DT e-Paper 27 May 2017

SECOND EDITION
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017 | Jyastha 13, 1424, Shaban 30, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 5, No 22 | www.dhakatribune.com | 24 pages plus 8 pages sports supplement | Price: Tk10
Supreme Court
statue brought
down
Hefazat holds
prayers for
PM after Lady
Justice statue
removal
STORIES ON › 2, 3 & 4
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
DT
Sports Tribune
Zizou
magic
Zidane’s clever squad rotation
3 Champs Trophy chances 4 key to Real Madrid title
7
Mourinho restores Man
Utd’s winning feeling
SPORT SUPPLEMENT
Tigers confident
of Champions
Trophy chances › 3
Zidane’s clever
squad rotation
key to Real
Madrid title › 4
Nasrul slams
PDB officials for
slow prepaid
meter project › 6
UK election
campaign restarts,
under shadow of
security threat › 7
Ramadan to start from Sunday › 4

2
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
News
Supreme Court statue
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
In a surprise midnight move, the
statue depicting Lady Justice was
removed from its base and taken
away from the Supreme Court
premises yesterday morning, only
five months after its installation.
At least 10-12 people started
working around the statue shortly
after 12am in the presence of policemen
and under the supervision of
Mrinal Haque, the renowned sculptor
who created the figure.
It took nearly four hours to completely
detach the statue from its
base before it was transported off
site on a blue truck around 4:40am.
The decision to take the statue
down had been made by Chief
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on
Thursday afternoon, said Attorney
TIMELINE OF LADY JUSTICE STATUE
December 19, 2016: Lady justice statue installed at the entrance of the Supreme
Court
January 21, 2017: First procession in Paltan by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, led by Nur
Hossain Kashemi, demands removal of the statue
February 11, 2017: Hefazat-e-Islam stages demonstrations in Chittagong demanding
removal
February 14, 2017: Islamist groups submit memorandums to prime minister and
chief justice
February 24, 2017: Islamist groups protest at Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka and Anderkillah
Shahi Mosque in Chittagong after Jumma prayers
April 9, 2017: A writ petition is filed with High Court, seeking removal of the statue
April 11, 2017: Hefazat and Qawmi groups place demands to prime minister at
Ganabhaban for removal of the idol
May 25, 2017: Lady Justice statue taken down
‘This is more
shocking than
my mother’s
death’
• Tribune Desk
In his reaction over the removal of
the statue of Lady Justice from the
apex court premises, its sculptor
Mrinal Haque told the Dhaka Tribune
that the shock was more than
that of his mother’s death.
He said: “After coming back from
the US, I wished to do something for
my own country. And, the Lady Justice
was the outcome of my wish.”
He also said the statue was not an
idol of any Greek goddess.
“Rather it [the statue] was a symbol
of justice featuring a Bengali
women,” he said, adding, a Greek
goddess can never be clad in a saree
as the sculpture is. •
General Mahbubey Alam.
“He told us he did not want any
untoward incident over the statue
and said it should be placed somewhere
else,” he added.
A distraught Mrinal said he was
there to oversee that the statue did
not get damaged during the removal
process.
“I was told yesterday. You know,
the people who are the authority
here. Then there are people above
them,” he added.
Mrinal called it “a slap in the
face of the progressive ideals in the
country”.
“This is a Bangali woman, wearing
a sari. There is nothing Greek
about it. This is nothing but a symbol
of justice,” he told reporters.
The sculptor, who has created
several notable works of art that
adorn Dhaka’s streets, said: “Now
there will be orders to remove other
sculptures. They [the radical Islamists]
will order the removal of
Raju Bhashkarja, Aparajeyo Bangla
and Bolaka.”
A number of protesters gathered
outside the Supreme Court premises
and chanted slogans against the
move.
Later in the morning, activists
of various student fronts, led by
Chhatra Front and Chhatra Union,
brought out a procession on the
Dhaka University campus demanding
the statue be reinstated.
Islamist orgnisations, on the other
hand, joyfully greeted the move.
Nur Hossain Kashemi, chief
of hardliner Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam’s
Dhaka Committee,
thanked Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina for removing the “idol” from
the Supreme Court premises as she
had promised.
Speaking to supporters who
brought out a procession in front of
Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
in Dhaka after Jumma prayers, he
also demanded that all sculptures
be removed from Bangladesh.
Hefazat has been the first to raise
objections against the artwork,
claiming that the statue was an idol
of a Greek goddess and did not belong
in a Muslim nation.
Hefazat, a Qawmi madrasa-based
Islamist platform which
aspires to have Shariah enforced in
the country, and several other radical
groups including Awami Olama
League and Islami Andolon Bangladesh,
have been campaigning
against the sculpture since
December last year, terming it “anti-Islamic”.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has also said she did not like the idol
and would talk to the Chief Justice
about its removal.
Terrorist group Ansar al-Islam,
the Bangladesh affiliate of al-Qaeda
in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS),
has also expressed its support for
the demand. •
‘Removal on
Chief Justice’s
order’
• Tribune Desk
Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha
ordered the removal of the statue
of Lady Justice from the Supreme
Court premises, Attorney General
Mahbubey Alam said early yesterday
morning.
“The Chief Justice summoned
me in the afternoon [on Thursday].
Dr Kamal Hossain, Khandker Mahbub
Hossain and other current and
former Supreme Court Bar leaders
were present there,” he said.
“He told us he did not want any
untoward incident over the statue
in front of the Supreme Court. It
should be removed and placed in
some other location so there are no
questions raised about it.
“We also advised him that it
would be prudent to remove the
statue from in front of the court,”
said the attorney general.
The Chief Justice then instructed
the officials concerned to take necessary
steps, he added.
Awami League General Secretary
Obaidul said the statue had been
removed by the Supreme Court’s
decision and the government had
nothing to do with it.
BNP leader Moudud Ahmed,
speaking at a programme in front
of National Press Club, said: “I want
to inform you that our honourable
Chief Justice has taken the decision
to remove this sculpture himself.
He did not do this at the directive of
the government.”
Hefazat holds prayers for prime minister
• Manik Miazee
Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam
yesterday expressed its joy at the
removal of the Lady Justice statue
from the Supreme Court premises
in Dhaka before demanding the
dismantling of all “idols” from
Bangladesh.
The blind-folded, sari-clad
stone figure of a woman was considered
symbolic of justice, holding
a sword in one hand and a
scale in the other. But Hefazat had
targeted the monument since it
was erected in December, saying it
did not “reflect the Islamic culture
of the Muslim people of Bangladesh”.
Two leading figures from Hefazat’s
Dhaka Committee extended
the demand yesterday to include
The statue of Lady Justice is loaded onto a truck after being removed from its base
on the Supreme Court premises early yesterday
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
the eventual removal of all idols
from public places in Bangladesh.
“We will not tolerate any idols
on roadsides in the country,” said
Dhaka Committee chief Nur Hossain
Kashemi, who also thanked
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for
fulfilling her pledge to remove the
statue.
He made the statement in
front of Baitul Mukarram National
Mosque after the Jumma prayers.
Prior to that, supporters of the
Islamist group staged what they
called a “thanksgiving procession”
and a prayer session seeking
a long life for the prime minister.
At the programme, Hefazat’s
Dhaka City Vice-Chairman Mojibur
Rahman Hamidi also vowed
to ensure that no idols remain in
the country in the future.
“If anyone tries to build them,
the Islamic people will give them
a proper reply,” he said.
Asked for clarification of both
comments by the Dhaka Tribune,
a Hefazat representative could not
specify which statues would be
counted as idols.
Meanwhile in Chittagong, Hefazat
Secretary General Junayed
Babunagari said they would not
allow the statue to be set up again
anywhere in the country, our Chittagong
correspondent reports.
“We have come to know that
the dislodged idol is going to be
reinstalled before the annex building
of the court. We want to make
it clear that the idol is tantamount
to garbage which must be overthrown
for good. People will not
allow any initiative to install the
idol again. We urge the authorities
concerned not to take that step,”
he said in a press statement.
Earlier in February, during a
protest, the group’s Narayanganj
district unit President Mawlana
Abdul Awwal said: “You can have
however many idols at temples in
Bangladesh, but we will not tolerate
the presence of an idol in front
of the highest court in the country.”
Islami Andolan Bangladesh
chief Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka
Tribune in February: “If the sculpture
is not removed, the public
will create a river of blood in protest.”
Islami Andolon Bangladesh
had yesterday threatened to
blockade the Supreme Court if the
sculpture was not removed by the
end of Ramadan. •

ought down
Police fire tear gas at students protesting SC statue removal
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi and
Manik Miazee
Police used water cannons and fired
tear gas yesterday to disperse students
protesting the removal of the
Lady Justice statue from the premises
of the Supreme Court in Dhaka.
Activists of various student factions
including Chhatra Front and
Chhatra Union brought out a procession
on the Dhaka University
campus in the morning, demanding
that the statue be reinstated.
The blind-folded, sari-clad
stone figure of a woman was considered
symbolic of justice, holding
a sword in one hand and a scale in
the other.
The Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam
had targeted the monument
since it was erected, however, saying
it did not “reflect the Islamic
culture of the Muslim people of
Bangladesh”.
They had warned the government
to fulfil their demand before
Ramadan – the Muslim month of
fasting which begins next week.
This looked to be a certainty after
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had
said she also did not like the statue,
and would talk to the chief justice
about removing it.
Sculptor Mrinal Haque watched
on as his work was dismantled from
the front of the Supreme Court compound
early yesterday, describing it
as “a slap in the face for progressive
ideals in the country”.
“My mother has died and I can
easily compare my present feeling
with that loss,” he told AP.
Protesters had also gathered in
front of the Supreme Court around
the time of the removal and chanted
slogans against the decision.
When they tried to break through
a police barricade erected at the
High Court’s Mazar Road gate, officers
responded with water cannons
and tear gas.
Several protesters were injured
and taken to Dhaka Medical College
Hospital.
Shahbagh police detained four
people from the spot for questioning,
including Chhatra Union Secretary
Liton Nondi and cultural organization
Udichi’s central committee
News 3
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
Reactions to the removal of Lady Justice statue
Dr Ajoy Roy, retired DU professor
Removal of the sculpture
in front of the Supreme
Court Premises
is an embarrassing incident.
The sculpture
is a symbol of justice.
A weighing scale in
one hand means law will protect
those who respect justice and law,
and on the sword on the other hand
means culprits will be punished.
Many countries have this sculpture
of justice.
I really don’t understand how it
could happen in the period of a government
that says it is on the side of
Liberation War and democracy.
They do not understand the
difference between an idol and a
sculpture. Then they should break
all sculptures. They are now emboldened
enough to demand that
the government take down the Shaheed
Minar, because we pay tribute
to martyrs of the Language Movement
with flowers.
Dr Shahdeen Malik, SC lawyer
Removal of the statue
is certainly a victory
for medieval interpretations
of the religion.
Also, the tacit support
of the government
clearly indicates a shift
in Awami League’s policy to claim a
portion of the so-called “Islamic Vote”
at any cost.
This is a sad day for our democratic
values and the spirit of Liberation.
This does not augur well for
the liberal and progressive development
of the country.
Khushi Kabir, activist
They have been making
this demand for
some time, and the
prime minister has
also supported this. I
had been saying that
if we let them remove
this one they will demand the removal
of others, and that is exactly
what has happened. We did not
want a Saudi Arabia, we wanted a
free Bangladesh.
It is not clear to us why this decision
was taken. If Supreme Court made
this decision, why did the work
start at midnight? Our constitution
says we are secular. Then how does
this happen?
I think the sculpture should be
immediately placed where it is,
and the government should make
a statement saying these demands
will never again be entertained.
Because these sculptures are
made with taxpayer money, the
government should also be more accountable
to the public about their
removal or placement.
Abdul Matin Khasru, SC lawyer
Eighty to ninety percent
of the lawyers
were against this. We
did not know that this
statue would be here. I
thank the honourable
Chief Justice, he has
decided to remove it by honoring
our sentiments. The Greek Themis
statue is not in our culture. The
statue is beside the Eidgah where
people pray and it’s not acceptable.
We support the decision to remove
it before Ramadan.
It is not something related to Hefazat-e-Islam.
The prime minister
also said that she does not like it.
Yesterday, some of our senior lawyers
were talking with the Chief Justice.
We talked about removing it.
The Chief Justice has listened to us.
We are grateful.
AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury
Manik, former SC justice
It was placed by the
sole decision of the
Chief Justice and removed
in the same
way. In a sense, Chief
Justice played an
autocratic role. According to tradition,
the Chief Justice consults
with other judges before making
such a decision, which is called a
full court meeting. He did not have
member, Arif Noor.
The other two activists held were
Rokonuzzaman and Morshed Ali.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna
Division Deputy Commissioner
(DC) Maruf Hossain Sardar said the
any discussion before installing it.
The judges were surprised when the
statue was installed. There was a
full court meeting yesterday but he
did not say that he would remove it
in the dark at night.
There is much difference between
the demand of Hefazat and
the prime minister’s statement.
She said it is a pertinent, ugly, incomprehensible
sculpture. Sword
cannot be a symbol of justice in the
present age. It was in the medieval
era when the kings did injustice in
the name of trial and imposed the
decision on common people. If he
had talked with everyone before installing
it then this problem would
not have been there.
Obaidul Quader, Awami League
general secretary
The removal of the
statue was not within
the government’s jurisdiction.
The decision
of removal was taken
by the Supreme Court.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP
secretary general
The Supreme Court installed
the lady justice
sculpture in the court
premises, and then
removed the sculpture
from its place. This is
police had moved to disperse the
students as protests and rallies were
not allowed in the High Court area.
“We were trying to prevent
them from entering,” he said. “We
dispersed them when they broke
DT
their own matter, We will not comment
on this.
We will say one thing, we would
like the government to respect the
people’s views in the same way on
every issue.
Mufty Fayzullah, Islami Oikya Jote
secretary general
This is victory for the
nation. At last the
government has realised
what the majority
Muslim population
of the country wants.
From our party and
from Hefazat-e-Islam, we give
thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
for respecting the nation’s demands.
Junayed Babunagari, Hefazat-e-
Islam secretary general
The removal of the
idol is a victory for Islam
and the Muslims
of Bangladesh. All
credit for the removal
of the idol goes to
those who protested, demonstrated,
marched and organised programmes
demanding to remove the
Greek idol form the Supreme Court
premises in the last four months.
(Reporting by Ashif Islam Shaon, Manik
Miazee, Dil Afrose Jahan)
A police officer is seen shooting tear gas at protesters who speak out against the removal of the Lady Justice statue. The photo
was taken yesterday at the High Court area of Dhaka
DHAKA TRIBUNE
through the barricade near Mazar
Road.”
DC Maruf said that a case had
not yet been filed against the four,
as the entire incident would need to
be investigated. •

4
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
News
Attacks on sculptures: Looking
back at previous incidents
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
In a surprise midnight move, the authorities
concerned removed the statue of Lady
Justice near the entrance of the Supreme
Court was removed on Thursday night,
apparently conceding to Islamist hardliners,
including Qawmi Madrasah-based Islamist
pressure group Hefazat-e-Islam, who had
long been demanding removal of the statute
from the court premises.
Sculptor Mrinal Haque was present at
the site during the removal to ensure the
statue was not damaged. Calling the move
a slap in the face of progressive ideals in
the country, he said: “The removal was too
shocking. I am feeling terrible.”
However, it was not the first time the
country saw a statute removed. Earlier,
several other statues were either removed
in the face of radicals’ demands or
vandalised by zealots themselves because
clerics are often heard saying the existence
of what they call an idol goes against Islam’s
strictures.
Apart from the incident on Thursday,
a Dhaka Tribune inquiry resulted in the
finding of at least three such incidents, all of
which took place in less than two decades.
Balaka sculpture
On the night of November 28, 2008, several
hundred people, led reportedly by an
Islamist organisation called Anjuman-e Al
Baiyinat, vandalised the 41-feet sculpture
of Balaka that was installed at Motijheel
in Dhaka in 1989. The vandals – all clad in
Punjabi and caps – were also seen leafleting
the area, asking people to join them in their
move to remove all such sculptures from
the country.
Baul statues
October 15 in 2008, Roads and Highways
Department and Civil Aviation Authority of
Bangladesh had to pull down five statutes
of Baul (folk) singers, including of Lalon
Shah, at the Dhaka airport intersection
in the face of vehement pressure from
fundamentalists. The statues were designed
by eminent sculptor Mrinal Haque.
Prajanma sculpture
Shobdokantha, a cultural organisation at
Carmichael College in Rangpur, started
constructing the Liberation War memorial
sculpture Prajanma (generation) on the
college campus in 1991. Its foundation stone
was laid on August 5 in 1999 amid obstacles by
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami
Chhatra Shibir. But the Jamaat-Shibir men
destroyed it on September 29 the same year.
The sculpture was, however, rebuilt in 2010. •
Ramadan to start from Sunday
• Manik Miazee
METRO
Ramadan, the Islamic month
of self-purification through
fasting and abstinence, will
begin from tomorrow, as the
new moon was not sighted in
the country yesterday.
The decision was taken
at a meeting of the National
Moon Sighting Committee
yesterday evening after it
reviewed reports on moon
sightings for the month of
Ramadan in the 1438 Hijri
calendar.
Minister of Religious Affairs
Motiur Rahman chaired
the meeting, which was held
at the Baitul Mukarram in
Dhaka.
The committee also decided
that Laylat-al-Qadr would
take place on June 22. •
25 Jamaat men held in Dhaka
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
CRIME
Police has arrested 25 leaders and activists
of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh from a
house in the capital’s Panthapath area.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy
Commissioner (Tajgoan division) Biplob
Kumar Sarkar told the Dhaka Tribue that
the Jamaat men were arrested from a house
beside Samorita Hospital in Panthapath
area around 3pm.
The arrestees were holding a meeting to
plan for anti-government activities, he added.
Police also seized 16 computers and some
handouts and books from the house. •

News 5
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
REACTIONS TO THE STATUE REMOVAL
From top left (clockwise): a crowd, at the
locked gate of the Supreme Court, protests
the removal of the Lady Justice statue early
yesterday; protesters speaking out against
its removal are shot with water cannons in
front of the High Court; Gonojagoron Moncho
protests the statue removal in a rally last night;
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, at a procession
yesterday in front of Baitul Mukarram, thanks
Sheikh Hasina
What is chikungunya?
PHOTOS: MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU,
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN, RAJIB DHAR
• Bilkis Irani
HEALTH
According to the World Heath Organization
(WHO), chikungunya
is a viral disease transmitted by
infected mosquitoes causing fever
and severe joint pain. Other symptoms
include muscle pain, headache,
nausea, fatigue and rash.
The disease shares some clinical
signs with dengue and zika, and
can be misdiagnosed in areas where
they are common. There is no cure
for the disease. Treatment is focused
on relieving the symptoms.
The proximity of mosquito
breeding sites to human habitation
is a significant risk factor for chikungunya.
Abdul Jalil, a resident in Savar,
was admitted to Dhaka Medical
College Hospital (DMCH) on May
21 with severe fever and joint pain
that was misdiagnosed earlier at
Enam Medical College Hospital
where his doctor just prescribed
paracetamol for his illness.
At the DMCH, he was tested positive
for chikungunya.
On-duty doctor Lamiya Sharmin,
who diagnosed Jalil, said: “We noticed
he had chikungunya when we
saw the presence of red rash and
joint pain.”
Pregnant women and the elderly
are at a higher risk of getting chikungunya,
she added.
Institute of Epidemiology Disease
Control and Research (IEDCR)
Director Prof Dr Meerjady Sabrina
Flora said 196 cases of chikungunya
has so far been confirmed from
April to May 25.
WHAT TO DO
“From 30-35 people getting tested
everyday, 10-15 of them test positive
for the CHIKV virus,” she said.
“The Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR) test is the best way
to confirm whether the CHIKV is
present or not. It costs between
Tk8,000 to 10,000 and is not available
at all hospitals and clinics.”
Dhanmondi, Lalmatia and Kalabagan
are the most affected areas,
according to Dr SK Jakaria Been
Sayeed, indoor medical officer at
the DMCH.
Get plenty of rest
Drink fluids to prevent dehydration
Take acetaminophen medicine such as Tylenol or
paracetamol to reduce fever and pain
Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal antiinflammatory
drugs (NSAIDS) until dengue can be ruled
out to reduce the risk of bleeding
If you are taking medicine for another medical condition,
talk to your doctor before taking additional medication
If you have chikungunya, prevent mosquito bites for the
first week of your illness by using mosquito repellents
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
“We found 65 patients suspected
to have chikungunya virus after
blood tests were done at the IED-
CR. About 30 patients have already
been released from the hospital after
recovery,” he said.
At Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib
Medical University (BSMMU), 45
patients were found to be infected
with the CHIKV virus so far.
“The only place that can test for
CHIKV in Bangladesh is the IED-
CR,” said Prof Dr Sania Tahmina,
director of disease control at the
Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS).
She said there has not been a full
count of the patients affected by chikungunya
in Bangladesh, making the
data collection very hard.
The IEDCR director said the virus
is not very dangerous, and advised
using mosquito repellent as
much as possible.
She also advised against using
pain killers if infected, but keeping
hydrated with drinking lots of water
and saline. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 37 28 Chittagong 35 28 Rajshahi 37 26 Rangpur 32 23 Khulna 38 26 Barisal 36 26 Sylhet 36 24
Cox’s Bazar 33 26
RAIN LIKELY
SATURDAY, MAY 27
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:40PM
SUN RISES 5:12AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
37.0ºC
21.5ºC
Satkhira
Rajarhat
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 4:40am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:45pm
Esha: 8:30pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
News
China-backed militia new powerbrokers
in Myanmar peace process
• AFP, Naypyidaw
WORLD
Nasrul slams PDB officials for slow prepaid meter project
• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong
NATION
Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi chats with President Htin Kyaw at
21st Century Panglong Conference in Naypyitaw on May 24, 2017
REUTERS
State Minister for Power, Energy
and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid
has expressed his resentment
on Power Development Board
(PDB) officials over the slow progress
in installing pre-paid electricity
meters in Chittagong city.
“Only one lakh out of seven meters
have so far been installed in
the last three years. That means it
will take six years more to install
the rest of the meters. By this time,
3.5 lakh more consumers will be
added,” he said.
The junior minister made the
comments while inaugurating four
vending stations of PDB’s Agrabad
office in Chittagong yesterday .
Blaming the reluctance and unwillingness
of the PDB officials for
the slow progress, he said they do
not feel encouraged to install the
meters as they think it will reduce
system loss and their income too.
“Do not you [PDB officials] get
paid in return for your service? I
warn you that I will not tolerate
the scenario anymore. I want the
seven lakh meters installed by next
March,” he said.
“The PM has also directed for
faster implementation of the project.
But, you [PDB officials] have
let me down in the last three years,”
Branded as Asia’s most heavily-armed
drug dealers, the China-backed
ethnic Wa rebels have
emerged as key players in Myanmar’s
peace process, a development
seen as strengthening
Beijing’s influence over its violence-wracked
neighbour.
When Myanmar’s new civilian
leader Aung San Suu Kyi convened
the first round of peace talks with
the country’s myriad ethnic groups
last year, the United Wa State Army’s
(UWSA) attendance was a
side-show to the main action.
But as hundreds of delegates
gathered in the capital this week
for round two of the peace negotiations,
all eyes were on the militia.
A scrum of media surrounded
their five grinning representatives
as they strode into the vast conference
hall in Naypyidaw sporting
traditional studded red blazers
emblazoned with their symbol of a
horned buffalo head.
With them were members of
several ethnic groups who have
rallied behind Myanmar’s most
heavily-armed militia after an explosion
of violence in the country’s
northeast.
For years the group has kept a
low profile in Myanmar’s politics
after a 1989 ceasefire deal granted
them their own independent territory
the size of Belgium on the Chinese
border.
The secretive ‘statelet’ is like a
little piece of China, signs are written
in Mandarin, people trade in
the Chinese currency the yuan, and
the casinos are filled with Chinese
gamblers.
From there the Wa are accused
of running one of the world’s largest
drug-trafficking operations,
pumping out millions of meth pills
across Southeast Asia and increasingly
into Bangladesh and India.
Beijing’s bargaining chip
Analysts say the UWSA’s growing
muscle in the peace talks is
strengthening Beijing’s hand as it
looks to tap Myanmar’s vast natural
resources and secure new energy
projects.
Publically Beijing has declared
its support for Myanmar’s peace
process, sending a delegate to the
talks and mediating with armed
rebels, which have fought against
the country’s military for decades
in a horseshoe of conflict-wracked
border regions. •
regretted Nasrul Hamid.
He also vented his anger on the
media only to put the PDB officials
to shame for their poor performances.
According to the Bangladesh
Power Development Board, the
pre-paid metering project is a part
of installing 2.2 million meters
across the country to modernise
electricity billing system, and reduce
system loss, pilferage and bill
arrears. •
Fire breaks out
in Sundarbans
Chandpai range
• SM Samsur Rahman, Bagerhat
NATION
A fire broke out at Nangli camp under
Chandpai range of the Sundarbans
East Zone yesterday.
Locals first spotted the fire near
Madraschhila area of Nangli camp
around 11am.
Three Fire Service units rushed
to the spot, and with the aid of forest
officials and locals attempted to
douse the blaze. The fire engulfed
nearly an acre of land before firefighters
were able to cut a fire line
to prevent it from spreading further.
It was finally brought under
control around 7pm, said Divisional
Forest Officer Saidul Islam.
The Forest Department has
formed a three-member probe
body to unearth the origin of the
blaze and the extent of losses. •
Fire at Nilkhet
book market
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
METRO
A fire broke out at the Nilkhet book
market in Dhaka, around 8pm yesterday.
Fire Service Headquarters duty
officer Mizanur Rahman said that
10 firefighting units were sent to
the location and brought the blaze
under control at 8:45 pm.
He added that the cause of the
fire was yet to be known.
No casualties had been reported
at the time of filing this report. •

CTTC raids suspected
militants dens
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi and
Nadim Hossain, Savar
UK election campaign restarts,
under shadow of security threat
• Reuters, London
UK ELECTION
MILITANCY
The Counter Terrorism and
Transnational Crime (CTTC)
unit of Dhaka Metropolitan
Police (DMP) raided a suspected
militant hideout in
Saver, on the outskirts of
Dhaka yesterday evening.
Confirming the raid, CTTC
Deputy Commissioner (DC)
Mohibul Islam told the Dhaka
12 DAYS REMAIN
Tribune that neither anybody
was detained, nor anything
was seized from the scene.
A CTTC team, on information,
raided the house at
a five-story building of one
Anwar in Savar’s Genda area.
However, Assistant Superintendent
of Police Mahbubur
Rahman of Savar Model
police station said they
detained a woman and rescued
two children from the
house in question.
According to him, two
male militants including one
named Manir managed to escape
the raid.
“Manir used to live in the
house with the two militants,
including the woman,” he said.
Based on the information
of the detainee, the CTTC
started another raid in a
six-storey building on suspicion
of being a militant den,
which is just 200 yards away
from Anwar’s building.
As of 10:40pm, the second
raid was still underway with
no initial reports of detention.
•
News 7
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Campaigning for Britain’s national
election next month
resumed in earnest on Friday,
with the country still on high
alert for further attacks, days
after a suicide bombing killed
22 people in Manchester.
A new poll indicated that
Labour had closed to five
points behind Prime Minister
Theresa May’s Conservative
party, with police budgets
and foreign policy emerging
as key campaign issues.
Armed police are patrolling
cities and trains, and
hospitals have been warned
to be ready, but Security Minister
Ben Wallace said there
was no evidence of a specific
threat over the holiday weekend,
when a number of major
events take place.
In Manchester, police investigating
a suspected network
behind Salman Abedi,
the 22-year-old British-born
man with Libyan parents
who blew himself up after a
concert by US singer Ariana
Grande, made a further arrest
and raided other properties.
For the first time since the
attack, politicians resumed
campaigning on a national
scale for the June 8 vote as an
opinion poll put Prime Minister
Theresa May’s lead, once
as much as 23% points, at just
five points.
Support falling
May’s Conservatives saw
their support fall to 43%
while backing for Labour rose
to 38% in the YouGov poll,
causing sterling to lose more
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Labour party, observes a minute’s
silence for the victims of the attack on the Manchester Arena in
London on May 26, 2017
REUTERS
than half a percent against
both the dollar and euro.
In a speech in London, Labour
leader Jeremy Corbyn
was set to criticise May for
cutting police numbers and
say Britain’s involvement in
foreign wars had increased
the threat of terrorism.
Labour has also pledged
10,000 extra police officers to
reverse a decline in numbers
resulting from cost-saving
measures, many brought in
by May in her former role as
interior minister.
Opponents accused Corbyn
of politicising the Manchester
attack.
Police cuts
However, with almost 20,000
fewer police than when the
Conservatives came to power
in 2010, concern about police
cuts is likely to become a major
issue in campaigning.
“We’re now 20,000 police
officers down, and we
get atrocities like this. Does
the government not expect
this?” one voter, who was not
named, asked interior minister
Amber Rudd on the BBC’s
Question Time programme
on Thursday night.
Rudd said counter-terrorism
was adequately resourced,
and denied that
the cuts had hindered the
authorities’ ability to prevent
Monday’s attack.
“We must not imply
that this terrorist activity
wouldn’t have taken place if
there had been more policing,”
she said.
May herself was attending
her first G7 meeting since becoming
prime minister last
year and planned to urge the
world’s major industrialised
nations to unite to force technology
companies to tackle
websites or social media that
are used to promote or facilitate
radical ideologies.
Troops have been deployed
to free up police, and
armed officers are patrolling
trains for the first time while
the state-run National Health
Service said all 27 major trauma
units in England had told
staff to be prepared for a possible
attack. •

8
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
News
Tearful wife calls for PM’s help
to find missing AL leader
• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong
NATION
The wife of a Chittagong-based
Awami League leader who was kidnapped
two weeks ago has sought
the prime minister’s intervention
to help find her husband and bring
about his safe return.
Nur Nabi Mamun, the 33-yearold
general secretary of the ruling
party’s Urir Char union under
Sandwip upazila, was abducted on
his way to visit a shrine in Kabirhat
upazila of Noakhali on the evening
of May 12.
His wife, Farzana Boby, made
an emotional appeal to PM Sheikh
Hasina while fighting back tears at
a press conference at Chittagong
Press Club on Friday.
“Some 15 people in two microbuses
kidnapped him,” said Boby,
who has a 14-month-old daughter.
“Since then his cellphone has remained
switched off. The law enforcers
are still clueless about his
whereabouts.”
Boby said she has no idea about
who might be linked to the abduction
or the motive behind it.
Md Shahjahan, president of
Sandwip upazila unit Awami
League, told the media briefing
that they have been contacting law
enforcers regarding the matter, but
to no avail.
“We are yet to receive any positive
response from the law enforcers. We
urge the civil and police administration
to step forward in helping the
safe return of Mamun,” he said.
According to family sources,
Mamun’s sister, Selina Akter
Shelly, was inside the shrine during
the abduction.
She filed a general diary with
Kabirhat police station on May 13.
Afterwards, Mamun’s nephew,
Syed Rafiqul Islam Suman, also
lodged a written complaint with
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB 7). •
Westin offers delicious iftar,
dinner, sehri in Ramadan
• Tribune Desk
METRO
The Westin Dhaka is offering sumptuous
iftar, dinner and sehri experience
to its guests throughout the
month of Ramadan.
Westin’s buffet restaurant, Seasonal
Tastes, will treat its guests
with chicken tangri kebab, mutton
nehari, chicken dum biryani and
many other tantalizing dishes during
iftar and dinner, priced at Tk
5000 per person.
For sehri, the buffet spread at
Seasonal Tastes will have mutton
biryani, shorisha Elish, chicken
achari, various fresh juices and desserts,
priced at Tk 2500 per person.
Splash, the poolside restaurant,
will offer a special Arabian Iftar and
dinner buffet.
Daily Treats will offer special Iftar
platters, regular and premium
iftar takeaway boxes such as Shahi
haleem and saffron jalebi. •

One more held over
alleged fatherdaughter
suicide
News
9
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
• Md Raihanul Islam
Akand, Gazipur
NATION
A 30-year-old man was arrested
yesterday over the alleged
incitement of a man and his
daughter to commit suicide in
Shreepur upazila of Gazipur
district last month.
Gazipur Additional Superintendent
of Police Golam Sabur
told reporters that Borhan,
the son of Nurul Islam from
Karnapur village in Shreepur
upazila, was detained at a relative’s
house in Jhanaile area of
Netrakona district.
It follows the tragic deaths
on April 29 of Hazrat Ali, 45,
and his eight-year-old daughter,
Ayesha Akhter, who apparently
jumped in front of a moving
train near Sreepur Railway
Station after failing to get justice
over repeated attempts to
violate the minor girl.
Hazrat’s wife, Halima Begum,
had lodged a complaint
with Sreepur police on January
15, accusing local strongman
Faruk of trying to rape
her daughter.
Earlier this month Halima
filed the case against seven
people for provoking the duo
to commit suicide.
Friday morning’s arrest
follows that of Shaheed, a
40-year-old close associate
of Faruk who was picked up
from his house by Sreepur
police in Karnapur village on
May 3.
The police department has
already formed two probe
bodies to investigate the incident.
•
Trump son-in-law Kushner
a focus in Russia probe
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
The activities of President
Donald Trump’s son-in-law
and senior aide Jared Kushner
have come under FBI scrutiny
as part of the probe of Russian
interference in last year’s
presidential election, US media
reported Thursday.
Although it is unclear
whether Kushner is a main focus
of the probe, he is under investigation
for the “extent and
nature” of his interaction with
Russian officials, The Washington
Post reported, citing people
familiar with the matter.
NBC News, citing unnamed
US officials, also reported that
the FBI is looking at Kushner
but emphasised that although
investigators believe he has
“significant information relevant
to their inquiry,” it does
not mean they suspect him of
a crime.
The news is sure to rankle
Trump, who was in Italy for a
Group of Seven summit, accompanied
by his top aides
including Kushner.
Kushner held meetings with
the Russian ambassador to the
US and a banker from Moscow
in December, the Post said.
The banker, Sergei Gorkov, is
chairman of VneshEconom-
Jared Kushner
REUTERS
Bank, a state bank under US
sanctions since July 2014.
Kushner initially failed to
declare the meetings on forms
to obtain a security clearance
to serve in the White House.
His lawyer later said it was a
mistake, telling the Federal
Bureau of Investigation that
he would amend the forms.
Kushner, who is married to
Trump’s daughter Ivanka, is
the only current White House
official known to be considered
a key figure in the probe, which
is targeting other members of
Trump’s campaign team.
“Mr Kushner previously
volunteered to share with
Congress what he knows
about these meetings,” Jamie
Gorelick, one of his attorneys,
said in a statement.
“He will do the same if he
is contacted in connection
with any other inquiry.” •

DT
10
Editorial
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
TODAY
Just don’t
Someone’s wife, mother, husband,
brother, or friend was just blown to
smithereens; all that person needs
to hear is condolence and a resolve
to avenge the murders, not your
explication of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict
PAGE 11
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
The true spirit of
Ramadan
When we were young, we would stay
satisfied with one set of new clothes on
the occasion of Eid
PAGE 12
Baby at work
There have been several times when
I had to take Areeb along with me to
work. Those were the times I felt the
need of a day-care centre at every
working place
PAGE 13
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
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or its publisher.
A slippery slope
So it has finally happened: The statue of Lady Justice has been
removed from the Supreme Court premises.
The statue has been laden with controversy of late, as Hefazate-Islam
declared that structure was against Islamic values, and
have been agitating for its removal for some time.
Taking into account that the holy month of Ramadan is just around
the corner, and the looming threat of violence surrounding this issue,
we can appreciate how this was an extraordinarily thorny dilemma for
the government.
Neither can we forget the horrific terror attack at Holey Artisan
Bakery last year -- that also happened during Ramadan. Given the
apparent uptick in terrorist activity that recent militant arrests and
busts suggest, the government’s caution on hot button issues is
understandable.
Thus, if the authorities have determined that the wisest course of
action for the sake of public safety and harmony is to remove the statue
from the Supreme Court premises, we cannot simply condemn them out
of hand.
This was undoubtedly a tough decision, and we have no doubt it was
made in good conscience with the best of intentions.
However, be that as it may, we fear that it might be the first step on a
slippery slope to cave in to demands such as these.
While the government’s motives can be sympathised with, and their
actions understood, on balance, we feel this was a mistake, with the
nation standing to lose more in the long run than we can possibly gain in
the short from the decision.
The concern is that giving in to pressure from fundamentalists will
only embolden them further.
Not only that, if the government is to make concessions, then it must
receive something in return. That is elementary statecraft.
It is unclear what, if anything, the government will get in return for
this concession.
Indeed, it is likely that this will be seen as a great victory by the
fundamentalists, who will now only demand more and more, and
continue to put further pressure on the government for anything and
everything they do not agree with.
Appeasing groups that use fear rather than reason is a dangerous road
to take.
Where do we go from here?
Indeed, it is likely that
this will be seen as a
great victory by the
fundamentalists

Opinion 11
DT
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
Just don’t
Condemn. Mourn. And pledge to avenge those who are victims of Islamist terror
• Esam Sohail
Imagine a concert at the
Army Stadium in Dhaka with
the crowd being made up
of thousands of teenagers.
Then imagine that a terrorist blew
himself up there and took the lives
of a hundred such kids.
Next day the names of the dead
and wounded scroll down your
social media feed -- Shahjahan
Hossain, Mahmood Khan,
Jinnatunnisa Patwar -- and similar
ones; and then, you see the name
of the suspect: Paul Kanti D’Souza.
You also find out that this Paul
fellow was part of a secret group of
Christian holy warriors whose aim
was to establish Biblical rule in
Bangladesh.
Be honest, close your eyes, and
ask yourself: How many Christians
and Christian churches will be left
in Bangladesh after that incident?
And then, go back to the
How many more attacks can Europe take?
Someone’s wife, mother, husband, brother, or friend was just blown to
smithereens; all that person needs to hear is condolence and a resolve
to avenge the murders, not your explication of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict
hypothetical incident at the Army
Stadium and assume that that
was the 10th such incident in the
country.
Do you honestly think that a
single practicing Christian would
be left alive in Bangladesh or that
there would be any church left
standing?
Spare me the historical lessons
and root causes and obsession
with the Middle East conflict.
The answer to the question is
well known in your heart; you’re
just too ashamed or too proud to
admit it.
Under siege
That is precisely the feeling in
many parts of Europe and the
United States today as the carnage
of the massacre in Manchester is
being tallied.
The strength of civic tolerance,
democratic pluralism, and the
rule of law in those countries
has prevented the wholescale
backlash against local Muslims or
those who appear to be Muslims,
and largely limited such fallout to
stray incidents and individualised
bigotry.
How long this backlash can be
contained is an open guess. The
rage of a public that feels under
siege from an identifiable segment
of the population and has seen
massacre after massacre at the
hands of that segment can be
contained only so long even in the
most civilised societies.
Against the backdrop of the
same kind of murderous adversary
who targets women and children
in the middle of peaceful cities
year after year, the mitigating
factors like logic, historical
context, geopolitical explanations,
and avoiding stereotyping
eventually go out of fashion.
At the most basic level, we are
humans with an instinct to be
vengeful.
Root causes
Many Muslims -- and the West’s
doctrinaire Left -- are not making
things any better with the typical
worn out narrative in response to
such atrocities.
The tone deaf narrative, almost
without fail, starts with expressing
sorrow, moves to paeans to how
“no true Muslim” could do such
a thing, and concludes with some
lame advocacy of removing “root
causes” of terrorism.
Such “root causes,” again
almost without fail, involve
blaming Israel/America/Britain/the
West for everything from Iraq and
Palestinian misery to the price of
oil and the failure of the BCCI bank
in the 1990s. I am pulling a short
cut here, but you get the idea.
The whole narrative comes
across as insincere to more and
more people every day with yet
another jihadist driving a truck
into pedestrians in a European
town or one more suicidal Shariapeddler
blowing up a café.
It ain’t working, folks
Donald Trump’s election is partly a
reflection of that reality; as are the
elections of Orban in Hungary and
the stunning performance of Le
Pen in France.
There is more to come on the
electoral front. The Europeans
and their American cousins are
REUTERS
fed up and are sending a message.
It is translating into policies of
greater restriction, more walls, and
more surveillance, and nobody
in a logical frame of mind should
blame them for it.
More such policies will be in
the pipeline, I am afraid. Unless,
that is, Muslims in the West and
their often naïve Leftist allies, gain
the ability to stop diluting their
condemnations with infuriating
explanations and self-serving
contextualisation.
Someone’s wife, mother,
husband, brother, or friend was
just blown to smithereens; all that
person needs to hear is condolence
and a resolve to avenge the
murders, not your explication of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or
your history lesson about Saudi
oil or a theological treatise on the
meaning of Quranic verses. Just.
Don’t.
Condemn. Mourn. And pledge
to avenge those who are victims of
Islamist terror.
Leave the explanations to some
academic seminar somewhere
else.
Or else, someday, the built up
rage will be of a magnitude that no
court and no law would be able to
turn back even in civilised Europe
and North America. •
Esam Sohail is an educational research
analyst and college lecturer of social
sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

12
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Opinion
The true spirit of Ramadan
Have we lost the true spirit of this holy month?
LARGER
THAN LIFE
• Ekram Kabir
It doesn’t take a person to be
very religious to understand
and realise the spirit of
Ramadan. It’s common sense
that the spirit of this month is to
restrain yourself from various
kinds of allurements and make
yourself disciplined for the
remaining 11 months.
Ramadan helps us to do some
soul-searching so that we may
become better human beings. If
we practise fasting during this
month and don’t learn anything,
it’s not worth practising.
When I was a little boy in the
1970s, I remember my parents
having a tough time in terms of
their finances during this month,
as the prices of most essential
food items used to go up, and
people had to spend more during
Ramadan.
Supply and demand
Now, it’s true that when there’s
more demand for something and
there’s a lack of proper supply,
the price of that product will
automatically go up. But was that
the reason for increasing the prices
of those essentials? Was there less
supply of those essentials in the
market?
Not really; the lack of supply
was artificial and intentional.
That’s how our businessmen
created the scope for themselves
to increase the prices.
They do it all the time and we
withstand all this. However, when
they increase the prices during
Ramadan way beyond the people’s
purchasing ability, we would
naturally question the integrity of
our businessmen and traders.
Bangladesh is perhaps the
only country where prices of all
essentials go up during a religious
occasion. Go to India during puja
cerebrations; the businessmen
there compete among themselves
to make the lives of the common
people easy. They try their best to
reduce the prices, as they know,
their sale would surely go up when
they offer discounts.
Go to the Western countries
during Christmas; they are even
one step ahead of Indian traders;
they rejoice on the occasion by
offering goods and products with
a huge sale so that the consumers
are benefitted.
Unfortunately, this has never
Why do we spend so much for Eid?
been the case in our country. The
tendency to increase the prices
is becoming uglier as years go
by. There was a time when our
iftar recipes used to be prepared
at home; there were hardly
any ready-to-eat items from
restaurants or shops.
With the change in our culture,
now we rely on the restaurants
and shops. These shop-owners
and restaurants-owners have been
exploiting this opportunity for
themselves. They charge so much
money for food items that the
people have to spend quite a lot.
Let’s talk about clothes
When we were young, we would
stay satisfied with one set of
new clothes on the occasion of
Eid. However, over time, our
social trends have changed and
the young ones of today aren’t
satisfied with one set of clothes;
they want more than one and they
get more than one.
Having to understand this
aspect of our society, the clothes
businessmen are seen to race
for increasing the prices of their
products, no matter how difficult
it is for the consumer to buy.
Selling goods and products at a
high rate has a social implication;
the people who cannot afford that
have to earn some extra money to
get those products. The process of
earning some extra income might
lead to corruption.
When you see people shopping
for iftar, almost each and every
one purchases more food than
they can consume. Later on, while
having the food during iftar-time,
they are seen to waste quite a big
amount.
The wastage of food is better
seen at the iftar parties across
the country. Imagine how many
iftar parties are arranged across
Bangladesh during these 30 days
of Ramadan.
Where’s the spirit of Ramadan?
So, I’ve just tried to display some
of our practices that don’t uphold
the spirit of Ramadan.
To me, restraining our greed is
the primary objective of fasting.
What we in Bangladesh practise
is the completely opposite; we
become greedier during this
month.
Another aspect of this month
is to keep calm; we miserably fail
to keep our calm when it comes to
dealing with each other.
Again, the government has
announced Ramadan-friendly
office hours. In fact, the practice
of limited working hours has
been there for a long time in our
country.
I feel quite disturbed by this
practice, simply because, to me,
doing your normal work is another
test we need to withstand during
this month.
We won’t have any food and
water during day time, so we
would feel weak, but we’d work
normally -- that’s the spirit of
Ramadan.
This piece isn’t meant to
belittle any valid practice of the
holy month of Ramadan, but is
meant to portray our collective
failure to realise the true spirit of
this blessed month in which it is
possible to cleanse our body and
mind.
I wish, some day, we’ll get
there. •
Ekram Kabir is a fiction writer.
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
When we were young, we would stay satisfied with one set of new
clothes on the occasion of Eid. However, over time, our social trends
have changed and the young ones of today aren’t satisfied with one set
of clothes

Opinion
13
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Baby at work
Motherhood can be like walking a tightrope
I did. The only thought that gives
me some amount of solace while
at work is of my son remaining
safe in the hands of my motherin-law,
who looks after him
unconditionally when I am away.
Bring your child to work
There have been several times
when I had to take Areeb along
with me to work.
Those were the times I felt the
need of a day-care centre at every
working place.
I comfortably carried my son
to many official meetings, as
I believe this is my basic right
as a mother and a parent. Of
course, my colleagues have been
extremely supportive throughout
my journey.
Sharing personal experiences,
locking up my office door when I
was unable to bend down to reach
for it (our office locks are placed at
the bottom of the doors), carrying
Areeb’s carrier and baggage, even
taking care of him on some days
when I took classes.
They’ve done it all.
It is a very normal thing to
live and enjoy motherhood as a
professional woman.
There will always be tradeoffs,
as usual, but the feeling of
being able to juggle two entirely
different aspects of life gives me
sense of satisfaction that few other
things in this world can provide. •
We don’t give mothers enough credit
BIGSTOCK
Shamshad Rahman Lubna is a lecturer
in the department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, North South University.
• Shamshad Rahman Lubna
A
week ago, I spent a
considerable amount
of time away from my
son (possibly the most
ever as far as I am concerned), as I
was pretty late returning from the
second day of the International
Conference on Genomics,
Nanotech, and Bio-Engineering.
I have always been passionate
about my work, certainly because
it allows me to be an independent
person. In fact, as far as I recall,
it was on the same month that I
pursued my career in academics
as a lecturer and also began my
married life.
Along came Areeb (almost nine
months old now), much earlier
than expected. I was swept up
by the sheer magnitude of all my
responsibilities, the highs and
lows, everything -- it has been a
rollercoaster ride, to say the least.
I had to keep my pregnancy a
secret during the initial stages,
which didn’t help me much at
There have been several times when I had to take Areeb along with me
to work. Those were the times I felt the need of a day-care centre at
every working place
work. I had to take classes at the
extreme hours, starting at 8am and
ending at 6pm.
The physical changes
The only difference was that,
with another living being growing
inside of me, I would be drained
of my strengths by the time I was
home. Rather than staying home
complaining about the soreness
and the bits of physical changes
I was going through, I preferred
going to work. It helped me stay
active and happy.
I kind of took pride while
walking on my way to work and
back home daily, even though
people would strangely stare at
my swollen belly. I continued
working up till four days before
my child was born and went for
maternity leave then. A maternity
leave of just four months is simply
not enough. Breast-feeding was a
new challenge. My body was still
healing from the caesarean surgery
and the cold stabbing pain was still
apparent.
Separation anxiety
To top that off, the mental stress
of staying away from my little one
is unbearable. The anxiety that
stemmed from the separation tore
me apart, and it took a couple of
weeks to adapt.
I knew that I would be missing
out on the many milestones that
my child was going to reach, and

14
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Kids
colour it

Kids
15
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
BOOK REVIEW
Tree gifts
Published on: October 7, 1964
Writer and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Genre: Picture book
Publisher: Harper
Nominated for: Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite Book
MOVIE REVIEW
If you are planning on reading something fun, get yourself the
classic book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
What is the book about?
The story revolves around a female apple tree and a boy, who can talk to the tree. In his childhood,
the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing it’s trunk and eating her apples.
However, as the boy grows older, he spends less time with the tree and tends to visit her only
when he wants something from the tree during the various stages of his life. Everytime he asks for
something, the tree has to sacrifice a part of herself. In doing so, all that is left of the tree is a stub and
the boy realises something important.
The book is wonderful to read. Try it.•
TRIVIA
Food facts
• Haggis is a very tasty and
filling Scottish dish.
• It is basically a sausage
made with the heart,
liver, and lungs of a
sheep, mixed with spices,
oatmeal, salt, and stock.
• The dish is usually
served with turnips and
potatoes.
• Being the national dish of
Scotland, kids and adults
all around the country
are always up for a plate
of haggis. •
A scrappy family
Release date: September 26,
2014
Directors: Graham Annable,
Anthony Stacchi
Featured song: The Boxtrolls
Song
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Based on the children’s novel
Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow,
The Boxtrolls is an adventurous
and adorable movie. The
Boxtrolls are a group of weird,
ill-behaved underground
trash collectors. They find an
orphaned boy called Eggs,
and lovingly raise him as their
own. The Boxtrolls have an
enormous house under the
streets of Cheesebridge, where
they raise Eggs.
The story revolves around
how Eggs tries to save his
friends from Archibald
Snatcher, who is an evil pest
killer and the villain in the
story. When Snatcher comes
up with an evil plot to get rid of
the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to
go above the ground and “into
the light,” where he meets
Winnie, an amazing and wholehearted
girl. They team up and
make a brave plan to save the
Boxtrolls family.
Watch the movie to find out
what happens in the end! •
FUN SCIENCE
Hold it!
It’s always better to have your pens,
scales, and pencils organised. You can
start by making your own custom penholder
easily using the following steps.
You will need:
• Craft sticks or ice-cream sticks
• Glue
• Coloured paper
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Paint brush
• Tube shaped cardboard container (a
can of Pringles should be perfect)
• Rubber bands
Instructions:
Cut down the container so that it’s about
the same height as the craft sticks. Try
to fit the paper around the container,
and cut off the excess. Use the glue to
attach the paper to the container, and
let it dry.
Apply glue on one side of the
craft sticks and paste them over the
container. Make sure that you cover the
whole container with sticks.
Wrap the rubber bands around the
container so the craft sticks dry in place.
Once the sticks are dry, remove the
rubber bands. You can tie a decorative
ribbon around the container to make it
look better. •

16
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
CODE-CRACKER
ACROSS
1 Otherwise (4)
3 Insects (4)
7 Period of time (3)
8 Contaminate (5)
11 Harvest (4)
12 Letting contract (5)
13 Summit (5)
15 Agreement (4)
18 Direction (4)
19 Wanderer (5)
20 Unbound (5)
21 Conceal (4)
23 Looks after (5)
24 United (3)
25 Refuse (4)
26 Camera part (4)
DOWN
1 Tempt (6)
2 Shows amusement (5)
4 Born (3)
5 Hypnotic state (6)
6 Plant juice (3)
9 Settle cosily (6)
10 Make lace (3)
11 Rest (6)
14 Plunder (6)
16 Exact satisfaction
for (6)
17 Gives credit to (6)
19 Decay (3)
21 Brick-carrying trough
(3)
22 Lair (3)
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 21 represents B so fill B
every time the figure 21 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
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
DILBERT
SUDOKU

What’s on
17
SATURDAY, MAY 27 , 2017
DT
EVENTS AROUND TOWN TODAY
WORKSHOP
MOVIE
EXHIBITION
STAR CINEPLEX
Where Bashundhara City, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (May 27)
TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAM
When 9:30am-5:30pm
Where Bdjobs Training, Bdbl Building (19th Floor), 12 Karwan
Bazar, Dhaka
What A program that is designed to equip and facilitate the
emerging and aspiring trainers of Bangladesh
FESTIVAL
Baywatch (2D): 11:20am, 2pm,
4:40pm, 7:30pm
Pirates of the Caribbean 5 (3D):
10:50am, 1:30pm, 1:40pm, 4:10pm,
4:30pm, 7pm, 7:20pm
Fast & Furious 8 (3D): 10:50am,
1:40pm, 4:30pm, 7:20pm
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (3D):
10:50am, 4:20pm, 7:10pm
Bhubon Majhi (2D): 11:10am,
1:50pm
Alien: Covenant (2D): 11am,
4:15pm, 6:50pm
BLOCKBUSTER CINEMAS
Where Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka
What Movie showtime (May 27)
URBAN RUMINATIONS
When 10am-8pm
Where Edge Gallery, Bay’s Edgewater, NE (N) 12, North
Avenue, Dhaka
What An art exhibition by Anisuzzaman
GROUP ART EXHIBITION
When 11am-8pm
Where Galleri Kaya,
House 20, Sector 4,
Uttara, Dhaka
What Galleri Kaya
celebrates its 13th
anniversary by featuring
the works of 32 modern
and contemporary artists
GOLDEN DOORS
When 3-10pm
Where Red Shift Coffee
Lounge, Radius Centre,
5th Floor, Bay’s Galleria ,
57 Gulshan Avenue
What Solo art exhibition
by artist Proshanta
Karmakar Budhha
DIVERSITY OF LIFE AND
MYSTERY OF NATURE
When 3-9pm
Where Alliance Française
de Dhaka, 26, Mirpur Rd,
Dhaka
What A multifarious
exhibition of
contemporary
Bangladeshi art
NAKSHI KATHA FESTIVAL
When 1-4pm
Where Krishibid Institution Of Bangladesh (KIB),
Khamarbari, Dhaka
What The festival aims to showcase Nokshi Katha, an
intricate part of our heritage
Rings (2D): 2:50pm, 5:05pm
Tumi Robe Nirobe (2D): 1pm, 3pm,
5pm, 7pm
Baywatch (2D): 12pm, 2:30pm,
5pm, 7:30pm
Pirates of the Caribbean 5 (2D):
11:30am, 2:15pm, 5pm, 7:30pm
The Shack (2D): 12:10pm, 7:25pm
Power Rangers (2D): 11:40am,
2:05pm, 4:55pm, 7:35pm
Fast and Furious 8 (3D): 2:15pm,
7:45pm
THE EMPIRE OF
DREAM
When 5-8pm
Where Kala
Kendra,
Mohammadpur,
Dhaka
What Solo art
exhibition by
artist Ripon Saha

DT
18
Sports
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
Confident Tigers
begin Champions
Trophy
preparation
• Mazhar Uddin from
Birmingham
The weather in Birmingham is as
bright as Bangladesh’s recent performances
as the Tigers begin their
much-awaited 2017 Champions Trophy
mission as the world’s No 6 side.
Bangladesh will take on Pakistan
in the first of two warm-ups today.
Ahead of the game, Mashrafe bin
Mortaza and his troop spent time
at the nets at Edgbaston Cricket
Ground in Birmingham. The cricketers
walked around the beautiful
Midlands venue and started their
training session after light warm-up.
The cricketers were divided into
two groups with one group spending
time at the indoors while the
others were busy at the outer nets
of the Edgbaston stadium.
The scenario has changed drastically
when it comes to the body
language of the Bangladesh players
heading into the eight-team Champions
Trophy after almost a decade.
The Tigers’ tails are firmly up after
the win against New Zealand in
the tri-nation series and no doubt
they will be all fired up for the Pakistan
clash.
The Bangladesh team management
might look to finalise their
playing XI only after the two practice
matches against Pakistan and
India, scheduled for Tuesday.
The likes of Soumya Sarkar,
Tamim Iqbal, Sabbir Rahman,
Shakib al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim
and Mahmudullah will play key
roles with the bat while Mashrafe,
pace bowling sensation Mustafizur
Rahman and pacer Rubel Hossain
are likely to look after the fast
bowling department.
Although Pakistan and India are
in a different group in the eighth edition
of the Champions Trophy, the
two warm-up matches will be crucial
in the context of the tournament
as far as preparation is concerned.
Bangladesh have already acclimatised
well with the early English
summer, which is pretty good and
sunny at the moment and expected
to suit the Tigers’ style of cricket.
Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed
has rated the Bangladesh team
highly and informed that the Tigers
are now a force to be reckoned
with. He also said the practice
match will be vital for them before
moving into the tournament.
The pitch is expected to be batting
friendly and even though there
will be some initial seam movement
for the fast bowlers, overall there
are great chances of a high-scoring
game, which probably both the
teams will be looking forward to. •
Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah bats at the nets in Birmingham yesterday
Mashrafe: Anything can happen
• Mazhar Uddin from
Birmingham
When Bangladesh captain
Mashrafe bin Mortaza was walking
out after attending the press conference
yesterday, the photographers
asked for his picture with the
trophy.
The Tigers skipper politely went
back to the podium, held the trophy
and said, “This should be done
on the 18th of June, after the final,
as it doesn’t suit in my hands at the
moment,” Mashrafe replied to the
photographers light-heartedly.
The words may sound like fun
but there was a deep meaning to
his words.
With that said, during the official
presser, the 33-year old rather
tried to kept his feet firmly on the
ground, despite Bangladesh entering
the 2017 Champions Trophy as
the world’s No 6 side, when he was
asked to rate their chances in the
eighth edition of the eight-team
tournament.
“Obviously, it’s pleasing that we
have moved from nine to six (in
the ranking). And we want to move
forward from here. We want to play
this tournament confidently as no
one expected us to play this tournament.
But I think we are a well
deserved side here. We will be seen
as the underdog but we need to be
clear in that we have our own expectations.
We want to play better
cricket and according to our plans,”
Mashrafe told the media at Edgbaston
Cricket Ground.
“As I said, we are in a tough
group but you never know. Anything
can happen. Even the other
three teams in the group are not
sure that they are going to win the
tittle. As everyone is looking us as
the underdog, I think everyone
As I said, we are in a tough group but you never
know. Anything can happen. Even the other
three teams in the group are not sure that
they are going to win the tittle. As everyone is
looking us as the underdog, I think everyone
knows if they lose against Bangladesh, it’s
going to be a big loss for them
COURTESY
knows if they lose against Bangladesh,
it’s going to be a big loss for
them. And apart from us, those
who will be playing for the championship
can’t say anything as to
what will happen in this group.
Obviously, Bangladesh will play for
the title,” he said.
Bangladesh are in Group A alongside
host England and trans-Tasman
rivals Australia and New Zealand.
The Tigers will take on Pakistan in
the first warm-up match today.
And according to Mashrafe, they
want to take the positives from the
recent win against New Zealand in
the tri-nation series. However, he
said it will be challenging task for
his side.
When asked whether this team
are the best Bangladesh side of all
time, the Narail Express gave credit
to the cricketers who have helped
the Tigers achieve so much success
recently.
“When you get results, it’s easier
to say such things but I personally
think all the players who played for
Bangladesh are equally involved in
the successes. And I would like to
thank the 15-17 players who played
in the last three years. Even those
who are not in the dressing room at
the moment. At times, those who
have played earlier have tried the
same to win matches for Bangladesh.
May be that didn’t happen
but nevertheless, I still think they
all deserved to win,” he said. •

Jayawardene named
Khulna Titans head coach
• Tribune Report
Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene during his stint as Mumbai Indians coach
‘BPL is an exciting tournament for Bangladesh,
as well the region as a whole, and I am
excited to be partnering with one of the most
respected and forward-thinking franchises,
Khulna Titans, in the league,’ said Jayawardene
Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela
Jayawardene has been appointed
head coach of the BPL T20 franchise
Khulna Titans for the next
two seasons of the tournament.
Jayawardene has played the 2016
season of the BPL for Dhaka Dynamites.
Following his retirement
from international cricket in 2015,
the Sri Lanka cricketer featured in
T20 leagues around the globe.
There have been occasions when
a team hired him both as a mentor
and a player. This will be the Lankan
legend’s second stint as a coach
following his grand success with IPL
franchise Mumbai Indians. Mumbai
clinched their third IPL title defeating
Rising Pune Supergiant in the finale
of the 10th edition of the tournament
earlier this month.
“We are excited to have Mahela
Jayawardene join the Titans as
head coach for next two editions
of BPL. He has always been a great
leader on the field and has won
big tournaments for Sri Lanka. We
were thrilled to see him win the IPL
recently as the coach of the Mumbai
Indians. I am sure all of us Titans
will learn a lot from him and
the tournament will be enriched by
his presence” said Titans Managing
Director Kazi Inam Ahmed.
Jayawardene will replace former
Australia cricketer Stuart Law,
who has taken the job as the head
coach of the West Indies and will
not be available for Titans in the
season 2017-18. The fifth edition
of the money-spinning Bangladesh
domestic T20 tournament is set to
start from November 4 this year.
“I enjoyed playing in the BPL
last year and that has given me a
great insight into what will be required
to be successful in the 2017
tournament,” said Jayawardene.
“BPL is an exciting tournament
Sports 19
for Bangladesh, as well the region
as a whole, and I am excited to be
partnering with one of the most
respected and forward-thinking
franchises, Khulna Titans, in the
league,” he added.
Led by all-rounder Mahmudullah,
the Titans in their maiden
appearance in BPL last year had
reached the second stage of the
tournament finishing second in the
league phase with 14 points. They
eventually finished third following
the playoffs. •
DT
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
Tamim, Sabbir, Kayes
sold in Afghan T20
league players auction
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh cricketers Tamim
Iqbal, Sabbir Rahman and Imrul
Kayes were purchased in the Afghanistan
T20 league – Shpageeza
Cricket League – players auction on
Thursday.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board is
all geared up to host their IPL-style
T20 league called Shpageeza Cricket
League. The auction for the league
was conducted comprising international
cricketers from Bangladesh,
New Zealand, Pakistan and Zimbabwe,
reports crictracker.com.
“We have already received great
response from the cricketers. This
is the first time that so many international
cricketers will be playing
in this franchise-based league,”
ACB CEO Shafiq Stanikzai said from
Kabul.
The tournament will witness six
franchises which are all owned by
Afghani industrialists. The cricketing
board has already obtained
the go-ahead from the West Indies,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong,
Canada and the UAE for the league.
Although the Afghan team’s
home ground is in Greater Noida,
the league will be held in Afghanistan
with the aim of popularising
the game in the country and also
to make people realise that it is entirely
harmless for the international
sides to compete in the country.
In the auction, Bangladesh batsman
Sabbir got sold for a sum of
7,00,000 AFN to GP Kabul Eagles
while opening batsman Imrul went
for a sum of 7,00,000 AFN to Arif
Azeem BoostDefenders.
On the other hand, fellow Bangladesh
opener Tamim was recruited
for a huge sum of 2.1 million AFN
to Muslimyar Speeneghar Tigers.
West Indies all-rounder Rayad Emrit
was purchased for a similar sum
to that of Sabbir and Kayes.
Afghan cricketer Nasir Jamal
was bought for a sum of 4,40,000
to the Wazirzai Mess Ainak Knights
while Noorulhaq was roped in for
a huge sum of 1 million AFN to
Almasafi Amo Sharks. Younus Ahmadzai,
on the other hand, was
sold for 15,50,000 AFN to Muslimyar
Speenghar Tigers. •
Player Price Team
Tamim Iqbal 2.1 million AFN Muslimyar Speeneghar Tigers
Imrul Kayes 7,00,000 AFN Arif Azeem BoostDefenders
Sabbir Rahman 7,00,000 AFN GP Kabul Eagles
MUSHFIQ COMPLETES 12 YEARS IN INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
‘We never, ever play badly deliberately’
Exactly 12 years ago on May 26, a young 17-year old boy was playing for
Bangladesh U-19 in Australia when he received a call-up to the national team.
The cricketer in question is none other than Mushfiqur Rahim and since
his international debut for Bangladesh, there has been no looking back for
the wicketkeeper-batsman from Bogra. And ahead of the eight-team 2017
Champions Trophy, Mushfiq spoke to Mazhar Uddin of Dhaka Tribune in an
exclusive interview at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham, England where
he talked about his journey so far with the national team.
Mushfiqur Rahim is mobbed by Bangladesh fans at Edgbaston in Birmingham,
England yesterday
COURTESY
Here are the excerpts:
It has been exactly 12 years since
you made your Test debut against
England at Lord’s. How do you
feel?
It feels amazing and fascinating
when I look back and see that I
have completed 12 years in international
cricket for Bangladesh. I was
just a kid at the time when I made
my debut. But who wouldn’t have
asked for a debut at Lord’s? Bangladesh
cricket has come a long way.
Being the captain of the Test team,
it’s the biggest honour for me.
How do you rate your career in
these 12 years?
Look, as I have previously said, I
have only played 54 Test matches
during this period, which is not
enough for a cricketer. But still, I
think there are a lot of positives.
My double hundred against Sri
Lanka and the victory in the 100th
Test are some of the most special
moments in my career.
You have also faced lots of
criticism during this time...
Look every cricketer goes through
some good and bad phases in his
career. So did I. But one thing I
should tell you is that we, the players
who play for the Bangladesh
team, try to give our best whenever
we wear the jersey and walk out
into the field. I don’t mind people
criticising me when I don’t play
well. But we never, ever play badly
deliberately. I have seen so many
things during this time, which actually
made me a better person,
and also a better cricketer. In Sha
Allah, I hope I will learn day by day.
Where do you want to see yourself
when you finish your career?
I haven’t set any specific targets
but as I said previously, I want to
see my average around 40-50 in
Tests when I finish my career. At
the same time, being the captain
of the Test side, I want Bangladesh
to become a competitive team as
we are now in ODIs both home and
away. •

20
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Sports
Abahani’s Nabib Newaj Jibon shoots during their Federation Cup quarter-final against Brothers at Bangabandhu National
Stadium yesterday
MD MANIK
Conte offers support for Wenger ahead of final showdown
• Reuters, London
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
offered his backing to Arsenal
counterpart Arsene Wenger yesterday,
even if he hopes to pile on the
misery for the Frenchman in the FA
Cup final.
Wenger’s Arsenal side could salvage
something from a season in
which they failed to finish in the
Premier League’s top four for the
first time since he took charge in
1996 if they deny league champion
Chelsea the double at Wembley.
But if they fail, Conte believes
Arsenal would be wrong to part
company with Wenger, who is
looking to win the FA Cup for the
seventh time with the Gunners.
“I know very well Arsene
Wenger has done well in the FA
Cup and won many trophies,” Conte,
who could emulate fellow Italian
Carlo Ancelotti’s 2010 feat of
winning both the Premier League
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen blocks a ball during a training session in
Barcelona yesterday
REUTERS
and FA Cup for Chelsea, told a news
conference.
“I have never won this trophy
and [today] is a good possibility
for me and my team to win the trophy,”
he said.
“But I don’t think [today] will
be the last game for Arsene. He deserves
to be working for Arsenal.
He has done a fantastic job. Only
this season they haven’t qualified
in the Champions League.
“Sometimes in England I think
you under-value the achievement
of qualifying for the Champions
League. It is a good target.”
Arsenal won their last five Premier
League games but finished
outside the Champions League
spots despite reaching 75 points
- the highest total ever for a team
finishing fifth.
Wenger, targeted by some fans
who believe it is time for the club to
say farewell to the 67-year-old, has
so far refused to disclose whether
he will sign a new contract.
But Conte was fulsome in his
praise for his counterpart.
“When you stay for a long time
for sure he is a good manager. We
must consider him to be one of the
best managers in history,” Conte
said.
Despite Conte’s respect for
Wenger, there will be no let-up
from the Italian, who wants his
side to complete a remarkable season.
•
Cup final last chance to salvage
Barcelona’s season
• AFP, Madrid
Only victory in today’s Copa del
Rey final against Alaves will salvage
some pride from Barcelona’s
season and give coach Luis Enrique
a successful send-off, whilst the
Basques dream of lifting the trophy
for a first time.
On a night of goodbyes as Atletico
Madrid’s Vicente Calderon hosts
its final competitive fixture, Enrique
will take charge of Barca for
2017 WALTON FEDERATION CUP
Jibon inspires
Abahani to semis
• Shishir Hoque
Holder Dhaka Abahani Limited advanced
to the semi-finals of the 2017
Walton Federation Cup after beating
Brothers Union comfortably 2-1 in
the third quarter-final at Bangabandhu
National Stadium yesterday.
The five-time professional league
winner, also the current top-flight
champion, will face neighbour
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in
the second semi-final on Saturday.
Young local striker Nabib Newaj
Jibon put Abahani ahead in the first
half while Rubel Miah doubled the
lead in the second half. Siyo Zunapio’s
last-gasp goal only proved to be a
consolation for the Gopibagh outfit.
The victory, as well as the
semi-final berth, gave the Sky Blues
a big boost ahead of their sixth and
last match of the 2017 AFC Cup
group stage, scheduled to be held
on Wednesday. They will host Kolkata
giant Mohun Bagan in Dhaka.
Like the previous match, Abahani
started with Ghanaian veteran
defender Samad Yussif in the
starting XI, leaving Nigerian striker
Emeka Darlington on the bench.
They dominated the game from the
very beginning.
the last time.
A win would complete a clean
sweep of the Copa in his three seasons
in charge.
However, in contrast to the previous
two years when Cup success
was the icing on a successful season
having won the treble in 2015
and a league and Cup double last
season, Barca this time head into
the end-of-season showpiece without
a major trophy.
“Although it can be called the
Jibon squandered a golden opportunity
in the 20th minute when
the national striker failed to control
a Rubel cross from the right flank.
However, he sent the ball wide
from the six-yard box.
In the 33rd minute, Nasir Uddin
Chowdhury tried his luck with a
powerful strike from the edge of
the box but it flew over the crossbar.
Jibon rectified his early mistake
with a brilliant goal in the
43rd minute. Sohel Rana provided
a lovely ball from the left flank as
Jibon outwitted his markers inside
the box with a quick move before
tapping home into the near post
with a cool finish.
It was Jibon again who provided
inspiration in the 55th minute
when he headed the ball over the
bar from only four yards away following
a headed pass from Nasir on
a Emon Babu corner.
The Sky Blues extended their
lead in the 79th minute through
Rubel.
Siyo pulled one back moments
before the final whistle when the
Congolese forward’s curved freekick
from just outside the box entered
home into the right side. •
lesser of all the trophies, for us another
trophy is at stake,” said Barca
captain Andres Iniesta.
“It will allow us to end the season
on a high.”
Enrique faces a selection headache
with both Luis Suarez and
Sergi Roberto suspended after
being sent-off in a tempestuous
semi-final win over Atletico back in
February.
Paco Alcacer is expected to be
handed a rare big game start. •

Sports
21
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Kvitova included
in French Open
• Reuters, Paris
Czech player Petra Kvitova was included
in the draw for the French
Open yesterday after recovering
from being stabbed during a burglary
at her home last December.
Kvitova, who said this week
she was set to play at Wimbledon
where she has twice won the title,
has not played competitively since
the attack, which left her with serious
injuries to her left playing
hand.
The 27-year-old will be seeded
15th thanks to her protected ranking
and will start off with a firstround
against U.S. player Julia Boserup.
Kvitova required four hours of
surgery in December after protecting
herself from a man wielding a
knife who had gained access to her
apartment block by posing as a utilities
worker.
She sustained injuries to tendons
in all four fingers and the
thumb on her left hand. •
Back at full power, Nadal closing in on La Decima
• Reuters
The video of Dominic Thiem’s surprise
win over Rafael Nadal last
week in Rome will be in high demand
for those harbouring hopes
of stopping the Spaniard’s march
towards a 10th French Open crown
next week.
It will be about their only crumb
of comfort because the 30-yearold,
apart from that blip at the Foro
Italico, has looked back to his invincible
best on the red dust as he
seeks to regain the crown he lost
two years ago.
Watching Nadal rack up 17 consecutive
victories during which he
swept through Monte Carlo, Barcelona
and Madrid was like turning
the clock back a decade when to
challenge him on a claycourt was
an act of folly.
Until he faced the stylish young
Austrian Thiem, whom he had
dispatched with ease the week before
in the Madrid final, Nadal had
dropped only two sets during the
European claycourt swing.
Rafael Nadal of Spain practises at Roland Garros yesterday
In Madrid he trounced Nick
Kyrgios, David Goffin and French
Open champion Novak Djokovic on
his way to a record-extending 52nd
title on his favoured clay.
No wonder it is hard to find anyone
not backing him to claim “La
Decima” in Paris.
REUTERS
“I think the only player you can
really believe will win the French
Open is Rafa,” Henri Leconte, the
last Frenchman to reach the final
in 1988, told Reuters by telephone.
“I was with Boris Becker in Monte
Carlo watching him beat David
Goffin and it was amazing. Nobody
could withstand the way he was
playing. And I don’t think we need
to consider the Rome defeat because
he needed to relax a little for
the French.”
Nadal withdrew in the third
round at last year’s French Open
with a wrist injury and in 2015,
with his confidence at a low ebb, he
was overwhelmed by Djokovic in
the quarter-finals.
His days of domination looked
over, but Nadal ended last season
early to fully recover from his wrist
injury and since returning in January
he looks a man reborn.
John McEnroe, commentating
for Eurosport in Paris, said it was
also hard to look past Nadal for the
title.
“It’s hard to say if he’s all the
way back, he looks tremendous,”
the American said. “It’s pretty darn
close to his best. If he’s healthy and
it sounds like he is, it’s the toughest
thing to do in tennis to beat him on
clay.”
Nadal has a Tour-leading 36
match wins this season. •
Probe committee formed to
investigate fixing allegation
• Tribune Report
A three-member probe committee
has finally been formed by Dhaka
Metropolitan Football League
Committee to investigate allegations
of fixing in the Senior Division
Football League. The game in
question was between Dhaka United
Club and Friends Social Welfare
Organisation.
A meeting of the Dhaka Metropolis
Football League Committee,
presided by its chairman Harunur
Rashid, was held on Thursday
where the decision to form the
DAY’S WATCH
FOOTBALL
TEN 1
11:00PM
The Emirates FA Cup
Final: Arsenal v Chelsea
TEN 2
12:00PM
German Cup 2016/17
Final: Eintracht Frankfurt v Dortmund
TEN 3
9:30PM
Italian Serie A
Atalanta v Chievo Verona
NEO PRIME
1:00AM
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Final: Angers v Paris SG
CRICKET
STAR SPORTS 1
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2nd ODI
probe committee was taken. The
probe committee, headed by National
Sports Council director Deel
Mohammad, has been given one
week to submit its report.
Earlier, Badda Jagarani Sangsad
made a complaint to the respective
league committee pointing out
that Dhaka United intentionally
underperformed against Friends
Social Welfare Organisation
in order for the latter to avoid
relegation. Later, Badda finished
bottom of the league and were
relegated to the Second Division
League. •
Dortmund eye
German Cup
• AFP, Berlin
Hot-shot striker Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang bids to lift his first title
with Borussia Dortmund today
amidst growing speculation the
German Cup final will be his last
appearance for the club.
Dortmund face Eintracht Frankfurt
at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium at
2000 local time (1800 GMT) with
Borussia bidding to end their run of
three straight defeats in Germany’s
showcase final.
But this could be the last appearance
for both Aubameyang
and head coach Thomas Tuchel. •
Man City release quartet as
summer clear-out begins
• Reuters
Manchester City will not extend
the contracts of defenders Gael Clichy
and Bacary Sagna, midfielder
Jesus Navas and goalkeeper Willy
Caballero as the quartet will leave
the club during the summer, the
Premier League side announced on
Thursday.
Caballero, Navas and Sagna
made 16 or fewer league starts for
City in the season that finished on
Sunday, while the 31-year-old Clichy
started 24 games.
“I have enjoyed every moment
Rooney close to decision on future
• AFP, Stockholm
England and Manchester United’s
record goalscorer Wayne Rooney
says he is just weeks away from
revealing where he will be playing
next season.
The 31-year-old’s future at the
club, where he has spent the past
13 years, and his country, is the
subject of intense debate which intensified
on Thursday when he was
left out of the national squad.
“I’ve got decisions to make now
over the next few weeks, have a
word with my family, and then I’ll
decide,” Rooney said after United
ensured Champions League football
next season with a 2-0 win
over Dutch side Ajax in the Europa
League final on Wednesday.
“I think I just have to make a
decision in terms of a football decision,
and that’s what I’ll do.
“I’ll do that the next few weeks
with my family while I’m away
and, honestly, as soon as I know
what’s going on then, I’m sure you
(will know).”
Rooney, who says he has no
end of offers both in England and
abroad with China often being
mooted as a possible destination,
says ultimately the decision could
come down to whether he is satisfied
with a bit part role at United or
having regular first team football.
“I think a younger me would
have been a lot more frustrated,”
said Rooney of his limited playing
time under Jose Mourinho at United.
“I think I understand what’s
right and what’s needed for the
club, and I respect that.
“Obviously happy to be part of
that and in some way help the club
win trophies, and that’s the way it’s
been over the last 18 months, last
year, and that’s a decision I have to
make now, whether I want to continue
doing that or go on and play
more regular football.”
Earlier Thursday, Rooney’s international
career looked over after
he was left out of the squad for
next month’s World Cup qualifier
against Scotland and a friendly in
France. Rooney was also omitted
from Gareth Southgate’s England
squad announced in March, although
he was carrying a knee injury
at the time.
He had hoped to end his international
career by captaining England
at next year’s World Cup in Russia. •
of my City career and will look
back on my time at City fondly,” the
34-year-old Sagna told the club’s
official website (www.mancity.
com)
“From the first day I arrived,
everyone at the club has made me
feel welcome and I will always be
grateful to them,” the 35-year-old
Caballero said.
Navas, 31, saw his playing opportunities
diminish in his fourth
season at the club as fellow Spaniard
Pep Guardiola led the side to a
third-place finish in his debut campaign.
•

22
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Showtime
Razzak conferred with a lifetime
achievement award in Kolkata
• Showtime Desk
Legendary Bangladeshi actor and
film director, Abdur Razzak, more
commonly referred to as Nayak Raj
Razzak, has been conferred with a
lifetime achievement award by the
Tele Cine Awards in Kolkata, while
the King Khan of Dhallywood,
Shakib Khan will be awarded as
the best actor of the year.
The actor will be recognised
with a lifetime achievement
award for his contribution in
films, in both the countries, and
Shakib Khan will be receiving the
best actor award for his brilliant
performance in Shikari, confirmed
the organisers.
Moreover, another lifetime
achievement award will be given
to legendary Tollywood actor
Ranjan Mallik for his unparalleled
contribution to Kolkata films.
Bangladeshi singers Ayub
Bachchu, Habib Wahid, and
Kona will be awarded for their
contribution in the field.
Actress Nusrat Faria will also
be recognised at the event for her
popularity in both the industries of
Bangladesh and India.
The Tele Cine Award will be
handed over to it’s recipients on
June 4, in Kolkata.
Starting its journey back in
2000, the Tele Cine Awards was
founded by Mrinmoy Kanjilal,
the general secretary of the Tele
Cine Awards and secretary of The
Tele Cine Society, a non-profitable
organisation registered under the
Society Act by the Government of
West Bengal.
The Tele Cine Society has
organised 16 award shows since
its inception and has recognised
a number of Bangladeshi artists,
musicians, and directors for their
contribution in their respective
fields including the likes of Jaya
Ahsan, Masud Pathik, director
of Nekabborer Mahaprayan, and
singer Shahriar Rafat. •
Sachin’s
inspirational tale
• Showtime Desk
Sachin’s biopic, Sachin: A Billion
Dreams was released yesterday May
26. The Master blaster organised a
special premiere of the film which
was attended by Indian cricketers
earlier last week, before they
departed for England to play in the
upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
This story revolves around
the fantastic journey of Sachin
Tendulkar from the time when he
was a mischievous kid, up until
his final moments on the pitch
when he bid farewell to cricket
leaving millions in tears. His
childhood has been shown in a
dramatic representation, where
actors portray a young Sachin, as
well as his family members and
coach, Ramakant Achrekar. The
rest of the movie is told through a
series of snippets and real footage,
narrated by none other than the
God of Cricket, Sachin himself.
Former Indian batsman,
Virender Sehwag was excited after
watching the film and urged his
fans to watch it as well. He posted
a video on his twitter account
saying, “I have seen Sachin
Tendulkar’s batting for free from
the non-striker’s end and even
while sitting in the dressing room.
But now it is time to spend some
money and watch his movie. I will
definitely go and watch his movie
and will spend some money. I even
expect that you (fans) all will also
go and watch his movie because
the kind of inspiration that the
kids can get from his movie, they
can’t get it from anywhere else.”
Sachin: A Billion Dreams
is directed by James Erskine,
with a screenplay that has been
devised by Sivakumar Ananth and
accompanied with music by A R
Rahman. •
Critics slam Baywatch
• Showtime Desk
Popular Indian actor, Priyanka
Chopra’s Hollywood debut
Baywatch is being mercilessly
slammed with negative reviews
from critics. The film reboot
of the popular 90’s TV show of
the same name, was released in
Miami on May 13, and it is being
thrashed for its immature content
and bad acting since then.
With 42 reviews in, Baywatch
currently has a 19% “rotten”
rating on Rotten Tomatoes’
tomatometer, making it one of
the least rated film at the US box
office right now.
“It all feels woefully juvenile,
and many of the jokes strain
harder than Hasselhoff sucking
in his gut back in Season 9,” said
Reed Tucker of New York Post.
“The script spends much of its
time developing the banterdriven
relationship between
the male leads, leaving the
unfortunate female members
of Team Baywatch little to
differentiate themselves from
one another beyond their cup
size and hair colour,” Tucker
added.
The Guardian’s Steve Rose
found that Priyanka Chopra was
used only to show off her skin.
“Even Bollywood star Priyanka
Chopra, the underused villain
of the piece, looks like she was
contractually obliged to show as
much flesh as permissible,” he
said on her role in the film.
However, the 2017 American
action-comedy film is directed
by Seth Gordon and stars the
likes of Dwayne Johnson, Zac
Efron, Alexandra Daddario,
Priyanka Chpora, Kelly Rohrbach,
Jon Bass, and Ilfenesh Hadera.
Priyanka plays the role of the
villain Victoria Leeds in the film.
Baywatch is slated to hit
Indian theatres on June 2.•

Showtime
23
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
Shakib Khan’s
new avatar
Mistaken
identities
• Showtime Desk
Bollywood divas, Alia Bhatt
and Shraddha Kapoor seem
to have already become
the headliners of the latest
generation of heroines in the
industry and are undoubtedly
competition for each other.
Imagine how would one of
them feel if someone messed
up with their identity and
praised the other for the
former’s work.
It might sound
crazy but that
is exactly
what
happened
with
Alia Bhatt
recently. It all
started when
Alia appeared
on Karan Johar’s
Facebook LIVE, during
which she revealed that
she was once mistaken
for Shraddha Kapoor by a
random fan who came up
to her, and told her that
she was very good in Half
Girlfriend. Even when Alia
confessed that it wasn’t her
in Half Girlfriend, the fan
didn’t buy it and kept on
praising her before leaving.
In a world where
actors and actresses
are embarrassed about
mistaken identities, Alia
went on to reveal the incident
unflinchingly. She seemed
to be quite the sport and
squashed all rumours of any
sort of rivalry.
Interestingly, this is not the
first time an actor has been
mistaken for somebody
else. In the past, Ranveer
Singh revealed that
many fans would
mistake him for Ranbir
Kapoor. And the best
part is, he is even
nicer to Ranbir’s
fans! Gone are
those days when
celebrities would
try to cover up
these mistakes,
this generation
makes fun of
it. •
WHAT TO WATCH
• Showtime Desk
Over the years, Shakib Khan has
rose to become the King Khan of
the local industry, with no major
change of looks, playing the
quintessential Dhallywood hero.
Getting out of the image of a
stereotypical Dhallywood hero,
Shakib created quite a buzz
with his new look in the joint
production movie Shikari last year.
The actor did not fail to intrigue
his aficionados once again with
his new look in yet another joint
venture film titled Nabab. Shakib
will be seen in an astonishing look
of a real life Nabab in the film.
In a trailer of the film released
on May 25, a fit Shakib is seen
donning a beard, fighting terrorism
while also romancing his lover in
the film, played by Shubhashree.
The trailer has created quite the
buzz among fans and has recorded
more than a hundred thousand
views already.
However, it seems that the
National Film Award winning actor
is trying to get out of the image of
the typical Dhallywood hero and is
doing very well in this regard. With
a tattoo on his shoulder that reads
“Rangbaaz,” the actor nailed a
contemporary look in his previous
film Rangbaaz, which was also an
Indo-Bangla joint venture.
An action thriller by genre,
Nabab is directed by Joydeep
Mukherjee and jointly produced
by Abdul Aziz and Himanshu
Dhanuka under the banner of Jaaz
Multimedia and Eskay Movies. The
film stars Shakib Khan in the lead
role where he plays an intelligence
agent from Bangladesh tasked
with a secret operation in West
Bengal. Subhasree Ganguly plays
the female lead who falls in love
with Khan. •
Looper
7:20 pm, Zee Studio
In 2074, when the mob wants
to get rid of someone, the
target is sent into the past,
where a hired gun awaits –
someone like Joe – who one
day learns the mob wants to
“close the loop” by sending
back Joe’s future self for
assassination.
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul
Dano, Noah Segan
Fast and Furious 6
6:55 pm, Movies Now
Hobbs has Dominic and Brian
reassemble their crew to take
down a team of mercenaries:
Dominic unexpectedly gets
convoluted also facing his
presumed deceased girlfriend,
Letty.
Edward Scissorhands
4:39 pm, Star Movies
A gentle man, with scissors
for hands, is brought into a
new community after living in
isolation.
Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona
Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Alan
Arkin, Anthony Michael Hall
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker,
Dwayne Johnson, Jordana
Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez,
Tyrese Gibson
The Hangover Part II
3:52 pm, WB
Two years after the bachelor
party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu,
Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand
for Stu’s wedding. Stu’s plan
for a subdued pre-wedding
brunch, however, goes
seriously awry.
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach
Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin
Bartha, Ken Jeong

24
SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017
DT
FIRE AT NILKHET
BOOK MARKET › 6
Back Page
JAYAWARDENE NAMED KHULNA
TITANS HEAD COACH › 19
SHAKIB KHAN’S
NEW AVATAR › 23
Gunmen kill 26 in attack on
Christians in Egypt
• AFP, Cairo
WORLD
Masked gunmen attacked a bus
carrying Coptic Christians on a
visit to a monastery south of the
Egyptian capital on Friday, killing
at least 26 people including many
children, officials said.
The assailants in three pick-up
trucks attacked the bus as it carried
visitors to the Saint Samuel monastery
in Minya province, more than
200km from Cairo, before fleeing,
the interior ministry said.
It was the latest attack on Coptic
after Islamic State terrorists
bombed three churches in December
and April, killing dozens of
Christians.
Health ministry spokesman
Khaled Megahed said 26 people were
killed and another 25 wounded.
The latest attack came after
jihadists had threatened more
strikes against the Coptic, who
make up about 10% of Egypt’s
90-million population.
In a statement on its spokesman’s
Facebook page, the Coptic Church
called for “measures to be taken to
prevent the dangers of those incidents
that tarnish Egypt’s image”.
Suicide bombers with the jihadist
group struck a Cairo church on
December 11, next to the seat of the
Coptic pope, killing 29 people.
Security guards stand near the site of an attack that killed at least 26 people in Minya, Egypt on May 26, 2017
On April 11, bombers attacked
two churches north of Cairo on
Palm Sunday, killing 45 people,
in the deadliest strike in living
memory against the Coptic.
The Coptic’s Pope Tawadros II
had been leading a service in one of
the two churches attacked that day.
The bombings prompted
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to
declare a three-month state of
emergency.
The Egyptian affiliate of IS has
also killed several Copts in North
Sinai, forcing dozens of families to
flee the province in January.
REUTERS
Friday’s shooting came after a
historic visit to Egypt by Roman
Catholic Pope Francis to show solidarity
with the country’s Christians.
In his late April trip, Francis
visited one of the bombed Coptic
churches and condemned violence
carried out in the name of God. •
Fresh Taliban
attack on Afghan
base kills at least
15 soldiers
• AFP, Kandahar
WORLD
At least 15 Afghan soldiers were
killed when Taliban fighters attacked
their army base in the
southern province of Kandahar,
the defence ministry said Friday,
in the second such assault on Western-backed
forces this week.
The attack in Shah Wali Kot district
Thursday came just three days
after 10 Afghan soldiers were killed
when Taliban militants stormed
another base in the same area.
The assault, mounted by
hundreds of insurgents, highlights
a growing Taliban offensive in
Kandahar, where security has
relatively improved in recent years
under the leadership of police chief
and regional strongman Gen Abdul
Raziq.
A provincial official who spoke
on the condition of anonymity
gave a higher death toll of 20.
The Taliban claimed responsibility
for the Kandahar attack as their
annual spring offensive intensifies
and the insurgency expands more
than 15 years after they were toppled
from power in a US-led invasion.
The attack marks another setback
for Nato-backed Afghan forces.
It comes just a month after the
Taliban killed at least 135 soldiers in
the northern province of Balkh in
the deadliest insurgent attack on an
Afghan military base since 2001. •
Families of Sylhet rape accused say charges made up
• Mahadi Al Hasnat, Shuprova
Tasneem and Farina Noireet
from Sylhet
CRIME
Families of the men accused of raping a
12-year-old girl in Sylhet are saying the
charges against them are trumped up
and a powerful man is behind the ploy.
British citizen Sarwar Ahmed was
arrested by Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB) on the night of May 21 from his
residence after a case was filed accusing
him of repeatedly raping a 12-yearold
girl.
Sarwar’s wife Tamanna Sultana told
the Dhaka Tribune: “My husband is innocent.
He is being framed with this
false case by former UP member Moshtaq
Ahmed.”
Officer-in-Charge of Beanibazar police
Chandan Kumar Chakravarty told
Dhaka Tribune: “We have asked to take
the accused to a five-day remand but it
is yet to be approved.
“We cannot confirm or deny that
there was a rape and that rape was carried
out by Sarwar until we have proper
medical evidence,” said investigating
officer Mohammad Moklasur Rahman,
adding that the tests were being processed
at the moment.
Tamanna said the victim and her family
were employed in her house in April.
Moshtaq, former chairman of Lakkhiprasad
Purbo Union in Sylhet’s Kanaighat
upazila, denied the allegations,
saying: “I do not know this Sarwar. I am
not involved in any way. Sarwar’s family
is now falsely accusing me to try and
protect him.”
He claimed that he came to the victim’s
aid because the family had no one
to help them.
The victim’s father said Sarwar had
kept his daughter captive in a room for
17 days and repeatedly raped her.
“That too after promising us to help
with the previous rapes that happened
to my daughter,” he said.
The victim was allegedly gangraped
a few days before she arrived
at Sarwar’s house as domestic help by
three locals from her village. The men
accused of this rape are Jamiruddin
and his accomplices Ajiruddin and Mojiruddin.
While the victim and her family
have spoken to media about the alleged
gang rape, they are yet to file a case.
“They took me to an abandoned
house and kept me there for three days
and repeatedly raped me. They would
come twice a day, every day,” said the
victim.
Jamiruddin’s family also denied
all allegations brought by the victim’s
family, saying “the girl was staying at
our house after her elder brother got
embroiled in a murder case, and her
parents fled the village to escape the
repercussions. We looked after her like
she was our own daughter.
“We do not know what happened
but soon after she left with her father,
she made these false claims against my
son,” added Jamiruddin’s mother.
She also alleged that Moshtaq was
close friends with the victim’s elder
brother and was involved in the allegations
brought against her son. •
Our Sylhet Correspondent Mohammed
Serajul Islam contributed to this story
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