e_Paper, Monday, May 15, 2017

SECOND EDITION
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017 | Jyastha 1, 1424, Shaban 18, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 5, No 10 | www.dhakatribune.com | 24 pages plus 8 pages World supplement | Price: Tk10
Good or bad, all flows down to Bangladesh
l
Monsoon water from Meghalaya brings
sand and stone chips to Haor basins
l
A landslide in Meghalaya hill started sand
intrusion in 2008
l
l
Frequency and coverage of flash-floods
increasing in northeast region
There are around 1,000 mines
operational in Meghalaya
l
Unplanned mining in Meghalaya pouring
large amounts of sand into water that
eventually flows into Bangladesh
READ MORE › 2
ABU SIDDIQUE
Macron
takes power
as French
president
› 4
WORLD SUPPLEMENT
Macron’s victory
explodes France’s
political landscape › 2
Trump, Comey and
Russia: What is going on
in the White House? › 3
India turns on Rohingya
refugees seeking their
deportation as Kashmir
boils › 7
DT
World Tribune
MACRON’S VICTORY
EXPLODES FRANCE’S
2 POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
Meet the man who
saved France
3
TRUMP, COMEY AND
RUSSIA: WHAT IS GOING
ON IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
INDIA TURNS ON ROHINGYA
REFUGEES SEEKING THEIR
7 DEPORTATION AS KASHMIR BOILS

2
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
News
Good or bad, all flows down to
Intrusion of sand from unplanned mining in Meghalaya is leaving arable land barren and filling up Haor
• Abu Siddique, back from
Meghalaya, India
Sand and stone chips dumped
from unplanned mining operations
in the Indian state of Meghalaya
are being flushed downstream to
Bangladesh, affecting arable land
and decreasing the depths of the
Haor basins. This in turn is making
the northeastern region vulnerable
to flash-floods.
According to the Department
of Agricultural Extension’s Sunamganj
district office, around 120
hectares of arable land has been
covered by sand in Tahirpur upazila
over the last decade, turning it
completely barren.
“And this is only in that specific
area. If we look across the region,
located south of the Megahlaya hills
near the Bangladesh-India border,
the damage is massive,” said Zahidul
Haque, DAE deputy director.
Andrew Sholomar from Rajai village
in the upazila is one of the biggest
victims of this sand intrusion.
“I have already lost around 15
acres of my 20 acres of land,” he
told the Dhaka Tribune.
If this cannot be stopped, his
family might end up starving as it
is dependent on that land, he said.
The flow of sand and stone chips
coming down with monsoon water
has been decreasing the depths of
the Haor basins, increasing the risk
of flash-floods.
Hydrologist Prof Ainun Nishat
said although the flash-floods are
a common phenomenon in the
northeastern wetlands, there has
been an increase in its frequency
and magnitude.
“Water usually carries sediment
downstream. This is also true of
the northeastern region,” he said.
But the volume of sand intrusion
with the water is alarming and need
to be stopped at any cost, he added.
Calling attention to several Beels
– small water bodies – in Kharchar
Haor in Sunamganj, the expert said
many of them have already been
filled up with sand.
“The frequency and coverage of
flash-floods have been increasing
in the region as the beds of water
bodies are gradually rising up,” said
45-year-old Kamruzzaman Kamrul,
chairman of Tahirpur Upazilla
Parishad, who has lived in the area
since his birth.
What’s going on upstream
Mineral resources including coal,
limestone and stones are the biggest
part of Meghalaya’s economy.
The mining mostly takes place in
three regions of the state – East Khasi
Hills, West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills
– all of which border Bangladesh.
Sources in Meghalaya say the
state government has relatively little
control over the mining industry
in these autonomous regions.
According to the sources, there are
around 1,000 operational mines in
those three areas, all privately run.
Altrisha Lyndoh, owner of a coal
mine in West Khasi hills, told the
Dhaka Tribune: “We have been doing
this mining business in our own
land. We dig the land, extract coal
and sell it.”
Asked whether she knows about
the impacts of coal mining downstream,
she said: “I have no idea.”
HJ Syiemlieh, a professor of geography
at the North Eastern Hill
University in Shillong, told the Dhaka
Tribune: “To extract coal, primarily
the miners cut down forests and
open pits, which ultimately makes
the topsoil unstable and lets it wash
downhill with monsoon water.”
In 2015, the Indian National
Green Tribunal, a government
body, issued a ruling to stop unplanned
coal mining in Meghalaya,
saying it was destroying the topsoil
and the local ecology.
But the professor said as there is
no strong government control over
the issue, many mines have continued
to run their operations in an
unplanned manner.
A fateful day
Sand intrusion from Meghalaya has
gone up sharply since 2008 when a
sudden landslide in the West Khasi
Hills of Meghalaya near the Bangladesh-India
border sent a massive
volume of sand down to Bangladesh.
The incident destroyed around
50 acres of land within minutes.
“Within a few minutes, the nearby
ponds and wetlands filled up
How mining in India affects Bangladesh downstream
Talking about how mining in India affects downstream Bangladesh with toxic water, HJ Syiemlieh,
head of the Department of Geography at North Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya, speaks to the
Dhaka Tribune’s Abu Siddique on the varied environmental impacts of this industry
Tell us about the history of mining
in Meghalaya.
It began with limestone mining
long before the British Raj came to
this subcontinent. You can still see
houses made of bricks and lime in
Bangladesh and Calcutta that dates
back to that period.
When was coal introduced to the
mining industry?
The British began to the exact coal
in this region when they arrived
from Cherrapunjee side till about
1969. Then moved their mining
across the hills to Assam.
Is there an environmental impact
of mining?
There is an environmental impact
nationally. Mining waste especially
coal mining waste is highly toxic.
During the monsoon this toxic
waste gets washed up and ends up
in the river.
In addition, the mining needs
large parts of the land to be deforested
which is definitely a loss of
biodiversity as well as a loss of top
soil as it gets washed away with the
monsoon rain.
Is the mining in Meghalaya
including coal, limestone and
other mineral resources currently
controlled by the government or
by the people themselves?
The big issue is, the land belongs to
the community. The government
has no land. That’s why the individuals
are mining their land rich
with mineral resources.
That means all the mining is
controlled by locals and the
government has no control over it?
Something like that. The government
does have control to some
extent but it’s limited. Now with the
National Green Tribunal (NGT), they
have regulated the entire industry.
And most probably this means mining
will reduce in the area.
Three districts—East Khashi Hills,
West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills
have autonomous bodies. Can the
NGT issued rule govern over them
to stop mining?
In some sense they are autonomous
district offices but the NGT
has been governing over their activites
in recent years.
If the mining is mostly controlled
by the locals, then how does the
government plan to mine uranium
here?
There is huge opposition about the
government’s plans to mine uranium
here. If the government really
wants to extract uranium then
they would have to buy the land
from the people first. But as far as
I know, this programme is still at a
ABU SIDDIQUE
conceptual stage. Back in the 90s
the government had identified certain
uranium rich areas and wanted
to mine them.
The mining in Meghalaya causes
dregs mostly sand, coal and stone
chips to wash downstream into
Bangladesh that ends up covering
large areas of agricultural lands. Do
you think there is a way to stop this
process?
I believe human activity does have
an adverse effect on nature which
needs to be contained as much as
possible. There needs to be a way
to stop this down stream sedimentation
of mining dregs that the government
of both India and Bangladesh
need to find a mutual solution
to.
There was some recent reports by
the Megahlayan media that a large
number of fishes have been dying
caused by the mining in the region.
Similar kinds of things were
reported in a Bangladeshi media
recently as well, claiming a large
number of fishes died in the Haor
region because of radiation from
uranium mining in India. What do
you make of this claim?
In the case of the fish dying in
Meghalaya, I am not convinced it
was caused by mining. In regards
to uranium radiation, how is this
going to kill fish if there is no uranium
mines here in the first place?
If uranium mining starts in
Meghalaya in the future, do
you not think this will impact
Bangladesh downstream?
Uranium mining will be a problem
not only for Bangladesh but also
for Megahalaya itself. It all depends
on how the extraction is manage,
mined and preserved. We have
been asking the government exactly
this as most people are extremely
concerned about this.
The government should use cutting
edge technology that will not
negatively impact the water, fishes,
trees and land -as all of them are interrelated.
•

News 3
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Bangladesh
basin in northeast
with sand and stone chips that day,”
said 46-year-old local Rokon Uddin,
who witnessed the landslide.
More than 2,000 acres of agricultural
land in three villages
– Chanpur, Rojoni Line and Rajai
– owned by local farmers and villagers,
disappeared in that single
event which changed the area’s
ecosystem and robbed thousands
of their livelihoods.
Since then, unplanned mining
in Meghalaya – one of India’s main
source of mineral resources – have
been pouring large amounts of sand
into the water that eventually flows
into Bangladesh and ruins large areas
of arable land every monsoon.
Mass deforestation, caused by unplanned
mining, has also caused
the soil in the hills to become more
vulnerable to landslides.
Ponchashol Haor, which locals
said used to cover a large area near
Chanpur village, has now vanished
because of sand intrusion from the
West Khasi Hills.
Complaints made earlier
In 2009, the Ministry of Environment
and Forest in Bangladesh
sent a formal letter to the Indian
High Commission in Dhaka to inform
them of the issue.
However, the issue appears to
have been forgotten on both sides.
On a recent visit to Meghalaya,
this correspondent met an additional
chief secretary of Meghalaya
government and also in charge of
mining department, who admitted
that he was aware of the issue.
“All good and bad things go to
Bangladesh. Water runs from upstream
to downstream,” he said,
smiling.
“Just like our river water goes
down, the sediment goes down and
Sand from West Khasi Hill in Meghalaya has left a vast tract of arable land in Taherpur in Sunamganj barren
makes the downstream land fertile.
Now the sand goes down with water
and makes the land barren,” he said.
Professor Ainun Nishat expressed
the need for a joint watershed management
for the entire region so that
the problems can be managed.
Prof HJ Syiemleih similarly said
that the two sides need to work together
to find the way to stop this
sand intrusion.
“India needs the mining and
Bangladesh needs to be safe from
sand intrusion,” he said.
ABU SIDDIQUE
Prof Nishat also said that Bangladesh
government needed to introduce
some initiatives, including
dredging the water-bodies and
heightening the crop protection
embankments to reduce the loss of
crops in the Haor basins. •
17 TH MAY2017
T H E IN TE RN AT IONA L
D E NIM EX HI B I T I O N

4
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
News
Macron takes power as French president
• AFP, Paris
Emmanuel Macron became France’s
youngest ever president on Sunday,
promising at his inauguration to restore
the country’s lost confidence
and pledging to relaunch the flagging
European Union.
Macron, a 39-year-old centrist,
took the reins of power from Socialist
Francois Hollande at the
Elysee Palace a week after his resounding
victory over far-right
leader Marine Le Pen in an election
that was watched worldwide.
After a private meeting with his
former mentor Hollande and his
first speech as president, Macron
headed up the rainy Champs Elysees
in an army vehicle, waving to
small crowds of wellwishers who
gathered along the famed avenue.
Macron said his first priority
would be “to give back to the
French people the confidence that
for too long has been flagging”,
while the second would be making
France a beacon for democracy and
AFP
freedom worldwide.
France’s place was in the EU
“which protects us and enables us
to project our values in the world,”
but he said the 28-member bloc
needed to be “reformed and relaunched.”
Macron also suggested he would
press on with his ambitious but
controversial agenda to reform
France’s rigid labour market and
modernise the social security system
despite the fierce resistance he
is likely to meet.
“I will not reverse course on any
of the commitments taken in front
of the French people,” he said, adding
that “France is strong only if
she is prosperous.”
PM named, then Berlin
Macron’s first week will be busy.
On Monday, he is expected to reveal
the closely-guarded name of
his prime minister, before flying to
Berlin to meet German Chancellor
Angela Merkel.
It is virtually a rite of passage for
French leaders to make their first
European trip to meet the leader of
the other half of the so-called “motor”
of the EU.
Pro-EU Macron wants to push
for closer cooperation to help the
bloc overcome the imminent departure
of Britain, another of its
most powerful members.
He intends to press for the creation
of a parliament and budget for
the eurozone.
Merkel welcomed Macron’s
decisive 32-point victory over Le
Pen, saying he carried “the hopes
of millions of French people and
also many in Germany and across
Europe”.
Further ahead in June, Macron
will need to win a majority in parliamentary
elections to enact his
ambitious reform agenda. •

News 5
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
GDP growth peaks at 7.24% breaking all records
• Bilkis Irani
Bangladesh’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) growth has reached 7.24%
in the 2016-17 fiscal year – an all-time
high in the history of the country.
In addition, the per capita income
has increased to $1,602, or
Tk129,178.10, according to Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics estimate
BANANI RAPE
Investigators looking
for alleged video
• Tarek Mahmud
Investigators are trying to find
the video that the Banani rape
accused had recorded, said
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s
Women Support and Investigation
Centre Inspector Ismat
Ara Emi.
The two plaintiffs of the
case said their rapists had
sexually assaulted and also
beat them while the other
accused had recorded the
entire incident. They said
the accused had threatened
to spread the video via social
media, if they had gone
to police.
The investigators quizzed
Shafaat Ahmed and Shadman
based on the first nine months of
FY2016-17.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa
Kamal revealed the numbers at a
press briefing following the National
Economic Council (NEC) meeting in
Dhaka yesterday.
The GDP size in the outgoing
fiscal year is Tk1,956,056 crore, the
minister said.
Shakif, who are on five and
six days of remand respectively,
but could not glean any
information from either.
Suspecting that if the video
exists, it may have been
transferred to another person
or stored elsewhere, they are
mulling of sending the duo’s
mobile phones to the Criminal
Investigation Department
for a forensic examination.
A four-member team, led
by DMP Joint Commissioner
(Crime) Krishna Pada Roy, is
assisting Inspector Ismat, also
the investigation officer. But,
none of them were willing to
comment formally to the media
over the issue as the investigation
was on-going. •
Apan Jewellers outlets
raided, one sealed off
• Tarek Mahmud
Customs Intelligence Investigation
Directorate (CIID) yesterday
raided four out of five
outlets of Apan Jewellers in
Dhaka, sealing off its Gulshan
Avenue showroom as it was
closed.
The CIID estimated 286 kg
gold and 61 gram diamond
worth Tk80.23 crore and
Tk5.15 crore respectively in the
outlets at Mouchak Market, Simanta
Square, Uttara and DCC
Market, said media release.
The CIID officials seized the
documents relating to the gold
and diamond, which they said
would scrutinise and then
take legal action if any irregularity
is found in those.
Primarily, they found that
the details mentioned in their
estimate and that in the inventory
of the outlet managers
did not match each other.
The CIID officials also
started an inquiry about the
source and import taxes of the
gold and diamond.
The raid came just three
days after the CIID asked Bangladesh
Bank to provide information
on transactions made
by Apan Jewellers’ owner Dildar
Ahmed, father of Shafaat
Ahmed, who are among the
five people accused of raping
two university students at a
Banani hotel on March 28.
Earlier yesterday, CIID said
it would to file three separate
cases against The Raintree hotel
in Banani, where two university
students were raped,
for money laundering, smuggling
and tax evasion.
After raiding the hotel, the
CIID recovered 10 bottles of
liquor, and made the statement.
•
In the 2015-16 fiscal year, the GDP
growth was 7.11% with the size of
Tk1,732,864 crore and per capita income
at $1,465, or Tk118,131.04.
“This is an outstanding achievement
as it has broken all records,”
the minister said. “No other country
except for India has been able to exceed
over 7% growth.”
“We hope we will be able to reach
7.40% growth in the next fiscal year,”
Kamal said.
He also said the remittance inflow
cannot be accurately estimated a part
of the remittance comes through services
like bKash and Western Union
Money Transfer, which are not connected
to the central bank.
“In 2013, when bKash did not
exist, the Bangladesh Bank earned
DT
68% revenue through wired remittance,
but now that bKash service
is available, the revenue reduced
to 51% in 2016. So, we plan to bring
these services under the central
bank’s system.”
The government also approved
an Annual Development Programme
(ADP) of Tk164,084.83 crore for the
FY2017-2018 at the meeting. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 35 27 Chittagong 34 27 Rajshahi 38 26 Rangpur 33 22 Khulna 38 28 Barisal 37 28 Sylhet 32 23
Cox’s Bazar 34 27
RAIN LIKELY
MONDAY, MAY 15
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:34PM
SUN RISES 5:16AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
37.0ºC
22.5ºC
Satkhira
Syhlet
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 4:50am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:38pm
Esha: 8:30pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
News
Mohiuddin panel wins FBCCI poll with 34 seats
• Shariful Islam
Incumbent vice-president of Federation
of Bangladesh Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)
Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin will
lead the country’s apex trade body
for the next two years.
His panel, the Sammilito Ganatantrik
Parishad, bagged a majority
of the seats in the election to the
board of directors held yesterday.
The Election Board chairman
Professor Ali Ashraf announced at
11pm that the Mohiuddin-led panel
members won 34 out of the 36 directorial
seats.
Mohiuddin had been nominated
as a director from the Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association.
The biennial election to elect
the office bearers for the 2017-19
tenure began at 9am and ran until
5pm, with no break in between, at
Bangabandhu International Conference
Centre in Dhaka.
This year, two panels contested
for only 18 directorial posts of the
Association Group, as the remaining
18 directors of the Chamber Group,
from Sammilito Ganatantrik Parishad,
had been elected unopposed.
The other panel, Babosayee
Oikya Forum, which is led by Qazi
Irteza Hasan, bagged only two
posts – one is Irteza Hasan and the
other is Helena Jahangir with the
National Association of Small and
Bagerhat teenager
arrested for raping toddler
• SM Samsur Rahman,
Bagerhat
Police arrested a 14-year-old boy
from Bagerhat’s Rakhalgachhi
yesterday for raping a threeyear-old
girl.
According to the victim’s
mother, she left the toddler at
home to get some chores done
on Wednesday afternoon.
The accused, a neighbour,
took her inside his house
promising to give her a mobile
phone to play with, and raped
her.
The toddler, who can
barely speak properly, told her
mother that she had been hurt
by the boy.
The victim was admitted
Navy chief Nizamuddin to
attend IMDEX 2017
• Tribune Desk
Cottage Industries of Bangladesh.
The 36 directors will elect the
FBCCI president from the Association
Group, one first vice-president
from the Chamber Group, and one
vice-president from the Association
Group on May 16.
The government has already
nominated 24 directors – 12 from
the Chamber group and 12 from the
Association group.
The elected directors from Association
group are: Khondokar
Moinur Rahman Jewel,
SM Jahangir Hossain,
Shafquat Haider, Md Abdul
Ayes Khan, Md Muntakim
Ashraf, Mir Nizam
Uddin Ahmed, Amzad
Hussain, Md Shafiqul Islam
Vorosha, Abu Motaleb, Md Habiubullah
Dawn, Khandaker Ruhul
Amin, Nizamuddin Rajesh, Hafez
Harun, Shomi Kaiser, Md Abu Naser,
Rashedul Hossain Chowdhury
Ronni, Qazi Irteza Hasan and Helena
Jahangir.
The elected directors from Chamber
group are: Hasina Newaaz, Md
Nizam Uddin, Azizul Hoque, Dilip
Kumar Agarwala, Masud Parvez
Khan Imran, AKM Shaheed Reza,
Md Anwar Sadat Sarker, Sheikh Fazle
Fahim, Rezaul Karim Reznu, Gazi
Golam Ashria, Shreikh Abdul Hamid,
Tabarukul Tosaddek Hossain
Khan, Md Kohinoor Isam, Prabir
Kumar Saha, Mohd Ataur Rahman
Bhuiyan, Mohammad Bazlur Rahman
and Abul Kashem Ahmed. •
to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital on
Thursday. Doctors said the
victim was bleeding profusely
when admitted to the hospital.
She is, however, recovering
now.
Even though the victim’s
family alleged that she had
been raped, the case was filed
with Sadar police station on
Friday for attempted rape.
Sadar police Officer-in-
Charge Mahtab Uddin said that
they would send the accused
to the court for further action.
At least 51 children were
raped across the country
between January and March
this year, according to Ain o
Salish Kendra. In addition, 12
children were gang raped. •
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral
Nizamuddin Ahmed
has left Dhaka on Saturday to
attend the International Maritime
Defence Exhibition and
Conference (IMDEX) 2017 in
Singapore.
Besides attending the IM-
DEX, the navy chief will also
attend the International Maritime
Review and Fifth International
Maritime Security
Conference (IMSC) in Singapore.
He will also meet Admiral
Sir Philip Jones, first sea
lord of United Kingdom, Rear
Admiral Frank Trojahn, chief
of naval staff of Denmark, Rear
Admiral Lai Chung Han, chief
of the Republic of Singapore
Navy and Vice Admiral Arie
Jan De Waard, director of Defence
Materiel Organisation of
Netherlands.
The navy chief is scheduled
to be back on May 18.
Meanwhile, Shadhinota,
a ship of Bangladesh Navy, is
already sailing in the water of
Singapore for attending the International
Maritime Defence
Exhibition. •

Teenager killed over
enmity with cricketer
Mushfique’s father
• Nazmul Huda Nasim,
Bogra
The teenager son of a central
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad)
leader has been murdered in
Bogra, seven days after a conflict
between him and national cricketer
Mushfiqur Rahim’s father
Mahbub Hamid Tara was settled.
The dead is Mashuk Ferdous,
15, a ninth grader of SOS
Hermann Gmeiner School and
College in the district.
Mashuk’s father advocate
Emdadul Haq, an executive
member of Jasad (Hasanul
Haq Inu-led faction), said
that a teenage neighbour
Nayeem Hossain called and
took Mashuk out of his home
in Bogra town’s Matidali area
around 8:30pm Saturday.
Afterwards, Mashuk was
found lying near his home
with grievous head injuries.
He was taken to a local hospital
where he was declared
dead the same night.
Nayeem, however, went
into hiding after the incident.
Police inspected the crime
scene and detained his parents
for interrogation.
Mashuk was buried after
Asr prayers yesterday.
Emdad blamed an influential
group led by Mushfique’s
father Tara and his brother Mejbah-ul-Hamid,
a local municipality
councillor, for the murder.
He said that a conflict ensued
between him and the duo
over the formation of the governing
body of Matidali High
School as Tara secretly took
the charge as its chairman.
“Even Tara’s aides beat up
two of my followers, who are
members of the governing
body, on the back of the row,”
Emdad said, adding that the issue
was resolved through a police
intervention a week ago.
“The culprits have my son
murdered in a planned way.
The mastermind will be identified
after Nayeem’s arrest,”
he hoped.
When contacted, Tara
claimed that he had no rivalry
with Emdad. •
News 7
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Kaliganj people protest
local REB’s corrupt ways
• Asaduzzaman, Satkhira
People of Satkhira’s Kaliganj
upazila hosted a demonstration
yesterday over the alleged corruption
by the employees of Rural
Electrification Board (REB).
The protesters alleged that
the corrupt officials of Kaliganj
REB had extorted a good
sum of money in exchange for
providing electricity connection
to the respective unions
and were trying to give the
government a bad-name by
not resolving the issue of loadshedding
in the area.
They paraded the streets
of Kaliganj with a procession
and held a rally at Kaliganj bus
stand yesterday. The protest
was led by former president
of Kaliganj unit Awami League
GM Mahtab Uddin.
Kaliganj Upazila Chairman
Sheikh Waheduzzaman and
representatives of Krishnanagar,
South Sreepur, Dholbaria
and Moutala unions also
joined the protest. •
MoU signed between
Casper Foundation and UIU
• Tribune Desk
Casper Foundation and United
International University (UIU)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) on May 9.
The MoU was signed to initiate
the Casper programmes
in the UIU campus. The programmes
will allow the students
of the university to engage
in social initiatives while
working on their personal and
career development skills under
the guidance of Casper
Foundation.
Md Manjurul Haque Khan,
director of UIU Career Counseling
Centre, Md Aminul
Islam, senior executive of
UIU Career Counseling Centre,Taufiquz
Zaman, chief executive
officer and founder of
Casper Foundation, and Rizvi
Rahman, vice-chairman and
founding member of Casper
Foundation, were all present
at the signing ceremony. •

8
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
News
What is in the Dawra-e-Hadith syllabus?
• Manik Miazee
Bangladesh government has recently
recognised Dawra-e-Hadith
degree as equivalent to a Masters
Degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic
in the mainstream. The move
has elicited both positive and negative
reactions amonf academics,
experts and the civil society.
Qawmi madrasas across the nation
will begin holding this year’s
Dawra-e-Hadith exams today.
What is in the Dawra-e-Hadith
curriculum? Last week, the Dhaka
Tribune spoke to several Muhaddis
(Hadith scholars) and academics to
find out.
According to a 2015 report of
Bangladesh Bureau of Educational
Information and Statistics (BAN-
BEIS), 1.4 million students are currently
studying in 13,902 Qawmi madrasas
across the country. However,
Qawmi Madrasas say the number of
students is not below 1.7 million.
The BANBEIS report, which is
first ever study conducted on Qawmi
madrasas, was prepared following
directives from the Prime Minister’s
Office. According to the report,
12,693 qawmi madrasas are for men
while 1,209 are for female students.
As many as 1,058,636 male and
339,616 female students are studying
there while 73,731 teachers
teach in these institutions.
Mubasshar Hasan, an assistant
professor at North South University
who has studied Islamic education
systems, told the Dhaka Tribune
that the government’s initiative
was a good move, but there should
be some changes in the Qawmi curriculum.
Some experts say it takes 16
years to complete the entire Dawra
Rizwan Haroon missing after landing in Dhaka
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
Dawra examinees at the Hathazari Qawmi madrasa in Chittagong
curriculum, but the actual degree
can be done in six years.
Most Dawra students taking up
the degree have had 10 years of Qawmi
education, which includes 24
subjects. Most of these involve fundamental
Islamic teachings as well
as the Arabic, Urdu and the Farsi
language.
From levels 1 to 8 there is also a
portion of the curriculum dedicated
to general education, including
Bangla grammar and literature,
mathematics, English, history, geography
and general science.
Dawra-e-Hadith on the other
hand is a six-year intensive programme
completely focused on Islamic
jurisprudence based on the
Quran and the Hadith, the sayings
of Prophet Muhammad (SM).
The primary element of the curriculum
is the Sihah Sittah - the six
Hadith compilations considered
the most authentic. These are Sahih
Bukhari (Arabic), which has over
7,000 Hadiths, Sahih Muslim (Arabic),
over 9,000 Hadiths, Sunan an-Nasa’i
(Arabic), Sunan Abu Dawood (Arabic),
Jami al-Tirmidhi (Arabic), and
Sunan ibn Majah (Urdu).
These books are studied by
themselves as well as via several explanatory
guides and compendium
on specific topics.
Some of the books studied in
particular are Muwatta Imam Malik
(Arabic), a collection of Hadiths
concerning the subjects of Islamic
law, Muwatta Imam Muhammad
and Tahabi Sharif.
Features of the curriculum
Hudu’d Law: Several Mohadiss
(Dawra-e-Hadith scholars) said
Hudu’d Law is basically Islamic jurisprudence.
‘Muwatta’ Imam Malik’
is the main book of law in the
Dawra syllabus.
Islamic penal laws such as severing
of the arm as punishment
for stealing, stoning to death as
punishment for illicit sexual intercourse,
are among those laws studied
in these texts.
Jihad: The Arabic word “jihad,”
which means struggle or striving,
is understood in Islam, as described
COURTESY
by the Quran and teachings of the
Prophet Muhammad (SM), as internal
as well as external efforts to be a
good Muslims, as well as working to
inform people about the faith.
Veil (Hizab): A veil is an article
of clothing or cloth hanging that is
intended to cover some part of the
head or face, or an object of some
significance. It is especially associated
with women and sacred objects.
Women’s rights, systems and
workplace: The Dawra syllabus
have long chapters on women’s
rights. Qwami teachers said they
teach about women’s rights, their
workplace facilities, education facilities
and all their requirements.
Wali Ullah Arman, a senior Dawra-e-Hadith
teacher at the Jamiya
Arabiya Darul Ullum Madrasa told
the Dhaka Tribune that under Islamic
laws, women need to work
within workplaces specifically created
for female workers.
“Also, as Islam says, women
should go to their workplaces wearing
Hizab and Nikab,” he said.
War (Kitabul Magajee): Kitabul
Magajee is the book on Islamic warfare,
which contains all war related
Hadith that describe when Muslims
can engage in war, what for, against
whom and others issues on wars.
Business (Kitabul bayah): This
book elaborates in which situation
Islam allows buying and selling of
goods.
Islamic state policy: Dawra students
study Islamic state policy,
county to country relationship and
business policy, financial structure,
and other issues about state policy.s
Islamic financial systems: The
curriculum sheds light on Hadith
related to Islamic financial systems
like savings, stock systems, banking
systems and all other business and
their explanations.
A key tenet of this is the prohibition
of riba, or interest. The term
literally means “an excess” and is
interpreted as “any unjustifiable
increase of capital whether in loans
or sales.”
Medical treatments: A Muhaddis
said Dawra students study treatments
for 3,000 different ailments.
Of these, 1,000 have various
herbal remedies and the rest have
specific du’a or prayer for their
cure. One of the Hadith that point
to the importance of medicine in
Islamic studies says: “For every disease
there is a medicine, and if that
medicine is applied to the disease,
he will recover by Allah’s Leave.”
Policy on non-Muslims: The
study of Islamic jursiprudence contains
rules on how to treat non-Muslim
communities, peoples and
culture. Non-muslims are essentially
allowed to stay in any muslim
state, but they have to pay a specific
amount of tax for doing so. •
Rizwan Haroon, a founder of Dhaka’s
Lakehead Grammar School,
who intelligence sources claim is
a militant recruiter and terrorist financier,
has reportedly gone missing
after arriving in Dhaka through
Shahjalal International Airport last
Thursday morning.
Rizwan is reportedly on the
Home Ministry’s most wanted list,
the sources said. They said he allegedly
entered the country on an
Emirates flight from London and
passed through immigration unchallenged.
However, other sources claim
that Rizwan had arrived in Bangladesh
on Wednesday. After his
arrival, he was interrogated at the
airport for 2-3 hours. Afterwards, he
was picked up by 10-12 men in three
jeeps around 4-5pm Thursday.
The Dhaka Tribune has not been
able to independently verify Haroon’s
whereabouts or to corroborate
either of the competing claims
as to his disappearance.
Home Minister Assaduzzaman
Khan Kamal, when contacted
around 8pm Saturday, said he was
not aware of these claims.
But Kamal was quick to assure
that if any such incident took place,
law enforcement agencies would
take prompt action.
Rizwan, co-founder and managing
director of Lakehead Grammar
School, is being investigated for financing
and patronising militancy
in Bangladesh.
The English medium school,
which has several branches in Dhanmondi
and Gulshan, was reportedly
a breeding ground for militants
and employed controversial militant
leaders as instructors since its
founding.
Intelligence sources confided
that an Education Ministry report
sent to the Home Ministry on January
23 this year advocated legal
action against Rizwan.
The insiders said that roughly 12
days later, the Home Ministry sent
letters to the Armed Forces Division,
police headquarters and the
Education Ministry urging for necessary
steps to be taken.
Rizwan, according to intelligence
sources, is in possession of
two Bangladeshi passports.
In 2006, Rizwan co-founded
Lakehead Grammar School (LGS)
with Hizb-ut Tahrir Ameer Prof Dr
Golam Moula.
According to intelligence
sources, Rizwan was indoctrinated
into militancy during his PhD
programme in United Kingdom
through Jamatul Muslimin Ameer
Abu Isa Al Rafai, a Jordanian who
migrated to UK.
Rizwan reportedly organised activities
of Jamatul Muslimin (JM) in
Bangladesh since 2002 with a pro
al-Qaeda ideological bent and motivated
mostly upper class and highly
educated people to take part in socalled
Jihad.
Intelligence sources say Rizwan
went to the UK on January 27 this
year.
Rajib Karim, who was found
guilty in 2011 for plotting to blow up
a British Airways plane, was also a
teacher at the Lakehead School. He
studied electronics at Manchester
University from 1998 to 2002. Rajib
joined British Airways as a computer
expert in Newcastle in 2007.
Rajib was lured into becoming
an avid supporter of Jammat-ul
Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) by
his younger brother, Tehzeeb Karim,
who was also a teacher of the
school, along with his wife Sirat Karim.
Tehzeeb was arrested in Yemen
in 2010 for involvement in militant
activities.
Another teacher of the school
Mainuddin Sharif was also arrested
with Tehzeeb in Yemen. Mainuddin’s
brother Rezwan Sharif, who
migrated to Syria along with family,
was also a lecturer in Lakehead
School.
Ansarullah Bangla Team’s imprisoned
spiritual leader Jasimuddin
Rahmani, another ABT leader
Rezwanul Azad Rana, militant
Iftekhar Ahmed Soni, arrested in
Pakistan, fugitive militants - Farjad
Haq Turaj, Jubayedur Rahman,
Tasnuva Haider, Yasin Talukder and
Arifur Rahman taught at Lakehead
School at different times and have
close contact with Rizwan Haroon.
Former army Major Jahidul Islam,
trainer of Gulshan attackers,
also worked as an administrative
officer of the school. He was killed
in an anti-militancy drive on September
2 last year.
Rizwan Haroon has been working
to motivate young people to
mobilise militants in different places
including North South University,
sources said. •

News
Nepal votes in first local
election in 20 years
9
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for the
Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2017
REUTERS
India skips China’s Silk
Road summit amid
Kashmir concerns
• Reuters, New Delhi
India has not sent an official delegation to
attend the “Belt and Road Forum” in Beijing
and instead criticised China’s global initiative,
warning of an “unsustainable debt burden”
for countries involved.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting
dozens of world leaders and senior officials
on Sunday for the country’s biggest diplomatic
showcase of the year, touting his vision
of a new “Silk Road” that opens trade routes
across the globe.
Government officials from New Delhi did
not travel, Indian officials said, although
scholars from Indian think-tanks have flown
to Beijing to attend some of the meetings at
the forum.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Gopal
Baglay, asked whether New Delhi was participating
in the summit, said India could not
accept a project that compromised its sovereignty.
India is incensed that one of the key Belt
and Road projects passes through Kashmir
and Pakistan. The nuclear-armed rivals have
fought two of their three wars over the disputed
region.
“No country can accept a project that ignores
its core concerns on sovereignty and
territorial integrity,” Baglay said.
He also warned of the danger of debt. One of
the criticisms of the Silk Road plan is that host
countries may struggle to pay back loans for
huge infrastructure projects being carried out
and funded by Chinese companies and banks.
“Connectivity initiatives must follow principles
of financial responsibility to avoid projects
that would create unsustainable debt
burden for communities,” Baglay said.
New Delhi’s criticism of the Belt and Road
initiative came as Xi pledged $124bn to the
plan, and called for the abandonment of old
models based on rivalry and diplomatic power
games.
Leaders from 29 countries and ministerial
delegates from many more are attending the
forum in Beijing, including India’s smaller
neighbours – not just Pakistan, but also Sri
Lanka and Nepal. •
Merkel’s party seeks key victory
in bellwether state vote
• AFP, Kathmandu
Nepal held local-level polls on Sunday, the
first since 1997 and a key step in its rocky road
to democracy more than a decade after a civil
war ended.
Around a third of registered voters across
three provinces were eligible to vote, with
the rest of the country due to do so in a
month’s time.
The Election Commission estimated turnout
of at least 71% as preliminary data trickled
in Sunday evening.
The vote has been split into two phases because
of unrest in the southern plains bordering
India, where the minority Madhesi ethnic
group is refusing to take part until an amendment
to the constitution is passed.
Local representatives were last elected in
1997 and their five-year terms expired at the
height of the brutal Maoist insurgency.
The 10-year war ended in 2006 and the country
began a fraught transition from a Hindu
monarchy to a secular federal republic, which
has seen it cycle through nine governments.
The long gap between polls has left an institutional
void at the local level and graft has
become a way of life in Nepal, hampering the
delivery of basic services as well as the recovery
from a devastating 2015 earthquake.
With nearly 70% of the population aged
under 35, many were voting for their local
A woman holds up her thumb after casting her
vote in Kathmandu on May 14, 2017
AFP
representatives for the first time.
Nearly 50,000 candidates were standing
for election across 283 local municipalities
in the first phase. Many registered as independents
or with a number of small reformist
parties hoping to grab some votes from the
traditional political heavyweights.
There were sporadic reports of violence on
Sunday, with one person killed when police
opened fire on a group attempting to raid a polling
station in Dolakha district, police said.
A bomb was also found early Sunday outside
the house of a mayoral candidate for the
main opposition CPN-UML party in Bhaktapur.
The remaining four provinces, considered
potential flashpoints for election-related
violence, will vote in the second phase
on June 14. •
• AFP, Dusseldorf
One in five German voters are heading to
the polls in a key state election Sunday, with
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party hoping to
deal a crushing blow to her main rival four
months before national elections.
About 13.1 million eligible voters in North
Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are casting ballots
to elect a new regional parliament for the
sprawling industrial region, which has a large
migrant population and has been a Social
Democratic Party (SPD) stronghold for decades.
But surveys ahead of the vote showed the
centre-left party running neck-and-neck with
Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, with
some even placing the CDU ahead.
The opinion polls were the latest indication
that initial enthusiasm for the new SPD
leader, Martin Schulz, could be fizzling out.
The SPD had been ailing nationwide but
saw a surge in support in February when
Schulz took over. But that enthusiasm failed
to translate into votes in the last two state
elections, when the CDU won comfortably.
An election in Germany’s biggest state is
always significant, but this year’s NRW vote
carries higher stakes, being the last regional
vote before national polls and having a direct
impact on whether the SPD can close the gap
nationwide with the CDU.
After casting his vote in his hometown of
Wuerselen, Schulz acknowledged Sunday
that the race would be close, with 30% of voters
deciding their pick at the last minute.
“That makes it thrilling to the last second.
I hope of course that we will be ahead in the
evening,” he said.
Separately, the CDU’s candidate Armin
Laschet, who cast his vote in Aachen, said:
“There is a real chance that we can win. Now
it’s time for the voters to decide.”
Turnout appeared to be brisk at 33.6% as
of midday, compared to 29.5% at the same
time in 2012.
The SPD is banking its hopes on incumbent
state premier Hannelore Kraft, 55, who
secured 39.1% in a 2012 vote, while the CDU
clinched just over 26%. •

10
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
News
Small businesses make up
29% of agent bank users
• Shariful Islam
Small businesses account for 29%
of total users of agent banking followed
by housewives that constitute
18%, according to a study of
Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management
(BIBM).
Agent banking refers to providing
limited scale banking and financial
services to a sect of under-served
population through engaging agents
under a valid agency agreement,
rather than a teller or cashier.
It is the owner of an outlet that
conducts banking transactions on
behalf of a bank.
The information was unveiled at
a round-table discussion of BIBM
styled “Agent Banking: Effectiveness
in Financial Inclusion” held at
its auditorium yesterday.
Bangladesh Bank (BB) Deputy
Governor SK Sur Chowdhury was
present at the event as the chief
guest while former deputy governor
of the central bank Khondokar
Ibrahim Khaled spoke on the occasion
as special guest.
BIBM Director General (DG) Dr
Toufic Ahmad Choudhury chaired
event while its Director Prof
Prashanta Kumar Banerjee presented
the report.
In his presentation Prashanta said:
“Of the total users of agent banking,
29% are small businesses while 18%
housewives, 15% public and private
employees, 7% farmers, 7% students
and 3% are day labourers.”
The report said the agent banking
is mostly popular in Dhaka as
24% of the users are residents of
the division while 18% of Chittagong.
The least users are in Sylhet
making up 5% of the total agent
AGENT BANKING USERS IN BANGLADESH
03
07
07
Source: BIBM
21
29
15 18
banking account holders.
In his address, SK Sur Chowdhury
said: “Agent banking is playing
an important role in financial
inclusion as 82% of its users are residing
in remote areas. Operational
cost of agent banking should have
to be reduced with a view to expanding
the service.”
Many banks have received licence
for agent banking, but only
two-three banks are now providing
the services, he added. Sur urged
all banks that received licences to
start agent banking services.
Khondokar Ibrahim Khaled said:
“The number of secret agent banking
is on the rise at an alarming rate and
hundi business is being conducted
in the name of such banking.”
“It should be stopped and those
involved have to be brought to book.”
The commercial banks need to
rein in the agent banking totally,
and if they fail, the central bank
Users in %
Small businesses
Others
Day-labourers
Farmers
Students
Employees
Housewives
should take steps against them, according
to the former governor.
BIBM Director General Dr Toufic
Ahmad Choudhury said the agent
banking is playing a vital role in expanding
banking network.
He also sought for a comprehensive
guideline for the service.
According to BB sources,
Dutch-Bangla, Bank Asia, Al-Arafah
Islami, Social Islami, Modhumoti,
Mutual Trust, NRB Commercial,
Standard, Agrani, Midland, and
First Security Islami Bank are providing
agent banking services now.
Though Trust Bank and South
Bangla Agriculture and Commerce
Bank have got the licences, they
are yet to launch the services.
At present, the number of
agents is 1,646 and outlets 2,601,
while the number of accounts
stand at 5,44,536. The central bank
approved agent banking system in
the banking sector in 2014. •
Divorce rising in Dhaka
as women seek way out
of abusive marriages
• Bilkis Irani
Ten years ago, Halima Akter, employed
at a private company in Agargaon,
Dhaka, would not have dreamt
of divorcing her husband despite the
incompatibility that plagued their
marriage.
In 2014, the situation was quite
different, which enabled Halima to
seek a solution to her problems – a divorce.
She sent a divorce notice to her
husband of seven years, Rasel Ahmed,
on March 18, 2014.
Things have changed in Dhaka in
recent years; more and more women
are speaking up about their marital
problems and seeking a solution. In
most cases, divorce is the end result.
Dr Sadeka Halim, sociology professor
in Dhaka University, believes this is
a positive trend.
“In most cases, it is the women
who suffer physical and mental abuse
in the hands of their husbands and
in-laws. But now many women are
speaking up against the abuse and
choosing to break out of the vicious
cycle,” she told the Dhaka Tribune
According to Dhaka North City
Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South
City Corporation (DSCC) data, around
67% of the divorce notices issued
from 2011 to 2016 were by women. In
all five zones of DNCC, 28,355 divorce
notices were issued in 2011-2016,
14,966 of which were filed by women.
In two zones (Zone 1 and Zone 4)
of DSCC, 4,811 divorce notices were
issued in 2011-2016, 3,215 of which
were sent by women.
The numbers of divorce notices
are increasing every year.
In 2011, 2,864 notices (1,773 by
women, 1,091 by men) were issued in
DNCC and 819 (533 by women, 285
by men) in Zones 1 and 4 of DSCC. In
2016, the numbers of divorce notices
issued in DNCC was 4,847 (3,426 by
women, 1,421 by men) and 852 (569
by women, 283 by men) in DSCC.
Salma Ali, executive director of
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’
Association (BNWLA), said divorce
nowadays is also propelled by the fact
that women are becoming self-sufficient.
“Before, most women were
entirely dependent on their husbands,
which is why they tolerated all kinds
of abuse silently. But as women are
becoming financially independent,
they have both the confidence and
the opportunity to get out of abusive
marriage,” she said.
However, there are many cases
where Muslim men deliberately torture
their wives so they would initiate
the divorce, because the men believe
they would be exempted from paying
denmohor, the alimony that is mandatory
under Islamic law, Salma said.
Marjia Mukta, a housewife and
mother of an eight-year-old daughter
in Agargaon, dissolved her 10-year
marriage by divorcing her husband
Ekram Hossain because he was having
an extramarital affair.
Ekram, who lives in Saudi Arabia,
told the Dhaka Tribune that he did not
want to initiate the divorce because
he did not want to pay denmohor to
his wife.
This is a major misconception,
says Dr Kazi Zahed Iqbal, lawyer in the
Supreme Court. •
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News 11
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
WB: Rise in women workforce to boost GDP
• Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
Increasing women labour force
participation to 45% by 2020 will
help Bangladesh enhance its GDP
by 1 percentage point, says World
Bank.
According to Bangladesh Bureau
of Statistic (BBS) on Labour Force
Survey Bangladesh 2013, at the latest
only 33.5% women worked in
productive sector while men were
81.7%.
From 1999 to 2013, the increase
in female participation in the labour
force was remarkable with
almost 190% rise in the 20-29 age
group while 100% growth in 30-39
and 40-49 age groups.
“Despite rise in the number of
women joining the labour force,
the number of working women is
Cabinet approves Tk571cr Dhaka
airport expansion project
still much lower than their male
counterparts,” said the WB in Bangladesh
Development Update May
2017 released yesterday.
World Bank Country Director
for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal
Qimiao Fan was present at the report
launching programme.
“If Bangladesh can raise the female
labour force participation rate
to 45% by 2020, it will be able to
maintain economic growth by 1%
above trend through 2020,” it added.
Barriers to women labour force
participation are asymmetric
household responsibility, human
capital deficiency and open discrimination,
said WB lead economist
Zahid Hussain.
74% women, who responded to
the research, said they do not participate
in job due to household responsibility.
Zahid stressed right education
and vocational training demanded
by job markets.
To increase female participation,
he called for steps to reduce
the prevalence of early marriage,
strengthen girls’ early orientation
to career development, ensure
gender equity in labour legalisation
and foster non-discriminatory
workplace environments.
The global lender, however, has
projected 6.4% and 6.8% Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth between
2017 and 2018.
The growth will be sustained at
6.8% in 2017 fiscal year. The country’s
economy is performing well in
all the indicators except export, remittance
and imports compared to
the previous fiscal year, said Zahid.
The risks on the domestic side
include further deterioration in the
financial and corporate sector stability,
slippages in addressing fiscal
reforms and political uncertainties
in the run up to the 2019 general
election, said Zahid.
Commenting on the reserves,
Zahid said there is a satisfactory situation
in the reserves but no scope
of complacency as remittance has
seen downtrend in recent times.
On the other hand, the World
Bank raised question about the
growth of capital machinery import
as it does not match with the
other indicators of the economy.
According to Bangladesh Bank
data, in July-January of FY’17 capital
machinery import has seen a
64.8% rise while overall machinery
imports 33.6%.
DT
Leather machinery has posted
the highest growth by 184.5% followed
by textile 52.1%. Pharmaceutical
machinery import also rose by
37.7%.
Bangladesh economy remains
stable in the face of global uncertainties
and continues to reduce
poverty, said the report.
By removing the barriers to female
participation in the labour
force and paving the way for investment
and innovation, Bangladesh
can boost growth considerably,
it added.
In the policy recommendation
for sustainable growth, the global
lender suggested removing structural
impediments to investment
and innovation, global integration
and ensuring corporate governance
in the financial sector. •
• Asif Showkat Kallol and
Ishtiaq Husain
The government has approved
Hazrat Shahjalal International
Airport Expansion
Project worth Tk570.79
crore to meet the future demand
of air transportation.
The project was approved
at the Cabinet committee on
government purchase yesterday.
Earlier, the committee
selected four companies
as consultants of detailed
design of the airport.
The four are Nippon Koei
Co Limited, Oriental Consultants
Global Japan, CPG
Consultant Private Limited
Singapore and Development
Design Consultant Limited
Bangladesh.
The consultancy firms
will submit their reports on
building a third terminal and
other infrastructural development
at the airport.
According to a report by
the Civil Aviation Authority,
Bangladesh (CAAB), the
existing terminal building of
the airport will be insufficient
by 2018 and a new terminal
will be required by 2019.
CAAB sources said they
planned to end the expansion
project by 2018, but the
bureaucratic process delayed
initiating the project work
which would lead to a total
chaos to cope with the passenger
rush at the airport.
Considering air traffic
growth, the government has
taken up expansion project.
After getting the detailed design
from consultancy companies,
the government will
take further steps.
The objective of the project
is to expand airport facilities
as well as ensure an
international-standard safety
and security by expanding
airport terminal facilities
and developing related infrastructure.
Industry insiders said the
expansion project would expedite
economic growth in
the country.
Dhaka airport, the main
gateway of the country, was
designed as a domestic airport
in early 1960s. It has a
single runway with annual
passenger handling capacity
of only 8 million.
According to CAAB report,
currently, the airport
can handle eight million passengers
in a year. The volume
of passengers is on the
rise, some 10% each year. •
Overseas investment proposals
sent back for further details
• Asif Showkat Kallol
The Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs has postponed
consideration of the
proposals of three local firms
interested in overseas equity
investment due to insufficient
details.
The committee yesterday
returned the proposals of the
Akij Group, Nitol Niloy Group
and Ha-Meem Group to the Financial
Institutions Division.
“We have asked the Financial
Institutions Division
to provide us with more specific
details in the proposals
of the firms.”
In reply to a query, Commerce
Minister Tofail Ahmed
said a policy would soon be
formulated for local firms
to invest abroad. Akij Group
has proposed to invest $20m
in Malaysia, Ha-Meem Group
$10m in Haiti and Nitol Niloy
$7m in Gambia.
Ha-Meem intends to invest
in the island nation’s
garment sector to prop up
its shipments to the United
States, while Akij Group
wants to buy a Malaysian
company that produces fire
boards and hardboard.
Nitol Niloy plans to invest
in Gambia’s banking sector.
Additional Secretary to
the Cabinet Division Mostafizur
Rahman said the
government and Bangladesh
Bank will look into several
points for local firms for
overseas investment. •

DT
12
Editorial
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
TODAY
Is Rampal worth the
political cost?
It might be useful to form a neutral
body of scientists to actually explore the
contentions regarding the Rampal project
and help the government decide whether
the project is too politically toxic
PAGE 13
The dark side
of Dhaka
BIGSTOCK
We do accept that with hard-core
materialism setting in, society in general
has become somewhat vacuous
PAGE 14
Business beyond borders
And the crowd
goes wild
One of the main points of recognising
your own privilege is realising that your
voice is louder than others’
PAGE 15
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
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DhakaTribune.
The views expressed in opinion
articles are those of the authors
alone and they are not the
official view of Dhaka Tribune
or its publisher.
Bangladesh’s stringent laws make it difficult for local
companies to expand and invest abroad.
While the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act of 1947 has
been amended as recently as 2015, the regulations allow
for limited foreign investment, and only on a case-by-case basis.
With an economy that has seen steady growth, it is
disheartening to see that only eight companies were allowed to
invest abroad, and only to a certain degree.
For further growth, it’s crucial that the current foreign
exchange act is liberalised. Moreover, a strict regulatory act such
as this goes against the government’s free market policy.
Bangladesh currently boasts a large enough foreign reserve
such that foreign investment could be allowed to take place
without much hesitation. In fact, the growing foreign reserve
would increase inflation, and an increase in foreign investment
would mitigate this in the future.
Despite how much Bangladesh has proved itself as an economic
up-and-comer, running and expanding a business remains a
difficult task. Bureaucratic red tape and corruption are only some
of the factors which hinder our potential for economic growth.
As such, having even more laws and regulations lagging up the
process here make little to no sense.
A more lax foreign exchange act will do much to ensure
increased flexibility, and allow entrepreneurs the freedom
required.
Is it any surprise that private investment has stagnated over the
past few years?
Bangladesh’s dreams of middle income status cannot be
realised if businesses continue to face unnecessary obstacles on
the path to progress.
It’s a simple concept to understand: What’s good for local
businesses is good for Bangladesh.
Bureaucratic red tape
and corruption are only
some of the factors
which hinder our
potential for economic
growth

Opinion 13
Is Rampal worth the political cost?
DT
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
Given the public backlash, AL’s inflexibility on Rampal is one of the few mysteries in our politics today
Considering the fact that the
protests are led by the Left Front
of sorts -- who have limited public
clout -- one suspects that it was
the issue itself that is seen as very
sensitive rather than the protests.
The government seems to
have felt obligated to go after the
protesters.
The overzealous reaction
by the government has raised
questions about how independent
Bangladesh is, or can be, when it
comes to deciding such bilateral
projects with India.
But Indian analysts say that
after helping neutralise India’s
North East insurgency by refusing
sanctuary to activists, India feels
indebted to Bangladesh and to
Hasina. If Hasina goes back on
Rampal, India will not push to
ensure continued anti-insurgency
support.
In that case, why the politically
risky pursuit of defending Rampal?
Investor hesitation
Meanwhile, the hesitation of
European investors in Indian
Rampal contractors has
been increasing, and some
Scandinavian countries have
already conveyed their reluctance
to participate. The French are
also not happy, and many other
countries are not keen in an
environmentally stigmatised
project.
This is not because they care
about the environment, but such
a tag carries stigma which may
affect share market value.
protestors are a political construct,
however small, so she wants to
avoid being “flexible.” By giving
approval to the anti-Rampal lobby,
BNP has made the issue a matter of
honour for the AL to stick it out.
As things heat up, and it
becomes even more of a politicalpartisan
issue, AL will not be
enjoying this, particularly when
the elections are approaching.
For a party that has shown it is
ready to make any alliance as long
as it is convenient, including with
Hefazat -- a force that actually
tried to topple her -- her refusal to
be more flexible on Rampal seems
odd.
Barring BNP and Jamaat-e-
Islami, she is not keen on a conflict
course with any force. So why this
stance on Rampal?
Will it affect voting?
Public dislike for the Rampal
project is likely to grow stronger
the longer this issue is allowed
to fester. That dislike may well
translate into votes for the
opposition, and this vote is not
from a small Qawmi Madrasa
fringe but the larger national pool.
It is the mainstream vote, a part
of the floating voters who decide
every election result unless there
is a massive wave. Exactly why
AL is so inflexible on Rampal is
becoming a bigger question than
the project itself.
It’s possible that Hasina will
not back down as long as her
opponents have a political banner.
It might be useful to form a neutral
It might be useful to form a neutral body of
scientists to actually explore the contentions
regarding the Rampal project and help the
government decide whether the project is too
politically toxic
The government is going ahead with the Rampal power plant despite large scale popular protests
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
• Afsan Chowdhury
What began as a
well-meaning
environmental
activist movement
has become a full-blooded political
one, with friends and enemies
on both sides stretching beyond
borders.
The arguments of the anti-
Rampal lobby have firmly been
grounded in emotive spaces from
the beginning.
The National Oil and Gas
Protection Committee name
itself evokes a mission to protect
national interests. What was once
just an energy project has become
a symbolic case to test the present
government’s commitment to
public sentiment, not just the
environment. To this is the added
anxiety about how free it is when
dealing with India.
Indo-Bangla pressure point?
The Rampal project has already
proven a major pressure on
Indo-Bangla relations with casual
speculation about a brow-beating
India.
Already, Rampal has been redflagged
by many environmental
groups internationally and the
fall-out is now making association
with it embarrassing.
But what sort of option does it
leave open for Hasina now?
If she withdraws by herself she
will be seen as weak for having
bowed down to public pressure,
and that could end up sending a
signal to her political enemies that
she wants to avoid.
Her main strategy is to appear
strong and act from that position
of strength. In that case, the
body of scientists to actually
explore the contentions regarding
the Rampal project and help the
government decide whether the
project is too politically toxic to go
ahead with.
As the controversy becomes
bigger than the project, Hasina
will have to face tough decisions
ahead, and they are going to be
more political in nature than
about energy production in an
environmentally sensitive area. •
Afsan Chowdhury is a multi-media
journalist, historian, and litterateur.

14
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Opinion
The dark side of Dhaka
The ingrained belief that wealth can solve all problems is what leads to youth’s corrupt behaviour
SERPENT
IN EDEN
• Towheed Feroze
The recent Banani rape
case seems to have
opened a can of worms,
so to speak. Reportedly,
the alleged perpetrators have said
that they used to hold raves quite
often.
The fact is right before our
eyes: Dhaka’s nightlife has seen a
disreputable transition in the last
decade, where rather innocuous
and loud sessions at a local bar
have been taken over by all-night
euphoria parties, with heavy usage
of drugs.
The drug at the centre of it
all is none other than yaba, the
methamphetamine-based tablet,
which, in local lingo, is called
“baba” or the “pink pinik.”
I read almost all the reports
related to the Banani incident
and in one, a line struck me.
Reportedly, the alleged had
confessed to the girls that, since
they were high on yaba, they did
not have any control over their
senses.
Materialism plus a deadly drug
These are the words which
everyone should be taking
seriously -- the drug provides
The tale of these two young
men and the unfortunate women
is not an isolated one. In this
city, after dark, rave sessions
happen almost regularly. With
plenty of disposable cash, young
people from affluent backgrounds
organise exclusive parties where
admission is restricted.
Under the protection of
reputable hotels, inside closed
doors, hedonism with all its
deviant forms, is unleashed.
The young becoming vicious
Regrettably, a lot of young women
attend these gatherings fully
knowing that drugs will flow
freely.
We come back once more to a
vicious youth culture, triggered by
a desire for instant gratification,
which has developed insidiously
in the last decade.
“Living life” is what this is
called among the young. They
flout social norms because
they have grown up seeing the
unassailable power of political
influence supported by money.
To ferret out the causes of the
Banani incident and the rape of
the village girl, we have to go back
to our social credo which has, over
the years, solidified a belief that
once there is power and wealth,
immunity is almost guaranteed.
Purists are slamming social
degradation but let’s be more
specific here: How many times
have we seen people in authority
Is Dhaka’s party culture giving way to something more sinister?
BIGSTOCK
We do accept that with hard-core materialism setting in, society in
general has become somewhat vacuous. However, in directing our
wrath against a decadent outlook, one of the real causes fueling
such extreme ideology often remains untouched
instant adrenaline plus a sense
of invincibility, leading takers to
venture into risky escapades.
There is an outcry underlining
the decay of moral values all
around, not only due to this rape,
but after the shattering suicide of
a father and daughter, when the
girl’s violators were roaming about
freely despite a complaint lodged
with the police.
We do accept that with hardcore
materialism setting in, society
in general has become somewhat
vacuous. However, in directing our
wrath against a decadent outlook,
one of the real causes fueling such
extreme ideology often remains
untouched.
facing corruption charges brought
to justice?
Subconsciously, the social
zeitgeist teaches us to be
courteous to the political party
student leader, irrespective of the
allegations of extortion against
them. At the same time, we
become servile to those in power,
desperately hoping to exploit
possible links to authority to
advance one’s own social position.
Questionable family values
Dhor, maar, kha (grab, exploit,
and enjoy), is the unwritten social
mantra. Some coat it with pseudo
morals and platitudes, whereas
others are too brazen to resort to
any facades.
In this toxic sub-culture that
has impacted a large section of
urban youth, amorality is the
guiding force. This is the case
because a lot of young people have
seen exactly this sort of unethical
convictions nurtured within the
family circle.
Many parents wave aside the
all-night parties, calling them
“young people having fun.”
Nothing wrong in having a good
time though with the presence of
yaba at almost all levels of society,
there has to be some vigilance over
such social gatherings.
In many such all-night
extravaganzas, substance abuse is
done as an act of bravado. Women
are also involved, because in
the trade of this drug, they have
proven to be the best medium.
Countless young women,
peddling the drug, later became
addicts themselves. Caught in the
vicious circle of yaba, traditional
restrictions about sexual intimacy
crumble, leading to a murky world
of abuse.
Permissive attitude of parents,
a ferocious belief that “money
is king” propagated within the
family circles, plus an ingrained
conviction that wealth can solve
all problems are the culprits here.
Youth sub-cultures to be
monitored
Like I said earlier; having fun
is not a problem. Young people
will have some wild moments,
try something unorthodox. This
happens everywhere in the world.
The attention needs to be
given when drugs are becoming
a normal ingredient in a youthful
gathering.
Young members of influential
families are often in the news,
either they have beaten somebody
up, or opened fire at a public
space, or drove recklessly. Over
time, we get a feeling that these
youngsters are never reprimanded
by their families, which acts as a
covert go-ahead.
Common sense states, when
we see elders mocking values
and becoming nonchalant about
bending laws or exploiting a
situation, youngsters won’t learn
much.
The alleged rapists are now in
custody. However, one feels that
their guardians also need to be
questioned thoroughly as to how
they brought up their children.
What we have seen so far is
frantic attempts by the families to
safeguard their sons.
This is normal behaviour, but
if the case of rape is proven, then
they need to come forward and
condemn the acts, accept the
sentence.
That way, they will have set an
example. •
Towheed Feroze is a journalist working
in the development sector.

Opinion 15
DT
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
And the
crowd goes
wild
Are we too hung up over petty issues?
• Shuprova Tasneem
There are many reasons
why our generation has
very high hopes pinned
on it, and at the same
time, tends to be on the receiving
end of a lot of criticism as well.
Are millennials entitled goodfor-nothings,
or groundbreakers in
the century of innovation?
Are we changing the work-life
balance and revolutionising the
workforce, or just making excuses
to not get out of bed early and
using that time to constantly
complain on social media?
Are we coming up with
solutions to climate change and
globalised systems of inequality,
or just competing with each
other over the most innovative
hashtags?
There is no denying that we are
faced with many serious problems.
We are essentially the last
generation that can do something
about climate change.
Problems inherited
We live in a “post-truth” world,
and many of us feel the collective
responsibility to stand up for
science and logic and fight the
“alternative news” that is no
longer a footnote on the internet
but coming from the presidential
office of one of the world’s most
influential nations.
We live in a world that is seeing
a resurgence of the nationalist
far-right, and a lot of us worry we
are going backwards in terms of
recognising the gendered, racial,
and socially-structured forms of
inequality that exist within our
societies.
And in a world where
technology and trade continue
to flourish, we are increasingly
struggling to ensure human rights,
especially in sectors influenced by
globalised industry.
In that backdrop, it is truly
heartening to see young people do
what they can to make a change.
While the real impact of the
rising, young entrepreneurs, not
just in Bangladesh but across the
world, is a whole different debate,
there is no denying that there are
many people out there working
to fight for rights, provide expert
knowledge, debunk myths, and
build a more progressive society.
Whether it is breaking the
taboo on discussing sexual health,
providing relief to flood-affected
areas, or working to ensure better
working conditions, there are
plenty of young people out there
doing important work that needs
to be done.
Have you checked your privilege
lately?
And one of the most important
things facilitating this work is
the recognition of privilege.
Development professionals will
tell you of far too many stories
where starry-eyed change-makers
decided to dive into the latest
social catastrophe and make it
worse, simply by not listening to
local voices and needs.
But things are changing, and
changing … fast. I genuinely
believe one of the greatest strides
One of the main points of recognising your own privilege is realising
that your voice is louder than others’, and that it is your duty to try
and share that platform with those who cannot reach it
our generation has made is not in
technological advancements, but
in recognising the many layers of
privilege that make society what
it is.
If you are Bengali and Muslim,
you are more likely than your
parents to realise what sort of
privilege that accords you in our
society.
If you are a man, you are likely
to have a better grasp of the
gendered societies we live in.
If you are proficient in English
and middle or upper-middle class,
you are more likely to recognise
how there are doors that are open
to you but not to others.
Or so one would hope.
A response in kind
But then you get articles like
“Far from the Gulshan crowd,”
What privilege is he enjoying?
published last week, which take
crucial concepts of privilege and
social class and turn it into a
pseudo-intellectual, uninformed
rant that essentially divides Dhaka
-- a city of around 15 million
people, a large portion of whom
are employed in the informal
economy -- into the Gulshan elite
and the Dhanmondi everymen
(which by the way, used to be the
Gulshan of the 80s).
Without even going into the
divisive language and massive
generalisations in the article
-- what really stood out was the
complete absence of the writer’s
own positionality in a discussion
on privilege, while ironically
lamenting the lack of “selfreflective
criticism” in our society.
But what really bothered me
was what was left out.
The sweeping and cynical
statements fixate on the state
of our beloved city and all its
inhabitants, trapped in their
exclusionary bubbles and judging
others, either for their “alcoholflowing
Western-themed parties”
or “virgins making out in shoddy
lounges.”
But what exactly does this
have to do with the thousands of
economic and climate migrants
pouring into our city looking for
subsistence?
What does a Gulshan-
Dhanmondi divide have to do with
the rickshaw-pullers, construction
workers, and sex workers?
What about the 150,000 Biharis
stranded in the heart of our city
-- do they care? How about the
people in squatter settlements all
across Dhaka?
RAJIB DHAR
One of the main points of
recognising your own privilege is
realising that your voice is louder
than others’, and that it is your
duty to try and share that platform
with those who cannot reach it.
I’m not sure how the writer
can advocate for a greater focus
on non-mainstream voices while
painting the entire city of Dhaka
with these ridiculous binaries, but
he effectively did exactly what he
was writing against -- wiped out
the stories of all of the voiceless
inhabitants of Dhaka. If that is not
an exercise of privilege, I don’t
know what is.
There are too many issues
that this city needs to deal with.
There are too many things for us
to bicker about. The “ideological
divide” between the upper classes
and upper-middle classes is not
one of them.
The more we trap ourselves into
this self-constructed divide, the
more solid our own positions in
said classes become. It is truly only
the privileged who have the luxury
of writing about non-issues and
turning them into real ones. •
Shuprova Tasneem is Deputy Magazine
Editor, Dhaka Tribune.

16
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
CODE-CRACKER
ACROSS
1 Real (6)
5 Water storage (3)
7 Faithful (5)
8 Combined (6)
10 Tree (3)
12 Painful spot (4)
13 Small drink (3)
14 Whirl (4)
16 Corrosion (4)
17 Digit (3)
18 Wrongdoings (4)
20 Tree (3)
23 Sampled (6)
24 Keen (5)
25 Deity (3)
26 Customer (6)
DOWN
1 Malarial fever (4)
2 Intertwines (6)
3 Vigilant (5)
4 Veinlike deposit (4)
5 Period of time (3)
6 Drink (3)
9 Sound car horn (4)
11 Pale (3)
14 Offspring (4)
15 Annoy (6)
16 Cereal (3)
17 Ornamental coronet (5)
18 Pace (4)
19 Biblical garden (4)
21 Zodiac sign (3)
22 Insane (3)
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 11 represents P so fill P
every time the figure 11 appears.
You have two letters in the control
grid to start you off. 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, fill in the other
squares with the same number in the
main grid, and the control grid. Check
off the list of alphabetical letters as you
identify them.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES
SUDOKU
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.
PEANUTS
THURSDAY’S SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
DILBERT
SUDOKU

What’s on
17
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
EVENTS AROUND TOWN TODAY
THEATRE
MOVIE
EXHIBITION
STAR CINEPLEX
Where Bashundhara City, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (May 15)
BONDUK JUDHHO AND GADHAR HAAT
When 7-10pm
Where Studio Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy,
Shegun Bagicha, Dhaka
What Watch two plays with one ticket by the troupe:
Natyakendra, and directed by Tarek Anam Khan.
FESTIVAL
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
(3D): 11:20am, 2pm, 4:40pm,
7:30pm
Smurfs: The Lost Village (3D):
11:30am, 1:30pm, 5pm
Fast & Furious 8 (3D): 11:10am,
2:10pm, 4:30pm, 7pm,
Fast & Furious 8 (2D): 10:50am,
1:35pm
One (2D): 4:20pm, 7:20pm
Beauty and the Beast (3D):
11:00am, 1:50pm, 7:10pm
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
(3D): 10:50am, 1:40pm, 3:50pm,
4:30pm, 6:50pm, 7:20pm
THE EMPIRE OF DREAM
When 5-8pm
Where Kala Kendra, 1/11, Iqbal Road (3rd floor),
Mohammadpur, Dhaka.
What Solo art exhibition by artist Ripon Saha.
BLOCKBUSTER CINEMAS
Where Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (May 15)
MRINAL SEN RETROSPECTIVE
When 4-6:30pm
Where Bangladesh National Museum, Shahbagh Rd, Dhaka
What A four-day retrospective of Mrinal Sen’s films.
WORKSHOP
CAN THE DIVINE PRESENCE BE FELT SO EASILY
When 3-9pm
Where Alliance Française de Dhaka, 26, Mirpur Road, Dhaka.
What A group art exhibition.
MRINAL SEN RETROSPECTIVE
When 4-6:30pm
Where Bangladesh National Museum, Shahbagh Rd, Dhaka
What A four-day retrospective of Mrinal Sen’s films.
Rings (2D): 2:50pm, 5:05pm
Tumi Robe Nirobe (2D): 1pm, 3pm,
5pm, 7pm
The Shack (2D): 12:10pm, 7:25pm
Power Rangers (2D): 11:40am,
2:15pm, 4:55pm, 7:30pm
Fast and Furious 8 (3D): 11:30am,
2:15pm, 5pm, 7:45pm
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (3D):
11:30am, 2:15pm, 5pm, 7:45pm
GOLDEN DOORS
When 3-10pm
Where Red Shift Coffee Lounge, Radius Centre, 5th Floor,
Bay’s Galleria, 57 Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka.
What Solo art exhibition by artist Proshanta Karmakar
Budhha.
PATAKABYA PARAMPORA
When 10am-8pm
Where Gallery Chitrak, Road 4, House 21, Dhanmondi,
Dhaka.
What Solo painting exhibition by Shambhu Acharya.

DT
18
Sports
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
2017 ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY GAMES
Bangladesh shooting duo
Baki, Disha claim gold
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh shooters Abdullah Hel Baki
and Syeda Hasan Disha yesterday claimed
gold medal in the 10-metre air rifle mixed
team event of the Islamic Solidarity Games
being held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
In the second day of the Games’ fourth
edition, Baki and Disha beat Iran’s Khedmoti
Najmeh and Noorjiyan Poriya by 5-1
points. This is Bangladesh’s best ever performance
in the Islamic Solidarity Games.
In qualifying, Baki scored 258.5 points
while Disha registered 258.3 points to finish
on an overall 516.8 points. In the process,
they finished third and progressed to the
final round.
After clinching gold, Baki thanked
everyone on social media for their support.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s Rabbi Hasan
sealed silver on Saturday in the 10m air rifle
event with 245.5 points. Turkey’s Akgun
Omor clinched gold with 249 points while
Uzbekistan’s Saif Udinov bagged bronze
with 224.1 points.
However, it was veteran shooter Baki
who was hot favourite for gold. Baki though
produced a disappointing performance,
registering 181.2 points to finish fifth. The
27-year old though made up for his earlier
display by lifting gold in the mixed team
event. •
Bangladesh shooters Abdullah Hel Baki and
Syeda Hasan Disha pose for photographs after
claiming gold in the 10m air rifle mixed team
event of the Islamic Solidarity Games 2017 in
Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday
INTERNET
2017 WALTON FEDERATION CUP
Jamal thrash Farashganj, Chittagong
Abahani beat Mohammedan
• Tribune Report
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club
Limited started their Walton Federation
Cup 2017 campaign with a
comfortable 3-0 victory over Farashganj
Sporting Club at Bangabandhu
National Stadium yesterday.
Following some quick counter
attacks, Sheikh Jamal took the lead
in the 10th minute through a penalty.
Sheikh Jamal’s Guinean forward
Mamadou Bah had stormed past
his marker from the left flank, and
Farashganj defender Malik Mandy
decided to retaliate with a fatal
tackle. The referee had no other
option but to whistle for a penalty
TODAY’S MATCHES
Team BJMC v Rahmatganj
4:30pm, Group D
Saif Sporting v Muktijoddha,
6:45pm, Group A
Action from the 2017 Federation Cup game between Ctg Abahani and Mohammedan in Dhaka yesterday
MD MANIK
and Mamadou made no mistake
from the spot.
Forward Nurul Absar doubled the
lead in the 57th minute as his second
shot at the post was right on target.
Substitute midfielder Sohel Mia had
delivered skilfully to Absar in the
middle of the box, and the forward’s
fast reflexes proved to be handy as
he managed to score with his second
touch after the ball bounced back towards
him from the side post.
With an amazing show of skills,
Sheikh Jamal managed to lead 3-0 in
the last minute of the tie as Sohel Mia
looped the ball from 20 yards out.
Meanwhile in the other match
of the day at the same venue, Chittagong
Abahani edged Mohammedan
Sporting Club Limited 2-1.
The port city outfit went ahead in
the 35th minute through Afiz Olaowale.
They doubled their lead in the
56th minute when Kaushik Borua
netted for the Chittagong Sky Blues.
The traditional Black and Whites
reduced the arrears in the 74th
minute through Toklis Ahmed. •
RESULTS
Jamal 3-0 Farashganj
Mamadou 11-P, Nurul 47,
Anisur 90
Ctg Abahani 2-1 Mohammedan
Afiz 35, Kaushik 56 Toklis 74
Kashinath,
Baliapukur in
school cricket
final
• Tribune Report
Kashinath Alauddin High School
and Baliapukur Bidya Niketan Rajshahi
emerged as the finalists in
the Young Tigers National School
Cricket yesterday. In Rajshahi,
Kashinath Alauddin High School
defeated Isdair Rabeya Hossain
High School by 77 runs to secure a
berth in the final. Winning captain
Mahinur Rahman was awarded
man of the match for his five-wicket
haul. Kashinath Alauddin High
School of Moulvibazar played in
the semi-finals in place of Dhaka
Metropolis champion Shamsul
Haque Khan School and College.
The BCB on Saturday suspended
Shamsul Haque Khan School and
College for five years. The institution
was found guilty of registering
outsiders instead of the school’s
students in their quarter-final held
on Friday. The tournament’s technical
committee concluded that
in submitting false documents to
register players who are not legitimate,
Shamsul Hoque Khan School
and College, who had qualified for
the final round as champion of the
Dhaka Metro Zone, breached clauses
‘c’ and ‘d’ under article 3 of the
competition’s by-laws.
In the second semi, Baliapukur
Bidya Niketan Rajshahi defeated
Municipal High School Dinajpur by
129 runs. •

Sports
19
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Gazi eager
to continue
unbeaten run
in DPL
• Tribune Report
The in-form Gazi Group Cricketers
will look to continue their unbeaten
run in the Dhaka Premier Division
Cricket League 2016-17 season
when they take on Khelaghar Samaj
Kalyan Samity at Khan Shaheb
Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah today.
Gazi’s national discards in the
form of Jahurul Islam, Anamul
Haque and Mominul Haque are in
terrific form with the bat, alongside
Indian recruit Parvez Rasool.
Gazi’s left-arm seamer Abu
Haider Rony meanwhile, is among
the wickets. He has already picked
up 18 wickets in eight matches and
will once again play a vital role
with the ball today.
In contrast, Khelaghar have
been the surprise package in the
Dhaka league this season, winning
thrice in eight attempts. They will
be eyeing an upset win against the
table-topper but for that to happen,
opening batsman Robiul Islam
has to shine bright yet again. Robiul
has struck back to back centuries
for his side and finds himself
among the highest run-scorers in
the tournament.
Away at the BKSP 4 ground,
third-placed Prime Bank Cricket
Club will lock horns with Brothers
Union. Prime have won six
out of eight games and will be
desperate to narrow the gap with
holder Abahani Limited, who have
won seven out of nine matches and
are second in the 12-team points
table.
In the other game of the day at
the BKSP 3 ground, Sheikh Jamal
Dhanmondi Club, who have won
five out of eight games, will face a
struggling Kalabagan Krira Chakra,
who have managed to win just
once in eight attempts. •
DPL, ROUND 9
Gazi v Khelaghar, Fatullah
Kalabagan v Sk Jamal, BKSP 4
Prime v Brothers, BKSP 3
POINTS TABLE
Teams M W L Pts
Gazi 8 8 0 16
Abahani 9 7 2 14
Prime 8 6 2 12
Doleshwar 9 6 3 12
Mohammedan 9 6 3 12
Jamal 8 5 3 10
Rupganj 9 5 4 10
Brothers 8 3 5 6
Khelaghar 8 3 5 6
Kalabagan 8 1 7 2
Partex 9 1 8 2
Victoria 9 0 9 0
Hull relegated, Spurs say farewell to Lane
• AFP, London
RESULTS
Palace 4-0 Hull
Zaha 3, Benteke 34,
Milivojevic 85-P, Van Aanholt 90
Tottenham 2-1 Man Utd
Wanyama 6, Kane 48 Rooney 71
West Ham 0-4 Liverpool
Sturridge 35, Coutinho 57,
62, Origi 76
Hull players look dejected after Palace’s third goal during their Premier League match at Selhurst Park yesterday
Liverpool are on the brink of qualifying
for the Champions League
after Philippe Coutinho inspired a
4-0 rout of West Ham United, while
Tottenham Hotspur said a fitting
farewell to White Hart Lane with a
2-1 win against Manchester United
yesterday.
In contrast to Liverpool’s jubilation
and Tottenham’s celebratory
send-off, there was only misery for
Hull City as they were relegated after
a 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace.
It was a day of high emotion as
the Premier League’s remaining
issues at the top and bottom were
played out in dramatic fashion.
At the London Stadium, Liverpool
took the lead when Coutinho’s
sublime pass was converted by Daniel
Sturridge early in the first half.
Coutinho stole the spotlight
again in the second half with a superb
solo strike and a cool finish to
POINTS TABLE
Teams P W D L GD Pts
Chelsea 36 28 3 5 47 87
Tottenham 36 24 8 4 49 80
Liverpool 37 21 10 6 33 73
Man City 36 21 9 6 34 72
Arsenal 36 21 6 9 29 69
Man Utd 36 17 14 5 23 65
Kiwis beat plucky Irish by 51 runs
• AFP
Ireland lost to New Zealand by 51
runs in the second game of the
tri-nation series, also involving
Bangladesh, in Malahide, Dublin
yesterday.
Chasing 290 in a rain-hit game,
the Irish were all out for 238 with 27
deliveries remaining. Wicketkeeper-batsman
Niall O’Brien struck a
composed 131-ball 109, featuring
nine fours and five sixes, but leftarm
spinner Mitchell Santner (5/50)
and seamer Scott Kuggeleijn (3/41)
ensured the Kiwis would start their
campaign with a win.
put Jurgen Klopp’s side three goals
ahead before Divock Origi netted to
cap the Reds’ swaggering display.
Liverpool moved back one point
above Manchester City into third
place.
Although City and fifth placed
Arsenal both have a game in hand,
Klopp’s men will be guaranteed a
Champions League berth if they
beat relegated Middlesbrough at
Anfield next Sunday.
In the unlikely event Arsenal lose
at home to relegated Sunderland tomorrow
then Liverpool will clinch a
BRIEF SCORE
IRELAND 238 in 45.3 overs (Niall 109,
Santner 5/50) lost to NEW ZEALAND
289/7 (Broom 79, Taylor 52) by 51 runs
Earlier, New Zealand set Ireland
a target of 290 with middle-order
batsman Neil Broom top-scoring
for the Blackcaps with 79.
Ireland captain William Porterfield
won the toss for the second
successive match and although the
wicket is not as green as the one
served up against Bangladesh, he
once again asked the tourist to bat.
The Blackcaps, with 10 players
top four spot without playing.
Playing their last game at White
Hart Lane after 118 years, second
placed Tottenham responded to
the end of their title dream by stylishly
bringing down the curtain on
118 years at the famous north London
stadium.
Chelsea were crowned champion
after their win at West Bromwich
Albion on Friday, but Tottenham
had the ideal occasion to
forget that frustration as they prepare
to temporarily play at Wembley
while the Lane is demolished to
make way for a new arena.
With numerous Tottenham legends
watching from the stands,
Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama
put the hosts ahead in the sixth
minute.
Harry Kane doubled Tottenham’s
lead in the 48th minute with
his 28th goal of the season.
United’s Wayne Rooney who
had the distinction of scoring the
away at the Indian Premier League,
named two new caps in opening
bowler Seth Rance and bowling-allrounder
Kuggeleijn while Ireland
also gave a debut to off-spinning
all-rounder Simi Singh, who came
in for Stuart Thompson.
Stumper-batsman Luke Ronchi
got the innings off to a fast start
with 37 from 26 balls before he got
a leading edge to a pull shot and
was caught at point.
The wicket-taker was seamer
Barry McCarthy, who can surprise
batsmen with his pace, and as a result
he has a habit of taking wickets
in his first two overs. •
last goal at the Lane with a closerange
finish in the 71st minute.
With the Europa League final
against Ajax Amsterdam looming,
United manager Jose Mourinho
was relieved to avoid any more fitness
problems.
Down in south London, Hull
knew only a victory would give
them a realistic chance of staying
up, but goals from Wilfried Zaha,
Christian Benteke, Luka Milivojevic
and Patrick van Aanholt consigned
them to the drop.
Third-bottom Hull, winner
just once in their last six matches,
return to the Championship 12
months after their promotion via
the play-offs.
They paid the price for a chaotic
campaign marred by poor signings
and boardroom turmoil.
Marco Silva was unable to save
them despite improved performances
following his January appointment.
•
Obituary
REUTERS
Mohammad Abdul Jalil,
father of The Daily Star’s
sports reporter Anisur
Rahman, passed away due
to old age complications at
the age of 87 on Saturday
night.
His namaz-e-janaza
was held after Asr prayers
at a mosque in Jessore
yesterday after which he
was laid to rest at the Jessore
Karbala graveyard.
He leaves behind his
wife, three daughters and
as many sons. •

20
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Sports
Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski scores their third goal during their Bundesliga match against Leipzig in Leipzig on Saturday
REUTERS
POINTS TABLE
Teams P W D L GD Pts
Bayern 33 24 7 2 64 79
Leipzig 33 20 6 7 27 66
Dortmund 33 17 10 6 31 61
Hoffenheim 33 16 13 4 27 61
BUNDESLIGA
Wolfsburg 1-1 Gladbach
Gomez 58 Jannik 24
Augsburg 1-1 Dortmund
Finnbogason 28 Aubameyang 32
Bremen 3-5 Hoffenheim
Selassie 59, Bargfrede 86, Szalai 7,
Bauer 90 Kramaric 11,49, Zuber 40,
Bicakcic 52
Leipzig 4-5 Bayern
Sabitzer 2, Lewandowski 17-P, 84,
Werner 29-P, 65, Thiago 60, Alaba 90+1,
Poulsen 47 Robben 90+5
Darmstadt 0-2 Hertha
Kalou 14, Torunarigha 28
Mainz 4-2 Frankfurt
Cordoba 60, Bell 62, Hrgota 42,
Muto 76, De Blasis 90+3-P Seferovic 50
Freiburg 1-1 Ingolstadt
Philipp 31 Lezcano 43
Schalke 1-1 Hamburg
Burgstaller 25 Lasogga 90+2
Leverkusen 2-2 Cologne
Kiessling 60, Jojic 14,
Pohjanpalo 70 Kluenter 48
3-goal finale gives Bayern spectacular 5-4 win at Leipzig
• Reuters
Borussia Dortmund kept the upper
hand in the battle for third place
despite a 1-1 draw at Augsburg on
Saturday as they stayed ahead of
fourth-placed Hoffenheim on goal
difference on a frantic penultimate
matchday of the season.
Champion Bayern Munich
showed who is boss in the Bundesliga,
scoring three times late in the
game to win 5-4 at RB Leipzig in a
free-flowing game with the Bavarians
having secured the title two
weeks ago and the host certain of
second place.
Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski
scored his second goal of the afternoon
in the 84th minute to cut the
deficit to 4-3. David Alaba’s stoppage-time
free kick drew them level
and Arjen Robben’s last-gasp winner
completed their sensational turnaround
after having trailed 3-1 and 4-2.
Dortmund, through to the German
Cup final later this month, are
level on 61 points with Hoffenheim,
who crushed Werder Bremen 5-3
with two goals from Andrej Kramaric,
but have a better goal difference
going into the last matchday
next week.
There was bad news early on for
Dortmund with midfielder Julian
Weigl breaking his ankle after 20
Zabaleta to leave City
• Reuters
Argentine international Pablo Zabaleta
will leave Manchester City at
the end of the season, the Premier
League club announced on Saturday.
“The 58-times capped Argentina
international is out of contract
in the summer and has informed
the club he will move to pastures
new,” City said in a statement.
The 32-year-old defender has
not said where he will go but is one
of the first names to confirm his departure
in what is expected to be a
busy transfer season for coach Pep
Guardiola as he seeks to make his
side more competitive.
Zabaleta, who joined City in
2008 from Espanol and made 332
appearances, is expected to play
his final home game at the Etihad
Stadium against West Bromwich
Albion tomorrow. •
minutes when his foot was caught
in the grass and twisted 180 degrees.
Alfred Finnbogason then put the
hosts ahead in the 28th minute but
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelled
only four minutes later with
his 29th goal of the campaign with
Dortmund controlling the game with
more than 70 percent possession.
The visitors upped the pressure
after the break but could not find a
winner against disciplined Augsburg,
who are in 14th place on 37 points.
“We had possession, a lot of
passing and I felt we had overall
a good game,” Dortmund coach
Thomas Tuchel said. “But it was
tough for us throughout. We
worked hard but we were not really
rewarded in the end.
“Now the situation for the last
league game is clear. We have a final...and
then the Cup final.”
Hamburg SV continued their
battle to avoid relegation by scoring
a stoppage time equaliser through
substitute Pierre-Michel Lasogga
to earn a 1-1 draw at Schalke 04.
The result kept Hamburg, the
only team to have played in the
top division every season since the
Bundesliga’s creation in 1963, in
the relegation playoff spot but sent
17th-placed Ingolstadt into the second
division, joining already-relegated
Darmstadt 98, who lost 2-0
to Hertha Berlin.
VfL Wolfsburg’s Mario Gomez
grabbed an 58th minute equaliser
against Borussia Moenchengladbach
for his 16th goal of the campaign
that kept the Wolves two
points ahead of Hamburg, whom
they face on the last matchday.
The game was interrupted in the
79th minute for about half an hour
due to a storm.
Bayer Leverkusen came from
two goals down to draw 2-2 against
Cologne to make sure of their Bundesliga
spot next season but announced
afterwards they will part
ways with coach Tayfun Korkut at
the end of the campaign. •
Departing Younis, Misbah fall but
Pakistan press for victory
• AFP
Departing stalwarts Younis Khan
and captain Misbah ul Haq failed
to make an impact in their farewell
international innings but Pakistan
were poised to press for a series-clinching
victory over the West
Indies at stumps on the fourth day
at Windsor Park in Dominica on
Saturday.
Following the tedium of the first
three days which saw a total of 15
wickets falling, 14 tumbled on the
penultimate day of the series, ending
with the home side at seven for
one after being set a daunting victory
target of 304.
Mohammad Abbas claimed his
first five-wicket haul in Test cricket
to trigger a West Indies first innings
collapse to 247 all out in the morning
after they resumed at 218 for
five with the match appearing at
the start of the day to be dragging
towards a dreary draw.
“Eight seasons of first-class
cricket bowling long spells prepared
me for this opportunity,” said
Abbas.
In attempting to build on that
considerable lead of 129 Pakistan
crashed to 90 for seven before Yasir
Shah, with a Test-best 38 not out,
and a determined 27 from Mohammad
Amir allowed Misbah the luxury
of a second innings declaration
at 174 for eight late in the day. •
3RD TEST, DAY 4
PAKISTAN 376 & 174/8d in 57 overs
(Yasir 38, Joseph 3/53) lead WEST
INDIES 247 in 115 overs (Chase
69, Abbas 5/46) & 7/1 in 6.3 overs
(Brathwaite 3*, Yasir 1/2) by 297 runs

Sports
21
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during their Madrid Open semi-final on Saturday
Hamilton wins thrilling
Spanish Grand Prix
• AFP, Barcelona
Lewis Hamilton roared back into serious
contention for a fourth drivers’ world title
yesterday when he drove to a well-judged
victory for Mercedes in a dramatic Spanish
Grand Prix.
The three-time champion recovered after
losing the lead from his 64th pole position
to make the most of key strategic decisions
and win with power and precision ahead of
championship leader Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.
Hamilton finished the 66-lap contest 3.5
seconds ahead of the four-time champion
German, having blasted past him to regain
the lead after 44 laps.
It was his second win in five races this year
and the 55th of his career and it brought him
within six points of Vettel in the title race.
The German now has 104 points and Hamilton
has 98.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished third
for Red Bull, more than a minute adrift of the
leaders, ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez and
his Force India team-mate Frenchman Esteban
Ocon.
German Nico Hulkenberg came home
sixth for Renault, ahead of compatriot Pascal
Wehrlein of Sauber, who lost his place due to
a time penalty for a pit-lane mistake during
the race.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz was eighth on the
road, but classified seventh, ahead of Russian
Daniil Kvyat who did a superb job for
Toro Rosso after starting at the back of the
grid, and Frenchman Romain Grosjean of
Haas.
Every driver, apart from those on the podium,
was lapped during an exhausting contest
that saw Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari
and last year’s winner, Dutch teenager Max
Verstappen, crash into retirement on the first
lap.
Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate, Finn
Valtteri Bottas, also retired when his engine
failed while he was running third.
“Guys what can I say?” said Hamilton on
his team radio. “A fantastic job this weekend
- thank you. The strategy was right on it.” •
Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton
celebrates winning the Spanish Grand Prix AFP
DAY’S WATCH
FOOTBALL
STAR SPORTS SELECT HD 1
12:45AM
English Premier League
Chelsea v Watford
REUTERS
Nadal primed as Murray
seeks redemption
• AFP
Whether he likes it or not, Rafael
Nadal will seek to rubber-stamp
his status as the favourite for
the French Open when he heads
to the Rome Masters today looking
to underline his return to form on
clay.
World number one Andy Murray
may have wowed the crowds at
the Foro Italico last year when he
bossed Serbia’s four-time champion
Novak Djokovic in the final to
claim his maiden win in the Italian
capital.
But what was just the Scot’s
third title on the surface, following
wins in Munich and Madrid, has
never looked further away.
A year on from a triumph that
suggested Murray had finally
mastered the toughest surface of
them all, the 29-year-old is back to
square one after a humiliating exit
to unseeded 20-year-old Croat Borna
Coric before the business end of
the Madrid Masters began earlier
this week.
By contrast, Nadal cruised to a
14-0 win record on clay when he
ousted long-time rival Novak Djokovic
in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Currently ranked fifth in the
world, the Spaniard will now meet
Austrian Dominic Thiem in the final.
“It is a great result,” said Nadal.
“To win against Novak by that
score you have to be playing very
well, otherwise it’s impossible.”
Yet Nadal, coming back into
form after two underwhelming
years, was quick to play down
suggestions he was already the favourite
for the French Open and,
by default, the Rome Masters - a
tournament he is looking to win for
the eighth time.
“I know that I am playing well.
I’m on the right track,” added Nadal.
•

22
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Showtime
On-screen mothers
• Showtime Desk
Inspired by everyday lives and the norms
and values of our society, Dhallywood
films have always managed to incorporate
mothers in their storylines.
This Mother’s day, Showtime has decided
to pay tribute to the most beloved on-screen
mothers of Dhallywood.
and Sakal Sandhya. She was also praised for
her superb performance on stage in Gorkir
Ma.
The veteran received several awards
for her contribution to the stage and film
fraternity like the prestigious National Film
Award, the Bangladesh Film Journalist
Association Award, Tarakalok Puruskar and
so on. She received the Ekushey Padak for
dance in 1995. Rawshan Jamil died on May
14, 2002.
Dilara Zaman
Ever since she appeared on the popular
drama titled Ayomoy by Humayun Ahmed
where she plays the role of a blind woman,
Dilara Zaman won the hearts of one and all.
Dilara Zaman has won several prestigious
awards, including the Ekushey Padak
and National Film Award. A familiar
face in popular TV plays, her acting has
only become more powerful throughout
the decades. She rose to fame for her
performances in Aguner Poroshmoni (1994),
Tumi Ashbe Boley (2012) and Aaj Amader
Chhuti (1992).
Sharmili Ahmed
Rumour has it that many actors and
actresses in the Bangladeshi industry refer
to her as “Sharmili Ma.” That is the image
that she has imprinted on the minds of our
TV audiences. Actress Sharmili Ahmed has
portrayed the roles of numerous mothers
for almost four decades. Be it on the silver
or small screen, the actress has become the
symbol of a loving, caring and sacrificing
mother.
be the most successful in the Bangladeshi
industry after Razzak-Kabari. Mentionable
films of Shaban include Abuj Mon, Dui Paisar
Alta, Madhu Milon, Madhumita, Nupur,
Anubhob, Satya Mithya, Laxmir Sangsar,
Monihar, Anurager Chhowa, Badhu Biday,
Nasib, Usila, Moroner Pore, Judge Barrister,
Shashon, Banglar Badhu, Bhabhir Sangshar,
Shamir Adesh, Don, and Nanad Bhabi. She
was successful in playing a diverse range of
characters like that of a lover, wife, bhabi,
servant, mother, bandit and so on.
Shabana received a number of awards
including the National Film Award and
Special Award. She is currently living in
the USA with her family. Shabana may
currently not be an active member in the
film community but is still alive in the hearts
of millions.•
Rawshan Jamil
Rawshan Jamil’s brilliant acting in
Jibon Theke Neya by Zahir Raihan is still
unbeatable. She has been unparalleled in
donning the mother character in numerous
films. Some of Rawshan Jamil’s more
popular television drama serials include the
likes of Humayun Ahmed’s Dhakay Thaki
Shabana
Another actress who has been unparalleled
in playing motherly characters is Shabana.
Her performance in Moroner Pore made
everyone shed tears and after that, the
Shabana - Alamgir pair was cast in over 100
films, with each film doing well in terms of
earning a profit. The pair was considered to
WHAT TO WATCH
Dawn of the Dead
7:30 pm, Movies Now
A nurse, a policeman, a young married
couple, a salesman, and other survivors
of a worldwide plague that is producing
aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take
refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping
mall.
Cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake
Weber, Kevin Zegers, Mekhi Phifer, Kim
Poirier
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
9:30 pm, WB
With their warning about Lord Voldemort’s
return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore
are targeted by the wizard authorities as
an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes
power at Hogwarts.
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma
Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon •
Crazy, Stupid, Love
6:18 pm, HBO
A middle-aged husband’s life changes
dramatically when his wife asks him
for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his
manhood with the help of a newfound
friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at
bars.
Cast: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne
Moore, Emma Stone, Analeigh Tipton
The Adventures of Tintin
7:25 pm, Zee Studio
Intrepid reporter Tintin and Captain
Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a
sunken ship commanded by Haddock’s
ancestor.
Voices: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel
Craig, Nick Frost

Showtime
23
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017
DT
Ayub Bachchu’s
instrumental concert in Chittagong
• Showtime Desk
After the success of the first solo
guitar instrumental show of Ayub
Baccchu, held in March in the
capital, the legendary singermusician
is all set to perform in
another identical show at the
Radisson Blu Chittagong on May
20.
Presented by Robi, Airtel and
Yonder Music, the instrumental
show titled “Now And Then” is
organised by AB Kitchen, DJ Pro
and Wizard Showbiz.
Details of the show came out in
a press conference held at Channel
i, where Ayub Bachchu, Faridur
Reza Sagor, the managing director
of Channel i, Mahbubul Alam
Bhuiyan, vice president of Robi,
and Imrul Karim Emil, the Shunno
singer and the country director of
Yonder Music Bangladesh were
present.
At the press conference, Ayub
Bachchu said, “Keeping the
requests of my fans in mind, I
am going to perform in a guitar
instrumental show for the first
time, at my birthplace.”
Sponsors of the event have
organised a contest to win free
tickets to the concert, and a rare
opportunity to sing one of the
most popular tracks of Ayub
Bachchu “Cholo Bodley Jai” on
stage along with him. Details of
the contest can be found at the
Facebook page of Yonder Music
Bangladesh. Tickets are available
at bdtickets.com. •
Bangladesh filmmakers to
participate in Cannes’ event
A tribute to Mrinal Sen
• Showtime Desk
The International Emerging
Film Talent Association (IEFTA),
a Monaco-based non-profit,
non-governmental organisation,
has taken an initiative to foster
Bangladeshi filmmakers by
providing them an opportunity to
participate in a workshop which
is to be held at the Cannes Film
Festival this year.
The initiative
is one of the four
different initiatives
organised by
IEFTA at this year’s
70th Cannes Film
Festival, which
will be held from
May 17 to 28. The
biennial event,
“Dhaka to Cannes”
is organised in
co-operation with
International
Film Initiative
of Bangladesh
(IFIB) in support
of local emerging
filmmakers.
In the last week
of March, IEFTA
revealed that
three Bangladeshi
filmmakers, Lubna
Sharmin, Md Abid
Mallick, and Kazi
Mahadi Muntasir,
have been selected
by the international
jury to be in the
Producers Workshop at the
Marché du Film.
In this introducing event,
selected participants will get
an opportunity to fly to Cannes
to take part in the Producers
Workshop hosted by the Marche
du Film, the business counterpart
of the Cannes Film Festival and
one of the largest film markets
in the world. This unique event
includes three days of intensive
meetings with some of the
world’s prominent filmmakers
and film executives.
In a similar initiative, Addis to
Cannes was launched by IEFTA
in 2010, in partnership with
the Ethiopian Film Initiative
to support young Ethiopian
filmmakers through a careerdeveloping
trip to Cannes. Past
participants have gone on to have
their films shown in international
festivals such as
Berlin, Toronto, and
Venice, and sold
to international
markets.
Through its
mentorship
initiative, IEFTA
will also sponsor
two filmmakers
from Mongolia
to the Producers
Network.
IEFTA will host
a reception at the
Plage Royal for
Dhaka to Cannes:
A Celebration
of Talent. The
event features
participating
Bangladeshi
filmmakers from
this year’s inaugural
Dhaka to Cannes
initiative, as well
as the Mongolian
filmmakers,
and Watersprite
participants. •
• Showtime Desk
On the occasion of revered film
auteur Mrinal Sen’s 94th birthday,
Chalachitram Film Society,
Bangladesh National Museum
and India-Bangladesh Foundation
jointly organised a five day long
film screening session, which
began on May 13 at the main
auditorium of Bangladesh National
Museum.
Prime minister’s foreign
advisor, Gowher Rizvi inaugurated
the program, while two eminent
film makers, Tanvir Mokammel
and Morshedul Islam spoke at
the event. Director general of
Bangladesh National Museum,
Faizul Latif Chowdhury was also
present at the event.
Mrinal Sen’s Ek din Pratidin was
screened after the commencement
ceremony. The screening will
continue till May 17 at the main
auditorium of the museum. The
event is open for all.
Interview and Chorus is on the
schedule of today’s screening,
while Kharij, Ek din Achanak
and Jayanta Bhattacharjee’s
documentary Always Being
Born are scheduled for May 16.
Antareen, Amar Bhuban and
Rajdeep Pal’s documentray Mrinal
Sen: An Era in Cinema will be
projected on the last day of the
event.
Born on May 14, 1923,
Mrinal Sen is an Indian film
maker based in Kolkata, who
is often considered to be one
of the greatest ambassadors
of Indian parallel cinema on
the global stage, along with his
contemporaries Satyajit Ray and
Ritwik Ghatak. His work is highly
lauded for its artistic depiction of
social reality. Although the three
directors shared a healthy rivalry,
they were ardent admirers of each
other’s works, and in so doing,
they charted the independent
trajectory of parallel cinema, as a
counterpoint to the mainstream
fare of Hindi cinema in India. •

24 Dhaka Tribune | MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017 Advertisement
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