08 Oct, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

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Ashwin 23, 1423, Muharram 6, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 161

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www.dhakatribune.com

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32 pages |

Price: Tk10

Indigenous Aush varieties now top priority n Abu Bakar Siddique The indigenous varieties of rainfed Aush paddy are likely to lead the country’s future rice production, instead of the irrigation-reliant Boro, since it may work as a natural remedy to check the drastic depletion of groundwater table in drought-prone areas.

Even though per hectare Aush production is slightly below than that of Boro, a number of scientists including a former BRRI chief suggest that farmers should prioritise Aush as it does not need irrigation or even rain to grow.

A recent study shows that the indigenous Aush varieties like Bharira, Kalomanik, Songkorboti, Pathorkuchi, Kalchina, Bolonsaita and Sani can produce more rice than the varieties developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.

Also, the study finds that the local varieties can better cope with the country’s changing climatic pattern.

Christian Commission for the Development of Bangladesh (CCDB)

recently ran a trial on Aush varieties in drought condition at Godagari upazila in Rajshahi – considered as the core zone of Upland Barind Tract where drought has been a natural phenomenon since long.

According to their findings, local varieties Bharira, Kalomanik and Songkorboti can produce 4.10 tonnes of paddy per hectare. On the other hand, BRRI Dhan 26 developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute yields 3 tonnes while BRRI Dhan 55 and BRRI Dhan 48 yield 2 tonnes of paddy each without irrigation.

The results came at a time when the government has been trying to reduce the cultivation of extensive irrigation-dependent Boro despite its highest production capacity, around 4.73 tonnes rice per hectare.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, Bangladesh produces around 34.8 million tonnes of rice against the annual demand of 32.4m tonnes.

Boro is the highest cultivated paddy in Bangladesh with around  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Paddy yield of Aush varieties Name Yield/hectare (tonnes) Indigenous varieties 4.10 4.10 4.10 1.20 3.10 2.70 2.20

Bharira Kalomanik Songkorboti Pathorkuchi Kalchina Bolonsaita Sani

Developed in laboratory BRRI Dhan 26 3.00 BRRI Dhan 55 2.00 BRRI Dhan 48 2.00

Annual rice production (tonnes) Boro (January-April) 19.5 million Aush (April-May-June), 2.3 million Aman (August-November) 13 million PHOTO: CCDB

The photo shows a paddy field at Godagari Upazila in Rajshahi where scientists recently ran a test production of indigenous Aush variety Kalomanik that needs no irrigation and can survive drought-like situation

Late collapse breaks Bangladeshi hearts n Mazhar Uddin Imrul Kayes’ ton went in vain as Bangladesh almost reached the destination only to mess up in the end to give visiting England a 21run victory in the first of three ODIs at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

At one stage, the home side were cruising towards a memorable win but a mini collapse in the dying stages of the game cost Bangladesh heavily as they were dismissed for 288 with 13 deliveries still remaining.

Imrul and Shakib al Hasan added 118 runs for the fifth wicket partnership but things suddenly changed after the latter was dismissed for a fine 55-ball 79, featuring 10 fours and a six, off the bowling of debutant Jake Ball.

Bangladesh opening batsman Imrul Kayes hoicks one during the first ODI against England at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

Kayes blasted his second ODI century but his ton went in vain as the visitors registered a 21-run win MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

The Tigers lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 17 runs in the face of some devastating bowling by Ball, who picked up five wickets. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid provided valuable support, bagging four wickets.

Imrul almost guided his side home, courtesy his brilliant 119ball 112, studded with 11 fours and a couple of sixes, but once he departed, the writing was on the wall for the Tigers.

Earlier, interim ODI captain Jos Buttler elected to bat on a rather batting-friendly wicket as the English openers Jason Roy and James Vince started off aggressively. But the latter was dismissed for 16 by paceman Shafiul Islam in the eighth over.

Roy at the other end was looking good and alongside debutant Ben Duckett, continued to charge the Tigers bowlers.

However, the home side came back well and picked up two quick wickets as Shakib got rid of Roy (41) while Jonny Bairstow was caught short of the crease. Bairstow departed without troubling the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Hurricane devastates Haiti, death toll above 500 n Reuters, Orlando

Hurricane Matthew, carrying winds of 195kph, lashed central Florida on Friday, hugging the Atlantic coast as it moved north and threatened more destruction after killing more than 500 people and leaving thousands homeless in Haiti.

Matthew, the first major hurricane that could hit the US shores head on in more than a decade, triggered mass evacuations along the coast from Florida through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina.

Southern Florida escaped the brunt of the storm overnight, but US President Barack Obama and other officials urged people farther north not to get complacent.

“I just want to emphasise to everybody that this is still a really dangerous hurricane, that the potential for storm surge, loss of life and severe property damage exists and people continue to need to follow the instructions of their local officials over the next 24, 48, 72 hours,” Obama told reporters after  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Durga Puja begins n UNB Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu Community, began across the country yesterday through bodhon (incarnation) of Goddess Durga.

The annual festival began through Mahashashthi Puja and will end with the immersion of the idols on Bijoya Dashami on October 11.

The main Durga Puja mandaps in the city were installed at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramna Kali Temple, Dhaka University’s Jagannath Hall, Ramakrishna Mission, Anandamayi Ashram and Loknath Brahmachariya Ashram.

As part of the festival, Mahasapt-

ami will be held today while Mahaastami tomorrow, Mahanabami on Monday and Mahadashami on Tuesday.

This year Durga Puja is being celebrated at some 29,500 mandaps across the country, including 229 in Dhaka city, according to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.

Last year, the number was 29,074, including 229 in the capital.

Different TV channels and radio stations broadcast special programmes while the national dailies publish special supplementary on the occasion.

According to Hindu faith, Goddess Durga comes down to the Earth from the heaven to establish peace, harmony by annihilating evil forces. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Late collapse breaks scorers as England were reeling on 63/3 inside the 13th over.

In came Ben Stokes as the Durham all-rounder joined Duckett and started the rebuilding process for the batting side. Once the fourth-wicket pair settled down, both the batsmen started to attack the Tigers bowling.

The English batsmen used the reverse sweep to great effect as they played at least seven of them successfully. Duckett led the way with three reverse sweeps to unsettle the Bangladesh bowlers.

Stokes remained aggressive and soon reached his fifty off 45 balls while Duckett also reached his half-century as the tourists were heading towards a big total.

In the meantime, the home side displayed some poor ground fielding and catching. Mahmudullah dropped a straightforward catch of Stokes, then on 69, at mid on off the bowling of Taskin Ahmed.

Stokes got another life as Mosharraf Hossain dropped him on 71 off

limited-over captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza while the same fielder grassed yet another simple catch, this time of Duckett on 59, at short square leg off Mosaddek Hossain.

Duckett however, was soon dismissed adding only one run after he misjudged a slower Shafiul full-toss, scoring 60 off 78 balls, as Bangladesh finally broke the 153run fourth-wicket stand.

Stokes though did not miss the opportunity to smash his maiden ODI hundred. He was eventually dismissed by Mashrafe after scoring 101 off 100 deliveries, featuring four sixes and eight fours. Interim English ODI skipper Buttler then hammered a quick-fire 63 off just 38 balls with four huge sixes and three fours as England added 89 runs in the last ten overs to go past three hundred.

All the Bangladeshi bowlers were expensive where Shakib, Mashrafe and Shafiul picked up two wickets each for the homne side. l

Hindu devotees join the celebrations of Durga Puja at Kalabagan puja mandap in Dhaka as the festivities of the grandest Hindu religious festival in Bangladesh began yesterday with Mahashashthi Puja DHAKA TRIBUNE

Hurricane devastates Haiti a briefing with emergency management and other officials.

The Florida city of Jacksonville could face significant flooding, Florida Governor Rick Scott said.

The storm had cut power to some 600,000 households in the state, he told a news conference.

In the Caribbean country of Haiti, where poor rural communities were ravaged by Matthew, the death toll surged to at least 572 people on Friday, as information trickled in from remote areas previously cut off by the storm, according to a tally of death tolls given by officials.

Matthew smashed through the tip of Haiti’s western peninsula on Tuesday with 233 kph winds and torrential rain. Some 61,500 people were in shelters, officials said, after the storm pushed the sea into fragile coastal villages, some of which were only now being contacted.

Cellphone networks were down and roads were flooded by sea and river water in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas. Aid has

been slow to reach towns and villages around the peninsula. Instead, locals have been helping each other.

At 1400 GMT, Matthew’s eye, or centre, was brushing the Florida coast near the central city of Daytona Beach, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

No significant damage or injuries were reported in West Palm Beach and other cities and towns in south Florida where the storm brought down trees and power lines earlier in the night, CNN and local media reported.

False sense of security Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said he was concerned that relatively light damage so far could give people farther north a false sense of security.

“People should not be looking at the damages they’re seeing and saying this storm is not that bad,” Fugate told NBC. People should also be aware the hurricane carried more than just ferocious winds, he said.

“The real danger still is storm surge, particularly in northern Florida and southern Georgia. These are very vulnerable areas. They’ve never seen this kind of damage potential since the late 1800s.”

Nasa and the US Air Force, which operate the Cape Canaveral launch site, had taken steps to safeguard personnel and equipment. A team of 116 employees was bunkered down inside Kennedy Space Centre’s Launch Control Center to ride out the hurricane.

Matthew lessened in intensity on Thursday night and into Friday morning, the US National Hurricane Centre said, but was still a Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. Category 5 is the strongest.

It could either plow inland or tear along the Atlantic coast through Friday night, the Miami-based centre said. The US National Weather Service said the storm could be the most powerful to strike northeast Florida in 118 years. l

Boro growers, the level of underground water was at 40-foot depth 15 years ago, but has now dropped to 160 feet, thus increasing the cost of irrigation.

Although Boro is one of the major crops in the country, especially for ensuring food for people belonging to the low-income groups, it is a difficult variety of paddy because it has to be grown in the dry season and requires a lot of water.

According to a survey by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), usage of groundwater has increased drastically over the last few decades.

In 1982-83, groundwater’s contribution to irrigation was 41%, but it climbed to 75% in 2001-02, minly because of Boro cultivation

in mass level.

According to BRRI, currently the number of developed and released rice varieties by the state-run research body is 81. Of them, 25 varieties are for Boro, 36 for Aman and 10 for the Aush paddy seasons.

In addition, the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) has developed another 18 rice varieties.

However, very few of them are popular varieties.

Agro-scientist Jibon Krishna said: “In case of Aush, the indigenous varieties are far better than those developed in laboratories as all of them can tolerate acute drought-like situation and are totally rain-fed, thus requiring no irrigation.” l

Indigenous Aush varieties now top priority 19.5m tonnes of rice yield annually, followed by Aman (around 13m tonnes) and Aush (2.3m tonnes).

According to BRRI, the country has around 12,000 indigenous rice varieties and most of them have been preserved by the state-run research body.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury has repeatedly been taking different initiatives including incentive packages to promote Aush cultivation among the farmers for the last couple of years. The package includes seeds, fertilisers and cash assistance.

The researchers found that after spending Tk39,875 per hectare for all the 10 Aush varieties (seven indigenous and three BRRI developed), local varieties Bharira, Ka-

lomanik and Songkorboti give the highest net return of Tk62,625.

On the other hand, laboratory-developed variety BRRI Dhan gave Tk35,125 net return while BRRI Dhan 55 and BRRI Dhan 48 fetched Tk10,125.

“These findings show that now we can easily turn to Aush from Boro to avoid the excessive water consumption from groundwater table,” Jibon Krishna Biswas, former director general of BRRI, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The Barind Tract – comprising Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts – sees lesser rain than other parts of the country.

According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the number of normal rainy days in the Barind

Tract in April, May, June and July are 6, 10, 12 and 15 days.

“We observed 21 non-stop rainless days during the trial run starting from April 10 this year, and in the end, the local varieties gave us better yield as well as return despite the rough condition,” said Kamruzzaman Sagor, coordinator (research) of CCDB who led the trial.

Loss of groundwater

Official data from the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) show that the underground water level, which was at a depth of 64 feet in December 2008, has dropped to 97 feet after five years.

However, according to the local

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Dhaka to get water taxi service n Abu Hayat Mahmud The government is going to inaugurate a water taxi service in central Dhaka next month to provide better connectivity through Hatirjheel lake, according to sources.

The service will be first of its kind inside Dhaka, although a similar service is already in operation on the river route surrounding the capital city.

The water taxi service is going to be launched in two phases, with the first phase connecting Karwan Bazar and Badda through the lake covering 3.75km waterway, said Major Kazi Shakil Hossain, project officer of Hatirjheel-Begunbari Integrated Lake Development Project.

“Commuters will be able to travel from Karwan Bazar to Badda and Rampura via a terminal near Police Plaza Concord Shopping Mall in Gulshan 1, and vice versa,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

In the next phase, the service will be extended to Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara lake, he added.

The service is a part of the government’s plan to provide more connectivity in the city as well as a recreational facility in Hatirjheel.

Six water taxis will be launched at the initial stage of the service, Shakhi said. Each of the taxi costs around Tk85 lakh and has the capacity to carry 45 passengers.

The vessels are currently being

Construction of a landing station in Hatirjheel lake is almost complete ahead of the inauguration of water taxi service in November MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU assembled in Chittagong. “The engines, which we are importing from China, have not arrived yet,” Shakil added.

The fair has been fixed at Tk2530 for a single trip, but it may be revised later.

Earlier on December 23, 2015, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the authority in charge of the Hatirjheel project, inaugurated a bus service on the circular roads around the lake.

The bus fair for a single trip between Rampura and Karwan Bazar is Tk15, while it takes Tk30 for a round trip.

The water bus service was inaugurated in the circular waterways surrounding Dhaka by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation in 2013.

However, due to irregularities and inconsistency of the service, the water transport facility, which covers 29km of river route and has

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12 water buses in operation, failed to gain popularity.

The Tk2,236-crore Hatirjheel project was launched in July 2007 and was partially opened to public in January 2013.

Although the project was initially set to be fully implemented by 2010, it was revised several times and the latest deadline was set in December 2016 by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) in August last year. l

Khadiza’s doctors ask for another day n Tribune Desk Doctors at Square Hospital have asked for another day to give an update on the condition of Khadiza Akhter Nargis as 72 hours observation period ended yesterday.

Khadiza’s uncle Md Abdul Based to Bangla Tribune: “Neurosurgeon Dr AM Rezaus Sattar, who operated on her, has asked for more time to determine her condition.”

Associate Medical Director Dr Mirza Nazimuddin said: “A detailed briefing will be given on Khazida’s condition tomorrow [Saturday] at 12 noon.”

Khadiza’s brother Shahin said that according to doctors, her condition had neither improved nor deteriorated. The doctors said that she had moved her right leg.

Khadiza, 23, an honours second-year student at Sylhet Government Women’s College, was attacked on Monday evening by Badrul Alam, fourth-year economics student at Shahjalal University and a top leader of Chhatra League’s university wing, while she was on her way back home after taking an exam at Sylhet MC College exam centre.

She was first taken to Osmani Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Square Hospital on Tuesday where she is currently on life support. l

Police: New militant recruits killed RU Prof Rezaul Karim Jamil Khan, back n Mohammad from Rajshahi

Rajshahi University teacher Prof Dr AKM Rezaul Karim Siddique was an easy target for the fresh members of New JMB militant group who wanted to show their high-command their ability, investigators say.

A total of seven militants, who were told that Prof Rezaul was an atheist, directly took part in the machete attack near his house in Rajshahi city on April 23. Some of them were unaware of the fact that the music enthusiast teacher used to donate to a madrasa and a mosque at his village home in Baghmara area of the district.

Prof Rezaul was chosen as he was an easy target, a highly-placed source in Rajshahi police who is close to the investigation of the sensational murder also claimed by Islamic State, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Besides teaching English at the university dominated by radical Jamaat-Shibir, Prof Rezaul was the editor of literary magazine “Komolgandhar” and adviser to a cultural organisation named “Shundorom.”

He also set up a music school in Shalbagan area and wanted to start another at his village home but was facing resistance from some local radical Islamists.

Police say the disgruntled members of Islami Chhatra Shibir’s RU unit have joined several militant groups, mainly New JMB and al-Qaeda-backed Ansar Al Islam (previously Ansarullah Bangla Team), and carried out several terrorist attacks in the region including the suicide attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque in Baghmara in December.

In 2004, JMB second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai established a reign of terror in the area by killing and torturing scores of people.

After the murder, Syria-based Salafist terrorist group IS said that their members had killed Prof Rezaul for “calling to atheism.” It was the 15th attack conducted by the New JMB group, believed to be affiliated with the IS, since September last year.

The murder took place only 10 days after the IS claimed that it has a strong base in Bangladesh, from where they have plans to attack Myanmar and India, and that they targeted atheists and Murtads

(apostates).

With Prof Rezaul, four RU teachers have been killed by Shibir and JMB members in the last decade.

So far, a total of 12 suspects have been detained in connection with Prof Rezaul murder that outraged teachers and students of the university. But the prime suspect, Chhatra Shibir leader and RU English department student Shariful Islam, who masterminded the killing, has remained out of the radar.

Shariful alias Rahat alias Talha, who allegedly raised a group named Ansar Rajshahi, is believed to be hiding in India. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police on August 29 declared Tk1 lakh bounty each for Shariful and another key accused, Nazrul Islam alias Parvez alias Bike Hassan.

During the investigation, police found that the militants used to communicate with each other through a mobile application named Thrima, widely used by the New JMB operatives. The group wanted to do something to prove their strength to the high-command.

Since the murder took place, a total of two suspects – Bike Hassan, Tarek Hossain Milu alias Osman

and Rawshan Ali Akash – have been killed in gunfights while another died while undergoing treatment in custody. One of the militants killed in a commando operation after the Gulshan restaurant attack was also involved in Prof Rezaul murder, police say.

Another suspect Hafizur Rahman, a second year student of RU public administration and secretary of Chhatra Shibir of Ward No 19, died in custody.

According to investigators, the murder was planned by two people – Shariful and his classmate Muntasirul Alam Anindya, who is the son of local BNP leader and cousin of an influential Awami League leader. Anindya is currently in jail after remand in two phases. On the other hand, Shariful has been missing for more than a year and a half.

Another senior official of Rajshahi police seeking anonymity said that Shariful is none other than Abu Suleman, whose name was found by the Indian law enforcement agencies after they arrested JMB leader Mosiuddin alias Musa in West Bengal on July 6.

On August 15, a special team from Bangladesh Police went to In-

dia and interrogated Musa.

Monirul Islam, chief of the DMP’s Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, said that they had got some information about Shariful interrogating Musa and were analysing those.

During the interrogation, Musa identified Shariful from a photograph the police showed him and alleged that he had been radicalised by Shariful. He also claimed that Shariful had a strong JMB network in Rajshahi region.

Rajshahi police sources say once they complete verifying the information about Shariful, they will press charges against the accused.

Rezaus Sadiq, inspector of detective branch in Rajshahi and also the investigation officer, told the Dhaka Tribune that the investigation was at the final statge. “We are now analysing the information regarding the arrestees and hope to submit the charge sheet to the court soon,” he added.

Shariful’s father Abdul Hakim told the Dhaka Tribune that they had filed a general diary after he had gone missing. “We are not aware of his whereabouts and activities as he remains traceless,” he said. l

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Home minister: Terrorists are the BGB: Problems must be solved on minority n the Indian side Arifur Rahman Rabbi

n Arifur Rahman Rabbi The Indian side has the greater responsibility in resolving the issues leading to border killings since all smuggling at the border originates in their side, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has said.

“About 95% of the killings are related to cattle smuggling at the Indo-Bangla border,” BGB Director General (DG) Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed said during a press briefing yesterday after returning from a five-day BGBBSF conference in New Delhi.

The cows were coming from India into Bangladesh, the DG pointed out.

“They're gathered from all over the country to our border and then smuggled in. Obviously the Indian side has to play a greater responsibility in stopping this,” he said.

During the conference, BGB has urged its Indian counterpart Border Security Force (BSF) to take special measures to stop cattle smuggling from India, he added.

“All the drugs, gold and arms smuggling is also linked with the cattle smuggling. If the cattle smuggling is brought under control, the rest will go down.”

This year, so far, a total of 22 out of 26 Bangladeshis slain at the border were shot by BSF, Maj Gen Aziz said.

He said that BSF had said in the conference that they

were often forced to shoot in self-defence.

“Then we told them, when BSF shoots at Bangladeshis, even with non-lethal weapons, the bullets hit mostly in the head, stomach or chest, ultimately killing the victims.

“But when we shoot, even with lethal weapons, the number of deaths is lower because we target below the waist,” the DG said.

“So we have requested BSF, when they are defending themselves, they should shoot below the waist,” he said.

According to Aziz, both the countries reached a mutual agreement for stopping the border killings.

A yaba smuggler had recently been caught from the Indian border, the BGB chief said.

“We used to think that the yaba tablets came from Myanmar. But now we see that the drug is coming from India. We have requested BSF to look into where the drugs are originating. BSF has assured us to look into the matter,” he said.

BGB has also given BSF a list of over 1,200 criminal suspects during the conference.

BGB is working with many constraints, the DG said. A vast area of the border has no fence and there is no patrol road.

However, a project to build 282km of fencing has been passed and it will start from the Teknaf border, he said. l

BNP: Govt trying to form another spineless EC n UNB BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday alleged that the government was trying to form another “spineless” Election Commission (EC) through a search committee.

Mosharraf said: “People have seen the activities of Rakibuddin-led spineless Election Commission. They won’t accept if another such Election Commission is formed.”

The BNP leader made the statement at a programme organised by Swadhinata Forum, a pro-BNP platform, at the National Press Club in memory of late BNP standing committee member ASM Hannan Shah.

The tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led Election Commission will expire in February.

About the attack on Sylhet college girl Khadiza Akhter by the BCL leader, Mosharraf said terrorists and militants were now desperate as there was no democracy in the country.

Referring to the PM’s remarks that whether people have lost their human values as they recorded Khadiza’s attack instead of saving her, the BNP leader said it was the BCL men not people who have lost their human values.

“The prime minister should have told in parliament that Chhatra League lacks moral and human values.” l

The home minister has remarked that there are no minority groups in Bangladesh, rather militants and terrorists are the minority here.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was speaking to reporters at the Dhakeswari temple yesterday on the first day of celebration of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community.

The minister compared the terrorists making threats of attacks in Bangladesh to “barking out of a mouse hole.”

“There is no gain in that. We have identified them and will soon take action.”

“In Bangladesh, all religions live together in harmony. Therefore, heightened security measures have been taken for the festival so that everyone can enjoy puja without any restraints,” he added.

Terming all puja pavilions in the

country as beautiful, Asaduzzaman said: “I hope people from India will also come to celebrate puja in Bangladesh.”

In another programme yesterday, the home minister said that liberal thoughts toward any community was our social culture. “A certain group is trying to destroy the communal harmony in the country. We will not allow that to happen,” he said adding that terrorism and militancy would not be entertained in this country. l

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Chittagong Port ranks 76th in Lloyd’s Register n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Chittagong Port has set a new record in container handling performance by climbing11 ranks in the latest survey of Lloyd’s Register, a UK-based maritime classification society.

In the survey, the maritime ports around the world were ranked based on the number of containers it handled in 2015.

Chittagong Port of the country was ranked 87th in 2015, 86th in 2014, 90th in 2013 and 98th in 2008-09 Though such an incident is rarely photographed, this happens often on the highways of Bangladesh. A truck is seen stuck inbetween two buses as it collided with one while trying to overtake . The photo was taken yesterday from Dhaka-Chittagong highway DHAKA TRIBUNE

Female SUST student beaten up on campus n Md Serajul Islam, Sylhet

Even before the country’s people came out of the trauma over the brutal hacking of Khadiza Akhter Nargis by a stalker in Sylhet, a female student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) was mercilessly beatenup on the campus yesterday by two Chittagong University (CU) students during a failed abduction attempt.

The CU students were caught red-handed by SUST teachers and handed over to Jalalabad police station.

The detainees are Kawsar Ahmed, hailed from Paschimbait village under Bohula union of Habiganj Sadar upazila and a student of CU history department, and his younger sister Fahmida Akhter, an IER department student of CU. The victim is a fourth year student of SUST anthropology department.

The incident took place at a time when students and common people are staging demonstrations across the country protesting the

ation President Professor Shamsul Alam and acting proctor Professor Rashed Talukder, on information, reached the spot.

On information, Officer inCharge of Jalalabad PS Akhtar Hossain also reached the campus and the acting proctor handed over the siblings to police. Meanwhile, a number of BCL activists led by SUST BCL leaders Sanjibon Chakrabarti Partho and Abu Sayeed Akhond also reached the spot. They lynched Kawsar snatching him away from the police van.

Several teachers and police personnel were harassed by the BCL activists at that time.

While contacted, confirming the news of Kawsar being lynched, OC Akhtar Hossain said, “A case is being filed against Kawsar under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The victim’s statement has already been recorded.”

In this regard, SUST acting proctor Rashed said: “We have the video footage of the female student being thrashed. We will take necessary steps after we get the student’s statement.” l

brutal hacking of Khadiza by SUST Chhatra League leader Badrul Alam.

Khadiza is still fighting for her life lying unconscious at the intensive care unit of a Dhaka hospital.

Police sources said, during interrogation, Kawsar said he and the SUST female student lived in the same locality. They were introduced to each other on a Facebook group page and since then an intimate relation had developed between them.

Kawsar lives at Bagbari area in Sylhet.

Campus sources said, Kawsar and Fahmida went to the campus around 12:40pm. Going to her hall, Fahmida brought out the student.

The siblings then stubbornly insisted her to ride on the rickshaw with them. As the student refused to follow their order, they started beating her mercilessly in broad daylight.

Sources also said that SUST mathematics department teacher Professor Sajedul Karim, who was passing by them, interfered to save the student. SUST teachers associ-

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

Dhaka

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Chittagong

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Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:39PM

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Rangpur

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This year the Lloyd’s Register ranked Chittagong Port 76th among the 100 busiest container handling maritime ports in the world.

According to Lloyd’s Register, the premier maritime port of the country was ranked 87th in 2015, 86th in 2014, 90th in 2013 and 98th in 2008-09.

Captain Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan, coordinator of the Lloyd’s Register in Bangladesh, handed over the Lloyd’s Register Certificate to the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA)

Khulna

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Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:53AM

35.8ºC Syedpur

24.4ºC Srimangal

Source: Accuweather/UNB

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PRAYER TIMES

Chairman Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal.

The certificate awarding ceremony was held at Shaheed Md Fazlur Rahman Munsi Auditorium in the city yesterday.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, ruling part lawmakers MA Latif, ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, Shamshul Haque Chowdhury, Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, Mostafizur Rahman and Abu Reza Md Nezamuddin Nadwi attended the ceremony, among others.

While addressing the ceremony, Captain Zillur Rahman expressed his optimism about the port and said Chittagong Port would climb to 72nd or 70th position in the ranking if it could manage to handle 2.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers in the current year.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal in his speech informed that the seaport handled 1 million TEUs of containers in 2008 and 2 million TEUs of containers in 2015.

Chittagong Port is the largest maritime port in Bangladesh, located by the estuary of the Karnaphuli River.

Around 90 percent of the country’s export and import is done through the Chittagong Port. l

Sylhet

32

24

Cox’s Bazar

31

27

Fajr: 5:20am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 4:30pm | Magrib: 5:56pm Esha: 8:00pm Source: Islamic Foundation

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

City dwellers paying extra for pre-paid meters n Hedait Hossain, Khulna Aiming to reduce hassle of the customers and ensure smooth supply of power across the Khulna area, West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDCL) has installed prepaid meters in the city. WZPDCL started their work of installing the digital meters in 2014 and after three years it has caused consumers to suffer.

Local consumers alleged after installing the prepaid meters they have to pay extra bills and sometimes authorities deducted 40 percent of recharge money without showing any causes.

Rifat Mahamud, a resident of Haji Mohsin Road in the city said: “After installing prepaid meter I have to pay nearly Tk3000 where I had paid Tk1800 in the past.”

Nurul Alam, a resident of Nabinagar area, who is also facing the same problem said: “Authorities had said consumers did not need to pay any money for prepaid meters but now they are deducting 40 percent of recharge money as meter price.”

However, ignoring the allegation of deducting recharge money, Md Toffazzal Hossain, project dictator, Phase-1 of Prepaid Metering Project for

Khulna, said: “Some people are trying to tarnish our goodwill by spreading rumors.”

Claiming the prepaid meters as cheaper than the analog ones he said: “Now we are installing 31,000 meters in the city and another 31,000 will be installed within June, 2017.”

The engineer also said: “To solve the hassles during the recharge, authorities are trying to implement new recharge system like mobile balance recharge. After implementing the new system consumers will be able to recharge from home.”

As consumers have to pay extra bills in the name of prepaid meters, they organised a human chain to press their demands to ease payment hassles and others on Saturday.

Influential local and political leaders were present at the human chain and they asked the WZPDCL to solve problems created by prepaid meter system immediately.

Earlier, in 2014, WZPDCL started installing prepaid meters replacing the existing conventional meters in Khulna city. The state-owned power distribution company is planning to install 31,000 prepaid meters over the next year. l

Two alleged robbers lynched n Tribune Desk A suspected robber was beaten to death by a mob in Komolnagar, Lakshmipur in the early hours of yesterday.

The deceased has been identified as Abul Hossain, 55, son of late Abdul Haque of Noakhali.

Officer-in-Charge of Komolnagar police station Kabir Ahmed said: “The locals caught Abul Hossain while he was taking preparation for a robbery in the early hours of the day.”

He was severely beaten up by the mob. Later, he was taken to Komolnagar upazila health complex.

After being shifted to Lakshimpur Sadar Hospital, doctor declared him dead, the OC added.

The body has been kept in

the hospital morgue and police are preparing to sue over 100 unnamed people over the incident.

In Jhalkati, a suspected robber was beaten to death by mob at Bil Shonautha village in Kathalia upazila early yesterday.

The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.

Sub-inspector of Kathalia police station, Jashim, said a gang of robbers, numbering 15-16 swooped on the house of one Forkan Khan and looted valuables after keeping the house inmates hostages at gunpoint around 2:30am.

Hearing hue and cry, local people rushed in and chased the robbers. At one stage, they caught one robber while the others managed to flee the scene. l

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Solvent, not poor, gets fair price ration card n Tajul Islam, Gaibandha

Poor peasant Yunus Ali Akand saw a ray of hope when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched a food-friendly programme for the ultra poor people like him; now he could buy 30kg rice at a rate of Tk10 per kg a month during dry season.

He and his family have to struggle to survive during these five months – March-April, and September-November every year.

But, it seems to him that his sufferings are not going to end, as he could not avail the fair price food ration card, whereas Md Atowar Rahman of the same village, who owns 15 bighas of land, has got it.

Both of the above mentioned men are the residents of Idilpur village under Idilpur union in Sadullahpur upazila of Gaibandha.

When Yunus went to the union

Chairman Rabbi Abdullah Rion to get his card, he was told that no card had been issued in his name.

Our correspondent reports after visiting the area that various allegations have been raised against the chairman of the union regarding the cards’ distribution among the people of the union.

Nozmol Hossain, another poor peasant of the same village, alleged that he also had not got the card though his name was in the list.

“When I went to the chairman for my card he told me that somebody had taken my card. But, he told me that he did not know who it was,” Nozmol added.

Badsha Mia, a peasant of Kunjamahipur village, said he was also deprived of the card.

The chairman told him that this year no card was issued in his name.

Under the new social safety net scheme, a total of 1300 cards had been allotted for 1300 ultra poor families of the union in September, said Deputy-assistant Agriculture Officer of the union Waliur Rahman.

There are allegations that welloff families of the locality have got most of the cards, while around 25% of the cards have not been distributed yet.

This 25% of the total cards are sold to some middle men, who purchased rice at Tk10 per kg against the cards, according to local people.

Not only that, Rabbi also helped his cousin Nakir Reza khokon to get a dealership.

Nakir’s shop is just 500 to 600 yards away from the other dealer Zillur Rahman’s shop at Madarhat in 1 No Ward of the union.

As the two dealers’ shops are ad-

jacent, people of Ekbarpur, Chandipur, Alipur, Chaknadi, Dharai, Nishchintopur, Kabilpur and Shonatola Mouza under 3 NO Ward have to come from a distance of eight to nine kilometres.

Besides, people, who purchased rice from Nakir’s shop, complained that they got 25-26 kg rice instead of 30 kg.

A written complaint signed by around 70 people of the union was sent to upazila nirbahi (executive) officer on Wednesday.

The UNO Md Ahsan Habib told the Dhaka Tribune that he had got the letter.

Actions would be taken after an investigation into the matter, said Ahsan.

The chairman said there were some irregularities in the distribution of the cards, which would be solved later. l

Pregnant woman injured in Jessore bomb blast n Tauhid Zaman, Jessore

A pregnant woman was injured in a bomb explosion at Ulasi village, Sharsa upzila, Jessore yesterday morning.

Halima Begum, 26, wife of Shahidul Islam, is now undergoing treatment at Sharsha Upzila Health Complex in critical state.

Farida Yasmin, sister of the victim, said: “A bomb exploded with a big bang, when she was cutting straw for her cattle at the backyard of her house around 9am. Hearing her screams, neighbouring people rushed to spot and found her in a critical state.”

Kajol Mallick, a doctor of emergency department of the health complex, said: “The woman is now under observation. We will be able to say about her health condition after 24 hours.”

Sub-Inspector of Sharsha police station Murad Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that police had visited the spot. A splinter of the bomb hit the abdomen of the expecting mother.

“She is taking treatment under the supervision of gynecologists because she is pregnant.”

He said the bomb might have been kept at the backyard of the house for supervise activities.

“We will look into the matter,” he added. l

The locomotive of Sylhet-bound Parabat Express catches fire yesterday, causing derailment of its several compartments at Noapara Railway Station in Habiganj. Consequently, rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of Bangladesh came to a halt DHAKA TRIBUNE

Six people killed in road accidents n Tribune Desk

At least six people were killed in road accidents that took place in Chittagong, Bogra and Savar yesterday.

Three persons were killed and three others injured after a human haulier locally known as Leguna hit a roadside tree in Mansar Tek area, Patiya upazila, Chittagong yesterday morning.

Sergeant Jillur Rahim of Patiya Highway police outpost said when the bus which was heading towards Chittagong city from Patiya reached Mansar Tek area, its driver lost control over steering and hit a tree around 11am, leaving six

passengers of the human haulier injured.

Two persons died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital while another person died at BGC Trust Hospital, Patiya.

Of the deceased, two were identified as Abu Bakar, 50, and Subrata Talukder, 30.

Meanwhile, a couple was killed as a bus rammed their motorcycle at Majhira on Dhaka-Bogra highway in Shahjahanpur upazila in the afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Shafiqul Islam, 38, and his wife Mukta Begum, 28, residents of Sujabad village in the upazila.

He said Shafiqul and his wife were

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returning home on a motorcycle.

When they reached Majhira, a speeding bus of ‘Ekota Paribahan’ crashed into their bike and two CNG-run auto rickshaws around 3:15pm as its driver lost control over the steering, leaving the couple dead on the spot and the two auto-rickshaw drivers injured.

Meanwhile, a minor boy was killed as a speeding bus hit him at Dosaid on Ashulia road in Savar upazila of Dhaka in the afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Shanti Bin Aleem, 5, son of Yeasin Miah of Kisha Hamid in Sadullapur upazila of Gaibandha district. He used to live with his parents in a rented house at Aukpara in Ashulia. l

Halda River to be declared as Ecologically Critical Area

n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong The Halda River, the only natural carp breeding ground in the world, is going to be declared as an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) soon.

With the latest addition of Halda River, the total number of the ECAs in Bangladesh will rise to 13.

The Halda is going to be the fifth river which will be declared as an ECA. The other four rivers are Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Turag and Balu.

As per the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995, if the government is satisfied that an area is in an environmentally critical situation or threatened to be in such situation, the government may declare such area as an ECA by a gazete notification.

Twelve sites have already been declared as ECA in the country, including Hakaluki Haor, Sonadia Island, Saint Martin’s Island, Teknaf Peninsula (including Cox’s Bazar beach), Tanguar Haor, Marjat Baor, outside of Sundarbans Reserved Forest to an extent of 10km and Gulshan-Baridhara lake.

Md Masud Karim, director, Department of Environment, Chittagong Region told the Dhaka Tribune that the 107km-long river from its upstream to confluence was going to be announced as an ECA within a very short time.

“The activities or process which cannot be initiated or continued in the vicinity of an ECA will also be specified in the gazette. Recently, the government has enacted Ecologically Critical Area Management Rules, 2016. Department of Environment (DoE) is the statutory body to manage an ECA and all necessary measures will be undertaken to save the river,” said the DoE director, adding that no establishment like industrial unit or brick kiln will be allowed within 500 metres on both sides of the river.

During the Bangla months of Baishakh and Jaishtha (April and May) every year, different indigenous species of mother fish, like Catla (Catla catla), Ruhi (Labeo rohita), Mrigal (Cirrhinus marigala) and Kalbaoush (Labeo calbasu) start migrating to the spawning ground from different rivers like Karnaphuli, Matamuhuri and Sangu.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Md Manzoorul Kibria, a researcher and president of Halda River Protection Committee, said: “The ECA is an environmental protection zone. The government in the gazette notification prohibits some activities or processes, which cannot be initiated or continued in an ECA like polluting water by discharging waste or any other activities that could destroy or change the natural characteristics of an ECA.” l

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SOUTH ASIA

At least four killed in Pakistan train bombings Two bombs targeting a train in the restive western Pakistani province of Baluchistan killed at least four people on Friday and wounded 16.

The bombs hit the Jaffer Express which runs between the provincial capital, Quetta, and Rawalpindi, next to the capital, Islamabad, said Kashif Akhtar, a senior railways official in Quetta.

-REUTERS

INDIA

Government opposes triple talaq The central government has told the Supreme Court it opposes a practice that allows a Muslim man to divorce his wife by pronouncing talaq thrice. “Gender equality and dignity of women are non-negotiable and we can brook no compromise,” said the government in an affidavit filed before the court.

-REUTERS

CHINA

China eyes progress at Apec for free trade area China hopes to see progress at next month’s summit in Peru of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) bloc in pushing ahead with a Chinese-backed trade liberalization framework. At an APEC summit in Beijing two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged members to speed up talks on the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) being pushed by Beijing.

-REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Aid agencies call for N Korea funding International aid agencies have called for millions of dollars of funding for an urgent relief effort in North Korea after floods in the country’s remote north-east in August left 70,000 people homeless and 600,000 others in need of humanitarian assistance, including tens of thousands of children.

Officials estimate that 130 people died in the flooding, triggered by Typhoon Lionrock, and another 400 are missing.

THE GUARDIAN

MIDDLE EAST

Turkish troops to stay in Iraq Turkey said Thursday that its troops will remain in Iraq despite Baghdad’s growing anger ahead of a planned operation to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from IS. Baghdad has accused Ankara of risking a regional war by keeping its forces inside Iraq and called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the dispute.

-REUTERS

Dozens of Afghan troops missing from training in US n Reuters, Washington, DC Forty-four Afghan troops visiting the US for military training have gone missing in less than two years, presumably in an effort to live and work illegally in US, Pentagon officials said.

Although the number of disappearances is relatively small, some 2,200 Afghan troops have received military training in the US since 2007, the incidents raise questions about security and screening procedures for the programs.

They are also potentially embarrassing for US President Barack Obama’s administration, which has spent billions of dollars training Afghan troops as Washington seeks to extricate itself from the costly, 15-year-old war. The disclosure could fuel criticism by supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has accused the Obama administration of failing to properly vet immigrants from Muslim-majority countries and has pledged a much tougher stance if he wins.

While other foreign troops on US military training visits have sometimes run away, a US defence official said that the frequency of Afghan troops going missing was concerning and out of the ordinary.

Since September alone, eight Afghan troops have left military bases without authorisation, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said. He said the total number of Afghan troops who have gone missing since January 2015 is 44, a number that has not previously been disclosed.

“The Defence Department is assessing ways to strengthen eligibility criteria for training in ways that will reduce the likelihood of an individual Afghan willingly absconding from training in the US and going AWOL (absent without leave),” Stump said.

Afghans in the US training programme are vetted to ensure they have not participated in human rights abuses and are not affiliated with militant groups before being allowed into the US, Stump said. The defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added there was no evidence any of those who had absconded had carried out crimes or posed a threat to the US. The Afghan army has occasionally been infiltrated by Taliban militants who have carried out attacks on Afghan and US troops,

Afghan national army officers discuss lessons learned alongside Marines and Navy personnel while participating in combat scenario training exercises at US Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, US on January 14, 2010 REUTERS

‘The Defence Department is assessing ways to strengthen eligibility criteria for training in ways that will reduce the likelihood of an individual Afghan willingly absconding from training in the US and going AWOL (absent without leave)’ but such incidents have become less frequent due to tougher security measures.

Trump, whose other signature immigration plan is to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims seeking to enter the country, and has said that law enforcement officers should engage in more racial profiling to curb the threat of attacks on American soil.

After Omar Mateen, whose father was born in Afghanistan, killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June, Trump said an immigration ban would last until “we are in a position to properly screen these people coming into our country.”

Billions of dollars in training

Washington has allocated more

than $60bn since 2002 to train and equip Afghan troops, but security remains precarious and the Taliban are estimated to control more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since 2001 when the US invaded.

Earlier this year Obama shelved plans to cut the US force in Afghanistan nearly in half by year’s end, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there through the end of his presidency in January.

The military training programme brings troops to the US from around the world in order to build on military relations and improve capabilities for joint operations.

In some cases, officials said, the Afghan students who went missing were in the US for elite Army Ranger School and intelli-

gence-gathering training. The officials did not identify the missing troops or their rank.

Even though the troops were in the US for military training, they were not necessarily always on a military base. If students under the military programme are absent from training for more than 24 hours, they are considered to be “absent without leave” (AWOL) and the Department of Homeland Security is notified.

In one case the Pentagon confirmed that an Afghan student had been detained by Canadian police while attempting to enter Canada from the US. It was unclear how many others have been located

by US authorities, and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Experts said low morale and insufficient training to fight the Taliban could explain the troops leaving, in addition to a dearth of economic opportunities in the impoverished country.

“They face a formidable enemy, with very limited resources and many Afghan troops aren’t getting paid on time,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, a Washington think-tank. l

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Islamic State: Why it matters n Tribune International Desk

Cost of the campaign against Islamic State

The Islamic State (IS) group seized swaths of land in Iraq and expanded its territory in Syria in a dramatic blitz in 2014, taking advantage of unrest in both countries. The militant group slaughtered civilians in its march to try to establish a radical caliphate, and has spawned a string of deadly attacks across Europe, the Middle East and the US. In response, the US and a coalition of allies launched a sustained campaign of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in 2014, and have been training, advising and supporting local forces in both countries. Recently, the US added Libya to its airstrike targets to root out extremists at the request of the Libyan government.

While still a potent force, IS militants have lost much of the territory they overran. Meantime, they’ve stepped up attempts to inspire followers abroad to strike on their own, with some devastating results.

The Obama administration has issued an additional emergency funing request, bringing the total to $5.6 billion. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is already spending an average of at least $8.3 million per day to ccmbad the terrorist organisation. See more details on the DOD spending in the chart below.

5

$1.9m

$0.8m

Aug 8 - Sep 19

Sep 20 - Oct 6

$0.3m

$8.3 Million

$.3m

$2.5m

$0.5m

Special Operations Command

Army

Navy

Air Force

$4.7m

$2.6m $.7m Average Daily Cost August 8- October 6

Numbers may not add due to rounding

In-country troop presence totals approximatly q,380. Includes military pay for Air Force Reserve Component called to Active Duty. Excludes $/.5 million of humanitarian assistance provided for displaced persons in Iraq.

ground troops into Syria. We’re going to defeat ISIS without committing American ground troops.”

Donald Trump promises to “bomb the hell” out of IS, and level the oil facilities it controls. He has provided no details, including whether he would increase US airstrikes or commit ground troops.

And US airstrikes have already been doing precision bombing of oil facilities for some time.

Trump has also said he believes

Mitch Central America Deaths: more than 9,000

1998

2004

5 Jeanne Haiti Over 3,000

3

2012

5

6 1

4

Aug 8 - Sep 19

$0.4m

2

Sandy United States, Cuba, Haití 260

Aug 8 - Sep 19

Aug 8 - Sep 19

Sep 20 - Oct 6

2013

Manuel et Ingrid Mexico 157

$3.6m

(Ops in Iraq; Pre-Syria)

DEADLIEST HURRICANES IN THE AMERICAS

6

Sep 20 - Oct 6

Average Daily Cost By Service

Assumption:

1

$8m

US operations against the Islamic State come with a cost

Where they stand

Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, has described a three-part strategy that involves crushing IS on its home turf in the Middle East, disrupting their infrastructure on the ground and online, and protecting America and its allies. All are current elements of the Obama administration’s strategy, so it’s not clear what would change or if she would accelerate any portions of it. She’s vowed, “We are not putting ground troops into Iraq ever again. And we’re not putting

Sep 20 - Oct 6

3

2005

2 4 Katrina United States 1,800

2008 Hanna Haiti At least 500

in enhanced interrogation techniques, which can include water-boarding and other types of torture that are against the law and that many experts argue are ineffective.

Why it matters

The IS group has specifically targeted the US and the West, using its networks, online communications and social media to attract foreign fighters to the front lines and followers in other countries to

take up the fight overseas.

As the group comes under increasing pressure from the airstrikes and US-backed forces in Iraq and Syria, it has turned greater focus on inspiring lone-wolf attacks that are far more difficult to predict and prevent.

In San Bernardino, for example, investigators found that Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife pledged allegiance to the IS militants before the December attack that left 14 dead.

The group has also been linked as a possible inspiration, or claimed responsibility, for the November attacks in Paris; the subway and airport bombings in Brussels; the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shootings, the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice, France, the knife attack at a mall in Minnesota, and more. There are signs that accused New York bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami was radicalised abroad by Islamic extremists, though any ties to IS are tenuous.

President Barack Obama says IS militants have figured out that if they can persuade “a handful of people or even one person to carry out an attack on a subway, or at a parade or some other public venue, and kill scores of people as opposed to thousands of people, it still creates the kinds of fear and concern that elevates their profile.”

The administration, however, has been criticised by some for not moving more aggressively and quickly to drive the group from its strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Some members of Congress have called for a stronger US military response. And officials have expressed frustration over the slow-moving effort to disrupt the militant group’s online presence. l

‘Racist’ Gandhi statue removed from Ghana n Reuters Ghana will move a statue of Mahatma Gandhi from its main university because of his “alleged past racist comments”, the foreign ministry said, while paying tribute to Gandhi’s role as a civil rights leader.

A group of lecturers and students began campaigning for the Indian nationalist leader’s statue to be removed shortly after it was installed at the university in June as a symbol of friendship between Ghana and India. They argue that Gandhi made comments that were racist about Africans and that statues on the Accra campus should be of African heroes.

More than 1,000 people signed the petition, which claimed that not only was Gandhi racist

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towards black South Africans when he lived in South Africa as a young man, but that he campaigned for the maintenance of India’s caste system.

In a statement late on Thursday, the ministry said it was concerned by the acrimony the campaign had generated. “The government would therefore want to relocate the statue from the University of Ghana to ensure its safety and to avoid the controversy,” it said.

Noting that Gandhi had inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world, the statement urged Ghanaians to look beyond the comments attributed to Gandhi and acknowledge his role as one of the most outstanding personalities of the last century. l

USA

US urges war crimes probe of Aleppo strikes US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday accused Russia and the Syrian regime of deliberately bombing hospitals in order to “terrorize” civilians and demanded a war crimes investigation. “These are acts that beg for an appropriate investigation, war crimes. And those that commit these will be and should be held accountable for their actions,” Kerry told reporters.

-AFP

THE AMERICAS

Farc rebels return to Colombia hideouts Farc guerrillas returned to their hideouts in the Colombian jungle and mountains after voters rejected a landmark peace deal with the government, Red Cross sources said. The Marxist rebels had gathered in a remote area known as El Diamante in southern Colombia in preparation for a UN-monitored disarmament process.

- AFP

UK

Blair hints at return to politics to save Brexit UK Former Prime Minister Tony Blair could return to a frontline role in British politics to try to prevent Theresa May’s Conservative Party from destroying the country with a so-called “hard Brexit”, he said in an interview. In an interview with Esquire Magazine, Blair said it was a tragedy that Britons were left with a choice between a Conservative Party intent on a hard Brexit and a Labour Party that he described as “ultra-left” and stuck in the 1960s.

-REUTERS

EUROPE

Russian warship passes through Bosphorus to join Syria mission Russian warship “Mirage” on Friday passed through Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait, heading to the Mediterranean to back up Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria. The corvette, which left Russia’s Sevastopol base in Crimea on Thursday, is on a mission is to protect other navy ships from other ships or submarines.

-REUTERS

AFRICA

22 soldiers killed in attack on Niger refugee camp 22 soldiers have been killed in an attack blamed on jihadists against a camp in Niger sheltering Malian refugees. The attack against the camp in Tazalit, in the Tahoua region some 300km northeast of the capital Niamey, took place in broad daylight on Thursday. Some 30 to 40 heavily armed men speaking in Tuareg carried out the attack. AFP

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ANALYSIS

Saudi Arabia and Iran face off in Afghanistan n Tribune International Desk Saudi Arabia and Iran’s ongoing proxy war in the Middle East is never far from the headlines. The two countries have sparked or exacerbated various conflicts throughout the region, including in Syria and Yemen, two of the most complex and devastating wars in recent history. But another battle between the two regional powerhouses has gone relatively unnoticed, even though it could further destabilise a key strategic theater for the West: Afghanistan.

Despite all the peace efforts, Afghanistan remains highly volatile, with a weak central government and various insurgency groups that maintain considerable influence in the country. Many of these groups have a long history of working with Tehran or Riyadh and sometimes both. Although both capitals fund Islamic centres and various groups in Afghanistan, their respective strategies for the region diverge considerably.

Iran sees Afghanistan as a primary zone of influence, much as it sees Iraq. The two countries share a porous border, as well as cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and economic ties. Iran is also home to a large number of Afghan refugees, and increased instability and insecurity there translate into even more.

Further, narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan fuels Iran’s epidemic of drug abuse. For these reasons, Tehran was already present in Afghanistan when the United States and its Nato allies intervened in 2001. At the time, Iran saw the Nato war as an opportunity and worked with Washington and its partners to defeat the Taliban and stabilise the country. Tehran also leveraged its influence to help build a new national government in Kabul and donated hundreds of millions in aid. Iran has often been a helpful force in Afghanistan, unlike in other similar conflicts it’s involved in, such as Syria.

Saudi Arabia has a long history in Afghanistan as well. Riyadh and private Saudi citizens and charities have spent substantial money in Afghanistan since that country’s war with the Soviet Union. For example, the Saudis promoted Afghan jihad in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the kingdom was the second country to recognise the Taliban government in the late 1990s. Today, Riyadh also has interests in Afghanistan, but it doesn’t see the country as a main theatre of influence. In fact, Afghanistan is to Saudi Arabia what Yemen is to Iran: the top priority for its key adversary, where it can project power without much effort. As a result, the kingdom can use Afghanistan

Afghan security forces keep watch at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan October 5 to poke Iran in the eye, especially as Iran does the same in Yemen.

Afghanistan has another key advantage for Riyadh: it is important to the US. Riyadh increasingly believes that it is being abandoned by the US, and so it seeks ways to assert itself. The recently passed Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows US citizens to sue foreign governments (clearly targetting Riyadh) for terrorist attacks perpetrated on US soil on September 11, 2001, further frustrated the Saudi government, potentially giving it all the more reason to assert itself.

Afghanistan is the perfect place to do so. Saudi Arabia can leverage the groups it’s been funding and supporting to further destabilize Afghanistan, especially in the rural areas, challenge the central authority, and thus disrupt US and Nato efforts to stabilise and develop the country.

But Afghanistan could also become a bargaining chip for Riyadh: Saudi Arabia could use it in possible future negotiations with Washington on military cooperation or with Tehran over regional security. The kingdom could leverage Afghanistan to get more support or military aid, equipment, and weapons from the US and a reduced presence in Yemen from Iran.

Tehran’s and Riyadh’s competition in Afghanistan could translate into increased direct and indirect funding and support for various Islamic centres and insurgency groups. Saudi Arabia works mainly with Sunni groups, but Iran works with a number of groups, both Shia and Sunni (even terrorist groups with anti-Shia agendas).

REUTERS

The growing presence of the Islamic State could encourage Iran to increase its presence there. Iran wants to avoid being sandwiched between two areas of IS influence or control.

With IS still holding swaths of territory to its west in Iraq, Iran wants to avoid having Afghanistan also fall to the group. Moreover, Tehran wants to prevent a rollback

in the progress made in Afghanistan and avert further destabilisation. To achieve these goals, Iran might start working with groups that it doesn’t see eye to eye with (such as the anti-Shia Hezb-e Islami) and may begin to let the Revolutionary Guard Corps become more visibly active there, as it has in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia sees Iran as its number one security threat. This perception is reinforced by the conviction that the kingdom is losing its greatest asset: Washington, which it believes no longer cares about the Middle East. As a result, Riyadh is eager to project power and assert itself while frustrating Iran. For its part, Tehran’s main security concern lies in the weakening and collapse of its neighbours’ central authorities, which leaves a vacuum in which terrorist groups can operate and expand freely. Consequently, Tehran sees Afghanistan as its top priority and wants to make sure that IS doesn’t gain a proper foothold there.

A decade and a half after the Nato intervention in Afghanistan, the possibility of a Saudi-Iranian proxy war in the country adds a new layer and threat to an already complex and volatile situation. l

The full version of of this article appeared in the latest issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, which can be found at http://fam.ag/2djoQ9m

Vietnam declares USbased group terrorists n Reuters Vietnam has declared a United States-based activist group a terrorist organisation and warned that any Vietnamese found to be involved with the group would be regarded as co-conspirators and punished.

The government said the California-based Viet Tan, or Vietnam Reform Party, had recruited and trained operatives to use weapons and explosives.

Vietnam has long been sensitive to the activities of Viet Tan, calling the group “reactionaries” but the announcement carried on state television was the first time it had designated it a terrorist organisation.

The police-run Ministry of Public Security said Viet Tan had trained members in militant activities, kidnaps and murders and arranged for operatives to sneak in to Vietnam to organise protests and instigate violence.

Viet Tan has long been an annoyance for the Communist Party that has ruled since the US-backed South Vietnam government fell to northern forces in 1975, leading to an exodus of more than one million people, mostly to the United States.

It was founded by exiled remnants of the deposed Saigon government in 1982 and states as its mission to “overcome dictatorship and build the foundation for a sustainable democracy”. l

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Heritage

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

The Alexander of Bangladesh Sikander’s life mimics that of the great Macedonian emperor in terms of military achievement, culture, and shadows of patricide centre of Sonargaon, perhaps close to today’s famous Panam City, probably at the now small community of Mograpara, where their influence apparently endured for centuries.

What became known as the period of the Sultanate rulers of the northern Indian sub-continent, saw the settlement of brutal, ruthless regimes, especially in Delhi, and also in the lands that were to become known as Bengal.

The first of those to settle in Bengal appear to have decided that the wealth generated by trade could be most readily acquired by locating themselves to where the great source of local wealth, all ancient routes of international trade and commerce, reached the sea.

There is circumstantial and archaeological evidence that Mograpara may well have

Sikander was the second ruler of the Ilyas Shah dynasty and his reign of 32 years was by far the most enduring of them all; but even he died at the hand of his own son

n Tim Steel

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he famous Macedonian king, Alexander, may well have been the first of the name to impact upon the peoples of the lands that are now those of Bangladesh.

However, his famous name has endured in these lands for twoand-a-half thousand years.

In its Asian variation, Sikander, it remains a common name, especially in the lands east of

Dhaka, where the Khilji, and other refugees from Afghanistan and thereabouts settled in the 13th and 14th centuries.

The peoples of Central Asia who, although regular raiders into the increasingly affluent lands south of the Himalayas for centuries, finally removed more permanently to those lands in the face of the advance of the Mongol hordes that swept across Asia from early in the 13th century.

Like the Khiji, who arrived

in these lands that are now Bangladesh early in the 13th century, many of these “Afghans” were, in fact, descendants of soldiers of Alexander’s Grecian army, that he left in many of the domains that he had conquered, as he withdrew; the advance of his army turned into retreat by fear of the waters of the mighty Ganges, and the might of the men of Gangaridai, of the lands that are now Bangladesh, on the eastern bank.

Originating, many of them, from the areas of today’s Afghanistan, where, even today, the common practice of “bacha baazi,” relationships between men and boys, appears to reflect a somewhat debased version of those Greek origins for which the Greeks are legendarily famous.

Settling, it seems, with their main base somewhere around the top of the deltaic waters of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna, in the ancient

been where they established themselves.

And it is probably no accident that the regimes based there were able, regularly, to mount successful rebuttals to challenges from Delhi; wealth generated from trade can buy a lot of troops.

For much of that very troubled Sultanate period, Bengal was ruled by independent Nawabs. This independence may well, also, have owed a great deal to the wealth of trade generated through Bengal

-- an affluence that was, eventually, in the 16th century, to cause the Mughal dynasty to wrestle for about 50 years to gain control of it.

Indeed, the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, is, famously, said to have referred to Bengal as “the paradise of nations” for its wealth and trade.

But, to describe those centuries as “troubled” would be to underestimate the regular episodes of internecine strife between rulers, their servants, their families, their friends, and even their slaves.

Few regimes endured, and most ended violently. Indeed, few of the rulers of that period of “independent” rulers lasted more than five years, and many of them, far less.

Sikander was the second ruler of the Ilyas Shah dynasty and his reign of 32 years was by far the most enduring of them all; but even he died at the hand of his own son.

“The exalted Sultan, the wisest, the most just, the most liberal and most perfect of the Sultans of Arabia, Persia, and India,” succeeded his father, Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, to the throne in 1358.

His father had migrated from troubled Delhi to serve with the ruler of Saptagram, one of the smaller, independent “Sultanates” of what was to become Bengal, close to the Hoogley River, Izzuddin Yahya.

In 1338, on the death of Yahya, evidently without heirs, he took over the rule, and then commenced a struggle with the rulers of the other great “Bengali,” territories of Lakhnauti (Padua/Gauda), and Sonargaon.

Finally, in 1352, he became

ruler of, effectively, lands that are today’s Bengal, a territory Sikander inherited six years later, in 1358.

Shamsuddin has gone down in the history of the sub-continent as “the second Alexander, the right hand of the caliphate, the defender of the Commander of the faithful,” -- an inscription from Gauda, that is now in the British Museum in

traveller, Ibn Battuta, of the sophistication of Sonargaon in 1346, when he visited it in the reign of Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah, credited as the founder of the independent Sultanate ruled from Sonargaon.

It is not, therefore, hard to see the Sultanate that Shamsuddin built and bequeathed to his son as

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

famous Adina Mosque in Gauda/ Padua, close to today’s border between India and Bangladesh, but also, in all probability, the famous palace described in the journal of the visits to the then Nawab in Sonargaon, of Zheng He, the great Chinese Admiral, made early in the 15th century.

He is also credited with a

In its time, that caliphate was surely one of the most advanced and civilised places in the world, that stood ready to defend itself, but pursued cultural development for preference

London, described him.

His military campaigns were considered, at the time, to be “world conquering.” The claim may seem, today, a trifle hyperbolic; however, his expeditions that not only secured Gauda/Pandua and Sonargaon also took him into Nepal, Orissa, and Assam.

The Bengal Sultanate he established has been described as “one of the leading diplomatic, economic, and military powers in the sub-continent of his time.”

The Sultanate became, it is said, although religiously tolerant, a destination for migrants from across the Islamic world that had, over the previous century, been engulfed by the Mongol hordes.

We have, already, read in the journal of the great Moroccan

something of a triumph of Islamic rule in the caliphate tradition, in the sub-continent.

In 1359, in the process of consolidating his father’s legacy of lands and influence, he firmly established his own independence by defeating the Tughlag Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughlaq, a feat that has already been achieved by his father in establishing the Sultanate of Bengal. The Tughlaq army is said to have comprised 80,000 cavalry, a large infantry, and nearly 500 elephants.

However, the 32 years of his rule was, in fact, characterised more by the peace and security he brought to the territories wrested by his father, and by his own architectural and artistic achievements. Amongst them was not only such as the

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Heritage

construction at Dinajpur, known as the “vault at Ganagarampur.” in Mograpara, which many believe to have been the site of the palace at Sonargoan -- also the site of the tomb of his son, Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah -- there still stands a somewhat mysterious building that could, also, probably only reasonably be described as a “vault.”

However, the reign that had commenced with war, resolved, interestingly enough, it appears, more by diplomacy than direct conflict.

In 1389, Ghiyasuddin, the eldest of his 18 sons, raised a rebellion against him, no doubt, like so many eldest sons of monarchs across the world, through the centuries, tired of waiting for the power.

Seizing the territories of Sonargaon and Satgaon, the entire lands so skilfully built by Shamshuddin descended into conflagration. This was a conflict diplomacy could not resolve. In a battle fought at Goalpara, near Pandua, Sikander was killed, and Ghiyasuddin succeeded him.

Somehow, one modern description of him as a “liberal, scholarly, and peaceful” man has about it, given the circumstances and period of his reign, an air of improbability, and is not easy to reconcile with the lives of most such rulers of the time and region, or, indeed, with his own military achievements.

However, arguably, his rule represented something of an inheritance, rather than from Genghis Khan, from the great days of the Baghdad Caliphate.

In its time, that caliphate was surely one of the most advanced and civilised places in the world, that stood ready to defend itself, but pursued cultural development for preference, in much the same way as the early rulers, at least, of the Ilyas Shah dynasty sought for their Bengali empire.

It is not hard to see, in the history of Sikander, his father, and his son, shadows from the life of the great Alexander, in terms of military achievement and culture, but also the shadows of patricide.

But perhaps no other 30 years in the history of the lands that are now those of Bangladesh have ever quite matched those of the rule of Bangladesh’s own Sikander. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Climate Change

The hottest month in history Saiful Islam and n AKM Meraz Mostafa

J

uly 2016 was the hottest month the planet has been since we started keeping records in 1880.

The month was not only 0.84°C hotter than the 20th century monthly average (when we combine both sea surface and land surface temperature), but also 0.11°C hotter than July last year.

This should be a warning for world leaders to do more to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, and do it fast.

In fact, based on data collected

by NASA, global average temperatures in the last nine months have consistently broken temperature records for that specific month (ie this January was the hottest January ever recorded, this February the hottest February, March the hottest March, etc.).

This means we may be on our way to experiencing the warmest year on record.

Already, the first half of the year 2016 was an average 1.3°C warmer than the pre-industrial levels.

The one caveat is that because of La Nina -- the recurring oceanic and atmospheric pattern across the Pacific Ocean which lowers sea surface temperatures -- the last few months of this will likely be cooler.

While these differences in temperature may seem only slight, at a planetary level they are actually quite significant.

Scientists are already observing

the impacts of this “slight” warming in the form of glaciers melting in nearby Nepal, sealevels rising on the southern coast of the United States, and seasons generally becoming more unpredictable worldwide, which is partly why many Bengalis no longer say there are six seasons in the year as they traditionally used to.

The latest Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change report further predicts that global warming will also bring forth more frequent cyclones, foster the spread of diseases such as malaria, and lead to more extreme weather events such as droughts and heavy rainfall.

As the Dhaka Tribune reported earlier this week, we have already crossed the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million of CO2 in the

atmosphere, which many saw as the point of no return for humaninduced climate change.

At this stage, if countries do nothing to reduce the rate of emissions, scientists predict the concentration of CO2 would increase threefold by the end of the century, causing the planet to warm about 4°C above preindustrial levels.

For Bangladesh — based on research findings of the “High End Climate Impact and Extremes” project conducted at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology — the regional temperature increase under these same conditions could be between 3.7°C and 5.7°C. And even if we moderately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there could still be a global temperature rise above 2°C. This is at odds with the goal of recent UN climate change treaty, the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep planetary temperatures well below 2°C with an ambitious goal of 1.5°C. However, a recent crescendo of devastating impacts -- heatwaves, deadly flooding, storm surges fuelled by rising seas -- has pushed world leaders, particularly in the Global South, and leading scientists to make the ambitious goal of 1.5°C the only goal.

This will only be possible if countries commit to drastically reducing their emissions immediately. The challenge with the Paris Agreement is that -although it recently legally came into force -- it is not legally binding

like the earlier UN climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol.

Unless we are able to keep these temperatures to these goals, countries like Bangladesh will need a lot of support helping their populations adapt to new climate conditions.

While the UN climate body has created the Green Climate Fund, which intends to provide at least USD 100 billion per year by 2020 for climate action, accessing the fund is both challenging and lengthy process.

Yet, given how fast temperatures are increasing, the sooner countries at high risk get access to adaptation funding, the better. l AKM Saiful Islam is a professor of the Institute of Water and Flood Management at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. He can be emailed at akmsaifulislam@iwfm.buet.ac.bd.

Meraz Mostafa works at International Center for Climate Change and Development.

This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

JOKES What do you call a dinosaur wearing a blindfold?

Do you understand the joke?

Lots of dinosaur names end in 'saurus,' which sounds the same as 'saw us' in English!

Find lots more fun things to do at www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids

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Learn English

Š British Council 2016

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Kids

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

fiction

In pursuit of the presents Part 5 of The Magic Ring nNusaiba Zyen I leapt and sped up as fast as I could. The snow was piling up.

I had a plan then. I dug a hole inside the snow, then I grabbed the sack. I took a big breath and then dived inside the hole. Then I was inside, shoving all the snow that came in my way.

The girls had fortunately lost me. “Where is that pesky girl with our presents gone?” questioned one of the middle aged girls.

“Split up and when you find her, run after her and make sure you grab her and bring her to me!

She can’t have those presents!” commanded the eldest girl, selfishly.

I was freezing inside my snowy hiding place. None of those girls who had split up knew where I

was. So I was safe.

I quickly dug the snow above me and I popped out, still with the sack in my hand. I was actually feeling like I was Santa!

I saw a house nearby with a tool shed beside it. I quickly ran and hid inside the shed and kept an eye out for those girls.

I was curious about them.

Why did they want the presents that belong to my family and me? Didn’t they write the letters of what they had wanted for Christmas? Or did somebody else steal their presents and now they were trying to steal ours?

Something strange was going on.

After I had stopped thinking, I saw those girls creeping towards the house that owned the shed where I was hiding. “This can’t be good. It is Christmas Day on this

very day and they are stealing other people’s presents. And the people would have been opening them on this very day! I must do something,” I thought.

Inside the shed, there were many things that belong in a lab. There were chemicals inside triangle shaped glasses, transparent computer screens, big amounts of interesting inventions and finally, commandheeding robots.

And that gave me a great idea. I took the manual and started to read it. There was a large remote control beside the robot. I tested to see if the robot can be controlled well. And it did! I opened the door carefully without it making any noise.

Right at that time, the girls ran to the front door of the house. I

switched on the remote control and started to control it. The robot walked out of the shed, and headed to the front door where the girls were laughing and giggling. I pressed the record button that would record the things I say, in the robot’s voice, and then it would repeat it! I recorded some things that would scare those girls and would compel them to give the robot the presents back. So I pressed the button to make it walk.

“Hey you! Yes, you pesky Christmas thieves! Give me all the presents you have or else, I will

shoot you with laser beams and cook you for Christmas dinner!” said the robot, as I pressed the button to get the robot ready to shoot the laser as his eyes turned red. I tried to muffle up my laughs and giggles which was a very difficult thing to do.

“Aaaaahhh!” screamed the girls. “Just give him the presents back. We’ll steal some from another house!” commanded the eldest girl. The girls gave the robot the sack of presents back and set off in a flash to another house. l

Photo: Bigstock

colour it

Photo: Bigstock

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

b o ok

Bad luck family The Grunts in Trouble Author: Philip Ardagh Illustrator: Axel Scheffler Series: The Grunts Age: +7 Meet Mr and Mrs Grunt and their son, Sunny, who isn’t really their son. They stole him from a washing line as a baby because Mr Grunt decided that he would make a perfect present for Mrs Grunt. Mrs Grunt knows that boys like blue, so she dyed her old dresses and put him in those.

Follow their adventure, in their homemade caravan and the two donkeys (Clip

and Clop) who pull it along.

They never stop anywhere for long, because trouble just seems to find them no matter what.

When they try to buy an elephant, they get caught between Lord Bigg of Bigg Manor, Bigg-hater Larry Smalls, Mimi the Bigg Manor boot boy and a swarm of angry bees.

The book is packed with plenty of jokes which will

surely make you laugh your pants off, and the weird characters make the comic like story line more attractive to the eye. Jokes apart, it is an easy read for those who are looking for a short funny story. The artwork is perfect for this book, adding the perfect comic feel to it. The Grunts are neither clean nor clever, but their adventures are definitely interesting. l

movie

toy

Save the turkey!

Arr why so angry?

Free Birds

Angry Birds Go! Pirate Pig Attack Game Want to be an angry pirate knocking off the swashbuckling piggies from their pirate ships? Then Angry Birds Go! Pirate Pig Attack Game is just the right game for you. Two karts, one bird and five enemy pigs to take down! All you have to do is launch your bird using your launcher and topple the pirate ship out so that the pigs can fall. And if you succeed, you are the feather flying champion of this Angry Birds Game! Get one more player to join you and launch the battle. Construct your ship and let the pigs regret being your enemies! l

Free Birds is a 2013 3D computer animated film featuring the voices of Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler.

Reggie, the turkey, has always dreaded Thanksgiving because turkeys are always the main course on the dinner table. When his fellow fouls try and send him off as the

turkey to sacrifice, with a lucky twist of fate, Reggie is dubbed as the “pardoned turkey” by the President of the United States and is taken to an official facility called “Camp David.” When Reggie is suddenly kidnapped from the camp by Jake, he is given the mission to transport

back in time to the very first Thanksgiving and take turkeys off from the menu once and for all. Now it is up to Reggie to travel through history and save his race.

A fun watch though a little drab at times, Free Birds is nevertheless an entertaining movie to watch.l

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Kids

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

magic trick

d iy

The nine times trick

Carrying the groceries

How to do it: 1. Hold your hands in front with your fingers spread out.

2. For 9 X 3 bend your third finger down. (9 X 4 would be the fourth finger and so on) 3. You have two fingers in front of the bent finger and seven after the bent finger.

4. Therefore the answer must be 27.

• This technique works for the 9 times tables, up to 10! l

Apple print bags Don’t we love carrying trendy backpacks to school? Well, read on to find out how you too can get yourself a cool apple printed bag which will make heads turn when you walk in the corridors of your school.

Things you’ll need: • Apple • Knife • Paintbrush • Paint • Markers (optional) Instructions Firstly, you are required to cut the apple in half from top to bottom. Get an adult to help you do this in order to avoid accidents. While cutting the apple, make sure that the cut is plain and even. Then apply paint to the internal surface that has been cut. Use a paintbrush to achieve this and you are good to go. Begin stamping it on the bag’s surface, where ever you wish to place an apple print. Use more apple halves with different colours for colourful variations.

You may even draw out leaves or branches using markers. l

playlist • “I’m a Believer” (From Shrek)

• “Cruella de Vil” (From 101 Dalmatians)

• “The Never Ending Story” What you’ll need (From Neverending Story) • Two plastic cups Acrylic paint • “At the Beginning” • (From Chart papers Anastasia) • Pencils • Brushes • Cellotape • Scissors • Glue

• “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (From Toy Story)

Instructions Take two plastic cups and stick them at the end of each other with your cello tape. Then, take your pencil and draw out circles on a chart paper. Inside the circles, draw another circle. Then, using your art scissors, cut them out and use your cello tape to stick them at both ends like handles.

Finally, use you acrylic paint and colour the whole thing. Use glue to stick some nice buttons or cut out alphabets on your chart paper, colour them and stick them to your trophy. Gift it to your dad, rewarding him as the best dad ever!!

• “The Bare Necessities” (From Jungle Book) • “You’ll Be in My Heart”

(From Tarzan) • “That’s How You Know” (From Enchanted) • “Beyond the Sea” (From Finding Nemo) • “Alone Again” (Naturally) (From Stuart Little 2)

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

ric eel facts Elect

Diving in for a shock • Electric eels are known as the electric wonders of the sea.

• The scientific name for electric eels are Electrophorus electricus because of their ability to produce electricity.

• Electric eels reside in the shallow and muddy areas of Amazon and Orinoco rivers in South America.

• Despite it’s name, the electric eel is actually similar to a catfish.

• Almost eighty percent of their body holds electricity stored in their organs, which is used to stun their prey and also for self-defence.

• An electric eel has around 6000 cells known as electroplaques which can generate 860 volts of power. l

fun science

istry facts chem

Cloud in a bottle

Cool chemistry

Control the clouds!

• Although it is still debated, it is largely recognised that the word ‘chemistry’ comes from an Egyptian word “khēmia”, meaning the transmutation of earth.

What you’ll need: • Parental guidance • Plastic water bottle with a sports cap • Warm water • Matches

• The use of various forms of chemistry is believed to go back as long ago as the Ancient Egyptians. By 1000 BC, civilisations were using more complex forms of chemistry such as using plants for medicine, extracting metal from ores, fermenting wine and making cosmetics out of fat. l

How to: • Pour a little bit of water into the plastic bottle.

• Put the cap back on, but leave it open.

• Light the match, then blow it out so it smokes.

• Suck the smoke into the bottle by squeezing the bottle gently a few times.

• Close the cap.

• Squeeze the bottle and then release it.

• Repeat the steps several times.

Explanation : Clouds are more likely to form when it’s cold. When the bottle is squeezed, the pressure increases, and that forces the water vapour to to squeeze together or compress. When the bottle is released, the pressure is released quickly, and this makes the

temperature inside the bottle to fall. As a result, the water vapour now sticks together, or begins to condense. The smoke particles

allow the water molecules to condense and stick together around the smoke, giving you your cloud in a bottle! l

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20 Editorial

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

INSIDE

Violence is a culture now Believing that a person is the hero or the villain and should be treated as such without any further verification is nothing but mob justice, which in itself happens to be a brand of injustice PAGE 21

Trump, America, and the Muslim World When Muslims who are more sensitive to the plight of the Ummah see Donald Trump potentially supplanting Hillary Clinton in the White House, they just don’t see another presidential turnover in the US PAGE 22 DHAKA TRIBUNE

A menace to society A lesson for our schools The government monitors the activities in many sectors such as apparel, telecom, banking, etc. However, there’s no such mechanism to monitor what’s happening in the educational institutions 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.

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oo many times, BCL members have been the root cause of violence at university campuses and elsewhere.

The hacking of Sylhet Government Women’s College student Khadiza Akhter Nargis, only 23 years old, at the hands of Badrul Alam, a BCL leader at Sylhet University of Science and Technology, is the latest among many such incidents.

Time and time again BCL members and leaders have wreaked havoc on otherwise peaceful university campuses, hurting countless innocents.

Khadiza now lies in critical condition in a Dhaka hospital, desperately fighting for her life.

In July, Chittagong University was subjected to BCL’s brutality, leaving three injured, and hurting the university’s day-to-day activities, leading to class suspensions.

And in June, a BCL leader was killed during a spout of gunshot violence between aspiring members.

And who could forget the downtrodden image of Muhammad Zafar Iqbal last year after the student political organisation’s members assaulted a group of teachers who had been demonstrating peacefully outside of the SUST campus?

The pattern here is clear: Bangladesh Chhatra League has become a menace to society. And they must be reined in before things deteriorate further.

Chhatra League has been given enough chances to get their act together, and they have repeatedly flouted the law in the name of politics. An association with the political party in power does not an immune organisation make.

No more blood should be spilled at the hands of these hooligans posing as student leaders. The government and the police need to rein in these thugs and make sure we have no more Khadizas struggling to stay alive.

This has to stop and it has to stop now.

BCL has become a menace to society. And they must be reined in before things deteriorate further

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Opinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Violence is a culture now Our society has a morbid fascination with violence

The hacking of Khadiza is not an isolated incident

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Believing that a person is the hero or the villain as he or she is made out to be and should be treated as such without any further verification is nothing but mob justice, which in itself happens to be a distinctive brand of injustice

n Fardin Hasin

I

’m not sure what to make of the latest in our series of violence against women: Must I be sad? Angry? Surprised?

Shocked?

Or indifferent? Because sadness didn’t work the first time, anger didn’t work the second, and in a country as violent as ours, any display of power, no matter how brutal, is hardly shocking. It’s so horribly usual that people these days shrug it off even before they’ve read or heard the whole story.

And the stories are the same over and over again: Neither the motives nor the bureaucratic complications that seem to haunt

our law enforcement agencies ever change. Neither does the media or the public’s role. We shed a few tears, demand that the culprit be thrown to the lions, and spend a few extra minutes trying to express our feelings through our Facebook statuses: Anything that can help us express our rage and our craving for justice.

A social media addict like me won’t complain about Facebook statuses. With a government as controlling as ours, the media outlets are often unwilling or unable to express public sentiments in their entirety. Social media lacks the constraints set by our authorities (regulation of advertisements, for one) and allows people to express their

“raw” opinions, unfiltered by technical jargon and ideological tailoring (at least in some cases).

These “raw” opinions are not always politically correct, and in more than a few cases, the criticism is directed at the victims for any perceived immodesty on their part (because patriarchy dictates it’s always the woman’s fault). And in most others, they consist of a demand for immediate capital punishment.

Not justice, mind you. Nobody ever demands an investigation followed by a charge sheet followed by a trial. Just hang them -- this has become the norm.

I am not personally against capital punishment but the thing is, it can be only administered by a

legal authority after a fair judicial process. Yet, somehow, every time a crime occurs in this country, everyone becomes hell-bent on playing the judge and the jury.

And mind you, the culprit is almost never referred to as a “suspect.” Rather, he/she is simply called the “murderer,” with the adjective “alleged” never being put in front of his/her name. This practice isn’t just done by the aam jonota on Facebook; even respectable media outlets do this.

What’s worse is that nobody bats an eye. Nobody questions the narrative that the media represents. I will admit that there’s something really anomalous (some might even say hypocritical) about debating the objectivity of the media through the media, but I don’t really have a lot of options here. Put it as a paradox: No matter how truthful and sincere I sound, my words shouldn’t be taken as the absolute truth.

How is the discussion on the objectivity of the Bangladeshi media or mine relevant to the attempted murder of Khadiza?

To answer that, we would have to travel back in time to 2012.

Some newspapers known for their pro-government stance report a young political cadre belonging to the pro-government student faction getting brutally beaten up by a notorious opposition faction. The attack leads to a piece written by a respected intellectual criticising the aforementioned opposition faction.

Pro-government media outlets strongly denounce the attack, and are not the least hesitant to demand justice for the victim.

If this story had been true, I’d have no problem with any of it; the denouncement of violence-loving political factions and the demand of justice would only have been necessary and appropriate. But as reported by a Bengali newspaper, the young political cadre wasn’t beaten up due to his political inclinations.

He had been harassing a young lady he was obsessed with, and during the course of one such incident, the locals had decided that enough was enough and took the law into their own hands: By beating the youth up rather mercilessly.

I’m assuming you guys have correctly guessed the identity of the political cadre and the young lady. You might even know the newspapers which had published the now revealed-to-be falsified story.

But have any of us ever thought

that, if this particular young cadre hadn’t been celebrated four years ago as a somewhat hero, would it have been possible for him to climb up the ladders of his political party? Without the “street cred” being donned on him by some parts of the media and intelligentsia, would he have been able to gain the political power that made him feel confident about getting away with his crime, or even allowed him to feel ruthless about committing it?

I have not done the necessary research to present a conclusive answer to these questions, but I think we can safely say that those who had contributed to this false narrative have some blood on their hands. And those among us who believed it don’t have clean hands either.

That doesn’t mean we’ll stop believing. We’ve taught ourselves not to question the conclusions that are often forced upon us by our politicians, intellectuals, and media. It will take more than just the discovery of one falsified story to shake our beliefs. We’ll continue believing that it was Badrul and Badrul alone who had committed the heinous deed, because that’s what has been reported. And we are so convinced that we don’t hesitate for even a second to demand that Badrul be killed immediately and mercilessly.

It’s probably safe to say that this time, the story isn’t false.

However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask for a proper investigation followed by a credible charge sheet leading to a fair trial whose judgments are supposed to be as truthful and objective as is sanely possible.

Believing that a person is the hero or the villain as he or she is made out to be and should be treated as such without any further verification is nothing but mob justice, which in itself happens to be a distinctive brand of injustice.

What also terrifies me is that we look at each and every one of these violent crimes as isolated incidents, and I’m not just speaking on the nature of the crimes such as the one discussed here. Among other things, I’m also referring to the violent political scenario of our country, with the not-so-latest addition of terrorism.

The only conclusion I have is that our society has a morbid fascination with violence which is increasing steadily. And we don’t even want to acknowledge it, much less solve it. l Fardin Hasin is a freelance contributor.

DT

22

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Long-Form

Trump, America, and the Muslim World What does the Muslim world think of Trump? This is the first part of a three-part long-form

n Shafiqur Rahman

I

n the aftermath of the first US Presidential Debate, I made a short and exasperated observation in social media that Donald Trump’s most steadfast non-American supporters seem to be Muslims living outside the US, many of whom are quite openly rooting for Trump to win.

It was a grossly generalised statement made in a moment of despair. Justifiably, I got pushback from my social media acquaintances quite sharply. This is an attempt for a more nuanced and thought-through elaboration of my views.

So far, only a couple of general surveys have been made internationally among G20 countries to gauge opinion about Trump, and they show that Trump has more support than Hillary only in one country; very predictably in Russia. In all other countries, Trump has net negative ratings to various extents. Indonesia, India, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia were among the countries where Trump has largely negative ratings as a potential president.

Although statistical evidence so far show that overall, people in Islamic countries do not support Trump over Clinton, some studies on media of Islamic militant organisations and their supporters have argued that those who harbour strong political Islamist or Neo-Caliphate leanings want a Trump presidency strongly.

These studies are mostly based on anecdotal evidence, not data and statistics. One particular study in the venerable Foreign Affairs magazine -- a study on IS social media and interview with its members -- caught the attention of the world.

Islamic extremists support Trump for various reasons but two of them stand out. First of all, jihadists feel that Trump’s unrestrained anti-Muslim rhetoric will be a great recruitment tool for them both in the Muslim world and among Muslims living within the West. If he starts impulsive attacks upon Muslims countries, that will drive more Muslims into the folds of extremism.

The second reason is that jihadists feel that Trump is an unhinged, loose cannon whose erratic leadership will lead to a drastic decline in American power and also lead to a breakdown of the world order. They hope that in a more chaotic environment, their goal of establishment of a

transnational Caliphate would be easier. It should be said that extremist support for Trump does not appear to come from a coherent political position.

Hardline Shias have applauded Trump for his tough words against Wahhabism and IS while hardcore Sunnis hope that a President Trump will roll back US efforts of rapprochement with Iran. But it is clear that political Islamists of all sorts follow the US election very closely as they think that their future opportunities and strategies are intimately tied with the person to be anointed on the inaugural day.

While we have read the views of Islamic extremists on a possible Trump presidency, the views of a large section of people who are politically more moderate but nevertheless somewhat sympathetic to political Islam have not yet appeared in political studies.

Based on anecdotal evidence, one can safely comment that such sympathisers are not actively wishing for Hillary to win and many of them may be rooting for a Trump triumph.

What could be the reasons for wanting such an outcome? Let

giving a blank check to Israel in its determination to maintain occupation and continue marginalisation of Palestinians in their own homeland.

So, when Muslims who are more sensitive to the plight of the Ummah see Donald Trump potentially supplanting Hillary Clinton in the White House, they just don’t see another presidential turnover in the US, they see an establishment-upending regime change in the world order itself.

They see some kind of payback for all the destabilisation and sufferings that US power initiated in the Muslim world.

Muslims within the US have a very different view of Trump. They have been living comfortable, secure lives, enjoying the rights and freedoms of a liberal political order. Trump is a direct threat to that political order and a direct threat to the security and prosperity of many Muslims within the US. That’s why most of them view Trump as an existential threat.

Muslims living in their hot and unhappy homelands in the subtropics already see their day to day existence as precarious; they have nothing to lose from a Trump

Plenty of Muslims want Trump to win

When Muslims who are more sensitive to the plight of the Ummah see Donald Trump potentially supplanting Hillary Clinton in the White House, they just don’t see another presidential turnover in the US, they see an establishment-upending regime change in the world order itself

me briefly paraphrase the gist of the arguments very eloquently expressed in my social media circle.

Even more than Obama or any other person, perhaps Hillary Clinton is the current global face of the US political-military-economic establishment that has been actively shaping the world order for many decades. The Muslim world has no love lost for this establishment.

This establishment has been propping up repressive autocracies and changing regimes through coups and violent revolutions whenever it suited its purposes.

The establishment has launched one war after another in Muslim countries, wars that have devastated societies indelibly and caused deaths of millions directly or indirectly.

This establishment has been

presidency, and may even get some satisfaction in seeing destiny delivering comeuppance.

This is a powerful statement.

I cannot truthfully say to what extent this thinking reflects the views of the Muslim middle; my instinct says a lot. Those of us who think that a Trump presidency is going to be very bad for not only America but for the rest of the world, including the Muslim world, should address these sentiments directly. Disregarding the wise words “fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” let me offer in this short space an argument for why I think that rooting for Trump is yet another despairing gesture by politically active Muslims to burden the US as the source of all their torments, and not go through genuine, critical self-examination.

Few objective observers of

international affairs will deny that US foreign policy in the Muslim world since the Second World War has been full of imprudence and mistakes. At times, US policy and implementations were downright immoral and criminal according to standards set by ideas of international society and international justice, ideas which were crystallised hundreds of years ago.

It’s not that citizens of the US are unaware of their country’s moral failings on the world stage.

Since the Vietnam era there has been great and significant internal opposition within the US to immoral foreign policies.

All objective observers will also agree that, on the whole, Muslim countries of the world are experiencing different levels of political dysfunction and social pathology than most other

REUTERS

countries of the developing world. In a recent NY Times op-ed, noted cognitive scientist and author Steven Pinker noted that “the world’s wars are now concentrated almost exclusively in a zone stretching from Nigeria to Pakistan, an area containing only a sixth of the world’s population.

Far from being a ‘world at war,’ as many people believe, we inhabit a world where five out of six people live in regions largely or entirely free of armed conflict.”

To demonstrate that it is US policy that is the main cause of this dysfunction, one has to show that US policy has been especially malicious towards Muslim countries with a special objective of retarding social and political progress.

I firmly believe that international affairs do not show any such direct one-to-one connection between US policy and dysfunction in Muslim countries. I think that it is incumbent upon the politically aware Muslims to look inwards more for understanding the multitudinous causes of dysfunction. l The second part of this long-form will be published tomorrow.

Shafiqur Rahman is a political scientist.

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23

Opinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

A lesson for our schools Proper monitoring is needed to improve our educational institutions

n Ekram Kabir

O

ur Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid recently said that the government cannot know about the irregularities in schools, as parents never lodge any grievances to the authorities about them.

The government only comes to know about the irregularities from the mass media, he further claimed.

I appreciated the minister’s shout-out to the journalists for helping out in fixing our educational institutes. But I also feel like issuing a note of caution to the minister for engaging the media as the only source of information.

The government itself should have its own fact-finding mechanism about the state of affairs of the nation’s educational institutions.

However, as long as he and his ministerial team get the information, we, the common people are happy.

I wish I could meet our minister and hold a long meeting to tell him what our generation went through and our children go through in our educational institutions as far as irregularities are concerned.

Some of our parents had similar experiences regarding schools and colleges.

If our experience is any indicator, parents are quite scared of school authorities, as they think their children would be ill-treated if they inform the government about any irregularities.

Bangladeshi school authorities are not yet ready to talk about any kind of irregularities on their part.

They think everything they do is right.

Allow me to cite an example of this specific attitude: A few years ago, an English-medium school suddenly raised its tuition fees by an unusual scale. Some parents were opposed to it, even going to court with the issue.

While the matter was being dealt with in court, the school authorities weren’t taking any fees. However, when the issue was finally resolved, the parents paid the tuition fees for their children.

The parents, who went to court, also wanted to pay the arrear, but the school authorities refused to take any money from them and started giving their children the cold shoulder so to speak.

The parents were compelled to find a new school for their children.

Our students deserve better

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

The government monitors the activities in many sectors such as apparel, telecom, banking, etc. However, there’s no such mechanism to monitor what’s happening in the educational institutions. The possible problems that are faced by the students go grossly unnoticed

There have been various such incidents where parents of the students stopped complaining against any irregularities of the schools their children attended.

Whatever happens at the schools remains inside those walls and in the minds of the parents.

There are schools that charge exorbitant fees but the parents don’t talk about it.

The government monitors the activities in many sectors such as apparel, telecom, banking, etc. However, there’s no such mechanism to monitor what’s happening in the educational institutions. Yes, of course, we have upazila education officers who keep an eye on the regulatory aspects of the educational

institutions, but the possible problems that are faced by the students go grossly unnoticed.

This is an unspoken area -- a kind of taboo. Parents don’t talk about them even if their children face any kind of problem at the places of learning. The school authorities don’t show any eagerness to resolve the issues if parents raise their voices against them.

Running an educational institution is a huge responsibility -- they pave the way for any nation’s future, after all. In our country, we have already seen that students are often made subject to excessive use of physical force or corporal punishment at schools.

The institutions often restrict, and

even violate, students’ rights, and they also sometimes fail to address any special needs of students.

The government needs to display more agency in tackling these issues. There has to be a protectionist approach to parents who might come up with complains of irregularities.

There is a pressing need for some form of mechanism that would protect our children from being victimised by educational institutions when they learn that the parents of a particular student have rightfully lodged a complaint against them.

It’s the government who should provide courage to the parents. l Ekram Kabir is a writer.

DT

24 Sport

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Stokes edges Imrul in battle of tons

TOP STORIES

n Mazhar Uddin Buttler does it once again Jos Buttler has been one of English cricket’s key players, especially in the last 18 months or so. Buttler has played 78 ODIs for England so far with an eye-catching strike rate of 120 and yesterday, he played his natural game yet again. PAGE 25

Bangladesh face England in opener The third edition of the Kabaddi World Cup got underway yesterday in Ahmedabad, India with the participation of 12 teams.

Bangladesh have been grouped with India, South Korea, Australia, Argentina and England. PAGE 26

England to host first D/N Test against WI Edgbaston will host the first day/ night Test ever staged in the United Kingdom when England face the West Indies in Birmingham in August next year, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Wednesday. PAGE 27

Italy fight back to hold Spain Daniele De Rossi’s late penalty rescued a point for Italy against Spain in a heavyweight World Cup qualifier on Thursday, as Wales played out an entertaining draw in Austria. Spain dominated possession against the Italians in Turin. PAGE 28

England centurion Ben Stokes executes a delightful reverse sweep during their first ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Mashrafe still believes in series win n Ali Shahriyar Bappa

Bangladesh limited-over captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza expressed disappointment with the result of the first ODI against England in Mirpur yesterday and said they should have won the match which they eventually lost by 21 runs.

Mashrafe though said they will learn from their mistakes and believes there are still chances of making a comeback and winning the series.

“We should have won this game. We needed 39 runs from 52 balls with six wickets in hand at one stage so the loss is disappointing. I think we could have tried to approach it differently,” Mashrafe told the media after the game.

“Maybe we could have batted slowly. We are upset. We should have batted more smoothly with five runs per over the asking rate.

“We will think about the loss because there will be a lot of discussions regarding this game outside the team. We can also take it pro-

fessionally and think that we have two matches in hand. We have every chance to return to the series. I think we have no alternative but to think positively,” he said.

Mashrafe defended left-arm spinner Mosharraf as he experienced a below-par performance.

Mosharraf bowled only three overs yesterday, conceding 23 runs. But most importantly, he dropped two important catches at crucial junctures of England’s innings.

“We are training together for years but he just came off club cricket. We also make mistakes so playing at this level is harder for him. He was bowling to left-handers who were going after him and when I wanted to bring him back into the attack, he had injured his hand. He really had a bad day,” he said.

Mashrafe admitted that their ground fielding should improve immediately as in the last few matches, Bangladesh committed mistakes which eventually turned out to be costly.

“Fielding cost us. If we could

have taken those catches, we could have stopped them for around 280-290 runs. The mindset would have been different. We don’t bat in these wickets or chase 300 every day. We have to work hard to improve our fielding,” he said.

Mashrafe went on to say Mushfiqur Rahim is still one of their best batsmen and that it is unfortunate that questions are being raised against him.

Mashrafe is of the opinion that Mushfiq will come good, and soon.

“He is one of the best batsmen in the team. I think it is sad that there are questions about him after just three or four matches. He will return in the right time,” he said.

Mashrafe concluded by praising centurion Imrul Kayes, who smashed his second ODI hundred on way to making a fine 119-ball 112.

“Imrul doesn’t get chances often. He always drifts in and out of the side. His performance outside the national team was really good. He proved that he can go big at this level,” he said. l

The first of the three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and England witnessed centuries from either side as Imrul Kayes and Ben Stokes stole the show for their respective teams.

Stokes was rather cautious when he came to the crease as England were struggling on 63/3 after electing to bat. But the left-hander soon shifted his gear with the help of some delightful strokes. The 25-year old reached his 50 in 45 balls and continued to manufacture strokes all across the field as he made full use of the batting-friendly wicket.

Stokes ensured his side would eventually post a big total after pairing with debutant Ben Duckett and adding 153 runs for the fourth wicket.

Stokes though was lucky not once but twice as the Bangladeshi fielders provided him with some much-needed support. First, he was dropped on 69 by Mahmudullah at mid on and it was followed by another grassed sitter from Mosharraf Hossain in the span of just two runs.

The dropped opportunities forced Stokes to become more watchful as he smashed only three fours on his to way to registering his maiden ODI ton. He was dismissed after scoring 101 off exactly 100 deliveries, his innings studded with four sixes and right fours.

But it was Imrul who made sure of grabbing his rare opportunity with both hands as he continued from where he had left off against England in the practice match.

He started off by sending a clear message to the English bowlers as he picked up one delivery outside the off stump and smashed it through the mid-wicket region for a huge six off just the third ball of the innings.

The 29-year old overshadowed his opening partner Tamim Iqbal and took charge of the Tigers’s innings. He remained focused and despite losing partners at the other end, the Meherpur cricketer continued to dominate the show, reaching his fifty in 54 balls.

Imrul was quite determined and in no mood to throw his wicket away in spite of cramps. Soon, he understood the situation of the game as his side needed him to stay till the latter overs and he did exactly that.

Shakib al Hasan then played the role of the aggressor while Imrul provided him able support.

Imrul finally reached his hundred but just when it appeared that he would guide his side home, he was stumped by Jos Buttler off leg-spinner Adil Rashid. He made 112 off 119 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. l

25

DT

Sport

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

BANGLADESH V ENGLAND 1ST ODI, PLAYS OF THE DAY MASHRAFE TAKES 50TH ODI CATCH Bangladesh limited-over captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza reached yet another milestone as he grabbed his 50th ODI catch. Currently, he holds the record for taking the highest number of catches as a Bangladesh fielder. Mashrafe touched the 50-catch milestone in his 162nd match. Mahmudullah and Shakib al Hasan have both taken 39 catches but the former achieved it in 129 matches as opposed to the latter’s 161. Mashrafe took a catch during the Afro-Asia Cup match when he grasped the catch of AB de Villiers off the bowling of Mohammad Rafique.

YET ANOTHER DROP OFF TASKIN’S BOWLING Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed can consider himself unlucky as yet another catch was dropped off his bowling.

Catches have been dropped quite a few times off his bowling in recent matches. This time around, Mahmudullah grassed Ben Stokes’ catch when he was batting on 69 inside the 31st over. The dropped opportunity proved to be costly for the hosts as Stokes scored his maiden ODI hundred and finished his innings on 101 off 100 deliveries.

MOSHARRAF’S SLOPPY FIELDING

Young Tigers fan Ahnaf reacts during the first ODI between Bangladesh and England at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. Ahnaf, accompanied by his big brother, reads in Preparatory Grammar School and lives at Mirpur 10 SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Ball: Never experienced crowd like Mirpur before n Ali Shahriyar Bappa Makeshift England ODI captain Jos Buttler is happy and relieved after his troop produced a stunning comeback to win the first game of the threematch series against Bangladesh in Mirpur yesterday.

“It was bit of a roller coaster. I thought our first half was fantastic, it was a fantastic partnership, Ben Duckett was calm and composed. Ben Stokes again showing that maturity and everything we want to be as a side to play in that fashion at 60 for 3 and take those aggressive tactics we talk about,” Buttler told the media after the game.

“It was brilliant from [Jake] Ball, he got us back in the game with those two balls. Brilliant five-wicket haul. The condition had changed and the ball was coming on to the bat very well. I thought we bowled fantastically well,” he said.

Buttler is pleased with how the team handled the pressure to snatch the win from the jaws of defeat and said they will gain a lot of confidence from such wins in tricky conditions.

“I think a lot of guys will take confidence from the way we played. We have proved ourselves that we can play in the fashion we want to in these conditions. We were brave to

do that. We took it on and that was probably one of the most pleasing things,” he said.

The wicketkeeper-batsman praised the Bangladesh batsmen, particularly the part-

England fast bowler and debutant Jake Ball sends down a delivery during the first ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur yesterday MI MANIK

nership between Imrul Kayes and Shakib al Hasan, and said breaking that partnership was the key moment of the game.

“Those two guys played fantastically well. We know what Imrul is capable of, we played against him before, he is in good form and played really well. Obviously that partnership was taking the game away from us. We needed to break it and it happened.

When we did it, we showed that hunger to win the game,” he said.

Meanwhile, man of the match Ball expressed delight with his match-winning performance, that too in his international bow in ODIs. “It was obviously a debut you can’t forget really. Just wanted to come into the side and show what I can do when you get opportunities. When the opportunity comes, it’s all about taking them and hopefully I have shown that I can do it in this level,” he said.

“Obviously it is incredible to get the five-wicket haul on debut. The crowd is incredible, something I have never experienced before. It was all in a bit of fun,” he added. l

Bangladesh have made significant improvements in the fielding department in the last two years or so. But it was hardly evident in the first ODI against England. Bangladesh drooped three catches at crucial junctures. First, Mosharraf Hossain dropped Stokes in the 32nd over off Mashrafe’s bowling.

Stoke charged down the wicket and got a top-edge that went high in the air but Mosharraf dropped him at deep extra cover.

Mosharraf also dropped a well-set Ben Duckett in the 35th over at backward square leg when the debutant swept hard from outside leg stump. But a diving Mosharraf failed to grab the ball as yet another chance went begging.

REVERSE SWEEP STRATEGY England batsmen played the Bangladesh spin bowling attack in an impressive manner in the first ODI. England were in some sort of trouble when they lost three quick wickets. Then left-hander Duckett and all-rounder Stokes took the game away from Bangladesh’s grip. They played fluently against the slow bowlers. Both Stokes and Duckett executed the reverse sweep on numerous occasions, scoring plenty of runs against the tweakers.

BUTTLER DOES IT ONCE AGAIN Jos Buttler has been one of English cricket’s key players, especially in the last 18 months or so. Buttler has played 78 ODIs for England so far with an eye-catching strike rate of 120 and yesterday, he played his natural game yet again. England were on the backfoot after losing three quick wickets for the addition of 63 runs. But the visitors continued to play positively and were heading towards a big total. And in the latter stages of the innings, Buttler played his part too. He played a superb captain’s knock of 63 off just 38 balls with three fours and four sixes. The stand-in skipper’s explosive innings ensured that the Three Lions would eventually cross the 300-run mark.

IMRUL STARTS WITH A BANG Bangladesh opening batsman Imrul Kayes smashed a huge six off just the third ball of the innings. It was a length ball from Chris Woakes and Imrul, who smashed a hundred against the same opponent in the practice match a few days ago, picked it up nicely and hoicked it over the deep square leg region with free swing of the arms. The ball burst through an advertising banner positioned on the second floor before being retrieved by a supporter. At the other end, Tamim Iqbal was struggling but Imrul played positively and gave Bangladesh a good start.

BALL TALKS WITH THE BALL England fast bowler Jake Ball bowled superbly and took five wickets on his ODI debut. One by one, he dismissed Tamim, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib, Mosaddek Hossain and Taskin Ahmed. Bangladesh were cruising to their target at one stage but Ball struck at regular intervals to guide his side to a 21-run victory and thus, a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

– ALI SHAHRIYAR BAPPA

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26

Sport

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Sabuj Mia eyes silver in Kabaddi World Cup n Tribune Report A country that adores kabaddi, Bangladesh have been consistent with their international campaigns, winning bronze recently at the Asian Games.

One of 12 nations partaking in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad, India, Bangladesh are looking forward to their chances.

And ahead of their tournament opener against England today, Bangladesh’s Mohammad Sabuj Mia spoke with the local media.

Here are the excerpts: Captains of the 12 participating teams in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup pose for photographs during the trophy unveiling ceremony in Ahmedabad, India yesterday COURTESY

KABADDI WORLD CUP 2016

Bangladesh face England in opener n Tribune Report The third edition of the Kabaddi World Cup got underway yesterday in Ahmedabad, India with the participation of 12 teams.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group A along with hosts and twotime winners India, South Korea, Australia, Argentina and England while Group B comprises two-time runners-up Iran, Thailand, Japan, USA, Kenya and Poland.

The men in red and green will take on England in their tournament opener today at 7:20pm.

Prior to their departure, Bangladesh skipper Arduzzaman said

BANGLADESH FIXTURES Date

Time

Opponent

8 Oct

7:20PM

England

11 Oct

9:30PM

India

13 Oct

9:30PM

S Korea

17 Oct

9:30PM

Australia

19 OCt

8:30PM

Argentina

they are targeting a silver medal in the World Cup where they have finished third in both the editions.

The World Cup is being held after a nine-year hiatus.

“We desire to retain the bronze medal but our target is to claim the silver. India are hot favourites in our pool so our main opposition are South Korea. If we can defeat them, we can rightfully expect a silver,” said Arduzzaman.

Bangladesh have seven new faces in the squad and prepared for the tournament for the best part of the last two months. They did not play any practice matches during this time but are scheduled to contest a few warm-up games against Indian domestic sides before their opening tie.

Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited is sponsoring the side. l

How has your experience been so far in India?

This is my second time in India.

The weather conditions and Indian cuisine are somewhat similar to Bangladeshi culture, so it suits us.

Talk us through your team’s preparation for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup?

What position do you usually play in and do you have a signature move?

I’m an all-rounder, but I prefer defending more than anything else.

The ankle hold is my favourite move.

Who’s your favourite teammate?

Mohammad Zakir Hossain. He’s like a brother to me as we have been playing for the national team for a while now.

What are your plans after the World Cup concludes?

No plans as such. I will be going home to rest and spend some quality time with my family. l

The coach has made the team train really hard. The players are fully prepared with some of them being young debutants. We are ready to begin our campaign.

What are the strengths of the Bangladesh team coming into this major tournament?

We have a solid defence and will look to improvise on our attack as the tournament progresses.

Have you set any targets for the World Cup?

We secured the bronze medal at the [2006] Asian Games, so it’s only

Bangladesh football team reach Bhutan n Tribune Report Bangladesh football team reached Thimphu, Bhutan yesterday ahead of their upcoming Asian Cup Qualifiers Play-off second leg against the hosts, scheduled to be held this Monday.

The men in red and green arrived at Bhutan Airport through Druk International Airlines at 10:30am before travelling to their team hotel at Olakha, Thimphu.

Besides the opposition, Bangladesh also have to contend with the weather as temperatures at this time of the year usually hover around 16-18 degrees.

All the Bangladesh players are fit and well and there are no injury concerns. They will practise at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu today at 7pm. l

natural we will look to better our performance and aim higher in this World Cup. It’s not going to be easy as we are pitted with some tough opponents in our group.

Siddikur misses cut in Indonesia n Tribune Report

Bangladesh football team pose for photographs after arriving in Thimphu, Bhutan yesterday

COURTESY

Bangladesh golfer Siddikur Rahman made a disappointing exit in the BNI Indonesian Masters as he missed the cut following the conclusion of the second round at Royale Jakarta Golf Club yesterday.

Siddikur carded three-over-par 75 in the second round. He had earlier struck one-over-par 73 in the opening round of the $750,000 tournament to take his overall score to four-over-par 148, 12 shots behind early leaders Kalem Richardson and Marcus Fraser, both from Australia.

Meanwhile, another Bangladesh golfer Zamal Hossain Mollah also missed the cut.

Zamal hit seven-over-par 79 in the second round, which was preceded by a two-over-par 74 in the first round. He finished with an overall aggregate of nineover-par 153. l

27

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Sport

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Japan, Korea survive scares as China crash n AFP, Doha South Korean sharpshooter Son Heung-Min kept Qatar’s World Cup ambitions on hold

RESULTS 3-2

South Korea

Ki Sung-Yueng 11, Ji Dong-Won 56, Son Heung-Min 58

Qatar Al-Haydos 16-P, Soria 45

0-1

China

Syria Al-Mawas 54

0-1

Uzbekistan

Iran Hosseini 27

2-1

Japan

Iraq

Haraguchi 26, Yamaguchi 90+5

Luaibi 60

3-1

UAE

Thailand

A A Mabkhout 14, 47, Ahmed Khalil 90+3

Saudi Arabia

Chanabut 65

2-2

Australia

Taisir al-Jassim 5, Trent Sainsbury 45, Nasser al-Shamrani 79 Tomi Juric 71

and Japan also survived a scare as China suffered a potentially calamitous defeat to Syria on Thursday.

Iran, meanwhile stayed on course for a Russia 2018 spot after shifting Uzbekistan from the top of Group A on goal difference with a 1-0 victory in Tashkent.

Iran are also the only team in the group not to concede a goal in three matches so far, having beaten Qatar 2-0 and drawn goalless with China earlier.

But the torment continued for Qatar as they remained at the bottom after suffering their third straight defeat on Thursday.

The 2022 hosts were done in by Tottenham Hotspur’s Son who extended his electric club form with the winning goal in South Korea’s 3-2 triumph in Suwon. l

England to host their first D/N Test against WI n AFP, London Edgbaston will host the first day/night Test ever staged in the United Kingdom when England face the West Indies in Birmingham in August next year, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Wednesday.

England are now in line to become the third nation to stage a five-day Test under floodlights, following Australia’s day/night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide last year

and with Pakistan due to play the West Indies in a day/night Test in the United Arab Emirates next week.

Subject to confirmation from the International Cricket Council, the August 17-21 match between England and the West Indies, the first of a threeTest series, will have playing hours of 2:00pm-9:00pm local (1300-2000 GMT), rather than the English standard Test times of 11:00am-6:00pm (1000-1700 GMT). l

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 10:00PM England v Malta 12:30AM Germany v Czech Republic

SONY ESPN 10:00PM FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Montenegro v Kazakhstan

STAR SPORTS 1 7:20PM Indian Super League 2016 Goa v Pune

TEN 1 5:00PM Sky Bet EFL 2016/17 Peterborough United v Bury

TEN 2 6:00PM Sky Bet EFL 2016/17 Swindon Town v Bolton Wanderers

CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1 10:00AM New Zealand Tour of India 3rd Test, Day 1

STAR SPORTS 2 Kabaddi World Cup 2016 7:10PM England v Bangladesh 8:10PM Poland v Kenya 9:10PM India v Australia

TENNIS SONY ESPN 2:30PM, 7:00PM China Open Semi Final 1, 2

FORMULA 1

STAR SPORTS 1

12:00PM Japan Grand Prix: Qualifying

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

RESULTS Moldova

0-3

Serbia Kostic 20, Ivanovic 37, Tadic 59

Ireland

1-0

Georgia

Coleman 56

Austria

2-2

Arnautovic 28, 48

1-2

Macedonia Nestorovski 63

Israel Hemed 25, Ben Haim II 43

1-1

Italy De Rossi 82-P

Liechtenstein

Wales Allen 22, Wimmer 45+1-og

Spain Vitolo 55

0-2

Albania Jehle 11-og, Balaj 71

Kosovo

0-6

Croatia

Mandzukic 6, 24, 35, Mitrovic 68, Perisic 83, Kalinic 90+2

Iceland

3-2

Arnason 37, Finnbogason 90, R Sigurdsson 90+6

Turkey Tufan 45, Calhanoglu 81-P

2-2

Finland Pukki 21, Lod 39

Ukraine Yarmolenko 24-P, Kravets 27

Spain’s Vitolo (2L) scores against Italy as goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon fails to save during their 2018 World Cup qualifier at Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy on Thursday REUTERS

Italy fight back to hold Spain, Wales denied in Austria n AFP, Paris

Daniele De Rossi’s late penalty rescued a point for Italy against Spain in a heavyweight World Cup qualifier on Thursday, as Wales played out an entertaining draw in Austria.

Spain dominated possession against the Italians in Turin and looked set to come away with a precious victory when Vitolo pounced on an uncharacteristic error by Gianluigi Buffon to put the visitors in front.

Balotelli has red card overturned n AFP, Paris Mario Balotelli will be able to play in Nice’s next game after a red card he picked up last weekend was overturned on Thursday.

The Italian striker was sent off in stoppage time in Nice’s 2-1 win over Lorient on Sunday that kept his new club on top of Ligue 1 and unbeaten after eight games.

But the second yellow card that led to his sending-off, shown for an apparent altercation with the Lorient defender Steven Moreira, was wiped out after the match referee admitted his error.

Balotelli will therefore be able to play when Nice entertain Lyon on Friday, October 14, providing a massive boost to Lucien Favre’s side. l

Veteran goalkeeper Buffon, winning his 164th cap, raced off his line in the 55th minute to try to cut out a Sergio Busquets through ball only to swipe at thin air and leave Sevilla winger Vitolo with an easy finish.

Julen Lopetegui’s Spain looked set to gain revenge for their 2-0 defeat to Italy in the last 16 at Euro 2016 in June, but they were denied by a late penalty.

When Eder went down under a Sergio Ramos challenge, German

referee Felix Brych consulted his assistant before pointing to the spot. Roma midfielder De Rossi stepped up to send David de Gea the wrong way and make it 1-1 with eight minutes left.

Spain have now failed to win any of three meetings with Italy in 2016 but this was still a better result for them in the fight for the one automatic qualifying berth at the World Cup in Russia from Group G. Albania, who host Spain tomorrow, are currently top of the group

with two wins out of two after beating Liechtenstein 2-0 away thanks to a Peter Jehle own goal and a Bekim Balaj strike.

In the same group, Tomer Hemed and Tal Ben Haim II scored as Israel won 2-1 in Macedonia, whose reply came from Ilja Nestorovski of Palermo.

In Vienna, Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales earned a potentially crucial point as they aim to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1958, although they twice threw

away the lead in their 2-2 draw with Austria in Group D. Only a brilliant Robert Almer save prevented Gareth Bale from giving Chris Coleman’s side an early lead before Joe Allen drew first blood midway through the first half at the Ernst Happel Stadium with a stunning left-foot volley.

However, Allen’s Stoke City team-mate Arnautovic equalised six minutes later, stooping to head in a David Alaba ball into the Welsh area.l

Brazil, Uruguay romp as Argentina held n AFP, Montevideo

Brazil’s Neymar is injured during their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in Natal, Brazil on Thursday REUTERS

Brazil and Uruguay scored easy victories to maintain their lead at the top of South America’s 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament on Thursday as Chile lost ground after crashing to defeat in Ecuador.

A virtuoso performance from Barcelona superstar Neymar lay at the heart of Brazil’s 5-0 mauling of Bolivia in Natal, with the striker launching the rout with his 49th international goal.

Neymar set up two more as Brazil produced their most stylish performance of recent memory to rattle in further goals from Gabriel Jesus, Filipe Luis and Liverpool duo Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.

Brazil coach Tite has now won all three games since taking over.l

RESULTS Ecuador

3-0

Chile

Antonio Valencia 19, Ramirez 23, Caicedo 46

Uruguay

3-0

Venezuela

Lodeiro 29, Cavani 46, 79

Paraguay

0-1

Colombia Cardona 90

Brazil

5-0

Bolivia

Neymar 10, Luis 38, Coutinho 25, Jesus 43, Firmino 75

Peru Guerrero 58, Cueva 84-P

2-2

Argentina Mori 15, Higuain 77

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Ego (4) 5 Of a city (5) 9 Minister (6) 10 Anger (3) 11 Kiln for drying hops (4) 12 Camping equipment (5) 14 Dogma (5) 16 Spoken (4) 19 Nominate (4) 21 Radiolocation (3) 24 Having weapons (5) 27 Find pleasing (4) 29 Regret (3) 30 Pressed clothes (6) 31 Fantastic trick (5) 32 Ova (4)

DOWN 1 Blemish (4) 2 Period of time (3) 3 Pay attention (6) 4 Festivity (4) 5 Spoken (7) 6 Container (3) 7 Specialised skill (3) 8 Cosy retreats (50 13 Greek letter (3) 15 Wandering (7) 17 Enticing (6) 18 Ornamental coronet (5) 20 Land measure (3) 22 Drug-yielding plant (4) 23 Resting places (4) 25 Cricket score (3) 26 Encountered (3) 28 Beer barrel (3)

29

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Downtime

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 1 represents I so fill I every time the figure 1 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

SATURDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Showtime

Peya on the cover of Vogue India a story of three daughters Aahoto Phuler Golpo -

n Hasan Dabir Uddin Anto Azad’s new film Aahoto Phuler Golpo (A Flower in Flame) tells the story of a patriarchal Muslim society, and how information technology and cultural contacts affect and change the characters’ lives.

Gazi Rakayeta, Ananya Haq, Shelly Ahsan, Jaya, Sujan Mahbub, Ali Ahsan, Ovi Chowdhury, Shantto Kundu, Kamrul Hasan, Tauhidul Alam, Sajib, Rifat, Piara Begum, Shahidul Islam, Omarachand, Iqtarula Islam, Minhaj, Taji, Rabbi and Shirin all come together to star in this film, where Tahiya Khan plays the role of the protagonist.

The film’s story and screenplay have been written

by Anto Azad, who is also the director and art director of the entire production. According to Azad, “this is not a fantasy film. I

n Showtime Desk Jannatul Ferdous Peya, popular Bangladeshi model and actress, was featured on the cover of the famous magazine Vogue India, the Indian edition of the iconic monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue, and the only Vogue edition to exist in South Asia. This year, Vogue India celebrated their ninth anniversary under the headline “Celebrating beauty of diversity.”

Peya was born and raised in a conservative Muslim family in a small town called Khulna, where a career in modelling wasn’t an easy road for her. Peya started her

modelling career in 2008, after she won the title of Miss Bangladesh in 2007. Her first debut film Chorabali, directed

by Redwan Rony in 2012, earned

her a Bachsas prize, which is Bangladesh’s equivalent of a Filmfare Award. She has so far acted in several dramas such as To Be or Not to Be and Projapotir Shukh Dukkho.

“Every model in the world is waiting to be on Vogue’s cover, and I am no exception. I was finally able to be a part of this amazing photo shoot last July. It was an amazing experience for me, and I want to continue to expand my career beyond my country in this way, ” said Peya.

The model and actress is also a law graduate, and is currently interning with Dr Kamal Hossain & Associates, one of Dhaka’s biggest law firms. l

wanted to try to not only analyse but also realise the deep crisis of our common life. Although the contents of the story are serious, the story flows through our daily life’s fun, songs and love stories. I hope the simple style of storytelling will touch the viewers.”

Almost 95 per cent of the film has been shot in Panchagarh, in the Matiyara village of thana Debiganj. Two types of language - standard and regional – have been used in the dialogues, and the production also features a wide range of local music, including Bhawaiya, Lalon Geeti, Rabindra Shongeet and regional traditional wedding verse. In addition, Sholayman Akond and Shaheen Ahmed have written the lyrics to two original songs.

The film is set to be released in January, 2017. Aahoto Phuler Golpo is a production of Green Pitch Entertainment. l

31

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

Using Bollywood for a healthy lifestyle n Showtime Desk No doubt, Bollywood has become one of the biggest film industries in the world over the decades. The audience in India love movies. The government of India has therefore come up with an interesting idea to reach common people through cinema and has also implemented it. The idea is to change the habits of people, creating humour while giving them a healthy lesson.

It all started when a hilarious meme of iconic scenes from five Bollywood films carrying a message of cleanliness for the public at Howrah Station went viral on social media and changed the way the government sends out messages.

R Badri Narayan, the divisional railway manager, Howrah Division who conceived and executed the idea told a magazine, “Government messages are usually serious and appear to be preachy. The new posters have an element of humour and show that such messages can be funny.” He is also a doctorate in economics who believes that this Bollywood fandom has the habit of using dialogues from Hollywood to make a point in lectures and sometimes, even with his peers.

There is a dialogue- “Thoda khao, thoda pheko. Maza aayega (Eat some, throw some. its good fun)” in a sequence from Jaanee Bhi Do Yaron, which is considered to be a cult comedy. Now, a 30 inch by 20 inch poster depicts a still from the film with two main actors Naseeruddin Shah and Sudhir Mishra asking- "Kya aap thoda Khatein hain, Thoda Phekte

Hain, (Do you Eat some and Throw some)," followed by a message of using the dustbin. Imagine Gabbar in Sholay not concerned about the price on his head but the fine of spitting on a railway platform.

Or the most powerful dialogue in Deewaar, “Mere Paas Maa Hai” (I have a mother) being replaced with “Mere Muh Mein Paan hai” (I have betel leaf in my mouth).

The most popular meme is from the iconic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaenge (DDLJ), where Amrish Puri (Baldeo Singh) lets Kajol (Simran) go and catch a train with Shah Rukh Khan (Raj), has also turned into a spoof to portray a cleanliness message “Jaa Simran Jaa, Platform bhi saaf rakhte hue jaa” (Go Simran go, but ensure that the platform remains clean).

When it came to observing Railway Swatchata Saptah (Railway Cleanliness Week) from September 17, Narayan found that nothing was working out. On the night of September 16, he downloaded a still from Jaanee Bhi Do Yaron and put the message on the photograph. DDLJ, Deewar, Sholay and Anand followed days after.

The photographs made their debut on Twitter and became an instant hit when they were put up on platforms in the last week of September.

“We have put up five such posters on platforms eight and nine. This is where the ‘more cosmopolitan’ passengers of trains

like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express board and de-board,” he said. It is not only the DRM, but also the other officers of Eastern Railway who are elated at the response these posters have brought about.

Badri Narayan is already getting requests from other Railway Divisions to allow the posters to be put up at other stations.

While these posters will soon be put up on other platforms, the DRM has already finalised plans for a few others like this to be put on trains, most likely depicting scenes within a train. “I am not divulging the details. I want to keep the suspense alive,” he added.

Author and film critic Shoma Chatterji feels that the posters are becoming viral due to their association with Bollywood.

“Anything to do with Bollywood

becomes an instant hit in the city. However, being an instant success does not mean that it will have an impact on the psyche of the people,” she said. l

WHAT TO WATCH

300 HBO, 7:00 PM In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia and Greece.

At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas, king of the Greek city state of Sparta, leads his badly outnumbered warriors against the massive Persian army.

Though certain death awaits the Spartans, their sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against their

common enemy.

Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro Captain America: The First Avenger Star Movies, 6:08 PM It is 1942, America has entered World War II, and sickly but determined Steve Rogers is frustrated at being rejected yet again for military service.

Everything changes when Dr. Erskine recruits him for the secret Project Rebirth. When Dr. Erskine is assassinated by an agent of Nazi Germany’s secret HYDRA research department, Rogers is left as a unique man who is initially misused as a propaganda mascot; however, when his comrades need him, Rogers goes on a successful adventure that truly makes him Captain America.

Cast: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan Quantum of Solace Sony PIX, 2:01 PM James Bond finds out about a huge secret organisation called Quantum. He believes that it had something to do with the death of Vespa, his love. As he gets closer to finding out more, Bond

gets caught in a sinister scheme.

Now in a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond must ally with his old friends in a battle to uncover the truth and keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M. Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Gemma Arterton, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright Friends with Benefits Zee Studio, 6:50 PM Jamie is a New York-based executive recruiter who entices Dylan, an art director from Los

Angeles, to take a job at the New York office of GQ magazine.

Finding that they have much in common, the two become fast friends. Feeling jaded by a number of broken romances, Dylan and Jamie decide that they are ready to quit looking for true love and focus on having fun.

However, complications unfold when the two best pals add sex to their relationship.

Cast: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Nolan Gould l

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Back Page

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

THE HOTTEST MONTH IN HISTORY PAGE 14

STOKES EDGES IMRUL IN PAGE 24 BATTLE OF TONS

PEYA ON THE COVER OF VOGUE INDIA PAGE 31

More govt focus on palliative care needed n Kamrul Hasan Despite being a signatory of a landmark resolution on palliative care at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in 2014, Bangladesh has yet to implement its regulations.

Dr Abu Taher Md Saleh, physician for Centre for Palliative Care (CPC) at BSMMU, says they look after patients who have chronic pain after operations and terminal patients of cancer and kidney, heart and liver diseases.

Cancer patients are only treated here if they have done their diagnosis elsewhere already.

Several statistics say the numbers of possible patients is 100 times more than the facilities Bangladesh currently has.

The World Health Organisation says approximately 600,000 people need palliative care at any time in Bangladesh each year.

But the handful of palliative care providers in Bangladesh such as the CPC at BSMMU, National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, ASHIC Palliative Care Unit, Shanti Oncology and Palliative Care Unit, Bangladesh Palliative and Supportive Care Foundation, and Afzalunnessa Foundation say they can only provide for a small number of patients.

According to Children’s Palli-

Patients rest at one of the wards in the BSMMU. According to the WHO, nearly 600,000 people need palliative care in Bangladesh every year MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU ative Care Initiative Bangladesh (CPCIB), in Bangladesh, 29,000 children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions need palliative care each year, but only 2% of these children are currently able to access such services.

The organisations that are providing this service can only en-

Juan Manuel Santos

Nobel Prize

President of Colombia

2016 Peace

1951 Born August 10 in Bogota

1970-80 Senior post, National Federation of Coffee Growers 1973 Masters in Economic Development, London School of Economics, UK 1980 Masters in Public Administration, Harvard, US 1982 Senior editor at Colombian daily paper El Tiempo 1991-94 Foreign trade minister 2000-02 Finance minister 2005 Co-founds Social Party of National Unity (centrist) 2006-09 Defence minister under hawkish President Alvaro Uribe 2010 Elected president.

Secret peace talks with FARC rebel leaders 2012 Start of formal peace talks with the FARC 2014 Re-elected president Sept 26, 2016 Signs peace accord with FARC Oct 2, 2016 Colombias reject peace deal by 50.2% votes to 49.8% Oct 7, 2016 Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

sure treatment for not more than 4,000, says Professor Nezamuddin Ahmed, head of the CPC. “In 2015, Bangladesh stood 79th on a list of 80 countries in terms of quality of life in terminal days, assessed by the Quality of Death Index done by The Economist Intelligence Unit,” he says.

“This shows us what the condition is in this sector,” he says, adding that he believes that the number of patients stipulated by the WHO would be higher in reality.

He says the National Health Policy includes diseases such as HIV and coronary heart disease in the policy but does not have any policy

on palliative care. Patients of both diseases are eligible for such care.

“The National Institute of Population Research and Training asked us in 2014 to conduct a national survey on seven cities and asked to make recommendations. We made strong recommendations for bringing palliative care to the mainstream treatment facilities,” he adds.

He says the district hospitals should have at least two beds for such patients with minimum facilities.

Dr Taher says a lack of awareness about palliative care among health professionals, scarcity of trained professionals, psychological aspects of children often ignored by physicians, intention of treatment almost always to cure rather than palliation are the challenges in implementing palliative care.

He says the BSMMU last year started a palliative course with three students initially; there are 10 students this year. The sector is developing and in four years the country will get specialist in this sector as well.

CPC chief Prof Nezam says this year the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day will be observed today with the theme “Living and dying in pain – it doesn’t have to happen.”

“We expect that the government will focus on this issue and take under cognisance for the betterment of patients,” he says. l

Colombian President Santos wins Nobel Peace Prize for efforts in ending 52-year-old war n Reuters, Oslo/Bogota Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize yesterday for his efforts to end a 52-year-old war with Marxist guerrillas, a surprise choice and a show of support days after voters rejected a peace deal he signed with the rebels.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Santos had brought one of the longest civil wars in modern history significantly closer to a peaceful solution, but there was still a danger the peace process could collapse.

The award excluded Farc guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, who signed the peace accord with Santos in Cartagena on September 26.

Santos has promised to revive the plan even though Colombians narrowly rejected it in a referendum on Sunday. Many voters believed it was too lenient on the Farc guerrillas.

held up in the mostly rural nation.

Santos is the first Latin American to receive the peace prize since indigenous rights campaigner Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala won in 1992, and is the second Colombian

Santos is the first Latin American to receive the peace prize since indigenous rights campaigner Rigoberta Menchu More than 220,000 people have died on the battlefield or in massacres during the conflict between leftist guerrillas, government troops and right-wing paramilitaries. Millions have been displaced and many beg on the streets of the capital, while economic potential has been

laureate after writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won the literature prize in 1982.

Possible anger The news may anger those Colombians who see Santos’ bid for peace with the Farc as selling out the

nation as he negotiated terms that they see as an embarrassment.

But the fact that his rebel foe did not receive the prize alongside him may be a relief to Santos, given political tensions following the referendum. It may also give Santos a moral boost in talks with the former rebel group.

A joint win with the Farc leader could have set back sensitive talks with the opposition as Santos tries to negotiate new terms with the ‘No’ camp and possibly persuade the Farc to accept changes to the original accord. The ‘No’ vote was a disaster for Santos, who had hoped to turn his focus quickly to other matters including possible talks with the smaller ELN rebel group, tax reform and other economic measures to compensate for a drop in oil income. l

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