18-12-2019

Wednesday
DhAkA: December 18, 2019; Poush 3, 1426 BS;Rabi-us-Sani 20,1441 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; No.314; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
international
Turkey detains
nearly 200 over
Gulen links
>Page 7
art & culture
Siddhant Chaturvedi,
Sharvari to star in
Bunty Aur Babli 2
>Page 8
sport
Du Plessis wants
De Villiers back
>Page 9
Pakistan sentences
Pervez Musharraf to
death in treason case
ISLAMABAD : A Pakistani court on
Tuesday sentenced the country's former
military ruler Gen. Pervez
Musharraf to death in a treason case
related to the state of emergency he
imposed in 2007 while in power, officials
said, reports UNB.
It's the first time in Pakistan's history
that a former army chief and ruler of the
country has been sentenced to death.
Musharraf, who was sentenced in
absentia, has been out of the country
since 2016, when he was allowed to
leave on bail to seek medical treatment
abroad.
He has been living in Dubai, the
United Arab Emirates, and is said to be
very ill and unlikely to travel home to
face the sentence. Pakistan and the
U.A.E. have no extradition treaty and
Emirati authorities are unlikely to
arrest Musharraf. If he were to return,
however, Musharraf would have the
right to challenge his conviction and
sentence in court.
The ruling Tuesday by a three-judge
panel was not unanimous and one of
the judges had opposed the death sentence,
according to Akhtar Sheikh, one
of the lawyers of Musharraf.
After the sentence was announced,
Pakistan's Information Minister
Firdous Ashiq Awan told reporters that
Prime Minister Imran Khan's government
would "review in detail" the verdict
before commenting on it.
In an infamous purge in 2007,
Musharraf imposed a state of emergency
and placed several key judges
under house arrest in the capital,
Islamabad and elsewhere in Pakistan.
He came to power after ousting former
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a 1999
bloodless coup.
Later, when he was back in office,
Sharif first accused Musharraf of treason
in 2013 and the general was formally
charged in 2014.
Musharraf was again hospitalized last
week in Dubai. In a video message he
Former military ruler Gen. Pervez
Musharraf. Photo : Courtesy
released at the time, Musharraf said he
was ready to record his statement about
the treason case through a video link
but that he was unable to travel to
Pakistan.
Sharif himself was ousted in 2017 and
was later convicted of corruption. He left
Pakistan on bail earlier this month to
travel to London for medical treatment.
Sharif's spokesman Ahsan Iqbal
praised Tuesday's ruling, saying
Musharraf deserved the death sentence
because he had ousted an elected government.
"We welcome this court ruling,"
Iqbal said, adding that the judges
had done justice to a former dictator.
ASEM calls for durable
solution to Rohingya crisis
DHAKA : Foreign Ministers of ASEM member countries have called for a "durable solution"
to the Rohingya crisis creating the conditions conducive for "safe, dignified, sustainable
and voluntary" return of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State,
reports UNB.
They also underlined the importance of ensuring accountability in this regard, according
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar
Alam led the Bangladesh delegation at the 14th Foreign Minister's Meeting of Asia
Europe Meeting
(ASEM FMM14)
held in Madrid,
Spain on Monday.
Bangladesh has
emphasized on the
need of decisive
global collective
actions to ensure
"voluntary, safe, dignified
and sustainable"
return of
Rohingyas to their
homeland in
Myanmar.
Bangladesh also
called upon the international community to address the issue of climate change on
immediate basis.
Shahriar flagged the humanitarian position taken by Bangladesh in providing shelter
to the Rohingyas who have fled from their own country after state persecution. He insisted
that the international community needs to put pressure on
Myanmar for ensuring accountability and justice for the atrocities
committed against the Rohingyas in Myanmar, and for creating a
conducive environment in Myanmar for safe, dignified and sustainable
repatriation of Rohingyas. He also shared the achievements
of Bangladesh, particularly in the area of women empowerment.
In his intervention at the
Foreign Ministers' meeting
from Asia and Europe that
was inaugurated by the King
of Spain, State Minister highlighted
the achievements of
Zohr
05:16 AM
11:59 PM
03:39 PM
05:18 PM
06:40 PM
6:35 5:15
Bangladesh in ensuring gender
parity.
He also explained the challenges
faced by Bangladesh as
a climate vulnerable country,
and the initiatives by the
present government under
the leadership of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina to
address this enormous challenge.
SC hands Tk 100cr
to Moon Cinema
Hall owner
DHAKA : The government on Tuesday
handed over a cheque of Tk 100 crore to
MaksudurAlam, the owner of Moon
cinema hall through the Appellate
Division, reports UNB.
A four-member bench of the Appellate
Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed
Mahmud Hossain, also directed
Maksudur to register the land in the
name of Bangladesh Muktijoddah
Kalyan Trust by Wednesday. Barrister
Azmalum Hossain stood for Maksudur
Alam while Attorney General Mahbubey
Alam represented the state.
Moon cinema hall owner Maksudur
Alam, also the executive director of
Italian Marvels Works Ltd, said he
received an account payee cheque of TK
99,21,73,074 crore of Al-Arafah Bank.
In May 2011, the court declared the 5th
Amendment to the constitution unlawful
and asked Muktijoddah Kalyan Trust to
return the property of Moon Cinema
Hall within three months. The SC also
directed the Ministry of Liberation War
Affairs several times to pay Tk 100 croreto
the owner of the hall.
Earlier in 2000, Italian Marble
Works filed a writ petition with the
High Court challenging the Fifth
Amendment to the Constitution.
On August 29, 2005 the HC declared
Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of
Bangladesh illegal, which legitimised
the governments that were in power
from the time of the August 15, 1975,
coup through April 9, 1979.
The then government announced a
decree in 1977 that blocked challenges
against the government's decisions to
declare the property abandoned.
Moon Cinema Hall owner filed a contempt
of court petition with the apex
court on January 10, 2012 against the
authorities concerned of the government
and MuktijodhhaKalyan Trust for
not executing its order.
UN for bringing
Global Compact to
life for safe, orderly
migration
DHAKA : UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres has urged leaders
and people everywhere to bring the
Global Compact to life, so that migration
works for all, reports UNB.
"All migrants are entitled to equal
protection of all their human rights," he
said in a message marking the
International Migrants Day that falls on
December 18.
The UN chief said migrants are integral
members of society, contributing to
mutual understanding and sustainable
development in communities of both
origin and destination.
"Safe, orderly and regular migration
is in the interest of all. And national priorities
on migration are best achieved
through international cooperation,"
said Guterres.
He said these principles are
enshrined in the Global Compact for
Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
"Yet, we often hear narratives around
migrants that are harmful and false."
The UN chief said they often witness
migrants facing unspeakable hardship
as a result of policies shaped more by
fear than by fact.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich
tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at
the National Mausoleum at Savar at dawn. Photo : Courtesy
UK makes visa process more
modern, efficient
DHAKA : UK Visas and
Immigration made the UK visa
process for Bangladeshis safer,
more modern and efficient by
introducing the option to use card
and online transactions to pay for
a UK visa application effective
from Tuesday, reports UNB.
This change improves the previous
model where cash was the only
way to pay for a UK visa application,
giving customers greater
choice during this process, sais the
British High Commission in
Dhaka.
Last year, almost 25,000
Bangladeshis were successfully
granted a UK visa across all categories
- a 26 percent increase on
the previous year.
In addition, almost 85 percent of
Bangladeshi customers receive a
decision in 15 working days or less.
As more and more Bangladeshis
choose the UK as a place to visit
and study, this announcement can
give them extra confidence that
the UK system is modernising,
efficient and secure, said the High
Commission.
British High Commissioner to
Bangladesh Robert Chatterton-
Dickson said the UK government
knows how much interest the UK
visa system can generate in
Bangladesh, and that is why they
want to be sure that system is as
efficient as possible.
"This announcement is a key
part of that goal. By adding modern,
digital payment methods to
our visa service, we can give customers
choice in how to pay and
confidence to our customers that
their money is safe and secure," he
said.
This project is part of a sixmonth
pilot in partnership with
UKVI's commercial partner VFS.
Customers will still be able to
use cash during this time and the
Home Office will seek Bangladeshi
views to ensure any feedback is
built into any further plans.
Nation celebrates
Victory Day
DHAKA : The nation yesterday celebrated
the 49th Victory Day, marking
the most precious moment
when the country was liberated
from the clutches of Pakistani occupation
forces after a nine-month
bloodstained war, with a vow to
build a non-communal country.
The publication of a list of
Razakars just a day before the victory
day brought a new dimension in
the observance of the precious
moment this year, reports BSS.
Forty-eight years back on
December 16 in 1971, Bangladesh
was born as an independent state
under the leadership of Father of
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, with the
supreme sacrifice of the lives of
three million people and chastity of
nearly half a million women.
Different socio-cultural, political
and educational institutions
arranged a series of programmes to
celebrate the nation's glorious victory.
The government celebrated the
day with different programmes at
the national level. The day started
with 31 gun salutes.
President Abdul Hamid and
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid
rich tributes to the martyrs of the
Liberation War by placing wreaths
at the National Mausoleum at Savar
at dawn.
At first, President Abdul Hamid
placed wreaths at the altar of the
National Memorial with the rise of
the sun. He was followed by Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina.
After placing the wreaths,
President and Prime Minister stood
in solemn silence for some time as a
mark of profound respect to the
memories of the martyrs of the
Great War of Liberation of 1971.
A smartly turned out contingent
of Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh
Navy and Bangladesh Air Force
presented state salute on the occasion
when bugles played the last
post.

NEWS
WeDNeSDAY, DeCeMBer 18, 2019
2
The Managing Director of Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) Md. Ali Hossain Prodhania along with the
officials of different levels paying tributes to the National Martyrs on the occasion of National
Victory Day-2019 at Savar. The Deputy Managing Directors (DMD) Md. Afzal Karim and Shirin
Akhter, the high officials & staff of the bank were present on the occasion. Photo : Courtesy
Latest ransomware victim, New
Orleans crippled by attack
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 17, 2019
(BSS/AFP) - City services in New
Orleans were hobbled Monday as
the city operated under an
emergency declaration following a
cyber attack that locked down its
main computer networks.
In the attack detected Friday,
New Orleans became the latest
major city to be hit by ransomware
in what has become an epidemic
that has crippled networks in
Baltimore and Atlanta in recent
months as well as hundreds of
other municipalities and agencies.
The city declared an emergency
and shut down its computers after
detecting it was under attack by
hackers with cyber tactics that
included "phishing" attempts and
ransomware. City Hall was open
and employees expected to report
to work, but various municipal
services and departments
remained hobbled without some of
the technology they typically rely
on, according to officials.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the
police department was "manually"
recording incidents and had
suspended background checks.
But she said fire and emergency
medical services were not impacted
and that a temporary website had
been set up for some other services.
"The city remains actively
involved in recovery efforts," the
mayor's office said in a statement.
Security researchers said the city
appeared to have been hit by a
strain of ransomware which
encrypted and locked down data
from its contracts and revenue
operations. New Orleans officials
told media over the weekend they
had not received any demand for
payment to unlock data.
Governments are considered ripe
targets by hackers because they
usually lack resources to invest in
sophisticated cyber defenses and
can be attack on may fronts, such as
schools or town halls.
At least 174 cities around the
world were victims of ransomware
attacks in 2019, a figure up 60
percent from 2018, according to
cybersecurity company Kaspersky.
The average amount of ransom
demanded was said to be a million
dollars, and has been as high as $5
million.
While the price seems high, costs
of lost data or re-creating
computing systems can be higher,
making local governments inclined
to pay ransom even if budgets are
meager, according to Kaspersky.
A separate report by the security
firm Emsisoft painted an even
darker picture, citing 948
government agencies, educational
establishments and healthcare
providers impacted by
ransomware this year in the United
States alone.
"The threat level is now extreme
and governments must act
immediately to improve their
preparedness and mitigate their
risks," Emsisoft said in a blog post.
PM's military
secretary Zainul
Abedin passes away
DHAKA : Prime Minister's
Military Secretary Major
General Mia Mohammad
Zainul Abedin passed away
at a Singapore hospital on
Tuesday afternoon, reports
UNB.
He breathed his last at
Mount Elizabeth Hospital
around 5:13pm (Bangladesh
time), said an ISPR release.
Meanwhile, Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina
expressed deep shockat the
death of her military
secretary.
In a condolence message,
she prayed for salvation of
the departed soul and
conveyed her sympathy to
the bereaved family
members.
8 BNP leaders held
in Narayanganj
NARAYANGANJ : Police
arrested eight BNP leaders,
including district and city unit
General Secretaries, in a case
filed under the Special
Powers Act on charge of
preventing government
officials from doing their
duties on the Victory Day,
reports UNB.
The arrestees include
district BNP general secretary
Mamum Mahmud, city BNP
general secretary ATM
Kamal, and president of ward
No 17 Md Hossain Kajal.
Asaduzzaman, officer-incharge
of Narayanganj Sadar
Police Station, said police
arrested Mamun from
Siddhirganj, Kamal from
Mission Para and six others
from different areas of the
city.
Earlier , Sub Inspector
Saiful Islam filed a case
against them at midnight.
According to the case
statement, when BNP
activists brought out a
procession marking the
Victory Day and locked in a
fistfight with police when they
reached at 2 No Rail Gate in
the town.
Man held with 22 gold
bars at Sylhet airport
SYLHET : Customs officials arrested a man along with 22
gold bars, weighing 2.5 kg, at Osmani International Airport
here on Tuesday, reports UNB.
The arrestee is Momin Uddin Mamun of Goainghat upazila
in the district.
Joint commissioner of Customs Minhaz Uddin, said a
flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines coming from Dubai
landed at the airport around 8:45 am.
Tipped off, a team of Customs Intelligence officials
challenged Momin and recovered the gold bars worth Tk1.5
crore which were concealed inside his shoe sole.
Bangladesh most gender-neutral
country in SA: report
DHAKA : Bangladesh secured the top rank
among the South Asian countries and the
50th position globally for closing the gender
gap in the latest report published by World
Economic Forum (WEF).
Bangladesh has closed 72.6% of its overall
gender gap and is the only one of the seven
South Asian countries studied to feature in
the top 100 of the Global Gender Gap Index,
according to WEF's Global Gender Gap
Report 2020.
"It is the only country in the world where
women have had a longer tenure than men
at the helm of the state over the past 50
years, the report mentioned adding that
"This contributes to the strong performance
on the Political Empowerment sub index
(score of 54.5%, 7th)," it said.
According to the report, in Bangladesh
there are only 8% of women in the cabinet
and only 20% in parliament.
In the economic sphere, as of 2018, 38% of
adult women were part of the labour force
(up from 34% in 2017), compared with 84%
of men. "Only one in 10 leadership roles is
occupied by a woman (139th), and the
estimated average annual income of women
is 40% that of the men," the WEF report
said. Bangladesh was in the 91st position in
WEF's 2006 report.
Iceland remained the world's most genderneutral
country on the World Economic
Forum's Gender Gap Report followed by
Norway and Finland. Pakistan, Iraq and
Yemen occupy the last three positions as the
least gender-neutral countries in the world.
On the occasion of the Great Victory Day Bank of Bangladesh Commerce
Bank Limited was given wreath to the National Memorial in Savar in honor
of the martyrs and valiant freedom fighters in the War of Independence.
Managing Director and CeO of the Bank, Abdul Khaleque Khan, Additional
Managing Director Md. Zafar Alam, Mohammad Iqbal, Senior executive
Vice President and Head of Trade Department, Mohammad Ziaul Karim,
executive Vice President and Head of Credit Management Department,
Shah Md. Junaid Ibne Amin, Vice President and Head of Human
resources Department, Syed M Istencher Billah, Vice President, Board
Division and Head of recovery Department and all Senior executives of
BCBL were present.
Photo : Courtesy
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On the occasion of the National Victory Day
2019, Managing Director of Karmasangsthan
BankMr. Kazi Sanaul Hoqalong with Deputy
Managing Director Md. Abdul Mannan,Deputy
general managers, executives and others
employees paid tribute to the martyrs of
Liberation War by placing wreath at the National
Memorial in Savar.
Photo : Courtesy
Dhaka ranks second worst
in Air Quality Index
DHAKA : Bangladesh's capital city ranked the second worst
in Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday morning, reports
UNB.
Dhaka had a score of 210 at 10:17am, which means the air
quality was 'very unhealthy'.
Afghanistan's Kabul and Pakistan's Lahore occupiedthe
first and third slots with scores of 383 and 208 respectively.
When the AQI value is between 201 and 300, it is
considered as emergency conditions with health warnings.
The entire population is more likely to be affected in this
situation.
Active children, adults, and people with respiratory
diseases are suggested to limit outdoor exertion.
The air quality is categorised as good when the AQI score
remains below 50. The air is classified as moderate when
the score is 51-100. But when the number is between 101
and 150, the air is classified as unhealthy for sensitive
groups.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, tells
people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and
what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
Bangladesh's overcrowded capital has been grappling
with air pollution for a long time. The quality usually
improves during monsoon.
cvwb- 399/2019-2020
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METRO
WednesdAY, december 18, 2019
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Prof. dr. saiful Islam, Vice-chancellor of bangladesh University of engineering & Technology
(bUeT) paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing floral wreaths at the national
memorial on monday marking the 49th Victory day. bUeT Teachers, Officers & employees were
also present on the occasion.
Photo : courtesy
Panel discussion on 'AcPP-
Applied career Placement
Program' held at dIU
Human Resource Development
Institute (HRDI) of Daffodil
International University organized a
panel discussion on 'ACPP - Applied
Career Placement Program' for
graduating students of Bangladesh at
71 Milonayouton of the university on
Tuesday. Booshra Ahmed, Senior
Vice President, Bank of America and
Faculty, MBA & Data Science
Program, University of North
Carolina Charlotte presented her
developed program model 'ACCP'.
Presided over by Ejajur Rahman
Sajal, Deputy Director, HRDI,
Daffodil International University, the
panel discussants were Md. Anowar
Habib Kazal, Senior Assistant
Director (PR), Shamsuddoha,
Assistant Director of Career
Development Center of Daffodil
International University Nizamul
Haque, Sr. Staff Reporter, The Daily
Itteefaq, Shariful Haque Sumon, Sr.
Staff Reporter. The Daily Kaler
Kantha. Rashed Ahmed, Staff
Correspondent, The New Age, Saif
Sujon, Senior Staff Reporter, The
daily Bonok Barta, Khalilur Rahman,
Editor, Education Watch, Rashed Al
Ruhani, Senior Staff Reporter, The
Daily Desh Rupantor, Asif Hasan
Sami, Acting Editor, bdsangbad.com
and other distinguished journalists, a
press release said.
Booshra Ahmed presented a power
point presentation on Applied Career
Placement Program at the beginning
of the discussion. In her presentation
she pointed out that the
unemployment rate is rapidly
increasing in Bangladesh. Graduating
young people cries that there is no job
for them. But on the other hand the
employer saying that they don't don't
get skilled employees as they need.
She pointed out that there is a gap
between universities course
curriculum and industries
requirement. She wished that this
model would help to fulfill the gap
between academia and industry and
it's a win- in situation for student,
university and industry and she
believes that ACPP will help
Bangladeshi graduate's job
placement.
Booshra Ahmed also said that
student will get opportunity to doing
part time job in an industry under this
program. The duration of this
program will be 17 month. Student
can gather experience before
completing graduation in this
regards. So that they can apply all
kind of job after completing
graduation as an experienced
candidate. To introduce this ACPP
program, university and industry
have to be work jointly. She added.
After giving presentation she
answered many questions from
journalists. Journalists also shared
and gave their valuable opinion and
feedback on ACPP.
It may be mentioned that Booshra
Ahmed is currently working in Bank
of America as Senior Vice President,
besides she is also a Faculty of MBA &
Data Science Program, University of
North Carolina Charlotte. She is an
Executive Coach, Applied Technology
Program run by Bank of America and
UNCC. She completed her Executive
MBA from Harvard Business School.
She eagerly want to run ACPP
program in Bangladeshi universities.
children should grow up
to fulfill bangabandhu's
dreams: Yeafesh Osman
Science and Technology
Minister Architect Yeafesh
Osman said that children
should grow up and make
Bangladesh move forward
with intellect and talent. To
fulfill the dream of
Bangabandhu, one has to
brighten up life with the
spirit of liberation war.
Children have to study to
create a golden Bangla. At
the same time, he said to
parents that their mentality
should be like children, a
press release said.
The minister said this
while distributing the prizes
among the winners of a
painting competition as the
chief guest on the issue of
liberation war for children
and teenagers on the
occasion of Victory Day at
the National Museum of
Science and Technology in
the capital on Tuesday.
More than 700 students of
27 education institutes and
their parents participated in
the program. In this
competition, 17 students
were awarded for the best
painting on the War of
Liberation.
Among others, Director
General of National Science
and Technology Museum
Mohammad Munir
Chowdhury, Bangladesh
Atomic Energy Commission
Chairman Mahbubul
Haque and Director of
Bangladesh Science
Academy Dr. MA Mazed
were also present at the
occasion.
'Help us build clean
dhaka': dncc mayor
DHAKA : Mayor of Dhaka
North City Corporation
(DNCC) Md Atiqul Islam on
Tuesday urged the business
community and utility
service providers to ensure
compliance to keep capital
Dhaka neat and clean, and
healthy, reports UNB.
"Businesspeople and utility
service providers, including
city corporations, Rajuk,
Wasa, and Dhaka Power
Distribution Company
Limited (DPDC), must abide
by rules to build a clean and
healthy city for the future
generation," he said.
Addressing a roundtable
discussion at the Jatiya Press
Club, the DNCC mayor also
warned that fine and
punishment will be imposed
in case of non-compliance.
Dhaka Utility Reporters'
Association (Dura) arranged
the discussion titled 'Dhaka
under uncontrolled
pollution: Citizens' thinking'.
Atiqul said the future
generation will face a big
problem if all do not play
their responsible role in
keeping the city clean.
He also warned that noone
will be allowed to
continue their business in the
city polluting the
environment. "Those who
are not complying with the
law during construction
must face fine. Around
30,000 RMG factories have
been closed for
noncompliance. So, you've to
follow the rules and protect
the city's environment," he
added.
The DNCC mayor further
said those who are doing the
business of brick and cement
occupying roads will also be
fined. "The days of sweettalks
are over. Now, there'll
fine and punishment."
He said they have already
dismantled some brick kilns
to save the environment.
"The city is getting polluted
in various ways, including
through black smoke of
vehicles. We all must play a
responsible role in saving
ourselves. Or else, we've to
suffer a lot," he added.
Mentioning that plastic
bottles and chip bags
obstruct the water flow in
sewerages, Atiqul urged the
traders to change the
business mode and recycle
those after buying the used
ones.
He also urged all not to
throw any waste on roads.
Architect and urban expert
Iqbal Habib said such a
development which affects
public death is not desirable.
"We're suffering for having
an unhealthy Dhaka. Our
children can't go to school for
dust and waste. Our future
generation will face a dire
situation, too. So, everyone
must be responsible in saving
the city's environment."
He also urged the mayors
of the two city corporations
of Dhaka to work with
responsibility to build a
healthy city.
Abu Naser Khan, chairman
of Poribesh Bachao Andolon
(POBA), underscored the
need for decentralisation to
reduce pressure on Dhaka.
Prof Dr Akter Mahmud of
Jahangirnagar University,
Dura President Mashiur
Rahman Khan and Secretary
Tofazzal Hossain were,
among others, present.
President to attend
'supreme court day'
programme today
DHAKA : President Abdul
Hamid will attend a
discussion at the Supreme
Court Judges' Complex on
Wednesday on the occasion
of the 'Supreme Court Day',
reports UNB.
The President is scheduled
to attend the programme as
the chief guest at 3:30pm on
the day, President's Press
Secretary M Joynal Abedin
told UNB on Tuesday.
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EDITORIAL
weDNeSDAY, DeCeMBer 18, 2019
4
Malaysia summit and Pakistan's controlled foreign policy
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
efficient
completion of
mega projects
The incumbent government has always
been ambitious when it came to
infrastructure development. The Padma
Bridge project as well as the various urban
projects targeted to reduce traffic congestion
clearly indicates the government's willingness
to undertake long term mega projects .
However, repeated setbacks in multiple
infrastructure projects undertaken have also
put a question mark on the consistency of
performance on these projects.
The Mogbazaar- Malibaghflyover in Dhaka
for example was a glaring example of
mismanagement and faulty design. The
ambitious project had its design changed more
than 122 times. The original design was made
for left hand driven traffic lanes as well as
faulty placement of pillars. Too long delayed
and over budgeted the project was not only
causing severe traffic congestion on
surrounding roads. Even after completion it's
efficiency in jam reduction has also been put to
question by experts.
The Dhaka- Chittagong highway was another
black hole. Grossly over budgeted by 62% the
deadline for its completion was delayed twice
resulting in undue cost escalations. Though
completed the overall traffic movement will
exceed the highway's four lane capacity by the
year 2030, the primary reason why the
government is now planning on constructing
an elevated expressway over the completed
highway. The importance of greater and careful
future planning here, is clearly highlighted.
But possibly more annoying has been the
elevated expressway that was planned to
connect Dhaka's northern areas with the
south. Originally budgeted at Tk 8,940 crore
(USD 1.124 billion) and planned to be finished
by 2014, the project'svery startup was delayed
thrice and as of recently, seen not much
activities. While some initial works are
underway, the project is yet to go on full swing
on part due to the contracted firm's failure to
procure adequate funding.
Bangladesh is, already, a highly populated
country with population density in Dhaka
being one of the highest in the world. As a city
already plagued by overpopulation and
congestion, mega projects being delayed not
only results in solutions to be delayed, but also
further contributes to mass congestion due to
traffic being hampered by construction work.
The situation with the elevated expressway in
particular is precarious. With the very
inception of construction delayed thrice,the
project that was supposed to be over by 2014
has not yet started its main work. Not only will
this push the project's costs further; it will
mean that the delays in solving this city's traffic
problem will be delayed. Also, when
construction does begin in full swing but
lingers on, it will contribute greatly to further
congestion of traffic due to construction work.
The government therefore, needs to take
these scenarios seriously. These are not short
term projects that can be broken down and
renewed. These are long term projects that will
influence the city's as well as the nation's
economic growth and traffic system.
Negligence, lack of consistency as well as faults
in such major, large scale projects will not only
compound future city management but will
put the government's planning and execution
credibility in question.
These projects will form the backbone of our
nation for decades to come. To see them
dragging on hopelessly for years will be highly
undesirable. It will be a waste of valuable
resources and time that a developing nation
like ours simply cannot afford. Therefore,
urgent and decisive steps must be taken in
order to address these issues, and ensure that
future megaprojects do not meet similar
bumps.
In global politics, diplomacy is
considered the art of letting others
convince you that what you are doing
is not only good for yourself but also for
the other stakeholders of the world. That
is why the domain of foreign policy is
considered a very important part of
governance, as it determines the success
or failure of a particular regime.
However, in Pakistan, the scenario is
entirely different, as the minister for
foreign affairs here remains a symbolic
post while the actual foreign policy is
shaped by the invisible forces influenced
by Riyadh and Washington. This has
been the case since General Ayub Khan
imposed martial law in 1958. No foreign
minister or even a prime minister other
than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz
Sharif was able to assert their authority in
shaping foreign policy.
Interestingly, both of those prime
ministers were ousted by a military coup,
Bhutto was hanged in 1979, Sharif was
jailed in 1999 and was sent into exile in
Saudi Arabia, and after again assuming
power he was thrown out of office by an
invisible coup that also brought Imran
Khan into power through a rigged
political discourse. Khan's performance
despite the backing of the deep state has
been disastrous when it comes to
governing the country and even his ability
to give an impression that he is in charge
and shaping foreign policy is exposed
badly.
It was not long ago that Khan declared
that Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad was his ideal personality and
he was impressed by Turkey for its vision.
So when Khan met with Mahathir and
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he agreed to their
India's Citizenship Bill discriminatory in nature
Anna Akhmatova, whose face I
can't but help associate with the
violent cubist portraits by
Picasso, is one of the former Soviet
Union's finest poets from the Stalinist
period. She once famously said of her
tragic and heroic life that all that could
happen to a human has happened to
her.
One of her poems, Poem Without A
Hero, is dedicated to her friends and
lovers who died all around her in war
(particularly the Battle of Stalingrad)
and from political persecution. Poem
Without A Hero seems rather
appropriate to a theme emerging
stronger by the day in contemporary
India, since last week's developments,
following the passing of the
Citizenship Amendment Bill, which
seeks to bestow Indian citizenship to
religious minorities (Hindu, Sikh,
Buddhist, Jain, Christian) in the
neighbouring Islamic republics of
Pakistan, Bangladesh, and
Afghanistan on the basis of religious
persecution - provided the victims are
already in India by December 31, 2014.
In the days following what was seen
to be a discriminatory law against the
Muslims of India, people in Assam,
Tripura, West Bengal, and students
from universities in Delhi protested.
Rather violently. Five trains were
torched. Some 25 buses set on fire.
The Bill served to splinter even
further the monolithic cause of Hindu
India so dear to the heart of the Modi
government, a self-defeating move. All
through it, Muslims who count nearly
20 million in India, kept their peace, in
a disciplined exercise in defensive
silence.
At least three people were killed. In
idea of forming a powerful Islamic bloc.
Perhaps Khan, as usual, was not aware of
the geopolitical developments, as Turkey
is gradually emerging as a leader for the
Muslim world and the Saudi monarchs
along with their Arab allies are feeling
insecure about Ankara's growing
influence.
On November 23, Mahathir
announced that his country would host
an Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur that
would try to find solutions to the ills and
woes of the Muslim world and would
include 450 leaders, scholars, and
thinkers from 52 countries along with
President Erdogan, Qatar Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Indonesian
Prime Minister Joko Widodo, and
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The summit would discuss such
problems as the displacement of Muslims
worldwide, food security,
national/cultural identity, Islamophobia,
and the improvement of technology,
trade, Internet governance, and security.
Khan not only assured Mahathir of his
active participation in the summit but
also created hype in Pakistan about his
participation in the meeting.
Assam and Tripura and Meghalaya an
internet shutdown came into play,
mimicking the condition of the 'hostile'
union territory of Kashmir. While it is
not completely clear if the West Bengal
unrest is at least partly engineered by
the state's chief minister, Mamata
Banerjee, a great if slightly hysterical,
opponent of the Modi regime, in
Assam and Tripura the protests were
led by natives who believe the influx of
immigrants will swamp over their
tribal and cultural identities.
The Opposition, led by Rahul, Sonia,
and Priyanka Gandhi in public rallies
attacked Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah,
who had introduced the bill, as Muslim
baiters. States like Punjab and Kerala
said they will not enforce the bill,
though such defiance appears to be
mostly hot air: if the Indian
government grants citizenship to a
person, there is little that the states can
do to prevent from him/her settling
anywhere in India.
Meanwhile, the US, Britain, and
France issued advisories cautioning
their citizens on travelling to India.
The Japanese cancelled a visit by their
prime minister, Shinzo Abe; he was
IMAD zAFAr
C.P. SUreNDrAN
While Khan was busy declaring this
summit the beginning of a new era, the
Saudi monarchs were feeling very
uncomfortable as to how a country like
Pakistan that always comes with a
begging bowl to them and asks for loans
and oil on deferred payments could side
with Erdogan's Turkey, their arch-rival
Qatar, and Mahathir's Malaysia. Khan
made a last-minute effort to calm the
waters, and visited Riyadh on Saturday to
meet with Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammad bin Salman.
However, he was not able to end
MBS's reservations about Pakistan
participating in the Kuala Lumpur
summit, and it became evident that
Interestingly, both of those prime ministers were ousted by a military
coup, Bhutto was hanged in 1979, Sharif was jailed in 1999 and was sent
into exile in Saudi Arabia, and after again assuming power he was
thrown out of office by an invisible coup that also brought Imran Khan
into power through a rigged political discourse. Khan's performance
despite the backing of the deep state has been disastrous when it comes
to governing the country and even his ability to give an impression that
he is in charge and shaping foreign policy is exposed badly.
Khan would not participate in the
event after all.
According to insiders, Khan's visit to
Malaysia was canceled immediately after
his meeting with MBS, but it was only
revealed through a leak to media, and not
through a proper announcement. Now,
this development has left Turkey,
Malaysia and Iran with a bitter feeling of
being ditched by Khan and his
government. One can understand that
Khan lacks the ability and skills to govern
scheduled to have a summit with Modi
in Guwahati, capital of Assam.
Everybody's (except Donald Trump)
favourite talking shop, the UN,
declared the bill to be 'discriminatory.'
Generally, the world thought India was
going nuts - and racist.
The English speaking social media
revolutionaries of the Indian cities ran
virtuous hashtags that said they were
disowning the Constitution as it was
no longer a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular
Democratic Republic' Never mind,
The Opposition, led by rahul, Sonia, and Priyanka Gandhi in public
rallies attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister
Amit Shah, who had introduced the bill, as Muslim baiters. States
like Punjab and Kerala said they will not enforce the bill, though
such defiance appears to be mostly hot air: if the Indian government
grants citizenship to a person, there is little that the states can
do to prevent from him/her settling anywhere in India.
Dr. rAzAN BAKer
that the Indian Constitution, despite
its best intentions, has always been a
bit of a misleading document. It has
never been socialist (the top 10 per
cent of the Indian population now
holds 77 per cent of the total national
wealth. 73 per cent of the wealth
generated in 2017, for example, went
to the richest 1 per cent, according to
Oxfam International), nor truly
speaking secular; sectarian vote banks
yes, and because of the last, not truly
democratic either.
Still, Amit Shah and his government
underestimated the repercussions of
the Bill. Last week, in parliament,
former home minister and a Congress
leader, P. Chidambaram, asked Amit
the country, but the invisible forces who
control Pakistan's foreign policy and his
shrewd Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood
Qureshi could have warned Khan much
earlier about the repercussions of
participating in the summit. Is it so hard
to understand that beggars have no
choices?
There is no way that a country that has
always fought riyal-sponsored proxy
wars, first against Afghanistan and now
in Yemen, and which let the
interpretation of religion by the Saudi
monarchs prevail, resulting in extremism
and violence among Pakistan's religious
sects, can escape the influence of the
Saudi monarchs and independently
devise its own strategy for international
relations. Khan since assuming the office
of prime minister has banked heavily on
Riyadh and the other Gulf states and as a
result, Pakistan's sovereignty is
compromised. It can no longer decide
how it will maintain relations with the
other Islamic countries that are
considered a threat by the Arab
monarchs.
Saudi Arabia has always played the role
of proxy for Washington to wage wars in
Muslim countries and in toppling the
regimes in such countries as Egypt and
Libya. It was clear from Day 1 that Khan
would have to change the policies Sharif
had embraced, as Sharif was gradually
freeing Pakistan from the influence of
Washington and Riyadh and was trying
to shift the focus of foreign policy toward
China, Turkey and Russia while
maintaining friendly relations with
neighbors like India.
Source : Asia Times
Shah as to who advised him in the
matter. Shah, a surprisingly adept
parliamentarian himself and usually
quick to answer his enemies, remained
silent on the point. Most likely, the
agenda was set by the home minister
and his friends in the RSS
headquarters in Nagpur, as part of the
Hindutva agenda. It hardly matters
now. The damage has been severe.
And wholly unnecessary.
Consider this. If Assam and Tripura
are any indications, it's Hindus who
are going against the Hindus from
abroad, who might benefit from the
Bill. At least one photograph in a
mainstream newspaper showed a
young leader, chest bared to potential
police bullets, wearing the sacred
thread of the Brahmins. If not
essentially upper caste, then
indigenous tribes, like the Ahom, led
the fight.
That simply means that the Bill
served to splinter even further the
monolithic cause of Hindu India so
dear to the heart of the Modi
government, a self-defeating move. All
through it, Muslims who count nearly
20 million in India, kept their peace, in
a disciplined exercise in defensive
silence.
To go back to Poem Without a Hero.
There are no heroes just now in India.
The greatest hero India has recently
produced, whether you like him or not,
is Narendra Modi. On Saturday, in
Kanpur, at a public function, he
stumbled and fell. It is an indication
perhaps of the fast, furious, and
faltering decisions of this government
led by Modi.
Source : Gulf News
Universities inspiring Saudi youths through sports promotion
For the past decade, sports
marketing and promotion in
Saudi were mostly about
generating revenue to increase sales.
However, since the announcement of
the Vision 2030 reform plans, sports
marketing started to take another
perspective, and a very challenging one.
The goal became developing a "vibrant
society with fulfilling lives" by
promoting physical, psychological and
social well-being for all citizens and
residents.
As the famous quote by Bill Gates
goes: "Content is King!" But we could
use the version where Mari Smith adds,
"but engagement is queen." Why?
Because now if you are promoting and
marketing sports for society, you need
to get them engaged to get their input.
And that is what the president of the
Saudi Sports for All Federation Prince
Khaled bin Al-Waleed did through the
challenge. The new initiative designed
to support the Vision 2030 goal to
increase the number of individuals
exercising at least once a week from 13
percent of the population to 40 percent
by 2030. This is taking a new approach,
through engaging Saudi universities
and students for the first time.
The Sports for All Challenge program
is sponsored by the Saudi Sports for All
Federation, managed by EdVenture
Partners. The federation invited Saudi
universities to participate and
according to Mary Scherer, project
manager at EdVenture Partners, there
are currently 18 active teams, who
created local campaigns, products or
tools that aim to increase interest and
participation in community level and
grassroots sports.
The participating universities are:
Dar Al-Hekma University, Majmaah
University, University of Prince
Mugrin, Prince Sultan University,
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman
University, Taibah University, Umm
Al-Qura University, University of Ha'il,
The participating universities are: Dar Al-Hekma University, Majmaah
University, University of Prince Mugrin, Prince Sultan University,
Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Taibah University, Umm
Al-Qura University, University of Ha'il, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd
University and King Saud University. She said some universities have
multiple programs to accommodate male and female sections.
Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd
University and King Saud University.
She said some universities have
multiple programs to accommodate
male and female sections.
The new initiative designed to
support the Vision 2030 goal to
increase the number of individuals
exercising at least once a week from 13
percent of the population to 40 percent
by 2030.
Time is ticking and the top three
finalists are scheduled to be announced
on Dec. 20. Students are competing to
attend the final presentation ceremony
in Riyadh to present their campaign
findings to the Sports for All
Federation.
This event shows that the youth are
becoming more interested in taking
part in sport because the key to their
imagination and creativity to come up
with an idea remains in their hands.
Believing in the role of corporate social
responsibility here is crucial in making
this happen.
From my point of view, I don't see it
just as a challenge, but on a bigger scale,
I see it as an uplift to help increase
awareness among society. Hopefully,
similar initiatives will continue to
ensure health and fitness within our
society.
For the curious minds, you can follow
up on the challenge news through the
program hashtag in Arabic.
Source : Arab News

DEVELOPMENT
WEDESDAY, DEcEmbEr 18, 2019
5
Pregnant schoolgirls can resume
classes in Sierra Leone
Healthcare workers are decontaminated after entering the house of an Ebola victim in the eastern
congolese town of beni.
Photo: Zohra bensemra
Ebola outbreak cases alarm
health officials in Drc
Peter beaumont
Health officials are investigating
an alarming spike in Ebola cases
in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, with many blamed on a
single individual who appears to
have contracted the disease for a
second time this year.
Amid the struggle to bring the
16-month outbreak under control,
the World Health Organization
noted an almost 300% increase in
cases in the last three weeks, with
17 of 27 linked to a single chain of
transmission.
According to officials, it appears
to be the second time the person
has been documented as suffering
from Ebola in six months. An
investigation is being held to
understand the circumstances
around the case.
Ten cases were notified on
Wednesday in Mabalako, North
Kivu province, where the
individual is believed to be from,
after another six on Tuesday,
according to officials who noted
that three out of the six were
practitioners of traditional
medicine. The spike - and the
worrying circumstances behind it
- appears to buck a trend towards
a declining number of cases,
although security issues in the key
zones of Beni, Biakato and
Mangina had recently paralysed
the response after violent attacks
on health workers.
Among the possibilities being
examined are reinfection with the
disease - which would ring the
most serious alarm bells as no case
of reinfection has ever been
recorded before - or a
relapse.While rare cases of relapse
have been documented, in which a
person who has recovered from
Ebola gets its symptoms again,
reinfection would mean a person
who has recovered has been
infected anew with the virus by
another person, a circumstance so
far undocumented.
Experts have long been anxious
about the risk of recurrence
because the virus can persist for
months in areas of the body that
are immunologically protected,
including semen, vaginal fluids,
sweat, aqueous humour, urine,
breast milk and even spinal fluid
after initial onset and recovery.
That has led researchers to
speculate about the continued risk
of transmission in individuals not
showing any symptoms, including
through sexual activity, leading to
reactivation of the illness.
Reinfection, relapse and
recurrence are all sources of acute
concern in controlling the
outbreak, as Ebola survivors are
employed widely in treatment
centres in DRC on the assumption
they cannot usually recontract or
transmit the disease.
In July another patient died
from what was also presumed to
be a relapse or reinfection, calling
into question the assumption that
Ebola survivors have lifelong
immunity from the
virus.According to figures from
the African Union as of 8
December, the Ebola outbreak in
DRC has claimed 2,209 lives since
it broke out, with 3,327 recorded
cases.
Greece is overburdened
with refugees
Helena Smith
Sometimes en masse, sometimes
alone they keep on arriving: in rickety
boats carrying men, women and
children looking for a freedom they
hope Europe will offer.
Despite winter's limited daylight
and whiplash-heavy storms and rains,
the number of asylum seekers landing
on Greek shores shows no sign of
abating. Not since Europe's historic
agreement with Turkey to curb
migrant flows at the height of Syria's
civil war in March 2016 have arrivals
been so high.In September alone
10,551 newcomers arrived, the
highest in a single month since the
deal.
The renewed surge has placed
mounting pressure on a centre-right
government that pledged to take a
much tougher stance on migration
than its predecessor. Since assuming
office in July, prime minister
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has appealed to
the EU to exhibit more solidarity
towards Greece and other frontline
states struggling to cope with ever
more refugees and migrants.
Latest figures show there are about
40,000 men, women and children on
Samos, Lesbos, Chios, Kos and Leros
- the five main entry points facing
Turkey - mainly accommodated in
overcrowded camps designed for
5,400. Despite concerted efforts to
decongest the islands, the authorities
have only been able to move about
10,000 people to the mainland in
recent months.
The EU's new executive body is
poised to draft fresh policies on the
migration challenge and Athens says
it's crucial that Brussels recognises
the need for asylum seekers to be
shared equally among member states.
Last week, Mitsotakis told the
European Commission's new vicepresident,
MargaritisSchinas, and
home affairs commissioner Ylva
Johansson - both tasked with
overhauling migration and asylum
policies - that Greece had "reached its
limits" and could no longer handle the
influx alone. "This is not a Greek-
Turkish problem," he said as the
officials visited Athens. "[It's] an issue
Large numbers of refugees continue to risk their lives crossing seas in and
around Europe.
Photo: Anadolu Agency
that affects the European Union as a
whole and we are looking forward to
your help, as well as a firm European
policy, to address it."
Targeted by people smugglers,
Greece has been at the sharp end of
migration flows, hosting close to
90,000 refugees and migrants
nationwide - a greater number than
the combined total of asylum seekers
registered in Italy, Spain, Malta and
Cyprus, according to the UNHCR.
Amid growing concerns over the
appalling conditions, Brussels has
come under pressure to take action.
On 12 December, France said it would
take in 400 people from Greece, but it
is seen as too little, too late. At a time
when the EU faces stiff resistance
from within its own borders - not least
from Visegrád countries led by
Hungary - goodwill gestures will do
little to distribute the load fairly,
Greek officials say.
Late last month, the UN high
commissioner for refugees, Filippo
Grandi, also called for Europe to do
more at a time of growing global
displacement due to persecution and
war. Using a symbolic trip to Greece,
he noted it was clear the compassion
with which the nation had greeted
over a million Syrians at the height of
the crisis was now much "less visible "
- and at risk of running out.
"Europe has to get its act together,"
he said after visiting Lesbos. "[It] has
to have a new system that is based on
sharing, responsibility sharing."
Regulations drafted 20 years earlier
that required asylum seekers to
register in first-entry countries were
"completely inadequate now," he
said.Even more worrying was the
sheer number of unaccompanied
minors arriving, who were most at
risk of labour exploitation, sexual
exploitation and violence, Grandi
warned.
"There are more than 5,000 [in
Greece] … there is a children on-themove
emergency in this country that
needs to be tackled."Elected on a
tough law and order platform, the
Mitsotakis government has
announced measures aimed squarely
at deterrence and deportation of
those not entitled to remain in
Europe. Among the policies is a
controversial plan to replace the
sprawling island camps with "closed"
detention centres, which human
rights groups claim will be
tantamount to "prisons".
Kate Hodal
Pregnant schoolgirls in Sierra Leone
will no longer be banned from
attending class or sitting exams, after
a regional court ordered the
immediate overturn of a
"discriminatory" policy that has
denied tens of thousands the right to
finish their education.
In a ruling handed down in Nigeria
on Thursday, a top regional court
found that a 2015 directive barring
pregnant girls from attending school
amounted to discrimination and a
violation of human rights.The
Economic Community of West
African States (Ecowas) court ordered
Sierra Leone to establish nationwide
programmes to help pregnant girls
return to school.
"This victory belongs to the girls in
Sierra Leone who have been degraded
and dehumanised because of their
status since 2014," said Hannah
Yambasu, executive director of
Women Against Violence and
Exploitation in Society (Waves), one
of a number of organisations that filed
the case against Sierra Leone in May
2018.
"Now our government in Sierra
Leone has no option but to comply
with their obligations as declared by
the court."
Teen pregnancy is a huge issue in
Sierra Leone, where 30% of girls fall
pregnant and 40% are married by the
age of 18. The west African country's
deadly 2014 Ebola outbreak left
thousands of girls vulnerable and
forced to fend for themselves,
resulting in a spike in pregnancies -
many of which were the result of
sexual assault.When schools
reopened after the virus was
contained, the government banned
girls who had fallen pregnant from
attending class, in order to protect
"innocent girls".
Although parallel schools for
pregnant girls had been established
by the government, Ecowas ruled that
they amounted to another form of
discrimination as attendees were only
taught four subjects for three days a
week. The court ordered their
immediate abolition.
"The [parallel] schools were suboptimal
and completely limiting for
the girls," said Judy Gitau, Africa
regional coordinator at Equality Now,
one of the other organisations that
took Sierra Leone to court.
"We know they felt worthless
[having been banned from normal
education] and to have a regional
court make a declaration that the
government of Sierra Leone breached
its obligations to provide [basic
human rights] to the girls makes
them feel valued again. This ruling
has given them a new lease on life."
Former pupil Patience, who was 17
when she fell pregnant and found
herself banned from attending school,
welcomed the court's decision."I am
very happy because I did not have the
opportunity to stay in school myself,"
she told the Guardian.
"If I had been able to stay in
education, I would be in my last year
at uni now, or maybe I would have
graduated already. I would have liked
to have studied nursing. Instead, my
name was taken off the school register
and I was offered vocational training.
Yet my daughter's father was never
banned from school, and he was able
to continue to do everything he
wanted to do." Sexual violence is
highly prevalent in Sierra Leone,
where 8,505 rape cases - among them
2,579 involving minors - were
reported to police in 2018. Yet
activists believe this number is likely
to be far higher, as stigma and shame
prevent many survivors from coming
forward. In its ruling, Ecowas ordered
the government to integrate sexual
education classes into the nationwide
curriculum to combat teen
pregnancies and promote awareness
around contraceptives.Human rights
lawyer Sabrina Mahtani, who wrote
the 2015 Amnesty International
report on the ban, said the ruling
presented an opportunity for Sierra
Leone's government to prove itself.
"President [Julius Maada] Bio was
elected on a platform of 'new
direction'. He and his dynamic new
education minister, David Sengeh,
have an opportunity now to reverse a
ban instigated by the former
government and to recognise the
bravery of girls in Sierra Leone by
overturning this ban and respecting
the right to education and nondiscrimination
of all girls who are the
future of the country."
Activist Chernor Bah, who cofounded
the feminist movementbuilding
hub Purposeful, said the
ruling proved that Sierra Leone was
"moving in the right direction", but
warned that groundwork was still
necessary to establish girls as "equals"
in the nation's male-dominated
Women look on during a summer hearing on Sierra Leone's ban
on pregnant schoolgirls, which was revoked at a court hearing in
Nigeria.
Photo: Purposeful but chernor
culture. "Girls now have a right to go
to school and they cannot be turned
away, that's the most exciting news
for us," said Bah."But this does not
address the underlying issue that we
still live in a highly patriarchal society
where girls' bodies are demanded,
trampled upon and violated in
exchange for basically everything
they need in life: food, water,
transport and education. We must
change the underlying reality of the
overall powerlessness of girls in
Sierra Leone, and we will continue to
fight for that."
The connection betweenSudan’s prosperity
and the US terrorism blacklist
El-Ghassim Wane
Over the past year, the Sudanese
people have staged a near miraculous
revolution, overthrowing the 30-year
dictatorship of President Omar al-
Bashir.
Following mediation led by the
African Union and Ethiopia, a
transitional government consisting of
civilians and military generals is
headed by Abdalla Hamdok, a
veteran economist untainted by the
decades of corruption and misrule. It
is the best compromise: the army,
and especially the paramilitary Rapid
Support Force, are simply too
powerful to be removed from politics
in one fell swoop.
At the UN general assembly in
September, and last week in
Washington DC, Hamdok made a
series of good-faith policy pledges to
return Sudan to the club of
respectable nations.
Hamdok is charged with the
gargantuan task of steering Sudan
out of crisis and into a period of
economic stability and growth. But
what brought the first demonstrators
on to the streets a year ago was
rampant inflation and the collapse of
the wage-earning economy: ordinary
people simply couldn't afford to buy
bread or fuel. That hasn't changed.
The economy remains on the slide
towards hyperinflation and the
people towards possible famine.
Wealthy Gulf states - Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates -
bailed out Sudan with $3.5bn
(£2.65bn) worth of cash and
commodities earlier this year. That
was never enough, given the
magnitude of the crisis, and it is
running out.
What Sudan needs is for its debt to
be rescheduled and sanctions against
it lifted. That will require action by
the US to remove Sudan from its list
of state sponsors of terrorism (SST).
Among other restrictions, inclusion
on the list prohibits economic
assistance, including loans from the
World Bank and other international
financial institutions.
International sanctions on Sudan
began shortly after the last
democratic revolution in 1985, when
the International Monetary Fund
suspended the country for nonpayment
of arrears on its debts.
Intended to compel fiscal
responsibility, that economic shackle
condemned the democratic
government to failure. So began a
catalogue of foreign sanctions, mostly
a story of mishap and failure.
In 1993, the US designated Sudan
as an SST. Four years later, it
imposed comprehensive economic,
trade, and financial sanctions. In
2007, in response to the Darfur
atrocities, Washington imposed
further measures including
individually targeted asset freezes.
The measures hurt the regime, but
also the people. The economic and
trade sanctions were eased in 2017-
18, in a rare example of policy
continuity between the Obama and
Trump administrations. But the
biggest measure remains in place: the
SST listing. That basically prohibits
anyone from doing business with
Sudan without a special licence from
the US Treasury; the alternative is
prosecution. And while legitimate
business stays shackled, illicit
business continues to thrive.
Sudanese people call it the "deep
state" - at best crony capitalists
profiteering from oil and gold sales,
and from the security agencies'
lockdown of the financial and
telecom sectors, and at worst mafia
cartels. Along with their soldiers on
the streets, this financial muscle is
the power base of the generals.
The military oligarchs' power will
start eroding when exposed to the
fair winds of free competition - when
sanctions are lifted.
The state department candidly
admits that all its main objectives
have been met: Sudan isn't a state
sponsor of terror and, indeed, has
been cooperating with the US for
years; it let South Sudan secede
peacefully, and has been assisting in
trying to resolve its neighbour's civil
war; and it is committed to
democratic reform, and peace with
the remaining provincial rebels in
Darfur and Southern Kordofan.
But the US has not yet properly
recognised the once-in-a-generation
achievement of the Sudanese people.
Last week, Washington made the
symbolic gesture of sending.
A child looks on as the Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok visits
a camp for displaced people in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur
state.
Photo: Ashraf Shazly

NATIONAL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019 6
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Rangpur Range Devdas Bhattacharya BPM (Bar) and
Rangpur Police Superintendent Biplob Kumar Sarker, BPM (Bar) handed over flowers and honorary
awards to fourteen retired freedom fighters and families of martyred freedom fighters policemen at
the district Police Lines on Monday.
Photo: TBT
Reception ceremony for retired police
freedom fighters held in Rangpur
TBT Desk: A reception ceremony for 14 retired freedom
fighter policemen and families of martyred freedom fighter
policemen was held at the initiative of Rangpur District
Police. The reception was held at the district Police Lines on
Monday in observance of the Victory Day.
Later, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of
Rangpur Range Devdas Bhattacharya BPM (Bar) and
Rangpur Police Superintendent Biplob Kumar Sarker, BPM
(Bar) presented flowers and greetings to fourteen retired
freedom fighters and families of martyred freedom fighters
In observance of the Victory Day, National flag was hoisted at Sreemangal
Upazila Parishad ground on Monday.
Photo: TBT
Victory Day celebrated in Sreemangal
TBT Desk: The Victory Day was celebrated with proper dignity in Sreemangal upazila of
Moulvibazar district on Monday. In the morning, Sreemangal upazila administration, upazila
parishad and Sreemangal Police Station paid tribute to the martyrs. Later, various political,
social, cultural, professional organizations and volunteer organizations paid tribute to the
martyrs by placing floral wreath.
National flag was hoisted at Sreemangal Upazila Parishad ground at around 4:30 am.
During the time students from different educational institutions, upazila law enforcement
personnel, scouts, girl-guides and performed BNCC military parade.
During the time, Sreemangal Upazila Parishad Chairman Randhir Kumar Deb, Upazila
Nirbahi Officer Nazrul Islam, Senior Assistant Police Superintendent of Sreemangal-
Kamalganj Ashrafuzzaman and Sreemangal Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdus Salek
were among others present at the occasion.
Ten war heroines, better known as Biranganas, from Ataikula village of
Raninagar upazila in Naogaon district were accorded reception marking
the Victory Day on Monday.
Photo: S M Saiful Islam
10 Biranganas accorded reception in Raninagar
S M Saiful Islam, Raninagar Correspondent:
Ten war heroines, better known as
Biranganas, from Ataikula village of
Raninagar upazila in Naogaon district were
accorded reception marking the Victory Day
on Monday on behalf of Raninagar upazila
and Israfil Alam, MP from Naogaon-6.
On April 25, 1971, barbaric Pakistani
soldiers entered and wreaked havoc across
the village. They looted things, set houses on
fire, and killed 52 men of the village. During
the carnage, they tortured and abused
women.
It is to be noted that the women of Ataikula
village of Raninagar upazila made heroic
contributions during the liberation war in
the country. But due to various reasons, they
did not get recognition as freedom fighters.
When the government supporting of the
policemen. Among others, , Additional Superintendent of
Police, (Administration and Crime) promoted to
Superintendent of Police, Rangpur, Abu Maruf Hossain,
Additional Superintendent of Police, (DSB), promoted to
Superintendent of Police, Rangpur, Fazle Elahi, Additional
Police Super A-Circle, Rangpur Abu Tayab Mohammad Arif
Hossain, Additional Police Super B-Circle, Rangpur, Maruf
Ahmed and Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police C-
Circle, Rangpur, Md. Arman Hossain, PPM, were also
present at the occasion.
War of Liberation came to power, several
Birangana women were recognized as
freedom fighters in the country. But on the
list, name of 10 Biranganas from one of the
organizers of the Liberation War of the
northern district was not listed. As a result it
created chaos and disappointment. After the
present Sheikh Hasina's government came
to power, the grazette was released from the
ministry after recognizing the 10 Birganas of
Ataikula village of Raninagar upazila as
women freedom fighters. They are the late
Rani Pal, Kantha Bala, Renu Bala, Maya
Sutradhar. And those who are alive are
Sushma Bala, Rashmuni Pal, Kalidasi Pal,
Sandhya Rani Pal, Gita Rani Pal and Sushma
Pal who are very happy to receive the
reception and financial opportunity of the
government.
Victory Day
celebrated in
Gaibandha
GAIBANDHA: The Victory
Day was celebrated here on
Monday in a befitting
manner amid festivity and
fanfare, renewing vow to
build a happy, prosperous
and peaceful Bangladesh,
reports BSS.
Marking the day, district
administration, various
cultural organizations,
political parties and
educational institutions
chalked out elaborate
programmes.
The day's programme
began through placing
wreaths at the monument of
the Poura Park of the town
in the morning. Wreaths
were laid on behalf of district
administration, police,
Muktijodha Sangshad, AL,
BNP, Jatiya party and other
political parties along with
educational institutions and
socio-cultural organizations.
31 gun salutes heralded
the day and national flag was
hoisted atop all public and
private buildings just after
the sun rise. Later, an
impressive march past
participated by ansar, VDP,
BNCC, rovers, scouts,
students of Shishu Paribar,
schools and colleges was
held at Shah Abdul Hamid
Stadium at 8.30 am.
Deputy Commissioner
(DC) Abdul Matin and
superintendent of police
(SP) Towhidul Islam took
salute of parade as the chief
and special guests
respectively. Abdul Matin in
his speeches recalled with
profound respect the
greatest Bangalee for all
time Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman who
proclaimed
the
independence
of
Bangladesh. Responding to
the clarion call of
Bangabandhu, people from
all walks of life participated
in the War of Liberation and
achieved the victory through
nine-month bloody war on
this day in 1971, he said.
Later, a reception was
accorded to the freedom
fighters and the members of
martyred families at the
stadium at 11.30 with the
arrangement of the district
administration in
cooperation with Zila
Parishad. The day long
programmes also included
children's art and essay
writing competitions on
Liberation War, arranging
documentary film show,
charity football match,
sports for the women and
blood donation camp.
Aman Rice and Paddy
purchase begins in
Mymensingh
MYMENSINGH: Directorate
of Food has started purchasing
T Aman rice and Paddy
directly from the farmers in
Muktagacha upazila of the
district yesterday, reports
BSS.
State Minister for Cultural
Affairs KM Khalid MP
inaugurated the programme
at a simple function held at
Muktagacha upazila food go
down this morning.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer,
Muktagacha Shubarna
Sarker ,District Food Officer
Zahangir Alam,Upazila Vice
Chairman Mohammad Arab
Ali ,Upazila Food Officer
Shafiul Afzal Union Parishad
Chairmen and local elite
among others were present.
State Minister in his
inaugural speech said, the
present government under
the dynamic leadership of
Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina is committed to
ensure fair price of Aman rice
for the farmers.
He hoped that Aman
farmers of the upazila would
get fair price through the
programme initiated by the
government.
Upazila Food Office sources
told BSS that Department Of
Food finalized the list of
farmers through lottery.
Freedom fighters get smart
card on Victory Day
Mehedi Hasan Masud, Baliakandi: Reception ceremony and smart cards distribution
ceremony were held for 119 brave freedom fighters, war injured freedom fighters and families
of martyr freedom fighters on the occasion of Victory Day in Baliakandi upazila of Rajbari on
Monday.
The function was held at Upazila Parishad auditorium hallroom which was presided over
by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ishrat Jahan while Parliament member of Rajbari-2 constituency
and district Awami League president Md. Zillul Hakim. Among others, Upazila Chairman
Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Joint Secretary (retd) of Ministry of Liberation War Affairs Golam
Rahman Mia, Police Officer in-charge AKM Ajmal Huda, Upazila Vice-Chairman
Moniruzzaman Monir, Women Vice Chairman Khodeja Begum, Upazila Awami League
President Abdul Hannan Mollah and Social Services Officer Ajay Haldar were also present at
the occasion.
Smart card was distributed among 199 freedom fighters during the reception. Later cultural
event was held.
In observance of the Victory Day, smart cards distribution ceremony was
held in Baliakandi upazila on Monday. Photo: Mehedi Hasan Masud
Rangpur cantonment area headquarters
end Victory Day celebrations
RANGPUR: The Rangpur
cantonment area headquarters under
management of Cantonment Public
School and College and the Millennium
Stars School and College completed
week-long Victory Day celebration on
Monday night, reports BSS.
The programmes were held on
'Swasswato Bangla Muktijoddha
Jadughar (SBMJ) premises in the city
from December 10 to December 16, a
press release said today.
The week-long functions included
competitions on poem recitation,
drawing, performing dances with
patriotic songs, folk songs and
displaying incidents of the War of
Liberation. Artists of Cantonment
Public School and College and the
Millennium Stars School and College
and 15 literary and cultural
organisations demonstrated
presentations focusing on the country,
mother, soil, struggles for
independence and War of Liberation
daily during the week-long celebration.
Rangpur Area Commander and
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of
66 Infantry Division Major General
Md. Nazrul Islam attended a special
celebration programs in the evening on
the concluding day as the chief guest.
Celebration of the special programs
began with rendering of the national
anthem in chorus.
Convener of the Victory Day
Observance Committee and Principal
of Cantonment Public School and
College, Rangpur Colonel Kazi Shamim
Hasan delivered welcome speech.
Commander of 72 Infantry Brigade
Brigadier General Md. Aftab Hossain,
Principal of The Millennium Stars
School and College Lieutenant Colonel
Syed Nazmur Rahman, high ranking
military and civil officials were present.
The chief guest honoured five
freedom fighters by handing over
wreaths and crests to them and
distributed prizes among winners of
different competitions.
Ten war heroines, better known as Biranganas, from Ataikula village of Raninagar upazila in
Naogaon district were accorded reception marking the Victory Day on Monday. Photo: S M Saiful
Islam
In observance of the Victory Day, Bangladesh Coast Guard ship, Syed Nazrul at BCG berth Patenga in
Chattogram, BCGS Mansur Ali at BCG berth in Mongla, BCGS Sonar Bangla at Rupsa Station in Khulna,
BCGS Pabna at Rabonabad Station in Patuakhali, BCGS Aparajeyo Bangla at Munshiganj Launchghat and
BCGS Sabuj Bangla at Chandpur Launchghat were open for public inspection from 2pm till sunset on
Monday.
Photo: Courtesy

INTERNATIONAL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019
7
Hong Kong customs announced its largest seizure of methamphetamine in a decade on
Tuesday, 110 kilograms of ice worth some HK$77 million ($10 million) that originated in
Mexico.
Photo : AP
Mexico the origin of Hong Kong’s
largest meth seizure in a decade
HONG KONG : Hong Kong customs
announced its largest seizure of
methamphetamine in a decade on
Tuesday, 110 kilograms of ice worth
some HK$77 million ($10 million) that
originated in Mexico.
The seizure points towards the growing
presence of meth made by Mexican
cartels in Asia, a region where the local
"Golden Triangle" gangs traditionally
dominate production.
Customs officials said the contraband
was discovered in an air cargo shipment
that originated in Mexico and
came via Alaska, reports BSS.
Following a tip-off from overseas law
enforcement, they X-rayed the shipment
which was listed as being filled
with cheap plastic sequins from Mexico,
something officers said made little
sense because such beads could easily
Thai serial
killer sought
over new
murder after
early release
BANGKOK : Thai police
are hunting a convicted serial
killer in connection with
another murder months
after he was released for
good behaviour, authorities
said Tuesday.
Somkid Pumpuang was
sentenced to life in 2005 for
the killing of five women
believed to be involved in the
sex and nightlife industry,
leading the media to dub
him Thailand's "Jack the
Ripper".
But the 55-year-old was
deemed an "excellent prisoner"
and let free in May, the
Thai corrections department
said in a statement.
Seven months later
authorities want to rearrest
him in connection with the
murder of a 51-year-old
hotel maid in northeastern
Thailand.
Thailand's crime suppression
division posted a picture
of Somkid on its Facebook
page under the heading
"Most Wanted".
Several police stations in
the area are cooperating in
the hunt for the serial killer,
case officer Chatchawin
Srikaeolor told AFP.
"We believe that the murder
took place on Sunday
morning," he said.
Thailand's crime suppression
division posted a picture
of Somkid on its Facebook
page under the heading
"Most Wanted".
The corrections department
said it was urgently
reviewing the sentence
reduction policies but also
said it was operating at three
times capacity with 370,000
inmates.
Overcrowding remains a
serious problem in Thai jails,
which has one of the largest
prison populations in the
world.
The number reached an
all-time high earlier this
year, according to a report
this month from the International
Federation for
Human Rights and the
Union for Civil Liberty.
Nearly 80 percent are
jailed for drug-related
offences.
be bought locally. Inside they found 120
plastic lunch boxes filled with high
grade methamphetamine and packets
of fabric softener used to mask the
smell.
"This is the largest meth trafficking
case Hong Kong Customs has detected
in the past 10 years," Commander
Philip Chan, from the customs department's
drug bureau, told reporters.
Chan said some of the ice may have
been intended for local consumption
but the majority was likely headed to
further destinations overseas.
Most of Asia's meth comes from
"Golden Triangle" border areas
between Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and
southwest China which are now pumping
unprecedented quantities of synthetic
drugs into the global markets.
A study by the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime says that Southeast
Asia's crime groups are netting
more than $60 billion a year.
One of the most successful regional
cartels is "Sam Gor", a crime syndicate
officials say is led by a Chinese-born
Canadian citizen named Tse Chi Lop.
But product from Mexico - which traditionally
caters to the North American
market - is increasingly showing up
across the region.
"Mexico in recent years has become a
popular manufacturing place because
of its geographical advantage," Chan
told AFP, with cartels shipping both
north and increasingly across the Pacific.
He added his officers would reach
out to law enforcement agencies overseas
as part of the investigation. No
arrests have so far been made over the
seized shipment.
Verdict due in Philippines’
worst political massacre
MANILA : The alleged masterminds of the Philippines' worst political massacre will learn
their fate Thursday when a Manila court issues its verdict, in a test of the justice system for a
nation with a deep-seated culture of impunity. A decade ago, 58 people, including 32 media
workers, were slaughtered and dumped into roadside pits during an attack that was also one
of the world's worst mass killings of journalists.
Amid international outrage, the slaughter cast a harsh spotlight on the Philippines' deepseated
problems of all-powerful political dynasties, easy access to guns and official impunity.
Victims' families have endured a trial of 101 defendants marred by allegations of bribery,
defence delays, the murder of several witnesses and a fear that the still powerful accused
could be acquitted.
A guilty verdict "will be a strong signal to human rights abusers that they can't always get
away with murder," researcher Carlos Conde of New York-based Human Rights Watch told
AFP. "A not guilty verdict would be catastrophic for the cause of human rights and justice,"
he said, adding acquittal would signal to warlords "that it's business as usual, that they can
continue using violence, intimidation and corruption to rule their communities". Leaders of
the powerful Ampatuan family, who ruled the impoverished southern province of Maguindanao,
are charged with organising the November 23, 2009 mass killing in a bid to quash an
election challenge from a rival clan.
10 killed from Afghan family
heading to funeral: officials
KHOST : Ten members of the same family
were killed Tuesday when their car detonated
a roadside bomb as they were travelling to
a funeral in eastern Afghanistan, officials
said. The victims had been driving in Khost
province in a large station wagon-type vehicle
when the blast occurred, according to
local and national officials.
"The casualties include five men, two
women and three children all from one family,"
Talib Mangal, a spokesman for Khost's
governor, told AFP.
"They were travelling to Logar province to
attend a funeral."
Provincial police spokesman Adil Haidar
confirmed the toll and incident details, while
interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi
added it was a Taliban bomb placed by the
side of the road.
The Taliban did not immediately comment.
Deadly violence continues to grip
Afghanistan even as the US and the Taliban
negotiate on-off talks aimed at reducing
America's military footprint in the country in
return for the insurgents ensuring an
improved security situation.
Khost is southeast of Kabul and borders
Pakistan.
Ten members of the same family were killed Tuesday when their car
detonated a roadside bomb as they were travelling to a funeral in eastern
Afghanistan, officials said.
Photo : AP
US wants explanation
for Turkey threat to
close two bases
WASHINGTON : US
Defense Secretary Mark
Esper said Monday he wants
an explanation from Ankara
over threats to close two
strategic military bases used
by the United States in
Turkey.
Turkey's President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday
threatened to close the Incirlik
and Kurecik bases while
speaking to a pro-government
television channel. The
two bases sit on Turkey's
southwest coast, near the
border with Syria.
The US air force uses the
air base at Incirlik for raids
on positions held by the
Islamic State (IS) group in
Syria. The Kurecik base
houses a major NATO radar
station.
Esper told reporters he
would need to speak to his
counterpart, defense minister
Hulusi Akar, "to understand
what they really mean
and how serious they are."
"If the Turks are serious
about this, I mean, they are a
sovereign nation to begin
with… they have the inherent
right to house or not to
house NATO bases or foreign
troops," Esper said on a
plane as he flew back from
Belgium, where he had
attended the 75th anniversary
of the Battle of the
Bulge.
"I think this becomes an
Alliance's matter, their commitment
to the Alliance, if
indeed they are serious
about what they are saying,"
he added.
Esper also noted he was
disappointed by the direction
Ankara seems to be taking,
moving away from
NATO and getting closer to
Russia.
Sudan free from
Bashir but effects
of sanctions linger
KHARTOUM : In a
cooking oil factory in Khartoum,
Sudanese workers
hammer at a broken-down
machine, as general manager
Sarah al-Fateh sighs in
frustration. She is unable to
import replacement parts
for her family's business, she
said, because of "American
sanctions".
A year after the start of a
protest movement that led to
the fall of dictator Omar al-
Bashir, Sudan is looking for a
fresh start - but its economy is
in recession. For Fateh and
other Sudanese entrepreneurs,
the lingering effects of
US sanctions are a big part of
the problem. In 1997, the
United States imposed a trade
embargo on Sudan, which
hosted Al-Qaeda leader
Osama bin Laden between
1992 and 1996, reports BSS.
Sanctions affected international
banking but also
technology and trade in
spare parts. While the
embargo was lifted in 2017,
Fateh said she is still unable
to invest in her family's factory,
as Sudan is not part of
the global banking system.
Baghdad must 'take actions'
after strikes on US interests,
Washington says
BAGHDAD : The United States has called
on Baghdad to "take actions" to protect US
interests in the country after a flurry of
attacks that have been blamed on Iranianbacked
groups.
Tehran wields growing influence in Iraq,
particularly through armed factions.
Since October 28, ten rocket attacks have
targeted areas where US soldiers and diplomats
are stationed.
They have not been claimed, but the United
States has blamed Iranian-backed Shiite
paramilitary groups.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper told
reporters Monday he had expressed "concern
about the optics in attacks on bases in
Iraq where US troops and material might
be," in a call with outgoing prime minister
Adel Abdel Mahdi. The US has "a right of self
defense, that we would ask our Iraqi partners
to take proactive actions… to get that under
control, because it's not good for anybody,"
he told Abdel Mahdi.
Abdel Mahdi's office released a statement
earlier Monday confirming the phone call
and asking everyone "to spare no effort to
prevent an escalation that will threaten all
parties". "Unilateral decisions will trigger
negative reactions that will make it more difficult
to control the situation and will threaten
Iraq's security, sovereignty and independence,"
he said. Esper, speaking on a plane
returning from Belgium, where he had
attended the 75th anniversary of the Battle of
the Bulge, acknowledged Tehran's involvement
was difficult to prove. "My suspicion
would be that Iran is behind these attacks,
much like they are behind a lot of malign
Turkey detains nearly
200 over Gulen links
ANKARA : Turkish police on Tuesday
detained 181 people suspected of ties to a
group blamed for a 2016 coup attempt, the
Ankara public prosecutor's office said.
The detentions came after the capital's
public prosecutor issued arrest warrants for
260 suspects accused of using the encrypted
ByLock messaging application which
authorities believe was used to coordinate
the coup bid. Another 18 suspects, including
10 doctors, were sought in a second probe.
behavior throughout the region," he said.
"But it's hard to pin down."
Abdel Mahdi is a close ally of Iran who also
enjoyed cordial relations with the US.
He resigned in early December after the
two months of unprecedented demonstrations
in the capital and Shiite-majority south
that have left 460 people dead.
Negotiations are underway to name his
successor. "If the Iraqi government or state
weakens, this will exacerbate escalation and
chaos," Abdel Mahdi told Esper, according to
the statement. Iran has gained overwhelming
influence in Iraq since the 2003 US invasion
brought down Saddam Huseein.
A US source recently told AFP that pro-
Iran factions in Iraq were now considered a
more significant threat to American soldiers
than the Islamic State group (IS).
The attacks have killed one Iraqi soldier
and left others wounded, as well as causing
material damage in the vicinity of the US
embassy in Baghdad's ultra-secure Green
Zone. The US has recently reinforced its
security at the embassy, according to an Iraqi
security source, who said "a convoy of 15
American vehicles each transporting
armoured trucks and weapons entered the
Green Zone". Top US diplomat Mike Pompeo
on Friday warned Iran's leaders "that
any attacks by them, or their proxies of any
identity, that harm Americans, our allies or
our interests will be answered with a decisive
US response". US officials say they are considering
sending 5,000 to 7,000 troops to
the region to counter Iran, although Esper on
Friday again denied a report that a 14,000-
strong deployment was under discussion.
Officers have so far detained 171 people in
Ankara and another 10 suspects elsewhere,
the office said without giving details.
Tens of thousands have been arrested over
alleged ties to US-based Muslim preacher
Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says ordered
the failed coup. Gulen denies this.
Since the failed overthrow of President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, authorities have also
sacked or suspended over 140,000 public
sector workers over suspected links to Gulen.
Rights groups have criticized President Tayyip Erdogan of using the 2016
abortive coup, which he blamed on preacher Fethullah Gulen, above, as a
pretext to quash dissent.
Photo : Courtesy
Boeing says to halt 737 MAX
production next month
WASHINGTON : Boeing said Monday
it would temporarily suspend production
of its globally grounded 737
MAX jets next month as safety regulators
delay the aircraft's return to the
skies after two crashes, reports BSS.
The decision confirmed investor
fears that the company's recovery from
the crisis is dragging on longer and creating
more uncertainty for Boeing than
executives anticipated.
Boeing's travails since March have
weighed on the US economy, holding
down American manufacturing output,
trade and sales of durable goods
while damaging the company's performance
on Wall Street's benchmark
Dow Jones Industrial Average.
In a statement, the company said it
would continue to pay its workers
despite the temporary production
stoppage, but the decision immediately
raised questions for the future of
parts suppliers that contribute to the
jets' manufacture.
"We have previously stated that we
would continually evaluate our production
plans should the MAX
grounding continue longer than we
expected," the company said in a statement.
"As a result of this ongoing evaluation,
we have decided to prioritize the
delivery of stored aircraft and temporarily
suspend production on the
737 program beginning next month."
The company said it would focus on
delivering 400 jets it has kept in storage.
Though the jets have been grounded
worldwide since March following
deadly crashes in Indonesia and
Ethiopia, which left 346 people dead,
Boeing had continued to produce 40 of
the planes per month at a Renton,
Washington facility.
Last week, US aviation regulators
issued the company an unusually
sharp rebuke, accusing it of pursuing
an "unrealistic" timeline for the MAX's
return to service and of making public
statements intended to put pressure
on federal authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration
said Wednesday it could not approve
the jets' return to service before 2020,
even though Boeing had long said it
planned to get officials' green light
before the end of this year.
Boeing and the FAA have been under
intense scrutiny for their responses to
issues with the aircraft, including the
flight-handling system involved in
both accidents, the Maneuvering Characteristics
Augmentation System, or
MCAS.
"Boeing seems to have finally come
to terms with the new reality that international
safety regulators will not be
bent to their whim, and the process of
returning these planes to service is not
as simple as a quick software fix," Senator
Richard Blumenthal said in a
statement.
Boeing's travails since March have
weighed on the US economy, holding
down American manufacturing output,
trade and sales of durable goods
while damaging the company's performance
on Wall Street's benchmark
Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Analysts say Boeing's prospects will
remain clouded until Boeing can get
the all-clear for the MAX to fly again.

ART & CULTURE
WednesdAY, december 18, 2019
8
Knives Out (2019)
A detective investigates the death of a
patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
Director : Rian Johnson
Writer : Rian Johnson
Stars : Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana
de Armas
Release : 27 November, 2019
Country : USA
Genre : Comedy, Crime, Drama
Duration : 2h 10min
Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari have started filming Bunty Aur Babli 2.
siddhant chaturvedi,
sharvari to star in bunty
Aur babli 2
Gully Boy star Siddhant
Chaturvedi and debutante
Sharvari have taken the
baton from Abhishek
Bachchan and Rani Mukerji
to portray talented cons in
Bunty Aur Babli 2.
Rani Mukerji and Abhishek
Bachchan became our
favourite con artists in 2005
when Yash Raj Films
production Bunty Aur Babli
hit the screens. Now, Gully
Boy star Siddhant Chaturvedi
and debutante Sharvari have
taken the baton from them to
portray talented cons in the
film’s reboot Bunty Aur
Babli 2.
“Meet the new Bunty aur
Babli!@SiddhantChturvD |
#Sharvari | BuntyAurBabli2 |
#VarunSharma,” read a
tweet on YRF’s official
Twitter handle as the
production house made the
announcement.
Varun Sharma, who has
dadagiri Unlimited 8: team rani rashmoni
has a blast with host sourav Ganguly
'Dadagiri Unlimited season 8' is one of the most
popular shows on Bengali television so far. The show is
successfully airing its 8th season and raking the TRP
charts with good numbers; thanks to Dada Sourav
Ganguly’s charm and his googlies.
The show is ready with its upcoming episode, where
actors from popular period-drama ‘Rani Rashmoni’
will be seen playing the game with host Sourav.
Ditipriya Roy, Gourab Chatterjee, Roshni
Bhattacharyya and others will be seen in the show.
Ditipriya, who is still a schoolgirl, plays the iconic
character of Rani Rashmoni in the show. In fact,
most of her co-stars are quite older than her. But
the actress gives a tough fight to all other actors
when it comes to acting.
Dada was amazed to see Ditipriya’s talent. On his
request, Ditipriya delivers a few dialogues from Rani
Rashmoni and shows how she talks to her on-screen
son-in-law Mathuramohan Biswas (played by Gourab).
Interestingly, Ditipriya was very young when she
played a small role in Gourab’s debut television show
‘Durga’, starring Sandipta Sen opposite him (Gourab).
Gourab is quite affectionate about Ditipriya, whom he
has seen growing up.
From sharing funny incidents from the sets of the
written Bunty Aur Babli 2,
said, “Bunty Aur Babli 2 is
completely set in today’s
time. Siddhant caught
everyone’s eye with his
brilliant acting debut in Gully
Boy and became the
heartthrob of the nation. We
are very excited to have him
play the role of Bunty. He is a
superb actor, is extremely
charming and he fits the role
perfectly. Sharvari is an
extremely special actress to
watch out for. She is a
powerful performer and you
have to watch her on-screen
to understand what we mean.
Given the film and the roles,
they are definitely the perfect
casting. They are a fresh, hot
pair and their chemistry and
energy is infectious.”
Bunty Aur Babli, also
featuring Amitabh Bachchan,
was one of the highestgrossing
films of 2005. It was
a commercial potboiler
revolving around Rakesh
Trivedi (Abhishek) and
Vimmi Saluja (Rani), who
elope to live a life of their
choice instead of fulfilling the
aspirations of their parents.
Both of them bump into each
other, and they con people to
live a lavish life.
The film also had a special
song “Kajra Re” featuring
Aishwarya Rai with Abhishek
and Amitabh. It is still one of
the most popular tracks of
Bollywood.
Not just the movie, even the
film’s album composed by
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is
etched in the memory of
cinephiles. Now, if the
makers will do justice to the
original film or not will be
known next year.
Produced by Aditya
Chopra, Bunty Aur Babli 2
has begun its shooting
schedule already.
Source : indianexpress.com
show to Ditipriya’s typical accent, the actors revealed it
all to host Sourav. The actors also played the game quite
seriously and Ditipriya was seen tensed while facing
googlies from the aced cricketer, as per sources.
Source : TOI
stOrYline :
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey
(Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after
his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to
investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his
devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and
self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's
untimely death. |Source: IMDb
Phagun bou
In the latest episode of Phagun Bou, the
family members worry about Mohul’s
safety. Suddenly she comes back home.
The family members are shocked to see
her. Roddur’s uncle tries to talk to her
about last night and asks why didn’t she
come back home.
Mohul, who has no clue about Anurup’s
plan, shares she faced a horrible incident.
Barshan and Nilanjana shoot awkward
questions to her. Anurup enjoys the
drama. Mohul tries to explain that two
men forcefully took her to a place. Anurup
says those men were familiar with Mohul.
Such words leave Mohul shocked.
Roddur doesn’t believe Mohul’s words.
Rather, he starts blaming Mohul for being
desperate to earn money.
Mohul narrates the entire incident and
tells those men locked her up in a room
and kept an eye on her from outside.
Today morning they took her inside a car
blindfolded and left her on a road. None of
the family members believes her account.
Malabika shares that no sign of
trauma can be noticed on Mohul’s face.
If she had faced such an incident last
night, she should have been taken aback
due to trauma. Anurup tries to prove
that Mohul deliberately spent the night
with those men.
Mohul feels insulted and tries to defend
herself. Suddenly, Anurup shows some
pictures to the family members where she
is seen with some unknown men. Mohul is
shocked so are the family members.
When Mohul tries to connect the dots
and tells someone must be conspiring
against her, none of the family members
believes her account yet again.
|Source: TOI ]
Character Spotlight
munna bhai mbbs’s murli
Prasad sharma
In the 11th edition of the series Character
Spotlight, I revisit the character Murli Prasad
Sharma aka Munna Bhai, played by Sanjay
Dutt, in Rajkumar Hirani's blockbuster film
Munna Bhai MBBS.
When Munna Bhai enters the frame in his
signature style, offering a ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi’, all
hearts melt. Despite being a ‘bhai’, he is
lovable. Despite extortion calls, he is the go-to
person for everyone. Despite threats of
kidnapping, he is scared of his parents.
Sanjay Dutt calls Murli Prasad Sharma aka
Munna Bhai a career-defining role. The actor got
a new lease of life in Bollywood with Munna Bhai
MBBS (2003), which was ace filmmaker
Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial debut.
So what was it about Munna Bhai that made
him unique?.
Munna Bhai came at a time when
Bollywood’s definition of a don or gangster
was a man with an appetite for bloodlust. Of
course Munna, in his own mind, was on
similar lines, just that his ways were tad
different. One can recall how the opening
kidnapping scene ends up with him
punishing the other party when he
discovers that he has been double-crossed
by the instigator himself into false money
laundering. Munna’s justice is just!
Despite being the tapori thug who rules the
washerman’s neighbourhood, he is affable. He
is also scared of his parents. So whenever his
parents visit him in Mumbai, Munna and his
gang of minions turn their den upside down
into “Shri Hari Prasad Sharma Charitable
Hospital”, putting up an exaggerated act of
running a charity clinic. Munna was indeed a
baddie with a good heart.
Seeking redemption after hurting his
parents, he cheats his way through a medical
institute. He fails to perform a post-mortem
on a dead body despite killing several people
outside the hospital. He challenges its dean Dr
Asthana at every step to throw him out. Why?
Because Munnai Bhai realises he isn’t there
Arshad Warsi played Circuit, the resourceful sidekick of Munna Bhai.
for a degree (he’ll anyway get that through his
own ways). His motive is to spread love, heal
hearts and win over Dr Suman (Gracy Singh).
His tactics are sweet. From giving love lessons
to a teenager who thinks suicide is the only
remedy post a heartbreak, ensuring a cancer
patient enjoys all the worldly happiness in the
little time he has at his disposal to even
infusing life again into an old man on his
death bed, Munna’s medicine was one of a
kind. His “Jaadu Ki Jhappi” not only made his
friends in the hospital smile, but even brought
back a brain-dead patient. In short, Munna
needed no MBBS to heal the world.
Source : indianexpress.com
H O r O s c O P e
Aries
(March 21 - April 20): You may feel
like someone is trying to rain on your
parade. It's important not to forget
who you are now. Don't be surprised if you feel a
negative pull from someone or something. If so,
step away from the situation. It's not your
responsibility to make everyone happy. Don't bring
yourself down as you try to bring others up.
tAUrUs
(April 21 - May 21): Today is a terrific
day for you. You're able to accomplish
a lot during the day, leaving the night
open for excitement with others. Once you take
care of the necessary things, feel free to grab a big
helping of fun. You've earned the right to break
loose and party. There's confidence in your step,
so strut your stuff.
Gemini
(May 22 - June 21): Promote
balance and harmony today by
letting off a bit of steam before you
try to engage with others and their dramas.
Secure yourself in a stable environment where
you can vent your concerns, punch pillows, or
jog around the block. Once you get that out,
you'll have a fresh, new attitude with which to
participate in the adventures of the day.
cAncer
(June 22 - July 23): There's aggressiveness
to you today, but this feeling can be
useful to you and what you have
going on. There's a practical force helping you stay
grounded and realistic about certain issues. Don't
make promises that you know you can't keep.
Don't be the salesman who promises the world
and then fails to deliver anything.
leO
(July 24 - Aug. 23): There's increased
emotional tension today. You may be
at the forefront of the action as you
take things higher and farther. Have a map handy
or you could wind up alone in the middle of
nowhere. Other people will be looking for
something practical in your approach so they have
something solid to lean on during this time.
VirGO
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Do you
often act as if the world is static
and nothing ever changes?
Sometimes you may think that humankind
is a certain way, the world is a certain way,
and so this is what you're going to do. Have
you ever heard of evolution? The human
race is constantly evolving, and so is the
world. Look around!
librA
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): You should try
to hold your tongue today. Although
you think you have all the answers,
you might not have taken all the pieces of the
puzzle into account. There is an emotional
aggression to the day that may have a strong
effect on everyone, especially you. Consider
being more of a listener than a talker.
scOrPiO
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): Today you may
feel like going into your past. One
half of you feels nostalgia for the
"good old days." The other half lives for the future
and is unafraid to project into the unknown.
Even though this sounds a bit contradictory, both
these sides of you help the world move forward.
Think about this today.
sAGittAriUs
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): You're
sensitive to the world around you.
It's like you're thinking with your
heart. It's possible you'll be more
impressionable and less objective when your
emotions get the better of you in your
relationships. If you'd hoped to hide
something from someone, it won't work. Even
if you say nothing, it's written on your face.
cAPricOrn
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Point your
aggressiveness in the right direction
today. That shouldn't be too hard since
you know and understand the meaning of a job well
done and what's required to get things accomplished.
You're anxious to get the ball rolling on certain
projects. You've done the organization and planning.
Trust that you know exactly how to proceed.
AQUAriUs
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): Do you have a
talent for writing? You seem to have a
precise and clear way of expressing
yourself. And it's possible you use this
gift of yours in your career. Today you might want
to use it to express your feelings about someone.
Whether you write to a family member or compose
a love letter, you'll be particularly inspired.
Pisces
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): Try to keep
your emotions in check today.
It's possible that you could
become extremely angry and do some
damage to yourself and others around you.
It's important to maintain certain modesty
and humility at all times. You'll build good
character that earns the respect of others,
including your superiors.

SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBEr 18, 2019
9
Ben Stokes starred as England won the World Cup for the first time as Australia's Steve Smith enjoyed
a successful return to the international stage after the 'sandpaper' ball-tampering scandal. Photo: AP
Cricket in 2019: Stokes and Smith
shine in eventful year
Sports Desk: Ben Stokes starred as
England won the World Cup for the
first time before producing one of the
most memorable innings in Ashes
history as Australia's Steve Smith
enjoyed a successful return to the
international stage after the
'sandpaper' ball-tampering scandal,
reports BSS.
But they were not the lone standout
performers in 2019.
Below AFP Sport looks back at five
memorable incidents from the year in
cricket. January saw Kusal Perera
compile one of the greatest innings in
Test history when his stunning 153 not
out guided Sri Lanka to a remarkable
one-wicket win over South Africa in
Durban. Sri Lanka still needed 78
more runs for victory when last man
Vishwa Fernando joined Perera in the
middle. Perera was then 86 not out
and the only realistic hope was that
Fernando would hang around long
enough for him to get a hundred.
He did rather more than that though
while Perera, who hit five sixes
including two off fast bowling great
Dale Steyn, managed the strike
superbly to see Sri Lanka to their
target of 304. England finally ended
Zaha equaliser
sees Palace into
ninth place in
Premier League
Sports Desk: Wilfried
Zaha's equaliser lifted
Crystal Palace up to ninth
in the Premier League
table as they shared the
points in a 1-1 draw at
home to Brighton on
Monday, reports BSS.
Neal Maupay fired the
visitors into a 54th-minute
lead but Palace star Zaha
drew the Eagles level
against the Seagulls with a
fine solo effort 15 minutes
from time at Selhurst Park.
Palace have now moved
above London rivals
Arsenal in the table and
Zaha was proud of the way
his side stayed in the game
against a Brighton team
who had much the better of
the play. "It was a big game
for both teams and I'm
glad we got back in it - if
you can't win, don't lose,"
Zaha told Sky Sports.
Brighton remained in
13th, five points above the
relegation zone, and
manager Graham Potter
was pleased by the south
coast side's latest display.
"The performance was
really, really good…You
can't control a game away
from home much more
than that," said Potter
before adding: "We know if
there is one action from a
really good player you can
be punished.
"Our job is to accumulate
points but knowing the
competition is really fierce.
We try to improve and see
where that takes us."
For Palace, Christian
Benteke made his first start
since August while Jeffrey
Schlupp's hip injury meant
Jairo Riedewald came in at
left-back and Scott Dann
also came in. Martin
Montoya and Yves
Bissouma came in for
Brighton, with Dale
Stephens suspended, and
Steven Alzate dropped to
the bench.
their 45-year wait for a first men's
World Cup title with a stunning win
over New Zealand in an extraordinary
final at Lord's in July that saw them
triumph by "the barest of margins" in
the words of former Black Caps
wicketkeeper turned commentator
Ian Smith. Ben Stokes's 84 not out
helped England equal but not surpass
New Zealand's 241, his innings
including a lucky six that came after a
throw from the outfield deflected off
his bat and went for four bonus runs.
For the first time, the final went into
a Super Over and here too the scores
were level, with the run out of New
Zealand's Martin Guptill off the last
ball of the match seeing England win
on superior boundary count.
Stokes, whose career was nearly
ended by a court case that eventually
saw him acquitted on a charge of
affray, was a national hero. Doubts
over whether Steve Smith was still the
same Test batsman following a 12-
month ban for his role in the
'sandpaper' ball-tampering scandal in
South Africa that cost him the
Australia captaincy were settled in the
Ashes opener at Edgbaston where he
marked his comeback with a superb
innings of 144 and 142 during a 251-
run triumph.
It was the start of an extraordinary
run spree that saw Smith score 774
runs at an average of 110.57.
Australia retained the Ashes as fivematch
series ended all square at 2-2,
with the blow to the head Smith
suffered after being struck by a Jofra
Archer bouncer during the drawn
second match at Lord's eventually
seeing Marnus Labuschagne become
Test cricket's first concussion
substitute. England had already been
bowled out for a woeful 67 in their first
innings when last man Jack Leach
joined Stokes with the hosts still
needing 73 more runs to reach a
victory target of 359 in the third Test at
Headingley. But Stokes, in an innings
that mixed defensive resilience with
attacking flair, hit an unbeaten 135
that saw England to a stunning onewicket
win, arguably even more
extraordinary than their celebrated
1981 Ashes victory at Yorkshire's
headquarters, although it would have
been a different conclusion had not
Australia's Nathan Lyon fumbled a
clear run out chance with Leach
stranded.
Du Plessis wants
De Villiers back
Sports Desk: South African captain Faf
du Plessis said on Monday that talks had
begun aimed at getting star batsman AB
de Villiers back into international cricket
ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia
in October next year, reports BSS.
"Those conversations have been
happening two or three months ago," said
Du Plessis, who was responding to a
comment by new South African head
coach Mark Boucher that he would
welcome having De Villiers in his team.
Speaking after leading his Paarl Rocks
team to an eight-wicket victory over the
Boucher-coached Tshwane Spartans in
the Mzansi Super League final at Boland
Park, Du Plessis said his immediate focus
was on preparing for a Test series against
England which starts in Centurion on
December 26.
"Obviously Test cricket is the most
important thing right now but T20 cricket
is a different beast," said Du Plessis.
De Villiers retired from international
cricket after a Test series against Australia
in 2017 and any comeback would probably
be limited to Twenty20 internationals for
a player who has become a specialist in the
short form of the game. He made a halfcentury
for Tshwane in Monday's final but
will soon be on his way to Australia to play
in that country's Big Bash.
"It's not a lot of time away from home,"
said Du Plessis. "Obviously with a full
campaign you have to spend a lot of time
on the road. The T20 World Cup is not too
far away and there isn't a long list of T20
internationals over the season. Those
conversations have taken place and they
will take place before the next T20
international series starts."
South Africa will play three home T20
internationals against England and
another three against Australia between
February 12 and February 26.
Du Plessis welcomed the dramatic
changes which have taken place in South
African cricket over the past week, which
have resulted in former captain Graeme
Smith being appointed interim director of
cricket and Boucher being made head
coach.
"It was the dark ages last week and there
is a little light this week," he said. "It's very
important. It will help the dressing room
and even the support of the team.
AB de Villiers retired from international cricket after a Test series
against Australia in 2017 and any comeback would probably be
limited to Twenty20 internationals for a player who has become a
specialist in the short form of the game.
Photo: AP
Veteran seamer
Siddle recalled to
Australia Boxing
Day Test squad
Sports Desk: Australia's
cricket selectors gave
veteran paceman Peter
Siddle a career lifeline
Tuesday, calling him up to
the 13-man squad for the
second Test against New
Zealand in Melbourne
beginning on Boxing Day,
reports BSS.
Siddle's days in the baggy
green appeared over when
he endured a dismal Ashes
series in England, taking
just seven wickets in three
Tests at an average of
42.14.
The 35-year-old was
overlooked for the series
against Pakistan last
month and did not feature
in discussions about the
current series against New
Zealand until Josh
Hazlewood was injured.
James Pattinson is
favourite to replace
Hazlewood but chief
selector Trevor Hohns said
Siddle had plenty to offer
at his home Melbourne
Cricket Ground.
"Peter has been brought
in as a 13th player for
Melbourne," Hohns said.
Liverpool's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah during a training session at Qatar University stadium
in Doha on Dec 16, 2019.
Photo: AP
Women’s 2011 WC winners to kick
off Japan Olympic torch relay
Sports Desk: Japan's 2011 Women's
World Cup-winning team will kick off the
2020 Tokyo Olympic torch relay in
Fukushima, the area devastated by a
tsunami, earthquake and nuclear
meltdown eight years ago, reports BSS.
Organisers said on Tuesday that the
Olympic flame would begin the Japan leg
of its journey on March 26, starting at the
J-Village sports training centre in
Fukushima that housed workers battling
to remove radioactive waste after the
nuclear crisis.
It will cross through all of Japan's 47
prefectures on its 121-day journey, taking
in landmarks such as Mount Fuji and the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park,
dedicated to the victims of the world's first
atomic bombing in 1945.
The 2011 World Cup win lifted the
nation only a few months after the
Fukushima disaster that left 18,000 dead
or missing and rendered large portions of
the country's northeast uninhabitable.
"We were very much encouraged by
your victory, and we are grateful that you
are the first runners," said Mikio Date, a
member of Japanese comedy duo
Egyptians in Qatar ready for
Salah-mania despite boycott
Sports Desk: Qatar's large Egyptian
community is clamouring to welcome
their country's "icon" Mohamed Salah
when he comes to the Gulf this week as
Liverpool kick off their Club World Cup
campaign, reports BSS.
But a regional diplomatic crisis has
frustrated travel plans for fans based in
Egypt and complicated the desire of expats
in Doha to celebrate their country's bestknown
player.
The Egyptian diaspora in Qatar number
around 300,000, according to official
statistics, out of a total population of 2.75
million.
For many years, Qatari authorities
sought out skilled Egyptian migrants to
staff a range of sectors from oil and gas to
teaching and the health system.
But an economic and travel embargo on
Qatar by a Saudi-led coalition that
includes Cairo has cooled Doha's
enthusiasm for mass migration from
Egypt.
The two-year-long effort to isolate Qatar
stems from accusations that Doha backs
radical Islamists and has sought closer ties
with Saudi Arabia's arch rival Iran.
Doha vehemently denies the charges.
Egypt and Saudi, along with Bahrain
and the United Arab Emirates, closed their
airspace to Qatar Airways and banned
travel to the country, putting their citizens
in Qatar in a difficult position.
Large numbers of Egyptians gathered in
the Souq Waqif tourist bazaar to watch
Sandwich Man who announced the
runners.
Azusa Iwashimizu, a member of the
2011 squad, said she hoped to bring the
country together again - as the Japanese
rugby team did during this year's World
Cup on home soil.
"This year, the words 'One Team' made
waves with rugby, but we were 'One
Team' in 2011," she told reporters.
"I look forward to showing our efforts
again as the original 'One Team,'" she
added.
Organisers hope to use the Tokyo 2020
Games to showcase the Fukushima area's
recovery after the "triple disaster" that
struck on March 11, 2011.
The flame lighting ceremony is
scheduled to take place in Ancient
Olympia, home of the ancient Games in
Greece, on March 12 when a high
priestess will ignite the Olympic flame
using the sun's rays and a parabolic
mirror.
The Greek leg of the torch relay will then
run for eight days before the flame is
handed to Tokyo 2020 in Athens on
March 19.
Zidane and Valverde to meet in
Clasico battle of the survivors
Sports Desk: Zinedine Zidane and Ernesto Valverde might have been fearing for their
jobs if they had lost a Clasico back in October but its postponement means that on
Wednesday they can face each other feeling more secure, reports BSS.
Stalling in the autumn, Real Madrid and Barcelona have rolled through the gears in the
lead-up to Christmas, meaning the winner of Wednesday's crunch meeting at Camp Nou
will move seven points clear of third place.
More importantly, in what increasingly looks like a two-pronged title chase, the winner
will pull three ahead of the loser, with one round Liga matches left before the two-week
winter break.
Yet even for the loser, providing defeat is not a humiliation, the consequences will not
be so grave. The gap in the table will be small and considering where both these teams
were only a few weeks ago, when every week brought a new name linked with coaching
jobs and every goal conceded planted another seed of doubt. For Real Madrid, Jose
Mourinho was out of work and in the public eye, his increasingly frequent media
showings even appearing to irk the usually immoveable Zidane.
Liverpool's 5-2 trouncing of Everton in
this month's Merseyside derby.
In a market cafe, other Salah fans called
the 27-year-old Arab soccer talisman "an
icon for many".
On Wednesday they will have a chance
to watch Salah in the flesh when the Reds
face Mexico's Monterrey in their semifinal
at the 40,000-capacity Khalifa
International Stadium.
Egyptian Mustafa Abdel Moneim, 42,
told AFP he "got four tickets to the semifinals,
because I expect Liverpool to win
and I know that there will be a lot of
pressure from Arabs and Egyptians on the
team's first game".
"My children put so much pressure on
me to book the tickets because they are
obsessed with Salah. They will be very
happy to see him on the field."
British newspapers have reported that
Liverpool have received assurances from
Qatar, which will host the 2022 World
Cup, that Salah's visit to the Gulf
monarchy will not be politicised.
Salah was the at the centre of a political
storm when he was pictured alongside
Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov,
who is accused of rights abuses, during
Egypt's 2018 World Cup stay in the
Russian region.
"Frankly I only support Liverpool for
him, if they scored 10 goals, I do not
rejoice - except when the goal is Salah's,"
said Mahmoud Mansour, 30.
Mavericks hold off
Bucks to snap 18-game
NBA win streak
Sports Desk: Seth Curry
and Kristaps Porzingis
each scored 26 points and
the Dallas Mavericks
snapped Milwaukee's 18-
game NBA win streak
Monday 120-116 despite
48 points and 14 rebounds
by Bucks star Giannis
Antetokounmpo, reports
BSS.
The Mavericks, lacking
Slovenian star big man
Luka Doncic due to an
ankle sprain, held off the
host Bucks, who made a
furious rally with a late 17-
6 run that fell just short.
Latvia's Porzingis, who
scored 11 in the first
quarter, shot 9-of-19 from
the floor and 4-of-8 from
3-point range as well as
grabbing 12 rebounds
while Curry, brother of
injured Golden State star
Stephen Curry, came off
the bench to spark the
Mavs.
Bucks reserve Kyle
Korver had 17 points,
hitting 5-of-7 3-point
shots.
Porzingis said the
Mavericks are playing
better as they adjust to
playing without Doncic for
a while.
"Without Luka, we got
used to him. It threw us off
a little bit not having him
out there," Porzingis said.
"Tonight we looked a little
better. We want to keep
getting better and we want
him to get better and come
back as soon as possible."
Milwaukee settled for the
second-longest win streak
in team history, two shy of
the club's record run from
the 1970-71 NBA
championship campaign.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019
10
Quazi Osman Ali, Managing Director & CEO of Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) inaugurated two
ATM Booths at Khilgaon and Malibag, Dhaka on 17.12.2019. Abdul Hannan Khan, SEVP & Company
Secretary, Md. Abdul Mottaleb, Head of Branches Control and General Banking Division,
Mohammad Wahiduzzaman, Head of ADC, Mohammad Shofiullah, Manager of Mouchak Branch
along with other senior officials, valued clients and local dignitaries were also present on the
occasion.
Photo : Courtesy
China sees strong industrial,
retail growth in November
BEIJING : China enjoyed a betterthan-expected
pick-up in the key retail
and industrial sectors in November,
data showed Monday, providing a
further boost to Beijing after finally
agreeing a mini trade pact with the
United States last week.
The readings come at the end of a
tough year for the world's number
two economy, which is expanding at
its weakest rate for three decades as it
is buffeted by the long-running trade
war with Washington as well as a
slowdown in global demand for its
goods.
Industrial production increased 6.2
percent on-year last month, up from
4.7 percent in October and the best
reading in six months.
There was also positive news for the
country's shops, with retail sales up 8.0
percent, compared with a 7.2 percent
rise the month before. The figures
exceeded expectations, with analysts
surveyed by Bloomberg predicting just
5.0 percent growth in industrial
production and 7.6 percent in retail
sales. Fu Linghui, spokesman at the
National Bureau of Statistics, said the
key economic indicators "performed
better than expected" in the "face of
mounting risks and challenges both at
home and abroad".
But he warned there was still
"downward pressure" on the Chinese
economy owing to "increasing external
instabilities and uncertainties".
Investment in fixed capital was up 5.2
percent, the same as October and in
line with predictions.
In November, Chinese shoppers set
new records for spending during the
annual "Singles' Day" buying spree,
with e-commerce giant Alibaba saying
consumers spent $38.3 billion on its
platforms during the world's biggest
24-hour shopping event.
The figure was up 26 percent from
the previous all-time high set last year.
China's economy is in an extended
slowdown and the Singles' Day fire sale
is viewed as a snapshot of consumer
sentiment.
Economic growth slowed to six
percent in the third quarter - the most
sluggish rate since 1990 - as demand
for exports cooled and Chinese
consumers tightened their belts.
Fu said Beijing was on track to meet
its full-year growth target of 6.0-6.5
percent for 2019, but "must also
acknowledge that the current
international environment is still
relatively complicated".
The partial trade deal had "reduced
market uncertainty", he said.
But analysts said Monday's strong
data was not necessarily a sign of longlasting
growth.
"We think this uptick will prove
short-lived," said Martin Lynge
Rasmussen, China economist at Capital
Economics, warning of the impact of a
squeeze on financing in the important
real-estate sector.
"Downward pressure on growth is
likely to resurface before long," he
added.
US, China mini-deal offers ‘breathing
space’ for Chinese economy
BEIJING : A truce in the US-China
trade war offers Xi Jinping breathing
space as he faces a slowing economy
and political trouble in Hong Kong, but
experts warn 2020 will be another
tough year for the Chinese president.
The pared-down "phase one" deal
announced Friday includes a reduction
in US tariffs on China, in exchange for
an increase in Chinese purchases of US
goods and better protections for
intellectual property, reports BSS
But tussles over the most
controversial Chinese trade practices -
including steep state subsidies - have
been left to future talks.
The trade war launched nearly two
years ago by President Donald Trump
isn't over, analysts say, as there's always
the risk of Beijing not upholding its end
of the bargain and the mercurial US
leader throwing more tariff bombs.
The mini-deal is a "delay tactic to buy
the Chinese Communist Party
breathing space and allow it to stay in
the game against overwhelming odds,"
said Larry Ong, senior analyst with risk
consultancy SinoInsider.
Growth of the Chinese economy
slowed to six percent in the third
quarter -its most sluggish rate in nearly
three decades - as demand for exports
cooled and Chinese consumers
tightened their belts.
In November exports fell 1.1 percent
from a year earlier, the fourth straight
fall, and exports to the US nosedived 23
percent as the trade war disrupted
supply chains and left investors on
edge. Trump has cancelled a new round
of tariffs that had been due to kick in on
Sunday and would have affected
smartphones, toys and laptops among
other goods, while Beijing also called
off levies planned in retaliation.
In another major concession,
Washington will also slash in half
the 15-percent tariffs imposed on
$120 billion in Chinese goods, like
clothing, that were imposed on
September 1.
However, this "unexpected" tariff
rollback will only have a "marginal"
impact on China's economy, said Lu
Ting of Nomura bank. "The worst is not
yet over and 2020 looks set to be yet
another tough year."
Professor Dr. Md. Salim Uddin, FCA, FCMA presenting a paper on "Knowledge Management: A Strategic
and Dynamic Tool for Success".
Photo : Courtesy
Another Showroom of Tasty Street has been launched at Mirpur of the capital
city recently. Head of Business of Tasty Street Ibrahim Khalil inaugurated the
showroom.
Photo : Courtesy
Expats urged to contribute through
remittance, investment
DHAKA : Permanent Representative (PR) of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Rabab
Fatima has urged the expatriate Bangladeshi citizens to contribute through knowledge
remittance, share their experiences and invest more for the development of their motherland,
reports UNB.
Ambassador Fatima also urged the Diaspora to come forward for observing the birth
centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman in a befitting
manner at the UN as well as in the USA, next year. She was addressing a function marking
the 49th Victory Day of Bangladesh at the Mission's 'Bangabandhu Auditorium' on Monday
jointly organised by Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN and the Consulate General
of Bangladesh, New York in a befitting manner and with festivity. She mentioned that the
activities of the expatriate Bangladeshi citizens are enhancing the image of Bangladesh in
foreign lands, according to Bangladesh mission at the UN. She called upon all to put sincere
efforts to turn Bangladesh into a 'Golden Bangla' envisioned by Bangabandhu, under the
leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Dishang Group (BD) Ltd arranged sports Compitition-2019 on the occasion
of National Victory day.
Photo: TBT
S.Africa's businesses
marooned by rolling
blackouts
JOHANNESBURG : As if
choreographed by a puppet
master, stores along the aisle
of a Johannesburg mall
hurriedly shut their doors
one by one as soon as power
outages strike slap-bang in
the middle of the day.
"We have to close the store
immediately because people
can steal… the card
machines also don't work
without electricity," a 23
year-old clothing retail
worker told AFP.
Since 2008, state utility
Eskom has sporadically
implemented rolling
blackouts - rationing up to
4,000 megawatts at a time -
to help prevent a collapse of
the electricity grid, a process
known as "load shedding".
But this week, the crisis
suddenly worsened as
Eskom rationed 6,000
megawatts from the national
power grid, prompting the
worst cuts in the country so
far. The power outages have
caused many businesses to
lose out on hours of sales
during the peak festive
season, threatening an
already fragile economy.
"Most of them have to
close shop as they can't
afford alternative solutions
such as generators and
renewable energy such as
solar systems," the CEO of
the Black Business Council,
Kganki Matabane, told AFP.
Across town about 60
kilometres (40 miles) south
of Johannesburg in the
crucial industrial
manufacturing hub known
as the Vaal Triangle,
industrialists reel from the
unstable supply of power.
"The big industries that
start up furnaces lose an
obscene amount of money
when there are blackouts,"
said Jaco Verwey, vicechairman
of the Golden
Triangle Chamber of
Commerce. "Firstly they lose
money on downtime.
Secondly they lose money on
restarting again because
they need more electricity to
restart their furnaces."
Islami Bank Foundation celebrated the Great Victory Day, 2019 in humble respect and various acts
for the heroic children of the nation who sacrificed their lives for the country. On the occasion, a
seminar followed by a cultural program, held on Monday at the Islami Bank Model School and
College premises located at Mirpur. Prof. Md. Nazmul Hasan, PhD, Chairman of Islami Bank
Bangladesh Limited & Islami Bank Foundation was present as chief guest. Md. Kamrul Hasan member
of Islami Bank Foundation presented the speech as special guest. Mr. Golam Hafiz Ahmed
Executive Director of Islami Bank Foundation presided over the meeting. S.A.M Salimullah Deputy
Executive Director of Islmai Bank Foundation gave the welcome address. Photo : Courtesy
The 290thmeeting of the Board of Directors of ShahjalalIslami Bank Limited (SJIBL) held at it's
Corporate Head Office Board Room recently. The meeting was presided over by the Vice-Chairmen
of the Board Mohammed Golam Quddus. The Board approved a number of investment proposals
and reviewed various issue related to policy of the Bank. Among others Vice-Chairmen of the Board
Khandaker Shakib Ahmed, Directors Md. Sanaullah Shahid, Md. Abdul Barek, Abdul Halim,
Mohiuddin Ahmed, Mohammed Younus, Md. Moshiur Rahman Chamak andMrs. Tahera Faruque,
Independent Directors, Ekramul Haque & K.A.M. Majedur Rahman, Managing Director & CEO M.
Shahidul Islam, Additional Managing Director Abdul Aziz,Deputy Managing Directors Md.
Shahjahan Shiraj & Imtiaz U Ahmed, the Company Secretary Md. Abul Bashar and CFO of the Bank
Md. JafarSadeq, FCA were also present in the meeting.
Photo : Courtesy

MISCELLANEOUS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019
11
In observance of the Victory Day, LGED chief engineer Md. Rezaul Karim paid tribute by placing floral
wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the
headquarters of the LGED on Monday. Earlier he placed wreath at the portrait of the Father of the
Nation at Dhanmondi 32. During the time, additional chief engineers of LGED, maintenance engineers,
project managers, executive engineers and employees of various levels were also present at
the occasion.
Photo: Courtesy
Australia working closely with
Bangladesh: Marise Payne
DHAKA : Australian Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Women Marise
Payne has said her country is working
closely with Bangladesh on Indian
Ocean regional issues, including
providing humanitarian support to
address the Rohingya crisis, reports
UNB.
The Australian minister also said
Australia is closely working with
Bangladesh in strengthening education,
trade and investment linkages further.
She made the remarks while
announcing appointment of Jeremy
Bruer as Australia's next High
Commissioner to Bangladesh.
Minister Payne thanked outgoing
High Commissioner Julia Niblett for
her contributions to advancing
Australia's interests in Bangladesh since
2016.
Bruer will arrive in Bangladesh in
mid-January, said the Australian High
Commission in Dhaka.
Australia and Bangladesh enjoy a
warm and constructive relationship,
founded on strong community links,
shared Commonwealth values and
sporting ties.
Australia was one of the first nations
to recognise Bangladesh's
independence in 1971.
Since then, Payne said, they have
established a strong and growing
economic relationship with two-way
trade now valued at $2.4 billion
annually.
Bruer is a senior career officer with
the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade and is currently Assistant
Secretary, Southeast Asia Maritime
Branch.
'Robber' killed
in Jhenidah
'gunfight'
JHENIDAH : An alleged
robber was killed in a
reported gunfight with
police in Moheshpur upazila
here early Tuesday, reports
UNB.
The deceased was
identified as Khokon, 30.
Tipped off that a robber
gang was preparing for
committing robbery in
Bakara Canal area, police
conducted a drive there
around 2am, said Rashedul
Alam, officer-in-charge of
Moheshpur Police Station.
Robbers fired at police as
soon as they reached the
area, forcing them to fire
back in self-defense which
triggered a skirmish, the OC
added.
He said police later
recovered the body from the
spot. Khokon was wanted in
several cases, he added.
Two killed in
Sylhet road
accident
SYLHET : Two
motorcyclists, including a
girl, were killed as a truck
crashed into their vehicle at
Manikpur in Zakiganj
upazila headquarters here
on Monday, reports UNB.
The deceased were
identified as Russel Ahmed,
26, son of Jamir Uddin of
Kanaighat upazila, and
Sabnur Begum, 19, daughter
of Haris Uddin of Zakiganj
upazila.
Meer MdA bdunNaser,
officer-in-charge of Jakiganj
Police Station said a truck hit
the motorbike at Zakiganj
Hafsa Mazumder Mahila
Degree College area, leaving
the duo severely injured.
Locals took them to
Zakiganj Upazila Health
Complex where doctors
declared them dead, the OC
added.
IU Al-Quran
dept gets new
chairman
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :
Professor M Yaqub Ali has
been made the new
chairman of Al-Quran and
Islamic Studies department
of Islamic University (IU) in
Kushtia, reports UNB.
GD-1719/19 (5 x 3)
GD-1722/19 (6 x 3)
Iqvmv- R: Z: 481/2019
GD-1717/19 (5 x 4)
GD-1716/19 (6 x 4) GD-1723/19 (8 x 4)

WEDNESDAy, DHAkA, DECEMBER 18, 2019, PoUSH 3, 1426 BS, RABI-US-SANI 20, 1441 HIJRI
The surrounding areas of the Secretariat has come under 'Silent Zone' or 'No Horn Zone' from Tuesday as
vehicles will have to suffer punishment for flouting the ban on honking in these areas. Photo : TBT
Razakar list should have
been scrutinised
properly : Minister
DHAKA : Home Minister Asaduzzaman
Khan Kamal on Tuesday said the Liberation
War Affairs Ministry should have properly
scrutinised the list of Razaakrs before publishing
it.
"The Liberation War Affairs Ministry didn't
scrutinise the list before publishing it... it
should have been scrutinised," he said while
speaking at a programme organised by
Bangladesh Krishak League at
Bangabandhu Avenue, reports UNB.
The Home Ministry provided a list of
Razakars upon request from the Ministry of
Liberation War Affairs, he added.
The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on
Sunday published a list of 10,789 Razakars
who collaborated with the Pakistani occupation
forces during the War of Liberation in
1971.
But the official list of Razakars drew huge
criticisms as the name of a Language
Movement veteran and war-wounded freedom
fighter among others is there in it.
INTERESTING NEWS
Besides, 26 Hindu community members
and six women were mentioned as Razakars
in the list which contains names of around
1,000 collaborators from Barishal.
Mihir Lal Dutta, a renowned Language
Movement activist, died on January 20,
2007.He sustained bullet wounds in his
abdomen during the Liberation War. His
father and a brother were also martyred during
the war. But surprisingly, he was named
as a Razakar in the recently published list.
His son Shuvabrata Dutta vented anger
over it and demanded punishment of those
involved in preparing the list.
Dr Manisha Chakraborty, member secretary
of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal's district
unit, said her father Tapan Chakraborty,
who is a listed freedom fighter, was also
mentioned as a Razakar in the list.
Her anger does not end here as the list also
includes her grandmother Usha Rani
Chakraborty, wife of Sudip Chakraborty, a
martyred freedom fighter.
The Mosaics of Villa
Romana del Casale
Many Roman villas, private residences,
as well as public buildings, were
lavishly decorated with mosaic floors.
Mosaics served as a symbol of wealth
and status, and many powerful and
wealthy Romans commissioned them
to impress their guests, choosing
themes that reflected their status. Some
depicted scenes from everyday life, such
as athletics playing and ladies bathing.
Others were full of drama and violence—gladiator
fights, hunts and exotic
creatures from mythological
episodes. Like any work of art, floor
mosaics are an invaluable record of
ancient Roman life—the clothes they
wore, the food they ate, the tools they
used, the sports they played.
One of the most richest, largest and
varied collection of Roman mosaics in
situ are found at the Villa Romana del
Casale, situated about 3 km from the
town of Piazza Armerina, in Sicily.
The villa was built in the early part of
4th century on the remains of an older
villa, as the center of a huge agricultural
estate. It is thought to have belonged to
a member of the Roman senatorial aristocracy,
perhaps a governor of Rome, or
even Emperor Maximian himself. The
complex remained inhabited for at least
150 years, after which it was partially
damaged. The outbuildings remained
in use until the 12th century when a
landslide possibly triggered by an earthquake
buried the villa and the site was
abandoned. The villa was almost entirely
forgotten after that. It was rediscovered
in the early 19th century and excavated
between the later part of the 19th
century and the early part of the 20th.
2 Destiny
officials
denied bail
DHAKA : The Appellate
Division on Tuesday rejected
the bail petitions filed by
Destiny Group managing
director Rafiqul Amin and
Destiny-2000 chairman
Mohammad Hossain in two
money-laundering cases
filed by the Anti-Corruption
Commission, reports UNB.
A six-member bench of
the Appellate Division headed
by Chief Justice Syed
Mahmud Hossain turned
down the bail petitions.
Barrister Ajmalul Hossain
QC stood for the accused
while M Khurshid Alam
Khan represented the ACC.
Confirming the SC's
order, Khurshid Alam said
the Appellate Division
ordered quick settlement of
the cases at lower court
against Rafiqul Amin and
Mohammad Hossain.
The Supreme Court in
2016 granted them bail on
condition that they would
pay Tk 2,800 crore to the
government by selling
matured trees planted
under the company's tree
plantation project.
Later, they filed a petition
in 2017 seeking correction
of the condition which was
rejected on November 30 in
2017.
Fine for honking horn
in secretariat area from
Wednesday : Minister
DHAKA : Environment,
Forest and Climate Change
Minister Md Shahab Uddin
on Tuesday said fine will be
realised through conducting
mobile court from
Wednesday for honking horn
in the surrounding areas of
the secretariat, reports UNB.
"Mobile courts will be
conducted from Wednesday
for honking horn in the secretariat
areas," said the minister
while speaking at a programme,
marking the declaration
of the secretariat area
as 'no horn zone'.
As per the Bangladesh
Environment Conservation
Act of 1995, the punishment
for honking horn in a 'silent
zone' is maximum one month
jail or Tk 5,000 fine or both
for the first time violators and
for repetition of the same
offence the punishment is
maximum six months jail or
Tk 10,000 fine or both, said
the minister.
He also sought cooperation
from all for implementing
the decision.
"It is tough to implement
this type of decision through
only government order in
the mega city like Dhaka.
This can be successful if
people extend their cooperation,"
he added.
Ruthless brutality of genocide
stunned world conscience: Envoy
DHAKA : Bangladesh Ambassador to
the USA Mohammad Ziauddin has said
after losing the political battle against
Bangabandhu's Awami League, the
Pakistani occupation army launched
brutal genocide on 25th March, 1971
against the unarmed Bengalis to silence
the Bengali nation from seeking a liberal,
democratic and secular society,
reports UNB.
"The ruthless brutality of the genocide
stunned the conscience of the world," he
said recalling the history of Bangladesh's
Liberation War at a Victory Day programme.
The 49th glorious Victory Day
was celebrated at Bangladesh Embassy in
Washington, D.C. Monday amid patriotic
zeal and enthusiasm to build "Golden
Bangla" imbibed with the spirit of
1971War of Liberation.
The daylong celebration started with
the hoisting of national flag and playing
of national anthem on the embassy
premises.
Ambassador Ziauddin hoisted the
national flag.
All officers and employees of the
embassy attended the flag hoisting ceremony
in the morning.
Later, the Ambassador accompanied by
officers and employees of the embassy
placed wreath at the bust of the Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and stood in silence for a while
as a mark of respect for the great leader.
The Victory-Day messages of the
President, Prime Minister, Foreign
Minister and State Minister for Foreign
Affairs were read out. Defence Attache
Brig General M Moinul Hassan, SPP, ndc,
psc, Minister (Press) Shamim Ahmad,
Minister (Economic) Md. Mahadee
Hassan and Minister (Political) Md.
Nural Islam read out the messages
respectively.
A special prayer was offered seeking
divine blessings for the departed souls of
the Father of the Nation and members of
his family assassinated on August 15,
1975, the four national leaders and martyred
freedom fighters.
Speaking on the occasion, the
Ambassador said in the USA, the
American people took the side of the brutalized
Bengalis.
He mentioned the names of Senator
Edward Kennedy, former US consul general
in Dhaka Archer Blood, famous
musician George Harrison and poet Allen
Ginsberg, along with many other personalities,
who played an active role in support
of Bangladesh's independence.
Characterizing Dhaka-Washington
bilateral relation as excellent, the
Ambassador stressed the need for
expanding the present multifaceted cooperation
to newer areas for mutual interests
of the two countries.
In the evening, a cultural soiree was
organized highlighting Bangladesh's long
struggle for the independence.
The embassy families, artists of
Bornomala School and SristyNrityangan
presented songs and dances at
Bangabandhu auditorium.
The event was largely attended by foreign
diplomats, officials from different
departments of the US government, businessmen,
journalists and leading figures
of Bangladesh diaspora.
Vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Nurul Haque Nur came under an attack on
the Dhaka University (DU) campus on Tuesday reportedly by Muktijoddha Mancha activists. Photo : Star Mail
Ecnec clears nine projects
involving Tk 3,227 crore
DHAKA : The Executive Committee of the
National Economic Council (Ecnec) on
Tuesday cleared nine projects involving Tk
3,227 crore, reports UNB.
The approval came from the Ecnec meeting
held at NEC Conference room in the city with
Ecnec chairperson and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
"The Ecnec meeting approved nine projects
involving a total estimated cost of Tk 3,226.75
crore and the entire cost will be borne from
the state coffer," said Planning Minister MA
Mannan while briefing reporters.
Of the projects, five are fresh ones and four
are revised ones, according to the factsheet
provided by the Planning Commission.
In terms of cost, the largest project is
'Improvement of Sirajganj-Kazipur-Dhanut-
Sherpur and Sirajganj (Bagbati)-Dhanut
(Sonamukhi) Highway Project' with an estimated
cost of Tk 988.65 crore.
The four other fresh projects are
Construction of Bhairab Bridge over Bhairab
River on Dighalia (Railgate)-Aruya-Gazirhat-
Terokhada Road Project with Tk 617.53
crore; Extension and Modernisation of
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP)
project with Tk 240.27 crore; Modernisation
and construction of necessary structures of
Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Jatiya Sangsad
Sadashya Bhaban and MP Hostel Project
with Tk 233.92 crore; and Installation of
Premix Kernel Machine and Laboratory and
Construction of Infrastructures to Ensure
Nutrition in Food Grains project with the cost
of Tk 66.78 crore.
The four revised projects are Ashrayan-3
(for construction of houses for forcibly displaced
Myanmar nationals in Bhasanchar of
Hatiya upazila under Noakhali and necessary
security infrastructures for the island) (1st
revised) project with the additional cost of Tk
782.80 crore; Sheikh Kamal IT Training and
Incubation Centre (2nd revised) Project with
the additional cost Tk 228.45 crore; Reinstallation
and Up-gradation of Level-
Crossing Gates of the East Zone of
Bangladesh Railway Project with additional
cost of Tk 23.91 crore and Re-installation and
Up-gradation of Level-crossing Gates of the
West Zone of Bangladesh Railway Project
with additional cost of Tk 44.44 crore.
Now, the cost of the Ashrayan-3 project
stands at Tk 3,094.95 crore from the original
cost of Tk 2,312.15 crore, while that of Sheikh
Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre
Project at Tk 533.55 crore from the cost of Tk
305.10 crore estimated in the first revision.
Besides, the cost of re-installation and
up-gradation of Level-crossing Gates of
the East Zone of Bangladesh Railway
Project now increased at Tk 104.51 crore
from Tk 80.59 estimated in the first revision
and that of re-installation and up-gradation
of Level-Crossing Gates of the West
Zone of Bangladesh Railway Project at Tk
92.28 crore from the original cost of Tk
47.84 crore.
Why filing graft
FIRs with ACC not
unconstitutional : HC
DHAKA : The High Court on
Tuesday issued a rule seeking
explanation why the provision
of filing FIRs over graft
allegations with the Anti-
Corruption Commission
(ACC) offices instead of police
stations should not be
declared unconstitutional,
reports UNB.
The HC bench of Justice
Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury
and Justice Khandaker
Diliruzzaman issued the rule
after hearing a writ petition.
Khurshid Alam Khan
stood for the ACC while
Abdul Qaiyum represented
the petitioner.
Khurshid Alam said the
law, home and parliament
secretariat secretaries, ACC
chairman, its secretary and
inspector general of police
have been asked to respond to
the rule within four weeks.
Supreme Court lawyers
Subir Nandi Das and
Barrister Nousheen Nawal
filed the writ petition on
November 13.
The national anti-graft
body issued a gazette notification
on June 20 last
amending the Anti-
Corruption Commission
Rules-2007 with a provision
to file cases with its offices.
"The amended rules are contradictory
to articles 39, 65 (1)
of the constitution and section
154 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure," said Subir Nandi.
ICJ to put end to
atrocities against
Rohingyas, hopes
BD envoy
DHAKA : Bangladesh Ambassador
to the Netherlands Sheikh
Mohammed Belal has hoped
that the case at the top UN
court would put an end to
widespread and systematic
atrocities carried out by the
Myanmar's forces on Rohingya
community, reports UNB.
He also hoped that it
would eliminate the culture
of impunity for the sake of a
durable solution to the protracted
Rohingya problem.
The Ambassador was addressing
a function celebrating the
49th Victory Day with due
solemnity and festivity in the
Embassy premises on Monday.
He paid homage to Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman and recalled
how his leadership inspired the
whole Bangalee nation to be united
to fight for the independence.
Ambassador Belal expressed
optimism over a "sustainable
solution" to the Rohiyngya
crisis and referred to much
awaited genocide case against
Myanmar instituted by The
Gambia at the top UN court -
International Court of Justice
(ICJ) - in The Hague.
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