07 June, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Jyoishtha 24, 1423, Shaban 30, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 45

A quiet exodus

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T H E N E W S YO U WA N T, N O M O R E N O L E S S

RAMADAN

A food crisis in the CHT is driving migration to Myanmar, the Dhaka Tribune’s Nure Alam Durjoy reports Jhum peoples in the hinterland of Bandarban district’s Thanchi upazila are abandoning their ancestral homesteads and going east in search of deliverance from starvation and debt. The Jhum peoples of Thanchi upazila have been migrating to Myanmar since 2013, driven by harsh financial conditions, poor harvests and official neglect. News of the food crisis in the south-eastern highlands, and the government’s deployment of helicopters laden with food grains, has been picked up by news agencies. What has been missed is the exodus that the Dhaka Tribune witnessed first-hand in Thanchi’s remotest villages.

The hinterland A Jhum farming family in Thanchi upazila plants for the coming harvest NURE ALAM DURJOY

To get to the hinterland of the Chittagong Hill Tracts district of Bandar-

ban, land transportation must be abandoned in Thanchi and exchanged for rivercraft. Several measures of rice are bought to ensure that the beleaguered residents of Loyakre Para village in Remakree union are not burdened by another mouth to feed. Loyakre Para is three days away from Thanchi Bazar on the Sangu River by boat. The Sangu River, locally called the Shankha, is the only means of communication for residents of the area. Thanchi, located in south-eastern Bangladesh, borders Myanmar. It has three unions: Bolipara, Tindu and Remakree. Remakree, on the Myanmar border, is the remotest of the three. Tourists are not allowed beyond Remakree Bazar, a day away by boat from Thanchi.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

SEHRI & IFTAR Ramadan 01 02 03

June 07 08 09

Sehri 3:38 3:38

Iftar 6:48 6:48 6:49

Source: Islamic Foundation

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

SP WIFE MURDER

Killers' bike found; four held, then released Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong Police has detained four people suspected to be connected with the brutal murder of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, wife of Superintendent of Police Babul Akter. However, the detainees were released yesterday evening as no proof of their involvement with the murder was found during interrogation. Police have also recovered the motorcycle that Mitu's killers used to escape after attacking her, found abandoned in Chittagong's Panchlaish area. Police are also looking for a black microbus which was seen fleeing the crime scene following the killers on the motorcycle in a CCTV footage. Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Md Iqbal Bahar disclosed this information while speaking to reporters at his office in the CMP headquarters yes-

terday. Mitu's husband Babul Akhter has filed a murder case with Panchlaish police station against the three still unidentified assailants who were seen attacking Mitu in the CCTV footage as well as all others who are involved with the murder, he added. “Police took four people into custody for interrogation on suspicion of their involvement in the [Mitu] murder,” he said in his office. But later in the evening yesterday, they were released as police did not find any evidence of their involvement with the case, the CMP chief told the Dhaka Tribune. Earlier at his office, Iqbal said the motorcycle had been found abandoned with a helmet in Boro Garage area of Badurtala, Panchlaish around 2am yesterday. “Looking at the CCTV footages, we are almost certain that this is the motorcycle that Mitu's killers used.” He said police suspected the motorcycle could be stolen. “Po-

lice were working to find its owner and verifying all its documents that was found with it.” Responding to a question, Iqbal said Badurtala is known as an area dominated by Jamaat and its student wing Shibir. He said the detainees, who are members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, used to be Shibir activists. Police are also looking for a black microbus that was seen leaving the crime scene in a hurry right after the killers escaped on the motorcycle in a CCTV footage collected from the area. According to the time stamp in the footage, the killers started the motorcycle at 6:33:27am after killing Mitu, and the microbus was seen rushing after the motorcycle at 6:33:33am. “If it was a militant attack, the microbus was probably there as a back up for the killers,” the CMP chief said. He said the killers did their best

to hide their identities, but police are using top technology to identify them. The CMP chief also refuted allegations of insufficient security for Babul's family. “Two police constables have been assigned to Babul's family as their security detail. On the day of the incident, Mitu merely wanted to take her son to his school bus, so they did not accompany her.” Nevertheless, all possibilities will be considered, the CMP commissioner reiterated. Police officials said the footages collected from the CCTV cameras at the Kali Temple located nearly 300 yards from Babul's residence had no recording until 9am on Sunday, which is highly suspicious. “The temple has two CCTV cameras; none of them has any footages, which is strange because the killers went past the temple when they fled the crime scene,” said an assistant commissioner of CMP, requesting anonymity. Earlier, experts from the Crim-

inal Investigation Department collected DNA sample from the recovered motorbike at the Detective Branch office in Chittagong. CID Inspector Mitosree Barua, who searched the motorcycle for evidence, said they had found hair in the helmet which has been sent for a DNA test. The case will soon be handed over to the Detective Branch of police, CMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operation) Debdas Bhattacharia said.

crisis of food, the [upazila] chairman and members tell us about it and we take action. There is no food crisis.” There is an undeniable shortage of food in this area. This was made evident to the Dhaka Tribune correspondent when his supply of rice ran out. His kind hosts shared their meagre ration of wild potatoes, but supplies were very short. “If any of them went to Myanmar, we will investigate the matter,” the UNO said with more confidence than when explaining the food situation.

“But how long can we wait for government help? No union parishad chairman or member visits us.” Loyakre residents said those who left were given housing, food and work opportunities in Myanmar allegedly under a project financed by the Chinese. From the Mro community’s Blu Para, six families left Bangladesh in 2014 to escape starvation. Earlier, residents of Malungia, Blu and Loyakre Paras left in 2013. Eleven households left Malungia in 2014 and two more left this year. Aung Toha Tripura of Katangza Para in Mrong Gong Para has witnessed the exodus of the Thanchi highlanders and the steady depopulation of the surrounding hills. His observations seem ominously prophetic: “I remember that they wept bitterly when they left home for Myanmar in search of food. “But there will be no one left to hear us weep.” From Taimong Para, 12 households have migrated, five of them last year. “Many will go to Myanmar. We have heard that there are opportunities there. We need work, homes and food. We want to live,” Aung Toha said. Residents said they felt abandoned by the government. “We vote for chairmen and members, but nothing happens,” one resident said. Mong Kya Hla of Boro Madak Bazar had a rice business in Bangladesh before he made the crossing

into Myanmar last year. On the other side, he said he found a Bangladeshi Mro community of about 50 households residing in Natalang Para in the Myanmar army’s One Aung Zone. These Mros had left Bangladesh in 2014. In 2014, at least 23 households left Boro Madak Para for Myanmar. Then last year, a further five households joined their brethren across the border. Mong Kya Hla also found Khumi and Marma communities from Bangladesh on the Myanmar side of the border. He said all of them had migrated to escape starvation. This year, Hmui Swe Thue Marma, newly elected chairman of Remakree Union, has managed to staunch the tide of migrants from Boro Madak Para, assuring them that things would improve. He told the Dhaka Tribune: “They do not go because of a food crisis. They go because of their lust. “The Myanmar Army gives them houses, cows and 2 acres of land to cultivate and food stocks every month. I do not know why they do this.” But Mong Kya Hla said he saw the migrants in Myanmar living in relative security and happiness. “They do not have permanent residence. But they are happy there because they have been given shelter, work and food.” None, he said, ever wants to come back. The community he described lives across Border Pillar 63. l

Mitu’s mobile phone still missing

Mitu's mobile phone is still missing, and police suspect that the killers may have taken it before fleeing. During primary investigation, police found out that an SMS had been sent to her mobile phone number saying her son's school would start earlier than usual on Sunday. But the school’s principal Col Abu Naser Md Toha, said no such SMS had been sent from the school to Mitu. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

A quiet exodus From Loyakre Para it takes two more days to get to Fa Wai Khyong Para, the last Bangladeshi village before the Myanmar frontier. It is the lean season for slash and burn agriculturalists in the highlands, who follow a style of cultivation called Jhum. During the planting season, food stocks are often depleted. This year, food stocks plummeted so severely that the government airlifted 100 tonnes of grains to a point downriver from Remakree. The food aid did not get to the more remote areas, Remakree residents told the Dhaka Tribune. The Jhum people in the affected area belong to several ethnic groups including the Mro, Murong, Marma, Tripura and Khumi communities. The food shortage this year has reduced them to surviving on wild potatoes, other wild tubers of various kinds and edible leaves. As the trip progresses, it becomes clearly evident that these areas are effectively beyond the pale of government services and NGO support. Between great stretches of placid water lie stony rapids which turn deadly with the lightest of rainfalls. At distant intervals, villages and homesteads can be seen.

Hunger

At Loyakree, residents of this remote and pristine corner of the Chittagong Hill Tracts said they had been witnessing a process of steady depopulation since 2013.

Residents said since 2013, over a hundred households, perhaps 700 people, had been compelled by harsh circumstances to migrate. The destination of this migration? Border Pillar 63. The answer, so specific that it defied the usual geographic generalisations – due east, or such and such town – is completely comprehensible in a terrain marked out by river valleys and cleared forest paths. Directions matter less here than destinations. But the meaning of Border Pillar 63 is tremendously significant: these Jhum peoples are making their way to Myanmar. The reason for their trek eastwards towards the frontier is the lure of a Chinese project across the border that is allegedly allotting land and parcelling out rice to those willing to work on it. Despite several attempts to do so, the site and nature of the project could not be determined or its existence independently verified. Asked why villagers did not make their way to Thanchi or Bandarban, residents said they felt abandoned by the government here. Indeed, when asked, one official said he did not know that villages were being deserted. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anwar Hossen of Thanchi upazila, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I did not notice this. I do not know, actually. There may be other issues … If there is a

Not coming back

The causes for this exodus are complex. The proximate cause of the food shortage has been alternating periods of heavy rainfall and drought that have pared down the size of recent harvests. But rapacious rates of interest charged by Jhum community moneylenders called mahajans, sometimes exceeding 300%, have made the debt burden following bad harvest years unbearable. Many more families are now planning to leave. Loyakre Para’s Rengui Murong, 25, said 10 households had left Taikhong Para last year due to the severe shortage of food. There were Murong, Mro, and Marmas among the migrants. The decision to leave was extremely difficult, he said. “We do not want to go there. This is my country. I love my country. Our ancestors died here.

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Death warrant against Mir Quasem The war criminal will now have 15 days to file a review petition against the verdict n Ashif Islam Shaon The apex court of the country yesterday released its full verdict that upheld the death sentence for Jamaat-e-Islami leader and former al-Badr commander Mir Quasem Ali for his war crimes. The International Crimes Tribunal, which delivered the original death sentence, issued the death warrant against Mir Quasem later in the evening after receiving a copy of the full verdict. Jahangir Kabir, the senior jail superintendent at Dhaka Central Jail, told the Dhaka Tribune that they have received a copy of the full verdict at around 7:45pm and would try to forward it within the night to Kashimpur Jail – where the war criminal is currently being held. Now, Mir Quasem, considered by many as a top financier of the anti-liberation party, will get 15 days to file a review petition against the verdict. If he files a review plea and the petition is resolved with the death sentence still upheld, the war crimes convict will have the opportunity to seek mercy from the president. If the Jamaat leader declines to seek a review or if he is denied pardon, the government will then order the jail authorities to hang him.

The file photo shows war criminal Mir Quasem Ali being led into a prison van In the 244-page full verdict, the Appellate Division of Supreme Court said the war criminal had tried to frustrate the trial on crimes against humanity by spending large amounts of money to engage a lobbyist firm. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said they had produced and

submitted a paper showing that Mir Quasem had hired a lobbyist firm for $25 million to influence the United States government towards postponing the trial process. The court in its verdict said the fact of engaging a lobbyist firm may or may not be true, but the fact remains that Mir Quasem is a very re-

Court criticises prosecution’s handling of Mir Quasem appeal n Ashif Islam Shaon In releasing the full verdict on Mir Quasem’s appeal, the Appellate Division of Supreme Court made several observations about the prosecuting lawyers, criticising how they had handled the appeal proceedings. “The mistake committed by the prosecutors in conducting the case is that both the prosecutors did not jointly conduct the case. One prosecutor examined some witnesses and other prosecutor examined some other witnesses, resulting in lack of sequence,” the court wrote in its verdict. “Both the prosecutors together were not present in the tribunal in course of examination in-chief and cross-examination of the witnesses. Naturally they

could not concentrate their minds so far as regards incriminating part of evidence. “We learnt from the learned attorney general that the government has appointed a chief prosecutor and under him there are some prosecutors. Of them, two prosecutors are very experienced and competent to conduct such cases. But mysteriously they were not entrusted with this case,” the court added. Analysing the prosecution’s approach to specific charges, the court said: “We were surprised to note that in respect of charge No 11, the accusation was torture and killing of Jasim and other five persons, but we do not find sufficient evidence on record to convict and sentence him for charge relating to those five persons. The prosecu-

tion was totally silent about them. “It is beyond our comprehension why the prosecutors have portrayed the accused as abettor at least in respect of charge No 11... There are legal evidence to prove that the accused has directly participated in respect of the said charge. “In respect of charge No 12, the prosecution introduced a new story that at the time of abduction of the victims, the accused along with al-Badar, Razakar and alShams Bahinis and Pakistani Army plundered many shops and about 250 or 300 houses were burnt and compelled hundreds of families to go to India,” the court added. The attorney general’s attention has been drawn in this regard, judges of the Appellate Division said. l

RAJIB DHAR

sourceful person capable of spending $25 million to engage a lobbyist firm for frustrating the trial. The attorney general said the court also expressed its dissatisfaction over the prosecution’s performance at tribunal. In November 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced

Mir Quasem to death for atrocities against Bangalis during the 1971 Liberation War. He appealed against the verdict. On March 8 this year, a five-member Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha delivered the verdict confirming his death. The tribunal had sentenced him to death for the killing of young freedom fighter Jashim Uddin Ahmed and eight others and to 72 years in prison for acts of abduction and torture. The apex court upheld the punishment on eight counts, acquitted him on one, and changed the penalty in another. Under the leadership of Mir Quasem, the al-Badr tortured and killed pro-liberation people at Chittagong’s Daleem Hotel – which the tribunal in its verdict described as a “death factory.” He also set up torture and killings camps at Asadganj, Dewanhat and Panchlaish. 63-year-old Mir Quasem was the al-Badr’s third most important man after Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid – who have both already been hanged for their war crimes. The founding president of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, Mir Quasem has also been a member of the Jammat’s Central Executive Council. l

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Ghorashal power plant unit-4 to be re-powered n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Power Development Board yesterday signed an Engineering Procurement & Construction contract with China Energy Engineering Group to re power unit-4 of Ghorashal Power Plant. Secretary of the PDB M Zahurul Haque and Vice Chairman of CEEG

Ding Yee signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations at Bidyut Bhaban of the capital. Currently 170 MW of power is being generated from unit-4 of Ghorashal power plant which will increase to 409 MW after re-powering unit-4 using same amount of fuel, according to the details ob-

ULAB-CPD holds seminar on budget

n Tribune Desk The University of Liberal Arts along with the Center for Policy Dialogue organised a special seminar called “ULAB-CPD Seminar on State of the Bangladesh Economy FY 2015-16 and National Budget FY 2016-17.” The seminar was conducted to analyse the state of the economy and present a brief analysis of the proposed budget for FY2016-17. Towfiqul Islam Khan, research fellow at CPD presented the lecture titled “State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2015-16 and An Analysis of the National Budget for FY2016-17” focusing on

contemporary macroeconomic issues and features of the Budget for FY2016-17 with recommendations for the successful implementation of the budget. The event was organised in collaboration with ULAB’s Centre for Enterprise and Society and the Department of Media studies and Journalism. Professor Imran Rahman, Vice Chancellor of ULAB, Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, Director of Dialogue and Communication at CPD, Sajid Amit, Acting Director of CES, Dr Jude William Genilo, Head of the Department of Media Studies and Journalism ULAB were present at the session amongst others. l

Chittagong Port seizes luxurious range rover n Tribune Desk Customs intelligence yesterday seized a luxury Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) worth around Tk5.5 crore at Chittagong Port. The red-coloured Range Rover SUV landed in Chittagong port on April 5. However, no one have submitted bill of entry to release it from port even after 61 days have passed. In such a situation, customs intelligence and investigation directorate officials opened up the container and found the SUV brought through false declaration by a Riaz Mahmud Khan from Gulshan. Although the import docu-

ments mention the SUV as 3,000 cylinder capacity jeep, however, it was actually a 5,000 cc jeep. In addition, the importer, in the documents used the manufacturing year of the car as 2013, however it was actually 2014. According to customs duty structure, a 3,000 cc car have to pay 601% duty while it is 833% for cars over 5,000 cc. Officials also suspected that the importer have also resorted to false manufacturing year to evade additional 10% duty. “We are suspecting that the car was imported for laundering purposes,” said Moinul Khan, customs intelligence and investigation directorate. l

tained from the contract. The Chinese company will complete the re-powering of unit-4 within 22 months. The World Bank financed a $217 million loan with service charge of 0.75 percent, which needs to be re-payed in 36 years with a six year grace period. Chief guest, Nasrul Hamid, State

Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources said electricity consumers should be aware of power consumption, as power saving opportunity cost is higher than the production cost. Nasrul, added that the load shedding during the month of Holy Ramadan would be kept at a toler-

able level and power would be supplied to the CNG refueling stations, fertilizer factories and industries as per the rationing system. Secretary of power division under the ministry, Monowar Islam chaired the function, while PDB Chairman Shamsul Hassan Miah also spoke at the occasion. l

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

WRONG WAY IS THE RIGHT WAY?

Seeing the two pictures, one can easily tell that the law is not the same for all. On left, a Dhaka University student bus takes the wrong side of Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue near Banglamotor area yesterday to avoid the long tailback on the other side. A similar scenario can be seen in the photo on the right, as two SUVs are being escorted by a police vehicle on the same road. In both cases the drivers and the police are flouting the existing traffic laws and putting the lives of others at risk MEHEDI HASAN

Govt keen to open mango export facility ‘Use of calcium carbide in fruits is strictly prohibited and such use of chemical must be discouraged’

n Abu Bakar Siddique The government is keen to export mango and plans to set up laboratories and fruit processing factories to test the quality of the seasonal fruit and improve its management. Hamidur Rahman, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said: “We plan to set up a laboratory in the capital’s Shyampur area for testing the quality of mangoes. Our focus is to create opportunities to process the

processing and value addition.” He also asked scientists to help invent a method for delaying the ripening of mango so that the fruit is available post-season. Selim Akhter Khan, director of the DCCI, said Bangladeshi mangoes are of good quality and they need global promotion. He proposed taking stern actions against people who use detrimental pesticides. The use of calcium carbide in fruits is strictly prohibited and the use of this chemical must be dis-

fruit as well as create value addition services.” He made the comment while addressing a discussion titled “Enabling Policy Environment for Mango Marketing” at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). Nur Ahmed Khondokar, a representative of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation at the programme, said: “We have an agriculture policy now and we need to ensure its implementation. We need technology transfer to ensure fruit

couraged to ensure the quality of the country’s mangoes, said keynote speaker MA Rahim of Bangladesh Agriculture University. He also said that in Bangladesh formalin is not used in mangoes in general because it is not a ripening agent. The fruit usually contains 1 to 60ppm formalin naturally. Rahim urged mango-growers not to use excessive pesticides or insecticides for the sake of public health. In addition to Rajshai and Chapainawabganj, considered to be the best

mango cultivation zones, the southern district of Satkhira is now gaining popularity for growing mango. Mohammad Nazmul Islam, additional secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, said: “The government is also planning to set up a hot water machine at Kolarowa in Satkhira for post-harvest mango processing soon.” The programme was jointly organised by the DCCI and the USAID’s Agriculture Value Chains Project. l

BSF kills 591 Bangladeshi citizens in last 10 years n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla A total of 591 Bangladeshi citizens were killed by Indian Border Security Force and Indian citizens in last 10 years. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the parliament on Monday in reply to a query of ruling party lawmaker Md Ayen Uddin. The minister said the issue of border killings was discussed this year in a high level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh and Border Security Force of India. The director general of BSF has agreed to help bring the number of border killings to zero, he added. The high level BGB-BSF meet-

KILLING BY BSF

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 (May 29, 2016)

95 87 54 66 55 24 24 18 24 38

KILLING BY INDIAN CITIZEN 11 08 14 01 05 15 10 10 16 07

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

Dhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:45PM

TOTAL 106 95 68 67 60 39 34 28 40 45 09

it was found that the rate of Bangladeshi citizens killed in border areas has dropped and I hope that the rate will drop further,” the minister said. l

ing also decided to investigate the border killing incidents and take legal action against the culprits after proper investigation, he said. “Analysing statistics of 10 years,

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

TUESDAY, JUNE 7

YEAR

Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:10AM

37.6ºC Rajshahi

24.6ºC Kurigram

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 4:40am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:50pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Most fishermen yet to get identity cards n

Ibrahim Roni, Chandpur

A total of 19,165 fishermen in the district are suffering much as they have no identity card. According to local sources, there are 46,340 listed fishermen. Of them, 27,175 have been given identity card and rest of them have no card. The fishermen alleged that there are some people who have been given card, are not fisherman at all. According to the sources of Fishermen Registration and Identity Card Issuing Project, the fishermen who have not got ID card yet suffer much as they are deprived of government and non-government benefits. Abul Hasan, a fisherman of Puranbazar area, said: “I have been fishing since my childhood. I have

not got identity card yet. So, I have to suffer a lot.” “Sometimes, members of law enforcers arrest us while we go to river for catching fish. They think we are robbers and we are sent to jail,” he said. Fisherman Karim Mian alleged that he had been catching fish since his boyhood. He did not get ID card but the people who were involved without this profession, got ID card and government benefits. Rakib Jamaddar of Haimchar upazila, said: “We urge the government for giving ID card. As we have no card, we have to face difficulties every step of life.” Zahiruddin of Sadar upazila said: “Our profession is netting fish in the river. But the law enforcers disturb us as we have no ID card.” The local political persons had

given ID cards to their supporters who were professionally not fishermen. Maximum of them were CNG run auto-rickshaw drivers or grocers, he alleged. When contacted, Shafiqur Rahman fisheries officer of the district, said: “Its the political commitment of the government to bring the fishermen under the registration programme.” “Its continuing process to registrar the fishermen and giving them ID card,” he added. Arifur Rahman, director of Fishermen Registration and Identity Card Issuing Project, said: “The fishermen who have not got ID card, they will get it soon.” “We have already formed committee in upazila level to registrar them who are professionally fishermen,” he added. l

Two killed in post-poll violence n Tribune Desk

Two people were killed and 10 others injured in post-Union Parishad election violence in Habiganj and Sherpur. In Habiganj, a teenager was killed and 10 people were injured in a clash at Narapati village of Chunarughat Sadar UP in Chunarughat upazila on Sunday evening. The deceased was identified as Manir Hossain, 18, son of Arju Miah of Madhya Narapati village. Officer-in-charge of Chunarughat police station Nirmalendu Chakrabarti said the supporters of BNP-backed chairman candidate Syed Liakat Hasan had brought out a procession to celebrate his victory. When the procession reached near the house of defeated aspirant Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury, Awami League-backed candidate, at Narapati village, his supporters

swooped on the procession, triggering a clash. A chase and counter-chase took place during the clash, leaving at least 11 people injured. Later, Manir succumbed to his injuries on the way to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. In Sherpur, a man, who received serious injuries in a post-election violence on Saturday night at Boliadipara village under Bhelua Union in Sribardi upazila, died at Sherpur District Hospital early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Buruj Ali, 45, son of late Abdul Halim, a resident of Boliadipara. Police and locals said a clash ensued between the supporters of two member candidates – one led by Azizul Hoque and the other led by Kalu Miah – of ward-8 over the result of the election around 10pm. At one stage, followers of Azizul gave a tremendous thrashing to Buruj. Later he died. l

People of Shailkupa in Jhenaidah form a human chain in the town yesterday protesting the murder of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, wife of Superintendent of Police Babul Akter. Mahmuda was shot dead in Chittagong in front of her six-year-old son on Sunday. Shailkupa was her birthplace DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two hacked to death in Jessore

Five injured in crude bomb blasts

Two people were reportedly hacked to death inside a filling station in Bagharparha upazila, Jessore. The victims were identified as the filling station’s manager Obaidur Rahman, 32, and local resident Lizon Ahmed Apu, 23, said Officer-in-Charge of Bagharparha police station Soyruddin Ahmed. The OC said they went to sleep on Sunday night putting the gate of the filling station under lock and key and yesterday morning, other staff of the station found that the gate was closed from outside. On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies breaking the open door. The OC said the two might have been hacked to death at sometimes of Sunday night. The incident might be taken place over previous enmity as nothing was robbed off from the filling station, said the police official. l

Five people were injured as miscreants blasted crude bombs at Ashulia and Hemayetpur, Savar upazila yesterday morning. In Ashulia, three miscreants riding on a motorcycle came in front of Sumiya Hotel and Restaurant located beside the Nabinagar-Chandra Highway around 6am and blasted a crude bomb while the staff there were working there, leaving four of them critically injured, said Ibrahim, owner of the restaurant. The injured were admitted to Savar Enam Medical College Hospital. On receiving information, police visited the spot, said Mohsinul Kader, officer-incharge of Ashulia Model police station. In Hemayet pur, a schoolboy sustained injuries as miscreants blasted a crude bomb. The boy – Mostafizur Rahman Mahim, 14 – was admitted to the same hospital in a critical state. l

n Touhid Zaman, Jessore

n Nadin Hossain, Savar

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Mugging goes unchecked on BRU campus n Liakat Ali Badal, Rangpur Incidents of mugging are going unchecked at Begum Rokeya University which was a long-cherished desire of the people living in northern part of Bangladesh, much to make teachers and students feel that they are not safe on their own campus. Campus sources said people who visit the public university become victim of mugging everyday. The muggers snatched three mobile phone sets and cash from visitors within a few days. The muggers did not spar student of the university also. Students alleged that police as well as university security administration totally failed to take appro-

priate actions to stop such criminal activities on the campus. Some students of the campus who preferred to be unnamed said a section of leader and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, a student front of the ruling party Awami League, and outsiders who were influential in the locality involved in these mugging. The mugging incidents came to the light following detention of two students of Carmichael College by BCL men. Campus sources said a student of Carmichael College, a neighbouring college, had gone to the campus with his friend a few days back. Then some students of the university who are members of BCL detained and assaulted them

mercilessly. At one stage, they demanded money from them. As they could not provide the money, the felons took them to university

These type of incidents will tarnish the image of the campus. So, we will definitely take stern action against the muggers police outpost and handed them over there. The incident has created an uproar on the campus and general students were demanding punish-

As Ramadan arrives, work is going on around the clock at puffed rice factories such as the one pictured here in Fatullah of Narayanganj. The demand for puffed rice skyrockets each Ramadan as it is an indispensable part of iftar MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

NARAYANGANJ SEVEN MURDER

Five RAB personnel testify Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj

A Naraynganj court yesterday led by District and Sessions Judge Syed Enayet Hossain recorded deposition from five RAB personnel who are witnesses in the sensational seven-murder case. They are Major Suruj Mian, RAB 11 DAD Abdus Salam Shikder, Leading Sea Man Abdus Samad, Nayek Azam Ali and Abdur Razzak. Of them, Samad, Azam Ali and Abdur Razzak told the court that they were panicked while they saw the bodies. They said Major Arif Hossain and Lieutenant Com-

mander SM Masud Rana and other RAB officials ordered them to dump the bodies in the Shitalakkhya River. They also said the officials threatened them while they told them that they were sent there for patrol, not for carrying the bodies. Public Prosecutor Wazed Ali Khokon said the court fixed June 13 for the next hearing. Earlier in the day, 23 accused in the cases including prime suspect Nur Hossain and three former RAB officials were brought to the Narayanganj court from Kashimpur Prison under tight security. On April 27, 2014, Narayan-

ganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area in the city. At the same time, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge’s Court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were abducted on their way to Dhaka. Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari Rivers on April 30. The body of Nazrul’s driver Jahangir was recovered from the Shitalakkhya River on May 1. l

ment of the culprits. A student who preferred to be unnamed said: “As BCL men are involved in the criminal activities, police do not dare to take action against them. Sometimes, we saw, police were helping them.” Another student said: “We know who are involved in the mugging on campus, but we cannot do anything because we have to complete our study here.” “Normaly, we try to finish our job before the dusk fearing snatching,” said another student preferring anonymity. Campus sources said the university authority had already identified four people in this connection. On May 30, the university administration called upon the people who

are also students of the university, but they did not pay heed to the call of Proctor Shahin Islam. Officer-in-Charge of university police outpost Ershad Ali said they were aware of the matter and trying to stop criminal activities on the campus. Acting proctor of the university Shahin Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already identified four people over the incident. They were students of the university. “These type of incidents will tarnish the image of the campus. So, we will definitely take stern action against the muggers.” The university was established on 75 acres of land on October 8, 2008. Currently, the university has about 7,000 students. l

8 World

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Sri Lanka races to defuse bombs after depot blast Sri Lankan police were Monday racing to defuse unexploded bombs that fell on villages near the capital overnight and destroyed hundreds of homes, after a huge and deadly fire at an ammunition depot. At least 1 soldier burnt to death and thousands of villagers fled their homes after fire broke out at the Salawa military complex late Sunday. -AFP

INDIA

Five guilty of Danish tourist gang-rape in Delhi A court convicted five men Monday of the gang-rape of a Danish tourist in New Delhi in 2014, a crime which put India’s record on sexual violence back in the spotlight. The 5 were found guilty of the rape and robbery of the 52-year-old woman, who was attacked at knifepoint after losing her way as she returned to her hotel in central Delhi in 2014. -AFP

CHINA

US, China start summit dialogue in Beijing The US and China started their annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing Monday, as rising tensions in the South China Sea threatened to overshadow the meeting. China and the US need to increase mutual trust, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in opening remarks, calling for redoubling of efforts for the two powers to manage conflicts. -AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Vietnam, South Korea may procure surveillance planes to counter China

Vietnam and South Korea are looking seriously at buying refurbished Lockheed Martin Corp P-3 and S-3 maritime surveillance planes to counter China’s military buildup and repeated North Korean missile launches. Vietnam is expected to request formal pricing and availability data on four to six older US Navy P-3 Orion aircraft in the next few months. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Manbij battle could uproot 200,000 Syrians A US-backed offensive to retake the IS-held northern Syrian city of Manbij has displaced some 20,000 civilians and could uproot about 216,000 more if it continues, a UN humanitarian agency said on Monday. Syrian fighters have surrounded Manbij from three sides as they press the onslaught against the jihadists near the Turkish border. -REUTERS

INSIGHT

Majority Qatar migrant workers live in labour camps n Agencies Almost 60% of Qatar’s 2.4m population live in what the government calls “labour camps”, reports AFP showing figures from an April 2015 census, highlighting the issue of the emirate’s huge migrant workforce. The figures from Qatar’s Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics revealed that 1.4m people live in what the department officially designates as “labour camps”. At the time of the survey, the official population was 2.4m (currently 2.5m), that works out at just over 58% of the country’s population. The population of gas-rich Qatar has soared over the past three decades as it has imported a huge migrant workforce to develop its infrastructure. In 1986, just 373,000 people lived in the emirate. The accommodation of migrant labourers working on Qatar’s numerous infrastructure projects has long been a contentious issue. Last week, 11 people were killed and 12 injured when a fire ripped through a camp housing labourers working on a tourism project in the southwest of the country. Qatar, which will host the football World Cup in 2022, has been condemned by human rights groups, including Amnesty International, for providing “squalid and cramped accommodation” for its large migrant workforce. Qatar has responded to the criticism by building new workers’

The pictures show horrendous conditions of a labour camp, owned by a Qatari construction company called PCSI in Doha’s Industrial Area. The accommodation was previously used to house old paints and waste materials, which were stored alongside workers’ bedrooms and the kitchen. Discarded electrical cables and what appeared to be spilled oil were left in the corridors inside the accommodation. The conditions, according to Amnesty International, were seriously health hazardous, as well as impairing the basic quality of life of the workers AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL housing complexes, including the $825m “Labour City” south of the capital Doha, which incorporates shops, cinemas and a cricket stadium. The complex can house up to 70,000 foreign workers and is one of seven workers’ “cities” being developed which will accommodate almost 260,000 people in total. Meanwhile, during a recent visit, Qatar has reassured India that labour reforms will improve the

conditions of more than half a million Indian migrants, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns of abuses during a weekend visit to the Gulf state, Thomson Reuters Foundation reports quoting an Indian government statement on Monday. Qatar is home to 630,000 Indian nationals, the single largest group of migrants in the country. Many work in low paid construction jobs, building stadiums and other

infrastructure for the World Cup. Rights groups accuse Qatar of abusive labour laws and forcing migrants to work under poor safety conditions. Unions and labour protests are banned, and authorities penalise dissent with jail or deportation. Qatar is an important partner for India, with bilateral trade in 2014/15 exceeding $15bn, according to the Indian government. It is also one of India’s key sources of crude oil. Amnesty International in March said migrants faced abuses that in some cases amounted to forced labour. Workers reported squalid living conditions, having their salaries withheld for months and their passports confiscated by employers. Qatar’s kafala sponsorship system - under which migrant workers cannot change jobs or leave the country without their employer’s permission - is at the heart of threats to make people work, Amnesty said. The International Labour Organisation said Qatar is making progress towards ending forced labour and improving migrant worker conditions, but added the real test will be whether it enforces new legislation from December. The new Qatari law abolishes the kafala sponsorship system and removes all curbs on worker movements. Migrants will no longer be forced to continue a job if there is abuse or exploitation, but domestic workers are excluded from this law. l

Ghana bans skin bleaching products n Tribune International Desk

While our country is still obsessed with fair skin, Ghana has just come up with something which deserves may spin a lot of people’s head in Bangladesh. In a bid to aware users of a cancer-causing chemicals in cosmetics, Ghanaian authorities last month has moved to ban sale of cosmetic products which contain a certain skin bleaching ingredient, effective from this August, reports Ghanastar.com. The decision, which forms part of a directive from the state’s Standard Authority, is an attempt to deter users of the cancer-causing chemical ‘hydroquinone’ within the Ghanaian market Skin bleaching remains a “norm” in Ghana especially among

celebrities and youths, according to Face2Face Africa. Ghana’s Food And Drug Authority’s (FDA) spokesperson James Lartey has confirmed that the products will no longer be imported to the country. Recently a Ghanaian professional boxer, Bukom Banku, in a bizarre announcement not only confirmed bleaching his skin but also admitted to lightening his skin tone so he gains a national assignment from President John Mahama as Ghana’s ambassador to Germany. “I am bleaching my skin because when John Mahama wins 2016 elections, he will make me Ghana’s ambassador to Germany. I am bleaching myself for German people to know that German people and Bukom Banku are one,”

A campaign illustration, sponsored by a charity, asking Ghanaian women to avoid skin bleaching products and to be proud of their natural-born skintone NOTEY Banku reportedly said. He added: “If I don’t bleach they won’t give me that position … and if you see me now I look fresh because of President John Mahama. The use of hydroquinone products is banned in the US, Japan,

Australia and the European Union. Dazed reports that around 30% women in Ghana use skin lightening products like Fair & Lovely, with rates being way higher in other African nations, like Nigeria (77%) and Senegal (52-67%). l

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Tory civil war intensifies over June 23 EU referendum 16 DAYS TO GO

THE FIGUREHEADS AT LOGGERHEADS

n Tribune International Desk British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday accused “leave” campaigners in the country’s European Union debate of peddling “fantasy politics” and endangering the economy, as the pound plunged against the dollar on uncertainty about the vote’s outcome, reports Associated Press. His former ally in the Conservative party and leading “leave” campaigner, Boris Johnson, countered that short-term economic pain would soon give way to “fantastic success” for Britain. The Conservatives have been divided about the EU for decades, and the attacks have grown increasingly bitter as the campaign heats up ahead of the June 23 referendum on British membership in the 28-nation bloc.

The two top leaders of “In” and “Out” campaigns--British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, and former London mayor and a long-time Cameron ally, Boris Johnson have been engaged in divisive exchanges over EU referendum, scheduled to be held on June 23 REUTERS Cameron appeared Monday alongside politicians from the rival Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties to urge citizens to vote to “remain” in the bloc. He accused “leave” members of his own government of gambling with the country’s future by wanting to leave the EU free-trade zone, which accounts for about half of UK trade. Cameron accused them of

playing “an economic con-trick on the British people.” “While they peddle fantasy politics, in the real world our economy is slowing because of the huge uncertainty hanging over Britain’s economic future,” Cameron said. Cameron said leaving the EU would “put a bomb under our economy. And the worst thing is we’d have lit the fuse ourselves.” The possibility of a British exit,

Trump claims he made fortunes in deal with Gaddhafi n Tribune International Desk Donald Trump says he made “a lot of money” in a deal years ago with Moammar Gaddhafi, despite suggesting at the time he had no idea the former Libyan dictator was involved in renting his suburban New York estate, reports Associated Press. “Don’t forget, I’m the only one. I made a lot of money with Gaddhafi, if you remember,” Trump said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday. “He came to the country, and he had to make a deal with me because he needed a place to stay.” “He paid me a fortune. Never got to stay there,” Trump said. “And it became sort of a big joke.” The presumptive Republican nominee was talking about a bizarre incident in 2009, when Gaddhafi was in desperate search of a place to pitch his Bedouin-style tent during a visit to New York for a meeting of the UN General Assembly. After trying and failing to secure space in Manhattan’s Central Park, on the Upper East Side and in Englewood, New Jersey, the Libyan government turned to Trump’s 86-hectare Seven Springs estate in suburban Bedford, New York.

or Brexit, has already caused economic jitters. The pound fell by almost 1% Monday to $1.43 as several polls put the “leave” side ahead. Johnson, the former mayor of London, acknowledged the uncertainty, saying “the pound will go where it will over the short term.” But he said that “in the long term you can look forward to fantastic success for this country.” Pro-Brexit campaigners say any short-term economic turmoil would be offset by freedom from EU red tape and ability to curb large-scale immigration from other EU countries, whose citizens currently have the right to live and work in Britain. Johnson appeared at a beauty products warehouse to urge voters to “wash those unelected bureaucrats right out of our hair.” On Sunday, former Tory prime minister John Major accused the “leave” side of running a “fundamentally dishonest” and “squalid” campaign. l

Modi verbally abused Congress leader before being slained, Gujarat riot survivor claims

n Tribune International Desk

Sketch illustration of former Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddhafi and Republican 2016 presumptive candidate Donald Trump BIGSTOCK Gadhafi never stayed at the property, but it was nevertheless a spectacle. Reporters flocked to the town to watch construction crews erect a white-topped tent that was lined with a tapestry of camels and palm trees and outfitted with leather couches and coffee tables. At one point the tent was torn down after the Town of Bedford threatened to sue Trump personally — and was then re-erected, to the town’s chagrin. At the time, Trump distanced himself from the matter, hinting that he’d been tricked into renting his land. Representatives of Gaddhafi — loathed in the US due to his ties to terrorism — had falsified the identity of their client in other instances to make renting property easier. Before the tent was re-pitched,

Trump said he had “no idea” that Gadhafi might be involved in the deal to rent a section of the estate, a town official said. Bedford Town Supervisor Lee Roberts said at the time that Trump told her that, as far as he knew, his arrangement was with partners in the United Arab Emirates. But Trump had changed his tune two years later, when he boasted of having “screwed” the Libyan leader on the deal. “I dealt with Gadhafi. Excuse me. I rented him a piece of land. He paid me more for one night than the land was worth for the whole year or for two years. And then I didn’t let him use the land. That’s what we should be doing,” Trump said in a 2011 interview with Fox News. l

World

A survivor of the bloody 2002 anti-Muslim riot in India’s Gujarat recently claimed that a high-profile victim of the incident, local Congress leader Ehsan Jafri, was verbally abused by the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi over telephone right before being dragged out by an unruly mob from his own house and butchered. In a shocking interview with Catchnews.com, Rupabehn Mody, a Gulberg resident of Parsi origin, she claimed that while overhearing overheard the telephone conversation, she heard Modi appeared to express astonishment that the Congress leader wasn’t dead already. An Indian court convicted 24 Hindus on Thursday of murder and other charges related to the riot, that killed more than 1000 people. Rupabehn, herself a victim of the February 28, 2002 Gulberg Society massacre as one of her son went missing and presumed dead later, took refuge at Jafri’s residence. She was among those who heard Jafri make calls for help, including to then chief minister Narendra Modi. She and her daughter were among the very few people at Gulberg to survive the 4,500 strong mob. She never saw her son again. l

USA

US favours Argentine candidate as next UN boss Britain is on course for a showdown with the UN over the choice of the next secretary general, after sources in Washington indicated that the US was preparing to throw its weight behind the candidate from Argentina. Susana Malcorra, currently serving as Argentina’s foreign minister, is understood to have received backing from both the White House and Susan Rice, national security adviser to Barack Obama. -TELEGRAPH

THE AMERICAS

Brazil prosecutor links tourism minister to Petrobras probe Brazil’s prosecutor general found evidence linking the tourism minister of interim President Michel Temer to the corruption scheme at state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA. Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot included intercepted phone messages in a request to the Supreme Court for a formal investigation of Tourism Minister Henrique Eduardo Alves. -REUTERS

Arrests for offensive online posts soar in London The number of people being arrested for Facebook and Twitter posts have increased dramatically in London. According to the Register, a total of 2,500 Londoners have been arrested over the past five years for allegedly sending offensive messages via social media. In 2015, 857 people were detained, up 37% increase since 2010. -INDEPENDENT

EUROPE

Russia to take adequate measures to counter Nato Moscow is concerned by Nato’s expansion and the movement of its infrastructure towards Russia’s borders and will take adequate measures to protect its security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. “We do not hide our negative attitude to the movement of Nato’s military infrastructure towards our borders, to dragging new states into the military activity of the block,” he added. -REUTERS

AFRICA

Now UK warns of possible attacks in South Africa Britain said on Monday there is a high threat of attacks against foreigners in shopping areas in South Africa, two days after a similar advisory was issued by the US embassy in Pretoria. Africa’s most industrialised country has a significant expatriate and tourist population but has seldom been associated with Islamist militancy. South Africa’s government said the country was safe following the US warning on Saturday. -REUTERS

World

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

INSIGHT

Terror case opens up Kuwait’s Shia-Sunni divisions n Reuters, Kuwait Kuwaiti security service officers raided farmhouses near the Iraqi border late last summer, slicing through carpets and smashing open concrete floors. Hidden in large plastic containers was a weapons cache, the largest discovered in Kuwait’s history. State television showed Kuwait’s interior minister, a senior ruling family member, solemnly viewing the results of the operation. Kuwait charged 25 of its nationals – all of them Shia – and an Iranian with spying for Iran and Lebanese Shia Muslim group Hezbollah. The case has opened up sectarian divisions in Kuwait. While Kuwait’s Sunni majority and Shia minority get on better than in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, tensions still exist, and relatives of some of the charged men say they are innocent victims of regional politics. It also highlights the delicate position of many of the Gulf’s smaller states, which find themselves caught up in a power struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran. One Middle Eastern diplomat said Kuwait, a major Opec oil producer and home to US military bases, was squeezed between the two regional giants, who have jousted in recent months over everything from Iran’s nuclear programme to oil production. “Kuwait is in a critical situation, a small dot in a very big triangle,” he said. “They are killing themselves to be in the middle.” Kuwaiti prosecutors said the men intended to carry out “hostile acts” against Kuwait. Members of the “Abdali cell,” as local officials dubbed the group for the place the weapons were found, were charged with buying, transporting and storing weapons and explosives. Several were also accused of receiving military training in Lebanon from Hezbollah, according to an investigation by Kuwaiti Homeland Security referred to by prosecutors in a Kuwaiti court. The men denied the charges. In January a Kuwaiti court found 23 of the 26 guilty of various crimes. Two were sentenced to death, including one, the Iranian, in absentia. The others were fined or received jail terms between five years and life. Three were acquitted. The prosecution is appealing the sentences, saying some of the men should have received tougher punishments. The men have all appealed their convictions. The charges, the lawyers say, were based on confessions nearly all of the defendants allege were extracted under torture. Khalid al-Shatti, a defence lawyer for Hassan Hajiya, the Kuwaiti man sentenced to death, said the case was politically motivated.

“There is a conflict in the region and those who pay the price of this conflict are the accused.” The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry declined to comment for this story, referring queries to the judiciary. The judiciary did not respond to requests for comment. The Information Ministry, which deals with general media enquiries, said it was unable to comment on the topic. The government and state security officials have said the weapons show that Tehran was seeking to destabilise Kuwait and other countries in the region by infiltrating and manipulating local Shia communities. In recent months Kuwait has accused Iran of stirring up local politics and ignoring “basic diplomatic norms.” Iran has denied any connection with the alleged cell and has said Kuwaiti authorities have not contacted it regarding the Iranian defendant. Last September, the Iranian embassy issued a rare statement expressing “deep dissatisfaction with the association of the name of Iran” with the case. A senior Kuwaiti government official said that while Iran may not be happy with the court decision “they should respect our laws and they should also respect our internal affairs.” Historically, relations between Kuwait’s Sunnis, who make up between 70% and 85% of the country’s 1.4m citizens, and its minority Shia community, have been mostly amicable. Shia’s hold important positions in business, government and parliament. And last June, Kuwait’s ruling emir comforted worshippers and families at the scene of a suicide bombing in a Shia mosque. Claimed by Sunni extremist group Islamic State, the attack killed 27. But the Abdali case, said Abdullah Bishara, a Kuwaiti diplomat and former secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has opened up splits. “Iranian politics, Hezbollah politics, have played a role in the agitation of differences in Kuwait,” he said. “Abdali sharpened differences.” The editor of one of Kuwait’s main newspapers, who mixes regularly with senior ruling family members, agreed. “The Kuwaiti government overdid it,” the editor said.

Guns, grenades and explosives

The weapons cache Kuwait’s security forces uncovered included Kalashnikov rifles, submachine guns, grenades, 144kg of explosives, and 19 tons of ammunition, according to an 186-page court judgement issued in January. “These are all high explosives. To have them in thousands and tens of thousands of kilograms is very significant,” Sheikh Thamer al-Sabah, President of Kuwait’s Na-

Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Hamad al-Sabah, left, looks at weapons that Kuwaiti authorities said were smuggled from Iran by a Kuwati militant cell in August last year REUTERS

Kuwait 4.08m

tional Security Bureau, said. But lawyer Shatti, whose own nephew was among those charged and jailed, said the weapons were for self defence. Members of Kuwait’s Shia community regularly keep weapons at home, he said, in part because of the rise of Sunni militant groups in the region. “It is in their interest to defend themselves, to defend their honour and defend their homeland, to defend the Kuwaiti government and the ruling family, to keep their weapons,” Shatti said at the start of appeals proceedings in March. Hassan Hajiya, the primary defendant in the case, owns the Abdali farmhouses where the weapons were found. The prosecution said he smuggled the weapons by sea from Iran. Hajiya told the appeals court that the weapons were left over from local resistance to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The defence has asked the prosecution to examine the serial numbers of the weapons which they say will prove the weapons are old.

Thamer of the National Security Bureau, which assesses domestic security risks, said the number of weapons suggest they were for more than just self defence and that the case fitted a pattern of Iran-linked militant and espionage activity in Kuwait dating back to the 1980s. “This is the Iranian influence again, like with militias in Iraq,” he said.

Traumatic injuries

The men’s appeals hinge in part on the evidence used in the trial. The defence questions the testimony of two Homeland Security officers and the Interior Ministry investigation because, it says, they were based on confessions extracted under torture and duress. The defence team wants to see CCTV footage of the interrogations and video from cells where the men were held before the trial. It has also asked for the clothes the men were wearing when they were arrested; one lawyer said he saw blood stains on his client’s garments. Homeland Security told the

court it cannot locate the clothes. The CCTV footage, it said, was erased. A request for medical files for one of the defendants who was twice taken to a military hospital during interrogations was also denied, according to Fawaz al-Kateeb, whose law firm Taher Group is representing three of the defendants and is coordinating the entire defence team. “So no CCTV, no clothes, no medical files. Is it a fair trial? Are these fair proceedings?” Kateeb asked. An August medical report from the Interior Ministry’s general department of criminal evidence, referred to in closed court but seen by Reuters, described doctors’ examinations carried out on three of the defendants after they were interrogated. The report said the men, Hassan al-Attar, Hassan al-Bathar and Yousef Ghudunfary, all sustained “frictional abrasions” on their wrists as the result of restrictive handcuffs. Attar had bruising on his upper right arm, Bathar on his neck and left arm, and Ghudunfary had abrasions on his elbows and feet, the report said. It also described “traumatic injuries” seemingly due to a “collision with a solid object” but said the cause was not clear. The men were not in severe physical pain and their injuries were expected to heal within 30 days, the report said. The Interior Ministry declined to comment. The Paris-based Arab Commission for Human Rights said medical reports “clearly showed visible injuries of some of the detainees and confirmed that they have been tortured during their detention.” The statement, signed by 13 regional rights groups in February, said the legal proceedings “discredit the image of the Kuwaiti judiciary and State of Kuwait.” l

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

12 Business

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

TOP STORIES Garment accessories exporters demand 0.6% tax at source Garment accessories manufactures and exporters called on the government to keep tax at source at 0.6% for exporters in the upcoming fiscal year. The government proposed 1.5% tax at source for exporters in the fiscal year 2001617 budget. PAGE 13

Lew raps China on excess steel production Chinese oversupply of steel is “damaging and distorting” global markets, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said yesterday, joining a chorus of criticism that blames Beijing for plant closures and job losses in the industry worldwide. PAGE 14

Spain’s economy flies high above political turmoil In Spain’s cured ham capital, the small southern village of Jabugo, uncertainty over who will govern next in Madrid is a remote concern for investors keen to produce more of the Andalusian delicacy. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Monday DSE Broad Index

4,410.9

Index

1,083.7

-0.4% ▼

30 Index

1,737.3

-0.6% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

2,826.3

-8.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

-0.3% ▼

82.1 -12.0% ▼

CSE All Share Index 13,576.5 30 Index Selected Index

-0.3% ▼

12,545.5

0.3% ▲

8,260.8

-0.3% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

187.0 -13.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

7.0 -21.4% ▼

RMG export strides against all odds n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Apparel export will predictably cross this fiscal year’s target as the earning is already more than $25bn with one month left before another year begins, according to latest official figures. The target was set at $27.37bn for the FY2015-16 after earning $25.49bn in last fiscal. After Rana Plaza tragedy in 2013, observers prophesied that the country’s biggest export industry might face severe image crisis and suffer loss of global market share. But it has continued to shine ever since as a lot of investment has been made to improve factories’ safety standards with the help of its Western retailers. This demonstrates in the sector’s nearly 9.44% growth to reach $25.08bn in first 11 months of the current fiscal year. RMG makers believe improvement of safety standards and progress of remediation work in factories have helped to restore buyers’ confidence. Now if the RMG wants to further accelerate the growth in the years to come, experts think focus should be given on productivity, manufacturing medium and higher-end products and exploring markets other than traditional ones. “RMG makers should focus on

RMG EXPORT TREND IN JULY-MAY Value in $bn

25 20 15

17.27

22.18

22.92

2013-14

2014-15

19.31

25.00

10 5 0

2011-12

2012-13

2015-16 Source: EPB

workers’ productivity and value-added products to maintain targeted growth as productivity of Bangladeshi RMG workers is still less than that of the competitors,” Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue, told the Dhaka Tribune. He added the country was still producing low-end and basic products. It was feared that the RMG export might fall due to safety inspection, but the sector didn’t stop posting healthy growth as the inspection found only less than 2% of factories vulnerable. “Confidence has been restored among global buyers as the num-

ber of risky factories found in the inspection by Accord and Alliance is less than the buyers’ assumption,” Mohammed Nasir, vice president of BGMEA, said. He said after the Rana Plaza collapse, most of the Bangladeshi garment factories were tagged as vulnerable in terms of workers’ safety. “But now the safety inspection found only 39 factories are risky, which are already closed.” Nasir said following the inspection, the buyers placed more orders, which helped to increase earnings from apparel export. However, he expressed concern over the continuous fall of

products’ prices in the major global markets including the United States. Nasir said the proposed hike of tax at source would pour salt on the existing wounds by pushing up production cost. “As a result, the sector people will also lose competitive edge.” Khondaker Golam Moazzem suggested diversification of products such as cotton to non-cotton, which would give more margin. He also emphasised exploring non-traditional markets as traditional markets have been on downward trend. “Besides, for expansion of business, production of higher-end products with innovation should be focused on.” According to provisional data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), of the total amount earned in last 11 months, woven products fetched $13.16bn with a 12% growth and knitwear products $11.92bn with 6.74% from the same period last year. The total export earnings posted nearly 9% growth to $30.66bn in last 11 months compared to $28.14bn a year ago. The figure is 1.47% higher than the $30.22bn target set for the period. For the current fiscal year, the government has set a target of $33.50bn as total export earnings. In May, the earning was $3.02bn registering 6.54% growth from $2.84 a year ago. l

Plan for study on Karnaphuli River to boost Chittagong port operation n Asif Showkat Kallol The government will conduct a study on shrinking of Karnaphuli River to enhance the efficiency of Chittagong port. This is aimed at ensuring the river’s proper navigation and maximum use. Shipping ministry officials said the Department of Environment found shocking level of shrinking of the river as solid and liquid wastes were being dumped indiscriminately into the river. They said such dumping of wastes was putting the river in perils. Chittagong Port Authority has decided to conduct a study for maintaining navigation and ensuring maximum use of the river during next 25-30 years. As per the CPA’s decision a tender was floated last year for survey of the detailed hydrological and

hydraulic study in the Karnaphuli River. A total of four foreign companies participated in the tender. They are ARCADIS Netherlands BV, DHI of Denmark, HR Wallingford of the UK and SMEC Internatial Pte Ltd of Austrialia. According to the a proposal of the CPA which is under shipping ministry, the HR Wallingford got the highest score, but the cost of study by the UK-based firm was Tk14.41 crore, that is costlier than other participants. The terms of reference of the study would include advantage and disadvantage of the use of the Chittagong port channel. The study would also focus maintaining of navigation of the channel. According to the proposal, the study on siltation of the Chittagong port would be recommended regarding construction of bay-terminal to enhance the ca-

pacity of the Chittagong port. Meanwhile, Department of Environment report revealed that the Karnaphuli River’s width has shrunk from 870 metres in 1990 to a specified 600 metres in a span of two decades as man-made illegal structures prop up on its banks and land grabbers opted for filling up the river over this recent period.

The ecological balance of the river has suffered immense damage as untreated industrial effluent, about 1,400 tonne of solid and liquid waste of some 6m residents have been dumped indiscriminately into the waters of Karnaphuli on a daily basis through various canals, according to the Department of Environment report. l

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Garment accessories exporters demand 0.6% tax at source n

Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Garment accessories manufactures and exporters called on the government to keep tax at source at 0.6% for exporters in the upcoming fiscal year. The government proposed 1.5% tax at source for exporters in the fiscal year 20016-17 budget. Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) President Md Abdul Kader Khan made the call at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday. “The accessories and packaging sector is closely related with the readymade garment sector as a backward linkage industry and making remarkable contribution to export earnings,” Abdul Kader Khan said. He said as the sector was struggling to survive due to production

cost hike, the government should not increase the rate of tax at source and keep it at the present level of 0.6%. This sub-sector of the RMG industry also demanded cash incentives against the export of accessories taking its contribution to overall export earnings and apparel export into account. Currently, the sector is exporting 20% of its products directly, while the 80% exports are “deemed export.” Abdul Kader said the government should provide cash incentives as such initiative would encourage the exports. “As has been defined as export-oriented sector, incentives should be given to this sector like other sectors.” The association of the accessories manufactures welcomed the proposal of duty-free import of safety equipment and prefabri-

cated building materials for all export-oriented sectors as “this could help them make the sector compliant and safer.” “If the government wants to make the proposed budget ‘investment and business friendly’, it has to give importance on export-oriented sectors like agriculture and industrial sector,” said Abdul Kader. He said it would help to achieve the proposed GDP growth target. In the proposed budget for the FY2016-17, the government has set a 7.2% GDP growth target and 5.8% inflation. The association also sought the government financial support to establish a training institute for the backward linkage industry of the RMG sector to create skilled manpower. In the last budget, the government allocated Tk10 crore for the

plastic sector to establish a training institute. Former BGAPMEA President Rafez Alam Chowdhury also spoke at the press conference. He said:“We are paying tax at source and VAT on raw materials. This is double taxation. At the current situation, the proposed hike of tax at source will be a burden for the sector.” He urged the government to provide policy support including lowering of corporate tax and tax at source to allow the sector flourish. In Bangladesh, there are now around 1,500 factories producing 3035 types of export-oriented products. In the last fiscal year, the deemed export of the accessories products earned the country $5.6bn. The industry people hope that the figure will more than double to $12bn by 2018. l

City Bank’s IFC loan gets BSEC nod n Tribune Business Desk

Jessore software technology park to open for investors by year-end

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) yesterday approved the City Bank’s proposal to raise more than Tk130 crore from the International Finance Corporation. The proposal was made in order to strengthenthe bank’s Tier-I capital, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. The City Bank will raise the fund in the form of equity shares. The shares will remain locked-in for three years. Upon the approval, International Finance Corporation will pay Tk28.3 for each share, which includes a premium of Tk18.3. The City Bank will issue over 4.6 crore ordinary shares. Earlier, the City Bank and IFC made an agreement on convertible loan into common equity of the bank. l

The government is planning to open software technology park in Jessore for investors by the end of this year. Finance Minister AMA Muhith came up with the announcement while unveiling the budget for FY’17 at the Parliament on June 2. The Information and Communication Technology Division is implementing the park on a 3.03-acre land at Barandi and Shonkorpur mouza of Jessore Sadar upazila. The park will help develop world class business environment conducive for IT/ITES to attract foreign and local investments in Bangladesh. Officials said the park will help promote balanced development of ICT Industries in Southern region of the country, create basic infrastructure for the establishment of IT Park/STP in regional level,

n Tribune Business Desk

construct a Multi-Tenant Building (MTB) and other utility services at the allocated land for creating ready infrastructure for local and foreign investors. It will also create employment opportunity for the ICT professionals. The plan of Jessore Software Technology Park (JSTP) was undertaken as per the promise made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to Jessore on December 27, 2010. Meanwhile, the government is expecting to complete Mongla Economic Zone and the first subzone in Mirsarai EZ within this month, the last month of outgoing fiscal year. “We have accorded approval to the establishment of 46 economic zones. Both local and foreign investors have already started constructing industries in some of these zones,” Muhith said with his budget speech. The Mirsarai Economic Zone

Business

is being developed on a 7716-acre land, which is 67 Kilometres away from Chittagong port. Meanwhile, the government is also implementing Mongla Economic Zone on 205acre land located near the bank of river Pashur. The minister also said the space for setting up economic zones by India, China and Japan is already earmarked. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier formally inaugurated development works of 10 economic zones in February this year. The government has undertaken a plan to establish 100 economic zones in phases over the next 15 years for creating more opportunities for investment, industrialisation and employment. Once established, the economic zones are expected to increase export earnings by $40 billion and generate about 10 million additional jobs. l

Stocks keep falling amid dull trading n Tribune Business Desk Stocks declined for the second consecutive session amid lackluster trading yesterday as investors continued to react negatively to the proposed budget, dealers say. However, some attributed investors’ choosing to sit in cash ahead of ACME Laboratories debut today (Tuesday) in the secondary market to the fall. The market opened sharply lower with key index losing 35 points in mid-session. However, it recovered more than half of losses riding on mainly heavyweights in the final session. At the end of the day, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange DSE lost 15 points or 0.4% to 4,410—its lowest since May 25 last. The blue-chip comprising index DS30 edged about 5 points or 0.5% down to 1,083. The DSE Shariah Index DSES was down 10 points or 0.6% to 1,737. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX closed at 8,260, shedding 23 points. Trading activities also took a jolt as the DSE turnover went below Tk300 crore after around three weeks. It stood at Tk282 crore, which is 8% down over previous session. “DSE stocks dropped sharply in morning trade after a heavy selloff in previous sessions as miffed budget expectation prompted selloffs further,” said Lanka Bangla Securities. It said as soon as the index touched 4,450 resistance level last day, the market became lackluster and fought to make strong move above this level. “The DSEX extended the downward move amid IPO debut of ACME Laboratories,” said Sheltech Brokerage Limited. The value of over 60% shares eroded as out of 316 issues traded, 191 scrips fell, 78 advanced and 47 remained steady. Most heavyweight sectors closed flat while low cap sectors closed mixed. Banks, power and pharmaceuticals closed marginally higher while non-banking financial institutions and telecommunications sectors closed slightly down. l

MTB launches four types of debit, credit cards n Tribune Business Desk

Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) in collaboration with MasterCard has launched four types of debit and credit cards for their clients in Bangladesh. The cards are- World, Titanium, Gold and Classic. As chief guest, State Minister for Ministry of Finance MA Mannan for-

mally launched the cards at a ceremony held in the city on Sunday. The launching ceremony was attended, among others, by founding Chairman of MTB Syed Manzur Elahi, Vice-Chairman Hedayetullah, Managing Director Anis A Khan and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Mohammed Kamal. Addressing the launching cere-

mony, the junior minister warned the bank of remaining alert about the using of technology. Citing the example of recent cyber heist from the central bank’s reserve account, he said: ‘’We were completely unaware about the malware that was used to steal money by destroying anti-virus in the computer.’’

He also suggested the bankers to invest more in IT sector to further secure their network system for avoiding any kind of hacking. MTB and MasterCard will offer a variety of privileges and discounts through MasterCard’s extensive network of over 1,200 partner merchants in home and abroad. The MTB-MasterCard cardhold-

ers will get complimentary access to Balaka Lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka along with other 900 airport lounges in 100 countries. Additionally, customers will be eligible to get four supplementary cards with limited lost card liability facility and health protection plan. l

Business

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Lew raps China on excess steel production n AFP, Beijing

Chinese oversupply of steel is “damaging and distorting” global markets, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said yesterday, joining a chorus of criticism that blames Beijing for plant closures and job losses in the industry worldwide.

China is the world’s number one steelmaker, producing more than half of global output, but stands accused of flooding the market with steel at below cost prices - dumping - in violation of international trade rules. “Excess capacity has a distorting and damaging effect on global

CORPORATE NEWS

DHL Express Bangladesh has recently been recognised as the best air express company of 2015 by The Bangladesh Monitor, said a press release. Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh, Rashed Khan Menon was present on the occasion along with Desmond Quiah, country manager of DHL Express Bangladesh

Envoy Textiles Limited has recently achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in platinum category, said a press release. Envoy Textiles held a celebratory programme in Dhaka in this regard. The company’s chairperson, Engr Kutubuddin Ahmed and its managing director, Abdus Salam Murshedy were present on the occasion

Prime Bank Limited has recently elected Md Nader Khan and Nasim Anwar Hossain as the bank’s new vice chairpersons for two years effective from June 2016, said a press release. Nader Khan is also serving as chairperson of several companies including Artisan Ceramics Ltd. Nasim Anwar is currently serving as director of several companies including Prime Cement Ltd.

Top executives of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has recently held a meeting to exchange views on development of the bank, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Engr Mustafa Anwar was present at the meeting as chief guest

markets,” Lew said at the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, a key annual meeting between the world’s two top economic powers. “Implementing policies to substantially reduce production in a range of sectors suffering from overcapacity, including steel and alumin-

ium, is critical to the function and stability of international markets.” Lew’s comments echo those of other senior officials around the world who have blamed the Chinese supply glut for industry turmoil in Europe and elsewhere. Among those hit has been Indian-owned Tata Steel, which said in

March it was selling its struggling British assets - putting 15,000 jobs at risk. At Group of Seven summit talks in Japan last month world leaders said the global steel oversupply must be “urgently addressed”, in what was seen as a barely disguised jab at China. l

Spain’s economy flies high above political turmoil n Reuters, Jabugo In Spain’s cured ham capital, the small southern village of Jabugo, uncertainty over who will govern next in Madrid is a remote concern for investors keen to produce more of the Andalusian delicacy. Drawn by the export potential for premium ham, family-owned meat producer ElPozo is pouring 70m euros ($78.38m) into building a new processing plant in the area even as Spain enters its sixth month without a new government and gears up for a repeat election on June 26. It is far from alone. In part thanks to Spain taking Germany-inspired austerity medicine and dealing with its banking crisis earlier than many European peers, company investments have chugged along since an inconclusive December ballot. Even now, with opinion polls projecting a similarly fragmented result and raising fears of a paralysis that could jeopardize Spain’s recovery from a painful double-dip recession, local and foreign firms are finding reasons to expand, from the country’s relatively low wages to recovering household spending. French carmakers Renault and Peugeot separately confirmed in May they would be ploughing a combined 1.3bn euros ($1.4bn) into their Spanish plants over the next four years and the two will produce new models there. The economy grew 0.8% between January and March for the third straight quarter, one of the fastest rates in the euro zone, as both consumers and businesses shrugged off politicians’ failure to strike a coalition deal. In ElPozo’s case, surging Chinese demand for Spanish pork and high-quality cured ham is an opportunity it is loathe to pass on. Spain’s meat exports are thriving, having jumped 16 percent last year to nearly 2 million tonnes. “We want to inundate the world with Iberian ham,” said Rafael Fuertes, one of the senior managers at ElPozo. The firm already derives about 15% of its revenue from exports and is seeking to make a push in Latin America as well as Asia. Its plant in Jabugo, first mooted in 2011, aims to produce 2.5 million sausages, hams and other types of cold cuts a year, after the firm more than trebled its early production targets and increased by 50% its investment budget last year. Premium products will include cured legs of Iberico ham, produced from pigs fed on acorns from oak trees and hung out to dry in traditional ventilated cellars for months. l

Business

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Tech

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

The Dark Knight returns You will finally be able to have your very own Bat-phone

n Mahmood Hossain With one of the biggest missteps of cinematic history, especially in the comic book/superhero genre, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice managed to open doors for a somewhat brighter future. The majority of critics, and fans alike, agreed that Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman and Bruce Wayne was the best thing to come out of the film. And so with that in mind, also unexpected, Samsung decided to release a special kind of smartphone. They decided to give their flagship model, the Galaxy S7, a Dark Knight makeover. The new special edition Galaxy S7 Edge has been given an all-Batman theme. This was to commemorate the third anniversary of the game Injustice: Gods Among Us. A hugely popular game at the time, it’s still a bit random and strange why they would choose to throw an homage. Go figure. And we wouldn’t blame anyone for assuming this to be some kind of gimmick or collector’s edition. The phone itself comes in the usual hardware, which means the design is remains the same. However, this S7 Edge comes in a special colour scheme. If you can remember, they did something very similar, teaming up with

Marvel, to bring out an Iron Man edition of the Galaxy S6 Edge not too long ago. Clearly, these special edition phones are a lot more attractive than the usual Edge handsets. The Batman version is sexier and sleek, black being the primary colour and complemented by the gold accents and Batarang on the back of the phone. In addition to all the alterations, the lockscreen has a special Batman logo glowing underneath the clock. You also have the obvious custom icon pack and overall theme of the interior navigation. Not to mention, there’s the all-black Oculus VR that comes in the box. For the box itself, well, let’s just say it’s something you’d want to place as a decoration piece in your bedroom or study. Ultimately, this is for all those Batman or comic book fans out there who prefer to deal with Androids. A theme that also happens to be plastered onto the best Android smartphone in the market. We’re still quite not sure how much this device will cost, as Samsung announced the release of this special edition over a week ago. If anything, you’ll probably see it pop up in South Korea first and other major Asian carriers in the following months.l

Huawei launches flagship smartphone P9 with Robi

Huawei Consumer Business Group launched its much anticipated flagship device Huawei P9 in Bangladesh. The gala launch event was held on June 6, 2016 at Radisson Blue Hotel in the capital. The Huawei P9 is the latest in its P Series of premium smartphones with the best-in-class hardware, never-seen-before camera, smarter

fingerprint ID technology, superb connectivity and an extraordinary 5.2-inch display, with a state-ofthe-art design. Along with the superior technology specification, the device’s attractive price proposition of Tk47,990 is expected have a special appeal among the sophisticated smartphone users in the country.

Robi, the leading telecom operator in Bangladesh, came together with Huawei to launch the handset. Robi users will get 9GB data and 999 minutes of talktime to any operator per month for three months. Customers can also buy this device with a monthly EMI of Tk1999 over 24 months period.

Created in collaboration with world-famed brand Leica Camera AG, P9 brings a new dimension in smartphone photography. Boasting a dual-lens Leica camera, its brilliant image engineering will allow users to capture photographs in both vivid colors and striking monochrome. The P9 will ensure that its users never miss a precious moment. With its unmatched clarity, richness and authenticity of colour tone, image captured with the P9 will deliver exceptional quality. Each P9 device is a perfect construct of superior-grade 2.5D glass and an aerospace-class aluminum, with diamond-cut edges rounded out by carefully balanced curvatures. “We believe the P9 is a game-changer for smartphone photography. Huawei and Leica share the same passion to look beyond what is possible, and the partnership between the two equally famed companies have

forever changed the way we capture photos and see the world. The P9 is a piece of art which has seen a relentless drive to push the boundaries of innovation. This launch of our latest flagship product signifies our commitment towards the Bangladeshi market, which is a very important market for us,” said Ingmar Wang, Director of Device Business, Huawei (Bangladesh) Limited. Commenting on the launch of P9, Robi’s head of business operation, Jean-Michel Arnaud Chanut said that, “P9 is the first smartphone with a Leica camera, which is regarded to be the Mercedez-Benz in photography. So, don’t worry if you are not a pro. Just click away. Besides, owning P9 is like owning a premium car and enjoying it in all its glory would require a highway too. We believe that Robi’s super-fast internet is that highway that is tailor made to help the consumers to have a blissful life on the digital space. Hence, Robi is indeed proud to partner with Huawei in bringing P9 for our subscribers.” l

Gaming

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Gamers unite

Here’s where and when to stream E3 2016 Live

n Mahmood Hossain E3 is like the Mecca of videogame conferences. The event is set up for gamers of all ages to view some of the best games and videogame innovations that are set to be released. Visitors at the conference, and watching at home, will be treated to the best of the best from videogame console companies and by studios who develop amazing games. As mentioned, you’ll be able to watch these presentations from home by streaming it on IGN.com. Here’s the full schedule for the conferences from each slot in Bangladesh standard time. Go to IGN.com/E3 to view each presentation LIVE:

• EA – June 12 at 2am BST • Bethesda – June 12 at 8am BST • Microsoft – June 13 at 10:30pm BST • PC Gaming Show – June 13 at 1am BST • Ubisoft – June 13 at 2am BST • Sony – June 13 at 7am BST The date and times listed are all set for the LIVE viewings. If you were unable to watch any of the LIVE showings, not to fret. IGN will have recorded each presentation for later view, so you won’t feel left out. Here’s hoping to a fast internet connection for those eager to stream E3 2016. Game on, folks! l

E3 2016 games An exciting list of games that will be playable and viewed at this year’s convention

n Mahmood Hossain Every year we are given an opportunity to watch others present or play the latest games at E3. This year’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), starting on June 12, has an impressive line-up of games that will be playable and other games that will simply feature on and off of the convention grounds. Since, neither of us will be attending, we’ll at least get to see plenty of footage of players taking control of some of these awesome games. So let’s take a look at the list. Playable games: • Battlefield 1 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) • Black the Fall (PC only)

• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Xbox One, PS4, PC) • Final Fantasy XV (PS4, Xbox One) • Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (Android, iOS) • Hitman (PS4, PC, Xbox One) • I Am Setsuna (PS4, PC) • Just Cause 3 (PS4, PC, Xbox One) • Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (PS4, PS3) • The Turing Test (Xbox One, PC) • Valentino Rossi: The Game (PC, PS4, Xbox One) The list of games that will be featured at the event, not necessarily playable: Attack on Titan (PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS Vita, PS3) • Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

(Xbox One, PC, PS4) • Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (PC only) • Dishonored 2 (Xbox One, PC, PS4) • Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (Wii U & 3DS only) • Everest VR (HTC Vive) • For Honor (Xbox One, PS4, PC) • Forza (Xbox One, possibly PC) • Furi (PS4, PC) • Guilty Gear XRD (PS4, PS3) • Legend of Zelda (Wii U) • Mafia 3 (PC, Xbox One, PS4) • Mass Effect Andromeda (Xbox One, PS4, PC) • Monster Hunter Generations (3DS) • Moto Racer 4 (Xbox One, PS4, PC) • Nioh (PS4) • Persona 5 (PS4, PS3) • Pokemon Sun and Moon (3DS)

• Raw Data (PC – HTC Vive) • Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (PS Vita) • Syberia 3 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) • Titanfall 2 (TBA) • Tokyo Mirage Sessions (Wii U) • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Xbox One, PS4, PC) • Warhammar 40K: Inquisitor: Martyr (PS4, Xbox One, PC) • Watch Dogs 2 (TBA) • Yesterday Origins (PS4, Xbox One, PC) • Zero Time Dilemma (PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS, PC) Just like every year, not all games have been confirmed, which means there are a list of games that we might get a sneak peek of. Whether we get to see these games or not, this year’s E3 will be yet another entertaining event for all

gamers to shout and cheer. And so the list continues of the games we might see at E3 2016: • Below (PC, Xbox One; Microsoft) • Crackdown 3 (Xbox One; Microsoft) • Dreams (PS4; Sony) • FIFA 17 (EA Sports) • Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4; Square Enix) • Gears of War 4 (Microsoft; TBA) • Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4; Sony) • Just Dance 2017 (TBA; Ubisoft) • Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4, Xbox One; Square Enix) • LawBreakers (PC; Steam) • Nier Automata (PS4; Square Enix) • Pokemon Go (iOS, Android; Nintendo) • ReCore (Xbox One; Microsoft) Scalebound (Xbox One; Microsoft) l

Biz Info

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

| meet |

| talk |

Seminar in AEPZ to promote Uttara, Ishwardi & Mongla EPZs

Career Café Entrepreneurs

A promotional seminar was held this past Saturday in Adamjee EPZ to attract more investment in the Uttara EPZ at Saidpur, Ishwardi EPZ in Pabna and Mongla EPZ of Bagerhat. This seminar was organised to enhance investments in these three emerging EPZs. Mr Zillur Rahman, ndc, member (finance) of BEPZA was the chief guest. In his welcome speech, he requested that investors act as ambassadors by developing entrepreneurs’ keenness of their countries to investment in EPZs

of Bangladesh. He also assured the investors all out support from BEPZA for their business management. Mr Md Ashraful Kabir, general manager of Adamjee EPZ briefed over the growing success of the investment, export and employment of the EPZs of the country. He started activities of the seminar describing the investment friendly atmosphere prevailing in the Uttara, Ishwardi & Mongla EPZs through a multimedia presentation. General manager of Adamjee EPZ

urged the investors to avail the opportunity to invest in these three EPZs. He also highlighted special tax holiday, reduced rate for land and factory building, including other logistic facilities, modern connectivity that is contributing an important role in promoting of Mongla, Ishwardi and Uttara EPZ. Mr Ashraful Kabir expressed optimism that in future the investors will be more privileged to manage their business market through the Padma Bridge, Asian Highway, Railway track and construction of airport at Bagerhat. He mentioned that Kwun Tong Apparels Ltd & Epic Garments Ltd-two enterprises of AEPZ have been expanded their business in Ishwardi EPZ and he invited existing investors of AEPZ to invest in these 3 EPZs. Guests of the seminar praised the organiser for arranging a successful seminar, which gave them an opportunity to know in details about BEPZA, particularly Uttara, Mongla & Ishwardi EPZ. l

Career Café Entrepreneurs Meet Up was held on June 04, 2016 at Eastern University. Professor Dr Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, pro vice chancellor of the university inaugurated the session, while Abu Hena Md Rasel, director of Career Counseling and International Office were also present at the ceremony. In the workshop, popular motivational speaker G Sumdany Don took a session on Journey of an Entrepreneur, where he shared his life story with the audience, and how he started his journey as an entrepreneur. Mr Shaer Hassan, CEO and co-founder of Nascenia Ltd, took a session on “Making the leap of Faith as an Entrepreneur”. He said that the entrepreneurial journey is not an easy one, you will have to face lot of challenges but every entrepreneur should overcome the issue. That is the critical success factor for an entrepreneur. M Murshed

Haider, consultant PPP authority, Prime Minister’s office discussed “Investment Readiness of Startups” in Bangladesh. He showed the startup investment scenario of Bangladesh and the process of getting fund from different sources. Another session on “Digital Marketing for Startups” was conducted by Lutfi Chowdhury, VP (sales and partnership) of G&R. At the end of the session, a discussion was held on “Funding Opportunities for Start Ups in Bangladesh”. More than 80 entrepreneurs attended the meet up. Dhaka Tribune as the media partner, Channelionline the Online partner, Shahin’s Helpline as the legal partner, Eastern University as venue partner, G&R Digital as the marketing partner, BDventure Venture Capital supported the event. Career café is a non-profit platform that helps the youth in career mentoring and entrepreneurship development.l

| tournament |

| event |

Social Business Champ 2016 commences with Round 2 Workshop – attended by 100 Teams

Ramadan Activities at Hotel Sarina Dhaka

Yet another exciting edition of Social Business Youth Alliance’s TSBD was held on June 4th at Dhaka University. The four and a half-hour long Training on Social Business Development was conducted as a part of the latest edition of Social Business Champ 2016, a social business idea competition for university students. The workshop, attended by 100 teams, involved a wide range of topics starting from the basics of Social Business to the latest global trends in social entrepreneurism. The workshop featured basic introductions from the Founder

of SBYA, S M Khairul Islam, followed by a more in depth session by Professor Jahangir Alam of Dhaka University. The topics covered the history, major elements and seven principles of social business, as well as the absolutes to get an entrepreneurial idea started. These sessions were followed by a 30-minute regrouping break with refreshments sponsored by Nestlé Bangladesh. Afterwards, more interactive sessions were held. Mr Wahid Hossain, TEDxCU Alumni and founder of Tiger Bow, talked about the what, when and how of becoming a Social Entrepreneur. He discussed the unspoken rules of becoming an entrepreneur, and stressed on the impact each of the participants could have in

their own communities as well as globally. The last session of the day focused on a more modern approach to problem solving and product development. Led by Ms Shahana Sharmin, founder and CVO at Socio-Tech Academy, the Design Thinking session talked about practicality in innovations and human centric design of products and services. The universally applicable technique was shared among the participants so that each team can customise the technique to fit their own ideas and match expectations of their customers. The training sessions ended with SBYA global trademark Unbound networking sessions. The participants used this opportunity to get themselves better acquainted with the trainers and ask for personalised tips and pointers on how to improve their idea and the myriad challenges they could face.l

Hotel Sarina Dhaka has created a host of exclusive offers to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan, including a tantalising Iftar turned dinner buffet at Amrit Restaurant. There will be a special set menu during Sohour at Summerfield’s Restaurant, Banquet menu with Complimentary Venue and Special Room Package to enjoy throughout the month of Ramadan. The culinary teams have created a mouth-watering

selection of dishes to offer on Iftar and the dinner buffet to remember. Stations will feature Ramadan favourites such as shawarma, manakish or lamb ouzi. The all-time favourite, Arabic Mezze corner will delight all palates, alongside some refreshing, colourful displays of salads and cold dishes. And not to forget, the spread of desserts, featuring Om Ali, Basbousa, and Pistachio Baklava will also be set up for diners. The Iftar-dinner buffet at Amrit continues throughout the month of Ramadan at Tk2,999 all Inclusive per person. Special Room Rate: Throughout the month of Ramadan, guests can relax and unwind at Hotel Sarina Dhaka with special room rates, starting from only Tk8,888, all inclusive per room per night. Conditions apply.l

Auto Connect

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

The All-Track rolla Showin’ love to the old man – Toyota Corolla AE95

n Ashiq Rahman Ever since the 70s, the Japanese car manufacturers such as, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi, have dominated the car market all round the globe. Among them, one name stood high above the rest, Toyota; a name that is synonymous with reliability and economy. The most commonly recogonised Toyota around the world with over 40 million units sold globally ever since its introduction since 1966, is the Corolla. Among the Corolla line-up, the EE and the AE chassis from the 90s were extremely popular. However, the AE95 chassis, which was slightly different from its AE91 and AE92 siblings, was better in terms of performance and other luxurious extras. There was an estate version of the model, known as the Carib wagon and a limited edition sedan version as well. It came with the full package, that means it had the distinctive maroon trim interior with semi-bucket seats, smokediffuser, and we left the best bit for the last, it came equipped with the desirable AWD or full time 4WD option straight out of the factory. From the factory, this AE95 version

came with either a 1.6 litre in-line four-cylinder petrol engine or a 1.8 litre diesel. With all that in mind, let’s talk about why we dug this 26 year-old junk out of the closet. Well, it’s very simple. The 90 series Corolla has a very basic underpinning, which makes it a highly customisable platform and an obvious choice for project cars. For years, we have seen people swapping out the standard engines with 4A-GE engines for the extra kick. The 90 have been used as bases car for high-end torque projects with asphalt grinding power outputs. However, the All-Track version was not imported everywhere, it was meant for a selected few markets like Russia and US and mostly for the Japanese domestic market. This car though, had all the makings of a cult classic and as always, Toyota ruined the party by equipping this amazing platform with a rather mundane 4A-FE and to add to the insult, it had an AWD drive-train. It was horribly slow, it felt sluggish every time you put the pedal to the metal and it didn’t even have enough torque to drag itself off the line.

Nonetheless, the car had a huge potential. It can easily be made into a torque monster with a simple engine swap. At this point, you’ll be thinking that it’s all the same; swap out the 4E-FE for a 4A-GE. But, no! It isn’t what we had in mind for it. Get out of the box and think large. A turbo and an intercooler is what we had in store for it. The chassis or the under-part of the AE95 is made in such a way, that it has the same working gears as the Celica ST186 till the ST205 series. It means it is a

perfect bolt-on match for the AE95 chassis. Almost all ST series Celica’s were equipped with bolt-on All-Track option. So it’s a simple swap out for the AE95 to be transformed into a torque monster that can quite easily house the second and third generation 3S-GTE with 200BHP and 205BHP respectively. The fact is the 90 series Corolla has a very light base, weighting in about 1,180 kilograms. Whereas, its other AWD rivals, like the Subaru, weighs around 1,495 kilograms and the

Lancer Evolution weighs a shade over 1,400 kilograms. Thus, making the All-Track Corolla pretty much a lightweight lightning bolt in its class. These cars have very good handling because of its rigid suspension, and all factory fitted OEM sways and balancing bars. So when put into context with the Subaru and the Mitsubishi rally specialists, the All-Track Corolla does seem to fair well and with all the proper upgrades, it can be a worthy opponent.l

20 Editorial

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

TODAY

This is our science But the way we conduct science -memorise, spew, repeat -- is indicative of how as a culture we function. We value quantity over quality; we admire time spent studying instead of the amount that is learned PAGE 21

Ramadan and human development As it is a period of cleansing, avoiding sugary, oily, fatty, meaty, and starchy foods would be ideal PAGE 22

Retirement homes Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy towards migrants is over-generous by comparison. It enabled Osama Bin Laden to enter and then reside in the country for years without a visa PAGE 23

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ DhakaTribune. The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors alone. They do not purport to be the official view of Dhaka Tribune or its publisher.

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Bring killers to justice with full force of the state

nough is enough. These killings must stop. The murder of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, which took place while she was walking to the bus stop with her second-grader son, should ring alarm bells for all of us. It has been suggested that she was murdered since she was married to a senior police officer who was involved in extensive work in battling extremist activities, and also to create panic among families of law enforcement agencies. On the same day, a shop-keeper who happened to be Christian was murdered by unidentified assailants. IS has apparently claimed responsibility for this death. These are the two latest incidents in a long series of murders that have taken place throughout the country recently. Men riding on motorcycles, attacking with sharp weapons, and fleeing the scene is a common scenario in these killings. Irrespective of whether these murders are connected by motive, what connects them is a deplorable culture of killing that has become normalised over time. No one seems to be safe. These killings not only spread fear and panic among the population, they undermine our faith in our law enforcement and political institutions. It is the solemn responsibility of the government to put its foot down and treat these killings as a crisis, and bring the perpetrators to book. It is not enough for us to simply condemn the culture of killing and violence that has manifested in our society. The government must uphold the rule of law and assure public safety.

It is the solemn responsibility of the government to put its foot down and treat these killings as a crisis

Opinion

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

This is our science We repeat age-old words from dead authors, but we do not adapt and change with the times

n SN Rasul

hen you’re a GPA-5 in science, you have reached the upper echelons of higher secondary education. Even though more and more have been joining the ranks -- perhaps due to an increase in the number of students itself, due to the constant leaking of exam papers and the subsequent unreliability of the exams themselves, because of the corruption that plagues the system, for the inability of the teachers to a) dole out a proper education and b) to have received a good enough one in the first place and c) to be absolutely inept in the very subjects they teach -- it still bears some level of prestige. Some time in the mid-2000s, a cousin of mine achieved the same grade in his HSCs. It was an achievement so admired, a feat so deified, that one of our mutual aunts bought him a flat screen TV and gave him extra cash to spend on himself. This was and perhaps still is the so-called value of a GPA-5. Whether Maasranga TV was right to humiliate rather publicly and, consequently, virally, a few innocent students that barely play a part in the gigantic cog-wheel of illiteracy that is our education system is not the point. The fact remains that, though these students were not representative of the entirety of the national board student body, they do speak for a significant, if not a majority slice, of the students that are injected in and excreted out of our education system. Having dealt with these students in almost every walk of life, I personally have found this to be the case. General knowledge abysmal, interest in anything outside of their curriculum (or within their curriculum) absent, grasp of the English language disastrous. One could argue against the importance given to the coloniser’s language, but could these same students write anything original in Bangla? How many of them will end up being great connoisseurs of Bengali, how many will go on to write and invent new ways of engaging and interpreting the Bengali soul, how many will wield its words to rivet the world? A common misconception is that the sciences aren’t “creative” fields, whereas the humanities are usually seen to be the freer of the

You may have aced an exam, but that doesn’t mean you learned anything two. It requires tremendous skill, knowledge, and thinking outside of the box to invent, to discover, to create new avenues for making life better, or just to provide a service one doesn’t even realise has been missing all their lives. Science involves imbibing oneself with knowledge, it requires observation, deduction, dedication, inferences, conclusion, all those things literature teaches us too, but in different ways. But the way we conduct science -- memorise, spew, repeat -- is indicative of how as a culture we function. We value quantity over quality; we admire time spent studying instead of the amount that is learned, we understand the importance of beating our kids into shape but not engaging with them with real conversations and thoughts which force us to move out of our comfort zones. The way we conduct our science is based on repetition: Repeating the age-old words of a bygone era clinging on to dead authors and their letters. We do not observe and change; instead, religiously, we remember and implement, and what we observe to be different, we ignore, or crush into non-existence.

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But the way we conduct science -- memorise, spew, repeat -- is indicative of how as a culture we function. We value quantity over quality; we admire time spent studying instead of the amount that is learned

In Neptune and Bangladesh, this is acceptable. Both fictions created out of the minds of people who don’t know any better. Both laughing stocks sailing forth on a sinking boat -- one as a meme on the internet, and the other as a nation with dreams of development and a mythical middle-income status. Our science, you see, values the number of cars on the street and the size of our apartments and the height of our buildings. It recognises your standing in the world based on the fact that you have a job, a car, a wife, children, respectable parents, prayer five times a day, a clean past, a healthy future, a robust savings account. It knows the importance of creating an image of success but understands little of actual success. It teaches us so well the

line between right and wrong, but not how to cross it. How will we learn what’s on the other side if we never find the courage to make that journey? When will we recognise the value of novel explorations into the great unknown and the usefulness of an individual who decides to say “no” to the demands of an overwhelming majority? Are we really so happy with being so normal, so common, so average, so just-the-same? When does our vulnerability become our strength? When do we stray from the safe and narrow to the wide scary beyond? When do we refuse to stay rooted to the spot, cuddled by our so-called securities, and fly off into the burning sun? l SN Rasul is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him @snrasul.

Special

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Ramadan and human development On the first day of Ramadan, let’s take care of our mind, body, and soul

Eat right this Ramadan

n Shireen Pasha

magine this -- a young man, one night after meditating in the deep darkness of Mount Hira, gains the awareness that if man moves his body in certain ways, he can develop his body, mind, soul complex to receive higher awareness. This young man further realises that if many people move together in union, the molecules of emotion, devotion, and love that result from the movement (that connects each individual to oneself, to others, to the cosmos, to the highest vibration of love or Allah) -- the resulting energy could change the world. Having this revelation, he rushes home to tell his wife and his little cousin, a boy of 10, about his experience. They believe him. The three then go in the dead of night to perform these movements together in the sacred space of the Kaaba. The young man goes on to build a social justice movement grounded in a process to develop

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human beings to their highest potential -- so that there may be peace, diversity, harmony, and perennial renaissance. This young man was the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Ramadan begins today. Ramadan in Arabic means scorching heat or dryness -- it may be a metaphor for little food and little drink. It was during this month of Ramadan that the first revelation of the Qur’an was received by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). I wish you all a wonderful Ramadan. A time to begin becoming the best that we can be. To cleanse our bodies, connect our glands, and awaken our brains to the highest vibrations of knowledge, love, and being -- to receive knowledge of our true self, to awaken to our deepest love and wisdom, to Allah. As it is a period of cleansing, avoiding sugary, oily, fatty, meaty, and starchy foods would be ideal. Instead, having salads and unsweetened juices would bring one closer to oneself. The prophet often fasted

As it is a period of cleansing, avoiding sugary, oily, fatty, meaty, and starchy foods would be ideal. Instead, having salads and unsweetened juices would bring one closer to oneself

without eating sehri and iftar. This would have allowed the blood to circulate, clearing out accumulated acidity, toxic blockages, excess mucus, while increasing the palpability of the subtle chemicals of joy that our body is designed to produce.

Mind

The fast is not easy, avoiding cultural gluttony at the end of each fasting day will be even more difficult. But we can do it.

Body

Some recipes for Ramadan can be found on this website: https:// rawramadan.com. Prior to fasting, you might do an

intestinal cleansing. The exercise can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3GC226Oga-o Here is a list of acidic foods to avoid, and alkaline foods to eat: http://www.energiseforlife.com/ acid-alkaline-food-chart.pdf. Alkaline components include calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Acidic foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, alcohol, and most grains, while alkaline foods include certain fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables.

Soul

Here is the URL for a link to Amartya Sen’s Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement

and Deprivation: http:// staging.ilo.org/public/libdoc/ ilo/1981/81B09_608_engl.pdf. Poverty and famines are result of not our unlimited needs and limited resources but our lack of human development which leads to greed and hoarding. If you believe in Tarawih, it is beautiful. Meeting with your friends, listening to the reading of the Qur’an, praying together for a month without any breaks in the chain. I wish I could join you. You are the eternal universe. I look forward to writing for you in this month of our shared development. l Shireen Pasha is a freelance contributor.

Opinion

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Retirement homes Pakistani elites like to make a living in Pakistan, but retire elsewhere

Who fares better when it comes to welcoming immigrants?

REUTERS

Pakistan’s policy towards migrants is over-generous by comparison. It enabled Osama Bin Laden to enter and then reside in the country for years without a visa

n FS Aijazuddin

akistani leaders demonstrate their patriotism by buying their retirement homes -- in other countries. It began in 1958, when President Iskander Mirza, ousted by Ayub Khan, spent his last years in a two-storeyed flat he had bought in London’s fashionable Exhibition Road. President General Ziaul Haq was known to have a plush flat in Knightsbridge which his progeny use more than he could. President Asif Zardari can choose between a picturesque chateau in an unspoilt part of France, a sumptuous villa in Dubai, and a warren of undisclosed, undeclared residences. And an offshore company linked to Hassan Sharif, according to one London estate agent, owns a gracious, white, multi-storeyed building known as 1 Hyde Park

Place, W2, facing Hyde Park. W2 was once considered as the swish part of London. It had one digit too many than the more salubrious W1, which included Mayfair and Park Lane, where the senior Sharifs now have their retirement homes. Had I remained in London after qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1965, Hassan Sharif might well have had to buy 1 Hyde Park Place from me. The firm of accountants where I worked first rented that building, gradually took over the upper and lower floors, then bought the freehold, and finally sold it. Its lower basement flat was once the menial accommodation used by the owner’s staff. Today, from the pavement, one can look down into it and see sparkling chandeliers illuminate a luxury flat. One has been told that, in the bowels of the building, hovering precariously over the rumbling Central Line, is a subterranean swimming pool.

Could any Pakistani eyeing his future ask for anything more -- except perhaps property in Australia, which is where General Ashfaq Kayani, it is rumoured, intended to eke out his retirement. It must be galling for Pakistani rulers to not to be able to plan their retirement with equanimity. It is a predicament they share with many British businessmen. Many British individuals, when confronted by an impending referendum on whether they wish to remain in the EU or not, are apprehensive that, should Britain vote to withdraw, it might be left floating in an ocean of irrelevance, somewhere between the continent of Europe and the American archipelago. One forgets that Great Britain has always been a magnet for immigrants -- the Vikings from Scandinavia in the 8th century, the Huguenots from France in the 17th century, the Jews between and during the World Wars, West Indians on banana boats in the 1950s, and of course, Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis who have converted Great Britain into one vast, irresistible curry centre. If one talks to an Englishman, in defiance of his own DNA, he will regard modern immigrants as interlopers. Talk to a Britisher, he will resent anyone who has

migrated after him as an unwanted guest who refuses to leave. Ask someone whose family fled Nazi Germany, he will see in the storm clouds that hover over the EU, a metallic lining. He expresses suspicion of the emergent rightist movements seeping through Austria, Germany, and France, for he recognises in them the grey glint of authoritarianism, the incipient revivalism of Teutonic arrogance. Talk to a former colonial, and his eyes will moisten at the recollection of the Commonwealth and its forgotten advantages. Talk to a British Asian, and he will deplore the laissez-faire policies that permit a net inflow of over 300,000 migrants each year into the United Kingdom, putting an inordinate and unaffordable strain on its housing, social, health services, and job opportunities. Some would even argue that, if during the post-war 1950s young British couples were paid to migrate to Australia, perhaps the time has come for the British government to pay foreigners to stay out of the UK. It might be cheaper in the long run. Will the forthcoming referendum on Brexit be the augury of a fragmentation of the UK? Will the withdrawal from Europe be the first domino, precipitating the withdrawal of Scotland across Hadrian’s Wall, Wales into Celtic introspection, and Northern Ireland into a more rational, geographical contiguity? Who knows? Pakistan’s policy towards migrants is over-generous by comparison. It enabled Osama Bin Laden to enter and then reside in the country for years without a visa. It issued an ID card and a passport to the Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor, and never asked for a receipt. It has, since the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, accommodated millions of Afghan refugees in and around Peshawar, and never asked them whether they possess return tickets. And it encourages its leaders to treat Pakistan as an economic opportunity. Our leaders are not dissimilar to Lahore’s femmes de nuit. They ply their trade in the old city but retire in posh Gulberg. Likewise our political elite prefers to earn its living within Pakistan but retire abroad. l FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s main English-language newspaper.

24 Sport

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

TOP STORIES

Aminul slams proposed system Former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul has opposed the proposal of having a twolayered national selection process. He said it is not necessary to have such a revamp, which was proposed by the BCB. PAGE 25

Curry swaps jerseys with Neymar NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry swapped jerseys with Brazilian football star Neymar on Sunday after Curry helped the Golden State Warriors rout Cleveland 110-77 in the NBA Finals. PAGE 26

IN-FORM TIGERS

Djokovic eyes Golden Slam He is the tennis version of the Incredible Hulk and on Sunday Novak Djokovic made his closest rivals turn green with envy as he finally achieved something no man had accomplished for nearly half a century. PAGE 26

Two late goals give Mexico win Mexico scored twice in the final five minutes to beat Uruguay 3-1 in a pulsating Copa America Group C match in which each side had a man sent off on Sunday. The win left Mexico top of the group on goal difference from Venezuela after they beat Jamaica 1-0. PAGE 28

Abahani opener Tamim Iqbal (105* off 86) and Prime Bank batsman Sabbir Rahman (62* off 57) in action on their way to take their sides to victory during the Dhaka Premier League match at BKSP 3 and Fatullah respectively yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE/MI MANIK

Tamim powers Abahani to second place n Mazhar Uddin Tamim Iqbal’s first hundred in this year’s Dhaka Premier League guided Abahani Limited to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Cricket Coaching School at the BKSP-3 ground yesterday. Defending champions Prime Bank Cricket Club also remained in the hunt for a place in the Super League after beating table-toppers Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club by seven wickets in Fatullah. Meanwhile, rain forced the match between Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Kalabagan Cricket Academy into Tuesday, the reserve day, KCA were 35/4 in 14.2 overs.

Abahani v CCS

Abahani jumped to second position in the points table to confirm their place in the Super League stage with this big win. First they restricted CCS to only 205 runs in 50 overs. Cap-

BRIEF SCORES PRIME DOLESHWAR 188 in 47.4 overs (Raqibul Hasan 44, Mohammad Azim 3/28, Monir Hossain 3/31) lose to PRIME BANK 165/3 in 31.3 overs ( Sabbir Rahman 62*, Unmukt Chand 59*) by seven wickets D/L method CCS 205 all out in 50 overs (Rajin Saleh 95, Shakib al Hasan 3/35) lose to ABAHANI 170/1 in 26.4 overs (Tamim Iqbal 105*, Nazmul Hossain 53*) by nine wickets D/L method tain Rajin Saleh top scored with 95 while Mohammad Saifuddin crawled to 50. Rajin struck four sixes and five fours on his 135-ball knock while young Saifuddin faced 102 balls for his fifty after none of the CCS batsman were able to make a significant contribution. Shakib al Hasan picked up 3/35 while Taskin Ahmed, Abul Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain took two wickets each.

Rain interrupted the game during Abahani’s chase and they were given an adjusted target of 168 runs in 35 overs. Their capatin Tamim blasted the CCS bowlers right from the start although his opening partner Yousuf Pathan was dismissed for just eight. Young Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Tamim added an unbroken 160-run second wicket stand to reach the target in 26.4 overs. Tamim registered his ninth List-A hundred off 83 balls and remained unbeaten on 105 off 86 deliveries featuring eleven fours and four sixes while Nazmul remained not out on 53 off seventy balls with four boundaries. CCS ended their campaign with just two wins in 11 games, and will be playing in the three-team relegation play-off.

Doleshwar v Prime Bank

Despite the defeat, Doleshwar sit at the top of the points table with 14 points while Prime Bank still

have to wait to confirm their place in the last six after their sixth win. Batting first, Doleshwar were bundled out for just 188 runs in 47.4 overs. Raqibul Hasan’s 44 was the highest score while leftarm spinner Monir Hossain and pacer Mohammad Azim bagged three wickets each. Rubel Hossain and Shuvagata Hom also picked up two wickets each. Prime Bank were in a spot of bother after being given a revised target of 165 runs in 36 overs due to a long rain interruption. At one stage they were 51/3 in the 14th over losing Mehedi Maruf (9), Shanaj Ahmed (22) and Nurul Hasan (4). But Indian batsman Unmukt Chand and Tigers star Sabbir Rahman struck fifties and added an unbeaten 114 runs for the fourth wicket to reach the target with 27 balls to spare. Sabbir remained not out on 62 off 57 balls with three sixes and four boundaries while Chand was unbeaten on 59 off 74 balls. l

Sport

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

WHAT COACHES SAID Lodewijk de Kruif (Bangladesh) I’m always positive. We are working very hard behind the scenes. And I’m convinced that when my players get onto the pitch, they give their 100%. The only thing is that what you have to realise, in games like these my players are finishing primary school and directly starting university. Nothing in between there.

Khakim Fuzaylov (Tajikistan) We drew our last two matches in Bangladesh. And yes Bangladesh players are more adapted to weather conditions here. This is a big match for your team. We will undertake all our effort to win this game.

Bangladesh national team assistant coach Saiful Bari Titu conducts a training session at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday BFF

Bangladesh eye better display at home n Tribune Report The Bengal Tigers will have to face an uphill task when they host Tajikistan in the second leg of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier play-off at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today at 4.30pm. BTV will telecast the match live. After losing the first leg 5-0 last week, Bangladesh have very little chance to overcome the hurdle as they have to beat Tajikistan with a bigger margin. If they fail to do so then they will play another play-off against Bhutan in September. Last time Bangladesh hosted Tajikistan was in June 16 last year

when they drew 1-1 in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers. Since then the two sides faced each other two more times both ended with same 5-0 margin in Dushanbe. Both the sides saw a number of changes of head coach in the last eight months. Bangladesh tried with Italian Fabio Lopez, Spanish Gonzalo Sanchez Moreno and local Maruful Haque but none managed to convince the federation to stay longer. It will be Tajikistan coach Khakim Fuzaylov’s second match in charge after the departure of Mubin Ergashev in March. Bangladesh have one injury problem in the team with midfield-

HEAD TO HEAD Bangladesh

178 9 1 6 2 5 28

Stats

Tajikistan

Fifa rankings

164 9 6 1 2 28 5

Matches Wins Losses Draws Goals scored Conceded

er Monaem Khan Raju unlikely to be fit due to muscle pain while Tajikistan defender Hasan Rustamov, who played first leg, didn’t travel due to injury.

Lodewijk de Kruif must find a way to stop in-form forward Jahongir Ergashev, who play in Belarus league and scored a brace in the first leg troubling Bangladesh defence most of the time. The hosts should also concentrate on not repeating similar mistakes during set-pieces. “You need to be in shape for games like these. We have enough talent with good players. And I am convinced that they are fighting to come out with a good result. Games like these are very important for the development of the players. We are not up to the mark yet. What we can do is work very hard and to try

Aminul slams proposed selection system n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul has opposed the proposal of having a two-layered national selection process. He said it is not necessary to have such a revamp, which was proposed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s working committee and is likely to be approved by the board of directors in the next meeting. According to the proposal, the initial squad will be selected by the three member selection panel. In the second stage the head coach, the team manager and the chairman of the BCB cricket operations becomes a part of the selection before it is sent for approval to the BCB president. Aminul, currently working as the International Cricket Council’s development officer, said that such a procedure isn’t followed anywhere else in the cricket world. “It is not a matter of it being logical or illogical,” Aminul said yesterday. “One tries to solve a situation when there is an issue but there is no such issue right now. Our

team played really well in the world cup and continued doing so at home. The big question here is how necessary it was to have change (in selection process).” “The proposal doesn’t match any other cricket team in the world because the

three selectors we have are of quality and successful. It is not right to question their cricket intelligence. The current seletion committee is doing well. We could have thought of a change we this committee had failed or the team had not performed. I do not see any reason to disturb them.” Aminul said the change will mean a break in the continuity to the good things that happened in Bangladesh cricket in the recent times. “The teams that we had until now came only after consulting the head coach and the captain and this had got the team success. But a change now will discontinue the good work. There are many countries which have the head coach as the member of the selection panel and the decision comes from the board. But the way the Bangladesh coach got into the process looks really odd,” explained Aminul. Aminul also opposed the inclusion of the national team manager in the selection process and that the role itself doesn’t match with the selection job in cricket. l

to get up there.” said the Dutchman yesterday. Kruif is eying for a positive display as he said that today’s match will be a ‘different ball game’ than the one last week. “In home game, we have to go for a better result. If it is a draw, we are very happy. If there is a possibility, we will do it. If we lose giving everything, I will get satisfaction as the opposition are much better.” Tajikistan coach Khakim Fuzaylov said, “We are highly motivated. We must forget the first result (5-0) and be prepared for tomorrow’s match as this is a playoff. Anything can happen and we will do our best.” l

Javed declines BCB offer n Minhaz Uddin Khan Aaqib Javed has turned down Bangladesh Cricket Board’s offer to become Bangladesh’s bowling coach, citing his current commitment as the cricket operations director in the PSL side Lahore Qalandars. “They (Bangladesh Cricket Board) offered me the bowling coach role but the timing is not right for me. I just joined the Lahore Qalandars and will not be able to leave at this stage,” Javed told a Pakistan-based newspaper yesterday. The BCB president Nazmul Hasan had said on Sunday that the CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury contacted Javed for a final decision. Chowdhury confirmed on Monady that Javed has informed him of his decision. The board will now look into other options in the list which include Chaminda Vaas, Champaka Ramanayake, Venkatesh Prasad and few others. The post of the Bangladesh national pace bowling coach became vacant after Heath Streak left the job last month. l

Sport

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Warriors star Curry swaps jerseys with Brazil’s Neymar n AFP, Oakland

Neymar got the chance to visit the locker room of the Warriors, where he met Stephen Curry(2R), Klay Thompson (3R) and his compatriot Leandrinho Barbosa. He also hooked up with former Barça basketball player and star of the Brazilian national team Anderson Varejao (R), who he presented with a special Barcelona shirt COURTESY

Warriors open 2-0 lead n Reuters, Oakland The Golden State Warriors moved into a commanding position in the NBA Finals with a 110-77 romp over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, the defending champions easing to victory in front of a delighted home crowd. Draymond Green was the latest Warrior to shine as the team’s All-Star backcourt was afforded another quiet game, the power forward scoring a game-high 28 points as Golden State opened a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. MVP Stephen Curry recorded 18 points and nine rebounds but played just 25 minutes and spent much of the night cheering from the

bench while his team ran rampant against a lethargic and outclassed opposition. Cleveland’s misery was compounded in the third quarter when forward Kevin Love was forced to leave the game feeling dizzy after taking a blow to the head in the second quarter. Love has been placed in concussion protocol, the Cavs said. Cavaliers talisman LeBron James finished with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds but did not play in the fourth quarter once the Warriors had opened a big lead by the end of the third. Secondary scorer Kyrie Irving managed just 10 points in Game Two as Cleveland shot only 35 percent.

The Cavaliers were supposed to be better prepared for a Finals rematch with the Warriors as they entered healthier and more talented than the hobbling team that lost 4-2 a year ago, but they have been destroyed in the opening two contests. Golden State has now beaten Cleveland seven straight times, dating back to last season’s Finals. The latest match-up was all but decided midway through the third, when Curry went to the bench due to foul trouble and with the Warriors leading by 10. Golden State barely missed a beat and pushed the lead to 20 heading to the fourth and never looked back. l

NBA FINALS

GAME 2, GS LEAD 2-0

CAVALIERS 77-110 WARRIORS 57-25, 24-17 Away

CLE GS

73-9, 39-2 Home 1 21 19

2 23 33

3 4 T 18 15 77 30 28 110

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

starters K. Love L. James T. Thompson K. Irving J.R. Smith

MIN 21 34 19 33 33

FG 2-7 7-17 3-8 5-14 2-6

3PT FT REB AST PTS 1-4 0-0 3 0 5 1-5 4-4 8 9 19 0-0 2-2 5 0 8 0-3 0-0 3 1 10 1-4 0-2 2 2 5

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

starters D. Green H. Barnes A. Bogut S. Curry K. Thompson

MIN 34 35 15 25 31

FG 3PT FT REB 11-20 5-8 1-1 7 2-7 0-2 1-2 5 1-4 0-0 0-0 6 7-11 4-8 0-0 9 6-13 4-8 1-1 2

AS 5 1 0 4 5

TS 28 5 2 18 17

NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry swapped jerseys with Brazilian football star Neymar on Sunday after Curry helped the Golden State Warriors rout Cleveland 110-77 in the NBA Finals. NBA scoring champion Curry made the exchange shortly after the defending NBA champions seized a 2-0 lead in the best-ofseven championship series, which resumes Wednesday in Cleveland. Curry’s Brazilian teammates, Leandro Barbosa and Anderson Varejao, also received autographed jerseys from the 24-year-old Brazilian striker, a spectator for the blowout of LeBron James and company. “It’s the first time we’ve met,” Curry said. “L.B. and Varejao talk about him all the time. But obviously a star in the soccer world, and such skill and kind of grace when he’s out there on the field, so he’s fun to watch.” Curry proudly displayed Neymar’s number 11 uniform while the Brazilian smiled as she showed off Curry’s number 30 on a yellow jersey. Curry has also exchanged jerseys with Argentine star Lionel Messi, Neymar’s Barcelona teammate. “I know he’s a basketball head,” Curry said. “I saw him dribbling two basketballs the other day trying to mimic my two-ball routine. “I told him I appreciate that and he doesn’t want to see me with a soccer ball because I wouldn’t know what to do. It’s pretty cool to know we’ve got fans all over and obviously it’s inspiring what he does on the soccer field.” Curry missed a chance to catch up with Messi, whose team face Chile in their Copa opener in nearby Santa Clara, California, on Monday. l

Djoker eyes Golden Slam, turns rivals green with envy n Reuters, Paris He is the tennis version of the Incredible Hulk and on Sunday Novak Djokovic made his closest rivals turn green with envy as he finally achieved something no man had accomplished for nearly half a century. Playing what he described as “flawless tennis” over the last three sets of his 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-4 win over Andy Murray, Djokovic cracked his Roland Garros jinx at the 12th attempt to win the French Open. It allowed the Serbian world number one to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time -- a milestone that is so difficult to

MOST GRAND SLAM WINNERS 17 14 12 11 10

Roger Federer (SUI) Pete Sampras (USA), Rafael Nadal (ESP) Roy Emerson (AUS), Novak Djokovic (SRB) Rod Laver (AUS), Bjorn Borg (SWE) Bill Tilden (USA)

reach that it had not been done by a man since Australian Rod Laver won the second of his calendar Grand Slams in 1969. In an era when it is tough to keep track of the countless records

achieved by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal -- who own 31 majors between them -- Djokovic managed to complete a feat that was tantalisingly just out of reach for his rivals-in-chief. “It’s one of the ultimate challenges that you have as a tennis player. I’m very proud, very thrilled,” he said on becoming the third man after Don Budge and Laver to hold the Wimbledon, U.S., Australian and French Open titles simultaneously. Federer had two attempts at completing four in a row -- in 2006 and 2007 -- but each time he was thwarted in the French Open final by Nadal. Despite all their success,

Federer and Nadal, who are among eight men to have completed a career grand slam, never managed to win the Australian-French Opens back-to-back. With Djokovic having achieved that benchmark, he is well placed to complete something no man has ever achieved - the Golden Slam of four majors and Olympic gold in the same year. So is that something that can be done? It certainly is a possibility because nine-times French Open champion Nadal, having struggled with injuries, is no longer the force he was, while 34-year-old Federer was a no show at the French Open after failing to recover from a back problem.l

Sport

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

QUICK BYTES Ukraine arrests Frenchman ‘planning Euro 2016 attacks’ Ukraine’s security service said Monday it had arrested a Frenchman with a huge weapons arsenal who was allegedly planning terror attacks during the Euro 2016 football championship in France. The announcement came just a day after French President Francois Hollande acknowledged there was a threat of an attack during the June 10-July 10 competition but promised to “do everything to ensure that the Euro 2016 is a success.” Ukraine’s SBU security service chief Vasyl Grytsak said the unidentified Frenchman intended to blow up “a Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue, tax collection organisations, police patrol units and numerous other locations.” AFP

Australia thrash WI David Warner scored an unbeaten half century as Australia romped to a six-wicket thrashing of West Indies in their opening Tri-Nation Series day-night game at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday. Warner’s 55 not out saw Australia home with almost 25 overs to spare after the West Indies earlier collapsed from 50 for one to 116 all out from 32.3 overs. Warner anchoring the effort to ensure a victory that was never in doubt despite the loss of three wickets for seven runs with the end in sight. AFP

Red faces as wrong anthem played before Copa America match Copa America organisers were left red-faced on Sunday after playing the wrong national anthem for Uruguay before their match against Mexico in Arizona. The Uruguay players lined up on the pitch for their anthem, “Orientales, la Patria o la Tumba”, ahead of their tournament opener but were greeted instead by the national anthem of Chile at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Organisers quickly sent out an apology. REUTERS

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1 7:00PM Royal Londan One Day Cup 2016 Yorkshire v Worcestershire

TEN 3 10:30PM Tri-Nation: 3rd ODI Australia v South Africa

Sport

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Two late goals give Mexico win over Uruguay n Reuters

Murray vows to bounce back n AFP, Paris

Mexico scored twice in the final five minutes to beat Uruguay 3-1 in a pulsating Copa America Group C match in which each side had a man sent off on Sunday. The win in front of a passionate and partisan crowd at Glendale, Arizona left Mexico top of the group on goal difference from Venezuela after they beat 10-man Jamaica 1-0 in Chicago.

Andy Murray conceded he would have to pick himself up from another Grand Slam final defeat after losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets at the French Open on Sunday. The Briton suffered his eighth reverse in 10 major finals, with five of those defeats inflicted by Djokovic, and was reluctant to reflect on the achievement of reaching his first Roland Garros final. Murray started promisingly by taking the first set in Paris, but the 29-year-old had few answers as Djokovic proceeded to move through the gears on Philippe Chatrier court. The world number one became just the third player after Don Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver, in 1962 and 1969, to simultaneously hold all four Grand Slam trophies. “It’s such a rare thing to have happened, and obviously the depth in the game just now is strong. Some people may think differently, but the level of tennis I think is pretty high now and something you probably won’t see for a long, long time,” said Murray. “His performances over the last 18 months to two years have been exceptional and he deserves to be number one.” l

Jamaica

GROUP C 0-1

Venezuela Martinez 16

3-1

Mexico

Uruguay

Pereira 4-og, Marquez 85, Herrera 90+2

Godin 74

Mexico made a lightning start with the fastest goal of the tournament so far in their first incursion into the Uruguay penalty area in the fourth minute. Venezuela went ahead after 15 minutes when Alejandro Guerra set up Josef Martinez and the striker shot under goalkeeper Andre Blake. Mexico play Jamaica next in Pasadena on Thursday. l

Sweden sign off with Wales win n Reuters Sweden finished their home preparations for Euro 2016 with a resounding 3-0 win over fellow qualifiers Wales and for once did not have to rely on the finishing of captain and record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

RESULTS

Czech Republic Suchy 46

Sweden

1-2

South Korea

Yoon Bit-Garam 26, Suk 40

3-0

Wales

Forsberg 40, Lustig 57, Guidetti 87

Belgium

3-2

R Lukaku 3, Hazard 70, Ciman 73

Serbia

1-1

Mitrovic 88

Slovenia

Norway King 21, Berisha 48

Russia Dzyuba 85

0-1

Turkey Yilmaz 5

The win gave Sweden a boost before they kick off their campaign against Ireland on Monday, while the Welsh must pick themselves up for their first game versus Slovakia on Saturday. Over 37,000 fans came to see Sweden off and goals from Emil Forsberg, Mikael Lustig and John Guidetti, with Ibra making the pass for the opener, secured a comfortable win. The result was a much-needed shot in the arm for the Swedes after a dull scoreless draw against Slovenia on Monday.l

Dhaka Tribune

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Pollex (5) 4 Prosecute (3) 6 Plunder (4) 8 Company of lions (5) 9 Deep mud (4) 11 Love god (4) 12 Game of skill (5) 15 Take unjustly (5) 18 Facts given (4) 20 Dry (4) 21 Court attendants (5) 22 Festivity (4) 23 Fairy being (3) 24 Added clause (5)

DOWN 1 Subject of conversation (5) 2 Combine (5) 3 Consecrate (5) 4 Agitate (4) 5 Facial features (4) 7 Auguries (5) 10 Bellow (4) 13 Listen to (4) 14 Garden tool (5) 15 Part of a shoe (5) 16 Advised strongly (5) 17 Puzzling question (5) 18 Fish (4) 19 Petty quarrel (4)

Downtime

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 6 represents L so fill L every time the figure 6 appears. You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares. Some letters of the alphabet may not be used. As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them. A B C DE FG H I J K L MN O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

Showtime

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

‘Shawon is my childhood friend’ well as some other evidence which he claimed was proof of their marriage. Mahi’s initial reaction to this was of anger and she wanted to take it up with the law enforcement. But now the scene has changed. Both families have agreed to bring the chaos to a stop and compromise with each other. Recently, the two families have sat down together for a negotiation and have signed legal documents in front of their respective relatives. Then Mahi and Shawon both declared that they would not say or do anything to each other

n Showtime Desk How astonishing is it to have someone suddenly declare a long-term enemy as a friend? Well, its common enough in the film industry where celebrity drama is the way to go. Mahiya Mahi is one

such member of this much loved and followed industry. After recently getting married, it had been rumoured that Mahi was cheating on her new husband Apu. The young Bangladeshi film star announced her marriage on May 25 this year. The news swept

which could be harmful to both parties. Then Mahi went on to tell the media that Shawon was her childhood friend. Shawon apparently had no intention of hurting her and the whole situation was a misunderstanding. Thus, came an end to the twists and turns of Mahi’s apparently newly married life. While Shawon is still in custody due to Mahi having filed a case against him, the overall show is now however, over because of the agreement between Mahi and Shawon saying that it was a complete miss understanding. l

across her fans and the media like wildfire. But soon after, on May 27, the media received another shocking news through social media that Mahi was already married to her childhood friend Shawon. Shawon published some photos of Mahi and himself, as

Seven romantic movies that will definitely make you cry n Farhan Shahriar

his stories? If this man had a nickel for every tear he made someone shed, he would be the richest man in the entire universe.

We always want a good happy ending but we don’t always get one, even when it comes to movies. Here are seven movies that will get you all teary-eyed every time when you watch them:

The Notebook (2004)

who were fighting cancer and carrying the heavy burden of the knowledge that one of them was going to die. A story that tugs at the heartstrings if there ever was one.

‘Remember Me’ (2010)

This movie is an emotional roller coaster that makes you wonder whether the protagonists really end up together, but what happens after that, will surely get our tear ducts working.

We don’t remember much of this movie, but we do remember that during the runtime, our vision was certainly blurred, more than once, by involuntary tears.

Safe Haven (2013) P.S. I Love You (2007)

One Day (2011)

After sitting through the ups and downs of Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter’s (Jim Sturgess) lives without each other, you finally get to see them in love and together. But then Emma suddenly dies tragically in a road accident and we witness and feel the terrible pain of having to live without a loved one.

This was undoubtedly a beautiful movie where a girl named Katie (Julianne Hough) begins to fall in love, but has to struggle with a dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her. This movie has emotional turmoil in it which will give you a true experience of love. l

We all know that this movie has moderate reviews and it really isn’t that great, but it still hits you right in the soft spot. There’s something about a letter from a deceased boyfriend that melts your heart and that will definitely make you emotional.

A Walk to Remember (2002)

Nicholas Sparks – who doesn’t love

The Fault in Our Stars (2014) This movie was about two teens

Showtime

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Blockbuster Cinemas

n Rupkotha Chowdhury Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the 2016 American 3D science fiction action comedy film, is now on screen at the Blockbuster Cinemas in the capital’s Jamuna Future Park. Alongside different foreign films, the premier of the film, which is based on popular animated show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, was held at the

theatre on June 2 in the presence of Jamuna Group Director, Zakir Hossain. Famous singer Hridoy Khan, Alisha and cricketer Soumya Sarkar graced the occasion. Zakir Hossain shed light on Blockbuster Cinema’s manifold initiatives and about the film. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a show that had been highly popular among kids and teenagers over the years, is now on the big screen in the form

of a thrilling action packed film directed by Dave Green. A sequel to 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the film stars Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, and Brian Tee among others. The film was released worldwide under the banner of Paramount Pictures on June 3. Audience in wDhaka were accessed to watch the film from the same date. l

Twilight Stars rekindle old romance? n Showtime Desk

Shakib Khan in demand in Tollywood n Showtime Desk Shakib Khan finally returned home after two days of shooting in Kolkata and London. He originally planned to spend more time in local films, but that didn’t end up happening. Last Friday evening, he abruptly left home for Kolkata. The reason for this being Shakib got a call from Kolkata Shree Venkatesh production office, who assigned him to a new film. After the agreement, he returned home this Saturday night. A source close to Khan confirmed the news. The film is Shamim Ahmed Rony’s Mental, which will start shooting this June. Moreover, the

production house is also planning to work with Shakib in three more films. He will be seen not just in the banners of Shree Venkatesh, Shakib will also be available in four more films of SK movies, Kolkata. One of the films will be produced by the Jazz multimedia of Bangladesh. The remaining three will be made jointly by his own production house SK Films. A source says, the producers and the directors of Calcutta are already impressed with the acting creativity of Shakib, so they are keen to make more films with him. l

Rumours are in the air that the once famous Twilight couple have decided to give romance a second chance, since they were spotted at a coffeehouse in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles in April. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson who moved on with Soko and FKA Twigs respectively after breaking up with each other, are apparently trying to rejuvenate the relationship. The recent rumour suggests that Pattinson has officially called off his long-awaited wedding with Twigs and has moved in with Stewart. It started with Kristen, who recently revealed that there was a hidden affection for Pattinson at the recently held Met Gala, that ignited the lost spark between the two stars. A report from Christian Daily suggests that after seeing Twigs and Pattinson at the party, she realised that something is missing from her personal life. An insider close to the couple told to Hollywood Life that Pattinson is the reason for Stewart’s break-up with SoKo. “He was like her soulmate and that’s what she’s looking for in a relationship. Hanging out with Rob, even for just a small amount of time, reminded her that she’s really yearning for is a soul bond. She’s ok with holding out until she finds that kind of love,” a source said.

Edward and Bella: Romance? After breaking up with Soko, Kristen’s name was heard with Alicia Cargile. But now it’s clear that both are friends and nothing beyond that. After marriage rumors of Robert Pattinson and FKA Twigs float around, the two decided to say goodbye to each other. Apparently, both of them have realised that their marriage will end in a divorce. In fact, Robert Pattinson was tired of living with Twigs. Twigs was forcing Pattinson to fix their marriage date, but Pattinson did not want to marry and settle down in life so early. There was no trust between the couple.

It was believed that Pattinson ended his relationship with Kristen due to her hidden affair with Rupert Sanders. She knew that Pattinson was truly in love with her and she broke his heart. “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardised the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry,” Kristen said, according to Movies News Guide. l Sources: Inquisitr, Hollywoodlife

Back Page

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

RMG EXPORT STRIDES AGAINST ALL ODDS PAGE 12

TAMIM POWERS ABAHANI TO SECOND PLACE PAGE 24

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES IN DHAKA PAGE 31

Prices of iftar items skyrocket n Arifur Rahman Rabbi As it happens every year, this time too prices of most of the essential Iftar ingredients have gone up ahead of Ramadan despite several ministers’ assurance that the government would rein in such price hikes. Of them, the price of aubergine has soared up by almost 80% as it is one of the most essential Iftar items. It was selling at Tk90-100 a kilogram yesterday. The price was only Tk50-60 on Sunday, said a vegetable seller. Sellers apprehended that the prices will increase further during Ramadan that begins today. “We sold aubergine at Tk50 to Tk60 on Sunday but it has doubled today [Monday] as Ramadan arrives,” Farid Ahmed, a retail shop owner of Shantinagar kitchen market, told this reporter. The traders, however, said they do not have anything to do with the price hike as the prices of wholesale products have already gone up at the wholesale markets like Karwan Bazar and Shyam Bazar. Eti Laila Kazi, a teacher of a private university, alleged that the prices of essential items rise every year abnormally ahead of Ramadan. Laila frustratingly said she had to buy aubergine at Tk90 a kg yesterday. “The government should monitor the market price during Ramadan,”she said. During visits to different kitchen markets including Shahjahanpur, Malibagh and Shantinagar yesterday this correspondent found that not only aubergine prices of other vegetables such as cucumber, green chilli and potato used for preparing Iftar items also soared up. Prices of gram, garlic, onion,

RETAIL MARKET PRICES AT SHANTINAGAR KITCHEN MARKET

BIGSTOCK

Commodities Gram

Prices last year

Prices 15 days back

Yesterday’s prices

Price difference in last 15 days

Tk60-65

Tk70-80

Tk90-110

Tk20-30

Tk110-120

Tk130-140

Tk140-150

Tk10

Sugar

Tk42-45

Tk55-60

Tk60-65

Tk5

Onion

Tk40-45

Tk45-48

Tk3

Foreign garlic

Tk150-160

Tk180-190

Tk200-220

Tk20-30

Local garlic

Tk100-110

Tk140-150

Tk40

Cucumber

Tk40-45

Tk30-35

Tk40-45

Tk10

Aubergine

Tk50-60

Tk90-100

Tk40

Lemon (4 pieces)

Tk25-30

Tk35-40

Tk10

Potato

Tk22-25

Tk18-20

Tk20-25

Tk2-5

Mutton

Tk500-550

Tk550

Tk600

Tk50

Broiler chicken

Tk160-170

Tk165-170

Tk170-180

Tk5-10

Local red lentil

beef and mutton also went up. Last week, the government imposed a ban on exporting green chilli, eggplant, cucumber, coriander leaf and lemon to keep the prices stable and ensure their smooth supply to domestic markets during Ramadan. Although some wholesalers and retailers blamed shortages in supply for the latest price hikes, this correspondent did not find any dearth of fresh produce during visits to these city markets. The retailer shop owners said that gram was being sold at Tk90110 a kg in the markets. Last year, it varied from Tk60 to Tk65 and it was Tk70-80 just a fortnight ago. The price of imported garlic remained high and the item was selling at Tk200-220 a kg while the local variety was selling at Tk140-150 a kg yesterday. The price of red lentil remained unchanged. However, imported red lentil was being sold at Tk110130 a kg while local red lentil was selling at Tk140-150 a kg. The price of broiler chicken remained unchanged with the item selling at Tk170-175 a kg while beef was selling at Tk420-440 a kg and mutton at Tk600 yesterday. Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayet Ullah Al Mamoon told the Dhaka Tribune that there is no opportunity of price manipulation as there is enough stock of essential products including sugar, onion, lentil, and edible oil. “We are closely monitoring markets and if we find any foul play, stern action would be taken against the culprits,” said Hedayet. He also expected that the prices of essentials will come down within a day or two as the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh is increasing open market sales across the country. l

Home boss claims Mossad behind recent killing spate n Tribune Desk

State Minister of Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday suggested an Israeli link to the recent killings spate of secular bloggers and minorities. While talking to the BBC, the minister highlighted a recent meeting between a BNP lawmaker and a self-proclaimed Israeli politician as his sole evidence of an ongoing

cross-border plotting, terming the rendezvous an “international conspiracy” against Bangladesh. Israel dismissed the suggestion. Kamal’s comments came a day after the wife of a senior police officer was shot dead in broad daylight in Chittagong. Another Christian small trader was hacked to death by unknown assailants in Natore. “Bangladesh has become the target of an international conspira-

cy. And a foreign intelligence agency has joined the conspiracy,” Kamal said while talking to the BBC. When Kamal was to elaborate, he said: “You must have noticed that an Israeli intelligence agent had a meeting with a politician, it does not need to be verified further, all Bangladeshi know about it.” BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury was recently arrested and charged with sedition after he was pictured

meeting Israeli government adviser Mendi Safadi in India. Aslam said he was in India on a business trip and has denied meeting any Israeli intelligence agent. Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told the BBC the suggestion of Israeli involvement was “utter drivel.” Bangladesh has no diplomatic relations with Israel and supports the Palestanians.

More than 40 people have been killed since January last year in the wave of attacks on those seen by extremists as offensive to Islam. The government insists that Islamic State or al-Qaeda do not have a presence in Bangladesh and has tended to blame the opposition and local militant groups. Critics have accused the government of failing to properly address the violence in Bangladesh. l

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