SECOND EDITION
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
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Ashwin 5, 1423, Zil-Hajj 17, 1437
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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 143
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www.dhakatribune.com
State banks still hostage to influential borrowers n Jebun Nesa Alo A number of state-owned banks continue to approve and reschedule massive project loans without proper scrutiny despite major scandals in recent years such as the Hall-Mark and BASIC Bank loan scams. Influential borrowers are still
taking money out of the state banks in the name of project loans and the boards of those banks are approving them without scrutinising the viability of these projects. As a result, after a certain period of time the projects close down and the borrowers default on their loans. But, this is only the tip of the iceberg; influential borrowers are
blessed with unethical facilities by the boards to regularise their defaulted loans. Bangladesh Bank has observed that performances of most of the projects to which state banks provided loans are very poor, a senior executive said. Both lenders and borrowers are interested in project loans as these
loans can easily be shown as standard category through secret deals. The instalments of project loans can be deferred year after year on numerous grounds, the official said. Bangladesh Bank has very recently faced trouble with an unethical proposal from Virgo PAGE 2 COLUMN 5
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Price: Tk10
Court orders BSP to return recovered money to Bangladesh n Jebun Nesa Alo Bangladesh Bank finally got a Philippine court order in its favour to get back a portion of hacked money that was forfeited and kept in the vault of the Philippine central bank. Philippine’s regional trial court in Manila yesterday ordered Bangko PAGE 2 COLUMN 2
PM arrives in New York to join UN General Assembly n BSS Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in New York from Montreal, Canada on Sunday afternoon to attend 71st UN General Assembly. An Air Canada flight, carrying the prime minister and her entourage, landed at La Guardia Airport of New York at 3pm (New York time). Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin and Bangladesh Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen and Bangladeshi expatriates received the prime minister at the airport. After the reception at the airport, the premier was escorted by a ceremonial motorcade to Hotel Waldorf Astoria at Manhattan where she will stay during her visit to New York when she will take part in General Debate of the 71st PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is greeted by Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Mohammad Zia Uddin and Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN and Permanent Representative Masud Bin Momen as she arrives at LaGuardia Airport in New York yesterday FOCUS BANGLA
INSIDE
Weakness at home hobbles Merkel in Europe
It is hard to think of what more Angela Merkel could have done over the past weeks to nudge fellow European leaders towards a post-Brexit consensus. In the run-up to Friday’s EU27 summit in Bratislava, the German chancellor met personally with 24 of her 26 counterparts. PAGE 10
Police: Funds for Gulshan, Sholakia attacks came from Middle East ‘Indigenous students to get pre-primary education in mother tongue’
Indigenous students from five communities will be able to complete their pre-primary education in their mother tongue from next year, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said. “We are making arrangements to bring this to effect,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. PAGE 32
n Kamrul Hasan Police are now certain that the money used to finance the deadly terror attacks in Gulshan, Dhaka and Sholakia, Mymensingh came from the Middle East, said Additional Commissioner Monirul Islam, chief of police’s Counterterrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit. Speaking at a press briefing at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)
Media Centre yesterday afternoon, he said the money came to Bangladesh via hundi transactions and the person who received it has been identified. Police are also confirmed that the firearms used in the attacks entered Bangladesh through the Indian border, but they have yet to determine the source country, the CTTC chief said. Asked about the source of the money, Monirul said they are not
sure whether it originated from the Middle East, or someone from here sent it to the Middle East and had it sent back in order to throw off suspicion. During investigation, police learnt about a single transaction of around Tk14 lakh which was mostly spent to buy guns and renting flats for the attackers, he said. Names of militants Rajib Gandhi, Marjan and Basharuzzaman PAGE 2 COLUMN 1
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NY explosion suspect in custody n Reuters An Afghanistan-born American sought in connection with a series of bombings that wounded 29 people in the New York City area over the weekend was in custody after a gun battle with police on Monday, a New Jersey mayor said. Ahmad Khan Rahami of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was captured after firing at police officers in Linden, New Jersey, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage said. Two officers were shot, one in the hand and the other in a bullet-proof vest, he said. “Rahami also sustained shots and an ambulance has taken him away,” Bollwage said. Earlier on Monday, New York Police had released a photo of Rahami, and said they wanted to question him about a Saturday night explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea. l
Court orders BSP to return recovered Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to return around $15.25 million, a portion of hacked $81 million to the Bangladesh Bank. Bangladesh Bank disseminated the information soon after getting the court order through holding a press conference at its headquarters yesterday. “It has been established that the account of Bangladesh Bank maintained with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York was hacked, through the unauthorized payment instruction by still unknown perpetrators, resulting in the illegal transfer of $81 million to identified RCBC accounts here in the Philippines” the order reads. The court declared that Bangladesh Bank is the rightful owner of the amount totaling $4.63 million and 488.28 million peso (both figures equivalent to $15.28 million) that were forfeited and kept in the
vault of Philippine central bank. The court order proves Bangladesh Bank’s claim that money were hacked and it has right to get back the money, said Debaprosad Debnath, head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit. He said it is now easy for Bangladesh to argue with other accused institutions to return rest of the money. Bangladesh Bank can take the money in cash or through banking channel at any time, said Debnath. Bangladesh Bank got the court order against a case of Philippine government and Kam Sin Wong where Philippine’s Department of Justice represents on behalf of Bangladesh. Earlier, some $68,000 left with the RCBC bank had been sent back to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The rest $65.68 million re-
mained unidentified and Bangladesh Bank started to procedure to recover that amount. Philippine central bank also fined Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) a record $21 million in August, after the bank was used by cyber criminals to channel $81 million stolen from Bangladesh Bank in February. Bangladesh Bank will have to deal with different parties to claim money back including a remittance firm ‘Phirlem’ which was used to convert the fund into local currency, casino and RCBC, said Mohammad Abdur Rab, joint director of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit. The court order and fine that was imposed on RCBC will make recovering procedure easy for Bangladesh Bank to get back the rest of the money, said Rab who dealt the largest cyber heist case from the starting. l
Funds for Gulshan, Sholakia attacks came from Middle East also came up during investigation; police are looking for them. Monirul said Rajib Gandhi alias Shubhash Gandhi alias Shanto, whose real identity has not been confirmed yet, is a commander of the new faction of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the northern region of the country who supplied with two experienced attackers in Gulshan and one in Sholakia. Police have yet to ascertain whether Holey Artisan Bakery chef Saiful Islam Chowkidar and waiting staff Jakir Hossain Shaon, both of whom died in the attack, were involved with the attackers as no evidence of their involvement has been found yet. Meawhile, police sources said they had information that two local businesses – Al Sakina Catering House in Uttara, Dhaka and Biswas
Hatcheries in Mymensingh – supposedly provided money to Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the mastermind of Gulshan attack. An employee of Biswas Hatcheries was a close acquaintance of Tamim’s and gave him Tk50,000 per month for a few months, the sources said. Police are now looking for this employee. Besides, Tanveer Quaderi, who committed suicide to avoid arrest during Azimpur raid, allegedly had a flat in Uttara which he sold to finance militancy, the sources added. However, none of this information has been confirmed by the officials of police.
‘New JMB has lost most of its strength’
Due to police investigation and several anti-militant drives over the past few months, the strength of
NEW JMB has reduced by 60-70%, Monirul said at the press briefing. Several top leaders of NEW JMB were killed during the drives and many others were injured or arrested, he said. Two other top leaders who were involved in the murder of Prof Rezaul Karim of Rajshahi fled to India after the attack in April; there are no records of them entering the country since then, he added. The CTTC believes that Rajib Gandhi and Marjan, two other top leaders of the faction, are still in the country, and Rajib is hiding the northern region.
Azimpur female militants identified
The identities of three female militants who were arrested during the police raid in Azimpur, Dhaka on September 10 have been confirmed.
They are Ferdousi Afrin, wife of JMB leader Basharuzzaman, Abedatul Fatema, wife of Tanveer Quaderi, and Shaila Afreen, wife of Marjan. All three are admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and have yet to be interrogated, said the CTTC chief. Among the three children who were found in the militant den, 10-month-old Sabiha Zaman, daughter of Ferdousi and Basharuzzaman, and seven-year-old Junaira Pinki, daughter of killed militant Major Zahid alias Murad, were handed over to their grandfathers. Thirteen-year-old Tahrim Quaderi Rasel, son of Tanveer Quaderi, was placed on remand for three days. “He will be interrogated as we believe he may have vital information. The investigators will keep in mind his juvenile status,” Monirul said. l
PM arrives in New York to join UN General Assembly Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21. But her official engagements in the US city will begin on September 19 with a meeting with Aung Saan Suu Kyi, state councillor of Myanmar. On the same day she will deliver a country statement in a High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants at the UN Headquarters and then join a meeting of Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU). Officials familiar with the premier’s engagements said she would highlight Bangladesh’s business prospective before the leading US business conglomerates at the BCIU meeting.
During her stay in New York, she will co-chair a roundtable on “Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration: Towards Realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Achieving Full Respect for the Human Rights of Migrants.” The prime minister will join the “Asian Leaders’ Forum on Countering Terrorism” to be hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 20. She will also attend a side-event on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Scaling up Innovation in Public Service Delivery to be organised by Bangladesh, UN Office for South-South Cooperation at UN headquarters. Sheikh Hasina is expected to attend the Leaders’ Summit on Refu-
gees to be organised by US President Barack Obama apart from a reception to be hosted by the US president for world leaders joining UNGA. She will also attend a luncheon reception to be hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the UN headquarters. On September 21, the Bangladesh prime minister is scheduled to join the launching event of the Global Deal Initiative on Enhanced Social Dialogue for Decent Work and Inclusive Growth to be organised by Swedish premier Stefan Lo”fven. The premier will attend the Meeting of High-level Panel on Water. Bangladesh community will accord a reception to the prime minister on September 21 at Hotel Grand Hyatt. On the next day she will address
a press conference at Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in New York on September 22. On the sidelines of the UNGA schedule, Sheikh Hasina will also hold bilateral meetings with Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann, Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Janet Scotland, Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. On September 22, the prime minister will leave New York for Virginia and on September 25, she would depart Dulles International Airport, Washington DC for home by an Emirates Airways flight. Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to back home via Dubai on September 26 afternoon. She left Dhaka on September 14. l
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
State banks
Pharmaceuticals, an influential borrower of Rupali Bank. The client, who owed Rupali Bank Tk260 crore as of December 2014, requested the bank to reschedule its two project loan accounts. According to the rescheduling proposal, the borrower requested the bank to keep the interest charge suspended for seven years. On the other hand, the client proposed to start paying off the loan instalments from 2023 on quarterly basis until the full payment in 2030. Although completely unacceptable as per banking norms, Virgo Pharmaceuticals’ proposal went further demanding more loans. It went so far as to ask the bank even to reduce the interest rate to 8.50% from the existing 9%. Mysteriously the board of Rupali Bank approved these unethical proposals of this influential borrower and sent it to Bangladesh Bank for final approval in June. At first Bangladesh Bank was surprised by the proposal and ignored it. But after a few days an influential lobbyist put heavy pressure on the officials concerned at the Banking Regulation and Policy Department (BRPD) of the central bank. Finally, the BRPD gave in and placed the proposal before Governor Fazle Kabir who, however, turned down the restructuring proposal. The central bank also raised question as to how the board of Rupali Bank had approved such a proposal in the first place. In September 2014, Bangladesh Bank had identified that the loan to Virgo Pharmaceuticals was given violating the single borrower exposure limit. The bank did not even inform the central bank in this regard. On this ground Bangladesh Bank fined the state-owned Rupali Bank Tk100,000 in August 2014. Later, the bank confessed to its wrongdoing and requested the central bank to reconsider its financial penalty. Atiur Rahman, the then governor of Bangladesh Bank, remitted the fine following the request. When contacted Rupali Bank’s new Managing Director Ataur Rahman Prodhan declined to make any comment on the issue saying that he was yet to know all about it. In another case Bangladesh Bank found that the Agrani Bank board had provided loans of Tk90 crore to the Earth Agro Firm project without scrutinising the capability of loan payment, cash flow, balance sheet and other necessary aspects. The borrower ultimately defaulted on the loan after a certain period, forcing Agrani Bank to reschedule the loan with no objection from the central bank in 2014, according to an investigation report of Bangladesh Bank. The central bank gave a no objection on condition of a 5% down payment. However, the client even did not pay that too. l
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‘Anti-militancy bodies harassing opposition activists’ n UNB
Due to poor drainage system in Old Dhaka, even light rain results in waterlogged streets in the area. The photo was taken yesterday in Nazimuddin Road
RAJIB DHAR
AL council: Major changes unlikely in leadership Obaidul Quader says he will not contest for any post in the national council Hayat Mahmud and n Abu Shohel Mamun The Awami League is set to hold its 20th triennial national council with little prospect of seeing changes in the top brass, predict party insiders. Seeking anonymity, a member of the party’s existing advisory committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that no major changes would come in the top leadership during the upcoming council. He said: “There is no question of bringing any change in the top leadership. Signs are there that it will be a repetition of the last council which re-elected Sheikh Hasina president and Syed Ashraful Islam general secretary.” Hasina and Syed Ashraful were reelected as party president and general secretary in the 19th central council held on December 29, 2012. Wishing anonymity, another
top leader of the party’s presidium body, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Sheikh Hasina will have the power to decide on all the positions in the central body as the last council
A total of eight new posts would be added in the 73-member committee empowered her to pick other office bearers and she already has shared her thought over the matter at a recent meeting with top leaders.” “The party chief made it clear that she does not want any change in party’s top leadership. She wants Syed Ashraful to get reelected,” added the ruling party leader.
However, media reports claimed that Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader would be contesting in the upcoming council for the post of general secretary. Trashing those reports, Obaidul Quader declared that he would not be contesting for any post in the upcoming national council. Addressing a ‘Meet the Press’ programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Monday afternoon, he said: “I will not be contesting for any post in the national council of Awami League. Many media outlets are reporting that I will be vying for the post of secretary but it’s not true. “I am neither contesting nor do I wish to.” He also expressed dissatisfaction over running such “fake reports.” However, few changes will be brought to the party constitution aiming to enlarge the Central Working Committee, said party insiders.
They informed that a total of eight new posts would be added in the 73-member committee. “Right now, the party has seven organising secretaries for seven divisions. But, three more posts of organising secretary will be created for Mymensingh, Comilla and grater Faridpur,” said a leader. Besides, changes to the party’s charter and declaration will also be brought, said party insiders. Party leaders said three new posts would be created in the presidium, the highest policymaking body of the ruling party. Moreover, the presidium and the party’s advisory council may witness exchanges of members, said AL leaders. The council is scheduled to be held on October 22 and 23 at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. Awami League has formed a 69-member preparation committee for the council with party president Sheikh Hasina in the chair. l
BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan yesterday alleged that the “administrative committees,” formed by the government with ruling party men, to resist militancy are harassing opposition leaders and activists. “The government has formed administrative committees at different parts of the country with only Awami League leaders and activists in the name of resisting militants. They (ruling party men) are harassing leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies by implicating them in false and fabricated charges,” he said. Nazrul, also a BNP standing committee member, came up with the allegation at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office. He alleged that the government is covering up the real offenders and encouraging them by arresting BNP leaders and activists instead of militants and extremists. “We demand the government immediately stop its repression on the opposition.” The BNP leader said their many leaders and activists were arrested in different districts, including Thakurgaon, Satkhira and Feni. He said the government ruined the prospect of a mass resistance against militancy and terrorism by ignoring BNP chairperson’s call for forging a national unity and blaming the opposition for the terror attacks. “We think it has already been proved that militancy cannot be tackled only by the administration or different forces… so, it’s imperative to forge a national unity with all parties as militancy can be eliminated only by people’s strong and united resistance,” he observed. The BNP leader said their party has been working to mobilise public opinion against militancy and terrorism. “We may take any organisational activities together with other parties eager to work against militancy.” Mentioning that the prime minister at a programme in Canada said her government has been showing zero tolerance against repression on women, Nazrul said the day she made the comment the same day news on the sexual scandal by an MP’s son surfaced in different newspapers. “Reports on the incidents of violence against women and children now have become newspapers’ standing matters. Reports on rape are published every day. Even, there’s a report on the suicide of a raped woman in today’s (Monday’s) newspapers,” he said. l
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BD urges NAM members to set agenda for global peace n UNB Bangladesh has called upon NAM member states to remain active in setting the agenda for global peace and addressing the existing or emerging security threats to win the battle against terrorists and violent extremists. Bangladesh has also called upon NAM to strengthen the global governance of migration for ensuring adequate, safe, regular and orderly migration, place climate change in its priority list, expand SouthSouth cooperation to help realise its potentials as complementary to North-South and Triangular Cooperation. On behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam represented Bangladesh and made the call at the 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held at the Margarita Island of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on September 17-18, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. The Summit was attended by over a hundred member states of NAM, observers of NAM and international organisations, while a number of member states were represented at the heads of state
and government levels. Nicolás Maduro Moros, president of venezuela, assumed the chairmanship of the 17th NAM Summit from Iran, the immediate past chair of NAM. Shahriar Alam recalled the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led independent Bangladesh for the first time to join the Non-Aligned Movement in the Algiers Summit in 1973. Inspired by this legacy Bangladesh firmly believes in the continued relevance of NAM in the ever-changing global realities, which, 55 years back, began its ideological journey with a firm commitment to Bandung principles. The state minister informed the member states about Bangladesh’s continuous efforts in strengthening democracy and justice by empowering people, especially women, and ensuring sustained growth and human development under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He reiterated the “zero tolerance” stance of Sheikh Hasina against terrorism and violent extremism and there solute actions taken by the government of Bangladesh to degrade homegrown ter-
rorists and deny sanctuary to any regional or international terrorist operatives. He also apprised the Summit of Bangladesh’s contributions to global peace and security as one of the top peacekeeper-contributing countries. During the 17th Summit, under the theme “Peace, Sovereignty and Solidarity for Development,” NAM leaders adopted a declaration with an aim to make joint efforts to achieve 21-point objective. These objectives include strengthening international peace and security, promotion and protection of human rights, combating terrorism, full implementation of 2030 agenda for sustainable development, promotion of education, science and technology, especially transfer of technology from the developed countries, safeguarding the rights of the migrants and strengthening southsouth cooperation. During their statements, the NAM Member States also emphasised these issues. The president of venezuela and the current NAM chair stressed, among others, strengthening economic ties and called for establishing “South-South Bank.” l
A fish vendor shows off his Ilish fish for buyers at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka yesterday. It is the season of Ilish, which means the most sought after fish by Bangalis are now abundant in the markets and are being sold at reasonable prices SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
States urged to address gender dimensions in refugees, migrant movement n UNB Global rights bodies yesterday called on states to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the rights of migrant women and girls at the national, regional and global levels. In a joint statement, they also called upon states to recognise their socioeconomic contributions to their countries of origin, transit and destination. The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW), the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) issued the joint statement. In the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the new international framework on migration, states will benefit from hearing the voices of women and girls, and responding to their rights and specific needs to ensure that no one is left behind, the joint statement read. The UN General Assembly has convened a UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, scheduled to begin on Monday in New York, to discuss the development of two global compacts-one on refugees and one for safe, orderly and regular migration, according to a message received here from the OHCHR. To protect the rights of the women and girls who make up around half of the 244 million migrants and 21.3
million refugees, the rights bodies called upon States to ensure that these global compacts align with and reflect the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Convention), the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW), and the other core international human rights instruments and other relevant international human rights standards. The rights platforms urged states to take all necessary measures to prevent conflicts that are a root cause of many migration and refugee movements and to undertake all efforts to end political and social tensions and ensure peace and decent living conditions for their populations. l
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Robot, spy devices seized at Shahjalal Airport n UNB
Former employees of the government’s now defunct ‘One House, One Farm’ project yesterday demonstrate in front of the Palli Sanchay Bank to regularise their jobs in the bank MEHEDI HASAN
Govt shortlists eight sites for second nuclear power plant n Aminur Rahman Rasel The government has shortlisted eight sites in five southern districts – Khulna, Barguna, Patuakhali, Noakhali and Feni – to establish the country’s second nuclear power plant. A committee comprising members from Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited and the Public Works Department has completed some of the initial preparation regarding the project, said Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman. The committee has sought International Atomic Energy Agency’s opinion on the sites for the power plant, the minister told the Dhaka Tribune. Of the eight sites, four are in Khulna, close to the Sundarbans, and the other four are at Mazher
of electricity from just one gram of uranium-235, whereas to produce the same amount of power, several tonnes of coal are needed. A BAEC official said unlike Rooppur nuclear power plant, the second plant will use saline water for cooling. The government selected the southern region for the second nuclear power plant for the availibility of water and land there, the official said, requesting anonymity. The BAEC is having discussions with Japan regarding the implementation of the project, he further said. South Korea and China have also shown interest in the project, he added. Bangladesh signed a general contract with Russia on December 25 last year for the construction and commissioning of the country’s first nuclear power plant at
Char in Barguna, Gangamati in Patuakhali, Boyar Char in Noakhali and Muhurir Char in Feni. Once the site is finalised and an elaborate feasibility study is conducted, the power generation capacity of the nuclear plant will be fixed. The state-owned BAEC is working on the project, Osman said. “Highest safety standards will be maintained and it will be ensured that no harm comes to the environment and natural biodiversity in and around the new nuclear power plant,” the minister added. BAEC started the project following a directive by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2014 to set up a second nuclear power plant in the south. Sources at the Ministry of Science and Technology said nuclear power is reliable and cheaper; it is possible to produce more than 2,000kWh
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
THUNDERSHOWER OR RAIN LIKELY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
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Chittagong
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DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:57PM
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Rooppur in Pabna at the cost of $12.65 billion. The BAEC, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is in charge of implementing this project as well. Bangladesh expects to add 2,400MW of electricity to the national grid by 2023 from Rooppur power plant. l
Khulna
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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:47AM
35.5ºC Maizdi Court
24.5ºC Syedpur
Source: Accuweather/UNB
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Customs intelligence officials have seized a robot and some spy and networking devices, imported under false declaration, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Tipped off, the CIID officials seized a consignment of 24 cartons, weighing 325 kilograms, from airfreight gate No 1 while being taken out of the airport on September 8, sources at the Customs Intelligence and investigation Directorate (CIID) said. CIID Director General Moinul Khan said the consignment was seized as those were imported illegally. It was disclosed yesterday after confirmation that the goods were imported without permission from the authorities concerned. The consignment was brought with false declaration of toys and computer accessories from China by an aircraft of Etihad airways. After scrutinising the carton’s goods, the CIID officials found one healthcare robot attached with music box, camera and remote control, 120 smart watches, 10 mini digital and 25 pen cameras (spy devices), 63 internet switches, 25 antennas, and networking accessories, including 19 base stations. The custom officials said an electric device supply company – Mrs Global Communications at Shah Amanat City Corporation Market in Chittagong – imported the consignment through a fake declaration. Another agency, Mrs Kum Traders, was also involved in it. A CIID official, preferring anonymity, said that it needs prior permission from the Department of Drug Administration to import such heath care robot while from BTRC for importing networking devices. l
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Fajr: 5:10am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 4:45pm | Magrib: 6:12pm Esha: 8:15pm Source: Islamic Foundation
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Nahid orders action against Nitu killer n Tribune Report Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday directed the local administration of Madaripur to take legal actions to ensure punishment of the killer of schoolgirl Nitu. Nitu Mandal was hacked to death by a stalker at Aisar Kandi village in Kalkini upazila in the district on Sunday. Alleged stalker Milon Mandal waylaid Nitu on her way to school and hit her with a sharp weapon in her abdomen, leaving her critically injured. Later, she died on the way to hospital.
Yesterday morning, Nahid talked to deputy commissioner and police superintendent of Madaripur over phone and asked them to take necessary steps to ensure punishment of the killer. He expressed also deep sympathy to the bereaved family members of Nitu, said a handout. Family members of the victim said Milon Mondal, son of Biren Mondal and an honors student of Syed Abul Hossain College and also a neighbour of Nitu, had been stalking her for long. Following the issue Nitu and Mi-
lon had locked into altercation for several times, they added. Meanwhile, Milon Mandal, the alleged killer of schoolgirl Nitu Mandal, confessed before a court to his crime. Senior Judicial Magistrate Fazia Hafsa recorded his confessional statement under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, said police. In his confessional statement, Milon told the court that he chopped Nitu to death, said sub-inspector of Dasar police station Bayezid Mridha, also investigation
officer of the case. The court also sent him to jail. Moreover, people from all walk of life held a human chain in front of Kalkini Nobogram Government High School, demanding exemplary punishment for the killer of Nitu, a Class 9 student of the school and daughter of Nirmol Mondal. Sohodeb Chandra Baroi, headmaster of Nabogram High School, said Nitu was a brilliant student and she got GPA 5 in the JSC examination. The headteacher also wanted punishment of Milon as soon as possible.
Tithi Rani, classmate of Nitu, said: “We want justice for Nitu. Nitu is not with us. We are feeling empty.” Earlier, Suraiya Akhter Risha, 14, daughter of Md Ramzan Ali of Bangshal of old Dhaka and an eighth-grader of Willes Little Flower School and College, was stabbed in the abdomen by a stalker in front of her educational institution at Kakrail in the capital on August 24. She died from her wounds at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on August 28. The killing of Risha has created a widespread protest across the country. l
Road accidents claim 12 lives n Tribune Report
At least 12 people were killed in separate road accidents in several districts across Bangladesh yesterday. Four people have been killed in a head-on collision between two buses near Nimtoli area under Shreenagar upazila of Munshiganj district. The identities of the deceased could not be ascertained yet. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Louhajong Circle ASP Samsuzzaman Babu said: “Two buses of Gangchil Poribohon and Prachesta Poribohon collided head-on near Nimtoli area around 1:40pm on Monday, killing four people on the spot.” In Magura, two motorcyclists were killed as a pickup van hit them from behind in Parananduwali area under Sadar upzila. The deceased were identified as Kuddus, shopkeeper, and Ibrahim, an employee of Rural Electrification Board. In Bagerhat, a homeopath doctor was killed as a bus hit his motorcycle near a refueling station beside the Khulna-Mawa Highway. Arifur Rahman, 40, was a resident at Arpata village, Baruipara union parishad. In Kurigram, a union parishad member namely Suruzzaman Suja, 45, died at Bhurungmari upzila. Officer-in-Charge of Bhurungamari police station told the Dhaka Tribune that a truck hit him while he was returning home by a motorcycle after an arbitration meeting. In Rangpur, a biker was killed when a passenger-bound bus hit him at Chikli village under Taraganj upzila. The deceased was identified as Atiar Rahman, 52. In Chuadanga, a Jubo League activist Amin Mia, 38, was killed in Akandabari area. In Bogra, women were killed and 26 others injured after a headon collision between a truck and coach in Ambagan area in the early hours of the day. l
Dhaka-bound people were compelled to take ride on a truck as they they failed to manage bus tickets. The photo was taken from Bogra bus stand
3 bodies recovered from Barisal city Rahman Swapan, n Anisur Barisal Three bodies have been recovered from different areas of Barisal city yesterday. An 11 year old school girl, another of a 26 year old man and a 3 day old infant was recovered. Sub-Inspector of Barisal Kotwali police station Asaduzzaman said that the 11 year old girl has been identifed as Tonny a student of Barguna Faizul Ulum Madrasa. Her body was recovered from a ditch at ward-23 under Barisal City Corporation yesterday morning. Tonny was daughter of Tunu Mia a day labour living in Nabagram Road area of the city. Tonny’s Father said she was missing since Sunday night.
Locals found her body floating in a ditch and informed her family and police yesterday morning. Police also recovered a body of a 26 year old man from Battala, Rupatali yesterday morning said Shah Md Awlad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Barisal Kotwali police station. The body seemed to have injury marks on different parts of the body, police sources added. Another body was a 3 day old infant boy was recovered from the roadside of Khanpura Road yesterday, said Sub-Inspector Firoj Alam Munshi of Barisal Airport police station. All three recovered bodies were sent to Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy to deduce the cause of death. l
DHAKA TRIBUNE
100,000 pieces of yaba seized in Teknaf n Tribune Report
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have seized 100,000 pieces of yaba tablets worth Tk3 crore from Hacharthal area under Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar in the early hours of yesterday. . The yaba tablets were recovered from a garden near Naf River around 12:30am. BGB PRO Mohosin Reza said: “A patrolling team of BGB chased two men and recovered the tablets.” He said the two men managed to flee the scene. Meanwhile, members of Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) arrested a man in possession with 2,000 pieces of yaba pills in Chittagong city’s Sadarghat area in the morning.
DNC Metro Region’s Deputy Director (DD) Ali Aslam said: “Being tipped-off a team of Panchlaish circle’s Inspector Lokashish Chakma arrested 45-year-old Dil Moham-
The yaba tablets were recovered from a garden near Naf River med from Sadarghat area in the city and recovered 2,000 yaba pills from his possession.” “The arrested person used to sell the drug in the city’s different point at higher prices after buying it from Teknaf”, he said, adding that a case was filed with Sadarghat police station. l
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Transport workers on strike protesting fellow’s murder n Md Tariqul Islam, Barguna
Navigability has decreased in canal Rajkhali, which is linked to the Karnaphuli River as part of Chittagong city’s sewerage system, as silt almost filled the canal in Chaktai area of the city due to lack of dredging. The sewerage system is also being hampered for same reason RABIN CHOWDHURY
Search for missing Tampaco workers continues Islam Akand, n Raihanul Gazipur
The wait to find out the dead bodies of dear ones under tons of rubble of the collapsed Tampaco Foils Limited’s building seems to be trapped in limbo though rescue drive has been going on since September 10, the day of collapsing the four-storey building at Tongi in Gazipur. Alauddin has been waiting in front of Tampaco for the last nine days in search of his brother-in-law Jahirul Islam, 37. Jahirul, son of Abul Hossain hailing from Upulki village at Mirzapur upazila in Tangail, was an assistant operator of the factory. Alauddin thinks the body of Jahirul is under the debris. It seems to him that much as the rescuers has removed the rubble it was the same. Tofail Ahmed Kauser has been on move since the tragic incident in search of his sister’s husband Yunus ali Patwary’s body. At times he rushes to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and then to Tampaco.
The bad odours of dead bodies could be smelled but still not a single one had been found in the ruins, he said. Now, Tofail stays around the factory and runs to the piles of debris when the bad odours become strong, hoping to find the body of Yunus, son of Nasir Uddin Patwary at Teghoria village in Kachua upazila of Chandpur. “We have come to know from Dhaka Medical College Hospital sources that DNA tests will start from Monday. We were advised to contact Tongi police station in this regard,” Tofail said. Lieutenant Colonel Rashedul Hasan, director of ISPR, said the rescue operation had been going on in full speed, but he could not tell how many days it would take to finish the operation. Though upto now, 3,616 tons of debris have been removed, huge piles of rubble remain there, says Rashedul. Bad odours of dead bodies are coming from deep in the ruins, but the rescuers are yet to
reach there, he says. Fire fighters and staff of Gazipur City Corporation and the district administration have also taken part in the rescue along with the rescuers from Bangladesh Army. A fire swept through the food and cigarette packaging factory on September 10, following a huge explosion. The disaster, Bangladesh’s worst since the Rana Plaza collapse, left 34 people dead, more than 40 injured and 10 other missing. Two cases have been filed against the factory owner Syed Mokbul Hossain Lechu Mia, his wife Parveen, daughter Habiba, son-inlaw Shofiuddin, and six officials of the factory in this connection. The district administration, the fire service and the labour ministry have formed separate committees to look into the incident. Meanwhile, families of Tampaco victims received financial help from local Lawmaker Jahid Ahsan Rasel and the district Administrator SM Alam at the district administration’s control.
Rasel said: “Though different organisations have given financial help for the families of dead and injured workers, families of missing persons have not got any help. So, on humanitarian ground, I have given Tk5 thousand for each of the 10 missing persons’ families.” Families of 19 among 34 deceased workers have received Tk20 thousand each while families of 12 injured persons got Tk10 thousand each from the district administration. Upto now, families of 20 deceased have got financial help from the district administration, while families of 25 injured have received it. Alam said: “The other victims, who have not received any help yet, will also get the help, but they have to show proper evidence.” There were six unidentified bodies at DMCH, which would be handed over to their families after DNA tests, he added. Shibli Mamun, Nejarat Deputy Collector of Gazipur, said a total of 34 people were killed, 35 injured and 11 remain missing in the incident. l
Transport workers yesterday went on an indefinite strike on all routes of the district protesting the death of one of their fellows in an attack by miscreants on Sunday night. A gang of miscreants hacked Md Haidar Ali, 40, an executive member of Barguna Road Transport Labourers Union, to death. Witnesses said the miscreants hacked him indiscriminately after he came out of his residence around 8pm. He was taken to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barisal where on duty doctor declared him dead. Police arrested a man who was identified as Abdur Rahman in connection with the killing. Sahabuddin Sabu, president of Barguna Road Transport Workers’ Union, called the strike at a meeting at about 11pm. Road communications of the district with other parts of the country remained suspended due to the strike, causing miseries to the passengers. Apart from this, transport workers held a rally in front of Barguna Press Club demanding exemplary punishment of the killer. With Sahabuddin Sabu in the chair, the rally was also addressed by Chairman of Barguna Sadar upzila and also transport leader Abbas Hossain Montu, President of Barguna Labourer Federation Union Sukhranjan Shil, President of Bus Owners’ Association Mostafa Kislu and President of District Truck Shramik Union Raisul Alam Ripon. OC of Barguna sadar police station told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying to nab other people involved in the killing. l
Couple hacked to death n Ariful Islam, Kurigram
A couple has been hacked to death by unidentified assailants at a house in Rowmari upazila of Kurigram. The deceased are Golam Hossain, 32, and his wife Shilpi Khatun, 24. The incident took place at the couple’s residence in Baitkamari area early yesterday. Locals said their daughters Shupti, 9, and Shomapti, 6, came to know about the matter when their mother did not respond to their call in the morning. Rowmari OC ABM Sajedul Islam said: “On information, we recovered the bodies and sent those to Kurigram Sadar morgue for autopsy. Injury marks were noticed on the heads.” l
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
SOUTH ASIA
US friendly fire kills 8 Afghan police A US air raid has killed 8 Afghan policemen who were battling the Taliban, the first apparent friendly fire incident since American forces were given greater powers to strike at insurgents. The incident happened on Sunday in the Tali area of Uruzgan province. The Taliban recently attempted to overrun the provincial capital Tarin Kot in a major security breach. AFP
INDIA
Baloch leader Bugti to seek asylum in India Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti will seek asylum in India. Bugti, president of the outlawed Baloch Republican Party has been living in self-imposed exile in Switzerland since his grandfather was killed in an encounter with the Pakistani army a decade ago. His decision to apply for asylum in India comes days after media reports showed the Pakistani government had sped up the process of obtaining Interpol’s red warrants against the Baloch separatist leader. HT
CHINA
China slams EU over Dalai Lama visit China slammed the EU’s parliament for receiving the Dalai Lama, saying the move could damage relations between the EU and the world’s second largest economy. In remarks at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Thursday, thei Tibetan religious leader called on the EU to offer constructive criticism to China on the issue of Tibet. AFP
ASIA PACIFIC
Philippine drug killings probe in limbo Philippine senators on Monday ousted a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte from the leadership of a panel investigating an explosion of drug-related killings, squashing a rare domestic challenge to the bloody crackdown. Duterte’s war on drugs has claimed more than 3,800 lives from July to September. REUTERS
MIDDLE EAST
‘Syrian ceasefire holding but fragile’ The Syrian ceasefire is holding but fragile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday amid reports that fighting had picked up after a week of reduced violence and humanitarian aid was still not getting to besieged areas in Aleppo. He said humanitarian assistance should reach 8 locations on Monday, a key part of the ceasefire negotiation. AFP
INSIGHT
India weighs response to deadly Kashmir attack n Tribune International Desk India stepped up patrols along its de facto border with Pakistan on Monday after gunmen killed 18 soldiers at a nearby army base, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration weighed its response to an attack India blames on its neighbour. The assault, in which four commando-style gunmen burst into the brigade headquarters in Uri on Sunday, was among the deadliest in Kashmir and has sharply ratcheted up tension between the nuclear-armed rivals. Army officials said three critically wounded had been flown to a hospital in New Delhi. Most of dead and wounded suffered severe burns after their tents and temporary shelters caught fire from incendiary ammunition while they were sleeping. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday called Pakistan “a terrorist state” and army Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said troops were “ready to give a befitting response”, without elaborating. Pakistan denies any role and accused India of apportioning blame before it had properly investigated. Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan since 1947, is at the heart the neighbours’ seven decades of mutual distrust. Two of their three wars since independence from Britain have been fought over the region. India’s options to hit back at Pakistan appeared limited, as they carry the risk of escalation. India held back from military retaliation when a Pakistan-based group killed 166 people in a 2008 rampage through Mumbai for fear of igniting a broader conflict and opted instead for a diplomatic offensive to isolate Islamabad. An attack on another Indian base near the border in January also drew a measured response, but the casualty toll was lower than in Sunday’s raid. The concern is that Modi’s government has several times signalled a lower threshold for retaliating against attacks from Pakistan than the previous Congress government, which adopted a policy of “strategic restraint”. Among the options that India could consider are artillery strikes on Pakistani army positions for helping militants cross
over into its part of Kashmir, military experts say. But that would imperil a 2003 ceasefire along the frontier, although it has frayed in recent years. A second option on the table would be sending special forces inside Pakistan to attack guerilla training camps, but that was a high-risk gamble that could easily go wrong, they said.
India to isolate Pakistan globally
India will move to diplomatically isolate Pakistan at all international fora as part of a multi-pronged retaliation strategy following an attack on an army base in Kashmir’s Uri, a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided on Monday. Sources said the prime minister leaned towards presenting clear evidence of Pakistan’s complicity to be presented at all multilateral and bilateral engagements, including the upcoming United Nations general assembly. India aims to push for more Pakistan-based “terror elements” to be brought under the UN sanctions regime. But any attempt by India to bring Pakistani elements under the sanctions regime has so far been unsuccessful, because of opposition from China, among others. Government sources pointed out the large-scale condemnation of Pakistan’s role in promoting “terrorism” in India. “The UN forum has to be used. Pakistan has been harbouring terrorist elements, causing a regional instability and hasn’t done enough to counter extremism,” said a source. They cited the example of the United States withholding $300m in military aid in August as an example of how Pakistan needed to be dealt with. But India’s diplomatic charge is likely to run into a wall of resistance from Pakistan, which has swept aside India’s allegations and said any accusation of Islamabad’s hand in Sunday’s Uri attack was not based in facts.
Eyeball to eyeball
Indian troops searched three ravines that cut across the border in mountainous terrain near Uri, which a senior army official said they believe the militants sneaked across. Reinforcements were also sent to patrol one of the world’s most heavily militarized frontiers,
INDIAN KASHMIR “Line of Control” PA K I S TA N
CHINA
Pakistanadministered Kashmir
NEW DELHI
ISLAMABAD
INDIA ARABIAN SEA
Shows the approximate limit of de facto control on either side
Uri BAY OF BENGAL
Militants killed at least 18 soldiers in raid on army base Sunday
Srinagar
PAKISTAN
Hours-long attack also left 4 militants dead, scores of soldiers injured
Restive Himalayan region Several militant groups have been fighting Indian troops for decades in the Muslimmajority region
Indianadministered Kashmir
INDIA 150 km
Clashes between residents and security forces have escalated since the killing of a young rebel leader in gun battle with soldiers on July 8
where Indian and Pakistani forces in places stand eyeball to eyeball and sometimes exchange fire, the army official said. A weekly bus service between Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir and Muzaffarabad, the capital on the Pakistani side, operated as normal on Monday however. The bus passed through Uri and passengers waited at the de facto border ready to cross. The United States, United Kingdom and France have all condemned the attack and said they stand with India in its fight against “terrorism”. India was ranked fifth in the world in terms of military strength, according to a 2015 assessment by Credit Suisse based on data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Global Firepower, compared to 11th for Pakistan. Pakistan has an estimated 120 nuclear warheads against India’s 110, according to the Arms Control Association. Sunday’s assault came as India’s portion of Kashmir has been under a major security lockdown during more than two months of protests sparked by the July 8 killing of a commander of another Pakistan-based separatist group. India has long blamed Pakistan for a role in the 27-year long insurgency against its rule in its only Muslim-majority state. Indian army Lieutenant Gen-
India has accused Pakistan of sending rebels across the de facto border to further destabilise the region. Pakistan denies the claims
eral Ranbir Singh said Sunday’s assault bore the hallmarks of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed. But he didn’t offer evidence tying the attack to the group. Led by Islamist hardliner Maulana Masood Azhar from Pakistan’s Punjab province, Jaish-e-Mohammed was blamed for the January air base raid as well as a 2001 attack on India’s parliament that nearly led to war. No one has yet claimed responsibility and other Pakistan-based militant organisations like Laskhar-e-Taiba have been accused of plotting attacks in India in the past. Pakistan denies sending fighters into Indian-administered Kashmir. “Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless and irresponsible accusations being levelled by senior officials in Prime Minister Modi’s government,” the foreign affairs adviser to Pakistan’s prime minister said in a statement late on Sunday. Pakistan has called on the United Nations and the international community to investigate atrocities it alleges have been committed by Indian security forces in Kashmir. The UN is preparing to hold its annual general assembly in New York, where Kashmir is likely to be on the agenda. l
Sources: REUTERS, HT
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Clinton eyes Pennsylvania, must-win state for Trump n Tribune International Desk
Hillary Clinton’s campaign is aggressively outworking Donald Trump in battleground Pennsylvania, a state the billionaire businessman can scarcely afford to lose and still hope to become president. Despite polling well in Pennsylvania throughout the summer, Clinton’s team is nevertheless bearing down in a state her party has carried in six straight elections. They are ratcheting up advertising and dispatching their top supporters to Pennsylvania, from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden to last week’s visit from President Barack Obama, reports The Associated Press. “We’ve got to fight for this thing,” Obama thundered at a rally in Philadelphia last Tuesday. “I need you to work as hard for Hillary as you did for me. I need you to knock on doors. I need you to make phone calls. You’ve got to talk to your friends, including your Republican friends.” At a minimum, an energised Pennsylvania campaign is a balm for Clinton as she weathers a dip in national polls and dips in the swing states of Florida and Ohio. But with roughly seven weeks until Election Day, Trump’s scatter-shot approach to Pennsylvania also puts his White House prospects in jeopardy. For Trump, nearly any route to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House
includes Pennsylvania’s 20 votes. With Clinton’s edge in Colorado and Virginia, and her competitive standing in North Carolina, Trump could potentially win vote-rich Florida and Ohio, as well as competitive Iowa and New Hampshire, and still fall short of the White House unless he can capture Pennsylvania, too. Clinton’s strategy is focused firmly on the eastern part of the state. Obama won 85% of the vote in Philadelphia in 2012, and Clinton has her sights set on coming as close as she can to his performance there while also outperforming Obama in the four suburban counties bordering the city. Fully one-third of the 5.67m presidential votes cast in the state in 2012, came from Philadelphia plus Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. It’s a region replete with moderate Republicans struggling with the decision about whether to support Trump. Obama sought them out last week as he contrasted Trump’s criticism of the nation’s path with Ronald Reagan’s “vision of freedom.” The message echoes a Clinton television spot airing in the Philadelphia area featuring 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Republican US senators blasting Trump as unqualified for the Oval Office. One possible result of the advertising gulf is stalled support for Trump among college-educated
PENNSYLVANIA IS A KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE Ü In 2016, Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes, which is 3.7% of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs and 7.4% of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the general election. Ü Between 1900 and 2012, Pennsylvania cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 75.59% of the time. In that same time frame, Pennsylvania supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 51.72 to 44.83%. The state, however, favoured Democrats in every presidential election between 2000 and 2012. Ü Presidential primary elections in Pennsylvania took place on April 26, 2016. Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary with 55.6% of the vote. Donald Trump won the Republican primary with 56.6%. Pennsylvania’s Republican delegates, 2016 RNC At-large delegates delegates 4.2% 19.7%
Pennsylvania’s Democratic delegates, 2016 Unpledged delegates 9.1%
District delegates 76.1%
Pledged delegates 90.9%
Republicans who live in the four counties around Philadelphia. In Montgomery County, nearly half of adults have college degrees compared to 26% state-wide. That leaves Trump needing to over-perform in Pennsylvania’s rural areas and working-class cities in the western part of the state. But while Trump’s running mate Mike Pence was in Scranton on Wednesday, the same day Trump’s son Donald Jr was in Pittsburgh, each of Trump’s own three visits in the past month have been to
Philadelphia or nearby. Those visits were all smallscale campaign events, not one of the signature blockbuster rallies that make for Trump’s chief organizing tool. And as he has in other states, the New Yorker has ceded the vast majority of his getout-the-vote efforts to the Republican National Committee. The committee touts, as it does in all the targeted presidential states, a state-wide staff dedicated to registering new voters and swaying undecided ones. l
FACTBOX
UN holds 1st-ever summit on refugees, migrants n Tribune International Desk The issue of what to do about the world’s 65.3m displaced people takes centre stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday when leaders from around the globe converge on New York for the first-ever summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants. With more people forced to flee their homes than at any time since World War II, leaders and diplomats are expected to approve a document aimed at unifying the UN’s 193 member states behind a more coordinated approach that protects the human rights of refugees and migrants. Conflicts and persecution have driven a record 65.3m people from their homes. Here are some facts: Ü One in every 113 people globally is either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee. Ü An average of 24 people world-
wide were forced to flee every minute last year. Ü At the end of 2015 there were 65.3m forcibly displaced people. They included 21.3m refugees, 40.8m internally displaced and 3.2m asylum seekers. Ü If they were a country they would be the world’s 21st largest. Ü More than half of refugees come from just three countries: Syria (4.9m), Afghanistan (2.7m) and Somalia (1.1m). Ü Colombia has the highest number of internally displaced people (6.9m) followed by Syria (6.6m) and Iraq (4.4m). Ü Developing regions host 86% of refugees. Turkey has by far the largest number at 2.5m. Ü Lebanon has the highest concentration relative to its own population with nearly one refugee for every five citizens. Ü Nearly one in 200 children in the world is a refugee. The number of child refugees has
THE WORLD HAS 65.3M REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS It is the highest recorded number of displaced persons since WWII Rate per 1,000 population
More than half the displaced are children
10
51%
8 6 4
2005
2015
There are more than 21m recognised refugees, and 3.2m have cases pending Seeking asylum Refugees
Europe hosts just 6% of global refugees Middle East and North Africa 39%
Europe 6% Americas 12 AsiaPacific 14
40.8m people are internally displaced
more than doubled in the last decade. Ü Growing numbers of children are crossing borders alone. Last year, more than 100,000 unac-
Syria produces the most refugees Syria Afghanistan Somalia South Sudan Sudan DR Congo
65.3m
37.5 m
DT
World
Africa 29
Millions 4.9
2.7 1.1 0.78 0.63 0.54
Refugee: Person forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence Turkey hosts the most refugees Turkey Pakistan Lebanon Iran Ethiopia Jordan
2.5m 1.6 1.1 0.98 0.74 0.66 Source: UNHCR
companied minors applied for asylum in 78 countries - triple the number in 2014. l
Sources: REUTERS, AP
USA
858 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship The US government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants who had pending deportation orders from countries. The Homeland Security Department found that the immigrants used different names or birth dates to apply for citizenship with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and such discrepancies weren’t caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases. AP
THE AMERICAS
Non-Aligned summit slams US interference The Non-Aligned Movement wrapped up a summit in Venezuela with an expression of scathing attacks on US interventionism around the world. The 120-member group issued a statement at the end of the two-day meeting calling for peace, urging world powers not to meddle in other countries’ affairs and voicing concern over violence in Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian. AFP
UK
UK to lose passporting rights Financial institutions based in UK will lose so-called passporting rights allowing them to operate across the EU unless post-Brexit UK is at least part of the European Economic Area, ECB policymaker Jens Weidmann has said. He also said he expected some London-based businesses to reconsider the location of their headquarters after Brexit, but he did not see that turning into a mass movement. REUTERS
EUROPE
Putin’s party wins landslide victory in Russian election Vladimir Putin’s political allies won a landslide victory in a parliamentary election in Russia, near final results showed on Monday, paving the way for Putin to run for a fourth term as president in 18 months. The ruling United Russia party was on track to win 343 seats of 450 available seats in Russia’s Duma, the lower house of parliament. REUTERS
AFRICA
8 killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria At least 8 people were killed outside a church in a suspected Boko Haram attack carried out by gunmen on bicycles in northeast Nigeria. The attack happened shortly after morning service on Sunday in Kwamjilari village, about 30km east of the town of Chibok, in Borno state. The attackers set fire to homes and fields of maize that were almost ready for harvest. AFP
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
ANALYSIS
Weakness at home hobbles Merkel in Europe n Reuters, Berlin It is hard to think of what more Angela Merkel could have done over the past weeks to nudge fellow European leaders towards a post-Brexit consensus. In the run-up to Friday’s EU-27 summit (the bloc minus Britain) in Bratislava, the German chancellor met personally with 24 of her 26 counterparts. She travelled to Warsaw, to Tallinn, to Prague, to Paris and to the Italian island of Ventotene. In the end, all the careful consulting, the earnest effort to show everyone that Germany was not setting the agenda on its own, came to nothing. Bratislava was a flop. France’s Francois Hollande and Slovak host Robert Fico played along, describing the rather thin summit conclusions, dubbed the “Bratislava Roadmap”, as a step forward. But Italy’s Matteo Renzi and Hungary’s Viktor Orban began attacking the document before the ink was dry. “I don’t know what Merkel is referring to when she talks about the ‘spirit of Bratislava’,” Renzi said at the weekend. “If things go on like this, instead of the spirit of Bratislava we’ll be talking about the ghost of Europe.” For nearly a decade, Merkel has been setting the direction in Europe. The bloc’s response to the euro crisis was made in Berlin. So was the Minsk deal for eastern Ukraine, and last year’s EU-Turkey pact to cut the migrant flow to Europe. But Bratislava showed that Merkel’s deepening woes at home, underscored by the abysmal result for her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in a regional vote in Berlin on Sunday, is eroding her influence beyond German borders. “Merkel is discovering in the aftermath of the refugee crisis that she doesn’t have too many friends in Europe. And she needs friends and allies on a lot of issues,” said a former senior EU official who worked closely with the chancellor during the euro crisis. The official, who declined to be identified, said he saw no alternative to Merkel in the CDU, in Germany or in Europe. Still, he believes resistance to German leadership will only grow. Merkel is the face of German austerity and of open European borders -- the two policies that are energizing populist parties across the bloc, and, officials in some European capitals whisper, may have swung the British vote towards Brexit.
Merkel takes blame
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she would turn back time if she could to better prepare Germany for last year’s migrant influx, striking a conciliatory tone and taking some blame for her party’s drubbing
in a Berlin city vote on Sunday. Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered their second electoral blow in two weeks in Sunday’s vote in the capital, slumping to their lowest level since 1990 in the state election in which voters rejected her open-door refugee policy. In prepared remarks, Merkel said she would do things differently if she could go back again and prepare better to cope with the influx of around one million migrants who flooded into Germany last year.
Weakened figure
The chances of Merkel hunkering down and trying to win a fourth term in an election next year remain high despite a string of state election setbacks and a damaging spat with her Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU), over her welcoming refugee policy. At an unusually self-critical news conference on Monday in which she acknowledged lingering divisions in Europe on refugees, she declined to say whether she would be a candidate. But if she does run and win, she will do so as a weakened figure at home and in Europe. That could have implications on a range of European fronts. Already, Berlin finds itself on the back foot on economic policy, forced to accept the toothlessness of EU budget rules in the case of deficit-violators Spain and Portugal, and the easy money policies of the European Central Bank. Merkel has also conceded defeat in her year-long quest to convince Berlin’s EU partners to accept migrant quotas, agreeing in Bratislava to let eastern European states off the hook by embracing their proposal of “flexible solidarity” in the refugee crisis. Despite that, Orban felt the need to condemn her policies as “self-destructive and naive”. Holding the EU together on sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine crisis could be the next test of German influence. Despite another flurry of shuttle diplomacy by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German officials acknowledge in private that they are being forced to think about alternatives to the Minsk deal, to which the lifting of sanctions is tied. “The question is how you transform Minsk into something else,” one official said. “It has become an increasingly frustrating exercise which has political costs for those involved.” Renzi and Orban, who pushed back against Merkel in Bratislava, are among the biggest sceptics in the EU of the economic and financial sanctions imposed on Moscow two years ago for its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
REUTERS
ANTI-IMMIGRANT SURGE IN BERLIN ELECTIONS Provisional final results of Berlin state elections 2016 2011
In %
SPD centre left
21.6
CDU centre right
17.6
Die Grunen green
15.2
Die Linke left
15.6
11.7
9.1
8.3
support for rebels in the east. Over the weekend, Slovakia’s Fico called the sanctions “ineffective” and damaging to the EU. Russia, he told Reuters in an interview, had done more than Ukraine to meet its commitments under Minsk.
French vote key
28.3
23.3
Regional parliament
17.6
AfD far right 0 FDP 6.7 liberal 1.8 Other
Turnout: 66.2 %
The other big test for Merkel and the EU is Brexit, the elephant in the room in Bratislava. Her preference since Britain’s referendum in June has been to seek a deal with London that keeps the British close. But here too, she faces powerful headwinds, particularly from the French, who are promising to make Brexit as painful as possible for the British. The Berlin-Paris relationship, for decades the driver of closer European integration, may hold the key for
38
12
27
14.2
27
31 19 15
29
47
160 seats
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2016 2011 Source: electoral commission, ZDF how the bloc copes with a new era of disintegration. It could also help determine whether Merkel continues to play an important role in shaping policy in Europe or becomes a weakened, more isolated figure. Hollande, who stood loyally by her in Bratislava, is widely expected to be pushed out of office in the spring. If he is replaced by Alain Juppe, the centrist former prime minister, then some see a chance for Merkel to reestablish a degree of consensus and direction for Europe. “In the best of all worlds, you will end next year with Chancellor Merkel and President Juppe. Then Germany and France could become the motor of more Europe again,” said the former EU official. But if the winner of the French
election is former President Nicolas Sarkozy, some fear that all bets are off. When they ruled together in Berlin and Paris between 2007 and 2012, Merkel and Sarkozy overcame a rocky start, gravitating towards each other over years of intense crisis-fighting. By the end, they were known by the collective moniker “Merkozy”. But in recent months, Sarkozy positioned himself in opposition to Merkel on many of the big issues that count, from refugees and national identity, to Turkey, Russia, Brexit and even climate change. “The divide with Sarkozy has become vast,” said one senior German official. “If he is elected it could be a huge problem for Merkel.” Then, Bratislava may be looked back upon as the moment when Merkel lost Europe. l
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TOP STORIES
Eid pushes up remittance Expatriates send $1.18 billion in August compared to $1 billion in July n Tribune Business Desk
German €50m project underway to improve garment workers’ skills
German government is providing Bangladesh with 50m euro in assistance to improve garment workers’ skills, said commerce ministry sources. PAGE 13
Investment flows into Asian bonds turn fitful Foreign demand for Asia’s local currency bonds was patchy in August, showing signs of reversal in some markets as investors worried whether global monetary easing will continue and about broadly rising long-term yields if it does not. PAGE 14
Oil rebound hauls up global stocks, commodity currencies Oil prices bounced back from multi-week lows yesterday, hauling up world stock markets and commodity-linked currencies, on hints that producers were close to reaching an output deal. PAGE 15
Capital market snapshot: Monday DSE Broad Index
4,626.2
0.0% ▲
Index
1,109.8
-0.1% ▼
30 Index
1,763.7
-0.1% ▼
Turnover in Mn Tk
5,402.6
71.6% ▲
Turnover in Mn Vol
146.9
70.6% ▲
All Share Index 14,218.1
0.0% ▲
30 Index
12,884.5
0.3% ▲
8,657.1
0.1% ▲
CSE
Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol
302.6 -13.9% ▼ 9.3
9.2% ▲
Bangladesh saw 17% rise in remittance inflow last month from its expatriates as they sent home more of their earnings on the occasion of Eid ul Azha, one of the largest Muslim festivals. The total amount of remittance sent in August ahead of Eid was $1.18 billion compared to $1 billion in July, according to the Bangladesh Bank data. The remittance Bangladesh received in the first two months of the current fiscal year was 15% lower than the same period in previous fiscal year. A total of $2.18 billion remittance came in July-August period while at the same time last year, it was $2.58 billion. Remittance inflow became slower after gulf countries fell in crisis of low oil price, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank. Remittance from gulf countries dropped by 5.7% to $8.55 billion in the last fiscal year compared to $9 billion in the previous fiscal year. The total remittance came below $15 billion mark in the last fiscal year reaching $14.93 billion mainly hit by low oil price in global market. Bangladesh experienced a significant rise in manpower export to Saudi Arabia last year after the country lifted ban on hiring Bangladeshi workers. But the remittance inflow remained slower due to falling oil prices in the international market as oil export is the only revenue source of the gulf countries. The number of total overseas employment rose to 555,000 last year whereas the figure was
hovering around 400,000 in the previous two years, according to data from Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). The higher manpower export resulted in record remittance inflow of $15 billion in the year 2015 compared to $14.94 billion in 2014. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia proposed 6% tax on money sent out by the expatriate workers. If implemented, Bangladesh might lose more than Tk150 crore a year from its remittance income. The country’s Shura Council finance committee on May 2 proposed a tax on remittance, starting from 6% in the first year and gradually reducing to 2% permanently from the fifth year onward, reports Arab News. Saudi Arabia is the largest employer of Bangladeshis abroad. If it approves the tax there will be
a significant drop in remittance inflow from the country. In 2015 Bangladeshi expatriates sent $3.22 billion remittance from there. In the last five months it was $943.25 million. At 6% tax rate, the last year’s figure would drop by $193.047 million or Tk151.39 crore. The tax proposal was drafted by Hossam Al-Anqari, head of the General Auditing Bureau and former member of the Shura, who said this would be a way to force expats to invest or spend their money in Saudi Arabia. The tax would be on all money transfers by expats, with the collection being done through financial institutions in the country, and deposited in a special government account, according to a media report on Thursday. Abdur Rouf, a joint secretary at the Expatriates Ministry of Bangladesh, said: “We are still not
aware of the matter, so we cannot make any comments about it.” Dhaka Tribune contacted some Bangladeshis living in Saudi Arabia recently to learn their views on the proposed tax. Billal ahmed said: “I’m curious to know, what are the investment opportunities for expats in the Kingdom?” Another expatriate, Sannu Sheikh, said: “How can expatriates invest in the Kingdom when they need a local kafeel for any business?” It is estimated that 1.28 million Bangladeshis are now working in Saudi Arabia, making it the largest destination for labour exports from Bangladesh. As oil prices drop globally, the Saudi government has hastened to wean itself from petroleum, with attempts to diversify the economy and replace foreign workers with citizens. l
BTRC to launch drive against illegal radio equipment n Ishtiaq Husain Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will conduct a countrywide drive soon with the help of the law-enforcing agencies against illegal radio equipment. In an alert notice issued on Monday, BTRC said those involved in illegal radio equipment sales would face legal actions. It came hours after the seizure of an illegally imported robot and several spying devices at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The alert notice was signed by
Lt Col Sufi Mohammad Moinuddin, director of spectrum management of BTRC. The BTRC notice said it observed in recent times that a number of businessman, salesman, organisation or person were importing mobile handset, tablet pc, walkie-talkie sets, bases, repeaters, fixed wireless phones, modem and other devices for distribution and sale. “According to the country’s telecommunication law, it is mandatory to take permission for importing those radio equipment. All are requested to refrain from import such equipment,” reads the no-
tice. Moinul Khan, director general of Customs Intelligence, said Chittagong-based Global Commu-
nication imported the equipment from China in the guise of toys and computers. l
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
German €50m project underway to improve garment workers’ skills n Asif Showkat Kallol German government is providing Bangladesh with 50m euro in assistance to improve garment workers’ skills, said commerce ministry sources. The project work got underway in July after signing an agreement between two governments. The project is expected to be completed by the end of January, 2018. A meeting in this regard was held at the commerce ministry office recently, presided over by Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon. Germany is the second largest single export destination for Bangladesh’s garment products after the United States, accounting for $4.33bn in the fiscal year 2014-15, according to the Export Promotion Bureau. The German government has launched a website on Bangladesh exports where the development stories of the country’s garment sector. The standard of the Bangladeshi garment products are displayed on the website. According to the project proposal, workers’ inefficiency in the garment sector will be reduced with the completion of the project. Workplace safety and the standard
Garment workers’ efficiency is expected to be increased due to a programme launched by Germany
‘Germany is our trusted friend and has given us duty and quota-free access of our garment products to its market’
Stocks end flat on profit booking n Tribune Business Desk Stocks closed flat amid increased participation yesterday as investors booked profits on recent gains of large cap issues. However, the market moved between red and green as investors played both sides of the fence. The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, rose only 2 points to 4,626. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, inched 2 points lower to 1,763. The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, fell only 1 point to 1,109. However, the Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX shed 6 points to 8,658. Trading activities, however, improved significantly as the DSE turnover crossed Tk500 crore after around two weeks. It stood at Tk540 crore, a rise of 70% over the previous session. Telecommunications sector posted the highest loss of nearly 1%, significantly contributing to the losses of the market.
Power sector was down 0.5% and engineering closed flat in red. Non-banking financial institutions sector was the day’s best performer gaining over 1.5%, driven by Union Capital that moved up over 6%. Food & allied and pharmaceuticals advanced by 0.5% each. Banks closed flat in green. However, losers took a lead over gainers as out of total 323 companies traded, 121 ended up and 138 down while 64 remained unchanged. ACME Laboratories was the most-traded share with a turnover worth around Tk33 crore. It was followed by Lafarge, Square Pharmaceuticals, Shahjibazar Power Company Limited, Mobil Jamuna Limited Bangladesh and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited. National Housing Finance and Investment Limited led the price gainer board with about 10% price rise while Style Craft led the price loser board with over 6% loss. l
of workers’ living is also expected to be improved. German government is also providing assistance to improve garment workers’ skills in in the countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Pakistan and China. “Germany is our trusted friend
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MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
and has given us duty and quota-free access of our garment products to its market,” Senior Commerce Secretary told the Dhaka Tribune. He said Bangladesh’s garment exports to Germany has increased by 20% in the last three months. l
Digital World 2016 to begin on Oct 19 n Tribune Business Desk
Bangladesh is going to organise a three-day information technology fair styled as “Digital World 2016” from October 19. This is the third edition of the country’s largest IT fair to be organised by the Department of Information and Communication Technology of the ICT ministry in partnership with Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) and Access to Information (A2I). The decision to organise the event was taken at a meeting at the finance ministry yesterday, presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith. The meeting was also attended by Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain, Information Minister Hasnul Haq Inu, Science and Technology Minister Yafes Osman, ICT Secretary Shyam Sunder Sikder and BASIS President Mostafa Jabbar. At the meeting, Muhith laid emphasis on the need to organise such type of IT fair to achieve the goals of the Vision 2021. BASIS Vice-President Russell T Ahmed made a PowerPoint presentation on the country’s IT sector. l
For Yellen, a September Fed surprise could close confidence gap n Reuters Market volatility is low, US census data shows income gains have reached the middle class, and workers are clawing back a larger share of national income. For now, at least, no international risk stands out and inflation may even be picking up. If Fed Chair Janet Yellen wants to prove that policymakers are not being pulled along by investors who for years have second-guessed them, this week may offer a rare moment of calm to do so. The Fed is divided enough ahead of its Sept 20-21 rate meeting that a nudge from its most influential policymaker could make the difference, and even some investors have begun to argue it is time for the central bank to stop worrying so much about what markets expect. “Let’s get on with it already,” said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors. “It will cause some challenges to the market but I think that is
healthy in context of a normal business cycle,” Arone said. “It will increase the cost of capital, and flush out some riskier assets in the short term. But that is probably the right thing to do.” A Reuters poll last week suggested it is a very long shot. The poll showed the median probability of a rate rise provided by economists was about one-infour and only 6% of those surveyed expected the Fed to act, with the majority expecting the Fed to wait until December. Fed funds futures trading shows that investors are even more skeptical than that, and expect the Fed to stay put until February - more than a year after the central bank raised rates and signaled more would come this year and next. Instead the central bank has been stuck at the 0.25 to 0.5% range set last December when it lifted rates for the first time in a decade.
Doubts over economy, or yellen?
Many investors, economists, activists, and some policymakers say
the economy is still not ready for higher rates. The receding rate rise expectations may reflect such concerns about the US economic recovery. They may also reflect doubts, however, about Yellen’s message that the case for a rate increase is growing stronger. Such skepticism about the Fed’s plans to end policy calibrated to fight a financial crisis and recession forces officials to perform a difficult balancing act. The deeper investors discount the likelihood of Fed action, the greater the risk any move will trigger an overreaction with unpredictable and negative economic fallout, making policymakers more hesitant to act. It is a cycle that may require taking a calculated risk to break, officials say. “We are in a minuet with markets and cannot ignore how markets are pricing,” Atlanta Fed president Dennis Lockhart said last week, before the Fed’s blackout period for public comments. l
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Oil rebound hauls up global stocks, commodity currencies n Reuters Oil prices bounced back from multi-week lows yesterday, hauling up world stock markets and commodity-linked currencies, on hints that producers were close to reaching an output deal. Crude prices rose more than 1%,
with US futures CLc1 bouncing off Friday’s one-month low to $43.63 and Brent climbing LCOc1 from a two-week trough to $46.30 after Venezuela said producers could announce a deal this month. A firmer oil price bolstered energy company shares in bourses around the world, allowing Eu-
CORPORATE NEWS
Pubali Bank Limited has recently held its 2nd conference for its managers in Moulavibazar region, said a press release. The bank’s AMD, Safiul Alam Khan Chowdhury was present at the conference as chief guest
Sonali Bank Limited has recently held a foundation training course for its officers, said a press release. The bank’s MD and CEO, Md Obayed Ullah Al Masud handed over certificates among the newly appointed officers
Mutual Trust Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with ACE Autos (Pvt) Ltd on providing the bank’s selected cardholders and staff with 10% discount on labour charges at ACE Autos, said a press release. The bank’s head of cards, Mohammad Anwar Hossain and Azharul Islam, managing director of ACE Autos (Pvt) Ltd have signed the agreement
ropean stocks to climb after two straight weeks of losses. Wall Street was set to open up around 0.5% ESc1. It also helped lift commodity-linked currencies including the Canadian CAD, Australian AUD and New Zealand dollars NZD by around half a percent, while the US
dollar was broadly weaker. Against a basket of other currencies, the greenback lost 0.2% to 95.894, giving up some of Friday’s gains which were the biggest in a single day since late June. “It is not the first time this year we have had hopes of a deal and they have been dashed, but for
now the oil rebound is supporting certain markets,” said Frederik Ducrozet, a senior economist at Pictet. The pan-European 600 index which had fallen to a six-week low on Friday, rose 0.7%, with the STOXX Europe 600 Oil & Gas index advancing 0.8%. l
Singapore currency notes are seen through a magnifying glass among other currencies in this April REUTERS
Investment flows into Asian bonds turn fitful n Reuters Foreign demand for Asia’s local currency bonds was patchy in August, showing signs of reversal in some markets as investors worried whether global monetary easing will continue and about broadly rising long-term yields if it does not. Foreign investors further increased their holdings of markets such as Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, continuing to seek their high yields and promise of capital gains. Yet, the shifting in the global sentiment over the past few weeks has had an impact as concerns grew that top central banks may not have additional measures to support economies after a slew of unconventional steps like negative interest rates and money printing. Worries that the Bank of Japan may lead the way by forcing longer term yields up, and therefore steepening yield curves, also weighed on emerging market bonds. “The global steepening of bond yields has caused people to reconsider the carry trades that were being put on earlier,” said Mirza Baig, head of currency and rates research for emerging Asia at BNP Paribas in Singapore. “We’ve had a very solid run for the last four months if you look at any measure of emerging market bond performance,” Baig said, adding that the selloff therefore appeared to be driven by profit-taking.
Stimulus doubts
Most emerging Asian bonds have been slumping since the European Central Bank on Sept 8 provided few hints about future stimulus.
The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates this week, but the US central bank is likely to tighten this year. There is no consensus inside the BOJ on whether to deepen negative rates at the Sept 20-21 meeting, sources said. Malaysia’s five-year government bond yield rose to 3.285% yesterday, its highest since July 5. Saktiandi Supaat, Maybank’s head of FX research, said Malaysian bonds will see intermittent outflows although demand among longterm investors remains strong. “The inflows have been significant and domestic factors such as weak economic data and commodities cycle can play a role,” Singapore-based Saktiandi said. Malaysia was a hot spot in emerging Asia bond markets. Last month, it enjoyed 6bn ringgit ($1.5bn) of bond inflows, the largest since April. That came as US investment bank JPMorgan decided to include dollar-denominated Islamic bonds (sukuk) from Malaysia, Turkey and Indonesia in its emerging markets indices starting from Oct 31. Foreign holdings in Malaysian bonds and bills, excluding sukuk, stood around 55% of total outstanding in the second quarter, increasing risks of more profit-taking. The recent slide in crude prices is also likely to undermine the country’s oil and gas revenue, hurting sentiment. South Korea is seen as another victim, with expectations for further rate cuts weakening. Last month, foreign investors cut their holdings of its bonds by 917bn won ($817.8m), although offshore funds are net buyers so far this month. l
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LandKnock:
an app that brings social media to a virtual map Now the whole world will be with you
n Features Desk Many of us may use Google map where we can see our current location and our nearby institutions, restaurants etc. How would it feel if there were an application where we could see our nearby people, our friends and relatives on a map? Imagine, being able to see people walking exactly the way we see people walk on streets. Sounds interesting, right? LandKnock is one such application where users can see their friends, relatives and nearby people on a map, besides for being able to see his/her own location. When it comes to the security aspect, the application provides its users with the highest security. If users want, they can make friends here, can choose who will be able to see their location and who cannot. If needed, a user can also block someone for their lifetime. As a result, for those users who are worried about their security
there’s good news: it is completely impossible for a user to be visible to other people without his/her own consent. Users of the app can set or log in their “Activity” using the app. Assume you are eating a pizza at Pizza Hut and you want to share this moment with your friends. If you update your activity in LandKnock, then your friends will know where you are and what you are doing and of course, there will be an option to share it via Facebook and other social media. However, the fun doesn’t stop here. Future updates of LandKnock promise more interesting features. For instance, you will be able to see where your nearby ice cream seller is. Even If you order any product from any website you will see where your delivery man carrying your product is located, making life so much easier. LandKnock is a location based social media application company.
It lets its users connect with other people around them or anywhere on the map. The company was selected among Top 25 in Connecting Startups Bangladesh in Idea Stage organised by BASIS and ICT Division on 27 July, 2016. One may ask, if you can see and track so many things then “what about vehicles? Can we see it too?” LandKnock has plans to expand the app to include this feature, with plans to have a “Taxi Cab” icon as well. Once launched, when you open the application, you can see moving taxi cabs near you and you can hire it too, all with the click of a button. You don’t even need to say where you want to go because you already gave the taxi driver this information via LandKnock and the taxi driver will automatically know your location using his/her smartphone. This is how our real world will appear virtually in LandKnock. Very soon it will be available in both Android and IOS platform
and you can download it free of cost. If you are excited about the app and want to use this application earlier than others, you have to pre-order it from its official
| conference |
Mighty Byte & Bitopi Leo Burnett brings:
The best of global digital marketing n Features Desk The Best Of Global Digital Marketing is a conference which covers all areas of digital marketing, including social media, mobile marketing, content marketing, Big Data and real-time marketing. The conference is based on the case studies of most recent award-winning digital marketing campaigns around the world. Speaking at the event will be an international panel of esteemed guests. Norman Wagner, managing director, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Germany, Carmen Murray, GM at Mobitainment, South Africa, Hando Sinisalu, CEO at Best Marketing International Estonia and Bikram Vaskar Gangopadhyay, CEO at ibs Interface Business Solutions, India will be present.
Approximately 20 case studies will be covered in depth, with examples of creative work, interviews with clients and their agencies. The main lessons from each award-winning case study will be summarised. Case studies are going to be presented for campaigns from P&G Shiksha, Old Spice India, Shell, Volkswagen, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Red Bull,
Adcock Ingram, Dell, Snickers, McDonalds and many more. The Best of Global Digital Marketing conference in Dhaka is part of The Best of Global Digital Marketing World Tour 2016. The
tour began in January from Riga, has been to Amsterdam, Istanbul, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, etc. The conference will take place on September 26, Monday. Starting from 9am till 4:30pm at the Krishibid Institute Bangladesh. Mighty Byte & Bitopi Leo Burnett are award winning and well renowned agencies in the advertising industry.l
website. To know more about this application log onto their Facebook page: www.facebook. com/landknock or their website at www.landknock.com. l
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Getting familiar with iOS 10 Here are a few cool upgrades in Apple’s new iOS n Mahmood Hossain The new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have been released and so has the new iOS 10. You’ve either grabbed your new Apple flagship or need to upgrade it to the new operating system for Apple’s mobile devices. So what exactly are you getting from the new upgrade? Well, to be honest, it would take a couple of pages to go through every single detail. The changes are new, wellplaced and very effective. We’ve gathered the major ones on a list, hoping to convince you to make the upgrade. Clearly, this is for the Apple users out there.
Easy access
The new lockscreen for the iOS is something users have been wanting for ages. Instead of using the fingerprint scanner or typing your password first to dive into your notifications, iOS 10 finally allows you more information with a swipe of a finger. When you swipe form left to right, you’re given the widgets screen
of all your favourite or important applications in a column. Here you can view the weather, Siri suggested apps, what the next event is on your calendar is and more. If you swipe from right to left, you’re instantly connected with your phone’s camera. Now, when you need to get those last second, on-the-go shots, you won’t have to go too far to open those lenses. In addition to all of these swipes, you can also preview a bigger chunk of information you might receive from your mail app. Whether it’s the native Mail app, Gmail or any other third-party mail app, you can easily view, clear or delete without having to open the app itself.
iMessage away
The new iOS has upgraded the iMessage app in a very fun way. In fact, it almost seems a bit unrecognisable with all the new customisable additions. There is now a new drawing ability given to the messaging system from one iPhone to another. You can either
draw with your finger (or stylus) or give gestures by touching the blank screen to create nifty little animations. It’s what Apple likes to call Digital Touch. You have a choice of several basic colours that you can draw with on either a black screen or from a picture or video you’ve just taken. There’s the usual image sharing, from either a shot taken with the rear camera or the front-facing one. But right next to it is the App store icon. Choosing this option will let you share songs from Apple Music or other apps you wish to share with your friends and family. Sharing is caring folks.
Lights, camera, action
This may not seem like a huge deal, but the new and improved Photos app is a much welcomed change. The new changes now include a tab called Memories. Freaky enough, this feature will gather all of your best moments from certain places and time periods and puts together an album. If you love taking photos and you have thousands of them
So what exactly are you getting from the new upgrade? Well, to be honest, it would take a couple of pages to go through every single detail. The changes are new, wellplaced and very effective
in your phone, this is a pretty convenient function that you’ll love visiting often. Once all those memories are in one place, the picture gallery turns into a slideshow with music playing alongside it. This works with both images and videos. Thanks, Apple, we’ve been waiting for that one.
The tid-bits
Again, there are way too many new features that can’t be covered in a single go, but here a couple of more to fiddle around with. Remember all those stock apps native to the iPhone or iPad? Well, now you can finally delete them. That’s right, get rid of that Stocks app or the Maps app that will always play second fiddle to Google Maps. Sorry Apple. To make things even easier, you can also clear all your notifications
all at once. No more pain going through every single day and pressing that “X” button. Finally, Apple’s Clock app has almost been revamped. There is now a new feature called Bedtime. If you’re familiar with apps like Sleep Cycle, you’ll know this isn’t just an alarm clock. It makes sure you wake up on time and keeps track of your sleeping pattern. Well, okay, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Unfortunately, it’s not as indepth as Sleep Cycle. Bedtime will actually keep track of how many hours you’ve been clocking in throughout the week. It’s the basics, sure, but it’s a handy tool to have if all you care about are the hours and not quality of sleep. Bedtime has a few soothing sounds to wake up to when the alarm goes off, so you can start the day on a good foot. l
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India dominates in tech funding What we can learn
n Nahid Farzana In the last few years, Asia has improved a lot with respect to tech, startups, and fundraising. The most of it is seen in India and Southeast Asia. Lots of advances are taking place in these regions. According to Jungle Ventures, a Singapore-based VC; India’s tech investment is way ahead of Southeast Asia’s. Even though Southeast Asia has a stronger and more conductive tech ecosystem, they are relatively behind India. In 2015, India had VC funding that reached US$ 7.7 billion, while Southeast Asia recorded only US$ 1.6 billion. How’s this happening when India is lagging behind Southeast Asia in most area? India’s internet penetration is only 18% while Southeast Asia has a 49% penetration rate. Also, the internet speed is slower in India.
In India, the average speed is 3 MBPS, whereas the speed is 5 MBPS in Malaysia and about 14 MBPS in Singapore. This slow speed is resulting in lesser usage of social media in India. South Asia clocked has over 222 million social media users but India has reached only 39 million. Less than 20% of Indians have a mobile 3G/4G connection, while in Singapore and Thailand almost everyone has a mobile speed advantage. If you consider the consumer side, India also has few hindrances compared to Southeast Asia. The GDP is higher in Southeast Asia’s cities than in India. The GDP is more than twice of India proving the consumer base to be more affluent in Southeast Asia. The retail spending is also higher in Southeast Asia. Singapore on average spent US$ 5,585 on retail in 2015, and Malaysia’s spending was over US$ 3,329. Whereas, the
retail spending of India was only US$ 787. Credit card and debit card ownership in Southeast Asia is also twice of India’s. The B2B commerce and trade side has a similar story. India’s manufacturing output and exports are the only 17.1% and 23.2% of the GDP which is far less than Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The overall ease of doing business is way more in Southeast Asia. Singapore ranks 1st, Malaysia 18th, Thailand 49th, Vietnam 90th, Philippines 103rd, and Indonesia 109th in respect of ease of business. India is far in the ranking at 130th. Overall Southeast Asia’s tech environment looks more attractive than that of India’s. How is India yet getting so much more funding despite all these factors!? The prime motivation is the huge p opulation size of
India. India has a vast internet population of 350 million making it the second biggest largest internet market. It is 100 million more than that of Southeast Asia. There are over 104 startups directed to fashion tech, 87 directed to online travels, 90 for local services and 86 for logistics tech. India also has more mature tech ecosystem, especially in term of tech talent. Most consumerfacing internet business started over 2 years before the same in Southeast Asia. As a result, more companies in India have been focused on the large opportunity sub-sectors for some 3-5 years and have been able to build a bigger ecosystem of founders and startup. The startup teams and employees have also managed to gain more experience in building products and promptly scaling business.
Southeast Asia has a major drawback for its wide and cultural difference in each market. A company needs to individually tackle 5-6 markets if they want to establish well in the Southeast Asian market. Though India is also not a uniform market, yet things are simpler there and could be solved smartly. Both India and Southeast Asia has lots of prospects and moving forward quite fast. There are so many opportunities in the Southeast Asian market and in no time it would probably take over India as the funding hotspot in Asia. l
Article reprinted under special arrangement with SD Asia.com
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TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
The family formula If you’re big on family outings, then look no further because the brand new 2016 Toyota Avanza has a lot more to offer
n Tahsin Momin To appreciate the new but notso-new Avanza, one needs to put all prejudices aside and accept it for what it is; an affordable family MPV. Sporting the new face of Toyota, the 2016 Avanza looks more refined that its predecessor with large windows and muscular lines forming part of its visual identity. It might not be a far cry from the model it replaces but while the previous model’s looks wasn’t offensive, it looked very much like a commercial van and had that delivery vehicle persona. However, the new facelift has done the trick and it most definitely looks like a passenger car now.
Exterior
Apart from the front grille, the Avanza doesn’t give you any reason to think that it’s a Toyota. But that isn’t what it is about, it’s about practicality. It sits higher than most MPVs, with huge gap between the wheel arches and the wheels being clearly visible from any angle at any distance. The Avanza is aimed
towards comfort and is fitted with a set of 15-inch alloys that not only improves the ride quality, but also makes the replacement tires affordable. As simplistic as it may be, the Avanza is still no short being pleasing to the eye. Frankly speaking, it has no flaws exteriorwise. Often we see cars that are design-focused and yet a disaster in terms of looks. But that isn’t the case with this humble-looking MPV.
Interior
The cabin is where the major strides have been made. The quality of the materials feels higher than before and the instrument cluster is cleaner than before. The two air-con
dials coupled with a built-in stereo system makes up the humble centre console. There is no sign of the godawful beige colour that haunted the interior of the previous model. The darker interior colours in contrast with the brushed aluminium trimmings give the Avanza a more upmarket feel than before. There are seven seats to make use
of, albeit with a small bit of squeeze involved. The last row of seats is better suited for kids rather than adults. However, the use of the third row hampers luggage space, but it can be folded for more luggage space if needed.
Performance
The new Avanza also got at heart transplant along with the facelift.
The old 3SZ-VE has been replaced by the new 2NR-VE for better fuel economy. The 1.5 litre Dual-VVT-I engine is paired with a four-speed automatic gearbox chunks out a modest 103HP. Though the numbers seem a little weak for a seven-seater, but the acceleration didn’t seem that bleak and to be honest the car was pulling away from the starting line with ease. The best thing about the Avanza is that despite being a seven-seater, it still, somehow manages to do 13 kilometres to the litre inside city, which means once you fill it up, you wouldn’t have to worry about refuelling for quite some time.
Safety
On the safety front the Avanza is fitted with antilock braking system, electronic brake-force distributon
and dual front airbags.
Verdict
The Avanza is as practical as it gets and that too with the reliability of a Toyota. The fact is, if you want a solid and robust seven-seater that won’t complain on rough roads or even when fully loaded, the Avanza without a doubt is still the best choice. Although, as far as comfort goes, it’s starting to feel its age and the other choices seem to trump it in terms of value. Despite all that, it still transports seven people, churns out a good fuel economy and it is not unpleasant to live with in terms of maintenance. Whether or not that’s acceptable, depends entirely up to you.l
Available at:
Navana Toyota 3S Center 205-207, Tejgaon Industrial Area Dhaka-1208 Phone: 880-2-9892911, 880-29893048, 880-2-9851212 Price: 32.5 Lakhs
DT
20 Editorial
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
TODAY
Like white on rice Should we be embarrassed that we as a nation aren’t well-behaved enough to mingle with each other? Or should we be ashamed of the fact that for that to happen, one section must perish? PAGE 21
A party without vision When party leader Khaleda Zia was blocked from exiting her Gulshan office, we saw little to no street protest from BNP activists PAGE 22
MEHEDI HASAN
Decentralise for a better Dhaka
A Paris lives on in style Paris now is back to its original style, and everyone is enjoying it, as none is ready to bow down to terrorism 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.
s holidaymakers rush to return to the capital after celebrating Eid at home, it becomes apparent that there is no way of getting around the problem of overcrowding than to decentralise. Rural-to-urban migration seems to be at an all time high, putting tremendous pressure on Dhaka, damaging the environment, straining our resources, and making the city quite unliveable overall. Already, Dhaka is the most densely populated metropolis in the world. Something has to give. It is long overdue, then, for the government to address the Dhakacentric bias that caused all facilities and infrastructure to be built in the city, causing a rush to the capital for jobs. We need to start spreading out our ministries and headquarters of military bases around the country. This approach can help set an example for the rest of us to follow. Decentralisation is in our national interest, and in the end, all cities will be better served if other regions in the country were enabled to compete with Dhaka for the location of major facilities. The city’s defective living conditions reflect the country’s dependency on it. From the congested roads and housing to all forms of pollution, Dhaka desperately needs to be revitalised. The World Bank recently reported that air pollution has cost Bangladesh economy nearly $2.6 billion in foregone labour output in 2013. A significant reduction in pollution could be made shifting things out of Dhaka. As Dhaka city strains to bear the weight of most of the nation’s economic activity, we hope the government will undertake plans to move factories out of Dhaka, impose strict traffic control rules to rein in the unbearable traffic, and ease the pressure on the city. To save Dhaka, we must decentralise. The way we have been going so far is not sustainable.
Already, Dhaka is the most densely populated metropolis in the world. Something has to give
DT
21
Opinion
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Like white on rice A sea of places in our city cater to a very specific population
The cost of entry is steep
n SN Rasul
O
ne of the oldest and most well-known hotels in our city (one which I will refrain from naming), has a billboard outside of it advertising swimming lessons. In the billboard, there is a photo of five babies next to the pool, being their cute, cuddly selves. A generic advert, no doubt. But what struck me as odd was the fact that all the babies were white. It is no secret that, as much as we hate on the white man, certain Asian countries, with Bangladesh being no exception, fetishise white, Western culture, their skin, the things they do, the music they play, the movies they make, their liberalism, and so-called freespiritedness. And by we, we mean a certain section of us (though the skin thing has of recent become almost exclusive to other parts of society). A certain section has become “Westernised” to a degree that our culture, apart from a few interjections of hippie-style Baul songs, is barely distinguishable from the one we are exposed to when we’re abroad, or the one we see on television and film, much to the disapproval of a certain other section of society. There’s nothing wrong with that, though. Nothing right with it either. The problem lies in the fact that this section of society is
BIGSTOCK
blissfully unaware of the fact that they’re doing it, and with such conviction sees the rest of society from a vantage point of selfrighteous superiority. Or maybe I’m completely mistaken about this (though I doubt it). Even if I was, undeniably it is the case that there is not a single poor foreigner in Bangladesh. Exorbitant incomes
And of course, it could be that this is making a mountain out of a molehill. But there’s a molehill nonetheless. In this molehill, there’s a vast minority, one that speaks exclusively in English, has travelled the world, is more “educated.” Their beliefs rule much of the media; in fact, you’re reading this in one such outlet.
human. I can forgive it (as I hope you will my generalisations to make a certain point), but the practical implications of this are a sea of places within the city that cater to this very specific section. That is, after all, how the July 1 attackers knew where to go. That is not mentioned in a bid to blame the victim. But it’s clear
Should we be embarrassed that we as a nation aren’t well-behaved enough to mingle with each other? Or should we be ashamed of the fact that for that to happen, one section must perish? (Tavella, anyone?) coupled with the royal treatment some of them are subjected to, as if the ground they walk on is paved with diamonds and gold, lead to a segregation within society that is all too apparent, with only the elite deemed worthy enough to walk beside them. Of course, it could be that my McGuffin of a billboard advert, one involving five white babies, could be a stock photo downloaded from the internet, with the hotel’s marketing department blissfully oblivious to what it was doing (though, from a presumably five-star establishment, this is unlikely).
Of course, they care very much about the world; you talk to them and it seems they weep tears of such potent sorrow for the world. The poor, the downtrodden, these are their fellow humans, suffering, while they sit here, ever-so-lucky. They believe in things, don’t you know, though it’s a very specific vision of the world, a Utopia of equality and justice and liberty. Of free expression and classlessness and freedom (conditions and contradictions apply). Like with all labels and grand philosophical schemes, such contradictions and instances of confirmation bias are to be expected. That is, after all, only
that there are some people who are looking inwards from the outside, be it full of jealousy, regret, or vindictiveness, wondering why some people are better off just because they were born in the right household and, sometimes, with the right skin colour. Prices are kept high, people are looked down upon. Tk250 for a scoop of ice cream, Tk2,000 for sushi, freshly made Spanish bread: To some, these aren’t luxuries, but examples of excess. On a scale of one to Starbucks (which has yet to arrive in Bangladesh), how white do you have to be on the inside to join? The price of inclusion, though,
is hefty. Not just culturally, but one that demands appreciating the difference between glutenfree and organic, and offloading a “Western” amount of cash in an “Eastern” country. But that’s okay. While discussing with a friend, she said, for a country like Bangladesh, these separations are required; people aren’t well-behaved enough to all be a veritable petri dish of versatility and diversity. Could you seriously expect to carry a conversation with your bua? Your interests wouldn’t match. She wouldn’t know how to cut her steak; you find the food too oily. And the fact that we can make that distinction by class, and not by the very fact that you are two different people, is where the problem lies. Not enough “education,” not just maths, English, science, but not enough knowledge of the world. After all, that’s how you got there, right? Saw a “better” part of the world and chose to imitate? We must teach the rest of the country to do the same, right? So, should we be embarrassed that we as a nation aren’t well-behaved enough to mingle with each other? Or should we be ashamed of the fact that for that to happen, one section must perish? l SN Rasul is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him @snrasul.
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Opinion
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
A party without vision BNP’s current predicament is its own doing
Where does Khaleda go from here?
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
strengthening their activities in all strata of a given society, BNP seems content being within the confines of the media. The party has failed to show evidence that it is able to maintain a large number of activists. Therefore, when party leader Khaleda Zia was blocked from exiting her Gulshan office, we saw little to no street protest from BNP activists. There was no civil disobedience staged by any other political and professional fronts associated with BNP. BNP’s spokesperson always blamed government oppression for a lack of empathy shown by BNP activists for the alleged house arrest of Khaleda Zia. While they may have some point in that argument, it is also necessary to recognise that “shifting blame” is not a useful mechanism in evaluating one’s own status. It is a fact that BNP’s student and other fronts have failed to perform as useful entities to uphold organisational structure, and that is why when Khaleda Zia was confined in her office, virtually no one was there to protest. This was nothing but BNP’s own failure as an organisation. Second, against the backdrop of the ongoing multi-faceted pressures on BNP, the party has, strangely, failed to generate any semblance of a public relation campaign that would foster a favourable image among key stake-holders such as the media, the civil society, and the international community. Another well-known fact is that BNP, after Ziaur Rahman’s demise,
n Mubashar Hasan
T
he BNP is an important stake-holder in Bangladeshi politics. The party was formed in 1978, but its founder, the late General Ziaur Rahman, who had ruled the country from 1976 until his murder in the 1981 military coup. Since 1990, the BNP has been in power twice (1991-1996 and 2001-2006) under the premiership of Khaleda Zia, the widowed wife of Rahman. Public support of this party has been consistently high. In 1991, the BNP won 140 parliamentary seats out of 300, with support from 31% of 34,477,803 voters. In 2001, the party won 193 seats, and in 2008 the party won about 30 seats even though it bagged over 30% of all
When party leader Khaleda Zia was blocked from exiting her Gulshan office, we saw little to no street protest from BNP activists
votes. These figures should be enough to show how significant the BNP is in Bangladeshi politics. However, the party seems to be going through something of an existential crisis lately. Even though it has experienced problems before, especially during the time of Ershad’s regime, this time, the nature, degree, and manifestation of the crisis seem to be extraordinary for three major reasons.
First, BNP seems to be struggling to maintain its stature as an organisation. The party is structured so that its member base reaches villages, sub-districts, and districts, even outside Bangladesh. Currently, BNP’s level of activity seems to be confined within the short boundaries of TV talk-shows, press statements, and seminar symposiums. While political movements and parties are mostly about
never bothered to articulate strategic relationships with civil society members, unlike AL. Rather than extending a hand of friendship with BNP’s staunch critics in the civil society, the party always preferred to intimidate them, sending many to jail even. As a result, those civil society members who are now active leaders in academia, media, and other professional arenas used AL’s platform to challenge BNP’s
image with little to no resistance. Due to a lack of aggressive media campaigns from BNP against Tarique Rahman’s alleged corrupt ways, and the party’s suicidal alliance with Jamaat-eIslami, a time when Islamists are seen as a threat to global stability, the international community seems to have little faith in BNP. Anyone who is a regular within the diplomatic circles in Dhaka would know that there still remains a sense of reservation about BNP. If it could come to power through a fair and free election, not many would be against it, but the international community will not stretch out to do something extraordinary, like in 2006-2008, to stage an election. Third, a party survives on its vision, and the BNP seems to have none. Its chief rival, AL, has invigorated a new politics on shadhinotar chetona. It was successful in mobilising a vast number of youths of the country around that idea. Even an apolitical youth of the country now relates to or discusses about Shadhinotar Chetona. The intake of AL’s student front also seems to be a continuous process, whereas no bright young student nowadays enrolls for membership in BNP’s student front. Foreign policy-wise, the AL revised its stance to play a balanced game between India, China, the US, and the MiddleEast. By contrast, BNP still persists its politics on ideas laid out by Ziaur Rahman. Ideas that include promotion of a religious nationalism based on anti-India, pro-China, and pro-US policies. There are arguments that there are elements within BNP who have decidedly pro-Pakistan agendas. However, BNP’s leadership needs to understand that the context of Ziaur Rahman’s brand of politics and the current context are different, and the party thus needs to revise its vision to contextualise its politics in the current national and international fronts. There is little doubt that BNP still is a popular party, but being popular isn’t enough for a political organisation, and as an organisation, BNP seems to be struggling on many fronts. l Mubashar Hasan is an expert on Bangladesh politics. He teaches political science at a Bangladeshi university. He is the founder of www.alochonaa.com, an online platform to promote dialogue and pluralism.
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Opinion
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Paris lives on in style The French capital has bounced back after its horrific terror attacks
n Nadeem Qadir
T
he name of Paris has become synonymous to a very terrible terror attack, as a state of emergency still continues in France. It is the worst victim of terror attacks carried out by the so-called Islamic State or its followers. Yet, life has to go on. The Bangladeshi capital Dhaka too fell victim to the meaningless terror attack a few months back, and the memories of it are still fresh in our minds. What is important to note is that how the term “zero tolerance” on terrorism has been proved by successful elimination of many wayward Muslim youths who were inspired by IS. This has to continue until the seeds are uprooted. A sudden weekend plan to visit Paris was well worth it, although the fear of a terror attack was in my mind.
Paris now is back to its original style, and everyone is enjoying it, as none is ready to bow down to terrorism
There is heightened security, but life in Paris goes on as always
It is scary, but not easy to avoid, as I realised why some of my British friends were confused about visiting Bangladesh these days. Paris, for me, is the home of one of my most respected artists, Shahabuddin Ahmed. He has a lovely home, and we discussed everything from love to hate in his beautiful, plant-filled apartment, surrounded by incredible paintings of the artist. The best thing to do is to undertake the trip without giving an ear to others, or to your confused mind. As the Air France aircraft touched down at Paris’s Charles De Gaulle International Airport, I told myself that finally a dream has come true -- to be in Paris and feel the city in all of its entirety. By the courtesy of my host and old Dhaka University friend, Ambassador M Shahidul Islam, I
was welcomed by our mission’s protocol officer at the airport, and was driven through Paris to the beautiful “Bangladesh House.” The first topic with Shahidul was about the Paris terror attacks. He said it was a few days of fear, but slowly things have become normal. In the late afternoon, I went straight to the Eiffel Tower. The tall and towering Eiffel had a long queue for tickets to go up and see Paris; people are already back from around the world. Then I noticed the first traces of the hidden fear -- heavily armed army soldiers on foot moving around. A few yards away were the heavily armed policemen. They were keeping an eye on everyone, moving around the city including the beautiful ChampsÉlysées. This area is wonderful, and was bustling with tourists eating and shopping in brand stores. I walked into a perfume shop. It was so crowded that I could hardly move, but was security checked at the entry, which I welcomed. I asked the salesgirl if she remembered the terror attack in Paris. She said in broken English that it was horrible, but: “We have to continue to live and work ... the few days were very worrying.” For tourists, a day in and around Champs-Élysées is a must to get a feel of Paris, the city of magic, as a young Bangladeshi told me. The group of these Bangladeshis have converged in Paris from different parts of Europe, and never want to leave the city. “Terror is everywhere, but the French government has handled it very well, and thus we are not scared any more, but always remain careful,” said one of them. He said: “Paris now is back to its original style, and everyone is enjoying it, as none is ready to bow down to terrorism.” I realised, as I moved around Paris for three days, that Parisians have overcome and have revolted against the terrorists. We, in Bangladesh, have shown an equal stand, and in some cases, our security forces have been very successful. Dhaka’s restaurants are coming back to life, and I give kudos to Dhakaites for that. We must spurn terrorists, rather than bow down to them. l Nadeem Qadir, a senior journalist, is a UNCA Dag Hammarskjold Scholar in journalism. He is the Press Minister of Bangladesh High Commission in London.
DT
24 Sport
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
TOP STORIES
Tigers busy brushing up There were slight doubts regarding Tamim’s participation in the Afghanistan series. However, Tamim, who incurred a fracture in his left little finger during catching practice last month, put paid to all the doubts yesterday. PAGE 25
The triumphant Bangladesh Under-16 women’s football team pose for photographs during the felicitation programme at a city hotel yesterday
Icardi continues to haunt Buffon Inter Milan’s Argentine striker Mauro Icardi continued his impressive form against Gianluigi Buffon by firing his seventh goal past the Juventus ‘keeper from their past eight meetings on Sunday. PAGE 26
Argentina, Croatia into Davis Cup final An emotional Leonardo Mayer led Argentina past defending champions Great Britain and into their fifth Davis Cup final on Sunday where they will face Croatia in November’s title showdown. PAGE 27
Real net record 16th straight win Real Madrid shrugged off the absence of Ronaldo and Bale to record a club record 16th consecutive league win 2-0 at Espanyol to stay top of La Liga on Sunday. Rodriguez made the most of a rare start to open the scoring in first-half stoppage time. PAGE 28
U-16 girls felicitated n Shishir Hoque
In a bid to inspire the young girls, the Bangladesh Football Federation provided a grand reception to the Under-16 national team for their outstanding performance in the recently concluded AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 Qualifiers. Every member of the U-16 squad, including 23 players, the head coach and the two assistant coaches received Tk15,000 each from the country’s three corporate houses in the reception held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital yesterday afternoon. Gemcon Group, Saif Global Sports Limited and Caldwell Development Limited jointly provided an amount of Tk3.9m to the 26 members of the team. Each corporate group splashed Tk50,000 to each member of the U-16 squad, including the head coach Golam Rabbani Choton and the two assistant coaches – Mahbubur Rahman Litu and Mahmuda Akter Ananya. Another corporate house, SS Solution, which is owned by Kazi Sarazin, daughter of BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, also announced that they would provide Tk10,000 every month to each member of the squad for the next one year till the final round of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship, scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in September.
The Bangladesh girls, placed in the Group C Qualifiers which began in Dhaka on August 25 last month, made history by qualifying for the final round for the first time in history. BFF boss Kazi Salahuddin hoped the girls will continue their fine run. “It was really a proud moment when the girls made it to the final round with a superb display. This day belongs to you. Everyone is happy with your performance. Your responsibility has grown even more now. You have to play for the nation. You have to make the nation proud and make yourself proud as well,” said Salahuddin. Chairman of the BFF women’s wing committee Mahfuza Akter Kiron found it hard to hide her emotions and promised that they would provide all kinds of training and facilities to prepare the girls for the final round. Mahfuza said if such financial support continues, the girls can very well finish among the top three teams in the final round and qualify for the 2018 Women’s U-17 World Cup in Uruguay. Kazi Inam Ahmed, director of Gemcon Group, handed over Tk50,000 to each girl while Tarafdar Ruhul Amin, chairman of Saif Global Sports, and Khairul Majid Mahmud, chairman of Caldwell, also did the same on behalf of their re-
spective organisations. The girls attended the event with their family members and expressed their desire to enjoy more receptions in future by continuing their amazing performance. U-16 captain Krishna Rani Sarkar, who was also the top-scorer in the qualifiers, said they would leave no stone unturned in their preparation for the final round. “We will work harder in training and take better preparation in future for next year’s final round. We have been playing together for a long time now so our mutual understanding is good. We will only get better,” said the 15-year-old forward. Star winger Sanjida Akter also promised to perform better in the upcoming tournaments while head coach Choton said, “Women’s football will soon get into a professional structure if such financial support continues. The guardian of the girls came here and saw how their girls are living here. Now, more parents will feel safe and encourage their daughters to get involved in the game.” Meanwhile, Walton will also arrange a reception programme for the girls today afternoon at BFF House. Before the qualifiers began, they announced that they would provide Tk5,00,000 to the team if they qualify for the final round. l
MI MANIK
Sanjida’s father on cloud nine n Tribune Report
Liakat Ali, father of Bangladesh Under-16 women’s football team member Sanjida Akter, was barely able to conceal his pride and excitement as the triumphant girls were felicitated at a city hotel yesterday for their successful campaign in the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2017 Qualifiers. “I never imagined my girl would achieve so much success. Today, there is no limit to my happiness. I am extremely proud of her,” beamed Liakat. Regarding the financial assistance provided by the Bangladesh Football Federation and other corporate houses, Liakat said, “Firstly, I would like to thank Sanjida. Then I would thank BFF and the others.” When asked to recall Sanjida’s childhood and how she took up the game, her father said, “It is through her own wish. If I say I encouraged her to take up the game then I would be wrong. All we did was tell her to continue playing if she loved it so much. We never stopped her. She is where she is through her own efforts.” l
Sanjida Akter and her father Liakat Ali during the felicitation programme
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Sport
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Tigers busy brushing up n Rashad Banna There were slight doubts regarding Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal’s participation in the upcoming bilateral ODI series at home against Afghanistan. However, Tamim, who incurred a fracture in his left little finger during catching practice last month, put paid to all the lingering doubts yesterday in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as the Tigers’ practice ahead of the Afghanistan ODIs got into full swing on the second day of the national camp following the Eid-ul-Adha break. The left-hander, who partnered wicketkeeper-batsman Anamul Haque during net practice at the centre wicket, was in full throttle, flaying the likes of Shafiul Islam and Taskin Ahmed, among others. On one occasion, the southpaw came down the track to one of the net spinners and executed a fine inside out stroke that sailed over in what would have been the deep extra cover region in a game. By the look of things, there should not be any more doubts regarding his availability in the upcoming series, with the first of three day-night ODIs taking place at the home of cricket this Sunday. Besides Tamim, youngster Mehedi Hasan Miraz was also in fine touch in the nets, timing his shots to perfection. Although it was understood that the youngster has slim chances of making it into the starting XI against the Afghans, the national selectors, namely Habibul Bashar and Minhajul Abedin,
BCB awards rights to IMC n Tribune Report The Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday awarded its title sponsorship and in-stadia sponsorship rights to Impress Matra Consortium. IMC was granted the rights for a period of two years, starting from September 01 and running till August 31, 2018. In accordance with the agreement, IMC will have rights to series naming, associate, stumps branding, ground perimetre board branding, sight-screen branding, mid-wall branding, mid-wicket pitch-mat branding, boundary rope branding, hover cover, trophy unveiling, trophy and award branding, backdrop branding, roman banner, bowling end branding, umbrella branding, players dug-out branding, bowler’s ending pitch mat, team bus and entry gate. l
would rest assured knowing that they have an able squad member ready for action whenever the situation requires. A little far from the centre wicket stood Bashar and Minhajul, who were engaged in a deep conversation with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, also a member of the selection panel, and limited-over skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza. And with the final squad for the Afghanistan series set to be announced in a day or two, it was no secret what they were discussing. In the midst of it all, assistant and fielding coach Richard Halsall was giving catching practice to some of his charges while bowling coach Courtney Walsh was mostly busy imparting instructions to the fast bowlers. At one stage, it appeared that Taskin was getting to know about the finer details of ball-gripping from Walsh. It would give the Tigers supporters a great deal of satisfaction if the suspended Taskin comes back to the field sooner rather than later, and exhibit the tricks that he has learned from the former West Indies fast bowling legend. Newly-appointed batting consultant Thilan Samaraweera was also quite active during the training session, giving tips to several batsmen. All in all, the Tigers are well on their way to finalising their preparation for the Afghanistan ODIs. All that remains now is for the series to begin as Bangladesh brace themselves for an intense winter of cricket action. l
Mustafizur recovering well n Mazhar Uddin Recovering Bangladesh fast bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman said he has been following instructions from the doctor and that things are going in the right direction. It’s been over a month since Mustafizur underwent a surgery on his injured left shoulder.
I am following the instructions of the doctor and everything is going the right way
Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman flays one through the on-side during training in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE
And as part of his rehabilitation process, Mustafizur will soon start working with the national team physio Bayejidul Islam. “Alhamdulilah, I am fine now. The doctor has seen me after the surgery. It’s been six weeks after the surgery. I am following the instructions of the doctor and everything is going the right way. I will start the rehab process by the next few days where Bayejid bhai will be there with me. They will inform me,” Mustafizur told the media in Mirpur’s Shere-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. It has been assumed that Mustafizur will be out of action for around six months before returning for the tour of New Zealand early next year. The Satkhira cricketer, who has performed brilliantly at home over the last year, informed that when he is fully fit, he will be looking to shine with the ball abroad as well. “At the moment I am injured but obviously after being fit, I will try to be successful outside the country,” he said. l
BJMC finally win, Sk Jamal at the summit n Tribune Report Team BJMC registered their maiden victory in the Bangladesh Premier League this season when they came from behind to beat Uttar Baridhara Club 2-1 in the opening match of the seventh round at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. It was Uttar Baridhara who went ahead with only 11 minutes into the clock when midfielder Mazharul Islam Sourav headed home into an empty net following a Khalekuzzaman Sabuj free-kick. The delight however, lasted for
only a minute as Nigerian midfielder Samson Illiasu cancelled out the lead moments later with a cheeky header from the top of the box. The Baridhara outfit almost took the lead again in the 20th minute but Sourav’s powerful strike from the edge of the box was cleared brilliantly by Saiful’s goalline header. Samson netted a clever goal in the 44th minute to bag his second of the day which eventually sealed BJMC’s first victory in the league. Illiasu sent the ball into the net with a flick from the box after Sabuj’s pass from the right flank. Later yesterday at the same venue, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club moved solely to the top of the points table after beating Muktijoddha SKC 3-2. Nigerian striker Emeka Darlington netted a brace while Haitian winger Wedson Anselme scored a
screamer in the opening half to put the reigning champions in the driving seat. Sheikh Jamal now have 15 points from seven matches while Muktijoddha remained jointly at second with 12 points.
RESULTS BJMC
2-1
Illiasu 12, 44
Sk Jamal
Baridhara Sourav 11
3-2
Emeka 5, 8 – P, Wedson 33
Muktijoddha Towhid 44 – P, Simon 75
It was the reigning champions’ first match under the guidance of their newly appointed head coach Lars Goran Stefan Hansson. Emeka put Sheikh Jamal ahead in the fifth minute. Receiving a through pass from Kasto Kumar, the Nigerian striker broke into the right side of the penalty area before slotting home past Muktijoddha
goalkeeper Mamun Khan. Emeka doubled the lead three minutes later from a penalty after Muktijoddha defender Pintu committed a handball inside the danger zone. Muktijoddha forward Kolo Musa missed a penalty in the 12th minute after Yeasin Khan brought down Mobarak Hossain inside the box. Wedson made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute with an amazing strike from 30 yards. Towhidul Alam reduced the margin at the stroke of the first half from a penalty after Sheikh Jamal custodian Maksudur Rahman fouled Javed Khan inside the box. Muktijoddha midfielder Simon Ezeodika pulled another back in the 75th minute. Sheikh Jamal were then reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute but ultimately held on for the victory. l
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Sport
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Seven up as Icardi continues to haunt Buffon n AFP, Milan Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi continued his impressive form against Gianluigi Buffon by firing his seventh goal past the Juventus ‘keeper from their past eight meetings on Sunday. Icardi is considered Buffon’s “bogey man’ striker having found the veteran’s net six times leading up to Sunday’s “Derby d’Italia” three times for former club Sampdoria and three times for Inter. On Sunday, Icardi rose above the Juve defence to head a 68th minute leveller past Buffon to spark celebrations at the San Siro, where Ivan Perisic then headed the winner 12 minutes from time. “I don’t have anything against them, it’s just one of the teams I like to score goals against. Maybe I’m just lucky. But it’s always great to score against a big rival like Juventus,” ” Icardi told Sky Sport. Icardi said the “Nerazzurri”, who had struggled to make an impact under Frank De Boer, won’t be getting carried away. “We’ve been working hard since the start of the season, so we’re relaxed. Sometimes the results don’t come but the season is still long and we have plenty of work to do.” l
Zapata 25
1-2
Chievo
Castro 82, Cacciatore 90+5
3-0
Cagliari
Atalanta
Borriello 8, 73, Sau 55
1-1
Crotone Trotta 23
Palermo Nestorovski 66
2-0
Sassuolo
Genoa
Politano 58-pen, Defrel 66
Torino
0-0
Inter Milan
2-1
Icardi 68, Perisic 78
Fiorentina
Empoli Juventus Lichsteiner 66
1-0
Roma
Badelj 83
REUTERS
Inter clinch first league win over Juve since 2012 n Reuters
SERIE A Udinese
Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi (L) heads to score against Juventus during their Serie A match at San Siro, Milan, Italy on Sunday
Inter Milan substitute Ivan Perisic secured a 2-1 win against champions Juventus as the hosts recorded their first Serie A victory over their arch rivals in eight games after fighting back from a goal down at the San Siro on Sunday. Third-placed Roma missed the chance to overtake Juventus in the table as they lost 1-0 at Fiorentina, sunk by Milan Badelj’s 81st minute strike. Genoa and Udinese squandered the chance to move level on points with Juventus after defeats by Sassuolo and Chievo Verona respec-
SERIE A TOP FIVE Team
GP W D
L GD PTS
Napoli
4
3
1
0
7
10
Juventus
4
3
0
1
3
9
Roma
4
2
1
1
4
7
Lazio
4
2
1
1
3
7
Chievo
4
2
1
1
2
7
tively. Stephan Lichsteiner had knocked in Alex Sandro’s low cross to give Juve the lead in the 66th minute in a typically tense encounter but Inter captain Mauro Icardi levelled two minutes later by heading home from a corner.
Icardi then provided a stylish cross with the outside of his boot for Perisic to score in the 78th, nine minutes after the Croatia international had come off the bench. Inter had midfielder Ever Banega sent off in the 90th minute for a second yellow card but they clung on to inflict a first league defeat on Juve since May 8 and end their 100 percent start to the season. The win will give Frank De Boer breathing space after a difficult start in the Inter dugout, taking four points from his first three league games. Croatia international Badelj set-
tled a tense game in Florence with a low strike in off the post from the edge of the area, although Roma complained that two offside Fiorentina players were obstructing goalkeeper Szczesny’s view. Sassuolo beat Genoa 2-0 at home while Udinese threw away the lead as they lost 2-1 at home to Chievo after conceding a goal in the fifth minute of added time. England international Joe Hart kept a clean sheet in his home bow for Torino, who drew 0-0 with Empoli, while Cagliari beat Atlanta 3-0 and Crotone picked up their first ever Serie A point by drawing 1-1 at home to Palermo. l
Spurs’ Kane sinks Black Cats, then limps off n Reuters, London
Tottenham’s Harry Kane is stretchered around the pitch after sustaining an injury against Sunderland REUTERS
Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane pounced on a piece of comical defending to secure a 1-0 win over Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday although he was later wheeled away on a stretcher after suffering an ankle injury. Kane was handed the winner on a plate in the 59th minute after Papy Djilobodji completely missed the ball in the six-yard box as he tried to clear his lines but the England striker went off in the 87th after turning his ankle making a tackle.
“Maybe he has some problem with his ligaments but today it is difficult to assess. We need to wait until tomorrow for the scan,” manager Mauricio Pochettino told a news conference after his side moved up to third in the standings on 11 points. Only an inspired performance by Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford kept the hosts at bay as Tottenham managed 19 goal attempts before the break, including an effort from their South Korea forward Son Heung-min that hit the post. Sunderland finished with 10 men after Adnan Januzaj was
EPL TOP TEN
EPL Crystal Palace
4-1
Tomkins 9, Dann 11, McArthur 71, Townsend 75
Southampton
1-0
Stoke Arnautovic 90+4
Swansea
Austin 64
Tottenham
1-0
Sunderland
3-1
Man United
Kane 59
Watford
Capoue 34, Zuniga 83, Deeney 90+5-pen
Rashford 62
sent off for a foot-up challenge on Ben Davies, having already been booked. l
Team
GP W D
L GD PTS
Man City
5
5
0
0 11
15
Everton
5
4
1
0
7
13
Tottenham
5
3
2
0
6
11
Arsenal
5
3
1
1
5
10
Chelsea
5
3
1
1
4
10
Liverpool
5
3
1
1
3
10
Man Utd
5
3
0
2
2
9
Crystal Palace 5
2
1
2
2
7
Watford
5
2
1
2
1
7
West Brom
5
2
1
2
1
7
27
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Sport
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Argentina, Croatia set-up Davis Cup final
QUICK BYTES Coach sacked twice in a week by same club
n AFP, Paris
Coach Jose Saturnino Cardozo was sacked by Mexican club Chiapas for the second time in a week on Sunday following Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Cruz Azul. The Paraguayan, who has presided over seven defeats in nine matches of the Apertura championship, had been first sacked yesterday before being reinstated today following player pressure. “The board of directors and Jose Saturnino Cardozo decided by mutual accord to end their working relationship,” Chiapas said in a statement. “The team thanks the Paraguayan tactician for his professionalism, commitment and dedication.” REUTERS
Rangers suspend Barton for three weeks Rangers have suspended midfielder Joey Barton for three weeks following a training-ground dispute with team mate Andy Halliday, the Scottish club said yesterday. The 34-year-old, who signed a two-year contract in May, was sent home after an altercation with Halliday on Tuesday. “Joey Barton has today been suspended by the club and will not return to Ibrox or Auchenhowie for a period of three weeks,” the club said on their website. REUTERS
DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL TEN 2 12:45AM EFL Cup 2016/17 Leicester City v Chelsea
TEN 3 French Ligue 1 11:00PM Losc Lille v Toulouse 12:20AM PSG v Dijon
STAR SPORTS 1 11:46PM German Bundesliga Ingolstadt 04 v Eintracht Frankfurt
STAR SPORTS 2 11:46PM German Bundesliga Darmstadt 98 v Hoffenheim
STAR SPORTS 4 11:46PM German Bundesliga VfL Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
SONY SIX Spanish La Liga 12:00AM Malaga v Eibar 2:00AM Sevilla v Real Betis
SONY ESPN 12:30AM Italian Serie A AC Milan v Lazio
Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer serves against Britain’s Dan Evans during their Davis Cup World Group semi-final singles match in Glasgow on Sunday AFP
An emotional Leonardo Mayer led Argentina past defending champions Great Britain and into their fifth Davis Cup final on Sunday where they will face Croatia in November’s title showdown. The 29-year-old Mayer, a late replacement for Juan Martin del Potro, secured Argentina’s place in their first final since 2011 with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Dan Evans in the crucial rubber of their semi-final in Glasgow for a 3-2 victory. Croatia, the 2005 champions, sealed their ticket to the November 25-27 final on home ground after Marin Cilic romped to a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 win over Richard Gasquet and an unassailable lead over nine-time champions France in Zadar. Argentina have a 3-0 winning record over Croatia in the Davis Cup, winning quarter-finals in 2002, 2006 and 2012. Mayer’s victory, his 11th in 14 Davis Cup singles rubbers, ended Britain’s hopes of retaining the trophy they won for the first time in 79 years with a win over Belgium last year. It also justified captain Daniel Orsanic’s decision to rest 27-yearold del Potro who had played for eight hours in winning a five-hour marathon singles rubber over Andy
Rio Paralympics end with music and relief n AFP, Rio de Janeiro Rio said farewell to the 2016 Paralympics Sunday in a closing ceremony showcasing Brazil’s passion for music and celebrating what many consider to have been a surprisingly successful Games. The famous Maracana football stadium was packed, with the Paralympians themselves seated across the field, as proceedings kicked off with fireworks. Among the first performers was Jonathan Bastos, a Brazilian who was born without arms but has became an accomplished musician, playing the guitar with his feet. Then it was Ricardinho, star of Brazil’s gold medal winning five-aside Paralympic football team, who brought out the national flag. But the glittering celebration - at one point featuring an unscripted conga line of dancing athletes - paused for a minute’s silence to remember the fatal crash of an Iranian cyclist on Saturday. Bahman Golbarnezhad’s death during the road race left the
Paralympic movement “united in grief,” Philip Craven, the International Paralympic Committee president, said in a speech.
Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Olympic Organising Committee, and Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, share the stage underneath a photograph of Iranian cyclist Sarafraz Bahman Golbarnezhad at the closing ceremony REUTERS
Overall, organizers are breathing a sigh of relief that predictions of failure for South America’s first Olympics and Paralympics were proved wrong. “Mission accomplished,” said Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio organizing committee. Referring to the political instability and deep recession plaguing Brazil, he conceded that it had been “a mission of many doubts.” As Craven declared the Games over - with Tokyo now taking up the baton for 2020 - he said Brazil had passed a difficult test. “These Games importantly signal a very bright future for this youthful and wonderful nation,” Craven said. Eleven days of competition where China dominated the medals table, followed by Britain, ended earlier with the last few events, including marathons and wheelchair rugby. Watching the marathon along the seafront in Copacabana earlier, spectator Marcelo Augusto Miranda Costa said the Games had been “a moment of magic for the city.” l
Murray on Friday before losing Saturday’s doubles alongside Mayer against the Murray brothers. “I am very emotional,” said Mayer, whose ranking has slipped from 21 to 114 in the world. “I haven’t been able to play because of injury so I am delighted to be back on form. I do not know what it is about the Davis Cup it brings out the best in me.” Earlier Sunday, world number two Andy Murray had to leave the court for a medical timeout in the third set but returned to wrap up a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Guido Pella which made it 2-2 in the semi-final. In Zadar, 2014 US Open champion Cilic bagged the all important point in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles, seeing off 30-yearold Frenchman Gasquet. “When you look at the atmosphere, it’s an incredible feeling. It’s been a dream weekend for us,” said Cilic, who was unbeaten all weekend having won his opening singles against Lucas Pouille and teaming with Ivan Dodig for the crucial doubles on Saturday. Gasquet, 17th in the world, was drafted in after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils pulled out with knee injuries. Croatia’s previous Davis Cup success came 11 years ago at the expense of Slovakia. l
Exhausted Murray wants a break n Reuters Andy Murray is itching for a break after an exhausting few months, the world number two said, after defending champions Britain were knocked out by Argentina 3-2 in the Davis Cup semi-final. The 29-year-old had a busy European summer when he reached the French Open final, followed by his second Wimbledon triumph, and then successfully defended his Olympic gold at Rio. A tired Murray then lost to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open. Murray was involved in both the singles and doubles matches in the Davis Cup semi-finals defeat against Argentina, including a five-hour marathon against Juan Martin del Potro. “I have played so much tennis in the last few months, I need a break and I need it now,” Murray was quoted as saying by the Times. “I knew I was going to be in some pain this weekend and I spoke to my team about that it was going to be really hard. But my expectations were less than what I’m feeling now.” l
DT
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Sport
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Hertha challenge Bayern’s iron-grip n AFP, Berlin High-flying Hertha Berlin will attempt to loosen Bayern Munich’s iron-grip in the Bundesliga tomorrow in the German league’s top-ofthe-table clash. Hertha’s 2-0 win at home to Schalke on Sunday means Berlin and Bayern, the only German clubs who still have 100 percent records with three wins from three, will square off at Munich’s Allianz Arena. The German league has a round of midweek matches with the highlight being Bayern’s hosting of Hertha while Borussia Dortmund, who have posted back-to-back 6-0 wins at Legia Warsaw and Darmstadt, are at Wolfsburg today. Bayern are at the start of a busy period with four games in ten days including their crunch Champions League group stage game at Atletico Madrid a week on Wednesday. Today, Dortmund take on Wolfsburg having scored 12 goals without reply in their last two games. Their drubbing of Darmstadt on Saturday came with star forwards Mario Goetze and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench. But Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel has warned his side they can expect tougher matches at Wolfsburg, then Freiburg on Friday ahead of their plum Champions League group stage tie at home to Real Madrid. l
BUNDESLIGA Augsburg
1-3
Mainz
Stafylidis 73
Cordoba 7, Malli 75, Muto 81
Hertha Berlin
2-0
Schalke
Weiser 64, Stocker 74
BUNDESLIGA TOP 5 Team
GP W D
Bayern
3
Hertha RB Leipzig
L GD PTS
3
0
0 10
9
3
3
0
0
5
9
3
2
1
0
5
7
Cologne
3
2
1
0
5
7
Dortmund
3
2
0
1
6
6
Real Madrid’s Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez shoots to score during their Spanish league match against Espanyol at Cornella-El Prat Stadium on Sunday
Real Madrid net record 16th straight win n AFP, Madrid Real Madrid shrugged off the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to record a club record 16th consecutive league win 2-0 at Espanyol to stay top of La Liga on Sunday. James Rodriguez made the most of a rare start to open the scoring in first-half stoppage time before Karim Benzema sealed all three points 20 minutes from time. Victory restores Real’s threepoint lead over Barcelona and Las Palmas and equals Barca’s La Liga record of 16 straight wins under Pep Guardiola in 2010/11. “I am happy not just with the goals of James and Karim but with
their performance in general,” said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. “They have talent that can make the difference, but the most important thing is that they work as hard as they did together.” Without the ill Ronaldo and injured Bale, Madrid took their time to get going and captain Sergio Ramos was lucky to escape an early sending-off when he handled Hernan Perez’s shot after picking up a booking inside two minutes. Espanyol have now lost their last nine meetings with Real, but had a great chance to go in front when poor defending from Pepe gifted the ball to Leo Baptistao inside the area only for the Brazilian to fire straight at Kiko Casilla.
Rodriguez was making his first start in 133 days after shining in Madrid’s miraculous late come from behind win against Sporting Lisbon in midweek. And the Colombian made his case for a more regular spot in Zidane’s midfield when he nutmegged Pape Diop just before the break and planted a fine left-footed effort into the bottom corner. “It has always been my dream to play here,” Rodriguez told BeIN Sports on his reasoning for not forcing through a move away from the Bernabeu during the recently closed transfer window. “I am just one more player, but if I can score and create goals then all the better.” l
AFP
LA LIGA Osasuna
0-0
Celta Vigo
Athletic Bilbao
2-1
Valencia
Aduriz 24, 41
Medran 2
2-1
Villarreal
Real Sociedad
Sansone 22, 25
Yuri 35
0-2
Espanyol
Real Madrid
Rodriguez 45+2, Benzema 70
LA LIGA TOP FIVE Team
GP W D 4
0
L GD PTS
Real Madrid
4
0
9
12
Barcelona
4
3
0
1
8
9
Las Palmas
4
3
0
1
6
9
Atletico
4
2
2
0
9
8
Sevilla
4
2
2
0
3
8
Marseille, Lyon share spoils n AFP, Montpellier
Olympique Marseille’s Bouna Sarr (C) in action against Olympique Lyon’s Lucas Tousart (L) during their Ligue 1 match at Velodrome Stadium on Sunday REUTERS
Struggling giants Marseille failed to get a shot on target in a tense 0-0 draw with Lyon, whose team bus was stoned ahead of the bitter Ligue 1 clash on Sunday. Potential new Marseille owner, American tycoon Frank McCourt was at the Velodrome alongside club president Margarita Louis-Dreyfus where the under financed side failed to impress. As the tension mounted Marseille striker Bafetimbi Gomis missed an injury time sitter against
his former club leaving coach Franck Passi holding his head in his hands.
LIGUE 1 1-1
Montpellier Boudebouz 67-pen
Saint-Etienne
1-0
Nice Belhanda 85
Bastia
Namouma 90+3-pen
Marseille
0-0
Lyon
Marseille are now two points off the bottom of Ligue 1 while last season’s runners-up Lyon are in seventh, six points off leaders
Monaco. Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso said the draw was a good result for the visitors. In the early evening game a penalty deep into injury time gave Saint Etienne a 1-0 win at home over Bastia when substitute Romain Hamouma shook himself down from a foul to convert the spot kick. Newly-recruited playmaker Younes Belhanda grabbed a point for Nice in a 1-1 draw at Montpellier with a determined late strike meaning his side climb above champions Paris Saint Germain into second place in Ligue 1. l
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Singer (4) 3 Eating places (5) 8 Female horse (4) 9 Egg-shaped (4) 11 Scorch (5) 12 Purplish brown (4) 14 Fish (3) 15 Loiter (5) 18 Unite (5) 19 Respectful fear (3) 21 Equipment (4) 24 Fruit (5) 26 Prevalent (4) 27 Unfasten (4) 28 Irritable (5) 29 Avoid (4)
DOWN 1 In a frenzy (4) 2 Snare (4) 4 Friend (Fr) (3) 5 Imagination (5) 6 Therefore (4) 7 Out of sorts (5) 10 Old stringed instrument (4) 11 Durable fabric (5) 13 Freight (5) 16 Bring up (4) 17 Whole range (5) 18 Repairs (5) 20 Decline in power (4) 22 Opulent (4) 23 Niggardly (4) 25 Obtained (3)
29
DT
Downtime
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 17 represents Q so fill Q every time the figure 17 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
MONDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
DILBERT
SUDOKU
DT
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Showtime
The hype behind Ae Dil Hai Muskil
n Showtime Desk Bollywood fans are eagerly waiting for Karan Johar’s new film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM). And why wouldn’t they? After a series of flops, for Ranbir Kapoor, this can be a good come back. For Anushka, it can be a milestone in her career as well. As for the Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, it’s time for the queen to prove that she is and always will be timeless. Making a special appearance is Fawad Khan, the Pakistani hearththrob who has made his way into the Indian box office, winning fans over with Kapoor & Sons earlier this year. Known for his dreamy looks and expressive eyes, director Karan Johar is cashing on
Fawad’s signature charm in the small teaser for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil too. Karan has time and again said that despite a cameo, Fawad, who plays a DJ, is set to make a very strong and special appearance in KJo’s latest directorial. Understanding that the Fawad fever is far from dying anytime soon, Dharma Productions are making the most of his massive female fan following on both sides of the border. Although the AishwaryaRanbir-Anushka trio is stealing every frame of the teaser, the movie plays around Ranbir’s love story with the two ladies, with Arijit Singh’s voice adding to the depth of the romance. Interestingly, the film is not
exactly a love triangle. Rather, it explores the friendship, heartbreak and one-sided love story. While the title track focused on Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma’s onscreen rapport, “Bulleya” is all about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ranbir’s crackling chemistry. In the video, they are passionate, friendly and everything a madly-in-love couple looks like. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil marks Karan Johar’s return to the director’s chair after a gap of six long years. The romantic-drama releases on October 28, the same day as Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay. ADHM also stars Fawad Khan in a supporting role and Shah Rukh Khan in a cameo. l
Zack Snyder celebrated Batman Day in the best way
n Showtime Desk Millions of fans in celebration of one of the pop culture phenomena as Saturday,
September 17, was officially observed as Batman Day 2016. A picture comes from Zack Snyder’s Twitter account, and shows off the director posing in
front of the Bat-Signal, probably the most iconic spotlight in fiction. The tweet has the simple caption “#Justice League #Batman Day”, but that’s really all that needs to be said. “It’s a time to celebrate one of the most iconic superhero. We all have our own way to celebrate, but it can never compare to the guy who has direct access to Batman every day,”said Zack Snyder. Batman in Justice League, hits theaters November 17, 2017. The film will continue the story of Batman as he joins with Wonder Woman to recruit a team of meta humans to combat a sinister threat. The film looks more uplifting so far than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, while still delivering on the action and epic visuals that helped Batman v Superman stand out. l
Soha Ali Khan turns producer n Showtime Desk
Bollywood diva Soha Ali Khan is set to try her hand at producing with her maiden project being a special biopic. However, the actress is not walking down the road of producing alone, her husband Kunal Khemu has joined hands to build their own production house. “We will open our next production company. It’s called Renegate Films. We will coproduce films with others as we need people to back our creative ideas as we have wonderful ideas,” Soha told the press. “The first film that we will be co-producing is a biopic. It is on a living legend. It wont be a biopic
on someone from the acting or sports field,” she revealed. The Rang De Basanti actress also revealed that they are yet to finalise the director and cast. When asked if she will be seen in the film, Soha said she has no intention of appearing in her debut production. “I will not be acting in it. The idea is to open a production company to back our creative ideas. We did not open the company to create work for me or Kunal. The idea is to find great content,” she added. Soon, Soha will be seen in 31st October, a film based on the aftermath of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, opposite Vir Das. l
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Showtime
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Red carpet at the Emmys n Showtime Desk
The reviews of the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards haven’t been too good; it was up to par, but nothing spectacular. The nominees and the winners of each category weren’t surprising either. However, the ladies on the red carpet were the real head turners, as usual. Here are our top 10 looks from the Emmys’ red carpet.
Priyanka Chopra in Jason Wu Sophie Turner in a Valentino dress. Forevermark Diamonds jewellery and Christian Louboutin shoes Stephanie Corneliussen in Michael Costello Emilia Clarke in an Atelier Versace dress and Jack Vartanian earrings Michelle Dockery in an Oscar de la Renta dress and Stuart Weitzman shoes Keri Russell in Stephane Rolland Rami Malek in Dior Homme Kit Harington Emmy Rossum in Wes Gordon Tatiana Maslany in Alexander Wang l
Game of Thrones tipped to make Emmy history n Showtime Desk Game of Thrones has made TV history by becoming the most decorated fictional show at the Emmy Awards since the event began in 1949. The fantasy drama, based on George RR Martin’s novels, was named best drama series, while also picking up honours for outstanding writing and directing. At this year’s bash in Los Angeles, the drama clinched 12 awards, included another nine in technical categories. The haul takes its overall total to 38 winnings, beating Frasier’s previous record of 37. David Benioff, the showrunner of GoT, said: “We love Frasier and he had a long run and we’re sure someone will come along and take it from us. We just hope it doesn’t happen until we’re all dead.” Despite three of the drama’s stars, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams being hotly tipped in the supporting actress category, the show missed out in the acting categories. The award
went to Dame Maggie Smith, for her performance as the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley in the final series of Downton Abbey.
List of winners:
Drama Series Game of Thrones Comedy Series Veep Lead Actress in a Drama Series Tatiana Maslany as Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel and MK on Orphan Black Lead Actor in a Drama Series Rami Malek as Elliot on Mr. Robot Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn on Bloodline Directing for a Drama Series Game of Thrones (Episode: “Battle of the Bastards”), Directed by Miguel Sapochnik Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey Writing for a Drama Series Game of Thrones (Episode: “Battle
of the Bastards”), Written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Limited Series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story Television Movie Sherlock: The Abominable Bride Lead Actor in a Limited Series Or Movie Courtney B Vance as Johnnie Cochran on The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story Lead Actress in a Limited Series Or Movie Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark on
The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story Supporting Actor in a Limited Series Or Movie Sterling K Brown as Christopher Darden on The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story Directing for a Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special The Night Manager Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Or Movie Regina King as Terri LaCroix on American Crime Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman on Transparent Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Julia Louis-Dreyfus as President Selina Meyer on Veep Directing for a Comedy Series Transparent, Directed by Jill Soloway Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live Writing for a Comedy Series Master of None, Written by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang l
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
EID PUSHES UP REMITTANCE PAGE 12
U-16 GIRLS FELICITATED
PAGE 24
RED CARPET AT THE EMMYS PAGE 31
Nahid: Indigenous students to get preprimary education in mother tongue Indigenous students from five communities will be able to complete their pre-primary education in their mother tongue from next year, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said. “We are making arrangements to bring this to effect,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Free books will be distributed among indigenous students in Chakma, Marma, Garo, Kokborok and Sadri languages, the minister continued. The government plans to extend the facility to students of other indigenous communities soon, he added. “These books will be distributed next year during the Textbook Fes-
DHAKA TRIBUNE
n Shohel Mamun
tival,” Nahid said, without specifying the number of books that will be given out in the first year. There is confusion about the number of indigenous communi-
ties living in Bangladesh and the languages they speak. According to the Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, there are 45 ethnic groups that make up about 1%
of the population. Other estimates put the number at around 35. These groups are believed to use 26 distinct languages. Indigenous communities have
long been calling for providing primary education to their children in their mother tongue. Minister Nahid said: “We are planning to provide such books for students belonging to other indigenous communities.” Narayan Chandra Saha, chairman of National Curriculum and Textbook Board, Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were preparing to print 26,125 books in indigenous languages. Asked about their content, he said these books had been translated from the existing Bangla texts. The UNDP had earlier provided pre-primary level text books in seven indigenous languages, including Chakma, Marma, and Tripura, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. l
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