10 July, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Ashar 26, 1423, Shawwal 04, 1437

In Memoriam Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain Abinta Kabir Ishrat Akhond Saiful Choukidar Zakir Hossain Shaon OC Salahuddin Ahmed AC Rabiul Karim Tarishi Jain Adele Puglisi Marco Tonda Claudia Maria D’antona Nadia Benedetti Vincenzo D’allestro Maria Rivoli Cristian Rossi Claudio Cappelli Simona Monti Koyo Ogasawara Makoto Okamura Yuko Sakai Rui Shimodaira Hiroshi Tanaka Nobuhiro Kurosaki Hideki Hashimoto

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 78

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News

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Tahmid, Hasnat not in DMP’s hands

Hasnat Karim

Tahmid Hasib Khan

n Tribune Report

Tahmid’s family told the Dhaka Tribune he had not returned home either. “If the state needs to question him they should, but they should let us know where he is,” Tahmid’s father Shahriar Khan told reporters over phone. On July 7, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia had told the press both men were with the police. Suspicions were raised in the media about Hasnat’s role in the attack after a video was released on the Internet showing the last moments before the rescue operation. Police have refused to say whether they have found any involvement of Hasnat or Tahmid in the terrorist attack. l

Dhaka Metropolitan Police has said it has released all hostages rescued from the scene of the Gulshan attack before Eid, even as the families of hostages Hasnat Karim and Tahmid Hasib Khan continue to look for them. DMP Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune on Saturday night that before Eid, police had released all the rescued hostages after questioning them about the incident. However, the family of Hasnat Karim told Dhaka Tribune on Saturday night that he had not returned home.

IGP blames JMB for Sholakia, Gulshan attacks n Tafsilul Aziz, Kishoreganj The deadly terror attack on a Gulshan eatery in Dhaka on July 1 and the latest attack near the Sholakia Eid ground were carried out by the members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, the police chief claimed yesterday. “We had been looking for the five terrorists killed at Gulshan. They were JMB members. Meanwhile, primary investigations indicate JMB’s involvement in the Sholakia attack,” AKM Shahidul Hoque told reporters after visiting the Sholakia attack spot yesterday. Four people – two policemen, a woman and an attacker – were killed in the gunfights that ensued after the police stopped the attackers at a checkpoint near the main congregation ground. The IGP said that a suspect, who is in custody, had admitted to “maintaining contact with the Gulshan attackers.” He also said the police did not have specific information about the attack. l

Militants target Sholakia Eid congregation, four killed n Tafsilul Aziz, Kishoreganj Four people were killed and at least 15 injured after seven or eight militants swooped on the police with guns, bombs and machetes just before the Eid-ul-Fitr congregation began at the historic Sholakia ground on Thursday morning. The deceased include one of the attackers Abir Rahman, a student of North South University. The identities of the eight other suspected attackers held by the police could not be known. Police recovered two revolvers, one machete, two Chinese axes and a hand bomb from near the spot. The three victims are constables Zahirul Islam and Anwarul Huq, and school teacher Jharna Rani Bhoumik. She was hit in the head by a stray bullet. Law enforcers blamed outlawed militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the attack. Police suspect that Maulana Farid Uddin Masuud, imam of the congregation, who on June 18 published a fatwa against militancy signed by over 100,000 Islamic scholars, was the target. Police and eyewitnesses said several attackers fired bullets and hurled bombs as they were stopped by the police at a checkpoint near Azim Uddin High School around 9:30am on Thursday. Later they

The picture shows police action during the Sholakia gunfight with terrorists in Kishoreganj, minutes before the start of Eid prayers DHAKA TRIBUNE hacked the injured law enforcers. The injured policemen were rushed to Kishoreganj Sadar Hospital where constable Zahirul was declared dead. Seven of them were transferred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where Anwarul died. The six other injured, in critical condition, were moved to Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka. On Friday, State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Haque Chunnu visited the residence of Jharna Rani, expressed condolences and announced Tk1 lakh in aid for the family. Abir, 22, son of contractor Sirajul Islam of Comilla’s Debidwar upazi-

la, was a final year student of BBA at North South University, said Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Md Anwar Hossain Khan. He was the youngest of four brothers. Sadar police OC Mir Mosharraf Hossain claimed Abir had been wanted in several cases. He went missing from his Bashundhara residence in Dhaka on March 1. His father filed a general diary with Bhatara police on July 6 after law enforcers urged parents to report their missing children. He lodged the GD in the wake of the July 1 terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen in Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic zone. Police did not disclose the identities of the eight suspects in custody. l

arrested at Pahartoli in Chittagong on April 25, 2006. Salehin and two top JMB leaders – Rakib Hasan alias Russel alias Hafez Mahmud and Zahidul Islam alias Mizan alias Boma Mizan – were snatched by members of “Shayakh Nasrullah Brigade” from a police van on February 23, 2014 killing at least two policemen. Rakib was later captured and killed in an alleged gunfight with law enforcers while Boma Mizan and Salehin remain on the run. Salehin has been leading the group since then, the statement claims. The “Ataur Rahman Sunny Brigade” slaughtered popular cleric Sheikh Nurul Islam Faruqi at his home in Dhaka on August 27, 2014 allegedly “for committing shirk and giving wrong explanation of Sharia.” Shirk is an Arabic word that means polytheism or idolatry and is considered a sin according to Islamic law. On October 5 last year, members of its “Hafez Mahmud Brigade” killed self-styled Pir Khijir Khan at his Khanqah Sharif in Badda area of Dhaka. On April 25 this year, three members of “Khalid Saifullah Brigade” coming on a motorcycle shot

dead retired sergeant instructor of Kashimpur jail Rustom Hawlader, 60, in front of the high security facility in Gazipur when he was buying medicine. The statement alleges that Rustom, who had been in charge of the cell where detained JMB chief Saidur Rahman is staying, was killed for siding with the government, torturing and discriminating the detained militants, and executing the sentences given to the militants. The JMB also claims credit for slaughtering self-proclaimed Pir Lutfar Rahman, his son and four disciples at Gopibagh in Dhaka on December 21, 2013. Lutfar was killed by the “Imam Ibn Taimiah Brigade” for claiming himself Imam Mehdi and committing shirk. The statement says the JMB never deviated from its philosophy despite “being oppressed” by the rulers. Nor was it destroyed, the statement says. “We are sharpening the swords to teach the enemies of Islam a good lesson. We are ready to sacrifice the last drop of our life,” it says, urging Muslims to boycott man-made laws and join the war against the government and the secular forces. l

‘Killed attacker was missing’

JMB denies links to recent attacks n Tribune Desk

For the first time, outlawed extremist group JMB has issued a statement describing the aims and activities of the current leadership, listing dozens of murders their members have carried out in the last 16 years, and issuing fresh threats against its enemies. The Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh statement released in a jihadi platform named “Dawahilallah” last week described its six brigades currently in operation. JMB claims it was not involved in any attack other than those they listed, apparently denying its association with international terrorist groups Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) that have carried out around four dozen attacks killing at least 55 people since 2013. On the other hand, law enforcers have found the link of JMB members among other suspects in most of the attacks claimed by IS, including the dreadful gun attack on a Gulshan eatery on July 1 and the Sholakia Eid gathering on July 7 killing at least 25 people, mostly foreigners. In the statement, the JMB

high-command now led by deathrow convict Salauddin warns of more attacks on the enemies of Islam and says that their members will sacrifice their lives to make this country a part of the global Islamic Khilafah or caliphate. They have conducted six operations since December 21, 2013 when JMB resumed operations after a four-year-break. If the claims are true, many sensational cases would now be solved. Law enforcers say the group has divided into several wings after the arrest of most of its top leaders. Since 2000, the JMB members launched over 1,100 attacks on NGOs and their staff, Pirs and shrines, cinema halls and Jatra pavilions, courts, and “atheists and blasphemers”, the statement says. JMB claims its last victim was Mohammad Shahidullah, 55, a spiritual leader from Tanore in Rajshahi who had liberal views about Islam. He was hacked and slaughtered near his home on May 6 “for claiming himself a prophet,” the statement says, giving credit to the members of JMB’s “Abdul Awal Brigade” for the murder. Death-row convict Salehin was

News

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Holey Bakery survivors still in shock n Syed Samiul Basher Anik After surviving the Holey Bakery attack and spending two days in police custody for debriefing, university students Fairooz Maliha and Tahana Tasmia are still not discussing their ordeal with the press. “Maliha and her friend Tahana were handed over to their families on Sunday,” Maliha’s father AK Borhan Uddin said. He was not able to disclose Tahana’s whereabouts. Asked about Maliha’s experience, Borhan explained his daughter was refusing to speak to anyone because she was still in shock. Fairooz Maliha and Tahana Tasmia were among the hostages of the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on July 1. They were rescued in Operation Thunderbolt and held in police custody before being released on July 3, family members confirmed. Maliha, a student of Environmental Science and Management at North South Universtiy, and her friend Tahana had gone to Holey Artisan Bakery to meet with Tahmid Hasib Khan, a senior at the University of Toronto who had arrived

in Dhaka on the day of the attack. Maliha, who lives in Uttara, went to Tahana’s house in Gulshan 2 to have Iftar before going to Holey Bakery, where they were held hostage during an 11-hour siege of the restaurant by law enforcement personnel. The hostage taking resulted in 20 people, mostly foreign nationals, being brutally killed by the attackers. After being freed by joint forces on July 2, they were taken to the Detective Branch office on Mintoo Road. Maliha and Tahana were released but Tahmid Hasib Khan remains in detention. Tahmid’s father Fazle Rahim Khan Shahriar and cousin Rasheek Irtisam said they do not have any updates on his situation. “He came to Dhaka on July 1 and fell victim to the hostage takers. After the rescue operation, he was taken into custody and remains there. His family members are not being allowed to meet him,” said father Fazle Rahim, managing director of Aftab Bahumukhi Firms Limited. “Please help us free our son,” he said. l

Relatives and friends of Holey Artisan victims are seen in front of the bakery in Dhaka’s Gulshan paying their respects to the fallen on last Tuesday RAJIB DHAR

JMB statement solves many cases n Tribune Desk As banned militant outfit JMB has issued a statement, for the first time, claiming responsibility for the attacks they have carried out since 2000, the mystery behind many sensational cases could now be resolved. Since 2000, the statement claims, the JMB men launched over 1,100 attacks on NGOs and their staff, Pirs and shrines, cinema halls, courts, and atheists and blasphemers as they are anti-Islam. The statement found in a jihadi platform named “Dawahilallah” last week claims that JMB’s six operational brigades have conducted six operations since December 21, 2013 including the murder of three spiritual leaders and a Kashimpur jail official. According to the statement, the group is now led by death-row convict Salauddin who was snatched along with two other top leaders from a police van on February 23, 2014 by the members of its “Shayakh Nasrullah Brigade.” It says JMB’s “Abdul Awal Brigade” slaughtered spiritual leader Mohammad Shahidullah at Tanore in Rajshahi on May 6; “Khalid Saifullah Brigade” shot dead retired sergeant instructor of Kashimpur jail Rustom Hawlader in Gazipur on April 25; “Hafez Mahmud Brigade” slaughtered Pir Khijir Khan at his Khanqah Sharif in Badda area of Dhaka on October 5 last year; while

members of “Ataur Rahman Sunny Brigade” slaughtered popular Islamic cleric Sheikh Nurul Islam Faruqi at his house in Dhaka on August 27, 2014. The JMB also claims credit for slaughtering self-proclaimed Pir Lutfar Rahman, his son and four disciples at Gopibagh in Dhaka on December 21, 2013 by “Imam Ibn Taimiah Brigade.”

Before 2005 series bomb blasts

Between 2000 and 2005, the statement says the JMB members perpetrated attacks on over 100 anti-Islamic NGOs including Grameen Bank, Brac, Prashika, Oxfam, World Vision and Caritas for “destroying Islam.” On December 7, 2002, JMB men blasted bombs inside four cinema halls in Mymensingh town killing at least 17 people. Three months back, they bombed a cinema hall and a circus pavilion in Satkhira that left two people dead. From 2003-05, sound blast attacks were launched on over 50 Jatra pavilions across the country “to create panic.” On February 14, 2005, they blasted sound bombs at TSC of Dhaka University to foil a concert celebrating the Valentine’s Day. The JMB has also claimed responsibility for the attack on a patrol team at Itagachha of Satkhira on February 5, 2003 that killed two policemen. They attacked Prof Humayun Azad to kill him near TSC while

returning from the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on February 27, 2004 allegedly for demeaning Allah, the Prophet and his wives, heaven and hell, and the mujahideens in his book “Pak Sar Jamin Saad Baad.” Trial in the case is under way. The same year, the JMB members slaughtered homoeopath Moniruzzaman of Delduar in Tangail allegedly for demeaning the Prophet and his wives in his book “Meye Tumi Manush Chhile Kobe.” The JMB claims that their men killed Rajshahi University teacher Prof Yunus Ali on December 24, 2004 for blasphemy. In January, 2003, five disciples of a Pir were slaughtered at Begungram of Kalai in Joypurhat. The same year they bombed the shrine of Pagla Pir at Sakhipur in Tangail, the statement says. JMB established a reign of terror in Rajshahi’s Baghmara, and Natore’s Rani Nagar and Atrai during April-May 2004 and claimed to have carried out over 350 operations by establishing three camps to eliminate the “atheist leftist extremists upon requests by the locals.” For preaching Christianity, the JMB members hacked to death Abdul Gani alias Gani Gomez alias Joseph Mondol of Hazipur on September 18, 2004 and Ridoy Roy of Sanakoir area of Sorishabari in Jamalpur on April 14, 2005. The then government continued

to deny the existence of the JMB until it banned the group on February 23, 2005. But it angered the extremists. On August 17, the JMB operatives exploded bombs at 511 places in 63 districts simultaneously killing at least two people while also distributed leaflets “to invite people to establish Islamic rule in the country.”

After series bomb blasts

But the then “government did not respond positively, rather increased oppression on us. The JMB then decided to launch all-out attacks,” the statement said. On October 3, two people were killed in suicide attacks at Lakshmipur, Chittagong and Chandpur district courts; two judges killed at Jhalakathi court on November 14; and eight lawyers and clients were killed apart from the bomber Asad at Gazipur court on November 29. Eight people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the police near the Udichi office in Netrakona on December 8 the same year, mentions the statement. Following the arrest of JMB chief Shayakh Abdur Rahman and his second man Bangla Bhai, the JMB operatives carried out grenade attacks on police patrol cars in Tongi, Uttara, Gabtoli and Gulistan areas between October 2006 and February 2007, the statement says. “On the 15th day after Shayakh Abdur Rahman and his accomplices were hanged on March

29, 2007, the JMB mujahids shot dead Jhalakathi public prosecutor Haider Hossain who represented the state in the case as the first revenge,” the group says. According to the statement, the JMB men had no operations during the army-backed caretaker government. After the Awami Leagueled government came to power in 2009, the JMB members carried out a grenade attack on a police patrol car at Uttara in May. l

Netizens: Security upped at Niketon

n Tribune Desk

Social media users yesterday reported that security had been tightened in Gulshan’s Niketon area. Facebook and Twitter users claimed police and RAB were seen closing three of the entrance points to the area around 8:15pm. Netizens claimed they had been told by law enforcers that the neighbourhood was being placed under a 72hour lock down. This claim could not be verified by the Dhaka Tribune. Gulshan police station Officer-inCharge (Investigation) Salauddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that regular check posts had been erected at Gate 2, one of five gates, to protect the diplomatic zone from access through Niketon. l

News

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

DMP chief: 32 rescued from Holey Artisan n Arifur Rahman Rabbi

A joint commando force rescued 32 hostages from Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka on the morning of July 2 ending an 11hour terror siege, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia. The DMP chief yesterday also told reporters at an unscheduled briefing that all of the attackers were killed in Operation Thunderbolt, the government’s rescue operation. His statement, however, contradicts a statement given by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate from July 2 that said 13 hostages had been rescued in the joint force operation. The ISPR statement, moreover, said six terrorists were killed and one injured and arrested during Operation Thunderbolt. The injured suspect died in hospital while in police custody on Friday. The DMP commissioner did not offer details about the identities of the rescued hostages in his statement yesterday. He termed the terror attack a national crisis. “The Gulshan incident is not a regular crime like murder, mugging or threats. This is a national crisis.” He called for a national consensus on the issue of terrorism. “If everyone takes the initiative from his or her place, we will be able to prevent terrorism.” Asked if international help would be sought to investigate the Gulshan attack, the DMP chief said: “The officials who are investigating the case are efficient and skilled – they have been trained abroad for this work.

“However, we do lack some technological tools. If necessary, we will seek help from the US, India or Singapore to run some forensic tests.” He said police high-ups were now rethinking their approach to dealing with terrorism in the country. Terrorists entered Holey Artisan Bakery on Friday night and took diners and staff hostage, killing at least 22 people, including 17 foreign nationals, two Bangladeshis, a Bangladeshi-American and two police officers. The so-called Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government maintains that the attack was executed by home-grown militants. On Wednesday, a video reportedly issued by IS on YouTube hailed the Gulshan attack, terming it “revenge” and threatening more attacks on “crusaders” and “crusading nations.” The video showed three IS operatives speaking in Bangla calling for jihad in Bangladesh and saying they would not stop until Sharia law was established around the world. Less than a week after the Gulshan attack, two policemen and a civilian woman were killed in a bomb attack followed by a gunfight between law enforcers and terrorists near the Sholakia Eid congregation ground in Kishoreganj on Thursday – the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. One of the alleged attackers was killed in the exchange of gunfire. The DMP commissioner said banned Islamist outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind both the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks. l

President Abdul Hamid greets Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with a flower bouquet when she came to Bangabhaban yesterday to exchange Eid greetings with him and his family BSS

Italy, Japan release autopsy reports n Tribune Report

Autopsy reports on the nine Italians and seven Japanese victims of the Gulshan attack in their own countries show that the Italians suffered in the attack while the Japanese died relatively quickly. Remains of the foreign victims of the attack were handed over to the respective governments on July 5. Both countries carried out autopsies soon afterward. Following an autopsy at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli hospital, pathologists confirmed the nine victims had suffered a torturous death, according to Italian news outlets. The corpses displayed several wounds issued by machetes, bullet holes and traces of explosives, La Stampa reported. Each body showed signs of mutilation and it appeared that the

terrorists had tried to prolong their suffering. Twenty-three people were killed in the attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery. The attackers stormed the place late on July 1, taking around 40 people hostage until troops entered the next morning. Many of the victims were hacked to death. The nine Italian victims included four men and five women. On the other hand, at least four of the seven Japanese slain in the attack died of gunshot wounds, reported The Japan Times. It also said that the victims were believed to have died instantly after the attack began. They had died as a result of cerebral damage and other causes. Of the seven, the bodies of five showed gunshot wounds. Apart from the cerebral damage, loss of blood was also cited in

postmortems among the causes of death. Some of the bodies had deep cuts, while others had both cuts and gunshot wounds. But the Bangladeshi autopsy reports said that all 20 hostages killed in the terrorist attack had been shot dead and slaughtered. Dr Sohel Mahmud, an assistant professor at the Dhaka Medical College (DMC) Forensic Department and some other forensic experts carried out the autopsies at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. Dr Mahmud told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had found wounds inflicted by sharp weapons and shooting on the bodies of all 20 victims. “All the victims were slaughtered with sharp objects like machete. This was also the case in the previous murders of some bloggers and publishers.” l

Man in Islamic State video identified Missing singer reappears in terrorist video as missing dentist n n Abid Azad

One of the men seen in a video purportedly from Islamic State (IS) hailing the Gulshan attack has been identified as Tushar Arafat, a dentist from Dhaka. Of the three young men speaking in Bengali and English in that video to praise the Gulshan attacks and threatening more terrorism in Bangladesh, Tushar was the third. According to terrorist monitoring group SITE Intelligence the video was shot in al-Raqqah, Syria where

the terrorist group is based. Tushar, son of late Major Washikur Azad, has been missing for two years. He graduated from City Dental College. He went to school in Adamjee Cantonment Public School and Rajuk Uttara Model College. In 2011 he was married to model Naila Nayem but separated soon afterward. He lived in Baridhara DOHS area. On his Facebook page, Tushar calls himself ‘Md Doc Arafat (Princelibra)’ and his last public post from May 19, 2012 says:

“Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind,” with the location, Azad’s Mansion. Acquaintances told the Dhaka Tribune Tushar was fond of chatting with friends and playing table tennis. They also spoke of his drug habits that got worse after the separation. Most acquaintances told the Dhaka Tribune they had not been in contact with Tushar since 2014 and that around that time he had transformed into a conservative-minded man. l

Tribune Desk

Three men spoke Bangla in a recent video allegedly released by Islamic State. After checking numerous sources, Dhaka Tribune confirmed one of the the men to be Tahmid Rahman Safi. The people in the IS video threatened more attacks in Bangladesh and praised the attackers of Holey Artisan Bakery. Safi attended Notre Dame College and did his BBA at Brac University before completing the MBA program in Business Admin-

istration at Dhaka University. He worked for Grameenphone for some time and then taught at Mastermind School for about a year. Though Safi’s facebook was recently deleted, his name can be found on Ummaland, a Muslim lifestyle network. Safi was a singer in popular music show Close Up 1 in 1995. His father, Shafiur Rahman who died in August 2014 was a former election commissioner and secretary to the government. Safi was married in March 2015, a few months before his disappearance. He lived in Nikunjo. l

News

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Dhaka, Washington agree to fight IS, al-Qaeda n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Dhaka and Washington have agreed to broaden and deepen their partnership in countering terrorism and violent extremist groups, including Dae’sh – or the so-called Islamic State – and al-Qaeda, which constitutes a global challenge, according to a joint statement of the fifth Bangladesh-US partnership dialogue. Issued yesterday, the statement said both the countries recognise the threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism around the world. The fifth Bangladesh-US partnership dialogue took place in Washington last month. This is the first time a joint statement was issued after the Bangladesh-US partnership dialogue.

address and counter transnational crime,” the statement said. The upcoming security dialogue of the two sides will discuss future opportunities for defence and security collaboration. <Nisha Biswal to arrive in Dhaka today> Assistant Secretary Nisha Desai Biswal of the United States Department of State will arrive in Dhaka today for a two-day visit to discuss security issues in Bangladesh and possible security cooperation between Bangladesh and the US. A senior government official said security issues are expected to dominate the talks. This will be Biswal’s second visit to Bangladesh in two months: She visited Dhaka in the first week of May following the brutal killing of USAID official Xulhas Mannan in

“As a way to deepen our cooperation, we are announcing Bangladesh’s participation in the US Counter-Terrorism Partnerships Fund (CTPF), which would enable Bangladesh and the United States to expand our bilateral counter-terrorism partnership and support programs to advance the collaboration,” the statement said. CTPF-supported programmes for capacity building would strengthen Bangladesh-US cooperation in responding to evolving radicalisation and terrorist threats, help to improve partnerships between civilian-led counter-terrorism elements, and address the conditions that give rise to extremism. “We are also developing career civil servant prosecutors that can specialise in bringing violent extremists to justice, and prevent,

April, and put forward a proposal to enhance security cooperation between the two countries. During her last visit, she met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali. The government official, requesting anonymity, said this time the format is likely to be the same. The terrorist attacks on July 1 in Gulshan, Dhaka and July 7 in Sholakia, Kishoreganj killed at least 25 people, including 17 foreigners and one Bangladeshi American. The US Department of State issued a travel warning on Thursday and urged US citizens to consider Bangladesh for travelling with caution. Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry, on behalf of President

Barack Obama, called Prime Minister Shekh Hasina on July 3 to offer support in the wake of the terror attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka on July 1. “The secretary encouraged the government of Bangladesh to conduct its investigation in accordance with the highest international standards and offered immediate assistance from US law enforcement, including the FBI,” stated a Department of State press release. Kerry reaffirmed US support for Bangladesh’s efforts to bring those responsible for planning and conducting the attacks to justice as well as to prevent future attacks. He expressed condolences for the loss of innocent lives at the handa of terrorists who threaten the US, Bangladesh and the international community. l

4 die, one missing in boat capsize FM Mizanur Rahaman, n Chittagong Four persons, including a minor boy, died and another person went missing as an engine-run boat capsized in Halda River in Fatickchhari upazila of Chittagong. The deceased are Nurul Islam Sowdagar, 55, Rimon, 17, Rijvi, 15, and Md Arman, 7, said Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, DAD of Chittagong Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters.

Quoting locals Kamal said the boat carrying 15 to 25 persons had sunk being overcrowded at Nasir Mohammed Ghat around 1:30pm on Friday. On information, a team of fire service rushed to the spot and recovered three bodies from Shiddhasram area of the river, around 9:30am yesterday. Later, locals found the floating body of Arman from Chaderghona area around 1pm, Kamal said adding that the drive was still going on to find out the missing passenger. l

Members of RAB stand vigilant in front of the National Eidgah inside the Supreme Court premises in Dhaka on Thursday as people come out after performing Eid prayers RAJIB DHAR

Govt to upgrade SSF’s communications n Asif Showkat Kallol The government is pushing an emergency upgrade of the Special Security Force’s (SSF) pager system through the cabinet. Prime Minister’s Office’s Senior Principal Secretary Muhammad Abul Kamal Azad recently sent a proposal to the cabinet committee on economic affairs to procure a new pager system. According to the proposal, the pager system of the force that guards the nation’s most important persons, including the prime minis-

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN SUNDAY, JULY 10

mission from the cabinet to procure the system from a single source instead of going through a tender process, citing the security risks of having the system’s technical specifications fall in the wrong hands. Under the Public Procurement Act the government can procure goods and services from a single source with the recommendation of the cabinet committee on economic affairs. The PMO proposal said the cost of the purchase of the new pager system along with other equipment will be Tk 3.96 crore. l

ter, does not work. “At present VVIP duties and important internal messages are carried out through mobile phones, which is a threat to security,” the proposal said. The pager system, which was procured in 2009 and runs on a 2G frequency network, became unusable after later generations of wireless technology were introduced in the country. Bangladesh launched 3G operations commercially in October, 2012. The proposal also sought perDhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

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Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:19AM

33.0ºC Rajshahi

24.4ºC Tangail

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PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 3:55am | Johr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 7:04pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

6 World

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Nato makes fresh funding for Afghanistan Nato allies agreed on Saturday to help fund Afghan security forces to the tune of around $1bn annually over the next 3 years. The allies, attending a two-day summit in the Polish capital Warsaw, also pressed Afghan leaders to do more to combat corruption, carry out electoral reforms and protect human rights. -AFP

INDIA

9 killed in clashes over top militant death in Kashmir At least 9 protesters died as crowds angered by the killing of a separatist militant clashed with armed police in India’s Jammu and Kashmir state on Saturday, torching buildings and blocking streets. Protests erupted a day after security services shot dead Burhan Wani, a 22-year-old militant known for his calls to arms on social media and leader of Hizb-ul Mujahideen. -REUTERS

CHINA

Nearly half a million evacuated as tropical storm hits China

Typhoon Nepartak weakened to a strong tropical storm Saturday as it lashed China’s east coast, bringing powerful winds and heavy rains that toppled houses and inundated roads. Fujian province’s authorities evacuated more than 422,000 people living in risky areas and suspended or canceled several hundred flights and bullet train services. -AP

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan’s election for upper house of Parliament Japan holds an election Sunday for the upper house of parliament that could affect the country’s direction. While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party is seeking a mandate for his leadership by emphasising his economic revitalisation policies, several opposition parties are coordinating a negative campaign, cautioning voters that a landslide for Abe would give him an upper hand to revise the constitution. -AP

MIDDLE EAST

Syria extends nationwide ceasefire for 72 hours The Syrian military has extended a nationwide ceasefire that expired on Friday for another 72 hours, state media reported on Saturday. The Syrian government uses the term regime of calm to denote a temporary ceasefire. The previous 72-hour truce, which was accepted by the Free Syrian Army insurgents alliance but led to no noticeable decrease in violence. -REUTERS

US nationwide protest decry police shootings of African-Americans A look at protests and related events nationwide on Friday following the police shootings of black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St Paul, Minnesota, and the deadly sniper attack on police officers in Dallas.

Arkansas

About 300 people gathered in front of the state Capitol to seek solutions to racial strife, which Little Rock knows so well.

Colorado

DALLAS SHOOTING: WHAT WE KNOW Ü 5 law-enforcement officers were killed in Dallas Thursday night Ü 7 were Dallas police officers, one was with the DART transit police Ü 7 other law-enforcement officers and two civilians were shot Ü The 5 fallen victims: Patrick Zamarripa, 32; Michael Krol, 40; Brent Thompson, 43; Lorne Ahrens, 43; Michael Smith, 55. THE SUSPECT

Ü Police identify gunman as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson

Georgia

Ü Johnson eluded capture and was in a firefight with police Thursday night in a parking garage

Illinois

Members of Chicago’s Black Lives Matter movement and other groups played dead outside Pres-

Ü Johnson is believed to be the lone gunman, according to Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings Ü He used an AR-15 rifle, Rawlings said. A similar assault weapon was used in the Orlando shooting Ü He had no criminal record and was a member of the US Army Reserve. He served in Afghanistan and was sent home after being accused of sexual harassment by a female soldier

Ü He was killed by a robot-carried bomb after talks broke down, police Chief David Brown said Friday Source: THE GLOBAL MAIL

ident Barack Obama’s home in an effort to push the president to act on the violence occurring between police officers and black people.

Louisiana

Hundreds of demonstrators in New Orleans gathered under a towering

Michigan

A peaceful protest against police brutality drew more than 1,000 people to Campus Martius Park in Detroit.

THE FALLEN

Black Lives Matter supporters said they plan to continue a sit-in in Denver in response to the police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana through Tuesday for a total of 135 hours. That’s an hour for each of the black people they say have been killed by police across the country this year. Several thousand people flooded the streets of downtown Atlanta to protest recent police shootings of African-Americans. Police Chief George Turner and Democratic Mayor Kasim Reed urged protesters to cooperate with law enforcement. The march appeared peaceful.

olence racking the nation.

statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee to demand an end to police brutality Friday night.

Massachusetts

Religious leaders gathered at an interfaith service in Boston to pray for an end to the racially tinged vi-

New York

Rochester police arrested 74 people for disorderly conduct during a protest by hundreds of people over the shootings of black residents across the nation. In New York City, about 300 people took to the streets to protest Friday night. They gathered in Manhattan’s Union Square for speeches before splitting into small groups escorted by police.

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh’s police chief walked along with protesters at an activist march downtown on Friday and said it was peaceful. In Philadelphia, about 150 people marched for the third consecutive night to protest the deadly shootings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Washington, DC

A few dozen people rallied peacefully outside the US Department of Justice headquarters, holding candles and quietly singing “We Shall Not Be Moved” amid a heavy local and federal police presence. l

Source: AP

UK PM candidates vow to make EU immigration harder n Reuters, London Both candidates seeking to become Britain’s next prime minister vowed in interviews published on Friday to impose tougher rules on EU citizens newly arriving in Britain, as they face a ballot of party members to choose David Cameron’s successor. Just over two weeks since concerns over immigration pushed many Britons to back Brexit in a referendum, Home Secretary Theresa May and energy minister Andrea Leadsom both promised to restrict free movement of citizens from the EU. “People going on holiday or travelling on business or to collaborate on science will be able to do that but the right to reside and the right to work here will be under work permits,” Andrea Leadsom told The Times newspaper. She also appeared to suggest that any EU citizen arriving after September 9, the date a new lead-

er will be chosen, might not have their ability to remain in Britain protected under EU rules: “Under free movement you don’t have to guarantee free movement for ever.” Theresa May, who gained more support from Conservative lawmakers in a vote on Thursday, said she would change freedom of movement rules. “If I am prime minister, we will come out of the European Union and part of that will be control of free movement,” May told The Daily Telegraph newspaper. When Britons were asked to choose between the two, 48% of voters said they favoured keeping market access compared to 37% who said capping immigration from Europe was more important, according to a survey by ORB for The Independent newspaper published on Friday. Around 150,000 grassroots members of the ruling Conservative Party will choose a successor to Cameron by September 9. l

BRITAIN’S POLITICAL CRISIS Two women will now battle to become the next British Prime Minister

After the 2nd round vote among Conservative MPs Theresa May

199 votes

Andrea Leadsom

84 votes Age 59 Interior minister (Home Secretary) Career with Bank of England MP since 1997 Even though she voted ‘Remain’, she is considered eurosceptic. Takes tough line on immigration

Age 53 Junior ministry posts in finance, energy Banker, fund manager 2010 Has long campaigned for reform of the EU

The party’s 150,000 members will now choose between them The winner will be announced September 9 Backed ‘remain’

Backed Brexit

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

ANALYSIS

USA

Trump’s America First echoes old isolationist rallying cry n Tribune International Desk Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump boils down his foreign policy agenda to two words: “America First.” For students of US history, that slogan harkens back to the tumultuous presidential election of 1940, when hundreds of thousands of Americans joined the anti-war America First Committee. That isolationist group’s primary goal was to keep the United States from joining Britain in the fight against Nazi Germany, which by then had overrun nearly all of Europe. But the committee is also remembered for the unvarnished anti-Semitism of some of its most prominent members and praise for the economic policies of Adolf Hitler.

America First formed

The America First Committee was founded in spring 1940 at Yale University by students that included future US president Gerald Ford and future Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart. Future President

Famed Pakistani humanist buried with state honour n Reuters, Karachi Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, revered as a “living saint” in the South Asian nation, was buried on the outskirts of Karachi on Saturday after a state funeral attended by thousands of people. Edhi, 88, died late on Friday after a long kidney illness. Over nearly 60 years Edhi’s charitable arm, the Edhi Foundation, established clinics and orphanages across Pakistan and ran a vast fleet of ambulances, offering help to poor people. In a reaction, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Edhi “was a noble soul who dedicated his life in service of mankind”, while Pakistani teenage Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai told the BBC she had nominated him for the same Peace prize. Born in Gujarat in British India, Edhi and his Muslim family moved to Pakistan in 1947.Along with his charity work, he also berated radical Islamist groups for attacking civilians, criticised the government for incompetence and corruption, and denounced tax-dodging by the rich. l

World

John F. Kennedy contributed $100. Within months, France had capitulated to the Germans and England appeared on the verge of collapse. The committee was soon the largest anti-war organization in US history, with more than 800,000 dues-paying members. As the committee grew, it attracted celebrities, politicians and business leaders opposed President Franklin Roosevelt’s lend-lease aid to the British. Among them was the admired aviator Charles Lindbergh, who was the first man to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean more than a decade earlier.

Friends in Berlin

Lindbergh, whose family was of Germanic heritage, made multiple high-profile visits to the Fatherland, including to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin as a special guest of Field Marshal Hermann Goering, head of the German air force. Lindbergh grew to admire Hitler’s revitalisation of the German economy at a time the United States was still mired in the Great Depression. He also marvelled at the advanced fighters and bombers of the Luftwaffe. Upon his return to the

Clinton relied on staff for classification decisions Hillary Clinton disputed a scathing assessment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she was extremely careless with classified government secrets, saying on Friday she relied on the judgement of her subordinates at the US State Department. After maintaining for more than a year that she did not send or receive classified information through her unauthorised private email system, she acknowledged in a string of interviews on Friday. -REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Supporters of Donald Trump wait for him to arrive at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina REUTERS United States, Lindbergh spoke favourably of the Nazis and published widely read opinion pieces saying the German military conquest of Europe was inevitable and that America should stay out of the war. He joined the executive committee of America First and became the public face of the group, travelling the country to speak at massive anti-war rallies.

Isolationism and anti-Semitism

America First championed the belief that two vast oceans would insulate the United States from foreign invasion. The group also opposed the acceptance of shiploads of Jewish refugees then-fleeing Nazi persecution. In

addition to Lindbergh, the executive committee of America First included the automaker Henry Ford. Within days of the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States. America First quickly disbanded.

Echoes of the past

Historians said there are some ideological parallels between Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail and the positions taken 75 years ago by members of the American First Committee. Then as now, an economic downturn fanned popular resentment toward immigration, especially by those who were not perceived as traditional Americans. l

10 interesting facts about Abdul Sattar Edhi Abdul Sattar Edhi, a Pakistani who established a charity empire from nothing, died at the age of 88 on Friday. Born on January 01, 1928, Edhi was said to be “The World’s Greatest Living Humanitarian” by The Huffington Post. For his greatest humanitarian work, he was also called as the Angel of Mercy and Baba-e-Khidmat of the 21st century.

1. Setting of world’s largest charity foundation He established one of the largest charity foundations Edhi Foundation from a nominal amount of Rs5,000. Saying this will not be wrong he established a charity empire from nothing. During his whole life, he helped people of every class without any religion and identity discrimination.

2. He lead a simple life He was known for his ascetic lifestyle, having two pairs of clothes and living in an apartment where he spent his whole life.

5. International recognition Abdul Sattar Edhi and his foundation won over a dozen international awards for providing services to the society.

6. He even donated his organs His last wishes included the request that his organs were to be donated but due to his ill health, only his corneas were suitable.

7. He was fighting with diseases for past many years Despite the fact, he himself was fighting with diseases still his motto for serving the society was high.

8. Edhi Foundation runs the world’s largest ambulance service

3. Shield of honour

Edhi Foundation runs the largest ambulance service in the world. Almost two thousand ambulances are currently operational that offers twenty-four emergency services.

He was awarded Shield of Honour by Pakistan Army for promoting the cause of social welfare service in Rawalpindi.

9. Edhi Foundation at international level

4. Travel issues by developed countries despite the fact he was legend Whatever your status in the world is, still you can be badly treated if you have a beard and simple dress. Edhi was first arrested by Israeli troops in the early 1980s when was entering Lebanon. He was detained in 2006 in Toronto for 16 hours. In 2008, his passport and travel documents were seized by security officials at the John F Kennedy Airport. When Edhi was asked about this frequent detention, he replied, “I can think of is my beard and my dress.”

Besides Pakistan, Edhi Foundation is also working at international level. The foundation has run relief operations in Caucasus region, Middle East, Africa and even in the United States and eastern Europe.

10. Take care of the poor of my country, his last words His last words were “take care of the poor of my country”. He remembered the poor in his entire life. l

Source: WEB.PK

Peru president-elect’s call for protest Peru’s President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski faced criticism from across the political spectrum on Friday for calling for a march on the incoming Congress to help him press opposition lawmakers to reopen a polymetallic smelter. Kuczynski’s centrist party will hold just 14% of seats in the incoming Congress. -REUTERS

British government rejects petition for 2nd EU vote The British government has rejected an online petition signed by 4.1 million people calling for a new referendum on whether to leave the EU. The petition called for the government to enact a rule that there should be another referendum if the vote for remain or leave was less than 60% based on a turnout of less than 75%. -REUTERS

EUROPE

Merkel, Erdogan try to mend ties The leaders of Germany and Turkey sought on Saturday to clear the air in their first private talks since the German parliament infuriated Ankara by branding the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, but they did not overcome their differences. Chancellor Angela Merkel met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Warsaw to discuss the tensions. -REUTERS

AFRICA

115 soldiers killed in South Sudan clashes At least 115 soldiers from South Sudan’s rival factions were killed in gunbattles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a twoyear war. Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. -REUTERS

World

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

CHILCOT REPORT ANALYSIS

Hindsight defence is no defence at all n Brian Stewart, CBC Of all the Chilcot report’s findings, special notice must be taken of its vigorous ripping apart of the hindsight defence — that great refuge of politicians following disasters. You know the one. That’s when former leaders, foreign ministers, military chiefs shrug sadly and bemoan the fact they received limited intelligence and “If only we’d known then what we know now…” It’s wiggle-room 101. For years, former British prime minister Tony Blair argued he had no regrets for toppling Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein, he only regretted that the intel acted on, such as warnings of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), was faulty — which is putting it mildly. I often cringed when listening to British and American invasion hawks sing from the same obfuscation songbook while insisting they’d had no forewarnings that a collapsing Iraq would create cyclones of chaos in the Middle East, including new terrorism waves likely to haunt the world for generations. I don’t buy this hindsight defence because, in the run-up to the invasion, I’d interviewed many well-informed retired military commanders and senior diplomats, even the French foreign minister, and all felt sure intelligence claims were highly suspect and the invasion so poorly planned it was headed for catastrophe. Remember, people in the French, German and Canadian governments with decades of experience handling world crises and military-diplomatic standoffs shunned any role in invasion, which they thought would cancel out any peaceful solution. If they knew, why didn’t Number 10 and the White House?

The risks were ‘explicitly identified’ before invasion

Chilcot’s six-year study concluded that London and Washington knew a lot — but underestimated or discounted most of the looming dangers and pitfalls. When Blair told the inquiry he could not have foreseen the problems in Iraq, Chilcot would have none of it: “We do not agree that hindsight is required. The risks of internal strife in Iraq, active Iranian pursuits of its interests, regional instability and al-Qaeda activity in Iraq were each explicitly identified before the invasion,” he said in his report. It’s clear Blair did have worries. In a private letter to President George W Bush eight months before the invasion, he gently raises “some Iraqis may feel ambivalent

KEY CONCLUSIONS: THE IRAQ INQUIRY Ü There was “no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein” in March 2003 and military action was “not a last resort” Ü The UK “chose to join the invasion of Iraq before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted” Ü Tony Blair’s note to George Bush on July 28, 2002, saying UK would be with the US “whatever”, was the moment Britain was set on a path to war Ü Judgements about the threat posed by Iraq’s WMD “were presented with a certainty that was not justified” Ü Tony Blair told attorney general Lord Goldsmith Iraq had committed breaches of UN Security Council resolution 1441 without giving evidence to back up his claim Ü Ministry of Defence was “slow” to react to clear need for better equipment and it was not clear whose job it was to do so Ü Planning for post-war Iraq was “wholly inadequate” Ü Blair government “failed to achieve its stated objectives” Ü The legality of the war can only be decided by an international court Source: IRAQINQUIRY.ORG.UK about being invaded and could well fight back”. But despite obviously having some sense a civilian insurgency could erupt, Blair reiterated his absolute devotion to the US-led invasion even before UN inspectors had completed their fruitless search for WMDs. Blair wrote: “I will be with you, whatever.” Perhaps inspired by the Winston Churchill/FDR friendship during the Second World War, that phrase would linger heavily over all subsequent private letters sent by Blair, where examples of “whatever” seem to include the possibility of finding no WMDs and, even in the early days of the 2003 invasions, seeing the spread of chaos. Throughout the crisis, Blair continued to dig Britain further into the US invasion, often without keeping Parliament or even his own cabinet informed. Certainly none of them were told of his unilateral vow to stick with Bush “whatever.” “(It) set the UK on a path leading to diplomatic activity in the UN and the possibility of participation in the military action in a way that would make it very difficult for the UK to subsequently withdraw its support for the US,” Chilcot says in his report.

Blair released intelligence selectively

Indeed, in January 2003, Blair promised the Americans three British combat brigades for operations in southern Iraq, before having received a green light from Parliament and government legal advisors. Chilcot strongly criticizes Blair’s careful choice of which intelligence to feed Parliament and

the public in his efforts to keep willingness for war alive in the face of anti-war protests: he revealed one intelligence estimate that Iraq was a security threat to Britain, but withheld another warning that terrorist attacks from al-Qaeda may be expected — the kind of grim reality that might have chilled resolve. Blair pushed ahead but worried enough to write Bush: “The biggest risk we face is internecine fighting between all the rival groups, religions, tribes, etc., in Iraq when the military strike destabilizes the regime.” Got that right. The main British intelligence arms are also criticized for not being rigorous enough in assessing their findings or honest enough with government ministers. The British military involvement was judged under-resourced and illplanned (as was the US effort). Blair’s management style left the military unclear of what was expected of them. The warnings of a troubled invasion were underestimated, and, under Blair’s direction, military preparations were “wholly inadequate.”

Saddam was not an imminent threat

Perhaps the most bitter Chilcot conclusion is that there might never have been this war that has blighted our times, with all the loss of life and collapsed states. There was, the report concludes, no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein, so a different containment strategy with negotiations, rather similar to the Cold War, might have continued a semi-peace for years. Blair’s urgings on the need for war, the report adds, were present-

IN NUMBERS: CHILCOT INQUIRY 7 years

Time it took for the report to be delivered, after the inquiry launched in 2009 14 staff

Were employed by the inquiry £790

The daily rate paid to Sir John Chilcot. Committee members received £565 per day 129 witnesses

Were cross-examined by the inquiry into the Iraq War 150,000 documents

Were studied by inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot and his team 2,500,000 words

Were spoken by witnesses, according to the BBC £10,375,000

The total cost of the Iraq Inquiry 911 paragraphs

In the report. The figure was widely noted on Twitter for its coincidental but 'spooky' echo of the 9/11 attacks 13 years

Since the start of the Iraq War At least 495,000 Iraqi civilians

Have died since the start of the war, according to 2015 estimates by the Costs of War project, which tracks both violent and non-violent deaths ed with “a certainty that was not justified.” Today, Blair refused yet again to take responsibility while still insisting the world is a better place without Hussein. This same strategy was perfectly expressed back in 2003, just as the invasion started to go very wrong and other world powers criticized the venture as doomed. Blair wrote his friend Bush that the one posture

to adopt was clear: “We must be absolutely unapologetic.” It seems not even the 2.6 million words in the report, the anguish of families who lost members to war or the unending nightmare of Iraq and its peoples can dent that resolve. l

[This is an excerpt from a CBC NEWS article, which can be found at http://bit. ly/29tCl4y]

Big drop in Islamic State's Twitter traffic n Tribune International Desk The Islamic State group's Twitter traffic has plunged 45% in the past two years, reports Associated Press quoting sources within the Obama administration, as the US and its allies have countered messages of jihadi glorification with a flood of online images and statements about suffering and enslavement at the hands of the extremist organisation, reports The Associated Press. US officials cite the drop in Twitter traffic as a sign of progress toward eliminating propaganda they blame for inspiring attacks around the world. When the US formed an international coalition in September 2014 to fight IS, the administration outlined multiple goals: military action and cutting off foreign fighters and finances, confronting the group's extremist ideology and stemming the militants' growing popularity in the Arab world and beyond. The messaging element of the campaign struggled early on. Much of the anti-IS content put online was in English, limiting its effectiveness. At the time, social media networks were only getting started with new technological approaches to the challenge of disabling accounts that were recruiting and radicalising prospective IS members. These shortcomings have been fixed, American officials believe. Memes and images depicting the group's treatment of women, children and others are presented almost entirely in Arabic. Whereas the US previously blasted the information out itself, it disseminates messages now through Muslim governments, religious leaders, schools, youth leaders and advocacy groups with credibility in local communities. Data show the proliferation of IS propaganda decreasing. Obtained data show a 6-1 ratio of anti-IS content online compared with pro-IS content - an improvement from last year. When pro-IS Twitter accounts are discovered today, they have about 300 followers each. In 2014, such accounts had 1,500 followers each, according to the data. Among social networks, the administration has primarily focused on Twitter. The platform has been most heavily used by IS to crowdsource supporters and potential attackers, though it also has used YouTube and Facebook. As IS emerged from al-Qaeda's shadow and began seizing cities and large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2013, pro-IS accounts started firing out tens of thousands of tweets each day, rapidly and repeatedly opening new accounts as others were suspended. The group's enhanced use of social media quickly set it apart from al-Qaeda and previous jihadi militant groups. Counter-terrorism and law enforcement officials have pointed to IS' online presence for inspiring deadly attacks in Europe and the United States, including some by individuals who never had physical contact with any of its leaders or fighters in the Middle East. These include the attackers who killed 14 in San Bernardino, California, last December. The US messages attempt to undermine many of IS' most oft-cited claims. These include the group's supposed invincibility on the battlefield or that its caliphate is good for Muslims. American partners have flooded social media with messages highlighting the group's territorial loses and inability to effectively govern or provide basic services to areas under its control. Although the US government has no formal arrangement with Twitter, its information campaign has dovetailed with new approaches by the company to identify and eliminate tweets supporting terrorism. Until recently, child pornography was the only abuse automatically flagged for human review on social media. Terrorist messaging is now also included and Twitter announced earlier this year it was using a spam-fighting technology as well. Since mid-2015, the company has suspended more than 125,000 such accounts. Officials accept that the focus on Twitter may be driving some of IS' traffic to secure message platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. But such a shift means the group's propaganda is reaching a smaller audience. On these networks, it is the job of intelligence and law enforcement officials to root out any clues about future terrorist activity. For measuring pro-IS versus anti-IS accounts, data analysts use several dozen search strings and hashtags. For example, #Caliphate is more likely used on pro-IS accounts. #Daesh, a pejorative acronym for the group, is primarily found on anti-IS accounts. l

World

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Career

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

More about Moar How one start-up may provide you with your corner office

n Maisha Aniqa

of Moar was not disrupted. They had to create a system such that certain groups were naturally filtered out. Nahid said, “This is a problem we are still dealing with. People have a hard time understanding the concept of sharing space.” Moreover, they had to make sure women felt safe and comfortable in the atmosphere created by the people working at more. “One other problem we faced,” added Nabila, “was finding the necessary human resources.” The first problem was finding someone of the kind of mindset required, followed by allocating the amount of time needed to train someone.

In the world of entrepreneurship, it is difficult to come across genuinely innovative ideas that make a difference to our continuously developing society. Two individuals have partnered to form Moar, an innovative business that provides co-working space for those who cannot manage an office of their own. The dynamic duo of Nahid Sharmin and Nabila Nowrin shares with us their thoughts regarding innovation and how Moar came to be. Why did you choose entrepreneurship? Nabila: I’ve never really thought about it like that; it’s not like I deliberately wanted to avoid working under someone. I think that’s important too, to learn work from someone while still using training wheels. But for me, business was always fascinating. I wanted to take apart the concept of creating and maintaining a business. Moreover, both my parents are in the business sector and seeing them inspired me to follow that path. I also felt that being a business person in Bangladesh would create a greater impact than being an employee at a company. Nahid:I’ve always been interested in doing something of my own. In fact, while I was still at BRAC University, I started my own boutique. It ended up being a bad idea but I learned a lot from the experience. I’m someone who observes what others are doing with great fascination and most of all, I try to learn from their mistakes; and that is exactly what I did while working for Bengal Foundation. At a certain point, however, I realised that while there is no end to learning, and it was high time I found a way to apply my knowledge. Otherwise, it would all go to waste. That’s when I knew I had to start my own business. The birth of an idea In 2013, Nabila went to Brazil where “Itau Unibanco,” the largest financial conglomerate in the Southern hemisphere, required her services. They wanted her to come up with a business strategy for the millennials. In other words, they wanted a sustainable

What is innovation to you? Nabila: I know people tend to make a big deal out of innovation by making it seem like something very flashy and eye catching. But innovation to me is technology and progress that is quiet; it seeps into our lives and makes everything better without us really noticing.

business strategy for the future of banking. Once Nabila started talking to some of the residents of Sao Paolo, she came to know that a large group consisting of the most intelligent and hardworking individuals, was working in shared “co-working” spaces. Since she was also aware of the socio-economic conditions of Brazil, Nabila saw that Bangladesh was actually just a few years behind what Brazil had achieved by then. The idea then occurred to her to come back to Bangladesh and open a co-working space. With the help of Tauseef, who she would later marry, she created a business plan for her idea. Nabila mentions that Tauseef was an economist in Bangladesh and has been a great source of support for her venture. She then sent the plan to her father who warned her that this would be a costly investment. Despite the negative aspects, Nabila moved forward. She spoke to some of her friends about it every time she visited Dhaka, and among those friends Nahid took great interest in the project. Nahid’s husband, Tonmoy, who

was a freelancer and part of the target customer group of Moar, further encouraged the idea and reassured her and Nabila of its necessity. Once Nabila completed her studies and came back to Dhaka, she got married and used the money she received during her wedding to fund Moar. What were the first few steps taken to set up Moar? The first 6 months were dedicated solely to planning and hashing out all possible details regarding the business. A key part of their discussion also included analysing whether they would make a good fit as business partners. As Nabila says, “At the end of the day, it’s a relationship that we have to work on, on a daily basis.” After deciding everything starting from costs structures to working hours and so forth, they finally decided to take the plunge and started looking for space to rent. Once they rented their current place in Banani 11, they were given a grace period of 17 days. “Luckily,” says Nahid, “We are

architects and could very quickly jump into the project and get everything done within such a short period of time. We worked day and night to make it what it is today. Other than the floor and the partially done toilets, we pretty much had nothing else to work with.” At that point, they had already started marketing tidbits for Moar on social media. What were the obstacles that you faced? According to them, the initial cost was extremely high and financial barriers were present. Second of all, they said that conveying the right message to the people regarding Moar and what it’s about was a difficult task. While the idea of co-working space did exist before, it was for a closed group of people, namely tech related freelancers. The access to this concept was very limited. Also, Moar is the first to provide such services to people living in or near Banani. Another problem they faced was making sure the environment

Nahid: I feel that valuing other people is very important. I complain every day about the condition of the streets in Banani right now. But I know that the drainage system in Banani is terrible and whoever came up with the idea of fixing this problem was thinking about the long-term benefit of the people. I think that’s innovation. There are many talented individuals out there who, for example, have a three-week long project and cannot manage to set up a working place for such a short span of time. These are the people that may benefit greatly from Moar. Even start-ups who cannot afford their own space may make great use of this concept. In turn, Moar is providing the encouragement needed for the development of innovation that otherwise would not have been possible due to lack of basic needs, such as a proper working space and environment.l

Article was published under special arrangement with www.developers-haat.com

Internships

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Internships introductory Pave your way to a successful internship with our handy no brainer guide

n Muzakkir Hossain So you’re one of the few, huh? You’ve decided to get an internship over the summer instead of slothing around all day. Congratulations, you are a rare breed. If you happened to be living under a rock for the past ten years, somehow, and aren’t familiar with the concept of internships, fear not. Internships are temporary positions where you can experience and learn the basics of working in a field or position. It allows you to explore different career fields to find what is right for you as well as boost your CV by giving you the experience you need. So how do you go about getting an internship?

Step 1: Decide your field

Remember all those questions your murobbis would ask you? “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” Well, this part Is like that. Except it is supposed to be a bit more grown up, but hey, if you still want to take care of your Barbie as a full time job we aren’t judging. So before getting any

further, decide which fields you plan to work in. If you’re still in high school, you are in luck because your options are wide open. As a university student, however, you will probably have an idea where you want to work at this point. So get a notepad, and write those down. You don’t have to limit yourself to only one field, but keep the list modest at the very least. It would be prudent to narrow down your field according to your university major (if any), interests and passion. Identify what you’re good at, streamline those skills with industries which may find your interests valuable, and you should have a few scribbles at hand.

Step 2: Set your conditions

So internships come in different forms from various kinds of employers. At this step, you should be evaluating what kind of internship you are looking for. Questions you should be asking yourself include, but aren’t limited to: • What kind of organisation?

Profit or non-profit? • What kind of culture? Formal or formal-casual? • A small startup or a large multinational? • Paid or unpaid? • Accordingly, additional expenses during that period? Area? • A summer internship or a something longer?

If you’re still in high school, you are in luck because your options are wide open

Step 3: Build a foundation

Now that you have decided what

kind of internship you want to aim towards, you will have to start preparing yourself for applying to one. Keep your eyes peeled for any internship openings on social media and newspapers. While you are doing that, also create a draft CV and a cover letter. You shouldn’t be sending the same CV to every employer, but having a draft will make things easier once you know where to apply. It also helps to practice interviewing skills. Schedule a mock-interview session with a peer or a counselor so you know what to expect.

Step 4: Find your dream internship

Your easiest way to find internships to work in is to reach out to your family, friends and teachers. Having a connection to the organisation you are applying to will make things unimaginably simpler, and truthfully, more direct. List the companies which match the conditions set in “Step

2” and try contacting them, even if they haven’t listed internship openings. Bangladesh does not yet have a fully formed tradition for internships as of yet, so you’ll have to reach out to the companies most of the time.

Step 5: Applying

Once you find a few internships that look appealing, go ahead and update your resume and cover letter for each of those companies. You want to make it as personal as possible, and illustrate ample confidence in yourself. Research is important here. You want to know all the basics: The field they operate in, their main competitors, etc. In your cover letter, mention who referred you to the organisation. Once you have applied, don’t forget to follow up with employers after a couple of weeks. Express your gratitude to all the employers offering you a position and explain that you would love to work with them in the future. Good luck! l

12 Editorial

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

TODAY

The first nursery of hate Have you known too many discussions in Bangladesh -- from your living room to the office canteen -- that touch on global affairs without, ultimately, finding some nefarious connection of the holy trinity of Jews, America, and ‘the West’ to every mishap in the world? PAGE 13

Where is our unity? We must think, but we must also act, and act fast. There need to be questions asked and answers demanded. The Western media already has theories, and all we do is complain about why they do what they do when we, our government, are partly responsible for this

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

PAGE 14

Questions need to be answered

Are we ready to handle this? For armed sieges or hostage situations, the first order of responsibilities of early responders in the past used to be to set up barricades, contain damages, and then wait for trained negotiators and heavily armed backup troops to deal with the eventualities PAGE 15

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.

ruth matters. Unfortunately, the authorities continue to fail to provide clarity to the tragic events of July 1 at Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery. Official statements have so far shed little light on what actually happened that night and morning. The facts provided by the authorities remain incomplete or ever-changing, and in crucial aspects have been shown to be incorrect. As a result, many questions still remain that are yet to be answered or need clarification, and the public still does not have clear understanding of what transpired that fateful night. This is unacceptable. At a time like this, transparency is of the utmost importance. As the entire nation grieves, we all have a right and a need to know what happened and to feel confident that we are being told the truth. Not only that, but the credibility of law enforcement and indeed public confidence in the authorities is what is at stake. The country is already shaken to its core by the shock of the tragedy. The last thing we need is to have this trauma compounded by even further loss of confidence occasioned by willful or careless misrepresentation by the concerned authorities. We understand that, for the good of the investigation, not all information can be shared with the public or the media, but this should not be used as a cover for gratuitous lack of transparency. Even less acceptable is the active dissemination of misinformation that can only serve to confuse matters, or worse, to shatter public trust. Refusing to clarify straightforward queries or provide basic information, instructing witnesses to keep quiet, making claims that are clearly refuted by the facts, all of this only serves to diminish the credibility of the probe and contribute to increasing public disquiet and discontent. The official numbers remain confusing and do not all add up. One man has already died in custody. Questions remain as to why another of the deceased has been accused of being a terrorist, and the circumstances of his death. Two others, who had been hostages during the attack, have also been detained. The public has yet to be informed as to why they are being held, under what suspicion, and if their civil rights are being accounted for. At a time of national tragedy like this, this kind of opaqueness is profoundly unhelpful and dispiriting. What the nation needs right now is to come together and to heal. At such a time, nothing is more important than full public confidence in the authorities. Earning this trust and confidence must be a serious priority.

At a time like this, transparency is of the utmost importance. As the entire nation grieves, we all have a right and a need to know what happened

Opinion

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

The first nursery of hate Bangladesh suffers from a toxic mix of cultural chauvinism and lack of progress

Young minds are fertile ground for the seeds of radicalisation

n Esam Sohail

hether an independent and credible investigation will ever uncover the full backstory behind the massacre at Holey Artisan Bakery, I do not know. What I do know is that the shock reverberating through the country, and indeed the world, that affluent, well-educated kids were perpetrators, shouldn’t exactly be a shock if we are being honest. A cursory review of the leadership of the various branches of the global Islamist terror movement yields a compelling list of engineers, physicians, and academics with educational, professional, and family backgrounds that should have, conventionally, placed them somewhere far away from desert caves and mountain dugouts. The 9/11 hijackers were, for example, scions of wealthy families who had all the worldly goods they needed, putting into grave doubt the lazy theory that terrorism is explained by a set of buzzwords like “poverty,” “disenfranchisement,” “marginalisation” that are favoured by the progressive professoriate in the West. Sorry, but the seeds of radicalisation are often planted right in the living rooms and

dining tables of middle class, upper middle class, and, yes, upper class families from Kuala Lampur to Dhaka to Karachi to Jeddah. Ask yourself: Have you known too many discussions in Bangladesh -- from your living room to the office canteen -- that touch on global affairs without, ultimately, finding some nefarious connection of the holy trinity of

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is the handiwork of the Americans, funded by the Zionists, and done in the service of those “immoral” Westerners. I see this kind of nonsense not from uneducated fools, but very well-educated people in Bangladesh every day on social media. To this day, for example, I have not forgotten the chill that went down my spine a year ago when

toxic combination of continuously imbibing a robust dose of cultural and religious chauvinism coupled with very little material progress to show for it. Fed from their very childhood that their culture, language, and religion is absolutely the most awesome in the history of mankind, the teenager and young adult gets a little jolt of reality coming of age and realising that

Have you known too many discussions in Bangladesh -- from your living room to the office canteen -- that touch on global affairs without, ultimately, finding some nefarious connection of the holy trinity of Jews, America, and ‘the West’ to every mishap in the world?

Jews, America, and “the West” to every mishap in the world? Sure, these insinuations and verbal treatises are far more polite and polished than you’d hear from the self-declared jihadis in the Tora Bora mountains, but is the message that much different? You don’t have to take my word for it. Just do a random perusal through that beautiful window to our individual mindsets called Facebook … and see how many of your friends and family are busily spinning deep and dark tales about how some currency exchange rate

I saw an Australian educated business professor of a reputable private university in Dhaka nonchalantly pen his thoughts on Facebook about how “Hitler left the job undone” regarding Jews. Mind you, this is not some madrasa teacher with a cap and beard; this is a self-proclaimed progressive with all the right academic credentials and a wannabe James Bond persona. He is hardly an exception. What makes Bangladeshis even more susceptible to such irresponsible messages is the

this fond trifecta of the perfect culture, language, and religion has failed to provide a fraction of the quality of life that he regularly witnesses in the West, thanks to social media, television, and movies. I mean, you are already convinced that your birthright heritage of culture, language, and religion is simply an unparalleled asset compared to all other people in the world, and then you run into the reality that that asset has not yielded much beyond a city where traffic doesn’t move,

the connected are always above the law, and the quality of life for the average person is utterly mediocre compared to what their peers of the “wrong” language, religion, and culture in London or Singapore or Perth enjoy. When such cognitive dissonance strikes, what more soothing solution to the conundrum than some cocktail of conspiracy theories where some nefarious “other” has robbed you of the progress that should have been yours by the right of being so superior intrinsically to your peers everywhere else. And bingo, you are now quite susceptible to those in the shadows -- physical or cyber -- who want to prey on those insecurities and inadequacies to further their own murderous agenda. Fortunately, not all such insecure youth fall prey; unfortunately, it only takes a few to cause utter carnage as we saw in Gulshan a few days ago. The hands that struck the blow belonged to youthful murderers, the machetes and guns in those hands came from distant hatepeddlers, but the hate in the hearts of those young men was nourished for the first time in the living rooms, canteens, and social media pages where they came of age. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

Opinion

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Where is our unity? We must strive to find common ground and come together

We can’t let this incident divide us

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We must think, but we must also act, and act fast. There need to be questions asked and answers demanded. The Western media already has theories, and all we do is complain about why they do what they do when we, our government, are partly responsible for this

n Shahnoor Rabbani

“U

nited we stand, divided we fall.” As cliché as that saying might be, it rings true for our country, now more than ever. As the mortifying events that took place in Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery unravel and the perpetrators are identified, we find ourselves dazed, confused, and more than anything, terrified.

But how terrified are we? The majority of the 2,000 odd friends in my Facebook account seem to be sharing whatever update, rumour, and theory they can find and come up with, but asking rickshaw pullers, tea stall owners, and even some random people in a bus has revealed to me what I had expected. A lot of people don’t really care to know the details. Rumours of more attacks possibly happening in Jamuna Future Park and Bashundhara

City along with a host of top hotels and high-end restaurants have set social media ablaze, and have made people worried about leaving their homes. But my social media newsfeed looks like this, perhaps, because it is full of the English-speaking upper middle class. But should we be terrified, and if so, what can we do? Let’s face the facts first: The killings happened in one of Dhaka’s most secure and diplomatic areas, Gulshan 2. If this had happened in say, a remote village, far away from the capital, like the Hindu priest killing in Satkhira, the media coverage would not be the same. Speaking of which, the overexposure of the Holey Artisan shooting by the private news channels along with some poorly timed questions by the reporters to the RAB, along with the RAB

looking quite clueless about what to do, made matters worse. Also, let’s face it: Three of the five shooters killed and identified came from English medium backgrounds and decently affluent families. They have been offered some of the best educational resources in our country, with one of them even going to Malaysia for his undergrad. They are not foreigners, nor are they underprivileged. What caused them to turn? Who are they working for? How strong are they? We do not know for sure. We can only assume. And that is what we have done. We have assumed and we have panicked. But worst of all, we have become more divided than ever with our various assumptions and theories. And if that is how things go, then they have already won. If we are to call them terrorists, they have succeeded in causing terror and confusion. That is what they want. We all love the country, and if not, we all want to live as well as we possibly can. Let us all agree on that at least. And to live, freely, we must not let them dictate terms. We must look for concrete facts. We must look for answers. We must speak up. And most importantly, we must ask ourselves what it is we can do to stop this. We must think. Trusting the media and the government might not seem like the best idea, but do we have a choice? Is there a better alternative? We must think, but we must also act, and act fast. There need to be questions asked and answers demanded. The Western media already has theories, and all we do is complain about why they do what they do when we, our government, are partly responsible for this. I cannot give the answers. I do not know for sure. But what I do know is that I care about having a better world to live in. I want things to be better, and I will try my best to make sure it happens. So, what can we do? We can try to find common ground and unite. And it must start from the most basic level. We can try to be driven by the love of humanity. We can try to understand each other and our differences better, and help one another. It’s a very basic thing we are missing, and it’s been missing for far too long. Only then will we find some answers. l Shahnoor Rabbani is a radio show host at Radio Shadhin 92.4 FM.

Opinion

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Are we ready to handle this? Our law enforcement agencies really need to get up to speed regarding a new type of threat

Our police personnel need to be trained in handling active shooter scenarios

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

n Shafquat Rabbee

odern-day terrorism has rapidly changed how law enforcement around the world confronts active terror situations. One distinctive characteristic of today’s terrorism is that the modern terrorists no longer negotiate; they rarely place demands, and almost never asks for a safe-passage in return for “good behaviour.” Today’s terrorists enter their theatre of action with only two things in mind: Kill and get killed. Terrorist attacks on soft targets usually materialise in two forms. The first form results in an armed seize or a hostage situation. The 1972 “Black September” attack against the Israeli Olympic team in Germany, the 1975 seize of the OPEC headquarters in Austria by communist terrorists, or the siege and booby-trapping of a Russian school with 1,000 students by Chechen Rebels in 2004 are some of the most memorable hostage situations resulting out of acts of terror. All three ended with significant casualties among the hostages, particularly for the last one where the death toll was 360, when the Russian commandos stormed in after three days of failed negotiations. The second form of soft target attacks are now known as “active shooter” incidences, where gunmen storm into a public gathering to start shooting and explosions. The 2008 Mumbai Taj Hotel attack,

For armed sieges or hostage situations, the first order of responsibilities of early responders in the past used to be to set up barricades, contain damages, and then wait for trained negotiators and heavily armed backup troops to deal with the eventualities the 2015 Paris terror attack, and the recent Orlando gay night club attack are some of the most known “active shooter” incidences. Almost all the ISIS and al-Qaeda inspired attacks of recent years have taken the “active shooter” form, with minimal hostage taking or negotiations with authorities. In some instances, there were no communications with authorities at all. For armed sieges or hostage situations, the first order of responsibilities of early responders in the past used to be to set up barricades, contain damages, and then wait for trained negotiators and heavily armed backup troops to deal with the eventualities. This setup is geared towards draggedout negotiations and minimising casualties. But for active shooter situations, such tactics may allow the assailants crucial breathing room to execute more victims while confined within the relatively innocuous barricade. What happened in Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan started out as an old school hostage taking exercise described above. With the benefit of hindsight, it is now

evident that it was rather an active shooter type incident, where the attackers went for the kill right after seizing the cafe, as there were both shootings and gruesome use of swords. By using swords, the killers may have given the authorities a false aura of calm, and bought crucial time necessary for carrying out their act of mass murder. What this means is that in the future, authorities must act much quicker and more decisively from the get-go. In ideal terms, the moment there will be an armed siege or an active shooter situation, the earliest responders from police or RAB must engage the attackers, without waiting for commandos and paratroopers. In the US, authorities started enacting similar tactics as described above since the 1999 Columbine High School attack. In that attack, police officers established barricades, and waited for SWAT teams to arrive, while two shooters continued killing students inside the school building. After Columbine, US law enforcement established the so-called “active shooter protocols.” In these pro-

tocols, officers responding to an active shooter or terrorist situation are required to quickly create small teams and go for the attack to neutralise the assailants. Obviously, enacting such protocols come with additional burden of training and equipment for any police force. For example, after the Columbine incident, law enforcement in the US started to carry heavier and longer guns in their patrol vehicles just to reduce disadvantage in weaponry against a determined attacker. To require Bangladeshi police to adhere to similar protocols throughout the country will be a tall task. However, something better be done so that the most sensitive areas of the country, like Dhaka’s diplomatic zones, have special troops always ready for tackling any active shooter or active terrorism situations. One reason why newer arrangements and protocols are necessary is because there was glaring lack of preparedness in the authorities’ handling of the Holey Artisan attack by just five to six assailants. There is a debate that is already brewing in social media

as to why there was a delay of over eight hours before any serious operation ensued. Obviously, such debate is now fueled by the benefit of hindsight, but still this is a valid debate given that law enforcement in other countries like the US has already resolved similar debates by enacting special protocols tailored for such occurrences. News of the Gulshan attack was telecast live in global media. CNN abandoned most of its regular presidential election coverage to make way. Such heightened and daylong media broadcasts unfortunately showcased the cluelessness of way too many law enforcement officials around the active terror zone, many of them wearing sandals, poorly armoured, and some barely armed. One of the highest ranking law enforcement officials spoke to local and international media wearing a bike helmet, not a combat helmet. One Korean citizen managed to video eye-popping happenings inside the Holey Artisan throughout the siege -- footage that has now gone viral. When one analyses the dangerously short proximity of the Korean man from the centre of action, where he could even tape the commando raid, this creates further embarrassment for the nation. One must agree that such a dangerously close residence from where the Korean man shot the video should have been evacuated for civilian safety, and should have been occupied by law enforcement snipers, and possibly men from intelligence agencies all day long to benefit from that unique vantage point. It is obvious that “couldhave,” “should-have” analyses and questioning by citizens are one nagging eventuality of any commando raid even under the most ideal of circumstances and consequences. Our armed forces and law enforcement definitely deserve credit for their services and efforts in the face of Bangladesh’s first ever exposure to a terrorist attack of this scope. Now that all is over, it is time to treat this attack as a wakeup call, and ensure significant enhancements in active shooter protocols are made, for at least the sensitive locations within the country. It is certain that despite all our hope and prayers, Holey Artisan may not be the only time such enhanced protocols will come handy. l Shafquat Rabbee is a social media commentator.

16 Sport

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

TOP STORIES

France count on lucky seven The fate of today’s intriguing European Championship final between France and Portugal weighs largely on two men wearing the number seven shirt, Antoine Griezmann already at the top of the game and Cristiano Ronaldo getting there fast. PAGE 17

Santos happy to wire up ‘ugly’ Portugal Portugal’s failure to win over the neutrals on their way to the Euro 2016 final was never going to bother their coach Fernando Santos. “I’m ugly by nature and I don’t mind if I’m even uglier,” he said. “I judge my team by whether we play well or badly, not by whether we are pretty or ugly.” PAGE 18

The Ronaldo v Griezmann encore n Fazley Rabbi Moon

Serena beats Kerber in Wimbledon final Serena Williams beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3 to claim a seventh Wimbledon singles title and equal Steffi Graf’s professional era record of 22 grand slam singles crowns yesterday. The 34-year-old American edged a high-quality final on a blustery Centre Court a PAGE 19

Messi gets 21 months jail for tax fraud Lionel Messi was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 months in prison and fined 2 million euros after being found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely he will serve time in jail. PAGE 20

After watching forty-eight matches through the month of Ramadan and the semifinals during Eid, we are all set for the Euro 2016 final between France and Portugal on Sunday evening in Paris. It will be the apt finale being held in one of the most attractive stadiums in the world, which had last year been touched by the tragedy of the Paris attacks. France have won it in 1984 and 2000, under the leadership of Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane respectively. They will lock horns with the Portugal who came close twice, the most recently when they lost to Greece in the 2004 final at home. In this year’s competition, both France and Portugal have come into the tournament with some of the most talented players in the world and will be leaving with their reputation intact. France have been brilliant at times while Portugal has often done just enough, proof in their progress till the semi-final against Wales which was their first win in the

tournament within the 90 minutes of regulation play. Within this team duel, an individual battle will take place between two great forwards – the superhero Cristiano Ronaldo and the new superstar Antoine Griezmann. To catch up with Griezmann’s six goals, his teammates Olivier Giroud and Dimitri Payet and opponent Ronaldo have to score hat-tricks and hope that he doesn’t score in the final. But it looks unlikely that Griezmann will be overtaken. Ronaldo, who has three assists to go with the three goals, is a leading favourite to win the player of the tournament award. Both Madrid men had faced each other in the Champions League final just six weeks ago, and will once again be staring down each other in another major final. It is no intensification that the result of Sunday’s match could even decide the destination of the Ballon d’Or this year. Both players must also be worrying Platini. Ronaldo has drawn level with his all-time record of nine Euro goals and also

became the first man to score in four separate finals. This is Griezmann’s first Euro but he has already scored six times, meaning a sensational performance in the final could see him creep up to his legendary compatriot who scored nine goals in 1984. At this tournament, Griezmann has scored once every 73 minutes and also has two assists. Ronaldo’s three goals have come every 200 minutes. So Griezmann is dominating these finals but Ronaldo has been building a legacy since Euro 2004. Griezmann is already the fans’ favourite. The scene of Payet kneeling down to kiss his boot during goal celebrations has been compared with Laurent Blanc’s kissing of Fabien Barthez’s bald head during France’s successful 1998 World Cup campaign. Griezmann reached new heights this season and his Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone described the disciplined, hard-working goal-machine as one of the world’s best players. In contrast, Ronaldo is getting older. He’s won all the trophies

at the club-level but he’s still empty-handed when it comes to playing for Portugal, and there’s a good chance this is his last final for his country. Winning on Sunday won’t turn him into the best player of all time but these games seem to matter to Ronaldo in a way that breaks through his dramatic finish. Specially, weeks after Lionel Messi’s international retirement for missing three straight chances to win as many major trophies, this final means much more to one of the greatest football rivalries, and their fans. France will remain a top contender when they host any tournament. They have already won a World Cup and a Euro as a host and this time they have a solid bunch of talented players to justify this piece of statistic. In contrast, Portugal missed their best chance when their golden generation was beaten in their home soil by an all-defensive Greece in the final in 2004. This time they must try their best to earn their first ever international silverware. l

Sport

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

France count on lucky seven to spoil Ronaldo show n Reuters, Paris

The fate of Sunday’s intriguing European Championship final between France and Portugal weighs largely on two men wearing the number seven shirt, one already at the top of the game and the other one getting there fast. Cristiano Ronaldo, accustomed to fighting with Lionel Messi for the right to be called the best player in the world, takes on a different challenger in France’s Antoine Griezmann, this time for European supremacy.

The pair know each other well, having faced each other six weeks ago in the Champions League final in which Griezmann missed a penalty for Atletico Madrid in regular time before Ronaldo sealed city rivals Real’s victory by converting the decisive spot kick in the shootout. Since the start of Euro 2016, Griezmann has bounced back from that disappointment, scoring six goals, a feat no player had achieved at one tournament since France great Michel Platini hit a record nine at the 1984 finals. Portugal have featured in the

final of a major event only once before, when they lost 1-0 to Greece in the title match of the 2004 European Championship on home soil, with a 19-year-old Ronaldo in their team. “Twelve years on and I’m in another final,” said the Real Madrid forward. “This makes me proud, I always dreamed about winning something for Portugal and I hope it will be this time.” Portugal, who have won only one match over 90 minutes in this tournament, have yet to sparkle, although there was some improvement in their semi-final, notably

from Ronaldo, who scored a majestic headed goal. “I’m certain that the whole group will think of it as the game of their lives because Portugal have never won a title,” midfielder Joao Mario told reporters. Their down-to-earth coach, Fernando Santos, said the tournament was not a style contest and only victory mattered. France will start as slight favourites, having won their last 10 meetings with Portugal dating back to 1975, and having scored seven goals in their last two games in the

competition. Les Bleus can also rely on passionate support from home fans desperate for something to celebrate after going through strikes and violent protests against a labour law, as well as a state of emergency still in force since last November’s Islamist attacks killed 130 people in Paris at several sites including the Stade de France, venue for Sunday’s final. “It was our duty to win matches to give the French joy and reach the end,” said Griezmann. “I hope we will make it a beautiful end.” l

Sport

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Ex-electrician Santos happy to wire up ‘ugly’ Portugal n Reuters, Marcoussis

Deschamps bids for captain and coach European double n Reuters, Paris

Portugal’s failure to win over the neutrals on their way to the Euro 2016 final was never going to bother their down-to-earth coach Fernando Santos. “I’m ugly by nature and I don’t mind if I’m even uglier,” he said at one point during Euro 2016. “I judge my team by whether we play well or badly, not by whether we are pretty or ugly.” The 61-year-old, a qualified telecommunications engineer and electrician whose side face France in Sunday’s final, is the unlikeliest of sporting heroes. Santos has managed to pull Portugal out of a rut, reduce their dependency on threetimes world player-of-the-year Ronaldo and rejuvenate a team that was somewhat long in the tooth. When he took over in September 2014, Portugal had just suffered a group stage exit at the World Cup and kicked off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a home defeat by Albania. Santos immediately told the team that their target was to win Euro 2016 and opened the door to younger players who had found their way barred by Bento’s loyalty to the older generation. Portugal went on to win their remaining seven qualifiers, all by single-goal margins, and are unbeaten in 13 competitive internationals under Santos. Santos fielded more than 50 players in his first 18 months in charge and some, such as Joao Mario (23), Danilo (24), William Carvalho (24), Andre Gomes (22) and Renato Sanches (18), have become regular internationals. He also recalled Ricardo Carvalho, 38, who had fallen out with Bento, and gave defender Jose Fonte his international debut at the age of 30. Santos’ own playing career was a thoroughly unremarkable one, spent mainly with Maritimo and Estoril, two unfashionable clubs in his homeland. l

Didier Deschamps has let his hair go grey naturally since the last time he picked up a European title 16 years ago. The diminutive Deschamps was never a spectacular player -- a la Zinedine Zidane -- and certainly does not belong to the Jose Mourinho school of coaching with sensational sound bites. But the unglamorous Frenchman with the twangy voice has been instrumental in taking the host nation through to Sunday’s Euro 2016 final against Portugal. The big occasion at the Stade de France will not spook Deschamps. He captained France to both their World Cup triumph in the same stadium in 1998 and again when they won the European Championship two years later in Rotterdam. He was the captain, too, when Olympique Marseille became the first French club, and the only one to this day, to win the Champions League, in 1993 in Munich. A workaholic midfielder with leadership qualities in his playing days, Deschamps has a pragmatic approach to coaching, similar to that of 1998 World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet. He showed his decision-making qualities before the tournament started, carefully handling a tricky situation. Deschamps left out Karim Benzema after the Real Madrid striker was embroiled in an alleged blackmail scandal and did not even consider Franck Ribery after the Bayern Munich forward hinted he could be willing to come back. Since the start of the tournament, the France coach has done everything right, making shrewd tactical changes and raising his voice with perfect timing. Bringing the best out of each player, he managed to turn a collection of big egos into a tight, focused outfit showing plenty of solidarity on and off the pitch. l

FRANCEvPORTUGAL, EURO 2016 FINAL EURO facts: Portugal t

Portugal’s 2-0 semi-final win against Wales was their first victory inside 90 minutes at these finals. Their previous six finals matches ended in draws after 90 minutes; five at this competition, plus a 0-0 stalemate with Spain – preceding a shoot-out defeat – in the UEFA EURO 2012 semi-finals. In their only previous major final, Portugal lost 1-0 to Greece in the UEFA EURO 2004 decider – a defeat made all the more agonising by the fact that they were tournament hosts. This is Portugal’s third game at the Stade de France; they previously lost 4-0 (April 2001) and 2-1 (October 2014) to Les Bleus at the home of the French national team. João Mário made his Portugal debut in that latter game. Portugal are competing at their sixth consecutive EURO and their seventh in total.

EURO facts: France t Group A winners France are unbeaten in ten games (W9 D1), their 0-0 draw against Switzerland in the group stage having ended a six-match winning streak dating back to a 2-0 friendly loss to England on 17 November 2015. t France are playing in their fifth

EURO or World Cup final; they won the first three (2-0 v Spain, UEFA EURO 1984; 3-0 v Brazil, 1998 World Cup; 2-1 v Italy UEFA EURO 2000) before losing the most recent on penalties following a 1-1 draw against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final. France’s 5-2 quarter-final success against Iceland was their 80th game at the Stade de France; their record in those matches is W50 D20 L10. Their record in major final tournament games at the venue is W5 D1, that lone draw a 0-0 against Italy at the 1998 World Cup – a tie Les Bleus won on penalties. The last-16 win against the Republic of Ireland at Stade de Lyon was France’s first EURO knockout success since lifting the trophy in 2000. France (1984) are one of three nations to have won a EURO as hosts, along with Spain (1964) and Italy (1968).

Key statistics t France have been the most prolific nation at the finals, scoring 13 goals at a rate of 2.17 per game; Portugal’s eight have come at a rate of 1.33 per game. France have a +9 goal difference; Portugal’s is +3. t France and Portugal go into the

final having had an equal number of shots on target at the finals: 36. Only Germany (with 37) had more. France have hit the woodwork five times at the finals – more than any other side; Portugal have struck the woodwork twice. Portugal have won more corners than any side at the finals: 45 in total, an average of 7.5 per game. Portugal have been the most fouled team at the finals with 82 infringements against them; 24 more than France have suffered. Griezmann is UEFA EURO 2016’s top scorer so far with six goals; his nearest rivals are a cluster of six players who have scored three, including Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani as well as France team-mates Dimitri Payet and Olivier Giroud. Griezmann and Ronaldo have both had 12 shots on target going into the final; Ronaldo has had more shots than any other player at the tournament – 47: 12 on target, 17 off target, 17 blocked and one against the woodwork. Due to two of Portugal’s games going into extra time, Ronaldo and Rui Patrício (600) have played more minutes at UEFA EURO 2016 than any other player. Hugo Lloris, Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna (540) have been France’s most-used players.

Sport

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Saintfiet to take charge from Tuesday n Tribune Report Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet is likely to take charge of the national football team as early as Tuesday as the new head coach is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on the same day to open his Bangladesh chapter. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) will decide today when the national team training camp will begin but the new head coach will officially take the responsibility of the team immediately after his arrival, informed general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag yesterday.

Messi gets 21 months jail for tax fraud, unlikely to serve time n Reuters, Madrid World football superstar Lionel Messi was sentenced on Wednesday to 21 months in prison and fined 2 million euros ($2.2 million) after being found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely he will serve time in jail. The Spanish court handed the same sentence to the Argentine player’s father, Jorge Horacio, with a 1.5 million euro fine. Both defendants said they would appeal to the supreme court. “The sentence is not correct and we are confident the appeal will show the defence was right,” Messi’s lawyers said in a statement. They added Messi had always acted in good faith. Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time. A spokeswoman for the court confirmed that Messi, 29, was unlikely to be imprisoned. Messi, five times World Player of the Year and one of the world’s highest-earning athletes with an estimated income of $350 million in the past 10 years, plays for Barcelona foot-

ball club where he is the leading goal scorer of all time. The court in Barcelona said in a ruling that Messi and his father defrauded the Spanish tax office of almost 4.2 million euros between 2007 and 2009 by using a web of shell companies to evade taxes on income from the player’s image rights. The companies - with names such as Sport Consultants and Sport Enterprises - were based in countries such as Belize, Uruguay, Switzerland and Britain where legislation kept the identities of their owners secret, it said. Messi admitted during the trial in early June to signing contracts protecting his image rights but said he had no knowledge he was committing any wrongdoing or defrauding the Spanish state. He said his father had control over his financial affairs, but the court said on Wednesday that this was not enough to avoid charges and Messi’s “ignorance” did not remove responsibility. “The information that the accused avoided having was, in reality, within his reach via trustworthy and accessible sources,” the presiding judge, Mercedes Armas Galve, wrote in the ruling. l

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL Sony Six, Sony ESPN 1:00AM Euro 2016 : Final France v Portugal

TENNIS Star Sports 1, 4 7:00PM

Men’s Final

CRICKET Star Sports 4 8:00 PM Natwest T20 Blast 2016 Durham v Leicestershire 4:30 AM

Caribbean Premier League T20

Wimbledon Championships

Guyana Amazon Warriors v

2016

Trinbago Knight Riders

The BFF decided to appoint Saintfiet at the end of last month after the post was made vacant since the departure of Dutch coach Lodewijk de Kruif. Saintfiet will be given a temporary coaching role only for two games against Bhutan in the AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifying play-offs on September 6 at home and October 11 away. As part of the preparation, Bangladesh will host two international friendlies against Nepal on July 15 and 17 but it is not yet finalised when the visitors will arrive in Dhaka, added Shohag.

Saintfiet already started his job from abroad as he sent a 32-man preliminary squad for these friendlies to the federation last week. It contained two new faces in forwards Abdullah and Jafar Iqbal, both of whom put up brilliant displays in the recently-concluded Federation Cup. Saintfiet, who managed national teams like Togo, Malawi, Yemen, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Namibia, visited Dhaka during the semifinals of Federation Cup last month when he held talks with BFF chief Kazi Salahuddin. He returned home on June 25. l

Sport

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Serena beats Kerber in Wimbledon final to match Graf’s record n Reuters, London

Serena Williams beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3 to claim a seventh Wimbledon singles title and equal Steffi Graf’s professional era record of 22 grand slam singles crowns on Saturday. The 34-year-old American edged a high-quality final on a blustery Centre Court as she avenged a surprise loss to Kerber in the final of this year’s Australian Open. Fourth seed Kerber stuck to her guns in a fiercely-fought first set but wavered at 5-6 when a couple of unforced errors gave a fired-up Williams the chance to grab the opener, which she did on her sec-

ond set point. World number one Williams faced a moment of danger when Kerber earned a first break point at 3-3 in the second set but she responded by blasting down consecutive aces to stay ahead. Under severe pressure throughout the contest Kerber crumbled in the next game, skewing a backhand wide to give Williams a 5-3 lead and the chance to serve for the title. Williams was in no mood to prolong the contest and stormed 40-0 ahead, sealing victory with a volley on her first match point before collapsing backwards joyfully on to the Centre Court turf. l

USA's Serena Williams celebrates winning her womens singles final against Germany's Angelique Kerber with the trophy at All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club yesterday REUTERS

MURRAY V RAONIC - TODAY’S WIMBLEDON FINAL GUIDE MILOS RAONIC (CAN)

World ranking: 7 Age: 25 (27/12/1990) Career titles in total: 8 Career Grand Slam titles: 0 Career prize money: $10,710,488 (before start of Wimbledon) Coaches: Carlos Moya and John McEnroe Fun fact: Raonic is friends with former supermodel Heidi Klum, who was in his player’s box when he beat Roger Federer in the semi-finals. Twitter: @milosraonic

KEY WIMBLEDON STATS

Aces: 137 Fastest serve: 144 mph/231.7 km/h Double faults: 28 Break points saved: 22/27

PATHS TO FINAL

Raonic (Time spent on court: 15 hours 04 minutes) 1st rd: bt Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-4 2nd rd: bt Andreas Seppi

(ITA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-2 3rd rd: bt Jack Sock (USA x27) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) 4th rd: bt David Goffin (BEL x11) 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 QF: bt Sam Querrey (USA x28) 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 SF: bt Roger Federer (SUI x3) 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

WHO’S SAYING WHAT

Roger Federer on Raonic after his semi-final defeat: “You just have to put yourself in that position, sometimes once, sometimes 10 times. Depends on who you play, what the situation is. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. I think that’s what he’s been doing better now. “Eventually you’re going to break through, get the lucky break, or you just deserve it because you’ve worked hard and you believe in what you’re doing. Things fall into place nicely. I wish him well for the finals.”

ANDY MURRAY (GBR)

World ranking: 2 Age: 29 (15/05/1987) Career titles in total: 37 Career Grand Slam titles: 2 -- Wimbledon: 2013; US Open: 2012 Career prize money: $46,740,897 (before start of Wimbledon) Coaches: Jamie Delgado and Ivan Lendl Fun fact: His 2013 Wimbledon win was watched by 17.3 million British TV viewers Twitter: @andy_murray

KEY WIMBLEDON STATS

Aces: 51 Fastest serve: 134 mph/215.6 km/h Double faults: 6 Break points saved: 19/27

PATHS TO FINAL

Murray (Time spent on court: 13 hours 07 minutes) 1st rd: bt Liam Broady (GBR) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 2nd rd: bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1

3rd rd: bt John Millman (AUS) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 4th rd: bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS x15) 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 QF: bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) 7-6 (12/10), 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1 SF: bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

WHO’S SAYING WHAT

Tomas Berdych on Murray after his semi-final defeat: “I think he can win it. The fact that probably his biggest rival, Novak (Djokovic), is not in the draw anymore definitely helps. I think he has all the tools to make it all the way. “It (the key) is definitely going to be Milos’ serve. But I think Andy is one of the best in eliminating this big weapon of the opponent. I think he actually likes to play these big guys, just come up with his creative game, try to break the rhythm of the big guys. So that’s why I feel that he can do it.”

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Summer hut (6) 5 School of whales (3) 7 Fanatical (5) 8 Drive forward (6) 10 Fresh (3) 12 Sway to and fro (4) 13 Meshed fabric (3) 14 Deeply engrossed (4) 16 Essential part (4) 17 Offspring (3) 18 Scrutinise (4) 20 Fuel (3) 23 Join firmly (6) 24 Heathen (5) 25 Barrel (3) 26 Staggered

DOWN 1 Sleeveless garment (4) 2 Fruit of the oak (6) 3 Build (5) 4 Hold conversation (4) 5 Fastener (3) 6 Lyric opem (3) 9 Writer of verse (4) 11 Humour (3) 14 Wander (4) 15 Temper (6) 16 Joke (3) 17 Part of a play (5) 18 Cicatrix (4) 19 Collar fastener (4) 21 Monkey (3) 22 Droop (3)

Downtime

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 20 represents Y so fill Y every time the figure 20 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

JULY 5 SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

Showtime

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Naseef in Mister United Continents 2016 n Sajal Khan Mister United Continents Bangladesh 2016 is Naseef Rahman. A Dhaka native, Naseef is 20 years old and six feet tall, and into bodybuilding. He’ll be competing at the Mister United Continents 2016 international pageant from July 11-23, 2016 in the Philippines. The Mister United Continents first edition was held in Manila, Philippines last May of 2015. This is the first time Bangladesh is going to take part in this international competition. Over 40 countries are going to participate in Mister United Continents. Naseef took the time out to answer a couple of questions on his preparation for the competition. What inspired you to be a bodybuilder? When I was very young, probably when I was about five years old. I was a fan of WWE wrestling, and there was an Anime on Cartoon Network called Dragon Ball Z. I always wanted to look like wrestlers and the Dragon Ball Z character Goku. I was always fit

because my father used to take me to morning walks and play cricket on the field. I was also into cycling from a very small age. Hence, I was always fit, never too skinny or overweight. I use to do pushups and climb trees at Chondrima Uddan from that stage of my life. If I talk about my idol, it would be Arnold Schwarzenegger. He started his career bodybuilding as young as 15 years old, whereas I started at 16. I want to follow his path of starting my own business somehow, get into the movie industry and even find myself in an influential position in society, like how Arnold was the governor of California. How did you feel when you heard you were going to participant in this competition? I feel really proud and lucky to be able to represent Bangladesh in an International competition like Mister United Continents. I am grateful to my national director Fatimatu Zohra for being able to find me, and entertaining the idea of competing internationally. I want everyone to know that Bangladesh is capable of

competing internationally in any contest. I am also very thankful to my parents for supporting me. I will try my best to make Bangladesh proud. I always ask people to keep me in your prayers so that I can give my best performance. The more support, the better. The national director also had some encouraging words. As a national director, I think I have chosen the best candidate, Naseef Rahman, to represent Bangladesh. This is the first time that I have been chosen to become national director of Bangladesh and I’m very thankful to Mister United Continent’s team. I’m just expecting my candidate to give his best performance. I’m not worried about the result because I believe if a person works hard, the results will show. And Naseef is working hard on his body and also getting ready for the talent segment. This year, he will be dancing in the talent section of the competition. And we both are taking care of outfits with different styles, which will represent Bangladesh beautifully. I’m more concerned

Jaya’s Eid gift for fans on YouTube

n Showtime Desk Jaya, the heartthrob of both Bangladesh and Tollygunge, presents her fans with her first ever short-film released on the occasion of Eid. Jaya, who is focusing on hitting the big screen, now has been featured in Bhalobashar Shohor – The City of Love, which was released on YouTube’s

Unifox Entertainment channel. The ace actress told the reporters: “This Eid, a short film titled Bhalobashar Shohor – The City of Love will be released where I am featured. This will be released online only. Apart from that, it will be screened in Malaysia, Singapore and the nations that are along the coasts of the Persian Gulf. This is a gift to my fans on Eid.”

Bhalobashar Shohor – The City of Love has been directed by Indranil Roychowdhury, who appeared on a show with Jaya that aired on a private Bangladeshi TV channel on Eid this past Thursday. Jaya and Kolkata’s Ritwick Chakraborty have acted out the lead roles, while Sohini Sarkar and Arun Mukherjee have been cast in the film. Interestingly, the character portrayed by Jaya in the short film does not have a name. Jaya said: “There is no name of the role that I have played. Only after watching the film you will understand why that is.” On June 11, the motion poster of Bhalobashar Shohor – The City of Love was released on YouTube while the trailer was released on June 20. Jaya has made her mark both in Dhaka and Kolkata. So, which of the cities are described in the City of Love? Jaya replied saying, “It can be the story of any city of the world. It can be Dhaka, Kolkata or Istanbul. It can be a story of any city of the third world countries, any city of love.” l

about representing our country and putting effort on Naseef. Other than that, I’m expecting something

good as a result. I’m proud to have him. Keep him in your prayers. Let’s hope for the best. l

Shah Rukh Khan and son AbRam wish Eid Mubarak n Showtime Desk The “Badshah of Bollywood” came out with a special surprise for his fans on this Eid when he came out

in his balcony to share Eid greetings with his fans and media. Shah Rukh Khan invites journalists to his house Mannat on Eid every day. Hundreds of fans throng the premises of his house to catch a glimpse of their favourite actor. With no exception this time, hundreds waited standing outside his house on Eid. However, this time, King Khan greeted everyone from his lawn and balcony, while carrying baby AbRam Khan on his lap. Both SRK and his three-year-old youngest offspring were seen wearing a white kurta and pajama. With Shah Rukh, AbRam also waved while posing for the camera. l Source: India Today

Kim writes on Black Lives Matter n Showtime Desk In the wake of the recent shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Kim Kardashian has decided to speak out. Kim talks about her fear for the safety of her children and what should be done in order to bring forth change in an essay she posted on her website. She writes, “This week, we watched Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two innocent black men, get senselessly murdered by police officers. Like a lot of you guys, I watched the videos, and was appalled and completely heartbroken. I was left speechless, angry and numb.” “I want my children to grow up knowing that their lives matter. I do not ever want to have to teach my son to be scared of the police, or tell him that he has to watch his back because the people we are told to trust—the people who ‘protect and serve’—may not be protecting and serving him because of the color of his skin,” she continues. A mom of two children, the Keeping up with the Kardashians star discusses the necessity for people to take an immediate stand. Instead of tweeting using hashtags, she has urged everyone to get in touch with local legislators and try to

find justice for all the victims. She concludes by saying that, “The last thing we need is to fuel anger with more hate or violence, especially toward the

many incredible police officers who risk their lives every single day to protect our families and communities. We must peacefully use the power of our voices and the strength of our numbers to demand changes in the judicial system so that brutality doesn’t ever go unpunished.” Kim ends her essay with ‘#BLACKLIVESMATTER’ and also provides links to donate to the Castile’s and Sterling’s families along with a link to help people seek out local representatives. l Source: E!News

Showtime

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

300 WB 4:00pm King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro Snow White and the Huntsman Star Movies 5:00pm In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Sam Spruell Mission Impossible HBO 7:30pm An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of

his organisation. Cast: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave, Marcel Iures Ip Man: The Legend Is Born Star Movies 7:45pm Yip Man’s resistance against invading foreigners, along with his romantic relations while under the tutelage of three Wing Chun masters. Cast: Yu-Hang To, Huang Yi, Yuen Biao, Siu-Wong Fan, Rose Chan The Hangover HBO 11:30pm Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding. Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham

Back Page

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

NASEEF IN MISTER UNITED CONTINENTS 2016 PAGE 22

THE RONALDO V GRIEZMANN ENCORE PAGE 16

‘Terror suspect’ dies in custody n Kamrul Hasan Zakir Hossain Shaon, a Holey Artisan staff member detained as a terror suspect, died in police custody on Friday afternoon, prompting his family members to raise allegations that he was a victim of police brutality and torture. They were demanding better treatment for him since Wednesday. He, along with several policemen injured in the terror attack, was being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Shaon was detained near the restaurant at around 4am on July 2 when RAB went there for a recce. He was admitted to the hospital the next day. Sadia Akter Sonia, Shaon’s elder sister, had told reporters several times that her brother was not receiving proper treatment. “It seemed like they kept him in a bed and that is all they had to do.” But Holey Artisan Finance Manager Sajedur Rahman denied the allegation of poor treatment, and said police had borne Shaon’s medical expenses and his physical condition was good till Thursday. “He, however, was mentally unstable and could not recognise anyone. A neurologist at the hospital said he should be taken elsewhere for better treatment, but I do not know why it was not done.” Sohel Mahmud, assistant professor of Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s forensic department, carried out Shaon’s autopsy and told the Dhaka Tribune Shaon sustained grenade splinter injuries but

the actual reason of his death was not yet confirmed. “We have sent his kidney for viscera test to know the real reason.” Shaon’s father Abdus Sattar told the Dhaka Tribune he heard on Eid day that his son was dead and rushed to the hospital, only to find that the information was false as Shaon was still being treated. “I stayed the night at the hospital and returned home the next morning. But around midday, I again heard that Shaon had died and went to the hospital. I found him receiving treatment in the intensive care unit. “My son was the sole breadwinner in the family.” Sattar brushed aside police allegations that his son had militant ties and said Shaon’s whole body had marks of torture and blood stains. “One of his eyes, two knees and wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes.” Nur Khan Liton, director of Ain o Salish Kendra, said there were doubts about Shaon’s involvement in the attack on the restaurant. “If he was treated such that he had a hand in the attack, police must present relevant evidence,” he added. Meanwhile, police vehemently rejected the allegation that Shaon had been tortured in custody. “He was detained because of suspicious activities. We did not have a chance to interrogate him as he was injured and hospitalised,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune. l

(Top left) Police carry away injured Holey Artisan Bakery staff Zakir Hossain Shaon. (Top right) A photo of him provided by his family (Right) Shaon’s mother breaks into tears at the news of his death at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday DHAKA TRIBUNE

40,000 people marooned n Ariful Islam, Kurigram

At least 40,000 people have been marooned due to on rush water from the upstream and incessant rainfalls in five upazilas of the district. According to local sources, water of the Brahmaputra River is flowing 31 centimetres above its danger mark at Chilmari point affecting Kurigran Sadar, Nageshwari, Ulipur, Chilmari, Roumari and Razibpur. According to the district’s Water Development Board (WDB), more than 500 villages have gone under water following the surging water level in the Brahmaputra River. Meanwhile, the water levels in

the Dharala and Tista rivers have marked a rise by four centimeters and nine centimeters respectively. Many people lost their homes due to the riverbank erosion in the char (shoal emerged from the riverbed) areas. The villagers are trying to communicate each other by raft and small boats as the roads went under water meanwhile. Locals alleged that no government or non-government organisations came to help them till now. Nader Hossen, a day-labourer of Sadar upazila, said: “I along with my four family members have been suffering from hunger for three days as there is no food at my home.” Ershad, Shakhina and Morzina,

the neighours of Nader echoed his words. Abdul Gafur, chairman of Jatrapur union council in Sadar upazila said maximum people in his area were char-dwellers and very poor. The chairman also said the people of his union and other places of the district could not celebrate Eidul-Fitr this year due to the flood. “If they do not get government help immediately, they will have to face starvation like situation,” he added. When contacted, Panir Uddin, Sadar upazila chairman, said relief for the flood victims had been sent from the district commissioner’s office before Eid.l

MJ Akbar made Indian junior foreign minister n Tribune Report Noted Indian journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar yesterday assumed charge as central minister of state for External Affairs,

reports NDTV. He met Sushma Swaraj, the Indian External Affairs Minister, at her residence before taking office. Akbar is the second Minister of

State in the External Affairs Ministry after VK Singh. “A welcome addition to MEA as @mjakbar takes charge as Minister of State (External Affairs),” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with a photograph of Mr Akbar taking charge. The 65-year-old, who was recently elected to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, is seen as an articulate and modern Muslim voice in BJP. He was a party spokesperson and has often spoken on the government’s foreign policies. l

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