August 3, 2013

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Shraban 19, 1420 Ramadan 24, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 134

Prescription

International

8

Keeping heartburn at bay

Morsi supporters defy police warnings to disperse

Entertainment

12

Afzal appears as ‘Choto Kaku’ this Eid

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com

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US embassies under security threat

Security beefed up around US embassy in Dhaka n Kailash Sarkar The Dhaka Metropolitan Police have intensified security measures for the US Embassy in Dhaka and its other establishments, as well as for the entire diplomatic zone, following a security threat to the US embassy.

The US government decided to keep its embassies closed on August 4 in 14 Muslim countries after receiving intelligence of an Al Qaeda plot against American diplomatic posts in the Middle East and other Muslim countries.

“Usually we remain extra alert over the diplomatic offices and zone. But we intensified all of our measures following the decision of the US government on the basis of intelligence,” said Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

He said as part of the intensified security measures, additional forces would be deployed along with extra patrolling and vigilance.

He said the measure would not only cover the US Embassy and all of its installations, but, as part of the precautionary measures, would apply to all foreign offices and establishments. l

14 missions including the one in Dhaka to stay closed Sunday n Tribune Desk The United States issued a worldwide travel alert yesterday, warning its citizens about the “continued potential for terrorist attacks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Following the security threat from terrorist network al-Qaeda, US embassies and consulates in 14 countries including Bangladesh will remain close on Sunday.

In a statement, the State Department said current information suggests al Qaeda and its affiliates continue to plan terrorist attacks in the Middle East and beyond, and may concentrate those efforts in August, according to Reuters.

US issues global travel alert, cites potential al-Qaeda threat A US official said the alert was based on the same intelligence information that prompted US embassy closures for this Sunday.

The US State Department yesterday made the announcement of keeping shut the embassies, reports CBS News.

The news network says the US intelligence has picked up signs of an al-Qaeda plot against American diplomatic posts in the Middle East and other Muslim countries. The intelligence did not mention a specific location, which is why all embassies that would normally be open on Sunday have been ordered to close.

That includes embassies and consulates in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, where Sunday is the start of the work week.

Quoting US intelligence officials, CBS report said that this appeared to

be a real plot in the making and not just the normal chatter among terrorists talking about attacks they usually like to carry out.

At least 14 embassies have announced that they will remain closed on Sunday in accordance with the State Department’s guidance, including the US embassies in Bangladesh, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

A notice on the website of the embassy in Bangladesh explained: “The American Embassy including the American Centre will be closed on Sunday, August 4. For emergency services involving American citizens, please call 885-5500 and ask for the duty officer.

Earlier, Marie Harf, the deputy spokeswoman for the State Department, told reporters that the step was taken as a “precautionary” measure.

She, however, did not provide further specifics on the nature of the threat or which embassies would be forced to shutter for the day.

“The Department of State has instructed certain US embassies and consulates to remain closed or to suspend operations on Sunday, August 4th,” she said, explaining that the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

Other US officials said the threat was in the Muslim world, where Sunday is a workday. American diplomatic missions in Europe, Latin America and many other places are closed on Sunday.

Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

BNP against cancellation of party registration through judiciary n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

for several hours.

The trial will be held at a BSF court in India’s Cooch Behar where Felani’s father and maternal uncle would go to testify, a statement of Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) said.

Even though border killing has been a common phenomenon, Felani’s killing had sparked widespread condemnation.

Shortly after her death, BGB held a battalion-level flag meeting to protest the incident and later sent a strong protest letter to their counterpart BSF in this connection, the BGB press release mentioned.

In March, during a meeting between the heads of the border forces, BGB

The main opposition BNP yesterday said it did not support banning a political party and cancellation of a party’s registration should not be determined through a legal procedure or by the judiciary.

“The existence of political organisations that abide by the state’s sovereignty and constitutional provisions depends on the people’s will,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said.

Conveying his party’s formal reaction to Thursday’s High Court verdict that cancelled the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Fakhrul said: “Any political party or person that shows respect to the country’s constitution can operate organisational activities and political opinions.”

BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi read out the party spokesperson’s statement from a press release at the Kurigram Press Club.

The opposition party, however, refrained from commenting on the HC judgment.

“The High Court declared Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration with the Election Commission illegal.

Jamaat has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. As the issue is sub-judice, the BNP has no statement on the issue,” Fakhrul said in his statement.

The High Court on Thursday declared the registration of Jamaat as a political party illegal. Counsels of the Election Commission and Jamaat said the party would not be able to participate in parliamentary polls if the judgment was upheld by the Appellate

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A man with a bunch of flowers visits ground zero of Rana Plaza in Savar, which collapsed 100 days ago. A memorial monument is to be erected at the site in memory of over 1,100 people killed in the worst disaster in the history of Bangladesh’s garment industry RAJIB DHAR

Rental power plants’ future in the dark Felani murder trial n begins August 13 Aminur Rahman Rasel

The government is in a dilemma on how to handle the power situation with contracts of 28 rental power plants nearing end. These 28 power plants generate a quarter of the total consumed power.

Tenure of four rental plants with generation capacity of 512MW will expire within this year and 12 with 914MW capacity would end by the next year. Contracts of another two with a capacity of 77MW would expire in 2015, two others with capacity of 141MW will end in 2016 and remaining four with 300MW capacity will end in 2017.

The dilemma intensified with the government’s failure to set up 69 power plants with 12,190MW capacity within 2017, which were supposed to accommodate the fall in supply from these temporary alternatives shutting down.

Only 55 of them, with a total capacity of 3,870MW, were established in the last four and half years from 2009, falling far from the targeted addition of 8,465MW to the national grid by 2013.

Officials say that the base loads power projects would not be operational until at least 2016.

As a result, the government is forced to contemplate whether to extend the tenures or turn into a costly alternative, Independent Power Producers (IPP), of which 23 of three to five-year tenures were set up during its rule without any tender under the Power and Energy Quick Supply (special provision) Act. The rest were set up during the previous caretaker government.

“We are in a dilemma as to what decision would be proper,” State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammed Enamul Huq told

INSIDE News

4 Almost four months after Twoki’s murder, divers have found a “raincoat-like bag and a white cloth” from the very spot by the Shitalakhya where Twoki’s body was found. Another raid was conducted at Saleh Rahman Simanto’s residence at Dhopa Patti area of Narayanganj.

International

9 Speaking at the annual al-Quds day rally, Iran’s president-elect Hasan Rowhani called Israel an old wound and doubted the possibility of an Isreal-Palestine peace deal. His website, however, published somewhat different comments.

Op-Ed

11 A lot more can be done to increase cooperation between ministries and organisations dealing with food safety, such as creating an effective fast-track

court to deal with instances of abuse. If the government was more proactive and consistent, they could have staffed the Tk220m state-of-the-art food testing lab already , writes Matthew Islam.

Sport

13 The Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hasan has ruled out the existence of District and Divisional Sports Organisers Forum he as the forums demands were not viable as per the constitution. The forum had threatened to boycott all activities if there is any interference in the nominations of councillors ahead of the upcoming elections.

14 Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich beat Premier League side Manchester City 2-1 in the final of the European champion’s pre-season tournament.

the Dhaka Tribune adding that a seven member committee, headed by Additional Secretary Mofazzel Hossain, was formed on April 17 to sort out the issue.

“We would take decision after the committee submits its report”.

However, the committee had already failed the May 15 deadline and is still undecided on when it can give its report.

Explaining the dilemma they are in, Mofazzel Hossain said the existing laws enacted for setting up the rental power plants do not allow converting the rental plants to IPPs. So the committee is contemplating on whether to request applications for extending contract tenures. “We will take decision after reviewing the efficiency of the machines and use of fuel.”

The committee has primarily identified nine power plants that could  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

n Tribune Report The trial of 15-year-old Felani, a Bangladeshi girl who was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in 2011, is set to begin on August 13.

“I want justice in the case,” her father Nurul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune over phone last evening. “I want punishment of the killer/s.”

BSF personnel on January 7, 2011 shot dead Felani, who used to work as a domestic help in New Delhi, while she was crossing into Bangladesh over the barbed-wire fences on Phulbari border in Dinajpur.

Her body was left hanging at the top of the barbed wire fence on the border

Extortion from CNG auto-rickshaws peak around first Buriganga Bridge n Ashif Islam Shaon Ahead of the eid, extortion by local political leaders and police from CNG-run auto-rickshaws on and around the first Buriganga Bridge have reached an unbearable state.

CNG-run auto-rickshaws, those registered in districts around the Dhaka city make trips to the capital for extra income, are being charged extra by extortionists while making their way into the city using the bridge. As these vehicles cannot legally operate inside Dhaka, they have to count extra money to satisfy the traffic police as well.

Round the year, these auto rickshaw drivers pay money to extortionists under two payment packages, weekly and

monthly. Under the weekly package they pay up Tk100 to Tk200, meaning Tk10 for every crossing. On the other hand, the monthly payment ranges from Tk2,000 to Tk3,000.

However, since the first day of Ramadan, they have been paying TK500 for weekly package and Tk3,000to 4000 monthly. The extortionists have also introduced a daily package of Tk100 for CNG-run auto-rickshaws, who occasionally ply on this road. Under the daily package the drivers are given a slip as a “pass” to cross the bridge.

“The CNG-run auto-rickshaws registered in districts surrounding the Dhaka city have no permission to ply on city roads. Traffic police can lodge cases against these auto rickshaws if they

are caught anywhere in the city,” said a CNG auto-rickshaw driver Alawal.

Golam Faruque, general secretary of the Dhaka District CNG-auto-rickshaw, Auto-tempo and Mishuk Transport Workers Union said there are about 3,000 CNG-run auto-rickshaws plying between Postagola, Keraniganj, Mawa and Munshiganj, using the First Buriganga Bridge. But during the eid rush, that number has doubled.

“Before eid, a good number of welloff people, who live in the city suburbs, go to the capital for many reasons like shopping and trading. A major number of these people hire the auto-rickshaws to the city. Drivers take them to the city and do not return till late night, working over there,” he said.

Faruque said his organisation has asked the police, Rapid Action Battalion and administration to put an end to extortion and illegal toll collections, but it did not work out. As a result, drivers take risk of plying on city roads illegally.

Another CNG auto-rickshaw driver with a vehicle registered under one of Dhaka’s districts said: “I normally keep a budget of at least Tk1000 for the traffic police in the capital besides the tolls at the Buriganga Bridge. If luck favours, no police would stop me in the capital.

But otherwise, with that budget I can manage at least three police teams at three different spots.”

Saleh Ahmed Chowdhury, an authorised toll-collector at the Buriganga  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Jumatul Wida observed n Tribune Desk

HSC results today n Tribune Report

Jumatul Wida, the last Friday of Ramadan, was observed across the country yesterday with religious fervour and sanctity.

A large number of devotees attended the Juma prayers at different mosques, seeking divine blessings for peace and progress of Bangladesh and unity of the Muslim Ummah.

The biggest Jumatul Wida congregation was held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital.

Taking part in the congregation, thousands of devotees sought blessings of Allah for peace of the departed souls of their near and dear ones and for the peace and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.

Special arrangements were made to accommodate the devotees at mosques in different parts of the city.

The authorities at many places erected `shamianas’ (tents) outside the mosque buildings to create additional space for offering prayers.

At many places, the devotees even offered prayers on roads. Khateebs and ulema delivered sermons highlighting the significance of Jumatul Wida. l

The results of this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate and its equivalent examinations will be published today.

The results will be released at around 1pm through respective centres, educational institutions, websites of all education boards, and also short message services (SMS) of various mobile phone operators, officials said.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid will announce the results at a press briefing at the secretariat at 1pm, after handing over a copy of the result to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the morning.

This year the HSC and its equivalent examinations began on April 1 with 1,012,581 students from 7803 educational institutions registered to take the examinations in 2288 examination centres across the country.

The examinations were scheduled to end on May 28 but later ended on June 3 due to general strikes called by the opposition parties. l

‘Bangladesh Jamaat victim of Hasina regime’ n Tribune Desk Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan has condemned a Bangladesh High Court judgement that declared the Bangladesh Jamaat’s registration as a party illegal.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Munawar termed the court decision “unconstitutional, partial and biased,” Pakistani newspaper The News reported.

The Pakistan Jamaat ameer appealed to the world nations, democratic forces and the Muslim states to play their role in checking the “vendetta of the pro-India Sheikh Hasina regime in Dhaka against the Jamaat leaders in the country.”

Munawar in the statement alleged that the Jamaat’s Bangladesh chapter was being “victimised” and its leadership had been convicted and handed down sentences of life term and even death.

“So far, this was being done by a ‘socalled tribunal’ [International Crimes Tribunal] but now the High Court has stepped in to do the same,” the statement further reads.

Munawar also alleged that Sheikh Hasina’s government wanted to keep Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami away from the people and “crush it at the behest of India whereas a majority of the Bangladesh people stood with the party in the present situation.

“Millions of people were staging protest in different parts of Bangladesh due to which the Hasina Wazed regime was afraid,” he claimed.

Expressing astonishment, he said democratic forces in the world and the Muslim states were “criminally silent” over the state oppression against Bangladesh Jamaat. l

US embassies under security threat  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

The State Department issued a major warning last year informing American diplomatic facilities across the Muslim world about potential violence connected to the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Dozens of American installations were besieged by protest over an anti-Islam video made by an American resident.

In Benghazi, Libya, the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed when militants assaulted a diplomatic post. The administration no longer says that attack was related to the demonstrations. l

Extortion from CNG autorickshaws peak around first Buriganga Bridge  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Bridge, however, said they only raised tolls from vehicles except CNG-run auto-rickshaws.

Meanwhile, South Keraniganj police station Officer-in-Charge Shakawat Hossain said the district vehicles are not allowed to cross the bridge to ply in the capital. He also denied the allegations of extortion on the bridge. l

Untreated solid and liquid waste come from a tannery. Solid waste being dumped on the road at Hazaribag, Dhaka

Beware of taking food, help from strangers Police say you could be the next victim of malam, aggyan and dhakka parties ences, Shajahan Ali of Mymensingh fell are rising. n Mohammad Jamil Khan Police sources said gangs like the agvictim to aggyan party.

As Dhaka prepares for the biggest Islamic festival of the year, street crimes have increased at an alarming rate in the recent days with gangs of criminals, better known as aggyan party, malam party and dhakka party thronging the city’s bus terminals, train stations, and launch terminals.

On Thursday last, Farid Hossain, a resident of Barguna district was at the Sadarghat launch terminal at around 5pm, on his way back home for Eid. He was offered some food items by a stranger which he unsuspectingly consumed.

Sumon, an eyewitness of the incident, later told the police that Farid was seen throwing up and asking for water before fainting.

He told Sumon that he had consumed food given by a stranger. He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where he regained consciousness on Sunday. He lost everything except his national identity card.

In a similar story on last week, the examination controller at the University of Information Technology & Sci-

He luckily survived from the effects of the toxic food offered to him by a stranger on the train, but ended up losing all his belongings.

According to law enforcement forces, these criminals operate mostly in gangs at the city’s different bus, launch terminals and railway stations, while mingling with the passengers.

They pick their prey after close surveillance and after some light conversation offer them something to drink or eat, mixed with drugs. Once it takes effect, the passengers are robbed off all their belongings.

These gangs allegedly operate in cooperation with workers of buses, launches as well as taxi and auto-rickshaws drivers. Around 300 members of different gangs, divided into 50 groups, carry out their activities at different parts of the city. Sometimes the gangs use sharp weapons to rob valuables from unsuspecting victims.

According to sources at DMCH at least five to 10 people get admittted to the hospital every day, falling prey to the gang members, and the numbers

gyan Party, dhakka Party or malam party, have increased their activity during this Eid season.

The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel on duty at the Gabtali bus terminal on Tuesday told this correspondent that they have not received any complaints from anyone.

However, Monirul Islam, joint-commissioner of the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) admitted to the Dhaka Tribune that criminal activities by these gangs increase each year during Eid festivities.

He advised people not to take any food or drink from strangers while traveling.

He also said people should avoid buying food from makeshift shops or vendors, as they might be drugged by the same parties.

Monirul talked about taking stern action against such gangs and claimed members of the intelligence department were deployed at different key points of the capital to stop such activities. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN/DHAKA TRIBUNE

‘Jamaat has no right to stay in Bangladesh’ n Tribune Desk In the wake of the High Court’s verdict declaring the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the Islamist party has no right to stay in Bangladesh.

He made the remark while talking to reporters in Sylhet after inspecting the repair work on Sylhet Divisional Stadium yesterday, reports UNB. The minister also said he thinks the

High Court verdict against Jamaat-e-Islami is appropriate and normal, as he said the party constitution is contradictory to the national charter.

The renovation work on the stadium, involving TK 85 crore, is being carried out to make it fit as a venue for the T20 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh in 2014.

Muhith said the works will be completed in time and the T20 World Cup matches be held at the stadium. l

Moudud warns against polls under partisan government n Mohammad AL-Masum Molla Issuing a note of warning to the government, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed yesterday said the country would be paralysed by strikes and blockades if the next elections are held under a partisan government.

“We will wage tough movements after Eid with the demand for holding the next general election under a non-partisan government. The movement will be at its peak from September to October 25 and programmes will be announced for mass upsurge,” he said.

Maudud made the threats while ad-

dressing a discussion at the National Press Club in the city.

“We want to undoubtedly say to the government that if it wants to hold elections under its arrangement, the country will be paralysed through agitation, including blockades and nonstop hartals. None will leave the street till the demand is met.”

Mentioning the Awami League’s loggi-boitha (sticks and oars) programme in 2007, Moudud said: “We will not announce such a destructive programme.

Our programme will be time-bound and tough and people will join us. Till now we observed soft programmes and the time has come to go for tougher movement.” l

why it is trying to ban political parties.”

The BNP leader said the government wanted to come to power again using the “subservient” Election Commission but the people would resist that conspiracy.

“The Election Commission has curtailed its power following the directive of the government. But no one will be victorious doing so, people will destroy all sorts of conspiracy,” he said.

Fakhrul asked the government to find the killers of Jasim Uddin, otherwise a tough movement would be waged and the government would be

compelled to resign from office.

He reiterated that the next parliamentary elections would not be allowed to be held without a non-partisan interim government and deployment of army during the polls.

Presiding over the demonstration, Dhaka City unit BNP Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka urged the government to hold a dialogue to resolve the existing political deadlock.

Khoka said the people were ready under the leadership of Khaleda Zia to oust the government from office. l

BNP against cancellation of party registration  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Division, but it had the right to conduct political activities as the verdict concentrated only on the party’s registration.

The BNP did not give any official reaction to the verdict on Jamaat’s registration. It had not given any reaction after the verdicts of the war criminals, too.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is one of the BNP’s key allies in the 18-party alliance.

Fakhrul said the government had started misrule after assuming office and hampered democracy. “After launching abduction, killing and mass

killing, the government now wants to evict the opposition. To control political parties’ activities means a step towards restoring Baksal. Such evil plan of the government is against the fundamental rights of the constitution.”

Addressing a demonstration earlier in the morning, Fakhrul alleged that the government had started destroying the opposition parties to hold a one-party election.

“The government has started banning political parties to that end,” he told the demonstration organised at

the National Press Club in the capital by the Dhaka City unit BNP protesting the killing of its leader Jasim Uddin.

“Let us make it clear: the BNP does not support banning any political party.

We believe that politics should be faced politically. If they [the Awami League] had been democratic, they would have countered politics politically,” he said.

Fakhrul also said the Awami League had introduced Baksal after banning all political parties in the country in 1975.

“This time they want to restore that one-party rule in a different way. That is

Rental power plants’ future in the dark  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

be converted into IPPs or their tenures can be extended considering their performance and efficiency levels, a power division official said requesting anonymity.

He added, “We strongly opposed the proposal to convert 12 projects into IPPs considering their operational faults, low technical performance and legal complexity. There is no logic behind extending contracts of six power plants as generation costs are too high as they are equipped with old machineries.”

He also hinted that their report might support extending contracts of efficient power plants.

Director General of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain also voiced support for extending contracts, “The entrepreneurs would get a chance to survive if the tenures were extended and the government would also be relieved as they produce around 1500MW daily.

“Since only a few of the larger power plants are coming into operation soon, the rental plants should stay.”

Pointing out the economy of the country has boosted due to the operation of rental power plants, Chairman of Desh Energy Limited Anisul Huq

said, “We have started this business with high risk and we should be given opportunity. If not, the local investors in the sector would disappear.”

However, experts have pointed power generation costs at these plants are very high and such extensions would be suicidal. They pointed the government has to pay around Tk90-100bn annually to subsidise power purchase from these plants.

“Extending tenure of the rental power plants would be suicidal for the PDB and the national economy,” said Professor Shamsul Alam, energy advisor of Consumer Association of Bangladesh. “Costly oil-based rental plants have put the country’s financial condition under serious pressure as the PDB has to bear the huge burden of subsidising high-priced power purchase from these plants.”

Meanwhile, Dr Ijaz Hossain, a professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), recommended extending tenure of the plants after ensuring that the tariff is lowered since the plants are already operating and does not have establishment costs.

He, however, pointed the process for rental power plants and IPP is different as the second process requires

Felani murder trial begins August 13 tenders where efficiency of the plants are considered. “As the rental plants were mostly set up without tenders, many things did not come under consideration.”

Meanwhile, the PDB on March 27 had recommended to the power division to not extend the tenure of a 55MW oil-fired rental power plant in Chittagong’s Shikalbaha as it was harming the environment.

The plant approved by the caretaker government was in operation for three years. The extension proposal by its owner, Energies Power Corporation Limited, was scrapped on April 11.

However, the government also did not stick to the policy of not extending power purchase agreements with rental power plants. The Power Division had already extended deals with three gas-fired plants approved by the caretaker government.

Energyprima owned the two 50MW plants at Kumargaon and Shajibazar whose contracts were to end in 2011, but were extended by another three years. The other plant is a 33MW plant at Bhola owned by Venture Energy, whose tenure was to expire in July 2012 but was similarly given a two-year extension. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed enquired about the progress of the sensational murder case.

In response, the BSF chief assured him of taking appropriate actions against the people responsible, once the trial were completed.

The BSF asked four Bangladeshis – two witnesses, a lawyer and a BGB representative – to go to India for giving deposition in the case.

The home ministry has already approved the four people. They are BGB representative 45 Border Guard Battalion Commander Lt Col Ziaul Haque Khaled, Kurigram public prosecutor Abraham Lincoln, Felani’s father Md Nurul Islam and her maternal uncle Md Abdul Hanif.

The BGB has finalised all preparations for their travel to India. The witnesses will head for 181 BSF Battalion based in Sonari of Cooch Behar on August 19 to testify in the court.

The BGB hopes the trial would be held in a transparent manner to fulfil a long-standing demand of Bangladeshi people.

Hailing from Banarvita village in Kurigram, Felani’s father Nurul Islam said the killing had put him in a distressed situation. “I had business over

there. But now I have nothing. I cannot feed the children and unable to carry the cost of their education.”

He demanded justice for Felani and compensation.

Banglanews adds: The BSF earlier recorded statements of three Bangladeshi witnesses, including Felani’s father during a primary investigation of the murder. After the probe, BSF submitted the charge sheet against its constable Amiya Ghosh, who shot Felani with his 5.56mm INSUS rifle.

According to Indian law, Amiya Ghosh will be tried by the Indian General Securities Forces Court (GSFC) – equivalent of the Indian court martial.

On the morning of January 7, 2011, Felani and her father were returning from India as the date of her wedding had been set. Her father crossed into Bangladesh by scaling the barbed-wire fences but Felani failed as her clothes got tangled in the barbed wire on the international border 947, between pillars 3 and 4 at Anantapur of Phulbari, and she was shot dead by the BSF. Her body remained hanging from the barbed wire fences for about four hours before the BSF soldiers took it down. They later handed over the body to the BGB. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Mourners, rights activists throng Savar Injured workers inaugurate a memorial monument at the Rana Plaza site marking 100 days of the disaster Around 1,000 injured workers and n Adil Sakhawat missing workers’ relatives gathered at A workers’ rights committee yesterday established a memorial monument for the workers who died in the Rana Plaza collapse at the building’s site.

Injured workers of the factories of Rana Plaza inaugurated the monument.

The committee, made up of representatives from several leftist groups, also held a meeting, a rally and a cultural programme at the site. Several victims of the collapse and relatives of missing workers spoke at the meeting.

The coordinator of monument organising committee Ashish Corraya told the Dhaka tribune: “Police blocked us from erecting the monument several times. They told us that there was no permission from the authorities to build a monument here.”

“But as so many lives have been lost here we did not care about any permission. The workers also supported this and they donated money to build the monument,” he added.

Another organiser, Nahid Sultana Lisa, said, “The government will have to ensure exemplary punishment of the building owner and the garments owners as this incident is not an accident, it is obviously a mass murder.”

“The government must pay the injured workers, missing workers’ families and ensure their rehabilitation,” she said. The organising committee also distributed leaflets stating 15 demands among the people and the workers present there.

the Rana Plaza premises for the event.

Many of them complained that they did not get any kind of compensation from the government and Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Sadal Hossain, father of missing worker Raza, who used to work on the 4th floor of the building, said, “We are yet to get any kind of help from the government and the due salaries of my son which the government and BGMEA are supposed to pay. We do not the body of my son who was the only earning member of my family and also do not get any help.”

“When we went to government officials they told us the government would only give us compensations after getting the DNA reports,” he said.

Another injured worker, Parvin, recovered from the 4th floor of the rubbles of Rana Plaza four days after the collapse, told the Dhaka Tribune, “What I got from the government when I was in the hospital has already been spent for my treatment. Now that I am home, I am not getting any help from the government or BGMEA.” “Eid is knocking at the door. How are the workers and their families going to celebrate Eid? Many of our injured workers are the only earning members of their respective families,” she said.

Many injured workers said they could not return to work yet because of injuries and mental trauma. They urged for government’s help to rehabilitate them. l

A monument, in memory of victims of Rana Plaza collapse, inaugurated on the 100th day of the tragedy yesterday

Preparation for Eid at the public hospitals

200 textile mills closed in Narsingdi n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Narsingdi Textile Mills Owners Association has closed all their textile mills following vandalism in some factories which they claim was done by “outsiders and so-called agitated workers” in the Chowala area in Narsingdi town.

The vandalism took place on Thursday at ten textile mills.

Machineries were damaged and the Textile Mills Association office was set ablaze. The Association claims the damages are worth over Tk10m.

Association Secretary Nannu Ali Mia said, “We’ve shut down all mills and factories for the fear of further attacks by agitated workers and outsiders.”

The Association was scheduled to hold a meeting with Labor and Manpower Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Raju at Narsingdi Circuit house last night.

“The meeting is for the purpose of business and we will take decision about opening the factories after the meeting,” Nannu said. “After the meeting we will also file cases against the criminal workers,” he added.

Yesterday journalists of Narsingdi Press Club visited the Chowala area Narsingdi town and found all mills closed and additional police deployed in the area. They reported seeing damaged and burnt furniture, glass, electric meters and machineries at Ananya Textile, Fakhrul Textile, Riaj Textile, Kajal Textile and Salma Textile.

Nannu told journalists that on July 31, Narsingdi district administration had called a meeting with the mill owners, workers’ leaders and local MP Nazrul Islam Hiru.

“MP Nazrul Islam Hiru ordered us to increase the workers’ festival bonus to Tk4,000 for both eids. But we opposed his decision and the MP left the meeting,” Nannu said. “We said we would pay and Tk1,500 bonus on one eid,” he added.

MP Hiru, who is also an adviser of a federation of textile mill workers, said he did not know about the vandalism.

“As per the zonal crisis management committee’s decision in presence of workers’ leaders, the local administration and the owners’ association secretary, I declared that each worker will get Tk4,000 eid bonus,” he said, when asked about the meeting. l

Director General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed all the public hospitals to take special measures in order to ensure quality services to the patients during the upcoming Eid-ul-fitr.

It has instructed all the public hospitals to be prepared with a full-fledged medical team, ambulance, and medical equipment to handle any kind of emergency for week before and after Eid. The public hospitals have set a special menu for the patients on Eid, including the Eid special delicacies like

polao, chicken curry, beef curry, eggs, sweets, yogurt, vermicelli etc.

The outdoor wing of the hospitals will open on the next day of Eid day.

On the other hand, patients with no severe ailment are being discharged upon permission of doctors from most of the hospitals to celebrate Eid. The scenario is common in most of the big hospitals across the capital, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Mitford Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, National Institute of

Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) etc.

Usually 2200-2500 patients remain admitted at the DMCH, however the number was below 1800 yesterday.

Professor Dr A B M Abdul Hannan, Director, DGHS, told the Dhaka Tribune the service provided at public hospitals are different as thousands of patients keep pouring in. So the doctors and staffs have to be at work on holidays as well.

The authorities of public hospitals have started preparing roasters for doctors, nurses, and staffs during Eid. Usu-

Export to India rises by 13.15% in 2012-13 n Tribune Report

Bangladeshi products exported to India earned $563.96m (TK43.84bn) in fiscal 2012-13, increasing by 13.15% from last year’s earnings.

According to estimates by Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the increase in export revenue meant an additional $65.54m (Tk5.09bn) earned by the country.

Last year, in the same time period, earnings from the sector had come to $498.42m (Tk38.75bn).

Bangladesh is currently India’s largest trading partner among the SAARC

nations. A press release on the High Commission of India’s website says the rise in exports can be attributed to increased access for Bangladeshi products to the Indian market.

Fiscal year 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Export in million US$ 276.58 304.63 512.51 498.42 563.96

ubbed NK 20:23

This was owing to duty-free and quota-free access for 46 textile tariff lines of “greatest sensitivity” to Bangladesh,

announced by India in September, 2011.

Subsequently all products from Bangladesh, except for 25 tariff lines consisting of tobacco, spirits and alcohol, were granted duty-free and quota-free access by India from November of the same year.

The press release said: “Readymade garment exports from Bangladesh to India have seen a significant jump.

Item-wise break-up of Bangladeshi exports to India reveal that textile fibres, paper yarn, and woven fabric constitute 23.74% of the exports followed by other man-made textile articles which constitute 13.8%.”

Acupressure practitioners for naturopathic treatment n Tribune Desk

Acupressure practitioners have urged the government to initiate a special section under the Directorate General of Health Services to promote naturopathic treatment in the country.

A good number of acupressure practitioners, which include even some medical practitioners from the mainstream, have been successfully healing ailments of people for about a decade, and the government should take steps for giving formal recognition of the practice in the country, they said at a discussion to remember the contributions of Devendra Vora, the India-based

pioneer of acupressure. The discussion was organised by the Society for Bangaj Swachikitsa Poribar at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka yesterday.

Poribar president Sagar Sagir said many of the acupressure practitioners have treating patients in the country for a decade, but the practice is yet to be recognised institutionally by the government. Institutionalisation of the natural method can prove to be a cost-saving alternative or supportive to allopathic treatments, he said, noting that acupressure can reduce drug consumption of patients by providing alternative healing to many health complications.

Speaking on the occasion, Indian dep-

uty high commissioner in Bangladesh Sandeep Chakraborty said the Indian government has already taken initiatives to promote education on naturopathic treatments, including acupressure.

At present, the Indian government is providing scholarships to five Bangladeshi students in the field, he added.

The tremendous pressure on the health care systems in developing countries like India and Bangladesh can be reduced by promoting acupressure, he pointed out. The discussion was also addressed by Bangladesh Acupressure Society president Dr Sultana Ahmed and Amader Orthonity editor Naimul Islam Khan. l

BNP factions clash over holding Iftar party in Barisal n Our Correspondent, Barisal Two factions of BNP locked into a clash in Babuganj upazila of Barisal district over arranging Iftar party on the same venue yesterday.

At least four BNP activists were injured in the clash of which three received bullet wounds.

The administration later imposed section 144 in the area and controlled the situation by charging baton and firing 3 rounds of rubber bullets.

The law enforcers also arrested three BNP activists from Barisal-Dhaka

ally doctors of any religion other than Islam, remain on duty during Eid. Dr Musfiqur Rahman, Deputy Director, DMCH said the roaster of staffs would be at hand very soon and they would ensure improved service for the patients.

Seeking anonymity, one high official of DGHS told Health Minister AFM Ruhal Hoque has advised to keep big hospitals like DMCH, Mitford, National heart Institute and NITOR under keen observation. A number of victims of the Rana Plaza collapse will remain admitted at NITOR during Eid. l

highway in Rahamatpur Bridge area of the upazila.

The arrestees are Pappu, Khalulur Rahman and Zamaluddin.

Police, administration and local sources said BNP and Jubo Dal faction led by Sultan Mahmud Khan applied to the administration for permission to organise an Iftar party on Babuganj degree college premises yesterday.

Rival BNP and upazila Jubo Dal faction and followers of central BNP vice-chairman Selima Rahaman also applied for an Iftar party at the same place on the day.

Local administration permitted Sultan Mahmud as first applicant to hold the Iftar party on the venue, but the rival faction denied shifting their programme to alternative place, said police.

Under the circumstances Bakahid Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer, issued an order to impose section 144 from 5pm to 12:30am, said Md Shahidul Alam, district magistrate and deputy commissioner, Barisal.

The followers of Selima Rahman took position at different points of Barisal-Dhaka highway and on Barisal-

Lakutia-Babuganj roads to prevent the Sultan Mahmud faction from joining the Iftar party.

Both factions engaged in a clash and chase and counter-chase, blocking the traffic on highways and creating panic in the surrounding areas.

Police charged baton and fired 3 rounds of rubber bullets to disperse the warring factions.

AKM Ehsanullah, district police superintendent, said police were deployed in the area to maintain law and order and ensure safety of the vehicles and passengers on the highway. l

“Other items which contribute significantly to the export volumes include edible fruit, nuts, peel of citrus fruit, melons (11.9%), articles of apparel, accessories (10.79%), cotton (4.58%) and copper and copper articles (4.37%).” It stated.

The website said initiatives to improve facilities along the borders, which included establishment of seven Integrated Check Posts, infrastructure development at land ports and custom’s stations, and “border haats” (market), all contributed to the increase in trade.

It is expected that these facilities will continue to facilitate trade in both directions, said the press release. l

RAJIB DHAR/DHAKA TRIBUNE

20-year jail term fails to change the beast in him n Tribune Desk Released after his 20-year jail term, a murderer allegedly killed his sister-inlaw and her two children at Surati village in Hossainpur upazila on Thursday night over their longstanding family property dispute.

The victims were identified as Nazma Akhter, 34, wife of slain Omar Faruk and their two sons -- Shahjahan, 14, and Limon, 9.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Hossainpur Police Station Mir Mosarraf Hossain said Borhan Uddin was sentenced to 20 years in jail for killing his younger brother, Faruk, following their long dispute over sharing their ancestral property. Recently, Borhan came out completing his jail term. Obsessed with the previous enmity, Borhan beat up Nazma and her sons and hacked them indiscriminately with a sharp weapon in their house around 8pm on Thursday, leaving Nazma and Shahjahan dead on the spot and Limon critically injured, the OC said.

The injured was rushed to Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Police later arrested Borhan from Nandail upazila around 9:30pm. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to the hospital morgue for autopsy. A murder case was filed. l

30 injured in Jamaat-AL clash n Our Correspondent, Pabna At least 30 people were injured as activists of Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami clashed yesterday over control of an Eidgah field in Faridpur upazila. Of the victims, 12 were admitted in different hospitals.

Police and locals said the clash erupted between supporters of Faridpur Union Parishad Chairman Robiul Islam Robi, a Jamaat activist, and Moktar Hossain, President of ward unit AL before Jummah prayers over forming the managing committee of Berhawlia Eidgah.

Officer-in-Charge of Faridpur police station Faruk Hossain said Muktar Hossain had been leading the Eidgah committee for years. Recently UP Chairman Robiul Islam attempted to form a new

committee with his own men.

A meeting was held at the Berhawlia Eidgah yesterday morning to reform the Eidgah committee with supporters of the both groups. At one point, the two groups attacked each other.

OC Hossain said both groups used lethal weapons. At least 30 people were injured in the incident.

Of the injured, Jamaat supporters Hossain Ali, 38, Abdur Razzak, 42, Taher Ali, 50, Moni, 32, Jamal Uddin, 36,Shopon, 30 and Awami League supporters Rofikul Islam, 26, Babu, 18, Shahid, 38, Rohmat Pramanik, 50, Abdullah, 20 and Farid, 45 were admitted to Vangura and Faridpur Upazila Health Complex. Police visited the spot but no cases had been filed at the time of filing this report, the OC said. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Abducted fiveyear-old rescued in Dhaka n Tribune Report Police rescued a five-year-old boy from Shah Ali’s shrine at Mirpur in the capital. The boy was abducted on Thursday from Sylhet city.

A team of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) rescued the boy Shuvo Kumar Das and arrested the alleged abductor Farukh Ahmed, 30, hailed from Batgram village, Nandipur, Bagura.

Additional Commissioner of SMP SM Rukon Uddin at a press conference yesterday said Farukh, who lives in Taru Miah’s colony in Gotatikor area, Moghla Bazar police station picked up Shuvo, on Thursday afternoon.

Mukta Begum, wife of Taru, saw the incident and informed Shuvo’s family members about it. Farukh, over the phone, asked the boy’s parents to BKash Tk100,000 as ransom, the police official claimed.

Following the incident Shuvo’s father Rubel Kumar Das filed a case with Mughlabazar police station.

“Police tracked Farukh’s cell phone and with the help of Dhaka Metropolitan Police they arrested the abductor,” said the police.

The assistant commissioner said, they were able to rescue boy as his family members informed them without delay. He also urged the citizens to inform this kind of incident as soon as possible so that police can help them out. l

College student dies in Savar n Medical Correspondent A college student was killed yesterday evening after being run-over by a speedy cab in Aminbazar area of Savar.

The dead Asadul Haque, 23, was a final year student of zoology department of Government Bangla College University. He was the youngest of Fazlul Haque and Hasira Begum and hailed from Bhaluka of Mymensingh.

Rafiqul Islam, a relative of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune that Asadul resided in Savar’s Aminbazar area in a rented house of Bordeshi village. He said yesterday around 4pm, Asadul left the house to go to for tutoring and as he tried to cross the Aminbazar road, a speeding cab hit him and left him critically injured.

Later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctors declared him dead. l

Chhatra League men beat up a shop worker for extortion

n JU Correspondent

Members of a family enjoying their time as they wait to leave the capital to celebrate Eid at their village. The photo was taken yesterday

Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League of Jahangirnagar University unit yesterday beat up a worker of a food shop at Prantik gate as he denied to pay extortion money.

Witnesses said, at least six activists of the student front, who were led by Asif, Arif and Nazmul, came to food shop worker Md Jahirul Islam and demanded Tk50,000 as extortion, but he denied to pay the money.

On denial, the Chhatra League activists beat up Jahirul, and the group assaulted a schoolboy who was present at the shop as he protested the incident.

Protesting the incident, the businessmen of Prantik gate area closed their shops for an hour, and submitted a written complaint to the university authorities against three activists of the party.

A leader of Shop Owners Association of Prantik gate, who was seeking anonymity, said Chhatra Leag activists have been demanding extortion repeatedly ahead of Eid. But the accused persons denied the allegation of extortion while they confessed that they have “just slapped Jahirul for his misbehaviour” with them.

Mahmudur Rahman Jony, president of Jahangirnagar Chhatra League, claimed that Chhatra League was not MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU/ DHAKA TRIBUNE connected in this incident because the accused were not members of their party.

JU VC Prof Anwar Hossain, visited the spot and assured the shop owners that the culprits will be punished. l

Homebound people start leaving city to beat travel hassle

Tribune Report Bus ticket salesmen at stress as hundreds of aspirants flock the counters as Eid nears nCommunist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Mahadi-ul-Morshed, a student of earlier to avoid hassle during the Eid ings of private cars and microbuses to has demanded payment of dues to the n Mohammad Jamil Khan go home during Eid. Jagannath University, was waiting at time rush.

RMG workers within 24 hours.

Many of the homebound people have started leaving the city for their village homes to observe the Eid ul-Fitr – the biggest Muslim religious festival – with their near and dear ones.

Students, family members of government, semi-government and private employees in the capital were seen departing the city yesterday in order to avoid transport-related hassle, which normally becomes terrible ahead of the festival.

Hundreds of ticket aspirants flocked to the bus ticket counters, adding to the pressure on the countermen.

Eid will be observed on August 9 or 10, subject to the sighting of the moon.

Most government, semi-government and private offices will be vacant from August 8.

Hanif Paribahan’s Bahadur Shah Park counter to get on the bus bound for Barisal.

Failing to get tickets from the leading transport companies, many ticket seekers bought tickets from small bus operators Talking to this correspondent, he said he was leaving the capital for home yesterday as the university went on vacation the day before yesterday.

Solaiman Haq, a government employee at Shohagh counter of Bahadur Shah Park area, said: “My wife, son and younger brother are leaving today, but I cannot leave Dhaka before August 7.”

He said he was sending them home

“A good number of people started leaving the capital from last Thursday and it would help arrange our trips easily,” Jewel Hassan, counter manager at Shohagh Paribahan told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We will start double trips from the following days to ease the pressure of passengers heading home,” he added.

Ticket counters of SR Paribahan, Hanif, Nabil, Shyamoli, Agomoni, Bablu, Pabna Express, Shohagh, Golden Line, Darshana Deluxe and many others were overcrowded with people leaving the city and searching for tickets.

Failing to get tickets from the leading transport companies, many ticket seekers bought tickets from small bus operators.

Some were also found to make book-

Sohel Habib, a garment staff, said he along with some of his colleagues had booked a microbus from “Paltan renta-car” to go to Rajshahi on August 8 to celebrate Eid as they failed to collect tickets for train or bus.

Meanwhile, advanced sale of tickets of Bangladesh Railway which started on July 26 ended on July 30.

The railway officials said the tickets for August 1, 2, 3 had been sold out earlier.

Saiful Haque Khan, joint director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority of Sadarghat Terminal told the Dhaka Tribune “We have been witnessing passengers rush in the terminal since Thursday and all necessary steps to ensure a safe journey for the homebound passengers have been taken.” l

Temperature unlikely to change

n UNB

n Tribune Desk

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna divisions until 6pm today.

Moderately heavy falls are also likely at places, Met Office said. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 6:40pm today and rises at 5:29am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 36.6 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday at Rajshahi and lowest 24.5 degrees at Rangamati.

Highest and lowest temperature recorded in some major cities yesterday were:

The government has taken an initiative to modernise Thakurgaon Sugar Mills in a bid to reduce its ‘process loss’ through replacing its old machinery and introducing another option for sugar production from beet sugar alongside boosting its output from sugarcane.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has recently approved a project to this end, titled “Replacement of Old Machinery and Addition of Machinery for Beet Sugar Production at Thakurgaon Sugar Mills Limited.”

Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) under the Ministry of Industries will implement the project at a cost of Tk1.0153bn to be completed by June 2016, UNB. Sources at the planning ministry said the main objectives of the project was to replace the old machinery of the mills keeping intact its installed sugarcane crushing capacity.

The project is also aimed at reducing the “process loss” through modernising sugarcane crushing and processing machinery apart from producing sugar from beet sugar.

Under the project, machinery worth Tk696.5m will be procured apart from procurement of local machinery valued at Tk64.1m.

Besides, there will be an expenditure for construction and renovation of factory building with Tk49m, machinery instalment of Tk23m, other capital expenditure Tk31m and procurement of vehicles Tk31.1m.

Talking to UNB, an official at the BSFIC said that once the project is implemented, some 13,899 metric tonnes of sugar would be produced from sugarcane while 855 metric tonnes from beet sugar, which will be helpful to meet the growing demand for sugar in the country.

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

33.4 31.7 36.6 34.0 35.5 32.5 33.5 31.0

27.2 26.2 26.0 27.2 26.5 26.5 26.7 25.5

Shehri and Iftar time Day

Shehri

Iftar

Ramadan 24/Aug 3 Ramadan 25/Aug 4 Ramadan 26/Aug 5

4:02am 4:02pm 4:03pm

6:44pm 6:43pm 6:42pm

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:07am 5:28am 12:05pm 4:43pm 6:45pm 8:03pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim and General Secretary Syed Abu Jafar made the remark in a statement.

The leaders said it is the responsibility of the factory owners to pay the due salary, Eid bonus and payment for over time to the workers before Eid. The government is bound to watch over the factory owners if they are performing their responsibilities duly or not.

It is unfortunate and shocking that most of the garment factory owners are paying the workers without following any system.

CPB claimed that the government is not looking into the matter seriously; if any awry situation occurs due to workers’ dissatisfaction, both the factory owners and the government will be responsible for it, not the workers. l

Tk1bn plan to modernise Thakurgaon Sugar Mills

WEATHER

City

CPB demands payment of RMG workers

Language movement veteran Abdul Matin honouring Dr Mohammad Yonus at the capital’s Engineers Institute in a programme organised

by Gana-Sangbordhana Committee yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU/DHAKA TRIBUNE

TWOKI MURDER

Rab collects evidence from two scenes after almost four months n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj The Investigation Officer of the Twoki murder case, ASP Robiul Islam of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Thursday raided two spots to collect evidences following confessional statements from one of the accused in Twoki murder case.

According to Rab 11, a team of divers from the central unit of fire service and civil defence conducted the searches on the very spot of the Shitalakhya River, where Twoki’s body was found.

After a three-hour search, the divers recovered a raincoat-like long bag and a nine feet long white cloth.

Later another raid was conducted at one of the accused Saleh Rahman Simanto’s residence in Dhopa Patti area of the town.

Yusuf Ali Liton, one of the accused, on July 31 gave confessional statement to Senior Judicial Magistrate KM Mohiuddin’s court, saying he and four others killed Twoki at Simanto’s house.

They wrapped the body in a bag, put it in a car and loaded it with bricks before dumping it at the Kumudini Welfare canal on the Shitalakhya.

Tanvir Mohammad Twoki,17, son of cultural personality Rafiur Rabbi went missing on March 6 this year. His body

was recovered by Narayanganj sadar model thana police on March 8.

Though Twoki’s father had primarily filed a murder case against unknown criminals, later on March 19, he submitted information to police superintendent accusing seven including former law maker Shamim Osman of murder.

After the killing, on March 9 different civic bodies observed a day long shut down demanding arrests of the killers. They formed a platform named “Santrash Nirmul Twoki Mancha”, which submitted a list of torture cells in the city where people were allegedly detained and tortured by criminals. l

Agriculture Ministry officials said Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI) has been piloting a project since July 2011 where per hectare yield of sugar from beet sugar was in between 88.33 to 133.33 tonnes at the BSRI farms in season 2010-11. Under the circumstances, it is viable to go for sugar production from beet sugar alongside crushing sugarcanes at the Thakurgaon Sugar Mills Ltd. Located near the Thakurgaon Railway station at a distance of about 5 km from Thakurgaon town under Sadar upazila, the Thakurgaon Sugar Mills was set up by the government in 195658 at a cost of Tk21.21m. The sugar mill started trial production in 1958-59.

The original cane crushing capacity of Thakurgaon Sugar Mills was 1016 metric tonnes per day which was increased to 1524 metric tonnes a day in 1965 by BMRE at a cost of Tk5.1m, thus raising the sugar production capacity to 15,240 metric tonnes per annum.

Thakurgaon Sugar Mills was further modernised during 1988-92 at a cost of Tk166.31m. Since the country’s independence, the sugar mill has produced 9,607 metric tonnes of sugar per annum on average at an average sugar recovery rate of 7.39% from sugarcane. The highest sugar production was 20,123 metric tonnes in 1994-95.

The total land under the Thakurgaon Sugar Mills is 2888.59 acres, including five commercial farms. The factory and residential area is 113.48 acres and commercial farms -2775.11 acres.

Total cane-cultivable land in the mill-zone of the Thakurgaon Sugar Mills is about 45,800 acres of which 14,500 acres per annum on average is brought under sugarcane cultivation. The sugar mill has contributed Tk 756.10 million to the national exchequer as dividend taxes and duties since 1972-73. l

Prescription

Coloured fruits colourful life

terestingly, many phytonutrients are found in bright coloured fruits. So, eating different coloured fruits have a great value in your body. So, have a look at the different colours in the fruits.

Red coloured Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene (a phytonutrient), which may help protect against some cancers, such as lung, breast and prostate cancer.

Blueberries are rich in carotenoids and anthocyanins, which act as powerful antioxidants, may help to reduce

EID DAY TIPS How to prevent bloating

Suddenly after eating much on Eid day anyone can face bloating of tummy.

When gas produced by the foods doesn’t pass through belching, it can build up in the stomach and intestines and lead to bloating. Passing gas or having a bowel movement may relieve the pain. Usually bloating is related to eating fatty foods, because fat delays stomach emptying and can increase the sensation of fullness. Smoking and some diseases also plays a role. To reduce bloating, you have to avoid or reduce the amount of gas-producing foods you eat. Many carbohydrates cause gas, and baked beans, cabbage, carbonated drinks, cauliflower, chewing gum, hard candy, lettuce are recognized as common culprits by the myoclinic researchers.

Get rid of occasional belching

Belching is your body’s way of expelling excess air from your stomach. Belching can hits some people on Eid day eating.

You may swallow excess air if you eat or drink too fast, talk while you eat, drink carbonated beverages, or drink through a straw. If stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, you may swallow repeatedly to clear the material. This can lead to swallowing more air and further belching.

You can reduce belching if you eat and drink slowly, avoid drinking through a straw, avoid carbonated drinks and beer (they release carbon dioxide gas), and skip smoking (when you inhale smoke, you also inhale and swallow air). l

| Compiled by: Shirsho Sikder

min C. Besides this, the fruit is also a rich source of vitamins A and B, as well as minerals such as calcium and iron.

Brown Tamarind is a delicious sticky pod-like fruit, tasting both sweet and sour. It is rich in Vitamin and atioxidants which help to prevent heart disease and cancer.

White friut like lychee is extremely rich in a variety of nutrients may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Data imply that the fruit may be particularly effective against breast cancer. l

Heartburn is very common and very unpleasant. Nothing ruins a great meal more than a painful bout of heartburn n Dr Sajol Ashfaque Lots of scrumptious food on the dining table will be waiting for you in every home from the morning of Eid. Before Eid prayer take EID HEALTH few of those food. After prayer, take a heavy meal and don’t forget to drink a cup of coffee or tea at the end.

Then go out to meet friends and in every home take few of the delicious food. Eat all these food as fast as you can. All done?

Now you are ready to talk about heartburn. What is heartburn? Just hold on a couple of minutes and you will know.

Heartburn is very common and very unpleasant. Nothing ruins a great meal more than a painful bout of heartburn.

Even the word evokes a frightening picture: your heart on fire. Fortunately, the word is a misnomer. It’s not your heart that’s on fire, it’s your esophagus. Heartburn is a burning sensation in your chest, just behind your breastbone. The pain is often worse when lying down or bending over.

Heartburn, or reflux, is not related to heart conditions. It is a form of indigestion that occurs when acid and digestive juices flow back up from the stomach to the gullet, which doesn’t have a protective lining. Thus, it causes inflammation and pain.

Heartburn occurs when stomach acid backs up into your esophagus.

Normally when you swallow, your lower esophageal sphincter — a circular band of muscle around the bottom part of your esophagus — relaxes to allow food and liquid to flow down into your stomach. Then it closes again. However, if the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes abnormally or weakens, stomach acid can flow back up into your esophagus, causing heartburn.

Who’s at risk?

People who are overweight, eat large meals, wear tight-fitting dress and smoke are very much prone to developing heartburn.

Foods that trigger heartburn

Some food – like onion, garlic, chocolate, caffeine, peppermint, fatty and spicy foods, fruits like grapes, oranges and caffeine are known to be linked to heartburn. Caffeine may lower pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and worsen symptoms of acid reflux.

To prevent heartburn, eat more vegetables and high-fibre food, avoid overeating by eating smaller meals. Yogurt can be helpful in acid reflux, so take it at the end of your large meal. Salad is a primary meal to counter acid refluxes, although tomatoes and onions should be avoided, as well as cheese and high-fat dressings. Sometimes fruits like banana with high levels of potassium may help prevent or resolve acid reflux. Though, about 1% of acid reflux sufferers find that their condition is worsened by bananas.

Lifestyle modifications

Don’t drink water while taking food. It

is better to drink water 20-30 minutes later a meal is taken.

Avoid bending from the waist after meals; it puts pressure on the stomach.

Don’t lie down after a meal. Wait at least three hours before lying down or going to bed. Try to walk in your home for 15-30 minutes.

In case of nighttime heartburn raise the head end of your bed about six inches to prevent acid reflux against the gravity.

Don’t smoke. Smoking decreases the lower esophageal sphincter’s ability to function properly.

Wear loose fitting clothes. It is another way to relief heartburn by taking pressure off the abdomen. Avoid the skin-tight jeans and loosen your belt. Tight clothes put added pressure on the abdomen.

Chewing gum is helpful. Researchers’ revealed, chewing gum raises the level of saliva and bicarbonate – a naturally-occurring antacid in saliva – which neutralises acids in the oesophagus.

Medicines those help

H2 blockers reduce acid secretion in the stomach by up to 85%, decreasing the amount that can flow back up the gullet.

They can take up to an hour to work. proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are the most potent acid suppressing therapy, stopping stomach acid production by up to 95%.

Antacids, the most common therapy, relieve symptoms in five to 15 minutes, but the effects don’t last beyond an hour. They neutralise stomach acids, but don’t prevent heartburn.

Don’t forget

Symptoms of heartburn can be confused with the pain that is a symptom of an acute myocardial infarction or heart attack and angina. So you must keep this point in mind and consult your doctor if in confusion. l

Does Facebook cause eating disorders? n Prescription Desk Following the release of shocking figures that more than half of the UK’s hospital admissions for eating disorders were under-20 LIFESTYLE and some of that under-10, social media has copped much of the blame for contributing to the development of eating disorders in “the Facebook generation”.

Teen and pre-teen eating disorders are on the rise with children as young as seven being admitted for treatment in Australia, and anorexia nervosa among the most common disorders affecting adolescent girls.

A study from the University of Haifa recently found that the more time adolescent girls spend in front of Facebook, the more their chances of developing a negative body image, and various eating disorders.

But even though the studies found

that Facebook was a contributor, the researchers said that ultimately it was up to the parents to control those habits, and so parents are encouraged to get involved in their daughter’s media exposure.

“This study has shown that a parent has potential ability to prevent dangerous behavioural disorders and nega-

tive eating behaviour in particular,” researchers said.

Girls whose parents were involved in their media usage - who knew what they were viewing, reading, and what websites and social networks they were visiting - showed more personal empowerment, forming a protective shield against eating disorders. l

Smoking speeds up your memory loss Researchers found that smokers showed a faster decline in their scores on tests of word memory, relative to non-smokDID YOU ers.

Furthermore, KNOW? people who smoked in their 40s did worse on tests that measure how fast they could pick out certain letters from a page than non-smokers of the same age.

The relationship between smoking and memory loss appeared strongest in people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes each day. Why smoking may speed up age-related memory loss is not yet clear. It is suspected that smoking may accelerate memory loss by increasing the risk of high blood pressure, which can damage the brain.

However, the relationship between smoking and brain functioning may be slightly more complicated. Smoking could have been causing changes in the brain’s blood supply that is not measurable. Alternatively, chemicals in cigarette smoke could also damage the brain directly, Researchers said.

BIGSTOCK

Fruits are enriched with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients, which all have a positive effect on our wellbeFOOD ing. Eating different THERAPY coloured fruits may enhance health and protect against deadly diseases- such as certain cancers, heart disease, arthritis, cataracts and even premature skin ageing.

Phytonutrients and antioxidants help to eliminate potentially harmful molecules called free radicals before they get a chance to damage cells. In-

risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Purple coloured grapes are rich in resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that may help to reduce stroke and heart disease risk by altering the molecular mechanisms in blood vessels.

Yellow lemons are a rich source of vitamin C, which is one of the most potent antioxidants that slow skin ageing and help boost the immune system.

Green fruits are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E. It also contains the antioxidants beta carotene, lutein and xanthin. Scientists suggest that these antioxidants may prevent cataracts, heart disease and cancer.

Oranges are another fruit that are loaded with immune boosting vita-

Keeping heartburn at bay

Talcum powder heightens the risk of ovarian cancer n Prescription Desk

BIGSTOCK

n Rehana Ferdausi

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Saturday, August 3, 2013

BIGSTOCK

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Whatever the reasons for why smoking accelerates memory loss, the message from these results

should be clear, Richards said.

Source: American Journal of Public Health

Recently scientists said, women who regularly use talcum powder to stay fresh raise their risk of ovarian cancer by almost a WOMEN’S quarter.

HEALTH It is thought that about forty per cent women use talcum powder daily for their intimate personal hygiene. Several previous studies have investigated the link between the powder and tumours.

Some have detected links with ovarian and womb cancer but others have proved inconclusive. In the latest studies, doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US come up with a definitive answer.

The results, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, showed regularly applying the powder particles after bathing or showering raised the risk of an ovarian tumour by 24 per cent.

Researchers stressed the results

only apply to talcum powder used in the genital area and not the rest of the body.

Talcum powder is made from a soft mineral called hydrous magnesium silicate that is found throughout the world. It is crushed, dried and milled to produce powder used in cosmetic products by millions of people.

Researchers stressed the results only apply to talcum powder used in the genital area and not the rest of the body Some experts say it shares chemical similarities to asbestos, which can cause a deadly form of lung cancer called mesothelioma.

Tiny particles have been found to travel up through the genital tract and been found deep inside the pelvis.

They can also last inside the body for years.

It is estimated that one particle of talc in the lungs, for example, would take eight years to dissolve. l

6 Abducted boy rescued three days after abduction n Tribune report Police rescued a schoolboy from Batabaria village in Sadar Dakkhin upazila on Thursday, after being abducted for three days by unidentified individuals.

The abducted was, Habibur Rahman, 10, a student of class III in Nimshar Government Primary School hails from Madhabpur village in Burichang upazila, reports UNB. Police said Habibur went to Nimshar Bazar mosque for iftar on July 29 and had been missing ever since. The abductors later contacted his family that day over cell phone and demanded Tk400,000 as ransom. Mohammad Harun Mia, Habibur’s father, filed a case regarding the matter.

Enamul Haque, sub-inspector of Burichang police station, and the case’s investigation officer, said after receiving the phone call by the abductors a team of policemen raided the house of one Abul Hossain at Batabaria village and rescued Habibur Rahman.

Police arrested Rabiul, son of Abdus Sobhan, and his wife Akhi Begum of Gazaria Sultanpur village in Debidwar upazila, in this connection. l

Betel leaf trader stabbed in Bagerhat

n Tribune report Muggers stabbed a betel leaf trader and snatched Tk140,000 from his person, which was later recovered, on the Bagerhat-Khulna highway at Noaapra village in Fakirhat upazila on Thursday.

The victim, Joydeb Sen, 45, hailed from the same upazila, reports UNB. Witnesses said a gang of muggers riding a motorcycle waylaid Joydeb when he was nearing Noapara tower on a rickshaw van, while returning home at 9pm.

The gang stabbed Joydeb indiscriminately and took off with his money, leaving him critically injured.

Hearing hue and cry, locals rushed to spot to rescue the victim and managed to recover the looted money as the muggers abandoned it while being chased.

Joydeb was rushed to Fakirat Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital as his condition worsened. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Man held while trying to kidnap girl

EID RUSH

n Tribune report

Farmers have piled up jute fibre at river side market in Jamalpur. Farmers are selling the fibre at lower price for hard cash to celebrate Eid

FOCUS BANGLA

An alleged stalker was arrested at Chapajura village, Jhenaigati upazila in Sherpur on Thursday while he was trying to kidnap a schoolgirl.

The arrestee was identified as Sohag, 20, son of Abdul Mannan of the upazila headquarters.

Officer-in-Charge of Jhenaigati police station Belal Uddin Tarafder said Sohag used to harass the schoolgirl on her way to and from school while making inappropriate offers to her.

The girl’s family complained to Sohag’s family repeatedly about the matter but they made no attempt to stop him, reports UNB. According to the OC, Sohag, disguised in a burqa, was waiting in front of the the girl’s house with a hired CNG-run auto-rickshaw to abduct her.

Sensing the matter, locals caught him and handed him over to police, he added. l

Goalanda muggers turn Upazila chairman makes fortune out of ‘commission’ desperate ahead of Eid n Tribune Report Faridpur’s Saltha Upazila Parishad Chairman and upazila Awami League president Delwar Hossain has allegedly made a fortune through corrupt practices. Local government officials and even other members of the party’s local unit said he levies “commissions” from each and every government work in the upazila, according to Banglanews.

Delwar is a supporter of local MP and Deputy Speaker Sajeda Chowdhury. He allegedly led the attack on local AL leader, and Sajeda’s rival, ATM Halim’s motorcade last month. At least 20 men, including Halim, his supporters and some journalists, were injured in the attack.

Local sources said Delwar’s corrupt practices include government social safety net programmes like Kabikha (Food for Work) and test relief

(TR), selling government trees, accepting money to recommend transfers and recruitments in government posts, government contracts and many others.

Several government officials of the upazila, requesting anonymity, said the upazila chairman was involved in corruption in every sector of the local administration. They said he forces government officials to take part in his corrupt ways if they are not willing.

One Fisheries Department official alleged that Delwar had asked him for a commission from a Tk400,000 project.

The official was threatened of losing his job when he refused and in the end was forced to comply.

Saltha Awami League Organising Secretary Chowdhury Sabbir Ali said, “There is nothing in the upazila outside of Delwar Hossain’s corruption. He got Tk50m by selling government trees.”

‘Project Eider Hasi’ for street children n Our Correspondent, Barisal Activists of Lal-Sabuj, a monthly children magazine that runs in Barisal, initiated ‘Project Eider Hasi’ (smile of Eid) to purchase new clothes for Barisal’s street children for Eid-ul-Fitr.

Barisal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Shahidul Alam, and Altaf Mahmud Shikdar, acting mayor of Barisal City Corporation, inaugurated the programme yesterday by donating money to a transparent sealed-box.

Tahsin Uddin, editor of Lal-Sabuj, said the box would be carried door to door to collect donations. With the money collected, new clothes will be bought and distributed amongst street children before Eid. Anyone interested to donate can contact Lal-Sabuj at 01835135138 who will send their activists to collect the money.

The box’s key will be kept with the district deputy commissioner, said Tahsin. l

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Delwar has allegedly pocketed around Tk3.6m by recommending recruitments in peon cum security guard posts in thirteen primary schools.

Saltha Upazila Parishad Vice Chairman Lebu Molla said Delwar ensures that his brother Anwar Hossain gets all the contracts for government works in Saltha. “Government officials who try to oppose his corruption are transferred immediately,” he alleged.

Delwar allegedly bypassed all due tender processes to give his brother the contracts for the upazila’s roads, bridges and culvert construction.

Former Saltha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rejaul Bari alleged that Delwar had managed to transfer him from the upazila for opposing his corrupt activities.

When contacted, Upazila Chairman Delwar Hossain denied his involvement with any kind of corruption or irregularity. l

n Tribune report

Mugging has marked a sharp rise in the area from Daulatdia Union Parishad to Daulatdia Ferryghat in Goalanda upazila, Rajbari ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr.

Police said muggers are hurling crude bombs at the law enforcers to terrorise them, as they have increased their patrol in the area.

A group of muggers set off two handmade bombs targeting the police in front of Model School at 11pm on Tuesday, while another group hurled a handmade bomb at law enforcers in Canalghat area around 1:30am.

However, there was no casualty or injury in the incidents.

On July 29, muggers forced a microbus driver to stop his vehicle at gunpoint, and took away all his belongings leaving him injured.

Chased by patrol police, the defiant muggers threw bombs at the law en-

forcers and fled the scene, reports UNB. Earlier, on July 19, armed muggers snatched dollars, equivalent to Tk800,000 and 6.5kg of gold ornaments from an expatriate, Zakir, in the ferry ghat area while he was returning home from South Korea.

A group of muggers set off two handmade bombs targeting the police in front of Model School at 11pm on Tuesday, while another group hurled a handmade bomb at law enforcers in Canalghat area around 1:30am When contacted, Rajbari Superintendent of Police M Rezaul Hoque acknowledged the facts and said the muggers were exploding handmade bombs to a create panic among the police. “But, police are not afraid at all,” he added. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Juba League man constructs structures on public property

An influential leader of the Kaliganj upazila unit of the Juba League (JL) has been constructing his business establishment over government-owned land at the upazila’s Kalukhali Bazar. The upazila nirbahi officer has ordered to halt the construction work several days ago but the JL leader has yet to comply. Locals said Azad Hossain had started began construction work on a piece of government-owned land recently. Azad, the Juba League leader, said he had informed the ruling party MP Abdul Mannan before he gave the go-ahead on the construction work. Awami League lawmaker Mannan said he was not made aware of any sort of construction over government land.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Eradul Haque said he had ordered any sort of construction over government land to be halted immediately. – Our Correspondent

600 bottles of phensidyl recovered in Dinajpur Activists of Lal-Sobuj collecting fund for their project

DHAKA TRIBUNE

A team of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered 600 bottles of Indian

phensidyl cough syrup from Dainun area, in the Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur earlier yesterday. Captain of BGB Phulbari 40 battalion Lieutenant Colonel Mizanur Rahman said, acting on a tip-off, they conducted a drive around the area and recovered the abandoned bottles of Phensidyl.

None were arrested in connection to this, reports. – UNB

Indian goods seized in Chuadanga

Member of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled Indian goods worth Tk900,000 from different spots of Chuadanga on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off, a team of BGB enforcers, led by Deputy Commander Major Mehedi Hasan, seized Indian sarees, three-piece sets, mosquitorepellent coils and various cosmetics from the bypass road area. – Tribune report

BNP leader killed in Laxmipur

A local BNP leader was hacked to death at Hasandi village in Laksmipur sadar upazila on Thursday night. The deceased, Harunur Rashid, 50, was BNP’s joint general

secretary for the Hamchadi union unit and a former union parishad member, reports UNB. Police and locals said the unidentified assailants swooped on Harunur when he was returning home from Kalibazar at 11pm, adding that they hacked him indiscriminately and then slaughtered to make sure he was dead. Police recovered the body and sent it to the morgue of a local hospital for autopsy. – Tribune report

Labourer killed as cement sack falls on him A construction worker was killed as a sack of accidently cement while carrying it at Charchamta in Singair upazila, Manikganj on Thursday. The deceased, Sobahan Mia, 45, hailed from Hogladangi village in the sadar upazila of Rajbari, reports UNB. Witnesses said Sobahan was working at an under-construction bridge in the area.

At one stage, a sack of cement fell on him as he suddenly slipped while carrying it at 12:30pm, leaving him critically injured.

Later, he was rushed to Savar Enam Medical College Hospital, where he died after admission.– Tribune report

Jam-packed Eid markets witness huge sales in northern districts n Tribune Desk The jam-packed Eid markets witnessed huge sales as people have been making rush to shopping centres everywhere in the northern districts just a week ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.

Leaders of different trade bodies at bigger markets, shopping malls, complexes and makeshifts markets said Eid shopping has reached at the highest peak amid tight security measures.

The shopping places have worn festive looks with rushing men, women, girls, boys, students, youths and adolescents for buying items of own choice with huge enthusiasm creating traffic jams in every city and town, reports BSS. Official sources said security measures had been tightened to enable the people marketing without any problem and no untoward incidents were reported so far from anywhere in the division.

Huge number of police, members of RAB and intelligence personnel both

in uniform and plain clothes are being found patrolling the markets.

According to market sources, prices of clothes for males, females, babies and children are 70 to 80 percent higher this time than that of previous year and increased price has almost no impact among the buyers.

In Rangpur city, people from all over the division have been rushing to Maya Exclusive Fashion House, Golden Tower, Rangan, Zila Parishad Biponi Bitan, Rajanigandha, Shah Amant, Jahaz Company Shopping Complex, Karupannya, City Plaza, Moti Plaza, Salek Market, Jamal Market, Station Market, Rajib Gandhi Market, Honumantola Market, Super Market, New Market, Adi Janata, Bismillah Garments, Madina Garments and other aristocrat markets and shopping malls.

Businesspersons at the bigger and sophisticated shopping malls in Rangpur city said selling is excellent this year because of better economic condi-

tion and increase of the income of all people despite higher prices.

Buyers at different markets said prices of all Eid items including clothes and shoes for male, female, girls, adolescents, babies and children are much higher this time and almost double in most cases than that of previous year.

Selling of cosmetics and other goods has reached at the peak now at the bigger and sophisticated shopping malls and traditional markets in Rangpur city and other districts and the selling will further increase in the coming days.

The businessmen expressed satisfaction over sales of the Eid clothes, shoes, cosmetics and other goods and hoped that the sales would continue increasing in the coming days till the night before the Eid-ul-Fitr festivity.

General Secretary of Rangpur District Shop Owners’ Association Rezaul Karim Milan said Eid shopping has reached its highest peak amid tight security measures everywhere. l

Two young girls choosing shoes at a market in Rajshahi city yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Metro

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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Old Dhaka’s gold jewellery bussiness facing closure n Abu Hayat Mahmud Gold jewellery businesses at Tanti Bazaar in the old part of Dhaka are going through bad times due to soaring prices of gold coupled with illegal businesses conducted by unscrupulous traders.

Jewellers of Tanti bazaar said their sale has slumped as the price of gold had gone up.

They also blamed unscrupulous gold traders, who illegally import gold from abroad, for their slow businesses.

The jewellers of Tanti Bazar supply gold-made ornaments to jewellery shops all around the capital as well as to different districts of the country.

“As the order for gold ornaments from across the country has halved, many jewellery shops at Tanti Bazar have been closed, resulting in a large number of goldsmiths getting unemployed,” one of them said.

There are over 350 gold shops and factories at Tanti Bazar. Most of which have been run by goldsmiths of the Hindu community since the market was built during the 18th century.

Dinesh Chandra Paul, general secretary of Dhaka Sharna Shilpi Shramik Shangha, said, “We are now going through a difficult time, as the demand for gold jewellery dropped due to its high price.”

“Moreover, dishonest traders are importing gold-made ornaments from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, India

and other countries through illegal means and threatening the jewellery business in the old part of the capital,” he said.

Dinesh blamed the government for taking no steps to stop illegal gold businesses in the country.

Gold ornaments are highly favoured

by Bangladeshi women, but now they opt for cheaper gold-plated imitation ornaments and stone-made ornaments because of the increased price.

Amal Karmarar, a goldsmith of Tanti Bazaar, said, “We are really worried about our future.”

Another goldsmith Nipen Paul of the same area echoed Amal saying that more and more goldsmiths are switching to other professions.

Besides, most of the ornaments are now being made by hi-tech factories.

The goldsmiths expressed disappointment over their future prospect in this profession at the advent of auto-machine technology.

Dinesh Chandra, however, was in disagreement with the claim: “I think auto-machines are not a threat for goldsmiths. They produce only 20% of the ornaments while the rest 80% is done by goldsmiths.”

Jewellers’ Samity leader Dinesh suggested that the government should formulate a national gold policy to help the jewellery business cope with present challenges and to make it a major export oriented sector. l

The file photo shows goldsmiths making gold ornaments at a factory at Tanti Bazar in the old part of the city. Most of the craftsmen do not have work even ahead of Eid festival, when jewellary demand goes up SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Professional beggars thronging capital ahead of Eid Khulna law, order still fragile, n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Taking full advantage of the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid ul-Fitr, professional beggars have thronged across the capital to earn some extra.

The beggars are seen either working in small groups or individually to collect alms at different places including traffic signals, markets, mosques and main streets.

Social welfare ministry sources said some 50,000 beggars had come to the capital during the month of Ramadan and Eid, besides the already existing some 1,00,000 beggars in the capital.

Omar Faruk, a resident of Laxmibazar area, pointed out that the beggars were sometimes brought to their begging spots by taxicabs.

Even in certain cases, the beggers enjoyed lift from and to their dwellings

by private cars, he said.

Their ages range between eight and 70 years including women, kids and old persons, Faruk added.

A Jagannath University lecturer HM Saidur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune steps should be taken to discourage begging.

He termed begging a menace in the society. The teacher said according to Islamic teachings, it is not a good practice.

“It is high time steps be taken to create social awareness about it among people,” he added.

Talking to this correspondent, two baggers Jahura Begum and Mohammad Ali said they would go back to their native town in Mymensingh on the second day of Eid after earning around Tk40,000 to Tk50,000 in this month.

The Dhaka district administration conducted a number of drives to rein in begging, but it so far remained un-

checked in commercial, residential, hospital and bus station areas and at different traffic signals of the city.

Beggars have adopted new tactics such as selling newspapers and pens, plus wiping car screens with pieces of clothes when the vehicles stand still on the roads either waiting for green signal or getting stuck in tailbacks.

Even, some of them show fake or stolen medical certificates to coax the commuters into showing sympathy towards them and giving them some money.

District administrations of twin cities had initiated several campaigns against beggars but could not control this social problem.

Sources in the social welfare ministry said a steering committee meeting held on December 30 last year decided to make several areas of the capital beggar-free.

Those areas include the airport vicinity, Hotel Sonargaon, Ruposhi Bangla, Radisson, Baily Road, Baridhara Diplomatic zone and intelligence zone areas.

However, no steps have yet been taken even seven months after the meeting.

The High Court on January 9, 2011 passed an order to stop begging in the capital by using children.

It also issued a letter to the home secretary to take action, but no steps were so far in sight.

In this regard, Mohammad Abdul Mahbub, coordinator of beggar system removal activities of social welfare ministry, said: “We failed to operate mobile court to take action against begging due to absence of magistrates.”

A meeting on how to eliminate this social problem would be held soon and after that meeting, steps would be taken, he added. l

304 cases filed in 1 month n Tribune report The law and order situation in Khulna has remained in a fragile condition for last few months as a report says a total of 304 cases had been filed with 14 police stations in the city in June and 310 more in May. Khulna Metropolitan Police has decided to build a 3-tier security blanket in the city to ensure peaceful celebrations of Eid, reports UNB. The report was revealed during a monthly meeting of the district’s committee on law and order that was held on Tuesday with Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Mesbah Uddin in the chair.

According to the report, 201 cases were filed with nine police stations outside of Khulna City in June. Of those cases, five were filed for killing, three

for rape, 27 for repression of women and children, 15 for theft and 20 for drug peddling. The number of cases filed with the nine police stations in May was 184.

The report also says 103 cases were filed with five police stations in the Khulna city in June, four were filed for mugging, 12 for theft, three for killing, seven for repression of women and children and 29 for drug peddling, while four cases were filed under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act. Whereas the number of cases filed within five of the city’s police stations was 126 in May. Meanwhile security has already been strengthened at 16 check posts in the city and 54 others in nine upazilas of the district. During the meeting of the law and order supervising committee, law enforcers were asked to be more vigilant to rein in crimes. l

DU central library provides poor service to students n Tribune Report

A woman applying hena on hand during ‘Mehedi Utsob’ organised by Dhakabasi at the National Press Club yesterday

The Central Library of Dhaka University (DU), one of the oldest and richest in the country, is in a poor state in terms of service it provides to the students.

Inadequate seats, non-availability of necessary and up-to-date books, growing number of outsiders in the library who comes to study, long queues at the entrance and inconvenient atmosphere are some of the alleged reasons for its poor state.

These problems are not a new phenomenon. Students have complained repeatedly to the authorities. Many newspapers also published a number of reports on the issue, but the problems still remain unaddressed.

Many students, who came to the library to search for important books, said most of the time, they have been left dismayed as the library can rarely provide them with books they have requested for, according to banglanews.

Students often point the shortage of books as one of the causes of their problems. It is a common experience that students have collected call numbers of the books from manual or online catalog lists, but not finding the books.

“What’s the use of having a library if

Barisal BRTC depot yet to launch Eid special services n Our Correspondent, Barisal The Barisal depot of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), which operates the region’s inter-district bus services, is yet to launch special passenger trips ahead of Eid-ulFitr.

The problem – as identified by the depot authorities – is due to shortages of fit vehicles, which stands in contrast to the fact that the depot has been moderately profitable in recent years.

Sources said the depot has an average monthly income of Tk11m, expen-

diture of Tk8.9m and net income of Tk2.1m, bringing its annual net profit to Tk25.2m.

Its monthly expenditure was broken down into: Tk1m spent in ferry fares and bridge-tolls; Tk5.5m in fuel costs; Tk1.8m in staff salaries; and Tk0.6m in repair work.

Jamal Hossain, depot manager of Barisal BRTC, said three of the 39 buses allotted for Barisal had been declared “abandoned” roughly three years ago.

Of the 36 buses that remain, five on average remain out of operation for lack of roadworthiness.

Sources said the depot organises regular trips on 18 routes, connecting different parts of the country and transporting about 4,000 passengers on a daily basis.

The routes include Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Kuakata, Charfession, Kewrakandi, Khulna, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Satkhira, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Benapole amongst others.

Zulfikar Ali, an assistant traffic officer at the depot, said special trips could not be arranged because of the lack of buses fit for use.

“The number of trips can be extended only on the Barisal-Kewrakandi–Barisal route, that too if sufficient buses are found,” he added.

Jahangir Hossain, a driver of BRTC, said most of the buses at the depot had lost roadworthiness years ago. They ply the streets as there are no new buses to replace them – at the risk of lives and properties.

The depot began its operation forty years ago, in 1973, with only two buses on the Barisal-Goalanda route. Patuakhali, Madaripur and Faridpur routes were later brought under its network. l

it fails to cater our needs,” questioned Atiqur Rahman Rony, a student.

This correspondent, on a recent visit to the library, collected call numbers of some books and requested the librarians to deliver them, but they failed to due to unavailability of the books.

The books and their call numbers are: “Power” (call no. 901 FOP) and “Archeology of Knowledge” (call no.

001 FOH) by Mitchel Foucault, “Proshongo” (call no. 891.1441009 PRA) and “Hey Prem, Hey Noishobdo” (call no. 891.144 SHH) by Shokti Chattopaddhyay.

Being questioned where the books had gone, a counterman at the library replied he had no idea.

Later when librarian Prof Javed Ahmed was communicated and informed about the incident, he went to the counter section along with the call numbers to look for the books himself.

Upon his instruction, the librarians searched for the books extensively and found them.

Questioned why the library people failed to supply books to students but produce the same books when authorities asked them to, Javed Ahmed said: “sometimes it happens because books are not kept in proper shelves.”

He added “Some teachers do not

return the books in time while others borrowed several books at one go. This might have been the underlying reasons for mismanagement.”

Deputy Librarian Md Moiz Uddin Khan said the men who are tasked with issuing books are not well educated.

“Maybe they are not well aware of the process for a book’s preservation,” he noted.

“If students inform us about having problems in finding books, we would make sure that the books are handed over to them.”

When asked about the shortage of books in the library, Javed said they hardly are able to procure more than one copy for each book due to fund crisis.

“For many books, we only have a single copy. When someone borrows it, we then have no other copies available. Besides, some of our books have been stolen. So it’s not possible for us to supply books in accordance with the students’ needs,” he said.

Prof Nasreen Ahmed, pro-vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said it is not a secret that the university library is beset with problems. The university administration is contemplating about the possible way-outs to deal with the issues right now. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Morsi supporters defy police warnings to disperse

Pakistan court presses Imran Khan on alleged contempt

Officials, media view the Morsi supporters’ encampments as a menace n AP, Cairo Egypt’s military-backed government offered protection Thursday to supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi who end their two sit-ins - widely seen as a first step toward dispersing the vigils on opposite sides of Cairo.

But the protesters responded defiantly: “Over our dead bodies!”

The standoff underscored the ongoing political crisis since the armed forces toppled Egypt’s first democratically elected leader on July 3: thousands in the streets demanding Morsi’s reinstatement, a government unable to exert its authority, and recurrent violence that has killed more than 260 people.

Rights groups, activists and politicians from rival camps, fearful of more bloodshed, tried to ward off any use of force, including a suggestion of putting a human chain around the protest sites.

International pressure grew for the interim government to release Morsi and create a process that includes his Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest political faction, which refuses to deal with the new authorities.

Despite a government warning that it would disperse the vigils, the Brotherhood and its supporters announced plans to organise new mass marches Friday, dubbed “Egypt Against the Coup.”

Organisers of the sit-ins outside the Rabaah al-Adawiya Mosque in eastern Cairo and a smaller one near Cairo University’s main campus in Giza say the protests are signs of the enduring support for the once-dominant Muslim Brotherhood.

After causing weeks of embarrassment for the US intelligence community, the Edward Snowden saga has now cast a shadow over international efforts to end the Syrian civil war and deal with Iran, and could also undermine White House hopes for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

Russia’s decision on Thursday to grant asylum to Snowden threatens to send already-strained relations between the United States and Russia to the lowest point in years and further complicate efforts to work out geopolitical challenges.

With Russia’s sheltering of the former US spy agency contractor seen as a slap in the face to US President Barack Obama, the White House is weighing whether he should now back out of a Moscow summit in early September, in a direct snub to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The fact that Washington is even issuing such a threat underscores the potentially damaging repercussions for any prospects of reconciling the two former Cold War rivals on thorny global issues that go well beyond the fate of a single 30-year-old hacker trying to evade US prosecution, analysts say.

The two men are highly unlikely to sort out all their many differences even

But mass rallies called by the military leader, Gen Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, on July 26 showed that a large segment of Egypt’s population backs the armed forces’ actions against Morsi. He was overthrown following demonstrations by millions who demanding that he step down after a year in office.

US Secretary of State John Kerry picked up that theme, telling Geo TV in Pakistan that the military was “restoring democracy.” He added that millions of people had asked the army to inter-

vene because they were afraid Egypt would descend into violence.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke to interim Vice President Mohammed ElBaradei, calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. “I also called for the release of all political detainees, including Morsi, unless there are criminal charges to be made against them,” he said.

There was no sign of a break in the stalemate.

Security officials, pro-military media

if the summit goes ahead as planned.

They have bad personal chemistry and previous meetings have been awkward and unproductive.

While the Kremlin played down any bilateral friction, Obama administration officials and top lawmakers suggested it would not be business as usual now that Russia has given Snowden a year’s asylum and allowed him to leave Moscow’s airport after more than five weeks in limbo.

“The political climate in Washington on Russia is poisonous,” said Andrew Weiss, a former Russia adviser to President Bill Clinton. “There was already plenty of anger toward Russia brewing in the political establishment.

Snowden is an accelerant.”

The long list of US differences with Russia is topped by Moscow’s support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war even as Obama has led international calls for him to step aside.

Worsened ties between the United States and Russia could now make it even more difficult for them to cooperate in arranging Syrian peace talks aimed at a political solution.

With Iran about to install newly elected President Hassan Rouhani, who has signaled greater willingness to negotiate over its disputed nuclear programme, there are also concerns in Washington that Russia may break

ranks with Western countries seeking to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions through tough sanctions.

On human rights, the United States and Russia remain deeply at odds. The White House has been mostly measured in its criticism of the Kremlin’s crackdown on opponents, but it may now feel freer to be more outspoken in the aftermath of the Snowden decision.

Tensions over Snowden are also likely to make it harder for Obama to push forward on negotiations for a new nuclear arms reduction deal with Russia, a proposal he issued in a speech in Berlin in June and which he hopes to make part of his legacy. Russia so far has shown little appetite for the idea.

Even before Snowden, the consensus in Washington and Moscow was that the “reset” in ties with Russia that the newly elected Obama touted in 2009 had run its course.

But Obama’s critics say the return to the presidency of Putin and his anti-US rhetoric has shown that the US leader was naive to put his faith in Moscow.

They point to the Snowden decision as a rebuke that calls for a tough response and say it is one more foreign policy failure at a time when Obama struggles to assert influence in crises sweeping Syria and Egypt. l

AFP, Yangon

Tens of thousands of people were sheltering in relief camps in eastern Myanmar after flash floods swept the region leaving three dead, state media said Friday, warning of more heavy rain to come.

Nearly 33,500 people have been moved to 79 camps in Karen State after monsoon floods that also caused three deaths and left another person missing, according to state newspaper the New Light of Myanmar.

Some 245 schools have also been closed while landslides have damaged roads after rains began to pound the state on July 27, the report added.

In neighbouring Mon State a further 4,700 people were temporarily displaced by floods but some have now returned to their homes.

The United Nations said it had delivered some medical aid including water purification tablets to both states.

Pakistan’s top court on Friday ordered cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan to respond in more detail over allegations that he committed contempt by making derogatory remarks against the judges.

Khan, the head of Pakistan’s third largest party that made a breakthrough in May elections, says the polls were rigged and criticised the judiciary and the election commission for not taking action.

The Supreme Court ordered him to appear Friday to explain what it called his “derogatory language against the Supreme Court and its judges, and a deliberate campaign to scandalise” the judiciary.

Residents wade through flood water following a heavy downpour in Yangon State media warned people who live next to rivers in the Irrawaddy Delta further to the west to prepare for heavy rains.

“All those who live in the delta region and at either side of the rivers are urged to take necessary preventive measures against the natural disasters

AFP

as there may be incessant rains in the coming days,” it said.

“People also need to be aware of the dangers of electric shocks, snakes, landslides and collapse of trees,” it also said.

Parts of Myanmar are inundated each year during the monsoon period, which ends in October. l

Pakistani politician Imran Khan speaks with media after a SC hearing in Islamabad AFP government in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

If convicted, lawyers say Khan faces up to six months in prison.

But Khan told reporters he had done nothing wrong.

“I have not done anything wrong... why should I apologise?” he said outside the court.

“I have not said anything which can lead to the punishment. I cannot use such words for the superior judiciary, I referred to the returning officers who conducted elections,” he said.

Pakistan’s previous government accused the judiciary of politically motivated meddling when it sacked Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after finding him guilty of contempt.

Gilani was convicted for refusing to write to Swiss authorities asking them to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari on the grounds that he had immunity as head of state. l

and some residents near the sit-in sites increasingly view the encampments as a menace, with authorities accusing protesters of stockpiling arms, torturing and killing suspected intruders, and scuffling with locals who voice complaints.

While the protesters insist their gatherings are peaceful, the sit-ins have taken on increasingly fatalistic religious overtones, and many of Morsi’s supporters have expressed readiness to die for their cause - defending him and Islam. l

Khan defended his remarks, but the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said it was not satisfied and asked him to submit a more detailed response on August 28.

“The explanation is not acceptable.

The case is adjourned until August 28,” Chaudhry told Khan, directing him to submit a fresh reply before the next hearing.

Khan says the role of the judiciary and the election commission in the May 11 vote was shameful and that the elections were rigged.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) finished third place in the polls won by Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), but formed a

Tunisian union gives government 1 week to step down n Reuters, Tunis

Sri Lankan protestor shot dead at tainted water demonstration

A supporter of Egypt’s ousted Morsi plays drum during a protest outside Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque

Myanmar floods leave 33,000 people in camps, 3 dead n

n AFP, Islamabad

The explanation is not acceptable. The case is adjourned until August 28

After Edward Snowden, no business as usual for US and Russia n Reuters, Washington

Saturday, August 3, 2013

AP

Tunisia’s powerful union federation said on Friday that the embattled Islamist-led government had one week to reach a deal for creating a new technocrat government, otherwise it will be “forced to consider” other options.

The 600,000-strong Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) has been trying to mediate between the ruling Ennahda party and the secular opposition, which is demanding the government’s ouster as well as the dissolution of a transitional Constituent Assembly that is only weeks away from completing the country’s new draft constitution.

Tensions have been rising in Tunisia since the assassination last week of a leftist politician, the second to be slain in six months. Political tensions, along with an outburst of clashes between the army and militants near the Algerian border, risk disrupting the democratic political transition that began after Tunisians toppled an autocratic president in 2011.

The UGTT, seen as being closer to the opposition, has offered a compromise that would put a new technocrat government in place but preserve the Assembly. The transitional body would, however, be put on a sped-up time scale for completing the constitution and the country’s new election laws.

“We will continue to hold talks and if our demands of changing the government and implementing a time frame for the Constituent Assembly, then we will have other options that we will be forced to consider,” the UGTT’s deputy leader, Bou Ali Mbarki, told local Nesma TV, without giving further details.

The UGTT is one of the most powerful political and economic forces in Tunisia. A single day of strikes last week cost the country millions of dollars and plunged its currency to a historical low against the dollar.

Despite efforts to reach a deal, both sides appeared to harden their stance on Thursday. They have called for rival “million-man” marches over the weekend.

Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party, has refused to remove the prime minister under any new deal. Opposition figures remain equally recalcitrant about relinquishing their demand to dissolve the Assembly.

Tunisia’s successful 2011 uprising set off a wave of revolts across the region. Once upheld as a model of transition among troubled “Arab Spring” states, Tunisia now risks being plunged into political turmoil and broader instability. l

n AFP, Colombo Sri Lankan security forces shot dead one protestor and wounded dozens more when they fired on villagers at a demonstration over contaminated drinking water, police and residents said Friday.

Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said the army had been called in on Thursday night to assist the police when a mob threw petrol bombs and tried to attack a police station near the capital Colombo.

Locals in the village of Weliweriya, some 20 kilometres northeast of Colombo, had been protesting against a rubber-glove making plant that they say has polluted their ground water supply.

Police said one man was killed and 37 others were wounded in the night-

time clashes in Weliweriya while the military said nine of their troops also received injuries from petrol bombs.

“There is an investigation underway and let that decide if the army opened fire or not,” Wanigasooriya said when asked if troops had fired live ammunition at the protesters.

A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a large number of troops could be seen patrolling the area on Friday morning while intermittent gunfire could also be heard.

“People are afraid and they are keeping indoors. Shops are closed and the streets deserted.”

The protesters had blocked the main A-1 highway for several hours on Thursday night to protest the crackdown against the residents, but troops had moved in to remove the barricades. l

WORLD WATCH Pakistan TV preacher defends Ramadan baby give-away

A charismatic Muslim preacher criticised for giving out babies to childless couples live on prime time Pakistani television denies he is crudely seeking top ratings and insists he is spreading charity. Aamir Liaqat Hussain, one of the biggest stars on Pakistani TV, spoke to AFP as a charity involved in the process said a third baby is due to be given away in the coming days. Aamir broadcasts a marathon 12-hour show each day during the holy month of Ramadan, watched by millions of viewers across the country.

Indian baby with swollen head discharged from hospital

Doctors discharged a one-year-old Indian baby from hospital on Friday after nearly four months of treatment and surgeries to correct a rare disorder that caused her head to nearly double in size. Roona Begum was heading back home with her parents to a remote region of India’s northeast after surgeons in New Delhi declared that her health had improved significantly.

Roona, whose plight captured international sympathy, has battled through several life-saving surgical procedures which saw doctors at a hospital drain fluid from her head and dramatically reduce the size of her skull.

Bacon fries on pavement as heat wave grips China

It’s been so hot in China that people are grilling shrimp on manhole covers, eggs are hatching without incubators and a highway billboard has mysteriously caught fire by itself. The heat wave — the worst in

at least 140 years in some parts — has left dozens of people dead and pushed thermometers above 40 degrees Celsius in at least 40 cities and counties, mostly in the south and east. Extreme heat began hitting Shanghai and several eastern and southern provinces in early July and is expected to grip much of China through mid-August.

Obama welcomes UConn Huskies to White House

US President Barack Obama is honouring the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, calling its players incredible athletes, outstanding women, and role models on and off the court. Obama welcomed the Huskies at a White House ceremony Wednesday commemorating their eighth NCAA championship. In April the Huskies defeated Louisville 93-60 in the tournament final. The president highlighted the team’s community service and singled out Breanna Stewart, who was named most outstanding player of the Final Four.

Lawsuit against Shakira by exboyfriend dismissed

A lawsuit by Shakira’s ex-boyfriend seeking tens of millions of dollars from the singer was dismissed Thursday by a judge who determined the case should not be heard in California. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Abraham Khan’s ruling sided with lawyers for the pop star who argued that the case should be filed in her native Colombia or the Bahamas, where she currently claims residency. Antonio de la Rua sued his ex-girlfriend in April stating he was instrumental in her transformation into a global star. The pair broke up in 2011.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Rowhani calls Israel an ‘old wound’ The president-elect also expresses doubts about the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal

n AP, Tehran Ahead of his inauguration, Iran’s new president on Friday called Israel an “old wound” that should be removed, while tens of thousands of Iranians marched in support of Muslim claims to the holy city of Jerusalem.

Hasan Rowhani’s remarks about Israel - which Iran considers to be its archenemy - echoed longstanding views of other Iranian leaders and could tarnish his image in the West as a voice of moderation in Iranian affairs.

But no Iranian leader is likely to diverge from Iran’s longstanding denunciations of Israel and the remarks are not necessary evidence that Rowhani would roll back his support for calmer relations with the West, including possible oneon-one dialogue with Washington.

“The Zionist regime has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world for years and the wound should be removed,” Rowhani was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency.

The president-elect also expressed doubts about the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal even as the two sides resumed negotiations in Washington this week, ending a fiveyear freeze in Mideast talks.

“Israelis show a compromising face to the world but continue their expansionism in practice,” Rowhani said according to Fars, a news agency.

An Iranian cleric holding an anti-Israeli placard chants slogan, while attending an annual rally marking al-Quds Day in Tehran However, Rowhani’s official website later Friday published somewhat different comments, citing him only as saying that “the occupation of Palestine and Jerusalem ... is a wound on the body of the Islamic world,” without

any direct reference to Israel or saying that this wound should be removed.

The two versions of his comments could not immediately be reconciled.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promptly condemned

AP

Rowhani’s remarks. The Israeli leader has urged the world to step up pressure on Tehran to halt its disputed nuclear program with tougher sanctions and threats of military action.

Rowhani won a landslide victory in

Telengana aftermath: Assam erupts with large-scale violence

Gorkhaland demand: Man set on fire, incidents of arson in Darjeeling n Tribune Report The Indian government’s decision to cren Tribune Report ate Telangana has brought long-standing

ger-strike on August 20 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The Bodo Peoples’ Front, an ally of the ruling Congress in the state government, has also stepped up demand for a separate state for the community and had met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde last Wednesday at New Delhi.

A security guard was set on fire on Friday in Darjeeling town where incidents of arson were reported on the eve of the indefinite bandh called in the hills to demand a separate state of Gorkhaland on the lines of Telangana, Times of India reported.

The guard was set on fire at Prakriyathong by unidentified people, police said, adding he was hospitalised in critical condition.

A truck and an SUV were torched at Mongpo, while police booths, which were not in use at Ranglirangliyat and Rangamancha, were set ablaze last night, the sources said.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) General Secretary Roshan Giri, who left for Delhi as the head of a six-member team, told reporters before his departure that the GJM was not responsible for the incidents of arson and put the blame on opposition parties in the hills.

He said that the indefinite bandh could be relaxed for a day or two for which GJM President Bimal Gurung would be consulted.

Students from some schools in Darjeeling town have been sent home.

Rector of St Paul’s Joy Halder said of the 530 students, 430 were Indian, while the remaining 100 from France, Canada, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Thailand were yet to be sent back. l

demands by four ethnic groups for separate states carved out of Assam to the fore, with large-scale violence and agitation erupting in the state.

The ethnic groups--Bodos, Karbi, Dimasas and Koch-Rajbongshis have been demanding separate states for many years, Times of India reported.

The hill district of Karbi Anglong witnessed violence with two persons killed and several injured.

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) was observing a 12-hour rail blockade on Friday with several organisations, including the Bodo Sahitya Sabha, All Bodo Women’s Federation, Bodoland Peoples Progressive Front, National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Progressive, and People Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement.

The ABSU has also called a 60-hour strike from August 5 to demand a separate state for Bodos.

The United Democratic People’s Front, comprising several Bodo organisations, has called a 1,500-hour strike, the longest ever in the region, from August five on the same demand.

The National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Progressive and the People’s Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement have jointly called a 100hour highway blockade from August 13 and will observe a 24-hour hun-

Indian army killed 12 militants in Kashmir n AFP, Srinagar

AU declares Zimbabwe vote ‘free’ and ‘credible’

The Indian army said Friday it had killed 12 suspected militants in Kashmir in a forested area along the de facto border that divides the territory between India and Pakistan.

Five rebels were killed during a fierce gun battle with the army on Thursday in Hafrada forests, 100 kilometres from Srinagar, the main city of Indian Kashmir.

“The operation was launched on specific intelligence about the presence of a group of terrorists,” an officer said, asking not to be named.

Further operations beginning on Monday saw another seven men killed around the border, known as the Line of Control, army general Gurmit Singh told reporters.

Singh said the militants belonged to Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups.

About a dozen militant groups have been fighting Indian forces in Kashmir since 1989 seeking independence for the region or a merger with Pakistan.

The violence has declined during the last decade but the fighting has left tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, dead. l

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s party claimed Friday he is on course for a landslide win in an election branded a sham by his rivals, but which the African Union said was fair and credible.

Partial results of Wednesday’s poll have given the 89-year-old a commanding lead, with his ZANU-PF party garnering 87 seats out of 120 declared.

“Our opponents don’t know what hit them,” party spokesman Rugare Gumbo said. “It’s the prediction that the president might likely get 70 to 75 percent.”

ZANU-PF also predicted it would win a two-thirds majority in parliament, enough to amend the new constitution that introduced term limits and curbed presidential powers.

Mugabe’s bitter rival Morgan Tsvangirai has rejected the vote as a “huge farce” and “null and void”.

“It’s a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people,” he said, pointing to a litany of alleged irregularities with the voters’ roll.

The independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network reported up to one million voters were prevented from voting in Tsvangirai strongholds.

n AFP, Harare

Assam has been divided three times with Nagaland carved out in 1963, Meghalaya with the passing of North Eastern Act in 1971 and Mizoram, which first became a Union Territory in 1971 and was later made a state in 1985 The All Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union has enforced a 36-hour Assam strike in the state from Thursday demanding a separate Kamtapur state which would be followed by a 100-hour hunger-strike and a bandh on Independence Day. The Hills State Democratic Party has called a 100-hour strike in the hill districts of Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong from August 5 demanding separate states of Dima Hasoa and Karbi Anglong.

The HSDP observed a 10-hour bandh in Dima Hasao district Thursday demanding a separate Dima Hasao state.

ABSU President Pramode Boro on Friday said the decision to create Telangana was discriminatory.

But Mugabe won an endorsement from the African Union Friday, with former Nigerian president and military leader Olusegun Obasanjo saying the vote was basically free and fair.

“There are incidences that could have been avoided, but all in all we do not believe that these incidents will amount to the results not reflecting the will of the people,” he said.

Much now rides on the verdict of observers from the 15-member southern African SADC bloc, which negotiated the creation of a power-sharing government in the wake of 2008’s bloody poll.

With 600 observers on the ground, SADC’s verdict will be closely watched by western nations blocked from monitoring the poll themselves.

The bloc said it will deliver its initial verdict later Friday.

Foreign diplomats have expressed deep misgivings about a poll they have described privately as non-violent but fundamentally flawed.

Jeffrey Smith, from the Washington-based Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, said it would be wrong to disregard the final results but “we must also not be blind to potential irregularities both leading up to the vote and on the day”. l

“Our long-standing demand has been ignored and the identity of Bodos is at stake. We will not stop our agitation at any cost till our demand for a separate Bodoland is met,” he said.

The PJACBM, comprising 55 Bodo organisations, has also warned the government of intensifying the agitation if the demand for a separate Bodoland state was not met which was more than four decades old and its creation was as legitimate as Telangana.

“NDFB-P, which was holding talks with the Centre for the last seven years, has stressed that creation of Bodoland was imperative for safeguarding the identity, culture and protection of land of Bodos,” outfit’s General Secretary Govind Basumatary said.

Major political parties in Assam — AIUDF, AGP and BJP along with the ruling Congress were opposed to the creation of separate states.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who left for New Delhi on Thursday evening, has also said the party was not for any further division of the state.

“We must stay as one unit but will ask the Centre to remove the sense of alienation among ethnic groups and remove their grievances which has led to such demands,” he said.

Assam has been divided three times since Independence with Nagaland carved out in 1963, Meghalaya with the passing of North Eastern (Reorganisation Areas) Act in 1971 and Mizoram, which first became a Union Territory in 1971 and was later made a state in 1985. l

Iran’s June 14 presidential election and is to officially replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday.

Rowhani has pledged to follow a “path of moderation” and promised greater openness over Iran’s nuclear programme, which has placed it at odds with the West.

Netanyahu said Rowhani’s statement on Friday should serve to “wake up the world from the illusion” that a new Iranian president meant a new policy by Tehran.

“The real face of Rowhani has been exposed earlier than expected,” Netanyahu said. “This is what the man thinks and this is the Iranian regime’s operational plan ... A country that threatens to destroy Israel must not be allowed weapons of mass destruction.”

Rowhani spoke at an annual rally marking “al-Quds Day” - the Arabic word for Jerusalem - and although his remarks appear contrary to his outreach efforts to the West, they should also be seen in the context of internal Iranian politics where softening the establishment’s anti-Israeli stand is not an option.

Iran does not recognise Israel and has since the 1979 Islamic Revolution observed the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan as “al-Quds Day.” Tehran says the occasion is meant to express support for Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims. l

9 Ahmadinejad warns Israel will be ‘uprooted’ n AFP, Tehran Iran’s outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned arch-foe Israel Friday in one of his last public speeches that a regional storm was brewing that would “uproot” the Jewish state.

“I will inform you with God as my witness, a devastating storm is on the way that will uproot the basis of Zionism,” Ahmadinejad said in Quds (Jerusalem) Day remarks broadcast on state television.

In a parting shot against Israel, which he has consistently targeted in public comments during eight years in power, Ahmadinejad said it “has no place in this region”.

He was speaking ahead of Hassan Rowhani assuming the presidency of the Islamic republic this weekend.

Iran staged massive rallies to mark annual Quds Day, with speeches and sermons supporting the Palestinian cause and condemning Israel.

State television showed hundreds of thousands of people marching across the country, chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America”.

The demonstrators also denounced any renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

In his remarks, Ahmadinejad accused Israel and its Western supporters of fomenting discord in the Middle East, saying “it was their dream to see the will of regional countries bent on destroying Israel diverted towards civil war”. l

Berlusconi verdict stokes political tensions in Italy n AFP, Rome Italy’s main political forces on Friday committed to keeping an uneasy coalition in place for the sake of the recession-hit country despite a landmark court ruling against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

There was a cautious reaction on financial markets, with the main stock index in Milan inching down 0.37% while shares in Berlusconi’s Mediaset business empire plunged by 2.43%.

“Government in danger,” said Il Messaggero daily, while Il Fatto Quotidiano said the alliance between Berlusconi’s centre-right and Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s centre-left was now “a dead man walking”.

But reactions from Berlusconi law-

makers were more measured, despite protesting what they called an unjust ruling that bars the billionaire tycoon from being a candidate in elections for the next six years after being convicted of tax fraud.

“Silvio Berlusconi’s legal woes will not be a problem for the government,” said Mara Carfagna, a leading member of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party.

“This anger we all feel must not boil over,” she said.

Italy’s top court on Thursday handed Berlusconi his first definitive conviction in a 20-year political career dogged by legal woes and sex scandals.

The court ordered the three-time prime minister to do a year of community service or be placed under house arrest. l

President of the Italian supreme court Antonio Esposito reads the sentence at the end of the trial involving former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi AFP

Mali presidential Defiant Cambodian PM vows vote goes to 2nd round on August 11 to lead new government the Prime Minister. I will continue to be n AFP, Phnom Penh the Prime Minister,” he added. n AFP, Bamako “The law does not specify how Cambodia’s strongman Prime Minister Mali’s presidential election will go to a second round on August 11, the government said Friday, after no candidate secured a majority in the landmark poll.

Figures for Sunday’s ballot announced on live television showed former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in the lead with 39.2% of the vote, ahead of main rival Soumaila Cisse with 19.4%.

The election is seen as key to Mali’s recovery after a coup in March last year overthrew Amadou Toumani Toure.

As hardline al-Qaeda allies took control of the country’s vast desert north, and threatened to extend their often violent rule, former colonial power France launched a military offensive in January to drive out the Islamist fighters.

Four former prime ministers and an array of political heavyweights -- but just one woman -- featured in a list of 27 presidential hopefuls, although analysts always characterised the election as a two-horse race between Keita and Cisse.

Dramane Dembele, the candidate for Mali’s largest political party, the Alliance for Democracy in Mali, polled just 9.6%, taking third place. l

Hun Sen on Friday vowed to establish a government under his leadership despite allegations by the opposition party of massive electoral fraud.

Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) on Sunday claimed it had secured an estimated 68 of the 123 lower house seats, shading the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) which won 55.

The CNRP has rejected the results, citing widespread voting irregularities, and has vowed to press for nationwide protests unless an independent probe is launched.

According to the Cambodian constitution the kingdom’s National Assembly must have “at least 120 members” and hold its first session within 60 days of the election, leaving the CPP well short by its own reckoning of the seats if the opposition chose to boycott parliament.

But in a defiant radio address on Friday the premier said his party has an “absolute majority” and will “proceed to set up the leadership of the parliament and government. They will not wait for you [the opposition]”.

“There will be no stalemate... I am

many lawmakers are needed for the first meeting.”

He also urged the CNRP to join talks over participating in the next parliament.

The first parliament meeting will be convened by late September.

The CNRP has already called for a United Nations-backed investigation into allegations that 1.25 million legitimate voters were culled from the electoral roll, while more than one million “ghost names” and a further 200,000 duplicated names were added to the list.

Rainsy has said his party had in fact won a majority of 63 seats and repeated a vow to prevent the CPP “stealing victory”.

In a statement, the opposition said its leader Sam Rainsy will announce the “CNRP’s stand related to election results” on Tuesday.

Hun Sen, 60, a former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected from the murderous regime, has vowed to rule until he is 74.

The premier -- who has been in power for 28 years -- is regularly accused of ignoring human rights and muzzling political freedoms. l

10 DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

W

hen we editorialised that the government needed to act swiftly to bring the killer of Milky, the Jubo League leader gunned down in Gulshan in the early hours of the morning, to justice, this is not what we had in mind.

We did not expect to see the prime accused himself shot dead in turn while in RAB custody, adding to the grim tally of 31 RAB crossfire deaths this year.

If the gangland-style murder of Milky shocked the nation and led to renewed demands that the government both sort out the law and order situation and rein in the goons within its own party (the two demands are related), this second shooting death has done nothing to reassure the public that it is control of the situation.

Any way you slice it, the latest incident is unacceptThe killing of able and calls for answers. suspects while RAB’s official version of in RAB custody events is the same tired do not make the blueprint they have been government look using to insult the intellilike it has law and gence of the public for all order in hand. In fact, these years and is simply quite the opposite not believable.

If it were the first time the outfit were to be making this claim, it would still strain credulity, but now that we have heard the same, and we mean same literally, account thousands, and we mean thousands literally, of times over the past decade, it beggars belief.

What makes it worse in this instance is that this was a very high profile case with the nation watching. In addition, the quick response leads to questions as to whether RAB is being used as an apparatus of a gang-war or for revenge. The killing of suspects while in RAB custody do not make the government look like it has law and order in hand. In fact, quite the opposite.

T

facebook.com/DhakaTribune

LETTER OF THE DAY

Brutal behavior July 28

Ovi’s front page report published on July 27 is a serious and criminal offense by the supervisor. Apart from the civil case, he may be also guilty of illegal activities that warrant his dismissal from service. Is he still in employment? No supervisor is entitled to orally abuse or, as in this case, physically abuse and injure any working person. From the report, one feels that most garment factory workers are treated like slaves, with inhumanly long working hours (possibly with no overtime) and no days off, which are specified in Factory Laws and Standing Orders Act. Having worked in many factories in the engineering and chemical sectors for over forty odd years, starting in 1955, at various levels starting from shop floor supervision to CEO of a number of factories in a manufacturing group, I cannot imagine the inhuman conditions in garment factories after reading all about it since the saga of the Rana Plaza.

The factory concerned must pay for all of the hospitalisation, treatment, medicines and all travel expenses of the garment worker for attending the hospital till fully recovered. All wages for the days lost due to the brutal accident plus full compensation for physical disability of the damaged fingers is also their responsibility in full.

It is unfortunate that opportunist employers take advantage of the workers’ ignorance and cheat them out of their dues and compensations, which is allowed by the law.

SAM

July 27

Nahiyan Bin Asadullah Such a tragedy!

Rakibul Hasan We still can help him and bring him back to the cricket ground.

Mohiuddin Khadem Tukel Injury ruined our Khadem’s career!

Reza Aslan is angered by ignorance July 29 And Jesus is also a revered prophet of Islam. So even if we DO humour the interviewer’s curious line of questioning, that should be a simple enough reason why. And I say this without a PhD and without having read the book ;) Fahima

when he said his academic interest lies with Jesus.

He said I am “obsessed” with Jesus for over 20 years now.

So yes, I don’t know why Dr Aslan should be embarrassed about anything at all.

S Mallik

Very nice ending note. Fox news will be faux news unfortunately, no one can help that.

Adnan

We Muslims follow not only Jesus but also Moses, Solaiman and other prophets of the Jews and Christians. Islam is final version of the religions of Judaism and Christianity.

Rakibul Hasan

But I do think he justified it during the interview

July 29 Wishing you the VERY best!

Haa’Meem Mohiyuddin That’s our Zara – entrepreneurial, strategic, creative, and a natural leader. You will get to the summit.

Godspeed – Asad Bhaiya.

Kazi Mamun I’ve known you to be a fighter since the school years.

You deserve each and every ounce of success that you are receiving now.

Poet Belal Mohammad dies July 30

An important witness to our independent war.

Haji AB Mannan Howlad

Be Heard

Zara Jabeen Mahbub: A banker with passion

Great going Zara, we are proud of you. Our best wishes.

Murad

Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Suited (6) 5 Vegetable (3) 7 United (3) 8 Leave off (6) 11 Cover (3) 12 New Zealander (5) 14 Long, detailed story (4) 16 Communion plate (5) 18 Leaves out (5) 20 Camping item (4) 21 Irrational animal (5) 23 Expert (3) 24 Language (6) 27 Dry, of champagne (3) 28 Cricket score (3) 29 Gnawing (6)

Sirajullah Khadem: The boy who would have been a star

dhakatribune.com

Taxation as the route to prosperity

he Electronic Taxpayers Identification Number (E-TIN) has received good response from users with 75,000 taxpayers registered within the first month of its launch. This bodes very well for the prospect of growth of tax revenue in coming years and complimentary efforts should be undertaken to increase this source of income for the country.

Tax revenue is a seriously underutilised part of our national income. Reasons for our poor rate of tax collection include tax avoidance by citizens and businesses, corruption and lack of capacity of the government to collect taxes.

Simplifying the tax registration and collection system can go a long way towards resolving a lot of Paying taxes is also these issues. An easy to an integral part navigate online registraof the democratic tion and payment system process. It’s common will cut down bureaucratic wisdom that taxred tape and encourage paying citizens are people to pay taxes, engaged citizens reduce opportunities for corruption and increase the government’s capacity to collect and manage this revenue source.

Paying taxes is also an integral part of the democratic process. It’s common wisdom that tax-paying citizens are engaged citizens.

It is very encouraging to see taxpayers responding so positively to the online tax registration process. The government should support this momentum by ensuring that the system operates smoothly and complement it with a simple and automated tax payment process.

A functioning taxation system is a sure sign of maturity for a democracy. While Bangladesh still has a long way to go, we are happy to see that the country is taking steps in the right direction.

the Editor

COURTESY KAWSER MAHMUD

RAB strikes again

Saturday, August 3, 2013

DOWN 1 Offer (3) 2 Long-leaved lettuce (3) 3 Give life to (7) 4 Table-shaped hill (4) 5 Well-mannered (6) 6 Fiery (6) 9 Dutch cheese (4) 10 Summit (3) 13 Disconcerted (7) 14 Fusible alloy (6) 15 Long-armed ape (6) 17 Extremities (4) 19 Undermine (3) 22 Tolerable (4) 25 Frozen treat (3) 26 Pungent (3)

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4 6 1

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

7 3 1

Crossword

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9 9 7 8 2 7 6 5 8 3 1 9 4 1 2 1 6 9 8 7 3

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Saturday, August 3, 2013

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Manning damage well short of worst US fears n Warren Strobel

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Adulterated mangoes being destroyed. Still, a lot of these fruits have made it to the market

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SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN/DHAKA TRIBUNE

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The forbidden fruit

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n Matthew Islam

’m outraged. How long are we to sit back silently and be abused and used? What will offend us enough to rise up against the shameless food traders who are slowly poisoning us and charging a pretty penny for it? At what point will it be seen as a serious enough issue for any of our political leaders?

Will it take a sizable chunk of our future generations to be cancer patients, amongst other ghastly illnesses, for us to then understand the price of our inaction now? Will it take hundreds of deaths from ingestion of poisoned fruits for someone to give this issue the respect and attention that it deserves? Or are we destined to read newspaper articles about toxic food being fed to us only to die an ignorant death?

Do I stop eating fruits, vegetables and rice altogether to fight this? Do I have to grow my own produce now?

Am I expected to beg my government and prime minister, both of whom are servants of the people, to ensure my right to eat food that doesn’t kill or injure me gravely?

Now, after countless reports on how serious and widespread this issue is, most of us are aware of how pandemic food adulteration is. Yet, laws are broken, wrist slapping fines and jail terms are meted out, and adulterated food returns into circulation.

Of all the challenges this government faces, this particular one is the easiest to solve – if they really want to. Unfortunately the political will to do anything concrete is non-existent. And it’s not just the present government that lacks the fortitude to

do something about it. Everybody is either mute or playing to the gallery.

I confess that I too have ignored this issue. Like with any other depressing item of bad news that pervades our daily lives, we tend to ignore it and move on. I did so because a threat we cannot see is sometimes hard to be concerned about consistently, especially when the local market salesman declares, “All of our stuff is formalin free”, pointing to a hand written sign that reinforces that claim.

A world class food testing lab inaugurated in 2012 at a cost of Tk220m sits idle today because it lacks the fifty or so expert lab officials it requires to be fully functional

The traders know we never demand information or verification on their claims. Even if something were to be discovered, they know that all we will do is get outraged and then quickly forget. In the war to secure food safety standards in Bangladesh, we the consumer, the common men and women, have already lost several key battles and it’s depressing. I no longer know whom we should go to for a solution.

Somewhat selfishly, the sense of hopelessness is especially potent for my wife and me since we are expecting a child soon. For us, food safety has more relevance than any one issue at this point in our lives because

it is linked directly to the health of our unborn child. There are perhaps countless others in Bangladesh today suffering from the same experience as us.

A few reports in the Dhaka Tribune last week caught me totally off-guard.

One of the reports stated that formalin-laced fruits were recently discovered in our markets again, especially in imported fruits. The toxic substance was found in 82% of randomly sampled fruits. The Malta oranges my wife and I had gorged on for months prior to the report, thinking they were perhaps safer due to their foreign origins, were found to be 100% contaminated.

I’m sure I don’t have to lecture the readers of the effects of having exposure to formalin and calcium carbide-laced foods on adults let alone children, the elderly, and, most seriously, on pregnant women. I panicked as a knee jerk reaction, worrying my wife to the point that we threw out all fruits. Immediately after, I realised there was literally nothing to replace it with that would give my wife the proper nutrition she requires. What do we do?

I live in what is considered an affluent neighbourhood of Dhaka with access to “the best” available food money can buy, but they were found to be contaminated. I wonder what those in less affluent neighbourhoods around the country are putting into their bodies right now? What future are we leaving to our children?

In the long run, not fighting this war more pro-actively is going to cost this nation more than it realises.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and, even though other

Asian countries, our neighbors, and nations worldwide are fighting this well, stronger and more consistent efforts are required here since we are behind the curve on this. We are fighting a losing battle and our enemy has the upper hand because they know they will never receive penalties harsh enough to stop them.

The stakes are gargantuan and therefore I’d like to request the Prime Minister’s undivided attention on this crisis. There is a lot that can be done: increased fines, seizure laws, life-time bans on offending traders, serious jail terms, cancelling trade and import licenses.

A lot more can be done to increase cooperation between ministries and organisations dealing with food safety, such as creating an effective fast track court to deal with instances of abuse.

A world class food testing lab inaugurated in 2012 at a cost of Tk220m sits idle today because it lacks the fifty or so expert lab officials it requires to be fully functional.

The deaths of several children and adults could have been avoided, not to mention the damage that is silently being caused in the interim to so many people consuming toxic food now, if the government were more proactive and consistent, it’s Health and Family Minister more concerned and if its Public Administration Ministry was diligent enough to find the man power we need to staff this lab.

I ask you, is this all we can do and do we really deserve this? l Matthew Islam is a Barrister-at-Law and CEO profusion Textiles. He can be contacted on twitter via @Alchemistmatt

Why so embarrassed? n Rifat Islam Esha

I

do not completely agree with the op-ed piece published on Tuesday, July 31, titled “Reza Aslan is angered by ignorance” by Mohammad Miraly. I do acknowledge its excellent content and the way it’s written.

The piece talks about the recent interview of the Iranian-American author Reza Aslan, who was interviewed

by Fox News’s Lauren Green. He was interviewed to talk about his book, Zealot, which was recently published on July 16.

The book, according to the author, is about Jesus “a historical man who walked the earth 2000 years ago in a land that the Romans called Palestine.” From the beginning of the interview, Ms. Green insists on finding why “a Muslim” would write a book on the founder of Christianity- Reza from the start, too, insists that he should be regarded as “a historian with a PhD in the history of religions,” a scholar, who has all the rights to write about a topic he had been working and studying for years.

What I do not agree with Mohammad’s op-ed piece is that he suggests that it would have been “not embarrassing” if Reza would actually answer Ms. Green’s pressing question, “You’re

a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?”

My question to Mohammad is that, how is confirming Reza’s background and his obsession with Jesus not a sound answer to Ms. Green’s question?

I think we should rather respect the author for not getting offended by the pseudo-tough questions thrown his way, repeatedly. Not to forget the accusation by Ms. Green which I believe is, indeed, “embarrassing” that Reza had not disclose his identity as a Muslim to media (which he clearly did and which is very much there on his biography inside his book).

I agree with Mohammad when he says “there’s a certain dignity in refusing to be offended by offensive people” however, I am afraid Mohammad fails to acknowledge that Reza did exactly that during the interview and was focused on his book and not anything that would take the debate to another tangent.

I believe everyone who wants to write has the write on whatever he/ she feels like – as Mohammad also complies. One can question the arguments within the author’s book, its content and the author’s skills of writing. It is as simple as that and that is why I think Reza insisted on getting

that through to the interviewer who most certainly did not read his book.

I understand why Mohammad might have resorted to saying that Reza should have taken the opportunity “to educate the public about why a Muslim would be interested in Christianity” as that debate has been unresolved for many years and many don’t understand that Jesus was a very important man for the Muslims too.

We should rather respect the author for not getting offended by the pseudotough questions thrown his way

We have to understand Reza’s stance as well, he only had around 10 minutes time to talk, obviously he would decide not to bring up his religion (why should he?) and only talk about his work which reflects his academic expertise on history of religions that guarantees his position to take up the

pen and write a book on Jesus.

When I consider this viral clip that has become the topic of debate these days, I get the stench of Islamophobia.

I have gone through many articles on Aslan and came across a few which affirms my assumption.

On a recent interview to Al Jazeera, Reza remarked on the apparent nature of Islamophobia that he has faced for years: “The negativity is almost exclusively from the same folks attacking me for ten years, the denizens of the Islamophobia industry. To be honest, I felt I had to defend academia more than defend the right of Muslims to study Jesus. I work in a field that where Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and others all study religions without their own faith being an issue.”

On a lighter note, we should acknowledge that the interview, itself, did Reza some good – according to the New York Times, Random House, the publisher, is sweating over how to meet the demand for the book which is running out of copies—the sales have increased 35% after two days of the interview.

Reza also confirmed that the book has gotten an “overwhelmingly positive” response in a phone interview conducted by the New York Times. l Rifat Islam Esha is a journalist at Dhaka Tribune

ccused of the nation’s biggest-ever security leak, US soldier Bradley Manning was vilified by the government for causing irreparable damage to American national interests. In retrospect, the harm he caused seems to have been overplayed.

A US military judge cleared Manning on Tuesday of the most serious charge against him - aiding the enemy - in a verdict that indicated the soldier’s secrecy violations, while criminal, were not as dire as prosecutors had alleged.

Manning’s revelations to WikiLeaks, including hundreds of thousands of US diplomatic cables and raw intelligence reports from the Iraqi and Afghan battlefields, violated his military oath and “put real lives and real careers at risk,” said former State Department spokesman P J Crowley.

But the strategic damage to the United States - to its reputation and its ability to work with allies and conduct diplomacy - “was transitory,” said Crowley, who resigned in 2011 after publicly criticizing the Pentagon’s treatment of Manning in a military prison.

As reams of classified State Department cables – some containing unflattering portraits of foreign leaders or detailing US envoys’ contacts with human rights groups - leaked to the public, some saw catastrophe for US diplomacy.

Yet, despite what Crowley called a few “isolated cases” in which foreign counterparts were less candid than in the past, fearing their words might leak, the State Department was able to mitigate the damage.

In just one of dozens of examples, US ties with Indonesia wobbled after the release of cables showing the US Embassy suspected collusion between Jakarta’s security forces and the extremist Islamic Defenders Front, accused of attacks on religious minorities.

But the strategic damage to the United States - to its reputation and its ability to work with allies and conduct diplomacy - ‘was transitory

The leaks “were quite unpleasant,” said Teuku Faizasyah, Indonesia’s presidential spokesman for foreign affairs. But he said, “Our relations with the US have continued normally since. The lesson is that we have to be more careful with the flow of such intelligence.”

The military judge, Colonel Denise Lind, found Manning guilty on 19 counts, including five espionage charges. Manning could face a sentence of 136 years in prison. Military prosecutors had pushed for a harsher judgment. They called him a “traitor” and said his actions had helped the al Qaeda network.

‘Subtle rather than catastrophic’ “The official damage assessments concerning Manning/WikiLeaks have not been publicly released, but my sense is that the bulk of the damage is subtle rather than catastrophic,” said Steven Aftergood, an expert on government secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, a private group.

“But it is nonetheless real,” Af-

tergood said. “Because of the broad scope and overwhelming volume of the WikiLeaks cables, their disclosure cast doubt on the ability of the US government to guarantee confidentiality of any kind - whether in diplomacy, military operations or intelligence.

That’s not a small thing.”

In Australia, a crucial US ally in the Asia-Pacific region, the revelations have affected the way Western diplomats operate and report on politic12al developments, and have curtailed events such as social dinner party chats where diplomats often gain insights on what is happening in a country.

“The diplomats have told me this has

‘Every Espionage Act case can alter the legal landscape for cases that come after it.

affected their reporting of events in Australia, or events anywhere in the world,” said government lawmaker Michael Danby, who until June was head of Australia’s powerful joint intelligence committee which oversees intelligence matters.

“It has restricted political reporting and mingling for open Western societies (among diplomats and politicians).”

In late 2010, Wikileaks cables outed then Australian sports minister Mark Arbib as a regular source of information for US diplomats. Danby’s name was also mentioned. One cable also described current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, then the foreign minister, as a “mistake-prone control freak”.

It remains to be seen whether the Manning verdict – rendered in a military rather than civilian court - will impact future prosecutions, most notably against former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked documents exposing previously secret US telephone and internet surveillance programs. Snowden, who faces US criminal charges, has taken refuge in a Moscow airport.

Aftergood, while cautioning that military courts are quite different from civilian leak trials, said, “Every Espionage Act case can alter the legal landscape for cases that come after it.”

US President Barack Obama has been more aggressive than any of his predecessors in searching out and punishing those responsible for national security leaks.

“There could also be some ‘psychological’ effect on how the government deals with leak cases as a result of the Manning trial, but this is harder to predict,” Aftergood said.

“Prosecutors might say, ‘Aha, we won - now let’s go do it again.’ Or they might say, ‘OK, we made our point now we can step back a little bit.’”

In the wake of the WikiLeaks disclosure, Obama ordered new steps to protect classified material stored on government computers and, in November 2012, issued a “National Insider Threat Policy” aimed at stopping future leaks like those by Manning.

Among the new steps were automated monitoring of classified government networks, aimed at detecting unusually large downloads of data.

But that did not deter Snowden from allegedly making away with numerous highly classified NSA documents. l This article was first published by Reuters

Bradley Manning being escorted out of court. A military judge found Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy REUTERS

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Afzal appears as ‘Choto Kaku’ this Eid

ON TV MOVIES 4:10pm WB

n Shadma Malik

The Golden Compass

Once a regular actor of small screen, Afzal Hossain has made it big in the industry as a TVC maker, but his recent appearances are more selective in nature. He was also a dominating theatre actor and was recently seen in a collage production of Dhaka Theatre featuring the important episodes of the troupe’s plays staged in the past 40 years.

The prominent actor has spread his horizon and has included directing and producing into his impressive career profile. This Eid, the audience will again get to see the much loved actor in the role of a caring and compassionate person, who helps solve problems of individuals. In the play, he is affectionately known as “Choto Kaku.”

The special attraction of the drama is that, unlike regular soap series, it will only be aired during Eid season. The story of the play is based on writer Faridur Reza Sagar’s suspenseful story with the same title as the drama. The first story of the series titled “Coxbazarer Kakatua” will air on Channel i for eight consecutive days, starting on the day before the upcoming Eid. Prominent thriller writer Abdul Hakim has dramatised 35 episodes of the series. The next episodes will air during other Eid festivals.

While talking to Dhaka Tribune about the drama, the outstanding entertainer said: “My co-actors in the drama are Archa, new comer Shimanto and Shams Shumon. I chose this drama as it is based on children, few dramas now a days are done solely in the interest of children. Most of the dramas on air are made for young and older audience. We complain about these issues, but do very little to bring about a change or shift in the current trend.

Therefore, this time around, I gave upper hand to the child audiences of the country. Although, the drama ‘Choto Kaku’ is targeted to woo the children, adults will also enjoy the story immensely.

The story of ‘Choto Kaku’ is a popular detective story.

Around twenty-five stories have been published already.

The plot revolves around an inquisitive boy and many mysteries.” l

4:30pm Zee Studio Mission To Mars

5:00pm Star Movies The Bourne Legacy

5:30pm Fox Movies Premium Ice Age: The Meltdown

Shamiron’s magnificent woodwork displayed n Yusuf Banna A 13 day solo woodwork exhibition of Shamiron Dutta titled “Shekorer Gaan” has been arranged by Chayakor Communications at Shilpangon gallery.

Shamiron is a self taught artist with an innate understanding of the craft.

His devotion to nature and interest in natural objects has made him a sculptor. For fourteen years, he has searched for his forte in various shapes and forms of nature and that’s how he ended up working with the roots of Mahogany and Litchi tree.

Keeping the actuality of the roots, he just assembles them in his own rhythm. Although he has first started as a sculptor doing crafty works, eventually he ended up making furniture with his own signature style. The roots, in their own pattern with the touch of Shamiron’s artistic hand become unique pieces of sculpture.

His furniture as a wood work is

elegant yet avant-garde with a posh simplicity.

This is the eighth solo show of the artist. He leads a very simple life and works when inspired only. Most of his materials are collected from various sources and recycled through his art.

He works from his home town in Shahrasti, Chandpur, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

His miniature crafty show pieces are priced from Tk 200-5000 and his furniture can be used in luxurious interior design ranging from taka 5000-200000 maximum.

The exhibition has been inaugurated by eminent architect and art critique Rabiul Hussain and the special guest was famous artist Shishir Bhattacharya. Many other known faces from the art arena such as artists, art enthusiasts, art collectors were also present at the ceremony.

This must see show for art lovers will continue till August 10. l

n

On Eid day, the drama “Eclipse” will air at 8:10pm on NTV. Written and directed by Mabrur Rashid Banna, the drama has an impressive star cast that includes Tahsan, Momo, Aporna Ghosh, Masud Ali Khan and others.

The story is about a boy named Maimun who finished his bachelor’s degree. After completion of his graduation, he stays alone in an apartment in Dhaka. He gets involved in a love affair with a girl named Lubna and it stretches for two years. Maimun could see changes in Lubna’s behavior. All of a sudden, Lubna informs Maimun that

Scary Movie 3

7:00pm Fox Movies Premium Ice Age: Continental Drift

7:30pmStar Movies Ghost Rider

9:30pm WB

Superman Returns

11:00pm Zee Studio The Waterboy

11:54pm HBO 10,000 B.C.

TALKSHOW 7:30am SA TV

Shokaler Diary

8:10am Channel Ekattor Ekattor Moncho

9:30am Channel i

Shongbaadpotre Bangladesh

12:05pm ETV Ekushey Dupur 12:30pm Channel i Taroka Kothon

5:15pm ATN News

Connecting Bangladesh

7:30pm ATN News Shat Rong

6:25pm Bangla Vision Front Line

COMEDY

Tahsan’s Eid special drama ‘Eclipse’ to air on NTV Entertainment Desk

5:50pm HBO

9:30am Star World How I Met Your Mother 11:30am FX The Simpsons

1:30pm Comedy Central Mind Your Language 3:30pm FX 8 Simple Rules 5:30pm Sony SAB Chintu Bun Gaya Gentleman 7:30pm Colors Mrs Pammi Pyarelal 8:30pm Star World

she is no longer interested in continuing their relationship.

The sudden breakup prompts Maimun into despair and he becomes depressed and starts to shed tears often.

During this time, he becomes friends with a girl named Meghna, who is a gifted novice artist and a photographer. She supports him get through the tough time after his sad break-up.

Meghna is a lively and happy go girl, she has an amazing personality and also very fun loving.

The story moves forward with a pleasant flow that portrays the friendship, love and sorrow that is eminent in a person’s life. l

Glee

10:00pm Big CBS Prime It Only Hurts When I Laugh

DRAMA 7:30pm Zee Tv Ladla

7:50pm Channel i Nurjahan

8:15pm NTV

Ogothon Gothon Potioshi

8:00pm Colors “Raja Himadri,” an interesting and popular play was staged in Kolkata international Theatre Festival 2013 at Rabindra Bharaty University of Kolkata on July 24 and Kolkata Rialto oraganised its third staging at Tapan Theatre consecutively. It was accepted gracefully by the theatre lovers of Kolkata DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sasural Simar Ki

8:30pm Sony Aadalat

9:00pm Colors

Tabu refuses to talk about marriage

Madhubala

n Entertainment Desk

One Tree Hill

Bollywood has seen a few weddings last year with Kareena Kapoor and Vidya Balan tying the knot, but ask actor Tabu if she plans to get hitched anytime soon, and she says, “Don’t ask me questions on marriage. It is getting quite old, what is the use of talking about something that did not happen”?

The 41-year-old actor, who was last seen in Ang Lee’s “Life Of Pi” (2012), isn’t part of many Bollywood

films now. Is she being selective? “My criteria (of choosing work) are different.

Earlier I just wanted to do good roles at any cost, but that is over now. I don’t feel

the need to kill myself or reduce my money just for a good role. I have done all that. So, now the project has to be big enough for me to be comfortable in,” she says. Tabu further adds on a list of demands, “They’ve to pay me well and look after me well. I have to feel that it is worth spending my time on a film. I have to take back something with me after the experience. That is the only thing I am looking at.” l

9:30pn Zee Café

Pretty Little Liars

10:30pm Star World 10:55pm ATN Bangla Scandal

11:30pm Baishakhi Tv Pathorer Kanna

NEWS 4:00pm Desh Tv

Shongbad shomoi

6:45pm RTV

Shondhar Shongbad

9:00pm Independent TV Raater 9tai Bangladesh

8:00pm BTV News

Cameron plans three sequels of ‘Avatar’ n Entertainment Desk James Cameron’s planned “Avatar” movie trilogy is becoming a quadrilogy.

Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Shane Salerno (Savages) and Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planets of the Apes) have been hired to collaborate with the director to write three follow-ups to Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi hit “Avatar,” 20th Century Fox announced recently.

The original currently stands as the USA’s all-time box-office champ with a take of $760m.

The first sequel to Avatar, which followed a space marine (Sam Worthington) going native with a race of blue alien Na’vi on the moon Pandora, will begin production next year and will film simultaneously with the two other sequels.

“Avatar 2” is due out in December 2016, with “Avatar 3” coming in December 2017 and “Avatar 4” tentatively releasing December 2018.Jim Gianopulos, head of Fox Films, said that everyone at the studio had “no higher priority, and can feel no greater joy, than enabling Jim to continue and expand his vision of the world of ‘Avatar.’”

In 2010, Cameron said that there would be two sequels that would feature “self-contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc.”

“We will not back off the throttle of ‘Avatar’s’ visual and emotional horse-power,” he said.

Last year, Sigourney Weaver said she will appear in the sequel, despite her character dying in the first installment. l

10:00pm Maasranga Primetime news

10:30pm Banglavision Shongbad

MISC 9:30am NDTV Good Times Yogasutra

11:30amTLC

Wild Weddings

1:30pm AXN

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!

3:30pm Fox Traveller Food Safari

5:30pm Nat Geo Adventure Bondi Rescue

7:3opm MTV Splitsvilla

8:30pm FTV F Men

9:30pm Big CBS Love The X Factor

Did you know?

On 18 Mar 2011 Australia’s 34 match undefeated streak at the World Cup came to an end. They had won 32, tied one and one game was a no-contest since May 27, 1999

Sport

Saturday, August 3, 2013

14 Real Madrid down Galaxy 3-1 in friendly

14 Bayern bounce back to floor Manchester City

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Captain Clarke’s masterclass keeps Australia on top

Nazmul rejects Forum’s stance n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh A team skipper, Jahurul Islam (2R) and members of the team walk back to the dressing after the team photo–session at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday.

All eyes of the cricketers will be on the home series against New Zealand in October as they departed for the tour of England today MUMIT M/DHAKA TRIBUNE

Salahuddin likely to remain Saff president n Shishir Hoque Kazi Salahuddin, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and South Asian Football Federation (Saff ) president, is likely to retain the latter post.

Salahuddin received indications to that effect from All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) president Ganesh Thapa and Saff general secretary and former Indian football federation secretary Alberto Colaco during his short visit to Nepal recently.

The BFF boss hinted about the Saff election before leaving for Nepal to attend the Saff Champion draw program, which was held on August 31. After returning from Nepal, Salahuddin said that processing of Saff election had started. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Saff will be held on September 10, as the Saff Championship is

The Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan ruled- out the existence of the District and Divisional Sports Organisers Forum, popularly known as the “Forum”. The forum had threatened to boycott all activities under the BCB if there is any interference in the nomination of councillors ahead of upcoming election but Nazmul’s comments might fire criticism in spite of the fact that his comments are to the point.

Nazmul said that the forum’s demands were not viable as per the constitution.

“I don’t recognize forum, I recognize the district only. I can only operate the way it’s written in the constitution.

I can’t just become the president of a DSA (Divisional Sports Association) because I feel that I should be, it wouldn’t be right. I don’t know how they can interfere with the Board’s process,” said Nazmul to the media yesterday at Shere-Bangala National Cricket Stadium after a photo session with the A team cricketers who are due to depart.

“There is no such thing as ‘forum’ in the constitution. The constitution has guidelines of how a councilor should come up,” he added.

Nazmul re-narrated the primary steps that the BCB ad-hoc will take after the Eid vacation. Letters will be sent to District and Divisional Sports Associations asking them to nominate their councilors and the National Sports Council will also be asked to take necessary steps to form an election commission.

Nazmul, who is a leading contender for the post of BCB president, claimed he had made no preparation for his run in the poll and reaffirmed that his job was to conduct the election. However, one of Nazmul’s close associates, BCB ad-hoc member IH Mallick told the media that the panel under the leadership of Nazmul would be made public right after the grand Iftar of another leading contender for the post of the BCB boss, Saber Hossain.

Preparing to host the ICC World Twenty20 was one of the major task of the BCB ad-hoc. Asked if the tensions associated with the election were hampering the progress of preparing for the event, Nazmul said, “We have finished nearly all the work needed to get the venues right for the ICC. It was only the venues in Sylhet and Cox’s Bazaar that faced major issues, but this is not being hampered as there isn’t much work to be done for the election, to be honest.

After we get the names of councilors, we will forward them to the NSC and the rest will be done by them.”

Before facing the press, Nazmul met the Bangladesh ‘A ‘team cricketers who will leave for England today for a threeweek tour. The 15-men second tier squad is mostly made up of talented players who have yet to break into the national squad, and with a home series against New Zealand looming, the tour will give the players a chance to impress the selectors.

Nazmul talked to the team for about 30 minutes and gave them a message of “Prove yourself and you’ll be rewarded.” l

De Kruif looking to iron out errors n Shishir Hoque

being played during September 1-11 in Nepal. It will take 10 or 12 more days to finalise the election date.

Salahuddin said that his main challenge will be to hold the Saff Club Championship, where the champions and runners-up of all Saff country’s premier leagues would take part. It is speculated that the main obstacle to holding the tournament is getting India’s approval, but Salahuddin pledged and hoped to convince India if he reelected as president. “Every problem has a solution. If India agrees, there will be no financial crisis too. Hopefully I can manage to convince India,” he said.

Salahuddin took charge of Saff four years ago on October 3, 2009. During his tenure, he has arranged Women’s Saff and U-16 Saff Championship for the first time. Salahuddin is planning to add a U-18 championship as well. l

Bangladesh coach Lodewijk de Kruif is focusing on rectifying his team’s technical and tactical mistakes rather than worrying about the result ahead of the national team’s second practice match against Thailand U-19 at the Osotspa stadium in Bangkok today.

The national booters flew to Thailand to play two practice matches earlier this week as part of their preparation for the upcoming Saff Championship, which will be held next month in Nepal. They lost the first practice match 1-2 to the Thai club Osotspa Sarabury, who finished fifth in the last Thai premier league.

“These are practice matches and I am not concerned about the result.

Rather, I am focusing on the technical and tactical and mistakes of the players. Tomorrow we will also focus on these aspects. These teams that we

are playing are mature and well organized,” said the coach.

Bangladesh will be without the services of their two key wingers - Zahid Hossain, who also missed the first match and Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan - due to injury. Both players missed

These are practice matches and I am not concerned about the result. Rather, I am focusing on the technical and tactical and mistakes of the players yesterday’s training session. However, national team physio Yamali Muhammet was not worried about the injuries and was confident that the two players would return to playing fitness soon.

Skipper Mamunul Islam Mamun returns to the squad to bolster the midfield after recovering from an injury which saw him miss the first game.

Defender Ariful Islam said that they are trying to overcome their previous blunders and have learnt from the mistakes that saw them concede two goals against Osotspa Sarabury.

“They are very organized and strong team. We played with our plan but they played with maturity to beat us.

We missed couple of chances which proved to be costly. But it is good for us that we have learnt from our mistakes and next time, we will try to overcome that,” Ariful said.

Another defender Yamin Munna thought the team’s coordination was improving as the player’s became used to working as a unit. “Our defenders played for different clubs. So the understating did not come up so easily.

But we are practicing for a month now so the bonding is building up day by day. We are trying to build up from the defence and the coaches are teaching us well,” he said. l

Fifa insists doping Shakib star as Tridents not a problem make two out of two in football In reply, Antigua’s innings was n AFP, Paris n Shafeen Majid strangled from the get go by the tight Fifa’s chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak has insisted that doping is not a significant problem in football.

While athletics has suffered some high-profile positive tests over the last two months and cycling began the year with the news that Lance Armstrong finally owned up to his spurious past, football has largely avoided any negative publicity with regards illicit drug-taking.

There was the Diego Maradona positive test from the 1994 World Cup and several Italian-based players were banned for doping in the early 2000s but football’s record on drugs is relatively good compared to certain other sports.

And according to Dvorak, that’s because there isn’t much of it happening.

“I am confident that there is no systematic doping in football,” he told FIFA’s official website on Friday. “There is no systematic doping culture in football.

I am confident of this.

“Of course there are individual cases, for sure. We do more than 30,000 sampling procedures every year and we have between 70 to 90 positive cases but these are individual cases.” l

The Barbados Tridents won their second successive game in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League by defeating the Antigua Hawksbills by 12 runs at the Kensington Oval yesterday and Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was named man-of-the-match for his bowling performance.

Tridents captain Kieron Pollard chose to bat first after winning the toss.

After opener Dwayne Smith was dismissed early, Jonathan Carter played a fluent knock and his 29-ball 31 contained three fours and two sixes to give the innings momentum.

The tide turned when Carter and Shakib were dismissed in quick succession and the middle overs proved to be onerous for the Tridents. Shoaib Malik made 33 off 30 balls but it was left to another Pakistani, Umar Akmal, to get the innings back on track with hard hitting 30 from 21 balls. With captain Pollard striking a couple of towering sixes and Ashely Nurse spectacularly hitting the last ball of the innings for another maximum, the Tridents ended with a competitive 146/8 from their 20 overs.

left arm spin off Shakib. The Bangladeshi’s opening spell of three overs contained a rare maiden, cost only 12 runs and saw him take the prize wicket of legendary batsman Ricky Ponting.

By the time the power play had ended, Antigua was on the back foot with the total at 36/2.

Barbados maintained the pressure through the middle overs with Dwayne Smith and Pollard keeping the boundaries down to a minimum as the batsmen Marlon Samuels and Charles concentrated on taking singles. With the pressure building and run rate climbing, Charles was dismissed.

The rest of the innings saw the Antiguan players try to hit out and they required 41 from the last two overs.

Kieran Powell was dismissed after hitting the first two balls of the penultimate over for fours, and Kemar Roach smashed two sixes in the last over – from which 28 was required. Barbados came out with a comfortable 12 run win, and Shakib was named man-ofthe-match for his figures of 1-16 from four overs. l

Shakib-Al-Hasan (L) of Barbados Tridents watches Antigua Hawksbills batsman Ricky Ponting (R) in the third match of the Caribbean Premier League at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday. Shakib later dismissed the former Australian captain CPLT20

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Saturday, August 3, 2013

QPR under pressure for promotion n AFP, London QPR manager Harry Redknapp admits the pressure for promotion from the Championship is more intense than ever as the Football League’s 125th season kicks off this weekend.

Redknapp is one of 24 second tier managers heading into the new campaign with the aim of clinching a golden ticket to lucrative Premier League.

But unlike many of his peers in the Championship, Redknapp is well aware he has no margin for error as his

Fixture Barnsley v Birmingham v Bournemouth v Burnley v Doncaster v Leeds v Middlesbrough v Millwall v No Forest v QPR v Reading v

Wigan Watford Charlton Bolton Blackpool Brighton Leicester Yeovil Huddersfield Sheffield Wed Ipswich

troubled west London club try to make amends for a dismal season that ended in relegation from the top-flight just three months ago.

The Hoops, who kick-off their promotion challenge at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, have been installed as pre-season promotion favourites by bookmakers impressed by the qualities of the likes of Loic Remy, Julio Cesar and Junior Hoilett.

Yet that verdict fails to take into account the behind-the-scenes chaos at Loftus Road.

Bony double sets up four-goal Swansea City n AFP, Paris

Swansea marked their return to Europe after a 22-year absence with a 4-0 drubbing of Malmo in the Europa League on Thursday with club record signing Wilfried Bony scoring twice.

Ivory Coast international Bony, signed for £12 million ($17.9 million, 13.9 million euros) from Vitesse Arnhem ensured that the second leg of the third qualifying round in Sweden next week should be a formality.

Spanish star Michu, who scored 22 goals last season, opened the scoring in the 37th minute.

Bony grabbed a quickfire secondhalf double before fellow new recruit Alejandro Pozuelo rounded off the scoring.

“It was a perfect night for us. Four goals without conceding an away goal,” said Swansea boss Michael Laudrup.

“Two goals for one of the new men up front, Michu is back scoring a goal and Pozuelo got one on his debut. No injuries? A perfect night.”

There were mixed fortunes for Scottish sides in the tournament. l

QPR lost £23 million last year after Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes sanctioned a massive spending spree by both Redknapp and his predecessor Mark Hughes that backfired when many of the big-name arrivals failed to live up to their lofty reputations.

Even taking into account the parachute payments due to clubs relegated from the Premier League, QPR can ill-afford to spend long outside the top-flight.

It would help Redknapp’s cause if he could off-load disaffected flops like Joey Barton, Adel Taarabt, Luke Young and Samba Diakite, as well as wantaway duo Remy and Cesar.

“We need to make changes and shift some players,” said Redknapp, who bolstered his squad by signing prolific striker Charlie Austin from Burnley in midweek. “We need to change the whole attitude, really, at the club, and the only way we can do that is to bring in some new players, the right type of lads who will appreciate being at QPR. “There are a few here who have got the wrong attitude and that’s the problem. If they want to move I’m happy to move any of them.”

Nostalgia is to the fore in the opening round of fixtures in the Championship and League One and Two as the Football League celebrate 125 years.

Burnley’s lunchtime kick-off against Bolton on Saturday is one of six fixtures given ‘anniversary status’ as they are both founder members of the Football League from way back in 1888.

The anniversary celebrations start on Friday when Sheffield United, whose Bramall Lane stadium is the league’s oldest ground, host Notts County, England’s oldest professional club, in League One. l

Real Madrid down Galaxy 3-1 in friendly n AFP, Phoenix

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (L) shoots the ball past LA Galaxy's Hector Jimenez during their Guinness International Champions Cup football match in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday REUTERS

Bayern bounce back to floor City n AFP, Berlin

Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Premier League side Manchester City 2-1 in the final of the European champion’s pre-season tournament on Thursday.

“We’re at a good level, but against a top team like Manchester City we had a few problems putting our chances away,” admitted Bayern star Thomas Mueller who set up the winning goal and netted a penalty.

Both teams have new managers at their respective helms as ex-Barcelona boss Guardiola experiments with his starting line-up, including Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger, who celebrated his 29th birthday.

Likewise, new City boss Manuel Pellegrini is still looking for his best lineup after succeeding Roberto Mancini.

Eight days before Munich kick-off the new Bundesliga season at home to Moenchengladbach, Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic headed home Bayern’s 73rd-minute winner.

City’s Spanish striker Alvaro Negrado

had given the guests the lead with an hour gone when he slotted his shot into the bottom left corner after France’s Sami Nasri unlocked the Bayern defence.

Champions League winners Bayern got back on level terms just five minutes later when City’s Pablo Zabaleta gave away a handball penalty after a tussle with Mandzukic and Mueller slotted home the resulting spot-kick.

Mandzukic, who scored Bayern’s first goal in the 2-1 Wembley victory over Borussia Dortmund to give them their fifth European crown, then got on the end of Mueller’s cross to drill home the winner as Guardiola’s side bounced back from Saturday’s 4-2 defeat to Dortmund in the German Super Cup. Bayern’s Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came to the hosts rescue a minute from the final whistle when he denied City striker Edin Dzeko with a superb save.

On Wednesday, Bayern had qualified for the final with a 2-0 win over Brazil’s Sao Paolo, while City had one through after a 5-3 win over AC Milan in an eight-goal thriller. l

(L-R front row) Bayern Munich's midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, defender David Alaba and midfielder Mitchell Weiser await the awarding ceremony of the Audi Cup after the football match against Manchester City in Munich on Thursday AFP

French striker Karim Benzema scored twice in the second half and Real Madrid coasted past the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 Thursday in the International Champions Cup friendly tournament.

Angel Di Maria also scored for Real, his 15th-minute goal putting the Spanish giants on the path to a fourth win in as many years over the two-time defending Major League Soccer champions.

With the win, Real booked a clash with English Premiership club Everton in the winners’ bracket of the tournament on Saturday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

On the undercard at the home of baseball’s Dodgers, the Galaxy — who had a spectacular goal from Jose Villarreal — will take on Italian side Juventus in the consolation bracket.

The tournament, which also features Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Valencia concludes in Miami on August 7.

Real Madrid took charge from the start, and the Galaxy couldn’t match their speed and skill.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit the crossbar with a header in the sixth minute, and less than two minutes later Denis Cheryshev’s shot was saved by Galaxy keeper.

Real Madrid went ahead in the 15th when Francisco Alcaron launched a ball from deep in his own half and found Ronaldo, who eluded three defenders to deliver it to Di Maria who slotted it past Rowe.

Although he continued to test the Galaxy keeper, Ronaldo didn’t score. He departed in the flurry of halftime substitutions that brought on Benzema, who scored just six minutes after coming on.

Los Angeles were without Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez, who played on Wednesday in the MLS AllStar Game against Italian club Roma, and without injured Robbie Keane.

They managed to pull back a goal in the 63rd minute when Villarreal settled an attempted clearance from Madrid’s penalty area, turned and fired a curling left-footed shot inside the right post. l

Chelsea top Inter in friendly tournament n AFP, Indianapolis Chelsea passed their toughest test since Jose Mourinho returned as manager, posting a 2-0 friendly win Thursday over Inter Milan, the team Mourhinho guided to the 2010 Champions League crown.

Mourinho, who managed Chelsea from 2004-07, returned to Chelsea in June after managing Spain’s Real Madrid the past two seasons.

The victory, courtesy of goals from Oscar and Eden Hazard in the first halfhour, saw Chelsea book a meeting with

AC Milan on Sunday in New York in the International Champions Cup friendly tournament.

The event, which also features Everton, Juventus, Real Madrid, Valencia and the Los Angeles Galaxy, concludes in Miami on August 7.

Chelsea had comfortably won all three of their matches in a tour of Asia before arriving Stateside, but it was Inter who had the first real chance on Thursday when Fredy Guarin unleashed a volley on goal after 10 minutes only to see it sail just wide of the post.

However, the crowd of 41,983 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, didn’t have to wait long for the first goal.

Chelsea took the lead in the 12th minute as Nigeria’s Victor Moses broke through to the edge of the penalty area and passed to Oscar, who curled a superb shot past Samir Handanovic and into the upper corner of the net.

Rodrigo Palacio tried to level things with a long-range shot deflected off John Terry, forcing Petr Cech to make a one-handed grab. l

Bayern’s Can signs four-year Leverkusen deal n AFP, Berlin

Germany Under-21 midfielder Emre Can has left European champions Bayern Munich to sign a four-year deal with Bayer Leverkusen, both clubs confirmed on Friday.

With ten full international midfielders at Bayern, the 19-year-old Can was not guaranteed regular first-team football under Munich’s new coach Pep Guardiola and so joins Leverkusen who have qualified directly for next season’s Champions League.

Bayern have an option to buy back Can at the end of his contract.

“Emre Can is one of the biggest talents in German football,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“With this step, we want to make sure he gets enough playing practise, for example like Toni Kroos had at Leverkusen, Philipp Lahm at Stuttgart or David Alaba at Hoffenheim.”

The trio mentioned all spent only a season away from Bayern, while the length of Can’s contract implies he will have an extended stay at the Werkself, who finished third in last season’s Bundesliga. Having made his Bundesliga debut in April, Can spent most of last season playing in Bayern’s reserves, so is relishing the prospect of playing Champions League football.

“Bayer Leverkusen is one of the top teams in the Bundesliga and in addition, they will play in the Champions League, so I want to make my contribution to their success next season,” said Can. He is their eighth new signing with Leverkusen having recruited the likes of South Korea striker Heung Min Son from Hamburg and Australia’s Robbie Kruse from Duesseldorf.l

A general view of atmosphere during the New York Cosmos Legends Gala at Gotham Hall on Thursday in New York City AFP

Cosmos’ emotional return sets off NY football war n AFP, New York The legendary New York Cosmos return to competitive action for the first time in nearly three decades on Saturday, throwing down the gauntlet in a new American soccer war.

The side that set the soccer world alight when it boasted the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Neeskens is making a more humble bid to get back into the sporting limelight now.

A Cosmos team featuring World Cup heros Pele and Beckenbauer once drew 77,691 people -- a record for a North American club game -- to a 1977 playoff clash against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. In a twist of fate, the Strikers will again be the opponents Saturday and Pele is in town and says he feels “emotional” about the Cosmos’ return.

But this time a crowd of 10,000 at the Hofstra University stadium in the New

York suburbs will be considered a good start by Seamus O’Brien who is masterminding the Cosmos’ rise from the ashes.

The Cosmos chairman was founder of Singapore-based World Sports Group, a major sports promotion firm behind football, golf and cricket events across Asia.

O’Brien admitted he broke his own rules when he agreed in 2011 to pick up the Cosmos challenge.

“I have always said that if anybody ever hears that I am going to buy a sports team, take me outside, whip me, beat me, threaten to shoot me, bring me back in and say: ‘do you want to think about that again,’” he told AFP. The Cosmos had been defunct since 1984 when the old North American Soccer League collapsed. It has been at the centre of a series of financial soap opera bids to get the team running again. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Outstanding Clarke keeps Aussies on top

Quick Bytes

Sagor breaks personal best Bangladeshi swimmer Mahfizur Rahman Sagor kept his promise and produced his best ever time in the 50 meter freestyle event of the World Swimming Championship in Barcelona, Spain yesterday, but Sagor’s 24.39 seconds time saw him finish 59th out of a field of 105. Sagor’s previous best had been 24.41 seconds, which he managed at the 8th Bangladesh Games in April earlier in the year. That performance was a national record and won him the gold medal. Earlier, another Bangladeshi, Anik Islam finished 61st in the 50 meter butterfly event. The third Bangladeshi at the competition, Mahfuza Akter Shila, will participate in the women’s 50 meter breastroke today. Shila’s best time in the event is 35.43 seconds, which she achieved at the last South Asia Games.

– SH

n AFP, Manchester

Bradman bat up for auction A cricket bat used by Australian great Donald Bradman and signed by his 1948 “Invincible” team is expected to fetch up to Aus$20,000 (US$17,900) at auction this month, an auctioneer said Friday. Charles Leski, whose company is selling the item, said Bradman used the Sykes bat to score 115 in his final first-class innings at home before the team travelled to England in 1948. The Invincibles went on to become — and remain — the only Australian side to go through an entire Ashes tour unbeaten. The item, which spent 20 years on display at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) from 1984, will be auctioned on August 15 in Melbourne. “Few items of cricketing memorabilia overshadow those belonging to Sir Donald Bradman,” Leski said.

– AFP

Pacquiao says he can fight up to three more years

Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said Friday that he can fight for another three years despite two successive losses, brushing aside calls for him to retire and focus on his political career. He told journalists at a promotional event in Singapore, for his November 24 bout in Macau with American Brandon Rios, that his Mexican arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez just got lucky when they fought in December last year. “It’s part of boxing, sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, and I think he just got the lucky chance, the lucky shot in that fight,” said Pacquiao, who crumpled to the canvas after a crushing right from Marquez in the sixth round. Asked how much longer he sees himself in the ring, the 34-year-old, now serving a second term as a Philippine congressman, vowed that “as long as I can still fight, I am going to fight”.

– AFP

Radwanska sisters reach Carlsbad quarter-finals

Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska set up a quarter-final clash with former US Open champion Samanth Stosur at the WTA Southern California Open Thursday with a straight-sets win over Daniela Hantuchova. Poland’s Radwanska, the 2010 runner-up and 2011 champion on the hardcourts of Carlsbad, defeated Hantuchova 6-3, 6-3, her sixth victory over the Slovakian in eight career meetings.

She was joined in the quarter-finals of the $795,707 US Open tuneup event by younger sister Urszula, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 winner over sixth-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic. Urszula Radwanska’s victory was just one of the upsets of the day, with French wild card Virginie Razzano ousting eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-1, 6-4. Razzano next faces third-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova, a former Wimbledon champion.

– AFP

Day’s Watch Ten Sports 1:00pm India Tour of Zimbabwe 2013 5th ODI LIVE Star Cricket 4:00pm The Ashes 2013 Test 3 Day 3 LIVE ESPN 7:30pm Ricoh Women’s British Open 2013 Day 2 LIVE Sony Six 6.00am (Sunday) CPL T20 LIVE Barbados Tridents v T&T Red Steel

15

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Australia's Michael Clarke leaves the field after being bowled by England's Stuart Broad for 187 runs during the second day of the third Ashes Test match at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England yesterday AFP

Franklin’s tough test for fifth worlds gold n AFP, Barcelona Missy Franklin faces a tough fight for a fifth worlds gold in Friday’s 100m freestyle final with Australia’s Cate Campbell and Swedish teenager Sarah Sjostrom leading the charge.

Campbell dubbed US teen star Franklin swimming’s “Wonder Woman” on Thursday after the 18-year-old picked up her fourth of a possible seven gold medals at Barcelona’s world championships in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Franklin, fifth fastest into the final, battles a strong field in the Palau Sant Jordi pool with Sjostrom, who won gold on Monday in the 100m butterfly, fastest into the freestyle final in 52.87secs with Campbell just behind her.

Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Germany’s Britta Steffen, the world-record holder, are also vying for medals.

“I’m not expecting anything, it is a really tough field. I’d just love to get another best time,” said Franklin.

The teenager has a punishing eve-

Aussie media and PM fume at DRS decision n AFP, Sydney

ning schedule with the 200m backstroke semi-finals, for which she qualified fastest, coming a quarter of an hour after the freestyle final.

“It will be my toughest turnaround, but at least the 200m back is one of my favourite events,” said Franklin, with the USA men the favourites for the 4x200m freestyle final after qualifying fastest.

Having broken the women’s 200m breaststroke world record in Thursday’s semi-finals, Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen goes into Friday’s final with Russia’s Olympic silver medallist Yuliya Efimova as her main rival. l

Australia captain Michael Clarke made 187, his highest Test score against England, as the tourists maintained their grip on the third Ashes match at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground on Friday.

At tea on the second day, Australia, who won the toss, were 507 for seven in a match they had to win to stand any chance of regaining the Ashes after falling 2-0 behind in the five-match series.

Brad Haddin, dropped on 10, was 57 not out and Mitchell Starc 54 not out as Australia continued to pile on the runs even after Clarke was out.

Australia came into this match on the back of six straight Test defeats -- their worst run of results since 1984.

Clarke, rather like Allan Border at the start of the Australia great’s captaincy career in the mid-1980s, has spent much of his time in charge knowing that if he doesn’t make a major score, few of his top-order colleagues are likely to do just that.

Yet this was his 10th century in 27 Tests as captain, with his average as skipper of 65.15 well above his career mark of 52.52.

England’s attack was led by Graeme Swann, the off-spinner’s figures of five for 149 in 41 overs representing the 17th time in 55 Tests he’d taken five or more wickets in an innings.

Meanwhile, paceman Stuart Broad took his 200th Test wicket as England finally saw the back of Clarke.

But perhaps the most remarkable figures of all belonged to England spearhead James Anderson, still wicketless on his Lancashire home ground, with a return of nought for 116 in 33 overs.

Australia resumed on yet another sunny day well-placed on 303 for three with Clarke 125 not out, after scoring the

tourists’ first century of the series, and Steven Smith 70 not out.

Clarke, on 136, drove uppishly off Tim Bresnan only for Swann, very close in at short extra-cover, to parry the fasttravelling chance above his head.

A single then saw Clarke surpass his previous highest Test score against England of 136 at Lord’s in 2009.

But a stand eventually worth 214 ended when Smith top-edged a slog off Swann’s sixth ball Friday and holed out on 89 to Jonny Bairstow at midwicket, leaving Australia 343 for four.

Smith batted nearly five hours and faced 196 balls with eight fours.

His departure brought in left-hander David Warner, booed by large sections of the capacity crowd having missed the first two Tests of this series after being banned for punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in June.

But there was applause when Clarke struck three fours in as many balls off Bresnan. The first, a late cut, saw him to 150. The next was commandingly driven on the up and through mid-on before Clarke dispatched Bresnan through extra-cover. Warner, however, fell for five when an edge off Swann deflected via wicketkeeper Matt Prior’s thigh to Jonathan Trott at slip.

Despite the clear nick, Warner reviewed the decision but, with replays leaving no room for doubt, he walked off to yet more jeers.

Haddin was then reprieved when he under-edged a pull off Anderson only for opposing keeper Prior to drop the left-handed chance.

Clarke’s more than seven-hour innings eventually ended when, cramped for room, he tried to steer Broad down to third man only to play on.

In total, he faced 314 balls with 23 fours. l

Australia’s press on Friday acclaimed Michael Clarke’s captain’s knock in the third Ashes Test but raged at a controversial umpiring decision that even Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called “one of the worst” he had seen.

Skipper Clarke led from the front with an unbeaten century on the opening day of the Test where yet more Decision Review System (DRS) controversy dogged the series with England.

Clarke’s 125 not out, the first hundred by an Australian this series, helped the tourists to 303 for three at Thursday’s close in a match his side, 2-0 down with three to play, must win to have any hope of regaining the Ashes.

Australia’s newspapers praised Clarke’s much-awaited ton as his team enjoyed their best day of the Ashes after a humiliating 347-run defeat in the second Lord’s Test.

“Somewhere if any Australian bats-

man was going to score a century in this Ashes series it was always going to be the captain, Michael Clarke,” The Australian’s Wayne Smith wrote.

The Daily Telegraph’s Malcolm Conn said Clarke was now in the same position as Allan Border almost 30 years ago when he was forced to single-handedly carry a struggling Australian side until the next generation came through.

“Such a challenge highlights the substance of the individual,” Conn said.

“Border was always a fighter. Those who mistook Clarke as more style than substance are now aware that he is one too.”

But the media came down hard on yet another DRS controversy which some said may have “compromised” batsman Usman Khawaja’s struggling Test career.

Khawaja was given out by on-field umpire Tony Hill for just one having been adjudged to have edged spinner Graeme Swann to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. Hill’s decision was endorsed by third video official Kumar Dharmasena despite

evidence which appeared to suggest it should have instead been reversed.

Rudd said he was outraged and on social media fans vented their anger with an early count that Khawaja was mentioned 4,955 times on Twitter, a huge jump from 126 an hour earlier.

“I’ve just sat down to watch the Test,” tweeted Rudd. “That was one of the worst cricket umpiring decisions I have ever seen.”

The Australian’s cricket columnist Gideon Haigh said the DRS “had another of those days when it looks like your grandma trying to make a call on a smartphone and accidentally downloading a snuff movie.”

Haigh went on: “Khawaja, a young man fighting for his career, was a victim; Steve Smith, ditto, was a beneficiary. Australia came out ahead, but the game overall was the loser, for cricket’s continuing officiation crisis overshadowed a stoic, battling hundred from Michael Clarke.” l

Pakistan to play series with Sri Lanka in UAE

Duminy rescues South Africa against Sri Lanka

Pakistan announced Friday it will play a full series of three Tests, five onedayers and two Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates starting in December.

Since an attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009, Pakistan has been forced to play all top-level home international matches at neutral venues with insecurity too great for foreign teams to tour.

Sri Lanka will open the tour with two Twenty20s in Dubai on December 11 and 13 before playing five one-dayers between December 18 and 27, two in Sharjah on December 18 and 22; two in Abu Dhabi on December 25 and 27; and one in Dubai on December 20.

The three Tests will be played in Dubai from December 31-January 4, in Abu Dhabi from January 8-12 and Sharjah from January 16-20.

Pakistan is also likely to play a Twenty20 against Afghanistan on December 8, which would be the first between the two teams. Final confirmation of the match is due in a few days.l

JP Duminy hit 51 off 52 balls as spin-wary South Africa recovered from a poor start to post 115-6 in the first Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.

David Miller chipped in with 25 during a fifth-wicket stand of 56 with Duminy after the Proteas, electing to bat at the Premadasa Stadium, were reduced to 50-4 in the 11th over. The tourists are looking to make amends in the three-match Twenty20 series after being trounced 1-4 in the preceding one-dayers.

Off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake, who shared the new ball with Lasith Malinga, struck in each of his first three overs to reduce South Africa to 23-3 by the sixth over. Senanayake claimed both openers, Quinton de Kock and Henry Davids, leg-before, and then bowled South Africa’s Twenty20 skipper Faf du Plessis for eight.

Star batsman AB de Villiers looked good while making 15 when he skied Angelo Mathews to the cover region when Kusal Perera rushed in from the deep to take a good catch. l

n AFP, Karachi

n AFP, Colombo

Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara (L) and Angelo Mathews (R) celebrate the dismissal of South African batsman Quinton de Kock during the first Twenty20 match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday AFP

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Dhaka Zoo ready for Eid Special preparations by authorities to welcome 100,000 visitors

n Moniruzzman Uzzal The Dhaka Zoo authorities are taking special preparations to receive visitors during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

The zoo is expecting to receive about 70,000-100,000 visitors every day on the Eid day and the next four-five days.

Curator Dr. Enayet Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that about 10,000-15,000 people visit the zoo every day. The number of visitors increases by 20,000 or more on weekends and other government holidays.

“During the Eid week the number of visitors usually increases to 100,000,” he said.

“We want our visitors to have a pleasurable and safe visit to the zoo. They can watch about 1,500 different kinds of animals and birds here,” he added.

The entry fee for the zoo will be Tk20. The fee was Tk10 in the last financial year.

Deputy Curator Dr. Maksud hossain Howlader told the Dhaka Tribune that a five-day clean-up programme throughout the zoo will start from tomorrow.

The zoo authorities will provide fresh drinking water for the visitors by installing five large water tanks at

six different spots around the zoo. The capacity of each tank will be 1,000 litres.

A 54-member security force has been formed, including 20 Ansar members, to ensure the safety of the visitors. The team will be headed by Large Animals Section Officer Shamim Hossain.

5-day clean-up programme to start from tomorrow 54-member security squad formed to ensure security Supply of fresh water for thirsty visitors Special vitamin and minerals to keep the animals energetic They will guard six different spots: outdoor parking, control room area, the lion cages, the area between the birds section and the animal museum, the elephant house, the animal nutrition area and the hippo area.

A control room will be opened to give all kinds of information to visitors.

Special vitamin and minerals will be added in the food of tigers, lions and other animals to keep them energetic and healthy so that the animals can be stress-free.

All the shopkeepers inside and outside of the zoo have been directed not to harass visitors or sell food items at high price. The authorities will not allow hawkers inside the zoo.

A visitor made complaint about the availability of toilets in the zoo. It has been learnt that there are only three toilets for the visitors which will create a problem during Eid. Dhaka Zoo, the largest zoo in Bangladesh, was established in 1974 on a 186 acre land. It is operated by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

There are 1500 animals and birds of 121 species including elephants, cheetahs, rhinos, zebras, waterbucks, otters, hyenas, deer, giraffes, impala, black bears, tapirs, hippos, lions, monkeys, chimpanzees, baboons, peacocks, rheas, African grey parrots, cassowaries, owls, ostriches, emus, teals, finches, babblers, eagles, vultures, snakes and crocodiles. The aquarium at the museum has 797 preserved specimens of 23 species of fish.

While visiting Dhaka Zoo yesterday our correspondent found that the clean-up programme had already started and additional counters were under construction at the gate for the smooth sale of tickets during Eid. l

Saturday, August 3, 2013

VISUALLY IMPAIRED HABIBUR’S SCHOOL

Where life is dedicated to turn dreams into reality n Tribune Report A visually impaired man who has gone through endless psychological agony since childhood now turns into a beacon of hope by dedicating his life to making the dreams of other visually impaired people come true.

Habibur Rahman, 30, blind since birth, had a dream to do something praiseworthy, something good for others. He established a school for visually challenged students in his village Shajiura under Madanpur union of sadar upazila in Netrakona.

After completing HSC in 1999, Habib started encouraging visually impaired students to join his school.

However, after a short time his students started dropping out due to a lack of infrastructure.

Nevertheless, obstacles failed to stop Habib. He started a new journey, and this time with more enthusiasm to turn his dream into reality.

He rented a room for Tk1,000 a month in Monang Board Bazar area and started gathering students.

The school named Palli Drishtiheen Unnayan Sangstha started again in 2011

Habib and his wife with visually impaired children at their school with 12 children.

Habib and his wife have been teaching at the school, but the school now suffers financially, according to Banglanews24.com.

Habib’s wife prepares food for the students as the couple do not have enough money to pay a cook Habib said: “I need Tk70,000 to 80,000 per month to provide food, clothes and books in Braille.”

It was becoming difficult for him to run the school as they did not get any assistance from the government, he added.

The deputy commissioner donated rice for the students, but the help was not enough to sustain for a long time.

Habib sought help from the government and NGOs for his school, which has been helping visually impaired people fulfil their dream of living a worthy life. l

Two workers killed in separate incidents n Tribune Report

Traffic police seize motorbikes illegally parked in front of a shopping mall on Panthapath in the capital yesterday

RAJIB DHAR/DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two garment workers were killed in separate incidents in the capital’s Kadamtali and Demra areas yesterday, while muggers stabbed a fabric trader in Shyampur and stole Tk250,000 off him.

The body of garment worker Md Rana, 35, was found hanging at his Muradpur residence around 4pm, while another garment worker, Md Sabuj, 15, was stabbed to death near Signboard area in the morning.

Fabric trader, Shahidul Islam, 50, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) with severe injuries.

Police said when informed by local residents, they went to the house and found Rana’s body, his hands and legs tied with ropes, hanging from the ceiling.

“He might have been strangled to death after his hands and legs were tied by the killers, who then hanged the body,” said Sub-Inspector (SI) Md Shaheen of Kadamtali police station.

Rana, who was from Chandpur district, had been living there with his eight year-old son, Limon. His wife, also a garment worker, lives nearby separately because of a family feud.

Limon said police that some friends of his father’s had come to the house around 1am yesterday.

SI Shaheen said: “He (Limon) heard angry words between his father and

those people, and they also beat up his father. But Limon could not elaborate further.”

In another incident, Sabuj was stabbed by muggers around 7:30am as

Locals found him lying with stab injuries and took him to a clinic. When we came to know of it, we took him to DMCH where doctors announced him dead at 9am he was going home after a night shift.

The victim’s brother Shafiur Rahman said the criminals stole cash and a mobile phone that were on Sabuj.

“Locals found him lying with stab injuries and took him to a clinic. When we came to know of it, we took him to DMCH where doctors announced him dead at 9am,” said Shafiur.

Meanwhile, Shahidul Islam was indiscriminately stabbed by unidentified criminals around 1am near the Lal Mosque in Shyampur, when he was going home to Badda, from Pagla in Narayanganj.

His brother Abdur Rouf said muggers stole Tk250,000 and left his brother lying on the road. He was taken to a local clinic but when his condition deteriorated, Shahidul was shifted to DMCH around 4pm.

Stabbed in the abdomen, Shahidul’s condition was said to be critical. l

Call for probe into violence in CHT

Route mapping needed to avert man-elephant conflict in Chittagong Hill Tracts

n Tribune Desk

n Tribune Desk

Local and international rights groups are questioning whether state security forces are effectively controlling violence in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region after a bloody month, and say renewed violence is a real threat there, reported IRIN, media wing of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“The role the security agencies have played in controlling the violence is questionable. A thorough investigation needs to take place to determine if security forces have failed in their duty to protect civilian lives,” Madhu Malhotra, a researcher of Bangladesh’s indigenous groups at Amnesty International, said.

The Dhaka Tribune last month reported that In July alone at least eight indigenous leaders were killed.

While there have been historical clashes between Bengali settlers, and the region’s more than one dozen indigenous groups, there has been increased infighting among indigenous communities in recent months.

However, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, while visiting the region recently, rejected allegations that security forces have failed to protect the people.

“There is no crisis in CHT, but differences of opinions over land and land law. The government is working to re-

solve the differences and to protect everyone’s rights,” he said.

He also assured Bangalee settlers that they would not be evacuated from the area even if the land law is amended.

A 20-year armed struggle ended with the signing of the 1997 CHT Accord, which recognised CHT as a “tribal inhabited” region, its traditional governance system and the role of its chiefs, as well as provided building blocks for indigenous autonomy.

In a January 2013 report, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) noted some 400 temporary military and paramilitary camps remain in CHT despite pledges to remove them.

And while a land commission to handle disputes has been created, it remains inactive.

“There is frustration among the indigenous people...This frustration leads to instability in the region,” Mesbah Kamal, secretary-general of the National Coalition for Indigenous People based in Dhaka, said.

Gowher Rizvi, an adviser to the prime minister, has said the government is working to implement the CHT accord, with “full implementation” in a few months.

Kamal said the region’s intractable disputes centre on indigenous groups’ lack of land tenure and their recognition in the constitution as small “ethnic” rather than indigenous groups. l

A comprehensive mapping of elephant routes and corridors is essential to carry out development works in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) averting man-elephant conflicts in elephant ranges, say experts.

“Elephants follow specific corridors in their movement from generation-to-generation. As the government has been carrying out development works in the CHT, man-elephant conflict is on the rise,” Prof M Anwarul Islam, the chief executive of Wildteam, told UNB. If a mapping of elephant routes and corridors could be done, he said, elephant management areas, their corridors and habitats will be identified.

“After the mapping, we’ll be able to know about the ecological requirements of elephants and their home ranges. And then a proper conservation plan could be prepared to protect them,” Prof Anwarul said.

Dr Tapan Kumar Dey, a forest conservator, said man-elephant conflict is a common phenomenon in hilly areas, but if the elephant corridors could be chalked out, human-elephant conflict and crop damage will come down in the areas and elephants will be able to easily move from one place to another through their corridors.

He said there are a number of unidentified elephant corridors in the country. “A mapping is needed to iden-

tify the elephant corridors to avert man-elephant conflicts.”

Mohammad Abdul Motaleb, an official at IUCN Bangladesh, told UNB that the government has already undertaken an initiative to set up a rail line from Dulahazra to Gundum, aiming to ensure rail connectivity with eastern Asian countries.

“But there’re a number of elephant corridors in Dulahazra-Gundum (Cox’ s Bazar) area. If the mapping of elephant corridors is not sorted out before setting up the rail tracks, the elephants will lose their corridors, triggering man-elephant conflicts in the region,” he said.

Motaleb said there should be a rail overpasses from Dulahazra to Gundum so that the elephant can peacefully move on their corridors.

In Bangladesh, the highest number of elephants is found in the Chittagong Hill Tracts apart from some in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar Forest Divisions, and Mymensingh and Sylhet areas.

Due to fragmentation of habitats, elephant ranges in Bangladesh have become confined to small patches occupied by a single or few small herds.

Some corridors have been totally abandoned due to degradation of forest cover, extension of human settlements, intensification of agricultural practice, unsustainable slush and burn practice, unplanned road construction and establishment of monoculture forests.

Motaleb said conflicts between hu-

mans and elephants have become a major concern for conservationists during the last two decades.

Bangladesh is a small country of about 14.8 million hectares of land of which 2.53 million hectares (17.49 percent) is under forest cover.

This includes 0.27 million hectares of homestead forests and 2.26 million hectares of state-owned forest reserves and protected areas, he said.

“As a result, elephants and farmers, along with poor people, have become incompatible neighbours in many parts of the elephant ranges in Bangladesh.”

Motaleb said elephant and human cannot live together without conflicts where agriculture is the dominant form of land use. So, human-elephant conflict occurs in a brutal form and the situation sometimes gets so much intolerable and elephants die due to conflicts.

He said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Bangladesh has already initiated a project, ‘Status Survey and Development of Elephant Action Plan for Bangladesh’, aiming to conduct an elephant survey, formulating an action plan in elephant conservation and mapping the elephant corridors.

Under the current initiative, the mapping will be carried out for all the elephant ranges of Bangladesh by giving emphasis on the Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Khagrachhari districts.

The specific objectives of the initiative include identifying the present status (population and distribution) of Asian elephants in Bangladesh, preparing maps of Asian elephant habitats, routes, corridors and human-elephant conflict areas, identifying location, causes and frequency of human-elephant conflict and preparing a longterm action plan for the conservation of Asian elephant.

On completion of the two-year project initiated in June 2013, Motaleb said the government can conduct development works in the elephant ranges (CHT region) following the maps of elephant corridors, which will help avert human-elephant conflict in the country.

Meanwhile, Indian Border Security Force (BSP) sent a proposal on elephant corridors to the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. The proposed ‘elephant corridors’ aimed at reducing man-animal conflict along Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya are awaiting clearance and sanction from the Indian Home Ministry.

The BSF proposed five such corridors, all in the Garo Hills region, in collaboration with the state’s forest department which kept track of elephant movements to and from Bangladesh from Balpakram National Park in South Garo Hills district, Meghalaya Frontier BSF Inspector General Sudesh Kumar recently told reporters in Meghalaya. l

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