21-01-2020

tuesday

DHaka: January 21, 2020; Magh 7, 1426 BS;Jamadi-ul awal 24,1441 Hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; No.345; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

10 years after Vatican

takeover, Legion in

new abuse crisis

>Page 7

art & culture

Paris Hilton to show

'real Paris' in new

documentary

>Page 8

sport

BCB to send security team

ahead of Bangladesh's

travel to Pakistan

>Page 9

1988 Laldighi Massacre

Five sentenced to death

55 days to go

Abrar's death case

Prothom Alo

editor gets bail

DHAKA : The High Court on

Monday granted a four-week

anticipatory bail to Prothom Alo

Editor Matiur Rahman in a case

filed over the death of Dhaka

Residential Model College student

Nayeemul Abrar Rahat.

After hearing a petition, the

bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan

and Justice AKM Jahirul Huq

passed the order.

The court also instructed the

law enforcers not to arrest or

harass the five other accused

until submission of chargesheet,

said petitioners' lawyer barrister

Amirul Islam.

Six accused, including Prothom

Alo's Matiur and Associate Editor

Anisul Hoque, filed the petitions

on Sunday.

Four others accused in the case

are Mohitul Alam, senior subeditor

of Kishore Alo, Kabir

Bakul, head of Event and

Activation, executives Shah

PoranTushar and Shubhashish

Pramanik.

A Dhaka court on Thursday

ordered arrest of Matiur

Rahman, Anisul Hoque and eight

others in a case filed over the

death of Nayeemul Abrar Rahat.

Nayeemul Abrar, a ninth grader,

died after being electrocuted

behind the stage at an event

organised by Kishor Alo, a publication

of Prothom Alo, on the

compound of Dhaka Residential

Model College on November 1.

Govt appoints

97 new

assistant judges

DHAKA : The government has

appointed 97 new assistant judges

to the subordinate courts which

are grappling with a staggering 3.1

million cases, reports UNB.

The law ministry issued a

gazette notification in this regard

on Sunday, it said in a press

release on Monday.

In the notification, the ministry

directed the new assistant judges

to join offices on January 28.

Bangladesh's High Court and

subordinate courts are currently

dealing with more than 3.4 million

cases, Law Minister Anisul

Huq told parliament on Sunday.

Of them, 5,13,396 cases are at

the High Court and 31,27,243 at

the subordinate courts.

Of these cases, 14,53,107 are

civil cases, 20,90,526 criminal

cases and 97,006 other cases.

Zohr

05:26 AM

12:15 PM

03:50 PM

05:39 PM

06:58 PM

6:43 5:36

CHATTOGRAM : After long 32 years of

the gruesome killing of 24 people

attending Awami League chief Sheikh

Hasina's rally in Chittagong in 1988, a

court here on Monday sentenced five

people to death in a case over the killing,

reports UNB.

The court also sentenced them to 10

years' imprisonment each in the case. E

ach of the convicts was also fined Tk

50,000. Chattogram acting Special

Judge Mohammad Ismail Hossain pronounced

the verdict. The convicts are

then Kotwali thana patrol inspector

Gobinda Chandra Mondal, and then

constables Mustafizur Rahman,

Pradeep Barua, Mohammad Abdullah

and Momtaz Uddin.

According to the prosecution, Awami

League chief Hasina, also the leader of

the then alliance of 15 opposition parties,

was heading towards Laldighi

Maidan in a procession to attend a

scheduled rally against the misrule of

military dictator Ershad.

Without any provocation, police

opened fire on Hasina's motorcade and

the people following it.

Hasina survived the attempt on her

life but 24 people died in the attack.

More than 300 others were also injured.

A case was filed on March 5, 1992 by

lawyer Shahidul Huda with the

Chittagong Chief Metropolitan

Magistrate Court against 46 people,

including then police commissioner

Kazi Raqibul Huda. Police submitted

chargesheet against eight policemen on

November 3, 1998. But three of the eight

charge-sheeted accused died.

53.66 lakh new voters set

to be enrolled : EC

DHAKA : Bangladesh has got 53.66

lakh new voters after its 2018 general

election, according to the draft updated

electoral rolls revealed by the Election

Commission on Monday, reports UNB.

The number of voters will stand at

10,96,06,187 (nearly 11 crore), including

5,53,25,292 men, 5,42,80,542

women and 353 transgender, once the

updated voter list is finalised.

EC Additional Secretary Mokhlesur

Rahman revealed the draft electoral

rolls at a press conference at Nirbachan

Bhaban in the city. Director General of

the National Identity Registration Wing

Brig Gen Saidul Islam was present.

A total of 67,58,341 fresh voters --

35,82,163 men and 31,75,825 womenhave

been enrolled in the draft list,

while 13,92,236 voters who died by the

time have been deleted from the list.

Meanwhile, the Commission has

identified 2,07,635 dual voters and

removed them from the list during the

updating programme.

The Election Commission for the first

time disclosed the number of transgender

voters collecting their data with

their own identities during the updating

exercise.

US hopeful of credible polls to

Dhaka city corporations

DHAKA : US Ambassador to

Bangladesh Earl R Miller on Monday

encouraged voters to cast their votes

hoping that the elections to two Dhaka

city corporations will be 'festive, free,

credible and participatory' ones, reports

UNB.

He said the important thing is that

folks go out and vote whatever candidates

they choose to vote for.

"Election turnout in Bangladesh is

often found much higher than the

United States," he told reporters after

his meeting with Chief Election

Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda

at the EC Secretariat.

Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain

Chowdhury was with the CEC at the

meeting.

Elections to both the Dhaka North

City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka

South City Corporation (DSCC) will be

held on February 1.

The US Ambassador said they, along

with other members of diplomatic

corps, will see how this democratic

process goes during the polls of Dhaka

North and Dhaka South City

Corporations.

He said it is also encouraging to hear

that people on both sides of the political

spectrum are looking at each other as

worthy candidates and whoever win

will be the leaders of Dhaka.

On the way back home, one has to wait hour after hour at Teesta Char for the crossing. Many people

go to the Upazila Sadar from Char area and have to return home after completing their required

work. The picture was taken from Kakina area of Lalmonirhat.

Photo: PBA

A court here on Monday sentenced 10 people to death in a case filed over the bomb blast

at a CPB rally in Paltan area in 2001.

Photo : Courtesy

10 sentenced to

death in CPB

bomb blast case

DHAKA : A court here on Monday sentenced

10 people to death in a case filed

over the bomb blast at a CPB rally in

Paltan area in 2001, reports UNB.

Additional Metropolitan Magistrate

Court Judge Rabiul Alam delivered the

verdict. The convicts are - Mufti Moin

Uddin Sheikh, Arif Hasan Sumon,

Maulana Sabbir Ahmed, Shawkat

Osman alias Sheikh Farid Jahangir

Alam Badar, Mohibul Muttakin, Aminul

Mursalin, Mufti Abdul Hai, Mufti

Shafikur Rahman, and Nur Islam.

Moin Uddin, Sumon, Sabbir and

Shawkat are in police custody while the

rest are on the run. The court also fined

them Tk 20,000 each.

Besides, it acquitted Md Mashiur

Rahman and Rafikul Islam Miraj.

Another accused in the case, Mufti

Abdul Hannan, was executed in a separate

case.

Argument in the case concluded on

December 2. Testimonies of 46 witnesses

were recorded.

Five CPB activists were killed and 20

others injured in a bomb attack on the

party's rally on January 20, 2001 at

Paltan.

The case was closed in December

2003 as investigations found no evidence

against the accused people in the

case and later in 2005 the case was

reopened.

BNP is the most failed

opposition: Quader

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary and Road Transport and

Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday

said BNP is the most failed opposition

party in the history of Bangladesh's

politics.

"BNP is the most failed opposition

party in the history of Bangladesh's politics.

The party has failed to wage a movement

on the city streets. It also faced

defeat in elections. Now BNP has turned

into a party of raising allegations," he

said.

Quader came up with the remarks

while responding to a question at a press

conference on contemporary affairs at the

Secretariat here.

About the recent comments of BNP

secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam

Alamgir on the upcoming city polls, he

said Fakhrul is stating that a mass-surge

is created here in favour of his party but it

is "his day dream".

On February 1, people would be able to

Police can't avoid responsibility

for custodial death: DMP chief

DHAKA : Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) Commissioner Mohammad

Shafiqul Islam on Monday said the

police cannot avoid responsibility if any

accused dies in their custody, reports

UNB.

The DMP Commissioner came up

with the remarks while talking to

reporters after placing wreaths at the

portrait of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi

Road No-32 on behalf of the Central

Executive Committee of the Police

Service Association on Monday.

The DMP Commissioner is the president

of the association. He said the

accused who was in Tejgaon police custody

died on Sunday. The death was initially

reported as a suicide, he said.

"A three-member inquiry committee

has been formed over the incident. If

anyone is found guilty in the investigation

report, action will be taken against

him," the DMP Commissioner added.

On Sunday, Abu Bakkar Siddique, 45,

an accused in a case filed under the

Digital Security Act, died in the custody

of Tejgaon Industrial Area police station.

Police claimed that Abu Bakar

committed suicide by hanging himself

at the police station. The family, however,

claimed that Bakar was tortured to

death. Inspector (investigation) of

Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station

Shariful Islam told reporters on Sunday

that a woman filed a case with the police

know who will win in the city polls, the AL

general secretary said, adding that raising

allegation about elections until vote

counting is an old habit of BNP.

Replying to another question, he said:

"I should raise allegation for level playing

field in city elections…the BNP secretary

general is conducting election campaign

in favour of their nominated party but I

could not do so".

About the recent arrest warrant issued

against the Daily Prothom Alo editor and

nine others, Quader said it is a matter of

the court and the government did not

interfere in it. "Judiciary is totally independent.

It is the jurisdiction of court

whether it will grant them bail or give

release," he added.

Responding to a query about the

country's roads and highway, the road

transport and bridges minister said

works continue in different parts of

the country to upgrade roads into

double lanes and four lanes.

station under the Digital Security Act

against him. "Abu Bakar was arrested in

the case and kept in thana hajat on

Saturday night. He later committed suicide

early Sunday. We've the CCTV

footage, "inspector Shariful Islam said.

HC seeks report on

traffic signal system

DHAKA :The High Court on Monday

directed the authorities concerned to

submit a report on the mismanagement

of traffic signal monitoring system in the

capital within 30 days.

The court also issued a rule seeking

explanation as to why the inaction of the

relevant authorities over traffic signal

light mismanagement should not be

declared illegal, reports UNB.

Secretaries to Home Ministry, Local

Government, Rural Development and

Cooperatives Ministry, Inspector General

of Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) Commissioner, Commissioner of

Traffic, CEO of two Dhaka City

Corporations (DSCC, DNCC) were asked

to respond to the rule within four weeks.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur

Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur

Rahman passed the order after hearing

a writ petition filed by advocate Manoj

Kumar Bhowmik.

NEWS

TuesDAY, JAnuArY 21, 2020

2

A two-day long international conference on "revisiting International relations (Ir): Critical

reflections on 100 Years" concluded on Monday at nabab nawab Ali Chowdhury senate Bhaban

Auditorium of Dhaka university (Du). Convener of the conference Prof. Dr. Amena Mohsin presided

over the concluding session while Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) of Du Prof. Dr. Muhammad

samad addressed it as chief guest. Photo: Courtesy

Prince Harry: 'Powerful media'

is why he's stepping away

Prince Harry has taken aim at the

journalists who have dissected his life

since the day he was born as he

expressed regret for the way he has

had to step down from royal duties,

reports UNB.

In a personal speech th at referenced

his late mother, Princess Diana, who

died in a car accident while being

pursued by paparazzi, Harry said

Sunday he had "no other option" but

to step away as he and his wife,

Meghan, seek a more peaceful life.

"When I lost my mum 23 years ago,

you took me under your wing," Harry

said at a dinner in London for

Sentebale, his Africa-based charity

supporting youngsters with HIV. "You

looked out for me for so long, but the

media is a powerful force. And my

hope is one day our collective support

for each other can be more powerful,

because this is so much bigger than

just us."

The comments were Harry's first

public remarks since Saturday night,

when his grandmother, Queen

Elizabeth II, announced the terms

under which the prince and his wife

will walk away from most royal duties,

give up public funding and try to

become financially independent. The

Three held

with 94

gold bars in

Jashore

BENAPOLE : Members of

Border Guard Bangladesh

(BGB) on Monday arrested

three people along with 94

gold bars in Natunhat area

of Jhikargacha upazila in

Jashore, reports UNB.

They are Md Jahidul

Islam, Md Yakub Ali and

Md Delowar Hossain.

Captain Lieutenant

Colonel Selim Reza of BGB

Battalion 49 said tippedoff,

a team of BGB

conducted a drive in

Natunhat area and arrested

the trio with gold worth Tk

6.60 crore.

They also seized a private

car from the spot, he said.

couple are expected to spend most of

their time in Canada while

maintaining a home in England near

Windsor Palace.

The queen's statement said the

agreement, reached after crisis talks,

was a "constructive and supportive

way forward." But Harry's speech

made it clear that the couple had not

gotten their wish to be able to carry on

with some royal duties while

becoming independent.

"Our hope was to continue serving

the queen, the Commonwealth and

my military associations, but without

public funding. Unfortunately, that

wasn't possible," he said.

"For those reasons, it brings me

great sadness that it has come to this,"

he added. "The decision that I have

made for my wife and I to step back is

not one I made lightly. It was so many

months of talks after so many years of

challenges. And I know I haven't

always got it right, but as far as this

goes, there really was no other

option."

Harry, 35, has made no secret of his

disdain for Britain's tabloid media in

the past, with both he and Meghan

filing lawsuits against press outlets

last fall. At the time, Harry gave an

interview drawing parallels between

the treatment of his wife and the

media frenzy that contributed to the

death of his mother.

Harry praised his grandmother, the

queen, and the rest of his family for

supporting him and his wife in recent

months. He called the decision to

change both jobs and continents "a

leap of faith" and said he hopes the

move will allow him and his family to

achieve a "more peaceful life."

Under terms of the deal announced

Saturday, Harry and Meghan will stop

using their "royal highness" titles this

spring and will lose all access to public

funds once they stop carrying out

official functions.

Harry opened his speech by noting

that many in the audience had

watched him grow up and said he

wanted them "to hear the truth from

me, as much as I can share, not as a

prince, or a duke, but as Harry."

He framed the decision to leave as

his own, made on behalf of Meghan

and their young son, Archie. He spoke

of both during his remarks, telling the

audience that eight-month-old Archie

had seen snow for the first time a few

days ago and "thought it was bloody

brilliant."

VeOn Chairman due Tuesday

to discuss technological

progress, challenges

DHAKA : Ursula Burns, chairman and CEO

of VEON, the parent company of Banglalink,

arrives here on Tuesday on a two-day visit,

reports UNB.

During her first visit, Ursula Burns will

meet various stakeholders and government

dignitaries to discuss Bangladesh's

technological progress, challenges in the

telecom industry and VEON's future plans.

An iconic leader in the global business

arena, Ursula Burns has a number of

remarkable achievements to her name.

Expressing her long-held willingness to

visit Bangladesh, Ursula said, "I am earnestly

looking forward to visiting Bangladesh, a

country VEON has been serving with its firm

commitment over a long period of time."

She said it will be an exciting experience

for her to meet new people and witness how

digital and technological advancements are

driving the country's overall progress.

"I hope my fruitful conversations with

different stakeholders will help us serve our

customers in the country even better in the

period ahead," she said.

Ursula Burns is scheduled to leave Dhaka

on Thursday, said a media release on

Monday.

Ursula Burns was appointed Chairman

and CEO of VEON in December 2018,

following a period as Executive Chairman

and previously Chairman of the Board of

Directors.

She has extensive international experience

of large companies confronting technology

change in their industries.

She was Chairman of the

Board of the Xerox

Corporation from 2010 to

2017 and Chief Executive

Officer from 2009 to 2016.

Former US President

Barack Obama appointed

her to help lead the White

House national program on

Science, Technology,

Engineering and Math

(STEM), and she served as

chair of the President's

Export Council.

Magura AL

president Tanzel

Hossain Khan

dies

MAGURA : Freedom fighter

Tanzel Hossain Khan, the

president of Awami League's

district unit, passed away at a

hospital here early Monday.

He was 73, reports UNB.

The ruling party leader was

suffering from old age

complications and

undergoing treatment at

Magura 250-bed Hospital.

He is survived by his wife,

two sons, and a daughter.

Tanzel Hossain Khan leaves

behind a host of relatives and

admirers.

His namaz-e-janaza will be

held at the PTI field after

Asar prayer and the freedom

fighter will be laid to rest at

the municipal graveyard.

Awami League chief Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina and

AL General Secretary

Obaidul Quader expressed

their deep condolence at the

death of Tanzel Hossain.

seven held with

contraband phensedyl

in Chapainawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ :

Law enforcers in separate

drives arrested seven

suspected drug dealers from

different areas in Shibganj

and Godagari upazilas on

Monday, reports UNB.

The arrestees were

identified as Milon Ali, 25,

Rashid Mia, 19, Yusuf Bablu,

32, Sohel Kazi, 28, Abdul

Gani, 30, Shamim Hossain,

29, and Md Razu, 32.

Inspector Bablu Mia said

they conducted a drive in

Dhobra area of Shibganj at

2am and arrested two

people with 210 bottles of

phensedyl.

In a statement, Rapid

Action Battalion-5 said they

seized two private cars with

1,369 bottles of phensedyl at

4am in Sultanganj Bazar

area in Godagari upazila.

They also arrested four

people from the cars.

Lt Col Mahmudul Hasan

of Border Guard Bangladesh

59 battalion said they

arrested a motorcycle rider

with 194 bottles of

phensedyl from Mirzapur

area of Shibganj upazila

early Monday.

Air Quality

Index: Dhaka

ranks 3rd

worst

DHAKA : Bangladesh's

capital Dhaka ranked third

worst in the Air Quality

Index (AQI) on Monday

morning, reports UNB.

It had an AQI score of 213

around 8:10am. The air was

classified as 'very unhealthy'.

Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar

and Pakistan's Lahore were

on the top two positions on

the list of cities with worst

air with scores of 254 and

215 respectively.

Everyone may experience

more serious health effects

when the AQI score is

between 201 and 300. When

the value is more than 300,

the air quality is considered

hazardous and the entire

population is more likely to

be affected.

The AQI, an index for

reporting daily air quality,

informs people how clean or

polluted the air of a certain

city is, and what associated

health effects might be a

concern for them.

Virginia's capital braces

for gun-rights rally

Virginia's capital city is bracing for the

expected arrival of thousands of gun-rights

activists and other groups that have vowed to

descend on Richmond to protest Democrats'

plans to pass gun-control legislation, reports

UNB.

Gov. Ralph Northam declared a temporary

state of emergency days ahead of Monday's

rally, banning all weapons including guns from

the event on Capitol Square. Militia groups

and white supremacists were among those

expected to mix with gun-rights activists,

raising fears the state could again see the type

of violence that exploded in Charlottesville in

2017. Virginia's solicitor general told a judge

Thursday that law enforcement had identified

"credible evidence" armed out-of-state groups

planned to come to the state with the possible

intention of participating in a "violent

insurrection."

Toby Heytens also suggested during his

arguments in a lawsuit by gun advocates that

challenged the weapons ban that the crowd

could number in the tens of thousands. The

Supreme Court upheld the weapons ban.

The Virginia State Police, the Virginia

Capitol Police and the Richmond Police are all

coordinating the event and have plans for a

huge police presence at Monday's rally with

both uniformed and plainclothes officers.

Police plan to limit access to Capitol Square to

only one entrance and have warned rallygoers

they may have to wait hours to get past security

screening.

Authorities will be looking to avoid a repeat

of the violence that erupted in 2017 in

Charlottesville during one of the largest

gatherings of white supremacists and other

far-right groups in a decade. Attendees

brawled with counterprotesters, and an

avowed white supremacist drove his car into a

crowd, killing a woman and injuring dozens

more.

Law enforcement officials faced scathing

criticism for what both the white supremacist

groups and anti-racism protesters said was a

passive response.

Monday's rally is being organized by an

influential grassroots gun-rights group, the

Virginia Citizens Defense League. The group

holds a yearly rally at the Capitol, typically a

low-key event with a few hundred gun

enthusiasts listening to speeches from a

handful of ambitious Republican lawmakers.

But this year, many more are expected to

attend. Second Amendment groups have

identified the state as a rallying point for the

fight against what they see as a national

erosion of gun rights.

The pushback against proposed new gun

restrictions began immediately after

Democrats won majorities in both the state

Senate and House of Delegates in November.

Much of the opposition has focused on a

proposed assault weapons ban.

Virginia Democrats are also backing bills

limiting handgun purchases to once a month,

implementing universal background checks on

gun purchases, allowing localities to ban guns

in public buildings, parks and other areas, and

a red flag bill that would allow authorities to

temporarily take guns away from anyone

deemed to be dangerous to themselves or

others.

Bangladesh Communist Party demanded trial of all killing and bomb

attack.

Photo : Courtesy

Lawn farming gains

traction in Khulna

KHULNA : The residents of Khulna's coastal

Koyra upazila are increasingly becoming

interested in lawn farming to feed their

families and make some money, reports

UNB.

Crops like tomato, brinjal, bean and potato

are cultivated but the tuber is the most

popular item since it takes less efforts.

The Department of Agricultural Extension

(DAE) said villagers in the upazila cultivated

potato on 90 hectares of land at

approximately 6,000 house yards this year.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Mizan Mahmud

said they regularly meet and encourage lawn

farming and sometimes arrange training for

the villagers.

"With our support, more villagers have

become interested in cultivating potato in

their front yards this season," he said.

Koyra was hit hard by cyclones Sidr and

Aila that damaged not only the crops but also

increased the salinity in soil. Over the years,

the salinity has decreased, prompting people

to cultivate crops in their lawns, the DAE

said. Locals said farmers had poor harvest in

the last five years as most of the villages and

fields were inundated many times by salty

water.

Md Monirul Islam of South Bedkati union

said the area suffers from soil salinity since it

is close to the Sundarbans. "The region

normally gets inundated during cyclones

and its crops are damaged," he said.

But during this winter, many villagers

cultivated crops in their yards. "I'm growing

potatoes on three decimals of land at my

yard," he said.

Achintya Sarkar of Mazer Athi area said he

is growing potato on 15 decimals in his lawn

to meet the family's demand. "I hope to

produce 22-25 maunds of potato this season.

I'm planning to sell the rest after meeting my

family's demand for some extra cash," he

added.

Many women are also directly involved in

lawn and backyard farming. Mita Rani

Mondol of Bizlighata Bazar is one of them.

She said she takes care of the potato after

finishing household chores. "Cultivating

crops in the yards is empowering women

since it helps feed their families and provides

a source of earning," she said.

Gm (20) (18)

GD-125/20 (5 x 3)

GD-133/20 (3 x 2)

cvwb- 541/2019-2020

GD-130/20 (5 x 3)

METRO


3

ethics Club of Bangladesh organized a discussion meeting at Muzaffar Ahmed Choudhury auditorium

yesterday marking 10th ethical Day.

Photo : Courtesy

Circular economy a solution to climate

crisis, global inequality: speakers

DHAKA : Speakers at a discussion here

on Monday said adopting circular

economy principles can help address

overall climate crisis, global inequality

and alleviate poverty, reports UNB.

They came up with the observation at

a session titled 'Circular Economy:

Addressing Poverty and Exclusion for

Climate Justice' as part of the 6th

Gobeshona Conference.

ActionAid Bangladesh hosted the

panel discussion during the conference

jointly organised by International

Centre for Climate Change and

Development (ICCCAD) and

International University of Bangladesh

(IUB) at IUB campus.

The industrial revolution has spurred

massive development and industrial

growth but at the cost of our planet and

its environment, said Farah Kabir, the

Country Director of ActionAid

Bangladesh while moderating the

session. In circular economy process,

goods are turned into resources at the

end of their service life for others

minimizing waste.

Circular economy can redefine

economic growth focusing on societal

benefits helping to create new green

industries and jobs.

It reduces environmental

degradation of the environment,

protect biodiversity and increase

resilience to the physical effects of

climate change, she said while

presenting the key note.

Farah Kabir said ActionAid

Bangladesh has been one of the

forerunners in Bangladesh working on

climate justice with focus to address

inequality, poverty and exclusion.

She said ActionAid Bangladesh has

been demanding for an alternative

development model for over decades as

well as demonstrating ways to

incorporate circularity within its

programme and operations.

Dr Saleemul Haque, Director of

ICCCAD, mentioned circular economy

as solution to both climate and wastage

problem. He said, the future economy

cannot sustain with producing

industrial waste in such amount.

"We have to reengineer the economic

system. Specially, our garment industry

is a big opportunity for us. If we can

promote and ensure circular economy

minimizing pollution and waste, it will

benefit our environment, our life as

well as bringing reputation to our

products in the global market", he said.

Asif Ibrahim, Director of BGMEA,

said the RMG sector has already taken

initiatives and most of the big brands,

which are the buyers of Bangladesh,

have taken the initiatives to promote

circular economy and suppliers in

Bangladesh have also started to align

themselves with the idea.

"Yet, much of the production in the

entire manufacture industry, including

garments sector, is operation in linear

economy producing waste and

pollution," he said adding that time has

come for everybody to wake up and

manufacturers need to take initiatives

to bring the change.

John Warburton, Senior

Environment Adviser of DFID

Bangladesh said circular economy in

Bangladesh is not still happening to a

large extent.

Bangladesh government needs to

take initiative to promote circular

economy. Policy and regulations need

to be enforced, he added.

GD-129/20 (6 x 4)

GD-126/20 (10 x 4)

GD-131/20 (12 x 4)

EDITORIAL

TUESDAy, JAnUAry 21, 2020

4

What the world's movers and shakers will talk about this week

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Aiding prospects

of IT industry

The IT industry is a relatively new sector in our country's

economybut it is already making a notable contribution to

the national economy ; it is considered an important growth

industry. The Bangladesh Association of Software and

Information Services (BASIS) was established in 1997 as the

national trade body for software and IT service industry. Starting

with only 17 member companies, by 2009 membership had grown

to 326.

In a study among Asian countries by Japan International

Cooperation Agency in 2007-08, Bangladesh was ranked first in

software and IT services competitiveness and third in

competencies, after India and China. The World Bank, in a study

projected triple digit growth for Bangladesh in IT services and

software exports. Bangladesh was also listed as one of the top 30

countries for offshore Services by Gartner.The Internet

penetration has also grown to 21.27 percent in 2012, up from 3.2

percent three years prior.[11] As the Internet usage increases, the

government expects the IT sector to add 7.28 percent to GDP

growth by 2021.[11]

At present Information Technology (IT) is a subject of

widespread interest in Bangladesh. There are around 100 software

houses, 35 data entry centres, thousands of formal and informal IT

training centres and numerous computer shops. The Government

has declared IT as a thrust sector and that computer training

centre will be set up in each divisional and district headquarters of

Bangladesh. Import of computer hardware and software is now

duty free, VSAT is deregulated, high speed DDN (Digital Data

Network) has been introduced. One fourth of the 45

recommendations of JRC report on software export has already

been implemented; rest is in the process of implementation. A

tremendous activity is going on in every sector including e-

commerce, e-governance, computer networking, Internet, web

browsing, web applications, multimedia product development, etc.

Some active steps and initiatives are already there, as described

below for an exposure of the present and future prospects of IT in

Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has one of the lowest tele-density in Asia, with a

mere 0.6 (in India 1.5) lines per 100 people. In terms of phone

connectivity, the charge of Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph

Board (BTTB) is one of the highest in the world, approximately

US$500.00 (in India US$60) for normal single telephone line

connection. However, there has been significant improvement in

services of telecommunication within last few years. Present

government is also trying to get additional telephone lines from a

Canadian firm. If these telephone lines are available in Bangladesh,

most of the PC users will be able to use internet and find a scope to

build up international career.

The associations and professional bodies who are playing vital

role to develop the IT sector in Bangladesh are as follows:

Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS) was formed in 1979. This is

an association of the IT Professionals. Bangladesh Computer

Samity (BCS) was formed in 1987. This is basically an association

of Computer Vendors.Bangladesh Association of Software and

Information Services (BASIS) was formed in 1998 to promote the

interest of IT business, especially for software development and

related IT services. Bangladesh Software Marketing and

Promotions (BSMP), a private organisation, has been formed with

the view to helping the local computer programmers and promote

their software. Bangladesh Computer Writers Association has

been formed to promote the writers activities in the country.

Bangladesh Association for Information Technology Education

(BAITE) has been formed to promote the activities toward

standardising informal IT education in the country.

Well-trained Bangladeshi IT professionals can start their

business like Data entry, Web development, Multimedia, ISP and

Medical Data Transcription services, Cybercafe and IT Training

Centre. They can easily get financial help from bank. A number of

government banks have already started credit programmes to

encourage the entrepreneurs in software industry. Some private

banks are using our locally developed software too. However, due

to some constraints the outcome is not up to the expectation.

The Government of Bangladesh has taken some important

initiatives to develop our IT sector. Still we are waiting to see a

fruitful change in our Information Technology. However, some

remarkable steps of government are highlighted for information :

IT has been declared as a thrust sector. Quick implementation of

the recommendations of JRC report (a high powered committee

for software export) is imperative. Hundred percent remittances

of profit and capital gains for foreign investors without any

approval is also an important pending issue. Human resource is

the most important component for IT industry. Bangladesh has a

huge educated, unemployed youth force with the ability to read

and write English. The country can take advantage of its immense

manpower to train and prepare programmers and IT

professionals. Government has already started a project to develop

Computer Programmers in Bangladesh. All the universities are

offering one year post-graduate Diploma course for the graduates.

Our unemployed educated persons can take this opportunity to

build their career as IT professionals. Young generation in

Bangladesh is very enthusiastic and has correctly identified IT as

the future of the country. There are numerous computer clubs,

computer festivals, programming contests, web design contests, IT

related seminars and discussions in many cities of the country.

There are about 16 magazines and four digital IT magazines are

being published monthly and some daily newspapers publish IT

pages once/twice a week. A few of the magazines are in

collaboration with other international magazines, however, most

of these are Bangladeshi origin. There are a few interactive sites

and forums. A number of business centres and cybercafes have

started up recently. Most of these business centres provide e-mail;

e-mail to fax, phonefax services and cyber cafes offer Internet

browsing.

Recently there has been a surge in E-commerce activities in

Bangladesh. There are E-commerce related seminars and

symposiums in the country almost everyday and all the major

training centres are offering courses on E-commerce. Government

is now formulating laws for e-commerce to enhance the business

rapidly and smoothly.

Some private organisations have already started to work for

setting up IT park and IT villages in the country. Some investors

are foreigners and they are very much interested to build

Bangladeshi students as IT professionals. They have already

started to commission their views. Our Bangladeshi students can

take this chance and hit the international job market in the IT field.

There are lot of scopes of working and entering into the

international market. Just we have to take proper initiatives.

Bangladeshi IT professionals have a good demand in international

IT job market, which has been proved by some of our BUET

students.

Bangladeshi students should be more aware about Information

Technology and they should take proper decision to build their

career. Indians have changed their whole financial position by IT.

Their government also is very much serious about IT. Any way,

Bangladesh has a long way to go in a very short time to enjoy the

fruits of information age. It will be only possible when there will be

geater political commitment with better IT infrastructure, internal

network, country domain and above all further high speed fibre

optic link to the Information Superhighway.

World leaders will begin arriving

on Monday for the 50th

annual meeting of the World

Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss

alpine town of Davos. Fifty years is a

huge benchmark for the organization

founded by Klaus Schwab with the aim

of "improving the state of the world."

When WEF began it was much

smaller than the event that will draw

3,000 delegates this year, and focused

on Europe and business. Now

prominent figures from all walks of life

share the podium; business grandees,

political heavyweights, civil society

leaders and of course the media, who

gain unparalleled access to the

delegates in a relaxed atmosphere.

US President Donald Trump will

attend this year, and speak on

Tuesday, the opening day. German

Chancellor Angela Merkel,

European Central Bank president

Christine Lagarde, IMF managing

director Kristalina Georgieva,

Finland's prime minister Sanna

Marin, UNAIDS director Winnie

Byanyima and environmental

activist Greta Thunberg are among

hundreds of high-level speakers.

This year's agenda focuses on seven

core themes - how to save the planet,

society and the future of work, tech for

good, fairer economies, better business,

healthy futures, and beyond geopolitics.

The global elite are more optimistic

about the economic outlook than they

were a year ago, now that phase 1 of the

US-China trade agreement has been

signed, but we are not out of the woods

yet. The US China trade war has sent

ripples through the global economy,

especially to open trading nations.

While the US-Mexico-Canada

Agreement (for which read NAFTA II)

has passed both houses of Congress

and will soon be signed by the

president, Europe is holding its breath

for Trump to unleash his fury over the

US-EU trade relationship. This would

be particularly bad news for Germany,

whose car industry is heavily integrated

with the US, both as an export market

and as a production site. Germany has

already suffered from the fallout of the

US-China trade war, so much so that its

economy narrowly avoided a technical

recession last summer. It exports

mainly capital goods and cars to China.

Brexit also looms large over Europe.

That said, UK Prime Minister Boris

Johnson is not attending Davos, and

nor are any of his ministers.

The killing of Iranian general Qassem

Soleimani and the downing of the

Ukrainian passenger jet in Tehran have

brought geopolitical tensions in the

Middle East to the fore. We may

CornELIA mEyEr

collectively have forgotten about

northeast Asia, but North Korea stays

on top of the agenda in Japan, South

Korea, China and Taiwan.

Davos provides time out for many

leaders from different walks of life. It

gives them the space to discuss

important issues in public as well as

behind closed doors. It that sense, the

forum truly achieves its objective of

"improving the state of the world."

The environment has come to the

forefront of collective apprehension.

Typhoons, wildfires and floods have

US President Donald Trump will attend this year, and

speak on Tuesday, the opening day. German Chancellor

Angela merkel, European Central Bank president Christine

Lagarde, ImF managing director Kristalina Georgieva,

Finland's prime minister Sanna marin, UnAIDS director

Winnie Byanyima and environmental activist Greta

Thunberg are among hundreds of high-level speakers.

JoSEPH nATHAn

dominated the headlines. Barely a week

passes without the release of a new report

on the acceleration of climate change.

Even without those reports, striking

schoolchildren and demonstrations by

Extinction Rebellion would not have

allowed us to forget the climate emergency.

In that context it is important that the

forum's international business council will

release a universal Environmental, Social

and Governance scorecard.

The future of work will get a lot of

attention: WEF's annual meeting in

2016 was among the first gatherings to

draw attention to "Industry 4.0," or the

fourth industrial revolution, and how

artificial intelligence and robotics will

change the nature of work. The debate

has picked up pace since then. For

instance, the Future Investment

Initiative in Riyadh - "Davos in the

desert" - devoted a large part of its

gathering last year to this topic.

Many criticize Davos for being elitist,

and it probably is, but the world has

always been run by elites of sorts. The

leaders from business, politics and civil

society who attend all constitute the

cream of the crop in their fields.

However, Schwab has done a fine job

widening the circle from business to

politics, and then to civil society. The

organization's global agenda councils

search far and wide to assemble

relevant topics and participants. WEF's

scholarly reports are well researched

and relevant. Last but not least, the

forum has given many young leaders

visibility and brought many issues to

prominence; Greta Thunberg's

environmental advocacy might never

have been so successful had it not been

for her first appearance on the

mountain top last year.

Davos provides time out for many

leaders from different walks of life. It

gives them the space to discuss

important issues in public as well as

behind closed doors. It that sense, the

forum truly achieves its objective of

"improving the state of the world" - or

at least trying to do so.

Source: Arab news

Has US overplayed its tech advantage?

The shooting down of a Ukrainian

passenger jet on January 8 has

placed the Iranian government at

odds with the global community.

Domestically, it has also ignited a push

against the regime. It was indeed a very

bad mistake in which 176 lives were lost

needlessly.

When Canadian Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau first implicated the

Iranians for shooting down the aircraft

the day after the incident, most levelheaded

individuals were inclined to see

it as another blame game between the

superpowers.

Within hours, when the US validated

Trudeau's allegation, some critics even

lambasted President Donald Trump for

engineering another dangerous plot

against the Iranians after having killed

General Qasem Soleimani, the head of

the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,

just six days earlier.

Here lies the ambiguity: How did the

Canadian and US intelligence agencies

knew with such precision and accuracy that

it was the Iranians who had shot down the

Ukrainian airline with a TOR-M1 missile,

as reported by The New York Times, when

aviation experts across the world are still

clueless about the disappearance of

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?

Obviously, the US is not as weak as it

wants the world to believe whenever it is

in confrontation with China over 5G

(fifth-generation telecom) technology.

This raises the question as to whether

there could be another more sinister

plot behind this tragic incident.

There was a time when technologies

were aggregated into common protocols

so that manufacturers and developers

across the world could develop, share

and gain from a globally accepted

standard within the concept of a free

market. But as the Americans started

exploiting every conceivable technology

to undermine the territorial and cyber

security of nations that were at odds

with them, other power blocs started to

develop their own global navigation

positioning systems (GNSS) and

infrastructure to reduce the risks of such

interference. It does not pay to be overly

reliant on the US these days.

The loss of reasonable control over

their own territorial and cyber security,

and the exploitation of personal data of

their citizens, is forcing many the leaders

of these economies to take a firmer

stance against the US. At the economic

level, they know too well that such

unrestrained currency outflows for any

one-sided technology consumption

would ultimately bring their economies

to their knees.

The Russians have their GLONASS,

the Chinese their BeiDou Navigation

System (BDS), the European Union is

working on Galileo, while the Japanese

are augmenting their Quasi-Zenith

Satellite System (QZSS). Even India has

the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite

System (IRNSS). All these economies

are no longer overly reliant on the US for

The settlement policy, while not leaving Hazaras unharmed, came

at the vast expense of Tajiks and Uzbeks, two other ethnic groups

who, despite widespread neglect and deprivation that was common

to all in impoverished Afghanistan, saw arable land around them

given to Pashtun settlers. State-administered irrigation programs

were implemented mostly by forcing the able-bodied among

rural Tajiks and Uzbeks to build the canals.

AnDrEW HAmmonD

their military or technological security.

These regional navigation systems are

now utilizing autonomous geo-spatial

positioning with global coverage and are

not limited to the six orbital planes of the

standard Global Positioning System

(GPS). GNSS-compatible equipment

can transcend both the GNSS and GPS

networks and has an accuracy of just a

few millimeters.

This partly explains why the US is

taking its battle on 5G technology with

the Chinese so seriously. As a faltering

global leader, the Americans do not take

it kindly when China tries to snatch a

lunch right from under their nose. As

such, the US-China trade war goes

beyond economics and ideology. It is

about global domination across every

conceivable technology that consumers

and governments worldwide are

addicted to these days.

Metaphorically, technology is the new

opium that rakes in money, power and

control. Take a look at the way consumers

across the world are utilizing technologies.

From smartphones to mobile apps, from

cloud-computing to cybersecurity, trillions

of dollars are being spent by consumers and

their governments. The Americans were

laughing their way to the bank until the

Chinese came along and upset their game.

As greed has no boundary or limit,

every challenger or opposition to the

consumption of this "new opium"

means a loss in revenue, power and

control for the US and its preferred

allies. Sharing the spoils with others is

looking like an inconceivable option for

them at this stage.

To call the tension between the US and

China a trade war undermines this

greater reality. From unilateral

sanctions to outright destruction of

economies, it is starting to look as if the

US is using technology to regain global

domination at all costs.

Source: Asia Times

50 years on, Davos meets at troubled tipping point

The World Economic Forum (WEF)

starts on Tuesday its landmark

50th anniversary summit in Davos,

Switzerland. Yet, while the session is a

landmark for international cooperation

after a half century of such sessions, storm

clouds are on the horizon as reflected in

this year's theme of "stakeholders for a

cohesive and sustainable world".

The fact that US President Donald

Trump is perhaps the most high-profile

guest in the Swiss ski resort personifies

these tensions. It is his own "America

First" vision which has been a key driver of

the breakdown in international

agreements and cooperation in the last

few years by undermining a range of

global agreements, including the Paris

climate change treaty.

To be sure, Trump has significant

support - in the United States and

internationally - with his agenda, and he

stands a significant of winning four more

years in office in November. Yet, he will

not be very popular among the elites and

activists in and around Davos who tend to

see him more as a menace than

international messiah.

In this vacuum, others have been

warmly received in Davos, including

Chinese President Xi Jinping who became

the first Chinese president to give a

speech, well received at the event in 2017,

where he made an impassioned defence of

globalisation in the face of Trump's

protectionist rhetoric.

It is increasingly likely that the future of

the international order may well depend

on the shape of bilateral relations which

could be shaping what is sometimes called

a multi-bilateral world - or a network of

loosely coordinated bilateral and regional

trade deals.

The key themes of promoting a more

cohesive, sustainable world at this year's

Davos underlines that, a generation from

the promise of the late 1980s and early

1990s, which saw the collapse of Soviet

Communism, many expectations about

how the post-Cold War world might look

have been dashed, not least around

international cooperation. The WEF itself

has ridden this wave of optimism and

pessimism through its provision in the last

several decades of a global platform for

dialogue.

Its early successes in bolstering

international cooperation included the

Davos Declaration signed in 1988 by

Greece and Turkey, which saw the two

turn back from the brink of war. In 1989,

moreover, North and South Korea held

their first ministerial-level meetings at the

WEF in Switzerland, and East German

Prime Minister Hans Modrow and

German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met

The key themes of promoting a more cohesive, sustainable world at this

year's Davos underlines that, a generation from the promise of the late

1980s and early 1990s, which saw the collapse of Soviet Communism,

many expectations about how the post-Cold War world might look have

been dashed, not least around international cooperation. The WEF itself

has ridden this wave of optimism and pessimism through its provision in

the last several decades of a global platform for dialogue.

there to discuss German reunification.

Three decades on, the idealistic future

vision held by some then of a universal

order of liberal, capitalist, democratic states

living in peace and contentment has been

undermined. As multiple reports highlight,

there is currently a potentially toxic cocktail

of trade disputes, environmental risks,

cyber threats, and geopolitical dangers

threatening the fundamental fabric of the

global political economy.

To be sure, as a generation ago, the

United States remains the world's most

powerful country, certainly in a military

sense. And it can still project and deploy

overwhelming force relative to any

probable enemy as Iran, for instance, is

well aware as it currently considers its

options after the assassination of Qasim

Soleimani.

Yet, there are now multiple challenges

confronting the US-led order today which

have helped drive the international

fractures that the WEF will discuss. For

instance, following Russia's annexation of

Crimea, US relations with Russia are now

more strained than at any time since the

Cold War, despite Trump's professed desire

to try to improve relations. And the Israeli-

Palestinian peace process has collapsed

again, while Washington and Pyongyang

remain locked into stalled nuclear

diplomacy on the Korean peninsula.

Moreover, almost two decades after

9/11, Washington is still significantly

engaged in Afghanistan and the Middle

East. Indeed, Washington could become

significantly more entrenched in the latter

region if tensions with Iran continue to

grow in 2020. The congress centre, venue

of the World Economic Forum in Davos,

Switzerland, January 13, 2020.

Source : Gulf news

DEVELOPMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2019

5

A global system change if required to change some certain country's climate goal.

Photo: India Climate Dialogue

Countries should not vote

against in climate talks

Development Desk

"We do not have to seek

unanimity and no country has

the right of veto" in climate

negotiations, according to

Claire O'Neill, who is going to

preside over the crucial 2020

UN climate summit scheduled

in Glasgow this November.

For O'Neill, who stepped out

of the Boris Johnson cabinet

after the recent British election

so that she can concentrate on

the summit to be held later this

year at Galsgow, the way to rein

in climate change is through

"coalitions of the willing". US

President Donald Trump is

pulling his country out of the

2015 Paris agreement, but a

majority of sub-national actors

in the US are part of this

coalition, she pointed out.

The former British energy

minister - proud of having

piloted her country's "net zero"

greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions goal by 2050 through

a former Conservative cabinet -

started her coalition building in

New Delhi right at the

beginning of the year.

She met Indian ministers,

bureaucrats, industry groups,

think tanks and invited

audiences. In her talk to the last

group she repeatedly praised

the steps India is taking to

combat climate change. India

and Britain are the only two

G20 countries that have so far

met their pledges under the

2015 Paris agreement.

This year's climate summit

becomes crucial because

scientists have said countries

need to first meet and then

ramp up the commitments they

made in Paris, and 2020 is a

milestone year for that. This

may have been the reason

O'Neill started her year of

climate diplomacy in New

Delhi, though she declined to

say what the Indian government

had told her. She is also clearly

aware that the UN climate

summit in Madrid last

December failed over the role

that financial markets can play

to control GHG emissions, and

this impasse may continue. She

said the summit could go ahead

and take crucial decisions in all

other spheres.

Some unpopular crops could

become climate saviors

Jenny Morber

In southern Israel's stifling heat, rows

of salicornia, commonly known as

sea asparagus or sea beans, grow

under translucent tarps, planted into

ground more sand than soil, irrigated

with saltwater. This environment

would kill most plants, but these

segmented succulents look beautiful

- green and healthy. In partnership

with researchers at Ben Gurion

University of the Negev, local farmers

are exporting them to markets in

nearby countries.

These researchers' efforts are

defining what extremes the plant can

withstand, its nutrient needs, and

how to get it to grow faster and with

greater yield. As the planet warms

and the seas rise, resilient crops like

sea beans might become climate

saviors. But only if we are willing to

eat them.

Climate change is already

affecting our food supply. In a

paper published this year,

researchers calculated that the

available calories from the world's

top 10 food crops were 1% less

annually than they would have

been without the impact of climate

change. Surveys show the potential

for drought tops people's climate

concerns worldwide, but when it

comes to growing crops, says Hope

Michelson, an assistant professor of

agriculture and consumer

economics at University of Illinois

at Urbana-Champaign, "it's not just

the amount of rain" that matters.

Crops are also sensitive to

variations in how quickly that rain

falls, high and low temperature

extremes, the frequency and

intensity of storms, and the length

and timing of growing periods.

Food crops that can withstand such

conditions will be increasingly

important, and much discussion

around climate-friendly food focuses

on consumer choices and what they

mean for broader adoption of these

crops.

But outside factors, the food and

beverage industries among them,

exert influence over our choices.

While data on adults is mixed,

research shows that food marketing

strongly influences children. A 2009

article in the Annual Review of Public

Health found evidence "that

television food advertising increases

children's preferences for the foods

advertised and their requests to

parents for those foods." A more

recent look at the data in The

American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition concluded, "Evidence to

date shows that acute exposure to

food advertising increases food

intake in children but not in adults."

Federal, state and local

governments shape our eating habits,

too, through tax initiatives, zoning

laws, food assistance programs,

school lunch nutrition standards,

research funding and more.

Government policy, Michelson says,

is very influential "with respect to

agriculture and what people are

growing and where they're growing

it." Eli Wheat, a farmer and lecturer

at the University of Washington's

Program on the Environment, also

sees the outsized influence the

government has on food production

and choice. "The federal government

is so deeply engaged in subsidizing

food production in our nation that it

basically is not allowing free market

forces to act," he says.

Still, while most researchers

recognize the importance of largescale

actions, such as those by large

companies and government

regulations, to influence the food

system, many emphasize that

individual food choices can also have

an impact.

"You can most definitely … make a

movement with your pocketbook,"

says Samantha Mosier, an assistant

professor in the political science

department at East Carolina

University. She points to trends in

soda consumption, which has

declined significantly in recent years.

"Some of this has been brought on by

the millennial generation trying to be

healthier and to avoid some of the

pitfalls of our older generation,"

Mosier says. Soda giants Coca-Cola

and Pepsi are now investing in lower

sugar options like kombucha,

coconut water and sparkling water.

"When you think about land use

and the predictions for climate

change, much of it depends on

consumer preferences," says

Christine Foyer, a professor of plant

sciences at University of Birmingham

in the U.K. "People decide what they

eat, and economics drives the crops

which drives the science," she says.

"Everybody matters."

Environmentally sensitive eating

often focuses on reducing meat

consumption, and for good reason.

"The environmental cost particularly

of beef is enormous," Foyer says. Last

year in the journal Science,

researchers estimated that globally,

"[m]oving from current diets to a diet

that excludes animal products has

transformative potential, reducing

food's land use by 3.1 billion"

hectares (7.7 billion acres) and

greenhouse gas emissions by

approximately 6.6 billion metric tons

(7.3 billion tons).

As the planet warms, unusual crops could become climate saviors - but

only if we're willing to eat them.

Photo: Collected

70 percent of global population lack basic access to justice

Alessandra Bergamin

In 2007, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Peru's central

coast, killing hundreds of people and injuring many more.

In the port town of Pisco, about three hours south of the

capital of Lima, the earthquake hit especially hard: Homes

and buildings crumbled to the ground, the roof of the San

Clemente cathedral collapsed upon churchgoers, and, as

The New York Times described it, the city's main plaza was

transformed into a "makeshift morgue." In the months

that followed, humanitarian assistance was focused on

finding survivors and ensuring that the basic needs of

some 85,000 affected families were met. But as the dust

settled and the crisis subsided, Pisco's victims found

themselves in limbo.

"You have humanitarian intervention in the moment

itself and when the emergency is gone, people have to take

on their new life," says Patricia van Nispen tot Sevenaer -

the founder of Microjustice4All, a legal empowerment

organization. "That process takes time."

When Microjustice4All began working in Pisco eight

years after the earthquake, many of those affected had fled

to the outskirts of town or the rural areas beyond because

they lacked the property documents required to access

reconstruction assistance from humanitarian aid

organizations. Living in informal housing, often without

access to water or sanitation and with no legal right to the

land they depended upon, earthquake victims risked being

displaced once again. For the Microjustice4All team,

which focuses on ensuring that vulnerable communities

have access to basic legal documents, this was especially

concerning.

For two years, the Microjustice4All Peru team worked in

Pisco and held almost 2,500 legal consultations with

residents, seeking to obtain or correct their personal and

property documents. In one case, facilitators met an

elderly woman whose home was damaged in the

earthquake but because of unresolved legal issues, she was

unable to access loans or government programs to aid with

repairs. A legal facilitator from Microjustice4all helped her

resolve the issue in about a month.

"People need to be able to go on with their lives and get

back to their pre-disaster situation, at the very least," says

Van Nispen tot Sevenaer. "To do that, legal documents are

essential." For these people, the law can appear to be either

an abstract concept or a threat to their livelihood. Because

of this, thousands of organizations, including

Microjustice4All, have begun to advance the idea of legal

empowerment: equipping people with the knowledge and

skills necessary to use the law to exercise their basic rights.

While the term itself emerged in the early 2000s, the

practice dates back to the 1950s, when South African

paralegals helped nonwhites defend themselves against

apartheid.

More recently, as communities face a multitude of

environmental problems, some exacerbated by climate

change and others born from extractive industries, legal

empowerment has become a powerful environmental

justice tool. The idea and practice has even gained enough

traction to be included among the United Nations'

Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015.

"We're living in a time of historic concentration of

power," says Maru. "And the law, which is supposed to be

one of the most important tools we have for challenging

environmental destruction, has fallen victim to that

concentration of power."

In an ideal world, says Marco Simons, an attorney with

EarthRights International (ERI) - a global environmental

organization that describes itself as "combin[ing] the

power of the law and the power of people" - any legal

strategy would be formulated and spearheaded by those

from the affected community. But most of the world is not

yet at that point, Simons says.

"We'd like to move in that direction, because that's when

communities have the tools in their own hands to resist

and demand accountability," he says. In the meantime,

partnerships forged between those with resources and

those without are beginning to close the gap between who

is able to defend their rights and who is structurally or

economically prohibited from doing so. From Peruvian

farmers litigating against mining companies in the U.S.

court system to community paralegals fighting the harmful

impact of extractive industries in India, legal

empowerment offers communities a way into the legal

system and a means of reclaiming its power. In Pisco,

Microjustice4All began by researching who, because of

poverty or other circumstance, did not have access to

personal or property documents and as a result was

excluded from the legal system. Alongside displaced

victims living in temporary housing, the team found that

among the widows and single mothers who had received

legal assistance from people such as tramitadores (people

who process documents), many still, nearly a decade after

the natural disaster, had incorrect papers and were living

in unsafe homes across the city. Additionally, Van Nispen

tot Sevenaer says, most people's property issues had begun

long before the earthquake itself, adding another layer of

complexity to the recovery process. Through their work in

Pisco, Microjustice4All's local legal team addressed some

500 cases in the city, the majority of them tied to

untangling complex property rights.

"Our clients always say, 'finally we belong,'" Van Nispen

tot Sevenaer says. "It's not only the paperwork, it's also a

feeling that you become a citizen." While the work

Microjustice4All engages in is one method of tackling basic

legal issues, another is the practice of "barefoot lawyers" or

community paralegals. Since 2011, Namati has been

building a global movement of community paralegals

By sharing the knowledge and skills needed to exercise basic rights, legal empowerment advocates are

helping disenfranchised people fight pollution, gain access to clean water and sanitation, protect land rights

and more.

Photo: ENSIA

focused on environmental justice in India, Sierra Leone,

Myanmar, Kenya and, most recently, the United States.

While community paralegals don't need to have a legal

background, Maru says they're often looking for locals with

a proven commitment to the common good and a strong

rapport with the community in which they live. But much

like the dangers faced by global environmental defenders,

there's also an element of personal risk for community

paralegals confronting corporations. "We have found that

you cannot train paralegals and then leave them alone,"

says Maru. "That's a way of doing more harm than good."

In part because of this, Namati formed the Global Legal

Empowerment Network, an online and in-person forum

that helps lawyers and grassroots organizations share

knowledge and resources. This "vertical network," as Maru

describes it, also supports those taking on powerful

interests and companies. Natural Justice, an

environmental and human rights law organization based

in sub-Saharan Africa, is a member of this network and

works with a similar paralegal model. For example, in

northern and coastal Kenya, community environmental

legal officers train and assist community members on how

to submit complaints that arise from legal violations

caused by extractive and infrastructure projects.

For Maru, part of the appeal of legal empowerment is the

ability to make meaningful progress without the need to

necessarily go to court. While taking a case to court can be

effective, it has traditionally been viewed as an expensive,

prohibitive and disempowering experience. But

sometimes, cases are best litigated in court and as a result,

organizations have begun to apply the principles of legal

empowerment to a that more traditional process.

In communities across California's Central Valley, where

sprawling agricultural fields abut oil wells, the Center for

Race, Poverty, and the Environment (CRPE) - a U.S.

environmental justice organization - takes a communityfirst

approach to litigation. When cases go to court, staff

attorneys collaborate with local community groups to

build an organizing plan alongside the case. This could

include protests, petition drives or even organizing a court

translator so that those most affected - often low-income

immigrants - can participate in the proceedings, according

to Ingrid Brostrom, the organization's assistant director.

While CRPE has several ongoing cases related to resource

extraction, climate change and the management of

utilities, Brostrom says that the goal is to help

communities become the solution.

"Rather than attacking every single polluter, we can

reduce pollution by building power," she says. ERI has

used other innovative strategies in the pursuit of justice.

For the past two years, the organization's attorneys have

been working with Máxima Acuña Atalaya de Chaupe, a

subsistence farmer from Peru's rural highlands and

Goldman Environmental Prize winner, to fight a case

against Newmont Mining. According to ERI, Chaupe and

her family have been pressured and physically harassed to

vacate their land in order to accommodate a gold mining

project. Family members say they have been attacked and

threatened by representatives from the mining giant and

their property and possessions, including livestock, have

been damaged or attacked. Given that Newmont is a U.S.

corporation, Chaupe's case for damages is being tried in

Delaware, where the company is incorporated.

ERI has pioneered the use of another legal tool - the

Foreign Legal Assistance (FLA) statute - to help public

interest lawyers working abroad. Through the FLA, local

lawyers can access relevant documents and testimony

from people or corporations based in the U.S. In 2012, ERI

filed an FLA action on behalf of five Nigerian villagers who

were suing Chevron Nigeria, claiming the corporation

caused environmental and health harm to their

community.

NATIONAL

TueSDAY, JAnuARY 21, 2020 6

Present government is disability-friendly government: Gaibandha DC

Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque as the chief guest distributed

blankets given by BIFPCL in Rampal-Mongla upazilas recently. Photo: Titash Chakraborthey

BIFPCL distributes blankets in Rampal-Mongla

TITASH CHAKRABoRTHEY, KHULNA CoRRESPoNDENT:

Bangladesh-India Friendship Power

Company (Pvt.) Limited (BIFPCL) has

been contributing significantly for the

social development through diversified

social works including distribution of

blankets in Rampal and Mongla

upazilas of Bagerhat district. These

activities are focused on changing the

fate of mass people of this region.

Mayor of Khulna City Corporation

(KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque made

these remarks while distributing

blankets given by BIFPCL in Gouramva

union on Sunday as chief guest. A total

of four thousand blankets have been

distributed by the company amongst

the destitute suffering from cold

weather in different union parishads of

Rampal and Mongla upazilas

Mayor of Khulna City Corporation

(KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque,

attended the distribution program as

chief guest while SC Pandey, Project

Director of Maitree Super Thermal

Power Project (MSTPP), Rampal

presided over the function. Among

others, Md. Rezaul Karim, Deputy

Project Director, MSTPP, Sidharth

Gazipur City Corporation Mayor Advocate Mohammad Jahangir Alam

received the 'Saint Mother Teresa Award' which was introduced by the Saint

Mother Teresa International Award Committee in India. He has been honored

as a successful political figure in Bangladesh. Governor of West Bengal

Jagdeep Dhankhar handed over the award to him at a function held at the

eZCC Auditorium in Kolkata recently. During the time, Indian Justice

Shyamol Sen, Mother Teresa International Award Committee Chairman Asni

Arun Biswas and Vice Chairman Principal Dr. T. H. Ireland were among others

also present at the occasion.

Photo: Courtesy

Satkhira District Crime Reporters

Association re-formed

MATIUR RAHMAN MADHU, SATKHIRA CoRRESPoNDENT:

Satkhira District Crime Reporters

Association Committee has been reformed.

A two-year committee of Satkhira

District Crime Reporters Association was

re-formed at a meeting chaired by

journalist Matiur Rahman Madhu at the

organizing office in Palashpol in the district

on Monday.

Satkhira district correspondent of 'The

Bangladesh Today organized Matiur

Rahman Madhu was elected as president,

Daily Bhorer Pata, Desh Shongjog

newspaper and district representative of

Quality TV SM Mohidar Rahman was

elected as the general secretary and district

representative of Khulna Times, Mehdi Ali

Sujoy was elected as the organizing

secretary. 101 members full committee,

including 33 executive members were

announced.

other members of the committee are

vice-presidents Md. Abul Kalam, M

Eduzzaman Idris, GM Mujibur Rahman,

Md Abdul Hakim. Co- General Secretaries

Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Abbas,

Khandaker Anisur Rahma and

Mohammad Hafizur Rahman, Coorganizing

Secretary Md. Abidul Haque

Munna, Finance Secretary Sheikh Aminur

Rashid Sujan, Law Secretary Adv Azharul

Islam, Information Secretary Sheikh

Hasan Gafur, office Secretary Borhan

Uddin Bulu, Publicity Secretary SM

Tajminur Rahman Tutul, Training

Secretary Md. Feroz Hossain, Education

Secretary Professor Rajab Ali, Publication

Secretary Asif Parvez Biru, Public Welfare

Secretary Md. Ziaur Rahman, Cultural

Secretary S Mashiur Rahman Feroz,

Human Rights Secretary Khan Nazmul

Hossain, Public Relation Secretary Md

Kamal Hossain, Social Welfare Secretary

GM Sohrab Hossain, Religious Affairs

Secretary Md. Abul Hossain. Functional

members Md. Shah Alam, Saiful Bari Safu,

Syed Rezaul Karim Bappa, MA Newaz, Dr

Ahidur Rahman, Syed Abdus Salam

Panna, Lecturer Nazmul Haque and Md

Anwar Hossain.

A two-year committee of Satkhira District Crime Reporters Association

was re-formed in the district on Monday. Photo: TBT

Mondal, DGM (HR), Tariqul Islam,

DM (HR),BIFPCL, President of Khulna

TV Reporters Unity Mallick

Sudhangsu, Gouramva Nunion

Chairman Geach Uddin were present at

the function. It may be mentioned that

BIFPCL is implementing various

community development activities in

the vicinity of project site in Rampal

and Mongla. Free health services, skill

development and support to local

educational institutions and students

and traditional cultural programs for

the local community are such initiatives

of the company.

Annual Sports

Competition

held in Sreepur

M R JINNAH, SREEPUR CoRRE-

SPoNDENT:

Annual Sports Competition,

cultural program and prize

distribution ceremony were

held at Amtoil Secondary

School and Govt. Primary

School field in Sreepur upazila

under Magura district on

Monday.

The ceremony was presided

by Amtoil Secondary School

Managing Committee

president and managing

Director of Triple Seven

Apparels Ltd in Mirpur

Dhaka, Md Rofiqul Islam.

Sreepur Upazila Nirbahi

officer Md. Yeasin Kabir was

present as the chief guest.

Among others, officer Incharge

of Sreepur police

station Md. Mahabubur

Rahman and Sreepur upazila

Awami League president Md

Abul kalam Azad were present

as special guests. To enhance

the beauty of the ceremony,

eight houses Begum Rokeya,

Shamsunnahar, Kaminee

Roy, Begum Sufia Kamal,

Ibrahim Hossain , Ebadot

Hossain, Abdul Halim and

Shamsuddin were built to

attract the attention of the

audience

Headmaster of Amtoil

Secondary School Molla

Faizur Rahman Lavu

arranged the occasion.

Teacher, student and staffs

attended the function.

Thousands of people enjoyed

the cultural show.

Re-excavation work of

6.70 km canal started

in Gobindaganj

GAIBANDHA: Reexcavating

work of 6.70 km

canal from South Kamardaha

to Kandarbapur area under

Kamardaha union of

Gobindaganj upazila in the

district began on Sunday

amid much enthusiasm to the

locals, reports BSS.

Local lawmaker Engineer

Monwar Hossain Chowdhury

inaugurated the work as the

chief guest at a function

organised by Bangladesh

Agricultural Development

Corporation (BADC) at

Chapriganaj village of the

upazila in the afternoon.

Upazila chairman Abdul

Latif Prodhan attended the

event as the special guest

while local union parishad

chairman Syed Shariful Islam

Ratan presided over the

ceremony.

Executive engineer of BADC

(Irrigation) Chittaranjan Roy

said BADC would implement

the work at the cost of Taka

one crore under its Greater

Bogura and Dinajpur Small

Irrigation Project and the

work would be completed by

February, 2020.

RAFIQUL ISLAM, GAIBANDHA

CoRRESPoNDENT:

Gaibandha Deputy

Commissioner (DC) Abdul

Matin said that creating a

disability school is a great

task. The present

government is government is

disability-friendly

government. It is a

misconception that a child

becomes disabled when a

person commits sins. In fact,

children can get impaired for

various reasons. Therefore, it

is necessary to identify the

reasons and follow the

correct rules.

Gaibandha Deputy

Commissioner (DC) Abdul

Matin said this while

addressing a 'Ma

Shomabesh' as the chief

guest at Tamiz Uddin Buddhi

Protibondi and Autistic

School in Rampur village

(Komarapur bazaar) of

Barishal Union in Palashbari

Upazila of Gaibandha on

Monday. He further said that

every disabled person has to

get a card from the social

Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdul Matin as the chief guest addressed a

'Ma Shomabesh' at Tamiz uddin Buddhi Protibondi and Autistic School in

Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha on Monday.

service. Students with MP of Gaibandha-3

disabilities will get disability (Palasbari-Sadullapur)

allowance as well as constituency Tofazzal

education allowance when Hossain Sarker and

they go to school. Let your

disabled child do what he or

she wants to do.

President of the school

Rafiqul Islam presided over

the occasion while among

others, Superintendent of

Police Mohammad Touhidul

Palashbari Upazila Awami

League general secretary

Shamikul Islam Sarker Lipon

were also present at the

occasion.

Superintendent of Police

Mohammad Touhidul Islam

in his speech said that the

Islam, Palashbari Upazila disabled should not be

Nirbahi officer (UNo) neglected. We always need to

Mezbaul Hossain, former keep them in good shape. By

The sixth edition of Debignaj Premier League (DPL) 2020 was inaugurated

at the Public Club ground of Debiganj upazila on Monday.

Photo: Rahat Hasan Rony

Officer in-charge of Banaripara police station Shishir Kumar Pal recently

received the award for best investigation officer of Barishal police range. He

received the award from DIG Md Shafiqul Islam. During the time, Barishal Police

Super Md Saiful Islam was also present at the occasion. Photo: S Mizanul Islam

Sreepur upazila nirbahi Officer Md. Yeasin Kabir addressed the inauguration

ceremony of annual sports competition, cultural program and prize distribution

ceremony at Amtoil Secondary School and Govt. Primary School field in

Sreepur upazila under Magura district on Monday. Photo: M R Jinnah

Photo: Rafiqul Islam

doing this their mental

attitude will be better.

Mentally we all need to be

well. only then can everyone

do good things.

Later,

Deputy

Commissioner Abdul Matin

and Superintendent of Police

Mohammad Touhidul Islam

planted two saplings of

mango and guava tree in the

school premises. They then

visit the school and talked

with the students and

parents.

CRI distributes winter clothes in natore

NAToRE CoRRESPoNDENT:

China

Railway

International Group Co. Ltd.

(CRIG) distributed winter

clothes including muffler and

scarfs among the destitute

people and autistic children at

Singra Upazila in Natore

District on Friday.

State Minister of ICT

ministry Zunaid Ahmed Palak

MP was present as a chief

guest and distributed winter

clothes.

Executive

Representative Zhang

Xiaoliang of China Railway

International Group was also

present in the programme.

China

Railway

International Group Co., Ltd.

(CRIG) is the platform

developing international

businesses on behalf of China

Railway Group Limited

(CREC). CREC is a superlarge

integrated state-owned

construction group with more

than 290,000 staffs,

encompassing investment,

financing, consultancy,

Sixth edition

of Debiganj

Premier

League

inaugurated

RAHAT HASAN RoNY, DEBI-

GANJ CoRRESPoNDENT:

The sixth edition of

Debignaj Premier League

(DPL) 2020 organized by

Debiganj Cricket

Association was

inaugurated at the Public

Club ground of Debiganj

upazila on Monday.

Debiganj Cricket

Association convener

Zulfiqar Ali Sabuj

presided over the

inauguration while

Debiganj Upazila

Parishad Chairman

Abdul Malek Chishti was

present as the chief guest

at the occasion. Among

others, Debiganj Upazila

Nirbahi officer and

Debiganj Municipal

Administrator Prottoy

Hasan, Upazila Awami

League President Gias

Uddin Chowdhury,

Upazila Awami League

General Secretary and

Chief Advisor of Debiganj

Cricket Association

Hasnat Zaman

Chowdhury, Debiganj

Upazila Awami League

Joint General Secretary

Abu Bakr Siddique Abu,

Upazila Parishad

Women's Vice Chairman

Ritu Akhter and officer

in-charge of Debiganj

Police Station Rabiul

Islam were also present at

the occasion.

It is to be noted that 7

teams are participating in

the sixth edition of

Debignaj Premier League

(DPL) 2020.

nATORe: Winter clothes including muffler and scarfs were distributed among the

poor and disabled people at Singra upazila organised by China Railway

International Group Co. Ltd (CRIG) recently.

Photo: TBT

survey, design, manufacture, Infrastructure, municipal League, Md. Jannatul

supply, construction, utilities, building, highway, Ferdous, Mayor, Singra

installation, operation and

management services. The

airport, port, power plant and

so forth.

Municipality and Shamima

Haque Rozi, Upazila Vicescope

of CREC business Among others, Shekh Chairman, Singra Upazila

covers from railway, urban ohidur Rahman, President, Parishad were also present in

rail transport (metros), ICT Singra Upazila Awami the function.

INTERNATIONAL

TUESDAY,

JANUARY 21, 2020

7

Special army and government rescue personnel were searching again on Monday for four South

Korean trekkers and their three Nepali guides lost since an avalanche swept a popular trekking

route in Nepal's mountains.

Photo : AP

Nepal rescuers search for 7 after

avalanche hit hiking trail

10 years after Vatican takeover,

Legion in new abuse crisis

The administrator of the elite Catholic

school in Cancun, Mexico, used to take

the girls out of class and send them to

the chapel, where the priest from the

Legion of Christ religious order would

sexually abuse them, reports UNB.

"As some were reading the Bible, he

would rape the others in front of them,

little girls aged 6 to 8 or 9," said one of

his victims, Ana Lucia Salazar, now a

36-year-old Mexican television host

and mother of three.

"Afterward, nothing was the same,

nothing went back to the way it was,"

she said through tears at her home in

Mexico City.

Salazar's horrific story, which has

been corroborated by other victims and

the Legion itself, has sparked a new

credibility crisis for the once-influential

order, 10 years after the Holy See took

it over after determining that its

founder was a pedophile.

The case has confirmed that the

Legion's abuse problem is far worse

than the founder's pathology alone.

And it has called into question the Vatican

reform: The papal envoy who ran

the order learned about the case nearly

a decade ago and declined to punish the

priest or the superiors who knew of his

crimes, many of whom are still in power

and ministry.

The scandal is not the story the

Legion was hoping for as it opens its

general chapter Monday in Rome, a

weeks-long gathering to choose new

leaders and approve policy decisions

going forward.

The assembly was supposed to have

shown off the Legion embarking fully

on its own after 10 years of Vaticanmandated

reform. The Holy See

imposed structural changes after revelations

that the Legion's late founder,

the Rev. Marcial Maciel, sexually

abused at least 60 seminarians,

fathered at least three children and

built a secretive, cult-like order to cater

to his whims and hide his double life.

The Cancun scandal, though, has

exposed that the Vatican failed to

address one key area: to punish known

historic abusers and the people who

covered for them, and change the culture

of cover-up that enabled the

crimes. From the outset, the late papal

envoy who ran the Legion, Cardinal

Velasio De Paolis, refused to hold complicit

Legion superiors accountable.

"De Paolis said there would be no

witch hunt, explicitly, and the consequence

is that abuse and its cover-up

have remained unpunished," said the

Rev. Christian Borgogno, a former

Legion priest who co-founded the

"Legioleaks" Facebook group where

Salazar first went public in May. Borgogno

said De Paolis' decision to leave

in place Legion superiors, many of

whom were close to Maciel, "made

reform impossible."

"The only way out was to foster

charismatic leaders, and they were

even repressed," he told AP. "That's the

main reason why many of us left."

Salazar, whose story has made headlines

in Mexico, goes further: "What I

want is for the pope to get radicalized,"

she said. "There's only one position, to

be on the side of the violated children,"

not a religious order that has among its

priests "villains, delinquents, rapists,

accomplices and victimizers."

Special army and government rescue

personnel were searching again on

Monday for four South Korean trekkers

and their three Nepali guides lost since

an avalanche swept a popular trekking

route in Nepal's mountains, reports

UNB.

All other trekkers who were in the

area where the avalanche swept the

Mount Annapurna trekking trail on

Friday have been safely rescued and

flown to safer areas, Department of

Tourism official Mira Acharya said.

The avalanche hit part of the Mount

Annapurna circuit trekking route after

heavy snowfall earlier in the week. In

photos taken on Tuesday, sunshine hit

bare and grassy mountain slopes. Two

days of snowfall followed, and by Friday,

snow was neck-deep and several

avalanches had occurred, a veteran

mountain guide who was helicoptered

out of the area said.

"We had crossed the area just three

hours before the big avalanche hit the

area, which has a few rest stops and

lodges," Phurba Ongel Sherpa told The

Associated Press on Monday.

On the way back, he said he saw the

area from the helicopter where the avalanche

had hit and it was blanketed

with snow. "There is no way that anyone

buried in that pile could have survived,"

he said.

Sherpa has climbed the world's firstand

second-highest peaks, Mount

Everest nine times and and K2 once.

He said communication was cut off

because of the weather. His family had

been worried after news of the avalanche

because his team was also comprised

of four Korean trekkers and

three Nepali guides.

South Korea's foreign ministry said

the missing trekkers are two women in

their 30s and 50s and two men in their

50s and are teachers who were staying

in Nepal for volunteer work.

Abe says new unit

will defend Japan

from space tech

threats

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

said Monday that Japan will

form a space defense unit to

protect itself from potential

threats as rivals develop

missiles and other technology

and the new unit will

work closely with its American

counterpart recently

launched by President Donald

Trump.

The Space Domain Mission

Unit will start in April

as part of Japan's Air Self-

Defense Force, Abe said in a

policy speech marking the

start of the year's parliamentary

session.

He said Japan must also

defend itself from threats in

cyberspace and from electromagnetic

interference

against Japanese satellites.

Concerns are growing that

China and Russia are seeking

ways to interfere, disable

or destroy satellites.

"We will drastically bolster

capability and system in

order to secure superiority"

in those areas, Abe said.

The space unit will be

added to an existing air base

at Fuchu in the western suburbs

of Tokyo, where about

20 people will be staffed

ahead of a full launch in

2020. The role of the space

unit is to conduct satellitebased

navigation and communications

for other troops

in the field, rather than

being on the ground.

Abe's Cabinet in December

approved 50.6 billion

yen ($460 million) budget in

space-related projects,

pending parliamentary

approval.

The unit will cooperate

with the U.S. Space Command

that Trump established

in August, as well as

Japan's space exploration

agency, Japan Aerospace

Exploration Agency.

Abe has pushed for

Japan's Self-Defense Force

to expand its international

role and capability by bolstering

cooperation and

weapons compatibility with

the U.S., as it increasingly

works alongside American

troops and as it grows concerned

about the increasing

capabilities of China and

North Korea.

‘Downton Abbey’

creator’s new TV

show is painfully

accurate

The period costumes of a Julian Fellowes

drama can be excruciatingly accurate, as an

actress in his new series "Belgravia" discovered,

reports UNB.

The Epix drama from "Downton Abbey"

creator Fellowes and executive producer

Gareth Neame is set in 19th-century London

and features Tamsin Greig, who starred in

the TV comedy "Episodes," and Philip

Glenister ("Cranford").

Asked if the elaborate outfits were difficult

or easy to work in, Greig gave a quick reply.

"Do you think that they look easy?' she

said. "I was under the care of an osteopath

within a week of filming, and I realized that

I should have prepared better by wearing a

corset for a few hours each day in the weeks

up to beginning shooting."

It's impossible to get the silhouette of the

1840s without the binding undergarment

that women wore, she said. If the limited

series' actresses look like they're comfortable,

Greig added, "it's really great acting."

Alice Eve ("Bombshell") and Ella Purnell

("Sweetbitter") also star in the series and

joined in a presentation to TV critics Saturday.

The six-part drama will debut April 12.

"Belgravia," set in the grand London

neighborhood of that name, was adapted by

Fellowes from his eponymous 2016 novel.

Asked to compare the series to "Downton

Abbey," the hit TV drama that unfolded in

the early 1900s, Fellowes said the projects

reflect the periods in which they're set.

For the Epix limited series, it's the "rise of

the great Victorian era of manufacturing

and money and ... the expansion of London,"

he said. "Whereas you could say that

'Downton' was on the other side of the hill, it

was part of the decline, particularly as we

follow it through the '20s."

"Belgravia" is a "can-do show," he said.

"It's really about people achieving what they

want, despite the difficulties the society

places in their path. ... But I hope it is essentially

a kind of uplifting tale."

Fellowes was pleased by the reception

for last year's big screen version of "Downton

Abbey," which arrived four years after

the series ended on PBS, but was noncommittal

about the possibility of a second

film. He's got another TV series in the

works, "The Gilded Age" for HBO, set in

1880s America.

The period costumes of a Julian Fellowes drama can be excruciatingly

accurate, as an actress in his new series "Belgravia" discovered. Photo : AP

The administrator of the elite Catholic school in Cancun, Mexico, used to take the girls out of class

and send them to the chapel, where the priest from the Legion of Christ religious order would

sexually abuse them.

Photo : AP

Giant dust storm

engulfs outback

Australia

A huge dust storm has blanketed

large parts of outback

Australia over the weekend,

with videos and images

posted on social media

showing the jaw-dropping

scale of the strange weather

event.

Stretching from Broken

Hill across to Nyngan,

Parkes and Dubbo in the

central-west of New South

Wales State, local resident

and photographer Marcia

Macmillan told News Corp

on Monday, that although it

was the worst dust storm in

15 years, the phenomenon is

becoming much more common

in the region's droughtstricken

towns, reports

UNB. "These monsters have

sadly become our new normal,

and they are just as corroding

to our emotional and

mental wellbeing as they are

to the landscape," she said.

"It's enormous. We've had

five in the last week and they

just keep rolling in."

"The relentless drought

continues, and dust storms

of this magnitude now

wreak havoc and devastation

every couple of days.

They are so common that

people continue going about

their daily routine without

taking much notice."

Caused by a combination

of strong wind, dry soil, low

moisture in the air and

unstable atmospheric conditions,

dust storms can trigger

serious health problems,

particularly for people suffering

from asthma or other

respiratory illnesses.

"Some of them actually

last all day so you're just in it,

constantly," Macmillan said.

"They go for kilometers.

Photos can't even give the

scale. While it looks horrific,

it doesn't really show the

scale of what we are living

through, sadly." "They're not

scary, they're just depressing.

Some days you can't see

anything outside and the

dirt then sits in the

atmosphere for days.

Three points but no revolution

in Setien’s Barca debut

A Leo Messi goal 15 minutes from time gave

Quique Setien a win in his first game as

coach of FC Barcelona as Barca beat Granada

1-0 in the Camp Nou Stadium on Sunday.

Barca looked in control against the rival

that limited their options in attack, but posed

few problems going forward, reports UNB.

Setien had a couple of surprises in his first

starting 11 with Samuel Umtiti starting in

central defense, while Ansu Fati was given

the chance in attack in the place of Luis

Suarez, who will be out for around four

months after a knee operation.

Meanwhile Arturo Vidal started alongside

Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic in midfield

for the suspended Frenkie de Jong.

Setien's teams are known for their possession

football and Barca enjoyed 80 percent

of the ball in the first half, although they

struggled to create clear cut chances against

a well-organized Granada.

Fati poked the ball over early on, while Leo

Messi sent a free kick over the bar after 15

minutes. Jordi Alba was again one of Barca's

main attacking outlets and Fati should have

done better from his left wing cross in the

21st minute, while Messi fired into the side

netting following another pass from the left

back on the stroke of halftime.

However, for all of their control of the ball,

chances were few and far between before the

break.

The second half followed the same script

with Barca struggling to break down their

hard-working rivals and the best chance fell

to Granada in the 65th minute when Eteki

Yan Brice hit the post for Granada from outside

of the area.

Things were made easier for Barca in the

69th minute when Granada defender German

Sanchez, was sent off after seeing a

slightly harsh second yellow card.

Setien reacted by bringing young midfielder

Riqui Puig on for Rakitic and Puig played

a role in the start of the move that ended with

Vidal back-heeling for Messi to open the

scoring in the 76th minute.

Messi then drew a flying save from Rui Silva

with 12 minutes left to play, while Griezmann

fired into the side netting as Barca saw

out the closing minutes with few problems.

The win keeps them top of the league, but

fans expecting a revolution from Setien

might have to wait a little longer.

Martin Luther King holiday: Faith,

politics mix this holiday

The nation is marking the

legacy of the Rev. Martin

Luther King Jr. with tributes

Monday recalling his past

struggles for racial equality,

observing the federal holiday

named for him against the

backdrop of a presidential

election year, reports UNB.

In an early tribute to King,

Vice President Mike Pence

spoke Sunday in Memphis,

Tennessee, at a church service

in which he recalled the

challenges and accomplishments

of the slain civil rights

leader.

Before the service, Pence

toured the National Civil

Rights Museum at the Lorraine

Motel in Memphis,

where King was fatally shot

on April 4, 1968, while standing

on a balcony. "I'm here to

pay a debt of honor and

respect to a man who from

walking the dirt roads of the

Deep South, to speaking to

hundreds of thousands on

the steps of the Lincoln

Memorial, touched the hearts

of the American people and

led the civil rights movement

to triumph over Jim Crow,"

Pence said Sunday at the

Holy City Church of God in

Christ.

Pence spoke about King's

religion and how he "challenged

the conscience of a

nation to live up to our highest

ideals by speaking to our

common foundation of

faith." Acknowledging the

nation's divisions, Pence said

that if Americans rededicate

themselves to the ideals that

King advanced while striving

to open opportunities for

everyone, "we'll see our way

through these divided times

and we'll do our part in our

time to form a more perfect

union."

As a presidential election

looms this fall, divisions rankle,

according to recent opinion

polls.

Among black Americans,

more than 80% said last year

that President Donald

Trump's actions in office

have made things worse for

people like them, while only

4% said they thought

Trump's actions have been

good for African Americans

in general.

ART & CULTURE

tUESDAy, JANUAry 21, 2020

8

HALLOWEEN

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation

with Michael Myers, the masked figure who

has haunted her since she narrowly escaped

his killing spree on Halloween night four

decades ago.

26th Screen Actors Guild Awards - Show - Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 19, 2020 - the cast

of "Parasite" accepts the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

SAG Awards 2020

Complete list of winners

Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and more win trophies

Release Date:

Director:

Writers:

Stars:

Taglines:

Genres:

Also known as:

Country:

Language:

Production:

19 October 2018 (USA)

David Gordon Green

David Gordon Green

Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer,

Andi Matichak

Face your fate

Horror, Thriller

Halloween

USA

English

Blumhouse Productions,

Miramar, Rough House Pictures

StOryLiNE

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with

Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her

since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on

Halloween night four decades ago.

|Source: IMDb]

Bong Joon-ho’s darkly funny

thriller ‘Parasite’ made history at the

Screen Actors Guild awards on

Sunday in Los Angeles, taking the

top prize for best cast in a motion

picture. It’s the first time that award

has gone to a film not in the English

language, and an even more

remarkable feat given that none of

the movie’s individual actors were

nominated.

Still, the industry’s passion for

‘Parasite’ was evident: When cast

members came out earlier in the

show to present their movie, they

were greeted with a standing

ovation. “I will never forget this

beautiful night,” actor Song Kangho

said.

Could ‘Parasite’ next go on to

become the first foreign language

film to win the best picture Oscar?

Increasingly, it seems like the race

will become a head-to-head

matchup between Bong’s film and

the war movie ‘1917,’ which took

another big precursor trophy on

Saturday night at the awards

ceremony thrown by the Producers

Guild of America.

Aside from that galvanising win, it

was business as usual at the SAG

Awards, as all four acting trophies

went to the same quartet that has

already prevailed at the Golden

Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards.

The best actress trophy went to

Renee Zellweger for ‘Judy,’ while

best-actor winner Joaquin Phoenix

(‘Joker’) praised his fellow nominees

and gave a shout-out to the late

performer who had also won awards

for playing the same role: “Really,

I’m standing here on the shoulders

of my favourite actor, Heath

Jennifer Aniston accepts the award

for outstanding performance by a

female actor in a drama series for

"the Morning Show" at the 26th

annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Ledger.”

Laura Dern won the supportingactress

award for her role as a savvy

divorce lawyer in ‘Marriage Story,’

while Brad Pitt collected yet another

supporting-actor trophy for Quentin

Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time... in

Hollywood,’ which he accepted with

a stand-up comedian’s ease.

“I’ve got to add this to my Tinder

profile,” Pitt said, before cracking

jokes about the frequent close-up

US actor Leonardo DiCaprio (r) presents to US actor robert De

Niro the SAG Life Achievment Award during the 26th Annual

Screen Actors Guild Awards show at the Shrine Auditorium in

Los Angeles on January 19, 2020.

shots of feet in ‘Once Upon a Time’

— “Seriously, Quentin has separated

more women from their shoes than

the TSA” — and noting that his role

as laid-back stuntman Cliff Booth

was hardly a stretch, since he’s “a

guy who gets high, takes his shirt off,

and doesn’t get on with his wife.” (At

that, the show cut to a reaction shot

of Pitt’s ex Jennifer Aniston.)

Robert De Niro, denied a bestactor

nomination for ‘The

Irishman,’ was still given a lifetimeachievement

award. He used his

acceptance speech to take more

swings at President Donald Trump,

and insisted, “I have as much right

as anybody — an actor, an athlete, a

musician, anybody else — to voice

my opinion. And if I have a bigger

voice because of my situation, I’m

going to use it when I see a blatant

abuse of power.”

As for the TV categories, ‘The

Crown’ prevailed in the drama-cast

category and ‘The Marvelous Mrs

Maisel’ took the best-comedy

trophy, despite an earlier bestactress

win for ‘Fleabag’ star Phoebe

Waller-Bridge. The ‘Maisel’ cast

seemed flummoxed taking the

stage: “I voted for ‘Fleabag,’” said

actress Alex Borstein.

Here is the complete list of

winners:

MOViES

- Outstanding cast: ‘Parasite’

- Best actor: Joaquin Phoenix,

‘Joker’

- Best actress: Renee Zellweger,

‘Judy’

- Best supporting actor: Brad Pitt,

‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’

- Best supporting actress: Laura

Dern, ‘Marriage Story’

- Outstanding stunt ensemble:

‘Avengers: Endgame’

tELEViSiON

- Outstanding ensemble, drama

series: ‘The Crown’

- Outstanding ensemble, comedy

series: ‘The Marvelous Mrs Maisel’

- Best actor, drama series: Peter

Dinklage ‘Game of Thrones’

- Best actor, comedy series: Tony

Shalhoub, ‘The Marvelous Mrs

Maisel’

- Best actress, drama series:

Jennifer Aniston, ‘The Morning

Show’

- Best actress, comedy series:

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, ‘Fleabag’

- Best actor, TV movie or

miniseries: Sam Rockwell,

‘Fosse/Verdon’

- Best actress, TV movie or

miniseries: Michelle Williams,

‘Fosse/Verdon’

- Outstanding stunt ensemble:

‘Game of Thrones’

Source : gulfnews.com

Paris Hilton to show

‘real Paris’ in new

documentary

Having thrown her life open for years,

it’s hard to believe there isn’t much the

public doesn’t know about Paris Hilton.

But wait, there is.

The 38-year-old socialite often

described as famous for being famous

reveals a private side of herself in ‘This is

Paris,’ a YouTube Originals documentary

premiering in May.

“It’s very emotional this movie, it’s very

raw, it’s very authentic,” an unusually

sombre and admittedly nervous Hilton

told a TV critics meeting on Saturday.

“It’s basically my entire life.”

In the documentary, she speaks

publicly for the first time about incidents

from her past and pivotal moments in

her life.

Emmy-winning director Alexandra

Dean (‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr

Story’) initially turned down the project,

having gotten her fill of seeing Hilton on

countless magazine covers while living in

Europe. Dean changed her mind after

hearing a particular story described as

“heartbreaking trauma” involving Hilton

that is revealed in the film.

Hilton herself was reluctant to take a

meeting about the project “because I

wasn’t ready to show myself.”

Eventually, she agreed and the film

crew followed her around the world for a

year.

Source : gulfnews.com

Priyadarshan : impossible to

survive in Bollywood without

focusing on entertainment

Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, who returns

to Hindi cinema after seven years with

Hungama 2, says he kept away from Bollywood

as he felt there was not much scope for

experimentation. In the last seven years,

Priyadarshan has directed Geethaanjali, Oppam

and Aamayum Muyalum in Malayalam and

Tamil films Nimir and Sometimes.

Bollywood’s affinity to mass entertainers can

be creatively stifling, the director said.

“I take cinema in South seriously. I don’t put

seriousness in Bollywood movies. Because in

Bollywood, people want entertainment even if it

has no meaning. One cannot survive in

Bollywood without focusing on entertainment,”

Priyadarshan told PTI in an interview.

Citing the example of his National Awardwinning

2008 film Kanchivaram, which

revolved around a poor weaver’s plight, the

director said, “In Hindi film industry, the

maximum one can do is try and make a film like

‘Badhaai Ho’ or ‘Andhadhun’, but if I want to

make something of the level of ‘Kanchivaram’ it

is impossible. If I will make that kind a film, it

will have no traction.” The director believes his

last few years weren’t the best phase in his life,

which adversely impacted his work.

“Because of my personal issues, last few years

were not well. Then, I made a film

(‘Geethaanjali’) with Mohanlal. It worked and

gave me some inspiration.”

Priyadarshan made his directorial debut in

A poster of Priyadarshan’s upcoming film Hungama 2.

Hindi with 1992 film Muskurahat and went on to

direct critically-acclaimed dramas Gardish and

Virasat, the films which gave a new dimension to

the careers of Bollywood mainstream actors

Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. The director,

however, became a popular name in North India

with his comedies such as Hera Pheri, Hungama,

Hulchul, Bhagam Bhag, Malamaal Weekly and

Chup Chup Ke. These films made him a pioneer

in the genre but it also pigeonholed him, the

director said.

“I started here with movies like ‘Gardish’ and

‘Virasat’ but because of ‘Hera Pheri’, I got fixed

into this block of comedy films. Now, I have

decided that I will do my experimental cinema in

South and entertainers in Bollywood. I now

know how to channelise my energies in the right

direction.” Hungama 2, produced by Venus

Films, is the second film in the franchise which

started with 2003’s Hungama. Priyadarshan

said the producers believed that no other

filmmaker could replace him in that space,

hence he decided to return to Hindi movies with

his favourite genre.

“When people tell me that my films make

them smile, I feel like I’m doing a social service

by making these light-hearted comedy movies.

So I don’t feel bad about being famous for

comedies. Maybe people won’t take me as a

great director but I feel the most difficult thing to

do is to make people laugh,” he said.

Source : indianexpress.com

H O r O S C O P E

AriES

(March 21 - April 20) : Your level of

physical and mental energy should be very

high today, Aries, and so you could feel

restless throughout the morning. As a result, you might

spend your afternoon and evening out and about,

shopping, paying visits, or attending classes or lectures.

Some stimulating discussions could take place. At some

point, you might find yourself admiring a park or garden.

tAUrUS

(April 21 - May 21) : Your level of

imagination and inspiration should be

operating at a very high level today,

Taurus, so if you've been planning to start a new artistic

project, this is the day to do it. You're also likely to be

feeling quite intuitive, so don't be surprised if you find

yourself tuning acutely in to the thoughts, feelings,

needs, and desires of others, even strangers.

GEMiNi

(May 22 - June 21): A group with

which you're affiliated could ask you to

take care of a few tasks. This might

involve making phone calls, running errands, or

both. Your energy and enthusiasm are high,

Gemini, so this is a good day to prove how valuable

your work is and how efficient you are. Make sure

that you don't take on too much, however. You

won't be helping anyone if you tire yourself out.

CANCEr

(June 22 - July 23): Important projects,

either job related or personal, might

need to be completed today in order to

meet a deadline or fulfill a promise. This could

require a lot of mental and physical effort on your

part, Cancer, which could prove somewhat stressful.

Others might lend a hand, however. It's very

important for you to remember to pace yourself.

LEO

(July 24 - Aug. 23): A long-awaited

vacation may be coming up soon for

you, Leo. The study of travel books

might be on your agenda for today. You could spend

much of your day making the necessary

arrangements, making phone calls, completing

paperwork, and running errands. You might need to

set up the care of pets or plants for your absence.

VirGO

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): This could prove to

be a very busy day, Virgo. Someone close

to you might come to you for advice on

how to manage their resources, perhaps because of

successes you've had in the past. This might take up

more time than you'd planned for, but you'll enjoy

helping your friend. Information received from TV or

newspapers could bring a new interest into your life

and spur you on to do some research on the subject.

LiBrA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Social events,

probably family related, could take up

a lot of your time today, Libra. They

might involve outings, perhaps to parks or other

recreational areas. You'll enjoy it, but your mind

may be on other matters, possibly projects you're

involved with. Some stimulating conversations

with someone close to you could take place.

SCOrPiO

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): Your home today

could be like Grand Central Station,

with lots of people coming and going

and a lot of activity taking place within the house

itself. The phone could be also ringing off the

hook, Scorpio. You might wonder if your sanity

will remain intact, but you'll make it through

without going nuts.

SAGittAriUS

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): This is probably

going to shape up to be a busy and rather

chaotic day. You might find yourself

spending a lot of time out and about, Sagittarius. You

may need to run a lot of errands and see a number of

people. A friend might accompany you. Phone calls

might need to be made in order to make arrangements

for future events, and someone might take up too

much of your time calling to chat. Pace yourself!

CAPriCOrN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Today you should

be feeling very energetic, Capricorn,

both physically and mentally, and

you're likely to feel rather anxious for some

physical activity. Go for a workout if you have time

or for a short walk if you don't. A lot of your time is

likely to be spent working on challenging tasks

that keep your mind active.

AQUAriUS

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): A lot of physical and

mental energy could be channeled today

into artistic projects of some kind,

Aquarius. Your intuition is running

rather high, so you might know instinctively what

friends, lovers, and children are feeling before they tell

you. You could also pick up a lot of their anxieties as

well. You'll need to relax a little. Go for a workout and

then attend a concert or sporting event.

PiSCES

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): Some boring paper

work regarding money, which you may

have been putting off, might need to be

executed today. Bills may need to be paid, deposits put

in the bank, and new accounts opened. You could

spend some time formulating new plans for the

future. This probably will take up a lot of your time,

Pisces, but there will still be enough for you to go

shopping and make a few necessary purchases.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

9

Relief for Barca as Messi ensures

Setien enjoys winning start

Sports Desk: Quique Setien may

want a different Barcelona but he

needed the same old Lionel Messi on

Sunday as the Argentinian gave his

new coach a winning start by scoring

in a 1-0 victory over Granada, reports

BSS.

Messi's strike in the 76th minute

decided a cagey contest at the Camp

Nou and prevented the muchanticipated

launch of Setien's new era

becoming something of a damp

squib. Victory also sends Barca back

to the top of La Liga on goal

difference, after Real Madrid had

briefly claimed first place following

their win over Sevilla on Saturday.

"I have seen many things from the

team today that I want to see," said

Setien. "But I already saw some of

them against Atletico (last weekend)

because Barca has been doing great

things for many years."

It would have been different if

Granada's Yan Eteki hadn't struck

the post with just over 20 minutes left

or their central defender German

Sanchez not been sent off for a

needless second yellow card soon

after.

The extra man was the boost Barca

needed and Messi duly poked home

his 17th goal in 21 games this season

following good work by Arturo Vidal,

Antoine Griezmann and the 20-yearold

Riqui Puig. All three had reasons

to impress, particularly Puig, whose

inclusion on the bench was an early

indication of Setien's belief in youth.

Puig's contribution after coming on

should mean more opportunities are

to come.

Setien said last week that if he could

make one guarantee, it was that

Barcelona would play good football

while he is in charge and although

few could argue this was a

transformative display following the

sacking of Ernesto Valverde, there

were certainly some encouraging

signs. The passing was faster, the

pressing higher and Messi spent

most of the match playing down the

middle, with Griezmann on the left

and Ansu Fati, another youngster, on

the right.

Setien claimed on Saturday he

would never go home happy after

winning and playing badly but a 1-0

victory gets his tenure off to a positive

start and, with Real Madrid showing

no sign of stuttering, he could hardly

afford anything less.

His team had 83 per cent

possession in the first half but

chances were not as clear-cut and, as

it was under Valverde, nearly

everything went through Messi.

His driving run teed up Fati, who

shot over, and then a cutting reverse

pass set Alba away but Fati failed to

finish at the back post.

Messi won the ball back on the

ground and then nipped past two

players. He flashed wide at the end of

a fluid team move and missed from

two free-kicks. Barca were slick,

evidently trying to pass faster and

press with more aggression. Messi

and Sergio Busquets chased and

Griezmann did too, at one point

earning the approval of the home

fans after sprinting to provide cover

at right-back.

Vidal has always harried and when

he won the ball back early in the

second half, Barca had a four against

two. But Messi's pass was heavy and

the angle for Vidal became too acute.

The game drifted and tension grew

but two moments proved crucial.

First Eteki's shot was kept out only by

the post as he drove hard past the

right hand of Ter Stegen.

Then, less than five minutes later,

Granada were reduced to 10 men

after German picked up a second

yellow card for a late hack on Messi.

It left Granada needing to survive 21

minutes and they only made it

through eight.

Puig, on for Ivan Rakitic, recovered

possession in the corner before Messi

picked up the ball centrally. In a flash,

he played in Griezmann, who found

Vidal, whose swivelled a flick back

into the path of Messi and he poked a

finish into the corner.

Setien threw both arms into the air

and looked to the sky, with joy and

also relief. Earlier, two challengers

for the top four stumbled as Valencia

were thrashed 4-1 away at Real

Mallorca and Real Sociedad beaten

3-0 by Real Betis. After Sevilla and

Atletico Madrid both lost on

Saturday, Real Madrid and

Barcelona are now eight points clear

of the chasing pack, in what looks

increasingly like a two-horse race.

Bangladesh will play the series comprising two Tests, three T20Is and one ODI in three phases to make sure

they are staying not more than a week.

Photo: BCB

BCB to send security team ahead of

Bangladesh’s travel to Pakistan

Sports Desk: Bangladesh Cricket

Board president Nazmul Hasan said

on Sunday that they are sending an

advance security team to Pakistan

while they will be accompanied by

personnel from national security

agencies during their upcoming

three-match T20I tour, reports BSS.

According to BCB officials, a group

of security team will travel to

Pakistan a day before the team is

scheduled to fly while National

Security Intelligence (NSI), regarded

as the top-most security agency, will

be also in Pakistan during the tour.

The BCB and PCB on January 14

reached a consensus to ensure

Bangladesh's upcoming tour of

Pakistan would go ahead as planned

though doubts were raised after the

tourists decided not to send their

team for more than seven days at a

stretch due to security reasons, for

the three-match T20I series along

with the two Tests.

Subsequently, under the new

agreement, Bangladesh will play the

series comprising two Tests, three

T20Is and one ODI in three phases to

make sure they are staying not more

than a week. The tour kicks off with

the first installment comprising the

three T20Is, scheduled to be played

between January 24 and 27.

The Asian nation will return to

Pakistan to play the first Test,

starting on February 7 and return

once again to play the lone ODI on

April 3 and the second Test of the

series will begin on April 5. Both

Tests will be part of the World Test

Championship.

"Yes, our advanced security team is

going before we travel to Pakistan,"

Nazmul told reporters at the Sher-e-

Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.

"We will have security from NSI.

They will go first while some of them

will arrive later.

"We will ensure best preparation

from our side. I am trying for that.

We did not want to discuss about the

security now. There were some

concerns raised. There is nothing to

worry about. The tension is about

playing. Performing naturally isn't

easy if you are worried about

something else. So it is hard to play

cricket if you are not mentally at

peace. And T20I is high intensity

game. The game could change any

moment. So, I told them to play

without worries. I will stay with

them." Nazmul said that he is totally

convinced with the security plan

provided by the PCB but added that

they don't want to leave any stone

unturned as far as the players' safety

is concerned.

Bangladesh had a forgettable

experience on their last New Zealand

tour, which makes all the measures

being undertaken by the BCB quite

rational. "We will have the top most

agencies of our country - NSI and

DGFI. As far as I know, their

representatives will be waiting before

we reach. And one will be with us. We

will have people from both the

agencies. We know that. We have

planned that and we have discussed

about that," said Nazmul.

"I have seen the security plan of

PCB. There is nothing more they

could do. But there could be

uncertainty at any time. But we will

have to remember that this is not just

a bilateral series, there are Test

Championship matches ahead. This

is sort of World Cup. After T20I and

One-day, they have started Tests on

home and away basis. So there is no

option. As a full-member of ICC, we

need to participate. There was

pressure. I think after playing this

T20I series, we will be able to realize

what the situation is and if we have

some problem, we will be able to

discuss."

Messi's strike in the 76th minute decided a cagey contest at the Camp Nou and prevented the

much-anticipated launch of Setien's new era becoming something of a damp squib. Photo: AP

Ronaldo

Maxwell doesn't make

our top seven, says

Australia skipper Finch

Sports Desk: Glenn

Maxwell will have to work

to get back into Australia's

one-day squad despite his

brilliant domestic form,

said captain Aaron Finch,

who rates the all-rounder

outside the nation's

current top batsmen,

reports BSS.

The 31-year-old Maxwell

was dropped from

Australia's ODI tour of

India after taking a break

to focus on his mental

health, one of eight players

axed from the squad that

lost the World Cup semifinal

to England last year.

"Outside the top seven at

the moment," Finch said

when asked to rate

Maxwell after his

Australia's 2-1 series defeat

to India in Bangalore on

Sunday.

But Finch said the bighitting

batsman, who has

scored 341 runs at an

amazing average of 68.20

for the Melbourne Stars in

this season's Twenty20 Big

Bash League, could still

earn a recall. "Anyone

can," said Finch. "It's about

form, picking players for

the right role. I think it's

just going to come down to

whichever way you want to

match up, specific roles for

specific players."

India captain Virat Kohli

was surprised at Maxwell's

absence from the Australia

team, which he believed

would have benefited from

his off-spin bowling.

"Honestly I did not look

at the (squad) and I asked

Aaron that have you got

only 14… and asked 'Is

Maxwell here?'

PSG see off plucky Lorient to

reach French Cup last 16

Sports Desk: Pablo Sarabia put Paris

Saint-Germain into the last 16 of the

French Cup on Sunday with the late

winner in a tight 1-0 win over spirited

Lorient, reports BSS.

Spaniard Sarabia headed home the only

goal with 10 minutes remaining to put

Thomas Tuchel's much-changed side into

the next round after struggling to break

Ligue 2 leaders Lorient down in an

underwhelming contest.

PSG came into the match missing a host

of injured stars including Edinson Cavani,

Marco Verratti, Juan Bernat and

Marquinhos, and with both Neymar and

Kylian Mbappe on the bench the away side

lacked creative spark despite the presence

of in-form striker Mauro Icardi.

The French champions were lucky to go

into the break level after Yoane Wissa

somehow managed to head Jimmy

Cabot's pinpoint cross wide from just a

couple of yards out.

The second half continued to lack clear

chances for either side, with Paul Nardi

doing well to charge down Icardi's close

range header in the 68th minute before

pushing Pablo Sarabia's shot wide 11

minutes later. However the 25-year-old

could do nothing about Sarabia's header

seconds later, the Spaniard beautifully

guiding home Thiago Silva's cross to

squeeze the top flight outfit home.

Earlier English forward Stephy Mavididi

struck twice as Dijon fired four goals in the

last 15 minutes of their all-Ligue 1 clash

with Nimes to cruise to a 5-0 win.

Hosts Dijon were leading a tight tie by a

single goal thanks to Jhonder Cadiz's first

half penalty when Mavididi begun a goal

frenzy in the 75th minute.

The 21-year-old, who has represented

England at Under-20 level and is on loan

from Italian giants Juventus, added

another in the final minute after further

goals from Mounir Chouiar and Bruno

Ecuele Manga. In April last year Derbyborn

Mavididi, who has scored twice in

Ligue 1 this season, became the first player

to play for Juve since David Platt. PSG and

Dijon will be joined in Sunday's last 16

draw by top division teams Montpellier -

5-0 winners over Caen - Angers and

Rennes, whose 2-0 win at fifth-tier

Athletico Marseille was interrupted for

around 10 minutes after home fans threw

flares onto the pitch.

On Saturday, starlet Rayan Cherki

caught the eye after contributing to all four

of Lyon's goals in a 4-3 win over fellow

Ligue 1 outfit Nantes. The 16-year-old,

who has drawn comparisons with fellow

Lyon academy graduates Karim Benzema

and Hatem Ben Arfa, scored twice,

provided two assists and won a penalty

that was missed by Moussa Dembele.

S.Africa signal likely changes

for final England Test

Sports Desk: Four members of South

Africa's expanded squad have been added

to the group for the final Test starting in

Johannesburg on Friday, signalling likely

changes in the starting team, reports BSS.

With South Africa heading for a heavy

defeat in the third Test in Port Elizabeth

on Monday, the selectors have called up

batsmen Temba Bavuma and Keegan

Petersen, all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo

and left-arm fast bowler Beuran

Hendricks for the fourth Test.

All four were withdrawn from four-day

franchise matches which started on

Monday. Bavuma seems certain to play in

Johannesburg after scoring 180 for the

Lions franchise last week, with Zubayr

Hamza the likely batsman to make way.

Hendricks is a likely replacement for

Kagiso Rabada, who is controversially

suspended for his exuberant celebration of

his dismissal of England captain Joe Root

in the third Test.

With South Africa needing a win in the

final Test to square the series after being

outclassed in Port Elizabeth, Petersen and

Phehlukwayo could also come into

consideration.

'Be nice to each

other,' retiring

Wozniacki tells

young players

Sports Desk: Retiring

former world number one

Caroline Wozniacki

Monday urged the younger

generation of players to "be

nice to each other", saying

locker-room friendships

can last through life, reports

BSS.

The Danish star, who is

walking away from tennis

after the Australian Open

aged 29, lived to fight

another day at Melbourne

Park after crushing

American Kristie Ahn 6-1,

6-3 in the first round.

"There's a lot of emotions,

but I tried to keep them in

check, and I thought I did

that very well today," said

Wozniacki, whose only

Grand Slam triumph came

in Melbourne in 2018.

"I think I'm just really

trying to enjoy every

moment." Wozniacki

announced her plan to

retire in December to focus

on other things, including

starting a family with

husband and former NBA

star David Lee. She said she

will leave the game with

lifelong friendships, not

least best buddy Serena

Williams, and encouraged

the new women on the

block to keep the locker

room civil."I think in

general my generation we

had great friendships even

from the juniors and we

were a big group coming up

and playing on the tour at

the same time," she said.

"I think we have

friendships that will carry

on past the tennis. "I don't

know how it was before me.

All I know is that Serena

obviously played way before

me and so did Venus, and

they were both super nice to

me and very open and have

always been there for me.

double pulls Juventus

clear as Inter stalled in Lecce

Sports Desk: Cristiano Ronaldo struck

twice as Juventus beat Parma 2-1 to pull

four points clear of Inter Milan at the top

of the Serie A table on Sunday, reports

BSS.

Inter's title push hit another stumbling

block after a 1-1 draw at lowly Lecce while

Ante Rebic fired city rivals AC Milan to a

last gasp 3-2 win over Udinese.

Ronaldo broke through just before the

break, to score in a seventh consecutive

league game, and almost set up a second

just after for Aaron Ramsey, but the Welsh

international rattled the post.

Andreas Cornelius scored with a

towering header to get seventh-placed

Parma back level ten minutes after the

break. But the visitors hardly had time to

celebrate when Ronaldo broke through

again after latching onto a Paulo Dybala

cross for his 11th goal in seven games to

bring his league tally this season to 16.

The eight-time reigning champions have

a four-point cushion on Inter, who have

won only two of their last six league

games, and are now also under threat

from Lazio, who are just two points behind

with a game in hand after hammering

Sampdoria 5-1 on Saturday. Antonio

Conte's side had looked set to take

maximum points from his hometown

team, where he started his footballing

career in the 1980s, when Alessandro

Bastoni headed the away side in front with

18 minutes remaining.

But Marco Mancosu grabbed a precious

point for the southerners five minutes

after going behind. "For me there's always

great emotion," said Conte of his return to

Lecce. "Coming back to the Stadio Via del

Mare means going back 30-35 years.

"I spent my childhood as a ball boy here.

There will always be this attachment, but I

am a professional and I try to do this job

better."Lecce - just one point above the

relegation zone - were coming off a fourmatch

losing streak, but had held

Juventus by the same scoreline back in

October. "Congratulations to them, even if

conceding this goal leaves a bitter taste in

the mouth," added Conte.

Croatian forward Rebic hit a brace,

including the stoppage time winner,

against Udinese that snatched a dramatic

win that gave troubled AC Milan back-toback

league victories and moved them up

to eighth, two points from the Europa

League spots.

Ronaldo struck twice as Juventus beat Parma 2-1 to pull four points clear of

Inter Milan at the top of the Serie A table on Sunday.

Photo: AP

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

TUEsDAY, JAnUArY 21 2020

10

Us senate approves new

north American trade deal

On the occasion of Mujib Year the executive committee Chairperson and director of national Bank,

Parvin Haq Mp distributed 3000 blanket in different places of Vedorganj upazilla. Chairman of the

bank and freedom fighter Jainul haq sikder , director of the bank Monoar sikder and other executives

were also present.

Photo: Courtesy

Exhibition on heating, ventilation, air-conditioning,

refrigeration to be held

The country's largest international

exhibition on SAFE HVACR 2020

(Platform of Heating, Ventilation, Air-

Conditioning & Refrigeration) is going

to be hosted by SAVOR International

Limited. It is the 5th edition of SAFE

HVACR 2020 that is scheduled to be

held on April 02-April 04, 2020 at

International Convention City

Bashundhara (ICCB), Kuril Bishwa

Road, Dhaka. Some international

seminars and business sessions on safe

HVACR systems will take place there

where renowned speakers from home

and abroad will be present to make it

worthwhile, says a press release.

Other four concurrent exhibitions

named 5th SAFECON 2020, 5th

POWER-GEN 2020, 5th

RENEWABLE ENERGY SHOW 2020,

and 5thWATER MANAGEMNET

SHOW 2020 will take place in the same

tract. Apart from the Exhibitors from

Bangladesh, these expos are being

explored more elaborately with

exhibitors from India, China,

Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea,

Netherlands, Italy, Germany and other

regions of the world.

"This exhibition will help the

exhibitors to familiarize themselves with

other companies and their products,

which is the best way to build on

relationships with potential customers

in home and abroad"-said by Shilpy

Sheikh Nishi, Manager, Marketing,

Savor International Limited.

SAFE HVACR 2020 will incorporate

the finest global brands, government

bodies, engineers, air handling and air

distribution products manufacturers,

building management system

manufacturers, cold storage equipment

and products, refrigeration accessories,

water distribution system

manufacturers, cold room

manufacturers, electricity and

construction authorities, mechanical

and plumbing contractors, retail and

hospitality professionals, developers,

architects and designers and many

more under a single domicile to display

and source products and services

pragmatically and unleashed multiple

business opportunities to the national

and international participants. SAFE

HVACR 2020 is a true & splendid

connector between national and

international exhibitors in an

interactive manner to accelerate the

development of HVACR market in

Bangladesh.

The Organizer's aims to create the

B2B interaction both for national and

international renowned counterpart to

strengthen B2B cooperation and

experience sharing, inspiring policy

makers, municipalities, practitioners

and foreign investors involved in urban

and rural development to search for

new arenas for feasible projects. It will

open for all from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

ASHRAE, Bangladesh China

Chamber of Commerce & Industry

(BCCCI),Bangladesh Cold Storage

Association (BCSA),KOTRA, Power

Cell, IDCOL, Taiwan Exhibition and

Convention Association(TECA),

Fireworks, All India Association of

Industries are the associate partners for

the Exhibitions.

The US Senate on Thursday voted

overwhelmingly to approve a new North

American trade pact, handing President

Donald Trump a second back-to-back

trade win just as his impeachment trial

was beginning in Washington, reports

BSS.

After a brief debate, lawmakers voted

89-10 in favor of a bill allowing the US-

Mexico-Canada agreement to take effect,

overhauling trade relations among the

three countries.

The USMCA bill faced some opposition

- including from Democratic leader

Chuck Schumer, who said it failed to

address the threat of climate change -

and Republican Pat Toomey of

Pennsylvania, who complained that it

erected barriers to free trade.

Given that the USMCA was negotiated

at his instigation, Trump's signature is

not in doubt, however.

In split-screen drama and with the vote

scarcely concluded, House lawmakers

who will serve as prosecutors in Trump's

trial gathered in the well of the Senate

bearing articles of impeachment which

were later read aloud to the chamber -

setting the historic proceedings in

motion.

The second straight day of good news

on the trade front offered a welcome

boost for the embattled president, who

faces a tough re-election fight 10 months

from now.

Adoption of the continent-wide

agreement comes less than a day after

Washington and Beijing reached a

separate partial deal, pausing a

damaging trade war between the world's

top two economies and letting farmers

and businesses breathe a sigh of relief.

Wall Street also welcomed the news as

stocks closed at fresh all-time highs for

the fifth time in January.

In an internet video, Mexican

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

hailed the USMCA's Senate passage,

calling the news "very meaningful" as it

signaled "more confidence in Mexico"

and would lead to growth and

investment.

The USMCA is billed as an update to

the 1994 North American Free Trade

Agreement, which Trump had long

lambasted as a job killer and threatened

to scrap outright.

House lawmakers voted last month to

adopt the USMCA after winning changes

to the text, including stronger guarantees

that Mexican labor reforms can be

enforced, as well as changes governing

medications and environmental

standards.

"Today, the Senate passed a USMCA

that has been transformed by Democrats'

leadership," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

said in a statement.

Mexican lawmakers adopted those

changes last month while Canada has yet

to vote on the text, the final step for it to

enter into force.

Trump had long blamed NAFTA for

the offshoring of American jobs, and

negotiations for what would become the

USCMA began in August of 2017.

Mexican and Canadian officials

likewise conceded that the 26-year-old

NAFTA, ratified in an era before the rise

of digital commerce, was in need of an

update.

The new treaty was signed by the three

countries in November 2018.

The earlier NAFTA created a vast freetrade

zone across North America, leading

to radical shifts in the makeup of

industries in the three countries and

vastly increasing cross-border exchanges

in goods, services and people.

While the agreement produced

winners and losers in some areas,

economists say overall it increased

growth and raised the standard of living

in North America.

The new deal changes content rules on

auto manufacturing and requires higher

salaries for some Mexican auto workers.

It also makes changes to e-commerce,

intellectual property protections and

dispute settlement for investors, as well

as tougher labor provisions that require

reforms to Mexico's labor laws

An analysis by an independent US

trade commission in April showed the

USMCA was likely to have a "moderate"

positive effect on the US economy -

largely by reducing uncertainty about the

rules governing trade.

Padma Bank renews life insurance

agreement with Protective Life

sMEs should get single digit lending

facility: DCCI President

Padma Bank Limited has renewed its

insurance agreement with Protective

Life Insurance in an effort to ensure

full health risk coverage for all of its

officials and their family members, a

press release said.

Maternity insurance of the bank

employees will also be covered as part

of the agreement - one of the most

comprehensive life insurance

coverage's extended to bankers in the

country's banking industry.

Md Ehsan Khasru, the Managing

Director and the CEO of Padma Bank,

said the bank management is satisfied

at the insurance services provided by

the Protective Life Insurance company,

a private insurer.

"We hope active cooperation

between the two companies will

continue to ensure most effective

insurance coverage for all Padma Bank

employees and their family members,"

he said.

Chief Executive of Protective Life

insurance company, Mohammad

Yusuf Ali Mridha, thanked the Padma

Bank board of directors for keeping

faith in the services of his company.

The renewal agreement was signed

on Thursday at Gulshan Corporate

Head office of Padma Bank where

senior officials of both the companies

including the Head of Human

Resources Division of the bank M

Ahsan Ullah Khan were present.

PRESS CONFERENCE OF DCCI HELD

Newly elected President of Dhaka

Chamber of Commerce & Industry

(DCCI) Shams Mahmud snapshots

some of the major player of the

economy and shared his priorities for

the year 2020 to the journalists

recently at DCCI, a press release said.

His presentation covered Export

Diversification, Skill Development,

Economic Diplomacy, Capital Market,

Energy Security, 4IR, VAT & TAX, FDI

& Doing Business & FDI, Research &

Innovation, Infrastructure, SMEs and

SDG.

Export Diversification:

Shams Mahmud said RMG is our

only largest export earning sector, but

we need to develop other sectors as

well to backup RMG. To promote other

sectors he urged for bonded warehouse

facility, back to back LC to leather

made products, tax rebate and new

technology adoption. He also said

nearly 80% of exports are destined to

North America and Europe and

products sophistication has remained

almost static.

skill Development:

According to a study of a2i, around

40% of all employment of Bangladesh

from RMG and textile, agro food,

tourism and leather has a risk of loss

due to automation. He thus urged for

strong collaboration of National Skills

Development Authority and Bureau of

Manpower Employment and Training

for need-based skill development.

research & Innovation (rnI):

Shams Mahmud said for the

development of SME, DCCI is going to

establish a Research & Innovation

centre (RnI)giving it a separate entity.

RnI will do necessary research for the

SME, first of its kind initiated by DCCI.

DCCI will also work for the up-skilling

of entrepreneurs and startups. He also

emphasized proper implementation of

SME Policy.

Banking sector:

DCCI President Shams Mahmud

said in terms of world-wide political

and economic situation, we are in a

critical crossroads. To control NPL, he

suggested to figure out willful

defaulters. But if someone fails to repay

his loan due to delayed power or

energy connections, he should not be

considered as willful defaulters. He

said soaring NPL would increase cost

of doing business as it fuels cost of

borrowers. Lastly he expressed his

hope that the commitment of the

government of cutting down lending

rate to single digit would come into

effect from April this year. Shams

Mahmud demanded single digit loan

facility for the SMEs as well. He also

said that micro credit and banking loan

to SMEs are different thing.Regarding

a question of government's bank

borrowing, he said someof the private

sector companies are now availing

foreign funds as their credit source. But

it would be better for all to keep in

between the target.

stock Market:

We have to have a secondary bond

market, said Shams Mahmud. We

welcome Prime Minister's intervention

and her six concrete directions to

revive the stock market. He also urged

to allow company buy back system and

good governance.

VAT:

Presently VAT rebate is allowed for

15% VAT quota but he demanded VAT

rebate facility for other slabs like 5%,

7%, 7.5% and 10% VAT quota. VAT

rebate in 5%, 7%, 7.5% and 10% slabs

would boost SMEs, he informed.

Energy:

Quality of electricity is equally

important as its price is, Said Shams

Mahmud. We are surplus in electricity

generation now, but he requested to

allow private sector for distribution

and transmission of energy.Factories

those are using green technology and

successful to cut down consumption

should get incentives, he suggested. In

terms of global political context, we

have to reduce fuel import

dependency. Moreover we need to

encourage local explorer to allow gas

exploration, he said.

GsP:

Without GSP, Bangladesh's export to

USA is increasing. Forward linkage of

RMG is good but the backward linkage

industry of RMG and Textile sectors

needs a push, he said. He requested

government to pursue for getting GSP

facility.

Premier Bank

Gets 2 new

Dmds

Md. Shahid Hassan Mallik

& Shahed Sekander recently

have been promoted to

deputy managing director

(DMD) of The Premier Bank

Limited, a press release said.

Md. Shahid Hassan Mallik

has a wealth of knowledge

with 30 years of experience

in Banking. He has been

working with The Premier

Bank Ltd. for long 18 years

with utmost sincerely and

dedication. At present he is

the Head of Narayangonj

Branch & Zonal Head of the

Bank. His banking career

was started with Al Baraka

Bank Bangladesh Limited in

1990 and served in Prime

Bank Limited prior to

joining The Premier Bank

Limited since 01.06.2002.

Shahed Sekander has a

wealth of knowledge with

more than 36 years of

experience in different

reputed Banks and other

Organizations. He has been

working with The Premier

Bank Limited for almost 10

years with utmost sincerely

and dedication. At present

he is the Head of Gulshan

Branch & Zonal Head of the

bank. His banking career

was started with National

Bank Limited in 1983

followed by National Credit

Limited, National Credit &

Commerce Bank Limited

and Social Investment Bank

Limited.

Bank of England's Carney to

advise UK PM on climate

Prime Minister Boris

Johnson on Thursday

named the outgoing Bank of

England Governor Mark

Carney as his financial

adviser for this year's UN

climate change summit in

Glasgow, reports BSS.

"His expertise will help the

UK to lead in mobilising

businesses and investors to

support our net zero

revolution," Johnson said in

a statement.

Canadian-born Carney

warned in December that

global warming could erase

the value of company assets

unless firms stepped up

investment in renewable

energy research.

He is due to leave his UK

central bank post in March

after seven years.

Last month he became the

UN's new special advisor for

climate action and finance,

replacing former New York

mayor and now US

presidential hopeful Michael

Bloomberg.

Carney said the 26th

Conference of the Parties

(COP26) on November 9-19

"provides a unique

opportunity to address

climate change by

transforming the financial

system.

"To seize it, all financial

decisions need to take into

account the risks from

climate change and the

opportunities from the

transition to a net zero

economy," he said.

Britain last year became

the first major economy to

set the legally-binding target

of reducing polluting carbon

emissions to a net level of

zero by 2050.

Last month's COP25

summit in Madrid nearly

collapsed as nearly 200

attending nations clashed

over the pace and strength of

carbon

cutting

commitments.

They are trying to meet the

goal of a landmark 2015

Paris Agreement to limit this

century's rise in the global

temperature to below two

degrees Celsius (3.6

Fahrenheit).

The deadline to put teeth

into the 2015 accord falls in

Glasgow.

Nearly 70 nations now

have plans to be carbonneutral

by 2050.

But President Donald

Trump's administration will

formally pull the United

States out of the Paris

Agreement when its 12-

month notice period ends

during the summit.

MISCELLANEOUS


11

Two 'JMB

shooting kills 2 officers before

Hawaii homes catch fire

A program titled 'Family Welfare service and Promotion Week review Meeting and Prize

Distribution' was held at the conference room of Directorate General of Family Planning under the

Ministry of Health education and Family Welfare at the initiative of IeM unit on Monday in the capital.

newly joined secretary of Health education and Family Welfare Department Md. Ali noor was

present as the chief guest at the occasion while Director General of the Directorate General of Family

Planning (DGFP) Quazi AKM Mohiul Islam chaired the occasion. Photo: Courtesy

A Hawaii man with a history of run-ins with

police and neighbors was facing eviction

when he stabbed his landlord and killed two

officers before the house he and two women

were believed to be in burned, authorities

and neighbors said Sunday, reports UNB.

Police responding to a call for help found a

woman who had been stabbed in the leg and

resident Jaroslav "Jerry" Hanel, in his 60s,

opened fire, killing Officers Tiffany

Enriquez, a seven-year veteran, and Kaulike

Kalama, a nine-year veteran, Honolulu

Police Chief Susan Ballard said. Police

suspect he and two women were inside the

house when it caught fire, and Ballard said it

could take days for authorities to process

evidence and recover any remains.

The fire spread to several other residences,

destroying seven homes and leaving

multiple others with fire or smoke damage,

according to Honolulu fire officials.

The homeowner, Lois Cain, had recently

sought to have Hanel evicted, court records

showed. A neighbor told The Associated

Press she saw Cain being loaded into an

ambulance with knife wounds.

Cain's condition was not immediately

confirmed, nor was the suspect's. Ballard

said Hanel did not have any gun permits.

The normally peaceful neighborhood

where shots were fired is at the far end of the

Waikiki Beach between the Honolulu Zoo

and the famed Diamond Head State

Monument, a volcanic crater that looms

above Honolulu and is popular with tourists

and hikers. A regional park is also nearby.

Ian Felix, a Honolulu resident and

combat veteran with medical training, told

the AP he happened to be walking by when

he saw a woman lying on the ground with a

pool of blood coming from her leg. He

applied pressure until the first police officer

arrived and put a tourniquet on it, Felix

said. Moments later two more officers

arrived, and Felix said he then heard two

gunshots.

Huawei exec's extradition

hearing begins in Canada

The first stage of an extradition

hearing for a senior executive of

Chinese telecom giant Huawei begins

Monday in a Vancouver courtroom, a

case that has infuriated Beijing,

caused a diplomatic uproar and

added to tensions between China and

the United States, reports UNB.

Canada's arrest of chief financial

officer Meng Wanzhou, the daughter

of Huawei's legendary founder, in late

2018 at America's request shocked

Beijing. Huawei represents China's

progress in becoming a technological

power and has been a subject of U.S.

security concerns for years. Beijing

views Meng's case as an attempt to

contain China's rise.

"This is one of the top priorities for

the Chinese government. They've

been very mad. They will be watching

this very closely," said Wenran Jiang,

a senior fellow at the Institute of Asian

Research at the University of British

Columbia.

China's foreign ministry

complained Monday the United

States and Canada were violating

Meng's rights and called for her

release.

"It is completely a serious political

incident," said a ministry spokesman,

Geng Shuang. He urged Canada to

"correct mistakes with concrete

actions, release Ms. Meng Wanzhou

and let her return safely as soon as

possible."

Washington accuses Huawei of

using a Hong Kong shell company to

sell equipment to Iran in violation of

U.S. sanctions. It says Meng, 47,

committed fraud by misleading the

HSBC bank about the company's

business dealings in Iran.

Meng, who is free on bail and living

in one of the two Vancouver mansions

she owns, denies the allegations. Her

defense team says comments by

President Donald Trump suggest the

case against her is politically

motivated.

Meng was detained in December

2018 in Vancouver as she was

changing flights - on the same day

that Trump and Chinese President Xi

Jinping met for trade talks.

Prosecutors have stressed that

Meng's case is separate from the

wider China-U.S. trade dispute, but

Trump undercut that message weeks

after her arrest when he said he would

consider intervening in the case if it

would help forge a trade deal with

Beijing.

China and the U.S. reached a "Phase

1" trade agreement last week, but

most analysts say any meaningful

resolution of the main U.S. allegation

- that Beijing uses predatory tactics in

its drive to supplant America's

technological supremacy - could

require years of contentious talks.

Trump had raised the possibility of

using Huawei's fate as a bargaining

chip in the trade talks, but the deal

announced Wednesday didn't

mention the company.

Huawei is the biggest global

supplier of network gear for cellphone

and internet companies. Washington

is pressuring other countries to limit

use of its technology, warning they

could be opening themselves up to

surveillance and theft.

"I think this is the beginning of a

technological war along ideological

fronts," said Lynette Ong, an associate

professor at the University of

Toronto. "You are going to see the

world divided into two parts. One side

would use Chinese companies and the

other side would not use Chinese

companies because they are weary of

the political implications of using

Chinese platforms."

James Lewis at the Washingtonbased

Center for Strategic and

International Studies said the U.S.

wanted to send a message with

Meng's arrest.. There is good evidence

that Huawei willfully violated

sanctions, he said.

GD-132/20 (5 x 4)

GD-128/20 (8 x 4)

GD-127/20 (10 x 4)

TuESDay, DHaka, JanuaRy 21, 2020, MagH 7, 1426 BS, JaMaDi-ul awal 24, 1441 HiJRi

Excavation work was started six month back to improve the drainage system at Motijheel

of the capital city. The authority could not finish the work.

Photo : Courtesy

Raise awareness against drugs,

militancy: President to scouts

gAZIPUr : President

Abdul Hamid on Monday

urged the scouts to continue

their active role in raising

social awareness

against drugs, terrorism,

militancy, child-marriage

and fanaticism, reports

UnB.

"I hope, the scouts will

keep up their active role in

raising awareness against

drugs, terrorism, militancy,

child-marriage and

fanaticism as they do

always," he said.

the President was

speaking at the inaugural

programme of the 9th

national Cub Camporee

held at national scout

training Centre at

Mouchak, gazipur.

terming the scouts as

future leaders of the

nation, he said, "You'll

build a hunger- and poverty-free,

secular

Bangladesh which Father

of the nation

Bangabandhu sheikh

Mujibur rahman had

dreamt of."

Mentioning that there is

no alternative to hard

work and practice, Abdul

Hamid said, "scouting

teaches students to be

good citizens alongside

their academic activities.

so, scouting has to be

utilised for serving the

country."

"national development

will be accelerated if the

education of scouting is

reflected on individual,

family and social lives," he

added.

He also urged them to

come forward to assist in

relief work during flood,

cyclone,building collapse,

fire and other natural disasters.

Hamid said the government

has taken many initiatives

like Vision 2021,

Vision 2041 and Delta

Plan-2100 to make the

country prosperous and

developed one in 2041,

and attain the sustainable

goals of Development

(sDg)-2030.

Around 9,000 cub

scouts of naval, Air,

railway and communitybased

units of all schools

in every upazila is participatingin

the campaign.

each unit comprises six

members and a unit

leader.

Liberationwar Affairs

MinisterAkM Mozammel

Haque, President of

Bangladesh scoutsAbul

kalam Azad,Bangladesh

scouts chief national commissioner

and the Anti-

The Ochre-Red Village of

Rousillon, France

InterestIng news Desk

the French commune of roussillon is

located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur,

roughly midway between Avignon and Aixen-Provence.

situated in the heart of one of

the biggest ochre deposits in the world,

roussillon is famous for its magnificent red

cliffs and ochre quarries. Ochre is a natural

dye derived from clay containing hydrated

iron oxide that has been used as paint since

prehistoric times. Ochre clays have been used

medicinally in early egypt, an example of

which is found in the ebers Papyrus dating to

about 1550 BC. Ochre is also used as pigments

to color houses, clothes, and bodies.

the ochre deposits provide a natural reddish-brown

hue to the entire village. the

ochre façades of the houses are magnificent

- shades vary subtly from light yellow to dark

red, set off by the brightly painted shutters

and doors. the red, yellow and brown

shades of the houses form a striking contrast

with the lush green pine trees. situated at

the foot of the Monts de Vaucluse in the

Luberon, roussillon is classified as one the

most beautiful villages in France.

During the 18th century the demand for

ochre rose when the pigments found use in

the textile industry, and the mining of

ochres in roussillon intensified. As many as

seventeen different shades of dye were

manufactured from the local rock during

the 18th and 19th centuries and into the

20th. the ochre business was at its best

towards the end of the 19th century and

ochre from roussillon was exported all over

the world. Mining was stopped in 1930 in

order to protect the sites from degradation

or even complete destruction, but the history

and nitty-gritty of the ochre dye-making

industry is detailed in the Conservatoire des

Ocres et des Pigments Appliqués within the

village.

Corruption Commission

commissioner Md

Mozammel Haque khan

also spoke at the programme.

the President, also the

Chief of scouts, opened a

commemorative stamp on

the occasion of Camporee.

the President's scouts

Award was also distributed

among 48 scouts

while the President's

rover scout among four.

secretaries concerned to

the President were also

present at the programme.

BTRC share to

be offloaded in

capital market;

Bill placed

sAngsAD BHABAn :

the 'Bangladesh road

transport Corporation Bill,

2020' was introduced in

Parliament on Monday to

offload 49 percent of its

share in the capital market,

reports UnB.

road transport and

Bridges Minister Obaidul

Quader placed the Bill in the

House and it was sent to the

respective Parliamentary

standing Committee for further

examination. the

Committee was asked to

submit its report within 14

working days.

According to the proposed

law, the government will

own 51 percent shares while

49 percent will be offloaded

for the public. the bill was

placed to update an ordinance

promulgated in 1961

keeping a provision to

offload the shares of BrtC

in the capital market.

the authorised capital of

the BrtC will be tk 1,000

which will be divided into

100 crore general shares

with tk 10 base price. the

authorised capital of the

corporation under the existing

law is only tk 6 crore.

the paid-up capital of the

corporation is tk 3 crore in

the existing law. Its amount

has not been fixed in the

proposed law as the BrtC

annual general meeting or

special general meeting will

fix the amount of the paidup

capital but it cannot

exceed the amount of the

authorised capital. In the

bill, a new provision has

been incorporated among

the functions of the BrtC

that it will render transport

services during emergency

situation like hartal (strike),

blockade, transport strike,

emergency condition,

national disaster, Biswa

Ijtema, freedom fighters'

rally and in the case of emergency

need of the state.

Pak HC issues

visas to Tigers

for Pakistan

tour

DHAkA : the Pakistan

High Commission in

Dhaka has issued multiple

entry visas to all

members of the

Bangladesh national

Cricket team and management

visiting

Pakistan for three t20,

two test and one ODI

matches to be played in

Lahore, rawalpindi and

karachi respectively.

the first t20 match

between Pakistan and

Bangladesh will be

played on January 24 in

Lahore, said a press

release on Monday,

reports UnB.

the High Commission

issued multiple entry

visas to all the 33 members

of Bangladesh

squad, including players

and members of the

team management and

security personnel, as

requested by the

Bangladesh Cricket

Board.

the upcoming cricket

series between Pakistan

and Bangladesh is being

seen enthusiastically by

the Pakistani cricketlovers

as the Bangladesh

Cricket team will be visiting

Pakistan after 10

long years.

Tanguar Haor abuzz with

migratory birds

DHAkA : A huge number of winter birds

flocked to tanguar Haor this winter as the

winged visitors found the overall environment

better enjoyable at the prominent

Asian wetland, which is rich in biodiversity.

A new survey, conducted by IUCn

Bangladesh, counted 35 species of migratory

birds with 51,368 individuals this time, while

the figure was 32,225 in 2014, 17,204 in 2013

and 28,876 in 2012.

Out of the total 51,368 birds, the highest

number was Common Coot with 9,925 individuals.

Other birds included red Crested

Pochard (8,394), Common teal (7,278),

Pintail (5,000), wegion (4,846), glossy Ibis,

Falcated Ducks and the endangered Pallas's

Fish.

the migratory birds species, which were

seen in smaller numbers, were great

Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Black-tailed

godwit, Little egret, Yellow-billed egret,

grey Heron, Purple Heron, Indian Pond

Heron, Black-crowned night Heron,

northern Pintail, tufted Duck, Common

Moorhen, Phesentail Jacana, Black headed

gull, white wagtail, Citrine wagtail and

Little ringed Plover.

A team of the IUCn Bangladesh in association

with Bangladesh Bird Club conducted

the water Bird Census in tanguar Haor on

January 19 this year under its wildbird

Monitoring Programme in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Birds Club founder enam Ul

Haque was the head of the Census team

comprising IUCn researchers sakib Ahmed

and Zenin Azmiri and bird club members

Paul thompson and James Pender.

tanguar Haor is a unique wetland of global

importance and a ramsar site. Under

leadership of the Ministry of environment,

Forest and Climate Change, IUCn

Bangladesh has a long history of managing

this important ecosystem, establishing community-based

management and biodiversity

conservation since 2006.

IUCn principal bird investigator sarowar

Alam Dipu said the IUCn is implementing

the programme on wildbird monitoring

with support of Linnaues University.

tanguar Haor is one of the key sites for

implementation of some major activities,

which include bird census, bird ringing and

satellite tagging for long distance migratory

birds study, he said.

As a part of this programme, IUCn

wildbird monitoring team along with

Bangladesh Forest Department and

Bangladesh Bird Club volunteers has started

a 10-day bird research and monitoring camp

in tanguar Haor.

"wild bird ringing and tagging are underway

as well. waterbirds were ringed, with

species like Common Pochard and tufted

Ducks being ringed for the first time in

Bangladesh. Lastly and most importantly,

gadwall has been tagged with a gsM/gPs

satellite tag," Dipu said.

He said the research plays an important

role in understanding migration routes, wetland

connectivity and overall conservation of

wild ducks.

the IUCn bird investigator said safe habitats

encourage the migratory birds to visit

the wetlands of the haor this time as the

environmental quality of the wetland was

improved through proper management.

Protesting death on Thana Custody, activists of FDC staged demo blocking road. Photo : Star Mail

Media can pioneer in

nation-building: Hasan

DHAkA : terming mass media as the

fourth organ of the state, Information

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday said

the media has a pioneering role to encourage

people in nation-building endeavours.

"the government of Prime Minister

sheikh Hasina has implemented a number

of programmes in flourishing the mass

media in last 11 years," he said, addressing a

function at the Bangla daily Desh rupantor

in city's kaworan Bazar area.

earlier, Hasan cut a cake marking the first

anniversary of the Bangla daily.

In his address, the minister said "Mass

media flourished in a massive scale in

Bangladesh during the time of the sheikh

Hasina-led government. For the first time,

she gave approval to private television channels

in the country," he added.

"now around 34 private tV channels are

on air while 45 channels got licenses," he

said, adding that there are nearly 1,300

newspapers in the country while a large

number of online news portals are running.

"Our goal is to turn the country into a

developed one by 2041. through the infrastructure

development, a country can be

developed. But I think we should make a

good and enlightened nation too," said

Hasan, also joint general secretary of Awami

League.

He hoped that the Bangla daily will work

in building the nation with instilling human

values and patriotism in youths in the

upcoming days.

the minister greeted all journalists of the

daily Desh rupantor, including its editor

and publisher.

rupayan group Chairman Liakat Ali khan

Mukul, Desh rupantor editor Amit Habib

and Publisher Mahir Ali khan, among others,

were present at the function.

Electoral Rolls

Bill lands in

Parliament

sAngsAD BHABAn : A bill titled

'electoral rolls (Amendment) Bill 2020'

extending the deadline for updating the

voter lists till March 2 instead of January 31

every year was placed in Parliament on

Monday, reports UnB.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

MinisterAnisul Huqplaced the bill and it was

sent to the respective scrutiny committee for

further examination. the committee was

asked to submit its report within three working

days.

the amendment is being brought to the

existing electoral rolls Act 2009 aiming to

extend the timeframe till March 1 as it is difficult

to update all the voter lists within only

29 days from January 2 to January 31.

According to article 11 of the existing

electoral rolls Act 2009, there is a provision

to update all the voter lists from January 2 to

January 31 every year.

the Cabinet meeting also decided to

observe the national Voter Day on March 2

instead of March 1 every year, he said.

Result of primary

school teacher

appointment test for

14 districts stayed

DHAkA : the High Court

(HC) yesterday stayed for

six months the final result of

primary school teacher

appointment test for 14 districts,

reports Bss.

A High Court division

bench comprising Justice

sheikh Hassan Arif and

Justice Md Mahmud

Hassan talukder passed the

order and issued a rule in

this regard.

the 14 districts are-

Patuakhali, Madaripur,

sirajganj, naogaon,

C h a p a i n a w a b g a n j ,

Habiganj, Mymensingh,

netrokona, noakhali,

Jessore, satkhira, tangail,

Barguna and thakurgaon.

the government on

December 24 selected

18,147 candidates for

appointment to its primary

schools as assistant teachers.

But couple of candidates

filed writs against the

result, saying the concerned

appointment rules were violated

in this regard.

the court yesterday asked

officials concerned including

Primary and Mass

education secretary and

director general of

Directorate of Primary

education to reply its rule.

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Executive Editor : Sheikh Efaz Ahmed, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.

Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-8878026, Cell : 01832166882; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

21-01-2020

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