SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016 | Falgun 19, 1422, Jamadiul Awal 21, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 316 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

n Rashad Banna

A con� dent Bangladesh side will have one eye on the grand � nale of the Asia Cup Twenty20 when they take on Pakistan today in a crucial encounter at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bang-la National Stadium.

Following a disappointing de-feat against India in the tourna-ment opener, the Tigers came back strong, beating the United Arab Emirates and Asia Cup and World T20 holders Sri Lanka in their next two matches.

If the hosts are to progress to the � nal of the regional competition and not to depend on results else-where, then a win against Pakistan is a must.

Pakistan, in contrast, have made a mixed start, losing to arch-rival India before posting their � rst win against the UAE.

In their pursuit of a � nal berth, PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016 | Falgun 19, 1422, Jamadiul Awal 21, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 316 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

'ATM theft just tip of iceberg'n Mohammad Jamil Khan

and Kamrul Hasan

The scale of the ATM card forgery currently under investigation may be bigger than anyone expected, investigators said yesterday.

Investigation leads and state-ments made by arrested German national Piotr Szczepan Mazurek point to a massive forgery conspir-acy that involves bank sta� , fraudu-lent company employees, organised crime and possibly even policemen.

Mazurek, a German national who had travelled to Bangladesh on a fake Polish passport, told de-tectives that his gang had stolen more money from point of sales (POS) terminals than from auto-mated teller machines (ATMs).

He told investigators that his gang had stolen several crores of taka. Only about Tk20 lakhs is be-lieved to have been stolen from ATM booths.

Police sources said forgers had compiled a database of sensitive identity information of as many as 4,000 debit and credit cards over the course of the last year.

Lost money that banks might otherwise have written o� as a system loss is being re-examined as the ATM card forgery probe

progresses.Following the � ling of cases by

City Bank, Eastern Bank and Unit-ed Commercial Bank, other local banks including Premier Bank have formally expressed concern that their ATMs may also have been hit by forgers, a DB o� cial said, asking not to be named.

Hit by refund claims over sus-picious transactions by partner banks abroad, local private banks are now approaching the police’s Counter Terrorism and Transna-tional Crime (CT) Unit and Detec-tive Branch (DB), he con� rmed to the Dhaka Tribune.

Deputy Inspector General of police Monirul Islam, who heads the CT Unit, said informationwas being collected from local private banks that might be connected to forgeries or false transactions a� ecting ATMs and POS terminals.

Monirul said investigators had not yet found evidence linking the fraudsters to law enforcement o� cials.

But a source close to the investi-gation informed the Dhaka Tribune that Gulshan police station inspec-tor Firoz Kabir had been implicated in the forgeries.

PAGE 4 COLUMN 1

Premier Bank ATM hit byint'l card scamn Jebun Nesa Alo

Four ATM booths of Premier Bank were targeted by scammers – who used what bankers believe to be cloned international credit cards – for withdrawing around Tk34 lakh during the second half of February.

Bangladesh Bank sent a team to Premier Bank yesterday to investi-gate the incident after the private bank lodged a complaint in this re-gard on Monday.

According to the complaint, be-tween February 14 and 28, at least 150 international cards were used to withdraw money from four of their ATM booths in Banani, Bashundhara, Kakrail and Uttara.

All these cards belong to foreign nationals, while the non-brand-ed ATM cards were owned by Malaysia’s Al Rajhi Banking and

PAGE 4 COLUMN 1

Police move to collect tenant data challengedn Ashif Islam Shaon and

Kamrul Hasan

The recent initiative by police to collect personal details of tenants in Dhaka city in prescribed forms has evoked mixed reaction among residents.

Although a section of Dhaka res-idents view the initiative as a pos-itive step a good number of them are fearing its misuse.

A number of citizens and also se-curity analysts, lawyers expressed their concern over the initiative.

A Supreme Court lawyer yes-terday served a legal notice to the government and police, seeking explanation for the move.

He urged the government to halt the police initiative and said he would take legal action if it is not stopped as there is no data pro-tection act in Bangladesh under which a victim can � nd remedy if his personal information is leaked or misused.

The information will be pre-

served at police stations and DMP’s central database, said police.

Talking to the residents of sever-al areas it was found that they were scared their personal information might fall in wrong hands.

“How could I trust the force when we have recently seen their involvement in crimes? There are lots of allegations of public harass-ment and attempts of extracting money from them by law enforc-ers,” said a tenant.

Besides, it could destroy nor-mal relation with house owners, he said.

Some police o� cials concerned too echoed the view, saying that they also fear that some people of a locality might develop a good rela-tion with beat police o� cials.

Common people might be sub-jected to harassment by corrupt in-formants if the total process is not strongly monitored.

A number of police o� cials also fear that local political in� uence could spoil their e� ort.

Associate Professor of political science at Dhaka University Shant-anu Majumder said there was pos-sibility that the move could a� ect the relation between tenants and owners.

Supreme Court lawyer advo-cate Shariar Shakir told the Dhaka

PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

Final spot up for grabs for Tigers

Returning Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal plays football during a practice session in Mirpur yesterday while Sabbir Rahman watches on intently MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

'Police behaviour needs to be changed to make the attempt a success'

BIG

STO

CK

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016News4DT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Premier Bank ATM hit by int’l card scamInvestment Corporation.

Bangladesh Bank o� cials believe that the cards might have been cloned in Bangladesh.

This was the � rst ATM fraud complaint received by the cen-tral bank since news � rst broke on February 12 about Tk20 lakh being skimmed from ATM booths of three local banks – United Commercial Bank Limited, Eastern Bank Limit-ed and City Bank.

The latest incident was the � rst ever allegation of international card forgery received by Bangla-desh Bank, said a senior executive of the central bank.

He said the latest case was dif-ferent from the others as interna-tional cards were used. “We sus-pected that there are many cases of international card cloning, but no bank wants to disclose it in fear of hurting their own image,” the o� -cial said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank has prepared a comprehensive re-port on the recent ATM card scam in three banks.

The report, which will be pre-sented to central bank top o� cials, has identi� ed private banks’ lax monitoring of ATM booth video footage and recommended more caution in surveillance of the booths. l

‘ATM theft just tip of iceberg’ The source went on to say that Firoz had been transferred to the police’s Rangpur Range after preliminary investigations discovered evidence of his involvement.

Investigations into the conduct of two other police o� cers allegedly connected to the forgery are currently under way.

Modus operandiDescribing the forgers’ modus

operandi, Monirul said Mazurek told police detectives that big businesses that made large payments using ATM cards were � rst identi� ed.

The card information was stolen and the cards were cloned. Insiders in the business were then approached, as were bank sta� authorised to clear POS payments, so that illicit transactions would clear, Monirul quoted Mazurek as

saying.Suppliers of POS terminals are

being investigated to determine whether they were involved in the forgery scam, police said.

Monirul, also DB chief, said Mazurek had given police investigators the names of at least 40 to 50 businesspeople, hotels and businesses allegedly involved in the scam. “We are trying to verify whether

these individuals and enterprises were involved but we are sensitive to the possibility that they may be being framed,” Monirul added.

Mazurek and City Bank o� cials Moksed Alam Maksud, Rezaul Karim Shahin and Refaz Ahmed Roni are on a � ve-day remand for interrogation by police detectives.

They were arrested on February 22, while the DB was investigating two reports of ATM forgery at City

Bank and United Commercial Bank. The cases were � led separately at Pallabi and Banani police stations in the capital.

Mazurek is wanted in “several European countries” for similar crimes, Monirul said. “We have been able to verify that Mazurek is a German national who used a fake Polish passport to enter the country. He is married to a Bangladeshi national,” the DB chief added. l

Police move to collect tenant data challengedTribune that the initiative can be e� ective if police come out of their culture of disrespecting people.

Faculty member of criminology department of Dhaka University, Syed Mahfujul Haque Marjan said po-lice behaviour needed to be changed to make the attempt a success.

Legal notice served to refrain from collecting personal information Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua sent a legal notice requesting the government to refrain from de-manding personal information about tenants from the landlords in Dhaka.

In the notice, the lawyer asked the recipients to inform him with-in 24 hours the legal basis of the action of providing personal infor-mation to landlord. Otherwise, he mentioned that he would seek le-gal protection in court.

Stating that he is personally af-fected by the government instruc-tion, Jyotirmoy Barua said there is no speci� c law to ask for all this private information unless there is a valid order from a competent court.

He also wanted to know under what basis the government is ask-

ing his private information and also how the information will be stored and under which law.

The information asked by police is the total information a person is needed to complete any o� cial transaction, including applying for a new national ID card, bank ac-count or even a passport.

DMP sources said local tenant information would be collected and maintained by the city’s po-lice stations concerned and shared through a central DMP database.

The e� orts were revived recent-

ly after the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit of police raided two houses in Badda and Mo-hammadpur to recover explosives and arrested Ansarullah Bangla Team members earlier this month.

According to Section 42 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, every citizen must help the police for government or investigation work.

Under this section, police can seek information from anyone and citizens must cooperate. If neces-sary, the police can also take action under this section. l

Final spot up for grabs for Tigersthe Tigers received a body-blow when pace sensation Musta� zur Rahman incurred a side-strain inju-ry during the game against the Lan-kans. The Satkhira lad will miss the remainder of the Asia Cup and one hopes he will make a quick recov-ery with the World T20 knocking at the door.

There is some good news though in the shape of opening batsman Tamim Iqbal. The dashing south-paw was on paternity leave recently and his return will no doubt boost Bangladesh’s chances, bearing in mind that openers Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun have post-ed only 55 runs for the opening wicket in three matches so far.

Tamim will replace Mithun in the playing XI today while it was also learned that young paceman Abu Haider Rony has a bright chance of

featuring in place of Musta� z.Senior batsmen like Mush� qur

Rahim and Shakib al Hasan would need to come to the party after some disappointing displays in the ongoing 14th edition of the tour-nament. Shakib, however, showed some brief glimpses of his poten-tial against the Lankans, anchoring Bangladesh’s innings with a respon-sible 34-ball 32.

The Tigers will once again look to Sabbir Rahman to provide the � reworks at the top of the order. Sabbir was promoted to No 3 and the swashbuckling right-hander re-paid the faith in some style, regis-tering 130 runs in three innings, in-cluding a brilliant 54-ball 80 against the islanders.

The Tigers’ bowling has perhaps been the side’s strongest forte in the tournament. Alongside Musta� z,

captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed and Al Amin Hossain have taken regular wickets while spinners Shakib and Mahmudullah have marshalled the spin depart-ment well.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have a lot of improving to do if they are to overcome the hosts at the home of cricket in Mirpur. They were skittled out for just 83 against arch-rival India while the start against the UAE was anything but assuring. Were it not for Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten knocks, the Pakistanis could well have been further under the cosh against the spirited Emiratis.

And like Bangladesh, Pakistan too will look to their bowlers to lead the charge. Mohammad Amir was brilliant with the leather in the � rst two matches and along with expe-

rienced campaigner Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz and lanky fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, Pakistan have a potent pace-bowling attack to say the least.

With that said, the Tigers will be quietly con� dent about their pros-pects today. Prior to the Asia Cup, they never beat the Lankans in the shortest format of the game in four attempts. The Tigers amended that unwanted stat last Sunday, record-ing a morale-boosting 23-run win.

With so many records tumbling since the start of 2015 when the Tigers slowly but surely started to emerge as a force to be reckoned with, very few would bet against them posting their maiden T20I victory over Pakistan today.

The match begins at 7:30pm and Maasranga TV, GTV and Star Sports 1 will telecast it live. l

Dandy Dyeing hearing deferredn Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday deferred re-cording the depositions of witnesses in a case against 14 people including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her eldest son Tarique Rahman.

Judge Fatema Ferdous of Dhaka Artha Rin Adalat-1 (Money Loan Court) deferred the hearing to April 3 following a time petition by the defense.

Khaleda’s counsel Md Sanaullah Miah sought the additional time stating that the defense has � led a petition with the High court chal-

lenging the legality of naming her in the case.

On February 2, the court framed charge against 14 people including Khaleda, her son Tarique, and her late son Arafat Rahman Koko’s wife and two daughters.

The case was � led on October 2, 2012 by Sonali Bank against Dandy Dyeing Ltd directors for defaulting on a on a Tk45.49 crore loan.

According to the case, on Febru-ary 24, 1993, the company applied to Sonali Bank for a loan. It was granted on May 9 the same year. Following a plea by borrowers, the

bank’s governing body on October 16, 2001, relieved the loan’s inter-ests. Later, the loan was resched-uled. The accused are yet to repay the loan despite a � nal notice on February 28, 2010.

Following the death of Koko, a director of Dandy Dyeing, on Jan-uary 24, 2015, the bank � led a pe-tition before the court on March 8, 2015 to include Khaleda Zia, Koko’s wife Sharmila Rahman Sithi, their daughters Za� a Rahman and Zahia Rahman as defendants.

On March 16, 2015, the court ac-cepted this petition. l

Mahfuz Anam appears before Rangpur court, secures bailn UNB

The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam, who has been facing dozens of cases for publishing “confusing” and “defamatory” reports in his newspaper about Sheikh Hasina during the 2007-08 military-backed caretaker regime, secured bail in a defamation case in Rangpur yesterday.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Sha� ul Alam granted him bail on a bond of Tk1,000 as he appeared before the court in person seeking

bail in the case.The court also � xed May 26 for

next hearing in the case.Earlier on February 16,

Rangpur Awami League leader Motahar Hossain Mondol Mowla � led the Tk1 crore defamation case with the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Sha� ul Alam against Anam for publishing the reports.

Taking cognisance of the com-plaint, the court summoned Mah-fuz Anam to appear before it on March 1. l

Banasree siblings might have been strangledn Kamrul Hasan

The two deceased siblings who were initially thought to have died from food poisoning in the capital’s Banasree, might have actually been strangled to death, autopsy � nd-ings suggest.

Nusrat Jahan, 14, and Alvi Aman, 6, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Monday night, hours after they ate food bought from a Chinese restaurant.

DMC forensic department Lec-turer Dr Prodeep Biswash, who conducted autopsies of the sib-lings, told journalists that both children had injury marks on their throats. Nusrat also had blood in her eyes and Alvi had injury marks on one of his legs.

However, the cause of death can only be con� rmed after result from the viscera test comes in, the doc-tor added.

Prof Dr Habibuzzaman Chowd-hury of the DMC forensic medicine department said a viscera report would show what chemical reac-tions had been taking place inside the children’s stomach before their death and con� rm whether or not they had died from food poisoning.

Meanwhile, law enforcers de-

tained seven suspects in con-nection with the deaths of thechildren.

On late Monday night, police ar-

rested Masud Rahman, the manag-er of Kent Chinese Restaurant from where the food was bought, the restaurant’s head chef Asaduzzam-

an Rony and his associate Ataur Rahman, said Inspector (investiga-tion) Mosta� zur Rahman of Ramna police station.

Rapid Action Battalion also de-tained three more people: Obaidur, a relative of Nusrat and Alvi; Sheu-ly, the private tutor of the children; and Pintu Mondol and Ferdous, two security guards of the building the children lived in.

RAB sources said they were de-tained for interrogation yesterday afternoon.

No case was � led with the police station concerned as of yesterday evening.

The bodies of Nusrat and Alvi were taken to Jamalpur yesterday for burial.

Earlier, their mother Mahfuza Malek Jesmin said the family had brought home leftover food after having dinner on Saturday night at a Chinese restaurant near their Ba-nasree home.

The mother served the leftover Chinese food to her two children for lunch on Monday while she and her husband had a home-cooked meal.

Both children were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital after the mother noticed that they were not waking up from an after-noon nap.

DMCH doctors said the children had already died before they ar-rived at the hospital. l

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016News 5

DT

PRAYERTIMES

Cox’s Bazar 30 21Dhaka 33 20 Chittagong 32 22 Rajshahi 35 17 Rangpur 32 20 Khulna 33 19 Barisal 35 21 Sylhet 32 14T E M P E R AT U R E F O R E C A S T F O R TO DAY

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:00PM SUN RISES 6:19AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW33.8ºC 14.0ºC

Khepupara DinajpurWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2Source: IslamicFinder.org

Fajr: 5:04am | Zohr: 12:11amAsr: 4:22pm | Magrib: 6:02pmEsha: 7:18pm

DRY WEATHER

Family members carry the bodies of Nusrat Aman, 12, and Alvi Aman, 6, out of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and into an ambulance after the post-mortem examination to take them to the graveyard yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

UTTARA GAS EXPLOSION

‘They shut their doors on our faces’n Kamrul Hasan

“I could clearly recall that when we knocked the doors of our neigh-bours residing on the second and third � oor, they opened the door brie� y and closed it on our face instead of helping us at least in the name of humanity.”

Sumaiya Akhter, who su� ered 95% burns in Friday’s gas explo-sion and is now � ghting for her life, said this while explaining the incident to her relatives yesterday evening in the capital’s City Hospi-tal. She was shifted to the hospital from Dhaka Medical College Hospi-tal yesterday.

Dhaka Tribune received an au-dio of her conversation with her relatives.

In the conversation, Sumaiya was heard saying: “My husband, with our 14-month-old boy Zayan, and I came to the ground � oor af-ter knocking on several doors. I begged for help and asked people

to give me a piece of cloth as mine were burned in � re. But not a single person came forward to help us.”

She cried saying that if any of the neighbours had helped them, their children might have not died. She said even their security guard did not pay heed to her pleas to res-cue the children from the � re.

A lot of people were there dur-ing the incident, but no one came forward to save them, she said. “I don’t know what sort of humanity they have inside them.”

Sumaiya’s brother-in-law Riaz Mollah told the Dhaka Tribune: “As the doctors are saying she will not live for long, we shifted her to this hospital. We wanted her to spend her last few days with her only liv-ing child in front of her.”

Nine-year-old Zarif, who received 6% burns in the explosion caused by a gas leak in the kitchen, is the only member of the family alive other than his mother Sumaiya. l

Warrant issued for arrest of 3 war criminalsn Tribune Report

The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday issued warrants for the arrest of three war criminals of Moulvibazar.

The two-member tribunal led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam is-sued the warrant yesterday morn-ing, Prosecutor Sabina YeasminMunni said.

The prosecutor said the names of the accused of Borolekha upazi-la were not disclosed for the sake of investigation.

She said they prayed for the ar-rest order as the accused are locally in� uential and they also may � ee to India as they resided near bor-dering areas.

The prosecutors told the tribu-nal that the accused should be ar-rested soon for the sake of the in-vestigation.

They also informed the tri-bunal that the victims were re-ceiving threats from the allegedrazakars. l

Twenty million yaba pills seized in 2015n Kamrul Hasan

Law enforcement agencies have seized over 20 million yaba pills last year, which investigators say they believe to be one-third of the smuggled “crazy medicine”, as it often called.

Law enforcing agencies said they had recovered some 2,32,08,855 yaba pills in 2015.

Of them, police recovered some 1,34,26,228 yaba pills – among them 90,00,000 were seized by RAB.

BGB recovered 50,56,410 yaba pills, Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) 33,79,880 pieces and Coastguard 13,46,337 pieces. Altogether 58,854 persons includ-ing suspected smugglers and drug lords were also arrested.

Yaba was � rst manufactured by the Nazis to keep troops awake for days during WWII. Metham-phetamine use has seen a sharp rise in South and East Asia in re-cent years. Regular use of the

drug has been linked to lung and kidney disorders, hallucinationsand paranoia.

DNC Deputy Director Mukul Jyoti Chakma (DMP region) told the Dhaka Tribune that yaba hauls increased last year. “But the num-ber is still believed to be one third of the total.”

About 7.72 crore yaba pills were presumably smuggled into Bangla-desh in 2015.

Mukul was speaking after a me-dia brie� ng yesterday following last Sunday’s yaba haul at Chawk-bazar and Kamrangirchar. Six per-son were arrested.

DMP Commissioner Asaduzzam-an Mia said yaba was smuggled in from Myanmar – the biggest produc-er of methamphetamine tablets and a hotbed of narcotics production. Sources said around three million yaba pills enterd Bangladesh through the Myanmar border every day.

The Dhaka Tribune ran a de-tailed report – Inside the yaba trade – on January 30.l

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016News6DT

North South University to celebrate 24 years of gloryn Tribune Report

One of Bangladesh’s lead-ing private universities, the North South University, is gearing up to celebrate its 24th founding anniversa-ry with a plethora of pro-grammes from March 3 to 11.

Established under the Trust Act, NSU started its journey on February 10, 1992 with 137 students and three departments. So far, over 15,000 students have graduated and over 20,000 students are currently stud-ying here, Board of Trustees Chairman MA Kashem told a views exchange meeting yesterday.

Ministers, state ministers, MPs, and academics from home and abroad will join the nine-day celebration scheduled after the 19th con-vocation, he added.

Legendary singer Sabina Yasmin will enthral the audi-ence on the opening day. The Candle Carmain Band will perform the following day.

A seminar on “Sustainable Business and Sustainable

Goals” will be held on March 5. The U-19 cricket team will be given a reception the next day, attended by Bangladesh Cricket Board Chairman Nazmul Hasan Papon. It will be followed by a blood donation programme.

March 7 celebrations will kick o� with a competition on architectural design charrette. A seminar will later discuss the impact of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic March 7 speech on Bangladesh’s independence movement.

A seminar on the engi-neering challenges of Padma Bridge, Bangladesh’s largest infrastructure project till date, will be held on March 9, addressed by project coor-dinator Maj Gen Abu Sayeed Md Masud.

MA Kashem said NSU was conceptualised at a time when the idea of higher studies in private sector was absent in South Asia. “Com-bining technology of the developed country (North) and merit of the under-de-

veloped country (South), the North South University emerged as the � rst venture of the private sector in high-er education.”

He said 90 private univer-sities had been established in Bangladesh after the NSU. “The number of students at private universities has ex-ceeded the number of stu-dents in the public universi-ties,” he said.

NSU started operations at a rented building in Banani and moved to its new cam-pus at Bashundhara in 2009 where it is “well-equipped with 100 modern class-rooms, digital library and rich labs.” Kashem said the NSU School of Business was the � rst in Bangladesh to achieve the ACBSP Accredi-tation.

“NSU is the initiator of private university education in Bangladesh … the pioneer of education in the private sector … [and] the place of centre of excellence in high-er education, not only in Bangladesh but also in the region,” Kashem added. l

Anisul: Ershad appointed me as acting chairmann Shohel Mamun

Jatiya Party presidium member and Water Resources Minister Anisul Is-lam Mahmud said party chief HM Ershad himself appointed him as the acting chairman of Jatiya Party (JaPa) after the 1/11 political changeover.

The JaPa leader made the state-

ment following Ershad’s comment that Anisul was also a mastermind of the 1/11 changeover.

“Ershad himself appointed me as the party’s acting chairman at that time. The appointment was not to remove him from politics,” Anisul said in a press brie� ng at his ministry yesterday.

“The 1/11 changeover aimed at implementing the ‘minus-three’ formula. But Ershad was not ready for prison. Trusting me, he selected me to take the charge of the party then,” Anisul added.

Speaking at a programme in Sher-pur on February 28, Ershad said: “The name of another person should be

added with those of the Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam and others that surfaced for illegally bringing Fakhruddin-Moyeenuddin to power, and he is my party presidium member and minister Anisul Islam Mahmud.”

Ershad also said Anisul had il-legally become the party’s acting chairman removing him during the

1/11 changeover. In response to a que-ry on the rumour that Jatiya Party would be divided and a faction would be formed and led by Anisul, the JaPa leader said: “There is no possibility of such partition in the party.”

He claimed that Ershad’s broth-er GM Quader was causing all the trouble within the party. l

North South University’s Board of Trustees Chairman MA Kashem, left, and Vice-Chancellor Atiqul Islam at a views exchange meeting yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016News 7

DT

National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports holds a procession in Khulna city yesterday protesting the plan to set up a coal-based thermal power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat DHAKA TRIBUNE

Latest technologies for increasing jute production stressedn Tribune Report

Experts at a day-long training workshop on ‘Production of high yielding local variety Jute, jute seeds and improved retting tech-nology’ project arranged yesterday at Badarganj upazila parishad audi-torium in the district laid emphasis on adopting latest technologies to get maximum output.

The Directorate of Jute under the Ministry of Jute and Textiles and Upazila Jute Department with assistance of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) or-ganised the workshop for 100 se-lected farmers for extension of the technologies.

With Senior Assistant Project Di-rector (Coordination) of the Direc-torate of Jute for Rangpur Region Mossarraf Hossain in the chair, Badarganj Upazila Nirbahi O� cer

Kazi Abeda Gulshan attended the workshop as the chief guest, re-ports BSS.

Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam, Upazila Agriculture O� cer Rezaul Karim, Upazila Jute Development O� cer Dilip Kumar Malakar and Sub-assistant Jute Development

O� cer Anwarul Islam conducted the workshop as resource persons.

Upazila Jute Development Of-� cer Dilip Kumar Malakar said adoption of ribbon retting technol-ogies for rotting and separation of the � bre helps the farmers in get-ting maximum production of high yielding local variety jute with up-graded quality � bre.

He said expanded and multi-dimensional use of jute products has been increasing its demand faster following adverse e� ects of synthetic � bre on environment throughout the world ushering new hope for revival past glory of the ‘golden’ � bre.

Upazila Agriculture O� cer Rezaul Karim discussed about the lowest-cost ribbon retting method of the � bre during droughts or wa-ter scarcity also to improve quality and grade of jute-kenaf-mesta � bre

to ensure higher market price.Horticulture Specialist Khond-

ker Md Mesbahul Islam said large-scale adoption of the lowest-cost ribbon-retting technology might be crucial in future amid climate change that continues a� ecting ag-riculture sector and creating water scarcity.

Senior Assistant Project Director Mossarraf Hossain discussed vari-ous traditional and low-cost retting ways, including ribbon retting of the � bre during water scarcity in only nine days, to improve quality and grade of jute-kenaf-mesta � bre.

The chief guest called upon the concerned experts and farmers for achieving self-reliance on lo-cally produced quality jute seeds to increase cultivation of the crop adopting the latest technologies to further enhance production of the quality � bre. l

Two found dead in two districtsn Tribune Report

At least two people were found dead in Rajshahi and Comilla districts yesterday.

Our Rajshahi Correspondent said the body of a businessman was recovered after four days of his missing from Baghmara upazila in the district.

The victim was Anwar Hossain, 38, of Dippur village.

Locals said Anwar left home on Friday afternoon with Tk1.20 lakh and went missing.

Police said the body was recovered from a brick-� eld in Kalapara upazila.

Motiar Rahman, o� cer-in-charge of Baghmara police station, said locals found the decomposed body at the abandoned brick-� eld and informed police.

There were several injury marks on the body, the OC said.

In Comilla, a nine-year-old boy was found dead in Rajer Ghor area near Monohorganj Bazar in Monoharganj upazila headquarters of the district.

Quoting victim’s father, Bipul Chandra Bhakta, o� cer-in-charge of Monoharganj police station, said Riyad, son of a restaurant worker Mohammad Khokon, a resident of Dishabandha village, and Cass III student of Dishabandha Primary School, had gone to the market on Monday night and did not return home since then.

Local spotted his body stashed in a sack lying in area around

7:00am and informed police, reports our correspondent.

Later, police recovered the body.The body bore injury marks on

the forehead.On the other hand, a local

Jamaat-e-Islami leader was found dead on the Jessore- Jhenidah Road in Churamankathi Beltala area of Jessore on Monday night over a month after he had been picked up by plainclothes policemen, said our correspondent.

The deceased’s brother, Abdul Khalek Master, said some people in plainclothes identifying themselves as members of police, picked up Abu Huraira, 55, son of Asir Uddin Malitha, a resident of Ashwathali village of sadar upazila and also a rokon of the district unit of Jamaat, from his madrasah on January 24.

Later the family members failed to receive any information about the whereabouts of Huraira, also a teacher of Kuthidhurgapur Dakhil Madrasa, from police.

Police recovered the body of an unidenti� ed man from the area and sent it to Jessore 25-bed Hospital, said Ilias Hossain, o� cer-in-charge of Kotwali police station.

Being informed about the body recovery, Huraira’s family members rushed to the hospital and identi� ed it to be of Huraira.

There were injury marks on the head and throat, said Ilias Hossain.

The body was sent to the hospital morgue. l

Maternal mortality rate dropsn Our Correspondent, Chittagong

The nation’s maternal mortality rate has dropped to 170 per 100,000 live childbirths, speakers said at a workshop yesterday.

The rate has dropped by 40% between 2001 and 2010, journalists were told at a daylong workshop on child and maternal deaths organised by USAID at the Chittagong Club.

Most of these deaths occur dur-ing childbirth at home as 62% of the deliveries are still conducted at home, the health care experts said.

“Some 11.65% of adolescent girls get married o� before 18 years of age and 170 mothers die during preg-nancy against 100,000 live births,” Dr Halida Akhter, chief of party of USAID-NGO Health Service Delivery Project, said at the workshop.

The mother’s social status was

not a factor in the deaths, she said.“What matters is whether they

have knowledge about prenatal care and adopt family planning af-ter marriage,” the doctor said.

Most of the maternal deaths are taking place in rural areas, where only 64% of pregnant women avail of health care services from quali-� ed doctors, said Dr Rowsan Mor-shed, a professor of gynaecology and obstetrics at Chittagong Medi-cal College.

“Around 31% of maternal deaths occur due to excessive bleeding during childbirth while 20% occur because of eclampsia [convulsions resulting from high blood pressure and posing threat to the health of the mother and the baby],” she said.

More than half of the childbirths in the country are still handled by untrained midwives.

“We have around 10,000 skilled birth attendants across the coun-try but people are reluctant to call them, instead preferring a tradi-tional midwife,” Dr Morshed said.

“Because of this a woman might have to face severe complications during her pregnancy putting her and her child’s life at risk.”

Dr Morshed also said only the three Es – employment, education and empowerment – can reduce the rate of maternal death signi� -cantly. She urged the media to play the key role in creating awareness in the society on these issues.

Dr Jagadish Chandra Das, an as-sociate professor of neonatology at Chittagong Medical College, said the current child mortality rate in the country stands at 7.6%, and over 90% of these happen because of premature birth. l

Key accused in Comilla kid murders arrested n Our Correspondent, Comilla

Police have arrested the main ac-cused in a case � led over killing two brothers in Dhulipara area un-der the city three days ago.

Comilla Additional Superinten-dent of Police (north) Md Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan con� rmed it to the Dhaka Tribune and said they arrested the two’s stepbrother Md Al-Sha� ul Is-lam Chhotan from Malibagh area in the capital around 10pm Monday.

Police managed to arrest by tracking down the mobile phone of Chhotan who also pleaded his guilty in the murder during primary ques-tioning, said Md Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan

Chhotan, 22, a private universi-ty student, went into hiding since Saturday night after killing his two stepbrothers Mehedi Hasan Joy, 8, and Mejbaul Hoque Moni, 6.

The victims’ mother Rekha Begum � led a case accusing Chhotan for his alleged involvement in the killing. l

Adoption of ribbon retting technologies for rotting and separation of the � bre helps the farmers in getting maximum production

News8DTWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Public health risks from motor vehicle emissionsn Zahirul Islam Khan,

Madaripur

Black smoke emission from spurious fuels used in motor vehicles is posing a serious threat to public health in four upazilas of the district.

According to local sources, the open sale of the fuels in-cluding diesel, petrol and ker-osene by a section of dishonest dealers and agents continues unabated despite o� cial ban. Hundreds of dwellers mainly the passengers, automobile workers and passers-by are exposed to di� erent ailments from inhalation of the fuels’ smoke.

Dr Shashaka Ghosh, medi-cal o� cer of Madaripur Sadar Hospital, said: “About 25 per cent people have been su� er-ing from various kinds of res-piratory tract infection (RTI) due to air pollution caused by black smoke.”

“Due to inhalation of black smoke, the number of patients su� ering from bronchitis, up-per RTI and cardiac diseases have increased at an alarm-ing rate. The school children, however, are the worst su� er-ers,” he said.

Ha� zur Rahman, assistant director of the Department of Environment, said: “Emission of black smoke from vehicles directly a� ects both transport workers and common people. Since the underground oil tanks are not being cleaned for years, lead contamination is polluting the environment.”

“Use of spurious diesel has increased to a large extent due to high price. Black smoke of fuel-driven automobiles like buses, trucks, tempos and motorcycles are polluting the environment with carbon monoxide gas in the air,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner Md Ka-mal Uddin Biswas said: “In or-der to check the air pollution, the government has taken a pragmatic step to discourage marketing of lead-mixed oc-tane. Besides, ban has been imposed on the import of two stroke three-wheeler engines and lead-mixed fuel.”

“But, defying the ban, a section of unscrupulous trad-ers is marketing spurious fuel which is causing the emission of black smoke,” the DC added.

Mizanur Rahman Haw-lader, secretary of Transport Workers’ Union, said: “The old vehicles, plying on the roads and highway, should be banned immediately.” l

AL leader killedn Our Correspondent,

Sirajganj

A local Awami League leader was hacked to death by mis-creants at Saratail village in Shahjadpur upazila of the dis-trict on Monday night follow-ing a dispute over nomination of chairman candidate in up-coming union parishad polls.

The deceased was Korban Ali, son of Abdul Aziz, general secretary of Kayempur union Awami League.

The incident took place near Shorappur Shayestabad School at Sadar upazila around 9:30pm while he was returning home.

Quoting locals, Rezaul Haque, o� cer-in-charge of Shahjadpur police station, said the AL came under attack by a group of miscreants in the village on his way home from Saratail Bazar.

The attackers hacked him indiscriminately with sharp weapons, leaving him dead on the spot.

Rezaul said police suspect-ed Korban was murdered fol-lowing dispute over candidate nomination in upcoming the union parishad polls.

A case was � led against 30 people including Kayempur union Awami League presi-dent Hasan Ali. l

About 25 per cent people have been su� ering from various kinds of respiratory tract infection (RTI) due to air pollution caused by black smoke

n Feature Desk

An exclusive award ceremony to celebrate the contribution of women in leadership roles is going to take place for the second time on March 8, in Dhaka. Titled “Yellow presents Inspiring Women Award,” the program will honour professional women of the country across various sectors. Around 500 invited guests from the local and multinational corporate sectors, development agencies, government bodies and dignitaries from the embassies will grace the ceremony at Le Meridien Dhaka Hotel.

With the vision to empower and equip women to reach leadership positions in the various fields of professionalism, the award was first introduced in 2015 as the second phase in the “Inspiring Women in Leadership” project. The first phase “Women

Leadership Summit” took place in June 2014 to discuss and identify the key areas of opportunities and inspiration for the rise of women to leadership positions. Recognising and creating inspiring role models were some of the key findings from the summit. Taking the findings from the summit, the award has been designed to identify and recognise the professional women who can be presented as inspirational role models for the society.

To identify the role models, the award is designed into 17 broad categories, namely: Yellow Inspiring Woman for Lifetime Achievement, Yellow Inspiring Female Entrepreneur, Inspiring Regional Leader, Inspiring Woman in Army, Inspiring Female Performer - Dance, Inspiring Male, Inspiring Woman in Sports, Yellow Inspiring Female Diplomat, Inspiring Female Journalist,

Inspiring Woman Against the Odds, Inspiring Female in Cinema, Yellow Inspiring Woman of the Nation, Yellow Most Dynamic Women of the Year, Inspiring Female Startup, Leaders of Tomorrow, Most Female-Friendly Organisation, and Inspiring Female Professional.

The categories concerning the corporate sectors of the country are such that identifying the leading and potentially leading women from each category requires fair judgment from experts. After the categories were defined, nomination was invited from the female employees and employers from the corporate sector. The nominees were shortlisted and then presented to the jury boards for final evaluation and selection of the winners in each category and sub-category. The jury board comprised of renowned HR experts,

academicians, entrepreneurs and leading figures from the corporate sector of the country.

Presented by Yellow, the award is organised this year in association with Le Meridien Dhaka. Parachute and RFL are

the event partners. The event is also supported by FICCI, MCCI, Dhaka Tribune as Media Partner, Masthead PR as PR Partner, Gtv as TV Partner, Webable as Social Media Partner, and Colors FM as Radio Partner. l

News 9D

T

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

‘Yellow presents Inspiring Women Award’

Science10DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

n Features Desk

1. If stomachs did not have a lining of mucus, your stomach would digest itself.

2. There are approximately 550 hairs in a person’s eyebrow.

3. The average person will shed 40 pounds of skin in his/her lifetime.

4. The average person will drink about 16,000 gallons of water and produce 10,000 gallons of saliva in his/her lifetime.

5. On average, women say 7,000 words per day while men manage just over 2,000 words.

6. A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100mph.

7. A cough can reach the speed of 60mph.

8. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

9. It takes 17 muscles to smile while taking 43 muscles to frown. lSource: www.science-facts.com

n Features Desk

A spit test could determine how long you’re going to make it on this Earth. Researchers have found that levels of a certain antibody fall when you’re closer to heading six feet under, which is equally cool and terrifying.According to the Daily Mail, it all started in 1995 when scientists

took samples from 639 adults and tracked them down over 19 years later. They found that the levels of secretory immunoglobin A (IgA) fell the nearer the person got to death.Antibodies are used by the body to � ght infection and are secreted by white blood cells.The researchers said the chemical appears to be a marker of

mortality risk, and is much less invasive than blood sampling.Testing levels of IgA could be used as way of looking at overall health by professionals as part of a general check-up.The research was published in the journal PLOS One, but Dr Anna Phillips, from the University of Birmingham, explains that there are a number of factors that can lead to the production of antibodies and how their levels are maintained..“There are some that we have no control over, such as age, heritability or illness, but our general state of health can also a� ect their levels; stress, diet, exercise, alcohol and smoking can all in� uence those levels,” explains Phillips. l

* This article was originally published on coed.com on December 27, 2015. Link: coed.com/2015/12/27/your-spit-could-tell-you-how-long-youre-going-to-live/?utm_source=hu� ngtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange

n Features Desk

Raisins: They’re not just for making cookies anymore. Researchers claim they can predict how well an eight-year-old will do in school using nothing but a raisin and a cup when the child is a toddler, according to a press release from the University of Warwick. The Telegraph says the method “could be the simplest test of childhood aptitude ever invented.” Researchers tested hundreds of 20-month-old children by placing a raisin under a cup and telling them to wait until they were told to eat the raisin. The Telegraph reports the test seems simple enough but can be “excruciating” for a young child and many will fail. In the end, researchers found that toddlers who successfully waited to eat the raisin had an IQ seven points higher when they were eight.

“The raisin game is an easy and e� ective tool that is good at assessing inhibitory control in young children, and can be used in clinical practice to identify children at risk of attention and learning problems,” researcher Dieter Wolke tells the Telegraph. Researchers published their � ndings in the Journal of Pediatrics. They were especially interested in looking at how toddlers who were premature babies did on the test. Not well, it turns out. “The lower a child’s gestational age, the lower the

inhibitory control and the more likely that the child had poor attention regulation and low academic achievement,” the study

states. Researchers hope to use their � ndings to get children likely to underperform academically help earlier in life. l

* This article was originally published on www.newser.com on November 19, 2015. Link: www.newser.com/story/216355/how-to-predict-your-

childs-future-intelligence-with-a-raisin.html?utm_source=hu� ngtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange

9 quick facts about humans Your spit could tell you how long you’re going to live

How to predict your child’s intelligence with a raisin

Photo: BIGSTOCK

Photo: BIGSTOCK

INSIDE

Bangladesh army has appinted a woman o� cer to lead a contingent for the � rst time in the UN peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast.

Colonel Dr Nazma Begum leads the team as a commander of 21 � eld ambulance, a medical team assigned to provide medical support at the

Ivory Coast Level-2 Hospital. She is one of six female o� cers in the team. It is encouraging to see women play a growing role in Bangladesh’s contributions

to the UN. They are a shining example of the rapid and necessary strides which women are making in our armed forces.

Their example is important to all people in Bangladesh. Even though Bangladesh has a proud tradition of women occupying leadership

roles, including in the most senior political positions in the land, we have a long way to go to ful� ll the national goal of gender equality.

Discriminatory social attitudes still need to change for the country to reach a position where it will no longer be newsworthy to celebrate female � rsts, as equality will be the expected norm.

It is important then to celebrate the example which women leaders in prominent organisations can provide as role models.

Their achievements o� er encouragement to young women and girls and can make a big di� erence to reforming the glass ceilings which hold back female empowerment.

Empowering women to take more leadership roles across workplaces and society, is essential to our country’s future progress.

As a nation, we should encourage and mentor more women to become leaders. The economy needs to make the most of everyones skills and talents. Everyone will bene� t if women’s skills and talents are not held back.

Empowering women to take more leadership roles is good for everyone

They don’t treatus right

From the root upEvery year, the passing rate has been increasing. Students are sitting for examinations only to pass or achieve a certain grade. Their actual learning is getting more and more limited. This system is closing down space for creativity or innovation

PAGE 13

PAGE 12

PAGE 14

The forgotten genocide The genocide against the Circassians has a unique resemblance to the genocide of Bengalis in 1971. The di� erence is in the numbers. Bengalis were killed in much larger numbers, and � nally they were victorious in their struggle

One look at the doctor-to-population ratio (reported to be 1:43,660) gives us an idea of how inadequate the system is. But the woeful state of the health infrastructure in Bangladesh is attributable not to the lack of available public health care services, but to their inferior quality

Peacekeepers set an example for equality

11D

TEditorialWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207

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www.dhakatribune.comJoin our Facebook community:

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The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors

alone. They do not purport to be the o� cial view of Dhaka

Tribune or its publisher.

BIGSTOCK

n Lamia Mohsin

According to an article recently published in Business Insider, which described the

expenditure patterns of di� erent nationalities, the US was identi� ed as the biggest global investor on health care quite predictably, with the Health Care Bill considered to be a historic reform pushed forward by the Obama

administration.World-wide concerns about

health care are on the rise, especially in developing nations, which are traditionally seen to be lacking when it comes to proper sanitation, hygiene, and health care.

The standard of health care is also one of the reasons for lower life expectancies in Sub-Saharan African and South-East Asian nations.

Over the decades, however, international development agencies have played a pivotal role in facilitating tremendous development in the health sector, the forerunners being UN and its auxiliary bodies.

From an economic perspective, a healthy nation is a productive nation, a notion which strongly advocates the substantial allotment of resources to health care, something that Bangladesh’s

last two budgets have failed to uphold, evidenced by the lowest allocation recorded in 24 years.

One look at the doctor-to-population ratio (reported to be 1:43,660) gives us an idea of how inadequate the system is.

But the woeful state of the health infrastructure in Bangladesh is attributable not to the lack of available public health care services, but to their inferior quality.

Health care is a pluralistic system with four key actors: Government, private sector, NGOs, and donor agencies.

The government is the � rst key actor which is held as the single most vital provider of health care, as per the constitution.

The quality of services and facilities, however, is quite low due to insu� cient allocation of resources, institutional constraints, and absenteeism.

In order to ful� ll the huge discrepancy created by the government’s limited capacity

to provide basic health services, the private sector and NGOs have thrived in Bangladesh.

In response to the low quality of public services and their lack of capacity to reach the entire population, international NGOs like Care Bangladesh, or Danida have emerged as the third force.

A parallel expansion in the demand for private health care has seen the radical proliferation in the number of nursing homes and private hospitals over the decade.

One of the underlying causes of the intervention of the private sector could be blamed on the immense pressure on state-subsidised facilities provided by public hospitals like Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Given their a� ordable fees, they understandably draw a huge proportion of the patients from low or middle income background.

Nevertheless, the pressing problems faced by those seeking public health care, however, is negligence and a lack of maintenance, which have maligned the reputation of public hospitals over the years.

For the a� uent class and those belonging to the upper echelons of society, private hospitals are the number one option, with their state-of-the-art facilities and panels of highly quali� ed specialists.

The huge di� erence in the fees charged by public and private hospitals for the same service is indicative of the di� erence in services provided by the two.

A recent incident involving a grievously injured victim of a road accident who was refused medical help --- because, apparently, accidents are criminal cases and have to be dealt with by law enforcers -- and, as a result, succumbed to his injuries, forced quite a few of us to rethink our rights as citizens and human beings.

It is time law-makers addressed the inexcusable legal loopholes that compromise our basic right to health care.

In a country where road accidents are rampant, legislations that protect the lives of victims must be passed. The Hippocratic Oath tells doctors: “I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body, as well as the in� rm.”

How much of this oath is remembered in Bangladesh? l

Lamia Mohsin is a freelance contributor.

Opinion12DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

How can we stay healthy when our health care itself is ailing? MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

One look at the doctor-to-population ratio (reported to be 1:43,660) gives us an idea of how inadequate the system is. But the woeful state of the health infrastructure in Bangladesh is attributable not to the lack of available public health care services, but to their inferior quality

There is no excuse for Bangladesh’s health care to be as poor as it is

They don’t treat us right

Opinion 13D

TWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

n Naim Ebna Rahman

The quality of our education sector has always been a hotly debated issue

in Bangladesh, ever since its independence in 1971. It is alarming that this situation is worsening day by day. Recently, this issue has drawn our attention for several reasons.

Basically, our education system is divided into three levels: Primary, secondary, and tertiary. Junior level education is the pillar of the educational system of a country.

The success or failure of higher level education depends on junior level education. If we want to increase the enrolment rate in higher education, � rst of all, we will have to ensure quality education at the junior level.

We are all familiar with the proverb that education is the backbone of a nation.

That’s a perfectly agrreable sentiment. But it forgets to factor in one crucial element: The quality of education

In the present world, quality is the � rst priority for all people. But it is an unfortunate reality that, day by day, the quality of education in Bangladesh is decreasing rampantly.

It seems that our government is in a hurry to show o� quantity rather than the quality of our education.

In recent years, the government has introduced a few public examinations for junior level students such as PSC and JSC.

Though there are lots of controversies about these public examinations, policy-makers have paid little attention there. Teachers and guardians often say that students are being burdened with more examinations and they are being pressured with even more textbooks.

So, many examinations, as a result, are becoming the main barriers to the � ourishing of innovative and creative minds in the next generations.

However, it seems, from the present situation, that the government is only con� ned to taking examinations and publishing their results, and is not bothered about the quality of education or the well-being of the students at all.

Many scholars are saying that the government itself has set the “pass rate” as the yardstick of its success in the educational sector.

Thus, every year, the passing rate has been increasing. Students are sitting for examinations only to pass or achieve a certain grade.

Their actual learning is getting more and more limited. This system is closing down space for creativity or innovation.

It would be a matter of joy and pleasure if the students passing the public examinations and achieving good grades were

exhibiting quality in some way. But questions are raised

when we see these very students failing in the admission tests for Dhaka University or other good universities.

It has been said that “the fate of a nation is decided in its classrooms.” And if we fail to ensure quality education in classes, we will obviously lag behind in the modern world.

In this present world, innovation, creativity, and quality are the basis for ensuring excellence in whatever we do.

We are dreaming of becoming a developed country by 2040, and we have already set Vision 2021 which would see us becoming a “digital country” within this period of time.

To achieve this goal, the foremost thing is to ensure good governance and sustainable economic growth. To ensure good governance and economic development, we need quali� ed

and energetic people who will lead this country from the front.

Lack of quality education at the junior level will have multiple e� ects in the future, both for nation-building and overall general development. Unemployment is just another negative side-e� ect of a poor education system.

In some cases, students get involved in unethical practices such as question paper leaking and bribing to gain admission to universities or to get jobs however they can.

As a result, our social values and norms are being degraded. This trend leads to a brainless nation. If we really want to keep up with the pace of the modern world by ensuring e� ciency, innovation, and productivity, there is no alternative to having quality junior level education.

We have a huge population, and every year a good number of students are enroling in primary

schools.We can, through proper

planning, transform this huge population into human capital. As we have a scarcity of physical capital, we can utilise this huge stock of human capital for our economic development.

Our government should realise the demand of the hour and address this problem properly.

The Education Ministry should come forward without any delay to ensure quality education by taking all possible measures.

Junior-level textbooks should be revised and modi� ed -- they should also be redesigned to re� ect the modern world we live in.

The number of textbooks school-going children are required to carry should also be reduced. After all, don’t we want a capable generation for the future? l

Naim Ebna Rahman is a freelance contributor.

Textbooks need to change to re� ect the times BIGSTOCK

Every year, the passing rate has been increasing. Students are sitting for examinations only to pass or achieve a certain grade. Their actual learning is getting more and more limited. This system is closing down space for creativity or innovation

We need to change education where it matters most -- at the junior level

From the root up

n Lt Col (Retd) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir Bir Protik

History bears testimony that some powerful nations have a unique strategy to make the

global community forget about genocides committed by them against weaker sections of societies. War kills men, women, children, love, and also history.

In the North Caucasus in 1864, a terrible genocide was conducted against a people who were called Circassian. They were erased from existence by deportation, ethnic cleansing, and mass murder. After extermination and physical liquidation, the evidence of the genocide was destroyed. This happened when in the North Caucasus, Russians were trying to exert their in� uence to expand their empire. There is an estimate stating that out of 10 Circassians, only one lives in Russia today, and the remaining nine live in 17 countries around the world.

It is known that the early Circassians arrived in North Caucasus in 140BC from Central Anatolian Plateau, presently Turkey and Iran. They have been living in this land since that time. “Circas” means foreigners, as their ancestors came from Central Anatolian Plateau. Many West European historians and travellers visited Circassians and wrote that they were a peaceful and cultured race. The Circassians later on became Muslims and followed the Sunni sect. Very limited information is available of North Caucasus during the time period of 18 centuries, as the Russian regime had tried to keep the � ow of information controlled.

Sochi, a port city on the Black Sea, 150 years ago, witnessed a part of the genocide. The Russian Army and the Cossacks surrounded the Circassian villages, committed murder, and forced the living ones to march to Sochi, the deportation point where ships were lined up for carrying them to the Ottoman Empire.

During the forced march, many succumbed to hunger and disease. When they reached the sea beaches, dogs were roaming and attacking the Circassians. The surviving Circassians were packed into the ships; in some cases there would be about 2,000 people in one small ship which would also carry livestock. The crowded ships led to spread of diseases, and when the ships arrived at their destinations, they only contained remnants of their original human

cargo. These ships were referred to by contemporaries as “� oating graveyards.”

The dead Circassians in the ships used to be thrown into the sea as food for the � sh. Many Turks of Circassians still do not eat � sh, in memory of their ancestors who met such a terrible fate during the passage of the Black Sea. It is known that the modern city of Amman was born after refugee Circassians settled there in 1887. Only a small number of Circassians were allowed to live in Russia, but they were forcibly resettled away from their home in di� erent parts of the country.

The Imperial Russian Army with the assistance of nomadic Cossacks were the main perpetrators of the genocide. They prepared a calculated and precise plan for complete annihilation of the Circassians.

The Circassians were living in the foot hills of North Caucasus. When Russian Tsar Alexander II was following aggressive policies

against the Circassians, they were trying hard to remain good neighbours to Russia via co-operation and dialogue. However, Russians the had a di� erent plan.

Russia decided to kill the tribal people living along the Don River, who were di� erent from white Russians. They spread propaganda, painting Circassians as savages.

Russian and Cossacks both believed in white supremacy, and considered the Circassians as an inferior race. The genocide started in 1864, and was completed by 1867. In three years, a peaceful, vibrant, and cultured community was destroyed. It is not known how many people were killed, and how many were forced to march to the Black Sea, but the number is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.

It is estimated that the casualty � gure was about four million. The Russian census of 1897 records only 150,000 Circassians, one-

tenth of the original number -- still remaining in their conquered regions.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin, in May 1994, said resistance to the Tsarist forces was legitimate. However, he did not recognise the guilt of the Tsarist regime for the genocide.

The Russian Empire mobilised the Cossacks to join with the Russian army in the north of Kuban River to conduct the genocide. Cossacks were given the right by the Russian Tsar to loot the Circassians.

The Tsar allowed Cossacks to forcibly occupy Circassian villages. The Cossacks used brutal force on Circassians, took away their lands, and killed them. As a display of gratitude, the Cossacks gifted a part of the occupied land to Russian Army o� cers.

The Russian Empire was actively seeking to expand to the south towards the neighbouring Ottoman Empire and Iran. As such,

it decided to incorporate Caucasus into their orbit. They also wanted to establish forts and garrisons in these areas. At that time, the Ottoman Empire and Iran were their enemies. Circassians being Muslims were thought to be a security hazard for Russia.

Initially, the Russian Army was faced with a combination of highly mobile raiders and evasive Circassians guerrillas with superior terrain knowledge.

As the news of attacks spread, the Circassian cause began to arouse sympathy in European countries, especially Britain, whom they assisted in the Crimean War. The Russian Army resorted to a unique strategy to destroy the Circassian resistance by modifying the terrain. They constructed a network of roads and cleared the forests, and destroyed native villages.

In 1857, the Russian minister of war, Dmitry Milyutin, propagated the concept of mass expulsions

of Circassian natives through his writings. His vision was that Circassians could not be allowed to continue living in Russia and eliminating them was the only solution. Tsar Alexander II had endorsed his plans.

Mass murder, deportations, and ethnic cleansing were manifestations of the modern-day concept of genocide. It is estimated that 90% of Circassians were victims of ethnic cleansing and genocide. The exact numbers will probably be never known.

The genocide against the Circassians has a unique resemblance to the genocide of Bengalis in 1971. There is a resemblance between Pakistan Army and their collaborators, and the Tsar’s army and its Cossack collaborators.

The mass killing, looting, and torching of villages, and deaths in the refugee trails that happened in Bangladesh echo the events of the Circassian genocide.

The di� erence is in the numbers. Bengalis were killed in much larger numbers, and � nally they were victorious in their struggle. In the end, Bengalis won -- otherwise their fate would probably be similar to that of the Circassian people, whose new generations have no identity today. l

Lt Col (Retd) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir Bir Protik is a Freedom Fighter, a recipient of Swadhinata Padak, and a researcher on the Liberation War.

Opinion14DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

The Circassian way of life has been lost forever BIGSTOCK

The genocide against the Circassians has a unique resemblance to the genocide of Bengalis in 1971. The di� erence is in the numbers. Bengalis were killed in much larger numbers, and � nally they were victorious in their struggle

The world doesn’t talk about the atrocities committed against the Circassians

The forgotten genocide

15D

TBusinessWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Stocks continue to hit dry spellStocks at the country’s twin bourses continued to decline for the � fth straight session, breaking the major support lev-el below 4,500-mark as investors went on a massive sell-o� . The prime index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, shed 0.62% or 28 points to end at 4,484, hitting three and a half months low since November 18 last year. PAGE 17

Biman to hold AGM this monthThe Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tour-ism has decided to hold annual general meeting of Biman Bangladesh Airlines this month as per the High Court direc-tive. “We will hold AGM of the Biman this month (March) as per the High Court order and hope the present crisis will be resolved then,”Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. PAGE 16

Capital market snapshot: TuesdayDSE

Broad Index 4,484.0 -0.6% ▼

Index 1,089.1 -1.0% ▼

30 Index 1,715.4 -0.4% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk 4,406.4 -4.8% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol 119.5 -8.4% ▼

CSEAll Share Index 13,842.8 -0.6% ▼

30 Index 12,554.3 -0.1% ▼

Selected Index 8,412.3 -0.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk 281.2 -44.9% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol 9.0 -39.1% ▼

INSIDE

OPEC watching Iran, Russia, unlikely to cut output in JuneOPEC is very unlikely to cut output at its next meeting in June, even if prices remain extremely low, according to OPEC sources and delegates, as it will be too early to say how fast Iranian output is rising. PAGE 18

Joint drives soon to prevent revenue evasionThe latest NBR meeting puts special emphasis on anti-smuggling activitiesn Tribune Report

The authorities concerned have decided to conduct joint drives consisting of o� cials from the Na-tional Board of Revenue and other law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent revenue eva-sion in the country.

The joint teams will conduct the drive as the recently reconsti-tuted central anti-smuggling task-force has decided to take strict actions against dishonest traders evading revenues, laundering money and commit smuggling.

Currently, some 80% of the money laundering incidents are trade-based in Bangladesh.

This is one of the three core decisions taken in monthly reve-nue conference of NBR held at its headquarters on Monday.

NBR chairman Nojibur Rahman, also the head of the newly recon-stituted anti-smuggling task force,

disclosed the decision as the chair of the meeting. The meeting was attended by NBR members and commissioners from its customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) wing.

NBR organised the meeting a day after it hosted � rst meeting of the newly reconstituted an-ti-smuggling task force committee at is o� ce on Sunday.

The latest meeting put special emphasis on anti-smuggling ac-tivities, along with other initia-tives required for enhancing reve-nue collection activities.

The meeting instructed all NBR commissioners from income tax, customs and Value Added Tax wing to conduct the combined drives that will be jointly done with them and the members of recently reconstituted central an-ti-smuggling taskforce.

Central Intelligence Cell, Cus-toms Intelligence and Investi-gation Directorate, VAT Audit

Intelligence and Investigation Directorate of NBR will conduct the drives in a combined way with other government agencies.

The government agencies in-volved in the drive are Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ansar & VDP, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion, Narcotics Control Department, National Security Intelligence, Di-rectorate General of Forces Intel-ligence, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bank and Railway Range of Bangladesh Police.

Prior to conduct the combined drives, the teams have to inform the central anti-smuggling taskforce and it can take support from all agencies involved in the initiative.

The meeting also decided to conduct anti-smuggling activities through teamwork, cooperation and regular communication with relevant stakeholders to expedite

the taskforce activities.It has also decided to take nec-

essary initiatives for making the regional anti-smuggling taskforce led by the divisional commission-ers more fruitful and results-ori-ented.

To make this happen, NBR Chief Nojibur Rahman has in-structed the meeting organisers to ensure the presence of represent-atives from divisions, districts and upazila’s in the meeting.

In addition, all NBR commis-sioners have been asked to be in their o� ce as full-time basis and they have to visit and monitor their subordinate o� ces properly.

Addressing the meeting, the NBR chairman said the security system of the state may face in-terruption due to smuggling and money laundering.

So everyone has to work to-gether to combat these crimes, added Nojibur. l

NBR takes hardline approach against recruitment of unauthorised foreignersn Tribune Report

The National Board of Revenue urged the employers not to recruit any unau-thorised foreigners and threatened pu-nitive actions if they do so.

It also sought their cooperation in col-lecting income tax from foreign workers in Bangladesh.

The call came at a meeting between NBR and � ve trade bodies at the NBR headquarters in Dhaka yesterday.

A long-term strategic plan was decid-ed to be formulated to monitor tax col-lection from foreigners and taking puni-tive actions, the meeting sources said.

Under the plan, the NBR’s income tax wing would launch drive against recruitment of unauthorised foreigners while a taskforce would also be formed.

O� cials said the taskforce would be aimed at collecting information, coordi-nating between agencies concerned and cooperation.

The agencies will share information between themselves so that a complete data bank can be made on working for-eigners in the country.

The taskforce will include repre-sentatives from Board of Investment, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, NGO A� airs Bureau, National Security Intelligence, Special Branch of

Police, Department of Immigration and Passports, Bangladesh Bank and Bang-ladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

The employers, however, demanded a guideline on foreigners recruitment.

Leaders of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry at-tended the meeting with NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman in the chair.

NBR organised the meeting as part of awareness raising initiative among the employers on the matter.

As per the Finance Bill 2015, the com-panies, if found guilty of employing unauthorised foreigners, will pay 50% additional tax of total payable tax or Tk5 lakh as � ne, whichever is higher.

The companies will also lose tax holi-day or exemption bene� ts.

Currently, around 450,000 foreign na-tionals, mostly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, South Korea and some European and African countries are working legally or illegally in Bangladesh.

Although all the foreigners are to pay 30% tax on their income, only some 10,000 do so.

Many of them are living and working here without any work authorisation, and leave Bangladesh secretly without paying due tax.

O� cials alleged employers also

helped the foreign workers dodge tax as they work on tem-porary basis renewing work permits every three months.

According to the Income Tax Ordinance 1984, a foreign national needs to open a tax � le in Bangladesh if they stay for a period of 182 days or more in a year, or stay 90 days or more in a year after staying 365 days in previous four years.

They also need to present their tax clearance certi� cates from the NBR while crossing the immigration desk before leaving the country.

However, most of the foreigners now skip payment of their due tax because of lack of immigration check posts.

The meeting decided to take steps to make foreigners submit income tax certi� cate and clearance to the immigra-tion desk during departure.

According to the BoI data, nearly 12,000 foreigners re-ceives work permit from the authority every year.

“Once the process is complete, there will be no chance for for-eigners to work in Bangladesh illegally,” NBR chairman said. l

Business16DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Biman to hold AGM this monthn Ishtiaq Husain

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has decided to hold annual general meeting of Biman Bangladesh Airlines this month as per the High Court directive.

“We will hold AGM of the Biman this month (March) as per the High Court order and hope the present crisis will be resolved then,”Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The ministry had lately dis-solved the airlines’ the highest decision-making body as it “failed to hold” AGM within the stipulated time, which was December last year.

The absence of board ham-pered the national � ag car-rier’s smooth operation and stopped the process of taking all policy decisions.

Biman had to halt prepara-tion of launching operation in

new routes, approval of a new organogram and a new pay scale, appointment of General Sales Agent (GSA) and renewal of GSA agreements for di� er-ent stations due to the dissolv-ing of board.

The scheduled resump-tion of operations in two old routes and launching of three new routes in April remained uncertain as the board’s � nal approvals were still pending.

However, there were contro-versies about the way the min-istry had dissolved the board. A Biman o� cial said the Com-panies Act didn’t empower the ministry to dissolve board of directors before holding AGM.

Another o� cial said if Bi-man failed to hold AGM in time, the board would auto-matically be dissolved.

He said: “Biman needs a major overhauling in the structure of management to ensure accountability and transparency.” l

Palak: We soon to become IT products manufacturing nationn Tribune Report

ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak said Bangladesh would become a world’s one of the digital device manufacturers in next 2-3 years in a shift of status of being a user country only.

“Smartphones and laptops will be assembled in the Hi-tech Park now under develop-ment,” he said while announc-ing a three-day ICT expo from tomorrow at a press confer-ence yesterday.

Styled as “Bangladesh ICT Expo 2016”, the event will be held at the capital’s Bangab-andhu International Confer-ence Centre. This is the second after last year’s expo.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will inaugurate the event. The expo will show-case technology-based innova-tions and new tech products. It is intended to unlock econom-ic potentials of the country’s IT sector, say organisers.

The expo will remain open from 10am to 8pm every day. The government’s ICT Divi-sion, in collaboration with Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), is organising the event, expecting nearly 400,000 vis-

itors this year. Some govern-ment organisations and trade bodies will also participate.

ICT Division Secretary Shy-am Sunder Sikder said the government had laid emphasis on building a manufacturing ecosystem and setting up a re-search and development unit to boost Bangladesh’s ICT sector.

BCS President AHM Mahfu-zul Arif and Microsoft Bangla-desh’s Country Manager Sonia Bashir Kabir, among others, were also present.

Organisers said a robot de-veloped by the Shahjalal Uni-versity of Science and Tech-nology students will welcome visitors at the inauguration.

A drone made by Bangla-desh University of Engineer-ing and Technology students will also � y over the audience attending the function.

The exposition, one of the biggest ever expositions in the ICT sector of the country, would be assemblage of lo-cal and international experts who will share and exchange knowledge on ICT advance-ment and challenges in the seminars to be organised dur-ing the event, said AHM Mah-fuzul Arif, President of BCS. l

Business 17D

TWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Stocks continue to hit dry spelln Tribune Report

Stocks at the country’s twin bours-es continued to decline for the � fth straight session, breaking the major support level below 4,500-mark as investors went on a massive sell-o� .

The prime index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, shed 0.62% or 28 points to end at 4,484, hitting three and a half months low since November 18 last year.

DS30 comprising the blue chip stocks lost 0.43% or 7 points to end at 1,715 while the shariah index DSES declined by 0.97% or 11 points, � nishing the session at 1,089.

“By the end of the session, DSEX settled at 4,484 points, with a 28-point loss as investors went for pro� t booking as well as dividend

adjustment,” IDLC Investments said in its regular market commentary.

It also said the market partici-pation decreased slightly, which caused a low turnover.

DSEX continued its downward trajectory for the � fth consecutive day yesterday backed up by the heavy sell-o� of Grameenphone having the largest market capitali-sation, said LankBangla Securities.

Other large caps like BATBC, Square Pharma, BATA Shoe, Beximco Pharma also followed the downward spiral, the stock broker said.

The daily turnover at the pre-mier bourse stood at T440 crore, which was 4.8% lower than the previous session’s value of Tk460 crore. Among the issues traded, 96 securities gained price and 178

declined while 50 remained un-changed.

All the large cap sectors showed negative performances. Telecom-munication, down by 4.67%, was the worst performer of the day fol-lowed by Food and Allied 2.86%.

Pharmaceuticals and Banks de-clined by 0.65% and 0.60% respec-tively.

Engineering lost 0.53% and Non-Banking Financial Institu-tions (NBFIs) 0.21%. Power closed � at in the red.

The banks’ overall capital in-creased by 3.62% in the last quar-ter of 2015 as asset quality of most banks improved. The banks’ capital stood at Tk75,352 crore on Decem-ber 31, which was 10.84% of their total risk-weighted assets. l

SM Abu Tayyab new IBFB chair for Ctg chaptern Tribune Report

SM Abu Tayy-ab has been elected as the new chairper-son to the Chit-tagong chapter of International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) for the year of 2016 and 2017.

The election took place on Feb-ruary 28 on the sidelines of the an-nual general meeting held in a port city restaurant, said a press release issued yesterday.

As a business tycoon, Tayyab holds a series of important positions in busi-nesses both locally and beyond.

He is the managing director of Independent Apparels Ltd., Broth-ers Apparels Ltd. and Independent Fashion Wear Ltd.

Besides, he is the chairman of Chittagong Club Limited and for-mer � rst vice-president of BGMEA and former director of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Alongside Tayyab, Md Nasir Ud-din Chowdhury, managing director of Eastern Group, and Wahid Mal-ek, managing editor of The Daily Azadi, were also elected as the vice-chairpersons of IBFB for Chit-tagong chapter.

The annual general meetign was attended by IBFB members, eminent business leaders and other distin-guished guests from Chittagong. l

Business18DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

CORPORATE NEWS

National Bank Limited has recently shifted its branch in Hathazari to new premises at Foyez Shopping Center in Ramgor Road. The bank’s deputy managing director and head of Chittagong region, Wasif Ali Khan inaugurated the shifted branch

OPEC watching Iran, Russia, unlikely to cut output in Junen Reuters, Dubai

OPEC is very unlikely to cut output at its next meeting in June, even if prices remain extremely low, ac-cording to OPEC sources and dele-gates, as it will be too early to say how fast Iranian output is rising.

The sources, which include of-� cials from the Middle East, say OPEC countries such as Saudi Ara-bia also want to test Russia’s com-mitment to freezing output before taking any further steps to stablize prices.

More than 18 months after oil prices began a steep slide due to excess supply, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Venezuela and non-OPEC Russia agreed last month to freeze output at January levels in the � rst global oil pact in 15 years.

Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said last week a supply cut was not on the cards although adding that the production freeze was only the � rst step to balance the market after prices fell to their lowest since 2003.

“Maybe by the end of the year (a cut could be possible) when it is really clear that Iran is actually producing the volumes they are talking about. But not in June,” a source from one of OPEC’s Middle Eastern producers said.

January was peak or near-peak production for Russia and Saudi Arabia, the world’s two top oil exporters, but Iran - OPEC’s No 3 producer - is the key supply uncertainty for 2016 as it is raising output after the lifting of Western sanctions in January, adding barrels to the already saturated market.

Over the past month, Iran has is-sued con� icting statements saying

it could add up to 1.5 million barrels per day over the next year which would confound market skepti-cism that its � elds were damaged by years of sanctions.

Meanwhile, its February exports have disappointed as European buyers were cautious to immedi-ately boost trade amid remaining dollar clearance and ship insurance problems.

“No-one at OPEC knows what’s going on with Iranian � elds. So the Saudis want to see what happens in reality,” a source in one of the OPEC delegations who is familiar with production freeze negotia-tions, said.

No special termsNon-OPEC Oman and some OPEC sources have � oated an idea of Iran

being exempt from output freezes - as was Iraq in the past when the country was subject of internation-al sanctions - but so far Tehran has not been o� ered any special terms, according to OPEC sources.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zan-ganeh said last week the produc-tion freeze was “laughable” while Iranian sources say the country would be prepared to discuss a production pact once its output reached the pre-sanctions level.

Analysts believe output and ex-ports could rise by a maximum of 0.7 million bpd to around 3.5 mil-lion bpd in the next months but it will take time to understand where real � gures stand.

Iran, for instance, has already told OPEC it was pumping as much as 3.4 million bpd in January - a

much higher number than estimat-ed by OPEC watchers.

By June, when OPEC holds it next meeting, the picture of Ira-nian exports will still not be clear, several OPEC sources said, adding that they might only have reliable numbers for April. The sources also said it will be too early to say in June if the world’s record oil stocks have � nally become to shrink.

Saudi Arabia and Russia have not said the output freeze would be void if Iran refuses to join in, leaving room for a potential com-promise.

Russia’s Energy Minister Al-exander Novak plans to travel to Iran, Moscow’s close ally, in March for more talks on the production freeze, which he said could last for as long as a year. l

Insurers � nd Google a potential rivaln Reuters, London

More than 40% of insurers see Google as a potential threat be-cause of its strong brand and ability to use customer data, a report released yesterday said.

And young, mobile phone-friend-ly consumers may bypass traditional insurers for “new, more nimble” competitors, consultancy Capgem-ini’s annual world insurance report said. Google beat other household names Amazon and Wal Mart as the biggest new entrant threat, based on interviews with more than 150 insurance executives.

Insurers are looking to use tech-nology to gain more information about their customers and poten-tially o� er them lower-cost insur-ance. This has already happened in car insurance with telematics - the use of a black box in cars to see how safely customers are driving.

One of the next areas for insur-ers is the connected home - with technology that enables you to turn o� your oven from a distance if it has been left on, for example, potentially avoiding a � re. Google owns connected home products maker Nest, which could act as a springboard to providing insurance.

“To withstand the coming competition, insurers must build up their brands, learn to take advantage of real-time customer data, and develop agile operating models,” Capgemini said.

However, some insurance indus-try specialists doubt that technology companies will enter the heavily-reg-ulated insurance sector directly, seeing them as more likely to form partnerships with insurers, potentially giving those � rms an advantage. l

China manufacturing activity shrinks at fastest in 4 yearsn AFP, Beijing

Manufacturing activity in China shrank at its fastest rate in four years in February, government data showed yesterday, a fresh sign of sustained weakness in the world’s second-largest economy.

The o� cial Purchasing Manag-ers’ Index (PMI), which tracks ac-tivity in factories and workshops, fell to 49 last month, � gures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

It was the lowest � gure since 49.0 in November 2011, and was be-low the median forecast of 49.4 in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

A reading above 50 signals ex-panding activity in the vital sector,

while anything below indicates contraction. Investors watch the index closely as the � rst available o� cial indicator of the country’s economic health each month.

It was the seventh consecu-tive month that the o� cial in-dex showed contraction, which Bloomberg News said was the long-est such series on record.

The � gures came only hours af-ter the central People’s Bank of Chi-na cut the amount banks must hold in reserve in the latest attempt to tackle slowing growth.

It trimmed the so-called reserve requirement ratio for � nancial institutions by 0.50 percentage points, freeing up more funds for them to lend. l

The logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is pictured on the wall of the OPEC headquarters in Vienna REUTERS

Biz Info 19D

T

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Seminar on “Interaction between University & Industries” at BUFT

| seminar |

Friendship, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), jointly with SES, a world-leading satellite operator based in Luxembourg, announced the launching of the � rst state-of-the-art Maritime VSATs on river barges. The Maritime VSATs will be deployed on three � oating hospital ships; Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital, Emirates Friendship Hospital and Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital, under technical assistance of Square Informatix (Bangladesh) Ltd.

In May 2014, Friendship collaborated with SES for the development of SATMED project, an e-healt h platform conceived by SES and supported by the Luxembourg Government and the Ministry of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action.

SATMED is a satellite based communication solution aimed to improve public health in emerging and developing countries, most signi� cantly in isolated areas with poor connectivity.

As part of the project scope Friendship will install three maritime VSATs to enable constant Internet connectivity and data communication in its three � oating hospitals: Emirates Friendship Hospital, Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital and Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital.

Runa Khan, founder and executive director of Friendship, announced while the installation will take place between March 1-5, 2016, the formal launching will be held on March 2 at Emirates Friendship Hospital. l

Launching the � rst � oating hospitals in Bangladesh

| activation |

Women’s Day special deals at Amari

On March 8, Amari Dhaka will celebrate the achievements of women in all spheres of life on International Women’s Day 2016. On this special occasion, Amari has organised a three-day activity speci� cally designed for lovely women to share their aspirations and pay respect to the women from March 7-9. Also, Amari aims to attract passionate individuals to explore a range of

employment opportunities on March 8.

To pamper women, all the outlets will implement their own di� erent activities. For instance, Cascade Lounge, the Asian bu� et restaurant Amaya and Deck 41 will o� er a 30% discount on food only for lunch and dinner and 50% discount on spa treatments.

All women will get a discount card with three months validity

where female guests will be able to avail 10% o� on food in all food and beverage outlets in Amari and 20% o� on Cats Eye outlets by using this card .

They will also employ Women’s Day recruitment options, where ONYX’s brands will o� er female talents the unique opportunity to explore a career with ONYX, which is broadly based in terms of portfolios and one which o� ers highly sought-after regional and global exposure. Amari Dhaka is giving the chance to discover career growth opportunities, and meet with human resources representatives to discuss career options.

There will be recruitment for di� erent departments from 9:30am to 3pm at Amari Dhaka. Candidates can apply for their preferred positions, and shortlisted candidates will be called for further interview. Upon visiting the property, candidates are requested to bring their résumé and a recent passport size photo. l

BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT) organised a seminar on “Interaction between University & Industries – RMG and Textile Sector” followed by a signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BUFT, Aamra Resources Ltd, and Lectra were held on Monday, February 29, 2016 at Lakeshore Hotel, Dhaka.

Prof Engr Mashud Ahmed, vice chancellor of Bangladesh University of Textile (BUTex), David Hasanat, chairman of Viyellatex Group and Engr Md Shamsuzzaman, MD, Micro Fibre Group and president, ITET were present as the special guests of the event. The program was chaired by Prof Dr Syed Masud Husain, vice chancellor of BUFT.

Muza� ar U Siddique, founder chairman, Board of Trustees of BUFT, distinguished guests from di� erent garments and textiles industries, high o� cials

from Netherlands Embassy and NUFFIC attended the seminar and the MoU signing ceremony. Heads of the departments, faculty members and high o� cials of BUFT and Aamra Resources Ltd, and journalists from electronic and print media were also present.The keynote speaker was Prof Dr Engr Ayub Nabi Khan, pro vice chancellor of BUFT. In his speech Prof Nabi highlighted the im-portance of the Interaction and partnership between universities and industries. l

| hospitality |

Style Lounge Makeover Beauty Salon, located at Dhanmondi-27, House-45/A, (opposite Meena Bazar), has a number of lucrative packages ranging from haircuts to full bridal packages, which includes waxing, make-up and hairstyling from L’Oreal professional hair expert Sk Sahil Khan.

Recently they have also launched Hair Schemes which are include L’Oreal Professional Shine Bond Rebonding and Hair Cut, Hair SPA at Tk6,999, and Balayage Ombre Hair Color, Get 1 Hair Cut Free at Tk4,999. Discounts on bridal packages are also currently on o� er at the moment. l

Style Lounge’s packages

| o� ers |

Downtime20DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 9 represents H so � ll H every time the � gure 9 appears.You have two letters in the control grid to start you o� . Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.As you get the letters, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

ACROSS1 Blushing (3)3 Move about restlessly (6)8 Augury (4)9 Land measure (3)10 Time of holding (6)11 The holding of anything (6)14 Long lock (5)17 Engraving in relief (5)20 Cover for loose papers (6)24 Appraises (6)26 Self (3)27 Weak glue (4)28 One’s right wits (6)29 Female deer (3)

DOWN1 Floating structure (4)2 Soft feathers (4)3 Festivity (4)4 Inactive (5)5 Open material (5)6 Do wrong (3)7 Swarms (5)12 Period of time (3)13 Stain (3)15 Cricket score (3)16 Prosecute (3)17 Grottoes (5)18 Gourd (5)19 Abnormally fat (5)21 Egyptian goddess (4)23 Acting part (4)25 Mature (3)

SUDOKU

The best 2016 candidates can hope for on Super Tuesday n Tribune Desk

It’s called Su-per Tuesday for a reason.

Voters in the four states to

hold 2016 presidential primaries and caucuses thus far have handed out just a fraction of the delegates it takes to win the Democratic and Republican nominations.

But when a dozen states vote on Tuesday, nearly half the dele-gates needed to win the Republi-can nod and more than one-third required to win the Democratic one are at stake.

Each of the remaining major candidates has a “best-case sce-nario” for a day that’s likely to provide some decisive moments in the 2016 race for president.

Here’s a look at what they might be--

REPUBLICANSDonald TrumpAfter winning the past three Re-publican contests, the best-case scenario isn’t just to keep that streak alive — it’s to run up the score and � nish o� one or more of his rivals. Delegates will be award-ed proportionally on Super Tues-day; there are no winner-take-all states. Trump is looking for com-manding victories, especially in Southern states where Texas Sen-ator Ted Cruz has long claimed an advantage. In a sign of con� dence, Trump plans to spend Tuesday campaigning in three states that won’t even be voting March 1: Ohio, Kentucky and Florida.

Marco RubioRubio has campaigned since Fri-day as if the Republican campaign has already settled into a two-man contest between him and Trump. But that scenario will likely re-quire � nishing ahead of Trump in at least one state and ahead of Cruz in just about every state but Texas. If he wins more than one state, it may pressure Cruz, Ohio’s John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to consider quitting the race. Preference polls show Rubio in a solid second or within reach of second in almost all the Super Tuesday states, with Trump ahead in every state but Cruz’s Texas — where the most delegates are available on Tuesday.

Ted CruzCruz built his campaign on the idea of sweeping Super Tuesday,

but Trump’s momentum and ap-peal with social conservatives and evangelicals threatens to smash his Southern � rewall. The best case for Cruz on Tuesday is a solid win in his home state, per-haps with a victory in neighbor-ing Oklahoma or Arkansas, and a string of second-place � nishes ahead of Rubio. The Republican establishment’s moves to unite behind Rubio have hurt Cruz’s ability to appear viable on a na-tional level. Beating Rubio would keep the race a three-candidate contest for a few more weeks.

John KasichOhio Governor John Kasich hopes to survive Super Tuesday. His best-case scenario is to get a handful of delegates in states such as Massachusetts and Virgin-

ia, enough to justify staying in the race until his home state votes on March 15. Of the 11 states voting on Tuesday, Kasich has recently campaigned in only � ve: Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Tennes-see and Georgia. Kasich’s true fo-cus is on trying to win Michigan’s March 8 primary before going on to capture Ohio’s 66 delegates a week later.

DEMOCRATSHillary ClintonFor Clinton, the best case Super Tuesday is simple: turning her decisive win in South Carolina on Saturday into a sweep across the South and beyond that will cement the perception that she’s marching to her party’s nomi-nation. Clinton’s huge margin among African-American voters

was encouraging to her aides. If Clinton has similarly strong wins in the Southern states that vote on Tuesday, the gains may be enough to grow her delegate lead to the point where Sanders can’t catch up.

Bernie SandersSanders hopes to shift momen-tum back in his favor with strong showings in Colorado, Massachu-setts, Minnesota, Oklahoma and his home state of Vermont. The Vermont senator needs to avoid blowout losses in Southern states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Geor-gia, Tennessee — and also in Tex-as, which awards more than 200 delegates. The calendar will get better for Sanders in later March, as states such as Nebraska, Kan-sas and Maine take their turns. l

INSIDE

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TWorldWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

New Delhi links Islamabad to deadly air base attackIndia on Tuesday linked the Pakistan government to a militant attack on an air base in Punjab that killed seven soldiers in January. PAGE 23

UK’s EU deal: Hollow or substantial?As Britons prepare to vote in a June referendum on whether to stay in the European Union, some of the argument turns on the signi� cance of a package of EU reforms secured by Prime Minister David Cameron.

PAGE 24

Overhaul of UK surveillance laws sparks privacy rowBritain’s security services and police would have their right to trawl in bulk for online data boosted under a proposed new law to recast surveil-lance powers published Tuesday. PAGE 23

THE DELEGATE COUNT SO FAR IOWA NEW HAMPSHIRE SOUTH CAROLINA NEVADA TOTAL

REPUBLICANSDonald Trump 7 10 50 14 81

Ted Cruz 8 3 0 6 17

Marco Rubio 7 3 0 7 17

John Kasich 4 0 1 1 6

Ben Carson 3 0 0 1 4

DEMOCRATSHillary Clinton 23 9 39 19 91

Bernie Sanders 21 15 14 15 65

Source: realclearpolitics, The Green Papers

Alabama

C

CC

P C

C

26 1693 38

60 5037 40

116 42

37

109 49

42 43

252 155

117 76

76 58

79

Delegates to be elected

Primaries

Caucus

Convention

Texas Arkansas

1March

PP

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Georgia

Virginia28

10 C

C

AmericanSamoa

Alaska

Vermont

Massachusetts

Colorado

Minnesota

Super Tuesday

Already voted

Voting

2,382

1,017 661

Required to win nomination 1,2372,4724,763

DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS

xx

Total delegates

Delegates electedon March 1

29Wyoming

AdvertisementWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

22DT

WorldWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

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SOUTH ASIAMyanmar brings forward date for presidential nominations Myanmar will announce presiden-tial nominations on 10 March, a week earlier than was previously announced, the speaker of its upper house of parliament has said, short-ening the time Aung San Suu Kyi has to negotiate her way to the country’s highest o� ce. Suu Kyi has vowed that if she cannot be president she will form a government in which she is above the president. -THE GUARDIAN

INDIAIndian forces kill 8 Maoist rebelsSecurity forces killed 8 suspected Maoist militants, including 5 wom-en, in a raid on a rebel training camp in central India on Tuesday, police said. Police raided the camp in the forests of Sukna, 250 miles from Raipur, the state capital of Chhattisgarh. A rebel leader with a $7,300 bounty on his head was among those killed. -REUTERS

CHINAMajor powers warn China over new security laws China has been warned of serious international concerns over new laws covering counter-terrorism, cyber security and foreign charities, with the signatories to a letter from world powers urging Beijing to rethink the legislation. The US, Ca-nadian, German and Japanese am-bassadors signed a letter addressed to minister of public security Guo Shengkun, voicing unease about the new and draft laws. -THE GUARDIAN

ASIA PACIFICVietnam hit by worst drought in 90 yearsVietnam is su� ering its worst drought in nearly a century with sa-linisation hitting farmers especially hard in the crucial southern Mekong delta, experts said Monday. The water level of the Mekong River has gone down to its lowest level since 1926, leading to the worst drought and salinisation there, Nguyen Van Tinh, deputy head of the hydraulics department under the Ministry of Agriculture, told. -AFP

MIDDLE EASTDae’sh suicide bombs penetrate Iraq army HQ, kill general4 Dae’sh suicide bombers in� ltrat-ed an army headquarters west of Baghdad, killing an Iraqi general and � ve other soldiers, army and police o� cers said on Tuesday. The bomb-ers attacked a regimental headquar-ters in the Haditha area of Anbar province late on Monday, killing Sta� Brigadier General Ali Aboud, Lt Colonel Farhan Ibrahim and four others, the sources said. -AFP

New Delhi links Islamabad to deadly Pathankot air base attackn Tribune Desk

India on Tuesday linked the Paki-stan government to a militant at-tack on an air base in Punjab that killed seven soldiers in January.

India had previously blamed militants from the Pa-kistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for the assault on Pathankot air base, which triggered two days of gunbattles.

But on Tuesday New Delhi said the militants could not have carried out the brazen attack on the air base near the Paki-stan border without Islamabad’s support.

“Pakistan’s non-state ac-tors were de� nitely behind the attack. Also, no non-state ac-tor from there (Pakistan) can function smoothly without the state’s support,” Defence Min-ister Manohar Parrikar told parliament.

“The entire details of the attack will only come out in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) inves-tigation,” he said.

The NIA, a federal police unit that investigates terror o� ences, is carrying out a probe into the case.

The rare targeting of an Indian military installation outside the disputed region of Kashmir came days after Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi’s surprise visit to Paki-stan in December.

It led to the postponement of

peace talks planned between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals, with Modi urging his Pakistani coun-terpart Nawaz Sharif to take “� rm and immediate action”.

The foreign secretaries of the two countries had been scheduled to meet in January. No fresh date has been announced.

Pakistan banned JeM in 2002, a year after it was blamed for an at-tack on the Indian parliament that took the two neighbours to the brink of war.

It also arrested the group’s leader in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks but he was later released. l

Ü United Jihad Council, a conglomerate of 13 Kashmiri militant groups based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility of the attack. Indian intelligence agencies had, however, accused Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists for the attack.

Ü All the militants were heavily armed and well-trained. Each of them carried around 6kg of RDX (explosive material).

Ü It is being suspected that the explosives and ammunitions were smuggled into India beforehand, as it is di� cult for six people to carry so much ammunition.

Ü Preliminary evidence shows that the terrorists entered India through a canal route of the Ravi river in Punjab, where there may have been a serious techni-cal security lapse as the thermal imager located between two Indian BSF posts was not working, reports Times Of India. Reportedly, the same route was used by another group of militants in Punjab’s Gurdaspur attack last year.

Source: FIRSTPOST.IN

Facts about Pathankot attack

Indian army soldiers take up position on the perimeter of the airforce base in Pathankot on January 3 AFP

Overhaul of UK surveillance laws sparks privacy rown AFP, London

Britain’s security services and police would have their right to trawl in bulk for online data boosted under a proposed new law to recast surveil-lance powers published Tuesday.

The new Investigatory Pow-ers Bill would require websites to keep Internet connection records for up to a year and allow law enforcement agencies to access them to help with investigations.

The proposals have already drawn a hostile response from technology companies and priva-cy campaigners, who say the case for such wide-reaching powers has not been made.

“Powers for bulk interception and bulk equipment interference -- hacking by any other name -- leaves the right to privacy danger-ously undermined and the secu-rity of our infrastructure at risk,” said Gus Hosein, executive direc-tor of Privacy International.

The bill is being published

amid a global debate on how far countries should go in snooping on citizens’ private data following leaks by former intelligence con-tractor Edward Snowden.

In the US, Apple is locked in a legal battle with the FBI over a warrant which seeks to make it unlock an iPhone used by one of the attackers who shot dead 14

people in San Bernardino, Califor-nia, in December.

Home Secretary Theresa May insisted that the British govern-ment was “not seeking sweeping new powers” in what would be the � rst overhaul of surveillance laws for 15 years.

“Terrorists and criminals are operating online and we need to

ensure the police and security ser-vices can keep pace with the mod-ern world and continue to protect the British public from the many serious threats we face,” she added.

Safeguards in the bill include a new “double-lock” authorisation process meaning that both the home secretary and a judicial com-missioner will have to review appli-cations for interception warrants.

The bill also reinforces exist-ing encryption powers, allowing o� cials to ask technology compa-nies to provide content where it is deemed “practicable”.

The House of Commons is ex-pected to hold its � rst debate on the bill in two weeks.

Ministers hope to pass the leg-islation by the end of the year, when existing powers expire.

Over 100 politicians, cam-paigners and academics signed a letter to the Daily Telegraph Tuesday warning the government against rushing the bill through parliament. l BIGSTOCK

INSIGHT

UK’s EU deal: Hollow or substantial?n Reuters, Brussels

As Britons pre-pare to vote in a June referendum on whether to

stay in the European Union, some of the argument turns on the sig-ni� cance of a package of EU re-forms secured by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Cameron insists he has nego-tiated a radical reshaping of Brit-ain’s place in the EU, a “special status”. Critics at home, including members of his own Conserva-tive government, say the deal was insubstantial- a view echoed by some EU leaders.

As with much Brussels diplo-macy, the negotiation involved not only narrowing di� erences so that all could agree on a compro-mise text but governments pre-senting the deal in often diamet-rically contradictory ways to their home audiences.

A senior diplomat from one of Britain’s major EU partners poured scorn on the agreement, expressing the frustration many in Brussels feel at the e� ort spent solving what they view as an in-ternal Conservative Party feud that has endangered the Union and which the deal may ultimate-ly do little to resolve.

“This whole thing is just a repetitive series of selective tautologies,” the senior diplo-mat said. “It’s all in the treaties already ... Though we are not re-peating the whole treaties, just those parts which are pleasing to British ears.”

Examples of that in the agree-ment struck on February 19 in-clude the repetition of Britain’s right not to adopt the euro curren-cy or the assurance that a commit-ment to “ever closer union” in the EU treaties does not oblige Britain

to give up more sovereignty.But EU o� cials who worked to

produce the compromise -- under the fearful pressure that failure could see the Union undermined by the departure of such an im-portant member state -- reject the view that it is a mere political charade.

Real legal heft is to be found, they argue, in that very selectivity of the “repetitions and tautolo-gies” noted by its detractors.

“Some have an interest in pre-senting it in that way,” said a sen-

ior EU o� cial involved in crafting the deal. “But (the description) is not adequate ... The jurispru-dence covers a wide area ... This is a very selective repetition.”

Essentially, by emphasising some parts of existing treaties and secondary EU legislation, as well as legal precedents set by past de-cisions of the European Court of Justice, EU leaders -- “the fathers and mothers of the treaty”, in the o� cial’s words -- are giving future guidance for the constitutional judges.

“And so we change the course of the supertanker,” the senior of-� cial told Reuters.

London-based think-tank Open Europe criticised the deal and EU leaders for failing to adopt more ambitious, EU-wide reforms.

However, directors Raoul Ru-parel and Stephen Booth wrote: “It is not transformative, but nei-ther is it trivial. It is the largest single shift in a member state’s position within the EU.”

The EU official said: “It is con-structed by taking things from existing law. But the totality does change the course of the Union, and in that way it is help-ful to the Brits.

“It does ... contribute substan-tially to changing the course of the Union in certain areas.” l

WorldWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

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USADonald Trump misquotes Mahatma GandhiDonald Trump on Monday posted a quote on Instagram attributing it to Mahatma Gandhi, but the American media said there is no evidence that the Indian leader had ever used these words. “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you, then they � ght you, then you win - Mahatma Gandhi,” Trump wrote on social networking site Instagram. Christian Science Monitor has put this among the top 10 political misquotes. -TOI

THE AMERICASMexico to � re over 3,000 teachers who skipped testMexico’s government will � re more than 3,000 teachers who skipped evaluations under a con-troversial education reform that has sparked protest in the coun-try’s poorest states, authorities said Monday. Education Minister Aurelio Nuno said 2.2% of the 153,000 teachers who had to take the test never showed up and will be sacked on Tuesday. -AFP

UKUK to send troops to Tunisia to stop Dae’shBritain is to send troops to Tunisia to help prevent Dae’sh � ghters from moving into the country from Libya, the British defence minister has said. The 4th In-fantry Brigade is now moving to Tunisia to help to counter illegal cross-border movement from Libya in support of the Tunisian authorities, Michael Fallon told Parliament on Monday. -REUTERS

EUROPEUN: Over 131,000 migrants reached Europe by sea in 2016More than 131,000 migrants and refugees have reached Europe via the Mediterranean this year, more than the total number in the � rst � ve months of 2015, the United Nations said Tuesday. Out of a total of 131,724 people who have arrived on Europe’s shores this year, 122,637 landed in Greece and most were � eeing the con� ict in Syria, the UN’s refugee agency said. -AFP

AFRICASouth Africa court to hear case against PresidentA court in South Africa is hearing a case brought by the opposition to reinstate 738 corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma. His o� ce said he would oppose the bid, as prosecutors acted ration-ally when dropping the charges in 2009. However, The opposition believes the decision was political, and opened the way for Zuma to become president. -BBC

FACTBOX

Legal hurdles to Britain’s EU agreementBritain’s deal with the European Un-ion is legally bind-ing and irreversi-

bly enshrined in treaty, Prime Minister David Cameron says; opponents, in-cluding his own justice minister, a per-sonal friend, say it is not.

In a sense both are right.The measures Cameron agreed with

the other 27 EU national leaders was in the form of a Decision of the heads of state and government in the European Council. That has legal force and Britain has lodged the agreement as an inter-national treaty at the United Nations. But full implementation faces hurdles:

European Commission drafts lawsA politically important part of the package, letting Cameron keep an election pledge to cut tax credits and family support for EU immigrants, is to be implemented by legislation draft-ed by the European Commission and passed by the European Parliament in negotiation with the national govern-ments in the Council. The Commission has outlined its plan and leaders of the

main parliamentary party groups have endorsed it. But the Commission will only present its full legislative pro-posals after Britain votes to stay. The whole package vanishes if it votes to leave.

European Parliament passes lawsThe speaker and representatives of three major parties in the European Parliament were involved in nego-tiating the package and undertook to support the necessary legislation. However, the legislature insists it can-not guarantee a majority to approve Commission drafts it will not see until after the referendum. Leaders of the centre-right, centre-left and liberal blocs represent nearly two thirds of Parliament’s 751 seats. But party disci-pline in the single-chamber legislature is weak and often fractures on nation-al lines. There is strong support in Par-liament for keeping Britain in the EU, but it will not review the necessary legislation until after the referendum. East European MEPs (members of Eu-ropean Parliament) are already saying they dislike compatriots being seen as

second-class citizens.

European Court of Justice hears complaintsThe EU’s highest court, hearing com-plaints that national law or judges have abused citizens’ treaty rights, has made several rulings lately in support of rich states’ e� orts to curb “bene-� t tourism” by EU citizens migrating from poorer states. Those have tight-ened rules to restrict free movement in the EU to workers -- limitations underlined by the Council decision. Much of Cameron’s package is to clari-fy and interpret the EU treaties for the bene� t of the judges in Luxembourg. While the package cannot formally be “pre-approved” by the apex court, senior o� cials say lawyers from the Court and other EU bodies are in reg-ular contact and argue it is unusual for judges to overrule explicit council interpretations. But EU o� cials also say they cannot guarantee how judg-es will rule.

European electors ratify treaty changesTwo elements of the package, on

� nancial relations between non-eu-ro states like Britain and the euro zone and on a special exemption for Britain from further EU political in-tegration, are to be written into EU treaties when these are next revised. However, No one knows when the next treaty revision might be. All 28 states would need to ratify amend-ments. Many can do so in national parliaments. But others, among them France, need a referendum. And vot-ers across Europe seem liable to vote down any measure perceived as pro-moted by the elites in Brussels. So while future treaty drafters are legally bound to do what the Council deci-sion on Britain says, it is not clear how or when treaties will be amended or if the changes can be rati� ed.

European Council frames lawsThe European Council, comprising the 28 national leaders, can always change its mind and reverse itself -- though as most such decisions must be unanimous, Britain can veto such a move. l

Source: REUTERS

A Union Jack and a European Union � ag hang from a building in London REUTERS

25D

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Ronaldo rant forgiven: ZidaneReal Madrid boss Zidane insists he has put Cristiano Ronaldo’s outburst at his own teammates behind him as he attempts to turnaround a terrible season for the Spanish giants. Madrid sit third in La Liga, 12 points adrift of leaders Barcelona. PAGE 26

South Africa spinner Phangiso suspendedSouth Africa left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso will miss the � rst two T20Is against Australia this week after his action was found to be illegal by the ICC’s testing laboratory. Phangiso will get the chance to win back his place when he is re-tested by the ICC. PAGE 27

Cech sets Arsenal title targetPetr Cech admits Arsenal must record back to back victories against Swansea and Tottenham this week to relaunch their spluttering Premier League title challenge. Arsene Wenger’s side are aiming to bounce back from Sunday’s 3-2 defeat. PAGE 28

Inzi backs tainted duo Asif, ButtFormer Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq has backed tainted compatriots Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, saying they should be given a second chance after serving stints in jail for spot � xing. The pair were jailed in Britain after being found guilty. PAGE 29

PLAYERS TO WATCH

(L-R) Bangladesh pace bowling coach Heath Streak, head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, � elding coach Richard Halsall and assistant and spin coach Ruwan Kalpage discuss team strategy during training yesterday in Mirpur MI MANIK

Hathurusingha, Mashrafe point to recent improvementsn Mazhar Uddin

Twenty20 format has been one of Bangladesh’s weakest links but things are starting to change in recent times. The trend of im-provement was clearly evident in their last Asia Cup Twenty20 clash against holders and World T20 champions Sri Lanka. The Tigers, who lost their four previ-ous T20Is against the Lankans, exhibited a clinical performance to register their maiden win over the islanders.

Bangladesh head coach Chan-dika Hathurusingha echoed the common sentiment yesterday ahead of their tie against Pakistan today. Hathurusingha informed that the Tigers have indeed im-proved in the shortest format and said preparation has been good heading into the Pakistan match.

“I mean we have done lately many things we have never done before. We have never beaten Sri Lanka before in T20 so we have done that. We are going to achieve what we have never achieved. So there’s always hope. Preparation is very good. I am very happy with the prep and the boys have done a lot of hard work leading up to the tournament so preparation is spot on,” Hathurusingha told the me-dia in the sidelines of the Tigers’ training session at the academy ground of Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The 47-year old stated that the inclusion of opening batsman Tamim Iqbal will certainly boost the strength of the team but said Musta� zur Rahman’s absence will surely be felt by the side.

The former Sri Lanka cricketer added that Shakib al Hasan re-

turning to form is a good sign for the side as they bid to battle it out for a place in the � nal.

“I think Shakib is doing real-ly well, like the last game if you notice his partnership with Sab-bir was key. And he took Shehan Jayasuriya’s wicket when they had a partnership going. He bowled cleverly and then took a brilliant catch to get [Angelo] Mathews out. So those are key match-turn-ing moments for me. I think he is doing really well now,” he said.

Tigers captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza on the other hand said if they play their natural game against Pakistan then anything is possible.

“If I talk about the chances, I think we have a great opportu-nity. We are practising hard and moving forward and if we can do our things right, we have a bright chance,” said Mashrafe.l

On Pakistan’s win over UAE and Mohammad AmirAmir is a world-class bowler. The way he bowled before and even from the time he has come back, he is a world-class bowler. We don’t have much time in between practice. We are working on their skill during optional practice. We just work on their � eld placings and things like that. The morale is really good after the victory [Monday]. The way Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal � nished the game for Pakistan is a great thing.

On Mustafizur RahmanFirst of all, I am really sad about his injury. He is not in the team. He was a great prospect for Bangladesh cricket. He is not there. Unfortunately, this is part and parcel of professional cricket. But our bowling is our strength and I’ll back my bowling all the way.

On bowling-friendly wicketNormally you can see lots of scores above 150-160 (in Twenty20 internationals) but pitches like these we have seen in India. Sometimes it’s good to check their (batsmen) skill and technique as well. It’s alright, we can’t argue about the pitches. We have to play on whatever they produce as professionals. We have to learn and play on all kinds of pitches. l

TAMIM IQBAL (BANGLADESH)The dashing left-hander, who joined the side after completing his parental leave, will be gearing to make his presence felt in the crucial encounter against Pakistan today. Tamim is in blistering form, having scored 267 runs in six Pakistan Super League Twenty20 matches recently. The Chittagong cricketer will surely add strength to the side’s top-order following some disappointing displays by opening batsmen Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun in the tournament so far.

MOHAMMAD AMIR (PAKISTAN)The left-arm paceman has been Pakistan’s most impres-sive player, let alone bowler, in the Asia Cup T20. The 23-year old made life di� cult for the Indian batsmen in their tournament opener with his express pace and accu-racy. He was a treat to watch against the UAE too, as he conceded only six runs from his four overs. Amir has the ability to take the game away from the opposition in a ji� y so the Tigers batsmen will need to be on their guard when they face him today.

–MAZHAR UDDIN

AZHAR MAHMOODPakistan Bowling Coach

Today's Match 7:30PM at SBNS

Bangladesh v PakistanMaasranga TV, Gazi TV, Star Sports 1

26DT Sport

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

SRI LANKA INNINGS R BChandimal c Dhoni b Nehra 4 11Dilshan c Ashwin b Pandya 18 16 Jayasuriya c Dhoni b Bumrah 3 5Kapugedera c Pandya b Bumrah 30 32Mathews b Pandya 18 19Siriwardana c Raina b Ashwin 22 17Shanaka run out (Sharma/Ashwin) 1 4Perera st Dhoni b Ashwin 17 6Kulasekara run out (Kohli/Dhoni) 13 9Chameera not out 2 2Extras (lb 5, w 4, nb 1) 10

Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 138

Fall of wickets1-6 (Chandimal, 2.2 ov), 2-15 (Jayasur-iya, 3.4 ov), 3-31 (Dilshan, 6.1 ov), 4-57 (Mathews, 10.6 ov), 5-100 (Siriwardana, 16.1 ov), 6-104 (Shanaka, 16.6 ov), 7-105 (Kapugedera, 17.2 ov), 8-125 (Perera, 18.4 ov), 9-138 (Kulasekara, 19.6 ov)

Bowling Nehra 4-0-23-1, Bumrah 4-0-27-2, Pandya 4-0-26-2, Yuvraj 1-0-3-0, Jadeja 2-0-19-0, Ashwin 4-0-26-2 , Raina 1-0-9-0

INDIA INNINGS R BDhawan c Chandimal b Kulasekara 1 3Sharma c Kapugedera b Kulasekara 15 14Kohli not out 56 47 Raina c Kulasekara b Shanaka 25 26Yuvraj c Kulasekara b Perera 35 18Pandya b Herath 2 4Dhoni not out 7 4Extras (w 1) 1

Total (5 wickets; 19.2 overs) 142

Fall of wickets1-11 (Dhawan, 1.6 ov), 2-16 (Sharma, 3.2 ov), 3-70 (Raina, 11.1 ov), 4-121 (Yuvraj Singh, 16.5 ov), 5-125 (Pandya, 17.5 ov)

BowlingMathews 3-0-16-0, Kulasekara 3-0-21-2, Perera 4-0-32-1, Chameera 4-0-27-0, Herath 3.2-0-26-1, Shanaka 1-0-7-1, Siri-wardana 1-0-13-0

Result: India won by 5 wicketsPlayer of the match - V Kohli (India)

SCORECARD

MS DHONIIndia captain

“I think consistent performance is very important. In the last 9-10 T20s we have played, we have done well. It was good to see a few of the others contributing as

well. Yuvraj Singh’s innings was crucial, not just for this match but for the team as well, good to see him get into some good form. Today’s wicket was harder

than some of the other wickets, but it was still a little soft, which allows the ball to grip and move around. It was good today, because you at least know it will be there for four overs or � ve overs. Overall, it was a track that was testing initially

for the batsmen, but later on it was quite easy.”

ANGELO MATHEWSSri Lanka captain

“With the dew coming in, it felt like we were 20-25 runs short, but the Indians batted well, as always, and Virat was outstanding. If the wicket was like the

previous one, it would have been a � ghting total, but the dew came in and the ball started sliding through. We are depending heavily on our seniors, with the

side we have. The seniors need to � re, otherwise we’re in trouble.”

VIRAT KOHLI Man of the Match

“Touchwood, it’s coming out nicely now. Another crunch situation, 16 for 2. It’s nice to challenge yourself. Kulasekara and Angie were bowling well. I knew I’m

striking the ball well, so I have to take the pressure o� the other batsman by hitting the odd boundary, but it has to be a cricketing shot. [Stepping out of the

crease] was the plan, because all their seam bowlers bowl that good length. Except Chameera, the rest are all seam bowlers, so it was important not to let them bowl that length. If you’re set on 25-30, the ball full of dew is a wonder,

but when the ball changes you need to adjust with your bat � ow and check your shot sometimes.”

WHAT THEY SAID Ronaldo rant forgiven and forgotten: Zidanen AFP, Madrid

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he has put Cristiano Ronal-do’s outburst at his own teammates behind him as he attempts to turn-around a terrible season for the Spanish giants.

Madrid sit third in La Liga, 12 points adrift of runaway leaders Barcelona, after losing 1-0 to Atleti-co Madrid on Saturday.

However, after the game Ron-aldo said Real would be top if his teammates matched his standards.

The three-time World Player of the Year later recti� ed his com-ments by claiming he was only re-ferring to his colleagues level of � t-ness as Madrid have been ravaged by injuries this season.

“Cristiano has spoken with everyone. This subject is behind us,” Zidane said yesterday.

“We all know the importance Cris-tiano has and we are all with him.

“The issue has been � xed. The most important thing is what we have ahead and we will face that by all sticking together.” l

India seal Asia Cup T20 � nal berthn Mazhar Uddin

India registered a comfortable � ve-wicket win over defending champions Sri Lanka and in the process, quali� ed for the grand � -nale of the Asia Cup Twenty20.

In front of a weekday crowd in Mirpur yesterday, Virat Kohli once again led from the front, remaining unbeaten on 56 o� 47 balls as In-dia chased down their target of 139 with four balls to spare.

In pursuit of the target, India were in a spot of bother early on, losing both their opening batsmen Shikhar Dhawan (one) and Rohit Sharma (15) upfront.

An in-form Kohli however, stood up to the challenge and alongside Suresh Raina (25), added 54 crucial runs for the third wicket.

Following Raina’s departure, Yuvraj Singh joined Kohli at the crease and played some delightful strokes en route to a quick� re 18-ball 35, featuring three boundaries and as many sixes. Yuvraj was dis-missed with India still stranded 18 runs from victory but Kohli held � rm, smashing seven boundaries in his 85-minute vigil. Alongside Kohli, captain MS Dhoni remained undefeated on seven.

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 138/9 after being asked to bat � rst. The Lankans struggled right from the onset, losing wickets at regular

intervals. Dinesh Chandimal de-parted after making just four while his opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan (18) fared little better. She-han Jayasuriya (three) followed the Lankan openers soon after, making things worse for the batting side.

Hard-hitting batsman Chamara Kapugedera tried to counter attack but took up 32 balls to score his 30

runs while Milinda Siriwardana posted a 17-ball 22.

Skipper Angelo Mathews ap-peared in � ne touch but was dis-missed after making a 19-ball 18 as the Lankan batsmen were found wanting at times.

However, some lusty blows at the end by Thisara Perera and Nu-wan Kulasekara guided their side to a � ghting total of 138.

The Indian bowlers bowled su-perbly and kept the opposition batsmen quiet till the end with Jas-prit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin bagging two wickets each.l

India batsman Yuvraj Singh � ays one through the cover region during their Asia Cup Twenty20 clash against Sri Lanka at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

POINTS TABLETeams M W L PtsIndia 3 3 0 6Bangladesh 3 2 1 4Sri Lanka 3 1 2 2Pakistan 2 1 1 2

UAE 3 0 3 0

Beaten Asian chief pledges support to Infantinon AFP, Kuala Lumpur

The Asian football chief who lost to Gianni Infantino in the race for the FIFA presidency pledged support yesterday for the new leader but said scandal-tainted world football must focus on restoring trust.

Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa urged unity and support for the world body’s reform process in a letter to Infantino, FIFA’s execu-tive committee and his fellow re-gional leaders.

“We need FIFA to change if we are going to regain the trust, respect and con� dence of those who hold our great game to heart,” he wrote.

“I am con� dent that by working closely and consulting together, we will do the best for FIFA and restore much needed unity,” added the Bahraini royal.

“I have already assured the FIFA president that I will support him in achieving that goal and I am con� -dent you will join me in this task.”l

Sport 27D

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

Raqibul, Marshal shine on Day 1Central Zone batsmen Raqibul Hasan and Marshal Ayub starred with the willow against East Zone as the opening day’s play of the Bangladesh Cricket League longer-version’s fourth round got underway in Cox’s Bazar yesterday. Batting � rst, Central ended the day on 321/4, riding on Raqibul’s unbeaten 216-ball 119 and Marshal’s 140-ball 81. In the other match of the day at the same venue, North Zone, taking � rst guard, posted 266/8 against South Zone. Naeem Islam (48), Muktar Ali (43*) and Ariful Haque (43) all posted starts but were unable to prolong their knocks into signi� cant ones.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Women’s football begins todayThe nine-day long � nal round of the KFC National Women’s Football Championship gets underway at the Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sipahi Mohammad Mustafa Kamal stadium in Kamalapur today. A total of eight women’s football teams, who became champions across eight di� erent regions, will partake in the tournament. The participating teams have been split into two groups. Mymensingh, BJMC, Rangpur and Rajbari were placed in Group A while Ansar VDP, Tangail, Satkhira and Khulna were drawn in Group B. Mymensingh take on Rajbari in the tournament opener while BJMC face Rangpur in the day’s other encounter. The champions will pocket Tk50,000 while the runners-up side will receive Tk25,000.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Benzema out with thigh injuryReal Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who was substituted in the derby defeat to Atletico Madrid on Saturday, is su� ering from a muscular injury to the right thigh, the club announced on Monday. Real made a short statement saying that they were still waiting to see for how long the Frenchman would be unavailable.

–AFP

McDermott to step down as coachAustralia’s bowling coach Craig McDermott will leave after the upcoming World Twenty20 tournament in India, joining batting coach Michael Di Venuto in departing the top-ranked Test nation.

–REUTERS

QUICK BYTES

The Runner Group 31st Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship tees o� in the capital’s Kurmitola Golf Club today. A total of 190 amateur golfers, including 160 male and 30 female participants from India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and hosts Bangladesh will take part in the event. Ha� zur Rahman Khan, chairman of title sponsor Runner Group, inaugurated the tournament as the chief guest. Akbar Hossain, Mohammad Russel, Mohammad Farhad, Mohammad Ripon, Sonia Akter, Liza Akter, Nasima Akter, Zakia Sultana, Lima Akter and Rinky Akter will represent Bangladesh in the competition.

South Africa spinner Phangiso suspended over illegal actionn Reuters, Cape Town

South Africa left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso will miss the � rst two Twenty20 Internationals against Australia this week after his action was found to be illegal by the ICC’s testing laboratory.

Phangiso will get the chance to win back his place in the squad for the � nal game of the series next Wednes-day and South Africa’s World Twenty20 campaign in India, when he is re-tested by the ICC’s Panel of Human Movement Specialists on Monday.

The � rst assessment revealed that all variations of his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance per-mitted under ICC regulations after he was reported in a domestic 50-over semi-� nal last week.

Cricket South Africa con� rmed that he will not be considered for the � rst two Twenty20 matches against Australia on Friday and Sunday.l

Indian state threatens Pakistan tie over attackn AFP, New Delhi

India’s cricket board yesterday crit-icised authorities in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh after they refused to provide security for an upcoming India-Pakistan World T20 tie, citing a January attack on an Indian army base.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said Sunday that the match should be moved to another venue out of respect for the “martyrs” killed in the assault by Pakistani militants

on an Indian air force base in neigh-bouring Punjab. He has threatened not to provide security for Pakistan’s players at the Himachal Pradesh cricket ground in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala where the clash is due to take place on March 19.

“We are not willing to provide security for the match,” a senior state government o� cial told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“It’s just one match that we are bothered about because it involves Pakistan and our decision re� ects

the sentiments of the people of Hi-machal.”

Indian cricket board secretary Anurag Thakur accused the state of playing politics and said the coun-try regularly provided security for Pakistani sportsmen and women.

“The venues of the World Cup matches were decided one year ago, the allotment of matches was decid-ed six months ago,” said Thakur.

“By claiming that you cannot provide security, you are only giv-ing credence to Pakistani claims

that there is a security threat to their team in India. It’s about the country’s image.”

Pakistan have already voiced concerns about security in India, saying there were speci� c threats from Hindu activists who forced the cancellation of a meeting be-tween cricket o� cials from the two countries in Mumbai last October.

The South Asian arch-rivals have not played a bilateral series for more than three years amid dip-lomatic tensions. l

28DT Sport

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

EPL FIXTURES Arsenal v Swansea City Stoke City v Newcastle West Ham v Tottenham Liverpool v Man City Man United v Watford

New Fifa president Gianni Infantino (C) poses with the teams after a friendly football match at Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on Monday. Infantino celebrated his � rst day in o� ce by organising a football match for employees and guests REUTERS

Cech sets Arsenal title targetn AFP, Milan

Petr Cech admits Arsenal must re-cord back to back victories against Swansea and Tottenham this week to relaunch their spluttering Pre-mier League title challenge.

The Gunners’ showdown with Swansea at the Emirates Stadi-um today marks the � rst of those games, with Arsene Wenger’s side aiming to bounce back from Sun-day’s damaging 3-2 defeat at Man-chester United.

Coach Wenger is in no doubt about the reaction he is expecting from his players against a Swan-sea side who lie two places and three points above the relegation zone and are without a win in four league games.

And the manager’s view was sup-ported by Arsenal goalkeeper Cech, a veteran of four Premier League ti-tle successes with Chelsea.

“This (the defeat at United) was a big disappointment for us and is a step back after last week where we managed to overcome a de� cit against Leicester at home,” Cech said.

“This is a step back but we need to keep working. We have two important games coming up this week and if we manage to win both the table might look better again.”

On paper, the second of those two games looks the most testing with Tottenham currently in sec-ond place, three points clear of their north London rivals. l

Don’t rush Man Utd gem Rashford: LVGn AFP, Manchester

Marcus Rashford’s astonishing start in senior football has given Manchester United a signi� cant lift at a key stage of a trying season, ahead of Watford’s visit today.

Manager Louis van Gaal is wary of asking the Manchester-born for-ward to take on too much responsi-bility too soon, but leaving him out against Watford may well prove impossible. Even so, Van Gaal is urging caution.

“We have to wait and see with Marcus,” he said. “He has only played two matches. It is about consistency. He has to show it in the third and the fourth and the � fth game.l

Higuain hits 25th goal to maintain title push in Viola drawn AFP, Milan

Gonzalo Higuain claimed his 25th Serie A goal of the season as Napoli maintained their title push with a thrilling 1-1 draw at Fiorentina on Monday.

Napoli were under the cosh af-ter champions Juventus stretched their lead at the top of the table to four points with a 2-0 win over hapless Inter Milan on Sunday.

But despite pushing La Viola hard in a thrilling encounter at the Artemio Franchi, a share of the spoils against a Fiorentina side that looks worthy of a top three � nish to qualify for next season’s Cham-pions League left Napoli with no complaints. Napoli remained in

second place, three points behind Juventus, with Roma and Fiorenti-na both � ve points further adrift in third and fourth places respectively.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said it had been a “great game” but admitted to Mediaset Premium: “They had the chance to win the game in the � nal minutes of the � rst half, as we did in the � nal min-utes of the second.

“It was a fair result, neither side deserved to lose. I’m really happy with my lads, and tip my hat to Fiorentina.”

Fiorentina coach Paolo Sou-sa did not agree, but was buoyed by another performance that un-derlined Fiorentina’s Champions League credentials.l

Infantino starts work with friendly kickaboutn Reuters, Zurich

Gianni Infantino began his new job as the boss of soccer’s governing body FIFA with a friendly football match on Monday, leaving matters such as his own salary for another day.

“I know you can’t believe it, but it’s not (for the) money that I was candidate to become FIFA pres-ident,” he told reporters after a match with employees and guests.

The Swiss said he expected the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, delayed by the wide-reaching

corruption scandal that engulfed the organisation last year, to begin before FIFA holds its next congress in Mexico City in May.

The 2018 and 2022 tournaments to be staged in Russia and Qatar must be the “best in history”, he said.

Monday’s kickabout, played in freezing mist at FIFA headquarters, featured two seven-a-side matches involving employees and former professionals.

“Team Infantino” included for-mer Portugal forward Luis Figo and

former Italy defender Fabio Can-navaro.

Infantino, 45, wearing a No. 9 shirt, ran around enthusiastically, but barely touched the ball.

“The hard work starts now, but I wanted to organise a football match with those who make the game what it is,” Infantino said.

He said he had not discussed his salary following his election on Friday. The pay of his predecessor Sepp Blatter, suspended from soc-cer for six years, has never been made public.

The reforms voted in by FIFA last week to help it put the corrup-tion scandal behind it included one on salaries being open to scrutiny.

Infantino appeared keen to get the ball rolling to pick a host for the 2026 World Cup. The process was supposed to have begun last year with a decision due in Kuala Lum-pur next year.

“De� nitely I think we need to launch the bidding process in the next couple of months, probably before the next Congress in May,” Infantino said.l

Lazio 0-2 Sassuolo Berardi 41-P, Defrel 67

Fiorentina 1-1 NapoliAlonso 6 Higuain 7

RESULTS

SERIE A TOP SCORERS25 goals

Higuain (Napoli)

13 goalsBacca (AC Milan), Dybala (Juventus)

12 goalsEder (Sampdoria)

11 goalsIcardi (Inter Milan), Insigne (Napoli),

Kalinic (Fiorentina), Maccarone (Empoli)

Sport 29D

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

DAY’S WATCHCRICKET

STAR SPORTS 17:30 PM

Asia Cup 2016Bangladesh v Pakistan

FOOTBALL STAR SPORTS 1

1:50 AMBarclays Premier League

Liverpool v Manchester City STAR SPORTS 2

1:50 AMBarclays Premier League

Manchester United v Watford STAR SPORTS 4

1:35 AMBarclays Premier League

Arsenal v Swansea City STAR SPORTS HD 2

12:45 AMBundesliga

Bayern Munich v FSV Mainz 05 STAR SPORTS HD 4

12:45 AMBundesliga

Darmstadt v Borussia Dortmund SONY SIX1:00 AM

Liga BbvaCelta Vigo v Villarreal

SONY SIX HD1:00 AM

Liga Bbva Sevilla v Eibar

SONY ESPNLiga Bbva

Levante v Real Madrid SONY ESPN HD

1:00 AMLiga Bbva

Athletic Bilbao v Deportivo La Coruna

NEO SPORTS 12:00 AM

French Cup: Quarter FinalLorient v Gazelec

2:00 AMSaint Etienne v PSG

NEO PRIME1:30 AM

Coppa Italia: Semi FinalInter Milan v Juventus

KABADDI STAR SPORTS 2

8:20 PMPro Kabaddi League

Pune v Kolkata 9:30 PM

Mumbai v Delhi

Inzamam backs tainted duo Asif, Buttn AFP, New Delhi

Former Pakistan captain Inzam-am-ul Haq has backed tainted compatriots Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, saying they should be given a second chance after serving stints in jail for spot � xing.

The pair, along with former teammate Mohammad Amir, were jailed in Britain after being found guilty of spot � xing at the 2010 Lord’s Test against England.

Although Amir has returned to the national team in impressive style, Asif and Butt remain side-lined and have not been included in Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup starting this month in India.

“Once a person completes his sentence, he has the right to live and play and the right to do everything else,” Inzamam told AFP in an interview in New Delhi.

“So I believe the other players should also get a chance to make a return,” said Inzamam, who played with the pair in the later stages of his career.

The swashbuckling batsman, who took over as coach of Afghan-istan last year, was brie� y in Delhi as part of his minnow’s prepara-tions for the World Cup.

Inzamam, who played 120 Tests and 388 one-day internation-als during his illustrious career, praised Amir for his sensational spell of bowling against India in the ongoing T20 Asia Cup in Dhaka.

“The sheer fact that a person can have so much talent, that even

after a long hiatus he can bowl with the same vigour and precision” is amazing, he said.

“The way he bowled against India it didn’t look as if he was making a comeback after � ve long years. It was a treat to watch.”

The 23-year-old took three quick wickets for Pakistan in last week’s match before India eventually pummelled their bitter rivals by � ve wickets. Amir’s � ve-year ban from the sport was lifted last April by the International Cricket Coun-cil, while Asif and Butt became el-

igible last September for national and international matches.

But the Pakistan Cricket Board has said the pair will have to work harder to impress before returning to international cricket.

They returned to domestic crick-et in style in January, with Butt smashing a century and left-armer Asif picking up two wickets in their � rst outing in the one-day league.

All three were found guilty by a British court of arranging deliber-ate no-balls in return for money in a complex betting scam. They were

jailed in 2011 and were released at di� erent times the following year.

Amir returned to the national side for the limited-overs tour of New Zealand in January and got down to business right away with his wicket-taking ability intact. In-zamam said he believes Pakistan still stands a chance in the World T20 starting March 8 despite dis-appointing batting in the Asia Cup.

“T20 is an unpredictable format, so you cannot rule out any team’s chances,” said Inzamam, who has 8,830 Test runs to his credit.l

Allegri wants more Inter goals, and Cup � nal spotn AFP, Milan

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is set to rest key players when the defending champions travel to Inter Milan looking to “score goals” and secure their second successive Italian Cup � nal today.

A 2-0 league victory over a hapless Inter side in Turin on Sunday gave Juventus a three-point lead at the top of Serie A after Napoli held an enterprising Fiorentina to a 1-1 draw on Monday.

Inter are out for revenge, but a chastening 3-0 defeat in the � rst leg of the semi-� nal - as well as their compar-ative lack of threat against the champions on Sunday - has left Roberto Mancini’s men needing a miracle if they are to overturn the tie.

Juventus have not reached successive Cup � nals since the 1960s, and Allegri warned: “We’ll be going out [today] completely focused on reaching the � nal, and we want to do it by winning. Losing never does you any good.

Juve’s cushion from the � rst leg means Allegri, who has one eye on a decisive Champions League last 16 second leg away to Bayern Munich in a little over two weeks’ time, can a� ord to rest key players.

Argentine striker Paulo Dybala and Croatian Mario Mandzukic, who started in Sunday’s win, could both start on the bench in place of Simone Zaza and Alvaro Morata. Part of that decision is because Dybala, as well as defender Leonardo Bonucci, are one booking away from being suspended for the � nal. l

Showtime30DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

n Showtime Desk

An exhibition titled “The Masculinity Project: Photo/narrative Exhibition and Dialogue” has been inaugurated at the EMK Centre in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.

Designed and conducted by researcher Saad Adnan Khan and photojournalist Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo, the project is a compilation of photographs that

showcase “masculinity” of men belonging to the di� erent spheres of society.

Khan and Apurbo interviewed men from di� erent walks of life and asked them, “What does it mean to be a man?”

The men were also asked how they would visually represent their masculinity in photographs. They were asked where they would take the picture, with whom, with what and how,

and the pictures were taken accordingly.

Khan and Apurbo collected narratives and took pictures for a year from di� erent parts of Bangladesh, to relocate di� erent kinds of masculinities that exist across Bangladesh.

Some of the most compelling narratives are on exhibit at EMK center, from February 27- March 10, 2016 from 10am – 8pm everyday except Fridays.

An open dialogue took place at the venue on Monday that stressed on the importance of talking about masculinity in Bangladesh, engaging men in the discussions around gender and sexuality, varying masculinities on the basis of di� erent locations and intersections such as class, caste, disability, ethnicity, religion, nationality, etc.

The photos and narratives from the project will be used for a � agship course on Men, Masculinities and SRHR at James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University. l

n Showtime Desk

Ice-cream, a coming-of-age romantic � ick is all set to hit theaters on April 29. The � lm is the second directorial venture of National Award winning � lmmaker Redoan Rony who made his big screen breakthrough with Chorabali in 2012.

Fresh faces Uday, Raj and Tushi are set to mark their big-screen debut through the � lm.

“We were looking for a suitable date for the � lm’s premiere. I hope the � lm will be released in more than � fty cinema halls,” Rony told the Bangla Tribune.

Rony has penned the story, script and dialogue for Ice-cream and is hopeful that the � lm will be released in more than � fty cinema halls across the country. Abhi Kathachitra is the distributor of the � lm.

Various roles in the � lm have been played by leading artists including Omar Sunny, Diti and ATM Shamsuzzaman. Filming of Ice-cream partly took place in a few scenic localities at Saint Martin island. l

Masculinity projected in framesZinta-Gene tie the knot

Ice-cream set to premiere

n Showtime Desk

Preity Zinta, the Soldier girl and Barbie doll of Bollywood has � nally tied the knot. Interestingly, this “desi” actress has found her soulmate in “pardes.” The groom is Gene Goodenough, Zinta’s

n Showtime Desk

Sutopar Thikana (Her Own Address) is all set to be released in multiple countries across the globe.

The � lm that depicts the de-pendency of a South Asian woman at various stages of life will be released in Malaysia on March 3 on the occasion of the International Women’s Day to be observed on March 8.

Before the countrywide release, the movie will be screened twice on March 2 at a theatre in Golden Screen Cinemas located in Kuala Lumpur’s Mid Valley.

Sutopar Thikana, the � rst feature � lm to have received government grant in Bangladesh, was submitted to the censor board after the producer and the Malay-sian distributor o� cially signed the contract on February 19.

Upon receiving o� cial cen-sorship from the censor board of Malaysia, the feature � lm will be released in four multiplex halls of

the famous Golden Screen Cine-mas in Malaysia: the Mid Valley, Pavilion, 1 Utama in Petaling Jaya and Gurney Plaza in Penang.

After the commercial release, Sutopar Thikana will be shown in two television channels of Malay-sia and Brunei.

Sutopar Thikana, directed by independent � lm-maker Pro-shoon Rahman, who assisted late Tareque Masud on a few projects, is a screen adaptation of the book titled, Ishhorer Ichhe Nei Boley, written by the director himself.

The government-grant winning project was released in a few the-atres in Dhaka on May 8, last year, on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

After the premiere, the � lm was shown in 12 districts and seven universities.

Sutopar Thikana was also screened simultaneously in 64 districts in the country during the Bangladesh Film Festival organ-ised by Shilpakala Academy in December last year. l

Sutopar Thikana to premiere in Malaysia

long time friend. Tying the knot on February 29, marking the leap year, she held a private ceremony in Los Angeles. Although the actress denied all rumours, Sussanne Khan and Surily Goel, Zinta’s best friends were spotted together in LA, leaving most media houses abuzz with even more speculation. Apparently it was a small Indian wedding comprising of close friends, with word around town that Preity will have her own grand Indian wedding this April, closer to the IPL. l

Showtime 31D

TWEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

n Showtime Desk

Indian star Irrfan Khan will play the lead role in Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s upcoming bilingual international � lm Doob (“No Bed of Roses” in English).

The renowned director announced the “big news” through a Facebook post on February 29, Monday.

Sharing a link of the news published on American entertainment trade magazine Variety, Farooki wrote: “Irrfan Khan is working in my next � lm Doob (English title: No Bed of Roses). Not only he is acting but also he is co-producing the � lm out of a� ection.”

“Irrfan Khan is one of my favourite actors. I am grateful to him for loving me,” the post read.

According to the post and Variety, the cast also includes Nusrat Imroz Tisha, star of Farooki’s Third Person Singular Number that was Bangladesh’s entry to the 2011 Oscars and of Television that was Bangladesh’s entry to the 2014 Oscars.

Farooki describes the � lm as a “family story of loss and regain,” reports Variety.

“Life can be unkind at times, but death is a great equaliser which restores love, honour and compassion. In this story, the members of two families discover the � ner fabric of love when the headman of a family dies. Death doesn’t always take things away, sometimes it gives back,” Farooki

told Variety. Irrfan Khan, who is revered in Bollywood and Hollywood for � lms like Lunch box and Jurassic Park, said: “When I saw Mostofa’s � lm Ant Story, it immediately got me interested. I was impressed with his approach, style and the way he unravels the story. [Farooki’s] works carry a strong humane angle, which

is why his characters are multi layered.”

West Bengal Tourism Minister Bratya Basu, who is an accomplished actor and a playwright, will also act out an important role in the � lm.

Parno Mittra, the actress famous for her � lm Ranjana Ami R Ashbo Na by Anjan Dutt,

and distinguished actors of Bangladesh, Rokeya Prachy and Nader Chowdhury, will also be seen in the � lm.

Principal photography will start in late March in Bangladesh. The � lm will be produced by Kolkata’s Eskay Movies and Bangladesh’s Jazz Multimedia. Irrfan is on board as a co-producer of the � lm while

Jaaz will distribute in Bangladesh.Farooki is one of the proponents

of an avant-garde � lmmakers’ movement in Bangladesh called Chabial. His 2012 feature Television closed the Busan Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Asia Paci� c Screen Awards. l

Source: Variety, Times of India

‘No Bed of Roses’ for Irrfan Khan and Tisha

Runa Laila’s Dadagiri Top Hungarian � lms in recent years

n Showtime Desk

Runa Laila, one of Bangladesh’s greatest singers flew to India on February 29 this year. This time Sourav Ganguli has invited Runa Laila to participate in Dadagiri’s

special episode. Dadagiri is a popular show of Zee Bangla both in Kolkata and Bangladesh. Runa appear as a special guest in this popular TV program from Kolkata. l

n Showtime Desk

On Monday, the 38-year-old Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes bagged the Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for his debut feature Son of Saul. For the second time Hungarian � lm won the prestigious accolade István Szabó’s Mephisto won it in 1954.

Hungary has had rich cinema culture and industry from the beginning of the 20th century. With directors like Istvan Szabo, Bela Tarr and Miklos Jancso, an a� uent industry has grown in the country while � gures like William Fox, founder of Fox Studios and Adolph Zukor, founder of Paramount Pictures, Hungarians lend a hand to good cinema outside the border too. We’ve picked a few gems of Hungarian cinema in the recent years which earn plaudits alongside the Son of Saul.

Liza the Fox-Fairy, 2015This dark fairytale follows Liza, a young woman looking for love who may or may not be a fox-fairy, an evil demon who sucks the souls out of the men she meets. Made under artistic inspiration of Jean Pierre Janet’s French masterpiece Amelie and blended with Japanese folklore, the � lm delivers touches of whimsy and a large helping of Hungarian intensity and humour.

White God, 2014Director Kornel Mundruczo’s audacious drama is about how a young girl’s separation from her dog leads to a full-blown canine uprising. Filmed with a cast of

100 dogs and featuring staged scenes of animal cruelty, it won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival as well as the Palme Dog for best four-legged performance.

Heavenly Shift, 2013This one’s a black comedy about pumping up the funeral business. It revolves around Milan, a 20 year old half Serbian, half Hungarian, who realises that the ambulance driver and one of the doctors sometimes allow people to die. This illegal euthanasia has a � nancial side linked to the funeral business.

The Turin Horse, 2011Béla Tarr’s masterpiece bears all the hallmarks of his inimitable style including long takes, black-and-white photography and almost no dialogue. The � lm is a meticulous description of the life of the driver of the hansom cab, his daughter and the horse. l

Back Page32DT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

ICE-CREAM SET TO PREMIERE PAGE 30

HATHURUSINGHA, MASHRAFE POINT TO RECENT IMPROVEMENTS PAGE 25

THEY DON’T TREAT US RIGHT PAGE 12

IS con� ict: Iraqi general killed in suicide attack on basen BBC

An Iraqi army general and nine oth-er soldiers have been killed in a su-icide bomb attack by Islamic State militants in western Iraq, security sources say.

Four militants wearing army uniforms blew themselves up after gaining entry to a base near Hadi-tha late on Monday.

Of the explosions killed Brig-Gen Ali Abboud, chief-of-sta� of the Jazeera and Badiya Operations Command.

Another eight soldiers were wounded in the attack, which comes after a wave of suicide bombings claimed by IS.

On Monday, at least 40 people were killed by an explosion at a funeral attended by Shia militia commanders in the eastern town of Muqdadiya, while a blast at a se-curity checkpoint in Baghdad left eight security personnel dead.

Another 70 people died in the capital on Sunday, when two militants targeted a busy market in the predominantly Shia district of Sadr City.

Samarra offensiveHaditha and its nearby dam, about 190km (120 miles) north-west of Baghdad, are in one of the few parts of the mainly Sunni province of Anbar not controlled by IS.

Iraqi government forces and al-lied Sunni tribesmen based there have held o� IS for more than 18 months with the help of air strikes by a US-led coalition.

On Monday night, the four mil-itants attacked an entrance to the headquarters of the Jazeera and Badiya Operations Command and clashed with soldiers inside.

One of the bombers later blew himself up inside Gen Abboud’s of-� ce, while the other three detonat-ed their explosive belts elsewhere, Maj-Gen Ali Daboun, head of the Ja-zeera and Badiya Operations Com-mand, told the AFP news agency.

Elsewhere in Iraq on Tuesday, Iraqi troops backed by Shia mi-litiamen and the Iraqi air force launched a new o� ensive to retake a key agricultural area north-east of the central city of Samarra.

Commanders believe that con-trolling Jazerat Samarra would allow them to cut IS supply lines to the northern IS-held city of Mosul. l

JIHAD MURDER CASE

Govt petition reserved for 2 weeksn Ashif Islam Shaon

The Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court yesterday for two weeks re-served the government petition seeking stay order on a High Court verdict that ordered to compensate Jihad’s family members.

Chamber Judge Hasan Foyez Siddique also asked the state to � le a regular appeal.

Additional Attorney General Md Momtaz Uddin Fakir said the peti-tion will be heard after two weeks. A leave-to-appeal petition will be � led after the High Court’s verdict is released.

Lawyer of the writ petition-er Abdul Halim said the chamber judge adjourned the hearing in-stead of putting a stay. As a result the High Court verdict will remain in place until the hearing.

On February 25, the state moved

the chamber judge seeking the stay on the High Court verdict that said the family of Jihad, who died after falling into an abandoned pipe at Shahjahanpur Railway Colony, is entitled to compensation.

Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Hasan Foyez Sid-diqui on February 28 set March 1 for hearing on the petition after the writ petitioner’s counsels sought two days for preparation.

On February 18, the High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo gave the decision of com-pensation disposing of a previous rule issued on the matter.

The court said it would publish details about the amount of com-pensation and the names of per-sons who have to pay the money in its full verdict which is yet to be released.

The same bench in its rule on February 15 last year sought expla-nation from the government as to why the latter should not be direct-ed to give the family of Jihad Tk30 lakh in compensation.

The ruling came in response to a petition � led by Children’s Charity Bangladesh Foundation on Decem-ber 28.

The order on compensation came at a time when a ruling par-ty-backed ward councillor and a key accused of the case, � led by Jihad’s father, is threatening the family to withdraw the case in ex-change for money.

Four-year-old Jihad died on De-cember 26, 2014 after falling into an unprotected deep tube-well pipe dug by the railway authorities at Shahjahanpur Railway Colony.

Jihad’s father Nasir Uddin Fa-kir � led a case with Shahjahanpur

police against seven to eight men naming Jahangir Alam, a senior sub-assistant engineer of Bangla-desh Railway, and contractor Ab-dus Salam, owner of JSR House that installed the tube-well.

On April 17 last year, Inspector Abu Zafar of Shahjahanpur police submitted charge sheet against the duo accusing them of negligence in performing their duties properly. In legal terms it is culpable homi-cide not amounting to murder.

But the court ordered further in-vestigation as Nasir � led a no-con-� dence petition with the court on April 21 alleging that the IO had deliberately dropped the names of several accused – Abu Zafar, Saiful Islam, Dipak Babu and Nasir Uddin – to divert the course of the lawsuit.

Police have recently said that they would � le the supplementary charge sheet in the case soon. l

A woman is seen working at a plastic factory in the capital’s Kamrangir Char in a con� ned and unhealthy environment without any proper ventilation. Such a work environment is hazardous for health and can be said to be a slow killer. The photo was taken yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

INHALING DEATH

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