Tonu’s family frustrated with� rst autopsy reportCID puzzled over � rst autopsy and inquest report

n Kamrul Hasan

Sohagi Jahan Tonu’s family yester-day said they were frustrated over what the � rst autopsy report had disclosed. They also questioned the � ndings of the autopsy.

Tonu’s father Yaar Hossain told

the Dhaka Tribune that the report avoided the real picture. He said a low level employee like himself could never get any justice.

“I will never get justice for what I have lost. But who can deceive Allah? He knows everything. I seek justice from Him. I might not get it on earth but He will do it one day.”

Yaar said the irony is that two weeks after Tonu’s death, the Criminal Investigation Department still visited them yesterday after-noon and asked if they had seen

any scratch marks on her body.“Whoever asked me what I

wanted I only said, ‘I want justice for my daughter,’” said Yaar.

On March 20, the body of Tonu, a student of Comilla Victoria Govern-ment College, was found at a place adjacent to the Mainamati Canton-ment. The � rst autopsy report on Monday claimed to have found no evidence of rape while it also shed no light on the cause of death.

Asked if any injury marks were PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 | Chaitra 23, 1422, Jamadius Sani 27, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 351 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

INSI

DE Banshkhali vow

to protect landResidents in Chittagong’s Ban-shkhali have vowed to nip the coal-� red power plant project in the bud. PAGE 3

Panama Papers fallout at a glance11.5m leaked documents detailing how and where politicians and celebrities hide their wealth trigger reactions from around the globe. PAGE 32

HC: Reopen custodial torture caseHigh Court ordered to reopen a case against � ve people, including three po-licemen, who allegedly tortured a Jubo Dal leader in police custody. PAGE 4

16 expelled over Premier Uni clashPremier University authorities expelled 16 students and suspended seven others for their involvement in a clash that left a student dead on March 29. PAGE 5

TONUMURDER

CASE

n Abu Bakar Siddique

Bangladesh is about to lose $50 million (about Tk400 crore) of cli-mate funds because of tension be-tween the World Bank and donors, and a lack of commitment on the government's part.

Even as the government is grap-pling to � nd funds for dealing with the climate change impacts, the do-nors have decided to pull the plug on Bangladesh Climate Change Re-silience Fund (BCCRF).

Set up with foreign funds six years ago, the fund has not been successful in its intent or purpose, according to an evaluation of the UK Aid, a key donor.

UK Aid’s 2015 annual report, ac-quired by the Dhaka Tribune, says: “The lack of understanding be-tween donors and the World Bank on the operation of the Bank’s Trust Fund model led to much of the tension between donors and the bank over the slow delivery of BCCRF.”

The World Bank, which acted as a secretariat for disbursing money from the fund, intimated its reluc-tance to continue it stewardship.

The UK Aid report also observes that the lack of commitment by the

PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

$50m climate fund in danger

GDP growth crosses 7%n Tribune Report

Bangladesh broke its economic growth trap of 6% for the � rst time since independence as it has al-ready crossed 7% in the � rst nine months of the current � scal year.

“This is a matter of pride for the nation that we have achieved 7% GDP growth for the � rst time,” Plan-ning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said yesterday after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Asked about the reasons behind the higher growth, Kamal attribut-ed the achievement to the existing political stability in the country.

As per the provisional estimate

of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic (BBS), taking nine months eco-nomic growth into account, the GDP growth will stand at 7.05% for the � scal year 2015-16, up from 6.55% in the last � scal year.

Terming it a milestone for the country, the minister said: “This is one step forward to take the na-tion in the global arena as the GDP growth rate for the current � scal year has already surpassed the � s-cal target of 7%.”

He said Bangladesh had long been “chained” in the 6% growth trap. “To my knowledge, this is the highest GDP growth rate achieved by the country after the independ-ence.”

PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

This 2014 � le photo shows workers building an embankment on a river in Teknaf’s Katabunia area to prevent saline water from entering the area. The project was funded by Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund RAJIB DHAR

News2DTWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

GDP growth crosses 7%Bangladesh has been witness-ing over 6% GDP growth rate consistently for almost over the last one decade.

According to the BBS pro-visional data for FY2015-16, Bangladesh fared better in most sectors at constant prices.

The data show that the ag-riculture sector witnessed a 2.60% growth in the current year, up from 3.33% a year earlier. Likewise, the indus-try sector grew 10.10% from 9.67%, the services sector 6.70% from 5.80%.

Among other sectors, � sh-ing rose 6.19%, mining and quarrying 12.06%, manufac-turing 10.30%, electricity, gas and water supply 11.15%, and construction 8.87%.

The GDP size at constant market price for this � scal stood at Tk8,830,544 crore, which was Tk8,248,624 crore a year ago.

With the economic growth, Kamal said per capital income is projected to grow to $1,466 in this � scal. The � gure is $150 higher than last � scal’s $1,316.

According to the World Bank criteria, Bangladesh will be recognised as a middle-in-come nation if it achieves at least an average per capita in-come of $1,045 for three con-secutive years. Bangladesh’s per capita income was $1,190 in FY14 and $1,154 in FY13.

As per WB’s 2012 classi� -cation, the income thresholds are: low income $1,035 or less; lower middle-income $1,036 to $4,085; upper middle-income $4,086 to $12,615; and high in-come $12,616 or more. l

Tonu’s family frustratedfound on her head, Dr Kamoda Prosad Saha, the forensic department head of Comilla Medical College, declined to make any com-ment, saying he had already handed the re-port over to the investigating o� cer, and Dr Sharmin Sultana, who conducted the � rst autopsy of Tonu. He said these people could comment over the matter.

Dhaka Tribune tried to get in contact with Dr Sharmin but she was unavailable over the phone. When approached, IO CID Inspector Gazi Mohammad Ibrahim declined to make any comment and advised contacting senior o� cials.

When inquired, Special Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akand, who leads the CID team in Comilla, said he had the report in hand but was yet to go over the full report and denied to make any comment until the second autopsy report arrived.

The CID team yesterday sat in a meting after visiting Tonu’s family and tried to con-� rm which one was correct – the � rst autop-sy report or the inquest report.

However, Kahar Akand said the investi-gating team has to � nd out the murderer and do justice to Tonu.

Protests threatenedMeanwhile, a rumour spread all over the town that the theatre group that has so far led the movement for justice for Tonu in Comilla had received threats to stop its pro-test and that the activists were not seen in protests in the college.

When inquired, several members of the Comilla Victoria Government College thea-tre group yesterday denied the rumour and said they would continue their protest until Tonu got justice.

They said they had slowed down as the college authorities and the CID had ensured them a few days ago that they would do their best to arrest the culprits.

Rashedul Islam, president of the college theatre, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were continuing their protest with a silent movement. As part of the movement, they have been lighting candles for the last three days at the college Shaheed Minar.

Meanwhile, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Home Ministry demanding the arrest of the killers of Tonu, reports our Dhaka University correspondent.

An eight-member delegation led by the association’s President Gulam Kuddus sub-mitted the memorandum around 1pm.

On behalf of the home minister, Public Relations O� cer Sharif Mahmud Opu re-ceived the copy, Jote leaders con� rmed.

Earlier in the morning, the organisation also held a demonstration at the TSC on Dha-ka University campus demanding exemplary punishment of Tonu’s killers.

Speaking during the rally, Golam Kuddus threatened that they would halt all cultural programmes in the country if the ministry takes no steps regarding Tonu’s murder by April 11. l

$50m climate fund in dangerBangladesh government has also hampered delivery of the fund. It then goes on to specu-late that this might have been due to a competition from the government-� nanced Bang-ladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF).

Another point that the re-port made is that the fund was under high risk due to last year’s political instability in Bangladesh. “Political un-rest continues to slow down project delivery. Risk for BC-CRF is assessed as high.”

According to the sources aware of this turn of events, the resilience fund will be o� cially closed out by De-cember 2016 although its functions may be allowed to continue until June next year. The remaining money, to the tune of $50m, in the fund will thereafter be returned.

Abdullah Al Mohsin Chow-dhury, additional secretary of the Environment and For-ests Ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune that the World Bank’s reluctance to act the interme-diary had led to such a pass.

Since its inception in May 2010, the fund received around $130m from donors – the European Union, Den-mark, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, the UK and the USA. The donors primarily pledged to raise $189.2m for the fund.

The resilience fund has managed to disburse around $80m for di� erent projects till date. Most of the projects are

at � nal stage, said o� cials.The managerial role of the

fund has always rested with the World Bank at the insist-ence of the donors. Accord-ing to the 2012 agreement between Bangladesh and the World Bank, the latter would manage the fund with a 1% service charge until June 2017.

Earlier in July 2014, the World Bank expressed its re-luctance to continue with the BCCRF due to a misunder-standing among parties, in-cluding the government and development partners. Since then, the government did not approve any new project un-der the resilience fund.

The World Bank did not have any comments regarding the UK Aid’s observation and did not comment when the Dhaka Tribune contacted its Dhaka o� ce on Sunday.

Abdullah Al Mohsin Chow-dhury, who is the ministry’s focal point as far as the resil-ience fund is concerned, said that the government had been discussing the issue with the donors to make sure that the money stays in Bangladesh.

USAID is currently conduct-ing a study to devise means of spending the remainder of the money on climate change ad-aptation projects.

Dr Saleemul Huq, director of International Centre for Climate Change and Develop-ment, said: “Bangladesh will set a bad example of foreign fund management if it even-

tually returns the money.” He said it would appear as if Bangladesh failed to utilise the available funds.

Asked what had triggered this, he said that engaging the World Bank to manage the fund had been a wrong decision.

“The World Bank took the re-sponsibility because the donors wanted it – not of its own voli-tion. That is what � nally pushed the World Bank to discontinue in its stewardship role,” he said.

In addition, there are de� -nitely cases of negligence from the government, which further exacerbated the situ-ation, he added.

Bangladesh is considered at the top of the most vulner-able countries to the negative impacts of global warming, according to studies of the In-ter-governmental Panel on Cli-mate Change (IPCC), the high-est body on climate change.

The IPCC has also predicted loss of a � fth of Bangladesh’s land to submergence uprooting up to about 30 million people. Along with other smaller countries, also vulnerable to climate change fallouts, Bangladesh direly needs billions on adaptation.

In 2009, the government established the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan to guide the strat-egies for dealing with climate change. It was in line with this action plan that the gov-ernment set up the locally funded trust fund and the for-eign-funded resilience fund. l

DU buildings no smoking zonen DU Correspondent

Dhaka University authorities banned smoking inside all academ-ic and administrative establish-ments, including the administra-tive building, faculties, institutes, o� ces, classrooms, laboratories and other buildings, a DU press re-lease said.

The university’s public rela-tions o� ce yesterday made the announcement according to a deci-sion taken by the university’s syn-dicate.

The syndicate took this deci-sion in its last meeting on March 21 with the university vice-chancellor AAMS Are� n Siddique in the chair, the press release added. l

DC conference likely in end of Julyn Asif Showkat Kallol

The Cabinet Division has decid-ed to arrange a three-day deputy commissioner’s conference in the last week of July, aiming to dis-cuss di� erent issues including the improvement of the country’s law and order situation.

Sources at the Cabinet Division

told the Dhaka Tribune that all DCs have been asked to come up with the burning issues of their respec-tive districts that can be discussed at the upcoming conference.

A summary has been prepared to get Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s consent on the conference. The inauguration ceremony of the three-day-long event – from July

26 to July 28 – will be held at the Shapla conference room in the Prime Minister’s O� ce, the source added.

The summary, signed by Cabi-net Secretary Sha� qul Alam, reads that the sessions of the 28th DC conference would be held at the secretariat’s cabinet conference room. l

Banshkhali locals vow to protect landn Anwar Hussain, Chittagong

The residents of Gondomara union in Chittagong’s Banshkhali upazila have vowed to nip the coal-� red power plant project in the bud to protect their lands, the main source of their livelihood.

Tension remained in the area yesterday after at least four people were killed and at least 30 people, including 11 police members, were injured in a violent clash among two groups of villagers – one sup-porting the power plant project, the other rejecting it – and police over this construction of the power plant on Monday.

The Dhaka Tribune talked to a number of victims who sustained in-juries in the clash, as well as the fam-ilies of the deceased at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Bodi Ahmed, who lost two of his brothers and his son-in-law in the clash, said: “We will not allow the power plant in the area by any means as it will deal a severe blow to both our livelihood and our en-vironment.”

Renu Akhter, wife of Abdul Kha-leque who was shot in the clash, said: “My husband works in a salt � eld. We already live from hand to mouth. We will have nowhere to go if my husband loses his work.”

“We will die before we let this coal-� red power plant to be built here,” said Nurul Haque Shikdar, secretary of Gondamara Union Un-nayan Sangram Parishad.

Hundreds of people assembled on Hadirpara and Rahmania Ma-drasa premises in Gondomara yes-terday to protest the death of four villagers, chanting slogans against the power plant.

“We will continue our move-ment until the government scraps the project and brings the perpe-trators to book,” said Liakat Ali who presided over the rally.

The Chittagong chapter of Na-tional Committee to Portect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports will bring out a protest pro-cession in Chittagong city’s Cheragi

Pahara area today. “We will also organise a rally

on Chittagong Press Club premises protesting the killing over the con-struction of this power plant,” said Hasan Maruf Rumi, coordinator of the committee in Chittagong.

Chhatra Oikkya Forum has an-nounced a general strike in Ban-shkhali today in protest of the four deaths as well as demanding to move the power plant project from the area.

3 cases filed against 6,200 peopleA total of three cases were � led against over 6,200 villagers in Gon-damara union following the clash.

Of the three cases, family mem-bers of two of the victims who died in the clash � led two cases, while the other case was lodged by police for obstructing and launching an assault on police with Banshkhali police station.

Chittagong Additional Superin-tendent of Police (South) Md Ha-bibur Rahman told the Dhaka Trib-une that Sub-Inspector Bahar Miah lodged a case against 57 identi� ed and 3,200 unidenti� ed people.

“We have also arrested three people who were involved with the clash,” he added.

Bashir Ahmed, elder brother of Anwar Ali, one of the victims, � led a

case accusing six people as identi� ed and 1,500 people as unidenti� ed.

Monowara Begum, wife of Jaker Hossain, another victim, � led an-other case accusing 1,500 people as unidenti� ed.

Chittagong district administra-tion formed a committee to probe into the incident. Headed by Addi-tional District Magistrate Mominur Rashid, the committee was asked to submit its report within seven working days.

Experts against the power plantThe coal-based power plant is not an environment-friendly option and should not be allowed to be

set up, said Prof Dr Mohammad Danesh of Institute of Forestry and Environment Science in Chit-tagong University.

“The developed countries are no longer adopting any such coal-� red project since it is one of the major sources of air pollution,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Muhammad Edris Ali, associate professor in chemistry department at Government Mohsin College, said: “The use of coal for generat-ing power has become almost out-dated. The � y ash emitted from the coal-based power plant will casue many problems, such as respirato-ry diseases.” l

Khaleda goes to courts, gets bail in � ve casesn Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

BNP chief Khaled Zia yesterday se-cured bails in � ve cases � led for se-dition, conspiracy and instigating violence.

When she was moving from one court to another under tight secu-rity, the three-time former premier showed V-sign to her supporters who were chanting slogans amid claps on the judge’s court premises.

In the morning, Khaleda surren-dered and sought bail before Met-ropolitan Special Tribunal Judge

Md Kamrul Hossain Molla. The court on March 30 issued arrest warrants against her and 27 other BNP leaders accepting the charge sheet � led under the Special Pow-ers Act in a case lodged with Jatra-bari police over torching of a bus in Jatrabari last year.

After around 35-minute hearing, the judge granted her bail on a bail bond of Tk20,000. The court also granted bail to Khaleda’s Adviser Khandker Mahbub Hossain when he surrendered before it in the same case.

Minutes after getting the � rst bail, Khaleda appeared at the Third Special Judge’s Court, which had asked her and 12 other accused to appear before it on April 13 in the Gatco graft case.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar granted her the bail on a Tk1,00,000 bail bond in the case � led under the Special Powers Act for abusing power as the prime minister. The court then set April 13 for further hearing in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commis-sion � led the case against Khaleda

and 15 others in 2008 for abusing power in providing contract to a company called Gatco for their ser-vice in Chittagong.

Khaleda and her convoy then moved to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court for securing bail in three other cases.

Metropolitan magistrates Md Jakir Hossain Tipu and Maruf Hos-sain and Additional Chief Metro-politan Magistrate Kaysarul Islam granted her bails in the cases.

In the case of sedition � led for questioning the number of mar-

tyrs in the 1971 Liberation War, the defence counsels argued that the former premier had never made re-marks maligning the freedom � ght-ers and their role, rather she wanted a list of freedom � ghters in order to ensure their proper rehabilitation.

The magistrate granted her bail on Tk10,000 bond.

The case was � led against Khaleda and others for crude bombs blast on an anti-blockade procession led by Shipping Minis-ter Shajahan Khan at Gulshan 2 on February 17 last year. l

News 3D

TWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

People from all walks of life gathered at the local Rahmania Senior Madrasha premise protesting the killing of four people on Monday and demanding to stop installation of coal-� red power plant in Banshkhali yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016News4DT

HC issues ruling over freedom � ghters’ gazetten Tribune Report

The High Court yesterday is-sued a ruling asking why the government’s failure to in-clude names of 40 freedom � ghters in the � nal gazette should not be declared illegal.

The High Court bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Khasruzzaman came up with the rule in response to a writ petition � led by the freedom � ghters, said their lawyer Tou-� q Inam.

He said the court has asked the Liberation A� airs Ministry to come up with explanations within four weeks.

Names of freedom � ght-ers from Pabna, who hadprimary certi� cates, were recommended by a govern-ment-formed committee to be enlisted in gazette as freedom � ghters.

The lawyer said the recom-mendation was forwarded by the committee on November 26, 2004 to the Liberation Af-fairs Ministry, following which the ministry on September 18, 2011 included some names from the recommendation but most were deprived.

The deprived freedom � ghters then moved with the High Court with the writ peti-tion, he added. l

Reopening of custodial torture case orderedn Tribune Report

The High Court has ordered to reopen a case against � ve peo-ple, including three police-men, who allegedly tortured and partially blinded a Jubo Dal leader in police custody at Lakshmipur’s Ramganj almost two years ago.

Earlier, a trial court in Lakshmipur had scrapped the case proceedings following recommendations from a ju-dicial probe committee.

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain scrapped the trial court’s decision yes-terday after holding � nal hear-ing into a revision petition by the plainti� .

The High Court also asked the trial court to take legal steps for holding the trial.

Iqbal Hossain, lawyer for the petitioner, said there was now no legal bar against con-tinuing with the case.

On August 12, 2014, Samsun Nur Patwary, father of Jubo Dal’s Chandipur upazila unit Vice-President Saiful Islam, � led the case on behalf of his tortured son, accusing Ramganj police station O� cer-in-Charge Lokman Hossain, ASI Mozam-mel Hossain, ASI Shariful Islam, and two others named Lutfur Rahman and Abdul Momin.

According to the case state-

ment, police arrested Saiful on August 7, 2014, and showed him arrested in an arms case. Police said Saiful was accused in ten cases including murder and robbery, and was a listed criminal of that upazila.

Saiful’s father said his son was con� ned and tortured on the � rst � oor of Ramganj police station’s mess on the same day.

During the torture, the OC allegedly injected a syringe into the Jubo Dal leader’s eye, damaging it permanently. Sai-ful was brought to court in a police van on August 8, but was unable to fully open his eyes or see clearly. He also bore several injury marks.

After the case was � led, Lakshmipur’s acting chief ju-dicial magistrate was asked to run a probe. In a report sub-mitted on August 5, 2015, the magistrate said the allegations against the police were false.

Five days later, the district judge’s court scrapped the case proceedings. The victim’s father later � led the revision petition with the High Court.

After holding primary hear-ing, the High Court issued a ruling asking why the order of scrapping the case should not be declared illegal. After � nal hearing yesterday, the court declared the earlier ruling ab-solute. l

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016News 5

DT

PRAYERTIMES

Cox’s Bazar 32 26Dhaka 40 26 Chittagong 32 27 Rajshahi 42 25 Rangpur 37 24 Khulna 39 25 Barisal 36 26 Sylhet 26 23T E M P E R AT U R E F O R E C A S T F O R TO DAY

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:17PM SUN RISES 5:44AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW34.2ºC 22.0ºC

Rajshahi RangpurWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6Source: IslamicFinder.org

Fajr: 4:26am | Zohr: 12:01pmAsr: 3:29pm | Magrib: 6:20pmEsha: 7:47pm

RAIN OR THUNDERSHOWER LIKELY

Bus driver admits raping RMG workern Our Correspondent, Tangail

The driver of a bus, in which a 23-year-old readymade garment worker was raped, confessed to his involvement in the incident before a Tangail court yesterday.

Habibur Rahman Nayon, 33, pleaded guilty when police produced him before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Md Hamidul Islam after quizzing him for three days.

Nayon’s assistant Abdul Khalek Bhutto, 30, and supervisor Rejaul Karim Jewel, 35, have already ad-mitted guilt before the court.

The victim, wife of a transport worker, was raped while returning home from Dhanbari on Friday. She was the only passenger in the Binimoy Paribahan bus.

Nayon, Bhutto and Jewel tied and gagged the victim before taking turns to rape her. They threw her o� the bus in Sholakuri of Madhupur. l

EU agrees to engage positively with Bangladesh on irregular migrationn Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

The European Union has agreed to engage positively with Bangladesh to resolve the problems of irregular Bangladeshis in Europe and bring them back home safely.

“We looked at how to address this (irregular migration) in an overall comprehensive fashion looking at both management of the regular � ows and the handling of irregular � ows in a structured, or-derly and digni� ed manner,” said Christian Le� er, Deputy Secretary General for Global and Economic Issues, European External Action Service of the EU, yesterday.

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Le� er were talking with journalists in the city after the � rst Bangladesh-EU Dialogue on Migration Management.

Shahidul Haque said: “We also know and realise that there are Bangladeshis who are in irregular situation in various parts of Eu-rope. We also discussed as to how we can safely and productively bring them back.”

He said they agreed to launch a regular structured dialogue for mi-gration mobility between Europe and Bangladesh.

There is a global understanding that migration is a development is-sue and the EU agreed to integrate the issue into Bangladesh-EU bilat-eral relationship, he said.

“We are thinking of having a po-litical declaration so that our peo-ple can have more opportunity to move there through a regular pro-cess,” he added.

Terming the irregular migration is the dark side of migration, he said

it is the responsibility of the state to bring back all irregular Bangladesh-is situated all over the world.

It would be a very good initia-tive if they can be provided with a livelihood in their own society as they lose everything in the irregu-lar migration process, the foreign secretary said.

The European Union agreed to help Bangladesh by providing training or skill development to the irregular Bangladeshis, he said.

About the bottleneck in regular migration, he said the EU delega-tion assured them that they would address it including student visa.

They indicated that at the end of the year or � rst quarter of the next year, there would be another mi-gration consultation at the political level, he added.

In response to a question, Chris-

tian Le� er said: “We have agreed that we will work together to make sure that these people can be brought back safely to their homes and � nd a good, productive way to reintegrate into their society.”

About media reports that about 80,000 irregular Bangladeshis are living in Europe, he said: “I don’t know where the media picked up the number, but it is certainly they did not pick them from me.”

He did not disclose any number. Without disclosing any number,

he said there are Bangladeshis in ir-regular situation in Europe as there are many foreign nationals who are in irregular situation.

About readmission agreement, he said: “We have discussed what are the best ways of handing this issue and what are processes to manage them.” l

PREMIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT KILLING

16 expelled, 7 suspended n FM Mizanur Rahaman,

Chittagong

The authorities of Premier Univer-sity, run by Chittagong City Cor-poration (CCC), yesterday evening expelled 16 students and suspend-ed seven others from the universi-ty for their involvement in a clash between two groups on Dampara campus, which left a student dead on March 29.

Con� rming the expulsion, Proc-tor Ahmed Rajib Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune: “The decision to expel them was made on the basis of a probe committee’s � ndings, where the 16 students, who are the accused in the Nasim Ahmed Sohel murder case, were expelled permanently from the university and seven oth-ers were temporarily suspended.”

“Alongside the expulsion, the university also cancelled the de-grees it conferred on the 16 ex-pelled students. Moreover, the students will no longer be allowed to withdraw their transcripts and certi� cates during the course of the prosecution,” added Rajib.

The 16 students are Ashraful Islam, Wahiduzzaman Nishan, Md Ziaul Haidar Chowdhury, SM Go-lam Mostafa, Tameem Ul Alam, Md Ibrahim Sohan, Kazi Md Joynul Abedin, Saif Uddin, Md Abu Jahed Ujjol, Md Nizam Uddin Abid, Sai-

kul Mohammed Tarek, Nurul Faisal Sam, Md Saiful Islam Sakib, Abu Fayez, Md Rashedul Haque Irfan and Md Nazmul Haque, said uni-versity sources.

Of them Saikul Islam Tarek, Md Saiful Islam Sakib and Abu Fayej are students of the LLB and LLM pro-grammes, while the rest are pursu-ing a BBA and MBA, said the sources.

The suspended students are Mo-jahidul Islam, Mohammed Masuk Kalam, Kaisarul Alam, Monir Ahmed, Kazi Mohammed Liyakat, Mohammed Nizamul Galib Imon and Kazi Md Asraf Sayed. All are students of the BBA department.

The proctor said: “The seven were suspended as they had stored hockey sticks and other sticks at the BBA campus for the clash, and were asked to explain why the university should not expel them by April 10 for their role in the March 29 incident.”

“If any of the 16 students are ac-quitted from the charge or charge sheet, the university will reconsid-er his punishment as per his plea,” he added.

Nasim Ahmed Sohel, an MBA student at the university and also a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activist, was stabbed to death by his rivals at the university’s BBA campus in the city’s Wasa-Dampa-ra area on March 29 over selecting the chief guest at a programme. l

Hotel owner arrested in ATM scamn Mohammad Jamil Khan

The Detective Branch of police yes-terday arrested a Uttara hotelier for his alleged involvement with ATM and credit card forgery.

DMP Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sarder said Abul Hasanat, owner of Comfort Inn Hotel, had been arrested in a fraud case � led with Gulshan police.

Hasanat was reportedly on good terms with the prime accused of

the credit card scam, Piotr Szcze-pan Mazurek alias Thomas Peter, while he was residing in the hotel during his stay in Bangladesh.

Later, Hasanat allegedly support-ed Peter’s crimes, allowing him to use the ATM set up in the hotel to use fake cards manufactured by Peter.

Hasanat is the eighth person to be arrested in this case, along with Peter and three City Bank o� cials. The DB made the � rst arrest on Feb-ruary 22, after the United Commer-

cial Bank � led a case with Banani police on February 12. City Bank also � led a case with Pallabi police while Eastern Bank and Prime Bank � led complaints with the DB.

Additional Commissioner Mon-irul Islam said there were 22 or 23 other high-pro� le individuals in-volved in the scam. “Some helped Peter by providing information, while some allowed him to directly use their POS [point of service] ma-chines,” said Monirul. l

Traders in Karwan Bazar vandalise vehicles in front of the local DNCC regional o� ce yesterday after o� cials from the Dhaka North City Corporation conducted a drive to evict illegal structures DHAKA TRIBUNE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016News6DT

ICDDRB: Obesity a growing problem for married womenn Abid Azad

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB) has re-vealed that one in � ve married women in Bangladesh is obese or overweight.

A study by the ICDDRB has also identi� ed a range of factors such as wealth index, educational status and hours spent watching television as contributors to excessive weight gain.

These aspects will be targeted in interventions to reduce the prevalence of obesity, the ICD-DRB said at a press conference yesterday.

According to the World Health Organisation estima-tion, at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of be-ing overweight or obese.

Being obese may be par-ticularly harmful to women as evidence suggests they are at a higher risk for diabetes and multiple cancers, including cervical, breast and perhaps ovarian cancer.

In 2016, Haribondhu Sar-ma, head of ICDDRB’s Nutri-tion Programme, along with colleagues from Stanford University, USA, analysed nu-

trition-related data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to identify factors associated with being overweight among women aged 18-49 years who were or had been married.

The results, recently pub-lished in the journal BMC Obesity, revealed that 18% out of 16,493 women were over-weight. Urban women not en-gaged in full-time employment were at 1.44 times higher risk of being overweight than those involved in manual work.

Women from wealthy and food-secure families were at higher risk of being overweight in both rural and urban areas.

“These increased levels of obesity will have severe impli-cations for the health budget of our country,” said Dr Tah-meed Ahmed, senior director, Nutrition & Clinical Services Division at ICDDRB and senior author of the study. “Rates of obesity and overweight-relat-ed diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney diseases and heart dis-eases are going to escalate if not tackled,” he added.

“The growing problem of obesity presents a challenge for public health-care systems in low- and middle-income coun-tries. Traditionally, being over weight and obesity were large-ly associated with high-income countries,” said Sarma.

“Healthcare systems in these countries traditional-ly devote their resources to problems of underweight and infectious diseases, but as these countries experience increased economic devel-opment, they must also learn to manage nutrition-related non-communicable diseases” he concluded. l

Bangladesh Navy ship ‘Samudra Abhijan’ leaves from the Chittagong Naval Jetty for Indonesia on Monday ISPR

‘The growing problem of obesity presents a challenge for public health-care systems in low- and middle-income countries’

Heavy downpour cripples life in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Water logging due to heavy rainfall disrupted the normal life of Sylhet people yesterday.

Local sources said heavy mon-soon showers in the morning hit 50 areas including Amborkhana, Dargagate, Howapara, Upashahar, Zindabazar, Bilpar, Jatarpur, Ma-chimpur, Subidbazar, Bonkolpara, Housing state, Jalalbad, Loharpara, Bgbari, Kuarpar, Charadighirpar, Raihossesn, Kolbakhani, Kajolshah, Pathantuli, Bhartokhola, Momink-hola, Barkhola and Pathanpara.

Amit Hassan, senior observer of MET o� ce said: “Till 3pm, 117 mm rainfall was recorded in the city. It was the highest record in last ten years.”

According to the MET depart-ment, monsoon in the city is likely to get stronger.

The people of the areas have to su� er more as the water sub-merged roads, markets and houses.

Kaosar Chowdhury, local corre-spondent of a daily newspaper said he had to face di� culties while he was going to his relative's house in Eidgahmat area as electric poles laid down on the roads.

Md Ayatullah, professor of Chhatak Zhikly College, said he had duty in the exam hall. But he could not reach the college timely due to water logging.

Professor Afzal Hossain of Syl-het Science and Technology Col-lege, said maximum students of the college could not attend the classes due to heavy rain.

Hazi Moina Mian, resident of Madina market area said his broth-er who was supposed to reach home by � ight from Osmani Air Port could not come as the � ight was cancelled due to heavy rain.

People in Nawaprar said they could not go out as the water � ood-ed the area.

Locals alleged that the city cor-poration authorities do not work to keep the city water logging free.

They also said every year they had to face the same problem.

Enamul Kabir, executive o� cer of Sylhet City Corporation, said there was water logging in several areas in the city due to heavy rain.

“A team of 100 workers have been appointed to remove the wa-ter. I hope the people of the areas will be able to use the roads soon,” he said. l

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016News 7

DT

Heavy rain � oods roads, submerges cars in Sylhet city yesterday. The picture was taken from Hawapara area of the city DHAKA TRIBUNE

Man jailed for stalking girl n Our Correspondent,

Barisal

A mobile court led by Ba-buganj Upazila Nirbahi O� cer Afroza Begum Parul yester-day afternoon sentenced a restaurant owner to one year imprisonment for stalking a � fth-grader student.

Mahbubur Rahman, o� cer-in-charge of Babuganj police

station, said Shah Alam, 50, a resident of Khudrokathi under Baherchar union and owner of a restaurant in front of the upazila complex.

In the morning, the accused tried to molest the girl at his res-taurant. Sensing the incident, locals cordoned the restaurant and caught Shah Alam. Later, they handed over him to the police after a good beating. l

Nine indicted in Habiganj murder case n Our Correspondent,

Habiganj

Nine people have been indicted in connection with the killing of four schoolboys in Habiganj.

Abdul Muktadir, o� cer-in-charge of detective branch of police, submitted the charge sheet before the court of Sen-ior Judicial Magistrate Md Kausar Alam yesterday.

The accused of the case are Abdul Ali, Rubel Mia, Jewel Mia, Arzu Mia, Shahid Mia, Boshir Mia, Belal Mia, Ustar Mia and Bacchu Mia.

Of the accused, � ve are in police custody. Ustar Mia, Boshir Mia and Belal Mia are absconding while prime sus-

pect ‘Bachchu’ died in a gun battle with the members of Rapid Action Battalion.

On February 17, police re-covered the bodies of four schoolboys - Zakaria Ahmed Shuvo, 8, son of Wahid Miah, his two cousins – Tajel Miah, 10, son of Abdul Aziz, Monir Miah, 7, son of Abdal Miah – and Ismail Hossain, 10, son of Abdul Quadir, from a ditch at Shundratiki village under Ba-hubal upazila, four days after they went missing.

Four Of the accused – Jewel Mia, his younger brother Rubel Mia, Shahid and Arzu – gave con-fessional statements before the court under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. l

Unpaid jute mill workers agitate in Khulna, Jessoren Our Correspondent, Khulna

About 50,000 workers of seven state-run jute mills in Khulna and Jessore abstained from work yesterday and blocked roads and railways demand-ing outstanding salaries.

The mills have not paid their work-ers for seven to eight weeks.

Workers went on strike at the call of CBA and non-CBA coordination coun-cil to press for their � ve-point charter of demands including forming a sep-arate wage board for workers of state-run jute mills.

They took position in Notun Raas-tar More, Atra and Rajghat in Khulna and Jessore, blocked roads and rail-ways with burning logs and tyres, bringing vehicular movement to a grinding halt.

Khulna Railway Station’s Master Md Amirul Islam said no train left the station since morning due to work-ers’ agitation. “The passengers were stuck at the railway station. We ran the trains after 2pm.”

Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills pro-ject chief Mamunur Rahman said the workers had not been paid for eight

weeks. “In this situation, I cannot do anything without directions and mon-ey from BJMC [Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation],” he said.

Liaison o� cer of Khulna BJMC zon-al o� ce Mahabbat Ali said they were observing the situation. “We have in-formed the BJMC headquarters of the latest situation and waiting for direc-tions from the centre,” he said.

Demonstrators said their agitation would continue until Thursday. “We will block roads and railways from 6am to 2pm regularly during this period,” said workers leader Sohrab Hossain. l

News8DTWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Transport sector on strike demanding repair of Sylhet-Companyganj road n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Eleven organisations started a strike for an inde� nite period de-manding repair of the Sylhet-Com-panyganj-Bholaganj Road which has been lying in a dilapidated state for long.

These organisations are likely to lay siege to the o� ce of Roads and Highway Department on Friday to press home their demand.

Sylhet District Truck Covered Van Shramik Union, District Truck Covered Van Owners Group, Salu-tikor-Companiganj-Goainghat Bus Owners Samity, Ambarkhana-Salu-tikor-Companiganj CNG Autorick-

shaw Shramik Union, Dhopagul Stone Bussiness Owners Samity, Salutikor Stone Bussiness Own-ers Samity, Chhalia Sobuj Bangla Owners Samity, Rongitila Somaj Kollayan Sangstha, Godhuly Somaj Kollayan Sangstha and Khadim-nagar Chhatra Kallayan Sangstha have called the strike.

General Secretary of Salu-tikor-Companiganj-Goainghat Bus Owners Samity Iqbal Ahmed said: “We do not want any assurance, we just want to know when the repair work will start.”

Ifteqar Kabir, additional chief engineer of Roads and Highways department (RHD) in Sylhet Zone,

said the government had allocat-ed Tk60 crore for the construction and maintenance of the road this � scal year.

According to him, the draft of the project’s outsourcing and ge-ometric survey is complete.

Ifteqar said: “We will submit a � nal report within seven days to the higher authorities.”

“Calls for the project tender will be made as early as possible. After completing all processes, within four months work on the project will begin,” he said.

A social activist AH Malik Imon told the Dhaka Tribune that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurat-

ed reconstruction work of the road on January 21.

There was no progress of the repair work although two and half months had already passed.

“The road has turned un� t for vehicular movement totally. We cannot even walk on the road. The incidents of road accidents are in-creasing day by day,” he said.

The Sylhet-Compa nyganj-Bhola-ganj Road dotted with large pot-holes, is a nightmare for the thou-sands who commute on it everyday.

During the dry season, the road is covered in dust while the mon-soon literally turns it into a mud bed.

The stretch from Dhupagul to Salutikor and Khagail to Bholaganj lies in the worst condition, locals said.

It causes vehicles to slow down, taking hours to travel a small dis-tance. Moreover, vehicles often fall into the ditch, resulting in many se-vere accidents that cause su� ering to locals in the area.

The road, which could take one to Sylhet in only 30-40 minutes in better conditions, now takes 2-3 hours, said a driver. This dilapidat-ed state has prevailed for the last eight years, but the authority con-cerned has yet to take any measures to ease the su� ering of locals. l

Fire breaks out yesterday at a house in Kunipara area under Tejgaon in the capital. The picture shows � re� ghters trying to douse the � re DHAKA TRIBUNE

BOGRA BOMB BLAST

One of the deceased identi� ed as JMB man n Our Correspondent, Bogra

Police yesterday con� rmed the identity of a man among the two people who were killed in a bomb explosion at a house at Sherpur upazila, Bogra on Sunday night.

The deceased was identi� ed as Tariqul Islam, 48, a member of the banned Islamist militant out-� t Jama’tul Mujahideen Bangla-desh (JMB). He was the resident of Jamua village, Sirajganj sadar upazila. Police arrested three of his brothers for interrogation. The arrested are Sana Ullah, Liakat Ali

and Barkat Ullah.Meanwhile, police sent the bod-

ies to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Med-ical College Hospital for post-mor-tem examinations.

Police sources said Tariqul was a student of Islamic University, Kus-htia. He was also arrested in con-nection with August 17, 2005 series bomb blast. He was acquitted after three years in 2009.

Sana Ullah told newsmen that Tariqul had no connection with family members since last Eid-ul-Azha. They also � led a missing re-port.

Tariqul and another person were killed in a bomb explosion at Mohi-pur village, Sherpur upazila, Bogra on Sunday night.

One of the two people died on

the spot while another died af-ter he was taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in the district later.

Later, a bomb disposal unit of the counter-terrorism transnation-al division recovered arms, ammu-nition, bombs and bomb-making materials from the spot on Monday.

The team said the amount of materials found in the house could have been used for making more than 300 grenades that are pow-erful enough to cause massive de-struction within four to � ve metres of the scene of blast. l

Stone lifting machines destroyedn Our Correspondent,

Lalmonirhat

A mobile court in the district yes-terday destroyed 14 stone lifting machines, locally known as boma machine, in a drive while stones were being lifted illegally from the Dharla River.

Local sources said on informa-tion, the mobile court led by Mag-istrate TM A Momin went to the spot and destroyed the machines as some traders were lifting stones from the rivers defying the govern-ment law.

The sources said some people of the stone traders protested the mobile court when they reached the spot.

Mahfuz Alam, o� cer-in-charge of Patgram police station, said po-lice � red at the agitated people to disperse them as they attacked the mobile court. l

Wall collapse kills tea worker in Sylhetn Tribune Report

A tea worker was killed and his wife injured as a wall collapsed dur-ing heavy rains at a tea garden in Champara area of Kamalganj upazi-la early yesterday. The deceased was identi� ed as Ajit Nayek, 45,

Local union parishad chairman Soleman Miah said the wall of Ajit’s house at the tea garden collapsed following two days’ heavy rain fall, leaving Ajit dead on the spot and his wife Anju Najek critically in-jured. l

Tariqul was a student of Islamic University, Kushtia. He was also arrested in connection with August 17, 2005 series bomb blast

Feature 9D

T

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Count me inn Tanzina Nitol

Ashraful, the third son of a poor mason is now 20 years old. As a youngster he spent his time like millions of other rural-based boys; playing, running and skipping around the village without a care in the world. Yet tragedy struck when Ashraful was just four years old, a sudden fever crippling him for life. No longer able to walk, he felt he was a burden for his family and developed an inferiority complex. When the time came for him to go to school, a deep depression set in.

Ashraful’s family tried to enrol him in various schools in the neighbourhood but were unable to provide the guidance and encouragement needed to overcome the emotional and psychological barriers he faced. After some years, his parents gave up. Luckily last year, a faculty member of one of the neighbourhood schools was also a� liated with the Amar Jyoti foundation, which supports persons with disabilities, informed him about Akhtar Furniture Academy’s training program.

Akhtar Furniture Ltd is one of the leading furniture manufacturers in Bangladesh. To help meet their needs for skilled labour, the company set up its own training academy which ILO has supported to become compliant with National Technical Vocational Quality Framework standards. The centre now provides accredited training in carpentry, lacquer polishing, wood working/machine operation and upholstery.

“Since my family couldn’t make ends meet, I agreed to train there. I was especially motivated by the promise of a permanent job.”

First Ashraful enrolled in the upholstery unit but did not do well. Fortunately, the trainers were sensitive and � exible. They gave him a second chance in the Lacquer Polishing unit. This worked out well, as he was great at polishing and enjoyed the work. He completed the training in 2015 and is now working full-time, receiving a

salary of Tk6,000 a month. Akhtar Furniture Academy also gave him a wheelchair so he can now move around by himself. Both Ashraful and his guardians are happy with this progress.

“I am now con� dent that I can do any job. I may not have legs, but I have skills. Now I can help others in my community and I am respected by all!”

The Akhtar Furniture Academy has already trained 40 men and women with disabilities. The Academy trainers say they had not considered hiring people with disabilities previously, but through their association with ILO, they learned of disability inclusion and decided to make it work. They were happy with the results as they found this group of people tended to be more focused on work and very productive. Though the cost is sometimes slightly higher, as adjustments may have to be made for people with disabilities. They feel the bene� ts outweigh the costs,

not just from a humanitarian perspective but also in business terms. Now, they are taking the initiative to employ more people with disabilities in their factory and have made it part of their policy to include 5% of people with disabilities in each of their training batches.

In some developed countries, persons with disabilities can easily � nd jobs as workplaces are disability accessible. For Bangladesh, this requires a shift in the mindsets of employers. Businesses need to start recognising the bene� ts of disability inclusion which experienced employers are saying leads to a win-win situation and makes perfect business sense. This should not be seen as ‘charity’ or ‘CSR’ but rather as equitable access for people with disabilities as they exercise their right to obtain Decent Work.

Other companies ought to follow the bright example of Akhtar Furniture to improve their productivity and promote inclusive growth. l

I didn’t like school at all. My parents and the neighbourhood tried to get me involved but I never went because the other children made fun of me and I didn’t like to study

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

10DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016Feature

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Whenever there’s a tragedy reported in the news, one thing becomes painfully clear;

the way the press, the police, and on occasion, the politicians treat the bereaved family members is almost criminally insensitive. But while we tut-tut and shake our heads at the way these parties feed o� the grief of the family members of the victims, it is perhaps worth taking a second look at some commonplace behaviours at janazas, qulkhanis and milads. Here are � ve kinds of people you’re bound to � nd:

The HowlerYou’ve never seen this person while the deceased was alive, but s/he will be the � rst to start bawling loudly at the funeral, out-wailing the spouse and children of the dearly departed. On Facebook, this is the person who will put up a long status message about how sad s/he is, and how close s/he was to the person. This is not to say that such people may not genuinely be sad at the death, but broadcasting it is more of an exercise in narcissism than it is in venting sadness.

As a guest at a milad, genuine tears aside, consider sticking to “I’m sorry for your loss/praying for you” as opposed to “Oh, I have been depressed, sad, angry since I heard....” For once, this isn’t about you.

The High InquisitionerEven though the death of dear Gramps was a perfectly normal, age-induced one, there are those who seem to think they’re auditioning for a role on CID, judging by the way they interrogate the family on every minute detail of the passing. “What time did he die? How? When? Where?”

On comment threads on social media, even if the questions have been answered, you’ll � nd someone who hasn’t bothered reading the answers and has to ask them all over again.

Curiosity is only natural, but there’s a time and place for it. Unless you’re genuinely a law enforcement o� cer investigating an unnatural death, it’s best to save the questions for later. Let the mourner know you’re “there

Five types of people you meet at a deshi funeral

if they want to talk about it”, but don’t press for details.

The FixerAdmittedly, arranging a janaza is a chaotic process. There are so many arrangements to be made, and often the closest family members are too grief-stricken to think clearly. Having said that, you’re bound to encounter one loudmouth who will stomp in and start barking orders, snapping at people about how lousy the sound-system is, or how there aren’t enough boxes of sweets, and interestingly enough, this person is usually someone who isn’t actually responsible for doing any of those things.

If you really want to be useful, a good way to start is to ask the nearest person in charge if you can help out in any way. Remember that these are depressing, confusing times, so be patient, and not critical in your approach.

KillgravePeople grieve in di� erent ways. Some will cry it out immediately, someone will hold it in, someone else will probably not show any outward signs of sadness. And yet, at pretty much every janaza, you can bet there will be someone

who is keeping tabs on how much crying was done. The stoic grievers will be advised to “let it all out”, and the dry-eyed criticised in audible whispers for their lack of a display of sadness.

On the � ipside, there are actually people who will tell you to snap out of it, or narrow it down to adages such as “Death comes for us all” and expect the grief to magically disappear.

When speaking with the mourners, it is perhaps best not to

tell them how to feel. Just express your condolences and be there for them. It goes a long way.

The Blame GameSometimes, death comes after illness or injury. It is natural to feel a certain amount of guilt and self doubt as to whether or not one has done all they could for the one that passed away. It is however, in quite poor taste to launch into a prolonged match of � nger-pointing before the body is

even cold in the grave. A post-mortem of responsibility can take place further down the line, when tempers are cooler and enough time has passed to take emotion out of the equation.

In conclusion, janazas and quls are pretty depressing and emotionally charged occasions on their own. A little sensitivity and respect can go a long way to help make it easier. l

How not to talk to the grieving

It is natural to feel a certain amount of guilt and self doubt as to whether or not one has done all they could for the one that passed away

INSIDE

It is scarcely credible that the � rst post-mortem examination of Sohagi Jahan Tonu’s body failed to determine the cause of her death and found no evidence that she was raped.

There were clear indications when her body was found near her residence inside the Mainamati Cantonment in Comilla on March 20 that Tonu had been sexually assaulted before being killed.

As well as her body being found unclothed, Tonu’s father had reported an injury mark on the back of her head. Given the circumstances, it seems inconceivable that the post-mortem should have fallen into the category of the less than 5% of autopsies where the cause of death cannot be found.

The autopsy raised more questions than it answered and necessitated the need for a second post-mortem examination to be performed this week.

It is highly distressing for Tonu’s family that her body had to be exhumed for a fresh autopsy after police said they found the � rst one did not match their inquest report.

This is a further indication of the inadequate and slow response of local police in investigating her murder, which has caused nationwide public concern.

Although the home minister has assured all necessary support, and CID, the Detective Branch, and RAB have all since been involved in the investigation, this does not absolve the police of the need to explain the apparently botched nature of the � rst post-mortem.

The heinous nature of this crime which took place in a prominent, well-guarded public area, makes it imperative that investigators follow up the widespread suspicion that evidence may have been tampered with and covered up.

It is vital for public con� dence that no stone be left unturned in gathering evidence to identify and bring Tonu’s murderers to justice.

Explain the botched nature of � rst post-mortem and investigate suspicions of evidence being covered up

Identity and ideology

America is pulling back from the worldToo many of America’s allies, Trump says, have been relying on Washington to deter enemies and stabilise the neighbourhood. If they’re not willing to pay for that protection, he says, America should pull its forces back

PAGE 13

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Not taking the planet for grantedIt is feared that by 2050, there will be 18 million climate refugees in Bangladesh alone, due to the rise of sea levels, frequent cyclones, and more � oods

The problem is that analysis of pro� les of foot soldiers and cannon-fodders of terrorist attacks show that most of these youths were not very politically engaged for a long time, and were mostly living quite apolitical lives until quite recent to the attack

Tonu autopsy � ndings unacceptable

11D

TEditorialWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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

Send us your Op-Ed articles:opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com

www.dhakatribune.comJoin our Facebook community:

https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune.

The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors

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

Tribune or its publisher.

BIGSTOCK

n Shafi qur Rahman

One of the suicide bombers who took part in the multiple attacks in Paris, in November

2015, was an owner of a café and bar in Brussels where he also ran a thriving illicit drugs business. That café-cum-drug-den was shut down by the police in August, only a few months before the attack.

Two brothers who took part in the Brussels Airport bombing last month were regular guests at Belgian prisons for activities like

armed robbery and carjacking. There is evidence that it was inside the prisons where they met some proselytising jihadist, and converted to violent extremism.

This pattern has been consistently clear among the many bloody and spectacular terrorist attacks carried out by homegrown Islamist extremists in Western countries in the last 15 years.

Most of these “martyrs” were not very religious until recently before the attack; they often partook in the sins of senses and � esh that people associate with liberal West; they did not lead very purpose-driven, careerist lives, and most often, they did not have the intellectual capacity and discipline to be a politically and ideologically active person.

The question of why many young Muslims in the West are converting to violent extremism and are either creating mayhem within their resident countries or travelling to distant lands to wage millenarian battles has been � ercely argued in the media, halls of academia, and general society for many years now. The question has taken new urgency as ominous fault-lines across mass societies in world society have become too stark to be ignored by all but the intentionally blind.

A very recent opinion poll in the US found that 71% of Republican voters supported Donald Trump’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims travelling to the US; more worryingly, 34% of likely Democratic voters support that

too. 49% of all US voters also agreed with Ted Cruz’s call for extra police patrols of Muslim neighbourhoods.

Among the people of Europe, negative views towards Muslims in their own countries are fuelling rapid growth of far-right political parties and general hardening of government stances towards immigration and multi-culturalism. Most Muslims and many in liberal left politics like to blame these disturbing changes to manipulations by populist leaders and demagogues like Donald Trump and Le Pen, but any clear-headed analysis would show that these changes have been growing steadily, structurally, and pervasively over the years. For those who harbour no illusions about human capacity for depraved collective behaviour among groups in society, all these developments are deeply worrying.

Lack of economic opportunities and widespread discrimination are often cited as the main causes that are driving Muslim youths to violent radicalism, particularly in Europe. Undoubtedly, well-known hotbeds of radicalism like the Molenbeek neighbourhood of Brussels, Seine-Saint-Denis of Paris, and cities like Bradford in England are also cesspools of economic misery even within an economically stagnant Europe.

It’s also undeniable that Muslim youths face ubiquitous discrimination and overt racism from the larger society in the West,

particularly in Europe. But these factors cannot, by themselves, explain the organised, violent radicalism. Even an unemployed Belgian youth of Arab descent at Molenbeek has far more economic and social security than most of the employed youth back at their home countries with stable government.

While the comparison with life in utterly devastated societies of countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen can only be very sobering, many of these youths have travelled back and forth between Europe and the Middle East, and thus, they are aware of the di� erence in social well-being and political freedom between these two regions. Moreover, almost none of the terrorists who carried out attacks in Europe or North America were in situations of great economic stress.

The racism and discrimination the youths of Middle Eastern descent face in Europe or the US are real and signi� cant, but pales in comparison to the outright racism faced by people of African descent in Europe or the US.

They also have very limited economic opportunity compared to the majority population. While discrimination and economic deprivation are undoubtedly important factors behind higher crime and drug abuse rates in these communities, we are not seeing organised political extremism seething within them.

British columnist and BBC commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown recently wrote in her column: “Let’s have no more special pleading from white lefties and self-selected Muslim spokespeople. Other minorities face discrimination and racism. They don’t create havoc and mayhem.” Political grievance is often cited by experts as the primary cause behind radical Islamist violence. They say that decades of imperialistic and

impetuous Western intervention in the Middle East have created such vivid mass human su� erings that sensitive Muslim youths become very susceptible to radical messages from the empathy they feel to fellow co-religionists.

The problem is that analysis of pro� les of foot soldiers and cannon-fodders of terrorist attacks show that most of these youths were not very politically engaged for a long time, and were mostly living quite apolitical lives until quite recent to the attack. They could be seething inside, but the sustained resentment was seldom seen from the outside, as friends and acquaintances testify regularly.

Academics are increasingly resorting to issues related to identity, both individual and collective, to investigate why an erstwhile seemingly normal person abruptly turns to violence and self-annihilation.

There is no one � xed type of terrorist identity pro� le and many di� erent types of personality are seen in these radical groups, but analysts have determined three broad types of self-ascribed identity among members of di� erent groups over the decades.

First, there are the few leader-types who view themselves as ordained by fate to lead for great historical change and they � nd self-ful� llment through charismatically leading other people; for them, often the act of leading is more important than the cause. More plentiful is the idealist type, who is usually an intelligent but at the same-time naïve youth, who completely self-identi� es with an ideology of historical transformation. But the most common type is the opportunist su� ering from identity confusion due to anomie, which is a sense of social confusion and separation due to failure to see oneself � tting in with current society. The opportunist seeks to gain a sense

of purpose and self-worth through a collective identity, and self-actualising actions.

One common characteristic across all psychological types is that, although many of them are anti-social, almost none of the terrorists were found to be psychotic; they are not crazy. They have self-consistent logic of method and objective however outlandish these may seem to others.

Even identity issues by themselves are not enough to explain terrorism. There are hundreds of millions of youths who face identity crises in the rapidly changing modern world. They often resort to unsocial behaviour and, sometimes, in the land of plentiful guns, they carry out murderous shooting sprees, but they are not seen resorting to organised, self-immolating violence to bring down the existing order.

There is undeniably a strong ideological dimension to terrorism that binds all the issues together and provides both vision and blueprint for change. Apart from terrorism due to nationalist struggles, ideologies of most other global terrorist waves in the modern era show some common characteristics. The ideologies are millenarian; they seek global transformation towards a new era.

They are irredentist; they hark back to a pure, glorious past. They are unrelenting; they profess no compromise with ideological principles. They are not humanistic; they do not believe that the individual is an end in itself, there is a greater cause that transcends humans.

In the next part, I will argue that the liberal world order will face its deepest challenge yet, if the ideological dimensions of terrorism are not addressed head on. l

Sha� qur Rahman is a political scientist.

Opinion12DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

There are so many factors that lead to attacks such as the one in Paris REUTERS

The problem is that analysis of pro� les of foot soldiers and cannon-fodders of terrorist attacks show that most of these youths were not very politically engaged for a long time, and were mostly living quite apolitical lives until quite recent to the attack

Why does radical Islamism thrive in the West?

Identity and ideology

Opinion 13D

TWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

n Peter Apps

For many Americans, the attacks on Brussels must have felt like more of the same. Once again,

militants struck, the systems designed to stop them failed, and all the blood and treasure of 15 years of “war on terror” appears more wasted than ever.

From an outsider’s perspective, though, the way in which the US reacts appears to be subtly shifting. Almost without noticing, America is beginning to dramatically re-think the way in which it interacts with the world.

As with so many things, Donald Trump is the clearest manifestation of the trend. For all his talk of “making America great again,” the foreign policy he has begun to outline -- particularly in interviews with senior editors at the New York Times and the Washington Post -- smacks of outright isolationism.

Trump himself, it should be said, speci� cally rejects that label.

Getting stuck on the semantics misses the point. On a much, much broader level -- from the country at large to the corridors of the White House -- feelings are also changing. Frustrations, regrets, and a re-thinking of how much America can, or should, do, drips from almost every line of the must-read interview with President Barack Obama published earlier this month in the Atlantic.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, several current and former US o� cials have told me they no longer really feel they know what their country was trying to achieve in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere. Such soul-searching is rarely

done publicly, but it appears widespread.

That trend is easily missed in Washington, not least because so many of the think-tanks that make-up the foreign policy community are robustly interventionist -- and funded by individuals, defense contractors, and foreign governments such as the Gulf states who want to keep the US thinking that way. “The result is that you can end up taking public positions that are more interventionist than you really think,” said one think-tank policy analyst on condition of anonymity. Even within such institutions, though, the mood seems to be quietly changing.

The gulf between di� erent worldviews -- particularly those exempli� ed by Obama and Trump -- remains vast. As Obama’s Latin American tour made clear, his vision for America remains one in which the world’s pre-eminent superpower remains a multi-ethnic melting pot deeply committed to an ever more interlinked world -- even if the Atlantic pro� le shows he now puts more caveats on that position.

Trump’s entire campaign, meanwhile, is based around, often literally, fencing o� the rest of the planet. Immigration and globalisation, he says, have cost Americans their jobs and risks costing them their safety. Too many of America’s allies, Trump says, have been relying on Washington to deter enemies and stabilise the neighbourhood. If they’re not willing to pay for that protection, he says, America should pull its forces back.

That’s a massive shift from the positions America’s allies in particular have come to expect. In

South Korea, newspapers said they were “dumbfounded” by Trump’s suggestion Tokyo and Seoul should build their own atomic weapons to protect themselves. European governments will be similarly concerned by his comments on Nato. In both cases, though, his comments point to much broader questioning at home.

Earlier this month, I chaired a discussion on US foreign policy and the election. One of the participants, the Atlantic Council’s Alex Ward, mentioned that, while he and many of his foreign policy-focused colleagues spent much of their time working on strategies to defend Nato members like the Baltic states from Russia, some of his relatives in the rest of the country didn’t even know what the acronym stood for.

When it comes to talking about the threat from militants like Dae’sh, Trump and Obama also di� er wildly -- but only up to a point. Trump takes pride in talking about how he would tear up the rulebook, using harsh interrogation techniques, torture, and indiscriminate bombing. The president might have failed to close Guantanamo, but he clearly opposes such measures, feeling they simply make matters worse.

Trump’s populist anti-Dae’sh

message, though, contains very speci� c limits. Attempts at broader stabilisation and “nation-building,” he says, simply haven’t worked. He told the Washington Post he would � nd it “very di� cult” to send tens of thousands of ground troops to � ght Dae’sh, even if senior US commanders requested it.

Obama famously opposed the invasion of Iraq, but favoured increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan immediately after he took o� ce in 2009. It’s hard to imagine him or many others backing such a strategy now.

On a wide variety of issues, Trump has probably taken too extreme and idiosyncratic a position to make himself electable. America’s most likely next

president remains Hillary Clinton -- a candidate whose legitimacy, ironically, rests heavily on her international a� airs background and establishment status.

Her advisers, backers and mentors consist of pretty much the entire Democratic and much of the Republican foreign policy community -- although she has found that expertise is not necessarily helping her in the polls. Where Trump goes well beyond any other potential serious presidential contender since the 1930s is in suggesting the much wider withdrawal, if not outright abandonment, of previous US positions. On trade, he is aggressively protectionist -- something he has in common with leftist challenger Bernie Sanders. Against China in particular, he says he would run up tari� s in a way that could well provoke a trade war.

At the same time, though, his reluctance to support long-time US allies might well empower Moscow and Beijing. Trump says his time in business has told him the value of being unpredictable. When it comes to high-stakes nuclear confrontations, however, that may not be a virtue. Obama would never go as far. Indeed, stepping up military presence in both Asia and Europe has been central

to his strategy. But he clearly saw no problem in expressing considerable frustrations with the Europeans, Britain and France in particular, blaming them for failing to come up with their own policies to stabilise Libya -- in his view, clearly Europe’s backyard -- after the fall of Muammar Gadda� in 2011.

In the aftermath of the Brussels attacks, the overwhelming narrative seems to have been to “blame Belgium.” In some ways, that’s very reasonable. Belgium’s intelligence and security apparatus, as well as the rest of its government, is notoriously dysfunctional.

But Belgium, it is worth remembering, has long been known as the “crossroads of

empire,” never truly able to secure its borders against its foes. And while some of America’s relative success in avoiding attacks on its mainland since 9/11 probably is the result of its intelligence and security reforms, the fact that it is cut o� from the rest of the world by two enormous oceans is also key.

That geographic isolation is why America has the luxury of sometimes thinking it could make the rest of the world go away. Indeed, much of its recent focus on gaining energy independence seems rooted in that hope.

That the US is re-thinking its role is neither surprising nor unhealthy. It spent a mere 25 years as the unipolar global superpower and in the Middle East in particular, it’s easy to conclude it may have been a negative, or at least destabilising, in� uence.

At its best, however, America acts, albeit deeply imperfectly, as the closest we have to a global linchpin. If the country is going isolationist again, during a period of global instability, that may not be a good thing for the rest of us. l

Peter Apps is Reuters Global A� airs Columnist, writing on international a� airs, globalisation, con� ict, and other issues. This article has been syndicated from Reuters.

Can America afford to stand with Trump? REUTERS

Too many of America’s allies, Trump says, have been relying on Washington to deter enemies and stabilise the neighbourhood. If they’re not willing to pay for that protection, he says, America should pull its forces back

Trump’s isolationist attitude, in a period of global instability, spells bad news for the rest of the world

America is pulling back from the world

Opinion14DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

n Aaqib Md Shatil

“Let us not take this planet for granted, I am not taking tonight for granted.”

These were the words with which Leonardo DiCaprio concluded his speech after winning his � rst Oscar at the 88th Academy Awards for his acting in The Revenant.

DiCaprio, after sharing his experience with the audience all across the world about how the cast and crew of The Revenant had to move to the south tip of the planet only to � nd some snow, had called climate change a real problem and asked to support the leaders who do not talk for the polluters but rather for the victims.

When he was giving his speech at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, on the last day of February, it was recorded that Los Angeles had experienced the hottest February on record, which was supposed to be a month of rainfall -- a practical picture of how climate change is taking shape, despite a number of world leaders still denying it with a straight face.

No matter what these world leaders claim, the rise of temperatures and sea levels is a fact. According to the UN fact sheet on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Arctic’s sea ice extent has shrunk every successive decade since 1979, with 1.07 million square-kilometres of ice loss every decade, resulting in a rise in sea levels.

It is feared that by 2050, there will be 18 million climate refugees in Bangladesh alone, the worst potential victims of climate change, due to the rise of sea levels, frequent cyclones, and more � oods.

Among the reasons behind the rapid change in climate is the increase in carbon emissions worldwide. The UN claims that since 1990, global emissions of carbon dioxide have increased by almost 50%.

While Bangladesh contributes just 0.4 metric-tons per capita to carbon emissions, the US produces 17 tons. Emissions grew more quickly between 2000 and 2010 than in each of the three previous decades.

Apart from sea levels rising, which is the most discussed topic so far, there are many other impacts to be discussed. For example, according to some estimation, for every 1 degree increase in temperature, grain

yields decline by about 5%. It is estimated that by 2100, the global temperature will increase by 2%, resulting in a substantial decline in harvests.

To � ght this global phenomenon, the member states of UN adopted the SDGs last year. Goal 13 of the 17 goals gives a clear direction of how to contain the almost inevitable climate change.

The goal, with � ve targets in it, states: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The targets were given to ensure urgent action to combat climate change is taken, ful� lling some basic criteria, and reducing the negative impacts of those actions as well.

The � rst target urges strengthening resilience and

adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. This can be explained with the case of Sidr and its aftermath in Bangladesh. Cyclone Sidr exposed 3.45 million households to inundation in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is still recovering from the damages of that particular cyclone.

Strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity of the people to climate hazards and disasters through proper measures and policies will help the country recover from the e� ects of such disasters.

This target is followed by the call to integrate climate change measures to national policies, strategies, and planning. Since a problem cannot be solved properly if not recognised as a problem,

with proper strategies taken to solve it, the inclusion of the measures to tackle climate change into national policies will ensure that climate change is recognised as a problem in the country.

With regards to the third target, that covers the improvement of education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning, Bangladesh has been a role model.

However, for many countries, this is going to be one of the most crucial jobs for the next 15 years, because almost two-thirds of world population has no clear idea about climate change, according to a survey conducted by Gallup World Poll. Many of them had

never even heard of it.Therefore, awareness-

raising and educating the huge population about climate change and the actions to be taken will be a challenge for most of the countries because of the lack of funds, which is addressed in the next target. The fourth of the � ve targets asks to mobilise, jointly, $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions.

The last target recommends promoting mechanisms for raising capacity for e� ective climate change-related planning and management, including focusing on women, the youth, and local and marginalised communities, with a view to establishing the sustainable mechanisms in case of climate action.

Only if all these targets are properly met with success can the adverse e� ects of climate change be contained by this century. It is high time not to take the planet for granted, and to engage ourselves with climate actions. l

Aaqib Md Shatil is an Executive of Brand Development at Build Better Bangladesh Foundation.

Let’s take better care of our home BIGSTOCK

It is feared that by 2050, there will be 18 million climate refugees in Bangladesh alone, the worst potential victims of climate change, due to the rise of sea levels, frequent cyclones, and more � oods

Climate change is real, and we have very little time on our hands

Not taking the planet for granted

Exports cross $24bn in 9 monthsn Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The country’s overall export vol-ume reached $24.95 billion in � rst nine months of this � scal year with readymade garment sector constituting the major chunk.

The exports registered nearly 9% growth from $22.90 billion one year earlier, according to Export Promotion Bureau data released yesterday.

Besides, the � gure is 2.12% higher against the strategic target of $24.43 billion set for the period.

Meanwhile, in March alone the export earnings amounted to $2.83 billion, posting 9.20% rise from $2.6 billion in the same month last year.

In nine-month earnings, the RMG sector contributed $20.44 billion with 9.74% growth com-pared to one year ago. During the same period last year, the sector earned $18.62 billion.

As per the latest data, wo-ven sector earned $10.76 billion, which is 12.64% higher compared to the same period of the last year, while knitwear earned $9.67 bil-lion posting a 6.68% growth.

“Bangladesh needs 12% growth to achieve its $50 billion export target from the RMG sector by 2021. Currently, the export growth of the sector is hovering around 9.5%. But amid the remediation process, a 9.74% growth is still sat-isfactory,” Bangladesh Garment

Manufacturers and Exporters As-sociation (BGMEA) Vice President Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said: “We are hoping better growth in the upcoming years as there are lots of new RMG units wait-ing to commence their productions.”

Though the overall export earnings continued to grow but some major sector such as frozen and live � shes, shrimps, plastic products vegetables, jute and jute goods home textile showed nega-tive growth.

“The suspension of GSP (Gen-eralised System of Preferences) by the US government cast negative impact on export earnings as the products cost increased due to tax,” said Shahedul Islam Helal, a director of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA).

The price of plastic goods de-clined in the global markets due to the fall of oil prices, which is another reason for the negative export growth, said Shahedul.

“Although the data shows that

the export volume has been in-creased, the export value did not in-crease as per expectation,” he said.

On the other hand, shrimp ex-porters blamed economic slow-down in the export destinations, especially in the European Union for the negative growth.

Export earnings from the shrimp have seen a 15.25% fall to $352 million, which was $415 mil-lion a year ago. The jute and jute goods sectors have also posted a meager fall by 1.72% to $641.58 million. l

15D

TBusinessWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Capital market snapshot: TuesdayDSE

Broad Index 4,409.7 -0.5% ▼

Index 1,066.0 -0.3% ▼

30 Index 1,670.3 -0.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk 3,178.5 -35.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol 99.6 -30.3% ▼

CSEAll Share Index 13,589.4 -0.4% ▼

30 Index 12,269.0 -0.3% ▼

Selected Index 8,253.6 -0.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk 212.4 -49.7% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol 7.9 -49.0% ▼

INSIDE

IMF chief ramps up call for global action as growth risks increase

The global economy’s already modest prospects will decline further unless authorities take stronger action to boost growth, the head of the IMF warned yesterday, saying the Fund would cut its headline forecasts next week. PAGE 17

World equities rocked by newoil slide

Europe’s main stock markets dived yes-terday, after another sell-o� across most of Asia that was sparked by a fresh drop in oil prices, dealers said. PAGE 18

Workers processing shrimp to export. Although the overall export earnings continue to grow, some major sectors like shrimp post negative growth

Nearly Tk94,000cr RADP approvedn Tribune Report

The National Economic Council has approved a total of Tk93,894 crore as revised annual develop-ment programme for the � scal year 2015-16.

The outlay includes an ad-ditional budget of Tk2,894 for autonomous bodies and public agencies.

The original ADP � gure was slashed by Tk6,000 or 6% from Tk97,000 crore, reducing the amount to Tk91,000 crore exclud-ing the additional allocation for autonomous bodies.

The agencies and public bodies will self-� nance the projects.

The approval was given at the NEC meeting yesterday with its Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, held at the NEC con-ference room. Prime minister is chairperson of the NEC.

Following the meeting, Plan-ning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told journalists that his ministry proposed Tk88,000 crore as RADP.

As di� erent ministries de-manded additional allocations, prime minister added Tk3,000 crore more, he said.

Mustafa Kamal said prime min-ister’s allocated additional funds will be distributed as per necessity.

Of the revised ADP, Tk61,840.68 crore will come from national ex-chequer, Tk29,160 crore as pro-ject assistance and the remaining

Tk2,894 crore will be provided by the implementing agencies from their own funds.

The transport sector re-ceived the highest allocation of Tk19,639.77 crore, followed by education and religious sector - Tk9,901.74 crore.

Mustafa Kamal said some 277 new projects had been included in the RADP. l

In� ation edges up in Marchn Tribune Report

In� ation in the last month rose marginally on the back of in-creased commodity prices, ac-cording to o� cial data released yesterday.

The month-to-month in� ation stood at 5.65% in March, up from 5.62% in February, says the Bang-ladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

During the period, food in� a-tion also went up to 3.89% from 3.77%. Non-food in� ation, howev-er, was down 8.36% from 8.46%.

“The rise of some essential items like � sh, pulse and sugar pushed in� ation up,” said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

In urban areas, food in� a-tion was up 5.61% in March from 5.48% in February and non-food in� ation saw a fall of 9.12% from 9.14% during the period.

In rural areas, food in� ation rose to 3.15%, up from 3.04% and non-food in� ation soared 7.82% against 7.97% during the period. l

Private sector credit growth rises

Private sector credit growth continued to rise in February, reaching 15.11% on a year-on-year basis, far above the central bank’s credit ceiling that was set at 14.80% for June in the January-June monetary policy. PAGE 16

Business16DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Pro� t booking breaks 5-day rallyn Tribune Report

Stocks fell yesterday, snapping a � ve-day rally, as risk-averse inves-tors opted for quick pro� t booking.

The market began with red in the morning while the pro� t book-ing sell-o� mainly on small cap issues continued until the trading closed.

The benchmark index DSEX de-clined 22 points or 0.5% to close at 4,409, chipping away from over 100 points gained in the last � ve sessions.

The Shariah index DSES inched down about 3 points or 0.3% to 1,065. The blue chip comprising in-

dex DS30 slumped around 8 points to 1,670.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX ended at 8,253, shedding 38 points.

But the bottom line is that trading activities took a jolt as the DSE turnover stood at Tk317 crorewith a sharp decline of more than 35% from the previous session’s value.

Pharmaceuticals and engineer-ing sectors were the turnover lead-ers, contributing 16.8% and 15% respectively to the day’s total trade value.

Shares of 316 companies were traded on the day. Of them, 78

companies closed positive, 190 negative while 50 remained un-changed.

The losing sectors were en-gineering, ceramics, banks and non-banking � nancial institutions.

Most other sectors like food and allied, telecommunication and pharmaceuticals closed � at.

Delta Brac Housing Finance Corp Ltd was the most traded share and the turnover reached Tk16 crore.

It was followed by BSRM Limit-ed, Summit Allaince Port, Lanka-Bangla Finance Limited KDS Acces-sories, Orion Infusion, Power, The Ibn Sina and Titas Gas. l

Apollo Hospitals to raise Tk75cr through IPOn Tribune Report

Under book-building method, STS Holdings, which owns Apollo Hos-pitals Dhaka, will raise TK75 crore through Initial public o� erings (IPO), the company said in a state-ment yesterday.

With the raised fund, a branch of the hospital will be set up in the port city Chittagong, STS Holdings said, adding that the construction work has already started. The total project cost has been estimated at Tk490 crore. Of which, Tk75 crore

will be raised through IPO which will be used as an equity contribution to the Chittagong Hospital project.

Tk278 crore will be arranged from IFC and DEG in the form of long-term debt and the rest Tk137 crore from internal sources.

If the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission approves the IPO, it will be the second listed hospital after Samorita Hospital, which entered into the stock market in 1997. ICB Capital Management and AFC Capital are the issue man-agers of the IPO of STS Holdings. l

Daraz.com introduces online Boishakhi Melan Tribune Report

Daraz.com.bd in association with Sunsilk will host an online fair “Daraz Boishakhi Mela 1423” from April 8 through 14.

Benjamin de Fouchier, manag-ing director of Daraz Bangladesh Ltd, made the announcement at a press conference held at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital city yesterday.

“The fair would be a celebration and also a testament to our com-mitment and gratitude towards our consumers by bringing them with the kind of bargains no one else has done before in Bangladesh,” he said.

Starting from April 7 midnight, the e-commerce platform is going to o� er up to 70% discount on dif-ferent category of products.

For the � rst time, Bangladeshi shoppers will experience this fair online without having to set foot outside in the heat, tra� c and may be even rain.

The discounts may be as high as 50% on smart-phones, 35% on home appliances and 70% on fash-ion and accessories.

Local and foreign fashion brands Ecstasy, Dorjibari, Smart-ex, Bata, Apex, Watches World and many more are participating in this online sale extravaganza. Sony, Le-novo, Toshiba, LG, Samsung, HP, Microsoft, HTC, among others, will also be taking part in this event.

Zaved Akhtar, brand building director of Unilever, said e-com-merce all over the world is boom-ing and now it is time for Bangla-desh to shine on this platform. l

Private sector credit growth risesn Jebun Nesa Alo

Private sector credit growth con-tinued to rise in February, reach-ing 15.11% on a year-on-year basis, far above the central bank’s credit ceiling that was set at 14.80% for June in the January-June monetary policy.

The total credit to private sector stood at Tk6,27,960 crore in Feb-ruary from Tk5,45,534 crore in the same period last year, according to the Bangladesh Bank data released recently.

Earlier, the highest credit growth was 16.6% in December 2012, and the growth rate remained below 15% since then amid slug-gish investment climate.

The credit growth took an upward trend from October last year, reach-ing over 13% and continued to rise, recording around a three-year-high

growth of 14.19% in last December. The private sector credit growth

reached 14.80% in January which was set for June at the monetary policy and the growth rate crossed the ceiling in February.

Bangladesh Bank had to slash its

credit ceiling in last two monetary policies as the growth rate was far below the projected target.

The over� ow of credit may put pressure on in� ation, feared a sen-ior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

The domestic credit growth

registered 11% in February against the target of 15.50% set for June in monetary programme.

The BB executive said though the domestic credit growth is still below the target, it is on the rise which will be risky for managing

in� ation at expected level. The public sector credit growth

still remains at negative 1.85% in February as the government is get-ting adequate money from the sav-ings instruments.

The drastic fall in lending rate prompted the private sector credit growth, said a senior executive of a private bank.

The lending rate came down to 10.91% in February compared to 12.23% in the same period last year.

Deposit rate also saw a sharp fall as banks are still awash with excess liquidity, said the executive.

The interest rate on deposit came down to 6.1% in February from 7.19% in the same period last year.

Depositors money are � owing to savings instruments due to sharp fall in deposit rates which push the public sector credit growth to nega-tive trend, said the executive. l

OECD: Germany should boost services sectorn AFP, Berling

Germany must beef up its servic-es sector if its economic backbone of manufacturing is not to weak-en, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in a report yesterday.

“You have to invest in servic-es, upskill the people in services,” OECD chief Angel Gurria told a news conference.

“Otherwise, all the German industry success is going to slow down because you don’t have the same level of productivity in the two areas,” Gurria said as he pre-sented the report.

While acknowledging the suc-cess of Europe’s biggest economy in recent years, with stable growth, a robust labour market and healthy

public � nances, OECD pointed to “a number of challenges” facing Germany. And there was “little room for complacency.”

“Labour productivity has declined, and is particularly low in services,” Gurria said.

Germany’s industrial prowess is built on its cars, chemicals and precision engineering, but the eco-

nomic powerhouse is less success-ful in the services sector, which is regarded as over-regulated and rigid.

But “there is lot of value added in services,” Gurria said.

Both the OECD and the Interna-tional Monetary Fund (IMF) have repeatedly called on Germany to invest in infrastructure and edu-cation, a call IMF chief Christine Lagarde reiterated while on a visit to the country yesterday.

Gurria also urged on the gov-ernment to integrate the massive in� ux of refugees who have arrived in Germany in recent months with special education and training ini-tiatives.

That “requires a substantial up-front investment, but it pays,” the OECD chief said. l

All the German industry success is going to slow down because you don’t have the same level of productivity in the two areas

Business 17D

TWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

IMF chief ramps up call for global action as growth risks increasen Reuters, Frankfurt

The global economy’s already modest prospects will decline fur-ther unless authorities take strong-er action to boost growth, the head of the IMF warned yesterday, say-ing the Fund would cut its headline forecasts next week.

Christine Lagarde said China’s shift to an economic model based more on domestic demand, stub-bornly low commodity prices and tighter funding conditions in some countries had all clouded the out-look.

“Let me be clear: we are on alert, not alarm. There has been a loss of growth momentum,” the Interna-tional Monetary Fund’s managing director said in a speech at Frank-furt’s Goethe University.

The recovery from the 2007-2009 global � nancial crisis “re-mains too slow, too fragile and risks to its durability are increasing.”

But if policymakers confronted the challenges and acted together, “the positive e� ects on global con-� dence - and the global economy - will be substantial.”

Lagarde advised the United States to raise its minimum wage, Europe to improve job training and emerging economies to cut fuel sub-sidies and boost social spending.

She gave her strongest hint yet that the IMF will cut its global eco-

nomic forecasts next week.“The global outlook has weak-

ened further over the last six months so you can (deduce) from that there will be a slight revision (in the IMF estimates),” Lagarde said.

Spring meetingsLagarde’s remarks come less than two weeks before ministers, cen-tral bankers and other policymak-ers from the Fund’s 188 member

countries gather in Washington to assess the health of the world economy at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings.

While the U.S. recovery has been gaining momentum and some emerging markets including as Mexico have performed well, the IMF views Europe and Japan as major disappointments, while China’s slowing growth has hurt oil and commodity exporting coun-

tries, including Brazil and Russia.To counteract the headwinds,

Lagarde called for accelerated structural reforms, increased � scal support and continued accommo-dative monetary policy.

She urged improved tax incen-tives for research and development investments, citing IMF data show-ing that a 40% increase in R&D spending in advanced economies could yield a 5% increase in GDP over 20 years.

Asked about negotiations be-tween the IMF, European lend-ers and Greece for a new bailout program for the heavily indebted country, Lagarde told Bloomberg TV the Fund continued to negoti-ate “in good faith”.

After Internet site Wikileaks published an apparent transcript of an IMF conference call, Lagarde denied that IMF sta� might threat-en to pull out of the bailout as a ne-gotiating tactic to force more Euro-pean debt relief for Greece.

Introducing Lagarde’s speech, Jens Weidmann, who sits on the European Central Bank’s deci-sion-making body and heads Ger-many’s Bundesbank, said the IMF was “an essential component” in any euro zone rescue program.

Among other sources of uncer-tainty facing the global economy, Lagarde listed Britain’s debate over remaining in the European Union. l

Major banks set up thousands of o� shore � rmsn AFP, Paris

The trio of British banking giant HSBC and Swiss institutions UBS and Credit Suisse set up more than 4,500 o� shore companies through Panama-based law � rm Mossack Fonseca, Le Monde newspaper re-ported yesterday.

HSBC created 2,300 o� shore companies, Credit Suisse has 1,105 and UBS, has 1,100, while France’s Societe Generale has 979, accord-ing to the latest revelations from the vast leak of documents dubbed the Panama Papers.

Le Monde reported that 365 banks across the world had used the services of Mossack Fonseca, the � rm at the centre of the allega-tions.

Other major banks mentioned in the report include Germany’s Deutsche Bank and Nordea, which does business in Nordic and Baltic countries.

O� shore companies can be used for legitimate purposes, but they have in the past been used to laun-der money and evade taxes.

The banks cited by Le Monde re-jected any wrongdoing.

The CEO of Credit Suisse, Tid-jane Thiam, said yesterday his bank would endorse only “legiti-mate” o� shore arrangements.

“We only accept o� shore struc-tures, vehicles, if they serve le-gitimate purposes,” Thiam said, speaking in Hong Kong. l

India’s central bank cuts key interest rate to � ve-year lown AFP, New Delhi

India’s central bank yesterday cut its key interest rate to a � ve-year low of 6.5% citing a dip in in� ation, and signalled there could be further rate cuts to come.

In a widely expected move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it would lower the benchmark repo rate, the level at which it lends to commercial banks, by 25 basis points down from 6.75%.

The move, designed to lower the cost of borrowing and in-vesting to provide a boost to consumers and the economy, takes the rate to its lowest level since early 2011.

“Retail in� ation measured by the consumer price index (CPI) dropped sharply in February after rising for six consecutive months,” RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said in the � rst policy statement of the new � scal year.

The bank governor also said the RBI’s stance on monetary policy would remain accommodative, suggesting the bank may make further cuts to interest rates this year.

“The Reserve Bank will continue to watch macro-economic and � nancial developments in the months ahead with a view to responding with further policy action as space opens up,” Rajan said.

In a Bloomberg News survey of 42 economists, 36 had ex-pected a cut of 25 basis points, while four had expected a deeper cut of 50 basis points and two foresaw no change. l

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde attends a news conference after a seminar on the international � nancial architecture in Paris REUTERS

Business18DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

CORPORATE NEWS

LankaBangla Finance Ltd has recently opened its relocated branch in Agrabad, Chittagong. The company’s chairperson, Mohammad A Moyeen inaugurated the new premises of Agrabad branch, said a press release

Mongla EPZ has recently arranged an investment seminar to promote investment at Mongla, Uttara and Ishwardi EPZs. General manager of Mongla EPZ, Md Mahmud Hasan was keynote speaker at the seminar, said a press release

World equities rocked by new oil sliden AFP, London

Europe’s main stock markets dived yesterday, after another sell-o� across most of Asia that was sparked by a fresh drop in oil pric-es, dealers said.

Around 0900 GMT, Frankfurt’s benchmark DAX 30 index was down 2.5% compared with Mon-day’s � nish, as dire German facto-ry orders sparked fresh questions about the health of the eurozone’s biggest economy.

Elsewhere, France’s CAC 40 in-dex shed 2% and Britain’s FTSE 100 dropped 1.4% in value.

World oil prices languished close to one-month lows on persis-tent worries over the global supply glut, weighing on energy shares.

Sentiment failed to win a boost from news that eurozone private sector business activity nudged higher in March after a sharp fall in February, according to a survey from data � rm Markit.

Oil, economy woes“The FTSE 100 was down in early trading following downbeat over-night sessions on Wall Street and in Asia, with volatile crude oil prices and global economic concerns con-tinuing to have an impact on inves-tor sentiment,” said Russ Mould, investment director at stockbroker AJ Bell.

The mood darkened as gloomy data showed that German indus-trial orders - a key measure of de-mand for goods in Europe’s top

economy - declined in February. Provisional o� cial data showed

a decrease in orders of 1.2% month-on-month in February, weighed down by falling foreign demand. That followed an increase of 0.5% in January.

Analysts polled by � nancial ser-vices � rm FactSet had pencilled in a modest increase of 0.3% for Feb-ruary.

“A poor February for German factory orders ... adds to eurozone woes,” said analyst Mike van Dulk-en at traders Accendo Markets.

In Asia and Europe, energy com-panies nursed heavy losses as oil prices fell further.

“WTI crude is eyeing a move back below $35 per barrel,” noted analyst Tony Cross at traders Trust-net Direct.

“As a result it’s the natural re-sources stocks that are scattered across the foot of the index, with Royal Dutch Shell and BP also being dragged very much into the fray.”

BP slid 1.94% to 338 pence and Shell’s ‘A’ shares shed 2.35% to 1,638 pence.

In Paris, French peer Total saw its stock decline 1.77% to 38.48 eu-ros.

Investors were handed a nega-tive lead from Wall Street, where the plunge in crude all but wiped out Friday’s jobs-fuelled gains.

US tightens M&A rulesThe US Treasury meanwhile an-nounced new rules on Monday aimed at stemming the tide of mergers between US and foreign businesses designed to sharply lower the US company’s tax bill. l

Oil prices extend losses as output freeze hopes faden AFP, Singapore

Oil prices tumbled further in Asia yesterday on dwindling hopes that key producers will reach an agree-ment to freeze output when they meet this month to discuss a global supply glut.

After breaking above $40 in March on expectations for the Rus-sia-Saudi Arabia-led talks, the com-modity has tumbled in recent weeks

The April 17 Doha meeting aims to agree to cap output at January 2016 levels, but analysts say only a production cut can lead to a sus-tained recovery in prices.

The losses were fanned Friday when Saudi deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country would only agree to limits at the gathering if it was matched by Iran and other major producers.

His comments sent oil prices diving four percent Friday, and ex-tended the falls this week.

At around 0810 GMT Tuesday, US benchmark West Texas Inter-mediate for delivery in May was down 39 cents, or 1.09%, at $35.31 and Brent crude for June was 28 cents, or 0.74%, lower at $37.41.

“Crude oil is facing headwinds as Saudi Arabia hesitated to commit to freeze production unless Iran agrees to join the output freeze camp,” said Margaret Yang, market analyst at CMC Markets Singapore. l

Traders work on the � oor of the New York Stock Exchange REUTERS

Biz Info 19D

T

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Shakib Al Hasan partners with Huawei as brand ambassador

New set menu at Lime & Thyme

Tahsan brand ambassador of Alex Car Wash and wax

Taste pasta at Le Pizzaria

Huawei, a leading global company in ICT and telecommunication solutions announces Shakib Al Hasan’s appointment as its brand ambassador for the Bangladeshi market. The partnership with the best All-rounder in the world highlights Huawei’s alignment with people and brands that demonstrate its continued endeavour towards creating shared value of connecting greatness.

The partnership between the leading global ICT and telecommunication solutions provider and the top Allrounder in the world symbolises the start of a new innings of leadership of two great leaders. The collaboration also signi� es the start of a new phase of

performance, where Huawei has been introducing innovative new products in the market under various categories, while Shakib has been a proli� c and consistent performer in all forms of cricket.

Mr Zhao Haofu, CEO of Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Ltd, said in a speech, “Huawei has reached an epitome of innovation and excellence in performance over the years. We have provided innovative networking solutions to nearly all top global telecom operators, including leading Bangladeshi telecom operators such as Grameenphone, Banglalink, and Robi. Our customers also include Google - the Nexus 6P was created in collaboration with Google - and the Internet of Vehicles products were selected and recognised

by leading car makers including Audi, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen.”

“I am happy to be associated with Huawei, a company which has been setting the highest standards in ICT, Telecommunication & Device industry globally. Huawei’s innovative ICT solutions, products and services are serving over one-third of the world’s population. Also, it’s the world’s second largest Android smartphone brand. I believe this partnership will inspire me to achieve further success in my career, and I hope together we will motivate millions of people to pursue excellence,” said Shakib Al Hasan.l

Lime & Thyme has introduced an exciting new Thai set menu and sea food set menu.Each of the following meals have been selected to provide variety and balance. Choosing the right combination of dishes is very important in Thai cuisine, and for someone new to Thai food,

selecting a set menu is having a chance to experience a wide range of � avours. The sea food set menu includes a refreshing tuna salad along with other items. The o� er is available from 1pm to 4pm daily, at only Tk330 (all Inclusive). l

Famous singer and actor Tahsan Rahman Khan has been made brand ambassador of Alex Car Wash and Wax.

Tahsan signed an agreement for a year with Alex Car Wash and Wax at a signing ceremony held yesterday in the capital.

Alex Car Wash and Wax of Tradesworth Household Limited are the � rst local care shampoo in Bangladesh. Both products are silicate free and completely pH balanced, so

they don’t harm the colour of a car, it was said at the product presentation.

The extra wax gives more shine and a completely brand new look, described at the power presentation over the product.

The program was attended by the director of Tradesworth Household Limited, Syed Mubdi Munawar Husain, divisional manager Mohammed Shahadath Hossain. l

For those foodies out there, be happy to know that a restaurant called Le Pizzaria in Banani has quickly built up their reputation in taste, quality and service. Their authentic Italian pizza has amazed many who have tried it. Their recent o� er of buy-one-get-one-free pasta is truly remarkable. Their signature Alfredo Pasta has become a favourite, proudly. Foodies are welcome to experience, what they claim is the next level of an Italian pizzeria. l

Downtime20DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

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

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 15 represents C so � ll C every time the � gure 15 appears.You have two letters in the control grid to start you o� . Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.As you get the letters, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

ACROSS1 Domestic animals (4)5 First public appearance (5)8 Narcotic (6)9 Curve (4)10 Perform (3)12 Washes lightly (6)13 Astounded (6)15 Tentacle (6)18 Thrown (6)20 United (3)21 Hindu garment (4)23 American inventor (6)24 Healing ointment (5)25 Tidings (4)

DOWN1 Hooded snake (5)2 Monkey (3)3 Skin disease (5)4 Sorrowful (3)5 Mocked (7)6 Prejudice (4)7 Makes lace (4)11 Yield (4)12 Arbitrator (7)14 Satellite (4)16 Letting contract (5)17 Checks (5)18 Digits (4)19 Close up (4)21 Transgression (3)22 Argument (3)

SUDOKU

INSIDE

21D

TWorldWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Think tank: 10% of world military spending could knock o� povertyWorld military spending rose 1% in 2015, the � rst annual increase in four years, a Stockholm think tank said on Tuesday as it estimated 10% of this could cover the costs of global goals aiming to end poverty and hunger in 15 years. PAGE 22

5 storylines in Wisconsin contest for Trump, SandersIf Republicans want to take down party front-runner Donald Trump, Wisconsin might help. PAGE 23

Azeri-Armenian � ghting threatens to pit Russia against TurkeyWith bad blood � owing between Turkey and Russia since Ankara shot down a Russian warplane in Syria in November, the latest wave of violence in Nagorny-Karabakh in Azerbaijan could have wider implications. PAGE 23

The Panama-based law �rm at the heart of the Panama Papers investigation

Set up in 1977 by:

54th Street, Marbella,Panama City

511 banks* involvedand nearly 15,600shell companies

500+ employees,dozens of brancho�ces worldwide

Has set up 214,488companies, including113,000 in the British Virgin Islands

Son of a Nazi whoserved in Hitler’s SS

Born in Germanyin 1948

Born in Panamain 1952Graduate of LondonSchool of Economics

Mossack Fonseca

V i r g i n I s l a n d s( U K )

MEXICO

P A N A M A

BRAZIL

RamonFonseca Mora

JuergenMossack

Company address:

*subsidiaries and branches

Mr XxxxxMr Xxxxx

Mr XxxxxMr XxxxxFund holder

seeks: anonymity

to avoid taxes

manages withoutbeing identi�ed

Taxlawyer

Specialised law �rm

Country with low or zero taxrates for non residentsand a degree of secrecy Tax havenTax haven

sets up shellcompanies

Shell companiesbury the origins

of the funds evenmore deeply

yachtsproperty

carries out

provides

May be legal but can facilitatetax evasion

creates

(Virgin Islands, Panama, Delaware, etc.)

O�shore �rm

O�shore companiesO�shore companies

buys/sells

“Nominees”

=

bank transactions

TaxesTaxesTaxesTaxesTaxesaxesaxesTaxesTaxes

axesaxes

Sources: ICIJ, Mossack Fonseca Group, ICG, médias

EXPLAINER

#PanamaPapers: Mossack Fonseca’s money moving mechanism Authorities across the globe have opened investigations into the activities of the world’s rich and powerful after a cache of leaked documents from a Panamanian law � rm showed possible wrongdoing using o� shore company structures. The “Panama Papers” have cast light on the � nancial arrangements of high pro� le politicians and public � gures and the companies and � nancial institutions they use for such activities. Leading � gures and � nancial institutions responded to the massive leak of more than 11.5m documents with denials of any wrongdoing as prosecutors and regulators began a review of the reports from the investigation by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other media organisations.

The infographics below will illustrate the history and modus operandi of the law � rm Mossack Fonseca and will explain the mechanism how o� shore money transfer–

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 201622D

T World

Think tank: 10% of world military spending could knock o� povertyn Thomson Reuters Foundation,

Stockholm

World military spending rose 1% in 2015, the � rst annual increase in four years, a Stock-holm think tank said on Tuesday as it esti-mated 10% of this could cover the costs of global goals aiming to end poverty and hun-ger in 15 years.

The Stockholm International Peace Re-search Institute (Sipri) said military expenditure nudged up to almost $1.7tn trillion last year, with the US accounting for by far the greatest amount despite its spending dipping 2.4% to $596bn.

China was the second largest spender for the second year in a row with spending up 7.4% to $215bn , while Saudi Arabia passed Russia to take third place and Britain came � fth. Sipri said military expenditure amount-ed to 2.3% of global gross domestic product - and 10% of this would be enough to fund the global goals agreed upon by United Nations’ 193 member states in September to end pov-erty and hunger by 2030.

“This gives some sort of perspective that can allow people to see what is the opportu-nity cost involved with global military spend-ing,” Sam Perlo-Freeman, head of Sipri’s mili-

tary expenditure project, said.“This could stir up some debate although

we are certainly not expecting a 10% cut in military spending at all,” he said. “That is all about the politics of these countries.”

UN � gures show an estimated 800m peo-ple live in extreme poverty and su� er from hunger, with fragile and con� ict-torn states experiencing the highest poverty rates.

Sipri’s annual military spending report showed overall expenditure increased last year in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and for Middle East countries with data available.

However spending fell in North America, Western Europe, Latin America and the Car-ibbean, and Africa, a continuing trend attrib-uted partly due to the global economic crisis, falling oil prices and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

“On the one hand, spending trends re� ect the escalating con� ict and tension in many parts of the world; on the other hand, they

show a clear break from the oil-fuelled surge in military spending of the past decade,” Per-lo-Freeman said.

“This volatile economic and political sit-uation creates an uncertain picture for the years to come.”

Countries that bumped up military spend-ing in 2015 included Algeria, Azerbaijan, Rus-sia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, many of which were involved in con� ict or faced heightened regional tensions. Perlo-Freeman said this was the � rst time Sipri has mapped military spending to the UN’s new Sustainable Devel-opment Goals but it had previously compared it to spending on health and education.

The Sipri military expenditure project was established in 1967 to study developments in world military expenditure.

“It is no secret that we are a peace research institute and our mission is towards promoting peace and demilitarisation, but we don’t say how this should be done,” he said. l

Source : Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Military spending World military spending totalled $1.67tn for the full-year 2015, says Sipri

Others 0.32bn

United States$596bn

China$215bn

Saudi Arabia$87.2bn

Russia$66.4bn

Britain$55.5bn

India$51.3bn

France$50.9bn

Japan$40.9bn

Germany$39.4bn

S. Korea$36.4bn

Brazil$24.6bn

Italy$23.8bn

Aust

ralia

$23.

6bn UAE

$22.8bn

Israel$16.1bn

ANALYSIS

Azeri-Armenian � ghting threatens to pit Russia against Turkeyn AFP, Moscow

With bad blood � owing between Turkey and Russia since Ankara shot down a Russian warplane in Syria in November, the latest wave of violence in Nagorny-Karabakh in Azerbaijan could have wider implications.

Azerbaijan and Arme-nia-backed rebels in Karabakh -- which was seized from Azer-baijan in a war in the early 1990s -- agreed Tuesday to a cease� re to stop the worse violence in dec-ades that has claimed at least 64 lives since Friday.

But the di� ering reactions of Ankara and Moscow to the surge in violence has underscored how the crisis could divide more than just the warring parties.

Turkish President Recep Tayy-ip Erdogan on Monday emphati-cally threw his weight behind ally Azerbaijan, saying Turks stood “side-by-side with our brothers in Azerbaijan” and predicting that Baku would “one day” retake the mountainous region.

Moscow has a military alliance with Armenia, where it maintains a base, but supplies both sides with weapons.

Russian President Vladimir

Putin did not take a side in the con� ict between the two ex-So-viet countries, instead urging an “immediate cease� re” over the weekend.

Below is an outline of Russian and Turkish positions on Na-gorny-Karabakh –

RussiaMoscow has not recognised Na-gorny-Karabakh as Armenian ter-ritory and on Tuesday was “very energetically” trying to defuse

the stando� , according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Though it supplies both countries with weapons, there is some evidence Moscow has been selling arms to energy-rich Baku at a higher rate and cash-strapped Armenia at a lower price, according to the Inter-national Crisis Group. Moscow has historically served as the key medi-ator since the war in Nagorny-Kara-bakh ended with an inconclusive cease� re in 1994. The Kremlin would have the most to lose if Azer-

baijan seizes Armenian-controlled territory, analysts predict, as Russia risks losing Azerbaijan entirely as a partner in the region if it comes to Armenia’s aid. A protracted con-� ict would “reinforce Turkey’s in-� uence in Azerbaijan,” which may also reverberate in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region, Russia’s independent daily Vedomosti said Monday.

TurkeyAnkara has come out strongly in support of its Turkic-speaking historic ally Azerbaijan during the latest clashes, with Prime Minis-ter Ahmet Davutoglu telling par-liament Tuesday Turkey will back Baku “all the way until the apoc-alypse.” Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia because of the century-old dispute over the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, which Yere-van calls a genocide but Ankara refuses to admit as such. Public opinion in Turkey shows “strong solidarity” with Azerbaijan due to shared national identity. But despite the high tensions with Moscow, Ankara would still avoid a regional war, one analyst said, instead opting for capacity build-ing measures to support its ally. l

WorldWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

23D

T

SOUTH ASIASri Lanka starts to grant Tamils more autonomySri Lanka’s parliament Tuesday launched a process to draw up a new constitution aimed at pre-venting a return to ethnic war by granting minority Tamils greater autonomy. The assembly includes a 21-member steering committee headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to draft the new charter aimed at unifying ethnic communities and strengthening democratic institutions. -AFP

INDIABihar imposes total ban on alcohol The Indian state of Bihar has com-pletely banned the sale of alcohol, including at bars and hotels. Nitish Kumar, the state’s chief minister, said on Tuesday the idea of a ban on local liquor had proved so popular that the government was ready to bar all sales of alcohol immediately. He said feedback from across the state showed the government’s move had wide-spread support. -THE GUARDIAN

CHINAChina restricts trade with North Korea China on Tuesday banned imports of gold and rare earths from North Korea as well as exports to the coun-try of jet fuel and other oil products used to make rocket fuel, a move in line with new United Nations’ sanc-tions on Pyongyang. China said it would also ban coal shipments from the North Korea but the announce-ment allowed for trade to continue if the proceeds were for livelihood purposes. -REUTERS

ASIA PACIFICThai junta gives army sweeping powers of arrestThailand’s coup leaders have been criticised for giving military o� cers broad police-like powers to arrest and detain, further eroding the capabilities of civilian authorities in the junta-run state. Soldiers from the rank of sub-lieutenant and high-er will now be allowed to prevent or suppress 27 types of o� ences, in-cluding crimes against public peace, defamation, gambling, extortion, and labour abuses. -THE GUARDIAN

MIDDLE EASTDae’sh in deadly mustard gas attack on Syria Dae’sh militants attacked Syrian army troops with mustard gas in an o� ensive against a Syrian military airport in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor that borders Iraq, state news agency Sana said on late Mon-day. Sana did not say precisely how many soldiers had been killed in the attack on the government-controlled eastern city of Deir Ezzor. -REUTERS

ANALYSIS

5 storylines in Wisconsin contest for Trump, SandersIf Republicans want to take down party f r o nt- r u n n e r Donald Trump, W i s c o n s i n might help.

Same goes for Democrats hop-ing to � re up discussions around Bernie Sanders’s chances of block-ing Hillary Clinton.

One way or another, the Wis-consin primary promises to be a big race to watch for both US po-litical parties. Here’s a little more context to help explain why-

Trump in recovery modeThe past week has damaged Trump’s campaign and may have cost him in the polls. The latest Marquette University Law School poll had him with 30% support, losing by 10-point to Ted Cruz’s 40%. His answer-fumbling on abortion, and a suggestion that “some form of punishment” ought to be meted out against women, drew criticism from both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. The real

estate magnate also caught � ak for defending campaign manager Co-rey Lewandowski, who has been charged by Florida police with sim-ple battery after a reporter alleged he forcefully grabbed her while she attempted to ask Trump a ques-tion. Trump also o� ered a rare expression of regret after retweet-ing an un� attering photo of Cruz’s wife, Heidi, calling it “a mistake.”

Who has the most to lose? TrumpA loss in Wisconsin will make it di� cult for Trump to avoid a contested convention — and even harder for him to win the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, according to pun-dits. Leading up to the high-stake contest, Trump would need to win 60% of all remaining dele-gates, a feat that becomes much harder if he fails to carry Wis-consin. If Trump leaves the state with a small number of delegates, some analysts predict that he might face serious � ght against Cruz’s strong organisational ma-chine in the states ahead.

Who has the most to win? CruzThis could be a big night for Cruz, the Texas senator and the can-didate whom Wisconsin Repub-licans are rallying behind as a possible A Cruz win is expected to turn the race. He won a crucial endorsement last week, when Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who enjoys an 80% approval rat-ing among likely primary voters, turned up to throw his support behind Cruz. Trump did himself no favours while stumping in Wis-consin when he continued to at-tack Walker’s leadership and dis-paraged the state’s economy.

Bernie-mentum narrativeSanders has now passed Clinton by 2.6-point, according to RealClear-Politics aggregate polling data. Team Clinton’s preoccupation with strategic delegate math and the � ght over competing narratives might explain what happened. A spokesperson for the former Secre-tary of State recently played down expectations for a Wisconsin win and Clinton herself has not been

campaigning in the state in the recent days, opting instead to cam-paign ahead in New York. The race in Wisconsin appears tight enough that the proportional allocation of the state’s delegates might only help Sanders close the gap by a sliver. Narrative matters for Sand-ers as well. Winning Wisconsin could reinvigorate his campaign and turn attention back to the delegate race. Sanders has argued many of Clinton’s victories have been in southern states likely to turn red in a general contest.

Wild card: Wisconsin’s open primaryVoter turnout is expected to be very high in Wisconsin, analysts predict. Wisconsin is also an open primary, which allows same-day registration for voters and independent voters to cast ballots — a plus for Sanders. For the Republicans, the bene� -ciary is not so clear. l

[This is an excerpt of a CBC article which can be found at http://bit.

ly/1N6Hg8q]

Armenian volunteers in capital Yerevan make preparations before making their way to Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is controlled by separatist Armenians, where clashes with Azeri forces are taking place on Sunday REUTERS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 201624 WorldD

T

USASanders, Clinton � nally agree to New York debateDemocratic presidential rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will face o� in a debate on April 14 in Brooklyn, after sparring for days about having a New York debate ahead of the state primary. The duo accepted CNN’s o� er to hold the debate in the run-up to the April 19 primary. Sanders, who trails in the race for the Democrat-ic nomination, has been pushing for a debate in New York. -AFP

THE AMERICASUN to provide nuclear security at Rio OlympicsThe UN atomic agency said Monday it will provide Brazil with equipment to help prevent any attempted terrorist attacks with nuclear material at this year’s Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games.The International Atomic Energy Agency said it will loan Brazil se-lected types of radiation detection devices for the Games in August and September. -AFP

UKPoll: Support for stay in EU risesSupport for Britain to stay in the EU rose in the last month, suggest-ing a crisis in the steel industry and attacks in Brussels have not boosted the campaign for an exit, according to an ORB poll. The sur-vey published on Tuesday found 51% of Britons backed remaining in the 28-member EU with 44% in favour of leaving, with 5% unde-cided. -REUTERS

EUROPEDae’sh hints at attacks in major European cities The Dae’sh militant group released a video on Tuesday suggesting it may carry out further attacks in the West, naming London, Berlin and Rome as possible targets. “If it was Paris yesterday, and today Brussels, Allah knows where it will be tomorrow. Maybe it will be in London or Berlin or Rome, ” said a member of the group in English on the video which showed footage of the aftermath of previous attacks. -REUTERS

AFRICAJoint forces arrest 300 Boko Haram � ghtersCameroon says multi-national forces � ghting Boko Haram have arrested over 300 jihadist extrem-ists and freed at least 2,000 peo-ple from their strongholds along Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad borders. Cameroon’s commander of the joint forces, Bouba Do-bekreo, said Tuesday that during the 3-day operation, forces also destroyed a Boko Haram training and logistic base. -AP

Panama Papers: Explainer It’s easy to get confused by all the headlines about the Panama Papers, a massive 2.6-terabyte leak of documents that reveals a global web of corruption and tax avoidance. But the clearest explanation of what’s happening that the Dhaka Tribune has come across is courtesy of brilliant redditor DanGliesack and was � rst reproduced (and illustrated) on Vox.com. The illustrated explainer uses piggy banks to help explain the main (and complicated-sounding) thing that was happening in Panama: Foreigners setting up Panamanian shell companies to hold � nancial assets that obscure the identities of their real owners. Dhaka Tribune here reproduces the DanGliesack/Vox explainer to help illuminate the key issue at the heart of the Panama Papers scandal for our readers.

So journalists are now scouring the records to better understand what type of activity was going on at Johnny’s house in Panama — whether it was legal, appropriate, or a bending of the law.

1. Let’s say you save your quarters in a piggy bank that is on your closet shelf.

2. But your mom keeps checking up on how much you’re putting in and taking out. You don’t like that.

3. So you get an extra piggy bank…

4. ...and take it to Johnny’s house.

5. Johnny’s mom is busy. She doesn’t check piggy banks. So you can secretly keep yours there without anyone checking up on it.

6. The neighborhood kids also think this is a good idea.

7. So they also put their piggy banks in Johnny’s closet.

8. But one day, Johnny’s mom � nds the piggy banks. 9. She’s mad and calls everyone’s parents to tell on

the kids hiding their money.

10. That’s basically today’s document leak — and a lot of important and powerful people hid their piggy banks at Johnny’s house in Panama.

11. Not everyone was doing something bad, though. For example, you just wanted privacy from your mom. But your neighbor Michael was stealing money from his mom’s purse and hiding it in Johnny’s closet. And Jacob was stealing other people’s lunch money and didn’t want his parents to ask where it came from. Soon we’ll know who was doing this for bad reasons and who wasn’t.

12. But everyone who hid their piggy bank at Johnny’s house is still in trouble, because secret piggy banks are not allowed.

25D

TSportINSIDE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Easy win for Ctg AbahaniRising powerhouse Chittagong Abahani kicked o� their KFC Independence Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Muktijoddha SKC at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The Chittagong out� t took the � eld without their � ve new signings due to a High Court order. PAGE 27

Dhaka Tribune's World T20 XIBangladesh cricketers Tamim Iqbal, Shakib al Hasan and Musta� zur Rahman makes Dhaka Tribune’s team of the 2016 World Twenty20 while there were also places for the likes of India’s Virat Kohli and England’s Joe Root, who both enjoyed stellar campaigns. PAGE 26

Conte faces match-� xing sentenceAn Italian court yesterday called for new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte to receive a six-month suspended prison sentence over match-� xing allegations. The current Italy manager is accused of sporting fraud. PAGE 28

Zidane hides chewing gumBarcelona came unstuck at the weekend when Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory but it was the visitors’ manager Zinedine Zidane who stole the post-match spotlight in bizarre fashion. Zidane attended the routine presser to discuss his team’s victory. PAGE 29

FIVE THINGSWE LEARNEDFROM WT2O 2016

NEVER WRITE OFF WIThe conventional wisdom was: get Chris Gayle out early and the Windies will crumble. After his bril-liant century in the opener against England, Gayle failed to spark and instead left his team-mates to prove they were more than a one-man band. Losing early wickets was a constant theme of the team’s journey to the � nal, allowing their opponents regular sni� s at victory. But time and again, unsung heroes such as Andre Fletcher, Lendl Sim-mons and Carlos Brathwaite came to the rescue.

ENG REALLY HAVE CHANGEDWe had glimpses of England’s “fear-less” makeover last summer, with-out being convinced their new look would survive when the pressure was on in a major tournament. But despite losing their opener against the West Indies and conceding 230 runs in their next match against South Africa, they refused to be intimidated by any situation and instead stared down all-comers on their way to the � nal.

PRESSURE OF BEING HOSTSBatting legend Virender Sehwag said he was “99 percent certain” the hosts India would win the trophy after a run of 10 wins out of 11 in the build-up. But in the end Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men had a tournament to forget, beaten in their opener against New Zealand and only just edging past Bangla-desh before losing in the semis to the Windies. Apart from play-er-of-the-tournament Virat Kohli, none of their front-line batsmen performed consistently and usually dependable bowlers such as Ravi-chandran Ashwin struggled.

SOUTH AFRICA STILL CHOKINGSkipper Francois du Plessis acknowledged on the eve of the tournament that South Africa’s reputation as big-match chokers had become “a monkey on the back” that they would only shed by winning the trophy. Failure to defend a formidable total against England, followed by defeat in a tense encounter with the West In-dies, showed they still tend to lose their nerve when it matters most.

AFGHANS DESERVE GAMESThey were the only team to beat the West Indies, albeit in a dead rubber, and they also gave England and South Africa a bit of a scare. But if Afghanistan are to continue their progress, they need more time at cricket’s top table. l

Musta� zur � ies o� to India with high hopesn Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh pace sensation Musta� zur Rahman left Dhaka yesterday with high hopes ahead of his Indian Premier League commitment with the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise.

On the eve of his departure, the left-arm pacer said he is hope-ful of marking his maiden IPL sea-son with good performances.

Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, who also left here for In-dia yesterday, is the other Bangla-desh cricketer who will partake in the money-spinning tournament, scheduled to get underway this Saturday.

“This will be the � rst IPL in my

career so I am excited, to be hon-est. I request everyone to pray for me so that I can perform well. I hope the same for Shakib bhai too,” Musta� zur informed the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

“Playing together (with Shakib) would have been fun. We could have stayed together and played together for the same team. I am not nervous of playing in the tour-nament, my job is to go and play,” he added.

The 20-year old crafted a � ying start to his international career last year, posting some � ne per-formances against India, Pakistan and South Africa. His heroics did not go unnoticed as he was duly picked up by the Sunrisers fran-chise for Indian rupees 14 million in the IPL auction last February.

Musta� zur and Shakib will face each other when the Sunrisers take on Kolkata Knight Riders on April 16. l

This will be the � rst IPL in my career so I am

excited, to be honest. I request everyone to

pray for me so that I can perform well. I hope the same for Shakib bhai too

Bangladesh pace sensation Musta� zur Rahman was seen in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday prior to his departure to India DHAKA TRIBUNE

26DT Sport

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

2016 WORLD TWENTY20 AT A GLANCE

DT WT20 XI

FIRST ROUND1st Match, Group B

HONG KONG v ZIMBABWEin Nagpur, March 8

ZIM 158/8 beat HK 144/6 by 14 runs

2nd Match, Group BAFGHANISTAN v SCOTLAND

in Nagpur, March 8AFG 170/5 beat SCO 156/5 by 14 runs

3rd Match, Group ABANGLADESH v NEDHERLANDS

in Dharamsala, March 9BAN 153/7 beat NED 145/7 by 8 runs

4th Match, Group AIRELAND v OMAN

in Dharamsala, March 9IRE 154/5 lost to Oman 157/8 by 2 wickets

5th Match, Group BSCOTLAND v ZIMBABWE

in Nagpur, March 10ZIM 147/7 beat SCO 136 by 11 runs

6th Match, Group BAFGHANISTAN v HONG KONG

in Nagpur, March 10HK 116/6 lost to AFG 119/4 by 6 wickets

7th Match, Group ANEDHERLANDS v OMAN

in Dharamsala, March 11No result

8th Match, Group ABANGLADESH v IRELAND

in Dharamsala, March 11No result

9th Match, Group BAFGHANISTAN v ZIMBABWE

in Nagpur, March 12AFG 186/6 beat ZIM 127 by 59 runs

10th Match, Group BHONG KONG v SCOTLAND

in Nagpur, March 12HK 127/7 lost to SCO 78/2 by 8 wickets

11th Match, Group AIRELAND v NETHERLANDSin Dharamsala, March 13, 2016NED 59/5 beat IRE 47/7 by 12 runs

12th Match, Group ABANGLADESH v OMANin Dharamsala, March 13

BAN 180/2 beat Oman 65/9 by 54 runs (D/L)

MAIN ROUND13th Match, Group 2

INDIA v NEW ZEALANDin Nagpur, March 15

NZ 126/7 beat IND 79 by 47 runs

14th Match, Group 2BANGLADESH v PAKISTAN

in Kolkata, March 16PAK 201/5 beat BAN 146/6 by 55 runs

15th Match, Group 1ENGLAND v WEST INDIES

in Mumbai, March 16ENG 182/6 lost to WL 183/4 by 6 wickets

16th Match, Group 1AFGHANISTAN v SRI LANKA

in Kolkata, March 17AFG 153/7 lost to SL 155/4 by 6 wickets

17th Match, Group 2AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND

in Dharamsala, March 18NZ 142/8 beat AUS 134/9 by 8 runs

18th Match, Group 1

ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICAin Mumbai, March 18

SA 229/4 lost to ENG 230/8 by 2 wickets

19th Match, Group 2

INDIA v PAKISTANin Kolkata, March 19

PAK 118/5 lost to IND 119/4 by 6 wickets

20th Match, Group 1

AFGHANISTAN v SOUTH AFRICAin Mumbai, March 20

SA 209/5 beat AFG 172 by 37 runs

21st Match, Group 1

SRI LANKA v WEST INDIESin Bangalore, March 20

SL 122/9 lost to WI 127/3 by 7 wickets

22nd Match, Group 2AUSTRALIA v BANGLADESH

in Bangalore, March 21BAN 156/5 lost to AUS 157/7 by 3 wickets

23rd Match, Group 2NEW ZEALAND v PAKISTAN

in Mohali, March 22NZ 180/5 beat PAK 158/5 by 22 runs

24th Match, Group 1AFGHANISTAN v ENGLAND

in Delhi, March 23ENG 142/7 beat AFG 127/9 by 15 runs

25th Match, Group 2INDIA v BANGLADESH

in Bangalore, March 23IND 146/7 beat BAN 145/9 by one run

26th Match, Group 2AUSTRALIA v PAKISTAN

in Mohali, March 25AUS 193/4 beat PAK 172/8 by 21 runs

27th Match, Group 1SOUTH AFRICA v WEST INDIES

in Nagpur, March 25SA 122/8 lost to WI 123/7 by 3 wickets

28th Match, Group 2,BANGLADESH v NEW ZEALAND

in Kolkata, March 26NZ 145/8 beat BAN 70 by 75 runs

29th Match, Group 1ENGLAND v SRI LANKA

in Delhi, March 26ENG 171/4 beat SL 161/8 by 10 runs

30th Match, Group 1AFGHANISTAN v WEST INDIES

in Nagpur, March 27AFG 123/7 beat WI 117/8 by 6 runs

31st Match, Group 2INDIA v AUSTRALIA

in Mohali, March 27AUS 160/6 lost to IND 161/4 by 6 wickets

32nd Match, Group 1SOUTH AFRICA v SRI LANKA

in Delhi, March 28SL 120 lost to SA 122/2 by 8 wickets

1ST SEMI-FINALENGLAND v NEW ZEALAND

in Delhi, March 30NZ 153/8 lost to ENG 159/3 by 7 wickets

2ND SEMI-FINALINDIA v WEST INDIES

in Mumbai, March 31IND 192/2 lost to WI 196/3 by 7 wickets

FINALENGLAND v WEST INDIES

in Kolkata, April 3ENG 155/9 lost to WI 161/6 by 4 wickets

TAMIM IQBAL295 runs in six matches

Q DE KOCK (WK)153 runs in four matches, seven dismissals

VIRAT KOHLI (C)273 runs in � ve matches

JOE ROOT249 runs in six matches

SHAKIB AL HASAN129 runs in seven matches, 10 wickets

JOS BUTTLER191 runs in six matches

MITCHELL SANTNER10 wickets in � ve matches

DAVID WILLEY10 wickets in six matches

ANDRE RUSSELL91 runs in six matches, nine wickets

MUSTAFIZUR RAHMANNine wkts in three games

ASHISH NEHRAFive wickets in � ve matches

TOP FIVE KNOCKS OF THE 2016 WORLD TWENTY20

JOE ROOT83 o� 44 balls against

South Africa

The 25-year old displayed some scintillating hitting to

help his side chase down the mammoth target of 230. The

right-hander smashed four huge sixes and half a dozen

eye-catching boundaries.

–MAZHAR UDDIN

LENDL SIMMONS82* o� 51 balls against India

Simmons, who joined the West Indies side for the all-important semi-� nal

clash against the hosts in the eleventh hour, played the

innings of his life to stun the home crowd. The 31-year old

struck seven fours and � ve sixes as the Windies coasted

to their destination with seven wickets in hand.

VIRAT KOHLI82* o� 51 balls against Aus

The man of the series of the � agship event, Kohli

was phenomenal with the willow throughout the entire

tournament. Among his knocks, the undefeated 82

against the Aussies stood out from the rest. In what was virtually a quarter-� nal, he

blasted a � ne 82, featuring nine boundaries and two sixes.

CARLOS BRATHWAITE34* o� 10 balls against

England

His unbeaten knock, studded with four consecutive sixes o� Ben Stokes in the � nal over of the grand � nale, is

undoubtedly one of the best innings of the sixth edition.

Thanks to his towering 34 not out, the Windies registered their second title win in the

shortest format of the game.

CHRIS GAYLE100* o� 48 balls against

England

Giant West Indian hitter Gayle hammered the second hundred of the tournament

following Bangladeshi opening batsman Tamim Iqbal’s ton

against Oman. The Jamaican cricketer bludgeoned 11 sixes

and � ve fours to enable his side to a rather comfortable

six-wicket victory.

Sport 27D

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

Sagor wins 200m freestyle in ThailandBangladesh swimmer Mah� zur Rahman Sagor exhibited signs of improvement as he won the gold medal in the 200metre freestyle event of the All-Thailand Championship at Assumption University in Bangkok yesterday. Sagor is now in Thailand for a high-performance training camp ahead of this year’s Rio Olympics. He set a record in the 200m freestyle, clocking 1 minute and 54.05 seconds to touch the � nishing line. Sagor however, failed to display his best performance in his favourite 50m and 100m freestyle events as the man from Bangladesh Navy � nished � fth and fourth respectively. The 22-year old clinched seven bronze medals in the South Asian Games last February in India.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

Higuain set for four-game ban Gonzalo Higuain will pay for a moment of madness during Napoli’s title-crushing 3-1 defeat to Udinese by serving a four-game Serie A ban, a report in Italy claimed on Monday. If con� rmed, Higuain would miss their two most di� cult games, away to Inter Milan and Roma, amid an already challenging run-in for the Azzurri.

–AFP

Waqar resignsWaqar Younis has resigned as Pakistan head coach following his side’s group-stage exit at the World Twenty20. “I am resigning from my post with a heavy heart,” said the 44-year-old former fast bowler, who has ended his second spell in charge.

–BBC

Police probe Vardy baby Twitter threatsPolice are looking into sexual threats made on Twitter against the one-year-old daughter of Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy. The abuse came after the � ancee of the Foxes forward posted pictures of the couple’s child wearing a Leicester shirt ahead of their 1-0 win over Southampton on Sunday.

–AFP

Shaw back in trainingManchester United defender Luke Shaw returned to training on Monday for the � rst time since su� ering a horrendous double fracture in his leg last September. Shaw was training with a United physio as he enters the � nal stages of a long rehabilitation period from the injury he sustained in a Champions League tie against PSV.

–AFP

QUICK BYTES CCDM CONFIRMS DPL PLAYERS’ LISTn Minhaz Uddin Khan

The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis has con� rmed the cricketers’ list for the Players by Choice system of the Dhaka Premier League season 2015-16. The Players by Choice system, also known as the Players’ Draft, will be held this Sunday. The tournament opener will take place on April 22 amid the monsoon. A total of 207 local cricketers have been listed while 12 premier league clubs will � ght it out for the title of the country’s premier 50-over domestic competition. National discard Shahadat Hossain missed out on the list among a few others.

DPL 2015-16List of available cricketers

Grade: IconFee: Tk 30 lac

NAME GRADEMashrafe bin Mortaza ICONMush� qur Rahim ICONShakib al Hasan ICONImrul Kayes ICONTamim Iqbal Khan ICONMahmudullah ICONSabbir Rahman Rumman ICON

Grade: A+ Fee: Tk 25 lac

NAME GRADESoumya Sarkar A+Musta� zur Rahman A+Mominul Haque Shourav A+Arafat Sunny A+Mithun Ali A+Nasir Hossain A+Anamul Haque Bijoy A+

Grade: AFee: Tk 20 lac

NAME GRADENurul Hasan Sohan ARubel Hossain AKhan Abdur Razzak AJahurul Islam Omi AShuvagata Hom Chowdhury ARony Talukdar AShahriar Nafees Ahmed AKhandakar Mosharraf Hossain ANaeem Islam ALiton Kumar Das AShamsur Rahman Shuvo ATaskin Ahmed A

Other Grades GRADE FEE (TK) PLAYERSB+ 15 lac 38 B 12 lac 36 C 8 lac 58 D 5 lac 19 E 3.50 lac 30

Sheikh Russel forward Jahid Hasan Ameli (L) shields the ball from an Arambagh defender during their KFC Independence Cup clash at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sarfraz replaces Afridi as Pakistan’s T20 captainn Reuters

Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed has replaced Shahid Afridi as Pa-kistan’s Twenty20 captain, the Pakistan  Cricket  Board (PCB) an-nounced yesterday.

The 36-year-old Afridi quit as captain on Sunday after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the recent World Twenty20, where they lost three of their four pool matches and failed to reach the semi-� nals.

Sarfraz was made vice-captain

of Pakistan’s ODI and Twenty20 international squads last year and the PCB moved quickly to name him as Afridi’s successor in the game’s shortest format.

“I spoke to Sarfraz this morning and conveyed to him that he was our natural choice for this position. His appointment is open-ended. I wish him good luck in his new role,” PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan said in a statement.

Despite resigning as skipper, Af-ridi said he wanted to continue as a player for the Twenty20 side. l

Friends feed sweets to Sarfraz Ahmed to celebrate his appointment during a press conference yesterday AFP

Easy win for Ctg Abahani, Sk Russel win it laten Shishir Hoque

Rising powerhouse Chittagong Abahani kicked o� their KFC In-dependence Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Muk-tijoddha SKC at Bangabandhu Na-tional Stadium yesterday.

The Chittagong out� t took the � eld without their � ve new sign-ings, including Mamunul Islam, due to a High Court order but they barely missed the quintet as for-eign recruits Tarik el Janaby and Fabrice Noel made all the di� er-ence scoring in the either side of each half.

Moroccan mid� elder El Janaby gave Chittagong Abahani their de-served lead at the half-hour mark from the penalty spot after Muk-

tijoddha goalkeeper Mamun Khan brought down Shariful Islam inside the box.

Noel doubled the lead in the 76th minute after a � ne build-up. Zahid Hossain played the key role, setting up Noel with a cheeky through pass and the Haitian forward calmly placed home past Mamun.

Earlier yesterday at the same venue, a late winner by Cameroo-nian forward Paul Emile enabled Sheikh Russel KC to salvage all three points as they came from behind to beat newly-promoted Arambagh KS 2-1 in their opening match.

Armabagh shocked Sheikh Rus-sel by taking the lead with just two minutes into the clock. Nigerian striker Kester Akon drifted past the Russel defence after receiving

a through pass from mid� elder Shajjaduzzaman Palash and sent it crashing into the far post.

The newcomers’ joy however, did not last long as Russel’s new signing Ethiopian striker Fikru Zei-da scored on his debut to bring par-ity just two minutes later. Atiqur Rahman Meshu’s free-kick trou-bled the Arambagh defence before Fikru calmly took control of the ball and sidefooted home.

Emile provided Russel the sigh of relief in the 82nd minute with a lucky winner. An Arup Kumar Baidya shot was blocked by an opposition defender and the rebound fell kindly onto the feet of an unmarked Paul, who had plenty of time to smash home from eight yards. l

28DT Sport

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

PSG are going in to the game with a 4-1 win under their belts after the weekend.

The ever impressive Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in devastating form. His hat-trick on Saturday took his overall tally to 105 goals in 117 Ligue 1 games for PSG.

Les Parisiens have already won the Ligue 1 title with plenty of games to spare so they can focus on the Champions League.

The return of Kevin De Bruyne is a massive boost to City, giving them much more cutting edge.

Knowing the return leg is at the Etihad, Man City could frustrate their hosts by keeping things tight early on.

The in-form Angel Di Maria is a doubt for the game, which is probably good news for City’s full-backs.

5 THINGS ON CONTE’S TO-DO

LIST AT CHELSEARESOLVE TERRY’S FUTUREHailed as “captain, leader, legend” on the banner hung by adoring fans at Stamford Bridge, John Terry’s credentials as a Chelsea icon and a major inspiration behind their success are well established, yet Conte will be faced with the thorny problem of potentially ending that two-decade love a� air.The 35-year-old defender dropped a bombshell in January when he announced he would be leaving at the end of the season because the club had told him he wouldn’t be given a contract extension.

REBUILD THE EDEN PROJECTRewind 12 months and Eden Hazard appeared to have the world at his feet as he prepared to accept two Footballer of the Year awards and a Premier League winners’ medal while being feted by Jose Mourinho as the equal of superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet less than a year later, Hazard’s form has mysteriously collapsed to such an extent that many Chelsea fans would gladly wave farewell to the 25-year-old Belgian if he is sold in the close-season.

DEAL WITH COSTAAlthough Diego Costa’s goals � red Chelsea to the Premier League title in his debut season, he was already earning a reputation as the unapologetically snarling face of Jose Mourinho’s combative team and if anything he has become more moody in year two.

CHANGE THE MOOD MUSICRegardless of who stays or goes, Conte should already know he must rebuild the squad’s shattered morale after what even the club were forced to admit was “palpable discord” between Mourinho and the players in the � nal months of his reign.

Mourinho’s abrasive approach irritated too many players and their response was to down tools, leading to his sacking in December, but even the more mild mannered Guus Hiddink, installed as interim boss, has only been able to coax a small improvement in the quality of the team’s performances.

MAKE UP FOR A YOUTH With owner Roman Abramovich reportedly unhappy with Chelsea’s failure to produce more homegrown talents despite his huge investment in the youth academy, Conte could earn some early praise from his employer by unearthing a gem or two among the youngsters learning their trade at the club’s leafy Cobham headquarters.l

Long distance travelled since last meeting for PSG, Cityn AFP, Paris

When nouveaux riches Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City meet at the Parc des Princes in the � rst leg of their Champions League quarter-� nal today, they will do so as two of the ogres of the modern game.

Two of Europe’s � nancial pow-erhouses thanks to their oil-rich Middle Eastern owners, City are in

the last eight for the � rst time while PSG are there for the fourth year in succession. The stakes are high, and it will all be a far cry from the only previous meeting of the teams, only a little over seven years ago.

On a cold December night in 2008, PSG visited City’s Eastlands home for a UEFA Cup group stage tie that ended in an uninspiring 0-0 draw watched by 25,626 spectators.

It was just a few months after

City had been taken over by Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi United Group, and future England goal-keeper Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and current captain Vincent Kompany were all in their team that night, as was a teenage Daniel Sturridge. 

PSG, meanwhile, had come close to being relegated from Ligue 1 the previous season but did win the League Cup and lost to champions Lyon in the French Cup � nal. Both

teams went on to reach the quar-ter-� nals, City losing to Hamburg and PSG to Dynamo Kiev, but it was an instantly forgettable encounter.

“A half-full Eastlands was given an example of European football at its most tedious. It was hardly the kind of occasion that will tempt the likes of Lionel Messi, Iker Casillas or Kaka to consider life in the blue half of Manchester,” said the Brit-ish Daily Telegraph. l

Conte faces match-� xing sentencen AFP, Rome

An Italian court yesterday called for new Chelsea manager Anto-nio Conte to receive a six-month suspended prison sentence over match-� xing allegations.

The current Italy manager, who will take over Chelsea after Euro 2016, is accused of sporting fraud.

The "Calcioscommesse" (foot-ball-betting) probe maintains that the 46-year-old former Juventus boss failed to expose an alleged rigged second-division match in May 2011.

The game involved Siena, whom

Conte managed at that time. Conte, who denies any wrongdoing, was also ordered to pay an 8,000 euros � ne, by Cremona court public pros-ecutor Roberto Di Martino.

The May 29, 2011 game suspect-ed of being � xed for betting pur-poses ended with a 1-0 away win for Conte’s side at Albinole� e.

Siena gained promotion to Serie A that season, with that success earning Conte the job at Juventus, the club he graced as a player for 13 years. In 2012, when he was in charge of Juventus, Conte was hit with a 10-month ban by the Italian football federation over the a� air,

reduced to four months on appeal.The new man at Stamford Bridge

is due to hear his fate on whether he is hit with a criminal sentence in mid-May.

Conte’s lawyers elected for a fast-track trial in order to get it wrapped up before the European championships begin in France on June 10.

Yesterday’s development came less than 24 hours after Conte was appointed on a three-year deal to take charge of Chelsea. He will succeed Guus Hiddink, appointed interim manager after Jose Mour-inho’s sacking in December. l

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart dives full length to atempt a save during training in Manchester yesterday REUTERS

Sport 29D

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

DAY’S WATCHFOOTBALL

TEN 112:45AM

UEFA Champions League Wolfsburg v Real Madrid

TEN 27:05PM

I-League 2016DSK Shivajians v Bengaluru

12:45PMUEFA Champions League

PSG v Manchester City

STAR SPORTS 4Champions League 2016

3:30PMBinh Duong v Hyundai Motors

6:30PMJiangsu FC v FC Tokyo

HOCKEY STAR SPORTS 1

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2:00PM

Pakistan v Canada 4:00PM

Japan v India 6:30PM

New Zealand v Malaysia

El Clasico win buoys Real’s Bale for Wolfsburg missionn AFP, Wolfsburg

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale says their El Clasico win over Barcelona has given the Spanish giants the perfect con� dence booster for today’s Champions League quarter-� nal, � rst-leg, at Wolfsburg.

Real used to have a terrible re-cord away to German opposition in Europe, but their run to winning the 2014 � nal, when they claimed their tenth European crown, changed all that.

Having thrashed Schalke 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen two years ago in the last 16, they routed Bayern Mu-nich 4-0 at the Allianz Arena in the semi-� nals en route to beating At-letico Madrid in the � nal.

This time around, Zinedine Zi-dane’s Real are clear favourites for the quarter-� nal � rst leg at Wolfs-burg’s Volkswagen Arena, especial-ly after Saturday’s 2-1 victory when Cristiano Ronaldo scored their late winner at arch rivals Barcelona with 10 men. Ronaldo has found the net in all six knockout ties played against German sides and, with 13 goals to his credit this season, he is just four short of breaking his record in a single European campaign.

Madrid are in the quarter-� nals for the sixth time in a row. They are on their best run of the season after ending arch rivals Barca’s 39-game unbeaten run with their sixth suc-cesive win and are in no mood to su� er an upset in Wolfsburg. l

Zidane hides chewing gum under Barcelona press room tablen Dailymail

Barcelona came unstuck at the weekend when Real Madrid se-cured a 2-1 El Clasico victory but it was the visitors’ manager Zinedine Zidane who stole the post-match spotlight in bizarre fashion.

But before the French coach could join in on the celebrations, Zidane attended the routine post-match press conference to discuss his team’s victory.

However, the Frenchman who enjoyed a trophy-laden career as a player forgot to remove his chew-ing gum prior to taking his seat. l

Real Madrid's French headcoach Zinedine Zidane arrives at Melia Hotel in Wolfsburg, central Germany yesterday AFP

Messi denies tax evasion in Panama Papers scandaln AFP, Barcelona

The family of Lionel Mes-si denied on Monday that he was involved in tax eva-sion after the Barcelona star emerged as one of many per-sonalities accused of shady o� shore dealings in the Pan-ama Papers scandal.

“The Messi family wants to make clear that Lionel Messi has not carried out any of the acts attributed to him, and accusations he created a...tax evasion plot, including

a network of money-launder-ing, are false and insulting,” it said in a statement.

The scandal erupted on Sunday when media groups made public a year-long worldwide investigation into a trove of 11.5 million documents leaked from a Panama-based law � rm that exposed a tangle of o� shore � nancial dealings by the elite.

Among the accused are close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin,

relatives of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Iceland’s Prime Min-ister Sigmundur David Gun-nlaugsson as well as sports celebrities and screen stars.

Messi and his father are named as owners of a Pan-ama company that had not previously been disclosed during a Spanish probe into their tax a� airs.

“The Panama company to which they refer to is a totally inactive company that never had any funds or any open current accounts,” the Messi family said.

They added that the � rm was created by the family’s former tax advisers and that everything had since been brought into line where Mes-si’s � scal situation was con-cerned.

Barcelona published a message of support to their star player on their o� cial website.

“The club supports the arguments which the Messi family published in a state-ment [Monday],” said the Barca statement.l

Showtime30DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

‘I accept this hard truth’

She’s back

Projonmo Agami to talk about ‘Peer Pressure’

nRupkotha Chowdhury

She had a fairy tale life. Once she was a star model of Bangladesh, then, she became an actress. After ruling the media for a long while, she suddenly disappeared after her marriage. She is Monalisa, Mona to her beloved fans.

Mozeza Ashraf Monalisa got married an American citizen in 2012. They arranged a reception party on 12/12/12, where celebrities joined the bash. After, Monalisa left Bangladesh for her conjugal life. After two years, she got divorced, still avoiding the spotlight. Surprisingly, Monalisa has returned to her home country and shared her very � rst feeling of getting back. She posted on social media: “Wonderful to be back and wake up with this green, green surrounding. Lively and relaxing. Missing my family and friends in NY. Hope everyone is doing well! Love you guys.”

She also mentioned that her coming back was really shocking to some of her friends. But she hasn’t announced any upcoming projects. Monalisa was seen three years back in a drama with Mosharaf Karim. In the USA, she worked in several o� ces, including local Bengali TV channel Time TV. l

nShowtime Desk

Youth based TV variety show Projonmo Agami returned last week with its third season. Today, its second episode will air at 9:35pm on Channel-i.

The episode is designed to talk about the e� ects of peer pressure and how it a� ects one’s decision

making skills. Eminent theatre artist and

cultural personality Tropa Majumdar, and renowned Ad Filmmaker Piplu R Khan will be the guests on the show who would shed light on dealing with peer pressure, which is a challenge at a young age.

They would share their views

and experiences in connection to the topic.

Besides the talk, the episode features real-life experience of a cartoonist, inspiring story of a school, Bidyananda, and performance of aspiring musician Johny. l

n Rubel Rana

Rubel Rana, one of the most successful actors from Dhallywood’s golden age, has worked in more � lms with director Shahidul Islam Khokon than any other “hero.” Their partnership in the � lm industry has now become an illustrious snapshot of their glorious past. The following is the translation of a write-up on the director, written by Rubel Rana himself, after his friend’s untimely demise.

I worked in 29 � lms with Shahidul Islam Khokon and most of these were commercially successful � lms. In other words, our teaming up in the � lm industry was not only appreciated in terms of entertainment, but rather the audience accepted and welcomed us with an open heart.

Khokon means a lot me, and not only as a � lm director. He was my friend and classmate. I came to the industry through my elder brother (Masud Parvez Sohel Rana). During the early days in my career, I used to sing rather than act. Back then, my debut acting venture as as “hero” was with Khokon, with him being at the helm of the movie. Initially, he was the assistant director to my elder brother.

At that time, Khokon was looking for a new face and my elder brother recommended me. From then onwards, we have worked together in many successful � lms. Many would say a � lmmaker like Khokon only comes in the � lm industry in a decade.

But I would say a Shahidul Islam Khokon only comes in � ve or six decades.

As a � lmmaker, his sense of humour was remarkable. He was always adamant on making serious scenes credible to the audience. This talent can only be found in his work.

Now, I can’t help but reminisce my days with him. During the � lming of Din Mojur, my room was supposed to be torched for a scene. All was set. Suddenly,

Champa, my co-actor in the � lm, vetoed against this decision. She told the director, “Anything bad can happen to Rubel while acting on a set that’s set on � re. He can even die! Please let’s improvise.”

Champa was being a little too concerned about me. Being unable to � nd an alternative, Khokon planned to detain Champa to another room. Khokon was this desperate and hell-bent to complete his work, his way.

Once, during a shoot for Biplob, I had to bite a rat. To make the scene more credible, Khokon asked me to bite a polythene-wrapped rat. He did not give us any other alternative. But � nally, I bit the rat without any protection, to gain his credence. I still remember his face right after the shot - all smiles and fully content, that face is still fresh in my memory.

My friend Khokon was my lucky charm in my � lm career. I am afraid that the country’s � lm industry will not be able to � ll the void he created.

I cannot describe the pain he he felt during his last days. If I must speak the truth, I wanted him to be free from that pain. Finally, it seems death has emancipated him from the unbearable pain. I have accepted this hard truth. l

From left, Khalil, Rubel Rana, Shahidul Islam Khokon and Hasan share a cordial moment during shoot of a � lm

n Promiti Prova Chowdhury

With the slogan “Born to Rock,” country’s one of the oldest rock bands LRB celebrated its silver jubilee in the capital yesterday.

Distinguished celebrities graced the party held at a hotel in the capital’s Dhanmondi area, where a hundred students of the Jaago Foundation School were served lunch.

Ayub Bacchu, the founding member of the rock band and an idol to many aspiring musicians of the country, invited the kids studying at di� erent grades at the Rayer Bazar branch of the school.

Addressing them, Bacchu, popularly known as AB, said, “I am also an orphan like you. But if you persistently try to make a name for yourself, nothing can stop you.”

“Please remember, education

and honesty are the only two deciding factors behind your success,” he added.

AB said he had invited the kids on the occasion of LRB’s 25th birthday because he wanted to reminisce his initial days of struggle – the kind of struggle that these kids are going through right now perhaps.

“I am an orphan but I dreamt that one day I will sing in front

of millions. The gallery will be full during my shows, which has actually happened. So do not stop dreaming,” said Bacchu.

Notable personalities of TV channels including Faridur Reza Sagar, Shykh Seraj and Afzal Hossain were present among the guests.

Afzal, a prominent actor and director, said, “When Ayub Bacchu started his career, it was extremely di� cult to earn fame through music. There was only one TV channel and a handful of musical shows, unlike today. We thank Ayub Bacchu wholeheartedly for turning LRB into a brand that represents Bangladesh to the world today.”

The team of LRB, which stands for Love Runs Blind, cut a cake to celebrate the occasion along with the kids. Popular anchor Munmun moderated the event.

LRB was founded in 1991 by Ayub Bachchu. The group consists of Ayub Bachchu (lead vocal and guitar), Swapan (bass guitar), Masud (guitar) and Romel (drums).

LRB’s top hits in Bangladesh are, “Cholo Bodle Jai,” “Ghumonto Shohore,” “Rupali Guitar,” “Ghum Bhanga Shohore,” “Hawker,” “Mahdhobi,” “Ekhon Onek Raat,” “Hashte Dekho,” “Raater Tara,” “Chand Mama” and “Ghor Chhara Ek Shukhi Chele,” “Mon Chaile Mon Pabe,” “Baro Mash,” and more. l

n Nazia Lopa

Recently, Bollywood has been talking about the upcoming � lm Fan, where Shah Rukh Khan looks completely di� erent from his usual appearance. Critics are saying this year can be a fresh start for Shah Rukh. One of the men behind the � lm and Fan’s fresh look is director Maneesh Sharma, who is also a longtime fan of SRK. Not only that, he was inspired to make the � lm when he � rst went to visit Shah Rukh Khan at his residence and saw the frenzy among admirers to catch a glimpse of the superstar.

“On the day of the meeting, I waited for a bit outside his home, Mannat. That’s when I saw people waiting outside just to catch a glimpse of SRK. Sure enough, when his car did come, a whole bunch of friends thronged towards it, just to catch a glimpse. To me, the idea of Fan originated somewhere at that point. I think

the idea seeded there,” said director Maneesh Sharma. It has taken the director 12 years to � nally realise the dream that brought him to Mumbai. From his college years, he wanted to make a � lm with SRK.

It was a bit luck by chance. He was surprised when Shah Rukh gave him time to meet and actually showed interest to do the movie. The Delhi boy was amazed to see politeness of another Delhi boy. They also

share the same alma mater, Hansraj College, and theatre guru, Barry John.

Fan, also starring Waluscha De Sousa and Shriya Pilgaonkar, will see SRK in a double role. One as a superstar and the other as his die hard fan. The 50-year-old actor has gone through extensive make-up routine to achieve his two separate looks.

Produced by Aditya Chopra, the � lm is set to release on April 15. l

Showtime 31D

TWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

The TransporterStar Movies 7:35pm Frank is hired to “transport” packages for unknown clients and has made a very good living doing so. But when asked to move a package that begins moving, complications arise.Cast: Jason Statham, Qi Shu, Matt Schulze

Non-StopHBO 9:30pmAn air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic � ight after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk unless the airline transfers $150 million into an o� -shore account.Cast: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy

TroyWB 9:30pm An adaptation of Homer’s great epic, the � lm follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involvedCast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando BloomThor 2: The Dark WorldZee Studio 9:30pm When Dr Jane Foster gets cursed with a powerful object, Thor must protect it before an army and its ruthless leader try to get their hands on it to take over the remains of Earth.Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

Mr & Mrs SmithMovies Now 7:15pm A bored married couple is surprised to learn that they are both assassins hired by competing agencies to kill each other.Cast: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Adam Brody

LRB’s 25th birthday bash

When a fan makes Fan

PHOTO: MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Abu Hena to host Net Funn Showtime Desk

Abu Hena Roni, the Bangladeshi winner of Mirakkel Akkel Challenger 6, will be hosting a show titled Net Fun, produced by S Ali Sohel. It will be aired every Tuesday at 8pm on Boishakhi TV.

Roni has hosted several comedy shows, which were aired on several national channels.

“Other than YouTube, there are websites with various contests that serve recreational and other educational purposes. Various contents over the internet will be shown on this show including video, short-� lm, music contest, amazing people of the world, and games,” Roni said.

Moreover, funny videos will be shown on the show for Bangladeshi children. l

Back Page32DT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

EXPORTS CROSS $24BN IN 9 MONTHS PAGE 15

MUSTAFIZUR FLIES OFF TO INDIA WITH HIGH HOPES PAGE 25

LRB’S 25TH BIRTHDAY BASH PAGE 30

Panama Papers fallout at a glancen Agencies

Reports drawn from 11.5m leaked documents detailing how and where politicians, businesses and celebrities hide their wealth are triggering reactions from around the globe.

Iceland’s Prime Minister Sig-mundur David Gunnlaugsson became the � rst casualty of the reports, as he resigned on Tues-day amid extreme pressure from his own party and a looming no-con� dence vote in the par-liament against him, reportsReuters.

The reports by an international coalition of media outlets working with the Washington-based Inter-national Consortium of Investiga-tive Journalists are based on doc-uments from the Panama-based law � rm Mossack Fonseca, one of the world’s biggest creators of shell companies.

Here’s a look at some reactions the reports are drawing--

ArgentinaThe o� ce of Argentine President Mauricio Macri con� rmed a re-port by La Nacion newspaper that a business group owned by Mac-ri’s family had set up Fleg Trading Ltd in the Bahamas. But it said Macri himself had no shares in Fleg and never received incomefrom it.

AustraliaA tax agency said it is investigating more than 800 wealthy people for possible tax evasion linked to their alleged dealings with Mossack Fonseca. The Australian Tax O� ce said that it had linked more than 120 of those people to an o� shore services provider in Hong Kong, but did not name the company,reports AP.

ChinaThe reports say the Panamanian law � rm had arranged o� shore companies for relatives of at least eight present or past members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power in China. Among those it mentioned was the brother-in-law of President Xi Jinping. China’s foreign ministry denounced the re-

ports as “groundless.” State media are ignoring the reports and search results of websites and social me-dia for the words “Panama docu-ments” were blocked.

FranceA French prosecutor launched an investigation into possible mon-ey laundering after the release of the leaked documents. Several

hundred French citizens reported-ly feature among the individuals mentioned.

ItalyItalian weekly L’Espresso said about 1,000 Italian clients turned up in a database of o� shoreaccounts cited in the media inves-tigation, including Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the chairman

of carrier Alitalia and head of Rome’s 2024 Olympics bid. L’Es-presso said documents showed a series of contracts set up in 2007 indicated Montezemolo as the head of a Panama-based compa-ny named Lenville. It said Mon-tezemolo, who was the chairman of Fiat and the CEO of Ferrari at the time, declined to comment whencontacted.

New ZealandPrime Minister John Key rejected ICIJ’s characterisation of his coun-try as among 21 tax havens used by Mossack Fonseca. “Tax havens are where there is nondisclosure of information,” Key said. “New Zealand has full disclosure of infor-mation.”

RussiaDocuments published by more than 100 media outlets alleged that President Vladimir Putin’s friends, including leading cellist Sergei Rodulgin, were engaged in an o� -shore scheme. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there is nothing to implicate the president. Peskov suggested that the publication was a smear campaign with Putin as a target with a goal of in� uencing Russian politics.

SpainSpanish tax authorities said they are investigating allegations of tax irregularities involving soccer play-er Lionel Messi and movie director Pedro Almodovar. Messi’s family released a statement Monday de-nying wrongdoing and threatened to sue media outlets that released the information linking the Ar-gentine player to accounts in Pan-ama. Almodovar’s brother says the company for them was dis-solved a few yars after it opened inthe 1990s. l

O� cials tour Philippine, Sri Lanka to recover BB moneyn Mohammad Jamil Khan and

Arifur Rahman Rabbi

In a bid to investigate the much-talked digital heist of $101 million from Bangladesh Bank, a team of the Criminal Investigation Depart-ment left the country last night for the Philippines.

“A three-member team has start-ed for the Philippines. They will stay there as long as they need for

the sake of investigation,” CID Spe-cial Superintendent Mirza Abdulla-hel Baqui told the Dhaka Tribune.

According to sources, the team led by Saiful Islam, deputy inspec-tor general of CID, would meet with the law enforcers and other related o� cials in the Philippines.

Another three-member team comprising o� cials from the Police Headquarters and the CID is set to leave Dhaka for Sri Lanka today.

This team is led by CID Special Su-perintendent Jannat Ara.

They would interrogate o� cials of Shalika Foundation with the help of the local law enforcers and the Interpol, said Shah Alam, addition-al deputy inspector general of CID.

Of the laundered money, around $81 million was withdrawn from a local bank in the Philippines. A high-powered Senate committee and the Anti-Money Laundering

Council are investigating the case that involves Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) bank o� -cials and some businessmen.

Meanwhile, the persons respon-sible for the transfer of $20m to the account of Shalika Foundation have also been identi� ed.

The CID o� cials hope that they would able to identify the others involved in the scam if they can interrogate the prime suspects. It

would also help them � nd wheth-er any o� cial of the central bank played any role in the heist.

According to the investigators, eight persons have been identi� ed in the Philippines while six others in Sri Lanka.

CID sources claim that a strong hacker group is responsible for the heist, but some Bangladesh Bank o� cials might have provided them support from inside. l

King of MoroccoMohammed VI

Secretary was administratorfor a British Virgin Islands

company used to buy a luxury yacht used by the king

President of MexicoEnrique Pena Nieto

Associate created an o�shorenetwork to hold about

$100 million

Bene�cial owner of at least 30 companiesestablished in the British Virgin Islands

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayedbin Sultan Al Nahyan

President of the UAE

140 political �gures from more than 50 countries have been linked either directlyor through contacts

Most of the alleged dealings are believed to be legal but political fallout is expected

Source: ICIJ

PANAMA PAPERS LEAKS: POLITICAL CONNECTIONSPANAMA PAPERS LEAKS: POLITICAL CONNECTIONS

British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron

Father set up a �rmin Panama that

promoted itself as a tax evasion option

Chinese PresidentXi Jinping

Brother-in-law hasshares in 2 companiesin the Virgin Islands

Icelandic Prime MinisterSigmundur David Gunnlaugsson

Used the o�shore company owned with his wife to hold millions of dollars

of investments

2 cousins with assetsin numerous

o�shore companies

President of South AfricaJacob Zuma

Nephew involved with o�shore �rm accusedof questionable oil �eld deals

Pakistani Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif

3 of his children involved ino�shore companies withproperties in Britain

Prime Minister ofMalaysia Najib Razak

Son became directorof two o�shorecompanies

Russian PresidentVladimir PutinChildhood friends own several o�shore companies

Ukrainian President Petro PoroshenkoHolds a majority stakein an o�shore company

Argentine PresidentMauricio Macri

Brother and fatherrun o�shore

companies

President of Syria Bashar al-Assad

Panama-based law �rmwhere the 11.5 million leaked

tax documents originated

Mossack Fonseca

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial O� ce: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com