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Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina are ecstatic after their win against arch-rival Pakistan in the first group stage match of World Cup T20, 2014 at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M
P3 BRAHMAPUTRA POLLUTION
Unicef says women and girls are disproportionately affected by the lack of access to safe water. An estimated 71% of the burden of drinking water collection is being shouldered by women and girls. We have had to consume malodorous water from tube wells for the last five years. We also found algae in tube wells, Nazrul Islam of Gonergaon village under Shilmandi union of Narsingdi district told the Dhaka Tribune on Thursday. People in at least six unions in Narsingdi had been suffering from this problem, the shopkeeper said, adding that local people believed that discharge of industrial waste from nearby factories had led to the situation. We have to drink this water as there is no other alternative sources, he said. One of the MDG targets for Bangla-
INSIDE
News
3 The Old Brahmaputra River flowing through the district was once a lifeline for thousands of local people. But, those days are gone by as its water has now turned pitch black. 4 Two mobile phone operators have asked the countrys telecom regulator to give them another year to shift their Blackberry subscribers to another platform. 5 A gang of criminals are active in the city who get children involve in stealing mobile phones after they were provided training.
Op-Ed
11 Thanks to a misguided burst of emotionalism born of sincere nationalism, Bangladesh failed an entire generation of youth who could nary put together a coherent sentence in proper English.
It was not a big target to chase for the Indian batting lineup that contained Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and they cruised to victory with 131 in 18.3 overs with seven wickets to spare. The 25,000+ capacity crowd, however, did not see the flair and fire of a typical T20 of the traditional sub-continental rivals; it was rather a controlled and calculative India who made a winning start. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put on 54 before Dhawan fell on 30. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina ensured no further damage in the 66
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
A mobile court destroys jars containing unsafe water and seals off a factory at the capitals Karwan Bazar area yesterday. The factory has been bottling and distributing unsafe drinking water for quite some time MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
India outplay
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runs unbeaten third wicket partnership where Kohli contributed 36 off 32 balls, including four fours and one six, and Raina adding 35 off 28 balls. Earlier Pakistan failed to crawl out of the web cast by the Indian bowlers, the spark was never there with the last over producing 15 runs as the most productive over for Pakistan. With Kamran Akmal returning to the dressing room in the second over off a run out, Pakistan failed to attain an ideal start. Kamran, strong in playing lofted shots, scored just eight off 10 balls. The miscommunication between the Pakistani
batsmen was visible again between Ahmed Shehzad and Md Hafeez, but fortunately they survived. However, runs were not coming off the bats. Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni continuously switched his bowlers. The fourth over bowled by Md Shami conceded only two runs, the 10th over by Rabindra Jadeja cost three runs, the ninth over bowled by Amit Misra was a wicket maiden and the 16th, 17th and 18th overs produced eight runs only. The first Pakistan six was hit by Shoaib Malik in the 12th over. Pakistan was never in the spree of runs and Indian bowlers apart from the 11th and 20th
overs were never disturbed. Dhoni inserted Yuvraj Singh in the 11th over and it cost him 13 runs, the second highest in an over for Pakistan. The cocktail of pace and spin was perfectly mixed for a bitter taste to the Pakistani batting. Ahmed Shehzads 22 off 17 balls, Umar Akmals 33 off 30 balls, Shoaib Maliks 18 off 20 balls and Sohaib Maqsuds 21 off 11 balls in the dying stage provided some respectability to the Pakistan innings. Shahid Afridi failed to fire as well. Leg spinner Amit Misra was the pick of the bowlers scalping Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik for 22 runs in his four over. l
remain alert to prevent any untoward incident. They urged the government and the Election Commission to tough out the violence centring the upazila polls. In the fourth phase, the ruling party faces 43 rebel candidates in 91 upazila parishads. As a move to put down rebellion, the party high-ups have strengthened their support to the Awami League-backed candidates. Sohel Sarwar Kajol, brother of local lawmaker Saimum Sarwar Komol, stood for the election as a chairman
candidate of Ramu upazila under the Coxs Bazar district backed by the local Awami League leaders, but the central committee gave another candidate Abdul Mabud the nod to vie for the poll. Salauddin Ahmed, secretary to the Coxs Bazar district unit Awami League, said: Sohel was more popular than others, but we do not know why the party high command withdrew support from Sohel. Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Awami League organising secretary entrusted with coordination of upazila polls in Rangpur division, told the Dhaka Tribune their leaders and activ-
ists at grass roots level were kept alert to thwart any sort of violence committed by the BNP Jamaat alliance. He said they hoped to do better than the previous phases. Awami League presidium member Kazi Zafarullah echoed the same. He said Awami League-backed candidates were defeated in many upazila parishad polls because of the rebel candidates. Though we are more careful about the matter, but in the local body election, we have some limitations to get tough with the rebels, Kazi Zafarullah maintained. l
after another to mount pressure on the BNP and to defuse the movement but it will not work, Abdullah Al-Noman, vice-chairman of the party, said. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said she would wage movement after reorganising the party as it had been due for a long time. But by the time detention of the senior leaders including partys acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir forced the party to shelve its organisational plan. However, another senior leader seeking anonymity, said they launched
the movement after Khaledas eviction from her residence but it went in vain and the legal battle went down badly too. There is no alternative to putting pressure on the government because legal battle will not work as the court will act on the instruction of the government, he said. Over the last one month the party has announced programmes like demonstration and submission of memorandum but they reportedly received lukewarm responses from leaders and activists from across the country. l
ground water in the coastal belt, lowering of the ground water level, which is more serious in hilly areas including the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the southeast and some parts of Sylhet in the northeast, make access to potable water a big challenge. The nine other countries and their population without sufficient access to safe drinking water in the Unicef-WHO finding are: China (108 million), India (99 million), Nigeria (63 million), Ethiopia (43 million), Indonesia (39 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (37 million), United Republic of Tanzania
(22 million), Kenya (16 million) and Pakistan (16 million). According to the Unicef-WHO estimates up to 2013, a staggering 768 million people do not have access to safe drinking water across the globe, causing hundreds of thousands of children to fall ill and die each year. Most of the people without access to pure drinking water are poor and live in remote rural areas or urban slums. Unicef says 1,400 children aged under five die every day from diarrhoeal diseases linked to lack of safe water and adequate sanitation and hygiene. Every child, rich or poor, has the
right to survive, the right to health, the right to a future, Sanjay Wijesekera, head of Unicefs global water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, said in a statement yesterday. The world should not rest until every single man, woman and child has the water and sanitation that is theirs as a human right. Almost four years after the world met the global target set in the MDGs for safe drinking water, and after the UN General Assembly declared that water was a human right, over three-quarters of a billion people, most of them poor, still do not have this basic necessity,
Unicef said in a press release on the occasion of the World Water Day. The MDG target for drinking water was met and passed in 2010 when 89% of the global population had access to improved sources of drinking water such as piped supplies, boreholes fitted with pumps, and protected wells. Also in 2010, the UN General Assembly recognised safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right meaning. We must target the marginalised and often forgotten groups: those who are the most difficult to reach, the poorest and the most disadvantaged, Wijesekera said. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
each at Tk45. The shopkeepers then earn Tk75 by selling a jar. Visiting a number of factories at Badda, Eskaton, Uttara and Shahbagh, illegal factories were found in kitchen markets, congested rooms and even beside public toilets. Jars are cleaned with bare hands. A team of RAB yesterday raided several factories in Tejgaon and Karwan Bazar and caught an owner along with 14 workers from three factories red-handed for filling jars with Wasa water. The workers were fined Tk7,000 while owner Khandaker AK Azad was jailed for two years and fined Tk1 lakh. These factories were sealed off several times but they resumed operation without permission, said Anwar Pasha, Executive Magistrate of RAB. He said Azad had been jailed for the same offence two years back. They use blue jars so that dirty water cannot be detected from outside, Anwar said. We even found jars lying in toilets. He said: An ideal plant should have filling machines and filter machines with ultraviolet ray facility. A bulb of the ultraviolet ray machine costs Tk15,000 and those can only be used for once. That is why traders do not buy that machine. A number of factories once set up laboratories to examine the water but most of them do not use those now. They dont have any chemist for the purpose l
A couple pulls a bucket of water from a ventilation pipe of a deep tube well at Kakon of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi yesterday. Although the globe observes the World Water Day today, around 768 million people in the world 26 million in Bangladesh still lack access to an improved source of water DHAKA TRIBUNE
n UNB Violence may flare, hint intelligence agencies The BNP yesterday alleged that the Elecn Rabiul Islam The commission had setup 5,882 tion Commission has been working in CANDIDATES AND VOTERS n Mohammad Zakaria polling stations in 91 upazila polls, favour of Awami League-backed candi- Environment and Forest Minister AnChairman 389
phases held earlier. Meanwhile, the commission has postponed the polls in Sherpur Sadar, Jagannathpur upazila in Sunamganj as per a High Court order. The Election Commission has already deployed the army as striking forces while other law enforcing agencies, including Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and Ansar, had also been positioned in the respective upazilas for maintaining the law and order situation during the polls. An EC official yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that intelligence reports received by the commission indicated that chances of incidents of violence and disorder are higher than the compared the last three phases of the polls. Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hafiz said the local administration would decide about increasing the deployment of law enforcing personnel considering the vulnerable polling centres. where 37,338 polling booths has been setup. Of total 13,859,278 voters while 6,907,956 are male and 69,51,322 are female will cast their votes on the election day. In fourth phase, 43 of AL and 44 of BNP rebel candidates are contesting in the polls. Earlier, allegations were made that a ruling-party candidate in Kolaroa upazila in Satkhira had threatened both voters and opponents and their agents to stay away from polling centres or face dire consequences. In a written allegation sent to the EC, BNP-backed candidate Shahidul Islam alleged that Awami League-backed candidate Firoz Ahmad Shopan issued an open threat against voters and opponents during a meeting with his supporters on March 19. He also submitted a video footage of the respective meeting to the commission. If you find ink in any voters finger, cut it off. If any voter dies after being beaten of my activists for going to cast their vote on election day, I will not responsible for that, the written allegation quoted the Awami League backed candidate as instructing his activists. l dates in the ongoing upazila elections. The Election Commission is working to make ruling party-supported candidates winners in the upazila elections. We, along with the people of the country, will give a befitting reply to the misdeeds, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told a press conference at the partys Nayapaltan central office. Inspired by the violence in the third phase elections, Awami League activists were flexing muscle for staging showdowns in the fourth phase polls, creating panic among the voters, he alleged. Besides, the law enforcement agencies are being used against democracy and the voting rights of people, he said, adding that the EC has turned into a puppet organisation of the administration. Criticising the prime ministers speech in parliament that drive was on against armed activists to hold peaceful elections, Rizvi said the premier conducted drives at the houses of innocent people, not the armed hooligans. BNP Joint Secretary General Salah Uddin Ahmed, Mass Education Affairs Secretary Sanaullah Miah and Deputy Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony were present among others. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Volunteers from Jaago Foundation remove garbage from the Banani Lake in the capital yesterday
DHAKA TRIBUNE
WEATHER
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 4:45am 6:00am 12:05pm 4:28pm 6:10pm 7:26pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
Children take part in a painting competition commemorating the countrys Independence Day, at Department of Fine Arts in Dhaka University yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM
DHAKA TRIBUNE
News
Dhaka Medical College authority recently detained three minor boys namely Rasel, Shohag and Riaz allegedly for cell phone theft, the photo is taken from the administrative building of DMC MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
100 students awarded for innovative projects REHAB Fair sees huge
n Mushque Wadud
A total of 100 students were awarded for their innovative projects at the closing ceremony of annual science fair organised by St Joseph Higher Secondary School yesterday. Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed, professor and architect of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) handed over the prizes to winners. Among others, brother Robi Purification, principal of the school and other teachers were present at the closing ceremony. Students of different classes were awarded prizes in different categories in terms of innovative approach and presentation of their science projects. The theme of this years fair was Role of Science in Human Resource Development and Economic Prosperity. The three day annual science fair was inaugurated on Wednesday. Around 460 projects were presented in the fair, along with a total of 750 scrapbooks. Students of 50 schools across the country took part in the fair. The school premises was crowded with students and their guardians at the closing day. Students waited long to hear their name as the winner and when someones name was declared as winner, s/ he expressed his/her joy by shouting. Speaking at the programme, Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed, who is also an alumni of this school, said science fair is an important way of learning science. He said students learned to use their imagination power and the ability to ask questions through this science fair. He also said asking proper questions and using imagination power is not only important for science but also for
St Joseph Higher Secondary School awards winners of its annual Science Fair in the city yesterday all other fields of knowledge. Three students of Bir Shreshtha Noor Mohammad Public School and College stood first in the inter-school science project competition for their project titled Mobile controlled Rescue Robot. The students are Shakti Banik, Imran Bin Yousuf, and Fazle Shawon Younus. St Francis Xavier Girls School came second for their project titled New treatment using Modified HIV to kill Lymphoma Cancer Cell. The students are Eshita Agnes Purification, Barsha Christina Palma, and Joyes Cicilia Sral. Three students of Viqarunnisa Noon School placed third for their project titled Noise proof class room. In inter-college science project competition, three students of Holy Cross College stood first for their project on Biodegradable Plastic and uses. The three students are Ishmal Sifat, Fariha Mehnaz, and Redwana Noor. Another team of Holy Cross College secured the second position as well for a project. Three students of Holy Cross College namely Faria Farzana, Maliha Anjum, and Smeeta Mahanta came as
tact with our main office to purchase flats and land, he added Another official of a land developer company expressed hope that sale of plots and land would get momentum in the last two days. Some REHAB leaders, who visited the fair yesterday evening, said this year, visitors presence was comparatively more than last year. Meanwhile, visitors were also seen happy with different discount offers. Masud Ahmed, an official of a private company, said he was satisfied with discount offers and loan facilities offered by different realtor companies. The five-day housing fair began on March 20 at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre at Agargaon in the capital aiming to promote housing sector. This year, a total of 155 companies are taking part in the fair. Of them, 141 are housing and 14 construction materials companies. Apart from the companies, a total of 11 sponsor companies have taken part in the fair. l
third for their project. Moreover, the first, second and third position winners of each groups were also awarded. Safwan Uddin of class three was awarded for his project of a windmill. In class three, Hanjala and Steve Probal Shanjal got second prize for their project on modern city. Ahnaf Farhan Khan and Jawad Muntasir Riddha got first prize for their project on Save the Environment. Students were also awarded for scrapbooks, quiz competitions, art competitions and science Olympiad. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Nation
Officials of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department under Rajshahi Forest Division rescued a rare species of peacock from a house in Lalmonirhat. Later, the wounded bird was brought to Rajshahi on Thursday DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Prescription
Professional voice users include singers, actors and broadcast personalities. For all of these individuals, the voice and spoken communication is an essential part of what they do, and there are countless other professions that rely heavily on the voice. So preservation of voice is very important Artificial smoke and fog used for speemergency, the performance should n Prof Kamrul Hasan Tarafder cial effects are also known to have an be cancelled. Aspirin is associated with
vocal fold haemorrhage by its action on the platelets and is something that should be avoided at all times by the professional voice user. Sometimes surgery is needed for vocal cord nodule and polyp. Vocal tract surgery can be more catastrophic than surgery on the vocal folds themselves. The patient should know the expected result and complications of the surgery.
Performers have to take on the personality and character of their performing role which involves not only voice abuse, such as screaming and shouting, but also altering the configuration of their vocal tract for different accents and to disguise their age and personality. These activities can affect their voice. Performers are now required to be more versatile and not only singers but actors and, specifically, dancers as well. The constricting costumes and physical activity can affect their breathing technique. Singers are also asked to sing in different styles, for example, in opera the larynx needs to be lower or vertical and the main emphasis is on vowels. Numerous old theatres are dusty, especially in the wings, off stage and in the curtains during change of scenes.
BIGSTOCK
Acute illness
an upper respiratory tract infection at anytime, but especially during a performance. It is important to differentiate between an upper respiratory tract infection with or without laryngeal involvement. An upper respiratory tract infection can be managed conservatively with adequate
hydration and steam inhalations. If there is laryngeal involvement and the performance is a career make or break situation then steroids may have a role. If there is evidence of a laryngeal infection, however, it is recommended that the concert is postponed and antibiotics also used. In the acute
Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty (up to eight 8-ounce glasses is a good minimum target) of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day Try not to scream or yell Warm up your voice before heavy use. Warm-ups can be simple, such as gently gliding from low to high tones on different vowel sounds, doing lip trills (like the motorboat sound that kids make), or tongue trills Dont smoke Use good breath support. Breath flow is the power for voice. Take time to fill your lungs before starting to talk Use a microphone Listen to your voice. When your voice is complaining to you, listen to it. If your voice is hoarse frequently, or for an extended period of time, you should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) l
If a foreign object becomes lodged in your nose: Dont probe at the object with a cotton swab or other tool. Dont try to inhale the object by forcefully breathing in. Instead, breathe through your mouth until the object is removed. Blow out of your nose gently to try to free the object, but dont blow hard or repeatedly. If only one nostril is affected, close the opposite nostril by applying gentle pressure and then blow out gently through the affected nostril. Gently remove the object if its visible and you can easily grasp it with tweezers. Dont try to remove an object that isnt visible or easily grasped. Go to your local ear nose throat emergency room if these methods fail.
HEALTH NEWS
BIGSTOCK
BIGSTOCK
Polyunsaturated fats
Sodium nitrate in processed meat may increase the risk of heart disease
Saturated fats
Saturated fats tend to increase bad cholesterol levels in the blood as well as total cholesterol levels. They are found mostly in animal products (eg: meat and full-cream dairy products). Two non-animal exceptions are palm and coconut oils which also contain saturated fat and are often found in commercial biscuits and cakes.
Polyunsaturated fats tend to lower the total and bad cholesterol levels while maintaining the level of good cholesterol. Found in margarines, nuts, soymilks, seeds, and vegetable oils.
Omega-3
Trans fat
Monounsaturated fats
BIGSTOCK
Sodium nitrate, a preservative thats used in some processed meats, such as bacon, jerky and luncheon meats, could increase heart disease risk. Its thought that sodium nitrate may make arteries more likely to harden and narrow, leading to heart disease. Nitrates may also affect the way of bodys sugar utilization, making one more likely to develop diabetes. So its best to limit processed meat in diet and focus on lean, fresh meats and poultry.
These fats can benefit the body by reducing the level of total and bad cholesterol and increasing the level of good cholesterol in the blood. Found in foods such as olives, peanuts, avocados, and canola oil.
This is a type of fat that occurs naturally in some foods in small amounts. But most trans fats are made from oils through a food processing method called partial hydrogenation. By partially hydrogenating oils, they become easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than naturally occurring oils. Research studies show that these partially hydrogenated trans fats can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.
A type of polyunsaturated fat, which research suggests may help maintain healthy blood pressure and blood fat levels. Found in oily fish, linseed, canola oil, soybeans, walnuts and dark green vegetables (eg: spinach and green peas). All fats have the same number of kilojoules and need to be eaten in moderation especially if you are trying to control your weight. Foods made up mostly of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, such as olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and corn oil. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring. Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed (ground), oils (canola, flaxseed, soybean), and nuts and other seeds (walnuts, butternuts and sunflower). l
A foreign object in the ear can cause pain and hearing loss. Usually you know if an object is stuck in your ear, but small children may not be aware of it. If an object becomes lodged in the ear, follow these steps: Dont probe the ear with a tool. Dont attempt to remove the foreign object by probing with a cotton swab, matchstick or any other tool. To do so is to risk pushing the object farther into the ear and damaging the fragile structures of the middle ear. Remove the object if possible. If the object is clearly visible, pliable and can be grasped easily with tweezers, gently remove it. Try using gravity. Tilt the head to the affected side to try to dislodge the object. Try using oil for an insect. If the foreign object is an insect, tilt the persons head so that the ear with the offending insect is upward. Try to float the insect out by pouring mineral oil, olive oil or baby oil into the ear. The oil should be warm but not hot. As you pour the oil, you can ease the entry of the oil by straightening the ear canal. Pull the earlobe gently backward and upward for an adult, backward and downward for a child. The insect should suffocate and may float out in the oil bath. Dont use oil to remove any object other than an insect. Do not use this method if the child has ear tubes in place or if there is any suspicion of a perforation in the eardrum pain, bleeding or discharge from the ear. If these methods fail or the person continues to experience pain in the ear, reduced hearing or a sensation of something lodged in the ear, go to your local Ear Nose Throat emergency room.
BIGSTOCK
menaquinone family) associated with fermentation. Dairy products are an important source of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. However, they are also a source of saturated fat that should be replaced with lower fat options like yoghurt.
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
Russia vows retaliatory sanctions against the US, askes for Ukraine debt repayment
lines and the Sochi Olympics, as well as Putins chief of staff and his deputy, the head of military intelligence and a railways chief. Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev said he expected no big immediate impact from the sanctions. A consortium led by Stroitransgaz, owned by Timchenko, is set to win a 3.5bn euro ($4.8bn) deal to build a section of the South Stream natural gas pipeline across EU member Bulgaria, industry sources said. But, underlining how Washington can apply pressure via the international financial system, US credit card companies Visa and MasterCard stopped providing services for payment transactions with Russias SMP bank, owned by the Rotenberg brothers, the bank said. Obama said Washington was also considering sanctions against economic sectors including financial services, oil and gas, metals and mining and the defence industry, if Russia made military moves into eastern and southern Ukraine. Diplomats said the mere mention of such a possibility would chill investment in Russia, charging an immediate price for Moscows action in Crimea and serving as a potential deterrent to going further. The EU also extended its personal sanctions to another 12 middle-ranking Russian and Crimean officials. On the other hand, Russia Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev made clear that Russia would step up financial pressure on Ukraine. He said the former Soviet republic should repay Moscow $11bn under a gas supply contract that should be scrapped because it no longer applied. Medvedev said the agreements under which Russia was to provide cheap gas in return for the lease of the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea were subject to denunciation, giving Russia a legal right to sue for money back from Ukraine. Altogether, Kiev owed Moscow $16bn, he added. l
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) prepares to sign documents yesterday as Sergei Naryshkin (R), speaker of the State Duma, Russias lower parliament house, and Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Federation Council, look on REUTERS
n Reuters, Moscow/Brussels
President Vladimir Putin signed laws completing Russias annexation of Crimea on Friday, as investors took fright at a US decision to slap sanctions on his inner circle of money men and security officials. Putin promised to protect a bank partly owned by an old ally, which Washington has blacklisted, and his spokesman said Russia would respond in kind to the financial and visa curbs. Russian shares fell sharply after President Barack Obama also threatened on Thursday to target major sectors of the economy if Moscow tried to move on other areas of Ukraine beyond the Black Sea peninsula. Europe also tightened the screws by widening its sanctions list, and
Germany suspended approval of all defence-related exports to Russia, ordering defence contractor Rheinmetall to halt delivery of combat simulation gear. In a Kremlin ceremony shown live on state television, Putin signed a law on ratification of a treaty making Crimea part of Russia as well as legislation creating two new Russian administrative districts: Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol, where Moscow keeps part of its Black Sea fleet. Officials and lawmakers in Moscow have largely laughed off Western sanctions imposed after Russian troops seized control of Crimea. A referendum in the majority Russsian-speaking region - which overwhelmingly backed union with Russia but was denounced by Washington and the European
Union as a sham - then opened the way for the annexation. Obamas decision to go for the financial jugular of the people who accompanied Putins rise from the mayors office in St Petersburg in the 1990s to the Russian presidency has deepened the diplomatic confrontation. Putin said Bank Rossiya, singled out by Washington as the personal bank for senior Russian officials, had nothing to do with the events in Crimea and promised to keep his salary there. The St Petersburg-based bank is chaired and partly owned by Yuri Kovalchuk, an old associate of Putins. Other names on the US blacklist includes oil and commodities trader Gennady Timchenko and the brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, who are linked to big contracts on gas pipe-
Turkeys Gul at odds with UN monitor accuses Israel of ethnic Erdogan over twitter ban cleansing, apartheid
n Reuters, Istanbul
Turkish President Abdullah Gul set himself publicly at odds with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, saying that it was unacceptable to impose complete bans on social media platforms such as Twitter. Turkeys courts blocked access to Twitter following Erdogans vow, on the campaign trail ahead of key March 30 local elections, to wipe out the service. In a defiant stand, Erdogan said he did not care what the international community had to say about it. The prime minister, who has been in power for 11 years, is battling a corruption scandal that has been fed by social media awash with alleged evidence of government wrongdoing. Gul, however, took to Twitter himself to say complete bans on social media platforms were unacceptable and to voice his hope that the block would be short-lived. Turkeys main opposition party said it would challenge the ban and file a criminal complaint against Erdogan on the grounds of violating personal freedoms. The countrys bar association filed a separate court challenge. One cannot approve of the complete closure of social media platforms, Gul tweeted. He said only individual Internet pages should be blocked if there is a court order on the grounds that a persons privacy is being violated. Gul co-founded the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party with Erdogan and has remained a close ally. But he is viewed as a more conciliatory figure than the combative prime minister and their relations have at times appeared strained. In the run up to the elections, the president has been hesitant to openly criticise Erdogan, despite the brewing scandal. Erdogans ruling AK Party has already tightened Internet controls, handed government more influence over the courts, and reassigned thousands of police and hundreds of prosecutors and judges as it fights a corruption scandal he has cast as a plot by political enemies to oust him. l
n AFP, Beirut
n AFP, Geneva
A UN rights expert who probes Israels conduct towards Palestinians on Friday accused the Jewish state of a campaign of ethnic cleansing and apartheid policies. The realities on the ground are worsening from the point of view of both international law and from the point of view of the Palestinian people, Richard Falk, an 82-year-old American who is an emeritus law professor at Princeton University, told reporters. Falk is due to step down this month as the UN Human Rights Councils monitor for the Palestinian territories taken over by Israel in 1967 the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Since he was appointed in 2008, he said, Israel has built more settlements in Palestinian territories, imposed collective punishment on Gaza, demolished homes and repeatedly deployed excessive force.
He also accused Israel of a systematic and continued effort to change the ethnic composition of East Jerusalem by voiding Palestinians residence permits, con iscating property and allowing unlawful Israeli settlements there. This is systematic discrimination on the basis of ethnic identity, with the objective of creating a different demographic in Jerusalem, he said, calling it a form of ethnic cleansing. All of these features that are objectionable from the point of view of international law have continued and intensified during my six years, he said. What is called occupation is now more widely understood to be a form of annexation, the embodiment of apartheid in the sense that theres a discriminatory dual system of law, giving legal protection to the Israeli settlers and subjecting the Palestinian population under occupation to a continuing existence without rights, he added.
Falk has repeatedly locked horns with Israel, the United States, Canada and some human rights groups for positions including labelling Israels 2008 offensive against Gaza a war crime, and urging a boycott of companies helping Israels settlement drive in the Palestinian territories. Washington has said he should quit his UN role, which like other rights monitors at the world body he holds on an unpaid, voluntary basis. Falk has brushed off the criticism. Anyone who is 10% objective would come to similar conclusions about international law and international morality to the conclusions Ive reached on the main issues that are in contention, he said. He also rejects claims of anti-Semitism, saying they are defamatory and hurtful given that he is Jewish himself. He said that personal attacks were an attempt to shift the conversation from the message to the messenger and part of the politics of deflection. l
Three Syrian Islamist opposition groups, including Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, were battling for control of a regime-held border crossing with Turkey on Friday, a monitoring group said. Al-Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham are engaged in fierce clashes around the Kasab crossing with Turkey in Latakia province, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. They have seized guard posts around the crossing but are not yet in control of it, he said. Syrian state television made reference to the fighting in a breaking news alert, saying the army was tackling attempts by terrorist gangs to infiltrate from Turkish territory and attack border crossings in northern Latakia province. The alert, citing a military source, said 17 opposition fighters had been killed and many others wounded in the fighting. l
PRAYING IN ADVERSITY
Israeli security forces stand guard as a Palestinian boy performs Friday prayers outside Jerusalems Old City yesterday after Israeli police restricted access to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the day of the annual Jerusalem marathon AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
World
9
will be removed from office before another vote is held. She has been charged with negligence by the National Anti-Corruption Commission in connection with a rice subsidy scheme, and could face an impeachment vote in the upper house of parliament within weeks. Yingluck has faced more than four months of street demonstrations seeking to force her from office and install an unelected peoples council to oversee political reforms. Their aim is to put pressure in every possible way to appoint a neutral prime minister, said the chairman of the pro-government Red Shirts movement, Jatuporn Prompan. The backdrop is a years-old struggle between a royalist establishment supported by the judiciary and the military and Yinglucks family, which has traditionally enjoyed strong support in the northern half of Thailand. Yinglucks Puea Thai party strongly criticised the election ruling, accusing the court of trying to write its own constitution and expropriate sovereignty from the people. Puea Thai urges all people to unite and fight all kinds of external forces in order to achieve true democracy through peaceful mean, it said. l
Malaysia on MH370 search: Thai court voids protest-hit election this is going to be a long haul
n Agencies
Spotter planes spent a second fruitless day scouring a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean for wreckage from a Malaysian jet on Friday, as Chinese relatives of the missing passengers clashed with Malaysian officials. Australian and US military aircraft usually used for anti-submarine operations criss-crossed the isolated search area 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) southwest of Perth, looking for two floating objects that had shown up on grainy satellite photos taken several days before. Although the images were too indistinct to confirm as debris from Flight MH370, Australian and Malaysian officials said they represented the most credible leads to date in the hunt for the plane and its 239 passengers and crew. Fridays search concluded without any sightings, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said. in a statement. The planes flew low under the cloud cover rather than rely on radar, after poor weather the day before hampered the search. We replanned the search to be visual, so aircraft flying relatively low, with very highly skilled observers looking out of the windows, said AMSA official John Young. This means aircraft operating more closely together and we will need more aircraft for this task. Fridays aerial contingent comprised three Australian air force P-3 Orions, a US Navy P-8 Poseidon and a civil Bombardier Global Express jet. The distance from the west coast of Australia allows the planes only about two hours of actual search time before they must turn around with enough fuel to get back to Perth. Two merchant ships were helping with the search, but Australias HMAS Success, which is capable of retrieving any wreckage, was still days away. This is going to be a long haul, Malaysian transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a daily press briefing in Kuala Lumpur. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who first revealed the satellite images in parliament, defended himself on Friday against suggestions he may have jumped the gun. We owe it to the families and the friends and the loved ones ... to give them information as soon as its to hand, he said. Abbott said he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping who he described as devastated by the disappearance of MH370 and the 153 Chinese nationals on board. Malaysia has been criticised for its handling of the crisis, especially by Chinese relatives who have accused authorities and the flag-carrier airline of providing insufficient or misleading information. A delegation of Malaysian government and military officials flew to Beijing for what turned out to be a bad-tempered meeting with relatives. The event began with family members yelling at delegates to stand up when they were being introduced. You have wasted so much time, shouted one. The nature of the events that diverted MH370 from its intended flight path on March 8 remain shrouded in mystery, although Malaysian investigators have stuck to their assumption that it was the result of a deliberate action by someone on board.l
A Buddhist monk who joined Thai anti-government protesters reads a newspaper at Lumpini park in downtown in Bangkok on March 21 AFP
n AFP, Bangkok
Thailands general election held last month was declared invalid Friday after disruption by opposition protesters, setting the scene for possible talks between warring political parties about new polls to end the deadlock. While the ruling from the Constitutional Court further delays the
formation of a new government, it also offers a possible exit from the political stalemate if the opposition agrees to end its boycott of the ballot box. The countrys Election Commission said it planned to propose talks between political party leaders about a new election date. But Yinglucks supporters fear she
Jaswant Singh to go rebel Taliban kill nine including foreigners in Kabul hotel attack as BJP denies Barmer ticket
n Agencies
The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) ticket troubles continued to haunt it on Friday after senior leader Jaswant Singh expressed his annoyance over not being considered from Rajasthans Barmer constituency and has indicated he may even consider contesting the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent. The BJPs refusal to give in to Singhs demand comes a day after party patriarch LK Advani accepted the partys diktat on where he will contest the national election from after a 24hour sulk. Singh, according to reports, has registered his protest to the party after it fielded Colonel Sonaram Chaudhary, who recently switched to the BJP from the Congress, from Barmer. The MP from Darjeeling in West Bengal had expressed his desire to contest, what may be his last election, from the Barmer seat. He may even consider contesting the election as an Independent, a senior state leader told IANS. BJP leaders in Barmer have warned that they would resign if Sonaram is fielded. They say that someone who has for long been with the Congress should not be fielded from Barmer as this will send a wrong message to the voters. The Rajasthan BJP is facing dissidence from some senior leaders and workers after the partys candidates for the Lok Sabha polls were announced. For instance, Sumedhanand, the BJP candidate from Sikar, being opposed by some sections who wanted the ticket for local leaders like Subhash Maharia or Hariram Ranwa. Some workers pelted stones at the cavalcade of Sumedhanand when he was on his way to his Piprali ashram from Bajore in Sikar yesterday (Thursday), said a BJP leader in Sikar. Supporters of Ranwa and Maharia held separate meetings with local leaders to register their protest. A delegation of party workers will soon meet chief minister Vashundhara Raje to convey their opposition to the manner in which tickets have been distributed. l curity early on Thursday evening and hid inside the building for three hours before opening fire on diners inside the hotels restaurant, according to interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. They then battled Afghan special forces as terrified guests hid in rooms or fled to hotel bunkers. All the Talibangunmen were shot dead. During the attack guests crouched in bathrooms with the lights turned off as they listened to gunfire and people running up and down the hallways. I never heard an explosion or anything. Only firearms and possible rocket-propelled grenades, one senior UN official said in a text message from his darkened room. One of the hotels main saferooms, which was packed with guests and Afghan members of parliament, filled with smoke from a fire in the kitchen. It was hard to breathe. People started putting wet napkins on their faces, one witness said. French news agency Agence France Presse said its Afghan reporter Sardar Ahmad, his wife and two young children were killed in the attack. The foreigners killed were from Canada, India, New Zealand and Pakistan, the
interior ministry said. All the 18 UN staff members known to be inside had been accounted for, according to a UN official.
Afghan security officials display weapons and other items used by the teenage attackers in the overnight Serena Hotel attack during a press conference in Kabul on March 21 AFP
n Reuters, Kabul
Taliban gunmen killed nine people, including four foreigners, in an attack on a luxury hotel used by UN staff and prominent Afghan politicians in Kabul on Thursday night, before being shot dead by security forces, witnesses and police said on Friday.
The assault on the heavily fortified Serena Hotel, which lasted some three hours, was the latest in a string of attacks by the insurgents seeking to spoil a presidential election on April 5, which would mark the first time inAfghanistans history that one elected government hands power to another. FourTalibanfighters snuck past se-
Police are investigating how the gunmen got into the Serena. The hotel has dozens of armed guards patrolling its perimeter, and anyone entering is checked with metal detectors and body searched for weapons. Our first conclusion is that unfortunately that was a failure by that security and measures that were in place, Sediqqi said, showing reporters photos of pistols roughly the size of a packet of cigarettes and piles of ammunition. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahidclaimed responsibility for the attack and said the gunmen had targeted guests celebrating the eve of the Afghan new year on Friday. Suicide bombers have entered the Serena Hotel, heavy battle is underway, enemies suffered heavy casualties, the Taliban spokesman said in a text message. The Serena hotel has been attacked several times during theTalibaninsurgency, but Thursdays assault was the deadliest so far. l
CELEBRATING BUDDHA
A South Korean worker sets lotus lanterns at Jogye Temple in Seoul yesterday ahead of celebrations marking Buddhas birthday on May 6. Buddhism is one of South Koreas largest and most active religions withms of followers. Although the exact date is unknown, Buddhas official birthday is celebrated on April 8th of the lunar calendar in South Korea AFP
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
Letters to
the Editor
new report by Transparency International notes that some government officials are taking bribes in exchange for giving approvals to adulterated food products. It is shameful that this practice is allowed to take place and that public officials are involved. Health and consumer concerns about adulterated food have had a high profile in recent years, so it is scandalous that not more is being done to crack down on officials who collude with corrupt producers and dealers to facilitate improper practices. This is in marked contrast to the prompt call issued by poultry industry association leaders this week, to urge the shutdown of factories that have been found to be producing toxic feed using tannery waste. Yet, individuals ranging from Health Department sanitary inspectors to food retailers are reported to be party to a corrupt nexus permitting adulterated food to be produced and sold. Field officers from BSTI responsible for inspecting food factories were among those reported to be taking bribes. This shameful practice cannot be allowed to continue with such impunity. Not only does it risk public health and shortchange the consumer, but public trust and confidence is undermined by officials whose job it is to uphold basic standards. Citizens expect the government to show zero tolerance for any practices that allow the market to be contaminated with adulterated food. These practices must be stopped and corrupt officials weeded out. There is no place in the market for impure food.
Citizens expect zero tolerance for any practices that allow the market to be contaminated
Be Heard
Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
Every citizen must have their rights protected equally by the state
PEANUTS
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Coastal vessel (4) 6 Forefront (3) 7 Untidy state (4) 9 Bearing (4) 10 Nettle rash (5) 11 Allude (5) 12 Also (3) 14 Stair handrail post (5) 17 Corners (5) 20 Land measure (3) 21 Famous (5) 23 Conductors wand (5) 25 Border (4) 26 Mine entrance (4) 27 Sick (3) 28 Transmit (4) DOWN 1 Chinese boat (6) 2 Carry to excess (6) 3 Decline in power (4) 4 Speed an engine (3) 5 Donkey (3) 7 Deep mud (4) 8 Cut off (5) 10 Female bird (3) 13 Wanderer (5) 15 Walk like a duck (6) 16 Traditional story (6) 18 Marine unit of speed (4) 19 Male offspring (3) 22 Slippery catches (4) 23 Sporting item (3) 24 Gratuity (3)
SUDOKU
YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS
Crossword
How to solve Sudoku: 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 numberrepeating.
Sudoku
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
Someone should tell the increasingly conceited Bangladeshi players that there is nothing particularly wrong with humility
BIGSTOCK
n Esam Sohail
hanks to a misguided burst of emotionalism born of sincere nationalism, Bangladesh failed an entire generation of youth who could nary put together a coherent sentence in proper English in the spoken or written formats. In the quarter century between independence and the mid-90s, the war on English was raged with zeal by popularity-seeking demagogues and self-congratulatory intellectuals whose own children, for the record, remained comfortably ensconced in elite English medium schools at home or the boarding schools across the verdant North Indian hill regions. By the time the then government allowed the tepid re-introduction of English as a medium of instruction in a limited number of public schools in the early 1990s, the damage had been done unlike any other generation before, Bangladeshi students going abroad were more likely than not to spend semesters in remedial English classes, call centres were coming to India, Pakistan, and the Philippines where the medium of instruction is mostly English, and only one fledgling English-language publishing house was left standing. Far from the times of the 1960s when Bengalis were often found in prestigious global journalism positions, most of Dhakas own English dailies were reflections of the utterly poor state of the language in our society.
Fortunately, things have slowly changed for the better, thanks to globalisation, an occasionally commonsensical government decision, and bold initiatives by the private sector which has picked up thelions share of the burden of English-medium education at every level from primary instruction to graduate school.
bring back the erstwhile state of things when only the super-rich and the well-connected could afford to provide their children with a modern education worthy of the world of today. If you dont believe me, take a closer look at the current cabinet itself: Chances are that at least half the members have children who were sent abroad to get the first class education that these min-
Bangladesh does the motherland or mother tongue no favours by imposing a false notion of linguistic purity on her people
Yet, the demons of cheap emotionalism are hardly quiet. Not content with leading bizarrely comical crusades against English lettering on commercial signboards and English words in literary journals, these denizens of cultural chauvinism are making even greater rumblings to push back the clock. Not a month goes by without some minister or his bureaucratic sidekick wanting to impose state controls on private sector education; few seminars attended by the cultural types are free from the obligatory bemoaning of the loss of native heritage in the evolving private higher education sector. Left to their own devices, these self-selected guardians of culture and heritage would like nothing more to
isters would deny to others. The truth is, that for developing countries unlike the developed ones like Korea or Japan a mastery of the English language is one of the few readily available tools for mass advancement in the economy of tomorrow. India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Singapore know it all too well. In fact, in Pakistans most backward tribal heartlands, a conservative government just decreed that English was to become the parallel language of instruction starting next year. Whether we like it or not, English as a mere subject is simply not going to cut it anymore. And regardless of the pride we feel at the United Nations celebrating a Mother Language Day, the
only language that matters in terms of commerce and prosperity is that of Shakespeare and Milton. Even in Bangladeshs domestic economy, it is quite common today to see job opportunity advertisements openly seeking applicants with a foreign degree and an English-medium tertiary education. Those lucrative jobs in the private sector should not be the preserves only of the well-off and well-connected. At the very least, the sniping against private sector education has got to stop. If anything, a sitting government of the day can do much better by the people by slowly instituting a parallel track of English-medium instruction alongside the existing vernacular one at all the public schools greater than a certain enrollment size. If a government wants to go the extra mile in harnessing Bangladesh into the 21st century information paradigm, then the wise thing to do would be to get rid of all the restrictions tariff and otherwise on the import of books and periodicals from abroad. Bangladesh does the motherland or mother tongue no favours by imposing a false notion of linguistic purity on her people who, as a result, get cut off from a modern world where business is done, information is exchanged, and decisions are made overwhelmingly in English. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.
In truth, there is nothing to celebrate in this. Imagine if an Australian or an Indian had done the same to us during one of their many comprehensive victories over us how would our avid fan following have reacted then? Imagine if Sri Lanka had decided to forget about winning the Test match with the series already secured and piled on to score a thousand runs against us, in one of the many Tests that we have struggled in. Or answer this, would someone like Shakib or Anamul have the gall to do this same against a Pakistan or a South Africa? In a sporting world where toeing the line is increasingly seen as a down-market trend, someone should tell the increasingly conceited Bangladeshi players that there is nothing particularly wrong with understanding or practicing humility. In fact, sometimes, it might even be professional to do so. l Quazi Zulquarnain Islam is a freelance sports writer.
AFP
Freshwater swamp forests demand special attention due to their unique characteristics in maintaining wetland biodiversity
Short-term
Mid-term
Immediate rationalisation and restrictions on tourist access to the forest until further notice; the recent uncontrolled flux of tourists seems to be seriously affecting the health of the forest. More care, sensitivity and thoughts need to go in devising an appropri-
A comprehensive biodiversity status assessment survey should be carried out, which may help practitioners, managers and policy makers in developing management plans for Ratargul forest. The Forest Department should stop leasing out patipata and cane to expedite the regeneration and conservation
and can also be a source of food for the animal, particularly monkeys.
Long-term
There should be the development of a comprehensive management plan, which involves the Forest Department, academia, researchers, local community and other stakeholders. Infrastructural development should
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Entertainment
n Punny Kabir
Today is the 91st birthday of mime legend Marcel Marceau, who referred to mime as the art of silence, and performed professionally worldwide for over 60 years. Partha Pratim Majumder, the forerunner of mime art in Bangladesh, recalls his time with the greatest mime maestro who was his friend, philosopher, and guide all the way from the time they first met in 1982 until Marceaus death in 2007. Marceau is considered as the father of French mime, with whom Majumder worked for over 18 hours a day from 1982 to 1985. After spending three years with his idol Marceau, he staged solo performances all over Europe and the USA. In close conversation with Dhaka Tribune, Partha, one of the few acclaimed artistes who make the Bangladeshis proud in the international arena, reveals an interesting story about how he met Marceau: I went to France with a scholarship on mime, and with the dream to work with the greatest artiste of mime. It took me eight months to get glance of him. I first saw him live in a solo performance. The two and half hours performance left me mesmerised as I felt I saw a 3D film. After the performance he was giving autographs to his fans at his caravan. I ran to him with a brochure of one my earlier performances at Shilpakala Academy. I dont know why, but he expressed curiosity about me, and asked whether I was from India. I told him I was hailing from Bangladesh, but he had no idea about the existence of our country. But he admired me as a
TODAY IN DHAKA
Enders Game Avatar 3D Aakash Koto Dure Thor: The Dark World 3D The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D , Frozen in 3D Agnee Time: 10am - 10pm Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City Robocop, Gravity Captain Phillips, Elysium Time: 12:30pm 9:30pm Blockbuster Cinemas Jamuna Future Park
Film
Partha Pratim Majumder cherishes memories with the legend on his 91st birthday
Exhibition
Sculpture Exhibition By Hamiduzzaman Khan Time: 10am 8pm Athena Gallery of Fine Arts, Progoti Shoroni, Uttar Badda Collected Artwork Time: 11am 8pm National Art Gallery Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shegun Bagicha Neel Megher Kabbo By Mahbubul Haque Time: 8am 11:59pm Bronia Cafe & Gallery Richamond Concord (2nd Floor) 68, Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan-1 I Bow My Head to You in Deep Obeisance By Shahid Kabir Time: 12pm 8pm Bengal Shilpalaya, House 42 Road 16 (New) / 27 (old) Dhanmondi
Partha with Marceau mime artist and asked me to meet him at his office. On the brochure he wrote something in French and gave his autograph. I felt like all my dreams have already become true. But, a lot more was waiting for me. One fine day, all dressed up with exhilaration like never before, I managed to reach his place. First day he asked me to show some basic movements of mime, and with extreme nervousness I could manage to show those. He appreciated it, and gradually he started to give me special attention as I had shown my ultimate respect and dedication to him, he added. A nostalgic Partha said: He trusted me so much that several times, he asked me to take care of his money bag. I was always welcome at his home. I cannot count how many nights I stayed there. Even when he was seriously ill and was admitted in a hospital, I was the only person Marceau wanted to have as company. Marcel Marceau is my idol, my mentor and my guru who made me what I am today. I got many awards and recognition in my life but the best thing I got in life is that I could mingle with such a great artist who called me his son. These days, the Bangladeshi born Master of Mime is reigning in Europe, however, his heart seems to have never left his beloved country. The mime artist hopes to develop an institute in Dhaka to train up professional mime artistes. l
ON TV
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2:30pm Comedy Central
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10:30am TLC 6:30pm AXN
The Voice Obsession: Dark Desires
Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
13
14 Serena,
15 Du Plessis
counting on momentum
The India and Pakistan cricket teams line up before the start of their ICC World Twenty20 tournament Group 2 cricket match at The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday
A contest to savour
The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry has always been something cricket fans, regardless of nationality, can enjoy. Even the match between these two sides played at a neutral venue like Bangladesh has fans going crazy and sometimes, it goes past the madness of the Indian and Pakistani fans. One can ask why the craze of an Indo-Pak match in a country like Bangladesh, who are now one of the Test playing nations, is so intense. The answer would be the heritage and history between these two countries, which is somehow connected to Bangladesh, and the madness about the two nations rivalry was one of the most interesting battles even before Bangladesh started playing international cricket. Yesterdays curtain raiser of the World T20 Championship was something a cricket fan would dream of because an India- Pakistan match as the opening game of a tournament in a cricket loving country is something special. Around 25,000 were at the Sher-eBangla National Stadium to witness the epic battle while millions all over the world watched it on TV and cheered for their favorite side. Abdul Hamid, who is a middle aged service holder, planned to witness the match between India-Pakistan almost two months earlier as he is a big fan of MS Dhoni and the Indian team. He said that he wants to be a part of history, witnessing the match of these two side from the stadium. You never get the opportunity to witness a cricket match between India and Pakistan in Bangladesh and more importantly in the World Cup. I have planned to watch the match almost two months back and luckily I managed the ticket and here I am watching my hero Dhoni right in front of my eyes, he said. However, to witness a cricket battle between India and Pakistan one really does not need to be a fan of either side. It is the intensity and the competitiveness of the contest that for almost two decades enthralls cricket fans. Afzal Ahmed, a businessman who is naturally a big fan of the Bangladesh
AFP
cricket team, went to witness the IndiaPakistan match yesterday. He informed that an Indo-Pak cricket match is like a Brazil- Argentina football match and if it is a World Cup match, it just adds the cherry on the top for a sports fan. From my heart, I will always support Bangladesh whoever we play against but as a sports lover I also want to watch an India- Pakistan match and if it is on a platform like World Cup which we are hosting then why should I miss the battle? Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I am a huge fan of Shahid Afridi, he said. There is no doubt that an IndiaPakistan match will always get the centre of attraction even if it is played at a neutral venue. The intensity and the crowd will always remain the same. l
COLOURFUL SBNS
LED WICKETS
Forthe first time in the ICC World T20, proper Ledwickets were in used in the India-Pakistan match yesterday. Created by South Australian manufacturer Zing International, the wickets will be called Zing Wicket System. The Zing wickets will come fitted with LED. The bails will also have an in-built sensor than can determine if a wicket is broken, in just 1/1000 of a second. The wickets illuminated on a number of occasions yesterday.
SPIDER CAM
The spider cam roamed all over the field and in all angles as per the control of the producer but once it came down so low that it was thought that it might have been hit by the ball. Pulled by strings attached in the four corners of the field, the spider cam caught the views all over the pitch.
The afternoon game at ZACS will see two top teams of different formats of cricket battle for a good start to the multi-nation event. South Asian giants Sri Lanka are the likely favorites in the game against an injury-hit South Africa side for the reason that it had spent a little more than a month in Bangladesh and that the host country has a good fan base to support their back. The Lankans according to their captain Dinesh Chandimal will eye to trap South Africa with the spin attack led by Ajantha Mendis, Sachithra Sennanayeka and Rangana Herath, who is said to have good plans in the game against the Proteas batting. However
Taking the recent results in the Twenty20 format, England will be going into the game against New Zealand without much to boost. The side lost both the warm-up game after the bowling department failed to restrict India with a below par score and then in the second game, failed to defend the score against West Indies. And today, the English bowling will be challenged. England have only won one off the last eight Twenty20 Internationals and with group games against Sri Lanka
14
Chelseas Torres hints at Atletico return
Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has potentially opened the door on a return to Atletico Madrid after expressing an interest in working under former teammate Diego Simeone. In football, you never know, he told the Friday editions of several British newspapers. You dont know where you are going to be tomorrow, in a weeks time, or in 10 years time. Ive had a lot of admiration for Cholo (Simeone), ever since we were team-mates. He taught me a lot in the seasons we played together at Atleti. AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
RESULTS
Anzhi (RUS) Benfica (POR)
0 0 AZ Alkmaar (NED) 2 2
Tottenham (ENG)
Valencia (ESP)
1 0
Razgrad (BUL)
Pilsen (CZE)
2 1
Lyon (FRA)
Fiorentina (ITA)
0 1 2 2 1 2
Juventus (ITA)
Pirlo 71
Napoli (ITA)
FC Porto (POR)
Pandev 21, Ghilas 69, Zapata 90+2 Quaresma 76 FC Porto win 3 2 on aggregate
Salzburg (AUT)
FC Basel (SUI)
0 2
Sevilla
Juventus' Andrea Pirlo (R) celebrates after scoring against Fiorentina during their Europa League round of 16 second leg match at Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence on Thursday
REUTERS
UCL DRAW
Barcelona Real Madrid PSG Man United v v v v Atletico Madrid Dortmund Chelsea Bayern Munich
Jose Mourinhos Chelsea, bankrolled by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, take on Paris St Germain who have become a force with Qatari finance. The Portuguese two-time European
champion has never lost at the quarterfinal stages. And his first Champions League game with Chelsea was in a 3-0 win over Paris St Germain in 2004. The two teams drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in the return. Paris again host the first leg. Getting the return leg is a small advantage for Chelsea so we will have to make the difference at home, said Paris coach Laurent Blanc. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes said the first leg could be decisive. We need to not concede at home to be able to have a better chance in the second leg, he told a press conference. They are a team that presses with an intensity in the same style as their coach and I compliment everything that they are doing. added Valdes. l
EUROPA DRAW
Alkmaar (NED) Lyon (FRA) Basel (SUI) Porto (POR) v v v v Benfica (POR) Juventus (ITA) Valencia (ESP) Sevilla (ESP)
the continents second-tier tournament, following the draw at Nyon, Switzerland on Friday. With the final to be played at Juves Turin stadium, the Italian club will be
confident of seeing off Lyon, one of three sides in the quarter-finals yet to win a major UEFA club trophy along with AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands and Swiss club Basel. Were proud to be the only Italian team, said Pavel Nedved, the former Czech playmaker who is now on Juves board. Its a tough draw and theres a long way to go to reach the final in Turin. AZ were drawn against Benfica, last seasons finalists who saw off Tottenham in the round-of-16. Basel will play Valencia, with another La Liga club Sevilla up against Porto, with first leg matches slated for April 3 and the return legs a week later. l
Colombian singer Shakira and Barcelona's football player Gerard Pique (L) pose during a photocall presenting her new album "Shakira" in Barcelona on Thursday REUTERS
Serena Williams celebrates winning the first set against Shvedova during their match on day 4 of the Sony Open in Key Biscayne, Florida on Thursday AFP
FIXTURES
Cardiff City Chelsea Everton Hull City Man City Newcastle Norwich City West Ham v v v v v v v v Liverpool Arsenal Swansea City West Brom Fulham Crystal Palace Sunderland Man United
FIXTURES
Schalke 04 VfB Stuttgart Hanover 96 VfL Wolfsburg Mainz 05 M'gladbach v v v v v v Braunschweig Hamburg Dortmund Augsburg Bayern Munich Hertha Berlin
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
15
Ireland v Netherlands
BRIEF SCORES
Ireland 189 4 in 20 overs A. Poynter 57, W. Porterfield 47, K. OBrien 42 not out; Ahsan Malik 2 26 Netherlands 193 4 in 13.5 overs S. Myburgh 63, T. Cooper 45, A. Barresi 40 not out The Netherlands win by six wickets UAE v Zimbabwe UAE 116 9 Swapnil Patil 30, Khurran Khan 26; S. Williams 3 15 Zimbabwe 118 5 in 13.4 overs E. Chigumbura 56 not out; M. Guruge 2 18 Zimbabwe win by five wickets
DUTCH DELIGHT
Netherlands' players celebrate their win against Ireland during the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match in Sylhet International Stadium yesterday AP
year or so. So we have got used to playing without them. Where as in the Test arena it is pretty new for that team and it might take some time to get used to the fact of them not being there. They have got a big role in South African
DAYS WATCH
Sony Six NBA 2013 14 5:30AM Miami v Memphis 8:00AM Sacramento v San Antonio BTV, Gazi TV, Maasranga TV Star Sports 1, HD1 ICC World T20 3:30PM Sri Lanka v South Africa 7:30PM England v New Zealand Star Sports 4 English Premier League 6:30PM Chelsea v Arsenal 9:00PM Cardiff City v Liverpool 11:30PM West Ham v Man Utd 3:00AM Sony Open Tennis, Miami Star Sports 2 English Premier League 9:00PM Man City v Fulham Italian Serie A 1:45PM Chievo Verona v AS Roma Star Sports HD2 English Premier League 9:00PM Everton v Swansea City Star Sports 1 La Liga 1:00AM Real Valladolid v Rayo Vallecano 3:00AM Athletic Bilbao v Getafe Ten Sports 08:25 PM MOTO GP 2014 Qualifying- Qatar Ten Action French Ligue 1 2013/14 10:00PM Olympic Marseille v Stade Rennais 1:00AM Bordeaux v OGC Nice
BRIEF SCORE
Bangladesh 85 for 8 in 20 overs Fargana 21, Shaila 21; M Kapp 1 14 V Neikerk 1 6) South Africa 88 for 2 in 15.3 overs L Lee 50; Rumana 1 22, Khadija 1 16 South Africa Women won by 8 wickets
New Zealand cricketers play a warm up game during a training session of the ICC World Twenty20 tournament at The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday AFP
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Agriculture was noted as the largest user of water at the global level, accounting for 70% of total withdrawal as irrigation
The observations were made at the United Nations World Water Development Report 2014, which was unveiled yesterday at United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan, marking the World Water Day 2014. The 2014 World Water Development Report highlighted the interdependence between the management of water and energy, which calls for vastly improved cooperation between these sectors as there will be no sustainable development without better access to water and energy for all, said Irina Bokova, director general of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). The report also cited that around 768 million people in the world had no
A group of children with Down syndrome take part in a dance performance at a programme marking the World Down Syndrome Day in front of the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital at Jigatola in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE
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