10-01-2020

Friday

DhAKA: January 10, 2020; Poush 26, 1426 BS;Jamadi-ul Awal 13,1441 hijri www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; No.335; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

At least 63

Canadians dead in

Iran plane crash

>Page 7

art & culture

Kriti Sanon wants to do

more risky and challenging

roles

>Page 8

sport

Kroos stunner helps Real

Madrid through to Spanish

Super Cup final

>Page 9

‘Mujib Year’ countdown

begins today

DHAKA : The people of

Bangladesh will create another milestone

by gathering together and

launching the countdown to start the

'Mujib Year' at Tejgaon Airport on

Friday as January 10 marks the triumphant

return of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman to a liberated

Bangladesh.

After the arrival of Bangabandhu's

daughter Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina at the venue at 4:30pm, the

audience will see a historic momentthe

landing of a aircraft symbolising

the homecoming of Father of the


Mujibbur Rahman.

There will be projection of light

from the aircraft amid gun salute

apart from symbolic reception and

guard of honour.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will

deliver speech formally inaugurating

the Mujib Year countdown and

Australians on SE

coast urged to flee as

fire risk escalates

Residents in the path of wildfires

razing southeast Australia were urged

to evacuate on Thursday if they don't

intend to defend their homes as hot

and windy conditions are forecast to

escalate the danger over the next two

days, reports UNB.

The Rural Fire Service in New South

Wales state has told fire-weary community

meetings south of Sydney in

the coastal towns of Nowra, Narooma

and Batemans Bay that northwesterly

winds were likely to once again drive

blazes toward the coast. Vacationers

have retreated to beaches and into the

ocean in the area in recent weeks as

destructive fires and choking smoke

have encroached on the tourist towns,

scorching sand dunes in some places.

In neighboring Victoria state, firethreatened

populations were urged to

act quickly on evacuation warnings.

"We can't guarantee your safety and

we don't want to be putting emergency

services - whether it be volunteers or

paid staff - we do not want to put them

in harm's way because people didn't

follow advice that was given," Victoria

Premier Daniel Andrews said.

The unprecedented fire crisis in

southeast Australia that has claimed at

least 26 lives since September,

destroyed more than 2,000 homes

and shrouded major cities in smoke

has focused many Australians on how

the nation adapts to climate change.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has

come under withering criticism both

at home and abroad for downplaying

the need for his government to

address climate change, which experts

say helps supercharge the blazes.

Last year was Australia's hottest and

driest on record. The Bureau of

Meteorology's head of climate monitoring,

Karl Braganza, said while the

country's rainfall was expected to pick

up a bit, it wouldn't be enough to snuff

out the blazes anytime soon.

Zohr

05:24 AM

12:08 PM

03:50 PM

05:32 PM

06:48 PM

6:43 5:28

unveiling the logo.

The mega celebration marking the

birth centenary of Father of the


Mujibur Rahman engaging the international

community will begin on

March 17, 2020.

The government is giving much

focus on its efforts to successfully

hold a series of programmes marking

the 'Mujib Year' at home and abroad

keeping global focus on Rohingya

issue unchanged for their early repatriation.

Some 2,000 guests and 10,000

spectators will be invited to join the

programme, Home Minister

Asaduzzaman Khan said on January

1. Spectators are registering their

names online.

The countdown clocks will be set up

at 28 spots in 12 city corporations, at

53 districts and at Tungipara and

Mujibnagar.

Bangladesh has received a long list

DU Student Rape

of global leaders to become part of a

series of programmes during the

'Mujib Year' the countdown of which

begins on January 10, creating another

milestone in Bangladesh history.

Global Guests

Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, Secretary General of the

Organization of Islamic Cooperation

(OIC) Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen,

former Indian President Pranab

Mukherjee, former Indian National

Congress President Sonia Gandhi,

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir

Mohamad, Canadian Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau, Crown Prince of Abu

Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

Al Nahyan, former UN Secretary

General Ban Ki-moon, Bhutanese

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel

Wangchuck and former Unesco

Director General Irina Bokova are

among the global leaders.

Mojnu put on 7-day remand

> (Contd. on page-2)

DHAKA : Mojnu, who was arrested in

connection with the rape and torture of

a Dhaka University student, was put on

a seven-day remand by a Dhaka court

on Thursday, reports UNB.

Mojnu, 30, said to be a serial rapist,

drug addict and mugger by Rab, was

arrested on Wednesday morning, two

days after the incident at Kurmitola in

the capital.

Abu Siddiq, a Detective Branch

inspector, produced the arrestee before

the court of Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate Md Shorafuzzaman Ansari

on Thursday afternoon and sought 10

days to interrogate him. The court gave

the investigators seven days.

"Mojnu hailing from Hatia, used to

rape physically-challenged women and

beggars," Lt Col Sarwar had told

reporters.

He choked the DU student and

dragged her to a nearby bush. He hit the

girl and tried to kill her after rape, the

Rab officer said, adding that the offender

had admitted to being a serial rapist

and a drug addict.

The DU student was assaulted by

Mojnu at Kurmitola. She is now undergoing

treatment at the One-Stop Crisis

Centre (OSCC) of Dhaka Medical

College Hospital (DMCH).

The incident sparked widespread

protest at Dhaka University and elsewhere.

DU students blocked Shahbagh

intersection on Monday and gave the

authorities a 24-hour ultimatum for

arresting the rapist. They protested on

Tuesday and Wednesday, too.

Dhaka University teachers and students

on Wednesday demanded capital

punishment for the rapist.

How was Mojnu arrested?

Lt Col Sarwar said Mojnu used to

work as a hawker and sometimes

mugged people.

Rab recovered the mobile phone of

the victim and some other items

belonging to her from Mojnu.

The offender had snatched the victim's

mobile phone and sold it to a

woman named Aruna, who later sold it

to one Khairul.

"We tracked the victim's phone and

detained Khairul from Shewra and then

Aruna. We arrested Mojnu from

Shewra on early Wednesday based on

information given by her," the Rab officer

said.

On Monday, the victim informed

police that the perpetrator was alone

and did not have front teeth. Lt Col

Sarwar said this helped them identify

the offender.

Later, he was handed over to the DB

police, who showed him arrested in a

case filed by the victim's father at

Cantonment Police Station.

Mojnu, who was arrested in connection with the rape and torture of a Dhaka University student, was

put on a seven-day remand by a Dhaka court on Thursday.

Photo : TBT

First phase of the Biswa Ijtema, billed as the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj, will begin

Friday in Tongi. People from home and abroad seen to join in the congregation.

Photo : TBT

Biswa

Ijtema's

first phase

begins

today

DHAKA : The first

phase of the Biswa

Ijtema, billed as the

second largest congregation

of Muslims after

Hajj, will begin Friday

in Tongi.

The two-day first

phase will take place at

the Ijtema ground in

Tongi on January 10-

12.

SM Tariqul Islam,

deputy commissioner

of Gazipur, told UNB

that adequate security

measures have been

taken. The second

phase of Ijtema will be

held from January 17-

19.

Tabligh Jamaat has

been organising the

congregation at the

venue since 1967. In

2011, Tabligh split the

Ijtema into two phases,

dividing the participation

of the people of 64

districts, to reduce

pressure on the venue

and ensure better management.

EC reluctant about dealing with

complaints, alleges BNP

DHAKA : BNP on Thursday alleged that the

Election Commission (EC) is not taking into

consideration the complaints lodged by its candidates

of the elections to two Dhaka city corporations

billed for January 30.

"The arrest of our party-backed candidates'

supporters by law enforcers and repression by

ruling party cadres centering the city polls have

increased largely," said BNP senior joint secretary

general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, reports UNB.

Speaking at a press conference, he further

said, "Various complaints were made on behalf

of the BNP candidates with the Election

Commission. But it seems lodging complaints

with the Commission means crying in the

wilderness. Because, they (EC) don't pay heed

to any complaint."

The BNP leader alleged that BNP candidates

and its leaders and activists are being threatened,

attacked and harassed to force them to

leave their areas, destroying the election atmosphere.

He said the supporters of Awami League's

Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral candidate

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh forced BNP's

women councillor candidate Prof Rafika Afroz

to withdraw her candidature.

Rizvi called upon people from all walks of life

to get united and put up a resistance against

those who try to destroy the election atmosphere

by issuing various threats and creating

panic. Replying to a question, he said they have

already finalised their councillor candidates for

the two city corporation's election. "We've a very

few rebel candidates."

The BNP leader said their party has extended

support to some councillor candidates where it

could not field any candidate.

He said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has

long been staying in jail with serious ailments

due to the government's political vengeance.

Rizvi demanded the government immediately

free her from jail and take steps for her

advance treatment.

Cabinet reshuffle unlikely before

DNCC, DSCC polls: Quader

DHAKA : Road Transport and Bridges

Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday said

chances of Cabinet reshuffle before elections

to the Dhaka city corporations are slim,

reports UNB.

"Cabinet reshuffle is a routine matter. And

it is under the Prime Minister's jurisdiction. I

don't think there will be any expansion or

reshuffle in the Cabinet before the city corporations

polls," he told reporters at the

Secretariat.

The Awami League general secretary said

chances of reshuffle are "very low" but reiterated

that the Prime Minister can make

changes any time. Dhaka north and south

city polls are scheduled for Jan 30.

Replying to a question, Quader, the number

two man in the ruling party, said only the

Prime Minister will decide who will stay in

Cabinet.

"We will accept her decision. I'll quit if (the

Prime Minister) asks me to," he said.

Iran says it doesn't want

war, but will respond

TEHRAN : Iran is informing the

United Nations that it took "a measured

and proportionate military response" to

the U.S. airstrike that killed its top military

commander and "does not seek

escalation or war."

But Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid

Takht Ravanchi warned that Tehran

would "vigorously" respond to "any further

military adventurism against it" and

"any aggression."

Ravanchi said in a letter late

Wednesday to the U.N. Security Council

and to Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres that in the early morning hours

of Jan. 8, Iran "targeted an American air

base in Iraq from which the cowardly

armed attack against martyr (Qassem)

Soleimani was launched."

He said Iran was exercising its right to

self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N.

Charter.

"The operation was precise and targeted

military objectives thus leaving no

collateral damage to civilians assets in

the area," Ravanchi said, reports UNB.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff, says he believes

Iran's missile strikes on two Iraqi bases

were intended to kill Americans.

Milley and Defense Secretary Mark

Esper told reporters that 11 ballistic missiles

that landed at al-Asad air base in

western Iraq inflicted moderate damage,

such as destroying or damaging tents

and a helicopter, but no Americans were

killed or injured.

"I believe based on what I saw and

what I know is that they were intended

to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles

and equipment and aircraft and to

kill personnel," Milley said.

Milley said the fact that no one was

killed was due to the defensive procedures

and the effectiveness of U.S. early

warning system. A handful of major

shippers operating in the Persian Gulf

are curtailing operations there.

Several oil tankers operated by major

players have diverted away from the

Persian Gulf or delayed loading by several

days. That's according to Reid I'Anson,

global energy economist at Kpler, a data

intelligence company.

NEWS

FriDAY, JAnuArY 10, 2020

2

A workshop on PHC was held at the auditorium of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on

Thursday.

Photo : Courtesy

6th Population and Housing

Census next year

DHAKA : The sixth Population and

Housing Census (PHC) will be

conducted across the country from

GD-70/20 (8 x 3)

January 2 to 8 in 2021 to find out

demographic and socio-economic facts

to be used for the next course of the

country's development planning,

reports UNB.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

(BBS) will conduct the 7-day

census expending Tk

1761.79 crore, BBS census

wing director Md. Zahidul

Hoque Sardar said this while

reading out a keynote paper

at a workshop on PHC at its

auditorium in the city on

Thursday.

"The census will be

different from the previous

ones as it will include

expatriate Bangladeshis as

well as foreigners staying in

Bangladesh for the first

time," he added.

Speaking at the inaugural

session of the daylong

workshop, Planning

Minister MA Mannan urged

all concerned to work

properly for collecting

authentic data.

Different local and

international organisations,

including the World Bank

and the International

Monetary Fund (IMF), use

BBS data and so the data

must be authentic, he said.

"So you all (data collectors

) must collect accurate data.

Now we need more support

of knowledge instead of

finance. However, we are

getting technical support

from UNFPA in this regard,"

he added.

Statistics and Informatics

Division secretary

Saurendra

Nath

Chakrabhartty presided over

the function while BBS

Director General

Mohammad Tajul Islam,

Cabinet Secretary

Khandaker Anwarul Islam,

Principal Secretary to the

Prime Minister Dr Ahmad

Kaikaus and United Nations

Population Fund (UNFPA)

representative to

Bangladesh Asa Britta

Torkelsson also spoke.

The BBS conducts the

census in every 10 years.The

last one was conducted in

2011.

‘Mujib Year’ countdown

begins today

From Page-1

"We want to be selective for the March 17 event. We're

in discussion to select who will be our guests on March

17," said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.

Year-long Programmes

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that

March 17, 2020 to March 17, 2021 would be celebrated as

the the 'Mujib Year' across the country to mark the birth

centenary of Bangabandhu.

Year-long programmes at home and abroad will be

observed with the participation of the mass people at the

government and party levels apart from engagement

from Bangladesh's foreign friends.

The 'Mujib Borsho' will be followed by the golden

jubilee celebrations of the country's independence in

2021.

Chief coordinator of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration

National Implementation Committee is Dr

Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury.

Dr Momen said there will be a series of events round

the year with the participation of global leaders from various

parts of the world.

The Foreign Minister said some of the global leaders

have confirmed their participation officially while some

made confirmation verbally.

Dr Momen said the government wants to spread the

ideals of Bangabandhu across the world and

Bangladesh's 77 missions abroad have taken 261 programmes,

including introduction of Bangabandhu chair

in a number of universities abroad and naming roads

after Bangabandhu.

He said Bangladesh will make its stronger presence in

Pakistan having the biggest mission in size and setting up

a mural of Bangabandhu there.

rebranding Bangladesh

The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh will be branded

anew across the world highlighting significant successes

it made in the past years.

"We'll brand Bangladesh

abroad positively with our

achievements. It's a land of

opportunity and a vibrant

economy."

He said Bangladesh is

also a model of peace as

Bangladesh has been

resolving problems with its

neighbours peacefully.

Foreign Secretary Masud

Bin Momen said they

would put emphasis on

good team work and working

closely with

Bangladesh missions

abroad to uphold the

progress across the world.

"We've many works ahead.

We're chalking out many

events."

H i g h l i g h t i n g

Bangladesh's economic

progress over the past

years, the Foreign Secretary

said the world now

expects Bangladesh's leadership

in many areas or

looks at Bangladesh for

taking the leadership role.

Presdent and PM's

Messages

President Abdul Hamid

and Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina have issued separate

messages on the occasion.

"With a view to celebrating

the birth centenary

throughout the year both

at home and abroad, the

government has declared

March 17, 2020 to March

17, 2021 as 'Mujib Year'.

This is an extraordinary

opportunity for the nation

to pay deep respect and

gratitude to Bangabandhu.

I believe that through the

celebration of Mujib Year,

the young generation will

be able to know the life and

works of Bangabandhu

and being inspired by his

ideals they will be able to

contribute to building

Golden Bangla," the President

said in his message.

Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina, in her message,

said, "We have declared 17

March 2020 to 17 March

2021 as 'Mujib Year' with a

view to upholding the life

and works of Bangabandhu

to people, especially the

next generation through

this glorious celebration.

In my consideration

'Bangabandhu' belongs to

all. I hope that the celebration

of the birth centenary

will come to a success by

projecting his life and

works through different

programmes and initiatives

taken by all government,

non-government

offices, organisations, educational

institutions as well

as pro-liberation political

parties and social-cultural

organisations."

In her message, the

Prime Minister hoped that

the countdown watch and

the display devices that will

depict the life and works of

Bangabandhu will generate

huge enthusiasm GD-67/20 (6 x GD-65/20 (5 x 4) 3)

among people.

GD-63/20 (5 x 2)

EDITORIAL

FRIdAy, JAnUARy 10, 2020

4

yemen's houthis seek revenge on behalf of Iran

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Friday, January 10, 2020

Concern over sharp

rise in costs of living

T

he

sharp uptrend in costs of living are

hitting common people in areas where they

are most vulnerable. For example, the rises

have been particularly high in areas of regular

consumption they cannot do without such as for

basic food items, transportation fares, house rent,

etc. The costs of living in Dhaka went up by 6.5

per cent in 2019 said the latest report of

Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB).

For example, the unavoidable kitchen essential,

onion, rose in price spectacularly, from Taka 20

per kg its price almost overnight skyrocketed to

Taka 200 per kg. Centered on this phenomenon

price of the basic staple, rice, also rose notably

and this despite the reaping of the major annual

harvest of aman paddy recently. There has been

bumper production of winter vegetables but their

prices are at least 20 to 40 per cent higher than

last year.

The other feature of the higher living costs has

been its relentless nature. The rise has been going

on and on without a pause which have had

undesirableeffects on common people and their

modest incomes which are hardly at par with the

fast pushing up prices and charges. Thus, the

poor risk turning even poorer and the ones just

above the poverty line in the past fear going below

it again in many cases. The claims of making

advances against poverty will become

meaningless in such a context.

There is no denying that price increases have

been caused to some extent from higher prices of

someimported goods. But the rate of price

increases could be kept far lower with

government doing effective price monitoring,

enforcing the rules against profiteering and

hoarding, in creating alternative and effective

state run markets through the TCB, encouraging

more efficiency and timeliness in import

operations of essentials, etc.

It requires no expertise to feel the fast rising

costs of living as a whole and the consequent

pains suffered thereof by people with limited or

modest incomes . Food prices have a vital

relationship to costs of other goods and services.

For example, a rickshaw puller will hike up

fares charged by him on the ground of higher

priced rice as a sort of compensation mechanism.

A seller of perishables does the same citing the

same reason. Therefore, it is doubtful whether

the contention about prices of non food products

or charges not rising has much relevance to the

current costs of living worries of people.

The country just has had a bumper harvest of

aman rice. In this season of abundance of the

locally produced rice, its price should be falling

like always. But to everybody's great surprise, the

price of rice in retail markets has been only

increasing. The logic for this from the rice traders

is that higher transportation cost .

But it was estimated reliably that transportation

costs may have increased by six poisha only for

carrying one kg of rice which should be really

inconsequential. But the price of one kg of rice

was increased by taka two or three which is very

disproportionate to the so called higher

transportation costs.

Millers and private holders of big stocks of rice

are considered to be behind this artificially

manipulated price of rice. If they were not active

in their mischief, then probably rice price would

be lower by at least taka 10 per kg by now giving

boost to a deflationary tendency in the prices of

other essentials and foodstuffs as well. That the

millers and stock holders are able to do this is

proof afresh of unholy syndicated operations of

the operators dealing in bulk commodities in

every day use. The syndicates have been

transparently responsible for the on going onion

crisis.

The onion price is seen shooting up every year

as Ramadan nears and its consumption turn

especially heavy in that period. Onion traders are

seen hyperactive well before this period to

completely unjustifiably raise its price in phases.

This year the high price of onion is unacceptable

and too early as both Ramadan and Eid are

months away .

In fact, all concerned are expecting another

round of heartless ripping off of consumers

before and during the coming Ramadan and the

Eid. Price control was at the very top of the

agenda of the incumbents in power . But

government is seen hardly redeeming its promise

in this regard notwithstanding reiterations from

its leading figures about imminent better market

monitoring and taking of actions against the price

syndicates.

Houthi supporters rally to

denounce the U.S. killing of

Iranian military commander

Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia

commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis,

in Sanaa, Yemen. (Reuters)

While the assassination of Quds Force

commander Qassem Soleimani has

unleashed anger, turmoil and

uncertainty in Iran, Iraq and the US, the

chances are that Yemen will also stand

to be affected by his death. With Iran

vowing to avenge the killing of

Soleimani by attacking US strategic

interests and possibly America's allies,

it will undoubtedly turn to the Houthis

to answer the call.

Although Soleimani might have never

visited Yemen, or even met with the

leader of the Houthi militia, Abdul-

Malik Al-Houthi, the latter pledged to

avenge the "martyr" and vowed that his

blood "will not be wasted." On Monday,

the Houthis organized a rally, in which

crowds carried pictures of Soleimani

and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, the Iraqi

Hashd leader who died with him. The

rally condemned the US airstrike and

called for an end to the American

intervention in the region.

The Houthi rhetoric around avenging

Soleimani's death is worrying, not only

because it risks entangling the group in

the Iranian regime's quest for a

vendetta against the US, but also

because it risks causing further

instability by crushing the prospects of

a negotiated peace settlement for

Yemen as well as between Yemen and

its neighbors. The relationship between

the regime in Tehran and the Houthi

militia has often been underestimated

and misunderstood. Much of this was

because Iran preferred to support the

Houthis covertly, hiding behind

Soleimani killing marks climax of US-Iran confrontation

Known as the epicenter of global

conflicts for ages, the Middle East is

not unfamiliar with crises and

wars. At multiple times, cataclysmic

events erupted in the region even from

minor escalations and skirmishes. The

year 2020 started with an ominous

development when, on January 3, US

President Donald Trump authorized the

killing of the head of Iran's Quds Force,

General Qasem Soleimani. With the

killing of the second-most-revered

person in Iran, the speculations of

another war in the Middle East run high.

For many reasons, the unfortunate death

of the Iranian general marks the climax of

a US-Iran confrontation that has been

simmering for quite a long time.

For Iran and its populace, Soleimani

had many faces: the sacred warrior,

guardian of some of the holiest sites of the

Muslim world, vanguard of Iran's

regional ambitiousness and the right

hand of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali

Khomeini. From Iraq to Syria and Yemen

to Lebanon, the general played a pivotal

role in undermining the US role in the

region. He also built a strong foundation

to erode the US victories in the region by

introducing other powers to the Middle

East chessboard. According to a Reuters

report, Soleimani argued the case for

Russian involvement in the Middle East

by "unfurling a map of Syria in front of

the Russian hosts and explaining it to

them how Bashar al-Assad's defeats can

be turned into victory - with Russian

FATIMA ABo AlASRAR

plausible deniability for its malign

actions in Yemen.

Although Soleimani was not a

household name in Yemen in the same

way he was in Iraq or Lebanon, he

played a critical role in advancing

Iranian interests there and ensuring the

Houthis maintained their power by

training them in unconventional

methods, connecting them with the

militias in the region, and giving them

experience in asymmetrical warfare -

tactics that he was all too familiar with.

Soleimani left a cadre of militiamen

from both the Islamic Revolutionary

Guard Corps and Hezbollah to train the

Houthis, chief among them being Quds

Force commander Abdul Reza Shahla'i,

who is wanted by the US Department of

Justice and is currently operating with

the Houthi militia in Sanaa.

Undoubtedly, Soleimani's tactical and

strategic talent boosted the position and

stature of the Houthis in Yemen by

developing their military expertise,

providing political strategy, and

supplying them with Iran's latest

weaponry. As a mastermind devoted to

serving his country's nationalistic and

expansionist objectives, Soleimani

ensured that the Houthis had the

means by which they could remain in

GhAzAnFAR AlI GAReWAl

help." It was his popularity and concerns

about a consequent backlash that

prevented the previous US

administrations from taking any drastic

action against him. Besides, having faced

major setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan,

engaging in another war is not a wise

option for the US right now. Having failed

miserably in Afghanistan, a US

withdrawal was in the offing. Calling out

Washington's warpaths-to-nowhere, the

Trump administration seemed set to put

an end to America's military

adventurism. So certainly the question

arises as to why it decided to take this

cataclysmic action.

Throughout his years in the Oval Office,

Trump's mantra of "America First" has

remained hollow and shallow. Having

not much in hand while facing

impeachment in the US Congress, a preelection

stunt was much needed. Second,

for quite some time, the transactional

nature of Trump's presidency gave birth

power, including through UNsponsored

peace processes, which the

Houthis meticulously negotiated.

For his efforts and support, the

Houthi leadership treated him with a

great sense of gratitude and loyalty.

They fulfilled his vision by becoming

one of the main players in the "Axis of

Resistance" network, which is made up

of a transnational alliance of pro-

Iranian militias in Palestine, Iraq,

Lebanon and Syria. The problem,

however, is that this alliance regards the

West and all of its affiliates as a coalition

that needs to be expelled. This does not

stop at the US or Israel, but rather

includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE due

Undoubtedly, Soleimani's tactical and strategic talent boosted

the position and stature of the houthis in yemen by developing

their military expertise, providing political strategy, and supplying

them with Iran's latest weaponry. As a mastermind devoted to

serving his country's nationalistic and expansionist objectives,

Soleimani ensured that the houthis had the means by which they

could remain in power, including through Un-sponsored peace.

to their cooperation with the US.

This strict ideology, which the

Houthis have endorsed, jeopardizes any

opportunities for peace and

reconciliation within Yemen and the

region. It is difficult to see the Houthis

seeking genuine peace within the

country or with Saudi Arabia while they

continue to endorse a belief system that

is based on the idea of overthrowing the

existing order in the Arabian Peninsula

and replacing it with a geopolitical

alliance and sectarian doctrine that is

absolutist in nature. Although

Soleimani might have never visited

to a budding "bromance" with Saudi

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

This manifested on multiple occasions

especially after the tragic murder of Saudi

journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Another obvious tilt in his

administration is toward the Israeli

lobby. In this context, his decision to

move the US Embassy to Jerusalem

sparked a worldwide response in the UN

General Assembly, leaving the US envoy

to the United Nations flustered. All three

Besides, having faced major setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan,

engaging in another war is not a wise option for the US right

now. having failed miserably in Afghanistan, a US withdrawal

was in the offing. Calling out Washington's warpaths-tonowhere,

the Trump administration seemed set to put an end

to America's military adventurism. So certainly the question

arises as to why it decided to take this cataclysmic action.

STePhen hAdley

factors have contributed to the tensions

that have been building up in the Persian

Gulf region lately and now have climaxed

in the form of killing one of the most

revered persons in Iran.

With Soleimani's targeted killing on

Iraqi soil, the US conveyed a very clear

message: It does not want a direct

confrontation with Tehran but

apparently is no longer going to tolerate

the Iranian proxies that run counter to

US interests With Soleimani's targeted

Yemen, or even met with the leader of

the Houthi militia, Abdul-Malik Al-

Houthi, the latter pledged to avenge the

"martyr" and vowed that his blood "will

not be wasted."

Ironically, the Houthis have always

boasted that their movement is

sovereign, claiming that their internal

affairs are free from foreign

interference. In reality, however, they

are pursuing objectives that serve their

Iranian patrons and not their own

people.

Under these circumstances, finding a

peace agreement will be difficult if the

international community does not

acknowledge the obstacles that stand in

the way of a resilient peace process. To

be able to negotiate peace amid the

current toxic attitude of revenge, the

UN will have to address the challenges

in the Houthis' ideological dogma and

acknowledge the excessive influence

that Iran covertly exerts on the Houthis.

It is paramount that the UN mitigates

these challenges in order to achieve a

realistic idea of how peace can be

secured while one side is under the

influence of a reckless spoiler.

Overall, the UN special envoy to

Yemen will have to work twice as hard

as he did last year to ensure that the

Houthis do not escalate their conflict

with Saudi Arabia as a result of

Soleimani's death. Ultimately, the

Houthis will need to make a decision on

whether they want to remain a militia

with a narrow vision and objectives or a

state actor with a Yemeni identity,

capable of governing their country. This

will be the ultimate test of their

sovereignty and independence.

Source : Arab news

killing on Iraqi soil, the US conveyed a

very clear message: It does not want a

direct confrontation with Tehran but

apparently is no longer going to tolerate

the Iranian proxies that run counter to

US interests. Moreover, it is also evident

that in the event of direct confrontation

with the US, the consequences could be

extremely drastic for Tehran. US

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's calling

to the major powers and the important

regional players corroborates this

thinking.

For a long time, the US, Israel and

Iran's biggest regional rival, Saudi Arabia,

wanted to thwart Tehran's regional

ambitions and hurt its national and

civilizational pride. With Soleimani's

assassination, this purpose has been

served. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu lauded the killing but

reiterated that it was an "American event"

and emphasized his support for

America's right to "self-defense." The

state media in Saudi Arabia praised

Trump's action but, in more of an official

gesture of suggesting restraint, the Crown

Prince directed Vice-Defense Minister

Prince Khaled bin Salman to visit

Washington and London. Now, the

efforts of two of the strongest enemies of

Iran are committed to intervening if there

are extreme escalations but, until then,

suggesting the exercise of "self-defense"

only and restoring regional peace.

Source : Asia times

The Soleimani killing could open the door to diplomacy

The US drone strike that killed the

Iranian Quds Force commander,

Maj. Gen. Qasim Soleimani, was a

bold move with potentially far-reaching

consequences. It unquestionably

heightens the risk of war; it could also

open the door to diplomacy.

But the Trump administration's

immediate challenge is to contain the

action's impact on Iraq. Soleimani's

killing by US forces outside the Baghdad

airport on Friday was a nightmarish

development for Iraq, which fears

becoming the central battleground in the

increasingly military confrontation

between Iran and the United States. Iraq

has struggled to balance its American

patron and its Iranian neighbour while

preserving its sovereignty. Iranianbacked

militia units - Popular

Mobilisation Forces, or PMFs - played an

important role in defeating Daesh [the

self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and

the Levant] in Iraq. But since then the

Iraqi government has struggled, largely

unsuccessfully, to bring the units under

its control. Violent demonstrations in

Iraq over the past several months

presented an unexpected opportunity.

While protesters challenged the

corruption, sectarianism and

ineffectiveness of the Iraqi government,

they also railed against Iranian influence.

That could have strengthened the Iraqi

government's hand in dealing with the

PMFs. Unfortunately, Soleimani's death

has diverted attention instead to the

presence of US forces.

Tehran should embrace a diplomatic

solution when it surfaces...Continued

conflict with the United States would

almost certainly mean harsher and moredestabilising

economic sanctions.

The Iraqi parliament on Sunday passed

a non-binding resolution asking the Iraqi

government to expel foreign troops from

the country, targeting the approximately

5,000 US forces in Iraq. But that does not

necessarily end the matter. Whether the

caretaker government of Prime Minister

Adel Abdul Mahdi has the power or

desire to eject US and coalition forces is

uncertain. What is clear is that one of the

PMFs, Kataib Hezbollah, has been

behind the escalating violence over the

past several months as part of a campaign

(assuredly with Iranian approval) to force

out US troops. The campaign culminated

in the December 31 attack on the US

Embassy in Baghdad. (The head of

Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Mahdi Al

Muhandis, was killed with Soleimani.)

By expelling US forces, the Iraqi

government would be falling into Kataib

The Iraqi parliament on Sunday passed a non-binding

resolution asking the Iraqi government to expel foreign troops

from the country, targeting the approximately 5,000 US forces

in Iraq. But that does not necessarily end the matter. Whether

the caretaker government of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi

has the power or desire to eject US and coalition forces .

Hezbollah's trap: rewarding the militia's

violent campaign, strengthening the

Iranian-backed PMFs, weakening the

Iraqi government and state sovereignty,

and jeopardising the fight against Daesh.

Forcing out US troops would not sit well

with the Kurdish and Sunni populations

in Iraq, nor with the Sunni Arab states,

whose support Iraq needs to balance

Iran. The United States can help. Too

often it has viewed Iraq exclusively

through the prism of US policy toward

Iran. The Trump administration should

publicly state that it is committed to the

sovereignty of Iraq, that the mission of US

and coalition troops is to train Iraqi

security forces and help them protect the

Iraqi people against a resurgent Daesh,

and that the United States will coordinate

with the Iraqi government on matters

involving US troops. While doing what's

necessary to protect US military and

civilian personnel in the region, the

United States should pursue its fight with

Iran outside of Iraqi territory. The

administration should treat any fresh

attacks by Iran or its militias on US forces

in Iraq as an opportunity to shift the focus

back on Iran as the true threat to Iraqi

sovereignty.Beyond focusing

immediately on shoring up US-Iraqi

relations, the Trump administration, of

course, must contend with the possibility

of the conflict with Iran escalating. One

can only hope that President Donald

Trump succeeds in deterring Iran from

its threatened retaliation for Soleimani's

death. But the threat of greater violence is

likely to continue unless interrupted by a

resumption of diplomacy.

Source : Gulf news

STRATEGIC ISSUES

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020

5

Myanmar is looking forward

to CMEC

President Tsai of Taiwan and King Mswati III of eSwatini, April 17, 2018.

Photo: Office of the President, ROC

Taiwan: The Tsai Doctrine

Nick Aspinwall

On May 20, 2016, as Tsai Ing-wen

addressed the world for the first time

as Taiwan's president, she outlined

an international policy vision clearly

intended to drive the country away

from its reliance on China and

toward the rest of the world. Taiwan,

she said in her inauguration speech,

was ready to pursue its New

Southbound Policy - her signature

plan for engagement with South and

Southeast Asian states - and share its

expertise and democratic values with

an international community that, by

and large, only recognizes Beijing.

"Taiwan will be an indispensable

partner for the international

community," Tsai said. Tsai, who is

seeking a second term as president in

Saturday's elections, knew this would

always be a hard sell. Only 22

countries had diplomatic relations

with Taipei at the time; today, that

number has dwindled to 15. Beijing

has campaigned to poach Taipei's

allies and to pressure international

organizations and corporations to

exclude Taiwan, from the World

Health Assembly to Marriott and

American Airlines. The United

Nations, which does not recognize

Taiwan, has stopped allowing

Republic of China passport holders

into its New York headquarters.

The Chinese government is no fan

of Tsai and her Democratic

Progressive Party (DPP), which does

not recognize the so-called "1992

consensus" - considered by Beijing to

be indispensable for cross-strait

exchanges but by Tsai to be a gateway

to "one country, two systems." To

Beijing, Tsai's refusal to acknowledge

the "consensus" is a tacit rejection of

the idea of "one China," and it has

responded by limiting Taiwan's

international space and severing the

official cross-strait communications

that had thrived under Tsai's

predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou.

Taiwan, however, has shaken off

the Chinese pressure and bolstered

its international presence. Tsai's New

Southbound Policy received a boost

from the U.S.-China trade war; the

president often touts its successes on

the campaign trail. And Taiwan has

gathered global support, especially

from the United States, for its

attempts to keep a hostile Beijing at

bay and preserve its sovereignty.

On the international stage, Taiwan

presents itself as a more humane,

democratic alternative to the deep

pockets of China - as a foreign

investor, a cultural partner, or an ally.

But its foreign policy remains littered

with human rights concerns that, as

Tsai heads toward a probable victory

over Kuomintang (KMT) challenger

Han Kuo-yu, remain far from being

solved. In September 2017, one year

after Tsai's inauguration, Taiwan's

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

inked a memorandum of

understanding with Australian

diplomats allowing the transfer of

refugees in the offshore detention

camps of Nauru in need of urgent

medical care to hospitals in Taiwan.

The deal, first reported by the

Sydney Morning Herald in June

2018, sparked consternation in both

Australia and Taiwan, which has not

signed the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Subsequent reports by The Guardian

and BuzzFeed revealed that refugees

sent to Taiwan for treatment did not

receive adequate follow-up care upon

returning to Nauru. Taiwan was

likely "very eager" to boost its

international legitimacy by signing

an MOU with Australia, Lowy

Institute Pacific Islands Program

director Jonathan Pryke told

BuzzFeed. Other nations, Pryke said,

would have balked at Australia's

proposal.

"We told MOFA several times it's

not a good step to [give] this kind of

assistance," said Chiu E-ling, then the

secretary general of the Taiwan

Association for Human Rights. "It

seems like they don't care about our

criticism." The deal with Australia

illustrates the challenges Tsai has

faced in expanding Taiwan's global

presence while the world does not

recognize it.

As Taiwan has turned away from

China, it has turned toward states

that are often only willing to deal with

Taipei when it happens to be

convenient - such as Australia, which

would have struggled to find a UN

member state to provide medical

care to refugees in the camps of

Nauru.

Taiwan has thus had to strike a

"difficult balance" while cooperating

with potential rights violators, said

Jeremy Huai-che Chiang, a research

associate at the Taiwan-Asia

Exchange Foundation. The

government, he said, must make

judgment calls "according to what

Taiwan believes and what Taiwan

needs to enable ties with other

countries."

When Taiwan needs to maintain its

formal diplomatic ties, it often needs

cash. In May 2018, MOFA

announced it would assist Haiti in

securing a $150 million

infrastructure loan from Taiwanese

banks. A year later, in May 2019,

Taiwan agreed to extend a $100

million loan to Nicaragua and its

embattled president, Daniel Ortega.

Both states are among Taipei's 15

remaining formal allies. Both,

however, are also serial rights

violators. Haiti has failed to protect

its LGBTQ community and its press

freedom under the government of

President Jovenel Moise, who

received a July state visit from Tsai

during her "Journey of Freedom,

Democracy and Sustainability."

Nicaragua, meanwhile, inked its

Taiwan loan agreement shortly after

unarmed anti-Ortega protestors were

met with a brutal state crackdown

that some estimate has taken over

500 lives. One month prior to the

loan deal, then-U.S.

Cambodia’s dwindling opposition

Andrew Nachemson

Few long-term observers were

surprised when opposition leader

Sam Rainsy failed to return to

Cambodia on November 9 to lead a

promised peaceful uprising against

34-year ruler Hun Sen.

The plan was always a long shot,

but as Rainsy heads into his fifth

year in exile, many will begin to

wonder whether he and the

opposition Cambodia National

Rescue Party (CNRP) can continue

Tales of the CNRP's demise have so far been greatly exaggerated, but

the clock is ticking.

Photo: Vincent Thian

to remain relevant.

Coverage of the CNRP has tilted

negative in recent months - many

foreign correspondents seemed

almost gleeful at Rainsy's failure and

stories abound of a split in the CNRP

between its two founders, Rainsy

and Kem Sokha. The truth is,

however, that the CNRP still retains

its most important asset - popular

support. "I see no indication that the

party's support has dissipated. While

the CPP has effaced the party as a

legal entity, it has not succeeded in

solving many of the problems that

led a large chunk of the Cambodian

electorate to vote for the CNRP in the

first place," said Sebastian Strangio,

author of Hun Sen's Cambodia. "If a

free election were held tomorrow,

with the CNRP participating, it

would be likely a very close call."

The CNRP won around 44 percent

of the vote in the 2013 national

election (despite widespread

irregularities) and again in the 2017

commune election. This strong

showing led to Sokha's arrest for

treason and party's arbitrary

dissolution prior to the 2018

national election. Despite the

CNRP's absence, none of the minor

pro-democracy parties benefitted at

the voting booths. Even the

Grassroots Democracy Party, which

has become something of a darling

to Western media and academics,

failed to attract any meaningful

support.

The CNRP was formed in 2012 by

a merger between the Sam Rainsy

Party (SRP) and Sokha's Human

Rights Party (HRP) in order to stop

splitting the anti-government votes.

There is undoubtedly some friction

between the two sides - as there

always has been - but reports of a

split may be exaggerated.

"In a very real sense, the party is its

personalities, which accounts for

both the persistent frictions between

the Rainsy and Sokha wings of the

party, and the CNRP's general lack of

policy detail," said Strangio.

Amara Thiha

A decade after Xi Jinping's first visit

to Myanmar in 2009, Naypyidaw is

planning a banquet for another Xi

visit, expected to be on January 17,

2020. As part of the preparation,

shuttle diplomacy is already

underway, with China's State

Councilor and Foreign Minister

Wang Yi meeting with Myanmar

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi

on December 9, 2019. The agenda is

loud and clear: to speed up the

construction of the projects within

the China-Myanmar Economic

Corridor (CMEC) and realization of

the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In

particular, speeding up the

Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone

(SEZ), Beijing's strategic window to

the India Ocean, is on the short list.

Originating as one of 16 MoUs

signed during then-Vice President

Xi's 2009 visit, the Kyaukphyu SEZ is

the capstone of all China's

investments in Myanmar and was

Beijing's strategic offset in the Indian

Ocean prior to the launch of the BRI.

However, Chinese projects in

Myanmar stalled after the

suspension of controversial Myitsone

Dam, which created uneasy relations

with Beijing for the first time in 20

years and caused BRI capital

injections to fall short of the hype.

Kyaukphyu was not an exception.

The project was significantly

trimmed down with the fear of a debt

trap. Beijing's response was swift as

well - it put other Chinese

investments on hold and CMEC was

held in limbo. Shuttle negotiations

were conducted prior to each of the

BRI summits to initiate early harvest

projects but the priority is crystal

clear: Kyaukphyu. Without a full

scale operational deep sea port in

Kyaukphyu, there is no incentive for

the Chinese to invest in Myanmar

amid political instability and anti-

Chinese sentiments. Myanmar has

already missed the train of "early

harvest projects." Beijing is no longer

interested to pour in funds as a favor

for its friends; economic feasibility

along with strategic benefits are now

the prioritized factors. Beijing will

not bless the Chinese business

community and release the funds

Philippines' smart city plan may

increase Tribal tensions

Bernice Beltran

To decongest the densely-populated

Metro Manila and create

opportunities in the northern

Philippines, the Bases Conversion

and Development Authority (BCDA)

began the construction of the initial

phase of New Clark City (NCC), a

9,450-hectare smart city, in January

2018 in the hills of Capas town in

Tarlac province.

The "multi-billion dollar" project,

which is one of the flagship

infrastructure projects of President

Rodrigo Duterte's Build, Build, Build

program, aims to entice foreign

investors to set up businesses in NCC.

But the construction threatens to

displace at least 65,000 people from

12 villages, including some 18,000

indigenous people who belong to the

Aeta tribe.

At least 300 families were evicted

when a sports complex in the Phase

1-A of NCC was built. The massive

sports complex includes a stadium,

an aquatic center, and an athlete's

village where delegates to the 2019

Southeast Asian Games were housed.

On December 2, 2019, at least 500

families from the Aeta tribe in

Aranguren village in Capas town

were given a seven-day notice to

evacuate from their lands to make

way for the construction of the access

road from NCC to Clark International

Airport. In March 1992, the late

former president Cory Aquino signed

into law the Bases Conversion and

Development Act of 1992 or BCDA. It

is a government corporation that was

formed to take over and manage base

lands that the U.S. Army abandoned.

The law, however, does not say

anything about the indigenous

people living within the former

military base and military

reservations. Since time

immemorial, the Aeta tribal people

have been living in the hinterlands of

the region, north of Manila. Tribal

chieftain Petronilla Capiz Munoz,

known to her family as "Apung Pet,"

said that her ancestors had been in

Capas town long before the BCDA

was formed in 1992.

In fact, they were here "long before

the Spanish came," Apung Pet added.

She and her family live in a tribal

community called Sapang Kawayan,

literally meaning Bamboo Creek, in

without the fulfillment of its

geopolitical strategic needs.

Meanwhile, Myanmar needs

capital inflows to keep the economy

afloat ahead of the upcoming

election. Realizing and speeding up

CMEC is the only feasible choice.

Myanmar's waltz with the West

ended with the advent of the

Rohingya crisis. Naypyitaw has been

courting Beijing again in recent

months in order to seek quick cash

and keep the back door secure. This

puts Kyaukphyu back on the table,

along with other projects, as a

bargaining chip.

Amid the Rohingya crisis, the

ongoing Arakan insurgency, and

political wrangling resuming,

investing in Rakhine state is a long

shot. However, with the realization of

the Indo-Pacific strategy in recent

years, China needs to secure a back

door to the Indian Ocean. With a

longstanding good relationship with

the Northern Alliance, the Arakan

Aranguren village.

Apung Pet claimed their clan

inherited some 8,000-hectares of

ancestral land from their forefathers.

The BCDA offers the affected

communities some $5,900 per

hectare of land and relocation sites,

but did not disclose where the Aetas

would move to. Apung Pet said that

some claimants who received the

compensation from the BCDA are

not from their clan and not from their

ancestral territory.

"They only pretended that they are

from here so they could receive

financial assistance. I don't even

know who they are but I'm sure

they're not from here," she explained.

"Once you spend the money, it's

gone. Our land is more valuable to us

because it was given to us by our

ancestors and we want the next

generation to inherit it," said 74-yearold

Jose Capiz, Apung Pet's older

brother. Growing up in Capas town,

Jose knows his way around the hills

like the back of his hand. Jose and his

siblings are the clan's "Aeta Hungey."

"Hungey" means "old blood" in the

Aeta language. "Without our blood,

the Aetas in Capas would not be alive

today," Jose said.

Being the "Hungey," Apung Pet and

her family are responsible for

resolving conflict within the clan and

overseeing the ancestral land.

"Anyone who wishes to farm and

Army is actually comforting for

Chinese investments. And Beijing

will follow Naypyidaw's blueprint for

Rohingya issues, no matter where it

leads. Plus, the assessment for the

Kyaukphyu-Yunnan highspeed

railway is already conducted and

everything is ready to lay the first

brick. Beijing's decade-long plan is

now set and with the green light from

Xi's upcoming visit, it will be in full

swing.

Indeed, the upcoming visit goes far

beyond the Pauk-Phaw relationship,

BRI, and CMEC. It will be Beijing's

final push for a strategic projection 10

years in the making. The handshakes

with Xi in Naypyitaw may not only

impact the political economy of

Myanmar for the upcoming decades

but also herald the beginning of a

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, left, and Chinese

President Xi Jinping, right, wait for Myanmar delegates to enter

for a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China,

Aug. 19, 2016.

Photo: Rolex Dela Pena

new chapter for the geopolitical

landscape of the Indian Ocean. Now

it is time to review and evaluate the

implications for the Indo-Pacific

strategy.

build their homes within our land

must ask permission from our

family," Apung Pet said.

"We are not squatters. When our

ancestors first came to Capas, they

named all the places you can find in

this land. They named this village

Sapang (stream) Kawayan (bamboo)

because they saw abundant bamboo

trees along the stream," the tribal

leader said.

"Sapang Kawayan, Patling,

Malutong Gabun, Cutcut, Oyangoren

- these are just a few places whose

names were given by our ancestors.

Outsiders could not pronounce

Oyangoreng so it became

'Aranguren,'" she said. When the

news about the tribal displacement

broke, the BCDA published a

statement regarding the seven-day

notice for evacuation.

In the statement posted on their

website last December 5, 2019, the

BCDA said that consultations were

made with the local government.

Apung Pet said she was never

included in the conversation. In

Sapang Kawayan, Jose planted corn,

rice, and sweet potatoes in a plot of

land near his hut. His harvests were

sold in the markets in Capas.

Though he makes decent money,

he worries about his wife, 64-yearold

Corazon Capiz who was paralyzed

after suffering from a stroke four

years ago.

A sign by the dirt road in Capas, Tarlac reads "Respect the rights of

the Aetas."

Photo: Bernice Beltran.

NATIONAL

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020 6

ADB's delegation team visits various development

works in Narsingdi municipality

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard, Pagla Station seized illegal current nets worth Tk 80.50 in

Munshiganj on Wednesday.

Photo: Courtesy

Current nets worth 80.50cr

seized in Munshiganj

Members of Bangladesh Coast

Guard, Pagla Station seized 4.2 lakh

meters of illegal current nets, bobing

and current net yarns worth around Tk

80.50 crore from Muktapur area of

Panchashar union of Munshiganj on

Wednesday, a press release said.

on the basis of secret news, Executive

officer of Support Unit, Lieutenant

Commander M Sajjad Hossain, (X), BN

and Station Commander Pagla Lt. Asif,

(X), BN along with 38 Coast Guard

members conducted a drive at 7

warehouses and 4 houses opposite of

Panna Cinema Hall at Muktapur

market. During the raid, Dhaka District

Fisheries officer zillur Rahman and

Executive Magistrate Sihabul Arif were

present. Subsequently, the seized nets

were burned and destroyed in the fire

in presence of local media staffs. In

addition, during the raid, a total of 21

people were fined Tk 1.95. In addition

to maintaining law and order and

public protection in areas under the

jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Coast

Guard, the force will continue its

operation to curb kidnapping,

deforestation, robbery and the use of

illegal fishing nets.

NARSINGDI CoRRESPoNDENT:

ADB's delegation team

visited various development

works in various wards of

Narsingdi municipality

including road reforms,

underground drains,

construction of footpaths.

During the time, Managing

Director of Bangladesh

Municipal Development

Fund Syed Hasinur

Rahman, Project Manager

AKM Kamruzzaman,

Narsingdi District Awami

League General Secretary

and zila Parishad Chairman

Abdul Matin Bhuiyan,

Narsingdi 2-time municipal

mayor Kamruzzaman

Kamrul, Engineer Amir

Faisal, Narsingdi Municipal

Engineer Tariqul Islam

Bhuiyan, Municipality Dr

Sajedul Haque Apu,

Municipal Accounting

officer Humayun Kabir

Sarkar Municipal Planner

Mushfiq Ahmed, Narsingdi

Municipal Councilor Md.

Kamal Molla, Narsingdi

Municipal Councilor

Didarul Hossain (Foto),

Narsingdi Municipal

Councilor Roknuzzaman

Rokon, Narsingdi Municipal

ADB's delegation team visited various development works in various

wards of Narsingdi municipality recently.

Photo: TBT

Councilor Almas Mia and

Narsingdi Municipal

Councilor Mahbub Alam

Bhuiyan were among others

also present at the occasion.

It is learnt that various

developmental works,

including road construction

and drainage construction,

have been going on in full

swing in every area of

Narsingdi municipality.

Narsingdi municipalities are

again seeing the face of great

development. Under the

direction of development

leader Sheikh Hasina, and

under the leadership of

Narsingdi city Awami

League president and

municipality mayor Alhaji

Kamruzzaman Karul,

dreams of thousands of

people are coming true.

The municipal mayor,

councilors, engineers,

officials and staff of the

municipality are working

day and night to build a

traffic-free Narsingdi city.

Blankets were distributed among 300 cold affected poor people of

Gournadi upazila with the personal financing of district Awami League's

President Alhaji Abul Hasanat Abdullah MP on Thursday.

Photo: Md Gias Uddin Mia

Parliament member of Kurigram-2 constituency Alhaj Panir Uddin Ahmed

as the chief guest was present at a freshers' reception ceremony at Majida

Adarsha Degree College in Kurigram on Thursday. Photo: Badshah Saykot

Freshers' reception

held at Majida

Adarsha Degree

College

BADSHAH SAyKoT, KURIGRAM

CoRRESPoNDENT:

Freshers' reception

ceremony of the new

students of Majida

Adarsha Degree College in

Kurigram was held on

Thursday.

Parliament member of

Kurigram-2 constituency

Alhaj Panir Uddin Ahmed

was present as the chief

guest at the occasion held

at the college ground.

Among others, District

Awami League general

secretary and chairman of

Sadar Upazila Aman

Uddin Ahmed Manju and

valiant freedom fighter

Sirajul Islam Tuku were

also present as special

guests.

Principal of the Majida

Adarsha Degree College

Khwaja Sharif Uddin Ali

Ahmed presided over the

function. Later, cultural

events was also held.

Over 2.71 lakh Khulna

children to be fed

Vitamin A+ capsules

KHULNA: Khulna Civil Surgeon office has completed all

the preparations to immunize over 2.71-lakh children aged

between six months and 59 months with Vitamin A plus

capsules during the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign on

Saturday, reports BSS.

Khulna Civil Surgeon office disclosed the information on

Wednesday at an orientation meeting with local journalists

held at the conference room of Khulna School Health Clinic

to make the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign-2020 a

success.

The campaign will be conducted under the auspices of the

Institute of Public Health Nutrition and National Nutrition

Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Sayedul Islam in the

chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Khulna

Press Club president SM Nazrul Islam, general secretary

Mamun Reza, regional information officer of PID M Javed

Iqbal, health officer of KCC Dr Sharif Shammiul Islam, and

zonal nutrition officer of UNICEF Dr Shahnewaz Begum.

Child Specialist Dr. Sharafat Hossain delivered the keynote

paper at the meeting.

Deputy Civil Surgeon said a large number of volunteers

and monitoring teams will provide Vitamin A Plus Capsules

at different outreach centres in all nine upazilas, including

two Metropolitan areas of the district from 8 am to 4 pm on

the day.

"Around 31,643 babies (6-11 months) and 2, 39,698 babies

(12-59 months) will be fed with one dose of one lakh unit

Vitamin A Plus blue capsule and one dose of two lakh unit of

Vitamin A red capsule each respectively," he said.

Blankets distributed

among cold-hit

people in Gournadi

MD GIAS UDDIN MIA, GoUR-

NADI CoRRESPoNDENT:

With the increasing of cold

wave, blankets were

distributed among 300 cold

affected poor people of

Gournadi upazila to mitigate

their sufferings with the

personal financing of district

Awami League's President

Alhaji Abul Hasanat

Abdullah MP on Thursday.

During the time, general

secretary of the Guaranadi

municipality Md. Al-Amin

Howlader, municipal 3 no

ward Awami League general

secretary Mintu Sardar,

Municipal Jubo League

leader Russell Howlader,

Nantu Howlader and

Mawlana Rakibul Hasan

were among others also

present at the occasion.

Integrated development

must for effective local

govt bodies

RAJSHAHI: Experts at a

participatory discussion here

mentioned coordinated

development planning can be

a vital means of making the

existing local government

institutions and the Upazila

Parishad and Union Parishad

(UP) in particular effective

and accountable, reports BSS.

They also observed effective

and meaningful UzPs and

UPs is the precondition to

reasonable improvement of

living and livelihood

condition of the grassroots

population.

So, there is no alternative to

make those up to the mark,

they added while addressing

the annual coordination

meeting of "Policy

Formulation for Upazila

Integrated Development

under Efficient and

Accountable Local

Governance (EALG) Project"

held at Circuit House

conference hall on

Wednesday.

District administration

arranged the meeting in

association with the United

Nation Development

Programme (UNDP) and

Swiss Agency for

Development

and

Cooperation-SDC.

More than 100 persons

comprising UzP Chairmen

and Vice-chairmen, Upazila

Nirbahi officers, UP

Chairmen, upazila officials

from all eight line

departments and members of

the civil society joined the

meeting.

Deputy Commissioner

Hamidul Haque addressed

the meeting as chief guest

with deputy director of Local

Government Division Parvej

Raihan in the chair.

Corrugated sheets, cheques distributed

among victims of cyclone Bulbul

UTTAM GoLDER, MIRzAGANJ CoR-

RESPoNDENT:

Corrugated sheets and

cheques were distributed

among 50 families who are

victims of cyclone Bulbul in

Mirzaganj upazila of

Patuakhali on Thursday. 3

bundles of corrugated

sheets and cheque worth Tk

1,000 were distributed

among each victim at the

Upazila Parishad Chattar.

The distribution

programme was held at the

initiative of Upazila Project

Implementation office and

was allocated from Ministry

of Disaster Management

and Relief. During the time,

Upazila Parishad Chairman

Khan Md. Abu Bakar

Siddique, Upazila Nirbahi

officer Md. Sarwar

Hossain, Upazila Vice

Chairman Md. zahirul

Islam Jewel, Mirzaganj

Police Station officer-in-

Charge MR Shawkat Anwar

Islam, Deoli Subidkhali UP

Chairman and Awami

Mirzaganj Upazila Parishad Chairman Khan Md. Abu Bakar Siddique distributed

corrugated sheets and cheques among 50 families who are victims

of cyclone Bulbul in the upazila on Thursday. Photo: Uttam Golder

League leader Md. Aziz Project Implementation were also present at the

Howladar and Upazila officer Md Rafiqul Islam occasion.

The Deputy Secretary (IC-1) of the Ministry of Agriculture Sharifa Ahmed visited the AFACI-APPT,

Bangladesh activities at the Postharvest Technology Division (PHTD) of Bangladesh Agriculture

Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur on Thursday.

Photo: Shamsul Haque

DS visits BARI's Postharvest Division

SHAMSUL HAqUE, GAzIPUR CoRRESPoNDENT:

The Deputy Secretary (IC-1) of the

Ministry of Agriculture Sharifa Ahmed

has visited the AFACI-APPT,

Bangladesh activities at the Postharvest

Technology Division (PHTD) of

Bangladesh Agriculture Research

Institute (BARI), Gazipur on

Thursday. She also met BARI Director

General Dr. Abul Kalam Azad at the

latter's office.

During her visit, she exchanged her

opinion and talked about the project

duration, project plan, yearly activities,

processing techniques and marketing

opportunity of the 'green jackfruit

vegetable meat products.'

Chief Scientific officer and Head of

the PHTD and the Program Director

(PD) Md. Hafizul Khan said there is a

great opportunity to process the green

jackfruit like ready to cook and ready to

eat by preserving in both drying and

frozen technique. The PD also argued

that the ministry may approve the

training program in their program so

that the researchers can take initiative

to disseminate their findings at least

the growing area of the Jackfruit.

Senior Scientific officer of the PHTD

Dr. Mohammad Mainudin Molla was

present on the occasion.

INTERNATIONAL

FRIDAY,

JANUARY 10, 2020

7

Rescue workers carry items retrieved from the scene where a Ukrainian plane crashed in

Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020.

Photo : AP

At least 63 Canadians dead

in Iran plane crash

Canadian Prime Minister Justin

Trudeau vowed his government will get

answers after a Ukrainian passenger jet

crashed, killing at least 63 Canadians,

just minutes after taking off from Iran's

capital, reports UNB.

Trudeau said Wednesday 138 passengers

on the flight were connecting to

Canada. The flight included many international

students who were studying at

universities across Canada. Newlyweds

and a Canadian family of four were also

on the flight.

Trudeau said his government is pushing

to be part of the Iranian-led investigation

of the plane crash near Tehran

that killed everyone on board. Getting

answers from Iran might prove difficult

as Canada closed its embassy in Iran in

2012 and suspended diplomatic relations.

The crash of the Ukraine International

Airlines plane came hours after Iran

launched a ballistic missile attack on

Iraqi bases housing U.S. soldiers, but

Iranian officials said they suspected a

mechanical issue brought down the

3½-year-old Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Ukrainian officials initially agreed, but

later backed away and declined to offer

a cause while the investigation is ongoing.

"There is a clear need for answers,"

Trudeau said. "Canada is very concerned

on this." Trudeau said he spoke

with President Donald Trump earlier

Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of State

Mike Pompeo said the United States is

calling for cooperation with any investigation

into the cause of the crash Asked

if he could say whether the plane was

shot down or not, Trudeau said: "I cannot.

It's too early to speculate." Trudeau

said Canadian victims' families want

and deserve answers. "Know that all

Canadians are grieving with you,"

Trudeau said. Transport Minister Marc

Garneau said he could not speculate but

said that soon after the departure of the

plane contact was lost. He said the black

box information is needed. Authorities

said they found the plane's so-called

black boxes, which record cockpit conversations

and instrument data. But it

was not immediately clear how much

access to the information the Iranians

would allow. Canada is offering technical

assistance to the upcoming investigation

in Iran. Canada's Transportation

Safety Board said it has appointed an

expert to monitor the progress which is

being led by Iran's civil aviation organization.

Aviation experts were skeptical

about Iran's initial claim that the plane

was brought down by a mechanical

problem. "Something unusual happened,"

Garneau said. The plane carried

167 passengers and nine crew

members from different nations. The

Canadian flag on Parliament Hill was

lowered to half-mast. The U.S. embassy

in Ottawa also lowered its flag. Canadian

Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe

Champagne confirmed at least 63 Canadians

died and as more information

becomes available, including details on

dual citizens, the number of deceased

Canadians could change.

It's one of the worst losses of life for

Canadians in an aviation disaster. In

1985 a bomb exploded and killed 329

people aboard an Air India flight. Air

India Flight 182 from Montreal to New

Delhi exploded over the Atlantic Ocean

near Great Britain on June 23, 1985.

Most of the victims were Canadian.

The Tehran to Toronto route via Kyiv

is an affordable route for Iranian Canadians

and international students. There

are no direct flights.

Younes Zangiabadi, a board member

of the Iranian Canadian Congress, said

because of U.S. sanctions, there are

many options for Iranian-Canadians to

travel to Iran.

Payman Paseyan, a member of the

Iranian-Canadian community in

Edmonton, Alberta, said about 27

people from Edmonton, a family of

four that he knew, were on the flight.

Two professors from the University of

Alberta, Pedram Mousavibafrooei

and Mojgan Daneshmand, and their

daughters Daria and Dorina died. He

said he often would go to the gym with

the father and described him as a nice

guy who often visited his former

restaurant with his family. "It's just

terrible," he said.

Democrats, and some in GOP,

seek more info on Iran decision

The Trump administration made its

case on Capitol Hill for killing a powerful

Iranian general, but Democrats -

and a handful of Republicans - said

Wednesday's classified briefings were

short on details and left them wondering

about the president's next steps in

the volatile Mideast.

Democrats said that by not disclosing

many details of the threat that

prompted the U.S. to kill Iranian Gen.

Qassem Soleimani, President Donald

Trump is asking the American public to

trust the very intelligence reports he

has often disparaged, reports UNB.

Top Trump administration officials

have repeatedly stressed that the undisclosed

intelligence about imminent

threats to Americans in the Mideast

required action - that the president

would have been negligent not to strike

Iran. But Democrats want more information

about what led Trump to kill

Soleimani - a man whose hands were

"drenched in both American and Iranian

blood," according to Trump.

"Trust us. That's really what it all

boils down to," Rep. Eliot Engel, D-

N.Y., the chairman of the House Foreign

Affairs Committee, said after a

classified briefing top administration

officials gave members of the House.

"But I'm not sure that 'trust me' is a

satisfactory answer for me," Engel said.

In contrast, Sen. Jim Risch, the

Republican chairman of the Senate

Foreign Relations Committee, called

the Senate's meeting "one of the best

briefings" he's had as a member of Congress.

He said the information was

"crystal clear."

Some Republicans joined Democrats

in criticizing the administration's presentations.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said it was

"probably the worst briefing I've seen,

at least on a military issue, in the nine

years I've served in the United States

Senate."

He said he found it "insulting and

demeaning" for administration briefers

to warn lawmakers against debating

the merits of further military action

against Iran because that would only

embolden Tehran.

"It is not acceptable for officials within

the executive branch of government

... to come in and tell us that we can't

debate and discuss the appropriateness

of military intervention against Iran.

It's un-American, it's unconstitutional,

and it's wrong," Lee said, adding that he

now planned to support a war powers

resolution introduced by Sen. Tim

Kaine, D-Va.

The House is expected to vote this

week on a similar resolution to limit

Trump's military actions regarding

Iran. Defense Secretary Mark Esper

said he thought the congressional briefings

offered lawmakers a compelling

argument that the intelligence supported

the strike on Soleimani. But he noted

that only eight lawmakers - the top

four lawmakers in the House and Senate

and chairmen and vice chairmen of

the intelligence committees in both

chambers - are the only members of

Congress who are authorized to see all

the intelligence.

"One of the challenges, of course, is

not everybody has, in fact most members

of Congress do not have, access to

the intelligence that I think was the

most compelling," Esper said. "That's

just simply the nature of the intelligence,

and it's restricted to the Gang of

Eight."

Democrats also are skeptical of the

timing of the strike, which comes in the

run-up to a Senate impeachment trial

and at the start of a presidential election

year. It's the same skepticism that

some Republicans expressed in 1998

when they accused President Bill Clinton

of using military strikes on Iraq to

interrupt and delay a pending impeachment

resolution against him.

A top defender of the president, Rep.

Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said afterward

that "there's no question" the killing

was justified.

Asked if she was convinced by the

briefing that Iranian attacks were

imminent before the Soleimani strike,

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said,

"Yes. My questions were answered and

satisfied."

UN envoy: Terrorist

attacks surging in

Sahel and West

Africa

The U.N. envoy for West

Africa and the Sahel says the

region has experienced "a

devastating surge in terrorist

attacks against civilian and

military targets" in recent

months, reports UNB.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas

told the U.N. Security Council

Wednesday that the

"unprecedented terrorist

violence" has shaken public

confidence.

He said terrorist attacks

have increased five-fold in

Burkina Faso, Mali and

Niger since 2016 with over

4,000 deaths reported in

2019 compared to an estimated

770 deaths in 2016.

In Burkina Faso, deaths rose

even more dramatically

from about 80 in 2016 to

over 1,800 in 2019, he said.

"Most significantly, the

geographic focus of terrorist

attacks has shifted eastwards

from Mali to Burkina

Faso and is increasingly

threatening West African

coastal states," Chambas

said. The U.N. envoy said

terrorist attacks are often

"deliberate efforts by violent

extremists to capture

weapons and trafficking

routes" and engage in illicit

activities including illegal

mining that sustain their

operations. He said governments,

local "actors," regional

organizations and the

international community

are mobilizing to respond to

terrorism and violent

extremism across West

Africa and the Sahel.

Chambas urged leaders in

the region to follow through

on pledges to tackle terrorism,

saying now "is the time

for action." In a report to the

Security Council in late July,

U.N.

Brazil judge orders Netflix to

remove film with gay Jesus

A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered

Netflix to stop showing a Christmas special

that some called blasphemous for depicting

Jesus as a gay man and which prompted a

gasoline bomb attack on the satirists behind

the program, reports UNB.

The ruling by Rio de Janeiro judge Benedicto

Abicair responded to a petition by a

Brazilian Catholic organization that argued

the "honor of millions of Catholics" was hurt

by the airing of "The First Temptation of

Christ." The special was produced by the

Rio-based film company Porta dos Fundos,

whose headquarters was targeted in the

Christmas Eve attack.

Netflix told The Associated Press it would

not comment on the ruling.

Porta dos Fundos also declined to comment

on the judge's decision, which contradicted

an earlier decision rejecting censorship

of the program. The ruling is valid until

another court orders otherwise.

Abicair said the program's withdrawal "is

beneficial not only to the Christian community,

but to Brazilian society which is mostly

Christian."

The ruling comes at a time when some civil

groups say far-right Brazilian President

Jair Bolsonaro is waging a "cultural war,"

cutting funding for arts projects that challenge

"Christian values" and inveighing

against flamboyant carnival celebrations.

Early on the day before Christmas, a group

of hooded men attacked the headquarters of

Porta dos Fundos with Molotov cocktails. No

one was hurt. A video circulating days later

on social media showed three men claiming

responsibility for the attack.

The First Temptation of Christ depicts

Jesus returning home on his 30th birthday

and insinuates he is gay. Religious groups

bristled at the depiction. Creators of the film

have defended it as legitimate freedom of

expression.

A Brazilian judge on Wednesday ordered Netflix to stop showing a

Christmas special that some called blasphemous for depicting Jesus as a

gay man and which prompted a gasoline bomb attack on the satirists

behind the program.

Photo : AP

The Trump administration made its case on Capitol Hill for killing a powerful Iranian general, but

Democrats - and a handful of Republicans - said Wednesday's classified briefings were short on

details and left them wondering about the president's next steps in the volatile Mideast. Photo : AP

Aussie state

announces 1

bln dollars for

bushfire relief

An additional 1 billion Australian

dollars (687 million

U.S. dollars) was committed

by the Australian state government

of New South

Wales (NSW) on Wednesday

to help rebuild communities

and infrastructure in

the wake of devastating

bushfires, reports UNB.

NSW has been the most

badly affected by fires in

Australia, with 20 people

killed and close to 2,000

homes destroyed this season,

representing the vast

majority of nationwide losses.

State Premier Gladys

Berejiklian said that the

funds would prioritise

repairing and rebuilding key

infrastructure such as roads,

rail-lines, bridges, schools,

health facilities and communications.

"This money will provide

an immediate source of

funding to ensure key infrastructure

is restored so that

communities can get back

on their feet as soon as possible,"

she said.

Earlier this week the federal

government allocated 2

billion Australian dollars

(1.37 billion U.S. dollars) for

fire relief across the country.

Berejiklian said that

NSW's portion of that money

would go directly to individuals,

families businesses

and local councils affected

by the fires.

"The bushfire season is far

from over but we know how

important it is for communities

to start the recovery

process where possible," she

said.

U.S. charting rules on

management of drones

The U.S. Department of Transportation

(DOT) is charting a course for safe integration

of drones into the country's airspace,

Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao

has said, reports UNB.

Delivering a keynote speech at the 2020

Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las

Vegas on Wednesday, Chao said the DOT

has announced a Notice of Proposed Rule

Making (NPRM) for Remote Identification

of drones, which would apply to all drones

over 0.55 pounds (0.25 kg) that are required

to be registered with the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA).

Remote ID, or the transmitting subscriber

identification, "will enhance safety and security

by allowing the FAA, law enforcement,

and Federal security agencies to identify

drones flying in their jurisdiction," she said.

Chao said innovation is occurring across

all modes of transportation. Aviation is experiencing

tremendous growth of unmanned

aircraft systems, or drones. Surveying,

search and rescue, agriculture applications

and delivery of packages and passengers are

just a few of the current and future uses of

drones. More than 1.5 million drones and

160,000 remote pilots are now registered

with the FAA. "As the FAA and operators

move towards a traffic management system

for drones, remote ID technologies will help

lay the foundation for the safe deployment of

more complex drone operations. These

include beyond visual line of sight at low altitudes,"

she said. She cited recent news

reports out of Colorado and Nebraska of

mystery drones flying in formations at night

as a timely illustration of why Remote I.D.s

are needed.

She also talked about U.S. space transportation

innovation in her speech, saying

that six years ago, the United States was

third behind Russia and China in commercial

space launches, while today it is number

one, thanks to re-usable rockets, air-launch

systems, and other private sector initiatives.

In 2019, there were 34 U.S. launches and

reentries and the global space economy's value

was approaching 400 billion U.S. dollars

annually, according to Chao.

She said the DOT is streamlining launch

and reentry licensing processes to enable

further growth in the space sector; outdated

and cumbersome licensing regulations and

launch procedures are being overhauled; an

Office of Spaceports has been established

and there will be even more major rulemakings

in this arena later this year.

Japan defends its justice system

against Ghosn’s defiance

Nissan's fugitive ex-boss Carlos Ghosn vowed to defend his name wherever he can get a fair

trial at his first public appearance since being smuggled out of Japan last week, saying

Wednesday he had fled a "nightmare" that would not end, reports UNB.

Ghosn spoke to a room packed with journalists for more than two hours in the Lebanese

capital, where he arrived after jumping $14 million bail despite supposedly rigorous surveillance

- a bold and improbable escape that embarrassed Japanese authorities and has allowed

him to evade trial on charges of financial misconduct.

Combative, spirited, and at times rambling, he described conditions of detention in Japan

that made him feel "dead ... like an animal" in a country where he asserted he had "zero

chance" of a fair trial. "For the first time since this nightmare began, I can defend myself,

speak freely and answer your questions," Ghosn said. "I didn't run from justice, I left Japan

because I wanted justice."

ART & CULTURE

FRiDAy, JAnUARy 10, 2020

8

Gallery of

the day

Karan Johar

rang in 2020

with best friends

Rani Mukerji and

Karisma Kapoor

in London. They

were joined by

Manish

Malhotra.

Photo: Karan

Johar/Instagram

Janhvi Kapoor : Takht is set in

an era i’ve been fascinated by

THE PREDATOR

When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's

most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of

ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent

the end of the human race.

Release Date : 14 September 2018 (USA)

Director : Shane Black

Writers : Fred Dekker, Shane Black

Stars : Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob

Tremblay

Taglines : The Hunt has Evolved

Also known as : Ollie

Genres : Action, Advanture, Horror, Sci-fi, Thriller

Runtime : 107 minutes

Country : Canada, USA

Language : English

Production : Twentieth Century Fox, Davis

Entertainment, TSG Entertainment

Filming location : Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

STORylinE :

From the outer reaches of space to the smalltown

streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home.

Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are

stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before,

having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA

from other species. When a young boy accidentally

triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of

ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can

prevent the end of the human race.

|Source: IMDb]

Janhvi Kapoor was a part of Zoya Akhtar’s segment in Netflix

film Ghost Stories.

Photo: Janhvi Kapoor/Instagram

Janhvi Kapoor starrer Ghost

Stories is currently streaming

on Netflix. The actor will also

Janhvi made her debut in

2018 with the Hindi remake of

Sairat. After a gap of a year,

begin Karan Johar's she will be seen this year in

ambitious, Takht this year.

Actor Janhvi Kapoor says

she is aware there were

people who felt she didn’t

tick all the boxes with her

debut Dhadak but she has

taken it in her stride.

diverse projects, ranging from

Zoya Akhtar’s horror short

segment, Ghost Stories, the

biopic Gunjan Saxena: The

Kargil Girl and the horrorcomedy

RoohiAfza.

“I am excited for the lineup.

I have given my everything,

because I feel like,

somewhere, I know I worked

really hard with ‘Dhadak’ but

I know I didn’t tick all the

boxes for some people. I took

that in my stride and really

gave it more than I could

even imagine giving,” Janhvi

told PTI.

The actor will also begin

Karan Johar’s ambitious,

Takht this year. The film

chronicles the story of two

warring brothers and

features Ranveer Singh,

Vicky Kaushal, Kareena

Kapoor Khan, Anil Kapoor,

Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal,

Bhumi Pednekar.

Janhvi says her headspace

is “full of excitement” ahead

of the film going on floors.

“It is set in an era, a genre

that I have been so fascinated

by since the start. I am

obsessed with Pakeezah,

Umrao Jaan, Mughal-E-

Azam. I am a huge admirer of

Mughal history. It is really a

dream project to be a part of.

“With Karan directing it

and all of these actors, it

really feels like a dream. The

fact that it was announced so

long ago, it still hasn’t

started, in the middle I did

start thinking it’s just a

dream!”.

Source :

indianexpress.com

Sanatan religious festival Kirtan was celebrated at Uttara recently. it was organized

by greater Uttara Sarbojonin Kirtan Parisad. The program was held at Azampur Govt

Primary School field, sector- 6, Uttara, Dhaka-1230. Swami Sangitananda Maharaj,

Principal of Pronob Math, Dhaka took part in the religious discussions while Bina

Roy Biswas, Engr. Ajoy Kumar and nupur Chakraborty directed other inaugural

events of the day.

Photo: TBT

Kriti Sanon wants to

do more risky and

challenging roles

Actress Kriti Sanon made her

Bollywood debut five years ago with

"Heropanti", and since then has never

looked back. Last year, she featured in

the multistarrer biggie "Housefull 4"

with Akshay Kumar, and also starred in

the multiplex superhit "Lukka Chuppi"

opposite Kartik Aaryan. Her other two

films last year, "Panipat" and "Arjun

Patiala", may have fared below

expectations but her performance in

these films were applauded.

Kriti feels she is evolving as an actor.

"I have definitely evolved as an actor

over the years. I had no training in any

filmmaking course, and I don't have a

film background. Whatever I have

learned is on the job. My acting process

is very organic and spontaneous but it

does require a bit of homework. There's

no fixed formula. One should be able to

understand his or her craft better, and

figure out what's working and what's

not. Or, one needs to work by hit and

trial or think of how else you can

surprise the audience. All these things

keep me growing," she told IANS.

Kriti also believes in analysing her

work. "When it comes to my

performance I am very much critical

about it. I analyse my performances

and see what went wrong or right. I feel

the day I really get happy or satisfied

then my mind will become stagnant.

That's what I don't want.

Source : TOI

nehha Pendse to tie the

knot on January

Former Bigg Boss contestant Nehha

Pendse will tie the knot with Shardul

Singh Bayas on January 5.

After Mona Singh, it is TV actor Nehha

Pendse, popular for her roles in shows

like May I Come In Madam? and

Comedy Dangal, who is all set to walk

down the aisle. The actor will marry

Shardul Singh Bayas in a traditional

Marathi ceremony on January 5. Reports

suggest Nehha will have her sangeet

ceremony on January 3 followed by

mehendi and engagement ceremonies

on January 4.

Nehha had shared pictures from the

first pre-wedding festivity, a traditional

grahmukh puja, on her Instagram

account on Monday. The 35-year-old

actor looked ecstatic as she sat with her

parents to perform the tradition.

Talking about her marriage, Nehha

Pendse had earlier told IANS, “I am so

happy to be in this phase. I am marrying

the man of my dreams and entering a

new and amazing family. They are

beautiful humans and I can’t wait to start

my life there.”

In an interview with Bombay Times,

Nehha had also shared how she met

Shardul at a friend’s party and grew fond

of his caring nature.

She said, “What drew me towards

Shardul was his caring nature. He

understood my fragile state of mind and

soothed my broken heart.

He proposed marriage three months

after we started dating, in April.

At that point, I was seeking more than

just love… I was looking for commitment

and marriage as well. He is exactly what

I wanted in my man. I guess this

(marriage) was meant to happen.”

Nehha Pendse has several Hindi,

Tamil, Telugu and Marathi films to her

Nehha Pendse said she is marrying the man of her dreams.

Photo : Nehha Pendse/Instagram

credit. She also participated in television’s

popular reality show Bigg Boss 12 but got

evicted quite early. She co-hosted Family

Time With Kapil Sharma with actorcomedian

Kapil Sharma.

Source : indianexpress.com

H O R O S C O P E

ARiES

(March 21 - April 20): You may find

yourself overwhelmed with information

today, Aries. By midday both your voice

mailbox and your email box could be full up. It seems

everyone needs a piece of you today. Don't try and

accomplish everything that people expect of you

today; it simply isn't possible. Instead, make your own

decisions about what is important and what isn't.

TAURUS

(April 21 - May 21): Even though you

might have to work today, Taurus, you

should still try and take things fairly easy.

You're just not ready to embrace your workload with

your usual vigor. Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast and

lunch, as your body may be rebelling from some recent

indulgences. Soup and a salad are advisable for lunch,

along with plenty of water.

GEMini

(May 22 - June 21): You can't force

creativity. Not even you, Gemini. As much

as you want to produce something fantastic

right this minute, you will find that mere mortals such as

us need the help of a creative muse. And alas, the muse is

a fickle being. You can't just snap your finger and summon

it. You must coax it out, slowly, gently. This all takes time,

but the end result makes the effort worthwhile. For now,

you must sit and wait, and trust that it will come to you.

CAnCER

(June 22 - July 23): You may be feeling

a bit overwhelmed with the combination

of professional and social obligations. If

you're doing any entertaining tonight, see if you can

drum up some extra help. Cater part of the dinner, if

possible, or at the very least hire someone to help with

the dishes. It's hard enough to entertain and keep the

guests happy. Don't try to be a superhero.

lEO

(July 24 - Aug. 23): You could be feeling

the push-pull of internal desires versus

external demands today, Leo. As much

as you want to stay in bed today, with covers pulled

tight to your chin, the world is clamoring for your

attention. Your phone rings off the hook and your

email box fills as quickly as you can empty it. Just for

today, you wish everyone would go away.

ViRGO

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): When it comes to

home improvement, there is something

to be said for immediate gratification.

Today you could find yourself heading out to do some

necessary shopping. Think carefully about what will

truly improve your home over the long run, Virgo.

Fashions come and go, and following them can be an

expensive undertaking. You would be better off buying

only those items that match your true style.

liBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): You really don't

need to prove anything to anyone,

Libra. You may be feeling under a bit of

pressure to get a lot of work done. But some projects,

especially those that require creativity, simply can't

be rushed. You will find that if you take your time and

allow your muse to work its magic, you will produce

something of real merit in the end.

SCORPiO

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): You have so many

talents and such a range of abilities,

Scorpio, that sometimes it's hard for

you to know where to devote your efforts. Today,

don't make your usual mistake of trying to do

everything. Even you have your limits! You would

be better off taking a step back from the situation to

prioritize your enormous "to do" list.

SAGiTTARiUS

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): It seems that you're ready

for a major change in your life, Sagittarius.

But take care that you don't implement

change merely for the sake of change. Think carefully about

what you really want to do. Some introspection just might

reveal that the changes you seek are minor rather than

major. Jogging a few days a week and vowing to eat salads at

lunch rather than sandwiches may bring about a wonderful

ripple effect of health and well-being in your life.

CAPRiCORn

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You have a keen mind,

Capricorn, and are always absorbing new

bits of information. What is amazing is

how much of it you manage to retain. Today, however,

even your considerable brain may be taxed beyond its

limits. At work you may feel overwhelmed by the mass of

information to sort through. At home there may be books

and magazines piled up that you're anxious to read.

AQUARiUS

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): Take care not to take

on too much today, Aquarius. Your

intentions are certainly good and your

motivation pure, but even you are limited

by the fact that there are a mere 24 hours in a day. Pick

and choose your commitments carefully today to

ensure that you can actually do what you say you will

do. You'll be more effective and get more satisfaction

out of devoting your energy to a few just causes.

PiSCES

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20): Don't take anything

at face value today, Pisces, especially if it

involves money. It's likely that a friend or

colleague will approach you with a deal

that is too good to pass up. Don't let yourself get caught

up in the promise of quick riches. Any deal that is

presented as "too good to be true" usually is. Take in the

information and review it at a later time. You will find

that flaws are revealed once cooler heads prevail.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020

9

Man Utd's

Maguire set

for spell on

sidelines:

reports

Anderson out of

England's final two

Tests in South Africa

Toni Kroos scored the opening goal as Real Madrid won 3-1.

Kroos stunner helps Real Madrid

Photo: AP

through to Spanish Super Cup final

Sports Desk: Toni Kroos scored a

wonder goal straight from a corner as

Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-1 on

Wednesday to reach the final of the

controversial Spanish Super Cup in

Saudi Arabia, reports BSS.

Kroos caught Valencia goalkeeper

Jaume Domenech napping with a

brilliant, instinctive strike before Isco

made it two and Luka Modric added

a classy third from a curling finish

with the outside of his foot.

After two superb goals, the only

shame was more fans were not there

to see them given the King Abdullah

Sports City stadium appeared only a

little more than half full.

The official attendance was given as

40,877 out of a capacity of 62,345.

Dani Parejo scored a late Valencia

penalty but Madrid advance to

Sunday's final where they will meet

the winner of Thursday's second

semi-final between Barcelona and

Atletico Madrid.

"I'm happy with the whole

performance," said Madrid coach

Zinedine Zidane. "For the goal of

Isco, because maybe he needed that,

the genius of Kroos and then

something that only Modric can do.

But it is a semi-final, we haven't won

anything yet."Barca coach Ernesto

Valverde had said earlier on

Wednesday that he preferred the

traditional format of this

competition, that pitted the La Liga

champions against the winners of the

Copa del Rey in a match in Spain in

August. Under those rules, Real

Madrid, who finished third in the

league last term and failed to reach

the final of the cup would not even

have qualified but they now have the

chance to win their first trophy of the

season, possibly against Barca in a

Clasico final.

But it is the new location that has

grated most, because of the lack of

consideration for Spanish fans and

the implications of associating with a

country that has been heavily

criticised for its treatment of women

and record over human rights.

In one of the more unusual aspects

of the night, a giant banner of the

King and Crown Prince of Saudi

Arabia were hung in the centre of the

pitch during half-time.

Either side of the interval, Real

Madrid were too strong, extending

their unbeaten run to 15 matches

with another performance to suggest

they are La Liga's form team ahead of

the second half of the season.

Valencia had to cope without star

player Rodrigo Moreno due to a knee

injury while Madrid were also

without their own top scorer in

Karim Benzema, who has a

hamstring strain, as well as Gareth

Bale, who has a throat infection.

Zidane did not rule out Bale joining

up with the squad for the final but

said the Welshman has not trained

all week.

In their absence, Kroos stepped up

with a goal of which both Benzema

and Bale would have been proud.

Madrid won the corner in the 15th

minute and with Domenech out of

his goal, instructing Francis

Coquelin, Kroos nipped around the

flag and bent the ball towards the net.

Domenech saw it coming but too

late, and he could only succeed in

punching the ball into the inside of

his own goal.

Valencia wanted a penalty when

Casemiro nudged Carlos Soler in the

back and Kevin Gameiro should have

done better than blast over after he

did well to wriggle through.

But Madrid were the dominant

force and Isco doubled the lead

before the break. Fede Valverde

pulled back for Modric and while his

shot was blocked, Isco fired in the

follow-up. Luka Jovic's struggles

continued as he struck the post from

close range before Modric added a

final flourish, selling Gabriel Paulista

with a stepover left before guiding the

ball into the far corner with the

ouside of his right foot.

PSG overrun Saint-Etienne to reach

League Cup semi-finals

Sports Desk: Mauro Icardi scored a

hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain

demolished a depleted Saint-Etienne

6-1 on Wednesday to power into the

semi-finals of the French League

Cup, reports BSS.

Icardi struck the opening goal

inside two minutes at the Parc des

Princes before teenage Saint-Etienne

defender Wesley Fofana was

dismissed for a second booking on

the half-hour.

PSG ruthlessly capitalised on their

man advantage as coach Thomas

Tuchel elected to field all four

members of his fearsome attacking

quartet - Icardi, Neymar, Kylian

Mbappe and Angel Di Maria - against

a side decimated by injury and

illness. "I am convinced that Icardi

and Mbappe love to play together,"

said Tuchel. "We talk about the four

attackers but we are a team with 11

players. Neymar, for example, helps

Juan Bernat. "That's the sort of spirit

which we need to be dangerous. We

have the best players but we also have

the best team."

Neymar doubled the lead with a

nonchalant chipped finish over

goalkeeper Jessy Moulin, who scored

a comical own goal on the stroke of

half-time.

Di Maria's low cross was hacked by

Timothee Kolodziejczak into the legs

of team-mate Loic Perrin, the ball

rolling back off the post before hitting

Moulin and trickling over the line.

The hosts bagged a fourth when

Mbappe rounded Moulin and cut

back for Icardi to add to his tally, and

he completed his hat-trick when the

former raced clear before selflessly

presenting the Argentine with a tapin.

The pair reversed roles for the

sixth goal, Icardi controlling superbly

and sliding across goal for a lunging

Mbappe to turn home from close

range.

Former PSG midfielder Yohan

Cabaye hit a consolation goal for

Saint-Etienne when he headed in the

rebound after his second-half penalty

was saved by Sergio Rico.

PSG have now scored at least four

goals in their past six matches. The

record eight-time champions will

discover their semi-final opponents

when the draw is made on Thursday.

Lyon battled into the last four with

a 3-1 victory at home to Brest.

Moussa Dembele broke the

deadlock on 19 minutes and

Houssem Aouar added a second

shortly after half-time for Rudi

Garcia's side.

Sports Desk: Manchester

United defender Harry

Maguire could be

sidelined for several weeks

with a hip injury,

according to British media

reports on Wednesday,

reports BSS.

Maguire missed United's

3-1 defeat against

Manchester City in the

League Cup semi-final

first leg on Tuesday as a

result of the problem.

It was originally thought

Maguire's injury was a foot

problem sustained in the

goalless FA Cup third

round draw at Wolves last

Saturday.

When addressing the

issue following the defeat

by City, Solskjaer had been

optimistic Maguire would

not be out for long, but it

appears that is no longer

the case.

There has been no

official confirmation from

United on a likely return

date for the England

international.

It was originally thought

Maguire's injury was a foot

problem sustained in the

goalless FA Cup third

round draw at Wolves last

Saturday.

But Maguire, who joined

United from Leicester last

year, is not expected to

feature in Saturday's

Premier League match

against Norwich.

Given United's key run

of fixtures coming up,

which includes a trip to

Premier League leaders

Liverpool on January 19,

an extended absence for

the o80 million centreback

would represent a

significant blow for boss

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

When addressing the

issue following the defeat

by City, Solskjaer had been

optimistic Maguire would

not be out for long, but it

appears that is no longer

the case.

"We don't know (about

Maguire). He's not going

to be long term, but I don't

think he'll be ready for the

weekend, but let's see,"

Solskjaer said.

Sports Desk: England pace bowler

James Anderson will miss the final two

Tests in South Africa after suffering a rib

injury during their dramatic victory in

Cape Town, reports BSS.

Anderson sustained the problem on the

final day of the second Test and MRI scans

on Wednesday confirmed he won't be

back in action until after the current tour.

It is a bitter blow for the 37-year-old,

who was just two games into his comeback

following the calf injury he endured in last

summer's Ashes series.

Anderson, England's record Test wicket

taker, spent almost five months working

back to full fitness and showed signs of

being back to his best with seven wickets

in England's series-levelling 189-run win.

But he was in visible discomfort on the

final day, clutching his side at times and

grimacing through two painful overs after

tea. "James Anderson has been ruled out

of the remainder of the Test series against

South Africa after sustaining a left rib

injury in England's second Test victory at

Newlands," an ECB statement said.

"Anderson felt tightness and discomfort

at the end of the morning session on day

five and was only able to bowl eight overs

during the day. He will return to the UK in

the next few days."

Anderson tweeted: "Frustrating to be

missing the rest of this series with a

broken rib but hopefully will be healed in a

few weeks! Will be supporting the boys

from home."

Anderson's tally of 584 Test scalps

makes him the most prolific seamer in

Test history, while his appearance in the

Boxing Day Test at Centurion saw him

become just the ninth man to win 150 Test

caps. England were already giving

consideration to sparing Anderson a

thankless job on the spin-friendly pitches

during their forthcoming tour of Sri

Lanka.

But the issue has been taken out of the

selectors' hands, with a bone-related

injury likely to require around two months

of recovery work.

With that in mind, Anderson may now

focus on getting ready for the English

season, with a view to becoming just the

fourth man in history to take 600 Test

wickets after Muttiah Muralitharan,

Shane Warne and Anil Kumble.

Somerset seamer Craig Overton will

remain with the group having originally

arrived as illness cover, but England

should also have pace duo Jofra Archer

and Mark Wood back in contention for

next week's third Test at Port Elizabeth.

England pace bowler James Anderson will miss the final two Tests in South Africa

after suffering a rib injury during their dramatic victory in Cape Town. Photo: AP

Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia

due to money, says Valverde

Sports Desk: Barcelona coach

Ernesto Valverde said Wednesday

the Spanish Super Cup is being held

in Saudi Arabia because of the money

on offer and admits he preferred the

previous format, reports BSS.

Barca face Atletico Madrid in the

second semi-final on Thursday

after Real Madrid take on Valencia

on Wednesday. The winner will

play for the trophy at the King

Abdullah Sport City Stadium in

Jeddah on Sunday.

This is the first year the Spanish

Super Cup has been held in Saudi

Arabia, after a controversial threeyear

contract worth 120 million euros

was struck with the Spanish Football

Federation (RFEF), who run the

competition.

The clubs will also benefit

financially. For participating alone,

Real Madrid and Barcelona will earn

around 6 million euros while Atletico

and Valencia will make around 3

million euros. But the RFEF have

faced accusations of betraying local

Spanish fans while critics also

question the association with a

country long-condemned for its

treatment of women and record on

human rights.

"I know there has been a lot said

about this competition but the

bottom line is football has become a

business and as a business it looks for

income," said Valverde at a press

conference in Jeddah. "That's the

reason we are all here."

Previously, the Spanish Super Cup

has been held in Spain in August,

before the start of the league season

and involving only the winners of La

Liga and champions of the Copa del

Rey.

But the RFEF has not only changed

the location but expanded the

format, with the next two highest

placed teams in La Liga also now

taking part.

"It's a completely different format

to what we're used to," said Valverde.

"It was always the first title and the

opener of the season and to me that

seemed fine.

"It's been changed and let's see, it

will be judged once it has happened.

It's interesting, with four good teams,

but from a sporting point of view, I'm

not sure."

Valverde's press conference was

delayed by over an hour after the

team's bus got lost on the way. "We

certainly know the city a bit better

now," he said with a smile.

"There was a small mistake because

the driver thought the press

conference was at the stadium where

Real Madrid and Valencia are playing

tonight. He realised before we got

there but then there was a bit of

traffic so we were late."

Finch confident as Australia head to

India for one-day series

Neymar of PSG celebrates with teammates after Saint Etienne's Jessy Moulin scored an own goal during the

League Cup match between the two teams at Parc des Princes.

Photo: AP

Sports Desk: Australia have the goods to give Virat

Kohli's men a run for their money, skipper Aaron Finch

said Thursday as he departed for their three-match oneday

series, reports BSS.

The two sides face each other in Mumbai on January 14

before heading to Rajkot and then Bangalore for what will

be Australia's first limited-overs games since the World

Cup in England last year. Both sides made the semi-finals

and Finch believes Australia is well-equipped to deal with

India on home soil after upsetting them 3-2 there early

last year.

"It just gives us confidence that our game plan in those

conditions is good enough," he told cricket.com.au ahead

of his departure. "What can happen when you play in the

sub-continent is you start to doubt your game plan

because they're so dominant when they get on top.

"India or Pakistan… or Sri Lanka. They can make you

start doubting yourself. "Knowing that our game plan is

good enough and knowing that our skills are good enough

to beat India in India. That gives us a lot of confidence

going there." Regular coach Justin Langer is giving the

tour a miss after an intense summer of Test cricket with

the reins handed to his assistant Andrew McDonald.

McDonald has had a rapid rise. He was playing in the

Twenty20 Big Bash four years ago before turning to

coaching and being appointed Langer's right-hand man

in October.

"He's got great credentials and he'll keep growing. He's

got a really good opportunity," Langer told reporters this

week.

MISCELLANEOUS

FrIDAY, JAnuArY 10, 2020

11

23 Bangladeshi changemakers selected

for Acumen Fellowship Program

DHAKA : Acumen Academy, a non-profit impact

investment fund, has selected 23 Bangladeshi

changemakers as fellows for the inaugural group of the

Acumen Fellowship Program following a rigorous selection

process, reports UNB.

Offered concurrently in Bangladesh, East and West Africa,

India, Colombia, Spain and Malaysia, the Acumen

Fellowship is a year-long intensive leadership development

program for emerging leaders who are building solutions to

tackle problems around poverty and social justice.

From 230 potential applicants, candidates were assessed

through a holistic 3-stage application process that included

written applications, video submissions and a final selection

conference.

42 shortlisted candidates were invited to the Selection

Conference on November 29, 2019, where 38 distinguished

panelists from diverse sectors assessed the candidates

through group activities and in-depth interviews. From

there, 23 were finally selected, said a press release.

The 23 fellows represent diverse cultural, geographic and

socioeconomic backgrounds and work in multiple sectors

with the commitment to end poverty and injustice in their

community through their work.

Of the 23, some are social entrepreneurs who have

launched or lead their own social change initiatives, some

are entrepreneurs who are running a social change initiative

within an existing organisation, and some are organisation

builders who are an integral part of building a social change

organisation. Each of their initiatives exist to eradicate

poverty or fight injustice and are actively changing the

systems they operate in.

The 2020 cohort of the Acumen Fellowship, the first in

Bangladesh, includes:

Achia Khaleda, Managing Director, Women in Digital,

Arifa AsAlam, Project Coordinator, Bangladesh

Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation

(OSHE Foundation), Azwa Nayeem, Founder and

Chairperson, Alokito Hridoy, Bishwamitra Chowdhury,

Chief of Operation, Funush Private Limited, Esrat Karim,

Founder and Director, AMAL Foundation, Farhana Rashid,

CEO and Co-founder, Bhumijo Limited, G M Rakibul Islam,

Assistant Professor, Department of Educational

Administration, Noakhali Science and Technology

University,

12th death anniversary

of educationist Abul

Hashem today

TBT Desk: Today 10th January 2020 (Friday) is the 12th

death anniversary of Educationist Abul Hashem, the

Founder and Principal of Singhakhali School and College

at Bhandaria Upazilla of Pirojpur district. To mark the

occasion various programmes including discussion and

milad mahfil will be observed at the college compound.

His family members will arrange Qurankhani and Feast

for the Orphans at Shinghakhali and also milad mahfil at

147/G Green Road, Dhaka. He was founder of Primary,

High School & College, Mosque & Madrasha, Post Office

etc. in his homestead. A 10 bedded government hospital

is established on his donated land at Singhakhali village.

Abul Hashem was honored as educationist and social

reformist not only at Pirojpur but also at Barishal,

Jhalakhati, Borguna and Bagerhat districts where he

played a major role to establish many other educational

institutions. He authored a text book on English

Grammar and Composition for Class vi and a book on

local history named Bhandaria Darpon.

Two days after the emergence of Independent

Bangladesh on 16th December 1971 he presided over a

hugely gathered public meeting of Freedom Fighters and

freedom loving people in the field of Daudpur High

School near Pirojpur town.

ACC arrests food official in Khulna

with Tk 1 lakh bribe

KHULNA : The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) arrested

a food official in Dumuria upazila here on Thursday for taking

Tk 1 lakh as bribe from a rice mill owner.

A team of ACC conducted a drive and caught red handed Md

Ilyas Hossain, Food Officer, from Dumuria Upazila Food

godown at around 11:30 am, reports UNB.

ACC sources said MdIlyas Hossain was dilly dallying to pay

a bill of Tk 11 lakh to Md Qamruzzaman, owner of Zaman Auto

Rice Mill of Atharomile Bazar area under Dumuria upazila.

When Ilyas Hossain demanded a huge amount of bribe for the

payment Qamruzzaman informed the matter to the ACC.

In the morning, when Quamruzzaman gave Tk one lakh in

an envelope to the food official, the ACC officials, who were

waiting outside the godown, stormed in to the office and

arrested Ilyas with the money concealed in a drawer.

BCG and ICG

interacted

closely

Titash Chakraborthey, Khulna Correspondent: Two Indian

Coast Guard ships - ICGS Sujay and ICGS Sarojini Naidu which

arrived at Mongla Port on 6th January (Monday) stayed at the port

till yesterday. Two Indian Coast Guard ships arrived at Mongla Port

as part of ongoing bilateral exchanges between Bangladesh and

Indian Coast Guard. During the three days, personnel from both

Coast Guards interacted closely and exchanged best practices being

followed by each other, as well as undertook joint training in areas

of mutual interest like pollution response.

This interaction would facilitate greater synergy between the

two forces thereby enhancing safety at sea for mariners from

both the countries. The activities are in accordance with the MoU

signed between the two forces in 2015.

GD-66/20 (7 x 4)

GD-64/20 (6 x 4)

ccc/prD-08/2020

GD-68/20 (6 x 4)

GD-69/20 (9 x 4)

FRIDAy, DHAkA, JAnuARy 10, 2020, POuSH 26, 1426 BS, JAMADI-ul AwAl 13, 1441 HIJRI

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handing over crest among the entrepreneurs and organizations for outstanding

contribution in garments sector.

Photo : Star Mail

Explore new markets, diversify

products: PM to RMG makers

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Thursday asked the country's

garment manufacturers to explore

new markets and diversify their products

considering the demand of fastchanging

fashion and apparel designs

in the international market, reports

UNB.

"We've to pay attention to diversification

of products in the export basket.

In the case of apparel, (the demand of)

everything, including design and

colour, is always changing in the course

of time," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while

addressing a programme of the

National Textile Day-2019 and inauguration

of the multipurpose textiles fair

at Bangabandhu International

Conference Centre in the city.

She said although the design and

colour of garments depend on the

demand of buyers, Bangladesh should

have its own initiative to look for new

markets and know the demand of fashion

and design of apparel items.

"I think it's essential to diversify our

products regularly with these (the

demand of fashion, design and colour

in the international apparel markets),"

said the Prime Minister.

She said the manufacturers should

have short-, mid- and long-term plans

in this regard. "I hope, you'll prepare

and adopt such plans. We'll extend all

sorts of cooperation," she added.

Noting that Bangladesh sells garment

items at very low prices, the

Prime Minister urged the businessmen

to take initiative so that international

buyers raise the prices-at least to some

extent.

"If the buyers raise the price of every

cloth by one US dollar, we could develop

this sector further," she said adding

that she raises the issue of paying more

to Bangladeshi garments during her

visits to different countries.

Highlighting the economic development

of Bangladesh in the last 10 years,

the PM said the size of GDP has

increased to US$ 302 billion from US$

102 billion in 2009, while the export

volume to US$ 46.53 billion in the

2018-19 fiscal year, which is three

times higher than that in the 2005-06

fiscal year during the BNP's regime.

The per capita income has now

increased to US$ 1909, she said adding

that the government has been able to

increase the GDP growth to 8.15 percent,

while it successfully kept the

inflation rate within 5 percent, she said.

Noting that her government has

been promoting the private sector, she

said the private investment has grown

five times and now stands at US$ 70.8

billion. The government increased the

reserve of foreign currency nine times

as the amount of the reserve is now

US$ 33 billion.

Focusing on the contribution of the

textile sector to the country's economic

development, Sheikh Hasina said

this sector's contribution to the GDP is

13 percent. Besides, massive employments

for females created in the sector.

India-Bangladesh

'Border Haat' in

Sylhet to boost

economy, bilateral ties

SYLHeT : A new India-

Bangladesh 'Border Haat'

(market) is going to be set up

soon in Muria of Beanibazar

upazila to boost border trade

and social connection

between the two neighbours.

Necessary administrative

works for the purpose have

been completed. Once in

operation, this will be the

third border market in Sylhet

division, reports UNB.

Two other Border Haats

are also being constructed in

Companiganj and Kanaighat

upazilas. They are expected

to be in operation next year.

The construction of the district's

first Border Haat started

on June 25 at

Sonatanpunji of Kanaighat

while the work of the second

one begun August 6 in

Bholaganj.

A joint meeting of Haat

Management Committee on

December 24 decided to set

up the new market at the no

man's land near the main pillar

in Muria area.

An eight-member

Bangladeshi delegation led

by Additional District

Magistrate of Sylhet

Mohammad Abul Kalam and

10-member Indian delegation

led by Karimganj

Additional District

Magistrate participated in the

meeting.

Bangabandhu Railway

Bridge's cost likely to

go up by Tk 3,216 cr

DHAKA : The construction cost of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge

over the Jamuna River is likely to go up by

about Tk 3,216 crore as the Cabinet Committee

on Public Purchase (CCPP) has given conditional

approval to award the contract to a

Japanese firm, reports UNB.

Briefing reporters about the outcomes of the

CCPP at the Cabinet Division on Thursday,

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said

the committee approved the Japanese firm's

tender proposal with condition that the project

with increased cost has to be approved again

by the executive Committee of the National

economic Council (ecnec).

According to official document, Japanese

firm OTJ JV, Shinagawa Intercity, Japan quoted

a cost of Tk 12,950.06 crore for the construction

works, divided into two packages,

while the project was approved by ecnec at an

estimated cost of Tk 9,734.07 crore on

December 6, 2016. The cost quoted by the

Japanese contractor is excluding customs duty

and value added tax (VAT).

"The project's project profile, DPP (development

project proforma) and revised DPP have

to be approvedby the ministry concerned and

then the increased cost must be approved the

ecnec," Mustafa Kamal told reporters.

The document reveals the three contractors

bid for the project in two packages-eastern

part of civil works and western part of civil

works. The OTJ JV, Shinagawa Intercity,

Japan, came out to be the lowest bidder.

The tender evaluation committee of the

Railway Ministry, after evaluation of bids and

negotiation with the bidders, recommended

the lowest bidder's offer for placing to the

Cabinet body.

The committee also approved eight other

proposals placed by different ministries.

Four separate tender proposals from Local

Government Division of the LGRD Ministry to

award contract for construction of 136 multipurpose

cyclone shelters received the nod of

the committee. Of them, 36 will be constricted

in Patuakhali district while 50 in Pirojpur and

50 in Chattogram districts.

A joint venture of Civil engineers and

Nabaru Traders won the contract of 36 cycle

shelters at a cost of Tk 240.32 crore while

another joint venture of Rafia Construction,

Khandoker Shahin Ahmed and SB Traders

obtained the contract of 50 cyclone shelters

involving Tk 319.50 crore.

The Sharker Steel Limited, Dhaka won the

contract for the construction 25 steel frame

building cyclone shelters in Chattogram at a

cost of Tk 103.75 crore while the same company

obtained the works of another 25 steel

frame building in the same district at a cost of

Tk 107.05 crore.

HMS Zubian: The Conjoined Ship

INTeReSTING NeWS DeSK

It is not unusual for navies to cannibalize

ships decommissioned or rendered

unserviceable by accidents for parts, but

rarely an entire new ship was created by

welding together the ends of two ships.

In 1909, the Royal Navy launched two

Tribal-class destroyers named HMS Zulu

and HMS Nubian. The Tribal-class

destroyers were powered by steam turbines

and used oil-fuel rather than coal in

their boilers. These ships had high fuel

consumption, which shortened their

ranges severely limiting their radius of

action. Because they could not go out into

the open ocean, Tribal-class destroyers

were used primarily for home defense,

hunting submarines, and protecting

england from any seaborne threats.

Both HMS Zulu and HMS Nubian saw

action during the First World War. Zulu

successfully carried out patrol duties near

the straits of Dover, capturing the

German sailing ship Perhns on August

1914. She then took part in a large scale

operation off the Belgian coast to lay

mines and nets. She was joined by

Nubian, and together they laid lines of

dan-buoys to mark the positions for the

minefields and nets to be laid.

Nubian spent most of her first few years

engaging in Naval exercises. In 1912, she

went to Manchester to take part in a

Whitsuntide display at the city. Moored at

Trafford Wharf, she was visited by hundreds

of thousand of people who were

allowed to board the ships. Many more

had to turned away because of overcrowding.

During the Battle of Dover Strait, in

October 1916, Nubian's bow was severed

by a German torpedo that exploded

almost under her bridge. The disabled

Nubian was attached to a line to be towed

back to Dover, but bad weather caused

her to break away and she ran aground on

the South Foreland, near Dover, killing 15

of her crew and totally damaging her bow.

Child rape increased

76.01pc in Bangladesh

last year: BSAF

DHAKA : Bangladesh saw

a spike in incidents of child

rape and sexual assault on

children last year compared

to 2018, a child rights advocacy

group said, reports

UNB.

At least 1,005 incidents of

child rape were recorded

last year, a 76.01 percent

increase compared to the

year before, Bangladesh

Shishu Adhikar Forum

(BSAF) said in its yearly

report 'State of Child Rights

in Bangladesh'.

On average, about 84 children

became victims of rape

in every month of 2019.

BSAF said the number of

incidents was higher compared

to previous years. Of

the victims, 133 were aged

between one and six years.

Most of the rapes were

reported in Dhaka district.

The data were collected

from 15 national dailies

between January and

December.

According to BSAF, 75 of

the victims were raped by

their teachers and 141 by

their neighbours.

Overall, 1,383 incidents of

sexual assault were recorded

last year - a 70.32 percent

rise compared to the previous

year.

"The increasing number

of incidents is very worrying,"

said Bithika Hasan,

gender expert of UNDP

Bangladesh's Human

Rights Programme.

Rain amid cold wave cripples public lives across the country.

Photo : Star Mail

Onion prices start to fall again

in Dhaka kitchen markets

DHAKA : Prices of onions have

started to come down again in Dhaka

kitchen markets.

The prices decreased by Tk 10-20

per kg on Wednesday from the previous

day, said traders.

Visiting several kitchen markets of

the capital on Wednesday, this correspondent

found that locally-grown

new onions were selling Tk 160-180

per kg and imported ones at Tk 70-

90, reports UNB.

The same varieties were sold at Tk

180-200 per kg (local) and Tk 90-110

per kg (imported) on Tuesday.

Vendors said the price of the bulb

had risen due to a supply crunch following

drizzles in many parts of the

country a few days ago. Now its price

is coming down in both wholesale

and retail markets of the capital.

According to the data of state-run

Trading Corporation of Bangladesh

(TCB), locally-grown new onion was

selling at Tk 140-160 a kg on

Wednesday which was Tk 180-200

on Sunday. Besides, the imported

bulb was selling at Tk 70-110 against

Sunday's Tk130 a kg.

However, the local onion sold at Tk

240-250 per kg one month ago while

the imported one at Tk 90-210, the

TCB data showed.

The price came down as low as Tk

100 (local) and Tk 50 (imported) for

the two varieties after fresh harvest of

local onions and imported stocks hit

the market. But it started soaring

again after light rain hit the country

from last Thursday and reached Tk

200 a kg in retail markets.

Azizur Rahman, a shopkeeper of

Kaptan Bazar, said they were selling

locally-grown new onion for Tk 160-

180 per kg and imported ones at Tk

70-90.

"Today we bought onion at Tk 10-

20 less from wholesale market at

Shyambazar compared to a day ago.

So, now we are selling those in low

price too. Sometimes, wholesalers

hike the price when there are no

enough onions in the markets," he

added.

Khondoker Alam, a wholesaler at

Shyambazar, told UNB that they sold

locally-grown new onion at Tk 90-

120 per kg while Chinese variety,

Turkish and egyptian ones at Tk 50-

70 per kg on Wednesday.

He said the price came down by Tk

10-20 on Wednesday compared to

Tuesday's one following adequate

supply in the market.

"The onion price went up due to the

rain and bad weather. However, it

started to fall at the wholesale market,"

he added.

Mentioning that new onions are

hitting the market in large volume, he

said the price will come down further

soon.

Meanwhile, per litre oil price

increased by more than Tk10 compared

to a week ago.

Almas Hossain, a shopkeeper of

Bangshal area, said they were selling

per kg open soybean at Tk 100 and

palm oil at Tk 92 on Wednesday.

TCB data mentioned each kg open

soybean price increased by 10.18 percent

and palm oil rose by 19.12 percent

compared to a month ago.

"each kg soybean was selling at

Tk91-93 while palm oil at Tk80-82

on Wednesday, which was Tk 82-85

and Tk 66-70 a month ago. Besides, a

five litre bottled soybean was sold at

Tk 470-515, which was Tk 440-500

in last month," the TCB data showed.

Meanwhile, each kg open soybean

was sold at Tk 100 while palm oil at

Tk 90-92 on Wednesday, which was

Tk 90 and Tk 80 respectively a week

ago. And five-litre bottle edible oil

was sold at Tk 450 in retail market.

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

Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-9611884, Cell : 01832166882; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

10-01-2020

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