DHAKA : UN Secretary-General 

Antonio Guterres has called upon 

all to support women and girls who 

are breaking down barriers to create 

a better world for everyone, reports 

UNB. 

"Let's make sure women and girls 

can shape the policies, services and 

infrastructure that impact all our 

lives," he said in a message marking 

the International Women's Day that 

falls on March 8. 

This year's theme for 

International Women's Day, "Think 

Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for 

Change", addresses infrastructure, 

systems and frameworks that have 

been constructed largely in line with 

a male-defined culture. 

The UN chief laid emphasis on 

redoubling efforts to protect and 

promote women's rights, dignity 

and leadership. "We must not give 

ground that has been won over 

decades and we must push for 

wholesale, rapid and radical 

change." 

He said gender equality and 

women's rights are fundamental to 

global progress on peace and security, 

human rights and sustainable 

development. 

"We can only re-establish trust in 

institutions, rebuild global solidarity 

and reap the benefits of diverse 

perspectives by challenging historic 

injustices and promoting the rights 

and dignity of all," said Guterres. 

In recent decades, the UN chief 

said, they have seen remarkable 

progress on women's rights and 

leadership in some areas. "But these 

gains are far from complete or consistent 

- and they have already 

sparked a troubling backlash from 

an entrenched patriarchy." 

He said gender equality is fundamentally 

a question of power. "We 

live in a male-dominated world with 

a male-dominated culture. Only 

when we see women's rights as our 

common objective, a route to 

change that benefits everyone we 

will begin to shift the balance." 

The UN chief said increasing the 

number of women decision-makers 

is fundamental and at the United 

Nations, he has made this a personal 

and urgent priority. "We now 

have gender parity among those 

Bangladesh signs 2 deals; 

4 MoUs with KSA 

DHAKA : Bangladesh and the Kingdom of 

Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Thursday signed 

two agreements and four MoUs for the 

development of various sectors of 

Bangladesh including power, and industrial 

sectors. 

The documents were signed in presence 

of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Saudi 

Trade and Investment Minister Dr Majid 

Bin Abdullah Al Qasaibi and Economy 

and Planning Minister Mohammed Bin 

Mazyed Al-Twaijri at a ceremony at her 

office, reports UNB. 

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, 

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, 

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, 

Planning Minister MA Mannan, PM's 

Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi 

Chowdhury, State Minister for Power, 

Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul 

Hamid, PM's Principal Secretary Md 

Nojibur Rahman, executive chairman of 

Bangladesh Investment Development 

Authority (BIDA) Kazi M Aminul Islam, 

PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan and 

Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia 

Golam Moshi were, among others, present. 

The instruments are - an agreement on 

construction of 100-megawatt solar IPP; 

an agreement on manufacturing transformer 

and electricity devices; MoU on 

setting up of urea formaldehyde-85 plant; 

MoU on establishing Saudi-Bangladesh 

Institute of Biomedical Engineering and 

who lead our teams around the 

world, and the highest-ever numbers 

of women in senior management. 

We will continue to build on 

this progress." 

Guterres said women still face 

major obstacles in accessing and 

exercising power. As the World 

Bank found, just six economies give 

women and men equal legal rights 

in areas that affect their work. And 

if current trends continue, it will 

take 170 years to close the economic 

gender gap. 

"We know women's participation 

makes peace agreements more 

durable, but even governments that 

are vocal advocates fail to back their 

words with action. The use of sexual 

violence as a tactic in conflict continues 

to traumatize individuals and 

entire societies," he said. 

He said innovation and technology 

reflect the people who make 

them. "The underrepresentation 

and lack of retention of women in 

the fields of science, technology, 

engineering, mathematics and 

design should be a cause of concern 

to all." 

Technology; MoU on manufacturing 

cables and MoU on manpower export was 

signed by BMET of Bangladesh and Al 

Maml Trading Estate of Saudi Arabia. 

The agreement on construction of 100 

megawatts of solar IPP was signed 

between Electricity Generation Company 

of Bangladesh Limited and Alfanar 

Company of Saudi Arab. 

Managing Director of Electricity 

General Company Arun Kumar Saha and 

Vice president of Sales and Marketing of 

Alfanar Company Khalid bin Qabel Al 

Sulami inked the deal on behalf of their 

respective sides. 

The agreement on manufacturing transformers 

and electricity devices was signed 

between General Electric Manufacturing 

Company Limited and Engineering 

Dimension. 

Managing Director of General Electric 

Manufacturing Company Limited Sultan 

Ahmed Bhuiyan and Chief Executive 

Officer Mohammad bin Najeeb Al Hajji 

signed the deal behalf of Bangladesh and 

the KSA respectively. Acting Director 

General of BMET SK Rafikul Islam and 

Chairman of Al Maml Trading Estate 

inked MoU on manpower export. 

Bangladesh Industries Secretary Md 

Abdul Halim and Chief Executive Officer 

of Riyadh Cables Group of Industries 

Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Rafea 

signed MoU on manufacturing cables. 

Dhaka university campus was covered by the poster of DACSU election. The Photo was taken on 

Thursday. 

Photo: Star Mail 

On Thursday Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave her speech in a meeting organised by Awami 

league at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital. Photo: Star Mail 

Bangladesh 

observes historic 

March 7 day 

DHAKA : March 7, a memorable day in 

Bangalis' long and bloody struggle for 

freedom, was observed across the country 

on Thursday, reports UNB. 

On this day in 1971, Bangladesh's 

founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh 

Mujibur Rahman delivered an epochmaking 

speech at a massive rally at the 

Racecourse Maidan, now Suhrawardy 

Udyan, in Dhaka. 

In 2017, Unesco recognised the 

speech as a world documentary heritage. 

In his 19-minute extempore 

speech, Bangabandhu made a clarion 

call for a non-cooperation movement, 

asking the nation to prepare for the war 

of independence. 

"Since we have given blood, we will 

give more of it. But, God willing, we will 

free the people of this land," he said. 

"The struggle this time is the struggle 

for emancipation. The struggle this 

time is the struggle for independence." 

Millions of people from all walks of 

life responded to his call and joined the 

Liberation War which ended on 

December 16 with the surrender of the 

Pakistani occupation forces. 

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina paid rich tributes to the nation's 

independence hero by placing wreaths at 

his portrait in front of the Bangabandhu 

Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi. She 

stood in solemn silence for some time as a 

mark of respect to the memory of 

Bangabandhu. 

Hasina placed another wreath as 

Awami League president. Awami 

League and different socio-political and 

cultural organisations organised elaborate 

programmes to observe the day. 

State-run radio and television as well 

as private channels aired special programmes 

while national dailies published 

supplements marking the day. 

No chemical godown 

to be allowed in Old 

Dhaka : PM 

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 

on Thursday expressed her government's 

firm stance to remove the godowns of 

inflammable materials from Old Dhaka 

and other residential areas of the capital, 

reports UNB. 

"Such inflammable materials can't be 

allowed to be here. We're looking for a 

separate place for them (businessmen). 

But we don't want to ruin their businesses. 

But no chemical godown can be 

allowed to be there in residential areas," 

she said referring to the recent 

Chawkbazar fire incident that killed 71 

people. 

The Prime Minister said this while 

addressing the oath-taking programme 

of the newly elected mayor of Dhaka 

North City Corporation and 50 newly 

elected councillors of DNCC and Dhaka 

South City Corporation at the Prime 

Minister's Office in the city. Pointing at 

DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon, who was 

present at the programme, Sheikh 

Hasina said the recent fire incident in Old 

Dhaka is very painful. 

She said, "The businessmen (of inflammable 

products) can keep their showrooms 

and sell their products here. But 

we'll arrange a completely separate place 

for godowns where inflammable materials 

would be safe." 

Mentioning the Nimtoli fire incident 

that took place in 2010, the Prime 

Minister said many people lost their lives 

in the two fire incidents in Chawkbazar 

and Nimtoli areas. "So, we won't accept 

any obstacle in this regard," she warned. 

The Prime Minister asked the new DNCC 

Mayor and councillors of the two city corporations 

of Dhaka to perform responsibilities 

showing due respect to the people 

who kept trust and confidence in them. 

Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for 

increasing own revenue generation of the 

city corporations of the country to render 

desired services to the city dwellers. 

"City corporations will have to try to 

stand on their own. They'll have to 

increase their own incomes," she said 

adding that once Chattogram City 

Corporation was self-dependent when 

ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury was its 

mayor. 

Describing Dhaka as very densely populated 

mega city, she put emphasis on 

continuous cleaning of public toilets, bus 

terminals, railway stations and other 

public places under the two city corporations. 

Besides, the Prime Minister asked the 

authorities concerned to develop roads, 

as well as water and sanitation systems in 

a planned manner. 

She stressed the need for maintaining 

austerity in using water and electricity, 

and urged the city dwellers not to misuse 

that. 

Talking about the city's slum-dwellers, 

the Prime Minister said the government 

has a plan to construct multi-storeyed 

buildings for the slum-dwellers so that 

they lead a better life in the slums. The 

slum-dwellers can pay the rent of the flats 

living in the multi-storeyed buildings on 

daily, weekly and monthly basis. The rent 

will also be affordable for the slum 

dwellers, she said. 

Hasina said the government will also 

construct the multi-storeyed buildings for 

cleaning workers of DNCC like those of 

DSCC. She mentioned that the construction 

of four multi-storey buildings have 

been completed for DSCC cleaning workers 

as total 13 multi-storey buildings will 

be constructed for them. 

About the stranded Bihari people, 

Hasina said the government has a plan to 

construct residential flats for Bihari people 

as they are leading an inhumane life in 

the city. 

She said there are many Bihari people 

here who had expressed allegiance to 

Pakistan but Pakistan never took them 

back from Bangladesh. Now they along 

with their third and fourth generations 

are leading inhumane life in camps 

including Geneva camp in the city, she 

said. 

"We've already started searching place 

for them. We'll construct flats for them so 

that they can lead life in good manner," 

she said. 

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md 

Tajul Islam and state minister for LGRD 

Swapan Bhattacharyee were present. 

Gono Forum 

expels Sultan 

Mansur 

DHAKA : Gono Gorum on Thursday 

expelled Sultan Mohammad Mansur 

for taking oath as a member of the 11th 

Parliament violating the party's decision, 

reports UNB. 

A letter in this regard signed by party 

general secretary Mosfata Mohsin 

Montuwas sent to Sultan Mansur on 

Thursday. 

"Your primary membership has been 

suspended and you've been expelled 

from the party for your activities against 

the party's policy, ideals and people's 

interest," says the letter. 

Mansur was also suspended from the 

steering committee of the Jatiya 

Oikyafront. 

Gono Forum's MP-elect Sultan 

Mohammad Mansur (Moulvibazar-2) 

took oath as a member of the 11th 

Parliament. 

On March 3, two Gono Forum MPselect 

sent separate letters to the Speaker 

requesting her to arrange their oathtaking 

ceremony on historic March 7. 

However, Gono Forum's another 

MP-elect Mokabbir Khan (Sylhet-2) 

did not take oath toady due to an 'avoidable 

reason'.

NEWS 

FRIDAY, 

MARCH 8, 2019 

2 

A raiding team consisting of Department of Narcotics Control, Kishoreganj District Office, 

Bhairab Circle Inspector Masudur Rahman and Sub Inspector Sentu Ranjan Nath arrested two 

drug dealers with local liquor from the adjoining area of Bhairab municipal graveyard on 

Thursday. The team was led by Assistant Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner 

(Land), Bhairab Md. Anisuzzaman and was supervised by Assistant Director Mohammad Habib 

Touhid Imam. Later the Executive Magistrate sentenced the drug dealers to 6 month prison and 

fined them Tk 500 each. 

Photo: Courtesy 

Ilias Kanchan's pistol was detected 

by airport scanner: ministry 

DHAKA : The ministry of civil aviation 

and tourism yesterday affirmed that 

the pistol and ammunitions of film star 

Ilias Kanchan was detected by anti 

hijacking point scanner of the domestic 

terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal 

International Airport (HSIA) here 

when the actor passed security 

checking on Tuesday. 

"The truth is that a laptop bag of 

Kanchan containing a licensed firearm 

and bullets were detected by the antihijacking 

point scanner of the airport's 

domestic terminal," a press release 

issued by the ministry said. 

On that day, film actor Ilias Kanchan, 

who is also the Chairman of Safe Road 

Movement went to the domestic 

terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal Airport 

with a licensed 9mm pistol and live 

bullets for boarding a Novoair flight to 

Hasan Mahmud 

greets Sultan 

Mansur for 

taking oath 

DHAKA : Information 

Minister Dr Hasan 

Mahmud yesterday greeted 

Sultan Mohammad Mansur 

for taking oath as Member 

of Parliament (MP). 

"I cordially congratulate 

Gono Forum leader Sultan 

Mansur for taking oath as 

MP today," he told 

reporters, responding to a 

query at a discussion as the 

chief guest at the 

Department of Films and 

Publications (DFP). 

The information minister 

hoped that BNP will also 

come out from its current 

trend of negative politics 

and its MPs will take oath, 

adding, "Voters will be 

dishonored, if elected MPs 

do not take oath." 

Chattogram. 

The press release said Kanchan told 

the media that he forgot about the 

firearm in his laptop bag and passed 

the heavy luggage scanner undetected. 

Going to the Novoair booking 

counter, Kanchan realised that he had a 

gun in his laptop bag which was not 

detected by the scanner. Then he 

informed the matter to the airport 

authority and on duty officers and 

expressed his apology about the 

incident, it said quoting the actor. 

Quoting Ilias Kanchan the release 

said that he told to media: "I myself 

went to them (airport authority) to 

declare that I was carrying firearms 

after passing the first scanner 

undetected. I had made complaint 

about why my arms was not detected 

by the scanner?" 

WarnerMedia is investigating claims that 

Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Kevin 

Tsujihara promised acting roles in exchange 

for sex as detailed in The Hollywood Reporter 

Wednesday, reports UNB. 

The article includes text messages between 

British actress Charlotte Kirk and Tsujihara 

going back to 2013 when they were introduced 

by Australian billionaire James Packer at the 

Hotel Bel Air past midnight. Packer and his 

business partner Brett Ratner were close to 

closing a production deal with the studio at the 

time. The messages suggest a quid pro quo 

sexual relationship between the aspiring 

actress and the studio head in which he made 

promises that he'd introduce her to influential 

executives and she'd be considered for roles in 

movies and television. They also show she was 

determined to hold Tsujihara, Packer and 

Ratner accountable. 

"You're very busy I know but when we were 

in that motel having sex u said u would help 

However, in its press release, the 

ministry denied Kanchan's statement 

to media terming it false and fake. 

"Ilias Kanchan is reputedly making 

false statements to media regarding the 

incident to protect his personal image," 

said the release. 

It said the actual incident is that the 

firearm was detected by the anti-hijack 

scanner and the security personnel 

asked him about the matter. 

As Kanchan admitted his mistake, 

then the security personnel requested 

him to carry the licensed firearm 

following official procedures, the 

release said. 

As per instruction of the security 

personnel, Kanchan went back to the 

airlines counter and took the firearms 

and ammunition following the legal 

procedure. 

Warner Bros. chair being 

investigated for sexual 

misconduct 

me and when u just ignore me like you're 

doing now it makes me feel used," Kirk writes 

in one of the reported texts. "Are u going to 

help me like u said u would?" 

Some messages also imply that Kirk believes 

that she was used to help close the $450 

million co-financing deal for Packer and 

Ratner's RatPac Entertainment. 

"Whenever we receive new allegations, it is 

our standard practice to conduct an 

appropriate investigation," a rep for 

WarnerMedia said in a statement Wednesday. 

"And that is what we will do here." 

The expose comes two days after AT&Towned 

WarnerMedia announced an 

expanded role for Tsujihara, who is already 

one of Hollywood's most powerful executives. 

He will continue running the movie studio, 

which he has run since 2013, but is adding a 

portfolio of kids and young adults businesses, 

including Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and 

Turner Classic Movies. 

One held with 

85,000 Yaba pills 

in Chattogram 

CHATTOGRAM : Detectives 

in a drive arrested a 

suspected drug trader along 

with 85,000 Yaba tablets 

from a covered van at Firingi 

Bazar Bridge ghat on 

Wednesday night. 

The arrestee is Md Rafiqul 

Islam, 48, reports UNB. 

Deputy 

Police 

Commissioner (public 

relations) Mirza Sayem 

Mahmud of Chattogram 

Metropolitan Police said 

that on secret information, a 

team of Detective Branch 

(DB) of police conducted the 

drive in front of Mamtaz 

Hotel near BIWTA office at 

night and halted a covered 

van on suspicion. 

Later, the team recovered 

the Yaba tablets from the 

covered van and arrested 

Rafiqul. 

In primary investigation, 

Rafiqul revealed that the 

consignment of Yaba tablets 

was bought from Ramu in 

Cox's Bazar for supplying 

those to Dhaka. 

Worker dies in 

Sylhet stone 

quarry 

SYLHET : A stone worker 

was killed in a hill collapsed 

while extracting stones at 

Shah Arefin Tila in 

Companiganj upazila on 


The deceased was 

identified as Akkel Ali, 25, 

son of Majnu Mia of 

Bishwanathpur upazila. 

Tajul Islam, officer-incharge 

of Companiganj 

Police Station, said a chunk 

of mud collapsed on Akkal 

Mia while he was extracting 

stones from the hill, leaving 

him injured. 

Later, he was taken to a 

local hospital where the 

doctors declared him dead. 

Bijan Banerjee, UNO of 

Companiganj upazila, said 

eight payloader machine 

were destroyed during a 

drive against illegal stone 

extraction on Tuesday and 

legal action will be taken 

against the owners of the 

hills. 

Man to die for 

killing woman after 

rape in Jashore 

JASHORE : A tribunal here 

on Thursday sentenced a 

man to death for killing a 

woman after rape in 

Bhugilhat village in 

Abhaynagar upazila in 2018, 

reports UNB. 

The tribunal also fined 

convicted Jakir Hossain, 

son of Delwar Hossain 

Mallik of the same village, 

Tk 5,000 in default, to suffer 

two months in rigorous 

imprisonment. 

'Robbers' held with 

rocket launcher in 

Chattogram 

CHATTOGRAM : Four suspected robbers were detained 

with a rocket launcher and foreign guns early Thursday after 

an alleged gunfight with police in Sitakunda, reports UNB. 

Police identified the detainees as Md Sohag, 34, of 

Swandip; Salauddin, 31, and Md Kamrul Hasan, 26, of 

Salimpur; and Rabiul Hasan Juwel, 22, of Cumilla. 

A rocket launcher with eight shells and two foreign rifles 

are among the firearms seized from the robbers, police 

claimed. Nine policemen, including Sitakunda Police 

Station's Officer-in-Charge Md Delwar Hossain, were 

injured in the 'gunfight', the law enforcers said. 

Police said they raided Salimpur's Fakirhat area around 

2:30am acting on a tip-off that a gang of robbers was 

preparing to commit robbery. 

The robbers opened fire as soon as police reached the spot, 

triggering a skirmish. 

Saudi King keen to boost economic 

ties with Bangladesh 

DHAKA : Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al 

Saud has expressed keenness to strengthen 

economic relations of his country with 

Bangladesh for mutual benefits, reports UNB. 

Visiting Saudi Trade and Investment Minister 

Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasaibi and Economy 

and Planning Minister Mohammed Bin Mazyed 

Al-Twaijri said this at a meeting with Prime 

Minister Sheikh Hasina in her office on 

Thursday. Prime Minister's press secretary 

Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the 

meeting. 

Referring to his meeting with the Saudi King 

before flying for Bangladesh, Saudi Minister for 

Trade and Investment Dr Majid said that King 

Salman wants to develop strong economic 

relations with Bangladesh. The minister said they 

identified seven sectors for boosting cooperation 

between the two countries, including power, 

railway, aeronautics as well as post and 

telecommunications. 

He said Saudi entrepreneurs are keen to invest 

in Bangladesh. The Saudi Trade and Investment 

Minister appreciated the economic development 

of Bangladesh saying that the country is an Asian 

tiger. 

Dr Majid said Bangladesh has gained 

remarkable achievement, particularly in export 

sector, as the country's export volume has 

increased to US$ 37 billion from only US$ 10 

billion. The two ministers highly praised the 

progress of Bangladesh under dynamic 

leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

"You should be proud of yourself and your team 

(for development of Bangladesh)," said Dr Majid. 

Dr Majid said what is good for Bangladesh is also 

good for Saudi Arabia, too. Praising the reduction 

pace of both poor and extreme poor in 

DHAKA : A three-day 

international poultry show- 

2019 began on Thursday at 

the International Convention 

City Bashundhara in the 

capital, reports UNB. 

Agriculture Minister Md 

Abdur Razzaque inaugurated 

the event that will close on 

March 9. 

World's Poultry Science 

Association-Bangladesh 

Branch (WPSA-BB) and 

Bangladesh Poultry 

Industries Central Council 

(BPICC) jointly organised the 

show. Participants from 

around 22 countries are 

showcasing their modern 

technology. 

At the inaugural ceremony, 

Razzaque said the poultry 

sector has potentials. "It has 

expended vastly in the last 10 

years. We are almost 

becoming self-sufficient in 

food. Now, we want food 

security," he said. 

"We have been able to 

achieve MDG and will attain 

SDG by 2030. The 

government is prioritising 

the agriculture sector. We 

hope it will become a 

Bangladesh, the two ministers said what they 

have seen is beyond their expectation. 

Expressing satisfaction over the existing 

bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Saudi 

Arabia, the two Saudi ministers said, they want to 

take this relation to a new height. 

The visiting Saudi Arabia ministers conveyed 

the regards of the Saudi King and the Crown 

Prince to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the 

outset of the meeting. Welcoming the two Saudi 

ministers, the Prime Minister conveyed her 

regards to the Saudi king and the Crown Prince. 

Sheikh Hasina said her government has set up 

special economic zones where the government is 

giving lands to various companies so that they 

can establish their industries according to their 

choice. 

In this regard, the Prime Minister asked the 

Saudi entrepreneurs to invest in the special 

economic zones for the mutual benefits. Talking 

about aeronautic sector which was identified for 

Saudi investment, she said the government has 

enacted a law to set up an Aviation and Aerospace 

University in Lalmonirhat. The Prime Minister 

highlighted development of different sectors, 

including education and healthcare. 

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, 

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Commerce 

Minister Tipu Munshi, Planning Minister MA 

Mannan, PM's Energy Adviser DrTawfiq-e-Elahi 

Chowdhury, State Minister for Power, Energy 

and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, PM's 

Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, 

executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment 

Development Authority (BIDA) Kazi M Aminul 

Islam, PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan and 

Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam 

Moshi were, among others, present. 

11th international poultry show begins in Dhaka 

cvwb-721/2018-2019 

GD-406/19 (5 x 3) 

lucrative sector within a 

short time," he said. 

The minister urged the 

poultry businessmen to look 

for international markets for 

earning foreign currencies. 

Moshiur Rahman, 

president of BPICC, Dr 

Hiresh Ranjan Bhowmik, 

director general of the 

Department of Livestock 

Services, Dr Nathu Ram 

Sarker, director general of 

Bangladesh Livestock 

Research Institute, among 

others, were present at the 

programme. 

we`ÿ r/Rb-921(2)/7/3/19 

GD-404/19 (6 x 3) 

GD-400/19 (5 x 3)

METRO 

FRIDAY, MARCh 8, 2019 

3 

Dalit Nari Forum formed a human chain yesterday marking International Women Day-2019 in front 

of National Press Club. 

Photo: TBT 

GD-403/19 (7 x 4) 

10 injured as 

lift collapses at 

Dhaka Court 

DHAKA : At least 10 people, 

including six lawyers, were 

injured as an elevator of the 

old building of Dhaka 

District and Sessions Judge 

Court collapsed on Thursday 

morning, reports UNB. 

Nine of the injured areadvocate 

Ayub Ali, advocate 

Sultan Ahmed, advocate 

Shamsunnahar, advocate 

Soad, advocate Kawser 

Alam Mithu, advocate Amin, 

liftman Md Jahangir, 

peshkar Md Sumon and an 

accused Md Sujon Mia. 

The lift collapsed around 

10:30 am while it was 

coming down from the 

fourth floor of the 30-yearold 

building, said 

Mahmudul Hasan, duty 

officer the Fire Service and 

Civil Defense station at 

Sadarghat. 

The injured were taken to 

adjacent Dhaka National 

Medical College and 

Hospital from where three 

were shifted to Dhaka 

Medical College and 

Hospital as their condition 

was stated to be critical, said 

Inspector Bachchu Mia of 

DMCH police outpost. 

Besides, two injured were 

admitted to Panghu 

Hospital. 

RMG workers block 

Saat Rasta, demand 

wage hike 

DHAKA : Traffic movement 

on Saat Rasta intersection in 

the city remained halted for 

one and half an hour on 

Thursday morning as 

several hundred garment 

workers put up barricade on 

the busy street for a hike in 

their wages, reports UNB. 

The workers of a several 

garment factories including 

those of Standard Group 

took to the streets around 

8:00 am, creating severe 

gridlock on Mohakhali- 

Moghbazar road and its 

adjoining areas, said Abdul 

Rashid, officer-in-charge of 

Tejgaon Industrial Police. 

The workers of the 

factories have been staging 

demonstration for last 

couple of days demanding 

salary hike, he added. 

The workers took to the 

street when they found the 

main gate of a factory closed 

in the morning. 

Nirmul Committee for complete 

Bangabandhu's biography 

DHAKA : Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul 

Committee has demanded formation of a 

committee by the government for writing a 

complete biography of Father of the Nation 

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

"The country is going to celebrate the 

birth centenary of Bangabandhu in 2020 

but we could not publish a complete 

biography of the Father of the Nation. We 

demand formation of a committee 

comprising historians and researchers on 

Bangladesh's Liberation War to script a 

complete biography of Bangabandhu," said 

Nirmul Committee president Shahriar 

Kabir. 

At the same time, the government must 

take steps to publish such biography of 

Bangabandhu in 100 languages, he said 

while speaking at a press conference at the 

National Press Club yesterday. 

He also said Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

GD-405/19 (3 x 3) 

GD-397/19 (4 x 3) 

and Ministry of Liberation War Affairs can 

form a joint committee to look after how the 

birth centenary of Bangabandhu can be 

celebrated across the world. Expatriate 

Bangladeshis need to be involved in the 

birth centenary celebration process of 

Bangabandhu, he added. 

He writings about Bangladesh Liberation 

War in 1971 had played significant role in 

mobilizing opinion at international arena 

about the genocide in 2071. 

He also demanded inclusion of the history 

of Liberation in textbooks of general, 

madrasa and English medium education. 

Nirmul Committee leaders Momtaz Latif, 

Mahbubur Rashid, Captain (retd.) 

Shahabuddin Ahmed, and Dr. Mamun Al 

Mahtab of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur 

Medical University (BSMMU), were also 

present, among others, at the press 

conference. 

GD-407/19 (8 x 4) 

Iqvmv-RtZt-111/19 

GD-401/19 (8 x 4)

EDITORIAL 

FriDaY, 

MarcH 8, 2019 

4 

Higher Education in Bangladesh needs 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam 

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

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com 

Friday, March 8, 2019 

Ensuring progress 

in health sector 

The health sector of the country as it observed the 

World Health Day sometime ago, presents a mixed 

picture of significant progress, some unattained 

objectives and cases of back sliding. The incumbent 

government had promised a great deal in its previous 

election manifesto and must be credited for having worked 

considerably to keep its promises. 

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

Awami League five years ago that in order to expand and 

strengthen health services at the grassroots level in the 

country, some 18,000 community clinics would be 

established at ward level under a new health policy. Some 

10,000 of these community clinics have been set up 

throughout the country. Some more of these clinics at 

upazilla and union levels are being planned to be integrated 

under the community clinic framework. 

This could be accepted as a very laudable achievement but 

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

amply health services consistent with their potentials. A 

dearth of doctors, nurses, technicians and medical 

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

the challenge remains to provision these clinics adequately 

and run them efficiently. The issue of absentee doctors must 

be addressed - specially-- through a proper accountability 

procedure so that such doctors are only obligated to 

discharge their duties with due sincerity at their due places 

of posting. 

Many doctors on the government's health services in 

connivance with unscrupulous officials in the Health 

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

Many of them remain in Dhaka month after month and 

draw their salaries and other benefits without doing 

adequate work at their properly designated places while the 

health services in the rural areas suffer very seriously from 

absence of doctors. Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina 

warned such absentee doctors for their dereliction of duty 

time and again. 

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

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

count for something only after the actual taking of the steps 

that would be required to ensure that the doctors do 

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

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

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

point to the disincentives that keep them away from rural 

areas. The solution lies in psychologically curing the doctors 

of their inordinate fascination for working in urban areas as 

much as also providing them with further incentives, as far 

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

with dedication in the rural areas. But the greatest stress 

will have to be put on strict enforcement of rules and 

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

unconscientiously avoiding their duties in rural areas. 

The nation makes much sacrifice to produce a doctor with 

highly subsidised medical education and then further pays 

not unreasonably for his or her upkeep with salaries and 

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

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

discharged, then the nation should have the right to apply 

coercion so that the same is discharged. 

The problems complained by the doctors may not be 

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

imperative is keeping up consistent pressure on them as 

per their service rules to do their bounden duties at their 

work stations. 

From 2009, government introduced the so called user fees 

in the publicly run medical and health care system. Under 

23 categories, user fees were introduced for 470 types of 

services in the public hospitals. The public medical care 

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

medical services or at nominal costs till the introduction of 

this fee. 

But in the backdrop of such free and nominal payments 

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

decided that users' fees would be applied to bring about 

positive changes through users bearing a part of the real 

costs of treatment. This would free the government 

somewhat from paying huge subsidies ineffectively to the 

medical sector while enabling better treatment with patients 

bearing a part of their costs. 

But the real experience after introduction of the users' fees 

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

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

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

fee system should be given up with restoration of the 

previous system of free treatment or treatment at nominal 

costs only. 

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

be ensured that the free system or nominal payment system 

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

corruption and neglect. The challenge would be to make the 

free or nominal payment system free from corruption and to 

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

be a blessing. 

A major health sector priority ought to be revamping the 

family planning programme by bringing all or nearly all 

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

per cent of potential couples from the standpoint of 

procreation abilities, remain unserved by the family 

planning programme. They are also bypassed by health and 

nutrition programmes. This neglect must be overcome with 

targeted policies. Time-bound targets must be pursued also 

in the areas of sanitation and helping people to avoid 

arsenic poisoning. 

Meanwhile people, specially common people, are happy to 

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

the DhakaMedicalCollegeHospital, are running with some 

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

Let us hope that this trend would continue and be further 

improved. 

to prepare itself for a Vuca world 

It would do well for us all to reflect 

on the lives and prospects of the 

children born in Bangladesh in 

2019. What will the country be like by 

the time they reach the age 18 and are 

on the threshold of entering high 

education? Certainly, many jobs that 

exist now will have been made 

obsolete by then due to increased 

automation and the further 

development in respect of the use of 

Artificial Intelligence (AI). The world 

will be ever more interconnected, and 

the skillsets required for a future 

world of work and leisure will be very 

different. Whilst none of us can know 

the precise nature of how things will 

be in two decades time, we can 

appreciate that certain changes and 

trends that are already underway are 

likely to continue. The big question 

will be how prepared and agile is the 

education sector, especially the 

higher education sector, to rise to and 

meet the challenges and 

opportunities that the short to 

medium term future will bring? 

Continued population growth means 

that demand for higher education, both 

public and private, is projected to 

increase year on year. On the current 

rate of growth Bangladesh is set to have 

a population of 194.5 million by 2037 

(Source: www.populationpyramid.net/ 

bangladesh/2037/). Such growth will 

impact on all aspects of education and 

require considerable foresight 

planning, especially when it comes to 

investing in infrastructure, staff and 

facilities. On the strength of current 

data available the percentage of female 

students is likely to increase, and thus 

greater thought needs to be given to 

meeting their needs and requirements. 

As things stand the country will 

require additional universities and 

colleges, some of these to be specialist 

subject providers with other 

institutions offering a broader range of 

practical and technical subjects. In 

addition, the higher education sector 

will need to embrace the potential to 

increase stakeholder engagement 

through the offering of Massively 

Open Online Courses (MOOCs), with 

these being offered in Bangla, but 

particularly in English in order to 

ensure that the workforce has 

maximum flexibility when it comes to 

employment opportunities at home 

OOne year ago, BlackRock 

chairman and chief executive 

officer Larry Fink wrote a 

letter to 500 CEOs asking them to 

rethink their sense of purpose. "To 

prosper over time," he wrote, "every 

company must not only deliver 

financial performance, but also show 

how it makes a positive contribution 

to society." 

Fink argued that companies' 

excessive short-term focus was 

hurting their ability to create more 

value in the long run. Some 

prominent politicians - including US 

Senator Elizabeth Warren and (until 

Brexit torpedoed her policy agenda) 

British Prime Minister Theresa May - 

have also advocated a more inclusive 

and less predatory form of 

capitalism. 

But despite these calls to action, 

little has changed. The financial 

sector remains self-obsessed and 

invests mostly in other parts of 

finance, insurance and real estate. 

Companies also are overly 

financialized, spending more on 

share buybacks and dividends than 

on human capital, machinery, and 

research and development. 

The financial sector remains selfobsessed 

and invests mostly in other 

parts of finance, insurance and real 

estate. Companies also are overly 

financialized, spending more on 

share buybacks and dividends than 

on human capital, machinery, and 

research and development 

And the buyback mania is getting 

worse, including at companies like 

Apple, where falling innovation is 

not unrelated to the failure to 

reinvest. Many businesses talk 

soothingly about corporate social 

responsibility, impact, and social 

purpose, but very few put these at the 

core of their operations. 

Fink claimed that companies 

should instead focus on a broader 

group of stakeholders: 

"shareholders, employees, 

customers, and the communities in 

which they operate." But this would 

require corporate governance 

structures that maximize 

Dr P r Datta and Mark t. JonES 

and abroad. 

There is an impression in some 

quarters that some higher education 

providers in Bangladesh are stuck in a 

1980's time warp. Students are 

lectured at, learning is by rote, and 

there is little or no scope or 

encouragement to develop 

independent thought. As if this were 

not alarming enough, academics are 

often denied opportunities to engage 

in additional training and professional 

development and rarely if ever 

undertake new research that is put in 

the public domain. Such institutions 

have become academic backwaters 

that are uninspiring, dull and not fit 

for purpose. It is thus imperative that 

the Government shows leadership to 

ensure that all public and private 

providers are dynamic, innovative and 

accountable. The establishment of a 

Bangladesh Higher Education 

Research Council would be an 

excellent way to help maintain 

academic rigor and quality control 

across the sector. This is doubly 

important as the entire sector would 

benefit from being benchmarked 

against international competitors. 

Central to any development will be 

the role of leadership, something that 

takes on an added significance when 

we consider that we are living in a 

VUCA world, one that is Volatile, 

Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. 

Here are some ideas of how to 

respond: 

* Volatile/Volatility - Focus on 

preparedness, foresight planning 

and risk mitigation. 

* Uncertain/Uncertainty - Invest in 

information, collect it, interpret it 

and share it. 

* Complex/Complexity - Undertake 

appropriate restructuring, invest 

in new resources and hire/utilise 

specialists where appropriate 

* Ambiguous/Ambiguity - Examine 

and explore cause and effect. Seek 

to learn lessons and adapt 

accordingly. 

Rather than retreating into the 

comfort of the familiar there needs to 

be a concerted effort to embrace 

change and ensure that Quality 

Assurance mechanism are in place to 

help focus minds. Far greater 

on the current rate of growth Bangladesh is set to have a 

population of 194.5 million by 2037 (Source: 

www.populationpyramid.net/bangladesh/2037/). Such 

growth will impact on all aspects of education and require 

considerable foresight planning, especially when it comes to 

investing in infrastructure, staff and facilities. on the 

strength of current data available the percentage of female 

students is likely to increase, and thus greater thought needs 

to be given to meeting their needs and requirements. 

stakeholder value, not shareholder 

value - and neither Fink nor other 

business luminaries seem willing to 

go down this "Scandinavian" path. 

Real change means putting 

purpose at the center of how value is 

defined by firms, governments, and 

the economic theory that informs 

policymakers. 

As I argue in my new book, Adam 

Smith and Karl Marx made the 

objective conditions of production - 

the division of labor, machinery, and 

capital-labor relations - central to 

their understanding of value. In 

neoclassical economics, however, 

value is merely a function of 

exchange. Only what has a price is 

valuable, and "collective" effort is 

omitted, because only individual 

decisions matter. Even wages are 

seen as outcomes of people's utilitymaximizing 

choices between leisure 

and work. 

In the neoclassical view, 

governments at best redistribute 

value created elsewhere. 

Furthermore, gross domestic 

product doesn't account for the value 

of essential public services such as 

health care and education. It does, 

though, account for their costs 

(teachers' salaries, for example), so 

that civil servants cannot claim to be 

as "productive" as former Goldman 

Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein in 2009 

infamously suggested his employees 

were. 

Unsurprisingly, public officials, 

cognizance should be taken of Lean 

Management Systems, with a view to 

stakeholder engagement, efficiency 

and effectiveness. 

Over the coming years technology 

will revolutionise the world of study, 

work and leisure. Rather than being 

fearful of such change every effort 

needs to be made to come to terms 

with and embrace change. Sadly, many 

in the most senior roles find new 

technology totally alien and thus have 

yet to grasp the enormity of the change 

that is already underway. For 

institutions to survive and thrive in a 

global market they will need to ensure 

that they hire and train staff at all 

levels to be technology savvy and ever 

ready to make the most of the 

potential that new developments will 

bring. Change is happening now, and 

it will not wait for those would rather 

pretend that it is not happening. The 

best institutions invest money in 

research and development, and as 

innovators they ensure generous 

Let's get real about purpose 

Mariana Mazzucato 

long accused of "crowding out" 

business, have internalized the belief 

that they should do no more than fix 

market failures. Yet the public 

organizations that put a man on the 

moon and invented the Internet did 

more than just correct market 

failures. They had ambition, a 

purpose, and a mission. 

To get real about purpose, we need 

to recognize that value is created 

collectively and build more symbiotic 

partnerships between public and 

private institutions and civil society. 

In doing so, we must address three 

questions: what value to create, how 

to evaluate the impact, and how to 

share the rewards. 

Paul Polman, the departing CEO of 

Similarly, companies evaluating their social 

impact should ditch fuzzy objectives and focus on 

concrete steps to help solve problems. Financial 

institutions would no longer evaluate their loans 

on the basis of categories of firms or countries, but 

rather in terms of activities that help fulfill specific 

missions - such as removing plastic from the 

ocean or creating more sustainable cities. 

Unilever, has rightly tried to focus 

companies on creating value in line 

with substantial targets, especially 

the United Nations' 17 Sustainable 

Development Goals. 

Of course, neither the public nor 

the private sector alone can meet all 

169 specific targets underpinning the 

SDGs. But governments can use the 

goals to create initiatives that require 

investment and innovation from 

many public, private, and civilsociety 

organizations. I advocated 

this approach in a report that has 

become a key part of the European 

Commission's Horizon program. 

Similarly, companies evaluating 

their social impact should ditch fuzzy 

objectives and focus on concrete 

steps to help solve problems. 

funding for physical spaces that foster 

and support creativity. A proven sign 

of a forward-thinking HE institution is 

one that forges long-term partnerships 

with industry. Knowledge transfer is 

very much the name of the game and 

this will require far less politics and far 

more openness and interaction. 

If Bangladesh is going to be able to 

ensure that it has a highly skilled, 

intelligent and flexible workforce it 

will need to invest heavily in literacy 

across the board and make STEM 

(Science, Technology, Engineering 

and Mathematics) Education a 

priority. Many course programmes 

and portfolios will require changing, 

and in some cases a radical overhaul 

with a view to adapting to changing 

priorities and expectations. 

In order to bring about such 

change those in leadership and 

management roles will be required 

to be far more outward looking and 

willing to benchmark their 

institutions against the best in the 

world. Global Higher Education 

League Tables matter and as ever 

complacency and self-importance 

must be avoided at all cost. 

So, let us return to the children born 

this year. The education that they 

receive in the next few years will shape 

their ability to make the most of the 

options available to them in latter life. 

New universities and campuses do not 

just happen overnight, they require 

thought, planning and investment 

over the coming years. Tranches of 

research funding need to be budgeted 

for and will staff require on-going 

training. The decisions and action (or 

inaction) taken over the next five to 

ten years will directly impact upon 

those children who will be 18 by the 

year 2037. Bangladesh needs to ensure 

that its entire HE is ready, willing and 

able to shape a future for the adults of 

tomorrow and beyond. 

Dr P R Datta FCIM, FCMI 

Executive Chair, Academy of Business 

& Retail Management, UK 

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Business and 

Retail Management Research, UK 

Mark T. Jones BA (Hons), FCILN 

Consultant Futurist 

Editor-in-Chief - International Journal of 

Higher Education Management, UK 

Financial institutions would no 

longer evaluate their loans on the 

basis of categories of firms or 

countries, but rather in terms of 

activities that help fulfill specific 

missions - such as removing plastic 

from the ocean or creating more 

sustainable cities. 

Likewise, governments should give 

fewer handouts to companies and 

instead rely more on procurement 

and prize schemes to nurture 

corporate innovations aimed at 

achieving the SDGs. In other words, 

there should be less picking winners 

and more picking the willing. 

Finally, companies must share the 

rewards as well as the risks of 

creating value. Business has 

benefited enormously from public 

investment not only in education, 

research, and basic infrastructure, 

but also in technologies like those 

powering today's smartphones. 

Governments could, therefore, retain 

more of the upside returns to cover 

the downside losses that risk-taking 

involves. 

For example, they could take equity 

stakes in companies like Tesla, which 

received a similar amount of support 

as the failed company Solyndra, or 

generate non-monetary returns by 

setting conditions on the prices of 

goods (such as medicines) that 

receive heavy public investments, 

and on knowledge governance (to 

ensure that the patent system is not 

abused). 

Similarly, conditions on 

reinvesting corporate profits would 

reduce cash hoarding and sharebuybacks. 

To cite one famous 

example, when Bell Labs was 

formed, monopolies like AT&T were 

pressured to reinvest their profits. 

That courage has been lost. 

A more purposeful capitalism 

requires more than just letters, 

speeches and goodwill gestures. 

Business, government, and civil 

society must act together, 

courageously, to ensure that their 

walk is as good as their talk. 

Source : Asia times

STRATEGIC ISSUES FRIDAY, 

MARCH 1, 2019 

5 

As Tokyo rearms, what are the politics of military power in Japan? 

Photo: Mosiase 

The politics around Japan's military power 

catherine Putz 

How does Japan balance its avowedly pacifist 

constitution and its technologically sophisticated and 

growing Self-Defense Forces against rising regional 

threats? How do Japan's neighbors, South Korea and 

China, in particular, view the rearming of Japan? And 

while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is labeled a 

right-wing nationalist, what do the Japanese people 

think about shifting security trends and the future of 

the island's defense? 

Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at the 

Council on Foreign Relations and author of the 

upcoming book Japan Rearmed: The Politics of 

Military Power, offers answers to some of these 

questions. Smith emphasizes that in developing its 

military capabilities Japan is responding to a complex 

regional situation and an uncertain future. 

Early on, Japan's political leaders established that 

the right of self-defense was inherent in the UN 

Charter and thus Japan, too, would be able to develop 

the capability to defend itself. This was established in 

How far the Chinese mega-project BRI trekked so far. Photo: Collected 

Let's examine the 

progress of China's 

Belt and Road 

Prashanth Parameswaran 

With just a few weeks more to go 

until the next Belt and Road 

Initiative (BRI) summit China, 

expected in April, it is clear that the 

BRI continues to suffer some serious 

setbacks even as Beijing continues to 

try to lock in additional wins. Yet at 

the same time, as BRI continues to 

develop in the lead up to and after 

the upcoming summit, one should 

be wary of overestimating or 

misreading any sort of "pushback" 

against BRI. Among other things, an 

overly narrow focus on BRI 

"pushback" can distort the wide 

range of responses we have seen 

thus far from regional states; 

misread the motivations at play 

inherent in readjustments or 

reconsiderations countries may 

make along the way; and place the 

emphasis too much on just 

temporary pushbacks rather than 

the structural and strategic changes 

that need to be made to contend 

with how regional states can better 

manage the opportunities and 

challenges of economically engaging 

China. 

First, though the focus is often on 

BRI "pushback," that is in fact just 

one position within a range of very 

complex responses by countries 

ranging from support to opposition 

that vary on different counts 

including level of intensity. 

Emerging responses from countries 

like Japan, which has actively 

offered alternatives to China's BRI 

even as it engages with it; or 

Myanmar, where Beijing has 

worked tirelessly with the 

government in Naypyidaw to make 

progress on parts of the China- 

Myanmar Economic Corridor 

(CMEC) in spite of earlier concerns, 

offer cautionary notes about 

oversimplistically characterizing 

responses to such a large scale 

initiative that involves so many 

different players. 

This is an important point to keep 

in mind. A range of factors including 

BRI's still amorphous shape - where 

old projects are at times being 

grandfathered in to seem like new 

developments and commitments by 

countries can be in the form of 

rhetorical support and symbolic 

MOUs rather than substantive 

cooperation actually followed 

through - means that responses will 

tend to be more complex and 

nuanced than a simple "pushback" 

or "embrace." A myopic focus on just 

the more extreme manifestations of 

the pushback aspect can distort the 

region's response and underestimate 

the BRI's longer-term potential as a 

tool of Chinese statecraft. 

Second, to the extent that there is 

"pushback," the motivations for this 

subset of responses are often quite 

diverse, with some being more 

project-specific or domestic-focused 

rather than the geopolitical 

imperatives often attributed to 

them. There ought to be a clear 

distinction made, for instance, 

between 

project-specific 

readjustments from Pakistan with 

respect to the China-Pakistan 

Economic Corridor (CPEC); 

recalibration with a change in 

government in Malaysia following 

the perceived excesses under former 

Prime Minister Najib Razak; and the 

caution of a more strategic and 

lasting kind shown by Vietnam 

which continues to keep BRI at a 

distance. 

The differences in motivations 

here, to the extent they can be 

discerned, is important. In addition 

to more correctly representing the 

myriad drivers behind why certain 

the Diet committee that reviewed the draft of the U.S. 

Occupation authorities, and so the postwar debate that 

followed after Japan regained sovereignty in 1952 was 

how to interpret what was necessary for self-defense. 

Diet debate over the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) law in 

1954 became the first place this was deliberated, and 

many of the basic issues Japanese still consider were 

raised then. But over time, as the SDF developed the 

capability to take over territorial defense missions 

from U.S. forces, debate blossomed into what sorts of 

things should define the military capability of the SDF. 

Over time, these debates shifted focus from what kinds 

of weapons were acceptable to what kind of missions 

the SDF could perform, and then to the possibility of 

SDF participation in international coalitions in the 

post-Cold War era (such as UN Peacekeeping 

Operations and post-9/11 U.S. coalitions in the Indian 

Ocean and now in the South China Sea). I trace this 

trajectory of deliberations in Japan Rearmed to show 

just how far Japan has come in thinking about the 

utility of its military as a partner in regional and global 

security. 

countries are responding the way 

they do, they can also shed better 

light on the extent to which we can 

expect to see continuity and change 

in regional responses amid various 

developments, including shifting 

domestic politics as well as Beijing's 

own ongoing efforts to refashion 

some of its BRI projects in countries 

that can be expected to continue 

after the April summit. 

Third, though countries may push 

back against BRI itself for now, it is 

still unclear whether this will also 

lead them to make the necessary 

changes to better manage such 

issues in the future and also limiting 

their broader economic relationship 

with Beijing as some may hope or 

assume. Though experiences such as 

the "debt traps" epitomized by Sri 

Lanka's Hambantota Port or 

the"dual use" dilemma at play it 

places such as Cambodia have 

emerged as cautionary tales for 

governments related to BRI, in 

many cases governments are still 

grappling with how to address these 

challenges and debates and 

discussions about short-, medium-, 

and long-term steps. As they are 

doing so, they are also continuing to 

engage Beijing beyond the BRI, 

including through other initiatives 

that are more welcome relatively 

speaking such as the Asia 

Infrastructure Investment Bank 

(AIIB). 

This point warrants careful 

attention in the months and years 

ahead. For all the focus on China, 

the concerns at play within BRI are 

also the product of factors evident in 

the countries Beijing is operating in 

as well, including a lack of 

transparency and accountability 

with respect to how project 

decisions are made, the perceived 

lack of alternatives in advancing 

economic development including 

infrastructure, and ongoing 

conversations about how to manage 

the opportunities and challenges of 

economic engagement with Beijing, 

including in some cases restrictions 

in certain areas such as 

telecommunications. Until these 

structural issues are addressed, 

individual projects may come under 

scrutiny, but the systemic risks will 

continue to remain and are likely to 

manifest in different ways. 

All this is not to say that we ought 

to dismiss or underestimate the 

pushback we have seen with respect 

to BRI so far, which is real. The 

point, rather, is that we should avoid 

being carried away by headlines 

narrowly focused on "pushback" 

against the BRI and continue to pay 

attention to the complex decisions, 

motives, and longer-term 

adjustments being made by regional 

states as well as China in the 

initiative as well as in its wider 

economic engagement. That 

broader perspective can not only 

provide a better understanding of 

how countries respond to BRI, but 

also potentially help shape these 

very calculations over time. As we 

see the focus on BRI ramp up ahead 

of the next BRI summit in China, 

that is worth keeping in mind. 

Tension looms in South Asia 

sudha ramachandran 

On February 26, the Indian Air Force 

(IAF) carried out an aerial strike on a 

Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror training 

camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber- 

Pakhtunkhwa province. Unlike in 

September 2016, when Special Forces of 

the Indian Army carried out so-called 

surgical strikes on terrorist launch-pads 

near the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan 

Occupied Kashmir (POK) - the LoC is the 

de-facto line that divides the former 

princely state of Jammu and Kashmir 

(J&K) into POK and the Indian state of 

J&K - this time IAF jets went far into 

Pakistani airspace to destroy one of JeM's 

main training camps. 

Tuesday's strikes are the first to be 

launched deep into Pakistan territory since 

the 1971 India-Pakistan War. Even during 

the 1999 confrontation at Kargil, Indian 

fighter jets did not cross the LoC. The IAF's 

assault on the Balakot camp is therefore 

significant. 

An assault on JeM training camps was 

expected. Less than two weeks ago, a 

suicide bombing by JeM in Pulwama in 

J&K claimed the lives of more than 40 

paramilitary personnel. The attack 

triggered a wave of anger and outrage 

across India, with many calling on India's 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led 

government to give Pakistan a "befitting 

response." Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

has also been promising to avenge the 

death of the security forces at Pulwama. 

With Indians scheduled to vote in 

general elections in April and May, the 

BJP, a right-wing party which espouses a 

muscular nationalism, was under pressure 

to respond militarily. The IAF strikes on 

the JeM training camp was the result. 

Pakistan-based JeM is labeled a terrorist 

group in India and India has been trying to 

get the United Nations Security Council to 

blacklist JeM's founder-leader, Masood 

Azhar. However, it hasn't succeeded in this 

endeavor, with China blocking its efforts. 

Between 1994 and 1999, Azhar was 

jailed in India for his terrorist activities in 

the Kashmir Valley. Then in December 

1999, India freed him in exchange for the 

safe return of passengers on board a 

hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft. 

In Pakistan, Azhar founded JeM with 

generous support from Pakistan's Inter- 

Services Intelligence (ISI) and since then 

the group has moved from strength to 

strength and carried out several attacks in 

India, including an attack on the Indian 

Parliament in December 2001 - an 

incident that brought India and Pakistan 

to the brink of war in 2002 - and on an IAF 

base at Pathankot in January 2016. 

Tuesday's IAF airstrike is reported to 

have destroyed a JeM training camp where 

hundreds of terrorists were staying. 

Among those reportedly killed in the strike 

was Azhar's brother-in-law, Yousuf Azhar, 

who masterminded the 1999 airplane 

hijacking. India claims that the air strikes 

eliminated a significant number of JeM 

fighters. But what has it achieved beyond 

that? 

The strikes delivered a "robust" message, 

an editorial in The Hindu, an influential 

English daily said. Certainly, the strike 

signaled to Pakistan that India will not 

hesitate to use force if it continues to 

support terrorist attacks targeting India. 

By targeting a terrorist camp, India has 

indicated also that it "doesn't want to go 

beyond [destroying Pakistan's] terror 

infrastructure," security analyst Uday 

Bhaskar has observed. 

However, Tuesday's strikes "are unlikely 

to have any enduring impact on the long 

term trajectory of Pakistan-backed 

terrorism," Ajai Sahni, counter-terrorism 

expert and Executive Director of the 

Institute for Conflict Management in New 

Delhi, told The Diplomat. 

The 2016 surgical strike did not reduce 

terrorist attacks in India. Rather it resulted 

in "an escalation of terrorism in J&K and 

increased firing" by Pakistan along the 

LoC, which resulted in scores of Indian 

soldiers and civilians losing their lives. 

It did serve the BJP's agenda well, 

however, Sahni says. And "Surgical Strikes 

2.0," as India's recent strikes are being 

referred to "can be expected to do precisely 

this," he added. The strikes are likely to 

Supporters wait for the start of a campaign rally of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun 

Sen's Cambodian People's Party in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: Heng Sinith 

provide a shot in the arm to the BJP's 

electoral chances in the upcoming general 

elections. "In the immediate future, the 

impact [of the strikes] will probably be 

escalatory," Sahni said, adding that the 

Pakistani leadership is under pressure "as 

great as the pressure" that the Modi 

government was under to respond to the 

Pulwama attack. Pakistan's leadership is 

under pressure to respond to India's air 

strikes "immediately and visibly." 

In the coming days, Pakistan can be 

expected to further escalate cross-border 

firing and carry out terror attacks in J&K as 

well as other parts of India, Sahni said. The 

conflict is already escalating. 

Can Australia boom with a proactive 

immigration policy? 

Grant wyeth 

In recent decades the conventional 

narrative of global population has been 

one of continued growth and the stresses 

that this will place on the planet's 

resources. This narrative has been 

facilitated by consistent studies from the 

United Nations that predict that the 

world's population will rise from its 

present 7.7 billion to 11.2 billion by 2100. 

However a new book by the Globe and 

Mail's writer-at-large, John Ibbitson, 

and social researcher Darrell Brooker 

has questioned this narrative and the 

UN modeling that produced its global 

population boom forecasts. Instead, they 

argue, the world's population will top out 

just before reaching 9 billion people, 

before beginning to decline. 

The book - Empty Planet: The Shock of 

Global Population Decline - argues that 

the UN's model for predicting birthrates 

is too conservative, focusing only on the 

traditional factors of fertility, mobility, 

and mortality. These are factors have 

worked well for forecasts in the past, but 

fail to account for current trends that are 

producing a significant decline in birth 

rates worldwide. 

Brooker and Ibbitson argue that the 

UN is missing two current revolutions 

that are taking place across the world. 

The first is the rapid rise of urbanization, 

both in developed and developing 

countries. Life in urban areas is 

becoming increasingly advantageous 

and this phenomenon is exponential. 

The more people move to urban areas 

the more advantageous it is for others to 

do likewise. This has a considerable 

effect on population - in rural areas 

children are an important extra set of 

hands, but in urban areas children are 

more an extra mouth to feed, therefore 

reducing the incentive to have too many. 

The other phenomenon (which is 

facilitated by the first) is the increase in 

female education and female social 

power. In the book, the authors note that 

everywhere they visited for their 

research - whether it was wealthy 

Western cities, poor rural areas, or 

urban slums in developing countries - 

when they asked women how many 

children they would prefer to have if 

given the choice, the response was 

overwhelmingly only one or two. And 

across the world the ability for women to 

make this choice for themselves is 

becoming a new (and long overdue) 

social norm. This phenomenon is not 

only driven by access to formal 

education, but the informal education 

derived from urban social networks and 

the now ubiquitous access to 

smartphones that provide insights and 

aspirations for women beyond their local 

environments. 

Confirming the authors' thesis, a 

report by medical journal The Lancet 

from November 2018 (a study published 

after their book was written) has 

demonstrated that there is now a 

significant decline in global birth rates. 

While the UN's recent data for India 

states that it has a current birth rate of 

2.4 children per woman, The Lancet 

puts India's birth rate at 2.1. For a 

population the size of India that 

discrepancy is a considerable number of 

people (or lack thereof). India is now at 

the replacement level, and is joined there 

by other large countries such as 

Bangladesh, Iran, Brazil, and the 

Philippines. These countries are 

predicted to soon move to being below 

replacement level, which is where most 

of the developed countries in the West 

find themselves. Most significantly, this 

is also where China finds itself. The 

authors predict China could halve its 

population by the end of the century, 

becoming older and smaller before it 

reaches the wealth of the West, with 

considerable geopolitical ramifications. 

If the analysis of the book proves 

correct, then this presents an enormous 

opportunity for an immigrant accepting 

country like Australia. With Europe 

turning inward, and the United States 

potentially doing the same, the number 

of countries that are actively seeking to 

enhance their numbers through 

immigration are actually very few. 

Rather than see its relative power 

decline in relation to more populous 

countries in its neighborhood as has 

been predicted, Australia should be able 

to enhance its current economic, 

defense, and cultural capabilities to 

either preserve its influence, or even 

considerably increase it - as long as it is 

able to maintain (or boost) its current 

levels of immigration, and generate 

public acceptance of its migration 

program. 

Yet unlike a comparable country 

such as Canada, Australia doesn't 

have a strong public narrative 

advocating and explaining the 

benefits of immigration. The political 

class simply enacted a policy of 

substantial rates of immigration and 

then sat back and hoped that the 

public would adjust on its own. 

A declining global population will make the maintenance of Australia's immigration program the 

country's primary strategic asset. 

Photo : Jamie Davies

NATIONAL 

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2019 

6 

Homage paid to Bangabandhu 

on historic Mar 7 in Tungipara 

S M NAZruL ISLAM, GoPALGANJ CorrESPoNDENT: 

Tungipara upazila Awami League 

along with various other organizations 

on Thursday paid rich tributes to 

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu 

Sheikh Mujibur rahman in Tungipara 

to mark his epoch-making speech of 

independence on historic March 7 in 

1971. 

In the morning upazila Awami 

League paid tribute by placing 

wreaths at Bangabandhu's grave. 

Afterwards Jubo League, Chhatra 

League, Mohila Awami League, 

Sramik League and various 

organizations and general people paid 

tributes at Bangabandhu's grave. 

At the occasion, Tungipara upazila 

Awami League President Sardar Ilias 

Hossain, general secretary Abul 

Bashar Khair, former upazila 

chairman Solaiman Biswas, upazila 

Awami League's publicity secretary 

Samad Biswas and Tungipara 

municipality Awami League President 

Mozammel Hossain Tutul among 

others took part in special prayers for 

departed soul of Bangabandhu and 

his family. 

Bashtola-Haque Nagar Shaheed Monument site in Dowarabazar upazila is a well known tourist spot in 

Sunamganj district. 

Photo: Habibullah Halale 

Bashtola-Haque Nagar Shaheed Monument 

struggling to attract tourists 

HABIBuLLAH HALALE, DoWArABAZAr CorrESPoNDENT: 

Bashtola-Haque Nagar Shaheed 

Monument site in Dowarabazar 

upazila is a well known tourism area 

in the district. Border area of 

Bashtola-Haque Nagar attracts 

tourists for its beautiful nature. The 

Garo community resides on Jumgao 

hill on the Indian border. The Garo's 

houses are very well decorated, neat 

and clean and are surrounded by 

green trees. 

The mountainous fountains on the 

border of India are eye catching. 

From here one cannot go back 

without visiting the sluice gate on the 

Moula river in Haque Nagar. The 

sluice gate was built in 2005 with the 

cost of 1 crore 26 lakh 10 thousand 

taka. Although river rules are 

contrary to nature, the sluice gate has 

created a distinct beauty in the 

mountainous waterfalls. 

The 5 no headquarters of 

Liberation War can be seen in front of 

the sluice gate. Here lies a triangle 

shaped Shaheed Minar. The 

Discussion meeting to prevent 

fire accidents held 

A discussion meeting to prevent fire 

accidents was held in Armanitola area 

of old Dhaka on Thursday. Director 

General of Fire Service and Civil 

Defense Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan 

PSC (retd) was present as the chief 

guest at the occasion, a press release 

said. Director (operations and 

Maintenance) Major AKM Shakil 

Newaz was present as the special 

guest while President of Bangladesh 

Chemical and Perfumery 

Manufacturers Association Haji 

Abdul Jalil presided over the function. 

Among others, delegates of various 

surroundings of this area are very 

pleasant. It is surrounded by the 

green hills and the blue sky. 

Dowarabazar upazila has rich history 

of the liberation war and has an 

unmatched atmosphere to attract 

tourists. There are Tengratila Gas 

Field, rubber Dam on Khasia Mara 

river, box sluice gate on Marpasi 

Canal, Hydraulic structure in 

Banglabazar Sub-Project, B Bashtola- 

Haque Nagar Shaheed Monument, 

Adivasi Hills, Muktijoddha Bir 

Pratikk, Birangana and many more 

spectacular places. 

It is known that those who were 

martyred in Bashtola and its adjacent 

areas during Liberation War were 

buried here. Haque Nagar Shaheed 

Monument was built to preserve the 

memory of these martyrs. With the 

help of local MP Muhibur rahman 

Manik and the funding of the 

government fund Haque Nagar 

Shaheed Monument along with a rest 

house, Haque Nagar community 

clinic and a mosque were built. There 

business associations, prominent 

people of the area, local businessmen 

and locals were also present at the 

occasion.At the occasion Major AKM 

Shakil Newaz made aware of the 

issues of chemical use and suggested 

about how to maintain risky 

chemicals. 

The chief guest, Brig Gen Ali Ahmed 

Khan PSC (retd) remembered the 

historic speech of the Father of the 

Nation and prayed for the forgiveness 

of all the martyrs of the great 

liberation war. He also prayed for 

peace of the deceased of Churihatta 

are two hundred and fifty year old 

Indigenous Hills near the memorial 

monument. Here the Garo people 

live. 

But the direct road communication 

between Gobindaganj-Chhatak- 

Dowarabazar and Chhatak-Bangla 

Bazar-Bashtola road has not been 

made as the construction of Surma 

Bridge is not completed yet. The 

locals named Haque Nagar village 

after late freedom fighter Abdul 

Hauqe for his special contribution in 

the liberation war. During the war, he 

established a medical college hospital 

here. A large number of people 

including freedom fighters, were 

provided medical services here. He 

also established an educational 

institute named Haque Nagar 

Primary School. But now Haque 

Nagar Hospital has now disappeared. 

The local people now demands to the 

government and the concerned 

authorities for immediate 

intervention for the restoration of the 

Haque Nagar Hospital. 

Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defense Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan PSC (Retd) as the chief 

guest addressed a discussion meeting to prevent fire accidents was held in Armanitola area on 

Thursday. 


fire accident on April 20 and 

expressed deep sympathy for the 

relatives of the deceased people. 

The Director General urged 

everyone to do business in accordance 

with the security conditions. He said 

that we will take necessary measures 

after getting requests for providing 

security training. He conveyed his 

sincere thanks for organizing a 

Security Discussion Meeting for 

preventing fire. At the beginning of 

the meeting special prayers were 

offered for the victims and injured in 

the fire accident on February 20. 

A workshop on raising awareness of gender issues and creating positive ideological values was held 

in Taraganj upazila on Thursday. 

Photo: Biplob Hossain 

In observance of the historic March 7, Tungipara upazila Awami League along with various other 

organizations on Thursday paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur 

Rahman in Tungipara. 

Photo: S M Nazrul Islam 

Press conference 

on SME Products 

Fair held in 

Kishoreganj 

SHAH MD. SArWAr JAHAN, 

KISHorEGANJ CorrESPoNDENT: 

A press conference and a 

view exchange meeting 

marking the SME Products 

Fair was held at Kishoreganj 

Collectorate conference room 

on Thursday. 

ADC (General) Tarafder 

Md. Akther Jamil presided 

over the meeting while among 

others, ADM Md. Habibur 

rahman, Assistant 

Commissioner Aklim Akter, 

Bisic AGM Kamrul Ahsan, 

Bisic Extension officer 

Moshiur rahman, Nasib 

representative Md. Alauddin, 

Kishoreganj Chamber of 

Commerce & Industry Vice- 

President Sheikh Farid 

Ahmed, Kishoreganj Women 

Chamber of Commerce & 

Industry President Fatham 

Johura Akter, SME 

Foundation of Dhaka 

Assistant Manager Abir 

Hossain and District Mohila 

Awami League Join Convener 

Bilkis Begum were also 

present at the occasion. 

The SME Products Fair will 

be held from 9 March to 15 

March 2019 at Kishoreganj 

old stadium. 

Workshop 

on raising 

awareness 

about gender 

issues held in 

Taraganj 

BIPLoB HoSSAIN oPu, TArA- 

GANJ CorrESPoNDENT: 

A workshop on raising 

awareness of gender issues 

and creating positive 

ideological values was held in 

Taraganj upazila. The 

workshop was held on 

Thursday afternoon at the 

Bhimpur SDF Hall of 

Alampur union and was 

organized by Palisree 

rangpur Creating Spaces 

project. 

At the occasion, the 

speakers instructed about the 

guidance of women in 

reproductive age, women's 

rights, sex and reproductive 

health and various aspects of 

women's rights. At the 

occasion, 

Islamic 

Foundation's Imam Amir 

uddin, former uP member 

Laila Anjuman, Bhimpur 

School Assistant Teacher 

Jahangir Alam, Social Worker 

Hamidul Islam, Student 

Jannatun Nahar, Hasan Mia 

and Project officer of Palisree 

Creating Space Sajedul Islam 

Sujon were also present at the 

occasion. 

District Administration and SME Foundation jointly organized a 

press conference at Kishoreganj Collectorate conference room on 

Thursday. 

Photo: Shah Md. Sarwar Jahan 

LGED officials forms human 

chain in Habiganj 

MD MAMuN CHoWDHury, HABIGANJ CorrESPoNDENT: 

In the month of Independence, LGED 

officials and employees of Habiganj have 

formed a human chain demanding the removal 

and arrest of the uNo within 24 hours for 

arresting uapzila engineer illegally using his 

power. The human chain was held in front of 

the LGED office in Habiganj on Thursday. 

LGED Habiganj Executive Engineer Sheikh 

Md. Abu Zakir Sekander chaired the occasion 

while among others, LGED Habiganj Senior 

Assistant Engineer Biplob Pal, Md. Shafiqul 

Islam, Assistant Engineer Mohammad 

Minarul Islam and Habiganj Sadar upazila 

Engineer obaidul Bashar were also present at 

the occasion. 

Speakers at the meeting said that the month 

of independence is going on. In this month, 

Bahubal uapzila uNo Mohammed Jasim 

uddin illegally arrested the upazila engineer 

Golam Mohammad Mohiuddin Chowdhury by 

misusing his of power. We demand removal 

and arrest of the uNo within the next 24 hours. 

All the LGED officials and employees of 

Habiganj of different zones claimed this. 

LGED Habiganj sources said that Bahubal 

upazila engineer Golam Mohammad 

Mohiuddin Chowdhury filed a case against in 

this connection. 

LGED officials and employees of Habiganj on Thursday formed a human chain 

demanding removal and arrest of Bahubal upazila UNO. Photo: Mamun Chowdhury 

National Jute Day celebrated in Gaibandha 

GAIBANDHA: National Jute Day-2019 

was celebrated in the district as elsewhere in 

the country on Wednesday amid enthusiasm 

with a call to make jute goods popular among 

the people, reports BSS. 

This year's theme of the day was 'Golden 

Country of Golden Fibre (Sonali Asher Sonar 

Desh), Father of the Nation's Bangladesh 

(Jatir Pitar Bangladesh)'. 

Marking the day, the district 

administration and the Department of Jute 

chalked out the elaborate programmes. 

In the morning around 9am, a grand rally 

led by deputy commissioner (DC) M. Abdul 

Matin was brought out from Independence 

Square and ended in front of Zila Shilpakala 

Academy (ZSA) after parading the main 

roads of the town. 

Later, a discussion meeting was also held at 

the auditorium of ZSA with additional district 

magistrate Tofayel Hossain in the chair. 

DC M. Abdul Matin addressed the meeting 

as the chief guest and superintendent of 

police (SP) Engineer Abdul Mannan Miah 

and additional deputy director of 

Department of Agriculture Extension Abul 

Kalam Azad were present at the event as the 

special guests. 

The meeting was also addressed, among 

others, by chief inspector of district jute office 

Mokbul Hossain Sarker, jute development 

officer M. Majedul Islam, and journalist 

Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman. 

The speakers in their speeches underscored 

the need for the joint efforts of the 

government and the non government 

institutions to regain the past glory of jute. 

DC Abdul Matin said the government led 

by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken 

various initiatives, including modernization 

of the state owned jute mills, to bring back 

the glorious past of the jute sector.

INTERNATIONAL FRIdAy, 

MARCh 8, 2019 

7 

Thai court disbands political 

party for nominating princess 

Thailand's Constitutional Court on 

Thursday ordered the dissolution of a 

major political party ahead of this 

month's general election because it 

nominated a member of the royal 

family to be its candidate for prime 

minister, reports UNB. 

The Thai Raksa Chart Party on Feb. 

8 nominated Princess Ubolratana 

Mahidol as its candidate for the March 

24 polls. However, her brother King 

Maha Vajiralongkorn later that day 

issued a royal order calling the nomination 

highly inappropriate and 

unconstitutional. 

The court in its ruling also banned 

members of the party's executive 

board from political activity for 10 

years. 

The decision will raise fresh questions 

about the fairness of the upcoming 

election, the first since a military 

coup toppled the democratically elected 

government in May 2014. 

Thai Raksa Chart is aligned with 

former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 

whose allied parties have 

won every national election since 

2001 but have twice been toppled in 

coups. The latest election is being 

Indonesia ends 

search for victims 

of gold mine 

collapse 

The risk to rescuers from 

constant rock falls has ended 

the search for dozens of victims 

of an Indonesian gold 

mine collapse, the search 

and rescue agency said 

Thursday, leaving an 

unknown number buried in 

the mine, reports UNB. 

Budi Purnama, director of 

operations at the national 

agency, said the remains of 

27 people have been recovered, 

based on intact bodies 

and body parts found. 

The grueling 10-day rescue 

effort in remote steep 

terrain pulled 20 people 

alive from the unlicensed 

mine in North Sulawesi but 

two later died, including a 

man whose leg was amputated 

to free him. 

Indonesia's disaster 

agency has said as many as 

100 people were in the mine 

when it collapsed Feb. 26. 

"During our last three hours 

of operations the rocks kept 

falling and we decided to 

stop," Purnama told reporters 

at the mine in Bolaang Mongondow 

district. "Cave access 

that we had opened was completely 

blocked by rocks and 

rubble." 

He said a crack in the earth 

also continued to spread, 

endangering the entire area 

if the rescue operation, 

which involved trying to 

move huge rocks, continued. 

Informal mining operations 

are commonplace in Indonesia, 

providing a tenuous livelihood 

to thousands who labor 

in conditions with a high risk 

of serious injury or death. 

Rescuers numbering more 

than 200 initially used their 

bare hands and shovels to 

find victims and fashioned 

stretchers from branches, 

twine and other materials to 

carry survivors away from 

the mine. 

held under rules that are generally 

acknowledged to make it hard for 

pro-Thaksin parties to win a majority, 

and the dissolution of Thai Raksa 

Chart will make that all the more 

difficult. 

The Constitutional Court is one of 

the most conservative institutions in 

Thailand and has consistently ruled 

against Thaksin and his allies. 

Its statement explaining Thursday's 

ruling was even more critical of the 

party's action than the king's had 

been. It appeared to ascribe ill intentions 

to the party's actions, blaming it 

for endangering a tradition that keeps 

the royal family above politics. 

It voted unanimously to dissolve the 

party, and by a vote of 6-3 for the 

political ban on its executive members. 

The state Election Commission 

after the king's statement last month 

disqualified Ubolratana's nomination 

and forwarded to the court its recommendation 

that Thai Raksa Chart 

should be dissolved because its candidate 

was "in conflict with the system of 

rule of democracy with king as head of 

state." 

The party itself quickly asserted its 

Grenade explosion injures 

18 in Indian-held Kashmir 

At least 18 people were 

injured, four critically, by 

a grenade blast at a bus 

station in the Indian-controlled 

portion of Kashmir 

on Thursday, police 

said, reports UNB. 

The grenade was hurled 

at the main bus station in 

Jammu city and rolled 

beneath a bus, where it 

exploded, police said. 

The injured were taken 

to a hospital, including at 

least four who were in 

critical condition. 

Police said they are 

investigating who was 

responsible. 

In the past, Indian 

authorities have blamed 

rebels fighting against 

Indian rule in the disputed 

region for similar 

grenade attacks, often 

without producing any 

evidence. Rebels have in 

turn accused government 

agents of carrying out the 

attacks to defame their 

movement. 

Authorities rushed 

police reinforcements to 

the area and sealed off the 

road to try to apprehend 

the grenade-thrower. 

Jammu, a Hindumajority 

city, experienced 

days of protests 

following a Feb. 14 suicide 

bombing in Indiancontrolled 

Kashmir that 

killed 40 Indian paramilitary 

soldiers, the deadliest 

attack against Indian 

forces since the start 

of an armed rebellion in 

1989 by mostly Muslim 

residents in the disputed 

Himalayan region. 

Hundreds of Hindu 

nationalists attacked 

loyalty to the king and said it had only 

good intentions in making the nomination. 

Ubolratana's registration as a candidate 

was a stunning move, not only 

because it would have broken a taboo 

on a senior royal running for public 

office, but also because it would have 

allied her with a party considered by 

many royalists to be unsympathetic to 

the monarchy. 

Thaksin's populist policies delivered 

unmatchable electoral majorities, but 

he was resented by the traditional ruling 

class, including royalists and the 

military. Thaksin went in exile in 

2008 to avoid serving jail time on a 

corruption conviction he insists was 

politically motivated. 

The leader of the ruling junta and 

prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, is 

seeking to become prime minister 

again after March's election, though he 

is not running for a seat in parliament. 

One of the new laws passed under 

military rule allows a prime minister 

who is not a lawmaker to rise to the top 

post in a vote by the upper and lower 

house. The upper house is entirely 

appointed by the ruling junta. 

In this Feb. 28, 2019, file photo, rescuers stand at the entrance of a collapsed mine in 

Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Authorities in Indonesia say the risk to 

rescuers from constant rock falls has ended the search for dozens of victims of a gold mine 

collapse, leaving an unknown number buried. 

Photo : AP 

Muslim neighborhoods 

in the city, burning vehicles 

and hurling rocks at 

homes. 

Authorities imposed a 

curfew for several days in 

the city. 

Archrivals India and 

Pakistan each administer 

part of Kashmir, but both 

claim the region in its 

entirety. 

Most Kashmiris support 

the rebels' demand 

that the territory be united 

either under Pakistani 

rule or as an independent 

country, while also participating 

in civilian 

street protests against 

Indian control. 

About 70,000 people 

have been killed in the 

uprising and the ensuing 

Indian crackdown since 

1989. 

Indian police inspect the site of a grenade blast at the main bus station in Jammu, in the Indian-controlled 

portion of Kashmir. 

Photo : Internet 

Police keep watch near the side of an attack in Kabul on Thursday. 

11 prosecuted 

over fish 

swim bladder 

smuggling 

A total of 11 people have 

been prosecuted in south 

China's Guangdong 

Province for smuggling fish 

swim bladders worth more 

than 800 million yuan (119 

million U.S. dollars) , 

reports UNB. 

According to the Guangdong 

provincial procuratorate, 

the suspects smuggled 

about 20,000 smuggling 

swim bladders of the 

totoaba fish found in the 

Gulf of California in Mexico 

and sold them to domestic 

customers. 

The group operated for more 

than three years before they 

were caught, prosecutors said. 

The totoaba, or Totoaba 

macdonaldi, has become a 

rare species and is listed on 

the International Union for 

Conservation of Nature 

(IUCN) Red List of Threatened 

Species. 

Cuba readies 

to curb ozonedepleting 

gases 

Cuba is preparing to reduce 

its use of ozone-depleting 

hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), 

official sources said on 


Nelson Espinosa, director 

of the Cuban Ozone Technical 

Office, said Havana was 

hosting three international 

workshops on refrigerant 

gases like HFCs and environmentally-friendly 

alternative 

technologies. 

Cuba aims to eliminate 

HFCs and other global warming 

gases from its refrigeration 

and air-conditioning 

industries, in keeping with the 

2016 Kigali Amendment, a 

global pledge to gradually 

phase down HFCs. 

The Kigali Amendment to 

the 1987 Montreal Protocol 

on substances that deplete 

the ozone layer was adopted 

by the 197 signatories of the 

protocol in 2016, and took 

effect on Jan. 1, 2019. 

In 2017, Cuba received the 

Ozone Award, the Montreal 

Protocol's top recognition 

for controlling and eliminating 

the production and consumption 

of substances 

damaging the ozone layer, 

which protects the planet 

from the sun's harmful 

ultraviolet radiation. 

Several explosions struck 

Thursday outside a ceremony 

in Kabul attended by 

Afghanistan's chief executive 

and the former president, 

both of whom were 

unharmed, officials said. 

There was conflicting information 

as to the casualty figures, 

reports UNB. 

An official with the city's 

ambulance services, 

Mohammad Asim, said five 

people were wounded in the 

explosions and were taken 

to local hospitals. More 

ambulances were at the site 

to ferry the injured, Asim 

added. 

Another official, who was 

at the ceremony, said seven 

people were killed and 10 

wounded. He spoke on condition 

of anonymity to talk 

to reporters. The different 

accounts on the casualties 

could not immediately be 

reconciled. 

There was also no claim of 

responsibility in the immediate 

aftermath of the blasts. 

However, Nusrat Rahimi, 

deputy spokesman for the 

Interior Ministry, said the 

blasts were due to mortar 

shells being fired and that 

one person has been arrested. 

Rahimi declined to 

answer questions on casualties. 

The ceremony was commemorating 

the 1995 death 

of prominent minority Hazara 

leader Abdul Ali Mazari, 

who was killed by the Taliban. 

Afghanistan's Chief 

Executive Abdullah Abdullah 

and former President 

Hamid Karzai attended the 

gathering. 

There were hundreds of 

people at the ceremony, said 

Azizullah Amini, who was in 

the audience at the commemoration, 

held at a huge 

hall on the western edge of 

Kabul, in the Dasht-e- 

Barchi neighborhood. 

Amini told The Associated 

Press he heard at least four 

Photo : Reuters 

explosions and that the hall 

shook as if something was 

slamming into the ground 

outside the building. The 

ceremony quickly ended as 

people were rattled by the 

blasts. 

Both the Taliban and the 

Islamic State group stage 

near-daily attacks across 

Afghanistan, including in 

the capital of Kabul. 

The IS affiliate has in the 

past often targeted the ethnic 

Hazaras, a mainly Shiite 

Muslim minority in Sunni 

majority Afghanistan. IS has 

declared war on Shiites, 

considering them heretics 

and attacking their mosques 

and educational institutions. 

The militant group has 

often struck in the Dasht-e- 

Barchi neighborhood, 

where Hazaras dominate. 

The Taliban, by contrast, 

have distanced themselves 

from attacks on Shiites in 

Afghanistan. 

Japan stunned by Ghosn's 

release, critics hope for change 

Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn's 

release from detention nearly four months 

after his arrest has gripped Japan, giving the 

public a rare glimpse into how the criminal 

justice system works, reports UNB. 

Ghosn was recuperating Thursday, his 

lawyer said, after leaving the Tokyo Detention 

Center the evening before, just in time for his 

65th birthday on Saturday. His trial on 

charges of financial misconduct is sure to 

draw attention as one of the biggest court cases 

in the history of corporate Japan. 

Japan's relatively low crime rate means high 

profile cases like Ghosn's are uncommon. His 

trial, which could start later this year, is sure to 

draw attention as one of the biggest court cases 

in the history of corporate Japan. 

The front pages of all major newspapers carried 

photos of Ghosn, his identity obscured by 

a surgical mask, blue cap and laborer's clothes 

on Thursday. 

Broadcasters showed stacks of Japanese 

currency about the size of a small bed to 

demonstrate what his bail of 1 billion yen 

($8.9 million) would have looked like. The 

payment was made electronically but the full 

amount was required, unlike bail systems like 

the U.S. where a portion is offered as surety 

and the full amount is forfeited only if the 

defendant fails to appear. While Westerners 

were wondering at how the idea of "presumed 

innocent" doesn't seem to apply in Japan, 

many here were shocked his release came so 

soon. 

"An exceptional case of quick release," said a 

headline in the newspaper Yomiuri. 

Suspects in Japan are usually not released 

from detention until all documents from both 

sides are readied for a trial because prosecutors 

worry that suspects might tamper with 

evidence or flee. The court rejected two earlier 

requests by Ghosn for bail. 

Theoretically, suspects in Japan are presumed 

innocent until proven guilty. But the 

complexity of a case can determine the length 

of pretrial detention. And long detentions 

mean suspects practically serve time before 

they are found guilty. 

Seiho Cho, a defense lawyer, says his clients 

wonder why they aren't getting released as 

quickly as Ghosn was. Ghosn's legal team 

offered special conditions, such as a surveillance 

camera, to win his release. 

Bail should be granted without such stringent 

restrictions, Cho said. 

"What we have now is totally wrong," he 

said. "We hope this will have a positive effect 

on future cases." 

US Senator says she was raped while serving in Air Force 

A U.S. Republican Senator on Wednesday 

said she was raped while serving in 

the Air Force, underscoring a prevalent 

culture of sexual assaults in the U.S. military, 

reports UNB. 

"I am also a military sexual assault survivor," 

Senator Martha McSally said during a 

Senate armed services subcommittee hearing 

on prevention of and response to sexual 

assault in the military. "The perpetrators 

abused their position of power in profound 

ways, and in one case I was preyed upon and 

then raped by a superior officer." 

The senator from Arizona served in the U.S. 

Air Force from 1988 to 2010, before she 

retired as a colonel. She did not reveal the perpetrator 

or timing of the incident, but said she 

Blasts in Kabul hit near 

ceremony attended 

by top officials 

kept quiet about the ordeal for many years. 

"Like many victims, I felt the system was 

raping me all over again," said McSally, who 

also said last year that she was sexually 

abused by a sports coach during her senior 

year in high school. 

The U.S. Air Force issued a statement saying 

it was "appalled" by McSally's allegations 

and that it was "deeply sorry." 

"The criminal actions reported today by 

Senator McSally violate every part of what it 

means to be an Airman. We are appalled and 

deeply sorry for what Senator McSally experienced 

and we stand behind her and all victims 

of sexual assault," it said.McSally's charge 

highlighted a prevalent culture of sexual 

abuse in the U.S. military. 

A Pentagon report released on Jan. 31 

found that 50 percent of the 3,200 female students 

attending the three major U.S. military 

service academies said they have experienced 

sexual harassment while 16 percent said they 

have experienced unwanted sexual contact. 

The numbers for the 9,700 male students are 

16 percent and 2 percent, respectively. 

Statistics indicated that sexual assault and 

harassment have become worse in all three 

military academies. Most alarming were the 

numbers for the U.S. Military Academy, 

where 16.5 percent of female cadets reported 

unwanted sexual contact, representing a 

jump for the number of 2016. The rate more 

than doubled for male cadets from the previous 

two years, reaching 3.4 percent.

ART & CULTURE 

fRidAy, 

MARcH 8, 2019 

8 

Lizzie 

A psychological thriller based on 

the infamous 1892 murders of 

the Borden family. 

Kylie Jenner becomes the youngest 

self-made billionaire ever 

H o RoScope 

ARieS 

(March 21 - April 20) : Simplifying 

and reducing waste in your professional 

life can be especially helpful to 

you with Saturn transiting your solar tenth 

house, and today, this task comes naturally. 

Self-improvement efforts seem to tie in with 

your long-term or career goals at this time. 

tAURUS 

(April 21 - May 21) : A realistic approach to 

your relationships wins favor. The key is holding 

modest or regular expectations, since 

expecting too much, either of yourself or others, can lead 

to ups and downs. This can also be a time for getting a nice 

little window into what may have recently been tripping 

you up so that you can now make some improvements. 

GeMini 

(May 22 - June 21) : Simplifying is usually 

in order when Saturn is strong as it 

is today. You might also discover that 

using a bit of strategy rather than throwing too 

much energy into an endeavor is the most successful 

approach at this time. Today, it can be very satisfying 

to make the best of what you have. 

In mid-November, Kylie Jenner 

marked a milestone moment 

with a visit to a strip mall. For 

the past three years, her Kylie 

Cosmetics had only sold its 

makeup online and briefly in 

pop up shops. But after signing 

an exclusive distribution deal 

with Ulta, the beauty retailer, 

Kylie Cosmetics was rolling its 

$29 lip kits-a matte liquid lipstick 

and matching lip liner-into 

Ulta's 1,000-plus stores. And 

Jenner showed up to the 

Richmond Avenue Ulta in 

Houston to greet customers, 

sign autographs on lip kits and, 

of course, pose for selfies with 

her fans. 

Over the next six weeks, Kylie 

Cosmetics sold $54.5 million 

worth of products in Ulta, 

according to estimates from 

Oppenheimer. "I popped up at a 

few stores, I did my usual social 

media-I did what I usually do, 

and it just worked," she says. 

Fueled in part by the Ulta 

expansion, Kylie Cosmetics' revenue 

climbed 9% last year to an 

estimated $360 million. With 

that kind of growth, and even 

using a conservative multiple 

from the booming makeup 

industry, Forbes estimates 

Jenner's company is worth at 

least $900 million. She owns all 

of it. Add in the cash Jenner has 

already pulled from the profitable 

business and the 21-yearold 

is now a billionaire, with an 

estimated fortune of $1 billion. 

She's the youngest-ever selfmade 

billionaire, reaching a tenfigure 

fortune at a younger age 

than even Mark Zuckerberg 

(who was 23 when he hit that 

mark). 

"I didn't expect anything. I did 

not foresee the future," says 

Jenner, who is the youngest billionaire 

in the world. "But [the 

recognition] feels really good. 

That's a nice pat on the back." 

"It's the power of social media," 

Jenner says. "I had such a strong 

reach before I was able to start 

anything." JAMEL TOPPIN 

FOR FORBES 

The beauty of Kylie Cosmetics, 

which Jenner started in 2015, is 

its minuscule overhead-and the 

outsize profits that go straight 

into Jenner's pocket. Her 

empire consists of just seven 

full-time and five part-time 

employees. Marketing is done 

mostly through social media, 

where Jenner has a massive following. 

She announces product 

launches, previews new items 

and announces the Kylie 

Cosmetics shades she's wearing 

directly to the 175 million-plus 

who follow her across Snapchat, 

Instagram, Facebook and 

Twitter. "It's the power of social 

media," Jenner says. "I had such 

a strong reach before I was able 

to start anything." 

When Kylie Cosmetics 

launched in Ulta in 50 states, the 

reaction was a real-life version 

of the online rush Jenner created 

years earlier, when her initial 

kits sold out online in less than a 

minute. Ulta shoppers went 

wild. In some stores inventory 

was gone in hours. "It sold out 

faster than we planned," admits 

Tara Simon, Ulta's senior vice 

president of merchandising. 

"She did well online, but there's 

only so far that that can take 

her," says Shannon Coyne, an 

equity research analyst at BMO 

Capital Markets. "She probably 

realized: 'If I want to get big, I've 

got to scale, and to do that, I 

need a partner.' Ultimately, she 

wants to grow her brand, and 

she needs this store presence to 

do that." 

For now, Jenner is focused on 

expanding her product range to 

include a setting powder, and 

bringing eyeshadows, powders 

and bronzers to Ulta. "I see 

[Kylie Cosmetics] going very 

far," Jenner says. "I work really 

hard." Whatever happens next, 

one thing is certain. Jenner will 

share it all on social media, 

much to the delight of her tens 

of millions of fans. 

-Forbes 

LiBRA 

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) : Today is good 

for productivity and organization 

toward these ends, and you're likely 

to find it easier than usual to make a few sacrifices 

now if it helps you later. You're feeling 

a little more grounded and secure, and it suits 

you well today! 

ScoRpio 

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : It also helps that both 

the Sun and Saturn are harmonizing 

with your sign, encouraging an appreciation 

for order. Stable and solid energy is with you 

for applying yourself to creative pursuits and hobbies 

or to productive types of recreation. You see 

more clearly the benefits of hard work. 

SAGittARiUS 

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) : Small efforts to connect 

with family can go a long way 

towards strengthening ties, and a moderate 

approach can be most appreciated. Slowing down 

can improve the quality of your work, and highlights 

your appreciation of the simpler things in life. This is 

a time for conserving energy and building strength. 

Genre 

: Biography, Crime, 

Drama 

Directed By : Craig William 

Macneill 

Written By : Bryce Kass 

Stars : Chloë Sevigny, Kristen 

Stewart, Jeff Perry 

In Theaters : 14 September 2018 

Runtime : 106 minutes 

Studio : Saban Films and 

Roadside Attractions 

The actor who played Jack 

Black's guitar-playing prodigy 

in "School of Rock" was arrested 

and accused of swiping several 

expensive guitars in Florida 

in the past five weeks, authorities 

said Wednesday. Joseph 

"Joey" Gaydos Jr., 27, who 

played Zack Mooneyham in the 

2003 movie, has open theft and 

shoplifting cases in Sarasota, 

Venice and North Port, police 

and arrest records showed. 

On Jan. 31 in North Port, 

Gaydos asked a store clerk if he 

could play an $800 Les Paul 

Epiphone Prophecy guitar - and 

he did, before dashing out without 

paying, according to a probable 

cause affidavit prepared by 

Officer Ralph Casselli. The 

heavily redacted report didn't 

show how police tracked down 

Gaydos, before his arrest on 

Feb. 25. 

Gaydos was inside Troll 

Music store on Feb. 7 in Venice, 

when he strapped on a guitar 

and casually walked the floor 

while playing it, according to 

security video posted by that 

city's police department. "When 

StoRyLine : 

Academy Award (R) nominee Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don't Cry, "Big Love") stars as 

Lizzie Borden, the notorious woman at the heart of one of the most enduring mysteries 

in American history. After a lifetime of loneliness, Lizzie finds a kindred spirit 

in housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Kristen Stewart) and their secret intimacy sparks 

an unthinkable act. Director Craig William Macneill (The Boy (2015), "Channel 

Zero: Candle Cove") explores the days leading up to the savage crimes in a dark tale 

of repression, exploitation and thwarted dreams. 

-IMDb 

School of Rocks actor charged 

with stealing guitars 

will thieves learn that almost all 

establishments have cameras? 

This sticky-fingered bandit 

made off with a guitar while the 

employee was distracted," 

according to a police statement 

asking for the public's help. 

That "video of him allegedly 

stealing a guitar ... helped lead 

Maleficent Sequel gets 

a striking poster and 

a new release date 

to his arrest" on Feb. 25, Venice 

police spokeswoman Lorraine 

Anderson said on Wednesday. 

Then in Sarasota, he was arrested 

on Feb. 11 for allegedly swiping 

a $1,900 guitar from the 

Sam Ash Music Store, according 

to police. Gaydos had 

walked out of the store with the 

"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" 

will hit theaters on Oct. 18, 2019, 

Walt Disney Studios announced 

on Wednesday. The fantasy 

adventure is moving its release 

date up by seven months. It had 

previously been slated to debut 

on May 29, 2020. 

The new date pits 


against an untitled film from 

high-priced instrument without 

paying and got into his car 

before employees surrounded 

the vehicle and called police, 

officials said. 

Joey Gados Jr. was arrested 

after allegedly trying to steal guitars 

and amplifiers in Florida. "I 

need to be arrested. I stole the 

guitar," Gaydos allegedly told the 

arresting officer. Gaydos has been 

charged with two counts of grand 

theft and one count of shoplifting, 

according to Sarasota and 

Manatee County Sheriff's jail 

records. 

"School of Rock" is the only 

acting credited listed for 

Gaydos, according to IMDB. In 

a where-are-they-now piece 

about "School of Rock," the 

Hollywood Reporter said this 

past October that Gaydos was 

concentrating on a music career 

in his native Michigan. Gaydos' 

father answered the phone at 

the family's listed Florida number 

on Wednesday and told 

NBC News that his son hadn't 

yet hired a lawyer and did not 

want to discuss the cases. 

-NBC News 

horror-maker Blumhouse. It 

will also have to contend with 

the second weekends of "The 

Adams Family," the adaptation 

of Donna Tartt's "The 

Goldfinch," "Zombieland 2," 

and "Gemini Man," a futuristic 

thriller that unites Will Smith 

and Ang Lee. If it had opened 

on its original date in May, 


would have been facing off 

against the sophomore weekends 

of "Fast & Furious 9" and 

"The Spongebob Movie." 

In the film, Angelina Jolie 

reprises her role as the villainous 

enchantress Maleficent. The 

cast also includes Elle Fanning, 

Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, 

Juno Temple, and Lesley 

Manville, who appeared in the 

first installment, as well as franchise 

newcomers Michelle 

Pfeiffer, Ed Skrein, Harris 

Dickinson, and Chiwetel 

Ejiofor. 

Joachim Rønning ("Pirates of 

the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell 

No Tales") directs from a 

screenplay by Linda 

Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman- 

Blue, and Noah Harpster. 

The first "Maleficent" was a 

box office smash when it 

opened in 2014. It grossed 

$758.5 million globally on a 

$180 million budget. 

-VARIETY 

cAnceR 

(June 22 - July 23) : Patience with 

others has strong rewards for you. 

It's a good time to build your faith 

in a person or relationship, as well as for 

showing your value and strength to a special 

someone, especially through practical 

displays of affection. 

Leo 

(July 24 - Aug. 23) : Your sense 

of tomorrow is strong and dominant, 

and working on making 

today more secure makes the most sense 

now. Look for activities that help anchor 

or ground you, as they may be precisely 

what you need right now. Feeling useful 

serves a need. 

ViRGo 

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23) : Make a decision, 

solve a dilemma, edit a project, or 

organize an area of your life. Benefiting 

from someone's wisdom or experience can figure 

strongly now. The Moon's move into your intimacy 

sector also suggests a more serious and considered 

approach to the day. 

cApRicoRn 

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) : Those things that fell 

out of view or that were neglected can 

now demand your focus. People may still 

be looking for your help, but it seems best that you 

focus on some personal affairs that need sorting. 

Mind you, this is a good time for being taken seriously, 

and getting organized comes naturally to you. 

AQUARiUS 

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : There are benefits 

to looking into ways to improve 

your finances, business, or practical 

affairs now, and simplifying seems the key to 

success and happiness under the influence of 

a Sun-Saturn aspect. As you clear the decks, 

you discover that you can be more productive 

and organized. 

piSceS 

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : A logical, orderly 

approach to what you do yields the 

right results. Perhaps most important, 

the ability to accept things for what they 

are leads to success now. The Moon's transit of 

your resources sector is another sign that 

you're seeking to feel grounded. 

John Cena 

posts picture of 

Ranveer Singh's 

Gully Boy 

John Cena continues to confound fans on 

Instagram. His latest post is of Ranveer 

Singh's Gully Boy. Wrestler-turned-actor 

John Cena has posted a picture from the 

film Gully Boy on his Instagram. Cena frequently 

posts random images on social 

media, keeping with his bio, which reads, 

"Welcome to my Instagram. These images 

will be posted without explanation, for your 

interpretation. Enjoy." 

The image of Gully Boy seems to be the 

cover image for the song Apna Time Ayega, 

performed by actor Ranveer Singh in the 

film. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, Gully Boy is 

based on Mumbai's underground rap scene, 

and tells the story of Murad, a young man 

with aspirations of making it big in the 

world of music. The film was warmly 

received by both critics and audiences. 

Several fans reacted to the post in confusion, 

but also with pride. "Boht hard boht 

hard," wrote one person. "John cena is fire," 

wrote another. Cena has previously shared 

random images of comedian Kapil Sharma 

and singer Daler Mehndi. The actor has previously 

quoted Shah Rukh Khan on both 

Twitter and Instagram, the most recent 

coming earlier this week. He had previously 

quoted SRK in July, writing, "Neither power 

nor poverty can make your life more magical 

or less torturous." Shah Rukh responded 

to Cena and wrote, "Thanks my friend for 

spreading the goodness. It's important to 

inspire so many kids who look up to u as 

their hero." 

In December, Cena had written that he 

felt fortunate to have stumbled upon one of 

Shah Rukh's speeches online. "Your perspective 

on life is one I strive to attain," he 

had written. "I cannot tell you how fortunate 

I am to have so many Indian fans. Every 

day, I go on to my social media accounts, 

and I see so many fans from India wanting 

to talk to me," Cena, who visited India in 

2005 as part of the WWE, had told 

Hindustan Times. 

Cena most recently appeared in the 

Transformers spin-off, Bumblebee. He has 

also signed on to a new Netflix film, to be 

directed by Jason Bateman. According to 

Variety, the film revolves around a family 

stuck in an old abandoned movie studio 

where the sets come to life. 

-Hindustan Times

SPORTS 

FRIDAy, 

MARCh 8, 2019 

9 

Manchester United complete stunning 

comeback to shatter PSG 

Mahmudullah in fact urged his teammates to learn from the mistakes that they did in the first 

innings of the opening Test against New Zealand. 

Photo: AP 

Mahmdullah emphasizes on good 

start to dictate Wellington Test 

SportS DeSk: 

Bangladesh stand-in captain Mahmudullah 

Riyad stressed upon the 

requirements of doing better in the first 

innings in a bid to dictate the course of 

the game in the second Test, starting on 

Friday at Basin Reserve in Wellington, 

reports BSS. 

Bangladesh's first innings debacle 

was key in their crushing innings and 52 

runs margin defeat in the first Test in 

Hamilton, despite their good show with 

batting in the second innings. The visitors 

were bowled out for 234 in the first 

innings and could not make it up 

despite compiling 429 in the second 

innings. 

"I think last time the wicket was 

greenish early on and it will be difficult 

for the batsmen on the first day because 

there will be some movement and 

swing," Mahmudullah said on Thursday 

in Wellington. "But what I feel is 

that day by day it will be batting friendly 

so the opening day is very important." 

Mahmudullah in fact urged his teammates 

to learn from the mistakes that 

they did in the first innings of the opening 

Test. 

"In Test cricket first innings is always 

very important because it helps you to 

have a good build up for the remaining 

part of the game," he said. 

"Whether you are batting or bowling 

in first innings, you have to do well 

because it will dictate a lot as far as getting 

hold of the match is concerned. So 

in that context first innings is very 

important and what we want is that if 

we bat first we need to build a good 

partnership and post a good total in the 

first innings while if we bowl, we need to 

do well here too," he said. 

When the batting debacle in the first 

innings got most attention, 

Bangladesh's bowlers below par bowling 

remained a headache also. The inexperienced 

pace attack, combined with 

rookie Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed Rahi 

and Khaled Ahmed couldn't show anything 

impressive and took just a solitary 

wicket after three bowled 87 overs in 

combined. 

Their toothless bowling was the reason 

that New Zealand could rack up 

their highest ever total in their history, 

with 715-6 (dec). 

Mahmdullah however was reluctant 

to give up hopes on them and said it will 

be too early to write them off "The pace 

bowling attack is pretty inexperienced 

and it will be injustice if I expect a lot 

from them straight away," he revealed. 

"Certainly they are good bowlers but 

we need to give them time to be 

groomed up proper way. They are definitely 

going to be better for Bangladesh 

and they will perform better as the time 

progresses," he hoped. 

"They have that ambition and that 

was pleasing for me. I think they were 

pretty aggressive and they bowled a lot 

of over, they tried several things like 

bowling short balls and away from the 

batsmen or the length balls but they 

needed to be more consistent as that 

would have been better," he said. 

Bangladesh can draw inspiration 

from the fact that pace bowler 

Mustafizur Rahman is all set to return 

for them in Wellington Test but the 

team management is yet to decide who 

would make his way in the fold. 

"Mustafizur will come back but we are 

yet to decide who will be dropped in 

favour of him." 

SportS DeSk: 

Manchester United pulled off one of 

the greatest comebacks in Champions 

League history as Marcus Rashford's 

last-gasp VAR penalty sealed a 3-1 win 

at Paris St Germain on Wednesday and 

sent the English side into the quarterfinals 

on away goals, reports AP. 

Never in 106 attempts in Europe's 

premium club competition had a team 

progressed in a knockout tie after a 2-0 

home defeat, but Rashford's stoppagetime 

penalty - the first he had taken for 

the club - put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 

side through in the most dramatic fashion 

as the tie finished level at 3-3. 

The result came 20 years after Solskjaer 

wrote his name into the club's folklore 

by scoring the injury-time winner 

in the final victory over Bayern Munich 

to complete the treble of Champions 

League, Premier League and FA Cup. 

Now back as caretaker manager after 

the dismissal of Jose Mourinho, the 

Norwegian has overseen a remarkable 

turnaround as United have won 14 of 17 

games in all competitions and hauled 

themselves back into the top-four battle 

in the Premier League. 

Progress in Europe looked a step too 

far, though, after United were outplayed 

by PSG at Old Trafford and 

arrived in Paris short of a host of key 

players through suspension and injury. 

However, with Alex Ferguson watching 

proudly from the stands, Solksjaer's 

team achieved what no other has managed 

in the competition - as well as 

making himself the shortest of odds to 

fill the biggest seat in English football 

on a permanent basis at the end of the 

season. 

"It's this club. It's what we do, that's 

Man United, that's the Champions 

League, it's what it does."" said Solskjaer, 

who was managing Norwegian 

club Molde before getting the call to 

replace Mourinho in December. 

"It's a typical Manchester United 

night. We had a game plan and the 

belief in the boys was what we hoped 

for. Everyone shares a huge pride. The 

players were focussed, they listened to 

all the instructions and they knew that 

we had to defend well. There was a lot 

of quality." 

While United march on, PSG are left 

to wonder how, yet again, they have 

failed in Europe despite spending millions 

to put together a team that crushes 

all domestic opposition. 

They had lost only two of their last 50 

European games at the Parc des 

Princes but have still yet to reach even 

the semi-finals of the Champions 

League. 

"The plan was to get the first goal, be 

in the game with 10 minutes to go," Solskjaer 

said and he could not have 

scripted it any better as Romelu 

Lukaku intercepted a weak back pass 

from Thilo Kehrer, rounded Gianluigi 

Buffon and slid the ball into the empty 

net after two minutes. 

PSG dominated possession, though, 

and with United's defence all over the 

place, it was no surprise when Juan 

Bernat knocked in Kylian Mbappe's 

cross to level after 12 minutes. 

The hosts continued to control the 

game but United took the advantage 

again with their next chance when Buffon 

failed to deal with a fierce, low 

Rashford shot and Lukaku poked home 

the rebound late in the first half. 

PSG, with injured Brazil striker Neymar 

watching from the stands, had all 

the ball in the second half without ever 

looking very threatening and seemingly 

settling for their 3-2 aggregate lead, 

while United were disciplined and tireless 

in defence. 

England striker Rashford, who had 

never taken a penalty in a competitive 

game for United, kept his nerve during 

the long delay to smash it past Buffon. 

PSG desperately pushed for the goal 

that would have sent them through in a 

further four minutes of play but United 

held firm and celebrated wildly with 

their fans when the whistle sounded. 

In contrast, the stunned home players 

sunk to the ground in disbelief at a 

near-silent stadium. 

"It is very hard to lose, very hard to 

accept," said PSG coach Thomas 

Tuchel, the latest to fail to deliver the 

European glory the club's Qatari owners 

have invested so much to achieve. 

"If you lose a game like this it's horrible 

and cruel because we did not 

deserve to go out after those 180 minutes." 

England striker Rashford, who 

had never taken a penalty in a competitive 

game for United, kept his nerve 

during the long delay to smash it past 

Buffon. 

PSG desperately pushed for the goal 

that would have sent them through in a 

further four minutes of play but United 

held firm and celebrated wildly with 

their fans when the whistle sounded. 

In contrast, the stunned home players 

sunk to the ground in disbelief at a 

near-silent stadium. 

India look to seal series in Dhoni's 

hometown against Australia 

SportS DeSk: 

Having already taken a 2-0 lead in 

the five-match ODI series against 

Australia, India will be eager to seal 

the contest when the two teams take 

to the field for the third match at the 

JSCA International Stadium Complex 

in Ranchi on Friday (March 8), 

reports AP. 

With the World Cup now less than 

three months away, the Virat Kohliled 

side would want to use the 

remaining matches to fine-tune their 

combinations while also testing their 

bench strength ahead of the tournament. 

For Australia, this will be their 

last chance to keep the series alive. 

Having swept the two-match T20I 

series, the visitors have thus far struggled 

to assert their authority in the 

two ODIs in Hyderabad and Nagpur. 

Their bowling attack did put in an 

efficient performance in the second 

ODI at Nagpur despite Kohli constructing 

a century, but the batting 

hasn't yet clicked, and the issues begin 

from the top. 

Skipper Aaron Finch has been 

struggling for form lately and his 

inability to provide the team with a 

solid start at the top of the innings has 

exposed the inconsistent middle 

order. Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinus 

and Peter Handscomb have 

shown flashes of form so far but the 

middle order's lack of a lynchpin is 

evident. 

Steve Smith will most likely be 

thrust into that role during the World 

Cup but given his lack of match practice 

and the fact that he will be returning 

from injury, Australia would do 

well to temper expectations from the 

former skipper. David Warner is also 

expected to be back in the side following 

the end of his suspension and he 

could add firepower and stability to 

the top order but he too will be returning 

from an injury layoff. 

Quite clearly, in this scenario, Australia's 

batsmen will be eager to find a 

modicum of consistency and rhythm 

in the remaining three games to 

assuage the concerns of the selectors 

and team management. 

For India, perhaps the biggest 

dilemma they face is whether or not 

they choose to experiment with their 

playing XI in the final three games. 

India have played with a near fullstrength 

XI in the previous two games 

yet common sense dictates that even 

squad members need time in the middle 

ahead of a tournament like the 

World Cup. 

KL Rahul, who will likely be India's 

back-up opener, played in the T20I 

series but has yet to feature in the 

ODIs and will be keen to make a case 

for himself should he be given the 

opportunity to do so. Rishabh Pant is 

another player who may feature in the 

fifteen-man squad for the tournament 

but hasn't played thus far in the series, 

although given MS Dhoni's recent 

form the youngster would most likely 

feature in this series as a pure batsman 

should he be given a game. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was 

rested for the T20 series and the first 

couple of ODIS, is part of the squad 

for the last three ODIs. He hasn't been 

at his best in white-ball cricket during 

recent times but is a genuine threat 

with the new ball and will be keen to 

rediscover his rhythm soon. 

India will be eager to seal the series against Australia when the two teams take the field for the third 

match at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi today. 

Photo: AP 

Marcus Rashford scored from the penalty spot to help Manchester United beat PSG 3-1. 

Telles penalty 

edges Porto 

past Roma in 

extra time 

SportS DeSk: 

Alex Telles converted a 

VAR-awarded penalty deep 

into extra time as Porto 

defeated Roma 3-1 on 

Wednesday to reach the 

Champions League quarterfinals 

following a tense 4-3 

win on aggregate, reports 

BSS. 

Francisco Soares nudged 

Porto ahead with a simple 

tap-in on 26 minutes, but 

Daniele De Rossi equalised 

from the spot before halftime 

after Eder Militao 

chopped down Diego Perotti. 

Moussa Marega restored 

the lead on the night for Porto 

early in the second half to 

level the tie as he struck in 

his sixth successive appearance 

in Europe. 

An additional half-hour 

was required to settle an 

encounter that looked to be 

heading for a shootout 

before Telles tucked home 

from the spot on 117 minutes 

after a tug on Fernando by 

Alessandro Florenzi was 

spotted upon review. 

"It was not just me that 

scored the penalty, it was the 

whole team. The Dragao, the 

full stadium, made me feel at 

ease. It was a very good 

energy," said Telles. 

"We've got to accept it, 

even if the way it happened 

is terrible to accept," Roma 

captain De Rossi told Sky 

Sport Italia. 

Swiss great Federer shies 

away from Superman tag 

SportS DeSk: 

Roger Federer is still 

savoring his latest remarkable 

milestone, but the Swiss 

great says his 100th career 

title isn't a sign he's superhuman, 

reports BSS. 

"The problem is, people 

always elevate the superstar 

athlete to like Superman status 

like we're super-human 

and all that stuff," Federer 

said Wednesday as he prepared 

for his next challenge 

at the Indian Wells Masters. 

"I don't see myself like 

that. Being perfect doesn't 

exist," Federer said. "Everybody 

has their flaws. So do 

I." 

Federer, owner of a men's 

record 20 Grand Slam titles, 

reached the 100-title milestone 

with a ruthless 6-4, 6- 

4 dismantling of Greece's 

Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 

Dubai Championship final 

last Sunday. 

Seeded fourth at Indian 

Wells, he'll launch his bid for 

a sixth title in the California 

Desert exactly one week later 

when he takes on either 

Peter Gojowczyk or Andreas 

Seppi in the second round. 

He could find himself taking 

on Swiss compatriot 

Stan Wawrinka, a threetime 

Grand Slam champion, 

in the third round in a quarter 

that also includes sixthseeded 

Kei Nishikori of 

Japan. 

"It is something incredible 

to see, how (often Federer) 

plays at a high level and does 

not have many injuries," 

said Nishikori. "For sure, he 

works so much harder than 

everybody." 

Federer, 37, said he never 

envisioned winning 100 

titles - becoming just the second 

player along with 109- 

time winner Jimmy Connors 

to hit triple digits. 

"It's an achievement that I 

never thought I was going to 

make and one I only started 

thinking about maybe in the 

last nine months or year or 

so, ever since maybe I got to 

96 or 97," he said. 

Federer's 99th trophy had 

come last October at his 

home event in Basel. 

He missed out on the century 

at the Paris Masters, the 

ATP Finals in London and 

then at Melbourne - failing 

to make the final at any of 

those events, but when he 

got there in Dubai there was 

no room for doubt. 

"First attempt in a finals 

it's nice to pass the hurdle 

and get to 100 rather than 

going to every single event 

from now on and going 'Is 

this going to be the week 

where you're going to reach 

100?' and going 'Yeah, I 

hope so,'" he said. 

"I think all the players 

would have gotten fed up 

with that too so I'm happy I 

got it out of the way. 

Photo: AP 

Nadal wants 

Kyrgios to set 

better example 

SportS DeSk: 

Rafael Nadal insisted 

Wednesday that he has 

immense respect for Nick 

Kyrgios's talent, and his public 

scolding of the mercurial 

Aussie after their stormy Acapulco 

clash doesn't change 

that, reports BSS. 

Kyrgios survived three 

match points to beat topseeded 

Nadal in three sets to 

reach the quarter-finals in 

Acapulco, where he went on 

to win his first ATP title in 

more than a year. 

Immediately after the 

match, 17-time Grand Slam 

champion Nadal said that 

Kyrgios - who complained of 

illness, served underarm and 

taunted a pro-Nadal crowd on 

the way to victory - "lacks 

respect for the public, the 

opponent and for himself." 

Nadal told reporters at the 

Indian Wells Masters that he 

thought his comments may 

have suffered in translation, 

but his assessment of Kyrgios 

hadn't really changed. 

"I never said nothing too 

negative about Nick, even if he 

took it more personally," 

Nadal said, adding that his 

comments had nothing to do 

with the underarm serve, 

which didn't make him feel 

disrespected at all. 

"I understand this part of 

the game and I think it's a 

good show for the game, but 

there's other stuff in my opinion 

he can do better," Nadal 

said, adding that he feared 

Kyrgios's attitude sets a bad 

example for younger players.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 10 

FRIDAy, MARCH 8, 2019 

Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Major General 

Mohd Habibur Rahman Khan, BSP, ndc, psc promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General yesterday. 

Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed, BGBM, PBGM, BGBMS, psc, G and Quarter Master General 

Lieutenant General Md. Shamsul Haque, psc adorned Major General Habib with the Lieutenant 

General rank badges at the Army headquarters.Before joining BEPZA, Lt. General Habib was 

Commandant, MIST and then Engineer in Chief of Bangladesh Army at Army Headquarters. He was 

commissioned in the Corps of Engineers in Bangladesh Army in 1981. 


Asian markets mostly 

higher as Shanghai 

extends rally 

A Shanghai rally led gains 

across most Asian markets 

Wednesday as Chinese 

investors grow increasingly 

optimistic over trade talks 

with the US. 

With expectations that 

Washington and Beijing will 

eventually strike a tariffs deal 

already baked into equity 

prices, analysts say officials 

will need to provide some 

clarity on progress to give 

markets another step up. 

There are also warnings that 

with optimism so high, there 

could be a lot of 

disappointment if the final 

deal does not live up to the 

hype, or the two sides fail to 

even reach an agreement. 

The talk is that high-level 

negotiations are ongoing in 

order to pave the way for a 

signing ceremony between 

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping 

later this month. 

"A mid-March meeting … 

remains the expected next 

step, but if trade 

representatives are unable to 

agree on the final terms of 

implementation and 

enforcement measures, we 

could see the trade truce rally 

fade," said OANDA senior 

market analyst Edward Moya. 

Still, after a slow start 

Shanghai closed 1.6 percent 

higher to build on Tuesday's 

rally that came on the back of 

China's decision to slash taxes 

and ramp up spending, as 

leaders look to pep up the 

stuttering economy. 

Mainland Chinese markets 

are up more than 20 percent 

this year thanks to trade 

hopes and following a series of 

monetary easing measures to 

kickstart economic growth, 

which hit its slowest pace in 

three decades in 2018. 

Slow growth hits Aussie - 

Hong Kong rose 0.3 

percent, while Sydney 

finished 0.8 percent higher 

after data showed Australia's 

economy virtually ground to a 

halt in October-December 

owing to tepid household 

spending and a weakening 

housing market. 

The news has fuelled 

speculation the central bank 

will have to cut already 

record-low borrowing costs, 

cheering equity markets but 

sending the Australian dollar 

tumbling about 0.6 percent 

against the greenback. 

Elsewhere, Manila jumped 

1.4 percent, Mumbai added 

0.4 percent and Taipei gained 

0.5 percent, while Wellington 

edged up 0.2 percent. 

However, Tokyo ended 

down 0.6 percent, Singapore 

was off 0.1 percent and Seoul 

fell 0.2 percent. 

On currency markets the 

pound struggled to recover 

from losses against the 

greenback after talks between 

British and EU negotiators 

failed to hammer out a revised 

Brexit deal that Prime 

Minister Theresa May can 

pass through parliament. 

US private hiring 

beats expectations 

in February: ADP 

Hiring by private US 

companies again beat 

expectations in February, 

pointing to continued robust 

health of the labor market, 

according to a survey 

released Wednesday. 

Private companies hired 

183,000 new workers in 

February, far stronger than 

the 175,000 economists 

were expecting, the survey 

showed, according to payroll 

services firm ADP. 

The report is scrutinized 

for hints of the direction of 

the crucial government jobs 

report due out Friday, and 

despite frequent deviations, 

the data seem to confirm a 

solid but slowing job market. 

Firms that produce goods 

added 44,000 while the 

dominant services sector 

hired 139,000, both sharply 

lower than the prior month. 

Hiring in January was 

revised up to 300,000, the 

highest since February 

2006, according to ADP, 

which originally reported a 

213,000 gain. 

"Job gains are still strong, 

but they have likely seen 

their high watermark for this 

expansion," said Mark 

Zandi, chief economist of 

Moody's Analytics. 

Chinese shares 

enjoy further 

gains 

Shanghai stocks staged 

another rally Wednesday, 

extending its latest winning 

run to a fourth day, following 

China's tax cut pledge and on 

hopes for the China-US trade 

talks. 

The benchmark Shanghai 

Composite Index climbed 1.57 

percent, or 47.85 points, to 

3,102.10 and the Shenzhen 

Composite Index, which 

tracks stocks on China's 

second exchange, was up 1.49 

percent, or 24.43 points, at 

1,660.41. The Hang Seng 

Index in Hong Kong added 

0.26 percent, or 76.00 points, 

to 29,037.60. 

Rupee slips 11 paise 

to 70.60 vs USD in 

opening trade 

The rupee depreciated 11 

paise to 70.60 against the US 

dollar in opening trade 

Wednesday on increased 

demand for the greenback 

from importers and banks. 

Forex dealers said, 

strengthening of the 

American currency in the 

overseas market weighed on 

the domestic currency. 

However, fresh foreign fund 

inflows, easing crude prices 

and positive opening in 

domestic equities supported 

the rupee and restricted the 

fall. The rupee opened weak at 

70.60 at the interbank forex 

market down 11 paise over its 

last close. The local currency 

however pared the initial loss 

and was trading ar 70.55. 

The rupee Tuesday had 

strengthened by 43 paise to 

close at 70.49 against the US 

dollar. 

Foreign investors put in Rs 

751.92 crore on a net basis in 

capital markets Tuesday, 

provisional exchange data 

showed. 

Origin and species: 

fighting illegal 

logging with science 

A timeworn laboratory in Britain's Royal 

Botanic Gardens may not seem like the obvious 

epicentre of efforts to halt international illegal 

logging, reports BSS. 

Beakers bubble away on a hotplate, while 

suspect guitars that have been sent by customs 

officials for testing sit on top of shelves lined 

with tattered old journals and reference books 

in a multitude of languages. 

But scientists at the Wood Anatomy 

Laboratory, part of the research centre at the 

gardens in Kew, southwest London, are 

working on a new global project to help 

precisely identify the origin and species of 

timber. 

Illegal logging is estimated to account for 15 

to 30 percent of all timber traded worldwide, 

according to Interpol, with an estimated 

annual value of $51 billion to $152 billion (45 

billion to 134 billion euros) in 2017. 

Much of the import and export business 

relies on paper trails for verification. 

However experts hope that their new project 

can, in future, provide enforcement agencies 

with some hard science that can quickly 

identify through checks whether a wood 

species is as claimed, and exactly where it was 

grown. 

"I'm hoping it will really help to reduce illegal 

logging," said Peter Gasson, the Kew 

institution's research leader in wood and 

timber. 

Chunks of wood from Laos are stacked in a 

pile, alongside other slices of timber with 

yellow sticky notes identifying them. 

The laboratory's samples originate from far 

and wide and some date back well over a 

century. 

Lying around besides the Leica and Nikon 

microscopes is a piece of African blackwood 

collected during British explorer David 

Livingstone's Zambezi expedition, dated 1860. 

There is method however in the apparent 

miscellany at one of the world's largest wood 

sample collections. 

Six chests of drawers hold 100,000 

microscope slides of fragments, sorted in Latin 

by family, genus and then species. 

Each specimen contains three different slices 

through the wood: 

transverse, tangential and radial. 

"We're trying to build up and future-proof 

the reference collection of wood samples of all 

the commercial timbers used in the world," 

said Gasson. 

"We want a big, comprehensive library - and 

that's going to take a long time," added the 

expert, who started his life's work in the Kew 

lab as a student in 1977. 

While the Kew experts have the know-how to 

identify the species, they need help pinpointing 

where the tree originates, an expertise being 

provided by a separate partner team in 

northern England. 

By combining the wood analysis at Kew with 

isotope testing of different timbers in 

Yorkshire, the project should provide law 

enforcement agencies with a key tool to help 

rapidly establish whether the timber has come 

from legal sources. 

Kew will be able to determine the species of 

wood and the so-called stable isotope testing - 

looking at the chemical composition within the 

wood and patterns reflecting local rainfall and 

prevailing winds - can identify where the tree 

was grown. 

The project is also in partnership with the 

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a not-forprofit 

body certifying sustainably-managed 

forests around the world which account for 

about 10 percent of the planet's productive 

forests. 

The 200 million hectares of FSC-certified 

forests hold around 2,000 species and the 

Germany-based organisation will be collecting 

geo-referenced samples to start amassing the 

database for use in fighting illegal logging. 

Michael Marus, FSC chief information officer 

and information technology director, said: 

"The science is there; what is needed is 

reference samples from forests which contain 

location data. 

Walton Digital Campaign 

Season 4 gears up sales 

The ongoing nationwide 

Walton Digital Campaign 

Season-4 has geared up the 

Sales of the local brand's 

electronics, electrical and 

home appliances across the 

country, says a press release. 

The campaign turned the 

entire country into a festive 

mood following massive 

branding and rally with 

band-parties. 

Buyers were thronging the 

local brand's outlets to pick 

up various sorts of appliances 

and then getting various 

worth's of cash vouchers or 

free products after registering 

their purchased items. 

With the aim of preparing a 

customer database to provide 

online based swift and best 

post sales services, Walton 

has been conducting digital 

campaign across the country 

since last year. 

On January 9 of this year, 

Walton started the 

campaign's season 4 all over 

the country. 

Under the season 4, 

customers of Walton brand 

fridges, televisions, air 

conditioners, laptops, 

computers, washing 

machines, generators and 

microwave ovens are offered 

cash vouchers up to Tk 1 lakh 

or different sorts of free 

products like motorcycles, 

laptops, fridges, televisions, 

home and electrical 

appliances. 

Uday Hakim, executive 

director of Creative and 

Publication Department of 

Walton Group, said, two sorts 

of initiatives had been taken 

to ensure the customers' 

participation into the 

campaign. 

Firstly, they greatly focused 

on conducting huge branding 

of the campaign, mentioning 

it he said, thus they decorated 

all plazas and distributor 

outlets with colourful banner 

and festoons. 

They also erected arcades 

at the important points of 

every district and upazila, he 

said adding: they arranged 

rally and road show with 

well-decorated carriages. 

Secondly, they offered sure 

cash vouchers up or free 

products to the customers on 

the registration of the 

purchased items, he noted. 

Under the offer, a large 

number of people has been 

already received Tk 1 lakh 

worth of cash vouchers in 

different regions of the 

country, he said adding: 

besides, thousands of 

customers have been 

received different sorts of free 

appliances through 

registering products. 

Amdadul Haque Sarker, 

executive director of Sales 

Department of Walton 

Group, said, the campaign 

has been received a sound 

response from the customers 

across the country. The 

customers 

were 

spontaneously registering 

their appliances purchased 

from Walton Plazas or 

distributor outlets, saying it 

he added, thus the process of 

preparing customer database 

has been accelerated. 

Area managers of different 

zones of Walton informed 

that total of 12 customers 

received Tk 1 lakh worth of 

cash vouchers till March 4, 

2019, by which each of them 

later purchased various sorts 

of electronics, electricals, 

home and kitchen 

appliances. Of them, 

someone gifted different 

sorts of appliances purchased 

by the cash vouchers to their 

dear and near ones. 

Chattagram region of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd organized a Prize Distribution Program among 

the winners of month long iBanking Campaign at Islami Bank Training & Research Academy at 

Agrabad recently. Mohammed Monirul Moula, Additional Managing Director of the Bank distributed 

the prizes as chief guest. Presided over by Md. Amirul Islam, Senior Executive Vice President of 

the bank, Md. Mahboob Alam, Executive Vice President and Head of Agent Banking Division, Md. 

Nayer Azam, Head of Chattagram North Zone, G.M. Mohd. Gias Uddin Quader, Head of Chattagram 

South Zone, Mohammed Shabbir, Head of Khatunganj Corporate Branch and Meah Md. Barkat 

Ullah, Head of Agrabad Corporate Branch addressed the program as special guests. Islami Bank conducted 

the campaign from 25 September 2018 to 25 December 2018. Highest i-recharge, fund transfer, 

iPaySafe users and utility bill payers have been awarded under the campaign. Photo: Courtesy 

France unveils new tax for 

global internet giants 

France on Wednesday introduced a 

bill to tax internet and technology 

giants such as Google and Facebook 

on their digital sales, putting it 

among a vanguard of countries 

seeking to force the companies to pay 

more in the markets where they 

operate. 

The French bill was discussed at 

cabinet level and will be submitted to 

parliament in early April. 

Speaking to reporters, Economy 

Minister Bruno Le Maire described 

the levy as "a first step" in setting up 

"a 21st century taxation system". 

"It's a question of justice for our 

fellow citizens" and for "our 

businesses", he said, adding "no one 

can accept that big digital firms pay 

14 percent less tax than our small and 

medium firms". 

"If we want to be able to continue to 

finance our public services, our day 

nurseries, our hospitals, our schools, 

we must tax value where it is 

created," he added. 

The tax, to be applied retroactively 

from January 1, sets a three percent 

levy on digital advertising, websites 

and the resale of private data by 

internet giants. 

It should bring in 400 million 

euros ($452 million) to the public 

purse this year, and 650 million by 

2022, according to Le Maire - an 

amount the Le Monde newspaper 

called "a small sum" but "highly 

symbolic." Left-wing politicians 

denounced the measure as too feeble. 

"Bruno Le Maire is taking on these 

giants with a water pistol," Ian 

Brossat, a leader of the Communist 

party, told Liberation newspaper. 

And Manon Aubry, a leader of the 

France Unbowed party, told France 

Inter radio it was like "putting a 

plaster on a wooden leg". 

The government hopes the move 

will catch on abroad despite an 

earlier failure to reach consensus at 

the European Union level. 

Britain, Spain, and Austria have 

said they too intend to unilaterally 

tax the giants, while Japan, 

Singapore and India are also working 

on such schemes. 

Paris says it is now seeking 

"common ground" on the issue with 

fellow members of the Organisation 

for Economic Cooperation and 

Development (OECD) in order to 

reach a worldwide accord. 

Talks are ongoing among 127 

countries at the OECD in a bid to 

reach "a consensus-based, long-term 

solution in 2020," the international 

organisation said in a statement in 

January. 

An interim report should "be 

presented to the G20 during 2019," it 

added, speaking of the group of 

industrialised and emerging nations. 

President Emmanuel Macron 

came to power in 2017 promising to 

increase levies on global tech and 

internet groups, seeing their often 

minimal tax rates as part of a 

backlash in France and Europe 

against globalisation. 

Having failed to persuade his 

European partners to introduce an 

EU-wide tax - because of objections 

from low-tax jurisdictions such as 

Ireland and fears of provoking US 

President Donald Trump - France 

will now go it alone with its own new 

mechanism.

MISCELLANEOUS 

FrIDAY, MArCh 8, 2019 

11 

Newly-elected mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Md Atiqul Islam paid homage by placing 

wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 

Dhanmondi in the city on Thursday. 


DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam pays homage 

to Bangabandhu on historic March 7 

Islamic Foundation 

arranges dua mahfil 

for Bangabandhu 

DHAKA : The Bangabandhu 

Parishad of Islamic 

Foundation yesterday 

arranged a dua mahfil on 

Bangabandhu Sheikh 

Mujibur Rahman on the 

occasion of his 7th March 

speech. 

"The historical speech of 

7th March is the Magna 

Carta of the Bengalees. The 

speech encourages us till this 

date," said Shamim 

Mohammad Afzal, the 

Director General of the 

Islamic Foundation, at the 

discussion and dua mahfil, 

held at the main office at 

Agargaon. 

He said that Bangladesh 

has become a role model of 

development under the 

leadership of the daughter of 

the Father of the Nation, 

Prime Minister Sheikh 

Hasina. 

Police: Man who killed parents 

feared psychiatric commitment 

Kim Nicholson's troubled son disappeared 

last year, but he sent his parents disturbing 

text messages and they learned he had placed 

a 911 call. Fearing he might have died, they 

hired a private investigator to track him 

down, reports UNB. Nine days later, on Feb. 

13, police found Nicholson, her husband and 

their housekeeper dead in the family's home 

in a gated community in Southern 

California's Newport Beach. One of the 

women's eyes appeared gouged. 

Authorities had been summoned by the 

Nicholson's missing son, Camden, who had 

gone to a hospital, called police and confessed 

to the killings, according to documents 

obtained by The Associated Press. He said he 

killed his parents because he didn't want 

them to send him to a psychiatric hospital for 

evaluation, Newport Beach Detective 

Richard Henry wrote in an affidavit for a 

warrant to search the family's cars and home. 

Camden Nicholson, 28, is to be arraigned 

Friday on three counts of murder for the 

deaths of his mother and father, Richard 

Nicholson, and their housekeeper, Maria 

Morse. His attorney, Jessica Ann Watts, did 

not return messages seeking comment. 

The case shocked the affluent community 

where the Nicholsons lived and volunteered 

at a nearby Mormon temple. Some who knew 

the couple said they were unaware of their 

son's troubles. Police documents and a 

lawsuit filed by Morse's husband and adult 

children describe Camden Nicholson as a 

disturbed man apparently fueled by drugs. 

He went missing in December and his 

mother filed a missing person report advising 

that her son had Asperger's syndrome, 

depression and anger issues, Henry wrote. 

Police found Nicholson at a nearby hotel and 

determined there weren't grounds to place 

him on a psychiatric hold. 

Camden Nicholson did not return home 

and in January his parents canceled a credit 

card after their son used it to leave a $1,000 

tip. They also received disturbing text 

messages and on a cellphone call log saw that 

in early February he had dialed 911, said 

Michael Youssef, the investigator hired by the 

couple. 

Newly-elected mayor of Dhaka 

North City Corporation (DNCC) 

Md Atiqul Islam on Thursday 

noon paid rich tributes to Father 

of the Nation Bangabandhu 

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the 

occasion of the historic March 7. 

During the time all the 

councilors including newly elected 

councilors were also present. 

Earlier in the day Md Atiqul Islam 

took oath at a ceremony held at 

the Prime Minister's Office, said a 

press release. 

After paying tribute, he said, 

“today is the historic March 7th. 

On this great day, I took oath as 

the mayor of DNCC from the 

Prime Minister. The Prime 

Minister told me that she wants to 

see a clean Dhaka city. So let's 

keep our surroundings clean and 

beautiful just the way we keep our 

house clean. We can keep Dhaka 

city clean by putting garbage at a 

specific place. In fact we are all 

Mayor of Dhaka.” He also said, “I 

want to work with all the 

councilors, politicians, nonpoliticians 

and general people. I 

will look first then will try and 

understand and later will work. I 

do not want to do anything to 

show people.” 

Later Dhaka North City 

Corporation (DNCC) Md Atiqul 

Islam paid homage and tribute to 

the members of the 

Bangabandhu's family and four 

national leaders at Banani 

graveyard. 

At that time he offered prayers at 

his father, mother, later Mayor 

Anisul Haque and panel mayor 

Mohammad Osman Gani's grave. 

During the time all the councilors 

including newly elected councilors 

were present. 

GD-399/19 (6 x 4) 

GD-402/19 (12 x 4) GD-398/19 (9 x 4)

FrIdAy, dHAKA, MArCH 8, 2019, FAlgUN 24, 1425 BS, JAMAdI-US SANNI 30, 1440 HIJrI 

Female traffic police member doing her duty in the capital city. The photo was taken in front of 

Kakrail Mosque on Thursday. 


Security at all airports tightened 

after 'Biman aircraft hijacking bid' 

INTERESTING NEWS 

The city of Agra on the banks of 

yamuna is a historical city full of monuments 

from the Mughal period, of which 

the Taj Mahal is one of the best known. 

This colossal marble mausoleum with a 

dazzling white façade, four towering 

minarets and an onion dome on the roof 

is so breathtakingly beautiful that it overshadows 

pretty much everything else in 

this 500-year-old city, even something as 

rare as a Roman Catholic Church commissioned 

by an Islamic ruler. 

Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, popularly 

known as Akbar the Great, was the 

third Mughal emperor who reigned India 

from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his 

father Humayun when he was only fourteen, 

but under the counsel of his trusted 

military commander and chief mentor, 

Bairam Khan, the young emperor 

DHAKA : Amid concerns over the airport 

security after the alleged attempt to 

hijack a Biman aircraft, the Civil Aviation 

Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) has 

taken measures at all airports in the 

country to ensure foolproof security of 

the passengers of both domestic and 

international flights, reports UNB. 

The Caab authorities have taken necessary 

steps to reshape the overall security 

system at the airports for avoiding recurrence 

of such incidents. 

Civil Aviation Secretary Mohibul 

Haque told UNB that from now on the 

persons responsible for security check 

will not be allowed to carry mobile 

phones while performing their duties. 

The decision was taken to ensure hundred 

percent and flawless security at the 

airports. A letter in this regard has been 

sent to the airports, he added. 

"Security persons won't be allowed to 

carry mobile phone sets and we'll implement 

the decision," Mohibul Haque said. 

Earlier, the security staff of the airports 

had been asked to keep their mobile 

phones switched off while performing 

duties but it was difficult to monitor 

whether the phones are actually on or off. 

Now the security staff will have to 

deposit their mobile phones in a designated 

place ahead of joining their duties, 

said Mohibul. 

In case of emergency, the authorities 

concerned will pick up the phones of the 

staff concerned and inform them. 

Besides, the security staff will have to 

wear uniform designed and provided by 

the authorities. 

Earlier, Caab gave an instruction that 

the passengers of domestic flights will 

have to show their photos and ID cards 

while travelling, he said. 

The secretary said there is a rule to 

change staff responsible for scanning in 

every 20 minutes and from now it will be 

maintained strictly. 

Besides, the authorities concerned will 

take necessary steps for counselling those 

staff involved in scanning to avoid illusion, 

he said. 

Talking about the alleged attempt to 

hijack a Biman aircraft Mohibul, said 

after primary investigation it was found 

that the suspected hijacker was carrying a 

toy gun and there was no explosives in his 

possession. 

Besides, negligence of duty by the staff 

was detected in the primary investigation, 

he added. 

In the video footage, it was found that 

the five were not performing their duties 

The Catholic Church Built 

by a Muslim Emperor 

learned quickly. Barely fifteen years old, 

Akbar was already leading armies against 

rulers of adjacent kingdoms. He regained 

Delhi, Agra and Punjab after his father 

had lost them to Sikander Shah Suri, 

sending the Sur ruler packing east to 

Bengal. Akbar then marched towards 

Lahore, in present day Pakistan, and conquered 

the capital. He even ousted the 

mighty Rajputs from their home, 

Rajasthan. All this before he was eighteen. 

It was Akbar’s many military 

exploits during his half-century rule that 

earned him the title of “the greatest 

Mughal emperor”. 

While many Muslim leaders of the era 

forced Hindus to convert to Islam, Akbar 

tried to reconcile the differences between 

the two religions by creating a new faith 

called the Din-i-Ilahi, where he incorporated 

the virtues of both. 

with due attention while scanning luggage 

and frisking passengers at Shahjalal 

International Airport, Mohibul said. 

Already, two supervisors of Civil 

Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) 

and three Ansar men have been suspended 

for negligence of duty in this connection. 

After talking to the crewmembers of 

the aircraft, it was known that the suspect 

was mentally imbalanced and his intention 

was not to harm people, said 

Mohibul. 

On March 6, a committee, investigating 

the 'hijack bid' of a Biman Bangladesh 

Airlines plane, was given five more days 

to complete its task. "The decision was 

taken considering the sensitivity and 

importance of the matter," Mohibul 

Haque said on Wednesday. 

A man boarded a Biman plane with a 

toy gun and tried to 'hijack' it on February 

24 at Chattogram airport. But 'hijacker' 

Polash Ahmed was shot dead by joint 

forces. 

The government formed a five-member 

committee, headed by Additional 

Secretary Md Mokabbir Hossain, to look 

into the incident the same day. The committee 

was given two more days on 

March 3 to finish investigation. 

IABP machine from 

Quader's heart 

removed as 

condition improves 

DHAKA : The Intra-Aortic 

Balloon Pump (IABP) 

machine which was set up in 

the heart of ailing Road 

Transport Minister and 

Bridges Minister Obaidul 

Quader was removed on 

Thursday morning as his condition 

is improving gradually, 

reports UNB. 

"His heart is working fine 

without any artificial support," 

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib 

Medical University (BSMMU) 

Director Dr Abu Naser Rizvi, 

who was accompanying the 

minister, informed media 

referring to the statement of 

Cardiologist Dr Philip Koh of 

Mount Elizabeth Hospital on 

Thursday noon. 

The kidneys of the minister 

have been functioning better 

than before and the quantity of 

sedative has also been 

reduced, said Rizvi. 

"The minister is also 

responding to doctors' call," he 

added. He further said many 

of his infections are under 

control. His wife Isratunnesa 

Quader and Md Mustafizur 

Rahman, Bangladesh High 

Commissioner in Singapore 

were also present at the briefing. 

Quader, also Awami League 

(AL) General Secretary, was 

flown to Singapore on Monday 

for better treatment as per 

advice of renowned Indian 

cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty. 

Sultan Mansur 

takes oath as 

MP 

DHAKA : Gono Forum MP 

Sultan Mohammad Mansur 

(Moulvibazar-2) on Thursday 

took oath as a member of the 

11th Parliament, reports UNB. 

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin 

Chaudhury administered the 

oath around 11 am at the 

Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. 

Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi 

Mia, Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam 

Chowdhury and Whip Iqbalur 

Rahim were also present. 

Talking to reporters later, 

Mansur said he took the oath 

on this historic day March 7 to 

play a role in ensuring the welfare 

of the people who elected 

him amid serious adversities 

on December 30. 

He joined parliament as a 

representative of the Dr Kamal 

Hossain-led Jatiya Oikyafront. 

"I took the decision on my own 

as a representative of Jatiya 

Oikyafront. But I can say the 

top-most leader of the 

Oikyafront has knowledge 

about what I did." 

As his attention was drawn 

to Gono Forum leaders' warning 

of taking action against 

him, Mansur said he wants to 

work for working the people 

who made him MP. "The party 

can take any decision, and you 

should wait for it." 

Stating that he is a follower 

of Bangabandhu, Mansur said 

he told his party and alliance 

after the December-30 election 

that he would take oath. 

"I've kept my word what I said 

earlier." 

Replying to a question, the 

Gono Forum MP admitted 

that BNP leaders and activists 

in his seat worked for ensuring 

his victory. "But I'll play my 

role in parliament as a representative 

of Jatiya Oikya 

Prokriya." 

BNP decries lack of decision 

to send Khaleda to BSMMU 

DHAKA : BNP on Thursday 

voiced deep concern as there 

has been no visible step for 

ensuring the proper treatment 

of their ailing chairperson 

Khaleda Zia, even after 

the Home Minister's assurance, 

reports UNB. 

"The Home Minister on 

Tuesday announced that 

Khaleda Zia would be admitted 

to BSMMU for her better 

treatment. A lower court also 

asked the authorities concerned 

to ensure proper treatment 

to her as per the High 

Court's directives," said BNP 

senior joint secretary general 

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. 

He further said, "Three 

days have elapsed, but there's 

no effort in sight in this 

regard. Neither the minister's 

assurance nor the court's 

order has been implemented. 

We're passing our every 

moment with deep worry 

over our leader's (Khaleda's) 

health condition." 

A six-member BNP delegation, 

led by party secretary 

general Mirza Fakhrul Islam 

Alamgir, met Home Minister 

Asaduzzaman Khan at his 

secretariat office on Tuesday. 

After the meeting, Fakhrul 

told reporters that the minister 

assured them of taking 

whatever steps are needed for 

ensuring proper treatment of 

the BNP chief. 

The home minister also told 

journalists that the BNP 

chairperson will soon be 

taken to Bangabandhu 

Sheikh Mujib Medical 

University (BSMMU) for 

medical checkup and tests. 

Rizvi alleged that the government 

is not allowing 

Khaleda's family members to 

meet her for nearly a month. 

"Why're you showing such 

vindictive attitude towards 

her? We also went to jail, and 

our family members met us 

every week." 

He said family members 

can meet a prisoner every 

week as per the jail code, but 

the government is not following 

any rules and regulations 

regarding Khaleda. 

Stating that Khaleda's relatives 

met her last on February 

10, the BNP leader said the 

jail authorities did not permitted 

them to meet her 

again on February 28 and 

March 3. 

He also said BNP senior 

leaders have been trying to 

meet their chairperson for 

over the last two months, but 

the authorities are not giving 

them permission. 

Rizvi urged Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina to take steps 

for releasing Khaleda from 

jail considering her age and 

illness. 

He also called upon the 

Prime Minister to allow 

Khaleda taking treatment at 

any specialised hospital. 

Female traffic police member doing her duty in the capital city. The photo was taken in front of 

Kakrail Mosque on Thursday. 


BNP sharply criticizes Sultan 

Mansur's oath taking 

DHAKA : BNP on Thursday described 

Gono Forum MP-elect Sultan 

Mohammad Mansur's oath taking violating 

the Jatiya Oikyafront's decision as an 

act of fraudulence in politics, reports 

UNB. 

"His party (Gono Forum) has said it'll 

take action against him. I just want to say 

they'll turn into mass enemies for 

breaching commitment and political 

fraudulence," said BNP senior joint secretary 

general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. 

He came up with the remarks at a press 

conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central 

office as journalists sought his comment 

on the matter. 

Asked whether it was BNP's wrong 

decision to allow Mansur use BNP's election 

symbol, Rizvi declined to make any 

comment on it. 

Sultan Mohammad Mansur, who was 

elected MP from Moulvibazar-2 seat 

contesting the December-30 national 

election as a Gono Forum candidate 

HC seeks list of country's ICU, CCU units 

DHAKA : The High Court on Thursday directed the authorities 

concerned to submit a list of Intensive Care Unit(ICU) and 

Coronary Care Unit(CCU) of country's government and private 

hospitals. 

The HC also asked them to mention in the report the amount 

of money, the number of manpower and specialists required to 

establish an ICU and a CCU unit. 

Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and 

Director General of Directorate General of Health Service have 

been asked to submit the report within April 24. 

The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul 

Alam passed the order after hearing on a progress report submitted 

by the Health Ministry following a writ in this regard. 

Lawyer Dr. Bashir Ahmed stood for the petitioner and 

Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju for the state. 

Earlier on February 19, The High Court directed for submitting 

a progress report on fixing fees of health tests at private 

hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres and hanging the price 

lists publicly and establishing CCUs and ICUs at the district 

level within March 5. 

On July 24 last year, the court directed the authorities concerned 

for fixing fees of medical tests at private hospitals, clinics 

and diagnostic centres and hanging the charge list in public 

and establishing CCUs and ICUs at the district level. 

under Jatiya Oikyafront platform with 

BNP's electoral symbol 'Sheaf of Paddy', 

took oath as a member of the 11th 

Parliament. 

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury 

administered the oath around 11 am at 

the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. 

On March 3, two Gono Forum MPselect 

sent separate letters to the Speaker 

requesting her to arrange their oath-taking 

ceremony on historic March 7. 

However, Gono Forum's another MPelect 

Mokabbir Khan (Sylhet-2) did not 

take oath toady due to an 'avoidable reason'. 

BNP along with Gono Forum and some 

other parties joined the December-30 

election in alliance under the banner of 

Jatiya Oikyafront. BNP bagged six seats 

while Gono Forum two in the election. 

The alliance turned down the election 

results bringing the allegation of 'massive 

vote robbery' and decided not to join 

parliament. 

Beheaded 

body 

recovered 

in Khulna 

TITASH CHAKRABORTHEy, 

KHULNA CORRESPONDENT 

Police recovered the 

beheaded body of a man 

from Sher-e-Bangla Road in 

the city on Thursday. 

The identity of the 

deceased could not be 

revealed yet. 

Being informed by locals, 

police recovered the body, 

wrapped in polythene with 

his legs and hands severed, 

around 10:30 am, said 

Shakiluzzaman, additional 

deputy commissioner of 

Khulna Metropolitan Police. 

The body was sent a local 

hospital morgue for an 

autopsy, he said. 

Police suspected that miscreants 

might have killed 

him in another place and 

dumped the body after severing 

his legs, hands and 

head here. 

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Advisory Editor: Advocate Molla Mohammad Abu Kawser, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka. 

Editorial and News Office: K.K Bhaban (Level-04) 69/K, Green Road, Panthapath, Dhaka-1205. Tel : +8802-9611884, Cell : 01832166882; Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

08-03-2019

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