July 14, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Ashar 30, 1423, Shawwal 8, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 78

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

‘Gulshan cafe attack kingpin identified’ n Tribune Desk Investigators dealing with the dreadful Gulshan terror attack claimed to have identified the mastermind, saying he fled the country at least seven months ago after finalising the operation plan and is now hiding in West Bengal of India. They said that it was a combined operation by the members of three outlawed militant groups – Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Hizb ut-Tahrir and Ansarullah Bangla Team. The attackers made preparations for the last seven months.

After the attack, the top militant leaders are kept in separate cells and brought under surveillance Investigators have learnt about the plans after detaining other members of the gang from different parts of the country including Niketon in Dhaka. But they refuted to disclose the name of the kingpin. International militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Gulshan attack that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, on July 1. Five attackers were killed in a commando operation the next morning. Police earlier said that the members of JMB and Ansarullah had been involved in the attack. Meanwhile, a Hizb ut-Tahrir member was arrested in Madaripur for hacking a Hindu college teacher. All these groups have vowed to establish Islamic rule in the country.

The mastermind designated two teams for Dhaka and Tangail to carry out reconnaissance before conducting two operations, sources said, but could not clarify if the teams comprised the attackers. The Tangail team later went to Kishoreganj and launched an attack on the police near Sholakia Eidgah on Eid day killing three persons. A well-placed source said that the law enforcers had information about a massive attack as planned by the top leaders of the banned groups, now detained at Kashimpur jail. To implement the plan, a senior JMB leader came from abroad through India and is still staying in the country. This version corroborates with the claim by the DB police made last year saying that the top militant leaders had agreed to work together at a meeting inside the jail in late 2014 as their aim was the same – establishing Islamic rule in the country by ousting the incumbent government. After the Gulshan attack, those militant leaders were kept in separate cells and brought under 24hour surveillance, said a senior official at the jail headquarters. No visitors are allowed to meet them except for their family members. Recently, a drive was conducted in Niketon area from where some of their associates were detained. But the most-wanted JMB leader fled and has remained traceless. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit Sanowar Hossain said that they had made much progress in the case. “We are now analysing the information gleaned  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Police frisk a student and also check the bags of his classmates near Old Dhaka’s Bahadur Shah Park yesterday. Such vigilance is seen recently throughout the country following the Gulshan and Sholakia terror attacks DHAKA TRIBUNE

Cops playing hide and seek with two ‘suspects’ n Tribune Desk Confusion prevails over two people detained by police over Gulshan terror attack, who were undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police are yet to clearly identify the two men or say whether they are suspected to be involved in the terror attack. The two – Lazarus Saren, 50, and Jakirul Islam, 22 – had been undergoing treatment at ward 102 of DMCH as of yesterday evening before the Detective Branch of police officials took them to DB office for interrogation around 6pm. They were under police surveillance and no one was allowed to visit or talk with them at the hospital. Lazarus was injured in his left leg while the condition of Jakirul, who had an injury on his chest, was critical, sources said. Inter Services Public Relations

Directorate (ISPR) said at a press briefing on July 2 that one suspected terrorist had been held during the drive, but they did not disclose the identity. However, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit sources confirmed that the suspected terrorist mentioned in the ISPR statement was Jakirul Islam. On July 4, Inspector General Shahidul Haque said two suspects in the Gulshan attack were in the hospital and would be interrogated after treatment. But neither Lazarus nor Jakirul are mentioned either as hostages or suspects in the case filed on July 4 with Gulshan police station on the attack. Jakirul Islam, from Bogra, took his job at the O’ Kitchen Restaurant, adjacent to Holey Artisan Bakery, a month before the deadly terror attack in Gulshan.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE

Security increased in KPIs in Bangladesh

Security has been beefed up in key point installations (KPIs) and public spaces in Bangladesh in response to terrorist attacks at Gulshan and Sholakia.  PAGE 3

Indigenous people still in panic, want safety People who came back to their homes at Betchhara of Bandarban are living in fear. They have urged authorities to arrange adequate security.  PAGE 7

Maoists, opposition join forces against Nepal PM

Nepal’s former Maoist rebels joined forces with the largest opposition party to lodge a motion of no-confidence in the prime minister.  PAGE 8

Activists denounce Rampal deal

The proposed coal-fired power plant at Rampal would bring no good for the country, rather incur irreplaceable loss to the Sundarbans.  PAGE 32

PM fears more terror attacks in Bangladesh n Tribune Desk Expecting more terror attacks like the ones at Gulshan and Sholakia, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged all to be more alert and careful. "We have intelligence reports that the terrorists have planned to launch more attacks," she said at a videoconference on Wednesday with people in various districts of Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal and Khulna divisions from her official residence Ganabhaban as part of her programme to create awareness against terrorism and militancy, reported UNB. “Everyone needs to keep in mind that terrorists will not stop here and they have various plans. We are receiving information from different local and international intelligence agencies in this regard,” she said. She asked the law enforcement and intelligence agencies to share the information they gathered to prevent possible future attacks. Referring to the atrocities and arson attacks by BNP-Jamaat activists, she warned all authorities concerned, particularly police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and other agencies to remain vigilant as the culprits would not stop their destructive activities. "They [BNP-Jamaat activists] will work along with the militants.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Embassies in Dhaka seek 24-hour security arrangements n Mohammad Jamil Khan Different embassies in Dhaka have asked the Home Ministry to ensure around-the-clock security for them following the recent militant attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia, Kishoreganj. According to sources, 13 embassies have so far requested for heightened security arrangements. Among them are the embassies of Germany, Japan, Denmark, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Taiwan and Thailand. However, ministry sources said the embassies enlisted under the European Union and the US embassy had requested for additional security arrangements around 2 months before the terrorist attacks. Confirming the matter, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said: “Several embassies in the wake of the terror attacks have sought increased security. We have already deployed specialised Armed Police Battalion (APBn) to assist the police stationed at the diplomatic buildings.” Meanwhile, according to a report of the New York Times, the

State Department of United States has authorised the voluntary departure of family members of US government personnel working at the US Embassy in Bangladesh. A department official told the New York Times that the embassy recommended this step to ensure that people are not caught in potential outbreaks of violence. Home Ministry sources further said the countries which have business relations with Bangladesh have also sought special security measures for the teams visiting Bangladesh. In response, the Bangladesh government has asked to keep these visiting nationals together in a selected residence and make them commute together so that it became easier to ensure security, a high official of the ministry said requesting not to be named. In this regard, Deputy Commissioner of DMP (chancery division) Md Jashimuddin said they have already increased security at embassies and foreigners residences in the diplomatic zone as per demands, right after the Gulshan terror attack. On the other hand, the DMP has sent a letter to the Home Ministry

asking for an additional 2,000 Ansar members to ensure security at the diplomatic zone and other important areas. According to the DMP, there is not enough law enforcers to give proper security. A source said the ministry has already instructed the Ansar and VDP authorities to take initiatives regarding the issue. Security has also been stepped up for all foreigners working at various factories in Sitakunda of Chittagong, reports our Chittagong correspondent FM Mizanur Rahman. The local administration of Sitakunda upazila has also directed all companies who have foreign workers at their office and mills to tighten their internal security. UNO Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune: “After the arrest of the ABT men, the factories and mills authorities have been asked to submit a list of their foreign employees.” “As per list till yesterday [Wednesday], around 205 foreigners mostly Indian, Italian and Chinese are working at six companies and mills in Sitakunda upazila,” the UNO said adding that the police have been asked to keep vigil over the area. l

Zakir Naik to speak to media today

n Tribune Desk Controversial Islamic televangelist preacher Zakir Naik will address the media via Skype today. In a statement Naik said that his press conference "will also be addressed by some eminent personalities from various fields", reports Times of India. "It will include some Bollywood members, lawyers and members of NGOs," he said. The preacher is currently in Medina, Saudi Arabia and there is still no word on when Naik intends to return to India.

Earlier his spokesperson had said Naik postponed his return by 2-3 weeks as he was headed to South Africa to attend conferences. Naik is facing a probe by central and state agencies which are studying his speeches and writings to assess if there are grounds for prosecution for hate speech and incitement of violence against people of other faiths. Through his spokesperson, Naik reiterated on Tuesday that no agency had approached him for clarifications on allegedly inspiring some of the perpetrators of the July 1 Dhaka massacre through his puritanical Salafist speeches. Senior criminal lawyer and NCP member Majeed Memon, who had backed Naik's fight to get the UK ban revoked in 2010, said he had not been approached by Naik's supporters to be part of today's press conference. However, Memon criticised Majlise Ittihadul Muslimeen legislator Imtiaz Jaleel's statement giving Naik a clean chit. "If there are allegations, let Naik explain them and come out clean." l

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Cops playing hide and seek with two ‘suspects’ Two of the five Gulshan terror attackers – Shafiqul Islam Ujjal and Khairul Islam Payel – were also from Bogra. The district is known as a stronghold for extremist and terrorist outfits such as Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh. The other man under police surveillance at DMCH, Lazarus Saren, is a Christian. Although DMCH has him registered under the name Nazarus Saren, the restaurant’s officials confirmed that he was their em-

ployee Lazarus Saren. Police sources said Lazarus was held at the Natun Bazar check post while fleeing the scene of the terror attack just after army commandos stormed the restaurant on July 2. “He fled the scene dodging the eye of law enforcers, although he was supposed to come and seek help as he was injured. Rather he was caught at a police check post while fleeing in a CNG,” a competent source told the Dhaka Tribune. He has been kept under police

surveillance due to this suspicious act, the source added. Asked why the two men had not been interrogated yet, the source said so far the suspects had not been in any physical condition to be questioned. Responding to a query, CTTC’s acting deputy commissioner Saiful Islam said they were keeping all avenues of investigation open. Sanwar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of CTTC, said investigators had already questioned

a number of people while the involvement of some others were yet unclear. “Who is involved or what happened in the attack can only be disclosed after interrogation,” he added. Meanwhile, families say two hostages from the terror attack – Tahmid Hasib Khan and Hasnat R Karim – were yet to return home, even though law enforcers have claimed that they had been released on the night of July 8. l

PM fears more terror attacks in Bangladesh They have plans to carry out more arson attacks and vandalism,” Hasina said, adding that the authorities concerned have to monitor key establishments in the country. As a number of war criminals have already been executed, members of their families are not sitting idle and they are conspiring to launch more devastating attacks, she further said. “Many of them are living at home and abroad. They have no scarcity of wealth as they have connections with terrorists at home and abroad. They are patronising militants and terrorists.” The prime minister said it was possible for them to launch synchronised attacks in seven or eight districts, different important plac-

es or installations. “They may also attack people of different professions and classes.” Speaking of students from renowned schools, colleges and universities who are participating in heinous and barbaric acts of terrorism, Hasina regretted that the children of well-off families were moving towards extremism. The government would not tolerate any act that threatens the peace and security of people, she warned. “We have to ensure peace and security in the country. Killing of Muslims by Muslims will only malign Islam… this religion is a religion of peace. We won’t tolerate if anyone wants to malign this religion,” she said.

She urged all, irrespective of their professions, to build awareness to resist militancy and terrorism on Bangladeshi soil. “Those who unleash killings during namaz (prayers) never believe in Islam, these people will earn hatred only, nothing else.” Mentioning that her government always wants to maintain peace in the country, she said Awami League, after forming government, took stern measurers in this regard. “We will never allow any terrorism and militancy to take place in Bangladesh.” At a time when the country’s image is getting better across the world, such terror attacks will just tarnish the country’s impression, she said. “The intention of these attacks was to turnish Bangladesh’s

image, obstruct the country’s advancement and push it towards darkness.” Elected representatives, government officials, businessmen, teachers, social workers, imams of mosque, Islamic scholars and other professionals took part in the discussions through videoconference from different districts under the four divisions. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Prime Minister’s Advisers HT Imam and Dr Toifique-e Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister Biren Sikdar and Imam of Sholakia Eid Jamaat were present during the videoconference. Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad moderated the programme. l

‘Gulshan attack kingpin identified’ from the suspects and conducting raids to arrest the culprits.” Meanwhile, the CTTC unit has sent a letter to Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s forensic department to assess if any kind of drugs was present in the blood of the attackers as they killed the victims, mainly the women, brutally. Assistant Professor Sohel Mahmud of the DMCH said that they had already collected liver, kidney, stomach and food from their stomachs as samples for viscera test. He hopes to get the report next week. He said that the autopsy reports on the attackers would be finalised within two days. In response to another question, Mahmud said that eight of the 20 slain hostages had been shot and later hacked to ensure death. Others were hacked to death. All of them were killed before midnight, he added. He said that they also collected samples to examine if the female victims had been raped. One of the attackers had lost a wrist while one hand of an attacker and the face of another were deformed. “The three others were shot dead during the commando operation,” he added. l

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Over 200 reported missing since Gulshan attack n Mohammad Jamil Khan With more and more parents continuing to file police reports saying that their children have been missing for months, the number of new unaccounted young men and women have now crossed 200 in the last two weeks. A high-level official from a law enforcement agency confirmed the number to the Dhaka Tribune, saying all these men and women were aged similar to the Gulshan and Sholakia attackers. Seeking anonymity, the official added that authorities were now working to find out if these missing people had any possible militant links. The number of missing person reports started to climb when the police – in the aftermath of the Gulshan attack – requested families to notify law enforcers about any young sons or daughters who have been missing for some time. The general diaries (GD) that have been filed since then show that most of the newly reported missing people have been untraceable for a time period spanning from three months to four years. Another law enforcement source told the Dhaka Tribune that some of the reports suggested that the missing persons had been picked up by someone. Reports like this would be verified and separated from the other ones where there might be some militant link, the source added. The Police Headquarters has already formed a special cell to coordinate verifications of these missing person reports, the official said. He added that a list would be finalised after checking with medical centres and police stations about whether any bodies matching the description of the missing persons had been found in recent times. Of the recent missing person reports, 59 were filed in Dhaka division, 22 in Sylhet, 52 in Bogra, 15 in Barisal, 27 in Rajshahi, 18 in Khulna and 25 were filed in Chittagong. Some of the missing people also include young women who have stopped all communication with their families. This may be a cause of concern as recently three female members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were arrested in Tangail. Police said the women’s families were unaware about their militant activities and had no contact with them for the last couple of months. Meanwhile, sources said the police would seek help from Interpol if any of the missing persons found to have militant connections were staying abroad. A list on this regard is set to be finalised soon. l

Members of Armed Police Battalion check the trunk of a private car at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday as part of their increased security measures following the recent terror attacks DHAKA TRIBUNE

Security strengthened in KPIs fearing possible attacks n Tribune Desk Security has been beefed up in key point installations (KPIs) and public spaces in Bangladesh in response to terrorist attacks at Gulshan and Sholakia, said law enforcement agencies. Based on information received from local and international intelligence agencies, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina feared further attack attempts and urged all to be alert in a video-conference broadcast nationally from the Gano Bhaban last Tuesday. Law enforcement agencies and Home Ministry sources said that security measures, especially at KPIs, are being implemented in coordination with each other and additional check-posts have been set up in cities.

Parliament

Authorities concerned, such as parliament secretary and Segreant at Arms, have been asked to strengthen security at Jatiya Sangsad by Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah

in a press release. Miah also directed authorities to provide bulletproof jackets and helmets for security personnel and to disallow unapproved vehicles and persons from entering parliament premises.

Airport

Security has been reinforced at international airports - Hazrat Shahjalal, Shah Amanat and Osmani International Airport. Armed Police Battalion (APBn) has deployed increased members and Crisis Response Teams (CRTs) at all international airports, said Tanzina Akhter, senior assistant superintendent of police of Dhaka Airport APBn. Members of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have also stepped up patrol at airports. Precautionary measures include 24-hour CCTV surveillance, 24hour CRT patrols, checking each vehicle, diligent passenger frisking, luggage scanning and disallowing outsiders to enter airport vicinities without identification

and justification. “In the country’s interest, I urge passengers to cooperate so that security can be implemented at all airports,” said Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon after a meeting with the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) last Tuesday.

Jail

A senior jail official in Dhaka said that jail authorities have taken special measures in all 68 prisons, especially in Dhaka Central Jail, Kashimpur Jail-1 and 2 and in the high-security Prison Cell in Kashimpur, to prevent jailbreaks or attempts of terrorists to extract associates.

Railway

Mohammad Samsuddin, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Bangladesh Railway Police, said that vigilance has been increased at stations countrywide and policemen have been deployed at each station.

Court

Supreme Court (SC) authorities

have asked courts countrywide to tighten security, after a meeting with senior police officials yesterday. It was decided that only the main gate will be used for lawyers and civilians, lawyers and assistants must carry identification, belongings will be scanned, CCTV cameras will be increased, rickshaws will be banned from entering premises, no cars will enter except for those bearing stickers of the Supreme Court adminstration and Bar association and such cars which will also be searched. This call is likely in response to allegations of courts having insufficient security such as damaged or stolen CCTV cameras, insufficient street-lights, inadequate policemen and security for witnesses and suspicious movements of goons during lower court trials. An official of Dhaka chief judicial magistrate’s (CJM) court said requests for additional security have been sent to DMP commissioner and law ministry, but in vain. l

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

PM flies to Mongolia today n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to leave today for Mongolia to attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) Summit. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at a press conference yesterday said: “The subject of terrorism will be discussed heavily at Asem.” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzio Abe will host an anti-terrorism meeting and has invited Hasina to attend their co-chair which she accepted, Mahmood said. About taking assistance from other countries in Gulshan terror attack probe, he said considering Bangladesh’s national interest and needs, the government would receive help from its foreign friends. “We want technology and training from countries that are friendly with us,” he said. On the sidelines of the Asem Summit, Hasina will have a number of meetings with heads of states and diplomats. l

20 party irked as Khaleda’s call rejected

n Mohammad Al Masum Molla The BNP-led 20-party alliance has strongly criticised the ruling alliance for turning down BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s call for national unity to curb militancy terming it irresponsible. “Some ruling party leaders and their alliance partners have showed their irresponsibility denouncing the call for national unity to uproot militancy from the country,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters after a meeting of the alliance at Khaleda’s Gulshan office last night. He observed that the ruling party leaders were dividing the nation and pushing the country towards a deeper crisis by making such irresponsible remarks. They had urged the ruling party leaders to respond to the call positively for the sake of the people’s interest. After the alliance meeting, Khaleda sat with the party’s Standing Committee members and the vice-chairmen to evaluate the current situation of the country and to devise future programmes. Khaleda, a three-time former premier, will sit with the intellectuals, journalists and eminent citizens of the country today to take their suggestions to form a national unity to prevent extremist attacks. The alliance has also planned to hold rallies in 19 districts including Dhaka to raise awareness against militancy. The programme would be finalised after Khaleda’s meeting with the distinguished citizens. l

Sultana Kamal, convener of National Committee to Protect the Sundarbans, speaks during a press conference yesterday organised by the committee protesting the signing of Rampal Coal Power Plant agreement. Story on Back Page DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editors’ Council calls for unity against terrorism n Tribune Desk An organisation of newspaper editors has called for concerted efforts to fight terrorism in the aftermath of the Gulshan cafe attack and Sholakia bombing. The editors noted that these acts of terror were perpetrated by a reactionary communal force to destabilise Bangladesh. They want to sent a wrong message to the world by creating an anarchic situation through the brutal killing of innocent persons, the Editors’ Council said in a media statement on Wednesday.

A terror attack at an upscale restaurant, popular with expats, in the heart of Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on July 1 left 22 people dead, including 17 foreigners. Barely a week later, two policemen and a woman were killed in a militant attack on a police checkpost near the Shokalia Eid ground. Earlier in the day, the prime minister urged everyone to be more alert, saying the government had received intelligence reports that the terrorists planned more such attacks. In the statement, the editors said: “We all must unite against

these ill forces.” The editors held a meeting at The Daily Star headquarters on Wednesday, presided over by the council’s President Golam Sarwar. It’s General Secretary and The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, Prothom Alo Editor Motiur Rahman and Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan, among others, attended the meeting. They advocated raising awareness apart from stern measures by the law enforcement agencies to get out of the situation. “We need a concerted effort to tackle the current crisis,” the statement added. l

SSF getting pager system upgrade n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has cleared a proposal for an emergency upgrade of the pager communication system used by the elite Special Security Force (SSF), responsible for the security of the prime minister. Yesterday’s meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, nodded procurement of a new pager system. Additional Secretary Mustafizur Rahman told reporters that the committee approved the SSF proposal to procure the upgraded system from a single source. l

Appeal hearing in Gazipur court attack begins n Ashif Islam Shaon

A High Court bench yesterday started the hearing on death references and appeals of convicts in connection with the 2005 suicide bomb attack inside Gazipur Bar Association office by JMB that killed eight people. The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan will continue the hearing today. The state counsels read out the case documents, charge sheet and witness accounts from the 1,166page paper book on the first day, said Deputy Attorney General

Sheikh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir. On June 20 in 2013, the Fourth Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced to death 10 JMB men for the attack. After the convicts’ death references reached the High Court, they filed separate appeals challenging the sentences. The convicts are Enayet Ullah Walid, Arifur Rahman, Moshidul Islam Masud, Saidur Munshi, Abdullah Al Sohaien, Nizam Uddin Reza, Taibur Rahman Hassan, Ashraful Islam, Md Shafiullah Tarek and Adnan Sami Jahangir. All of them have been in jail since their arrest in 2005 and 2006.

According to the case, JMB member Md Nazir Hossain carried a bomb with his body and detonated it inside of the lawyers’ office at the Bhawal Rajbari Court in the morning on November 29, 2005. The suicide attacker and two others died on the spot. The six others died being under treatment at hospitals. Of the eight dead victims, four were lawyers and four justice seekers. The grenade attack was part of the JMB’s series of suicide attacks on the country’s judiciary at that time. Police filed a case against JMB

leader Shayakh Abdur Rahman and others; the charges were pressed against 15 JMB men on July 4, 2007. The names of three JMB leaders were dropped from the charge sheet as they had already been hanged while two other names were dropped as they had died. During the trial procedure, the trial court heard deposition of 70 prosecution witnesses and three defence witnesses. On May 5 this years, after the paper book was ready, the chief justice sent the death references, appeals and jail appeals for hearing to the High Court bench. l

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

New Thai Ambassador Panpimon Suwannapogse (left) and new Russian Ambassador Alexander Ignoatov meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka yesterday

Brainwashing from madrasa to private university n Udisa Islam

Terrorist infiltration in North South University and several other private universities became the talk of the town after the Gulshan Holey Bakery attack. Suspicion arose also after it was revealed that the terrorist killed in Sholakia attack was also an NSU student. The question on everyone’s mind is that whether terrorism has also seduced wealthy private university students when the established notion is that madrasas are the breeding ground for militants. Analysts say terrorists wanted to infiltrate the elite group and picked private universities as good targets. On March 30, 2015, radical Islamists hacked to death blogger Md Oyasiqur Rahman Babu in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Locals accosted assailants Zikrullah and Ariful Islam. It later emerged that they were madrasa students. The charge sheet said the attackers planned to kill him for his supposedly anti-Islamic writing in blogs and Facebook. Abdullah ali-

men from wealthy backgrounds were getting into organisations like the IS. “We have to remember that institutions like the NSU, Brac or IUB were strongholds of Hizb ut-Tahrir – that Islamist group’s recruitment went on unimpeded in the private

as Hasib ordered the killing. Eight people took part in the planning, but four carried it out. In Gulshan, terrorists held hostage patrons of Holey Artisan Bakery and killed 22 people, mostly foreigners. Youths from affluent backgrounds were among the killers.

‘We have to remember that institutions like the NSU, Brac or IUB were strongholds of Hizb utTahrir – that Islamist group’s recruitment went on unimpeded in the private universities until the government banned them’ universities until the government banned them,” he added. Khalil asserted that Tahrir and IS were connected to each other. “I see it like this: the type of young people who wanted to establish a Khilafat under Tahrir are now trying to do so under IS.” International Crimes Strategy Forum’s Dr Omar Shehab told the Bangla Tribune: “It’s true that both madrasa and private univer-

Maj Gen (retd) Abdur Rashid said there was no reason to think that while madrasas had been identified as militant breeding ground, the same process was underway at private universities. “They are working simultaneously and different units are working at different places … The brainwashing is similar,” he said. Journalist Tasnim Khalil said it should not be surprising that young

BSS

5,200 killed or injured in IS attacks during Ramadan

n Tribune Desk

sity students are among terrorists. What this means is that the recruiters are working hard. “But we don’t know what percent of them come from madrasas and what percent from private universities. We don’t know how this ratio is changing with time.” Twenty-two persons died after youths armed with rifles, pistols and explosives stormed Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan 2 on July 1. Two police officials died from grenade charge. Twenty hostages, mostly foreigners, were slaughtered inside the restaurant, before commandos managed to rescue the other hostages the next morning. They killed six people including five terrorists. On July 7, the day of Eid-ul Fitr, terrorists trying to enter Bangladesh’s largest Eid congregation at Sholakia in Kishoreganj attacked a police check post, killing two policemen. A woman and one terrorist were also killed in a gun battle that ensued. The killed terrorist was identified as Abir Rahman, an NSU student. l

From Orlando to Bangladesh, international militant group Islamic State has claimed that some 5,200 people were killed or injured in “military operations” perpetrated in the last one month by their members. In Dhaka, at least 22 people including 17 foreigners were shot and slaughtered while 40 other policemen injured in the country’s deadliest militant attack on a Gulshan eatery on July 1. Five of the militants were killed in a commando operation the next morning. Before this attack, the IS members killed three Hindu priests and a Buddhist monk in Jhenaidah, Pabna and Bandarban during Ramadan. In an infographic, IS lists 14 terror attacks across the world, including in Syria, Iraq, the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa, boasted the group’s weekly magazine al-Naba on Tuesday. IS claimed their first attack in Bangladesh after the murder of an Italian aid worker at Dhaka’s Gulshan on September 28 last year. The latest attack on Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery and O’ Kitchen building was its 25th attack. l

Govt cancels plots allotted to war criminals n Shohel Mamun The government yesterday decided to take back plots and flats allotted to war criminals, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain said. “We will take necessary steps to stop the sale of such properties, plots and flats by the allottees,” he said during a deal signing pro-

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THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN THURSDAY, JULY 14

did not disclose how many flats and plots had been allotted to such people since 1975, after the assassination of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The BNP-led government had allotted a plot to the executed war criminal and Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami in 2006 for his “services to the country.” l

gramme between Standard Bank and Rajuk yesterday. For those flats and plots already sold by the allottees, he said, they would be taken back as per the law. “Besides, if any war criminal and building developers jointly construct a building, the developers will get their share and the government will confiscate the rest,” he added. Minister Mosharraf, however, Dhaka

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Most eateries in Jessore remain closed over payment of staff n Tauhid-Uz-Zaman, Jessore Workers of 28 hotels and restaurants in Jessore are suffering as the eateries have been closed without paying their salary. According to local sources, the workers of the hotels and restaurants have been continuing their movement since 2009 under the banner of Bangladesh Hotel Restaurants Sweetmeat and Bakery Workers’ Union demanding the salary according to national gazette. Taijel Islam, the union acting secretary, said a discussion was held on June 30 in the deputy commissioner’s meeting room presided by Additional District Magistrate Shohel Hasan where the restaurants’ owners and leaders were present. The meeting had decided that the workers would get ID card and all kinds of festival bonus including Tk300 for house rent, Tk200 for transport cost with their regular salary.

He said the restaurants owners violated the decision which they took in a meeting held at the office of deputy commissioner. They made force to the workers in the morning before the Eid day for signature on a false document which would say that the workers had got everything including 45 percent Eid bonus of their basic salary. The agitated workers did not sign the paper and protested the proposal. At one stage, the 14 restaurants’ owner closed the eateries on the day without paying the salary and bonus. On July 11, the union acting secretary met the deputy commissioner in his room and informed the incident to him. Maximum hotel owners and leaders were also present at the moment. The DC ordered the hotel owners for giving the payment to the workers and follow the decision which was taken in the meeting earlier.

But on July 12, 14 more restaurants had been closed forcefully, said the union leader. Meanwhile, the workers have submitted a memorandum to the DC protesting the incident. The workers of the hotels and restaurants said they were facing acute financial crisis due to the illegal decision. On the other hand, the owners of the eateries alleged that they were bound to close the hotels as the workers were not regular at their working place. The union General Secretary Mukul Hasan said they had arranged a meeting yesterday protesting decision of the hotel owners. He said they would continue their movement until the workers get their rights. It is mentionable, around 14,000 workers are working in 64 hotel and restaurants in the district. Of them, only six restaurants’ workers have got their salary this year. l

Rakhain temple monk hacked over land dispute n Tribune Desk A monk of a Rakhain temple was hacked allegedly by another monk over a land-related dispute at Maillapar in the district town early hours of yesterday. The injured monk was identified as Open Bita, 75. Officer-in-charge (Investi-

gation) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model police station Bakhtiar Uddin Chowdhury said Mo Ian, a monk who was earlier attached to the temple of Open Bita, had been in a dispute with him over the ownership of a piece of land, report UNB. As a sequel to this, Ma Ian snuck into the temple around

Bus-truck collision kills 3 in Comilla n Tribune Desk

Three people were killed and 10 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck at East Batabaria in Monoharganj upazila yesterday. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Police said a Noakhali-bound bus from Comilla collided head on with the truck coming from the opposite direction, leaving three passengers of the bus dead on the spot and 10 others injured. The injured were rushed to a hospital. l

5:30am and hacked Open Bita indiscriminately, leaving him severely injured. On information, police rushed in and sent the injured monk to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital. Additional police personnel have been deployed in and around the temple to ward off any further trouble, the OC added. l

bKash agent shot, Tk3 lakh snatched Raihanul Islam n Md Akand, Gazipur Muggers shot a bKash agent leaving him critically injured in Kanthaltala area in the district yesterday and snatched away Tk3 lakh. The victim was Selim Munshi, 32, son of Mohiuddin Munshi of Katiadi area in Barisal. Sub-Inspector Harun-or-Rashid of Chakrabarti police camp in

Joydebpur, said Selim was going to a bank in Konabari in the afternoon after collecting the money. Then, four muggers riding on two motorbikes reached the area and shot Selim leaving him critically injured. They snatched away the money keeping in a bag and fled the scene. Selim is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as his condition deteriorated. l

News

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Indigenous people still in panic, want safety n Basu Das, Bandarban People who have returned back to their residences at Betchhara in Rowangchhari upazila of Bandarban are living in fear. They urged authorities concerned to arrange adequate security for them so that they can live their ancestral houses without any fear. The indigenous people also demanded set up of an Army camp at the locality. On July 8, at least 50 families left their dwellings in face of violence and threats from the local terrorist groups. On July 5, two local armed groups locked in fighting over the extortion money. Police, later, arrested Bimal Chakma from the scene with firearms. Following the arrest, the terrorist groups attacked and ran rampage in Talukderpara under Tarachha union in Rowangchhari blaming the locals for providing informations to police. Angered at the police intervention, the terrorists also threatened locals of killing. Fearing retaliation, over 70 people out of around 130 people took shelter at a local hotel in Bandarban town, where eight to ten people had to live in each of those two-seated rooms. With assurance of district administration, 30 out of 50 families returned backed to their houses on Tuesday. During a visit to the area yesterday, this correspondent found that a four-member police team was patrolling Betchhara. A makeshift Army camp has been set up at a school. About 70 families live at Betchhara which is located seven

An ingenious family sitting with anxiety in their home at Betchhara in Rowangchhari of Bandarban after threats from the local terrorist groups kilometres away off district headquarters. As the village is located in remote part of the district, terrorist groups often stay at the houses of local residents making them hostage at gunpoint, said local sources. The terrorists also forcibly take money from farmers which they get selling their crops, if they do not want to give the share of money, the gangsters torture the indigenous indiscriminately, the sources added. Seventy-year-old Usra Ching

Marma, who is now living with her family locking door from outside told the Dhaka Tribune that she could not flee with other people as she was sick on the day. “But on those days, I had to live with grave anxiety,” she said breaking down into tears. She also explained that she had locked her house from outside so that terrorists thought that nobody was living at the house. Mong Gila Marma, another resident of the area, said: “We came to our dwellings following adminis-

GULSHAN CAFÉ ATTACK

tration's assurance. If we do not get sufficient safety, we have to leave our houses, But we want to live at our ancestral residences where we have been living for long.” Chha Thoai Ching Marma alleged that members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti had been torturing locals for log. “They [members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti] have made us their target, we pass night in fear as they can kill us anytime,” he added. Superintendent of police Mija-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

nur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that they were giving priority on the security of locals. After the signing of Chittagong Hill Tract treaty on December 2, 1997, the government has reduced the number of Army camps at the CHT. Taking the advantage, terrorist groups have established reign of terror there, said the sources. Deputy Commissioner Dilip Kumar said they would take decision over setting up Army camp after talking with government's high-ups. l

RU TEACHER KILLING

Families of alleged militants Payel, Another accused Ujjal waiting for bodies placed on remand Nazmul Huda Nasim, n Md Bogra

Families of Khairul Islam Payel and Shafiqul Islam Ujjal, two among five suspected attackers of Gulshan café, have been waiting for their sons’ bodies to perform their proper burials. The parents of Payel, a resident of Bri Kushtia Dakhhinpara village in Shajahanpur upazila, and father of Ujjal, hailing from Baniajan Chalishpara village in Dhunot upazila, along with his another son Asadul Islam were brought to Dhaka by Bogra police for interrogation about their sons and collecting blood samples from their bodies to identify the alleged dead mili-

tants on July 5. But, they were not allowed to see the bodies of their sons, they said. Badi-uz-Zaman, father of Ujjal, said, “The police told me they would return Ujjal’s body to us for a burial. So still we are waiting.” Hosney Ara, sister of Payel, said, “Whatever crime Payel committed we want his body for a proper burial.” Around six youths stormed into Holey Artisan Bakery at Gulshan in Dhaka armed with guns, bombs and swords and killed Twenty two innocent lives on July 1. After a 12hour holdup, commando forces rescued thirteen hostages, killing five suspected attackers. Three of them--Nibras Islam,

Rohan Imtiaz and Meer Saameh Mubasheer—went to English-medium schools, while Payel was a madrasa student and Ujjal was a graduate and a kindergarten teacher. Parents of Payel--Abul Hossain and Peara Begum—said after completing his education from a local madrasa, Payel, their youngest son, went to Dhaka for getting admitted to Jagannath University College with his classmate Abdul Hakim, son of Abdur Rahman of neighbouring Kamarpara village. His last visit to home was in December last year, said Abul. Ujjal last came home in December, 2015 from Dhaka and left home telling his family that he was going to Tablig Jamaat, said Badi-uz-Zaman. l

n Abdullah Al Dulala, Rajshahi A Rajshahi court yesterday placed another accused of Rajshahi University teacher Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee killing on a threeday remand. Judge of Metropolitan Magistrate court Khaled Hossain Khan passed the order following a petition filed by investigation officer of the case Rejaus Sadik. Earlier, a team of Detective Branch of police arrested Muntasirul Alam Anindya, a student of English department of the university, from his residence located in Kaderganj area, Rajshahi city on

June 2. On July 3, police produced him before the court seeking 10day remand. Professor Rezaul Karim Siddique was hacked to death by assailants in the city's Shalbagan area on April 23. At least 12 people have been arrested in connection with the killing so far. Main accused of the case Maskawath Hasan Sakib, a leader of the banned Islamic outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen of Bangaldesh, gave confessional statement before the court. Another accused of the case Hafizur Rahman has been killed in a crossfire recently. l

8 World

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan militants accuse India of genocide in Kashmir Militants in Pakistan-administered Kashmir accused New Delhi of genocide Wednesday, after days of clashes left 32 people dead and hundreds wounded on the Indian side of the heavily-militarised frontier. Up to 3,000 people gathered at a rally in the Pakistani Kashmir capital Muzaffarabad, where militant leaders vowed to launch a civil disobedience campaign on the Indian side of the contested territory. -AFP

INDIA

India’s top court rules blow to Modi’s ambitions India’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the government’s imposition of direct rule in Arunachal state was illegal, and the dislodged opposition Congress party should return to power immediately. The court’s order for the reinstatement of Congress rule in the state is a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition of expanding the influence of his BJP in the underdeveloped northeast. -REUTERS

CHINA

China could declare air zone over S China Sea China warned other countries Wednesday against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an international tribunal handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Beijing could declare an air defense identification zone over the waters if it felt threatened. -AP

ASIA PACIFIC

South Korea, US confirm anti-missile system site An advanced US missile defense system will be deployed in a rural farming town in southeastern South Korea. As words of the location for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) spread thousands of residents in the town of Seongju rallied and demanded the government cancel its decision. -AP

MIDDLE EAST

Air strikes kill 24 in rebelheld Syrian towns At least 12 people were killed in air strikes on the rebel-held western Syrian town of Rastan on Wednesday despite a government-declared nationwide temporary truce. The British-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also said another 12 people were killed in rebel-controlled Ariha, north of Rastan, including three children. -REUTERS

INSIGHT

Maoists, opposition join forces to try to unseat Nepal prime minister Motion of no-confidence moved against the PM in parliament

n Tribune International Desk Nepal’s former Maoist rebels joined forces with the largest opposition party on Wednesday to lodge a motion of no-confidence in the prime minister, but the impoverished Himalayan country’s increasingly isolated leader vowed to fight on. Nepal has been plagued by political turmoil for years and the bid by the Maoists and the Nepali Congress Party to unseat Prime Minister KP Oli and form a new government has ushered in another phase of uncertainty. Oli, who came to power in October, is accused by the one-time insurgents of reneging on promises and on Tuesday they withdrew their support in parliament for his fragile coalition. “We have registered a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister,” Pampha Bhusal, spokeswoman for the Maoist party, said. “With our party withdrawing support for the Oli government it is in a minority and must resign.” A Nepali Congress spokesman confirmed that his party had given the Maoists its backing so a no-confidence motion could be formally registered. The motion will be tabled in parliament next week before a vote is held. Neighbours India and China compete for influence in Nepal and are both likely to be concerned by the prospect of more instability in a country struggling to rebuild after a devastating earthquake last year. Oli is Nepal’s seventh prime minister since it abolished its 239year old monarchy in 2008. The Maoists abandoned a bid to unseat him in May after they said he had agreed to work for a national consensus and address their concerns. Oli’s press adviser said the prime minister would remain leader and face the no-confidence vote. “The prime minister will not resign,” the adviser, Pramod Dahal, told Reuters.

Slim chance?

With the Maoists and Congress joining forces, Oli’s coalition in the 595-member parliament needs the support of other smaller parties to survive. Analysts said the arithmetic was against Oli, particularly if the motion was tabled in coming days

Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as Prachanda, centre, leaves the Parliament Building in Kathmandu on Wednesday AP before he had time to convince other parties to back him. “I really don’t see a chance for his survival. He has faced this challenge for a long time, only now does it look successful,” said Bipin Adhikari, a constitutional expert at Kathmandu University. However, ideological differences between the centrist Congress and the Maoists made their pact far from secure, Adhikari said. Maoist leader Prachanda, who goes by the nom-de-guerre he used in the insurgency, which means “Fierce”, is the favourite to replace 64-year-old Oli if he loses the vote. The Maoists accuse Oli of failing to resolve anger in the south of the country over a new constitution, and of failing to rebuild homes and roads destroyed in last year’s earthquake. Nepal adopted a new constitution in September. Its passing looked like a rare moment of political consensus but protests soon followed. Minority Madhesis, who live mostly in Nepal’s lowlands near India, imposed a four-month border blockade to protest against a proposal to carve Nepal into seven federal states, which they say would divide their homeland and

deprive them of a fair say. More than 50 people were killed in clashes before protesters called off the blockade in February. Nepal has seen 23 governments since 1990 when parliamentary democracy was introduced.

Gentleman’s agreement

It is said that when PM Oli was about to be toppled by the Nepali Congress with the help of the Maoists and a part of the Madhesi group for a “unity government” under Maoist Chief Dahal, he had no choice but to surrender to the Maoists. A ninepoint agreement was thus signed between the two parties- the UML and the CPN (Maoist). It was also widely reported that Oli had also agreed to step down soon after the budget is passed and let the Maoist Chief Dahal to take over and form the so called “unity government.” The budget was presented on May 29 and so Dahal was waiting for a call from Oli to take over as per their “Gentleman’s Agreement.” Meanwhile Dahal had also strengthened himself by getting most of the splinter Maoist parties under his chairmanship with a new name as Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre. Oli not only refused to step

down but denied of having entered into any such agreement. Dahal on the other hand claimed that the deal was indeed reached. In my view there is nothing like Gentleman’ agreement in politics. Even if Oli had agreed orally directly or indirectly to step down, he does not have to do so. Dahal clarified that he was not really interested in becoming Prime Minister and that his only aim was to form a national government to ensure that the peace process is taken to its logical end. It is good that Dahal who is a master in shifting goal posts was himself given a dose of his medicine and no one would believe that he was not interested in becoming the prime minister. It is not clear how the Nepali Congress would benefit by getting Dahal in place of Oli as prime minister. They should not forget that most of the problems inherited by Oli was from the days when the Nepali Congress was in power. They were the ones who excluded and marginalised both the Madhesi groups and the Janajathis in rushing through the new constitution. KP Situala and company should share the blame for the Madhesi agitation where innocent lives were lost unnecessarily. l

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

5 things to know about UK handover The followings are five interesting facts one needs to know Wednesday’s formal handover of prime ministerial power in Britain from David Cameron to Theresa May.

Lucky 13? Queen Elizabeth II sees them come, and sees them go. As Britain’s monarch ascended to the throne in 1952, Winston Churchill was already the prime minister. Since then, the queen has given her royal seal of approval to a dozen prime ministers atop 16 governments. When May arrives at Buckingham Palace, she will become the 13th leader to receive Elizabeth’s royal assent in a private ceremony that marks the moment when May succeeds Cameron as leader of Britain’s year-old Conservative government.

David’s demise First the queen bids a formal farewell to Cameron, Britain’s leader since

2010, who as part of his office has held weekly “private audiences” with Elizabeth. On Wednesday, he arrives to the palace as a leader, and leaves merely a lawmaker. Cameron has represented the Oxfordshire district of Witney, west of London, in the House of Commons since 2001. Now he’s forecast to join those Conservative lawmakers lacking ministerial posts known as “backbenchers” who typically bray their approval of the prime ministers’ remarks from the background. But Cameron’s career is hardly over; he’s only 49 and can expect to make a killing on the global speaker’s circuit. For now, Witney gains a more full-time MP for the first time since 2005, when Cameron rose to the national stage as Conservative Party leader. He has already relinquished that post to May.

Voters May Theresa May becomes prime minister thanks to support from a strong majority of the 330 Conservative lawmakers in the House of Commons. Nobody else had a vote on the matter, because in par-

liamentary systems the leader of the ruling party gains a preferential right to lead the nation. Given that British parliamentary terms last five years and Cameron’s second government was formed only last year, May and her Conservatives don’t need to face re-election until 2020. However the prime minister also wields the power to call an early election should May judge that to be in her party’s or nation’s best interest.

Moving day Prime ministers normally reside at 10 Downing Street, a Georgian residence with approximately 100 rooms just a few minutes’ walk from Parliament. But while Cameron regularly holds press conferences outside the iconic number 10 door, he and his family actually live next door in number 11. Whereas the US presidential system allows departing leaders more than two months to extricate themselves from the White House, Cameron, wife Samantha and their three children, ages 5 to 12, have had barely a day to clear out

their home of the past six years. The same company that moved the Camerons into Downing Street in 2010 arrived Tuesday to take them out again. Simply Removals says they contained the Camerons’ Downing Street possessions in 330 boxes, 30 rolls of tape and three rolls of bubble wrap.

Larry may stay One family member is staying behind on Downing Street by mutual agreement: Larry the Cat. The 9-year-old tabby is the government’s official Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, a tradition with its claws in the 16th century court of Henry VIII. After TV crews repeatedly spotted mice sprinting across Cameron’s doorstep in 2011, the premier took his family to a south London animal shelter and picked Larry. The Mays and Camerons have decided that Larry should continue to keep ravaging the rodents of Downing Street. Larry spent much of Wednesday keeping watch on the press pack instead. l

Source: AP

Trump demands US Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg’s resignation n Tribune International Desk Donald Trump called Wednesday for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to resign for saying publicly that she feels he is unfit to be president. Lashing out, Trump said the 83-year-old justice’s “mind is shot.” “Justice Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me,” he wrote in an early morning tweet on @ realDonaldTrump. “Her mind is shot - resign!” Ginsburg said in an interview with the Associated Press last week that she didn’t want to think about the possibility that Trump would be president and predicted that Democrat Hillary Clinton will win and have a few appointments to make to the Supreme Court. It is highly unusual for a sitting justice to weigh in so publicly on a political campaign, though Ginsburg is known for speaking her mind on other issues and is celebrated as a liberal icon known to fans as Notorious RBG. In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, she joked about moving to New Zealand if

Trump is elected. She escalated her criticism on Tuesday, telling CNN that Trump is a “faker” and questioning how he has “gotten away with not turning over his tax returns.” “He has no consistency about him,” she said. A Supreme Court spokeswoman did not immediately respond Wednesday to a reporter’s request for comment on Trump’s criticism. House Speaker Paul Ryan told CNN Tuesday that Ginsburg’s comments “shows bias to me.” Former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, who on Tuesday endorsed Clinton, said Wednesday he agrees with Ginsburg’s remarks. The Vermont senator declined to say whether it is appropriate for a sitting Supreme Court justice to openly criticise a White House contender. But he told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he agrees Trump is a “total opportunist” and said “the record clear is quite clear that he lies just a whole lot of the time.” Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and is the senior member of the court’s liberal wing of justices. One of the high court’s most conservative justices, Antonin Scalia, died in February and the vacancy has yet to be filled. l

World USA

US challenges China over raw materials at WTO The US challenged China at the World Trade Organisation on Wednesday over Beijing’s export duties on 9 raw materials, alleging they give an unfair competitive advantage to Chinese companies. The US envoy announced the WTO filing, noting that when China joined the WTO in 2001, it agreed to eliminate the export duties on these products but had failed to follow through on the commitment. -AFP

THE AMERICAS

Venezuela army assigned to combat food shortages Venezuela’s military is getting a major promotion as the socialist-run country struggles to combat severe shortages and stave off food riots. President Nicolas Maduro on Monday created a new government initiative to boost production and guarantee the smooth distribution of food supplies in the face of what he called economic sabotage by his opponents. -AP

Germany eyes EU defence union without Britain Germany and France want to forge closer defence cooperation in the EU following the departure of Britain, which has paralysed such initiatives in the past, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. Presenting a report on German security policy, von der Leyen said Germany and France would lead talks with other countries to assess their appetite for common projects. -REUTERS

EUROPE

France has identified leader of Paris attacks

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg shows the many different collars (jabots) she wears with her robes, in her chambers, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC REUTERS

French authorities say they have identified the commander of the November 13 Islamist militant attacks on Paris and know that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, cornered and killed days later by police, played a lesser role. Newly published official documents cite testimony by Bernard Bajolet, France’s head of external security, to a closed-door parliamentary inquiry into France’s anti-terrorism activities held on May 24. -REUTERS

AFRICA

South Sudan’s vice president leaves Juba South Sudan’s vice president has withdrawn with his troops to outside of Juba but is not planning for war as a ceasefire that ended heavy fighting with the president’s forces entered its 3rd day. Forces loyal to longtime rivals Vice President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir fought street battles in the capital during a five-day period until a ceasefire was reached on Monday. -REUTERS

World

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

INSIGHT

A year later, Iran nuke deal is holding but fragile n Tribune International Desk The Iran nuclear accord is fragile at its one-year anniversary. Upcoming elections in the US and Iran could yield new leaders determined to derail the deal. The Mideast’s wars pit US and Iranian proxies in conflict, with risks of escalation. Iran’s ballistic missiles are threatening the Middle East, raising pressure on the US to respond forcefully. But for now, the seven-nation nuclear pact is holding. Washington and Tehran are expanding cooperation beyond any level imaginable back when the Iranians were edging closer to nuclear weapons capability. And Boeing’s recent announcement of a multibillion-dollar plane deal with Iran Air suggests some of the agreement’s early problems may be working out. “It really wasn’t long ago that we saw a rapidly expanding nuclear program in Iran, only months away from having enough weapons-grade uranium to build 10 to 12 nuclear weapons, and we were on the cusp of confrontation,” Secretary of State John Kerry said recently.

‘We have changed the strategic equation’

A year ago, on July 14, 2015, the US, six other world powers and Iran finalised almost two years of negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The pact outlined what Tehran had to do to pull back its nuclear program from the brink of weapons-making capacity. It spelled out the West’s obligation to end many of the financial, trade and oil sanctions that had battered Iran’s economy. Iran has lived up to its end of the deal. It shut down thousands of centrifuges for enriching uranium and exported almost its entire stockpile of the bomb-making material. It disabled a heavy water plant that would have produced plutonium usable in a weapon. It opened up its supply chain to far greater scrutiny. An underground enrichment facility near Fordo operates under strict limits. If Iran were to race now toward an atomic weapon, the Obama administration and most independent experts say it would need at least a year. The US and its partners — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia — say that is enough time to discover the effort and intervene. Before the deal was struck, the timeframe for Iran to “break out” toward a bomb was a couple of months. Iran’s compliance and the expanded breathing room have eliminated for now the threat of a military confrontation. In the presidential campaign, discussion about the Iran deal fo-

cuses largely on the implications of the agreement and today’s limited US-Iranian cooperation, no longer on whether to attack Iran. Presumptive Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton backs the deal; GOP rival Donald Trump says he’ll “renegotiate.” The situation is uneasy in Iran. An election next year means President Hassan Rouhani and his prodeal government could be replaced. Even if he wins — no Iranian president has lost a re-election bid since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — he could face a backlash from hardliners who seek confrontation with the US. Like in the US, a significant part of Iran’s establishment opposes the nuclear pact. Rouhani is under pressure to show his people the benefits of the agreement. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has said his country “will set fire to the deal,” if the US breaks it first. After announcing in January that it would buy more than 100 planes from France-based Airbus, Iran has struggled to attract big investments. Many multinational banks and companies are fearful of US prosecution or fines. June’s Boeing announcement, involving dozens of planes and worth as much as $25bn, could open the floodgates — if it survives challenges from many of the same Republicans and Democrats who opposed last year’s nuclear deal. Last week, the House passed two measures that would block the sale. The Senate hasn’t acted yet; if it does, Obama would likely veto the bill. The nuclear accord freed up $100bn in Iranian assets that were frozen overseas. About half has covered long-standing debts to countries such as China, US officials believe. Iran kept much of the rest abroad to pay for imports, avoid inflation and other reasons; it has brought home less than $20bn, they say. But Iranian threats to renege on the deal have the Obama administration on the defensive. It sees Rouhani’s success as critical to the accord’s survival. To that end, Kerry has lobbied European banks to make greater investments in Iran and US officials even have explored softening financial restrictions on Iran. Such considerations haven’t gone over well with Republican critics. Obama’s Iran outreach is “a textbook example of the failure of appeasement,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, wrote in a 23-page national security agenda published last month. He proposed tougher sanctions on Iran and a return to America’s pre-deal posture of keeping “all options on the table — including military force — to stop Iran from

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL Historic agreement designed to block Tehran’s pathway to a nuclear weapon Major facilities (approximate locations)

Nuclear site

Reactor

Karaj Holds some enrichment equipment

CASPIAN SEA

TEHRAN Main nuclear research center

ARAK Reactor to be redesigned to prevent production of weapons-grade plutonium

NATANZ To be the only enrichment site

IRAQ

SAUDI ARABIA

Uranium mine

Parchin Military base

Isfahan Research reactors, uranium conversion

FORDO To retain 1,044 centrifuges, not to be used for uranium enrichment AFGHANISTAN

Sagand

Anarak Nuclear waste disposal

Bushehr 1,000 MWe pressurised water reactor

Ardakan Yellowcake production plant Reported uranium reserves: 4,400 tonnes

Gashin

PAKISTAN

Closer inspections, under the Additional Protocol, including potentially of military bases IAEA surveillance equipment to be installed in mines and nuclear facilities Enrichment Nuclear energy is produced from U235, which makes up just 0.7% of naturally-occurring uranium, the rest being U238 The enrichment process increases the proportion of U235 by separating it from U238

Under the deal Slash the number of uranium centrifuges from about 19,000 to 5,060 for 10 years Stockpile of low-enriched uranium to be reduced from 10,000 kg to 300 kg for 15 years

Gas centrifuge

Gaseous uranium goes into a centrifuge

5 U235 enriched

gas collected near center and withdrawn

obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

Ballistic missiles pose another test

The US bragged after the deal that it secured two last-minute concessions: Prolonging a UN ban on Iranian missile development by eight years. Tehran quickly flaunted the restriction, testing missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and bearing “Death to Israel” lettering. It has suffered few repercussions. During nuclear negotiations,

depleted in U235 is recycled to earlier stage

separate by centrifugal force

Civil use: the proportion of U235 is increased 4-5% to produce fuel for power stations

3 Heavier U238

is pushed to the outer edge

Military use: uranium enriched to at least 90% of U235 to produce nuclear weapons

4 Lighter U235 stays near centre

diplomats took great pains to keep the missile issue, terrorism and the region’s conflicts separate. But tensions on any of these fronts make it harder for Kerry to lobby or for the US to approve the Boeing deal. It also could interfere with the routine work of US and Iranian officials to hash out nuclear differences as they arise. Administration officials say the pressures on the nuclear deal make it that much more valuable. Irani-

stage for further concentration

7 Gas slightly

2 Molecules

Sources: IAEA/NTI/ISIS/USNRC/World-nuclear.org

6 Fed into next

Motor an ballistic missiles would be more worrisome if carrying nuclear warheads, the argument goes. Syria’s bloody quagmire would be even harder to end if a nuclear-armed Iran were added to the equation. The nuclear deal’s future is “highly uncertain,” said Ariel Levite at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “The clock is steadily ticking — one year down, seven more to go,” Levite added. l

World

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

European Union proposes new asylum rules n Reuters, Brussels

The European Commission proposed more unified EU asylum rules on Wednesday, in a bid to stop people waiting for refugee status moving around the bloc and disrupting its passport-free zone. In an unprecedented wave of

migration last year, 1.3m people reached the EU and most ignored legal restrictions, trekking from the Mediterranean coast to apply for asylum in wealthy Germany, prompting some EU countries to suspend the Schengen system that allows free passage between most EU states. The proposal would standardise

Japan’s Crown Prince Akihito, left, and Crown Princess Michiko parade through the streets on their wedding day in Tokyo, Japan, in this photo taken April 10, 1959 REUTERS/KYODO

Japan emperor expresses intent to abdicate n Reuters, Tokyo Japanese Emperor Akihito, who has spent much of his time on the throne trying to heal the wounds of World War II, intends to abdicate in a few years, the country’s public broadcaster NHK said on Wednesday, a step that would be unprecedented in modern Japan. The 82-year-old monarch, who has had heart surgery and been treated for prostate cancer in recent years, expressed his intention to the Imperial Household Agency, NHK said. It did not cite a reason and officials at the agency could not immediately be reached for comment. Akihito has been cutting back on his official duties, handing over some of the burden to his heir, Crown Prince Naruhito, 56. Born in 1933, Akihito was heir to Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought World War II. The soft-spoken Akihito marked the 70th anniversary of World War II’s end last year with an expression of “deep remorse”, a departure from his previous remarks seen by some as an effort to cement a legacy of pacifism under threat from conservative Japanese nationalists. While Akihito’s father was a controversial figure, Akihito “was the first post-war emperor to embrace the (pacifist)

constitution and his role as a symbol of national unity”, said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University in Tokyo. Akihito has sought to deepen Japan’s ties with the world through visits abroad. In 1992 he became the first Japanese monarch in living memory to visit China, where bitter memories of Japan’s past military aggression run deep. Emperor Kokaku, who gave up the throne in 1817, was the last Japanese emperor to abdicate, NHK said. Miiko Kodama, a professor emeritus at Musashi University, said the Imperial Household Law would need to be amended to allow Akihito to step down, a process that could take time and debate in parliament. A scientist by avocation, Akihito is the first royal heir to have married a commoner, Michiko Shoda, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Under the US-drafted, postwar constitution, Japan’s emperor is “the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People”, with no political power. Akihito’s efforts to draw the imperial family closer to the people in image, if not in fact, have played into a carefully crafted picture of a “middle-class monarchy” that has helped shield it from the harsh criticism suffered by flashier royals abroad. l

refugee reception facilities across the bloc and unify the level of state support they can get, setting common rules on residence permits, travel papers, access to jobs, schools, social welfare and healthcare. It would grant prospective refugees swifter rights to work but also put more obligations on them,

meaning if they do not effectively cooperate with the authorities or head to an EU state of their choice rather than staying put, their asylum application could be jeopardised. The 5-year waiting period after which refugees are eligible for longterm residence would be restarted if they move from their designated

country, the Commission said. The plan, which will now be reviewed by national governments and the European Parliament, comes after the Commission proposed in May a system for distributing asylum seekers around the bloc, an idea that angered eastern EU states which refuse to take in refugees. l

12 Business

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

TOP STORIES RMG EXPORT TREND EXPORT VALUE IN $BN

30 25 20

21.51

19.08

12.71

EXPORT GROWTH IN%

28.09

25.49

24.49

13.83

6.56

10.21

4.08

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

Garment exports post over 10% growth in FY2016 Bangladesh garment industry has generated $28.09bn exports in the fiscal year 2015-16 with a 10.21% growth from the previous year, according to Export Promotion Bureau data. PAGE 13

IEA: Huge stocks overhang threatens oil price recovery

The global glut in oil is refusing to ease and acts as a major dampener on crude prices despite robust demand growth and steep declines in non-OPEC production, the International Energy Agency said yesterday. PAGE 14

Tech deal reboot exemplifies valuation disconnect Overpriced Silicon Valley unicorns aren’t the only technology-sector valuation oddities. Polycom, a struggling videoconferencing company, and Canadian rival Mitel Networks just created one by scrapping their merger deal. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Wednesday DSE Broad Index

4,538.1

-0.1% ▼

Index

1,115.5

-0.1% ▼

30 Index

1,776.5

0.2% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

3,868.7

-1.8% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

109.3 -14.7% ▼

CSE All Share Index 13,925.8

0.1% ▲

30 Index

0.0% ▼

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol

12,870.1

Robi-Airtel merger: Govt fixes Tk607cr as merger, spectrum fees

8,471.5

0.1% ▲

300.1

36.2% ▲

7.4 -22.6% ▼

n Ishtiaq Husain The government has decided to charge Robi Axiata Ltd a total of Tk607 crore as merger and spectrum fees as the operator is set to be merged with Airtel. The decision was taken at a meeting yesterday attended by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, State Minister for Posts and Telecommunication Tarana Halim and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood. The amount includes Tk507 crore as spectrum charge and Tk100 crore merger fee. “The figure is reasonable. Hope this will be satisfactory to the operators,” BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood told the Dhaka Tribune. He, however, declined to make any further comments. Earlier, the BTRC proposed the

Robi to pay Tk700 crore for using Airtel’s existing spectrum and Tk200 crore as merger and other fees. In 2005, Airtel paid Tk380 crore for 15MHz spectrum in the 1800 band for 15 years.

petitiveness and more importantly, bring greater benefits to customers in terms of network quality and coverage and an improved offering of data products and services. Axiata is one of the largest Asian telecommunication companies.

The figure is reasonable. Hope this will be satisfactory to the operators The companies were expected to get an approval on the deal by June, but as of today they didn’t get final approval to merger. Industry insiders said if the government delays further in making a final decision on the matter, it may create a negative impression among foreign investors. The merger is said to strengthen the industry’s infrastructure, com-

Earlier, BTRC held a public hearing on merger agreement between mobile phone operators, Robi and Airtel, where most opinions came out in favour of the deal. The regulatory body also formed a two-member expert committee to make a market analysis report. On January 29, Robi and Airtel signed a merger agreement in Kuala Lumpur to venture into a joint busi-

ness operation in Bangladesh. The joint venture will be named Robi. Upon completion, Axiata will hold 68.3% controlling stake in the combined entity while Bharti will hold 25%. The remaining 6.7% will be held by the existing shareholder, NTT DOCOMO of Japan. It has controlling interests in mobile operators in Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia with significant strategic stakes in India and Singapore. The group, including its subsidiaries and associates, has over 260m mobile subscribers in Asia. The group revenue for 2014 was 18.7bn Malaysian ringgit. Bharti Airtel Ltd is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. The company had over 346m customers across its operations at the end of November 2015. l

Top clothing retailers to keep sourcing products despite attacks in Dhaka n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The deadly terrorist attack in Dhaka would not deter global top clothing retailers giants including Target Corporation, JC Penney Company Inc, VF Corporation, Wal-Mart Stores and the Children’s Place from sourcing clothing products from Bangladesh. Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety – a platform for North American global retailer – working on safety improvement in Bangladesh in RMG industry came up with the remark at a media briefing yesterday. The briefing aimed at providing quarterly progress update on factory remediation and worker empowerment initiatives. “Despite these unspeakable tragedies, the Alliance and our member companies will continue to stay the course because improving safety for the millions of men and women who make a living in Bangladesh’s garment sector is a moral imperative,” James Moriarty, country director for the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, told the conference yesterday. “I am not aware of brands withdrawing or cancelling contracts.” “On behalf of the Alliance, our member companies and our staff, I am heartened and humbled by the strength of the Bangladeshi people, and I am confident their resilience

will see them through these challenging times,” he said. According to the second quarterly report of the Alliance as of yesterday, 28 RMG factories have completed their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and across all factories, more than one-third of the issues, most critical to life safety, has already been addressed, two years ahead of the deadline. “As we review and update our policies to help keep our staff and contractors safe, our work to improve safety in Bangladesh’s garment factories will continue at full speed,” said the former ambassador to Bangladesh. Since the end of first quarter, an additional six factories have been suspended for failure to make adequate remediation progress—bringing the total number of factories suspended to 83. On the topic of worker empowerment, Moriarty said: “Our worker training and helpline programs continue to bring positive change in the lives of workers and the safety of their workplaces.” The Alliance also provided training to more than 22,000 security guards in all Alliance factories that would allow them to play a leadership role in the event of fire or earthquake. The retailers platform also provided financial compensation to

nearly 7,000 workers displaced by remediation, fulfilling 100% of requests from factory owners, and helping workers provide for themselves and their families despite the temporary closure of those factories. The Alliance has also completed training for democratically elected worker safety committees in 34 factories, including the initial pilot programme of 16 factories, and it is going to launch the training for 60 plus factories in the next few months. More than 1.1 million workers in over 770 factories now have access to the Alliance’s confidential 24hour worker helpline, which allows them to safely and anonymously report concerns, safety or otherwise within their factories. The Alliance of mostly North American companies was set up in

2013 to improve safety in Bangladeshi factories after the collapse of Rana Plaza complex in which more than 1,100 people died. Members of the Alliance are Ariela and Associates International LLC, Bon Worth, Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited Carter’s Inc, The Children’s Place Retail Stores Inc, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Fruit of the Loom, Inc, Gap Inc, Giant Tiger Hudson’s Bay Company, IFG Corp, Intradeco Apparel, JC Penney Company Inc, Jordache Enterprises, Inc, The Just Group, Kate Spade & Company, Kohl’s Department Stores, LL Bean Inc, M Hidary & Company Inc, Macy’s Nine West Holdings, Inc, Nordstrom Inc, Public Clothing Company, Sears Holdings Corporation, Target Corporation, VF Corporation, WalMart Stores, Inc and YM Inc. l

Business

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Garment exports post over 10% growth in FY2016 n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Bangladesh garment industry has generated $28.09bn exports in the fiscal year 2015-16 with a 10.21% growth from the previous year, according to Export Promotion Bureau data. The growth has been attributed by exporters and analysts to political calmness during the year, increased productivity, entrepreneurs’ resilience and improvement of workers’ safety standards in factories. The data officially released yesterday showed that the earnings also exceeded the target of $27.37bn set for the year. Of the total figure, the knitwear constituted $13.35bn and woven products $14.74bn. “Even though profit margin declined, the manufacturers didn’t stop taking work orders. So I will give the credit to them (manufacturers) for seeing an even better export growth in the country’s garment sector,” Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told the Dhaka Tribune. He added that the start of manufacturing of high-end products by some entrepreneurs and the increase of workers’ productivity also contributed to achieve healthy export earnings.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed

RMG EXPORT TREND EXPORT VALUE IN $BN

30 25 20 15 10

25.49

24.49

21.51

19.08

EXPORT GROWTH IN%

12.71

28.09

13.83

6.56

10.21

4.08

2011-12

2012-13

Shahidullah Azim, managing director of Classic Fashion, said value addition of products was a major factor behind the growth while better prices for some products also helped. Referring to the recent terrorist attacks, he laid stress on improving security so the foreign buyers feel safe while visiting Bangladesh for negotiation. “If the security remains lax, buyers will not come,

2013-14

2014-15

and we will lose work orders.” “If all these negative issues are addressed, we will be able to achieve 12% export growth and successfully reach $50bn RMG export target by 2021,” Shahidullah Azim said. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, emphasised exploring new markets and diversification of products to maintain

2015-16

growth. He said buyers confidence was restored after improvement in safety standards of workers in factories. Bangladesh earned over $34bn from exports in the fiscal year 201516 which just ended, registering around 10% growth from the previous year. The figure also exceeded export target set for the year by $743m. l

Report: Bangladesh among 10 countries set to become new drivers of global growth n Kayes Sohel Bangladesh has been named one of 10 emerging markets that are set become new drivers of global economic growth over the next 10 years. BMI Research report says the economy is heading for impressive growth, lifted by the apparel and construction sectors. The report released last month by the US-based research firm of the Fitch Group has identified Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan as “10 emerging markets of the future.” The countries will add about $4.3tn to the global gross domestic product by 2025, providing significant opportunities for investors and roughly the equivalent of Japan’s current economy, the report said.

“Bangladesh’s export-oriented industrial sector already accounts for more than a quarter of GDP and will continue to develop as a global manufacturing hub in the coming years,” according to the report.

tate increases in urban populations and partly to help develop the manufacturing sector, it said. On the other hand, extractive industries — like mining, oil, and gas — are going to play a far small-

Bangladesh’s export-oriented industrial sector already accounts for more than a quarter of GDP and will continue to develop as a global manufacturing hub in the coming years In general, manufacturing and construction are the sectors that will drive the economies. BMI reports that new manufacturing hubs are set to emerge in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan, and that these countries will see particularly strong growth in exporting manufacturing industries. And construction growth is going to be widespread throughout all the countries — partly to facili-

er role in driving growth than they have in the past 15 years. While it might provide bright spots for some countries, the report stated: “The ubiquitous commodity-driven growth model that was derailed by the 2012-15 collapse in commodity prices is not coming back.” “In order to shortlist the countries, we considered those with per capita income of about $3,500 and

below, that enjoy strong enough economic and political institutions to enact reforms, are set to enjoy rapid economic growth, boast a potentially large domestic market and have an infrastructure deficit that will lead to productivity-enhancing investment,” it explained. BMI said a large domestic market implies strong growth opportunities for consumer industries. “Moreover, large populations will provide significant opportunities for infrastructure and construction as urbanization rates rise,” it said. Stronger institutions are typically associated with better policymaking, the protection of property rights and reform, which help to underpin growth, it added. The think tank said the countries that experience strong economic growth will provide strong investment opportunities and returns. l

Robi to pick new CEO in November

n Ishtiaq Husain Robi Axiata Limited has announced that it will appoint a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as part of its ongoing efforts towards developing and promoting talents from within. Accordingly, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed is the first Bangladeshi taking over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Robi in Bangladesh, replacing Supun Weerasinghe, to be effective from 1 November 2016, said Robi in a statement on Wednesday. Currently, Mahtab is on a special assignment for Axiata Group. He will return to Robi’s Leadership team from September 1, 2016 as the deputy chief executive officer, leading up to the completion of succession as CEO by November 1, 2016. Supun Weerasinghe will return to Dialog Axiata Plc (Dialog), Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, as the successor to the incumbent Group CEO, Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, to be effective from January 1, 2017. l

BB raises forex limit for overseas programme participants n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Bank has enhanced foreign exchange limit to private sector participants attending seminars, conference, workshops etc. abroad to $350 per diem from existing $200. Authorised dealers may release foreign exchange to private sector participants for the above mentioned purposes up to $350 per diem for SAARC member countries or Myanmar, said a circular Bangladesh Bank issued yesterday. The foreign exchange limit for other countries has been enhanced to $400 per diem from $250, according to the circular. Foreign exchange may be released only for the actual period of programmes on the basis of invitation letters received in the names of applicants or their employer institutions. Photocopy of the invitation letter and all other related documents should be kept in record by the authorised dealers for Post Facto scrutiny by the inspection officials of Bangladesh Bank.l

Business

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

IEA: Huge stocks overhang threatens oil price recovery n Reuters, London The global glut in oil is refusing to ease and acts as a major dampener on crude prices despite robust demand growth and steep declines in non-OPEC production, the International Energy Agency said yesterday. The IEA, which coordinates the energy policies of industrial nations, said it had revised up its forecasts of 2016 and 2017 global oil demand growth by 0.1 million barrels per day from last month to 1.4 million and 1.3 million bpd respectively. It said demand was growing thanks to good consumption in India, China and, surprisingly, Europe. “This (European demand growth) is unlikely to last, though, with the ongoing precariousness of the European economies now dealing with added uncertainty following the result of the UK referendum on membership of the European Union,” it added. Oil prices LCOc1 slumped to their lowest in over a decade at $27 a barrel earlier this year from as high as $115 in 2014 after OPEC raised production to fight for market share against higher-cost producers such as the United States.

n AFP, Dublin

A view of an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore But it was not enough to reduce the glut that had accumulated over the past two years. Commercial inventories in industrialized nations rose by 13.5 million barrels in May

Although stocks are close to topping out, they are at such elevated levels, especially for products for which demand growth is slackening, that they remain a major dampener on oil prices The slump forced many producers outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to curb output and prices recovered to around $50 in recent months, also supported by production outages in countries such as Nigeria and Canada.

Low-tax Irish economy grows 26.3% in a year

to a record high of 3.074 billion, the Paris-based IEA said. Inventories kept building in June, pushing oil in floating storage - one of the most expensive methods of stockpiling - to its highest levels since 2009, the IEA said. “Although market balance is

upon us, the existence of very high oil stocks is a threat to the recent stability of oil prices,” the IEA said. “Although stocks are close to topping out, they are at such elevated levels, especially for products for which demand growth is slackening, that they remain a major dampener on oil prices”.

Middle East Gains Market Share

The IEA also said recent data suggested growth could be slowing in some key consuming nations. In China, data for May suggested that year-on-year demand growth was only 130,000 bpd. In the United States, estimated gasoline deliveries in April were up just 75,000 bpd year-on-year, some 410,000 bpd below the IEA’s expectations. On the supply side, after a steep drop by 0.9 million bpd in non-

REUTERS

OPEC production in 2016 to 56.5 million bpd, output is expected to recover modestly by 0.2 million bpd in 2017. Meanwhile, OPEC crude output stood in June at an eight-year high of 33.21 million bpd with Saudi Arabia pumping at near-record rates of 10.45 million bpd and Nigerian flows partially recovering from rebel attacks. Iranian output rose to 3.66 million bpd in June, up 50,000 bpd on May and 750,000 bpd since the easing of Western sanctions at the start of the year. “As such, the Middle East’s market share of global oil supplies rose to 35%, the highest since the late 1970s and an eloquent reminder that even when US shale production does resume its growth, older producers will remain essential for oil markets,” the IEA said. l

Ireland’s economy grew by a barely believable 26.3% last year, according to official data published recently which was largely skewed by companies relocating to Ireland for tax purposes. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said the country’s gross domestic product had increased “significantly” in 2015 as it drastically upgraded a previous estimate of 7.8% growth. The boost in gross domestic product comes chiefly from companies moving to Ireland which shift their capital stocks onto the country’s balance sheet. Ireland has a corporate tax rate of just 12.5% - a point of bitter contention with other EU member states - and hosts the European headquarters of US tech giants including Google and Facebook. The economy has in any case performed well in recent years. Ireland has recovered from the global financial crisis and the economy was already by far the fastest growing in the eurozone. The CSO said the result was largely due to “an increase in the number of new aircraft imports into Ireland for international leasing activities” and the “reclassifications of entire balance sheets”. Jack Allen from Capital Economics consultancy said: “Looking through the massive distortions in the Irish GDP data, today’s Q1 release suggests that the economy has continued to perform well”. He pointed to strong 2.1 percent growth in household consumption in the first quarter, saying this was “immune” from the statistical distortions. Allen said it was also “possible” the Irish economy could also stand to benefit if companies relocate from neighbouring Britain as it withdraws from the European Union. l

Germany issues 10-year bond at negative interest rate n AFP, Frankfurt

Germany issued a 10-year bond at a negative interest for the first time yesterday, as fears about Brexit and economic worries cause investors to rush to the safety of German debt. The German central bank or Bundesbank announced that it sold more than 4bn euros ($4.5bn) of a new 10-year bond with a yield of minus 0.05%. In all, a total 4.783bn in bids were received for the zero-interest rate bonds. And some 4.038bn euros

were allotted, the Bundesbank said. The 10-year German government bond or “Bund” acts as a benchmark on the debt markets and regarded as one of the safest investments. It is the first time that investors have accepted negative returns in the first issue of a bond, meaning they will pay for the privilege of owning rock-solid German bonds amid fears about the consequences of the British vote to quit the European union and economic worries. While borrowers traditionally pay interest on the money they are

loaned, in the face of heightened political and economic uncertainty, those interest rates have come down to record lows recently as investors flock to safe havens to park their cash. By accepting negative yields, investors are effectively ditching any hope of a return on their investment in what seems a reasonable price to pay to escape the uncertainties of falling stock markets or volatile commodities and currencies. Interest rates on sovereign debt have been low for some time as

central banks snap up government bonds from investors in an effort to boost economic growth through increased liquidity. The European Central Bank has slashed its key interest rates to zero and launched a massive bond-buying programme known as quantitative easing (QE) in a bid to get the eurozone economy back on its feet and push inflation higher. Germany is just one of three countries in the euro area and six in the European Union to enjoy a top-notch triple-A rating on its sov-

ereign debt. Germany’s own finances have benefitted from its safe-haven status in recent years, because with investors favouring German sovereign debt, borrowing rates in Europe’s biggest economy have come down. The government has seen its annual interest payments fall from more than 40bn euros per year in 2008 to 21bn euros in 2015. The reduced debt servicing costs enabled Germany to balance its budget in 2014 for the first time since 1969 and a year ahead of target. l

Tech deal reboot exemplifies valuation disconnect n Jeffrey Goldfarb Overpriced Silicon Valley unicorns aren’t the only technology-sector valuation oddities. Polycom, a struggling videoconferencing company, and Canadian rival Mitel Networks just created one by scrapping their merger deal. Paul Singer’s Elliott Management originally played matchmaker. Last October, the activist hedge fund bought stakes in Polycom and Mitel and urged them to unite. With Polycom as buyer, Elliott reckoned the stock would more than double in a couple of years. About six months later, the idea came to fruition, albeit with the smaller Mitel acquiring Polycom for $2bn. The cash-and-stock deal offered a 22% premium to Polycom shareholders, who also would have owned threefifths of the enlarged entity. An anticipated $160m of annual synergies, worth some $1.3bn once taxed and capitalized, should have foretold plenty of upside. Even so, as often happens with technology companies generating little or no growth, investors were unimpressed. Polycom’s revenue had tumbled 10% and its operating income by a third since 2011. Mitel lost money in each of the last three years. Both

are under threat from larger competitors such as Cisco as well as from new workplace communication tools offered by the likes of Facebook and Slack. With the deal worth 20% less than when it was struck, Polycom last week decided to abandon it in favor of an allcash offer from private-equity firm Siris Capital. The price is 9% lower per share than the original Mitel bid, and Siris will keep all the benefits of any savings. Yet shares of both public companies rose on the news. Though part of that was down to investors who bet on deal prospects unwinding their positions, the episode exemplifies the strange prism through which investors see tech opportunities. In addition to the riches heaped on fast-growing startups like Uber, Microsoft can pay a 50% premium to buy a weakening but hyped LinkedIn for $26bn, promise no synergies and still receive a warm reception from the market. A company like Polycom, with dubious prospects, is rewarded more generously for facing its struggles in private than embarking on a money-saving merger with another public company. The same logic used to build tech products doesn’t always get applied when valuing them. l

CORPORATE NEWS

National Bank Limited has recently organised a workshop on prevention of money laundering and combating financing of terrorism, said a press release. The bank’s additional managing director, Md Badiul Alam inaugurated the workshop as chief guest.

New deputy managing director of Jamuna Bank Md Habibur Rahman has recently joined National Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd as deputy managing director, said a press release. Prior to his joining, he was the deputy managing director of Jamuna Bank Ltd. Rahman started his career with Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd in 1989 as a probationary officer. l

Business

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

IMF: Fed should hold on rates if Brexit vote hits growth n AFP, Washington

The IMF said that the Federal Reserve should hold off on raising interest rates if Britain’s vote to break with the European Union results in slower US growth. In its annual report on the US economy, the International Monetary Fund said it only expects a small Brexit

impact on US growth, which it forecasts at a sluggish 2.2% this year and picking up in 2017. “But because of uncertainty about the economic fallout, risks to the outlook appear now as skewed to the downside,” the report said. “Should downside risks materialize, interest rate increases should be delayed in line with a data-dependent

approach.” Nigel Chalk, the IMF Western Hemisphere Department deputy director, said the Fund was generally optimistic about the US economy in the near term. However, he told reporters, “There’s some drag from slower global growth and slower UK growth. There’s still an incredible amount of uncertainty.” l

Writing

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

5 reasons why writers make awesome friends They might not make much bank, but they have a lot going for them

n Features Desk A willing ear Other non-writer friends will soon lose interest in the story of your umpteenth fight with your parents, but start talking to your writing friend, and watch his/her face light up. This is because while you’re unburdening your soul and engaging in free therapy, your writer friend is already mining your life for the his/her next story. Win-win! Info bank A committed writer is a voracious reader, and one side-effect of reading extensively is that you end up learning and knowing a lot. If you need a source of random trivia, in a pinch, you can ask your writer friend, and chances are, you’ll find what you’re looking for. They’re also the ones most likely to be able to answer those questions that start with “why?” Getting the blues Just got dumped? Didn’t get that job you had your heart set on? Your internship supervisor trashed

your thesis proposal? Your other friends don’t “get” you? Never fear, talk to a writer. Anyone who has had to face criticism for a piece s/he has laboured over, had to endure multiple re-writes, and still got no love from publishers knows what rejection feels like, and will definitely be a lot more tolerant with you. Beautiful expression Whether it’s that birthday note you want to save in case they make a movie about you, or the perfectly penned excuse note so that your teacher doesn’t punish you for missing homework yet again, having a talented wordsmith amongst your friends is a gift that just keeps on giving. Save the drama for yo’ mama You don’t need to fête your writer friend for him/her to have a good time. Nor would you have to deal with scheduling gymnastics in order to spend some quality time. They’re low-maintenance, and usually have a flexible schedule, so even a low-key hangout is just fine by them. l

pick of the week Tidsoptimism At present I’m going to meet yesterday Except, he’s postponed our meeting to tomorrow They say life is fleeting, too short for a proper greeting Which is why I like to try to laugh at sorrow These split seconds are mine to borrow - Abrar Zaman

Got a story to share? Poetry in your soul? Send your fiction and poetry to featuresdt@gmail.com

Feature

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

How to survive a mega quake n Noor-E-Shahrin A recent GPS report has provided solid proof of the fact that we have known since forever: The Indian Subcontinent is sitting on a brewing and boiling Mega Quake ready for destruction anytime. No research until now can predict when this monster will be unleashed upon us. But when it does, Dhaka city, being one of the most densely populated capitals of the world, will be the hardest hit. For obvious reasons; the cramped up neighborhoods, commercial market places, weak infrastructure. The citizens of Dhaka, along with the other danger prone areas, must be prepared for this 9 Richter Scale earthquake on an individual level. Here’s all you need to know about how to survive a Mega Quake, and save your family in the process. Before the Earthquake The first step is to organise your disaster emergency kit. Don’t be under the impression that natural disaster is going to give you a head start when you will pack your essentials and walk out. Use a backpack carefully put in all the necessary basic supplies in it and place it somewhere quickly accessible. The necessary supplies include food, three gallons of water per person, medication, a flash light, a whistle to call for rescue, cash, blankets, paper and pen, batteries and a first aid kit. If you have a pet, take its necessary supplies as well. Know how to turn off gas and electricity supply. Most importantly, create a mental map highlighting the spots in your house, your office or classroom where you are likely to be safer. Choose spots where there is no chance of heavy objects falling on you. Next, teach the younger ones how to use emergency contact numbers; have family meetings and hold earthquake drills every now and then. During an earthquake The shakes have started, and it’s now or never. Don’t panic. What you do during the quake depends on where you are at that moment. If you’re indoors it’s best if you use the drop-cover-hold technique under some wooden

Photo: Bigstock

furniture like beds or dining tables. Definitely stay away from windows. Taking shelter under a doorway isn’t as safe as you might think, so let’s not take chances. Do not get out of the building until you know it’s safe. It’s also very helpful if you can save your head with a pillow. If you are at home, don’t leave that emergency kit you packed previously. If you are in a car and there is no traffic, slowly drive to a relatively empty area, where

no buildings, bridges or electric poles fall on your car. If you are not inside any vehicles, just run to a park or any such clear locations and drop to the ground. After the earthquake First thing first, spot your family members and neighbours and stay united. Don’t put down your shield after the shaking stops. You must be prepared for the aftershocks; just repeat the previous tactics. If your building is one of those

strong fighters that still stands among ruins, stay in and try fixing and repairing what has been broken. But don’t turn on gas supply or electricity supply until the companies assure that it’s safe. Avoid being electrocuted by hanging wires. Electrocution and fire are potential hazards after the quake. Try to contact emergency lines for life-threatening situations. Always keep your ears and eyes open for news updates.

If anyone can come to your rescue, it’s you. Don’t be dependent on someone else. Be alert, look sideways, look above you, look at what’s under you feet. First, attend to your wounds and then help others. Remember, it’s you family and neighbours and friends; be a responsible citizen and learn what you are up against. Be safe, people in the seismic-excited places. l

Teen

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

7 kinds of trolls you see on Facebook n Fariha Afroz Trolls are people on the internet who like to disrupt and destroy. They are a nuisance and people try in vain to avoid them. Here is a list of the types of Facebook trolls you are most likely to meet on the internet and how to tackle them. The Dictionary What they do: These are annoying people who will go about correcting every grammatical mistake you make. It was a typo? You were in a hurry? They do not care, they will correct you. They lurk on the Internet trying to find mistakes and pounce when they spot one. This is probably because it makes them feel superior to others and more learned. How to tackle them: Ignore them. Unless you really do have terrible grammar, then you learn from them. The Angry What they do: They are always angry about everything. Anything and everything they see on the internet will somehow manage to piss them off. And, they will not fume in private, they will let everyone know. The Angry ones always have some pent up anger they like to release over the most silly things. How to tackle them: If you do not want your day to be affected by their constant outbursts, unfollow them. Do not unfriend them because that might cause them to rant some more, just unfollow and live your life in peace.

what they think. This is probably a result of increased self worth because of which they think their opinion matters. How to tackle them: Read what they post. Even if you do not like their opinion, it is a quick way to learn about the things going on around. If you like to stay informed but do not like going through the news or newspaper, this is a neat little trick. The Hilarious What they do: Crack jokes, that is all they do. You will find them always cracking a joke, mostly inappropriate at the most awkward times. They are funny but lose control control once they have started. They probably do this to entertain themselves but sometimes go overboard and manage to anger people in the process. How to tackle them: You can react in two ways. Laugh with them if their joke is funny or laugh at them if the joke is on them. Either way, you enjoy. The Over sharing What they do: Somehow they seem to think people are interested in their lives. They share everything that they are supposed to along

with everything they are not. You will find yourself reading about everyhing from their child’s potty routine to their wife’s favourite earring. These people do not know when to stop and end up putting their lives up on the internet for the world to scrutinise. How to tackle them: Unfollowing is the best course of action. However, if they are a friend, you can have a chat with them and try talking them into sharing a little less. Be sure to mention you will miss seeing their updates every ten minutes or you risk losing them as friends. The Spoiler What they do: These are probably the most disliked people on the internet. No one likes to invest in a show, book or movie and then get it spoiled by some monster. But, this is exactly what The Spoiler does. They keep track of everything that is trendy and what everyone is watching or reading. As the first one to finish the newest episode of Game of Thrones, they really don’t know how to hold back. Next thing you know, spoilers are out, your movie/book ruined forever. No one can fathom why they do this. Maybe they just want everyone to

Laugh with them if their joke is funny or laugh at them if the joke is on them. Either way, you enjoy

be miserable. Spoilers are sad and vile humans. How to tackle them: Unfriend them not only from social media, but from your life too. You do not want this kind of negativity in your life. You have got 99 problems, getting spoilers won’t be one of them.

Trolls are always hated on but, the truth is without them the internet would be empty. They provide the necessary entertainment and some more. So, even when they get on your nerves, you can’t help but accept them as part and parcel of the world of Facebook. l

The Political Expert What they do: Anything remotely related to politics will draw these people out, like sharks smelling blood. They think of themselves to be political experts and are in fact extremely annoying know-itall’s. Starting a fight about which political party is better or how the present government is conspiring to destroy the county is right up their alley. How to tackle them: Bear with them. Unless you want your own name to become part of a conspiracy theory, there is absolutely nothing you can do. The Commentator What they do: Observing the world around them and commenting on everything is their passion. They like to constantly update their status or send out a tweet about current affairs. Anything that is going on will inspire them to comment to let the world know PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Biz Info

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

| food |

Green curry fried rice at Absolute Thai Absolute Thai’s all new Green Curry Fried Rice is guaranteed to be a favourite for anyone who likes green curry flavours. It’s made to taste much like green curry, starting with a good quality curry paste and coconut milk and then letting the other ingredients simmer in this fragrant sauce. Thai cuisine is a combination of diverse flavor, sweetness and hotness all on one plate; and this dish is a perfect representation of the Thai palate. The wonderful thing about green curry fried rice is that the rice actually soaks up all of this sauce so that every bite you take is infused with rich, spicy green curry. For reservations dial: 01610500022.l

| debate |

| tech |

IUB inter school debate tournament

Online purchase facility on WE Smart Solutions

The Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organised a three day long Inter School Debate Tournament titled “Ascension 16” from July 21 to 23, 2016. The tournament will be held at the IUB Campus in Bashundhara, Dhaka. Both English and Bengali medium schools from and outside Dhaka will be participating in this national level inter school debate tournament. So far, 30 schools have registered to participate while the registration will remain on till Friday, July 15 2016. More than one team can participate from each school while Tk1,500 will be required for registration for each team. Interested schools want to participate in this national level debate tournament are requested to contact http://bit.ly/IUBAscension or at the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Plot 16, Block B, Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka.l

WE, the latest Bangladeshi smartphone brand, has recently launched a new e-commerce site on June 25, to enable its customers to buy WE smartphones online. Customers can avail this service at anytime with just one-click to www.shop.we.net.bd. The demand of e-commerce is on the rise now, because of the benefits of getting all the information all together with just one click. This unique service help customers to buy products and solutions at their own convenience. Customers have the option to choose from different payment methods including cash on delivery (COD), credit card, debit car and mobile banking. All transactions are processed in Bangladeshi Taka and all credit/ debit card details will remain confidential and private. The website interface is user friendly and customers can select an item category and browse the available models. To see detailed information about any product, customers have to click the

“Details” or “Description” button. To buy any product, all they have to do is to click the “Add to Cart” button after logging in to their user accounts. After clicking “Add to Cart” button, the product will be taken to their virtual shopping carts from where they can make the purchase using convenient payment method. Once they click the “Checkout” button, they will be directed to a page which requires them to fill up their address details. After confirming the order, they need to select and click “Aamra epay” as their payment

gateway in the online store and enter their payment information to make an online payment. After entering the card details, the payment gateway will give the customers a confirmation message stating that the purchase has been successful. WE is also offering free delivery for customers in Dhaka. The prices listed for all items are final and all-inclusive. There are no hidden charges when one makes a purchase from the e-store. On completion of all required steps as stated above, customers will receive an invoice at their given email addresses. l

20 Editorial

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

TODAY

The rise of terrorism An alarming possibility is that terrorists are not going to stop soon. They can simply destabilise the country -- its social, economic, and political structure PAGE 21

From hope to despair Bangladesh was not born with the sacrifices of tens of thousands of lives, sweat, and blood of a people to become a place where people would be afraid to go out to eat PAGE 22

BIGSTOCK

Not helping

Please support Bangladesh, we need it now Japan and the EU should pro-actively support and help develop Bangladeshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy that would lay the foundation for economic prosperity as an important counterweight to the growth of radicalism PAGE 23

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

he statements made by the health minister and the industries minister in the wake of the recent terrorist strikes on Bangladesh are profoundly regrettable, and we hope very much that they do not represent official government thinking or policy. For the health minister to forthrightly point the finger at a specific educational institution is the worst kind of scape-goating at a time like this. Even though two of the terrorists involved in the recent horrific acts in Gulshan and Sholakia may have been students at one university, to tar the entire institution and hurl blanket accusations, as the good minister did, is unfair and unacceptable. There is no evidence that the university itself was involved or complicit in the radicalisation of these two young men, and to suggest otherwise even before any kind of inquiry has been conducted is the height of irresponsibility. We expect better from a sitting cabinet minister. Nor is the statement made by the industries minister, that the government intends to shut down all unauthorised restaurants, hospitals, and educational institutions, at all helpful in the current crisis. This has been a long-standing (and misguided) priority of the government, and we are shocked and saddened that anyone would try to use the recent tragedies to shoehorn in questionable policy that would do nothing to make us safer. The problem is not that various institutions are operating in residential areas. This has absolutely zero bearing on their safety, and shutting them down will do nothing to make the city safer. The good minister is, in effect, using the tragedy in order to advance a completely different policy agenda that has nothing whatsoever to do with fighting terrorism. The PM got it right yesterday when she spoke of the enormity of the terror threat facing the country and the need for us all to treat the matter with utmost seriousness. Sadly, it seems that these two ministers didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the memo. Playing the blame game with divisive rhetoric and using the tragedy to push for policies that are neither here nor there in the fight against terror are unhelpful in the extreme.

Playing the blame game with divisive rhetoric and using the tragedy to push for policies that are neither here nor there in the fight against terror are unhelpful in the extreme

Opinion

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

The rise of terrorism What caused it, and what are the remedies?

n GM Quader

xtremist politics generally originates from frustration in society. When people feel deeply aggrieved for any reason, consider they are being deprived, discriminated against, neglected, and oppressed; find no scope to vent those -- even if expressed there is no redress -- be convinced that the establishment of social justice is not possible in a normal way, radicalism becomes the only option to remedy their problems. Those angry people tend to achieve desired change by use of coercion. Terrorism or violent extremism is chosen as a means, like a weapon of the weak. Radicals follow specific ideologybased political philosophy and pursue the ultra left or ultra right. Ultra left politics was visible in Bangladesh just after independence. It could not survive. Extremists here are now following religion-based ultra right beliefs. A distorted version of Islam is considered the basis of their political ideology. Presently, Islamic militancy has become a concern internationally due to the serious nature of the damage it is inflicting in different countries. Militancy has spread considerably. Arms, ammunition, even trained soldiers move from one country to another to support their activities there. Another dangerous aspect is suicide attacks. Militants use it frequently. Efforts are seen to downgrade al-Qaeda or ISIS militants operating in Bangladesh as homegrown. McDonald’s burgers made here with American franchises do not make those homegrown, or less tasty. For sustaining and developing, terrorists need new recruits and patronisation. The support base in society is important. The bigger the number of sympathisers among the population, the more effective they become. Supporters of terrorists are not necessarily followers of their ideology. Similarity lies in deeprooted frustration and hatred against a common enemy. Activities of terrorists create embarrassment for the authorities. That makes the aggrieved people happy, and they support terrorists in conducting their activities. Mr Taj Hashmi (teaches security studies, and is a published author), wrote: “In sum, terrorism isn’t a problem of law and order to be resolved by law enforcers.

Militants can’t be treated the same way as ordinary criminals Terrorism is more than 90% political, social, economic, and psychological; only a small portion may be motivated by deviant religious ideology or practices.” It is agreed by most that the rise of militancy in Muslim-majority counties like Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc, is due to deficiency of democracy. The government is run without proper accountability. Widespread corruption, discrimination, deprivation, oppression, and injustice are prevalent in society. People are frustrated, and live in uncertainty. Large numbers of militant supporter are created in such environments. Bangladesh is also a Muslimmajority country where elements of social evils are common. It is a fertile land for militancy. Ambassador William B Milam (who worked in Bangladesh and is now a senior policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington) wrote: “The recent string of vicious killings in Bangladesh is less a terrorism issue than a governance issue; it is the ruling Awami League’s onslaught against its political opponents, which began in earnest after the

BIGSTOCK

An alarming possibility is that terrorists are not going to stop soon. They can simply destabilise the country -- its social, economic, and political structure. They may not even need to kill too many people. Has that not been learned in recent several incidents?

last election in January 2014, that has unleashed extremists in Bangladesh.” He finished the writing with: “Responding to this wave of attacks as though it were principally a security issue, rather than a governance problem, would only make matters worse.” It may be concluded that a “distorted version of Islamic ideology” does not contribute significantly to the rise of militancy. Militants, unlike ordinary criminals, possess ideology and support-bases in society. They are not created due to “law and order sluggishness,” and cannot be tackled accordingly. Governance is to be considered a major cause for

militancy here. Ignoring this aspect, it is being judged principally as a security issue. Efforts are concentrated in eliminating militancy by use of force. Use of haphazard and excessive force as reported is being considered harassment and oppression. This could end up counterproductive by helping further rise of militancy. An alarming possibility is that terrorists are not going to stop soon. They can simply destabilise the country -- its social, economic, and political structure. They may not even need to kill too many people. Has that not been learned in recent several incidents of hacking and killing, including the Gulshan

massacre? The principal issue is governance, through which frustration and desperation are to be diverted into hope and enthusiasm. Proper practice of democracy guarantees accountability at all stages, and ensures good governance. The government should convene meetings of all important political parties to reach a consensus on relevant issues. The idea is to take up a concerted effort for safeguarding the people’s welfare, leaving behind ant personal or party interests. l GM Quader is a former Minister of Commerce, Bangladesh.

Opinion

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

From hope to despair Within a few hours, everything changed

Ideas may not be as bullet-proof as we were led to believe

BIGSTOCK

n Habibul Haque Khondker

et us go back to Holey Artisan Bakery on Road 79 at Gulshan, Dhaka at 8pm, July 1. A fashionable, up-market eatery for the young elite of Dhaka, the favourite coffee place for expatriate Bangladeshis, a place also frequented by sojourners and foreigners who are seen in Bangladesh more commonly these days than at any time in the past. The three young friends, Faraaz, Abinta, Tarishi, the former two undergrads from Emory University, Atlanta on holiday, and the latter an Indian student from the University of California, Berkeley are having a coffee or a meal together. The Italian businesswomen and men are discussing some business deals with their Bangladeshi counterparts or friends, consolidating the integration of Bangladesh into the global economy. Japanese consultants to the newly launched metro rail project, a step into progress, are checking out this eatery as they always do when in a new city.

Bangladesh was not born with the sacrifices of tens of thousands of lives, sweat, and blood of a people to become a place where people would be afraid to go out to eat

The clientele, the ambience, and the mood were clearly cosmopolitan, befitting the new century. The eatery, ensconced by the lake on a bucolic road in a posh residential area, was a cosmopolitan space. The eatery could be in Paris, Madrid, or New York, a public space -- surely, not for everyone -- but a public space, nevertheless. The space also provided a peep into the 21st century, a taste of the future to come. In fact, the future was already there. Bangladesh has silently sneaked into a new century, with young men and women speaking confidently, dressing smartly, chatting away, sharing their dreams in a cosmopolitan space of hope.

The transition has been silent, yet to be announced to the world, because the news presenters of the CNN coverage of a terror attack that followed, kept introducing Bangladesh as one of the poorest countries in the world; one reporter even doubted whether Bangladesh police, who may not have been paid regularly, are up to the task of handling the crisis. I am sure many of these reporters and news presenters need some education on Bangladesh and the region, but that is a separate matter. One of the expert commentators, a former US ambassador from one of the Middle Eastern countries used a new phrase, (new to me, for sure) while discussing terrorism; he

used the phrase “the greater Middle East,” conferring a new geographical identity to Bangladesh. Has Bangladesh in a space of few hours been transported from South Asia to the Middle East, a term that was coined by an American Naval Officer, Captain Alfred T Mahan in 1902 as a space of geo-strategic interest to the US? Maybe the former American diplomat was not thinking of geography, but of geopolitics, or a deadly ideological battle that is spreading in Bangladesh. Suddenly international media began to mention Bangladesh alongside Syria, Iraq, Istanbul, and other cities of Europe that came under terror attacks recently. Not that Bangladesh was a

stranger to terror attacks -- in recent years, individual writers, thinkers, religious leaders of other faiths have been assassinated in targeted attacks. But the attack at 8:45 pm on July 1 was qualitatively different. It was not a hit and run. It was a suicide mission. Those who came to kill apparently did not make any attempt to escape. In a matter of hours, as they carried out their terror, slaughtering nearly 20 men and women, they transported Bangladesh back several centuries. It was a dramatic u-turn from her tryst with destiny. July 1 is going to be remembered as a watershed in Bangladesh’s history. It is not the number of casualties but the big picture that matters. As some number crunchers would tell us, more people died in US in road accidents in a typical year in the 1970s than the total US deaths in the Vietnam War. Last time I checked, the war toll was something like 58,000. That does not diminish the historical importance of the Vietnam War. What happened on July 1 was the death of an idea; the idea of Bangladesh as conceived by the founders of this nation and the Bangladesh that Faraaz and Abanti dreamed of. Maybe the handsome young lad was discussing his future, maybe Abanti was outlining her dreams and the dreams of her generation, casting their lot with the new Bangladesh -- a dream Bangladesh that they thought was achievable. They are part of a new generation who look at their motherland in a different light. Bangladesh was not born with the sacrifices of tens of thousands of lives, sweat, and blood of a people to become a place where people would be afraid to go out to eat. I am sure people will still go out to eat, shop, and live their normal lives, albeit under greater protection of security. Securitisation will follow; it will be the new normal in Bangladesh. One of my friends, a prominent civil society activist is optimistic. In a Facebook status, she expressed hope, and she talked about resilience. I only wish she is right. July 1 was not a cyclone or flooding, which Bangladeshis now face with great resilience. In a span of few hours, a space of hope has been unmistakably transformed in to a space of despair. l Habibul Haque Khondker is a sociologist and part-time columnist.

Opinion

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Please support Bangladesh, we need it now The friendship of Japan is now more important than ever

n Ifty Islam and Ahsan Mansur

angladesh remains in shock following the terrorist attack on Holey Bakery on July 1, that saw 20 hostages including nine Italians and seven Japanese being brutally murdered. A country that has been perceived internationally, and also domestically, as a moderate and secular Muslim country, has been confronted with the reality and savagery of radical Islam. Beyond the human tragedy, the broader ramifications and shockwaves for the economy and the country’s future development are yet to be felt. After an initial, and misleading, report in the Wall Street Journal that JICA was considering withdrawing from Bangladesh, the Japanese government reconfirmed their commitment to Bangladesh’s development. This is encouraging given that all countries that have been affected by terrorism in Bangladesh, Istanbul, Paris, Brussels, and most recently the 200+ lives lost in Iraq, should work together to tackle this global menace. So how should Bangladesh, and its key development partners such as Japan, move forward positively? Firstly, we need to recognise that these innocent lives were taken with no purpose or logic. As we watched the plane land at Narita airport on NHK Global with the seven coffins on Tuesday morning met by Japan’s foreign minister, we shared the grief of a nation at the senseless loss of the lives of those who dedicated themselves to support Bangladesh’s economic development. Watching each of the victims -- the youngest of whom was a 27 year old lady -- being profiled was heartbreaking. But disengagement is not in the interests of either country. Japan has been a longterm friend of Bangladesh, and as we have written almost exactly two years ago in an article, Japan’s proposed “Big B Economic Growth Corridor” offers the potential for the transformation of the Bangladesh economy in terms of infrastructure development and export growth (refer to the article “Look East and prosper” published in Dhaka Tribune). Work on the Matarbari 1400MW power plant, deep sea ports and Japanese economic zone are proceeding ahead of expectations. Bangladesh is also receiving

support from Japan in its metro rail and other large-scale infrastructure projects (indeed, the greater tragedy is that all the Japanese killed on July 1 were engaged in infrastructure development in Bangladesh). It is also important to emphasise that development cooperation is in the interest of both Bangladesh and its partners. In the case of the Japanese economy, there are immediate benefits for Japanese construction and power sector companies from the “Big B” initiative. But more broadly, Japanese companies establishing operations in countries such as Bangladesh can establish competitive reexport hubs to the rest of Asia, utilising Bangladesh’s cheap labour force.

Japan and Bangladesh must stand shoulder to shoulder

Japan, which lost seven of it’s citizens, and the EU that lost nine, should pro-actively support and help develop Bangladesh’s economy that would lay the foundation for economic prosperity as an important counterweight to the growth of radicalism Moreover, the domestic market of 160 million is also attractive. But there are also broader geo-political considerations with Japan’s development success via JICA counter-balancing the rise of China in the region which is pursuing its own “New Silk Route” and “One Belt, One Road” policies. More fundamentally, the contrast between Japan’s successful foreign policy based on trade and economic development via JICA contrasts sharply with US foreign policy of invasion or military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere, which has, in large part, fuelled/ provided fertile ground for the growth of ISIS. It is important than Japan does not lose this core foreign policy focus that has underpinned the affection Bangladesh and other countries have for Japan and its people. Looking at the longer term challenges for Japan’s economy, Abenomics is still struggling with a huge budget deficit and a rapidly aging population. A more global Japan is the key to its economic future, not a more isolationist one. Japan, which lost seven of it’s citizens, and the EU that lost nine, should pro-actively support and help develop Bangladesh’s economy that would lay the foundation for economic

prosperity as an important counterweight to the growth of radicalism. This would be a fitting tribute to the 20 innocent people who lost their lives in the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery. Validating or rewarding the terrorists’ strategy by punishing 160 million people in Bangladesh by withdrawing economic cooperation would, by contrast, not honour the dead. Rather, it would encourage and embolden ISIS and similar terrorist organisations to target foreigners in other countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, as was reported on Tuesday in the press. The fight against ISIS is global not local -- the solution is for deeper international co-operation, not less. It is important in this moment of profound grief and introspection in Bangladesh, Japan, Italy, Turkey, and Iraq that we remember that. In this context, the call between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi following the Holey attack, where they pledged to collaborate in counter-terrorism activities was most welcome. The two leaders also agreed that counter-terrorism would be taken up at the Asia-Europe Summit to be held in Mongolia on July 15-16, as well as being made a priority for

the G8 group of leading countries where Japan holds the chair. It is also understandable that Japan and the EU, who lost their citizens, and the broader international community whose citizens are living in Bangladesh would like to be assured by our government that it has a clear strategy for averting similar incidences in Bangladesh. The immediate response of our prime minister through televised national address, announcement of two-day national mourning, and the expression of national sympathy and ceremonial support for the families of victims at the Army Stadium were most appropriate. However, the real task of restoring the shattered image of Bangladesh starts from here. The tragedy has clearly demonstrated that the perpetrators are not the usual suspects as portrayed by the government. The killers are not Jamaat/Shibir or other religious extremists, as usually alleged. They are from middle or upper middle income backgrounds, with college/university education, just like our own children. They were missing from their families for months, and sometimes for more than one year. We also understand that many other youths are similarly

REUTERS

missing across Bangladesh. Our terrorism efforts thus need to be better targeted and informed by international support and experience, including identification of sources of financing and the organisers providing local-level support. We also need to fight terrorism through social awareness and political inclusiveness. The old-fashioned British-era tactics of mass arrest by the police and politicising the events by pointing fingers to the opposition parties for domestic political purpose have not worked and will not work. Only by acknowledging the problem, Bangladesh will be able to adopt the appropriate strategy to fight against this kind of terrorism and assure the international community about its sincere efforts in tackling the problem. This will be important in maintaining the confidence of global buyers, and thereby, the growth in our RMG sector, which accounts for 80% of exports. In addition, ensuring support in development initiatives such as Japan’s “Big B” economic growth corridor, will have potential to transform our economy, and increase trade and investment with all the major economic powers in the region. Continued economic prosperity will be key to generating largescale and high quality employment for our youth, which in turn can be an important element in providing a less fertile ground for the growth in extremism for the next generation of Bangladeshis. l Ifty Islam and Ahsan Mansur work at PRI.

24 Sport

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Visa woes delay Fizz’s Sussex debut

TOP STORIES

n Tribune Report Talented Ishma rising fast Few years ago, Ishma Tanjim once faced a situation where her team needed eight runs to win off the last two deliveries. A win would earn her team, Rupali Bank, a promotion into the Women’s Premier League. PAGE 25

Sunderland confirm Allardyce in Eng talks Sunderland have given permission to the Football Association to speak to manager Sam Allardyce about the vacant England post, the EPL club said yesterday. Allardyce is one of the favourites to succeed Roy Hodgson. PAGE 26

Bangladesh’s new Belgian head coach Tom Saintfiet shares a light moment with national captain Mamunul Islam during training at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Mustafizur Rahman’s arrival in the UK has been delayed due to visa issues. He couldn’t leave yesterday which means he will miss his scheduled debut for Sussex tomorrow, against Hampshire in the NatWest Twenty20 Blast. The visa procedure is set to be completed “any day”, according to a Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman, upon which he will immediately take his flight. But the latest delay means that Mustafizur will now have to target Sussex’s July 21 T20 fixture at Essex. The delay was caused by the unusually long Eid vacation which meant that he had to wait till after the holidays to apply for the UK visa. Mustafizur had missed most of Sussex’s T20 and one-day campaign through multiple injuries on his right leg following the gruelling Indian Premier League season for Sunrisers Hyderabad. In March this year, Sussex had announced that Mustafizur would be their second overseas player and participate in the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London One-Day Cup. The Bangladesh bowler was set to join Sussex at the end of the IPL but injuries and fatigue denied him from appearing in the UK.l

Siddikur all set to carry Bangladesh flag Giggs signs up for Indian futsal league Welsh legend Ryan Giggs will return to the pitch as a player in the inaugural Premier Futsal starting in India this week, the organisers announced yesterday. Ronaldinho and Hernan Crespo have also signed up for the event. PAGE 27

Pakistan return to Lord’s Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir will hope to put the 2010 spot-fixing scandal behind him once and for all when he returns to the scene of the crime in first Test against England. Six years ago Amir and Mohammad Asif deliberately bowled no-balls at Lord’s. PAGE 28

n Tribune Report The country’s iconic golfer Siddikur Rahman is most likely to bear Bangladesh’s flag in the forthcoming Olympic Games which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month. Earlier on Monday, it was officially announced that the 31-year old golfer became the first Bangladeshi to qualify for the Olympics directly. An executive committee meeting of the Bangladesh Olympic Association will take place today where the decision to appoint the flag-bearer will be finalised. And Siddikur is well ahead of the others in the probable list. The director general of BOA, Brigadier General Fakhruddin Haider also believes Siddikur should get the honour. “It is not yet finalised as to who will bear Bangladesh’s flag in the Olympics. We will finalise it in [today’s] meeting. But in all likelihood, Siddikur will carry the flag in Rio. It should be him,” said Fakhruddin

to Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Siddikur, who admitted that qualifying directly for the Olympics is by far the “biggest achievement” of his life, will fly for Brazil on August 2 to get enough time to adapt with the condition and the golf course as he will be travelling to a Latin country for the first time. The golf event will be held from August 11-14. The BOA has been in regular touch with Siddikur and stated that they will provide all the necessary expenses to the two-time Asian Tour winning golfer. Bangladesh are yet to claim a single medal in any sporting event

at the Olympics. Therefore, in order to inspire the athletes, the BOA this time around has announced cash incentives for the Olympic participants. A gold medal winner will bag Tk one crore, silver winner Tk 50 lakhs and bronze winner Tk 25 lakhs. “There is always expectation but the reality is very different. We have to understand the reality as well. Siddikur is ranked more than 300 in world rankings while he is 56th among the Olympic golf participants. There will be big golfers of the world. But still we hope for the best. He qualified directly, this is already the biggest news for us.”

said Fakhruddin. It will also be the first time a Bangladeshi golfer taking part in the Olympics although golf has not been a part of the Olympics since the St. Louis Games in 1904. Among the other participants from Bangladesh, swimmers Mahfizur Rahman Sagor and Sonia Akhtar Tumpa, shooter Abdullah Hel Baki and archer Shyamoli Roy have so far received wild-cards. Sagor carried the Bangladesh flag in the London Olympics in 2012 while another swimmer Mohammed Rubel Rana bore the flag in Beijing in 2008. Commonwealth Games gold-winning shooter Asif Khan carried the red and green flag in Athens in 2004. “This is a great thing that someone from Bangladesh qualified for the Olympics through direct qualification. I’m proud of him and happy at the same time. I hope he will perform well there. I wish him the best,” said Rubel, who clinched seven gold medals in the 2007 Indo-Bangla Games, including six new records.l

Talented Ishma rising fast

Sport

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

n Rashad Banna Few years ago, Ishma Tanjim once faced a situation where her team needed eight runs to win off the last two deliveries. A win would earn her team, Rupali Bank, a promotion into the Women’s Premier League. “Our opponents Ansar VDP scored 158 runs in 40 overs. Our opening batters made a decent start but we lost a few quick wickets. I was sent in after the fall of the third wicket. When I went in, we needed 30 runs from 30 balls,” said Ishma, barely able to conceal her excitement. “I was helpless though as we kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The advantage provided by our openers had gone. Still, I was determined to take my team to the destination. “As fate would have it, we needed eight runs from the final two deliveries. Thankfully, I connected both. I remained unbeaten on 20. Our joy knew no bounds. We became the First Division champions and were promoted to the Premier League,” she added with a broad smile. Ishma’s cool head in this tight situation belied her age and experience. It has been around six years since Ishma took up a bat and decided to pursue a career in cricket, the game she loves passionately. Like many Bangladeshi kids, Ishma started out by playing in the street. Upon receiving the advice of a family relative, her parents decided to enrol Ishma at the cricket academy in the neighborhood ground. Her coach Ranjit Roy helped fine-tune her skills which in turn enabled her to earn a contract with Azad Sporting Club. Ishma’s big-hitting exploits were so evident that her age back then – 13 – did not prove to be a stumbling block. And since then, she has not looked back as her career flourished in leaps and bounds. After

Ishma Tanjim (sitting second from left) poses for a photo alongside her Rupali Bank team mates after clinching the Dhaka First Division Women’s Cricket League 2014-15 at Gulshan Youth Club Ground COURTESY a season with Azad, she featured for Cricket Coaching School, Gulshan Youth Club, Rupali Bank and Khelaghar. Her consistent performances with the bat even attracted the attention of powerhouse Abahani Limited. But at the moment, she wants to stay put. In between all the club action, Ishma’s defining moment came in 2012 when the national selectors called her up in the 30-member preliminary squad. Fifteen-years old back then, she was the youngest ever Bangladeshi woman to receive a call-up to the national fold. “It was surreal. I was so young and had experienced cricketers like

Salma Khatun, Jahanara Alam and Panna Ghosh as my teammates. I could barely hide my elation. Even though I didn’t get to play any officials matches, they really helped me and inspired me to keep on working hard. Looking back in time, that national camp showed me what I needed to do to keep up my fitness and performance levels,” she said. Ishma though did go on to express a tinge of disappointment. “I got an A-minus in my SSC exams. So naturally, I was really serious during my HSC exams earlier this year. Combining both studies and cricket is a bit hard. I missed a few practice sessions and matches.

Mahi runners up in North Florida Junior Amateur n Tribune Report

Young Bangladesh golfer Afnan Mahmud Mahi (L) is all smiles following his secondplaced finish in the North Florida Junior Amateur tournament in USA recently

Young Bangladesh golfer Afnan Mahmud Mahi became the runners-up in the North Florida Junior Amateur which was held in the USA from July 10-12. Mahi scored two-over-par in the 16-18 years old category at the 7300yard gold course. The 17-year old golfer, who was invited to the event after finishing third in the Under-16 group of the Faldo Asian Grand Final in 2015 in Shenzhen, China, will take part in the Hurrican Junior Open in USA this Monday. Mahi is currently participating in a golf clinic in the USA under foreign coaches Tom Barnett and Reid Whitakerin.l

So, I missed out on the latest national squad,” she said ruefully. “But I have time on my side. I know I’ll get many more opportunities to test myself in the national side. So, I’ll just need to do what I do best; keep on performing.” Ishma said Mohammad Ashraful and Virat Kohli are her favourite cricketers but when it comes to playing style, she is a huge follower of the English stylist Ian Bell. “Besides Bell, I respect Shakib al Hasan’s consistency. My jersey number is 75, like Shakib.” Ishma is the second among three sisters. Her family is her inspiration and says they provide her relentless support. So far, she has

liked everything she has seen during the course of her career. With the exception of one thing – the lack of domestic tournament. “I have no major complaints towards anything. I get paid to play the game that I love dearly. However, there are only two domestic tournaments in a year – the Premier League and the First Division. If there were more competitions, there would be more and more women cricketers taking up the game. In the process, Bangladesh women’s cricket would also benefit. “Other than that, I’m totally fine with everything. After all, I’m living my dream,” said Ishma. l

Celtic crash to Gibraltar part-timers Lincoln n AFP, Paris Scottish giants Celtic crashed to a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Lincoln Red Imps on Tuesday with the goal scored by Lee Casciaro, a policeman in his day job. Manager Brendan Rodgers’ first competitive match in charge was a humiliating affair, with 34-yearold Casciaro inflicting the hammer blow in the 48th minute. “Surreal, it’s what people dream about, beating a big club like Celtic, we’ve done it here,” the match winner told Sky Sports. “Getting the winning

goal is something that will be with me for the rest of my life,” he added. “Historic result for our club tonight. A brave performance by our lads has delivered a dream result. Well done to all!” Lincoln tweeted. This was one of 1967 European champions’ Celtic’s worst ever defeats in the competition, and it left the Hoops counting on turning the second qualifying tie around in the return leg at Parkhead next week. For Rodgers it was the worst possible start to his Celtic career, the former Liverpool boss having replaced Ronny Deila in May. l

Sport

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

FIVE MOMENTS IN A CRAZY EURO 2016 FINAL EDER THE HERO A final that appeared to be heading for penalties suddenly swung Portugal’s way thanks to Eder’s tremendous strike in the 109th minute at the Stade de France. The bustling centre-forward had come on in the 79th minute for Renato Sanches and his power and strength was too much for France centre-back Laurent Koscielny to handle. One could hardly have chosen a more dramatic match-winner. After enduring a torrid time at Swansea City, Eder owed winning his place in Fernando Santos’ Portugal squad at the finals to his form on loan at Ligue 1 club Lille in the second half of last season. And in May he signed a fouryear deal at the same club. What kind of reception will he get on the pitches of France next season?

MORE TEARS, OF PAIN AND JOY, FOR RONALDO Cristiano Ronaldo was just 19 when he cried tears of despair as Portugal lost the Euro 2004 final on home soil. He had stated his wish to be crying with joy this time and the Real Madrid forward was finally able to celebrate winning a major international trophy for the first time. From a personal viewpoint this was not his night. After hurting his left knee in an eighth-minute challenge with Dimitri Payet, Ronaldo tried to carry on but eventually gave up midway through the first half. The three-time World Player of the Year slumped to the turf and was inconsolable as he had to be stretchered off to be replaced by Ricardo Quaresma. The substitution of the biggest star on the field took the sting out of the game. It was also eerily similar to the 1998 World Cup final at the same ground, when Brazil were undermined by the original Ronaldo’s fitness problems as they lost 3-0 to France. He did not reappear until the end of the 90 minutes but he was there willing his colleagues on from the dugout and has now picked up a Champions League winners’ medal and won the European Championship in less than two months. Could a fourth World Player of the Year award be next?

Sunderland confirm manager Allardyce in England talks n Reuters Sunderland have given permission to the Football Association (FA) to speak to manager Sam Allardyce about the vacant England post, the Premier League club said yesterday. Allardyce, 61, is one of the favourites to succeed Roy Hodgson, who resigned last month after England’s humiliating exit from the European Championship at the hands of Iceland. Sunderland said the ongoing speculation over the future of Allardyce, who, according to British media, has already been interviewed by a three-man FA panel, was “extremely damaging” to the club. “Sam is very much key to our plans,” the club, which narrowly

escaped relegation last season, said in a statement. “After what was an extremely challenging season, we are keen to see a period of stability, both on and off the field, and we want him to remain as manager of our football club.” Sunderland said it allowed the FA to contact Allardyce at the manager’s request but sought a quick end to the uncertainty. “...we urge the FA to respect the disruption that this process is causing and bring about a swift resolution to the matter,” the club added. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, former England coach Glenn Hoddle, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and United States manager Juergen Klinsmann have also been linked with the post by the local media. l

FRANCE LUCK AS HOSTS RUNS OUT The last team to win a major international trophy as hosts was France, at the 1998 World Cup, when current coach Didier Deschamps was the captain. In 1984 they won the European Championship as hosts and they were overwhelming favourites to repeat the feat on Sunday. After all France had not lost any of their previous 18 games at home in major competitions, winning 16 and drawing two. They had also won their last 10 matches against Portugal. The Selecao meanwhile, had been the last side to lose a major tournament final as hosts when they lost to Greece at Euro 2004. This was their moment at last.

SURGING SISSOKO STANDS OUT IN DEFEAT Moussa Sissoko was outstanding for Didier Deschamps’ beaten side. The 26-year-old’s marauding runs from midfield were a constant source of danger to the Portuguese and he almost conjured a brilliant winner with a late thunderbolt from 30 yards that was superbly kept out by Rui Patricio. Sissoko was not in Deschamps’ first-choice line-up at the start of the competition but impressed in a 0-0 draw against Switzerland in the final group game. After being benched against the Republic of Ireland in the last 16 he returned and impressed against Iceland in the quarter-finals and has kept his place ever since. Sunday’s final was a special occasion for the Newcastle United player of Malian origin. He was born in Paris and started out with a club in Aulnay-sous-Bois, just 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the Stade de France before turning professional with Toulouse in Ligue 1. He will surely earn a move away from Newcastle rather than be turning out in England’s second tier next season.

RUI PATRICIO KEEPS PORTUGAL IN IT Portugal would never have won their first European title without the heroics of goalkeeper Rui Patricio. He leaped to claw away Antoine Griezmann’s first-half header into the top-right corner and in the 86th minute he stopped Sissoko’s powerful drive. In another impressive stop, the Sporting Lisbon ‘keeper denied Olivier Giroud, parrying his shot from Kingsley Coman’s pass. l

Germany’s Loew to stay on despite Euro disappointment n Reuters, Berlin Germany’s Joachim Loew said he would stay on to lead the World Cup winners to their title defence in Russia in 2018 despite an initial hesitation on whether to continue after a disappointing semi-final defeat to France last week at the Euro 2016. Loew, who has coached Germany for 10 years and to five straight semi-final appearances at World Cups and Euros, said in a statement on Tuesday he planned to continue, ending some speculation that the 56-year-old might step down. “Despite our disappointment,

the team didn’t disappoint,” said Loew, who was Juergen Klinsmann’s assistant coach for two years before taking over the reins in 2006. “It was the youngest team in the tournament and I continue to see great potential,” added Loew, referring to his team’s average age of 25.4 years. “I’m sure that they’ll give us plenty of joy in the future and that’s why I remain enthusiastic about continuing to work with these players and accompany their developments going to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.”l

Sport

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

Giggs signs up for Indian futsal league

QUICK BYTES

n AFP, New Delhi

Barcelona sign centre back Umtiti on five-year deal Barcelona have signed centre back Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyon for 25 million euros ($27.75 million), the La Liga winners said on Tuesday. The 22-year-old, who has signed a five-year contract, came through the Lyon youth system and earned his first cap for France in the European Championship quarter-final against Iceland, which the hosts won 5-2. “FC Barcelona have signed 22-year-old French international defender Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyonnais for the next five seasons,” the Spanish club said in a statement on its website (www.fcbarcelona.com). –REUTERS

Brazil midfielder Ganso close to Sevilla move Midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso is close to joining Spanish club Sevilla from Sao Paulo in his native Brazil, according to his current club president Carlos Silva. The 26-year-old, once billed as one of Brazil’s brightest emerging talents until his progress was curtailed by injury, was included in his country’s squad for the Centenary Copa America last month after a series of impressive displays for his club. –REUTERS

Digne joins Barcelona from PSG France international defender Lucas Digne has joined Barcelona on a five-year deal from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain, the Catalan club said yesterday. The 22-year-old left back spent last season on a successful loan deal at Serie A’s Roma and had been expected to move there permanently. But Barcelona have sealed the stylish Lille-trained player’s services in a deal worth 16.5 million euros ($18.26M) with a potential four million add on. –AFP

Klopp confirms Balotelli has no future Manager Juergen Klopp has told Mario Balotelli that with so much competition for places up front at Liverpool he should look for another club. Balotelli has returned for pre-season training following an unsuccessful loan spell at AC Milan but is well down the pecking order at Liverpool, who also have Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Divock Origi and Danny Ings on the books. “I have spoken to him about this,” the manager told reporters. “He’s not at the stage of his career where he should be battling with four or five other players for one or two positions... so it’s clear we need a solution.” –REUTERS

West Ham pin 50 million price tag on Payet Dimitri Payet is worth not a penny less that 50 million pounds ($65.3 million), West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has said, but even that might not be enough to prise the France midfielder away from the London club. Payet, who joined West Ham from Marseille in June last year, scored 12 goals in all competitions in his debut season in England and was instrumental in helping France reach the European Championship final, scoring three times. His performances for club and country have prompted speculation about a possible move to Chelsea, Manchester City or Paris St Germain, but Gold said West Ham would be reluctant sellers even if someone matched the huge fee. –REUTERS

Willian signs new four-year contract at Chelsea Brazilian playmaker Willian has agreed a new four-year contract with Chelsea, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, voted the London club’s Player of the Year last season by fans and team mates, said it was “a dream to continue”. “Over the next four years I will try to help the team win more trophies,” he added. Willian joined Chelsea in 2013 and was the standout performer last season in what turned out to be a wretched campaign for the defending champions. He has scored 19 goals in 140 appearances. –REUTERS

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX

CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1

6:30PM

4:00PM

Premier Futsal League Chennai v Mumbai Goa v Kolkata

Pakistan Tour of England 1st Test, Day 1

Welsh football legend Ryan Giggs will return to the pitch as a player in the inaugural Premier Futsal starting in India this week, the organisers announced yesterday. Brazilian star Ronaldinho and former AC Milan striker Hernan Crespo

have also signed up for the event beginning in Chennai tomorrow. Giggs, 42, recently left his assistant manager’s role at Old Trafford following the arrival of former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. “History waiting to be written! Ryan Giggs, Ronaldinho and Crespo are now part of the Premier Futsal family!” the organisers tweeted yesterday.

The tournament, which is the latest franchise-based sporting competition in India, will see six teams with five players each lock horns in the indoor competition. Each team will be led by a marquee player with Giggs helming Mumbai and England great Paul Scholes, who was signed up last month, leading Bangalore. l

Sport

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

All eyes on Amir as Pakistan return to Lord’s n AFP, London

Mohammad Amir practises during a training session at Lord’s yesterday REUTERS

Tendulkar calls for more help from pitches for bowlers n Reuters, London Cricket pitches need to be more bowler-friendly if the rising imbalance between bat and ball is to be addressed, Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar has said. The Marylebone Cricket Club world cricket committee on Tuesday recommended limitations on the thickness and depth of bats amid concerns that the sport has tilted heavily in favour of the batsmen in recent years. A report commissioned by the MCC, the guardian of the game’s laws, in 2014 found the thickness of bats had marginally increased in the last century and that edges had broadened by 300 percent, meaning even mistimed shots could still find the boundary. Tendulkar, who quit international cricket in 2013 as the game’s most prolific batsman both in Tests and the 50-over format, demanded more assistance for the bowlers from the playing surface. “The wickets need to change; they need to be more helpful for

bowlers,” Tendulkar said. “In T20s, the greatest of bowlers are being reverse-swept. Three-hundred is no longer competitive in ODIs. “So there should be at least one format where bowlers have a better chance of executing their skills and making it more interesting for spectators. “I don’t think it’s got much to do with bats, but I’m sure people on the (relevant) panel will be able to look into it.” Tendulkar’s views echoed the sentiments of Australian opener David Warner who said last week that flat pitches rather than bats with thicker edges are the reason batsmen have the upper hand in Test cricket. Tendulkar was part of the panel that recommended Anil Kumble for the India coach’s job and he expects the team to benefit from the vast experience of the former leg-spinner. Kumble, who came out to bowl with a bandaged jaw in a 2002 Antigua Test, can also teach the players how to handle adversity, said Tendulkar.l

Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir will hope to put the 2010 spot-fixing scandal behind him once and for all when he returns to the scene of the crime in today’s first Test against England at Lord’s. Six years ago, during a Lord’s Test against England, Amir and Pakistan new-ball partner Mohammad Asif deliberately bowled no-balls on the instructions of captain Salman Butt as part of a sting operation carried out by a tabloid newspaper. All three received five-year bans from cricket and, together with sports agent Mazhar Majeed, jail terms. Such was the impact of the controversy, the fact teenage sensation Amir took six for 84 in the first innings of that match has largely been forgotten. For all his time out of cricket, the 24-year-old retains the ability to swing the ball late at sharp pace, as he showed with a first-innings haul of three for 36 in Pakistan’s tour opener against Somerset. It means an England side missing

all-time leading injured wicket-taker James Anderson and sidelined all-rounder Ben Stokes, should not have things all their own way as they did in the preceding 2-0 home series win over Sri Lanka. While the likes of former Pakistan batsman Ramiz Raja have expressed doubts about the wisdom of letting Amir back into international cricket, players on both sides have accepted the situation. “We could talk or moan about it and have our opinions but the fact is it is not going to change him opening the bowling at us on Thursday or playing against us throughout this (four-match) series,” said England batsman Root. Amir is far from the only threat in a Pakistan bowling line-up also featuring fellow left-armer Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan and leg-spinner Yasir Shah. The key to the series could lie with both teams’ top-order batsmen. England were repeatedly bailed out of early collapses against Sri Lanka by in-form middle-order batsman Jonny Bairstow. Pakistan have a strong middle

order in skipper Misbah-ul-Haq fellow veteran Younis Khan and the in-form Asad Shafiq. But doubts persist over openers Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood, just as there are concerns as to whether Alex Hales, yet to score a Test hundred, is the right man to partner skipper Alastair Cook at the top of England’s order. The match will also mark the return to Test cricket of England batsman Gary Ballance after he was dropped last year. But an unconcerned Riaz said: “We are not worried about what England has picked or they haven’t picked. For Riaz, and many Pakistanis, there is more riding on this match than just the raw result. “Under the captaincy of Misbah this team is much more united,” he said. Being without Anderson is blow for England. However, when he was ruled out of last year’s fourth Test, fellow quick Stuart Broad took eight for 15 on his Trent Bridge home ground, as Australia were skittled out for 60, to set up an Ashes-clinching win. l

Riaz insists no one ‘ruder’ than a Pakistani n AFP, London Wahab Riaz has warned any England cricketers who “sledge” or verbally abuse their Pakistani opponents during the upcoming Test series may get more than they bargained for. Today sees England and Pakistan meet at Lord’s for the opening Test in a four-match series. It will be Pakistan’s first series in England since their infamous 2010 tour. Riaz, recalling the incident, told reporters at Lord’s on Tuesday. “He was a bit rude and when it comes to being rude you can never beat the Pakistanis on it. We are the most rude when it comes to it. “We are nice but if somebody is rude we won’t spare it.” The fast bowler added: “He was a bit rude, he was angry, he was not scoring runs, he was getting out early in the ODIs - he was doing well in the Tests. Riaz insisted Amir would rise to the occasion and that the Pakistan squad were fully behind his fellow left-arm quick. Pressed on the issue once more, Riaz told an English journalist: “It’s gone now buddy, live in the present.”l

England’s captain Alastair Cook batting in the nets during a practice session at Lord’s cricket ground in London yesterday AFP

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Interior decoration (5) 4 Attic (4) 7 Boast basin for small craft (6) 8 Imply (5) 10 Tumbled (4) 11 Unsuitable (5) 12 Make brown (3) 14 Slender support (4) 17 Hurried (4) 19 Metal-bearing rock (3) 20 Frequently (5) 23 Tidy (4) 25 Musical drama (5) 26 Reluctant (6) 27 Ran away (4) 28 Sanity (5)

DOWN 1 Goes aimlessly (6) 2 Augury (4) 3 Uncommon (4) 4 Elevates (5) 5 Number (3) 6 Waver (6) 9 Sunny (4) 13 Call for aid (6) 15 Vocal sound (4) 16 Threaten (6) 18 Was weakly affectionate (5) 21 Throw (4) 22 Fencing weapon (4) 24 Hail! (3)

Downtime

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents V so fill V every time the figure 3 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. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

Showtime

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

An essential list of cancelled and renewed TV shows for 2016-17 Part two of a two-part story

n Showtime Desk

Also cancelled/over: Knock Knock Live Minority Report Bordertown Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life Grandfathered The Grinder Second Chance

In yesterday’s paper, we printed a list of what we can expect from the remaining half of 2016 and into the future on TV. Excellent TV shows have been renewed, while many others saw the sharp end of the axe, so what stays and what goes? Here’s the remaining list.

HBO (RENEWED)

Carter cancelled, but ABC thought otherwise. What can we do about it? Well, you can sign a petition and keep talking about how great of a show it was! Come on ABC, you’re missing a trick!

ABC (RENEWED)

How to Get Away With Murder: This show is probably the most ridiculously gripping thing on TV right now, and we just can’t get enough it. How To Get Away With Murder follows a group of young defence attorneys and their enigmatic teacher, professor Annalise Keating. The show is literally about people getting away with murder, both in and out of the courthouse, and it’s amazing. Also renewed: Last Man Standing Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Middle Modern Family Once Upon a Time Quantico The Real O’Neals Scandal Shark Tank Secrets and Lies Nashville (Previously cancelled, now moving to CMT & Hulu) Jimmy Kimmel Live! 20/20 American Crime America’s Funniest Home Videos The Bachelor Bachelor in Paradise Black-ish The Catch Dancing with the Stars Dr. Ken Fresh Off the Boat The Goldbergs Grey’s Anatomy

ABC (CANCELED/OVER)

Agent Carter: Okay guys, here’s the deal. None of us wanted Agent

Also cancelled/over: Castle Of Kings and Prophets The Muppets Blood & Oil Wicked City The Family Galavant

Fox (RENEWED)

Bob’s Burgers Bones Brooklyn Nine-Nine Empire Family Guy Gotham Hell’s Kitchen The Last Man on Earth Lucifer MasterChef Junior New Girl Rosewood Scream Queens The Simpsons Sleepy Hollow

FOX (CANCELED/OVER)

American Idol: After 14 successful years of churning out pop’s biggest and brightest starlets, only to have them fizzle into nothing has finally aired its last episode on April 7th. Love it or hate it, there’s a tiny, minuscule part of us that’s sad to see it end.

Girls: When Girls was premiered in 2012, creator Lena Dunham was hailed by all for her realistic portrayal of a few characters in their twenties, trying to make it in New York City, without any clue on how to. As the years rolled by, the show seemed to lack a spark and the characters became increasingly unlikeable. Whether this was deliberate or not, is up for debate but despite that, the show has been renewed for another season. Also renewed: Ballers Game of Thrones Silicon Valley Veep Last Week Tonight with John Oliver The Leftovers (For its third and final season) Vice Real Time with Bill Maher

ELSEWHERE/STREAMING (RENEWED)

12 Monkeys (Syfy) The Affair (Showtime)

American Horror Story: Well it inevitable that American Horror Story would be renewed, what would the Halloween season be like without it? Season 5’s Hotel starring Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Lady Gaga was a roaring success, leaving both critics and fans impressed. The news of Season 6 has already been surfacing, and

Orphan Black (BBC America): One show that seems to get better and better is Orphan Black. We recently binge-watched Season 3 and 4, and both of them were gripped from start to finish. It is one of the smartest sci-fi shows still airing and it totally deserves all the support that it has received.

we couldn’t be more excited.

Also renewed: Outlander (Starz) Shadow Hunters (Freeform) Shameless (Showtime) Suits (USA) Twin Peaks (Showtime) The Path (Hulu) Preacher (AMC) The Walking Dead (AMC) Vikings (History) You’re the Worst (FXX) Younger (TV Land)

HBO (CANCELED/OVER) Vinyl Togetherness The Brink

The CW (RENEWED)

Legends of Tomorrow: Time travel, superheroes, secret organisations and power — Legends of Tomorrow has it all! Tied into CW’s Arrowverse, the show was bound to do well, and even though it received “mixed to average reviews,” it was good enough to secure a second season. Also renewed: The Flash iZombie Jane the Virgin The Originals Penn & Teller: Fool Us Reign Supernatural The Vampire Diaries The 100 Arrow Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The CW (CANCELED/OVER) Beauty and the Beast America’s Next Top Model Containment

Also renewed: The Americans (FX) Animals (HBO) Archer (FX) Ash vs. Evil Dead (Starz) Bates Motel (A&E) Better Call Saul (AMC) Billions (Showtime) Broad City (Comedy Central) Casual (Hulu) Cleverman (Sundance) Difficult People (Hulu) Drunk History (Comedy Central) Doctor Who (BBC America) Fargo (FX) Fear the Walking Dead (AMC) Hand of God (Amazon) Homeland (Showtime) Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central) Into the Badlands (AMC) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX) The Magicians (Syfy) Masters of Sex (Showtime) The Mindy Project (Hulu) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Transparent (Amazon)

ELSEWHERE/STREAMING (CANCELED/OVER)

The Awesomes (Hulu) The Soup (E!) MythBusters (Discovery) House of Lies (Showtime) Penny Dreadful (Showtime/Sky) So there you go. This is as definitive a list as we’re going to get right now, and we’ll keep you updated as we receive any news on your favourite shows. Don’t feel too disheartened about the shows we’ve lost, there’s still a chance that Netflix might breathe new life into some of these abandoned shows.l

Asian Cinema Retrospective 2016 set to launch

Joe Perry falls ill on stage

Showtime

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

n Showtime Desk As the Earth’s largest and most populous continent, Asia is a place of rich history and heritage and diversity in terms of culture. Films in Asia have a long history and is also comparably affluent in number. The Moviyana Film Society and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has organised a retrospective of films in Asia which aims to screen 65 films from 19 countries, over a 17- week period beginning this week. The programme titled, Asian Cinema Retrospective 2016 is set to present discussions on Asian films and noted Asian film makers, according to a press release. With the screening of Syed Salahuddin Zaki’s Ghuddi (1980), starring Raisul Islam Asad and Suborna Mustafa in lead roles, the Asian Cinema Retrospective will begin at 3pm on July 16, at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy’s International Digital Cultural Archive Room of National Theatre Hall.

n Showtime Desk

Each week during the event, three films will be featured, alongside discussions. The retrospective programme will present films from Bangladesh, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Iran, Pakistan, Thailand, Iraq, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and many more. The event is open for all but requires registration. l

Aerosmith’s guitarist Joe Perry, 65, suddenly fell ill while performing live on stage in New York on July 10, last Sunday. Perry became ill around 9:30pm while performing alongside Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper in his side band, the Hollywood Vampires, at Ford Amphitheater in Brooklyn’s Coney Island. An administrator at Coney Island Hospital confirmed that Perry underwent several tests and that his condition was stable. A video posted by a fan on social media shows Perry sitting down on stage and then walking

off in the middle of a song. “He sat down during the song and then walked off behind the drum set,” Kevin Phalon, a member of the audience told NBC News. In a Twitter post, Perry thanked his fans for showing concern. Alice Cooper also tweeted his thanks to “everyone asking about our brother @JoePerry.” The band’s Twitter account said: “Joe Perry is stable and resting. His brother Vampires and fans wish him a speedy recovery.” The supergroup are in the middle of their US tour and are due to play next in Kettering, Ohio, on 12 July. l Sources: BBC, huffingtonpost

Kristen Stewart would like to see a female James Bond n Showtime Desk While promoting her new film Equals with co-star Nicholas Hoult, the subject turned to James Bond — and Stewart voiced her interest in seeing a woman portray the iconic British M16 spy. Hoult was asked what he thought about his name being included as a potential successor to Daniel Craig’s 007. “I think I’m a bit too young, to be honest,” the 26-year-old said, noting that Bond is usually in his “30s or 40s.” “Yeah, but that’s getting a little stale,” Stewart added. The pair then dismissed critics of casting a black or female actor as Bond. Stewart even imagined how a female version of the character could

be introduced. “You start off as the Bond girl and then you think it’s just the girlfriend and then you’re like, ‘She’s actually [Bond],’” she said. “In the trailer, it’s him and then [a] bait and switch.” Stewart isn’t the first actress to speak up about the potential of “Jane” Bond. Gillian Anderson previously responded to a fan campaign that wanted her cast as 007, saying it started an “intriguing conversation” but added, “Will it ever happen in the real world? More than probably not.” Priyanka Chopra has admitted that she’d want to play Bond over being a Bond girl, and Elizabeth Banks also told EW last year that James Bond is a dream role she’d like to play. l

Limitless HBO, 5:43pm With the help of a mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100 percent of his brain abilities, a struggling writer becomes a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with lots of dangers. Cast: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish Never Say Never Again Sony Pix, 6:27pm A SPECTRE agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated. Cast: Sean Connery, Kim Basinger, Klaus Maria Brandauer

Guardians of the Galaxy Star Movies, 6:56pm A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe. Cast: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper World War Z Zee Studio, 9:30pm Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself. Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz Changing Lanes HBO Hits, 11:02pm The story of what happens one day in New York when a young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident on F.D.R. Drive and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud. Cast: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Staunton

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016

GOVT FIXES TK607CR AS MERGER FEES PAGE 12

SIDDIKUR ALL SET TO CARRY BD FLAG PAGE 24

ASIAN CINEMA RETROSPECTIVE 2016 SET TO LAUNCH PAGE 31

Activists denounce Rampal deal

Theresa May vows to be ‘one nation’ prime minister

n BBC

Rich in biodiversity, the Sundarbans mangrove forest is a house to a number of rare and endangered species. Green activists fear that with the implementation of the proposed coal power plant at Rampal, the Unesco World Heritage site will be affected adversely mainly due to air and water pollution SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

n Tribune Desk The proposed 1320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal of Bagerhat would bring no good for the country, rather incur irreplaceable loss to the Sundarbans mangrove forest as well as to the country’s economy, say experts. They mentioned that different local and foreign surveys have already revealed that the project is risky and unusually costly. They also wonder why the government is moving ahead with the project when it is not implementable considering the economical, environmental and social aspects. An agreement was signed with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), India on Tuesday to build the power plant near the forest, a Unesco World Heritage site. The $1.49

billion plant is likely to start producing electricity in 2019. It would be financed by Indian Exim Bank. The National Committee to Protect the Sundarbans, a platform demanding cancellation of the project, announced Tuesday a black day from a press conference yesterday. They said that only India would be benefited from the project. On the other hand, Bangladesh would face economic and environmental disasters since India would not take responsibilities for any loss. Committee Convener Sultana Kamal said that the government would not have signed the agreement had it been a pro-liberation one. “This project is totally against the spirit of liberation. The government has discussed the project with the stakeholders several times, but has signed the agreement ignoring

their suggestions.” She said that the plant would release poisonous gases and chemical wastes that would destroy the greenery, lives and biodiversity in the forest, and affect over 20 million people depended on the forest’s resources for livelihood. Sultana Kamal hoped that both the countries would consider the facts and stop building the project, or at least shift it to a safer distance from the Sundarbans. Economist Prof MM Akash said that the decision of setting up the plant would not be economically viable for the country. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune last evening, he said that they had several times urged the government to stop the project, but to no avail. “We have heard that India’s Exim Bank will finance the project.

But they will only finance the project if it benefits India’s export, import and trade. But the Bangladesh government is yet to inform the countrymen whether the plant will use Indian coal or not. If not, this bank will not finance the project,” said the Dhaka University teacher. Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, mentioned that the Indian high commissioner had thanked Bangladesh after the signing of the agreement. “This gratitude has raised question whether the deal was inked to serve the interests of India.” National Committee member Sharif Jamil said that the government had earlier assured that they would use high quality coal in the plant. But now they are also considering import of low-grade coal of India. l

The UK’s new Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to lead a “one nation” government that works for all not just the “privileged few.” Speaking outside 10 Downing Street after being appointed by the Queen, she said it would be her mission to “build a better Britain.” She promised to give people who were “just managing” and “working around the clock” more control over their lives. May is the UK’s second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher. Her husband Philip was standing behind her as she made her first public speech in the role, highlighting the “precious bond” between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and between “every one of us.” “That means fighting against the burning injustice that if you’re born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others,” she said. For an “ordinary working class family,” she added, “life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise.” Speaking directly to people who were “just managing,” she said: “The government I lead will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. “When we take the big calls, we’ll think not of the powerful, but you ... She also paid tribute to her predecessor, David Cameron, saying he had been a “great, modern prime minister.” l

Mobile subscribers face new hassle for faulty system n Hitler A Halim The national telecom regulator has recently been causing confusion among mobile subscribers by mass-sending an SMS with instructions for turning off “unwanted SIM-RUIM.” “Contact the customer care [centre] concerned to switch off unwanted SIMRUIM that has been registered under your name,” the SMS from Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) reads. The confusion arises as the text does not explain how SIM-RUIMs could be registered under someone’s name when the entire process was done by

recording fingerprints that are unique to each subscriber. Many users have also been getting a different SMS that provides information on the number of SIMs registered against those subscribers’ national identification number. On condition of anonymity, several well-placed sources have said the BTRC took the initiative after quite a few cases of biometric registration fraud came into light. The telecom regulator’s plan is to encourage all subscribers to go the customer care centres and find out for themselves whether their NID number has been used to register other unau-

thorised SIMs as well. Asked about the matter, BTRC Secretary Sarwar Alam said it was to create awareness among the subscribers. All departments concerned are working sincerely on this issue, he added. He also advised all subscribers to head to the nearest customer care centre to check out whether anyone else had registered any SIM under their name. The authorities concerned, however, blame the incidents of fraud on the retail SIM-RUIM sellers who had assisted in the biometric SIM registration process. The retailers allegedly took advantage of lax monitoring and lack of accountability to register unau-

thorised SIMs. Inadequate training and indiscriminately handing out biometric registration devices are other reasons behind the current situation. TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, said the BTRC had asked all operators to send this SMS to create awareness. If the subscribers find out that someone else has registered SIMs under their name, they would be able to lodge a complaint. If an unauthorised person responds on a SIM that has been registered under someone else’s name, that SIM will be blocked, he said. However, some subscribers alleged

that they had not received any solution for unauthorised SIM registration even when they went to the customer care centre. Zahirul Islam Shishir, who works in the private sector, said he went to the customer care centre after receiving the SMS only to check whether his NID had been cloned. But instead of assisting in blocking the unauthorised SIMs, the customer care representatives told him to contact with the Election Commission for a solution, Shishir said. Tech entrepreneur Sarwar Mahmud Khan said the BTRC should have clearly explained how one should identify unauthorised SIMs. l

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