August 31, 2016

SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

|

Bhadra 16, 1423, Zilqad 26, 1437

|

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 126

|

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

Gallows upheld for Mir Quasem n Ashif Islam Shaon Mir Quasem Ali, a notorious war criminal during the 1971 Liberation War who later became a top Jamaat-e-Islami financier enjoying impunity, has to walk the gallows as the apex court yesterday turned down his last plea against his death penalty.

Now the only option he has to save his life is seeking presidential clemency admitting the offences he had committed during Bangladesh's war of independence.

The president has so far showed no mercy to any convicted war criminal since the ruling government initiated the historical trial.

It implies that Quasem, an al-Badr

commander of Chittagong during the Liberation War, will be executed in a few days.

Jamaat-e-Islami has called a

countrywide shutdown for today protesting the dismissal of its leader's review petition.

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar

All his efforts go in vain n Bangla Tribune Quasem first tried to negotiate with the witnesses by offering them money.

When failed, his men issued threats

Spending handsome amount of money to prolong the trial, intimidating prosecution witnesses and making the country unstable through subversive acts were the techniques death-row convict war criminal Mir Quasem resorted to to save his head.

It is already proved that he has spent $25m to make the ongoing trial of war criminals controversial.

According to the receipt dated October 6, 2010, Quasem appointed US lobbyist firm Cassidy and Associates for campaigning against the trial. Some documents recovered show that the firm received the money to provide “professional services to the war criminal.”

Since the agreement, many foreign diplomats and organisations criticised the International Crimes Tribunal for lacking international standards and demanded “fair and

transparent trails” by giving the defence more scopes to prove the accused innocent.

The pressure groups also issued statements at times to stop executing the convicted war criminals, most of who are from Jamaat-e-Islami – a religion-based party that opposed the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.

Even a day before the review verdict, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said that he was tensed over Quasem's activities.

In the full text of the appeals verdict, which upheld his death sentence on one charge, the Appellate Division observed that as a rich person, Mir Quasem was capable of spending the money.

The government also blames Jamaat for carrying out subversive activities in the name of demonstrations and shutdowns opposing the trial, and for patronising  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE

‘No scope to commute sentence’

Where have all disappeared gone?

Stalking now ends up in murders

Mir Quasem’s counsels even tried to earn sympathy of the apex court talking about Quasem’s “contribution towards the economic development of the country.”  PAGE 3

When her husband went missing, Farzana Akhter was desperately hoping that he would return home any time soon – carrying the birthday gift he had left to buy.  PAGE 5

There has been an alarming rise of murders resulting from violent sexual harassment. On August 3, a student of class eight in Sunamganj was stabbed by her stalker.  PAGE 32

Sinha, who led a five-member Appellate Division bench, pronounced the order around 9am in a courtroom packed with lawyers and journalists, many tensed as the high-profile Jamaat leader has always tried to influence the trial.

A large contingent of law enforcers was deployed in and around the court while war crimes trial campaigners were waiting outside the court to hear the judgement.

“The petition is dismissed. We found him guilty. Conviction is maintainable,” the chief justice said in his judgement.

Campaigners and state counsels cheered the verdict while Quasem's lawyers expressed discontent when talking to reporters later.

The court also made a correction in its review verdict given on March 9 regarding charge 14. The charge, framed for torturing Nasiruddin at Dalim Hotel, earned him 10-year jail and the sentence was maintained by the Appellate Division.

But it was not earlier mentioned in the verdict's operating part.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the government now could go ahead with preparations to execute the verdict as “there is no legal bar. But Mir Quasem can pray for presidential mercy as a citizen, but it is not a legal step.”

He said: “All tension is dissolved.

We are satisfied with the court order as the expectation of the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

DT

News

2

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Hasina: Zia, Khaleda should be tried in public n UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia should be tried in public for inducting convicted war criminals into their cabinets.

"Today, we have to create awareness for holding the trial of Zia and Khaleda Zia in public for making convicted war criminals ministers," she said while addressing a reminiscence meeting at Krishibid Institution, Bangladesh in the capital.

Awami League’s Dhaka North and South units arranged the meeting on the occasion of National Mourning Day.

The prime minister regretted that Khaleda Zia had awarded the national flag, which was earned through the blood of millions of martyrs, to the war criminals.

“Those who had been made ministers by Khaleda Zia were hanged as convicted war criminals," she said.

Posing a question, Sheikh Hasina said: “What should be the punishment of those who made the war criminals ministers. Country’s people will have to think about it.

Today, we have to create awareness among all that Zia and Khaleda Zia need to be tried in public for making war criminals ministers.”

Talking about militancy and ter-

rorism, she said Bangladesh will surely be free from this social menace.

She also quipped that the BNP chief sheds crocodiles’ tears whenever intelligence agencies find out militants and terrorists, and law enforcement agencies take prompt action and whenever they are killed.

“What will she do if they are caught alive? Would she worship them?" she said.

As the BNP chairperson stressed the arrest of militants alive to know their roots, the prime minister said there is no need to find their roots.

“Instead, it has to be inquired

whether the root came from the person who is vocal in favour of them."

She also observed that those who patronised and awarded the Bangabandhu killers and those who can make the war criminals ministers are involved in terrorism and militancy. “They won’t be spared. People will put them on trial one day, In Sha Allah."

Describing various measures taken during the brief tenure of the Father of the Nation after the independence, she said if Bangabandhu had lived three to four years more, the situation of Bangladesh would have been very different.

In an emotion-charged voice,

the prime minister said Ziaur Rahman had promulgated indemnity ordinance to protect the killers, and awarded them with posting in Bangladesh missions abroad. He rehabilitated the war criminals and gave them opportunity to do politics in Bangladesh, she said.

Hasina said her only aim is to bring smile to the faces of poor, distressed and oppressed people of the country for whom her entire family sacrificed their lives.

She said called upon all to work together to turn Bangladesh into a golden country as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. l

picked up from an unknown place of Chittagong town by al-Badr men at any time after the day of Eid-ulFitr in 1971 on plan of Mir Quasem.

On November 28, on Quasem’s direction and hint, the members of al-Badar Bahini tortured him to death in confinement and then his dead body was thrown into the

the first step of executing the death sentence. Three certified copies of the judgement were sent to the tribunal, of them two for the jail authorities and the district magistrate.

Death-row convict Quasem is now at the Kashimpur jail.

The Home Ministry, and the state and the defence lawyers will also be notified about the verdict.

Later the government will later fix a date to execute the verdict.

Yesterday, when the attorney general was asked if the presidential clemency process could be delayed as the president is now in the UK and will return home on September 4, Mahbubey said it did not matter where the president was staying.

“He can be informed,” the chief law officer of the country told reporters.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

All his efforts

Gallows upheld for Mir Quasem

militant groups and conducting targeted killings since 2013.

Barrister Tureen Afroz, one of the state counsels at the International Crimes Tribunal, said they had to stay extra cautious as the convict had spent huge amount of money to stop the trial.

Prosecutor Ziad Al-Malum said: “In this case, he [Quasem] first tried to negotiate with the witnesses by offering them money. When failed, his men issued threats.”

Executive President of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Shahriar Kabir said: “They [Jamaat] emphasised on creating unrest in the country when they realised that the trial will take place for sure.”

They also wanted to oust the government considering that a change in the government might save the Jamaat leaders facing trial for their atrocities in 1971.

“Today’s money man Quasem, shortly after the independence, ran propaganda in the Middle East that the freedom fighters destroyed many mosque and madrasas during the war. The Middle East countries provided monetary help to rebuild those. But Quasem invested the money in businesses and became rich,” Kabir said.

After the review petition was rejected yesterday, the attorney general said: “Money cannot evade a trial. As a lawyer I can be anxious, as we saw his attempts to foil the trial. But this sentences has established the rule of law.”

Quasem was al-Badr’s third most important functionary after Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid. Nizami’s death sentence was executed on May 11 while Mujahid was hanged on November 21 last year.

Two other death-row convict top al-Badr leaders – Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan – have remained fugitive.

The government is working to bring them back and execute the sentences. l

nation has been fulfilled through the judgement.”

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.

On March 9, the Appellate Division upheld the death sentence on one count – for abducting, torturing and killing young freedom fighter Jasimuddin at Dalim Hotel.

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 spent more than two months for preparation, and the hearing finally began on August 24.

Allegations surfaced that the moneyman of Jamaat has spent a large amount of money to make the trials controversial. During his appeal hearing, the attorney general placed documents before the court about his spending of $2.5m to engage a US-based lobbyist.

Besides, the appeals court expressed dissatisfaction over the slag performances of the state counsels at the tribunal and its investigators.

In this case, the defence counsels at different stage were seen trying to buy time to delay the trial.

Following the verdict, Quasem’s principal counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain claimed that the death sentence had been awarded based on false allegations and false depositions.

“I have nothing to say on what the apex court has upheld. But I shouted repeatedly that the verdict has been taken away by bringing false allegations and producing fake evidence before the court,” he said.

“The future … the future generation and those who are in the legal sector across the world will scrutinise whether the verdict was justi-

fied or not,” he said.

He, however, made no comment on his client’s seeking presidential mercy.

During the hearing on the review plea, Mahbub told the court that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against his client.

Mir Quasem l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Charges and verdicts

Murder of Jasim and five others death/upheld

DEATH

Abduction, confinement and torture of Omar-ul-Islam acquitted/upheld Lutfar Rahman Faruk and Seraj 20-year jail/upheld Jahangir Alam Chowdhury 7-year jail/upheld Saifuddin Khan 7-year jail/acquitted Abdul Jabber Member acquitted/upheld Harun-or-Rashid Khan 7-year jail/upheld Md Sanaullah and two others 7-year jail/upheld Nurul Quddus and others acquitted/upheld Nuruzzaman and six others 7-year jail/upheld Md Zakaria and others 7-year jail/upheld Torture of three, murder of two of them death/acquitted Torture of Sunil Kanti Bardhan alias Dulal acquitted/upheld Torture of Nasiruddin Chowdhury 10-year jail/upheld

On the abduction and murder of Jasim, he prayed to the court, if possible, to award him “light sentence” on the charge claiming that Quasem had not been the principal offender.

Quasem was a key player behind the formation of notorious al-Badr 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 Saheb” and “Sarder” (referred to as Pakistani occupation forces) for his atrocities.

Jasim’s story

Mir Quasem was indicted for abetting and facilitating the commission of offences of abduction, confinement, torture and murder of Jasim at Dalim Hotel. Jasim, a freedom fighter from Sandweep, was

Karnaphuli River.

After his detention, Jasim was tortured at Dalim Hotel and later brought to a room where more freedom fighters were kept. One commanded al-Badr men by telling “the dirty fellow has not yet died, throw him inside so that the detainees there can understand the consequence of not disclosing truth,” the witness said.

With this they threw down a youth inside their room and had left the place by keeping the room locked. Advocated Shafiul Alam (co-detainee in the room) told witness Sanaullah Chowdhury that the man who commanded was Mir Quasem Ali.

What’s next

The Supreme Court published the 29-page full text of the review judgement in the evening, which is

Mir Quasem and his role

Son of Mir Tayeb Ali and Rabeya Begum, Quasem was born at Munsidangi Sutalori of Manikganj on December 31, 1952. He was also known as Piaru and Mintu.

He got involved with Islami Chhatra Sangha, the radical student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, in 1967 while studying at Chittagong Collegiate School.

In November 1971, he became the general secretary of Chhatra Sangha’s East Pakistan unit and as a top leader of the organisation he became chief of infamous al-Badr’s Chittagong city unit. The members of the killing squad were recruited from Chhatra Sangha.

Al-Badr set up several torture camps in Chittagong during the war under the leadership of Mir Quasem. His men abducted many pro-liberation people and freedom fighters and tortured them to glean information on freedom fighters.

He went into hiding after independence and reappeared in politics 1977 after Islami Chhatra Sangha started operation changing its name to Islami Chhatra Shibir. l

3

DT

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

'No scope to commute sentence' n Ashif Islam Shaon Going beyond the legal grounds, death-row convict Mir Quasem Ali's counsels even tried to earn sympathy of the apex court talking about Quasem's “contribution towards the economic development of the country.”

The Jamaat moneyman who has spent a large sum of money to disturb the trial, however, got no favour from the apex court for being rich.

The Appellate Division that dismissed his review petition yesterday mentioned about the matter and the grounds of rejecting the petition in the full text of the judgement released later in the day.

“As regards the submission on the question of the commutation of the sentence on taking into consideration the petitioner’s contribution towards the economic development of the country by establishing business conglomerate and employing thousands of citizens in his business establishments which is not a legal ground to commute the sentence,” the court clarified.

“It is within the jurisdiction of the executive. The court is only concerned with the culpability of the petitioner and the law governing on the sentencing principles,” it said.

“Crimes against humanity are taken as serious types of offences. The word ‘humanity’ signifies humanness-mankind collectively.

The term ‘crimes against humanity’ has come to mean anything atrocious committed on a large scale. These crimes are committed against civilian population during war.

“These offences by nature are heinous ... Therefore, there is no scope to commute the sentence,” court said.

Mir Quasem was convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal on 10 counts and sentenced to death on two counts. The appeals court maintained the conviction on seven counts and upheld his death on one charge - the abduction, torture and murder of young freedom fighter Jasimuddin.

But during the review hearing, his counsels confined to the charge relating to the killing of Jashim at Dalim Hotel – an al-Badr torture cell headed by Quasem in Chittagong town.

During the hearing, Quasem's chief counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain prayed to the court, if possible, to award his client “light sentence” on the charge of Jasim's death claiming that Quasem had not been the principal offender.

The court said though in a review petition there is little scope to make any submission on merit even then it allowed Quasem's counsel to make elaborate submissions. He also placed a written argument in support of his argument.

But the court noticed that the points canvassed by the defence counsel were reiteration of the points in verbatim raised at the time of hearing of the appeal.

The court said that a review is available if there is error apparent on the face of the record.

There cannot be a ground for review if of two or more views are argued on a point.

“A review is not a rehearing of the matter afresh. It is only a clerical mistake or mistake

An official brings out a red folder containing a copy of the Appellate Division’s judgement, that turned down Mir Quasem’s last plea against his death penalty, to be taken from the tribunal offices to jail authorities yesterday MEHEDI HASAN apparent on the face of the record that can be corrected but does not include the correction of any erroneous view of law taken by the court.

“The basic philosophy inherent in it is the universal acceptance of

human fallibility but the points raised by the learned counsel are beyond the principles on which a review can be allowed,” the court said.

The court further held that the court’s prime concern was to see

as to whether the accused had a fair trial; whether he knew what he was being tried for; whether the main facts sought to be established against him were explained to him fairly and clearly, and whether he was given a full and fair chance to defend himself.

“If an accused is defended by his counsel, it may, in a given case, be proper to conclude that ‘the accused was satisfied and knew just what he was being tried for and knew what was being alleged against him and wanted no further particulars, provided it is always borne in mind that no serious defect in the mode of conducting the trial can be justified,” the court said.

The court found that there was no failure of justice in trying Mir Quasem finding him guilty as the principal offender.

The court firmly declared that Mir Quasem was one of the organisers of al-Badr force at in Chittagong, and this force was raised with the aim and object of killing the pro-liberation forces and minority community. The force was known as “killing squad.”

“The accused not only organised the force in Chittagong but also he had commanded the force and directly participated in the perpetration of most barbarous acts unknown to human civilization. He does not deserve any leniency on the question of sentence on consideration of the nature and gravity of the offence.

“It was observed that the tribunal awarded the sentence of death in respect of charge No 11, which according to us, was ‘proportionate to the gravity of the crime,'” it said. l

Victims, witnesses await speedy execution of Mir Quasem n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The prosecution witnesses and victims who were tortured by convicted war criminal Mir Quasem Ali demanded speedy execution after the Supreme Court upheld his death penalty yesterday.

Hasina Khatun, maternal cousin of juvenile freedom fighter Jasim Uddin who was tortured to death in Dalim Hotel, expressed satisfaction that the court upheld the death penalty for the condemned war criminal.

In her immediate reaction, Hasina said she would be happy with the speedy execution of the death penalty.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday morning, Hasina said: “Members of al-Badr, led by Mir Quasem, abducted my cousin from Chittagong after Eid-

ul-Fitr in 1971. He was tortured to death at Dalim Hotel was Quasem and his men dumped his body in Karnaphuli River.”

Jahangir Chowdhury, a prosecution witness and deputy chief of Joy Bangla Bahini, said the infamous war criminal spent an astronomical amount of money to save himself.

“His family members tried to bribe me with a huge amount of money, but I did not succumb to their influence and testified against him at court. I am happy that the nation has finally been cleansed of a stigma with his death penalty,” he said.

Jahangir was one of Quasem's victims who were held and tortured at Dalim Hotel, Quasem's torture cell in Chittagong during the Liberation War in 1971.

“I was held there and subject-

ed to inhumane torture by al-Badr members for 23 days, before freedom fighters rescued me on December 16.”

Dalim Hotel was one of the makeshift torture cells in Chittagong in 1971. Local members of al-Badr, a vigilante force affiliated with Pakistan occupation army, grabbed Mohamaya Bhaban in the city's Anderkillah area from a Hindu family and named it Dalim Hotel.

Among other victims of Dalim Hotel were Syed Md Emran, another prosecution witness and a group commander of Bangladesh Liberation Force, freedom fighter Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, and Prof Dr Irshad Kamal Khan, former vice-chancellor of Chittagong Independent University.

“Quasem and his men forcefully detained me and my elder broth-

er from my house in the morning of November 30, 1971,” said Emran. “They took us to Dalim Hotel where we found 10-12 more freedom fighters captive. We were held there until December 16.”

During confinement, the captives were kept blindfolded and their arms and legs tied, said Irshad.

“We were served one meal per day. I am not sure how long I was held there. I used to hear groans and screams coming from different rooms of the building every day.”

“The captives were tortured brutally for information on other freedom fighters. They gave us electric shocks, hung us upside down and beat us with iron rod.

They burnt us with cigarettes,” said Nasir.

Dr Mahfizur Rahman, eminent researcher on the Liberation War,

said: “I several tortured victims of Mir Quasem. Based on their accounts, I wrote a book titled ‘Nationalistic Struggle of Bangalis and Liberation War in Chittagong’ which was used as a reference during the war crimes trial proceedings.

“The witnesses said when Mir Quasem visited the cells, the al-Badr members who were on guard would address him as Commander. During the war, Quasem established a reign of terror in Chittagong by committing various crimes against humanity like killing, looting, abduction, persecution, genocide, rape, extortion and arson attacks in collaboration with Pakistan occupation forces.”

The activists of Gonojagoron Moncho demanded yesterday that Dalim Hotel be acquired for preserving the torture cell as a memorial of Liberation War. l

DT

News

4

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

KSA migration cost fixed at Tk1.65 lakh n Adil Sakhawat

The government has fixed the migration cost for jobs in Saudi Arabia at Tk1.65 lakh, said Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam yesterday.

“If any recruiting agencies are found to be charging more that the fixed amount, stern action will be taken against them – the ministry will cancel their licences with immediate effect,” the minister told the Dhaka Tribune.

He urged all job seekers planning to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia

to place complaints directly at the ministry if any recruiting agency demands extra money.

A committee has been formed to monitor the matter as well, the minister added.

Saudi Arabia recently lifted a sixyear ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in local jobs. During the ban, only Bangladeshi domestic helps were recruited in Saudi Arabia.

Nurul said the ministry fixed the migration cost after consulting different stakeholders – including Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (Baira)

– following a directive from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The ministry has already received a large number of applications for jobs in Saudi Arabia, the minister informed.

He said, for the first time ever, farmers from Bangladesh will be able to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabian agricultural sector.

Besides, Bangladeshis will be able to apply for jobs in information technology, construction, sales and medical service sectors as well. “Demands for workers in those sectors have increased in Saudi Arabia,” the

minister said.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated a three-day training programme for labour welfare diplomats at Prabashi Kalyan Bhaban in Dhaka.

The training is being attended by 41 Bangladeshi labour attaché officials from 27 missions in 24 countries.

Addressing the ceremony, the minister urged all labour attaché officials to work intensively in the countries where they are posted to expand opportunities for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

As the number of Bangladesh-

is migrating overseas is increasing every day, the minister instructed ministry officials to ensure their rights and safety.

The minister admitted that although remittance sent by migrants make 13% of the country's total GDP, there are many migrants who send money home using illegal channels, such as hundi.

He instructed labour attachés to encourage migrant workers to use legal means to send money home.

The event was also attended my acting secretary of the ministry Begum Shamsun Nahar, among others. l

World conservationists meet at IUCN’s Hawaii Congress from Sept 1-10 n UNB The world’s leading conservationists are set to get together at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016 in Hawaii, USA to discuss ways to conserve natural forests, biodiversity and the global environment.

Around 6,000 champions of nature from around the globe, including Bangladesh, are going to take part in the 10-day congress, beginning tomorrow.

A delegation of WildTeam, Bangladesh, including its Chairman Enayetullah Khan and chief executive Prof Md Anwarul Islam, and IUCN Bangladesh country representative Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed will attend the Congress.

Ahead of the Congress, Prof Md Anwarul Islam said the natural forests, which support safe haven to the wildlife, are getting fragmented in the country day by day, putting the wildlife at risk.

So, he said, the issues of rapid disappearance of natural forests and wildlife in Bangladesh will be highlighted in the global conservation meet.

WildTeam, a conservation organisation in Bangladesh, will make two presentations at the conference, highlighting the present status of Bangladesh’s natural forests and wildlife. It will also highlight the USAID’s tiger conservation activities, being implemented by WildTeam.

Experts in Bangladesh said the country’s natural forests are declining at an alarming rate in the absence of effective conservation efforts, leading to the destruction of habitats of many rare plants and wild animals.

WildTeam Chairman Enayetullah Khan said any natural forest in a territory not only supports the wildlife and biodiversity, but also provides ecosystem services to forest dwellers and local people, which has a high

economic value.

“If the natural system of a forest is destroyed, the enabling lives, wildlife and biodiversity will disappear,” he added.

“Natural forest coverage is rapidly declining in Bangladesh, contributing to extinction of species of wildlife,” country representative of IUCN Bangladesh Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed said.

The Congress is going to be held at a time when the ecosystems across the world are collapsing and species are becoming extinct at an unprecedented rate in many countries, including Bangladesh.

The conservation meet will bring together several thousand leaders and decision-makers from government, civil society, indigenous peoples, business, and academia, with the goal of conserving the environment and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges.

A number of issues related to Asian flora and fauna are expected to be taken up in the sessions for discussion during the Congress being hosted by the State of Hawaii with support from the US State Department.

Issues such as climate change, habitat losses and conservation efforts to endangered species are also expected to come up at the Congress.

The Congress theme - planet at the crossroads - frames the debate between meeting the immediate needs of human civilisation and the long-term impacts doing so may have on the planet’s capacity to support life.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a high-profile parliament of nature lovers. Though essentially a recommendatory body, the IUCN wields formidable influence on the wild-related law-making machinery of 166 member nations of the Convention on International Trading in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora. l

Residents of old Dhaka yesterday form a human chain in the capital demanding more playgrounds and new roads to make Dhaka a habitable city MEHEDI HASAN

‘Anti-Rampal movement to continue’ n Nure Alam Durjoy The National Committee to Save the Sundarbans have announced that they will continue their movement against building of the coal-based Rampal power plant to protect the world's largest mangrove forest.

The call came yesterday at a press conference in Dhaka Reporter's Unity organised to express the committee's stance after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's briefing on Rampal power plant.

Speakers at the event demanded installation of a solar power station on the land acquired in Rampal instead of a coal-based power plant.

At the conference, Committee convener Sultana Kamal expressed hope that the premier would manifest her democratic character by scrapping the coal-fired power plant near the Sundarbans.

“We still believe that we are living in a democratic state, not

under any dictatorship. If it was a dictatorship, we would discard the movement. We will continue our movement based on this belief,” said Sultana, also former caretaker government adviser.

She said: “The government has to understand what the people want. If we were under a dictatorship, the atmosphere would have been different. But if we want to say that we are a democracy and live under a good government, we hope that the its decision would be based on people's opinion, not an individual's.”

On August 27, the prime minister blasted groups and individuals opposing the power plant near the Sundarbans terming their movement negative, baseless and misleading.

Protesting the prime minister's speech on the Rampal issue, Sultana claimed that the government propaganda about Rampal power

plant is full of misleading and backdated information.

Regarding the BNP’s support to the movement, she said they had no connection with the party regarding the movement.

“Every government has tried to show that any criticism of its activities is a conspiracy and politically motivated,” she said.

But the successful movements in Kansat and Phulbari have proven that such types of blames are false, she added.

“We are certain that the victory of the movement to save the Sundarbans will prove that unacceptable development cannot be imposed by force and it will never be successful,” said Sultana.

Dhaka University Economics Professor MM Akash and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (BELA) Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan also spoke at the programme. l

5

DT

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Where have all the disappeared gone? n Adil Sakhawat When her husband went missing, Farzana Akhter was desperately hoping that he would return home any time soon – with the same familiar smile, carrying the birthday gift he had left to buy.

“But now it has been 1,001 days since he was taken from Shahbagh area where he had gone with five others to buy a gift for a birthday party,” Farzana said about her husband Parvez Hossain, the general secretary of Chhatra Dal’s Bangshal unit.

Farzana counts days, not years, when she speaks about her husband’s disappearance.

Two of his associates, who were there with Parvez when he and three others were hauled away in two cars, managed to run away and recount the tale later.

They told Farzana that the men in civilian clothes who picked up Parvez and the others had identified themselves as law enforcers.

On the very next day, Farzana rushed to the Detective Branch office where she was told that Parvez was indeed in police custody.

But the story changed the following day, and Farzana, now 28, was told there was no one named Parvez in their custody.

Since then, there has been no clue about the whereabouts of Parvez or his associates.

Unfortunately, the story of Parvez is not an uncommon one.

The file photo of 2014 shows family members of Sajedul Islam Sumon and other victims of forced disappearances participating in a human chain in front of the parliament building demanding action to find the missing persons RAJIB DHAR

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES Year

Allegedly taken by Later found arrested Later found Still missing law enforcement dead 2016 60 18 7 32 2015 55 7 8 35 2014 88 11 23 38 2013 72 6 5 57 2012 56 10 4 34 2011 59 0 16 39 2010 47 1 6 34 2009-07 21 0 3 18 In 2014, two people returned home alive Source: Ain o Salish Kendra

Trauma that never ends

Every year, a large number of people in Bangladesh become victims of forced disappearances – many of them picked up by men claiming to be from law enforcement agencies.

Sajedul Islam Sumon, general secretary of BNP’s 25 no Tejgaon unit, is one such disappeared person who has been missing since 2013.

He was picked up allegedly by RAB 1 members; witnesses said they saw Sumon and six others being put into a covered van at the

from door-to-door, visiting the Home Ministry, DGFI offices and RAB headquarters with pleas for any sort of information on Sumon’s whereabouts, but to no avail.

Finally after filing a writ with High Court on March 9 this year, the court ordered the government to reply why the disappearance of the victims for so long would not be illegal. The family is still waiting for answers.

Bashundhara residential area.

Although three years have passed, the police are yet to record even a general diary regarding the disappearance.

Sumon’s sister Sanjida Islam Tuli told the Dhaka Tribune that the police refuse to talk about the missing person when they hear that a law enforcement agency had picked them up.

Tuli said the family had gone

Sumon’s cousin Zayedul Karim Tanvir was also one of the men who disappeared on the same day as Sumon.

Tanvir, who just completed his master’s degree from a private university, did not have any political affiliation.

The shock of Tanvir’s sudden and unexpected disappearance has made his mother Nilufa Begum speechless.

She now lives an isolated life.

Tuli said: “Aunty has now stopped talking to anyone after becoming traumatised.”

The Dhaka Tribune contacted Nilufa, but she refused to talk about her son.

No answers, no closure

Unexplained disappearances also often plunge families in financial free falls.

When Kawsar Hossain, a chauffeur, was picked up from his Na-

khalpara home three years ago by men claiming to be law enforcers, it robbed his family of their only earning source.

His wife Minu Akhter, who had never held a job before, had no other option but to find employment at a biscuit factory. But the toiling labour made her ill, and she had to quit three months later.

Now, she struggles to provide for her children as she faces an uncertain future without any sort of hope or closure.

According to data compiled by Ain o Salish Kendra, as of July this year alone, at least 31 people who had no political affiliation were reported to have disappeared. In 2015, the number was 28.

Many of those missing had some connection to opposition parties, but at least seven activists from different wings of the ruling party had also disappeared in the last couple of years.

Human rights activists have long expressed their concerns regarding such forced disappearances.

“For a long time, the human rights organisations have demanded for an independent judicial commission to run investigation regarding all these disappearance allegations,” said Ain O Salish Kendra’s acting executive director Nur Khan.

“If the government initiates the commission and considers its recommendations, then the law enforcement officials behind these heinous crimes will be identified and the long wait for family members of the disappeared victims will come to an end.”

Marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30, United Nations Secretary General Ban Kimoon urged all member states to ratify or accede to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance without delay.

Bangladesh is yet to ratify the UN convention on enforced disappearance. l

Khaleda summoned for celebrating fake birthday n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday summoned BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case accusing her of celebrating a false birthday on August 15, the national mourning day.

Journalist Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, filed the case with Dhaka Chief Metropolitan

August 15, 1996. The celebration of a fake birthday on August 15 was a defamation of Bangabandhu and his family members, who were assassinated on August 15 in 1975, the case statement read.

“Reports had been published in the Daily Ittefaq on August 22, 1997, and in the Daily Sangbad on August 27, 1997, over the birth dates of Khaleda Zia.” l

Magistrate Court under sections 198 and 469 of the Penal Code.

After recording statement of the complainant, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Mazharul Islam summoned the BNP chief to appear before the court on October 17 to give statement about the allegation.

According to the case statement, Khaleda Zia has been intentionally celebrating her fake birthday since

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31

Dhaka

34

27

Chittagong

33

27

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:17PM

35

27

Rangpur

32

26

Khulna

33

26

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:40AM

36.2ºC Rajshahi

25.0ºC Netrokona

Source: Accuweather/UNB

33

27

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

31

25

Cox’s Bazar

31

26

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

DT

News

6

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Mangrove in the Sundarbans declining Locals use the plants fruits as fuel n Asaduzzaman, Satkhira Mangroves plants in the Sundarbans, one of the largest such forests in the world which lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal, are delcining day by day as people living near the forest use its fruits as fuel.

According to local sources, everyday thousands of fruits of various species plants come in Shamnagar area floating with river water from the Sundarbans.

The people of the area collect the fruits and use those as fuel. As a result new plants cannot grow and the plants of the Sundarbans are decreasing day by day.

There are a total of 334 species belonging to 245 generation of angiosperms and ferns in the Sundarbans and adjacent areas.

The entire mangrove forest is called Sundarban owing to the dominance of the tree species Heritiera fomes, locally known as sundari because of its elegance.

Sundarban flora is characterized by of 26 True Mangrove species and 29 mangrove associates species have been identified.

Characteristic mangrove species include garjan, kankra, goran and baen.

Of the identified 23 invasive species, 19 are native or naturalized to Sundarbans mangrove. Invasive’

Rural women are collecting mangrove fruits which come with waterflow of the Pasur River at Shyamnagar, Satkhira to use those as fuel DHAKA TRIBUNE abundance, diversity and rate of invasion were highest at the riverbanks and gradually decreased with increased proximity to the forests.

The Sundarban Mangrove Ecosystem is the region of transition

between the fresh water of the Ganges distributaries system and the saline water of the Bay of Bengal.

The river system of Hugli - Haldi, Muriganga, Saptamukhi, Thakuran, Matla, and Goasaba bring a

huge sediment load with which is deposited at delta.

Over the past decades, invasive species have spread significantly in the mangrove ecosystem. But recently, the area of the mangrove

has decreased, The fruits of Geoan, Sundari, Matgaran, Garjan, Keora and Hetal fall in the river and the water bears those to the local people.

During a recent visit, Dhaka Tribune found the people of Munshiganj, Harinagar, Gabura and Padmapukura were collecting the fruits from the river water in coastal area busy in processing for use as fuel.

Pijush Bawali, an expert on forest who is working on Sundarbans, said the people of the area were not alert about the fruits. They should be trained up.

“If the fruits can be used as seed, the areas of the Sundarbans will increase,” he said.

Bili Rani, Astomi Rani and Nilima Rani of Munshiganj said they knew usage of fruits as fuel was harmful. But they had no alternative as they had no another things for fireplace.

Pijush said: “Another Sundarbnas can be created by growing plants from the seeds of the fruits.”

There are several NGOs in the area. They bring money from foreign donours in the name of saving Sundarbans and misappropriate the fund, alleged Pijush.

When contacted, Md Shoaib Khan, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Satkhira Range, said usage of fruits as fuel had decreased recently as they had taken programme to make people in the area alert. l

Ani fighting for life being tortured by in-laws Islam Akand, n Raihanul Gazipur Being tortured by husband, his elder brother and mother, Ani Akter, 33, is now fighting for life at Shaheed Tazuddin Hospital, Gazipur.

Informed by neighbouring people, parents of Ani went to the rented house where Ani and her husband have been living for the last few months and found that she was lying at the courtyard and her legs and hands were fastened with ropes.

They then hurriedly took her to the hospital.

Mujibur Rahman, father of Ani, told the Dhaka Tribune that family members of Khairul Islam, husband of Ani, had been torturing her since the beginning of their marriage because they did not like her due to their fi-

nancial condition.

Family of Khairul was putting pressure on him to give divorce to her. Due to their pressure, Khairul has been living separately in a

Sumi Akter, sister of Ani, filed a case accusing five people rented house in Kathora area for the last few months. The couple has a one and half year old daughter.

On Thursday, a decision was taken at an arbitration meeting that Kahirul would give divorce to Ani and give two kathas of land as Denmohor, an amount of money to be paid to the bride by the

bridegroom in a Muslim marriage.

On Monday, Kharul’s family called upon Ani saying that they would give the land to her. When she went there, they tortured her inhumanly in which Ani lost her sense.

Then, they left the house putting her at the courtyard.

Rezaul Hasan Reza, officer-in-charge of Jaidevpur police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that police had visited the spot.

Sumi Akter, sister of Ani, filed a case accusing five people. Police arrested Md Afaz Uddin, uncle of Khairul for his alleged involved with the assault.

Pronoy Kumar Das, residential medical officer of the hospital said the condition of Ani was critical and they were observing her physical state. l

DT

7

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

JNU MOVEMENT OVER ALLOCATION OF DORM LAND

Chhatra League wants to lead the movement n Rafikul Islam Although left-leaning parties students' fronts at Jagannath University (JnU) have been observing agitation programmes demanding land of old Dhaka jail for construction of dormitories, now the Bangladesh Chhatra League wants to take the lead of the movement.

Sources at Chhatra League told the Dhaka Tribune that as the Chhatra League was leading the students of the university, so it was obvious that it would lead any movement regarding students' interest.

President of BCL university unit FM Shariful Islam said the BCL would lead the movement to realise the vacated land of old Dhaka jail from the authorities concerned.

Students who have been observing demonstration under the banner of left-leaning parties alleged that BCL men attacked them several times and called separate programmes to take credit of movement.

In previous years, they joined general students' movements when they saw that the movement would be successful, said the students.

A student who preferred to be unnamed told the Dhaka Tribune that they were tried to foil the movement taking money from influential quarters.

President of the Bangladesh Samajtantra Front, JnU unit, MM Mujahid Anik said they welcomed the BCL men if they wanted to join their movement.

“It is unfortunate that they are attacking general students who have been observing demonstrations for several days.”

He also said if the authorities gave allocation of the land to the university, all the students of the

Five held with yaba, firearm n

FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) arrested five persons, including two siblings, with heroin, yaba, homemade liquor and a firearm from the port city’s railway station area and the district’s Sitakunda upazila in two separate drives on Monday night.

The arrestees were Mim Akhter, 21, and Taniya Akhter, 19, daughters of Naimul Ali of Chapainawabganj; Nizam Uddin, 49, Manjur Hossen, 27, and Eman Uddin, 26, according to RAB-7 sources.

Being tipped-off, a team of the law enforcers arrested the two sisters along with 40,000 yaba pills. l

Students of Jagannath University stage demonastration at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka yesterday demanding allocation of the land of former jail in capital for construction of dormitories there DHAKA TRIBUNE university would be benefited.

President of BCL, JnU unit, FM Shariful Islam said: “We will bring out rally on the campus against the hartal of the anti-Liberation forces.

On Thursday, a rally will be held on the campus for realising our demands. No class or examination would be held at JnU until our demands are met.”

Yesterday, the BCL and left-leaning parties observed agitation programmes separately. The BCL men staged hunger strike on campus while students led by leftist parties staged demonstrations at the Central Shaheed Minar.

Convenor of the movement Monirul Islam Rajon said: “The movement will be continued un-

til our demands are met by an announcement of the government.”

He also said they would hold a rally at National Press Club on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, to ease accommodation crisis of the students of Jagannath University (JnU), a modern dormitory for around 1,000 students would be built by Thermax

Group Ltd, says a press release.

Chairman of Thermax Group Abdul Kadir Molla said this when a delegation led by Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof Dr Mijanur Rahman met him at his Kakrail office on Monday night.

A memorandum of understanding will be signed between the two parties after the Eid-ul-Azha.l

Counterfeit currency gangs again become active Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong A counterfeit currency syndicate has been arrested in Chittagong yesterday known to be responsible for distributing fake money at different shopping areas before Eidul-Azha for years.

Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) arrested the couple in possession with fake currency worth Tk 260,000 lakh from Halishahar area of the port city.

The arrestees were identified as Md Jasim Uddin, 32 and his wife Bibi Taslima Akter Shilpi, 26, hailing from Paschim Gomdandi union of Boalkhali upazila in Chittagong, said DB sources.

“Jasim is known to be the kingpin of counterfeit currency in Chittagong, able to distribute fake money through a strong syndicate,” said Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandar-Pachsim Maruf Hossain at a press briefing.

“Acting on tip off a DB team led

by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Nazmul Hasan raided a flat on the fifth floor of one Basundhara Tower on Tuesday night at around 10:30pm and arrested them along with 260 pieces of forged notes with a domination of Tk1000”, said the DC adding that seven mobile phones were also seized from them.

DC Maruf said the couple had been circulating the counterfeit money in Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali,

Feni, and Laxmipur districts for a long time.

“Jasim is known as the kingpin of fake money in Chittagong region, he has been running this business for the last eight years with his wife,” said DC Maruf adding that the gang was planning to circulate a huge amount of money in the market ahead of Eid celebrations.

ADC Nazmul Hasan told Dhaka Tribune that “ five to six subagents were working in the city under Jasim's supervision.”

DB officials said the fake notes were made and circulated in three phases.

The first phase constituted the gang making the fake money, the second phase is when that money would be handed over to local

agents and the third phase is when that money is circulated in the local market.

“Jasim was working on the second stage and had distributed the fake notes among his sub-agents, collecting the forged notes from Dhaka,” said ADC Nazmul Hasan.

The ADC said that there were around three more counterfeit currency gangs reportedly active in the city that the police are working on apprehending them.

A case has been filed against Jasim and his wife on January 1 with the Khulshi police station under the Currency Counterfeit Act. The couple has been handed over to Halishahar police station while a case has been filed in connection. l

DT

8 World

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

4 Haqqani commanders killed in Afghanistan US air strikes in Afghanistan have killed 4 commanders of the Haqqani network, a militant group affiliated with the Taliban, as government forces try to retake a district captured by insurgents last week.

120 militants were also killed in the strikes in Jani Khil, a strategically located district at a crossroads on a major route into Pakistan. -REUTERS.

INDIA

2 killed in India as anger over land use rises Two people were killed and more than 30 injured when villagers protesting the loss of their homes to a power plant clashed with police in eastern India. Police opened fire late on Monday in Gola in Jharkhand state after hundreds of villagers demanding more jobs and better compensation from Inland Power Limited threw stones and ransacked the company’s offices.

-REUTERS

CHINA

Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan hit by bomb A suspected suicide car bomber rammed the gates of the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on Tuesday, killing the attacker and wounding at least 3 other people.

Kyrgyz President ordered the government to take extra counter-terrorism measures in the capital and regions.

China condemned the attack and urged actions to quickly investigate and determine the real situation behind the incident.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Cambodia nabs 64 from China, Taiwan Cambodian police have arrested 64 people from mainland China and Taiwan, accusing them of taking part in an internet scam. General Ouk Haiseila, chief of the Cambodian Interior Ministry’s Immigration Investigation Bureau, says initial information shows that at least 12 of the suspects are from Taiwan, while the rest are mainland Chinese. -AP

MIDDLE EAST

UN: 10,000 killed in Yemen war The UN on Tuesday said at least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen’s 18-month-old civil war, almost double the estimates of more than 6,000 cited by officials and aid workers for much of 2016. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick told a news conference in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa that the new figure was based on official information from medical facilities in Yemen.

-REUTERS

US, India pledge deeper security ties n AFP, New Delhi US Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Tuesday for more cooperation with India on security and trade as the world’s two biggest democracies try to strengthen ties, in part to counter China’s rising influence.

Kerry also said he was hopeful of moving ahead on a deal to provide nuclear energy assistance to India, as the nations seek to meet an ambitious goal of boosting annual trade fivefold to around $500bn.

“I’m very, very confident that we will continue to strengthen what President Obama has called the defining partnership of the 21st century,” Kerry said in New Delhi, adding that cooperation on trade and security has “room to be able to further grow”.

He was speaking before chairing a “strategic and commercial dialogue” with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj, launched by the nations’ leaders in 2015.

Kerry, who will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during the two-day visit, said he wanted progress on an agreement about construction of nuclear reactors.

“We also hope to see our civil nuclear cooperation take shape in the form of new reactors that will deliver reliable electricity to tens of millions of Indian households,” Kerry said.

The deal involving US giant

Westinghouse has been held up in the past by concerns over an Indian law that would make US companies liable for accidents at plants they helped build.

Swaraj said she wanted to see closer military cooperation so that India could build more sophisticated hardware at home.

India, the world’s biggest arms importer, wants access to US technology so it can develop better weapons - a key part of Modi’s campaign to boost domestic manufacturing.

India has historically relied heavily on Russia for arms imports, but has now turned to the US as it undergoes a lucrative and major modernisation of its ageing military.

“We want to take our expanding defence cooperation to the next stage of co-production and co-development,” Swaraj said.

Defence pact

The talks come one day after the two sides signed an agreement in Washington that allows access to each other’s military bases for repairs and resupplies.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar sealed the pact in efforts to strengthen defence ties to counter concerns over China’s growing military assertiveness.

Carter said the agreement would make joint operations be-

US Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on August 30 REUTERS tween their militarise logistically easier and more efficient.

Washington has increasingly turned its focus to Asia as it tries to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, and is eager for India to play a greater role in its network of regional defence alliances.

Regional superpower China is expanding its deep-water naval presence and staking a claim to disputed areas of the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Both Carter and Parrikar stressed that the new agreement did not allow for US bases to be set up on Indian soil nor for troops to

be stationed there.

US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who is taking part in the talks in Delhi, has said the idea of increasing two-way trade from $100bn to $500bn was ambitious.

Modi, who enjoys close ties with US President Barack Obama, pledged to overhaul India’s economy after winning landslide elections in 2014, to attract much-needed foreign investment and boost growth.

Kerry arrived late Monday from Bangladesh where he said there was evidence to link the extremists behind a recent series of deadly attacks there to the Islamic State group. l

Suu Kyi to hold major peace summit with ethnic rebels n Reuters, Naypyitaw/Yangon Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi is launching a major push to end decades of fighting between rebels and the military, with many of the country’s myriad armed groups gathering for a peace conference in the capital Naypyitaw.

Suu Kyi has made the peace process a priority for her administration, which faces sky-high expectations at home and abroad after sweeping to power in an election last November to end more than half a century of military-backed rule.

Few concrete proposals are to emerge this week, with delegates expecting to meet every six months to tackle issues ranging from security, political representation and culture to sharing the fruits of the country’s mineral riches.

But the fact that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi has been able to bring the vast majority of the rebels to the negotiating table only five months after taking power is a sign of progress, experts say.

Powerful armed groups from regions bordering China, who

Aung San Suu Kyi

REUTERS

refused to sign a ceasefire last October under the previous military-backed government, are now set to take part, partly owing to China’s tacit support for the talks, observers say.

As Myanmar’s economy opens up, China is vying for influence with the United States. President Xi Jinping pledged his country would play a “constructive role” in the peace process when Suu Kyi visited China this month.

Myanmar has been torn by fighting between the military, which seized power in the 1962 coup, and ethnic armed groups almost without a break since the end of the Second World War, as rebels

pushed for recognition of their rights and greater autonomy from the central government.

The meeting, which begins on Wednesday, has been billed as the “21st-Century Panglong Conference”, a reference to the agreement between the majority Bamar and ethnic minorities in 1947 that formed the Union of Burma. It was held by Suu Kyi’s father and Myanmar’s national hero, General Aung San.

New clashes

Casting a shadow over the talks is a recent flare-up in fighting in northernmost Kachin State and clashes in northeastern Shan State, which is home to several large groups operating close to borders with China and Thailand.

The still-powerful military has also strongly opposed talks with three groups - the Arakan Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army - which fought it in the remote Kokang area last year.

It is unclear whether those groups will play any part in this week’s conference, which will be

attended by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Both sides say they are willing to talk, but the military has demanded the rebels lay down their arms first. The three groups have refused, citing continuous pressure from the military.

“The government said these three groups would be accepted only if they announce that they will ‘give up the policy of armed struggle’,” said Thu Wai, 84, the vice-chairman of the steering committee of the conference, without giving details.

He said the groups could be admitted even a day or two into the conference, which is planned to last until the weekend, as long as they issued a statement to that effect.

Ethnic delegates have complained about what they saw as an arbitrary schedule set by the government. Suu Kyi has dictated a faster pace for the talks than her military-linked predecessors.

She has not consulted the groups about the date of the conference or the specific agenda, diplomats familiar with the situation said. l

In burkini-banned France, a young Muslim woman made it to top echelon

9

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

USA

NAJAT BELKACEM Ü Second of her seven siblings, Najat was born in a village near Nador in the Moroccan countryside of Bni Chiker, in 1977. Ü Once a shepherd girl - who fetched water from the well Najat moved to France with her family and faced the real world full of opportunities as well as struggles. In 1982, she moved to the suburbs of Amiens with her family, to join her father, a building worker. Ü She studied hard and graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Studies in 2002.

n Tribune International Desk France’s first female Education Minister placed herself firmly at the centre of the controversy around the string of “burkini bans” in the country when she spoke out in strong terms against the restrictions.

Moroccan-born Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, who describes herself as a “non-practicing Muslim”, described the prohibition of burkinis as “a threat to individual freedoms”.

Speaking to French radio channel E1 Matin, the politician said that while she was against women being forced to wear the burkini, she strongly opposed the bans on modest swimwear that have swept across French cities and communes during this summer.

“If you’re asking me in a general context whether I’m for or against the burkini, the response is simple: I oppose the burkini. I think you know my

Ü And immediately joined the Socialist party and started fighting for citizen rights, affordable housing and against discrimination. Ü She was elected as a councilwoman in Rhone Alpines and stayed in office till 2008.

feminist convictions and know that my dream is a society where women are free to do what they like,” she said.

“But if you ask me whether I agree with the polemic against the burkini in the past week, the response is no.

Definitely not.”

Vallaud-Belkacem continued: “I think at this serious time, post-attacks, when many French people are worried, you shouldn’t add fuel to the

fire. You should be appeasing people as much as possible, not stigmatising them. The ban of the burkini puts into question people’s individual freedoms.”

Her words provoked a vicious backlash from the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who said the comments were “a bad interpretation” of the ban, insisting the measures were “taken in the name of public order”. l

Ü In 2008, she was elected as the Council General of the Rhone department and was well recognised in politics by then. Ü In 2012, she was appointed as Minister of Women’s Rights and spokeswoman for the government under president Hollande. Ü On August 25, 2014, she became the first woman and the youngest person ever (at 36), to be appointed as Minister of Education & Research, in France.

ANALYSIS

Trump’s deportation waffle highlights campaign weaknesses n Tribune International Desk Donald Trump and his aides used to say that voters didn’t care about the nitty-gritty of policy details. But now those details are tripping up his campaign.

For more than a week now, as he’s tried to shine the spotlight on his rival, Trump has appeared to wrestle with one of his signature proposals: A pledge to expel everyone living in the US illegally with the help of a ‘deportation force.’

At a Fox News town hall taping last week, in the face of pressing questions, the GOP nominee proceeded to poll the audience at length on the fate of an estimated 11 million people. It was a stunning display of indecision from a candidate who has asked voters to put enormous faith in his gut instincts.

Trump is now planning a major speech Wednesday, during which he’s expected to finally clarify his stance. Supporters are hoping for a strong, decisive showing. But

the episode underscores how little time his campaign has invested in outlining how he would accomplish his goals as president, especially when compared with the detailed plans of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. And for critics, many already disposed to vote against him, his wavering on what has been his signature issue seems like a warning that he’s unable to handle a central element of any president’s job — making decisions.

It’s just puzzling,’ said Lanhee Chen, who has served as a policy adviser to several Republican presidential candidates. ‘This is the issue on which he rose to prominence in the primary and the issue on which he continues to stake much of his campaign.’

From the start, Trump has never been the kind of candidate to pore over thick policy books.

Indeed, he has mocked Clinton on the subject.

‘She’s got people that sit in cubicles writing policy all day. Nothing’s ever going to happen. It’s just a waste of paper,’ he told Time Magazine in June. ‘My voters

don’t care and the public doesn’t care. They know you’re going to do a good job once you’re there.’

To date, Trump’s campaign has posted just seven policy proposals on his website, totaling just over 9,000 words. There are 38 on Clinton’s ‘issues’ page, ranging from efforts to cure Alzheimer’s disease to Wall Street and criminal justice reform, and her campaign boasts that it has now released 65 policy fact sheets, totaling 112,735 words.

Trump’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, has said she’s pushing her boss to get more specific. Yet his positions on a host of issues remain vague at best.

For example, while Trump has slammed the Common Core education standards and touts the benefits of local control of education, he has no formal, detailed plans for improving public schools. He talks about student loan debt and the increasing costs of higher education, but has yet to propose solutions. He has teased plans to make childcare more affordable, but has missed his own deadline for unveiling them.

Trump’s supporters say ques-

DT

World

US to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees The White House said on Monday that the Obama administration will meet its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year a month ahead of schedule and is working with Congress to increase the target by a few thousand in 2017.

Experts see US admission of Syrian refugees as a hot button issue in the 2016 race for the White House between Hillary and Trump. -REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Venezuela to expel Al Jazeera journalists Venezuela on Tuesday was set to expel a crew of Al Jazeera journalists who were intending to cover an opposition march against President Nicolas Maduro. With Venezuela in the throes of severe economic and political crises, the opposition has called for a march on Caracas on Thursday to press its constitutionally sanctioned demand for a referendum to remove Maduro.

-AFP

UK

Pro-EU group of MPs challenge May A new cross-party group set up by pro-remain MPs from the EU referendum campaign has challenged the prime minister to provide commitments that employment rights provided for under EU law would be protected following Brexit. Those rights including protections for young workers for annual leave and rest breaks would be lost after Brexit unless the government draws up new laws to replace them. -THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

UN urges France to repeal burkini bans

Donald Trump

REUTERS

tions about his recent waffling on the deportation question are overblown. His running mate, Mike Pence, describes him as ‘a CEO at work’ as he consults with various stakeholders.

‘You see someone who is engaging the American people, listening to the American people,’ Pence told CNN on Sunday. ‘He is hearing from all sides.’

But Chen, the Republican policy adviser, said a President Trump arriving at the White House without detailed plans could be limited in how much he might achieve, since a new president’s power is at its apex early on. l

The UN human rights office has called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a stupid reaction that did not improve security but fuelled religious intolerance. Rupert Colville, spokesman of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said we urge all remaining local authorities which have adopted similar bans to repeal them immediately. -REUTERS

AFRICA

Libyan forces: IS beaten back in Sirte Libyan forces said they captured a residential neighbourhood in central Sirte from IS on Monday, leaving just one district of the city still occupied by the militants.

Spokesman Rida Issa said Sirte’s neighbourhood Number One was completely liberated, but added that the brigades were in the process of clearing any remnants of IS from the area.

-REUTERS

DT

10

World

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

INSIGHT

India’s Dalits rise against age-old caste prejudices n Tribune International Desk The video footage posted on social media by India’s self-proclaimed cow saviours was brutal. It showed four bare-chested men tied with ropes to a car, flinching as an angry group of men took turns beating them with wooden sticks, belts and iron rods.

Their crime: skinning a dead cow, reports The Associated Press.

The savage beating of the men all “Dalits” from the lowest rung of India’s caste hierarchy - in the small town of Una in the western state of Gujarat last month stirred outrage across the country. The men were beaten by a group of upper-caste men, highlighting how the rigid social hierarchy persists more than 65 years after India instituted laws banning caste discrimination.

Every day, newspapers are awash with stories of injustices against Dalits and their oppression by upper-caste Hindus. Among the attacks on Dalits in the past month: a 13-year-old girl who was beaten up for drinking from a temple water pump; a Dalit team in the traditional Indian sport of kabaddi attacked by a rival upper-caste squad for winning a match; an impoverished Dalit couple hacked to death following a disagreement with an upper-caste shopkeeper over a debt of Rs15.

Untouchable yet victims of thousands of attacks

While Dalits - formerly known as “untouchables” - are still victims of thousands of attacks each year despite laws put in place soon after India’s independence, there has been a slow change in the way they react to the atrocities, say social sci-

FACTBOX Ü For centuries, Dalits, as the lowest caste in the occupational hierarchy, have been assigned the most demeaning jobs, such as skinning dead animals or cleaning public toilets and sewers. But now they have other options to earn a living. Ü The 2011 census counted about 204m Dalits in India of more than 1.2bn - a population the size of Brazil. Ü India’s National Crime Records Bureau reports that more than 700 Dalits were killed in attacks in 2014. Ü According to the crime records bureau, more than 47,000 crimes of discrimination against Dalits were registered in police stations across the country in 2014. Ü The conviction rate for crimes against Dalits is 2 to 8%

Sources: AP

ABOUT INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM

Caste is the main form of identity for many Indians, defining the centuries-old, self-contained and unalterable social groups into which they were born and are usually expected to marry.

The word ‘caste’ is a Portuguese invention that conflates two Indian words - ‘varna' and ‘jati’.

The ‘varnas’ are a broad system of social ranking found in the ancient Hindu scriptures. There are four traditional varnas - from top-to-bottom, priests, warriors, traders and labourers. The Dalits (former ‘Untouchables’) form a fifth and lowest group.

‘Jatis’ are smaller, regional groups often based on a family’s occupation. There are over 3,000 in India. Within any region these can also be ranked in order of prestige, though it is possible for a jati to move up or down in society over time.

Supporters of India’s main opposition Congress party and people of India's low-caste Dalit community shout slogans as they climb on a police barricade during a protest against what they say are increasing atrocities against the Dalit community, in Gandhinagar, India on August 23 REUTERS entists and Dalit activists.

The outrage and protests that spread across India following the incident in Una are viewed as signs that the Dalit community will no longer tolerate the injustices they face, said Beena Pallickal of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights.

“Una was a turning point in our fight,” she said recently in her office in New Delhi. “The Dalit community will no longer stay silent. We will rise in protest against all forms of prejudice.”

The 2011 census counted about 204 million Dalits in this country of more than 1.2 billion - a population the size of Brazil, the world’s fifth most populous nation.

Dalits are finding the rigid caste divisions slowly being eroded due to fundamental changes in Indian society, at least in the urban centers.

As India’s booming economy fuels urbanisation, people from different regions and all walks of life are being packed into the cities’ crowded apartments and slums.

Living in such close quarters, they are becoming less concerned with centuries-old caste divisions and traditional prejudices, analysts say.

For some Dalits, though, the change isn’t happening fast enough. An emerging class of educated Dalits has begun demanding an end to caste bigotry and discrimination - demands that sometimes touch off deadly clashes between

communities. India’s National Crime Records Bureau reports that more than 700 Dalits were killed in attacks in 2014, the last year for which data is available.

Chandra Bhan Prasad, a Dalit writer, says there is a conflict between the past and the future that younger Dalits envision for themselves.

New generation of Dalits

“This new generation of Dalits cannot tolerate humiliation. Nor will they accept it,” said Prasad, who has written and lectured widely on Dalit rights. “They may have done so before, because they saw no way out of their subjugation at the hands of upper-caste Hindus, but not anymore.”

For centuries, Dalits, as the lowest caste in the occupational hierarchy, have been assigned the most demeaning jobs, such as skinning dead animals or cleaning public toilets and sewers. But now they have other options to earn a living.

“The business explosion in India after the economic reforms of 1991 has thrown up many alternative avenues for Dalits to earn a livelihood,” Prasad said. “They are no longer beholden to their upper-caste landlords for their daily bread.”

After the horrific beating of the men for skinning the dead cow in Gujarat, Dalits in the state refused to remove dead cows in protest, further provoking upper-caste Hindus by telling them to handle the task

themselves. Hindus consider cows to be sacred and revere them, but expect Dalits to deal with skinning and disposing of any that have died.

But even though the reaction to the incident highlighted changes in how the Dalits view their standing in society, Pallickal said there is still an unwillingness among politicians to enforce the laws.

Knowing the pernicious nature of India’s caste prejudices, early leaders who framed India’s constitution soon after independence from the British in 1947 put in place exceptionally clear and laudable laws that ban all forms of discrimination against caste, Pallickal said.

Discrimination against Dalits

According to the crime records bureau, more than 47,000 crimes of discrimination against Dalits were registered in police stations across the country in 2014.

Udit Raj, a member of Parliament from New Delhi and a strong voice for Dalit rights within India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said the conviction rate for crimes against Dalits is 2 to 8%.

“In the more than six decades since India’s independence, political parties have not found the will to enforce these laws,” Pallickal said.

“There is a complete lack of political will to implement the laws, which is why such outrages continue.”

Politicians across the political spectrum say it’s not just implementation of laws, but the lack of a change

Discriminating against anyone because of their caste is illegal. However, as Indians are often able to tell a person’s caste through simple markers such as their surname, this is hard to enforce.

in people’s mindsets that leads upper-caste Indians to shun Dalits.

“Even if Dalits are empowered economically, it is not necessary that they will be accepted socially,” said Raj, who has fought for Dalit rights for the past four decades.

He pointed to injustices that continue to haunt the lower castes and the all-pervasive presence of caste divides. In many cities, Dalits are not allowed to own apartments in upper-caste neighbourhoods. Although inter-caste marriages are on the rise, all Indian newspapers still carry advertisements seeking brides and grooms stating their caste and the castes they will marry into.

“Dalits are not accepted socially.

Period,” Raj said.

Access to education and the clout wielded by their vote in local and national elections have empowered Dalits to dream of a better future. But the aspirations of the Dalits are often resented by upper-caste Hindus.

If their economic progress is modest and their ambitions go as far as obtaining lowly government jobs or small businesses, there is no problem, said Prasad, the Dalit writer.

“The attitude of the upper caste when they see a Dalit succeeding in life goes like this: A Dalit driving a cheap car can be endured, but a Dalit driving a BMW - that is a problem,” he said. l

11

DT

Advertisement

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

DT

12 Business

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Tarana for more operators in MFS business n Ishtiaq Husain More mobile phone operators should be allowed to run mobile financial services (MFS) which could make the market more competitive, said Tarana Halim, state minister for posts and telecommunication.

“MFS should be run by more mobile phone operators in Bangladesh.

It will bring more competitiveness to the market,” she said at a round-table on “financial inclusion in Bangladesh: opportunities, challenges and way forward through digital financial service” in Dhaka yesterday.

The round-table was organised

by Telecom Reporters’ Network, Bangladesh (TRNB), a platform of journalists working in the country’s telecommunication sector.

TRNB President Rashed Mehedi presided over the seminar while its Secretary Shamim Ahamed made a presentation describing the increased importance of digital financial service and financial technology on the global perspective.

Addressing the roundtable, Tarana Halim said: “The lone mobile financial service provider bKash has already achieved success in the sector.”

“It will be a discriminatory step if other mobile phone operators are not given the chance to run the business.”

“Considering the fact, I urge Bangladesh Bank and BTRC to work together, so the sector can be opened up for all the mobile phone operators,” state minister said.

Tarana stressed the need to bring unbanked population under the banking system.

Shah Alam, deputy inspector general of police (CID), explaining the details of different crimes in the cyber transaction. But he said: “Although over-the-counter use of agents for transferring funds is forbidden, it has witnessed a sharp rise in Bangladesh. In most of the cases, criminals are now depending on OTC to dodge law-enforcing agencies.”

Grameenphone’s senior specialist on financial service Rasheda Sultana said loans, saving bonds, merchant payments, insurance and other services could also be offered through digital financial services.

Ashim Das Gupta, bKash adviser, said the organisation has now strong position overcoming different barriers and quality problems.

Robi Digital Service Head Mohammad Manzur Rahman underscored the need of policy formulation on the future market.

The dialogue was also addressed, among others, by BTRC Director (system and service) Lt Col Zulfiqar Ali and BB Deputy Director Progya Paramita Saha. l

Mobile internet users now over 60m in Bangladesh n Ishtiaq Husain

Bangladesh has been experiencing a rapid rise in the number of mobile internet users with the latest figure reaching above 60m.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) released the July figures yesterday which showed the number of mobile internet subscribers is 60.03m.

According to the BTRC website, the total number of the country’s internet subscribers reached 63.91m at the end of July, 2016.

Data showed that a total of 60.03m people use internet services on their smartphones, rising from 59.65m in June.

The number of fixed-line internet users was 3.77m in July while the number of WiMAX subscribers dropped to 100,000 from 110,000 a month earlier. The figures represent the number of active subscribers only, BTRC said.

A subscriber using internet for the past 90 days is considered an active subscriber.

Earlier data showed the number of internet users increased to 54.1m in December 2015 from 53.9m in the previous month.

The increase of the number was attributed to the withdrawal of Facebook block in November.

But the World Bank ran counter to the statistics of the regulatory body as they were released in January this year. The global money lender put the number of internet users in the country at 12m only.

The total number of the country’s internet subscribers reaches 63.91m at the end of July, 2016 The government, however, dismissed the “World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends.”

On November 18 last year, BTRC blocked Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, mypeople, Line and Tango across the country on security grounds.

After suspension of popular social media site Facebook, the number of internet users dropped 717,000 to 53.9m from 54.6m in October.

On the other hand, the number of mobile phone subscribers increased 557,000 to 133.7m in December,

2015 from 133.1m in November.

According to the BTRC statistics, the total number of mobile internet users dropped 863,000 in November from 52.3m in October.

It also affected e-commerce and Facebook-based trading due to closure of the popular social network site.

Facebook was later unblocked on December 10.

In December, the number of mobile internet users was 51.4m while WiMAX users is 148,000 and internet users via ISP and PSTN was 2.5m.

RAJIB DHAR

In November, the number of mobile internet users was 5.14 crore while WiMAX users 1.54 lakh and internet users via ISP and PSTN was 23 lakh.

In October, the number of mobile internet users was 5.23 crore while WiMAX users 1.59 lakh and internet users via ISP and PSTN was 21 lakh.

On December 13, BTRC blocked the social networking sites – Twitter, Skype, Imo three days after unblocking the Facebook. l

DSEX slumps to seven-week low n Tribune Business Desk Stocks dropped for the 8th consecutive session yesterday with the benchmark index falling to over seven-week low, as selling frenzy continued ahead of Eid ul-Azha.

From the very beginning, the market started to slide steadily staying in a narrow band of range and the momentum continued till close of the session.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, lost 10 points to 4,523.

The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, edged about 2 points lower to 1,734. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, inched around 3 points down to 1,098.

However, the Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index

CSCX shed over 12 points to 8,463.

Trading activities, however, improved as the DSE turnover stood at Tk531 crore, up more than 29% over previous session. Pharmaceuticals sector had the highest contribution of 19.6% to the turnover.

All large cap sectors showed negative performance except banks that remained virtually unchanged.

Engineering posted the highest loss of 0.77%, after showing a robust performance over the last few sessions.

Pharmaceuticals, power, non-banking financial institutions, food & allied and telecommunications closed flat in red.

Losers took a strong lead over gainers as out of total 323 companies traded, 74 ended up and

193 down while 56 remained unchanged.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals, one of the leading drug makers in the country, was the most-traded share with a turnover worth Tk40 crore.

It was followed by Shahjibazar

Power Company Limited, Square Pharmaceuticals, DBH, National Tubes and Doreen Power.

IFIC led the price gainer board with a 6.3% price rise while National Tubes led the price loser board with a 9.2% loss. l

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Ministries’ power to approve procurement costs to be doubled n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has planned to increase power of ministries to approve up to Tk100 crore for procurement of project items and services, said official sources.

Now, the ministries can approve up to Tk50 crore cost in project-related procurement. If the cost is higher, it is sent to the cabinet committee on public purchase for approval.

Finance Division officials said the plan to raise the delegation of financial power of ministries come as their activities have expanded over the time and the number of big projects is also increasing.

“So, the procurement cost of above Tk100 crore will only be

MINISTRIES’ POWER RAISED IN APPROVING PROCUREMENT COSTS 2004

Up to Tk25cr plus Tk5cr consultancy fee

2008

Up to Tk50cr plus Tk10cr consultancy fee

2015

Up to Tk50cr plus Tk10cr consultancy fee

2016 (proposed)

Up to Tk100cr plus Tk30cr consultancy fee Source: Finance Division

placed at the cabinet committee on public purchase,” an official said.

On August 24, Finance Minister AMA Muhith approved the Finance Division’s proposal to raise the ministries’ power in procurement cost approval.

The proposal is likely to be placed at the next cabinet meeting for its consent.

According to the proposal, financial approval capacity of the

ministries and divisions will be increased to Tk100 crore from the current Tk50 crore.

Directorates, semi-government organisations and state-run industries under the ministries and divisions will consider the procurement cost up to Tk100 crore in development and non-development projects.

Items for procurement include products, machinery, services and

Ecnec clears three LoC funded projects n Tribune Business Desk

public works for implementing development and non-development projects.

The proposal says for consultancy the figure will be up to Tk30 crore from existing Tk10 crore in development projects while for non-development projects it will be Tk20 crore.

In fiscal year 2015-16, a total of Tk66,061 crore worth of development and non-development projects were placed at the cabinet committee on public purchase for its approval while in FY2012-13 the amount was only Tk8,026 crore.

In FY2015-16, the number of below-Tk50 crore projects was 405 while the number of above-Tk100 crore projects was 605. l

Incentive cuts anger BB officials n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Bank officials expressed dissatisfaction over the board decision to cut financial incentives.

The board of the central bank decided to give incentives four times the basic salary of the BB officials for the financial year 2015-16 instead of the existing practice of five times.

The decision came at the board meeting held on Monday at the central bank headquarters.

The central bank officials demonstrated against the decision yesterday on the bank premises.

Every year BB announces incentives for officials before finalising its financial statement.

Subhankar Saha, executive director of Bangladesh Bank, said they had been getting financial incentives five times their basic salary for many years.

The board decided to cut it which stoke dissatisfaction among the officials.

At the same time, their basic salary was calculated based on earlier wage scale instead of new scale which was not in line with the Bangladesh Bank practice.

Shekh Siddiqur Rahman, executive member of Bangladesh Bank Employees Association, said the board has to give them incentives five times their basic salary.

“Otherwise we will take a tough stance on the issue,” he warned. l

Eastern Refinery in Chittagong

COURTESY

Chinese firm to install pipeline at deep sea for Eastern Refinery n Asif Showkat Kallol

Energy Division is set to appoint a Chinese firm to install single-point mooring with double pipe line for the state-run Eastern Refineries Ltd, said official sources.

The proposal for appointing China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau is likely to placed at the meeting of the cabinet committee on economic affairs today.

The firm will construct a pipeline in the Bay of Bengal for unloading fuel from tankers in the deep sea to storage facilities on mainland.

If installed, the pipeline will save the government Tk1,000 crore

annually, officials said.

The Chinese government has agreed to fund 79% of the cost on condition that a Chinese company implements the project under G2G basis.

According to the proposal, of total cost of Tk5,426.26 crore, an amount of Tk1,021.19 crore will be borne by the Bangladesh government.

As per the project proposal, the single-point mooring installation is going to be built on Sonadia island area in deep sea where the large oil tankers will anchor.

As per the latest project design, two large 36-inch pipelines would be built there to pump the oil to a

DT

13

Business

storage facility 16km away on the Matarbari island in Maheshkhali.

One pipeline would pump crude oil and the other diesel. The length of each of the pipelines would be 110km. According to the project proposal, there would be six tanks in Maheshkhali.

At present, large tankers anchor in deep sea and smaller ships unload and bring the oil to storage facilities of ERL in Chittagong.

This process called lightering is an expensive operation and it takes 11 days to unload 1 lakh tonnes of oil. Other than time and cost, a lot of oil is systematically stolen during the process, officials said. l

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved five projects including three funded by the Indian new Line of Credit (LoC).

The approval came at the Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The three Indian LoC projects include establishment of Jamalpur Medical College and Hospital and Jamalpur Nursing College and Procurement of double-decker, single-decker AC and non-AC buses and trucks for BRTC. Of the total approved project costs, Tk1,932.28 crore will come from the public coffer and the rest Tk872.72 crore from LoC. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said Ecnec approved five projects including the procurement of 600 single and double-decker buses and 500 trucks at a cost of Tk2,805 crore.

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will implement the procurement by June 2018 under two projects titled – Procurement of double and single-decker AC and non-AC buses for BRTC involving Tk580.87 crore and Procurement of trucks for BRTC – at a cost of Tk217.35 crore from India for strengthening BRTC services.

According to the summary of the project, the government will provide Tk146.55 crore while the rest of Tk434.32 crore will come from the LoC for the procurement of double and single-decker AC and non AC buses for BRTC. Besides, Tk58.95 crore will come from the government exchequer and Tk358.40 crore from LoC. Under the proposed project, some 300 double-decker buses will be procured alongside procuring 100 single-decker AC city buses, 100 single decker AC intercity buses and 100 single decker non-AC buses.

About the procurement of 500 trucks, the planning minister said some trucks will be used as covered van to use in coastal areas.

The Ecnec also approved establishment of Jamalpur medical college and Jamalpur Nursing college involving Tk716.61 crore.

Of the total cost, the government will provide Tk280 crore and the rest of Tk436.61 crore will come from Indian LoC. As part of setting up medical infrastructure to reach medical services to the area of Jamalpur, the government will implement the project by 2019. The other approved projects include construction of flood control, road-cum-protection embankment and drainage system for Bangladesh Economic Zone at Mirersharai. l

Business

DT

14

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Asia stocks bounce, investors no clearer on Fed n Reuters Asian shares bounced modestly yesterday as doubts the Federal Reserve would hike interest rates next month restrained the dollar, while investors continued to count on more policy stimulus elsewhere in the world.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.5%, recouping around half of Monday’s loss. Stocks in South Korea added 0.4% and Australia 0.3%.

Futures pointed to similar gains for German and French bourses and a dip for London, while EMini futures for the S&P 500 barely budged.

Japan’s Nikkei went flat as the yen stopped falling following a sharp drop late last week.

A raft of Japanese data, from unemployment to retail sales, mostly beat analysts’ forecasts but did nothing to change expectations the Bank of Japan would eventually have to ease further.

Markets are less sure when US policy might change after Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Friday said the case for a rate increase was strengthening, but provided little clarity on when it would next move.

Vice Chair Stanley Fischer suggested a hike was possible as soon as September. Fischer is set to ap-

Traders work on the floor of the NYSE pear again later yesterday.

Yet while the initial market reaction was to push up the probability of a September hike to 44%, investors quickly had second thoughts and by yesterday the implied chance was back at 36%.

Dealers also reported talk the August payrolls report on Friday might

Tokyo’s analysts outperform on a bad metric n Quentin Webb Japanese analysts are outperforming on a worrying metric. Groupthink is a common problem and sell-side researchers in many markets face pressure to be kind to companies. Japan, however, stands out for the uniformity of opinions, according to a screening of $1bnplus companies by Breakingviews.

Most companies stop short of throwing negative analysts out of briefings, as Hong Kong outfit PAX Global did recently. But bosses everywhere want to look good. Firms can quietly hobble sceptics by limiting access to information or people. Or they may pass over a critical analyst’s investment-banking colleagues for deals.

To see where analysts most accentuate the positive, Breakingviews screened large companies listed on Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and New York’s main indexes, looking at what proportion of firms followed by five or more analysts had no “sell” or “underperform” ratings.

Of course, buy or sell ratings are

not the only valuable ingredient in research. Good write-ups contain all kinds of other information. But this is still a useful yardstick of diversity of views.

British audiences proved the sternest: only 27% of blue chips had no critics. Hong Kong does not do too badly on fostering a marketplace of ideas either, with a buy-toneutral consensus only covering 36% of stocks. That seems surprisingly robust, given the PAX kerfuffle and recent rulings in the city against Citron Research and Moody’s for publishing critical studies.

Japanese analysts may just be less willing to step out of line in a society that prizes consensus. However, the consistency is worrying. Huge accounting scandals at Olympus and Toshiba add to the impression that Japan’s companies get an easy ride.

No wonder foreign short-sellers, like Glaucus and Citron, are circling. l Quentin Webb is an Associate Editor at Reuters Breakingviews. The article was initially published at Reuters.

REUTERS

miss expectations and make it that much harder for policymakers to contemplate a September tightening.

On Wall Street, the Dow ended Monday up 0.58%, while the S&P 500 added 0.52% and the Nasdaq 0.26%.

Financials were the best performer on the S&P 500, with Wells Fargo up 2.2%.

Britain: Inward investment rose before Brexit vote n Reuters In the last financial year before Britain voted to leave the European Union, the country gained more foreign investment projects than ever before, the government said yesterday.

Some 2,213 investments were made in the year ending in March, up 11% from the previous year, the government said. That resulted in the creation or “safeguarding” of 116,000 jobs, it said.

However, the government did not provide a value for the investments, and it did not explain how the jobs were “safeguarded”. It did say 82,650 jobs were created, down from 84,603 jobs created the previous financial year. The period covered by the government’s statement ended almost three months before Britain’s June 23 referendum on its EU membership. The vote to leave delivered a major blow to business confidence.

Multinational companies from consumer goods giant Unilever to carmaker Jaguar Land Rover had spoken out in favour of Britain remaining in the trading bloc. And some, such as carmaker Nissan, have said future investment will hinge on the deal Britain strikes with its former EU partners. l

The sector typically rises with talk of higher rates, on the expectation that banks’ income could rise as they charge more for loans. However, the correlation is not direct as it requires the yield curve to steepen and, so far, it is not obliging.

Indeed, longer-term yields fell further than the short end on Mon-

day, in part because much of the market suspects any Fed tightening would lead to even lower inflation over the long run.

Figures out Monday showed the Fed preferred measure of core inflation stuck at 1.6% for a fifth straight month. The San Francisco Fed underlined the subdued outlook for inflation and rates in a research note.

The “natural” rate of interest the real rate consistent with full use of economic resources and steady inflation near the Fed’s target level - was near zero and would rise to only 1% over the next decade.

“If these projections are accurate, then a monetary policy designed to track the rise in r-star (natural rate) would imply a very gradual normalization of the federal funds rate,” the note said.

The retreat in Treasury yields restrained the dollar, which held at 95.754 against a basket of currencies from a two-week top of 95.834.

The dollar likewise ebbed to 102.15 yen from a peak of 102.39, while the euro was a shade firmer at $1.1171.

In commodity markets, oil steadied after falling by around 1% on Monday. Oversupply remained a major concern with US crude stockpiles forecast to have risen by 1.3 million barrels last week, a Reuters poll showed. l

CORPORATE NEWS

City Bank has recently launched its walk-up ATM with mobile top-up facility at Uttara Club, said a press release. The bank’s chairperson, Rubel Aziz and president of Uttara Club, Nasir U Mahmood have jointly inaugurated the booth

Jalalabad Frozen Foods Limited has recently been awarded the National Export Trophy for its remarkable contribution to the country’s export sector in FY13, said a press release. The company’s director, Mohitul Islam received the trophy from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

DT

15

Business

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

In Asia, Obama faces trade pact test amid US opposition n Reuters When President Barack Obama travels to Asia next week, he will try to reassure leaders in the region that he still has the clout to deliver US approval for the sweeping Trans-Pacific Partnership, even though the two candidates vying to succeed him and a congressional leader have said the 12-nation trade deal should not move forward.

The trade pact is the economic pillar of Obama’s broader plan to

shift US foreign policy toward Asia and counter the rising economic and military might of China.

“It would be a real setback for Obama’s legacy and for the rebalance strategy if TPP were not to be ratified,” said Matthew Goodman, a former Obama foreign policy adviser now at the CSIS think-tank in Washington.

Domestic politics have put the deal’s future in doubt. US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday the Senate would

not vote on the pact this year, punting it to the next president, who will take office on Jan 20.

Both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have said they oppose the TPP, citing past trade deals that have cost Americans jobs. As Obama’s Secretary of State, Clinton backed the Pacific trade deal.

Obama has said the TPP will boost labor and environmental standards - fixing some of the problems seen in past trade deals

like the North American Free Trade Agreement - and give both large and small US companies access to the world’s fastest-growing markets.

The White House said failure to approve the TPP would hurt US interests in Asia, where some leaders made politically tough decisions to advance the deal.

“In this part of the world, which is the largest emerging market in the world, TPP is seen as a litmus test for US leadership,” Ben Rho-

des, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters on Monday.

“We would be stepping back from that leadership role, we would be ceding the region to countries like China who do not set the same types of high standards for trade agreements were we to not follow through with TPP,” Rhodes said.

Estimates of the potential economic impact of TPP vary, but most show little meaningful growth for the US economy. l

DT

16

Feature

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Inspiring Youth in Trying Times n Zainab Syed Ahmed What does it take to lead social change in an ever changing, chaotic, uncertain world? 400 young delegates from Bangladesh and abroad explored the questions of collaborative leadership and crossing boundaries during the

Ejaj Ahmad elaborated on the concept of adaptive leadership.

The session formed the foundation of leadership whereby the delegates learned to diagnose and differentiate between technical and adaptive challenges. Once the basics were set, the next session titled Immunity to change

fourth Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) hosted by Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC). In these trying times, the Youth Leadership Summit attempted to convey a message of hope, and encourage young people to participate in courageous conversations on issues they care about deeply to exercise leadership. The YLS 2016 was held on August 18-20, 2016, at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) with the theme “Connect, Collaborate, Co-create”. The keynote address at the opening ceremony was delivered by Sir Christopher Ball, a former Warden of Keble College, Oxford University, who spoke about leading a life of purpose by maintaining integrity and leading by example.

This year’s leadership faculty featured Ejaj Ahmad, Founder and President of BYLC, and Harvard professors, Dr. Dean Williams and Dr. Hugh O’Doherty. The leadership sessions focused on examining the opportunities and dangers of exercising leadership, identifying boundaries, and collectively finding purpose. In the first leadership session titled Leadership in an uncertain world,

led by Harvard faculty, Hugh O’Doherty, took the delegates through a deep reflective process of identifying the inherent individual traits that hold them back from changing or improving.

Subsequent leadership sessions included Designing effective interventions, where Ejaj Ahmad used the metaphorical “balcony” to discuss the importance of taking a step back and observing, before taking action and engaging on the “dance floor” of life. He explained that, “too many people get caught up on the dance floor that they do not see the entire system. To make an effective intervention, one has to constantly go back and forth between the dance floor and the balcony”. Hugh O’Doherty took a session on Leadership and purpose where he discussed the power of purpose in one’s life. The session challenged the common perception of passion being the driving force of change by giving examples of how passion and emotion had repeatedly built or destroyed the very thing communities worked toward. He ended on a very powerful insight highlighting, “If you are not standing in your own purpose,

you’re standing in someone else’s.”

The Summit also featured plenary sessions where leading experts shared personal leadership journeys and discussed topics of interconnectedness, education, and entrepreneurship. Chaired

by Gowher Rizvi, the plenary on The changing landscape of tertiary

Annisul Huq, Mayor of Dhaka, chaired the plenary on Inclusive economy and entrepreneurship.

Inspired by the speakers of the session, the delegates were eager to know how the youth can engage in entrepreneurial leadership roles to which Saima Chowdhury, CEO of Noi Solutions,

In these trying times, the Youth Leadership Summit attempted to convey a message of hope, and encourage young people to participate in courageous conversations on issues they care about deeply to exercise leadership

education in the 21st century examined the current challenges that the education system in Bangladesh is facing and how 21st century education institutions will have to do more than simply impart knowledge – they have to produce globally competent citizens. An interesting discussion ensued between delegates and speakers about choosing subjects based on passion or practicality.

expressed how crucial it is to have a strong corporate experience in the development of good entrepreneurial skills.

As interactions grew and bonds strengthened, time flew and the last day of the Summit arrived.

Leadership for a fractured world, a session led by Dean Williams, Harvard faculty, highlighted how our world today is unpredictable, complex yet inter-dependent – all

the basic foundations required to generate fractures. His inspiring session focused on the role of change agents who work between fractured groups to help them transcend boundaries, and build bridges to lead change.

After putting the concepts of theoretical leadership in place, the

plenary on Investing in the next generation: Acts of leadership, chaired by Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, featured real examples of those who exercised leadership in today’s fractured world. The panelists Anjali Sarker, from Social Innovation Lab, BRAC, Korvi Rakshand, Founder & Chairman, Jaago Foundation, and Queen’s Young Leaders Awardees Shihab Shamir and Farhan Ahmad discussed from their life stories the real implications of practicing leadership in a fractured world.

The delegates then went into developing their own personal action plan outlining what they wanted to do in their future.

This melting pot of diverse backgrounds and ideas at such a trying time urged all the young people present to lead by example and challenge the status quo because to create a change, one must believe in the change and be the change. The culmination of the 3-day Summit exemplified that for every one act of terror, there are four hundred more examples of positivity and resolve.

The writer works in curriculum development at the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center l

17

DT

Advertisement

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

DT

18

Feature

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

4 ways to kick

any bad habit Let’s keep those resolutions

n Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Stress and boredom. Two states that come free with life in Dhaka.

Interestingly, these are two things that contribute to the birth and rise of all manner of bad habits – from smoking, to an overindulgence in fried food.

The good news is, the human brain can be trained to kick said habits, so all it takes is a little determination, and these four steps.

Change the environment If you’re committed to kicking your bad habit, the first thing you need to do is alter your surroundings as to reduce temptation. Your environment should cut out as many triggers as possible so that you do not give in to a bad habit. If you need to cut down on junk food, for example, it’s best not to have bags of Doritos lying around the house. Similarly, if you want to quit smoking, remove cigarettes and ashtrays from areas you frequent.

Once you make access to your triggers more difficult, you’ll feel less inclined to indulge.

Build a new habit For every bad habit there is a good habit that can act as a substitute.

For example, if you are a screen addict when you have the urge to waste time stalking a stranger on Facebook, pick up a book instead.

Photos: Bigstock

It takes effort and time to conquer a bad habit and replace it with a healthy one

Plan out a substitute good habit to swap with your your bad habit.

This is a Pavlovian approach to training your brain to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Strength in numbers Surrounding yourself with cheerleaders, and people with similar goals as yours will help you kick your bad habit in no time.

There are certain journeys you cannot go alone and one of them is breaking a bad habit. Pairing up with someone who wants to quit a bad habit would make you show more accountability and desire.

This is the reason support groups exist.

Find a friend who is also planning to kick the same habit that you are, and cheer each other on to a healthier lifestyle.

Small steps to big success It takes effort and time to conquer a bad habit and replace it with a healthy one. And if you’ve set a big goal for yourself, it’s easy to give up on it and then beat yourself up about it. Break the goal up into

small, easily achievable tasks and don’t forget to take a moment to reward yourself for achieving the goal, whether with a selfcongratulatory selfie, or a healthy celebration, to motivate yourself to work towards the next step. l

19

DT

Biz Info

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

| orientation |

| travel |

“WE ARE BRACU” – orientation for newly admitted students held

Qatar airways: More than 600 amazing prizes to be won in Travel Festival promotion

BRAC University “Freshman Orientation - Fall 2016” for the newly admitted students of Fall 2016 semester took place at the BRAC University main campus at Mohakhali earlier today. The event began with a Tagore song to welcome students to a new and important phase of their life.

Professor A A Ziauddin Ahmad, chairperson, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of BRAC University addressed the program. Shahed Ehsan Siddique, a BRACU Alumnus currently working in Standard Chartered Bank shared

his wonderful reflection on BRACU life.

Vice Chancellor, BRAC University, Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, PhD, in his speech congratulated the new students for being selected in BRAC University, the best private university in Bangladesh.

The VC informed students that with existing international standard curriculum, highly qualified teachers, resourceful digital library, international collaborations and industry partnerships, the university will have a state of the art permanent campus by 2019. He added

that BRACU has always been motivating meritorious students by giving them recognition in the form of scholarships, tuition fee waiver and exposures like “Lunch with the Vice Chancellor”. The VC advised students to set their career goals at the beginning of their study programs and work hard towards their goals in order to pursue their dreams according to individual potentialities. He also encouraged students to participate in clubs activities, one of the main objectives of which is to make students socially aware and build leadership qualities in them. l

| travel |

Etihad airways launches global sale with up to 50% off to 73 popular destinations Etihad Airways has launched its global sales campaign, targeted at business and economy class guests, with fares available on a wide range of destinations served across the world and fares available for travel until June 2017.

Guests travelling on the airline’s daily flights from Dhaka can make the most of this offer over seven days, by booking on etihad.com or via their local travel agent, between now and September 4, 2016.

The sale will offer up to 50% off fares to seventy three of the world’s most popular destinations from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. In addition, members of the airline’s loyalty program, Etihad Guest, will continue to earn miles on all fares

Qatar Airways’ enormously popular Travel Festival is back, giving travellers across the world the opportunity to enjoy dream deals to inspiring places – as well as having the chance to win fantastic prizes.

From August 29 to September 5, the Qatar Airways Travel Festival will take travellers to some of the world’s favourite holiday destinations, with companion promotions offering two-for-one fares, discounts of up to 30 per cent and book more and save more, all available for travel between September 15, 2016 and June 30, 2017. The festival also includes special deals for hotels, as well as discounted holiday extras such as car rental.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Members can also earn triple Qmiles for bookings made during the Travel Festival.

As well as benefiting from the Travel Festival’s phenomenal prices, travellers also have the chance to win special prizes

throughout the eight-day event.

More than 600 prizes will be given away throughout the festival, with highlights including a pair of “around the world” air travel tickets in collaboration with Qatar Airways and oneworld, and the chance to win a pair of tickets to attend Qatar Airwayssponsored FC Barcelona matches, as well as signed football jerseys.

Complimentary upgrades will also be awarded, giving travellers the opportunity to experience the World’s Best Business Class service. Free Economy Class flights for travel on the airline’s global network will also be up for grabs, as well as five Qatar Airways Holiday packages, shopping vouchers to spend in Qatar Duty Free and much more.

To avail the Travel Festival offers, customers can visit qatarairways.com/travelfestival.

Alternatively, they can visit any Qatar Airways sales office, and any appointed travel partner to book. l

| meals |

Daab Chingri at The Dining Room

in the sale.

Daniel Barranger, senior vice president of Global Sales at Etihad Airways, said: “We have continued to expand our global network this year and add further aircraft to the fleet, ensuring we have a high quality product throughout our aircraft and

available to the millions of guests who choose to fly with us each year. By including our partner airlines in our new offer, we are providing access to a larger list of destinations and a combined fleet of over 700 aircraft, ensuring we can meet every guest’s personal requirements.” l

Daab Chingri at The Dining Room is Bengali culinary choreography at its best. Tiger prawns, locally known as “Bagda Chingri”, with its mellow sweetness is lovingly cooked in smooth and creamy green coconut milk, balanced perfectly with a delicate mix of chili and mustard paste along with a blend of traditional Bengali spices. This creates a delicious symphony for your taste buds.

TDR’s Daab Chingri is presented with a visually irresistible appeal so that one may experience the true beauty of this dish.

Unlock the cherished secrets of Bengali cuisine that have been passed on through centuries in

the fine dining ambience of The Dining Room. For reservations please contact reservations@ thediningroombd.com or call +880 2 9895729 or +880 1984332299 / +880 1984-221199 or log onto http://www.thediningroombd. com l

DT

20 Editorial

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

TODAY

Margarita for two If Margarita Mamun can claim that it was a win for two countries, why can’t Bangladesh, even if it is to serve its self-interest, claim a little slice of that glorious pie? Would that be so wrong?

PAGE 21

With successful immigrants, everybody wins Phelps is American irrespective of his bloodline. Mo Farah is British, in spite of Somali parents. Mamun’s Bangladeshi heritage is irrelevant to her success PAGE 22

BIGSTOCK

Justice for Risha

The sexist in the closet Just as in our mothers’ time it was common to see women as only homemakers, now, it is common to see women walk tightropes between work and home, and live an impossible life of exhaustion 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

he murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl Suraiya Akter Risha is a grim reminder of how unsafe our streets continue to be for young women, and of the dangerous prevalence of stalking and sexual harassment in our society.

Risha was stabbed by an unidentified youth on the Kakrail footbridge on her way home from school. It is alleged that a young man who worked at a local tailoring shop obtained her phone number and address when she gave it to the shop. After Risha changed her phone number, the young man, Obaidul, physically intercepted her on the road.

The case of Risha shows how sexual harassment and stalking can spiral out of control with devastating and tragic consequences. We, as a society, need to do a better job of taking harassment against women and girls more seriously.

It is imperative that Risha’s killer be brought to book immediately to send a strong message. We demand justice for Risha -- crimes of this nature should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. It is good news that yesterday police declared that the killer would be arrested within 48 hours. Let’s hope this happens.

While most attention is given to rape and other violent crime, we cannot ignore other forms non-physical harassment, as they are often warning signs of things to come. The majority of female school students claim they have been subject to harassment, and it is a large factor behind girls dropping out of school.

We need our law enforcement to step up and catch Risha’s killer without delay. That is the first step towards making our streets safer for everyone else.

While most attention is given to rape and other violent crime, we cannot ignore other forms nonphysical harassment, as they are often warning signs of things to come

DT

21

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Margarita for two We can’t deny that a big part of Mamun’s upbringing was her Bangladeshi father internet and globalisation and fast bucks and quick travel, is more complicated than ever. We have hot-blooded youths shooting up Spanish bakeries because they can’t figure out who they are in this landscape of corruption and conflicting ideologies.

We have “Bengali” people living “Western” lifestyles; we have children speaking Hindi before they can utter a single word in their mother tongue. Suffice it to say, it’s not a simple issue of her being Russian or Bangladeshi.

And Margarita Mamun, young as she is, diverse as she is, talented as she is, is, I’m sure, very much a product of her time. Assuming she was raised by a family which also included her father, a Bangladeshi who fell in love with a Russian (for now, I’ll see a certain beauty in that happenstance), a little of

If Margarita Mamun can claim that it was a win for two countries, why can’t Bangladesh, even if it is to serve its selfinterest, claim a little slice of that glorious pie? Would that be so wrong?

A little bit Bangladeshi

n SN Rasul

“I

can count one to 10 in Bengali,” she said.

“When I was younger, my dad used to teach me Bengali, but I have forgotten it all.”

But two is all you need. One for Bangladesh, two for Russia. “A win for two countries,” she said.

Straight from the horse’s mouth.

The identity of Margarita Mamun, with an alcoholic first name and a Bengali/Arabic last, like a double-barrelled cultural buckshot, was contentious, much like any child born out of two different versions of history may be.

A Facebook activist -- let’s call him that for now -- claimed that Bangladesh “had absolutely nothing to do with Margarita Mamun’s success. And by absolutely nothing, I mean zero, zilch, nada, nothing.”

As a writer, I would’ve stopped

REUTERS

the buck at nada, for effect; as a pseudo-socio-political commentator, I would point to the deterministic nature of life and not write the sentence at all.

For the uninitiated, Margarita Mamun is a Russian-Bangladeshi (or Bangladeshi-Russian?) gymnast who won gold at the Rio Olympics this year. When asked, she herself claimed that it was “a win for two countries.”

Now this is true: Bangladesh isn’t the best country for wearing skimpy clothes and doing godknows-what on a wooden beam.

It is also true that Bangladeshi society isn’t conducive to following your dreams, if your dreams don’t adhere to societal expectations. It is true that many in our country would call her “semi-nude” display in public a blasphemous disregard of our conservative values.

Furthermore (and this will, indubitably, ruffle a few feathers, poke a few Bengali linguists in the

tongue), Bangladesh, for all it has achieved, has not achieved much, not on the global arena.

You can maybe count cricket, where it has occasionally beaten a single over-dog, for which I am both proud and grateful, but elsewhere, if one thinks of Bangladesh, one thinks maybe floods, maybe Muslims, maybe “wait, is it that country next to India?”

This is, of course, a result of ignorance on a global scale. Also, perhaps, realistically, because, why would you know Bangladesh as anything more than that? What feathers do we have in our cap that would allow us to be recognised as anything but?

As a result, when someone wins gold in one of the most major sporting events, the fact that she’s half-Bangladeshi, and the fact that she recognises this heritage, matters. It feels great to claim greatness as ours, even if it’s a small part of it.

However, also true: This speaks for a major slice of Bangladesh, not the English-speaking, sexually liberated, women’s rights are my jam, LGBTQ+ till I die, free the nipple environment within which this conversation is taking place, thereby changing nothing, reaching nowhere that it matters.

Yes, Bangladesh is a terrible country for women; in fact, it sucks (if you’ll pardon my French). But to say Bangladesh had absolutely nothing to do with it is also wrong. The factors that influence our lives -- and in Margarita Mamun’s case, a big part of it was her father -- is of course hugely relevant to where she ended up.

Now, I don’t know much about Margarita Mamun’s personal family life; I’m not particularly interested. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that I’ve never been interested in the Olympics as a sporting event. But identity, especially in this age of the

Bangladesh did help her become the successful athlete that she is now.

Maybe she can only count to 10. Maybe she doesn’t remember anything of Bangladesh or know anything of Bangladeshi culture.

Maybe (if not definitely) if she had been born here, she’d be studying BBA at a private university like the rest of the teenagers/early-mid-20s youth you see smoking joints on your rooftop.

But, by the very union of which she was born, a little bit of the Bangladeshi influence has been imbued in her actions. And if Margarita Mamun can claim that it was a win for two countries, why can’t Bangladesh, even if it is to serve its self-interest, claim a little slice of that glorious pie?

Would that be so wrong? Or does it deserve none of it, zero, zilch, nada? l SN Rasul is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him @snrasul.

22

DT

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

With successful immigrants, everybody wins Don’t build walls around your country, because immigrants will bring you gold

n Syed Raiyan Nuri Reza

T

he parade of nations at the Olympics is bound to invoke the inner patriot in us all -- seeing a nation’s foremost athletes marching along, proudly hoisting a country’s flag up, all to represent the sacred soil that you claim as your own.

And perhaps in those moments, you get to cheer just a bit louder, holler with that extra bit of enthusiasm, and jump a tad higher in giving your national heroes their duly earned support.

Yet, this Rio 2016 saw something heart-warming. The group that was cheered the hardest and given a standing ovation bore a flag that stood for no one nation. The Olympic flag entrusted to them to be carried did not and could not represent a shared nationality, but the

Phelps is American through and through

Phelps is American irrespective of his bloodline. Mo Farah is British, in spite of Somali parents. Mamun’s Bangladeshi heritage is irrelevant to her success

common journey that had brought them to the Olympics. A journey that is at times called immigration.

A journey that is not for the weak of heart, and demands an intrepid soul. Yusra Mardini, the 17-year-old Syrian swimmer, now a resident of Berlin, had to flee for her life from the deadly Syrian Civil War. Her harrowing journey might have met a tragic end had her indomitable spirit not allowed her to prevail against fearful odds.

Undaunted, she and her sister pushed the boat with a failed engine for well over three hours to its destination, saving her life along with others’.

This year, the visual feast and eye candy choreographed

by Fernando Meirelles, Daniela Thomas, and Andrucha Waddington paid tributes to immigrants and gave the descendants of migrant Japanese and Arabs their part to play.

A pleasant change, since the former were not received warmly, used to be excluded from society at large, forced to live in

squalor, and officially classified as “not white enough.” Now they are faring better. Amidst their community, one can find accomplished people. Say, Hugo Hoyama, the table tennis player who holds the Brazilian record for the most gold medals in Pan American Games.

The Arabs too had left a noticeable mark on Brazil, providing their share of noteworthy people, like Wallid Ismail, the accomplished mixed martial artist and jiu-jitsu specialist.

Yet, it amazes me that, in stark contrast to the spirit of tolerance and inclusivity at the Olympics, a certain politician wants to build a wall to keep Mexicans out and ban Muslims from the US. That a significant fraction of the British populace threw themselves in with the “Leave” campaign on the EU referendum out of fear of immigrants. If they are looking for a good pro-immigration case, they only need to look at their Olympic teams.

No doubt Americans feel a

REUTERS

stirring of patriotism now that team USA has topped the Olympics table and earned itself the lion’s share of the medal tally, earning a grand 121 medals out of the 971 that were on offer. While in the runners up position, we have the UK with an impressive medal count of 67.

And it is only with patriotic pride that they watched their beloved Olympians sing to the Star Spangled Banner on the stands with a gold medal on their necks, or shed tears as God Saved the Queen played out on the stadium when the proud Union Jack went up.

Only if they looked a bit closer, if only.

Michael Phelps’s impressive run in Rio 2016 ended with five golds and one silver, bringing his total count to 28, and so we have ourselves the most decorated Olympian of all time.

He just happens to be of Irish, German, Scottish, Welsh, and English descent. His compatriot Katie Ledecky, who finished her campaign with four gold medals and a silver in the swimming events, inherited Irish blood from her mother and her paternal grandfather emigrated to the US from Czechoslovakia.

Another notable US medalist and swimmer in Rio 2016, Medeline Dirado, is the daughter of an originally Argentinian father and a mother of Norwegian descent who fled from Italy after World

War II. Then there is Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah, known to the world at large as Mo Farah. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia he immigrated to Britain with his father at the age eight barely speaking a word of English.

Far from being a free loader, he went on to represent the UK at the Olympics, and added to two more gold medals to his personal record in Rio 2016. To say nothing of Margarita Mamun who played for Russia: It does seem immigrants can have a positive influence, giving back well in proportion to what they take from their host nations.

If one is under the impression that I am here to make Michael Phelps less American or Mo Farah more Somali and assert the dubious claim that Bangladesh had made any contribution whatsoever to Mamun’s gold medal, you are mistaken.

It is the reverse that I am here to say. Phelps is American irrespective of his bloodline. Mo Farah is British, in spite of Somali parents. Mamun’s Bangladeshi heritage is irrelevant to her success. Each tells an I-madeit-here tale, one that certain politicians and policy-makers need to pay heed to.

It also needs to be borne in mind that it is not only the top notch Olympics-destined immigrant that can do their part.

Jan Golding of University of Oxford said to New Scientist:

“The logic driving this idea is the idea that migrant workers present additional competition for scarce jobs.” A belief that is rooted in misunderstanding of modern capitalist economics: If the immigrants win themselves jobs, get successful, buy houses, and have children -- the natives lose.

However, that is not how it works.

The World Bank estimates that if the workforces of wealthy nations accommodate for immigrants resulting in 3% growth, it would boost world GDP by $356 billion by 2025. While the same article provides one analysis after the other that immigrants do not reduce job opportunities for the natives -- their net contribution is positive.

Michael Clemens at the Center for Global Development, a think tank in Washington DC, who did meta-analysis of several independent mathematical models suggests removing barriers to migration can increase the world GDP from 50% to 150%, and weighs in on the debate with the following words: “There appear to be trillion-dollar bills on the sidewalk.”

Therein lies the point: Build the wall and put up restrictions at your own peril. The next Mo Farah could be lost. Even your typical Patel or everyday Wei could have given a country an economic boost. l Syed Raiyan Nuri Reza writes from Tehran.

DT

23

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

The sexist in the closet It’s time to chuck those outdated gender roles out the window

Stretched too thin

BIGSTOCK

n Nudrat Lohani Nabi

R

andom guest at dinner: Which ones did you cook, bhabi?

Woman: None, husband cooks better than me.

This is his spread.

Guest: Oh (in a forlorn tone, because the world cannot be saved now).

On a camping trip not too long ago, as I was plucking tent pegs off the ground while my husband cooked eggs on a little electrical stove, a male friend made a snide remark about how it was apparent who wore the pants in the relationship.

It took me a while to properly register why there was so much spite in how he said it.

Despite all the big talk and bigger empowerment projects, it is still almost criminally punishable for Bengali men to venture outside the strict gender roles of society.

As if men cooking and women doing physical work are things that shake the very base of all that is good, and must always be rebuked

and snarled at and stopped at any cost.

God forbid men and women interchange roles to the point that society as a whole cannot find its way back to its precious roots -men will find themselves aimlessly walking the streets of their beloved society wishing women had just stayed inside and had kept it simple. Oh, what horror.

Regardless of how “forward thinking” you are, or how “free” the women in your household are, there always is that faint line in the middle that you are not allowed to cross.

Women are free to work, as long as they are great cooks. After all, how else will you impress your friends and convince them you have chosen an excellent life partner and built a great home, if not by throwing a feast cooked by your wife. Somehow, such skill is now the measure of your marriage.

Sadly, in our quest to bring the woman outside her white-chalked walls, all we seem to have done is stretched her very thin across the threshold.

Women have been granted the freedom to work and be outside, but still seem to be stuck with their age-old roles of home-making.

Just as in our mothers’ time it was common to see women as only home-makers, now, it is common to see women walk tightropes between work and home, and live an impossible life of exhaustion and quite often burnout.

While women help men bring in the bread, men in return do not seem to be too inclined to help them bake it. I once had a colleague who woke up at five in the morning to cook for the day, before heading out to work because her husband did not like stale food. It’s preposterous to say the least.

Women are not born with hidden magic that enables them to cook better, nor are they more resilient to the heat in the kitchen.

If cooking can be taught to girls, it can be taught to boys as well.

There are exceptions of course, but too many times it is the woman who needs to rush home and get dinner ready after an equally demanding day at work, while her counterpart is allowed to properly relax, watch TV, and do “his thing.” Because, well, men need their time to unwind.

Too many times, it is only the woman who is expected to be responsible of taking care of children or sick parents, or cook at dinners. Something as basic as

have to compromise till their backs hurt any more, and that men can be treated as functioning adults in a house.

There, thankfully, are some households where men help cook and clean and attend to a baby, where women fix busted appliances and build IKEA furniture.

Gender roles of the 50s no longer apply to today’s world, and some households are beginning to realise the potential benefit in moving away from predefined gender roles. These households are not impossible to find, they are simply very, very rare. But the mere existence of such households is a sign of better balanced days coming.

So, here’s to getting those kitchen shackles off women and throwing the kitchen doors open to all members of the family.

Maybe instead of buying your mother flowers on the next Mother’s Day, help her cook a meal. Maybe instead of simply expecting your wife to cook for 50 people, show some respect and help her.

Come on men, we all know you can do more than make toast.

Let’s begin changing the world by getting one dirty sock off the floor at a time. l Nudrat Lohani Nabi is a freelance contributor, writing from Sydney.

Just as in our mothers’ time it was common to see women as only home-makers, now, it is common to see women walk tightropes between work and home, and live an impossible life of exhaustion changing a baby’s diaper or making his own tea is an impossible task to most Bengali men.

This notion that working the same 40 hours at a similar desk job is somehow harder for men, and that they “need” to unwind more than a woman, is as ridiculous as it sounds here.

On the optimistic side, we can hope that this tendency to give men the “waive-all” card for house chores is beginning to fade.

As nuclear families with both primaries working become more common, so does the need for men to step up their home game.

As women become more aware of their needs and wants, they are beginning to realise they don’t

DT

24 Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Hathurusingha to go with Sunny, Taskin for Brisbane test

TOP STORIES

n Tribune Report

Adjustment key for Bangladesh Acclimatising with Irish conditions within a short period of time will be Bangladesh women’s main challenge, said captain Jahanara Alam. The Bangladesh team leave Dhaka on Friday for Londonderry, Northern Ireland. PAGE 25

Rooney to quit England after ‘18 WC Wayne Rooney will end his England career after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the striker said yesterday. The 30-year old made his announcement at a conference ahead of the WC qualifier against Slovakia. PAGE 26

Bangladesh U16 women’s team in training at the BFF House yesterday

Bangladesh wary of Kyrgyzstan’s threat

n Shishir Hoque Why England should go to Bangladesh In normal circumstances Cook might have contemplated skipping England’s Test tour of Bangladesh next month. His wife, Alice, is expecting their second child. He first led England when Strauss rested out the tour. PAGE 27

Meena Sweets, Bando go through Despite the traffic and the hot weather, which was felt all the more in the auditorium due to a faulty circuit breaker in the air conditioner system, the day started brightly enough with Dhaka Tribune trouncing Brac in a 5-1 Bowl pre qualifier. PAGE 28

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

A spirited Bangladesh U16 women side is confident to carry their fine form in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2017 Qualifiers ahead of their third Group C match against Kyrgyzstan at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.

The match starts at 6pm, and will be telecast live in BTV and BTV World.

The young Bangladesh girls have so far proved themselves as one of the favourites to qualify for the final round from the six-nation group, beating other favourites Iran and Singapore comfortably in the first two matches.

Kyrgyzstan had been in a preparation camp three months before the meet but their team is comparatively younger than the other opponents as most of the players are from their U14 side.

Kyrgyzstan are clearly the underdogs ahead of today’s clash as the Central Asian country conceded a total of 16 goals from their previous two matches against Iran and Chinese Taipei scoring only one.

Bangladesh are yet to concede any but Bangladesh’s head coach Golam Rabbani Choton is taking

things very seriously.

“Every match is vital for me. I want to move forward match by match and play with same continuity till the last game. We are now in a comfortable position after two wins but I don’t want to

the early stages of the game but at the same time it is also normal to miss chances. We already start working on attacking zone to improve our finishing.”

Wednesday’s match will be like a warm-up match for the

“Every match is vital for me. I want to move forward match by match and play with same continuity till the last game. We are now in a comfortable position after two wins but I don’t want to take any side lightly. Every opponent is strong to us. We take the pitch with our full effort and we hope to win the game like before,” said Choton take any side lightly. Every opponent is strong to us. We take the pitch with our full effort and we hope to win the game like before,” said Choton before Tuesday’s training session at the BFF artificial turf.

Bangladesh scored eight goals in the first two matches but only one came during the first half despite having plenty of chances.

Informing that there are no injuries before the game, Choton added: “We had many chances in

home side before their tough test against Chinese Taipei on Saturday. Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei are the only teams who maintain hundred percent winning record so far. If the hosts can beat Chinese Taipei there will be no more obstacle upfront for their bid for the historic qualification.

Meanwhile in the day’s other matches, Singapore face Chinese Taipei in the first match at 11am and Iran play against United Arab Emirates at 3pm. l

Bangladesh’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha will travel to Australia with Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny who are going there to give their bowling action test next month.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operations chairman Akram Khan said that Hathurusingha will be on leave from September 2 and will join Taskin and Sunny when they appear at the ICC’s accredited centre in Brisbane on September 8.

Taskin and Sunny, who are scheduled to leave Dhaka on next Monday, are supposed to get a day for practice before appearing for the test. The BCB nominated Hathurusingha to look after the bowlers during their stay in Brisbane which he agreed to.

“Hathurusingha lives in Australia and knows the country pretty well. So we thought him as the best person to accompany Taskin and Sunny. His presence will also give confidence to the two bowlers,” Akram told a news website yesterday.

“We do not want Taskin and Sunny to directly appear for the test. We are sending them a little early so they can get some time to settle and practice for a day or two. The coach (Hathurusingha) will have arrange everything,” he added.

Hathurusingha had joined work earlier this month along with other national team staff after a long holiday.

When quarried if Hathurusingha’s involvement will be official or will it a leave, Akram said, “We had thought of sending him with the bowlers. The camp in Dhaka will be off for a few days for the Eid holidays so we thought of having him involved. The first few days, Hathurusingha will be with his family and then join Taskin and Sunny.”l

25

DT

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Prime Bank pulls out of BCL n Tribune Report Since the Bangladesh Cricket Board will be hosting three ODIs against Afghanistan from September 25, the franchise-based Bangladesh Cricket League, which was earlier scheduled to get underway on September 20, has been thrown into uncertainty as the national cricketers will be busy with international duty.

Prime Bank Cricket Club, one of the franchises of the first-class competition, have decided to pull out from the tournament citing the national players’ commitment at that time.

Prime Bank general secretary Tanjil Chowdhury also informed that the club have budget issues to participate in two editions in the same year.

Tanjil posted this status on Facebook: “Prime Bank have decided to pull out of the upcoming edition of the BCL. This may surprise and upset our fans, wellwishers and cricket lovers.

We would like to clarify that this decision was reached due to a culmination of few factors and issues, which we feel obliged to notify our stakeholders BCL is the premier first-class (four-day) format in the Bangladesh domestic circuit. The best players from NCL (National Cricket League) would be divided into four zones. PBCC are the first franchise owner and we had the liberty to chose our preferred zone.

We chose south zone which comprises SA Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mashrafe bin Mortaza and Mustafi-

zur Rahman.

The presence of national team players in BCL is far and few. They often miss out due to holiday, international duties, injuries or rest periods. That means we never got the full strength of our zonal team on pen and paper. The youngsters, mostly inexperienced, and a few senior players miss out on the opportunity to play with national capped players.

We have already played BCL this year and the bank’s budget is drawn as per fiscal year which includes both DPL (Dhaka Premier League) and BCL. Since we have already participated in 2016 DPL and BCL, there is not much scope or sense to play it again in the same year. It is also not possible to draw a new budget for 2017 year before our budget proposal period, which is in December 2016.

We have not retired our franchise, we merely declined to participate in the upcoming edition citing the aforementioned reasons.”

Prime Bank also sent a letter, citing the same reason, explaining their pull-out from the upcoming edition of the BCL. And according to the BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the board will decide after president Nazmul Hasan returns to the country from Singapore.

“They (Prime Bank) raised some issues and informed us.

The BCB president is out of the country. We will decide after he returns,” Nizamuddin told Dhaka Tribune. l

Bangladesh women’s cricket team pose for a selfie at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday

Adjustment key for Bangladesh n Minhaz Uddin Khan Acclimatising with Irish conditions within a short period of time will be Bangladesh women’s main challenge, said captain Jahanara Alam.

The Bangladesh team leave Dhaka on Friday for Londonderry, Northern Ireland and will get only one full day before taking on the hosts in the first of two T20Is against Ireland on September 5 and 6, followed by the one-day internationals on September 8 and 10 respectively. All matches will be held at Bready Cricket Club.

“We will get only a day to practice after reaching Ireland. These things can happen. We will have to face the harsh cold weather while

Steyn seals SA series win n Reuters, Pretoria Dale Steyn grabbed five wickets to lead South Africa to a convincing 204 run-victory over New Zealand in the second Test at Centurion yesterday that sealed a 1-0 win in the series.

Set an unlikely target of 400 to win the match, New Zealand were bowled out for 195 with a day to spare as South Africa kept in tact their record of never losing a series against the Kiwis.

Steyn, who missed most of South Africa’s series against England with a shoulder injury, put South Africa on the path to victory with three wickets in 10 balls at the start of the visitors’ innings as their top four batsmen were dismissed for a paltry 18 runs in the hour before lunch.

But New Zealand dug in during the

second session with the loss of just one more wicket before tea.

Henry Nicholls made a Test-best score of 76 before becoming the last wicket to fall and Steyn’s fifth victim. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

2ND TEST, DAY 4 SOUTH AFRICA 481/8d & 132/7d beat NEW ZEALAND 214 & 195 (Nicholls 76, Steyn 5/33, Philander 2/34) by 204 runs

South Africa speedster Dale Steyn celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand’s Ross Taylor during the fourth day of their second Test at Centurion yesterday REUTERS

at home we have practiced under hot and humid conditions. But we are hopeful of coping with the conditions despite the fact that one practice session is not enough. But we will look to make best use of the time we have there,” said Jahanara yesterday.

Bangladesh last played an international fixture during the ICC World T20 in March this year where they lost all their group stage matches. The side’s last ODI was in October 2015, when they toured Pakistan and lost both matches of that series.

Bangladesh will miss their most experienced all-rounder Salam Khatun, who is recovering from a shoulder injury picked up during

training recently. Jahanara said the team will miss Salma’s experience and hoped the comers in the team be able to fill the vacancy. At the same time the Bangladesh captain will also expect the senior members of the team to contribute and this would have been easier if the team had played more international matches.

“We have around seven to eight seniors in the team. The team needs to play more matches in order to get the best possible output from the seniors. But we playing internationals after long gaps and this is hampering our progress. I believe we able be able to put up a team effort where both the seniors and the newcomers will contribute,” said Jahanara. l

Suraiya bags gold in National Shooting n Tribune Report Shooter Suraiya Akter of Narayanganj Rifles Club bagged gold medal in the women’s 50metre rifle prone event of the Beximco 28th National Shooting Championship at National Shooting Complex in Gulshan yesterday.

Suraiya scored 583 points to beat Dhaka Rifle Club’s Umme Zakia Sultana who had to be satisfied with 569 points. Kaniz Fatema Mim from Tangail Rifle Club won bronze with 565 points.

Narayanganj Rifles Club won another gold in the women’s 25m sport pistol event where their shooter Armin Asha had to toil hard to grab the gold, beating

second-placed Sinthia Nazneen Tumpa of Army Shooting Association by two points. Armin scored 537 points. Ardina Ferdous Akhi from Kustia Rifle Club finished third with 534 points.

Army Shooting Association won their only gold yesterday in the junior women’s 50m rifle prone event where Atkia Hasan Disha beat her compatriot Mahfuza Jannat Jui (silver) and Nafisa Tabassum (bronze) of BKSP to win the gold medal. Disha earned 561 points.

Turing Dewan earned BKSP Shooting Club a gold in the junior women’s 25m sport pistol event, scoring 519 points. Marzahan Akter and Jannatul Ferdous Bonna finished second and third respectively. l

DT

26

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

England players should go to Bangladesh n Michael Vaughan I know what it is like. I sat through plenty of those security meetings as a player. In 2003 we had lengthy meetings over whether to go to Zimbabwe in the World Cup. We were threatened directly by a group calling themselves the Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe and that was frightening. I was just a young kid and followed the more senior players but I when I looked back on it a couple of years later I changed my mind and felt we should have gone to Zimbabwe.

Reg Dickason is a security expert and you have to trust him to do his job. He is a good man and I don’t believe Reg would be influenced by cricket politics or money. He is respected because he makes his decisions based on the evidence presented to him. He says the players will be safe and I think they will.

My first tour as captain was to Bangladesh in 2003. It was a fantastic place to build the team environment. Once they arrive in Bangladesh, they will quickly forget all the concerns they had.l

Belgium’s football team assistant Thierry Henry (R) speaks to forward Eden Hazard during a training session in Neerpede, Belgium on Monday

REUTERS

Messi’s Argentina return in doubt, Aguero out n AFP, Buenos Aires Lionel Messi’s return to international duty with Argentina could be delayed by a groin injury his club side Barcelona stated on Monday.

Messi was set to return for the two-time world champions’ World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela after reversing his shock

decision to retire from international football in June.

“The player will travel to Argentina to join his national team and the development of the pain (he is suffering) will determine his availability for the scheduled matches,” Barca said in a statement.

Argentina have already suffered a double injury blow as Sergio

Aguero and Javier Pastore pulled out of the squad on Monday.

Aguero injured himself in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory against West Ham at the weekend. He has pulled a muscle in his left calf, according to the Argentine federation’s medical staff.

Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking midfielder Pastore also misses out

due to a torn right calf muscle.

Messi had announced his international retirement after Argentina lost in the Copa America Centenario final against Chile on penalties, Messi crucially missing his penalty in the shoot out.

It was the third time Messi’s Argentina had lost a major final in three years after a 1-0 World Cup fi-

Rooney to quit England after 2018 World Cup n Reuters, London Wayne Rooney will end his England career after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the striker said yesterday.

The 30-year-old made his announcement at a news conference ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on Sunday when will set a new record for an England outfield player, ahead of David Beckham, by winning his 116th cap.

“Come Russia I feel that will be the time for me to say goodbye to international football, my mind is made up, said Rooney, who was reappointed England captain by manager Sam Allardyce on Monday.

“Russia will be my last opportuni-

ty to do anything with England so I’m going to try to enjoy these two years and hopefully I can end my time with England on a high,” he said.

England’s record goalscorer with 53 goals, Rooney has been a stalwart for his country since bursting on to the international scene under Sven-Goran Eriksson at Euro 2004.

Four managers and 12 years later, however, Rooney accepts there has been a familiar tale of England under-achievement.

“I’m looking forward to this new regime. I’m excited by the players involved at the moment and, although there have been questions about my future, I said straight after the Euros that I wanted to still

be involved,” he added.

“When Sam got the job I made that clear to him and here we are.

Sam is a relaxed guy. The camp has been good, we have only had one session, but we are all excited about what ideas he can bring to us.”

Rooney said he was happy to play anywhere for England although Allaryce has said he will ask him to fill a No. 10 role as opposed to the midfield position where previous manager Roy Hodgson deployed him at Euro 2016.

“Obviously, it’s the manager’s decision,” Rooney said. “We haven’t really spoken about it - we will in the next couple of days. I’m ready to play whether it’s midfield, number 10 or striker.” l

nal defeat to Germany in 2014 and another penalty shootout reverse to Chile in the 2015 Copa America.

The five-time World Player of the Year reversed his decision three weeks ago after new Argentina manager Edgardo Bauza payed him a visit in Spain to change his mind.

Argentina host Uruguay in Mendoza tomorrow. l

Alcacer has Barca medical ahead of proposed move n Reuters, Barcelona Barcelona are on the verge of completing a reported 30 million euro ($33.57 million) move for Spain international Paco Alcacer from Valencia after the striker arrived for a medical with the La Liga champions on Monday.

The Spaniard was excluded from the Valencia squad that lost 1-0 at Eibar on Saturday, with coach Pako Ayesteran telling reporters, “Today he was not in the ideal situation to compete.” According to Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Alcacer will sign a five-year contract later on Monday before reporting for international duty with Spain at their Las Rozas training camp in Madrid.l

27

DT

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Marsh injury opens door for Khawaja

QUICK BYTES National TT c’ship from Sept 3

n Agencies

The 36th edition of the national table tennis championship will get underway at Patuakhali District Sports Association Gymnasium on September 3. A total of 260 participants from 42 teams will take part in the tournament which will conclude on September 8. The tournament is split into seven groups – men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, men’s team, women’s team and mixed doubles.

–TRIBUNE REPORT

‘Hart joins Torino on season-long loan deal’ Manchester City’s English goalkeeper Joe Hart has joined Serie A side Torino on loan until the end of the season, the player’s agent confirmed yesterday. The 29-yearold, who began his career at Shrewsbury, has been out of favour at Manchester City since the arrival of new manager Pep Guardiola and dropped to number three in the pecking order behind 17 million pound ($22.23 million) signing Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero. Hart’s agent Jonathan Barnett told Tuttosport: “Yes, Joe Hart will play at Torino. It’s done. “He has said ‘yes’ to the club and now Manchester City have given the OK. It’s all true, it’s certain.”

–REUTERS

Rosicky set for Sparta Prague return Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky will join Sparta Prague, the club where he started his career, after a decadelong run at Arsenal, according to local media reports. The 35-year-old has been hit by injuries in recent years and his Euro 2016 campaign was cut short by a thigh injury. He saw limited action last season and made 170 PL appearances.

–REUTERS

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET TEN 3 3:00PM Australia Tour of Sri Lanka 4th ODI

TENNIS TEN 1 9:00PM US Open 2016 2nd Round, Session 1

FOOTBALL SONY SIX 12:45AM International Friendly Germany v Finland

Australia’s Usman Khawaja sweeps during a practice session yesterday ahead of their fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka in Dambulla, Sri Lanka AP

Australia have been dealt another injury blow with batsman Shaun Marsh ruled out of the remainder of the Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka due to a broken finger, while Usman Khawaja has been called up as a replacement for next week’s two Twenty20 internationals.

The injury occurred during a fielding incident in Sri Lanka’s innings in the third ODI on Sunday, before Marsh carried the ailment into the run chase later that evening where he could only manage 1 from eight deliveries in the visiting side’s tense two-wicket victory to take a 2-1 series lead.

The latest blow for the tourists comes just 24 hours after it was revealed fellow Western Australian Nathan Coulter-Nile was set for a lengthy rehabilitation stint due to a bone stress injury he picked up while a part of the touring party on the island nation.

“Shaun suffered an injury to his left little finger whilst fielding in the match yesterday,” said Bupa Support Team Physiotherapist David Beakley.

“An X-ray after the match confirmed a fracture and Shaun will now return to Perth to allow time for this to heal.”

After scoring a century in one of the squad’s pre-series practice matches, Marsh was left out of the first two Tests against Sri Lanka as the home side completed a pair of crushing defeats in Pallekele and Galle.

The 33-year-old was recalled for the third Test at the SSC in Colombo and compiled a superb hundred to put his side in a strong position, but one in which they were unable to maintain.

The moment of bringing up his fourth Test ton was made even more special by the arrival of wife Rebecca and two-month-old son Austin in the Sri Lankan capital a night earlier.l

Why England’s decision to tour Bangladesh is right n Cricinfo In normal circumstances Alastair Cook might have contemplated skipping England’s Test tour of Bangladesh next month. His wife, Alice, is expecting their second child. Just as he first led England when Andrew Strauss rested out the tour seven years ago, it might have been an opportunity for Cook to take a short break and concentrate on impending fatherhood while England blooded Joe Root in the role.

But these are no ordinary times.

The participation of England players in the Bangladesh tour cannot yet be guaranteed because of safety concerns. Strauss, now MD of England cricket, will have gratefully received a guarantee from Cook that he will tour. The England captaincy can come with professional obligations and Cook has pushed aside personal considerations to fulfil them. England will hope that others follow his lead.

That Bangladesh is facing a critical moment in its history - certainly its cricketing history - is apparent.

Pakistan have not played a Test at home since the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009. Bangla-

desh could easily follow, thanks merely to enough signs of general unrest. And that unrest was evident when 20 people died in an attack on a Dhaka restaurant popular with Westerners in July. At least seven militants armed with bombs, guns and knives stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery. TripAdvisor reviews spoke of a “secret garden”, a treasured escape offering good food and coffee. No longer.

The ECB’s decision to press ahead with the tour is based on

professional analysis. Nobody can fairly suggest the good of the game has been put ahead of the well-being of the players. A security delegation led by the ECB’s security advisor Reg Dickason has visited Bangladesh, Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has been received, the risk assessment has been studied, and from that a recommendation has been made. Not only have the players been briefed, but the media, and wives and girlfriends too.

Security apparatus is an inevitable part of cricket

AFP

Now it is down to the chats between England’s players and those close to them. Do not underplay what will be taking place in sitting rooms across the country and in telephone calls from England hotels. There will be occasions when staunch shows of support will mingle with a few tears and admissions of concern; when the desire to make a logical decision, to find perspective, to show the low-level courage expected, will have to combat the nagging sense of guilt about the hurt that would be left behind if, against all odds, something went wrong.

According to Mal Loye, a former England batsman, and until recently Bangladesh’s high-performance head coach, England’s cricketers should definitely “go for it” and fulfil the tour. The only drawback has been Loye’s lurid tale of how Islamic State terrorists had plotted to murder the Australian cricket squad. According to Loye, the plans were thwarted when Australia cancelled the tour. Not so, Cricket Australia has responded: the threat against Westerners was general, not specific. But most England players will have read it. And mud sticks. l

DT

28

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Jaago win hearts, Meena Sweets, Bando go through Quddus and n Arsalan Syed Shabab Despite the traffic and the hot weather, which was felt all the more in the auditorium due to a faulty circuit breaker in the air conditioner system, the day started brightly enough with Dhaka Tribune trouncing Brac in a 5-1 Bowl pre qualifier. Tarek of Tribune scoring a magnificent four.

Meanwhile Jaago’s misery continued in their debut outing in the Ascent Cup as Aaroong romped on to win in a 5-0 encounter. The Ascent Cup is a ruthless place for newbies, but Jaago still held a place in people’s hearts as the ultimate underdog. Their passion for the game despite the odds is unrivaled in this year’s tournament.

Neo Zipper were engaged in an intense matchup against Sterling group. This match had all the spills and thrills one would imagine in a prequalifying cup round. The audience were treated to some amazing passing football and counter attacks and Sterling group marginally shaded the encounter by a late strike by Sajeeb of Sterling group.

As if that was not enough, the next match was an absolute nail biter….. well at least during the first half. The Big Bang Theory (Therap BD) had held the mighty Bando Design to a 2-2 for the first 10 mins. Never have we witnessed such commitment and heart from a

team who pitting their wits against a giant like Bando. We salute you for your valiant effort Sheldon (Shahed) and Leonard (Imran).

This second half, however, the dam broke loose and a deluge of goals followed from the Garment manufacturers. The match ended 10-2 in favor of Bando, their captain Imran, did his goal tally no harm whatsoever by putting in another 4 goals. He is now on 24 goals from 4 matches which is a record since the inception of this tournament.

Meena Sweets continued their impressive run in this year’s tournament after a hard fought encounter with IIDFC. The game had to be decided in a close penalty shootout, after the match was locked at 3-3 at the end of the regulation time plus overtime. It was heart wrenching to witness the IIDFC players who fell to the ground after their last player Abu Hanif hit the crossbar from the penalty spot. Meena Sweets are looking good for the quarters.

Earlier on Monday, Rahimafrooz battled long and hard against Beximco Textiles in the pre-quarter finals of the Bowl to end the tie at 4-4. The match had to be settled with the dreaded penalty shootout and the textiles giants took the spoils after converting 1 more than their opponents. The next match was also decided in a shootout when Orion Power and Augmedix locked horns for the 2nd Pre-quarter qualifier, which saw Augmedix

TODAY’S MATCHES PRE QUARTER FINAL (BOWL) Brac Bank v Asiatic, 6pm Swiss Contact v NRB Global, 6.30pm Metro Net v Galaxy Group, 7pm PRE QUARTER FINAL (PLATE) Runner Group v Securex, 7.30pm Ascent v IIDFC, 8pm

Action from yesterday’s Ascent Cup match between Bando Design and Therap BD

REZWAN HUQ

they bought Rangs down to earth in a 5-2 rout.

Meanwhile Comfit went on a goal spree against an understrength Runner Group in a 12 nil blitzkrieg. Munna Bhai and company are looking ominous and can call themselves genuine title contenders if they play this way. The

last game of the day saw Securex huff and puff to bring down a very organized City Bank. This was an ill-tempered affair which saw both teams engaged in heated encounters all over the pitch. At the end of extra time, a strike from City Banks Rony settled the tie once and for all eliminating Securex to the Plate. l

getting the better of the conglomerate. Qubee pulled a rabbit out of a hat when they won their encounter with stalwarts Bangla Cat. Qubee getting better with each are game remain in the Cup, while Cat will be looking tceo take their chances in the Plate. Green Delta also put up another fine performance when

Djokovic goes past scary prospect n AFP, New York

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns against Jerzy Janowicz of Poland during their 2016 US Open men’s singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre on Monday in New York AFP

Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an arm injury scare and long-time rival Rafael Nadal shone in 33-degree heat as the US Open showcased its $650 million upgrade on Monday.

World number one Djokovic, also the 2011 winner in New York and chasing his third major of the year, defeated Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion and seeded to face Djokovic in the semi-finals, eased to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.

In the women’s event, second seeded Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, needed just 33 minutes to progress but Roland Garros winner Garbine Muguruza required three sets and

a visit from the doctor before she survived.

Djokovic had admitted that he was “not 100 percent” after suffering a wrist injury on the eve of the Olympics where he was a firstround loser.

But it was the upper right arm that bothered the Serb on Monday night as he played his first Grand Slam match since his shock third round exit at Wimbledon.

The 29-year-old needed treatment after just five games of the first set but eventually pulled through against Janowicz who had played just two matches all year due to a knee injury.

“It was hard to follow Phil Collins,” joked Djokovic in reference to the lengthy opening ceremony which featured the veteran English rocker under the new $150 million roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium. l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Servant (4) 3 Male deer (4) 7 Kimono sash (3) 8 Wanders (5) 11 Soon (arch) (4) 12 Shun (5) 13 Swellings (5) 15 Contends in rivalry (4) 18 Baking chamber (4) 19 Primary (5) 20 Vestige (5) 21 Love god (4) 23 Durable cloth (5) 24 Strange (3) 25 Christmas (4) 26 Book of the Bible (4)

DOWN 1 Breed of sheep (6) 2 Enter as an enemy (6) 4 Weight (3) 5 Dwellings (6) 6 Spirit (3) 9 Happenings (6) 10 Distress signal (3) 11 Counsel (6) 14 Carry too far (6) 16 Pacific (6) 17 Philatelic items (6) 19 Passing craze (3) 21 Vast age (3) 22 Lyric poem (3)

29

DT

Downtime

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 20 represents N so fill N every time the figure 20 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

DT

30

Showtime

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Gene Wilder, ‘Willy Wonka’ star and comedic icon, passed away

n Showtime Desk Gene Wilder, star of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has tragically passed away Monday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. His nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said he died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 83. Wilder will be remembered for his creative portrayal of Wonka who elaborately encouraged kids and adults around the world to stretch their pure imagination.

The comic actor, who was twice Oscar nominated, for his role in The Producers and for copenning Young Frankenstein with

Mel Brooks, usually portrayed a neurotic who veered between total hysteria and dewy-eyed tenderness. “My quiet exterior used to be a mask for hysteria,” he told Time magazine in 1970. “After seven years of analysis, it just became a habit.”

Wilder’s best performances permeate pop-culture so thoroughly, it’s easy to forget that his most renowned works came out in a brief seven-year period between 1967 and 1974.

During this time he worked with Mel Brooks on three classics (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein), each of which remains an epochal

evocation of American comedy during New Hollywood.

He was diagnosed with nonHodgkin’s lymphoma in 1989, the same year his wife, Gilda Radner, died of ovarian cancer; despondent, he took a nine-year respite starting in 1991, finally retiring permanently from film in 1999.

He won an Emmy for his guest appearance on Will & Grace in 2003, his last on-screen performance.

Wilder’s debut performance, a brief bit as a wise-cracking, possibly deranged hostage in Bonnie and Clyde, remains one of American film’s great cameos.

He was born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee and began studying acting at the age of 12. After getting his BA from the University of Iowa in 1955, Wilder enrolled in the Old Vic Theatre school in Bristol, where he learned acting technique and fencing. When he returned to the US he taught fencing and did other odd jobs while studying with Herbert Berghof’s HB Studio and at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg.

He is survived by his fourth wife Karen Boyer, whom he married in 1991 and his nephew.

Before Radner, Wilder was married to the actress-playwright Mary Mercier and Mary Joan Schutz. l

Actress Zohra Etisha will take part in Miss Cosmopolitan World 2016

One album, three singers

n Sajal Khan

n Showtime Desk Samina Chowdhury and Fahmida Nabi are sisters and have appeared for many shows and TV programs together. But they really never had an opportunity to sing together for an album. This time, the siblings and another talented singer have collaborated for an album ready

to be released on the upcoming Eid holiday. Sharmin Rauma is the third singer alongside Fahmida and Samina. Lyricists for the album are Robiul Islam Jibon and Neehar Ahmed. The album is titled Eki Shwapno and contains three songs composed by Belal Khan. Samina Chowdhury says Belal has done justice to the songs.

Hopefully, the audience will like it an share the same admiration.

Belal khan added, “I am very excited. It was a challenge working with three talented singers. They are very cooperative. I feel very lucky to have worked with them.”

Eki Shwapno will be released under the CMV banner on Eid. l

Bangladeshi model-actress Zohra Etisha will take part in Miss Cosmopolitan World 2016. Miss Cosmopolitan World (MCW) 2016 will be organised in the host country of Malaysia for the second time in its history. It will be an International beauty pageant with over 30 countries involved. This prestigious event will be hosted by Amelia Productions, the founder of Miss Cosmopolitan World. Zohra Etisha is a regular TV actress and model. She has worked in Kolkata in a lead role of a popular serial from the beginning of her career. She has always dreamed to do achieve something bigger.

Etisha said, beside her modeling and acting, she involves herself with International competitions because it’s her passion, and takes pride in representing her motherland of Bangladesh. “I want to go to stage every time

with a room full of people and shout, ‘I am Zohra Etisha from Bangladesh,’ and let people know about how beautiful my country is. And people from Bangladesh might not be wealthy but we keep smiling and welcome all to visit,” said Etisha.

Etisha was the third runnerup at the Lux Channel I Super Star 2012, and she also took part in two other International pageants before 2014. She said, “The experience was really good but my journey was tough, because I did it all alone. I was by myself.” Now, she is going to take part of another big competition, which is the Miss Cosmopolitan World 2016. She’s done very hard work in the last few months for the competition, and now she is fully prepared for the event. Etisha said, “Please pray for me. Whether I bring back the crown for Bangladesh or not, I will definitely make Bangladesh proud. “l

Debi and the Gulshan Attack:

controversies continue n Showtime Desk Recently, Shekhor Das from West Bengal made a film Esp – Ekti Rohoshsho Golpo based on iconic writer Humayun Ahmed’s popular novel Debi. Claims have been made that Shekhor copied the novel’s storyline without giving due credit.

Previously the film premiered on Zee Bangla on August 21, at 9 pm. After watching the film, Humayun’s fans protested, stating that the film was a complete copy of his book.

Moreover, the film seemed to be constructed with the same characters, theme and context as the book.

At first, many people thought it was made in Tollywood to pay tribute to Humayun Ahmed’s great novel Debi, leaving many impressed. However, when fans noticed that there was no mention of Humayun’s name in the credit line, they expressed outrage. The story writing credit was given to Shibhashish Ray from Kolkata.

Characters in the film;

Rituporna following the role of Ranu, Shaheb Chetarji as Anis and Raima Sen in the role of Nilu, all were similar to Humayun’s narrative. Also, Misir Ali’s character was shown in the film as a professor.

Social media is abuzz with heated arguments between Humayun Ahmed fans. However, there was still no response from the team behind the movie.

Humayun Ahmed’s wife actor Meher Afroz Shaon, became furious after hearing about the movie. She told the Dhaka Tribune that the people who are related to the film have to apologise and the film should be banned as well.

Shaon further said that she had heard about the movie before. At first she did not want to believe her ears, but then she watched the film herself. She was left feeling speechless as the movie was a ditto copy version of the novel Debi. They just

31

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

Beyonce dominates the MTV Video Music Awards 2016 n Showtime Desk

changed the names and Raima Sen’s character was slightly altered - but that’s where the differences ended. The rest of the film copies the novel to the dot.

This Sunday, during a shooting break she also shared a few words with the Dhaka Tribune over the phone. First, as a Humayun Ahmed fan she said she was very annoyed after watching the film.

Second, she said the director could’ve asked for permission to base the film on the novel or just mention Humayun Ahmed’s name in the credit line. However, the director didn’t do any of

these.

Before Humayun Ahmed’s Debi controversy, another news hit Bangladeshi media. News about an Indian movie based on the Gulshan Attack was making rounds on social media.

Tollywood director Agnidev Chatterjee will helm the film on the attack, rattling Bangladesh and the world. The film will be based on the psychological aftermath of the terror attack.

The Hindi film, titled Jihad, will star Rohit Roy, Rituparna Sengupta, Koneenica Banerjee, Shabaaz Khan, Rajesh Sharma and Rachel White, with the film going on the floor on Monday.

The film starts with a high-voltage action sequence recreating the Holey Artisan massacre, where the protagonist Abhishek’s wife is killed in front of his eyes. A few years later, he marries Aparna out of compulsion. “The film takes a neutral stance, trying to decode the why’s and how’s of this terror outfit’s ideologies. It delves into the concept of Jihad and tries to explore its true meaning,” said the director as reported by The Times of India.

Abhishek, the protagonist, is played by Rohit Roy. Konineeca plays his first wife, while Rituparna plays Aparna.

Christina’s character will be essayed by Rachel White.

Controversy started with the announcement of the movie.

Some artists have said that, no one knows what actually happened that night at Holey Artisan. Moreover it’s too early to make a statement through a movie on the basis of imagination alone. The event was a horrific nightmare for Bangladesh.

Not only artists, many Bangladeshis too, have expressed their distaste for the movie. Some of them think, it can be lead to harmful relations between India and Bangladesh.l

DT

Showtime

Beyonce bags video of the year and best female video - and also delivered a show-stopping 16-minute performance of songs from her latest album Lemonade. The Single Ladies singer arrived at the ceremony with Blue Ivy, her four-yearold daughter, and supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement. In her speech, Beyonce thanked her daughter and “incredible” husband Jay Z for their support after she received video of the year title.

Rihanna, who was conferred with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award – MTV’s equivalent of a lifetime achievement honour, performed four separate medleys of her biggest songs throughout the show. The 28-year-old Barbadian singer was presented with her Moonman trophy by Drake, her long-time collaborator and rumoured love interest. Drake said about Rihanna to the crowd: “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old. She’s one of my best friends in the world.

“All of my adult life I’ve looked up to her even though she’s younger than me,” he said further.

Before introducing the video for his new song Fade, Kanye West hit the stage for a six-minute speech. During his address West compared himself to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Walt Disney.

Calvin Harris clinched best male video for This Is What You Came For, featuring Rihanna.

Here’s the complete list of winners of Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, presented at Madison Square Garden in New York: • Video of the year: Beyonce, “Formation.”

• Female video: Beyonce, “Hold Up.” • Male video: Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna, “This is What You Came For.” • New artist: DNCE. • Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Rihanna.

• Pop video: Beyonce, “Formation.”

• Hip hop video: Drake,

“Hotline Bling.”

• Rock video: twenty one pilots, “Heathens.”

• Electronic video: Calvin Harris & Disciples, “How Deep Is Your Love.”

• Collaboration video: Fifth Harmony feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Work from Home.”

• Breakthrough longform video: Beyonce, “Lemonade” • Song of summer: Fifth Harmony feat. Fetty Wap, “All in My Head (Flex).”

• Art direction: David Bowie, “Blackstar” (Jan Houllevigue).

• Choreography: Beyonce, “Formation” (Chris Grant, JaQuel Knight, Dana Foglia).

• Direction: Beyonce, “Formation” (Melina Matsoukas).

• Cinematography: Beyonce, “Formation” (Malik Sayeed).

• Editing: Beyonce, “Formation” (Jeff Selis).

Visual effects: Coldplay, “Up&Up” (Vania Heymann).l

DT

32

Back Page

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016

MOBILE WEB USERS NOW OVER 60M PAGE 12

BANGLADESH WARY OF KYRGYZSTAN’S THREAT PAGE 24

‘WILLY WONKA’ GENE WILDER DIES PAGE 30

Stalking now ends up in murders n Mohammad Jamil Khan There has been an alarming rise of murders resulting from violent sexual harassment in the country.

On August 3, a student of class eight in Sunamganj was stabbed by her stalker named Al-Amin, 28.

It turned out that Al-Amin was refusing to take “no” for answer to his proposal for months even though the girl was more than ten years younger than him, making his sexual advances towards her also an act of child sexual abuse.

On August 3, Al-Amin went to the girl’s house and tried to rape her; when her mother heard her scream she ran inside scaring AlAmin and he stabbed the child before he ran away.

Golam Kibria, officer-in-charge of Dharmapasha union, said a case was filed in connection and AlAmin was arrested and sent to jail on August 5.

The latest incident of violent sexual harassment cements the rise of male sexual entitlement with the fatal stabbing of Suraiya Akhter Risha, 14.

Suraiya passed away three days after she was brutally stabbed by her stalker for refusing his romantic advances towards her.

Her murderer had been stalking her since she visited a tailoring shop where he worked.

Statistics from Ain o Salish Ken-

Students of Willes Little Flower School chant slogans at Dhaka’s Kakrail intersection yesterday demanding justice in the murder of classmate Suraiya Akhter Risha DHAKA TRIBUNE dra (ASK) state that in 2015, ten girls committed suicide from sexual harassment while 89 girls were attacked by their stalkers for refusing to date them.

The data also shows that six were killed last year by their stalkers.

Advocate Dilruba Sharmin of Say No to Violence Against Women said: “If a law targeting sexual harassment can be enacted under a special tribunal, then this can be handled better.”

Justice for Risha RISHA MURDER n Shadma Malik Students from Willes Little Flower School and College yesterday protested the killing of their schoolmate Suraiya Akter Risha.

They protested demanded justice for Risha’s killing by her stalker Obaydul.

The protesters said that it will be a week since the stabbing on Wednesday and they are angry that the law enforcera have failed to apprehend the culprit.

Locals said that Obaydul was spotted in a village in Dinajpur on Monday, where he

Pre-pubescent and adolescent girls are greatly victimised by sexual harassers.

Data from Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) for this year shows that at least 31 girls have reported being harassed while 16 reported being sexually harassed by their stalkers for refusing their advances.

BSAF data shows an alarming rise of violent male behaviour towards these girls where 20 were

physically assaulted for refusing to date them and 22 were sexually assaulted including by their male teachers.

On August 16, BSAF reported that a seventh grader of Mothbaria, Pirojpur was verbally harassed and eventually sexually harassed by several stalkers for refusing romantic advances.

Data from BSAF shows that on July 23, a tenth grader from Singair, Manikganj was physically assault-

ed by stalkers for refusing romantic overtures while on the same day a seventh grader in Bagerhat was sexually molested by a rickshaw puller.

Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) filed a complaint against sexual harassment in 2010 where the High Court responded with some directives.

The HC ordered formation of a five-member committee in every institute and educational institutions to investigate matters of sexual harassment.

Salma Ali, executive director of BNWLA, told the Dhaka Tribune that awareness of sexual and violent sexual harassment needs to be made.

Despite the HC directives, there has been little or no change, she said.

These young men turn into sexual predators from watching pornography online and they try to force women into such acts without consent, getting violent when she refuses, she added.

Salma Ali also said: “The government should take appropriate measures to prevent future incidents like this.”

Chairman of criminology department at Dhaka University Professor Zia Rahman said: “A lack of accountability lets perpetrators feel like they can get away with it.” l

fled to after he stabbed Risha.

On Monday night, SI of Dhaka Ramna Thana Md Mosharraf Hossain conducted a raid in Miratongi village in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur looking for Obaydul.

Had the perpetrators got exemplary punishment for Tonu’s murder we would not have lost Risha. Because it is so easy to get away with murder these men feel like they can do anything, said Arafat Hossain, a protester.

Risha was stabbed by her stalker on August 24 in Dhaka’s Kakrail area. She passed away at the DMCH ICU on August 28.

Our district correspondent reported that Obaydul’s sister Khadiza Begum, 36 and his brother in law Md Khademul Islam have been detained at Birganj, Dinajpur. l

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