3 august, 2014

Shraban 19, 1421 Shawal 6, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 121

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

12 pages plus 16-page monthly Arts & Letters supplement | Price: Tk12

6 | CAREER WASHING YOUR HANDS CLEAN OF LAZY COLLEAGUES

ARTS & LETTERS

WHAT GABO DID FOR FICTION

9 | OP-ED

10 | SPORT

NO EXIT FOR DELOWAR

CRICKETERS RESUME CAMP AFTER VACATION

Return to Dhaka turns nightmarish

Tuba Group workers hold sit-in n Tribune Report

phone, but in vain,” Chowdhury said.

We are not disclosing Chowdhury’s full name upon his request because he fears that he may be rejected an Indian visa in the future.

He continued: “Then I talked to some of my friends, who had gone to India before by applying online for a visa. They advised me to go to some

On the sixth day of their fast-untodeath programme demanding three months’ outstanding wages and Eid bonuses, the workers of five garment factories of Tuba Group staged a sit-in programme in front of Hossain Market that houses three units.

Under the banner of Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee, the agitating workers, along with leaders and activists of 11 left leaning parties came out of the building to hold a procession on Badda-Gulshan road around 11am yesterday.

Failing to bring out the procession in the face of police resistance, they sat on the road blocking one side of the street.

They kept the road occupied for around an hour, encircled by the police.

At the end of the demo, a section of demonstrators scuffled with the police while trying to remove the barricade the law enforcers put on the street. But there were no incidents of injuries.

At the demonstration, the workers chanted slogans in favour of their fivepoint demands – immediate payment of the outstanding wages, bonuses and overtime dues of 1,600 workers; job security for all workers of Tuba Group; keeping all the factories operational; scrapping of Managing Director Delowar’s bail; and paying compensation to the deceased workers of Tazreen Fashions and bearing costs of treatment of those injured in the

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Trains miss schedule, while buses, launches charge higher Islam Shaon and n Ashif Tazlina Zamila Khan Eid holidaymakers yesterday found it a daunting task to return to the capital as public transport failed to accommodate the large volume of Dhaka-bound passengers.

On top of that, severe mismanagement in different modes of transport added woe to the misery of vacationers with many struggling to make a berth on the rooftops of trains and buses.

Some even crammed into generator rooms of launches.

Gross disruptions to the train service jeopardised the journey of people at the Kamalapur Railway Station and elsewhere in the country.

Widespread allegation came following the mismanagement at the station.

Liakat Ali, an employee of a private firm, said he reached the platform by Bhaowal Express around 1pm but he was supposed to be there by 12pm.

“The train started two hours late from Mymensingh.”

Nur Mohammad, another passen-

ger, said: “Ekota Express was delayed by two hours. The train was scheduled to start around 9:30pm yesterday but it started around 11:30pm. Besides, it halted for a long time in Parbotipur and Shantahar stations in Dinajpur for the reasons unknown.”

Such disruption to the schedules not only led to sufferings of the capital-bound people but also delayed

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PICTURE

departures of those who intended to leave the capital yesterday by train.

One passenger Kazi Mohamamd Faridul was found waiting at the platform for Joyontika Express.

He said he had been waiting for the train for two hours along with his family to go to his hometown in Ashuganj. His granddaughter was sweating profusely. Drained and exhausted she finally fell asleep on her mother’s lap.

“I arrived at the platform around 10am as the train was scheduled to leave at 12am. It is almost 1:45pm now,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

‘We give appointment dates for Indian visa application’ n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Over the past year or so, applicants trying for an online Indian visa appointment date have gotten used to one particular dreaded message: “no appointment dates are available.”

Some realised for getting appointment dates, the applications had to be made at “unsocial hours” like 3 or 5 o’clock in the morning when the world is fast asleep.

But pretty soon, even getting up at that odd hour of the day and sitting in front of the computer with sleepy eyes could not guarantee an appointment; needless to mention that an appoint-

Israel continues shelling Gaza, pulls out of Cairo negotiations n Agencies Fighting in Gaza intensified overnight, with reports indicating that Israeli forces were advancing around the southern towns of Khan Younis and Rafah, in what appeared to be an attempt to prevent Hamas from moving a soldier reported to have been captured.

It comes amid reports that Israel has pulled out of negotiations for a new truce, due to take place in Cairo on Saturday.

Reports from Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip and close to where Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin is thought to have been taken, indicated heavy civilian casualties from Israeli bombardments. Troops continued to clash with Hamas fighters.

Around 100 people in Rafah have been killed and hundreds more injured in Rafah since fighting restarted after the three hour break following the collapse of an internationally brokered ceasefire collapsed on Friday morning.

At least a dozen have been killed elsewhere in Gaza and scores wounded.

Local health officials said the main hospital in Rafah had to be evacuated because of shelling on Friday afternoon.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

ment does not always ensure a visa.

But did that mean Bangladeshi people, who visit the neigbouring country for all kinds of reasons such as treatment, business, tourism and pilgrimage, were not going to get a seal in their passports?

People who got Indian visas recently told the Dhaka Tribune that there are alternate ways.

One of them, Chowdhury, applied online for a medical visa at the end of February, but was rejected thrice.

“Every time I applied online, I got a ‘web registration number’ but no appointment date. I tried to contact the High Commission of India over tele-

Nur Hussain’s pistol found in car hit by train in Malibagh n

A general view shows damage at the historical al-Omeri mosque in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday AFP

Self-proclaimed ‘agents’ say nobody can get a date on their own; only they know the ‘system’

Ashif Islam Shaon

It is very much usual that if someone is badly hurt after a road accident he/she seeks help from people around to go to a nearby hospital to save his life but surprisingly this did not happen to the case of the victims of the private car that collided with a Dhaka-bound train in the capital’s Malibagh rail crossing Friday evening.

Locals pulled three severely injured passengers out of the twisted and mangled private car but they in the blink of an eye vanished into the thin air.

Police later found that the trio fled as they are close aides of Nur Hussain – the prime accused of seven murders in Narayanganj. Nur is now in a Kolkata jail.

The passengers of the car were carrying a licensed pistol of Nur. It was one of the two fire arms of Nur which had been traceless for quite a long time.

Police had earlier seized his nine firearms whose licenses have already been canceled by the administration of Narayanganj following the gruesome murder.

Nur Hossain’s brother-in-law was also reportedly traveling by the car.

According to police and witnesses, the flagman at the Malibagh railroad crossing pulled down the boom barrier in the afternoon when Dhaka-bound train Chattala Express from Chittagong was passing the area.

But the Toyota Allion defying the signal tried to manoeuvre through the wrong lane in a hurry but unfortunately its engine broke down leaving the car stranded on the track.

Locals said some witnesses to the accident wanted to take them hospital but they denied saying they would go alone. After the incident police recovered a foreign 9mm pistol and 12 bullets of two firearms from the car. There were also some new clothes, a national voter ID card and some papers in the car.

“As the victims fled the scene it made us curious. We started digging into the matter as to why the injured passengers fled the spot. Besides, there was no document of the pistol in the car,” said Abdul Mojid, officer-in-charge of the Dhaka Railway Police Station.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE 3 | News

JaPa Chairman HM Ershad said his party will launch a movement against the government as it has ‘failed to meet the needs of the people.’

4 | News

Local miscreants stole trees worth Tk50 lakh on the Tangail-Aricha highway this year. Local people said the stealing had been going on in collusion with locally influential ruling party people.

5 | World

George Tenet, who presided over the CIA when terrorist suspects were waterboarded and subjected to other forms of brutal ‘enhanced interrogation,’ has set himself a near-impossible task.

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, August 3, 2014

AL expects sombre mourning from opposition parties n Tribune Report Awami League hopes that all political parties will observe the month of mourning along with the nation.

Awami League expressed such hope in the wake of BNP’s recent vow to launch an anti-government movement after Eid, “We hope no political party will go for any programme that spoils the spirit of the month. All parties should cooperate in observing the month, especially the 15 August,” Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told the reporters yesterdayat a press briefing after a meeting with party associated bodies.

With Awami League General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam in the chair the meeting was held at party president Sheikh Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi to finalise the month-long programme in August.

At the briefing, Hanif urged BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia not to celebrate her “fake” birthday by cutting cake on the National Mourning Day. “If Khaleda Zia celebrates the day by cutting cake, she will again prove that she is working as a collaborator of the killers of Bangabandu and the defeated forces of libation war,” the leader said.

The meeting has finalised the month-long programme that started yesterday with the blood donation programme organised by Krishok League and would be ended with a rally of Chhatra League on August 31, 2014.

Awami League Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury, Advocate Shahara Khatun, Presidium Member Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin, Joint General Secretary Dr Dipu Moni, Joint General Secretary Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanok, Organizing Secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, were also present at the meeting. l

10 JCD men hurt in BCL attack n Our correspondent, Noakhali At least 10 Chaatra Dal activists were injured on Friday night in an attack by Chhatra League activists in the Naori village of Amishapara union under Sonaimuri upazila in Noakhali.

Those who sustained bullet injuries are Iqbal, 21, Yasin, 22, Palash, 21, and Babul, 24. Babul was admitted to Sonaimuri Upazila Health Complex.

Some of the other injured are being treated in private clinics in Maijdee,

while most of them are in treatment secretly to avoid arrest.

Locals said the injured are JCD activists who were on the run because of the cases lodged against them by the ruling party.

They came to their houses ahead of Eid. On Friday night they were hanging out around 10:30pm, when a group of BCL activists led by Nazrul, Sahed, Omar and Hannan attacked them and opened fire.

Abdus Samad, officer-in-charge of Sonaimuri police station, confirmed the incident. l

Tuba Group workers hold sit-in  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Workers of the Tuba Garment put up a barricade on the road in front of the factory yesterday demanding their overdue wages and Eid bonus RAJIB DHAR

Suranjit: Railways need more manpower n Emran Hossain Shaikh Former railway minister Suranjit Sengupta yesterday urged the government to appoint sufficient manpower under railway ministry as preventive measure of rail mishaps.

“I was a railway minister and I know that there is no manpower at 70 percent of the level crossings. Government should appoint adequate manpower for preventing those tragic accidents,” said Suranjit while addressing a rally organised by Bangabandu Academy at Diploma Engineering Institute in the capital. Suranjit stepped down from his ministerial post following an appointment-related bribe scandal in 2012,

Nur Hussain’s pistol found in car hit by train  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

GRP police collected data of licensed fire arms of all districts and the serial number of the recovered fire arm matched with the list provided by Narayanganj police. It was lenienced under Nur Hossain’s name. Licenses of all of his 11 arms had been canceled.

“Four of the recovered bullets were of the pistol and other eight bullets were of a 1.22-bore rifle which also belongs to Nur Hossain. Investigators of the seven murder incident were looking for those two fire arms,” said the OC. Police also conducted raids at different hospitals in the capital to nab the injured passengers.

“In the late hours of the night we found a 40-year-old injured passenger MA Rahman alias Ansar Ali got admitted into the Apollo Hospital. We went there but his condition was critical.

Doctors shifted him to the ICU,” he said.

A team of Narayanganj Detective Branch of police also went to the hospital. They were waiting for the patient’s recovery. Asked, the OC said they were yet to know the relation between Nur Hossain and Ansar Ali. “But we are sure he is a close aide of Nur.” A police source said he is one of the owners of Three Angels Shipping Limited.

Police on Friday night also came to know that another passenger got admitted into the Square Hospital in the capital’s Panthapath.

“He is Nur-e-Alam Khan, son of late Muslim Uddin Khan. He is the brotherin-law of Nur Hossain. He left the hospital just 10 minutes before we reached there. He told the doctor that he would take admission into another hospital where a doctor is his relative,” the OC said.

Asked, who owns the car, Abdul Mojid said Alam is the owner of the car. The car was purchased from Gulshan’s Auto Museum. Alam is yet to register that. But a token was found in the car.

“Primarily we have come to know that he is a businessman. Detectives are trying to find out his details,” he said adding they have got a NID card of Alam in the car.

“We suspected that Alam and other people were trying to go to India to meet Nur Hossain in Kolkata,” he said.

Asked why he had such a suspicion he said police found new Panjabi, shirts and some other things packed in the car. Besides, Nur Hossain is going to be placed before a Kolkata court today,” he said.

Contacted, Narayanganj Police’s Additional Superintendent Md Sajjadur Rahman said, Alam is the younger

brother of Nur Hossain’s latest wife.

Nur, who has several wives, used to live with this woman.

He said that neither Nur-e-Alam or his sister (Nur’s wife) is accused in the seven-murder case.

“But we have been keeping them under surveillance. We don’t know exactly when Alam left Narayanganj. He actually lived at New Eskaton in the capital and went to Narayanganj some days back,” he said adding they were trying to find out why and how Nur’s arms went to Alam’s possession. Detectives were also trying to find out if there were more passengers except the injured three.

“So far we have ascertained identities of two passengers and another unidentified has fled the scene.”

However, a source in Narayanganj police said Nur-e-Alam is the general secretary of Sonargaon thana unit of Chhatra League. His wife was with him in the car during the accident.

A fugitive, Nur Hossain stands accused of the gruesome abduction and killing of seven people including Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and an advocate Chandan Sarker.

The seven were abducted on April 27 in the city and six of their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River on April 30 and the other ones the next day. l

The ruling party lawmaker further added although the Eid-ul-Fitr this year has passed very smoothly, some mishaps, like in Barobazar (Jhenaidah) have been shocking.

Referring to the suspension of the Station Master and gate-man responsible for the Barobazar incident, he said: “It is not enough to sack someone or form investigative committee as eyewash after the incident. Permanent measures have to be taken.”

On BNP’s threat to topple the government with movements, the Awami League’s advisory body member said: “An election is the only legal way to remove an elected government. Their [BNP’s] threat of an agitation is undem-

ocratic and unconstitutional,” he added.

Urging party activists to be wary of BNP, he said: “We have to resist their socalled movement. To ensure the safety of life and property, the government would take necessary measures if they [BNP] resort to any undemocratic activities.”

Earlier in April 2012, Suranjit Sengupta stepped down from his post as the railway minister following an appointment-related bribe scandal just four months after taking charge of the ministry.

Although he was reappointed as a “minister without portfolio” by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following the incident, Suranjit failed to secure a place in the cabinet formed by the Awami League in its second term. l

Return to Dhaka turns nightmarish  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

still the train has not arrived,” he said.

Kamalapur Station Master Md Shakhawat Hossain Khan however told the Dhaka Tribune that some of the trains had arrived late because of the overflow of passengers.

“Ekota Express reached Dhaka late by two hours while the Sundarban Express by three hours. Sundarban Express was supposed to start at 6:20am but it started around 9:40am as the crowd was more than usual.”

He added that trains sometimes arrive late because of maintenance work.

Echoing with Md Shakhawat Hossain Khan Station Manager Md Khairul Bashir said there was an overflow of passengers after Eid this year. “The trains were late because we had to accommodate the increased number of passengers.”

Meanwhile, around 69 launches arrived at the capital until 4pm yesterday with passengers beyond their capacity.

A number of passengers alleged that extra fares were charged from them after they boarded the launch.

Md Jamal, a passenger who traveled on the deck of MV Eyad, said: “The fare for traveling on the deck from Borguna to Dhaka is Tk300. At first the launch staff charged me Tk250 while getting into the launch but later he demanded Tk100 more after the launch started.”

“However, I negotiated and paid

Tk300,” he said. Owner of the MV Obhijan 5 Shahjalal Sheikh denied such allegation.

Like launches bus counters also allegedly charged extra fare from passengers.

Khairul Islam who returned to the capital by Shyamoli Paribahan yesterday said: “I had to pay around Tk150 more than the fixed rate.”

However, Gabtoli Terminal’s Bus Truck Owner’s Association leader Nurul Islam denied the allegation.

The misery even mounted after people reached Sadarghat Launch Terminal as many passengers had to wait for a long time to get a transport.

The CNG-run auto-rickshaws chared exorbitant fares while the porters held exhausted passengers hostage by charging extra for carrying baggage. After reaching the terminals, many were seen waiting with luggage for hours failing to get a transport.

BIWTA Joint Director Saiful Islam denied the allegation of realising extra fares from passengers.

BIWTA Assistant Director (Marine Safety) Shamsul Arefin said they were passing a tough time to manage the huge number of passengers.

Sub-Inspector of Kotwali Police Station Wasim Bari told the Dhaka Tribune that police would remain deployed at the Sadarghat Launch Terminal until August 5 to ensure safe journey of Dhaka-bound people. l

‘We give appointment dates for Indian visa application’  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

travel agents or some particular shops in the capital’s Farmgate, Motijheel and Gulshan areas. These shops have links with the high commission staff.

“I went to a shop in Farmgate and they asked for Tk1,000 but guaranteed that they would get an appointment date for me very soon. They then told me that if I paid them Tk8,000, they would even get the visa for me.

“When I asked them how, they said they knew the times of the day that the high commission gives appointment dates.

“I did not take the offer because it was not the right thing to do. Then I tried several more times to get a date the proper way, but failed. Time was running out fast because I had to go to India as soon as possible for my mother’s treatment.”

“A few days later I went to Chittagong, paid an ‘agent’ Tk3,000 and got appointment dates both for me and my mother,” Chowdhury said.

He gave the Dhaka Tribune the machine-generated “pdf” web application files that he had got on various futile attempts.

For getting an Indian visa, a Bangladesh national needs to fill up an online form, at the end of which the visa seeker is supposed to get an appointment date to submit passport. Without an

appointment date, ordinary citizens cannot get visas.

According to its website, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) processes around 500,000 visa applications of Bangladeshi passport holders every year, which, by far, could perhaps be the largest number by any visa processing agency worldwide.

This correspondent tried to get an appointment date at around 4:30pm on July 20; his application was also greeted with the same dreaded message: “No appointment dates are available.”

The Dhaka Tribune has talked to many other Indian visa seekers who have been through the same ordeal; some of them, who did not want to go the “wrong way”, have even given up hope of getting an Indian visa.

On July 15, this correspondent talked to a number of people standing in a long queue in front of the Indian High Commission office in the capital’s Gulshan.

None of them wanted to disclose their names; but all of them said they had got their appointment dates by applying through unauthorised “agents.”

The Dhaka Tribune has found a page on Facebook titled “Indian Visa Support” that had an impressive 10,641 likes as of 7pm yesterday. The Bangla subtitle could be translated as: “We give appointment dates for Indian visa

applications.”

The cover photo informs in Bangla that if someone needed an appointment date within five days, the charge is Tk800; an appointment date within 24 hours would cost Tk1,200.

The photo displays a mobile phone number: 01912 188188; an email address: “info@sobuj.com;” and a website address: “http://fb.com/IndianVisaSupport.”

A Google Map landmark suggests that the page is based in Dhaka’s Mirpur.

In one of the posts, Facebook user Hasibur Rahman inquired: “R u sure u can get appoint date within 24 hours????”

The reply from the Indian Visa Support page was: “We will give you refund if we can’t get you a date within 24 hours.”

The page even offered a special discounted rate of Tk500 for Eid for getting what they called “super urgent” appointments within 24 hours.

As the Dhaka Tribune understands, for getting an appointment date through the Facebook page, one has to talk with the contact person on the given cell phone number, take the address of the place in Mirpur, go there in person with the necessary papers and pay the cash if they get the appointment date.

Saiful Islam Bibek is the contact person of a shop named Ratul Tours & Travels in the capital’s Gulshan area.

The shop is located very close to the Indian High Commission.

When this reporter, disguised as an applicant, contacted him, Saiful demanded Tk4,000 and guaranteed that he would get an appointment date in less than three days.

Asked how he could give guarantee while people try in vain for weeks, even months, Saiful said: “You will not get it. It is all about ‘system.’ How would I explain? Apply your common sense brother.”

The word “system” has recently made it to the everyday vocabulary of the Bangladeshis. It means a shady illegal deal for getting something done.

In February, independent MP Haji Md Selim told the House that Bangladeshis had been facing harassment while applying for Indian visas.

The MP also said even Pakistani nationals were not subjected to the kind of harassment that the Bangladeshis had been facing.

He said the e-token system, meant for simplifying the process, was actually making things difficult for people.

Selim alleged that certain quarters were trying to make profit out of the system.

Asked how these unauthorised

agents were guaranteeing appointment dates, Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, counsellor (political) at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, told the Dhaka Tribune: “They are your [Bangladeshi] people. We have given everything in writing to the Foreign Ministry and the Home Ministry... The system is hacked and who is hacking – your people.”

Asked what he meant by “everything in writing” to the ministries, he said: “The names of the people who are involved in this business.”

He claimed: “We do not have any middleman. There are some middlemen, who are doing this and we have given all details to the Foreign Ministry.”

He then put the entire blame on the law enforcement in the country: “If your police become ineffective, what could we do?”

The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC), a concern of the State Bank of India, was outsourced in 2005 to provide visa services at the various high commission offices of India in Bangladesh.

The State Bank of India, majority shareholding of which lies with the Indian government, is the largest commercial bank in India.

The IVAC also provides visa processing services in Beijing, China, according to the website of the Indian Embassy website. l

devastating fire incident of 2012.

The five units of Tuba Group are Toba Fashion, Tuba Textile, Mita Design, Taif Design and Bughsan Garments.

As of yesterday, more than 90 of the agitators fell ill. Of them, 20 were admitted to Badda General Hospital and Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital. Garments workers’ leader Moshrefa Mishu joined the agitation in solidarity with the demands.

Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mujahidul Islam Selim, expressing solidarity with the workers, yesterday criticised the government, factory owners and BGMEA for neglecting the demands and depriving the workers of their basic rights.

Socialist Party of Bangladesh leader Razekuzzaman Ratan demanded cancellation of Delowar’s bail and urged the government to ensure justice to the victims of Tazreen Fashions by punishing him. At least 112 workers of Tazreen died in the fire of November 24, 2012 while over 200 others were injured.

Jahangirnagar University teacher Prof Anu Muhammad said: “We can sense the force of a government when the police charge batons on workers while evicting landless people. But now we see no government action when hundreds of workers are observing hunger strike for due wages.”

He urged the government to take measures to pay the dues within 24 hours.

Regarding the payment of compensation for Tazreen victims, Prof Anu said: “It encourages the factory owners when they see that the government does not spend the fund collected for the workers’ compensation.”

Even yesterday, the agitating workers refused to accept the BGMEA’s proposal of paying the dues by seven working days. They allege that it is a trick to scatter the programme and divert the issue to another direction.

On Thursday, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said it would make the payments by managing fund through packing credit. It also called a board meeting for today to devise ways to meet the pledge. l

Israel continues shelling Gaza, pulls out of Cairo negotiations  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Meanwhile, Israel is unlikely to send a delegation to truce talks in Cairo as it presses on with its offensive in Gaza, reports quoting senior officials say. Palestinian and US delegations had been expected to arrive in Cairo on Saturday.

The Palestinian delegation was reported to include Hamas, which controls Gaza, Fatah and other factions. The US team was expected to be led by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

While Israel has not ruled out the possibility of a negotiated solution to this conflict, some believe it may also be considering a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, once it has destroyed the cross border tunnels and found the soldier. The Israeli military said Israel was already close to its objective.

Around 1,650 Palestinians have been killed and more than 8,000 injured since the conflict started, according to the Gazan health ministry. The UN children’s agency Unicef said that at least 296 Palestinian children had been killed, 30% of the civilian casualties. On the Israeli side, 63 soldiers and three civilians have been killed. Unicef said: “The number of child casualties during the last 48 hours may rise as a number of incidents are pending verification.”

US President Barack Obama said Hamas should be held responsible for the collapse of the ceasefire and demanded that it immediately release Goldin. He insisted the US was doing everything possible to prevent the deaths of Palestinian civilians, which he called “heartbreaking.”

Obama strongly condemned the Palestinian side for failing to follow through on the truce. “If they are serious about trying to resolve this situation, that soldier needs to be unconditionally released as soon as possible,” Obama told reporters at the White House.

Britain is providing a further £3m to support a rapid response by aid workers in Gaza to what the international development secretary, Justine Greening, described as “nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made a plea in the Guardian for the Israeli government to halt its military operations in Gaza and talk to Hamas. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Reluctance of filing cases leads to repetition of child harassment n Udisa Islam Last year, Seema (not her real name), a resident of Bidirpur of Rajshahi, was allegedly raped by one of her neighbours.

When her family was trying to file a case, the neighbour’s family tried persuasion, and even threats, to prevent them. With the mediation of a local political leader, Seema’s family finally decided against filing the case.

As a result, the neigbour boy tried to violate Seema once again after three months. A wailing Seema told the Dhaka Tribune: “If my family did not compromise with my faith, that [the second rape attempt] would have never happened.”

Rashida (not her real name either) is a physically challenged girl in her early teens. Her mother has found out recently that one of Rashida’s 19-yearold male cousins had been sexually harassing her for quite some time. To avoid the situation, she was sent to her grandparents’ home, but one of her uncles started “misbehaving” with her.

In both these cases, the families decided not to stir up matters, considering that it might tarnish their family image.

At a time when sexual harassment allegations even with concrete proofs fail to bring the criminals to book, it is very natural for many such “family matters” to remain unreported, let alone taken to the courts.

A recent research shows that half of all the physically and mentally challenged children in Bangladesh are sexually abused, mostly by close relatives.

The study, conducted jointly by Bangladesh Protibondhi Foundation (BPF) and Save the Children Sweden-Denmark, also stated that the psychologically challenged run a greater risks of being sexually harassed.

According to the National Child Task Force, 51% of street children are being scolded and victimised. At least, 20% of the children endure physical tor-

ture and 46% girls are victims of sexual abuse and torture. Existing laws related to sexual crimes against children focus on punishing the offender rather than protecting children’s rights.

Rights activists say in most cases, abusers put pressure on the abused and their families to withdraw cases or compromise. As there is no witness protection mechanism, ensuring justice is also very difficult.

According to a report by the Child Rights Governance Assembly, generally camera trials are not in use, although the provision is there. As a result, many victims do not want to come out in the open at the court, and get more ferocious when they are attacked the second time.

Rights activist Khushi Kabir said: “Because of the lengthy trial processes in our country, survivors do not get quick remedies. Sometimes the victims’ families refrain from filing cases because of pressure from the abusers, influential people or to save their faces. These add to the risk of getting violated the second time. So, no matter what the situation is, a victim’s family should always file a case and seek justice.”

Advocate Fahima Nasreen told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have some technical problems with the implementation of existing laws... Recently, we have been using the umbrella term for all abuses including what is known as ‘eve teasing.’ But most of the law enforcement agencies, who are the primary destination of a case, do not know this.

Neither do they want to ensure protection for the survivors.”

She also said: “We need to change our perception about security and social gracefulness. My child is violated several times and as long as I try to hide it, the situation will not change. The members of the law enforcement agencies also need to be trained to prevent multiple incidence of abuses.” l

A train packed with Eid holidaymakers like sardines arrives at the Kamalapur Railway Station yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Ershad: JaPa to launch agitation against government Party insiders term it as a political stunt n Manik Miazee Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman HM Ershad yesterday said his party will launch a movement against the government as it has “failed to meet the needs of the people.”

“The government has no right to hold state power as it has failed to meet the needs of its people. If needed, we will take the movement to the streets to establish the rights of the people,” Ershad warned the government while addressing a views-exchange meeting with Shariatpur district JaPa leaders at his Banani office in the capital.

The former military dictator said: “Abductions and killings have branded

this country as a disgraced country. No one knows who or when one will be abducted or killed.

“I will rage a movement against such abductions, killings to free the countrymen from the misrule of this government.

“Those who say that a Tk4,000 crore loan scandal is not significant, they have no right to stay in power,” he added.

Terming himself as the father of the country’s private sector, he also said: “Awami League and BNP made no progress in the county. The country had been progressing due to the private sector.”

Ershad, however, claimed his movement will not be like that of BNP-Jamaat, who he alleged tend to kill citi-

zens, members of law enforcement and vandalise public property.

“They [Awami League, BNP, Jamaat] had raged movements in Dhaka. I could have held state power if I wanted to, but I only chose to step down because I did not want to kill people,” he said.

However, JaPa Secretary General Ziauddin Bablu failed to confirm whether the JaPa leaders had received any instructions from party chairman regarding the street movements. He said his party would hold a human chain in front of the National Press Club protesting against the Gaza attack.

However, sources inside JaPa told the Dhaka Tribune that the party chairman’s anti-government statements

come as an expression of his frustration as he was not given any specific role although the former president was appointed as a special envoy to the prime minister.

“The chairman’s statement comes not only as a protest against the ruling party, but also as an inspiration for party leaders who refrained from joining the January 5 elections as per his command,” said the senior party leader, requesting not to be named.

“As Rowshan Ershad has been the focus of the media after becoming the leader of the opposition in parliament, HM Ershad frequently use such political stunts to draw media attention,” he added. l

BNP to announce programmes soon n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

A huge pile of garbage occupies most part of the Kuril Biswa Road polluting the environment and disrupting vehicular movement MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

The BNP said yesterday they were going to finalise the anti-government movement to materialise their demand for election under a non-partisan administration.

“For finalising programmes, party standing committee will sit and an alliance meeting will be held soon. We will disclose the programmes after that,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP joint secretary general, told journalists at a briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan office.

After boycotting the January 5 election and failing to stop the polls from taking place, the party demanded early election under a non-partisan government. Since the annulment of the caretaker government system, the party had been waging a movement demanding constitutional restoration of the provision.

Street protests intensified right before

the election with hundreds of cars burnt to ashes and many people burnt to death in arson attacks on vehicles in Dhaka.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her party colleagues warned of a tough movement after Eid to force the gov-

‘BNP will not sit silently if the government does not give in to the demand and continue to repress the opposition’ ernment into realising the demand.

The party also at called for simultaneously holding talks to resolve the crisis.

The ruling Awami League said before January 5 that voting had to be done to uphold the constitution.

However, after the poll, the party said the BNP had missed the election train and would have to wait for the completion of the current tenure.

Leaders also refused to hold any talks with the BNP. Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina said she could not hold talks with “killers.”

Rizvi alleged that the government had been clinging to power forcefully and the ruling party leaders had been making aggressive statements.

“We want a participatory election.

That is why we are waging a movement. BNP will not sit silently if the government does not give in to the demand and continue to repress the opposition,” he said.

The BNP leader said the movement would be peaceful and if the government used the language of arms then the party would not have any option but to adopt a “different strategy.” l

JHUT TRADER KILLING Abducted fiveAL ignores BNP’s movement threat month-old baby that the BNP had used all of its politi- would take necessary action after seeSI Zahid sent to jail n Emran Hossain Shaikh rescued cal tool before the January 5 elections ing their movement.

Disaster Management Minister Moand now it has no minimum strength to ment to the magistrate that he was Awami League leaders have said they n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu fazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya at a with SI Zahid the night police picked up do not bother about the BNP’s “emp- continue with any movement.

Police yesterday rescued a five-monthold child who was allegedly abducted by a domestic help five days ago in Chittagong city’s Faillatoli area.

Police arrested Ayesha Aktar, 19, in this connection, said AKM Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Pahartoli police station.

The domestic help started working at the residence of Sawdip Hossain on July 24 introducing her as a helpless woman, the OC said, adding the girl stole the child on the morning of July 28 and fled to Dhaka airport area.

Failing to trace the child along with the girl, Zainab, wife of Sawdip, lodged a written complaint to the police and RAB. Ayesha was seen begging around the airport area on Thursday carrying the child on her lap and her suspicious movement got the attention of the airport police, the OC said.

Later, police took the girl and child into custody and informed Pahartali police on Friday.

Pahartali police later brought the child to Chittagong along with the accused, the OC added. l

A Dhaka court yesterday sent Sub-Inspector Zahidur Rahman Khan of Mirpur police station to jail after he refused to confess to being involved in the custodial death of jhut trader Mahbubur Rahman Sujan.

Metropolitan Magistrate Nuru Miah passed the order after SI Zahid refused to give a confessional statement before him in the case.

Earlier in the day, DB Inspector Nibaron Chandra Barman submitted documents before the court saying Zahid was ready to confess to his involvement in the murder.

After that the court gave Zahid two hours time to prepare his confessional statement, he refused to confess his involvement when the magistrate called him to record his statement. Later, the court ordered to send him to jail.

Zahid was produced before the court on completion of his two-day fresh remand in the case.

He was earlier placed on 12 days remand in three phases.

Earlier on Thursday, his informant Nasim Sheikh gave confessional state-

Sujan, who died of torture later.

In his statement, Nasim said a team comprising five police members and Nasim went to Sujan’s residence and picked him up on July 13.

They also picked up Sujan’s wife Momtaz Sultana Lucy and their fiveyear-old son Rabbi when he refused to pay extortion money.

He was tortured at his house, in the police van and at the police station, said Nasim.

On July 16, SI Zahid was arrested following an autopsy report, which revealed that Sujan had died of torture. Law enforcers also nabbed Nasim the same day after examining the CCTV footage of the police station.

On July 20, Lucy filed a murder case with a Dhaka court accusing Officer-in-Charge of Mirpur police station Salahuddin, SI Zahid and some others under the Torture and Custodial Death (Protection) Act 2013.

After taking the case into cognisance, the court ordered judicial investigation into the murder case. l

ty” threat of launching an anti-government movement after Eid. Despite its all-out efforts, the BNP had failed to resist the January 5 national polls, they said, adding that the party will not be able to wage the movement afresh whatever strategy it devises.

The ruling party leaders also think that the BNP does not have the organisational strength to launch the movement.

The BNP, the arch-rival of the ruling Awami League, had threatened to wage the anti-government movement after Eid-ul-Fitr. The former opposition claimed that if the government failed to take necessary steps to hold dialogues and restore the caretaker government, they will wage a movement to oust the government.

Mentioning the BNP’s earlier threats for the movement, Awami League Presidium Member Mohammad Nasim said: “After 2009, every year we hear the BNP launching the movement after Eid. We are yet to see any action.”

Several Awami League leaders think

“Their threat is like an empty sound.

We are not taking it seriously,” another AL leader Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin told the Dhaka Tribune.

He added: “We think they will not able to wage any movement. This is why we do not need to take preparation to face them.”

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who is also doubtful about the movement, said they

rally in the capital recently said the government would respond after ‘seeing the character of their movement’.

“The government will cooperate with them if they wage the movement peacefully. If they create mayhem, we will give them a befitting reply,” Maya, also secretary of Awami League Dhaka city unit, said.

They were ready to face any situation, he added. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Trees worth Tk50 lakh stolen n Our Correspondent, Tangail Local miscreants stole trees worth Tk50 lakh on the Tangail-Aricha highway this year.

Local people said the stealing had been going on in collusion with locally influential ruling party people, some officials of local roads and highways and forest departments.

They said the dishonest officials had been pocketing a huge amount of money as commission from the thieves.

Sources said almost 150 trees of 15 different species worth Tk50 lakh had been cut from Bhurbhuria, Gomjani, Aloa, Silimpur, Hinganagor on Tangail-Aricha highway over the last one year.

It was usual that thieves had been stealing one or two trees from the highway per week for a long time, but they have recently become desperate as they cut some trees from the Bhur Bhuria point of the highway ahead of Eid in broad daylight.

Local people said the thieves cut the highway trees at night and then stored them at several sawmills at Baby Stand, Elashin and Silimpur Bazar. Later the millers sold the logs at the wholesale price in bulk.

A lawyer named Nazmul Hasan Sazid said everybody knew about this theft, but they were keeping silent because

Journo sent to jail for killing wife n Our Correspondent, Faridpur A court in the district yesterday sent Panna Bala, the district correspondent of the Prothom Alo, a Bangla daily, to jail in a case filed against him on charge of killing his wife.

Judge Mrityunjoy Mristri of the Judicial Magistrate Court passed the order after police produced Panna before it at noon.

The court also fixed Sunday for hearing a petition filed by the accused seeking bail in the murder case.

According to procscution, on Friday morning, police recovered the hanging body of Joyanti Sarkar, wife of Panna, from their residence in Jhiltuli area of the district town.

Later, Monaz Sarkar, Joyanti’s elder brother, filed a case against Panna, his mother Anjali Bala and sister Tripti Bala accusing them of murdering Joyanti.

As per the case statement, Joyanti had been married off to Panna 11 years back and they were blessed with a 10-year-old daughter Kasturi Bala.

However, soon after the marriage, Panna and his family members used to torture Joyanti on various excuses, including dowry.

They killed Joyanti and hanged the body to make it appear that she committed suicide.

Faridpur Kotwali police station SI Masud Rana, investigation officer of the case, said there were traces of torture on the body of the victim. l

WEATHER

DRIZZLE SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:41PM SUN RISES 5:29AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

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Chittagong

31

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Rajshahi

33

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Rangpur

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Khulna

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Barisal

31

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Sylhet

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Cox’s Bazar

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.8ºC Rajshahi

25.5ºC Rangamati

Source: Accuweather/UNB

this theft had been going on in collusion with influential government people.

Tangail Roads & Highways’ Executive Engineer Rana Pryo Barua said he did not know anything about this. However, he would take action against it if anybody officially informed him of it.

When he was then shown a picture regarding tree theft at Bhur Bhuria on the high way, he said he would look into this.

He then advised the correspondent to contact Sub Divisional Engineer Nayeem Reza about this.

When Nayeem Reza was asked about this, he said he would visit the spot and then would file a case with police about this. Notably, an investigation team, led by him, submitted a report to the executive engineer over tree felling, but no action was yet to be taken about this.

When Divisional Forest Officer in Tangail Md Abu Naser Khan was asked about it, he said he had no knowledge about the tree theft. He however said he would take proper steps against this.

Senior Researcher at Bela in Tangail Somnath Lahiri said different species of old trees are declining at an alarming rate on the Tangail-Aricha highway.

If authorities do not take any initiative about it on the emergency basis, the highway will be treeless soon. l

Son’s punch allegedly kills father n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga

A father was killed by his son as he attempted to prevent the latter from engaging in gambling, locals claimed.

Police, however, said at one stage during an argument between the two over familial issues, the father fell on the ground and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

According to locals, Fakir Chand, 65, fell on the ground when his son Abdus Salam, 30, struck a blow to his head and pushed him hard.

Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:06am 5:27am 12:05am 4:43pm 6:41pm 8:04pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

The incident happened at Asiapara of Shankarchandra village on Friday night.

Fakir was said to have discovered Salam gambling in a shop near the house and called him, but the son refused to reply. This angered Fakir who got into the shop and slapped Salam.

Enraged, Salam retaliated by punching and pushing his father, leaving him seriously injured. He was taken to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital but the on-duty doctor declared him dead.

Sub-inspector Sekendar Ali, incharge of Sarojganj Police Outpost in

the sadar upazila, said the father and the son got embroiled in a verbal dispute over matters related to the family.

“At one stage, Fakir got excited, fell on the ground and was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead,” he said.

Fakir, locals said, was a bit angry with Salam as the latter invited a potential buyer to sell his domestic cow earlier on the day of the incident.

An autopsy was performed on the body yesterday morning at the hospital morgue. l

NEWS IN BRIEF 25 injured in Gopalganj clash At least 25 people were injured yesterday in a clash between the bride and groom’s families in the Gimadanga Uttarpara village under Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj. Locals said the families had an altercation following a silly incident during the Gaye Holud (a ceremony of applying turmeric on the body before marriage) on Friday. Yesterday the two families were again engaged in skirmishes which were followed by the clash in which at least 25 people from both families were injured. When informed, police from Tungipara police station, with the help of additional forces from Gopalganj Sadar police station, reached there and brought the situation under control.

– Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

Eight shops gutted At least eight shops along with the goods inside were gutted in a fire near Madaripur Sadar Hospital intersection early yesterday. Police said the cause of the fire could not be known immediately, adding that owners of the shops claimed the damage was worth around Tk1 crore. The fire broke out around 3:30am and the locals tried to douse the fire by themselves. The fire fighters reached the scene and brought the fire under control, saving around 50 shops in the area. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and officials from the district administration visited the spot. The minister had declared to compensate the victim owners with Tk25,000 each.

– Our Correspondent, Madaripur

Over 100 people fall sick drinking supplied water Over a hundred people fell sick after drinking water supplied by the Chuadanga municipal authorities in last two days. Residential Medical Officer Dr Masud Rana of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital said people started to report to the hospital with diarrhoea problems since Friday night. Over a hundred people had reported to the hospital till 11am yesterday, he added. As the hospital ran out of space for the patients, the conference room of the doctors was being used to treat the patients.Chuadanga Mayor Riazul Islam Zoardar Toton said the water pipes in the area were being examined, adding that no fault was yet identified.

– Our Correspondent, Chuadanga

50 injured in village clash Eid holidaymakers throng Mahamaya Lake in Mirsarai upazila under Chittagong district to satisfy their visual gratification from panoramic view of the landscape DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two Sreepur houses robbed of Tk7 lakh valuables n

Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Robbers took away valuables worth Tk7 lakh from two houses at Bauni village in Sreepur of Gazipur late Friday night.

The robbers also stabbed a housewife and her son with a machete as they attempted to resist, leaving the two injured. Both the householders are expatriates, Mahbub Alam in Singapore and Ataur Rahman in Saudi Arabia.

The valuables include four bhoris of jewellery and Tk3.5 lakh in cash.

Marjia Akhter, who was injured in the machete attack, said a gang of 10-

15 armed robbers, all wearing masks, entered the house and tied her and her son Mahtab Ahmed Durjoy up.

They then looted valuables from the adjacent room by breaking the lock of the almirah and stabbed us with machete as we tried to resist, she said.

The robbers then entered Ataur’s house located nearby, held all the family members hostage, and looted valuables worth Tk50,000.

Officer-in-charge of Sreepur Model police station Abul Kashem said police had visited both the houses but termed the incidents acts of theft. l

Two cops hurt in robbery attack in Dinajpur n Our Correspondent, Dinajpur

PRAYER TIMES

Locally influential ruling party people in collusion with some officials of roads and highways and forest departments allegedly cut down trees worth about Tk50 lakh on the TangailAricha highway in Tangail district this year. The picture was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two policemen were injured as robbers hurled crude bombs at them at a railway station in Parbatipur upazila yesterday.

The injured policemen are-SI Sadequzzaman and ASI Manikuddin of Parbatipur police station.

SI Saiful Islam said a gang of bandits stormed into the house of one Nur Hossain at Khepupara village in the upazila in the early hours and looted valuables, including gold ornaments

and Tk12,000 in cash.

On information, a team of police rushed in and launched a drive to arrest the robbers.

In the meantime, the law enforcers came to know that the hoodlums were waiting at Manmathpur Railway Station to catch a train for the destination, and launched a drive at the station.

Sensing danger, the robbers threw four crude bombs at the law enforcers, leaving the two police officers injured.

However, police managed to catch three of the robbers while the rest fled. l

Ex-civil surgeon killed in train accident n Our Correspondent, Naogaon A former civil surgeon of Naogaon was run over by an oil-carrying freight train at Santahar station in Adamdighi upazila of Bogra yesterday.Dr ATM Shahjahan Ali, 65, was the son of late Helal Uddin of Bihar Nishchintapur village under Shibganj upazila in Bogra.

Officer-in-charge of Santahar GRP police station Sayeed Iqbal said the Khulna-bound train was standing at the station but the driver suddenly put it in motion when Shahjahan was passing beneath it, which leaft him dead on the spot.

Police sent the body to Naogaon Sadar Hospital around 11am and an unnatural death case was filed in this connection. Family members of the deceased said he was supposed to go to Dhaka on the day and went to the station to collect his ticket.

Shahjahan’s wife Dr Nazli Begum retired from her post as senior consultant at Mohammad Ali Hospital in Bogra last year and is practicing at her chamber in Naogaon. The couple has a son and a daughter, both of whom live in the US. Meanwhile, witnesses claimed the erstwhile surgeon committed suicide but his family made no such claim.

Sayeed said there were conflicting accounts of what happened. “I, however, think he was run over by the train,” he added. l

At least 50 people were injured as two groups of villagers were locked in a fierce clash over a trivial issue at Chor Char Tola vilage of Barahmanbaria’s Ashuganj yesterday. The injured were admitted to different local hospitals, while sources said five of the injured were admitted in critical condition Police and locals said two groups of villagers clashed with lethal weapons over truck parking in the Feri Ghat area. To calm down the situation police used rubber bullets and tear gas.

– Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria

Woman killed after rape Miscreants raped and killed an unidentified young woman, 22, in Tongabari area of Savar’s Ashulia yesterday. Police recovered the body yesterday afternoon after being informed by the locals. Officer-in-Charge of Ashulia police station Sheikh Badrul Islam said the body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy. The body bore some injury marks, the OC said, adding that police primarily suspected the victim was killed after being raped.

– Our Correspondent, Savar

Body of an elderly man recovered Police recovered the body of an elderly man in Korotoa river near Godarparaghat area of Balughora village in Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj yesterday. The deceased was identified as Ashraf Ali Sarker, 60, who hailed from the same upazila’s Khulshi village. Gobindaganj police station Officer-in-Charge ABM Zahidul Islam said he went to a wedding programme of one of his neighbours to Bogra’s Shibganj upazila. Following the programme, he returned to his residence by public bus saying he had urgent work. Some locals said they had seen Ashraf in Gobindaganj till 9pm. Later, his body was recovered by local fishermen, the OC added. The body bore no injury marks, police said, adding that reason behind the death could not be known immediately.

– Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bhola district unit, form a human chain in the town yesterday in protest of the ongoing Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip in Palestine DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Will CIA admit its ugly truths? n Reuters, USA George Tenet, who presided over the CIA when terrorist suspects were waterboarded and subjected to other forms of brutal “enhanced interrogation,” has set himself a near-impossible task. He is leading an effort to discredit an impending Senate committee report expected to lay out a case that the intelligence agency tortured suspects and then misled Congress, the White House and the public about its detention and interrogation program.

Tenet, working with other senior officials who ran the CIA in the years after September 11, is said to be trying to develop a “strategy” to counter the findings of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s 6,300-page report that was five years in the making.

But how do you strategise against the truth? It is now well-established that the CIA ran several “black sites” in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia where al Qaeda suspects were subjected to forms of harsh interrogation that were banned as “torture” by President Barack Obama after he took office in 2009.

The “enhanced interrogation” techniques included waterboarding; making prisoners stand naked in a cell kept around 50 degrees and dousing them with cold water, and forcing suspects to stand shackled for hours in painful “stress positions.” By all accounts, however, the Senate report will detail how some interrogation methods were far worse than these previously revealed techniques. Tenet’s efforts to refute the coming report look like classic spycraft. In espionage tradition, spies, if caught, are trained to deny everything - no matter how overwhelming the evidence against them.

NEWS BITES

Obama: We tortured some folks after 9/11

n Reuters, Washington President Barack Obama said on Friday the CIA “tortured some folks” after the September 11, 2001, attacks, and that the White House had handed over to Congress a report about an investigation into “enhanced interrogation techniques.” “We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values,” Obama told a White House news conference. Obama’s comment was a reaffirmation of his decision to ban the use of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding shortly after he took office in January 2009.

The administration of President George W. Bush, Obama’s predecessor, authorized the use of harsh questioning techniques of militant detainees in the wake of the 9/11 attacks after deciding they did not amount to torture. Obama told reporters the techniques were used because the United States was afraid more attacks were imminent.

“It’s important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job that those folks had,” he said.

“A lot of those folks were working hard under enormous pressure and are real patriots.” l

Police may book Arundhati for Gandhi comments

n Agencies

Kerala police may book Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy for criticising Mahatma Gandhi for his “casteist tendencies,” officials said yesterday. Roy made the comments while delivering the Mahatma Ayyankali lecture at an international seminar organised by the Mahatma Ayyankali chair at the University of Kerala’s department of history in Thiruvananthapuram two weeks ago. She also called for institutions bearing the Mahatma’s name to be renamed.

The police have sought the video footage of her speech she delivered at the international seminar. “It seems prima facie there is a case. After watching the video footage we will decide what sections should be slapped,” a senior police officer told the Hindustan Times.

Citing an essay written by the Mahatma - The Ideal Bhangi - in which he advises manual scavengers on how to convert urine and night soil into manure, Roy said it was a classic example of how he patronised ‘Harijans’ and helped reinforce the menacing caste system in the country. She said “Gandhiji always propagated casteist tendencies” and it was quite evident while comparing the services of other revolutionaries like Ayyankali. l

CIA Director John Brennan, for example, at first vigorously denied that the agency had hacked into the computers used by the Senate Intelligence Committee to compile its voluminous report.

“Let me assure you,” Brennan told the senators in March, “the CIA was in no way spying on [the Senate committee].”

On Thursday, however, Brennan was forced to admit that five CIA officers - including two lawyers - had done just that.

Yet his original denial followed storied espionage tradition. When FBI agents surrounded CIA officer Aldrich Ames in 1994 and arrested him for spying for Russia, his first words were: “There must be some mistake.”

For years, Kim Philby, the notorious British spy, repeatedly denied his secret role as a mole for Moscow while serving as a high-placed official in the British intelligence service throughout the postwar years. He kept up his denials right up until he finally fled to the Soviet Union in 1963.

The culture of denial still pervades the CIA, and likely most intelligence agencies. Tenet will likely now argue, as he has in the past, that the harsh interrogations “saved lives” and “disrupted plots.” However, the Senate report may seriously question this view.

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), who heads the Senate committee, has said the harsh interrogations did not, for example, lead to the most important intelligence success - the capture and death of Osama bin Laden.

Yet other intelligence veterans insist that establishing a rapport with suspects works better than torture - in part because prisoners subjected to painful techniques may tell their tormenters anything, including false information, to get them to stop. l

World

5

Sunday, August 3, 2014

In tunnel war, Israeli playbook shows its holes n The New York Times, Jerusalem

Israel entered its latest conflict with Hamas armed with a high-tech arsenal, real-time battlefield intelligence and strong domestic support for dealing a heavy blow to Hamas.

But again Friday, Israeli forces were taken by surprise, this time with two soldiers killed and one taken prisoner when militants once again attacked from a tunnel from Gaza.

As frustration grows in Israel over the military’s limited success in trying to neutralise Hamas, the militant Islamic group that governs Gaza, some military experts say it is increasingly evident that the Israel Defense Forces have been operating from an old playbook and are not fully prepared for a more sophisticated, battle-ready adversary. The issue is not specifically the tunnels - which Israel knew about - but the way Hamas fighters trained to use them to create what experts in Israel are calling a “360-degree front.”

“Hamas has changed its doctrine and is using the tunnels as a main method of operation,” said Israel Ziv, a retired general who headed the military’s Gaza division and its operations directorate. “This is something we learned amid the fighting.”

Of the 32 fortified tunnels the Israeli military has exposed, at least 11 run deep beneath the border into Israeli territory. Others are part of an underground labyrinth inside Gaza connecting buildings, weapons stores and concealed rocket launchers.

Israeli troops in Gaza described Hamas gunmen who vanished from one house, like magicians, and suddenly popped up to fire at them from another. And while Hamas fighters are able to use the tunnels to surprise the forces from behind and to attack those in the rear, Israeli soldiers find themselves having to improvise.

In the Gaza war that began in late

Protesters hold abanner that reads ‘Boycott Israel’ during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Paris 2008, 10 Israeli soldiers were killed, four of them from friendly fire. This time, 63 soldiers have been killed, mostly in combat, and one has been taken prisoner.

“The military has been playing it by ear,” said Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst for the newspaper Haaretz, who added that despite its knowledge of the tunnels, Israel’s military planners did not draft a new doctrine for prosecuting a land invasion. “But it is pretty good at doing that, and has done it many times.”

In this latest asymmetrical war with Hamas, the third in five years, Israel thought it was prepared. It had built up an integrated communications systems able to transfer intelligence in real time

to air and ground forces, an advancement that military officials described as a “force multiplier.”

Precision-guided missiles have destroyed up to a third of Hamas’ rocket stocks, according to Israeli officials, as well as hundreds of houses or apartments that the military described as militant command-and-control centers and many other weapons production sites and stores. In 24 days of intense bombing, 4,300 targets have been hit.

Hamas still has up to 4,000 rockets, beyond the more than 3,000 that it has fired into Israel. More than 1,600 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians, according to Gaza officials, stirring international outrage and raising demands for a cease-fire.

What Israel was apparently less ready for was Hamas fighters who are willing to engage and are trained to use tunnels, a tool of war whose roots go back to antiquity. During Israel’s last ground incursion in the winter of 2008-09, Hamas fighters largely avoided clashes, melting into the crowded urban landscape. This time, they were prepared for combat.

The tunnels themselves, while well known, have also presented a challenge. After years of research there is still no technological solution for detecting and destroying them from afar, officials said. The shafts leading to Hamas’s labyrinth are “inside houses, so we won’t see them from the air,” said Hecht, the military analyst. l

Factory blast in China kills at least 68

US Congress approves $225m for Israeli ‘Iron Dome’ system

n Reuters, Kunshan, China

n Reuters, Washington

China suffered its worst industrial accident in a year yesterday when an explosion killed at least 68 people and injured more than 120 at a factory in China that makes wheels for US carmakers, including General Motors.

The blast in the wealthy eastern province of Jiangsu occurred around 7:30am in Kunshan city, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai, after an explosion ripped through a workshop that polishes wheel hubs.

An preliminary investigation suggested that the blast at Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products Co Ltd. was triggered when a flame was lit in a dust-filled room, the local government said at a press conference, describing the incident as a serious safety breach.

Several officials from the firm have been since been detained, the government said. State news agency Xinhua said five company representatives were held by authorities.

Survivors with charred skin were seen being wheeled into ambulances, as residents recalled hearing the explosion from two kilometres away. At the site of the blast, television images

showed wrecked walls and heavy machinery that was hurled through windows. A security guard from an adjacent factory, who declined to be named, said the impact from the explosion was so great that it shattered the windows of his guard house, located about 500 metres away from the site of the blast.

Images online and on state television showed large plumes of black smoke billowing from a white lowrise building. Many of the injured, who appeared badly burnt in scorched clothing, were shown lying on wooden pallets, waiting to be stretchered on to trucks, public buses and ambulances.

Four emergency blood-donation centres were set up in the city to assist casualties, some of whom will be taken to Shanghai and other nearby cities for treatment later on Saturday, state television said. Urged by President Xi Jinping to spare no efforts in the rescue works, Kunshan’s government said it was bringing in doctors from Shanghai and other regions.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, has a poor record on workplace safety. Workers are often poorly trained or ill-equipped to protect themselves from industrial accidents. l

The US Congress approved $225m in emergency funding for Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system late on Friday, sending the measure to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

The House of Representatives approved the funding by a 395-8 vote on Friday, several hours after the Senate passed it unanimously.

The money would be used to replenish Israel’s arsenal of Iron Dome inter-

ceptor missiles, many of which have been used to shoot down short-range rockets fired from Gaza into populated areas of Israel in the current threeweek-long conflict.

An earlier version of the funding plan had failed on Thursday when Senate Republicans blocked a broader spending bill that was largely intended to provide money to handle the current immigration crisis at the US-Mexico border. But lawmakers in both chambers subsequently reached agreements to pass the

AFP

missile funding measure separately.

Because it is being treated as emergency spending, the $225m can simply be added to the US deficit. It does not need to be offset by other savings under congressional budget rules.

Israel’s Iron Dome missile interceptor system, which was partly funded by the United States, has shot down most of the rockets fired at its cities by militants in Gaza, providing much greater protection for Israelis than during past conflicts. l

Egypt: Delays complicate truce efforts n Reuters, Cairo Egypt’s President said yesterday a ceasefire plan proposed by his country offered the chance to end the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, but warned that lost time further complicated matters.

“The Egyptian initiative is a real chance to find a real solution to the crisis taking place in the Gaza Strip,” Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told a joint press conference in Cairo with Italian

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

“Lost time ...complicates the situation more and more.”

A Palestinian Liberation Organization delegation led by senior official Azzam Al-Ahmed will fly into Cairo from Jordan for talks, a Palestinian official in Ramallah said. Exiled officials from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group will also join the negotiations.

But following a breakdown of a truce on Friday, Hamas officials in Gaza will not attend.

Gaza officials say at least 1,654 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the Israeli offensive started on July 8. Sixty-three Israeli soldiers have died, and three civilians have been killed by Palestinian rockets in Israel.

Hamas leaders have said any Egypt-brokered deal must include an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza and called for Cairo to ease curbs at its Rafah crossing with Gaza imposed after the military ousted President Mohamed Mursi, an Islamist, a year ago. l

Pakistan widows, ‘second’ wives victims of army offensive

Internally displaced women beg a soldier to allow them to enter a food distribution centre set up in a sports stadium in Bannu. Thousands of women displaced by fighting in Pakistan are struggling to get food and other aid because they lack ID cards REUTERS

n Reuters, Bannu Thousands of women displaced by fighting in Pakistan are struggling to get food and other aid because they lack

identity cards and conservative Muslim elders have forbidden them from going to distribution centres. They are among nearly a million people who registered for aid after the army began

an offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan, a mountainous region on the Afghan border.

The army ordered most civilians to leave before the offensive began

in June. Many ended up in Bannu, a small city on the main road out of the semi-autonomous tribal region.

No census has been conducted in North Waziristan for years, so no one knows the true scale of the problem.

Government figures, however, show almost three-quarters of those seeking aid are women and children.

There’s plenty of food to go around, with the World Food Programme handing out nearly 5,000 tonnes and many other aid groups active. But women face two problems: the lack of identity cards and an edict from elders of their Pashtun tribes forbidding them from going out to get aid. Conservative tribal traditions demand women stay at home and men fetch the food.

The same traditions prevent many women from getting identity cards.

Some families also find the idea of a woman being photographed or fingerprinted for cards highly intrusive, even though the national identity agency runs women-only centres. Others simply lived in areas too remote to get cards.

For now, women and children without male relatives are largely dependent on handouts from neighbours who are themselves dependent on aid.

Even women who have husbands may face problems, since many men have multiple wives depending on them.

‘I have no chance’

One woman sobbed behind her veil as she waited outside the main sports stadium in Bannu last week, watching men with wheelbarrows carry out sacks of flour and containers of water.

“They are not letting me in,” the woman said. “I have no chance to enter.”

The woman, Basmira, had no identity and no male relative. She stood near a cluster of women in all-covering burqas beseeching stick-wielding police and army guards to let them into the stadium. Another woman, Maimoona, said her husband was killed by a stray bullet three months ago. “You see those sticks in their hands? They will beat us if we try to go in,” said the 30-year-old.

A soldier at the gate said women were welcome to go to other distribution sites around the city, but Reuters found that women were also being denied entry at four other centres. “This lack of ID cards is a major problem for widows, second wives, and many women whose husbands are not here,” said Yasmin Akhtar, regional manager for Khwendo Kor, an aid group helping about 1,000 of the women.

The government says it will set up a women-only distribution point in the next few weeks but until then, women have to rely on handouts from other hungry families. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Washing your hands clean of lazy colleagues n Career Desk

n Ahsan Sajid

The Eid break followed by a month of indulgence and lighter workload has made a number of people lethargic towards work. The very idea of going back to work was depressing for most on the last legs of the holidays and once back to work, it has become common practice to try to get out of as much work as possible without raising too many eyebrows from the higher ups.

For every nice person, there is someone out there to take advantage of this niceness and nowhere is that more true than at work, and at no other time is it truer than just before and right after the Eid holidays in Bangladesh. It’s not only the nice people being taken advantage of: it’s also the gullible and the new employees. If you have a colleague repeatedly trying to hand off his or her work, it’s time to take a stand for yourself.

Office etiquette is the lubricant that keeps an organisation functioning smoothly; when proper work etiquette is followed the day to day tasks are carried out effectively. Given that cell phones have become an extension of our body, it pays to heed basic cellphone etiquette at the workplace. Following is a list of five etiquettes for using cell phones at work that one would do well to keep in mind.

Only important calls

This one goes without saying, only take calls at work if they are important. Remind yourself that you are on someone else’s time, and you are being compensated for this time for doing a specific task.

Importance is subjective from person to person; family or medical emergencies are universally agreed to be important, while a friend you haven’t talked to in a few weeks, news about a distant relative getting married or your mother asking what you want for dinner is not.

Identify the issues

There’s a difference between being supportive and enabling laziness. Are you finishing projects not your own so the team doesn’t look bad? Are you doing work because someone else’s performance impacts your job? Are you making excuses for others? Are you lying to your boss on someone else’s behalf? Identify the ways in which your are covering for lazy slackers.

Ringer off

How is it affecting your work?

Consider how covering is interfering with your work; covering for someone eventually takes its toll. You may be spending less time with family, constantly feeling anxious, your own work may be suffering and at worst, your boss may be noticing.

Have the talk

Talk frankly to your colleague. Next time they bring half finished work, take

BIGSTOCK

them away from the main workspace and away from other colleagues to have a frank and private talk.

Don’t be afraid of hurting someone’s feelings

You are having a professional talk, so despite your relationship outside the office, don’t be afraid to get right to the point. Explain how you feel personally

and professionally impacted, and how you want to help him or her deal with the issue, but do not do their work for them. Be sure to state you are no longer going to cover for anybody’s inefficiency or ineptitude.

Stick to the decision

Having the talk is easier than following through. The cycle will not stop till you

actually make it stop, so after the talk if they come back for help, make sure you remain steadfast.

seeing it themselves.

Be ready for failure

The next time another colleague comes to you for help because of his or her own laziness, remind yourself where this kind of relationship will eventually head and make sure you tactfully refuse. Your job is not to make everyone happy. l

The most difficult part of this process is to be ready for some failure. Allow your colleague to fail; you don’t have to take the additional stress. The only way your bosses will find the weak link is by

Remind yourself of where the road leads

Doing the juggling act right n Ahsan Sajid

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Give your emails a professional do over n Career Desk Paying attention to the simplest things you do at work can take you a long way in your professional career.

Communicating is a core part of any job, and since emails are the bulk of business communications, knowing proper email etiquette is mandatory for work.

The countless number of times you have forgotten to attach the files in an email while stating clearly that “the files have been attached” or the numerous typographical errors have done damage to your professional image. Since everything you do on the internet leaves an online footprint, giving an unprofessional impression through your emails will harm your reputation.

Here is a guideline to help you refine your professional image through emails: n Read your email before hitting the “send” button. Review the text of your email; check whether you have attached all the files and fixed errors. Choose a brief and relevant subject line for your email. Proofread after using the grammar and spellchecker. n Expect your emails to be forwarded or go public. Do not write anything that has the potential to harm your image or that of others. If it is an important email or intended for a large audience, get it read by a second person for opinions. n Plan in advance. Clearly state the actions expected of the receivers and expected dates for response and provide ample time. Mention deadlines and important dates clearly. When you request ac-

Before taking that call

tion, provide all the information your reader needs to submit. If you expect multiple actions, use bullet points to list the actions in bold fonts. When replying to a request, check whether you have addressed all the necessary queries. n Be succinct. Keep your emails brief and relevant. Use bullet points where possible. Write short, complete sentences and use blank lines between groups of texts. Make different paragraphs for different ideas. If your emails need to be large, include a summary and/or recommendations. n Standardise your emails. Use standard fonts of 10-12 size for easy reading. Do not use abbreviations the reader might not be familiar with. Avoid random capitalisations, emoticons and smiley faces, unique abbreviations (LOL) and excessive use of punctuations. Adding philosophical or religious quotations beneath your signature is often annoying and unprofessional. Using graphics and coloured texts distract the core purpose of the message. Adopt situation appropriate greetings and endings to your emails. n Add the human touch. Avoid sarcasm, criticism and finger-pointing. Use active and positive language. Elaborate your sentences if not doing so would make you appear abrupt. Reply with a “thank you” only when the situation demands. Unnecessarily jamming someone’s inbox is unprofessional. Be confident about what you send because once it is sent, it cannot be undone. l

Multitasking is not right for everyone, and it is not right for every task. It is counterproductive for certain people as it actually slows them down further while the quality of each separate task is lowered as well.

There are certain tasks which require absolute attention; there are tasks which do not complement one another simultaneously; there are tasks to be prioritised based on importance, time sensitivity, consequences of failure etc.

In today’s world we are all more or less used to juggling a number of things: work, classes, freelance work, family, meetings. But juggling is not the same as multitasking. The following is a list of suggestions to help you multitask at work effectively.

Give yourself goals

Before starting out on a busy day, set yourself specific and measurable goals.

Know what you need to finish by day’s end, instead of hitting the ground running without a plan, hoping to get as much as possible done without a clearly defined schedule.

Alternate projects

Alternate between projects instead of spreading yourself thin over a number

of tasks simultaneously; figure out if you can fix yourself a routine where you work 20 minutes on one task, 20 minutes on another before coming back to the former. This way, two separate tasks will progress steadily. However this depends on the task at hand, as many might require your undivided attention.

There are tasks requiring full attention; tasks which do not complement one another; tasks to be prioritised based on importance, time sensitivity, consequences of failure etc Choose complementary tasks

Listening to a colleague and reading an email require similar kinds of focus; for both tasks your brain is using verbal processing, which means you won’t be paying enough attention to either. Pair listening or reading with something physical like cleaning your workstation, signing or stamping documents, sealing envelopes etc. When doing two

things at once, find tasks that go with one another.

Pair with interruptible tasks

Writing an email, getting on top of all your banking/VISA/driving license paperwork, organising your desk, cleaning up your documents are all interruptible tasks. Always pair with a task such as this, that can be easily paused and resumed.

Trim the fat

The point of multitasking is to make the best use of your time. Before starting out on a list of insurmountable tasks, make sure they all belong there and you haven’t piled on things that don’t need to be addressed right away.

The amount you are getting done is not an indication of how efficient you are being.

Schedule full-focus time-brackets

Preparing for a big client pitch, or a presentation in front of the entire office, or making a monthly status report for your supervisor are tasks that require attention. Make sure you make time in your schedule for tasks you will give your full attention to, and do not multitask at this time. Allocating time for this kind of work may need to be coordinated with others you work with. l

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Set your phone to vibration, and you’ll be glad you did. The obvious pitfall is everybody getting annoyed at different ringers going off every few minutes. A less obvious reason for doing this may be to not allow your boss to find out how often you are getting calls while at work.

Find a corner

Even if what you’re discussing may not be personal, find a private place to take phone calls at work. It may be an emergency for you but it’s not for your colleagues who have a job to do and don’t want to overhear your conversation while doing it. Anyone would agree it is annoying to have people having conversations on their phones while you’re trying to work.

Never at meetings

Meetings are a time to generate ideas or to recap on tasks. Distraction is detrimental to both these objectives, and even if you put your cellphone to vibrate, you don’t want your mind wandering off to the latest facebook notification or WhatsApp or Snapchat from the significant other. Simply do not bring your phone to a meeting or do not bring it out of your pocket.

Text instead

If you must get in touch with someone while you’re at work, it is often better to send a text instead of calling. Make sure your phone does not beep every time you hit a letter, because that is significantly more annoying than an actual phone call. l

WORDS OF WISDOM

”

This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice. People are going to try to trick you.

To make you feel that you are in competition with one another. You’re up for a promotion. If they go for a woman, it’ll be between you and Barbara. Don’t be fooled. You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone.

— Tina Fey

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

7

Sunday, August 3, 2014

EID SPECIALS ON TV

Bela Shesher Golpo Adapted from a foreign film, single-episode play “Autopor Bhalobashar Din” will air today on NTV at 2:35pm. The drama, directed by Tuhin Abanta, will star Anisur Rahman Milon, Bidya Sinha Mim and many more.

Ongsho and Punno are the new tenants in an apartment in Uttara. They do not care what the world says and are always living in a bubble of their love. Two tenants in their apartment discover that they are not married. This causes an uproar within the other members of the building. One day the couple finds that they are expecting a child and this causes a rift in their relationship, as Punno doesn’t want a child, whereas Ongsho is very excited about it.

Drama “Bela Shesher Golpo” will be aired on Desh TV today at 7:45pm. Directed by GP Shadhon and written by Shonchoikanto, the play features Shatabdhi Wadud, Golam Farida Chhanda, Swagata and Shams Shumon in the lead roles.

“Bela Shesher Golpo” shows two love stories. The first story is about Shaikat and Ripa, who fall in love by talking over the cell phone. They both decide to get married but Ripa’s rich family does not agree on the decision as they are not happy with Shaikat’s financial status.

Dealing with the situation Ripa’s mother Dipa gets nostalgic and hence begins another love story that begun 20 years ago. It is about Dipa and Dipon whose situtaion was almost similar. The two also developed their relationship through telephonic conversation and finally could not get married as the families intervened.

Ondorey Alo

Pap Punno

Autopor Bhalobashar Din

“Ondorey Alo” will air tonight on SATV at 8:40pm.

Shotabdhi Waddud, Runa Khan, Noushaba, Shaju Khamed and Mithu will be seen in various roles in the drama written by Ahmed Tahsin Shams and directed

by Wahid Anam.

Police officer Zahed’s daughter is dying in the hospital. Nothing he does is helping her. He tries to think of past deeds that is causing him this pain. After much thinking he remembers all the things that he did in the past, that is contributing to his fate. He was unable to find an old missing couple, a rickshaw driver died when he hits his vehicle with his car and he hid gold that he found in a raid in his house and many other incidents which slowly come back to him. The story revolves around the various things that he does to rectify his past mistakes. But will this bring his daughter back?

Drama Pap Punno, written and directed by Imraul Rafat, will air today on Channel 9 at 9:45pm. Partho Barua, Samia Arefin and Shashi will be seen in the drama.

The story deals with different opinions people share, even the ones living under the same roof. What seems wrong to one, can be right to another.

Ishrat decorates her house to celebrate her marriage anniversary.

However her husband returns very late from a meeting outside the city and falls asleep. She then sees a text on his phone saying “thank you for last night.”

When she questions him about this in the morning, he denies knowing about the text. She then stalks him and finds that he regularly meets another girl, Samia.

The story then takes a turn when it is discovered that Ishrat is paying Samia.

Hridoy and Suzena tie the knot n Entertainment Desk

After years of media speculation, singer and music director Hridoy Khan model turned TV actor Suzena Zafar tied the knot on Thursday through a family programme. The duo had been dating for last three years but both kept mum over their relationship status until July 10 when Hridoy announced it on his Facebook fan page.

After the programme, Hridoy wrote on his Facebook page: “The function was held in a homely manner. Hopefully we will arrange the reception programme with the participation of all. Please keep us in your prayers.”

They met on the set of a music video of Hridoy where Suzena performed as a model and they came close to each other and love blossomed. Later the two appeared in several music videos.

It is the second marriage of Suzena Zafar, 28, who previously got married to an American citizen named Samir on 2006 and got divorced After one year. But it is the first marriage for the twenty-one year old Hridoy Khan. l

Ghunpoka

Mou plays a cameo in Eid telefilm “Ghunpoka” where Sajal plays a big fan of the superstar. The telefilm will be aired on the sixth day of Eid at 11:20pm on Maasranga Television.

Sajal’s character is a simple guy who is obsessed with Mou. His room is full of posters of his dream girl.

Incidentally Sajal gets a job as Mou’s manager. His crazy love for Mou becomes also evident to her. Despite realising the gap between their social status, Mou falls for him. At one point she discovers that Sajal’s dedication towards her is a disguise and he is someone else in reality. The story takes a different angle when Mou gets confused about Sajal’s feelings for her. The telefilm has been written by Zakaria Shoukhin and directed by Shakhawat Manik.

Christina Aguilera shoots nude n Entertainment Desk Singer Christina Aguilera, who is expecting her second child, has stripped down to pose in her pregnant form.

The 33-year-old, who is due to have a baby girl this time, is loving her changing body and she has appeared completely naked for V Magazine.

She said: “As a woman, I’m proud to embrace my body through all stages of life, staying fearless and confident in surrendering to the unknowns the future has in store.” l

Actor Johnny Depp joined his close friend Steven Tyler and his Aerosmith bandmates Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on July 30 for a performance of “Big Ten Inch Record” in Los Angeles.

“LA, give it up for Johnny Depp! Lord knows I love that man.” Tyler shouted as Depp left the stage, reports contactmusic.com.

Perry, another Aerosmith band member recently revealed that he enjoyed a jam session with Paul McCartney, Alice Cooper and the actor, at his own recording studio.

He said: “It’s the great ego leveller. I was in the studio with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, playing guitar, and the three of us are looking at each other like, hey, we’re sitting here with Paul McCartney! And we’re all looking at each other like openmouthed kids.

“Paul was really nice. He’s all about business (when he’s recording). At 72 he can still hit all those notes... It’s a project that we’re keeping under wraps for now. There will be an announcement when the time is right. I met him once or twice over the years to say hello. To spend six or eight hours in a studio with him recording! He makes you feel like you’re recording with just another guy. He just happens to be a huge talent.” l

Drama “Mone Rekho Mitthe” will be aired on Channel i on the sixth day of Eid at 9:35pm on Channel i.

The drama is written by Masum Reza and directed by Touhid Mithul and will star Jui, Chanchal Chowdhury, Mahbuba Parveen and AKM Hasan.

“I am very happy that I got the opportunity to work with Chanchal Chowdhury. He is very experienced and has taught me a lot. I have worked hard to make the role interesting,” said Jui. On working in the drama, Chanchal Chowdhury said: “My role in this drama is very different from what I usually play. I had to use a wig for this character. Even Jui has tried very hard to give her best.”

Director Touhid Mithul said: “There is a love triangle in the drama and the shooting was done in a village.”

Shukhe Theko Renu Apa

Shashuri Potano Obhijan

Written by Anamika Mandal and directed by Ikram Ahmed, “Shashuri Potano Obhijan” will air tonight at 10pm on Ekushey TV. Farha Ruma and Sajal will be seen in the drama.

Shojol is in love with Ruma, who’s mother is opposed to their relationship. Shojol is hurt and angry, and is set on impressing her as he wants her blessing to take the relationship forward. This causes him to him to go on a mission to find a mother-in-law. He searches for her everywhere, in colleges and universities all over Dhaka.

RTV will show “Shukhe Theko Renu Apa” at 9:20pm.

Written and directed by Alvi Ahmed, the drama will star Shahiduzzam Selim, Mou and Shazzad.

The drama explores a relationship where they fall in love really late. Shumon and Renu grow up together. Even though Renu was two years older than him, they always maintained a friendly relationship. At one point, Renu gets married to a rich gentleman. Shumon is not to hurt by the decision as he knew that their relationship would never bloom. She didn’t reciprocate his feelings and to him she was very different than all the other people he knew. However, he continues to visit her and her husband and soon the three become close.

Renu’s stable world turns upside down when it is found that her husband was caught taking bribes and as a result will have to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Kolkata’s Raghab releases album in Dhaka n Mahbub Hassan Joti West Bengal artiste Raghab Chatterjee’s audio album “Bari Pherar Tara” featuring celebrated Bangladeshi lyricist Zulfiqar Russell’s lyrics was launched yesterday at the Seven Hill Restaurant in the capital.

The songs are also tuned by Raghab himself and the music arrangement is done by Tamal Chakraborty and Indrajeet Dey. The album is released under the banner of Laser Vision.

Besides the title song, the album also presents a number of melodious tracks including “Eka E Mon,” “Moner Bhetor Moner Manush,” “Ei Jey Hotath,” “Tomai Bhebe Chand Uthuk” and many others.

The singer of popular tracks like “Tomar Katha Bhebe Amar” and “Chand Keno Ashena,” Raghab, who is happy to launch his album in Bangladesh, said: “Bangladesh pays the utmost respect to the musicians, actors, directors and artistes involved in the other forms of arts.”

About the album, the singer said: “There is a power in Zulfiqar Russell’s words. I found myself privileged to sing on his lyrics.”

At the ceremony, the musician was accompanied with one of the directors of Gemcon Group and famed Rabindra Sangeet artiste Ameenah Ahmed, former Bangladeshi cricketer Gazi Ashraf

Johnny Depp performs with Aerosmith n Entertainment Desk

Mone Rekho Mitthe on Channel I

Hossain, singers Samina Chowdhury, Naquib Khan, Mainul Islam Khan and many celebrities from the showbiz.

After the launching, Raghab performed some of the songs from his album. The album has been sponsored by Kazi & Kazi Tea and supported by Meena Bazar, Bangla Tribune and Rang. l

Aamir Khan’s PK poster leaves fans, friends guessing n Entertainment Desk Aamir Khan throws up a surprises with almost all his new movies – the latest comes with the poster of his upcoming film “PK.” The actor features nude with a strategically placed vintage boombox, and he has left audiences guessing what the Rajkumar Hirani movie will be about.

“What do you think guys? Tell me fast...butterflies in my stomach,” Aamir posted on his Twitter page late recently.

The poster elicited a roaring response from the Twitterati online, and several industry members too lauded the actor for pulling off such innovative stunts for his film’s promotions.

Filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted: “Intriguing and brilliant first look of the much-awaited Raju Hiranis #PK.” Composer Vishal Dadlani said: “That PK poster is mad!!

Already curious as hell about the film!” Aamir himself loved the responses and mixed guesses from people.

“Alien! Adi Manav! Drunk-

ard! Just someone who has lost his clothes!

Ha ha ha!!! Interesting guesses,” he posted Friday. It has earlier been revealed that “PK” promotions will involve the use of talking standees, which will be kept in theatres, have the actor’s photo and his voice installed in them.

“PK” also features actor Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, August 3, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Invest in transport infrastructure

A

s the Eid holiday draws to a close, the weaknesses of our country’s transport system are exposed for all to see.

Once again, we see the recurring tragedy of people dying unnecessarily in transport accidents, while millions more endure the poor conditions inherent on our roads, rivers and railways.

In the accident involving the Khulna-bound Simanto Express, a train dragged a bus nearly half a kilometre on the tracks, killing at least 11 people, and injuring more than 50 others at a level crossing in Jhenaidah.

And in just two days, at least 20 people were killed with dozens more missing as three boats capsized in separate incidents at Sirajganj, Kushtia and Munshiganj.

We need a total overhaul of the transport system to end this national crisis.

This needs a multi-pronged approach. For a start the government has to tighten up the weak inspection regimes which underlie many riverboat and railway accidents. It is a scandal that Bangladesh Railways estimates that only 15% of the country’s level crossings have gatekeepers.

But we need to go much further by setting our sights much higher.

Bangladesh’s small land area and dense population ought to benefit the economy, but we fail to exploit this natural advantage due to the country’s lack of efficient, safe, transport links.

We must follow the example of countries like China and Malaysia which have invested in modern highways and railways. Improved inter-city links would not only help to reduce deaths, but would open up many more opportunities for commerce and development across the country.

Bangladesh’s small land area ought to benefit the economy.

Overhaul the system to take advantage

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

Should we encourage political stuntmen?

July 27

Aly Zaker The problem is so enormous, overwhelming, and uncontrollably incremental, that no amount of “hata-hati” can address this, unless there is a miracle.

Syed Ishtiaque Reza The problem lies with the overall governance.

Aly Zaker Syed Ishtiaque Reza: Yes, bad governance,

Hasan blames BNP for not protesting against Israeli attacks July 27

Abu Syeed I have a question for Hasan. According to him, BNP have links with Israel and Gaza attacks. Then why would BNP protest against it?

but what about the indiscretion of the governed?

MMM A good way to plunder money with huge media coverage. It’s a new style of plundering public money.

Rifat Kudos. The tale of the poli hata baba!

When a Bengali diagnosed what ails Arabia July 26

Lone Wolfwsu I would also add that from anecdotal evidence, there is a level of fatalism in the Arab world that is almost unseen in other societies at similar economic development levels.

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.

July 26

Ahsan Habib Hasina is unfit to rule the country if she has a preconceived hatred against BNP. In addition, this claim that Zia killed Mujib is conjecture, not founded. The real killers have been punished by the High Court, a place she likes to refer to as convenient. Moreover, before and after January 5, she never said that she wouldn’t have dialogue with killer’s party.

T

There must be no tolerance for criminal traffickers

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Hasina: No dialogue with Khaleda

Stamp out rogue manpower agencies he CID and Rights Jessore NGO have announced the repatriation of over 100 victims of human trafficking from Iran and the arrests of a number of traffickers.

Investigations indicate that Bangladeshi criminal godfathers have been operating an Iran-based human trafficking network involving at least 300 traffickers for over 20 years.

The network lures workers to Iran with false offers of jobs in Europe and takes them hostage in order to extort ransoms from their relatives in Bangladesh.

The cartels collude with locals to confine them in Iran, while collecting ransom payments through money transfer facilities.

We welcome reports that the police intend to set up a temporary camp in Iran to enable more victims to make complaints so that they can be followed up through Interpol and local police to help break up the network and arrest more of the gang leaders.

The government needs to take more such action to stamp out the criminals who prey on human vulnerability.

It must make it a top priority to stamp out the scourge of human trafficking. This needs tougher regulation and enhanced international co-operation by our diplomatic representatives abroad.

The Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training needs to strengthen its enforcement of licensing requirements. It should initiate audits of where workers are recruited and employed, so that abuses and criminal actions can be identified more quickly and stopped.

There must be no tolerance for rogue behaviour by manpower agencies.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents I so fill I every time the figure 10 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.

Hasan Mahmud: Mirza Fakhrul is hired politician July 27

Abu Syeed In looking at the photo, it seems as if he is less tense today. :p

Scarlett Johansson getting married next month July 27

Zaman DB Nooo!! My life is over.

Dialogue not possible with killers July 26

Abu Syeed This should not be unexpected. Yet, I thought she was a leader of the people, but now she is considering personal matters over matters of national interest!!

Mohammad Zahinul Islam With due honour to our honourable PM, I am a bit confused here, since they both got together in 1990 to topple Ershad, if I recall it rightly. I may be wrong too. Without any prejudice.

Hasina: Govt to restore Article 96 July 27

AH I always learnt in various schools that the three independent branches of the government – legislative, administrative, and judiciary – ensure balance of power and democracy. A country Hasina likes to quote when convenient, the USA, follows the same principle. But now, by restoring Article 96, BAL, which is solely Hasina, is creating another travesty.

Police extortion in over-drive ahead of Eid July 27

Danial Mohammad If I’m in such a situation where I have done nothing wrong, and the police is asking me to pay a price, I am simply going to take my phone out and make a video explaining everything in the video, and then I’ll ask the police officer to speak into the video all his demands. And then I’m going to upload the video onto Youtube.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Ready money (4) 5 Make deep research (5) 8 Deprive of cover (6) 9 Heavy substance (4) 10 Donkey (3) 12 Enigma (6) 13 Followed orders (6) 15 Protection for ship’s side (6) 18 Separated (6) 20 Fuss (3) 21 Target (4) 23 Show clearly (6) 24 Motif (5) 25 Fishtraps (4)

DOWN 1 Stringed instrument (5) 2 Tool (3) 3 Flood (5) 4 Bricks carrier (3) 5 Mocked (7) 6 Burden (4) 7 Celtic tongue (4) 11 Blackthorn (4) 12 Arbitrator (7) 14 Small nail (4) 16 Male honey-bee (5) 17 Governs (5) 18 Agreement (4) 19 Acting part (4) 21 Spirit (3) 22 Perform (3)

Arch Bishop And then you’ll be hauled to the “ICT” as a war criminal and razakar!

The Baksal II police in full drive!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

Waste burned around trees near Khilkhet flyover causes trees to burn July 26

Shamuna Mizan What kind of idiot burns waste under a tree?!

Stupidity of a whole new level.

Progress on UNDP indicators July 26

Mohammed Khaliquzzaman Only if we had average governance, at the least, we would still be ahead of most of our neighbours.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Sunday, August 3, 2014

9

No exit for Delowar

W

n Moshahida Sultana Ritu e live in a country of horrible news, and of people having short memories. One such horrible news was of 2012’s Tazreen fire, in which more than 117 garment workers were killed, and 200 more were injured. Please read the second sentence again. I neither said it was an accident, nor did I say they died.

I meant it was a “structural murder,” and I used the word “killed” to mean that they did not just die. So, what happened to that Delowar, the owner of Tazreen Fashion and Tuba group? Not until February 8, 2014 – more than 14 months after Tazreen Fashions caught fire – was he arrested.

There is no relation between Delowar’s absence and Tuba Group’s ability to pay three months’ salaries

Very recently, family members of Delowar along with Tuba group’s management have started to seek the help of BGMEA to permanently get bail for Delowar as the memories of the fire have already faded away from the minds of people. What could be a better way of getting bail than making bailing a condition for disbursing three months’ due salary? Please read the sentence again – “making bailing a condition” for the owner who violated not only the fire safety code, but also the norms.

On July 29, when the whole country was celebrating Eid, the workers of Tuba group, owned by the same owner as Tazreen, were passing their second day of hunger strike on the sixth floor

of the factory. There demand was payment of due salary and bonus of three months: May, June, and July.

There, one would find young women suffering from severe malnutrition lying on tables, taking saline, and waiting for something they never knew when they would get. Please read the sentence again. I said they did not know when they would get the salary even after the fourth day of the hunger strike – BGMEA has given words to clear salary partially within one week.

The reason is that the workers are used to such breaches of trust. On June 26, in the presence of Mahmuda Akter Mita, chairman of Tuba Group, and two BGMEA representatives, Abdul Ahad Ansari signed a written document promising to pay the salary of May on July 3, the salary of June on July 15, and the salary of the first half of July on July 26.

But they never kept their promises.

Is there any reason why the workers would trust them again? Most importantly, it is not at all logical to make these workers wait for one more week when they are already exhausted, indebted, and counting every moment of their sufferings. Read it again. Every moment. Not every week, not every day, not even every hour.

Some of the workers on hunger strike had no home to go as they could not pay rent. They had to loan from their neighbours and nearest shops.

They could not feed their children, let alone buy new clothes for Eid. There is no relation between Delowar’s absence and Tuba Group’s ability to pay three months’ salaries.

The operation of the factory never stopped after Delowar was jailed. The owners clearly used the workers to negotiate Delowar’s bail.

After the Tazreen fire and Rana Plaza collapse, the owners of garment factories and their association BGMEA have been vilified by public. The US used the memory of the fire and building collapse to withdraw GSP facility given to Bangladesh.

Unable to pay rent, workers have nowhere to go When the US is threatening Bangladesh in all possible ways to make us improve the factories’ fire safety conditions and comply with building codes, it is ignoring the fact that withdrawal of the GSP, suggested by AFL CIO, is not a step suggested by the unions in Bangladesh. Using a global solution in solving local problems has already been proven to be misguided.

GSP facilities were never given to the garment industry; neither did it appear as a threat to some of the most notorious owners of garment factories.

What is happening in Tuba Group is an evidence of failure of using global solutions. What is happening in Tuba Group now is an even worse repetition of what happened before the world’s eye fell on Bangladesh.

Into the deep n Aaqib Md Shatil

T

hough the world leaders have not congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin yet, it seems that he has successfully created a parallel universe on Earth. The story he has created for Russians to read out and believe in about the MH17 crash in this 21st century will definitely make people believe that the Russians are literally in an alternate universe.

Russians are hearing a story about how the Ukrainian military is responsible because the plane crashed in the skies of Ukraine, omitting the fact that the part of Ukraine it happened in is not controlled by the Ukrainian military.

Moreover, in this century, they have been led to believe that the Ukrainian military was trying to assassinate Vladimir Putin, trying to shoot his plane down, then missed and hit the civilian jetliner instead. According to them, Putin is the saviour of Russia, who is protecting their motherland from the “evil” Ukrainian government backed by the “evil” west.

This state-run sarcasm of the Russian Federation is not only a signal to the world of how the Russian administration perceives the Ukrainian separatists, but also an indication of how they will turn a deaf ear to the sanctions and all other diplomatic pressures to save their torch-bearers in Ukraine.

During the first days of this year, amid frequent threats of international sanctions, the Russian Army annexed the Crimea. A referendum was held in a chaotic situation that formally endorsed the assimilation of Crimea with Russia.

The well-planned move to reunify Crimea with Russia ended successfully

RAJIB DHAR

In the past, garment workers of some factories used to suffer from nonpayment or low payment, but now there is an unnecessary condition imposed. In the language of workers, it is “the bail of murderer Delowar.” They refuse to call him by his name only.

They think “murderer Delowar” is his name.

The BGMEA is trying to hide its shame. For the last few months, they have been promising to pay salaries and breaking promises. In June, they sent their representatives to sign a written promise to workers. After the hunger strike started, on the second day they said through media that they were sorry that the workers could not celebrate their Eid. Later they said Tuba Group did

not have money. Then they said the government should pay if Tuba Group fails to pay. How could Tk4.57cr not be there in Tuba Group’s bank account when 2014’s exports of Tuba Fashion alone exported about Tk39cr worth of merchandise?

Does it not smell of conspiracy to involve the government in the process of bailing? It is hilarious. Read it again.

I said hilarious because the BGMEA has spoken to the public without even checking the bank account of Tuba Group.

There are over 90 workers so far who fell sick and were hospitalised.

Some are being released from hospitals others, while others are being admitted. The number keeps on changing every hour.

Every few hours, there is a new patient admitted to the hospital.

Owners or BGMEA are not paying for their treatments, let alone psychological damage. And Delowar gets bail. He will soon get out of jail and celebrate a belated Eid with his family. What a world we live in.

If you go to the sixth floor or Tuba Group, Hossain Market, Uttar Badda, and if you have an imagination, imagine this: Workers of Tazreen are trying to get out from the factory as fire a breaks out, but the exit is deliberately locked. Would you let Delowar exit jail? l Moshahida Sultana Ritu is Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting and Information Systems, University of Dhaka.

My own private Palestine

on March 16, but the Russian hegemony did not see the end that day. Apparently, Russian imperialism got inspired from the events in Crimea.

Getting encouraged from the assimilation of Crimea, pro-Russian rebels launched fresh attacks in several regions of Ukraine from the second week of March. Till date, militants have taken control of a formidable region in the Ukrainian province Donetsk and declared an independent Donetsk People’s Republic.

The flight MH17 of Malaysian Airlines, which was carrying 295 people, was hit by a missile shot from the soils of Donetsk and crashed in the rebel-held region of the socalled Donetsk People’s Republic. In addition, last Wednesday, two more Ukrainian fighter jets were shot down while assisting the infantry units of the Ukrainian Army, who were fighting against the rebels, get back control of Donetsk by the same rebels.

Alexander Borodai, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, himself negotiated with the Malaysian delegation about the black box of the airplane, handing it over to the Government of Ukraine.

Alexander Borodai and his right-hand man Igor Girkin however, are not everyday thugs. Both are Russian nationals with suspected ties to the Kremlin and experienced in separatist conflicts.

Igor Girkin, a former Russian security service officer, runs an army formed in the so-called republic that has been battling with Ukrainian soldiers since April. There are several other separatist groups, but the one led by Girkin is the largest.

It seems that Vladimir Putin considers international sanctions a mere headache. According to economists,

REUTERS

the European Union is the biggest trading partner of Russia. Russia, in turn, is the third biggest trading partner for the European Union. There are deep economic links between the two.

So far, the EU has imposed financial and visa restrictions against 21 carefully selected Russian and Ukrainian officials, but avoided anyone from President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and stayed clear of any large-scale economic sanctions.

Furthermore, Russia provides a third of the European Union’s natural gas. Germany, the euro zone’s biggest economy, imports around 40% of its gas from Russia. So, Russia can squeeze the Europe almost as effectively as the Europe can squeeze them. Imposing a full-fledged sanction over Russia is almost impossible for the west.

Backing rebels was a fashion during the Cold War days. During the regime of Ronald Reagan, the USA started providing military training and a handful of arms to the anti-communist guerillas all over the world. He publicly met the Afghan mujahedeen leaders. According to some critics, President Reagan described the Afghan mujahedeen leaders to be “moral equivalent of the Founding Fathers of America.”

It appears that President Putin, a former KGB official, has learnt a good lesson from the USA. Pondering about a greater Russian Federation, Putin’s Russia is playing a strategic game of backing the insurgents and maintaining close ties with them that escalated further terror in the European region.

More than a thousand people have already been killed since the beginning of the pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.

Another 295 civilians, who had nothing to do with the conflict, died in the sky.

The Afghan mujahedeen (which eventually converted into the Taliban) can only be compared to the Frankenstein’s monster. Aiding them was one of USA’s biggest mistakes that left the entirety of Asia under the threat of terrorism. Now Russia is putting Europe at stake by assisting the insurgents of Ukraine. Europe has never been this interesting since Napoleon marched to Moscow, and surely it will remain so if Russia does not cut its ties with the pro-Russian rebels of Ukraine. l Aaqib Md Shatil is a member of United Nations Youth and Students Association Bangladesh.

n Shambhu Rahmat

I

magine a country where troubles started with British rulers. Drawing lines, separating people, making “country.” Mapmakers who visit the location for a day, or perhaps not at all. Drawing a red line in impossible spaces.

The only response to the madness is to become mad in return. Others tried to raise the flag they believed should have been given. But a day later, armies arrived. Principles and “we have lived here for generations” was no match for a rifle pointed at your son’s chest.

After the World War, Europe in survival mode, an exhausted Empire in retreat – new post-colonial nations are created. For geo-strategic reasons, borders become permanent and people find themselves in another country.

Now, my troubles begin.

displacing entire villages. The gentle days are over.

The inevitable happens. The original inhabitants lose their gentleness.

A charismatic leader rises and unites the disparate groups – groups that formerly had no cohesion, structure, or politics.

An armed guerrilla group is born, the stated intention is to defend rights and win freedom. They carry out attacks that grab headlines.

For a time, the world is enamoured of the figure of the romantic guerrilla.

But soon, other headlines dominate, and they move on. Neighbouring states also support the movement for a time. Less out of solidarity, more out of a desire to make trouble for their enemy.

Mahmoud Darwish said in a Godard film: “The world is only interested in us because of who our enemies are.”

Eventually the neighbouring states

Everything I wrote above, it did happen. Not far away in the Middle East, but inside our own homeland

The original inhabitants of that land now become a problem. They have no documents proving legal ownership of the land they lived in for generations.

Nobody had thought that land documents would be needed. Now, with a new state, suddenly they neither have the documents, nor any path to procure them.

Slowly, they start to see settlers – new arrivals subsidised by an invisible, far-away government. Ironically, the settlers come from a people who have been historically oppressed, and have just emerged from a historic genocide. But they fail to see the contradiction in their own action. Victims become killers very easily.

Soon, very soon, the original inhabitants find themselves becoming a numeric minority. More settlers take over land and build settlements.

Large construction projects also arrive,

stop supporting the guerrillas. The settlers are also increasingly well-protected. Lighting strikes that cause damage become difficult.

Exhausted and under-funded, the guerrilla movement drops the demand for full independence. Now they want autonomy, some even say partial autonomy would be acceptable.

The charismatic guerrilla leader comes out of hiding. In an open clearing, his helicopter lands and he emerges into light. Secret talks have prepared the path for this day. To everyone’s surprise he recognises the right to co-existence. Some praise his maturing political approach, others remain suspicious. After marathon talks, a historic peace treaty is signed.

Handshakes all around. A peace dove is released.

Some observers are jubilant: An end to the fighting at last! But among the

guerrilla movement’s own ranks, there are cries of betrayal. The movement splinters into two. The more radical group rejects the treaty, and vows to continue fighting. And so they do, until they too run out of energy, weapons, spirit.

The second inevitable happens.

Now the two factions start fighting each other. Brother against cousin against friend. Fratricide is the order of the day; the movement for independence and rights is long forgotten.

The indigenous people are at a twilight crossroad. Independence is a shattered dream, many are so exhausted they want peace at any cost. Their children scatter all over the world – Australia, England, America, any place that will give a visa. A new diaspora is created. The next generation is exhausted. “Give us freedom” becomes “Just give me a job and some dignity.”

The once proud guerrilla movement is corroded by corruption. A random kidnapping happens, and the former guerrilla group always gets blamed by the state.

Joto dosh Nondo Ghosh. No faction claims credit, thus every person is a suspect. Even those who have assimilated and taken mainstream jobs are not protected. It all depends on the way you look, the colour of your skin, the shape of your eyes, your last name.

Meanwhile, the military of this nation grows and grows in size. They become the recipients of advanced technology. The disputed territory becomes the site for “training” exercises that never end. The military hardens, the level of violence they are willing to apply grows. When you use an army against a civilian population, they will, they must, start seeing every civilian as an enemy combatant.

Everything I wrote above, it did happen. Not far away in the Middle East, but inside our own homeland.

Our voices rise high against the government of a faraway state, but we dare not speak against our own state and its will to power. Our hearts bleed for Palestine, but when will it bleed for our own people?

This is an elegy for the Chittagong Hill Tracts. l Shambhu Rahmat is a blogger, this article was previously published in Alalodulal.org.

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Did you know?

Sport

Frank Lampard has scored 171 English Premier League goals, 60 more than any other midfielder

Team manager joins Tigers’ on tour selection panel n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Suspended national all-rounder Shakib al Hasan lifts weights during a gym session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. The Tigers’ training camp resumed yesterday after the Eid holidays

MUMIT M

Cricketers resume camp after vacation Counseling sessions from new psychologist raise eyebrows in many quarters This, however, has raised eyebrows including top order batsman Shahriar tional team, few of the issues discussed n Minhaz Uddin Khan Nafees, pacer Shahadat Hossain and in the meeting include discipline, fixing of many in the cricketing arena. In the The Bangladesh national cricket camp resumed yesterday after a week-long vacation for Eid ul-Fitr. The resumption, however, didn’t involve any drills with bat or ball and was limited to a closed door class in the conference room of the Sahara-BCB Academy.

This ‘theoretical class’ was taken by national team’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and other staffs of the national team, and was attended not only by the current national cricketers but also by few of the discarded ones

some others.

Suspended national cricketer Shakib al Hasan, who is currently serving a six month suspension from all forms of cricket due to indiscipline, was also a part of the class. The talismanic all-rounder was also barred from training with the national cricketers for the same offense.

However, head coach Hathurusingha designed a separate training plan for Shakib after being instructed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operations.

According to the sources close to the na-

mistakes and handling pressure at a crucial time of a game.

Yesterday’s class will be followed by the cricketers attending two sessions, today and tomorrow, of Australian sports psychiatrist Dr Phil Jauncey. Phil is regarded as Australia’s foremost Performance Enhancing Psychologist who has played vital roles in the success of teams including the Brisbane Lions (AFL), Brisbane Broncos (NRL), Australia’s Test Cricket Team, Australia’s Olympic Team and many others.

‘Unpaid’ De Kruif eyes Asian Games n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh football team’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif arrived in Dhaka in the early hours of yesterday morning and pledged to focus on the national Under-23 side’s upcoming assignment in the 17th Asian Games scheduled to be held in Incheon, South Korea next month.

Kruif, who was accompanied by assistant coach Rene Koster, returned to the country after around four months reportedly due to a salary dispute with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).

Immediately upon his arrival in the capital city, the 44-year old Dutchman said, “I have a meeting with BFF president (Kazi Salahuddin) where we will discuss about our next plan and activity. Until then I can’t say anything.”

The hour-long meeting between the

BFF boss and Dutch coach took place from 1pm yesterday at the residence of the federation’s president. “We discussed about the due wages but I can’t reveal particularly what it is as it is our personal matter. What I want to say is that, despite being late, at least now we have something to work on which is a positive sign. For now this is good news,” said Kruif after the meeting.

Casting aside all the differences in recent times, Kruif said his attention is now reserved for the forthcoming Asian Games. The Dutch duo will work with the national U-23 side that are one among 24 teams in the men’s football competition. In this regard, the BFF has already announced a 25-member preliminary squad with the residential camp slated for BKSP. “Now we have to proceed with what we have got. Our main target is Asian Games. Although the time is very short

we have to start the preparation to put up a positive result there,” added Kruif.

The players have been asked to report at the BFF office today at 12pm before heading for a meeting with Salahuddin. The assembled footballers will play a practice match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the afternoon. The squad is then scheduled to leave for BKSP in the evening. The camp will come to an end on September 12.

De Kruif’s last assignment with Bangladesh was a Fifa international friendly against India on March 5 this year in Goa. Since then the BFF has failed to clear his outstanding wages and according to sources and reports, the coach is owing six months’ dues.

It was learned that BFF will pay 70 percent of the outstanding wages within two or three days and the rest will be paid shortly. l

wake of the Tigers’ disastrous performance in the ICC World Twenty20 in April this year, BCB hired Ali Khan, a Canadian sports psychologist of Bangladesh-origin to counsel the cricketers of the national cricket team. Ali’s services cost BCB a good amount of money and thankfully the cricketers were also happy with Ali’s counseling. It was said that his theories would have a long-term effect on the cricketers, but as those two psychologists might have different approaches of counseling and theories,

it was no wonder that questions were raised whether sessions from two different psychiatrists within a span of four months will actually be beneficial or puzzling for the cricketers who are desperate to turn things around with some positive results this year.

Besides the sessions with Dr Phil, the cricketers will also spend some time in the field as a part of their final preparation before they leave for the West Indies on August 10. Bangladesh, in their 38-day tour of the Caribbean, will play two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 game against the hosts. l

The manager of the Bangladesh national cricket team is set to become a member of the on tour selection process. According to the sources from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), a letter, informing this new directive, has already been circulated to the concerned department with the new directive coming into effect from the Tigers’ imminent tour of the West Indies this month. When queried, Jalal Younus, a BCB director and also the chairman of media and communication confirmed this news to Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

This new directive of the BCB means national team’s head-coach, captain and on-tour member of the national selection panel will now have an additional member in the form of the team manager during selection of the team on away tours.

BCB has been looking for a longterm manager for the national cricket team for quite a while and BCB’s pursuit is likely to end as negotiations with former national cricketer Selim Shahed is at an advanced stage.

Although BCB used to appoint a team manager on a series by series basis previously, the appointment of Selim is likely to be for a year in order to allow both the team and its manager some time to gel.

Selim, a former first class and List A cricketer, was a right-handed batsman and an off break bowler.

Sometimes known by his nickname Alam, he played 6 matches for Bangladesh in the ICC Trophy in 1993/94. Selim also appeared for Barisal Division in the first-class competition in 2001-02 season. l

Anderson, Jadeja cleared over spat n AFP, Southampton England’s James Anderson and India’s Ravindra Jadeja were both found not guilty on Friday of breaching the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct, the global governing body announced.

Lancashire paceman Anderson, who had been at risk of being banned from the remainder of the England-India Test series, is now free to play in both the final two Tests.

Jadeja, meanwhile, had his previously imposed 50 percent match fee fine of rescinded.

India charged Anderson and England counter-charged all-rounder Jadeja under the ICC code regarding an incident that took place during the lunch break on the second day of the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge on July 10. l

A file photo shows England seamer James Anderson (L) arguing with Indian batsman Ravindra Jadeja during the ongoing five-match Test series between the two sides INTERNET

Bolt, Fraser-Pryce headline super Saturday n AFP, Glasgow

MEDAL TALLY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 27

ENGLAND AUSTRALIA CANADA SCOTLAND INDIA NEW ZEALAND SOUTH AFRICA NIGERIA KENIA JAMAICA SINGAPORE WALES MALAYSIA BANGLADESH

50 42 30 17 14 13 12 10 7 7 6 4 4 0

53 40 14 14 25 11 10 8 8 4 2 10 6 1

46 44 31 18 16 15 16 14 5 7 4 20 5 0

Total 149 126 75 49 55 39 38 32 20 18 12 34 15 1

*Till Saturday (9:00pm)

Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce headline two Jamaican quartets bidding for victories in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays on Saturday as 33 golds are up for grabs at the Commonwealth Games.

Bolt made a highly-anticipated return to the track in anchoring his team through the heat, Fraser-Pryce doing the same for a strong women’s foursome also including multiple world and Olympic medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart.

“I’m happy to be part of the relay team and be one country and be part of the Commonwealth,” said Bolt.

There are also finals in the men and women’s 4x400m relay races, England able to call on Christine Ohuruogu, the current world 400m champion and former Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist.

Other finals include the women’s pole vault and 5,000m, and the men’s triple jump and javelin.

The latter promises to be a humding-

er of a contest between Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, who threw a national record of 85.28m in qualifying, and Kenyan Julius Yego, who threw 82.83.

On the penultimate day of the

Games, there are 13 gold medals to be decided in boxing with Indian fighters chasing four titles.

Devendro Laishram takes on defending champion Paddy Barnes of Northern Ireland in the lightweight

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (C) gets the baton from Nickel Ashmeade in the heats of the men’s 4x100m relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland yesterday REUTERS

final while Mandeep Jangra faces England’s Scott Fitzgerald in the welterweight gold medal match.

World championship bronze medallist Vijender Vijender will battle it out with Antony Fowler for middleweight gold while Laishram Devi and Australia’s Shelley Watts clash in the women’s lightweight final.

Nicola Adams will attempt to add the Commonwealth title to her Olympic gold when she faces Michaela Walsh in the women’s flyweight gold-medal.

Compatriot Savannah Marshall contests the women’s middleweight final against Canada’s Ariane Fortin.

In the women’s hockey final, Australia, having won three of the last four Commonwealth Games golds, tackle England who have never won the title.

Australia have scored 32 goals and conceded just one at the Glasgow tournament and boast the top scorer in Jodie Kenny who has nine goals.

Australia also face England in the men’s semi-finals and will be overwhelming favourites having won every hockey gold medal since the sport was

introduced in 1998.

The Aussies have reached the semi-finals by scoring 22 goals and conceding just three.

India meet New Zealand in the other semi-final but will be without captain Sardar Singh who has been suspended for a dangerous slide tackle in his last match against South Africa.

India lost 8-0 to Australia in the final at Delhi in 2010 to claim silver.

In the netball semi-finals, champions New Zealand take on England while Australia tackle Jamaica.

The Silver Fearns of New Zealand missed their injured star attackers Maria Tutaia and Cathrine Latu as they beat Saint Lucia and Jamaica in the preliminary round.

Back-up shooters Jodi Brown and Ellen Halfpenny have struggled with their accuracy so the Kiwis will be desperate to have Tutaia and Latu fit to play.

Australia and New Zealand have won every netball gold medal since the sport joined the Commonwealth Games in 1998 so England will be desperate to cause an upset. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

11

Sunday, August 3, 2014

No ‘blacklist’ for new Brazil coach Dunga n AFP, Brasília

Paris Saint-Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) raises the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after they won the French Super Cup match against Guingamp at the Workers Stadium in Beijing yesterday. PSG won the match 2-0 REUTERS

Lampard set for Manchester City loan n AFP, New York Frank Lampard, who spent 13 seasons with Premier League side Chelsea, could face his former club in September under a loan deal from his new Major League Soccer team to Manchester City.

The New York Daily News reported Friday that Lampard, who signed a two-year deal last week with New York City FC, will be loaned to Manchester City for six months by the US expansion team, which will play its first MLS season next March.

The 36-year-old England midfielder hopes to keep his name in the mix for national team duty with the move, according to the newspaper.

Lampard, a member of the England squad that exited this year’s World Cup in Brazil in the group stage, has scored 29 goals in 106 appearances for his country since making his international debut in 1999.

Manchester City and Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees partnered to create the new MLS team and have also signed Spanish star David Villa for the squad.

Manchester City will host Chelsea in the Premier League on September 23 with Manuel Pellegrini’s men then set to visit the west London side on January 31.

Villa will be on loan with Melbourne, Manchester City’s sister club in Australia, until the MLS campaign begins. l

Hangeland joins Crystal Palace n AFP, London Norwegian international defender Brede Hangeland on Friday joined Crystal Palace after claiming he was told by email by Fulham that he was no longer wanted.

The 33-year-old had also been wanted by Palace’s Premier League rivals Hull City, according to British media.

Palace said that Hangeland had signed a one-year contract. He becomes Palace manager Tony Pulis’ third signing for the new campaign following the arrivals of Blackpool goalkeeper Chris Kettings and Cardiff City striker Fraizer Campbell.

“I’m quite old school as a player, I just want to be part of a good group of players, working for a good manager, working really hard and driving something in the right direction,” said Hangeland. l

Drogba still has killer instinct, says Mourinho n Reuters, London

Serena in Stanford last four, Venus exits

Veteran striker Didier Drogba will still strike fear into defenders when he begins his second spell at Chelsea, manager Jose Mourinho said on Friday.

“The killer instinct is still there,” Mourinho, in an interview with Sky Sports, said of the 36-year-old Ivorian who signed a 12-month contract last month after spells in China and at Turkish club Galatasaray since leaving Stamford Bridge following the Champion League final victory in 2012.

Drogba will give Mourinho a tried and tested formula in attack, where he will be vying for a place with Spanish duo Fernando Torres and new signing Diego Costa.

“He still has the technique to score goals and the physical strength and presence is still the same,” Mourinho, who signed Drogba from Marseilles in 2004, said.

“Mentally he is the same. Every training exercise, his desire to compete and to win is always there. He will be an important player for us.”

Almost unstoppable at times with his pace, power and strength, Drogba wrote his name into Chelsea folklore during his first spell at the club, scoring 157 goals and helping the club to the Premier League title in 2005, 2006 and 2010.

He also lifted the FA Cup four times and the League Cup twice. l

Top seed Serena Williams came from a set down to book her place in the Stanford Classic semi-finals with a hardearned 2-6 6-3 7-5 win against fifth-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic on Friday.

Serena, whose sister Venus was beaten in three sets by Germany’s Andrea Petkovic earlier in the day, initially struggled on a fast playing surface but gradually found her range to seal victory in just under two hours.

“It wasn’t very easy,” Serena, who will face Petkovic in the last four on Saturday, told ESPN. “Ana plays very well. This surface was a little fast so she was hitting a lot of shots.

“But I just fought it and stayed in there. I just tried to do everything that I worked on.”

Serena was broken in the first game of the match, then double-faulted to

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 4, HD1 6:55PM, 9:15PM Emirates Cup 2014 Star Sports 4, HD2 5:00AM, 6:00AM ATP Tour: City Open Ten Sports 3:00PM, 6:30PM Commonwealth Games 2014

n Reuters

lose serve again in the fifth and trail 1-4 before losing the opening set.

However, the American used her crunching ground strokes to great effect in the next two sets and, helped by 10 aces, she wrapped up the win when her opponent sent a forehand service return wide.

Earlier, the eighth-seeded Petkovic battled past Venus Williams 6-1 3-6 7-5 in a pulsating match lasting nearly two hours.

Former world number one Venus, who had upset fourth seed Victoria Azarenka in straight sets in the previous round, fought back from 6-1 and 2-0 down to level the match but the German regained control in the decisive third set.

In the other two quarter-finals, third-seeded German Angelique Kerber swept aside Spaniard Garbine Muguruza Blanco 6-2 6-1 while Varvara Lepchenko crushed fellow American Sachia Vickery 6-1 6-0. l

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who was one of the outstanding per-

formers at the World Cup in Brazil, has completed a move to Spanish top-flight side Malaga.

A statement on Malaga’s website on

Malaga's newly signed goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa from Mexico poses for the media during his official presentation at Rosaleda stadium, in Malaga, southern Spain on Friday REUTERS

There is no blacklist after the World Cup. Football is like life, like work competence is what counts Dunga’s squad for the matches, which will be played in Miami and at New Jersey, will be announced on August 19.

“We will have the chance to turn things around and show that what happened (at the World Cup) was a oneoff,” the new coach added.

“Brazil has good players. They were criticised because they did not get the results that people hoped they would.” l

Wenger hits back at Gerrard n AFP, London Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit back at claims by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard that striker Luis Suarez was “too good” to ever move to the north London outfit.

The Gunners tabled a £40,000,001 ($67.5 million, 50.4 million euros) bid for Suarez a year ago in the mistaken belief it would trigger a release clause in his contract at Anfield.

And the Uruguayan went on to score 31 goals as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League title before joining Barcelona this summer.

Gerrard claimed that he had advised Suarez, currently banned from all football for four months after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group game, against joining Arsenal last year.

“I said: ‘Don’t go to Arsenal’,” the Liverpool captain told several British newspapers on Thursday.

“With all due respect to them, I said to him that he was too good for Arsenal.”

But Wenger, who instead signed Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil for a club-record fee, insisted on Friday no player would deem themselves too good for his side.

“You’re never too good for Arsenal and Steven Gerrard knows that,” he said during a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Emirates Cup, in which Arsenal will host Portuguese champions Benfica and Monaco.

“But I can understand completely that he asked him to stay because he wanted him (Suarez) to play with him and have a chance to win the Premier

League. But it didn’t happen, and anyway, Suarez left.”

Wenger has been busy in the market this summer with the addition of Chile forward Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, England youth international Calum Chambers from Southampton and Newcastle United right-back Mathieu Debuchy. However, Wenger hinted that he has not finished his summer spending just yet.

“I’m very happy because I did what I wanted, and I am still open to do more,” he said.

“Let’s not forget that we are at August 1 today, and the transfer window closes on the 31st.

Wenger admitted the future of defender Thomas Vermaelen remains unclear, with the club captain unhappy at his lack of first-team action last season.l

Serena Williams of US plays a shot against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia during Day 5 of the Bank of the West Classic at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium in Stanford, California on Friday AFP

Malaga snap up Mexico star Ochoa n AFP, Madrid

New Brazil coach Dunga declared on Friday that competence is all that matters to him and added that there is no “blacklist” for players who underperformed at the World Cup. “Competence is all that matters when it comes to choosing a national team, not friendship or marketing,” said the former midfielder, who captained Brazil to World Cup glory in 1994 and then coached the Selecao at the 2010 finals.

Dunga was brought back for a second spell at the helm as Brazil look to pick up the pieces following their traumatic World Cup campaign, which ended in a record-breaking 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals last month.

That was followed by a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in the third-place play-off, and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was not kept on after his contract expired.

The manner in which Brazil bowed out of the tournament will have traumatised many of their players, but Dunga hinted that he will not now look to make sweeping changes straight away.

“There is no blacklist after the World Cup. Football is like life, like work competence is what counts,” he said.

“The players are chosen not based on what we might think they are capable of doing, but on what they are achieving at the time.”

A number of Scolari’s choices -- including picking misfiring strikers Fred and Jo -- were heavily criticised by the Brazilian media during the World Cup. The Selecao will play a friendly on September 5 against Colombia before facing Ecuador three days later as they start preparations for next year’s Copa America in Chile.

Friday read: “Malaga Club de Futbol has reached an agreement to sign one of the best goalkeepers of the recent World Cup in Brazil, Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña.”

The 29-year-old has agreed a threeyear deal at La Rosaleda and was due to be officially unveiled later on Friday.

Ochoa was a free agent after his contract with French side AC Ajaccio, who were relegated from Ligue 1 last season, expired.

Ochoa had spent three seasons with Ajaccio before surprisingly being chosen as Mexico’s first-choice ‘keeper at the World Cup. He helped Miguel Herrera’s side reach the last 16, and was outstanding in helping his team hold hosts Brazil to a 0-0 draw during the group stage. l

Raonic, Gasquet advance to Washington semis n AFP, Washington Wimbledon semi-finalist Milos Raonic and 2013 US Open semi-finalist Richard Gasquet advanced to the last four of the ATP and WTA Washington Open with straight-set triumphs Friday.

Canadian second seed Raonic fired 16 aces and lost only nine service points in defeating American Steve Johnson 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, taking only 79 minutes to book his third semi-final of the season.

Raonic, seeking his sixth ATP title, lost the Rome semi-final to top-ranked Novak Djokovic and at Wimbledon to 17time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.

Next up for Raonic is a first career

meeting with 25-year-old US lefthander Donald Young, who outlasted South African seventh seed Kevin Anderson 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, to extend his best run in three years.

French sixth seed Gasquet ripped Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4 in only 59 minutes to reach the other semi-final, but he must wait until Saturday to learn his opponent.

Canada’s Vasek Pospisil and Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo had their quarter-final suspended by rain two points into the third set. Giraldo won the first set 7-6 (7/4) while Pospisil took the second set 6-3 and the first two points of the third set on his serve before play was halted.l

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Sunday, August 3, 2014

Govt blamed for destruction of Bhawal Raja's residence n

7 killed in road accident in Narayanganj n Kailash Sarkar

Abid Azad

Lack of sincerity of the government has put the historic Bhawal Raja's residence at Nalgola, Imamganj near Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka on the verge of destruction.

While visiting the area, the Dhaka Tribune found that the entire area was gradually being damaged and demolished by the people who had taken lease of the land for commercial purposes from the Court of Wards under the Land Ministry on Bhawal Raj Estate.

The house is yet to be included in the lists of the Department of Archaeology and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) prepared in 2009.

Asked why it was not enlisted, Director General of the Department of Archaeology Shirin Akhter said: “Actually, I have no idea that there is a historic building. We will soon send a team to verify the place whether it should be protected or not in line with the Antiquity Act.” On 28 July, architect Taimur Islam, the CEO of Urban Study Group, filed a general diary with Chawkbazar police station against one of the lessees Alauddin Sarkar to stop demolition of the house.

He mentioned that as the protected heritage list was not updated yet, any kind of construction on this 100-yearold historic residence would be a clear violation of the interim period of a Supreme Court order.

The order issued in October 2012 directed the government – represented by the secretaries of Housing and Public Works Ministry and Cultural Affairs Ministry, and Rajuk – to take all necessary steps for convening meeting of the Urban Development Committee for preparing a modified or amended list of heritage buildings and structures of the country within three months.

But no modified list is published by the government.

The order came when the government had failed to publish the modified list since 2008. The order stated: “It is not understood why a committee already formed in 2008 for modifying and altering the existing heritage property list could not finalise the modified list.”

At least seven people were killed and four others injured last night when a vegetable-laden truck skidded off the road and fell into a roadside ditch at Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj.

Inspector Asaduzzaman Miah, officer-in-charge of Rupganj police station, confirmed the incident and said they had recovered the bodies of the seven victims and rescued the four.

The OC said the injured were sent to

Taslima Nasreen granted Indian residential visa n Tribune Report MEHEDI HASAN

The court also questioned why the committee had been dysfunctional for four years. “This inaction of the committee is giving opportunity to the vested quarters to destroy the national heritage property of the country,” it said.

“As the updated list is still not published, there are many loopholes, for which, people may destroy such establishments which have historic, aesthetic, architectural, economic and social values,” Taimur told the Dhaka Tribune.

Visiting the spot situated just beside the Buriganga River, it was found that the main gate could not be recognised as the walls were reconstructed.

Moreover, a number of small and big tin-shed houses, shops and storage rooms were seen on the premises, constructed by the lessee. The compound also houses recycling factories.

Though some parts of the walls are damaged, still there are signs of some rickety steel columns, huge wooden doors, marble tiles and well-curved arches to bear the testimony of the history.

From the mid-17th century to the early 19th century, the Bhawal kings

of Gazipur owned 30,421 acres of land, an army of elephants, horses and zoos, fleets of cars and scores of palaces.

The residence at Nalgola is situated on around one acre land. The government in 2011 leased the place to more than 70 people in three different parts.

Alauddin alone got 20 decimal area which include a two-storey building and another one-storey one. The lease agreement has been renewed every year.

The two-storey building was the grand residence of Bhawal Raja, said Taimur, while the other was his restroom.

Taimur alleged that Alauddin had already destroyed the one-storey structure. “When I learnt that he is going to demolish the other building, I filed the general diary to stop the demolition work.”

Alauddin denies the allegation claiming that he did not knock down the one-storey building rather it just fell down itself.

“I just removed the old houses which were built there upon permission of the government. I got lease of about 20 decimal area for commercial purpose.

I am not going to demolish any of the

buildings as per the agreement with the government” he claimed.

The Court of Wards leased out the 0.20 acre land with eight conditions that include no construction of new buildings and no demolition or change in the main structure.

“I have to pay Tk4 lakh for 0.20 acre land but actually I got almost 0.10 acre since the rest of the land is covered by the two-storey building. So if I want to pay the amount, I need to make more profits from my business,” Alaudding told Dhaka Tribune.

Sub-Inspector Mahbubur Rahman of Chawkbazar police station said: “In this situation, the police are instructed to stop all kind of construction in the area.

We will call both parties of the general diary soon to discuss the matter.”

Taimur said: “It seems that the government has no headache about the historic places and structures. Such reluctance influences the unscrupulous people to destroy these sites.”

People residing around the place also blame the government for the sorry state of the structure. l

Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said on Saturday that the Indian government has decided to grant her residential visa. Ms Nasreen had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day and requested him that she be allowed to stay in India for a longer period.

“I am very happy. I am very grateful to the government for allowing me to live in this country,” she told NDTV. “I feel at home in India,” she added.

Ms Nasreen had expressed her anguish after the government on Wednesday refused her a one-year visa giving instead a temporary permission to stay in India for two months.

Following her outburst on a social networking site, support for her has been pouring from various quarters with Press Council of India Chairperson and former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju demanding permanent visa for the 52-year-old who has been living in exile since 1994.

Mr Katju today welcomed the government’s decision to grant Ms Nasreen a residential visa. “@narendramodi Modiji, congratulations to your govt. for giving residential visa to Taslima Nasreen. She is a brave woman, hounded by bigots (sic),” Mr Katju tweeted today.

Detectives hunt for 4 JMB financiers Current account surplus n shrinks to $734m, estimates central bank Kailash Sarkar

Some businessmen of the capital are financing the revival of banned Islamist outfit Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), claims the Detective Branch of Police.

With the money, leaders of the JMB which was banned on February 13, 2005 had taken lease of at least 15 acres land in the forest areas of Thanchi in Bandarban.

They have also set up a shelter housecum-training camp in Cox's Bazar.

The land in Bandarban is used for training newly-recruited members and cultivating crops to raise fund for its activities.

So far, four businessmen had been identified for financing these activities, said DB officials, upon information given by three arrested JMB members. Detectives know their names and identities but are yet to confirm any political

link of those businessmen.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, the DB officials said they had gleaned the information while interrogating the three JMB members – Md Shameem Mahfuz alias Sumon alias Manring Morong, 38, of Gaibandha, Md Zahidur Rahman, 33, of Pirojpur, and Ismail Hossain, 39, of Chandpur.

They were arrested on July 30 in the capital’s Sayedabad area with huge explosives in their possessions. Arrested in 2011 in Bandarban while making bombs, they had gone into hiding after securing bail in 2012.

Of the three, Shameem was a leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir during his student life at Rangpur Cadet College.

He later studied social welfare at Dhaka University.

During interrogation, the trio said those businessmen had also been providing them with training materials

and necessary equipment.

DB's Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanwar Hossain said they were looking for the four persons who have been on the run since the arrest of the trio.

He said regrouping of the JMB was not massive yet. “They have several groups that comprises six to seven members. There are IT experts among the trainees and the newly-recruited members,” he said.

The JMB had been dysfunctional after the execution of its top leaders during the previous military-backed caretaker government.

There are five outlawed groups and seven blacklisted organisations which have been operating defying the government ban and vigilance of the law enforcement agencies. The government last year said it would ban 10 more Islamist groups for their involvement in militancy. l

Tagore memorabilia found in Bogra n Hasibur Rahman Bilu, Bogra A script by Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore has been found in Bogra.

Khwaja Reja Ahmed Rubel, a resident of Katnarpara area and owner of an offset printing press, had been preserving the artefact for the last 20 years.

He said a Bogra based institution gave the copy to him to publish in a magazine, but he kept it to himself, However, he can no longer remember the name of the institution.

Assistant Director of Department of Archaeology Bangladesh Nahid Sultana, who is also an expert on Tagore, confirmed that the script was written by the Nobel laureate.

Acting principal of Dupchachia Model High School Md Abdul Wahed Fakir said the script was a four-line greeting from Tagore written on July 27, 1937. The legend had wished the school success.

The two pages from Tagore's ancestral notepad contain a monogram on the right side and in the bottom,

Dhaka Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.

He said the truck fell into a roadside ditch after it veered off into a roadside ditch as the driver lost control over the steering of the vehicle in Golakandail area on the Asian Highway around 11:30pm.

Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.

“The truck was heading towards Chittagong from Naogaon”, the OC said. l

there is “6 Dwarakanath Tagore Lane, Kolkata,” written in English along with a telephone number.

Former teacher of the school Nimai Sundar Chowdhury said in 1923, a team of tenth grade students of the school had gone to Patisar, Naogaon, to invite Tagore to a ceremony arranged in the school. The ceremony aimed to honour Tagore, however,

when approached, the litterateur said he would not be able to attend because of time constraints.

Instead, he wrote down four lines on the paper and signed it for the students, said Nimai, quoting late Mobarak Hossain, a student from the 1923 batch who was among the students to have gone to invite Tagore. l

n Kayes Sohel The current account surplus of the country has been estimated to squeeze some 29% or $734 million in the immediate past fiscal year compared to the same period a year ago due to a fall in remittances and a surge in imports.

In fiscal year (FY) 2013-2014 (July-June), the current account surplus is expected to settle at $1,791 million, which was $2,525 million in the previous fiscal, according to the latest monetary policy statement (MPS) of the Bangladesh Bank (BB).

However, the BB thinks that the account surplus may see further correction in the next six months due to a possible slowdown in RMG sector orders, along with a pick-up in imports.

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Research Director Zaid Bakhat backed the central bank's apprehension of declining current account surplus in days to come.

“There is nothing to be worried out even when current account balance falls into the red, once remittance flow remains strong,” he said.

He also expects that imports might increase further with the beginning of the country's largest infrastructure project Padma Bridge construction work, as the government decided to start its construction in the current fiscal year.

“This slow export growth might send the balance of payments under pressure in future also,” he added.

Inward remittances suffered negative growth for the first time in 13 years, mainly due to a shrinking outflow of migrant workers and falling receipts from Middle Eastern nations.

Bangladesh received $14.3 billion from remittance in FY14, down 2% from a year ago, according to BB data.

Remittance growth slowed sharply in the first half of FY14 with some signs of pick-up in second half of FY14, the data said.

Imports rose by 9.8% to $33.2 billion

during July-May FY14 when exports increased by 12.9% to $27billion.

During the period, the import payment stood at $33.2 billion, which was $30.3 billion in the same period of the FY13. This resulted in a trade deficit of $6.2 billion.

In view of the situation, Bakht said the government should diversify the market to boost remittance earnings, otherwise it will have an impact on the economy.

The central bank MPS further added that looking ahead to the second half of FY14, the balance of payments projections apprehend there will be a correction in the pace of export growth due to a possible slowdown in RMG sector orders, along with a pick-up in imports as investor confidence grows.

BB also estimates that the country’s trade deficit in the immediate-past financial year might stand at $6.9bn, which was at $7.01 billion in FY13 and $9.3 billion in FY12.

The central bank says the lower trade deficit in 2013-14 fiscal was a result of relatively lower growth in import compared to export.

“There will be a pick-up in imports as investor confidence grows amid signs of improved political stability after the January 5 polls and robust export growth as global trade volumes are projected to rise,” the statement added.

It also forecasts that the historical pattern in the capital and financial account suggests that the overall balance will be in a surplus status.

“The central bank’s estimates for FY14 suggest that exports are likely to grow at 13% and cross the $30 billion mark. Moreover, import growth of 10% is lower than export growth, narrowing the trade deficit,” it added.

The smaller current account surplus relative to FY13 is due to a negative remittance growth of 1.6%.

According to BB projections for FY15, overall growth in exports will be 12%, import growth 15% and remittance growth will stand at 4%. l

Exiled from Bangladesh in 1994 for “hurting religious sentiments” with her novel “Lajja”, Ms Nasreen took refuge in Kolkata in 2004. But after violent protests in the city November 2007, the erstwhile Left Front government whisked her away to New Delhi where she has been living since then.

“I am a Bengali writer but I am not allowed to stay in Bangladesh and West Bengal. I would be very happy if i am allowed to stay in Kolkata,” she said today. l

Mayor Taher’s son marries into Jamaat family in prison n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur Lakshmipur Awami League Mayor Abu Taher’s eldest son Aftab Uddin Biplob married into a Jamaat family at the district jail gate on Friday.

Sanjida Akter Peu, whom Biplob has married, is the daughter of late advocate Abul Khayer, nephew of late Jamaat MP Shafiqul Islam.

She is an honours second year student of Lakshmipur Government College.

Former death row convict Biplob is now serving 10 years in jail in two more murder cases.

A neighbour of Sanjida’s however clarified this, saying Taher also had his daughter Rehana Akter married with a Shibir activist called Fazle Elahi Sujon, another second nephew of the Jamaat MP. He added that Sanjida’s mother had once gone to jail to meet Biplob over a dispute over a piece of land and another for a shop, which her family had been struggling to solve for long. Biplob however kept her mother’s request for solving the problems.

The “marriage of convenience” took place at the Lakshmipur Jail gate around 5pm on Friday in presence of Abu Taher and other relatives.

Lakshmipur Prison’s Jailer Jainal Abedin said they had allowed the marriage at the jail gate as Biplob’s relatives had earlier obtained permission from the deputy commissioner.

The Dhaka Tribune failed to contact Lakshmipur Deputy Commissioner Tipu Sultan on the matter.

In 2003, Biplob was sentenced to death for killing advocate Nurul Islam, the then organising secretary of the party in the district. He was abducted in 2000 and hacked to death.

Biplob also killed BNP activist Kamal and Shibir activist Mohsin in 2000. He was jailed for life in both the murder cases.

Late President Zillur Rahman pardoned him in advocate Nurul Islam murder case, in which he was sentenced to death in 2011.

Biplob was also granted mercy by reducing his life-term to 10-year-jail in each of the two cases in 2012, which is what he is now serving in jail. l

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