13.11.2019 Views

14-11-2019

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

thursday<br />

DHaka: November <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong>; kartik 29, <strong>14</strong>26 BS; Rabi-ul awal 16,<strong>14</strong>41 Hijri<br />

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net<br />

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; No.283; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00<br />

international<br />

Impeachment<br />

hearings go live on<br />

TV with first witnesses<br />

>Page 7<br />

art & culture<br />

'Friends' Reunion<br />

Special in the Works<br />

at HBO Max<br />

>Page 8<br />

sport<br />

Spanish star<br />

striker Villa retires<br />

from football<br />

>Page 9<br />

100pc electricity coverage<br />

within 'Mujib Year': PM<br />

Dhaka ranks<br />

4th worst in<br />

Air Quality<br />

Index<br />

DHAKA : Bangladesh's capital<br />

city was ranked fourth worst in<br />

the Air Quality Index (AQI) on<br />

Wednesday morning, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

Dhaka had a score of 195 at<br />

10am, indicating that the air<br />

quality was unhealthy.<br />

India's Delhi, Pakistan's<br />

Lahore and Vietnam's Hanoi<br />

occupied the first, second and<br />

third spots respectively.<br />

When the AQI value is<br />

between 151 and 200, every city<br />

dweller may begin to experience<br />

health effects. Members of sensitive<br />

groups may experience<br />

more serious health effects in<br />

this situation.<br />

The air quality is categorised<br />

as good when the AQI score<br />

remains between 0-50 while the<br />

air is moderate when score is 51-<br />

100. When the number is<br />

between 101 and 150, the air is<br />

classified as unhealthy for sensitive<br />

groups.<br />

The AQI, an index for reporting<br />

daily air quality, tells people<br />

how clean or polluted the air of a<br />

certain city is, and what associated<br />

health effects might be a<br />

concern for them.<br />

Bangladesh's overcrowded<br />

capital has been grappling with<br />

air pollution for a long time. The<br />

quality usually improves during<br />

monsoon.<br />

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina<br />

on Wednesday said the government will<br />

be able to provide electricity to every<br />

house during the 'Mujib Year', which will<br />

be celebrated from March 2020 to<br />

March 2021, reports UNB.<br />

"God willing, we'll be able to ensure<br />

cent percent electricity coverage within<br />

the Mujib Year. No-one will be left in the<br />

dark," she said.<br />

The Prime Minister said this while<br />

inaugurating newly-constructed power<br />

plants and launching cent percent power<br />

coverage in 23 upazilas under 10 districts<br />

through video conferencing from her<br />

official residence Ganobhaban.<br />

The power plants are: Anwara<br />

300MW Power Plant, Rangpur <strong>11</strong>3MW<br />

capacity Power Plant, Karnaphuli<br />

<strong>11</strong>0MW Power Plant, Shikalbaha<br />

105MW capacity Power Plant, Patia<br />

54MW Power Plant, Tetulia 8MW Solar<br />

Power Plant and Gazipur 100MW<br />

Power Plant.<br />

The 23 upazilas which came under<br />

cent percent power coverage are:<br />

Gabtali, Sherpur and Shibganj in Bogura<br />

district, Lohagara in Chattogram,<br />

Madhukhali, Nagarkanda and Saltha in<br />

Faridpur district, Fulchhari, Gaibandha<br />

Sadar and Palashbari in Gaibandha district,<br />

and Madhappur and Nabiganj in<br />

Habiganj district.<br />

Besides, Kaliganj and Maheshpur in<br />

Jhenaidah district, Karimganj under<br />

Kishoreganj, Baraigram, Lalpur and<br />

Singra under Natore district, Barhatta<br />

and Mahonganj in Netrakona district,<br />

Bhandaria, Kaukhali and Indurkani<br />

under Pirojpur district are also coming<br />

under cent percent electricity coverage<br />

from Wednesday.<br />

Sheikh Hasina said that apart from<br />

electricity production, the transmission<br />

and distribution are also important and<br />

the government is implementing various<br />

projects in this regard.<br />

She requested the people to maintain<br />

austerity in using electricity as the government<br />

provides huge subsidy in this<br />

sector to give people electricity at cheaper<br />

price.<br />

Sheikh Hasina said 234 upazilas have<br />

so far come under cent percent electricity<br />

coverage. She hoped that it would be<br />

possible to bring rest of the upazilas<br />

under cent percent coverage during the<br />

Mujib Year.<br />

The Prime Minister said that after<br />

coming to power in 1996, the Awami<br />

League-led government took initiatives<br />

to involve the private sector in generating<br />

power and meeting the growing<br />

demand.<br />

"As a result, power generation capacity<br />

was increased to 4,300MW in 2001<br />

from 1,600MW," she said, adding that<br />

the government has also implemented<br />

massive programmes from 2009,<br />

increasing the generation capacity to<br />

22,562 MW.<br />

The Prime Minister said the government<br />

adopts all of its plans to provide the<br />

fruits of development programmes to<br />

the grassroots people.<br />

"We're implementing all our programmes<br />

keeping an eye on that matter.<br />

That means we don't want to keep our<br />

development in urban areas or capital<br />

city, we want to change the fate of the<br />

people living in the rural areas," she said.<br />

She said the government wants to<br />

develop the socioeconomic status of<br />

the people of the rural areas, provide<br />

employment and ensure all kind of<br />

facilities including healthcare and<br />

education.<br />

"We've given highest priority in ensuring<br />

food security, and we've ensured<br />

that. Now, we're trying to make the people<br />

aware of food nutrition and have<br />

taken various programmes in this<br />

regard," she said.<br />

Khaleda's condition still<br />

unchanged: Selima<br />

DHAKA : BNP Chairperson Khaleda<br />

Zia's sister Selima Islam on Wednesday<br />

said the former prime minister will go<br />

abroad for better treatment if she is<br />

freed on bail as her condition is 'not'<br />

improving.<br />

Talking to reporters after meeting her<br />

sister at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib<br />

Medical University (BSMMU), Selima<br />

said, "She (Khaleda) will go abroad if she<br />

gets bail, and we also want to send her<br />

abroad as her condition is not improving."<br />

She said the fingers of Khaleda's<br />

hands and legs are getting bent and she is<br />

suffering from acute pains. "She neither<br />

can stand up nor can sit up straight.<br />

Under the circumstances, she needs<br />

advanced treatment."<br />

Selima said doctors are regularly visiting<br />

the BNP chairperson, but there is<br />

no sign of improvement in her falling<br />

physical condition. "She can't move,<br />

and lift her hand to eat."<br />

Five family members, including<br />

Selima, her younger brother Shamim<br />

Eskandar, his wife Kaniz Fatema and son<br />

Ovik Eskandar, went to meet Khaleda<br />

around 3:30pm and had over an hourlong<br />

meeting, said BNP chairperson's<br />

media wing member Shamsuddin Didar.<br />

Khaleda has been in jail since she was<br />

convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust<br />

corruption case on February 8, 2018.<br />

She was found guilty in another corruption<br />

case later the same year, though<br />

her party claims both cases are politically<br />

motivated. The BNP chief has been<br />

receiving treatment at the BSMMU<br />

since April 1 this year.<br />

Charge sheet filed in Buet<br />

student Abrar murder case<br />

DHAKA : The Detective Branch (DB) of<br />

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on<br />

Wednesday submitted charge sheet<br />

before the Chief Metropolitan<br />

Magistrate's Court accusing 25 people<br />

in Buet student Abrar Fahad killing<br />

case, reports UNB.<br />

Investigation Officer of the case, DB<br />

Inspector Waheduzzaman, submitted<br />

the charge sheet, Additional<br />

Commissioner and chief of CTTC unit<br />

Monirul Islam told reporters at a briefing<br />

at the DMP Media centre.<br />

Abrar Fahad, 21, a second-year student<br />

of electrical and electronic engineering of<br />

Buet, was beaten to death reportedly by<br />

Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at<br />

Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.<br />

Laborers grinding stones in machine while others are busy to unload those from boats at Volaganj of Sylhet.<br />

A large portion of those stones are supplied in capital city.<br />

Photo : PBA<br />

No war criminals<br />

at Victory Day<br />

programmes:<br />

Minister<br />

DHAKA : Home Minister Asaduzzaman<br />

Khan on Wednesday said war criminals<br />

and people with controversial<br />

roles in the Liberation War will not<br />

be allowed to attend Victory Day programmes<br />

across the country, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

"Directives have been given to the<br />

local administration to take necessary<br />

steps in this regard," he said<br />

while talking to reporters after a<br />

meeting on law and order situation at<br />

the Secretariat.<br />

He said all government and private<br />

organisations should follow the rule<br />

while hoisting the national flag.<br />

The minister said additional security<br />

measures will be taken for the<br />

President, Prime Minister and<br />

Cabinet members in the National<br />

Mausoleum area.<br />

Special security will be arranged for<br />

foreigners and surveillance cameras<br />

will be installed on the Dhaka-Savar<br />

road to prevent any act of sabotage.<br />

Special meals will be served in prisons,<br />

hospitals, orphanage and old<br />

homes on the occasion of the Victory<br />

Day. Fire Service men will remain<br />

alert at 4<strong>11</strong> spots while medical teams<br />

and ambulances will be kept standby<br />

in some important places of the city<br />

as well as Savar.<br />

The Minister urged all to refrain<br />

from decorating any organisation or<br />

establishment with lights on Dec <strong>14</strong><br />

to pay tribute to the martyred intellectuals.<br />

Better logistics can<br />

help Bangladesh<br />

boost exports:WB<br />

Nusrat sexual harassment case<br />

Deposition now to<br />

begin Jan 29<br />

DHAKA : Bangladesh needs to improve<br />

its transport and logistics systems to<br />

meet the needs of its growing economy<br />

and boost export growth, said a new<br />

World Bank report launched on<br />

Wednesday.<br />

The report - Moving Forward:<br />

Connectivity and Logistics to Sustain<br />

Bangladesh's Success - was launched at<br />

a hotel in the capital, reports UNB.<br />

It points out that by making logistics<br />

more efficient, Bangladesh can significantly<br />

boost export growth, maintain its<br />

position as a leading ready-made garments<br />

and textile producer, and create<br />

more jobs.<br />

The report notes that congestion on<br />

roads and seaports, high logistics cost,<br />

inadequate infrastructure, distorted<br />

logistics service markets and fragmented<br />

governance hamper manufacturing<br />

and freight, further eroding<br />

Bangladesh's competitive edge and<br />

putting its robust growth path at risk.<br />

"Bangladesh's congested transportation<br />

and often unsophisticated logistics<br />

systems impose high costs to the economy,"<br />

said Mercy Tembon, World Bank<br />

Country Director for Bangladesh and<br />

Bhutan.<br />

"By making its logistics more efficient,<br />

Bangladesh can significantly optimise<br />

its connectivity, business environment,<br />

and competitiveness, putting the country<br />

on the right path to become a<br />

dynamic upper middIe-income country,"<br />

she added.<br />

The report argues that efficient logistics<br />

has become one of the main drivers<br />

for global trade competitiveness and<br />

export growth and diversification. For<br />

Bangladesh, improving its logistics performance<br />

provides an opportunity to<br />

increase its world market share in garments<br />

and textiles, which account for 84<br />

percent of its total exports, expand into<br />

new markets, and diversify its manufacturing<br />

and agriculture into high-value<br />

products.<br />

It notes that improving<br />

Bangladesh's logistics requires a system-wide<br />

approach based on greater<br />

coordination among all public institutions<br />

involved in logistics and with<br />

the private sector, increasing the<br />

effective capacity of core infrastructure,<br />

and removing distortions in<br />

logistics service markets to reduce<br />

costs and improve quality.<br />

At a regional level, harmonising its<br />

logistics systems and aligning its customs<br />

with that of its neighbours could<br />

turn Bangladesh into an important<br />

node for regional freight flows and further<br />

boost its trade.<br />

"There's no doubt that reforms and<br />

investments for better transport and<br />

logistics will yield Bangladesh substantial<br />

economic benefits and strengthen<br />

its competitive advantage," said Matias<br />

Herrera Dappe, Senior Economist at the<br />

World Bank and author of the report.<br />

04:55 AM<br />

Zohr<br />

<strong>11</strong>:45 PM<br />

03:40 PM<br />

05:18 PM<br />

06:45 PM<br />

6:<strong>11</strong> 5:<strong>14</strong><br />

Passengers of a trapped launch in Meghna river on Tuesday night, were rescued after 8 hours<br />

of the incident and sent to Dhaka later.<br />

Photo : Star Mail<br />

FENI : The formal trial in a case filed<br />

over sexual harassment of madrasa<br />

girl Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who was later<br />

burned to death, against her<br />

madrasa principal SM Sirajuddoula<br />

will now begin on January 29 next.<br />

Judge of the Women and Children<br />

Repression Prevention Tribunal<br />

Mamunur Rashid passed the order<br />

as Shirin Akhter, mother of Nusrat<br />

and plaintiff of the case, could not<br />

appear before the court on<br />

Wednesday for testimony, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

The court framed charges against<br />

the former principal of Sonagazi<br />

Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa on July<br />

17 under the Women and Children<br />

Repression Prevention Act.<br />

According to the case statement,<br />

Sirajuddoula sexually harassed<br />

Nusrat in his office on March 27 last<br />

and the following day her mother<br />

filed the case against the principal.<br />

Nusrat was set on fire on April 6 on<br />

the roof of a madrasah she attended,<br />

allegedly by people loyal to its principal<br />

Sirajuddoula whom she had<br />

accused of sexually harassing her.<br />

She succumbed to her injuries four<br />

days later at Dhaka Medical College<br />

Hospital.<br />

A tribunal on August 24 last sentenced<br />

all the 16 accused, including<br />

Sirajuddoula, to death for their roles<br />

in killing Nusrat.


NEWS ThURSDAY,<br />

2<br />

NoveMBeR <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Wednesday delivering<br />

his speech at a workshop jointly organized University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Computer<br />

Council (BCC).<br />

Photo : Courtesy<br />

Sundarbans: The physical<br />

buffer that needs a rest<br />

BAGERHAT : The Forest Department<br />

is planning to give the Sundarbans,<br />

which minimised the intensity of<br />

cyclonic storm 'Bulbul' as well as the<br />

extent of damages acting as a shield, a<br />

breathing space to heal its wounds by<br />

restricting the tourist flow into the<br />

world's largest mangrove forest,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

Md Mahmudul Hasan, divisional<br />

forest officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans<br />

East Zone, said the cyclone wreaked<br />

havoc on the forest before entering the<br />

localities losing its strength. "So, the<br />

ecosystem of the Sundarbans should<br />

be given a rest. For this, the entry of<br />

tourists to it was restricted from<br />

Tuesday."<br />

He also said the tourism activities in<br />

the Sundarbans will fully remain<br />

suspended for three days from<br />

November 25 to ascertain the damage<br />

caused by the cyclone.<br />

Moin Uddin Khan, a forest<br />

conservator of Khulna Zone, said the<br />

authorities have decided to restrict the<br />

tourist flow into the forest. "To give the<br />

forest a breathing space, it has been<br />

decided that package tours will remain<br />

suspended on November 25-27."<br />

The Sundarbans have been<br />

protecting the people of the coastal belt<br />

from different disasters, including<br />

cyclone, for ages acting as a natural<br />

shield, sometimes costing its flora and<br />

fauna. There is no exception in the case<br />

of cyclonic storm 'Bulbul' which lashed<br />

the coastal districts on Sunday.<br />

2 killed in Cumilla<br />

road crash<br />

CUMILLA : Two people<br />

were killed after a pick-up<br />

van plunged into a roadside<br />

ditch on Dhaka-Chattogram<br />

Highway at Korpai in<br />

Burichang upazila early<br />

Wednesday, reports UNB.<br />

One of the deceased was<br />

identified as Syed Hossain,<br />

30, hailing from Cox's Bazar<br />

while the identity of the<br />

other victim could not be<br />

ascertained immediately.<br />

It was because of the Sundarbans<br />

that the intensity of the cyclone as well<br />

as the extent of damages were<br />

minimised as it hit the forest first and<br />

then entered the localities losing<br />

strength.<br />

The Sundarbans, a rich ecosystem in<br />

the world with a biodiversity and a<br />

home to numerous plants and animals,<br />

including Royal Bengal Tiger, spreads<br />

on an area of 6,017 square kilometres.<br />

It was declared as a reserve forest in<br />

1978.<br />

Recently, the government has<br />

declared over half of the forest as<br />

sanctuaries in a bid to protect it.<br />

It was divided into two zones with<br />

the administrative activities of the East<br />

Zone running from Bagerhat and that<br />

of West Zone from Khulna.<br />

The very severe cyclone 'Bulbul'<br />

weakened into a severe one after<br />

crossing the forest Sunday and thus the<br />

damage was less, said meteorologists.<br />

They said there would have been<br />

greater number of casualties had the<br />

Sundarbans not been there to take the<br />

first strike of the cyclone.<br />

Similarly, the Sundarbans<br />

minimised the extent of damages when<br />

super cyclone Sidr had battered the<br />

coastal districts on November 15.<br />

The Sidr first lashed the mangrove<br />

forest and then entered the localities<br />

with reduced ferocity.<br />

Meanwhile, the Forest Department<br />

is yet to ascertain the damages caused<br />

by cyclone 'Bulbul' to the flora and<br />

SYLHET : Residents of 10<br />

villages of Lamakazi Union<br />

under Biswanath upazila are<br />

dependent on a single bamboo<br />

footbridge over the Kessha<br />

River for road<br />

communication, reports UNB.<br />

Crossing the rickety<br />

footbridge is not only<br />

dangerous but also hazardous<br />

for the people of Ishabpur,<br />

Noagaon, Munshirgaon,<br />

Bharmanjhuli, Pathonchak,<br />

Amtoil Gazir Mokam, Sonali<br />

Banglabazar<br />

and<br />

Boiragirbazar areas.<br />

Communication becomes<br />

more difficult during the rainy<br />

season when the river rises.<br />

People, especially school goers<br />

and the elderly, are the worst<br />

sufferers.<br />

Locals said they asked the<br />

authorities concerned to build<br />

a concrete bridge over the<br />

river but their appeals fell on<br />

deaf ears, forcing them to raise<br />

funds for a bamboo footbridge<br />

fauna of the Sundarbans.<br />

DFO Mahmudul Hasan said two<br />

forest officers of Chandpai and<br />

Sharankhola ranges were assigned to<br />

ascertain the damages to different<br />

species of trees, including Sundari, and<br />

animals under the zone.<br />

He said the two officials visited<br />

different parts of the forest on Monday<br />

and will submit their reports after<br />

more inspections. The DFO, however,<br />

said six residential buildings, 17 nonresidential<br />

buildings, 19 other<br />

establishments and three trawlers and<br />

speedboats were partially damaged by<br />

'Bulbul' while10 jetties were damaged<br />

completely.<br />

Some 180 raintrees were affected in<br />

Baidyamari area of the forest, he said.<br />

A number of local and foreign<br />

tourists were seen visiting the<br />

Sundarbans at Katka on Monday.<br />

Talking to UNB, Spanish tourist<br />

Estnr Baselona said she is impressed<br />

seeing the beauty of the largest<br />

mangrove forest and called it as a 'land<br />

of amazing beauty'.<br />

Nur Alam, a member of Bangladesh<br />

Paribesh Andolon, said the<br />

Sundarbans has been protecting the<br />

coastal people with motherly affection<br />

for ages.<br />

Alam, who visited different spots of<br />

the forest immediately after the storm,<br />

said the vast areas were battered by<br />

cyclone Bulbul, urging the authorities<br />

concerned to take initiatives to protect<br />

the forest.<br />

Where a rickety bamboo<br />

footbridge is the only hope<br />

over the river themselves.<br />

Kamal Uddin and Babul<br />

Mia, both farmers from the<br />

area, said the upazila sadar is<br />

about 10 kilometres from<br />

Lamakazi but the lack of a<br />

proper bridge over the river<br />

makes road communication<br />

hard.<br />

"Only a bridge is holding us<br />

back," Babul said. "The area<br />

has hardly been developed<br />

since independence."<br />

Kabir Hossain Dhala Mia,<br />

chairman of Lamakazi union<br />

parishad, said the residents of<br />

the area are deprived of<br />

development.<br />

CAREER OPPORTUNITY<br />

A 100% Export Readymade Garments Industry is looking for highly<br />

ambitious, careerist, experienced to work in apparel division for<br />

the following positions:-<br />

Designation Name<br />

Post<br />

Product Development & Design Head<br />

1 Person<br />

Product and Design Development Head<br />

1 Person<br />

Qualification : HSC or Diploma or Equivalent<br />

(Educational Qualification may be relaxed for experienced candidate)<br />

Experience : 8 Years. Type of Job: Quality, Product, Design,<br />

Development and Technical Support buyer requirement etc.<br />

Having experience speaking English. Please send your CV with<br />

contact Telephone no, recent photograph two copies & Salary<br />

expectation to the address: ODYSSEY CRAFT (PVT.) LTD.<br />

Office Address : House # 855, Road # 13, Avenue-3, Mirpur<br />

DOHS,Dhaka and Factory Address: Mouza-Depashai, U.P.-<br />

Sombag, Kalampur, P.S.-Dhamrai, Dist.-Dhaka , Bangladesh within<br />

8 days. E-mail: od@ocl-bd.com<br />

CAREER OPPORTUNITY<br />

s.Oliver, one of the largest and fast-growing fashion companies of<br />

Europe, has following career opening in apparel sourcing at their<br />

Bangladesh Liaison Office:<br />

Senior Product Developer<br />

Candidate should be Fashion Design graduate from a reputed<br />

design institute with 8 - 10 years' work experience in related field<br />

of which at least 3-4 years should be with a leading European<br />

retailer. Candidate should have prior experience of handling multiple<br />

products including knits, wovens and flat knits. Position<br />

requires interpreting key trends and guiding factories in developing<br />

samples based on mood boards and trend inputs. Position requires<br />

close coordination with designers in Europe and with the design<br />

and development teams in factories to prepare complete product<br />

range prior to the commencement of new season.Computer proficiency<br />

and effective communication skill in English is essential.<br />

Company offers a challenging work environment and an attractive<br />

remuneration package. Interested candidates may please forward<br />

their resumes within 15 days by e-mail/post to: s.Oliver Overseas<br />

Ltd, 10th Floor, Uday Tower, 57 & 57A Gulshan Avenue Circle 1,<br />

Dhaka 1212. E-mail: hr@bd.soliver.com<br />

'Robber' killed in<br />

B'baria 'gunfight'<br />

BRAHMANBARIA : A<br />

suspected robber was killed<br />

in a reported gunfight with<br />

police at Jatrapur<br />

Chaporbari in Ashuganj<br />

upaizla early Wednesday,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

The deceased was<br />

identified as Saddam<br />

Hossain, 26, son of Kangal<br />

Mia of Sarail upazila.<br />

Jabed Mahmud, officerin-charge<br />

of Ashuganj Police<br />

Station, said they raided the<br />

area around 1:15am acting<br />

on a tip-off that a gang of<br />

robbers was there.<br />

The criminals opened fire<br />

as soon as police reached the<br />

spot, triggering a skirmish.<br />

At one stage, Saddam was<br />

caught in the line of fire<br />

while trying to flee the scene<br />

and died on the spot.<br />

Four policemen were also<br />

injured in the gunfight.<br />

Police arrested three<br />

people - Akash Mia, 27,<br />

Hridoy Mia, 25, and<br />

Ashraful Islam, 25 - from the<br />

spot. A pistol, an autorickshaw<br />

and a motorbike<br />

were seized from the spot.<br />

Man held with<br />

8 gold bars in<br />

Benapole<br />

BENAPOLE : Members of<br />

Border Guard Bangladesh<br />

(BGB) arrested a man along<br />

with eight gold bars from<br />

Amrakhali check-post here<br />

on Wednesday, reports UNB.<br />

The arrestee was identified<br />

as Rabiul Islam Jamil, 35.<br />

Tipped off, a team of BGB<br />

stopped a human hauler<br />

from Navaron and frisked<br />

Rabiul around 9am, said<br />

Amrakhali BGB in-charge<br />

Shafiqul Islam.<br />

Later, they recovered eight<br />

gold bars from him.<br />

He was handed over to<br />

Benapole Port Police Station.<br />

5 admission seekers<br />

held for cheating at<br />

SUST<br />

SHAHJALAL UNIVERSITY<br />

(SYLHET) : The Shahjalal<br />

University of Science and<br />

Technology (SUST) arrested<br />

five people from the campus<br />

on Tuesday for cheating in<br />

the admission process,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

The arrestees were<br />

identified as Sakidul Islam<br />

Shakil, Abir Morshed, Arif<br />

Khan Rafi, Zahid Hasan<br />

Tamim, Riadul Jannat<br />

Riyad. They hailed from<br />

Bogura and Rangpur.<br />

Prof Zahir Uddin, proctor<br />

of SUST, said the proctorial<br />

body caught them when they<br />

came to the campus for<br />

admission purpose in the<br />

evening.<br />

During interrogation, they<br />

told the university<br />

authorities that they had<br />

adopted unfair means in the<br />

admission test. They said<br />

they gave Tk 5 to 8 lakh to a<br />

syndicate for getting<br />

enrolled at the university.<br />

They were later handed<br />

over to police.<br />

Besides, the SUST<br />

authorities also arrested<br />

Samiul Islam Koushik, a<br />

first-year student of Food<br />

Engineering and Tea<br />

Technology for his<br />

suspected involvement in<br />

the syndicate.<br />

Develop curriculum with technological<br />

advancement: Palak<br />

State Minister for Information and<br />

Communication Technology (ICT) Division<br />

Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Wednesday urged<br />

the academicians to prepare curriculum to<br />

keep pace with rapid technological<br />

advancement.<br />

"It's a difficult task to update curriculum<br />

every year. In this case, universities can<br />

initiate top up training programmes to<br />

address the global needs," he said while<br />

addressing a workshop entitled 'Skills<br />

Development of ICT Engineers on IT<br />

Engineers Examination (ITEE) Targeting<br />

Japanese Market' at UGC. He also said<br />

Japan is an important market for us. "A<br />

significant number of jobs will be created in<br />

IT sector through this initiative."<br />

University Grants Commission (UGC) of<br />

Bangladesh and Bangladesh Computer<br />

Council (BCC) jointly organized the<br />

workshop to raise awareness and facilitate<br />

the IT Engineers Examination so that the<br />

Bangladeshi IT graduates can enhance<br />

their knowledge and skills, a press release<br />

said.<br />

The State Minister emphasized to adopt<br />

4IR (4th Industrial Revolution)<br />

programmes replacing labor oriented jobs<br />

to get developed nation status by 2041. "We<br />

are working to create a pool of quality<br />

manpower, enhance graduates'<br />

employability and meet objectives of Digital<br />

Bangladesh. Academicians need to carry<br />

out research on 4IR. ICT ministry in<br />

association with UGC will set up research<br />

and incubation centres, specialized labs in<br />

every university," he added.<br />

In his presidential speech UGC Chairman<br />

Professor Dr. Kazi Shaidullah said that last<br />

decades, skill requirements of jobs have<br />

changed enormously with the<br />

advancement of technology. "We need to<br />

take steps to prepare our youth force for the<br />

global markets," he said adding our<br />

graduates needs to be trained well with the<br />

updated knowledge and skills. He also said<br />

Japan has opened up market for our IT<br />

graduates. "We have to take full advantage<br />

of the opportunity," he said.<br />

UGC Member and convener of the<br />

workshop committee Professor Dr. Md.<br />

Sazzad Hossain, in his welcome address,<br />

said that knowledge and technology will be<br />

exchanged through ITEE and it will also<br />

help to transform our graduates into<br />

human recourses."<br />

The programme was addressed, among<br />

others, by NM Zeaul Alam, Senior<br />

Secretary, ICT Division, Hiroyuki Yamaya,<br />

Minister, Embassy of Japan, Parthapratim<br />

Deb, Executive Director, BCC, and Yuji<br />

Ando, Country Representative, Japan<br />

External Trade Organisation spoke at the<br />

workshop. UGC Members, Vice<br />

Chancellors from different public and<br />

private universities, faculty members of<br />

engineering departments, IT industrialists,<br />

were also present.<br />

3 arrested for rape<br />

in three districts<br />

DHAKA : Police arrested three persons from<br />

Barguna, Bogura and Jashore between<br />

Monday night and Tuesday for rape, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

In Jashore, police arrested one Muzibul<br />

Haq on Tuesday noon for murdering a<br />

teenage girl after rape at Bhangura village in<br />

Bagharpara upazila.<br />

He has confessed to rape and murder<br />

before the court, Additional Superintendent<br />

of Jashore police Touhidul Islam told the<br />

media.<br />

Police said Muzibul had a love affair with<br />

the 13-year-old sister-in-law of his<br />

neighbour. On November 3, Muzibul called<br />

the girl to the village, where he raped and<br />

killed her.<br />

Ziaur, the victim's father, filed a case with<br />

Bagarpara Police Station.<br />

In Barguna, police arrested a man from<br />

Langolkata village in Sadar upazila on<br />

Monday night for raping his own daughter.<br />

The arrestee was identified as Nizam Mir,<br />

a resident of the village.<br />

GD-1547/19 (4 x 3)<br />

GD-1549/19 (5 x 3)<br />

Abir Mohammad, officer-in-charge of<br />

Barguna Police Station, said Nizam raped his<br />

minor daughter on November 7 when his<br />

wife went to bring water at noon.<br />

After the incident, he attempted to rape the<br />

fourth-grader several times.<br />

Nizam confessed to his crimes during<br />

initial interrogation. The girl filed the case<br />

with police, the OC added.<br />

In Bogura, police arrested a teenager for<br />

allegedly raping a four-year-old girl at<br />

Baniajan village in Dhunat upazila in the<br />

morning. The arrestee was identified as<br />

Borhan Uddin Shyamal, <strong>14</strong>, son of Jahangir<br />

Alam of the village.<br />

Locals said Shyamal called the girl to his<br />

room and raped her around 10am.<br />

On information, police arrested Shyamal<br />

and sent the girl to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman<br />

Medical College Hospital for treatment, said<br />

Ismail Hossain, officer-in-charge of Dhunat<br />

Police Station.<br />

A case was filed with the police station in<br />

this connection, the OC added.


METRO<br />

ThursDAY,<br />

3<br />

November <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

regional Director of the World university rankings mr. ritin malhotra called on Dhaka university (Du)<br />

vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. md. Akhtaruzzaman yesterday at the latter's office of the university. Director of<br />

ICT Cell of Du Prof. Dr. mohammad Asif hossain Khan was present on this occasion. Photo : Courtesy<br />

bangladesh with 'happy<br />

Nepal, Prosperous Nepal'<br />

prog: President<br />

KATHMANDU : President Abdul<br />

Hamid on Wednesday said<br />

Bangladesh will provide all sorts of<br />

assistance to Nepal in implementing<br />

its 'Happy, Prosperous Nepal'<br />

programme, reports UNB.<br />

President Abdul Hamid said this<br />

while attending a meeting at a<br />

Kathmandu hotel with former prime<br />

minister of Nepal and co-chair of the<br />

Nepal Communist Party Pushpa<br />

Kamal Dahal.<br />

President's Press Secretary Joynal<br />

Abedin said the relation between the<br />

two countries is excellent, and hailed<br />

Nepal's journey towards democracy.<br />

Assuring Bangladesh's overall<br />

cooperation in implementing a<br />

'Happy, Prosperous Nepal'<br />

programme, Hamid said<br />

Bangladesh has also adopted Vision-<br />

2021 and 2041. From here, both<br />

countries can benefit from mutual<br />

cooperation.<br />

Hamid said Bangladesh and Nepal<br />

hold common opinions on different<br />

international issues and support<br />

each other. The relationship will<br />

remain stable in the future, he<br />

hoped.<br />

Dahal said the existing<br />

relationship between two counties is<br />

excellent. There are ample<br />

opportunities to further develop this<br />

bilateral relationship at multilateral<br />

level.<br />

He also emphasised increasing<br />

connectivity between the two<br />

countries by road, rail and sky, said<br />

Press Secretary Joynal Abedin.<br />

Chairman of National Assembly<br />

(upper house) Ganesh Prasad<br />

Timilsina also met President Hamid<br />

at the same place.<br />

During the meeting, the President<br />

said the support provided by the<br />

people of Nepal, especially their<br />

intelligentsia, had a positive impact<br />

on Bangladesh's Liberation War.<br />

He expressed his gratitude to the<br />

government of Nepal in this regard.<br />

He said Bangladesh is a big market<br />

of 170 million people and it wants to<br />

help Nepal bring trade balance as<br />

the bilateral trade has a potential to<br />

grow through duty-free access.<br />

Timilsina said Nepal's relations<br />

with Bangladesh are old and cordial.<br />

There is a similarity between the two<br />

countries' culture.<br />

He said both countries are facing<br />

the adverse effects of climate change<br />

but neither of them is responsible<br />

for that. The countries can work<br />

together to address the issue and<br />

play a vital role in various<br />

international forums.<br />

Parliament Whip Md Atiur<br />

Rahman Atik, Member of<br />

Parliament ABM Fazle Karim<br />

Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary<br />

Shahidul Haque, Bangladesh<br />

Ambassador to Nepal Mashfi Binte<br />

Shams, Secretary of the President's<br />

Office Sampad Barua, Military<br />

Secretary Major General SM<br />

Shamim-Uz-Zaman were present at<br />

the meeting.<br />

GD-1550/19 (7 x 4)<br />

GD-1546/19 (9 x 4)<br />

GD-1543/19 (12 x 4)


EDITORIAL<br />

ThUrSdAY,<br />

noVeMber <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

4<br />

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam<br />

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

Thursday, November <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

Significance of<br />

increasing revenue<br />

collection<br />

The Finance Minister in a recent workshop<br />

drew attention to the need to<br />

strengthen the revenue administration.<br />

The reason for this should be obvious. The<br />

Finance Minister unfurled the budget for fiscal<br />

year 2018-19 some six months ago. The size<br />

of the budget was 4,64,573 crore It wasthe<br />

biggest ever budget in size in the country's history.<br />

Some analysts described the budget as ambitious<br />

and difficult to achieve. But other experts<br />

think that the revenue collection targets are<br />

not incapable of reaching if the government<br />

works with real determination to that end and<br />

the country's conditions remain reasonably<br />

conducive for greater revenue collection.<br />

But steady and sustainable improvement in<br />

revenue collection will have to depend essentially<br />

on strengthening the revenue administration<br />

appropriately and adequately, plus<br />

netting the tax dodgers and other offenders. Of<br />

course, there should be also maintained various<br />

persuasive campaigns to make eligible tax<br />

payers aware about their patriotic duty to pay<br />

taxes. In the long run, this psychological component<br />

can prove to be more fruitful in garnering<br />

the expected amount of revenues.<br />

The need of planned moves to improve revenue<br />

collection has become all the more<br />

important in the backdrop of the international<br />

aid climate. The developed countries are now<br />

saying that aid levels will not be allowed to<br />

drop substantially. But there cannot be so<br />

much reliance on such assurance. Thus,<br />

Bangladesh needs to adjust to the new situation<br />

by mobilizing its internal resources to fill<br />

the gap to be created from any unexpected<br />

slowdown in foreign aid.<br />

There is potential for Bangladesh to boost its<br />

revenue earnings substantially even under its<br />

present conditions with chances of fresh political<br />

volatility arising. Studies conducted by the<br />

National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the<br />

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) showed<br />

that some 10 million persons in Bangladesh<br />

earn more than the tax exemption limit. But<br />

income tax returns are submitted by less than<br />

one million of them which suggests that there<br />

is the prospect of realizing income tax from a<br />

vast number. Customs duties, so far, have been<br />

the greatest source of revenues. But earnings<br />

from this source is noted to be declining in the<br />

relative sense. This points to the urgent need of<br />

undertaking greater activities in the areas of<br />

income tax and value added tax (VAT) collection.<br />

A planned policy exercise will have to be conducted<br />

to increase collection of income tax by<br />

identifying new income tax payers and obliging<br />

them to settle their dues. A similar hard push<br />

will have to made and sustained to ensure the<br />

scrupulous payment of VAT by the existing<br />

VAT payers and expand the number of businesses<br />

who would pay this tax. VAT offices<br />

must be opened in each of the country's 64 districts.<br />

Many are still without VAT offices.<br />

Manpower and other facilities will have to<br />

raised and deployed swiftly in support of a<br />

revamped tax administration.<br />

Traditionally, an elected and political governmentis<br />

seen to be prone to be lenient in<br />

respect of revenue collection to keep pleased<br />

their supporters and vested interests as it<br />

nears the end of its tenure. But this will no<br />

more be possible in the changed circumstances<br />

of the country when the need for<br />

developmental or public financing has shot up<br />

a great deal. The government will be expected<br />

to go for vigorously increasing tax collection<br />

where the opportunities for the same exist<br />

explaining it to voters how crucial or patriotic<br />

it is for them to pay taxes well to prevent the<br />

economy from encountering serious stresses<br />

and strains in the future.<br />

world diabetes day on nov <strong>14</strong> : Concerted action<br />

needed to confront diabetes<br />

It may be his trickiest mission yet. US<br />

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark<br />

Milley is a dangerous-looking hunk of<br />

bone and gristle. Sternness marks his<br />

craggy mug; Special Forces and Ranger<br />

tabs decorate his uniformed shoulders;<br />

and under his bemedaled chest beats, no<br />

doubt, the heart of a boot-wearing, steakeating<br />

badass.<br />

But it will not be martial skills that<br />

Milley needs on his visit to South Korea.<br />

After a flying visit to Japan, he arrived in<br />

South Korea on Wednesday, and will be<br />

joined on Thursday by US Secretary of<br />

Defense Mark Esper.<br />

It's a safe bet that their visit will be<br />

marked by hand-holding photo-ops and<br />

predictable blather ("The alliance has<br />

never been stronger," etc, etc). But behind<br />

closed doors, it is to be hoped that both<br />

men packed their diplomatic A-games.<br />

The mechanics of the transfer of<br />

wartime operational control from US to<br />

South Korean command, expected<br />

around 2022, will hover in the background.<br />

In the foreground, the<br />

Americans want Seoul to cough up more<br />

for the 28,500 US troops stationed in<br />

South Korea.<br />

Above all they want Seoul to reverse its<br />

decision to nix an intelligence-sharing<br />

arrangement with Japan that Seoul has<br />

made clear will expire on November 23.<br />

Seoul, however, has recently stated that it<br />

will not do a U-turn.<br />

The pact, the GSOMIA (General<br />

Sharing of Military Information<br />

Agreement), is the only bilateral, securityrelated<br />

agreement linking two nations<br />

that are often - wrongly - dubbed "allies."<br />

True, both nations boast bilateral<br />

alliances with the US. True, they are both<br />

democracies that share related values and<br />

cultures. True, they are economically<br />

closely interlinked. And true, they both<br />

face off against a rising China and a dangerous<br />

North Korea.<br />

But they are convulsed by historical and<br />

historiographical disputes that - in South<br />

Korea at least - may trump all considerations<br />

listed prior. Korea's national gut is<br />

deeply roiled by anti-Japanese sentiment,<br />

dating back to 1910-45, when Japan colonized<br />

the Korean Peninsula.<br />

There is no question that it was an<br />

exploitative and often brutal rule. Japan<br />

invested in its colony for its own economic<br />

benefits. In the twilight years of that<br />

era, it suppressed native culture. It also<br />

mobilized countless Koreans into military<br />

service, forced labor and, most infamously,<br />

military brothels. Today, Koreans<br />

rightly accuse Japanese school textbooks<br />

of whitewashing history, and point fingers<br />

at revisionist figures in the political<br />

Prof. dr. GobindA ChAndrA dAS<br />

On November <strong>14</strong> this year, people<br />

around the world will unite to<br />

mark the World Diabetes Day,<br />

the global awareness campaign of the<br />

diabetes community led by<br />

International Diabetes Federation<br />

(IDF). Diabetes is one of the major<br />

health and development challenges of<br />

the 21st century. No country, rich or<br />

poor, is immune to the epidemic.<br />

According to the IDF, diabetes is a leading<br />

cause of blindness, amputation,<br />

heart disease, kidney failure and early<br />

death. Simple action can reduce the<br />

risk.<br />

Created in 1991 by IDF and the World<br />

Health Organization (WHO) in<br />

response to growing concerns about the<br />

escalating health threat posed by diabetes,<br />

the World Diabetes Day became<br />

an official United Nations Day in 2006.<br />

It is marked every year on Nov <strong>14</strong>, the<br />

birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who<br />

co-discovered insulin along with<br />

Charles Best in 1922.<br />

The theme for World Diabetes Day<br />

<strong>2019</strong> is 'Family and Diabetes'. In 2018,<br />

IDF selected the same as World<br />

Diabetes Day theme. It indicates that<br />

the family is important regarding the<br />

disease.<br />

IDF says it is raising awareness of the<br />

impact that diabetes has on the family<br />

and support network of those affected,<br />

and promoting the role of the family in<br />

the management, care, prevention and<br />

education of diabetes.<br />

The issues of management, care and<br />

prevention of diabetes and the role of<br />

family regarding education on this has<br />

been emphasized again in campaign on<br />

diabetes. It is very expensive for a family<br />

to buy insulin and monitor the disease<br />

every day. So, now it is being<br />

regarded as an urgent issue for a family<br />

to acquire knowledge for preventing<br />

diabetes for family members.<br />

It may be mentioned here that though<br />

Nov <strong>14</strong> is observed as the World<br />

Diabetes Day every year, WHO selected<br />

'diabetes' as the theme of World Health<br />

Day three years back. It indicates how<br />

much importance is given to the issue of<br />

diabetes disease.<br />

There are three reasons behind placing<br />

emphasis on diabetes marking the<br />

World Health Day. Firstly, it is to raise<br />

awareness on increasing trend and<br />

health burden of diabetes and its consequences<br />

in lower and middle income<br />

countrirs.<br />

Secondly, it is to determine specific,<br />

effective amd cost-saving strategies for<br />

facing diabetes, which will be helpful in<br />

prevention, diagnosis, treatment and<br />

cure of diabetes.<br />

Thirdly, it is to place the first global<br />

report on diabetes, inorming us about<br />

the burden condition of the disease and<br />

its consequsnces. It would ensure monitoring<br />

for developing health style,<br />

improve preventive capacity of the disease<br />

and build an effective management<br />

of diabetes. According to a survey of<br />

IDF, the number of people with diabetes<br />

reached over 42 crore across the<br />

world at the momemnt. It is important<br />

to identify the disease. Risk increases<br />

manifold if it is undetected.<br />

In Bangladesh, the number of diabetes-affected<br />

people is about one crore.<br />

Every year 1 lakh patients is being<br />

added to this number. If effective measures<br />

are not taken to prevent diabetes,<br />

the number of diabetes affected people<br />

will cross 55 crore by the year 2030,<br />

apprehended experts. If a patient leads<br />

a disciplined life, he/she will be able to<br />

control diabetes, they said.<br />

At present, Bangladesh is in 10th position<br />

in the world in terms of number of<br />

diabetes patient. People of all ages are<br />

being affected by the disease mainly due<br />

to lack of awareness.<br />

It is not sufficient to control sugar<br />

level as part of treatment of the disease.<br />

It is possible to be saved from future<br />

complications if the problems caused<br />

due to increase in sugar level are<br />

brought under control. Changing food<br />

habit and regular physical labour can<br />

play an important role in this regard.<br />

It is necessary to mention here that<br />

intake of medicine is not sufficient to<br />

cure the disease. The matter of physical<br />

exercise is very important.<br />

Excess stress has a direct role in inviting<br />

diabetes. According to research,<br />

stress is a major risk factor of diabetes.<br />

So, join chatting with friends, listn to<br />

music, do meditation and neurobic gym<br />

and make visits in order to reduce<br />

stress. It is needed to refrain from<br />

The issues of management, care and prevention<br />

of diabetes and the role of family regarding<br />

education on this has been emphasized again in<br />

campaign on diabetes. it is very expensive for a<br />

family to buy insulin and monitor the disease<br />

every day. So, now it is being regarded as an<br />

urgent issue for a family to acquire knowledge<br />

for preventing diabetes for family members.<br />

class who play down Japanese aggression<br />

or - as per the narrative at the infamous<br />

Yasukuni Shrine Museum - paint Japan<br />

as a victim. They also accuse Japan of not<br />

apologizing sincerely, of undercutting its<br />

own apologies, and of not being as fulsome<br />

with its apologia as Germany.<br />

Still, Germany committed genocide. It<br />

is difficult to point to a former metropole<br />

on the global scene that has said sorry<br />

more, or offered more compensation to a<br />

former colony, than Japan has to South<br />

Korea.<br />

Japanese officials - from emperors,<br />

prime ministers and cabinet secretaries<br />

on down - have apologized scores of<br />

times. Tokyo has granted hundreds of<br />

millions of dollars in compensation packages.<br />

And in the public domain (if not<br />

textbooks), there is plentiful information,<br />

and debate, about Pacific War-era atrocities.<br />

Most problematically - and perhaps<br />

puzzlingly - for Washington, South<br />

Korean sensitivities look lopsided given<br />

the lack of fury aimed over the<br />

Demilitarized Zone.<br />

Japan's 35-year rule was less destructive<br />

(in terms of both life and property)<br />

than the 1950-53 Korean War initiated by<br />

Pyongyang. North Korea today is an isolated,<br />

family-run, nuclear-armed dictatorship<br />

that suppresses millions of<br />

Koreans; Japan is an open democracy<br />

with constitutionally trammeled armed<br />

forces that oppresses nobody.<br />

But though the dictatorship in<br />

Pyongyang has proved longer-lived than<br />

Japanese colonialism, and North Korea<br />

has neither apologized for nor compensated<br />

for the war, South Koreans despise<br />

Japan more than their brother nation up<br />

North.<br />

A poll for a state-run think-tank last<br />

week discovered that, were war to break<br />

out between Pyongyang and Tokyo,<br />

45.5% of South Koreans would help<br />

North Korea, and only 15.1% Japan.<br />

In sync with these sentiments, the leftleaning<br />

Moon Jae-in administration has<br />

focused on trying to upgrade ties with<br />

North Korea while firing relentless salvos<br />

smoking and drinking wine.<br />

We can do exercise and go out for regular<br />

walk for reducing the risk of diabetes.<br />

Research finding says, exercise<br />

increases the number of insulin receptor<br />

in body cell. Human body is excited<br />

when stress increases. Slight relaxation<br />

exercise and other strategies for facing<br />

stress can control blood sugar level.<br />

From a research in Yale University,<br />

USA it has been found that those who<br />

sleep regularly less than six hours at<br />

night are in the risk of diabetes 2 times<br />

more than those who sleep 8 hours. For<br />

sound sleep you should stop tea, coffee<br />

and chocolate after afternoon. Leave<br />

your work at office. Don't bring office<br />

work at home. Don't watch TV at late<br />

night. Keep your mobile off when you<br />

sleep.<br />

For controlling diabetes, the matter of<br />

maintining healthy life style has been<br />

against Japan. Last year, the South<br />

Korean state unilaterally undercut two<br />

bilateral deals (both packaged with related<br />

compensation): a 2015 agreement on<br />

"comfort women" and a 1965 agreement<br />

on forced labor.<br />

In response, in July this year, Tokyo<br />

introduced trade curbs on exports to<br />

South Korea - slowing, but not halting,<br />

the flow of key materials.<br />

That infuriated South Korea. Citizens<br />

reacted with consumer boycotts, while<br />

Seoul retaliated with its own trade curbs.<br />

Seoul then punted the dispute from the<br />

historical, diplomatic and economic<br />

spheres into the security space, announcing<br />

it was ending GSOMIA.<br />

The surprise move prompted<br />

Washington to aim some undiplomatic<br />

language against Seoul. But Seoul was<br />

still not finished with Tokyo.<br />

It complained to the International<br />

Olympic Committee that Tokyo would<br />

not ban the "Rising Sun" flag at the 2020<br />

Olympics, while a new lawsuit brought by<br />

comfort women against Tokyo kicked off<br />

on Wednesday in a Seoul court.<br />

The ever-widening rift between the capitals<br />

represents a major headache for the<br />

United States, which seeks to forge a united<br />

front in Northeast Asia.<br />

Yet however much Seoul's bottomless<br />

fount of anti-Japaneseism exasperates<br />

them, Milley and Esper would be well<br />

advised to restrain their voices and not<br />

hammer too loudly upon the negotiating<br />

table. First, South Korea is, geo-strategically,<br />

part of a critical perimeter for the<br />

United States - the frontline of a deeply<br />

echeloned Pacific defense that is layered<br />

back through Japan, Guam and Hawaii<br />

before reaching the continental US itself.<br />

At the epicenter of Northeast Asia,<br />

South Korea is also well sited as a launch<br />

pad to interdict the assets of regional<br />

American competitors such as China,<br />

North Korea and Russia.<br />

And the Moon administration has kept<br />

faith with its overthrown predecessor, the<br />

Park Geun-hye administration, and<br />

maintained the US Terminal High<br />

emphasized across the world.<br />

Maintaining healthy life means intake<br />

of healthy foods, exercise and keeping<br />

mind healthy. Putting pressure on mind<br />

should be avoided if we want healthy<br />

mind.<br />

Holistic system of treatment, the<br />

combination of modern technology and<br />

ancient natural method, has now<br />

become poupular for prevention and<br />

control of diabetes across the world.<br />

There are two main key factors of this<br />

treatment: one is taking healthy diet<br />

and the other is physical exercise.<br />

Daily food taking depends on<br />

patient's age, state of disease and<br />

his/her present situation. And the matter<br />

about taking physical exercise is<br />

miscellaneous. Before all these, meditation<br />

in a proper method is needed to<br />

control mind.<br />

Mental stress is the main cause of illness<br />

and unhappiness. To lessen the<br />

mental pressure it is very much important.<br />

It has also been stated to collect the<br />

ray or life power from the cosmic<br />

power. To gain all these is not an easy<br />

task at all.<br />

By playing a leading role for the past<br />

one decade in holistic treatment<br />

(known as natural system of treatment),<br />

Holistic Health Care Centre has<br />

brought good news for thousands of<br />

patients with diabetes and coronary<br />

artery disease. As a result, the risk of<br />

diabetes is reducing. And those who are<br />

suffering over a long time with diabetes<br />

are now leading a happy life.<br />

Many patients have been able to<br />

reduce the level of taking insulin and<br />

many others have completely stopped<br />

taking insulin. In Bangladesh, holistic<br />

treatment is working as a helpful friend<br />

for the patients of diabetes and coronary<br />

blockage.<br />

Recently, workshops on method of<br />

fully controlling diabetes within 72<br />

hours have been held successfully in the<br />

country. Many patients, who took part<br />

in the events, got a unique experience of<br />

facing diabetes by fully leaving insulin.<br />

The author is Director, Holistic<br />

Health Care Centre 43R/5C West<br />

Panthapath, Dhaka<br />

US brass parachutes into Japan-Korea conflagration<br />

Andrew SAlMon<br />

Today, Koreans rightly accuse Japanese school textbooks of<br />

whitewashing history, and point fingers at revisionist figures in<br />

the political class who play down Japanese aggression or - as<br />

per the narrative at the infamous Yasukuni Shrine Museum -<br />

paint Japan as a victim. They also accuse Japan of not apologizing<br />

sincerely, of undercutting its own apologies, and of not<br />

being as fulsome with its apologia as Germany.<br />

Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) antimissile<br />

system on Korean soil. That decision<br />

has come at massive national cost.<br />

A furious China, which asserts that<br />

THAAD radars can snoop on its own territory,<br />

has banned K-pop concerts and<br />

refuses to permit Korean online games.<br />

Korean corporations, notably Lotte<br />

Group, have taken a drubbing in the market.<br />

Looking back, South Korean soldiers<br />

have done what Japanese troops never<br />

have: Shed blood alongside GIs. After its<br />

joint effort with Washington in the<br />

Korean War, Seoul dispatched the largest<br />

national contingent to fight for South<br />

Vietnam. It subsequently deployed a<br />

major contingent to northern Iraq.<br />

Most recently, South Korea has built,<br />

mostly at its own cost, the massive US<br />

bastion in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul -<br />

America's largest overseas base.<br />

Alliance management is no easy task.<br />

South Korea's peculiarities, perhaps,<br />

make it a trickier ally than most. But its<br />

strategic value remains.<br />

If the US top brass strong-arm Seoul<br />

into emptying its coffers to cover joint<br />

defense costs, while also demanding a<br />

humiliating about-face on GSOMIA, they<br />

run significant risks.<br />

Currently, South Korea is one of the<br />

few nations on Earth where both the<br />

right - who admire his conservative<br />

stance - and the left - who admire his<br />

engagement with North Korean leader<br />

Kim Jong Un - respect US President<br />

Donald Trump. Meanwhile, nationalist<br />

furies are deployed in full cry against<br />

Japan.<br />

But if currently quiescent anti-<br />

Americanism - which exploded in 2002,<br />

after the gruesome death of two schoolgirls<br />

in a road accident with US troops -<br />

reignites alongside anti-Japaneseism,<br />

Washington is in uncharted waters. That<br />

so-far-unrealized double whammy could<br />

seriously endanger long-term US strategic<br />

interests in Northeast Asia.<br />

Korean conservatives already fear that<br />

South Korea could be leveraged away<br />

from maritime, democratic Northeast<br />

Asia - Japan and Taiwan - toward continental,<br />

authoritarian powers - China,<br />

North Korea and Russia.<br />

That fear is bolstered by two issues.<br />

Economically, China has long replaced<br />

the United States as South Korea's main<br />

trade partner. Strategically, there are<br />

worries that an isolationist America could<br />

turn its back on the region, leaving the<br />

field to a rising China.<br />

Source : Asia times


HEALTH<br />

THURSDAY, novemBeR <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

5<br />

The sunny winter morning is here so shake off your stress and focus on staying positive.<br />

Photo: Alamy<br />

How neuroscience can help educators<br />

from being less stressed<br />

Judy Willis<br />

Weeks into the winter holiday, many of<br />

us may be experiencing the stressful<br />

fallout of last term. For some, this is the<br />

exhaustion of burnout. For others, worries<br />

about the upcoming school year are<br />

already on the horizon. But there are<br />

simple steps you can take to build a<br />

positive mindset, strengthen your<br />

stamina and approach the new year<br />

with less anxiety and greater expectations<br />

of success.<br />

The approaches I offer here come<br />

from my background as a neurologist<br />

and teacher. The methods I suggest<br />

have been helpful for my own students<br />

in overcoming exam and work stress,<br />

and they are useful for teachers who<br />

face similar challenges.<br />

Teachers often hold themselves<br />

responsible for problematic student<br />

behaviour, failure to cover every<br />

required topic in depth or not adapting<br />

instruction to suit the needs of individual<br />

students. If you feel this way, know<br />

that you are not alone but part of a<br />

growing number of dedicated and<br />

resourceful educators who feel<br />

oppressed by increasing pressure and<br />

dwindling resources. Teachers who<br />

question their ability to fulfil excessive<br />

demands are often those who hold<br />

themselves to the highest standards.<br />

But when circumstances limit one's<br />

ability to be in control, self-doubt<br />

builds, confidence drops and burnout<br />

can emerge. Start rebooting your positive<br />

mindset by recognising that these<br />

concerns are not a reflection of your<br />

teaching skill.<br />

The brain has a system that strengthens<br />

the memories and emotions that<br />

are most frequently used or experienced.<br />

The term for this, neuroplasticity,<br />

refers to the brain's ability to change<br />

or adapt in response to thoughts and<br />

experiences. A little background on<br />

neuroplasticity: all memory is held in<br />

the brain's neurons and each neuron<br />

only holds a tiny bit of a memory. But<br />

when connections form among neurons<br />

holding the information, it<br />

becomes a brain circuit holding a<br />

retrievable idea. Neuroplastic construction<br />

is the brain's response to its own<br />

electrical activity. As neurons communicate<br />

through their connections<br />

(axons and dendrites) the information<br />

travels as electrical impulses. The more<br />

a circuit is activated, the greater the<br />

neuroplastic response of constructing<br />

We've barely any idea how AI will predict someone's death.<br />

thicker, stronger and faster connections.<br />

Thus the expressions "neurons<br />

that fire together wire together" and<br />

"practice makes permanent."<br />

It is this neuroplastic response that<br />

builds skills when learning is practised<br />

and applied. However, neuroplastic<br />

strengthening also takes place when<br />

emotional circuits are activated. When<br />

stress is frequent, the circuit producing<br />

that response becomes stronger - which<br />

means that after repeated frustrations<br />

and unachieved goals, your brain<br />

becomes more efficient at dropping<br />

into its stress response mode.<br />

If you've repeatedly experienced failure<br />

in your classroom, your brain will<br />

have built up a strong stress response<br />

circuit. But you can reboot your brain<br />

by strengthening the circuits needed to<br />

activate motivation and effort. Your<br />

weapon of mass reconstruction comes<br />

from one of your brain's own chemicals<br />

- dopamine. The satisfaction you feel<br />

when you persevere through a challenge<br />

or achieve a goal is a response to<br />

an increased level of dopamine, which<br />

brings feelings of pleasure and heightened<br />

motivation. You can build a more<br />

positive mindset circuit simply by setting<br />

yourself achievable challenges.<br />

Photo: Burger<br />

AI can predict if someone<br />

will die soon<br />

Donna Lu<br />

Artificial intelligence can predict a<br />

person's chances of dying within a<br />

year by looking at heart test results<br />

- even when they look normal to<br />

doctors. How it does so is a mystery.<br />

Brandon Fornwalt at healthcare<br />

provider Geisinger in Pennsylvania,<br />

US and colleagues tasked an AI<br />

with examining 1.77 million electrocardiogram<br />

(ECG) results from<br />

nearly 400,000 people to predict<br />

who was at a higher risk of dying<br />

within the next year.<br />

An ECG records the electrical<br />

activity of the heart. Its pattern<br />

changes in cardiac conditions<br />

including heart attacks and atrial<br />

fibrillation. The team trained two<br />

versions of the AI: in one, the algorithm<br />

was only given the raw ECG<br />

data, which measures voltage over<br />

time. In the other, it was fed ECG<br />

data in combination with patient<br />

age and sex. They measured the<br />

AI's performance using a metric<br />

known as AUC, which measures<br />

how well a model distinguishes<br />

between two groups of people - in<br />

this case, patients who died within a<br />

year and those who survived. The<br />

AI consistently scored above 0.85,<br />

where a perfect score is 1 and a<br />

score of 0.5 indicates no distinction<br />

between the two groups.<br />

The AUCs for risk scoring models<br />

currently used by doctors range<br />

between 0.65 and 0.8, says Fornwalt.<br />

For comparison, the<br />

researchers also created an algorithm<br />

based on ECG features that<br />

doctors currently measure, such as<br />

certain patterns from the recordings.<br />

"No matter what, the voltagebased<br />

model was always better than<br />

any model you could build out of<br />

things that we already measure<br />

from an ECG," says Fornwalt.<br />

The AI accurately predicted risk<br />

of death even in people deemed by<br />

cardiologists to have a normal ECG.<br />

Three cardiologists who separately<br />

reviewed normal-looking ECGs<br />

weren't able to pick up the risk patterns<br />

that the AI detected.<br />

"That finding suggests that the<br />

model is seeing things that humans<br />

probably can't see, or at least that<br />

we just ignore and think are normal,"<br />

says Fornwalt. AI can potentially<br />

teach us things that we've<br />

been maybe misinterpreting for<br />

decades," he says.<br />

It's still unclear what patterns<br />

the AI is picking up, which makes<br />

some physicians reluctant to use<br />

such algorithms. This research<br />

was based on historical data, and<br />

it will be important to demonstrate<br />

in clinical studies that such<br />

an algorithm improves patient<br />

outcomes, says collaborator<br />

Christopher Haggerty. The<br />

research will be presented at the<br />

American Heart Association's Scientific<br />

Sessions in Dallas on<br />

November 16.<br />

Healthy step-parents relationship<br />

are a precursor to happy family<br />

Lizzie Cernik<br />

Tales of wicked stepmothers may be<br />

common in storybooks, but they are<br />

often a far cry from reality. Despite the<br />

potential challenges with step-parenting,<br />

many children develop close bonds<br />

with their mum or dad's new partner.<br />

The actor Dakota Johnson, now 30, is<br />

still on great terms with her stepfather,<br />

Antonio Banderas, who divorced her<br />

mother, Melanie Griffith, in 20<strong>14</strong>. At<br />

the Hollywood Film awards this<br />

month, the Spanish actor revealed just<br />

how close they still are. "She calls me<br />

Papi, and I love that, you have no idea."<br />

The Fifty Shades of Grey star described<br />

her childhood growing up with him as<br />

"the most fun a kid could have".<br />

They may present a contrast to the<br />

evil step-parent stereotype we see<br />

depicted in movies, but they certainly<br />

aren't alone. Since divorcing her husband<br />

six years ago, Frances Rose has<br />

maintained a close friendship with his<br />

daughter, Louise. "I first met her in<br />

2003 when she and her siblings were<br />

very young," she says. "Her mum handled<br />

the breakup extremely well with a<br />

lot of maturity, which made it easier to<br />

get to know her children."<br />

Aged five at the time, Louise didn't<br />

realise there was anything unusual<br />

about her situation. "We would go to<br />

Frances's house with Dad and it felt<br />

normal to me. I grew up having two<br />

houses, two support systems and a<br />

more varied upbringing." She quickly<br />

formed a strong relationship with her<br />

new stepmother, and the family was<br />

close.<br />

When Frances's marriage broke<br />

down 10 years later, she was devastated<br />

at the prospect of losing the connection<br />

with her stepchildren. "You're not biologically<br />

related, so you don't have any<br />

rights," she says. "I couldn't have my<br />

own children, and they really felt like<br />

my family. After we split up, I had no<br />

idea what was going to happen."<br />

She needn't have worried because<br />

maintaining that relationship was<br />

equally important for Louise. "I think<br />

it's good for any couple splitting up to<br />

put children first. Dad was supportive<br />

of my decision to stay in touch with<br />

Frances, which made the divorce easier.<br />

Knowing I could see her whenever I<br />

wanted without anyone being upset<br />

was great."<br />

After the breakup, Louise's mother<br />

regularly took her to see Frances before<br />

she got her driving licence. "She knew<br />

how important she was to me. I am<br />

very close to my mum and feel really<br />

lucky to have two incredibly strong<br />

female influences in my life." In the<br />

past few years, she has been on regular<br />

trips to festivals and galleries with her<br />

former stepmother, where they bond<br />

over their shared love of music and<br />

fashion. For her 18th birthday three<br />

years ago, Louise was treated to a trip to<br />

Thailand with her mum, followed by a<br />

break to New York with Frances. "Ever<br />

since I was young, both sides of the<br />

family have made an effort to do things<br />

with us. It's almost like my family time<br />

gets doubled." Frances also stays in<br />

touch with Louise's younger brother<br />

and sister, but says she never wants to<br />

force a bond with her stepchildren. "I'm<br />

always here and available for them if<br />

they want me." It's something that resonates<br />

with Andy, who split up with his<br />

wife in 2003 after a 10-year relationship.<br />

Although Andy was close to his<br />

stepdaughter Helen (not their real<br />

names), he was reluctant to push their<br />

relationship too hard after the divorce.<br />

"When my ex-partner and I got together,<br />

Helen was 16 and quite grown up,"<br />

he says. "She's a wonderful person, so<br />

laid-back and respectful. We got on<br />

very well."<br />

The couple had been living in South<br />

Africa, but Helen was based in the UK<br />

when they separated. "I was really disappointed<br />

at the thought of not being<br />

able to spend time with her again, but I<br />

didn't want to risk coming between her<br />

and her mum or damaging that relationship."<br />

However, Helen was keen to<br />

reach out to her stepfather.<br />

A few years after the split, she visited<br />

Durban to see him. "She made a point<br />

of coming to see me, which was wonderful,"<br />

he says. "I was so happy to<br />

spend time with her and properly<br />

reconnect."<br />

The visit wasn't long after the death of<br />

Helen's father, who Andy had been<br />

friends with throughout his marriage.<br />

"Years earlier, I had lent her dad some<br />

money. After he died, Helen not only<br />

reimbursed me, but also gave me some<br />

extra money from her inheritance. She<br />

didn't have to give me anything and it<br />

wasn't something I was ever expecting."<br />

They now chat regularly on WhatsApp,<br />

and Helen goes to visit Andy<br />

whenever she is in South Africa. "She is<br />

just a fantastic person to be around," he<br />

says. For stepfamilies, making the<br />

choice to stay in contact after a breakup<br />

is important. "Even though I don't<br />

speak to my ex-husband, Louise and I<br />

have formed a better friendship on our<br />

own terms since we split up," says<br />

Frances. "She is such a go-getter, and<br />

really career focused. We may not be<br />

related but I see parts of myself in her."<br />

While they were always close, Louise<br />

believes that the lack of pressure to<br />

spend time together has helped their<br />

relationship. "I don't think we would be<br />

as close as we are now if she hadn't split<br />

up with my dad. I am grateful to her for<br />

supporting me and making me feel like<br />

I can be independent and strong."<br />

When Frances remarried in 2017, all<br />

three of her former stepchildren joined<br />

the celebrations. "It was really nice to<br />

have them there with me. I've now got<br />

two adult stepchildren with my new<br />

partner and I get on well with them,<br />

too."<br />

Like Frances, Amanda Kane loves<br />

spending time with her stepson Daniel,<br />

despite splitting up with his father in<br />

20<strong>11</strong>. "The first time I met Dan, he travelled<br />

with us from his home in Ipswich<br />

to his dad's house in Preston. He was<br />

only six at the time, so it must have<br />

been a bit daunting." As soon as they<br />

were introduced, she invested time in<br />

their relationship, taking him on walks<br />

and trips to the cinema.<br />

"I remember being really excited to<br />

go up north," he says. "When I first got<br />

Dakota Johnson being carried by her stepfather Antonio<br />

Banderas in 1998.<br />

Photo: Ron Galella<br />

to know Amanda, we did lots of fun<br />

activities together. I really appreciate<br />

the effort she made with me while I was<br />

growing up because it benefited me so<br />

much."<br />

As Daniel got older, the couple<br />

moved to Norwich so they could spend<br />

more time with him. Over the years,<br />

their bond continued to develop, and<br />

he became closer to Amanda than his<br />

biological dad. By the time the couple<br />

split up, Daniel was in his early 20s.<br />

"There was never any doubt that I<br />

would carry on seeing Amanda. It's like<br />

I've grown up with two mums, and I am<br />

really close to them both. My mum<br />

offers me lots of emotional support and<br />

Amanda has always helped to drive me<br />

to succeed in what I do."<br />

Although she was initially worried<br />

about not seeing Daniel and his grandparents,<br />

Amanda has kept in touch.<br />

Since the divorce, she has enjoyed plenty<br />

of nights out with her stepson, and<br />

even took him to his first Download festival.<br />

Eight years on, Daniel has a child<br />

of his own, and she and her new partner<br />

regularly go for meals with his family.<br />

"We treat him and his partner to<br />

dinner and go to see his son. I am really<br />

proud of him. He's such a lovely dad."<br />

Many people who form close bonds<br />

with their stepchildren say that amicable<br />

relationships with their biological<br />

parents are important.<br />

Avoid sleeping in your make up<br />

Amy Fleming<br />

"A lot of my acne patients think that,<br />

because they have oily skin, they can't<br />

use a moisturiser," says Bav Shergill, a<br />

consultant dermatologist based in Sussex.<br />

But if you scrub the oils off your<br />

skin, it will end up producing more to<br />

compensate. "Moisturise your skin so<br />

that it is well hydrated and that will<br />

turn off your oil production more effectively<br />

than trying to scrub away the oil."<br />

"The usual suspects are sunscreens,"<br />

says Erica MacCallum of facialists Eve<br />

Lom in New York. So if you use one daily,<br />

look for one labelled non-comedogenic<br />

(non-clogging) or oil-free. "And<br />

never sleep in your makeup."<br />

Sandy Skotnicki, a dermatologist<br />

based in Toronto, says that even hair<br />

products - "in particular argan and<br />

coconut oils" - can contribute to facial<br />

acne, so "it is important to wash them<br />

out before you sleep".<br />

Washing your face will help to get rid of spots.<br />

Photo: Chakrapong Worathat<br />

Exfoliation will help to keep pores<br />

clear and Shergill recommends skin<br />

products with 2% salicylic acid "and a<br />

little more glycolic acid, which can help<br />

exfoliate dead skin cells that could<br />

cause blockages".<br />

"People think acne is an infection, but<br />

it's not," says Shergill. "It is inflammation<br />

of the skin that allows an overgrowth<br />

of bacteria. The body tries to kill<br />

the bugs and causes the big red reaction,<br />

which is the spot." If one lasts for<br />

longer than 10 days, it can scar. "We<br />

need to get on and treat spots when<br />

they come up," says Shergill. "We often<br />

use drugs such as benzoyl peroxide. If<br />

you prefer an alternative treatment,<br />

tea-tree oil can be effective." As well as<br />

killing germs, tea tree has anti-inflammatory<br />

properties. To avoid irritation,<br />

Shergill recommends diluting it to 5%.<br />

"Never squeeze a spot," says Shergill.<br />

"The spots will express themselves<br />

when you wash your face." And squeezing<br />

"blind spots", where skin has grown<br />

over the top, is futile and can lead to<br />

scarring.<br />

When you eat cake, or other high-glycaemic-index<br />

(GI) foods, you are likely<br />

to produce extra insulin. There is evidence,<br />

says Shergill, that high-GI diets<br />

and insulin spikes "correlate with facial<br />

serum excretion - you make more oil.<br />

Whereas a low-glycaemic-load diet significantly<br />

reduces lesion counts. So a<br />

low-glycaemic-index diet is apparently<br />

very effective."


NATIONAL<br />

THURSDAY, NOvEMBER <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

6<br />

Joypurhat Sadar Upazail Nirbahi Officer Milton Chandra Roy as the chief guest addressed a discussion<br />

marking the 49th founding anniversary of the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh<br />

(IDEB) and Mass Engineering Day in Joypurhat on Wednesday.<br />

Photo: Masrakul Alom<br />

Joypurhat IDEB holds rally,<br />

discussion meeting<br />

Masrakul Alom, Joypurhat Correspondent: The 49th<br />

founding anniversary of the Institution of Diploma<br />

Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) and Mass Engineering Day<br />

were held in Joypurhat on Wednesday. Marking the occasion<br />

a grand rally and a discussion meeting organized by<br />

Joypurhat Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh<br />

(IDEB) were held.<br />

The rally was brought out from town hall (Zila Parishad<br />

auditorium) which paraded the main streets of the town.<br />

Earlier a discussion meeting was held at town hall which<br />

Fire Service and<br />

Civil Defense Week<br />

ends in Gaibandha<br />

GAIBANDHA: Fire<br />

Service and Civil Defense<br />

(FSCD) Week-<strong>2019</strong> ended in<br />

the district on Tuesday with<br />

a call to create mass<br />

awareness to prevent fire<br />

incidents and other<br />

disasters, reports BSS.<br />

Marking the week, FSCD<br />

office here chalked out<br />

elaborate programmes<br />

included leaflet distribution,<br />

pasting posters, discussion<br />

meeting, vehicle rally in the<br />

district town, inspection of<br />

fire extinguishing equipment,<br />

volunteers gathering,<br />

certificate distribution, mock<br />

drill display and arrangement<br />

of cultural function.<br />

On Tuesday afternoon, a<br />

concluding ceremony was<br />

also held on the office<br />

premises of the town here<br />

with station officer Bakhtiar<br />

Uddin in the chair while<br />

deputy assistant director<br />

Amirul Islam Sarker<br />

addressed the function as the<br />

chief guest. Station officer of<br />

Palashbair upazila FSCD<br />

office and team leader Abu<br />

Taher spoke at the function,<br />

among others. Earlier,<br />

deputy commissioner Abdul<br />

Matin formally inaugurated<br />

the FSCD Week-<strong>2019</strong> on<br />

Wednesday last as the chief<br />

guest and police super<br />

Towhidul Islam was present<br />

at the event as the special<br />

guest.<br />

was chaired by Joypurhat IDEB president engineer<br />

Rezaul Alam Siddique while Joypurhat Sadar Upazail<br />

Nirbahi Officer Milton Chandra Roy was present as the<br />

chief guest at the occasion. Among others, Principal of<br />

Joypurhat Govt. Technical College engineer Shariful<br />

Islam, vice president of IDEB district committee engineer<br />

Nadim Hossain, finance secretary engineer Mostafizur<br />

Rahman, organizing secretary Bipul Kumar Saha and<br />

research and IT secretary engineer Haider Ali were also<br />

present at the occasion.<br />

Jubo League celebrates 47th founding<br />

anniversary in Moulvibazar<br />

Moulvibazar Correspondent: Jubo League, youth wing of ruling Awami League,<br />

celebrated its 47th founding anniversary in a befitting manner in Moulvibazar on Wednesday.<br />

Marking the occasion, various programmes including a grand rally was brought out.<br />

Marking the occasion, Moulvibazar District Jubo League brought out a rally from the<br />

premises of Shaheed Minar which paraded the main streets of the town. Later Awami League<br />

General Secretary Mishbauer Rahman cut a cake at a temporary stage. During the time,<br />

District Awami League Vice-President Ajmal Hossain, Joint Secretary and Upazila Chairman<br />

Md Kamal Hossain, Joint Secretary and Municipal Mayor Md. Fazlur Rahman, Organizing<br />

Secretary Ajay Sen, District Jubo League President Nahid Ahmed and General Secretary Syed<br />

Rezaul Rahman Suman Rezaur Rali, Tanti League general secretary Liaquat Ali, former<br />

general secretary of Chhatra League Saifur Rahman Roni, Chhatra League President Amir<br />

Hossain Chowdhury and General Secretary Mahbub Alam were among others also present at<br />

the occasion.<br />

In observance of the 47th founding anniversary of Jubo League, a grand<br />

rally was brought out in Moulvibazar on Wednesday. Photo: TBT<br />

Experts for promoting education<br />

on reproductive health<br />

42 taxpayers<br />

accorded<br />

reception in<br />

Rajshahi<br />

RAJSHAHI: National<br />

Board of Revenue (NBR)<br />

has accorded a reception<br />

to 42 highest taxpayers in<br />

seven categories here<br />

yesterday as recognition to<br />

their contribution to boost<br />

the national revenue,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

On the occasion,<br />

Commissioner's Office of<br />

Rajshahi Income Tax Zone<br />

hosted a divisional level<br />

reception and crest-giving<br />

function at Shaheed AHM<br />

Kamaruzzaman Zila<br />

Parishad Auditorium with<br />

the main thrust of<br />

inspiring the taxpayers to<br />

pay more tax and boosting<br />

the number of taxpayers.<br />

A large number of<br />

taxpayers including<br />

members of the civil<br />

society, professional<br />

leaders and tax lawyers<br />

were present at the<br />

function.<br />

Commissioner of<br />

Rajshahi division<br />

Humayun Kabir<br />

Khondokar and Customs,<br />

Excise and VAT<br />

Commissioner Lutfor<br />

Rahman addressed the<br />

ceremony as chief and<br />

special guests respectively<br />

with Dr Khandakar<br />

Ferdous<br />

Alam,<br />

Commissioner of Income<br />

Taxes, in the chair.<br />

Tax<br />

Appellate<br />

Commissioner Md Masud,<br />

Joint Commissioner<br />

Ashique Rana, President<br />

of Rajshahi Chamber of<br />

Commerce and Industries<br />

Md Muniruzzaman and<br />

President of Income tax<br />

Lawyers Association<br />

Mozaharul Haque also<br />

spoke.<br />

Humayun Kabir<br />

underscored the need for<br />

creating mass awareness<br />

about more income tax<br />

collection in the greater<br />

interest of making the<br />

country economically selfreliant.<br />

He said many of the<br />

affordable people of the<br />

society are still afraid of<br />

income tax payment due<br />

to misconception and<br />

wrong counseling by<br />

frauds.<br />

Many people earn higher<br />

incomes in urban and semi<br />

urban areas and other<br />

places, but they do not pay<br />

taxes due to lack of<br />

awareness, he added.<br />

"We have no alternative<br />

to enhance tax collection<br />

for<br />

successful<br />

implementation of the<br />

need-based development<br />

programs for overall<br />

development of the<br />

nation," he opined.<br />

In his remarks, Income<br />

Tax Commissioner Dr<br />

Ferdous Alam gave an<br />

outline of the tax<br />

collection in the region<br />

and attributed that the<br />

number of taxpayers are<br />

being increased gradually,<br />

which is a good sign for the<br />

nation.<br />

BCG detains 1 with Myanmar<br />

currencies, hemp<br />

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard East Zone detained a drug peddler Md. Rubel, 27, along<br />

with 50 grams of hemp, 50,000 kyat (currency of Myanmar), 2 mobile phones and 1<br />

Myanmar sim card on Wednesday. Bangladesh Coast Guard arrested the drug dealer for<br />

allegedly selling drugs from east side of St. Martin's, a press release said.<br />

The detained drug peddler has long been involved in drug trade in various areas of St.<br />

Martin. The arrested drug dealer, Rubel, 27, is the son of the deceased Abdur Rashid, from<br />

Hajirpara area of Ramganj under Lakshipur district. It is to be noted that Coast Guard East<br />

Zone media officer Lt. Shah Zia confirmed the incident, saying that during investigation the<br />

drug dealer confessed that the hemps were for selling. The detained drug peddler and seized<br />

goods are in the process of being transferred to the Teknaf police station for further<br />

investigation.<br />

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard East Zone detained a drug peddler<br />

along hemps and Myanmar currencies from St. Martin's on Wednesday.<br />

Photo: Courtesy<br />

BGB detains 3 gold smugglers along<br />

with 16 gold bars in Benapole<br />

Jahirul Islam Ripon, Benapole Correspondent: Border guard Bangladesh (BGB)<br />

arrested three gold smugglers along with 3.5 KG (16 pieces) gold bars in separate drives in<br />

Amrakhali, Daulotpur and Ghiba Bordering area of Benapole Port police station on yesterday<br />

(Wednesday) noon while smuggling to India.<br />

The arrestees were identified as Rabiul Islam 36, son of Monir Uddin of RN Road area of<br />

Jessore, Dilip Kumar,30, son of late Gahor Kumar of Ghiba village and Minara Khatun, 25,<br />

wife of Ramzan Ali, a local resident of Barachara village. They were smuggling gold to India<br />

for money for a long time, the BGB said.<br />

49 BGB deputy commanding officer Major Nazrul Islam said that from a reliable source<br />

three BGB patrols team conducted a drive in Amrakhali area and arrested Rabiul Islam along<br />

with 8 pieces (785 grams) gold bars Dilip Kumer arrested with 2 pieces (2 Kgs) gold bars from<br />

Ghiba border and Monira Khatun was held with 6 pieces (700 grams) gold bar from<br />

Daulatpur border.<br />

The value of the gold is TK. 1 crore 75 lakh BGB added.<br />

The detainees were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station after the investigation.<br />

Three cases were filed with Benapoel Port police station.<br />

Members of Border guard Bangladesh (BGB) in a drive arrested a gold<br />

smuggler along with 8 pieces of gold bars from Amrakhali area on<br />

Benapole.<br />

Photo: Jahirul Islam Ripon<br />

RANGPUR: Health experts at a<br />

meeting here yesterday said lifeoriented<br />

and health education are<br />

crucial for adolescents for proper<br />

grooming up that eventually would<br />

help build a healthy nation, reports<br />

BSS.<br />

They expressed the view at the<br />

orientation meeting on 'Adolescent<br />

Reproductive Health and Life Skill'<br />

organised by the Maternal and Child<br />

Health (MCH) Services Unit of the<br />

Directorate General of Family<br />

Planning (DGFP) at a local hotel.<br />

The Civil Surgeons, Upazila Health<br />

and Family Planning Officers,<br />

Medical Officers, executives of<br />

Organisation of Gynecological Society<br />

of Bangladesh (OGSB), Bangladesh<br />

Medical Association (BMA) and<br />

NGOs, Heads of different secondary<br />

level educational institutions,<br />

religious leaders, adolescents and<br />

officials of different departments of<br />

Rangpur and Kurigram participated.<br />

Divisional Director (Health) Dr.<br />

Mostafa Khaled Ahmed attended the<br />

meeting as chief guest with Deputy<br />

Director of the Department of Family<br />

Planning (DFP) for Rangpur Dr.<br />

Sheikh Md. Saidul Islam in the chair.<br />

Regional Consultant of Family<br />

Planning Clinical Supervision and<br />

Quality Improvement Team of the<br />

DFP for Rangpur Dr. Ahmed Munaf<br />

Chowdhury narrated objectives of the<br />

event.<br />

Program Manager (Adolescent<br />

Reproductive Health) of the MCH<br />

Services Unit of DGFP Dr. Md. Joynal<br />

Haque discussed on "Present status of<br />

adolescents in Bangladesh and steps<br />

taken by the government for<br />

providing adolescent health services"<br />

in the meeting.<br />

President of Rangpur BMA Dr.<br />

Delwar Hossain, Deputy Director of<br />

the DFP for Kurigram Dr. Md. Nazrul<br />

Islam, Civil Surgeon for Rangpur Dr.<br />

Hirombo Kumar Roy, President of<br />

Rangpur unit of OGSB Professor Dr.<br />

Ferdousi Sultana addressed.<br />

The speakers discussed the<br />

importance of proper learning about<br />

reproductive health by adolescents<br />

since beginning of their physical and<br />

mental changes and creating<br />

awareness among parents to stand<br />

beside their children during puberty.<br />

They said adolescents' face<br />

challenges like - sexual, reproductive<br />

and mental health, violence and<br />

nutrition - due to lack of knowledge<br />

about using hygienic sanitary napkins<br />

which causes sexually transmitted<br />

diseases.<br />

They laid emphasis on inclusive<br />

GO-NGO efforts involving all<br />

stakeholders for proper<br />

implementation of the National<br />

Strategy for Adolescent Health 2017-<br />

2030 to ensure adolescent-friendly<br />

health services for normal growth of<br />

adolescents.<br />

The chief guest stressed the need for<br />

ensuring life skills-based education<br />

on reproductive health for<br />

adolescents to assist them in taking<br />

realistic decisions at tougher<br />

moments in life and inspire others in<br />

following their footsteps.<br />

The speakers discussed the<br />

importance of proper learning about<br />

reproductive health by adolescents<br />

since beginning of their physical and<br />

mental changes and creating<br />

awareness among parents to stand<br />

beside their children during puberty.<br />

"Parents should be aware of<br />

behavioral changes of adolescents<br />

and save them from addiction to<br />

playing games using electronic<br />

devices and educate on reproductive<br />

health, food habits, hygiene,<br />

sanitation and social values for<br />

making better citizens," he said.<br />

On the occasion of Eid-e-Miladunnabi a three-day programme was organized by Shingergari<br />

ZohuriaDarbar Sharif of in various areas of Nilphamari and Rangpur district recently. Marking the<br />

occasion, a grand rally, discussion meeting, seminar and doa mahfil were held. Photo: Courtesy


INTERNATIONAL<br />

THURSDAY, NoVemBeR <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

7<br />

A photographer sets a white balance in the hearing room where the House will begin public<br />

impeachment inquiry hearings Wednesday, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 12,<br />

<strong>2019</strong>. With the bang of a gavel, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff will open the<br />

hearings into President Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe<br />

Biden's family.<br />

Photo : AP<br />

Impeachment hearings go live<br />

on TV with first witnesses<br />

The closed doors of the Trump<br />

impeachment investigation are swinging<br />

wide open.<br />

When the gavel strikes at the start of<br />

the House hearing Wednesday morning,<br />

America and the rest of the world<br />

will have the chance to see and hear for<br />

themselves for the first time about<br />

President Donald Trump's actions<br />

toward Ukraine and consider whether<br />

they are, in fact, impeachable offenses,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

It's a remarkable moment, even for a<br />

White House full of them.<br />

All on TV, committee leaders will set<br />

the stage, then comes the main feature:<br />

Two seasoned diplomats, William Taylor,<br />

the graying former infantry officer<br />

now charge d'affaires in Ukraine, and<br />

George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary<br />

in Washington, telling the striking,<br />

if sometimes complicated story of a<br />

president allegedly using foreign policy<br />

for personal and political gain ahead of<br />

the 2020 election.<br />

So far, the narrative is splitting Americans,<br />

mostly along the same lines as<br />

Trump's unusual presidency. The Constitution<br />

sets a dramatic, but vague, bar<br />

for impeachment, and there's no consensus<br />

yet that Trump's actions at the<br />

heart of the inquiry meet the threshold<br />

of "high crimes and misdemeanors."<br />

Whether Wednesday's proceedings<br />

begin to end a presidency or help<br />

secure Trump's position, it's certain<br />

Israeli strikes kill<br />

2 Gaza militants;<br />

death toll now at 12<br />

Israeli airstrikes killed two<br />

Islamic Jihad militants in<br />

Gaza on Wednesday as rocket<br />

fire toward Israel resumed<br />

after a brief overnight lull,<br />

raising the death toll in Gaza<br />

to 12 Palestinians in the<br />

heaviest round of fighting in<br />

months, reports UNB.<br />

The Israeli military said<br />

more than 250 rockets have<br />

been fired at Israeli communities<br />

since the violence<br />

erupted after an Israeli<br />

airstrike killed a senior<br />

Islamic Jihad commander<br />

accused of being the mastermind<br />

of recent attacks.<br />

Schools remained closed<br />

in Israeli communities near<br />

the Gaza border as rockets<br />

continued to rain down,<br />

albeit in lesser ferocity that<br />

during the relentless barrage<br />

the previous day.<br />

But in a sign that the current<br />

round could be brief,<br />

Gaza's Hamas rulers have<br />

yet to enter the fray.<br />

Although larger and more<br />

powerful than the Iranianbacked<br />

Islamic Jihad,<br />

Hamas is also more pragmatic.<br />

With Gaza's economy<br />

in tatters, it appears to have<br />

little desire for another<br />

round of fighting with Israel.<br />

Egypt, which frequently<br />

mediates between Israel and<br />

Gaza militants, has been<br />

working to de-escalate tensions,<br />

according to officials<br />

in Cairo.<br />

Seeking to keep the outburst<br />

under control, the<br />

Israeli military has restricted<br />

its operations to Islamic<br />

Jihad, and nearly all the<br />

casualties so far are members<br />

of the militant group.<br />

that his chaotic term has finally arrived<br />

at a place he cannot control and a force,<br />

the constitutional system of checks and<br />

balances, that he cannot ignore.<br />

The country has been here just three<br />

times before, and never against the<br />

backdrop of social media and real-time<br />

commentary, including from the president<br />

himself.<br />

"These hearings will address subjects<br />

of profound consequence for the<br />

Nation and the functioning of our government<br />

under the Constitution," said<br />

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California,<br />

the chairman of the Intelligence<br />

Committee leading the inquiry, in a<br />

memo to lawmakers.<br />

Schiff called it a "solemn undertaking,"<br />

and counseled colleagues to<br />

"approach these proceedings with the<br />

seriousness of purpose and love of<br />

country that they demand."<br />

"Total impeachment scam," tweeted<br />

the president, as he does virtually every<br />

day.<br />

Impeachments are rare, historians<br />

say, because they amount to nothing<br />

short of the nullification of an election.<br />

Starting down this road poses risks for<br />

both Democrats and Republicans as<br />

proceedings push into the 2020 campaign.<br />

Unlike the Watergate hearings and<br />

Richard Nixon, there is not yet a "cancer<br />

on the presidency" moment galvanizing<br />

public opinion. Nor is there the<br />

national shrug, as happened when Bill<br />

Clinton's impeachment ultimately didn't<br />

result in his removal from office. It's<br />

perhaps most like the partisanshipinfused<br />

impeachment of Andrew Johnson<br />

after the Civil War.<br />

Trump calls the whole thing a "witch<br />

hunt," a retort that echoes Nixon's own<br />

defense. Republicans say Democrats<br />

have been trying to get rid of this president<br />

since he first took office, starting<br />

with former special counsel Robert<br />

Mueller's investigation into Russian<br />

interference to help Trump in the 2016<br />

election.<br />

Democratic House Speaker Nancy<br />

Pelosi was initially reluctant to launch a<br />

formal impeachment inquiry. As<br />

Democrats took control of the House in<br />

January, Pelosi said impeachment<br />

would be "too divisive" for the country.<br />

Trump, she said, was simply "not worth<br />

it."<br />

After Mueller's appearance on Capitol<br />

Hill in July for the end of the Russia<br />

probe, the door to impeachment proceedings<br />

seemed closed.<br />

But the next day Trump got on the<br />

phone.<br />

For the past month, witness after witness<br />

has testified under oath about his<br />

July 25 phone call with Ukraine's newly<br />

elected president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy,<br />

and the alarms it set off in U.S.<br />

diplomatic and national security<br />

circles.<br />

Delhi’s air “severely”<br />

polluted<br />

Air quality in Delhi and surrounding areas<br />

once again turned to "severe" category on<br />

Wednesday morning, even as the overall Air<br />

Quality Index (AQI) hovered around 500.<br />

According to the "System of Air Quality<br />

Weather Forecasting and Research<br />

(SAFAR)", an AQI between 0-50 is<br />

termed as "Good," 50-100 as "Satisfactory,"<br />

100-200 is considered as "Moderate,"<br />

200-300 as "Poor," 300-400 as<br />

"Very Poor," and 400-500 is described<br />

as "Severe," and above 500 is categorised<br />

as "Emergency."<br />

Some areas near Delhi like Gurugram in<br />

neighbouring state of Haryana witnessed an<br />

AQI above 500, posing an "Emergency" situation,<br />

reports UNB. Noida, a city in neighbouring<br />

state of Uttar Pradesh also recorded<br />

an AQI of above 500.<br />

According to media reports, the prevailing<br />

air quality conditions in and around the Indian<br />

capital may lead to serious health problems<br />

like respiratory diseases and even heart<br />

ailments. The main reason attributed to the<br />

deteriorated air quality is the burning of<br />

crops residues by farmers in northern state<br />

of Punjab and Haryana.<br />

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal<br />

tweeted on Monday "We should stop stubble<br />

burning. People are suffering immensely.<br />

The Supreme Court has also directed. Pollution<br />

has again started increasing in Delhi due<br />

to stubble burning after some respite last<br />

week."<br />

Air quality in Delhi and surrounding areas once again turned to "severe"<br />

category on Wednesday morning, even as the overall Air Quality Index<br />

(AQI) hovered around 500.<br />

Photo : AP<br />

Police raise<br />

security around<br />

Hong Kong after<br />

night clashes<br />

Police increased security<br />

around Hong Kong and its<br />

university campuses<br />

Wednesday as they braced<br />

for more violence after sharp<br />

clashes overnight with antigovernment<br />

protesters,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

Many subway and rail stations<br />

were closed after the<br />

protesters blocked commutes<br />

and vandalized trains.<br />

Classes were suspended at<br />

universities, and parents of<br />

school students advised they<br />

could keep their children<br />

home.<br />

Police and protesters battled<br />

on multiple fronts<br />

overnight at the Chinese<br />

University of Hong Kong.<br />

Gasoline bombs and fires lit<br />

the nighttime scene, and the<br />

situation remained tense in<br />

the morning and early afternoon.<br />

A police official warned<br />

protesters were carrying out<br />

"insane acts" and Hong<br />

Kong was on the brink of a<br />

total breakdown after more<br />

than five months of protests.<br />

"Our society has been<br />

pushed to the brink of a total<br />

breakdown," Senior Police<br />

Superintendent Kong Wingheung<br />

said late Tuesday.<br />

He said Hong Kong's mass<br />

transit system and subway,<br />

known as MRT, was under<br />

stress from acts of violence<br />

and vandalism.<br />

"Masked rioters have lost<br />

control and committed<br />

insane acts like throwing<br />

trash, bicycles and large<br />

objects onto MTR tracks,<br />

hanging trash on overhead<br />

power lines," he added.<br />

Groups of riot police were<br />

deployed around central<br />

Hong Kong and its outlying<br />

territories to try and contain<br />

new violence, even as students<br />

at the Chinese University<br />

- located in the outskirts<br />

of the sprawling metropolis -<br />

prepared for new clashes<br />

with police. Many were<br />

armed with gasoline bombs<br />

while some carried bows<br />

and arrows.<br />

Crowd gathers in central<br />

Hong Kong, university<br />

campus tense<br />

Police increased security around Hong Kong<br />

and its university campuses Wednesday as<br />

they braced for more violence after sharp<br />

clashes overnight with anti-government protesters,<br />

reports UNB.<br />

Many subway and rail stations were closed<br />

for the morning commute as protesters<br />

blocked train doors from closing and vandalized<br />

train cars. Classes were suspended at<br />

universities, and parents of school students<br />

were advised they could keep their children<br />

home.<br />

Police subdued a few protesters as a<br />

crowd gathered for a third straight day in a<br />

central business and high-end retail district,<br />

public broadcaster RTHK reported.<br />

Both protesters and police remained in the<br />

area, and office workers watched from the<br />

sidewalks.<br />

Farther afield, students and others at the<br />

Chinese University of Hong Kong hunkered<br />

down for another possible clash with<br />

police. Gasoline bombs and fires lit up<br />

parts of the campus the previous night, as<br />

police battled back with tear gas and rubber<br />

bullets.<br />

Security Secretary John Lee said the use of<br />

force was needed to gain control of a bridge<br />

from which protesters were dropping objects<br />

onto a roadway below.<br />

"The police have a duty to ensure public<br />

safety is maintained," he told reporters.<br />

"That's why we had to take charge of the<br />

bridge formerly controlled by the protesters."<br />

Before the evening violence, a police official<br />

warned protesters were carrying out<br />

"insane acts" and Hong Kong was on the<br />

brink of a total breakdown after more than<br />

five months of protests.<br />

"Our society has been pushed to the brink<br />

of a total breakdown," Senior Police Superintendent<br />

Kong Wing-heung said late Tuesday.<br />

He said Hong Kong's mass transit system<br />

and subway, known as MRT, was strained by<br />

violence and vandalism.<br />

"Masked rioters have lost control and committed<br />

insane acts like throwing trash, bicycles<br />

and large objects onto MTR tracks,<br />

hanging trash on overhead power lines," he<br />

added.<br />

Groups of riot police were deployed<br />

around central Hong Kong and its outlying<br />

territories to try and contain new violence.<br />

Many students at CUHK, in the outskirts of<br />

the sprawling metropolis, were armed with<br />

gasoline bombs while some carried bows and<br />

arrows.<br />

Police increased security around Hong Kong and its university campuses<br />

Wednesday as they braced for more violence after sharp clashes overnight<br />

with anti-government protesters.<br />

Photo : AP<br />

As Hong Kong descends into<br />

chaos, China mulls its options<br />

A sharp escalation of violence in Hong<br />

Kong is once again raising the question<br />

of how China's central government will<br />

respond: Will it intervene, or allow the<br />

chaos to persist?<br />

The Liaison Office, which represents<br />

mainland authorities in Hong Kong,<br />

said Wednesday that actions in the<br />

semi-autonomous territory were "slipping<br />

into the abyss of terrorism." It<br />

pointed out that a man was set on fire<br />

Monday during an argument with<br />

demonstrators, leaving him in critical<br />

condition, reports UNB.<br />

On the same day, a police officer shot<br />

a protester who was then taken to a<br />

hospital, also in critical condition.<br />

The unabating tumult, now in its<br />

sixth month, may give China's ruling<br />

Communist Party the justification it<br />

needs to take more direct action, analysts<br />

said.<br />

"Beijing is hoping that the Hong<br />

Kong community will start blaming the<br />

protesters and support the restoration<br />

of order," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a<br />

political science professor at Hong<br />

Kong Baptist University.<br />

The central government must wait<br />

for the right moment to step in,<br />

Cabestan said, adding that if China acts<br />

before public opinion is fully on its side,<br />

it could exacerbate existing discontent.<br />

While the movement began peacefully<br />

in June to oppose a now-withdrawn<br />

extradition bill, it has been increasingly<br />

defined by smaller groups of hard-core<br />

demonstrators bent on sowing chaos.<br />

Their actions, which have included setting<br />

cars on fire and smashing storefronts,<br />

have alienated many residents.<br />

The Liaison Office described the act<br />

of setting the man on fire as "flagrant<br />

terrorism," and pledged support for<br />

Hong Kong authorities taking measures<br />

to curb "various illegal acts of violence<br />

and acts of terrorism."<br />

Whereas Chinese authorities previously<br />

called the demonstrators "rioters"<br />

with behavior "close to terrorism," they<br />

are now calling them "murderers" and<br />

tying them more explicitly to terrorism.<br />

This label may presage more severe<br />

enforcement measures and impact how<br />

demonstrators are ultimately prosecuted.<br />

A former British colony, Hong Kong<br />

was returned to China in 1997 under<br />

the framework of "one country, two<br />

systems," a policy that promises Hong<br />

Kong certain democratic rights not<br />

granted to the mainland. But the<br />

arrests of pro-democracy activists and<br />

booksellers in recent years have raised<br />

fears among Hong Kong residents that<br />

Beijing is encroaching on the city's freedoms.<br />

During a key meeting of the party's<br />

Central Committee at the end of<br />

October, Chinese leaders proposed<br />

establishing and strengthening the<br />

"legal system and enforcement mechanism<br />

for safeguarding national security"<br />

in special administrative regions<br />

like Hong Kong and Macao.<br />

A meeting summary from China's<br />

official Xinhua news agency did not<br />

elaborate on what this would entail, but<br />

Chinese officials have variously pointed<br />

to Article <strong>14</strong>, Article 18 and Article 23 of<br />

the Basic Law, Hong Kong's de facto<br />

constitution.<br />

Sri Lankan journalists fear situation<br />

may worsen after polls<br />

Forced to flee their country a<br />

decade ago to escape<br />

allegedly state-sponsored<br />

killer squads, Sri Lankan<br />

journalists living in exile<br />

doubt they'll be able to<br />

return home soon or see justice<br />

served to their tormentors<br />

- whose alleged ringleader<br />

could come to power<br />

in this weekend's presidential<br />

election, reports UNB.<br />

Exiled journalists and<br />

media rights groups are<br />

expressing disappointment<br />

over the current government's<br />

failure in punishing<br />

those responsible for crimes<br />

committed against media<br />

members during President<br />

Mahinda Rajapaksa's tenure<br />

from 2005 to 2015.<br />

And with Rajapaksa's<br />

younger brother Gotabaya<br />

Rajapaksa - the former<br />

defense chief suspected of<br />

being behind the attacks -<br />

favored to win Saturday's<br />

election, they do not believe<br />

the situation will change<br />

anytime soon.<br />

The current government<br />

led by President Maithripala<br />

Sirisena came to power in<br />

2015 and promised to end<br />

impunity on crimes against<br />

journalists and media<br />

organizations. But more<br />

than four years later, police<br />

investigations still have not<br />

led to any convictions on<br />

media attacks. "We are not<br />

satisfied with the measures<br />

taken by this government in<br />

probing the attacks on<br />

media," said Duminda Sampath,<br />

president of the Sri<br />

Lanka Working Journalists<br />

Association, the largest<br />

media organization in the<br />

country, adding that "none<br />

of the culprits accused of<br />

attacks on media have so far<br />

been exposed or punished."<br />

During Mahinda Rajapaksa's<br />

time as president, several<br />

journalists were assassinated<br />

by unidentified killers,<br />

while others were abducted<br />

in mysterious white vans<br />

and tortured before being<br />

either killed or released. The<br />

abductions and killings took<br />

place during the final years<br />

of Sri Lanka's long civil war,<br />

which ended in 2009. While<br />

there are no proper records<br />

to show how many were<br />

abducted or killed, Sampath<br />

said around 60 journalists<br />

fled the country during this<br />

period out of fear for their<br />

lives.<br />

The abductions of journalists<br />

and critics of the government<br />

in the white vans was a<br />

symbol of oppression during<br />

the presidency of Mahinda<br />

Rajapaksa, who is credited<br />

with ending the quarter century-long<br />

civil war. The war<br />

ended with the military<br />

crushing the Tamil Tiger<br />

rebels.


ART & CULTURE<br />

THURSDAY,<br />

NOVeMBeR <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

8<br />

'Friends' Reunion Special in<br />

the Works at HBO Max<br />

Charlie's Angels (<strong>2019</strong>)<br />

When a young systems engineer blows the whistle on a<br />

dangerous technology, Charlie's Angels are called into<br />

action, putting their lives on the line to protect us all.<br />

Director : Elizabeth Banks<br />

Writers : Elizabeth Banks (screenplay), Evan<br />

Spiliotopoulos<br />

Stars : Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott,<br />

Ella Balinska<br />

Release : 15 November, <strong>2019</strong> (USA)<br />

The still from 'Friends'<br />

Sources tell The Hollywood<br />

Reporter that a deal is far from<br />

done but the full cast and<br />

creators would participate.<br />

As mega-hit Friends continues<br />

to celebrate its 25th anniversary,<br />

sources tell The Hollywood<br />

Reporter that the six core stars<br />

and the creators of the NBC<br />

comedy from Warner Bros. TV are<br />

in talks to reunite on HBO Max.<br />

Talks are currently underway for<br />

an unscripted reunion special that<br />

would feature Jennifer Aniston,<br />

Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt<br />

LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and<br />

David Schwimmer, as well as<br />

series creators David Crane and<br />

Marta Kauffman. Sources caution<br />

that a deal is far from done and<br />

agreements with cast and creatives<br />

still need to be hammered out.<br />

When and if deals are completed,<br />

the challenge then becomes<br />

sorting out everyone's schedules.<br />

Of course, the talks could fizzle and<br />

the whole concept could fall apart.<br />

HBO Max and producers<br />

WBTV declined comment.<br />

News of a reunion special<br />

arrives as Friends has found new<br />

audiences at its streaming home<br />

on Netflix. The series is officially<br />

leaving the streamer at year's end<br />

and will make its debut on<br />

WarnerMedia-backed HBO Max<br />

when that $15 monthly<br />

Styled by Shaleena Nathani,<br />

the red puff sleeve dress was<br />

rounded out with matching<br />

lipstick, filled-in eyebrows and a<br />

hint of glitter on the eyelids.<br />

Deepika Padukone has a<br />

chosen set of colours she almost<br />

always falls back upon. One of the<br />

colours is white, and the other is<br />

red. So it comes as no surprise<br />

that the Piku actor was recently<br />

spotted in a red dress from the<br />

label Rosie Assoulin. Styled by<br />

Shaleena Nathani, the coldshouldered<br />

puff sleeve dress was<br />

rounded out with matching<br />

lipstick, filled-in eyebrows and a<br />

hint of glitter on the eyelids.<br />

The actor’s fondness for the<br />

outfit (and of course the colour!)<br />

was revealed as she shared on<br />

Instagram, “RED- is the colour<br />

subscription platform launches at<br />

a date to be determined. Sources<br />

say WarnerMedia paid $85<br />

million per year for five years<br />

($425 million) to reclaim<br />

streaming rights to Friends for its<br />

own platform. (Netflix, for its part,<br />

paid $80 million to $100 million<br />

to keep Friends on its service for<br />

<strong>2019</strong> and was ultimately outbid by<br />

Warner Media.)<br />

Sources note that<br />

WarnerMedia Entertainment and<br />

direct-to-consumer chairman Bob<br />

Greenblatt has been the driving<br />

force pushing for the Friends<br />

reunion, which would pair well<br />

with HBO Max's debut and the<br />

comedy's new streaming home.<br />

Sources say that the cast is willing<br />

to do it is an accomplishment in<br />

and of itself.<br />

The cast and creators, for their<br />

part, have remained steadfast over<br />

the years since the series wrapped its<br />

10-season run that they would not<br />

do any sort of scripted revival. NBC<br />

staged a mini-Friends reunion in<br />

2016 as part of a special honoring<br />

legendary director and producer<br />

James Burrows. Five of the six stars<br />

— save for Perry — participated in<br />

the look back that also featured the<br />

casts of Will & Grace, Cheers and<br />

The Big Bang Theory.<br />

For her part, Aniston on Oct. 27<br />

shot down word of a Friends<br />

reboot (with a flat-out "no") but<br />

did tell daytime host Ellen<br />

DeGeneres, "We would love for<br />

there to be something, but we<br />

don't know what that something<br />

is. So we're just trying. We're<br />

working on something."<br />

Aniston returned to television<br />

with the Nov. 1 premiere of Apple<br />

TV+'s The Morning Show. The<br />

drama marks her first TV series<br />

regular role since she wrapped<br />

Friends. (On The Morning Show,<br />

Aniston stars opposite her Friends<br />

onscreen sister, Reese<br />

Witherspoon.) The actress also<br />

recently joined Instagram by<br />

posting a recent photo of her<br />

reuniting with her Friends co-stars.<br />

Friends producer Warner Bros.<br />

TV has been busy with a series of<br />

events to celebrate the show's<br />

25th anniversary this year, with<br />

replica couches placed at<br />

landmarks across the globe, popups<br />

of Central Perk, special<br />

theatrical screenings of beloved<br />

episodes and more.<br />

A Friends reunion would<br />

immediately provide the kind of<br />

must-see TV that an upstart<br />

streaming service like HBO Max<br />

would want. Disney, for example,<br />

on Tuesday launched its<br />

streaming service with its highly<br />

anticipated Star Wars scripted<br />

drama The Mandalorian.<br />

Source : hollywoodreporter.com<br />

Deepika says red increases heart<br />

rate, Ranveer Singh and we agree<br />

that makes people hungry. Red<br />

also instantly attracts attention,<br />

makes people excited, energetic<br />

and increases heart rate! All of<br />

the things I’m going for today!”<br />

Her husband, Ranveer Singh<br />

commented, “My spirit colour”<br />

and we cannot agree more.<br />

Prior to this, the actor was in<br />

Bengaluru to attend her friend’s<br />

wedding, and looked lovely in a<br />

Sabyasachi Mukherjee creation.<br />

She was seen in the designer’s<br />

quintessential ensemble —<br />

marked by floral designs and<br />

intricate detailed embroidery —<br />

that was carefully layered. The<br />

look was accessorised with<br />

statement choker and earrings,<br />

and rounded out with smokey<br />

eyes and hair tied in a neat bun.<br />

Source : indianexpress.com<br />

Storyline :<br />

Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are working<br />

for the mysterious Charles Townsend, whose security and<br />

investigative agency has expanded internationally. With the<br />

world's smartest, bravest, and most highly trained women all<br />

over the globe, there are now teams of Angels guided by<br />

multiple Bosleys taking on the toughest jobs everywhere.<br />

|Source: IMDb]<br />

Kristen Stewart opens<br />

up on her journey<br />

in the spotlight<br />

Actress Kristen Stewart feels "so lucky"<br />

to be living in this particular time in<br />

history. Stewart has reflected on her<br />

journey in the spotlight and her "struggle"<br />

to come to terms with her identity, reports<br />

eonline.com.<br />

"I think I'm so lucky to live in this<br />

particular time of history," Stewart said.<br />

"I just think...if you were to look at kids<br />

right now, even just five years, seven to 10<br />

years younger than me, they would find<br />

my sort of struggle to come to terms with<br />

like identity and communication kind of<br />

silly."<br />

"And I feed off them, even though I<br />

think that I might've had something to do<br />

with feeding that, a little bit, because it was<br />

like...not the hardest thing to get to know<br />

myself it was just...it takes a few years to<br />

actually articulate who you are," she<br />

added.<br />

"And now that I'm living in a time where<br />

that's fully allowed, in a way that is<br />

expressed and honest...that wasn't that<br />

way five to seven years ago."<br />

On what makes her feel "strong",<br />

Stewart said she is so "lucky" to know for a<br />

fact that she is telling the right story that<br />

"defines" her.<br />

Source : glamsham.com<br />

Motichoor Chaknachoor<br />

actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui:<br />

I had to struggle to find love<br />

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui on<br />

upcoming romantic comedy Motichoor<br />

Chaknachoor, the struggle to get everything<br />

in life and the global recognition he received<br />

for Sacred Games and McMafia. The film<br />

releases on November 15.<br />

In this interview with indianexpress.com,<br />

the versatile actor talks about how he has to<br />

struggle to get everything in life, and the<br />

global recognition he received with two<br />

International Emmy award nominations this<br />

year for Sacred Games and McMafia.<br />

Excerpts from the conversation:<br />

Photograph and now Motichoor<br />

Chaknachoor, you have been playing<br />

characters of the quintessential Indian man<br />

who struggles to find love in life.<br />

Yes, I always struggle to find love. This was<br />

the struggle in real life too. In fact, I have had<br />

to struggle for everything in life. I think it is<br />

because of my face that I had to struggle,<br />

especially to find love. I haven’t got anything<br />

easily. Nothing.<br />

There is a Nawazuddin Siddiqui genre<br />

now. People expect you to do something outof-the-box<br />

with every new project. Also, we<br />

have the new crop of actors who are inspired<br />

by your work and want to become like you.<br />

How does that make you feel?<br />

Motichoor Chaknachoor hits screens on on November 15.<br />

If someone is inspired by my work, it is a<br />

good thing. It gives me a sense of<br />

responsibility to keep doing work with the<br />

same passion and honesty with which I have<br />

done till now. It is also like a challenge that<br />

you have to surpass your own work.<br />

When we talk about the kind of films that I<br />

do, I don’t have a set genre attached to my<br />

name. I wish that never happens to me.<br />

In my initial days, I have done dark films<br />

which had characters with dark shades. I<br />

actually enjoy that kind of stuff personally.<br />

But an actor needs to expand according to the<br />

market as well. So, I make sure I also do films<br />

according to the trends that are working. And<br />

now, I think the trend is films about marriage<br />

and weddings, so I am doing Motichoor<br />

Chaknachoor. An actor needs to do all kinds<br />

of films. Experimentation is very important in<br />

our profession.<br />

From the very beginning of my career, I<br />

wanted to do romantic films, but I was never<br />

offered one. Maybe because they didn’t like<br />

the way I looked. Maybe I didn’t have a face to<br />

pull off a romantic role according to them. So,<br />

now when people have finally started offering<br />

me romantic films, I feel thankful, and I want<br />

to grab them all.<br />

Source : indianexpress.com<br />

H O R O S C O p e<br />

ARIeS<br />

(March 21 - April 20): You like to<br />

recycle in your home and your<br />

workplace. Be a part of the solution<br />

instead of the problem by picking up after yourself<br />

and making sure that you aren't leaving a mess<br />

wherever you go. The state of the environment is<br />

more of a concern every day. It's up to each<br />

individual to make a difference.<br />

TAURUS<br />

(April 21 - May 21): The source of<br />

your frustration may be people who<br />

seem to be sensitive and honest yet<br />

act abrasively and speak aggressively. Try not to<br />

be fooled by those who continuously offer one<br />

image while delivering another. Keep your guard<br />

up. Don't waste your time giving people more<br />

chances than they deserve.<br />

GeMINI<br />

(May 22 - June 21): Love and<br />

romance are most certainly in the<br />

cards today. Play the hand you're<br />

dealt and you should come away from the<br />

table victorious. There's some transformation<br />

that may take place regarding issues of the<br />

heart. Don't compromise yourself in any way.<br />

Settle for nothing but the best. This is a day to<br />

shine.<br />

CANCeR<br />

(June 22 - July 23): Issues regarding<br />

romance could be a big part of the<br />

picture today. The scales could tip<br />

either way in terms of your success at this game.<br />

The decision is up to you. You're probably better<br />

off keeping things light and entertaining. Reveal<br />

the scope of your passionate and powerful<br />

emotions on another day.<br />

LeO<br />

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Matters of the<br />

heart are in your favor today. You<br />

should prepare for a day full of social<br />

activities and good conversation. Your creative<br />

spirit may also be heightened. You can't go wrong<br />

picking the right item in a clothing store or flea<br />

market. Your taste for the elegant is impeccable, so<br />

feel free to indulge.<br />

VIRGO<br />

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): You might<br />

focus on romance today, but it's<br />

possible that you're having<br />

problems figuring out a way to express your<br />

feelings. There's power influencing the scene,<br />

and certainly no shortage of passion. You<br />

might find that there's a bit of superficiality to<br />

the situation that makes it hard to commit with<br />

all of your energy.<br />

LIBRA<br />

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): When it comes to<br />

issues regarding romance, don't hold<br />

back today. Things are working in your<br />

favor. You shouldn't hesitate to act forcefully and<br />

confidently. Show others that you're serious. Don't back<br />

down as things heat up even more. This is a sign that<br />

things are progressing in your favor and you shouldn't<br />

mistake this intensity for anything but true passion.<br />

SCORpIO<br />

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): The center of your<br />

power might find it difficult to commit<br />

to anything today. Issues regarding<br />

love and romance could arise, and you may feel the<br />

need to start something moving in this department.<br />

You may be indecisive about which way to go.<br />

Spruce up and get out in the social arena. You can<br />

let someone else take the lead from there.<br />

SAGITTARIUS<br />

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): In matters<br />

involving love and romance,<br />

things might get a little sticky<br />

today. You might want to charge<br />

ahead with a plan, while a close partner wants<br />

to sit, discuss, and work things out together.<br />

Tempers might flare. You'd do well to be<br />

ready to compromise. A hotheaded approach<br />

will do more harm than good.<br />

CApRICORN<br />

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Love will probably<br />

be on your mind most of today, so<br />

give your heart your full attention.<br />

You're having trouble communicating with a loved<br />

one now, so try to be patient. He moves left and<br />

you move right. You move left and she moves<br />

right. Each time you bump into each other. Let the<br />

other person make the first move.<br />

AQUARIUS<br />

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): Issues regarding<br />

love and romance are in your favor.<br />

There's a strong force spurring you<br />

to take action. Heed this helpful<br />

energy. Feel free to display yourself openly in<br />

the social arena. Talk among friends could be<br />

rewarding for you now. All sorts of connections<br />

are favored for you today.<br />

pISCeS<br />

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): Tension in the<br />

romance department may arise for<br />

you. You want to get things started<br />

in a relationship that's important to you, yet<br />

something always seems to stand in the way of<br />

the plan. Instead of trying to sidestep your way<br />

into the picture, take a direct approach. If you<br />

don't try, you're just as bad off as if you'd tried<br />

and failed. Go for it.


SPORTS<br />

THURSDAY, noVEMBER <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

9<br />

Bangladesh begins their World Test Championship journey and it can't be tougher than anything<br />

else in the cricket world at this moment.<br />

Photo: AP<br />

Tigers hope amid despair as<br />

Indore Test begins today<br />

Resurgent<br />

Dutch on cusp<br />

of Euro 2020<br />

and return to<br />

big time<br />

Sports Desk: A thrilling<br />

crop of young players has<br />

Euro 2020 in its sights as the<br />

Netherlands prepare for a<br />

return to the big stage, while<br />

Teemu Pukki's Finland are<br />

on the brink of their first<br />

ever major tournament,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

Ronald Koeman's side<br />

need just a draw at Northern<br />

Ireland on Saturday to guarantee<br />

a spot at their first<br />

international tournament<br />

since coming third at the<br />

20<strong>14</strong> World Cup.<br />

The Dutch had been in the<br />

doldrums since then until<br />

the arrival early in 2018 of<br />

Koeman, with the once<br />

mighty Oranje missing out<br />

on the previous European<br />

Championship and last<br />

year's World Cup in Russia.<br />

The 56-year-old has revitalised<br />

his country's dormant<br />

national team with the<br />

help of a crop of young players<br />

who are putting a famous<br />

footballing nation back on<br />

the map.<br />

Rising stars including<br />

Frenkie de Jong, Donny van<br />

de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt<br />

have joined more experienced<br />

campaigners Virgil<br />

van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum,<br />

Daley Blind and Ryan<br />

Babel to go top of Group.<br />

Sports Desk: Bangladesh hopes<br />

against the hopes to push India vehemently,<br />

which many team had of late<br />

found incredibly tougher on Indian<br />

soil, as they take on the hosts in the first<br />

Test at Holkar Stadium in Indore<br />

today, reports BSS.<br />

With the Test, which starts at 10 am<br />

BST, Bangladesh begins their World<br />

Test Championship journey and it can't<br />

be tougher than anything else in the<br />

cricket world at this moment.<br />

Playing India against their home is<br />

always the toughest job and in recent<br />

years, the rise of Indian pacers made<br />

the whole situation more unbearable<br />

for the tourists.<br />

Bangladesh though did exceedingly<br />

well in the three-match T20 series, winning<br />

one match at Delhi, which was<br />

beyond imagination. That much needed<br />

victory came on the back of a tumultuous<br />

period of country cricket.<br />

Before the start of the tour,<br />

Bangladesh lost their best player and<br />

regular captain Shakib Al Hasan due to<br />

the ICC ban and beforehand he led a<br />

successful players' strike against BCB,<br />

leaving the country's cricket in an<br />

uncomfortable state. The T20 victory<br />

came as a relief. Even though they lost<br />

the series by 2-1 after coming agonizingly<br />

close to win the series deciding<br />

third game, Bangladesh at least could<br />

console them that they didn't India to<br />

make it a cakewalk.<br />

Test cricket however is all together a<br />

different proposition. Bangladesh,<br />

which turns to 19 in cricket's elite format<br />

on last November 10, so far played<br />

<strong>11</strong>5 Tests and lost a staggering number<br />

of 86 matches.<br />

They won just 13, drew 16 and most<br />

of the draw came thanks to the rain<br />

blessings. Against India, Bangladesh<br />

played 9 Test and lost 7. The two<br />

matches they drew against India, largely<br />

courtesy for the rain.<br />

The stat itself suggested how vulnerable<br />

they are in Test cricket. Bangladesh<br />

even lost their last Test to Test cricket's<br />

newest nation Afghanistan by 224 runs<br />

and that too at their own den.If their<br />

last match is taken into consideration,<br />

even a diehard Bangladeshi fan would<br />

not see any chance of Bangladesh's<br />

honorable defeat against India, let<br />

alone the victory.<br />

That India whitewashed South Africa<br />

in three-match series recently with<br />

winning the last two Tests by innings<br />

margin, is the stat that made any team<br />

shivering down the spine. In the past<br />

when overseas teams were scared of<br />

India's spinners, of late they found<br />

India pacers tougher than the spinners.<br />

When one would judge the players'<br />

performance of both team, they would<br />

also see a gulf off difference.<br />

Compare that to India's premier willow<br />

wielders - Virat Kohli (26 hundreds),<br />

Ajinkya Rahane (<strong>11</strong>), Cheteshwar<br />

Pujara (18), Bangladesh's newly<br />

appointed Test skipper Mominul<br />

Haque has highest century for the side<br />

with 8 although Mushfiqur Rahim and<br />

Mahmudullah are committed cricketers,<br />

but in the longest format, they<br />

aren't exactly formidable names.<br />

India's bowling unit is with 800-plus<br />

scalps, while Mustafizur Rahman is the<br />

most experienced Bangladeshi bowler<br />

with 13 Tests. Bangladesh's recent Test<br />

form and traditional vulnerability coupled<br />

with India's form suggested that<br />

the match is going to be mismatch. But<br />

one thing is in Bangladesh's favourtheir<br />

unpredictability-when no one<br />

gives Bangladesh any chance, the<br />

Tigers used to alter this thing by pulling<br />

off massive surprise. The Delhi T20 victory<br />

was the burning example of that.<br />

"If we look back, no one gave it a<br />

thought that we would win a T20<br />

match, that too on India soil. But we<br />

have the belief on our ability. Whatever<br />

the situation is, every time we get down<br />

the field, we try to win the match.<br />

Sometimes it happens, sometimes it<br />

doesn't happen," Bangladesh middle<br />

order batsman Mohammad Mithun<br />

summed up the team's character.<br />

Bangladesh made it clear that they<br />

would try to play session by session and<br />

would try create pressure, knowing that<br />

even the best batting line up of the<br />

world could crumble under sustained<br />

pressure. India, who remained unbeaten<br />

so far and led the World Test Championship<br />

point table with 240 points,<br />

revealed they won't take Bangladesh<br />

lightly specially when all the points are<br />

very important.<br />

However, while Bangladesh's most of<br />

the big victories at home came in the<br />

designer pitch, which was slow and low,<br />

they would get a sporting wicket here in<br />

Indore. The Indore curator Samandar<br />

Singh Chouhan revealed the pitch<br />

would carry even bounce and both the<br />

pacers and spinners would get even<br />

advantage. It's the type of pitch in<br />

which Bangladesh always feel themselves<br />

vulnerable. But still they hope for<br />

the best.<br />

Squad: Bangladesh: Shadman Islam,<br />

Saif Hassan, Imrul Kayes, Mominul<br />

Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad<br />

Mithun, Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton<br />

Das, Nayeem Hasan, Mehidy Hasan<br />

Miraj, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed Rahi,<br />

Ebadat Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman,<br />

Al-Amin Hossain.<br />

India: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal,<br />

Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli,<br />

Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Bihari,<br />

Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin,<br />

Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed<br />

Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav,<br />

Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Rishab<br />

Pant.<br />

Spanish star striker Villa<br />

retires from football<br />

Sports Desk: Star striker David Villa, Spain's top goal scorer, announced on Wednesday he<br />

was quitting professional football at the end of the season, reports BSS.<br />

The 37-year-old is currently playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan after a glittering career at<br />

international and club level that has included stints at Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia.<br />

"I'm holding (this press conference) to announce that I have decided to end my professional<br />

career and that I have decided to retire," Villa told reporters in Kobe, his voice occasionally<br />

breaking with emotion.<br />

"I've been thinking about this for a long time. This is the result of discussions I had with my<br />

family and people around me… I wanted to retire from football, not be forced to retire from<br />

football," added the striker. Villa played in three World Cups and was a member of the Spanish<br />

side that lifted the trophy in 2010, and won the European Championships in 2008. He<br />

netted 59 times for Spain, a national record. His silverware also includes a Champions League<br />

title with Barcelona, as well as two La Liga wins and a World Club Cup medal. At Vissel Kobe,<br />

he played alongside fellow Spanish legend Andres Iniesta and German striker Lukas Podolski<br />

but the presence of the foreign stars has done little to bring success to the ambitious Japanese<br />

club. Vissel Kobe are currently languishing 10th in the J-League after 31 games - the same<br />

position they finished last year.<br />

Villa played in three World Cups and was a member of the Spanish side<br />

that lifted the trophy in 2010.<br />

Photo: AP<br />

French cycling's<br />

eternal runner-up<br />

Poulidor dies at 83<br />

Sports Desk: French<br />

cyclist Raymond Poulidor,<br />

who gained huge affection as<br />

an eternal runner-up in the<br />

Tour de France, has died at<br />

the age of 83, his wife told<br />

AFP on Wednesday, reports<br />

BSS.<br />

Poulidor had been hospitalised<br />

since early October<br />

and "he left us this morning,"<br />

his wife Gisele told AFP<br />

from their home in western<br />

France.<br />

His astonishing career<br />

spanned 25 years but he will<br />

always be remembered for<br />

the races he failed to win.<br />

From 1964 to 1976 Poulidor<br />

finished second in the<br />

Tour de France on three<br />

occasions and was third five<br />

times in an era dominated<br />

by Eddy Merckx.<br />

So famous was his repeated<br />

failure to clinch the Tour<br />

that the phrase "to do a<br />

Poulidor" passed into the<br />

French language, synonymous<br />

with coming an<br />

unlucky second.<br />

Despite his Tour de France<br />

disappointments, Poulidor<br />

is forever ranked among<br />

France's cycling greats and<br />

at the same time is seen as a<br />

humble hard worker loved<br />

by the people who earned<br />

every one of his many triumphs.<br />

His long-time rival Merckx<br />

told AFP "a great friend has<br />

left us".<br />

"I am very sad. During my<br />

career we were rivals but<br />

afterwards we often spent<br />

time together. We holidayed<br />

together. It's a big loss."<br />

Among current riders,<br />

Romain Bardet, second in<br />

the Tour de France in 2016<br />

and third the following year,<br />

said: "He was an emblematic<br />

character, adored by the<br />

public."<br />

Pooran banned for<br />

four T20 matches<br />

for ball tampering<br />

Sports Desk: West Indies batsman<br />

Nicholas Pooran has been banned for four<br />

T20 internationals for tampering with the<br />

ball in a one-day match against Afghanistan,<br />

cricket's world body announced Wednesday,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

Pooran admitted to "changing the condition<br />

of the ball" after video footage showed<br />

him scratching the surface of the white ball<br />

with his thumbnail in Lucknow on Monday.<br />

"He will now miss the next four T20I<br />

games for the West Indies and will have five<br />

demerit points added to his record," said an<br />

International Cricket Council statement.<br />

Pooran said that he wanted to "issue a sincere<br />

apology to my teammates, supporters<br />

and the Afghanistan team for what transpired<br />

on the field of play on Monday in Lucknow".<br />

"I recognise that I made an extreme error<br />

in judgement and I fully accept the ICC<br />

penalty," he added.<br />

"I want to assure everyone that this is an<br />

isolated incident and it will not be repeated.<br />

I promise to learn from this and come back<br />

stronger and wiser."<br />

The 24-year-old will be forced to sit out the<br />

team's three T20 matches against<br />

Afghanistan and the first game of their subsequent<br />

three-match series against India.<br />

Pooran, who made 21 in a successful West<br />

Indies chase of 250 that led to a sweep of the<br />

three-match ODI series, is a left-handed<br />

wicketkeeper batsman.<br />

He was the man of the match in the second<br />

ODI for smashing 67 off 50 balls.<br />

Born in Trinidad, Pooran has played 16<br />

ODI matches since his 50-over debut earlier<br />

this year. He has represented West Indies in<br />

<strong>14</strong> T20 games.<br />

Pooran admitted to "changing the condition of the ball" after video footage<br />

showed him scratching the surface of the white ball with his thumbnail in<br />

Lucknow on Monday.<br />

Photo: AP<br />

India counts Mustafiz when<br />

his spot is under threat<br />

Sports Desk: When India captain Virat Kohli rated left-arm<br />

fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman as their threat, Bangladesh<br />

looked in dilemma whether to include him in the first XI for<br />

the first Test, starting tomorrow in Indore's Holkar Stadium,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

Mustafizur was the weakest link of Bangladesh's bowling in<br />

the three-match T20 series as he leaked runs in abundance<br />

when the other fast bowlers kept the things right.<br />

Known as 'Cutter Master' for his ability to con the batsmen<br />

with mysterious slower cutter, slower, leg-cutter and slower<br />

bouncer, Mustafizur now is the bowler looking like out-ofsort<br />

and jaded. He has no performance to speak for him in<br />

the last two years as he struggles to keep him fit amid numerous<br />

injuries.<br />

But Kohli rates Mustafizur for the reason that they often<br />

don't get the chance to play the left arm fast bowler in the<br />

practice match or net.<br />

"He [Mustafizur] is a very good bowler. We've played<br />

against him quite a bit. But red ball…I think any left-arm<br />

seamer is a very different kind of bowler that we're used to<br />

playing a lot," Kohli said.<br />

"So yeah, it just requires extra focus because you don't play<br />

left-arm seamers that regularly when you don't have them in<br />

your team. So it's a challenge, but we must look forward to<br />

those challenges. Not that we get bundled out against leftarm<br />

seam, but we've found it more difficult purely because<br />

we don't play them on a regular basis. So he's going to be a<br />

threat, he's going to be a key player for Bangladesh," he<br />

added.<br />

"He's an experienced bowler and he's been around for a<br />

while, and he knows the Indian batsmen as well, having<br />

played the IPL and so on. But we've played against him a lot<br />

as well. So I think it will be about keeping focus and concentration<br />

against a good bowler and try to come out on top."<br />

When Kohli has something to say about Mustafizur,<br />

Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque couldn't give any guarantee<br />

of the fast bowler's place in the team. But there was a<br />

time when Mustafizur's place was certain.<br />

"I can't say what will be the squad. We are yet to discuss on<br />

it. Let's see whether he plays or not," Mominul said.<br />

Sterling sanction casts shadow as England<br />

aim to seal place at Euro 2020<br />

Sports Desk: England's plan to celebrate<br />

their 1,000th international by<br />

qualifying for Euro 2020 in serene style<br />

against Montenegro at Wembley on<br />

Thursday has been ripped up by Gareth<br />

Southgate's decision to drop Raheem<br />

Sterling, reports BSS.<br />

The Manchester City winger was<br />

involved in a physical confrontation<br />

with Liverpool defender Joe Gomez at<br />

England's training base on Monday as<br />

emotions spilled over from the highlyanticipated<br />

Premier League clash<br />

between the two clubs on Sunday.<br />

Sterling has been the star of a qualifying<br />

campaign dominated by off-field<br />

issues where the Three Lions have<br />

largely let their football do the talking<br />

on it.<br />

Bar a shock defeat to the Czech<br />

Republic last month, the World Cup<br />

semi-finalists have shown why they will<br />

be among the favourites to win a first<br />

major tournament in 54 years next<br />

summer.<br />

Sterling has scored eight of his side's<br />

26 goals in six games as he has blossomed<br />

into one of the world's best players<br />

for club and country since failing to<br />

find his best form at the World Cup 18<br />

months ago.<br />

He has also been a leading figure as<br />

England have stood up to the racist<br />

abuse suffered by a number of players<br />

in Montenegro and Bulgaria.<br />

One of Southgate's strengths since<br />

taking charge three years ago has been<br />

to foster a unity in the camp, far<br />

removed from the club-aligned cliques<br />

that hampered the chances of talented<br />

England sides of the past.<br />

That now faces its biggest test as the<br />

bubbling rivalry between Liverpool and<br />

City threatens to spill over.<br />

Southgate's first instinct was reportedly<br />

to send Sterling home, but the<br />

intervention of senior players, principally<br />

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson,<br />

helped ease the feud and the 24-<br />

year-old has remained with the squad<br />

to train.<br />

"I always have to find the right solution<br />

for the group and that's a very difficult<br />

line," said Southgate on Tuesday.<br />

"We have a very good understanding<br />

of the way that we have worked over the<br />

last couple of years, which has brought<br />

us a lot of togetherness that is still<br />

there. "We are a united group. Now we<br />

have to turn our focus onto the football.<br />

We have a hugely important qualifier to<br />

reach a European Championship."<br />

Sterling has since apologised to<br />

Gomez and the rest of the squad.<br />

"I am man enough to admit when<br />

emotions got the better of me," he said<br />

in an Instagram post.<br />

"Me and Joe Gomez are good, we<br />

both understand it was a five to 10-second<br />

thing… it's done, we move forward<br />

and not make this bigger than it is."<br />

Sterling could even return to action<br />

as soon as Sunday when Southgate's<br />

men travel to Kosovo.<br />

England will hope there is nothing<br />

riding on that match for them as a point<br />

against the side ranked 61st in the<br />

world on Thursday will be enough to<br />

guarantee qualification.<br />

Even in Sterling's absence, Southgate<br />

is blessed with an array of attacking talent<br />

including Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho<br />

and Marcus Rashford that should<br />

continue England's free-scoring form.<br />

But Southgate's action has been criticised<br />

by some for bringing a private<br />

incident into the public eye and putting<br />

Sterling under more scrutiny as a<br />

result.<br />

"Why this couldn't be handled internally?"<br />

said former England defender<br />

Rio Ferdinand.<br />

"Now Raheem is left to defend himself<br />

from all of the haters that had had<br />

their keyboards turned off due to him<br />

becoming a very worthy ambassador<br />

for the English game."<br />

If England's long wait to win a major<br />

tournament is to come to an end,<br />

Southgate needs to continue getting the<br />

best out of Sterling.<br />

The question remains what lasting<br />

impact the developments of the last two<br />

days will have on their relationship<br />

going forward.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS<br />

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

10<br />

Chinese consumers smash<br />

'Singles' Day' shopping record<br />

Khulna Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized a get together and fair of Rural Development<br />

Scheme customers at Daulatpur branch premises in Khulna recently. Abu Reza Md. Yeahia, Deputy<br />

Managing Director of the Bank inaugurated the fair as chief guest. Md. Maksudur Rahman, Head of<br />

Khulna Zone presided over the program while Zubair Azam Helali, Head of Rural Development Scheme,<br />

Sheikh Syed Ali, Chairman, Bangladesh Jute Association and Sheikh Maruful Islam, Chairman, Dighalia<br />

Upazila Parishad addressed as special guests. Sheikh Mamtaz Shirin, Vice Chairman of Dighalia Upazila<br />

Parishad and Sheikh Mohammad Ali, ward councilor of Khulna City Corporation also addressed the program<br />

among others.<br />

Photo: Courtesy<br />

Social Islami Bank ltd arranged a 02- day long workshop on "Investment Classification and Provision" in<br />

its Training Institute at the Head Office recently. Quazi Osman Ali, Managing Director & CEO of the Bank<br />

inaugurated the program. Officials working at the concerned desk of different Branches attended the<br />

workshop.<br />

Photo: Courtesy<br />

Hong Kong officials fine UBS<br />

for overcharging clients<br />

Swiss banking titan UBS has been fined $51<br />

million by Hong Kong authorities for<br />

overcharging global customers for almost a<br />

decade, saying it had failed to "act in its<br />

clients' best interests" , reports BSS.<br />

The city's Securities and Futures<br />

Commission (SFC) said the company<br />

manipulated the price of trades for bonds<br />

and structured products from 2008 to 2015<br />

and also applied excessive fees for some<br />

clients between 2008 and 2017.<br />

SFC chief executive Ashley Alder said in a<br />

statement: "Although each overcharge<br />

represented a fraction of each trade, UBS's<br />

misconduct involved deception and a<br />

pervasive abuse of trust resulting in<br />

significant additional revenue for UBS to<br />

which it was not entitled."<br />

Officials said that UBS was found to have<br />

falsified account statements by misreporting<br />

the spread amounts for the trades.<br />

"The SFC considers that UBS not only<br />

failed to observe the fundamental and<br />

overarching duty to act in its clients' best<br />

interests but also abused the trust of<br />

unsuspecting clients by failing to disclose<br />

conflicts of interest and overcharging them<br />

in opaque trades," it said in the statement<br />

released Monday.<br />

It added that the overcharge practices<br />

affected about 5,000 Hong Kong-managed<br />

client accounts in about 28,700<br />

transactions.<br />

UBS was fined HK$400 million ($51<br />

million) and the SFC said the bank would<br />

repay the full value of the overcharged<br />

amount together with interest, which would<br />

amount to about HK$200 million.<br />

The bank was among a number of lenders<br />

that were told in March to pay a combined<br />

HK$787 to settle cases linked to their work<br />

on initial public offerings in the city.<br />

Quarter of German<br />

firms in China planning<br />

to leave: survey<br />

Economic<br />

growth in<br />

Venezuela to<br />

begin in 2020:<br />

president<br />

Venezuelan President<br />

Nicolas Maduro vowed that<br />

the economic growth in the<br />

country would begin next<br />

year, reports BSS.<br />

"All data points to the fact<br />

that 2020 will become the<br />

year of the country's<br />

economic growth," Maduro<br />

said in a speech aired by the<br />

state TV. According to the<br />

president, "hyperinflation,<br />

caused by the economic war,<br />

is expected to slow down<br />

next year."<br />

Venezuela has been going<br />

through an acute socialeconomic<br />

crisis in the last<br />

several years, accompanied<br />

by hyperinflation and<br />

currency devaluation.<br />

This year the situation has<br />

been further complicated by<br />

the escalation of the<br />

confrontation between the<br />

government and the<br />

opposition.<br />

Chinese shoppers set new records for<br />

spending during the annual "Singles'<br />

Day" buying spree despite an economic<br />

slowdown and worries over the US<br />

trade war, with state media calling it a<br />

sign of China's rising economic<br />

strength, reports BSS.<br />

E-commerce giant Alibaba said<br />

consumers spent $38.3 billion on its<br />

platforms on Monday during the<br />

world's biggest 24-hour shopping<br />

event, up 26 percent from the previous<br />

all-time high mark set last year.<br />

The growth rate slowed slightly,<br />

however, from the 27 percent increase<br />

last year and 39 percent in 2017.<br />

Alibaba's main domestic competitor<br />

JD.com, which holds an <strong>11</strong>-day<br />

promotion ending at midnight on<br />

November <strong>11</strong>, said early Tuesday it had<br />

handled sales over that stretch totalling<br />

$29.2 billion, which was up 30 percent.<br />

US President Donald Trump has<br />

repeatedly said his tariffs on Chinese<br />

goods have put the country's economy<br />

on the ropes.<br />

But state-run Xinhua news agency<br />

said the "Singles' Day" performance<br />

UK economy avoids recession<br />

with 0.3% quarterly growth<br />

Britain's Brexit-facing economy avoided entering recession in<br />

the third quarter with growth of 0.3 percent, official data showed<br />

on Monday, reports BSS.<br />

Gross domestic product rebounded in the July-September<br />

period after a 0.2-percent contraction in the second quarter, the<br />

Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in an initial estimate.<br />

The technical definition of a recession is two straight quarters<br />

of negative growth. Economic activity was propelled largely by<br />

the construction and services sectors, while the production<br />

sector was flat.<br />

"GDP grew steadily in the third quarter, mainly thanks to a<br />

strong July," said an ONS spokesman. "Services again led the<br />

way with construction also performing well. "Manufacturing<br />

failed to grow as falls in most industries were offset by car<br />

production bouncing back," he added.<br />

The third-quarter performance however fell short of market<br />

expectations and the Bank of England's growth forecast - which<br />

had both stood at 0.4 percent. And despite rebounding growth,<br />

the ONS pointed to "signs" of a slowdown, as Britain readies to<br />

leave the European Union on January 31.<br />

bKash, FHI 360 ink deal for<br />

strengthening 2400 mothers<br />

Recently, bKash signed an agreement<br />

with Family Health International (FHI<br />

360), a US-based non-profit human<br />

development organization to disburse<br />

funds to 2400 lactating mothers under<br />

USAID's Strengthening Multisectoral<br />

Nutrition Programming through<br />

Implementation Science Activity, a<br />

press release said.<br />

Mizanur Rashid, Chief Commercial<br />

Officer of bKash and Jennifer Crum,<br />

Chief of Party, FHI 360, exchanged the<br />

proved China, once known as the<br />

"world's factory" for its reliance on<br />

manufacturing for export, had evolved<br />

into a globally powerful consumer<br />

market of its own.<br />

"Where there is a market, that is<br />

where the future lies," it said in a report.<br />

"From the 'world's factory' to the<br />

'world's market', a China that is<br />

continually moving towards highquality<br />

development will unleash<br />

greater consumption potential in the<br />

future, allowing China's dividends to<br />

benefit the whole world."<br />

Singles' Day, also called "<strong>11</strong>.<strong>11</strong>" for the<br />

November <strong>11</strong> date, was originally set as<br />

an unofficial day for unmarried<br />

Chinese.<br />

But Alibaba - which accounts for<br />

more than half of China's e-commerce -<br />

commandeered it as a discount sales<br />

event akin to the late-November US<br />

"Black Friday", which "Singles' Day"<br />

now handily surpasses.<br />

A range of other e-tailers and retailers<br />

also have jumped in.<br />

Alibaba's one-day promotion on its<br />

Taobao and Tmall platforms began at<br />

agreement on behalf of their respective<br />

organizations. Masrur Chowdhury,<br />

Head of Govt. Project & Business Sales;<br />

A.T.M. Mahbub Alam, GM, Business<br />

Sales; Mehmud Ashique Iqbal, DGM,<br />

Key Accounts; Md. Somel Reza Khan,<br />

Relationship Manager, Commercial<br />

from bKash and Khandaker Irshad<br />

Mahmud, Finance and Operation<br />

Director, Nazmus Sadat, Monitoring,<br />

Evaluation and Learning Advisor, and<br />

Dr. Ayan Shankar Seal, Technical<br />

midnight Sunday following a flashy<br />

stage show in Shanghai headlined by<br />

Grammy-winning US pop star Taylor<br />

Swift.<br />

China's economy is in an extended<br />

slowdown exacerbated by the US trade<br />

war, and the Singles' Day fire sale is<br />

viewed as a snapshot of consumer<br />

sentiment in the world's second-biggest<br />

economy.<br />

Consumers gave little indication of<br />

worry, charging out of the gate with $1<br />

billion spent via Alibaba platforms in<br />

the first 68 seconds.<br />

US-listed Alibaba earlier this month<br />

said revenue growth in its most recent<br />

financial quarter slowed to 40 percent,<br />

from 54 percent in the same quarter<br />

last year.<br />

Analysts however, note that it would<br />

be difficult for Alibaba to maintain past<br />

growth rates forever, and that<br />

consumption should remain solid in<br />

the future, facilitated by factors<br />

including technology and the<br />

government's push to encourage<br />

domestic consumption as an economic<br />

driver.<br />

Bank of France forecasts<br />

weaker Q4 growth<br />

The French economy is<br />

tipped to grow by 0.2 percent<br />

in the fourth quarter, a slight<br />

easing seen also across the<br />

wider eurozone, Bank of<br />

France data showed Tuesday,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

The bank's preliminary<br />

forecast put business activity<br />

in the second biggest<br />

eurozone country at a weaker<br />

pace than the 0.3 percent rate<br />

of expansion notched up<br />

since January.<br />

On Thursday, the European<br />

Union cited uncertainty<br />

related to trade conflicts,<br />

heightened geopolitical<br />

tensions, persistent weakness<br />

in the manufacturing sector<br />

and Brexit as it slashed its<br />

<strong>2019</strong> growth forecast for the<br />

entire 19-member eurozone<br />

to just 1.1 percent.<br />

In July, the EU had forecast<br />

a slightly higher growth rate<br />

of 1.2 percent.<br />

Based on a monthly survey<br />

of business leaders, the<br />

French slowdown is likely to<br />

result from weaker activity in<br />

the construction and<br />

industrial sectors, a central<br />

bank statement said.<br />

For the entire year, the<br />

central bank and the national<br />

statistics institute INSEE<br />

forecast growth of 1.3 percent,<br />

down from the 2018 figure of<br />

1.7 percent.<br />

Advisor from FHI 360 were also<br />

present at the signing ceremony.<br />

FHI 360 has worked in Bangladesh<br />

for the last 40 years and has conducted<br />

more than 100 projects in family health<br />

& nutrition segment. Besides providing<br />

wide range of human development<br />

assistance, FHI 360 has also been at the<br />

forefront of helping Bangladesh move<br />

toward the digitization of payments<br />

and financial services, says a press<br />

release.<br />

Nearly a quarter of<br />

German companies<br />

operating in China are<br />

planning to relocate all or<br />

part of their business out<br />

of the country, according<br />

to a study released<br />

Tuesday with many<br />

blaming rising costs,<br />

reports BSS.<br />

The German Chamber of<br />

Commerce's annual<br />

survey of 526 member<br />

firms in China found that<br />

23 percent have either<br />

already decided to<br />

withdraw production<br />

capacity in the country or<br />

are considering it.<br />

One-third of those<br />

companies have planned<br />

to leave China entirely.<br />

The rest will transfer<br />

part of their business and<br />

production overseas,<br />

largely to lower-cost<br />

countries like India or in<br />

Southeast Asia.Operating<br />

costs in China have been<br />

rising as the country seeks<br />

to rebalance its economy<br />

from an export and<br />

investment-led model to<br />

one driven by consumer<br />

spending.<br />

Of the 104 companies<br />

that have decided to leave<br />

or are considering to, 71<br />

percent cite the rise in<br />

production costs -<br />

particularly for labour.<br />

A third blamed an<br />

unfavourable public policy<br />

environment and one in<br />

four said the China-US<br />

trade war is having an<br />

impact.<br />

"Business expectations<br />

have dropped to their<br />

lowest level in years," the<br />

study warned, with only a<br />

quarter of companies<br />

surveyed expecting to<br />

meet or exceed their goals<br />

this year.<br />

And more than a third<br />

said Beijing's efforts to<br />

"level the playing field" for<br />

foreign companies are<br />

"insufficient".<br />

"Competition has to be<br />

fair," said German<br />

Ambassador Clemens von<br />

Goetze at the launch of the<br />

study Tuesday.<br />

"Foreign companies,<br />

including German<br />

companies, and Chinese<br />

companies should play on<br />

a level field."<br />

The ambassador also<br />

said German companies<br />

had been "not so well<br />

informed" about China's<br />

huge Belt and Road<br />

Initiative - a $1 trillion<br />

global investment drive -<br />

and said they had not been<br />

able to benefit from the<br />

economic potential of the<br />

project.<br />

Recently ONE Bank Ltd and mBill Systems Limited signed a strategic Agreement for bill payment middleware services. Under the<br />

Agreement OK Wallet and Agent Banking customers will be able to pay various utility bills instantly. Rozina Aliya Ahmed, ADMD &<br />

Head of Liability Marketing of ONE Bank Limited and Md. Zahidur Rahman, Managing Director of mBill Systems Limited signed the<br />

agreement on behalf of their respective Organizations. Gazi Yar Mohammed, Head of MFS & Agent Banking of ONE Bank Limited<br />

and Anjuman Parvin, Director & CHRO of mBill Systems Limited along with other high officials of both organizations were also present<br />

in the ceremony.<br />

Photo: Courtesy


MISCELLANEOUS<br />

THUrSDAY,<br />

<strong>11</strong><br />

NoveMBer <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong><br />

Caption: Annual sports competition and cultural event-<strong>2019</strong> are being held at Milestone School and<br />

College in Uttara Model Town in the capital.<br />

Photo: Courtesy<br />

Neglected heartland seen as key<br />

to Brexit-dominated election<br />

In Hartlepool, a tough, proud English<br />

port town whipped by bitter North Sea<br />

winds, people have long felt ignored<br />

by politicians in far-off London. But<br />

not anymore, reports UNB.<br />

Political parties in Britain's Brexitdominated<br />

December election are<br />

battling fiercely to win Hartlepool and<br />

places like it: working-class former<br />

industrial towns with voters who<br />

could hold the key to the prime<br />

minister's office at 10 Downing Street.<br />

Hartlepool has elected lawmakers<br />

from the left-of-center Labour Party<br />

for more than half a century. But in<br />

2016, almost 70% of voters here<br />

backed leaving the European Union.<br />

More than three years later, the U.K. is<br />

still an EU member, and loyalty to<br />

Labour has been eroded by frustration<br />

at the political gridlock.<br />

"l've always been a Labour voter,"<br />

said Diane Jordan, a hypnotherapist<br />

enjoying an evening of music and<br />

bingo at the Hartlepool Working<br />

Men's Club. "My parents were always<br />

Labour. My grandparents were always<br />

Labour.<br />

"I've never been on the Conservative<br />

side, but to me that's looking the best<br />

option at the moment, because they're<br />

the ones that are wanting to put Brexit<br />

through."<br />

That's good news for Conservative<br />

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who<br />

pushed for the Dec. 12 election, more<br />

than two years early, in hope of<br />

breaking Britain's parliamentary<br />

deadlock over Brexit. He withdrew his<br />

EU divorce deal from Parliament last<br />

wewmAvBwm- 208, Zvs-13/<strong>11</strong>/19<br />

GD-1544/19 (6 x 3)<br />

month after lawmakers demanded<br />

more time to scrutinize it. If he gets a<br />

majority of the 650 House of<br />

Commons seats, he will be able to<br />

ratify the package and take Britain out<br />

of the bloc as scheduled on Jan. 31.<br />

Johnson's Conservatives are ahead<br />

in most opinion polls, but analysts say<br />

this election is particularly hard to<br />

predict because Brexit cuts across<br />

traditional party divides. The 2016<br />

referendum on Britain's EU<br />

membership split the country into two<br />

camps: leavers and remainers.<br />

Leavers, who are concentrated in<br />

small towns and post-industrial cities<br />

across England, are eager to cut<br />

Brussels red tape, reassert British<br />

sovereignty and take control of<br />

immigration. Remainers, who most<br />

often live in big cities and university<br />

towns, would rather stay in an alliance<br />

that has eased the flow of goods,<br />

services and people across 28 nations<br />

with half a billion inhabitants.<br />

Hartlepool, a former shipbuilding<br />

center 250 miles (400 kms) north of<br />

London where unemployment is<br />

more than double the national<br />

average, is a town full of leavers.<br />

Tom O'Grady, a lecturer in political<br />

science at University College London,<br />

said Conservatives need to win seats<br />

like Hartlepool to compensate for the<br />

likely loss of pro-EU areas in southern<br />

England and Scotland.<br />

"They're going to have to gain seats<br />

in the north of England and the<br />

Midlands from Labour if they're going<br />

to win a big majority," he said.<br />

But the Conservatives' challenge is<br />

complicated by the insurgent Brexit<br />

Party, led by veteran euroskeptic Nigel<br />

Farage. He rejects Johnson's deal with<br />

the EU because it would keep the U.K.<br />

bound to the bloc's rules until the end<br />

of 2020, and possibly longer.<br />

He'd rather leave the EU without an<br />

agreement, which would free Britain<br />

to strike new trade deals around the<br />

world. It would also, according to<br />

most economists, leave the country<br />

poorer, by imposing barriers to<br />

business with the EU, Britain's biggest<br />

trading partner.<br />

Farage accuses both Conservatives<br />

and Labour of watering down and<br />

delaying Brexit. Hartlepool, where the<br />

Brexit Party controls the town<br />

council, is the party's top target in the<br />

election.<br />

Richard Tice, the Brexit Party's<br />

chairman and its Hartlepool<br />

candidate, argues that backing the<br />

Conservatives here is "a wasted vote."<br />

Israeli strikes kill 2<br />

Gaza militants; death<br />

toll now at 12<br />

Israeli airstrikes killed two Islamic<br />

Jihad militants in Gaza on Wednesday<br />

as rocket fire toward Israel resumed<br />

after a brief overnight lull, raising the<br />

death toll in Gaza to 12 Palestinians in<br />

the heaviest round of fighting in<br />

months, reports UNB.<br />

The Israeli military said<br />

more than 250 rockets have<br />

been fired at Israeli<br />

communities since the<br />

violence erupted after an<br />

Israeli airstrike killed a<br />

senior Islamic Jihad<br />

commander accused of<br />

being the mastermind of<br />

recent attacks.<br />

Schools remained closed in<br />

Israeli communities near the<br />

Gaza border as rockets<br />

continued to rain down,<br />

albeit in lesser ferocity that<br />

during the relentless barrage<br />

the previous day.<br />

But in a sign that the<br />

current round could be brief,<br />

Gaza's Hamas rulers have<br />

yet to enter the fray.<br />

Although larger and more<br />

powerful than the Iranianbacked<br />

Islamic Jihad,<br />

Hamas is also more<br />

pragmatic. With Gaza's<br />

economy in tatters, it<br />

appears to have little desire<br />

for another round of fighting<br />

with Israel.<br />

Egypt, which frequently<br />

mediates between Israel and<br />

Gaza militants, has been<br />

working to de-escalate<br />

tensions, according to<br />

officials in Cairo.<br />

Seeking to keep the<br />

outburst under control, the<br />

Israeli military has restricted<br />

its operations to Islamic<br />

Jihad, and nearly all the<br />

casualties so far are<br />

members of the militant<br />

group.<br />

Annual Sports<br />

Competition being<br />

held at Milestone<br />

School and College<br />

As part of co-educational<br />

activities, Annual sports<br />

competition and cultural<br />

events-<strong>2019</strong> are being held<br />

at Milestone School and<br />

College in Uttara Model<br />

Town in the capital. This<br />

fascinating event for<br />

students is being held at<br />

Milestone School and<br />

College Diabari campus, a<br />

press release said.<br />

The Annual sports<br />

competitions and cultural<br />

events began on 2 November<br />

<strong>2019</strong> and will continue till 19<br />

November <strong>2019</strong>. Students of<br />

the Bangla medium junior<br />

and senior section and<br />

sudents of the English<br />

medium junior and senior<br />

section are participating in<br />

this colorful annual<br />

program. Students are trying<br />

to express their talents by<br />

participating in various<br />

events. On 12 November<br />

<strong>2019</strong> was the final phase of<br />

the participating students<br />

from the Bangla Medium<br />

Junior section studying on<br />

the Diabari campus.<br />

Manager of the<br />

administration and<br />

education affairs of<br />

Milestone School and<br />

College Rifat Alam was<br />

present in the impressive<br />

final ceremony as chief<br />

guest. The chief guest Rifat<br />

Alam distributed crests and<br />

prizes among the winners in<br />

the prize giving ceremony<br />

phase.<br />

Man killed<br />

in Satkhira<br />

road crash<br />

SATKHIRA : A man was<br />

killed in a collision between a<br />

three-wheeler and a<br />

motorcycle at Patkelghata<br />

Bazar on Wednesday<br />

morning, reports UNB.<br />

The deceased was<br />

identified as Amit Debnath,<br />

52, son of Jogendra Nath of<br />

Khalishkhali village in Tala<br />

upazila of Satkhira.<br />

The accident took place as<br />

the three-wheeler hit the<br />

motorcycle from behind<br />

around 10am, leaving Amit<br />

critically injured, said Kazi<br />

Waheed Morshed, officer-incharge<br />

of Petkelghata Police<br />

Station. Later, he was taken<br />

to Sadar Hospital where<br />

doctors pronounced him<br />

dead, the OC added.<br />

Iqvmv- R: Z: 426/<strong>2019</strong><br />

GD-1545/19 (8 x 4)<br />

Bangladesh a country<br />

of opportunity: HBS<br />

DHAKA : Harvard Business School (HBS)<br />

Alumni have lauded the socio-economic<br />

development of Bangladesh achieved over<br />

the last decade - lifting millions out of<br />

poverty and accelerating economic growth<br />

and human development, reports UNB.<br />

The delegation of the HBS which visited<br />

Bangladesh recently described Bangladesh<br />

as a country of opportunity, said a press<br />

release on Wednesday.<br />

The visit was organised by Munir M<br />

Merali, member of HBS's Regional Advisory<br />

Board and AKDN's Resident Diplomatic<br />

Representative.<br />

The programme was developed in<br />

collaboration with HBS's Research Regional<br />

Centre in Mumbai, Harvard Club of India<br />

and Harvard Alumni Association.<br />

During their stay, the alumni held<br />

meetings and met Prime Minister's<br />

International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher<br />

Rizvi, Ambassador Farooq Shoban and<br />

Distinguished Fellow of Centre for Policy<br />

Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya.<br />

BGMEA President Rubana Haq,<br />

Chairperson, Association of Bankers,<br />

Bangladesh Syed Mahbubur Rahman and<br />

founder of Friendship NGO Runa Khan<br />

interacted and briefed them on the<br />

respective areas of expertise.<br />

Alumni were warmly welcomed at the<br />

Ministry of Foreign Affairs as they met<br />

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque. They<br />

also met Indian High Commissioner to<br />

Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das at her<br />

residence.<br />

During the visit, the alumni visited the<br />

GD-1548/19 (5 x 3)<br />

Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and<br />

Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) where its President<br />

Nihad Kabir and fellow members welcomed<br />

and hosted a lunch reception.<br />

At the Harvard Alumni Networking<br />

evening, the concluding session of the<br />

visiting regional HBS alumni, a number of<br />

local and visiting alumni shared their<br />

distinctive business and personal<br />

experiences - making this an interactive and<br />

educational evening for all.<br />

Group Director of Rahimafrooz Munawar<br />

Misbah Moin, founding Managing Director<br />

of Shohoz.com Maliha Quadir, founder,<br />

Chairman and CEO of PRAAVA Health<br />

Sylvana Q. Sinha,Rubayat Khan of JEEON,<br />

and CEO of Nirapon Moushumi Marufi<br />

Khan were present.<br />

Members from the delegation who spoke<br />

included Anjali Raina, Executive Director<br />

and Vinita Bajoria of Harvard Business<br />

School India Research Centre India,<br />

Maneesh Yadav, CEO of Ask Financial<br />

Holdings and Gaurav Swarup, Managing<br />

Director of Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd.<br />

Faridpur road crash<br />

death toll rises to 4<br />

FARIDPUR : Two people, injured in a road<br />

accident in Faridpur on Tuesday, succumbed<br />

to their injuries on Wednesday, reports<br />

UNB.<br />

With them, four members of the same<br />

family have been killed in the accident.


THURSDAy, DHAKA, NOVeMBeR <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2019</strong>, KARTiK 29, <strong>14</strong>26 BS, RABi-UL-AWAL 16, <strong>14</strong>41 HiJRi<br />

People to give reply<br />

to Ranga's despotic<br />

attitude : Dr Kamal<br />

DHAkA : strongly denouncing<br />

Jatiya Party secretary<br />

general Mashiur rahman<br />

ranga's derogatory comment<br />

on 'national hero'<br />

noor Hossain, gonoforum<br />

President Dr kamal Hossain<br />

on wednesday warned that<br />

people will give a fitting reply<br />

to his such autocratic attitude,<br />

reports UnB.<br />

In a statement, he said,<br />

"such an assertion about<br />

noor Hossain by ranga, a<br />

follower of dictator ershad<br />

and an MP of the current<br />

illegal parliament formed<br />

through a voter-less election,<br />

is not unusual."<br />

Dr kamal further said,<br />

"People will give a reply to<br />

such despotic attitude and<br />

activities unitedly in the<br />

days to come."<br />

Jatiya Party secretary<br />

general Mashiur rahman<br />

ranga at a discussion on<br />

sunday said, "who was noor<br />

Hossain? An addict... a Yaba<br />

abuser, a Phensedyl abuser!<br />

two democratic parties-<br />

Awami League and BnP-are<br />

overenthusiastic about him.<br />

this day is observed as noor<br />

Hossain Day!"<br />

On november 10, 1987<br />

noor Hossain, a leader of<br />

Awami Juba League, was<br />

killed in police firing when he<br />

had staged protest against<br />

the autocratic rule of then Lt<br />

gen HM ershad at the capital's<br />

zero point near gulistan<br />

by painting the historic slogan<br />

'gonotantra Mukti Pak,<br />

swairachar nipat Jak' (Let<br />

democracy be freed, down<br />

with autocracy) on his back<br />

and chest.<br />

On tuesday, both the ruling<br />

and opposition MPs harshly<br />

criticised ranga in parliament<br />

for his offensive<br />

remarks against shaheed<br />

noor Hossain asking him to<br />

apologise before the nation.<br />

BnP secretary general Mirza<br />

Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on<br />

wednesday accused ranga of<br />

insulting the democratic movement<br />

and the pro-democratic<br />

people with his comments<br />

against noor Hossain, and<br />

asked him to apologise publicly.<br />

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday dressing Uttariyo to the<br />

President of Bangladesh Abul Hamid at a hotel of Nepal yesterday. Photo : Star Mail<br />

Drive to continue until<br />

eradication of crimes: PM<br />

sAngsAD BHABAn : Prime Minister sheikh<br />

Hasina on wednesday said the ongoing drive<br />

against casinos and all sorts of corruption,<br />

including bribery, will continue until the elimination<br />

of crimes from all spheres of the state and<br />

society, reports UnB.<br />

"the drive by law enforcement and other<br />

agencies concerned will continue until the elimination<br />

of crimes from all spheres of the state<br />

and society," she said replying to a starred question<br />

from Jatiya Party (JP) MP rowshan Ara<br />

Mannan during her question-answer session in<br />

Parliament. the Prime Minister said laws are<br />

being strictly enforced against all the criminals<br />

irrespective of their political identity and views.<br />

In reply to another question from JP MP<br />

Mujibul Haque, she said the Anti-Corruption<br />

Commission (ACC) has been working to bring<br />

the corrupt elements to book. "During the antigraft<br />

drive, legal actions are being taken against<br />

those found guilty, including government<br />

Alexander Mitchell: The Blind Engineer<br />

Who Gave Sight to Seafarers<br />

InterestIng news Desk<br />

sandbanks are a hazard to marine traffic.<br />

Often found near coastlines, near the<br />

mouth of a river and around ports, these<br />

shallow, submerged beds of sand keep<br />

changing their shape and position posing<br />

great navigation risk to ships. Because<br />

the sand tends to drift with the tides, it is<br />

difficult to anchor a warning lightship on<br />

a sandbank, much less get a firm foundation<br />

for a permanent lighthouse.<br />

the problem of erecting a lighthouse<br />

on sandbanks and shoals greatly disturbed<br />

Alexander Mitchell (1780 –<br />

1868), an Irish brick-maker who ran a<br />

successful brick-making business near<br />

Belfast. Belfast has a strong seafaring tradition,<br />

and Mitchell had no doubt heard<br />

many tragic tales of lives lost at sea and<br />

ships grounded on the mudflats. Mitchell<br />

decided to do something about it despite<br />

having no formal training in engineering,<br />

or lighthouse building. remarkably,<br />

Alexander Mitchell was also blind.<br />

Alexander Mitchell was born in 1780 in<br />

Dublin, the son of an Inspector-general<br />

of Army Barracks in Ireland, a duty that<br />

took him all over the country. At the age<br />

of seven, Alexander’s family moved to<br />

Pine Hill, near Belfast, where he got<br />

admission at the prestigious Belfast<br />

Academy. while learning arithmetic,<br />

geometry, and trigonometry at school,<br />

Alexander discovered his love for mathematics<br />

and he excelled at it.<br />

Alexander’s eyesight had always been<br />

poor, but it became progressively worse<br />

as he became older. At age sixteen, he<br />

could no longer read. His family helped<br />

him in his studies as young Alexander’s<br />

world slowly spiraled into eternal darkness.<br />

At twenty-two, he went completely<br />

blind. By some accounts, Alexander’s loss<br />

of eyesight was due to a childhood infection<br />

of smallpox.<br />

employees and politicians," she added.<br />

the national anti-graft body has already<br />

urged the singapore government to provide it<br />

information related to the Bangladeshis who are<br />

involved in gambling in casinos there, sheikh<br />

Hasina said.<br />

responding to a question from JP MP<br />

rustum Ali Faraji, she said the government has<br />

adopted a 'zero-tolerance' policy against all<br />

social criminal activities, including corruption,<br />

terrorism, drug abuse and gambling. "the drive<br />

of the law enforcement agencies will continue<br />

until the eradication of terrorism," she said.<br />

strict surveillance by law enforcement agencies<br />

continues so that no one can conduct illegal casino<br />

activities in the future, the Prime Minister<br />

said. "the ongoing drive against all sorts of<br />

criminal activities, including corruption, drugs,<br />

terrorism and gambling, will continue covering<br />

all the sectors and places-district, upazila and<br />

municipality," she said.<br />

Defaulted<br />

loans see no<br />

rise, claims<br />

minister<br />

sAngsAD BHABAn : Finance<br />

Minister AHM Mustafa kamal<br />

on wednesday claimed that<br />

the amount of defaulted loans<br />

has not increased in the country<br />

compared to that in 1991.<br />

He made the statement<br />

while responding to a supplementary<br />

question in<br />

Parliament.<br />

the minister said the<br />

amount of defaulted loans in<br />

1991 was tk 5,039 crore out of<br />

total disbursed amount of tk<br />

19,278 crore, which is 26.<strong>14</strong><br />

percent.<br />

He also mentioned that currently<br />

the disbursed loan<br />

amount is tk 962,277 crore<br />

while the amount of defaulted<br />

loan is tk <strong>11</strong>2,425 crore, which<br />

is <strong>11</strong>.69 percent. "that means<br />

the amount of defaulted loans<br />

has not increased," he said.<br />

Mustafa kamal, however,<br />

said there should not be any<br />

defaulted loan. "It would have<br />

been better if we could bring<br />

down the percentage of the<br />

defaulted loans to single digit.<br />

we'll take step as far as we can<br />

to this end," he said.<br />

He said some defaulted<br />

loans were created due to some<br />

system problems. "the interest<br />

rate of banks is higher due to<br />

the compound rate instead of<br />

simple one," he said.<br />

the minister said the<br />

Financial Institutions Division<br />

of the Finance Ministry has<br />

asked all the scheduled banks<br />

to form a monitoring cell to<br />

ensure close monitoring on<br />

classified loans worth tk 100<br />

crore and above.<br />

Protest continues<br />

at JU demanding<br />

VC's removal<br />

JAHAngIrnAgAr UnI-<br />

VersItY : A group of teachers<br />

and students continued<br />

demonstration defying a ban<br />

on wednesday seeking the<br />

removal of Vice-Chancellor<br />

Professor Farzana Islam,<br />

reports UnB.<br />

United under 'Jahangirnagar<br />

Against Corruption', the protesters<br />

took out a procession<br />

from the Murad Chattar<br />

around 1:30pm and marched<br />

through the campus before<br />

holding a brief rally in front of<br />

the old administrative building.<br />

Chhatra Union leader<br />

Oliur rahman said their<br />

"peaceful and logical demonstration"<br />

has been attacked<br />

but it could not be stopped<br />

even after the administration<br />

closed the halls.<br />

"the VC should step down<br />

not only for corruption but<br />

also for the current stalemate,"<br />

he said.<br />

Prof kamrul Ahsan of philosophy<br />

department said<br />

the movement aimed at<br />

"saving the university".<br />

"But the VC and the<br />

administration don't want<br />

it. they've closed the university<br />

out of fear but protests<br />

will resume when the university<br />

will open," he said.<br />

"the government should<br />

investigate (charges of corruption)<br />

and help the university<br />

run smoothly."<br />

Prof rayhan rhyne, coordinator<br />

of the protest, said<br />

they had filed information<br />

and evidence of corruption.<br />

"But no probe body has<br />

been formed yet, demonstrating<br />

a lack of goodwill of<br />

the government," he said.<br />

Current situation 'suitable<br />

for AL leaders to join<br />

BNP': Fakhrul<br />

DHAkA : In a counter-attack on<br />

Information Minister Dr Hasan<br />

Mahmud, BnP secretary general<br />

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on<br />

wednesday said a situation has been<br />

created for Awami League leaders to<br />

join BnP.<br />

"the Information Minister is<br />

demonstrating his creativity by crafting<br />

new stories. the current situation<br />

is not conducive to joining Awami<br />

League from BnP. But an atmosphere<br />

has been created for Awami League<br />

leaders to join BnP," he said.<br />

Fakhrul came up with the comments<br />

while talking to reporters after placing<br />

wreaths at BnP founder Ziaur<br />

rahman's grave along with leaders<br />

and activists of the party's<br />

narayanganj city unit.<br />

On tuesday, the Information<br />

Minister told journalists at the<br />

secretariat that many BnP leaders are<br />

thinking of quitting the party and contacting<br />

Awami League leaders at different<br />

levels.<br />

Fakhrul said Awami League has<br />

proved through its activities that it has<br />

now become bankrupt as a political<br />

party. "they snatched people's rights,<br />

including voting one, and destroyed all<br />

the democratic institutions. they're<br />

now working to turn Bangladesh into a<br />

failed state."<br />

the BnP leader regretted that<br />

though once BnP and Awami League<br />

struggled against late HM ershad's autocratic<br />

rule, the party formed the government<br />

along with that autocrat and<br />

took it to parliament through 'vote rigging'.<br />

"their secretary general (Moshiur<br />

rahman ranga) a few days back badly<br />

attacked democracy. what he said<br />

against our beloved noor Hossain, a<br />

symbol of the anti-autocratic movement,<br />

is completely devoid of political<br />

etiquette," he said.<br />

Fakhrul also observed that ranga insulted<br />

the democratic movement and<br />

the pro-democratic people with his<br />

comments. "we strongly condemn his<br />

comments. we think he should apologise<br />

publicly and in Parliament."<br />

Jatiya Party secretary general<br />

Mashiur rahman ranga at a discussion<br />

on sunday said, "who was noor<br />

Hossain? An addict... a Yaba abuser, a<br />

Phensedyl abuser! two democratic<br />

parties-Awami League and BnP-are<br />

overenthusiastic about him. this day<br />

is observed as noor Hossain Day!"<br />

About the ruling party leaders' comment<br />

that BnP is facing intra-party<br />

conflict, Fakhrul said Awami Leaders<br />

are making such remarks as they<br />

themselves are being failed to handle<br />

their own party.<br />

"their party men are engaging in<br />

fight with each other and vandalism at<br />

the councils of their Jubo League and<br />

swechchasebak League. so, they're<br />

unnecessarily resorting to such lies to<br />

hide their imminent fall," he said.<br />

the BnP leader said they will intensify<br />

their movement for having<br />

their chairperson khaleda Zia freed<br />

from jail.<br />

Bachchu who is earning his livelihood by selling Khulshun (fishing trap) at Naldanga upazila of<br />

Natore.<br />

Photo : Star Mail<br />

Dhaka favours fair competition<br />

DHAkA : Foreign Minister Dr Ak Abdul<br />

Momen on wednesday said the wealth<br />

creation in the region must be for all<br />

with "fair distribution" with "fair competition"<br />

instead of geo-strategic or political<br />

rivals. "we need to have fair competition<br />

but not geo-strategic or political rivals,"<br />

he said adding that they must<br />

guard against the tendency to look at this<br />

region in respect of trade or security issues<br />

only, reports UnB.<br />

the Foreign Minister was addressing<br />

the closing session of 'Dhaka global<br />

Dialogue <strong>2019</strong>' at a city hotel.<br />

state Minister for Foreign Affairs Md<br />

shahriar Alam and Chairman, Observer<br />

research Foundation sunjoy Joshi also<br />

spoke at the session titled 'Convergence<br />

of regional initiatives for Optimising<br />

Common Benefits.'<br />

Member of Parliamentary standing<br />

Committee on the Ministry of Foreign<br />

Affairs, Bangladesh nahim razzaq moderated<br />

the session.<br />

the Foreign Minister said peace and<br />

stability are very critical for sustainable<br />

growth and development saying a simple<br />

thing in any part of the globalised<br />

world can create problem and thus hurt<br />

the growth goals.<br />

"Peace and stability are the essence of<br />

development. If there is no peace, there<br />

cannot be development," he said while<br />

responding to a question at the interactive<br />

closing session.<br />

the Foreign Minister cited examples<br />

across the world and said they have been<br />

suffering where there is no peace. "to<br />

maintain the sustainable development<br />

it's essential to have peace and stability."<br />

Dr Momen shared a few things for the<br />

common peace and prosperity of the region.<br />

First, he said, they need to create an<br />

environment of peace-harmony-stability<br />

of all countries, and they have to focus<br />

on the entire menu of sustainable development.<br />

next, Dr Momen said, they have to engage<br />

among themselves based on mutual<br />

trust and mutual respect for mutual<br />

benefit. the Foreign Minister said this<br />

kind of dialogue and think thanks must<br />

promote one thing and it is the mindset<br />

of respect for each other.<br />

He said they often look just in terms of<br />

the capacity of a few large economies or<br />

their needs but they must get the narrative<br />

right: addressing the key concerns of<br />

smaller communities or relatively weaker<br />

economies is a must in 'our' collective<br />

journey, for any sustainable world.<br />

"Countries should be engaged based<br />

on mutual trust and mutual respect, for<br />

mutual benefit," said the Foreign<br />

Minister.<br />

Dr Momen said in south Asia, through<br />

sAFtA, regional trade in goods and<br />

services is expected to rise robustly over<br />

the next few years.<br />

In south-east Asia, by the next year,<br />

AseAn would emerge as a seamless economic<br />

space up to Myanmar, he said.<br />

Under esCAP, Asia-Pacific regional<br />

economic integration is moving to the<br />

next level and BCIM is shaping up with a<br />

promise to unlock production-distribution-transportation<br />

opportunities.<br />

Dr Momen said Chinese ambitious<br />

Belt and road Initiative (BrI) is already<br />

in place to connect Asia with Africa and<br />

europe through land and maritime networks.<br />

"the Indo-Pacific strategy is also<br />

in progress."<br />

In today's globalised world, he said, no<br />

single country can prosper alone and<br />

what they need is to work closely - by<br />

drawing on each other's strength, capabilities<br />

and endowments.<br />

the Foreign Minister said many of the<br />

challenges that the region faces today,<br />

can best be addressed through collective<br />

efforts. He said Bangladesh is open to<br />

any global and regional initiatives which<br />

are economic in nature and help economic<br />

development.<br />

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, 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.<br />

Editorial and News Office: K.K Bhaban (Level-04) 69/K, Green Road, Panthapath, Dhaka-1205. Tel : +8802-96<strong>11</strong>884, Cell : 01832166882; Fax: + 8802446<strong>11</strong>604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!