22 Aug, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Bhadra 7, 1423, Zilqad 18, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 117

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

Fake rickshaw permits fetch Tk50cr annually

INSIDE

only one in every six rickshaws in Dhaka has a genuine permit issued by the city corporation. Official figures show that there are 80,000 permits as opposed to the estimated over 500,000 rickshaws plying the capital's streets. Dhaka, also known as the city of rickshaws, has about 50 self-styled outfits, often run by influential ruling party men, issuing fake permits at a monthly fee of Tk50-60 for each rickshaw. Customary practice

obligates two kinds of permits that the pullers classify as “one for the police and one for the thieves.” Of the permits, nailed to the back of the rickshaws, one is issued by an association of the owners and the other by a labour association. Rickshaw pullers say the permit issued by the owners' association is always returned to the puller or the owner with a phone call and a minimal “service fee.” The other apparently keeps police at bay. “In fact,

n Tribune Desk

these permits keep thieves away,” said Haider Ali, a rickshaw puller. The 50 odd outfits include Rickshaw Van Sramik League, Dhaka City Muktijoddha Rickshaw Van Malik Kalyan Society, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Somonnoy Parishad, Muktijoddha Punorbashan Kalyan Bohumukhi Somobay Somity Ltd, Muktijoddha Paribahan Kalyan Parishad, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Forum, Dhaka Mohanagar

At least five people were killed and at least 50 others were severely injured as a tornado hit parts of Faridpur district yesterday afternoon. Faridpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Zahirul Islam confirmed the death toll to the Dhaka Tribune. The deceased were identified as Maloti Rani Sarkar, 45, Biren Chandra Baroi, 40, Hazrat Ali, 53, Akash, 22, and Abul Hossain, 40, said Abdul Kuddus, morgue in-charge at Faridpur Sadar Hospital. Among them, Maloti, Ali and Akash were confirmed to be workers of Jubaida Karim Jute Mill in Faridpur Sadar upazila, according to the local sources. Witnesses said as the tornado hit the factory in Faridpur Sadar's Bakunda area around 1:15pm and blew away almost half of the newly

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Apart from rickshaws’ huge contribution to the national economy, the industry is also stricken by corruption involving crores of taka. DhakaTribune’s Mohammad Al-Masum Molla explores in the last part of the series Three decades after Dhaka City authorities stopped issuing permits, hundreds of rickshaws continue to hit the streets every day with counterfeit permits almost as good as the originals. These official-looking metal sheets, complete with numbers and monograms, fend off traffic police as well as thieves and are worth an estimated Tk50 crore per year in Dhaka alone. The Dhaka Tribune found that

Tornado flattens Faridpur factory, five dead

PM: Khaleda unmoved by August 21 attack n Tribune Desk

Fire at Bashundhara mall again A blaze broke out at Bashundhara City shopping mall in Dhaka’s Panthapath area yesterday, gutting almost an entire floor.  PAGE 32

Heavy rainfall paralyses normal life

Life became paralysed in Khulna and Chittagong yesterday as major parts of the cities were submerged in knee-deep water following heavy rains throughout the day.  PAGE 7

Bombing at wedding kills at least 51 in Turkey At least 51 people were killed when a suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14 attacked a wedding party in the Turkish city of Gaziantep late on Saturday, the president said.  PAGE 32

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina again accused former BNP-Jamaat coalition government of being involved in the deadly 2004 attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka that killed 24 people. She claimed that BNP chief Khaleda Zia, who was the prime minister at that time, and her party were unmoved by the incident. The Awami League chief was speaking at a rally in Dhaka after paying respects to those killed in the August 21 grenade attack. A makeshift memorial was set up by the Awami League in front of its Bangabandhu Avenue office where militants hurled 13 grenades on a rally of the party, reports BSS. Hasina narrowly escaped the attack but her hearing was damaged. Twenty-four leaders and activists of the Awami League, its associate bodies including the then Mohila Awami League chief Ivy Rahman, wife of late president Zillur Rahman, were killed. More than 500 others were injured and many of them were crippled for life. “We were not allowed to utter a single word or discuss the matter in Parliament. We were even barred from bringing any motion in Jatiya Sangsad to condemn the attack. So it is clear who were involved in this incident,” she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placing a floral wreath at a temporary memorial in front of Awami League central office in Dhaka yesterday in memory of the victims of August 21 grenade attack BSS Hasina referred to remarks of Khaleda, BNP leaders and her son Tarique Rahman staying at his father-in-law's residence in Dhaka before the attack. “Begum Zia had said that I would never be the prime minister or even the leader of the opposition in future, while her eldest son stayed at his father-in-law's residence in Dhanmondi for 8-10

months consecutively,” she said, asking if Tarique was there to conspire against her. “It seemed from the comments of the BNP leader and her party men that they wanted to remove me from this world,” she said. Hasina first placed a floral wreath at the memorial and then another, flanked by leaders of Awami League, as president of the party.

Cabinet members, PM's advisors, senior leaders of Awami League and 14-party combine and family members of those killed and injured in the incident were also present. A special prayer was offered seeking eternal peace for the departed souls. After her address, the prime minister met relatives of the victims of the grenade attack. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Two men shot dead by detectives in Tangail Afzal Hossain, n Mohammad Tangail Two unidentified men were shot dead by a team of detectives in Telki area of Madhupur upazila, Tangail early yesterday morning. Police suspect the deceased were militants as they recovered weapons and a number of jihadi books from their possession. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Tangail district Detective Branch OC Ashok Kumar Singh said detectives set up checkpoints at several places in Madhupur as a security measure after receiving a tip-off that militants might attack a local church. “The suspects were on a motorcycle and were crossing a checkpoint in Telki around 4:30am.

TRAIN TICKET DATE OF SALES

Day Month Date Monday August 29 Tuesday August 30 Wednesday August 31 Thrusday September 01 Friday September 02

As the DB members on duty at the checkpoint flagged them down, they took out machetes and attacked the detectives. “When the detectives opened fire at the motorcycle riders in self-defence, they were severely wounded. Later they were taken to Madhupur Upazila Health Complex, where the onduty doctors pronounced them dead.” Detectives also found three rounds of bullets, two machetes and a number of jihadi propaganda books on the spot. The DB official said their identities could not be ascertained immediately. “We suspect they were members of some militant group. We are investigating the matter to find out more information.” l

This is what remains of Jubaida Karim Jute Mill in Faridpur Sadar upazila after a tornado blew almost half of the tin-roofed building away yesterday afternoon DHAKA TRIBUNE

TRAIN TICKET

Train tickets for Eid available from August 29

DATE OF TRAVEL Day Wednesday Tuesday Friday Saturday Sunday

Month Date September 07 September 08 September 09 September 10 September 11

n Shohel Mamun Advance train tickets for Eidul-Azha will be available for purchase from August 29 till September 2. Railway Minister Mazibul Hoque yesterday said: “People will be able to purchase the tickets from 8am at the ticket counters and online. There is a maximum limit of

four tickets per person and they are all nonrefundable.” Special trains will be operating for ten days during the Eid holidays, he added. Eid-ul-Azha is likely to be celebrated on September 12, subject to the moon sighting. There is an online quota of 25% of the tickets and 5% allocated for VIPs and railway staff respectively.

Railway minister said :“We will operate seven special trains during Eid.” He also said that holidays have been cancelled the intercity train staff except Upakul, Bijoy and Sundarban express. The railways is expected to carry around 260,000 passengers everyday around the country during Eid. l

rooted during the storm, disrupting power supply in the upazila. Trees also fell on the Dhaka-Barisal highway, creating massive tailback of vehicles.

Storm kills 1, injures 2 in Naogaon

A storm hit Naogaon district yesterday afternoon, killing one person and injuring two others, while destroying hundreds of houses and damaged crops in three upazilas. The victim, Monowara Khatun,

40, was killed by a broken branch of a tree in Raiga union of the district’s Mahadebpur upazila, said Raiga union parishad Chairman Manzurul Alam. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy from the same union was injured in a similar accident. He is currently being treated at Badlagachhi Upazila Health Complex. The other injured, a middle-aged woman, was hit in the arm by bricks in Raninagar upazila, locals said. l

names his outfit had submitted in 2001 when the government took an initiative to issue new licences. “We want to give revenue to the government. We want licences and want to pay taxes. We regularly do our financial audit. So everything is crystal clear.” Asked whether his issuing permits is legal, he said: “Only we are the legal entity. The rest are illegal. We are legal because we filed a case against the government de-

manding an explanation as to why licences would not be issued to 43,000 rickshaws that the government promised.” The last time Dhaka City issued rickshaw permits was in 1986 when there were 79,754 rickshaws and 8,000 cycle vans. Although there was a probability of officially allowing another 35,000 rickshaws and 8,000 cycle vans, the process fell through and the initiative never bore fruit. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Tornado flattens Faridpur factory, five dead built tin-roofed building. The rest of the structure collapsed and hit the workers inside, killing Maloti, Ali and Akash on the spot. Some sources claimed that Biren was also a worker in the factory who was severely injured and later died on the way to hospital. However, it could not be confirmed whether he was employed in the jute mill when this report was filed last night. At least 50 more workers in the

factory were severely injured, reported UNB. They were later taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital and other hospitals in the area for treatment. “There were several thousands of workers in factory when the tornado hit. All of them were removed from the spot and taken to safety,” Kazi Asaduzzaman, unit officer of Red Crescent Society in Faridpur, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The fifth victim, Abul, died in Krishnanagar union in the upazila when a tree uprooted by the tornado crushed him, said Krishnanagar union parishad Chairman Siddiqur Rahman. Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Sardar Sarafat Ali said the district administration had been instructed to provide all support to the victims. UNB reported that around 500 trees and an electric pole were up-

Fake rickshaw permits fetch Tk50cr annually Rickshaw Sramik League, Mahanagar Rickshaw Malik League, Muktijoddha Sommonoy Parishad, and Bangladesh Muktijoddha Rickshaw Unnayan Parishad. The owners’ associations include the likes of Dhaka Rickshaw and Van Owners’ Federation, Bangladesh Rckshaw Malik Federation and Bangladesh Rickshaw and Van Malik Federation. Abdus Subhan, a rickshaw labour leader, said his organisation did not

issue permits. “We issue identity cards so that we may help them [pullers] if they face problems.” Asked whether it is legal, Subhan said: “If cooperatives are legal, then so are we. Our platform is like a cooperative that safeguards the interests of rickshaw owners and pullers.” Rickshaw garage owners say a valid permit sells for Tk15,000 currently. Moreover, they say, one permit is often used by several rickshaws simultaneously as there is

no way to check and verify. Insur Ali, general secretary of Rickshaw Van Sramik League, housed at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue above the Awami League central office, said his outfit collected money from only 43,000 rickshaws. In between his puffs off a Benson & Hedges, the rickshaw pullers’ leader boasted of having visited many countries including those in Europe, and explained that these 43,000 people were in fact the

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Fire at Bashundhara mall again n Arifur Rahman Rabbi A blaze broke out at Bashundhara City shopping mall in Dhaka’s Panthapath area yesterday, gutting almost an entire floor. Fortunately because of the rain few shops had opened and customers were sparse when the fire erupted on level 6 of the mall around 11:23am, but even so a number of people were trapped in the building for ten-and-ahalf hours while the fire raged. Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Ali Ahmed Khan at a press briefing at 9pm yesterday announced that the fire had been doused at 8:50pm. Over 150 firefighters with 28 firefighting units worked to douse the flames. The building’s own firefighters worked alongside them. Nineteen people were recovered from the roof and various floors during the operation. One has been sent to hospital, Ali Ahmed Khan said. The reason and estimate of losses could not be ascertained immediately. The fire’s origin also remains to be identified. Fire Service has formed a five member committee to find out the cause of the fire within seven days, the DG said. Ali Ahmed said controlling the fire took some time because some shops were sealed by molten glass, aluminum and steel and had to be broken into. Basundhara City in-charge TIM Latiful Hossain said seven to eight shops in the C-block on level-6 were completely damaged and around 100 shops affected by the fire. Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq visited the spot to monitor the situation in the afternoon and said he would sit with owners to find out why fires were so frequent at the mall. Our Dhaka Medical College Hospital Correspondent informed that

A firefighting unit stands in front of Bashundhara City shopping mall during the fire a firefighter of Bashundhara group named Al Mamun had been admitted there in the afternoon. Din Mohammad, owner of mobile shop Phone Land, said: “The fire originated from a shoe shop in Block C of sixth floor around 11:30am. We thought it would be brought under control but later the

fire rangers of Banshundhara City made an announcement and asked us to evacuate the mall. Mizanur Rahman, a security guard of the sixth floor, told the Dhaka Tribune that when the fire caught, he immediately rushed to the shop named ‘MS Shoe’ and found that the shop workers had

RAJIB DHAR

already shut it down and left. He along with other security guards and the mall’s fire rangers started working to douse the fire but failed to take it under control. The smoke was so dense they could not stand near the shop, the guard said. However, another security

guard and president of shop owners association claimed the fire broke out from a shop named ‘Khandekar Shoe’. On March 13, 2009, at least seven people were killed and 20 others injured in the raging blaze that broke out at the capital’s Bashundhara City complex. l

Policymakers tussle over gas price hike n Aminur Rahman Rasel

The issue of latest gas price hike has sparked a debate among government policymakers, with some resisting a change in prices and others demanding an increase. Sources present at a meeting in the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that government high-ups and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) were advocating for a price hike, while the Power Division wants the gas prices to remain the same in order to provide gas to power plants. However, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), which has the final say on whether the gas prices would be increased

this year, says they must act on the recommendation from its technical evaluation committee. During the recent public hearing on gas prices, the evaluation committee rejected gas price hike requests from most of the gas distribution companies. Yesterday’s meeting at the PMO was chaired by prime minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury. Those attending the meeting included State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, BERC Chairman AR Khan, Energy Division Secretary Nazimuddin Chowdhury, Additional Secretary of the Power Division Mahbub-ul-Alam, and Petrobangla Chairman Istiaque Ahmad. Sources present at the meeting

quoted the BERC Chairman AR Khan as saying that the regulator’s technical evaluation committee have not found the price hike proposals from most gas distribution companies to be rational. A representative from the Power Division spoke against any gas price hike, saying that such an increase would automatically raise the price of electricity and put more pressure on the people. Meanwhile, Energy Division Secretary Nazimuddin Chowdhury told the meeting that the gas reserve was dwindling and it would deplete in alarming manner by 2019. He said the country was ultimately heading towards liquefied natural gas (LNG) gas and when the use of LNG starts, the price would

automatically increase manifold. He said that by gradual price increase, the consumer would be habituated with the high price of gas and electricity because at the end there will be no option but to increase prices for both. Sources present at the meeting said both the energy adviser and state minister opted for increasing gas prices in the household, CNG and captive plants. They asked the BERC chief to analyse the whole situation based on facts and asked the commission to come up with a rational observation. PM’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq told the BERC to carry out a comparative study on what effects would a gas price hike have on the public. Meanwhile, in a later meeting at

the BERC office in Karwan Bazar, AR Khan said a decision on changing gas prices would be made following such a comparative study. Earlier during the eight-day public hearing, Petrobangla proposed a 65.45% increase, asking to increase bulk gas price from Tk6.29 per cubic metre to Tk10.29 on weighted average. The six gas distribution companies under Petrobangla asked for a 94.89% increase and placed a proposal to raise the retail price from Tk6.10 per cubic metre to Tk11.89 on weighted average. On the other hand, Gas Transmission Company Limited placed a proposal to increase gas transmission price from Tk0.1565 to Tk0.3665 per cubic metre. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Naval ships en route to rescue six trawlers from India n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The Indian government has allowed two naval ships to enter into its maritime borders to rescue six Bangladeshi fishing trawlers stranded on the Indian side of the Bay of Bengal. Bad weather caused the trawlers

to inadvertently cross over to the Indian side last week. The Bangladesh government was informed of the six trawlers by it’s Indian counterpart on Friday, said a senior government official. The naval ships Shadhinata and Prottoya have already crossed the international maritime border yes-

2D multi-client seismic survey delayed again n Aminur Rahman Rasel For the second time, the 2D multi-client seismic survey for offshore hydrocarbon hunt has been delayed, apparently because of the government’s indecision. On August 3, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs sent back the relevant proposal to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division for further review of its tender process about selecting a firm for the job. The decision will dismantle plans to appoint an international seismic survey firm to start its job within the coming dry season. Earlier, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division sent a summary to the cabinet committee to go ahead with the signing of a deal with TGS-NOPEC and Schlumberger, a Norwegian-US joint venture, to conduct a 2D multi-client seismic survey of the country’s offshore areas. The cabinet committee formed a high-powered five-member committee headed by Law Minister Anisul Huq to do the review job, an official of Energy and Mineral Resources Division said. The other members are: the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, the secretary at Energy and Mineral Resources Division, a director general of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division and the Petrobangla chairman. The official said that although most members had initially supported the proposal to pass the deal, the decision for further review was made after a senior cabinet minister expressed his resentment as to why a UK-based firm – Spec Partners – was disqualified at the evaluation stage. However, sources said the firm was dropped from the

tender as they failed to fulfil primary stage qualification criteria. “We want to complete the review process very shortly and appoint a bidder for the job,” Petrobangla chairman Istiaque Ahmad, who is also a member of the review committee, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. The objective of the survey is to provide the oil and gas industry with 2D seismic data of the offshore areas of the country to help with basin evaluation, prospect generation and robust bid-round participation. According to Petrobangla’s plan, the successful contractor will get two years to complete the survey. Petrobangla will share the profits from the sale of the data. The government had formed a tender evaluation committee headed by a Petrobangla director to evaluate the documents. The official evaluated and selected a firm to sign a 10-year deal, a Petrobangla official said. Petrobangla, on behalf of the government, had invited re-tenders to conduct the survey on December 10 last year and received proposals from five global geophysical companies on January 31 this year. The companies are Norway-US joint venture TGS-NOPEC and Schlumberger, Chinese company BGP, Russian firm Dalmorneftegeophysica, Russian Marine Arctic Geological Expedition (MAGE), and UK-based Spec Partners Ltd. The survey will cover an area of around 118,000 square kilometres with water depth ranging from 20 to more than 2,500 metres. The survey, the first of its kind in the country’s history, was deemed necessary after Bangladesh’s maritime boundaries with Myanmar and India were settled. l

terday and it is expected to return with the trawlers on Monday, he said. The name of the trawlers are Allahar Dan, Forhad, Nahid, Ma Ganga, Kusum and Abdullah with 80 crew members on board collectively. Allahar Dan and Forhad have 31

crew members and are now on the Indian Coast Guard base in Freserganj. Nahid has 18 crew members and was rescued by Indian fishermen and handed over to Kotowali police station at the coastal area. Ma Ganga has 14 crew members and was stranded at sea. Kusum

and Abdullah were floating on shallow waters of the Bay of Bengal. The Indian government has also informed that they saw a capsized trawler which the naval ships will also search for. This is the first time a rescue operation of this kind is being conducted. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

‘Tamim planned Gulshan attack in Kolkata’ n Tribune Desk Indian national Mohammad Masiuddin alias Abu Musa, a key Islamic State operative arrested in West Bengal last month, has told investigators that he met two JMB leaders in Kolkata before the Gulshan terror attack, reports Deccan Chronicle. One of the duo is Mohammed Suleiman, a leader of banned militant group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh who travelled to Kolkata two days after the murder of Rajshahi University teacher Prof AFM Rezaul Karim on April 23, Musa claimed during interrogation. He said that Suleiman was involved in both the attacks, later

claimed by IS through its media wing Amaq news agency. “Suleiman and another JMB man associated with Islamic State met Musa at Malda station in West Bengal,” the Indian newspaper said. Suleiman stayed at a hotel in Kolkata. His associate, who was linked to the JMB and IS, could not be identified. The Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) believes that Suleiman could be Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif alias Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, who is leading the New JMB faction – responsible for the targeted killings that took place since last year and claimed by IS – after he left Canada in 2013. Police earlier put Tk20 lakh bounty each for Tamim and an-

other militant kingpin Maj (sacked) Syed Mohammad Ziaul Huq, who is leading outlawed group Ansarullah Bangla Team. Detectives in Dhaka claim that they both are now staying in Bangladesh and are conducting raids to arrest them.

IGP: Don’t support militancy on social media network n Mohammad Jamil Khan Police have reiterated their warning against supporting militancy on social media, saying anyone doing so will face legal actions. Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque in a statement yesterday said a number of people were “knowingly or unknowingly liking, commenting and sharing” contents related to militant outfits on social media and blogs. These people are publicising the militant outfits this way which is a punishable offence under the Information and Communication Technology (amendment) Act, 2013 and the Anti-Terrorism (amendment) Act 2013, he said. Shahidul requested the people to take necessary steps to refrain people from such acts. He also thanked everyone for taking part in anti-militancy activities. Sources said police have been monitoring social media activities in the wake of the rise in militant attacks in the country, and have found an upward trend of promoting militant campaign on social media. Furthermore, law enforcers have been receiving an increasing number of complaints in this regard from social media users, the sources added. In a separate statement issued by the Police Headquarters, Shahidul asked his officials to take nec-

Md Moniruzzaman, assistant inspector general of police (confidential) at Police Headquarters, briefed on security arrangements regarding Janmastami at the meeting. Security measures, traffic managements and route selection for Janmastami rally were also discussed. Mokhlesur Rahman, additional IGP (admin and operation), Asaduzzaman Miah, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Abdul Jalil Mandal, additional director general of Rapid Action Battalion, AKM Shahidur Rahman, deputy inspector general of PHQ, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan committee President Sen Dipu and Secretary Tapash Kumar Paul were also present in the occasion among others. l

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN MONDAY, AUGUST 22

The Supreme Court has fined 10 private medical colleges Tk1 crore each for not following the enrolment rules of the government and the Dhaka University in 2014-15 academic session. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha gave the order yesterday asking the college authorities to pay the fines within 10 days. In case of default, the colleges will lose the enrolment right for the 2016-17 session. The medical colleges fined are MH Samorita Medical College, City Medical College, Nightingale Medical College, ZH Sikder Medical College, Dhaka Central International Medical College, East West Medical College, Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College, Aichi Medical College, Care Medical College and Ashiyan Medical College. The Health Ministry along with the DU would oversee the order’s implementation. In the order, the court said that the DU authorities would get a half of the amount while the rest would go to the National Liver Foundation and the Kidney Foundation. The 10 colleges are run under DU had set that the MBBS and BDS degree aspirants must have 120 marks out of 200 in the admission test to be eligible for the enrolment. But the authorities allowed the admission to a total of 153 students violating the benchmark. l

A number of people were knowingly or unknowingly liking, commenting and sharing contents related to militant outfits

Dhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:26

the information we have got about him,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. Chief of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit Monirul Islam thinks Tamim and Zia are hiding somewhere inside Bangladesh. “We have evidence that they were present in Dhaka during the Gulshan attack and the raid at a Kallyanpur raid in July,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. Meanwhile, police say Rajshahi University’s English department student and JMB leader Shariful Islam Khalid alias Rahat alias Talha masterminded the murder of his teacher Prof Rezaul Karim. Police also declared Tk1 lakh bounty for his arrest. l

10 medical colleges fined Tk1 crore each n Ashif Islam Shaon

essary steps to ensure security during Janmashtami, one of the major festivals of the Hindus celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. The police chief gave the directives at a meeting on Sunday.

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

A team of Bangladesh Police’s elite force Rapid Action Battalion travelled to India last week to interrogate Musa over his links to the July 1 Holey Artisan Bakery attack that claimed the lives of 24 persons, mostly foreigners. Three RAB officials including an IT expert and a commander-rank official interrogated Musa for several hours on August 16. Musa was arrested from Burdwan last month, reported Times of India. According to the Indian National Intelligence Agency, the JMB has a strong base in West Bengal. Md Moniruzzaman, assistant inspector general of police (confidential), confirmed that Musa was a JMB member. “We are scrutinising

Rangpur

Locals in Tangail’s Kalihati put up a performance of Shaoner Dala – a play that celebrates a traditional monsoon boat festival. Such colourful performances that represent our heritage are becoming rarer in the age of electronic media. The photo was taken recently SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:37AM

37.0ºC Tetulia

23.4ºC Teknaf

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 5:05am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:00pm | Magrib: 6:36pm Esha: 8:30pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

JnU students to march to PMO today n Mohammad Jamil Khan Students of Jagannath University (JnU) have protested for the 21st day demanding residential halls and have announced that they will march towards the Prime Minister’s Office today. The students have been holding demonstrations continuously for the demand of residential halls in the recently vacated area of Dhaka Central Jail. Yesterday morning they observed an all-out strike on the campus boycotting classes and examinations. Students locked the main entrance of the university. Several thousand joined a rally in front of the main entrance around 8am. Although they created a barricade on the street in front of the campus but opened it after a while. The demonstrating students announced the PMO march yesterday in a press briefing at the university cafeteria. Khairunnessa, a spokesperson for the students, said: “Since the establishment of the university, we have been suffering for want of residential halls. How can a university exist without residential facilities?” “Since it is a pressing issue, we cannot withdraw our programme until Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina assures us in this regard,” she added. The students also urged the university authorities, teachers and officials through an open letter to come forward in support of their demonstration. Later yesterday the university registrar’s office issued a press release saying a meeting had been convened by Vice Chancellor Mizanur Rahman with all deans, chairpersons and directors and they had urged the government to consider the allocation of the property. An 11-member teachers’ committee had been formed to communicate with the agitating students, the release said, and urged students not to engage in anything that undermines law and order or academic activities. JnU Proctor Dr Noor Mohammad said they were trying to solve the students’ residential problems. “We have already sent a letter to the Home Ministry to acquire the vacant land of Dhaka Central Jail. But the students should it give some time to complete all the tasks,” he said. Meanwhile, JnU’s pro-Awami League teachers organisation Neel Dal President Prof Aynul Islam and Secretary Nasir Uddin Ahmed expressed their solidarity towards the movement. l

Journalist's family harassed by miscreants Hossain, n Moazzem Lalmonirhat Some miscreants plotted conspiracy to harass journalist's family putting drug at home in Safartari area under Lalmonirhat municipality on Saturday night. Rasheda Khatun, female caretaker of Dhaka Tribune's Staff Reporter Jebun Nesa Alo, was detained by Detective Branch (DB) of police basis on an information of having drug at home. Soon after taking her at police station she was released as police smelled the conspiracy. Rasheda lives alone to take care the mango orchard adjacent to the home. She has been harassed by local terrorist Abu Bakar Siddique and his wife Lily Begum several times. Even they tortured her physically. Over the issue

Rasheda filed case against them and Lily went to prison. After taking bail, Lily and her husband have been harassing Rasheda to take revenge and a part of this they plotted the drama. Rasheda said, a DB police team suddenly seized home in the evening. Some miscreants put a bag of drugs inside the room even in front of police. Superintendent of Police SM Rashidul Hauqe said Rasheda was victim of conspiracy. Rashidul who strictly moved against drug traders after joining in the district said he would find out the miscreants behind the incident. He admitted that Lalmonirhat is awash with drugs but he is committed to resist drug traders. In his one month job in Lalmonirhat he detained over 100 drug traders. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Left picture, as a result of heavy rain, streets and avenues in Khulna city are flooded breaking power lines and paralyzing traffic. Right picture, vehicles slog through knee-deep water on the main thoroughfare at CDA area in Chittagong after deluge throughout yesterday swamped much of the city DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heavy rainfall paralyses normal life n Tribune Desk

Life became paralysed in Khulna and Chittagong yesterday as major parts of the cities were submerged in knee-deep water following heavy rains throughout the day.

In Khulna

Torrential rains starting early in the morning waterlogged major parts of the city, paralyzing city life and causing immense sufferings to the city dwellers for around 10 hours. According to Met office, 137 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in the city in nine hours till 6pm. Regional Director of Khulna Met Office Ameerul Azad said No 3 cautionary signal had been hoisted at Mongla Sea Port. Many areas of the city's KDA Avenue, Khanjahan Ali Road, Lower Jessore Road, Rupsha Strand Road, Sher-e-Bagla Road, Iqbalnagar, Tutpara and many low lying areas have already gone under knee-deep water and vehicular movement in these areas have been severely hampered. Visiting these areas around 10am, it was found that rainwater flooded kitchen markets, slums and the ground floors of most of the buildings and markets. Many human haulers and battery-run easy bike were found stranded on waterlogged roads while office-goers were seen struggling to find transport. Residents blame the negligence of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) for the water-logging in the city that has been recurring every year. Abdul Aleem, Pricipal of Govt Women College in Khulna expressed his frustration, saying," KCC has turned a blind eye to the city's water-logging problem." "Every year, KCC spends a huge amount of money on excavating

canals, but had the work been conducted properly, the city dwellers would not have to face this problem," he said while making his way through knee-deep water in Boyra area to his College in the morning. However, vehicular movement on different city roads still to abnormal this afternoon as the water did not receded from most areas. While talking to acting Mayor of KCC Anisur Rahman Biswas said a project had been taken up by KCC to excavate the city's 22 canals in 2015-16 fiscal year, on which Tk10 crore was spent. KCC cannot maintain the regular cleaning and excavation of canals, he said. He pointed out that some people constructed structures and grabbed some portions of land of most of the canals in defiance of laws adding to the problem. The issue of water-logging cannot be mitigated without coordinated efforts among Khulna Water Supply and Swearage Authority (KWASA), Khulna Development Authority, Khulna Metropolitan Police(KMP), Citizen organizations, city dwellers and KCC, he said.

In Chittagong

Downpour disrupted life in Chittagong as the low-lying areas of the port city were submerged following heavy rainfall due to formation of a deep convection over the North Bay, reported our correspondent Anwar Hussain. Operational activities at Chittagong Port and Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport were also disrupted due to the incessant rain while two international flights were diverted to Dhaka due to bad weather. 97.2 mm rainfall was recorded in the last 24-hour till 6pm, said Mahmudul Alam, duty assistant of

the Chittagong Patenga Met Office. Many low-lying areas of the city including No. 2 Gate, Agrabad, Prabartak circle, Chawkbazar, Muradpur, Shulakbahar, Bahadderhat, Pahartali, Kalamia Bazar, Kalurghat, Chandgaon and Bakalia went under ankle to knee-deep water. The office-goers, students, commuters and apparel workers faced untold suffering due to the incessant downpour. The water entered many low-lying residential houses and business firms leaving the people marooned. Mechanised vehicles stopped moving in areas under water while many of those were seen stuck in waters with their engines downed in knee deep waters. Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No.3 due to a formation of the deep convection in the Bay. Syed Sagir Ahmed, general secretary of Khatunganj Trade and Industries Association said that the incessant downpour submerged Chaktai-Khatunganj wholesale market which is also a business hub of the country. “We have to incur a huge amount of loss every year due to the perennial water congestion. We have already formed human chains, submitted memorandum to the city mayor and water resources minister in this regard but in vain,” said the aggrieved trade body leader. Wing Commander Md Reazul Kabir, airport manager of Shah Amanat International Airport said that two flights were diverted to Dhaka due to inclement weather. Meanwhile, the lighter vessel movement on the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port was disrupted due to the inclement weather. l

Swechchhasebak Dal leader killed Serajul Islam, n Mohammed Sylhet A local leader of Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal was stabbed to death by unidentified miscreants in Sheikhghat Khuliatula area in Sylhet city yesterday. The deceased was Tajul Islam, 55, member of the city unit of the BNP’s volunteer front. He was the husband of Shahana Sanu, former councilor of Ward No 4 of Sylhet City Corporation. Kotwali police station second officer Azim Uddin Patwary said some miscreants riding a motorcycle attacked Tajul in front of Gorom Dewan Mazar in the area in the evening and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving him critically injured.

Later, he was rushed to Osmani Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, police arrested two brothers Gulzar and Dulal in this connection. Police suspected that Tajul had been killed as a sequel to a longstanding dispute over a piece of land. On the other hand, a college girl was stabbed by a boy in Dakshin Surma upazila in the district. Officer-in-Charge of Dakshin Surma police station Ataur Rahman said a boy named Liton Mian was teasing the girl when she was returning home from Noor Jahan Memorial Women’s College of the upazila. As the girl protested, Liton stabbed her. Local people caught Liton and handed him over to the police. l

Rajshahi BSCIC expansion to generate 5000 jobs n BSS Expansion of the industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Rajshahi would create employment opportunities for around 5,000 people. A fresh project to this end has been undertaken to acquire 50 acres of land to develop 308 industrial plots in the area to ensure the evolvement of small and medium enterprises (SME) in the region. Altaf Hossain, Regional Director of BSCIC, here said the government has taken the responsibility of providing industrial plots to the actual entrepreneurs as per the necessity. He said the present government has a separate view-point towards

Rajshahi's development and intends to accelerate its socio-economic improvement through the best use of the existing industrial potentialities. It is very much committed to ensure proper utilization of allocated plots for industrial purpose aiming to promote industrialization in the country. He said the government had given special emphasis on building planned industrial estates throughout the country to attain the goal of sustainable and eco-friendly industrialization. "The industrial plots are being developed considering the country's socio- economic condition and future necessity, as the entrepreneurs are expanding the SME gradually in the region," he added. l

8 World

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Afghan forces retake district from Taliban Afghan forces have recaptured a district that had fallen briefly to the Taliban on Sunday, after thousands of people fled their homes in Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunduz province. Khan Abad district is around 30 km east of Kunduz city-the provincial capital where militants last year scored their biggest ever victory. -AFP

INDIA

Army kills 3 militants in Kashmir Army on Sunday foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Tangdhar sector of Kashmir, killing 3 militants who were involved in an attack on a BSF post in the area 2 days ago. The slain militants were involved in the attack on a BSF post in Tangdhar sector on August 19 in which 3 jawans of the force were injured. -TOI

CHINA

Protest over ban on proindependence activists in Hong Kong

Hundreds of protesters marched through Hong Kong’s main streets on Sunday against a ban on pro-independence candidates from running in an upcoming legislative election, as fears grow over Beijing’s influence in the city. In the last month 5 candidates who advocate a split from China were rejected from standing in the September 4 vote. -AFP

ASIA PACIFIC

Philippines’ Duterte threatens to quit UN Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte railed against the UN on Sunday after it called for an end to the wave of killings unleashed by his war on drugs, saying he might leave the organisation and invite China and others to form a new one. About 900 suspected drug traffickers have been killed since he came to power. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Iraq hangs 36 men convicted over Speicher massacre Iraq has hanged 36 men convicted over the massacre in 2014 by Sunni jihadis (IS) and allied militants of hundreds of military recruits. The men had been found guilty of involvement in the Speicher massacre, named after a base near Tikrit where up to 1,700 recruits were kidnapped before being killed. The executions of 36 convicted over the Speicher crime were carried out this morning in Nasiriyah prison. -THE GUARDIAN

INSIGHT

In Syria, Russia and the US fight for the Middle East n Peter Apps

THE SYRIA WAR

Two years into Washington’s war against Islamic State, it may finally be winning. At the same time, however, its influence over events in the broader Middle East seems perhaps terminally in decline. What happens in the coming months and years in Syria will be key to the future shape of the region. No country has challenged US policy-makers more – and the Obama administration has faced heavy criticism. This month, however, has seen what feels like the first good news for the United States from Syria since the uprising began. In early August, US- backed Syrian forces seized back the town of Manbij. Footage of jubilant locals embracing those they see as liberators has been flashed around the globe, providing exactly the kind of propaganda victory Washington needed. Manbij could open the door for an offensive against the true militant heartlands. Islamic State is losing ground, money and support. It may soon be stripped of remaining strongholds in Raqqa, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq. But the battle for the future of Syria – and, indeed, the Middle East – is much more complex than the fight against Islamic State. And there are powerful forces – particularly Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Iran and what remains of Bashar al-Assad’s government – that also want to call the shots. The United States and Europe long struggled to find an approach to Syria, undecided on how hard to push against Assad and how much to back – or trust – the opposition. Moscow, in contrast, has always known which side it was on. This week, Russia shocked US analysts by moving long-range bombers to Iran, flying through Iraq airspace to strike targets in Syria. It was the first time Iran’s rulers had allowed their military bases to be used by a foreign power at least since the 1979 revolution, a dramatic sign of the growing Russia-Iran axis. The strikes came against the backdrop of a much broader escalation by the Syrian government and its allies that some reports suggest has included a handful of chemical strikes. In Aleppo, the UN says an upsurge in fighting in recent weeks has killed hundreds and markedly worsened the al-

2011

2012

2013

Revolt and repression

All-out war, foreign intervention

Chemical weapons, radicalisation

DAMASCUS

Nationwide protests against regime. Crackdown

Scores of rebel groups battle regime for control of towns

2014

Rise of Islamic State group (IS) IS siezes 30% of country, most gas/oil production

Regime backed by:

Rival rebel groups backed by:

RUSSIA IRAN

SAUDI ARABIA

US-led coalition attacks IS

GULF STATES

QATAR WESTERN POWERS

2015

Jihadist rebels

Islamic State group enters war, fighting:

Regime

2016

Conflict becomes international UK FRANCE

Moderates lose ground to jihadists

Al-Nusra

TURKEY

Emergence of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra

1,400+ die

Regime uses chemical weapons

Where we are now

Attacks: RUSSIA TURKEY

Rebels Kurds

Deaths:

at least 270,000*

Refugees abroad:

4.8 million (21% ofpopulation)

Internally displaced:

6.6 million (29% of pop.)

Sources: UNHCR, IDMC, SCPR

ready catastrophic humanitarian situation. In many respects, the relatively small town of Manbij is a sideshow compared to some of the larger, longer running battles and sieges. But for the United States, it was a major achievement. The victors were, on paper at least, the “moderate Syrian opposition,” an entity the United States has been desperately hoping would come into existence for years. Given its unsuccessful and wasteful early attempts at building that opposition, this victory is no small deal.

Complex reality

The reality was always somewhat more complex – according to some accounts, up to 60% of Syrian Democratic Fighters are Kurdish. While the group also includes Sunni and Assyrian fighters, it’s not the kind of pan-Syrian force the West would really like to see. It is, critics say, essentially dominated by the Syrian Kurdish YPD – which means its successes are viewed with suspicion by neighbouring Turkey – no fan of Kurdish separatism – and Iraq. Whether the United States can grow enough moderate local forces to significantly alter the larger conflict remains unclear. Eventual peace will likely come down to a negotiated deal that must involve both local Syrian actors and their international backers. The broader geopolitics now seem clear. Moscow has put itself firmly on the side of the Shia-run

Tehran-Damascus axis. At the same time, however, the United States is drifting further from its key Sunni regional partners, particularly Saudi Arabia and Turkey. That’s not necessarily a criticism of President Barack Obama – history handed him a nightmarish situation. The more robust interventionist approach of the George W. Bush administration was no more effective – and in many respects a lot more costly. Obama has had his share of successes, in particular, avoiding war with Iran. Most importantly, the kind of military operation the United States is currently pursuing in the region is much more sustainable. Broadening US military and diplomatic focus beyond the Middle East was, after all, one of Obama’s earliest ambitions. The United States is much less dependent on Middle Eastern energy. It also has growing responsibilities and worries elsewhere, not least in confronting a rising China and resurgent Russia. It is in its growing confrontation with Moscow, however, that things get complicated. In Russia, the United States now faces a rival great power that is willing to take the kind of decisive action to alter the course of events in the Middle East that had previously been limited to Western states. Neither Moscow nor Washington, it’s clear, have any enthusiasm for the kind of troop-heavy missions the West tried in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are very differ-

ent conflicts, fought largely by local forces with support and advice from powerful outside sponsors. Despite what some in the United States might want, there is little appetite in Washington for expanding strikes to deliberately weaken Assad’s forces. Such action might, in any case, merely prolong Syria’s nightmare. Attacking anything belonging to nuclear-capable Russia, of course, is not on the table at all. It would just be too risky. There’s clearly a significant moral gap between the unrestrained brutality of Putin and Assad and Washington’s more limited approach, moderated as it is by a desire to keep down unnecessary casualties and collateral damage. Still, the West doesn’t have nearly as much moral high ground as it might like to believe. Washington is seen still turning a blind eye to the actions of its allies – for example, in Saudi Arabia’s increasingly bloody Yemen intervention. Whoever wins the US presidency in November will want to put their own mark on America’s role in the Middle East. Where things stand in Syria when they take office, however, will hugely influence their options. That means plenty for all sides to fight for in the weeks and months to come. Don’t expect things to get any simpler anytime soon. l

[Peter Apps is Reuters global affairs columnist, writing on international affairs, globalisation, conflict and other issues.

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

EXPLAINER

USA

Colombia’s half-century-long conflict n

Tribune International Desk

Deep in the country’s southern jungles, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) are preparing for a peace deal that they and the government say could be just weeks away. Here’s a look at the past and future of Colombia’s half-century guerilla conflict:

How it started

The 1948 assassination of populist firebrand Jorge Eliecer Gaitan led to a political bloodletting known as “La Violencia,” or “The Violence.” Tens of thousands died, and peasant groups joined with communists to arm themselves. A 1964 military attack on their main encampment led to the creation of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc.

What the rebels wanted

Though nominally Marxist at its founding, the Farc’s ideology has never been well defined. It has sought to make the conservative oligarchy share power and prioritised land reform in a country where more than 5 million people have been forcibly displaced, mostly by far-right militias in the service of ranchers, businessmen and drug traffickers. The Farc lost

popularity as it turned to kidnapping, extortion and taxes on cocaine production and illegal gold mining to fund its insurgency.

How the us got involved

In 2000, the United States began sending billions of dollars for counter-narcotics and -insurgency efforts under Plan Colombia, which helped security forces weaken the Farc and kill several top commanders. The State Department classifies the group as a terrorist organization and its leaders face US indictments for what the George W Bush administration called the world’s largest drug-trafficking organisation.

The resulting human toll

More than 220,000 lives have been lost, most of them civilians. In the past two decades, many of the killings were inflicted by the militias, which made peace with the government in 2003. The Farc abducted ranchers, politicians and soldiers who were often held for years in jungle prison camps. Its captives included former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three US military contractors, all of whom were rescued in 2008.

How peace efforts developed

Mid-1980s peace talks collapsed after death squads killed at least

THE COLOMBIAN PEACE PROCESS Government and rebel negotiators are inching towards a peace deal Colombian government - FARC rebels

FARC’s areas of influence

Agreement reached

Caribbean Sea

An integrated agrarian development policy (05/2013)

VENEZUELA

Political participation (11/2013) Pacific Ocean

Illegal drugs (05/2014)

BOGOTA

COLOMBIA

Reparations for conflict victims (12/2015) Not yet agreed

BRAZIL

ECUADOR

UN-monitored ceasefire, disarmament timetable Other issues for which agreement is necessary before a final accord

PERU

The conflict in numbers Displaced

6,000,000

Deaths (1958 - 2012)

220,000

300 km

81.5% civilians

Sources: Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, Defence ministry

3,000 allies of the Farc’s political wing. Another effort fell apart in 2002 after the rebels hijacked an airliner to kidnap a senator. The current talks have been going on since 2012 in Havana.

After decades of false starts, a plan for peace

In late June, negotiators announced an agreement on a bilateral cease-fire and a blueprint for how

n Tribune International Desk

Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

deals and calls for a higher minimum wage has attracted backers of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidate. The 71-year-old Isakson, who disclosed he has Parkinson’s disease, sought to shore up his support with Republicans while appealing to independents and Democrats. He made a two-day trip around the state in late July to highlight the Georgia Chamber of Congress’ endorsement with low-key stops at large companies in five cities to tour factory floors

and talk with employees. In metro Atlanta recently, Isakson talked about his Senate work to members of a Rotary club, a business group and a Realtors’ association. Questions about Trump’s more divisive comments proved inevitable. Isakson says he’ll support the GOP ticket but won’t answer for the nominee. Isakson’s supporters, including some still struggling to wholeheartedly support Trump, said they believe the incumbent can go it alone. Ben Hinson, a retired

REUTERS

Trump: GOP must improve its outreach to black voters Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says the party of Lincoln must improve its efforts to bring black voters back to the fold and that he wants an inclusive GOP. Trump has been working in recent days to boost his appeal among African-American voters. On Saturday, he assured supporters at a rally in Virginia that he and the GOP are up to the task. -AP

THE AMERICAS

an estimated 7,000 Farc fighters will demobilise and lay down their weapons. Accords have also been reached on land reform, combatting drug trafficking, the guerrillas’ political participation and punishing war crimes on both sides. The sides formally agreed to the ceasefire and disarmament agreement at a ceremony in Cuba. l

Source: AP

Trump-Clinton race tests Senate race in Georgia Republican Senator Johnny Isakson insists he won’t be a “volunteer apologist” for Donald Trump or anyone else who utters something stupid, but that defiant independence is being sorely tested by the GOP presidential nominee’s sinking support and Democrat Hillary Clinton’s push into surprisingly competitive Georgia, reports The Associated Press. The down-ballot Senate race involving the affable, two-term Isakson wasn’t ranked as poachable for Democrats despite the changing demographics in the southern state and the higher, diverse turnout of a presidential election year. After all, reliably Republican Georgia has only voted for a Democratic presidential candidate once since 1980. That was Bill Clinton in 1992. Recent polls show Trump and Hillary Clinton locked in a tight race as the Democrat opens a campaign office in the state and invests in a field organization. Isakson holds a single-digit lead over first-time candidate Jim Barksdale, a wealthy investment manager whose opposition to trade

World

business owner from Macon, said he plans to support Trump because Clinton is the alternative, but he does worry that independents will be driven away from the overall GOP ticket. With a $4m cash advantage, his first ad of the general election made a direct pitch to Democrats, focusing on Isakson’s response to the 2009 murder of Georgian Kate Puzey while volunteering in the west African country of Benin for the Peace Corps. Puzey’s mother, Lois, says at the end of the ad: “I’m a lifelong Democrat. I am so grateful that he was my senator.” The race could go into overtime with Isakson, Barksdale and libertarian Allen Buckley. Georgia law requires the top vote-getter to win more than 50 percent of the vote in November. If no one reaches that threshold, Barksdale and Isakson likely will wind up in a nine-week runoff. In 2008, Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss survived a three-week runoff after falling just short of 50 percent in a three-person general election. Republican Paul Coverdell narrowly defeated sitting senator Wyche Fowler Jr in 1992. l

Armed attackers kidnap, kill 8 in Mexico Armed attackers kidnapped and killed 8 people in the Mexican town Alto Lucero in Veracruz state, on Saturday. The bodies of the victims, 7 men and 1 woman, were found after their abduction on Friday. A police source who asked not to be identified said armed gunmen raided several homes in the town, stealing electrical appliances and other items of value before the kidnappings. -AFP

London Mayor Sadiq Khan calls on Party members to replace leader London’s new mayor has urged fellow members of the opposition Labour Party to ditch their leader in hopes of choosing someone more likely to win a national election. Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote a blistering article in The Observer newspaper on Sunday, attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. -AP

EUROPE

Merkel, Hollande, Renzi to meet Monday The leaders of Germany, France and Italy will meet on Monday to discuss how to keep the European project together in the second set of talks between the premiers of the euro zone’s 3 largest economies since Britain’s shock vote to leave the bloc. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi hosts German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on an island off the coast of Naples. -REUTERS

AFRICA

Suicide bomb attacks kill 20 in Somalia More than 20 people were killed on Sunday when suicide bombers from the militant al Shabaab group detonated 2 car bombs at a local government headquarters in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region. The first one was a truck bomb, followed a minute or so (later) by another car bomb. Islamist al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombings. -REUTERS

World

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

INSIGHT

Turkish Cypriots worried about EU isolation as Erdogan mends ties with Putin n Tribune International Desk An island in the Mediterranean, a prisoner of its history, of its ethnic tensions and now, of the anger and whims of the president next door, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This is Cyprus, almost 1.2 million people, still bisected, still poisoned by bloody events more than four decades ago. There are negotiations to end this, accompanied in recent months by hopeful murmurs. But the failed army coup in July against President Erdogan in Turkey, Cyprus’s closest and most powerful neighbour, may still those murmurs and stop the negotiations. And, on the ground, scepticism is vast. “We’ve waited a long time, and I think it will be difficult even now.” This was Andreas Kyriakides, a winemaker and the son of a Greek Cypriot who fled from the north when a war in 1974 cut the country in half. They call the scar the Green Line and it runs right through Nicosia, cutting the capital and the island in half. The scar is still patrolled by UN peacekeepers. For almost 30 years, almost 25,000 Canadian soldiers were part of those patrols. A Canadian officer still serves among the more than 900 international peacekeepers stationed there. To approach the division line is to be reminded of other divided cities in recent times – Berlin, and Belfast. The first owed its wall to an ideological quarrel, the communist camp versus the capitalists; the second could, and still can, trace its barriers, the so-called peace walls, to religious divisions between Protestants and Catholics. The split in Cyprus is historic and ethnic. In the north live the

Turkish Cypriots, in the south the Greek Cypriots. They echo the lack of love between their bigger brothers in Greece and Turkey. Divided cities are eery, and Nicosia is no exception. Approaching from the south you pass through a prosperous glass and steel outer city of modestly tall office buildings. Nearer to the Green Line, the buildings shrink. Many are derelict and boarded up. And many still carry the marks of war. The Green Line crossing is a mini international border, complete with police checking passports on both sides. On the south side, the Greek side, a sign over the checkpoint proclaims, somewhere between boast and lament, “the last divided capital in the world.” On the Turkish side the message is defiant. A sign announces: “The Turkish Republic of Cyprus Forever.” The division goes back to 1974 when an attempted military coup turned into all-out war. But the fighting started almost from the moment of independence from Britain in 1960. By 1964, it had become so intense that the United Nations sent in a peacekeeping contingent, including several hundred Canadian troops. Ten years later, the Greek Cypriots, with the military help of the right-wing military government in Greece, tried to take over the whole island. That triggered a counter-invasion, by Turkish troops, and the result was a summer war. In the middle, at the Nicosia airport, were lightly armed Canadian peacekeepers. The Turkish troops and tanks advanced on the airport. The Canadians drew a line in the dirt and said they would start firing if the Turk-

THE CYPRUS CRYSIS Population

TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTH CYPRUS

North: 257,000 South: 797,000

only recognised by Turkey Nicosia

REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

Cypurs has been a member of the EU since 2004. In reality, however, only the Republic ofCyprus in the southern half of the island is officially part of the EU, after the failure of a referendum seeking to establish a federation in April 2004.

Nicosia’s Ledra Street was once barricaded, until it became the sixth crossing between the southern and northern parts of Cyprus in 2008 REUTERS ish troops crossed it. The Turks stopped. When the fighting died down at the end of the summer, two Canadian peacekeepers were dead and 30 wounded. In 30 years, 18 Canadian peacekeepers died in Cyprus. And the island was cut in two. Thousands were uprooted, refugees in their own country. About 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled south, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots left their homes in the south to live in the north. The cut was deep. For 29 years, the two sides were sealed off one from the other.

Self-declared republic a poor colony

To deal with the huge outflux of Greek Cypriots from the north, Turkey began bringing in settlers from Turkey itself. Successive Turkish governments also left 40,000 Turkish troops in place in the north. To all intents and purposes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, an entity recognized by precisely one country, Turkey itself, became a colony, and a poor one. Much of the government budget and salaries is paid by Turkey itself. Since the Green Line was opened again in 2003, flow has been from north to south in a ratio of two to one. The Turkish Cypriots cross over looking for day work or for goods cheaper than in the north or

simply not available there. But for the past 10 months, quiet discussions have been taking place on some form of reunification. “We’re tired of Cyprus as a problem,” the Turkish ambassador to the European Union, Selim Yenel, said a couple of months ago. The legacy of anger, suspicion and problems is deep. The Greek Cypriot side complains that the Turkish side has done nothing to find or identify the bodies of more than 1,000 Greek Cypriots who went missing during the 1974 war.

Turkey troops, settlers remain

They also point to the thousands of Turkish troops and settlers in the north. “We’re willing to come to a deal,” said Andreas Kyriakides, “but the settlers, the troops. Will they ever agree to take them away?” The Turkish Cypriots nurse their own deep grievances, notably over the referendum vote in 2004. The deal had already been done to allow Cyprus to join the European Union. In parallel, the UN had arranged a referendum on a new Cypriot Greek-Turkish federation. The Turkish side voted strongly in favour; the Greek Cypriots rejected it by a margin of 3 to 1. Greek Cyprus still joined the EU. They got their cake and ate it too. The Turkish Cypriots got nothing. And now, along with the demand

for the departure of Turkish troops and settlers, the Greek Cypriot side wants compensation for huge amounts of land lost in 1974. On the Turkish side, there is willingness and a sense of fatalism. Ilhan Ates is a Turk, a settler who came more than 20 years ago. “For a long time people assumed they’d be moved, so they didn’t even paint their houses. The move never happened. People settled. If there is a move now, it will be traumatic.” He may not be moving soon. Turkish president Erdogan is once again angry with the EU as he locks up journalists and professors and threatens to reinstate the death penalty after the failed military coup against him in July. All those measures have been criticized by EU leaders. And so Erdogan looks to renew frayed ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. And to punish the EU. The massive refugee deal – whereby Turkey agrees to keep 3 million Syrian and Iraqi refugees already on its soil in return for billions of EU euros – may be in jeopardy. And talks to reunify Cyprus may run into a wall. Without Erdogan’s agreement they would be doomed, collateral damage from a bigger battle. The old wound in Cyprus would continue to fester. l

[This is excerpt form a CBC article, which can be found at http://bit.ly/2aU8mG5]

World

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Brother of Syrian boy pictured in Aleppo dies of his wounds n Reuters The older brother of a Syrian boy whose image, dazed and bloodied after an air strike, shocked people around the world, has died in Aleppo from wounds sustained in the same incident, a war monitor, a local council official and a witness said. Ali Daqneesh, 10, was wounded in Wednesday’s air strike, according to UKbased monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and a witness who was present at the time of the death along with the boys’ father. “He was martyred while in hospital as a result of the same bombardment that their house was subjected to,” said Besher Hawi, the spokesman for the local council of Aleppo.

He had internal bleeding and organ damage, doctors told the witness. His younger brother, five-year-old Omran Daqneesh, was pictured in the back of an ambulance after being pulled from the rubble, with an expression of incomprehension on his dust- and blood-caked face. The video and pictures were widely circulated online and in the media, refocusing public opinion on Syria’s five-year-old civil war and the plight of civilians, particularly in Aleppo. Russian and Syrian warplanes have intensified their air strikes on the rebel-held east of the city since insurgents made an advance last month, breaking an effective siege. Fighting and air strikes in and around Aleppo have killed 448 civilians so far this month, the Observatory said. l

12 Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Deemed accessory exports rise over 9% in FY 16

TOP STORIES Farm technology neglected in Agriculture loans Despite having direction from the central bank, the commercial banks are yet to ensure proper distribution of agriculture loan in all sub-sectors including farm technology, which ultimately hampers the country’s projected growth target by 2021.

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

$28.09 billion, posting a 10.21% rise while deemed accessory exports made $6.12 billion with 9.28% contribution in the last fiscal year. The accessories and packaging sector is considered a strong backward linkage industry for the country’s apparel industry, the lifeline to export earnings. It saves foreign currency by providing accessories alongside helping to meet lead time. “Bangladesh has production capacity to meet the local demand and even it can export directly, but the growth of earning from accessory exports depends on RMG export as we are shadow exporters,” Abdul Kader Khan, president of Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAP-

MEA) told the Dhaka Tribune. Khan apprehended that the recent terrorist attack on Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery may affect the sector as the attack was aimed at foreigners involved in RMG-related business. RMG sector, the lifeline for the country’s economy, is moving ahead to reach the $50 billion export target by 2021, he said, adding that the accessories industry would play a vital role in this matter. BGAPMEA leader thinks that his sector can contribute $10 billion to achieve the target. He also urged the government to provide them with cash incentives to turn out to be direct exporters. “The most advantage Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers enjoy is the availability of acces-

sories in the country,” Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) president Abdus Salam Murshedy told the Dhaka Tribune. Bangladesh has a huge potential for exporting accessory products, he said, adding that “I think the government should come up with initiatives to help the manufactures to explore direct export market.” “If the government provides support, the sector could be another export earner in near future as we are now self-sufficient in meeting local demands.” Currently, local manufacturers of accessories and packaging are capable to meet 90% local demands. Alone with the deemed exports, the sector can also directly export 20% accessory products to the global markets. l

One of the biggest challenges for India’s incoming central bank chief is a problem he and his predecessor have long grappled with - how to spur stubborn state banks to cut borrowing costs more aggressively to boost the economy. PAGE 15

The contribution of garment accessories and packaging to apparel export rose by 9.28% to $6.12 billion in the last fiscal year. In the last fiscal year, deemed export earnings of garment accessories and packaging stood at $6.12 billion, which is 9.28% higher compared to $5.6 billion in the fiscal year 2014-15. The industry people hope that the figure will be more than double to $12 billion by 2018. The backward linkage industry, however, has directly exported accessories and packaging products worth $610 million in the same period. RMG industry, the highest foreign currency earner, earned

Capital market snapshot: Sunday DSE

Govt to provide security to Japanese project sites

PAGE 13

RBI’s biggest challenge – getting banks to lower rates

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sitesbv‡`i of theLvb Japan-funded projects,” he told journalists after a meeting mfvcwZ we`¨vjq cwil` with cwiPvjbv Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Masato Watanabe yesterday. He said security will also be pro-

vided to Padma Bridge project site. First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy Tarantino Kawakami was also present at the meeting. Muhith said: “I will have a meeting with home minister to talk about the security issue. However, they (Japanese) didn’t specify what sort of security steps should be taken.” He said Japan has not made any changes to its aid policy towards Bangladesh after seven Japanese were killed in a recent terror attack in Dhaka. Muhith said: “We want to ad-

dress the demands of the Japanese authorities and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already assured them of better security at the project sites.” In reply to a question, finance minister said implementation of the Matarbari power plant in Cox’s Bazar will be completed within the scheduled time. “Prime minister has also spoken with the Matarbari project people. Hope, it will be completed on time,” he added. According to the latest annual

report of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), Japan spent $479m on aid projects in Bangladesh between April 2014 and March 2015, including grants. Japan has been seeking permission from the Bangladesh government to strengthen security arrangements and allow private security guards, equipped with necessary arms, to protect the offices and factories of private Japanese companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Bangladesh. l

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Farm technology neglected in agriculture loans n Abu Bakar Siddique Despite having direction from the central bank, the commercial banks are yet to ensure proper distribution of agriculture loan in all sub-sectors including farm technology, which ultimately hampers the country’s projected growth target by 2021. According to Bangladesh Bank, the commercial banks have been fixing their loan target for agriculture sector at 2% out of the total credit sanction annually. Under the agriculture loan scheme, there are different sub-sectors including crops, fisheries, livestock, seed production, silo and marketing and agriculture technology and machinery. Around 73% of the total disbursed agri loan has been using in crop sector, according to a recent study named ‘Uses and Impacts of Agri loan in Bangladesh’. Of them, 66.14% in direct crop,

3.38% for producing spices, 2.88% for crop preservation and marketing. While only 3.52% goes for introducing agri-technology and irrigation machinery, the Bangladesh Bank study report said. In addition, out of the total disbursed Agri loan, 7.12% has been using for fisheries, 2.73% for livestock and others while 12% loan has been disbursing with hidden information. The study had been run in 33 districts in Bangladesh, where 2,000 customers of 10 commercial banks answers as respondents. The central bank directed that the credit have to go for purchasing agri machinery like power tiller, wedding and harvesting machine to reduce the production cost and crop damages. Bangladesh requires 7% growth of its GDP annually to reach the middle-income countries status by 20121. In that case, the agriculture

sector has to provide 4% to 4.5% growths annually as the country’s land has been reducing rapidly due to rapid growth of population. Bangladesh produces a good number of cereal crops. Of them, the production of rice is more than its demand. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the country produces 3.47 core tons of rice against the local demand of 3.41 core tons. Adding technology in the agriculture sector could make the country exportable which could also ensure desirable growth of the country. To make the government’s desire fulfill, the commercial banks have been working on it, we have already given instruction to all the related branches, so they will provide the loan in farm technology, said Jayed Bakht, chairman of Agrani Bank. He said: “We hope that we will succeed in this year, but the reality is---sometimes the branches could

not receive enough application and the aspirant borrower cannot fulfill the mortgage condition, which ultimately stops the loan disbursement.” In 2015-16, 6 state-owned bank, 2 specialised banks, 38 private commercial banks and 9 foreign commercial banks, totally disbursed over Tk17,646 core, which is more than 8% of the target and 10% more than previous year. In current fiscal, the disbursement target of agri loan is TK17,550 crore. While talking on sub-sector wise agri-loan disbursements, Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Subhankar Saha said: “Generally, the crop sector alone gets around 60% of the total agri credit”. Most of the private commercial banks have been disbursing their credits through agent banking which is being considered as a bar in providing the loan proportionately, he added. l

Stocks end flat in volatility n Tribune Business Desk Stocks witnessed yet another flat session yesterday amid volatile trade as modest profit booking continued. The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange DSEX inched down 6 points to finish at 4,579. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, witnessed a fractional rise of 0.4 points to 1,766. The DSE Shariah Index dropped only 2 points to 1,119. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX declined 12 points to 8,570. Trading activities decreased as the DSE turnover stood at Tk47 crore, which is down 8% over the previous session. Engineering sector dominated the turnover chart, accounting for more than 20% of the total trade value of the day. All the large cap sectors showed negative performance except power that edged 0.43% higher. Food and allied posted the highest loss of 1.4%, dragged down by BATBC (-1.1%) and Olympic Industries (-1.9%). Most other sectors, including pharmaceuticals, telecommunication, banks and non-banking financial institutions closed marginally lower. Low-cap ceramics sector was the best performer of the day gaining 1.3%, led by RAK Ceramic. l

BRAC Bank sings a loan agreement with SME Foundation at a programmme in the city yesterday

COURTESY

BRAC Bank, SME Foundation team up to provide SME loan n Tribune Business Desk BRAC Bank Limited and SME Foundation have signed an agreement to provide SME loan to the farmers and traders of Agar, a non-traditional export-oriented item for making scent. Selim R F Hussain, managing director and CEO of BRAC Bank and Md Safiqul Islam, managing director of SME Foundation, signed the agreement at SME Foundation Office in the capital on August 18. Under the agreement, BRAC Bank and the SME Foundation will partner to offer small business fi-

nance to Agar producers in Sujanagar union area under Borolekha Upazila, in Moulvibazar district. The agreement will be valid for four years. The entrepreneurs can avail loan ranging from Tk50,000 to Tk10 lakh without any collateral. Agar oil, Agar wood and Agar dust are primarily exported to the Middle East countries. According to SME Foundation, Agar Atar Cluster in Moulvibazar earns Tk60 crore in foreign currency a year, employs around 45,000 people in around 350 processing factories. The financing by BRAC Bank will play a catalytic role in

Business

boosting the export earnings of the Agar Atar Cluster and facilitate diversification of the country’s export basket. Ishtiaq Mohiuddin, deputy managing director, Syed Abdul Momen, head of small business of BRAC Bank, Khairul Kabir Menon, deputy secretary of SME Cell under Ministry of Industries, S M Shaheen Anwar, general manager of SME Foundation, Ansar Uddin, president of Bangladesh Agar Atar Producers and Exporters Association and senior officials of the organisations were present at the agreement signing ceremony. l

GP given new ‘013’ number series n Ishtiaq Husain

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has approved a new number series ‘013’ for the country’s leading mobile phone operator Grameenphone (GP) in addition to the existing ‘017’ series. The regulatory body (BTRC) came up with the decision at its regular commission meeting held at its office in the city yesterday following the company’s application that claimed its existing 017 series was coming to an end. Founded in 1997, GP has 5.69 crore active subscribers of the total 11.40 crore in the country as of June 30. Following the decision, GP would be able to sell 10 crore more connections under the new number series. As per the BTRC rule, an operator can resell any connection after it remains inactive for 18 months. BTRC officials said that GP would soon be given permission to launch the new series of 013. The operator had earlier applied for an additional prefix at the beginning of 2015 as the existing capacity of useable would be ended in November this year. After Grameenphone’s application, the regulator didn’t agree to approve another number series. Rather, the commission had reduced the time frame of any particular SIM resell time from 24 months to 15 months. The decision, however, helped the operator to resell few more lakh SIMs. As the operator’s useable SIMs limitation would be ended in November, Grameenphone conveyed its concern to the regulator. Earlier, Grameenphone applied for two times to increase its digit 9 to 10. Later, all the operators were given 11 digit numbers. The national numbering plan has ten prefixes for mobile operators of which 010, 012 and 014 are still free. At present, Teletalk is using 015 series, Airtel 016, Robi 018, Banglalink 019 while Citycell 011 series. If the Citycell’s license is finally cancelled, its 011 series number will also become free as the regulator already has given a timeframe to switch over its subscribers RIM by 23 August. “We are still awaiting the official approval letter from BTRC on the new prefix. We have applied for a new number series as the possible numbers under our 017 prefix have almost been exhausted,’’ said Grameenphone Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Mahmud Hossain while talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. l

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

RBI’s biggest challenge – getting banks to lower rates n Reuters One of the biggest challenges for India’s incoming central bank chief is a problem he and his predecessor have long grappled with - how to spur stubborn state banks to cut borrowing costs more aggressively to boost the economy. Under Raghuram Rajan, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut lending rates by 150 basis points (bps) since early last year, but banks have only lowered their rates by roughly half that and say they can only manage another 10-15 bps more in coming months. Urjit Patel, Rajan’s lieutenant at the RBI who has now been named his successor, knows well that the banks’ reluctance is blunting transmission of monetary policy into the broader economy, even as the window of opportunity for even greater easing may be closing. Inflation accelerated to just over 6% in July, above the RBI’s March 2017 target of 5%. That could limit the prospect of more rate cuts by Patel, who is in any case seen as more hawkish and a big backer of the RBI’s inflation-targeting push. The foot-dragging tactics of the Indian banks have clearly frustrated Ra-

jan, who has unveiled a slew of measures, including injecting more cash into the banking system and forcing banks to more quickly adapt to monetary policy changes when setting their lending rates. Rajan has stressed he will continue pushing banks for deeper cuts in lending rates until his term ends on Sept 4. But, highlighting the limits of the RBI governor’s powers, even ahead of the naming of Patel, bankers said they would resist pressure for more aggressive cuts, citing the impact on profits at a time when they are dealing with cleaning up $120bn in sour loans. “I have to look at my profitability as that is the only matrix that anyone cares about,” said a senior banker at a major state-run lender. “My NPA (non-performing asset) cost is already eating into my net interest margin, so I have to make that up somewhere.”

Failed measures

In his last days in office, Rajan is expected to make tweaks to the socalled marginal cost-based lending rates (MCLR) he had unveiled in April, which attempted to force lenders to more quickly reflect changes in deposit and market rates.

That measure has largely failed as bankers responded by jacking up the risk premium they assigned to new loans to avoid cutting lending rates. Bankers say any further changes are unlikely to have much of an impact given the RBI cannot unilaterally force banks to lower lending rates. The government has also been reluctant to step in. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is keen to see lower rates which could revive corporate investment, it has been unwilling to pressure stateowned banks because of the potential impact on profits. “Banks still have to remain profitable. So, to that extent banks will try and protect their bottom lines,” said Arundhati Bhattacharya, chair of India’s top lender State Bank of India (SBI.NS), at a recent news conference. “Transmission will happen,” she added. “As much as we can do, we have been doing.” Although Patel may be less aggressive in fighting the bad loans issue than Rajan, the general trend of higher provisioning is expected to stay in place, continuing to hamper profitability in the banking sector and easing the pressure on lenders to cut borrowing rates. l

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

CORPORATE NEWS

PRAN has recently signed an agreement with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to purchase 2,500 tonnes premium quality aromatic rice worth about a million dollar from the marginal farmers of the south and south western region of Bangladesh, said a press release. Director of PRAN Group, Eleash Mridha and party chief of Feed The Future Bangladesh Rice Value Chain Project, Timothy Russell have signed the agreement

Prime Bank has recently concluded a five daylong training programme on advance credit management, said a press release. The bank’s managing director, Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury was present at the concluding ceremony as chief guest

Mutual Trust Bank Limited has recently opened an ATM booth at Danga Industrial Park in Palash, Narshingdi. The bank’s AMD, Md Hashem Chowdhury and Uzma Chowdhury, director (finance) of PRAN-RFL Group have inaugurated the booth

Brothers Furniture opens a mega showroom at Rokeya Sarani in Dhaka. Eminent jurist Advocate Sarder Mohammad Suruzzaman, film actor Ferdous, actress Purnima, Brothers Furniture Chairman Habibur Rahman Sarkar and Managing Director Ilias Sarkar attended the launching ceremony held recently. Brothers Furniture is a leading furniture brand in Bangladesh

Tateyama Kabir has recently been elected as vice chairperson of NRB Bank Limited, said a press release . He is the bank’s founder director and also the president of Kabir Auto Export Co Ltd

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Well-being

Somewhere a clock is ticking n Pragya Rahman Ever wondered what changes time has brought on for you while you’ve been running against it? You see your friends graduating from university while you’re still stuck in first year trying your best to pass those modules you took the last time. Yesterday you were just a kid, now you probably have kids or have friends who have them. Everyone who is anyone is getting married, have their careers in check, and you’re still wondering what you’re going to eat for dinner tonight. While everyone else is busy chalking up their futures and aiming for yet another ‘ten year plan’ to thrive on; you are focused on the present. You deal with your current life and present situations head on and live every day like the next, paying attention to every single detail in your life. You stay grounded and that is healthy psychologically. You may also find it interesting to find that some integral components of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy include maintaining focus on the present and current life events and solving them as you go along. So let’s just assume dear reader, that amongst all your friends, you’re the crazy, cool, unpredictable cocktail of chaos that does not believe in planning things ahead. Let’s also say you’re nowhere near marriage, tried dating for a while but that didn’t work out as planned, but you love your job and want to get better at it, and at some point perhaps even want to share the tricks of the trade with the world. What is wrong with that? Since you’re a carefree individual perhaps you haven’t thought that far ahead yet, maybe you don’t know what you want to do after the next six months or a year from now. Even if you don’t have a job, try honing your talents

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

and creative abilities from scratch. But for now what matters is that you’re happy, you do not need to have one of those jobs where you’ve been an employee for ten years and you wait for your boss to see all the hard work you’ve done to give you a pat on the back every now and then. Right? There are some people in this world who were born as free spirits and if one of these free spirits is forced to conform to the norms of society, they become miserable. How? Well, they may develop Social Anxiety Disorder that may

lead to uncomfortable public interaction and even panic attacks. There is also that invisible friend that comes for short visits but ends up becoming your shadow known as depression. The worst thing you can possibly do to yourself is compare your life to others and measure their growth against yours. Yes it is true that time does not wait for anyone, but that does not necessarily mean you have to stop living your life the way you’re used to living it. As far as being clueless and not knowing what you want in life is concerned, let’s just say even the greatest of them all didn’t know what they wanted in life. Take a moment to think to yourself and ask yourself the next series of questions, you’ll feel better. Did Einstein want to discover the theory of relativity, or just want to be a bartender? Did Shakespeare really want to be the greatest playwright of all time or spend more time with his family after the death of his son Hamnet and become a better father? Does Queen Elizabeth want to be a royal trapped in a palace, living most of her life as a prisoner, with no freedom whatsoever? Does Ronald Mcdonald really want to be a creepy clown freaking

As far as being clueless and not knowing what you want in life is concerned, let’s just say even the greatest of them all didn’t know what they wanted in life

out ongoing bystanders at an international fast food chain responsible for kids and adults leaning towards obesity, or does he want plastic surgery to look more appealing like George Clooney? The point is it doesn’t matter what you want in life, or what you do or how much time passes. Whatever you end up doing will be what you’re meant to do and you will make all the difference in the world. So stop worrying, you’re not getting old, you are cool, fun and fabulous. l

Fitness

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Muscle Mania:

The place to start your journey to healthy living n Reaz Fiem When it comes to bodybuilding options, if you are a resident of Dhanmondi or nearby areas, the name that comes first to mind is Muscle Mania. It is one of the oldest gyms in the city and is located on road 4, Dhanmondi. The other day, I had the opportunity to talk with the joint owners of Muscle Mania – Abdur Rahman Rajib and Debashish Ghosh. Since I am quite the fitness enthusiast, I gave always found it fascinating to talk to people with knowledge on bodybuilding. Hence, dear readers, I present the valuable insights of Abdur Rahim Rajib and Debashish Ghosh: When did you decide to open up a gym and why? Debashish: It was back in 2007. Both of us were already “wellknown faces” in the fitness field in Bangladesh. Back then, there were no gyms that provided that hardcore environment one needs to build his or her body as well as the mind. Also, we wanted to share the knowledge and the benefits of working out with other people. And so, we started Muscle Mania on October 2 of that year. As you’ve, mentioned, both of you have been into bodybuilding for a long time. Please tell our readers something about some of your personal achievements? Rajib: Well honestly, I have been a contestant in national level

PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK

bodybuilding competitions since 2005, and participated in every national level bodybuilding contest till 2011. Jointly, we have also held seminars for the Bangladesh Army in Savar cantonment on bodybuilding. Apart from these, Muscle Mania, on its own, organises a bodybuilding competition under the title ‘Mr. Muscle Mania,’ which has gained quite a bit of popularity, and this, we consider to be our greatest achievement.

Why did you stop participating in bodybuilding competitions, as early as 2011, when you are still eligible to partake, both in age and fitness? Rajib: Haha! Am I? I am a father of three and a busy owner of the gym. Also, bodybuilding has changed a lot in Bangladesh. So I hope you understand. However, I am thinking of a comeback though! And what about you, Debashish Da? Debashish: My reasons are almost the same as Rajib’s except for the fact that I do not have three kids. Actually, participating in competitions requires a lot of time and both running a gym, as well as managing personal clients, do not allow me that luxury. Therefore, I hope you understand my reasons now. In your opinion, what is the best age for starting the journey of bodybuilding? Debashish: There are many misconceptions about the right age to start bodybuilding. We would say that, whatever your goal is, whether its bodybuilding or its just fat loss, you can start your journey once you are over 15. Why do you think most people tend to not be as committed towards bodybuilding? Most seem to give up shorty after starting. Rajib: In my experience, the first reason is most likely to be the lack of a proper environment. Going

to the gym and working hard, while ignoring all the pain can be demotivating if you don’t get the proper friendly environment and guideline. The second reason is a lack of dedication. Before you step in to a gym, the first thing to consider is what you really want out of your time spent there. You should visualise the picture of where you want to see yourself. You also have to remember, that people always get what they deserve, not what they want. Lastly, people tend to have unrealistic dreams. As in, they want to see changes within a short period of time, which we all know, is not naturally possible. Should men and women train the same way? Debashish: Some people argue that the training routine of a man and a woman is different. But we will say it’s pretty much the same. Muscle is muscle and fat is fat, there is no difference between men and women in those aspects, except the hormones. But yes, men generally train to build muscle and women train to shape up. So depending on the goal, the training routine may differ, but the strategy will be same. What plays the most important role when it comes to bodybuilding? Debashish: Well everybody has his own opinion. But we believe 30% is workout, 30% is diet, 30% is

As they say, your dreams have no boundaries. Our future goal is to spread the “fitness revolution” to as many people as possible

rest and 10% is your genetics. And along with these, there should be a 100% of dedication. What are your future goals with Muscle Mania? Rajib: As they say, your dreams have no boundaries. Our future goal is to spread the “fitness revolution” to as many people as possible. We want a fitter society. Building your body is a lifestyle. It has been nine years since we started our mission and we wholeheartedly plan to continue this mission to help whoever wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle.l Reaz Mahmud Fiem is a fitness enthusiast who wishesto help people stay healthy

Education

MONNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Didn’t get a GPA 5 - now what?

Photo: Bigstock

n Munzereen Shahid 11,60,352. That is the number of students who did not get a GPA 5 this year. That is also the number of students who need to be told that despite what every next door aunty tauntingly tells you, you are going to be okay! The results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and

equivalent examinations were published on Thursday with some 58,000 candidates scoring GPA 5 out of the nearly 1.2 million students who sat for the exam. While we often see newspapers portraying the GPA 5 holders in the light of their utter euphoria and glory, we often miss out on a quite bleak yet equally important picture - of students who didn’t

You will not get over it immediately, but how fast you brush it off will affect how quickly you can get back in the game

cut the mark. That is a much larger number and these students, more than any of the GPA 5 holders, need to be told that they are no less awesome than their friends who are dancing the morning away to deafening music. It’s only a number Now why are you awesome, you ask? Firstly, because you have better dance moves (you know you do!) and secondly, because how well you take a test is NOT indicative of how well you will thrive in the real world. And trust us, the real world is pretty awful. Well, not really, but the real world has a beautiful little devil called the CGPA and that will make you want to cuddle with your GPA in HSC. Wait, this was supposed to be optimistic. So, moving on. Your HSC/A level exams are just a part of the puzzle. Yes, they matter, but only to a point. You know what matters more? Persistence. You need to know that this is not the final picture. Stop listening to people who tell you this is it and somehow you are a

failure because of a number! Yes, that is all this is. A number that might affect your first and second choice of university at best- and then, it will stop mattering once you leave that chapter of your life. You have countless other universities where you can go and be the brilliant person that you are. Because despite the common belief that the most brilliant students of Bangladesh go to BUET or DU, students of countless other universities are proving that belief wrong on a regular basis and so can you. The final picture is what you decide it will be. Looking at the bigger picture You will not get over it immediately, but how fast you brush it off will affect how quickly you can get back in the game. And in life, that is important. Because after your HSC exams, no matter how much you want to delay it, you have admission tests- and that is a much more ruthless game. You have only one shot to get that right, and do you really want to give your HSC exams the pleasure

of having even more control over your life? The result is something you cannot change, but how far you let it affect your life is up to you every single day. Feel bad about it, because that is essential to give you the motivation you need to survive bigger exams- and trust us, life has many more of these to come. But do not feel bad for too long about something you can no longer change. In this situation, it does not matter what everyone else says or thinks, what matters is what people who really care about you think- your parents being among them. They might be disappointed, yes, but that is nowhere close to how much they love you, and that is yet another reason why you need to up your game sooner. Walker Percy brilliantly said once, “You can get all A’s and still flunk life.” To all you brilliant, amazing 11,60,352 human beings, who I truly believe will not flunk at life, good luck. Don’t stop. Be amazing. l

Biz Info

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

| event|

| workshop|

Memorial speech on Bangabandhu held at UGC

Training of digital entrepreneurship for women

A memorial speech on the life and works of Father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was held today on August 17 at the UGC auditorium. UGC organised the memorial speech to mark the National Mourning Day. Dr Mohammad Farashuddin, president, Board of Trustees, East West University and former governor of Bangladesh Bank, spoke on the occasion as the memorial speaker. UGC chairman Professor Abdul Mannan presided over the function. l

JCI Dhaka North organised a training on digital entrepreneurship for women in joint collaboration with GEEKY Social at Dhaka. This was a part of their signature event, “Women on the Move.” The focus of the event was to support women entrepreneurs who are trying to change their fate through E-Commerce/FCommerce. 35 women entrepreneurs

| sports|

Football tournament at CIDER International School The school playground of CIDER International School was filled with great zeal, excitement and frolicsome atmosphere on Sunday 14th August, 2016 as the students celebrated an enthralling game of football, the much awaited Inter Class Football Tournament 2016. The fantastic turnout from the students, parents and the pleasant weather were the perfect boost for the players on their Final Day of the tournament. After a number of rounds of selection games, CC AS level and NC teams were qualified for the final tournament of the tournament. The game ended with NC winning from 2-1 after a great performance from the team. The shining stars of the tournament were Rifat Uddin

registered themselves for this training session. Among others, JCI National president Shakawat Hossain Mamun, JCI Dhaka North Local president Sanjana Faird and other presidents and members of the local chapters were present. The training was conducted by the Mahadi Sagor, managing director and co-founder of GEEKY Social and Narmin Tartila, who appeared as a guest speaker to motivate the participants. l

| travel |

Escape to Tanguar Haor, in luxury Safin (best player), Asim Faiz (highest scorer) and Ahsan Inqiad Akib (fair play). The day ended with the chief guest, Imran (director, Pedrollo nk Ltd), congratulating the winners with medals and trophies.

“Competitive sport gives young people the chance to learn some key skills for life - the need to train hard and practice regularly; the need for self-confidence, leadership and self respect, often in a team setting,” he said. l

| meals|

Weekend international buffet dinner at Sky Pool Restaurant

Six Seasons, a luxury boutique hotel in Gulshan 2, started its weekend international buffet dinner at their rooftop Sky Pool Restaurant. Food lovers can enjoy this buffet dinner every Thursday and Friday nights from 6:30pm to 11:00pm. Special attractions include a live grill section, pasta station, chocolate fountain, BBQ ribs, lamb shank, and many more delightful items. The price per person is set at Tk3,111 net. A buy one get one free offer is also available for selected bank cardholders. For reservations, please call 01987009810. l

For those who are looking for the perfect escape from the robotic routine of everyday life, Tiger Tours brings you the chance to give yourself the break you deserve. Picture a beautiful get away with blissful wetland wilderness and a cool breeze brushing against your face. The waters of Tanguar Haor are just right during this time of the year for a very short period. Grab this opportunity while you still can, as nature itself is calling out for visitors. Interested parties will be travelling on the country’s very first floating luxury hotel - the MV Tanguar Haor. The vessel is fully airconditioned, with 11 cabins with en suite bathrooms, running hot water, solar panel and windmill for standby electricity, armed guards for security, CCTV cameras, fully certified crew, amd onboard water

treatment plants. The package starts from Tk34,500 per person after 10% special discount for Eid-UlAzha. The trip duration is three nights four days, all inclusive. The package includes transportation from Dhaka to Demra. When aboard the MV Tanguar Haor, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks a day shall be provided. Coffee and tea are unlimited and available throughout the day. The tour concludes with lunch on the final day, and back to Dhaka. Registration closes on September 4, 2016. For tickets, and further details, please contact 01841 445500, 01841 455500 or email info@tigertoursbd. com. l

20 Editorial

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

TODAY

Youth does not mean terrorism We need to reinforce an inclusive approach in our community and society that will nurture our youths’ potential to do good PAGE 21

Not indigenous enough Our history, our culture, and our resistance are for our people and mother Earth. This is the indigenousness that you should try to find and understand in our cuisine, dress, dances, and other traditions PAGE 22

BIGSTOCK

From shanty town to serenity Old-styled colony buildings, an open field with lots of trees, and a view of a vast sky above -- this setting can be from 1976, 1986, or 1996 -- it’s up to you to imagine the time you prefer because the scenery can easily be tied to any nostalgic period of Dhaka’s enchanting past 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.

India is listening

ndia’s decision to provide five-year multiple entry visas to Bangladeshi citizens over the age of 65 is a great initiative. Recently, attaining an Indian visa has been a bureaucratic nightmare for many of our citizens. It is encouraging to see that the Indian government has decided to make it easier for our more senior citizens to avail of their services, be it for tourism or for medical purposes. This is indeed a smart move. This will not only improve bilateral relations between our two great nations, but also shows that the Indian government has been listening. The friendship between these two countries extends throughout our connected history, and we are pleased to see that India cares about it enough to ensure that this bond stays strong. We hope this is the first of many such initiatives that India takes to make it easier for our citizens to take advantage of the great services their country has to offer. India is a partner to Bangladesh and we hope co-operation between the two nations will go a long way. Only recently, India had opened up its prestigious IIT engineering schools to aspiring Bangladeshi youths so that they may chase their dreams to their full extents. Making the visa acquiring process easier with initiatives like this is a great way of generating goodwill and trust, not only between our countries, but also our citizens. The Bangladeshi people no doubt appreciate the move and hope that there is more of its kind to come.

Making the visa acquiring process easier with initiatives like this is a great way of generating goodwill and trust, not only between our countries, but also our citizens

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Youth does not mean terrorism Our attitudes towards the youth illustrate mistrust, and that needs to change

n Munir Uddin Shamim

ecently, a local online news portal, in its headline, said that home-owners in Sylhet had completely shut their doors to young tenants. A home-owner, who runs a mess business in Sylhet, apparently issued a verbal notice to all bachelors, who reside in his building, to leave immediately. Most of the youth in the city are quite uncertain about potential accommodation. A student of Eastern University, attending a roundtable meeting on August 4, mentioned that homeowners in Dhaka have become hesitant to accept unmarried young folk as tenants. These stories clearly indicate that our youths, especially in urban areas, have started facing an unprecedented phase of social exclusion as an outcome of the dreadful incident at Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery. The attack reasonably stimulated folks to continuously express concern. Unfortunately, ongoing discussions over violent religion-based extremism repeatedly point fingers at the youth -- some even recommend putting them under special surveillance. Increasing unwillingness among home-owners to accept young people as tenants is one of the examples of a new form of social exclusion. Evolving perceptions of religious extremism have led many to consider students of private universities and even English-medium schools as potential threats. Losing trust in the potential of the youth is perhaps the biggest social sin and political crime, in this regard. This is a new form of social, political, and cultural malaise that previously never existed in Bangladesh. It’s true that the monsters behind the July 1 tragedy were youths, ditto for the Sholakia incident. Also true is that the terrorists who were killed during a successful raid by the law enforcment agencies in Kalyanpur were youths. Let’s not forget that a majority of those who have remained missing for a long time are youths as well. This isn’t looking very good for youths, I know. But, despite all the circumstantial evidence, is it at all fair to exclusively blame youths? How exactly can anyone justify preposterous ideas such as

Young people have played instrumental roles in our country’s history 24-hour surveillance of anyone within a specific age bracket? Are we seriously considering a panopticon, turning our society into an extended and invisible prison? What exactly should we be focusing on here? Social exclusion, something that’s somehow already in place, or social inclusion? Should we develop a tendency to consider all youths as potential terrorists, or should we come forward with empathy and tackle all possible factors which develops into the alienation that our young boys and girls face? All rhetorical questions, of course. We should not forget the role that the youth played in key points in our nation’s history: 1952, 1969, 1971, and 1990, none of the sweeping social changes that these years are so inextricably linked

We need to reinforce an inclusive approach in our community and society that will nurture our youths’ potential to do good, and keep them attached to the spirit of 1952, the spirit of 1971, the spirit of our tradition, our culture

with would have been possible without the sweat of our youth. If anything, now is the time for our nation to invest in the youth to advance progressive agendas instead of making them “the other,” turning them into yet another demographic that needs to be monitored and feared. We need to consider the push and pull factors that result in a handful of youths getting deviated

and radicalised. Situations for massive terrorist attacks Holey Artisan Bakery or Sholakia were been created overnight. We need to seriously count social, economic, cultural, and political aspects of radicalisation. After all, terrorism plays the long game. We need to reinforce an inclusive approach in our community and society that will nurture our youths’ potential to

do good, and keep them attached to the spirit of 1952, the spirit of 1971, the spirit of our tradition, our culture. Any less of an approach, and the only things that await us in the future are division and destruction. l Munir Uddin Shamim is working in the field of governance with a bi-lateral technical co-operation agency.

Long Form

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Not indigenous enough Bangladesh needs to respect her own diversity and values. This is the concluding part of yesterday’s long form

Indigenous people are just like any other people

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Our history, our culture, and our resistance are for our people and mother Earth. This is the indigenousness that you should try to find and understand in our cuisine, dress, dances, and other traditions

n Muktasree Chakma Sathi

epending on the country and context, indigenous peoples are referred to with various terms, including tribal, natives, national minorities, or aboriginals. According to the International Labour Organisation’s Convention Number 107 (C107), these groups were referred to as “temporary societies,” in reference to the belief that these groups were under threat of extinction due to modernisation. C107 was ratified by 27 countries, including Bangladesh. So, can we say the country is trying to “modernise” us, thinking that they can eliminate us and make us Bengali? Should a country like Bangladesh, which is being praised for many achievements worldwide, have this sort of notion towards its indigenous peoples? If not, then shouldn’t Bangladesh ratify the ILO convention 169? ILO Convention

Number 169 referred to ITPs (indigenous and tribal peoples) as permanent societies with distinct cultures different from the majority populations in their countries. On a related note, Bangladesh needs to respect those many indigenous peoples who fought side by side with fellow Bangladeshis in 1971 and are still contributing to the country’s development. Bangladesh needs to respect and acknowledge that our communities are not “temporary.” They either exist, with respect and empathy from the government’s policies and actions, or they become extinct while the government does not respect diversity or value the contribution of the small but wise populations. There are numerous international laws and directives which help to understand who is indigenous. An especially important one is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

In 2014, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, in the Wagachara Tea Estate Ltd Vs Muhammad Abu Taher and Others case, upheld the status of the indigenous peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts region through quoting UNDRIP. To identify who is indigenous (or tribal, native, etc) or who is not, there are some criteria which are looked at. These criteria were set considering the diversity of ITPs around the world as they often share similarities, and suffer similar oppression. They are: • Self-identiﬁcation as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member • Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or presettler societies • Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources • Distinct social, economic, or political systems • Distinct language, culture, and beliefs • From non-dominant groups of society • Resolve to maintain and reproduce their ancestral environments and systems as distinctive peoples and communities So, these are the characteristics that can help one to understand

who is indigenous. But please note, the more characteristics one meets, the better. But, this is not to say that people have to meet every single requirement mentioned above. This encompasses the laws, the international standards. But what actually is indigenousness to us on the ground? Indigenousness to us is holding onto our identities which most of the world don’t know much about, but tend to have a lot of opinions on. Indigenousness to us is the freedom to call the lake, the earth, the sun, and all other natural elements, our mother -- and take care of and love these natural elements. Indigenousness to us is to hold and practice the belief that: “The land doesn’t belong to us, we belong to the land,” and that we have the sacred duty to take care of mother Earth when she is being abused in the name of development or in the name of collecting natural resources. Indigenousness to us is that constant ongoing battle with the majority of our own country who want to decide our names without even asking our permission. Indigenousness to us is demanding the rights that belonged to us, but were taken away. We, the people of Bangladesh who belong to minority groups, do not want that which is not ours, we do not dance to please you, we do not dress up for you, we do not cook for you. We do it as a part of our everyday lives and livelihoods, sometimes welcoming you with respect and love. Nobody has any right to impose any decision upon us without our consent. We are polite people, but kindly don’t consider our politeness as our weakness. Our history, our culture, and our resistance are for our people and mother Earth. This is the indigenousness that you should try to find and understand in our cuisine, dress, dances, and other traditions. We are not and will never be that indigenous person that some want us to be. We are indigenous the way we want to be. l Muktasree Chakma Sathi is an activist, feminist, and researcher presently working with Minority Rights Group International and SANGAT, a South Asian Feminist Network. You can follow her on Twitter @SathiChakma.

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

From shanty town to serenity From slum-dwellers, to drug dealers, to magistrates

Dhaka sometimes surprises us with a few morsels of lost pleasures

BIGSTOCK

n Towheed Feroze

his is the tale of a locality right within Dhaka city and how it shed the murky label to transform into a respectable area. Well, almost acceptable. After all, a den of vice, no matter how reformed, will have the faint whiff of past sins for ages. The area is on a small bypass road running through the Nilkhet book market all the way to the Katabon opening, better known as the Katabon dhal (“dhal” meaning a slanted road). This road is not a major route and used only by those who actually know it. In the past, of course, certain parts of this road were notorious. I happen to know this because the veranda of my apartment, in a 40-year-old building, provides a panoramic view of what is going on around the whole place. In Dhaka, where old-fashioned houses are becoming rare, this lane brings back an intoxicating tinge of the past. Sitting on the veranda, looking at the government colony in front of me with a medium sized field, one can easily create an image of urban bliss of lost decades. In fact, the whole surrounding is something of a time capsule. When I first came here in 2003, the large area across my veranda was the infamous Nilkhet Babupura shanty town. All throughout the day, a constant hum could be heard from the slum, which was also the den of drug dealers.

Old-styled colony buildings, an open field with lots of trees, and a view of a vast sky above -- this setting can be from 1976, 1986, or 1996 -- it’s up to you to imagine the time you prefer because the scenery can easily be tied to any nostalgic period of Dhaka’s enchanting past

The road running by the building, where I stay, was dimly lit with a sinister air and was occupied by drug peddlers hiding behind derelict street food carts or the inoperative street lamp post. The light on the lamp post was constantly defective, either it didn’t work or the light was faulty. Perhaps this was done deliberately to allow cover for the drug dealers to provide a quick escape in case the police arrived. The people who came to this road showed a commonality in behaviour: Coming fast in a motor bike or a rickshaw, looking left and right, quickly collecting the contraband stuff, and then leave. Then, one day, the shanty town was demolished. For three whole days, the operation continued. Narcotic traders disappeared. Half the slum, made of bamboo/ plastic/tin was flattened. The remaining structures, which were of concrete, were left half broken. For about six months, the silence from the once bustling area seemed eerie. Then on one fine day, I saw flickers of light from within the ruins. At first I thought someone had taken refuge from the rain or some destitute found

shelter, using the half-broken structures. Then, when the same flickers appeared every night, I decided to investigate. The area was overtaken by heroin addicts, using lighters to inhale the stuff, or in common lingo, to chase the cherry. The drug dealers came back using ingenious tricks to hide their products: Sometimes, under a pile of rubbish left by the road or, at times, in a secret chamber created on the base of the street lamp. One group used another innovative tactic; they put the stuff in a bag and pushed it inside an old telephone box. Dial-a-drug! One night, a riveting crime drama unfolded right before our eyes when a young guy looking like an addict, wearing tight jeans, sandals, and t-shirt appeared in a rickshaw with two other equally disreputable looking fellows. From the veranda I had unfettered view of the ongoing theatre. “10 ampu (ampoules), how much?” “1,200, came the reply.” When the rate was fixed, the seller sent a signal and out of nowhere an ice-cream selling cycle

van appeared. Mind you, ampoules kept on ice! Suddenly, the young guy took out a pistol from his hip while one of his companions in the rickshaw took out a whistle and blew hard. Yep, the cavalry was here … incognito. I heard a revving engine sound. Within seconds, a police van was right underneath my floor; a chase and counter chase ensued with shots fired in the air. The guy looking like an addict turned out to be a sub-inspector. The final revelation came the following day, when after digging a side of the empty slum area, an underground chamber was unearthed housing 5,000 bottles of Phensidyl, plus a huge consignment of Pathedine ampoules. This was sometime around 2007; the area became deserted after that, the grass growing longer covering the remnants of the slum. On stormy afternoons, the sight was breath-taking -- long grass undulating in an open space right in the heart of the city. Two years later, the government came with the plan to transform the fallow land;

construction began in earnest and within three years the place which was once a shanty town turned into a government colony for magistrates. The field right across my veranda was untouched to provide an open space for the children to play. Trees were planted and, in no time, they grew to give a very green touch to the place. Today, as I sit in my veranda and savour the magical monsoon twilight, the view in front could not be more poetic. Old-styled colony buildings, an open field with lots of trees, and a view of a vast sky above -- this setting can be from 1976, 1986, or 1996 -- it’s up to you to imagine the time you prefer because the scenery can easily be tied to any nostalgic period of Dhaka’s enchanting past. For me, it’s especially meaningful because some of my best teenage evenings were spent at the Eskaton Garden Colony in the early 80s. Sitting in 2016, the metamorphosis of the area has not only added respectability but also given residents who live here a morsel of lost pleasures. What do you know, even the street lamps have a quaint design. Rest assured, all of them work emitting a neon beam, which, playing through the long tree branches, create a cathartic sequence. Marvelously addictive, I would say! l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

24 Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

TOP STORIES

Bangladesh’s sorry Olympics tale The Rio 2016 ends today and many events will be remembered from this edition. Some athletes created history and established themselves in the record books but for us the Olympics is way out of reach. PAGE 25

Neymar hands Brazil football gold Neymar shed tears of joy after delivering Brazil’s first men’s football gold medal with the winning penalty over Germany after a thrilling final ended in a draw following extra-time on Saturday. PAGE 26

THE BENGAL TIGER

Margarita Mamun of Russia competes using the ribbon at Rio Olympic Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday

Margarita hails victory for ‘two countries’ n Reuters, Rio De Janeiro

Juve start with win Gonzalo Higuain repaid a first chunk of his 90-million-euro ($102m) transfer fee by firing Juventus to a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in their Serie A opener on Saturday. Roma also got their campaign off to a strong start, thrashing Udinese 4-0. PAGE 27

National football camp begins A total of 27 players out of the 33-man Bangladesh preliminary squad joined the national camp at Imperial Hotel in the capital yesterday ahead of the Asian Football Confederation Cup Qualifiers Play-offs against Bhutan. PAGE 28

REUTERS

Born in Moscow to a Bangladeshi father, rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun showed off her exquisite balancing and twirling skills as she captured what she called “a victory for two countries” in the individual all around event at the Olympics. The 20-year-old Russian goes by the nickname of ‘The Bengal Tiger’ but rather than knocking over her rivals with brute force, she simply left them chasing shadows as she produced four dazzling routines with the hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon to win her first global all around title. To do that she beat overwhelming favourite and three-time world champion Yana Kudryavtseva, who surrendered her title hopes when her twirling act with the clubs went horribly wrong in its dying seconds. Throwing the club high into the air, she rolled over on the floor ready to catch it as she went to strike her final pose, only to have the apparatus land beyond her outstretched hand. “It was quite unexpected for me to win the gold medal today because before today Yana beat

me and win each time in the all around. Hence I wasn’t really thinking about winning the gold medal today,” said the 20-year-old Mamun, who earned Russia a fifth successive gold in the discipline. That error knocked a distraught Kudryavtseva, who was leading at the halfway point of the competition, off the top and allowed Mamun to grab the top prize with a total of 76.483. So had Mamun instantly been aware of Kudryavtseva’s mistake? “I wasn’t aware of Yana’s mis-

take because I was backstage changing costumes for my next ribbon routine,” she said after relegating her Russian teammate to the silver. “I only saw Yana’s score when I and Yana had both finished performing with the ribbon (about 30 minutes later and her score flashed up). I was really surprised Yana made the mistake as she is usually so focused and never shows any nerves.” Mamun, who had represented Bangladesh as a junior, was also

delighted that her victory was also being celebrated in her father, Abdullah Al Mamun’s, homeland. “I’m really happy knowing that I have a lot of fans in Bangladesh who have been supporting me,” added Mamun in Russian. “I can count one to 10 in Bengali. When I was younger my dad used to teach me Bengali but I have forgotten it all.” And why did she chose to represent Bangladesh as a junior considering she was born and raised in her mother’s homeland? “I had dual citizenship so that’s why I decided to represent Bangladesh in one competition as a junior. I came back to represent Russia as I always lived and trained in Russia.”l

INT’L GYMNASTICS COMPETITIONS Event

Margarita Mamun poses with her gold medal

REUTERS

1st 2nd 3rd

Olympic Games

World Championships

0 1

European Games

European Championships 4

Grand Prix Final

Summer Universiade

Total

28 13

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Shamoli Ray of Bangladesh competes in Women’s Individual 1/32 Eliminations match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 10th August 2016

Bangladesh’s sorry Olympics tale n Ali Shahriyar Bappa The Rio 2016 Olympics ends today and many events will be remembered from this edition. Some athletes created history and established themselves in the record books but for us Bangladeshis, the Olympics is way out of reach. A medal seems light years away. The label of “the highest population without an Olympic medal” has already stuck to Bangladesh after smaller nations from across the world started winning medals at this year’s mega event. Bangladesh have established themselves in cricket with some brilliant performances over the years but in athletics, gymnastics and swimming, among a host of sports, are lagging behind. Athletes from these disciplines produce glimpse of hope at the national level but when they participate in the world stage, Bangladesh’s wide-ranging shortcoming becomes exposed. Only raw talent is not enough to win an Olympic medal. Sportsman have to go through years of hard work to achieve success. Proper funding in the relevant sports arena, arranging professional training, hiring professional coaches are also requirements that have to be met at every stage. There has to be emphasis on

these issues more seriously to become successful in the future Olympics. The first step will be to get rid of the mentality that they are just going to participate. Tribune Sprots here takes a look at how Bangladesh’s 2016 Olympians fared.

Siddikur Rahman

The ace golfer made history by becoming the first ever Bangladeshi to qualify to the Olympics directly. But he finished his campaign scoring an overall 11-over-par 295 to finish at third from bottom out of 60 participants. He scored four-over-par 75 in three rounds out of four. He struck seven bogeys against three birdies in round four. Siddikur performed inconsistently in the back nine where he played four bogeys and two birdies in the fifth and ninth holes. His best day in the office came in the second round where he carded one-under-par 70. It was Siddikur’s maiden appearance in the biggest and most prestigious sporting event of the world and the 31-year old made history by becoming the first ever Bangladeshi to qualify for the Olympics directly. “Everyone had high expectations from me in the Olympics. But I think I played really well, considering the golf course. Wind and rain engulfed the first three rounds. After the opening two rounds, I was a bit aggressive in the last two rounds. It was a totally different event where I gave my best and I’m satisfied about my performance. Playing there was a great achievement for me,” Siddikur said.

Shyamoli Roy

Bangladeshi archer Shyamoli Roy finished 53rd out of 64 participants in the recurve bow event’s ranking round at the 2016 Rio Olympics having scored 600 points. Later Shyamoli failed to qualify from the round of 32 in the recurve bow event after the 22-year old archer lost in straight sets against Gabriela Bayardo of Mexico. Shyamoli, from Narail, won gold medal in the recurve bow individual event in 2015 Asian Archery in Thailand. “Despite the windy conditions and rain, I started very well,” Shyamoly later told. “But you see this weather is not usual for us. I was shaking as the rain had made it quite chilly.” Having scored 600 points in the ranking round, Shyamoly (ranked 53rd) was pitted against 12thranked Mexican, who had scored 662 in the ranking round. Shyamoly felt that getting a much higher-ranked opponent cut short her competition, but also felt the experience will help her move forward.

Abdullah Hel Baki

Abdullah Hel Baki displayed Bangladesh’s best performance in the country’s short history of Olympics shooting when he scored 621.2 points to take 25th spot in the 10-metre air rifle event at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Monday. It was also the best ranking or placing for any Bangladeshi shooter in the Olympics. Baki however, failed to qualify for the final round as only the top eight shooters earn that right. The silver medallist of the Commonwealth Games, Baki was

only short of 4.3 points to make it through the qualification as Belarus shooter Illia Charheika scored 625.5 points to finish at eighth position. Although Baki’s best score is 624.8 points, nobody expected him to qualify for the final round. It was however, not the first time Baki travelled to Brazil, as he went there in March to take part in the ISSF World Cup at the same city which he believed help him to prepare better.

Mahfizur Rahman Sagor

Bangladesh swimmer Mahfizur Rahman Sagor made his second Olympics appearance as he finished 54th among 85 participants in the heat of the men’s 50-metre freestyle event. The 23-year old swimmer however, kept his promise by recording his best ever personal timing. Sagor clocked 23.92 seconds. His previous best was 23.93 seconds which he recorded in an open swimming competition in Thailand this year. The opponents proved to be a bridge too far for the man from Pabna, whose best ever timing was only good enough to earn him fifth position in heat number five. He was subsequently ruled out in the preliminary round.

Sonia Akter Tumpa

Swimmer Sonia Akter Tumpa saw the exit door after being eliminated in the heats of the women’s 50m freestyle event. The Jhenaidah swimmer recorded her best ever personal timing – 29.99s which is 0.90 seconds better than her previous best set in Kazan last year. Sonia concluded her mission at 69th place out of 88 participants.

REUTERS

Mezbah Ahmed

Bangladesh’s fastest man Mezbah Ahmed exited the 2016 Rio Olympics as he finished fourth out of seven participants in the heats of the men’s 100-metre event. Mezbah, who clocked 11.34 seconds, ended at 14th place among 21 athletes in the overall standings. This was the 21-year old’s maiden appearance at the Olympics. Mezbah’s best timing is 10.72s and even if he had clocked 10.76s in the preliminaries, he would have qualified for the first round. The timing is Bangladesh’s poorest result in the Olympics after the Sydney Games in 2000. Athlete Mohan Khan took part in the last Olympics in London 2012 where he clocked 11.25s while Abu Abdullah Mohammad and Mohammad Shamsuddin clocked 11.07s and 11.13s respectively in the Beijing Games in 2008 and Athens Games in 2004. Meanwhile, Mezbah blamed lack of training time during Olympic preparation for his performance.

Shirin Akter

Sprinter Shirin was eliminated after Bangladesh’s fastest woman finished fifth in the heats of the 100-metre event. The 22-year old from Satkhira clocked 12.99 seconds and only finished above other participants from Afghanistan, Angola and Marshall Islands. Shirin ended her campaign at 17th position among 24 participants. The sprinter herself however had been saying that she hardly got the proper training required to participate in an Olympic Games. l

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

MEDAL TALLY COUNTRY UNITED STATES

43 37 36

116

GREAT BRITAIN

27 22 17

CHINA

26 18 26

RUSSIAN FED

GERMANY

17 10 14

JAPAN

FRANCE

17 14

REP KOREA

AUSTRALIA

ITALY

NETHERLANDS

HUNGARY

SPAIN

BRAZIL

JAMAICA

KENYA

CROATIA

CUBA

NEW ZEALAND

CANADA

KAZAKHSTAN

COLOMBIA

IRAN

GREECE

ARGENTINA

SWEDEN

SOUTH AFRICA

UKRAINE

POLAND

DPR KOREA

SERBIA

UZBEKISTAN

BELGIUM

SWITZERLAND

THAILAND

SLOVAKIA

GEORGIA

DENMARK

AZERBAIJAN

BELARUS

TURKEY

ARMENIA

SLOVENIA

INDONESIA

CZECH REPUBLIC

ETHIOPIA

ROMANIA

BAHRAIN

VIETNAM

CHINESE TAIPEI

BAHAMAS

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

IOA

FIJI

JORDAN

KOSOVO

PUERTO RICO

SINGAPORE

TAJIKISTAN

Updated yesterday (9pm)

Brazil forward Neymar scores the winning goal past Germany goalkeeper Timo Horn during the penalty shoot-out of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men’s football gold medal match at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Satrurday AFP

Neymar hands Brazil precious football gold n Reuters, Rio De Janeiro Neymar shed tears of joy after delivering Brazil’s first men’s football gold medal with the winning penalty in a 5-4 shootout triumph over Germany after a thrilling final ended in a draw following extra-time on Saturday. Brazil had lost the Olympic final three times - in 1984, 1988 and 2012 - but they finally got the gold they craved on a dramatic night at the Maracana stadium in which they outplayed the Germans but were saved three times by the woodwork. Neymar had put the hosts ahead

with a superb free kick after 27 minutes but Germany captain Maximilian Meyer equalised just before the hour to take the game into the extra period at 1-1. There were no more goals so the match went to penalties with Nils Petersen missing Germany’s fifth spot kick leaving Neymar, who appeared to injure himself late in the game, to limp up and coolly score from the spot to send the capacity crowd wild. The victory gave Brazil a measure of revenge for their humiliating 7-1 defeat by eventual World Cup winners Germany in the semi-fi-

nals on home soil in 2014 - a game the frustrated Neymar had to watch from the sidelines due to injury. “Yesterday we were criticised,” the 24-year-old Barcelona forward said in reference to Brazil’s poor start to the Olympic tournament in which the home side drew 0-0 with South Africa and Iraq. “We have replied with good football.” Brazil coach Rogerio Micale added: “We had players who were extremely dedicated, professional and with great technical skill. I’ll leave here with the sensation of having done my duty.” The win means a unified Ger-

Farah does the double, US clean up n Reuters, Rio De Janeiro Briton Mo Farah joined the ranks of the all-time distance greats on Saturday by becoming just the second man to retain both Olympic track long distance titles after adding a brilliant 5,000m gold to his 10,000 at the Rio Games. On a sparkling final night of athletics, Matthew Centrowitz won a shock 1,500m gold for the United States, their first in the event since 1908.The nation also won both 4x400m relays to stretch their winning margin in the track and field medal count. Caster Semenya cruised to victory in the women’s 800m, Germany’s Thomas Roehler won the javelin and 37-year-old high jumper Ruth Beitia won Spain’s first Olympic gold in women’s athletics. With Usain Bolt finally moving aside after his triple-triple heroics had dominated the first nine days of action, Farah took centre stage for his double-double to emulate

Finland’s Lasse Viren (1972 and 1976). Having also done the double twice at the world championships, Farah proved he is up there with the best endurance performers of all time.

He never looked like being beaten on Saturday, winning gold with a consummate display of control and finishing power. “To do it again is incredible,” said Farah. “I have that drive, it’s just me.l

Gold winner Mohamed Farah of Britain celebrates

REUTERS

many are now the only World Cup winners never to have won the Olympic gold medal and the loss robbed them of a chance to complete the male and female double after their women’s team beat Sweden 2-1 on Friday. With a passionate crowd behind them, Brazil took the game to their opponents and dominated possession and territory. Neymar was brought down almost 25 metres from goal and, although the angle was tight, he curled a spectacular strike into the net off the underside of Timo Horn’s bar.l

Rohler wins javelin gold n AFP, Rio de Janeiro Thomas Rohler offered Germany a crumb of comfort after their football team lost to Brazil in the Olympic final by winning his country’s first javelin gold in 80 years. The unheralded Rohler launched a best of 90.30 metres for Germany’s first in the javelin since Gerhard Stock won in the 1936 Games in Berlin. Kenya’s reigning world champion Julius Yego took silver with 88.24m, while defending Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago claimed bronze with 85.83m in a high-class competition. “We saw the end of the game in the warm-up area,” Rohler said of the football game, with Neymar scoring the decisive penalty as Brazil beat Germany 5-4 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 at the end of regulation time. “I’m sorry for Germany but I’m happy for Brazil.”l

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Suarez treble and Messi double lift six-goal Barca n Reuters, Barcelona Luis Suarez grabbed a hat-trick and Lionel Messi bagged two goals as Barcelona began their quest for a third straight La Liga title with a 6-2 rout of Real Betis on Saturday. Arda Turan, whose two goals against Sevilla helped Barca lift the

Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, gave them an early lead at the Nou Camp before Ruben Castro equalised in the 21st minute. Barca went back in front thanks to a trademark 37th-minute goal from Messi before Suarez, La Liga’s top scorer last season, made it 3-1 before halftime.

Juve start with win n AFP, Rome Gonzalo Higuain repaid a first

RESULTS 4-0

Roma

Udinese

Perotti 65-P, 75-P, Dzeko 82, Salah 84

2-1

Juventus

Fiorentina

Khedira 37, Higuain 75

Kalinic 70

chunk of his 90-million-euro ($102m) transfer fee by firing Juventus to a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in their Serie A opener on Saturday. Roma also got their campaign off to a strong start, thrashing Udinese 4-0 thanks to a second-half blitz in Rome. Higuain had been left out of starting lineup because he is not deemed to be fully match fit.l

Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain celebrates after scoring the winning goal

Liverpool stunned, Chelsea rally to win n Reuters, London

RESULTS 1-4

Stoke Bojan 49-P

Man City Aguero 27-P, 36, Nolito 86, 90+5

2-0

Burnley

Liverpool

Vokes 2, Gray 37

Swansea

0-2

Hull Maloney 79, Hernandez 90+3

Tottenham

1-0

Crystal Palace

Wanyama 83

1-2

Watford Capoue 55

Chelsea Batshuayi 80, Costa 87

West Brom

1-2

McAuley 9

Mirallas 45+2, Barry 67

Leicester

Everton

0-0

Arsenal

Liverpool were sent spinning to a 2-0 defeat at promoted Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday while Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford thanks to late goals from Michy Batshuayi and Diego Costa. Leicester were left fuming after they had two strong penalty appeals denied against Arsenal. Substitute Ahmed Musa was then brought down by Hector Bellerin in the 88th minute as Leicester’s counter-attacking pace put Arsenal under pressure, only for Clattenburg to again wave play on.l

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX Spanish La Liga 12:00AM Celta Vigo v Leganes 2:00AM Valencia v Las Palmas

CRICKET TEN 3 1:30PM New Zealand Tour of South Africa 1st Test, Day 4 8:00PM India Tour of West Indies 4th Test, Day 5

Messi set up Suarez for the Uruguayan’s second in the 56th minute before the Argentine netted again a minute later with a left-foot drive from outside the area. Suarez then completed his treble with a 25-metre free kick in the 82nd minute. Betis scored again six minutes from time after Castro struck a

right-foot shot beyond goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. Barca were without several injured players including captain Andres Iniesta and forward Neymar. Chile captain Bravo, linked with a move to Manchester City by media reports, started in goal with Marc-Andre ter Stegen out injured.l

RESULTS Barcelona

6-2

Granada

1-1

Turan 6, Messi 37, 58, Suarez 42, 56, 82 Ponce 65

Sevilla Sarabia 15, Vietto 22, 45, Vazquez 54, Ben Yedder 66, Kiyotake 74

Betis

Ruben Castro 21, 84

Villarreal Samu Castillejo 62

6-4

Espanyol Piatti 8, Hernan Perez 26, Victor Sanchez 44, Gerard Moreno 80

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

National football camp begins n Tribune Report

A total of 27 players out of the 33-man Bangladesh preliminary squad joined the national camp at Imperial Hotel in the capital yesterday ahead of the Asian Football Confederation Cup Qualifiers Playoffs against Bhutan. Belgian tactician Tom Saintfiet, who is set to sign the contract today to officially become the Bangladesh head coach, will conduct his first training session at Bangabandhu National Stadium later in the day. Five Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra players were unable to join the camp as the club are now in Bhutan to take part in the AFC Cup Playoffs Qualifiers while uncapped youngster Rummon Hossain is in hospital due to dengue fever. Saintfiet will get a fortnight to prepare his charges before the first match at home on September 6. Prior to the Bhutan clash, Bangladesh will play a Fifa international friendly against hosts Maldives on September 1. They will leave here for Maldives next Monday. “Maldives are a strong opponent, they are not an easy team. I was very happy with the initiative taken by our federation (Bangla-

Sentu Chanro Sen, Mehbub Hasan Nayan, Monsur Amin and Didarul Alam are the fresh faces in the 33-man Bangladesh preliminary squad MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK desh Football Federation), as well as Maldives, for agreeing to play this match. It will help me to analyse the quality of my players. It will help me to make my final decision about which players will play against Bhutan,” said Saintfiet yesterday. New Faces

Rahmatganj forwards Mehbub Hasan Nayan and Didarul Alam have been rewarded for their brilliant performance in the league this season. The old Dhaka outfit are joint top of the Bangladesh Premier League points table after six rounds and they are still unbeaten. This is Nayan’s maiden season

Taskin confident before test n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed is all set to appear for the bowling action test in Brisbane, Australia on September 8, along with left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny. And the right-arm paceman is confident of giving his best and making a comeback to international cricket. “It feels good that the date has finally been fixed. I am feeling better after hearing about it. Obvious-

ly there is some mental pressure. And despite taking preparation, it’s natural that there will be some nervousness. But overall, my preparation has been good. I’m hopeful of a positive result,” Taskin told the media yesterday. According to the 21-year old, he has prepared himself by bowling all kinds of deliveries before the impending test. “I can’t make a comment on it (International Cricket Council deci-

sion). Now, I have to prepare myself accordingly for all types of deliveries. I am hopeful that everything will be fine,” he said. “Obviously I want to make a comeback. No one wants to miss a series for Bangladesh. To be honest, this suspension has been a burden for me as I was not able to bowl in international cricket. I don’t want to miss the upcoming series so I am giving my hundred percent,” he added. l

in the professional league but it was enough to impress Saintfiet. Nayan started his career with Nababpur Krira Chakra in the Pioneer League in 2008. “As it is my first season in the league, I always tried to give my best. There was extra motivation as the coach (Saintfiet) was watch-

ing the games. Now my only target is to improve my performance and contribute my best to the nation,” Nayan, 19, told Dhaka Tribune yesterday. In contrast, Didarul has been playing in the professional league since 2009 when he featured for Brothers Union for three seasons before moving to Team BJMC. On the other hand, right-back Mansur Amin’s amazing display in the Independence Cup earned him a place in the 33-member squad. Mansur played in the third division two seasons ago for Nababpur while he turned out for Mohammedan Sporting Club last season. Meanwhile, Uttar Baridhara left winger Sentu Chandra Sen is the oldest among the freshers. The 30year old completed AFC C-License coaching course in 2014. He played for the Under-20 national side in 2003 and featured in the professional league for Sheikh Russel in 2007. Last season, he played in the Championship League for Uttar Baridhara. “When I did my AFC C-License, my intention was to get myself involved with football. When I received the national call-up, I couldn’t quite believe it,” said Sentu. l

Arafat Sunny’s father Rahim passes away n Tribune Report Bangladesh Cricket Board expressed profound sadness at the passing away of Abdur Rahim, father of Bangladesh spinner Arafat Sunny. Rahim breathed his last in Dhaka in the early hours of yesterday morning. BCB extended deepest sympathies to Sunny and the other family members of the departed.

Rahim was suffering from blood sugar and gastric issues and his health deteriorated on Saturday. He died on his way to the hospital. Rahim, 60, left behind his wife, two sons and as many daughters. Meanwhile, Sunny, who was suspended for illegal bowling action by the International Cricket Council, was set to travel to Brisbane, Australia on September 6 for the bowling action test. l

Tigresses to tour Ireland in Sep n Tribune Report

Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed drops a catch during training at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangladesh women’s cricket team will take on Ireland in two one-day internationals and as many Twenty20 internationals in September. Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed the tour through a media release yesterday. Bangladesh will travel to Northern Ireland on September 2 and are scheduled to meet the Irish in the T20Is on September 5 and 6 respectively. The two sides will then lock horns in the ODIs on September 8 and 10. All the matches will be held

at Bready Cricket Club in Londonderry. BCB chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury said the tour will be an excellent opportunity for the cricketers to test themselves against the fellow World Cup hopefuls. “I want to thank Cricket Ireland for the tour arrangements. Taking logistical and operational convenience into consideration, we had to shorten the duration of the tour. CI deserves a lot of credit for accommodating the BCB’s request and making the necessary adjustments within a short time.

I am sure the players will make the most of the four games which promise exciting and competitive cricket,” said Nizamuddin in the press release. “Our cricketers will be greatly benefited by the experience of playing in conditions which are not familiar to them. Bangladesh and Ireland are rapidly developing teams and both are on a mission to qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup. This will be very good preparation heading into the qualifiers, scheduled for Thailand next year,” the BCB CEO added. l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Actual (4) 5 Swallows eagerly (5) 8 Widespreading dominion (6) 9 Rudely brief in speech (4) 10 Monkey (3) 12 Give up (6) 13 Depends upon (6) 15 Winner (6) 18 Goes by (6) 20 United (3) 21 Line of soldiers (4) 23 Jubilant (6) 24 Not hollow (5) 25 Meshed fabrics (4)

DOWN 1 Happen again (5) 2 Flightless bird (3) 3 Month (5) 4 Illuminated (3) 5 Book of the Bible (7) 6 Heavy substance (4) 7 Prophet (4) 11 Mexican currency unit (4) 12 Venerated (7) 14 Dash (4) 16 Hackneyed (5) 17 Water grasses (5) 18 Mild explosions (4) 19 Close up (4) 21 Devoted follower (3) 22 Permit (3)

Downtime

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 7 represents A so fill A every time the figure 7 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

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

Joler Gan for Kurigram

n Roopkotha Chowdhury Joler Gan is one of those bands who believe in the taste of rural culture. Members of Joler Gan, including Rahul Anand, Kanak Aditya, Saiful Jarnal, Rana Sarwar, Sheuly Bhattacharjee, ABS Xem, Aseer Armaan and Shyamal Karmakar, have now decided to do something for the flood affected people of Kurigram.

Kurigram is one of the most affected areas during the flood seasons. Several chars and low laying areas have already gone underwater. Flood affected locals have taken refuge in schools and cyclone shelters. However, the farmers are quite worried about the monumental loss of crops. To be with them, the band’s fan club is arranging a concert on August 24. Jarnal, member of Joler Gan

says, “We are arranging a concert to help the people of Kurigram gain the fundamental basic after flood. They need this help as they are now homeless and helpless.” Joler Gan already performed for for the cause twice before. The concert will be held at Chitro Shala of Shilpokola Academy. Tickets will be priced a Tk500, and will be available at Deshal showrooms across Dhaka. l

Monalisa returns to US while Mila returns n Showtime Desk After a long time, model and actress Monalisa came back to Bangladesh for a visit. Local groups have become curious to know whether she would stay or not. The promising model was once on the top of the entertainment world in Bangladesh. Another famous model, who lived in US for a couple of years is now also back in Dhaka. Mila Hossain, Lux Ananda Dhara Miss Photogenic 2000, left the country back in 2003. She only had a three year career in the media but performed in remarkable ads and drama serials. She came back for a while in 2014 and took part in two dramas. This time, she is here for more than one year. However, she mentioned that her intention is to take some time off. She wants to spend time with her family. Mila is married to Zakaria Masud Jico, editor and publisher of US based weekly paper where

Mila Hossain works too. l

Britney’s music bomb n Showtime Desk Britney originally teased the release of her single “Do You Wanna Come Over” by posting a tweet revealing the song’s release date on August 18. Attached to the tweet was a screen grab from her last music video, “Make Me,” which was the first official single off of her upcoming album. We’re a little more than a week away from Glory’s release, and to celebrate, Britney Spears has put out another track from her highly anticipated ninth studio album. “Do You Wanna Come Over” is the fourth song Spears has shared ahead of Glory. Spears says the track embodies the essence of the phrase “Netflix and Chill.” “I could get into that kissin’ and touchin’,” Spears sings in the new

track, “Or we could be good and do next to nothin.;” She continues, “‘Cause all I want is what you want, and all you want is me. Yeah, all you want is what I want, and what I want is you.” She has previously released her album’s lead single “Make Me” and two promotional singles, “Private Show” and “Clumsy.” “Do You Wanna Come Over” is more poppy and up-tempo than the R&B inspired musice of the first two songs, but less frenetic than the electro-dance style of “Clumsy.” The new song also comes ahead of Britney’s recently announced performance at this year’s VMAs, where she will be giving her debut performance of “Make Me” with G-Eazy. “Do You Wanna Come Over” is available now on iTunes. l

Wind of Change to feature James n Showtime Desk While Nagarbaul’s James is on stage, anything happening live is enough to make his fans go berserk. The classic rock tracks sung by this internationally famed star still entice millions of his fans. This time the rockstar is set to be featured in Wind of Change, a live fusion musical programme of Gaan Bangla channel. Rubaiyyat Thakur Robin, James' manager, confirmed the news saying, “James has sung two songs for the second session of Wind of Change. The first song, ‘Taray Taray,’ is based on a peom written by Shamsur Rahman and a track from Nagar Baul while the second one, ‘Meerabai,’ is written by Marzuk Russell and a track from Thik Asey Bandhu.” On August 20, James along with the foreign musicians took part in the shooting on the second floor of BFDC. James’s responded to this

effort by saying, “This is an extraordinary programme. I have gone through new experience working with the musicians from other countries.” Wind of Change is a live musical show, where performances are seen from popular local artists. What sets the show apart is its inclusion of artists from all around the world

Founder of Backstreet Boys dies in prison

to perform with the local artists of Bangladesh. Similar to Coke Studio, the program has already received positive response from the audience in its initial stage of broadcast. Produced by Kaushik Hossain Taposh and Farzan Munni, the second session of the programme is made under the TM Productions. Like the previous

Natalie Portman ‘done’ with Marvel n Showtime Desk

n Farhan Shahriar The creator of two popular bands; Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, Lou Pearlman has died in prison at the age of 62. A source has confirmed that the record producer and manager died on Friday. The cause of his death is still unknown. So far, musicians and followers have paid tribute to Pearlman on social media. Previously, he was convicted of fraud for running a £230 million Ponzi scheme through his Trans Continental

companies. He ran away to Indonesia but was captured by the authorities in 2007, and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2008. The pop music mastermind was sued by every act he represented but one. During the late nineties, Pearlman was extremely successful after he founded the best-selling band of all time, the Backstreet Boys in Florida. After that he also signed NSYNC, O-Town, LFO, and Innosence, which briefly featured Britney Spears, to his Trans Continental Records label. l

session, the second session also features foreign musicians including Anna Rakita (violin), Anton Davidyants (bass), Mohini Dey (bass), and Nelli Bubujanca (drums). The sound engineers who worked in the programme are those who worked in MTV India’s Unplugged and MTV India’s Coke Studio. . l

While some were surprised when Natalie Portman was found to be missing from the Thor: Ragnarok cast list, others assumed her character was being held back for another installment. But as she told the Wall Street Journal, she is ‘done’ with her Marvel obligations. The Black Swan star said, “As far as I know I’m done. I don’t know if maybe one day they’ll ask for an ‘Avengers 7’ or something. As far as I know I’m done, but it was a great thing to be a part of.” The actress played Jane Foster in the first two Thor movies. And while she and Chris Hemsworth were a likeable screen duo, there was little for Jane to do but sit around and wait for the action to end. Previously, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige mentioned this waiting around was part of the reason Portman and Jane would not be part of the film. “There are only a couple of scenes on Earth in this movie; eighty to ninety percent takes place in the cosmos,” he said in May. Very little room for an Earth scientist not named Bruce Banner, it would seem.

But Portman’s new comments suggest she is under no obligation to return in the future, even if she seems amiable to return for an Avengers appearance at some point. Perhaps the cinematic story of Jane Foster is not yet at an end. Meanwhile, Thor: Ragnarok comes to theatres on November 3, 2017. l

Showtime

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban HBO 9:30pm It’s Harry’s third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new “Defense Against the Dark Arts” teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards’ Prison and is coming after Harry. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint Killer HBO Hits 8:18pm A vacationing woman meets her ideal man, leading to a swift marriage. Back at home, however, their idyllic life is upset when they discover their neighbors could be assassins who have been contracted to kill the couple. Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Movies Now 1:45pm Fifteen years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house, siblings Hansel and Gretel have grown into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches. Over the years, the siblings became expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches. Cast: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen Hotel Transylvania 2 Sony PIX 2:49pm Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving the hotel. Cast: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez Ice Age: The Meltdown Star Movies HD 7:30pm Manny, Sid, and Diego discover that the ice age is coming to an end, and join everybody for a journey to higher ground. On the trip, they discover that Manny, in fact, is not the last of the woolly mammoths. Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary

Back Page

MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016

JAPANESE PROJECT SITES TO GET GOVT SECURITY PAGE 12

MARGARITA HAILS VICTORY FOR ‘TWO COUNTRIES’ PAGE 22

BSB FOUNDER DIES IN PRISON PAGE 31

Bombing at wedding kills at least 51 in Turkey n Reuters, Gaziantep, Turkey At least 51 people were killed when a suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14 attacked a wedding party in the Turkish city of Gaziantep late on Saturday, the president said. The attack was the deadliest in a series of bombings in Turkey this year, and President Tayyip Erdogan said Islamic State was likely behind it. “Initial evidence suggests it was a Daesh attack,” Erdogan said, using an Arabic name for the hardline Sunni Islamist group, during a visit on Sunday to Gaziantep, which has a sizeable Kurdish community. He said 69 people were in hospital and 17 were “heavily injured”. A destroyed suicide vest was found at the blast site, officials said. Islamic State has been blamed for other similar attacks in Turkey, often targeting Kurdish gatherings in an effort to inflame ethnic tensions. The deadliest was last October, when suicide bombers killed over 100 people at a rally of pro-Kurdish and labour activists in Ankara. Saturday’s attack comes with Turkey still in shock just a month after Erdogan and the government survived an attempted coup by rogue military officers, which Ankara blames on US-based Islamist preacher Fethullah Gulen. Gulen has denied the charge. The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said the wedding party was for one of its members. The groom was among those

A man cries as he carries a coffin during a funeral for victims of last night's attack on a wedding party that left 50 dead in Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border yesterday AFP injured, but the bride was not hurt. The bomb went off as guests spilled out into the streets of the city close to the Syrian border after the traditional henna night party, when guests have their hands and feet painted. Women and children, including a three-month-old baby, were among the dead, witnesses said. Blood and burn marks stained the walls of the narrow lane where the blast hit. Women in white and

Doctor: Afsana may have killed herself n Kamrul Hasan Afsana Ferdous, the architecture student whose mysterious death recently caused public outrage, might have killed herself, the doctor who performed an autopsy on her has said. Dr Abul Khair Md Safiuzzaman, an assistant professor at Dhaka Medical College’s forensic department, said the post-mortem examination did not reveal any torture mark on the body of the 24-year-old. Initial findings indicated that Afsana may have committed suicide, he said.

Asked if the body had signs of torture, Dr Safiuzzaman said: “We did not find any such thing. The only mark on her body was from the noose around the neck.” He also added that several other tests were now being carried out and further details would be disclosed after getting the results. The body of Afsana, a final-year student at Mirpur’s SAIC Institute of Management and Technology, was dropped off at a hospital in Dhaka city on August 13 by two unidentified men who fled soon after. Afsana’s family claims that she was raped and murdered. l

checkered scarves wept outside the morgue waiting for word on missing relatives. “The celebrations were coming to an end and there was a big explosion among people dancing,” said 25-year-old Veli Can. “There was blood and body parts everywhere.” “We want to end these massacres,” witness Ibrahim Ozdemir said. “We are in pain, especially the women and children.”

Funerals, forensic tests

Hundreds gathered for funerals on Sunday, with coffins draped in the green of Islam. But some ceremonies would have to wait because many victims were blown to pieces and DNA tests would be needed to identify them, security sources said. “Every type of death is painful. But it is even more painful when it comes with religious slogans. It is even more painful when they mix

religion with politics,” said Omer Emlik, who said he was an uncle of two of the victims. Anti-government protests erupted at at least one funeral, where threw plastic bottles and chanted “Murderer Erdogan!” Some in Turkey feel the government has not done enough to protect its citizens from Islamic State. Nato member Turkey is a partner in the Western coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, allowing US jets to fly missions against the group from its air bases. It has also supported some rebel groups in Syria. Syrian rebels backed by Turkey were preparing to launch an operation to capture a town held by Islamic State near the Turkish border, a senior Syrian rebel said on Sunday. Islamic State is also fighting USbacked Syrian Kurdish rebels. Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish fighters a terrorist group and worries their advance against Islamic State will encourage Kurdish militants in Turkey.

Ethnic faultlines

“IS has been trying to agitate or exploit already tense ethnic and sectarian faultlines to retaliate for the advancement of Syrian Kurds in the north of Syria and by Turkey’s attack on ISIS targets in Syria,” said Metin Gurcan, an independent security analyst and retired Turkish military officer who writes a column for Al-Monitor. “For IS it is hitting two birds with one stone.” l

DMP releases videos of Avijit’s killers n Mohammad Jamil Khan Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday released multiple videos of six suspected killers of the secular writer Avijit Roy, a year and half after he was killed. In the seven videos posted on the DMP official Facebook page, the suspects are seen following Avijit and his wife Bonya at the Ekushey book fair. Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media and publication) of DMP, confirmed the circulation of the videos to the Dhaka Tribune. “We have analysed over two terabytes of 32 CCTV footage from the book fair and we have identified about six suspects,” said the case supervising officer, Additional

Deputy Commissioner of DB police, Rajib Al Masud. DMP also asked anyone with information about the identities or whereabouts of these six men- to inform the DMP through Facebook messages or use the Counter Terrorism unit’s “Hello CT” app. In the first footage, a youth is seen following the couple while typing on his mobile phone at 8:44pm. Another youth is seen moving away with a bag on shoulder while another rotund youth is seen near them wearing sunglasses. In the second footage, Avijit and Bonya are seen coming out from the book fair and these three youths can be seen around them talking to someone over the phone. In another footage, one youth

can been seen standing at the entrance to the book fair at 4:01pm wearing a shot panjabi and holding a cellphone. At the same time another youth is spotted entering the book fair on a bicycle. Masruqure Rahman Khaqled, deputy commissioner of DB police said the rotund youth might be a resident of Old Dhaka and may not be technologically savvy. We are getting some information regarding the suspects and we now need to be absolutely sure about them, he added. Avijit Roy, the founder of a secular blog called Mukto-Mona, was hacked to death near TSC intersection on February 26 last year. His wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya was also injured in the attack. 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