26 July 2014

Shraban 11, 1421 Ramadan 27, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 116

SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com

AVENUE-T AT ONE WITH THE ELEMENTS

| SECOND EDITION

8 | PREPARATION FOR FESTIVE EID

Getting out of Dhaka a Herculean task

16 pages plus 24-page supplement Avenue-T | Price: Tk12

9 | BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS

14 | BARCA NEED TO PLAY LIKE THEY DID IN 2008: INIESTA

IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

City’s exit points getting clogged as outbound rush gathers pace Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Ashif Islam Shaon Even before many Dhaka residents begin the daunting task of travelling on gridlocked and potholed highways towards their village destinations, they face another Herculean task: making it through the hours of traffic jams that inevitably block the city streets ahead of Eid. Since Thursday, the city’s exit points as well as roads leading to the bus and launch terminals have

Traffic mismanagement and buses picking up passengers on the middle of the road increasing traffic woes been experiencing increased flow of vehicles carrying homebound people who are eager to catch their scheduled transports out of Dhaka.

Sadarghat – the only launch terminal in the capital – saw vehicles standing stationary for hours on a half kilometre radius around the area, prompting many passengers, including women and children, to carry their heavy luggage and walk the rest of the way to the terminal in order to catch their launch on time.

After visiting Sadarghat yesterday, the Dhaka Tribune found that although the terminal stayed relatively quiet until noon, the arrival of passengers picked up the pace in the afternoon.

As the day progressed and congestion increased on the connecting roads, the area’s traffic police were forced to turn

away Sadarghat-bound buses from the Rayshaheb Bazar intersection to reduce the jam near the terminal.

Bangshal police station Inspector Hassan Mahmud, who was busy controlling traffic at the Islampur intersection, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police had to suspend all vehicular movement a half kilometre away from the terminal in order to keep the streets free and allow people to reach the terminal on time.

However, many bus drivers said it took them two hours to travel from Shahbagh to Sadarghat – a distance of around six kilometres – with the longest tailback being created near Gulistan.

Another focal point of heavy traffic is on the roads of Tantibazar leading to the Babubazar bridge, which is used by buses heading to southern districts.

Bus passengers claimed that the area faced constant traffic gridlock because of illegal truck stands and makeshift iftar shops blocking the road.

Transport workers also claimed that it took them over one and a half hours to cross the 2km distance between Gulistan and the Babubazar bridge; while it took only half an hour to travel the next 45km distance from the bridge to Mawa.

The Dhaka Tribune also found similar traffic congestion near Gabtoli bus stand yesterday, where the traffic rush began in the afternoon as many city residents preferred to make evening trips after completing their remaining daytime tasks before leaving the city.

The traffic situation in the area worsened as trucks from the nearby cattle market used the Gabtoli road to get to the Aminbazar bridge, while local  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Home-bound people packed like sardines on the roof of a train travel to their homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr. The picture was taken yesterday from Tongi

WB unwilling to manage climate fund n Abu Bakar Siddique

The World Bank has expressed its reluctance to manage the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) due to a misunderstanding among parties, including the government, development partners and the WB itself.

This could mean the country will fail to receive further climate funds from the developed world.

Once the current agreement ends, the WB does not intend to go for a renewal, specifically because of the lengthy decision-making process in terms of project development and implementation on part of the government, said sources.

Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury, joint secretary (development) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and also leader of the secretariat of the

Ban slams UN school attacks in Gaza n Reuters, United Nations United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon Thursday said he was appalled by an attack on a UN-run school in the Gaza strip that killed civilians, including children, and UN staff.

“Circumstances are still unclear. I strongly condemn this act,” Ban said in a statement.

“Many have been killed – including women and children, as well as UN staff.”

The Gaza health ministry said at least 15 people had been killed and some 200 wound-

ed. Israel Radio, without citing a source, reported that most of those killed at the United Nations school were children.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry pressed regional leaders to nail down a Gaza ceasefire yesterday as the civilian death toll soared, and further violence flared up between Israelis and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Mediators hope any truce in the Gaza Strip can coincide with a Muslim festival that starts next week, and are looking  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

SEHRI & IFTAR TIME

INSIDE 5 | News

Day

Sehri

Iftar

Ramadan 27/July 26

–

6.48pm

Ramadan 28/July 27

3.58am

6.47pm

Homebound people continue to face harassment at different bus terminals in Dhaka from a section of transport owners who had been illegally forcing them to pay extra fare for the Eid special service tickets.

6 | Nation

7 | World

Religious caps commonly known as tupi made in Tetulia of Panchagarh are available at reasonable prices across the country.

French officials dispatched a military unit to secure the site in restive northern Mali where an Air Algerie plane crashed killing 116 people.

11 | Op-Ed

By now, all the lines of argument and the depth of outrage is well known when it comes to the Gaza conflict, and there is little novel I can contribute on that account.

12 | Entertainment

While high profile actors of small screen are overloaded with two-digit numbers of projects, Mim is working in three productions this Eid.

BCCRF, said he had learned about it unofficially but the WB was yet to make a formal statement to the government.

Ainun Nishat, former country representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said

IPCC: Bangladesh is one of the nations that are most vulnerable to the negative impacts of global warming the World Bank’s reluctance to manage the BCCRF would lead to problems in receiving additional climate funds from development partners.

The donors had already indicated that the country was inefficient in

terms of fund management, he said.

According to the 2012 agreement between Bangladesh and the WB, the latter would manage the fund with a 1% service charge until June 2017.

In 2012, the BCCRF was formed with contributions from development partners that include the European Union, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the US and Australia.

Since its inception, the managerial role of the fund has always been performed by the WB in view of the interests of the development partners.

At present, the fund has around $188m, with nearly $154m already allocated to different projects.

However, without clarifying the WB’s stance, Christine Kimes, acting country head of World Bank Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune that  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Republicans might try for Obama impeachment n Reuters Republicans might try to impeach President Barack Obama over his go-italone immigration strategy yesterday, as Obama prepared to talk about the US border crisis with Central American presidents.

Dan Pfeiffer, one of Obama’s longest-serving advisers, told reporters that the executive actions Obama will approve at the end of the summer aimed at tackling illegal immigration will likely generate ire from Republicans who have blocked comprehensive immigration legislation.

Republicans in the House of Representatives are expected next week to  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Saturday, July 26, 2014

DMP and DIG in conflict over custodial torture on student Police criticise NHRC chairman, media for favouring convict n Kailash Sarkar Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) have locked horns over the alleged torture of a college student Inzamamul Islam Zishan, who was earlier detained for allegedly murdering his classmate's younger brother Ayaz Huq, by Dhanmondi police station.

Meanwhile, DMP authorities and Shahidul Huq, the father of the late Ayaz, slammed National Human Right Commission Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman and the media yesterday for favouring the alleged killer and Special Branch (SB) DIG Mosharaf Hossain, one of Zishan’s uncles, for pressurising the DMP author-

ities and using his influence at the Dhaka Central Jail and Dhaka Medical College Hospital to aid the convict.

At the press briefing, held at DMP Media Centre on Minto Road, the authorities denied allegations of custodial torture on Zishan as reported by the media on July 23, where Zishan's family members alleged that he was tortured inhumanely and forced to give a confessional statement before a magistrate.

Joint Commissioner (DB) Monirul Islam, who is also the DMP spokesperson, claimed that media reports regarding the issue were flawed and unethical.

Replying to a query, he expressed doubts on whether the NHRC chairman had proper information regarding the

Eminent journalist Baby Moudud dies n Tribune Report

case before making a statement.

At the same time, Shahidul Huq blasted the NHRC chairman by saying: “It was my son who was killed, but the NHRC chairman showed his sympathy for my son's killer. He never visited my house or even asked me about the incident.”

He also claimed that a respective journalist, who happens to be a maternal uncle of the convict, had been using his influence over the media to promote fabricated reports.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, DIG Mosharraf Hossain denied the allegations against him and said he never approached anybody at the jail, DMCH and or even the Dhanmondi police.

n Tribune Report

Instead, Mosharraf, who is also the editor of police magazine – Detective, alleged: "Not only did Dhanmondi police torture my nephew brutally, but they also allowed Ayaz’s relatives to torture Zishan in custody."

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, several police officials at the DMP as well as Dhanmondi Police Station claimed DIG Mosharraf had tried to influence the police and his activities were captured by CCTV cameras installed at the police station.

The briefing was also attended by Joint Commissioner (Crimes and Operations) Meer Rezaul Alam and Deputy Commissioner (Media Centre) Masudur Rahman. l

IRREGULARITIES IN JAIL

IG Prisons asked to transfer 366 jail guards within 72 hours

Eminent journalist and former lawmaker AN Mahfuza Khatun, popularly known as Baby Moudud, died yesterday at the capital’s United Hospital.

The 66-year-old veteran journalist had been suffering from cancer.

She was buried in her husband Hasan Ali's grave at Banani graveyard last night after two sessions of Namaz-e-Janaza at Dhanmondi Eidgah Masjid and the National Press Club premises.

President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury expressed their deep shock at Baby Moudud’s death.

In his condolence massage, President Abdul Hamid said: “I'm deeply shocked at the death of Baby Maudud... the country has lost an honest, brave and dedicated journalist.”

The premier, in a condolence message, recalled Baby's valuable contribution to journalism and politics.

She said: “The nation has lost a dedicated journalist and writer, and I have lost one of my long-time beloved friends.” Sheikh Hasina and Baby has been friends since university.

The premier also remembered with gratitude Baby’s role in editing the book “Asamapta Atmajibonee” [Unfinished Memoir] authored by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasina prayed for the eternal peace

for the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Later, Hasina visited United Hospital to see the body. She stood beside Baby’s body for some time as a token of respect to the memory of the renowned journalist and writer.

The premier talked to the deceased's family members and consoled them.

Baby Moudud, social affairs editor of online news portal bdnews24. com, left behind two sons and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn her death.

She was born on June 23, 1948 in Kolkata. After completing her Masters’ degree from Dhaka University, she got involved in journalism. She has worked for various news media, including the daily Sangbad, Ittefaq, BBC, and weekly Bichitra. l

WB unwilling

Republicans might try for Obama impeachment

n Rabiul Islam

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

the recent mid-term review of the BCCRF had indicated a number of challenges, which the bank and the donors were now working to address.

Meanwhile, seeking anonymity, a top government official said the WB’s reluctance had already made the BCCRF’s fund-raising activities slow and it had already planned to retreat from the process.

Besides, there are some other global climate funds, including Adaptation Fund and Green Climate Fund. Of those, Green Climate Fund is supposed to release the money from this September.

Bangladesh is one of the nations that are most vulnerable to the negative impacts of global warming, according to several studies of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In 2009, the government formulated Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) as a guideline on how to tackle the negative impacts of climate change.

In line with the BCCSAP, the government formed two funds to take adaptation measures that include the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) with its own resources and the BCCRF with contributions from development partners.

Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Centre for Global Changes and a panel scientist at IPCC, said the WB’s reluctance regarding BCCRF should not be an obstacle to securing further climate funds.

Citing the BCCTF formed by the government’s own resources as an example, Ahsan said that despite some anomalies in fund management, the government had been managing the fund in order to take a range of adaptation measures.

Echoing Ahsan, Ainun Nishat said that Bangladesh has to first earn the capacity and trust from development partners in order to get additional climate funds and to manage climate funds in a rational way. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

authorise a lawsuit against Obama on charges he has overstepped his constitutional authority by signing a series of executive orders this year on issues such as raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers.

Pfeiffer, speaking at a reporters’ breakfast organised by the Christian Science Monitor, said he could easily see Republicans moving to impeachment proceedings to try to remove Obama from power in retaliation for the immigration orders he is expected to unveil by the end of the summer.

“The president acting on immigration reform will certainly up the likelihood that they would

The Home Ministry has ordered the jail authorities to transfer 366 jail guards including the jailer of Dhaka Central Jail and DIG prisons of Jessore jail within 72 hours in the wake of massive irregularities in prison centres across the country.

Seeking anonymity, a senior official at the ministry told the Dhaka Tribune the order was issued on July 23 based on an intelligence agency report on a wide range of irregularities gripping the jails.

A section of unscrupulous jail guards in 68 jails across the country indulge in corruption and irregularities.

The report said the jail guards who had been in their workplaces for a long time were mainly involved in irregularities.

According to the intelligence report, the jail guards charge money for supplying food to the prisoners and for providing them with bathroom facilities.

Besides, the jail security personnel also seek money to provide the prisoners with facilities for sleep and to help them meet with their relatives and other acquaintances.

The agency recommends transfer of those jail guards who had already passed a three-year tenure in a workplace.

It adds that at least 90% irregular-

contemplate impeachment,” he said.

He said it would be “foolish to discount the possibility” that Republicans will at least consider it.

Many Republicans, however, see the plans for a lawsuit to be aimed at restraining conservatives from seeking Obama’s impeachment, knowing a move that strong could backfire as the party seeks to take over the Senate in November congressional elections.

A lawsuit would have far less impact than impeachment because it would be a legal proceeding in federal court to get a ruling on whether Obama went farther than the Constitution allows. Impeachment would be aimed at removing him from office, a

Padma bridge graft investigation at final stage

ities could be reined in if this method is followed. The cabinet committee on law and order at its meeting on July 21 discussed the irregularities in jails and came up with the decision to transfer the jail guards within 72 hours.

“I have received the order and already transferred 15 jail guards,” Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

Jail guards charge money for supplying food to prisoners and for providing them with bathroom facilities He added that it was not possible to transfer all 366 jail guards at a time as it would create a vacuum of security staff.

The IG pointed out that all jail guards would be transferred gradually.

Asked why stringent measures were not taken, the IG Prisons said: “If I receive any specific allegation, I will take action immediately.”

Contacted, Home Secretary Mozzammel Haque Khan said he could not talk right at that moment citing his presence at a programme. l

far more dramatic course of action that is rarely used.

Obama contends his use of executive orders is no different than the powers used by his predecessors, and is inherently legal. His use of them has been relatively restrained compared with other presidents. Obama signed 147 in his first term, compared with George W Bush’s 173, Bill Clinton’s 200 and Ronald Reagan’s 213 for their first terms in office.

Beyond his goal of trying to making changes to US immigration policy, Obama is struggling to contain a crisis on the Texas border with Mexico where tens of thousands of children have surged across in recent months, overwhelming border resources. l

The investigation into the appointment of a supervising consultant to muchtalked-about Padma Multipurpose Bridge by the Anti-Corruption Commission will end soon.

ACC’s Investigation Officer Mirza Zahidul Islam will submit the probe report on this case early next month, a competent source said.

The source confirmed that investigators had quizzed the persons concerned, including former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain based on some information they got from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The investigators found that the allegations brought against Abul Hossain were untrue.

ACC Commissioner (investigation) Sahabuddin Chuppu said the Canadian court had suspended the proceedings taken against former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury who appointed a lawyer to deal with the case. Then the Canadian court declared that it would not be possible to prosecute a foreign citizen in a court of Canada.

When asked about the findings of the report, Sahabuddin Chuppu refused to give any details about it. “But I can say the investigation is going on fairly.”

Asked whether they have to face any problem in submitting the report as the case is still ongoing at the Canadian court, Chuppu said they had no connection to the investigation being conducted by Canada.

“We will continue with our investigation. The trial proceedings against Abul Hasan Chowdhury has been suspended as the Canadian court cannot prosecute any foreign citizen. So, we have no problem to submit the probe report.”

On the basis of information received from Canada, the ACC already took statements from all the persons who had alleged involvement in appointing the consultant to Padma Bridge, the sources said. The statements of former minister Abul Hossain along with the expert committee had also been taken, they added.

On July 8, the ACC issued notice to Abul Hossain to submit his statement.

In his 6-page statement, he said, “The work of Padma Bridge came to a halt due to secret communication between some World Bank officials and a vested quarter as well as misinformation.

I was not accused in any way in Canada where the trial against SNC-Lavalin officials is still going on. I was not involved in Padma Bridge corruption. I am totally innocent.”

For the fourth time, Abul Hossain gave his statement. He stated, “The guideline of World Bank has been followed in every step concerning Padma Bridge. I have submitted with evidence that every action was supported by the World Bank.

I also said the due process was followed to select consultant and bidder.”

About the appointment of consultant, Abul Hossain said the World Bank cancelled the loan for a mega project due to propaganda by evils forces abroad and excesses of some local newspapers.

He also said “A shortlist was made to appoint consultant. Then the list was sent to the World Bank for approval and the World Bank approved it. Later, tender was invited from the companies included in the shortlist approved by the World Bank.”

The Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) led by Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury evaluated the tenders. World

Bank-nominated senior consultant Dr Daud was also in the committee. Later, the evaluation report was submitted to the World Bank for approval.

The suggestion was taken from the World Bank to reconstitute the committee. The World Bank also approved the technical evaluation report of the expert committee.

Later, the committee finalised the proposal as per the guidelines of the World Bank. The SNC-Lavalin was awarded the work as per the final evaluation by the expert committee.

Abul Hossain told the ACC, “The secretary verbally informed me about some of the anonymous emails sent to the Integrity Vice-President’s Office of the World Bank. We know about the culture of conflicts between the bidders during the tender and writing anonymous letters are common practices in Bangladesh. So I did not give so much attention to those matters. As the international expert committee evaluated the technical matters. I attached importance only to those issues. I did not bring any change in their proposals, nor did I make any request to any of the members of the committee.”

Abul Hossain: The cancellation of the loan-deal of World Bank is truly rare. the World Bank made a mistake When asked if any of the members of the Integrity Department of World Bank had visited Dhaka, Abul Hossain said: “Nobody of that committee came to see me or nor did they ask for a meeting. No correspondence from the World Bank’s Bangladesh office nor the officials of Washington informed me about the alleged irregularities in hiring consultant.”

The cancellation of the loan-deal of World Bank is truly rare. World Bank made a mistake, said Hossain.

Abul Hossain also wrote in that letter: “The officials of SNC-Lavalin met me the same way the other officials of the bidding companies. I told them I will consider it if it goes with the law, discipline and merit.”

About Abul Hasan Chowdhury he said he (Abul Hasan) came to him to introduce the officials of SNC-Lavalin. “He requested me to evaluate the proposal of that company rightfully and to ensure that there will be no injustice. He came to me probably for two times. Probably, I could not identify any of the officials who were introduced at that time. But I did not meet anybody personally.”

Abul Hossain also claimed that he did not have any secret meeting with SNC Lavalin. About Nixon Chowdhury he said: “He never came to me concerning Padma Bridge. But I cannot confirm whether he had met any other officials of the Bridge Department.”

Abul Hossain also told about his family company Sako International Ltd. He said this company had never taken part in any of the tenders of the Ministry of Communications. He also refuted the allegation that his family business has a relation with the SNC Lavalin.

Quoting the name of two newspapers, Abul Hossain said, the story of $35 million bribe in appointing consultant for the Padma Bridge is ridiculous and baseless. The total budget for appointing consultant was $50 million and SNC Lavalin proposed $37 million. l

Getting out of Dhaka

Ban slams UN school attacks in Gaza

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 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

buses also made U-turns there to return to the capital.

Another city exit point in Jatrabari – the only route for buses bound for southeastern districts – has also been facing increased pressure since Thursday. Although the new flyover has created an additional option for vehicles to choose, the road below it has been narrowed because of the flyover’s pillars, causing buses travelling on that road to face more traffic jams.

While numerous bus counters along city roads add to the traffic gridlock, buses also stop indiscriminately in the middle of the roads to pick up passengers. Illegal roadside markets and makeshift fruit-stalls are creating further traffic jams.

Similar situations were also reported from other exit points of the capital, including Postagola bridge and Abdullahpur intersection. There are allegations that traffic congestions were being created at these points because of traffic mismanagement and buses being allowed to pick up passengers in the middle of the road, irrespective of

any bus stop.

However, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, the joint commissioner (traffic) of the DMP, denied such allegations and told the Dhaka Tribune that all officials had been instructed to be more focused on maintaining traffic at the exit points to prevent congestion.

Apart from regular traffic police personnel, monitoring teams formed in coordination with transport associations were also checking the problem, he added.

When asked about the traffic crisis near the city exit points, Khan Mohammad Rezowan, deputy commissioner (traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, also said the police were doing their best to ease traffic jams and make people’s journeys easier.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the Dhaka Tribune all necessary steps have been taken to ensure that people can reach their homes safely without any trouble.

Additional law enforcers have been deployed in every sensitive point, he said, adding that police patrolling was also increased to ensure maximum security. l

to overcome seemingly irreconcilable demands from Israel and Hamas-led Islamist fighters, who have been locked in conflict since July 8.

As the diplomacy continued, so did the fighting.

Gaza officials said Israeli strikes killed 33 people yesterday, including the head of media operations for Hamas ally Islamic Jihad and his son. They put the number of Palestinian deaths in 18 days of conflict at 822, most of them civilians.

Militants fired a barrage of rockets out of Gaza, triggering sirens across much of southern and central Israel, including at the country’s main airport.

No injuries were reported, with the Iron Dome interceptor system knocking out many of the missiles.

The Gaza turmoil stoked tensions in the nearby occupied West Bank, where US-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas governs in uneasy coordination with Israel.

Medics said five Palestinians were killed in separate incidents near the cities of Nablus and Hebron, including

one shooting that witnesses blamed on an apparent Jewish settler.

On Thursday night, 10,000 demonstrators marched in solidarity with Gaza near the Palestinian administrative capital Ramallah - a scale recalling mass revolts of the past. Protesters surged against an Israeli army checkpoint, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, and Palestinian medics said one was shot dead and 200 wounded when troops opened fire.

Hamas wants Gaza opened up

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal had on Wednesday voiced support for a humanitarian truce, but only if Israel eased restrictions on Gaza’s 1.8 million people. Hamas wants Egypt to open up its border with Gaza, too, and demands that Israel release hundreds of prisoners rounded up in the West Bank last month following the kidnapping and killing of three Jewish seminary students.

Such concessions appear unlikely, however, as both Israel and Egypt consider Hamas a security threat.

One Cairo official said next week’s Eid-ul-Fitr festival, which concludes

Ramadan, was a possible date for a truce.

But US officials were circumspect on progress made by Kerry, whose mediation has involved Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and President Abbas, as Washington, like Israel and the European Union, won’t deal directly with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group.

“Secretary Kerry has been on the phone all morning, and he will remain in close touch with leaders in the region over the course of the morning as he continues work on achieving a ceasefire,” said a senior US State Department official in Cairo, which has been Kerry’s base over the last four days as he has tried to bring about a temporary end to the conflict.

On Thursday, a US official said Kerry was seeking a way to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas but that the top US diplomat would not stay in the region “for an indefinite amount of time.”

Israel insists that, even if such a ceasefire is agreed, its army will continue digging up tunnels along Gaza’s eastern frontier, a mission that could take between one and two weeks. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Boropukuria idle for three months n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Coal extraction from the country’s lone coalmine at Barapukuria in Dinajpur has been at a standstill for three months because of rising underground water level.

As a result, authorities fear that achieving target production from the mine will be delayed this time.

“The water level started rising soon after we applied a new method called Long Wall Top Coal Caving [LTCC] to double production,” Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) Managing Director Md Aminuzzaman told the Dhaka tribune yesterday.

The mine has an estimated reserve of about 390 million tonnes, stretching over a 6.68 sq-km area “We started extraction from the new 1205 face at the end of March because extraction from the 1206 face was complete.

The work however had to be stopped in the first week of May as water started coming out of the new face,” he said.

“I am not sure if we will be able to solve the problem and eventually come up with the the expected level of production,” he added.

“We are trying to clear water using a pump. For this, we need an alternative power supply... We have already applied to the Dinajpur office of the

Power Development Board for an alternative power supply line,” Aminuzzaman said.

Sources said PDB was planning to lay new line in three months. Under the new LTCC method, daily production at the mine would stand at around 5,000 tonnes, the BCMCL MD said.

Chinese company XMC, along with another consortium led by China National Import and Export Corporation (CMC), has been producing coal from the site since 2005.

After the previous contract expired, a new Management, Production, Maintenance and Provisioning (MPMP) services contract of Tk2,314.55 crore for producing 5.5 million tonnes of coal in 72 months was signed between the mine authority and the Chinese consortium in 2011.

The PDB is the biggest consumer of the coal extracted from the mine. It procures 80% of the coal for using in the power plants near the mine. The 250MW plant, which needs around 2,500 tonnes of coal every day, currently has more than 100,000 tonnes in its stock.

Some steel mills and heavy industries and brick kilns also buy coal from the mine. The kilns generally purchase the coal between August and December. They could not do it last year because of the political chaos before the January election.

The mine has an estimated reserve of about 390 million tonnes, stretching over a 6.68 sq-km area, according to a 1985 study of the Geological Survey of Bangladesh. l

Rape case filed after victim commits suicide n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj The family of a rape victim, who committed suicide hours after she was raped on Tuesday, lodged a complaint on Thursday with Tungipara police in Gopalganj.

The deceased’s brother filed the complaint against five persons, including rapist Al Amin.

The victim’s maternal cousin Al Amin, who is an accused of a clash, hails from Bagerhat’s Shantikhali upazila and used to live at his maternal

uncle’s house at Banashbaria village in Tungipara.

The class VIII student killed herself hours after the incident by ingesting poison and was taken to Gopalganj General Hospital for an autopsy.

Tungipara police station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam could not confirm the occurrence of the rape as the autopsy report had yet to come in.

He, however, said they had arrested the rapist’s brother, one of the accused in the case. Investigations are now underway. l

News

Study: TB, malariarelated deaths declining in Bangladesh n Moniruzzman Uzzal The fatality rates among tuberculosis and malaria victims are substantially on the decline in Bangladesh compared to the past; however, more Bangladeshis are being infected with and dying from HIV/AIDS than in the past, according to a recent report in prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

Researchers found that in contrast to global trends, deaths from HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh increased by a rate of 1.9% (compared to 1.5% globally) between 2000 and 2013. On the other hand, deaths from TB and malaria have fallen at a faster rate than the global average at 6.7% (compared to 3.7% globally) and 11.1% (compared to 3.1% globally), respectively, between 2000 and 2013.

The study also showed that from 2000 to 2013, Bangladesh had a large decline in malaria deaths, dropping from 114 in 2000 to 32 in 2013.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the ICDDRB said The Lancet report showed that worldwide, HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria killed fewer people than in the past, with declines in new cases and deaths accelerating since 2000.

The study further revealed that there were a total of 204 tuberculosis (TB) cases per 100,000 people in Bangladesh in 2013, and 193 new cases of TB per 100,000 were diagnosed that year. In comparison, there were seven cases of HIV/AIDS per 100,000 in Bangladesh in 2013, and less than one new infection per 100,000 for that year.

Published on July 22, the study titled “Global, regional and national incidence and mortality for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria during 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2013” was conducted by an international consortium of researchers led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Dr Aliya Naheed, a co-author of the study and also an associate scientist at the ICDDRB, said: “Bangladesh has worked hard to improve the diagnosis and treatment of TB. We have also invested in malaria control efforts, and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria provided important support for our national malaria program since 2007. Now we need to prioritise our growing challenge with HIV/AIDS”.

Researchers also found that new HIV/ AIDS cases and deaths primarily occurred in males, with 390 deaths in males compared to 181 in females in 2013. TB deaths and new infections in Bangladesh were also largely concentrated in males; total TB deaths last year involved 12,257 males compared to 3,288 females.l

BTCL to launch new telephony project today n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited will launch a new project today that will, for the first time ever, assign eight-digit numbers to landline subscribers in the capital.

Known as the triple play telephony system, the Tk248.06 crore project will be inaugurated today by Post and Telecommunication Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar telephone exchange.

Titled “Replacement of Old Digital Telephone System of Dhaka City,” the project will replace 171,000 old copper cable line connections with upgraded ones that will offer voice service with data and video.

All these numbers will contain eight digits and will start with 5, said Swapan Kumar Saha, the project director, to the Dhaka Tribune.

The subscribers will have a hassle-free upgrade, without changing their numbers, said the project officials.

“For the first time, the government-owned telephone company is adopting the soft switch technology which will help us offer the most modern services to our customers,” Swapan said.

He added that the company will be able to offer large bandwidth (minimum 20 Mbps per subscriber for download) with the application of optical fibre at the distribution level, with a range of diversified value-added services like IPTV, video on demand, and online gaming.

BTCL officials informed that two soft switches – one for Shera Bangla Nagar exchange, and the other for Ramna exchange and five nodes at Gulshan, Uttara, Mirpur, Nilkhet and Moghbazar – can cover the entire city.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

They also said this next generation network-based solution would make the new system cheaper and more versatile, also reducing the use of copper cables and hence reducing the occurrence of regular faults.

The BTCL officials claimed that there was a huge demand for telephones and different value-added services, and the company could exploit it upon the completion of this project.

According to sources, even though the project is going to be inaugurated today, it is not yet complete.

The initial implementation period for the project was decided to be from September 2009 till June 2013. However, it was extended up to June this year, and then again until September.

The state-owned company currently has around 870,000 subscribers across the country and more than 500,000 of them are in the capital. l

Wastes are burned around tree trunks planted near Khilkhet flyover on the Airport Road, causing the trees to burn as well. The trees were planted as part of the beautification of the city MEHEDI HASAN

Quarry worker shot by Ansar in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet A quarry worker was killed by Ansar members yesterday at Bholaganj quarry in Sylhet’s Companiganj upazila, said police.

Companiganj police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Delwar Hossain said the deceased Jahur Ahmed, 40, used to live in a cluster village called Bholaganj in the upazila.

Jahur and four or five others were trying to enter the Bholaganj rope-way, a restricted zone, where a quarry was situated, in order to extract stones at night. When the Ansar members barred them from doing so, the quarry workers retaliated by throwing stones at them.

In self-defense, Ansar members fired at the illegal quarry workers, leaving Jahur critically injured.

He was taken to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The rope-way zone has been placed under Section 144 because of the relentless illegal quarrying there since April 22 of this year. l

Obaidul: Not Eid passengers, BNP’s movement stuck n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Communications Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said home-bound Eid passengers were not stuck on their way, but the BNP’s movement got stuck.

“I have never said that all roads are smooth but they will be fine and smooth by 2018,” he said during a visit to the Mawa Ferry Terminal, Dhaka-Mawa and Dhaka-Dohar highways in Munshiganj yesterday afternoon.

He inquired the progress of transferring the Mawa terminal.

Additional Chief of Roads and Highways Aftab Uddin and Chief Engineer of Munshiganj Nurul Hossen, among others, accompanied the minister during the visit. l

Dhaka Shia Community brings out a procession in Old Dhaka after Jum’a prayer yesterday protesting the attack on Palestinians at Gaza Strip RAJIB DHAR

Drowning still a major threat to children’s lives n Udisa Islam Drowning, which is reportedly the leading cause of child mortality in the country, continues to claim the lives of thousands of children each year in the absence of adequate number of effective awareness programmes.

According to media reports, at least six children drowned over the past week alone in separate incidents in Sherpur, Feni, Meherpur, Faridpur, Rangpur and Natore. However, many such deaths by drowning go unreported.

On June 13, three girls between the ages of seven and nine drowned while bathing in the Sapahar Beel of Naogaon, as they did not know how to swim.

Similar deaths take place throughout the year with the frequency of drowning incidents reaching its peak during March to September when most ponds and rivers are full of water.

According to research by the International Drowning Research Centre Bangladesh, most cases of drowning take place at ponds that are in the close proximity of houses. Their studies have also found that the rate of child mortality from drowning was higher among the rural population, most likely because of the higher number of water bodies in rural locations compared to urban areas.

In March, Rahela Banu, a housewife from Natore, lost her four-year-old daughter Reshma to drowning. Rahela claimed that she had fainted while doing household chores; and upon regaining consciousness she found that Reshma was missing from the house.

Several hours later, they found the body of Reshma – who did not know how to swim – in a nearby pond.

In a separate incident in Sunamganj last February, nine-year-old Jaglu drowned in a pond after he slipped on the mud while trying to catch a chicken. Jaglu also did not know how to swim.

The Jaglu’s mother said when their houses are inundated by water during every monsoon, she and most of her neighbours had to tie their children to poles to prevent them from drowning.

She added that she was constantly worried now for the lives of her other children whenever they were out of sight.

Researchers said the incidents of child drowning could be drastically reduced by teaching children how to swim.

For children above the age of four, at least 86% of the drowning fatalities occurred among those who did not know how to swim, according to SwimSafe, an organisation which works to prevent child drowning in Asia. The children, who are older than five years and knew how to swim, however, rarely drowned.

According to the Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey 2003, more than 17,000 children drown every year in the country; nearly 50 a day. However, the numbers are not updated each year.

A report by Unicef and The Alliance for Safe Children (TASC) also claimed that drowning caused the deaths of roughly one in every four children between one and 10 years of age; making drowning the leading reason of child deaths in Bangladesh.

Although several NGOs and different organisations have launched initiatives to organise swimming lessons for children, initiatives and awareness building programmes from the government has reportedly remained inadequate.

Nayeem Wahra, a child rights activist, told the Dhaka Tribune that the country needed some local organisations to scale-up the number of those who would teach children how to swim. The government should also take some initiatives to include the issue in the country’s health sector programmes as well, Wahra added.

Dr Abul Kalam Azad, additional director general of the health directorate, claimed they were taking the issue seriously as the government knew that child drowning was a leading barrier to reach the MDG goals, but admitted that no progress has been made yet.

The ministry has also introduced programmes under the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), Azad added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Home-bound people suffer for extra fare Sylhet OC closed for

torturing businessman

Most commuters face immense hardship at Gabtali, Mohakhali, and Sayedabad bus terminals as most buses leave the terminals several hours behind the scheduled time n Our correspondent, Sylhet Just days before the Eid-ul-Fitr, lo- gladesh Road Transport Corporation a ticket from Subarna Paribahan at 8am n Abu Hayat Mahmud and the bus was supposed to depart at cal private bus services such as Bahon (BRTC) began from Saturday.

The officer-in-charge of Sylhet Kotwali Home-bound passengers continue to face harassment at different bus terminals in the capital from a section of transport owners who had been illegally forcing them to pay extra fare for the Eid special service tickets.

Most commuters faced immense hardship at Gabtali, Mohakhali, and Sayedabad bus terminals since most buses had left the terminals several hours after the scheduled time.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, most passengers alleged that although the government claimed that many of its agencies were monitoring the situation, rampant irregularities at these bus terminals were continuing unchecked.

During a visit to the city’s bus terminals, the Dhaka Tribune found that most bus operators used their own enterprises to sell their tickets and had been using unfit buses to transport passengers during the Eid rush.

Jalal Uddin, a Madaripur-bound passenger who was waiting for a bus of Subarna Paribahan, said: “I have bought

9:30am. It is already 10:30am, but the bus has yet to leave the terminal.”

He also claimed that at the time of purchase the ticket mentioned Subarna Paribahan as the service provider.

However, after arriving at the terminal, he found that the service was being provided using a hired bus from another company. When contacted, officials at Subarna Paribahan ticket counter refused to make comments.

At the same time, many passengers also said that every year many bus operators sell tickets confirming a onestop journey to different destinations from the capital. However, after crossing the Padma River, bus staff force the passengers to board another local bus for the rest of the journey.

This correspondent also found that highway buses were not the only ones cashing in from the homebound passengers, but transport companies providing services within the capital had joined the bandwagon by leasing out its buses to highway transport companies.

Paribahan, Baishakhi Paribahan, Suktara Bus Service, Monjil Paribahan, Falgun, Rupkotha Paribahan, Projapoti Minibus Services, Gulistan-Dhamrai Bus Services and Shuvojatra Bus Services had already leased out some of its buses for long-distance routes.

Sources said at least 10 complaint centres have been set up at Gabtoli, Sayedabad, Mohakhali, Kamolapur and Sadarghat terminals to monitor and prevent all kinds of irregularities in ticket selling and public harassment.

When contacted, BRTA Chairman Nazrul Islam said: “These minibuses can run outside Dhaka only if they are fit. Bus owners just repainted these unfit vehicles. If we can identify them, we will take stern actions.”

He also claimed that mobile teams had been visiting all the bus terminals to check such illegal practices by bus operators. Meanwhile, privately-owned bus services in the country began selling advance Eid tickets since July 14 while the state-owned Ban-

Aibur Rahman, a Gopalganj-bound passenger at Gabtali said: “I bought a Rajdhani Paribahan ticket for Tk400, though it is generally Tk270.”

“I do not understand that why the bus owners charge extra during the Eid season,” he added.

When asked, Rajdhani Bus Service Manager Akhter Hossain claimed: “We charge exactly as fixed by the BRTA fare chart.”

He also claimed that normally they charge lower fares than the BRTA chart to attract more passengers.

BRTA has set a fare rate of Tk1.45 per kilometre on every highway, and also set ferry fare rates and bridge tolls.

Every bus operator has put the chart, signed by a BRTA official, on display in front of their counters.

According to the Rajdhani Paribahan chart, the distance from Dhaka to Gopalganj was 204 kilometers and the fare rate per kilometre was Tk1.45 while the ferry fare was Tk63.12 and the total fare was Tk440.26. However, the company was selling tickets at Tk440. l

police station was transferred to Rangpur range of police Thursday night instantly after a directive from the Police Headquarters in Dhaka.

A new officer-in-charge for the police station also replaced the former yesterday morning.

The transfer was Ataur Rahman who along with four other policemen was alleged to have tortured a businessman in the area, Kamal Ahmed Chowdhury, elder brother of Chhatak Municipality Mayor.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mizanur Rahman said a lawsuit would be filed against the OC in response to a High Court directive.

An HC bench of Justice Salma Masud Choudhury and Justice Md Habibul Gani directed the inspector general of police and Sylhet police commissioner to take legal action against OC Ataur after Kamal’s younger brother, Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, filed a writ with the High Court Thursday in connection with the arrest and alleged torture.

Two killed during Zakat distribution in Barisal n Our correspondent, Barisal At least two women were killed and six others injured during the distribution of Zakat items by Khan Sons Group at its Barisal office in Katpatty road area yesterday.

The dead were Firoja Begum, 50, wife of Fazle Ali from Karnakathi of Sadar upazila and Nupur Begum, 35, wife of Mohon Mia from Rasulpur area of the city.

Following the incident, locals cordoned off Barisal Kotwali police station and blamed police negligence in keeping the situation under control.

Bilkis Begum, a relative of the deceased, Nupur, said Khan Sons Group arranged the distribution of Zakat items including Sharee, Lungi and cash among the poor at its office in Katpatty road area of the city around 9:30am.

A large crowd gathered at the office, Bilkis said, adding that many fell sick because of the suffocating environment there and some were stampeded while struggling to receive cash.

As there was a complete pandemonium, Nupur and Firoza including six others were severely injured and fell ill.

The injured were rushed to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared Nupur and Firoza dead.

All the injured were admitted to the hospital and the distribution of Zakat items was temporarily stopped.

Md Shahin, executive officer of Khan Sons Group, Barisal office, expressing his condolence for the dead and injured, said it was a regular annual programme of the company. l

WEATHER

PARTLY CLOUDY SATURDAY, JULY 26 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:45PM SUN RISES 5:25AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

35

27

Chittagong

31

26

Rajshahi

33

26

Rangpur

33

27

Khulna

32

25

Barisal

32

26

Sylhet

34

26

Cox’s Bazar

31

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.2ºC Sylhet

24.0ºC Hatiya

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:59am 5:22am 12:05am 4:45pm 6:47pm 8:12pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

The HC also asked the National Human Rights Commission Chairman to submit to it an investigation report on the incident within four weeks.

Kamal Ahmed Chowdhury was arrested in the Sylhet city on July 17 for breaching traffic laws.

Following arrest, Kamal was put to torture in the police station, alleged the arrestee’s family.

The family members allegedly said OC Ataur Rahman, OC (investigation) Shyamol Banik, Sub-Inspector Abdur Rahim, Assistant Sub-Inspector Taher and Constable Adhir joined the act of torture.

The arrestee, Kamal, is now admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Sylhet metropolitan police commissioner said cases would be filed against the five policemen in response to the HC order.

The new Officer-in-Charge for Kotwali police station was Md Monirul Islam who took the charge yesterday morning from his former colleague.

Monirul was earlier posted to Sylhet Jalalabad police station. l

Protest in Narayanganj, Sherpur against Israel attacks in Gaza

n Tribune Report

A rickshaw van overturns on the dilapidated Port road hampering trade in Barisal city

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Trade in Barisal port hampered for sorry state of road

Train tickets sold in the black market in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Barisal Train tickets meant to be sold before Eid were being sold on the black market, though many people could not find any tickets at the counters.

People were forced to buy overpriced train tickets from the black market scalpers yesterday, which was the last day for selling tickets from the counter.

A source informed that there are some tickets in possession of the railway guards, shopkeepers around the station and some other outsiders.

According to some sources an organised syndicate had bought the tickets in advance from the authority. The syndicate were particularly active in Chittagong, Comilla, Dhaka and some other places in the country. As a result passengers were forced to collect tickets from the black marketeers.

Denying any existence of a black market, Muhibur Rahman, the stationmaster of Sylhet rail station, said some people are reselling tickets after collecting them from the counters.

“We cannot take the liabilities for the resale of tickets,” the stationmaster added. Like the rest of the country, advance train tickets were made available at the counters in Sylhet on July 20. All the tickets were sold out within hours.

Habib, a home-bound passenger for Eid, said he could not buy a ticket after standing in queue for hours. Later he found the same tickets for which he had to pay Tk50 extra per ticket. He termed it a “painful experience”. l

A busy Barisal road on the banks of the Kirtankhola River in the old port area of the city, which is fringed with fish wholesalers, fishmongers’ stalls and a variety of open air groceries, has become so dilapidated that residents of the area and people associated with trade in the vicinity of the road consider it a danger to public safety.

The president of the Barisal Matsya Aratdar Samity, a local fish wholesalers’ organisation, Ajit Kumar Das, said it was no longer a road, but a large ditch filled with mud and water.

The nearly 1.5 kilometres of road stretching along the Kirtankhola River in the Barisal old port area, which serves as the nexus for the river city’s extensive fisheries trade, falls under the authority of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

The BIWTA had ignored several ap-

peals to repair the road, said the head of the fish wholesalers group. A visit by this Dhaka Tribune correspondent to the area revealed that the road was badly potholed, and some parts of it were entirely inundated with water that had not drained away, obscuring potholes and jagged holes beneath the water line.

An executive engineer of the BIWTA, AZM Shahnewaz, acknowledged the severe damage to the road and said the 1300-metre long road under the Barisal River Port area was last repaired in April 2009. The joint secretary of Barisal Matsya Aratdar Samity, Nirob Hossain, said 150-160 trucks daily used the road to serve businesses related to fishing, the port, ice factories, and wholesale businesses in the nearby Hatkhola and Bazar Road areas.

Since the fishing business involved much use of ice and water, the road was originally constructed with reinforced concrete and stone chips instead of bi-

12 CCTV cameras set up in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet A total of 12 close circuit cameras have been set up in Sylhet city from Zindabazar point to Chouhatta to improve the city’s law and order situation.

Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Ariful Haque inaugurated the CC cameras yesterday under a pilot project. He said eight more CC cameras would be set up in the city after Eid-ul-

Fitr, adding that the whole city would be monitored by more CC cameras in future.

He said the objective of the project was to ensure peoples’ safety.

SCC sources said the CC cameras would initially be monitored by the SCC authorities. The cameras are capable of storing at least two months of footage and the pilot project was worth Tk5.40 lakh, they added. l

tumen and bricks, Nirob said. However, during the last repair several years ago, substandard materials were used and the condition of the road had become unsafe for vehicular traffic, he said.

He added that the road was not safe for pedestrians either. Rickshaw pullers and truck drivers in the area complained of wheels getting bent out of shape, shredded tires and other damage to their vehicles on the road. Area businessmen said at least two vehicles a day had to be helped after getting mired in the deep, muddy potholes.

The BIWTA executive engineer said the road could not be closed to carry out repairs because so many people used the road daily. He refused to comment about the alleged use of substandard materials in previous repairs to the road, saying instead that a tender for repair work had been called and a work order would be given after the rainy season had passed and Eid vacations were over. l

Condemning the ongoing attacks and genocide in the Gaza strip of Palestine, members of Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB) Narayanganj unit organised a protest rally in front of the Narayanganj Press Club yesterday.

The speakers said in 1948, to establish imperialism and conquest property, “a fake Israel” was created on the ground of Palestine. Israel is currently the fourth largest weapon exporting nation in the world only because of the patronisation of the imperialists.

They also said although Israel was born on 7,000 sq km of land, today it is standing on a land of 21,000 sq km by grabbing territories of surrounding countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.

Terming America, Britain, and human rights organisation Amnesty Internationl, and United Nations “imperialists,” the speakers highly criticised their silence regarding the brutal killings and attacks in Gaza by the Israeli force.

The SPB speakers said although these countries and institutions keep talking about human rights violation, they are now absolutely quiet over the genocide in Gaza. This indicates that Israel is carrying the attacks with support of the imperialists not because of religious conflict.

SPB district unit Coordinator Nikhil Das chaired the session while Narayanganj City Corporation Councillor ward no 15 Asit Boron Biswas spoke at the rally.

They also said the aggression and torture were being carried in order to sustain the imperialists from the west and therefore, USA’s alliance countries like Saudi Arab and Kuwait were playing no role in stopping them.

Speakers convened world citizens to stand united and create a mass movement to stop the genocide in Gaza.

On the other hand, Shantrash O Agrashon Birodhi Mancha, a Sherpur based human rights organisation, formed a human chain yesterday around 11am in the New Market Shaheed Abdur Rashid square in the city.

Under the banners of Bangladesh Teacher’s Association, Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, Patabahar Khelaghar Ashar, Chhatrabandhu Parishad, and Biplobi Robi Niyogi Shabhakakkha, Prothom Alo Bandhushobha, 15 social-cultural organisations participated in the human chain expressing solidarity.

They urged the Bangladeshi government to open security camps for the Palestinians and called the UN to take immediate steps in order to stop the killing of women and children in Gaza. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Tupi Palli vibrant on Eid eve

'Contracted firms embezzle over Tk3.5 lakh from PDB'

n Our Correspondent, Panchagarh

n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Religious caps commonly known as a tupi made in Tetulia of Panchagarh district are available at reasonable prices across the country.

Despite the increase in prices of raw materials, the prices have not increased for such attractive caps produced by the ‘Tupi Palli’ (cap village) in Tetulia.

However, the cap industry is gradually losing its tradition due to a lack of adequate capital and the absence of a pragmatic government policy for this small cottage industry.

Cap manufacturing on small scale first started at remote Mathafata village in Tetulia upazilla in 1991. However, commercial production of caps began in 1994.

Initially, some 15,000 to 20,000 caps were produced every month.

The demand for cap increases during the holy month of Ramadan and people work day and night to produce caps which are sold across the country.

In remote Mathafata village several cap manufacturing units, including Al Khaiyat Cap Industry and Al Iqra Cap Industry, were established.

Al Khaiyat Cap Industry was established by Md Abdul Hannan, a pioneer in the field here.

While he was a student, Hannan first came up with the idea of producing caps with attractive designs. In 1993, he

Workers busy sewing caps ar Tupi Palli in Panchagarh as the demand for such caps increase across the country before Eid took a loan from a friend and produced 100 caps.

Later, he brought the caps to Chawkbazar in Dhaka and sold them for good profit.

With his initial profit and another Tk70,000 loan taken from two friends, Hannan bought a machine for sewing caps. From 1994, he began commercial

production of caps.

Later, he started exporting caps through Mariam International Import Export. Abdul Hannan said that caps are produced throughout the year but the demand for caps increases substantially during the month of Ramadan and ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha.

The Chinese government itself cre-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ates markets for caps which help its traders capture the foreign market.

China uses Tazima Multi Needle Computerized Embroidery Machine for mass production of caps. The cost of one such machine is about Tk 6 crore.

However, production has now declined to some 4,000 to 5,000 caps a month. The production cost of each

cap is Tk80 to Tk250 depending on material and design.

Hundreds of people, both male and female, work in the cap factories of Tetulia. women earn Tk100 to Tk200 a day by producing caps to help support their family and children’s education.

Once the caps produced in Mathafata village of Tentulia were exported to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and other Middle Eastern countries after meeting the domestic demand.

At present, export of caps has stopped as China captured the international cap market.

The Chinese government supports the cap industry in remote villages and arranges electricity, gas and good communication system as well as help market their products.

The Chinese producers have sufficient capital and the production cost of their caps is also less.

Proprietor of Al Iqra Cap Industry Harun or Rashid said they are producing caps on a small scale these days since the international cap market has been captured by China.

Businessmen involved in cap manufacturing said if the problems of the cap industry are resolved, locally produced caps could be exported by meeting the domestic demand and thus enable the country to earn substantial amount of foreign currency. l

Employees have accused two contracted firms of embezzling over Tk 3.5 lakh from the Power Development Board (PDB) in Gaibandha.

Thirteen employees, including Zila Bidyut Sramik League Organising Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, made the complaint with Rangpur PDB's chief engineer (distribution) on Monday.

According to the complaint, the employees were supposed to be provided with new uniforms, shoes and so on this fiscal year.

Messrs Siddikur Rahman was tasked with the provision work as the lowest bidder. The firm drew Tk 1,56,140 on March 13 but it had done nothing.

Moreover, Sardar Construction, another contracted firm, was given the job of maintaining the PDB office building.

Though the firm drew Tk 1,99,488 on March 13, it had hardly done anything.

PDB Chief Engineer Sukumar Lal however declined that Messrs Siddikur Rahman and Sardar Construction had embezzled the money.

He said Messrs Siddikur Rahman had been given the contract money before it did its contract job because of 'June closing'. However, the firm would do its assigned job later.

About Sardar Construction, he said the firm had been given the money only after it had done the maintenance. l

UP chairman embezzles 215 tonnes 43RD SOHAGPUR MASSACRE DAY Widows want to see trial of all war criminals of TR wheat in Gopalganj n Our Correspondent, Sherpur

n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Accusations of embezzling 215 tonnes of wheat have surfaced against a Union Parishad chairman at Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj.

The wheat was allocated for developing rural infrastructure including temples and mosques, said former Union Parishad member Lokman Hazra.

They urged Amtali Union Parishad Chairman Mohammad Hannan Sheikh for taking up all the projects for which the wheat had been allocated. They threatened legal action against the chairman if he failed to take up the projects very soon.

Former Union Parishad member Lokman Hazra said the chairman had done nothing but he had showed through his sidekicks that the projects had been implemented well.

For instance, he said, wheat had been allocated for building the ap-

proach road of the bridge on the west of Chhoto Dakkhinpara Madrasa but no work was done. Likewise, wheat had been allotted for building the road from Purbo Unoshia's Boro Rasta to Sikder Bari, but no work was ever done for it.

President of Chhoto Dakkhinpara Paikbari Kali Mandir Project Binoy Roy said seven tons of wheat had been allotted for his project, but the chairman sold that out and gave him only Tk 40,000.

Quoting the chairman, he said, “Keep happy with what you have been given because I had to spend a lot when bringing this allocation.”

President Sridam Ghosh, of the project for building the road from Dakkhin Purbo Unoshia to the house of one Mujibor Sheikh and the road from Unoshia College to the house of one Gouranga Ghosh, said he had not got any allocation on his project.

He added that the chairman had said

he would take up the project himself.

President Swapna Akter, a reserved female member, of the project for building the approach road of the bridge and the road from Purbo Unoshia's Boro Rasta to Sikder Bari, said she had got little allocation for the project and so had stayed away from starting this.

Amtali Union Parishad Chairman Hannan however denied the allegation and said, “I have brought in the projects on the recommendation of the prime minister's office. I have shared the allocations among all project presidents. If they do not implement the projects, I have nothing to do about it.”

Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Miran Hossain Mia said: “I will not accept any voucher for any project unless it is properly implemented. In need, I will talk to the higher authorities for legal action against those who embezzled the allocation.” l

Yesterday was the 43rd Sohagpur Massacre Day, the day the Pakistani occupation forces cracked down on the inhabitants of Sohagpur village in Nalitabari upazila, brutally killing 187 innocent men and children, back in 1971.

After independence, the village was renamed Bidhaba Polli (the village of widows) for the 34 widows, who are still alive, though their husbands and children are all gone. Now, all they want is to see the trials of the war criminals and to support themselves financially.

The village is located 35 kilometres from Sherpur district town. When it was attacked in 1971, there were no freedom fighters there, though they were all stationed in every house in the adjacent Baruajani village. The denizens of Sohagpur never thought they would be attacked but their assumption proved wrong when Pakistani

soldiers teamed up with local razakars and surrounded the village from three sides. They brutally shot and killed 187 people.

When the soldiers left the village, the women covered the bodies with mosquito nets, sarees and banana leaves.

In 1996, for the first time since the Liberation War, the then agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury provided the villagers with aid from her own funds. Each woman was given two goats, a saree, rice and lentil. Assisted

by Brac, they were also given Tk1,200 as lifetime allowance.

All allowance and aid, however, were cancelled for unknown reasons when the four-party alliance government assumed power.

During the caretaker government's term, the joint forces and the district administration jointly initiated three projects involving power tiller, mushroom farming and af-

forestation, but no progress could be made due to a lack of proper supervision.

On December 4, 2011, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman, assisted by Matia, distributed allowances among 61 widows and martyrs' families.

With the assistance of Trust Bank, 37 widows were given Tk1,000 as lifetime allowance and 24 martyrs' families received Tk1,000 for five years.

Apart from this, all of them were given Tk7,000 as one-time aid, a winter shawl and a solar charger light.

The widows had lived relatively good lives during the caretaker government's tenure because of the projects that they initiated.

This year, they have called on the local administration and the government to resume and ensure proper supervision of those projects as they seek financial independence and the freedom to rebuild their lives. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Youth dies in Narail A young man died on Friday after falling from a tree in Fulshar village under Bhaddrabila union of sadar upazila in Narail district. The deceased Hadis Ali Mollah, 18, was the son of Musarref Mollah. Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of Narail sadar police station, said around 8am, the victim was climbing a Renti tree to cut its branches. He suddenly fell from the tree and died on the spot. An unnatural death case was filed with sadar police station regarding the incident. A case was filed in this regard.

– Our Correspondent, Narail

One hacked to death in Bogra A person was hacked to death by unidentified assailants on Thursday night in Choklokman area under Shahjahanpur police station. The deceased Likhon was the son of Lutfur Rahman of Joleshoritola. Shahjahanpur police station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Mannan said: “Assailants chopped him up and dumped his body in the river around 11pm. Police later recovered the body from the river.” The miscreants had also set fire to Likhon's in-law's residence.

A case was filed in this connection.

– Our Correspondent, Bogra

Two arrested with phensidyl in Bagmara Police arrested two miscreants, who were

carrying 1,500 bottles of phesidyl in their car, yesterday from Bagmara, Rajshahi.

The detained are Shahin Howladar, the son of Khadem Howladar, from Barisal, and Mohan, the son of Abdus Sattar, from Noakhali. Obaida Khan, officer-in-charge of Bagmara police station, said Shahin and Mohan bought 1,500 bottles of phensidyl from Chapainawabganj. They put the bottles in a car and drove through different villages of Bagmara upazila instead of taking the Dhaka–Rajshahi highway to avoid the check-posts. When police tried to stop the car to search it, the smugglers tried to escape. As police chased them, they lost control and their car hit a tree.

Police found the bottles of phensidyl in the car and arrested Shahin and Mohan.

– Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

A youth commits suicide in Moulvibazar A young man allegedly committed suicide on Thursday night at Kulaura upazaila of Moulvibazar district. According to police, the deceased Kanai Das, 19, consumed some insecticide on Thursday night and was later taken to Moulvibazar 250-bed District Sadar Hospital in an unconscious state. There the duty doctor declared him dead. On being informed, police took the body and sent it to the same hospital’s morgue for an autopsy. Manjurul Hasan Masud, sub-inspector of Moulvibazar Sadar Model police station, confirmed the incident.

– Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar The dilapidated Homna-Muradnagar road in Comilla lies with numerous potholes as there was no repair work done for a long

Five killed, 23 injured in two road accidents n Tribune Report

At least five people were killed and 11 others injured in two separate road accidents in Mymensingh and Rangpur yesterday.

A head-on collision between a private car and a bus on the Mymensingh-Netrokona highway near Kashiganj area left two people dead on the spot and 10 others injured, our Mymensingh correspondent reported.

Police said the accident occurred around 11am when a Mymensingh bound bus from Netrokona's Zaria hit a private car from opposite direction.

Both the deceased were traveling in the private car: driver Shahin and Oman expatriate Kawser.

Tarakanda police station Officer-in-Charge Ali Ahmed said critically injured three people were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

Elsewhere in Rangpur, three people were killed and 23 others injured when a Lalmonirhat bound

bus from Dhaka lost control and fell into a roadside ditch, our Rangpur correspondent reported.

Borodorga highway police outpost Sub-Inspector Abdul Goni confirmed the incident. He said the accident left one person spot dead, while two critically injured people died on the way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. One of the deceased was Zahurul Islam from Sirajganj's Kazipur, while the other two were yet to be identified, he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

7

Saturday, July 26, 2014

No survivors in Air Algerie jet crash; black box found n Agencies

A July 25 handout, by ECPAD shows French soldiers standing by the wreckage of the Air Algerie flight AH5017 which crashed in Mali’s Gossi region, west of Gao, on July 24. The plane appears to have been pulverised on impact AFP

India protests delay in Mumbai attack trial n Agencies With the latest adjournment of the 26/11 Mumbai attack trial in Pakistan, India on Friday summoned Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner to New Delhi and recorded a protest in this regard, a report on the Times of India said. On the other hand Pakistan asked India to expedite the trial process of the Samjhota Express attack.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Khan to lodge a complaint, while India’s deputy high commissioner visited the Foreign Office in Islamabad to register a similar grievance regarding the delay in proceedings.

Quoting “reliable sources,” Indian news publications said Indian officials had sought updates regarding the trial’s progress during meetings with their Pakistani counterparts.

The report claimed that Pakistan had postponed the trial of suspects in the Mumbai attacks case several times with the most recent adjournment being the seventh in a row.

It was further alleged that judicial proceedings of the case remained inconsistent due to lack of strong prosecution.

Lashkar-i-Taiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Anjum have been charged with planning, financing and executing

the attacks in Mumbai.

However, since March 3, when terrorists attacked the district courts in Islamabad killing 12 people, including an additional district and sessions judge, progress on the trial slowed down owing to security concerns, sources close to the proceedings said.

The case is related to the killing of 166 people in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008 by terrorists who New Delhi claims had support of Pakistani suspects.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has called upon the Indian government to expedite the trial process of Samjhota Express attack which had taken place one year prior to the Mumbai attacks.

“Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baghlay was called for a meeting with Director General South Asia at the foreign office,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam told Dawn.

Earlier during a press briefing on July 17, Tasneem had said that Mumbai attack case was under way but also drew attention to the lack of progress in the case relating to the 2007Samjhota train attack in India in which 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed.

The train was carrying 757 passengers, including 553 Pakistanis, from New Delhi to Lahore via Attari when it was targeted by two low-intensity improvised incendiary devices which caused the carriages to explode near the Shiva village in India’s Panipat District. l

French officials dispatched a military unit to secure the site in restive northern Mali where an Air Algerie plane crashed with the loss of 116 people.

France’s interior minister said on Friday that terrorism cannot be excluded as a cause for the tragedy, though it was likely due to bad weather.

French president Francois Hollande announced Friday that there were no survivors in the crash of the MD-83 aircraft, owned by Spanish company Swiftair and leased by Algeria’s flagship carrier, which disappeared from radar less than an hour after it took off early Thursday from Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, for Algiers. The plane had requested permission to change course due to bad weather.

Speaking after a crisis meeting, Hollande also announced that one of the aircraft’s two black boxes has been found in the wreckage, in the Gossi re-

T H E G R A N D O L D C I T Y, T H E G R A N D O L D D I V I D E

gion near the border with Burkina Faso.

It is being taken to the northern Mali city of Gao. A French Reaper drone based in Niger spotted the wreckage, French transport minister Frederic Cuvillier told France-Info radio on Friday. Two helicopter teams also overflew, noting that the wreckage was in a concentrated area.

A column of soldiers in some 30 vehicles were dispatched to the site, he said.

A statement early on Friday from the Hollande’s office said the aircraft had been clearly identified “despite its state of disintegration.”

Quick discovery of the wreckage is “decisive” in piecing together what happened, the transport minister said, describing the aircraft as “disintegrated” and debris “in an apparently small area.”

“We think the plane went down due to weather conditions, but no hypothesis can be excluded as long as we don’t have the results of an investigation,” French interior minister Bernard Ca-

Ukraine faces bitter election in midst of conflict with Russia n Reuters, Kiev

An Israeli armed policeman stands guard after the traditional Friday prayers near the Old City in East Jerusalem on July 25. Israeli security forces are on heightened alert after a Palestinian man was shot dead during a huge protest in the West Bank against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Palestinian factions in the West Bank declared a ‘Day of Rage’ after the previous night’s clashes around the West Bank and in some sectors of Israeliannexed east Jerusalem in East Jerusalem near the Old City AFP

zeneuve told RTL radio.

“Terrorist groups are in the zone. ...

We know these groups are hostile to Western interests,” Cazeneuve said.

The pilots had sent a final message to ask Niger air control to change its route because of heavy rain, Burkina Faso Transport Minister Jean Bertin Ouedraogo said Thursday.

French forces intervened in northern Mali in January 2013 to rout Islamist extremists controlling the region. A French soldier was killed earlier this month near the major town of Gao, where French troops remain. Separatist Touaregs also have been fighting each other.

Nearly half the 110 passengers aboard the plane were French, and France is deeply shaken by the drama.

The president promised to mobilise all French military and civilian means in the region and call on partners to help.

The French gave the location of the crash site as in the Gossi region of Mali, on the border with Burkina Faso. l

Ukraine’s prime minister has launched what promises to be a bitter election campaign that could divide pro-Western parties and complicate their efforts to fight pro-Russian rebels in the country’s east.

Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, a key interlocutor of the West during months of turmoil, announced on Thursday that he would quit, saying parliament was betraying Ukraine’s army and people by blocking reforms supported by Western backers.

His move, following the exit of two parties from the ruling coalition, amounted to the start of a campaign for seats in a legislature still packed with former allies of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich, ousted by protests in February.

“History will not forgive us,” Yatseniuk told parliament on Thursday, in what analysts said was the first campaign speech for the party led by Yulia Tymoshenko, a rival of President Petro Poroshenko, who was elected to replace Yanukovich in May. Pro-Western political forces in Ukraine have been bitterly divided almost continuously since the country won independence with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Any further divisions will likely weaken Kiev’s attempt to counter

Russia’s reassertion of control over the former Soviet arena, realized most dramatically when Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March, and may also complicate talks with governments which lost citizens in last week›s downing of an airliner over eastern Ukraine.

Analysts said his removal from office – which has yet to be approved by parliament – would allow his party to criticize government policy during the campaign.

“This resignation means that the election campaign has begun for all political forces,” said Yuri Yakymenko, an analyst at the Razumkov think tank.

“He suggested unpopular laws, but the Rada (parliament) did not support him.

They threw it back at him, and now he’s throwing it back at them.”

High-risk strategy

Abandoning his post at a time when Ukraine is struggling to finance a war against pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine and to pay state workers their regular salaries could be a high risk strategy for Yatseniuk.

Government and finance officials have warned that the budget only has enough money to finance the army until Aug 1, and some pro-Russia politicians have criticized the government for failing to properly feed or equip soldiers in the field. l

US: Russia firing artillery on Ukraine troops Rise of Islamic State tests Syrian n AFP, Washington

The United States on Thursday said it had evidence Russian forces were firing artillery from inside Russia on Ukrainian troops, in what officials called a “clear escalation” of the conflict.

Moscow is also planning to “deliver heavier and more powerful multiple rocket launchers” to the pro-Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, US deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

The evidence was based on “intelligence information” indicating arms were “continuing to flow across the border” into Ukraine since the shooting down of a Malaysian airliner with 298 on board, Harf said.

But she refused to reveal the evidence behind the allegation or give further information.

“They’re firing artillery from within Russia to attack Ukrainian military,” Harf told reporters.

Washington, however, was still looking into the downing of two Ukrainian fighter jets on Wednesday. Kiev has alleged the warplanes were hit by missiles fired from Russian territory.

The shelling by Russian forces against Ukrainian positions had been “going on for several days,” said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren.

“It’s a clear escalation,” Warren told reporters.

The Pentagon did not specify the precise location of the Russian artillery

units or the artillery fire.

The Russian shelling has taken place “within the last 14 days,” according to a statement issued by US intelligence agencies.

Russia has continued a troop buildup near the border of Ukraine and kept up deliveries of arms and equipment to separatists since the downing of the Malaysian airliner, US defense officials told AFP. The Russians have sent at least one battalion a week to the border area in recent weeks, raising the troop level to 15,000 forces, up from about 12,000 last week, said two defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“It looks like a steady increase,” one official said. l

Iraq’s top cleric sends subtle message to Maliki – step aside n Reuters, Baghdad Iraq’s senior cleric on Friday urged political leaders to refrain from clinging to their posts – an apparent reference to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has defied demands that he step aside.

Speaking through an aide who delivered a sermon after Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said leaders should show flexibility so that political deadlocks could be broken and Iraq could confront militants.

Last month, Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant swept through northern and western

Iraq, posing the biggest challenge to Maliki’s Shi’ite-led government since the departure of US forces in 2011.

Critics say Maliki is a divisive figure whose alienation of Sunnis has fueled sectarian hatred and played into the hands of the insurgents, who have threatened to march on Baghdad.

Sistani said it is time for politicians to think of Iraq’s interests, not their own.

“The sensitivity of this phase necessitates that all the parties concerned should have a spirit of national responsibility that requires the practice of the principle of sacrifice and self denial and not to cling to positions and posts.”

Maliki, a Shi’ite, has ruled since an election in April in a caretaker capacity, dismissing demands from the Sunnis and Kurds that he step aside for a less polarizing figure. Even some Shi’ites oppose his bid for a third term.

Iraq’s parliament elected senior Kurdish lawmaker Fouad Masoum as president on Thursday, a long-awaited step in creating a new government capable of countering the insurgency.

Politicians have been in deadlock over forming a new government since the election. The next step, choosing a prime minister, may prove far more difficult as Maliki digs in. l

army strategy n Reuters, Beirut The growing power of the ultra-hardline Islamic State means the Syrian army is now having to confront a group it has until now been reluctant to attack for political reasons.

The emergence of the al Qaeda offshoot, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has so far allowed President Bashar al-Assad to present himself to the world as a bulwark against Sunni Islamist radicals.

At the same time, the group’s tendency to fight more moderate rebel forces also helped to divide the opposition, making it easier for Assad’s forces to recapture territory lost in earlier periods of Syria’s civil war.

As a result, some analysts suspect army commanders pursued a twintrack strategy against ISIL – they have sought to reduce the group’s threat to the state, while ensuring it remains strong enough to continue feuding with other rebels.

Now that Islamic State’s fighters have gained momentum in Syria, boosted by equipment seized in a rapid offensive next door in Iraq, the army may need to become more confrontational with the group if it wants to avoid losing territory to it.

Last month Islamic State declared an “Islamic caliphate” in territory it controls in Iraq andSyria, and vowed to expand.

It has mainly advanced in Syria by capturing land from more moderate rebel fighters. But it is now clash-

ing with the Syrian military more often, and the army has responded by stepping up aerial bombings on its positions.

In the short term, Damascus has not been too worried about ISIL, said a former Syrian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“In the long-term though, it must be a matter of great concern because it makes it all the more difficult should ISIL establish itself semi-permanently, especially with its control of resources like the oil.”

“There is a conflict of interests here between what is short-term and practical, and a long-term consideration,” the former diplomat said.

Gas field attack

Last week, Islamic State killed 270 soldiers, guards and staff when it captured a gas field in central Syria, in the deadliest clash yet between the group and government forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group based in Britain which tracks the violence.

Syrian newspaper al-Watan, citing sources, said that around 60 members of the security forces were killed.

Syrian soldiers also fought Islamic State militants outside a government-controlled army airport in the east of the country last Friday, part of a major escalation of hostilities between the two groups.

The airport is one of the last major strategic locations in Deir al-Zor province which is not under the control of the Islamic State, and its capture would

deny the Syrian army of its launch pad for air strikes on the east of the country.

If the Syrian government wants to take back control of territory in the north and east of the country, it will have to confront the Islamic State, observers say.

Made up of a few thousand fighters of various nationalities, the Islamic State lacks the firepower of the Syrian army. But it has been among the strongest of the armed groups, despite having little presence in Syria until two years ago.

Its fighters have also used non-military methods to make gains, such as encouraging ad hoc alliances, exploiting local grievances and buying off opposition fighters.

Anti-Assad activists and Western officials say the government has allowed Islamic State forces to flourish while attacking less extreme rebels.

Assad has used the group’s rise to back his argument that Syria faces a militant Islamist threat, diplomats say.

“The government wants (Islamic State) to be strong enough for its propaganda purposes and is therefore hesitant to attack it,” one Western diplomat said, adding that any government offensives were launched because Assad needed to be seen as acting against the group.

Although government forces have avoided attacking the group’s convoys and confronting it on the ground unless it is necessary, that does not mean it has been ignored as an enemy, the Observatory’s director Rami Abdurrahman said. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prescription

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Preparing for a festive Eid Traditionally most of us head to our home village to celebrate Eid with our families. Eid means lots of delicious foods. You have to be cautious about your health on your Eid journey, and should also be concerned about overeating. Otherwise, injuries and sickness can ruin your Eid holidays anytime

n Dr Sajol Ashfaq

information to your doctor. You should take enough regular medicine with you, because it is difficult to collect medicine on your Eid vacation. If you have an extra spectacle, take it with you for emergency.

Children are always going here and there during a journey. So keep them in close contact with you as there is a risk of them going missing, and many kinds of accidents can happen. In a long journey, people, especially children catch a cold. To cope up with this situation, you need some tissue paper sand mufflers to wrap your children. You can USE sunscreen lotion to protect yourself from sun-burn. A small soap should be in your handbag for washing your hands anytime. It is good to keep an umbrella with you, to protect your children from sun and rain.

Beat acidity after heavy meal

Save your Doctor’s phone number During Eid, it can be difficult your regular doctor. You take his/her phone number you can call him/her to seek advice.

to meet should so that medical

It is very risky to drink water and food from outside during your journey. Contaminated water and food can make you sick very quickly. So, you should keep some bottled water and dry food like biscuit.

Make your First Aid box

BIGSTOCK

Domperidon tablet or suspension for belching and bloating of abdomen.  Chlorpheniramine, cetrizine, levocetrizine, fexofenadine for sneezing, rhinorrhoea and common cold.  Ondansetron tab/ suspension for vomiting.  Metoclopramide and Prochlorper

azine to prevent motion sickness.

Antibiotic like Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin and Metronidazole for respiratory infection and loose motion, dyscentry.  Oral saline for diarrhoea.  Blood pressure machine, thermometer  Before collecting your medicines, talk to your family physician, to 

know about the dose and use of the above medicines.

Bring your prescriptions and regular medicines

Remember, to take your prescription with you. If you become sick when you are in your village or any other place other than your home, this prescription will provide the medical

Lots of food on the dining table will be waiting for you in every household from the Eid morning. Large meals can cause heartburn. Heartburn occurs when stomach acid backs up into your esophagus. To prevent heartburn eat smaller meals avoid over eating and add vegetables and yogurt.

Furthermore don’t drink water while taking food. It is better to drink water after 20-30 minutes of completion of meal. Avoid bending from the waist after meals; it puts pressure on the stomach. Don’t lie down after a meal. Wait at least three hours after eating before lying down or going to bed. Try to walk in your home for 15-30 minutes.

In nighttime heartburn raise the head end of your bed about 6 inches to prevent acid reflux against the gravity.

Don’t smoke. Smoking decreases the lower esophageal sphincter’s ability to function properly.

Few Medicines are helpful to combat heartburn. Antacids, the most common therapy, relieve symptoms in five to 15 minutes, but the effects don’t last beyond an hour.

Neutralise stomach acids, but don’t prevent heartburn.Omeprazole and Esomeprazole can relieve heartburn effectively. l

BIGSTOCK

Keep heartburn at bay

Bring water and dry food

Everyone should be conscious about First Aid treatment during Eid holidays. In these holidays, it can be difficult to reach a doctor and to get medicines. So, you have to prepare yourself to cope up with the general health problems in Eid vacations in a rural area. Before Eid journey you can make a list of a few medicines and some medical materials mentioned below, and keep them with you.  First Aid band to cover any cuts.  Antiseptic solution and cream to wash the wounded area.  Paracetamol tablets and suspension for headache and any sort of pain.  Antacid, Ranitidin, Omeprazole to get relief from gastric irritation, dyspepsia.  Cough syrup like Ambroxol, Codeine, Guaifenesin etc.

QUICK TIPS FOR EID

One might feel that acidity and acidic reflux or heartburn is caused only by consuming a heavy meal rich in fat and spices especially late in the night. This situation is expected in Eid. The trick to managing acidity is to keep the stomach neither too full nor too empty. So the best way is to break down your breakfast, lunch and dinner in Eid into smaller portions, and eat that food at hourly intervals.

Another method is having sipfuls of lemon water every now and then – it helps stabilise the gastric acids. Increase the amount of fibre in your Eid diet by increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fibre absorbs the extra acid in the stomach and helps to discard it out of the body. The salts that one gets from the fruits also help in neutralising the acidity. It is better to have a little walk after dinner to prevent aciditty.

Get rid of constipation

SELF CARE Suddenly after eating much on Eid day anyone can face bloating of tummy. When gas produced by the foods doesn’t pass through belching, it can build up in the stomach and intestines and lead to bloating. Passing gas or having a bowel movement may relieve the pain.

Usually bloating is related to eating fatty foods, because fat delays stomach emptying and can increase the sensation of fullness. Smoking and some diseases also plays a role.

To reduce bloating, you have to avoid or reduce the amount of gasproducing foods you eat. Many carbohydrates cause gas, and baked beans, cabbage, carbonated drinks, cauliflower, chewing gum, hard candy, lettuce are recognized as common culprits by the myoclinic researchers. l

BIGSTOCK

BIGSTOCK

you inhale smoke, you also inhale and swallow air). l

BIGSTOCK

Foods that trigger heartburn

Some foods- like onion, garlic, chocolate, caffeine, peppermint, fatty and spicy foods, fruits like grapes, oranges and caffeine known to be linked to heartburn. Caffeine may lower pres-

BIGSTOCK

Milk allergy or lactose intolerance n Dr Robi Bishwas Symptoms of a milk allergy include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, bloody stool, and rashes. In severe cases of milk allergy, a child DID YOU KNOW? may experience a lifethreatening reaction called anaphylactic shock.

If your child has a milk allergy, her immune system is responding to the proteins found in milk. Tummy troubles related to milk can become full

Get rid of occasional Belching Belching is your body’s way of expelling excess air from your stomach.

Belching can hit some people on Eid day eating. You may swallow excess air if you eat or drink too fast, talk while you eat, drink carbonated beverages, or drink through a straw. If stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, you may swallow repeatedly to clear the material. This can lead to swallowing more air and further belching.

You can reduce belching if you eat and drink slowly, avoid drinking through a straw, avoid carbonated drinks and beer (they release carbon dioxide gas), and skip smoking (when

BIGSTOCK

How to prevent bloating

sure on the lower esophageal sphincter and worsens symptoms of acid reflux.

To prevent heartburn, eat more vegetables and high-fibre foods, avoid overeating by eating smaller meals.

Yogurt can be a helpful in acid reflux, so take it at end of your large meal.

Salad is a primary meal for acid refluxers, although tomatoes and onions should be avoided, as well as cheese and high-fat dressings. Sometimes foods like banana with high levels of potassium may help prevent or resolve acid reflux. Though, about 1% of acid refluxers find that their condition is worsened by bananas. l

| Compiled by Dr Kazi Mahbuba Akhtar

blown as a child switches from formula or breast milk to whole cow’s milk and begins eating other dairy products such as ice cream and cheese. For kids with a milk allergy, soy milk may be the answer, but it’s not for everyone.

Five to 10% of kids who are allergic to milk are also allergic to soy. In that case, you’ll need to talk to your child’s doctor or a nutritionist about how to make sure your child gets enough calcium from other foods.

Lactose intolerance happens when a person’s body isn’t producing lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose,

the primary sugar in milk. Symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating, and gas. Lactose intolerance is uncommon in young children and usually shows up later in childhood or during the teen years.

If your child is lactose intolerant, he or she can probably continue to have dairy as long as she takes a synthetic form of lactase, which you can find in an over-the-counter supplement. You can also buy lactose-free milk products. l The writer is child specialist in Dhaka Shishu Hospital.

Probiotics may control blood pressure n Prescription Desk People who consume beneficial bacteria – whether they eat foods such as yogurt, or take probiotic supplements –ß may modestly reduce their blood pressure, a new study suggests.

Research An analysis done by researchers in Australia found people who took probiotics reduced their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) by an average of 3.56 millimeters of mercury, and their diastolic blood pressure (the second number) by an average of 2.38 millimeters of mercury. People needed to consume probiotics for at least eight weeks to

see improvements in blood pressure.

The researcher also said that regular consumption of probiotics can be part of a healthy lifestyle to help reduce high blood pressure.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to identify which probiotic strains are best for reducing blood pressure. The findings are published online last July 21 in the journal Hypertension.

It’s not clear exactly how these bacteria might lower blood pressure, the researchers said. One possibility is that probiotics may help improve total and LDL cholesterol levels.

Another theory is that a healthy community of gut bacteria may help to regulate hormones involved in controlling blood pressure and fluid balance in the body. l BIGSTOCK

A long Eid journey and change of places can cause constipation. Drink two to four extra glasses of warm water when you feel constipated. If you’ve had constipation over several days, drink, immediately, 3/4 glasses of pure water. In general, you should be drinking at least 10 glasses of warm water daily. Take fruits, vegetables and other high fiber foods to increase your amount of fiber intake. Aim for at least 24 to 38 grams of fiber a day. Constipation results from excessive consumption of meat. Moderate physical exercise is preferred, but even taking a low-key 30-minute walk will help your body promote healthy bowel movements

Put colour on your plate Research shows that eating fruits and vegetables of different colours gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients. For example, red fruit and vegetables are believed to help reduce certain types of cancer, whilst oranges and yellows reduce the risk of heart disease and boost the immune system.

| Compiled by: Shirsho Saaeadat

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heritage

9

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Baubles, bangles and beads

A theatre displays the story of how the Pathan family and professor Sufi rediscovered the site of Wari Bateshwar

E

n Tim Steel ven now it is possible for the knowledgeable shopper to buy around 2,000 year old beads of precious and semiprecious stones in antique shops around Bangladesh.

The beads, of which archaeologists working in Wari Bateshwar have recovered, “tens of thousands,” often sell for little more than Tk100.

There are, in the jars of miscellaneous beads to be found in many of the shops, containing an assortment that varies from modern plastic, through

twentieth century porcelain and glass and nineteenth century beads in a variety of materials, some that retailers know to be ancient, especially those larger beads in clay and stone.

For them, the buyer may be asked a hundred dollars, or more. Over the past year, however, I have acquired, as presents for my womenfolk, beads of admittedly rather poor quality pink ruby, pale green jade and cloudy sapphires, amongst other semi precious stones, at an average price of less than Tk200.

It is these beads, recovered, in all probability, in large numbers from such ancient sites as Paharpur, Mahas-

At Wari Bateshwar, millennia old tools for cutting precious and semi precious gemstones have been recovered, together with the large pieces of such stone that were the stock of working jewellers

WIKIMEDIA

tangarh, Egarosindhur, and especially Wari Bateshwar, which underline some of the traditions of merchandise of these ancient centres of trade around the great rivers of Bangladesh.

At Wari Bateshwar, especially, the private collection, made over nearly a century by two generations of the Pathan family, includes some fascinating pieces. The clay model of a tiger, perhaps a child’s toy; the necklaces of carefully graded beads; the bronze bangles, and baubles, bangles and beads that lead us back more than two thousand years in the rich history of Bangladesh, through which we now know from many sources, ran perhaps the earliest of the Silk Roads.

Also at Wari Bateshwar, millennia old tools for cutting precious and semi precious gemstones have been recovered, together with the large pieces of such stone that were clearly the stock of working jewellers.

North India, especially the foothills of the Himalayas of course, were famous for the gemstones recovered there, on the fringes of the Ganges Basin, where one of the world’s earliest manufacturing civilisations developed, it is believed, about four or five thousand years ago. And, of course, since manufacturing, especially such esoteric merchandise as jewellery, requires a market, the trade routes will have developed early along the Ganges to the delta, where together with the other two great rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna, it reached the Indian

NAJMAL A NADVI

Ocean in the Bay of Bengal, a gateway, from earliest times, to a market that extended across the entire known world.

The delta also offered, especially along the Brahmaputra, access to central Asian markets, both for selling the manufactured jewellery and, no doubt, for acquiring further sources of gemstones.

Southeast Asia, we know, also traded their rich resources of stones into the international markets in the delta.

Even today, one of the most valuable exports of modern India is gemstones, although these days the best are certainly flown to Amsterdam for cutting, and the Ganges Delta is no longer a major centre of such trade.

The famous, 105 metric carat, Kohinoor Diamond, today mounted in the State Crown of Britain, originated in northeast India, as did its sister diamond, the Daria-i Noor, variously claimed to be in Iran, in the collection of Imperial gems, and in the vaults of Sonali Bank in Dhaka, part of the Nawab of Dhaka’s inheritance.

What there is no doubt about is that jewellery manufacture and gemstone cutting was a craft that flourished in the ancient centre of trade in the Ganges delta at least two and a half millennia ago.

Amongst the treasures of Wari Bateshwar, a distinctive bead of Roman glass catches the attention. Trade was, clearly, not exactly one way. But the beads of many shapes, sizes and materials that lie stored from excavations in Bangladesh and are indeed still being found, represent a whole culture of art and craftsmanship, from ancient times.

An effort to educate the current residents of the heritage sights development of trade in the middle of the first millennium BCE. Early trade was, like early trade across the world, whether local or international, likely to have been in barter, raw materials or manufactured goods for manufactured goods and other raw materials. However, it appears, from the number of punch-marked coins, or merchant tokens, punched with their own distinctive mark, that the early barter trade had been surpassed, and required tokens of debt.

It is perhaps unsurprising. By the time of the Common Era, The Roman

The lands don’t just sing about the baubles, the bangles, the beads and the rest; for millennia, they have been making, trading, and wearing them

Just glancing at a small selection of such beads reveals an enormous diversity of carnelian, agates, chalcedonies and indeed a geologist’s paradise of stones. Patterned glass, with a number of layers, and even the kind of banded stones that can be found, even today, as shaped chakra stones in many places in Bangladesh, are all there in these massive troves of dug and surface finds.

However, at Wari, as at other ancient sites in Bangladesh, the proliferation of silver punch-marked coins identifies a probable stage in the

Emperor Augustus passed “Sumptuary Laws” forbidding the wearing of silk, to protect the Roman economy, since so much silver, over and above such manufactured goods as the glass bead, were needed to pay for the cargoes that flowed from China, down the Brahmaputra, and out into the world; especially the cargoes of silk that travelled the ancient trade routes, so many of which terminated in the lands that are now Bangladesh.

The somewhat worn bronze bangles, probably dating from centuries before the Common Era, such as those

NAJMAL A NADVI

in the Pathan collection at Wari, have more recent echoes. In the silver bangles described, in the early 1580s,

by Ralph Fitch, the London merchant who, in a Barisal of 500 years ago, wrote of observing: “Women wear a great store of silver hoops about their necks and arms, their legs are ringed with silver and copper, and rings made from elephant’s teeth.”

Such torques, necklaces and bangles have been observed and found in archaeological sites across the world, thousands of years old, so we should not be surprised that, in lands as wealthy as these of ancient Bangladesh, they should be commonplace.

Exploring today, the myriad markets around Bangladesh, it is not hard to find that the tradition of both male and female decoration, remains unchanged.

To the holiday makers at Cox’s Bazar or Patenga, the many stalls covered in low cost pieces of personal adornment, and ornamentation, may seem to promise much. Few of the many customers however, I suspect, see the traders as being in a tradition that goes back millennia, and once made these lands, affluent beyond modern dreams.

The produce sold by ancient traders may now, as it certainly is, when properly identified, be worth a great deal of money; but once, no doubt, the merchants and their crews, who travelled thousands of miles to shop, hereabouts, reacted much as today’s visitors, spoilt for choice, at affordable prices.

The lands don’t just sing about the baubles, the bangles, the beads and the rest; for millennia, they have been making, trading, and wearing them! l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Saturday, July 26, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

RAB needs real reform

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ogged down by allegations of extra-judicial killings, politically-motivated operations, and corruption, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has not exactly been able to maintain a stellar reputation for itself as of late.

RAB may have strayed significantly from its original directive of upholding the law with the firmest of hands, but we believe that international rights organisation Human Rights Watch’s latest pledge to the prime minister – to have the law enforcement agency disbanded – is too drastic and shortsighted.

Instead of endless discussion about the impractical endeavour of having an entire arm of the country’s law enforcement retired overnight, dialogue should instead be held on the desperate need of reform for RAB. Much of RAB’s more recent problematic behaviour stems from the sense of impunity ingrained within the upper echelons of its chain of command. This sense of impunity needs to go. RAB needs to be held accountable for all its actions, and not just to its direct bosses – hence the immediate need for reform.

The agency itself is not free of blame, however. As bearers of the law, RAB must prove itself to be respectful to the rule of law in order to stay in the good graces of the public.

RAB is an important extension of the country’s law enforcement, and as such, is supposed to be a shining example of it, instead of being mired in the state of ambiguity it is now.

RAB must prove itself to be respectful to the rule of law in order to stay in the good graces of the public

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Underground railway link across Dhaka July 19

Engr SA Mansoor An essay on this subject, published on July 19, seems to be only a wishful dream, in this writer’s opinion. The reality will need tremendous changes. Greater Dhaka and surrounding work areas cover from Narayanganj to Joydebpur, but that could extend well into Tongi by the next decade!

Passenger traffic in only the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur sector may possibly double by then.

Having an underground railway track, run by oil-fired MG locomotives and powered with electric motors – no steam locomotives – is an option, but will need extensive fresh-air circulation in the tunnels to ensure all dangerous CO and CO2 gases are out.

Given our desperate power shortage, even to meet normal consumer loads in the greater Dhaka

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angladesh is one of 18 countries highlighted by the UN Human Development Programme for making ‘’extraordinary progress’’ on its scores according to the UNDP’s annual global human development index.

The country’s score benefits from having a good track record on inclusive development in relation to comparable countries. When adjusted for national income and inequality for example, Bangladesh has a notably better score than India and Pakistan, which have notably higher per capita incomes.

Similarly the survey confirms that indicators for Bangladeshi women are improving faster than for women in other countries in our regions. Hence, the newly introduced gender development index puts Bangladesh in a better position (107) than both India (132) and Pakistan (145).

This success points to the value of prioritising women’s empowerment and pro-poor development within the country’s social programmes.

However, policymakers should not lose sight of the fact that overall, Bangladesh remains firmly within the UNDP’s Medium Human Development catogery, which is the second lowest of four bands.

While Bangladesh’s ranking of 142nd out of 187 countries measured is good in relation to its per capita income, overall we still rank just below both our largest and smallest neighbours, with India and Bhutan being ranked at 135 and 136 respectively.

Much more needs to be done to improve access to employment, health and education for all.

We must rise to the challenge of both reducing inequality and improving education and welfare, whilst building the country’s economy.

There is no room for complacency.

There is no room for complacency.

We still need to improve access to employment, health and education for all

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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.

Driving schools a necessity

Progress on UNDP indicators

area from Narayanginj to Tongi now, and soon including Joydebpur, the power requirement for such an air exhaust and forced draft system for the tunnels could well be around say 1,000MW at least! This power has to be continuous and without any interruption; otherwise, there will be gas poisoning and even fatalities. Alternatively, the whole railway system could be electrified, but the power requirement will then be simply colossal!

What we need today, and the sooner the better, is uninterrupted power supply, for all urban areas in Bangladesh, covering all upazilla headquarters, and important townships and trading centers at least. This we should aim to have by say around 2025, for which at least another 10,000 MW of electric power will be a must. Given these factual realities, the proposal may have to remain a pipe dream, lest we get to it.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 15 represents E so fill E every time the figure 15 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.

July 22 Md Ashraf Hossain Fatal accidents on highways are common news.

The setting up of a driving school and then running it properly is a significant measure to curve accidents. Such a school can turn out hundreds of trained drivers every year.

Properly trained and skilled drivers will ensure safer transport movement and help reduce the number of fatal accidents now taking place on our roads and highways every day. A portion of the better skilled and trained drivers will also get the opportunity of going abroad with jobs, and earning valuable foreign exchange for our economy.

They will then be able to raise the standards of living of their families.

A huge amount of money is not required to set up and operate a driving school. It can be given two mini-buses, two trucks, and two double-cabin pick-up vans initially. Trainees will eventually become part of our skilled workforce, an asset for the country.

A consortium involving traffic police, BRTA, Technical Education Board, and the Bureau of Manpower can set up and run a driving school.

The curricula should include (a) driving a vehicle, (b) traffic rules and regulations, (c) preliminary knowledge on automobile maintenance, (d) personal, family and social consequences of accident, and (e) oral English.

At least 62 dead in fresh Israeli attack on Gaza suburb July 21

Ameena Sheema When will I ever see Allah give them serenity?

A clean-up job July 21

Syed Jawad Quader Absolutely agreed. Good declaration by DT.

Behind Chhatra League’s fury against journalists July 18

Mehedi Hasan The attack on journalists at Mall Chattar was very tragic. Chhatra League is complicit in this attack.

The Shurjoshen Hall Chhatra League General Secretariat has no ties to this, though there have been allegations placed against them. Those who are complicit in this attack, and their godfathers, should be brought to book.

Shakil Ahmod It’s completely an attitude problem. Activists of Chhatra League and journalists are both students of DU. So, an ethical and responsible act is important to establish and maintain a meaningful relationship between the students!

Germany’s win and the robust economy theory July 21

Shafiqur Rahman Well, Spain has been in the economic doghouse since 2007, and the economic discontent remained high along with high unemployment. That didn’t prevent the Spanish national football team from absolutely dominating world football 2008-2012.

A blanket statement like “solid sporting success is linked to the overall domestic mood of a nation” needs much deliberation before delivery.

Analysis of the economic mood of Brazil, Italy, Argentina, etc when they won their many World Cups will probably belie this statement also.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Plunder (3) 3 Tentacle (6) 8 Above (4) 9 Beverage (3) 10 Tell tales (6) 11 Sibilates (6) 14 Water pitchers (5) 17 Intended (5) 20 Fisher (6) 24 Fold (6) 26 Relatives (3) 27 Biblical quotation (4) 28 Was merciful to (6) 29 Vast age (3) DOWN 1 Hasty (4)

2 Employer (4) 3 Festivity (4) 4 Efface (5) 5 Workshop machine (5) 6 Old cloth measure (3) 7 Emits fumes (5) 12 Choler (3) 13 Wrongdoing (3) 15 Hairpiece (3) 16 Cereal (3) 17 Derides (5) 18 Sports enclosure (5) 19 Sample (5) 21 Require (4) 22 Old stringed instrument (4) 23 Soft, sheepskin leather (4) 25 Tear (3)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER Ramadan extortion bonanza on footpaths July 21

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

K Ahmed Pictures, and lists of their amassed assets and names of the supreme godfathers of these extortionist rackets, with back-able evidence would really make this a more meaningful report.

PM reaches London July 21

Abu Syeed Thank God. The city will be free of some traffic congestion for a while. :)

‘Israel more barbaric than Hitler’ July 21

Anon This is 100% correct.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Saturday, July 26, 2014

When a Bengali diagnosed what ails Arabia

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n Esam Sohail

y now, all the lines of argument and the depth of outrage is well known when it comes to the Gaza conflict, and there is little novel I can contribute on that account.

Unfortunately, this is neither the first conflict nor the last between the Arab world and Israel; if anything, this cycle of belligerency interspersed with bouts of nervous calm has been the norm for decades and will be so for the foreseeable future.

The most likely victims are, sadly, innocent civilians. My training in graduate school was in the disciplines of international relations and business administration, disciplines where emotion and passion are not considered tools of analysis. Hence, my fascination with the question that has bedeviled debate on the conflict from a purely strategic point of view: Why have the more than two dozen Arab countries never been able to match Israel’s prowess on the battlefield?

every Arab country in 1956 was weak internally and, thus, hardly a match for Israel, notwithstanding the raw numbers of men and material.

Fifty years after that controversial remark, and at the outset of the new millennium, a set of comprehensive reports, rich with empirical data and rigorous analysis, was published by a team of prominent Arab social scientists who live and work in the Arab world. Titled collectively “The Arab Human Development Reports,” this scholarly work added perspective and depth to the pithy answer that HS Suhrawardy had given in an earlier generation.

Pared down to its bare essentials, the AHDRs scholarship pointed to three themes that explained the decades-long internal weakness of almost every Arab country: Lack of individual freedom and democratic governance, lack of women’s rights, and lack of knowledge creation. Rich or poor, monarchy or socialist dictatorship, pro-West or anti-West, almost every Arab country suffers from these

The weakness in the Arab world is neither primarily military nor principally economic: It is squarely social Is the Arab world prepared to really deal with Israel?

The answer to this question, surprisingly, was given by one of the greatest Bengalis of all times almost 60 years ago, and reaffirmed five decades later by a group of the Arab world’s best social scientists.

In a widely condemned response to a very similar question by a Washington reporter about the 1956 Middle East war, Pakistan’s then prime minister and father-figure of Bengali nationalism Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy described the Arab world as being a “zero plus zero” conglomeration. Far from being spiteful, Suhrawardy, whose ancestry traces its roots to one of the noblest families of Arab Sufi scholars, was simply pointing out the fact that

deficits which, in turn, negate the fact that Arabs spend more money on arms than Israel and have far larger fleets of sophisticated tanks, rockets, and warplanes.

Imperfect, volatile, and highly controversial as it can be, in contrast Israel has managed to create a society where there is a functioning parliament and judiciary, where women serve alongside men in every professional endeavour in equivalent numbers, and where universities and institutes produce phenomenal amounts of basic and applied research that are vital to modern computer software and pharmaceuticals.

The truths uttered by Suhrawardy

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and confirmed convincingly by contemporary Arab scholars fly in the face of the conventional narrative on the topic holding sway in the Middle East and South Asia. This narrative generally explains Arab misfortune away as a mere function of international oil politics, pro-Western monarchs, assorted Jewish conspiracies in banking and mass media, and American support to Israel.

This narrative is collectively comforting, emotionally satisfying, and needs no more empirical proof than its oft-repetition every time the conflict in the Middle East heats up. It is also a narrative that falls woefully short on facts and has failed spectacularly for 60 years in providing much guidance

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he number of Bangladeshi tourists going to foreign destinations during holidays has increased phenomenally in recent years. At least that’s what came up in an investigative report published by a popular vernacular daily. On the one hand, this is a very good piece of news, while at the same time it may also sound like bad news.

Good, because it’s now evident that Bangladeshis have become more solvent and can now afford foreign tours for their holidays. Bad, because a huge amount of money that could have been spent in the country, is now being spent in foreign lands by us.

Of course, the capable and the affluent will go anywhere they want to, but we could have attracted these local outgoing travellers to spend more money within the country rather than spending it in foreign lands. I’ve personally spoken to several Bangladeshi tourists who want to go abroad for tours. They said they find some foreign destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and even Cambodia and Vietnam more secure than what it is in their own country.

Tourists always seek security in the places they visit. When tourists begin the planning process of their travel, they are investing their time, money, and energy into an event which they hope will leave them stronger – be it in business, in mind, in spirit, in creativity, or in sense of self. Increase in the

Beautiful, but is it safe?

risk for travellers has changed the way people visit places.

Incidents such as pick-pocketing or price-cheating, and as collective as terror attacks or tremors make tourists sceptical about places that they want to visit. Events like tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, health crises, terror threats, and crime have always compelled tourists to refrain from visiting places they fear.

Incidents such as larceny, theft, robbery, rape, murder, piracy, and abduction have always made almost all tourism-aspirant nations concerned and to take measures in order to mitigate those risks.

Remember what happened to some Ahsanullah University students in St Martin’s island? Six students died in the receding water of the sea. There wasn’t anyone, any official or law enforcer, who could have prevented those boys from getting into the water during that hour. Some areas in Cox’s Bazar have a similar situation. There are lesser numbers of beach officials than there should be.

Take the Lawachara National Park as another example. This is a fascinating spot for both local and international tourists. However, many Bangladeshis stay away from visiting this place due to the lack of security.

Reportedly, the number of accidents has increased recently. Muggers are super-active in this area. On average, two incidents of mugging take place every day there. Till now, about eight

WIKIMEDIA

largely defined by intolerant absolutism, prideful ignorance, and the enslavement of an entire gender. That exceptions exist in scattered outposts like cosmopolitan Dubai’s Knowledge City, or gutsy Beirut’s entrepreneurialism, only underline the rule that is the norm.

Those are unpalatable truths whose acknowledgement requires far more than Facebook updates of gory pictures and indignant marches in front of United Nations offices. They require an introspection which, to date, few sympathisers of the Arab cause have been able to do dispassionately.

The weakness in the Arab world is neither primarily military nor princi-

pally economic: It is squarely social. As Shakespeare might have said, the fault lies not in distant stars of conspiracies but within themselves and their societies. 60 years ago, a Bengali statesman – the scion of the medieval Arab world’s scholarly class – told us the unvarnished truth about what ails Arabia. He was mocked, condemned, disgracefully thrown out of office, and had to breathe his last, ironically, in an Arab capital.

One has to wonder if history would have been different had the Arabs and their well-wishers listened to him. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

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Travelling worried n Ekram Kabir

towards a solution for Arab impotence (for the record, for example, the much hated Fox News is partly owned by the Arabs, and almost as much American aid goes to the Arab world as to Israel).

Indeed, Israel is a powerful entity compared to its Arab adversaries. But 60 years of the wrong diagnosis have left Arabs (and their non-Arab sympathisers) remarkably unprepared about a way forward out of this imbalance.

The correct diagnosis for the imbalance is less poetic and more prosaic: Israel wins on the battlefront because Arabs lose on the homefront.

The most expensive military on paper is but a paper tiger when its vitals are embedded in societies

AFP

Giving jobs, giving hope tourists have been killed in that area.

Well, Lawachara has a few police personnel, but other places in the vicinity don’t have any adequate security measures. Hamham Fall and Madhobpur Lake don’t have any kind of security measures available. Female travellers have talked about instances of harassment in those areas. The risky areas in Lawachara haven’t been marked for alerting tourists.

If you go to Panam Nagar in Sonargaon, Tajhat Palace in Rangpur, Kantajew Temple in Dinajpur, Natore Palace in Natore, Somapuri Vihara, Mahasthanharh, etc, you’ll see the same picture as far as security is concerned.

I had refrained from touring many places in our country just because, to my mind, our security situation didn’t seem right.

The Sunderbans are one of the biggest examples of tourists lacking faith in the security. The Sunderbans are perhaps the biggest tourist attraction in Bangladesh, and it’s possible to turn it into a sort of tourist heaven with a little bit of care, especially when it comes to ensuring security in the forests.

I remember, a few years ago I was on a ship inside the Sunderbans. One day, at around midnight, our ship got stuck in the river as there was not enough water there. We had to wait till high tide in the river. The ship authorities asked us to switch all lights off so that pirates don’t catch wind of our location. The smokers were also asked not to smoke till we became mobile again. The fear of an attack by pirates was quite chilling!

Tourism authorities have been saying a lot of things about ensuring security in our tourist spots, but nothing concrete has been done so far.

The reason, I believe, is perhaps the negligence of responsibility. No one, other than the private sector, is actually showing any care for the tourism sector, a sector that can turn Bangladesh into a rich nation more than any other sector. l Ekram Kabir is Executive Editor of Natunbarta.com and a Dhaka Tribune columnist.

n Shazia Omar

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believe that one of the greatest acts of compassion one can do in Bangladesh is create jobs. In a country with over 8 million extremely poor youths, the need for sustainable, eco-friendly, rural jobs is immense, and growing. In this context, I’d like to introduce you to one of my role models, Kohinoor apa.

Kohinoor apa is a soft-spoken woman who lives and works in Mirpur.

She graduated from Dhaka University in 1994 and has been working with marginalised women ever since. She runs a handicraft-producing NGO called Tarango which has created over 12,000 jobs around the country. Thank you Kohinoor apa. If every one of us, women who have graduated from universities, could create 12,000 jobs for the less privileged girls in Bangladesh, wouldn’t ours be an amazing nation?

I asked Kohinoor apa how she managed such a great achievement. It took courage and dedication, she said.

For Kohinoor apa, there is no separation of work and life. Work is her life. She often receives phone calls late at night from women who have faced domestic violence and are looking for shelter (Kohinoor apa not only runs Tarango, but also Asroy, a shelter for battered women). When she receives such phone calls, she becomes a counselor, sister, mother, lawyer, cop, whatever it takes to help the women who reached out to her.

She says she often counsels husbands over the phone, urging them to be gentle with their wives, to allow their wives space if needed, to facilitate better relationships in which women can grow and be safe. She has even started rolling out gender sensitisation workshops for husbands and wives in the areas where she works in.

Tarango is a not-for-profit organisation that provides skill-training, supplies, and space to women who want to learn to weave, and then pays them living wages for the products they make. Kohinoor apa says she dreams of parceling out parts of Tarango to social businesses or cooperatives, whereby the women who work for Ta-

rango could own bits of the business, but the problem is that these women, though now empowered with some skills, do not have the exposure or network necessary to design or market high end products.

Currently, Tarango supplies only to the high-end export market, to companies like Harrods. With teary eyes, Kohinoor apa says she feels very proud that a small shop like Tarango, with the hard work of small women with nothing to their names, can find space in the shelves of Harrods.

Kohinoor apa says all her workers dream of providing their children with an education. This may sound like a simple dream, but actually, it is their key to a positive future.

In my own experience around Bangladesh, I have found many extremely poor adolescent girls who have made it to class VIII or IX, who would love to further their education but can no longer afford it. I asked Kohinoor apa what we could do to help those girls, how could we start a scholarship fund for them? I also asked her how much

Creating eco-friendly rural jobs may be a dream we all share, but it takes a certain type of person to actually manifest such a dream

Tarango uses all-natural products and dyes, often using recycled materials such as rice bags and cement bags. It also offers its weavers day care facilities, boiled eggs, bananas, safe water, and sometimes, shelter. Kohinoor apa says she sometimes takes women who previously worked rolling bidis – 1,000 a day, from morning to midnight – for a return of Tk12. Now those women are much better off and whenever she visits, she finds them smiling and happy.

Creating mass happiness through eco-friendly rural jobs may be a dream we all share, but it takes a certain type of person to actually manifest such a dream. To dreamers, Kohinoor apa says, without economic empowerment, women cannot raise their voices. If you have the opportunity to do anything, focus on creating economic empowerment for women.

Tarango only employs women because they have found that when women earn, they spend first on food, and then on their children’s education.

demand remained for products like the ones Tarango makes – is their potential to scale up these efforts?

Kohinoor apa says there is a lot of demand for high quality handicrafts, and abundant scope to create many more jobs around this market.

However, she says many organisations make products, but one of the reasons Tarango has done so well is that buyers trust her. An organisation has to have a good reputation. She says Tarango now has an annual turnover of Tk4cr, and from its profits she runs the shelter (Asroy), expansion efforts, and scholarships for the children of the workers.

In conclusion, Kohinoor apa says Bangladesh may be seen as a country of beggars by the outsiders, but we need to facilitate nationwide skill-training and then show the world who we really are. That will give us the power to negotiate better deals for our country. l Shazia Omar is Head of Advocacy at Shiree.

She can be reached at shazia@shiree.org.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Mim: Acting in too many teleplays compromises quality n Rezaul Karim While the high profile actors of the small screen are overloaded with two-digit numbers of projects, darling of the industry, Mim, is working in three productions only this Eid. Explaining the reason behind her decision, Mim said: “Quality of work is more important to me than the number of projects I work in. If I work for too many productions at the same time, I won’t be able to come up with A-grade work. I believe that acting in too many teleplays compromises the quality of work.”

Mim said that her Eid schedule includes the dramas “Ami Chitrangoda,” “Uddeshho” and “Old is Gold.” She also shared that she will start concentrating on films instead of teleplays.

Bidya Sinha Mim, who stepped into the small screen after winning the Lux Channel-i Superstar in 2007, has achieved huge popularity by appearing in television commercials and teleplays.

“From now on, I will only appear in some selected teleplays as I am considering to be serious about films. For me, film is the ultimate platform for proving the excellence of an actor,” said Mim, who has landed films like “Amar Achhe Jol,” “Amar Pran-er Priya,” “Jonakir Alo” and “Tarkata.”

“I don’t want to appear in front of the audience that frequently, I go by the saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’”

Mim shared her Eid plans: “I will be away from the country as I have been invited by the Bangladeshi expatriates in Qatar to perform in a show,” informed Mim. Mim also said that she finds happiness in celebrating Eid by receiving and giving gifts to others. l

Singers from two Bengals to perform live n Entertainment Desk A number of renowned musicians from Kolkata along with popular singers of Bangladesh will perform in a live musical show titled “Asian Music Hour” which will be aired from the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr on Asian TV at 10:30pm. Celebrated singers including Mitali Mukherjee, Nachiketa, Haimanti Shukla, Jojo, Raghab, Somidh and Rupankar from Kolkata and Kanak Chapa, Fahmida Nabi, Nancy, S D Rubel, Monir Khan, Rizia Parvin and Akhi Alamgir from Bangladesh will be seen in the show.

On the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, Konok Chapa and Mitali Mukherjee will perform their hit numbers, while Fahmida Nabi and Nachiketa will appear on the second day. The duos Haimanti Sukla and Nancy, Sd Rubel and Jojo, Monir Khan and Raghab, Rizia Parvin and Somidh and Rupankar and Akhi Alamgir will perform from the third to seventh day consecutively. l

Solo albums dominate Eid audio market n Hasan Mansoor Chatak

Eid is an opportune occasion for all, especially for the musicians and audio labels who are anticipated to reveal their best productions. As always the audio industry is releasing a number of albums, most of which are already available in the market. Usually, studios and record labels highlight release of solo albums by stars of the audio industry and these dominate the Eid market.

Bappa Mazumder’s tenth solo album titled “Jani Na Kon Montore” released recently. A total of ten songs and two instrumentals composed by the talented artiste are placed in the album.

A song written by Sanjeeb Choudhury, Dolchut’s deceased member is placed in the track list. Other songwriters include Bappa Mazumder, Zulfiqar Russell and Masum Rana. Mostly rock-melody numbers are selected along with tracks covering romance and social reality.

Noted singer Fahmida Nabi’s maiden Nazrul Sangeet album, “Amarey Chhuiyachhile,” unveiled on July 17. Music director of the album, Partha Mazumder, blended piano and other western instruments with Fahmida’s melody and the outcome is soothing and harmonious. However, one song “Ami Bonophul Go,” out of the nine tracks is not a Nazrul Sangeet. The number has been penned by Pranab Roy and composed by the legendary Kamol Dasgupta. Like Fahmida’s previous album on Tagore songs, this one will also be an interesting addition to the audio bazaar and bound to appeal to the listeners. Fahmida’s solo album of modern songs, titled “Tumi Ovimane,”

released under the Laser Vision banner.

Celebrated artiste Tahsan’s sixth solo “Uddesho Nei,” is out. The much awaited album is tuned by Tahsan himself. Sajid Sarkar and Arup are the music directors of the album which includes 11 new tracks and is released under the banner of G-Series.

This time around, Asif’s 30th solo album released with six tracks only, whereas all his previous ventures saw at least twelve songs in each album. At first, Asif labeled the album “Nurjahan,” but he changed it to “Janre” and he reasons that the change is due to the fact that the audience love to see him as a romantic singer. As “Nurjahan” is a hard rock track, he decided to call the album something different. Tune and music composition of the album is done by Lucky Akhond, Nazir Mahmood, Ujjal Sinha and Rana. Primarily the album will be available in the Grameenphone and Airtel platform.

After three years of hiatus, Alom Ara Minu is set to hit the audio market with his solo “Bondhu Hoye Jabo,” the singer’s 15th solo album till date.

A total of 8 songs are placed in the album which is brought to the market by Sangeeta. Monowar Hossain Tutul, Sumon Kolyan, Nazir Mahmood and Belal Khan worked on the tune and music composition of the album. Largely melody based songs centered on love and nature are selected.

Baby Naznin’s 50th solo album titled “The Black Diomond Baby Naznin” will be released under the banner of Sangeeta. A total of 8 songs are placed in the track list while Rajesh, Imran, FA Sumon and Amit worked on the tune and music composition.

The latest release is a novelty in her music career

because for the first time, the musical diva has worked with talented young musicians.

F A Sumon is popular as a composer. But his style of singing caught the attention of many audience and his fourth solo album titled “Jadure” will be released under the G-Series banner. Rock, alternative rock, melody rock and fusion numbers are selected for the track list.

Ishraque H Anita’s third solo album “Anita 2” hits the market under the banner of Agniveena.

A versatile artiste, Anita’s new album is a consolidation of 9 tracks which is out to impress with a track list of semi-classical fusion, romantic ballads, western style music and contemporary numbers. The lyricists and composers are Sajjad Kabir of Re-dhun, Rajib Hossain of Obscure and Neepo Roz of K-Oz. Two of the duets, “Proshno” with Sajjad Kabir and “Chaini E Chawa” with Neepo Roz are enjoyable to say the least. The tracks of the new album will be available as caller tunes for Grameenphone, Airtel and Robi users.

Baul Shafi Mondol’s second solo titled “Bhaab” released on July 18. Music is composed by Seth Panduranga Blumberg under the banner of World Future Orchestra. The album is comprised of a total of ten Lalon songs.

Singer Mala came to prominence in 2011 with a self titled album by Fuad. This time, her second solo titled “E Ki Ajob Karkhana” will be released with music composition by Arnob, Samir Obaid and James Hodson. A total of nine remakes of popular songs of Lalon, Shah Abdul Karim, Abbas Uddin, Shachin Deb Barman and Durbin Sai make up the track list. Pantho Kanai and Arnob lent

their voice in two different duets with the singer.

A mixed album titled “Dhulor Gaan” by Kishor is released. This is the first mixed album of the artiste. Mahmud Manzur has written all the songs and the music is composed by Kishor himself.

Singers Shafiq Tuhin, Imran, Sabbir, Parvez, Pulok, Pritom Ahmed, Brihan and Joy Shahriar have contributed songs to the album as well. About his upcoming album, Kishor said: “For the last three months we worked on the album. A speculation exists in the music industry that the audience loves to listen to duets and as a result we see duets even in solo albums. To step out of the norm, my album does not have any duets.” The album will be released under the banner of CD Choice.

New comer Karni’s first solo album “Hothat” came out under the banner of Soundtech, managed

by AB Kitchen. The ten songs selected are tuned by noted musician and guitarist Aiyub Bacchu.

Under the banner of CD Choice a total of 20 audio albums came out this Eid. A solo album of Tousif titled “Abeg” and another mixed album titled “Tousif Featuring Volume 1” by Tousif, Naumi, Lutfor Hasan, Farabee, Shahed, Adnan and Rahul Mudsuddi certainly demand audience’s attention. Another mixed album titled “Mixed Hit Vol 2” featured 24 singers including Arefin Rumey, Imran, Farabee, Tori, Esha and Eleyas Hossain among others is a sincere effort by emerging musicians of the country.

Many artists nowadays prefer digital release than compact disk release because of certain reasons and apparently this time the audio market sees lower number of releases than the previous years. l

Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani turns into Deity n Entertainment Desk Sujoy Ghosh’s critically acclaimed and Vidya Balan starrer “Kahaani” is going English. The National Award winning film is being remade for Western and international audiences, by none other than YRF Entertainment.

Titled as “Deity,” the English version will be directed by Niels Arden Oplev (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”). Jose Rivera (“The Motorcycle Diaries”) and Richard Regen (“Tehran”) have scripted the adaptation. Excited over this latest development, Sujoy Ghosh said: “It’s an incredible step by YRF. Years back Aditya Chopra had said he wanted to make ‘Kahaani’ for a global audience. I thought he was kidding.

YRF has left no stone unturned on making the English version.

The new script by Jose Rivera and Richard Regen is perfectly suited for the Western audience and what I am really looking forward is to see Niels direct this version. I am sure he will bring a unique vision to the Western version. I am totally excited about this!”

“Deity” will be financed and produced by YRF Entertainment, with CEO Uday Chopra serving as producer and Jonathan Reiman, head of production and development, serving as executive producer.

Following the lines of “Kahaani,” “Deity” is a thriller about an American woman who goes to Kolkata in search of her missing husband. As she gets closer to the truth, she finds herself at the centre of a dangerous conspiracy. The story unfolds in the context of a colourful, week-long festival.

The film starts production in February 2015 and will be shot in Kolkata. l

Uma Thurman joins Adam Jone star cast

Scarlett Johansson getting married next month

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk

Uma Thurman has signed Weinstein Co’s upcoming film “Adam Jones,” which was previously titled “Chef,” alongside Bradley Cooper.

The story of the movie, which already has other stars including Sienna Miller, Daniel Bruhl and Emma Thompson, revolves around a chef, played by Cooper. He plays a rock star chef who is known for his wild style and creating explosions of taste. The chef is hoping to have his own kitchen one day and to gain that elusive third Michelin star, he will need the best of the best on his side – a role which is played by Sienna Miller.

John Wells is the director of the movie and some of the other members of the star card are Riccardo Scamarcio, Lily James, Omar Sy, Jamie Dornan, Sam Keeley, Sarah Greene and Alicia Vikander. l

Scarlett Johansson may be getting married next month. The “Avengers” actor was overheard talking to friends about her plans, and how it was only four weeks away. However, there are no confirmations from either the bride or groom-to-be.

She said yes to her French fiance’s proposal at the start of the year. Shortly after, they found out she was expecting their first child together and it seemed like wedding plans were going to be put on hold. Of course, Johansson is a private person and rarely shares things happening in her life with the public.

Scarlett and her journalist boyfriend Romain Dauriac never really confirmed that they were engaged. Rumors started when she was spotted with a large dia-

mond ring on her wedding finger while on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. The month before, there were speculations that she would never marry again because she said that she never really thought about it. She was married to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2010. The two separated on friendly terms, and he went on to marry his “Green Lantern” costar Blake Lively.

During an interview, the “Black Widow” also announced that she was not going to have children any time soon. Just months later she was spotted with a small baby bump and rumors circulated that she and Dauriac were expecting their first child together. Again, it has been something that the two have not confirmed.

Now rumors are circulating that Scarlett may be getting married next month. l

Sport

13

DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, July 26, 2014

Muktis draw top-flight’s curtain in style n Shishir Hoque

Muktijoddha Sangsad’s Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba delivers a cross as an Uttar Baridhara player tries to block him in the Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier Football League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

SCORECARD, DAY 2 Sri Lanka 1st innings: M. Jayawardene run out (Petersen) 165 N. Dickwella run out (de Kock) 72 D. Perera c Amla b Tahir 12 R. Herath not out 7 A. Mendis c de Kock b Philander 2 S. Lakmal c de Kock b Philander 4 Extras: (b11, lb14, nb3) 28 Total: (for all out; 121.4 overs)

421

Bowling Steyn 22-5-69-2, Philander 21.4-7-522, Morkel 26-6-69-1, Tahir 33-4-121-1, Duminy 18-1-80-2, Elgar 1-0-5-0 South Africa 1st innings: A Petersen c and b Herath D Elgar c Silva b Perera F du Plessis c Dickwella b Lakmal H Amla not out AB de Villiers not out Extras: (lb1, nb1)

2 1 36 46 11 2

Total: (for 3 wkts; 52 overs)

98

Bowling Lakmal 11-4-13-1, Herath 13-5-16-1, Perera 15-6-24-1, Mendis 9-0-27-0 (1nb), Vithanage 4-0-17-0 South Africa trail by 323 runs

The 2013-14 Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier Football League season drew to a closure yesterday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium as Muktijoddha Sangsad dished out a 8-0 hammering to Uttar Baridhara.

Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba slammed an amazing hattrick, his second in the league this season, in the opening half while Iqbal Hossain Bhuiyan netted a brace in Muktijoddha’s biggest margin of victory this season.

The 8-0 scoreline is also the joint-biggest margin of victory in the league this season ranking alongside Sheikh Jamal’s 8-0 over the same opponents.

The defeat also drew the ending line of Uttar Baridhara’s first ever sojourn in top-flight football. The Baridhara outfit are the only side to get demoted to the second tier after earning only 12 points.

They managed only two victories out of 27 matches conceding 85 goals throughout the season.

Muktijoddha, on the other hand, had a fantastic third phase where they earned more points than eventual champions Sheikh Jamal with six victories.

The All Reds finished third in the points table with 49 points, only three behind second-placed Abahani. It was Chizoba’s day of reckoning in the absence of Muktis’ top scorer Nkwocha Kingsley.

Chizoba broke the deadlock in the 15th minute of the game. Collecting a through pass from Bipul, the unmarked Nigerian striker surged into the penalty area and dribbled past a defender before slotting home past Baridhara keeper Osman Goni in the far post.

The Nigerian forward netted his second of the day to double the lead four minutes later. Bipul once again provided another defence-splitting pass

Amla leads Proteas fightback on day two n AFP, Colombo Hashim Amla faced a stern test of character in his first series as captain after South Africa lost three key wickets against a determined Sri Lankan bowling attack in the second Test Friday.

Amla, 31, dug in with a painstaking 46 off 134 balls as South Africa trailed the hosts by 323 runs with seven wickets in hand on the second day of the Test at the SSC ground in Colombo.

At stumps, South Africa were 98-3 with AB de Villiers (11) being the other not out batsman at the crease.

Amla is leading the South African team for the first time in this two-Test series after being named captain last month following the retirement of Graeme Smith.

With the wicket showing signs of deteriorating, Amla and his men now face an uphill task to put up a fighting total on the board.

Sri Lanka posted 421 in their first in-

nings, thanks to a solid 165-run knock

by Mahela Jayawardene and a defiant 72 by Test debutant Niroshan Dickwella.

“I think 400 plus is a good score,” said Jayawardene after the day’s play.

“It’s not an easy wicket to play and it’s slowing down.

“We just need to keep things tight, create more opportunities and put them under pressure,” he said.

South Africa were off to a shaky start in their first innings, losing their openers inside the first nine overs before seamer Suranga Lakmal sent back Faf du Plessis for a fighting 36.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath caught opener Alviro Petersen (two) off his own bowling and off-spinner Dilruwan Perera had Dean Elgar (one) caught at short leg.

Amla and Du Plessis tried to rebuild the innings with some patient batting but Lakmal broke their 58-run stand half an hour before close.

Du Plessis tried to swing a widish delivery from Lakmal but edged it to Dickwella who dived to his left to take a one-handed catch just inches off the ground.

“They’ve got a huge variety in their spin armoury,” said Du Plessis. “They all offer something different... and in these conditions it (spin) is the hardest thing to face.

“Luckily for us the ball is not spinning as much (now). Hopefully, we can get to 350-400 tomorrow.”

- Dickwella impresses South Africa wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings in the second session, starting with the dismissal of Perera who lobbed a simple catch to Amla off leg-spinner Imran Tahir (1-121).

Dickwella was run out, failing to make his ground while taking a cheeky single. He hit one six and eight fours in his 116-ball 72.

Vernon Philander then had Ajantha Mendis and Lakmal caught behind in

successive overs to polish off the innings. The first session belonged to Jayawardene and Dickwella who shared a rollicking 100-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Jayawardene, due to quit Test cricket next month, hit 17 fours and a six during his nearly eight-hour stay at the wicket before being run out by a direct hit from Petersen about 30 minutes from lunch.

It was Dickwella who dominated the bowlers initially when Sri Lanka resumed at their overnight 305-5, driving and cutting South African fast bowlers for fours to belie his status as a Test debutant.

Jayawardene too picked up the pace, reaching the 150-run mark with a single to long leg off Dale Steyn.

The South African quicks struggled to make the new ball count in the crucial first hour, regularly pitching in loose balls that were dispatched to the fence.l

as Chizoba chipped the ball over the onrushing keeper from the edge of the box to hit the back of the net. Chizoba completed his hattrick in the 36th minute, his 15th league goal of the season.

Md. Ibrahim made it 4-0 in the 41st minute. This time Chizoba was the provider as he cut the ball back for Ibrahim who curled a shot from the top right corner of the box.

Iqbal extended the lead in the 65th minute with a solo effort. Receiving the ball, the forward skipped past a defender then dribbled past another to break into the penalty area before placing home past Goni.

Substitute forward Chowmrin Rakhine added another in the 81st minute when he tapped in a cross from Chizoba, the Nigerian’s second assist of the game.

Iqbal scored his second in the 88th minute after a pass from Rakhine. Nigerian defender Eleta Benjamin completed the rout in the 90th minute thumping in from a Mohiuddin Ibnul Siraji cross. l

BPFL POINTS TABLE Team 1 Sheikh Jamal 2 Abahani Ltd

G 27 27

W D 19 7 14 10

L 1 3

GD PTS 52 64 20 52

3 Muktijoddha 27 4 Mohammedan 27 5 Brothers Union 27

14 12 10

7 9 8

6 6 9

28 11 2

49 45 38

6 Sheikh Russel 7 Team BJMC 8 Ctg Abahani 9 Feni Soccer

27 27 27 27

8 8 6 2

8 11 3 6 13 -10 7 14 -21 12 13 -18

32 30 25 18

10 Baridhara SC

27

2

6

19 -67

12

BPFL HIGHEST SCORER Wedson Anselme (Sheikh Jamal) Emeka Darlington (Sheikh Jamal)

26 21

Nkowcha Kingsley (Muktijoddha) Sunday Chizoba (Muktijoddha) Wahed Ahmed (Mohammedan) Mithun Chowdhury (Sheikh Russel)

17 15 15 14

Sony Norde (Sheikh Jamal) Samson Illiasu (Team BJMC) Zahid Hasan Ameli (Mohammedan)

13 11 9

Queen’s Scotland photobomb ‘not total accident’ n AFP, Sydney It may have looked like a lucky quirk of timing, but the queen’s photobombing of a selfie at the Commonwealth Games was not a complete accident, an athlete in the image said Friday.

The image of a beaming Queen Elizabeth II in the background of Australian hockey players Jayde Taylor and Brooke Peris’ selfie has gone viral.

Taylor said she and Peris seized the opportunity when, during their warmdown after the Hockeyroos’ 4-0 win over Malaysia in Glasgow on Thursday, they saw the monarch at the venue.

“Brooke and I planned it so that when she came out the door she would be behind us,” Taylor told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.

“And then she came out and smiled at the camera. We were in the right spot at the right time.” l

Norwich apologise over friendly rout report n AFP, London

Don’t put me on the bench, Cech plea to Mourinho n Reuters

English second-tier side Norwich City issued an apology on Friday after claiming to have won a pre-season friendly 13-0 against an Italian team that they had not actually played.

After a match against Italian third-division team Novara was cancelled, Norwich thought they had set up a game against Serie D outfit Saint-Christophe Vallee d’Aoste.

However, when a match report appeared on the Norwich website, the Italian club complained that they had not been involved, and that the real opponents had been a select XI of local non-professional players.

“In our original match report for this warm-up fixture, acting in good faith on the basis of information given to the club, we incorrectly reported that we had played against local club side SC Vallee d’Aoste,” Norwich said in a statement on their website.

“In fact the game was against an Aosta regional select side and we are happy to put the record straight and apologise to SC Vallee d’Aoste and their fans for the misunderstanding.”

Norwich were relegated from the Premier League last season after a three-year spell in the top flight and will start the 2014-15 campaign in the Championship.l

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech does not want to be on the bench this season after manager Jose Mourinho brought back Thibaut Courtois back from a long-term loan at Atletico Madrid.

“Every year there is a challenge.

If you are going to be in the team you are going to have to do better than the other guys in the team,” the 32-year-old Cech told reporters during Chelsea’s pre-season tour in Austria.

“I don’t want to be on the bench.

This is why I am trying to do everything to be in the team. I don’t want to talk about ifs and buts. Let’s see how I am going and what happens.”

Mourinho this week hailed 22-yearold Belgium international Courtois, who spent three years at Atletico, as “the best young goalkeeper in the world”.

Cech, who missed the latter part of last season with a dislocated shoulder, returned to action in the 1-1 friendly draw with Wolfsberger in Austria on Wednesday.

“Obviously Jose Mourinho will make his choice and decide how his team is going to look for the first game, second game, third game, whatever game,” Cech said.

“It is up to us players to show we are ready to play and make him pick us. I am not any different.” l

Hundreds of people are seen taking pictures of the ICC World Cup trophy which was on display at the Bashundhara shopping mall amid tight security yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

14

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, July 26, 2014

Barca need to play like they did in 2008: Iniesta n Reuters, Barcelona

FC Barcelona’s football players walk on the pitch during a training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona yesterday

AFP

Barcelona are looking to recapture the kind of form they hit when former coach Pep Guardiola, the club’s most successful manager, took over in 2008, midfielder Andres Iniesta said on Friday.

The Catalan club are in the process of rebuilding after they failed to win major silverware last season for the first time in six years and coach Gerard Martino has been replaced by Luis Enrique.

Players including Uruguay forward Luis Suarez and Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic have arrived to join the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar and Iniesta said the players were excited about the new season starting next month.

“We want to get back to doing things well and making the fans happy,” the Spain playmaker and club captain told a news conference.

“This year will be tough but we have the goal and the ambition to repeat the 2008-09 season,” he added.

“We are tackling this year just like that one, with a lot of excitement.”

Iniesta said there were “some simi-

‘Neymar’s brain on auto-pilot’ Suarez could make n AFP, Tokyo Brazilian superstar Neymar’s brain activity while dancing past opponents is less than 10 percent the level of amateur players, suggesting he plays as if on auto-pilot, according to Japanese neurologists.

Results of brain scans conducted on Neymar in February this year indicated minimal cerebral function when he rotated his ankle and point to the Barcelona striker’s wizardry being uncannily natural.

“From MRI images we discovered Neymar’s brain activity to be less than 10 percent of an amateur player,” researcher Eiichi Naito told AFP on Friday.

“It is possible genetics is a factor, aided by the type of training he does.”

The findings were published in

the Swiss journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience following a series of motor skills tests carried out on the 22-year-old Neymar and several other athletes in Barcelona in February this year.

Three Spanish second-division footballers and two top-level swimmers were also subjected to the same tests, added Naito of Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.

Naito concluded in his paper that the test results “provide valuable evidence that the football brain of Neymar recruits very limited neural resources in the motor-cortical foot regions during foot movements”.

Asked whether Neymar’s Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi or Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo might display similar test results, Naito said:

“It is fair to assume they would show similar levels given their footwork and technique.”

Naito told Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun newspaper: “Reduced brain activity means less burden which allows (the player) to perform many complex movements at once. We believe this gives him the ability to execute his various shimmies.”

Neymar carried the hopes of host nation Brazil on his shoulders at the recently ended World Cup but his involvement ended in tears as he fractured a vertebra in the 2-1 quarter-final victory over Colombia.

Without their talisman, who had scored four goals in the tournament, Brazil suffered their most humiliating defeat ever when they were pulverised 7-1 by eventual champions Germany in the semi-final. l

Barca debut in El Clasico n AFP, Madrid

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, who is currently serving a four-month suspension for biting, is poised to potentially make his club debut against bitter rivals Real Madrid in late October.

Suarez, who joined Barca from Premier League side Liverpool earlier this month for £75 million ($128 million, 95 million euros), should be available in time for the Catalan giants’ trip to the Santiago Bernabeu over the weekend of October 25-26.

Suarez, 27, was banned for nine international matches matches and barred from all football activities for four months on June 26, two days after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at

the World Cup. The Spanish Football League (LFP) announced the fixtures for the 2014/15 La Liga season on Thursday with title-holders Atletico Madrid set to kick off the defence of their crown away to city rivals Rayo Vallecano over the weekend of August 23-24.

European champions Real Madrid, bolstered by the off-season acquisitions of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, begin their campaign at home to newly-promoted Cordoba, who are back in the Spanish top flight after a 42-year absence, while Barcelona host Elche.

The second El Clasico of the season is scheduled for the weekend of March 21-22 at the Camp Nou with the season set to conclude on May 24. l

larities” with Barca’s situation now and in 2008 when Guardiola took over from Frank Rijkaard before going on to win 14 of the 19 competitions he contested during four seasons in charge, including two Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles.

“There have been a lot of changes but the level of excitement and desire is extremely high. The goals are the same as every season: win titles and start off on a good note to help us tackle the whole year.”

Iniesta declined to offer a opinion on the ban Suarez earned for biting an opponent at the World Cup which will prevent him making his Barca debut until the end of October.

Barca lured the 27-year-old, who was banned twice previously for biting, from English Premier League club Liverpool this month for a reported fee of around 80 million euros ($108 million).

“He is one of the best forwards in the world,” Iniesta said.

Barca begin their La Liga campaign at home to Elche on the weekend of Aug. 23-24. l

Maccabi’s Austrian friendly called off n AFP, Vienna Israeli side Maccabi Haifa’s Austrian friendly scheduled for Saturday in Kirchbichl has been called off over security concerns, the local mayor’s office announced.

“There are serious security doubts due to incidents that took place at Haifa’s last match,” Wilfried Ellinger, assistant to Kirchbichl’s mayor, told German news agency SID, (affiliated to AFP), on Friday.

Haifa’s match on Wednesday against French side Lille in Bischofshofen was stopped in the 85th minute when 20 Austrians invaded the pitch brandishing Palestinian and Turkish flags and attacking Israeli players.

Ellinger said there were no police officers available in the village to provide the necessary security to allow Saturday’s game to go ahead as scheduled.l

Mourinho contemplating Pinto quits Costa Rica after ‘sleeping with enemy’ n Drogba return Reuters, San Jose

n AFP, London

Coach Jorge Luis Pinto has decided to quit World Cup quarter-finalists Costa Rica because they refused to allow him to choose his backroom staff.

“I realised I would not be able to count on conditions to carry out my work,” the 61-year-old Colombian said on his personal website (www.jorgeluispinto.com) on Thursday.

Pinto’s contract ended after this month’s World Cup in Brazil where rank outsiders Costa Rica reached the last eight for the first time, playing an exciting brand of fast counter-attacking football.

“It wasn’t possible to reach an agreement,” he added. “I ask myself, ‘What use are the victories obtained in Brazil?”.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho revealed on Friday that he is considering a move to bring former striker Didier Drogba back to the club after he was released by Galatasaray.

“We think about it,” Mourinho told the Friday editions of several British newspapers.

“We want to win matches and win titles and Didier is one of the best strikers in Europe. He is still very adapted to the needs of the Premier League and we are thinking about it in a non-emotional way.”

Drogba, 36, registered 157 goals during an eight-year spell at Stamford Bridge that culminated in him scoring

the equaliser and then the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.

After a brief spell with Chinese club Shanghai Shenua, he joined Galatasaray in January 2013, but left the club when his contract expired at the end of last season.

British media reports suggest Drogba could be offered a coaching role at Chelsea, but Mourinho says that if the Ivory Coast star does return to the club, it would be to play.

“If you bring him back, it is not because he is Didier or scored the most important goal in the history of Chelsea, or because I read I need an assistant, no,” the Portuguese added. l

Greece name Ranieri as manager n Reuters, Athens

Kroos, Rodriguez are the real deal: Modric

Italian Claudio Ranieri has signed a two-year deal to manage the Greek national team through to the 2016 European Championship, the Hellenic football federation (EPO) said on Friday.

The 62-year-old Ranieri takes over from Fernando Santos who left when his contract expired after this year’s World Cup in Brazil.

“I had other proposals, but as soon as I met with the president (Giorgos Sarris) of EPO I had a good feeling as I knew the squad had responded positively,” said Ranieri.

“I saw the team in the World Cup; they progressed well and I really liked the spirit and organisation they displayed. I want to continue this hard work ethic.”

The federation said in a statement: “The Italian coach, with service at many major European clubs, is expected to lead our group to new successes with Euro 2016 on the horizon.”

Greece were surprise winners of the 2004 European Championship in Portugal but have not come close to repeating that success.l

n Reuters, Madrid Real Madrid’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has praised the high-profile signings of World Cup pair Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez and has targeted a clean sweep of domestic and European silverware next season.

Midfielder Kroos, 24, joined the La Liga side from Bayern Munich for a fee reported to be 25 million euros ($33.82 million) just days after playing an integral role in Germany’s World Cup triumph.

The Columbian Rodriguez, 23, arrived from Monaco for a fee in the region of 80 million euros having won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals in five matches.

“I watched James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos play in the World Cup and, for me, they were two of the best players in the competition,” Modric told Marca. “They’re great players and will only improve our team even more.

“Real Madrid have shown their ambition by bringing such fantastic signings to the club. It’s great news for us,

the players, because we always want to play with the best, and also for the supporters, who want to see the best players.”

Los Blancos won the Champions League and King’s Cup last season and Modric believes their stellar squad is capable of doing even better in the upcoming campaign.

“Every competition and every trophy is important at Real Madrid,” the 28-year-old added. “It would be marvellous to be able to win all six (available trophies), but it will be very, very tough. We’ll face some very good teams on the way.

“The pressure will be the same as it always is at Real Madrid. There won’t be as much as there was for La Decima (their 10th European title), which was enormous.

“Now it’ll be the logical pressure involved with being Real Madrid, because of the club’s history and the fact that we’re the current champions. It’ll be easier after having won La Decima. I think it’s our time.” l

Federation president Eduardo Lee confirmed at a news conference that the two parties had not managed to agree fresh terms.

Costa Rica were unbeaten in five World Cup matches before going out on penalties to the Netherlands.

Pinto said disagreements with members of his backroom team became the central issue in negotiations with Lee. “Some of my staff don’t have my style. I’ve had differences with my staff, I want dedication and commitment,” he told the news conference.

“A year and a half ago a member of my staff told president Lee to get rid of me, that with me we weren’t going to the World Cup. I slept with the enemy for a year and a half.

“It hurts me to leave Costa Rica because I did an outstanding job here. I

demanded the staff be dismissed and they didn’t accept,” said Pinto of the federation.

Lee said the people of Costa Rica “would always be grateful” to Pinto.

“I want to thank Pinto with all my heart for his work which no doubt was the key to obtaining the successes we got in Brazil,” he added. “Unfortunately we couldn’t agree on some aspects.”

The Colombian, who took charge in 2011, steered the Central American nation to their fourth World Cup finals in his second spell at the helm.

Pinto was previously coach from 2004-06. He also guided his native country between 2007-08.

Pinto will now look at other options after attending an international congress for coaches in Germany, read the statement on his website. l

Fans benefit from Man United kit price blunder n AFP, London Manchester United were left red-faced on Thursday when their new home kit was mistakenly sold online for more than half price.

Online shoppers looking to buy a United shirt were treated to a bargain after they were accidentally sold at £22 ($37) each. The club’s official shop, operated by Kitbag.com, listed the new United shirts as part of their half-price sale by mistake.

Some fans were able to buy the shirt for less than half price at just £22, with children’s shirts on offer for just £16.50.

The sale was first spotted during United’s pre-season win over LA Galaxy before it was closed down at approximately 0700GMT. “United Direct, the Club’s Official Online Megastore, which is run by our e-commerce partner Kitbag, sent out communications which contained details of an erroneous discount code to our fans around the globe - this offer has now ended,” a statement said. l

Atletico Madrid’s new Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic poses with his new jersey during his presentation at Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid on Thursday AFP

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, July 26, 2014

Brownlee beats brother to gold

QUICK BYTES

Winger Montero joins flight to Swansea

n Reuters, Glasgow

Swansea City’s spending spree continued with the arrival of Ecuador winger Jefferson Montero on Thursday, the sixth new player to arrive at the Premier League club since the end of last season. One day after Michel Vorm and Ben Davies left south Wales for Tottenham Hotspur, with Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson moving in the opposite direction, Swansea unveiled the 24-year-old with a photograph on their website (www.swanseacity.net).

He has signed on a four-year deal from Mexican club Morelia for an undisclosed fee. Swansea, preparing for their fourth season in the Premier League, had previously signed Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, French striker Bafetimbi Gomis, Dutch striker Marvin Emnes and Scottish defender Stephen Kingsley before the arrivals of Sigurdsson and Montero.

–Reuters

Chelsea’s Piazon joins Eintracht on loan Chelsea’s young Brazilian midfielder Lucas Piazon has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan. “We are glad we were able to reach an agreement after lengthy but very fair negotiations with Chelsea,” sporting director Bruno Hubner told the Bundesliga club’s website (www.eintracht.de) on Thursday.

“He has played on the left wing, he can play on the right and be used as an attacking midfielder.” The 20-year-old has struggled to break into the first team since arriving at Stamford Bridge in January 2012. Piazon impressed on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem last season, scoring 11 goals in 29 appearances after having spent an earlier loan spell with Malaga.

–Reuters

Roma beat rivals Lazio to defender Astori AS Roma have signed Cagliari defender Davide Astori on a season-long loan with the option to buy, the Serie A clubs said on Thursday. Roma’s bitter local rivals Lazio had been strongly linked with a move for the centre back. “The club can confirm that it has sold Davide Astori to AS Roma on a one-year loan with the right to buy,” Cagliari said in a statement.

“Cagliari would like to thank Astori for his professionalism, devotion and gratitude that he has shown right until the end.”

Roma announced that they will pay the Sardinian club two million euros ($2.69 million) for the loan, after which they will be able to buy the 27-year-old for a further five million euros at the end of next season. Astori, who spent six years at Cagliari and has been a consistent performer at the back, looked set to sign for Lazio in a deal worth between five and six million euros. Yet media reports surfaced on Wednesday that Roma had hijacked the deal after Cagliari ended negotiations with Lazio.

–Reuters

England’s Alistair Brownlee celebrates before crossing the finish line of the men’s triathlon race to win gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Thursday

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket 10:30AM South Africa Tour of Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 3 Sony Six 2:00AM Caribbean Premier League Red Steel v Tallawahs Ten Sports Commonwealth Games 2014 2:30PM, 5:30PM, 11:00PM, 12:30AM, 3:00AM Gymnastics, Triathlon, Judo, Weightlifting, Badminton

REUTERS

Alistair Brownlee continued England’s golden start to the Commonwealth Games by winning the triathlon with a dominant display on Thursday.

Olympic champion Brownlee, 26, was involved in a duel with younger brother Jonathan for much of the race before pulling away in the last five kilometres of the final segment of the competition, the 10km run.

He crossed the finish line in one hour 48 minutes 50 seconds at the Strathclyde Country Park, 11 seconds ahead of his sibling. South Africa’s Richard Murray finished strongly to take the bronze.

“That’s all you can want from a race,” Alistair told the BBC. “It was tough right from the start to the finish. I really enjoyed it - Jonny was brilliant too.

“This is the goal I wanted to achieve for the season and I’ve done it now.

Now I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do in my career - I don’t know what to do now. Maybe I should retire,” he joked.

The younger Brownlee, who won Olympic bronze at London 2012, was unable to cope with his brother’s superior running ability late in the race. l

Wales hurdler Williams ‘devastated’ by doping charge n Reuters, Glasgow Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams is out of the Commonwealth Games after being charged with an anti-doping violation, UK Anti-Doping said on Friday.

Williams, 30, who won gold at the 2012 European Championships and bronze at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, and was co-captain of the Wales squad In Glasgow, said he was “utterly devastated” at the news.

“UK Anti-Doping can confirm the provisional suspension of athlete Rhys Williams after being charged with committing an anti-doping rule violation under the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules,” UKAD chief executive Andy Parkinson said in a statement in response to an announcement by Team Wales.

“The athlete has the opportunity to respond to the charges against him, and to have those charges determined at a full hearing before the National Anti-Doping Panel.

“UK Anti-Doping will not be making any further comment.”

Williams, the son of former Wales

and British and Irish Lions rugby winger JJ Williams, failed an in-competition test at the Glasgow Grand Prix event on July 11 and has been given a mandatory provisional suspension from all competition. He said he had not knowingly taken a banned substance.

“I am utterly devastated about the news of this anti-doping rule violation, which has come as a great shock to me,” Williams said in a statement.

“From the outset, I would strongly like to state that I have not knowingly taken any banned substance.

“As a professional athlete, I have always supported and have been an ad-

vocate of clean sport.”

Williams said he would fully co-operate with UKAD. “To be named Co-Team Captain for the Welsh Athletics Team was a great honour and I am distraught that I won’t be able to fulfil this role and join them as part of Team Wales.

Welsh 800m runner Gareth Warburton was provisionally suspended this month for an anti-doping violation, ruling him out of the Games.

Welsh Olympic silver medal-winning boxer Fred Evans had his accreditation refused after an investigation by the Home Office and Games officials. l

Jadeja fined over Anderson incident n AFP, London

Injured striker Carroll out for four months West Ham United striker Andy Carroll has torn ankle ligaments and will be out of action for four months. “Very bad news regarding AC. Torn ligaments in ankle. Operation tomorrow with top surgeon in USA. Will be playing in four months,” Jack Sullivan, son of the club’s co-owner David, tweeted in a question and answer session with his father on Thursday. England striker Carroll also said on his Twitter account: “Going under the knife tomorrow morning and absolutely devastated to be missing the start of the season”. The 25-year-old was hurt on the tour of New Zealand but the club only discovered the full extent of the problem on Thursday. Carroll’s career has been blighted by injury since his permanent move from Liverpool last year. He missed the majority of the 2013-14 season with a heel problem - managing just 15 Premier League appearances - and also failed to force his way into England’s World Cup squad.

–Reuters

15

India spinner Ravindra Jadeja shakes hands with England’s James Anderson following the conclusion of the first Test at Trent Bridge CRICINFO

‘Time was right for Liverpool to sell Suarez’ n Reuters Liverpool chose the right time to part ways with the prolific-but-controversial striker Luis Suarez and the Premier League side will have no trouble coping without the Uruguayan, the club’s principal owner John Henry said.

Suarez joined Barcelona on a five-year-deal despite receiving a nine-match international ban and a four-month suspension from all soccer-related activities over his World Cup biting scandal.

The 27-year-old, who cost the Catalan club 81 million euros ($109 million) according to Spanish media, was the Premier League’s top scorer last season with 31 goals as Liverpool ended two points behind champions Manchester City and earned a return to Champions League for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

“It was time for Luis and time for the club to make a break,” Henry was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo. “He brought so much to the club but we brought a lot to Luis.

“I think you will still see a very explosive Liverpool offence this season.”

Suarez, who was banned for biting Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s group stage clash with Italy on June 24, could make his La Liga debut in the El Clasico against Real Madrid on the weekend of Oct. 25-26 at the Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who announced his retirement from international soccer earlier this week, would be offered a contract extension soon, coach Brendan Rodgers said.

The 34-year-old talismanic midfielder quit England to focus on his commitments for the club, where he has entered the final year of his current deal.l

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 50 percent of his match fee after being found guilty of “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game”, the International Cricket Council announced Friday.

However, he was not banned and remains free to play in the rest of the ongoing five-Test series with England.

Jadeja, 25, was involved in an incident with England seamer James Anderson during the lunch break on the second day of the drawn first Test at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground on July 10.

England charged Jadeja with a Level Two offence under the ICC’s code of conduct in retaliation for India bringing a more serious Level Three charge against Anderson for allegedly “abused and pushing” Jadeja.

However, ICC match referee David Boon, following a two-and-a-half hour hearing in Southampton on Thursday involving the two players, their law-

Larsson follows famous father to Helsingborg n Reuters, Stockholm Striker Jordan Larsson, son of former Sweden international Henrik, is following his father’s footsteps by moving from lower-league Hogaborg to Helsingborg, just as his dad did 22 years ago, the club said on Thursday.

Henrik Larsson made his name at Helsingborg before embarking on a professional career during which he won a host of trophies at Celtic and Barcelona before returning at the end of his career and now his 17-year-old son is taking a similar path.

“Helsingborg is a fantastic club, hopefully I can develop into a very good player here, and I believe I can,” Jordan Larsson told Helsingborg’s website (www.hif.se) on Thursday.

But despite the obvious similarities to his father, his new club is keen to give the teenager the space to develop at his own pace. l

yers and representatives of both teams, downgraded Jadeja’s offence to Level One status.

While a Level Two infringement could have seen Jadeja banned for one match, the maximum penalty for a Level One breach is 50 percent of a player’s match fee.

“While I was in no doubt that confrontation did occur, and that such conduct was not in the spirit of the game and should not have taken place, I was not comfortably satisfied that this was a level two offence,” Boon said in an ICC statement.

“Therefore, in exercising my discretion under article 7.6.5 of the Code and having heard all the evidence, I was comfortably satisfied that Mr Jadeja had committed a level one offence under article 2.1.8 of the Code,” the former Australia batsman added.

Although Boon found Jadeja guilty of a lesser charge than the one levelled against him by England, India team management were unhappy with his decision.

In a statement, they said they were “not satisfied with the verdict” and reserved their right of appeal, adding they believed “Jadeja was “not at fault”, and that he had their full support.

An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman told AFP they were not commenting on the Jadeja decision.

Anderson’s case will be dealt with in a separate hearing under ICC code of conduct commissioner Gordon Lewis on August 1 - the day after the third Test in Southampton, in which the England paceman, like Jadeja, is free to play - is due to finish.

If found guilty of a Level Three offence, Anderson faces a ban of between two to four Tests.

That would rule him out of both next month’s fourth Test on his Lancashire home ground of Old Trafford and the series finale at The Oval in south London.

Level Two offences carry a fine of between 50-100 percent of a player’s match fee and/or up two suspension points, which equates to a ban of one Test. l

Controversial Japanese World Cup ref hits back n AFP, Tokyo The Japanese referee whose decisions in the opening match of the World Cup triggered a storm of controversy has shrugged off criticism of his performance.

Yuichi Nishimura awarded Brazil a soft penalty and decided against sending off superstar Neymar for an elbow in the host side’s 3-1 win over Croatia on June 12, leading to furious protests from the Europeans and lighting up social media.

“I was prepared for (criticism) before the match,” the 42-year-old Nishimura told a news conference late on Thursday in his first comments since the game. “That’s all part of the job.”

Explaining his decision to award a penalty for Fred’s dramatic flop, he added: “If you look at how it happened, the forward was looking to shoot in one move. The defender put his hands on him. That was a mistake.

Social media lit up after Brazil’s contentious victory, with several posts mocking up photos of Nishimura sporting a Brazil jersey or superimposed over the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio. It was no laughing matter for Croatia, who also had a goal harshly disallowed by the Japanese official. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE Saturday, July 26, 2014 DHAKA TRIBUNE Monday, June 16, 2014 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11

MEDAL TALLY

Sport

Total ENGLAND AUSTRALIA SCOTLAND INDIA CANADA NEW ZEALAND SINGAPORE WALES BANGLADESH

6 6 5 3 2 1 1 0 0

7 4 3 4 1 0 0 2 1

5 7 3 2 2 2 0 1 0

18 17 11 9 5 3 1 3 1

*Till Friday (10:00pm)

Excitement marks WC trophy display n Mazhar Uddin Following the arrival of the ICC World Cup trophy in Dhaka for a duration of two days, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim underwent a photo session with the three-columned cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium yesterday where he expressed hope that his country will one day lift the glittering trophy which has a golden globe at the top.

“It is totally a different feeling as this is the first time I have touched it and saw it closely. Truly it is magnificent. It is a huge cup and also the cup of pride.

Honestly I feel great. I hope that one day Bangladesh can touch this cup and I dream and desire for this. Our generation is trying to do so and I hope that I would be able to do it,” said Mushfiq.

The Bangladesh skipper added that the cricket team are trying extremely hard to do well before admitting that they are perhaps not playing to their potential at the moment.

“There is no doubt that Bangladesh have a lot of cricket crazy fans and we have a lot of well-wishers and from that point of view, we are not playing good cricket but we are trying to do well,” he added.

Jayawardene cherishes playing against Proteas n

The World Cup trophy, first introduced in the 1999 edition hosted

by England, was brought to the home of cricket, Mirpur, yesterday morning.

Mushfiq and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury posed for a photo session before it was taken to the Prime Minister’s office.

The trophy was later taken to the Bashundhara shopping mall at Panthapath for display from 12pm8pm. However, the visiting hours of the general people with the trophy was cut down by two hours as the security officials were having a tough time coping with the ever-increasing gathering. The trophy’s display was finally called off at 6pm.

“We have been struggling to manage the huge crowd right from the start.

Taking the security of the trophy into consideration, we have decided to finish the display a bit earlier than scheduled,” said a BCB security official.

Despite the limited time, the trophy’s display at the shopping mall, however, failed to diminish the excitement and enthusiasm among the general people. A huge number of people started to form a line in order to have a glimpse and take a picture of the

World Cup. The added thrill among the visitors was the presence of national cricketers Taskin Ahmed, Marshal Ayub and Shamsur Rahman Shuvo at the shopping mall.

Farhana Hossain Shoma, a banker residing at Lalbagh, went to the mall for her Eid shopping. She was pleasantly surprised to see the World Cup trophy on display and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. As she is a huge fan of the Bangladesh cricket team, she did not miss the chance to take a picture with the trophy.

“Honestly I had no idea about the display as I came here for my shopping but it was a great opportunity for me to take a selfie with the World Cup as I always watched it only on television. It was amazing,” she said.

The ICC World Cup trophy will be leaving Dhaka today for Dubai as part of its visit to 12 countries that will participate in next year’s tournament alongside co-hosts Australia and New Zealand. Following the trophy’s roundthe-world visit, it will finally arrive down under on November 6 before the 11th edition of the World Cup gets underway on February 14 with the final slated for March 29. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Baki clinches silver for Bangladesh Murdoch stuns poster

AFP, Colombo

In the twilight of his glorious Test career, Mahela Jayawardene will sign off with a bagful of memories when he hangs up his boots next month. But there is one team he will cherish playing against the most.

The stylish right-hander has scored against all-comers but his records against South Africa are enviable.

His highest Test score of 374 came against the Proteas at home in 2006 -- a game that Sri Lanka went on to win by an innings and 153 runs.

In 17 Test matches against South Africa, the 37-year-old batsman has scored 1,782 runs at an average of nearly 60.

He has scored the maximum Test runs against England with a tally of 2,212.

“I have played against quite a few South African generations. I have played against guys like Polly (Shaun Pollock) and Jacques (Kallis) as well,” Jayawardene said Friday after the second day’s play in the ongoing second Test against South Africa.

Jayawardene played another stellar role with the bat against his favourite opponents, making a solid 165 to help Sri Lanka on Friday post 421 in their first innings.

This was Jayawardene’s 34th Test ton and 11th at the SSC ground, which is the most by any batsman at one venue.

He also joined India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara of the West Indies at tied fifth on the list of highest Test century makers, becoming the highest run-getter for Sri Lanka in the process with 11,671 runs.

Jayawardene is due to retire next month after a two-Test series against Pakistan at home, drawing the curtains on an almost two-decade long career.

A stalwart of 147 Tests, he retired from Twenty20 internationals this April but will still be available for oneday international cricket.

When Jayawardene came in to bat Thursday, Sri Lanka were reeling at 16-2, but the former captain anchored the innings during his nearly eighthour stay at the wicket, hitting 17 fours and a six.

“They (South Africa) are a team that has got a lot of fighting spirit whether it’s home or away. They come hard at you. But it’s always a fair contest.

“We play hard on the field but we are quite good friends off the field. So I think those are the memories I will cherish the most,” he said. l

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim poses with the ICC World Cup trophy at the SBNS yesterday

n Shishir Hoque Shooter Abdullah Hel Baki earned Bangladesh their first medal in the 20th Commonwealth Games after he clinched silver in the men’s 10m air-rifle event at the Barry Buddon Shooting Centre in Glasgow, Scotland yesterday.

Former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra of India bagged the gold medal while England’s Daniel Rivers secured bronze. Another Indian shooter, Ravi Kumar, finished fourth, missing out on

the podium by a whisker.

Baki shot a total 202.1 points, 3.2 points behind Bindra to grab the silver medal and Bangladesh’s only medal so far in the tournament. Rivers was far behind in third with 182.4 points.

The 24-year old Baki, who carried the Queen’s baton in Bangladesh ahead of the Games, qualified for the finals finishing fifth in the qualifying round with 620 points where Rivers was placed at the top.

Baki appeared a totally different per-

son in the finals and put up a sparkling display in the shoot-off for the battle of the gold medal. After a close battle with the Indian shooter, the lad from Gazipur seemed to have lost his nerve in the last two shots of the shoot-off round against an experienced Bindra.

Another Bangladeshi shooter Rabbi Hasan Munna failed to qualify for the final round as he finished 15th in the qualifiers.

Bangladesh’s Asif Hossian Khan won gold in the same event in the 2002 Games in Manchester, England.

Meanwhile in the women’s 10m air-pistol event on the same day, Armin Asha was the only Bangladeshi to qualify for the final round but she could manage eighth position with 75.9 points. Asha finished sixth in the qualification while Ardina Ferdous was disqualified and ended up at 10th.

In the men’s qualifiers in skeet, Noor Uddin Salim and Iqbal Islam finished 18th and 22th respectively.

On Thursday, Molla Shabira of Bangladesh finished sixth in the Group A of the women’s 48kg event. She lifted 142kg weight. l

boy Jamieson to take gold n AFP, Glasgow

Ross Murdoch broke the Commonwealth Games record for the second time in a day to deny hot favourite Michael Jamieson as Scotland claimed gold and silver in the men’s 200m breaststroke on Thursday.

Murdoch finished nearly a second ahead of his teammate in a time of 2min 07:30sec, whilst Andrew Willis took the bronze for England.

Glasgow-born Jamieson had been one of the mot prominent athletes in the build-up to the Games having won silver in the same event at the 2012 London Olympics.

However, just as in the morning heat, he had no answer for Murdoch’s kick in the final 50 metres as the 20-year-old broke clear to claim Scotland’s second swimming gold medal

of the evening after Hannah Miley retained her Commonwealth title in the 400m individual medley.

“I am lost for words. I never thought that would become a reality,” said Murdoch.

“It was always a dream of mine to come out to a home crowd and perform my best, but it is something I can’t explain. In that last 50 metres to have that many people cheering you on it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It meant the world to me and I just can’t believe it has happened.”

For Jamieson a silver medal was scant consolation after losing out on the biggest prize in a race he had described for months as the biggest of his career to date.

“I’m obviously gutted. I didn’t train for second place. I came here to win,” he said. I am a sponsored athlete, I am associated with some of the biggest companies around, but Ross deserves to win tonight. He has been swimming world class times all season.” l

Malaysian cyclist warned over Gaza message n Reuters, Glasgow

Gold Medallist India’s Abhinav Bindra (C), Silver Medallist Abdullah Baki (L) of Bangladesh and Bronze Medallist Daniel Rivers of England during the medal ceremony after Men’s 10M Air Rifle event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland yesterday AP

A Malaysian cyclist has been reprimanded by his team after wearing gloves with “Save Gaza” written on them while riding at the Commonwealth Games but he will not be expelled from the competition, an official said on Friday.

Azizulhasni Awang, 26, took part in the men’s sprint on Thursday with the message written across the knuckles and the wrist of each glove, displaying them to cameras after he raced into the quarter-final.

“He has had a strong reprimand from his team management and he has apologised,” Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper told reporters.

“In apologising profusely he now knows any repetition will see a removal of his accreditation. It is inappropriate for any form of protest in a Games venue; we respect everyone’s right to protest outwith.”

Awang took to social media on Friday to apologise for the incident and insisted he had displayed the message as a “humanitarian” and not political statement.l

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