July 15, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

GULSHAN TERROR ATTACK

Assaults on women were horrific n Tribune Desk Doctors who conducted the autopsies of the Gulshan terror attack victims say there were signs of unprecedented brutality on the bodies, especially of the 10 women killed in the night of July 1. The autopsy and inquest reports of the victims show that Indian national Tarishi Jain faced maximum brutality of the Islamic State militants. Even after her death, the attackers hacked her body with a sharp machete and stabbed her 30 to 40 times on her hands, belly and

chest with knives. Seven months pregnant Maria Riboli, an Italian citizen, was killed brutally though she repeatedly sought mercy mentioning about her baby. The attackers did not allow her to leave the restaurant. The two Bangladeshi women, Ishrat Akhond and Abinta Kabir, were also tortured to death. They had a number of stab injuries on the bodies. The militants smashed Ishrat’s head. Doctors said that seven of the 20 victims were shot while everyone was hacked or stabbed.

Aimed at establishing Caliphate, the Islamic State group is unpopular for brutally killing their victims as punishment apparently to scare the world. Their members are accused of raping non-Sunni women and children, making them sex slaves, and killing them if they refuse to comply with the orders. Most of the victims seen in the photos and videos the group releases are slaughtered or beheaded, crushed or burned. Alongside the women, some men too were killed brutally – shot and then hacked, body parts sev-

ered and heads cut into pieces, according to inquest reports. This is the first case of militant attack in Bangladesh where women were killed. Nineteen-year-old Tarishi Jain came to Bangladesh from the United States on a vacation. She was studying economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her father Sanjib Jain is a textile merchant based in Dhaka for the last 15-20 years. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Dr Sohel Mahmud, associate professor of Dhaka Medical College

forensic department said that the attackers were too much cruel on the female victims. Other physicians involved with the autopsy said that the way the militants killed the hostages, especially the female hostages, which was unimaginable. “We have conducted a number of autopsies in my career, but never saw such brutality,” said one of the four-member doctors’ team. They suspect that the extremists took hard drugs before conducting the attack so that they could kill  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Police analyse CCTV footage for lead in Gulshan attack probe n Tribune Desk Even though the closed circuit TV camera coverage of Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan has not helped the investigators reconstruct the July 1 carnage, the other cameras installed in the nearby areas have been helpful in suggesting the investigators how the operation was conducted. Dhaka Tribune reported on July 10 that the investigators were closely analysing the CCTV footage collected from the adjacent buildings, quoting Dhaka Metropolitan Police sources. Investigators are yet to confirm the entry route of the attackers to

the diplomatic zone as there are very few CCTV cameras installed on the streets. They are also working to figure out the exits of several suspects, believed to have assisted the attackers from near the spot. Mohammad Saiful Islam, acting deputy commissioner of DMP's Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit, said that the police had collected some 50 pieces of CCTV footage from the area. Investigators suspect that the militants visited the Spanish restaurant several times prior to the attack. Their main target was to draw media attention and create panic  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE

Members of Rapid Action Battalion conduct a search at Dhaka airport with its dog squad yesterday as a part of a global initiative to stem the rise of terrorism and militant activities in recent times. Story on Page 4 MEHEDI HASAN

PayPal to come to Bangladesh n Jebun Nesa Alo

Six of the missing in Bogra are militants

Canal cover could have saved Sanjida

As law enforcers continue efforts to verify missing person reports, the police in Bogra say they believe that at least six of the 17 missing young persons from the district are currently involved in militancy.

The body of a six-year-old girl was recovered yesterday near Mohakhali bus terminal in Dhaka, some 19 hours after she had fallen into a putrid sewage canal. The deceased, Sanjida was the daughter of rickshaw-van puller Shah Alam.  PAGE 32

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State-owned Sonali Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PayPal, a global online payment system, to facilitate remittance inflow in Bangladesh. The MoU was signed with an aim to promote e-commerce in Bangladesh, said Dider Md Abdur Rob, acting managing director of Sonali Bank. He said: “We signed the MoU a month ago and sent it to PayPal. On Wednesday, a local representative of PayPal informed us that the

US-based company has signed the deed.” Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for ICT, held an emergency meeting with Sonali Bank over the progress of the MoU signing as Bangladesh had been trying to set a contract with PayPal for a long time, said Dider. Bangladesh has been facing difficulty in receiving remittance earned through outsourcing but the new contract with PayPal will make the remittance inflow easier and faster, he added. PayPal allows individuals and

businesses to transfer funds electronically. As it is an online service, an individual first needs to open a PayPal account with a valid email address. The aspiring PayPal user would also need a valid credit card or a bank account linked with PayPal to avail its services. PayPal makes money by charging transaction fees mainly from business accounts, charging to a payment’s recipient. Although most transactions are free, merchants pay a fee for each transaction. The fee is usually thirty  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

NSU students under surveillance n Tribune Desk North South University (NSU) will be under watch after recommendations made by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, who visited the university yesterday. The university has been under much scrutiny ever since the attacks in Gulshan on July 1 and Sholakia on July 7 this year, as some of the terrorists involved were identified to be students of the university. Chairman of UGC, Prof Abdul Mannan, stated that the UGC is investigating why students of NSU have been found to be involved in terrorism. The investigation will involve questioning executive bodies, faculty members and counseling bodies of the university.

Prof Dr Dil Afroza Begum, member of UGC and convener of the visit to NSU told the Dhaka Tribune, “The visit was a regular meeting with authorities, proctorial bodies and teachers. Since there was an incident on July 1, this year involving NSU students, we wanted to see whether the university is taking any steps to prevent terrorism. Both the executive body and UGC have suggested further surveillance of students.” University authorities observed that students visit the university two to four days in a week, and spend most of their time outside the university. They have suggested that students may be asked to take more courses so that they can remain within the university for observation. UGC recommended to the student welfare department to engage them in more social activities.

UGC also suggested that the student body of 20,000 should form smaller groups of 40 students with one teacher. The teacher will be evaluating the students’ behavior, results, class discipline, analyze student activities and counsel students to be more engaged in academics. UGC also advised to provide parents and guardians with student ID numbers, so that they can check student grades and how many courses they are taking online. UGC also suggested that every student should have their attendance tracked, so that missing students can be easily identified. Some instances of terrorist activities linked to students from the university involve former student of NSU till 2012, Nibras Islam, who was involved in the Holey Artisan attack and was killed during Oper-

ation Thunderbolt and Abir Rahman, a BBA final-year student of NSU till 2015, attacker of the Sholakia Eid gathering, who was also killed by law enforcement. Abir had been missing since March. In February 2013, six students of NSU were arrested for the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haidar and confessed to their crimes accordingly. Several reports said the accused were Foysal Bin Naim, 22, Maksudul Hasan Anik, 26, Ehsanur Reza Roman, 23, Naim Sikdar, 19, and Nafis Imtiaz, 22. Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, who was accused of plotting to bomb the New York Federal Reserve Bank in 2012, was also a former student of NSU. The UGC will submit a report to the Ministry of Education upon further observation and analysis. l

Islamic Foundation fixes Jum’a sermon n Tribune Desk

The Islamic Foundation has fixed today’s Jum’a sermon for mosques across Bangladesh. It issued a press statement yesterday, urging all mosques across the country to follow the sermon. The press statement titled “Caution on chaos and militancy and terrorism” said the sermon will be read out during Friday’s Jum’a prayers in the national mosque Baitul Mukarram by its Khatib. The sermon contains instructions for guardians so that their sons do not get involved in militancy and terrorism. l

Khaleda urged to leave Jamaat’s side n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Pro-BNP intellectuals have urged Khaleda Zia to cut ties with Jamaat-e-Islami to clear the path for forming a national unity against militancy. They made the call yesterday

during a meeting at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, where other pro-BNP journalists and eminent personalities also attended. Seeking anonymity, a meeting source quoted Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury as telling Khaleda Zia that the

anti-militancy national unity she was proposing would not be possible unless she severed all ties with political allies Jamaat. In order to make the unity a reality, political ties should be cut off with Jamaat like it was done in 1991, Zafrullah was quoted as saying.

The BNP should also ask Jamaat to apologise for its role in the country’s Liberation War, the source quoted Zafrullah as saying. Barrister Rafiqul Haque, who was also present at the meeting, also called for BNP to disown Jamaat. Others present at the meeting

urged Khaleda to organise a tea-circle discussion with other parties, including Awami League, as part of the party’s national unity programme. Khaleda said she would take the advices under consideration and give further directives on this regard soon. l

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Police analyse CCTV footage for lead in Gulshan attack probe PayPal to come by killing foreigners, as they follow other religion and their countries are reportedly involved in the ongoing war against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The restaurant was chosen apparently because it was popular among the foreigners for their array of food as well as the homely ambiance. Sources close to the investigation also said that the attackers had gone to the restaurant on a microbus to carry out the operation. They did not get any clue from the CCTV camera installed in the cafe as it was damaged prior to the hostage situation. Ali Arsalan, one of the owners of Holey Artisan Bakery, told the Dhaka tribune that the restaurant had one CCTV camera, installed on the cash counter. “The camera was to monitor the cash transactions only. It was immovable,” he said. Two to three unarmed security guards were on-duty outside the cafe at the time of the attack, but they fled the scene as soon as the militants started shooting, Arsalan added. International terrorist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack after midnight first by uploading the photos of five attackers and then releasing some

photos of victims lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Twenty people including 17 foreigners were shot and hacked to death inside the cafe while two police officers were killed as they tried to get close to the spot on July 1. The attackers were killed in a commando operation the next morning. ‘They were forced to carry guns’ The investigators said that the killings had taken place in the dining room of O’ Kitchen restaurant, a sister concern that operates in the same building and serves European cuisines. However, the CCTV camera of a nearby building revealed that Hasnat Karim was holding a gun during the hostage crisis. In interrogation, he reportedly claimed that he had been forced to carry the gun. A New York Times report dated July 8 quoted two hostages as saying that the attackers had ordered Tahmid Hasib Khan and Hasnat Karim to perform specific tasks for them. “At one point, the attackers directed Tahmid Hasib Khan to carry a gun and go with them to the roof of the restaurant, the hostages said. They said Tahmid Hasib Khan resisted and to persuade him to hold the weapon the attackers fired it to

show him its magazine was empty. Tahmid Hasib Khan broke down in tears at their insistence, one of the hostages said, but reluctantly complied,” the report said. “Hasnat Karim was twice ordered to go outside the restaurant, once to lock the gate and then in the morning to open it, one of the hostages interviewed said,” it added. The NY Times report also said attackers took Tahmid Hasib Khan and Hasnat Karim to the roof in the morning of July 2 to discuss what to do with the group of Bangladeshi Muslims they had spared. “Tahmid Hasib Khan persuaded the attackers to spare the group, and soon after, at about 6am, they were released,” the report said quoting the two hostages who were released afterwards. Investigators said that they had received some important information from Hasnat and Tahmid, and were working on it. They, however, could not clarify if the duo were involved in the attack or not, but said they had already released them after completing interview. But their family members yesterday said that the duo had not returned home. Meanwhile, sources said yesterday that the police had seized a white handkerchief from the body of a mil-

itant just after “Operation Thunderbolt” on July 2 morning. “Daulatul Islam Bangladesh” was written in Bangla on the handkerchief. The organisation is a platform of IS members and has activities in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Egypt. On July 6, IS released a video calling for jihad in Bangladesh and threatening more attacks on the “crusaders” and “crusader nations.” One of the three Bangladeshi men seen in the video was Tushar Arafat, a dentist from Dhaka, who urged the Muslims to join “Daulatul Islam” – working to establish Shariah law in the country. l

Assaults on the targets brutally. To assess this, the investigators have collected samples from the attackers’ bodies. The doctors also suspect that some of the female victims might have been raped. Dr Sohel Mahmud said that they had kept vaginal samples of the women for examination. Saiful Islam, acting deputy commissioner of the Counter-terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that if needed, they would send the samples abroad for examination. l

to Bangladesh

cents plus a 1.9% to 2.9% surcharge fee, depending on the special surcharge formula they use. However, there is no fees to send money. On July 15 last year, Zunaid Ahmed Palak in a Facebook status said: “We had a very effective meeting with the vice-president of PayPal today in San Jose, California. We explained them in details about Bangladesh Government’s policies and regulatory reforms and business opportunities for PayPal. “They have agreed to launch Xoom’s operations in Bangladesh within this quarter. They [PayPal] will also internally discuss on how they can prioritise and launch PayPal in Bangladesh and let us know if they need any further support from our government. We will continue our persuasion to bring PayPal in Bangladesh sooner than later.” In July 2015, PayPal acquired Xoom to expand its business in emerging markets like China, India and Mexico. After the meeting with Palak, PayPal said that they would decide about their operating in Bangladesh after performing an internal evaluation and assessment of the business potential, sources in the ICT sector said. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Six of the missing in Bogra are militants Huda Nasim from n Nazmul Bogra and Anwar Hussain from Chittagong As law enforcers continue efforts to verify missing person reports, the police in Bogra say they believe that at least six of the 17 missing young persons from the district are currently involved in militancy. The others have reportedly gone into hiding as they were supporters of BNP-Jamaat’s politics, police sources have said. In the wake of the Dhaka terror attack, where all of the attackers were young men who had been missing for a long time, law enforcement agencies have been trying to compile a list of all missing persons who might have similarly run off from home to join militant outfits. A source in the Bogra District Special Branch told the Dhaka Tribune that public representatives, community police, village police and local security guards have been tasked with reporting any suspicious militant activities or missing persons in their respective areas. According to their reports, the whereabouts of at least 17 persons – four in Bogra Sadar, three in Gabtoli, four in Shibganj, three in Shajahanpur and three in Nandigram – cannot be accounted for. Of these missing persons, six men from Gabtoli and Shajahanpur have been confirmed to have militant links, the source said on condition of anonymity. However, he refused to disclose the identities of the suspected militants as investigation was ongoing. On the other hand, Sub-Inspector Monnaf, who is in-charge of Bogra’s Banani police outpost, said

A member of Shamajik Protirodh Committee holds a placard saying “Terrorists, militants have no religion, no race, no countries” in a human chain in front of National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU Jamilnagar resident Ragibul Hasan Regan – who has been missing for a year – is a suspected militant. Masud, one of Regan’s friend who also went missing with him, was recently arrested on terrorism charges from Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar, the SI said, adding that it was suspected that Regan might have also become a militant with his friend. Officer-in-charge of Dhunat police station, Mizanur Rahman, told the Dhaka Tribune that of the two men reported to be missing in his area, one Abdus Salam is rumoured to be currently fighting for militants in Afghanistan. Nandigram OC Hasan Shamim Iqbal said two of the three people

missing in his area were women who had eloped, while another man went missing while going to work. None of them were involved in militancy, he said. Bogra’s additional police superintendent of detective branch, Monira Sultana, told reporters that all union parishad members and chairmen have been instructed to notify about any missing persons. The information provided by those local sources were being lodged and verified, she said. Meanwhile, Bogra’s Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Gaziur Rahman said they were looking into the Peace School of Jamilnagar – which according to locals was being run by Jamaat-Shibir men.

India extends facilities for nonMuslim refugees n Tribune Desk India's Modi government has approved proposals for extending several benefits, including purchase of property, to persecuted minorities from three countries including Bangladesh who are now living in India on long-term visas (LTV). People belonging to minority communities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, living in India on long term visa, can avail benefits such as taking up self-employment, opening bank accounts and getting driving licences. The communities are- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The Indian Union Cabinet, chaired by its Prime Minister Naren-

dra Modi, approved the proposal on extending the facilities, according to a press release issued on July 13. From now onwards, the minorities will be allowed to open bank accounts, purchase property for self occupation and suitable accommodation for carrying out self employment, take self employment, get a driving license, PAN card and Aadhar number, be allowed free movement within the state where they are staying and transfer LTV papers from one state to other, it said. Even if they have moved in illegally, they can apply for LTV from the place of present residence, the press release added. Modi government is set to amend the Indian citizenship law to allow these groups to get cit-

izenship. According to the press release, local government officials will be permitted to administer the oath of allegiance to applicants in the states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for two years for registration as citizens of India. The registration fee for Indian citizenship will also be reduced to Rs100 from the existing rates ranging from Rs3000 to Rs15000, it said. Issuing citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan was one of the agendas on Modi's manifesto when his party ran for the central government in 2014. “India shall remain a natural home for persecuted Hindus,” BJP's election manifesto had said. l

Five missing in Chittagong

At least five young persons, one of them as young as 12, have been reported as missing in Chittagong. Three teenagers who are among those missing are madrasa students, according to the police, who also said they cannot confirm whether any of the missing persons were involved with militant outfits. Of the five missing persons, two hailed from Raozan upazila, two from Chandanaish and one was from Patiya upazila. A 14-year-old from Raozan, who is a student of Gahira FKM Jameyul Bohumukhi Kamil Madrasa, has been missing since October 25 last year. Another 13-year-old student of Raozan’s Abdul Quader Hefjkhana

and Orphanage has also been missing since February 8 this year. Kefayet Ullah, officer-in-charge of Raozan police, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Based on the general diary filed with Raozan police station, a total of three madrasa students went missing from Raozan upazila. Of the three missing students, Md Rubel, 19, who remained traceless for one and a half years, was found recently. However, two other madrasa students could not be found.” In Patiya, an 18-year-old student of Shah Mirpur Madrasa, has been missing since August 9 last year. In Chandanaish, a 20-year-old has been missing since March 11, while a 12-year-old has been traceless for the past two years. Chandanaish police OC Md Neyamat Ullah told the Dhaka Tribune they were trying to locate the present whereabouts of these two. Meanwhile, two special committees led by CMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (DB) Nazmul Hasan and Chittagong Additional Superintendent of Police (SB) Rezaul Masud have been formed to investigate missing persons’ militancy links. Rezaul Masud said they were gathering intelligence on the runaways in Chittagong based on the GDs lodged over the last two years. “We will also collect data on the missing persons for whom the guardians or parents did not file a GD,” said the additional police super. Debdas Bhattacharya, CMP additional commissioner (Crime and Operation), said: “We are now scrutinising the GDs filed in the 16 police stations under the CMP for runaway youths. We will then compile the data and prepare a list based on the GDs.” l

Gulshan terrorist was in Jhenaidah since March? n Nayan Khondoker, Jhenaidah Locals of Sonalipara in Jhenaidah town have claimed that Nibras Islam, one of the terrorists who carried out the Gulshan attack, had been living there since March under a false identity. There are also claims that police have searched the rooms he occupied, detained the landlord and the local Imam who introduced him there, but police have denied any knowledge of all this. Bilkis Nahar, the wife of Sgt (retd) Kawsar Ali who runs a men’s hostel at his home on Nazrul Islam Road, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that Nibras, who called himself Sayeed, had been a tenant there since March. He and another young man named Mostafa were recommend-

ed by Rokanuzzaman, the Imam of the neighbourhood mosque. Soon afterward they were joined by six other men. Bilkis said police and RAB officials came to the house and searched all rooms on the night before Eid and seized some laptops, pen drives, hard disks and mobile phones. They had brought Imam Rokanuzzaman and member of the mosque committee Sabbir Ahmed Rob with them. Nibras and the others gradually left the mess starting June 28, she said. Nibras and the other tenants would frequently travel on motorcycles and often stay out till midnight, locals said. Jhenaidah Sadar Circle’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Gopinath Kanjilal said he knew nothing about this matter. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Operation IRENE to recover smuggled arms, drugs Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Kamrul Hasan In a bid to stop illegal trafficking of small arms and drugs that are ending up in the hands of militants and terrorists, Customs Intelligence is carrying out a special countrywide drive. Along with 33 other countries, “Operation IRENE” is going on in Bangladesh coordinated by the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO AP) of World Customs Organisations (WCO), read a statement signed by Customs Intelligence & Investigation Directorate Assistant Director Mohammad Zakaria yesterday. Dr Moniul Khan, director general of Customs Intelligence, said the drive is part of a global effort to ensure state security by stopping illegal trafficking of arms and drugs to terrorists and militants. Several teams of Bangladesh Customs have been conducting the

drive since July 8. The drive would continue until July 22, Saiful Rahman, joint director of Customs Intelligence, told the Dhaka Tribune. Although the first few days saw the Customs teams carrying out

Nearly 70 billion dollars worth of firearms trade take place in the black market each year the drive by themselves, other law enforcement agencies started assisting in the drive from yesterday, Saiful said. Joint Director Saiful said that with the help of the RAB dog squad they recovered suspicious-looking tablets from Dhaka airport that would be now sent to a laboratory

for chemical testing. During Operation IRENE, Customs Intelligence also recovered 7,400 sex-stimulating tablets – addressed to one Taslim of Progoti Market in Chittagong’s Riajuddin Bazar – from Dhaka GPO’s airport sorting office on Wednesday. Six knives of different sizes – addressed to one Mostafizur Rahman of Gazipur’s Joydebpur – were also found from the same office. Saiful said they would go on a massive drive from today where all border security forces would be included. Further details on the operation would be disclosed in a press briefing on July 23, said Saiful, one of the officials coordinating the operation. According to Customs officials, smugglers use online shopping and parcel and courier services to bring in firearms, drugs and explosives. Investigators say black market-

eers bring these illegal arms using parcel service but do not give details of it in the chart list. The ongoing drive was important to portray Bangladesh’s actions against illegal arms and explosives import in front of world, said Customs Intelligence AD Mohammad Zakaria. Sources in Custom Intelligence said they seized nearly a thousand illegally imported arms, explosives and drugs in the last couple of years. Welcoming the drive, security analyst Maj Gen (Retd) Abdur Rashid said nearly 70 billion dollars worth of firearms trade take place in the black market each year. A close monitoring is definitely needed to check where these illegal arms were being used, he said. “If all countries do not take action against these jointly, then it is definitely a high risk for our security,” Rashid added. l

Cocktails blasted at Kapasia school after terrorism warnings Islam Akand, n Raihanul Gazipur Two days after warnings were provided that a terrorist organisation may attempt to sabotage the upazila office and police station in Kapasia, Gazipur, miscreants exploded firecrackers yesterday at a school in Amraid, Kapasia. Principal of Amraid’s Yakub Ali Shikdar High School, Jahid Hasan, and locals informed that explosions occurred at 9:55am at a verandah of a classroom. The whole area became submerged in smoke due to the explosion. Students, in terror, ran and dispersed in different directions, where many took refuge in neighbouring houses. Abu Bakr Siddique, officer-incharge of Kapasia police, said that only a small cracker made of paper, covered with tape, was exploded. Perpetrators have not yet been identified and it has been assumed that the act was done to spread fear. It should be noted that on July 12, Kapasia UNO received a letter from a terrorist organisation, containing threats that Kapasia upazila and police station will be sabotaged. A GD was registered after the letter was received. l

Rajshahi College students and teachers bring out a procession yesterday protesting terrorism and militancy. The procession marched different major streets of the city and ended in front of Rajshahi College administrative building AZAHAR UDDIN

Another madrasa student ‘missing’ in Chittagong Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong A madrasa student of Hathazari upazila, Chittagong, has been reported to be missing from Chittagong city’s Bayezid area since last Monday after police allegedly picked him up from his mess, claimed family members yesterday. The missing person is Md Abdul Motalib, son of Lokman Rahman, hailing from Nilphamari district and also a student of Fazil-level at Mowlana Samsul Ulum Fazil Madrasa at Hathazari. “My brother has been missing since Monday after he was picked up by the police from his mess at Tannery Battal area of Oxygen in the city and ever since, his mobile phone remains switched off ”, Motalib’s elder brother, Md Moshiur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune. Neighbors informed Motalib’s family regarding the disappearance. Quoting neighbors of Motalib’s house, Moshiur, who arrived from Nilphamari district in search of his brother, claimed that during that day (July 11) the police first picked his brother up from the house in the morning and later, during the night, conducted a search of Motalib’s room in the presence of Motalib himself. However, police have refuted Motalib’s arrest when the family went to the police station and the family has currently decided to file a General Diary (GD) with Bayezid police station. Bayezid Police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC), Mohammed Mohsin told the Dhaka Tribune, “Police did not arrest any madrasa student named Motalib, but we will investigate if any complaint is registered.” According to Chittagong district police, a total of five youths, including three madrasa students, are currently missing from three upazilas of Chittagong after probes about missing persons were conducted in the wake of the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks. l

ICT: Verdict against eight accused imminent n Ashif Islam Shaon

The International Crimes Tribunal will deliver its verdict against eight war crimes suspects, including former Jamaat-e-Islami MP Sakhawat Hossain soon. Justice Anwarul Haque, chairman of the tribunal, kept the judgment reserved until a later time after wrapping up the hearing yesterday.

Sakhawat, Jatiya Party’s religious affairs secretary, and another suspect Md Billal Hossain were present during the hearing. Others are alleged Razakar Bahini men Md Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Md Abdul Aziz Sarder, Qazi Ohidul Islam alias Wahidur Salam, Md Aziz Sarder and Abdul Khalek Morol all on the run. They have been charged with

five offenses including abduction, confinement, torture, rape and murder during the Liberation War in Jessore between mid-September and mid-October 1971. Another accused, Lutfor Morol, passed away of a cardiac arrest in police custody on May 6 this year. Seventeen witnesses had testified against him. Sakhawat, a former MP from Jessore, was arrested in Dhaka in

2014. The tribunal indicted the nine accused on December 23 last year. They allegedly killed two persons, raped one and tortured two in Keshabpur, Jessore. During the war Shakhawat was a member of Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha’s central committee. He allegedly commanded a group of Razakar Bahini men at Chingra Bazar camp in Jessore. l

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

MASUM: Release Bangladeshi trafficking victims n Probir K Sarker A West Bengal-based human rights organisation has sought intervention of the National Human Rights Commission of India for the release of seven Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to India. In a complaint sent to the commission yesterday, MASUM also demanded an enquiry into the role of Swarupnagar police under North 24 Parganas for arresting them illegally and the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Basirhat for ordering to detain them at Dumdum Central Correctional Home violating a government order. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has asked the NHRC India to take an appropriate step to repatriate them to their own country as early as possible.

that the victim is repatriated to the country of her origin through diplomatic channels. “During the interim period, pending repatriation,

The victims hail from Khulna and Bagerhat districts. Arrested by the BSF and later handed over to the police, the women were implicated in a case filed under section 14 of the Foreigners Act on May 17. The rights body terms the detention and the legal proceedings “illegal” citing an office memorandum issued by the Indian Home Ministry (foreigners division) on May 1, 2012. The order says that if a woman or child is found to be a victim of human trafficking, she should not be prosecuted under the Foreigners Act. In such cases, the police should not file a charge sheet against the victim. But if a charge sheet is already filed, “steps may be taken to withdraw the case from prosecution so far as the victim is concerned.” The authorities must ensure

In July last year, the Indian BSF sent back to Bangladesh 74 women victims of trafficking after they served 2-5 year jail terms for illegal entry the victim may be taken care of in an appropriate children’s home or appropriate shelter home,” the memorandum says.

Traffickers generally target poor women, living mainly in the border areas, who are looking for work, and lure them with promises of jobs in India. But once they cross the border, the women are sold to brothels or forced to work at households. There is no exact figure of how many women and children are trafficked to India every year. The two governments last year signed an MoU on June 6, 2015 on bilateral cooperation for prevention of human trafficking, especially in women and children, and the rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of the victims. Meanwhile, another Indian rights group, Arm of Joy, has been working to send home four young Bangladeshi women who have been languishing in a shelter home

in Kerala for nearly a decade as victims of human trafficking. In July last year, the BSF sent back to Bangladesh 74 women victims of trafficking after the end of jail terms. They were caught by the Indian police and later the Indian courts sentenced them to 2-5 years in prison for illegal entry. “It is a big racket of border guards, customs officials and local politicians engaged in human trafficking. In our experience, about 200-300 women or girls are crossing the border illegally to enter West Bengal daily,” MASUM Secretary Kirity Roy said. “Of them, 20% to 30% are caught by BSF or the police. At the border outposts, most of the victims are sexually abused by the BGB and BSF members,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. l

SC: Shafik Rehman bail verdict on Sunday n Ashif Islam Shaon

Government bans Peace mobile import n Tribune Desk

The Supreme Court will pass the verdict in the sedition case filed against journalist Shafik Rehman on Sunday. The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date yesterday after the hearing was concluded in a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the journalist. He filed the petition as High Court on June 7 rejected his bail petition in the case filed for ‘attempts to abduct and murder’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, on the grounds that it was an ongoing investigation. Shafik Rehman was arrested on April 16. l

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced an import ban of 'Peace mobile' in the country. In 2014, Beximco got a NOC to import 525 peace mobile handsets from the regulator. On Wednesday BTRC Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood told the Dhaka Tribune: “we will not allow Beximco to import Peace mobile following the government's prohibitory order even though they got an approval from the commission.” Beximco imported this mobile handset which is an outreach program by the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. Describing details of the handset in its website it said that the Peace mobile is an 'Islamic smartphone' which has brought by Dr Zakir Naik to the people. Customer of this handset would be able to watch peace tv live in Bangla, English, Urdu through the handset. After the Gulshan terror attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh government has stopped airing Peace TV in the country on July 10. The government alleged that some of the perpetrators of the July 1 Gulshan terror attack was inspired through his puritanical salafist speeches. The peach mobile website has been closed since last Monday. l

Hindu devotees take part in a grand procession starting off from Swamibagh Temple in Dhaka yesterday to celebrate Rath Jatra, or Chariot Festival – one of the prominent religious festivals for Hindus. The photo was taken in Motijheel DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two more Sonali Bank officials testify against Khaleda, Tarique and others n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu Two more Sonali bank officials testified against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, before Dhaka Special Judge’s Court 3 yesterday. However, the BNP chief and her son did not appear at the court during trial proceedings. However, Khaleda’s counsel Md Sanaullah

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN FRIDAY, JULY 15

corded depositions of the two prosecution witnesses after recording cross-examinations of two other witnesses, Moklesuru Rahman and Afla Sani, who gave their statements earlier in the case. Cross-examinations were conducted by Advocate Abdur Razzak and Borhan Uddin on behalf of Khaleda and Tarique respectively, while cross-examinations of the two new witnesses will be recorded

Miah did file a time petition for Khaleda’s non-appearance mentioning that she could not appear due to illness, while the defence counsel represented Tarique. The two witnesses to testify are Manjurul Hossain, former principal officer of Sonali bank and Mohiuddin Ahmed, former deputy general manager of Sonali bank. Judge Abu Ahmad Jamadar of Dhaka Special Judge’s court-3 reDhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:49PM

Rangpur

on the next date. A total of 13 witnesses have provided statements before the court. On July 3, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case with Ramna police station for embezzlement of over Tk 2.1 crore by forming a “fake” trust, which existed only on paper. Trial proceedings have been adjourned till July 21. l Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:20AM

36.2ºC Rajshahi

25ºC Kushtia

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 4:45am | Jumma: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 7:00pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Joypurhat limestone mine project yet to see the light in 34 years Chowdhury, n Alamgir Joypurhat After the birth of Bangladesh as an independent country, lots of developmental work has been done and still is going on to upgrade its infrastructure, which requires availability of construction material. Cement is the key component to any construction work, while limestone is a key ingredient for producing cement. Bangladesh, now, has to import 20,000 tonnes limestone every year for producing cement, which can be avoided

to an extent by utilising Joypurhat limestone mine, said Mortuza Ahammed Faruk, former chairman of Petrobangla and monitoring consultant of Jamalganj CBM Study Coal Mine Project. There are 100 million tonnes of limestone deposited in 6.7 kilometere area of the mine, discovered in 1963, according to the sources. “The mining of limestone had been stumbled again and again over the past years due to the lack of financial support from abroad though all the survey work, detailed engineering study and infrastructure

development have been done,” said Faruk. Besides, 17 officials and staff, including the project manager, have been working here for the maintenance of the project since 1982, said Mokhlesur Rahman, assistant accountant of Joypurhat limestone mine and cement project. The government has to pay them around Tk 2.5 lakh as their salaries per month, according to the sources. Now, only an economic survey is required to start the mining of limestone that can meet up one-

fourth of the current demand of limestone in the country, said the former Petrobangla chief. The limestone of this mine is of very good quality, he claimed. The last economic survey was done in 1982. The development cost of the mine was estimated at Tk 158 crore that time, Faruk said. ASM Moktadir Titas, former vice chairman of Joypurhat Sadar Upazila Parishad, said the land taken over for the project has been lying unproductive, as no step is taken to collect the limestone. l

Two more robber gangs surrender today

n Bipul Sarker Sunny, Dinajpur An alleged robber was beaten to death by a mob at Kamarpara village, Chiribandar upzila, Dinajpur district town while he along with his cohorts were taking preparation to commit robber in the early hours of yesterday. The deceased was identified as Azizur Rahman alias Kala Aziz. Police said a gang of robbers numbering 10/12 entered the village to commit robbery. But sensing their presence, local people chased them and managed to catch two of them while the others managed to flee. Then, the local people gave them a good beating, leaving Aziz dead on the spot. Another detained was sent to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital in a critical state. Officer-in-Charge of Chiribandar police station Anisur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that Aziz was accused in several cases filed with the police station. l

2 robbers killed in gunfight

n Aasaduzzaman, Satkhira Two more forest robber gangs in Sundarbans reportedly will surrender to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) today. At least 11 members of the robber gangs ‘Majnu Bahini’ and ‘Iliaz Bahini’ were scheduled to surrender with 27 firearms, ammos and vessels around 3pm at Mongla port, said Commanding Officer of RAB 8 Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Faridul Alam. Home minister Md Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Director General (DG) of RAB, Benazir Ahmed, would fly to Mongla by helicopter, to attend the event, he said. Forest department sources said ‘Majnu Bahini’ had long been involved in extorting ransom after taking fishermen hostage in Satkhira range area of the Sundarbans while ‘Iliaz Bahini’ used to attack trawlers in the Sundarbans West Zone and the Bay of Bengal. On May 31, another gang ‘Master Bahini’ based in the Sundarbans, led by its gang leader, Mostafa Sheikh alias Kader Master, along with seven other robbers surrendered to RAB. According to sources, there are at least 18 robber gangs operating in the Sundarbans, including “Majnu Bahini”, “Sagar Bahini”, “Raju Bahini” and “Jahangir Bahini”. All the gangs possess modern arms and ammunition, and they collect money from fishermen, honey collectors, and wood cutters. Each of these gangs has its own area of operations and nobody can enter the Sundarbans without a “token” given by them in lieu of a monthly payment. l

Alleged robber lynched

n Abdul Aziz, Cox’s Bazar

Rajshahi city protection embankment is becoming vulnerable in Bulanpur Zianagar area, as sand-laden trucks ply on the embankment adjacent to Bulanpur border all through the year. Sand is dug from the Padma River and piled up on the embankment. Though only people and light vehicles are allowed on the embankment, trucks ply on it to carry the sand from Bulanpur Zianagar to different destinations Azahar Uddin

Two alleged robbers were in killed in a gun fight in Domdomia area, Teknaf upazila in the early hours of yesterday. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf police station Abdul Majid told the Dhaka Tribune that a gunfight took place between two robber gangs-‘Abdul Hakim Bahini’ led by Abdul Hakim and ‘Shiailla Bahini’ led by Nurul Hakim alias Shialla around 2am over establishing supremacy in the area. Police also recovered two guns from the spot. ‘Abdul Hakim Bahini’ usually commits robbery in the hilly areas and police found its involvement in the Ansar camp attack that left an Ansar member dead in Teknaf. l

Mass resistance against militancy stressed n Tribune Desk

Leaders of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have called upon the common people, all democratic and secular forces to resist secret killings, terrorism, fundamentalist extremism and militancy in the country. They made the call at a post-protest procession rally arranged by the district unit of LDF yesterday afternoon at Jahaz Company Mour here against the recent militant attacks and killings at different places by the communal and fundamentalist extremists.

With District Coordinator of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD- Marxist) Comrade Anwar Hossain Bablu in the chair, a large number of leaders and activists of the LDF member left leaning political parties and their associate organisations attended the rally. Member of the district unit of BSD-Marxist Polash Kanti Nag and leader of the district unit of Ganosanghoti Andolan Prottoyee Mizan addressed the post-procession rally, among others. In their speeches, the speakers expressed severe concern over militant attacks and killings of innocent

people at Gulshan in Dhaka, Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj, secrete and targeted killings and fundamentalist extremism in the country. They said the country is now in a deep crisis and called for united efforts of the common people irrespective of caste, creed and religion to resist the anti-liberation fundamentalist forces involved with terrorism, militancy and secrete killings. Bangladesh, which was achieved through the nine-month Great War of Liberation at the cost of three million lives, has really fallen into a deep crisis and the people of the

country are now in fear. They called upon all democratic and secular forces, workers, farmers, youths, students, writers, teachers, intellectuals, cultural activists, professionals and common people to create stiff resistance unitedly against the evil forces to get rid of the situation. They demanded for banning politics of the communal and fundamentalist forces, proper investigation into militant attacks, killings and ensuring exemplary punishments to the culprits to save the country from fundamentalist extremism. l

News

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

PDB office turns into a business hub Seizel, n Ashrafuddin Mymensingh The Power Distribution Board (PDB) at Gaforgaon upazila in the district has been used as illegal business centre for long under the nose of law enforcement agencies. According to local sources, Delwar Hossain, storekeeper at the office has been selling reading metre to the consumers illegally allegedly with the help of Executive Engineer AZM Anowaruzzaman.

When a power connection is given to anyone, he is bound to buy the metre. If anyone does want not to purchase the metre, his file is not released and he has to face many hassles. Delwar has engaged some middlemen to recruit customers for buying power connection illegally. These people are forced to buy the metre on condition imposed by the PDB officials. Locals alleged they have to give Tk1,500 to Delwar for a Capital Digital brand metre which is sold at

Tk1,200 in the market. Over the incident, unwanted situation had created between the consumers and the officials many times, the sources said. Ashraful Alam, a resident in the municipality, said: “The power office in the upazila has turned into a hub of corruption.” No power connection is possible without buying the metre provided by the office, he added. Victims Alauddin, Shafiqul Islam, Abu Taher, Siraj Uddin, Shamsuddin, Abu Hanefa and Md Kayes

echoed the words of Ashraful. Most of the electricity shop owners of the municipality said their business was already near to close as the clients did not buy metres from them. If anyone bought a metre, later he came to return it, said a shop owner. They urged the government to take immediate steps against the illegal trade of the PDB men and to save the businessmen. When contacted, Delwar said: “I am doing the business after

taking permission from the higher authorities.” “They have to be given a big amount of income for the business.,” he also said. You may report against me, but cannot do anything, he added. When contacted, Anowaruzzaman yesterday, said he did not want to make any comment over cell phone. He said he wanted to say everything in meeting. But later, he could not be found in the office on the day. l

Hanif: IS not an Islamic organisation

n Tawhid Zaman, Jessore

Defying government ban, CNG-run auto-rickshaws are seen plying on the Dhaka-Mawa Highway. The picture was taken yesterday from Rajendarpur area in Munshiganj MEHEDI HASAN

Court dismisses two of three cases against Shyamal Kanti Bhakta Hossain, n Tanveer Narayanganj A Narayanganj court has dismissed two cases against Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, a local headmaster who was recently assaulted and humiliated for allegations of blasphemy, and set Saturday to decide on another case. All three cases were filed yesterday with the court of Judicial Magistrate Saiduzzaman Sharif. Sub-inspector of Narayanganj Court Police, Shakhawat Hossain, told the Dhaka Tribune that the

cases were filed blaming Shyamal Kanti for beating up a student, hurting religious sentiments, and taking bribe from a colleague. Rina Begum, mother of a student named Rifat Hasan, filed the first case accusing the headmaster of using corporal punishment against her son at the Piyar Sattar Latif High School; the second case was filed by a local named Shamsul Haque who blamed Shyamal Kanti for blasphemy and hurting religious sentiments. Both cases were dismissed under section 203, as allegations

against the headmaster were currently being investigated as per a directive from a higher court, the court SI said. The third case was filed by Morsheda Begum, an English teacher of the Narayanganj School, who accused Shyamal Kanti of taking Tk135,000 in bribe from her in exchange of putting her on the MPO list. The court set July 16 for making a decision on the case, SI Shakhawat said. Shyamal Kanti rejoined work on July 10, almost two months after the assault on school premises. But

since then, he has been on a weeklong medical leave. On May 13, Shyamal Kanti was assaulted on the school premises by a mob claiming that he had committed blasphemy against Islam. Later, he was also made to do squats holding his ears in presence of local Jatiya Party lawmaker AKM Salim Osman. The teacher later told media that he was a victim of conspiracy by some teachers and members of the managing committee. The incident created massive outrage across the country. l

Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) Md Mahbubul-Hanif said people of Bangladesh were now worried over two issues. One was our religion Islam and another was our motherland for which three million people had scarified their lives. Some vested interested groups, including BNP-Jamaat, is trying to destabilise the courty with their subversive activities, he said while addressing a workshop on terrorism and Islam held at Jessore Zila School yesterday morning. “Islam does not support militancy and terrorism. But international conspirators are killing people in the name of Islam which is tarnishing the image of the religion. “The the Islamic State has destroyed civilisation in Iraq. They are now killing as well as torturing people in Syria in the name of establishing Islamic State,” he said. Terming the IS as agent of Israel, he said the terrorist group had killed thousands of people in Muslim countries, but they yet to make any attack in Israel. He said Rita Katz who operated IS’s site is from a Jew’s family. “The secret killing has started across the country after BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury met a member of Mosad, the national intelligence agency of Israel,” he added. Kazi Nabil Ahmed, lawmaker of Jessore constituency 3, who also present at the programme, said the country was heading towards development, but homegrown as well as foreign terrorist groups were trying to destalise the country. Presided over by Deputy Commissioner of Jessore Dr Humayun Kabir, the programme was attended by Lawmaker Advocate Monirul Islam, Superintendent of Police Anisur Rahman and Deputy Director of Islamic Foundation Masiruddin Molla. l

8 World

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Nepal PM: No good neighbourly relations at cost of national security

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today said he cannot compromise national security in the name of maintaining cordial relations with neighbours, without naming any specific country. Pointing to the ongoing protests being launched by the Madhesis and ethnic communities in the southern Nepal districts, Oli said the new Constitution had not discriminated anyone. -TOI

INDIA

LeT warns of Kashmir violence The founder of Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba warned that violence in Indian-ruled Kashmir will escalate. Hafiz Saeed, designated a terrorist by the US with a $10m bounty on his head, also said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the US to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute. -AP

CHINA

China vows response to sea provocations China warned Thursday of a decisive response to provocations in the South China Sea, as it faced mounting pressure to accept an international tribunal’s ruling against its claims to most of the strategically vital waters. The Philippines called for Beijing to respect the decision but sought to defuse tensions saying it would send a former president to China for talks. -AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Malaysia’s Mahathir to launch new party to challenge PM Najib

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday announced plans to launch a new political party that would form a coalition with the federal opposition alliance ahead of the next general election. He added that he won’t contest the polls or position himself as a candidate for prime minister. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Kuwait sets minimum wage for maids in first for Gulf Kuwait announced Thursday a minimum monthly wage for maids working in the country, the first time the oil-rich emirate has set such a rule for its large foreign workforce of domestic helpers. A notice published on the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry’s website setting new rules for employment agencies listed the minimum salary as 60 Kuwaiti dinars ($198) a month. -REUTERS

INSIGHT

IS recruits in Southeast Asia a rising threat despite weak attacks n Tribune International Desk Ineffectual attacks by the Islamic State group’s followers in Southeast Asia have shown them to be fragmented and lacking in the expertise that has produced devastating death tolls elsewhere in the world. But terrorism experts say the threat from the militants, spread across predominantly Muslim Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern Philippines, should not be underestimated and they could be transformed into a more dangerous force by training and leadership. There are plenty of signs radicals in the region have been animated by IS leader Abu Bakar al Baghdadi’s call for attacks and the group’s ambition to create Southeast Asian provinces of the IS caliphate even as it loses territory in Syria and Iraq. A grenade blast at a bar outside Kuala Lumpur in June was acknowledged by police as the first IS attack in the country, where more than 150 people have been detained for involvement with the militant group since 2014. It injured eight people but caused no deaths. Subsequent arrests of people linked to the attack included two police officers. A suicide bombing directed against police last week in the Indonesian city of Solo killed only the bomber, who police said was a friend of Bahrun Naim, one of the hundreds of Indonesians with IS in Syria and who has been linked to other plots in Indonesia. Both attacks occurred during the holy month of Ramadan but attracted little notice at a time when a wave of militant violence in several countries, including the US, Turkey and Bangladesh, killed about 350 people. “The IS threat has increased across the region but from a relatively low base,” said Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict. “We are seeing more connections. The likelihood of communications across national boundaries is higher,” she said. “We need to be open to the possibility that both the method and the professionalism of attacks could increase.” So far, the success for IS in Southeast Asia has been the power of its slick propaganda and online savvy to recruit predominantly young followers much more quickly than the face-to-face contact that older militant groups relied on.

TERROR GROUPS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Source: The Star A professionally produced IS news site, alfatihin.com, using the Malay language understood throughout Malaysia and Indonesia began publishing in May in an apparent attempt to broaden the group’s reach. The power of the group to inspire lone-wolf style attacks such as Orlando or San Bernadino where the perpetrators have no known connections to other radicals is also a potential threat for the region. “Radical movements are benefiting from information technology,” said Brigadier General Hamidin, director of prevention at Indonesia’s counterterrorism agency. Traditional recruitment through indoctrination at Islamic study groups that can be easily detected and monitored by authorities has been replaced by instant messaging and social media, said Hamidin, who goes by one name. “This is the problem we are currently facing.” IS has also attracted the support of long-established networks of fighters. Abu Sayyaf, a group in the southern Philippines that professes radical Islamic ideology but which is better known for banditry and kidnappings, has declared allegiance to the Islamic State. So

too have the militants who follow Santoso, Indonesia’s most wanted radical, who is under siege from government forces in his jungle hideout on Sulawesi. But the attacks IS has inspired in Southeast Asia have had less impact because of the inexperience of the recruits combined with the vigilance of security forces in Malaysia and Indonesia. Plus, many of the hardened Indonesian militants who were part of the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiyah network behind the 2002 Bali bombings and other attacks are in prison or opposed to IS ideology and tactics. Even the January 14 suicide bombing and gun attack by IS followers in the Indonesian capital Jakarta that killed eight people including the four attackers was regarded as amateur by experts and in militant circles. The June grenade attack near Kuala Lumpur was an example of the low-level of IS capability in Malaysia but also a sign it is training to make a bigger impact in the future, said Badrul Hisham Ismail, an analyst with Iman Research, a Malaysian group that studies religion and society. “The threat level has risen be-

cause IS has shifted focus to build an Islamic state in this region,” he said. IS recruitment has become more aggressive and some Malaysian militants have joined Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines, Badrul Hisham said. Indonesians are also known to have joined Abu Sayyaf, making it a potential nexus for the region’s militants. IS released a video in June showing an Indonesian, a Malaysian and a Filipino in Syria acknowledging an Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon as the head of IS in Southeast Asia According to Jones, the ranks of Abu Sayyaf might in future provide the hardened militant who can train Indonesia’s would-be jihadists in bomb making and other skills. Another source could be Indonesian militants released on parole who converted to IS while in prison. “One would think there would be some introspection among Indonesian leaders in Syria about how to be more effective,” she said. “The only answers are training and leadership and the question is where they will come from.” l

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Pro-Brexiters dominate new UK cabinet Who holds the key ministerial positions And what were their previous positions Stay Leave

World USA

Ginsburg regrets illadvised criticism of Trump Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg apologized Thursday for ill-advised public criticism of Donald Trump, promising to be more discreet in the future. The leader of the court’s liberal wing sought to quiet complaints that she crossed a line in her remarks about Trump, saying in a statement that judges should not comment on candidates for public office. -AP

Theresa May

Prime Minister 59 years old Previous position: Interior minister (2010-2016)

THE AMERICAS

Peru declares Zika emergency

MINISTERS Michael Fallon

Philip Hammond Finance 60 years old Foreign minister (2014-2016)

Boris Johnson Foreign minister 52 years old Mayor of London (2008-2016) MP (since 2015)

David Davis Exiting the European Union 67 years old European affairs ministers (1994-1997)

Amber Rudd Interior minister 52 years old Energy minister (2015-2016)

Defence 64 Kept on in his post (Originally appointed in 2014)

New union members barred from voting in Labour leader election

Liam Fox International trade 54 years old Defence minister (2010-2011)

FACT CHECK

Crime stats don’t back Trump’s dire view n Tribune International Desk In presenting himself as the “law and order” candidate for president, Donald Trump portrays a nation of lawlessness and disorder. That grim picture may speak to the visceral fears of voters of a country “out of control,” as Trump put it. It does not, though, reflect a trend of declining crime that has been unfolding over 25 years. Crime figures are a malleable source of information. Depending on what time period is compared, and which crimes are considered, they can be used to tell a tale of progress or setbacks. Here’s a look at some of Trump’s recent statements, President Barack Obama’s very different assertions and how they compare with the facts:

Trump

“Crime is out of control, and rapidly getting worse. Look what is going on in Chicago and our inner cities. Not good!” — Tweet. “Violent crime has increased in

cities across America.” — Speech on Monday.

Facts

Violent crime has dropped dramatically since the early 1990s. According to FBI data, the national violent crime rate last peaked in 1991 at 758 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people. In 2014, the latest year for which full data is available, the rate was 366 per 100,000 people. Even so, Trump has some statistical support for claiming violent crime is up in big-city America. The Major Cities Chiefs Association, a non-profit that works with urban police chiefs, finds that violent crime reported by some urban police departments rose from 2014 to 2015, and homicides alone were up in 44 of the big-city and county police departments, by this count. One year’s results, though, cannot be taken to mean that the overall trend of declining violent crime is changing. There have been other upticks in violent crime in the past 15 years, even as rates have fallen over the longer period. In both

VIOLENT CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES 1995-2014 1,800,000 1,500,000 1,200,000 900,000 600,000 300,000 0

Total

‘96 ‘98

Source: FBI crime database

Rate per 100,000

‘00 ‘02 ‘04 ‘06 ‘08 ‘10

2005 and 2006, the number of violent crimes reported to the FBI increased 2.3% and 3.2% respectively. That was followed by five years of declines. The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report, the main source of data on crime, isn’t a perfect measure because police departments voluntarily report their numbers and some departments may classify crimes differently. But the decline seen in the FBI’s numbers has been mirrored in another nationwide crime measure, the National Crime Victimisation Survey published by the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

‘12

‘14

900 750 600 450 300 150 0

Trump

“According to the Chicago Tribune, there has already been more than 2,000 — 2,000 — shooting victims in Chicago alone this year. This epidemic of violence destroys lives, destroys communities and destroys opportunity for young Americans.”

Facts

Peruvian officials on Wednesday declared a Zika health emergency across the northern half of their country after confirming that 102 people have been infected with the virus. The 90-day emergency was announced in the official gazette El Peruano, which said the health ministry and local authorities were working to prevent the spread of the disease. -AFP

Trump accurately cited the newspaper’s finding that more than 2,100 people have been shot in Chicago this year. But with Chicago homicides starkly rising, Trump were on solid ground in pointing to the reality that it has been a bloody year in that city. l

Tens of thousands of union members have been barred from voting in Labour’s closely fought leader’s election. A meeting of the ruling national executive committee decided on Monday to stop union affiliates who have joined in the past 6 months from taking part in September’s vote. The move will almost certainly help those who wish to remove Jeremy Corbyn from office. -THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

EU Parliament Schulz slams new UK cabinet European Parliament chief Martin Schulz on Thursday took aim at British Prime Minister Theresa May’s new cabinet, saying it continued a dangerously vicious cycle that will hurt Britain and Europe. ‘’The composition of the new cabinet shows that the focus is less on the future of the country but more about satisfying the internal cohesion of the Tory Party,” he added. -AFP

AFRICA

Ugandan army enters S Sudan to evacuate citizens A heavily-armed Ugandan military convoy crossed into South Sudan on Thursday to evacuate citizens trapped in the capital Juba as fears persist that days of fierce fighting might reignite despite a ceasefire. The United Nations has warned of tension and the possibility of fresh fighting in Juba, where a ceasefire has held since late Monday. -AFP

World

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

INSIGHT

Liar, coward, joker: Welcome Johnson in big league n Reuters, Brussels Branding him a liar, a coward or a joker, Europe’s political class greeted Eurosceptic Boris Johnson’s appointment as Britain’s foreign minister with a chorus of dismay. French Foreign Minister JeanMarc Ayrault eschewed the customary diplomatic niceties to ask how a man who had told lies as leader of the Leave campaign in last month’s British EU referendum could be a credible interlocutor. “I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but ... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back to the wall,” Ayrault told Europe 1 radio on Thursday. “I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable.” Johnson was accused of misleading voters by proclaiming that Britain was paying £350m a week to the EU that could be spent on the National Health Service. The figure did not take account of London’s budget rebate or of EU spending on public and private sector projects in the UK, and Leave campaigners have since acknowledged it was inflated. EU leaders including European Council President Donald Tusk condemned Johnson’s comparison during the campaign of the EU’s goals with those of Hitler and Napoleon. The rambunctious former mayor of London has insulted or lampooned a series of world leaders including US President Barack Obama, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and both the Democratic and Republican candidates to succeed Obama. After the June 23 vote to leave

the European Union, Johnson took time off to play cricket and spurned a chance to stand as prime minister in place of fellow Conservative David Cameron, who had campaigned to stay in the EU. Cameron’s successor, Theresa May, named the former mayor of London and one-time EU-bashing Brussels journalist as her foreign secretary late on Wednesday, and put another veteran Eurosceptic, David Davis, in charge of EU exit negotiations. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Johnson’s appointment was a clear signal that Britain intended to leave the European Union and urged May to end uncertainty and give formal notice soon of London’s intention to withdraw. Chancellor Angela Merkel declined comment when asked on a visit to Kyrgyzstan about Johnson’s elevation, but Steinmeier indirectly branded him “irresponsible”. Speaking shortly before Johnson was appointed, Steinmeier said: “It is bitter for Britain. People there are experiencing a rude awakening after irresponsible politicians first lured the country into Brexit then, once the decision was made, bolted and instead of taking responsibility went off to play cricket. “I find this outrageous but it’s not just bitter for Britain. It’s also bitter for the European Union.”

Foretaste

That was a foretaste of the potentially hostile reception Johnson can expect when he attends his first EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday. EU foreign policy chief Federica

Mogherini had invited ministers to an informal night-before dinner to discuss the foreign policy impact of Brexit, but diplomats said that date was now in doubt following Johnson’s nomination. Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, now the leading federalist liberal in the European Parliament, summed up the feelings of many on the continent when he tweeted: “Clearly British humour has no borders.” Rebecca Harms, leader of the ecologist Greens group in the EU legislature said: “At first I thought it was a joke. Now I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. But I know it’s not good when irresponsibility is rewarded in politics.” Johnson made his name as a Daily Telegraph journalist in Brussels in 1989-94, attacking the federalist ambitions of then European Commission President Jacques Delors and lampooning EU regulation, often stretching the facts to breaking point. “He was already a little brat back then and he hasn’t changed,” Pascal Lamy, who was Delors’ chief of staff and later head of the World Trade Organisation, said last month. Turkey was in a more forgiving mood after Johnson won a magazine prize for a limerick depicting Erdogan cavorting with a goat written to ridicule the Turkish leader’s efforts to have German courts punish a German satirist for insulting him. “His negative comments on Erdogan and Turkey are unacceptable,” a senior Turkish official said. “However we’re sure of one thing, that British-Turkish relations are more important than that and can’t be hostage to these statements. “With his new responsibilities we

UK'S CONTROVERSIAL NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY

Boris Johnson

Born on June 19, 1964 (age 52) POSITION Elected member of parliament from Uxbridge and South Ruislip in 2015 OLD JOB Mayor of London NEW JOB Foreign Secretary EDUCATION Eaton School and Balliol College, Oxford ON HIS OWN FUTURE “My chances of being PM are about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being reincarnated as an olive.”

Supported Leave campaign, practically spearheading the campaign. He had also been the favourite to take over the Conservative leadership after David Cameron announced to step down but his bid to be Britain’s premier was scuppered at the last minute by Michael Gove after he broke away from supporting him. PREVIOUS POLITICAL EXPERIENCE 2001: First elected to Parliament 2004:

Shadow Arts Minister- May-November

2005 - 2007: Shadow Universities Minister- December-July 2008 - 2016: Mayor of London OTHER EXPERIENCE 1987-1999: Journalist, The Times and Daily Telegraph 1999-2006: Editor, The Spectator Telegraph columnist

are expecting a more positive atti- Razon The left-leaning Daily Mirror tabInfograph: Dhaka Tribune/ Mohammad tude from Mr. Johnson,” said the offi- loid splashed a picture of then mayor cial of the new British minister, who Johnson strapped on a zipwire at the London Olympics wearing a helmet had a Turkish great-grandfather. Some of the strongest criticism and waving Union Jack flags with the caption: “Dear World... Sorry” l came in Britain’s own media.

Boris Johnson: Undiplomatic much?

Hitler-inspired EU “Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods,” Johnson told The Sunday Telegraph in remarks that caused outrage in Brussels.

‘Part-Kenyan’ Obama

‘Wankerer’ Erdogan

“On day one of Obama’s administration it was returned, without ceremony, to the British embassy in Washington,” Johnson wrote in the Sun newspaper in November. “Some said it was a snub to Britain. Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan president’s ancestral dislike of the British empire, of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender,” he added.

In May, Johnson won a prize for most rude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the Spectator magazine which organised a contest in support of a German comedian facing charges for mocking the Turkish leader. Johnson, whose great-grandfather was Turkish, came up with the following rhyme-“There was a young fellow from Ankara/Who was a terrific wankerer/Till he sowed his wild oats/With the help of a goat/But he didn’t even stop to thankera.”

‘Sadistic nurse’ Hillary Clinton “She’s got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital.”

African ‘piccaninnies’ with ‘watermelon smiles’

“No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, and the pangas (machetes) will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird,” he wrote in 2002 about the then British PM Tony Blair’s globetrotting.

World

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

India vows tough action to tackle Kashmir conundrum n Reuters, Srinagar

India will go on hunting militants in Kashmir despite widespread protests over the killing of a young separatist commander, officials said, as the government bets that force coupled with development will quell rebellion in the restive state. The strategy for the Muslim-majority region contested by nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan has worked in part. The number of militants crossing into Jammu and Kashmir state from Pakistan to launch attacks against In-

dia has dropped in the last few years, and homegrown fighters are estimated to number only around 100, according to one security official. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pledged Rs800bn ($11.9bn) in investment there. That has not prevented violent protests and rioting from breaking out when security forces killed Burhan Wani, a separatist militant commander and a Kashmiri, last Friday. At least 34 people were killed almost all shot by Indian security

forces - and more than 1,500 people wounded in the worst violence in Kashmir since 2010, underlining how the crackdown on militants is not enough to solve a conundrum that has frustrated India since independence in 1947. The government must also find a way to persuade local people that it is on their side, observers said, something it has failed to do since winning a landslide election in 2014. Under Modi, whose BJP is also in a coalition government in Kashmir, the federal government has taken

a harder stance on engaging in political dialogue with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a separatist alliance. While Hurriyat leaders travelling to Delhi and meeting Pakistani officials had been accepted before, Modi’s government has objected to such interactions, saying Pakistan should not interfere in Indian affairs. The state’s deputy chief minister, Nirmal Singh of the BJP, said the government was ready to engage with the Hurriyat under a legal framework. A senior BJP mandarin in New

Delhi also said the government was open to talking to the Hurriyat, but did not appreciate it when they spoke with Pakistan. He added that the government will continue to go after militants, but with time it hoped the people in Kashmir would “realize that their anger is misdirected.” A senior government official in New Delhi said Wani was a criminal facing 14 separate cases, including the murder of elected politicians and security forces, and that popular support for him was beside the point. l

12 Business

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

TOP STORIES

Export target set at $37bn for FY17 The government has set $37bn export target with an over 8% growth for the current fiscal year which analysts termed unambitious in line with the present export growth trend. PAGE 13

Asian local currency debt’s safe-haven appeal after Brexit The prospect of central bank policy easing in Asia is luring global money managers into the region’s local-currency bonds as the Brexit aftermath drives investors to seek debt-assets away from developed economies. PAGE 14

Govt warns MDs as default loan recovery targets missed n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has warned managing directors of six state-owned banks and financial institutions as they have failed to meet default loan recovery targets during the last financial year which ended in June and said performance in default loan recovery will be a key factor in assessment of their competencies. “The fitness of the managing directors will be assessed on the basis of their performance in recovering loans and default loans,” said Yunusur Rahman, secretary of Bank Division, as quoted by a source present at the second monthly coordination meeting held recently. “The managing directors should be respectful to their responsibilities,” he said. High default loans and low recovery rate have been a chronic problem in Bangladesh’s state-

DEFAULT LOANS SITUATION IN STATE BANKS IN FY16 Banks and FIs BKB RAKUB Ansar VDP Unnayan Bank BHBFC Karmasangsthan Bank Probashi Kallyan Bank

When Barclays executive Sam Dean went to a career fair earlier this year, he asked to speak with a group of students who were not studying finance. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Thursday DSE Broad Index

4,537.9

-0.0% ▼

Index

1,116.7

0.1% ▲

30 Index

1,778.7

0.1% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

4,503.2

16.4% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

120.6

10.4% ▲

All Share Index 13,935.4

0.1% ▲

30 Index

12,877.9

0.1% ▲

8,477.5

0.1% ▲

CSE

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol

238.8 -20.4% ▼ 10.0

33.8% ▲

Recovered Tk1,087.78cr Tk280.11cr Tk5.10cr Tk50cr Tk11 cr Performance satisfactory Source: Bank and FIs Division

owned banking sector. Yunusur Rahman presided over the meeting that was attended by the heads of the state-owned banks and financial institutions. The warning comes as the meeting expressed worries over the poor performance of the banks and FIs to recover loans that had earlier become default. The meeting also expressed concerns over poor SME loan disbursement rate and slow progress of dissolving departmental cases and audit objections.

According to the Bank Division data as of June 2016, Bangladesh Krishi Bank was able to recover 80% of its total loans disbursed. The total amount of total loans was Tk6,140 crore and the bank recovered Tk4,908.16 crore during the fiscal year. BKB recovered Tk1,087.78 crore of Tk1,450 crore default loans. The bank was able to settle only 345 of 5,445 audit objections cases. Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (Rakub) recovered Tk1,731.85 crore loans against the target of Tk1,600 crore.

No rawhide processing in Hazaribagh after Eid-ul-Azha n Tribune Business Desk

Investment banks to hire more nonfinance majors

Default loans Tk1450cr Tk290cr Tk9cr Tk126cr Tk20cr

Tanners have to tan sacrificial animal hides in Savar Industrial Estate as no one will be allowed to process rawhide in the capital’s Hazaribagh following Eid ulAzha. Senior Industry Secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan came up with the announcement yesterday while talking on the export performance of leather and leather products. Mosharraf was talking at press conference on the export target organised by the Commerce Ministry. This is the last deadline and after the Edi ul-Azha, not a single tannery owner would be allowed to process hides in the Hazaribagh area, he said. The December 31 of 2015 was the deadline set by the government to relocate the tanneries. After the expiration date, the government extended deadline several times but the owners failed to comply with. Later the deadline was extended to March 30 and after the deadline expired, the government stopped supply of rawhide to the area. The owners pledged that they would complete relocation before the Eid ul-Fitr, the industry secretary said, adding that the owners started to establish Gas and electricity connection for running production in the estate. The production and export earnings from the sector would be double if the establishment of the state is completed. There is a huge demand for Bangladeshi leather and leather products in EU countries especially in Germany, Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon said. “I met the president of Association of German

Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Berlin during a visit to the country this week and we showed Bangladeshi products out there,” he added. Within the next three weeks, all the process of setting up Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and other infrastructure will be almost complete, he added. The Ministry of Industries decided to relocate the tannery factories from their current location in the capital’s Hazaribagh area amid pressure from the rights group, environmental activists and buyers because of its hazardous effects on public health and environment. l

The bank recovered Tk280.19 crore default loans against the target of Tk290 crore set by the Bank Division. It settled only 559 cases from a total of 4,723 audit objections. In the last fiscal year, Karmasangsthan Bank recovered Tk11 crore default loans while the target was fixed at Tk20 crore. The loans disbursed amounted to Tk450 crore, of which, Tk406.34 crore was recovered. The recovery rate is 90%. Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation recovered Tk50 crore default loans from the total figure of Tk126 crore. The default loan of Ansar VDP Unnayan Bank was Tk9 crore and the bank recovered Tk5.10 crore. The meeting expressed satisfaction over the performance of Probashi Kallyan Bank in default loan recovery as the bank recovered over Tk42 crore against the Tk35 crore default loans. l

Bourses to remain open tomorrow n Tribune Business Desk Stock exchanges will remain open tomorrow for trading as the government has directed all financial institutions and public organisations to keep their offices open on that day. The stock markets—Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE)—are usually closed for two days – Friday and Saturday – in a week. But next week, the share trading will resume on Saturday in line with the government decision to continue official work on that day. l

Business

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Export target set at $37bn for FY17 n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The government has set $37bn export target with an over 8% growth for the current fiscal year which analysts termed unambitious in line with the present export growth trend. In the last fiscal year, Bangladesh earned $34.24bn, posting a 9.72% growth, which was 2.21 higher against the target of 33.5 billion set for FY 2015-16. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed came up with the announcement at a media briefing at his secretariat yesterday. Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayeullah Al Mamoon and Mafruha Sultana Vice Chairman and CEO of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) were present at the briefing. “Bangladesh has set a milestone in export earnings. Export earnings exceeded the target and posted 9.72% growth to $34.24bn. The credit goes to manufacturers as they are back to business, overcoming factory disaster,” Tofail Ahmed told reporters. He said considering the global economic situation and previous success, a $37bn export target has been set for the new fiscal year with 8.06% growth. “Our export earnings would have been $40 billion if Euro had not been devalued. GSP suspen-

sion did not hurt Bangladesh export to the U.S. market as export earnings rose to $6.2bn with 7.55% rise in the last fiscal year,” according to the commerce minister. Commenting on the recent terror attacks, the minister said it is a global phenomenon, which the world witnesses and it would not hurt Bangladesh exports. He also said Britain’s exit from the European Union would not be a problem as the UK is a very close friend of Bangladesh where a good number of companies are doing business. “We will negotiate with Britain

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Masato Watanabe at the planning ministry office yesterday PLANNING MINISTRY

Envoy: Japan to continue support to Bangladesh n Tribune Business Desk Japanese Ambassador in Bangladesh Masato Watanabe said his country will continue to support Bangladesh in its development. “We’ll continue support to the development efforts of Bangladesh,” the envoy said when he met Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday. Mustafa Kamal invited more investment from Japan in communication and power sectors. He said Bangladesh is offering investment-friendly policies for

foreign investors. Bangladesh’s future of foreign direct investment became uncertain after 18 foreigners were killed in a terror attack in Dhaka early this month. Seven of the victims were Japanese. The minister expressed his profound shock at the loss of innocent lives and conveyed deep sympathy to the victims’ families. Citing the current warm relations between the two countries, he appreciated the continued support of Japan to the development of Bangladesh. l

Murshedy “A $37bn export target with an 8% growth is an unambitious target as the present growth ratio is higher than it,” Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of Policy Research Institute (PRI), told the Dhaka Tribune. If Bangladesh wants to attain $50bn export target, the growth has to be double digit, Mansur said, calling for a higher target and steps to address the problems in the way of attainment. In the last fiscal year, the global economic situation was not so good, which is expected to recover in this current fiscal year, he added. Mansur called upon the government to hold diplomatic negotiation to avert an adverse impact of Brexit since UK is a major destination for Bangladeshi products. The government has set the target, taking into consideration previous export trend, positive macro economic indicators, government’s export promotional activities, incentives for exportable products, slow recovery of global economy, low commodity price in the global market, economic problem of the oil and other commodity-exporting countries, fallout from the Brexit, possible impact of TPP on export trade, prolonged recession and economic turmoil in some countries into account. l

to continue to have trade facilities from there after its exit from EU.” As per the target, knitwear products have to earn $14.16bn while woven products $16.20bn in the current fiscal. Meanwhile, leather and leather products have to earn $1.22bn, frozen foods $541m, agriculture products $608m, jute and jute goods $964m and home textile $775m. Though the manufactures have termed the target rational, considering the economic scenario, the economist say it is unambitious because of higher export growth in the previous year than the target

and better economic situation in the globe. Bangladesh has to consider the impact of Euro devaluation and probable impact of Brexit in setting export target, said Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) president Abdus Salam Murshedy told the Dhaka Tribune. “Considering these aspects, “I think the export target is logical and timely.” If the present growth ratio can be maintained, it will be over 15% next year as some 100 green RMG factories will join export by the next fiscal year, added Abdus Salam

Stocks end flat with higher trade

Huawei inaugurates CSIC in Bangladesh

n Tribune Business Desk

n Ishtiaq Husain

Stocks continued to close flat for the second consecutive session yesterday, with DSE turnover crossing Tk400-crore mark after two weeks. However, the market moved between positive and negative during the trading session, as investors played both sides of the fence. The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index DSEX saw a fractional loss of 0.2 points to 4,537, after falling six points in previous session. The blue-chip comprising index DS30 rose marginally over 2 points to 1,778. The DSE Shariah Index DSES edged over 1 point higher to 1,116. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX closed at 8,477, rising only 6 points. However, the trading activities enhanced as the DSE turnover stood at Tk450 crore, an increase of 16% over the previous session and highest since June 30. Pharmaceuticals accounted for more than 22% of the day’s total turnover. l

Huawei – a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, yesterday launched the first-ever Customer Solution Innovation and Integration Experience Center (CSIC) in Bangladesh to showcase its innovative technologies. Tarana Halim, state minister for Posts and Telecommunications, inaugurated the experience centre at Huawei Bangladesh CSIC Centre in the capital. “The CSIC will certainly help develop innovative ICT solutions and achieve our Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021,” said Tarana. Liguangjun, commercial counsellor, Economic and Commercial Counsellor’s Office at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bangladesh, was present at the launching ceremony as special guest. “Bangladesh should be proud of this experience lab as it is one of 20 Huawei CSIC centres that Huawei has now globally,” said Liguangjun. Huawei CSIC is a global network of dedicated and innovative state-

of-the-art experience labs that allows interested parties to experience, validate and build ICT solutions and applications. The showcase at CSIC aggregates over 120 global reference applications and services from Huawei’s clients and research and development (R&D) labs such as 4K Video, IoT, National Broadband and Mobile Broadband. Huawei Bangladesh CSIC is a centre point to connect, engage and fulfil the vision of building a better connected Bangladesh together with all of our customers and partners, said Zhao Haofu, CEO of Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Ltd. It is positioned to be an experienced centre to see the global best practice, to be a centre of idea exchange and business solution innovation and to be a platform to develop a win-win ICT eco-system, he added. The newly opened Customer Solution Innovation and Integration Experience Centre (CSIC) aims to be an instrumental tool for the development of Bangladesh’s digital economy. l

Business

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Asian local currency debt takes safe-haven appeal after Brexit

Fintech could be bigger and dicier for insurers than banks

n Reuters, Hong Kong

n Dominic Elliott

The prospect of central bank policy easing in Asia is luring global money managers into the region’s local-currency bonds as the Brexit aftermath drives investors to seek debt-assets away from developed economies. Despite safehaven flight to dollars following Britain’s shock June 23 vote to leave the European Union, investors remain bullish towards Asia’s longer-dated bonds thanks to relatively higher rates in local currency markets. “As investors are faced with an ever increasing pool of negative yielding bonds, attention shifts to markets that may still offer some value,” said Brad Gibson, a portfolio manager for fixed income at Allianz Bernstein. Data from central banks and governments showed foreigners resumed buying bonds in Indonesia and Malaysia in June after they sold in May while investments in Thailand also picked up. However, they remained net sellers in India and turned sellers in South Korea, after three straight months of net buying. A simple average of ten-year bond yields of China, India, Indonesia and Thailand prints at a chunky 4.85% compared with a measly 0.19% in the US, Germany, Japan and the eurozone, according to Reuters calculations. While that yield gap has broadly

Passers-by are reflected on a signboard displaying currency signs outside a bank in Tokyo REUTERS favoured emerging markets, it has widened further in recent months as developed market central banks pursued extremely accommodative policies. Historically vulnerable to falling interest rates and local currencies during major risk events, investors say Asian economies are now far better positioned to withstand global volatility than before, thanks to strengthened capital buffers. More recently, implied volatility, or expected price swings of currencies as measured by option positioning, has retreated from January highs across most Asian markets. Some of the biggest drops have tak-

en place in the Indonesian rupiah where implied one-year volatility has fallen about three percentage points to 11% from October. Over the past five years, a JP Morgan index of local currency bonds has handed investors a return on investment of about 12%, below its dollar-denominated counterpart, which has returned 34%, according to Datastream. But with Asian interest rates now enjoying more room to fall than developed market rates, there is scope for local currency debt to outperform. Foreign investors increased their holdings of Indonesian government debt by 22tn rupiah ($1.7bn)

in June, official data showed, their biggest purchases since June 2015. In China, where the currency fell to a five-and-a-half year low this week, an auction of government bonds across maturities in Hong Kong saw subscription levels at record levels. Still, money managers are not uniformly gung-ho about buying local currency debt with investors rotating holdings out of shorter maturity debt as the Brexit repercussions mean currency volatility may play a greater role in total returns than declining interest rates do. Short-term notes with maturities of less than one year saw outflows of 5.2tn won ($4.5bn) in June, according to data from Korea’s Financial Supervisory Services while foreign investors bought a combined 368.4bn won worth of bonds in the first seven days of July. “Short-term interest rates are too low and it’s hard to find appeal for investments,” said Shin Dong-su, a fixed-income analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities in Seoul. In other markets, like India, authorities are using renewed demand from investors to add longer-dated bonds to their portfolios to issue longer-dated debt. “One of the few places where you can get high good positive returns on bonds with relative less currency depreciation is India,” said the head of a primary dealership in Mumbai. l

The insurance industry is ripe for technological disruption, but the results may be dicey. Some areas of banking services, notably payments, have been relentlessly targeted by start-up companies since the financial crisis. But nine in 10 insurance executives polled by consultant PwC reckon at least part of their business is at risk over the next five years – a greater proportion than in any other area of finance. The hope for fintech is that by offering greater efficiency it will benefit society by driving down or eliminating economic rents. Insurance is crying out for Toyota-like industrialisation: brokers and underwriters at the Lloyd’s of London market still agree on cover using paper documents. Sadly, most of the start-ups to date have focused on front-end customer interactions rather than the back office, unlike in banking. Perhaps the biggest potential advantage would be reducing claims: by using micro-chips embedded in industrial and everyday appliances – the “Internet of Things” – it could be possible for insurance companies to use such sensors to anticipate and prevent damage. This might save costs in the long run not just for reinsurers and investors, but also for individuals and communities. l

Bank of England signals August rate cut on Brexit n AFP, London The Bank of England kept its interest rate at 0.5% yesterday, but signalled a possible August cut in response to Britain’s vote to exit the EU. At its first monetary policy meeting since the June 23 referendum vote on Brexit, the BoE also maintained the amount of cash stimulus pumping around the economy at £375bn ($497bn, 448bn euros), it said in a statement. The central bank added that the majority of its nine policymakers supported looser monetary policy in its next decision due August 4. “The precise size and nature of any stimulatory measures will be determined” next month, the statement said. BoE governor Mark Carney has warned that Britain could fall into recession as businesses delay new projects because of the shock referendum result. At July’s meeting on Wednesday,

only one member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Gertjan Vlieghe, voted for a cut in the interest rate to a record-low 0.25%, while all members backed keeping quantitative easing (QE) stimulus at £375bn. “The MPC was committed to taking whatever action was needed to support growth and to return inflation to the (2%) target over an appropriate horizon,” minutes of the latest meeting said. “To that end, most members of the Committee expected monetary policy to be loosened in August,” they added. The British pound briefly jumped above $1.34, while London’s FTSE 100 index slid in reaction to the central bank announcements. Explaining the divergence in markets, ETX Capital analyst Neil Wilson told AFP: “Lower rates tend to boost equities because investors are not getting returns in cash/bonds and so seek out yield from” company shares. “A weak pound is good for the FTSE

100 as about 75% of earnings are from overseas,” he added. Following the referendum result, the pound slumped to a 31-year-low under $1.28, before rebounding in recent

The MPC was committed to taking whatever action was needed to support growth and to return inflation to the (2%) target over an appropriate horizon days. While a weak pound helps exporters, it makes imports more expensive, which in turn can push up inflation. The BoE’s minutes stated that sur-

vey data since the referendum result “suggest that some businesses are beginning to delay investment projects and postpone recruitment decisions”, while housing market activity is set for “significant weakening”. “Taken together, these indicators suggest economic activity is likely to weaken in the near term,” they added.

Initial action The BoE has already taken steps to calm fears over Brexit’s economic fallout when it last week relaxed commercial banks’ capital requirements to boost lending to businesses and households. The move will boost lending by up to £150bn and reduce banks’ regulatory capital buffers by £5.7bn. Since Brexit, the BoE has also vowed to pump at least £250bn into money markets if needed to prevent a damaging credit crunch. The Treasury may meanwhile decide to expand the so-called Funding for Lending scheme, which provides

cheap finance to banks in exchange for increased lending. Britain’s new finance minister Philip Hammond earlier yesterday ruled out an emergency budget in response to economic turbulence triggered by the country’s vote. Hammond told media that a budget would not be submitted before the British autumn, adding that London’s key financial sector must retain access to the EU single market following Brexit. Ahead of last month’s EU referendum, Hammond’s predecessor George Osborne suggested that an emergency budget would be required in the event of a Brexit vote because of the risk of recession. However, he quickly ruled out such an event, and has now quit the government following Hammond’s appointment. New Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday appointed Hammond to replace Osborne as chancellor of the exchequer. l

Business

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

India relaxes gold jewellery excise duty rules n Reuters India on Wednesday relaxed the rules for its tax on gold jewellery sales that was introduced earlier this year in an attempt to address concerns raised by the industry, the government said in a statement. Jewellers in the world’s second biggest gold consumer went on strike for six weeks after the government imposed 1% excise duty on gold jewellery from March onwards. To address jewellers concerns the

A Barclays bank office is seen at Canary Wharf in London

government formed a committee and accepted its recommendation. According to the new rules, jewellers with turnover up to 150m rupees ($2.2m) a year will be exempt from the excise duty, the statement said. Earlier, the exemption limit was for jewellers with turnover up to 120m rupees. The government statement also said that in the first two years, government agencies will not audit jewellers that have turnover of less than 1bn rupees. l

CORPORATE NEWS REUTERS

Investment banks to hire more non-finance majors n Reuters, London When Barclays executive Sam Dean went to a career fair earlier this year, he asked to speak with a group of students who were not studying finance. The British bank is on a drive to appeal to students with a broader range of degrees who are interested in more than earning a quick buck but have been deterred by the industry’s poor image. The shift is aimed at helping address a problem in investment banking - that junior employees often come in aiming to earn a lot of money in exchange for working all hours, before leaving after a few years for private equity and hedge funds where the pay is even better. This summer 40% of interns at Barclays investment bank are studying non-financial degrees - usually it’s around 10%. “There is no doubt that the banking industry has made some mistakes in recent years in the way that it has run its graduate recruitment processes,” said Dean, who is Barclays’ Co-Head of Banking for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Barclays has redesigned its training to give students a taste of what it feels like to step into the shoes of a client and brainstorm the strategic rationale of dealmaking, hoping to broaden the industry’s appeal by showing that it isn’t just about long hours spent crunching numbers. “Nobody wants to work all night on a 100 page book (sales pitch) and then see it thrown into recycling – and there is no reason for that to ever happen”, said Dean. Whilst most investment banking internships are aimed at second year university students, some banks are targeting recruits at an even earlier age. Morgan Stanley has a school

outreach initiative and a three day insight programme targeting 16 to 18 year old female students from diverse backgrounds called “Step in Step Up”. Goldman Sachs in January launched an apprenticeship programme in London, in partnership with Queen Mary University, that allows successful candidates to complete a salaried apprenticeship within the bank’s technology division, whilst completing their degree. “I think categorically yes the culture has changed. The first plank is recruitment. Getting that right is key.” said Rupert Jones, a managing director at Morgan Stanley. Most investment banks have brought in new measures to improve junior employees’ work-life balance. Three years ago Bank of America Merrill Lynch intern Moritz Erhardt died having worked for three days without sleep. While Erhardt’s death from a seizure was not found to be linked to his working hours the surrounding publicity prompted action. Credit Suisse, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Barclays and BAML are now extolling the ‘protected weekend’ or the ‘Saturday Rule’, aimed at giving juniors more time away from the office, while UBS recently brought in a new benefit allowing staff to book in two hours of ‘personal time’ a week.

Quality of life

Work-life balance, not pay, is the top career goal for banking oriented students even if they don’t expect to achieve it, according to a global talent survey by Deloitte. “Students nowadays place worklife balance high up in their aspirations. It’s not just about a one-way conversation,” said Margaret Doyle, head of financial services insight at Deloitte. Banking is still relatively well-

paid compared to other industries. An intern with a client facing role can expect to earn about 40,000 pounds ($57,000) at an investment bank, data provided by salary benchmarking site Emolument shows, based on 196 investment banking interns working in London. In comparison, the starting salary in the UK for a newly qualified teacher is about 28,000 pounds and for a foundation year trainee doctor it is 36,000 pounds, websites of the Department of Education and National Health Service show. Nevertheless, banking’s status as the most sought-after career path for high-flying graduates has slipped. In 2015, the consumer goods sector became the most popular among business school students, eclipsing banking for the first time, according to the Deloitte survey, which also forecast that by 2022, software and computer services would also move ahead. Interns at Silicon Valley firms Snapchat, Pinterest and Twitter are paid an annualised rate of $120,000, $108,000 and $100,800 respectively, which also includes benefits such as housing, according to data compiled by former University of California Berkeley student Rodney Folz. In 2008, almost 20% of business school students chose banking as their top career destination. By 2015, that figure was around 15%. Even so, Wall Street banks remain employers of choice for new business school graduates in the United States, despite competition for recruits from Silicon Valley, hedge funds and private equity firms, according to a study released on June 21. Goldman Sachs, for example, attracted more than a quarter of a million applications from students and graduates for jobs this summer, a rise of more than 40% since 2012. The task now is to retain them. l

Samsung Electronics Bangladesh has recently announced third week’s winner of its Eid offer called Samsung Grand Invite, said a press release. Manager of consumer electronics at Samsung Electronics Bangladesh, Md Syful Islam and Saimun Sanjid Choudhury, product manager of Rangs Industries Limited have handed over the prize to Muzammel Huqe

Social Islami Bank Limited has recently held its 370th board meeting, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Major Dr Md Rezaul Haque (retired) presided over the meeting

Standard Bank Limited has recently held its 256th board meeting, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed presided over the meeting

Kids

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

book review

Chotto Khokon

hotto Khokon is a children’s pop-up book about the liberation war of 1971. The book is written by Mohammad Jafar Iqbal. It is illustrated by Rumana Sharmin, who is also the paper engineer for the book. The book is published by Da pop-up factory and Dr Yeasmeen Haque owns the copyrights to it. The story is about a small boy named Khokon whose heroic acts saves the life of a freedom fighter

find Chotto Khokon and other such pop-up books at bookstores like Pathak Shamabesh and Batighor. You can also get it in the website for Da pop-up factory. The link is: http:// dapopupfactory.com/about/l called Manik. Jafar Iqbal tells the story of the young boy from a poor family, who wants to rid the country of the foreign military. His words perfectly portrays the innocent thoughts of a child during wartime and the brutality of the enemies of the time. It also shows how children like Khokon became accustomed to witnessing the burning of the their villages and the act of killing. The simplicity of village life is captured well with the pop-up of

a cow shed surrounded by trees. The pop up of a boat gives a more detailed visual to kids about the story. More pop-ups of the military are found in every page. The last one is of the Jatiyo Smriti Soudho, along with a bit of information about it beside the pop-up as well. The book is informative and interesting to read. Chotto Khokon is perfect for kids who are interested in the liberation war and is worth checking out. It costs Tk600, and you can

fiction

Colour as you wish

Ella: The courageous princess n Aysha Rais Once upon a time, there lived a pretty girl named Ella. She was a princess with a kind and brave heart. She had four more sisters. She was the youngest. One day, she went out to pick some blueberries, but alas, got mud on her beautiful dress. Thus she quickly ran back home. When heading back, her mother, the queen, spotted her. Upon her return, the queen exclaimed, “What do you think you are doing!” With a sorrowful heart, Ella replied, “Sorry. I was just picking berries.” The queen was disappointed with her little princess. She thought Ella was not behaving like a princess. The very next day, the queen along with her four daughters went out to the garden, leaving Ella behind at the Palace. Suddenly the kingdom was struck by a mysterious storm. The royal family and their men got lost.

While Ella was hiding in her secret chamber and praying for the kingdom's well-being, she heard a loud noise and went to the window. She saw that black smoke had covered the garden. Ella became worried. Without losing her conscience in the tensed situation, the first thing that came to her mind was, “I’ve to save my family and the kingdom.” She hopped on her horse and made her way towards the garden. On her path, she met a witch who brought the kingdom’s garden under her magical-spell. However, Ella won the fight with her family’s legendary sword. Finally, she rescued her family and her people. It was Ella’s courage that helped her win the battle against evil.l Aysha Rais, Class 3, Mutiara International Grammar School (Malaysia)

diy

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

fun science

Hand-dotted glasses What you’ll need: Colourful acrylic paint Glasses, bottles, jars Cotton buds

Bored of your plain old mug or water bottle? Not anymore! Here’s a fun and interesting way to decorate

Kids

your glass on your own, without having to ask your mothers to buy you a brand new mug.

magic for kids

Making a small bead disappear

What you’ll need: A small paper cup 2 small beads What to do: Use scissors to make a small hole at the base of the cup. This is to make sure that the bead you want to make disappear can pass through easily. Take help from your parents for this step. • Put the second bead in your pocket. • Hold the cup with your hands at the base of the cup. • Drop the object inside the cup and let it pass through the hole and fall in your hand. • Turn the cup over. The object will seem to have disappeared. • Reach into your pocket and take the second bead out. It will seem that the object has reached your pocket! l

What to do: First, gather your materials and select the item that you want to decorate. This could be a glass, a glass bottle, a jar, or anything that you think would be fun to decorate. Use enamel acrylic paint because that will last longer. Once you have brought out the paint, dip your cotton buds into them and apply dots on the glass surface. Place the dots on the bottom part since this looks nicer. Make sure you mix lots of colours. Once the paint dries, your glasses will look much prettier than even the ones you find at stores! l

Big dry ice bubble What you’ll need: • Dry ice • Water • Mixture of soap and water • Bowl • A strip of material or cloth What to do: Place your dry ice into the bowl and pour some water. Dip the material/cloth into the soapy

solution and run it around the lip of your bowl, and then drag the material across the bowl. Step away from the bowl and watch you bubble grow! Precaution: Dry ice can cause skin damage, so handle it very carefully. It is better to use gloves. l

toy review

The dark side of monopoly Monopoly is extremely fun, isn’t it? As far as we can remember, we have been taught that for everything good, there is a bad. How fun would a movie be if there is a hero with no villain? So to honour our hero “Monopoly,” we give you “Anti Monopoly,” the villain. Unlike any basic monopoly game, Anti Monopoly gives you ground to be either a competitor or a monopolist. A monopolist is like your school bully who tries to wipe out anyone who is a threat and then sets up his own rules to rule the cafeteria

(the market in this case). A competitor is like your classmates who try to compete with you to get highest possible marks. The game is based on a constant war between the two. Two to six players can play this awesome game. Anti Monopoly is available at the store Kids and Moms in Banani. Try it out! You won’t be disappointed. Reference: http://www.firstcry. com/m/zapak/anti-monopoly-thereal-estate-trading-game-for-the21st-century/357/product-detaill

Teen

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

From ancient to metropolis

n Abhoy Hriddo The time for landing was near, but I was still further away from waking up until my menace of a brother threw a cup of water on my face. He just ruined my beauty sleep. The city from the airplane window looked like small pieces of dominoes about to be toppled over. We landed at Prague at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Exiting the Prague airport was very easy. The blue skies were filled with small balls of cotton moving slowly towards the mountain. As we travelled along the road, we could see small dots of red coming closer to us. The scenery looked like the portrait of the artist with the smoothest of fingers. The view was truly a sight for sore eyes. As we entered the city, time seemed to travel backwards. The city of Prague, Praha, was filled with ancient buildings accompanied with red roofs which were almost 800 years old. Through the old town flows Vltava River. On top of it lies the Charles Bridge which was built by Charles IV in 1357. Although the bridge was 750 years old, it was still sturdy. The city itself had ten parts. The place where we were staying at was Prague one, Old Town. The bridge connected the two parts of Prague, with Prague 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on our side, and Prague 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were on the other. I found myself surrounded by historic buildings which were still spic and span. The hotel that was booked was made in the year 1428. Its name was U Suteru. It had the smallest room in the history of hotels. We unpacked our suitcases

and went to see the block. My mother did not want to walk. Mom’s legs started to hurt approximately every quarter hour, there was a break taken. We were walking through the old square when a girl came and asked us to rent a segway, which is a funny vehicle with two wheels. You lean front, it goes forward, if you lean back, it goes backwards. A thirty minute tour took us around the whole city. After the tour we went to palladium, the biggest shopping mall in Prague. It had over 200 shops. Mom did her magic and we had to carry her stuff through the whole store. I don’t know how many chocolates she bought, but there were at least 25 to 30 packets of chocolates. After her shopping ended, my brother and I wanted to try out the new VR (virtual reality) console in the gaming store. They were giving people per hour trial for KC169. When we went to the store, we found out that it was closed. The next day was our journey aimed towards France. France was entirely different from Prague; it’s a huge metropolis filled with street performers, overpriced shopping centres, restaurants and kind hearted people who will try to help you in any way, no matter what situation he or she is in. The famous Eiffel tower is located in Paris and so is the second largest Disneyland in the world. This time around, we stayed at St Charles, which I found to be pretty weird for a hotel name. Unpacking at the hotel was the easy part, but going to the tower was very difficult, so, we started heading for the metro. The sweet aroma of food went

through my nose and I realised the whole area was filled with restaurants so we had our lunch there. A train was taken to the Eiffel tower and my word, it’s huge. The tower was built by Gustavo Eiffel and was also named after him. It was built in 1887 and it’s almost 330 metres tall. We practically spent our whole day there but we did not go all the way to the top as it was closed for the Euro Cup. We headed for Disneyland the next day, which needs a separate tribute to do it justice. Coming up: Switzerland. Our plan was to go on top of the Eiffel tower that day, but the ticket lines were so huge that our plan was cancelled, and our journey to Switzerland had begun. We went to the station to board our train. The journey was very relaxing. Our stay at Switzerland was with my dad’s nephew’s family. It was loads of fun. The first task was to visit Germany for two hours, where my mom shopped, naturally. The funniest part was that to enter Germany, there was no need to show any passports at all! After Germany was conquered, it was time for Mt Pilatus which is 8,000 meters above sea level. It is a mountain overlooking Lucerne. Our destination was Tomilshorn, the highest peak. We went on top of the mountain by a cable car. The ride was spectacular as it felt like we were going into the clouds themselves. The whole city could be seen from the top. Unfortunately, it was drizzling and clouds had gathered on top of the mountain. The rest, as they say, was hazy. We went down the mountain

by train, the steepest train in the world. Our stay at Switzerland was amazing, but short. After we returned to Prague, we stayed at an uncle's house in the countryside. They had a

huge garden and that uncle was a chef. What happened next was surprising. We were having a garden BBQ in the evening where my uncle and I set up everything. After all the hard work, it started to rain. A shed was set above the tables under which we started eating. After the rain ended, two wonderous rainbows were seen, starting from a hill and ending in the countryside. Mom went crazy and she took a lot of pictures. We stayed there for a day and left for Prague city the day after. The hotel, again, was in a really old building but the rooms were colossal this time around. Our usual schedule was done and then a segaway tour was taken to the Prague castle, which is high up in the mountains. Prague castle is the oldest castle in the country, dated back to the ninth century. Oblivious, mom went shopping again, naturally. l Abhoy Hriddo, Class-7, South Breeze school

Biz Info

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

| service platform |

SHEBA: Learnings from GP Accelerator program SHEBA is a service platform whose objective is to provide a solution to simplify life. Their aim is to serve the community by solving day-today household problems, and they are the first ever service platform launched in Bangladesh. With their innovative service idea, they took part in the GP Accelerator program as one of the top five teams. GP Accelerator, launched by Grameenphone in partnership with SD Asia was in search of five talented tech startups in Bangladesh. Hundreds of startups applied, and the best five were selected by the GP and SD ASIA team after various faceto-face interviews, and demo presentations. SHEBA provides one stop solution for different services like electrical, plumbing, cleaning, laundry, pest control, car servicing, computer or mobile service, lift/generator maintenance and much more. They are open 24 hours a day throughout the week and all their service

providers are highly skilled and their backgrounds are verified by SHEBA’s own quality control team. We recently contacted Adnan Imtiaz Halim, CEO of SHEBA to learn about his experience from the GP Accelerator program. Here are the key points we discussed with himImprovement since joining the Accelerator Sheba believes they had a 360-degree improvement from this accelerator program. The program helped them get more exposure and it was like the best marketing they could get. More people now know the name of Sheba. Moreover, it helped them to boost the sales significantly. GP Accelerator experience Adnan said it was a challenging but wonderful experience for them. They were pushed to achieve their targets and also got 100% support when they were out of track. They learned a lot from this Accelerator program. Expert mentors gave them various ideas to make themselves a better team and service provider. Besides,

the access to Grameenphone has helped them a lot. Adnan also mentioned the helping culture between the startup teams was the thing he would remember most. Demo day experience When asked about the demo day experience Adnan said, “It was

a thrilling experience even after a month of exercise!” On demo day, Sheba got the opportunity to present their idea in front of 100 attendees including investors and professionals. They received confirmation from few investors after the session and others

showed enough interest. Equity share Adnan believes it is worth giving up 10% equity as the Accelerator program helped them to shape up their business, get the fund and most importantly boost up their sales number.l

| education |

| seminar |

Dr Harun-or-Rashid joins BUBT as Registrar

Research based seminar held at IUB

Dr Md Harun-or-Rashid joined Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) as Registrar recently. Before joining BUBT, he served at NCTB, NAEM, NU, BOU and MIU in different positions.

Dr Harun obtained Masters’ degree in 1981, and PhD in 2004 from Dhaka University, under Arts Faculty. He also obtained MSS in Political Science from NU, and MEd from BOU. l

A research based seminar on `why a village in Jessore reveals so much about our world over the last 25 years and the next 25 years’ was held at the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Campus in Bashundhara, Dhaka on Wednesday, July 13th, 2016. The Department of Social Sciences and Humanities of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB); and American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS) jointly organised the programme. Dr Michael Bowler, AIBS Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor at the department of Global Studies and World Languages at Winona State University, Minnesota, USA, was the key speaker at the seminar. Through the presentation, Dr Bowler shared his research findings and relationship with a village in Manirampur Upazila, in Jessore district of Bangladesh. He also revealed indepth outcomes of the research of the last 25 years. Dr Bowler talked about the improvement of income and living standard of the village accomplished over the period of time. He also pointed out the serious health care challenges and environmental degradation of the

Dr Michael Bowler, AIBS Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor at the department of Global Studies and World Languages at Winona State University, Minnesota, USA is speaking at a Seminar at IUB

village that took place during this time. Prof M Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor, IUB; delivered the welcome speech in the seminar while Dr Talim Hossain, Head, Department of Social Sciences

and Humanities; gave the vote of thanks. There was a lively questionanswer session that engaged the members of the faculty and IUB students of different disciplines. l

20 Editorial

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

TODAY

Don’t get trapped in party politics This is not a political issue between the two main political parties; rather it is a long-term issue for our country PAGE 21

A political earthquake For 43 years they had been together in every strife and struggle and the focus was the countries developed together. The EU membership was stamped with a golden print on any British passport and the UK proudly represented a golden star amongst the 28 stars in the blue EU flag PAGE 22

Killers in our midst Perhaps it’s their frustration with life, out of the affluence that they know their parents earned unethically 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.

BIGSTOCK

Why are Lazarus and Jakirul being detained?

here is no excuse for the way the police have been playing hide and seek with regards to two men who were detained in connection with the Gulshan attack of July 1. It is highly concerning that the police have only relayed misinformation, which has created tremendous confusion regarding the statuses of Lazarus Saren and Jakirul Islam, who were picked up as suspects for unspecified reasons. In the initial case file of July 4, neither Lazarus nor Jakirul were mentioned, either as hostage or as suspected militant. When detained, Lazarus, a Christian man, was injured in his left leg, while Jakirul, an employee of O’Kitchen adjacent to Holey Artisan Bakery, had a chest wound. Why, the public needs to know, are they suddenly being treated as suspects? And why were they not mentioned in the case before? We also need to know why police are not letting anyone speak to these men. There remain questions regarding the whereabouts of Tahmid and Hasnat, who were initially in police custody but have since disappeared without explanation. The fates of Lazarus and Jakirul are just as concerning, if not more so, because of their added vulnerability due to their class backgrounds. Lazarus, furthermore, was a religious minority, which makes him a highly unlikely candidate to be a suspect in Islamist militant activities. The facts simply don’t add up, and the police have a lot of answering to do. The public’s faith in our law enforcement in this time of crisis hangs in the balance.

The facts simply don’t add up, and the police have a lot of answering to do

Opinion

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Don’t get trapped in party politics The nation must break out of the AL-BNP narrative to tackle bigger problems

Playing politics with this attack is an insult to the dead

REUTERS

This is not a political issue between the two main political parties -- AL and BNP; rather it is a long-term issue for our country. Hence, we all have to work together, forgetting our differences. However, that may prove more challenging than uprooting terrorists

n Jyotirmoy Barua

his situation has not developed overnight, and there is no time for fairy tales, as a group is now trying to challenge the state. A part of our society has harboured them and helped them to grow, and they are as responsible for it as the wrong principles of the government. The social and cultural institutions, writers, artists, all have to play a big role. However, are they planning to do anything? America or other Western nations would fan the flame -- they will not put it out. There is no point waiting for others’ help. We need to address

our own issues ourselves -- if we want to resist the conspiracies to turn this country into another Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. Although the government is denying it, analysts conclude that IS is in Bangladesh. If this were a strategic tact, I would accept that it is a right approach. Since, as soon as we accept that IS exists in Bangladesh, we make ourselves vulnerable to a number of American strategies. To understand the motives, it is important to figure out whether the terrorists are local or international, but it is irrelevant in order to prevent terrorist activities. It is important to understand who Rita Kurtz is and what the

SITE Intelligence Group is. This group gets news feeds from terrorist cells that are circulated around the world as truth. We needed a much clearer briefing on SITE. For example, the terrorists had released a number of hostages before the siege ended -- then, who rescued whom? In the absence of clear messaging, international media kept reporting that this was an IS-style attack. Some of the Indian media reported that the growth of IS in Bangladesh is a worry for India. Many are claiming trickery, as the father of an attacker was an AL politician. While we must protest against the AL’s repressive politics, to allege that AL has plotted in this

attack is a fantasy, and a symptom of depressive outburst. Many are also blaming the parents for the sins of their children, but the youth are not solely influenced by their families. Others in society influence and control their thoughts too. Family members of the terrorists should not face animosity, and innocent people must not be punished. The victims are citizens of our development partners. In particular, Japan helps us to develop and to build infrastructures, roads, and bridges. Terrorist attacks will no doubt be a big blow to our economy. For example, a group of Westerners were due to come to Dhaka to visit a school that we run through direct funding from them. They train the teachers. Now, they are asking me how safe it is, and if they should come. All need to work together for peaceful co-existence of all religious groups. We need to teach everyone how to follow our religions while respecting others. We need to look for solutions, keeping in mind that communal feelings are on the rise in society, and the state is

tolerating it. A senior citizen stated yesterday that he does not feel safe going to the Gulshan mosque for prayers; instead, he is praying at home. People will start to fear to go to places of gathering, shopping malls, schools, and rail stations. A culture of fear will be enough to destroy the nation. That is why there is no alternative than to protest. This is not a political issue between the two main political parties -- AL and BNP; rather it is a long-term issue for our country. Hence, we all have to work together, forgetting our differences. However, that may prove more challenging than uprooting terrorists. All parties need to stop using religion in politics. An amendment to the constitution to that effect is the call of the hour. This is not an attack on Hindus, Buddhists, or the indigenous people, but against the state. After the Gulshan attack, the nation must think everything afresh. Yet, the state is not taking any such attempt. Following a similar script, two suspected criminals in the murder of SP Babul’s wife was killed in “crossfire.” No one believes in crossfires anymore. The government knows this, but is still continuing with this strategy. As if all of us have forgotten that violent outbursts stem from social and state injustice. The government claims two suspects were captured, but they were not produced before the court within 24 hours, as per the law. We cannot find legal solutions bypassing the law. We need to remember this during all legal proceedings. If the investigation remains stuck in the ongoing political partisan rhetoric, and if we fail to see the fruits of our chetona (consciousness), then despair will grip us -- the tendency to leave the country will increase. Politicians have already transferred their money and family overseas. The caravan of others seeking refuge overseas will be lengthened. In the end, we should also notice that all of us will have to pay if the Gulshan killing is stuck in the AL-BNP narratives. We have to be watchful. We must create a different narrative. l Jyotirmoy Barua, Barrister, is an Advocate at the Bangladesh Supreme Court.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Long Form

A political earthquake that shattered the Richter scale Exactly why did the UK decide to leave the EU? This is the first part of a three-part long form

n Nabila Rafique

es it did happen -UK voters made the phenomenal decision to leave the EU on June 23, 2016. A date now etched in history as a day of ground-shattering political fallout. It is important to stress that Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in, while England and Wales voted to leave. In England, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle were few of the major cities to vote for staying. The faultlines are visible across the north and south of Great Britain and across the generational divide between the young and old. What led to the referendum? What could possibly have caused this divorce after 43 years of marriage? And where is this country heading? My view is that of a commonwealth citizen living in London for the past five years. Whereas my view resonates with majority of Londoners, it is not the same as many across the country, and very strikingly, many of my own diaspora, the BritishBangladeshi community. To understand this referendum, we need to go back to 2014, in the agonising throes of the refugee crisis. The political instability and abject living conditions of conflict areas in the Middle East caused thousands to flee and line up in the shores of Europe and Turkey. Greece, Italy, and Turkey’s coastline were overwhelmed with impoverished faces and dead bodies. These migrants had only one aim -- to reach the shores of Europe. International humanitarian treaties required European countries to assume responsibility of these refugees, and grant them asylum. Whereas countries like Austria and Hungary have not been very kind to these people, most refugees who made it ashore found safe haven in German, Italy, and Turkey. The UK, being miles away from the EU coastline, was a long shot for them. The geographical advantage of the UK was that it was separated from mainland Europe by the English Channel with temperature much colder

than the Mediterranean and Ionian Sea. Border controls with France in the ports of Calais and Dover were fierce. Though UK took part in some humanitarian operations for these refugees, the heavy lifting was done by other European countries like Germany, Greece, and Italy. UK’s comparative lack of action brought it at odds with EU member states. In countering that criticism, David Cameron hit back against the EU establishment, justifying UK’s position to protect its borders and control migration. He proposed preferential treatment of the UK, lesser contribution to migrant funds, and restrictions on border controls. He faced criticism, severe criticism at home from pro-migrant campaigners of doing less and from anti-migrant campaigners for not doing more.

A unity that was doomed to fail?

REUTERS

For 43 years they had been together in every strife and struggle and the focus was the countries developed together. The EU membership was stamped with a golden print on any British passport and the UK proudly represented a golden star amongst the 28 stars in the blue EU flag

The refugee crises also lead many right-wing nationalists in many European countries to make demand to reject these refugees. Fears of being taken over by Muslim refugees, and a loss of sovereignty were propagated. And it was not long before the UK’s right-wing nationalists joined in. Whereas organisations like the British Nationalist Party (BNP) bluntly expressed fascist, antiimmigration, xenophobic views, they were still a minority, and had no political power. However, another such organisation had a bit more sophistication, UK Independence Party (UKIP). Its leader, Nigel Farage, was already a Member of European Parliament (MEP). Most significantly, it had then just acquired two sitting members of parliament, defecting from the Conservative Party, thereby gaining political representation at home as well. He advocated that UK needed to further control its borders against the migrants, or else it

would be taken over. Since Europe was continuing to accept them, the solution was to be independent of the EU. This was the backdrop of the general elections of UK 2015. Campaign was heating up, and Farage did not lose any opportunity to fan in these antimigrant fears. Farage brought to question the EU membership and played heavy on immigration and freedom of movement. The Liberal Democratic Party and the Labour Party did not make it any easy. The answer, as it appeared to the PM, was to renegotiate membership benefits with EU. However, to assuage the calls of Farage and likes at home, he promised that, once re-elected, he would hold a referendum on EU membership. This manifesto pledge won him the general election with a majority, amongst other reasons. However, very importantly, it increased the UK’s leverage in the EU talks. Because, EU always

wanted UK to remain a member and softened to any demands the PM made. There was only one condition to EU agreeing to all the new membership benefits -- he needed to convince the UK to vote in. Once back in the number 10 Downing St in February 2016, he announced his promise: A referendum on EU membership would take place in the summer of 2016. In many ways, the call for this referendum was a safe bet. The PM’s biggest ally through the journey was his bosom buddy: The Chancellor George Osborn. The economy got better under his coalition regime, so it can only get better under his majority government. The UK was prospering, and the British pound got stronger. EU member states all welcomed the UK to stay in. London teemed with diversity from across Europe. First and foremost, there was no hostility. For 43 years, Brits only knew

of a UK in EU, and had fostered families with EU citizens, business with EU countries, and developed laws and legislations on workers’ rights, the environment, national security, and education. For 43 years they had been together in every strife and struggle, and the focus was the countries developed together. The EU membership was stamped with a golden print on any British passport, and the UK proudly represented a golden star amongst the 28 stars in the blue EU flag. Commerce, travel, education flourished. Ask any person, regardless of gender, race, colour, creed at the beginning of 2016 and they would say the UK would of course vote in. But beneath this confident complacency, there was something else that was brewing, something alien, new, and provocative -- the birth of a movement called Brexit. Brexit is a short-hand for “Britain” and “exit.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines Brexit as “the possibility of Britain leaving the European Union.” Though it is a redundant definition now that Britain had actually decided to exit, it is important to note that in essence it was just a possibility. l The second part of this long form will be published tomorrow. Nabila Rafique is a Barrister.

Opinion

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Killers in our midst How do ordinary kids turn into cold-blooded murderers?

n Aminul Sarwar

any of us must still be wondering: “What just happened?” Yes, it happened, and we simply can’t undo it -- the way we can’t undo the fact that, our own people, our children have just carried out a gruesomely macabre killing spree. In a single mission, they have slain 22 people in the most sick and cruel way. Their friends and families must be in agony now, wondering how they could have missed this transformation, but many of them may be recollecting clues that indicated that these kids were embarking on a depraved path. You might’ve been taken aback with the sudden change of one of your well-off friends or relatives. Maybe it began with the admiration and frequent referral of televised Islamic sermons by the televangelists like Zakir Naik, Anjem Chaudhury, or the great martyr Anwar Al Awlaki for that matter. They might have found interest, not in the normative form of their religion, but in the radicalised Takfirist version of it, idolising Ibn Taimiyah and Hasan al Bannah. The rhetoric and hate-speech are something -- which they find as ventilation of the inexplicable

Remember the victims but also ask questions about the attackers

Perhaps it’s their frustration with life, out of the affluence that they know their parents earned unethically rage -- they hold within their hearts. There might have been a transformation from Inshallah to In-Sha-Allah. From Mashallah to Allah Kareem. A loud Zazakallah Khairan. If they are male, they might have grown a great fascination towards facial hair. Perhaps his pants suddenly found themselves at a specific length. If they’re female, she might have started to grow intolerant towards women’s rights groups, claiming Islam serves the best interests for women. For peace, she might have started sporting the hijab. Suddenly, they experienced television-induced self-discovery and introspection. They, with their anglophile linguistic profile,

have had a revelation of religious puritanism. Replacing Khoda Hafez with Allah Hafiz, they are out to emulsify the old with new and pure; they are prone to exclusivity! There has been a successful infusion of a fire in them. The fire that is warm enough to transport them all the way to Syria or Iraq. This metamorphosis took place over decades. In a society where social and economic privilege is almost always at the cost of corruption and forgery, the impact surfaces in many folds. This is one of them. Like the politically degenerated hooliganism, or intellectually corrupt middle-class, they, too, are the products of our imbalanced and unjust social eco-system. Probably, stricken hard by

cognitive dissonance, they are the ones who felt bad about the state of affairs, and have been looking for a cocoon to hide. Perhaps it’s their frustration with life, out of the affluence that they know their parents earned unethically. Or it is the impulse, derived out of desperation, to overthrow a life without challenges. They want adventure endorsed with divine bestowment. When such is the case, it is very easy for the recruiters, placed in the universities, or particular circles where students with such background go, to bait them. For the ones who belong to the expat Bengali groups in Europe and North America, the case is different. They are a generation torn apart due to the onus of multiple identity crises. Their Bengali identity, Muslim identity, and the identity as representatives of migrant families integrating in the mainstream of the foreign society tend to clash. Parents are wary when raising their children as good Muslims, and protecting them from the vices of western society. Islamic

REUTERS

education, in both formal and nonformal ways, exposes them to the hate campaign against the West and their allies. They are taught to hate the western ways of life and the very countries they live in. A sense of dichotomy is thus developed. As they grow up, some get rid of it, some are never liberated. They blame the very society that they live in, and the country for their miserable states of mind. It is augmented by the sense of injustice in the Muslim worlds; from Palestine to Iraq, to Afghanistan. They, with their unrest hearts, feel akin to their persecuted Ummah fraternity across the globe. A point to note is that, unlike the Talibans of Pakistan or Afghanistan, they are not from the social backwaters of their countries. They are not madrasa educated, poverty-stricken angry men and women. They are people educated in the West, from wellto-do societies. For the expat Bengalis, the parents must decide and act as to how they should groom and raise

their children. Over-enthusiasm in religious culture and education, and their aspiration to secure a bright future in the foreign society don’t really go hand in hand. Such dichotomy is the last thing that they should instill in their children. They must foresee the consequences when they think of taking their children to places where clerics and community jihadists preach hatred. If such speeches transform the thoughts and wills of their children, they’ll have none other than themselves to blame. On the other hand, inside Bangladesh, since political and social reforms are way out of our hands, we can only think of social and legal vigilance. Intelligence outfits and the law enforcers must check and stop the agents with ulterior agenda to recruit jihadists form our society. Parents and relatives must follow up the movement and associations of their children, and must be prudent enough to know when and how to intervene. l Aminul Sarwar is a retired army officer.

24 Sport

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

TOP STORIES

Western glow, east pale Bangladesh’s 78 Test players have come from 29 districts across the country. The 35 other districts are yet to bring up a Test cricketer but to have almost half the country produce cricketers good enough to play the Test. PAGE 25

Wales cross England in FIFA rankings Propelled by an impressive European Championship 2016 campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of rival England, in the latest FIFA world rankings released yesterday. PAGE 26

Pakistan middle order batsman Misbah ul Haq plays a sweep shot against England during their first Test at Lord’s yesterday

Russian cleared for Rio faces traitor slurs Russian long jumper Darya Klishina was ecstatic when word came through that athletics’ ruling body had cleared her to compete at the Rio Olympics despite a blanket ban on the country’s track and field team. PAGE 27

Murali heads to rival Australia camp Keen to beat Sri Lanka in their own spin game, Australia have roped in local spin great Muttiah Muralitharan to help their slow bowlers ahead of the three-Test series beginning this month. He had a similar short-term consulting stint with Australia in 2014. PAGE 28

REUTERS

Pakistan struggle at Lord’s n AFP, London Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq survived as top-order wickets fell around him on the first day of the first Test against England at Lord’s on Thursday. At tea, Pakistan were 158 for four with number five Misbah, who won the toss, 48 not out after all the top four had returned to the Pavilion. Asad Shafiq was unbeaten on 12 as Mohammad Amir, listed to come in at number eight, waited to make his return to Test cricket at Lord’s -- the scene of his spot-fixing crime. Misbah won the toss on a sunny day, with the pitch at Lord’s a notoriously good surface for batsmen. Jake Ball, given a debut in place of James Anderson after the selectors decided against risking England’s all-time leading wicket-taker following a shoulder injury, appealed for leg before against Masood with his second delivery

in Test cricket. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena said not out and and an unsuccessful England review confirmed the ball had pitched outside leg stump. Hafeez was lucky on 11 when an edge off Stuart Broad, forming an all-Nottinghamshire new-ball pairing with Ball, was dropped by third slip James Vince, who couldn’t hold a low chance to his left.

DAY 1 AT TEA PAKISTAN 158 for 4 (Misbah 48, Shafiq 12, Woakes 2-39 ) But first-change Chris Woakes removed both openers with a burst of two wickets for five runs in 16 balls. A rising delivery had left-hander Masood, playing away from his body, caught behind by Jonny Bairstow for seven. The same combination then dismissed Hafeez for 40. Hafeez’s 59-ball innings, in-

cluding eight fours, ended when he tried to work to leg a short ball from the Warwickshire all-rounder that swung away a touch only to get a top edge, with Bairstow holding the skyed chance. Pakistan were now 51 for two. They had moved on to 76 for two at lunch but Azhar Ali had failed to add to his interval score of seven not out when he was literally knocked off his feet by a Ball yorker and given out lbw by Dharmasena. The batsman reviewed and Ball, presented with his England cap before play by his uncle Bruce French, the former England wicket-keeper, had a nervous wait for his first Test wicket. But this time, thanks to a tight ‘umpire’s call’ verdict showing the ball clipping leg stump, technology worked in Ball’s favour. Pakistan were now 77 for three but veterans Younis and Misbah, as they had done so often before, steadied the innings. Their cause was helped when Misbah was dropped on 16 by

Joe Root, who grassed a tough slip chance off fast bowler Steven Finn. Younis struck several elegant drives in his innings but he gave his wicket away on 33 when he clipped Broad straight to Moeen Ali at square leg to end a stand of 57 with Misbah that had had taken Pakistan to 134 for four. Misbah, playing in his first Test at Lord’s at the advanced age if 42, was not in control of a gloved hook off Broad but looked much better in forcing him through point for four. Earlier, as expected, left-arm quick Amir was selected for his first Test appearance since the infamous ‘spot-fixing’ clash against England at Lord’s in 2010. That match saw Amir and Pakistan new-ball partner Mohammad Asif deliberately bowl no-balls on the instructions of then captain Salman Butt as part of a newspaper ‘sting’ operation. All three received five-year bans from cricket and jail terms.l

Sport

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Western glow, east pale

We find out where most of Bangladesh’s Test cricketers come from, and why many of the districts have failed to produce a single Test player in 16 years “There were very few cricketing “Khulna has been a hub of qualn Mazhar Uddin activities in this region. The othity cricketers for Bangladesh and Bangladesh’s 78 Test players have come from 29 districts across the country. The 35 other districts are yet to bring up a Test cricketer but to have almost half the country produce cricketers good enough to play the game at the highest level is a commendable effort for a country that became a Test nation only 15 years ago. In a nationwide study, Dhaka Tribune has found out that the regions producing most number of top cricketers are Khulna and Rajshahi. There are plenty of local tournaments being played at different levels in these two divisions, especially Khulna which has off late taken up the mantle of Bangladesh cricket’s factory from Rajshahi. The 35 districts that haven’t produced a Test cricketer so far mostly are from the Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal and Dhaka divisions. The lack of infrastructure and tournaments were seen as major reasons for them lagging behind in producing major players. The far-flung Rangpur region has come up with some Test players while the districts under the newly-formed Mymensingh division are also showing encouraging signs. In a recent Dhaka Tribune report, it was found that the Dhaka city, considered the most important place in Bangladesh cricket, produces fewer top quality cricketers due to relatively lesser interest in the sport. The contribution of Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP) is also invaluable to Bangladesh cricket. The country’s first Test captain Naimur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Nasir Hossain are some of many cricketers who learned the game properly in this sports institute.

The success stories

Khulna can be called the champion in terms of producing Test cricketers. Nine out of the ten districts in the region have produced at least one Test player, the exception being Chuadanga. These players include Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Abdur Razzak and former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar. Among the recent talent to come out of this region are the sensational Mustafizur Rahman and the stylish Soumya Sarkar. According to Khulna coach Kazi Emdadul Bashar, the will power of cricketers and the strong age-group activities are what has helped these players to improve over the last two decades.

the determination and hard work from the cricketers of this region is the key behind the success. We also have a good age-level activities along with many local tournaments taking place in Khulna helped tremendously to produce more players,” said Bashar. “At the same time since Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar came to the scene more youngsters from the remote areas are willing to play cricket which is a very good sign. I think Khulna will continue to produce more international players for the country in the coming days,” he added. Rajshahi come in second these days in terms of international player production, though they are still the highest providers when it comes to the domestic scene. Four out of eight districts of the Rajshahi region have produced nine Test players including legendary wicketkeeper and former captain Khaled Mashud and the current Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim. Players coming from Rajshahi are often known to be hard working but according to Mashud, lack of tournaments and some issues within the District Sports Association (DSA) have caused trouble for Rajshahi recently. “Rajshahi has always produced quality cricketers in the past but recently I observed that the number of tournaments have decreased comparing to the past. We used to play a lot of matches all over the year which helped us to improve,” said Mashud. “Another fact is that there is no relegation system in the local league in the past few years. When you don’t have the competition where you may get relegated, then automatically there will be no challenge both among the players and officials. “I think the board needs to welcome young and new faces who actually want to help and develop the cricket of this region. Then I am sure Rajshahi will produce more quality players in future,” he added. Dhaka has produced 12 Test cricketers but not many in the present. According to coaches, this is due to the lack of interest in the game and the general lack of field in the city. Among the districts in Dhaka division, Narayanganj’s cricket culture has helped them find Test cricketers. Faridpur has had two, Kishoreganj and Manikganj one each. But Gazipur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Narsingdi,

Panchagarh

Nilphamari

Thakurgaon

Lalmonirhat

Dinajpur

Kurigram

Rangpur

Gaibandha

Joypurhat

Sherpur

Naogaon

Jamalpur

Bogra

C’nawabganj

Rajshahi

Kishoreganj

Tangail

Kushtia

Rajbari

Jhenidah

Dhaka

Manikganj

Chuadanga

Habiganj

Maulavi Bazar

Narail

Bagerhat Khulna

Brahmanbaria

Comilla

Laxmipur

Barisal

Pirojpur

N’ganj

Shariatpur Chandpur Madaripur

Gopalganj

Satkhira

Narsingdi

Munshiganj

Faridpur Magura

Jessore

Sylhet

Gazipur

Pabna

Meherpur

Mymensingh

Sirajganj

Natore

Sunamganj

Netrokona

Khagrachhari

Noakhali

Feni

Rangamati

Jhalakathi

Patuakhali

Bhola

Chittagong

Barguna

Bandarban

Cox's Bazar

Test cricketers in each Bangladesh district Rajbari, Shariatpur and Tangail haven’t produced a single Test player.

The disappointing trio

Barisal have the most disappointing figures among the eight divisions in the country. Their six districts have so far produced only two Test cricketers but both Shahriar Nafees and Sohag Gazi got their advanced lessons in the game in Dhaka and Khulna respectively. Nafees said that Barisal was late in developing the infrastructure which has been the main reason for their lack of progress. “You see after the 17th or 18th edition of the National Cricket League we became the champion for the first time and the main reason is that Barisal was late to flourish due to the infrastructural development,” said Nafees. “It is getting better and there are players coming from this region at the age-level. But we have to remember we are talking about national team not a zonal team and it’s natural that you won’t have players from every district,” he added. According to Barisal coach Tasrikul Islam, the lack of interest in the DSA is why they are not getting

players from this region. “There is hardly any activities in Barguna, Jhalokathi and Pirojpur. Even the facilities are not up to the mark. In the rainy season, there are no activities from the players as there are no indoor facilities available in those regions,” said Tasrikul. Chittagong is another disappointment given how their initial contribution to Bangladesh cricket. They have produced the likes of Akram Khan and Minhazul Abedin and lately Nafees and Tamim Iqbal. But the south-eastern region of the country is now struggling to produce cricketers where apart from Chittagong district, Comilla and Cox’s Bazar there were no Test cricketers from the remaining eight of the eleven districts within Chittagong division. There has also never been even a first-class cricketer from the hill-track districts like Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari. Chittagong coach Mominul Haque said that the region suffers from lack of cricket tournaments, and that most of the activities are based on the port city. But he pointed out at least two districts who are getting serious about the game.

er districts apart from Chittagong did not have enough facilities and it was totally based on the Chittagong city. But things have started to improve as we are now getting players from Feni and Noakhali at the age-levels,” said Haque. “We have to emphasis on the remote areas where we must have standard facilities for the players to develop their skills and also continue the leagues every year,” he added. At one time, Sylhet were producing Test cricketers rapidly but they stopped for a long time after Enamul Haque Jnr’s debut, with their last Test debutant being paceman Abul Hasan. They also have a problem similar to those in Chittagong and Barisal: lack of cricketing activities in the districts. Former Bangladesh captain Rajin Saleh has urged the BCB to take this division more seriously as they took it in the past. “There are hardly any cricketing facilities in Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj. There were no league in these regions for some time now. If there’s a league in Sylhet only the locals of the district can take part where the players even from Moulvibazar are not allowed to play,” said Rajin. “However there are some personal initiatives being taken. I arrange a camp every year where we all contribute and practise but if the board give us the opportunity and provide us the facilities, the former players have the ability to bring up more high-quality cricketers for the future,” said Rajin.

The promising north

Rangpur has already produced five Test cricketers from three districts out of the eight in their division. Kurigram, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Lalmonirhat can get better in the coming days if the facilities are provided by local organisers. The newest division, Mymensingh, have also produced seven Test cricketers including Mahmudullah Riyad, but this region too lacks proper facilities. The leagues are irregular too. One way to improve smaller regions like Rangpur and Mymensingh is to tell them to develop their first-class teams. Rangpur is already quite good and Mymensigh, where the league this season has been held properly, are willing to be part of the National Cricket League.l

Sport

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Dallas Cowboys beat Real to top Forbes’ most valuable list n Reuters The Dallas Cowboys unseated Spanish soccer club Real Madrid for top spot on a list of the world’s 50 most valuable sports teams, according to a Forbes poll released on Wednesday that was dominated by NFL franchises. The value of the National Football League’s Cowboys rose 25 percent to $4 billion compared to last year, while the value of 10-time European champions Real Madrid rose 12 percent to $3.65 billion over the same period, Forbes said in a statement. It marks the first time since the list’s inception in 2011 that a non-soccer club has taken the top spot on the list. “Blockbuster TV contracts are fueling unprecedented increases in sports team values around the globe as the average value of a top 50 franchise has doubled over the past four years,” said Forbes senior editor Kurt Badenhausen. “The NFL is still king on TV with contracts worth nearly $7 billion annually from its media partners.” Soccer’s Barcelona ($3.55 billion), Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees ($3.4 billion) and Manchester United ($3.32 billion) rounded out the top five.l

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE TEAMS (IN BILLIONS)

1. Dallas Cowboys 2. Real Madrid 3. Barcelona 4. New York Yankees 5. Manchester United 6. New England Patriots 7. New York Knicks 8. Washington Redskins 9. New York Giants 10. Los Angeles Lakers 10. San Francisco 49ers

- $4.0 - $3.65 - $3.55 - 3.4 - 3.32 - 3.2 - 3.0 - $2.85 - $2.8 - $2.7 - $2.7

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino scores their fourth goal against Fleetwood Town during their Pre Season friendly match at Highbury Stadium on Wednesday. Liverpool won the match 5-0 REUTERS

Wales overtake England in FIFA world rankings n Reuters Propelled by an impressive European Championship campaign, Wales climbed 15 places to move into 11th, two places ahead of England, in the FIFA world rankings released on Thursday. Chris Coleman’s charges reached the last four in France in Wales’ first major tournament since 1958 and lost to eventual winners Portugal. England, the 1966 World Cup winners, exited in the round of 16 after a humiliating defeat to Iceland which saw them drop two places to 13th.

Iceland, the smallest nation ever to have qualified for the European Championship, with a population of 330,000, saw their fairytale run end in the quarter-finals but saw their rankings jump 12 places to 22. There were no changes in the top five rankings with Copa America finalists Argentina retaining top spot, followed by Belgium, Colombia, Germany and Chile. Five times World champions Brazil, who failed to progress past the group stages of Copa America for the first time since 1987, are on the brink of dropping out of the top 10, ranked at ninth, ahead of Italy.

European Championship finalists France jumped 10 places to move to 7th, one place behind winners Portugal. l

TOP 20 (PREVIOUS POSITIONS IN BRACKETS) 1. Argentina 2. Belgium 3. Colombia 4. Germany 5. Chile 6. Portugal (+2) 7. France (+10) 8. Spain (-2) 9. Brazil (-2) 10. Italy (+2)

11. Wales (+15) 12. Uruguay (-3) 13. England (-2) 14. Mexico (+2) 15. Croatia (+12) 16. Poland (+11) 17. Ecuador (-4) 18. Switzerland (-3) =19. Turkey (-1) =19. Hungary (+1)

Fenerbahce sign defender Skrtel from Liverpool n Reuters Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel has completed his move to Fenerbahce from Liverpool, the Turkish club announced on Twitter on Thursday. Skrtel, who finished his medical with Fenerbahce on Wednesday, joined Liverpool from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg in January 2008 and has made over 300 appearances at the Premier League club. No details over the length of contract were announced, but according to British media reports, the fee for the 31-year-old is about 5.5 million pounds ($7.31 million).l

Rodgers: No European football advantage for Chelsea, Liverpool n Reuters

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte poses at Stamford Bridge yesterday

REUTERS

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes lack of European football will be an advantage for the club in the Premier League and same will be the case for Chelsea. Liverpool, who replaced Rodgers with Jurgen Klopp as the club’s manager in October, lost the Europa League final to Sevilla in May and settled for an eighth-place finish in the Premier League. Chelsea, the 2014-15 league

champions, endured a turbulent season last term and finished 10th in the table. “I think Liverpool have a great chance this year,” Celtic manager Rodgers, whose side suffered an embarrassing defeat to part-timers Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar in the first-leg of their Champions League qualifier, told talkSPORT. “Liverpool and Chelsea don’t have European football and that’s a huge advantage for you, where you can prepare your team all week for just the one game every week.

“Of course, you’ll have domestic cup games in between that.” “But it will be very competitive with the coaches that have come into the Premier League, that makes it exciting and I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic season,” added Rodgers. Liverpool open their 2016-17 campaign against last season’s runner-up Arsenal on Aug. 14, while new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will mark his managerial career in England with a feisty London derby against West Ham United two days later. l

Sport

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

QUICK BYTES Cahill set to sign for Melbourne City Striker Tim Cahill has agreed a deal in principle with Melbourne City FC and will end his stay at Chinese Super League side Hangzhou Greentown, Australian media reports said on Thursday. David Gallop, the chief executive of the Football Federation of Australia (FFA), said negotiations were underway with the former Everton forward, who is likely to feature as a guest player for Melbourne. “All I can say at the moment is we’re having positive talks, on going with Tim,” Gallop said.

Andros Townsend (L) of Crystal Palace controls the ball against Fabinho of Philadelphia Union during their friendly match at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The match ended 0-0

–REUTERS

Juventus set to sign Benatia from Bayern

AFP

Morocco defender Mehdi Benatia has arrived in Turin for a medical as he looks to complete a switch from Bayern Munich to Juventus, the Serie A champions said on Thursday. “Having touched down in Turin this morning... Medhi Benatia made his way immediately to J-Medical, where he is carrying out routine tests ahead of a proposed move to Juventus,” the Italian club said. –REUTERS

Porto capture Brazilian defender Telles Porto have captured Brazilian attacking left-back Alex Telles from Galatasaray on a five-year deal, the Portuguese giants said on Wednesday. The 23-year-old, who was on loan at Inter Milan last season, cost Porto about 6.5 million euros ($7.2 million), Portuguese media said. Telles spent two years with Galatasaray, who tweeted: “Thank you and good luck, Alex Telles!” –AFP

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX

6:30PM Premier Futsal League Chennai v Mumbai Goa v Kolkata

CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1

4:00PM Pakistan Tour of England 1st Test, Day 2

STAR SPORTS 2

11:28 PM Natwest T20 Blast 2016 Sussex v Hampshire

TENNIS SONY ESPN HD

3:00 PM ATP World Tour 500 2016 Hamburg, Germany: Quarter Finals

Russian cleared for Rio faces traitor slurs n AFP, Moscow Russian long jumper Darya Klishina was ecstatic when word came through that athletics’ ruling body had cleared her to compete at the Rio Olympics despite a blanket ban on the country’s track and field team. But the bad news was that USbased Klishina was the only one of 68 Russian Olympic hopefuls given the green light by the IAAF -- and soon her joy turned sour as the ruling unleashed a torrent of bile. A Facebook post Klishina, 25, published Sunday thanking the IAAF for ruling she could compete as a neutral was flooded with nearly 1,000 comments, including calls for her to give up her Russian passport, never return home and fail miserably in Rio. “My agent, my family told me right away, ‘Don’t go online, don’t read anything, don’t watch, just do what you do -- train, prepare for the Olympic Games,’” Klishina told AFP from her training base. “Regular people unfortunately saw something criminal... and started accusing me of being an enemy of the Motherland.” The abuse was not just confined to anonymous Internet trolls. A pro-Kremlin journalist equated her to a Nazi collaborator and a spokesman for Russia’s equivalent of the FBI said she was on the same

level as whistleblower runner Yulia Stepanova and the former head of the Russian anti-doping lab Grigory Rodchenkov, who have become outcasts for exposing doping in Russian athletics. Last month the IAAF ruled to uphold a ban on Russia’s entire track and field team over evidence of state-sponsored doping but left

Russian long jumper Darya Klishina

the door ajar for some athletes to go to Rio next month as neutrals. The criteria were tough and Klishina -- the only Russian athlete to live and train full time abroad -- was the only member who could prove she was totally outside Russia’s badly tainted system. That left stars like pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov still facing the prospect of missing out on Rio. Isinbayeva’s coach Yevgeny Trofimov told Russian television that Klishina’s gratitude toward IAAF was “humiliating”. The last remaining hope for the rest of the Russian team lies with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is expected to rule on an appeal against the IAAF’s blanket ban by July 21. Despite getting her clearance to compete Klishina insists that she is desperate to see the complete ban overturned and all her teammates allowed to compete. “I’m also waiting for the (CAS) decision along with the whole team,” she told AFP. “I hope that we can all go together under the Russian flag.” Klishina was already based at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, when the Russian doping scandal first emerged in a German television documentary in December 2014.l

Bolt aims for more Olympic glory in Rio n AFP, Kingston Usain Bolt will get a chance to hone his Olympic track and field legacy, as he was named to the 59 member Jamaican team that will compete at the Olympic Games in Rio next month. Bolt, who withdrew from the 100m final and sought a medical exemption from the 200m at the Jamaican Olympic Trials two weekends ago, was named on the provisional list submitted to the IOC to contest the 100m/200m/4x100m relays in Rio. He seeks to become the first man to win three straight triple-triples after wins in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. The announcement was made Monday afternoon at a news conference held by the Jamaica Olympic Association in Kingston where all members of the Olympic team were announced. Bolt suffered a grade one hamstring tear on the first day of the four day national championships. He then ran the semi-final of the 100m before withdrawing an hour before the final. He submitted a medical exemption for the rest of the championships, including the 200m. He then travelled to Europe to see a specialist, world renowned sports doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt and posted a photograph of himself training over the weekend. l

Sport

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Murali heads to rival Australia camp to plot against Sri Lanka n

Reuters, Colombo

Keen to beat Sri Lanka in their own spin game, Australia have roped in local spin great Muttiah Muralitharan to help their slow bowlers ahead of the three-test series beginning at Pallekele later this month. The 44-year-old former off-spinner, still the highest wicket-taker in test cricket with 800 scalps, had a similar short-term consulting stint with Australia in 2014. “Murali’s got a lot of experience in Sri Lanka,” Australia captain Steve Smith said. “He took a truckload of wickets. “It’s great to have someone like that helping our spinners in this series - to give us that insight. He’s been really good around the group so far, and he’s enjoying his time with us.” Muralitharan, who has been seen working with Australian spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe in the nets, said he was looking for

Australia rope in Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan as consultant for their upcoming Sri Lanka tour such short-term jobs and had no problems helping the visitors plot against his own country. “I’m not involved in Sri Lankan cricket at all because there are (other) people who are involved,” Muralitharan, a perennial thorn in

Australia’s flesh during his playing days, told Cricket Australia website. “Then, on and off, Australia offered me twice so I said ‘why not’ because you are passing on the knowledge to other people. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your

country or other people. “I think giving quality time to my family is most important, that’s why I take smaller jobs - two weeks, three weeks... those sort of jobs are not available in Sri Lanka.” Australia were confident opener David Warner, recovering from a broken left index finger, will be fit for the series opener at Pallekele. “His recovery is going really well and we expect him to be fine for that first test match,” Smith said of his deputy who batted one-handed against Lyon in the Colombo nets. Cricket Australia also appointed Victorian David Saker as the new full-time assistant coach on Thursday. Saker, who was England’s bowling coach from 2010-2015, succeeds Craig McDermott who quit the post earlier this year. Beginning on July 26, Australia will play three tests, five one-dayers and two Twenty20 Internationals during their two-month-long tour. l

Spanish league chief happy for Messi to stay n AFP, Madrid Spanish League president Javier Tebas said Wednesday he does not consider Lionel Messi to be a criminal and was happy for the Barcelona star to remain in La Liga. “About Messi, I have said I do not consider him a criminal and I am happy for him to continue in the league,” Tebas said in Madrid at a sponsor’s presentation. Tebas also reminded critics that Messi is appealing against the decision of a Spanish court which sentenced him to 21 months in prison for tax fraud. His comments came two days after Barcelona defended a campaign on social media in support of Messi The Spanish giants were only “defending someone who has been and is still being treated unjustly,” he added. Last Friday Barcelona took to social media following Messi and his father’s conviction for avoiding paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of the player’s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.l

Davis Cup hit by star pullouts, Nadal Rio appeal n AFP, Paris The Davis Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend but are missing the superstar pulling power of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray and potentially overshadowed by Rafael Nadal’s last-ditch attempt to get to the Rio Olympics. World number one Djokovic and newly crowned Wimbledon winner Murray had been expected to play in the quarter-final between Serbia and defending champions

Great Britain. But Djokovic pulled out of the tie after his shock Wimbledon third-round exit to America’s Sam Querrey, the Serb’s earliest loss at a Grand Slam event in nine years.

QUARTER-FINALS Serbia Italy Czech Republic United States

v v v v

Great Britain Argentina France Croatia

Murray, the world number two, is still officially listed in the British team for the Friday-Sunday tie on outdoor clay in Belgrade. In the absence of Djokovic and Serb number two Viktor Troicki, world number 81 Dusan Lajovic will lead 2010 champions Serbia. Fourteen-time major winner Nadal and his Spanish team do not feature in the World Group quarter-finals, but the 30-year-old still faces a key weekend as he hears whether or not the International

Tennis Federation (ITF) will give him the go-ahead to take part in Rio. Nadal hasn’t travelled to Romania for the Euro/Africa zone playoff as he continues to recover from a wrist injury which forced a withdrawal from the French Open and caused him to miss Wimbledon. Nadal is keen to play in Rio after being unable to defend his gold medal at London in 2012 due to a knee injury but he hasn’t fulfilled the qualifying criteria.

In other quarter-finals this weekend, Italy host Argentina in Pesaro. Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open winner, is back in the Argentina squad after a fouryear absence. The Czechs will miss their number one, eighth-ranked Wimbledon semi-finalist Tomas Berdych, while France will be led by 10th-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. France can also call upon Wimbledon doubles champions Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.l

PSG start summer with win over West Brom n AFP, Schladming French champions Paris Saint Germain laboured to a 2-1 win over West Brom in their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday with mercurial midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa making his debut. Not helped by torrential rain and a soggy pitch in Austria, PSG defender David Luiz managed to give the English Premier League club the lead after 15 minutes, putting the ball past his own keeper Kevin Trapp off a cross from Saido Berahino.

However, second-half substitutes Adrien Rabiot (62nd minute) and Lucas (79th minute) gave PSG the win. Meanwhile, Striker Saido Berahino must avoid another transfer outburst and focus on West Bromwich Albion’s upcoming Premier League campaign, midfielder Darren Fletcher has said. “If he signs, great, and if he doesn’t he might be here for another season so we want him to get his head down and score as many goals as possible,” Fletcher told British media.l

Saido Berahino of West Bromwich Albion (L) fights for ball with Lorenzo Callegari of Paris Saint-Germain during their friendly match in Schladming on Wednesday AFP

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Enemy (3) 3 Precious metal (4) 6 Former Iranian leader (4) 7 Little devil (3) 9 Deep mud (4) 10 Tavern (3) 11 Secular (4) 13 Commerce (5) 16 Make amends (5) 18 Jetty (4) 19 Drinking vessel (3) 20 Virtuous (4) 21 Nought (3) 23 Grotto (4) 24 Discharges a debt (4) 25 Wager (3)

DOWN 1 Swoon (5) 2 Electrical unit (3) 4 Of the ear (4) 5 Female deer (3) 6 Unmoving (5) 8 Shallow dish (5) 9 Bearing (4) 12 Embellish (5) 14 Attack (4) 15 Indian currency unit (5) 17 Brilliance of success (5) 18 Small bouquet (4) 20 Opening (3) 22 Frozen formation (3)

Downtime

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 4 represents A so fill A every time the figure 4 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

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

What they look like now n Nazia Lopa Bollywood is obsessed with fitness goals, the young hunks with their six packs have made it an unofficial compulsion for every hero to have a well-built body to find success in B-town. Even Bollywood inspired fans are trying to get themselves in shape and are bringing forth their best efforts. What happens when they spotlight goes away? Let’s take a look.

‘Dil Dil’ Atul Agnihotri

Atul Agnihotri started his career as an actor in Bollywood but found success as a producer. Agnihotris first made a brief appearance as a child artist in the 1983 movie Pasand Apni Apni. His adult film career started with the 1993 Mahesh Bhatt movie Sir. His notable movies in 90’s and 2000’s are Krantiveer (1994), Aatish (1994), Naaraz (1994), Chachi 420 (1997), Yeshwant (1997) and Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002). He made his directorial debut with

favourites and every decision is taken collectively.

‘ILU ILU’ Vivek Mushran

Remember the ‘Ilu Ilu’ song from 1991’s Saudagar? The song featured Manisha Koirala and Vivek Mushran in the Subhash Ghai directorial and became an instant hit. The song and the film also made the lead couple of the film quite popular in the 90’s. All of a sudden Vivek Mushran became a fresh Bollywood face that was also everyone’s favourite. Born on

TV sitcom Son Pari, Zee TV serial Kittie Party and he was seen in the Sony TV serial Bhaskar Bharti and Doordarshan TV serial Ae Dil-E-Naadaan. The serial he worked in most recently was Baat Hamari Pakki Hai on Sony TV. He also sang for his album Kahin Kho

Gaya. Another one of his roles was as Inder, Saachi’s uncle in Baat Hamari Pakki Hai (Sony TV). He also worked in Parvarrish – Kuchh Khattee Kuchh Meethi. His recent work was in Nisha Aur Uske Cousins where he plays the role of the father of the main character.l

Time waits for none

n Showtime Desk Khushi boy Fardeen Khan

Janasheen actor Fardeen Khan was famous for his fitness. After working in several films, Fardeen disappeared but has made a reappearance. His fans have become shocked to see his recent picture. The actor is looking visibly heavier than his last photos that surfaced on social media. Once known for his hunky looks, Feroz Khan’s son has now become the butt of body-shaming jokes. After Adnan Sami, Parineeti Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha and Arpita Khan, Fardeen Khan has become the victim of social media trolls, with people mocking him for having put on weight. Just like Arpita, Salman Khan’s sister, who recently shut down a troll with an Instagram post recently, Fardeen decided to write a long letter on Facebook, hitting back at everyone who were weighing in (no pun intended) with their opinions on his recently acquired plumpness. Aside from social media chaos, it was hard to see Bollywood’s old heartthrob becoming a bit heavier.

the 2004 film Dil Ne Jise Apna. In 2011 he produced the Bollywood blockbuster Bodyguard. Once a young Bollywood heartthrob, Atul is now 45! He is a complete family man for wife Alvira, the elder daughter of the Salim Khan family. Alvira is his best friend. He not only looks up to his father-in-law Salim Khan as his father, but also respects him for setting the right hierarchy in his house where there are no

August 9, 1969 at Renukoot Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh he started his career in 1991 with the blockbuster Hindi movie Saudagar costarring with legends such as Dilip Kumar and Raj kumar. He has also appeared in many other movies, including Ram Jaane, Sachin directed Aisi bhi kya jaldi hai, First Love Letter, and Anjaane. That fresh Bollywood face has now become a TV actor. He has acted in the Star Plus

Matt Damon finally admitted that playing Jason Bourne for a fourth time was much harder this time around, as opposed to when he was a younger man. At 45, Damon returned to the carpets in London for the European premiere of Jason Bourne. The movie is set years after the CIA assassin’s disappearance at the end of The Bourne Ultimatum. On the occasion, the actor shall check in at Las Vegas, Greece and the UK capital. “It was very exciting for me to come back as this character. I love this character very much and it’s had a huge impact in my life and my career. It’s definitely more difficult to play Jason Bourne when you’re 45 years old than when you’re 29 years old because you still have to run as hard. You’re being pursued just as diligently, so you still have to run as fast as you can and try to be fit in all of those things,” admitted Damon. “That part was a challenge.” Damon was accompanied

by Julia Stiles, who plays as spy Nicky Parsons, and Oscarwinner Alicia Vikander, who plays the CIA’s head of cyber intelligence Heather Lee, on the red carpet. Vikander stated that being on the set of British director Paul Greengrass’ was a “pinch me moment.” “To be reunited with Paul Greengrass was really the main reason for making this movie, for me,” added Damon. “I always said that I wouldn’t do it without Paul and I’m really glad that I laid down that ultimatum so many years ago. He’s just a brilliant filmmaker.” “We made another movie in the intervening years that wasn’t a Jason Bourne movie, called Green Zone, and I’m constantly looking for things to make with Paul because I just love him and I love his whole style and his approach and I think it leads to really good work. You know, it’s incredibly challenging but the results are really great.” The new movie shall be released in cinemas on July 27. l

Jannatul Ferdous Peya, one of the top models of the country who has made her mark in acting and anchoring as well, is now on her way to make a career in law. Peya, who was an LLB student, joined Dr Kamal Hossain & Associates as an intern yesterday. The brainy beauty says: “I always had a weakness for this profession and I had been working hard accordingly. I sat for the LLB exam from London College of Legal Studies which is operated by University of London. The results are going to be published in August. I have applied to become a member of the bar council. Besides, I want to go to Bristol to pursue the barrister training next year.”

The popular on-screen face might soon appear as a full-fledged law practitioner. Regarding her experience during the first day at work, Peya said she was given the offer letter on Tuesday while she joined formally on Wednesday. “It felt great. I cannot explain in words how hard I worked to join this profession. It feels great because all is well at the end,” says Peya. When asked how she would maintain a balance between her new career and acting, Peya said: “Some deals have been signed. I have to manage time for them. And from now on I’ll be choosy about work. I don’t wish to leave acting. I have acquired a position after a lot of hard work till now. I will preserve that position with my creativity.” l

300 HBO 3:50pm King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC. Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro

Six Bangladeshi films to be screened at Locarno Open Doors Three Bangladeshi short films includes Ishtiaque Zico’s 720 Degrees (2010), Mahde Hasan’s I Am Time (2013) and Abu Shahed Emon’s The Container (2012) made the selection for Open Doors Screenings as well. Locarno Open Doors, a noncompetitive section which is meant for the festival audience, presents each year a selection of films particularly representative of the cinematographic and cultural landscape of the region on which the Open Doors focuses on. This year the selection is dedicated to four South Asian countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. The rest of selected feature films from the focused countries are Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me A Song While I Wait (2016), Deepak Rauniyar’s

n Showtime Desk As part of Open Doors Screenings of Locarno International Film Festival, six Bangladeshi films will be screened at the festival which is to run from August 3 to 13 in a lakeside town located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Kamar Ahmad Simon’s Are You Listening! (2012), Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s Television (2012) and Rubaiyat Hossain’s Under Construction (2015) will be screened along with other selected features films for Open Doors Screenings.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

Peya joins leading law firm n Showtime Desk

Showtime

Highway (2012), Maung Tin Maung’s Mya Ganaing (1934), Midi Z’s Return To Burma (2011), Min Bahadur Bham’s The Black Hen

(2015) and The Maw Naing’s The Monk (2014). Earlier, the Open Doors authority announced that Bangladeshi filmmakers Ishtiaque Zico’s Cinema, City and Cats and Kamar Ahmad Simon’s Day After Tomorrow have been selected for the Open Doors Hub, which mean these two film projects will compete for the Open Doors prize worth $49,000. Besides, three Bangladeshi directors-producers, including Aadnan Imtiaz Ahmed of KinoEye Films, Abu Shahed Emon of Batayan Productions and Rubaiyat Hossain of Khona Talkies, have been selected to take part in the Open Doors Lab which brings over a group of producers and directors for training and personalised support. l

Safe Zee Studio 4:10pm Mei, a young girl whose memory holds a priceless numerical code, finds herself pursued by the Triads, the Russian mob, and corrupt NYC cops. Coming to her aid is an ex-cage fighter whose life was destroyed by the gangsters on Mei’s trail. Cast: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke, James Hong, Anson Mount, Chris Sarandon, Joseph Sikora Final Destination 3 WB 4:12pm In this third installment of the Final Destination series, a student’s premonition of a deadly rollercoaster ride saves her life and a lucky few, but not from death itself which seeks out those who escaped their fate. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Kris Lemche, Alexz Johnson, Amanda Crew Tomorrowland Star Movies 6:34pm Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boygenius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory. Cast: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw Run All Night HBO 9:30pm Mobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son. Cast: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Nolte, Bruce McGill, Genesis Rodriguez, Common

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

GOVT WARNS MDS AGAINST DEFAULT LOANS PAGE 12

PAKISTAN STRUGGLE AT LORD’S PAGE 24

PEYA JOINS LEADING LAW FIRM PAGE 31

Canal cover could have saved Sanjida

The picture shows the sewage canal in Mohakhali’s Dakkhinpara in Dhaka where six-year-old Sanjida fell and died DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Arifur Rahman Rabbi The body of a six-year-old girl was recovered yesterday near Mohakhali bus terminal in Dhaka, some 19 hours after she had fallen into a putrid sewage canal. The deceased, Sanjida was the daughter of rickshaw-van puller Shah Alam. Sanjida Phone operator of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, Zia Rahman said: “Fire rangers recovered Sanjida’s body around 9:50am.” Sanjida’s father Shah Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that she was playing with a neighbour Tanim when Sanjida fell into the canal. Her brother Rubel, 16, rushed to the spot upon hearing the news and dove into the murky waters to try and find her but was unsuccessful. Shah Alam said it took nearly an hour for the police to arrive and call the fire service. Three fire rangers searched for the child from 4pm on Wednesday, said Anwar Hossain, deputy assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, who lead the drive. He also said the rescue operations continued for nine hours before they commenced their efforts again yesterday morning. Fire service men found Sanjida’s body at 9:50am, far from the place she had drowned, he added.

A Fire Service official said that the canal is 15-20 feet deep with a ditch below. However, the over-ripe garbage heap on top is approximately two and a half feet high. Locals said the canal is not covered from Mohakhali bus stand all the way to Niketan. Had it been covered this accident would not have happened. When work began on the sewage canal in 2012 the officials concerned said it would have a concrete walkway over it but that has not been constructed as of yet. Locals say this is not the first incident of people falling there, atleast five people fell into the canal in the past year and a half fortunately there were no casualties from those incidents. They say they filed a petition demanding WASA cover the canal but nothing came of it. Shah Alam and his family having been living in that area for almost 25 years. Sanjida was the youngest of four siblings. She was about to start school next year. Tk20,000 has been allocated on behalf of the deputy commissioner of Dhaka regarding this incident, said Sagor Hossain Saikat, the deputy assistant engineer, Tejgoan circle office of Dhaka City Corporation. When asked about the cover of the sewage canal he said that this is not his jurisdiction and directed this correspondent to speak to officials at WASA. On the other hand, Wahiduzzaman, Inspector (Investigation) of Banani police station said is was an accident. The family has not filed a complaint. Earlier, on December 27, 2014, a fouryear-old boy Jihad was found dead inside an abandoned deep water pump pipe at Dhaka’s Shahjahanpur Railway Colony a day after he had fallen in. l

Dhaka Tribune

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com