August 20, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Bhadra 5, 1423, Zilqad 16, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 115

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

Green and cheap: Economics of rickshaw Rickshaws support millions of people and outweigh other modes of transport in terms of returns. DhakaTribune's Mohammad Al-Masum Molla explores in the first of a two-part report Rickshaws can run Bangladesh for about a month and a half with the Tk374 billion, or approximately $4.8 billion, that they generate every year, according to conservative estimates based on official figures. The money supports almost 1.5 million rickshaw pullers and their families directly. Indirectly, this non-motorised vehicle supports a few million more including mechanics, painters, workers, parts suppliers and helps sustain the demand for roadside food vendors. Unofficial estimates put the number of rickshaw pullers at about 800,000 in Dhaka city alone. Economist Binayak Sen said the manual three-wheelers outweighed other vehicles of the industry as far as economic contribution is concerned. “Rickshaw is undoubtedly the leading contributor in the transportation sector even compared to air and rail services.” He, however, refrained from putting an amount on the volume of rickshaws' contribution in the current market. According to official data, rickshaw pullers earn about Tk450 per day for 26 days every month. Their net income, however, stands at about Tk370 a day.

RICKSHAW

ECONOMY

GREEN AND CHEAP TK374 BN OR $4.8 BN

generated per year can run country for 1½ months

1.5 million people employed Supports mechanics, painters and parts importers Industry insiders and experts say the incomes vary slightly but daily expenditure for rent, incidentals and maintenance are higher than the official figures presume, which lowers their daily net income. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics puts a rickshaw puller’s monthly income at Tk11,517, plying 42km every day. Along the way, they end up spending money on odd repair jobs, street side vendors and a host of other people. Insiders say a rick-

INSIDE ‘Shibir backs Ansarullah in Chittagong’ Outlawed militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team is spreading its network in the port city with the help of leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir – the radical student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, detectives say interrogating some militants arrested recently.  PAGE 3

Omran, 1 child among millions traumatised by Syria war Haggard and covered in blood, little Omran’s blank stare shook the world. But across war-torn Syria, thousands of children like him are traumatised by daily life under bombs and siege.  PAGE 8

‘Be cautious when reporting militancy’

CTTC chief Monirul Islam in an exclusive interview with DT shares his experience as a law enforcement officer and what it takes to do what he does successfully  PAGE 5

JnU reluctant to recover halls

Rickshaws may have their drawback with slow speed and contribution to traffic congestion, but they also play an impressive role in national economy MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU shaw has 41 individual parts that have their own production plants, each with dozens, sometimes hundreds of employees. Perhaps the easiest and almost instant source of employment generation, rickshaw pulling appears

to be a vocation that attracts a large number of people who flock the cities from rural areas. These people also send money to their families back home despite their meager income. But rickshaw owners benefit

more. Extrapolating from the official figures, Ramzan Miah, a rickshaw puller in Mohammadpur area for 20 years, could have bought 15 rickshaws with the rent he has paid so far.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

18 Jamaat-Shibir men held from school run by Nizami's wife n Arifur Rahman Rabbi Police have detained 18 suspected activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir from Islamic International School in Dhaka's Merul Badda area. Police claimed that they were plotting to carry out sabotage. The identities of the detainees could not be ascertained. “Acting on a tip-off, we conducted a drive at the school in the morning and detained them,” Badda OC MA Jalil said yesterday. He said there were two branches of Islamic International School, one in Gulshan and another in Badda. Shamsunnahar Nizami, wife of

hanged war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami, is the principal of the school. She was not present in the school during the drive, police said. Shamsunnahar is the general secretary of Jamaat's women's division. The OC said five women were also was brought in for questioning. But they were released after questioning. The school's Vice Principal Fakhruddin Md Kefayetullah was among those detained, OC MA Jalil said. Kefayetullah is the chief of Jamaat's Badda unit and in-charge of the Badda branch of the school, he added. Building owner Belal Hossain, 60, a retiree, who lives with his

family on the second floor, has also been held. A case would be filed on this matter, the officer said. The school is on the third floor of a six-storied building. Kefayetullah and his family live on the fifth floor. The main gate is locked after the raid on the house. Locals said around 8am, three police vehicles carrying uniformed men came to the building. Around two hours later some people including women were taken to the police station. They said the school was founded about three years ago. It was known as a good school in the area but people were unaware of their political affiliations, they said. l

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Rickshaw

Inu: Proper flow of information can effectively curb militancy n BSS Proper flow of information could play an effective role in curbing terrorism and militancy, said Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu yesterday. The minister was exchanging views with media at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, India on the fourth day of his five-day visit to the neigbouring country. The meeting was chaired by Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Moazzem Ali. Speaking at the meeting, Inu said he had successful talks with his Indian counterpart Venkaya Naidu on these issues. “Militants don’t have any religion, history or culture. Terrorists always engage in rumour mongering and false propaganda to misdirect people,” he said. During the talks with the Indian minister for information and broadcasting, both the sides agreed to produce documentary and feature films on religion, history and culture. Inu said such productions would help dispel rumours, unfounded propaganda and distortion of history. He also said the two countries would cooperate at all levels to fight terrorism. “Our situation is very different from Pakistan or Afghanistan. Bangladeshi society remains non-communal at the grassroots level. Religion is practised harmoniously in Bangladesh. Creation of religious frenzy like Pakistan is not possible in Bangladesh.” Inu further said Bangladesh and India would jointly produce documentaries on the Liberation War and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “We are also thinking of making a mega feature film on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.” Responding to concerns about information in social media, Inu said: “As a democratic country, we are all for free flow of informational in the social media. But we will not compromise on certain issues like dignity of women and children and security of state and financial institutions. We also want to ensure privacy of all our citizens.” Replying to another question, the minister said: “Terrorism is not a law and order problem. It is a political issue. Besides, despite its global prevalence, terrorism expresses itself differently in each country. That is why in the battle against terrorism all elements have to be integrated. Religion, history and culture have to be presented properly keeping this goal in mind.” l

Ramzan, however, has little clue and is intent on making ends meet. “I just want to make enough today so I can feed my family,” he said. Without further ado, he drives off his rickshaw, painted with the colourful gaudy lookalikes of Dhallywood stars Sakib Khan and Misha Showdagor.

The paint job

Activists of Samajtantrik Mahila Forum stage a rally in front of National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday demanding action to stop violence against women MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

RAB takes charge of female JMB members case n Kamrul Hasan

Rapid Action Battalion has taken the charge of investigating the case filed against the four female JMB members detained on August 15. On August 16 a case was filed with the Mirpur police station and they were taken under four day police remand. ASP Sajedul Karim of RAB 4 told the Dhaka Tribune the Home Ministry had approved a request from the elite force to take over the case early yesterday. The case was handed over to RAB in the afternoon. The four women are – Istisna Akhter Oishee, 23, an intern of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and head of the female unit of the banned outfit, Aklima Rahman Moni, 23, Israt Jahan Moushumi alias Mou, 22, and Khadiza Parveen Meghla, 23. The last three are fourth year pharmacy department

students of Manarat International University. On Thursday Manarat University expelled these three students. RAB has been expressing its desire to investigate the case from the beginning. Concerned sources said RAB had also participated in the interrogation of the four women at the police station. After taking them under remand, police started working on identifying their associates. The case was handed over to the RAB 4 later, said Inspector (investigation) Sazzadur Rahman. Asked if the four female JMB members would be taken under fresh remand, he said they would take them under remand if the court allows. RAB ASP Shamsul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune they were interrogating the female members of

JMB to get more information about their associates. “On the first day of interrogation we received very little information,” ASP Shamsul said. After completing the remand they would be able to report about the progress of the case, he added. However, a RAB source said they were suspecting that the ten names they had obtained from the four might be women from educated backgrounds and were tech-savvy. RAB in the case statement had named ten other women – Safia alias Sanjida alias Jhinuk, Maimuna alias Mahmuda alias Laila, Tasnuba alias Tahira, Saila alias Shahida, Saleha alias Putul, Dinat Jahan alias Naomi alias Bani, Tanzila alias Munni, Alia alias Tinni alias Teetli, Monira Jahan alias Mili and Sabiha alias Mitu, as members of JMB. l

BNP: Government trying to use militancy issue for political gain n UNB BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday alleged that the government wants to use the militancy issue to make its political gain and suppress its opponents instead of eliminating the menace. “Militancy, a dangerous demon, is engulfing the country for lack of democracy. But, the government wants to use it to subdue its opponents instead of properly tackling

it. So, the real offenders remain untouched,” he said. The BNP leader came up with the allegation while talking to reporters after placing wreaths together with the leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave, marking its 36th founding anniversary. Fakhrul said it has now become clear to people that the government is not willing to get rid of militancy. “Militancy is gradually spreading

as they (govt) want to use the issue with a political motive.” He alleged that the government has continued implicating BNP leaders and activist in ‘false’ cases and arresting them to annihilate its opponents. He came down hard on the ruling party leaders for their remarks that Ziaur Rahman had involvement in Bangabandhu murder, saying the ruling party is narrating fictitious stories only to hide their misdeeds. l

Bangladeshi rickshaw art is inspired by movie posters and local cinema. These striking paintings with their bold reds, blues and greens sometimes outlive the rickshaw and weather through the torrential rains and scorching sun. Yoshihiro Nukumizu, managing director of Amader Limited, which sells rickshaw paintings online among other services, said rickshaw art is very popular among foreigners. “People who live in Bangladesh and foreigners often buy rickshaw art as souvenirs,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. Dhaka rickshaw is so popular that it was used to carry players into the Bangabandhu National Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup which Bangladesh co-hosted. But the art is only at one end of the production process. It begins with the body and the frame. Md Sarwar, who has been making rickshaw bodies for 15 years, says he charges about Tk8,000 for each. “It takes about three days to produce one with up to five labourers working on it full-time,” he said. From Sarwar, the body goes to painters who typically charge Tk700 to decorate and paint each rickshaw. It takes one whole day to paint a rickshaw and the next day to put in the final touches. Mahbub Ali, who has been in the business for almost 18 years, said painting rickshaws did not really require fine skills or a steep learning curve. “Basically, we do not have any technical skills. We learned these skills from our teachers years ago,” he said. He said demand for his services has declined with the advent of digital technology which makes it easy to produce rickshaw artwork. Even the vehicles themselves have a market beyond Bangladesh’s borders. One online business rickshaw. com.bd says on its website that it has been exporting rickshaws for “6 years with buyer satisfaction and strong commitment.” The site states that it has exported Bangladeshi manual rickshaws to the USA, Germany, Denmark, England, Sweden, Japan, Singapore and Australia. Alibaba.com also sells rickshaws, although not adorned with the typical artwork seen in Bangladesh, at $250 each. l

News

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

‘Shibir backs Ansarullah in Chittagong’ Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong

Outlawed militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team is spreading its network in the port city with the help of leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir – the radical student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, detectives say interrogating some militants arrested recently. The outfit, believed to be affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) that carried out over a dozen attack on secularists and war crimes trial campaigners, is now recruiting new operatives in Chittagong and working closely with other local militant groups considering it a “safe zone.” Such information was gleaned

from three members of the group including a former student of Chittagong University arrested by the DB police during separate drives in Chittagong city’s Pathantuli, Karnaphuli and Patiya areas early yesterday. They are former CU student Md Farhad Hossain Ripon, 27; Md Imran, 26; and Ahmed Hossain Rony alias Rubel, 21. Two laptops, mobile phones and 13 jihadi books including those written by convicted war criminal Ghulam Azam were seized from their possessions. Among them, Farhad used to work as an analytical chemist in Karnaphuli EPZ while Imran completed his diploma on power technology from Chittagong Polytechnic Institute. On the other hand,

former Shibir activist Rubel is a fifth semester student of Shyamoli Polytechnic Institute. With the trio, the law enforcers in the last one month have arrested 15 Ansarullah members including two top leaders named Musayeb Ibn Omayer and Abdul Hannan Laden. “The trio were active members of Ansarullah and recruited by Omayer. They were held while holding a meeting about implementing the organisation’s plans,” Deputy Commissioner (Bandar-west zone) Maruf Hossain said during a press briefing at the CMP Headquarters. “DB police learnt about them based on the information given by five other Ansarullah men arrested from the city’s Patenga area on August 1,” he added.

DC Maruf earlier said that Jamaat and Shibir had been patronising the activities of Ansarullah in Chittagong to carry out subversive activities in a bid to toppling the government. DB Additional Deputy Commissioner Nazmul Hasan told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been able to destroy the Ansarullah network through the recent arrests. “The Ansarullah men are trying to spread their web in Chittagong as no major militant attack has taken place in the region by any militant group,” he said, adding that Muslim-convert Omayer had been working as the main recruiter of the outfit. Another militant Laden, a Dinajpur Medical College student

arrested on July 29, had been assigned from Thakurgaon to work for the group in Chittagong. The militants usually take jobs in private organisations of Chittagong as they do not verify background of the applicants and then carry out campaigns secretly. They operate on their own funds, DC Nazmul said. Detectives earlier found that all the banned outfits were working in concert in Chittagong since 2014 – with the blessings of Chhatra Shibir – to establish a Shariah-based state incorporating parts of Myanmar and India by 2020. They also campaign against the Buddhists of Myanmar and the Hindus of India allegedly for persecuting the Muslims in those neighbouring countries. l

Bianibazar on alert to capture militant Tamim Serajul Islam, n Mohammed Sylhet

Detectives take three members of Ansarullah Bangla Team in custody after arresting them with jihadi books in Chittagong yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Hizb ut-Tahrir leader, two members arrested n Tribune Desk

Members of the Criminal Investigation Department arrested a central member of banned militant outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir from Sarthimil Road area of Jessore town early yesterday. They also recovered a computer, a pen drive and some radical books from the possession of SM Sadiqur Rahman Polash, 29, said Superintendent of Police Shamsul Alam at a press conference in the afternoon. Sadiqur, son of Md Shahjahan Ali of Andolpota village in the district, is a lecturer of economics at

Jhenaidah Government Nurunnahar Women’s College. The SP said that Sadiqur had been an accused in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2012 following his arrest from Kataban area in Dhaka. Later, he was freed on bail. He completed studies at Dhaka University and joined the college after qualifying in the 34th BCS concealing information of the case. Meanwhile, police detained two members of the banned group from the capital’s Gandaria area yesterday afternoon for distributing leaflets. They are Hafizur Rahman Sha-

hin of Thakurgaon, a student of public administration at Dhaka University; and Zahidul Islam of Chandpur, a student of Islamic studies at Dhaka College. The duo were found distributing leaflets of the banned outfit in front of a mosque after the Jumma prayers. The leaflets contained call for a khilafat state and anti-government propaganda, said OC of Gendaria police Kazi Mizanur Rahman. The detainees claimed that they had been staying in a mosque on Dhaka University campus for failing to get seats in their respective institutions, the OC added. l

Several law enforcement and intelligence agencies are on high alert in Sylhet to arrest most wanted militant leader Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury who allegedly masterminded Gulshan and Sholakia terror attacks. His village home at Borogram of Bianibazar in the district was visited by several agencies but they have learnt that Tamim, on who the police declared Tk20 lakh bounty, did not go there recently. His parents live in Canada. According to investigators, Tamim came to Bangladesh from Canada in 2013, taking special assignment to reorganise the distracted militants. He then formed a wing of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The houses of Tamim’s father Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury alias Shoa Mia and three uncles were found under lock and key during a visit Wednesday. The relatives said that they had no idea about Tamim’s whereabouts. When asked, the locals seemed reluctant about him.

Tamim’s grandfather Abdul Majid was a member of Peace Committee during the 1971 Liberation War. His father moved to Canada after the independence. The village is within 300 metres of the Indian border. Local Awami League leader Zakaria Ahmed demanded immediate arrest of Tamim. “We condemn his activities,” he said, adding that Tamim’s uncle Nurul Emran is a joint secretary of the ward Awami League unit. Dubag Union Chairman Abdus Salam said: “Tamim is not in Bianibazar. But we will hand him over to the police once he arrives here. The law enforcers are in touch with us.” Bianibazar police also confirmed that the New JMB coordinator was not there. “Police are on high alert about his activities since the beginning. He did not come to Sylhet recently,” said OC Chandan Chakrabarty. Tamim last visited the village in 1995. When his family came to Bangladesh again in 2001, they were staying in Sylhet city for three months but did not go to the village, Tamim’s cousins Faheem and Tajin said. l

News

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Government finds many obstacles to universal pension n Asif Showkat Kallol A government study has identified six key obstacles to private sector employees getting the benefit of pensions, including absence of state monitoring and a law for the management of pension funds. A Finance Ministry report on the possible structure of the universal pension scheme was placed in a ministry meeting on Thursday to finalise the steps to be taken for implementing a national pension scheme.

Another shortcoming of private sector pension funds was that insolvent firms are unable to pay their staff back on their contributory pension funds, the report said. Finance Minister AMA Muhith told Dhaka Tribune on Thursday: “Our main goal will be to bring private sector employees under a national pension scheme.” “We will prepare a law within six months in which the private sector will come under that pension scheme and we hope that a

private sector pension scheme will be implemented within two years,” he said. According to the report, an absence of government monitoring and pension management along with the absence of a law regarding private sector employees are the main obstacles. In absence of a guideline and a law, the tendency of the owners of private sector firms is to use the money contributed to employees to provident funds for other purposes. There is no opportunity and

provision to use the private sector provident and pension funds in the country’s investment arena, the report revealed. Private firms are not interested in providing the deposited contributory provident funds or pension to their staff. There is no opportunity to transfer provident funds and pension money to another employer when a private sector worker gets a new job, the report said. Former FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said it would

not be possible to implement the proposed scheme without talking to stakeholders and bringing an amendment to the labour law of 2006. He said the government also needs to inject necessary funds into the scheme. A total of 181,000 firms are registered under the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms. Of these firms, 71% are private and public companies and 22% are partnership firms. l

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

'Media must be cautious when reporting militancy' Deputy Inspector General Monirul Islam, who is currently heading police's Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit, has been fighting terrorism and militancy since he started working as a detective in Dhaka Metropolitan Police in 2009. In an exclusive interview with the Dhaka Tribune's Mohammad Jamil Khan, Monirul shares his experience as a law enforcement officer and what it takes to do what he does successfully

Is this why the Counter-Terrorism unit was formed?

Yes. I realised that militancy needed particular attention, which is why I proposed for a specialist unit. The CTTC was formed earlier this year and already has 600 officials working on curbing militancy. Our goal is intelligence-based

RAJIB DHAR

Have you always wanted to be a police officer? When did you join the service?

No, my dream was to be a teacher when I was a child. I wanted to teach English language, which is why I enrolled in the English department of Dhaka University. But my aspirations in life shifted towards becoming a police officer when I saw a senior roommate join police service in my second year. I joined the force in November 1995. Before the Counter-Terrorism unit, you served in the Detective Branch. Tell us about your time there. I first joined the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police in 2001 as assistant commissioner and served there until 2002. My interest in detective work peaked when I was a trainer at the police academy in 2005-06, and I did an extensive research on it. I joined the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in 2009. Initially, I used to work for 16-18 hours a day to understand how the DB functioned in Dhaka. The DMP started widely working on terrorism cases after I joined there. We cracked several cases and arrested a number of militants when I was in the DB. In the beginning I found that a large number of militants had madrasa background. But over the years, militancy has evolved – they are using latest technologies, and even highly educated people are getting involved in it. They have become adept in dodging law enforcement; sometimes we have to track militants for months before we can make an arrest. Eventually, it became too difficult for the Detective Branch to track terrorists and militants along with working on other criminal cases.

pro-active investigation, and we hope to eradicate this menace in Bangladesh.

there are times when it becomes difficult as a human being. For instance, in the case of Oishee Rahman, at first I tried to save her from being charged with her parents' murder, but as an investigator I soon realised that my first priority was my work. Nevertheless, I have helped a number of people while staying within legal boundaries.

What do you find most gratifying about your job?

Successfully cracking difficult cases, especially those with weak plaintiffs fighting against powerful criminals. In the past six years, I have solved at least 16 cases that had no plaintiffs.

With such a demanding profession, how do you handle your personal life?

What does it take to be a successful police official?

My life used to be very hectic, especially when I joined the Detective Branch in 2009 and had to pull off 18-hour workdays. I have two school-going children and my wife is a deputy secretary at the Secretariat. Some days, I go home after my children go to sleep and leave in the morning before they wake up. But they understand that I have a demanding job. And the situation has changed now and I am able to spend more time with my family.

I would say honesty, dedication and a commitment towards the job. Besides, having a life without complications helps.

Do you face political pressure when performing your duty?

In reality, politics has influence on every sector in Bangladesh. The police force is no exception, but we learn to deal with it. In face of political pressure, I just try to do my duty with my level best, staying within the jurisdiction of law.

Do you want your children to follow your footsteps?

Does serving as a police officer ever seem difficult?

My children have actually made their own mind about what they want to be. My daughter wants to

It does sometimes. I try to perform my duty with utmost sincerity, but

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be an architect and my son wants to be a scientist. They have made their own decisions, and I have nothing to say about them.

What do you do for recreation? Any plans for the future?

I like reading books, watching cinema and listening to music. I have a weakness for books; I have at least several thousands of books in my collection. After I retire, I do have plans to fulfil my childhood dream – becoming a teacher.

Any suggestions for the media and the people?

For the media, my suggestion is to write reports on militancy with caution as it is a sensitive issue. Journalists must be careful so that false information does not get circulated. As for the people, I suggest that everyone remains vigilant. Terrorism grows within our society, and the people have the power to stop it. Whenever you see someone you know acting suspiciously, try to get them help. If it does not work, contact law enforcers – we will definitely help you. If we all cooperate each other, I believe we can definitely eradicate terrorism from Bangladesh. l Khulna

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TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:35AM

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PRAYER TIMES

‘Family members unaware she was married’ n Tribune Desk Family members of Afsana Ferdous yesterday said that they were unaware of that she was married. They said she never mentioned her marriage but did say that she had a good relationship with Habibur Rahman Robin, a Tejgaon college BCL leader. Hasanuzzaman Mintu, uncle of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune that he learned about her being married from her neighbours in Manikdi, Dhaka. He also learned that police has the marriage registration license but they did not confirm him of anything. He said he will file a murder case when they receive the autopsy report. Police sources said they had picked up four people for questioning but did not confirm their identity. Asked about progress in the case, Officer-in-Charge of Kafrul police station Shikder Md Shamim Hossain declined to make any comments. l

Anti-militancy human-chain by journos today n BSS The journalists’ community will form human-chains across the country today, including in Dhaka, to denounce terrorism, militancy and fanaticism. In Dhaka, the human-chain will be formed in front of the National Press Club at Topkhana Road for one-hour from 11am. At the call of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and other associate unions and bodies of journalists will observe the human-chain programme with a slogan “Jegey Utho Bangladesh”. Outside the capital, the human-chain programmes will be observed in front of all the press clubs and offices of the journalists’ unions throughout the country. In a statement yesterday, president of the National Press Club M Shafiqur Rahman and general secretary Quamrul Islam Chowdhury called upon the members of the club to participate in the central human-chain programme in front of the club on time. l Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 5:00am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:00pm | Magrib: 6:41pm Esha: 8:30pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Slow pace of investigation frustrates Fahim's family n Md Hedait Hossain, Khulna Family members of Fahim, who was beaten to death for a kilogram of beef two months back, are frustrated, as police yet to make any progress in investigation of the killing case. Family members alleged that police freed Mujibur Rahman, main accused of the case, although there was concrete proof of his involvement in the killing.

Mother of Fahim, Faijun Nahar, said: “The case was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, but the organisation also failed to make any progress in the case.” CID Inspector, Satkhira zone Sheikh Mezbah Uddin said: “We have received the documents of Fahim murder case three to four days ago, I need to study the case. After the scrutiny, we will start our investigation within a week.” On June 15, eight-year-old Fa-

him Ahmed, son of Malaysia immigrant Monirul Islam of Mrigidanga village of Sadar upazila who used to live with her mother at his maternal grandfather’s house at Kushkhali village, was killed as one kg of beef was abandoned by dog. Four people were arrested in connection with the killing. The arrestees were Mujibur Rahman of Kushkhali village, his wife Safura Khatun, sons Ibharim Hossain and Israfil Hossain. l

Water levels rise in 22 rivers n BSS Water levels at 22 river stations monitored by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have gone up, while 62 stations recorded a fall and one went above danger level. Among the 90 monitored water level stations, five have been registered steady, a bulletin from FFWC said yesterday.

The Brahmaputra river is in steady state, while the Jamuna and Surma-Kushiyara rivers are in falling trend. The Ganges-Padma rivers are in rising trend and may continue to rise in the next 48 hours. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna rivers may fall in next 48 hours and the Surma-Kushiyara rivers may continue to fall in the next 48 hours.

News

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Transport workers behind yaba trading Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong

A section of transport workers taking the advantage of their profession are now smuggling yaba tablets across Bangladesh. These transport workers usually send yaba tablets to different parts of the country in the name of business houses which do business of electronic stuff. Sources at RAB said a section of transport workers send the illegal drugs to different places across the country and another section receives the tablets.

The gangs have already smuggled the yaba pills in the name of electronic items several times, said the sources. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB 7) seized 90,000 pieces of yaba in the port city early on Thursday. The consignment of yaba was being sent to Dhaka on a truck. RAB personnel also arrested two transport workers – Ahmad Nur, 48, of Patiya upazila, and Md Rasel, 29, of Bakalia area, from city’s Kadamtali area, said RAB sources. Both of them work at New Al Amin Transport Agency and New Shimul Transport Agency receptively.

RAB personnel also seized a truck with 6,000 bottles of phensidyl from city’s Saltgola area in another drive on the same day. “The smugglers have adopted the new technique to carry illegal drugs. They are now choosing transport agencies to convey the drug consignments using fake business addresses” said Lieutenant Colonel Mifta Uddin Ahmed, commanding officer of RAB 7, at a press conference held at RAB district headquarters. “The smugglers have adopted the new methods to dodge the eyes of law enforcers, as law enforcement agencies have tightened their vigi-

lance to stop yaba trading, he said. He said RAB personnel recently have seized 70,000 yaba pills from 35 cartons of energy bulbs which were being sent to Ramesh Sarkar Electronics in Dhaka. Later, the RAB came to know that there was no existence of Ramesh Sarkar Electronics. Apart from this, 20,000 pieces of Yaba pills were being sent to Dhaka through Shimul Paribahan. The consignment was also seized by the members of the law enforcement agencies. “During primary interrogation, the duo – Ahmad Nur and Md Rasel – said a gang of five to six mem-

bers were involved in the illegal business,” he added. Mifta also said earlier consignment of energy bulbs were sent to Jasim Electric House Ramesh Sarkar Electronic and Sagor Lighting House. Later, it was known that the addresses were fake. “The gang exchanges money using SA Paribahan, Sonali Bank, Standard Charted Bank, and Brac Bank accounts”, said Mifta. It is mentionable that RAB had arrested two staff of SA Paribahan in city’s Double Mooring area on 28 November last year and seized one lakh yaba pills which were concealed inside a wooden Almirah. l

Tea workers to go on strike on Monday n Md Noor Uddin, Habiganj

Tea garden workers will go to a strike on Monday, demanding arrears of 415 workers of Boikunthapur Tea Estate, rationing system and healthcare services. The Bangladesh Tea Workers Union made the announcement on Friday stating that tea workers across Bangladesh would observe the agitation programme simultaneously to press home their several points demands. The decision was made at an emergency meeting held at Srimangal Labour House in the afternoon. Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union Nipel Pal told the Dhaka Tribune that they would go on tougher movement in future, if their demands are not met. According to local sources, six people have died due to starvation, as authorities of Boikunthapur Tea Estate located at Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj stopped payment of workers four months back which has created outrage across the country. l

Truck-pickup van collision kills two n Afzal Hossain, Tangail

Two people were killed as a truck hit a pickup van at Deuhata on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Mirzapur upazila on Friday. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. Sub-Inspector of Gorai Highway police outpost said a Dhaka-bound truck collided head-on with a Tangail-bound duck-laden pickup, leaving one dead on the spot. Later, another died on the way to Kumudini Medical College Hospital. l

A human chain is formed in front of Khulna Press Club yesterday, protesting recent militant attacks across Bangladesh

13 more infected with Anthrax Islam Khan Rana, n Aminul Sirajganj At least 13 people, mostly women and children, have got infected with Anthrax in Chor Koijuri village of Shahjadpur upazila in Sirajganj district, raising the number of infected in the district to 91 in the last three months. District Civil Surgeon Sheikh Md Monjur Rahman yesterday said those who handled or prepared the meat of a sick ox from a farm owned by one Nazrul of the village got infected. The animal was slaughtered on August 8, 2016. Anthrax infection breaks out

in the district every year after the flood water recedes, said the civil surgeon. The infected have been identified as Hashi, 3, Ramim, 4, Yasin, 6, Ankhi, 7, Nupur, 8, Swapna, 10, Alamin, 13, Turjo Khatun, 25, Hasna Khatun, 35, Polash, 25, Shamim, 35, Moriam Begum, 64 and Jamila Bewa, 63. Health and Family Planning Officer of Shahjadpur Upazila Health Complex Jafarul Hossain said, eight of the victims had been admitted to Sirajganj Sadar Hospital on Thursday while the rest five were brought to the hospital on Friday. In May this year, 18 people have

been infected with anthrax in Koijuri, Porjona and Kayempur unions. During the time, many others also have been reported to be infected in Kamarkhond and Ullahpara upazilas. After the flood water receded this year, many cattle have been noticed to have various diseases. Livestock officer of Shahjadpur upazila Abdus Samad said despite vaccination cattle of the upazila may get infected with anthrax or other diseases due to consuming flood washed hyacinth and grass. However, legal actions will be taken against those who sold meat of a sick animal, he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Schoolboy found dead in Patuakhali n Tribune Desk A schoolboy was found dead in Koborosthan area in Patuakhali yesterday. Sabuj Mia, 15, was a class X student of Patuakhali Technical Training Centre and son Motiur Rahman, a resident of the area. Motiur Rahman said he phoned his son around 11 pm on Thursday and Sabuj then said he was on way home, but he did return. Saheb Ali Pathan, assistant superintendent of police, said body bore several injury marks. l

8 World

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistani takes revenge by stabbing 17 A Pakistani man has stabbed 17 women this year, killing one, in a misogynistic spree because he wanted revenge for a cruel stepmother. Mohammad Ali, 22, targeted women in the streets at random from late January until this month. Ali told officers that his mother had died when he was young and his father married again, but the second wife had mistreated him. -AFP

INDIA

Indian policemen suspended over moonshine Indian authorities have suspended 15 police officers for negligence after 16 people died from drinking suspected toxic liquor in a state which recently introduced prohibition. The entire staff of a local police station in the eastern state of Bihar were suspended for dereliction of duty amid an inquiry to establish their role in the deaths thought to have been caused by drinking moonshine. -AFP

CHINA

China tightens control of online news The Chinese government is holding chief editors of news websites personally liable for content, months after several portals posted material that was seen as embarrassing to President Xi Jinping. State media reported Thursday that the new rules placed responsibility squarely on head editors, saying news sites must monitor their content 24 hours a day to ensure correct orientation, factual accuracy and appropriate sourcing. -AP

ASIA PACIFIC

Singapore detains 2 men wanting to join IS Singapore said Friday it had detained 2 men under its tough internal security law after discovering they intended to travel to Syria to fight for the IS group. Rosli bin Hamzah, 50, and Mohamed Omar bin Mahadi, 33, are being held under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial. -AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Syria rebels guardedly welcome truce idea The main umbrella group for the Syrian opposition on Friday cautiously welcomed a proposal for a weekly pause in fighting in Aleppo to allow aid to reach besieged areas, provided this would be monitored by the UN. International concern has mounted over the fate of up to 2m civilians in the city amid an intensification of fighting. -REUTERS

Omran, one child among millions traumatised by Syria war n AFP, Beirut Haggard and covered in blood, little Omran’s blank stare shook the world. But across war-torn Syria, thousands of children like him are traumatised by daily life under bombs and siege. The footage of the shellshocked four-year-old made headlines around the world and was dubbed by Washington “the real face” of Syria’s five-year war. “Omran’s case isn’t rare -- we treat dozens of cases like him every day, with wounds that are typically worse,” Dr Abu al-Baraa, a pediatrician in a rebel-held eastern neighbourhood of Aleppo, told AFP. The footage from activists at the Aleppo Media Centre shows Omran sitting quietly in an ambulance, his bare, dust-covered feet barely reaching the edge of the orange chair. He touches his forehead with his tiny hand and seems surprised to see blood on his fingers -- then wipes it off on the orange chair with the timidity of a child who feels he has done something wrong. “There are thousands of stories of wounded children whose limbs have been blown off, with wounds to the stomach and head,” said Dr Abu al-Baraa. A bombing raid on the rebel-held district of Salhin in Aleppo killed seven people on Thursday and wounded many more, he added. “One child was wounded in the chest and head. We tried to stop the bleeding and give him a transfusion, but he was in critical condition and he died.” “He was almost six years old. These are the cases we see every day.”

‘Empty words’

Despite the international outcry, Dr Abu al-Baraa said nothing would change. “The world can see videos of children every day on YouTube, the children dying in the raids, stuck under the rubble. But the world isn’t focusing on this. These are just empty words.” Omran’s haunting photo has sparked a series of caricatures and edited images. In one photo, Omran sits unassumingly between US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, deep in discussion. In another, the toddler occupies the seat held by Syria at the Arab League, as if to criticise international inaction on the crisis.

Syrian baby, 5-year-old dead in migrant boat capsize

n AFP, Rome

Omran, a four-year-old Syrian boy covered in dust and blood, sits in an ambulance after being rescued from the rubble of a building hit by an air strike in the rebel-held Qaterji neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo late on August 17 AFP

‘The world can see videos of children every day on YouTube, the children dying in the raids, stuck under the rubble. But the world isn’t focusing on this. These are just empty words’ And Sudanese artist Khaled Albaih drew Omran near Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old whose tiny body washed up on a Turkish beach in September after a desperate attempt by his family to reach Europe by boat. “Choices for Syrian children,” reads the bold text over the picture. Omran’s blank stare is captioned with “if you stay,” and Aylan’s crumpled body with “if you leave”. Online supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, meanwhile, shared photographs of children wounded in rebel fire on government-held parts of Aleppo city. Once Syria’s economic hub, Aleppo has been divided by government control in the west and opposition fighters in the east since 2012. Regime warplanes, backed by Russia’s air force since September 2015, bombard the eastern districts while rebel groups fire rockets into the west.

‘State of shock’

Of the estimated 250,000 people still living in the eastern parts of the city, 100,000 are children, said Juliette Touma, from the UN children agency (Unicef). Omran’s photograph “is a reminder of how horrific the war in Syria is and how brutal the impact on children is,” she told AFP. “This photo should shake the conscience of the world.” More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict broke out, including nearly 15,000 children. At least 2.8 million Syrian children – some in their home country, others living as refugees in neighbouring countries – are without school. Across Syria at least six million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, Touma said, adding that children make up half of the 600,000 people living under siege in the country. l

Two Syrian girls, one of them an eight-month-old baby, are among up to six people who died when a boat carrying would-be migrants to Europe capsized off Libya Thursday, rescuers said. Five bodies were recovered and one passenger was missing, presumed drowned, following the capsize on Thursday. Some of the 21 survivors told aid workers there had been 27 people from eight Syrian families on the boat. The Phoenix, a rescue boat run by the Malta-based NGO Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) and the Italian Red Cross (CRI), recovered the corpses of two women, one man and the baby while the five-year-old’s body was picked up by a fishing boat, the organisations said. l

Russia denies its strikes hit Syrian boy in photo

n AFP, Moscow

Russia on Friday denied that one of its air raids hit a dazed and bloodied Syrian boy whose heart-wrenching photograph has drawn worldwide attention. The defence ministry issued an official denial that it carried out a strike on the Qaterji neighbourhood in eastern Aleppo on Wednesday evening when the images of four-year-old Omran were taken. “The Russian planes operating in Syria never work on targets that are inside settled areas,” ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Konashenkov said Qaterji was particularly out of bounds for Russian strikes because it adjoins two of the humanitarian corridors Moscow has opened for residents to flee. He branded Western media reports on Omran as a “cynical exploitation” of the tragic situation in eastern Aleppo and “cliched anti-Russian propaganda”. l

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Donald Trump tries out a new campaign tactic – saying sorry n Tribune International Desk Donald Trump marked the relaunch of his struggling presidential campaign with a shock new tactic; an apology. Republican presidential nominee apologised on Thursday for past remarks that “may have caused personal pain” as he sought to refocus his message in the face of falling opinion poll numbers in his first speech since shaking up his campaign team this week and appointing a new campaign manager. “Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing,” Trump told a crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I have done that, and I regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues,” reports Reuters. The remarks are a sharp reversal of an approach that seemed to follow the adage “never retract, never explain, never apologise,” The Guardian reports “I like not to regret anything,” the candidate previously told radio host Don Imus in May after controversy over comments that

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, US on August 18 REUTERS some Mexican immigrants as “criminals and rapists.” He recently faced a barrage of criticism for belittling the family of a Muslim American soldier who died in Iraq in 2004, after the soldier’s father spoke out against Trump at the Democratic National Convention last month. The campaign for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, quickly dismissed Trump’s apology, saying: “Donald Trump literally started his campaign by insulting people. “We learned tonight that his speechwriter and teleprompter knows he has much for which he

the week in Wisconsin, reached out to minority voters and accused Clinton of being dishonest. “So while sometimes I can be too honest, Hillary Clinton is the exact opposite: She never tells the truth,” Trump said. “In this journey, I will never lie to you. I will never tell you something I do not believe.”

‘Authenticity’

Trump’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, promised on Thursday he would stick to a more disciplined and uplifting mes-

sage to voters in the final dash to Election Day without crimping his freewheeling style. Conway said the candidate’s White House bid could preserve his “authenticity” and still move past a long string of controversies to focus on issues. “We would like to take an uplifting, optimistic, policy-centric message directly to the American people,” Conway told CBS’s “This Morning,” adding she was confident the former reality television star could stick to a sharper message. Wednesday’s campaign reshuffle also brought on Steve Bannon, a combative conservative who headed the Breitbart News website, as chief executive officer, in a move seen as giving Trump a chance to emphasise his unconventional style. Conway said the more disciplined approach by Trump, who has never held elective office, would not mean jettisoning his more offthe-cuff and unpredictable style. “We’re going to make sure Donald Trump is comfortable about being in his own skin - that he doesn’t lose that authenticity that you simply can’t buy and a pollster can’t give you,” she said on CNN. “Let him be him, in this sense.” l

‘But that apology tonight is simply a wellwritten phrase until he tells us which of his many offensive, bullying and divisive comments he regrets - and changes his tune altogether’ questioned senator John McCain’s war record. “You do things and you say things. And what I said, frankly, is what I said.” Many more such controversies have passed without regret since, but Trump’s closely watched standing in opinion polls has plummeted after he last month attacked the parents of a Muslim war hero who died serving in the US army. On Thursday he appeared to acknowledge for the first time the damage such incidents were doing to his election standing, though did not specify which precise “personal pain” he was responding to. The New York businessman has made his “tough talk” and brash style a selling point of his campaign for the November 8 election, rarely apologising in the face of criticism even from within his own party for own party for comments insulting women, Muslims and Mexican immigrants, reports Reuters. In his presidential announcement speech last year, he described

should apologise,” the campaign said in a statement. “But that apology tonight is simply a well-written phrase until he tells us which of his many offensive, bullying and divisive comments he regrets - and changes his tune altogether.” Trailing Clinton in national opinion polls, Trump has tried to reset his campaign, announcing on Wednesday a shake-up of his senior campaign staff for the second time in less than two months. In the past week, he has abandoned his free-wheeling style of campaigning, instead using a teleprompter at every rally. Trump also began adding non-rally events to his campaign schedule, visiting a police lodge on Thursday afternoon and hosting a roundtable on Wednesday morning. Previously, Trump had eschewed such events that historically comprise a significant portion of a candidate’s time. Trump’s speech on Thursday night, echoing remarks earlier in

World USA

Clinton: Powell suggested using private email Democratic US presidential nominee Hillary Clinton told federal investigators that former Secretary of State Colin Powell suggested she use a personal email account, the New York Times reported late on Thursday. Clinton has for over a year been dogged by questions about her use of a private email account while she was the nation’s top diplomat. -REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Police accused of cover-up after killing 22 in Mexico Mexico’s federal police killed 22 people on a ranch in the western state of Michoacán last year then moved the bodies and planted guns to corroborate the official account that the deaths happened in a gun battle, the country’s human rights commission has alleged. The National Human Rights Commission alleged there were also 2 cases of torture and 4 more deaths caused by excessive force. -THE GUARDIAN

Over 1,000 Labour councillors back Owen Smith More than 1,000 Labour councillors have signed a letter of support for the Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith, representing more than 200 local authorities. The letter, signed by representatives from England, Wales and Scotland, says the councillors do not have faith in Jeremy Corbyn’s weak leadership. -THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

Merkel sees no end to sanctions against Russia

Naked Trump statues draw dozens of onlookers in US cities n Reuters, New York An artists’ collective took credit for exposing Donald Trump to unflattering scrutiny on Thursday, saying it was responsible for a lifesized nude statue of the Republican presidential candidate that turned up in a New York City park. Copies of the orange-tinted likeness - featuring a massive belly, small fingers and missing some genital parts - were simultaneously unveiled in downtown

Manhattan’s Union Square Park and public places in four other US cities. The collective titled the work “The Emperor Has No Balls.” The activist collective, a group called INDECLINE that includes artists, musicians and filmmakers, claimed ownership of the work, saying in an email that the statues were also placed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Cleveland. It said an artist called Ginger helped create the likeness. l

There is no reason to lift the EU’s sanctions against Russia as Moscow has not fulfilled all of its commitments under an international peace plan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview published on Friday. She also alleged that Russia had caused a major crisis by annexing the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and with its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. -REUTERS

AFRICA

Two girls die after circumcisions in Sierra Leone, Guinea A teenage girl died after undergoing a botched female circumcision in Sierra Leone just days after the death of a 10-year-old girl in Guinea. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread in the neighbouring west African countries, with about 90% of women in both countries undergoing circumcision. Meanwhile, 3 women involved, including the girl’s aunt, have been arrested. -AFP

World

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Scientists to probe ways of meeting tough global warming goal n Reuters, Oslo Scientists on Thursday set the outlines of a report on how to restrict global warming to a limit agreed last year by world leaders - even though the temperature threshold is at risk of being breached already. The UN-led study, due to be published in 2018 as a guide for governments, will look into ways of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to cap the rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. It will examine impacts of a 1.5C rise on vulnerable parts of the world including

Parents comfort their son whom they say was injured by pellets shot by security forces in Srinagar following weeks of violence in Kashmir on August 18 REUTERS

Victims of clashes overwhelm hospital in Indian Kashmir n Reuters, Srinagar

More than 40 days of clashes between protesters and security forces have overwhelmed the main hospital in Indian-administered Kashmir, where some patients with severe injuries said they had been beaten in their homes by troops. House-to-house searches continued on Friday, authorities said, for suspected ringleader’s of street protests set off by the killing on July 8 of

The Indian army has apologised for the death in custody of Shabir Ahmad Mangoo, a 30-year-old college lecturer. The commander of India’s Northern Army denounced the beatings and ordered an inquiry. “These actions are absolutely not sanctioned. These actions are absolutely not tolerated,” Lieutenant General DS Hooda told a news conference in Srinagar on Friday. India’s security laws grant wide discretion to the armed

'India and Pakistan are fighting over my homeland but in the end it is only our blood that they manage to secure' a popular field commander of a Pakistan-based separatist group. At least 65 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the ensuing clashes, many of them wounded by shotgun rounds fired by security forces enforcing a curfew across the Muslim-majority region. Pictures taken by a Reuters photographer at Srinagar’s main SMHS Hospital on Thursday showed men with wounds across their backs and buttocks they said had been caused by beatings. Another showed a crying boy, his head swathed in bandages, being comforted by his family, who said he had been wounded by shotgun pellets.

forces in “disturbed” areas such as Kashmir. Human rights activists say those responsible for excessive violence are rarely brought to justice.

Exhausted Doctors

Hospital doctors were exhausted, with one saying they had performed more eye operations in the past month than they had over the last three years. “We are in physical and mental stress,” said Nisarul Hassan, senior consultant at SMHS Hospital who was forced to use an ambulance to get home. Dozens of volunteers received the injured at the hospital as ambulances brought

them in from rural areas. Paramedics and ambulance drivers said government forces attacked them on the way. The curfew restricts movement, severely disrupting daily life. “India and Pakistan are fighting over my homeland but in the end it is only our blood that they manage to secure,” said Faizal Wani, 24, whose father was being treated for pellet wounds suffered in the clashes. Another doctor said patients had been brought in with abdominal injuries from rifle bullets. “Our operating theatres are working nonstop,” the doctor told Reuters. Troops have resorted to firing rifles and shotguns to quell stone-throwing protests sparked by the death of Burhan Wani, a field commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen separatist group. India’s Central Reserve Police Force, which deploys a large contingent of paramilitaries in Kashmir, told a regional court that more than 100 people had been partly or completely blinded by shotgun pellets. Kashmir is at the centre of a decades-old rivalry between India and Pakistan, which rules a northwestern section of the divided region, and backed an insurgency in the late 1980s and 1990s that Indian security forces largely crushed. l

Greenland’s ice sheet and coral reefs. Thelma Krug, a Brazilian scientist who led the four-day meeting in Geneva, said it will also cast the fight against climate change as part of a wider struggle to end poverty and ensure sustainable growth. “Rapid changes are needed for (no rise above) 1.5C,” she told Reuters. The global rise reached 1.3C in the first half of 2016, which is almost certain to be the warmest year since records began in the 19th century, beating 2015. Some studies indicate emissions could breach levels consistent with 1.5C within about five years. l

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Heritage

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

The power of Paharpur Paharpur was one of the largest teaching and learning centres that had ever existed

It is already clear that, in its time, Paharpur was culturally important, not simply to the Buddhist tradition, but to the range of Dharmic beliefs

n Tim Steel

ncient records of early Buddhism, recovered from Tibet, identify five great centres of learning in the Buddhist firmament of the period of the Pala Empire, which might have been at the time, amongst the greatest centres of learning in the world, up to a thousand years after the birth of Prince Gautama, the Buddha, “The Enlightened One.” Of the five, two are amongst the over four hundred lesser Buddhist sites, in the lands that

are now Bangladesh; Somapura Mahavihara and Jaggadala. And, of those two, Somapura, or Paharpur as we know the site today, is certainly still the best explored and most famous, as a UNESCO World Heritage site. There seems to be little room to doubt that, as early as the last centuries before the Common Era, the concentration of early Buddhist sites in Bangladesh represent a major source of early learning. There are even scholars of Christian teaching who, detecting Buddhist influences in the

teachings of Christ in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, suggest that the precocious child found debating with elders in the Temple, who only emerges as a great teacher himself some 20 years later, may in fact, under the influence of Joseph of Arimathea -- a merchant associated with Christ in biblical tradition -- have organised for the young Christ to travel to what were, in their time, the greatest centres of learning of their age, the great Vihara of the Ganges basin. And Paharpur would have been of course the most accessible from

the great centre of trade in the Ganges Delta, had Christ made the journey, as at the time many did, by sea. Whatever the truth of that speculation, what is more incontrovertible is that, from the earliest times of the rise of Buddhist belief, Paharpur was “in the thick of it.” Excavation has revealed that, unsurprisingly, beneath the undoubted construction of remains of the period of the great Pala Empire (which had its roots in proximity to Paharpur, and, who knows, may have derived in part from its presence?), lie traces of buildings of the Mauryan period in the early years of Buddhism. We also know from onsite evidence that it continued to flourish during the “Golden Age of India” under the second century liberal Hindu, Gupta Dynasty (also with their own roots in close proximity to Paharpur!). No doubt the expertise of Buddhists contributed to the

astonishing transformation of social, economic, and technical strengths of Indian society that flowered in that period. That Paharpur was one of the most significant centres of learning in the various Buddhist schools there can be little doubt; the sheer scale of its estate and constructions bear testimony to its significance. We may, perhaps, attribute that fact to its greater proximity to the great international routes of communication by sea, and by the famous first of the great Silk Roads, the Southern Silk Road, Brahmaputra, Teesta, and Lohit River routes into the Himalayan states and beyond, into China. What is also certain is that the ruins today of this great centre of meditation, teaching, and learning are the largest in the Indian subcontinent, and that the design has been closely replicated in Burma, Java, and Cambodia, with two temples in central Java bearing closest resemblance to Paharpur’s

distinctive design, rather than any others in the sub-continent. Such imitation seems to speak volumes for the influence of Paharpur over the propagation of the faith groups beyond its origins in the Ganges basin. The decline, in about the 12th century -- either under the Brahmanic regime of the last Hindu dynasty, the short lived Sena, or perhaps as likely, in the face of the advent of the Afghan Sultanate forces that, having raided into India for a century or two, finally shifted their base as far into north India as they could reach -- seems to have been fairly abrupt. But that the schools, the Vihara, lasted in their influence for about a millennium and a half, enduring across the eastern world even today, not only speaks volumes for their power and influence, but also of the wealth in the lands in which they grew. They developed, it is probably fair to say, out of centuries, even millennia of social, cultural, and economic evolution in these lands along the edges of the great Ganges river. Archaeology, both in India and in Bangladesh, is only slowly making sense of the evidence of both on and in ground work, alongside the

circumstantial and documentary, even empirical evidence for which, in today’s Islamic and Christian world there may not be a great deal of incentive. And the rise in India of the return of more aggressive Hinduism probably doesn’t help, either!

the lands of Bangladesh. The Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist belief groups of that Dharmic tradition, which were probably both influenced by each other, and by the more primitive beliefs of traders from across the world, and also propagated through the

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

as facilitating travel, social, and cultural interchange. It remains somewhat difficult to make complete sense of the human developments of these lands with such a demonstrably rich heritage of culture and philosophy. Not the least of these difficulties,

Paharpur stands in by far the largest compound, and is easily the largest Buddhist site in Indian subcontinent

However, despite its continuing strength in important nations like Japan, and its re-emergence in China, the study and appreciation of the significance in world cultural and economic history, has probably not yet reached its time. It is, however, already clear that, in its time, Paharpur was culturally important, not simply to the Buddhist tradition, but to the range of Dharmic beliefs. These are those that evolved around the lands that, as the deltaic lands of the Ganges are now largely

linkages of communication, grew in all likelyhood from the more primitive Animist and Shamanic traditions of earliest traceable beliefs. That the Sanskrit language developed hereabouts was also, in all probability, due to this as a very ancient centre of trade, requiring more than a verbal tradition of communication to support trade. But the ability of such common and written form of communication certainly also facilitated the wider communication of beliefs, as well

Heritage

of course, in the case of the lands in and around those of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. And the rest of the 700 or so rivers, tributaries, and distributaries of the Ganges, especially is the simple depth of the annual deposits of flood borne alluvium. And today, politics also plays its own part in revelation, and even suppression. Ironic, indeed, that the lands that so clearly gave birth to beliefs to which over 5% of the world’s

population today still adhere, should be ruled by adherents of different beliefs! All of which would probably have seemed absurd to the denizens of Paharpur, throughout much of its life. It may well not be without significance that Paharpur stands in by far the largest compound, and is easily the largest Buddhist site in the Indian sub-continent. Close to the origins of Buddhism, just across today’s border and the ancient capital of the Mauryan Empire, it was even closer to the roots of both Gupta and Pala Empires, in which it conspicuously flourished. Despite the somewhat halfhearted endeavours of today’s Indians to “talk up” Vihara on their own lands for the sake of tourist income, there may well be every reason to suppose that, in fact, Paharpur, Somapara Mahavihara, was in fact, from early times, the most influential and powerful in the complexities of the Buddhist faith, of the great five. Paharpur, a historic root for Bangladesh to cherish, and to take pride in. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Climate Change

Recent floods break 100-year record at Brahmaputra station n AKM Saiful Islam

ecent flooding in Bangladesh broke the 100-year water level record at the Bahdurabad station, situated on the Brahmaputra river. The last time water level rose so high at this station was in 1988. Remarkably, the duration of this year’s floods will not stretch longer than the floods in 1988. There are two reasons for this: The water level at the Ganges river is far below the “danger level,” meaning the water is able to flow speedily into the Bay of Bengal. Second, the moon’s weak gravitational pull at the time of the flooding allowed the water to flow more quickly. So far, the 2016 floods have washed out over 1200 fishing enclosures and submerged around 50 villages. The flooding began with intense rainfall at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, and over the Meghalaya basin during the middle of July. Flooding in the Brahmaputra basin in particular came from the Teestra, Dhalara, Dudkumar, and Brahmputra rivers.

Yet we should remember the causes of flooding are not only natural, but also man-made. The combination of cutting down trees, filling up wetlands, continuing to build large urban constructions, and not maintaining embankments properly all play a role in increasing the intensity and duration of floods. Many of us were surprised to find that Dhaka avoided flooding this year. Instead of making the city more susceptible to floodwater, the expansive urban development diverted floodwater into nearby rivers such as the Turag, Balu, and Buringanga. Unfortunately, this means that people living in nearby settlements such as in Manikganj, Faridpur, and Shariatpur will experience prolonged inundation as the water was unable to enter through the old Brahmaputra channel. While forecasting floods is crucial for protecting people from disaster, forecasts can only be accurate up to five days. A 10 day or more forecast is unrealistic because weather conditions are chaotic and unpredictable. Slight changes in the atmosphere greatly

The 2016 July flood started with rainfall at the foot of the Himalayan mountains impact the accuracy of forecasts. Long-term climatic cycles may prove more useful in forecasting floods. Most major floods in Bangladesh in recent years have occurred during the cold phase of what’s called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle: In 1988, 1998, and 2007. This cycle occurs over every few years as sea surface temperatures and air pressure circulates across the Pacific Ocean; and so could be useful for future flood predictions.

Across the planet right now, intense rainfall has flooded parts of the state of Louisiana in the United States, breaking water level records and displacing thousands. By current estimates, there is a 1-in-500 chance that such flooding will repeat any time soon. Although scientists are yet to link either of these floods to climate change, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report suggests heavy flooding is set to increase in

COURTESY

both these regions. A timely reminder that as climate change worsens, communities around the world – not just in Bangladesh – will face more and more extreme environmental hazards. l AKM Saiful Islam is a professor of the Institute of Water and Flood Management at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. He can be emailed at akmsaifulislam@iwfm.buet.ac.bd.

Our greenhouse problem isn’t going to solve itself Hannan Khan and n Munjurul Areej Riaz

omentum in Bangladesh has swiftly moved from planning to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions to taking concrete steps to reduce emissions. Last year the world came together to agree to an international climate treaty, called the Paris Agreement. Prior to the agreement, UN member states were encouraged to put forth national plans detailing how they would decrease their country’s carbon footprints. These plans, called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), allowed countries to set their own emission reduction goals, which would then be reviewed and updated every few years. Bangladesh in its INDC proposed a 5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from “business as usual” levels by 2030

in three major sectors: Industry, power, and transport. Combined, these sectors currently account for 69% of the country’s total national emissions. These emissions are only expected to increase about threefold by 2030, when compared to 2011 emissions. Although Bangladesh’s emissions per capita are incredibly low, in light of the country’s goal to attain middle-income status by 2021, the government put forward ambitious emission targets to ensure a pathway for sustainable development. Taking lead in implementing Bangladesh’s INDC is the Ministry of Environment and Forests with support from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Under the ministry’s leadership, special advisory, and technical committees were established with representatives from most other ministries. These committees not only met regularly to craft the country’s UN climate action plan, but will

now take the lead in developing guiding documents to help relevant stakeholders reduce their emissions in the industry, power, and transport sectors.

Like most of the other countries -- 142 to be exact -- Bangladesh additionally included adaptation activities in its UN climate plan. While reducing the effects

Despite the country’s limited resources, Bangladesh is showing its resourcefulness in addressing climate change head on Each of these sectors also has a working group which will work with the government committees to lay out an in-depth outline of how to reduce emissions; as well as determine the roles and responsibilities different stakeholders will have to play to successfully implement the INDC. Once the map is finalised, reducing emissions will become part and parcel of economic development in the industry, power, and transport sectors.

of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is important, for a country like Bangladesh, adapting to the detrimental impacts of climate change is just as critical. As such, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has also initiated a project with the UN Development Program to develop a national adaptation plan, which will attempt to meet the adaptation commitments made in the country’s INDC. Despite the country’s limited

resources, Bangladesh is showing its resourcefulness in addressing climate change head on. The country is well ahead of other least developed nations in implementing its UN climate action plan. While there is still a long way to go, Bangladesh should be proud it is moving in the right direction. l Dr Munjurul Hannan Khan and Areej Riaz both work at the Climate and Development Knowledge Network mentioned in the above article. This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

Learn English

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Learning English through sharing picture books Every year thousands of children’s picture books are published in the UK. Native-speaker children have many opportunities to enjoy these picture books; there is no reason why young children learning English as an additional language should not enjoy them, too.

nOpal Dunn From the very first introduction to listening to English, children can enjoy carefully selected picture books. Young learners soon pick up the short text of a picture book, if initially it is shared with an adult who brings the pages alive. Children are already familiar with stories. From a very young age, they talk in a narrative style. It is through their stories of everyday experiences that they define themselves: expressing their ideas, hopes and emotions in language as well as in drawing and imaginative play. Many children are already

used to decoding stories and information from television or film in their home language, while others may have already enjoyed the interaction of sharing a picture book. Most children, if guided by a parent, soon work out how to transfer their individual decoding skills to get meaning from picture books in English. Sharing picture books is not only about picking up another language, it is also about giving children a wider window on the world, guided by their parents. The one-to-one interaction of sharing picture books gives children added opportunities to develop at their own speed and

level, knowing that their parents are encouraging them. As children share more and more books their self-confidence develops. This can often be seen in the way they approach unfamiliar English and new experiences. Picture books provide parents and children with an obvious reason for switching from their home language to speaking English. Parents who lack confidence in English find that the fixed text of a picture book is a useful prop. Apart from providing text to read and share, a picture book can be the basis for interaction, which parents can adjust to their child’s developing

needs, interests and attainments. Some parents may be concerned that introducing picture books will not fit in with their child’s school syllabus or text book. Sharing a picture book is an additional English learning experience that bonds families and helps children realise that speaking English at home is fun. Many families enjoy slipping English phrases picked up from picture books into everyday home language conversations. Initially, children depend on the parent’s reading and interaction for input and picking up language. This gradually changes as children begin to share

a little of the reading. As children’s reading ability increases, the role of the parent gradually diminishes. By the time children know the text by heart and are capable of ‘reading’ the book aloud to themselves or to others, the parent’s role is reduced to rephrasing mistakes and praising successes. Throughout this time the parent is managing the experiences and tuning into their child to find out what stage he or she has reached and where he or she needs added support. This cycle repeats each time a new book is introduced, but as children learn more English the cycle takes less time. l

| activities to use with children |

All about seasons

Exercise After reading the article, choose the correct words to fill the gaps

Sit down with your child and ask him or her some simple questions about what seasons you have where you live. For example: ‘When is each season?’; ‘The dry season is… ’; ‘What is the weather like in each season?’; ‘In winter it is… ’. Ask your child to complete the following sentences. If your child is not confident in writing in English, you can write the words for him or her.

develops. 2 Sharing a ........ book is an additional English learning experience that ........ families. 3 Young learners ........ pick up the short

We have ______ seasons.

text of a picture book.

In the summer/dry season there are _____ hours of daylight.

4 Initially children depend on their ........ reading and

The longest day is in __________.

interaction.

The shortest day is in __________.

5 The one-to-one ........ of sharing picture books gives children

In winter/rainy season the weather is __________.

added ........ to develop.

Match the weather to the seasons. Draw arrows to show which season matches with which box.

Winter

c self-confidence d parents’ e picture and bonds

It’s cold and foggy. Trees lose their leaves.

Answers

For more about the British Council www.britishcouncil.org

It’s rainy and wet. Trees and flowers start to grow.

1 c

It’s very cold and it snows. Christmas is in this season.

4 d

It’s hot and sunny. People go on holiday.

2 e

Autumn

b interaction and opportunities

3 a

Summer

a soon

5 b

Weather in the UK

Spring

in the following sentences: 1 As children share more and more books their ........-........

Kids

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

color it

ical creature myth

Wyverns

yverns (written as “wyverns”) are legendary mythical beasts which look much like a dragon. However, they are not the same. Unlike a dragon, the wyvern has two legs instead of four, and those two legs are like those of an eagle, with clawed, bird-like talons. They share the same kind of body of a

dragon, reptilian, smily and scaled, with batlike wings. Another difference is that they have barbed tails. Dragons aren’t described as poisonous creatures, but the wyvern is worse. They are said to kill everything around them with their toxic breath or touch. l

meet the artist

Making Dexter Boom! Crash! Ting! What was that? That was Dexter, working in his lab to invent something incredible. The little scientist and his laboratory are famous for making the smartest, weirdest and the most wonderful things. But the greatest scientist of them all is Genndy Borisovich Tartakovsky, and Dexter’s Laboratory is one of his best inventions. Genndy had a very tough time becoming a cartoonist, and once he did, it was a gift to the world! He helped in the creation of the Powerpuff Girls, and Star Wars: Clone Wars. He created Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack and even the recent animated movie, Hotel Transylvania. It is amazing how all this came from a small Russian boy who loved to read comic books. l

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

diy

Pet Puppets

Being a kid, no one can resist dolls! But as much as you love playing with them, how about having as much fun making them? With a few easy steps, you can become experts in making your very own puppets. What’s more, if you make enough creative ones to give each one a distinctly different look and character. What you’ll need: 1. A long sock 2. Super glue 3. Buttons 4. Felt fabric

animal facts

Star-struck We thought the octopus with its eight tentacles and ink squirting was cool, till the star-nosed mole came up. This creature stands out because of its rather unusual appearance, significantly its nose, which is shaped like a star! It hails from different places such as North America, North Atlantic Ocean and also from cold regions in the Southern Hemisphere. The anatomy on its snout is actually 22 mobile fleshy tentacles, and the 11 appendages on its snout help it to search for food. It is covered in a thick blackish-brown, water repellent fur and has large scaled feet and a long tail. They feed on aquatic insects, mollusks, amphibians and small fish. This little guy is a great swimmer, thus finding food is a piece of cake for him. He is seen to be active day and night! Even in the winter, this fellow tunnels through the snow in search of food and shelter. After birth, their eyes, ears and star remain sealed till they are 14 days old. They become independent after 30 days and reach adulthood after 10 months. Even though its habits are similar to regular moles, its origin and appearance separates it from similar species that live underground. l

5. 6.

Thick thread Scissors

What to do: 1. Take a long white (or any other coloured) sock. The sock should be long enough for it to come up to your elbow at the very least. 2. Glue two buttons to the bottom of the sock where your toe should be. Use superglue to stick the eyes as craft glue may not be strong enough. Make sure you have an adult nearby to help you out. Let it dry. 3. When the glue is dry, stick your hand in where

Kids

the bottom of your foot would be and shape your hand like an open mouth. 4. Now cut out a piece of felt in the shape of a tongue and stick it on the bottom part of your “open mouth.” 5. You can also cut out different shapes out of felt for the nose, and stick or sew on some thread to make whiskers. 6. And you have a cute puppet all ready to go! Tip: You can visit the nearest stationery store for other craft items like glitter fabric pens, buttons, sequins and neon markers to make your pet puppet more interesting.l

fun science

Sparkling lava lamp Ran out of fun things to do already? Here’s a cool new idea for your school science fair. You can even do it at home with your friends and show off your scientific talents! What you’ll need: 1. Transparent jar with lid 2. Water 3. Food coloring 4. Glitter 5. Vegetable oil 6. Salt 7. Torch light What to do: 1. Fill three quarters of the jar with water. 2. Add food coloring until you have your desired color. A few drops should do! 3. Sprinkle in glitter for an extra sparkle. 4. Fill the jar almost to the top with vegetable oil and let the mixture separate. 5. Pour salt into the jar until you see the beautiful lava lamp effect. 6. When the bubbles stop, add more salt to see it again. 7. Shine a torch behind the jar to watch your lava lamp glow! What’s happening: The secret behind the lamp’s “lava” is basic science. Oil is lighter than water, so it rises to the surface. Salt is heavier and sinks to the bottom. When you add salt, blobs of oil attach to the grains and sink. Then the salt dissolves, and the

oil bubbles to the top. The result is a true treat for the eyes! l

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Kids

comic

Dadu and Nadu Creators: Mehedi Haque and Shameem Ahmed Publishers: Dhaka Comics Dadu is a scientist, adventurer and collector of rare artifacts. Together with his grandson Nadu, he travels the world searching for cool stuff to add to his huge underwater museum. The evil villain, Durjhoti, is always ready to create trouble. In the mysterious island of magnets, Dadu has been searching for magnetic energy sources for a long time. One day, his radars detect signals coming from a distant island. So off he goes with Nadu, on a mind boggling adventure. The artwork, the composition, and characters are beautiful. The dialogues are funny too, and the action is just too good to resist. Be sure to check it out! l

video game

All about lego Lego City: Undercover is an open world action adventure game starring a plucky cop named Chase McCain. He’s out to capture the town’s biggest crooks. When kids aren’t following plot points, they can freely explore the city, checking out every nook and cranny of the town where they’ll often find unexpected rewards!

The good:

• This LEGO world of cars, buildings, and people is a pleasure to explore . • Makes terrific use of the Wii U gamepad. • Players consult the screen to view maps and routes, receive incoming calls from non-player characters, scan areas for criminals and secret bricks, and listen to crooks’ conversations. • Kids learn by logic, deductive reasoning, and puzzling solving while also experimenting and exploring. • Fun, family-friendly game with a winning protagonist who never uses lethal force.

The bad:

• No multiplayer mode. • Some loading screens take too long, especially after saving and exiting the game.

Parental advisory:

It’s likely that kids who play the game will want to buy the LEGO sets they see, and kids who play with LEGO will want to buy the game. l

book review

toy review

Round and round Kids are fascinated with motion, and that’s why remote control cars make the coolest gifts ever! These cars come in all shapes, sizes, colours and makes. There are both electronic and battery powered remote control cars. Some of these toys look just like the real thing, while others have wings and flashy lights, and are simply out of this world. Remote control cars are available in most toy stores. Check out the Baby Shop at Gulshan Road 113, UAE market in Kemal Ataturk Road, or Boi Bichitra at the Rupayan Golden Age mall on Gulshan Avenue to find them. Pick out your favourite! l

Out with an aim Shark Tooth Tale is a charming story of a young boy who sets out on a quest to buy the fossilised shark tooth of his dreams. But what is a shark fanatic to do when his mom and dad won’t buy it for him? He rolls up his sleeves and goes out to find ways to earn his own money to buy it himself. Abby Klein’s story very nicely reflects the importance of working to get what you want, and how the effort you put into it makes your goal (or in this case, a fossilised Megalodon tooth) even more precious. Ready Freddy stories are short and amusing reads. The stories are set within a family of four, with a sister Freddy who doesn’t get along. But despite their fights, there’s always a part in the story where they work together. The illustrations that go along with the stories add to the entertainment. l

Kids

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Milestone College celebrates its success in HSC results Milestone College students have achieved commendable results of the HSC examination under the Dhaka education board this year. A total of 2,553 students (both Bengali and English versions) appeared for the HSC examination with a pass rate of 96.47%. Total of 1,630 students appeared from the science group, of which, 1,107 students have scored GPA of 5. A remarkable 99.8% passed from the group. A total of 815 students appeared from the commerce group with a pass rate of 90%. Finally, a total of

107 students appeared from humanities group with a pass rate of 98%. Professor Md Shahidul Islam, principal of Milestone College said, “Milestone is committed to ensuring quality education which can help a student to become an ideal person, create humane character, dream and implement it.” He also added that the sincerity of the teachers as well as students and guardians are what drove the school to achieve their highest success rate. l

Speedy visits Italy

This time, Speedy packs his bags on time and at the last minute, rushes off to Italy. Did you know that Italy is famous for its pizza, and ice cream called gelato? Speedy didn’t want to miss out of any of them. While there, Speedy had a few places on his bucket list. He first visited the Flavius Amphitheatre, also known as the Colosseum. It is a massive stadium where people of Ancient Rome saw great fights between warriors and animals. The Colosseum can seat about 70,000 people! Speedy also visited the Pantheon. It is rumoured that the founder of Rome, Romulus, was taken after his death by an eagle at the Pantheon and taken to the skies with the gods. It is also said that the Pantheon is where all the records of Rome are stored. With Rome all toured, Speedy

said hello to Florence with a great deal of excitement as he found himself in front of Micheangelo’s David at the Piazza della Signoria. Next up was the Palace of Bargello, which was built around the 13th century and became

the national museum in 1865. It has a lot of masterpieces created by the brilliant artists from the Renaissance. After his time in Florence, Speedy went to Tuscany where he spent some time at the beach at

Viareggio and wandered around from one cathedral to another, admiring the beauty of the way they were made. Lastly, Speedy arrived in Venice all relaxed. He took a long gondola ride and sang his heart out as he

watched the moon and the stars above him. It was such a beautiful sight, and it was all made perfect with two helpings of Italian pizza and gelato. Speedy was happy all right! l

20 Editorial

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

INSIDE

What does Islam think of women as leaders? Viewing women as weak, inferior, ‘intellectually incapable, lacking spiritually, not qualified enough,’ and the negative assumptions of women’s ability to hold top positions in organisations are the challenges to empower women PAGE 21

Towards low-carbon sustainability Given that Bangladesh anticipates an average loss of 2% GDP by 2050 due to climate change, there is no better time to act than today PAGE 22

The shepherd king Mujib was such a revolutionary leader that his name and fame spread worldwide. The Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro said: ‘I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas’ 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.

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Long-term thinking is the way to go

he PM’s directive to her subordinate authorities to formulate a new township plan by keeping in mind Bangladesh’s burgeoning population, is a step in the right direction. This is exactly the kind of long-term thinking our nation needs. With a population that is exceeding 16 crore -- a figure that will only continue to grow -- the government needs to sit down and decide how this issue must be tackled. And this is not the only issue. The authorities in charge of planning cities and towns must be aware of their respective boroughs both geographically and geologically. Planning, constructing, and building structures and landscapes which cater to short-term problems, without keeping in mind the bigger picture, is no longer an option. It not only puts the lives of residents nearby in danger, as it happened with the Bashundhara City fire a few years ago when firefighters had to take water from the Sonargaon swimming pool, but also makes matters worse by creating even further congestion, pollution, and other health and safety hazards on the streets. The PM herself has made it clear now: Decentralisation is key. No longer can the government afford to put all of its eggs in one basket. We must create cities in such a way that denizens in every part of our country can avail of the services. However, planning all these cities individually should be strongly discouraged, as it goes against the very ethos of decentralisation. These cities must be planned in relation to one another as part of a cohesive “hubs-andcorridors” network -- which means that they must be plotted in tandem with a national grid of proper, real highways. Our country is going to face many challenges in the coming years. The authorities must plan and predict the problems that may arise. Decisions based on myopic strategies will no longer cut it. It’s about time the government introduced a little foresight into its plans and policies.

Decisions based on myopic strategies will no longer cut it. It’s about time the government introduced a little foresight into its plans and policies

Opinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

What does Islam think of women as leaders? The answers may suprise you

Many contemporary Islamic scholars support women in positions of authority

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

n Foyasal Khan

n his recent interview, Dr Ebrahim Moosa, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame, claims that misunderstanding Islam’s teachings, little understanding of Islamic law, Qur’an interpretation, lack of complex literacy, and a poverty of dignity are the causes of the radicalisation of youth. He suggests all Muslims to adopt a sophisticated Islamic education and read the Qur’an and the hadith supervised by qualified scholars to counter radicalisation. Appointment of women as judges and leaders in Muslim countries remains a controversial topic that calls for advanced Islamic studies in the light of the present socio-cultural milieu, because a general perception that such appointments might not be in conformity with the shariah. However, some contemporary scholars differ with this earlier dominant opinion. On July 19, a timely seminar on women as “judges and leaders” was organised by The International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), Malaysia, an institution engaged in objective research on Islam and contemporary challenges to the global community and Islam’s engagement with other civilisations. In this seminar, the three speakers, Prof Dr Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Founding CEO, IAIS Malaysia, Prof Dr Raihanah Abdullah, Lecturer, Dept of Shariah and Law, Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya, and Justice Noor Huda Binti Roslan, Shariah High Court Judge of Selangor, shared their

Viewing women as weak, inferior, ‘intellectually incapable, lacking spiritually, not qualified enough,’ and the negative assumptions of women’s ability to hold top positions in organisations are the challenges to empower women

scholarly thoughts on the notion. It is prohibited for women to hold leadership positions, not even as judges, says Dr Raihanah and Justice Noor Huda while clarifying the position of classical jurisprudence -- particularly from the Maliki, Shafii, and Hanbali schools of law. This was supported by early mufassirun, the interpreters of the Qur’an, as well, such as al-Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir, al-Jassas, etc. In particular, they took the verse of the Qur’an in Surah al-Nisa (4:34) to be a universal injunction: “Men shall be over women …” Justice Noor Huda specifies further that a woman can be appointed as a judge in Mal (wealth) cases but not in criminal cases according to Ibnu Qassim from Maliki’s school, and women have no barrier to be a judge except in Hudud -- punishments which, under Islamic law, are mandated and fixed by God -- and Qisas -- the right of a murder victim’s nearest relative or Wali (legal guardian) to, if the court approves, take the life of the killer -- according to the Hanafi school. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Ibn Hazm al-Zahiri opined that a woman can be appointed as judge without any limitation. It is seen that many contemporary scholars support the majority classical positions

of woman as judge and leader. However, some have challenged this notion as they see contradiction in it with other parts of Islamic teachings. The position of Sheikh Dr Yusuf al-Qardawi, a leading contemporary Islamic thinker, is that a woman can be appointed as a judge except in Hudud and Qisas cases because there is no Dalil (proof) which clearly states that a woman cannot be appointed as a judge. Prof Kamali has discussed the evidence of the role of women as leaders from both the Qur’an and Sunnah (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). He said that, whether women can be judges and leaders, is subsidiary, the basic question is one of equality and the criteria for appointment as judge should be knowledge of the shariah and the ability to apply it. In discussing contemporary trends and challenges of Muslim women in charge in Malaysia, Dr Raihanah says that there is an increasing trend of women joining the workforce and entering traditionally male-dominated professions. This has happened because of the introduction of formal education and equal opportunities for both sexes. Currently, 50% of the population and 39% of labour participation in Malaysia are women. Thus, women are key

contributors to the Malaysian workforce. Bangladesh also has a similar feature of woman participation like Malaysia. In Malaysia, women are involved in all sectors of the economy; however, they are less visible as leaders or policy-makers. Currently, there is only one woman minister. In contrast, Bangladesh is a case where women have taken charge. In their column titled “Women in Bangladesh are taking charge -- from grassroots up to government,” Anna Ridout and Simon Tisdall have rightly pointed out: “Nowhere else do women dominate so many top political positions. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is accompanied by a female speaker, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury; her long-time rival and former prime minister Khaleda Zia heads the opposition.” Moreover, there is one minister and three state ministers who are women in the incumbent cabinet in Bangladesh. Malaysia has a provision of Shariah court which is not present in Bangladesh, though Muslim marriage and inheritance are guided by Muslim law. It was only in 2010 that women were appointed as judges at the Shariah courts due to the urge and the need to solve the gender-bias issues and, as of 2016, two women

have been appointed as judges in the Shariah High Court. Justice Noor Huda states that women have been entering higher education tremendously in the last two decades, including the study of Shariah matters. Currently, among the 400 shariah officers under the Common Use Scheme for Sharia Officers, 129 are female in Malaysia. In Bangladesh, there were no women judges in the Supreme Court before 2000. On May 28, 2000 a woman judge, for the first time, was elevated to the High Court Division. As of today, we have six honourable judges in the Supreme Court, including one in the Appellate Division. Dr Raihanah mentions that viewing women as weak, inferior, “intellectually incapable, lacking spiritually, not qualified enough,” and the negative assumptions of women’s ability to hold top positions in organisations are the challenges to empowering women. She also thinks that women themselves must be more prepared to hold top positions. It is, therefore, needed to empower them and teach that they are equally as capable as men to hold top positions and be decision makers. Justice Noor Huda highlights that there is a negative perception in Malaysian society towards the Shariah Court that it is not doing justice to women and the court is biased against women when the judge is a male. She hopes that with the appointment of women as judges, society’s negative perception can be changed into positive towards the Shariah Court. In conclusion, it is said that Muslim women are performing many roles and responsibilities in modern society in the fields of religion, politics, commerce, science, education, and other important functions. Thus, Muslim women are providing important contributions to the socio-economic development of their countries. They deserve to be valued for the services they provide. Therefore, it is a moral duty and obligation of any Muslim society to ensure enough space and equal opportunity so that a Muslim woman can legitimately obtain any position of leadership and authority for which she is qualified. l Foyasal Khan is a PhD candidate in Economics at the International Islamic University. Malaysia. He holds BSS and MSS degrees in Economics from the University of Dhaka.

Opinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Towards low-carbon sustainability The United Nations’s REDD+ program will contribute to numerous SDGs

The time to tackle climate change is now

BIGSTOCK

n Md Rakibul Hasan Mukul

EDD+ is a global initiative under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), which seeks to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, thereby reducing impacts of global warming. The term stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, and, the plus stands for the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. This global effort focused on the forest sector, is due to the fact that deforestation and forest degradation account for over 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and are the second leading causes of global warming. The REDD+ initiative of the UNFCCC is designed to provide results-based payments to developing countries for the amount of GHG emissions reduced, and the amounts removed from the atmosphere by forests against a bench mark. There are five “REDD+ activities” which can qualify for results-based payments: Reducing emissions from deforestation, reducing emissions from degradation of forests, enhancement of carbon stocks, conservation, and sustainable management of forests. The first two activities reduce carbon emissions and the rest three capture the same from the atmosphere.

Given that Bangladesh anticipates an average loss of 2% GDP by 2050 due to climate change, there is no better time to act than today The Ministry of Environment and Forests realises the potential benefits to be derived from reducing emissions from the forestry sector. The 2.52 million hectares of forest land in the country is equivalent to almost 18% of the country’s total area. There are considerable forest land areas in either deforested or degraded conditions, and there are also areas with good forest cover. Hence, there is significant potential scope for REDD+ activities to reduce deforestation and degradation in Bangladesh, as well as potential areas for conservation of existing forest areas and enhancement of carbon stocks. Accordingly, Bangladesh became a member country of the UN-REDD Program in 2010. The UN-REDD Program is jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is providing support to Bangladesh to get ready for REDD+. It will work together with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, particularly the Bangladesh Forest Department,

and other stake-holders over the next years to assist the country in meeting all the requirements and to ultimately be eligible for resultsbased payments. The REDD+ effort will contribute to a number of Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 13, which focuses on combating climate change; and Goal 15, which promotes sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. The REDD+ implementation will strengthen sustainable management of forests resources, and sustainably manage forests, enhance the resilience of ecosystems and societies, and secure livelihoods of forestdependent people. With REDD+ focusing on strengthening forest governance and ensuring participation of different stake-holders to manage forests sustainably, streams of benefits can be ensured for generations to come. The REDD+ program also ensures that non-tangible ecosystem services are maintained such as water regulation, soil protection, climate regulation, and bio-diversity conservation. The implementation of the REDD+ mechanism follows three phases: Phase 1 involves the

development of national strategies or action plans, policies and measures, and capacity-building. Phase 2 is the implementation of these plans, policies, and measures, ie piloting and bringing necessary changes. Phase 3 being results-based actions, ie emission reductions or carbon enhancements are measured, reported, and verified against benchmark, and payment is made if found successful. The UN-REDD Bangladesh National Program is in its first phase of implementation, where a total of $2.3 million is allocated. The UN-REDD Program Fund was established in 2008 to assist countries with REDD+ readiness. The fund has grown steadily since its establishment. The net funded amount increased from $15.8m in 2009 to $238.7m in 2015. In Bangladesh, the implementation of the REDD+ mechanism could be hindered by several challenges. Implementation of policy, and measures to address the root causes of deforestation and forest degradation are some of the key challenges. Another important challenge is the resolution of land disputes for the demarcation of forest boundary. Co-ordination among

the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry of Land and its departments is therefore necessary to resolve the problem. Building a solid governance structure is fundamental for REDD+, which is also a challenging task. REDD+ mechanism will facilitate creation of a multistake-holders platform to ensure informed and meaningful involvement of all stake-holders, including indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities. Complying with all the four elements of UNFCCC Warsaw Framework for REDD+ is another vital challenge for Bangladesh, which could be overcome through the capacity-building efforts of the project. REDD+ supports a move towards a low-carbon sustainable economy. It will also ensure that Bangladesh’s forests meet demands for timber and other forest products, support rural livelihoods, contribute to the national economy, increase resilience, and, at the same time, contribute to global climate change mitigation efforts. Given that Bangladesh anticipates an average loss of 2% GDP by 2050 due to climate change, there is no better time to act than today. l Md Rakibul Hasan Mukul is Assistant Chief Conservator of Forest, Development Planning Unit and National Project Director, UN-REDD Bangladesh National Program.

Opinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

The shepherd king History will remember Bangabandhu as a leader who loved his country and his people unconditionally

n Saiful Islam Azad

his year the nation observed the 41st death anniversary of the founder of Bangladesh, the Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. On August 15, 1975 he was brutally murdered by a group of assassins, along with most of his family members. On the darkest day of our history, the loving and affectionate Begum Mujib, her sons and their newly married wives, 10-year-old Russel, and other members of the family were killed. We mourn this loss more and more with each passing year, as his towering image dawns on our mind and consciousness, with greater relevance -- and we express our wrath and abhorrence towards the disgruntled military officials who were involved in the massacre, more with each passing year. It is true that a bullet can kill a human’s life, but it cannot kill the ideologies, thoughts, and achievements of a man like Mujib as he was a rare personality in contemporary history. He was a statesman -- handsome, charismatic, confident, popular, simple, farsighted, and patriotic. Newsweek Magazine on April 5, 1971, following the declaration of independence on March 26, 1971, said: “Tall for a Bengali (he stood at 5 feet 11 inches), with a touch of graying hair, a bushy moustache, and alter black eyes -- Mujib can attract a crowd of million people to his rallies and hold them spellbound with great rolling waves of emotional rhetoric. He is a poet of politics. So his style may be just what was needed to unite all the classes and ideologies of the region.” Time Magazine, on January 17, 1972, wrote: “The history of the Indian sub-continent for the past half-century has been dominated by leaders who were as controversial as they were charismatic -- Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and Jawaharlal Nehru. Another name now seems likely to join the list, Sheikh Mujibur (“Mujib”) Rahman, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.” The great modern Bengali novelist Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay said: “From the ocean of time, the eastern part of Bangladesh -- otherwise known as East Bengal or East Pakistan -- is emerging with a new spirit, a new aura, in a new magnificent figure. She is borne up on the head, deity-

There is no other political personality in contemporary history like Mujib like, by the 75 million people of East Bengal. “Their leader is Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the friend of Bengal. A historical conflict has drawn to a close and a new chapter is being written.” Mujib was indeed a popular leader who had reached the pinnacle of political fame and authority by the hard work of ceaselessly addressing the people’s problems, and not by whining about his own misfortunes. James J Novak said: “Sheikh Mujib brought an immediacy to the political environment. He never tired the people by sophisticated ploys or halfmeasures. He had no love for the government office.” Novak portrayed Mujib’s personality by saying: “As for the Sheikh, hard work shaped his style. Indefatigable, he walked across fields from village to village, and mingled with the people, sharing their rice, dal and salt, remembering names, praying at mosques, sweating in fields, visiting flood sites, weeping at funerals and milads. He empathised mightily, instituted sympathetically, and reached out and touched -- not golf clubs and club chairs but the people’s sweaty hands. He knew what the people believed because he could explain things not only in terms they could understand but

Mujib was such a revolutionary leader that his name and fame spread worldwide. The Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro said: ‘I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas’

in one they respected. Knowing that, they believed he did not need to lie.” Mujib was such a revolutionary leader that his name and fame spread worldwide. The Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro said: “I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas.” Castro made these observations after he met Bangabandhu in 1973 during the Non-Aligned Summit in Algiers. His remarks reflect the height of respect Bangabandhu commanded, internationally. Journalist Cyril Dunn of the London Observer said: “In the 1,000-year history of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujib is the only leader who has, in terms of blood, race, language, culture, and birth, been a full-blood Bengali. His voice was redolent of thunder. His charisma worked as magic on people. The courage and charm that flowed

from him made him a unique superman in this time.” It was Bangabandhu who brought freedom to this land named Bangladesh, which never existed as a free state in greater Bengal before. This portion of Bengal was once part of Vanga, Samatata, and Pundra State and it was also part of large empires such as the Maurya Empire and Gupta Empire, and part of the regional Buddhist Pala Empire (8th-11th century) and Sena Empire (11th–12th century). Thirteenth century onward, the region was controlled by the Bengal Sultanate, Hindu kings, and Baro-Bhuyans landlords under the suzerainty of the Mughal Empire, until the British East India Company took control of the region from the Mughals in the late 18th century. The greater Bengal was divided during India’s independence in 1947 along religious lines into two separate entities: West Bengal (a

state of India) and East Bengal, a part of the newly created dominion of Pakistan that later became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971. After the pre-historic period till 1971, no leader or king ruled this part of Bengal (Bangladesh) as an independent state. And no ruler was a Bangalee like Bangabandhu in terms of blood, race, language, culture, and birth. We know about many kings who were prone to extend their state’s area, but they never thought or fought for the freedom of the people like Bangabandhu did. As a human being he had too much belief and confidence in his people for whom he struggled his entire life, not realising that all good people had enemies. History will remember him as a person who loved his country and its people -- unconditionally. l Saiful Islam Azad is a freelance journalist.

24 Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

TOP STORIES

Delegation positive about Ctg security After inspecting the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium, one of the international cricket venues in Chittagong, the threemember England and Wales Cricket Board delegation said it felt positive. PAGE 25

Muhammad continues streak Dalilah Muhammad of the United States of America led from start to finish to take the Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles on Thursday and complete a US double in the women’s and men’s events. PAGE 26

Usain Bolt of Jamaica crosses the finish line to win gold during the athletics men’s 200m final at Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Thursday

Peerless Bolt powers to 200m gold n Reuters, Rio De Janeiro

Sharjeel grateful for English lessons Sharjeel Khan said the Pakistan A tour in England had been pivotal to his compiling a stunning maiden one-day international century as the tourists romped to a 255-run victory over Ireland in Malahide. PAGE 27

Ranieri expects more from Mahrez Claudio Ranieri has warned Riyad Mahrez that he expects more from the Leicester City winger after the Algerian signed a new four-year deal. The 25-yearold Algerian international scored 17 goals and contributed 11 assists last season. PAGE 28

REUTERS

The incomparable Usain Bolt once again proved utterly unbeatable on the Olympic track on Thursday, powering his way to a third straight 200 metres gold and remaining on course for an extraordinary “triple-triple” of sprint titles. The Jamaican simply laid waste to the best of the rest in the sprinting world to win his eighth track gold medal in what he has said will be his last individual race at the Olympics before his retirement next year. Bolt’s time of 19.78 seconds was the slowest of his four straight world championship and three Olympic triumphs over 200 metres but it certainly did not dampen the celebrations. He struck his signature lightning bolt pose to a huge cheer from the crowd and draped Brazilian and Jamaican flags over his shoulders as he performed his lap of honour to chants of “Usain Bolt! Usain Bolt! Usain Bolt!”. “I don’t need to prove anything else. What else can I do to prove to the world I am the greatest?” Bolt told reporters. “I am trying to be one of the greatest. Be among (Muhammad) Ali and Pele. I hope to be in that

bracket after these Games.” His place in that pantheon is probably already assured but Bolt will return to the track for the 4x100m relay on Friday - two days before his 30th birthday - looking to complete the sweep of all three sprint titles at three successive Olympics. Canadian Andre de Grasse, who also won bronze behind Bolt in the 100m, finished second in 20.02 to claim his second sprint medal of the Games and establish himself as the heir apparent to the Sprint King. “I love competing against him,” the 21-year-old said of Bolt. “It’s

an honour to be a part of history, of what he’s accomplished in his career ... but overall, if his time is up I guess a new person has to come in there.” Christophe Lemaitre of France was ecstatic with his bronze medal after edging out a shattered Adam Gemili of Britain in a photo finish. Both were awarded the same time of 20.12. Even the prospect of witnessing a once-in-a-century athlete in his pomp was not enough to fill the Rio Olympic Stadium but what the crowd lacked in numbers, they made up for in noise as they welcomed Bolt to the track like a

I am trying to be one of the greatest. Be among (Muhammad) Ali and Pele. I hope to be in that bracket after these Games

Usain Bolt celebrates with his signature pose after winning the gold

REUTERS

rock star. The great showman responded in kind by playing air guitar and swaying to the music while smiling and nodding straight into the TV camera. Beaten only once in nine years in his favourite event, the Jamaican had said he thought the world record of 19.19 he set at the 2009 world championships in Berlin was within reach. It was not to be. Head down and hands pumping away as he built up speed over the first 30 metres, Bolt rounded the bend with a clear lead but was unable charge to the line as fast as he wanted, even if he did finish three metres clear of De Grasse. “I ran hard around the turn,” said Bolt. “On the straight, my body didn’t respond. I’m getting old.” Lemaitre, the first white man to run under 10 seconds, raised his hands above his head and fell back onto the track as the scoreboard confirmed he had taken the bronze. “It was an unbelievable moment,” said the 26-year-old. “I knew I could but I also knew it would be unbelievably hard. I’m so grateful to get this medal.” Gemili was left shattered by missing out on a medal by three thousandths of a second.l

Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

ECB delegation positive about Ctg security Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong After inspecting the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium, one of the international cricket venues in Chittagong, the three-member England and Wales Cricket Board delegation said it felt positive. During the short visit yesterday, the delegation visited the ZACS, the MA Aziz stadium and held a meeting at the Chittagong Metropolitan Police headquarters. Along with a seven-member Bangladesh Cricket Board team, the ECB delegation inspected the main ground and surrounding areas of the ZACS around 9:30am and held a meeting with CMP Commissioner Iqbal Bahar at 11pm. “Basically we had been in Chittagong recently for the International Cricket Council event and we know the facilities as well,” ECB’s director of cricket operations John Carr told reporters. Along with Carr, ECB’s security advisor Reg Dickason and Professional Cricketers’ Association chief executive David Leatherdale were present. Carr said, “We have come from India in regards to the England cricket team tour. We are not making any comment regarding security details and will submit a report to our board back in the UK. “We had great cooperation from BCB, the Bangladesh government and security operators here,” said the ECB official. The ECB had raised concerns

The three-member England and Wales Cricket Board delegation, alongside the Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, inspect Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday RABIN CHOWDHURY over security measures after Bangladesh’s first ever militant attack and hostage situation in Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1 this year. England are scheduled to play two Tests and three ODIs in Dhaka and Chittagong. The tour also includes warm-up matches. BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters that the visit of the ECB delegation team is a routine matter and that it had earlier gone to India. “We have presented all our security arrangements and logistics support before them and the ECB knows well about the facilities of the Chittagong grounds,” said Nizamuddin, adding that they

would inform the government if the delegation needs anything else apart from the security plan. “We hope a successful tour will be held after the England team come to Bangladesh,” he added. Claiming to hold a fruitful meeting with the ECB team, CMP Commissioner Iqbal told reporters, “The members of ECB delegation team are happy, having scrutinised the detailed security plan and CMP will provide highest security to the players.” He said RAB and police would jointly provide security for the motorcade of the players and two specialised teams of CMP-SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) and

Quick Response Team would also work for the players’ security. “We believe the England team will come to Bangladesh after they [ECB delegation] submit the report,” the Commissioner said. Following the meeting, the ECB team went to the MA Aziz stadium and inspected the ground and later paid a visit to the Hotel Radisson Blue, Chittagong, where the England team are scheduled to stay. BCB senior vice president Mahbub Anam, director Ismail Haider Mallick, manager (operations) Sabbir Ahmed and national manager (grounds and facilities) Syed Abdul Baten were present during the visit. l

BCB terminates Kalpage’s contract n Mazhar Uddin BCB has terminated the contract of the national team’s assistant coach Ruwan Kalpage after the Sri Lankan failed to return to Bangladesh by Tuesday, informed the chairman of the board’s media committee Jalal Younus. “We have sent him a few letters. And recently, after the latest BCB letter, Ruwan Kalpage did not respond. We had asked him to join work by August 16. So, we have decided to terminate his contract with the BCB,” Jalal told Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Earlier, the foreign coaching staff expressed its concerns over the security arrangements. But after getting the assurance from the board regarding the security, Tigers head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, fielding coach Richard Halsall and trainer Mario Villavarayan joined the training camp this month. Even after the arrival of the foreign coaching staff, Kalpage did not respond following which the BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury informed that the board will take action against Kalpage. Consequently, the board decided to terminate his contract. Kalpage, 46, was appointed as the assistant coach in August 2014, along with coach Hathurusingha and trainer Villavarayan. Kalpage’s two-year contract was extended till the 2019 World Cup, alongside the other foreign coaching staff. l

1997 ICC TROPHY

The one where it all started n Mazhar Uddin The celebration of colours took place in just about every street and rightly so. After all, the Bangladesh cricket team finally qualified for their maiden World Cup appearance in 1999, courtesy their ICC Trophy success two years earlier in Malaysia. However, it was never a smooth run for Bangladesh. A total of 22 teams took part in the 1997 edition where Bangladesh eased past the first round, winning all the five games to move to the second round. Bangladesh beat Hong Kong by seven wickets in the first match of the second round in Group F but their second game against Ireland was abandoned due to rain. As a result, Bangladesh had to win against the Netherlands to qualify for the semi-finals and in the process, keep their World Cup dreams alive. And despite bundling out the Dutch for a small total of 171 at

the Rubber Research Institution ground in Kuala Lumpur, Bangladesh were in all sorts of trouble coming in to bat. Rain caused havoc for brief periods before Bangladesh were given a revised target of 141 from 33 overs. At one stage, Bangladesh were reeling on 15/4. Tigers skipper Akram Khan then arrived at the crease to rescue his side and eventually guided Bangladesh single handedly to their destination. He remained unbeaten on 68 as Bangladesh won the match by three wickets with eight balls to spare. That particular win actually set the tone for Bangladesh as Akram and his troop went on to create history, qualifying for the World Cup for the very first time after beating Scotland comfortably by 72 runs. But the real celebration was about to begin after Bangladesh not only qualified for the World Cup but went on to clinch the ICC Trophy title, beating Kenya in the final by two wickets at Kilat Kelab Club.

However, once again rain played foul and made things difficult for Bangladesh. The grand finale was pushed back to the reserve day after Kenya posted 241/7 in 50 overs. Bangladesh required 166 runs in 25 overs in accordance with the Duckworth-Lewis method. Mohammad Rafique picked up three wickets while Khaled Mahmud and pacer Saiful islam took two each after a magnificent 147 by Steve Tikolo helped Kenya to a formidable total. The final moved like a pendulum till the very last ball. Hasibul Hossain though paved the way for history to be created, scoring the one run needed off the final delivery, after Bangladesh required 11 runs in the last over. However, Khaled Mashud made things easy for his side by smashing a six off the first Martin Suji delivery. Mashud remained unbeaten on a seven-ball 15 as Bangladesh clinched the ICC Trophy. Aminul Islam was the highest

run scorer for Bangladesh with 217 runs in 10 games while Rafique was the highest wicket taker with 19 scalps in nine matches. The players were welcomed back in grand style and declared as heroes of the nation by none other than Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back then. Undoubtedly, the 1997 ICC Trophy win turned out to be the biggest push for Bangladesh cricket as the Tigers went on to beat Pakistan and Scotland in the 1999 World Cup. A year later, Bangladesh receiving the Test status was probably interlinked with their previous successes of recent times. The Tigers have come a long way since then and are now counted as a major force to be reckoned with in international cricket but one should hardly forget the heroes of Bangladesh cricket who laid the foundation back then.

1997 ICC Trophy squad

Akram Khan, Aminul Islam, Athar

Ali Khan, Enamul Haque, Hasibul Hossain, Jahangir Alam, Khaled Mahmud, Khaled Mashud, Minhajul Abedin, Mohammad Rafique, Naimur Rahman, Saiful Islam, Sanwar Hossain. l

Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Muhammad continues USv hurdle streak n Reuters, Rio De Janeiro

MEDAL TALLY COUNTRY UNITED STATES

35 33 32

100

GREAT BRITAIN

22 21

CHINA

20 16 22

GERMANY

RUSSIA

JAPAN

FRANCE

ITALY

NETHERLANDS

AUSTRALIA

10 10

Updated yesterday (10pm)

DAY FIFTEEN EVENTS TO WATCH GOLF Women

Individual

4pm

CANOE SPRINT Men

Kayak Single

6:07pm

Men

Double 1000m

6:22pm

Women

Kayak Four 500m

6:47pm

Men

Kayak Four 1000m

7:12pm

BADMINTON Men

Singles

6:20pm

TRIATHLON Women

Individual

8pm

CYCLING MOUNTAIN BIKE Women

Cross-Country

9:30pm

BOXING Women Men Men

Fly 51 kg Bantam 56 kg Middle 75 kg

11pm 11:15pm 12am

BASKETBALL Women

Tournament

12:30am

HANDBALL Women

Tournament

12:30am

DIVING Men

10m Platform

1:30am

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS Women

Individual All-Around

1:59am

FOOTBALL Men

Tournament

Men Men

Freestyle 125 kg Freestyle 86 kg

2:30am

WRESTLING 2:30am 3:30am

WATER POLO Men

Tournament

2:50am

MODERN PENTATHLON Men

Individual

3am

ATHLETICS Women

High Jump

5:30am

Men

Javelin Throw

5:55am

Men

1500m

6am

Women

800m

6:15am

5000m

6:30am

Men Women

4*400m Relay

7am

Men

4*400m Relay

7:35am

(L-R) USA’s Ashley Spencer, Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen and USA’s Dalilah Muhammad compete in the women’s 400m hurdles final during the athletics event at Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday AFP

Dalilah Muhammad of the United States led from start to finish to take the Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles on Thursday and complete a U.S. double in the women’s and men’s events. Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen won the silver medal ahead of Ashley Spencer of the United States, with world champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic managing only fourth. With steady rain pouring down at the Olympic stadium, Muhammad shot out of the blocks, rose quickest at the first hurdle and never looked like being overtaken. She clocked 53.13 seconds to win by a margin of 0.42. The 26-year-old had come to the Rio Games as the fastest woman in the event this year.l

History on Brazil minds for Germany rematch n AFP, Rio de Janeiro The chance to make history by winning Brazil’s long-awaited first football gold medal will override desire for revenge insists Brazil coach Rogerio Micale ahead of today’s final against Germany at Rio’s Maracana. Germany inflicted the worst defeat in Brazil’s history in a 7-1 World Cup semi-final mauling just two years ago. The expectations of the host nation are placed on star forward Neymar delivering gold having missed that infamous clash in Belo Horizonte through injury. But with no player who took to the field two years ago set to start

today, Micale insists his group of young stars can only look to the future rather than be burdened by the sins of senior teams gone by. “That was the World Cup team. This is the Olympic team. Neymar never played that match,” said Micale on Thursday. “The final has nothing to do with that match. It is a different time, different game, different players.” Micale’s men overcame a difficult start to the competition with 0-0 draws against modest opposition in South Africa and Iraq drawing boos from fans and fierce criticism in the media. However, since then they have scored 12 goals without reply in

three straight wins, including a Neymar-inspired 6-0 thrashing of Honduras in the semi-finals. “We have gone through so much already during the tournament. There were strong challenges, questions and doubts,” added Micale. “We have nothing to do with our history. Let’s do our final match and concentrate on our game.” Micale, who also led the Brazil under-20 side to the World Cup final last year, hopes a team not only boasting Neymar, but wonder kids Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City and the sought after Gabriel Barbosa will rekindle the “essence” of flair in Brazilian football. German coach Horst Hrubesch

Viljoen becomes first cricketer to win Olympics medal in 96 years n Agencies South Africa’s Sunette Viljoen has become the first international cricketer to win an Olympics medal in 96 years. The silver medal winner in the Women’s Javelin Throw final in the athletic event, the 33-year-old Viljoen had also played 1 Test and 17 ODIs for the South Africa national women’s team between 2000 and 2002. On Thursday night in Brazil, Viljoen’s best throw of 64.92 metres was bettered only by the eventual gold medal winner – Croatian Sara Kolak who managed a throw of 66.18 metres.

The last international cricketer who can boast of this rare feat is Jack MacBryan, who featured in one Test for England and won

gold in the 1920 Olympics with the Great Britain hockey team. Viljoen had been a promising all-rounder, played in 17 ODIs in two years. l

Sunette Viljoen of South Africa celebrates winning silver in women’s javelin final

will take charge for the final time at the Maracana after guiding the world champions back to the Games for the first time in 28 years by reaching the semi-finals of last year’s under-21 European championships. And after scoring 21 times in just five matches to guarantee at least a silver medal, Hrubesch said Brazil should be more concerned about facing his on-fire strikers than he is about stopping Neymar. “We will play against Brazil not just Neymar. “If you ask me about Neymar, I would say what are they going to do against our forwards? They have scored 21 goals,” said the former Borussia Dortmund striker.l

Ren, 15, follows in Fu footsteps with gold n AFP, Rio de Janeiro Fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Ren Qian followed in the footsteps of Chinese diving great Fu Mingxia when she became the youngest medallist of the Rio Games with her 10m platform gold on Thursday. The reigning World Cup champion becomes the second youngest winner of the women’s 10m platform since Fu became the icon of the 1992 Barcelona Games winning the 10m platform aged 13 years. Ren emerged from the shadows of 17-year-old teammate Si Yajie, who had dominated semi-finals in Rio, to give China six wins out of seven events in the diving competition.l

Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Ctg Abahani stunned, Feni win big n Tribune Report Rahmatganj MFS shocked rising powerhouse Chittagong Abahani 2-0 in the Bangladesh Premier League at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Mehebub Hasan Nayan put Rahmatganj ahead in the sixth minute before Congolese forward Siyo Zunapiyo netted in the dying stages of the second half to seal the three points for Rahmatganj. Earlier yesterday at the same venue, Feni Soccer Club came from behind to register a convincing 4-1 win over Uttar Baridhara Club.

Sharjeel grateful for English lessons n AFP, Malahide Sharjeel Khan said the Pakistan A tour in England had been pivotal to his compiling a stunning maiden one-day international century as the tourists romped to a 255run victory over Ireland in Malahide. The 27-year-old opening batsman hit 61 on his ODI debut three years ago but then scored just 123 runs in his next 10 games, losing his place in August 2014. But on his comeback match on Thursday, he scored the third quickest 150 in an ODI

BRIEF SCORE, 1ST ODI PAKISTAN 337 (Sharjeel 152, Malik 57, Nawaz 53) beat IRELAND 82 (Imad 5/14, Gul 3/23, Amir 1/7) BY 255 RUNS

as Pakistan hit 337 for six against a hapless Ireland attack. Planning and preparation do not fit in with the cliche of mercurial Pakistan cricketers, who can be capable of sublime brilliance one day and abject failure the next. The Test side, under new coach Mickey Arthur, arrived for a training camp in England before the start of their tour programme and were rewarded with a drawn 2-2 series against their hosts. Many of the Test side won’t be involved in the five-match ODI series against England starting next week but, having been on the recent A tour, left-hander Sharjeel was equally well prepared for the similar conditions on show in Ireland. l

DAY’S WATCH OLYMPIC GAMES STAR SPORTS 1 5PM , 12:30AM Rio Olympic Games 2016 Daily live coverage

FOOTBALL STAR SPORTS 4 English Premier League 5:30PM Stoke City v Manchester City 8PM Watford v Chelsea 10:30PM Leicester City v Arsenal

SONY SIX Spanish La Liga 10PM Barcelona v Real Betis 12AM Granada v Villarreal 2AM Sevilla v Espanyol

SONY ESPN

Italian Serie A 10PM Roma v Udinese 12:30AM Juventus v Fiorentina

TEN 1 10:30PM Sky Bet EFL Derby County v Aston Villa

CRICKET TEN 3 2PM New Zealand Tour of South Africa 1st Test, Day 2 8PM India Tour of West Indies 4th Test, Day 3

MOTOGP TEN 2 4:30PM Qualifying Czech Republic GP

Young forward Rohit Sarker gave Uttar Baridhara the breakthrough in the 10th minute. The delight however, lasted for

RESULT Soccer Club

4-1

Felix 11, 70, Ridon 30, Chowmrin 57

Rahmatganj

2-0

Baridhara Rohit 10

Ctg Abahani

Nayan 6, Zunapiyo 90+1

TODAY’S MATCHES Arambagh v Abahani, 4:30pm Brothers v Mohammedan, 7:30pm

only a minute as Nigerian forward Uche Felix equalised the margin. Feni took the lead at the half-hour when forward Akbar Hossain Ridon took possession and sent the ball home past Uttar Baridhara goalkeeper Razib from the edge of the box. Substitute forward Chowmrin Rakhane extended the lead in the 57th minute. Felix completed the rout in the 70th minute when the Nigerian collected the ball from midfield, ran free towards the opponent’s terrain, cut inside the goalkeeper before sending the ball into an empty net. l

Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Barca hit by injuries before Liga opener n AFP, Barcelona Javier Mascherano has joined the queue to the Camp Nou treatment room with champions Barcelona hit by a spate of injuries before they begin the new season in La Liga against Betis today. Luis Enrique’s side paid a high price for winning the Spanish Super Cup against Sevilla, with captain Andres Iniesta and defenders Jeremy Mathieu and Mascherano sustaining injuries over the two legs that will keep them out of today’s game. “I’m very happy and satisfied with what I saw on the pitch and the performances of the players who are joining the team. I’m very happy about everything except Mascherano’s injury,” said Luis Enrique after Wednesday’s second leg of the Super Cup, as Barca won 3-0 to secure a 5-0 aggregate success. Barcelona are also without star forward Neymar, who is at the Olympics, while goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still recovering from a minor knee injury. Meanwhile, France internation-

Ranieri expects more from Mahrez n Reuters

al Samuel Umtiti is in line for his La Liga debut after impressing against Sevilla and will be paired with Gerard Pique. This could be goalkeeper Claudio Bravo’s last game for Barcelona as reports suggest he is close to joining Manchester City, and the Camp Nou is sure to give him a rousing send-off for his services over the past two seasons.

FIXTURES

Barcelona v Betis Granada v Villarreal Sevilla v Espanyol Gus Poyet’s Betis have added several players in the summer, including Roma striker Antonio Sanabria, who was on loan at Sporting Gijon last season. Diego Simeone’s men host promoted Alaves at the Vicente Calderon tomorrow. The Yellow Submarine sacked coach Marcelino just before the season started and lost to Monaco in their Champions League play-off first leg on Wednesday in Escriba’s debut. l

West Ham’s Andy Carroll (C) in action against FC Astra Giurgiu during their Europa League qualifying play-off first leg on Thursday. The match ended 1-1 REUTERS

Claudio Ranieri has warned Riyad Mahrez that he expects more from the Leicester City winger after the Algerian signed a new four-year deal on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Professional Football Association Player of the Year award scored 17 goals and contributed 11 assists as Leicester won a maiden Premier League title last season, prompting transfer speculation of a move away from the King Power Stadium. “He has to play better because we are now also in the Champions League and we need something more to play against these big teams,” Ranieri told journalists on Thursday. “Now he knows very well what I want and my expectation is higher, not only for Riyad but for all of my players. Maybe Riyad could be now a little more free. I saw him during the days, he is a nice guy, always laughing, never was he so anxious or nervous.” Ranieri is also confident that midfielder Danny Drinkwater will extend his deal, which currently runs until 2018.l

Liverpool keen to back up Arsenal win at Burnley n AFP, London Liverpool travel to nearby Burnley today eager to prove their opening weekend 4-3 win away to Arsenal was no flash in the pan. Raising their game against English football’s established powers has been something successive Liverpool teams have had no problem in doing.

But the five-times European champions have, remarkably given their once entrenched domestic dominance, yet to be crowned champions of England since the advent of the Premier League, with the last of their once record 18 championships coming back in 1990 - still the days of the old First Division. Today also sees Leicester City,

last season’s shock champions, at home to Arsenal - the team they beat to the title by 10 points. Leicester surprisingly lost 2-1 to Hull City last week. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will see his side face the supposed acid test of an English top-flight team’s character, an away trip to Stoke City, as they look to build on last week’s win over

Sunderland. Tottenham will go in search of a first league win of the season in an all-London clash with Palace following a 1-1 draw with Everton. West Ham United, fresh from a Europa League draw in Romania, are at home to Bournemouth tomorrow, when north-east rivals Sunderland and Middlesbrough meet at the Stadium of Light. l

FIXTURES

Burnley Leicester Stoke Swansea Tottenham Watford West Brom

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Liverpool Arsenal Man City Hull Crystal Palace Chelsea Everton

Celtic fans fly Palestinian flags against Israeli team

Juve face tricky first test in title defence

n Agencies

n AFP, Rome

The fans of Scottish football team Celtic defied Europe’s footballing body and police to make a political protest against their team’s Israeli opponents, Hapoel Beer Sheva FC, on Wednesday night, with hundreds flying the Palestinian flag. Sections of Celtic Park in Glasgow became a sea of green, red, black and white as the Scots refused to adhere to a UEFA ban on the protest against Israeli policies in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Celtic could face sanctions from UEFA for failing to prevent fans from bringing Palestinian flags into

the stadium in violation of the ban. The body outlaws political protests at matches, as outlined in Article 16 of the European footballing body’s

regulations. It fined Celtic $20,750 in 2014 for fans waving Palestinian flags in a match against Icelandic outfit KR Reykjavik. l

Fans hold up Palestine flags during the match between Celtic and Hapoel BeíerSheva at Celtic Park on Wednesday REUTERS

After a busy close season in the transfer market, Juventus kick off their bid for a record sixth consecutive Serie A title today by entertaining Fiorentina. The visit of Paulo Sousa’s squad, fifth last season, will provide a tricky first examination for a Juve side that has seen change aplenty in the close season. New faces include striker Gonzalo Higuain, prised away from Napoli after his 36-goal 2015-16 campaign, former Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic, Brazilian wing-back Dani Alves and Mehdi Benatia, who has joined on

loan from Bayern.l

FIXTURES TODAY Roma v Udinese Juventus v Fiorentina TOMORROW Milan Atalanta Bologna Chievo Empoli Genoa Palermo Pescara

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Torino Lazio Crotone Inter Milan Sampdoria Cagliari Sassuolo Napoli

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Hindu garment (4) 5 Exhibit (4) 10 Weakly (4) 11 Land measure (3) 12 Inadequate (5) 13 Make lace (3) 14 White heron (5) 16 Withdraw (6) 18 Buries (6) 21 Ingrained dirt (5) 23 Neckwear (3) 24 Lift up (5) 26 United (3) 27 Lofty (4) 28 Rawhide (4) 29 Welsh national emblem (4)

DOWN 2 Separated (5) 3 Cricket score (3) 4 Meantime (7) 6 Loathe (4) 7 Public speaker (6) 8 Raining (3) 9 Consumer (4) 15 Army rank (7) 17 Locomotive (6) 19 Banishment (5) 20 Ooze (4) 22 Stagger (4) 23 Summit (3) 25 Drink (3)

Downtime

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 11 represents P so fill P every time the figure 11 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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

Panjabi’s blind spot

n Mahmood Hossain The beautiful and talented Archie Panjabi shows off her first look as the new edition to ABC’s TV series Blindspot. The former fanfavourite of the Good Wife will be playing the role of Naz Kamal, who is the head of a secret division of the NSA. The Emmy winner’s character also happens to have quite the interest on the case of Blindspot’s main character Jane Doe. There hasn’t been too much info on the character regarding the overall story arch, but from what we’ve been told so far, Naz

has been following Jane’s case from the beginning. Her ultimate intentions are still unknown but showrunner Martin Gero explained how Kamal is like the “soothing blam” that swoops in and mends the relationship between the leads Jane and Weller. Archie Panjabi herself teased the media a bit on her new role by adding, “You will have to watch the series to see if there is any mystery or what the character is. I really like the character. She is tough. She is tenacious. She is wild. She’s unpredictable.” Gero continued

to indulge those who attended the panel, “If the first season was about who is Jane Doe, we want to answer those questions so we can move into what the second season is about, which I can’t really tell you because it is a spoiler if I say what the theme is, but we want to really reward the people that stuck with us all last season. Not only are you going to find out Jane’s first name in the first episode, you’re going to find out what Orion is, who Shepherd is, what’s the plan of this organisation, who Jane really is outside of her name.” l

Joseph Gordon-Levitt goes unnoticed n Showtime Desk Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt perfectly took on the role of a subway performer over the weekend, as he rocked out on a drum set at a Los Angeles subway station. The 35-year-old actor was barely noticed by bystanders during his impromptu medley— even being compared to Pee-Wee Herman by one commuter. The Don Jon star shared a video of the musical moment on his social media on Sunday. The random act is a part of his initiative called Everyday Spectacular — a collaboration between his production company HitRecord and leading mobile device company LG — which challenges artists to entertain in public and upload videos of their spontaneous shows.

“I played the drums (at a subway) for our Everyday, Spectacular project— now, where are all you musicians gonna play your instruments?” he captioned the video. The Snowden star explained on his website that the project is open to all and he’s calling on “musicians, singers, dancers, and performers of any kind to go into

an ordinary setting, and make a spectacular moment out of that everyday situation.” “You can sing, dance, play around, dress up in costumes, do any kind of extraordinary activity,” he explained. The goal, he noted, is to create a “big, vibrant, beautiful, spectacular, collaborative piece of art.” l

The arrival of controversy

n Mahmood Hossain The new Amy Adams-starring sci-fi thriller Arrival dropped its unexpected movie trailer earlier in the week, and oh what a trailer it was. Seems like studios and filmmakers are getting better by not ruining the movie for everyone by showing a little too much. However, the film’s latest movie poster, released this past Tuesday, stirred up some unwanted political reaction in Hong Kong of all places. The poster (as seen in the image) depicts an alien spacecraft superimposed next to a Shanghai landmark in Hong Kong. The humongous spacecraft is seen hovering over Victoria Harbour. Unfortunately, the image of the Oriental Pearl Tower, which is located in Shanghai’s Pudong district, has been photoshopped onto the front of the iconic skyline. So what exactly is the big deal? Why are people freaking out over a poster going viral? By Thursday, there were over 1,500 comments left on the film’s official Facebook page. As you can guess, they were not too kind. One hashtag said it all: #HongKongIsNotChina. If you still can’t pick up on the error, Shanghai is a city in the county of China. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is a city in southeastern China, which also happens to be a former British colony. Shanghai is in the far north-east and very Chinese, while Hong Kong has always had a very tense past with the mainland. This, no

doubt, is a huge blunder by the marketing team of Arrival. This is where being ‘too Western’ comes back to bite you in the you know what. It’s a bigger problem because it comes in a time when the city is preparing for its September Legislative Council election. Dubbed as the ‘Godfather of localism,’ Horace Chin Wan-kan is running in the upcoming election and went on to voice his opinion by saying, “The movie adaptation of the sci-fi novel Arrival, which obtained the Nebula Award, has a decent director Denis Villeneuve and actors Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. However, everything is ruined by this improper poster.” Unaware of the current turmoil between Beijing and Hong Kong over the past several years, Arrival is set to be released in North America on November 11 of this year. The film is about the main lead played by Amy Adams, an expert linguist, who is called upon by the US government to solve this new alien mystery. Also starring Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker, we’re actually in for a treat, as this film seems to be very different from the current crop of sci-fi films. We’re given a movie where aliens aren’t bull-headedly wanting to destroy our world from the get-go. As promising as the film may look, it just goes to show how carelessness can stir up the wrong type of attention on the other side of the world. A little consideration never hurts anyone, Hollywood. Let’s not get lazy with our research, folks. l

Showtime

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

Ranveer’s Swiss soiree

The Croods Star Movies 7:30pm After their cave is destroyed, a caveman family must trek through an unfamiliar fantastical world with the help of an inventive boy. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone Dragon Blade WB 9:00pm When corrupt Roman leader Tiberius arrives with a giant army to claim the Silk Road, Huo An teams up his army with an elite Legion of defected Roman soldiers led by General Lucius to protect his country and his new friends. Cast: Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody The Matrix HBO 9:30pm A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, CarrieAnne Moss Rise of the Guardians Zee Studio 7:45pm

nShowtime Desk Recently, Bollywood superstar and best actor winner Ranveer Singh showed the rest of the world how to visit Switzerland in style. Bollywood is no stranger to the beautiful country surrounded by the Alps. Naturally, Ranveer made sure his magnificent holiday to the popular film spot was shot in the most spectacular fashion. His social media game showed us how he has developed to become the biggest style icon out of India. l

Shakib and Mahi to pair up once again n Farhan Shahriar The two top stars of the country are back together after a hiatus and they are ready to spice things up with their on-screen chemistry in their latest film, Amar Protigga. The film will be directed by Badiul Alam Khokon. The story is based on the screenplay by Kamal Ali Dulal Kasem. The director said, “like every time, we want to make a blockbuster film to get maximum exposure from the audience, and with Shakib Khan playing the lead role opposite Mahi, the film is on its way to become a hit.” This will be his 27th film starring Shakib.

Moreover, he already talked to the stars about the film and gave them a short preview. Shakib has allegedly incorporated the shooting in his schedule, this November. The shooting along with the whole production work is scheduled to kick off from the last week of November and will be released next year. On the other hand, Mahi has already devoted much of her schedule for another film, Harjeet under the same director. The director added that the shooting of Harjeet will take place very soon. l

When the evil spirit Pitch launches an assault on Earth, the Immortal Guardians team up to protect the innocence of children all around the world. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher Man of Steel Movies Now 6:35pm Clark Kent, one of the last of an extinguished race disguised as an unremarkable human, is forced to reveal his identity when Earth is invaded by an army of survivors who threaten to bring the planet to the brink of destruction. Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon

Back Page

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016

THE POWER OF PAHARPUR PAGE 12

TOWARDS LOW-CARBON SUSTAINABILITY PAGE 22

PEERLESS BOLT POWERS TO 200M GOLD PAGE 24

JnU reluctant to recover halls n Rafikul Islam

Although 11 years have passed since Jagannath College was turned into a university, the authorities have miserably failed to recover most of its dormitories occupied by influential quarters for decades, students allege. The university once had 11 dormitories and a ground but only one of them – Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall – is now usable where only 25-30 students stay, despite having risk of collapse. The situation of female students is worse. So far, the university authorities have established control over Habibur Rahman Hall, Bani Bhaban and Dhupkhola ground. The scope of recovering the other halls from grabbers is slim. Currently, there are over 23,000 students at the university. Students have been staging demonstrations since August 2 demanding quick solution to their accommodation crisis. They also demand the prime minister's intervention so that the vacated land of the Dhaka Central Jail is given to the university. The students staying at Nazrul Islam Hall said that they had been living there for the last one year but the authorities deny taking any responsibilities. It is the students who pay the utility bills. A resident of the hall and leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League Himelur Rahman Himel said: “I have been living in this dilapidated building since last year after the university authorities took lease of the hall for one year. But they did not reconstruct the building. “The administration also did not take any step to renew the lease although it expired six months ago. About 500 students can stay in the hall if the authorities construct a multi-storey building here.” An eight-member committee headed by Dhaka 6 lawmaker Kazi Firoz Rashid was formed in 2014 in the face of demonstrations by the students to get back the dormitories. But it did not work out. Registrar Md Ohiduzzaman said that they had four halls under their control. “But we could not make halls since the land is small. Some students are now staying in Nazrul Islam Hall but we did not permit them to do so since it is a dilapidated building,” he said. “We have no proper documents of all the 12 halls. The students used to live in the halls when it was a college,” he added.

At least 17 police officials and their families have been living in Abdur Rahman Hall building on AC Roy Road of Armanitola since 1990. The university requested the government to get back the hall in 2010, but to no avail DHAKA TRIBUNE Most of the halls were grabbed in 1987-88, sources said.

Grabbing spree

Nazrul Islam Hall built on 1 bigha land on Tipu Sultan Road of Gopibagh Boshak Lane was first occupied by a Jatiya Party leader named Golam Nabi. Later the monitoring committee recovered it. Of the dormitories still occupied, a portion of Tibbet Hall in Patuatuli area was grabbed by independent lawmaker Hazi Selim in 2000 and he built a shopping complex after his wife’s name. Another part of the hall is grabbed by the Kotwali police station. Saheed Sahabuddin Hall on Radhikmohon Boshak Lane in Tantibazar area was leased to one Farhan, according to an official letter issued on January 21, 2010 from the Dhaka district administration. It was first grabbed by Ansar members in 1985 and left abandoned in 1991. Later, some police families used it as their dwelling. Finally in 2009, Awami League leader Aminul Haque Biplab raised a five-storey building on its land. At least 17 police officials have been living in Abdur Rahman Hall on AC Roy Road of Armanitola along with their families since 1990. The university authorities submitted a letter to the Land Ministry to get back the hall as lease on February 1, 2010, but to no avail. Situated on Sharatchandra Chakrabarty Road in Armanitola area, Shaheed Anwar Shafiq Hall has been under the occupation of local Awami League leader Mok-

tar Ali who built a storehouse and some drug stores in one portion of the dormitory and rented them out. The Babubazar Branch of National Credit and Commerce Bank is housed in the other part of the dormitory. On the other hand, some influential people have set up rickshaw garage, storehouse and shops in Saidur Rahman and Rouf Majumder halls on Jadunath Boshak Lane. Although the university authorities appealed to the Land Ministry for the reclamation of the hall some years back, they did not get any response. A part of Shaheed Azmal Hall on Ramakanti Nandi Lane at Patuatuli is occupied by the family of a martyred freedom fighter while the other part is used by some influential locals in name of a cooperative society. Bazlur Rahman Hall at Malitola was given to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman High School. The university's staff quarter at Patuatuli was also grabbed by an Awami League leader Mohammad Obaidullah, who raised a seven-storey shopping complex there. The only female hall of the university was supposed to be set up on Johnson Road, but ward 37 Awami League General Secretary Abdur Rahman Niazi built his office there. Asked about it, he claimed that the office had been allotted to him from the city unit of the Awami League. When contacted, Gazi Abu Sayed, former general secretary of JnU unit Chhatra League, told

the Dhaka Tribune that the Home Ministry in 1988 in an order had asked all students to vacate their dormitories. After that, the policemen found their accommodation in those halls. Although the police left some dormitories in 1990, some influential residents occupied the dormitories using political links, he said, adding that some of them had forged documents to legitimise the illegal occupation.

VC is hopeful

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman said: “We are trying to solve the accommodation crises of the students. We have bought land in Keraniganj for constructing halls and academic buildings. “Besides, I have sent letters to the government several times to acquire permanent ownership of the vacant land of Dhaka Central Jail but we did not get any answer.” He mentioned that they were constructing a 20-storey dormitory for the female students in Banglabazar area. It is expected to be completed by 2018. The university authorities have been working to extend the seven-storey academic building to a 16-storey one. Its construction was earlier obstructed by some local politicians. “If we are given the land of the Dhaka Central Jail, the university will build four halls after the name of four national leaders who were assassinated inside the jail in 1975, and build a museum there,” the VC said. l

Annisul: Citizens must help keep the city clean n Abu Hayat Mahmud Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq yesterday said that citizens have an equal responsibility in keeping the city clean and they should help in making Dhaka a more livable city. “If people cooperated in keeping the city clean I would not have to flex my mayoral muscles to force them to do so,” Annisul said. He made the statement during the launching of a drive against illegal billboards, signboards and banners in the capital at the new DNCC building. “Although we have already removed 20,000 unauthorised billboards and 70,000 banners a large number of illegal advertisement signs, billboards, signboards, banners, festoons, wall painted advertisement still exists,” he said. Addressing business owners, the DNCC mayor warned that everyone will be punished if they do not remove illegal advertisement signs before the city corporation drive. However, he has not given a deadline for the removal as yet. On August 14, the High Court directed the authorities concerned of Dhaka city corporations to remove illegal advertisements and printed materials from the streets. l

SP Babul wants his job back n Bangla Tribune Former superintendent of police Babul Akter wants his job back, claiming that he was forced to resign, the Bangla Tribune has learnt. Babul submitted an application to the Home Ministry requesting to be reinstated in the police force. In the letter addressed to the senior secretary of the ministry, Babul said: “I was forced to sign the resignation letter on June 24 due to the circumstances.” The ministry received the letter on August 9, a ministry official confirmed to the Bangla Tribune on condition of anonymity. The Bangla Tribune has acquired copy the letter. When contacted in this regard, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the Bangla Tribune: “I am abroad right now. I will speak on this issue when I return to Dhaka.” l

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