12 oct, 2014

Ashwin 27, 1421 Zilhajjj 16, 1435 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 188

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

12 pages | Price: Tk12

5 | CAREER

6 | WORLD

9 | OP-ED

11 | SPORT

ARE YOU DOING THE WORK YOU WERE MEANT TO DO?

KOBANI FALL: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?

WILL THE REAL MUSLIM PLEASE STAND UP?

DUTCH RELIEF AS ITALY’S CHIELLINI SCORES ALL THREE

Bardhaman blast blows JMB plans wide open

Cabinet secretary: Latif’s removal process finalised n Tribune Report

HANGING IN THE BALANCE

Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Abdul Latif Siddique will be removed from the cabinet at any moment, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“We will send the related documents to the president for his signature and the minister will be expelled from the cabinet anytime after the president’s approval,” he added.

Earlier on October 3, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told journalists that Latif would be removed from the cabinet and his party post once the office opens after the Eid holidays.

She also said the file for his removal would be sent to the president for approval immediately after his arrival.

‘JMB motivated by desire to be major regional al-Qaeda affiliate’ Jamil Khan in Dhaka n Mohammad and Diganta Roy from Kolkata The October 2 bomb blast incident in the West Bengal town of Bardhaman demonstrates the effort of banned Islamist outfit JMB to expand their operational network, Bangladesh intelligence officials claim.

Inspired by a recent video message by al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri, members of Jamaat’ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) are working to expand their network to include India, Myanmar and Bangladesh in order to draw al-Qaeda’s attention, they said.

Intelligence sources believe JMB is motivated by the desire to be a major regional al-Qaeda affiliate.

‘We came to know about JMB’s West Bengal unit after the arrest of JMB chief Maulana Saidur Rahman in 2010’ The arrest of top JMB leaders in recent days and their plans to commit mass destruction are all linked with one another.

Intelligence officials in both Bangladesh and India announced their findings about the scope and nature of the militant threat following the exchange of information by the two countries.

A high official of a Bangladeshi intelligence agency, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had information linking Jamaat-e-Islami with the JMB in the recent blast incident.

The officials suspect that JMB men were regrouping in West Bengal with a view to carrying out militant activities in Bangladesh. The JMB militant leaders now in jail recently held meetings

Muhith says World Bank to provide budgetary support n Asif Showkat Kallol The World Bank is likely to resume their budgetary support to Bangladesh after a decade to help mitigate the country’s budget deficit.

Finance Minster AMA Muhith on Friday spoke of the development to Bangladeshi media on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He said the bank has agreed to provide a support of US$500 million from the next fiscal year (2015-16) in addition to other development assistance.

“This type of support is coming to Bangladesh after a decade,” he said.

Earlier last month, the minister had also hinted about the development and said: “We will sign an agreement with the World Bank this fiscal.”

He said one of the major conditions would be to reform the local government plus the country’s banking sector.

with other radical Islamist outfits including Ansarullah Bangla Team and Huji to strengthen their activities.

According to a counter militancy investigator at the Detective Branch (DB) of Police, the JMB has started to reorganise its 65th unit in West Bengal after two of its top leaders – Salahuddin alias Salehin and Jahidul Islam alias Boma Mizan – joined them early this year.

The two were snatched by their fellow members from a police van at Trishal of Mymensingh on February 23.

JMB leader Faruk, who reportedly took part in the snatching incident, has also taken shelter in West Bengal. The activities of JMB’s West Bengal wing can be justified by the statement of acting JMB chief Abdullah Al Tasnim alias Nahid, 29. He was arrested by DB police from Ashulia Landing Station last month.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DB police, said: “We came to know about JMB’s West Bengal unit after the arrest of JMB chief Maulana Saidur Rahman in 2010. We also have information that fugitive JMB leaders Salehin and Boma Mizan are in West Bengal.”

Saidur in his statement at that time said the West Bengal unit was very crucial to conduct militant activities in Bangladesh. He named Maulana Mujibur Rahman of Bashirhat of Murshidabad in West Bengal as one of his spiritual leaders.

Before his confession, JMB founder Abdur Rahman in 2006 first mentioned that the West Bengal unit was its 65th wing.

According to intelligence sources, the JMB’s West Bengal unit has spread activities in Murshidabad, Malda and Nadia districts. There they have several hundred “Ehsar” members. “Sura” member Sohel Mahfuz is leading these members.

Meanwhile, the Indian intelligence has confirmed the link of Jamaat men  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

P3 KADER APOLOGISES

A tiny tot precariously dangles in the hands of her father before he hands her down from the rooftop of a train to another man. As Eid holiday ends, people are returning to the capital. The photo was taken from Kamalapur Railway Station yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

“Following the president’s signature on the file, the cabinet division would issue a gazette to this effect,” Musharraf said.

On September 28, Latif made a controversial statement on hajj while addressing a reception arranged by the Tangail expatriates in New York, USA. The minister’s comments on hajj sparked widespread criticism both at home and abroad.

On September 30, the government decided to remove Minister Abdul Latif Siddique from the cabinet amid controversy following his comments on hajj.

The minister at the program said: “I strongly oppose hajj and Tabligh Jamaat. I also oppose Jamaat-e-Islam.”

He also argued that as a large  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Zubair’s death: Murky depths of Abuubaida Kadir n Ahmed Zayeef

“I need you...understand” / “lol... what?” / “I need your body...I found it very soft...like it....<heart symbol>...I don’t want no / “Kadir uncle..I’m not gay” / “Special for me you are...must / “No...sorry...sorry...not.”

This is part of a screen shot of a facebook conversation between Algerian national Abuubaida Kadir, a swimming instructor who is now in police custody, and a 14-year-old Aga Khan School

student of class 7. The Dhaka Tribune has collected 26 screen shots of Kadir’s facebook conversations from Zubair’s friends and fellows. Parts of the conversations are reproduced here.

Friends and playmates of 17-yearold Zubair Ahmed, who reportedly drowned in a shallow pond in Uttara, have been receiving screen shots of chat conversations like this one after Zubair’s mysterious death. They suspect Kadir, who is in Bangladesh illegally, used his role as a swimming coach and language

teacher to prey on teenage boys.

Police say they are following new leads after discovering text messages Kadir sent to teenage boys.

The screen shot of a conversation between Kadir and the 14-year-old schoolboy seems to show Kadir in the act of trying to seduce the Aga Khan School student.

Kadir writes: “U must...help me I need you.” The boy responds: “Stop Kadir Uncle...I’m not gay...I’m your friend.”

The conversation continues: “Don’t

use this word again” / “lol...What word?”/ “For me, more than friend.”

The boy then continues: “BEST FRIEND.” Kadir presses forward: “Y I chose you as special...to help you right?...bcz I love you. So you don’t help me?”

The boy asks: “With what!?” Kadir replies: “What can I do I love your body.”

The boy now pushes back strongly: “I don’t need this...bye...I will tell u one last time...I’m not gay.”  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Survey: Bangladeshis optimistic about UN: Massacre likely if next generation’s prospects jihadists take Kobani n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

n Reuters

More than two-thirds of Bangladeshis believe their children will be better off than they are, according to a survey carried out by a US-based think tank.

Seventy-one percent of Bangladeshis are optimistic that the next generation will have a higher standard of living than they have, according to research conducted by the Pew Research Centre released on Thursday. Nineteen percent believe their children will be worse off.

The survey, conducted from March 17 to June 5 this year, involved 48,643 respondents in 44 countries.

In Bangladesh the organisation took face-to-face interviews of 1,000 adults between April 14 and May 11.

Researchers said optimism was linked with recent national economic performance.

Thousands of people most likely will be massacred if Kobani falls to Islamic State fighters, a UN envoy said on Friday, as militants fought deeper into the besieged Syrian Kurdish town in full view of Turkish tanks that have done nothing to intervene.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Kobani could suffer the same fate as the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, where 8,000 Muslims were murdered by Serbs in 1995, Europe’s worst atrocity since World War Two, while UN peacekeepers failed to protect them.

“If this falls, the 700, plus perhaps the 12,000 people, apart from the fighters, will be most likely massacred,” de Mistura said. The United Nations believes 700 mainly elderly civilians are trapped in the town itself and 12,000 have left the center but not made it across the border into Turkey.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

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“Do you remember Srebrenica? We do. We never forgot and probably we never forgave ourselves,” said de Mistura, the UN peace envoy for Syria. “When there is an imminent threat to civilians, we cannot, we should not, be silent.”

The plight of mainly Kurdish Kobani has unleashed the worst street violence in years in Turkey, which has 15 million Kurds of its own. Turkish Kurds have risen up since Tuesday against President Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which they accuse of allowing their kin to be slaughtered.

At least 33 people have been killed in three days of riots across the mainly Kurdish southeast, including two police officers shot dead in an apparent attempt to assassinate a police chief.

The police chief was wounded.

Intense fighting between Islamic State fighters and outgunned Kurdish forces in the streets of Kobani

INSIDE 2 | News

Bangladesh seeks regional cooperation for the blue economy, focusing on maritime resources, to boost the activities related to employment generation and contribution to economic activities. Fisheries, tourism and renewable energy are the areas where Bangladesh seeks cooperation.

3 | News

State-owned Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd has planned to set up a 1,320MW coal-based power plant at the mouth of Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur.

4 | Nation

The people living along the bank of the Teesta river are losing their cropland and homesteads as erosion has taken serious turn in the district recently.

5 | Career

You’re in one of the most important elevator rides of your life and you have ten seconds to pitch a classic pitch – what do you do? It’s a hit or miss and you will not get a second opportunity.

07 | Entertainment

Subachan Nattya Sangsad’s acclaimed musical “Mohajoner Nao” has been selected for this year’s A Season of Bangla Drama, an annual drama festival hosted by Tower Hamlets Council in London.

10 | Sport

Lionel Messi had a penalty saved as Brazil continued their defensive rehabilitation under returning coach Dunga with a morale-boosting 2-0 win over old adversaries Argentina.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Dhaka seeks regional cooperation for blue economy n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bangladesh seeks regional cooperation for the blue economy, focusing on maritime resources, to boost the activities related to employment generation and contribution to economic activities.

Fisheries, tourism and renewable energy are the areas where Bangladesh seeks cooperation.

The idea was floated at the Indian Ocean Rim Association [IORA] ministerial meeting held in Australia last week.

“Our idea has been supported by IORA members and a paper will be circulated among them for their opinions,” Maritime Affairs Unit Secretary M Khurshed Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

Alam led the Bangladesh delegation and discussed the blue economy and other issues at the IORA senior official meeting and ministerial meeting.

The member countries will discuss Bangladesh’s issues in details in the next IORA meeting to be held in Indo-

nesia in May next year, he said.

“We hope concrete steps will be taken in the meeting in Indonesia,” he added.

Some 30 million people of Bangladesh have had direct livelihood dependence on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation Bangladesh proposed setting aside contentious issues and working on non-sensitive issues so that all countries can cooperate with each other.

“Fisheries, tourism and renewable energy are harmless subjects. We have

proposed that we can work together on these three broad areas,” Alam said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is set to float an idea of forming a regional bloc, Bay of Bengal Partnership for Blue Economy, to develop partnership to use marine resources in a sustainable manner.

The government has adopted a blue economy outlook after it resolved maritime boundary disputes with India and Myanmar.

The Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia are coastal and littoral countries in the region.

Bangladesh and India had already agreed to work together for the development of the blue economy in the region.

The joint statement on Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission held last month said: “Both countries also agreed to enhance cooperation in new areas, including nuclear science and technology, space, health,

Bardhaman blast blows JMB plans wide open  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

with the Bardhaman blast from the confessions of two detainees – Faruk Hossain Sarder, 32, and Saddam Sheikh, 28. They hail from Debhata village under Pachpota of Satkhira.

They were arrested on October 9 in the Hasnabad Bus Stand area of Bashirhat and later put on seven-day police remand.

Indian detectives also suspect a link with radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam activists in the blast incident. The district intelligence sources said that a number of Hefazat supporters had visited several religious institutes of Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda districts earlier this year.

When contacted, Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad, director of intelligence wing of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), however, said they had not received any such information so far.

“We are trying to verify names of the arrestees to assess whether they are from Bangladesh,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

A top intelligence official in Bangladesh, requesting anonymity, said although the government had proof of JMB and Hefazat participation in fanatical activities, there was no evidence that they work together. But he did not

rule out the possibility of an alliance between them if it was a question of political survival.

After the Zawahiri video circulated widely, a top intelligence agency in early September warned the government that such a video message calling for the opening “al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent” might encourage fanatics in Bangladesh. It suggested that monitoring activities of all security forces be heightened.

On Thursday night, Assam police arrested six persons from a hideout in Barpeta district for their alleged links with the JMB and the blast incident, The Hindu reported. They were later remanded for 14 days.

The arrestees are Rafiqul Islam, 39, Siraj Ali Khan, 53, Saiful Islam, 20, Jahuruddin, 60, Golam Osmani, 23, and Sarbesh Ali, 35. Of the arrestees, Siraj and Saiful are a father and son duo.

Assam’s Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) SN Singh said: “We have got confirmation that they were in direct touch with banned fundamentalist groups in Bangladesh. We are trying to find out whether these arrestees were trying to establish a link with al-Qaeda by doing fanatic work.”

On the other hand, an Indian CID source said the two women arrested af-

ter the blast incident – Gulsana Bibi alias Rumi Bibi and Alima Bibi – had told police in interrogation that they had received militant training from Pakistan.

They went to India after the ruling Awami League had started taking action against militant groups. A former Bangladesh army officer also gave them training to launch destructive activities, they said.

Those two women earlier confessed to police that they were involved in grenade manufacturing in the house of Bardhaman where bombs went off accidentally on October 2. They also told police they had sent two consignments of grenades to Bangladesh.

The army official, who is now hiding in India, trained the militants at a number of training centres established in West Bengal, according to Indian intelligence officials.

After the primary investigation, Indian intelligence officials said huge financial support from Bangladesh and Dubai financed the Bardhaman bomb making unit which went up in flames.

The militants are also engaged in printing counterfeit currency.

Meanwhile, the Indian authorities have appointed another agency, Enforcement Directorate, alongside the National Intelligence Agency of India

jute and textiles, renewable energy, maritime, fisheries, oceanography, meteorological, and other areas related to development of the blue economy in the region.”

Bangladesh won more than 118,813 sq km of waters altogether comprising territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone extending out to 200 nautical miles (370km).

It also has undeniable sovereign rights in the seabed extending as far as 354 nautical miles [around 656km] from Chittagong coast in the Bay of Bengal with all living and non-living resources.

The Bay of Bengal is the largest among 64 bays in the world and 1.4 billion people live along its coastline in Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Myanmar.

Some 30 million people of Bangladesh have had direct livelihood dependence on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation. l

to take part in the investigation.

In Birbhum district, a four-member team of the Central Intelligence Bureau and Nanur police yesterday raided Nimra village in search of bomb making instruction books at the house of another accused Kadar Kazi.

Although Kader along with his mother, Sharifa Bibi, and three sisters fled soon after the blast, Sharifa returned home on Friday evening.

Police earlier found a SIM card, an Arabic book and handbooks on bomb making materials in front of the house.

But those items disappeared yesterday morning. Law enforcers, instead, found some burnt books and a diary.

About the investigation over the October 2 blast, an official spokesperson of India in a statement said: “I can confirm to you that the Bangladesh government has requested our assistance in this matter. We have received the communication from the Bangladesh government and have requested our agencies concerned to gather the information so that we can share it with our friends in Bangladesh.”

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, state minister for home affairs, said: “We have asked India about details of the bomb blast incident. Our intelligence officials are also working on this.” l

DB arrests seven for abducting garment trader n Our Correspondent, Kurigram

Seven persons were held yesterday for kidnapping a garment trader posing as Detective Branch (DB) officials on Thursday.

A team of police arrested them through a number of drives conducted since Friday night.

The arrested are Liton, Ataur, Jahid, Abbas, Anwar, Rabiul and Suruj Mondol.

On Thursday, disguised as DB police officials, around 12 people stopped a BRTC bus in Aminbazar area near Kurigram-Rangpur highway and kid-

napped Anwar Hossain, a garment trader hailing form Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram district, said sources in police.

Later they demanded Tk10,000 as ransom from Anwar's parents.

Upon receiving call from the kidnappers, Anwar's elder brother Alim Uddin informed the matter to police. Police traced the seven members of the gang by following a Bkash number.

Kurigram Police Super Tobarok Ullah said they were trying to recover the pile of clothes that was stolen by the kidnappers and trace other members of the gang. l

Murky depths of Abuubaida Kadir  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

In another screen shot, Kadir writes to a 15-year-old boy studying in class 8 of the International Turkish Hope School.

In a conversation from August 14, Kadir says: “I love you, believe me.

When I started to teach you swim, I felt something special.”

In a chat with the same schoolboy on August 23, Kadir says: “I love you... believe me...I don’t know how it happened...how it came into my heart.”

Aldeen Ahmed, a friend of Zubair, told the Dhaka Tribune that these conversations make it clear that Kadir was operating outside of acceptable social norms. He spent much of his time with teenagers in the hope of seducing them.

Md Iqbal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Uttara police, said earlier:

“The police scanned the mobile phone of Kadir and found text messages sent to teenage boys in obnoxious language.”

The deputy commissioner added that police suspected that Kadir enticed teenagers join him in water bodies, especially swimming pools.

On Saturday police produced Ismail, a key suspect in the Zubair death case, before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court.

Sheikh Rasel Kabir, sub-inspector (SI) of Uttara East police station and investigating officer of the case, placed the arrestee before the court seeking a ten-day remand for questioning.

Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Rani Chakrabarti put the arrestee on two-day remand. l

Latif’s removal process finalised  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

number of people go to hajj, it actually ‘wastes’ the country’s economy and labour power.

The video of his comments then quickly spread throughout the internet.

Later, the BNP and some Islamic party in country demanded the minister’s immediate arrest.

Dozens of cases have been filed in different districts throughout the country accusing the minister of “attacking religious sentiment.”

AL to decide Latif’s fate today

An emergency meeting of the ruling Awami League’s Central Working Committee today is likely to take steps

against presidium member Abul Latif Siddique for his controversial comments on Hajj, Ijtema and the prime minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting, set for 6:30pm, at her official residence Ganabhaban.

On October 3, the premier at a press conference told the media that action against Siddique will be taken through the party’s Central Working Committee.

Presidium member Obaidul Quader, also the road communication and bridges minister, on Friday said the committee would take disciplinary action against Siddique, who is now the post, telecommunication and IT minister. l

Survey: Bangladeshis optimistic

Muhith says World Bank to provide budgetary support

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“Countries that have enjoyed relatively high levels of growth in recent years also register some of the highest levels of confidence in their children’s economic futures,” the report said.

Bangladesh has enjoyed a growth rate of around six percent for a decade.

By contrast the French, Japanese and British are particularly downbeat about the future. Nearly two-thirds of Americans felt the same, the report added. These countries have been affected by recession since 2008.

Stay or Move Abroad

Most Bangladeshis also feel that their children would have a better life if they remained in the country.

The report found that 71 percent of respondents would recommend staying in Bangladesh to young people who want a good life. Twenty-six percent said the opposite.

People in developing nations generally believe that it is better for young people who want to have a good life to stay in their home country rather than move to another country, the report said.

Success Out of Control

About 75 percent Bangladeshis believe that success in life is determined by forces outside their control.

This belief is held in most other developing economies. In advanced economies, half or fewer in six of the 10 countries surveyed agree that success was out of their control.

“Americans are the least likely to say they are not the masters of their fate (40%), one of the lowest percentages among the 44 countries surveyed,” the report said.

In most developing economies, a majority of respondents say success is determined by outside forces, including 74% in Bangladesh and 67% in Ghana. Nicaraguans are the least likely among developing countries to agree with this proposition.

Education and hard work

Fifty percent of Bangladeshis believe that education is very important for getting ahead in life while 26 percent think that hard work is the most important thing.

Sixteen percent of people in Bangla-

desh feel that knowing the right people is the most important factor while 20 percent say being lucky is the most important thing to improve in life.

Nine percent believe that belonging to a wealthy family is the most important factor, 10 percent said being a male was the key factor and 3 percent suggested the giving bribes is the most important factor in improving one’s economic situation.

Inequality a major problem

Around 60 percent of Bangladeshis feel that the gap between the rich and the poor is a very big problem in the country.

Most Bangladeshis attribute government policy, wages and the education system as the major reasons for the wealth gap.

Twenty percent of respondents from Bangladesh say the trade and taxation systems are major problems.

Over 80 percent of Bangladeshis believe the taxation system would be an effective instrument in reducing inequality.

Forty percent suggest that lowering taxes will reduce the gap while 41 percent feel that increasing taxes will have the same result.

Free market best

Eighty percent of Bangladeshis support the free market and believe they are better off because of it.

By contrast, advanced economy respondents are somewhat more divided over the free market.

In most advanced economies, people who say the gap between the rich and poor is a very big problem are much less supportive of the free market than those who worry less about inequality, the report said.

A month ago, the Pew Research Centre released a report saying that 71 percent of Bangladeshis felt the economic condition was good while 28 percent said it was not good.

The report released on September 9 said 54 percent of Bangladeshis were satisfied with the way things were going in the country while 44 percent were dissatisfied. Sixty-six percent of Bangladeshis believed then that economic conditions would improve in the next 12 months, the report said. l

The strain relationship between the bank and Bangladesh government over Padma Bridge corruption allegations came to an end during his last visit to the bank’s headquarters in Washington at the beginning of this year.

Former finance adviser to the past caretaker government AB Mirza Azizul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh needed budgetary support to keep the deficit lower as the National Board of Revenue failed to achieve the revenue target last fiscal year.

Of the Tk1.55 trillion target, NBR

earned Tk1.12 trillion last fiscal year.

Economic Relations Division sources said the WB budgetary support would help reduce the deficit. Last August, a WB team visited the country for reviewing the necessary support credit.

The credit is named as Programmatic Development Policy Support, and the WB will set some indicators for the government on the financial and policy reforms which will be required to get the proposed credit, according to sources.

The WB had last provided Bangla-

desh with the budgetary support to mitigate the aftermath of a devastating cyclone and two consecutive floods in 2007.

The WB in June 2008 approved two budgetary support programmes worth $320 million to help the government implement its wide-ranging governance and economic policy and energy reforms.

Of the fund, $200 million had been provided as Transitional Support Credit to help lessen pressure on the budget for 2007-08 fiscal and the rest for the power sector.

UN: Massacre likely if jihadists take Kobani  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

could be heard from across the border.

Warplanes roared overhead and the western edge of town was hit by an air strike, apparently by US-led coalition jets.

But even as the United States has increased its bombing of Islamic State targets in the area, it has acknowledged that its air support is unlikely to be enough to save the city from falling.

’Tragic reality’

“Our focus in Syria is in degrading the capacity of (Islamic State) at its core to project power, to command itself, to sustain itself, to resource itself,” US Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken said. “The tragic reality is that in the course of doing that there are going to be places like Kobani where we may or may not be able to be effective.”

Blinken said Islamic State controlled about 40% of Kobani. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, gave a similar estimate and said fighters had seized a central administrative area, known as the “security quarter”.

Ocalan Iso, deputy head of the Kurdish forces defending the town, told Reuters that Islamic State fighters were still shelling the center, which proved it had not yet fallen.

“There are fierce clashes and they are bombing the center of Kobani from afar,” he said, estimating the militants controlled 20% of the town. He called for more US-led air strikes.

In Washington, the US State Department said Turkey has agreed to support

the training and equipping of moderate opposition groups in Syria and that a US military planning team would visit Ankara next week to further discuss the matter. The United States has been pressing Turkey to join the fight against Islamic State.

The Middle East has been transformed in recent months by Islamic State, a Sunni militant group that has seized swathes of Syria and Iraq, crucifying and beheading prisoners and ordering non-Muslims and Shi’ites to convert or die.

The United States has been building a military coalition to fight the group, an effort that requires intervening in both Iraq and Syria, countries with complex multi-sided civil wars in which nearly every state in the region has allies and enemies.

International attention has focused on Turkey, a NATO member with the biggest army in the region, which has absorbed 1.2 million Syrian refugees, including 200,000 from Kobani in the last few weeks. Erdogan has so far refused to join the military coalition against Islamic State or use force to protect Kobani.

“We would like to appeal to the Turkish authorities ... to allow the flow of volunteers, at least, and their own equipment in order to be able to enter the city and contribute to a self-defense action,” the UN envoy de Mistura said in Geneva.

’FIGHT TO LAST BREATH’

The Kurdish uprising in Turkey pro-

voked a furious response from the Turkish government, which accuses Kurdish political leaders of using the situation in Kobani to destroy public order in Turkey and wreck its own delicate peace process.

Turkish Kurds fought a decades-long insurgency in which 40,000 people were killed. A truce last year has been one of the main achievements of Erdogan’s decade in power, but Abdullah Ocalan, jailed co-founder of the Kurdish militant PKK, has said the peace process is doomed if Turkey permits Kobani to fall.

In a televised speech on Friday, Erdogan accused Kurdish leaders of “making calls for violence in a rotten way”.

“I have put my hand, my body and my life into this peace process,” he said.

“And I will continue to fight until my last breath to restore the brotherhood of 77 million at any cost.”

The three days of riots in southern Turkey were the worst street violence in many years. The attempted assassination of a police chief in eastern Bingol province was the first incident of its kind since 2001. The armed wing of the PKK denied involvement in the attack.

The southeastern border province of Gaziantep saw some of the worst violence overnight, with four people killed and 20 wounded as armed clashes broke out between protesters calling for solidarity with Kobani and groups opposing them.

Footage showed crowds with guns, swords and sticks roaming streets of

An ERD official said the government would have to undertake reforms in various sectors to receive the proposed budgetary support for three years.

Initially, the policy and institutional reforms in Bangladesh had been supported by the World Bank through a series of budgetary support operations, known as Development Support Credits (DSC).

As part of the series, four credits totaling $900 million have been provided to Bangladesh since 2003. The last credit – DSC IV – was approved by the World Bank in May 2007. l

Gaziantep. Two local branches of the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Turkey’s main Kurdish party, there were torched, Dogan News Agency reported.

Many of Turkey’s Kurds say the refusal to defend Kobani is proof the government sees them as a bigger enemy than Islamic State. At the frontier, dozens of Kurdish men watched Kobani’s fighting from a hill where farmers once tended pistachio trees.

“I believed in the peace process, because I didn’t want any more children to die. But the Kurds were fooled.

The peace process was insincere. The government either wants to wipe out Kurds or to enslave them,” said Ahmet Encu, 46, who came 500 km (300 miles) to watch Kobani, where four relatives are fighting.

Turkey says it would join an international coalition to fight against Islamic State only if the alliance also confronts Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Erdogan wants a no-fly zone to prevent Assad’s planes from flying over the area near its border and a protected buffer zone there for refugees.

The United States has said it is studying the idea but has made clear it is not an option for now.

The Pentagon said the top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, will convene a meeting of more than 20 foreign defense chiefs next week outside Washington to discuss the multinational campaign against Islamic State. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Now 1,320MW coal power plant planned for Barapukuria n Aminur Rahman Rasel State-owned Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd has planned to set up a 1,320MW coal-based power plant at the mouth of Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur.

The government is also conducting an extensive survey at the country’s lone coal mine, now producing coal through underground method, to assess the possibility of extracting coal through controversial open-pit mining to feed the plant.

“We have opted for shifting focus from gas to coal due to crisis of primary source of energy. To meet the growing demand of electricity, we have planned to establish the coal-based power plant

at Barapukuria,” Ashuganj Power Station Managing Director Md Nurul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

The plant is likely to be set up at the northern part of Barapukuria and may take five years to complete the construction.

At present, a 250MW coal-fired power plant is in operation beside the mine.

The state-owned PDB will set up another 250MW coal-based plant adjacent to the spot.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already given her consent to build the proposed power plant,” he said. Feasibility study and environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be conducted too.

The government in 2006 had to shelve a project of extracting coal

through open-caste mining introduced

by Asia Energy (now known as GCM Plc). The project was stopped in the face of protests that saw three people killed since law enforcers opened fire on them. Then BNP-Jamaat government also agreed with the protesters to cancel the licence of Asia Energy and never using open-pit mining in Bangladesh.

But after coming to power in 2009, the Awami League-led government has been working to popularise open-pit coal mining in Dinajpur despite massive protests from locals, rights activists and international experts as they fear such mining would destroy the underground water table, agriculture and habitat of thousands of people.

According to the government’s pow-

er sector roadmap, the country will generate around 20,000MW of electricity from coal-based power plants by 2030. Of this, 11,250MW would be generated using domestic coal while the rest from imported coal.

A top official of Petrobangla said water modelling and hydro-geological survey were being conducted at the Barapukuria site to determine the flow of underground water for extracting coal through open-pit mining method.

“A report on the survey will be completed by this month and a decision will be made in favour of open-pit mining,” he said.

Construction of the plant and extracting coal through open-pit mining will require at least five years. l

BNP withdraws hartal in Mirsarai upazila n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Chittagong’s Mirsarai upazila unit BNP yesterday withdrew the dawn-dusk hartal they had earlier called for today, after receiving assurances from the administration that their demands would be met.

BNP Mirsarai upazila unit Convenor Nurul Amin told the Dhaka Tribune that police have assured them of fulfilling their demands within 72 hours therefore they decided to halt their programme.

“Police have already arrested two in this connection,” he said adding that if the police fail to fulfil their demands by the stipulated time they would call for further programmes.

The local BNP leaders made the decision after meetings with three officer-in-charges from Sitakunda, Mirsa-

n Our Correspondent, Tangail

The physical condition of convicted war criminal and Jamaat guru Ghulam Azam has remained unchanged.

Doctors yesterday found infection in his lung after conducting an x-ray.

Last month he suffered from pneumonia-like illness (respiratory problem).

Ghulam Azam, 92, was taken to the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) on Thursday from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) with kidney complications.

A three-member medical board was formed on Friday headed by Prof Dr ABM Abdullah, dean of medicine faculty, for his treatment.

Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Majid Bhuiyan, director of BSMMU, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that there was no mentionable improvement of his physical condition. “He has been suffering from multiple old-age diseases.”

The former Jamaat-e-Islami chief was sentenced to 90-year imprisonment on July 15 last year for the crimes against humanity he had committed during the 1971 Liberation War. l

JOYPURHAT BRAC BANK HEIST

Toxic waste generated from a factory finds its way to the nearby paddy field much to the indifference of the authorities concerned. The photo has recently been taken from Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh RAJIB DHAR

DSE resumes trade ‘Eve-teasing protest not motive for Bhasantek murder’ today “A man named Chakka then led Nasuccumbed to his injuries in the early Sohag, because he had married her Tazlina Zamila Khan n sir away. Locals later reported seeing 8 despite her parents’ objections.

Nasir hours of Saturday at Dhaka Medical Coln Tribune Report is reported to have inquired about the or 9 men beating Nasir with GI-pipes.

A man who was reportedly murdered lege and Hospital (DMCH).

Trading at Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) resumes today, after nine-day long festival and weekend holidays.

Before closure, the stock market performed bullish over the last five weeks.

On October 3 when holiday started, the benchmark index DSEX saw steepest rise of over 84 points or 1.6% to settle at 5,237, its highest level since launching and biggest ever single-day rise. Turnover in value hovered around Tk900 crore.

Prospect of higher economic growth, calm in political field and substantial increase of foreign investment have fired up investor sentiment, stock dealers said. l

WEATHER

HEAVY RAIN SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:35PM SUN RISES 5:55AM FORECAST FOR TODAY

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

30 31 29 29 29 29 32 30

26 25 25 25 24 25 24 25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.0ºC Rangamati

22.8ºC Srimangal

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:40am 5:53am 11:46am 4:07pm 5:37pm 6:52pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

rai and Jorarganj police stations. The meetings were led by assistant superintendent of police of Sitakunda circle, on Friday night and yesterday morning, the BNP leader added.

On Friday, the local BNP called hartal demanding immediate arrest of the killers of former convener Adil Mahmud Chowdhury of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal of the upazila.

On Thursday night, some miscreants stabbed Adil to death in the upazila’s Bhorer Bazar area after which Adil’s father Abu Taher Chowdhury lodged a case with Mirsarai police station accusing 28 people.

Mirsarai police station OC Imtiaz Bhuiyan said they arrested two persons in connection with the murder and they were conducting drives to apprehend the others involved. l

Ghulam Azam’s health unchanged n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Bounty announced on the prime accused of Tangail 4 murders As part of an intensified effort to capture the prime accused in the killing of a woman and her three daughters in Tangail, police announced a Tk1 lakh bounty on Jahangir.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dhaka Range) Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman made the announcement while addressing journalists at Mirzapur police station yesterday afternoon.

The DIG said: “Law enforces were conducting drives to arrest all those who were involved in the murder. We will do everything to ensure punishments of the culprits. Anyone who shelters Jahangir will be brought to justice.”

While answering a question, the DIG said Jahangir’s passport was seized, so it would not be easy for him to leave the country.

A ninth-grader Monira was burnt to death along with her mother and two sisters as she refused to marry Jahangir, who was an expatriate in Singapore and also her neighbour. The incident took place at South Sohagpara village in Mirzapur on Tuesday when their house was set ablaze by Jahangrir and his accomplices, while the victims were asleep. l

3

Sunday, October 12, 2014

for confronting his cousin’s eve-teasers is now believed to have been killed because of an earlier conflict with his attackers.

The cousin sister at the centre of this version of the story denies the entire account of eve-teasing and says her cousin was killed because of a past conflict.

According to the initial account given

by Mosharraf Hossain, the victim’s elder brother, Nasir Hossain, 25, was brutally attacked in the West Bhasantek area of Mirpur on Friday night because he had confronted his cousin’s tormentors. He

Eight or nine men including Abul, Bablu, Mamun and Kana Alam were named as the alleged eve-teasers in this account of the incident.

The deputy commissioner of Mirpur police Md Nisarul Arif told the Dhaka Tribune: “We interrogated the girl and her father, and they denied the account of eve-teasing. We are assuming that the murder happened due to a past conflict.”

Investigators say Nasir met his cousin at her father’s house during the Eid holiday. She reportedly told Nasir that ruffians had beaten up her husband,

ACME’s oncology project in the offing n Tribune Report The Acme Laboratories has undertaken a series of medicinal projects including Oncology, Steroid and Ayurvedic to meet the growing demand of the drugs in the country.

“To widen our production capacity we have taken three projects titled “Oncology, Steriod and Hormone and Ayurvedic, Modern Herbal and Nutraceuticals,” said Mizanur Rahman Sinha, Managing Director of the The ACME Laboratories Limited at a press conference in his factory office yesterday.

The market size of the products under the projects are large and it witnesses a sound growth every day, Rahman said, describing the medicine industry as the next driving force for the country’s economy.

He came up with the announcement at the media briefing.

The managing director also talked about offloading shares of the company to the institutional and individual investors through stock exchanges.

The Acme Laboratories, the country’s oldest pharmaceutical, will float 5 core ordinary shares of Tk10 each using book-building method.

Currently, the company produces 70 products and exports to 20 countries.

It earned Tk1,021 crore in the last fiscal

and witnessed a 15% growth.

ACME would be the third company to use the book-building system after the stock market regulator modified the pricing rules following the market crash in 2011.

According to the financial statement as of June 30, 2014, the earning per share (EPS) of the company is Tk5.65 and the net assets value per share is Tk66.16.

The authorised capital of the company is Tk500 crore, while the paid up capital is Tk161 crore.

Md Zahangir Alam, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) the company said: “We will be able to continue production within two years after the IPO proceeding.”

The pharmaceutical sector is the second largest industry in the country.

As one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, its average growth stood at 17.2 percent over the last five years while 13.1 percent over the last decade.

The current market size of pharmaceutical sector is about Tk12,000 crore, which would likely exceed Tk15,000 crore by 2015.

The market growth in 2011 was 25 percent, with approximately Tk9,000 crore in revenues, it said.

The company expects the pharma market size to exceed Tk15,000 crore by 2015. l

Tk10 lakh more recovered n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat

Following statement of one arrestee, police have recovered Tk10 lakh more in the Joypurhat Brac Bank heist case.

Senior Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdullah Al Amin Bhuiya yesterday granted 9-day remand against the eight persons held in connection with the case so far.

Joypurhat police station Officer-in-Chrage Abdur Rashid said on Friday night they recovered the money from one arrestee Sheikh Iqbal alias Iku’s house in Kushtia following his statement.

So far, police have recovered Tk75 lakh out of the Tk1.95 crore that was looted on September 27 from the vault of Brac Bank’s Joypurhat branch. l

identity of Sohag’s attackers.

Police say Nasir’s cousin married Sohag, a painter, three months ago. They say she lives at her in-laws’ house because her parents do not approve of the marriage, and that she does not venture out of the house much.

The police deputy commissioner said: “We have learned that Nasir was himself a criminal and that he knew his assailants. On Friday evening, Nasir met the miscreants on the road and argued with them over the beating of his cousin’s husband.”

They did not hit his head but they pummelled his body. Locals say Nasir’s assailants were accusing him of being a police informer as they beat him,” the deputy commissioner added.

The officer-in-charge of Bhasantek police station said: “Nasir died at DMCH and his remains were sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for a post mortem.”

Mosharraf filed a case with the police station against seven named and six unnamed people in this connection, he said. l

Kader apologises to nation for Latif’s remarks n Manik Miazee

‘Democratic process must be homegrown’

Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique yesterday apologised to the Almighty and the nation for the derogatory remarks on Hajj and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made by his elder brother and Posts and Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddique.

“Awami League presidium member and minister Latif is nobody to me, but in person he is my brother. I apologise for his remarks on hajj as it has shocked the nation and hurt our religious sentiments,” he added while addressing at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital.

He also prayed to the Almighty to help his brother to repent for his comments.

Saying his brother’s comments were not merely a “personal opinion,” Kader Siddique claimed that it was a deliberate attempt of the “illegitimate government to shift the focus of the people in a bid to distract them from raging movements for voting rights.”

Earlier on September 28, Latif Siddique made comments on hajj while addressing a reception arranged by the Tangail expatriates in New York, USA. The minister’s “derogatory” comments on hajj have sparked widespread criticism both at home and abroad. l

n Tribune Report State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has stressed that the democratic process must emerge from within the society itself as it cannot be imposed from outside.

“It shall be home grown [democracy],” he said during a general debate at the Seventh Bali Democracy Forum held on Friday in Indonesia.

The state minister led the Bangladesh delegation to the two-day meeting that ended yesterday, said a press release.

The theme of the forum is “Evolving Regional Democratic Architecture: The Challenges of Political Development,

visit our website @

www.dhakatribune.com

Public Participation, and Socio-Economic Progress in the 21st Century.”

Shahriar said his government showed “zero tolerance” to terrorism, violent extremism, communal activities and other vices that undermine in any way the democratic credentials.

Representatives from 85 countries shared their experience and challenges they face in their countries in maintaining democratic practices.

The Bali Democracy Forum was initiated in 2008 by Indonesia with a view to promoting regional cooperation in the field of democracy and political development among the Asian countries. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Sunday, October 12, 2014

River erosion wreaks havoc in Kurigram

Educational institutions, homesteads mosques, Bazar are under threat

n Our Correspondent, Kurigram The people living along the bank of the Teesta river are losing their cropland and homesteads as erosion has taken serious turn in the district recently.

According to sources, due to a heavy current caused by the newly emerged shoals in the river, erosion returned and rendered more people homeless.

Erosion by the Teesta River demolished 60 more houses, a flood shelter, several hectares of crop lands and a 50 meter stretch of the number 6 cross dam near the Dangrarhaat Bazar area in Rajarhat upazila in Kurigram over the last three days, and threatened to demolish more villages, as sandbags dumped by Kurigram Water Development Board (WDB) was not sufficient for protecting the villages from erosion.

Gabur Helan Primary School, which is also a flood shelter, along with eight more educational institutions, several mosques and Dangrarhaat Adarsha Bazar were under the imminent threat of erosion.

Rahima Begum, 60, from Majhapara vilage in Gabur Helan area of the

district said she had to move her house three times because of the recurring river bank erosion, and she would have nowhere else to go if Teesta washes away the embankment again.

Montaz Ali, 70, from Paramoula area complained that erosion devoured his houses three times this year, which forced him to take shelter in another man’s land. He also expressed his anger over the negligence on the government’s part during their time of miseries.

Sub-divisional Engineer of Kurigram WDB Ali Amjad told the Dhaka Tribune that the heavy current which was eroding the river bank was caused by the newly emerged shoals in the middle of the river. He also said WDB had dumped 600 sandbags, and was prepared to dump more, but lack of funds was restraining them from taking more fruitful measures to save Paramoula and Mandir villages.

Rajarhaat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Sajedur Rahman said Bidyananda union might get washed away if measures to stop erosion were not taken immediately. He sent a proposal regarding the matter to the high ups, the UNO added. l

The recent picture shows erosion by the Teesta river devours homesteads in Rajarhat upazila under Kurigram district

Investors falling prey to ‘Halal’ schemes in Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore Investors of two local companies are passing days in uncertainty as they have not been getting any returns on their investments of around Tk80 crore for the last eight months in Jessore.

Ehsan Real Estate and Ehsan Multipurpose account for around 9000 and 1000 investors respectively who were lured into investing in the companies.

They were promised that their investments were ‘Islam friendly’; instead of interest, they would be getting dividends from the companies, based on their investments.

They said they were given Tk14001600 dividend per lakh for the first few months and then for the next eight months they have not been being given any dividends.

They informed this to journalists at Jessore National Press Club on Thursday.

Investor Mofizul Islam, who lives at Sadar upazila’s Barandipara area, was one of those who were present there.

He revealed how he had invested Tk16 lakh.

He said his father was one day told

by Kodomtola Mosque Imam Lokman Hossain that the country’s muftis, imams and muezzins had set up a company as per Islamic Shariah and Board.

“Upon my father’s advice, I then withdrew all my money from the bank and invested it in Ehsan Real Estate.

I got only Tk28,800 as dividend.” he said, adding that he had not got any dividend for around 8 months.

Around 10000 investors who were lured into investing in the companies The Dhaka Tribune correspondent tried to contact Ehsan Real Estate Managing Directors Rabiul Islam, Mohammad Zonaed, Panel Managing Director Ataullah and Vice President Yunus Ahmed, but he found their phones switched off.

Ehsan Real Estate Jessore Manager

Saidul Islam Bipul however was contacted and he said they were failing to give any dividends because the companies have been beset by financial and internal problems.

Neither company has any capital in hand because all the money was invested in business. Now investors cannot get either their dividend or their investment.

Asked why officials had kept their phones switched off, he said they were being repeatedly phoned by investors seeking return on their investment.

“Frankly, even we the seven staff have not gotten any salary during Eid.” Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Assistant Superintendent of Police Reshma Sharmin said: “No case has yet been filed about this and so we cannot take any action against those who are alleged to have been cheated investors of their money.”

Deputy Commissioner Humayun Kabir said: “I do not know anything about this. However, I will see to this matter and legal action will be taken if anybody complains to me about this in writing.” l

Eight killed in road accident across the country n Tribune Report At least eight people were killed in road accidents in three districts yesterday.

Our Jessore correspondent reports: At least four people were killed as a goods-laden truck hit an engine-run three-wheeler on the Jessore-Khulna highway in Abhaynagar upazila.

The deceased were identified as Rony,35, son of Harun of Badiaghat area of the upazila, Bodiar Rahman,37, of Gazipur area of the upazila, Rokeya Begum,30, hailed from Fultola of Khulna district and Mithu Biswas,40, wife of Minto Biswas of Narail district.

Police said the Dhaka-bound goods-laden truck from Khulna collided with the three-wheeler coming from the opposite direction in front of Peerbari in Noapara Bazar around 3:35 pm, leaving the four people dead on the spot and four others injured.

The injured were rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital.

In Rajshahi, A couple was killed as a bus crashed into a motorcycle carrying them at Belpukur in Puthia upazila.

One of the deceased was identified as Shaheen, 26, son of Abdur Rahim, a resident of Binodpur area in Rajshahi city.

Officer-in-charge of Puthia Police Station Shafiul Alam said the Dhaka-bound bus from Rajshahi hit the motorbike carrying Shaheen and his wife on their way to Binodpur from Puthia around 3:45pm, leaving both of them dead on the spot.

On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Our Shariatpur correspondent reports, two people were killed in a road accident in Rupbaburhat under Zanzira upazila of the district. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

4 policemen among 8 hurt in road crash n Our Correspondent, Natore Eight people, including four police constables sustained injuries as a bus collided head-on with a police van in Rajpur upazila under Baraigram upazila of Natore yesterday.

The constables are Obaidul, 34, Ahsan, 32, Alamgir, 30, and Aminul, 35, of Sirajganj Sadar police station.

Fuwad Ruhani, OC of Banpara highway police, said: “The Pabna-bound police pick-up van from Sirajganj collided head-on with a passenger bus of Shyamoli Paribahan.” l

Youth killed in Feni crude bomb blast n Our Correspondent, Feni A youth was killed yesterday in a crude bomb blast in Bathalia village under Feni Sadar upazila.

Feni model police station Officer-inCharge Mahbub Murshed has confirmed about the death to the Dhaka Tribune.

The incident took place while the youth was making bombs on Saturday afternoon, he said. l

Shibir’s strike hits CU again n FM Mizanur Rahaman

2000 sued over Lakshmipur ASI murder

Islami Chhatra Shibir Chittagong University (CU) unit has once again called a strike on campus demanding reopening of two Shibir-dominated student dormitories – Shah Amanat Hall and Suhrawardi Hall.

Through issuing a press release they called the strike for an indefinite period from yesterday.

Earlier on August 31, under the banner of “Common Students of CU,” the students of the two dormitories allegedly enforced a strike for indefinite period on campus.

However, the strike was postponed until October 10 for Durga Puja and Eidul-Azha celebrations, said the press release.

It also said the CU authorities were yet to solve the issue despite having ample time extensions.

As the demands remained unmet during this period, the strike will resume from today suspending all academic activities including examinations.

CU went for holiday from September 27 to November 6 on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, Durga Puja and admission test for 2014-15 academic sessions.

At least 14 people including 10 teachers were injured when Shibir men hurled bombs on two university teacher’s buses in Chararkul area of Hathazari upazila on September 10, the 11th day of the strike enforced earlier.

In the drives, police also recovered petrol and crude bombs and sharp weapons from different student dormitories and lodged five cases with Hathazari Police Station in this regard. l

n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur

Khulna district unit of Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad and Puja Udjapon Committee jointly form a silent human chain in the city wearing black cloth yesterday to protest vandalizing idols and recent attack on the people of Hindu community in Doba Bazar under Rupsha upazila DHAKA TRIBUNE

Housewife beaten to death for dowry A housewife was allegedly beaten to death for dowry by her in-laws in Rongdia village under Bhaluka upazila in Mymensingh on Friday. The victim is Halima, 27, wife of Anar Miya, 32. Police recovered her body hanging from a beam inside her house yesterday and sent it to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Halima’s brother Fazlul Haque said: “Halima got married with Anar five years ago. They have two children. During the time of marriage Anar took Tk110,000 from us as dowry.” Locals said Halima’s husband and in-laws beat her up following an alterca-

Three separate cases were filed on Friday night against over 2000 people in connection with violence and killing of an ASI of police in Raipur upazila.

Raipur police station Officer-inCharge Md Manjurul Haq Akand said SI Jahirul Haq filed a case against some unnamed people for killing ASI Abdul Jalil near the police station early Friday.

Besides, the SI filed another case against 42 identified and 1500 unnamed people for creating violence in the upazila headquarters on Thursday night, he said.

Meanwhile, Raipur Palli Bidyut office AGM Mafiz Ahmed Kabir filed another case against 600 unnamed villagers for vandalising local Palli Bidyut

office during the violence, he added.

Police arrested one Belal Hossain in this connection following the incident.

Local people put up barricades on Lakshmipur-Raipur road on Thursday night and vandalised some vehicles on the road protesting frequent loadshedding. The agitated people also vandalised Raipur Palli Bidyut office. Later, police brought the situation under control removed the blockade.

ASI Abdul Jalil was shot dead while taking tea at a shop returning from his duty near Raipur Police Station where he was stationed. Initially it was claimed Jalil had accidentally shot himself but in an autopsy conducted at Sadar hospital it was found that he was killed in firing from a shotgun, not a submachine gun which he was issued. l

NEWS IN BRIEF tion over demand of dowry on Friday night.

Later they hanged her body from the ceiling.

Bhaluka police station Sub-Inspector Miraz Hossain said: “Primarily we are suspecting that she was beaten to death as several injury marks were found on her body.” – Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

4 AL members hurt in bomb attack Four local Awami League members received injuries in a bomb attack by their rivals at Churamonkati in Jessore Sadar upazila on Friday night. The injured are Vice-President of Churamonkati union unit of Awami

League Munna and three activists Russel, Nanu and Manowar. Sub-inspector of Sadar police station Enayet said: “Munna had been at loggerheads with ruling party activist Shukkur Member over the ownership of a fish enclosure.” “As a sequel of the enmity, an altercation ensued between the supporters of Munna and Shukkur at Churamonkati Bazar around 8:15pm.

At one stage, the followers of Shukkur Member hurled a bomb targeting their opponents, leaving four people, including Munna, injured.” The injured were rushed to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital. Later, the police visited the spot and recovered an unexploded bomb from the betel nut

garden of one Jeher Ali in the area. – Our Correspondent, Jessore

50 injured in Gopalganj clash; 21 arrested At least 50 people were injured in a clash between two groups over establishing a new domestic market at Majra village in Kashiani upazila here yesterday. Of the injured, 13 were admitted to local health complex while one named Akhi Munshi was to Faridpur Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. During the clash that lasted for one and a half hours being started from 6:30am, police fired around 30 rounds of rubber bul-

let to bring the situation under control and they later arrested 21 people from the spot.

Police said local jute businessman Jalal Mollah and Sajail UP Member Faiekuzzaman Sheikh had been loggerheads over setting up different markets on the village in their own initiative. On Friday evening, muscle-men of Jalal beat up one of their rivals, triggering the clash that took place in Natun hat bazar area on the following day, where around 40 shops and nearby houses were also vandalised. Khashiani police station OC Md Manirul Islam acknowledged the firing and the arrest, saying the situation was under their control. – Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

5

Sunday, October 12, 2014

In 10 seconds or less

BIGSTOCK

A

n Ahsan Sajid lot has already been published in career pages and blogs about the infamous elevator pitch. You’re in one of the most important elevator rides of your life and you have ten seconds to pitch a classic pitch – what do you do? It’s a hit or miss and you will not get a second opportunity.

There are numerous books written about this. But what is a 300 page book going to teach you about something that has to be done in 10 seconds? You want someone to want you, love you and give to you all in the space of seconds, in the confines of an elevator.

There are no hard and fast rules for that kind of love. You have to conjure it out of thin air. The ideas we discuss in this article are just that – ideas. These are ideas that are meant to be persuasive and can work in business, friendship and love; you have to decide how to make them work for you.

Who are people talking to?

No matter what kind of person you are pitching to, you must realise that everyone wants to know that they are talking to someone who is honest, reliable and trustworthy. It pays to be your best self instead of switching up your personality to cater to the person you are talking to. No one likes a budget version of themselves, and they like suck-ups even less.

How do you convince people that you are a good, honest and reliable per-

son? You can’t do it with your CV. The only weapon you have is yourself, and apart from what you are saying, how you are saying it is of utmost importance.

Imagine if you knew in your head that the person was going to say yes.

You would be standing tall, smiling and extending your hands for a shake to seal the deal. Begin your pitch this way.

Confidence, a winning smile and a firm handshake will be your best character witnesses. Slouching, shifting your weight between your feet and looking up and down constantly wins a pitch not.

Breathe long and well

There is a difference in the way one breathes when in a rush, and when relaxed. Stress is contagious and people who feel rushed transfer their stress to other people, making them less likeable.

Before beginning your pitch, simply think about your breathing consciously. If you are feeling nervous about your pitch, which is only normal, you are probably taking short and shallow breaths into your upper chest.

Try this instead: calm yourself down and breathe deeply into your stomach.

When you exhale, visualise your stomach hitting the surface of your back gently. Experts will tell you a number of reasons why this totally relaxes the body and the mind, but you do not have time for that now. Practice your breathing and get in gear. When you have practiced the deep breaths, it has

not only relaxed you but your demeanor has built trust in you.

You have not said a single word yet, but you have done two very important things and are well on your way to closing a deal.

Like, this deal will like totally like change your business

Cut it out. For a lot of people this may be particularly difficult because unless you actively participated in public

We have thrown around the word persuasion a lot, but at the end of the day an elevator pitch is more about connection than persuasion

speaking before, the way you speak has gone unchecked all your life. Because of the way we normally speak on a day to day basis, it seems natural to say “yep” or “like” or “uh-huh.”

There does not have to be studies done on this (although there actually has been) for one to understand that it makes you sound like an idiot. Don’t interject filler words such as “like” when

you are stuck with what you want to say, and just shut up when someone else is talking instead of throwing in “uh-huh”s and “mm-hmm”s at the end of every thought.

Wait till the person you are pitching to is done talking before making your response. If you are already thinking of your response while you are listening, then you are not really listening. On a subconscious level, everyone knows when they are not being listened to.

And on a subconscious level, they will be more inclined to say no to you.

It’s all about U

No, it is not all about you. We are getting warmer about our topic of discussion today – persuasion. And to persuade you need to understand the U’s.

I looked this up just now and found many different sets of U’s, and since different sets of U’s are good for different situations, let us discuss all the U’s.

The U’s will teach you how to structure your thought into a sentence or two and express it in a clear manner.

This expression becomes the mortar between you and your pitch-ee. This works equally well for pitches, dates, lying to your mother etc. Consider the following when next making your pitch.

Urgency: Why is your pitch urgent to your demographic?

Unique: How is your solution unique?

Useful: How is your proposal useful to the lives of the person you are pitching to?

Ultra-specific: No frills. No fluff. If you

can add fluff in your ten second pitch and get away with it, more power to you. But you cannot, so don’t even try.

User-friendly: Incentivise others to say yes to you. Whether a giveaway, a money-back offer or some form of testimonial from a mutual acquaintance – make it easier for others to say yes.

Unimpeachable: Put your money where your mouth is. Prove it, don’t just say it. Bring some form of proof of profits or measurable statistic with you. At the very least, bring testimonials or a good wingman – whatever best serves the situation.

Let them have cake

Short and sweet goes hand in hand. The elevator pitch is by definition short, but what you did not know is that ideally it is also very, very sweet. Hate it or love it, people will always act primarily out of self-interest. When you are making a pitch, the person has to feel like it will satisfy something or the other that they want if they say yes to you.

If this person is someone who hardly knows you, they are more likely to say no as it is the safer option. Make your pitch too sweet to say no to. You can do this by doing your homework and studying up on your pitch-ee. What do they want most? Recognition? Remuneration? Romance?

If you are offering what they want then you are obviously more likely to get a yes.

Arm yourself for the no’s

You will get a lot of no’s. Really, a lot.

Our gut reaction is always to say no, unless the deal is too good to be true, and usually when a deal is too good to be true, that opens a whole other can of worms. The person you are approaching has most probably been approached thousands of times before. The following are a few suggestions on how to tackle different kinds of no’s.

No time: Cut your losses and try another time; it’s an elevator pitch and everyone has elevator-length time. But you are less likely to get this no if you follow all the previous suggestions.

No interest: You prove, without being imposing, why exactly your pitch is in fact loaded with interest.

No trust: Offer unquestionable proof that your pitch is THE pitch. It’s easier said than done and it better be true.

No decision: Try to make their decision as easy for them as possible and exchange contact information if immediate decision is not possible.

Reading this article will not make you better at making elevator pitches.

You will mess up every single point.

It takes practice and hard work and strong and inherent belief in whatever it is that you are selling.

We have thrown around the word persuasion a lot, but at the end of the day an elevator pitch is more about connection than persuasion.

It’s about two people connecting and reaching common ground about a given topic, all within the space of an elevator ride. What is it about if it’s not about love? l

Are you doing the work you were meant to do? n Career Desk

S

ome people know exactly what they want with their career – how they would like to close the quarter, and where they would like to be in five years. For the vast majority of people, however, their idea of what they want out of their career is a vague idea at best.

University programmes follow standard curriculum for all and organisations manage their employees’ careers according to what is best for the organisation.

This is why one must become self-reliant when it comes to career management and do it on their terms. Understanding career anchors may help us understand what we are best suited for.

Career anchors represent one’s unique combination of perceived career competence, motives and values.

Personality, motivation and values affect career choices and preferences, through the metaphor of an anchor pulling people towards particular roles that they are ideally suited for. Career anchors become apparent to us gradually; the early years of anyone’s career is a time for learning – about the job and about the self.

More often than not, it is during the first few years of our careers that we come to challenge our idea of ourselves.

This happens when we find out that what we thought we were good at and the nature of the work that we thought we would do all throughout university is inconsistent with the actual day-today work experience. This forces us to confront ourselves about what we are good at, and what we really want to do.

As one’s job experience accumulates, strengths and weaknesses and preferences become clearer.

In “Career Anchors: Discovering Your Real Values,” Edgar Schein, a former professor at the MIT Sloan School

eral managerial, you view that as a necessary learning experience.

around the management of security and stability.

Autonomy/Independence

Entrepreneurial creativity

People with the autonomy/independence anchor like to define their own work in their own way. If you are in an organisation, you want to remain in jobs that allow you flexibility regarding when and how to work. If you cannot stand organisational rules and restrictions, you seek occupations in which you will have the freedom you seek, such as teaching or consulting.

These people routinely turn down opportunities for advancement in order to retain autonomy. They may even seek to have a business of their own in order to achieve a sense of autonomy; however, this motive is markedly different from the entrepreneurial creativity described later.

Security/Stability

BIGSTOCK

of Management, identifies eight different anchor types.

Your type will become clearer the further along your career you go. People don’t fall neatly into any one category and therefore you are most likely a combination of two or three.

Technical/Functional

Those with an anchor placed strongly in some technical or functional area never give up the opportunity to apply their skills in that area and to continue to develop those skills to an every higher level. They derive their sense of identity from the exercise of their skills and are most happy when their work challenges them in those areas. They

may be willing to manage others in their technical or functional area, but are not interested in management.

General managerial

People with a key career anchor in general managerial strive to climb to a level high enough in an organisation to enable them to integrate the efforts of others across functions and to be responsible for the output of a particular unit of the organisation. They want to be responsible and accountable for total results; they identify their own work with the success of the organisation for which they work.

If you are presently in a technical or functional area but your anchor is gen-

Those with an anchor of security/stability seek employment security or tenure in a job or organisation. Their main concern is to achieve a sense of having succeeded so that they can settle down.

The value is illustrated by a concern for financial security (such as pension and retirement plans) or employment security. Such stability may involve trading loyalty and willingness to do whatever the employer wants from you for some promise of job tenure.

If this is your anchor, you are less concerned with the content of your work and the rank you achieve in the organisation, although you may achieve a high level through dedication and consistency alone. As with autonomy, everyone has certain needs for security and stability, especially at times of financial stress or when one is facing retirement. People biased in this way are so concerned with these issues that they build their entire self-images

People who have entrepreneurial creativity strive to create an organisation or enterprise of their own, built on their own abilities and their willingness to take risks and to overcome obstacles.

They want to prove to the world that they can create an enterprise that is the result of their own effort. They may be working for others in an organisation while learning and assessing future opportunities, and go out on their own as soon as they feel they are ready. Commonly they want their enterprise to be financially successful as proof of their abilities more than for profit.

Service

If your key anchor is service and dedication to a cause, you would not give up the opportunity to pursue work that achieves something of value, such as making the world a better place to live in, solving environmental problems, improving harmony among people, helping others, improving people’s safety, curing diseases through new products and so on.

People under this anchor pursue such opportunities even if it means changing organisations, and they do not accept transfers or promotions that would take them out of work that fulfils those values.

Pure challenge

People with an anchor of pure challenge love the opportunity to work on solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, to succeed over tough opponents, or to overcome difficult obstacles. For them, the only meaningful reason for pursuing a job or career is that it permits them to succeed in the face of the impossible.

Some people find such pure challenge in intellectual kinds of work such as engineering, while others find the challenge in complex, multi-faceted situations, such as strategy consultancy; most think of it as an interpersonal competition. Novelty, variety and difficulty are what these people look for, and easy is another word for boring.

Lifestyle

People under the lifestyle anchor seek a situation that permits them to balance and integrate their personal needs, their family needs, and the requirements of their career. They want to make all the major aspects of their life work together toward an integrated whole and therefore need a career that provides enough flexibility to achieve such integration.

If this is your anchor, you may have to sacrifice some aspects of the career.

However, you define success in terms broader than just career success. You feel that your identity is more tied up with your life, where you live and how your family situation is than with any particular job or organisation.

Understanding the eight career anchors identified by Schein may help you assess how well suited you are for your current job and what your organisation’s plans for you are, as opposed to your plans for yourself. You are either in what is the ideal role for yourself, or you need to make a change to succeed along your desired career path. l

CORRECTION The name of Jaewan Cheong, Senior Researcher at the KIEP, was incorrectly printed as Jaewong Cheong in the Longform article “The look northeast policy” last Friday, October 10. We apologise for the error.

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Kobani fall: What does it mean for US? Ebola joke sparks scare in US, video goes viral

n Reuters, Washington It’s not a particularly strategic location, the United States and its allies never pledged to defend it, and few people outside the region had even heard of it before this month.

But the symbolism of US-led airstrikes failing to stop Islamic State militants from overrunning the Syrian city of Kobani could provide an early setback to US President Barack Obama’s three-week old Syria air campaign - far beyond its battlefield importance.

If Islamic State seizes full control of the city - which US officials acknowledge is possible in coming days - it would be able to boast that it has withstood American air power. A US-led coalition has launched 50 strikes against militant positions around the city, most of those in the last four days.

Islamic State also would be able to free up thousands of fighters to pursue territorial gains elsewhere in Syria and Iraq, analysts said.

Inevitable questions would arise over Obama’s pledge to keep US ground troops out of the fight and the strength of his international coalition. Turkey, whose border abuts Kobani, has declined to join military action against Islamic State.

“Judging the overall coalition from a single town in northern Syria ... is slightly unfair,” said Shashank Joshi of London’s Royal United Services Institute. “But I think it will dent overall confidence in the coalition and it will

n AFP, New York

Graves of People’s Protection Unit (YPG) fighters who were killed during clashes with ISIS in Kobani, are seen at a cemetery in the southeastern town of Suruc, Sanliurfa province, Syria REUTERS concern many people as to whether the US can really stop this movement.”

A Kobani victory would also provide valuable propaganda for the Islamic State, which has proved adept at providing packaged video footage of its fighters in action, while the United States can only produce fuzzy pictures of air-launched bombs and missile blowing up often unidentifiable objects on the ground.

Jeff White of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said Islamic State will “claim it has been able to do this in the face of a US-led bombing campaign.” The group’s supporters “will find that uplifting” and its opponents depressing, White said.

The city’s fate also holds importance for Syria’s Kurds, who have enjoyed a semi-independent region that includes Kobani after President Bashar al-As-

Pak Taliban criticize awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Malala n Agencies A breakaway faction of Pakistan Taliban, whose militants had pumped bullets into her two years ago, has criticized the choice of Malala Yousafzai for the 2014 Nobel Peace prize, calling her “an agent of non-believers.”

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which had separated from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in August, posted on Twitter on Friday that Malala was being used by non-believers for propaganda, PTI reported.

“Malala speaks so much against guns and armed conflicts. Does she not know that founder of her recent Nobel award was the inventor of explosives,” tweeted militant outfit spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is controlled by Omar Khalid Khurasani who has been involved in several attacks at the security forces.

So far the TTP, led by fugitive rebel leader Mullah Fazlullah, has not commented on the achievement of Malala (17), who became an international celebrity after surviving a gun attack by Taliban in 2012 for advocating education for girls, despite repeated warnings by militants.

Snowden and girlfriend reunited in Moscow, film reveals

sad’s grip on his country loosened.

For Turkey, the loss of Kobani would appear to be a mixed blessing.

Ankara opposes both Assad and Kurdish independence, and has done nothing to aid in Kobani’s defense.

But if the city falls, Islamic State will have stitched up a 250-kilometer (155mile) stretch of territory along the Turkish border, according to some analyst estimates. l

Pitching tents, Hong Kong democracy protesters dig in for long haul n

Malala was declared joint winner of the 2104 Nobel Peace prize yesterday alongwith India’s Kailash Satyarthi, a child

rights activist, whose NGO has been at the forefront of rescuing children from forced labour and trafficking. l

Jitters in the US over Ebola were underlined on Friday after an air passenger’s joke sparked a full-on alert, while another plane was quarantined at Las Vegas airport because someone vomited onboard.

In the joke incident, a Hazmat (hazardous materials) team in blue suits boarded a US Airways Flight from Philadelphia to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.

A passenger was reported to have said: “Hey, I’ve got Ebola, you’re screwed.”

After the flight reached its destination, a member of the cabin crew requested all passengers sit down before the Hazmat squad arrived.

“It’s going to look worse than it is,” the attendant spoke over the intercom as she sought to calm nerves.

“I’ve done this for 36 years. I think the man that has said this is an idiot,” she added.

Footage of the incident went viral on the internet, and was viewed nearly 3.3 million times by late afternoon Friday since it was uploaded to YouTube.

The male passenger could be overheard on the video telling the Hazmat team, “I was just kidding” and “I ain’t from Africa,” as he was escorted off the aircraft.

A US Airways spokeswoman told

Reuters, Hong Kong

Hundreds of student activists camped overnight at major protest sites in Hong Kong as the democracy movement sought to regather momentum after the government called off talks with its leaders aimed at defusing unrest in the global financial hub.

Protests escalated late last month, after Beijing’s decision on August 31 to impose conditions for nominations that would effectively stop pro-democracy candidates from contesting an election of the city’s chief executive set for 2017.

The occupation movement suffered a noticeable dip in support over the past week, but strong crowds of over ten thousand returned on Friday evening for a series of rallies in the former British colony.

By Saturday afternoon many protesters were coming back again to join the stalwarts who had camped overnight.

“Hong Kong is my home, we are fighting for Hong Kong’s future, our future,” Lawrence Chan, a 23 year-old media studies student, who has participated in the protests from the outset, told Reuters.

Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie

Lam said on Thursday that the government had called off talks with the students because of their persistent calls to escalate action.

“It seems like they (the government) don’t want to (have a) conversation with us. But I think this amount of people shows that we really want to solve the problem with the government,” said Kiki Choi, a 25-year-old art teacher among the protesters.

Since taking to the streets around two weeks ago, the activists have blockaded major roads around the government precinct in Admiralty, as well as the shopping districts of Central and Causeway Bay. At Friday’s rallies, protest leaders urged demonstrators to prepare for a protracted struggle instead of expanding the protests geographically. The protests have led to some resentment among the public due to the resulting traffic jams and loss of business.

It was unclear how long Hong Kong authorities will tolerate the occupation or how the standoff might be resolved.

For now, however, the police presence remains thin with authorities seemingly reluctant to risk fresh flare-ups. l

H U M A N TOW E R S I N C ATA LO N I A

n Agencies The mystery of the whereabouts of Edward Snowden’s long-time girlfriend is solved in a documentary that premiered in New York on Friday night: she has been living with the national security whistleblower in Russia since July.

The surprise revelation in the documentary, filmed by Laura Poitras, upends the widespread assumption that Snowden had deserted Lindsay Mills and that she, in a fit of pique, fled Hawaii where they had been living to stay with her parents in mainland US. Since Snowden, a former NSA contractor, outed himself last year as being behind the biggest leak in US intelligence history, Mills has remained silent, giving no interviews or any hints of her feelings on the subject of her boyfriend or his actions.

The two-hour long documentary, Citizenfour, shows Mills living in Russia with Snowden, the Guardian reported.

When the Guardian met Snowden in Moscow in July, Snowden suggested the relationship was more complex than the view constantly recycled in the media of a woman abandoned and hinted that the two were not in fact estranged.

Citizenfour offers a fly-on-the wall account of Snowden. Poitras filmed him at the Mira hotel in Hong Kong last year during interviews with journalists that resulted in a series of stories in the Guardian about the extent of surveillance by the US and British intelligence agencies as well as the internet and telecom companies. l

AFP that the incident delayed disembarkation of the aircraft. Airline officials were unable to estimate how much money the episode may have cost.

Meanwhile in Las Vegas on Friday, a Delta plane from New York was quarantined at the arrivals gate after a passenger who had reportedly traveled to Africa vomited onboard.

At least one passenger live tweeted the incident, which was initially reported to involve two passengers being taken off because of suspected contact with people infected with the deadly Ebola virus.

Doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and the Southern Nevada Health District joined firefighters to test the passenger while all of the other passengers remained on board.

“After a thorough assessment, it has been determined that the affected passenger does not meet the criteria for Ebola,” said a statement from McCarran International Airport.

The first death from Ebola on US soil in Texas on Wednesday fanned concern in the United States where major cities are ramping up efforts to prevent an American outbreak of the disease.

Five US international airports are to start new screening measures of passengers arriving from West Africa, beginning with JFK in New York on Saturday. l

NEWS BITES UN $1bn Ebola appeal severely underfunded

n Reuters, United Nations A $1bn United Nations appeal to fight Ebola has only been 25 percent funded and senior UN officials warned that no country was safe as the world faced a crisis with staggering potential. “It is the most extraordinary challenge that the world could possibly face. You sometimes see films about this sort of thing and you imagine how could such a thing happen. This is more extreme than any film I have ever seen,” said Dr. David Nabarro, who is heading the UN response to the Ebola epidemic. Nabarro has said a “20-fold increase” in the global response is needed compared to efforts at the end of August. The United Nations has established a special mission, known as UNMEER, to coordinate efforts to stop the spread of Ebola. The current outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever was identified in March in a remote part of Guinea. l

North Korean state media warn talks with the South in danger

n Reuters, Seoul North Korea’s state media said yesterday that expected talks with the South to try to improve ties between the rivals were in danger of being canceled because authorities in Seoul allowed a group to send leaflets hostile to Pyongyang. North and South Korea exchanged gun shots on Friday. The North fired rifles and bullets landing in the South where an anti-North activist group sent leaflets tied to balloons that were critical of the regime in Pyongyang.

“The leaflet-scattering operation ... was a premeditated and deliberate politically-motivated provocation perpetrated under the backstage wire-pulling of the U.S. and the South Korean authorities,” the North’s KCNA news agency said.

North Korea’s state media routinely accuse the South Korean government of being a puppet of the United States. l

UK spies monitoring thousands of terrorism suspects

n Reuters, London

Members of the ‘Colla Vella Xiquets de Valls’ human tower team form a ‘castell’ during the XXV human towers, or castells, competetion in Tarragona. These human towers, built traditionally in festivals within Catalonia, gather several teams that attempt to build and dismantle a tower structure AFP

Britain’s security services are monitoring thousands of terrorism suspects in London and are involved in operations on a daily basis, the capital’s mayor Boris Johnson said in an interview published yesterday. “In London we’re very, very vigilant and very, very concerned,” mayor Johnson told the Daily Telegraph newspaper. In August, Britain raised its international threat level to the second-highest classification of “severe,” meaning an attack was considered highly likely, with Prime Minister David Cameron warning that Islamic State (IS) militants fighting in Syria and Iraq posed the country’s greatest ever security risk.

About 500 Britons are believed to have joined the fighting in the region and the authorities have long argued that radicalised, battle-hardened veterans would pose a grave threat on their return. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Voyage of Visuals unveiled at Drik n Entertainment Desk With a view to disproving the popular notions about engineers’ apparent lack of creative imagination and inventiveness, the BUET Photographic Society presented its new collection of portraits at a three-day exhibition inaugurated at the Drik Gallery yesterday.

Titled “Voyage of Visuals: Portraiture,” the show features 60 individual portraits and eight photo series by a group of 56 photographers from around the country.

From the mysterious journey

through the life of the Dargah, the vibrant festival of comic cons, the classic grammatical photo of a close-up face to objective self-portraits, the exhibition attempts to capture life in its many dimensions and take the art of portrait photography to new heights.

Jashim Salam, curator and one of the judges of the exhibition, said, “It has been a great experience for me, MR Hasan and Latif Hossain, the other two judges, to go through these stunning works. Photography, truly, has changed its course and become more modern and engaging than ever before.” l

Sunday, October 12, 2014

7

TAYLOR SWIFT named Billboard Woman of the Year 2014 n Entertainment Desk Taylor Swift has been named Billboard’s Woman of the Year 2014, making her the first artist to receive the award twice.

The award goes to the female artist who “has shaped and inspired the music industry with her success, leadership and innovation” over the last year.

Previous winners include Pink, Beyonce and Katy Perry.

Swift will receive the prize at the Billboard Women in Music award ceremony on December 12 in New York.

“As one of the most influential artists of her generation, Taylor Swift has seen incredible success on the Billboard charts,” said Janice Min, co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media’s Entertain-

ment Group, which includes Billboard.

“Over the course of her career, she’s charted 60 entries on the Billboard Hot 100—the most of any female artist since her debut in 2006.

Taylor Swift is a seven-time Grammy winner and the best-selling digital music artist of all time.

Swift has just featured on the cover of British Vogue and explained what it was like to do high profile interviews.

“I don’t really have anything to hide at this point,” she told Fearne Cotton.

“It’s sort of understood that anything I do is going to be discussed and dissected and debated and I’m used to that dynamic now.”

She added: “I’m very proud of the way my life is.

“I’m 24, I’m single, feeling very independent. A lot of fun things have happened in my life.” l

A photograph by Rokonuzzaman Khan

MOHAJONER NAO sails for London n Shadma Malik Subachan Nattya Sangsad’s acclaimed musical “Mohajoner Nao” (The Boat of Infinity) has been selected for this year’s A Season of Bangla Drama, an annual drama festival hosted by Tower Hamlets Council in London.

The festival has been taking place every November for the past 12 years, with an aim to explore how Bangla culture and heritage can be exported across continents and reinterpreted using a mixture of innovation and tradition to inspire as well as develop new audiences.

Written by Shakoor Majid and directed by Sudip Chakroborthy, the play is a biographical sketch of mystic bard Baul Shah Abdul Karim portrayed through the tradition of Baul folk songs, using music and lyrics to express thoughts on divinity and philosophy.

This is for the first time that a directorial venture of

Sudip, whose latest production “Dokkhina Sundori” was staged at the inaugural session of the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme in Glasgow, is taking part in the London festival.

An excited Sudip told the Dhaka Tribune: “It is a great platform for emerging writers, directors and performers to showcase their talents. The whole team of ‘Mohajoner Nao’ is very thrilled and we are rehearsing with our best effort.”

He also said that a team of 13 members including the writer and the director will be flying to London from Dhaka on October 31. Three shows of the play will be held at the Brady Art Centre on November 1-2.

“Mohajoner Nao” has been staged for 75 times till date, at home and abroad, including three provinces in India and South Korea. Before leaving for London, Subachan Nattya Sangsad will present a special show for the Dhaka audience towards the end of this month. l

A scene from Mohajoner Nao

KATRINA KAIF to be cast in wax at Madame Tussauds n Entertainment Desk Katrina Kaif is the latest Bollywood star to be immortalised in wax at London’s Madame Tussauds.

The world-famous waxworks conducted a poll to find out which Bollywood actress amongst Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra was the most popular choice to be on show at the museum. Katrina received the most votes and is to become the fourth Bollywood actress whose wax figure will be interred at the museum.

It is reported that the team from London has taken her measurements.

The final look of her statue will be chosen from her look from “Chikni Chameli,” “Sheila ki Jawani” and “Dhoom Machale.”

A Madame Tussauds’ spokesperson did confess a new Bollywood celeb will grace the museum in 2015.

Other Bollywood celebs who have been waxed in time at Madame Tussauds are Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Kareena Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. l

Farooqi entices audience with PIPRABIDYA guessing game n Entertainment Desk Looks like Mostafa Sarwar Farooqi will leave no stone unturned in promoting his upcoming feature film “Pirabidya,” set for release on October 24.

The director has come up with a new promotional strategy to engage audience, which requires the participants to write a hypothetical story of what happens in the film based on their understanding of a three-minute trailer to be released today on his production house Chabial’s Facebook page.

Participants of the guessing game – Andaaze Dhil Chhora Contest – have to write a speculative storyline of 200300 words, and submit it before October 20.

A total of ten participants will get the opportunity to watch the film along with its cast and crew during its premiere. In addition, they will also get the opportunity to act in Farooqi’s next venture or work as his assistant directors or receive a special souvenir signed by him – as per their calibre and enthusiasm.

The result of the contest will be announced on October 22 while the film is scheduled to premiere on October 24.

The trailer has already been show-

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has been appointed as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asian region.

In a programme organised in Kathmandu the Regional Director of UNICEF South Asia, Karin Hulshof, announced the 49-year-old actor as the Goodwill Ambassador on October 9, after he visited Kapilvastu and Lumbini in west Nepal to observe a locally initiated nutrition programme by women health volunteers.

Aamir endorsed the offer, in which capacity he would support UNICEF’s work to promote the right of South Asian children to nutrition.

“I am delighted to become an ambassador of UNICEF in South Asia. I hope my messages on the importance of children’s nutrition will make parents, families at all levels support and adopt proven services and nutrition practices that will help children grow and develop to their full potential,” Aamir said after his endorsement.

“Child stunting remains one of the greatest development challenges to South Asia. Stunted children have stunted bodies, stunted brains, and stunted lives. Compared with children who are not stunted, stunted children have poorer cognitive

NTV, 2:30pm

cased in numerous cinemas of the country by Jazz Multimedia, the distribution company for the film. l

The story opens with Rohel and Meghborti who just got married and went to their honeymoon. At flashback, audience gets to see how there marriage had taken place.

Meghborti’s father did not give his consent to get married with his daughter as Rohel is a complete misfit for Meghborti.

Celebrity Style Story TLC, 10:30pm

The show tells the story of one celebrity’s style evolution through their unforgettable hair, make-up and fashion choices.

Poster of Piprabidya

AAMIR KHAN made UNICEF ambassador for South Asia n Entertainment Desk

Golapbhromon

development, often enrol later in school, complete fewer grades, and learn less – leading to reduced productivity and income-earning in adult life” he added.

The “Dhoom 3” star also met Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at his residence at Baluwatar and discussed about malnutrition, which is spread all over the world.

During his three-day Nepal visit, Aamir also took part in the launch of the 1,000 Golden Days national nutrition campaign. l

Lincoln

Zee Studio, 9:30pm

As the Civil War continues to rage, America’s president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.

The Time Machine Movies Now, 3:25pm

Alexander Hartdegen is a scientist and inventor who works hard to prove that time travel is possible and determined to go back in time and change the path and bring his girlfriend alive.

House of Versace Star Movies, 11:59pm

A chronicle of Donatella Versace’s triumph over tragedy by carrying on her brother’s powerful legacy after his 1997 slaying.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, October 12, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Girls’ education the top priority

W

e support the congratulatory message sent by the Prime Minister to Malala Yousafzai on her becoming the youngest Nobel laureate, after risking her life to promote education in

Pakistan.

The Pakistani female education activist, and Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi are highly deserving joint winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

Bangladesh’s progress in reducing the most extreme forms of poverty, has been helped in no small part by moves to improve basic education and increase women’s participation in the workforce.

We hope the worldwide welcome for the Nobel laureates’ campaigns will inspire more effective grassroots efforts to increase the participation of girls and young women in education in our own country.

Despite huge strides made in the past two decades in bringing about gender parity in enrolments in our primary and lower secondary schools, girls’ education is still held back by high dropout rates particularly in the later secondary years.

Social attitudes which undervalue education by girls still need to be challenged. High drop-out rates have many harmful consequences and are a key factor behind Bangladesh having one of the highest rates of underage marriage in the world.

Education is the most effective way to lift people out of poverty.

Policy-makers and the government need to do much more to make girls’ education valued by all.

Empowering women and girls through education is the best way to assure that no-one is deprived of their right to reach their full potential.

Empowering women and girls through education is the best way to fight poverty

No impunity for sexual harassment

T

he recent case of a 13-year-old girl and her family being set on fire and killed for turning down a marriage proposal is sadly not an isolated crime.

A 20-year-old man was murdered this weekend by stalkers who had been sexually harassing his cousin, after he had protested their actions.

It is outrageous that widespread acceptance of archaic and discriminatory attitudes allows some men to harass women and young girls with impunity. It is the prevalence of attitudes which normalise sexual harassment that makes it harder to deter and bring down violent crimes against women such as dowry-related violence, rape, trafficking, and acid attacks.

Our current laws will not be sufficient to bring down violence against women and young girls unless there is more willingness to change attitudes which enable perpetrators to believe they can get away with belittling and degrading women.

Real change will only be seen when people find it unacceptable to trivialise sexual harassment by calling it ‘’eve-teasing’’ and women in all walks of life feel empowered and protected enough to prevent and ward off unwanted attention.

Left unchallenged, sexual harassment adds to the climate of fear which makes it easier for perpetrators to believe they can get away with more violent forms of abuse against women.

It must be seen for what it really is, an unacceptable form of oppression, which must be rooted out.

Everyone can help play a part in preventing violence against women by resisting discriminatory attitudes which give comfort to perpetrators.

Attitudes which normalise sexual harassment make it harder to deter violent crimes against women

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

Islamic parties seek capital punishment for Latif October 3

Osmania Demanding/threatening death sentences is the way in which many people demand everything. It is always wrong, in my honest opinion.

In Siddique’s case, it draws attention away from the piety, and the caring and the sharing which should be the focus of religious Muslim folk during the Eid seasons.

AL says Latif Siddique removed October 3

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 18 represents M so fill M every time the figure 18 appears.

You have one letter in the control grid to start you off. Enter it in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

skeptic Why do Muslim people always revert to threatening physical violence and capital punishment to vent their grievances? Abdul Latif Siddique said a few offensive things, but that does not mean he deserves prison or other cruel punishment. Anyone who says so is destroying the secular image of Bangladesh with their irrational demands.

The Hasina moment October 3

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.

Abu Md Moniruzzaman To be removed … like this.

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid Oops!

SR Great news.

Zayed Mahmud We are looking forward to him receiving a good punishment so that some other person can learn from this horrid incidence.

The government itself and the cabinet are illegal anyway.

Biotechnology in agriculture stressed October 3

Shahjada Shahrior Ronju It’s time for thinking about biotechnology.

Dhaka Tribune now on LinkedIn October 3

Lutfur Arif

Mohammad Zaman The 500-pound gorilla is still the January 5 election, even in the mind of Hasina. Otherwise, she would not have mentioned this at all.

I, however, am not in favour of any election unless the structure of our polity is changed. Replacing one humbug with another is no sane way to go.

Shafiqur Rahman This kind of spectacular groveling entails special rewards.

US cable: Tarique phoned for JMB leader Khamaru’s release October 2 Mohammed Salim An exact report about Tareque.

Nasif Where’s the WikiLeaks source? probirbidhan Nasif: Here’s the link for Siddiqui’s comment: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/05DHAKA6190_a.html

A mockery of justice October 3

Another good work done by my favourite paper! #onlyinbangladesh #commentsonhajj

Do good students exist?

October 3

Syed Shadman Rahim “No department has the luxury to say that our students do not exist in Bangladesh, however close to reality that may be.” Of course they exist.

They just don’t exist within the lot that took the exam at DU. Perhaps they should seek fresh applications from everyone, reorganise a test, and not lower the standard of entrance.

Mohammad Zaman If he had not done what he did, it is likely that the thugs of BCL and other AL outfits would have made the life of the magistrate hell. So is the entropy of today.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Widespread reputation (4) 4 Grottoes (5) 9 Respectful fear (3) 11 Part of a church (4) 12 Frozen shower (5) 13 Demonstrative joy (4) 14 Give for temporary use (4) 15 View (5) 19 Water pitchers (5) 21 Gem (4) 25 Additional (4) 26 Stringed instrument (5) 28 Look narrowly (4) 29 Sharp blow (3) 30 Remains (5) 31 Retained (4)

DOWN 1 Quick (4) 2 Boring tool (3) 3 Encounters (5) 5 Fisher (6) 6 Farewell! (4) 7 Level (4) 8 Out of sorts (5) 10 Scatter (5) 16 Salad item (6) 17 Courage (5) 18 Frolics actively (5) 20 Tally (5) 22 Writer of verse (4) 23 Region (4) 24 Deeply engrossed (4) 27 Scoop up with tongue (3)

SH Seriously? Ugh! Welcome to the new North Korea. Hope I don’t get jailed for this too.

Latif to be removed from party as well

CALVIN AND HOBBES

October 3

MCS Dear prime minister of #Bangladesh, please take the same bold stance against the corrupt drug dealers, anti-minorities, and anti-women politicians in your party too.

Don’t let the #latifsiddique incident prove “you are using religion,” just like the other parties in Bangladesh, otherwise you are no different.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

Latif Siddique ‘removed’ from Cabinet PEANUTS

October 2 Dr Ahsan Habib What a contradiction. The removal of a minister is so quick and easy in this case. But the same government showed us so many rules and formalities when the black cat resigned. Also, the same government kept Sohel Taz as minister for months instead of acknowledging that he is no longer in the cabinet. Has the rules for ministerial removal changed. If so, then when?

Keep it civil

October 4 Momoaswan Thank you for your common sense. Freedom of expression is threatened if unpopular views are prosecuted.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

9

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Will the real Muslim please stand up?

L

n Faruq Hasan

ast week, some of us might have seen the Batman duke it out with the Joker. Not quite the cinematic version, mind you. Hollywood actor Ben Affleck, the man who would be Batman in a forthcoming movie, got into an altercation with famous comedian and TV host Bill Maher about Islam, or more specifically, why liberals shy away from critiquing the more odious aspects of the religion.

To sum up the debate, which has since gone viral, Affleck was visibly affronted by Maher's repeated attempts to equate Islam as a unique religion that not only condones violence, but is actually responsible for terrorist groups like ISIS carrying out warfare across liberals and conservatives alike.

Islam, to Maher, is “the only religion that acts like the mafia” and which would “kill you if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture, or write the wrong book.”

At the very least, these people are dismissive about the actual motivations of the people who carry out such atrocities, and are quick to call themselves the real representatives of their religion (funnily enough, ISIS members would equally contest that claim and call themselves the real brand ambassadors).

But I also get irked by the opposition: Those who try to tie down religion to its scriptural meaning, and sum up Islam and Christianity as the sum total of the Qur’an or the Bible.

Yes, both texts have violence, misogyny, and are riddled with contradictions. But national constitutions often appeal to violence, often don’t hold women and minorities in the highest regard, and yet we don’t see nationalities and citizenship come under the same scathing attack as some religions do.

All religions are a merger between culture, scripture, and your own personal values. Like any other religion, Muslims all over the world are brought

Any attempts to find the quintessential Muslim person will just send you on a fool’s errand

No religion is truly homogeneous What was so unique about Batman’s dance with the Joker had less to do with believers and rationalists going at each others’ throats, but more to do with how religion, may it be Islam or Scientology, continues to be the subject of contemporary sophomoric debates, both by liberals and conservatives alike, trying to get to the “essence” of religion. I would argue there is none.

First, full disclosure: I am an atheist, and have little or no sympathy for all things religious. I specially get irked by Muslims who continue to scoff at violence done in the name of Islam. ISIS is not really an Islamic group, al-Qaeda really does not have a clue about “real” Islam, the Crusades weren’t really a war about religion.

together by the five pillars of Islam.

But there are also healthy, and sometimes significant, differences between Muslims from all over the world, often cultural.

Whereas Bangladeshi Muslims abstain from all food during Ramadan, I have seen my Bosnian friends drink water or tea while fasting. Shi’ite Iranians happily draw pictures and sketches of Prophet Mohammad and distribute them during Friday prayers, but Sunnis in Saudi Arabia would probably be put to death for doing the same thing.

And Turkish women are increasingly abandoning headscarves and abayas and still consider themselves bona fide Muslims, much to the chagrin of many Somali women who

consider headgear fundamental to their identity as a Muslim woman.

So who is the real Muslim? Unfortunately for Bill Maher and his brand of liberals, there really isn’t any. Just like liberals, Marxists, feminists, and Buddhists, a person’s religious identity is meshed with how he sees the world at large.

All religious texts are perfectly malleable to conform to what you individually bring to the table while reading it. A feminist Muslim reading the Qur'an will find enough quotes about women’s empowerment, a Marxist will find plenty of ammo to destroy class structure in the holy book, while an atheist will certainly find enough loopholes and contradictions to claim that this is all bunk. There really is no

A Nobel shame n Sandip Roy

T

his may well go down as the Line of Control Nobel Peace Prize.

Even as India and Pakistan talk tough and lob shells at each other across the border, here comes the Nobel Peace Prize committee doing their version of marriage counseling.

A joint Nobel Peace Prize for Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi — a Pakistani and an Indian. Now if that doesn’t embarrass the two belligerent armies into a ceasefire, what can?

The wild celebrations are already breaking out, on social media at least.

The Aam Aadmi Party has let Kailash Satyarthi know that “all of India is proud of you.” What AAP didn’t say is most of India went “Kailash who?” before they were proud of him.

Chalo. On a day when one India-born Satya (Nadella of Microsoft) covered himself with ignominy and Twitter-shame for his comments about women in tech, another Satyarthi has redeemed our national honour. Satyameva jayate one way or the other.

But even as we puff up with pride we have to admit that this award is rather embarrassing on both sides of the border, albeit for different reasons.

It’s a bit of a rude shock for most Indians to realise they know way more about the Pakistani Nobel winner than they do about their own homegrown one. Malala on the other hand gets a lot of coverage in India because the West has already turned her into a global icon. And as Vandana Shiva and Arundhati Roy know, Western attention automatically translates into fame at home as well.

We know about the “Narmada Bachao Andolan,” but few Indians know about the “Bachpan Bachao Andolan” and fewer still about Kailash Satyarthi, and that includes many of us in the media, including this sheepish writer. We are righteously aghast at the Taliban’s brutal attempts to prevent a girl from getting an education in Pakistan, and laud Malala’s guts,

but Satyarthi too has faced risks to his life trying to rescue trafficked children from factories.

But we are inured to the child slavery in our midst because it's so ubiquitous, from tea shops to carpet factories. Three quarters of domestic workers in India are believed to be between the ages of 12 and 16 and 90% of them are girls. The Indian government’s 2001 census says 12.6 million minors between the ages of 5 and 14 are in the workforce.

When a fifteen-year-old is rescued from Vasant Kunj with bite marks and head wounds infested with maggots and says she was kept naked by her mistress so she would not escape, we call her a “maid” but in reality she is a “slave”.

We have to admit that this award is rather embarrassing on both sides

Child slavery in India, for most of us, is one of the myriad “jholawalla” problems that’s keeping the country down. Who knew that within that field, there exists someone the committee found Nobel-worthy? Some will see in this Nobel, after the initial euphoria has died down, as yet more proof of a vast conspiracy to keep the international image of India as poor, ragged, and starving, as opposed to prospering, aspiring, and Madison-Square-gardening.

But the larger embarrassment is, while we rebuke a Maria Sharapova for the temerity of not knowing who Sachin Tendulkar is, we have been caught with our pants down as we desperately Google our first 100% “pukka desi” Nobel Peace prize

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

essence to religions, and any attempts to find the quintessential Muslim person will just send you on a fool’s errand.

But back to Batman vesus Joker.

My message to the upcoming Bruce Wayne would be not to completely dismiss the Muslim identity of ISIS members. Most religious extremists believe they are doing God’s work, and it is their God which is the legitimate one.

Pooh-poohing their claims as not “authentic” also makes it very difficult to scrutinise and deal with the very real problems that some religious people have with modernity – decrying equality between men and women, high intolerance for people of different ethnicities or religion, and

a duty to enforce what they believe is the only way to live life.

Bill Maher is completely correct to point out that many in the Muslim world still exist in a dark cave, and we – both Muslims and non-Muslims alike – should not wear kid gloves while dealing with the very real problems, or skirt around the issue as to how religions sometimes fan the flames of extremism.

But the Joker also needs to realise that one extremist does not make an entire religion or a people. Yes, honour killing is rampant amongst Muslims in Yemen. But Christians in Jordan carry out the exact same hideous crimes, while Christian Eritrean families still carry out female genital mutilation, Muslims in Bangladesh

too suffer from the same caste system that their neighbours in India have enforced for centuries, while Hasidic Jews in Israel eschew interest in profits in exactly the same way Muslims do in the Middle East.

Failing to realise that religions don’t exist in a vacuum or a single tradition, and are a function of culture, geo-politics, and plain old personal biases, will continue to engender conflicts between the Dark Knight and his coterie of adversaries. Understanding the chameleon nature of religion is to acknowledge it’s not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us. l Faruq Hasan is the Political Adviser at the Norwegian Embassy.

Democracy: The only answer winner (Dr Rajendra Pachauri won in 2007, but it was really the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which he was chairing).

But Indians can console themselves, as they often do, by looking across the border and saying the Pakistanis have it worse. We can be embarrassed about not knowing our Nobel laureate but at least we didn’t drive our Nobel laureate out of the country to Birmingham.

For Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai’s award hardly covers the country in glory. It really reiterates a horrible, shocking, and festering reality – the simple act of trying to get an education can get a girl shot in the head.

When Malala Yousafzai got the 2013 Ambassador of Conscience award, she said she had written a short speech because she had to finish her homework. She said: “With this powerful weapon of knowledge and education, we can fight against wars, terrorism, child labour, and inequality” thereby unwittingly joining cause with Satyarthi’s mission long before this joint Nobel. Now the Nobel has joined them together formally.

We may choose on both sides of the border to regard these Nobels as a way of humiliating our respective nations by only seeing our ugliest problems.

Or we may regard the prize as a shining light on what should be a blight on our collective conscience.

That choice, and that challenge, is up to us. As Satyarthi tweeted when Narendra Modi became the prime minister: “A tea-boy dares his detractors by becoming the PM of India. Now it’s his turn to ensure that no child is forced to become a child labourer.”

That didn't make news. He was just another jholawalla NGO-type then, though the issue of child slavery was as unconscionable then as it is now.

But perhaps now that we have all Googled him, we will take him more seriously today. l Sandip Roy is the Culture Editor for Firstpost.

This article was first published in www. firstpost.com.

n SM Shahrukh Some say that democracy is the rule of the stupid; that it considers people as essentially stupid. A bit harsh, in my opinion; unsuspecting, gullible, easily duped, and totally naive about the machinations of running a state seems a more likely assessment. But democracy it has to be.

So what if people only participate on the day of the polls? They select some of their own to represent the whole, the select few are assumed to be smarter and more capable than most to run the day-to-day businesses of the government, enact laws, scrap laws that do not reflect the will of the people, and somehow try to ensure justice to prevail in the state.

Autocracy or totalitarianism will fail in the long run. A monarchy will never ensure the rights of the people, even if the subjects remain subservient to a monarch, the grandeur of the monarchy will, in time, lose lustre and people will be bound to rise up against it.

Some monarchies that are going strong, apparently in the Middle East, will ultimately fail if they do not go for an inclusive method of governance.

The Caliphate professed by the Islamic State will never be able to sustain itself. It is anachronistic, brutal, and will never empower people.

Communism also will never succeed. If history has taught us anything, we do not want to share everything we have with the people next door. Avarice is an inherently human quality.

We may want some sort of social justice, but giving up a higher position in life for the sake of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with someone who is presumed to be weaker? No way. The failure of communism has nothing to do with banning religion, it is because we are human, and we are imperfect.

Now, democracy as we see is not flawless. A select few still end up cornering power but they can always be voted out, and then a new group

is voted in and given the reins until they are wrested from them when the people do not approve anymore.

The problem with democracy is the ever-increasing level of hypocrisy.

The head of a state is always going for photo-ops, taking a child from the crowd and trying to put up an angelic image of himself/herself, going to disaster affected areas and faking concern, shedding a tear or two as an obituary to the recently demised political opponent, etcetra etcetra etcetra.

We have no choice but to nurture democracy and show political maturity

Democratic regimes often resort to various forms of nepotism, some more than others, hence the terms oligarchy, oligopoly, plutocracy, and such.

The problem with hypocrisy becomes stark when people see the lawmakers themselves breaking the law at will, and persecuting someone holding a view contrary to theirs, all the time screaming about freedom of speech and choice. The demagogues scream for the wrong so loud that people start to doubt what they have always believed to be right.

Those with contrary views who are screaming for the right reasons are shoved violently or surreptitiously into a “dark closet,” and the ones holding power bang their drums so loudly to the general masses that the right is actually made to appear as wrong.

With control over the media and use of spin doctors they almost always succeed, but not all the time. A

democratic society somehow or other brings a voice of contradiction to the fore and that voice rocks the citadel.

Problems with democracy are seen all over the world, in both the developed as well as the developing countries. However, in a developed country, opposition cannot be stifled as easily, and that is one of the reasons that they have become developed.

An active and vibrant opposition will always keep the group in power within a sphere of accountability even if both groups consist of hypocrites and political power players.

Amidst all these problems, democracy takes a country forward and some level of equity is established. Some countries are better off than others; the Nordic countries are at the top of the tree while the wealthiest democracy, the United States, is lagging in several sectors.

In spite of a poor political culture, Bangladesh has forged ahead under democratic governments, all the years spent under martial law only deferred the level of development that her people have shown could be achieved.

If military dictators, with all the unnecessary defense spending and policies aimed at staying in power, had not been ruling this country for almost 17 of her 43 years, Bangladesh would most probably have been a middle income country by now.

We have no choice but to nurture democracy and show political maturity and somehow bring about a better political culture where power holders and the groups outside of power will always put the country first and their debates will only empower people more.

None of their programs will disrupt the lives of the masses or impede the progress of the country. This will force the scourge of our country, ie corruption, to be reined in, and the yawning difference between the very rich and very poor to narrow down appreciably. l SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE Sunday, October 12, 2014

11 Dutch relief as

Italy’s Chiellini scores all three

Sport

11 Federer halts

Djokovic to reach final

Tardelli brace help Brazil sink Argentina n Reuters, Beijing Lionel Messi had a penalty saved as Brazil continued their defensive rehabilitation under returning coach Dunga with a morale-boosting 2-0 win over old adversaries Argentina in a feisty friendly on Saturday.

Atletico Mineiro striker Diego Tardelli scored once in each half, his first goals for Brazil, as former skipper Dunga made it three wins and as many clean sheets since returning to the role following the World Cup in July.

Dunga upset many fans with his negative tactics in his first spell in charge but his methods seem well timed for a proud nation still coming to terms with a 7-1 hammering at their home World Cup by eventual winners Germany that led to Luiz Felipe Scolari’s sacking.

More compact and organised, the five-times world champions soaked up wave after wave of pressure before launching swift counters at the Birds Nest Stadium in the Chinese capital where soaring pollution levels subsided an hour before kick off.

Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria had early sighters at goal for Argentina before they fell behind in the 28th minute against the run of play following a defensive lapse worthy of Scolari’s Brazil.

A right-wing cross from midfielder Oscar drew the attention of Federico Fernandez and Pablo Zabaleta, the two defenders diverting the ball to an unmarked Tardelli who fired home with goalkeeper Sergio Romero making a poor attempt at a save.

Argentina continued to press but

at the other end Neymar should have made it two after a mazy dribble through the heart of the defence took him clear only to offer a tame shot that went wide after he perhaps attempted one trick too many.

The Argentines, runners-up at the World Cup, were gifted an opportunity to draw level four minutes before halftime when they were awarded a soft penalty by Chinese official Fan Qi. Brazil’s Danilo slipped and allowed Di Maria in behind him before a lunging tackle found man and ball, an incident that led the full back’s team mates to surround and push into Fan in unsporting fashion to protest against his decision.

RESULT Brazil

2-0

Brazilian Diego Tardelli (L) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal during the Superclasico football match against Argentina at the National stadium in Beijing yesterday AFP

BCB names 32-man prelim squad, Nasir on verge of omission from Tests

New twist in Gazi’s never-ending saga n Minhaz Uddin Khan

n

Save the Sports urges Asiad probe n Tribune Desk Save the Sports, an organisation comprising sports organisers, urged the government to take necessary actions and an impartial investigation against the responsible persons for the debacle in the recently concluded 17th Asian Games.

The sports forum which was formed in March this year held a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday where Bangladesh’s poor display in the Asian Games was discussed at length.

The organisers also urged the countrymen to stop the corruption, anomaly and partiality currently existing in the sports arena.

Zakaria Pintu, captain of the Swadhin Bangla football team and chairman of Save the Sports, was critical of the existing scenario. l

ISL begins today, Mamunul unlikely to feature Bangladesh skipper Mamunul Islam’s chances of playing in the starting eleven are very slim as his new club Atletico de Kolkata take on Mumbai City FC in the inaugural match of the Indian Super League (ISL) at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata today.

The foreign players’ quota in the inaugural season of the ISL has been set at six and given the formidable line-up of Atletico, Mamunul, the only Bangladeshi footballer to play in the ISL, is very unlikely to make it into the playing eleven. The major reason why Mamunul might not find himself in the starting eleven is owing to his late arrival at the Atletico camp. The Bangladesh midfielder joined in the camp after 20 days due to the national side’s assignment in the 17th Asian Games men’s football in Incheon, South Korea.

The 25-year old talismanic midfielder, who signed for the Kolkata franchise in the first week of September on a three-month loan deal, missed the club’s 15-day long isolated training camp at the La Liga champions Atletico Madrid’s playing ground Vicente Calderon Stadium. Mamunul joined the camp on October 2.

Atletico boast a strong midfield containing the likes of Real Madrid youth product Borja Fernandez, Botswana international Ofentse Nato and the club’s marquee signing, former Spanish international Luis Garcia. Local players like Cavin Lobo and Rakesh Masih could also get the nod in midfield.l

Argentina

The Jordan Under-16 women’s football team pose for a photo after their arrival at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday BFF

Wayne Rooney has scored 42 goals for England & is only seven goals shy of equalling Bobby Charlton’s national record

n Shishir Hoque

Tardelli 28, 64

The delay as the Chinese official attempted to quell the protests and book Danilo appeared to aid the Brazilians as four- times World Player of the Year Messi could only offer a soft, low penalty which Jefferson dived to his right to palm away.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first with Argentina pouring forward and Neymar leading the Brazilian counter attacks while the traditional tasty challenges flowed in unfamiliar surroundings for the 96th meeting between the two great rivals.

Brazilian Filipe Luis and Di Maria should have scored at the start of the second period when put through, the full back lacking composure after a

Did you know?

Minhaz Uddin Khan

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday announced a 32-member preliminary squad for the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe later this month.

However, according to sources, the three-member national selection panel has already chalked down the final Bangladesh squad for the three-match Test series. It was learned that the final squad was drafted after discussing with the national head coach Chandika Hathurusingha.

Chief of the national selection panel, Faruk Ahmed, explained the reasons behind the announcement of such a long preliminary squad. “We made a big preliminary squad because we plan to draw two teams from it. A national team for the Test series against Zimbabwe and the Bangladesh A team for the tour of Kolkata.”

This indicates that all the cricketers with the exception of the 17 who will be chosen for the Test series will be sent to Kolkata. The Bangladesh A team will participate in the tournament to mark 150 years of Eden Gardens as a cricket ground. The second string national side is likely to comprise new ODI captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Nasir

Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Anamul Haque and Mohammed Mithun.

On the other hand, juvenile legspinner Jubair Hossain might get a national call-up in the final squad for the Test series. The suspension of off-spinner Sohag Gazi coupled with the dismal run of form of veteran

I think his (Nasir) time is finished. There is no more need to carry him around in the national side PRELIMINARY SQUAD Tamim Iqbal, Shahadat Hossain, Shamsur Rahman, Anamul Haque, Imrul Kayes, Mohammed Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Kumar, Mominul Haque, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Arafat Sunny, Mahmudullah, Taskin Ahmed, Naeem Islam, Masrafe bin Mortaza, Taijul Islam, Abul Hasan, Jubair Hossain, Muktar Ali, Saqlain Sajib, Mohammed Shahid, Al Amin Hossain, Elias Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Marshal Ayub, Robiul Islam, Soumya Sarker

spinner Abdur Razzak are said to have brightened the 19-year old Jubair’s prospects. Another spinner Saqlain Sajib also has a good chance of playing some part in the Tests due to his heroic performances against Zimbabwe A at home last month.

As far as getting discarded from the final squad is concerned, Nasir Hossain features on top of the list. Early in his career, the right-handed batsman mesmerised all with his ability to finish a game which rightly earned him the moniker ‘Mr Finisher’. However, a long-running bad patch has put Nasir in the line of fire.

It was learned from a close BCB source that Nasir will be cut off from the final squad for the Test series. “I think his (Nasir) time is finished. There is no more need to carry him around in the national side,” said the source requesting anonymity.

Nasir made his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2011. Two years since his bow saw the hard-hitting batsman continue to enjoy a run of scintillating form in all the three formats of the game. However, since May 2013, Nasir started to lose his sharpness failing to register a single half-century in any format during this period. l

The suspension imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) upon Bangladesh off-spinner Sohag Gazi due to an illegal bowling action has not stopped producing one twist after another ever since it was sanctioned last Wednesday.

According to sources, an observatory report on Gazi sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) by the ICC yesterday apparently showed footage of another Bangladesh cricketer Mahmudullah instead of the former.

This raised questions as to why Mahmudullah’s footage was sent and that whether the decision of suspending Gazi due to an illegal bowling might have initiated from the footage of Mahmudullah. Or was it simply a misunderstanding on behalf of the ICC. One influential BCB director requesting anonymity confirmed to Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the BCB had indeed received the confusing ICC email.

“Yes, the board’s CEO (Nizamuddin Chowdhury) has received an email today (yesterday) and it is also true that the email had footage of Riyad (Mahmudullah) attached to it,” said the BCB high-up.

He went on to clarify that Mahmudullah’s footage was simply a clerical mistake by the ICC and that it had not mattered in Gazi’s suspension. l

Huawei to co-sponsor Tsukitate unveiled as women’s coach n Zimbabwe series Raihan Mahmood

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam One of the world’s leading telecommunications equipment maker, Huawei, is bracing itself to enter Bangladesh cricket for the very first time as the technology vendor is all set to be the co-sponsors of the national side’s upcoming home series against Zimbabwe later this month.

As the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has already sold out the series’ entire title sponsorship rights to Sahara Group, Huawei will only reserve the right to be the co-sponsors.

Sources informed that the Chinese brand, recently ranked as the world’s 94th best brand by brand evaluation firm Interbrand, has signed a deal with the BCB estimated to be around $300,000.

The home series, comprising three Tests

and five one-day internationals, will now be titled ‘Bangladesh-Zimbabwe Sahara Cup powered by Huawei’.

Cricket’s governing body in the country will declare it officially in a ceremony this Thursday, informed Huawei director of device business Ingmar Wang.

“We have a vision with our mobile handsets, especially for the Bangladeshi market. That is why we want to be a recognised name through this cricket series,” Ingmar recently told Dhaka Tribune.

The first of three Test matches will begin in Dhaka on October 25 while the one-day international series gets underway in Chittagong on November 21.

Although this is the first instance, Ingmar informed that they have plans to invest in the future as well. l

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officially introduced Norio Tsukitate as the head coach of the national women’s team at the BFF House yesterday. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin presented the Japanese coach to the press.

“I welcome you to Bangladesh. I hope you have a nice stay here and hope that our women’s football team get benefited from the experience that you have acquired throughout the years you have roamed in football,” said Salahuddin.

Salahuddin also thanked the president of the Japan Football Association, Kuniya Daini, for taking the initiative to send Tsukitate to Bangladesh.

Tsukitate expressed satisfaction over the progress of Bangladesh women’s football. “They have the potential and I do not like to lose. I always try to win and I hope Bangla-

desh perform good in the Saff Women’s Championship next month. However, there is no shortcut to development in football. You need good and educated coaches and a well-organised

development plan. Hope Bangladesh do better in the future,” said Tsukitate, who has coached the national teams of Guam and Laos in his decorated coaching career. l

Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin (R) shakes hands with the new coach of the women’s national football team Norio Tsukitate at Motijheel yesterday BFF

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Dutch relief as Italy’s Chiellini scores all three, Belgium run riot n AFP, Paris Giorgio Chiellini stole the show in Italy’s win over Azerbaijan while the Netherlands escaped acute embarrassment and Belgium went on a goal blitz in Euro 2016 qualifying on Friday.

New Holland manager Guus Hiddink was heading for a second successive defeat after lowly Kazakhstan, ranked 127th in the world, took an early first half lead in Amsterdam But Klaas Jan Huntelaar cancelled out Russian-born defender Rinat Abdulin’s shock 17th minute opener with Ibrahim Afellay and Robin van Persie from the penalty spot ensuring potential disaster was averted.

The Dutch are placed third in Group A, three points behind the Czech Republic, who followed up their opening win against the World Cup third-placed side with a 2-1 defeat of Turkey, and Iceland, 3-0 winners in Latvia.

In Palermo, Chiellini scored all the goals in Italy’s 2-1 win over Azerbaijan to push the Azzurri on top of Group H on goal difference from Croatia, who saw off Bulgaria 1-0.

Chiellini broke the deadlock one minute from the interval, only to negate that effort with an own goal in the 77th minute.

His journey from hero back to villain back to hero was completed five minutes later when securing the winner at the end of a game where he had virtually matched his goal tally of the past seven years.

The Juventus defender became the first player to score a goal and an own

goal in a Euro qualifier since Fernando Hierro for Spain in 1999 And in an intriguing twist the man who caused World Cup shame when taking a bite out of Chiellini in Brazil, Barcelona star Luis Suarez, was returning for the first time since that dental attack for Uruguay in a friendly in Saudi Arabia.

Italy coach Antonio Conte added: “The lads put in a good performance but we have to be more clinical. There was little else they could have improved on.”

Norway are lying third in Group H after a 3-0 win in Malta with the goals coming from two players from the English Championship -- Cardiff teenager Mats Moller Daehli and Blackburn Rovers forward Joshua King, who got a double.

Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale was unable to work his magic for Wales as Chris Coleman’s side were held to a goalless draw by Bosnia-Hercegovina in Cardiff.

The performance pleased me more than the point,” Coleman told Sky Sports.

“The crowd were incredible, the atmosphere reminded me of when I was a player and we took on teams at Cardiff Arms Park,” added Coleman, looking to guide Wales to their first major finals since the 1958 World Cup. After an opening win over Andorra Wales were left top of Group B, ahead of favourites Belgium, who got their Euro 2016 campaign up and running with a 6-0 rout of minnows Andorra.

Israel beat Cyprus 2-1 in Group B’s other game in Nicosia.

The road to the Euro 2016 finals continues on Saturday with World Cup winners Germany in Poland and Scotland hosting Georgia. l

11

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Wounded holders Spain in need of Luxembourg tonic n Reuters, Madrid

RESULTS Latvia

0-3

A convincing win for Spain away to Luxembourg on Sunday will help put them back on track in Euro 2016 qualifying but anything less will add to the sense of gloom hanging over the European champions.

After a dismal defence of their World Cup crown in Brazil and a friendly defeat to France in Paris last month, Spain’s bid to rebuild as they seek a third straight continental title was rudely interrupted by Thursday’s shock 2-1 defeat against Slovakia in Zilina.

Toothless in attack and shaky in defence, Vicente del Bosque’s side slipped to their first reverse in qualifying for the World Cup or European Championship in eight years and an unbeaten run of 36 qualifiers came to a shuddering halt.

Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas was at fault for Slovakia’s opening goal, flapping at a swerving Juraj Kucka free kick in the latest of a series of blunders, while Brazil-born forward Diego Costa has still not scored in six appearances for his adopted country.

England manager Roy Hodgson insists he won’t let rising star Raheem Sterling suffer from burnout on the road to Euro 2016.

With England on cruise control by half-time in Thursday’s 5-0 victory over San Marino, Hodgson was quick to substitute Sterling at the interval in a bid to keep one of his most prized assets fresh for Sunday’s slightly more testing qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn.

Daniel Sturridge, who is out of the current qualifiers due to injury. l

Iceland

G Sigurdsson 66, A Gunnarsson 77, Gislason 90

3-1

Kazakhstan

Huntelaar 62, Afellay 82, van Persie 89-P

Abdulin 17

Netherlands

Turkey

1-2

Czech Republic

Umut Bulut 8

Belgium

Sivok 15, Dockal 58

6-0

Andorra

1-2

Israel

De Bruyne 31-P, 34, Chadli 37, Origi 59, Mertens 65, 68

Cyprus Makridis 67

FIXTURES

Damari 38, Ben Haim 45

Wales

0-0

Bosnia

Bulgaria

0-1

Croatia Olic 36

Italy

2-1

Chiellini 44, 82

Malta

Azerbaijan Chiellini 77-og

0-3

Norway Daehli 22, King 26, 49

Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini celebrates after scoring against Azerbaijan during their Euro 2016 qualification match in Palermo on Friday REUTERS

Ukraine Belarus Luxembourg Estonia Lithuania Austria Russia Sweden

v v v v v v v v

Macedonia Slovakia Spain England Slovenia Montenegro Moldova Liechtenstein

Suarez returns, Falcao scores in Columbia win Blatter calls for end n AFP, Paris Luis Suarez returned for Uruguay for the first time since his infamous World Cup biting shame and helped the South Americans to a 1-1 friendly draw against Saudi Arabia.

The 27-year-old Barcelona star’s shot from an angle on 47 minutes in Jeddah came back off the far post before hitting Hassan Muath Fallatah for an own goal.

Suarez was replaced with 20 minutes to go but his hopes of a winning international return were ruined by Naif Hazazi’s last-minute equaliser for the former Asian champions.

Although still serving a nine-match competitive international ban for sink-

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 1:55 PM Sultan of Johor Cup Great Britain v Pakistan 3:55 PM New Zealand v India 5:55 PM Australia v Malaysia Star Sports 2 02:30 PM Shanghai Rolex Masters 7:20 PM Hero India Super League Atletico De Kolkata v Mumbai City FC Star Spots 4 8:00 AM Moto GP World Championship 2014 Main Race 4:00 PM F1 World Championship Main Race Sony Six 10:00 PM Uefa Euro 2016 qualifiers Estonia v England 12:30 AM Luxembourg v Spain Sony Six HD 10:00 PM Uefa Euro 2016 qualifiers Russia v Moldova 12:30 AM Sweden v Liechtenstein Ten Cricket, Ten HD 5:00 PM Pakistan v Australia 3rd ODI

ing his teeth into Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, Suarez is allowed to play in friendlies.

Suarez, whose club ban ends in two weeks when Barcelona face bitter rivals Real Madrid, could have scored just before coming off when he pounced on a dreadful back pass.

But with only goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah to beat, he tried to dribble past the shot-stopper and was tackled.

“Happy to wear this shirt again, gives me so much joy. Love the shirt.

Uruguay!!,” tweeted Suarez after the match.

Asian champions Japan gave Javier Aguirre his first win with a laboured 1-0 victory over Jamaica while Australia struggled to a 0-0 draw in sweltering

Abu Dhabi.

Japan, who like Australia are building towards the Asian Cup in January, squandered several chances against Jamaica in Niigata but an own goal from Nyron Nosworthy in the 16th minute proved decisive.

In humid Abu Dhabi, Australia were held 0-0 by fellow Asian Cup finalists United Arab Emirates.

In Wuhan, China’s build-up for the Asian Cup continued with a 3-0 over Thailand thanks to a second-half own-goal from Thai goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool, Sun Ke and Yang Xu. In Muscat, World Cup quarter-finalists Costa Rica edged Oman 4-3 with Alvaro Saborio, John Jairo Ruiz, Juan

Bustos and David Ramirez on target while Saleh Raed, Mohammed al-Seyabi and Emad al-Hosani replied for the Gulf state.

Uli Stielike’s first game as South Korea coach saw a 2-0 win over Paraguay in Cheonan with goals from Kim MinWoo and Nam Tae-Hee in the space of five first-half minutes.

In Harrison, New Jersey, Radamel Falcao’s first international goal in nearly a year and a quickfire Carlos Bacca brace gave Colombia a 3-0 victory over El Salvador.

The United States settled for a 1-1 draw with Ecuador in Connecticut in a match that saw Landon Donovan, the USA’s all-time leading scorer, make his final international appearance.l

to away goals rule n AFP, Zurich Fifa president Sepp Blatter on Friday called for an end to the away goals winner rule in clashes with two matches.

Blatter said the rule favours clubs who play away in the second leg because extra time can give an extra opportunity to get a goal with double value.

“It is time to rethink the system,” Blatter said in a column for the FIFA publication The Week.

“The idea dates back to a time when away games were often an adventure, involving journeys that could be long

and arduous,” said the 78-year-old FIFA leader.

“As well established as the rule is, it can be viewed critically today,” because it favours the team playing away in the 2nd leg.”

The system is no longer used in the semi-finals of promotion play-offs in the English League. US Major League Soccer and the CONCACAF Champions League in the Americas only count goals scored in the 90 minutes of regulation time.

“Football has progressed since the 1960s so the away goals rule may now be questioned,” said Blatter, who did not propose an alternative. l

Aussies thump Pakistan, seal ODI series n AFP, Dubai

BRIEF SCORE

Australia continued their dominance over Pakistan with a hard fought five-wicket win in the second day-night international, taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Pakistan squandered an opening stand of 126 between openers Sarfraz Ahmed (65) and Ahmed Shahzad (61) and were bowled out for 215 in 49.3 overs with paceman Mitchell Johnson taking 3-40.

Glenn Maxwell then punished the sloppy Pakistan fielding with an 81-ball 76 as Australia reached their target in 43.2 overs for their fourth consecutive

Pakistan 215 (Sarfraz 65, Shehzad 61; Johnson 3-40) Australia 217 for 5 (Maxwell 76, Warner 29; Babar 2-52) Australia won by five wickets one-day series win over Pakistan.

Maxwell added an invaluable 85 for the fourth wicket with skipper George Bailey (28), steadying the chase after Pakistan dismissed Aaron Finch (14),

David Warner (29) and Steven Smith (12) to leave Australia wobbling at 72-3.

Hasan was also unlucky in the early overs when Fawad Alam let off Warner on ten, making Pakistan’s defence of a modest target even tougher. Maxwell took advantage of the let off, reaching his eighth half-century off 56 deliveries.

Maxwell continued to punish the bowlers after Bailey was run out. With 38 needed off 81 balls, he holed out off Zulfiqar Babar after hitting nine boundaries and a six.

James Faulkner (26 not out) and Brad Haddin (17 not out) ensured Australia secured the win. l

Australia batsman Glenn Maxwell plays a shot during their second ODI against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday AFP

Federer halts Djokovic to reach final

US held by Ecuador in Donovan farewell n Reuters, Shanghai n AFP, East Hartford Roger Federer brought world number The United States played to a 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Friday in a friendly football match that served as US icon Landon Donovan’s international farewell.

Donovan started the match wearing the captain’s armband and played 40 minutes.

He started the play that saw Mix Diskerud put the Americans up 1-0 in the fifth minute. Donovan’s cross across the goalmouth was collected by Jozy Altidore, who cut a short pass to DeAndre Yedlin, who put the ball into the path of Norwegian-born Diskerud.

The lead stood up until the 88th minute, when Enner Valencia grabbed the equalizer for Ecuador. l

one Novak Djokovic’s juggernaut to a halt when a 6-4 6-4 victory in the Shanghai Masters on Saturday set up a final against unseeded Frenchman Gilles Simon.

The 33-year-old Swiss was in aggressive mood against his younger opponent, who was on a 28-match winning streak in China, and converted his third match point with a backhand volley to end a semi-final slugfest that lasted one hour 35 minutes.

Federer, who will return to second in the rankings on Monday, broke serve in the fifth game of the first set after a couple of unforced errors from the twice Shanghai Masters champion.

The 17-times grand slam winner

broke again in the opening game of the second set and went on to exact sweet revenge for his defeat in their last meeting, at the Wimbledon final in July.

Earlier, Simon moved into his first Masters Series final in six years after outclassing big-serving Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

The world number 29 faced little pressure on his serve and dominated the match from the baseline with some sumptuous groundstrokes to beat the 33-year-old Lopez 6-2 7-6 (1).

Lopez netted a backhand volley to hand Simon the first break of the match in the third game and the tall Spaniard only had himself to blame as a double fault gifted a second break.

The frazzled world number 21, under pressure from Simon’s winners, finally held to make it 5-2 but the Frenchman wrapped up the set in 25 minutes with an ace down the middle that swerved teasingly away from the left hander. l

Villa scores on A-League debut n AFP, Sydney Spanish World Cup winner David Villa rescued a point for Melbourne City with a slick goal on his Australian A-League debut to grab a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC on Saturday.

Villa scored a superb equaliser 15 minutes after coming on as a second half sub in his first outing in a 10-game loan from New York City.

Villa came inside a defender and swept home a volley off a pass from former Ireland international Damien Duff to give his A-League sojourn a flying start. Villa, 32, was the first major signing announced by Melbourne since they were bought by Manchester City earlier this year. l

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Govt to give policy support to help curb irregularities in private banks n Asif Showkat Kallol The government is now concerned over the worst performance of private and foreign banks in connection with widespread irregularities involving more than Tk6,000 crore especially for default loans, official sources said.

Preferring anonymity, an official of Bank and Financial Intuitions Division said the financial conditions deteriorated, raising the capital shortfall in the private banks, especially National Bank Ltd and National Bank of Pakistan.

“We will ask the central bank to provide information about the private and foreign banks to give policy support and ensure accountability in dealing with public money,” he said.

In march, the foreign banks’ average Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) was 20% but National Bank of Pakistan had a capital deficit of Tk331 crore.

Sources in banking sector said National Bank of Pakistan had already managed $1 million to cover up its capital shortfall.

Before the Eid vacation, Bangladesh Bank appointed its General Manger Kazi Sayedur Rahman as an observer to National Bank Ltd, a private commercial bank, against a backdrop of financial irregularities and fall in key financial indicators such as capital adequacy and classified loans.

Banking Division Secretary M Aslam

Alam said, “We will seek information on financial irregularities in local private commercial banks and foreign banks to give them policy support.”

The National Bank of Pakistan in Bangladesh is facing financial crisis, he said, adding that Bangladesh Bank looks into the position of state-owned banks regularly, but they do not properly look into financial status of private banks.

“We have observed state banks’ situation at every board meeting. At the last board meeting, we have asked the bank authority to inform us about financial conditions of all private and foreign banks.”

A staggering 40% of big loans of National Bank Ltd is stuck with three major business groups-- S Alam, Maisha and Beximco.

Of them, S Alam has a loan of Tk1,193 crore with NBL, which is more than the amount that a single entity is allowed to borrow from a commercial bank.

Maisha Group and Beximco Group, whose owners are said to be close with the ruling party, have Tk1,125.55 crore and Tk468 crore loans with NBL respectively.

Even S Alam Group and Maisha Group have not been paying interest for around two years on various “unacceptable” grounds, affecting the profitability of the commercial bank seriously. l

India and Pakistan exchange gunfire across Kashmir border n Reuters

Two pedestrians cross over to the other side of a city street in Shabagh amid heavy downpour caused under the impact of approaching Hudhud yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

PM: Navy to have two submarines by 2015 n UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday announced that Bangladesh Navy will be adding two submarines to its fleet by 2015.

She said this while awarding National Standard to BNS Osman at Naval Berth in Chittagong.

The premier also said a process is on to set up the biggest naval base at Rabanabad in Patuakhali with facilities for submarine berthing and aviation alongside increasing the fighting fleet and constructing the Navy’s own air base.

She said two new corvettes and two modern submarines would be included in the Naval Fleet by next year to strengthen the capability of the force to protect the maritime boundary and sea resources.

BNS Osman has been awarded with the National Standard for its outstanding contribution at home and abroad for the last 25 years, including its engagement in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon for last four years, which earned glory for the country.

The Prime Minister said the government has taken short and medium term plans to develop the Navy as an efficient, modern and balanced three-dimensional force by 2030.

As part of the plans, 16 ships as well as two helicopters and two maritime petrol aircraft have been added to the Naval Force during the tenure of her government, she said, Besides, special force SWADS has been commissioned for the Naval Aviation and Unconventional Warfare.

Two bodies recovered from Benapole

n Our Correspondent, Jessore Police recovered two bodies, one of which was an Indian citizen’s, from Putkhali and Khalshi areas near the border in Beanpole, Jessore yesterday.

Local sources said the hanging body of one Rabindranath Bepari, 35, was recovered from Putkhali yesterday morning. Half an hour later body of Azgar Ali, 41, was recovered from a water body in Khalshi, sources said.

Rabindranath was the son of Punyacharan Bepari from Batiaghata upazila in Khulna and Azgar was the son of Ali Ahmad from Chakgachhi area in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Officer-in-Charge of Benapole Port police station Apurba Hasan told the Dhaka Tribine that seemingly Rabindra had committed suicide and Ajgar drowned in the water body while he was trying to cross into India. Police was investigating the incidents, the OC added. l

Hasina also mentioned that the disputes over the maritime boundary with Myanmar were resolved in 2012 while with India this year through the judgements by the international courts.

“As a result, the country’s claims over the sea territory now equal its land area as well as its control has been established over sea resources while the government has taken various plans, including collecting sea resources and ensuring their maximum utilisation,” she said.

About conducting hydrographic surveys in the extended working area of the Bay of Bengal to extract sea resources, she said an organisational structure with the post of Chief Hydrographer has been approved for the Navy.

Hasina announced with satisfaction that the Navy has been building two container ships at Khulna Shipyard with its own finance.

She mentioned that Khulna Shipyard for the first time built five Patrol

Crafts for the Navy, which manifested the country’s increasing capability to construct it own warships.

The construction of two more big ships and two strong and large patrol crafts have also been started which would reduce dependency on foreign countries, she said.

Navy Chief Vice Admiral M Farid Habib, NDC, PSC received the Prime Minister as she arrived in Chittagong. A smartly turned-out contingent of Navy gave guard of honour to her. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina takes a tour of Bangladesh Navy Ship “Osman” in Chittagong port area yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire across the Kashmir frontier yesterday, military officials from both countries said, ending a pause in fighting that has already killed 17 civilians in the worst skirmishes in a decade.

Both sides blamed each other for starting the fresh outbreak of fighting.

The Pakistan army confirmed that a 70-year-old village resident Wali Muhammad was injured due to unprovoked firing and shelling by Indian forces in Poonch sector near Rawalkot.

“Pakistani troops effectively responded to Indian shelling,” a spokesman for the ISPR, the public relations wing, said in a short statement. The spokesman warned that every Indian violation on the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary would meet “a befitting response”.

Meanwhile, the Indian army blamed the Pakistani military of launching unprovoked fire. An Indian army official claimed Pakistan border guards targeted 10 Indian border posts in the Poonch sector.

“Our troops retaliated. Heavy firing is going on,” he told news agency Reuters.

There was no immediate report of casualties from the Indian side.

The fresh gunfire exchange resumes fighting after the two armies abruptly stopped Thursday night following nine days of attacking each other with mortars and heavy machine guns.

Both sides have blamed the other for triggering a crisis on the border, with Pakistan suggesting that India’s new government led by nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi was flexing its muscles on the dispute over Kashmir, the cause of two wars. l

Medical evacuation services balk at flying out Ebola patients n Reuters Leading companies offering medical evacuation services are balking at flying Ebola patients out of West Africa for treatment abroad as the cost and the complexities of the deadly epidemic grow.

Several airlines have cut flights to the region and there are reports of countries not allowing air ambulances to make refueling stops, further complicating the so-called medevac option many companies provide for staffers in risky regions.

The world’s worst Ebola epidemic since the disease was identified in 1976 has killed more than 4,000 people, mainly in West Africa. The virus, spread by contact with bodily fluids, causes fevers and potentially fatal bleeding.

Several foreign health workers have been repatriated for treatment after contracting Ebola in West Africa.

Two leading companies in the field - medical assistance company International SOS and insurance firm Allianz Worldwide Care - both recently said they would not provide medevac services for all patients with Ebola symptoms.

An International SOS spokesman clarified the company’s position on Saturday to say that did not mean their services were not available under any circumstances, and pointed to a new statement on its website.

“International evacuation for patients with active clinical symptoms

of Ebola is extremely limited and may not be achievable if patients have any uncontrolled body fluids, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding,” the statement read on Saturday.

An earlier statement said that “evacuation should not be considered as feasible” for patients with active clinical symptoms of Ebola.

The medical insurance firm Allianz Worldwide Care ruled out such services in an online statement updated on Wednesday, saying: “Our air ambulance partners are currently not evacuating patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola infection out of affected regions due to the highly complex nature of evacuations when Ebola or other viral haemorrhagic fevers are involved.

“In the case of suspected or confirmed Ebola cases, we would liaise closely with our clients and brokers to see whether there is any possibility of military medical evacuation via support from the patient’s local embassy and home government.”

An Allianz spokeswoman said no insurers or air ambulances were able to evacuate people with symptoms of Ebola. Other insurance and assistance firms contacted by Reuters declined to comment, did not respond to requests for comment or said they had not dealt with Ebola cases.

Insurance companies often provide medical evacuation as a routine part of international health insurance policies, but the evacuation option may not apply in the case of an epidemic. l

Hudhud likely to cause day-long heavy rainfall in coastal areas n Tribune Report

Hudhud, a tidal surge with estimated centre pressure of 984hPa, is likely to hit different parts of India today and cause heavy rainfall in coastal areas in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said yesterday.

It was centred about 870kms southwest of Chittagong port at 6.00pm yesterday while it was about 960 kms at 6:00am, and over the West Central Bay and adjoining East Central Bay slightly north-westwards over the same area, Meteorologist Abul Kalam Mollik told the Dhaka Tribune.

Hudhud will cause light rainfall to heavy rainfall in different places in Bangladesh while the maritime ports in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3, he added.

Saying Bangladesh will not be relatively unscathed, he also said: “Under the influence of the very severe cyclonic storm, low-lying areas of the coastal

districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by wind-driven surge of 1-3 feet height above normal astronomical tide.”

However, a Met office special bulletin yesterday said it is likely to intensify further and move in a west-northwesterly direction.

According to the bulletin, maximum sustained wind speed within 74kms of the storm centre is about 120kph rising to 140kph in gusts/squalls. Sea will remain very high near the storm centre.

Meteorologist Kalam said under the peripheral influence of the cyclonic storm, deep convection was taking place over the North Bay, while gusty wind may affect the North Bay, coastal areas and the maritime ports of Bangladesh.

All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to

take shelter immediately and remain in shelter till further notice.

The Met office yesterday also said: “The present rainfall is 1mm in Teknaf than the normal astronomical tide while 9mm in Kutubdia, 1mm in Chittagong, 19mm in Maizdi Court, 59mm in Hatia, 23mm in Commilla, 1mm in Dhaka, 2mm in Bhola, 2mm in Patuakhali and 11mm in Mongla.”

According to India’s Met office, till October 12, the tidal surge may cross Andhra coastal areas through Bishakhapattam and Gopalpur’s areas.

Last year, three different cyclone namely as Pailin, Helen and Lohor hit Andhra coastal areas during October and November.

Earlier in October in 1999, a super cyclone hit Urissha that killed about 15000 people.

Meanwhile, as part of precautionary measures to face cyclone Hudhud in Barisal, river port authorities restricted movement of small water transports since yesterday noon.

Port authorities restricted movement of ML-type launches and other small water transports up to 65 feet in length on 22 routes of the region.

The step was taken after the weather department asked port authorities to hoist cautionary signal no 2 yesterday morning, said Abul Bashar Mazumdar, deputy director, river safety and traffic management of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s (BIWTA) Barisal office.

Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) at the Barisal unit of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said 49,365 volunteers under 3,291 units in 37 coastal upazilas of 13 districts were asked to be on full alert.

He said coastal people would be asked to move to cyclone shelters once the weather department would raise the warning signal to 4.

The CPP is maintaining regular contacts with their units in different shores, coastal islands and shoals. The units

yesterday said conditions of river estuaries and the sea were very rough with stormy weather, high waves, strong tides and gusty winds since morning.

Coastal areas hoisted signal no 3 at Paira Marine port and surrounding areas of Kalapara coast.

There are stormy weather with light to moderate rain, roughness on waterways and high tidal bore, said Prodip Kumar, officer of Kalapara weather radar station, yesterday.

The low-lying areas of the coastal and offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by a storm surge of two to four feet because of the influence of the cyclone, Prodip said.

He also advised people to dial 10941 followed by specific extension numbers to receive regular updates on the weather situation.

Mezbahuddin Mannnu, an environment activist in Kalapara, said locals were worried as more than 250 fishing trawlers carrying over 2,500 fishermen were in deep sea. l

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