A NEWS BLOG: June 2015

Friday 26 June 2015

College admission results to be published a day later, ‘unavoidable circumstances’ cited

Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com

Published: 2015-06-26 18:07:24 BdST

The government has stalled by 24 hours the announcement of the first merit list for college admissions.

The website www.xiclassadmission.gov.bd cited ‘unavoidable circumstances’ for not publishing admission results for 2015-16 education year just yet.
It also said the results will be available from 11:30pm on June 26 instead of June 25. Alongside the central site, they would be available on the sites of the various education boards.
Dhaka Board’s college inspector Ashfaqus Salehin had earlier told bdnews24.com the results could be published anytime on Thursday.
For the last few years, college admissions have been based on secondary results. Dhaka Board, in a statement said students in the first merit list would be able to get admission to colleges between June 27 and 30, without paying any late fee.
A second merit list will be published on July 2, based on the seats remaining in colleges after the first lot of admissions.
Students were given the scope to apply for admissions from June 6-21. Those who missed the scope would be allowed to apply from July 9-11. The results would be published on July 12.
In the results of the Secondary School Certificate and similar exams published on May 30, 87.4 percent of the examinees passed. Along with them, students who passed the secondary exams in 2013 and 2014 would also be eligible to apply for college admission.
Classes will start from July 1 and the practicals will begin from Aug 1.

Supreme Court judges can use the prefix ‘Justice’ on their national identity cards

Moinul Haque Chowdhury, bdnews24.com

Published: 2015-06-26 15:26:53 BdST

Election Commission is correcting the National Identity Cards of three citizens to introduce ‘Justice’ as a title for the first time in line with a High Court decision.

The applications by High Court Justices Naima Haider and Mirza Hussain Haider, and that of his wife to change their names to include the title were approved by the EC on Wednesday.
Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak told bdnews24.com: “We record data of their profession, titles during voter registration. But they are not shown on the ID cards.”
Only Supreme Court judges and former judges will be eligible to use the title on their NIDs, according to the verdict that resulted from a 2011 plea.
“We are bound legally to include the title as the High Court verdict instructs us to use the prefix Justice in front of the names of all sitting and retired judges of Appellate Division and High Court Division.”
However, the election commissioner added there is no scope to add professional prefixes in the national IDs following the 2013 amendment to the law.
‘Name’ has been defined to be as mentioned in the applicants birth certificate or primary school certificate or junior school certificate or secondary school certificate or similar examination certificates.
“However, the definition will not be applicable for names included in the voters’ list before its addition to the law.”
Petitioner Advocate Manzill Murshid told bdnews24.com the court on Jun 16, 2011 gave a rule nisi to include the prefix in front of the names of the judges. On Jan 16, 2012, it was declared rule absolute.
“The petition was filed considering the status of the Supreme Court judges who are holding a constitutional post. The Justice prefix is included in front of their names in their passport and all other places. Considering that, the ruling instructed for including the prefix in their national ID cards.”
Three months back, Justices Naima Haider and Mirza Hussain Haider submitted an application to have their National ID cards revised along with a copy of the verdict and order, and their passports.
Wife of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider, Sadia Raushon Jahan Haider, also applied for revision, seeking inclusion of the prefix in front of her husband’s name in her national ID card.
EC’s legal wing Joint Secretary Md Shahjahan said, “There was no legal bar to include titles in names when the order was given. So the order is being implemented. So not only these three, all the Justices can revise their national IDs adding the prefix before their names.”
Director General Sultanazzuman Md Saled Uddin, who heads the national ID registration division, told bdnews24.com the scope to add professional prefix with names is applicable for only the Supreme Court judges and not the others.
“The certificate will carry the name at birth. Professional titles come in later. Titles or profession cannot be part of the name.
“The professional identity is there in the archives and will be tagged with the national ID number and bar code. It won’t be visible on the card.”
The NID DG added if everyone were to be given the facility, the law would have to be amended again.

Explosion, decapitated head at French industrial site: Media

Published: 2015-06-26 15:45:36 BdST

Unknown persons rammed a car into the premises of a US gas company in southeast France on Friday, exploding gas containers in an apparent attack which bore the hallmarks of Islamist militants and left one dead and several wounded, police sources and French media said.

The anti-terrorist police branch was deployed to investigate the attack. A probe has been opened for murder and attempted murder in an organised group in relation to terrorism, the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement.
French media said a decapitated head was found at the site, along with a flag bearing Islamist inscriptions. A police source said he could not confirm the decapitation but said it look as if it was the case. One suspect had been arrested, a local official told BFMTV television.

If confirmed as an attack, it would be the second major such incident in France this year, coming after Islamist gunmen killed 17 people in January in attacks on the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly and a Jewish food store.

The site belonged to Air Products, a US-based industrial gases technology company, according to a spokeswoman for Air Liquides, a French company in the same sector.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was heading to the site in the town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, around 30 km (20 miles) southeast of the city of Lyon.

Local newspaper Le Dauphine said a severed head was found stuck on the site's wire fence. The paper also reported that the attackers forced their way on to the grounds of the company shortly before 10 am (0800 GMT) and spun around trying to hit gas containers.

It also said the head was also covered in Arabic writing. One suspect had been arrested and was already known to French intelligence sources, one of the sources said.

BGB Nayek Razzak being moved to Dhaka, will receive medical care in Peelkhana

Cox’s Bazar Correspondent, bdnews24.com

Published: 2015-06-26 15:24:43 BdST

BGB Nayek Abdur Razzak, who was returned by Myanmar eight days after his abduction by their border forces, is being moved to Dhaka for treatment.

Commander of the Teknaf Battalion, Lt Col Abu Jar Al Jahid, said an ambulance carrying the border guard had set off for Dhaka. “Razzak will be treated in our hospital at Peelkhana.”

The BGB man was abducted by Myanmar’s Border Guard Police on June 17 following a shoot out on Naf River amidst the tension over Rohingyas. Another BGB soldier, Biplob Kuman, was shot.

He was handed over to the BGB on Thursday following a flag meeting in Maungdaw after nearly a week’s delay.

Razzak was taken to the Teknaf headquarters and told journalists before getting on to the car, “I am doing well.”

However, when asked about the cuts on his nose, Razzak said that happened when he was being taken.

Razzak did not clarify whether he was tortured while being detained in Myanmar. No official statement on the matter came from BGB.

Myanmar initially demanded Bangladesh take in 555 migrants, who were recovered from the Andaman Sea by their navy. However, BGB Director General Aziz Ahmed said the BGB man was finally released ‘unconditionally’.

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Mustafiz, a baby-faced killer

Bishwajit Roy

A wonder boy! A surprise! The feeling is yet to sink in.
The selectors spotted his talent early and did not hesitate to bring him in the senior fold. The team management then trusted his abilities. What happened next is now a fairytale. Captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said that what 19-year-old Mustafizur Rahman had done against India was beyond his imagination. Chief selector Faruque Ahmed said: "He [Mustafizur] surprised us all."
The baby-faced Mustafizur is now the most lovable cricketing hero in the country. People's interest in him seems to have no limits.
Everybody now knows that how shy the charming left-arm pacer is when it comes to saying something in public. But still, already a lot has been revealed about his background. But fans want to know more and more about the recipe that made him such a crafty bowler.
"He may be shy when it comes to talking in the public but he is a cricket smart," a simple but very interesting observation came from Mustafizur's long-time roommate Nihaduzzaman, a left-arm spinner who is now in the High Performance unit.
What is cricket smart? Nihaduzzaman went on: "From many instances I want to give you one example which will make you understand this. It was an Under-19 Asia Cup match against Afghanistan in Dubai in December 2013. We had a very small total on the board. There was grass in the pitch and the team needed some economy bowling from its main pacer Mustafizur. He has great strength in slower and yorker deliveries but on that pitch he only swung the ball and finished with 2 for 19 in 9.4 overs. He himself kept those stock balls in reserve, nobody told him."
"Generally he is simple but his cricket sense is unbelievable. I can still remember the way he bamboozled New Zealand in the Under-19 World Cup with his cutter and yorker. There was nothing for me to say him anything as a captain," added Mustafizur's under-19 skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz. "I first encountered him in Khulna in 2011 when he was quick but an erratic under-16 divisional pace bowler. I found him a different bowler in the under-19 team after his stint with the pacer hunt programme. The world only has seen his cutters, but you don't know that he can bowl seven yorkers out of ten deliveries," continued Miraz.

Nihaduzzaman however found another great quality in his character which is his honesty. "He is very straightforward. He is very clear about what he can do and he cannot. He doesn't like to hide anything. As a roommate since 2012 I can say you that honesty is the biggest strength in his character."
Again he gave examples in support of his claim. "During a fielding session in the under-19 camp our fielding coach had been trying him to do the sliding and suddenly he received an injury during the practice and when he came back after four days' rest he clearly said that he was unable to slide and did not want to risk his knee. Another instance was in England where he felt a pain in his leg after two deliveries and immediately without hiding the fact he said that it would not be possible for him to continue the tour. He went back home and finally a bad type of injury was diagnosed."
Miraz and Nihaduzzaman spoke of another quality in his character by saying that the word fear didn't exist in his dictionary. And that might be the reason why a newcomer like him coming in to bowl against one of the world's strongest batting line-up showed no signs of nerve.
Now the expectation is that he will serve the country for long. He needs to improve his muscle as well as increase the pace to become a lethal pace bowler in world cricket, but most importantly he needs to cope up with the sudden name and fame.
Faruque has the faith in the young man. "He is a very level-headed guy, so I believe he will be our long-term asset but we need to nurse him properly."
Finally one can be hopeful by the words from Nihaduzzaman. "This [Monday] morning he rang me and said, 'dost [friend], kemon achis [how are you]'. I congratulated him on his performance. But he was not ready for these accolades. He said, 'Forget this performance, pray for me so that I can have another good performance in the next game."

Rafiur Rabbi jailed for cheque fraudulence

A Narayanganj court jail Rafiur Rabbi for one year and fine him Tk 2.10 crore in a case filed for cheque fraudulence. Photo: Star

Star Online Report

A Narayanganj court today sentenced Rafiur Rabbi, convener of Santrash Nirmul Mancha, to one year’s imprisonment and fined him Tk 2.10 crore in a case filed for cheque fraudulence.
After delivering the judgement, Judge Mamunur Rashid of Narayanganj Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court issued arrest warrant against Rabbi as he was shown fugitive in the case.
A businessman, Jalal Uddin, filed the case accusing him of cheating over two cheques worth of Tk 25 lakh and Tk 30 lakh in April, 2012, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.
Rabbi is the father of Tanwir Muhammed Taqi who was killed by miscreants on March 8, 2013.

Bangladesh thrive on captain Mashrafe

Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza gestures during a practice session at The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on June 23, 2015. Photo: AFP

Shaquib Tayeem Ahmed

Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s leadership qualities came to the fore from last November, and saw his team win 10 matches at home on the trot either side of a successful World Cup campaign.
Mashrafe uses his cricketing brain to stay a step ahead of the game, reading the situation correctly more often than not.
As Bangladesh’s ODI captain, Mashrafe played 21 matches so far. He won 15 games and lost 6. His winning percentage of 71.42 is the best among all former Bangladeshi captains.
During the second game against India, Mashrafe took a gamble and bowled Nasir Hossain as an attacking off-spinner. The move paid off brilliantly.
Nasir took the crucial wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli in his opening spell and gave away only 33 runs in ten, tight overs.
Mashrafe was aware of India’s recent problems with off-spinners, particularly against Moeen Ali in England and Nathan Lyon in Australia.
"Actually before the India series I saw a statistic that in the last year they have been weak against offspinners," Mashrafe said.

"They have given most of their wicket to offspinners. So from that aspect, I think Nasir is one of the best offspinners for Bangladesh in ODIs. I had only one offspinner in my hand and I wanted to use him." Bangladesh skipper added.

Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain speaks to the press before the much-anticipated game on June 24, 2015 against India at Mirpur. Photo: STAR

Mashrafe said that contributing with the ball has helped Nasir build his confidence as a batsman too.
"Even in the World Cup he bowled well and I like that he believes that he can bowl 10 overs.”
“At this moment I believe that he is doing well with the bat. In the last match he came down the track and hit a six. That is good intent," Mashrafe said to the press.
Under Mashrafe’s leadership, Bangladesh has been playing a fearless brand of cricket of late and can fight back even when the chips are down.
Whenever India seemed to have the upper hand during the two games of the series, Bangladesh found a way to counter their threat and be on top.
"I think the boys are playing fearless cricket," Mashrafe said.
"This is the significant change. The boys are not scared to play shots. They are not scared to put the slips on so I think that sort of cricket has changed. Cricket is all about mind games. I think we are all playing good cricket at the moment, especially with our head in the right place."

Bangladesh vs India (3rd ODI) India score 317 runs after losing six wickets in 50 overs

Bangladesh cricketers celebrate the fall of wicket during the 3rd ODI match of the series against India at Mirpur. Photo: AFP

Star Online Report

Mustafizur equaled the most wickets taken in a 3-match ODI series when he beat Suresh Raina all ends up to hit the stumps.
Mustafizur has 13 wickets, just as Ryan Harris of Australia picked up against Pakistan in 2010.
Raina played a timely cameo, and helped India cross 300 with some big hitting.
The Chennai Superkings superstar smashed 38 runs from 21 balls (3 4s, 3 6s).

BANGLADESH vs INDIA (3rd ODI)

India: 317/6 (50.0 over)

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field

Mustafizur Rahman held on to a difficult catch in the outfield to give Mashrafe his third wicket of the contest.
More importantly, Mashrafe sent back Indian captain MS Dhoni when he looking to break free and score quick runs.

Dhoni held the Indian innings together with solid batting and occasional risk-taking during his stay at the crease.
He top-scored with 69 runs from 77 balls, with six 4s and a massive six to his name.
Mashrafe Mortaza captured his second wicket of the day when India’s Ambati Rayudu was caught behind for 44 runs.
Rayudu contributed considerably in the 93-run partnership with his captain MS Dhoni, played 49 balls in his innings and struck three boundaries as well.
Indian captain MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu kept the ones and twos going regularly while dispatching the odd loose ball to the boundary.
They brought up the their 50-run partnership in the 38 th over of the match.
Bangladesh captain struck against the run of play when he captured the prized wicket of Shikhar Dhawan after the Indian opener looked good for a huge score.
Nasir Hossain pulled off a stunning catch at midwicket when he plucked the ball from thin air, similar to his Rahane catch in the first game.
Shikhar had batted for 73 balls, scored 75 runs with ten boundaries to his name. He kept the score-board moving at a rapid pace for India.
Shakib Al Hasan broke the Dhawan-Kohli resistance when Virat’s slog sweep failed to connect the ball while his furniture was disturbed.
The Indian partnership yielded 75 runs, and consolidated the innings after the fall of the first wicket.
Virat Kohli scored 25 from 35 balls, with a solitary boundary during his stay at the crease.
Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli settled down after the early bite of the new ball disappeared, and played risk-free cricket to bring up their 50-stand for the 2nd wicket.
Mustafizur Rahman was the first bowler to strike when he dismissed Rohit Sharma after the opener had settled down at the crease.
Rohit scored 29 runs from 29 balls, with two 4s and a huge six in his knock.
Bangladesh’s newest bowling sensation kept the ball up most of the time and induced the Indian opener to play a loose stroke to a wide, length ball.
Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were watchful to begin with, while the muggy conditions at Mirpur looked relatively ideal for swing bowling.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza was a touch too short for his liking, while Mustafizur Rahman was impeccable with his line and length.
Earlier, Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss and decided to bowl first in the third game of the 3-match series against India at Mirpur Stadium.

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza decides to bowl first after winning the toss with good chances of rain in the evening in the 3rd game of the series against India at Mirpur. Photo: STAR

Pride at stake for India today, a loss would seal their fate as the latest Banglawash victim after Pakistan for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh captain has already won his 3rd ODI series at home, and felt upbeat about doing the job on June 24, 2015 as well.
Victory for Tigers will give them 11 th consecutive home wins, equaling Australia and West Indies.
Cracks visible. Pitch dry. Looks like a good day for spinners.
Can Bangladesh complete the clean sweep today?
Only time will tell.
Bangladesh Squad
Mashrafe Mortaza (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Arafat Sunny, Jubair Hossain, Litton Das (Wicketkeeper), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicketkeeper), Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal and Taskin Ahmed
India Squad
MS Dhoni (Captain, Wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, STR Binny, S Dhawan, RA Jadeja, V Kohli, DS Kulkarni, B Kumar, AR Patel, AM Rahane, SK Raina, AT Rayudu, MM Sharma, RG Sharma and UT Yadav

HC didn’t apply judicial mind in acquitting Maya: SC

Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya

Star Online Report

The Supreme Court has observed that the High Court has not at all applied its judicial mind in acquitting Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya of the corruption charges brought against him.
“It (High Court) did not at all assess the evidence on record although the special judge on assessment of the evidence convicted the respondent (Maya),” a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha said in its full judgment.
Other two judges of the bench are: Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.
The SC, which had delivered the short verdict on June 14, today released its two-page full text saying that “the High Court Division shall dispose of the appeal on merit”.
The appeal was filed by Maya with the HC on May 25, 2009, challenging the special court’s verdict that on February 14, 2008, convicted him (Maya) and sentenced him to 13 years in jail, fined him Tk 5 crore, and ordered confiscation of about Tk 6 crore of his “ill-gotten” wealth .
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case against Maya, also ruling Awami League leader, with Sutrapur Police Station on June 13, 2007.
The case was filed when the army-backed caretaker government was in power and conducting a drive against corruption of high-profile politicians and businesspeople.

Maya, who was on the run during the trial, did not stand in the 2008 parliamentary elections. He returned home after his party came to power.
Following his appeal, the HC bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Gobinda Chantra Tagore on October 27, 2010 scrapped the lower court judgment and acquitted Maya of the corruption case.
The ACC in 2011 appealed to the Supreme Court to scrap the HC's verdict.
Following the ACC’s appeal the Appellate Division on June 14 scrapped the HC verdict and sent the appeal of Maya to the HC for its rehearing and fresh disposal.

Rajinikanths wife Latha denies being loan guarantor

Dhaka times Desk

Dhaka: Superstar Rajinikanth’s wife, Latha, today denied of being a guarantor for any loan as alleged by a Bengaluru-based firm and threatened ‘serious’ legal action against its owners for filing a police complaint against her.

Ad Bureau Advertising Pvt. Ltd., represented by its Managing Director Abhirchand Nahar, had filed the complaint ‘falsely alleging’ that she had stood as guarantor for a loan of Rs 14.9 crore to the producer of her husband-starrer ‘Kochadaiyaan’, a statement from her office said.

It said the company had filed a ‘false private complaint’ that only Rs 8.70 crore had been returned and that with an intention to evade payment, she had approached a Bengaluru court seeking injunction order with ‘fabricated documents.’

“Latha Rajinikanth has not stood as guarantor for any loans as has been alleged,” it said adding that the owners of Ad Bureau Advertising Pvt. Ltd., Nahar and his wife Chanchal, had “laid criminal pressure” upon Rajinikanth a year ago to make ‘wrongful gains.’

When she did not budge to the ‘illegal demand’ of taking the responsibility of recovery, further pressure was brought by way of ‘spiteful media campaigns’ and threats that they would go on a ‘character-assassination spree’ against her and her family “if she did not interfere immediately in the matter and ensured settlement of a so-called loan,” it said.

Meanwhile, she obtained a court order, restraining the media from publishing news about the dispute, but “false allegations of calling the relied documents as forged ones were made before the court and the same were thrown off,” it said.

“The act of Abirchand Nahar and his wife Chanchal of the said M/S Ad Bureau Advertising Pvt. Ltd. is entirely false, fraudulent, contemptuous, extortious and criminally ill intended. Latha Rajinikanth will be initiating serious legal action — both civil and criminal — in order to get them punished in accordance with law and for damages,” the statement said.

An FIR was lodged in Bengaluru after Ad Bureau had filed a complaint on June 9, alleging that Latha had produced fake documents in the court to defraud and illegally sell the rights of the film to an entertainment company.

- See more at: http://www.dhakatimes24.com/2015/06/16/70288/Rajinikanths-wife-Latha-denies-being-loan-guarantor#sthash.e8bHFGwN.dpuf

Dhaka times Desk

- See more at: http://www.dhakatimes24.com/2015/06/16/70288/Rajinikanths-wife-Latha-denies-being-loan-guarantor#sthash.e8bHFGwN.dpuf

Rajinikanths wife Latha denies being loan guarantor

Dhaka times Desk

- See more at: http://www.dhakatimes24.com/2015/06/16/70288/Rajinikanths-wife-Latha-denies-being-loan-guarantor#sthash.e8bHFGwN.dpuf

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Saturday 20 June 2015

Two-thirds of Dhaka Wasa area lacks drainage

Behind Waterlogging in Dhaka

Poor planning, filling up of canals aggravate situation every monsoon

Tawfique Ali

Life in Dhaka city virtually comes to a standstill every time there is a monsoon rain. Many areas go under water due to scanty storm drainage system and the indiscriminate filling up of water retention areas by private and government entities over the years.
Shantinagar, Khilgaon, Bashabo, Malibagh, Shantibagh, Rajarbagh, Mughdah, Mohammadpur, Badda and different parts of Old Dhaka are among the areas that experience the worst of waterlogging after a shower.
Just a third of the 360-square kilometre Wasa service area is covered by storm-water drainage system. The Dhaka master plan area, however, is 1,528 sq km, officials said.
Wasa has a storm-water drainage system master plan for the capital, but its implementation will depend on the availability of funds, they added.
Canals, rivers and water retention areas collect, carry and retain rainwater and are connected with each other as a drainage network. But in recent decades, the city canals have either been grabbed or turned into box culverts for road construction, said Khondaker M Ansar Hossain, an urban planner who worked as a technical expert on Detailed Area Plan (DAP) for Dhaka.
The government had ignored repeated warnings of experts not to allow water retention areas and flood flow zones to be used for housing estates in the DAP, he said.
Open space and water bodies help evaporate a third of the rainwater, percolate another third while leaving the rest to run down to retention areas, Ansar said. But in the absence of those, water gets stuck on the city roads and takes hours to recede even after a light rain.

City dwellers are left to suffer for hours and sometimes days from almost stagnant water filled with filth. Traffic becomes a nightmare with vehicles breaking down in the water.
According to the Flood Action Plan and DAP, the city should have conserved 5,523 acres of water retention area (which is only 1.57 percent of the 1,528sqkm of Dhaka's master plan), 20,093 acres of canals and rivers (5.7 percent) and 74,598 acres (21 percent) flood flow zones.
“Since DAP gazette notification in mid-2010, nearly all of the conservable wetlands have been filled up with silent government approbation,” Ansar said.
He said designated water retention areas on the eastern fringe (like east of Santarkul near the Balu river) have been filled up by private housing developers, in Uttara third phase housing scheme by Rajuk and private developers, and in Mohammadpur by private developers.
In the name of development that was ill-planned and insensitive to the environment, the ponds, ditches, playgrounds, parks, water retention areas, flood flow zones and dozens of canals, which used to work as natural storm-water drainage system connecting the four Dhaka rivers, have been ruined.
Ishrat Islam, professor and head of the urban and regional planning department at Buet, echoed Ansar's view and said rainwater stagnation was increasing due to indiscriminate urbanisation.
She said the artificial storm-water drainage system was not only meagre, it remained clogged with solid wastes reducing its functionality and aggravating the waterlogging situation.
According to Taqsem A Khan, managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), filling up of floodplains, wetlands and most of the 65 canals in Dhaka was the main reason for waterlogging.
Wasa maintains 320km of large-diameter concrete storm-water drains, 10kms of box culverts over canals and 65km of canals for the city's storm-water drainage management. This covers only a third of its area, said Taqsem.
KS Ching, superintendent engineer of Wasa drainage department, said they managed 26 city canals for storm-water drainage but most of those remained clogged with solid wastes of households and commercial establishments.
The areas, where there is no formal storm-water drainage system, have to depend on natural systems like canals and wetlands. Severe stagnation would be inevitable if those canals and low-lying wetlands are filled up, he said.
Wasa in 2012 installed large diameter storm-water drainage lines only in some parts of Gulshan, Dhanmondi, Mirpur Darussalam Road and Uttara.
Wasa superintendent engineer Akhtaruzzaman, who was the project director of the Tk 47-crore scheme for Gulshan, said it was a piecemeal measure and had not ensured complete storm-water drainage.
At present, a rainfall above 40mm in Dhaka would take at least three hours to recede, as the available system is capable of draining water of only 20mm of rainfall without causing too much public suffering, he said.
The city corporation authorities have to ensure that before monsoon their roadside drains are clear, including the water catch pit of storm-water drains, Akhtaruzzaman added.
Sirajul Islam, chief town planner of Dhaka South City Corporation, said the north and the south city corporations maintained over 2,000km feeder drains (open and small diameter pipes) to drain water from homes and rainwater and take them to canals and wide diameter (Wasa) storm sewer system.
Since population density is very high and the drainage capacity poor, rainwater takes hours to recede, he said.

Road network, infrastructure under focus in 2015-16 budget

Shaer Reaz

When announcing the budget for fiscal year 2015-16, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, aside from announcing an ambitious 7.3 percent GDP growth target, thankfully kept the import duty on motor vehicles as is from last year.
The focus of the budget has shifted to the development of the transport sector and easing traffic congestion. The budget allocation for the transport sector in 2014-15 was 6864 crore taka. That figure for 2015-16 has thankfully gone up to 7912 crore taka. Alongside the completion of ongoing development projects, the proposed budget has no allocation for the building of new roads, instead, the primary focus of the Roads and Highways Ministry will be in ensuring maintenance and expansion of the existing road network, much of which is in shambles at present.
Another issue the budget puts focus on is the easing of traffic congestion in the cities. Public transport will play a major role in that, with funds allocated for more double decker and articulated buses procured by the BRTC. The finance minister also suggested a separate body coordinating traffic management in the capital city.
The highlight of the projects underway to reduce congestion and improve mobility would have to be the Metro Rail project. A defining characteristic of mega-cities abroad, an effective metro system is just what Dhaka needs to ease the load on the roads. Expected date of completion is 2019.
Aside from the transport sector, the finance minister shone a positive light on new industrial undertaking, granting a tax holiday for local manufacturers. With Proton-PHP entering the newly minted automobile manufacturing sector in Bangladesh, this is undoubtedly good news.
The only downside to what seems to be a great budget with regards to the transport sector is the supplementary duty placed on imported car tyres, up to 20% from the existing 0%. While the move is mainly protectionist considering the growing local tyre manufacturers, it's a blow to consumers, who will likely give locally made tyres a wide berth due to their low-quality and safety standards compared to foreign brands.
All in all, the 2015-16 budget should be great for the transport and automotive sector, providing the essential breathing space for importers and car owners. Or it would be great if proposed policy can be implemented effectively, so fingers crossed.

Sunny Leone’s ‘Mastizaade’ faces Censor rejection, moves Appellate Tribunal

Sunny Leone, a former adult film star is accused of circulating obscene content on the Internet - a crime that carries a punishment of up to five years in jail. Photo taken from wallpapers111.com

Star Online Report

Indian Censor Board is unhappy with the subject of Mastizaade starring Sunny Leone which was slated for release in May and has been facing censor’s wrath since then, reports The Indian Express.
Filled with sexual innuendos, Mastizaade was supposed to be one of the most unabashed sex comedies of the year.
Mastizaade is currently waiting for certification from the Censor Board which resulted in the delay of the release. And later, the board refused to certify the film because of too much sexual content.
Furthermore, the film was sent to the Revising Committee for a change in the decision but faced the same fate once again since the committee too found the content too bold for viewing.
And hence, the makers of the film have now decided to approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal.
One of the female members of the board had decided to pass the film with an ‘A’ certificate along with a few cuts but her decision, it seems, was not taken into consideration.
Moreover, it is being said that Pahlaj Nihalani had told I&B Ministry that the decision for the film was taken by Nandini Sardesai, a member of RC.

However, Pritish Nandy is apparently not convinced with the same since according to him, Nandini Sardesai was not present during either of the screening.
As of now, the decision over Mastizaade, directed by Milap Zaveri, starring Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das in the lead, is still pending, awaiting a reply from the Tribunal.

Kim Kardashian’s selfie pose to feature at Madame Tussauds

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian's famous selfie pose will be immortalised at Madame Tussauds London. Photo taken from hdwallpapersmart.com

The Indian Express

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s famous selfie pose will be immortalised at Madame Tussauds London.
The figure will not only be true to form – with its arm extended and a trademark pout on its lips – but will also be a fully immersive experience, reported People Magazine.
“Kim’s figure will be holding a functioning mobile phone so guests can really step right into her selfie,” said Edward Fuller, General Manager of Madame Tussauds London.
“All they need to do is make sure their pouts measure up and press the button.
They can then be the proud owners of their very own ‘Kim Kardashian’ selfie, as well as taking their own versions with their own phones,” he added.
The display will also be in “Keeping with Kardashian’s” three-image rule, which dictates you should never take more than three images in the same location – the figure will be in front of a constantly changing backdrop.

US reality TV star Kim Kardashian poses during a photo-call to present her new cosmetic brand in Paris on April 15, 2015. Photo: AFP

Sofia Vergara to marry Joe

Sofia Vergara, the 42-year-old actress, who has a son with her high-school sweetheart Joe Gonzalez, said she would to like to have an early baby. Photo taken from wallpapersnewhd.com

Star Online Report

The "Hot Pursuit" actress said that her wedding with fiance Joe "is going to happen soon" in a "very secret place where nobody is going to find us," reports Times of India.
"It's going to happen soon. Very far away (in a) very secret place where nobody is going to find us. It is on a plane," she said.
The actress looked all set to start a family with her fiancé.
"Joe is younger than me. He is 38. He has never had kids.
How am I going to say no? I tell him if we are going to do this, we have to do it, like, now, because I don't want to be 50 with a baby," Vergara said.
Vergara, 42, and 38-year-old Joe began dating in July 2014. The Colombia-born actress opened up about her relationship with the "Magic Mike XXL" actor during an interview in August last year.

Dhoni fined, Mustafizur too

The moment MS Dhoni collided mid-pitch with Mustafizur Rahman

Agencies, Mirpur

India one-day skipper MS Dhoni and Bangladesh tyro Mustafizur Rahman have both been fined by the International Cricket Council following their mid-pitch collision in Thursday night's one-day international, with the Indian skipper coming in for admonishment by the ICC's Match Referee.
Dhoni has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee for the incident, while Mustafizur has been docked half of his fee.
Dhoni and debutant left-armer Mustafizur collided in the 25th over as India's skipper was running to the danger end on a quick single.
The impact jarred the bowler and drew a quick rebuke from Dhoni before umpires quickly intervened to ensure things remained cool on the field. Dhoni then turned away with a smile.
Match Referee Andy Pycroft imposed the fines after dismissing Dhoni's version of events and saying an experienced Indian skipper should have done more to avoid the collision.

'Mustafizur penalised to appease Indian team management'

Dhoni was shown video footage of the incident that happened in the 25th over when the India captain clattered into Rahman while running a single. Photo: TV grab

Star Online Report

Graphic image taken from Hindustan Times.

The Indian team management was braced to lodge an appeal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) if only Mahendra Singh Dhoni was penalised at the hearing with ICC match referee for shoving Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman, Hindustan Times reported.
The Indian newspaper quoted a source as saying that both on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Enamul Haque had written in their reports that the Indian captain had got involved in a deliberate and inappropriate physical contact with Mustafizur, the debutant Bangladeshi bowler from Satkhira.
Initially, the report was only against Dhoni.
In the eventual ruling by match referee Andy Pycroft, Dhoni's experience went against him.
"In the hearing, Dhoni defended the charge on the basis that the bowler was on the wrong line and realising that he couldn't avoid the collision, he used his hand and arm to push him away as he went through to 'minimise the impact,'" Pycroft said.
"However, my assessment was that Dhoni deliberately pushed and shouldered Mustafizur, which was inappropriate.” added the match referee.

The same had been relayed to the Indian management at around 1:00am when the team returned to their hotel after losing to Bangladesh in the first ODI.
Although Bangladesh supporters celebrated the win over India, they didn’t take Dhoni’s collision with Mustafizur in a good light.
Print and especially social media carried the incident extensively and many felt aggrieved about Mustafizur’s harsh punishment.
When Indian captain MS Dhoni was called by match referee Pycroft at 2:00 am after reaching the hotel, he realised things were about to get serious regarding his collision.
Members of Indian team management accompanied MS Dhoni to the meeting where the batsman was presented with umpire’s report against him.
Dhoni was given three options by the match officials of ICC during the disciplinary hearing.
The options
Dhoni was given three options by the ICC - accept the charges and face punishment deemed appropriate, accept the charges and request a smaller penalty or contest the charges, reported the Hindustan Times.
After several rounds of meetings, the last one being held between Dhoni, Virat Kohli, team director Ravi Shastri and manager Biswarup Dey in the morning, they decided to contest the charges.
They were also prepared to lodge an appeal if Pycroft had penalised only Dhoni.
"Our main defence was Dhoni never tried to intentionally hurt Mustafizur," said a team source.
At the hearing, held around 10 am, Dhoni was shown video footage of the incident that happened in the 25th over when the India captain clattered into Rahman while running a single.
The pacer had to leave the field after that. The source said that Dhoni chronologically described what happened while the footage was being shown and also pointed out that his elbow was never raised during the moment of contact.
"With Rahman on the wrong side and Suresh Raina to his right, Dhoni had very little gap to go through for his single. He couldn't have gone to his left and run down the middle of the pitch.”
“And surely he couldn't have skirted both of them since that could have led to a run-out. No batsman would want that," said the source.
Rahman and Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud Sujon were also summoned after Dhoni's hearing.
The bowler had first pleaded not guilty to the charges but once the footage was shown, he admitted that getting in Dhoni's way was not appropriate and that he should have done more to avoid contact.
Not pursuing matter
Once Pycroft announced that Dhoni and Rahman had been fined 75% and 50% of their match fees respectively, the Indian management decided not to pursue the matter further.
"Had Rahman not been punished we would have lodged an appeal. But now it's fine," said the source to the Hindustan Times.
According to a statement by the ICC, Pycroft was not convinced that Dhoni couldn't have avoided the collision and hence it was deemed a Level 2 breach, which falls under ICC rule 2.2.4 (inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players).

Bangladesh gaining respect among peers: Hathurusingha

Chandika Hathurusingha wants his batsmen to cash in on starts. Photo: Bangladesh Cricket Board

ESPNcricinfo.com

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that India sending their best team for the ongoing ODI series is an indication that they regard Bangladesh as a stronger unit than last June. He was, however, not entirely satisfied with his team's performance on Thursday despite them posting their biggest win against India.
"The best example (of the change in the Bangladesh team) is that India is sending their strongest team," Hathurusingha said.
"It speaks for itself, how far we have come from that series to now. It is always good to gauge your success or what you are doing, by how your peers are looking at you. I think it is a big rap for our boys that India came with their full strength. Our confidence is high, the way we are playing now is also a bit different."
During last year's three-match ODI series, India were without regular captain MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami. But Suresh Raina's side won 2-0, including the one in which they bowled Bangladesh out for just 58 runs.
It was also Hathurusingha's first assignment as head coach and it was a tumultuous time after Shakib Al Hasan had got into a fracas with a fan during one of the matches.
Bangladesh turned around their fortunes remarkably since the Zimbabwe series last November, winning nine consecutive ODIs at home on either side of a decent World Cup campaign. This time India are only without Shami who is recovering from a knee injury.
Hathurusingha, however, was not pleased with the Bangladesh batsmen giving away good starts in the first game.

Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar got to fifties but didn't push on despite looking comfortable. Debutant Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim fell early before Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman got them back into reckoning with a strong fifth-wicket stand.
"I am not happy at all with the last game," Hathurusingha said. "That's the scary part: we still can improve in all departments. We played better against Pakistan. I think we are looking to improve from the next game.
"When you get a start, we always talk about going big in partnerships. We talk about simple things, which we did well against Pakistan. I want them to do that in the middle. We had three-four hundreds against Pakistan. If one of the top batters get set and go for a big score. it helps us to score big runs," he said.
On Mustafizur Rahman, who took a five-wicket haul on debut in the previous match, Hathurusingha said it helped him that he is an "unknown factor" but his job would only get challenging as teams would start preparing for his kind of bowling.
"Definitely for any bowler, when you come into international cricket, because you are unknown factor, it is a big plus," he said.
"Nowadays even before that, they can look at videos and be prepared. For Mustafizur it is going to be a challenge because people get to know more and respect him a bit more. But again, he has to execute well, so has the batsmen. We expect the Indians to come hard at us."

BNP hits out at govt for abduction of BGB man

Nayek Abdur Razzak

UNB, Dhaka

Terming the abduction of a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member by Myanmar border force as shameful, BNP today demanded the government to enhance the efficiency and capability of the force to stop the recurrence of such incidents.

“It’s a matter of shame that Myanmar newspapers published a photo of BGB Nayek Abdur Razzak who was abducted by the border force of that country,” said BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon.

He further said, “Our heads have hung in shame seeing the photo of handcuffed and lungi-wearing member of border guard of a nation which had forced over 90,000 members of Pakistani soldiers to surrender, carried out a big Liberation War and built an independent Bangladesh.”

Addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Ripon demanded the government immediately bring back the BGB Nayek through intensified diplomatic efforts.

He also asked the government to issue a strong warning to Myanmar so that they do not dare to repeat such an incident in the future.

Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) opened fire on a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) patrol boat in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar district in the early hours of Wednesday.

A BGB sepoy, Biplob Kumar, suffered bullet wounds during the firing and another BGB member, Abdur Razzak, was abducted by the BGP. Abdur Razzak is yet to be released by the BGP.

Voicing deep concern over the incident, the BNP spokesman said, “The border force of another country dared to carry out such an incident as our BGB members are not used properly.”

“Almost every day our people are getting killed along the borders. It’s the BGB’s responsibility to ensure security along our border and the lives of our people. It’s not their duty to suppress the opposition and shoot them. We’re observing with regret that our border guards are not used properly and they are not developed efficiently,” the BNP leader said.

Referring to the deployment of BGB members to face political problems, he said, “During the opposition’s movement, BGB director general Major General Aziz Ahmed made a boastful remark that BGB men carry arms to use those. We also believe in lawful use of arms. But, a BGB member was shot and another abducted by the border force of another country though they were equipped with lethal arms.”

The BNP leader urged the government to take measures so that the GBG members can concentrate on their main duty to protect and guard the border.

“We call upon the government to take necessary steps for enhancing the capability of our BGB members so that no foreign troops dare to pick up them in such an insulting way. They should be building with enough professional skills and strength so that no force dares to shoot them.”