22 June, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Ashar 8, 1423, Ramadan 16, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 60

www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

A terrorist has no name Photographic database identified as necessary tool

n Mohammad Jamil Khan For several years now militant leaders and activists have been using multiple fake names to dodge law enforcers and hide their real identities from subordinate team members so that they are not exposed. They also frequently changed mobile numbers and addresses and contacted each other through the internet or coded SMS, detectives have learnt after arresting several top militant leaders. Investigators also said that the crackdown on banned and blacklisted groups has caused militant leaders who are out of jail to form new groups with new names so that they are not tried under the strict Anti-Terrorism Act, which applies to banned organisations. This trend has made it difficult for law enforcers to locate and arrest militants, and has made it challenging to link them to particular groups. The Ansarullah Bangla Team leader killed in an alleged gunfight in Dhaka on Sunday had remained traceless for several years. Police had announced a Tk5 lakh bounty for information about the banned outfit leader mentioning his name as Shariful alias Shakib alias Sharif

Bounty on the heads of the six accused militants pictured above was declared by police but uses of aliases by them have raised a big question about their real identities alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi 1. After his death, Sharif’s family members identified the body but claimed that his name was Mukul Rana. Five other Ansarullah militants, who allegedly took part in most of the recent attacks, are also known by four or five names, police claimed. Similar trend was found among the leaders of outlawed groups Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HujiB). JMB’s acting chief, arrested last year, goes by several names: Abu Talha alias Fahim alias Pakhi. Most of the top HujiB leaders now in jail have fake names. One of them is Maulana Mainul Islam alias Mahim, who the police claim, was  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Publisher Tutul was attacked on instruction of Boro Bhai Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The owner of Shuddhashar publishing house was attacked on the instruction of one Boro Bhai (big brother). A source in the police requesting not to be named told the Dhaka Tribune that Sumon in his statement under 164 identified the Boro Bhai as Ishtiaq, a sacked official of law enforcement agency, who is now working with the militant outfit.

Banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) member Sumon Hossain Patwari alias Shihab alias Saiful alias Shakib admitted to his involvement in the attack on publisher Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury Tutul. Suman divulged the information yesterday during his confessional statement under section 164. Sumon was produced before the court by Detective Branch (DB) of police inspector Bahauddin Ahmed on Tuesday. Bahauddin, also the investiga-

Metro rail, BRT construction to start on June 26 n Shohel Mamun The government is set to begin the construction of much talked about mega projects Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), also known as metro rail, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Dhaka on Sunday. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate the construction work of the two projects on June 26 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday. The prime minister will also inaugurate the Joydebpur-Mymensingh four-lane highway, the construction of which is already complete, the minister added. Construction of the MRT project  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

tion officer of the publisher attack case after the end of the five-day remand made an appeal to the court to record the statement of the accused under the section 164. Metropolitan Magistrate Ahsan Habib, recording the statement, sent him to jail. Mashruruqure Rahman Khaled, deputy commissioner of the DB police, told the Dhaka Tribune that Sumon admitted to his direct involvement in the murder attempt. “Sumon said that he along with  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

PAGE 3

Plight of the Rohingyas The Rohingyas on the both sides of the Naf are utterly disappointed over the measures taken by both the governments.

SEHRI & IFTAR

Workers are hard at work to finish all preparation for the main construction of the metro rail project to begin. The photo has recently been taken from Mirpur, Dhaka RAJIB DHAR

Ramadan 16 17 18

June 22 23 24

Sehri – 3:40 3:40

Iftar 6:52 6:53 6:53

Source: Islamic Foundation

News

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

‘70% cases unresolved despite vested properties return law ‘ n Kamrul Hasan Although the government in 2013 passed the Vested Property Return (second amendment) Bill 2013, several activities by different government organisations is delaying the implementation process of the law. Human rights activists yesterday warned that such delays will turn people against the government since many will go homeless if the act is not correctly implemented. The view was expressed at a press conference arranged by 10 organisations under the Coordinated

Cell for Implementation of Vested Properties Return Act at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity office in Dhaka. The activists alleged that assistant commissioners (land) in district areas were marking lands as government property to avoid handing them over to their rightful owners. In this regard, Kajal Debnath of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council told the Dhaka Tribune that the press conference was arranged after he learned that district deputy commissioners were not handing over land even after the cases con-

cerned had been resolved at local tribunals. Contradictory circulars issued on April 12 this year were hindering the implementation process, he added. The then Awami League government enacted the Vested Property Act, 2001. Another Awami League government passed the Vested Property Return (second amendment) Bill, 2013 on October 8, 2013, which discarded widely criticised schedule B list. Shamsul Huda, executive director of the Association for Land Re-

form and Development (ALRD) said a circular was gazetted by the government on April 12 this year directing district deputy commissioners to solve act related problems. But it also published a circular asking for another scheduled list to include hidden land or land not included in the schedule A list. Shamsul said a section of government officials had previously tried to delay the implementation of the law by asking for a list of hidden land that they believed were under the names of those were not on the list. Subrata Chowdhury, referring

to the Faridpur Sagor case, said the case was sent for a writ although it was solved by the tribunal appellate division. He said DCs would take this as an opportunity to delay the hand over procedure. Sultana Kamal, human rights activist and former caretaker government adviser, said although the nation got the act in 2011, some 70% of cases were yet to be solved. Kamal Lohani, president of the Vested Properties Act protest movement said they were hoping that the conference would draw the attention of the government to continuing problems. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Aliases effective at masking terrorists instructed to regroup the organisation by Mufti Moin Uddin alias Abul Jandal alias Masum Billah alias Khaza, who is also in jail. According to a letter sent to Mainul, Jandal asked them to stay alert about the detectives. “We should not discuss anything about jihad with fellow members on mobile phones. First, all the members need to take fake names and call each other by those names. “I am giving you some names: Altaf will be known as Masum, Habib as Towha, Lenin as Fedaul Islam and Mufti Jafor as Salman.” Jandal told Moin to prefer letters to phone calls, and to pass those when he is taken to the court through lawyer or driver. “There are intelligence officials around the court. So, I do not want to talk to you directly or give any signal.” After HujiB was banned on October 17, 2005, their leaders reportedly floated new groups under new names. Some leaders of JMB and Ansarullah did the same thing after the groups were outlawed. Three detained key leaders of HujiB have fake names – Maulana Mohammad Rafiq Ahmed alias Sajid, bomb expert Md Umar alias Foyzul alias Roby and Md Nadim Ahmed alias Sumon. Their top leader Maulana Abu Sayeed is also

known as Abu Jafor. Detectives last year arrested Md Asaduzzaman alias Milon alias Milu alias Abdullah alias Anik, the suspected commander of Bangladesh Jihadi Group, who was trying to gather members of different banned outfits under the same umbrella. The law enforcers have also learnt about at least two more new militant groups operated by former members of banned militant outfits – Shahid Hamza Brigade in Chittagong and Junud Al Towhid Wal Khalifah in the capital. India’s National Intelligence Agency which is investigating the October 2 Burdwan blast case too have learnt about some names of leaders of banned JMB that are fake. Top JMB leader Jahidul Islam Mizan is widely known as Boma Mizan. He was snatched, along with two other convicted members of the group, in a raid on a prison van in Mymensingh in February last year. The two others are Salauddin alias Salehin alias Sajeeb and Rakib Hasan alias Russel. In the Oyasiqur Rahman Babu murder case, law enforcers are yet to arrest the mastermind named Masum, who allegedly deployed three Ansarullah members to con-

duct the killing. His name was gleaned from the two killers held by the local people while fleeing. Detectives suspect that Masum might be a fake name. On the other hand, it is learned that the two detained killers were students of Hefazat-e-Islam’s madrasa in Hathazari and one of them was earlier engaged with JMB. Lack of a photo database of the militants detained at least once has been another reason why the law enforcers have failed to arrest them once they get bail, a Detective Branch high official, asking not to be identified, told the Dhaka Tribune. The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit is currently working to create a database of militant suspects. As the militants switch groups and form new outfits with members from different old groups, the law enforcers dealing with militancy find it tough to get a clear idea about the groups’ leaders and operations. Sources in the police confirm that at present they cannot confirm who runs the notorious militant groups which recently claimed to have perpetrated several dozen attacks and threaten more attacks in the days to come. l

Metro rail

is going to begin as per the schedule, but construction of the BRT project has already missed three deadlines. The MRT project will be constructed under the supervision of Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Company (DMRTDC). All preparation ahead of the main construction work is already complete. The project is being funded by both the government and Japan International Cooperative Agency (Jica) – Jica is contributing Tk16,594.59 crore to the project, while the government is paying Tk5,390.48 crore. When complete and in operation, the MRT stations will see a train come every 3.5 minutes, and it will take 37 minutes for a train to cover the distance between Motijheel-Uttara. The metro rail depot is to be developed by Tokyu Construction Ltd, a Japanese company, on a 23.84-hectare land during the construction period at the cost of around Tk567 crore, sources said. “The project will be implemented under eight construction packages. The first part of the project, from Uttara to Agargaon, is set to be finished by December 2019, and the rest will be complete by 2020,” Quader said. The BRT project is a dedicated bus lane which will be constructed

Publisher Tutul was attacked on instruction of Boro Bhai four others launched the attacks and gave some important information on the rest of the attackers but it only can be disclosed after receiving the copy of the statement,” he said. DC Khaled further said the drive is on to arrest others involved in the attack. Detectives on June 15, arrested Sumon from Kamrangirchar area of Dhaka. Earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police declared Tk18 lakh bounty on the heads of six militants including Sumon. Police arrested him just 25 days into the announcement of the

bounty. The court sources said Suman in his statement said that they attacked publisher Tutul as they felt it was their religious obligation to punish those publishing or writing against Islam from different platforms including blogging sites. They had been keeping an eye on Tutul for a month before the attack. They used to stay in different places of the capital during the time of their recce of the Tutul’s working place. Sumon said he joined a private firm after his Higher Secondary School Certificate exam and joined

the ABT later. Before taking part in the mission to the attack Sumon had to take almost one and a half months-long training. Hailing from Chandpur district Sumon used to live in Dhaka. On the Foysal Arefin Dipon murder, Sumon said they did not take part in the killing mission. Another ABT member Selim was the coordinator of the killing mission and all the instruction came from Boro Bhai. Earlier on October 31, three bloggers and writers, including Tutul, came under attack in his Shuddhashar publication office in the capital’s Lalmatia area.

The other injured are blogger Ranadipam Basu and poet Tareq Rahim. Faisal Arefin Dipan whose publishing house published a book of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy who was hacked to death in the

between Dhaka and Gazipur on the existing six-lane highway. The project is divided in two parts: on part is from Gazipur’s Shibbari to Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and the other part is from the airport to Dhaka’s Keraniganj. Once complete, it will take 20 minutes to come from Shibbari to airport, and around 21 minutes to come to Keraniganj from the airport. According to the latest design, the 20.5km Shibbari-Airport route will have 25 stoppages, six flyovers, and a 4.5km elevated road from Uttara to Tongi. Each station will see a bus arrive every three minutes. The plan for the Airport-Karaniganj route has yet to be finalised. Around 25,000 people are expected to commute on the BRT on both the sides every hour. “Once complete, 100 articulated buses will run on the BRT route. Passengers will be required to use a smart card to use the service,” the minister said. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Tk2,000 crore, Tk1,000 crore of which will jointly provided by the Asian Development Bank, French Development Agency, and Global Environmental Facility Fund. The rest will be provided by the government. l

capital’s Aziz Supermarket the same day. l

News

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Plight of the Rohingyas #WithRefugees

A bleak future beckons Rohingyas n Adil Sakhawat After Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi took over power of Myanmar a nationality verification process was initiated in the Rakhine State dominated by the Muslim minority community. As part of the move, a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Aung San Suu Kyi. The committee said it would restore peace and ensure development in the Rakhine State. Meanwhile, across the Naf River in Bangladesh a census was initiated in May to enumerate undocumented Rohingyas scattered across many districts of Bangladesh. However, the Rohingyas on the both sides of the Naf are utterly disappointed over the measures taken by both the governments. Members involved in the Myanmar nationality verification process are offering the Rohingya people facilities to move outside, receive healthcare from hospitals, and access to education. But most of the Rohingyas have already declined to get involved in the process as with the facilities offered they are being provided with a green card that terms them “Muslim minority Bengali.” “Most of the Rohingyas are turning down the offer as the green card does not recognise them as Rohingya which is our real identity,” said U Kyaw Hla Aung, a Rohingya community leader. He also put in: “Some illiterate Rohingyas have already been registered under the process without realising the fact that they will now be treated as illegal immigrant from Bangladesh.” There is no difference between Suu Kyi's government and that of the former military junta in terms of their treatment of Rohingya people, said U Chit Lwin, a Myanmar Supreme Court lawyer and former member of the parliament from Maungdaw constituency during the election in 1990. “I don't think the Suu Kyi cannot do anything for the betterment of the Rakhine State as the current government's key ministries – home, interior and defence ministries – are under the absolute control of the military,” he told the Dhaka Tribune over phone.

Bangladesh government's census

The census in Bangladesh started last month and ended on June 10 this month. The census in Cox's Bazar was extended up to June 15. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) carried out the census at a cost of Tk21.75cr.

The photo taken in April this year shows a boat carrying Rohingyas from Myanmar landing at a point of Teknaf after it has crossed the Naf River On September 9, 2013, the cabinet approved a national strategy for a long-term solution to the prevailing problems caused by Rohingya population in Bangladesh. A 22-member National Task Force headed by the foreign secretary was formed to monitor the implementation of the national strategy. A higher official from the BBS requesting not to be named said: “The main objective of this census is to collect the exact number of undocumented Rohingyas living in Bangladesh so that the government can provide them with their basic needs to respond to the calls of international communities.” Census Project Director Alamgir Hossain, also the deputy director of BBS, declined to comment on the result of the census and advised this reporter to contact the foreign secretary. The Dhaka Tribune has obtained the national strategy paper, which says the government has to spend about Tk33.5cr every year on registered refugees in two camps. It also highlighted the Rohingyas' involvement in illegal activities that is causing the government even more harm. The strategy paper suggested quick repatriation of these Rohing-

ya people, otherwise they will become a national security threat. It also criticised the Myanmar government for not resuming repatriation of the Rohingya refugees after so many meetings between the two countries. Farheen Khan of the External Relations Unit of the UNHCR in Bangladesh said: “You cannot push anyone who take shelter in another country after they are persecuted in their own country. “Such people cannot be coerced into going back until the conflict comes to an end.”

Many Rohingyas not covered by census

The census was carried out in six districts – Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Patuakhali and Khagrachari. But the Dhaka Tribune investigation found some anomalies in the census. During a visit to the Inani beach area adjacent to Ukhiya where as many as 50 families are living and Langur Beel where at least 10 undocumented Rohingya families live, it was found that they were not enlisted in the census. They said no one from the government visited them. A woman from Langur Beel said:

“No one came to me to take my information.” Even many undocumented Rohingyas who have become Bangladeshi nationals by using fake identities and were issued Bangladesh's national identity cards and passports were also not included in the census fearing a possible restriction by Bangladeshi government. Also, the census has not identified any of the local politicians of Teknaf, Ukhiya and Bandarban, who have become Bangladeshi citizens illegally and had their families in Myanmar. Trained by the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), many Rohingyas are becoming ruling party key figures in Naikkhongchhori area of Bandarban. Many locals confirmed that those leaders were not included in the just-concluded census. When asked about it, the local statistics officials declined to make any comments as they were ordered not to talk to the media. However, Abdul Hai, junior statistics assistant, told the Dhaka Tribune that this process would ultimately help the poor Rohingya people, not the rich ones who have are already been established here in Bangladesh. Complaints are there that the

ADIL SAKHAWAT

statistics officials did not visit the areas where undocumented Rohingyas are living. After learning about the census, many Rohingyas went to the statistics office themselves to get registered as they think this will be a process to go back to Myanmar if the situation returns to normal there. A youth named Amir, who willingly got enlisted in the census, however, said: “Brother, your country Bangladesh has done a lot for us. We have been here as guests for a long time. I hope we will go back to our country very soon.”

Chair of the National Task Force

When Dhaka Tribune met Shahidul Haq, the foreign secretary and the chairperson of the National Task Force, he declined to make any comments. As the Dhaka Tribune put forward 15 questions before him, he in reply said he had no comments. Shahidul had been referred by almost all of the census related field officials as the authorised person to provide information on the subject. Finally, he threatened this reporter with dire consequences if something is written on the issue referring to his name. l

News

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Menon: Crossfire is not the solution n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon yesterday said gunfights and crossfires cannot curb militancy. “Everyday we see [suspected] militants being killed in crossfires. Crossfire is not the solution but a reflection of law enforcement agencies' failure,” he said in the budget discussion at the Parliament. Menon said the Islamic State was not active in Bangladesh but people who sympathise with their ideolo-

gy were carrying out the targeted killings. “These attacks are not targeted at any single community but rather the whole of Bangladesh.” The Workers Party leader noted how after the bloggers were killed, police would try to find out whether the victim had written anything against Islam. “Authorities said criticism against religion would not be tolerated ... if such comments are made after someone is murdered, then they are justifying the killing.” Menon said, “I read the blog-

gers' writings and I did not find anything against any religion there.” He claimed that in Bangladesh the net profit of the militancy “economy” was Tk2,465 crore in 2014. “Though the country’s economic growth is six percent, the economy of militancy’s growth rate is nine to 10%.” “Militant groups were formed here with local and international funding. They are carrying out secret killings. Because of this, the USA, EU and other western countries are issuing travel advisories

Aga Khan School holds graduation ceremony n Tribune Desk The Aga Khan School held its graduation ceremony at Regency Hotel for the academic year 2015-2016. The programme was also attended by HE Yasoja Gunasekera, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh and HE Munir Merali AKDN Resident Representative to Bangla-

desh, according to a press release. Certificates were awarded among the students for their academic performance and achievements in academic and extra-curricular activities. Faculty, non-teaching and support staff were also recognized for their long service to the institution. The inaugural AKDN Award was also presented to a highly meritorious student selected by the School's leadership. l

to their citizens while they visit Bangladesh and asking them not to invest here.” About the recent Union Parishad elections, Menon said, “Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, we have established the people's voting rights by fighting against military government and the BNP-Jamaat’s vote rigging. But this UP elections has destroyed our achievement and the Election Commission has been sitting idly watching this destruction.” He urged reforming the elector-

al system. “If we cannot reform the electoral system, then democracy will be at stake. All the elected institutions will be at stake. Election should be free from money and arms.” The minister demanded meaningful meeting of the election commission with all political parties. Regarding his ministry, the civil aviation minister said in 2007 without any study the then caretaker government had turned Bangladesh Biman into a public limited company. “There is the legal vacuum prevailing in Biman.” l

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

July 25 set for Quasem’s review hearing n Ashif Islam Shaon

The Appellate Division has fixed July 25 for holding hearing on the review plea filed by death-row convict war criminal Mir Quasem Ali. Chamber Judge Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique fixed the date yesterday in reply to a petition placed by the prosecution. The attorney general’s office submitted the petition seeking early hearing on the review petition. Quasem, 64, a senior leader and financier of Jamaat-e-Islami, filed the plea Sunday seeking a review on the Supreme Court’s verdict that sentenced him to death for committing crimes against humanity in Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War.

Mother, daughter assaulted in Savar

AHSANULLAH MURDER

Acquittal of 11 accused challenged

general secretary of Islami Chhatra Sangha, al-Badr members 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. The government says it has proof that Quasem has spent a large amount of money to appoint lobbyists to make the war crimes trials controversial. If the petition is resolved with the death sentence still upheld, the convict will have the opportunity to seek mercy from the president. If he is denied pardon, the government will then order the jail authorities to hang him. l

Chairman of Diganta Media Corporation and founder of many businesses linked to Jamaat, Quasem sought acquittal from the charges he had been convicted with. A war crimes tribunal awarded him capital punishment on November 3, 2014. As many as 24 prosecution witnesses testified against him. He was given death penalty on two charges – for killing seven people, including teenage freedom fighter Jasimuddin, after abduction. He was also awarded a total of 72-year imprisonment on the eight other proven charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning. Under the leadership of Quasem, the then Chittagong city unit

Passengers crammed on the back of these two minitrucks were forced to travel to Dhaka this way yesterday as bus movement to and from Sayedabad bus terminal in Dhaka was suspended due to a strike observed by transport workers. The photo was taken on Dhaka-Chittagong highway near Shanir Akhra, Dhaka MEHEDI HASAN

Mamun and n Sohel Kamrul Hasan

not operating buses because of various issues including Eid bonus, salary and some “internal problems.” However, sources claimed internal problems were the main reason behind yesterday’s halt in operation of long-distance buses. Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity Secretary General Khandker Enayetullah said the transport workers had gone on strike following Monday’s clashes between Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Union (BSPSU) and Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Sramik Union (DSPSU) over

A halt in long-distance bus services from Dhaka’s Sayedabad bus terminal since yesterday morning have caused sufferings to many who use the terminal to travel to different parts of the country on a daily basis. The services were stopped mainly as a continuation to Monday’s clash that broke out between two transport labour unions. Ramzan Ali, assistant manager of Hanif Enterprise counter at Sayedabad, said the owners were

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22

n Ashif Islam Shaon The Supreme Court has stayed a High Court order that acquitted 11 accused in Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master murder case. Chamber Judge Justice Hasan Foyez Siddiqui passed the order yesterday, in response to a petition filed by the state. The full bench of Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, will hold the next hearing of the petition on July 14. The government filed the petition on Monday seeking stay the acquittal of the 11 accused so that the persons could not be released from jail until the full text of the High Court verdict is released. On June 15, BNP leader Nurul Islam Sarkar and five others were sentenced to death by the High

Court for the killing of popular Awami League leader at a public function in Gazipur on May 7, 2004. The court also commuted seven convicts’ death sentences to life terms and upheld the life term for another convict who was sentenced in 2005 by the Speedy Trial Court. The life term of one convict who did not appeal against his sentence remains unchanged in the High Court verdict. The High Court acquitted the 11 people who were awarded death sentences or life terms by the lower court. Two other accused died during trial and were exempted from the charges. A Speedy Trial Tribunal on April 16, 2005 handed down the death penalty to 22 people, including BNP leader Nurul Islam, and life imprisonment for six others. l

Transport workers postpone strike

n Nadim Hossain, Savar

Four miscreants forced into the house of a young woman and assaulted her and her mother on late Monday night in Savar, Dhaka. The culprits beat the victim and attempted to rape her in front of her mother, but fled the house when locals got involved, sources told the Dhaka Tribune. No one has been arrested in this incident yet. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, the victim’s mother said she lives with her daughter and sonin-law at a rented house in Savar’s Kaundia area. Her daughter’s husband often stays out of the house at night. Taking advantage of her son-inlaw’s absence, four local goons named Rony, Asad, Zafar and Hossain forced into their house on Monday night and attacked her daughter. They tried to sexually assault her, and when her mother went to rescue her, they beat her too. Hearing their screams, other residents in the neighbourhood gathered around the house and notified police, which drove the culprits away. Later, police went to the house and rescued the victim and her mother to send them to hospital. Locals said the goons are followers of local influential political leaders. “The victims have been sent to hospital for treatment,” said SM Kamruzzaman, OC at Savar police station. “A case has been filed in this regard.” l

News

Dhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:49PM

Rangpur

possession of an office building in Gulistan. The office was under BSPSU’s control since long. Clashes erupted after recently formed Dhaka Sramik Union occupied it on Sunday night. After the clash, they barricaded exit points of Mayor Hanif Flyover in Jatrabari with buses in the afternoon for few hours, causing long tailbacks in the area. Traffic movement in the area later resumed around 3pm. Yesterday, the two groups of transport workers were supposed to sit for a negotiation at Wari traffic deputy commissioner’s office but no one came. Khandker Enayetullah said: “The strike was postponed when the Home Ministry assured transport workers of a solution and asked for two days to solve the matter.” “Long route buses later started

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:13AM

35.2ºC Jessore

24.6ºC Sylhet

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

to leave Dhaka from Sayedabad terminal after 5pm,” he added. Meanwhile, several passengers who came to the terminal were left stranded as they could find any bus to commute. The most affected were the people who travel to Chittagong, Sylhet and nearby regions as Dhaka’s Jatrabari is one of the most used entry and exit point. Jahidul Alam, a private company job holder, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was supposed to leave for Chittagong as he had to join a meeting there but when he came to the terminal he got to know that there will be so long route service available. After the strike was postponed, a bus counter employee said that he hoped the strike will not continue and they will be able to sell tickets normally. l

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 3:50am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 7:02pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Youth injured in police firing dies

Low-income people suffering as OMS suspended

n Afzal Hossain, Tangail

Mostafiz Milu, n Zakir Thakurgaon

A youth shot injured by police in UP poll violence at Kalihati upazila under the district died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital while undergoing treatment on Monday midnight. The deceased was Alamgir Hossain, 32, son of Surujjaman Mida of Uttarpara village of Poshna union under the upazila. Alamgir received bullet injury by police while fleeing after snatching UP poll ballot papers on June 4. Abdul Wadud, officer-in-charge of Kalihati police station, said Alamgir was shot while he tried to snatch ballot papers from a centre of Kokdohra union in the 6th phase of union parishad polls on June 4. He was primarily admitted to Tangail Medical College and Hospital. Later, he was referred to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where he succumbed. The body was handed over to the family members. l

Prices of rice and wheat have increased significantly in local markets of the district causing sufferings to low-income people during the ongoing Ramadan as the government suspended of Open Market Sale (OMS) programme recently. According to local sources, the food department suspended sale of coarse rice under OMS programme on May 13 and flour on June 6. The suspension of OMS programme, meant for providing major food items to common people for relatively low prices, has resulted in price rise of coarse rice and flour. Under the programme, the price of coarse rice was fixed at Tk15 per kg and flour Tk17 per kg. Now people have to buy the same items atTk24-26 and Tk30Tk35 from the local markets. Usually the government starts OMS programme ahead of Ramadan to keep the rice market stable during the holy month when Muslims observe fasting.

Under the programme, the items are sold through 81 dealers six days a week, allowing each person to buy five kg of rice and five kg of flour at a time. Each of the dealers, including 53 in as many unions, four in as many upazila headquarters and 24 in the district headquarters, was supplied 500 kg of coarse rice and 500 kg of flour, said officials of the district food department. But the programme was suspended before Ramadan. The price of coarse rice recently increased by Tk2-10 per kg, depending on quality in the local retail markets, said market sources. During a visit to different rice markets it was found that the coarse rice was selling at Tk 24 to 25 while it was Tk 22 just a day before Ramadan. Guti variety of rice is selling at Tk 24/25 while it was Tk 20/22 before Ramadan. Sarnaguti is selling at Tk 30 while it was Tk 22 two weeks ago. The price rise of coarse rice affected the prices of fine rice too. Miniket and pyjam are selling

at Tk44 a kg while it was Tk 40 last week, said traders at local retail and wholesale markets in Thakurgaon. “I earn around Tk150 a day by helping in domestic works in people’s houses. I have to buy a kg of rice at Tk25 although it was Tk15 from OMS dealers. Now I find it difficult to manage money for other essential things,” said Rokea Begum, 35, a resident of Bus Station area in the tow.. Day labourer Hashem Khan of Khalpara in Thakurgaon municipality echoed Rokea. Abdul Hafiz, food officer of Sadar upazila said sale of coarse rice and flour under OMS programme was suspended following direction of the directorate of food. “The demand of flour among the people in the month of Ramadan is not satisfactory and sale of rice has been suspended as the government is going to purchage rice from the farmers,” he added. Godown Officer Syful Islam said: “After the suspension of the programme, the people who are not Muslims and patients of diabetic are suffering more.” l

Robber killed in gunfight n BSS A robber was killed and three police personnel were also injured in a gunfight between his cohorts and police at Rasulpur village in Sarail upazila of the district early yesterday. The deceased was Abdus Sattar, 32, a resident of Rasulpur-Rifiujipara village of the upazila. Officer-in-charge of Sarail Police Station Rupok Kumar Saha said police arrested Sattar from his house in Rifiujipara village on Monday evening. Based on his information, a team of police along with Sattar conducted a drive in Rasulpur graveyard area to recover arms at about 1.15 am. Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, associates of Sattar opened fire at them. In retaliation, the law enforcers also opened fire leading to a gunfight for sometimes. Sattar was caught in line of the fire and died on the spot while his associates managed to flee the scene. Three policemen including a sub inspector were also injured during the gunfight. Sattar was wanted in eight cases including for robbery, the OC added. l

Mother, son abducted Rouf Pavel, n Khandaker Naogaon

A mother and her four-year old son were kidnapped in Pajorbhanga area under Manda upazila of the district on May 18, according to a case filed in this connection on June 19. The victim Shahina Begum, 26, daughter of Ashraful Islam of Chakbalu village, along with her son Abdullah was going to the district town to purchase some construction material for her under-construction house. When she reached Pajorbhanga area, Sekander Ali, 52, of neighbouring Chak Shiddheswari village, and his son Ujjal Hossain, 32, along with three to four miscreants, forcefully took them into a microbus and since then they remained missing, the case statement said. Shahina had started to build a new house, as her husband Abdul Jalil, a Saudi expatriate, sent money to her in this purpose. Sekander and Ujjal had been working in the house as painters. “They kidnapped my daughter for money,” alleged Shahina’s father. He lodged the case with Naogaon Judicial Magistrate Court as police did not co-operate to file the case when he went Manda police station immediate after the incident. The court has ordered Mojaffar Hossain, Officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station, to submit an investigation report within June 30. The OC said he had not received any such direction from the court yet. Steps will be taken after receiving the court order, he added. l

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

TCB suspends OMS in Ctg n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has suspended Open Market Sale (OMS) programme in port city Chittagong due to shortage of essential commodities in its stock. According to local sources, TCB decided to sell four essential items from May 29 at 10 strategic pointsZamal Khan press club premises, Deputy Commissioner (DC) office, Tiger pass circle, Agrabad, Agrabad CGO building, Custom Circle, CEPZ circle, Sholoshahar Gate No 2, Nasirabad (Purbokone office premises), Alankar circle during the month of Ramadan. But the programme has remained suspended in the city as the TCB stopped delivering essential items to the people from June 16. The dealers of the TCB claimed that the stock of most of the essential commodities ran out before mid-Ramadan. “I have contacted the TCB for receiving essential items on June 9. However, the TCB authorities told

me that the stock ran out,” said Mujibul Haque, a TCB dealer and proprietor of Ms Mirsarai Store. “I could only receive 300kg chickpea and 300 kg red lentil from the TCB during Ramadan,” said Majumder Kiron, a dealer of the TCB. “This time the customers did not have any objection to the quality of the commodities delivered by the TCB,” said the dealer who is also the proprietor of Ms Kiron Enterprise. Emission his anger over the suspension of OMS truck sale by the TCB, AKM Golam Sarwar, a service-holder, said that this would only pave the way for price manipulation for the unscrupulous traders. “The low-income group of people have been hit hard by the suspension of the OMS programme. TCB should resume the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) OMS programme without delay,” demanded Sarwar. The consumers’ rights activists also demanded resuming the OMS truck sale programme of the TCB in the port city.

“A section of unscrupulous traders wait for Ramadan to make some quick bucks overnight cashing in on the supply shortage of essential commodities in the market,” said SM Nazer Hossain, Vice President of Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh. “This time we took it for granted that the profiteering traders will not be able to hold the consumers hostage. The TCB authorities assured us repeatedly that they have plenty of reserves products and the consumers do not need to rush for collecting goods. However, we are very much shocked and frustrated,” said the consumers’ rights activist. “Shortage of essential commodities is nothing but a lame excuse,” added the consumers’ rights activist. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Suza Uddullah Sarker, chief regional officer of TCB Chittagong, said that there was not any possibility of resuming the OMS programme through truck in the city. l

Husband gets life-term for killing wife Islam Akand, n Raihanul Gazipur A Gazipur court yesterday handed down life sentence to a man for killing his wife. Kamal Hossain, 42, son of Dhanu Morol of Kauraid village in Sripur upazila of Gazipur, has been also fined Tk10000. Monjurul Haque, sub-inspector of Gazipur Court, said Kamal hacked his wife Shahida to death with a sharp weapon over a quarrel with her at their rented house in Khailkur area under Gazipur City Corporation on April 30, 2011. They have two children. Abdul Gafur, brother of Shahida, filed a murder case with Joydevpur police station against Kamal after the incident. l

News

Bangladesh Chhatra Federation brings out a procession in front of the National Press Club yesterday protesting against the crossfire RAJIB DHAR

JMB man Fuad sent to jail Mizanur n FM Rahaman,Chittagong A court in Chittagong yesterday sent an operative of the banned Islamic Outfit Jama’atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh to jail in a case filed involving a recovery of dead body from Karnaphuli River. Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner Nirmalendu Bikash Chawakrabarty told the Dhaka Tribune: “The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Abdul Kader sent JMB Bulbul Ahmed Sarkar alias Fuad, alias Apple after his five-day remand period was over in a case filed with Bakalia police station last year.” Earlier, Bulbul was placed on five-day remand on June 14 after the Investigation Officer of Police Bureau of Investigation produced him before the court with seven day remand prayer. Bulbul Ahmed Sarkar is the second-in-command of the banned outlaw JMB in Chittagong, said police. He was also the roommate of the previously arrested JMB leader Ershad who is serving time behind bars was arrested from Akbar Shah area in the city on March 23 last year. The dead body of a man was recovered from Karnaphuli River’s Satsongho Ghat area on March 25 last year. Detective Branch police led by its former Additional Deputy Commissioner Babul Akter arrested five JMB men including Fuad and Chittagong’s JMB explosive wing chief Towfiqul Islam alias Javed when they raided a JMB hideout in Chittagong city’s Khoaj Nogor area under Karnaphuli police station on October 5 last year. During the drive DB police also recovered nine hand grenades, foreign pistols, 120 rounds of bullets and huge amount of bomb making materials. However, Javed was killed in a grenade explosion in police custody during a search operation in Oxygen area in the Chittagong city the following day. l

Efforts for women, children development stressed n Tribune Desk Speakers yesterday at an orientation workshop in Nilphamari district said comprehensive efforts could create adequate public awareness to speed up development of women and children through ensuring safe maternity, maternal and neonatal health services and eradication of social curses. The views were expressed at

the workshop organised for leading personalities in the society by District Information Office (DIO) at Laksmichap Union Parishad hall room under Sadar upazila. Nilphamari DIO organised the workshop under the fourth-phase of the Maas Communication Programme for Development of Children and Women Project. With Laksmichap union Chairman Aminur Rahman in the chair, Deputy Commission-

er of Nilphamari Zakir Hossain attended the workshop as chief guest. Civil Surgeon of Nilphamari Dr Abdur Rashid, Sadar upazila Chairman Abuzar Rahman and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Fakhrul Hassan delivered separate presentations in the workshop as resource persons. President of Kurigram Press Clun Mominul Islam Manju, Editor and Publisher of the Weekly

Juger Khabar being published from Chilmari SM Nurul Amin Sarker addressed the workshop as special guests. Moderated by District Information Officer for Nilphamari Tozammel Haque, 25 public representatives, teachers, religious leaders, community leaders, civil society members, women activists, journalists, professionals and local elite participated in the workshop. l

8 World

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Taliban abduct 60 in southern Afghanistan The Taliban on Tuesday ambushed a series of buses and cars in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, forcing people out of the vehicles and abducting around 60 passengers, an Afghan official said. The insurgents later said they released all but 27 of those abducted. -AP

INDIA

Jewish in Maharashtra to get minority status The Maharashtra cabinet has cleared the proposal to accord the small Jews population in the state with minority status. According to 2001 Census, the number of Jews living in India was 4,650 with 2,466 of them living in Maharashtra. After getting the minority status, Jews in the state will be entitled to use the benefits of government schemes meant for minorities and can also apply in educational institutions under the minority status. -TOI

CHINA

China tightens curbs on foreign TV shows China will tighten restrictions on foreign and foreign-inspired television programs, its broadcast regulator said, in a bid to boost production of domestic shows that promote Chinese patriotism and traditions. President Xi Jinping has embarked on an unprecedented drive to clamp down on the Internet and censor opinions that do not reflect those of communist party leaders. -REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan on alert for possible North Korean missile launch

Japan’s military was on alert for a possible North Korean ballistic missile launch, a government source said on Tuesday, with media reporting its navy and anti-missile Patriot batteries have been told to shoot down any projectile heading for Japan. North Korea appeared to have moved an intermediate-range missile to its east coast. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Egypt court voids Red Sea islands transfer to Saudi An Egyptian court has reversed a decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Tuesday’s verdict by the highest administrative court in Cairo declared void a maritime border accord with Saudi Arabia, which would have seen Egypt surrender control of the Tiran and Sanafir islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. -REUTERS

Ü Cases of farmers suicides have been reported from Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Punjab Ü Outstanding loans, rising debt, low crop yield, poor procurement rate of crops and successive crop failure have mainly been Ü Money lenders continue to offer loans at interest rates between 24% to 50% while income generating potential of the land remained low

MAHARASHTRA FARMERS SUICIDE RATE January-June 2015 January-December 2014 January-December 2013

1300 1981 1296

AGRO LOANS SAGA IN INDIA Total outstanding agricultural loans

Rs2732cr TWO TYPES OF LOANS EXIST

92% of loans are short term (less than a year) and rest, long term (3-5 years)

For one-year loan, banks charge 4% interest (after govt subsidy paid to banks); if defaulted, it goes to 14% Cooperative banks

Microfinance institutions

12%

24% Moneylenders 24-30%

Mohammad Razon/ Dhaka Tribune

INSIGHT

India’s suicide farmers widows face living death Reuters n Thomson Foundation, Alipur

At the age of 24, Joshna Wandile and her two children were thrown out of the house she shared with her in-laws after her farmer husband hanged himself. He left a pile of debts after years of drought laid waste to his land. Wandile is not alone. More than 300,000 farmers have killed themselves in India over the last two decades, leaving their widows battling with the state, moneylenders, in-laws and their communities. While widows in rural India are often ostracised and abused, farmer widows have it particularly tough, activists said ahead of International Widows’ Day on Thursday. “I had nothing when my husband died - he sold everything in the house, even the cooking vessels, to pay the creditors,” said Wandile who lives in Vidarbha in Maharashtra, among the worst affected by farmers’ suicides. Maharashtra, which is struggling with its worst drought in four decades, accounted for more than half the 5,650 farmer suicides in India in 2014, according to official data. Some estimate last year’s toll exceeded 3,000. “Bankruptcy or indebtedness”

was the most common reason cited. Most were small farmers, with holdings of under two hectares. There is little information on the families left behind who struggle to claim their right to the land they till and the house they live in, while battling archaic stigmas that dog their every step.

Unlucky widows

Wandile wasn’t given a share of the 1.8-hectare plot she and her husband worked on because the title deeds were in the names of his parents. Her in-laws also refused to transfer the public distribution card to her name, denying her subsidised staples such as rice, wheat and cooking oil. With more than 46m widows, India has the highest number of widows in the world, according to the Loomba Foundation which fights for their rights. While China and India account for more than a third of all widows globally, India is “of much greater concern” as education levels are lower and extreme poverty widespread, the foundation said in a report last year. Widows in India are highly stigmatised, particularly in rural areas, where they are regarded as

unlucky. Many are subjected to abuse, kicked out of their homes, denied food, and blamed for their husbands’ deaths. Those who continue farming may have difficulty hiring and managing male labourers and may be harassed and cheated by traders and other farmers. Poverty and debts also increase the risks of widows being trafficked or duped into prostitution, activists say. With child marriage common in villages, some girls are even widowed as children, leaving them particularly vulnerable.

Tangled deeds

When a farmer dies, a police case is filed to determine the cause of death. If it is ruled a suicide due to the farm crisis or indebtedness, the widow or the family gets Rs100,000 ($1,500). But the compensation can be denied, as in Wandile’s case, if ownership of the land is disputed or if the death is not judged to be linked to indebtedness or the farm crisis. After receiving the money, a widow often has to fend off claims from her husband’s family and creditors. Widows forced to repay loans can be caught in a vicious cycle of debt bondage. “We hear the saddest, most in-

credible stories when it comes to land and property: parents turning against children, children turning against parents,” said Saumya Roy at the Vandana Foundation which helps widows in Vidarbha. “The widows are the most vulnerable, as their position in the family, the community is so tenuous.” Of the 700 widows the foundation has helped, about a third said the land deeds were not in their husbands’ names, while a third were repaying their husbands’ loans, Roy said. The drought in Maharashtra, India’s largest cotton-growing state, has compounded an underlying agrarian crisis fuelled by a fall in global commodity prices. Many farmers have been forced to borrow at high interest rates from private lenders after defaulting on bank loans. The acute vulnerability of farmers’ widows is expected to be highlighted in India’s new national policy for women. The draft, unveiled last month, said the government would design special packages for them including alternative livelihood options. Still, almost 500 women farmers killed themselves in 2014, most of them probably widows crushed by debt, activists say. l

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

INSIGHT

USA

Economikes: Gatekeepers of Hillary Clinton’s economic policy n Reuters, New York

Hillary Clinton has no shortage of economic advisers. Scores of worldclass experts pour ideas into her campaign on the policies she should champion in her bid for the White House. But before much of the input reaches the Democratic candidate, it is filtered through a pair of staffers known inside the campaign as the “Economikes.” Working out of Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, Michael Shapiro and Michael Schmidt are helping shape what could be a lasting economic agenda if the former secretary of state overcomes Republican rival Donald Trump in November’s election. Clinton’s inclusive approach to developing policy positions has been faulted for being slow and unwieldy. Much of the work of sifting through the wealth of sometimes disparate ideas and data it yields falls to the Economikes. The pair helps Clinton draw upon

a deep bench of advisers, including economist Alan Krueger, Duke professor Aaron Chatterji and Simon Johnson, a former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund, along with scores of other academics and business people. Some communicate regularly through emails, conference calls, meetings and memos. Others are tapped once or twice for specific expertise. Frequent contributor Alan Blinder, the former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, said he will “usually email the Mikes” with ideas. The fruit of the process will be on display today in Ohio, where Clinton is expected to give a speech contrasting her economic vision with that of Trump, who often names himself as his main adviser. Clinton has called raising middle class incomes the defining economic challenge of the time. So far, she has presented a mix of goals, including making child care more affordable and boosting jobs. Some business leaders have said her approach is reassuring, but progressives have criticised her policies as too moderate.

What is the European Union? Germany, France and four other nations formed the European Economic Community in 1957, determined to banish forever the bloodshed of two world wars. The grouping became the EU in 1993 and has grown into a 28-nation bloc of more than 500m people stretching from Ireland to the Aegean Sea, with substantial powers over member states’ laws, economies and social policies. It has its own parliament, central bank and 19 EU members use a common currency, the euro.

Hillary Clinton cartoon illustration Trump, in contrast, often has taken business leaders by surprise with his policy proposals. He has promised to renegotiate international trade deals to pump up US manufacturing, vowed to penalise companies that move their headquarters abroad to avoid taxes, and pledged to dismantle Obama’s financial regulation reforms. The campaign so far has rolled

Why is Britain considering leaving? Britain joined the bloc in 1973, but many Britons feel their island nation — a former imperial power — is fundamentally different to its European neighbours. Anti-EU Britons resent everything from fishing quotas to fruit

EU REFERENDUM: WHO CAN VOTE? Ü Anyone entitled to vote in a UK parliamentary election can participate Ü British citizens over 18 who are resident in the UK Ü Irish citizens over 18 who are resident in the UK Ü Maltese and Cypriots over 18 and resident in the UK Ü Commonwealth-born citizens over 18 and resident in the UK Ü Commonwealth citizens in Gibraltar over 18 Ü British expats who have lived overseas for less than 15 years Ü Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland and who have registered to vote there in the last 15 years Source: TELEGRAPH

sizes being decided in Brussels. The anti-EU view is especially strong in the Conservative Party of Prime Minister David Cameron. It was partly to appease his party that Cameron promised to hold a referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prospect of Britain leaving the EU is known as “Brexit” — short for British exit.

Why do some Britons want to stay? Supporters say Britain’s economy and security are enhanced by EU membership. They argue that membership makes it much easier for British companies both large and small to import

A 19-year-old British man has been charged for trying to grab a police officer’s gun at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas in a bid to kill the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. According to a complaint filed in federal court in Nevada, Michael Sandford tried to disarm the officer at Saturday’s rally at the Mystere Theatre in Las Vegas before being overpowered. -AFP

THE AMERICAS

BIGSTOCK

out proposals to allow for refinancing of student debt and the use of income-based repayment programmes to cut monthly payments. Shapiro and Schmidt said the policy points they bring back to Clinton typically lead her to ask more questions, a process that can go on for several rounds before the candidate finally settles on a policy proposal. l

What’s behind UK’s wrangling with EU? British voters head to the polls on Thursday to decide if the country should stay in the European Union or leave it. With the stakes high and the issues complex, the ins and outs of the UK-EU relationship are as follows--

British man charged after bid to kill Trump

130,000 Haitians face deportation from Dominican Republic

Q&A

1 DAY TO GO

World

and export goods to other member countries with minimum hassle. Supporters say being part of the 28-nation bloc gives them many more options and makes it easy for them to live and work in other countries. Labour Party leaders also argue that European rules and regulations and European courts have improved the way British workers are treated. They say removing these protections could lower living standards.

What issues are shaping the campaign? The “remain” side, headed by the prime minister, argues that Britain’s

economy would suffer a tremendous blow if the country leaves the trading bloc. This position has been backed by many prominent business leaders who warn of a possible catastrophe. The “leave” side has focused on concerns about immigration from other parts of the EU since membership in the bloc gives residents of other countries the right to live and work in Britain. They argue that by leaving, Britain can take total control of its borders and set up its own entry rules. EU leaders have refused to compromise on the EU principle that citizens may live and work freely in other member states. But they have offered Britain an “emergency brake” that will allow it to restrict social welfare benefit payments for a period if it can show its welfare system is under pressure.

What happens next? The referendum’s outcome is hard to predict, because there is little precedent — Britain hasn’t had a referendum on Europe since 1975. Opinion polls were notoriously inaccurate about Britain’s 2015 election, and vary widely. Some show a lead for the “remain” side, while others put “leave” ahead. l

Source: AP

More than 130,000 people of Haitian origin living in the Dominican Republic risk deportation because it is nearly impossible for them to renew their temporary residency permits. From June 2015 to May 2016, 106,000 Haitians were deported or left the Dominican Republic, according to the latest statistics from Amnesty International. -AFP

MPs set to investigate far right in wake of Jo Cox killing A powerful committee of MPs is set to investigate the danger the political far right poses in the wake of the stabbing and shooting to death of Jo Cox. The home affairs committee will discuss the issue next week and its chair, Labour MP Keith Vaz, said he was already aware some committee members wanted an inquiry. -THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

EU approves 6-month Russia sanctions rollover Brussels-based envoys of the European Union’s 28 member states agreed on Tuesday to extend until the end of January the energy, financial and defence sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. The bloc’s ministers are expected to formally approve the six-month roll-over in the coming days, assuming that the French parliament raises no last-minute objections. -REUTERS

AFRICA

16 killed in fresh unrest in Central African Republic 16 people have been killed in two days of clashes between Fulani herdsmen and the mainly Muslim Seleka militia in the Central African Republic, police said on Tuesday. The chronically unstable nation is struggling to overcome the legacy of three years of deadly conflict between Christians and Muslims that has driven half a million people from their homes. -AFP

EU Referendum

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

BRITAIN FACES HISTORIC CHOICE IN EU REFERENDUM On June 23 voters must decide: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?"

Britain Stronger in Europe

Vote Leave Scotland N. Ireland

David Cameron Prime minister (right-wing)

Key supporters George Osborne Finance minister (right-wing) Sadiq Khan Mayor of London (left-wing)

Latest poll

49%

51%

Stay

Leave

London Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leader (left-wing)

“The best answer for Britain is to get the reforms we need and to vote to stay in”

England

Wales

Stay

Leav

LONDON

12.8

Population as % of EU total EU member since Seats in the European Parliament (equal 3rd largest) Eurozone member Schengen Area** EU Council presidencies Next: 2017

1973 751 73 No No 5

Nigel Farage UKIP leader (right-wing populist)

Key supporters Gisela Stuart Member of Parliament (left) Michael Gove Justice minister (right-wing)

Boris Johnson Ex-mayor of London (right)

“This is like the jailer has accidentally left the door of the jail open and people can see the sunlit land beyond”

UK contribution to EU budget (in billions of pounds per year)

A long tradition of ambivalence over Europe

19.1

gross

9.9* net

Referendum

1946 Winston Churchill “We must build a kind of United States of Europe”

1963 French president Charles de Gaulle vetoes UK bid to join the EEC

1967 2nd French veto

1973 UK joins EEC under rightwing premier Edward Heath

1975 UK referendum on the EEC. “Stay” camp wins with 67%

1984 Premier Margaret Thatcher wins rebate from the EEC after threat to withold UK payments

June 23, 2016 1993 Premier John Major vows to resign unless the UK signs the Maastrict Treaty creating the EU

Sources: UK Treasury, Europa.eu, ONS, EU, Churchill Society, WhatUKThinks **Border-free zone *2014 contribution, after deduction of rebate (£4.4bn), EU public-sector credits (£4.8bn). Excludes private sector benefits to UK

YES

Would Brexit work?

YES

Would Brexit work?

TRADE • EU trade is no longer vital to the UK

UK can have: • free trade deal with EU eg. Norway, Switzerland

UK must: respect EU rules it cannot influence • eg. production standards

• bilateral trade deals with

pay tariffs on exports to the EU •

growing export markets eg. BRICs

• 0.6% - 1.6% gain

UK loses its main trading partner approx. • 50% of trade, worth £500 billion per year

ECONOMY Impact on GDP by 2030

0.8% - 9.5% loss •

Net UK contribution to the EU = £8.5bn

JOBS = UK firms create jobs

• Visa restrictions on EU migrants

Multinationals move to lower-cost EU states • Bad for UK car industry, financial services

UK economy relies on migrants’ • labour and tax payments Britons need visas to work in EU •

= more jobs for Britons, less pressure on schools, hospitals

INFLUENCE • UK remains a powerful global voice

UK loses influence in EU, Germany, France • It is a nuclear power, member Is sidelined by the US on transnational issues • of NATO and the UN Security Council security, environment and trade

Membership of the EU has • increased UK exports by 55%

• Billions saved per year

• No more EU regulations or red tape

TRADE IMMIGRATION

LAWS Britons lose protection • eg. from EU employment and social laws • UK not bound by EU law and order measures Delays extraditing subjects from EU • • UK parliament regains sovereignty

Source: ONS, parliament.uk, LSE, Open Europe

BREXIT: VOTING INTENTIONS “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” 100%

By party

By age group

STAY

18-24 year-olds

Good thing 20

50-64 Midlands + Wales Over 65s

LEAVE 40

*Question put to 10,491 people across 10 EU countries (April 4 - May 12, 2016)

Labour Scotland S. England London (ex. London) 25-49 North Conservatives

“If the UK were to leave the European Union, this would be a ____ thing for the Union”* Bad thing 100 80

Liberal Democrat

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

The European view of Brexit 89%

Among 18-24 year-olds, 60% favour staying in the EU, 20% favour leaving.*

By region

EU Referendum

* Undecided voters do not feature on the chart. Source: Yougov poll carried out June 12-13 of 1,905 people questioned

UKIP 100%

Overall Netherlands Hungary Poland France Germany Spain Greece Italy Sweden Source: Pew Research Centre

12 Business

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

TOP STORIES Study: Bangladesh labour cost in auto industry lower than India, China Bangladesh has the lowest labour cost in auto and auto components industry relative to India, Indonesia, China and Singapore, finds a study. It spends a mere 1.87% of its output value on wages and other benefits to workers, while India spends 8.29%, China around 7%, Indonesia 4.46%, and Singapore 13.13%. PAGE 13

Next Denim expo in Dhaka to double number of exhibitors Bangladesh Denim Expo organising authorities have decided to double the number of exhibitors in its 5th edition in the wake of huge response from the exhibitors and visitors. PAGE 13

Soros: Pound fall after Brexit would be bigger George Soros, the billionaire who earned fame by betting against the pound in 1992, said that a British vote on Thursday to leave the European Union would trigger a bigger and more disruptive sterling devaluation than the fall on Black Wednesday. PAGE 14

Capital market snapshot: Monday DSE Broad Index

4,363.1

-0.1% ▼

Index

1,075.2

-0.1% ▼

30 Index

1,710.2

-0.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

3,284.3

0.0% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

110.0

35.9% ▲

All Share Index 13,419.2

-0.1% ▼

30 Index

12,341.9

-0.3% ▼

CSE

Selected Index

8,166.7

-0.1% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

199.7

4.4% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

8.1

18.9% ▲

Muhith: Power generation in Rooppur plant to be costly n Asif Showkat Kallol Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the power generation cost in the proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will be higher than usual. He said cost of 2,400MW power generation in nuclear power plant is usually $3.5bn, but in the proposed plant the cost will be $11bn. “This will be really expensive for countries like Bangladesh, but we are looking into the matter and will assess the per unit cost. There will be a committee to work on the matter,” finance minister told journalists on his return from an investment conference in Russia yesterday. He further said the issue of environment surrounding the Rooppur plant is also important and in Russia he has visited two under construction nuclear power plants and observed the environmental issues there. About Bangladesh Bank heist, finance minister said probe report will be disclosed after Eid vacation as they are now “busy discussing the proposed budget” before its

Finance Minister AMA Muhith approval. “Budget sessions in parliament will continue until June 30, then comes Eid-ul-Fitr. So, it’s not possible to make Bangladesh Bank heist probe report public before Eid,” finance minister told Dhaka Tribune yesterday. On May 30, the probe committee led by Former Central Bank Governor Mohammed Farashuddin submitted the report to finance minister. At that time, finance minister said the government would make the report public within 15-20 days. Muhith in his budget speech

described the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist as the largest cyber scandal. Minister described that the heist occurred at the beginning of February and the spots were Bangladesh Bank, New York Federal Reserve Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in Manila and Shalika Foundation of Sri Lanka. A planned attempt was taken to launder $100m from Bangladesh Bank. But the attempt was foiled due to misspelling of a recipient organisation. Fed tried to contact with Bangladesh Bank becoming suspicious about the payment orders but could not draw attention of the central bank due to different weekends in two countries. The delaying to respond caused transfer of $81m to suspicious recipients in Manila, Muhith said in budget speech. The reserve heist went to Senate hearing in Manila in March and drew attention of global media outlets. Muhith claimed that the government could not be informed in due time as the then governor was trying to settle the issue secretly. l

Ecnec approves Teletalk’s 3G expansion project n Ishtiaq Husain Executive Committee of the National Economic Council yesterday approved the Teletalk’s 3G network expansion project of Tk675.81 crore. Of the total amount, the government will finance Tk608 crore while rest of the amount will be provided by Teletalk, the stateowned mobile phone operator. The money will be spent to expand the operator’s 3G network to the country’s rural areas. “This is the second project related to Teletalk internet network expansion after first project failed to take the operator’s 3G internet facility to rural people,” said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal. The project work will get under way next month and is scheduled to be completed by December, 2017. Under the project, Teletalk will set up cyber centres and 1,200 base transceiver stations (BTS). Besides, a total of over 500 BTS of 2.5G will be built. Earlier, the government had

tried to manage foreign loan to expand its 3G network. But their steps failed to manage foreign loan though initiatives were taken several times. The government rebranded the state-run mobile operator with its new logo on March 8. State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim formally unveiled the new Teletalk logo. The new slogan is “Shopno Hashimukher” (Connect to happiness). The government has taken the initiative to turn the mobile operator into a profitable organisation as since its inception in 2005, Teletalk still failed to make any profit. After assuming office as state minister for telecommunications, Tarana Halim repeatedly announced that the government would take up rebranding plan for making the company vibrant. A the beginning of this year, she went to Singapore and Malaysia to see for herself the operation of state-run telecommunication companies there.

She had meetings with telecommunications ministers of those countries and sought advices from them regarding the stateowned telecom business. Taran Halim expressed her dissatisfaction in the Parliament over the operator’s Tk400 crore loss. Earlier, Teletalk Managing Director Gias Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they were planning to invest TK4,600 crore for expansion of the operator’s 3G network across the country and the roll-out of 4G in 2017. l

BB issues fresh circular for DG posts this week n Jebun Nesa Alo The government is going to issue a fresh circular again for appointing deputy governors of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) as the earlier panel selected by the search committee has been canceled. ‘’We will issue a new circular by this week for the DG posts of the central bank,’’ said Gokul Chand Das, join secretary of bank and financial division of the Finance Ministry. He said: “All the procedure for selecting the DGs will start afresh from the very beginning through issuing a circular as the government did not accept the earlier selected panel.” Earlier, a search committee headed by Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad selected three candidates against the two DG posts of the central bank. All of them are existing Executive Directors of BB and they are-SM Moniruzzaman, Ahmed Jamal and Abdur Rahim. As the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has started investigation into corruption allegations against Moniruzzaman and Abdur Rahim, it created huge controversies over the selected panel. Against the backdrop, Finance Minister AMA Muhith held an emergency meeting recently with the search committee and decided to cancel the earlier proposed panel. “The upcoming circular may include few more prerequisites for the applicants to become eligible to contest for the position,” hinted Gokul. The search committee had earlier selected 21 candidates for interviews. But, finally 19 candidates faced the interview while three of them were finally short-listed for the position. On March 15, the government had sacked two deputy governors– Naznin Sultana and Abul Kashem soon after the resignation of Atiur Rahman over the BB cyber heist. On the following day, the search committee was formed to find two DGs for the central bank. l

Business

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Study: Bangladesh labour cost in auto industry lower than India, China n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh has the lowest labour cost in auto and auto components industry relative to India, Indonesia, China and Singapore, finds a study. It spends a mere 1.87% of its output value on wages and other benefits to workers, while India spends 8.29%, China around 7%, Indonesia 4.46%, and Singapore 13.13%. The study “Assessing India’s manufacturing cost competitiveness” was jointly conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and the Thought Arbitrage Research Institute.

The report said India loses out to China, Singapore, Indonesia and even to Bangladesh when it comes to achieving cost competitiveness in the auto and auto parts industry.

About fuel cost, Indonesia is the only country over which India enjoys a slight cost advantage, spending 2.03% of its output on fuel.

To remain relevant in both internal and external market environment, manufacturing sector producers need to be cost competitive as costs have direct impact on price competitiveness It assessed the industry in terms of major parameters like labour, fuel cost and price of raw materials. While Bangladesh spends 0.18% of output value on fuel and China 1.22%, India spends a significantly higher rate of 1.99%.

“In case, we have to realise the Make in India and attract lot more FDI, we need to work on reducing the cost of production in all the parameters, especially at a time when the world demand is subdued,” Assocham Secretary

General DS Rawat said. In his comments, Director of the Thought Arbitrage Research Institute, Kaushik Dutta said: “To remain relevant in both internal and external market environment, manufacturing sector producers need to be cost competitive as costs have direct impact on price competitiveness.” Compared to China, Indonesia and Singapore, India spends heavily on raw materials for manufacturing automobiles and components. While these countries spend about 29%, 23% and 57% of their value of output on raw materials, respectively, India spends around 69%, clearly indicating a disadvantage for India, the report said. l

DSEX falls to one month low n Tribune Business Desk Stocks continued to decline for the fourth consecutive session amid volatile trade yesterday with the benchmark index DSEX falling to one month low. The benchmark index DSEX edged nearly 6 points or 0.2% to 4,363—its lowest since May 19 this year. The blue-chip comprising index DS30 was marginally down about 3 points or 0.2% to 1,710. The DSE Shariah Index DSES witnessed fractional loss of 0.7 point to 1,075. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX closed at 8,166, dropping about 11 points. Trading activities remained unchanged as the DSE turnover stood at Tk328 crore, which was almost same over previous session’s value. The large cap sectors showed negative performances except non-banking financial institutions that ended marginally higher. Among the worst performers, engineering sector was the top loser with a decline of 0.6%, followed by food and allied 0.5%, power 0.5% and pharmaceuticals 0.4%. Heavyweight sectors like banks and telecommunications closed flat. National Feed Mill Limited was the most traded share with a turnover worth Tk16 crore, pushing Acme Laboratories Limited, that dominated the turnover chart over the last two weeks, to second place. These two firms were followed by Olympic Accessories Limited, Bangladesh Building System, BD Thai Aluminum and Ibn Sina. The number of losers was higher than that of gainers yesterday, as out of 318 issues traded, 123 advanced, 138 declined and 57 remained unchanged. l

Syed Nasim Manzur elected as BUILD chairman

n Tribune Business Desk

Apex Footwear Limited Managing Director Syed Nasim Manzur has been elected as the Chairman of the Trustee Board of Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD). “The 9th trustee board meeting held at BUILD office elected him for the year 2016 and 2017,” according to a press statement released yesterday. Syed Nasim Manzur is the president of Metropolitan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and sits on the board of Pioneer Insurance, Guardian Life Insurance, International Publications and Apex Tannery Ltd. The board also decided that the BUILD founder Chairman Asif Ibrahim will remain as a Trustee Board member with the capacity of an advisor. l

Rupali Bank introduces mobile banking for students n Tribune Business Desk

An exhibition stall at a Denim expo in Dhaka

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Next Denim expo in Dhaka to double number of exhibitors n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Denim Expo organising authorities have decided to double the number of exhibitors in its 5th edition in the wake of huge response from the exhibitors and visitors. The 5th edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo, a local initiative to show the strength of Bangladesh Denim industry, will be held on November 8-9, 2016 at International Convention City, Bashundhara, in the city. “As a good number of exhibitors are keenly looking forward to joining us, we are going to double the size of the expo, so we could

accommodate more exhibitors in the upcoming show,” said Md Mostafiz Uddin, chief executive officer of Bangladesh Denim Expo. He said: “Moreover, the expo has become a much-awaited event in the international denim arena. That is why, we are also trying to expand the scale of the expo to fulfill the expectations.” For the first time, the expo will be held in two halls in November where 100 exhibitors, including readymade garment manufacturers and denim fabric mills from Bangladesh and 17 other countries, will display their products, he said. Around 8,000 visitors, including

buyers and denim connoisseurs, from across the world are expected to attend this edition of the expo. The last edition of the expo held in April this year was also attended by 4,000 trade visitors from around the world where 50 exhibitors from 13 countries displayed their products. Currently, the industry has 26 denim fabric manufacturers with a total investment of $834 million. It produces around 360 million yards per year to meet 45% to 50% of the total demand of 720 million yard for export yearly. The country, however, needs to import 60% of denim fabric to meet the demand. l

State-owned Rupali Bank has recently introduced mobile banking service styled ‘’Sure Cash’’ for the students. “This is the first state-owned banks that introduced such a service in order to give stipend to the students through mobile banking account,” said a Rupali Bank press release issued on Monday. Initially, the service has been introduced in 89 upazilas across the country and the bank will soon expand it across the country gradually. As chief guest, Mostafizur Rahman, minister for Primary and Mass Education, formally inaugurated the service at a function held in the capital on Monday. A deal was signed between ministry and the bank over providing stipend through mobile banking at the function. Humayun Khalid, secretary for the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and M Farid Uddin, managing director of Rupali Bank signed the deal on their respective behalves. The ceremony was attended, among others, by Rupali Bank Chairman Monzur Hossain and Deputy Managing Director Debasish Chakrabarty. l

Business

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

German investors shrug off Brexit fears n AFP, Frankfurt

German investors appear to be either unfazed by a possible exit by Britain from the European Union or do not believe it will happen, as investor confidence in Europe’s biggest economic hit a nine-month high, a leading survey showed yesterday. The investor confidence index calculated by the ZEW economic institute jumped by 12.8 points to 19.2 points in June, its highest level since September 2015, the think tank said in a statement. “The improvement of economic sentiment indicates that the finan-

cial market experts have confidence in the resilience of the German economy,” said ZEW president Achim Wambach. “However, general economic conditions remain challenging. Apart from the weak global economic dynamics, it is mainly the EU referendum in Great Britain which causes uncertainty,” Wambach said. Britain goes to the polls on Thursday to decide whether to remain in the European Union with polls suggesting it will be a knifeedge vote. For the survey, ZEW questions analysts and institutional investors

about their current assessment of the economic situation in Germany, as well as their expectations for the coming months. The sub-index measuring financial market players’ view of the current economic situation in Germany increased by 1.4 points to 54.5 points in June, ZEW said.

‘Positive surprise’

Analysts had been pencilling in a renewed decline in the headline ZEW index this month, so the sharp rise came as a positive surprise. The ZEW survey “suggests that investor sentiment towards the German economy has not been hit

by the risk of Brexit and points to steady annual GDP (gross domestic product) growth,” said Capital Economics economist Jennifer McKeown. She pointed out that the poll was taken during the past two weeks, so it may not have taken into account the recent increased probability of Brexit and the associated falls in the stock markets and bond yields last week. “We suspect that an actual Brexit would prompt a fall in German sentiment. For now, though, on the basis of its past loose relationship with German GDP, the ZEW points to steady annual growth at around

the first quarter rate of 1.6%,” McKeown said. “Judging from the ZEW index, German investors either don’t seem to believe in the prospects of a Brexit or are simply not afraid of the potential consequences,” said ING DiBa economist Carsten Brzeski. “Obviously, the ZEW index is currently not the best predictor of future growth in the German economy. Nevertheless, against the background of latest market turmoil and the upcoming British referendum, German investors’ new optimism comes as a nice positive surprise,” Brzeski said. l

Soros: Pound fall after Brexit would Brexit is trigger for market liquidity migraine be bigger, more disruptive than n ‘Black Wednesday’ Swaha Pattanaik

If asset managers are anxious before Britain’s European Union referendum, the traders who handle their orders are just as troubled. Market gyrations before the June 23 vote might make it look like they are in line for a repeat of the huge profits made following sterling’s 1992 exit from the Exchange Rate Mechanism. But the industry has undergone a sea change that could

n Reuters, London George Soros, the billionaire who earned fame by betting against the pound in 1992, said that a British vote on Thursday to leave the European Union would trigger a bigger and more disruptive sterling devaluation than the fall on Black Wednesday. Soros used Quantum Fund in 1992 to bet successfully that sterling was overvalued against the Deutsche Mark, forcing then-Prime Minister John Major to pull the pound out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). Soros, in an opinion piece in the Guardian newspaper, said that in the event of a British exit, or Brexit, the pound would fall by at least 15%, and possibly more than 20%, to below $1.15 from its current level of around $1.46. “The value of the pound would decline precipitously. It would also have an immediate and dramatic impact on financial markets, investment, prices and jobs,” Soros, who is 85, said in the Guardian. “I would expect this devaluation to be bigger and also more disruptive than the 15% devaluation that occurred in September 1992, when I was fortunate enough to make a substantial profit for my hedge fund investors.” Soros, ranked as the world’s 23rd richest person by Forbes magazine with a fortune of $24.9bn, said the Bank of England would not cut rates after a British exit and that there would be few monetary policy tools left to ease a recession or a fall in British house prices. He also pointed to the “very large” current account deficit in the United Kingdom and said a post-Brexit devaluation would be

leave market-makers struggling even to ensure normal service. Some banks and stock exchanges have warned clients that trading conditions could be difficult and volatile, and flagged the risk of large gaps in the pricing of assets. The problem of one-way traffic and illiquidity is already evident in the currency derivatives market, where Brexit concerns first showed up and where it has been most pronounced. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Georges Soros, Chairman of Soros Fund Management, speaks during the session ‘Recharging Europe’ in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos REUTERS unlikely to improve manufacturing as trading conditions would be too uncertain to undertake new investments or hire workers. Hungarian-born Soros said the scale of the sterling devaluation would compare with 1967, when then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson devalued the pound to $2.40 from $2.80. Speculators, Soros said, would be eager to exploit a Brexit situation to profit. “Today, there are speculative forces in the markets much bigger and more powerful. And they will be eager to exploit any miscalculations by the British government or British voters,” Soros said. “Brexit would make some people very rich – but most voters considerably poorer,” Soros said.

Brexit worry

Members of Britain’s Leave campaign say some bankers, big companies and politicians are trying to scare British voters with overblown warnings about the financial and

economic impact of a Brexit. Justice Secretary Michael Gove, one of the leading members of the Vote Leave campaign, dismissed Soros’s warning, saying that the billionaire had advocated British membership of the euro zone. “The truth is that economic forecasters like George Soros have got things wrong in the past. They were the people who argued that we should join the single currency, the single currency as you know has brought economic misery,” Gove told BBC radio. Opponents of EU membership say Britain could prosper if it cut itself free from what they portray as a doomed German-dominated project in excessive debt-funded welfare spending. The world’s biggest banks including Citi and Goldman Sachs will draft in senior traders to work through the night following Britain’s referendum on EU membership, set to be among the most volatile 24 hours for markets in a quarter of a century. l

Rajshahi zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has recently arranged a discussion on humane banking in the light of roza and taqwa, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Engr Mustafa Anwar was present at the programme as chief guest

UCash, mobile financial services of United Commercial Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Limited on collecting cash for ACI Godrej Agrovet, said a press release. Managing director of UCB, Muhammed Ali and managing director of ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Limited, Dhruba Jyoti Banerjee have signed the agreement

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Ramadan Special

Ramadan: The Razor’s Edge

Bamboo Bridge in Bangladesh by Jonathan Munshi. Taken on July 13, 2009

n Shireen Pasha “My Friend is nearer to me than I am to myself And I’m far from Him How amazing! Whom can I tell? That my Friend is within me, and I am exiled.” -Sa’adi Dr. Rafique Keshavjee, who holds a PhD in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology in Islamic Studies, translated this

Sa’adi poem from Farsi to English, pointing out that “English forces this translation to be linked to gender. Persian does not. That way, it means that the Friend could be male, female, or God.” How do we know this friend, who is so closer to us than ourselves? Buddha sought to understand and free himself from the confines of the human body by learning about it from various sages. He then began to practice ascetism: holding his breath, fasting until he was decimated to just bone and

skin, feeling his spine through his belly. Still, he could not reach a deeper realisation of the friend. Then he remembered a feeling of yūgen from his childhood, the joy of sitting beneath a rose apple tree, which led him into a meditative state. He understood then that he would not reach enlightenment by torturing his body, instead he needed to work with his own nature and achieve good health to continue his seeking. That’s when a young girl appeared before him with a bowl of milk and rice. With gratitude he ate the offering and found that the path to awakening was the “middle path” between self denial and over indulgence. Jesus said something similar, “Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life (awakening).” The Upanishads very gently say “neti, neti.” “Not this, not this.” Specifically, the Katha Upanishad says “the path is as narrow as the razor’s edge.” In Surah Baqarah, Allah tells beloved Mohammad (pbuh), “Thus We have appointed you a middle nation.” Beloved Mohammad (pbuh) always encouraged a life of wasat middle, centered, balanced. My beloved husband always says, “It’s about your attitude, Shireen - your intention, balancing your intention between the extremes.” Having taken into account all the great sages’ in my life – past and present - I had some of my husband’s raunchy chocolate cookies last night. Pragmatically, if you want more insight into your physical nature, you might turn to the ancient science of Ayurveda where human bodies are categorised according to certain mind-body characteristics or doshas. The Chopra Center’s website has a simple test to help you learn more about your specific body type and what foods, work/ sleep rhythm would suit you best. Once again, explore this keeping in mind “wasat”, “neti-neti, the razor’s edge. l

Feature

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

A panacea for counterfeit medicines n Kaiser Kabir

his is a story about two enterprising young brothers who identified the proliferation of counterfeit drugs as a critical public health safety issue, developed a simple digital solution to address it, and effectively partnered with a large pharmaceutical company to lead this fight in Bangladesh. It is an inspiring case study about Bangladesh’s demographic dividend delivering on its potential. Counterfeit medicines are a global problem. In Bangladesh, an estimated 3% of the total medicine supply is counterfeit, but this number is growing rapidly. Not surprisingly, the counterfeiters target well-known brands. More often than not, the packaging and outward appearance of the fake product, unlike its contents, are virtually identical to the genuine article. Brothers Soumik and Souvik Aswad, both in their early twenties, were troubled by this alarming infiltration of counterfeit medicine and the potential life threatening impact on their fellow citizens. Rather than having a fleeting discussion about the problem on social media, they thought deeply about how consumers can be empowered. The solution they developed is brilliant and simple – and involves the humble yet ubiquitous cell phone SMS. The idea is as follows – during production, a pharmaceutical company prints a unique code on each medicine strip, which the customer can SMS to a particular number. The SMS then links up with the company’s computer, which can verify whether the code was indeed printed during production. Subsequently, the computer sends back an SMS confirming that the product is genuine. Having developed the idea into a full-fledged business plan, the brothers set up a company called Panacea and entered several competitions. Since then, Panacea has won several awards including: (1) First prize at TIE Next Big Bang Challenge, Bangladesh; (2) Second prize at GIST Startup Boot Camp, Bangladesh; (3) First prize at Reconnect Startup Boot Camp, Nepal; and (4) Second prize at

Brothers Soumik and Souvik with Renata engineers Diponkor, Nafeul, Soumik, Souvik, Arif and Rakib (from left to right)

Not surprisingly, the counterfeiters target wellknown brands

Start up Open, Washington DC, USA. While awards are satisfying, the real test comes in trying to execute a business plan successfully. To this end, Soumik and Souvik solicited the support of pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh, and Renata Limited volunteered to help. Renata is the fourth largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, and employs and

develops Bangladesh’s brightest young talents. Its forward thinking workforce immediately embraced the idea of fighting counterfeit medicine and proposed to apply Panacea’s technology to Maxpro and Rolac, two of Renata’s biggest selling brands. There were challenges right at the onset. A plethora of information is already printed on blister foils and the additional printing requirement of the unique code created a new problem. Renata uses super-fast

blister machines but the online printers were not fast enough to place the unique code alongside pre-existing information. The team searched globally for printers with matching speeds but none could maintain an acceptable loss in productivity. The project seemed doomed. Renata’s young engineers then had their own ‘eureka’ moment - to modify the expensive blister machines. The retrofitted machines now allow additional printers to be installed to place the unique code without slowing down the packaging line. The

project took 10 months to complete and is now ready for roll out. Extensive testing has been done to ensure efficacy. The success of this roll out will be a significant first step towards combating the serious public health safety concerns of counterfeit medicine. The fact that Panacea is 100% Bangladeshi, and that its launch is a result of the collaborative efforts of innovative young minds at a start-up and an established company, bodes well for the future of Bangladesh. l

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Women's Page

Why should the victims always know better?

Photo: Bigstock

n Shuprova Tasneem By now, most people have seen and maybe even forgotten the haunting final video posted by model Sabira Hossain before she took her life - a tragic ten minute clip where she described how the man she had loved and who had promised to marry her had ended their relationship and instead thrown her out with the help of his family. The 21 year old’s suffering is all too apparent in the clip, and it is difficult to watch the young girl struggle with her decision to end it all and her very human inability to do so. Although the video ends with her suicide attempt failing, Sabira Hossain was unfortunately successful in her second attempt. Last month, on 24 May 2016, she was found dead at her house in the capital’s Mirpur area. After her death, Sabira’s Facebook page has been filled with an outpouring of shock and grief, with friends expressing disbelief that she could do such a thing. However, there has also been a much darker side of the reactions to this young girl’s suicide, and has given us cause to question not only the stigma that is associated with mental health and suicide, but also the stigma associated with

last cry of help before ending it all. What has been lost is the story of psychological trauma and depression that led to Sabira’s untimely death, displaying a very real ignorance of mental health issues. According to psychologist Dr. Mehtab Khanam, it is important for youngsters to have healthy emotional attachments from their early childhood, and a lack of a sense of security can leave psychological scars that run deep. “Children need to believe the world is trustworthy and develop a sense of security, and feel anchored to someone without being engulfed by them from an early age”, she says. “When these healthy attachments do not exist, you can definitely become too emotionally invested in one person later on in life, and this of course can be a psychological problem.” She adds, “the problem now is that in the age of social media and heightened levels of communication, it is all too easy to move on to the next option rather than work on our relationships. These short-lived relationships and the insecurity that has existed from early childhood can lead to depression and even suicide, especially when the woman

breaking social norms, especially in the case of young women.

Victim shaming, no matter the case The most common negative reaction has been denouncements of her act as weak or unnatural, with many commentators declaring they have “no sympathy” for someone foolish enough to take their own life. While the unrelenting stigma around suicide is not uncommon, the fact that Sabira was a young girl from the world of media only added to the vitriol aimed at her. A daughter of estranged parents, Sabira entered the world of modelling at a young age, and began a relationship with photographer Nirjhar. At the time of her death, she was living on her own in Dhaka, and the shock of losing him too obviously had a disturbing psychological effect on her. But rather than focusing on the importance of understanding and dealing with mental health issues, especially in the youth population, we spiraled into the usual blame game. Why did she have to live on her own? Why didn’t she realise the man was using her? Add to that the stigma that comes with being a woman in the world of media and you have

In a way, there is an almost eerie parallel to the victim shaming that happens in the cases of sexual assault and abuse

even more mud to sling. Do good girls lead such Western lifestyles openly? Doesn’t her career choice show what she was? In a way, there is an almost eerie parallel to the victim shaming that happens in the cases of sexual assault and abuse, something we still casually call “eve-teasing” in our country when it is so much more than just a joke. ‘What was she wearing?’ and ‘who was she with?’ are the two most common questions asked about these cases, whether at homes, workplaces or even police stations. To people who are not hard-wired to instantly guess that the fault lay with the woman, no matter what, similar questions regarding Sabira’s personal life seem just as irrational. And even more worryingly, it has all the same undertones that is so common in

our society - a sadistic sort of glee at the despair of a woman who made the choice to break out of socially accepted norms but failed to live with the consequences. For all the people who believe that Sabira should have known better than to live on her own, work as a model and live in a way that many would deem as ‘socially unacceptable’, her death is proof of the wrongness of her decisions and the rightness of their judgment.

A society that ignores mental health What is most distressing is that underneath all the gossip and speculation about her personal life, there is hidden a story of a troubled young girl who, when faced with no friends and no way out, took to social media for one

is faced with the shame and guilt that follows after a failed relationship.” Sabira was a young girl with her entire life ahead of her. A person used to being in the spotlight, yet she was completely alone. But hers is not the only story of loneliness and depression that led to a life being snuffed out too early. According to WHO data, 10,167 suicides occurred in Bangladesh in 2014. A Dhaka Tribune report from that time confirms that most of these deaths were young females between 15 to 29 years. But it is high time we as a society stop blaming these victims of suicide and heaping shame and guilt onto their choices. Until we do so, we will continue to fail other young people like her, who feel as isolated, alone and psychologically disturbed as Sabira did. l

Biz Info

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

| event |

| fashion |

Dhaka Regency hosted an enchanting Iftar evening

Pond’s Bangladesh Fashion Festival June 2016

opportunity to host a farewell reception for the departing Ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Mahmoud Ezzat, a sincere friend who has committed himself to Bangladesh-Egypt friendship during his tenure. Executive director of the hotel, Shahid Hamid FIH said, “Ramadan is synonymous with

women to have a strong point of view while maintaining their femininity. As a result of this belief, “Pond’s Bangladesh Fashion Festival” has been inspired by the idea of assisting aspiring designers to arrange a glamorous fair that would offer an extravagant experience to their clients. While “Pond’s Bangladesh Fashion Festival ” is being held primarily to support local businesses, it also serves as a hub where one can meet friends and get the opportunity to meet upcoming artists and budding celebrities like Irin Afroze, Shahtaz Munira etc who often turn up at these events.l

| meals |

For the embassies and diplomatic corps Dhaka Regency Hotel & Resort organised an Iftar gathering on 12th June 2016 for the embassies, members of the diplomatic corps, and airline and cabin crews. The guests were treated to a unique experience on this holy month of Ramadan at the Celebration Hall on the 14th floor of the hotel. Dhaka Regency also took this

“Pond’s Bangladesh Fashion Festival” will be held on 24-25 June 2016 at Hotel Sarina. The fair will showcase 30 of the most popular Facebook stores among the youth of Dhaka city, and will be open from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm. Online shopping has recently gained significant popularity in Dhaka over the past two years and at present, over 500,000 women carry out their Eid shopping from Facebook stores. This trend has given rise to several online designer brands, which while being niche, are extremely popular in social media circles. Pond’s believes in inspiring

generosity and kindness, and we are glad to see all our noble guests on this occasion and are hoping this arrangement will continue to build networking and goodwill between Dhaka Regency and the embassies.” The gathering concluded with a mouth-watering buffet iftar-cumdinner.l

Tawa’s Ramadan Platter B

| dining |

Seheri Sensation at the Westin Dhaka The Westin Dhaka in partnership with Pepsi (Beverage Partner), Etihad Airways (Airline Partner) and Foodbank (Special Partner) presents “Seheri Sensation” - a Seheri event that will take place on Friday, 24 June 2016 at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Dhaka. The event will provide an exciting night-out where guests can enjoy an exceptional 5 star buffet Seheri with their friends, family & colleagues. The buffet menu will include everyone’s favorite kala bhuna, prawn malai curry, the new Westin ice cream, masala tea and many other tantalising delights. The event will also feature a lounge set-up, an exciting raffle draw and many other attractions. Amongst many exclusive prizes, the first prize of the raffle draw is one return air ticket to any destination in the world covered by the Etihad Airways’ network. Other raffle draw prizes include free deluxe room and buffet lunch & dinner vouchers. Guests buying the ticket can participate in the raffle draw for free.

Tawa’s Ramadan Platter B comes with conventional Iftar items such as eggplant fritters, crisp vegetable pakora and samosa, chicken shaslik, chola bhuna, authentic mughlai paratha, warm and crunchy jalebi, haleem and other delicacies, before making room for their famous beef roll. The beef roll is spicy and savoury to the core, and crammed with a hearty portion of juicy, succulent chunks of beef which is all deliciousness

and generosity – enough to satisfy any devouring appetite and craving. The platter comes with a chilled and invigorating rose milk shake, all priced at only BDT 460 (all inclusive). The cluster of flavours and the captivating aroma makes this Platter a divinely satisfying Iftar to experience this Ramadan. Visit Tawa: The Kabab Place at House: 02, Road: 08, Block: D, Banani, Dhaka l

| education |

UGC increases budgetary allocation for research of public universities by 75% The festive night will start at 11:30 pm and go on till Fajr. The event ticket is priced at BDT 2100 Net per person and guests can avail special offers from Standard Chartered Bank, Prime Bank, BRAC Bank and Bangalink ICON

when buying the tickets. Tickets are available at Daily Treats, the lower lobby café of the Westin Dhaka, and information regarding tickets can be found by calling the hotline +88-029891988. l

University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has increased budgetary allocation in revenue budget for research of public universities by 75% compared to the previous year. The Commission has allocated Tk 28.37 crore for research at 34 public universites in the 2016-17 fiscal year, while the budgetary

allocation by UGC for research at 32 public universities in 2015-16 fiscal year was Tk 16.24 crore. UGC has increased the allocation for research due to the government’s priority in this sector. As a result, the scope of research activities of university teachers and researchers will be increased. l

20 Editorial

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

TODAY

Of paranoia and that open secret code of a people We shared a language, a code if you will -- not a learned code of elitism like English, but a natural code of belonging PAGE 21

Caught in the crossfire I feel everybody has the right to justice. But if a law allows bail, then the courts are helpless, and such killings of notorious criminals will continues PAGE 22

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

What does a ban on Jamaat achieve? Taking off the caution label from the poison bottle does not make it safe. Similarly, banning Jamaat and allowing it to operate under a new banner does not mean they will discard their dogmatic beliefs 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.

Protect our arable land

t is somewhat alarming that Bangladesh is at risk of losing almost one-third of its arable land over the next 25 years unless we take measures to protect it. Given our dependence on agriculture, preserving arable land should be made a policy priority. Authorities concerned must study the reasons behind the dwindling of arable land -- before 2000, Bangladesh was losing arable land at an annual rate of 13,413 hectares, but since 2000, the rate of loss has jumped five-fold to 68,890 hectares per year. It is imperative that we not only correctly identify the reasons for this crisis, but work on them accordingly. The conversion of arable land for other purposes must be prevented if it is down without a good reason. We must also stop the usage of new detrimental fertilisers that decrease the fertility of the land, thus increasing desertification. The government needs to have a more long-term view of land, and not let greed and short-sighted interests take over and destroy our precious land. To this end, it is hoped the government takes steps to work towards land degradation neutrality by 2030. Land degradation neutrality will not only be a boon to food security nationally, but will also increase our potential to export food abroad, thus having a positive impact on the rest of our economy.

The government needs to have a more long-term view of land, and not let greed and short-sighted interests take over

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Of paranoia and that open secret code of a people West Bengalis and East Bengalis share a language, and so it is natural for them to hang out

n Garga Chatterjee

or a significant period of my youth, I used to live in the United States. While I was there, I, a Bengali from West Bengal, was exposed for the first time to real people from East Bengal, as opposed to their caricature that I was exposed to when I was growing up. The eastern part of Bengal, whose political form is the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is where a greater proportion of my people live. A significant minority lives in West Bengal. While I interacted with them, I became close very fast, for to be accepted and welcomed, I did not have to participate in Diwali (quite an alien thing to Bengalis in West Bengal), Holi (another of such alien thing), Hindi antaksharis, or be conversant with the latest Bollywood films in a distant language, or contort myself in other ways into something I was not. I felt strangely liberated. Yes, “liberated” is the word, and I use that very consciously. For liberty is not necessarily the freedom to do something else, to fashionably stand out in stereotypical, predictable forms of rebelliousness. More often than not, it is the freedom to be you.

Cultural unity transcends borders

BIGSTOCK

We shared a language, a code if you will -- not a learned code of elitism like English, but a natural code of belonging. We knew, in spite of differences and often deep differences, in some way, we were a people I was, thus, in the US, free to be Bengali in a certain sense, that is getting increasingly harder in West Bengal, with the advance of the dark clouds of Hindi-HinduHindustan. When my friends and I from East Bengal were in social gatherings where whites or other kinds of browns were present, we could comment on things to each other without others knowing what we were saying. We shared a language, a code if you will -- not a learned code of elitism like English, but a natural code of belonging. We knew, in spite of differences and often deep differences, in some

way, we were a people. Siddaraju Boregowda, a Kannadiga, who is a research scientist at the worldfamous Scripps Research Institute, observed this phenomenon as well. He said: “Here at Scripps, a West Bengali and East Bengali post-doc hang out together all the time. It’s a beautiful thing. Because they are one people. They understand each other. Since language comes with linguistic territoriality (geography shaped languages so far), and a shared gene pool, and culture, it is natural for them to hang around. No other Indian can give to a West Bengali, what an East

Bengali can give. Now, can they hate and fight because they came to worship different gods? They can. Can they overcome their supernatural difference and build a beautiful nation in natural world? They can. These are possibilities.” I like how he talks about possibilities here, for possibilities expand our world, our canvas of human experience and attainment. However, you can’t talk about certain possibilities and not be branded in a way that marks you out as some kind of a demon or an enemy of the state. The fear of words is something that is the mark of every paranoid entity in the world. Such entities

fear words. They fear the possibilities in words and yet they prefer to respond by silencing and not by counter-words. One wonders, why? Is it because the paranoid also knows the potency of some words and the impotency of their own myths, when it’s not backed up by law and guns? That is something to think about. Professor GN Saibaba, a 90% disabled wheel-chair bound political prisoner, is someone whose words constitute a message that the Indian Union state hopes doesn’t influence too many minds. When he was in jail, he wasn’t allowed to write letters in Telugu to his mother or wife. The state wants to know about you to secure its own interests, but it doesn’t want to know you. Neither does it really know you. So they don’t want you to talk in a way that it doesn’t understand. It doesn’t want you to have the code like the one I shared in white America with a fellow Bengali.

That can only be true when the state is not you. In the acceptable legal theatre called the parliament, MP Nandamuri Harikrishna’s speech wasn’t included in the official proceedings as it was in Telugu. There is something that disturbs the powers-that-be when people, who are comfortable in their own skin, refuse to wear officially sanctioned hides over their skin. On the other hand, there are some who trade their skin for the hide, as a sign of insider allegiance. Recently, in a huge rally at Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a 50 minute speech in Hindi. One audience member said: “He spoke well, but we don’t understand Hindi.” Between Hindi speeches in Karnataka and banned Telugu words in prison and in parliament, something must give. l Garga Chatterjee is a political and cultural commentator. He can be followed on twitter @gargac.

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Caught in the crossfire The law shouldn’t be granting bail to these notorious criminals who endanger the country

Gunfights are not the way to dish out justice

I feel everybody has the right to justice. But if a law allows bail, then the courts are helpless, and such killings of notorious criminals will continues

n Nadeem Qadir

he death of militant Golam Faizullah Fahim in a “gunfight” with police during a combing operation has raised many questions and reminded me how some of the courts had issued bail orders to free this culprit. Bangladesh, it appears, is in a catch-22 situation. On one hand, you are told to stop the targeted killings, and when you take the steps, the modus operandi faces criticism. The 18-year-old college student turned militant was handcuffed when found dead. Thus, the logic of him being involved in the shooting does not sell, but the police had a different say. Police said he was killed during an operation. Two bullets possibly hit him during the gunfight and he died.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Another side of the story is that Fahim was simply shot dead because police thought he was a danger to the state, and if he had returned to his militancy after getting easy bail, it would cause more trouble than it would if he were dead. The most important factor is that none of his fellow militants came to his rescue and did not even mourn his death. This is a clear message to his cohorts that getting caught is not an option, and thus, they must choose life or death, because now it was not only the security forces, but the general masses who are angry and are reacting. Fahim was caught while fleeing after trying to kill a Hindu teacher in Madaripur. He left his home during his HSC examinations, telling his parents that he was going abroad. He was influenced by the socalled Islamic State and found Hizbut Tahrir as the organisation to fulfil his dream. In the United States, the champion of human rights, gunfights take place almost daily, resulting in a lot of people being killed. According to estimates found on the web, the number of such deaths in 2015 in US was more than

1,000, with the majority being African-Americans. Now, if we look at reports on the arrests and bails in Bangladesh, it is clear that many militants were netted over the years, but they vanished after getting bail. The terrorist groups have enough finances to get attorneys for bailing out these militants. The courts should be tougher on militants, and a law must be enacted quickly to make arrests on militancy, or related matters should be made non-bailable. A friend of mine who has had the experience of killing criminals in “crossfires” or “gunfights” told me that he had no regrets. “Each time I killed a criminal, I patted myself on the back, as I have made my country free from one evil.” “The court bails are so frustrating that after a lot of efforts we nab a criminal and before we even could celebrate, he is out on bail. Thus, killings in these ways might seem inhuman, but we have no choice. It happens in many countries of the world,” he told me with lot of pride. I agreed with him after knowing the background story, even though I feel everybody has the right to justice. But if a law allows bail, then the courts are helpless, and

such killings of notorious criminals will continue. You cannot ask for stopping crimes and then send out statements condemning the actions that were taken. I was surprised by the statement issued by the Human Rights Watch and the country’s out-of-parliament opposition party, BNP, on the arrests during the anti-crime drive. Also, Fahim’s arrest brings out the fact that he was initially a student wing of the Jamaat-eIslami and later switched to Tahrir. His parents were ignorant about his activities. Thus, a close eye from the parents on their children are necessary to reduce these crimes. We have yet to determine how successful our security forces have been in stopping the killings and whether or not they were able to gain any useful information from Fahim before his death. The courts, on the other hand, must be alert against granting bails to these individuals who endanger the society and the country. l Nadeem Qadir, a senior journalist, is a UNCA Dag Hammarskjold Scholar in journalism. He is the Press Minister of Bangladesh High Commission in London.

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

What does a ban on Jamaat achieve? The ban might not bring the change we seek

Will the destruction stop for good?

n Rezaul Hoque

n the wake of targeted killings and the hangings of war criminals, the demand for a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami has gone higher. The senior minister has hinted that Jamaat’s fate might be decided by June. But the government and all others involved need to ponder on whether such a ban could be problematic for Jamaat, or beneficial. This news called into question the government’s intentions, as we saw Jamaat-linked financial institutions soar, while those belonging to BNP witnessed a decline. The doubts gain further ground as the government has no desire to ban other religion-based parties. The Awami League’s dual role with regards to how they treat the extremist parties needs to come under closer scrutiny. On one hand, AL flaunts being the sole contender in the fight against such radical forces in Bangladesh. Having subdued BNP, this aids AL prolong the status quo. On the other hand, it cut some ties with religious parties, and took a backseat when fanatics closed in on bloggers. The recent spate of blogger and

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Taking off the caution label from the poison bottle does not make it safe. Similarly, banning Jamaat and allowing it to operate under a new banner does not mean they will discard their dogmatic beliefs minority killings has put a dent in AL’s image. It has brought to fore the demand for a Jamaat ban in a bid to recuperate that lost trust. The ban will only give Jamaat a new identity and baptise it into democracy. It will retain its monolithic party structure and the loyal party cadres. Taking off the caution label from the poison bottle does not make it safe. Similarly, banning Jamaat and allowing it to operate under a new banner does not mean they will discard their dogmatic beliefs and take on a peaceful stance in politics. One may argue that re-branding will make Jamaat a more civilised democratic party, forcing it to keep its nose clean. But political parties can only be evaluated after we have experienced them. In this light, we can say that we’ve already experienced Jamaat’s politics: Its instigating role in the Lahore riots, its 1971 campaigns of annihilating Bengalis

who opted for Bangladesh, its hatred campaigns against the minority communities, its terror campaigns at public universities to subdue rivals, its troublesome forays across the country to jeopardise war crimes trials. All its past deeds still rankle with Bangladeshis. A new Jamaat may remain the same since its policies and operations will be based on old political literature and modus operandi. In this regard, the government is playing the role of a plastic surgeon who is magically removing Jamaat’s old crimes from its past and giving it another chance into our politics. The stigma-free Jamaat will have unwarranted access to many areas where it is considered a political outcast. With its new look, Jamaat will consolidate its position in public universities, cultural institutions, the judiciary, media, and wherever else it had relatively weak presence all these

years. It will be too late when we wake up to the fact that they have a formidable position in these places. Countries that do not want stability in Bangladesh will not spare the opportunity to build a relationship with a force capable of causing unimaginable destruction. The ban will make that task much easier. In the past, we have seen Jamaat cadres responsible for subversive activities being given refuge in neighbouring states of India and being allowed to flee abroad. When such a ban comes into effect, many Jamaat supporters will change their stances, and melt into leading parties, deteriorating further the fragile ambience of political coexistence. The rest will rally behind far right-wing extremist groups who are ready to trample everything in their way.

This ban only ensures the restriction of political activities. What of its affiliates and financial institutions, which are the blood of a political party? Does the government have specific plans for those? In recent years, as I’ve mentioned earlier, its financial institutions have done tremendously well and invested heavily in various sectors, including the SMEs, with AL endorsement. Even Jamaat’s silence in the face of the government’s decision raises one’s eyebrows. It is unusual for a party to remain quiet when its very existence is under threat. We have not yet seen any menacing messages from Jamaat. Maybe turning the country into a house of war will pose serious risks to Jamaat’s investment projects. This move by the government, it seems, intends to give a kind of acceptability to its association with Jamaat. It can tell the world: “Hey, look, Jamaat no longer exists and the chaps with whom we are doing business right now are affiliated with another party.” So, this plastic surgery, the ban, is imperative in making everything halal. The best way to address the problems of preaching hatred, communalism, bullying, and the rise of poisonous ideologies is by introducing a unified code of conduct into politics. The political code will oblige all the political parties to follow some guidelines in terms of what they introduce as literature for their followers, what they do, and what they say about others. Since this code is not meant for just one particular party and rather applicable for all the parties, no party will think that it is designed to constrain its activities and no party will become violent when its interests are in danger. The best part of this code is it will prevent the rise and spread of fascist ideologies. Apart from the opportunistic quarter embedded inside the ruling party, all the responsible and thoughtful individuals should weigh the pros and cons of such a decision. Instead of making such a move, the government should spell out its plans about parties with extreme ideologies. If there is none, then it needs to stop being the plastic surgeon and chalk out a long course of action to weed out the seedlings of terror. l Rezaul Hoque is a researcher.

24 Sport

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

TOP STORIES

Wales delight at taking top spot Gareth Bale scored in his third straight game at Euro 2016 to guide Wales to a 3-0 win over Russia and then revelled at getting ahead of rivals England to top their group. England could only manage a goalless draw against Slovakia. PAGE 26

Tapu, Parvez still going strong In the league where the attacking line-up of almost every club is dominated by foreign players, the local strikers rarely get the opportunity to showcase themselves. It is even more difficult for a veteran forward. PAGE 27

Germany forward Mario Gomez nets the all-important goal against Northern Ireland during their Euro 2016 Group C match in Paris yesterday

Gomez guides Germany into knockouts, Poles also thru’ n AFP, Paris

US dream shock against Argentina Jurgen Klinsmann is daring to dream that the USA can pull off mission improbable in the Copa America Centenario semis as the hosts face a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina closing in on a long-awaited triumph. PAGE 28

Belgium eye win over Swedes Reinvigorated by Evertonian Romelu Lukaku’s goals, Belgium take on under-par Sweden today with both sides still in the hunt for a Euro 2016 last-16 berth. Neither side can catch Group E leaders Italy having both lost to the Azzurri. PAGE 29

Mario Gomez struck as world champions Germany beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in Paris yesterday to qualify for the Euro 2016 knockout phase as winners of Group C. Drafted in to address the goal-scoring problems witnessed in Germany’s 0-0 draw with Poland, the on-loan Besiktas striker netted from Thomas Mueller’s pass in the 30th minute at Parc des Princes. That Germany did not win more handsomely was due largely to the excellence of Northern Irish goalkeeper Michael McGovern. But it was enough to preserve their position at the top of the group on goal difference above Poland, who beat Ukraine by the same scoreline in Marseille. Joachim Loew’s side will now turn their thoughts to a last 16 tie against either Albania, Slovakia or the third-place team in Group F which is yet to conclude - in Lille on Sunday. Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland, meanwhile, must wait to have their qualification confirmed. They finished third in the

group, but their 2-0 win over Ukraine last week puts them in a strong position to go through as one of the four best third-place teams in what is their first European Championship finals. O’Neill kept faith with the team that had overcome Ukraine, but whereas his side had set the tempo in Lyon, they were immediately on the back foot against Germany. With full-backs Jonas Hector and Joshua Kimmich pushing high up on either flank and Jerome Boateng and Toni Kroos lofting passes behind the Northern Irish defence, Germany effectively took

GROUP C RESULTS Germany

1-0

Northern Ireland

1-0

Ukraine

Gomez 29

Poland Blaszczykowski 54

POINTS TABLE Teams

M W D L GD PTS

Germany (Q)

3 2

1 0

Poland (Q)

3 2

1 0

N. Ireland

0 2

Ukraine

3 0

0 3 -5

up residence in the final third. McGovern was solicited three times in the first 12 minutes, saving alertly with his body and feet from Gomez, Mesut Ozil and Mario Goetze, who dropped into an attacking midfield role to accommodate Gomez up front. Mueller twice went close, thrashing a shot across goal and then striking the base of the right-hand post with a plunging header, before creating the opener for Gomez. Gomez’s subtle pass sent the Bayern Munich forward scampering through and after luring McGovern from his line, he showed great awareness to lay the ball off for Gomez, who steered the ball through a thicket of defenders and into the net. Mueller then placed a shot against the bar from a Hector cutback, while Gomez could only scuff meekly at McGovern when Ozil’s pass and Goetze’s dummy left him one-on-one. All Northern Ireland offered in response was a Jamie Ward shot that went straight at Manuel Neuer, but their green-clad fans remained unbowed, volubly belting out their famous ode to flaming striker Will Grigg.l

AFP

Ibrahimovic to finish int’l career after Euro 2016 n Reuters, Nice

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said yesterday that he would retire from international football at the end of Euro 2016. Announcing his decision at a press conference on the eve of Sweden’s final group game against Belgium, the 34-year-old added that he would not be taking part in the Rio Olympic soccer tournament in August as an over-age player. Sweden must beat Belgium today to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the round of 16. “The last game (at Euro 2016) will be my last for Sweden, so I hope it will not be tomorrow,” he said, addressing the conference in English. “To finish with a disappointment - never.” Ibrahimovic, who has been reported to be set to join Manchester United in the English Premier League next season from Paris Saint Germain, has had a disappointing tournament so far. He has not yet had a shot on target as Sweden have taken only one point from their opening two games in Group E.l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Abahani beat Mohammedan, stay alive in title race n Tribune Report

An action of the Super Six game between arch-rivals Abahani Limited (yellow) and Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Abahani Limited defeated eternal rival Mohammedan Sporting Club 4-2 in a Super Six tie of the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday. Courtesy the victory, the Sky Blues kept alive their hopes of sealing the top-flight title. The Black and Whites, on the other hand, are out of the title race. Abahani, who have 29 points from 12 matches, trail table-toppers Usha Krira Chakra by five points and second placed Mariner Young’s Club by two points. In contrast, Mohammedan have 26 points from the same number of games as Abahani. The Sky Blues went ahead in the 20th minute when Kashif Ali took advantage of a penalty corner. Abahani doubled the lead just seven minutes later through Rajib Das. Russel Mahmud Jimmy reduced the arrears right after resumption but Romman Sarkar restored Abahani’s two-goal lead in the 47th minute. Mohammedan’s Pakistan forward Mohammad Imran netted in the 62nd minute to briefly give his side hope but Rajib bagged his second just three minutes later to propel Abahani to a rather comfortable victory. l

Quartet brace for DPL title fight n Tribune Report All eyes will be fixated on Abahani Limited, Prime Bank Cricket Club, Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club and Legends of Rupganj today in the fifth and final round of the Dhaka Premier League’s Super League phase. Theoretically, all the four sides

are still in the running for the title this season so the tie between Victoria Sporting Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club in Fatullah will be a mere formality, given that the two sides have already been derailed from the title race. Star-studded Abahani will take on Prime Bank in Mirpur while Doleshwar will face Rupganj at the

Committee to submit DPL report today n Mazhar Uddin The four-member committee to investigate the incomplete June 12 Dhaka Premier League match between Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club held interviews of key individuals yesterday. The match was stopped by umpires Gazi Sohel and Tanvir Ahmed who cited “illness” after getting into a heated argument with Abahani captain Tamim Iqbal who was protesting a not-out call to an appeal for stumping during the Doleshwar innings. Bangladesh Cricket Board had asked this committee during its board meeting on Sunday to submit a report to the board president Nazmul Hasan within 72 hours. One of the members, BCB’s um-

pires committee chairman Nazmul Karim said they will be able to submit the report by today. “The hearing is ongoing and we hope that we will get to know everything on time. We will be able to submit the report by [today]. This is a neutral hearing and we wanted to know what happened in that situation. We heard from the umpires, organisers and the CCDM (Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis) officials,” said Karim. The other members of the committee are BCB’s disciplinary committee chairman Sheikh Sohel, chief match referee Raqibul Hasan and technical committee member Athar Ali Khan. Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune has learned that the committee could enforce a rematch between the two sides this Friday. l

BKSP 3 ground. All the matches will kick off at 9am simultaneously. Abahani and Rupganj are jointly leading the points table in the race for the championship. They both have notched identical 20 points. Abahani though are in a slightly advantageous position, bearing in mind that they have played 14 matches, one less than Rupganj.

Abahani, courtesy of a better net run-rate compared to Rupganj, are on the front foot. Abahani winning the game against Prime Bank while Rupganj losing to Doleshwar will ensure Abahani are the champions. In the case of Abahani and Rupganj winning their respective matches, the former will end up

DHAKA PREMIER LEAGUE 2016 MATCH-WINNING PERFORMANCES BATSMAN

CLUB

WON

50+

Abdul Mazid

Victoria

Mohammad Mithun

Rupganj

Asif Ahmed

Rupganj

Imtiaz Hossain

Doleshwar

WON

4-WKTS

BOWLER

CLUB

Naeem Islam Jr

MSC

Jubair Hossain

Abahani

Muktar Ali

Dhanmondi

Shakib al Hasan

Abahani

BEST ALL-ROUNDERS PLAYER

CLUB

Mahmudullah

Dhanmondi

497

Naeem Islam

MSC

337

Mosaddek Hossain

Abahani

544

Al Amin

Victoria

617

MOST MOM AWARDS

RUNS WKTS

Three each for Al Amin, Imtiaz Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain and Naeem Islam Jr

as the champions by virtue of the most wins achieved, which will be the first criteria to define the league title. Even if Abahani lose the match and Rupganj win, the latter will not be champions. In that regard, Rupganj will have to wait for the result of the unsettled match between Abahani and Doleshwar.l

Shakib receives NOC for CPL T20 n Tribune Report Shakib al Hasan has received the No Objection Certificate from the Bangladesh Cricket Board to take part in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 for the franchise Jamaica Tallawahs. The fourth edition of the CPL gets underway next Wednesday and the Bangladesh all-rounder will immediately join his franchise after completing his assignment with Abahani Limited in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League. Shakib’s Jamaica will start their CPL mission against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on July 2 at Warner Park, Basseterre in St Kitts. The 29-year old southpaw, who previously played for Barbados Tridents, was picked up by Jamaica at a staggering $110,000 during the players’ draft in February this year. Shakib was the only Bangladesh cricketer to get picked in the players draft. l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Wales delight at taking top spot from England n AFP, Toulouse

RESULTS

Gareth Bale scored in his third straight game at Euro 2016 to guide Wales to a 3-0 win over Russia and then revelled at getting ahead of rivals England to top their group. England could only manage a frustrating goalless draw against Slovakia and dropped to second place in Group B. Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor also scored in Wales’ easy win in Toulouse against a limp Russian side whose campaign has been tainted by their roughhouse fans. In the last 16, Wales will play one of the four best third-placed finishers at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday. Bale said it had probably been his best match with Wales, who are appearing in their first European Championship finals. “The performance was probably the best I’ve been involved in,” he said. “We started very well, we didn’t feel too nervous at the start and were very confident,” said Bale. “To top the group, it is a dream for all of us, we said we didn’t want to just make up the numbers and we can’t do more than we have.” Coleman said the Euro 2016 should brace for a lot more from his side. “I said before that there’s more

No team managed as many shots as Portugal in their opening two

GROUP F

V HUNGARY

PORTUGAL

Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon 5pm local time (10pm BST) * Bangladesh standard time

HEAD-TO-HEAD HUNGARY

20 10 0 7 3 7 23

PORTUGAL Fifa ranking Matches Wins Losses Draws Goals scored Goals against

8 10 7 0 3 23 7

0-0

Russia

0-3

England Wales Ramsey 11, Taylor 20, Bale 67

GROUP B

Wales’ forward Gareth Bale vies for the ball against Russia’s midfielder Denis Glushakov during their Euro 2016 Group B match at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on Monday AFP to come for this group. “Even after this tournament is over, this group are on the way to something else. I’m just glad me and the staff are here with them. We have no fear. And after playing

like that, why should we?” Coleman said. England must now take on the runners-up of Group F in Nice next Monday. Depending on Group F’s final results today it could throw up

Portugal promise that the goals will start to flow n Reuters, Lyon

Slovakia

games at Euro 2016, yet all they have to show for it are one goal, two points and a possible early exit from the competition. One of the most technically gifted of the 24 teams, Portugal managed 50 goal attempts in their two games, featuring 17 on target, 17 off target and 16 which were blocked. After Germany, they are also the team that has enjoyed the most possession, at an average of 62 percent per match. But poor finishing means they go into today’s Group F match against Hungary in third place and a distinctly uncomfortable position. Only a win over the unbeaten Hungarians will take them into the last 16 without depending on other matches. Hungary, meanwhile, need a draw to make sure of a top-two finish although even if they lose they could qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams. Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of Portugal’s biggest culprits, missing an easy chance late in the 1-1 draw with Iceland and firing a

penalty against the post late in the Austria match. Portugal’s players have offered little insight into what is going wrong, saying merely that if they keep trying, the goals will start flowing eventually. “We did everything well, but once again the ball didn’t go in.... what can you say?” said Nani after the goalless draw against Austria on Saturday. “We can’t just keep making excuses about the ball not going in. We played well and we were superior to a very strong team. Our time will come, and that will be in the next game. We are going to be very lucky and all our shots will go in.” Midfielder Adrien Silva also played the optimism card. Coach Fernando Santos said that a more ruthless approach is required. “Sometimes, I get the feeling that we are ashamed about being ugly, or not being pretty. If we have to be ugly and that brings us efficiency, we have to be ugly,” he said. “I’m ugly by nature and I don’t mind being even uglier.” l

a clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Wales came into the competition bursting with confidence. Coleman has inspired an underacheiving group to support Bale as he tears

Team

Pts

Wales

England

Slovakia

Russia

-4

through opposing defences. After two free-kick goals against Slovakia and England, the Real Madrid forward did it again against Russia. England fans suffered another night of frustration after seeing their side dominate but held to a 1-1 draw by Slovakia in Marseille. With Prince William among the fans watching from the stands, manager Roy Hodgson made six changes to the team, starting strikers Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge, who came on to score in the 2-1 win over Wales, and leaving skipper Wayne Rooney among the replacements. Vardy squandered two clear chances of England’s nine first-half attempts on goal to Slovakia’s single effort.l

Iceland to stick with counter-attacking style n Reuters, Paris Should tournament debutants Iceland reach the knockout stages of Euro 2016 by securing the result they need against Austria today, much credit will go to a dentist and a film director. Iceland, with a population of about 330,000, are the smallest country ever to qualify for the Euros, yet have been undaunted by their casting as minnows, holding Portugal and Hungary to 1-1 draws in Group F through resilient displays. That means a win, or perhaps another draw, against Austria, will put Iceland into the knock-out stages, a fairytale outcome which could make for an excellent movie script. Goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson would be the ideal judge of that, having halted his film career to become a full-time professional in 2014, first in Norway and then the Netherlands. For Austria, star turns David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic have yet to make any impression in attack but are likely to be retained, while coach Marcel Koller must decide whether to risk Marc Janko.

Janko, scorer of seven goals in qualifying, was surprisingly omitted against Portugal, although Koller subsequently revealed the striker was struggling for fitness.l

GROUP F

V ICELAND

AUSTRIA

Stade de France, Saint Denis 5pm local time (10pm BST) * Bangladesh standard time

HEAD-TO-HEAD ICELAND

34 3 0 1 2 2 3

AUSTRIA Fifa ranking Matches Wins Losses Draws Goals scored Goals against

10 3 1 0 2 3 2

Sport

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Veterans Tapu, Parvez still going strong

QUICK BYTES Champs Leicester sign Hernandez from Sporting Gijon

n Tribune Report

Leicester have agreed to sign Sporting Gijon defender Luis Hernandez on a free transfer, the Premier League champions confirmed yesterday. Hernandez will join Claudio Ranieri’s side on a four-year contract when his current deal with the La Liga side expires at the end of June. The 27-year-old becomes Leicester’s first signing of the close-season as Ranieri bolsters his squad for their title defence and maiden Champions League campaign next season. “Leicester City Football Club are delighted to announce that Spanish defender Luis Hernandez will join on a four-year deal, starting on 1 July, 2016,” a statement on the club’s website read. Hernandez, a product of the Real Madrid youth academy, played 140 games for Gijon and helped them preserve their La Liga status on the final day of the season. –AFP

Pakistan paceman Asif plots Test comeback in Norway Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif has ended up playing in Norway as he plots a return to Test cricket, five years after a notorious spot-fixing scandal, a report said. Asif, 33, told the Cricinfo website he was playing with Oslo’s Christiania Cricket Club to work on his fitness and was “100 percent sure” he’d play for Pakistan again. Asif was caught bowling no-balls to order against England at Lord’s in 2010, an offence which landed him with a jail term and a five-year ban. “One of my friends called me to ask me to come and play some cricket,” he said, of his arrival in the cricketing backwater. “There’s good weather for training - that’s why I came here. The cricketing standard is not too high but it’s still cricket.” –AFP

Real Madrid set to buy back Morata Real Madrid are set to exercise their right to buy back the contract of Spanish international Álvaro Morata from Juventus, the Serie A club said yesterday. “Real have informed us that they will exercise their right to repurchase Morata. In the coming days, they will put it in writing,” Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta said in comments reported by Gazzetta dello Sport. “We’ll see what we can do but the possibilities of keeping him are reduced.” Morata, 23, arrived in Juventus in mid 2014, and has scored 27 goals in 93 matches. According to Italian media reports, his contract includes a buyback clause in favour of Real Madrid of up to 30 million euros ($33.9m). Morata has 11 caps with Spain and scored a double during their 3-0 Euro 2016 win against Turkey on Friday. Meanwhile, the Juventus boss stressed that the club wanted to keep Paul Pogba amid reports Real Madrid are set to bid for the France international. –AFP

Russia’s Sharapova owed apology from WADA, her lawyer says Maria Sharapova’s lawyer has blasted WADA chief Craig Reedie for making remarks about the five-times grand slam champion at a conference in London on Monday and said the Russian tennis player was owed an apology. The criticism came in a statement by Sharapova’s management company, IMG, after Reedie commented at a World Anti-Doping Agency conference on Sharapova, who is serving a two-year ban after testing positive for the prohibited substance meldonium. “For me the only satisfactory element in Madame Sharapova’s case was that in one year she can earn more money than the whole of WADA’s budget put together,” Reedie said. –REUTERS

Sri Lanka pace bowler Eranga discharged after heart scare Sri Lankan paceman Shaminda Eranga has been discharged from a Dublin hospital after doctors found nothing abnormal in tests conducted on the fast bowler, his team management said on Monday. The 29-year-old was admitted with an elevated heartbeat after feeling discomfort while batting during Sri Lanka’s one-day international win over Ireland on Saturday, and was placed under observation for more than 24 hours. Shortly after being admitted, Eranga was dealt a further blow when he was banned from bowling in international matches due to an illegal action. –REUTERS

In the league where the attacking lineup of almost every club is dominated by foreign players, the local strikers rarely get the opportunity to showcase themselves and rise to the occasion. It is even more difficult for a veteran forward but Mehedi Hasan Tapu continued to overcome the obstacles to highlight himself up against the foreigners in the ongoing Federation Cup and he has been doing it playing for an average club like Team BJMC. Tapu, however, is not alone among the veterans. He is accompanied closely by his long-time friend and teammate Abdullah Parvez. Tapu scored three goals in the tournament which is more than all the current national strikers combined while Parvez assisted more goals than any of the current national midfielders. The Bangladesh team has been facing a crisis of goal-scorers for a long time. They have tried the likes of Jahid Hasan Ameli, Shakhawat Hossain, Nabib Newaj and Aminur Rahman and most recently youngster Syed Rashed Turjo but none of them managed to score a single goal in the Federation Cup. “The local strikers are not getting chances in the domestic tournaments even if the players practise a lot and perform well, because of the priority

given to foreign strikers. That is why the foreigners get the goals regularly. I believe if the locals get more chances they will also score a lot of goals.” said Tapu. With star-studded clubs like Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Chittagong Abahani already crashing out of the Federation Cup, BJMC reached the semifinals riding on Tapu and Parvez, who have many similarities

10 or 15 minutes of matches. It was also learned that he doesn’t stay with the club regularly. He comes to the stadium straight from Narayanganj before the game and starts on the bench. Parvez wears the No 7 jersey, like his hero David Beckham, and assisted three goals coming off the bench and all from set-pieces and two were converted by Tapu.

Abdullah Parvez

Mehedi Hasan Tapu

between themselves apart from being the senior-most members among their teammates. Both are from Narayanganj and started their professional career in the late 1990s with Dhanmondi Club, which is now known as Sheikh Jamal DC. The duo played there for more than five years before moving on to different clubs. Parvez was known for scoring stunners with his left foot. He doesn’t have the fitness to play for 90 minutes and he only plays as a substitute in the last

“We are from the same village and have played together for 15-16 years. If you play with a player for that long, you have an understanding, connection and the confidence also grows. It feels better when we play for small clubs and score and win,” said Tapu. BJMC will take on Arambagh KS in the first semifinal tomorrow. If they win it will be first time they reach the final of Federation Cup in three decades. Coach Saidul will surely count on his veterans. l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

US dream of Copa shock against Argentina n AFP, Houston Jurgen Klinsmann is daring to dream that the United States can pull off mission improbable in the Copa America Centenario semi-finals here today as the hosts face a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina closing in on a long-awaited tournament triumph. Klinsmann has already met his pre-tournament goal of reaching the last four after helping his side navigate a challenging group phase and an awkward quarter-final against in-form Ecuador. But despite a raft of suspensions which will decimate his first choice starting line-up at Houston’s NRG Stadium, Klinsmann is bullishly talking up his team’s chances as they prepare to take on the might of Argentina. The German World Cup winner cites his team’s impressive record in recent friendlies, which has included away wins over Germany and the Netherlands, and their performances in the 2014 World Cup as reasons to believe. “There’s no reason at all why we can’t win Copa America,” Klinsmann said on Sunday. “We travelled the world the last few years to very difficult friendly games all over Europe and in Mex-

ico and we came away with wins.” In Brazil two years ago, Klinsmann’s side helped eliminate a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal and highly rated Ghana before qualifying with Germany in the World Cup’s “Group of Death.” Although Klinsmann has urged his team to shed their underdog mentality, insisting he wants them to be bold against more heralded opponents, a gung-ho approach against Argentina could be disastrous. When the relentless US pressing dropped off in the second half against Ecuador in the quarter-finals, the South Americans created chance after chance only to be let down by poor finishing. Argentina, who have amassed 14 goals in four games, are unlikely to be as profligate. Messi, superb in Saturday’s 4-1 quarter-final demolition of Venezuela, where he scored once to join Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina’s record international goalscorer with 54 goals, cautions that facing the hosts on home turf may not be as straightforward as it seems. “We’re on the right track, but it will be very difficult playing in front of the American crowd. Physically they are a very strong team and they can do a lot of damage if they are allowed to play,” warned Messi. l

Blanc on brink of PSG exit n AFP, Paris

New Brazil coach Tite targets World Cup qualification

Laurent Blanc will likely leave Paris Saint Germain this week, his agent told French radio station Europe 1 on Monday. Asked directly if Blanc would leave by the end of the week, JeanPierre Bernes replied: “I think so.” He said: “We’re in discussions with PSG directors and it’s being done in an excellent atmosphere from both sides. “Simply put, there are rules that need to be respected to end a contract and PSG are respecting those.” Blanc signed a two-year contract extension in February but is set to be replaced by Spaniard Unai Emery, who led Sevilla to three straight Europa League titles, according to press rumours. Bernes’s statement comes just a week after Emery quit Sevilla. Blanc won the domestic treble in each of his last two seasons with PSG, having won the French Ligue 1 crown in all four seasons and added another League Cup in 2014. But it was his failure to progress past the Champions League quarter-finals that proved his undoing. Qatari club owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi hinted earlier this month that Blanc’s time was up.l

n Reuters, Rio De Janeiro Former Corinthians boss Tite was unveiled as the new Brazil coach on Monday and immediately said his priority was ensuring the fivetime champions qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Brazil are currently outside the qualification spots for Russia and Tite was hired to ensure they do not lose their enviable record of having

Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi of Argentina practise during a training session at Rice University in Houston, Texas on Monday. Arentina will face the USA in a Copa America semi-final today AFP

qualified for every World Cup since the tournament began in 1930. “The focus is classification,” Tite told reporters after his appointment was confirmed in Rio de Janeiro. We are not in the classification zone. I think we are going to make it but we run an obvious risk. If we don’t face that possibility we are running away from reality. I am here because we didn’t get results.” With a third of the campaign

New Brazilian head coach Tite attends a news conference at Brazilian Football Confederation's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on Monday REUTERS

over, Brazil currently sit sixth in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup. The top four teams qualify automatically for Russia and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. Tite, whose real name is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, rejected a chance to coach the Olympic squad in order to focus on World Cup qualification. Rio de Janeiro will host the Olympic Games in August and the under-23 side, captained by Barcelona’s Neymar, will seek to win the Olympic gold for the first time. But the 55-year old said he was sufficiently concerned about the senior team’s form to pass up that chance at glory. Brazil are away to second-placed Ecuador in September and then host Colombia. The popular coach led Corinthians to two Serie A titles, the Copa Libertadores and the World Club Cup and has a reputation as a man who knows how to organise even limited sides. But he will have his work cut out at the national team. Brazil have lost their way in recent years and have not won a major tournament since the Copa America 2007.l

Wenger: Best is yet to come from Pogba n Reuters France’s Paul Pogba has yet to show his full potential and it remains too early to judge the midfielder, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said of his compatriot. After subdued displays in his first two Euro 2016 Group A outings against Romania and Albania, the 23-year-old produced an improved performance in the goalless draw against Switzerland on Sunday as unbeaten France topped their pool. “He’ll be the player that we expect at 26. That he’s not bringing everything that we expect of him, it’s normal at that age. I don’t know any player who carried the French team at 23 years of age. None,” Wenger told British media. “Now that he’s going through a maturing period, we start to cast doubt on him. It’s the mental test in the career of a top player. “Either he’ll lose the aura that he had or else he’s going to show that he’s the player that we were waiting for and he’s going to develop further. It’s the normal phase for a very good player on the path to becoming a great player.”l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

GROUP E

V SWEDEN

BELGIUM

Allianz Riviera, Nice 8pm local time (1am BST) * Bangladesh standard time

HEAD-TO-HEAD SWEDEN

35 14 5 7 2 30 22

BELGIUM Fifa ranking Matches Wins Losses Draws Goals scored Goals against

2 14 7 5 2 22 30

This combination of file pictures show Sweden’s captain and forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L) in Saint-Denis on June 13, 2016, and Belgium’s captain and forward Eden Hazard in Lyon AFP

Back-on-track Belgium eye progress over goal-shy Swedes n AFP, Nice Reinvigorated by Romelu Lukaku’s goals, Belgium take on under-par Sweden today with both sides still in the hunt for a Euro 2016 last-16 berth. Neither side can catch Group E leaders Italy having both lost to the Azzurri. But after a slow start Marc Wilmots’ Belgium travel to the Stadium Nice with their campaign mounting. Ranked second in the FIFA world rankings, the Red Devils

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX 7:00 AM Copa America: Semi Final 1 USA v Argentina Euro Cup 2016 10:00PM Iceland v Austria 1:00 AM Italy v Republic of Ireland

SONY SIX 10:00 PM Euro Cup 2016 Hungary v Portugal 1:00 AM Sweden v Belgium

CRICKET TEN 1 HD 5:00 PM India Tour of Zimbabwe 3rd T20I

were widely criticised after losing 2-0 to the Italians in Lyon in their opener. Belgium then clicked against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux on Saturday as a second-half Lukaku brace, either side of an Axel Witsel goal completed a convincing 3-0 win. A point against Sweden will seal their progress to the knockout stage, but Belgians had expected much more from a talented group of players containing the likes of Lukaku, skipper Eden Hazard and

Kevin De Bruyne. From the French-speaking Wallonia region, Wilmots was in the firing line after the Italy loss, targeted by some media, particularly in the Flemish-language press, who accused him of not getting the best out of arguably the best squad at the tournament. But he hit back at critics after the Ireland win, saying that certain people were trying to turn Belgian fans against him. After a fortunate 1-1 draw against the Irish in their opener and a 1-0

defeat to Italy on Saturday, Sweden need to win to stay at Euro 2016. Superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s team have not mustered a single shot on target in two games, their equaliser against Ireland coming after defender Ciaran Clark turned the ball into his own net. “The first game we did nothing good and we still got a point. Today (Friday) we did a lot of good things and got zero points,” Ibrahimovic said after the Italy game which at least saw an improved display. The 34-year-old talisman is one

of several box-office stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller who have yet to catch fire at Euro 2016. Were Ibrahimovic to find the net in Nice he would become the first man to score in four separate editions of the competition, after six goals in Euro 2004, 2008 and 2012. The sides have met once before at a European Championship finals, sixteen years ago, when cohosts Belgium - with Wilmots in the line-up - won 2-1 in Brussels at the Euro 2000 opening game.l

Irish must beat under-strength Italy to revive Euro hopes n Reuters, Lille For Ireland to reach the knockout stages at Euro 2016 they must achieve something they haven’t done in 28 years - win a game at the European Championsip. Martin O’Neill’s team face an Italian side already guaranteed victory in Group E and manager Antonio Conte is likely to field many of his reserves, but it remains to be seen if Ireland can end their long winless streak in this must-win game. Group rivals Sweden and Belgium meet at the same time, with the Swedes aiming to finish second in the group by beating the side who hammered Ireland 3-0 last time out. But Ireland could also take that spot behind Italy if they

win and pip Sweden on goal difference. An Irish victory and a draw between Belgium and Sweden could also see Ireland through as a third-placed team. “We have a really great game against Italy to look forward to, to put our immediate disappointment to the side, and if we can win this game we give ourselves an incredible chance of qualification,” O’Neill told the Football Association of Ireland’s website (www.fai.ie). O’Neill and his assistant Roy Keane will take a late decision on whether winger Jonathan Walters, who missed the Belgium drubbing due to a recurrence of an Achilles injury, will play. It’s a long time since Ireland managed such a heroic feat at the

Euros, and the return of the talismanic Walters would give their chances a serious boost. The Irish won their first-ever game at the Euro finals, beating rivals England 1-0 on June 12 1988 in one of their most famous victories. Since then they have only qualified for the finals once - their disastrous Euro 2012 campaign under Giovanni Trapattoni, when they lost to Croatia, Spain and Italy to become the first team eliminated. Nor can they expect any favours from Italy, with Azzurri midfielder Marco Parolo telling the Irish they won’t be taking it easy on them. “To end the group stage with nine points would be extra proof of our strength and character. We want all three points, ” he told.l

GROUP E

V ITALY

IRELAND

Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille 8pm local time (1am BST) * Bangladesh standard time

HEAD-TO-HEAD ITALY

12 13 8 2 3 20 9

IRELAND Fifa ranking Matches Wins Losses Draws Goals scored Goals against

33 13 2 8 3 9 20

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Place of worship (6) 4 Vehicle (3) 7 Stringed instrument (5) 8 Set as a burden (6) 11 Jurisprudence (3) 12 Lure (4) 13 Indicates agreement (4) 15 Borders (5) 16 Deceived (5) 20 Satisfy fully (4) 23 Narrow way (4) 24 Fastener (3) 25 Corrects (6) 26 Minute particles (5) 27 Beverage (3) 28 Praises highly (6)

DOWN 1 Clan (5) 2 Defend (7) 3 Level (4) 4 Common ailment (4) 5 Woe (4) 6 Uncooked (3) 9 Insane (3) 10 Farm animal (3) 14 Wealthy (7) 17 Kitchen utensil (3) 18 Finish (3) 19 Office furniture (5) 20 Location (4) 21 Dwarf buffalo (4) 22 Comfort (4) 24 Light blow (3)

Downtime CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents F so fill F every time the figure 10 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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Salman in hot water...again

It’s a sad sight nowadays that some celebrities can never avoid controversy

n Mahmood Hossain They say no news is good news and there’s no such thing as bad publicity. We now live in a world where people are hyper sensitive, each word spoken is like tip-toeing around broken glass. Salman Khan has found himself in another whirlwind of piles of, well, cow dung. His latest ill-advised words came from a recent interview as he was going around promoting his new film Sultan. During an interview with SpotboyE, he was asked how difficult the shoots were. And

how did Sallu mia respond? “When I used to walk out of the ring after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight,” every word spoken by Salman Khan himself. Out of all things you could have compared a grueling training period and shoot with you had to go with the touchiest subject in India today. This, obviously, has enraged many, as the backlash won’t be simmering down anytime soon. It seems that Mr Khan has, one way or another, dodged every little trouble he’s ran into. He’s escaped jail time, on various

occasions, and now we’ll see how far and apologetic he’ll be about this ridiculous statement. Well, ladies and gentlemen, these are the icons that you follow and look up to. With great power comes great responsibility. And even though celebrities, ultimately, are humans just like us, they make plenty of mistakes. But they should all be aware of how much of an affect they have on the masses. Moral of the story? Salman Khan isn’t the greatest role model. That final line may sound funny to you, but in reality, such exposure can be a damaging one. l

WHAT TO WATCH Life of Pi Star Movies 2:40pm A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Adil Hussain

Transporter 3 WB 3:49pm Frank Martin puts the driving gloves on to deliver Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of a Ukranian government official, from Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea. En route, he has to contend with thugs who want to intercept Valentina’s

safe delivery and not let his personal feelings get in the way of his dangerous objective. Cast: Jason Statham, François Berléand, Robert Knepper, Natalya Rudakova, Eriq Ebouaney Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 HBO 4:16pm As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane

Top Gun Zee Studio 5:00pm As students at the United States

Navy’s elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom. Cast: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt

Fantastic Four Star Movies 9:30pm A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom. Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Laurie Holden, Julian McMahon l

Pooja in Mohenjodaro n Showtime Desk South actress, Pooja Hegde is all set to make her big Bollywood debut with Hrithik Roshan’s Mohenjo Daro. She has already amazed one and all with her acting chops in Mugamoodi, Oka Laila Kosam, and Mukunda. And now her first look for Mohenjo Daro has surprised everyone. She looks stunning in the first

look as ‘Chaani’ – ‘The chosen one.’ We see her draped in a blue and red traditional dress with a lot of embellishments. Her hair is kept open and she wears a Harappa-inspired crown of some sort, possessing flowers, jewels, and feathers. She plays the role of a dancer in Mohenjo Daro, and everyone seems more than excited to see more upcoming pictures of the actress and the movie. l

Jabbar Ali is back n Showtime Desk On the occasion of Eid, it is a tradition to have Jabbar Ali on the TV line-up. In the history of Bangladeshi TV drama, ‘Jabbar Ali’ is a famous character played by Amjad Hossain a renowned director and actor. Every year, he comes with new stories of Jabbar Ali. With each appearance, Jabbar Ali is getting new dimension with the time and situation. The drama’s catchphrase is, “taka den Dubai jamu, Dubai jamu taka den,” and the traditional scene would be of him having ‘sheoi’ (vermicelli) the night before Eid day. Jabbar Ali is a character who conveys a

social message to the audience by confessing his fraud in ca omic way. Amjad Hossain has successfully been playing this role for ages and now it has become regular during Eid specials. This year Jabbar Ali will be on air on Asian TV, where audience will see the relationship between two friends, and the ups and down in their lives. This year’s special is Jabbar Ali’r new story. l

Back Page

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

ROOPPUR PLANT TO BE COSTLY PAGE 12

MARADONA NOT ALONE IN WORLD CUP CONTROVERSY PAGE 24

JABBAR ALI IS BACK PAGE 31

21 new wildlife mammal species found n Abu Bakar Siddique Twenty-one new wildlife mammal species have been found in Bangladesh in the last 15 years, according to a survey. The new species spotted in the country are: common pipistrelle bat, Indian round leaf bat, wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, least leaf-nosed bat, dawn bat, lesser false vampire bat, cook’s mouse, Edward’s rat, Himalayan rat, whitetoothed rat, red climbing mouse, yellow-throated marten, particoloured flying squirrel, Himalayan striped squirrel, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, pan-tropical spotted dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin, false-killer whale, sperm whale and Bryde’s whale. However, the study has also found three new wildlife mammals that no longer exist in Bangladesh: grey wolf, striped hyena and sloth bear. Among them, sloth bear has not been spotted in the country since the 1970s, while grey wolf and striped hyena have not been seen in the past 100 years. “Grey wolf and striped hyena were not included in our Red List – the list of species extinct in Bangladesh – when we last updated it in 2000. But now the list has been updated,” said Mostafa Firoz, professor at the zoology department of Jahangirnagar University who led the study.

butterfly and crustacean (snails, crabs and shrimps), and the number of species has been increased to around 1,700.

Critically endangered species

The survey, “Updating Species Red List of Bangladesh,” was undertaken by the government’s Forest Department and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) late last year. The survey report will be published at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka today. According to the report, there are a total of 138 different species of wildlife mammals in Bangladesh, 11 of which are now recorded as extinct. Among the existing mammals, 17 species are categorised as Critically Endangered, 12 are Endangered and 9 are Vulnerable. The Red List estimates the risk of extinction of a certain species in order to help set conservation plans and priority. Habitat loss by changing pattern

The species listed as Critically Endangered in Bangladesh are: Bengal tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, Asian elephant, hoolock gibbon, long-tailed macaque, Phayre’s leaf monkey, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sun bear, Indian pangolin, Chinese pangolin, Eurasian otter, smooth-coated otter, gaur, sambar, hog deer and Himalayan striped squirrel. Among the 28 species of carnivores found in Bangladesh, seven are recorded as Critically Endangered.

The Asian elephant, right, and the hoolock gibbon, above, are two of the critically endangered wildlife species in Bangladesh

Endangered species

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

of climate and forest ecosystem as well as human intervention in the forests are considered as some of the primary reasons for the extinction of these species from the country. In 2000, the IUCN published the Red List of Fauna Species in Bangladesh, covering the status of 895 wildlife species under five categories – mammals, birds, amphibians,

fish and reptiles. The 2000 list labelled several species, including Gangetic gharial, saltwater crocodile, hoolock gibbon, Phayre’s leaf monkey, ritha fish, pangas fish and baghair fish, as “critically endangered” due to the loss of their habitat and food scarcity. The new Red List initiative has included two more categories –

Dhaka mayors get ministerial status Privileges mayors will get n Shohel Mamun A minister or a deputy minister receives actual travel expenses for themselves and family as per the Ministers, Ministers of States and Deputy Ministers (remuneration and privileges) Act (amendment) 2013. The mayors are now entitled to an official car and an SUV maintained at government expense. The Dhaka mayors will get official residences each furnished at a cost of Tk150,000 while the Narayanganj mayor’s residence furnishing will cost Tk100,000. Maintenance of the residences will be done at government cost. The mayors will be treated as VIP

Vulnerable species

The species listed as Vulnerable in Bangladesh are: Ganges river dolphin, rhesus macaque, Bengal fox, Asian golden cat, hog badger, yellow-throated marten, binturong, masked palm civet and Malayan giant squirrel. l

No PSC exams from this year n Shadma Malik

Yes Minister Mayors of Dhaka North and South city corporations have been given full ministerial status. The government also gave the mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation the status of deputy minister. The Cabinet Division yesterday issued a gazette notification in this regard. All the three mayors – Annisul Huq for Dhaka North, Sayeed Khokon for Dhaka South, and Selina Hayat Ivy for Narayanganj City Corporation – have been elected from the ruling Awami League.

The species listed as Endangered in Bangladesh are: mainland serow, pig-tailed macaque, common langur, Assamese macaque, capped langur, barking deer, Asiatic wild dog, fishing cat, Indian hare, Bengal slow loris, Oriental smallclawed otter, particoloured flying squirrel.

Sayeed Khokon while travelling within the country. Annisul Haq and Sayeed Khokon will each have a private secretary “preferably of the rank of deputy secretary of the government,” an assistant private secretary, two personal assistants, a Jamadar, an orderly, two peons and a cook.

Annisul Huq A telephone will be installed at the home residence of a Dhaka mayor at government expense. The Dhaka mayors will have an amount of Tk300,000 at their disposal as an annual discretionary grant while the Narayanganj mayor will get Tk150,000. l

The government has decided not to hold the Primary School Certificate (PSC) examinations at the end of class five from this year, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman said yesterday. The ministry made the decision to upgrade primary education to grade eight from five. Earlier, it was decided that the first public examinations would be held at the end of class eight. On June 15, the High Court issued a ruling, upon hearing a writ petition, asking the government why the PSC exams will not be abolished. Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond had filed the writ petition with the High Court on April 5. l

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