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Poush 3, 1420 Safar 13, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 263
www.dhakatribune.com
Bangladesh rewrites record books with largest human flag n Emran Hossain
What could be the greatest strength of a country not larger than a tiny dot on the globe? Its people, obviously! It was in an emotional display of patriotism that over 27,000 people proved their collective strength yesterday as Bangladesh set the world record for the largest human-flag ever made. And it could not be done at a more opportune moment or against a more desired opponent. Just days ago, the country saw long-denied justice finally delivered when Abdul Quader Molla who earned notoriety for his crimes against humanity as a collaborator of the Pa-
A staggering 27,117 people stand united, holding green and red boards above their heads, to put up the worlds biggest ever human flag at the National Parade Ground on Victory day yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
Rawshan settled on a deal of 60 uncontested seats, including one for herself, to be elected uncontested
applications from Awami League candidates. Some of these letters were reportedly signed by HT Imam, adviser to the prime minister and co-chairman of the Awami Leagues Election Steering Committee. The last date for withdrawing nomination was Friday, December 13. The process is to file an application telling the respective returning officer that the
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n Abu Bakar Siddique
The nation yesterday observed its 43rd Victory Day commemorating the unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War and brought the victory for the country on the same day in 1971. The celebration began with a 31-gun salute at dawn to pay respect to the heroic struggle that brought the independence for the country. The National Flag was hoisted atop all government, semi-government and other important establishments. Marking the 43rd Victory Day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday morning paid their tributes to the heroic sons of the soil who had laid down their lives to be independent from Pakistan through a nine-month-long war. The president and the prime minister paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar at about 6:40am. After placing the wreaths, President Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stood there in solemn silence for some time to show their respect to the memories of the martyrs of the great Liberation War in 1971. The Chief Justice, Ministers, lawmakers, the chiefs of the three forces, freedom fighters, diplomats and high civil and military officials, wounded freedom fighters and family members of the heroic award-winning Birshrestha were present on the occasion. Later, along with her party leaders, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also president of the Bangladesh Awami League, placed another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party. Leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia along with her partys prominent leaders placed wreath to honour the heroes at the National Memorial. The day was a public holiday. People of different political, social,
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President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia pay their respects at the National Memorial Monument at Savar yesterday
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cultural and professional backgrounds gathered at the monument with flowers and banners to show respect to the sons and daughters who sacrificed everything possible for the independence of Bangladesh. In addition to the capital, same types of programmes were organised to honor the martyrs across the country. Following the high officials, thousands of people full with the spirit of independence gathered at the National Mausoleum to pay homage to the freedom fighters and commemorate the sacrifices of those who are living with the memories of 1971. Asked about how he felt on the day, a Jahagirnagar University student Ahsan who went there to place wreath at the National Mausoleum with his friends told the Dhaka Tribune it gave him inspiration to do something for the country. I have been coming each morning of the Victory Day since I got enrolment in the University in 2010, he also said, adding that I am happier this year as we have made it possible to hang Ab-
dul Quader Molla, one of the war crime convicts. Like every year, parts of the city wore a festive look since early morning. A number of buildings, vehicles and road islands were decorated with national flags of different sizes. In many streets and shops, popular patriotic songs played through loudspeakers throughout the day. Men, women and children in green and red flocked into various monuments and parks including the National Mausoleum and the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area and many other public places to participate in the many cultural programmes across the city. I had been taking my children to the National Mausoleum at Savar to pay tributes to the war heroes for the last few years to make them understand the significance of the day, said Mahjabin Islam, a mother of two children. Bangladesh missions, deputy missions and consulates abroad also observed the day. Similarly, foreign missions in Dhaka gave separate messages on the occa-
sion of the Victory Day. In his message, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Alexander A. Nikolaev congratulated all citizens of the country on this great occasion. He said: Today on behalf of mine as well as the Russian Embassy in Dhaka I would like to pay tributeto the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and freedom fighters of Bangladesh. The ambassador observed that the diplomatic relations between Russia and Bangladesh had always been comprehensive from the moment of its establishment in the early 70-s, from the very first days of Bangladesh as an independent state. Russia and Bangladesh share a common approach to ideas of peace and democracy i.e. multi-polar global architecture and a fair international economic system, said Alexander A. Nikolaev. Taking this opportunity on this auspicious day I would like to wish all our Bangladeshi friends happiness and prosperity, health and new achievements in their further move to the na-
tional progressive development, read the message. The ambassadors of European Union member states did not attend the Victory Day programme yesterday morning. An official of the EU Embassy in Dhaka said: They could not attend the programme as they had an internal coordination meeting. He, however, said ambassadors went to Bangabhaban and greeted President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani occupation forces, Gen AAK Niazi along with his 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered at Ramna Racecourse, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka following a miserable defeat to the joint forces of Mukti Bahini and Mitra Bahini. In one of the heinous acts of genocide in human history, the Pakistan army and their local collaborators had launched a barbarous crackdown on March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan at midnight past, killing innocent and unarmed people. l
Bangladesh Blockade again rewrites record and a national holiday with only onepause on Friday. books with largest dayWe urge the people of the country to observe blockade programmes human flag peacefully from 6am on December to
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Remarkably, the names of three JaPa candidates M Shawkat Chowdhury from Nilphamari 4, Moshiur Rahman Ranga from Rangpur 1 and Fakhrul Imam from Mymensingh 8 were sent to the EC on Sunday, two days after the deadline for nomination withdrawal. After having joined the all party interim government, JaPa chief HM Ershad, in a sudden U-turn, announced on December 4 that he and his party could not join the polls unless participation of all parties was ensured. The unexpected announcement reportedly forced the Awami League to change its game plan and contact Ershads wife Rawshan, a presidium member of Japa. Rawshan was one from a group of JaPa leaders who did not want to pull out of the polls. However, frightened by the attacks on some of the Awami League candidates during the ongoing political unrest, Rawshan did not want to risk the lives of the JaPa leaders, who were with her. Sources said she settled on a deal of 60 uncontested seats, including one for herself, to be elected uncontested so that they needed not to run campaigns on the field. Up until December 13, a total of only 11 JaPa candidates were elected uncontested, which outraged Rawshan. Sources from the two parties said senior Awami League leaders Tofail Ahmed and Gowher Rizvi went to Rawshans house and managed to convince her. Later, the Awami League instructed many of its candidates to withdraw their nomination papers. As of yesterday, a total of 21 JaPa
candidates have been elected uncontested. Zafar Alam, a former Awami League candidate from Coxs Bazar 1 constituency, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had no option but to withdraw. The leader [Sheikh Hasina] gave us nomination. It was she again who instructed her to withdraw. When asked what date his nomination withdrawal application was marked with, Zafar smiled and said: My nomination withdrawal application was dated December 13. He also said: This is not the last election. We may have another one within a year or two. Bless me so that I can get nomination for that election. Former Awami League nominee Ragebul Ahsan Ripu from Bogra 6 said: Central commands instruction for me was to withdraw nomination if JaPa candidate did not. Since the JaPa candidate did not withdraw nomination, I withdrew. The Awami League leader claimed that he filed withdrawal application at 8pm Friday, although the deadline was 5pm. Awami League Presidium Member Begum Motia Chowdhury, also agriculture minister of the polls-time government, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had not been hiding anything; the prime minister had sacrificed for the sake of democracy. We left some seats to them [JaPa]. Moreover, if Khaleda Zia joined the polls, we would not have nominated anyone in her constituency, Motia said. She claimed that the delay in placing withdrawal papers was systemic, rather than anything else. l
Ansar Bahini ready to be a part of the big moment. They stood shoulder to shoulder, holding placards of a rectangular shape overhead, froming an exact replica of the national flag. As they raised their hands high into the air, the whole ground became a triumph of green and red. They stood there for six minutes and 16 seconds in that order. It was a moment of pride and satisfaction for both the participants and millions of viewers watching the event on the ground or live on television. Saiful Islam Rabiul, a student volunteer from the Agargaon-Taltola Government Colony High School, who led the front section made up of his schoolmates, described what it was like to be a constituent part of the flag. I woke up at seven in the morning and came here. It felt really wonderful to be here, said Rabiul, now in his sixth grade. However, it was not an easy task for the organisers to manage such a large group of people, formed mostly by young girls and boys from different schools and madrasas. The hardest part was making sure they synced up with their older, and more organised, counterparts from the armed forces. There were several thousand viewers, most of them relatives of the participants, present on the ground who watched in awe as the flag slowly took shape. They cheered when it was finally done, after over three hours of effort. Their inspiration and elation, as well as that of the organisers, was clearly rooted in the fact that it was Pakistan which had lost its claim to the Guinness World Record for the largest human flag. We defeated Pakistan on this day in 1971 and we did the same thing today, said Faridur Reza Sagar, managing director of Channel i, one of the media partners for the event organised by private mobile phone operator Robi with the help of the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division. The Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh Pratidin, Kaler Kontho, and Radio Foorti were the other media partners. Noted actor Afzal Hossain, who moderated the event, said documents relating to the record would be sent to the Guinness authorities for their official recognition. l
6am Friday for realising the demand for suspending polls schedule and holding the elections under a non-partisan government, said BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan while announcing the fresh programmes at a press briefing at the party chairpersons Gulshan office yesterday. On Sunday, the Awami League leaders asked party men to resist and launch counter attack on those who are inciting anarchy across the country. Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif siad: Enough is enough. Stop terrorist acts. After the Victory Day, every attack will be dealt with befitting replies. The opposition-combine has so far observed similar nationwide blockade programmes on three spells, which saw widespread violence and deaths and injuries in clashes, arson attacks and bomb blasts.
Among the three modes of communication, railway was the biggest victim of sabotage and arson attacks. The government is adamant to hold the polls on January 5. A total of 154 have already been elected uncontested. There is no hope that the polls schedule will be deferred. That is why we have to continue the movement. There are chances that a non-cooperation movement may be announced for January 1-voting day, a BNP leader, seeking anonymity, said. In the press briefing, Nazrul alleged that the country was being pushed towards a civil war as the government had asked the Awami League leaders and activists to assist the law enforcers to oppress the opposition. He asked the government to withdraw such an illegal order. The BNP leader alleged that the government was heading for a farcical poll ignoring the peoples demand. More than 150 candidates getting elected uncontested was rare in world history. What sort of democracy is this? 154 are elected uncontested. People will
not forgive those who are playing to destroy democracy wearing the musk of democracy. It would be marked as a stigmatised chapter of history, he added. Earlier, in a Victory Day discussion organised by Dhaka city unit BNP, opposition leaders alleged that the government was killing people indiscriminately in the month of victory. There is no rule of law in the country. The country has been turned into a prison because of the governments repressive policy, said Jamiruddin Sircar, another standing committee member of BNP. Vice-chairman of the party Hafizuddin Ahmed termed the government terrorist. Criticising the leaders of the countrys business community, Shahjahan Omar, adviser to BNP chairperson, said: You are not creating any pressure upon her [Sheikh Hasina]. Ask her to quit and then all the problems will be solved. Oli Ahmed, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, said this victory day has been a mourning day for many. l
They started the drives from 2am, said Manjurul Kabir. On the other hand, a union-level BNP leader and a worker died in a gunfight with Rab personnel during a raid in Laxmipur Sadar upazila during the early hours yesterday. A driver of a CNG-run Auto-rickshaw succumbed to burn injuries yesterday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Blockade supporters set fire to his vehicle in Hathazari upazila of Chittagong 15 days back. The SP said around 4am, one team had reached Satani village of the sadar upazila where the local Jamaat-Shibir men cordoned them off prompting to open fire. Jahangir was left dead on the spot in the incident. Around 5am, another team reached Shatkhira and Shakhipur areas in Debhata upazila where the Jamaat-Shibir men enclosed them and pelted bricks towards them. The armed cadres opened fire at one stage. When we retaliated four of their men died on the spot, the SP said. However, they could not ascertain names of the deceased as the Jamaat-Shibir activists took the body away, he added. Jamaat district units Publicity Secretary Azizul Islm claimed that one of their activists had died being hit by a bullet and another named Sayeb Babu, 32, of Sadar Upazila died in a heart attack during the raid. He told Dhaka Tribune that the number and names of the deceased
would be disclosed today. He also alleged that the joint forces have ransacked, looted and torched residences of a number of their leaders and activists during the drive. Shatkhira has turned into a place of terror during the last three spates of blockades called by the opposition combine. Satkhira, known to be a stronghold for the Jamaat, has been beset with violence and anarchy after the execution of war criminal Quader Molla on December 12. Around hundreds of residences of Awami League leaders, activists and supporters, and business establishments were torched in last four days. The Jamaat-Shibir men looted and vandalised 30 houses and establishments of people of the Hindu community there. To contain the situation, local administration decided to conduct drives by forming the joint forces. Meanwhile, a union-level BNP leader and a worker died in a gunfight with Rab in Laxmipur sadar upazila early yesterday. The deceased are Asaduzzaman Babul, 50, BNP joint secretary general of Dighulia union unit, and his close associate Khorshed Alam Sumon, 48. Listed criminal Babul, accused in a number of cases including murder with Sadar police station. Babuls wife claimed that Rab-11 members stormed into the house and opened fire when Babul and Sumon were having dinner . A team of Rab personnel went to the
house in Uttar Jamiltoli area around 12am to arrest them, said a Rab official He claimed that sensing presence of the force, Babuls cohorts opened fire, prompting them to retaliate. Meanwhile, another driver of CNGrun Auto-rickshaw, Mohammad Abdul Aziz, 50, succumbed to burn injuries at DMCHs burn unit around 4:30am yesterday. Blockaders set fire to his vehicle in Hathazari upazila of Chittagong 15 days back during the opposition combine blockade of roads, rail and waterways. The pickets hurled petrol bombs while he was on his way home in Hathazari upazila of the port city. Miscreants torched valuables and documents inside Sirajpur Union Parishad office in Companyganj upazila yesterday. Locals said a group of miscreants stormed into the office breaking its lock around 1:15am.They brought out some furniture, two computers and some necessary documents outside the office and burned them.
Some Jamaat-Shibir activists allegedly vandalised six idols of Hindu deities in a 200-year old temple in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat during the early hours yesterday. They entered the temple by breaking its gate and vandalised the idols at night, said Harendra Nath Roy, caretaker of the temple. We, the Hindu people, cannot go out of our houses around midnight fearing subversion of the activists, he said. l
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Teenage boy beaten to death in capital
n Mohammad Jamil Khan
A teenage street urchin succumbed to his injuries yesterday, a couple of days after being beaten severely by a group of people in Mirpur suspecting him to be a thief. Mohammad Imran Hossain, 15, was declared dead at Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 11am, said Mozammel Haque, inspector at the hospital police outpost. The body was sent to DMC morgue for an autopsy, he told the Dhaka Tribune. Hailing from Alinagar village of Bhola, Imran used to reside at a slum named Chhoy Number Bosti near Kalyanpur Natun Bazar.
The security guard of the building along with some other people beat up Imran badly for the alleged burglary
Salma Begum, elder sister of the victim, was found crying in front of the Dhaka Medical College morgue. She claimed that Imran had been innocent. A couple of days ago, corrugated iron sheets of an under-construction building beside their slum were stolen. Following the incident, the security guard of the building along with some other people beat up Imran badly, she said. Later, they dumped the body of injured Imran at a local school ground. Salma said Imran had been taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital on Sunday. But as his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the DMCH where duty doctors declared him dead. Anwar Hossain, sub-inspector of Mirpur police station and investigation officer of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune that police had arrested Abul Kashem, 42, security in-charge (north area) of Kalyanpur Samajkalyan Parishad for interrogation as he was the responsible for maintaining the buildings security. The accused security guard, however, is on the run since the incident. The incidents of extrajudicial mass beating have become a common phenomenon, especially in the rural areas of the country, these days. l
The US believes constructive dialogue between the major political parties is crucial to resolving any impasse over holding free, fair, and credible elections
Rajiv Shahs letter is another one from Washington, last week six US Congressmen wrote a letter to Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia, urging them to engage in dialogue. The USAID chief referred to the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal, who discussed the issue with the prime minister during her visit to Dhaka. The US believes constructive dialogue between the major political parties is crucial to resolving any impasse over holding free, fair, and credible elections, he said. The political parties need to have political space to express their views freely and peacefully, he added. The people of Bangladesh want free, fair and credible elections. I urge you to find an agreed path to hold the elections that the Bangladeshi people so deeply want. l
A freedom fighter breaks into tears as the Ganajagaran Mancha takes oath on the occasion of the Victory Day at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city yesterday
Chittagong tasted freedom on this day New drug testing lab n likely to open without proper preparation
Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong
Chittagong witnessed the hoisting of the national flag of a newborn country on this very day in 1971, following the surrender of the Pakistani army. A number of former freedom fighters recalled that the formal surrender was delayed here as the Joint Force of Bangladesh and India arrived on December 17, a day after the country formally achieved victory over Pakistan. Victory was our absolute pride. Unfortunately as the events unfolded, the port city was liberated on December 17, a day later than Dhaka, they recounted. Nonetheless, the belated victory was distinct. The occupation army lined up at the Chittagong Circuit House to surrender and witness the freedom fighters triumph, said Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, a commander of freedom fighters. Two divisions of freedom fighters, one led by Deputy Commander Major Rafiqul Islam, was obstructed by the occupation army at Kumira of Shitakunda on December 16. The Joint Commands, however, defeated them and entered the city on December 17, he said. Engineer Afsar Uddin, who was the joint commander of the Bengal Liberation Front and Freedom Fighters sent a group of fighters to Kalurghat Radio Station to broadcast news of victory. To maintain law and order in the city from December 17, we were deployed at the strategic points. I was responsible for Bandar, Pahartali and Double Mooring. It was our duty to contain the situation and make sure that the excited Bengalis did not harm the Biharis, he said. Terming the day the most memorable of his life, he said thousands of people took to the streets with national flags, rejoicing and chanting Joy Bangla. People from all walks of life embraced the freedom, except for the Razakars, al-Badrs and the notorious gang of Fazlul Quadir Choudhry. Raisul Huq Bahar said although the country was officially free on December 16, the formal surrender in Chittagong took place held around 9am on December 17. Pakistani Army OfficerShamshad Ali Khan recalls his experience with his Indian counterparts in a Pakistani daily,The Express Tribune, onDecember 16, 2011. In his writing, he termed the surrender ceremony as, My painful journey to surrender. He said hewitnessed the citizens of Chittagong celebrating Indias victory. Young girls and boys clad in colourful clothes, carried Indian and Bangladeshi flags. Vehicles ran on roads playing loud music. People shouted anti-Pakistan and pro-India slogans and Joy Bangla. Within 20 to 30 minutes of surrender, people and vehicles thronged in the streets. I am the only unfortunate officer who witnessed that painful sight. The tormenting thought and feelings that crossed my mind cannot be expressed through words, he wrote. Dr Mahfuzur said the spirit of the Liberation War could be resurrected by implementing good governance and ensuring accountability in every sector of the state. l
n Moniruzzaman Uzzal
The newly-installed high-tech drug testing National Control Laboratory (NCL) is likely to start operations on January 1, after a few months of test service. With a Tk25 crore cost, the NCL has been set up with the financial support of World Bank and the World Health Organization on the premises of the Institute of Public Health in Mohakhali. Selim Barami, director at the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) and also the director (in-charge) of the NCL, confirmed the date and told the Dhaka Tribune: The NCL is fully ready to start its activities. We will start our operation from January 1, 2014, whether it is formally opened or not. Saying the installation of the laboratory had been completed a year ago, he added that the NCL faced a delay in going into operation because of a fire accident which destroyed some equipment and cables, while additional fund was not available at the time from the government for repair and replacement. However, seeking anonymity, a senior official said the NCL was still not ready to run its activities smoothly. Although the laboratory was fully-equipped with modern machines and other testing facilities, there was still a shortage of well-trained expert manpower behind the machines, the official added.
Moreover, the NCL did not have its own financial budget to administer the laboratory activities as per demand, the official informed. Currently, the NCL has been running under the Institute of Public Health, which is providing the cost of day-today expenses and also supplying chemicals and other materials. It has been learnt that the newly installed lab is likely to test up to 10,000 medicine samples a year, compared to the existing laboratorys capacity of testing only 3,000 medicine samples an amount which was inadequate given the current size of the pharmaceuticals market. The testing fees for existing and new medicines have been increased to Tk5,000 and Tk15,000 respectively, compared to previous fees of Tk1,500 and Tk7,500. The NCL would also be able to test vaccines, a feature which was not previously offered in the country. The DGDA and top pharmaceuticals had to send vaccine samples to Singapore or Thailand for testing earlier, but the NCL would now offer the same services at one fifth of the expense. Although the current state-owned lab lacked international standard, the newly-installed one is aiming to get WHO accreditation within a year, as inspection teams will visit and assess the NCLs performance in different phases. l
The Awami League brings out a victory procession in the capital yesterday. The procession that started from the Engineers Institute ended at the Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi Road number 32 RAJIB DHAR
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Ganajagaran Mancha reconstructed the December 16, 1971 ceremony of the Pakistan armys surrender at the Suhrawardy Udyan as part of the Victory Day observation yesterday. The picture shows restaging of Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora of the Allied Force escorting Pakistan Armys Lt Gen AAK Niazi to the venue of signing the surrender intrument SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
WEATHER
PRAYER TIMES
Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha 5:14am 6:34am 11:55am 3:38pm 5:14pm 6:35pm
Source: IslamicFinder.org
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Photo Feature
Celebrating Victory Day 2013
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People rejoice after making the Guinness world record for the largest human flag at the National Parade Ground
People taking an oath, uniting against the anti-liberation forces at Suhrawardy Udyan
A wave of red and green floods the roads as a cheerful bunch of cyclists roll along in a massive column of almost 5,000 riders. Many cyclist groups from Dhaka as well as all over the country joined the event organised by BDCyclists to mark the Victory Day
FAISAL NIZAM BDCYCLISTS
RAJIB DHAR
RAJIB DHAR
Suhrawardy Udyan
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n AFP, Beijing
Sixteen people were killed in a clash in Chinas restive Xinjiang region, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority, reports and activists said Monday, less than two months after a fiery attack in Tiananmen Square. Police attempting to detain criminal suspects in Shufu county near the Silk Road city of Kashgar, deep in far western China, were attacked by several thugs armed with explosive devices and knives, reported the tianshannet news portal, which is run by the Xinjiang government. Two police officers were killed and 14 of the thugs shot dead on Sunday, it said, adding that two criminal suspects were detained. But an overseas Uighur rights group said police had broken into a house where members of the ethnic minority were gathering and opened fire first. All 14 people killed by police were Uighurs and two of them were minors, Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, told AFP. The abusive use of force by authorities in the area has deprived the Uighurs of their right to live, he said. The incident comes less than two months after an attack in Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of the Chinese state, when according to police, three Xinjiang Uighurs ploughed into crowds of tourists, killing two people and injuring 40, before crashing outside the Forbidden City and setting their vehicle ablaze. All three attackers named by authorities as Usmen Hasan, his wife
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In the worst outbreak of sectarian violence in recent years, around 200 people died and more than 1,600 were injured and hundreds arrested in riots in the regional capital Urumqi in 2009. A total of 11 people nine attackers and two auxiliary police officers were killed in an attack on a police station in Serikbuya township near Kashgar last month, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Another incident in June in the Turpan area left 35 people dead, and 139 people have been arrested in recent months for spreading jihadist ideology. Information in the area is tightly controlled and difficult to independently verify. In August, a Chinese policeman was killed in an incident in Yilkiqi described by state media as an anti-terrorism operation, but overseas media said 22 Uighurs were shot dead in the confrontation. More than 190 terrorist attacks were logged in Xinjiang last year, rising by a significant margin from 2011, state media reported last month. Most of the attackers were in their early 30s or younger and increasingly act in small groups or individually as a lone wolf, they added. At a meeting last week, top Turpan officials said violent terrorists remained active in the area despite the authorities strike hard with high pressure campaign, according to a statement posted on a government site. They ordered local officials to chart a relationship tree of links between students in Turpan and those overseas, it said. l
n Agencies
An Indian kitemaker arranges kites bearing the portrait of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad AFP
The abusive use of force by authorities in the area has deprived the Uighurs of their right to live
For years it has seen sporadic unrest by Uighurs which rights groups say is driven by cultural oppression, intrusive security measures and immigration by Chinas Han majority, but Beijing attributes to religious extremists, terrorism and separatism. Chinas foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the latest incident shows once again the anti-human and anti-society nature of the terrorist groups. This kind of attempt will not win public support and is doomed to failure, she told reporters at a regular briefing. Authorities in Kashgar were not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.
The newly-elected Delhi assembly, which hangs in balance, has received a wee bit of hope with the debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) agreeing to form government if the opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agree to 18 conditions. The assembly, with no clear winner, is all set for federal rule. But, following procedure, Delhi state governor invited the AAP, after the BJP refused to form government citing lack of support. Following elections to the 70-seat assembly, the BJP and allies won 33, the AAP 28 and the Congress eight. Since no party crossed the half-way mark, government formation has come to a halt. The AAP has not accepted the unconditional support offered by the BJP and the Congress as it had fought the elections on an anti-corruption platform. The debutant party, which performed spectacularly, has hesitated to ally with the two bigger parties as it views both as having compromised with corruption. But, pressure is building on the AAP as some analysts have said it can be viewed as a party that is not responsible enough if it throws away the opportunity to form government. At the same time, led by its mercurial chief Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP is not willing to form government as it cannot take any decision being in a minority. Under pressure from colleagues and supporters, Kejriwal sent a list of 18 demands to the Congress and the BJP saying the AAP would form government if the opposition agreed to his partys demands.l
India judge ordered to release daughter held over lover n AFP, New Delhi
Indias top court Monday ordered a judge release his 30-year-old daughter who was being detained because he disapproved of her marrying her boyfriend from a different caste. The Supreme Court ordered Supriya Rathore be reunited with her boyfriend who was forced to take legal action to have her released from her father, a high court judge in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. She is a major and has the liberty to make her choice in marriage, judges H.L. Dattu and C. Nagappan told the couple, who were in the court in New Delhi for the ruling. The boyfriend, Siddharath Mukherjee, had petitioned the court, saying the father, who belongs to the Hindu Rajput warrior caste, opposed his daughter marrying a man from the Bengali-speaking Brahmin caste. Rathore herself had also emailed police and the courts during her monthlong detention at the family home in Jaipur city, seeking their help to get her released and reunited. Acting on the boyfriends petition, the court ordered police on December 12 to transport Supriya to New Delhi for Mondays hearing. I have no complaints against anyone including my parents, Supriya told the court during the hearing. I love them all but I want to go with Siddharath Mukherjee as I want to marry him, she said, as the court offered her protection if she felt threatened in any way. l
Flowers and candles are placed near a placard reading: Damini, a symbolic name given to a gang-raped victim, in New Delhi
AP
22 dead as bus N Korean soldiers swear plunges off Philippine highway loyalty to young leader Kim Il-Sung and of his son Kim Jong-Il, n AFP, Manila n AFP, Seoul who died on December 17 two years
Twenty-two people were killed when a commuter bus plunged from an elevated highway onto a van in Philippine capital Manila on Monday, police said, warning the death toll could rise. Twenty of those who died in the accident in the sprawling city were on board the bus, with the other two fatalities from the van, traffic investigator Jose Abuyog said. It (the death toll) could go even higher, as some of the injured are in serious condition, he told AFP, adding that the cause of the accident was still being determined. A further 20 people were injured when the bus fell six metres (20 feet) from the highway onto the road below. The bus driver, who survived, will undergo tests and questioning, said land transportation regulatory board chairman Winston Ginez. Don Mariano Transit, the bus company involved in the accident, has been suspended for 30 days as its other vehicles are examined, Ginez told ABS CBN television. In 2011, three people were killed and four injured when a bus fell from the same elevated highway. l Thousands of North Korean soldiers vowed Monday to protect leader Kim Jong-Un with their lives at a memorial rally for his late father, days after the stunning execution of the leaders uncle. State TV showed soldiers marching in a square outside the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the embalmed bodies of the countrys founder ago. Kim Jong-Un, who took power after his fathers death in the countrys second dynastic succession, apparently missed the event. Soldiers clad in winter hats and coats gathered outside the Pyongyang landmark in freezing weather and reaffirmed loyalty to the young leader. l
A plane flies into the sunset and LaGuardia Airport December 4, in New York
AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
International
n AFP, Bangui
Since the Central African Republic descended into crisis a year ago, Chad has been front and centre, described in turn and sometimes all at once as coup instigator, victim and peacekeeper. Ubiquitous but unclear, was how one seasoned observer in Bangui described Chads presence in the impoverished country where sectarian violence has left 600 dead in a week. Officially, the troubled country is home to a diaspora of some 15,000 Chadians, but Muslim northerners are often referred to also as Chadians. The broader Chadian community has been the main target of reprisal attacks by majority Christians. Many Central Africans accuse Chad of masterminding the Seleka rebellion, which disintegrated after its coup in March, releasing rogue fighters who have carried out killings, rapes and looting ever since. Former colonial power France is leading the ongoing military effort to restore order but Chads influence over The role of the church in the genocide, in particular the Catholic church, remains controversial. In the anti-Tutsi pogroms of 1959 and 1962, Tutsis who sought refuge in churches were spared.
The appeals chamber overturns the jail term of 15 years and imposes 25 years in prison'
Three decades later, during the genocide, they flocked by tens of thousands into churches to escape their executioners. This time round however, they died there massively, hacked to death, burned alive or blown up with grenades. Formed in late 1994, the UN-backed ICTR is responsible for judging primary suspects in the Rwanda genocide in which an estimated 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis, lost their lives. l
Soldiers of the Multinational Force of Central Africa (FOMAC) monitor a United Nations (UNICEF) cargo plane carrying medical and food supplies AFP its southern neighbour has been unchallenged for years. A Western diplomat described Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno as the perennial kingmaker of Central African politics. The presidency has numerous Chadian advisers, leading to a common perception that the Central African Republic is a Chadian province and its president little more than Debys administrator. Francois Bozize seized power with Debys support in 2003, but a decade later Chad backed the Seleka rebel coalition that toppled him. l
n Agencies
A Lebanese soldier and four attackers were killed in two separate assaults on army checkpoints in the southern city of Sidon, the military said in a statement. The attacks in the Mediterranean city, around 40km south of Beirut, were likely co-ordinated, said a security source. At 9:15pm (1915GMT) today [Sunday] an armed man approached an army checkpoint in the north of Sidon, and launched a hand grenade towards it, injuring two soldiers, the army statement said. Troops manning the checkpoint fired back at the attacker, leading to his death. Then at 10:20pm (2020GMT), three armed men in an off-road vehicle approached a second army checkpoint at another location in the southern city. One of them blew himself up with a hand grenade he was holding, killing him and a soldier, said the army, adding that another soldier was wounded in the attack. Then troops at the checkpoint opened fire at the other armed men and killed them, the military added. l
A man walks in front of a barricade in central Kiev, December 16, 2013. The European Union said on Sunday it was halting work on a landmark trade and political pact with Ukraine, hardening their rift even as tens of thousands took to the streets of Kiev urging President Viktor Yanukovich to mend ties with Brussels REUTERS
n AFP, Damascus
The Syrian air force was on Monday accused of killing 76 people by unleashing barrels packed with explosives on Aleppo, a focal point for ighting between regime and rebel forces. The bombardment, which activists described as unprecedented, came as the United Nations said the number of Syrian war refugees in the Middle East was likely to double to 4.1 million by the end of 2014. The number of people slain in Sundays bombing of Aleppo with explosive-packed barrels... rose to 76, including 28 children and four women, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, updating its previous toll of 36 dead. l
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Editorial
LETTER OF THE DAY
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vidence is mounting of the damage being done to the economy by strikes and violent blockades. The IMF projects that growth in GDP will fall to 5.5% in the current fiscal year, from an average of over 6% in the last four years and the governments current target of 7.2%. The National Board of Revenue is reporting a growing shortfall in revenue collection, as businesses of all sizes are being hit hard by the political crisis. All sectors, including vital RMG exports, are being hit by shortages in raw materials and delays in being able to ship prodAll sectors, are being ucts to market. The opportunity hit by shortages in raw cost of investment and long-term materials and delays planning being delayed due in being able to ship to fears of political violence is incalculable. products to market. By disrupting transport and Politicians must act supply chains, the blockades urgently to end the have triggered a rise in food crisis inflation which is hurting all household budgets hard. Milk production has dried up as millions of litres of milk have been wasted by interruptions in distribution and supply. The six major national poultry associations report losses of more than Tk4,000 crore in the last three months as farmers and poultry breeders have been forced into selling stock below production cost. Farmers and food processors are incurring mounting debts and around 30% of farms are reported closed in the poultry sector. The knock on effect on suppliers of feed and all those who depend on producing and selling food is impacting on millions of workers and businesses, both large and small. The country cannot afford to continue suffering these levels of losses. Politicians must stop being complacent about the economy and act urgently to end the crisis.
A spineless conversation
December 8 Naffy Sah Agree with the sentiments of the article, except the criticism of the civil society, as I feel it drowns the actions and reasoning. Unfortunately, when they are only ones on the street and there is barely anyone there, talk shows are the only attempt left to wake up the inactive mindset of the janogan. Just like the attempt to nudge people through this article. I personally watch some of these members of civil society, certain members who work themselves to the ground but have to face such critiques. People have to look at the role of civil society and the role of the citizen. Civil society will protect the rights of the common public, until people dont empower themselves to take action. Politicians will provide the entertainment, writers will write, intellectuals will theorise, and the weak and vulnerable will suffer until the privileged are able to realise (if they ever wake up) it is up to them. Finger-pointing needs to evolve; its time for people to propose solutions. People who are prepared to die for their values. In times like these, I have to say I respect those who stick their neck out to speak the truth. Think theyre trying to pass the flame they have been carrying for years to the next generation. Robert Imam Its a tragedy, its a comedy. Deep down theres lethargy if I think about it. I just dont have the time, to stand up for justice, to stand in that line. I could just live my life, with my head hanging down and praying to the sublime. You can be opposed to a government and the opposition, and then you dont know who to stand behind any more.
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DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
n Garga Chatterjee
cant find the words appropriate to articulate the dire circumstances we are in. It is election time. People, or for that matter, the whole nation, should have been awash with the colourful banners, head-gears, party flags, festoons, and engaging slogans. Groups of animated young and old party or non-party activists were supposed to keep the cold winter mornings or the dark foggy evenings warm with their piercing slogans. Local heavyweights were to tramp their way through the paths and by-lanes of the prospective voters of the areas. Courtyards of the hamlets should have been swarmed with exhilarated souls, both men and women. And you have that 24/7 gossiping in the smallest tea stand of the tiniest community. In sum, the whole nation now ought to have been in the grip of the craze for the polls day the much awaited day their leader would find his or her way into the stratum of power for the next five years. Whatever the outcome of the polls, our history stands witness that we are a poll-crazy nation. Each time the polls are held we receive things as they arrive. The results, most of the time not initially accepted by the losing side, are however accepted eventually, and the days pass by, the country keeps going. And we wait for the next polls. Dont you forget we want fair polls. So why do we constantly opt for the
third umpire? We are not prepared for a full-blown democracy. Mutual trust is absent. We are not in a position to consider fair polls under a partisan government. We feel comfortable with the neutral care-taker system that ensures, though not entirely, fair and open exercise of voting rights. Amidst this violence, we do have something to feel good about. We are all fighting to have an election. The ruling party has a different agenda while the opposition has diverse plans. But all want elections. If only we could find a suitable way to hold those!
BNP-led government did resort to all kinds of maneuvering to hold on to power. There were allegations of fake voters list, the attempt to put their man of choice as head of the caretaker government, and so on. Everything went wrong for BNP and its partners. The country went volatile and many lives were lost, until the army-backed caretaker government took over. While not supporting such acts of the BNP, one should admit that BNP and allies were at least trying to hold an election. They never hinted at arranging and compromise with
Instead of giving people the voting rights, the ruling party has snatched these away in broad daylight. More than half of the parliamentary seats have been decided long before the voting day
Nothing happened. The entire dream scene turned into horrendous account of mindless acts of bloodletting. The country is in the grip of evil. Instead of the polls preparation, it has become the reverse. The feuding groups are not seeking votes; they are busy killing each other. Instead of holding a serene voting exercise, they are busy preventing each other from even wishing to exercise their constitutional right. Prior to coming to power, the AL declared that it was waging a war against the BNP and its allies to restore peoples right to vote, which to them, was robbed by the BNP. The previous
their allies and loyalists. The present government of Sheikh Hasina has lost all trust and confidence that it initially enjoyed. The party has been doing, in the name of constitution, such things that are clearly in total disregard to the will and wish of the people. Instead of giving people the voting rights, the ruling party has snatched these away in broad daylight. More than half of the parliamentary seats have been decided long before the voting day! More than fifty per cent of the 9.19 crore voters were straight off robbed of their right to vote.
HM Ershad was picked up from his home on medical grounds. He was trapped inside the military hospital until Jatiya Party was finally forced to be part of the election or seat distribution process. Ershad has been declared a member of parliament even without his knowledge and consent! The prime minister was bold to declare at a meeting that the grounds of being elected unchallenged are the compromise and understanding between the ruling and other parties. This, she said, could have been done with the BNP as well, if they took part in the polls. She made no secret of her intentions! The dialogue continues amidst increasing violence around the country. Death and devastation is rising. I am a great proponent of dialogues, but I cannot comfort myself with the hope of a fruitful outcome. The main opposition is already out of the race and it has nothing to lose in the so-called polls. Therefore, in all likelihood it will now press for the caretaker government and Sheikh Hasinas exit as the head of the interim cabinet. It is evident that pressure from within and without is mounting on the government to play right. How far the present regime can hold on to its resolute stance remain to be seen. After all you cannot have elected representatives in the parliament without being elected by the people. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist, political analyst and DT columnist.
he Union of India is not a homogenous union. It never was. What I mean by this is that its constituent parts are not created equal nor does the law of the land treat them equally. There are a host of special provisions that apply to specific constituents only. There is indeed a great deal of homogeneity of law but that is in mainstream India. Mainstream India has typically been those parts of the Union where the Indian army is not actively deployed at present. Naturally, the contour of this mainstream has been changing. Places where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is in action, there are sweeping powers that the armed forces have over the life and liberty of people. The AFSPA has been applied at different times to most of what constitutes the Union of Indias north-east. No points for guessing in which other zone, apart from the north-east, does the AFSPA remain in force. But lets not go there. The non-homogeneity of the law typically remains buried from the mainstream (for definition of mainstream, see above) because most people from the mainstream simply do not have much reason to venture out there. The converse is not true. In an over-centralised system, largesse in the form of opportunities, public facilities, institutions, universities, infrastructure, etc are inordinately showered around a zone around New Delhi called the National Capital Region (NCR). Hence, those from out there have to trudge to the centre of the mainstream, whether they like it or not. It is very rare that this non-homogeneity comes into public scrutiny in the mainstream. Auspicious days have a special value in our lives. So much so that the bad guys specially choose such occasions to mar the jubilation. They must be having a particularly twisted mind. December 1 this year marked the 50th anniversary of the Indian Union declaring the state (in the constituent province sense) of Nagaland. As late as 1936, the British authorities were not entirely sure where to put most of the north-east - in the Empire of India or in the soon-tobe-created crown colony of Burma. Indeed, after 1937, some Naga areas fell in Burma. Funny, isnt it, that the land, that inalienable heritage of ancestors on which a people live and their identity thrives are not the most important truths but lines drawn without consent and falling on people are. Nagas have witnessed the longest struggle (someones terrorism, someones insurgency, someones freedom struggle we all know the routine disclaimer) against both the post-British Burmese and Indian states. Whether they are post-colonial states (and this doubtful list includes Pakistan too) depends on whom you ask. More than 50 years ago, the then prime minister of the Union of India, Jawaharlal Nehru said in the Lok
Sabha: We have had for many years Nagas in the Indian army and they have proved to be excellent soldiers. Our policy has always been to give the fullest autonomy and opportunity to self-development to the Naga people, without interfering in any way in their internal affairs or way of life. The last sentence is critical, as it goes against the usual thrust of policies from New Delhi typically aimed at creating a homogenised, Hindustan (Hindi-heartland) centric identity. However, the context is important. When the Brahmin from Allahabad was speaking those words, he knew the stakes.
Funny, isnt it, that the land, that inalienable heritage of ancestors on which a people live and their identity thrives are not the most important truths but lines drawn without consent and falling on people are
A few years before that, certain Naga groups had conducted a plebiscite. The Union of India did not consider any such plebiscite legal and of course there was no question of respecting the verdict of something it considered illegal in the first place. Legality is something. Reality is typically something else. The army was brought in. These pronouncements by Nehru came shortly after his discussions with a group called the Naga Peoples Convention (NPC). They negotiated the subsequent statehood status for Nagaland. Given the prevailing conditions, special provisions for the state of Nagaland were incorporated as Article 371A of the constitution of the Union of India. Now after 50 glorious years of Nagalands life as a state of the Union of India, the ruling party of Nagaland called the Naga Peoples Front has decided to take Article 371A of the constitution and certain pronouncements by the Petroleum Ministry in the parliament of the Indian Union at face value. The Nagaland state government wants to use all its natural resources on their own and has cited the constitution to say it is constitutional. This is the kind of problem you get into when you have non-pliant provincial governments. New Delhi is not amused at the constitution being thrown at them. This is a crisis, not so much of law breaking, but of law-following. We probably know how this ends. There will be high-level meetings and consultations. The otherwise passive position of the governor of a state (a New Delhi agent) will become active. The state government will probably back down. The courts will go the right way if it comes to that. It will again be all quiet on the north-eastern front. l Garga Chatterjee is a freelance contributor.
n Vikas Nath
egotiators from over 190 countries gathered recently in Warsaw to lay the framework for a global climate agreement that is expected to be signed in 2015 in Paris. Warsaw was an opportunity for negotiators to narrow their differences, and increase their ambition for long-term action on climate change.
A commitment to interim financing would be a good trust-building gesture and it will also give momentum to get the accord ready by 2015
rooted nationally. Countries have consistently refused to look beyond their boundaries and interests to deal with an issue that cuts across borders. Rich countries have to lead the way in cutting emissions and providing support. But developing countries also need to contribute if the warming limit of 2 degrees centigrade is to be maintained. Unfortunately the UN multilateral climate forum is capable of keeping the negotiations alive without yielding progressive outcomes. It is likely we may end up at the 2015 summit in Paris without any bold ambitions and actions to bring down global emissions.
Unfortunately they failed to reach a common understanding on the shape of the new agreement, the level of cuts needed, how they should be divided up, long-term financing needs of developing countries, and provides assistance to those suffering loses and damages from climate change.
Climate talks so far have distinguished between richer and poorer countries. Richer countries are those who have polluted their way to economic growth and development and are responsible for the bulk of historical emissions. While poorer countries are latecomers to industrialization, their emissions are increasing as they need to grow and lift their population out of poverty. The Warsaw talks saw a major push by developed countries to remove the firewall between rich and poor countries so that all countries take on
binding commitments to reduce emissions.But developing countries came out strongly against this move. Developed countries argued that the deal struck in Durban in 2011 required all major economies, including emerging economies, to commit to bringing down emissions, and this was not being adhered to. Developing countries challenged that these commitments were contingent on developed countries playing their role and providing climate funds and clean technology at concessional rates, and that this was not happening. Most developing countries maintain that since the Durban decision was under the UN Climate Convention, the responsibilities to reduce emissions remain differentiated. For developing countries, historical emissions and the principle of common but differentiated responsibility CBDR) are non-negotiable to ensure that climate justice and equity is respected. They seek that any new agreement has to come under the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on common but differentiated responsibilities rather than ignoring it. Developed countries were against keeping any such reference and this almost led to a breakdown of the talks until a compromise was worked out to replace commitments with the more
flexible term contributions. The negotiating parties ultimately agreed to go back home and initiate or intensify domestic preparations for their intended nationally determined contributions to reduce emissions without being legally obliged to do so. Countries ready to do so will submit clear and transparent plans by the first quarter of 2015. The plans will be assessed by other countries to determine if they are ambitious and fair, and whether they will be collectively effective in preventing climate catastrophe. As the emissions reduction goals that will come into force in 2020 will not be decided centrally, but set at the national level, it remains to be seen how these contributions will evolve. They may end up as binding targets in the 2020 framework and take the shape of a new protocol, or simply an agreed outcome to reduce emissions with legal force.
countries have resisted demands to put firm commitments on how they plan to fulfill this pledge. Developing countries also want richer countries to provide interim financing between now and 2020 tokeep up the momentum until 2020. But this demand was rejected. Ultimately, no new financing was committed during the talks except replenishment of funds for the Adaptation Fund and adoption of the work programme for results-based financing for reducing emissions from forest-related activities.
In the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks, developed nations committed to mobilize US$100 billion a year by 2020 for climate change. So far there has only been a trickle of funds. Developing countries want a roadmap on how the funds will be raised. But developed
Political and economic realities of bringing down carbon emissions are a complex process and the Warsaw talks failed to overcome them. There is still an opportunity to salvage the trust and ambitions lost at Warsaw. A commitment to interim financing would be a good trust-building gesture and it will also give momentum to get the accord ready by 2015. This has to be followed by concrete efforts to close the pre-2020 ambition gap before an agreement can be hammered out for post-2020. l Vikas Nath is the Associate Director, Future UN Development System (FUNDS).
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Sport
DHAKA TRIBUNE
0 8 9
DAYS TO GO
11 Spurs sack AVB after Liverpool rout 11 Murray takes BBC award
Players of Shaheed Jewel XI and Shaheed Mushtaque XI along with match officials and BCB members pose for a photograph before the start of the traditional Victory Day cricket match at DCS yesterday
COURTESY
Brief Score
Shaheed Jewel XI 285/9 in 40 overs Raqibul Hasan 111, Junaed Siddique 33 Enamul Haque 38/4, Shahadat Hossain 43/3 Shaheed Mushtaque XI 136/10 in 27 over Sanjamul Islam 25*, Marshal Ayub 20 Elias Sunny 7/3, Naeem Islam 13/2, Md Sharif 17/2 Result: Shaheed Jewel XI won by 149 runs
any batsman and Raqibul, who played a crucial role with the bat for Dhaka Premier League champions Gazi Tank recently, said, I always try to give my hundred percent wherever I get the chance and I am working hard as you know I have scored over five hundred runs in the Dhaka league and looking forward to make a comeback in the national side. Few hundreds of fans gathered at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium,
commonly known as the Abahani ground, to witness their favourite cricketers play while the presence of many other former national cricketers set the perfect tune for the friendly match. Every year the Victory Day match takes the face of a get-together among the cricketers and it was nothing less yesterday too. Bangladesh Cricket Board chief selector Faruk Ahmed, Habibul Bashar and Minhajul Abedin were amongst the many other board members present during the match while suspended cricketer Mohammad Ashraful also did not miss the chance to meet his fellow friends. The first ever Victory Day cricket match was played in 1972 in memory of Liberation War martyrs Shaheed Abdul Halim Chowdhury Jewel and Shaheed
Raqibul Hasan Mushtaque Ahmed and since then Bangladesh Cricket Board has been arranging the friendly affair every year. l
n Shishir Hoque
Usha Krira Chakra started their Walton Victory Day Hockey campaign with a comfortable 3 1 victory over Azad Sporting Club in the Walton Smartphone Victory Day Hockey at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday. Maksud Alam Habul, Ajit Kumar Ghosh and Rubel scored for the
victors in the sixth, 15th and 20th minute of the game while Shohanur Rahman netted the consolation for Azad in the 52nd minute. In the days other game, Bangladesh Air Force were held to a 2 2 draw by Bangladesh Police. Mukitul Islam scored twice for Air Force in the fifth and 44th minute while Rana and John scored one each for Police in the 20th and 48th minute. l
ROUND OF 16 DRAW
Man City (ENG) Olympiakos (GRE) AC Milan (ITA) Leverkusen (GER) Galatasaray (TUR) Schalke 04 (GER) Zenit (RUS) Arsenal (ENG)
v v v v v v v v
Barcelona (ESP) Man United (ENG) At Madrid (ESP) PSG (FRA) Chelsea (ENG) Real Madrid (ESP) ortmund (GER) Bayern Munich (GER)
Uefa Champions League Final Ambassador, former Portuguese international footballer Luis Figo holds up the name of Barcelona during the draw for the last 16 of the Uefa Champions league in Nyon yesterday AFP
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Sport
11
Sunderland, followed by Ian Holloway at Crystal Palace and Martin Jol at Fulham, while West Bromwich Albion parted company with Steve Clarke on Saturday. Russia manager Fabio Capello, the former England head coach, was swiftly installed as the British bookmakers favourite to succeed Villas-Boas, who first came to prominence at Porto. Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup is also reported to be in contention, but the agent of Guus Hiddink ruled the experienced Dutchman out of the running as he is due to become coach of the Netherlands for a second time after next years World Cup. l
October
Ian Holloway (Crystal Palace)
December
Martin Jol (Fulham), Steve Clarke (West Brom), Andre Villas-Boas (Tottenham)
RESULT
Tottenham
05
Liverpool
EPL TOP 10
his second consecutive failure at a London side as he was sacked by Chelsea in March 2012 after only nine months at the Stamford Bridge helm. He joined Spurs the following July but despite leading the club to their highest points tally of the Premier League era last season (72), they missed out on a Champions League place to arch-rivals Arsenal. Speaking after the drubbing by Liverpool, Villas-Boas had vowed that he would not walk away from the club. The call to make that decision is not mine because obviously I wont resign and Im not a quitter, he said. The only thing I can do is work hard with the players to get them back on track. This is a top-four squad but in our Premier League form we are not there. While Spurs have misfired in the league, they qualified for the last 32 in the Europa League after winning all six of their group games and were paired with Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Fridays draw. They are also due to play West Ham United in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday. Villas-Boas becomes the fifth Premier League manager to lose his job this season. Paolo Di Canio was the first to go at
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Team GP Arsenal 16 Liverpool 16 Chelsea 16 Man City 16 Everton 16 Newcastle 16 Tottenham 16 Man United 16 Southampton 16 Swansea 16 W 11 10 10 10 8 8 8 7 6 5 D 2 3 3 2 7 3 3 4 6 5 L 3 3 3 4 1 5 5 5 4 6 GD PTS 16 35 21 33 14 33 29 32 12 31 -1 27 -6 27 6 25 5 24 1 20
Rafael Nadal defied the career obituary writers with his stunning renaissance in 2013 as he and fellow major winners Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray cut struggling Roger Federer adrift. Nadal was sports comeback man of the year, collecting 10 titles from 14 finals, including a landmark eighth French Open, a second US Open which took his career majors tally to 13, and a record 26th Masters. He ended the season with 75 wins against just seven losses and another $14.5 million banked to take his career earnings past the $60 million mark. It was a rebirth that got off to a faltering start when the Spaniard, who had been out of action for seven months, reappeared at the modest Chilean venue of Vina del Mar in February. AFP
RESULTS
Juventus
Tevez 15, 45, 68, Peluso 28
Ive got a few people to thank - my family first. Theyve supported me since I was a kid, making a lot of sacrifices for me. I couldnt have done it without you. My team have been with me for a long time and I also couldnt have done it without them. And finally Id like to thank all the public who voted, for giving me so much support over the last couple of years. It has made a huge difference. I know sometimes Im not the easiest person to support but Ive had a lot of pressure on me for a long time. Im glad I managed to do it. Murray took a 56 percent share of the public vote with a total of 401,470. l
40 42
Sassuolo
Napoli
Inter
Napoli had lost out on second place in their Champions League Group F to Borussia Dortmund, despite amassing 12 points, and like Juventus wanted their return to domestic duty to be positive. Coach Rafael Benitez, who had a brief spell at the Nerazzurri in 2010, told Sky Sport Italia: We left the Champions League with our heads held high, and today I expected a response. l
ROUND OF 16 DRAW
Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou snapped his eight match scoring drought in style as he struck twice to help Lille to a 2 1 win over Bastia and back into the Ligue 1 title race. The 2012 Champions League winner, who was Lilles top scorer last season with 16 goals, took his tally this season to five with a brace of first-half strikes that ultimately downed the Corsican visitors. Also on Sunday, seven-time champions Lyon were driven by first-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette, his ninth of the season, and French international Bafetimbi Gomis to put them 2 0 up before Marseille launched a stirring comeback to snatch a 2 2 draw. AFP
Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo poses with his statue during the inauguration of his museum in Funchal on Sunday REUTERS
DAYS WATCH
Star Sports HD1 8:30AM Australia v England Third Test, Day 5 Sony Six NBA 2013 14 7:00AM Chicago v Orlando 9:30AM La Clippers v San Antonio 01:00 AM Fifa Club World Cup SF: Guangzhou v Bayern Munich Capital One Cup 2013/14 Ten Sports 1:45AM QF: Leicester v Man City Ten Action 1:45AM QF: Sunderland v Chelsea
Atletico keep pace with Barca thanks to Costa double n Reuters, Barcelona
Diego Costa scored twice as Atletico Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 to maintain their winning home run this season and keep pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. The in-form forward broke the deadlock just before the hour mark and with Valencias resistance broken Raul Garcia added a second moments later. Costa then missed a penalty but made amends from the spot with nine minutes to go, allowing him to draw level with Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo with 17 goals this season. You need to show personality and fight for your achievements so after missing the first penalty I wanted to take the second, Costa told reporters. l
Leon footballers celebrate after defeating America in the final of the Mexican Apertura tournament at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City on Sunday AFP
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pared by the Awami League in its previous term. The Mukti Barta (Lal Boi) contains names of around 154,000 freedom fighters. However, the list prepared during the tenure of BNP-led four-party alliance in 2002-2005, the number stood at 2.10 lakh. Even after 42 years of the countrys independence, the ministry is yet to prepare a final and authentic list of the freedom fighters. Although successive governments have prepared several lists of freedom fighters so far, they cited different numbers of freedom fighters with different lists, according sources in the Liberation War Affairs Ministry. A statistics prepared by the ministry before December 2011, had enlisted 206,000 names of freedom fighters through a government gazette. Another list, popularly known as voter index list, was prepared in 1994 that enlisted 86,000 names of freedom fighters and was actually a voter list prepared for the election of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad. A national list prepared in 1986 mentions that there are 102,458 authentic freedom fighters in the country; however, another list prepared in the same year by Muktijoddha Welfare Trust indicated that there were around 69,833 freedom fighters in the country. l
Thousands yesterday enjoy a spectacular fireworks show at the capitals Suhrawardy Udyan, where Pakistan army surrendered on this day in 1971
RAJIB DHAR
Another arson victim dies after 15 days Dhaka jail opened on n Dec 17, 1971 as jailers fled
Mohammad Jamil Khan
Another victim of arson attack during the opposition imposed blockade, died yesterday after battling for life for 15 days at the burn and plastic surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Abdul Aziz, 50, a CNG auto-rickshaw driver had 35% of his body burnt died around 4.30am today, as his respiratory system was badly damaged by the fire, Dr Partha Shankar Pal, Residential Surgeon at the DMCH burn unit told the Dhaka Tribune. Aziz, from Nangalmura of Hathazari, Chittagong, received burn injuries after pickets hurled a petrol bomb at his vehicle at Muhrihath area while he was on his way home on December 1. Immediately after, he had jumped into a nearby pond to save himself but the fire had already burnt several parts of his body. He was first taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, but as his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the DMCH on December 4. He was undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit and responding to treatment as well. However, severe damage to Azizs respiratory system led to his death. Following Azizs death, his brother Kamal Uddin, was seen running here and there to take the body home without autopsy. While trying to contact, Kamal in an angered voice said: You people have killed my brother, you are responsible for this. You have no right to ask anything as you cannot bring my brother back, then why you are disturbing me? asked Kamal. Meanwhile, Azizs wife Munni Akter, left shell-shocked by the death, was standing in a corner of the morgue gate at the hospital without saying anything or crying out. She was too upset to even respond to her three-year-old boy, Hassan Ferdous, who was crying for water. Munni said two of her daughters Rinsi Akter, 8, and Rimsha Akter, 5, were home and waiting for their father. Rinsi studies in class three at Nangalmura Primary School, but her education might has to be stopped as no one is left to support us, she said. He had just paid off a loan taken for buying the CNG auto-rickshaw and has no deposit. He used to tell me that he would take care of his children but he would not say how. Now, without him, how will I be able to do so without his support, Munni said. Aziz had stopped talking since Sunday morning and spent his last couple of hours at the ICU staring at his son, she said. Liakat Ali, officer-in-charge at Hathazari police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that a case have been filed with them in this regard and they were searching for the criminals. With Azizs death, the death toll from arson attacks reached 15 while another 16 patients were undergoing treatment at the burn unit with two of them still in the ICU. l
n Kailash Sarkar
The Dhaka Central Jail remained open for all on December 17, 1971, the day after Victory Day, as almost all prison officers and guards abandoned their posts and ran away, leaving the prisoners on their own, an official said. But many prisoners did not leave the jail, despite getting the change to gain their freedom, said Forman Ali, senior superintendent of Dhaka Central Jail. Although no documented evidence is available, it has been found by talking to many officials who were working there then that a major portion of the prisoners had left the jail, but many others had stayed behind willingly, Ali told the Dhaka Tribune. Zahir Uddin Babar, assistant inspector general of prisons, said although the jail administration was not very powerful at the time, there was a section of officials who tried to perform their duties and manage the prisoners who had stayed behind. According to a witness, all prison officers and warders had fled the jail on December 17, fearing retaliation for collaborating with the Pakistani army during Bangladeshs Liberation War. The witness, a writer named Jatismara who was incarcerated at the central jail from July 20, 1970 until December 17, 1971, recalled that one of the prisoners, Shah Jahan, had snatched a bunch of keys from a trembling warder, who had dared to show up for work inside the jail that morning. Shah Jahan then got the warder to
The baby boy has no idea that his father, who was burnt 35% in an arson attack on Decmeber 2, has finally died at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
unlock all the cells to let the prisoners out, but he asked them to stay in their respective places. In the afternoon, a freedom fighter with a gun on his shoulder appeared before us and screamed: Why are you still here? The jail is empty! the writer, who was a student activist, said. The witness also mentioned that only three men in his cell block had refused to leave, saying the jail was there home and they had nowhere else to go. Forman Ali agreed with the witnesss description. He added that during the war, Nirmal Roy was the jailer and late Shamsur Rahman was his deputy. I have tried to talk to Nirmal Roy, but due to his old age, he is too sick and not in a state to discuss things, said Forman Ali. He also said besides the Dhaka jail, almost all other prisons across the country were opened up and prisoners freed as most jailers and guards had fled during the nine-month war. The Comilla Jail was opened to prisoners on April 16. Like Comilla, prisoners in most other jails were also freed, he said. The historic Dhaka Central Jail was an old Afghan fort, also known as the Old Fort of Dhaka, built during the rule of Sher Shah Suri. In 1788, Islam Khan, a Mughal subidar, established the army headquarters in a portion of the fort and his office in another part. The fort was later turned into a jail by setting up a criminal ward inside. The Old Fort was converted to the Dhaka Central Jail in 1820 during British colonial rule. l
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