29 Aug, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

NARAYANGANJ RAID

Two militants identified as Rabbi, Tausif Rahman Rabbi n Arifur and Tanveer Hossain, Narayanganj Police have identified Jessore native Kazi Fazle Rabbi and Dhaka's Dhanmondi resident Tausif Hossain as the two militants who were killed along with suspected Gulshan attack mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury during Saturday's raid in Narayanganj. The chief of DMP's Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, Monirul Islam, confirmed the names to the Dhaka Tribune. “We found a national identity card in Rabbi’s pocket that helped us in identifying him,” Monirul said.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

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Tausif was friends with Nibras n Kamrul Hasan One of the militants killed during Saturday’s Narayanganj raid, Tausif Hossain, was friends with one of the Gulshan attackers, Nibras Islam, and both men ran away from home on the same day – February 3 this year. Tausif, who completed his O Level and A Level from Maple Leaf International School, was reportedly a student at a Malaysian university, similar to Nibras. The last time Tausif spoke to his parents at their Dhanmondi home, he told them he was going out for lunch with his friends including Nibras, said Dhanmondi police station Officer-in-Charge Nur-e-Azam Mia. Tausif’s father filed a general diary on February 5 reporting him as missing, the OC said. On February 9, Tausif was named as a person of interest in a first information report (FIR) filed

with Shahbagh police after three suspected militants were arrested. Those three have now gone into hiding after securing bail from the High Court. Tausif was the seventh missing person on the list of suspected militants released by RAB on August 9. The first week of February was also the same time when several other young militants, who active-

ly took part or participated in the plotting of recent terrorist attacks, ran away from home. They included two other Gulshan attackers Rohan Imtiaz and Meer Saameh Mubasher, as well Sholakia attacker Abeer Rahman, and Kallyanpur militant Shazad Rouf Arko. All of them are now dead – killed during police offensives. Sources in law enforcement agencies told the Dhaka Tribune that all of these missing youths had stayed together in a Jhenaidah mess before carrying out the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks.

‘No one visited Tausif at home’

The Dhaka Tribune visited Tausif’s Dhanmondi house yesterday, but found that his parents had left the place on Saturday night. Nannu Miah, the caretaker of the building, said Tausif’s father Dr Ajmal Hossain and his mother Farida Hossain hurriedly left the house

without carrying any bag. However, Nannu said he had no idea about where they might have gone. Nannu said Tausif used to return home from his studies in Malaysia every six months or so, and usually left again after a month. During his stays in Dhaka, Tausif mostly stayed inside, only heading out to coaching in the afternoon, Nannu said, adding that Tausif was carrying a backpack on the day he ran away from home. Asked if any of Tausif’s friends visited the Dhanmondi house, Nannu said no one ever came over. Nannu, who has been working at the building for the last seven years, described Tausif as a polite boy who never misbehaved. Golam Ali, who is an employee of a company located in the same building, said he knew Tausif personally and it has come as a shock to all that such a polite boy could be involved in such militant activity. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Rabbi, Tausif

Forensic experts leave the Dhaka Medical College morgue with forensic samples collected from the dead bodies of Narayanganj militants after finishing their postmortem examinations yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Militant Rabbi left home in April to join jihad Tauhid-Uz-Zaman, n Md Jessore Neighbours of Kazi Fazle Rabbi, who was killed in a police raid in Narayanganj on Saturday morning, were not surprised to learn that he was a militant and said he was radicalised in a neighbourhood mosque. “Rabbi left home in April, telling his sister that he was going to join jihad. He said he would meet his family on the Judgement Day,” said Afzal Hossain Dodul, deputy commander of Muktijoddha Sangsad Jessore Sadar committee and a neighbour. “After he left, I helped his father in filing a general diary with police.” The Dhaka Tribune tried to contact Rabbi’s father Kazi Habibullah yesterday morning; after several attempts, he agreed to speak with this correspondent on the ground floor of his house, from behind a curtain. “I learnt of my son’s death on Saturday evening. Write reports on him of you want, I don’t have a

problem with that. But what about those who made my son a militant? Why is the government not doing anything to catch them?” he said. Asked if he would collect his son’s dead body, he said: “Of course, I will,” before leaving abruptly. Afzal said Rabbi would likely be buried at his ancestral village in Magura district. The Dhaka Tribune also spoke to a number of people who live in the same locality as Rabbi’s family in Kismat Nawapara, Jessore Sadar upazila. All of them said Rabbi was shy and polite, but was not very social and did not mix with other boys his age in the neighbourhood. “Rabbi was a recluse and was always using his laptop. Whenever his parents entered his room, he promptly shut it down. Different jihadi books were found in his house, which were destroyed by his father,” said Moshiar Rahman, the family’s neighbour. “The only person he was visibly friendly with was the imam at the local mosque, Md Yahiya. Yahiya

tried to radicalise a number of local boys, but Rabbi was the only one to fall into the trap,” said local resident Shafiul Alam. When locals discovered Yahiya’s militancy recruitment, they threw him out of the mosque.

A brief profile

Rabbi was identified by his National ID card that police found in his pocket, said Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit chief Monirul Islam. His name was also listed in the anti-militancy poster prepared by Jessore police, which had the names and photos of local suspected militants, the CTTC chief added. Jessore police published the poster last month listing the names of five suspected militants; Rabbi’s name was the second on the list. He was studying physics at Jessore Government Michael Madhusudan College, and was in second year when he went missing on April 5. Prof Mizanur Rahman, principal of Rabbi’s college said he was a brilliant student. “He scored GPA 5 in

his SSC and GPA 4.6 in his HSC exams. His first year final results were impressive too.” His father Habibullah, a retired principal, filed the GD on April 7 with Kotwali police station, sources said. He also published an open letter in two national dailies, begging his son to come back home. Sources in intelligence agencies said Rabbi used to be a followe of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, but he left Shibir to join militant activities. But it is not yet clear which militant group he was connected to, they added. Jessore Superintendent of Police Anisur Rahman said Rabbi’s father initially reported in the GD that his son left home without saying anything. “But later we found out that he left home to join militants. His parents tried numerous times to bring him back, but failed.” Asked about imam Yahiya, he said police were working to find out everyone who instigated, financed and helped Rabbi. “All of them will be brought to book.” l

“Jessore police had made an anti-militancy poster that contained the pictures and names of some militants from the district. His [Rabbi’s] name is also there in the poster. “We think the other militant is Nibras Islam’s friend Tausif Hossain, but we are not a hundred percent sure,” the CTTC unit chief said. On the other hand, one of the doctors who carried out autopsies on the three militants, said all of them had bullet wounds on their heads and bodies. Dr Sohel Mahmud, an assistant professor at the forensic department of Dhaka Medical College, said a three-member team carried out the post-mortem examination of the men who were still unidentified to them. However, the person who the media identified as Tamim had a single bullet wound to the head, he said. The other two men also had bullet exit wounds to their heads and bodies, as well as having bomb splinters embedded in their bodies, Dr Mahmud said. Blood, hair and tissue samples from the militants’ bodies have been sent to a chemical laboratory in Mohakhali, he added. The other two members of the autopsy board were Dr Prodip Bishwas and Dr Kabir Chowdhury.

Case filed, house owner arrested

Narayanganj Sadar Model police station Officer-in-Charge Assaduzzaman has filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act, accusing Tamim and his two associates as well as several unnamed suspects. The case will now be investigated by the police station’s Inspector (investigation) Abdur Razzak, said Narayanganj Additional Superintendent of Police Faruk Hossain. Meanwhile, the police have also detained Nuruddin Dewan, the owner of the house the militants lived in, for not providing tenant information to law enforcers. During a press conference yesterday morning, Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Moinul Haque said 10 people were detained on Saturday evening following the raid. Nine of them were released after interrogation, while the house owner has been shown as arrested. The militants had probably used forged identifications for renting the house, Moinul said, adding that the issue was still being investigated. “The militants were planning to attack foreigners living in the peripheries of the capital. That is why they chose the densely populated Narayanganj area,” the SP said. Following Saturday’s drive, security has been increased in Narayanganj, while block raids are still going on, he added. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Police: Arms used in Dhaka attack smuggled in through the border Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Arifur Rahman Rabbi The AK 22 rifles which terrorists used in Dhaka terror attack and which were found in Narayanganj militant den were smuggled into Bangladesh through the Bangladesh-India border in Chapinawabganj district, police said. The rifles were originally smuggled into Bihar, India via Nepal, from where they were transported into Bangladesh, said Monirul Islam, chief of police’s Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit yesterday. “We acquired this information

during interrogation of JMB members who were recently arrested in North Bengal and some other districts,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. The idea of buying firearms for militants was formed after Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the mastermind of Dhaka terror attack, joined the group, according to investigators. In fact, the formation of the new faction of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), or NEW JMB, was made possible because of Tamim who brought in a large amount of money. “Tamim collected fund using many banking channels, and he

was highly capable of acquiring firearms,” Monirul said. “The Tk38 lakh that we recovered from Saiful Haque Sujon in December last year was supposed to go to Tamim, and the money came from Spain through China.” Police are now working to identify the arms importers and the financiers. “We have some information and are working to verify it and trace their real identities,” Monirul said. Meanwhile, a CTTC high official, requesting anonymity, said four or five of the financiers had already been identified and were now under surveillance.

Another, CTTC high official, who also asked not to be named, said: “We also have information on militant armouries around the country. So far we have been able to recover a small number of illegal firearms, but we have increased vigilance to trace the rest of them.” Investigators also said they had identified eight or nine more militants who worked directly under Tamim in planning the Dhaka attack. “Beside Tamim, another militant played an important role in the planning of the Gulshan attack – Marjan, the youngest lead-

er of NEW JMB. We are working to arrest him,” Monirul said. “He passed information to the attackers from outside and also published the photos of the attack on the internet.” Police are now working to find Marjan and the other militants, Monirul said. He further said Tamim’s death might have put a damper on NEW JMB’s operations, but it had yet to be destroyed. “We are not saying that we have successfully stopped all militant activities in Bangladesh, but we are hopeful to bring these activities under close monitoring.” l

PM assures all-out support to boost trade, investment n UNB

Laying emphasis on exploring newer export markets, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government will continue to do whatever necessary for gearing up trade and commerce, industrialisation and attracting more investment to the country. “We’ve not assumed office to do business…our government rather will continue to work to ensure all sorts of facilities for businesspeople to spur trade and commerce, industrialisation and woo more investment. Our government has been working to this end,” she said. The Prime Minister was addressing a function after distributing the National Export Trophy for 2011-12 and 2012-13 to some 113 export organisations for the their significant role in overseas trade and thus earning foreign currency. The awards were distributed at a programme jointly organised by the Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. A total 52 export organisations received gold medals, 37 silver medals while 24 bronze medals for the fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13. Sheikh Hasina said she always strongly advocates for having newer export markets across the globe as demands are increasing day by day in many countries throughout the world. She said: “You’ll (exporters) have to find out which products have demand in which countries as well as diversify our export items.” Citing that one of the major weaknesses of the country’s export business is dependent on some limited items, Hasina said her government has been continuing efforts

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hands over National Export Trophies to entrepreneurs at Dhaka’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium yesterday to add newer items into the export basket alongside continuing efforts to boost export of those items which are now contributing less. She emphasised raising the production and export of agro and agro-processed goods. Hasina said more labour-intensive industries should be set up that may help the youth force to keep themselves away from the path of terrorism and militancy.

Referring to the successes over the years in the country’s export earnings, Hasina said this has been possible due to the hard work of industrial entrepreneurs and businesspeople, innovative power and business-friendly environment of her government. The Prime Minister said the roadmap in each potential sector is being formulated in export development targeting the year 2041

while 21 commercial wings are now active, including two each in the USA and in India, for providing overall support in export activities and expanding trade. She said the export earnings target by 2021 has been set at $ 60bn of which $ 50bn will come from the RMG sector. “I hope this target will be met with your sincere efforts.” To expand trade and exhibit exportable items, Hasina said, Bang-

BSS

ladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre is being built at Baushia in Munshiganj district with support from China. Mentioning that her government has created a scope for opening Foreign Currency Accounts to facilitate the businessmen, she also asked all concerned to remain alert so that such accounts and currency could not be used for terrorism, militancy and money laundering. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Security will dominate talks in Kerry’s visit n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman US Secretary of State is coming to Dhaka on a one-day trip today. His visit will take the relationship to a new level and work as a bridge between the Bangladesh authorities and future US administration. He is coming at a time when the US president election is around the corner where his predecessor Hillary Clinton is a candidate from the Democratic Party and Donald Trump from the Republican. Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Mohammad Ziauddin yesterday at the Foreign Ministry said it is a big achievement that Kerry is coming to Dhaka. He said the secretary of state visits only those countries where the US wants more engagement.

When asked what would be the dominant issue for discussion, he said security would be one of the main areas of discussion. The whole world is facing terrorism and violent extremism problem and Washington wants to combat it with its partners like Bangladesh. A Foreign Ministry official seeking anonymity said Bangladesh is ready to respond to US security discussion. “We want to give a message to our US friends that Bangladesh is capable of handling our own security,” he said. People of Bangladesh fought for their independence against one of the best armies in the world and if they could win 45 years back, they can again win against the modern

day menace, he said. The official said Bangladesh wants security cooperation but it would be in Bangladesh’s term. “We will ask them what type of assistance we need and the government is currently assessing its needs,” he added. Another official said Bangladesh side would like to discuss trade and development issues with the US side. “We want duty-free quota-free market access to our products for the US market,” he said. The US is the biggest trading partner of Bangladesh with annual trade of over $6 billion. He said the deportation of Bangabandhu killer Rashed Chwodhury would be discussed from the Bangladesh side.

“We know that he is now in the US and we want Washington to deport him,” he added.

Schedule

John Kerry will come to Dhaka with his special aircraft at around 9:30 in the morning. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will receive him at the airport. US Ambassador to Dhaka Marcia Bernicat last week said his programme schedule was changing every time and it was not a surprise if there was any last-minute change. According to his latest schedule, he would pay tribute to Bangbandhu at the Road 32 Dhanmondi residence in the morning. He would also have a courtesy call with Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina at the PMO. The official talks between the two foreign ministers would be held in state guest house Padma in the afternoon where Kerry would have a working lunch. In the official talks, Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali would lead the Bangladesh side and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal would also be there. Kerry would give a speech at the EMK Centre at Dhanmondi Road 27 and before his departure in the evening, it is expected that he would meet BNP chief Khaldea Zia and leader of the opposition Roushan Ershad at the US ambassador’s residence. He will fly to New Delhi from here. l

RU leftist leader held for status on PM, Rampal n Dulal Abdullah, Rajshahi A leftist students’ organisation leader from Rajshahi University (RU) has been arrested for a Facebook status aimed at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over her Rampal speech. Dilip Roy, general secretary of Biplobi Chhatra Maitri (Revolutionary Students’ Unity), was arrested by Motihar police around noon yesterday from Aamtala on the campus. The university’s Chhatra League unit, the student organisation of the ruling Awami League, filed a case against him under the ICT Act and protested on the campus demanding that Dilip be expelled. Around 10am yesterday, the student leader put a public status on his Facebook profile criticising Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina’s statement on the Rampal power plant at a press conference on Saturday. Motihar police station Officerin-Charge Humayun Kabir said RU Chhatra League President Rashedul Islam Ranju had filed the case. “We will investigate the matter and take measures accordingly,” he said. RU Chhatra League acting president Ranju said he had filed the case against Dilip for his derogatory remarks against Bangabandhu, the prime minister and the Awami League. Progressive Students’ Alliance, a group of leftist students’ organisations, brought out a procession on the campus after the arrest. Biplobi Chhatra Maitri President Prodip Mardi told the Dhaka Tribune that the arrest was a sign of “the government’s autocratic nature.” l

police yesterday detains Dilip Roy, general secretary of Biplobi Chhatra Maitri, for his Facebook comment on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speech on Rampal power plant DHAKA TRIBUNE

Judgement in Salauddin Quader Chowdhury verdict leak case deferred again n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday deferred till September 15 the date for delivering verdict in a case filed over leaking the draft verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal in BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s war crimes. Judge KM Shamsul Alam of Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal refixed the date as the judge could not prepare the verdict completely, Md Nazrul Islam Shamim, special public prosecutor of the tribunal, told the Dhaka Tribune.

After recording the closing arguments on August 4, the tribunal set August 14 for pronouncing the verdict, but it was deferred until yesterday on the same ground. The accused in the case are SQ Chowdhury’s wife Farhat Quader Chowdhury, son Hummam Quader Chowdhury, manager Mahbubul Ahsan and counsel barrister Fakhrul Islam; Fakhrul’s assistant Mehedi Hasan, and war crimes tribunal’s office staff Faruk Hossain and Nayan Ali. Of them, all but Mehedi – absconding since the filing of the case

– were on bail. Hummam was allegedly picked up by plainclothes police from near the court on August 4 when he was going to the court with his mother on a microbus. According to the charge sheet, the accused in connivance with each other leaked parts of the draft verdict from the tribunal chairman’s computer and uploaded it on different websites a day before the judgement was delivered on October 1, 2013 to make the war crimes trial controversial. Family of the former BNP law-

maker made huge investments to leak the draft verdict, the case says. Salauddin’s wife and son hatched conspiracy and instigated the leak while Fakhrul facilitated it. Mehedi, Mahbubul, Faruk and Nayan were directly involved in the crime, according to the charge sheet. If found guilty, the accused may face highest 14 years’ imprisonment or up to Tk1 crore in fines or both as per law. Salauddin was executed at Dhaka Central Jail on November 22 last year. l

Red Crescent employees on strike n Tribune Desk

The employees of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society went on an indefinate strike yesterday demanding the implementation of the 8th pay scale. They decided to go on strike at a meeting held at the main office in Boro Moghbazar. Seeking anonymity, an employee said: “We will not stop our movement unless our demands are met.” Even though Bangladesh Red Crescent Society is part of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement it still falls under the government pay scale scheme. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Mir Quasem's review verdict tomorrow n Ashif Islam Shaon

The result of the last legal battle of condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali will be announced by the Appellate Division tomorrow. Hearing on a petition seeking review of his death penalty awarded by the apex court ended yesterday. Later the five-member appeals bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date for pronouncing the judgement. Khandker Mahbub Hossain, chief counsel for the Chittagong alBadr commander during the Liberation War, told the court that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against his client. He placed arguments on the charge related to the abduction and murder of teenage freedom fighter Jasim in 1971, which earned the Jamaat-e-Islami leader the death sentence at the appeals stage. He prayed to the court, if possible, to award him “light sentence” on the charge claiming that Quasem had not been the principal offender. On the other hand, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said that the death penalty should be upheld. However, the court yesterday again expressed its dissatisfaction over incompetence of the International Crimes Tribunal prosecutors in conducting the case. It said if the prosecutors had discharged their duties perfectly, the Appellate Division would have uphold death sentences in two counts. The war crimes tribunal sentenced Quasem, now 64, to death on November 3, 2014 on two charges including killing of seven people after abduction in Chittagong, and gave him a total of 72-year imprisonment on eight other proven charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning. Later, the Appellate Division upheld the death sentence in one count on March 9. The war criminal sought review of the verdict after the apex court published the full verdict and the tribunal issued death warrant on June 6. The defence was more than two months for preparation, and the hearing finally began on August 24. After the hearing was concluded yesterday, the attorney general shared the court's concerns with the reporters.

The court observed that the conducting prosecutors and the chief prosecutor should not hold their posts due to incompetence in dealing with the case. “The chief justice also expressed dissatisfaction as the law minister did not take action against the tribunal prosecutors as per the appeal verdict's observation.” “Why don't you appoint efficient prosecutors [at the tribunal]? ... Appoint good ones. Where is the problem in spending money [to recruit good ones]?” Chief Justice SK Sinha asked Mahbubey. In reply, the attorney general said: “There are competent prosecutors. The concern is why they [incompetent ones] were appointed in this case to represent the state.” In Mir Quasem's case, Tribunal's chief prosecutor Golam Arif Tipoo led a team of prosecutors Rana Das Gupta, Zead Al Mamun, Sultan Mahmud Simon, Tureen Afroz, Razia Sultana and Tapash Kanti Pal. Of them, Zead Al Malum and Sultan Mahmud took part in the witness deposition and cross-examination parts. The Appellate Division mainly criticised the duo for their incompetency. The attorney general told the court that he would inform the law minister about the court's opinion of punishing the incompetent prosecutors. At the appeals stage, the Appellate Division had criticised the tribunal's investigators for their inability to deal with the case properly. Quasem, who is a top financier of the party that opposed the Liberation War, was a key player behind the formation of notorious alBadr force in Chittagong. He set up makeshift torture camps at different places in the port city including Daleem Hotel in Andorkilla area. He was known as “Bangali Khan” (Khan referred to as Pakistani occupation forces) for his atrocities. According to the government, Quasem has also spent a large amount of money to appoint USbased lobbyists to make the war crimes trials controversial. The apex court earlier asked the government to file a case in this regard. If the review petition is rejected, there will be no legal bar to execute the war criminal. l

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN MONDAY, AUGUST 29

Dhaka

Chittagong

National Garments Workers Federation brings out a procession in front of the National Press Club yesterday demanding that outstanding wages and Eid bonuses for 650 employees of Honeywell Garments be paid immediately MEHEDI HASAN

CHITTAGONG GAS LEAK

Probe finds gross negligence n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The Chittagong district administration's probe into the ammonia gas leak from the state-owned fertiliser factory in Anwara has found gross negligence and out-of-order equipment at the factory. Chittagong district administration has completed an investigation into the ammonia tank collapse at Di-Ammonium Phosphate Fertilizer Company Ltd, Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin told Dhaka Tribune yesterday. The DC said they found many faults at the factory which had triggered the gas leak. “It was faulty management that caused the accident. We have already done the probe and we will submit it within seven days,” he said. “We have determined who were responsible behind the accident. The accident happened due to the negligence of some persons in the factory,” added the DC. According to the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), the tank was filled with 250 tonnes of ammonia gas when it collapsed on the night of Aug 22.

Tank was maintained by unskilled staff

after the accident,” he said. “There was no periodic maintenance in the factory. We were saved from a great disaster by luck, as the air was blowing towards west that day,” he said, alluding to the fact that east of the factory was densely populated. The DG said the Fire Service was still not very well-equipped to handle such scenarios. “The gas leak accident is a new experience for us. This has been a lesson for us to prepare ourselves to combat such accidents,” he said. A group of 30 well-trained fire fighters who received special training from Singapore put in their best efforts at Anwara, the Fire Service chief said.

We were saved by luck

Manufacturer company visits spot

Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said faulty management and lack of proper maintenance were largely responsible for the accident. “The factory authorities did not have any preparedness to tackle the emission of toxic gas. The gas spread far and wide so rapidly because the fire hydrant system of the fertliser factory did not work

Meanwhile, a delegation team of the Chinese manufacturing team that built the plant visited DAP Fertiliser Company Ltd yesterday, five days after the accident. The 12-member delegation of China National Complete Plant Import and Export Corporation came from Dhaka and inspected the fertiliser factory. The company constructed the 500-tonnes reserve tank in 2006. l

Additional Magistrate Md Mominur Rashid, who led the 3-member probe committee, said five essential safety equipment, that were needed to prevent the tank's collapse, had been out of commission for a long time. “The two pressure gauges of the tank were out of order long before the accident took place. Both the pressure transmitters of the reserve tank were inoperative. The condenser, safety valves and pressure vent were also out of order,” 28

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:19

said the investigator. Mominur said they had talked to five officials of the factory designated for maintaining and operating the reserve tank. “Instead of skilled engineers, the reserve gas tank was regrettably being run by a group of lower level employees who do not have any training on this,” said the investigator. The factory's operation department had informed the maintenance department about the faults but they did not pay heed, Mominur said. “Rather, the engineers sent some technicians to repair the faults. The engineers did not even go to the spot of the accident,” said the probe chief.

Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:39AM

36.5ºC Syedpur

24.6ºC Tetulia

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 29, 2016

Political party offices on railway land Hossain, n Moazzem Lalmonirhat

About 100 acres of railway land in Lalmonirhat Sadar station have been grabbed by Awami League, BNP, Jammat, Jatiya Party men defying the government law. According to local sources, Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Railway Sromik Kormochari Dal, Bangladesh Railway Jatio Sormik Party, Bangladesh Railway Sormik League set up their offices on the railway land at the entrance of the station. The district unit of Chhatra

League built up its office in the eastern side of the bridge near the station. Awami League set up its office in front of Sadar police station. Locals alleged much of the land of Bangladesh Railway at Lalmonirhat are now not in its hands. Lands are being grabbed by the two major political parties --Awami League and BNP. These parties have built their offices at a place adjacent to the railway station. Not only have they set up party offices displaying their office boards, the people connected to these parties have set up shopping malls and are collecting rent from these.

The lands are also bought and sold without any valid document. A total of 3.74 acre land had been grabbed by former minister Asadul Habib Dulu during the period of BNP government at the opposite side of BGB office. A college was built up after the name of Hussain Muhammad Ershad grabbing 1.87 acre-land of the railway station. Zahurul Haque Mamun, former president of the district unit Chhatra League built up market on.50 acre railway land. Sheikh Russel Shishu Park and Children Park High School had

been built up grabbing the railway land. Former mayor Mosharraf Hossen Rana said maximum land of the railway station had been grabbed. So it was not a harmful matter of building up the Sheikh Russel Shishu Park. He also said there was no park in the district for recreation. The Russe park had been built up giving the priority of the recreation. Hafizur Rahman, general secretary of the district unit BNP, said there was no park in the district. The BNP govt had taken a decision to build up a park on 4 acre land

by taking lease from the railway authority. But, later when the govt had been changed, AL men built up the park by grabbing land. Advocate Matiar Rahman, general secretary of the district unit AL and the district administrator said the BNP-Jammat govt had grabbed the railway land. “Now we are trying to recover the grabbed land,” he said. Lalmonirhat Divisional Railway Manager Nazmul Islam admitted the incident of the land grabbing. “The concern authorities have been ordered to recover the grabbed land,” he said. l

Man to die for killing wife in Mymensingh A Mymensingh court on Sunday sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in Sadar upazila in 2013. The court also fined him Tk10,000. Judge of Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal (also District and Session Judge) M Helal Uddin pronounced the verdict. The court official said the convict is M Abdur Razzak, 55, son of late Chhamu Miah of Maizbari Panchmile village of the upazila. According to the prosecution story, Rezzak married Julekha Khatun, 40, some 22 years ago and the couple had nine children. Rezzak chopped and slaughtered his wife Julekha for dowry on March 14 in 2013. After the incident, M Azharul Islam, younger brother of the victim, filed a case with Kotwali Thana against Razzak. Police after investigation submitted charge-sheet with the court against Rezzak. l

AZAHAR UDDIN

n Tribune Desk

Staff of the Water Development Board put sand bags on Sirajganj flood control embankment yesterday as erosion by the Jumuna River has taken a severe turn

Health centres exist in name only n UNB, Shariatpur

Beset with multifarious problems, including irregularities and mismanagement, the Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (UHFWC) in Sadar and Goshairhat upazilas of the district are even failing to provide skeleton service. Although most of the unions in the two upazilas have such centres to provide health and family planning services, a good many of them face acute staff shortage. But despite there being sufficient number of employees and officials in the other centres, it is difficult to

get services from there mostly because of the staff ’s absence or their irregular and callus duties. Sources at the District Health and Family Planning office said each of the UHFWCs housed in a two-storey building is supposed to have a staff of nine, including a medical officer, one deputy assistant community medical officer, one pharmacist, one family planning inspector, three assistants, one MLSS and one maid. During a recent visit, a few anomalies at some of the union health centres in the two upazilas came to the notice of this correspondent.

In some centres, medical officers, deputy assistant community medical officers, pharmacists and MLSSs were found absent from their duties, despite the posts remaining filled. The centres were running with only one female family planning inspector and a maid. A good number of the centres were found either closed or somehow open with presence of only the maid. While visiting Nagerpara Health and Family Welfare Centre in Goshairhat, this correspondent found female family planning inspector Mahfuza Khanam idling way time in her room. l

BCC panel mayor suspended Rahman Swapan, n Anisur Barisal Councillor of Ward No 12 of Barisal City Corporation (BCC) KM Shahidullah, also central vice-president of Swechchasebok Dal, vice-president of Barisal city BNP, panel-mayor and three-time elected councillor of BCC, has been suspended from his post of ward councillor. He was suspended as per section 12(1) of city corporation act 2009, as police submitted charge sheet against him for possessing illegal fire arms and ammunitions. Asma Begum, acting adminis-

trative officer of BCC, acknowledging the facts, said the suspension letter signed by Khalil Ahmed, deputy secretary of local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry, on August 23 reached BCC on Sunday noon. A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-8) and police recovered a pistol with three rounds of ammunitions on January 16, 2016, from his house at Medical College Lane in the city. He was handed over to the police after he failed to show any legal documents of the recovered arms and ammunitions. l

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

BCL men swoop on JnU protesters n Rafikul Islam

Students of Jagannath University (JnU), who have been observing different types of agitation programmes over the couple of weeks demanding the site of old Dhaka jail to construct dormitories there, came under attack allegedly by some activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Sunday. Agitated students said as a part of their scheduled programme, they took position on the campus around 9am. At one stage, some activists of JnU unit BCL, students’ front of the ruling party Awami League, led by its president Shariful Islam and Secretary Sirajul Islam attacked them while they were staging demonstrations. A number of students were injured, as a scuffle took place between the BCL men and the agitators. President of the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, JnU unit, MM Mujahid Anik said about 20 students, including Bangladesh Chhatta Union President Al-Amin, Convenor of the movement Monirul Islam Rajon and Chhatra Front Secretary Animis Ray, were injured in the attack. “The unruly BCL men attacked us to thwart the movement like previous years,” he said. General Secretary of BCL, JnU unit Sirajul Islam said they did not attack general students. They tried to drive out those people who were outsiders. “We are worried that this section of people may create anarchy on the campus taking the advantage of students’ movement,” he said. He also alleged that the section of people had taken money

Four jailed for life for killing n Mohiuddin Molla, Comilla

A Comilla court on Sunday sentenced four persons to life-term imprisonment for killing a man 13 years back. Additional District and Sessions’ Judge M Ali Ahmed gave the verdict on Masum and Ali Akbar, son of Alauddin, Mojammel, son of Ali Akbar and Aman Ullah, son of Syed Ali. All of the convicts are residents of Borobatua village, Borua upzila in the district. The court also acquitted Md Tanveer, son of Ali Akbar, as the prosecution failed to prove him guilty. According to the prosecution, the convicts hacked Izzat Ali to death over previous on March 8, 2003. Brother of the deceased filed a case with Borua police station accusing eight people. Police pressed charge sheet against five people on November 2, 2003. l

Students of Jagannath University stage a sit-in programme in front of the National Press Club demanding land for construction of dormitories from Jamaat-Shibir to destabilise the campus. BCL activists chased them, as they hurled brick chips on public vehicles, he added. “We have been with the students since the beginning of the movement. We have already expressed solidarity with their demands, said the BCL leader. Students of the university have been observing different types of agitation programme since August 2 to realise their demand. Campus sources said there had

been a dispute between BCL and left-leaning political parties over the leadership of the movement. The BCL wants to take leadership of the movement while left-leaning political parties are doing their movement keeping the ruling party’s students’ front aside, resulting in the attack, said the sources. Recently, authorities of the university made appeals to the government seeking the land of old Dhaka jail to construct dormitories there. The university authorities said a

multi-storied dormitory, a cultural centre, a research centre and a museum would be constructed at the site of jail and these structures would be named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and four national leaders – Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman, if the land is allotted to the university. Currently, about 23,000 students were studying at the university. The educational institution was transformed into a universi-

Home minister: Anti-liberation forces trying to breed militancy n M Kamal Mridha, Natore

Anti-liberation forces are trying to raise militancy in the country in the name of Islamic State (IS), says Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. “Their all efforts will be futile. Bangladesh will go forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he added. The home minister said this while addressing distinguished personalities of Natore, including local political leaders, after inaugurating the newly constructed building for Sadar police station yesterday. He called upon all citizens, including the law enforcing agencies, to be united and raise voice against extremist forces and distortion of religion so that no element can car-

ry out any conspiracy against the country. “We are over sure; we will defeat the anti-nation elements. We need people’s support to take a bold stance against extremism in the country.” State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak, Deputy Inspector General of police (Rajshahi region) M Khurshid Hossein, Awami League MP from Natore Sadar Shafiqul Islam Shimul, Lalpur-Bagatipara MP Abul Kalam Azad and Deputy Commissioner Khalilur Rahman also spoke with Superintendent of Police Biplob Bijoy Talukder in the High officials of administration and law enforcing agencies including police, RAB, BGB and Ansar-VDP, political leaders, public representative and

member of the civil society were present in the meeting. He alleged that the fundamentalists were carrying out attacks in the name of Islam, although Islam never preaches killing people to establish the religion. He said: “We can never let Bangladesh in the hands of some extremists and derailed people. There were political patronizations behind the Gulshan and Sholakia militant attacks. “The masterminds behind these attacks will be brought to justice within a shortest possible time,” he said adding that chapter of one of the masterminds was closed in Saturday’s Narayanganj gunfight incident. Chapter of other kingpins will also be closed immediately,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ty in 2005 through pass of a bill named Jagannath University Act in the national parliament. Students of the university often observe several kinds of programme such as procession and rally demanding measures to ease their accommodation crisis. In 2014, students of the university staged demonstration on the campus for several days, demanding measures to recover dormitories of the university grabbed by influential quarters. l

RU student crushed under train n Abdullah Al Dulal, Rajshahi A female student of Rajshahi University (RU) lost her life under a train while talking over a mobile phone on a rail track beside the university campus on Sunday. Shantana Boshak, 23, daughter of Narendra Nath Boshak of Nadhainagar village at Tarash upazila in Sirajganj, was a third year honours student of Sociology department. She was residing at Begum Rokeya Hall of the university. Dhaka bound inter-city Padma Express hit Shantana while she was talking over a mobile phone using a headphone on the rail track adjacent to the RU Fine Arts department around 4pm, according to the campus sources. l

8 World

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan: Militants behind 2009 cricket attack killed Pakistani officials say 4 Islamic extremists allegedly involved in a 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team have been killed in a shootout with police. The officials did not identify the militants or their armed group. The attack on the cricket team killed 6 police and 2 bystanders, and wounded 6 cricket players. -AP

EXPLAINER

Why burkini is causing controversy ISLAMIC DRESS HAS LONG BEEN A SUBJECT OF DEBATE IN FRANCE

INDIA

Kashmir CM: Give me one chance Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti made an impassioned and emotional appeal to protesters in the valley on Saturday, after a meeting with PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi, to give her one chance to address their concerns as she had been in office for only 2 months when the current crisis engulfed the state. -TOI

Burqa Full veil traditionally worn by Pashtuns in Afghanistan Completely covers the head and body, with a mesh screen over the eyes Enforced by the Taliban in Afghanistan

Niqab A full veil with a small opening for the eyes Its use is widespread because of the influence of Wahabi Islam developed in Saudi Arabia Mainly used in urban areas

CHINA

China to get involved if India foments trouble in Balochistan

n Tribune International Desk

Muslim extremists who support the IS group staged a daring jailbreak in the southern Philippines, freeing 23 detainees in the latest in a series of mass escapes. About 50 heavily armed members of the Maute group raided the local jail in the southern city of Marawi on Mindanao island on Saturday and freed 8 comrades who were arrested barely a week ago. -AFP

The national identity crisis exposed by France’s burkini controversy is threatening to set the tone for the country’s presidential campaign, reports The Associated Press. A top court ruling Friday against banning the head-to-ankle swimwear didn’t put an end to the debate. Along with the economy, the relationship between France’s Muslims and non-Muslims has been a recurring theme as presidential hopefuls kick off campaigning for the April-May elections. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy told a campaign rally he wants a national law banning burkinis. His chief rival for the conservative nomination, Alain Juppe, has called for a special accord between the state and Muslim leaders to lay out clear rules for respecting French secularism. Some leftist candidates have criticized the burkini as oppressing women, but say the far right is using the issue to encourage racism.

MIDDLE EAST

What are burkinis?

China will have to get involved if any Indian plot disrupts the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in restive Balochistan, an influential Chinese think tank CICIR has warned India. The latest concern has risen in China and among its scholars after Indian Priminister Narendra Modi’s reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech. -HT

ASIA PACIFIC

Philippines extremists stage mass jailbreak

Iraq asks for new Saudi envoy Iraq’s Foreign Ministry said the government on Sunday formally requested that the Saudi ambassador in Baghdad be replaced after he claimed that Iranian-backed Shiite militias are plotting to assassinate him. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Jamal told that the government sent a formal request to Saudi Arabia to replace the kingdom’s ambassador in Baghdad. -AP

They’re a recent retail invention, not a religious requirement in any country. Around a decade ago an Australian woman of Lebanese origin created a swimsuit for Muslim women designed to permit them to keep their bodies covered while working as lifeguards on Australian beaches. Her design was dubbed the burkini or burqini. Burkinis cover the head, torso and limbs - much like a wetsuit with a hood. The word conflates the words bikini and burqa, a fullbody covering with only a mesh

Burkini A swimming costume covering the whole body Dozens of French local authorities banned the outfit, triggering a fierce debate On August 26 the highest administrative court, the State Council, suspended the ban

screen for the eyes. Burqas are worn primarily in Afghanistan. Burkinis are rarely seen in France, where you’re more likely to spot women sunbathing topless. International sales reportedly have soared in response to French efforts to restrict their public display.

Why ban them?

Chador

France is both exceptionally secular and unusually fearful of Islamic extremism following last month’s truck attack in Nice that killed 86 people and slaying of a Catholic priest during Mass in Normandy, both claimed by the Islamic State group. While the burkini’s defenders have argued that the wearing of the garment has nothing to do with promoting bloodshed, mayors have countered that wearing the outfits could undermine public order by make other beach-goers angry or afraid. The French, who famously ban baggy men’s swim trunks from their pools, also argue that excessively large women’s swimwear poses a similar risk to public hygiene. Prime Minister Manuel Valls says burkinis represent the enslavement of women and puts his opposition in the context of France’s promotion of women’s rights worldwide. But France’s predominant argument is that the burkini violates France’s century-old commitment to promote secularism in public life. The first article of the French constitution enshrines this principle, while polls show French people are among the least religious in

A long cloak covering the body, traditional clothing worn by Iranian women (mostly practising Muslims) While the head is covered the face remains visible

the world. France repeatedly has cited this secularist agenda when targeting Muslim practices that are seen to push religion too far into mainstream society.

Backlash to the bans

French Muslims say they feel stigmatised by the restrictions, while some police have complained that the new rules are too vague or problematic to be enforced. Images this week that showed Nice police appearing to instruct a burkini-clad beach goer to remove her tunic stirred indignation online. Human rights groups petitioned France’s highest administrative authority, the Council of State, which plans to issue its ruling Friday on the burkini bans. The policy is raising tensions within French President Francois Hollande’s leftist government, too.

It’s politics

Hijab

Critics say the anti-burkini crusade reflects a far right, anti-Muslim agenda that could prove to be a vote-winner in France’s 2017 presidential election. Many mayors to the fore on the issue are members of former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative Republicans party. Sarkozy, who is seeking re-election, said Wednesday: “We don’t imprison women behind fabric.” He linked burkinis to radicalised Islam, a contention that many Muslims regard as baseless and dangerous. But this kind of rhetoric could help Sarkozy win votes from the anti-immigrant National Front party of Marine Le Pen, a presidential contender who has campaigned against what she calls

A scarf covering the head, ears and neck, it leaves the face visible Widely used in the Muslim world

the Islamisation of France. Burkinis pose a dilemma for the French left, a staunch defender of women’s rights. The prime minister and women’s affairs minister support the bans because they say burkinis oppress women; the education minister and health minister say authorities shouldn’t dictate what women wear.

A less secular world

France’s stringent secularism is exceptional in the western world, and much of the rest of the world is struggling to understand France’s actions. Protesters rallied Thursday against the French bans in London and Berlin. Burkinis are sold by major retailers in Britain. Elsewhere in Europe, burkinis are rare but no municipal bans exist. Not yet anyway. In Belgium, the right-leaning Flemish N-VA party doesn’t want burkinis on public beaches, calling it a sign of oppressing women.

The Muslim fashion

Women in Muslim countries wear a range of swimwear, from bikinis to full-length garments, reflecting their personal tastes and understanding of their faith. Burkini-style wear has generated debate in Morocco, with its large tourism industry. In Egypt, some resorts, elite clubs and restaurants ban veils entirely and the wearing of burkini-style outfits in swimming pools. Religious conservatives, who have been gaining ground, say such bans perpetuate a colonised mentality by enforcing Western-inspired freedoms and styles. l

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Trump vows visa, benefits crackdown on immigrants if sworn in n Tribune International Desk US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump offered fresh details of how he would tackle illegal immigration on Saturday, saying he would crack down on those who overstay their visas as he sought to quiet criticism from conservatives. In a campaign speech in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump also cited the shooting death of a cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade to urge African-American voters to rally behind him, calling it an example of violence that has to be addressed. Trump, speaking on the Iowa State Fairgrounds with hay bales stacked behind him, sought to clarify his views on how to overhaul the US immigration system after saying earlier in the week that he was softening on his plan to deport all 11 million illegal immigrants. That stance drew fire from conservatives who wanted him to stand fast after he won the Republican presidential nomination in large part by a hardline stance that would include building a wall

along the US border with Mexico. In his speech, Trump said he would seek to institute a tracking system to ensure illegal immigrants who overstay their visas are quickly removed, and would propose an e-verify system to prevent the illegal community from gaining access to welfare and other benefits. “If we don’t enforce visa expiration dates, then we have an open border—it’s as simple as that,” he said. In outlining his views, Trump said addressing illegal immigration is important to helping Americans find jobs. “Every time an African-American citizen, or any citizen, loses their job to an illegal immigrant, the rights of that American citizen have been violated,” he said. “Equal protection under the law must include the consistent application of our immigration laws.” Trump said his first priority upon taking office next January would be the immediate deportation of thousands of illegal immigrants who remain in the United States despite having committed crimes. “These international gangs and cartels will be a thing of the past.

Nigeria would let Boko Haram choose a non-profit organisation as an intermediary in any talks on the release of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped from the northeastern village of Chibok in 2014, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday. Buhari first said last year that his government was ready to negotiate with Islamist militants Boko Haram over the girls, but the group has not commented on the proposal. Nigeria’s failure to find the kidnapped children prompted an outcry at home and abroad. Critics of Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, said his government was too slow to act. Any negotiations would be the first publicly known talks between the government and Boko Haram, whose seven-year insurgency to create an Islamic state in the northeast has killed 15,000 people. “The government which I preside over is prepared to talk to bona fide leaders of Boko Haram,” Buhari told reporters at a conference on African development in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, in comments later

issued in an official statement. “If they do not want to talk to us directly, let them pick an internationally recognised non-governmental organisation (NGO),” he said. Buhari said Boko Haram could begin negotiations on a prisoner swap if they could provide evidence to the NGO that they had the girls. Around 270 girls were taken from their school in the village of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014. Dozens escaped in the initial melee, but more than 200 are still missing. Earlier this month, Boko Haram published a video apparently showing recent footage of dozens of the girls and saying some were killed in air strikes. Authorities said in May that one of the missing girls had been found and Buhari vowed to rescue the others. Nigeria is fighting the group on the ground and with air strikes. A multi-national joint task force - comprising troops from Nigeria and neighbouring Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Benin - is also battling the militants. l

USA

Clinton receives first national security briefing Hillary Clinton has received her first national security briefing as the Democratic presidential nominee, meeting intelligence officials on Saturday for an overview of the major threats facing the US around the globe. The briefings, which are delivered by career staffers from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, have been traditional for presidential nominees for more than 60 years. -REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

8 troops killed in north Paraguay Donald Trump speaks in Des Moines, Iowa on August 27 Their reign of terror will be over. In this task, we will always err on the side of protecting the American people—we will use immigration law to prevent crimes, and will not wait until some innocent American has been harmed or killed before taking action,” he said. He did not explain how his plan would affect many of the illegal community who have been in the United States for decades and obeyed US laws. Trump said the death in Chicago of Wade cousin Nykea Aldridge, 32, a mother of four, was an example of turmoil in US inner cities. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a

REUTERS

former chief of staff to Democratic President Barack Obama, has struggled in particular to contain violence in his city. The incident permitted Trump to bring up again his desire to be a “law and order” president and underscore his drive to appeal to African-American voters who traditionally vote Democratic and overwhelmingly support Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump raised the subject after sending out tweets earlier in the day that prompted charges of insensitivity to the death and accusations he sought to exploit it for political purposes. l

Nigeria in talks with Boko Syrian rebels advance on Haram to free Chibok girls Kurds as Turkish strikes kill 35 n Reuters, Abuja

World

n Tribune International Desk

Turkey-backed Syrian rebels seized a number of villages and towns from Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria on Sunday amid Turkish airstrikes and shelling that killed at least 35 people, mostly civilians, reports The Associated Press. Turkey sent tanks across the border to help Syrian rebels drive the Islamic State group out of the frontier town of Jarablus last week in a dramatic escalation of its involvement in the Syrian civil war. The operation, labeled Euphrates Shield, is also aimed at pushing back US-allied Kurdish forces. The fighting pits a Nato ally against a US-backed proxy that is the most effective ground force battling IS in Syria. Turkey’s military said its warplanes killed 25 Kurdish “terrorists” and destroyed five buildings used by the fighters in response to attacks on advancing Turkish-backed rebels in the Jarablus area. A Turkish soldier was killed by a Kurdish rocket attack late Saturday, the first such fatality in

the offensive, now in its fifth day. Various factions of the Turkey-backed Syrian rebels said Sunday they had seized at least four villages and one town from Kurdish-led forces south of Jarablus. One of the villages to change hands was Amarneh, where clashes had been fiercest. Rebels posted pictures from inside the village. Ankara is deeply suspicious of the Syrian Kurdish militia that dominates the US-backed Syria Democratic Forces, viewing it as an extension of the Kurdish insurgency raging in southeastern Turkey. Turkish leaders have vowed to drive both IS and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, away from the border. The SDF crossed the Euphrates River and drove IS out of Manbij, a key supply hub just south of Jarablus, earlier this month. Both Turkey and the United States have ordered the YPG to withdraw to the east bank of the river. YPG leaders say they have, but their units play an advisory role to the SDF and it is not clear if any of their forces remain west of the Euphrates. l

Suspected members of a little-known rebel group killed 8 soldiers in an attack in northern Paraguay on Saturday, just days after guerrillas and officials in Colombia reached a peace deal to end the longest-running insurgency in Latin America. Authorities suspect the attack was carried out by a guerrilla group called the Paraguayan People’s Army. -AP

UK PM accused of acting like Tudor monarch Theresa May has been accused of displaying the arrogance of a Tudor monarch over her reported intention to deny a parliamentary vote on Brexit before beginning the process of pulling the UK out of the EU. Some MPs and opposition leaders have argued a vote should be held in parliament to ratify the result. -THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

Poll: 50% Germans against Merkel serving 4th term German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s domestic popularity has declined, a poll showed on Sunday, with 50% of Germans against her serving a 4th term after a federal election next year. A series of violent attacks on civilians in July, 2 of which were claimed by IS, have focussed attention on Merkel’s open-door migrant policy, which allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants into Germany, have resulted such decline. -REUTERS

AFRICA

Both contestants claim victory as Gabon waits for results Gabon’s President Ali Bongo and his only serious rival have both claimed victory in this weekend’s presidential election, and accused each other of cheating. Barely had the last ballots been cast Saturday evening before the incumbent’s spokesman declared that Bongo will win. On Sunday, the campaign manager of Jean Ping told reporters that Ping had won 60% of votes counted so far. -AFP

World

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

No ending in sight of Europe refugee crisis n Tribune International Desk Faced with more than 1 million migrants flooding across the Mediterranean last year, European nations tightened border controls, set up naval patrols to stop smugglers, negotiated an agreement with Turkey to limit the numbers crossing, shut the Balkan route used by hundreds of thousands, and tried to speed up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers, reports The Associated Press. Yet many issues still remain. European nations continue to squabble about whether, and how, to share the newcomers between them and the issues that drove refugees to Europe in the first place — such as Syria’s unrelenting war — are unresolved. Overall, 2,901 people have died or disappeared crossing the Mediterranean in the first six months of 2016, most along the dangerous central route to Italy — a 37% increase over last year’s first half, according to the International Organization for Migration. Here’s where things stand in key countries:

Turkey

Turkey is hosting some 3 million refugees, including more than 2.7 million Syrians. Most refugees there don’t get government support, but the agreement with the EU calls for the bloc to provide up to $6.8bn to help Syrian refugees in Turkey. The deal also provides for one Syrian refugee from Turkey to be relocated to EU countries for each Syrian who arrives illegally in Greece and is sent back. So far only 1,152 have been resettled under the program — more than half of them to Germany and Sweden.

Greece

The numbers of migrants arriving in Greece have dropped dramatically since the March agreement with Turkey, but several thousand a month still make the journey, some

160,000 in the first half of this year. Over 58,000 people remain stuck in the financially struggling country, most hoping to continue north to nations like Germany or Sweden. The majority have applied for asylum, hoping to be relocated among EU nations — but the program is moving at snail’s pace amid fierce resistance from eastern and central European countries. So far, only around 4,400 people have been relocated from southern Europe under a plan that’s supposed to see 160,000 moved over two years through September 2017. Yet there’s little Brussels can do to force any nations to comply. New arrivals now are insignificant compared to 2015, but they have increased since the July 15 attempted coup in Turkey, topping 2,300 in the first three weeks of August. This is straining resources on the eastern Aegean Sea islands and the government has promised to build more housing on the mainland. Fears are also growing that the EU-Turkey deal might fall apart as Ankara presses for the 28-nation bloc to allow its citizens visa-free entry.

Italy

About 70,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean into Italy from January to June this year, similar to the same period last year. But with routes northward now restricted, there’s nowhere for them to go and, as smugglers resort to more dangerous practices, more migrants are dying en route. Migrants are sleeping in hotels, homeless shelters, train stations and tent camps. The Tuscan city of Capalbio is putting them in fancy villas and Milan is readying a jail to take in some. Nigerians make up the biggest group of newcomers to Italy, followed by Eritreans, Gambians, Ivorians and Sudanese, according to the UN refugee agency. The wave of arrivals is testing

A dinghy overcrowded by African migrants is seen drifting off the Libyan coast in Mediterranean Sea on August 20 REUTERS Italy’s social services and Premier Matteo Renzi’s patience as he faces domestic resistance from the anti-immigrant Northern League and reluctance from Italy’s EU partners to resettle asylum-seekers. To date, only 961 would-be refugees have moved out of Italy, according to the IOM. Earlier this month, France returned to Italy some 200 migrants who plunged into the sea at the Ventimiglia border crossing. The latest hotspot is Como on the Swiss border. There authorities have approved a tent camp to house the estimated 300-500 migrants who have camped out at the train station after taking trains daily into Switzerland, only to be returned.

Germany

Germany has seen a much-reduced number of newcomers this year after taking in hundreds of thousands in 2015, the majority of those entering Europe. Up to the end of July, 238,424 new arrivals were recorded — 92,000 of them in January, before the Balkan route was shut down. The figure has since levelled out at around 16,000 per month. Chancellor Angela Merkel has stuck to her insistence that Germa-

FLEEING ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN FRANCE

Total arrivals 270,547

SPAIN 2,476

ITALY 105,341 GREECE 162,730

Sicily

Dead/missing per year 2010 20 2011 1,500 2012 500 2013 2014 2015 2016

Main countries of origin Syria 30% Afghanistan 16 Iraq 10

TUNISIA

MEDITERRANEAN

600 3,500 3,771 3,167

400 km Source: UNHCR, IOM

LIBYA

EGYPT

Arrivals across the Mediterranean in 2016, as of August 25

ny will give shelter to those who need it and that Germany “will manage” the refugee crisis. That mantra has fuelled ongoing strife in her conservative bloc, and benefited the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party. Two attacks this summer by asylum-seekers that were claimed by the Islamic State group have also fuelled concerns. Meanwhile, Germany has moved to tighten asylum rules, deport more rejected asylum applicants and turn more people back at the border Merkel has criticised other European countries’ unilateral moves to shut the Balkan migration route at Greece’s expense but was a leading advocate of the Turkey-EU agreement. She insists the deal remains necessary, despite tensions with Ankara over visa-free travel.

Austria

The discovery of 71 suffocated people in the back of a smuggler’s truck in Austria a year ago triggered an outpouring of support for refugees. That now seems a distant memory. Then-Chancellor Werner Faymann urged Austrians to open their arms to the migrants, but faced increasing concerns that the country couldn’t cope. Faymann changed course early this year, suddenly backing calls to shut Austria’s border. He resigned in May amid falling support. His successor, Christian Kern, has continued on the restrictive path welcomed by most Austrians, even as he urges them to be open-minded toward new arrivals. Austria was the main force in the shut-down early this year of the Balkan route. After accepting more than 80,000 migrants last year, the country stands ready to turn back the first would-be refugee over the 37,500 limit it has set as a quota for 2016.

Serbia & Hungary

The flow of migrants into Serbia has diminished drastically but not dried up entirely.

Instead of thousands a day registering at organised centres, hundreds a day now try to enter illegally. Illustrating the dangers, a 20-year old Afghan migrant crossing illegally from Bulgaria was shot and killed this week by a hunter in an apparent accident. Human Rights Watch says migrants and refugees at Hungary’s border with Serbia are being forced back, in some cases violently. Unhcr estimates that some 4,400 asylum-seekers are now stranded in Serbia, mostly since Hungary started enforcing new regulations in July that allow authorities to “escort” migrants and refugees caught within 8km of the border back to Serbia. Two “transit zones” on the Serbian side now process around 30 asylum applications a day, while 1,000 or more people are waiting in poor conditions to file asylum claims, most of which are rejected. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called migrants “poison” and said Friday that Hungary will build a new, “more massive” fence on its southern border to defend against a possible surge in numbers. A government-initiated referendum on October 2 is meant to rally political support against any EU plan to resettle migrants among the bloc’s members.

France

Migrant numbers in Calais have soared this month, even though authorities shut down half of the city’s wretched camp earlier this year, and the British and French governments erected security fences and announced measures to deter new arrivals. The French government says the number of migrants in the makeshift Calais camp known as the “jungle” has reached its highest official level yet: 6,901. Aid groups say it’s closer to 9,000. This week, a Sudanese migrant died after a clash between groups of Sudanese and Afghans, the 11th migrant to die in Calais this year. l

World

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

INSIGHT

Massacre reports show US inability to curb Iraq Shia militias n Reuters, Washington, DC Shia militias in Iraq detained, tortured and abused far more Sunni civilians during the American-backed capture of the town of Falluja in June than US officials have publicly acknowledged, Reuters has found. More than 700 Sunni men and boys are still missing more than two months after the Islamic State stronghold fell. The abuses occurred despite US efforts to restrict the militias’ role in the operation, including threatening to withdraw American air support, according to US and Iraqi officials. The US efforts had little effect. Shia militias did not pull back from Falluja, participated in looting there and now vow to defy any American effort to limit their role in coming operations against Islamic State. All told, militia fighters killed at least 66 Sunni males and abused at least 1,500 others fleeing the Falluja area, according to interviews with more than 20 survivors, tribal leaders, Iraqi politicians and Western diplomats. They said men were shot, beaten with rubber hoses and in several cases beheaded. Their accounts were supported by a Reuters review of an investigation by local Iraqi authorities and video testimony and photographs of survivors taken immediately after their release. The battle against Islamic State is the latest chapter in the conflict between Iraq’s Shia majority and Sunni minority, which was unleashed by the 2003 US-led invasion. The war ended decades of Sunni rule under Saddam Hussein and brought to power a series of governments dominated by Shia Islamist parties patronised by Iran. Washington’s inability to restrain the sectarian violence is now a central concern for Obama administration officials as they move ahead with plans to help Iraqi forces retake the much larger city of Mosul, Islamic State’s Iraqi capital. Preliminary operations to clear areas outside the strategic city have been under way for months. Sunni leaders in Iraq and Western diplomats fear the Shia militias might commit worse excesses in Mosul, the country’s second-largest city. Islamic State, the Sunni extremist group, seized the majority-Sunni city in June 2014.

Central topic

US officials say they fear a repeat of the militia abuses in Mosul could erase any chances of reconciling Iraq’s Sunni and Shia communities. “Virtually every conversation that

we have had internally with respect to planning for Mosul - and virtually every conversation that we’ve had with the Iraqis - has this as a central topic,” said a senior Obama Administration official. In public, as reports of the abuses in Falluja emerged from survivors, Iraqi officials and human rights groups, US officials in Washington initially played down the scope of the problem and did not disclose the failed American effort to rein in the militias. Brett McGurk, the special US envoy for the American-led campaign against Islamic State, expressed concern to reporters at a June 10th White House briefing for reporters about what he called “reports of isolated atrocities” against fleeing Sunnis. Three days before the briefing, Governor Sohaib al-Rawi of Anbar Province informed the US ambassador that hundreds of people detained by Shia militias had gone missing around Falluja, the governor told Reuters. By the time of the White House briefing, Iraqi officials, human rights investigators and the United Nations had collected evidence of scores of executions, the torture of hundreds of men and teenagers, and the disappearance of more than 700 others. Nearly three weeks later, on June 28, McGurk struck a measured tone during testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said reports of abuses had been received in the early days of the operation, “many of which have turned out not to be credible but some of which appear to be credible.” Militia leaders deny that their groups mistreated civilians. They say the missing men were Islamic State militants killed in battle.

Exacting revenge

Iraqi government officials also challenged the reports of widespread violence against civilians. In an interview, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi’s deputy national security adviser, Safa al-Sheikh, said there were a few incidents, but added: “There are a lot of exaggerations, and some of the reports didn’t have any basis.” Iraq’s main Shia militias, trained and armed by Tehran, emerged during the 2003-2011 US occupation and have grown in power and stature. After helping the government defend Baghdad when Islamic State seized Mosul in 2014, the militias became arms of the Iraqi government. Islamic State has slaughtered thousands of Iraqis, of all faiths. There now are more than 30 Shia militias whose members receive

Smoke rises from clashes with Islamic State militants in Falluja, Iraq on June 10 government salaries. The major groups have government posts and parliament seats. Their might has also been enhanced by some of the more than $20bn in military hardware the United States has sold or given to Iraq since 2005. Their weaponry includes armored personnel carriers, trucks, Humvees, artillery and even tanks, according to US officials, independent experts and pictures and videos militia members have posted on the internet. Collectively, the Shia militias are known as the Hashid Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). The militias officially answer to Abadi. In reality, the main groups answer only to themselves, display their own flags and emblems, and are advised by the Quds Force Iran’s elite foreign paramilitary and intelligence service.

tween 73 and 95 males aged 15 and older and took them away, according to Governor al-Rawi of Anbar Province and a Western diplomat who monitored the offensive. Women and children were freed. On May 29, militiamen just west of the farming areas of Sejar, separated 20 men from a group of fleeing Sunnis and “started killing them,” said the Western diplomat. “The police arrived when there were three left alive. The police took the three and dumped them” in a camp east of Falluja for people displaced by the civil war. A Sunni academic said he spoke to three survivors of the alleged massacre, two brothers and their cousin. The men said the killings occurred during fighting between Iraqi federal police forces and Islamic State, according to the academic.

Don’t be treacherous

The three survivors told the academic that they were among some 50 people who had sought shelter in a house when they saw federal police raise the Iraqi flag at a nearby school. The group waved white cloths and was directed to leave the house by the police. When the group emerged, the three said, the police separated the men from their families. One officer then opened fire and killed 17 men, the academic quoted the survivors as saying, adding that the three were spared when another officer intervened. The shooter was arrested, according to the Anbar governor. Worse was to come. Shia militiamen seeking vengeance against Islamic State rounded up Sunnis on June 3 from the town of Saqlawiya, according to witnesses interviewed by Reuters, UN workers, Iraqi officials and Human Rights Watch. According to these accounts, more than 5,000 Sunnis, mostly members of the al-Mohamda tribe, left Saqlawiya, a farming commu-

The Americans’ influence was hindered by the fact they had no forces in Falluja and couldn’t observe specific abuses, according to the Western diplomat who tracked the campaign. On May 26, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq’s leading Shia cleric, pleaded with combatants to protect civilians. Aid agencies estimated at the time that as many as 100,000 people remained inside Falluja. “Don’t be extreme ... don’t be treacherous. Don’t kill an old man, nor a boy, nor a woman. Don’t cut a tree unless you have to,” Sistani said, citing sayings of the Prophet Mohammed. Sistani’s pleas and the American threats fell on deaf ears. The first known instance of systematic abuse by the militias in the Falluja offensive occurred May 27 northeast of the city, in the farming region of Sejar. Militiamen and security forces stopped a group of fleeing Sunnis, pulled aside somewhere be-

Survivor accounts

REUTERS

nity five miles northwest of Falluja. The Sunnis made their way toward what they thought was the safety of government lines marked by Iraqi flags. A gray-haired man described the scene in a video recorded by local officials after he and 604 other men were freed two days later. “When we arrived there, we discovered they were the Hashid,” the Shia militias, the witness said. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein, two senior Iraqi officials, and a 69-year-old survivor interviewed by Reuters identified the militiamen as members of Kataib Hezbollah. One of the most powerful Shia paramilitaries, Kataib Hezbollah was organised by and retains close ties to Iran’s Quds Force. Both are deemed to be terrorist groups by the United States. Kataib Hezbollah denied being involved in abuses in Falluja. “They make these claims based on accusations from politicians that IS is depending on,” said Kataib spokesman Jaafar al-Husseini. “They are trying to keep us far from the operations of Anbar and Mosul.”

A piece of the action

Today, the Shia militias are clamouring to join the Mosul offensive, fired by zeal, a desire for revenge and hopes of burnishing their political standing within their sect. Over the disapproval of the Mosul provincial government, Abadi and militia leaders have said that militias will participate in the campaign to liberate the city. The chief PMF administrator is Jamal Ibrahimi. Known by the nom de guerre Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, he is on the US international terrorist list. US officials say Ibrahimi is the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, the militia that Iraqi officials, Western diplomats and others hold primarily responsible for the atrocities committed in the Falluja offensive. l

12 Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

TOP STORIES As Fed nears rate hikes, policymakers plan for ‘brave new world’ Federal Reserve policymakers are signaling they could raise US interest rates soon but they are already weighing new tools they may need to fight the next recession. PAGE 14

Global central bankers, stuck at zero, unite in plea for help from governments Central bankers in charge of the vast bulk of the world’s economy delved deep into the weeds of money markets and interest rates over a three-day conference here, and emerged with a common plea to their colleagues in the rest of government: please help. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Sunday DSE Broad Index

4,534.6

-0.4% ▼

Index

1,103.3

-0.4% ▼

30 Index

1,741.0

-0.4% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

4,655.2

-6.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

108.8

2.3% ▲

All Share Index 13,920.2

-0.6% ▼

30 Index

12,689.9

-0.6% ▼

CSE

Selected Index

8,473.3

-0.6% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

236.6

-2.7% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

7.2

-5.0% ▼

Square Denim plans to achieve sustainability thru high quality n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Square Denim Limited, a new denim fabrics manufacturer in Bangladesh, has put focus on producing high quality fabrics for high-end denim products as it believes such policy will help the industry have value addition and sustain. “Focusing on high quality products rather than massive manufacturing of ordinary fabrics for denim will not only add value to our industry but help it sustain also,” Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Denim, told journalists. During a recent visit to Habiganj where the Square Denim factory is located, Tapan Chowdhury shared his vision and mission regarding denim fabric industry with journalists. Square Denim has a vision to become one of the world’s finest denim fabric mills with the most advanced machinery and highly experienced management team. “We know that Bangladesh is a fast-growing market for fashion products while China, the global leader in clothing industry, is shifting focus from volume to value-added goods in production policy,” he said. Tapan Chowdhury said Bangladesh also has now concentrated on producing value added products to enlarge export volume. Talking on the success of his company, Tapan Chowdhury attributed the achievements to the

SQUARE DENIM LIMITED ● ● ● ●

Established on 294-bigha land in 2015 Started production in July, 2015 Investment about Tk400 crore Employs 950 people

● ● ● ● ●

company’s employees. “My people are my strength. They are family members too. I think everything can be possible if the staff are properly trained up.” Sayeed Ahmad Chowdhury, general manager of Square Denim, showed the manufacturing process around the factory premises to the reporters. He said: “Finishing is a key element to produce a better and high-end fashionable denim and jeans. We put special importance on finishing as Bangladesh is still weak in this side.” While talking about workplace standards, Tapan Chowdhury said: “We have built the facto-

Residential facilities for 70% of employees Production capacity 1.2m yards a month Targets to raise capacity to 2.5m yards a month Has biological ETP, which treat 70,000 litres water Captive power generation capacity 8MW

ry with horizontal shape despite higher cost than vertical shape. But we did it for a better workplace for workers and ensuring their safety.” According to the company, the factory has been built in line with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), environmental guideline and Accord and Alliance guidelines to ensure workers’ safety. The state of the art denim factory is equipped with modern technology that are eco-friendly. It has biological effluent treatment plant, which has the capacity to treat 70,000 litres of water an hour. The treated water to be used to flush bathrooms in the factory

and workers’ dormitory. The company has its own captive power generation plant with eight-megawatt power generation and plant currently producing 4.5MW.. Square Denim started construction in 2013 on a 294-bigha land in Habiganj. Starting production in October 2015, the company produces 1.2m yards of denim fabric a month. The volume is expected to increase to 2.5m yards after the completion of the second phase by April next year. The company has employed 950 workers with accommodation facilities for 70%. l

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

First cargo van leaves for India under BBIN deal n Shohel Mamun Bangladesh has launched a trial operation of the route connecting four neighbouring countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN). Jahangir Alam, additional secretary to Road Transport and Highways Division, flagged off a cargo vehicle on Saturday to India as a formality of the launching. The vehicle will travel to India’s Alipur, India from Kamalapur international bus depot in Dhaka. The covered van carrying garment products will travel to the Indian town of Alipur via the Indian cities of Kolkata and Delhi. India is also likely to begin a test operation of the route tomorrow by sending a vehicle with passengers from Kolkata to the Bangladeshi city of Khulna. Officials said the vehicle would enter India through Benapole-Petrapole border. The route is the result of a motor vehicles agreement signed by the four South Asian nations last year. Expo Freight Ltd (EFL), a freight forwarding and logistical solution company of Bangladesh, along with Nazrul Transport Ltd is operating the cargo services during the trial. The detailed route agreed for the trial is Dhaka-Magura-Jessore-Benapole/Petrapole (India)-Kolkata (India)-Delhi (India).

First cargo vehicle left for India from Dhaka on Saturday under the BBIN motor vehicle agreement Representatives from EFL Bangladesh and Nazrul Transport would escort the covered van bound for India under the first trial, the officials said. The capacity of the covered van designated for this trial run is 30 cubic metre (7 tonne). The motor vehicles agreement

was signed in June 2015, which allows free movement of motor vehicles between the four countries. Before the deal, the movement of vehicular movement in the region was restricted. The transport ministers of all the four nations collectively came together and signed the agreement

COURTESY

as a gesture of goodwill, and building better international relations, said people related with the agreement. BBIN agreement is expected to increase intra-regional trade within South Asia by almost 30% and with the rest of the world by over 30%. l

PATA Travel Mart to begin Hearing over reserve heist on Sept 7 in Jakarta likely in New York n Tribune Business Desk Attracting over 1,000 delegates from more than 60 countries, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart, which is Asia Pacific’s premier travel trade show, is scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 7. PATA Bangladesh Chapter and Bangladesh Tourism Board will participate in the the event. BTB’s CEO Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir will attend the PATA board meeting. A three-day long travel mart will feature unparalleled networking and contracting opportunities to help travel and tourism organisations access decision makers, meet new clients, expand their networks and build new and maintain existing relationships. Held in September every year, PTM showcases travel products and services from the Asia Pacific regional market, drawing interest

from a broad section of experienced and pre-qualified buyers. PTM takes place at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) and is hosted by Indonesia’s tourism ministry in partnership with Banten province and PATA Indonesia Chapter. Unlike other travel trade exhibitions, PTM offers delegates a different host of destinations each year, showcasing the rich cultural diversity of destinations across Asia-Pacific while bringing together a new set of buyers and sellers to every show. The prestigious PATA Gold Awards Ceremony is also held during the Mart, an event that recognises and rewards outstanding achievements in the travel industry in the Asia Pacific region in a broad range of categories. PATA Travel Mart is the premium B2B travel event in the Asia Pacific region and attracts quality buyers and sellers. l

n Triubne Business Desk Finance Minister AMA Muhith has hinted that a hearing may be held in New York over the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist. The minister, however, did not elaborate on this matter. Sources in the Finance Ministry could not immediately provide any details on the issue either. AMA Muhith was speaking at a National Mourning Day event held at the central bank headquarters in the city yesterday. The finance minister will be at New York from September 25 to October 11 to attend the annual World Bank and IMF meetings. Muhith also warned that nobody will be spared if found involved with corruption in the banking sector. Referring to the corruption in the state-owned banks Sonali Bank and BASIC Bank, Muhith said: “Al-

Business

DSEX slips to one-month low n Tribune Business Desk

Stocks continued to fall for the sixth straight session yesterday with the benchmark index DSEX slipping to one month low. The selling pressure intensified as the day progressed, dragging the benchmark index firmly into negative territory. The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange DSEX slumped about 20 points or 0.5% to settle at 4,534—its lowest since August 1 when it was 4,533. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, lost 7 points to 1,740. The DSE Shariah Index was down 4 points to 1,103. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX shed 48 points to 8,473. Trading activities continued to drop as the DSE turnover stood at Tk465 crore, down 6% over the previous session. Engineering, power and pharmaceuticals continued to dominate trading activities, together accounting for over 50% of the total turnover. Life insurance sector fell the highest 1.5%. Among other major sectors, bank, cement, pharmaceuticals and power dropped 0.32%, 0.76%, 0.48% and 0.67% respectively. On the other hand, non-life insurance sector gained the most 2.2%. The textile sector continued to dip as it added 1% to its previous session’s fall of 1.7%. Food and allied was up 0.5%. Negative sentiment might have also been garnered by the senior bankers’ fear of further rise in volume of non-performing loans in the country’s banking sector at the end of the current quarter, according to the LankaBangla Securities. Out of 321 issues traded, 102 closed higher, 164 lower and 55 remained unchanged. l

MD for only three days

n Tribune Business Desk

though the financial situation of these two banks have worsened, the overall health of the banking sector is good.” He, however, suggested that Bangladesh Bank should reduce the number of its outside consultants. As asked about the progress in recovering the stolen reserve money, Muhith replied: “A Bangladesh Bank team was in the Philippines to co-coordinate the process of recovering a portion of the money.’’ l

Md Abdul Khaleque Khan, deputy managing director of Rajhashi Krishi Unnayan Bank, has been appointed as managing director of Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC). But the appointment lasts only three days as Khaleque’s service tenure in public offices ends on August 30 (tomorrow). Bank and Financial Institutions Division issued a circular yesterday confirming the appointment effective August 28. The post of BHBFC’s MD remained vacant for the past eight months as service tenure of then MD Dr Nurul Alam expired on December 31, 2015. l

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

As Fed nears rate hikes, policymakers plan for ‘brave new world’

Fed could use reserves payments to stimulate US economy

n Reuters

Federal Reserve policymakers are signaling they could raise US interest rates soon but they are already weighing new tools they may need to fight the next recession. A solid US labor market “has strengthened” the case for the first rate increase since last December, Fed Chair Janet Yellen told a central banking conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Several of her colleagues said the increase could come as soon as next month if the economy does well. Further rate hikes are expected to be few and far between as the US central bank tries to balance a desire to fuel growth against worries it could overheat the economy. But Fed officials at three-day conference that ended Saturday also said they need to consider new policy tools for use down the road, such as raising the inflation target or even Fed purchases of non-government-backed assets like corporate debt. Such ideas would test the limits of political feasibility and some would need congressional approval. The view within the Fed is that it could take effort to win over a public already skeptical of the unconventional policies the Fed undertook during the last crisis. Policymakers think new tools might be needed in an era of slower economic growth and a potentially giant and long-lasting trove of assets held by the Fed. And they are convinced the time to vet them is now, while rates look to be heading up. “Central banking is in a brave new world,” Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.

Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen testifies before the Senate Banking Committee at Capitol Hill in Washington REUTERS At the center of the Fed’s discussions is its $4.5tn balance sheet, built up by bond-buying sprees to combat the 2007-09 recession but which has been criticized by many lawmakers. While policymakers have maintained the Fed should eventually reduce its bond holdings, Lockhart said some officials were closer to accepting that they needed to learn to live with them. “I suspect there are colleagues who are contemplating at least maybe a statically large balance sheet is

just going to be a fact of life and be central to the toolkit,” he said. Officials have said they will slowly let the balance sheet shrink, a process that would take years and would not begin until interest rate increases are well underway. Substantial progress could be made only in a very long-lived economic expansion. “I am sure everyone in the audience would be happy if this were the reality. I certainly would be,” Simon Potter, the New York Fed’s markets chief, said during the conference.

Yellen, in her speech on Friday, said balance sheets would likely swell again in future recessions as the Fed snaps up assets to stimulate the economy. The conference, attended by all but two of the Fed’s 17 policymakers as well as central bankers from around the world, also presented a menu of more exotic proposals. This included a Fed takeover of short-term debt markets and abolishing cash in order to charge negative interest rates. Many of the more radical proposals, including one to abandon monetary policy altogether and focus on urging runaway deficit-spending, were seen as ivory tower musings. Most policymakers, including Yellen, said it was likely the tools the Fed used to fight the last crisis, including rate cuts, bond purchases and jawboning on rate expectations, will be adequate. Still, she said, “future policymakers might choose to consider some additional tools that have been employed by other central banks,” including buying a wider range of assets or raising the inflation target. She also cited the possibility of targeting the average level of prices in the economy rather than their rate of change. Notably, her laundry list of possible tools did not include negative rates, an idea that has been nearly universally panned by Fed officials. She said the Fed is not actively considering additional policy tools but participants at the conference suggested the process is already well underway. “You are seeing an exploration of how are we going to operate in a quite different world than before the crisis,” Lockhart said. l

Japan PM pledges to invest $30bn in Africa by 2018 n AFP, Nairobi Japan will pour $30bn of investments into Africa by 2018, including $10bn in infrastructure development, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday at a summit in Nairobi. Abe is using the conference to meet dozens of leaders from across Africa, among them Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma. It is the first time that the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is being held in Africa, with all five previous events hosted in Japan. “When combined with the investment from the private sector I expect the total real amount to be

$30bn (26.8bn euros),” Abe said as the TICAD summit got underway. That figure includes $9bn yet to be spent from pledges made at the previous TICAD conference in 2013. “This is an investment that has faith in Africa’s future,” he said. The goal of the conference, organised jointly by the UN, the African Union, the World Bank and Japan, is to boost trade and aid to Africa, as Japan hopes that quality will trump quantity in the battle against cash-rich China for influence on the continent. While Tokyo already has a well-established presence in Africa, its financial importance to the continent has long been eclipsed by regional archrival China.

‘Japan can grow vigorously’

The world’s second-largest economy - a resource-hungry giant - recorded total trade with Africa of about $179bn in 2015, dwarfing Japan’s approximately $24bn. Some 30 African heads of state are taking part in the conference, which runs until Sunday. Around 70 agreements are expected to be signed. “We have a feeling in our gut that in Africa, where possibilities abound, Japan can grow vigorously,” said Abe. “The wealthiest countries today, with very few exceptions, got rich by trading with others,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said at the conference. Chad’s Idriss Deby, who current-

ly chairs the African Union, noted that Africa’s economy had been badly affected by falling commodity prices, several conflicts and climate change. “Our struggle for development cannot succeed without peace, stability and above all security,” he said. Deby called on Africa’s partners to contribute to a counter-terrorism fund recently set up by the African Union and to help speed up economic growth, poverty reduction and promote better health care. The World Bank and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria meanwhile pledged $24bn over the next three to five years towards Africa’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage. l

The Federal Reserve could push banks to lend more by paying Wall Street smaller returns on money stashed at the US central bank when inflation is low, according to an academic paper presented. The proposal was one of several discussed at an international gathering of central bankers who are looking for ways to stimulate economies even after they have cut interest rates to near zero and flooded banks with money. In his paper, economist Ricardo Reis put forward a new way for the Fed to pay banks returns on the money they keep at the central bank, a tool that could potentially put the Fed’s goal of keeping inflation at 2% on autopilot. Banks currently have about $2.6tn at the Fed, a trove that swelled during a massive Fed bond-buying campaign aimed at fighting the 2007-2009 recession. The Fed currently pays 0.5% on reserves, which some critics view as a giveaway to banks. The central bank uses that rate as a way to keep the rates for overnight interbank borrowing from going beyond its target range, relying on reverse repo operations to set the floor. But under Reis’s proposal, the Fed would also use the reserves rate as a stimulus mechanism, indexing its payments to the inflation rate. That would give banks an incentive to lend when the economy is weak and prices are rising more slowly. “When the central bank promises a smaller payment, reserves are a less attractive investment, so banks will ... move away from reserves and into loans,” Reis, an academic at the London School of Economics, wrote in the paper. The fluctuations in bank lending due to price changes could help the Fed keep inflation on target. Inflation rates in the United States and elsewhere in the world have been exceptionally low in recent years, and policymakers worry that economies are vulnerable to debilitating deflation. Reis said his proposal was “somewhat radical” and warrants more study before being tried out. He also assessed whether the Fed could stimulate the economy through the use of so-called “helicopter drops” in which it would create money and give it to the government to spend without requiring repayment. Reis argued that helicopter drops might be ineffective because the Fed already turns over its profits to the government and might reduce these transfers after such a move, leading the government to cut spending in the future. l

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Global central bankers, stuck at zero, unite in plea for help from governments n Reuters Central bankers in charge of the vast bulk of the world’s economy delved deep into the weeds of money markets and interest rates over a three-day conference here, and emerged with a common plea to their colleagues in the rest of government: please help. Mired in a world of low growth, low inflation and low interest rates, officials from the Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank said their efforts to bolster the economy through monetary policy may falter unless elected leaders stepped forward with bold measures. These would range from immigration reform in Japan to structural changes to boost productivity and growth in the US and Europe. Without that, they said, it would be hard to convince markets and households that things will get better, and encourage the shift in mood many economists feel are needed to improve economic performance worldwide. During a Saturday session at the symposium, such a slump in expectations about inflation and about other aspects of the economy was cited as a central problem complicating central banks’ efforts to reach inflation targets and dimming prospects in Japan and Europe. ECB executive board member Benoit Coeure said the bank was working hard to prevent public expectations about inflation from becoming entrenched “on either side” - neither too high nor too low. But the slow pace of economic reform among European govern-

European Union (EU) flags fly in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany ments, he said, was damaging the effort. “What we have seen since 2007 is half-baked and half-hearted structural reforms. That does not help supporting inflation expectations. That has helped entertain disinflationary expectations,” Coeure said. Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he is in regular talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about opening Japan to more immigration and other politically sensitive changes needed to

improve potential growth, currently estimated at only around one percent annually. Fed Chair Janet Yellen devoted the final page of her keynote talk on possible monetary policy reforms to a list of fiscal and structural policies she feels would help the economy. Fiscal policy was not on the formal agenda for the conference, but it was a steady part of the dialogue as policymakers thought through policies for a post-crisis world. One of the central worries is that house-

REUTERS

holds and businesses have become so cautious and set in their outlooks - expecting little growth and little inflation - that they do not respond in expected ways to the efforts central banks have made. That has included flooding the financial system with cash, and voicing a steady commitment to their inflation targets in an effort to make people believe they will be met. Kuroda acknowledged that household expectations have not moved, and said the BOJ was prepared to continue its battle to figure

out how to shift them. In modern monetary theory, households and business expectations are felt to play a defining role in spending and investment decisions, and thus in shaping inflation and growth. “Japanese inflation dynamics remain vulnerable,” Kuroda said. “It could be that long-term inflation expectations are yet to be anchored in Japan” at the bank’s 2% target. The concern about expectations is a paradox. The Fed for example fought a difficult battle with inflation in the 1970s, hiking interest rates to recession-provoking levels and eventually winning a war of credibility over its ability to rein in price increases. Some central bankers remain fearful of clipping that cord. But they also are hunting for ways to jolt the economy out of its doldrums, and a fiscal push is a possible tool. In a lunch address by Princeton University economist Christopher Sims, policymakers were told that it may take a massive program, large enough even to shock taxpayers into a different, inflationary view of the future. “Fiscal expansion can replace ineffective monetary policy at the zero lower bound,” Sims said. “It requires deficits aimed at, and conditioned on, generating inflation. The deficits must be seen as financed by future inflation, not future taxes or spending cuts.” It was not clear whether such ideas will catch on. But there was a broad sense here that the other side of government may need to up its game. l

CORPORATE NEWS

BRB Cable Industries Ltd has been awarded National Export Trophy (Gold) for the fiscal year 20122013 in recognition of its achievement in export business of electrical and electronics products. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday handed over the trophy to Mozibar Rahman, chairperson of BRB Cable Industries Ltd

PRAN Group was awarded six national export trophies for its achievements in various export segments during the fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday handed over the trophies to Uzma Chowdhury, corporate finance director of PRAN-RFL Group, Eleash Mridha, director of PRAN, Kamruzzaman Kamal, director (marketing) of PRAN-RFL Group and Mizanur Rahman, chief of export at PRAN

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Health

Migrate your migraine You don’t have to depend on expensive pain killers

n Rubaiyat Hassan Siraz

ow often do you hear people suffering from serious headaches? Some of them say that their pain is so bad, that it would have been better to live without a head! If only that was ever possible. I have a friend who needed to strap his head with a towel every time he had severe headaches. He told me he had migraine and that, he has been suffering from it for the past fifteen years or so. The situation has worsened to the point that, whenever there is an attack; he feels the need to hit his head hard on the wall to relieve him from the excruciating pain. What is migraine? Medical science reflects on it as a condition that is marked by recurrent severe headaches, which is often accompanied with nausea and the tendency to vomit. I have encountered several migraine sufferers who have asserted that they feel it is better to take pills whenever an attack is imminent. It helps them temporarily but in the long run, one ends up with an expenditure of about five to seven thousand every month on pain killers.

Our brain has billions of neurons and in order to connect one another, they need neurotransmitters PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK

However, is it incurable? We all know this is not an organic disease. Our brain has billions of neurons and in order to connect one another, they need neurotransmitters. One of them is called endorphin (endogenous morphine). Which makes us think that, if our brain can produce such a powerful pain killer then why on earth do we need to buy medicine? Migraine is curable no matter how long you have been suffering from it. How do we get rid of it?

Start meditating regularly. You will see the pain gradually lessens. Relaxation is key. Meditation helps to relax your body and mind predominantly. As a result, your body eases out toxins from your system. Your heart beat and blood pressure becomes normal. When you meditate on a regular basis, all the stress you have accumulated from work and life starts to release. We all know our immune system is powerful enough to heal your migraine on its own. All you need to do is to relax and start

contemplating. If medicine can’t cure your migraine; then there is no need to take them anymore. A healthy mind always reflects a healthy life. It has become ever so important to relax in our seemingly fast-paced lives. Therefore, leading a healthy life is as essential as it gets in modern times. To feel good and exuberant, let’s practice a simple line every day. Let us say, “Every day in every way; I am getting better and better. Living a life without diseases is normal, having it is not.” l

Health

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

5 quirky ways to wake yourself up Keep the zombie revolution at bay

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

e’ve all had days like these. Staying up into the wee hours, finishing that project or binge-watching that show, or soothing that fussy baby, only to wake up the next day feeling like the walking dead. And if it just happens to be a day when deadlines need to be met and there’s no coffee at hand… well, you know how that’s going to go. While we can’t promise a magical replacement for some much-needed sleep, here are five ways to jolt your system into alertness for the short term.

Run to the fridge and pour yourself a tall glass of cold, cold water. This will bring your core temperature down and force you awake

A firm tug Zoning out in front of the PC or over your books? Lean back, close your eyes, take a deep breath, grab your hair and give it a firm tug. This gets the blood flowing in your head and can give you a much needed jolt of energy. The effects are temporary, but hey, when times are desperate, even a little action goes a long way. Head rush This one uses the same principle as the tip above. Stand up, plant your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, knees straight, bend down and try to look back between your legs. The blood rushing to your head will refresh you. Slowly straighten up to prevent dizziness. This step has the bonus effect of giving your limp hair a short term volume boost. A bit of refresh-mint Always keep some mintflavoured gum or candy handy. In addition to giving you fresh breath, the effervescent flavour can revive you. If there’s no mint handy, swizzling some

Photos: Bigstock mouthwash or toothpaste can have the same effect (another reason why brushing your teeth in the morning is important). Since anything vaguely minty or

menthol-y has the same effect, smelling Vicks or a menthol inhaler can also have the same effect. Cold reality If you’ve run out of coffee, this one can help. Run to the fridge and pour yourself a tall glass of cold, cold water. This will bring your core temperature down and force you awake. The effects are more short-lived than that of coffee, so repeat it at intervals to stay awake and stay hydrate. You can maximise the effect of the cold water treatment by dropping

some lemon or lime slices in your water and storing it in the fridge. The infusion of citrus oils into your drinking water will add extra kick. Move it If you can afford to take a break, step away from the bed or workstation, get up and stretch. From neck to back to limbs, give those muscles a tug, and then go stand outside and look at the sky for a few minutes. The combination of movement, which sends blood flowing through your muscles, and the direct sunlight on your face will rejuvenate you. l

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Education

Investing in the basics of education n Ehsan Amin

ost parents in Bangladesh are less willing to emphasize on and spend money for primary and secondary education even though the academic base of a person is formed during the early years. However, on the contrary, they are quite convinced about spending millions of takas on higher education over a short time span of just 4–5 years because they somehow foresee near-future benefits for their child. These supposed benefits include landing a decent job after graduating from a reputed university or getting their child married to a wealthy family. So, they send their children to prestigious universities home and abroad even if it costs them selling off their fixed assets. In Bangladesh, most students enrolled at private universities such as North South University, BRAC, IUB, AIUB, and a few other institutions of similar standards, come from middle class and lower-middle class backgrounds. Their parents or elder siblings struggle tirelessly to bear the expenses of their education. Unfortunately, a majority of these students did not get proper and efficient academic upbringing during their early years. Many of them noticeably struggle to understand English properly when faculty members give lectures in the classrooms. Some may not even speak in Bangla with the proper pronunciations. They don’t understand simple words written on the lecture slides and often misinterpret the concepts. Their inadequacy in receiving higher education is continuously affecting the educational ecosystem in the university. They have poor communication skills, hence they cannot properly communicate with their lecturers and peers. Some of them even have to struggle to get internships or land a decent job after graduation. However, many of them improve their lifestyle by imitating their smarter peers in the campus, for example, they learn about and practice hanging out in restaurants, using smartphones and social media, taking selfies, etc. Although these practices do not help much in academics, they at least help them get rid of the feeling of being left out. This may sound biased, but I have found that students from English medium backgrounds tend to perform better when pursuing higher studies, than students from Bangla medium and madrasah backgrounds. They are

Photo: Bigstock

As students in an international education system, they can easily relate themselves to global trends and lifestyles comparatively more purposeful, career-focused, and well-groomed. They are also better at receiving financial aids from the university through their better grades and academic performances. It is almost impossible for an insolvent student to receive financial aid with mediocre grades. Moreover, English medium students are well aware of different opportunities and they know how to utilise them. They make sure to keep updates on different exchange programs, competitions, internships, workshops, and know how to apply for them, hence they are more likely to get into and enjoy the benefits of these opportunities. I received my primary education in English medium

schools. However, I could not continue after grade six because my family found it expensive to continue further. I remember that our teachers were well groomed and most of them were females. The ambience of the school was filled with motherly or sisterly affection and care. However, it is also true that many English medium institutes, unfortunately, no longer provide the same care and attention to their students as was the case a decade ago. I sincerely believe that a few of the long-established schools, whether English or Bangla, such as Holy Cross, St. Joseph, SFX Green Herald, Sunbeams, Scholastica The Aga Khan School, etc, are excellent places for a child’s basic education and upbringing. The

books are well illustrated and up to date. The teachers’ attitudes are children-friendly. They don’t manipulate the schooling process by making their own private tuitions compulsory, since they are paid well enough in schools. The students get exposed to more ideas and enjoy better learning experiences. Having said that, there are, without a doubt, certain obvious benefits to studying in a purely English medium environment. As students in an international education system, they can easily relate themselves to global trends and lifestyles. They are free to sit for their exams whenever they want and can retake an exam for a specific course to improve their grades. Due to these attributes they develop a positive, independent, and easygoing attitude towards education and feel less burdened. They can plan their career as they want because their options are widened since their eligibility requirement for higher studies are well checked across the world. Lots of arguments might come along the way, but this is the reality. No matter how

demonstrative we are towards our native language or religion, we can’t deny the facts when quality is the first priority. Since education is a very essential need in our life, we should prioritize the quality of education before thinking about our cultural ethnocentrisms and financial capabilities. English medium education is expensive but it won’t sound expensive if we properly calculate the amount of money we have to spend for private tuitions. Sometimes, people even take up corrupt measures to get their children admitted in to more renowned institutions. Such practices are almost invisible in the English medium spectrum. l

Ehsan Amin is a student of North South University School of Business and Economics. He is also the Founder and Executive Producer of a visual branding agency named Crayon Studio. Email: ehsan. nsu@gmail.com

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

| book launch |

| fashion |

Don Sumdany and BanglaPrakash launch pocketbooks in China

Eid embellishment

Bangladeshi publisher BanglaPrakash has launched a series of pocketbooks written by G Sumdany Don, a professional corporate trainer and public speaker from Bangladesh, at the 23rd Beijing International Book Fair 2016, in Beijing, China on August 28. The three pocketbooks are titled, The Power of Positive Thinking, CV Writing & Interview Skills, and The Art of Communication & Public Speaking. Dola Hasan, the ED of BanglaPrakash; Cami Onolfo, Romanian author from Miami USA; Gloria Bailey MBE, manager, Overseas Trade Fairs of the Publishers Association UK; Dinesh Kulatunga, from the Sri Lanka Book Publishersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association; G Sumdany Don, the author and professional corporate trainer; Engineer Mehedi Hasan, the publisher of BanglaPrakash and Lecture Publications Ltd; Mohan Kumar, executive affairs executive from the Sharjah Book

Authority UAE and Mahmudul Hasan, director of BanglaPrakash, were present at the launch. The publisher Hasan said, that these unique pocketbooks would help the youth of Bangladesh and the rest of the world to develop core soft skills. He plans to launch a nationwide distribution within Bangladesh, including online distribution through rokomari. com. It is hoped that the books would slowly attract worldwide distribution as well. The author, G Sumdany Don, said the youth of Bangladesh are extremely talented, but lack core

soft skills like communication or public speaking. Therefore his vision is to launch at least 50 pocketbook titles under this series, which would include topics like emotional intelligence, customer service, train the trainer, leadership, managing people for the first time, and so on. The books have been sponsored by the Edward M Kennedy (EMK) Centre. This series of pocketbooks will be launched in Bangladesh after Eid in September through a grand launching ceremony at the EMK Center.l

Keeping Eid al-Adha in mind, all outlets of fashion house Kay Kraft has been embellished with an array of new collections. Their new offers range from sharees to panjabis, fatuas to tops, all of which have been designed in Kay Kraftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own signature style. Various shades of green, purple, navy blue, turquoise, orange, white have been prioritised for this festival. Considering the current weather, they have ranked fabrics such as bexi-cotton, muslin, half-silk and Noroshidi cotton highter. To adorn the surface of fabrics, tie-dye, skin-print, block-print and various types of hand-embroidary have been used. l

| theatre |

A theatrical experience by UAP English Department Famous stage drama, Meraj Fokirer Ma, was screened on Thursday, August 4 at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. A group of thirty students from the Department of English of University of Asia Pacific (UAP), accompanied by three faculty members including the head of the department Professor Dr Shawkat Hussain, associate professor Takad Ahmed Chowdhury and lecturer Md Shazed Ul Huq Abir, took part to experience it. Meraj Fokirer Ma is an acclaimed play by the theatre, which has been successfully performed for over two decades since May 20, 1995. The play stars the celebrity couple Ferdousi Mojumdar and Ramendu Mojumdar. It was an amazing experience for the bunch of UAP students and teachers watching the brilliant performances on stage that highlights a debate between fundamentalism and progressiveness, and zooms in on the fact that the essence of religion has been misinterpreted to the benefit of some in the

Biz Info

| inauguration |

Hero Splendor Plus inauguration

A glimpse from the play Meraj fokirer Ma society. Written by late Abdullah Al Mamun, the play poses a few very important questions of life: What is more important, relationship or religion? Should a son leave his mother if his views regarding religion differ from that of hers? In fact, through this satirical play, the playwright tries to bring out the human values and depict certain characters, who oppress people in the name of religion.

The students and teachers of UAP were also thrilled to share some good moments with the two great artists, Ferdousi Majumdar and Ramendu Majumdar, before and after the show. It was a delightful evening with some lovely memories to treasure for the participating teachers and students beyond the classroom. l

The opening ceremony of Splendor Plus has been oraganised by Niloy Motors Ltd on August 28, 2016, at Dhaka Regency. The honourable managing director of Nitol Motors Ltd, Abdul Musabbir Ahmad, and high officials of Hero Motocorpo Ltd, along with business channel partners were present on the occasion. Journalists from different newspapers and channels were also present during the event. l

20 Editorial

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

TODAY

No burkini at Gawsia Market yet Why does it matter as to what someone is wearing as long as the person wearing it feels comfortable? PAGE 21

Why discriminate so much, Union government? It is important that policy alternatives are also put forward that counter the present centralising, anti-people policies of the Union government PAGE 22

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

A dive into the blue

Why did we do so badly? If we can get endorsements, advertisers, and sponsors for these types of programs, I believe we can look at the 2020 or 2024 Olympics with renewed hope 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.

t is an interesting and encouraging prospect that Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, adviser to the prime minister on matters of power, energy, and mineral resources, has called upon entrepreneurs in the private sector to engage and invest in the blue economy at a recently-held seminar organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is, in fact, a call to action for the private sector to explore gas and oil, given that the government now has enough resources to promote blue economy. For the uninitiated, the blue economy is a form of marine-based economic development. Being a deltaic nation, it’s surprising that we haven’t explored this option to improve Bangladesh’s position in the global economy much earlier. With the growing aquaculture production in the country, the blue economy initiative, funded by the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), can be an opportunity for Bangladesh to excel further into the spheres of marine life development. To that end, it is promising that Bangladesh has recently been approved by IORA for two projects for the exploration of coastal agricultural and marine flora. The compelling benefit of this approach to do business is its primary essence of including the entire nation in its development programs. We have seen how economies around the world, such as the US, have been blessed by the blue economy, meaning that American maritime transport carries 95% of its nation’s foreign trade. Given the constant upward trajectory that our economy has been following, mainly because of the hard work put in by our private sector, there is no better time than now for our country to make exploring the blue economy a top priority.

Given the constant upward trajectory that our economy has been following, there is no better time than now for our country to make exploring the blue economy a top priority

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

No burkini at Gawsia Market yet Burkini equals liberté?

n Towheed Feroze

hen you conceal, the attraction doubles. Sorry, if I have offended anyone, but I was referring to human psychology. Of late, the global debate wading into the premise of Islamophobia is the revolutionary garment called “burkini.” If you ask me, it actually looks a lot like the uniform of the Star Trek crew with the only addition of the tight head covering. However, unlike the fictional sci-fi series, if someone is wearing it in defiance of a ban in certain countries, there’s no Scotty to beam her up to the spacecraft and whisk her away from a fracas. This dress is almost similar to the scuba diving suit, without the oxygen cylinders of course. I wonder, will a diver who comes up from the water wearing a burkini, using it as an underwater diving attire, be penalised? In these times of European economic stringency, some may decide, “let’s go for the burkini because it will serve a purpose both under water and on the beach.” It seems that countries with secular labels are hell-bent in forcing people to conform to the social values which they represent. From a neutral angle, I must say that since France is a secular nation, anyone living there has to respect the laws upheld by the land. Just like we would not feel comfortable if foreigners walked on streets wearing hot pants and tank tops. Now, low-cut blouses or netted sarees with provocative glimpses of the midriff and the navel are not a problem as long as local women wear them. In fact, until the Holey Artisan carnage, all Western women on Dhaka streets followed the country’s modest attire code for women. Then again, there is also a counter-point: Today, Western visitors to our country follow the rules of the land, but once, as imperial rulers, across the world, these colonial-powers-turnedcurrent-champions-of-humanrights-and-democracy, showed utter disdain for the customs and culture of an occupied territory. Anyway, let the past be the past, they say, otherwise, we cannot move forward. And, so, invoke the line of British philosopher Bertrand

The burkini brouhaha shows that the secular world may need to re-evaluate its values Russell who said: “The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation.” Hence, many of us are inclined to let bygones be bygones. Today, we shall focus on the burkini’s global ripples -- the fusion dress combining the bikini and the burqa. Nope, haven’t seen any at Gawsia Market as of yet, but with the international coverage this dress is getting, I won’t be surprised if one is seen hanging from the stores soon. Reportedly, France’s ban on burkinis has seen a surge in the garment’s sales worldwide. That’s what one can underline as “any publicity is good publicity.” Ban it to create a boom for it. The other day, a canny shopkeeper asked me, “Bhai, how can I get hold of some of these?” Hmm, tough question. After some intense thinking, I suggested, why import them when we have Jinjira on the other side of the river where any item can be copied in days? He loved the idea! I hear this guy is on a nylonbuying mission. The plan is to catch holiday-makers in Cox’s Bazaar in two months time. On one side of the world, the burkini is under fire; on the contrary, here in Bangladesh,

REUTERS

In an open space filled with thousands of people having a day out in the sun at the beach, why does it matter as to what someone is wearing as long as the person wearing it feels comfortable?

where fads catch fast, this may set the beaches on fire. And no one to come and say, “take it off.” I am also thinking how burkinis may be included in our film industry. After all, whether one likes it or not, there is a certain attraction to it. Perhaps in “Agni 4,” featuring the female protagonist out to root out some social evil? Putting aside the flippancy, all this brouhaha appears to be unnecessary. In an open space filled with thousands of people having a day out in the sun at the beach, why does it matter as to what someone is wearing as long as the person wearing it feels comfortable? Naturally, basic sartorial sense compatible with the sand and the water has to prevail. Let’s turn to Cox’s Bazaar for a change. Here, women can go to the beach wearing whatever they

desire: A saree, a salwar-kameez, long shorts, or a bikini. The last one is usually preferred by foreigners, as in the past, overseas tourists were allowed to wear whatever they felt like wearing. To avoid gawking eyes, a separate beach, guarded by security people, was ensured. “You can wear whatever you desire” -- isn’t that more secular than proscribing something? Oh well, it’s a strange world where we must adapt to diverse social ethos. By the way, my shop-owner friend with the entrepreneurial spirit says he wants to call the locally-made beach-dress: Sunny Leone “Baby Doll” burkini. “Will sell like anything,” he assures me. I am convinced. Are you? l Towheed Feroze is a journalist working in the development sector.

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Why discriminate so much, Union government? The UDAY scheme does not seem to be in the best interests of West Bengal

n Garga Chatterjee

ven after a huge amount of pressure being applied to West Bengal by the Union government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has firmly stood up for the interests of her state and in defence of federalism and state rights by still refusing to join the UDAY scheme that is being strongly pushed by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, and Mines. And this issue assumed greater significance in the light of the series of steps that have been taken by the present BJP-led Union government to encroach into state rights by anti-federal policies and the initiatives by Mamata Banerjee to create a federal front to lead

2015, it was stated very clearly that joining by states is optional. This optional bit is not some great magnanimity by the Union government by a requirement of constitution since electricity is not (yet) in the Union list but in the concurrent list. Ever since the constitution was promulgated, electricity has been a concurrent subject at Entry 38 in List III of the seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. However, the proposals of the UDAY scheme clearly show that it plans to discriminate against states that don’t join the scheme. States accepting UDAY and performing as per operational milestones will be given additional/priority funding through Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY),Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS),

between states due to its whims and schemes means that it discriminates between states and that it discriminates between independent political choices made by the people of the states in electing people who might not agree to UDAY. Are people of states of the Indian Union less citizen than others that they are only useful for extracting revenue without preconditions while fund allocation is conditional upon the policy of their state governments’ political choice? If this is not a direct blow on the concept of federalism where Union government and State government are fundamentally equal and sovereign, differing just in distribution of tasks, then what is? And Mamata Banerjee, by standing up to UDAY has

While Mamata Banerjee slowly tries to build consensus around the idea of a federal front, it is important that policy alternatives are also put forward that counter the present centralising, anti-people policies of the Union government

the political charge against such incursions. UDAY is a Union government idea called Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana. The main issue of interest is that it is a scheme by which, on paper, its a financial restructuring package for debt-ridden power distribution companies, most of which belong to state governments. While it sets out a series of measures of restructuring debt, the problem lies in the fact that it takes away independence of state government power companies and hence of the state governments themselves by preferential treatment of those states which agree to this scheme. And the states that don’t agree to join the UDAY scheme, the Union government is forcing them through other pressure tactics, that is basically nothing short of bullying. Let us look at some of these aspects. When the scheme was launched by Piyush Goyal in November

Power Sector Development Fund (PSDF), or other such schemes of Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Additionally, such States (that join the UDAY scheme) shall also be supported with additional coal at notified prices and, in case of availability through higher capacity utilisation, low-cost power from NTPC, and other Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs). Finally, states not meeting operational milestones (and hence, also the states that don’t join the UDAY scheme) will be liable to forfeit their claim on IPDS and DDUGJY grants. Let us unpack what this means. It means, the Union government will start a carrot and stick policy for disbursing funds: Money, if you join and agree to go by our rules and no funds, if you don’t. Given that all Union government resources are from states, the Union wielding its revenue power to discriminate

championed federalism at a time when it is under threat from every scheme announced by the Union government. The UDAY scheme is not an exception. From HRD ministry’s RUSA scheme to various schemes of other Union ministries, funds and resources are being made available to those who agree to Union government policies. For those who don’t but are still as much stakeholders in the Union of India, there is the stick. This is a grave threat to the idea of representative federal democracy which should have no place for punishing people for their political choices. But the threat contained in the UDAY scheme is even more dangerous. For states joining UDAY, the scheme provides for “additional coal at notified prices and, in case of availability through higher capacity utilisation, low-cost power from NTPC, and other Central Public Sector Undertakings.”

Didi has done an admirable job keeping the UDAY wolves at bay So, we can envisage this scenario. West Bengal doesn’t join UDAY. Coal from the coal fields of West Bengal will be preferentially given to other UDAY-compliant states, and not the very land and the people from whose natural homeland that coal is being extracted. It is a matter of shame that centralisation has driven the Indian Union to this end where the states themselves are being removed from the resources of their own land. It is a matter of rights and a matter of dignity and also a matter of independent economic and fiscal policy. Concomitant with such Union government schemes comes the elaborate ways by which decisionmaking about economic policies, rates, and various other things are being taken away from state legislatures and hence from direct control of the people to unelected bodies of “experts” who are not unaccountable to the people. This is an old trick to serve the interests of the rich and the powerful, especially those groups whose interests are harmed by democratic decision-making. In short, those whose interests are opposed to the interests of the people. By decision-making increasingly technocratic and taking them out of the influence of the people, it makes it more open to abuse by those with links to power and those who can buy

REUTERS

power and influence with money. This specifically includes big corporates and those in the good books of the Union government: Such moves undermine federalism and democracy. While Mamata Banerjee slowly tries to build consensus around the idea of a federal front, it is important that policy alternatives are also put forward that counter the present centralising, antipeople policies of the Union government. Such policy alternatives have to include greater power to the states, putting an end to the Union government schemes that discriminate between states on the basis of compliance with Union government guidelines and reversal of policies of issuing guidelines and laws for subjects in the concurrent and state list. The division of power between Union centre and states have to be fundamentally renegotiated in favour of the latter, given the nearly 70 years of constant usurpation of state government power by the Union centre. Certain Union list subjects need to move to the concurrent list. Most concurrent list subjects need to move to the state list. A politics of unity with dignity and diversity best captures the spirit behind a front united under the banner of federalism. l Garga Chatterjee is a political and cultural commentator. He can be followed on twitter @gargac.

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Why did we do so badly at the Olympics? With a little help, our country can dash past all the hurdles keeping us from getting gold

There is very little excuse for our poor performance at Rio

REUTERS

n Nibir Mostafa Khan

he Rio Olympics have recently come to a conclusion with a stunning closing ceremony showcasing the ideas of sportsmanship, unity, tolerance, and brotherhood. And indeed, these themes shone bright throughout the games. For instance, athletes from both South and North Korea taking a selfie together and a runner staying back to help a fellow contender back on her feet. In addition, we had the privilege of watching quite a few Olympic legends finish their illustrious careers at Rio. As the $7.4 billion mega sporting event drew to a close, we were reminded once more of the extent of human endurance, athleticism, and will power. But for Bangladesh, there was a completely separate revelation, and it hit us hard: We still lag horribly behind the rest of the world in terms of sports, other than cricket of course. In most great sporting events, Bangladesh is merely a spectator.

If we can get endorsements, advertisers, and sponsors for these types of programs and remove at least some of the stigma this society has put on following sports as a primary passion, especially for women, I believe we can look at the 2020 or 2024 Olympics with renewed hope

In Rio 2016, Bangladesh’s performance was dismal. None of the Bangladeshi athletes could even qualify for the final rounds, let alone win a medal. Having said that, Rio 2016 does bring a bit of a sense of achievement for Bangladesh’s sporting endeavours since this is the first time a Bangladeshi athlete, Siddiqur Rahman (golfer), had been selected to attend the Olympics without a wildcard. Many are speculating that Siddiqur got this privilege because quite a few golfers around the globe have refused to compete in Rio due to Brazil’s Zika epidemic. While such suggestions somewhat

belittle Siddiqur’s achievement, the statement isn’t entirely false. Some people are going overboard and saying that Russian gymnast Margarita Mamun’s gold medal is a win for two countries since she is of Bangladeshi parentage. In my opinion, while it is a win for Russia, it is definitely a loss for Bangladesh. Because her gold medal wasn’t added to Bangladesh’s tally, and secondly, it totally could have been added, if the proper authorities had taken the correct steps years ago. I believe it is time to seriously ask ourselves why, in 32 years and

eight editions of the Olympics that we have sent athletes to, we haven’t won a single medal. Before I delve into the details, I would like to state that I firmly have confidence in the fact that the athletes are the last people we should blame for this situation. They train very hard with whatever resources they have and try their best at the events, which is indicated by the fact that many athletes have shown their best on the big stages. The people who are responsible for such failures at sporting events are the management and government bodies responsible for handling these matters.

The first shield taken by the authorities concerned is usually a lack of funding and training facilities. Some people still use the “Bangladesh is still a young nation” excuse, and how that plays a role in our athletes not performing well enough. Many people even go to the extent of claiming that Bangladeshis are simply physically not built right for Olympicslevel sports. Talk about a lack of confidence. There are many industrialists here in Bangladesh, and the government itself isn’t too poor either. Getting them to sponsor or endorse a few athletes shouldn’t be too difficult. Nations far younger than Bangladesh have won medals at the Olympics despite having similar physical attributes and worse training facilities. A team of refugees made an appearance at Rio 2016 under the International Olympic Committee’s flag, and they didn’t win any medals either, which puts them on par with the Bangladeshi team. I’m not sure if that’s an achievement for Team Refugee, or a crushing letdown for Bangladesh. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that it is impossible to get sponsors for Bangladeshi Olympians. The authorities could still use diplomatic skills to contact offshore athletes with Bangladeshi heritage to make something of that. We have to start somewhere, but they have repeatedly failed to do so. I believe it is high time the government adopts a time-based plan for winning an Olympic medal. Australia devised a similar plan after 1976, an Olympic they didn’t manage to win a single gold medal in. In Montreal 1984, they won 24 medals, including four gold medals. While comparisons with Australia are silly, it’s true that if we can invest a quarter of the money and effort they put in, we can reap some good results. If we can get endorsements, advertisers, and sponsors for these types of programs and remove at least some of the stigma this society has put on following sports as a primary passion, especially for women, I believe we can look at the 2020 or 2024 Olympics with renewed hope. l Nibir Mostafa Khan is an intern at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

24 Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Afghans to tour Bangladesh for first time

TOP STORIES

n Agencies Singapore await for Bangladesh girls Bangladesh Under-16 women’s team head coach Golam Rabbani Choton warned his charges to guard against complacency when they take on Singapore today at BNS in the AFC Cup Qualifiers Play-offs. PAGE 25

Jose delighted with Rashford Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes that Marcus Rashford is proving his value to the side after the young striker scored the late goal that defeated Hull City on Saturday. PAGE 26

Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim lifts weights during a gym session at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Walsh likely to be named Tigers bowling coach n Mazhar Uddin

Du Plessis ton puts Proteas on top Stand-in captain Faf du Plessis scored a fifth Test century before his bowlers ripped through the New Zealand top order to leave South Africa firmly in charge after day two of the second Test at Centurion yesterday. PAGE 27

Rosberg eases to Belgian GP win German Nico Rosberg eased to victory in a chaotic Belgian Formula One Grand Prix yesterday. The Mercedes driver crossed the line 14.1 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo and England’s Lewis Hamilton. PAGE 28

West Indies fast bowling great Courtney Walsh is likely to be named the new bowling coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. The role has been vacant ever since the departure of former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, whose two-year deal with the Tigers came to an end in May this year. At the moment, Walsh is contracted with the West Indies as the national selector. His contract expires after the ongoing series against India. The 53-year old legendary paceman scalped 519 wickets in 132 Tests and 227 wickets in 205 one-day internationals. The right-arm fast bowler made his Test debut against Australia back in 1986 in Perth and retired from international cricket against South Africa in Kingston in 2001. Walsh later worked as the Windies Under-19 manager for the 2012 U-19 World Cup and featured in several radio and television commentary programmes before being appointed as the national

selector in August 2014. He was handed a two-year contract by the West Indies Cricket Board. Previously, Walsh never worked as a bowling coach but nonetheless, the likely addition of the high-profile fast bowler will no doubt boost the Tigers dugout. Earlier, following Streak’s resignation, former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed had turned down the offer after the BCB ap-

proached him. Aaqib though was unable to join the Tigers as he was involved as the director of cricket operations with the Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars. Former South African fast bowler Allan Donald’s name was also among the probable list along with former Sri Lankan pacemen Chaminda Vaas and Champaka Ramanayake. l

Bangladesh will host Afghanistan at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from September 25 to October 1 this year. The teams will face each other in a three-ODI series. Nasimullah Danish, chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board, said, “This will be the first series between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. We are looking forward to entertaining cricket for the cricket lovers of Bangladesh. “We are in close discussion with ICC (International Cricket Council) Full Members and successfully completed many tours with them. Series of matches with Full Members prove that, Afghanistan cricket has secured a decent spot in the cricketing world. It’s always good for our team development to test (ourselves) in different conditions, and there’s no better place than Bangladesh to do that.” Shafiq Stanikzai, CEO of ACB, said, “We are very thankful to Bangladesh Cricket Board for hosting Afghanistan national cricket team and we are committed to play as many international games as possible. We will learn and deliver good cricket for the cricket lovers.” The three ODIs will be held on September 25, 28 and October 1. l

Tamim picks up injury during practice n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal fractured his finger during training on Saturday. The left-hander picked up the injury on the ring finger of his left hand during catching practice, an x-ray revealed on Sunday. According to the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s chief physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury, it will take at least two to three weeks for Tamim to recover. “He has ruptured his ring finger during catching practice but it is not serious. Good thing is that the fracture did not spread and is in one place. We are hopeful that he will recover within two to three weeks,” Dr Debashish told Dhaka Tribune. Bangladesh are mulling organising an ODI series in mid-September against Afghanistan at home before England arrive for two Tests and three ODIs at the end of the same month. Dr Debashish is confident that Tamim will recover and be available for selection for both the series.l

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Singapore await for Bangladesh girls n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Under-16 women’s team put the finishing touch to their preparation yesterday ahead of their today’s AFC U-16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers match against Singapore MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Bangladesh Under-16 women’s team head coach Golam Rabbani Choton warned his charges to guard against complacency when they take on Singapore today at Bangabandhu National Stadium in the Asian Football Confederation U-16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers. The match begins at 6pm and will be telecast live by BTV. The home side are heading into today’s game with a lot of confidence, having dispatched a formidable Iran side 3-0 on Saturday. Considering that Iran are one of the hot favourites in the Qualifiers, the hosts have plenty of reasons to be confident when they face Singapore but Choton said, “I am treating every opponent as a strong one. We will give our hundred percent effort against Singapore, just like we did against Iran in the first match. “We have watched the match of Singapore [Saturday]. They have some potentially good players. We will make the girls watch videos of their (Singapore) first game and

Underground football here to stay n Rashad Banna There are a host of tournaments, namely the Bangladesh Premier League, Independence Cup, Federation Cup and Super Cup, for the hundreds of professional footballers in the country. But as far as the amateur booters are concerned, underground football is the only platform where they can showcase their skills. Underground football started its journey around 2005 when a handful of school- and university-going students got together for a common purpose – playing against each other in tournaments in order to retain their competitive spirit and maintain their fitness. Since then, underground football has grown from strength to strength as participation among the youngsters, mostly hailing from solvent financial backgrounds, grew rapidly. At that time, there were fourfive champion teams around, the likes of Seven Nation Army, Amigos, DOHS United and Josephite Soccer Knights lifting titles more

often than not. With the passage of time however, a number of underground teams transformed themselves into formidable units, thanks to the huge influx of players. Now, around 40-50 sides can be labelled as underground title-winning outfit. There are several reasons why underground football has come on in leaps and bounds over the years, as Galacticos midfielder Shahidul Islam Ratul points out. “For us amateur players, who do not harbour hopes of playing the game professionally, underground football is the way to go. It enables

us to maintain our fitness and refrain from doing bad activities, like drugs,” said Shahidul. “Moreover, through underground football tournaments, we can keep in touch with our friends, which would have been difficult otherwise,” he added. However, just like any other aspect in this world, underground football too has to encounter hurdles every once in a while. “Often when sports organisers want to hold a tournament, they find out that there is a shortage of available fields. As a result, they have to resort to indoor venues. On top of that, some of us also have to

face opposition from our parents,” said Zareer Kazi, who played for Sunbeams school and few other underground teams. “Most of the fields are used for cricket. Therefore, we are left with no other options but to play in sub-standard fields. Still, we manage, because we love the game, come what may,” he added. Although the Bangladesh Football Federation and its scouts barely turn a careful eye on the underground football events, the non-professional footballers don’t mind, as long as they keep fulfilling their passion and are in touch with the game they dearly love. l

then decide on the game strategy. “After winning against Iran, I have told my girls to keep clam. It is a long way, we have won a match and still there four matches left. So I have to go forward match by match as every game will be hard for us.

They have some potentially good players. We will make the girls watch videos of their (Singapore) first game and then decide on the game strategy “Despite winning against top favourites Iran, we don’t feel relief. I want to go match by match,” he added. Meanwhile in the day’s other matches at the same venue, Iran will lock horns with Kyrgyzstan at 11am while Chinese Taipei meet the United Arab Emirates at 3pm. l

Booters fly off to Maldives sans Saintfiet n Tribune Report Bangladesh football team head coach Tom Saintfiet will be unable to accompany his charges when they leave here for Maldives today morning. Instead, the Belgian tactician, who became a father on Friday, will join his disciples in Maldives, where Bangladesh will contest an international friendly against the home side. The men in red and green will then take on Bhutan on September 6 in the Asian Football Confederation Cup Qualifiers Play-offs at Bangabandhu National Stadium. In Saintfiet’s absence, newly-appointed Bangladesh Football Federation tactical and strategic director Paul Smalley conducted the national training camp yesterday. Saintfiet has been with the national team for more than a month now, watching premier league matches and conducting a six-day training camp before even signing the official contract. The Belgian only signed a twomonth deal that will cover Bangladesh’s two matches against Bhutan in the AFC Cup Qualifiers Play-offs. Smalley on the other hand, penned a two-year deal with the BFF. l

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Aubameyang nets twice as Dortmund win opener n AFP, Berlin Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has resumed his duel with Robert Lewandowski to be the Bundesliga’s top scorer by netting twice in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Mainz on the opening weekend of the new season. Aubameyang scored 25 German league goals last season, finishing second to Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski’s 30 in the scorers’ charts, and the duo look set to lead the way again in 2016/17. Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in Bayern’s 6-0 rout of Werder Bremen on Friday and his Dortmund rival Aubameyang opened his account less than 24 hours later. The Gabon star headed in a 17th-minute opener and then added a late penalty before Japan striker Yoshinori Muto pulled one back at the death for the visitors. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was without Marco Reus, who was watching on in the stands, but he started with three summer signings in his line-up. l

RESULTS 1-0

Frankfurt

Schalke 04

Meier 13

Augsburg

0-2

Wolfsburg Didavi 35, Rodriguez 89-P

1-1

Hamburg Wood 30

Cologne

Ingolstadt Hinterseer 79

2-0

Darmstadt

Risse 11, Modeste 61

Dortmund

2-1

Aubameyang 17, 89-P

M’gladbach

2-1

Hahn 45+1, Stindl 85

Mainz Muto 90+2

Leverkusen Pohjanpalo 79

Manchester United’s English forward Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their first goal against Hull in the EPL at KC Stadium on Saturday

Jose delighted with Rashford n AFP, Kingston upon Hull Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes that Marcus Rashford is proving his value to the side after the young striker scored the late goal that defeated Hull City on Saturday. Rashford hit eight goals in 18 matches for United last season, having broken into the first team in February, and went on to win a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad. However, the 18-year-old has been named as a substitute for all three of his club’s Premier League matches so far this season and had

not come on at all until Saturday’s game, with Mourinho preferring new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack. Rashford has also dropped down to the England Under-21 squad, for whom he has been selected for a Euro 2017 qualifier against Norway on September 6. In his pre-match news conference on Friday, Mourinho was quick to state that the teenager will get chances to play across all competitions this season. The manager was full of praise of Rashford once more after he converted Wayne Rooney’s cross

two minutes into stoppage time to give United a 1-0 victory in torrential rain at the KCOM Stadium. “Marcus Rashford has a lot of chances waiting for him,” Mourinho said after the youngster came on for Juan Mata in the 71st minute to make the difference. “When the team was chasing the ball against Leicester in the Community Shield and again tonight, he made a difference for us. “He gives new problems to the opposition so I am really happy with him and the team. Even defensively, we controlled their counter-attack.”l

Kroos winner rescues Real, Atletico lose more ground n AFP, Madrid Real Madrid shrugged off the absence of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo to extend their perfect start to the season with a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday thanks to Toni Kroos’s late winner. The European champions now lead their opponents in May’s Champions League final by four points after just two games as Atletico Madrid were held 0-0 at newly promoted Leganes. Alvaro Morata looked to have Real on their way to another three points when he eventually broke Celta’s resistence by smashing home on the hour mark.

Crystal Palace

1-0 2-1

Morata 60, Kroos 81

Leganes

0-0

Real Sociedad

Bournemouth King 11

Everton

1-0

Stoke

2-1

Swansea

Given 51-og

Leicester

Vardy 32, Morgan 52

Southampton

Fer 80

1-1

Sunderland

Rodriguez 85

Defoe 80-P

1-3

Watford Pereyra 57

Arsenal

Cazorla 9-P, Ozil 45+1, Sanchez 40

0-1

Hull

Man United Rashford 90+2

RESULTS

Valencia

Lazio

0-1

Juventus Khedira 66

Celta Vigo

Napoli

Orellana 66

Atletico Madrid

1-1

A second-half winner from Sami Khedira made it two wins from two for Juventus as Napoli edged nineman AC Milan in a dramatic 4-2 win on Saturday. Juventus were kept on a tight rein by Lazio throughout a first half of few chances at the Stadio Olimpico. l

Pedro Leon 62

Real Madrid

Burnley

Dann 90+3

Juanmi 45+2, García 81-og

Eibar

3-0

Chelsea

Hazard 9, Willian 41, Moses 89

n AFP, Milan

RESULTS 0-2

RESULTS

Khedira winner for Juve as Napoli beat Milan

Fabian Orellana curled home a spectacular equaliser 24 minutes from time, but Kroos’s sublime low strike in off the inside of the post secured all three points for the hosts 10 minutes from time. “We played so-so today,” said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.l

Osasuna

REUTERS

Spain’s Olympic swimmer Mireia Belmonte leaves after doing the kick of honour before Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Celta Vigo on Saturday REUTERS

4-2

Milik 18, 33, Callejon 74, Romagnoli 90+4-og

AC Milan Niang 51, Suso 55

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Du Plessis ton puts Proteas on top

QUICK BYTES Hafeez out as Pakistan call-up Iran

n Reuters, Pretoria Stand-in captain Faf du Plessis scored a fifth Test century before his bowlers ripped through the New Zealand top order to leave South Africa firmly in charge after day two of the second Test at Centurion yesterday. Du Plessis was unbeaten on 112 when South Africa declared on 481 for eight before reducing New Zealand to 38 for three at the close with superb fast bowling on a wicket that has both sideways movement and variable bounce. Skipper Kane Williamson is not out on 15 and will carry the hopes of the touring side into the third day, along with Henry Nicholls who is unbeaten on four. South Africa’s opening bowlers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, both returned to the side for this series after injury layoffs. l

Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour of England, with giant paceman Mohammad Irfan being summoned into the squad as a replacement, the Pakistan Cricket Board said Saturday. Top-order batsman Hafeez was ruled out of Pakistan’s four-wicket defeat in the second one-day international by England at Lord’s on Saturday with what team management said was a left calf injury. The 35-year-old had a difficult tour, managing just 102 runs in six innings before being dropped during Pakistan’s 2-2 draw in a fourmatch Test series. –AFP

Inter sign Portugal’s Mario from Sporting Inter Milan have signed Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario from Sporting Lisbon for an undisclosed fee, the Serie A club said yesterday. The clubs did not reveal the terms of the contract or financial details, but media reports said the 23-year-old moved for 45 million euros ($50.4 million). Mario, who scored six goals in 33 league appearances for Sporting last season, played a key role in helping Portugal win Euro 2016. “We’re delighted to have Joao Mario at Inter. He’s a top player and we’d been tracking him for a long time. He’ll further reinforce what is already a very strong squad,” the Italian club’s president Erick Thohir said. –REUTERS

West Ham sign Zaza on loan from Juventus West Ham United have signed Italian striker Simone Zaza from Juventus on a season-long loan for an initial fee of five million pounds the Premier League club said yesterday. Zaza scored five Serie A goals in 19 games last season and also struck Juve’s winner in their friendly win over West Ham at the London Stadium earlier this month. The 25-year-old was in the Italy squad for Euro 2016. A permanent fee of 20 million pounds will be triggered. –REUTERS

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET TEN 2 2:00PM New Zealand Tour of South Africa 2nd Test, Day 3

TENNIS TEN 1 9:00PM US Open 2016 1st Round, Session 1

BRIEF SCORE, DAY 2

South Africa’s Faf du Plessis jumps to celebrate his century against New Zealand during the second day of their second Test match in Centurion yesterday REUTERS

Windies win one-run thriller in record run blitz n AFP, Fort Lauderdale West Indies defeated India by one run in a record run-laden Twenty20 clash on Saturday after piling up the third highest ever total in the game’s shortest format. Set 246 to win, India needed just eight off the last over and two off the final ball for a famous victory in the Florida sunshine. But skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni could only scoop a Dwayne Bravo delivery into the hands of Marlon Samuels at short third man to leave India agonisingly on 2444. Lokesh Rahul was unbeaten for India on 110 in just his fourth T20 match, hitting 12 fours and five sixes. He shared a crucial 107-run partnership with Dhoni. West Indies’ total of 245-6 was just short of Australia’s 248 against England in Southampton in 2013 while Sri Lanka’s 260 against Kenya at Johannesburg in 2007 remains the highest ever international T20 total. Evin Lewis smashed an impressive 100 and Johnson Charles hit 79 as the West Indies laid the foundations to mark Carlos Brathwaite’s first game as skipper with a victory. The second match of two back-

to-back T20s at the rarely-visited Central Broward Regional Park venue took place yesterday. “When Bravo said he was bowling a slower ball at the end, I told

BRIEF SCORE, 1ST T20I WEST INDIES 245/6 (Lewis 100, Charles 79, Jadeja 2/39) beat INDIA 244/4 (Rahul 110*, Sharma 62, Bravo 2/37) by one run

him that he had my backing. But in my mind I was thinking ‘really?’,” said Brathwaite. “We never do things easy, but we held our nerve.” In all 32 sixes were hit on the day while the 489 total runs was the highest ever for a T20 match, beating the 469 in an IPL game in 2010. “The last ball, the thinking was right but the execution was wrong,” said Dhoni.l

SOUTH AFRICA 481/8d (Du Plessis 112, Duminy 88) v NEW ZEALAND 38/3 (Philander 1/10) New Zealand trail by 443 runs with seven wickets remaining

Root leads Eng to easy one-day win over Pakistan n Reuters, London Joe Root’s composed 89 led England to an easy four-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second oneday international at Lord’s on Saturday. Pakistan recovered from a dreadful start, thanks to a century by Sarfraz Ahmed, to post a respectable total of 251 before Root and captain Eoin Morgan shared a third-wicket stand of 112 to lay the platform for the hosts to go 2-0 up in the series. England opener Jason Roy fell to the second ball of the innings, bowled by Mohammad Amir, but Root looked in complete control from the start while Morgan made a busy 68 including nine fours. Ben Stokes chipped in with 42 and although England lost wickets at regular intervals, they reached their target with more than two overs to spare. Pakistan slumped to two for three after winning the toss, Chris Woakes taking two wickets and Mark Wood one. l

BRIEF SCORE, 2ND ODI West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo (L) celebrates with team mates after they defeated India by one run during the first T20I on Saturday in Florida AP

PAKISTAN 251 (Sarfraz 105, Wasim 63*, Woakes 3/42) lost to ENGLAND 255/6 (Root 89, Morgan 68, Wasim 2/38) by four wickets

Sport

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Lacazette injured as Lyon humbled by Dijon n AFP, Paris In-form France forward Alexandre Lacazette scored before coming off injured in the first half as Lyon collapsed to a 4-2 defeat away at promoted Dijon in Ligue 1 on Saturday. Lacazette put the visitors 2-1 up on 37 minutes at the Stade Gaston-Gerard with his sixth goal already this season after Corentin Tolisso’s opener for Lyon had been cancelled out by a Frederic Sammaritano penalty. But the 25-year-old, who on Thursday was recalled to the France squad for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign, then hobbled off just before the break and was later seen with strapping and an ice pack around his left knee. Things got worse for Lyon as Dijon came roaring back with goals by Julio Tavares, Dylan Bahamboula and Pierre Lees-Melou to claim their first points since returning to the top flight. l

RESULTS Dijon

4-2

Sammaritano 24-P, Tavares 45+1, Bahamboula 73, Lees-Melou 88

Caen

Lyon Tolisso 20, Lacazette 37

2-0

Bastia

Feret 64, Bazile 90+3

Metz

2-0

Angers

Falette 42, Milan 90

Montpellier

1-1

Congre 22

Nancy

Rennes Diakhaby 65

0-2

Guingamp Diallo 59, Giresse 79

Nice Koziello 4

1-1

Lille Beria 27

ASCENT CUP 2016

RESULTS Jaago

3-2

Centro Tex

Ascent Group

3-0

Energypac

BATB

1-2

Therap

Action from the 11th Ascent Cup game between Energypac (in red jersey) and Ascent yesterday REZWAN HUQ

Swiss Infantino says Fifa salary less than $2m n AFP, Geneva FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in an interview published yesterday that he will make less than two million Swiss francs a year, well below the salary of his disgraced predecessor, Sepp Blatter. Infantino has not yet agreed to terms with FIFA but speaking to Switzerland’s Blick newspaper, he said his salary “will be less than the two million francs ($2 million, 1.8 million euros) people have speculated about.” Blatter, who was mired in scandal before being banned from FIFA, made $3.6 million in 2015. Infantino described past dealings with FIFA’s compensation committee as “insulting” and

“completely arbitrary.” During the first two months of Infantino’s tenure, which began in February, the compensation committee included former FIFA audit and compliance chief Domenico Scala, who has emerged as a fierce critic of world football’s new president. Scala dramatically quit FIFA in May, accusing Infantino of trying to compromise the organisation’s independent committees and acting with an authoritarian streak. Infantino said his pay could be finalised when the compensation committee meets again, with Scala no longer in the picture. Reflecting on earlier negotiations when Scala was involved, the FIFA chief said: “I expected to talk to

these people about my salary based on guidelines and defined processes and not to face a fait accompli by Mr. Scala without a discussion.” A FIFA inquiry last month cleared Infantino after investigating him over his use of private jets, personal expenses, hiring methods and the salary dispute. In the interview yesterday Infantino restated his claims that those opposed to cleaning up FIFA’s corrupt ways have sought to undermine his reforms bids. Infantino took over world football’s governing body following months of unprecedented crisis, with major corporate backers like visa and Coca Cola demanding a thorough crackdown on graft. l

Radwanska wins Connecticut Open

n AFP, New York Agnieszka Radwanska held on for a 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) win over Elina Svitolina in Saturday’s final of the WTA Connecticut Open, the last tune-up before the US Open. The top seed and world number four Radwanska claimed her second title of 2016 and the 19th of her WTA Tour. Radwanska was given a wild card berth to get into the tournament. She needed just 29 minutes to win the first set as Svitolina won just four points on serve all set long. But the two traded breaks throughout the second set as Svitolina raised her level of play. Poland’s Radwanska staved off three sets points to send the second set into a tiebreaker. She then won five consecutive points in the tiebreaker to claim the victory. l

Rosberg eases to Belgian GP win, Hamilton third n Reuters, Spa-Francorchamps

Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan leaves the ground after being dismissed, marking his retirement from ODI cricket during the third match against Australia in Dambulla yesterday AFP

German Nico Rosberg eased to victory in a chaotic Belgian Formula One Grand Prix yesterday. The Mercedes driver crossed the line 14.1 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. World championship leader Lewis Hamilton, starting on the back row of the grid after taking a 55-place engine-related grid penalty, clawed his way back up the field to finish third. The race was briefly halted in the early stages after a massive crash for Renault’s Kevin Magnussen. The Dane was taken to hospital

for routine checks after suffering a cut to his left ankle in the highspeed crash. Rosberg’s sixth win of the season cut team mate Hamilton’s lead in the standings to nine points with eight races remaining. l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Stringed instrument (4) 4 Seraglio (5) 9 Anger (3) 11 Bare (4) 12 Kind of ray (5) 13 Exultation (4) 14 Fasting period (4) 15 American elk (5) 19 Long lock (5) 21 Encourage in crime (4) 25 Donate (4) 26 Dodge (5) 28 Czech and Polish river (4) 29 Incision (3) 30 Sanity (5) 31 Liquor dregs (4)

DOWN 1 Sibilate (4) 2 Biblical vessel (3) 3 Kingdom (5) 5 Projecting corners (6) 6 Govern (4) 7 Paradise (4) 8 Encounters (5) 10 Interior decoration (5) 16 Aquatic furred mammals (6) 17 Cut off (5) 18 Nigerian port (5) 20 Gap (5) 22 Wait (4) 23 Level (4) 24 Wagers (4) 27 Owing (3)

Downtime

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 14 represents G so fill G every time the figure 14 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 29, 2016

Gohonjatra: a solo performance n Nadira Sultana Ava During her 30 years in theatre, talented actress Shamsi Ara Sayka has successfully mirrored numerous principal characters of celebrated dramatic pieces. Her first monodrama, Gohonjatra premiered in the middle of July where, Sayka plays the character of Salma. At the beginning of the play, Salma is seen praying to God for incarnating love, forgiveness, patience, serenity and unity in human beings. Wearing a white robe, she denotes how purity of love can triumph over all the darkness inside us. Her transition from white, tells the audience about her captivity in a land where a group of extremists are creating violence, rejecting peoples’ own way of living and killing who are against them to establish their beliefs. After freeing her, she comes to know her closest ones are brutally killed by the extremists including Bahar, Maisha and her lover Arian, a violin player. Here, she is seen to be talking continuously with her inner self. She does not listen to her inner self and goes to see the dead body of Arian, where she is raped and killed by the extremist. Salma is not only represents

Manish is a fan of Sindhu’s smile

n Showtime Desk Suddenly Hindustan has become Sindhustan. And why not? The young girl, Sindhu has brought the Olympic silver medal to India. It was like a surprise gift to the nation indeed. PV Sindhu by became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. She also dazzled everyone with her appearance recently, by looking like a goddess.

She went to Manish Malhotra’s store Angasutra, where the designer was meeting his bridal clients, to see him and his clothes. Manish shared a photo on social media which had Sindhu looking lovely in a Manish Malhotra creation. About meeting Sindhu, Malhotra said, “I found her incredible! She has made India and all of us so proud and she has the most wonderful, warm smile.” l

every human against political invasion, oppression, violent coercion and extremism but is also a victim. She portrays her griefstricken soul and the struggles she had to face where she converses with her inner self and performs her worldly duties. About the execution of this role she added, “I am honoured to have the opportunity to act as a single performer in such a thoughtprovoking drama. By playing the character (Salma) who is the victim of the situation (social and political unrest) apart from my immediate self or experience, I have been able to concentrate and entirely project into the thoughts of the character. Even though it took a long time to become skilled with the dialogues and be prepared to act out the story unaccompanied.” Beautiful choreography with incidental music and the innovative use of lights added a special flair to the staging of the play. Several masks have been used to demonstrate other characters in the play. While talking about it the artist added, “In this hour-long monodrama, timing is more important as there is a synchronisation of dialogue, music, choreography and lights as well.” Sayka is successful in

portraying the boldness, fearlessness, and purposefulness of this role. The artist here is keenly aware of her role in society and implies art to promote thinking and stimulate dialogue. Sayka embraces the opportunity to use her voice to call attention to the social and political problems of our times. She embodies talent, optimism, and a sense of personal responsibility that is admirable. Her acting is appreciable as she wonderfully grabs the attention of the audience in her hour long performance. The actress has been working in the theatre scene since 1986. In 1988, she played a character in Chondrabati. Later on, she played a lead role in Sojon Badiyar Ghaat. Sayka received the best actress award from Bangladesh Sangbadik Somiti in 2008 for performing in Mouse Trap. Her famous plays include the likes of Macbeth, Kaler Jatra, Kaalratri and Khet Mojur Khoimuddi. She has worked as a dance trainer in Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) for almost sixteen years. Gohonjatra is the 39th theatre production of Padatik Nattya Sangsad (TSC). The play has been written by Rubayat Ahmed and directed by Sudip Chakroborty. The play was last staged on August 27. l

Shahid Qadri dies at 74 n Showtime Desk Shahid Qadri, one of the greatest poets of the country died at the age of 74 yesterday, August 28, at a hospital in New York. Vaila Salina, another poet who lives in New York has confirmed the news. He is one of the prominent poets of post-1947 Bengali poetry, who brought a new angle to the Bangladeshi scene by introducing urbanism and a sense of modernity. His poetry is infused with patriotism, cosmopolitanism, and universalism, and in its treatment of nature and city life, it delves deep into the conflicts with the sense of alienation pervading modern life. For his poetry, he was awarded the Bangla Academy Award in 1973. After the publication of his third book, Qadri took a break from writing, and started living in London and Germany. Later, he moved to the United States and started living in Boston, where he married

his second wife, Dana Qadri; who died in the late 90s. Since then, he has returned to writing again and published his fourth book in 2009. Although it has been said that the last issue of Kali O Kolom broke his near three decades of silence by penning two poems. He actually broke his silence by contributing to the very first issue of Shabdaguchha, a bilingual poetry journal, published in New York. His poems have been translated into English by many scholars, such as Kabir Chowdhury, Kaiser Haq, Farida Majid, and he was also awarded the Bangla Academy Award in 1973. Qadri also

PHOTO: NEHER SIDDIQUEE

received the Ekushey Padak, the highest national award of Bangladesh, in the category of language and literature, in 2011. l

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

Firoza Begum’s Jessica Alba: Nazrul sangeet album Things you don’t know about me released digitally n Showtime Desk

Jessica Alba first graced the pages of magazines as a model. The actress is well known for starring roles in Dark Angel, Honey, Good Luck Chuck ,and the first two Fantastic Four films. Before the premiere of her latest film, Mechanic: Resurrection with Jason Statham, the Sin City star shared some interesting facts about herself. Here’s 15 of the facts Alba shared with the US Weekly.

n Showtime Desk Robi Yonder Music presented a collection of 12 songs sung by the legendary Nazrul sangeet singer, Firoza Begum. The Nazrul Sangeet album, titled Janom Janom Gelo, released on Sunday. For the very first time, on an online digital music platform. The album consists of popular Nazrul songs like “Bodhu Mitilo Naa Saadh,” “Aadho Dhoroni Alo,” “Janom Janom Gelo,” “Ekola Gori,” “Jato Ful Tato Bhul,” “Kotha Kao,” “Bhoria Poran Sunitechi Gaan,” “Chokh Gelo Chokh Gelo,” “Noyon Bhora Jol,” “Shunno E Bukey,” “Mor Prothom Moner Mukul,” and “Bhese Asa Sudur Smitir Surobhi.” Firoza Begum played a great

role in popularising Nazrul sangeet in South Asia, and she was the first person to sing in All India Radio. Firoza met poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at the age of 10, and eventually became a student of his. In 1942, she recorded her first Islamic song by the gramophone record company HMV, in 78 rpm disk format. Since then, 12 LP, 4 EP, 6 CD, and more than 20 audio cassette records have been released. Robi Yonder Music says in a statement that the effort is a token of tribute to the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, on his 40th death anniversary. They expect Nazrul sangeet will find it’s popularity among the youth through an endeavour like this. l

1. I did all my stunts for Mechanic: Resurrection. Hand-to-hand combat is where I’m home. 2. Savoury over sweet every time. (Except sour licorice. Obsessed.) 3. I have a natural golf swing thanks to my grandma. 4. As a child, I played baseball and soccer, and I swam. 5. I have two dogs: Bowie is a 10-yearold pit bull–collie mix with one blue eye and one brown eye who looks like a Dalmatian. Sid is a well-fed pug, 15. 6. My first concert was New Kids on the Block. Obviously. 7. My favourite films are The Princess Bride, Overboard and Say Anything. 8. I can’t live without popcorn made with coconut oil and Himalayan sea salt. 9. I pride myself on being a great cook. I can whip together an amazing meal in 20 minutes using whatever’s in the fridge. 10. My favourite meals to cook are giant holiday roast situations with a bunch of killer sides. 11. My worst nightmare is being surrounded by a flock of pigeons. 12. I learned to drive stick before I learned how to drive an automatic. 13. My left front tooth is half fake. I broke it during a kissing scene gone wrong. Thanks a lot, Dane Cook. [Wink.] 14. My first car was a Ford Explorer — the Eddie Bauer edition with a hunter green exterior. Ohhh, yeah. 15. My dream destination is Greece. l

WHAT TO WATCH Cast: Thomas Jane, Michael Rapaport, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Stellan Skarsgard

Deep Blue Sea HBO 7:28pm Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the bait as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.

Anaconda Star Movies 5:30pm

A National Geographic film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who takes them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest and deadliest snake. Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight Mr Bean’s Holiday Movies Now 9:30pm Mr Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unwittingly separates a young boy from his father and must help the two come back together. On the way he discovers France, bicycling, and true love, among other things. Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Emma

de Caunes, Willem Dafoe, Jean Rochefort, Max Baldry Equilibrium WB 7:08pm In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system. Cast: Christian Bale, Emily

Showtime

Watson, Taye Diggs, Sean Bean, Angus Macfadyen

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

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Schoolgirl dies after being stabbed by stalker

Students of Willes Little Flower School and College take to streets of Kakrail yesterday demanding justice for the murder of Suraya Akhter Risha, a 14-year-old student of the school who died after being stabbed by an alleged stalker DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Kamrul Hasan Suraya Akhter Risha, 14, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after succumbing to her stab wounds yesterday. Suraya, a student of Willes Little Flower School and College was stabbed by her stalker on Wednesday in Dhaka’s Kakrail area. She passed away at the intensive care unit around 8:30am yesterday after succumbing to her injuries, says DMCH police outpost InCharge Md Bachhu Miah. On August 24,Suraya was critically stabbed on a foot over-bridge

crossing, returning home from school by an unidentified assailant. Suraya’s mother Tania Hossain suspects an Obaidul Khan of the stabbing. She says her daughter had refused Obaidul’s advances, a cutting master of a Baishakhi Ladies Tailors on Elephant Road’s Eastern Moillika Shopping Mall. He got hold of her phone number when they went to the tailors to make Suraya’s clothes. Suraya was the daughter of Ramjan Ali, a cable trader. A murder case was filed with the Ramna police station by Tania

Hossain. Meanwhile, hundreds of students of Willes Little Flower School and College took to the streets protesting the murder of the 8 grader, yesterday. They also demanded the arrest of Obaidul within 24 hours. Muntasir Rahman, a class twelve student of the college said: “We are giving the 24 hour ultimatum because the police do not seem very keen on arresting Obaidul or investigating the case.” Principal of the School Abul Hossain said: “Suraya’s janaza was held at the school today while a

memorial will be held on Monday,” adding that they want justice for her murder. Officer-in-Charge of Ramna police station Moshiur Rahman said they have tracked down the stalker and drives are underway to apprehend and arrest him. Bangladesh Mahila Parishad also demanded Obaidul Khan’s arrest and asked to ensure the security of Suraya’s family through a press release yesterday. They also urged the government to enact and implement laws effectively against sexual harassment. l

SC seals death for JMB man in Jhalakathi judges murder n Tribune Desk The Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty handed down to a member of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for killing two judges of Jhalakathi court in a suicide bomb attack in 2005. A five-member Appellate Division panel headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha gave the verdict, rejecting the review plea filed by Asadul Islam yesterday. Senior assistant judges Jagannath Pandey and Sohel Ahmed were killed in the suicide attack on November 14, 2005. The Appellate Division had upheld the death sentence of seven JMB leaders, including its chief Abdur Rahman, second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai and Asadul, in the case. The death sentences of all the militants but Asadul – then absconding – were executed on March 29, 2007. Asadul was arrested the same year and filed a review petition against the apex court verdict this year. Jhalakathi public prosecutor Haider Hossain, who took part in the case, was shot dead by the JMB men April 11, in less than two weeks after the militant leaders were hanged. l

National Committee: PM convinced by ad campaigns n Tribune Desk

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports yesterday reacted to Prime Minister’s statements on Rampal thermal power plant at Rampal as convinced by ad campaigns. National committee Convener Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and Member Secretary

Professor Anu Mohammad said this in a statement issued after Sheikh Hasina’s press conference yesterday. Prof Anu Muhammad, member-secretary of the National Committee said: “There are many exaggerations and wrong information in her speech.” The statement reads that people of the country found some hopes after knowing that the prime min-

ister was going to arrange a press briefing on Rampal issue. “The prime minister has spoken on the old arguments in her speech on which we have given explanation earlier in our open letter to the prime minister on July 28. She presented some logic that cited the loss in Baropukuria Coal mine and examples of some other countries,” the statement reads.

The statement said: “People hoped that the primer’s conference will emphasise on issues raised by independent experts and she will consider public opinion to save the Sundarbans by scrapping Rampal power plant. “But it is unfortunate what she said … influenced by the company’s advertising campaign.” The National Committee also alleges that the BNP leader has

spread confusions over the movement through her speech, and on the other hand, the premier tried to foil the movement taking into account Khaleda’s speech. In reaction to Hasina’s questioning the sources of funds for the movement, the statement said that they were opposing the project based on scientific data and evidence, and that the people joined them spontaneously. l

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