22 Aug, 2015

SECOND EDITION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

|

Bhadro 7, 1422, Zilqad 6, 1436

|

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 128

|

www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

INDUSTRIES TO GET NEW PROGRESS SLOW IN GOVT MULLS BAN ON VESSELS GAS CONNECTIONS PAGE 3 RID PHARMA CASE PAGE 5 IN SUNDARBANS PAGE 32

Olama League leader stabbed outside Dhaka mosque n Kamrul Hasan A leader of a faction of the Awami Olama League was stabbed at the national mosque in the capital after Jumma prayers yesterday.

Ilias Hossain Bin Helali, president of one of the Awami Olama League’s factions, was stabbed twice at the southern gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque.

Witnesses caught the attacker Mujahidul Islam, 20, and handed him over to police. In preliminary questioning, Mujahidul claimed to be a member of banned Islamist extremist outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

Akhter Hossain, joint secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan South Olama League, who witnessed the attack, said: “Just before Jumma prayers, a boy came to me, pointed towards Ilias and asked me whether or not he was Ilias Bin Helali. I said ‘yes,’ he thanked me and then stood to pray in the row behind us.”

Because a programme to mark August 21  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Awami Olama League President Allama Ilias Hossain Bin Helali who was stabbed at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital yesterday afternoon being taken inside the Dhaka Medical College Hospital MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

PM: No doubt Khaleda, her son involved in Aug 21 attack n

North, South Korea head towards fierce clash

n

Tribune Desk

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said there was no doubt that Khaleda Zia and her son were involved in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack that left 21 people dead and several hundred injured.

“As Ziaur Rahman was involved in the August 15 killing, Khaleda Zia and her son were involved in the August 21 grenade attack.

There is no doubt about it,” UNB quotes the prime minister as saying.

The prime minister was speaking at a rally after placing wreaths at the memorial of martyrs of the gruesome August 21 grenade attack at Bangabandhu Avenue, marking the 11th anniversary of the gruesome attack.

The makeshift memorial was set up in front of the Awami League office where militants lobbed 13 grenades on a peaceful Awami

PAGE 3 Tiger sculpture collapse kills man

League rally on this day in 2004.

Hasina said the attack on a peaceful public rally was sufficient to measure the limit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) democratic mentality and respect for human rights, BSS reports.

“A party which can carry out such brutality is sufficient to prove that the party does not at all believe in democracy and human rights of the people,” she said.

After the grenade attack, the BNP government barred the Awami League from filing a case with the police or bringing out a mourning procession, she said.

The treasury bench rejected a motion for discussion of the issue in parliament, Hasina said, adding: “BNP members sarcastically blamed me – that I carried those grenades and hurled them at the people.”

“The BNP’s founder and former military

PAGE 4 Boat capsize kills 2 siblings in Narail

Reuters, Seoul

ruler Ziaur Rahman was linked with the brutal killing of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. Similarly, his wife Khaleda Zia and son Tarique Zia were involved in the grenade attack on August 21, 2004,” BSS quotes Sheikh Hasina as saying.

Tarique, several senior BNP leaders and top leaders of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HujiB) are among 52 accused in the two cases filed over the attack.

Hasina said with each and every action of the then BNP-Jamaat government it was clear that the BNP intended to kill her and annihilate the Awami League.

“Today, it is clear that being in the government their [BNP] every activity proved that they were in an evil move to kill me, the

North and South Korea appeared headed towards another clash yesterday as Seoul refused to halt propaganda broadcasts and Pyongyang put its troops on a war footing, prompting China to urge both sides to take a step back.

South Korean Vice Defence Minister Baek Seung-joo said it was likely the North would fire at some of the 11 sites where Seoul has set up loudspeakers on its side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the countries.

The South earlier refused an ultimatum that it halt anti-Pyongyang broadcasts by Saturday afternoon or face military action.

North Korea fired four shells into South Korea on Thursday, according to Seoul, in apparent protest against the broadcasts. The South fired back 29 artillery shells. Pyongyang accused the South of inventing a pretext to fire into the North.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

PAGE 5 Five burned and one electrocuted in Dhaka

PAGE 9 Germany, France want EU to move faster on refugee crisis

PAGE 32 Ex-Jubo League leader killed in gunfight

DT

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

PM slams USA, Canada for sheltering Mujib killers n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday came down heavily on the USA and Canada for giving shelter to some killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members.

“This is unfortunate...these countries are giving shelter to the killers and we’ve to listen to lectures on human rights from them,” she said.

The prime minister was speaking at a rally after placing wreaths at the memorial of martyrs of the gruesome August 21 grenade attack at Bangabandhu Avenue.

The makeshift memorial was set up in front of the Awami League office at Bangabandhu Avenue where the militants lobbed 13 grenades on the Awami League peace rally on this day in 2004.

Sheikh Hasina said the government tried the killers of Bangabandhu and his family members who were assassinated on August 15, 1975. “Some countries like Canada and America are giving shelters to some of the killers. Dalim and Rashid are now in Pakistan,” she said. l

BNP demands proper trial of Aug 21 attack masterminds

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

North, South Korea head towards PM: No doubt fierce clash Both sides said there were no casualties or damage in their territory, an indication that the rounds were just warning shots.

“The fact that both sides’ shells didn’t damage anything means they did not want to spread an armed clash. There is always a chance for war, but that chance is very, very low,” said Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

But China, which remains North Korea’s main economic backer despite diminished political clout to influence Pyongyang, said on Friday it was deeply concerned about the escalation of tension and called for calm from both sides.

Since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, Pyongyang and Seoul have often exchanged threats, and dozens of soldiers have been killed, yet the two sides have always pulled back from all-out war.

Both sides traded harsh rhetoric late on Friday.

The North committed “cowardly criminal acts,” South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said. “This time, I will make sure to sever the vicious cycle of North Korea’s provocations.”

The North’s official KCNA news agency said its military was not bluffing.

South won’t stop broadcasts The North’s shelling came after it had demanded last weekend that South Korea end the broadcasts or face military action - a relatively rare case of following up on its frequent

China, which remains North Korea’s main economic backer despite diminished political clout to influence Pyongyang, said it was deeply concerned about the escalation of tension and called for calm from both sides threats against the South. The deadline is around 5pm on Saturday in Seoul.

South Korea began blasting anti-North propaganda from loudspeakers on the border on August 10, resuming a tactic both sides had stopped in 2004, days after landmines wounded two South Korean soldiers along the DMZ. North Korea on Monday began its own broadcasts.

KCNA said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had declared a “quasi-state of war” in frontline areas.

There were indications the North was preparing to fire short-range missiles, the South’s Yonhap news agency said, citing an unnamed government source.

The US military, which bases 28,500 personnel in South Korea, said it was monitoring the situation. l

then opposition leader, and make the Awami League vanish,” the UNB quotes her saying.

Sheikh Hasina first placed a wreath at the memorial as the prime minister and then another as the Awami League president.

Cabinet members, the prime minister’s advisers, senior leaders of Awami League and the 14-party combine and family members of the martyrs and those injured in the attack were present.

A minute of silence was observed and a special munajat was offered seeking the eternal peace of the departed souls.

About the ongoing trial of the August 21 grenade attack, the prime minister said the real culprits must be punished. “The criminals must be punished, this trial must be held, or else such incidents will take place continuously.”

The prime minister said the execution of the verdicts in the war crimes trials had started. “We will remove the stigma from Bangladesh soil by executing all of the verdicts,” UNB quotes her as saying.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam was present on the dais.

After the programme, the prime minister talked to the injured and relatives of those Awami League leaders killed in the grenade attack.

The prime minister said the killers of 1971 and 1975; the perpetrators of the grenade attack on August 21, 2004; the perpetrators of the countrywide bomb blasts in 2005 and the culprits of vandalism and atrocities in 2013 and 2015 were of the same ilk. l

n Tribune Report

Olama League leader stabbed outside Dhaka mosque

Terming the August 21 grenade attack heinous and terrorist in nature, the BNP has demanded proper trial of the masterminds of the grisly attack.

Nazrul Islam Khan, a standing committee member of the party, came up with the demand after placing wreaths at party founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave on Friday morning.

Nazrul said: “No matter who is behind the attack, we want punishment to the criminals after a proper investigation.

“We have said it repeatedly but the Awami League still keeps blaming us and it is just because of political reasons.”

The BNP leader said his party believes in democratic politics and there is no place of criminal activity in the party as his party does not get involved in any politics of killing.

Regarding the arrest of three pro-BNP lawyers, Nazrul said: “I do not know the details about the arrests, but the government has been trying to prove that the BNP patronises criminal activity and it is a party of criminals.”

Criticising the government for its repressive policy, he said: “Many BNP leaders have been behind bars for a long time. A change is needed. People’s government is required in the country.”

At least 24 people, including Awami League’s women affairs secretary Ivy Rahman – the wife of late president Zillur Rahman – were killed and 300 others injured in the grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.

Sheikh Hasina, Awami League chief and then opposition leader, survived the attack with serious damage to hearing. l

was being held, at which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the chief guest, Helali asked his associates to remain until after his recitation of the Qur’an.

As he made his way out of the national mosque’s southern gate, Mujahid handed Ilias his shoes. As he was putting on his shoes, Mujahid stabbed Ilias in the neck and then in the abdomen.

Bystanders caught Mujahid red-handed and handed him over to Paltan police.

Ilias was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and was shifted to ward 102 after undergoing an hour-long operation.

Akhter said the attacker seemed “like an innocent.”

He says he would never have guessed that a boy of his appearance could have attempted cold-blooded murder.

Delwar Hossain, general secretary of the faction, said Ilias may have been attacked for making frequent speeches against Qaumi madrasas and the Jamaat-e-Islami. He said Ilias had received threats in the past.

Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Crimes and Operations) Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hasan said the attacker was previously involved with Shibir politics and was currently an Ansarullah member.

Shibir is the student wing of the Jamaat-eIslami.

Paltan police station Officer-in-Charge Golam Morshed said the arrestee had been handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

DB sources confirmed that Mujahid

was in their custody and said he would be questioned after the programme arranged by the Olama League on Bangabandhu Avenue had concluded.

Police sources said the arrestee is an Alim student of Baitul Rasul Madrassa in Hazaribagh, where he lives and studies.

Mujahid is from Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj, where his father Nazrul Islam is the imam of a local mosque, police sources said.

Trouble in paradise

The Dhaka Tribune has learned that rival Awami Olama League factions have been locked in a long-standing dispute over using the address of the party’s head office.

One of the warring factions of the proAwami League organisation of Islamists is led

by Helali and Delwar; their rivals are led by others.

According to sources, Olama League factions run their activities separately and use different monograms. But they all use the same address as their head office – 23 Bangabandhu Avenue, where the Awami League central office is located.

An Olama League office was found on the second floor of the Awami League office.

A person there who identified himself as Muaz Ibne Mudasser claimed to be the office secretary.

Shahid Chan Khadem, the organisation’s secretary of youth-related affairs, said the organisation has splintered into four or five factions.

The Helali-Delwar group is the dominant

faction which works alongside the ruling Awami League, sharing its agenda.

Other groups led by Ahad Ali, Bukhari and Moulana Ismail Hossain of Barisal operate under the same name but under different leaderships.

Shahid alleged that some factions had links to the Jamaat-e-Islami. He said these groups advocated for issues that had little to do with Awami League principles or agenda.

On August 8, one of the factions along with 12 like-minded organisations formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital. It sent a set of 17 demands to different media houses in a press release signed by Abdul Hasan Sheikh Shariatpuri who claimed to be the Olama League general secretary.

But Shahid claimed the Awami League high command does not recognise him.

He claimed members of several factions were on run after cases were filed against them, but declined to mention when and where the cases had been filed, or who had filed them.

Shahid said Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and former Bangladesh Chhatra League president Bodiuzzaman Sohag visited Ilias in the hospital, citing this as evidence that the Olama Awami League was an integral part of the party’s family of organisations.

However, an Awami League source, asking not to be named, said the Olama League did not have any regulatory ties to the party. They are an organisation which “shares the Awami League’s mindset and objectives,” he said. l

DT

NEWS 3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Industries to get new gas connections n Aminur Rahman Rasel

After a six-year pause, the government will provide new gas connections, on a limited scale, to industrial consumers starting tomorrow.

“Initially, some 355 applicants will get gas connections to run new industrial boilers or increase the existing load of their boilers, from Sunday,” State-run Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla) Chairman Istiaque Ahmad told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said 193 applicants would get new gas connections and 162 applicants would be cleared to increase their existing boiler loads.

On August 20, 2015 a high-level committee led by the prime minister’s energy adviser, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, approved the new connections, Istiaque, a committee member, said.

Some 2,300 applications for new connec-

tions, increases in gas flow (load expansion) and relocation of connections have been pending with the four state-run gas utility companies since July 2009.

“After the applications were approved, we issued an office order to the gas distribution companies to start providing the new connections,” he added.

The distribution companies are Petrobangla enterprises.

He said the new gas connections required another 100 million cubic feet of gas a day.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry hailed the government decision, calling it “good news” for industry owners who have long waited for gas connections to their factories.

He said more than 1,000 large, mediumand small-scale industries, especially in the textiles sector, were ready to go into produc-

tion but were not able to move forward for lack of piped gas.

The Petrobangla chairman said the gas distribution companies would prioritise entrepreneurs who had applied for gas connections and whose factories were ready to go into production.

“As our gas reserves are limited, we are very cautious and verify each and every application before making any decisions,” he said.

He said other applicants would also get connections in phases, after the gas utility companies examine their factory sites.

The government has engaged intelligence agencies to gather information on entrepreneurs who have sought new gas connections or increases in gas flow.

Petrobangla officials said the intelligence agencies and utilities companies would verify the information provided in the entrepre-

neurs’ applications for gas connections.

The government stopped allowing new gas connections for residential purposes on July 13, 2010 and for commercial and industrial purposes on July 21, 2009.

On May 7, 2013 the government decided to allow fresh connections to households where gas distribution networks were already installed.

The decision to allow new connections to industries comes as Bibiyana gas field expects to increase production by 300 million cubic feet a day by the middle of 2015, the Petrobangla chairman said.

Petrobangla currently supplies 2,750 million cubic feet of natural gas a day against a demand for over 3,300 million cubic feet, officials said.

At present, six distribution companies deliver natural gas across the country’s pipeline network. l

Ex-Jamaat MP arrested in war crimes case n Our Correspondent, Satkhira Detained Majlis-e-Sura Member of Ja m a at- e - I s lami and former lawmaker Maulana Abdul Khaleque Mondol was shown arrested in connection with a war crimes case yesterday.

Also the incumbent ameer of Satkhira district Jamaat, Khaleque allegedly led a group of razakars in Satkhira during the 1971 Liberation War. He was involved in the killing of at least 10 people including Rustom Ali of Shimulbaria and grabbing the land of Hindus in the locality.

The International Crimes Tribunal issued a warrant for his arrest on Thursday. The order reached Satkhira jail in the afternoon through a fax message.

Rustom’s son Nazrul Islam Gazi filed a case against Khaleque on July 2, 2009 for the murder of his father and four others. The case was later transferred to the war crimes tribunal.

Khaleque is also accused of killing Abul Hossain Gazi and Ahed Ali of Kathanda village; Shamsur Rahman of Bolodghata; Monsur Sarder of Kholilnagar; and Taher Ali of Ghona Banshiapara.

“Earlier, Khaleque Mondol was arrested in other cases. But now he has been shown arrested in the war crimes case,” Deputy Director of the tribunal Abdur Razzaque told reporters yesterday.

Law enforcers arrested the Jamaat leader on June 16 from Kholilnagar Mohila Madrasa under sadar upazila while holding a secret meeting with his associates aimed at carrying out subversive acts. A foreign-made pistol and two rounds of bullets were also recovered from his possession, police said. l

Locals take a look at the collapsed tiger statue and stains of blood underneath it at Sonargaon intersection in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area yesterday. The statue crushed a rickshaw-van driver who was sleeping on his vehicle around 3:30am SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Tiger sculpture collapse kills man in capital n Abu Hayat Mahmud

A rickshaw-van puller died after a tiger sculpture fell down on him at Karwan Bazar in the capital early yesterday.

“Md Ali, aged around 42, was sleeping when the sculpture collapsed around 3:30am, leaving him critically injured,” said fireman Md Shahid, quoting witnesses and employees of the nearby Sundarban Hotel.

“The victim was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead and the body was kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy.”

But Kalabagan police station Officer-in-

Charge Iqbal Hossain said it was not certain if Ali was asleep or took a shelter under the sculpture during rain.

“Rainwater might have weakened the base of the structure that eventually led to the collapse,” he said.

There was blood on the road where the accident took place, and the Dhaka Tribune correspondent also saw Ali’s shoes, a rope and some parts of the wrecked van yesterday morning.

In 2011, the sculpture was jointly placed at the Karwan Bazar intersection, just opposite the construction site where land subsided around two months ago, by Dhaka South City Corporation and an advertising firm as part of

beautification measures. Another sculpture representing a tiger cub was also placed there.

Foshan Group is in charge of maintaining the sculptures.

Locals observed that such a heavy sculpture, made of concrete, was placed on a simple platform in an unplanned way that led to the collapse. They also blamed rain for the accident.

Dhaka South City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Ansar Ali told the Dhaka Tribune that a three-member committee had been formed to inquire into the reason why the sculpture fell.

“We are awaiting the report after which further steps will be taken,” he said. l

DT

4 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

3 held with 16 tolas of gold jewellery n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Chittagong police yesterday arrested three persons from different areas of the port city in connection with a gold robbery case lodged on May 29 this year. The police recovered 16 tolas (around 186grams) of gold jewellery from their possession.

The arrestees Mizanur Rahman alias Shahed, 24, Md Karim, 23, and Md Rubel, 20, are members of a gang involved in stealing gold jewellery from different ornament shops of the city, police said. The three lived in different areas of the city and repeatedly changed their residences to escape police vigil.

On May 29, about 25 tolas gold ornaments were stolen from an outlet of Golden Inn at Apollo Shopping Centre in the city’s Kazir Dewri area, said a Chittagong Metropolitan Police Public Relation department press release.

Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Jasim Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune that the three, in primary interrogation, confessed to the crimes and said the recovered gold ornaments were stolen from the outlet. The arrestees were shown arrest in the case which was lodged with the police station regarding the May 29 incident, he said.

Drives are being conducted to arrest the rest of the gang, he added. l

Shishu-Obhibhabok O Shongothhok Forum brings out a rally calling for preservation of different child rights in front of the National Press Club yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Arms, bombs recovered in Habiganj

Housewife found dead in Ctg, mother-in-law detained

Border Guard Bangladesh personnel have recovered arms, petrol bombs and crude bombs from an abandoned house in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj.

However, no one was detained in the drive conducted yesterday morning.

BGB 55 Battalion Captain Lieutenant Colonel Sajjad Hossain said: “Acting on a tip-off, we conducted a drive and recovered three pipe-guns, 15 crude bombs and 17 petrol bombs from the house in the morning.”

Madhabpur OC Molla Monir Hossain confirmed about the recovery to the Dhaka Tribune. l

A woman was found dead at her in-law’s house in Chanua area of Chittagong’s Banshkhali upazila yesterday morning.

After being informed by locals, police recovered the body of Taslima Begum, 23, a housewife, and detained the mother-in-law Rehana Begum for questioning.

The body was later sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, police said. Banshkhali police station Officerin-Charge Swapan Kumar Majumder said they found some bruise marks around the victims neck and were yet to determine whether the incident was a murder or suicide. It would be

n Our Correspondent, Habiganj

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

clear after the autopsy report, he said.

Primary investigation of the police did not suggest any conflict between the victim and her mother-in-law and no one was able to give any concrete information regarding the death, the OC added.

The OC said: “Taslima’s husband is at sea as he works on a fishing trawler at Chakaria in Cox’s Bazar.” “She, her 10-year-old son and her mother-in-law were in the house during the incident.”

Police are investigating the matter and the victim’s mother-in-law is being questioned regarding the death.

No case has been filed with the station until the filing of this report. l

Rains sweep city; minor drowns in rainwater n UNB

Heavy rains that started sweeping the city since Thursday submerged many parts of the capital, causing immense sufferings to the city dwellers and leaving a minor girl drowned in Kathalbagan area yesterday.

Meem Akhter, 7, daughter of Ismail Hossain, a tea seller, drowned in a pit filled of rainwater near her house on Kathalbagan-Kalabagan road.

She was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared her dead.

The rains started on Thursday and continued till yesterday morning inundating many city areas like Mirpur-11, Pallabi Bus Stand, Kalshi Road, Mirpur-10 to Kazipara, Bijoy Sarani, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Shantibagh, Merul Badda, Demra, Rampura, Moghbazar and Mouchak. Many points of the areas went

under knee-deep water due to the overnight rainfall.

During a visit to Shantinagar, Malibagh and Mouchak areas in the morning, the reporter found many commuters wading through the roads submerged by rainwater.

Stinks from drains mixed with the stagnant water added to the woes of the pedestrians.

Some city dwellers observed that many roads go under water even after moderate rainfall due to poor drainage system. Many of them complained that rickshaw and CNGrun auto-rickshaw drivers charged excessive fares, taking advantage of the inclement weather.

“Rain during monsoon is inevitable but it has become a curse for us as we have to endure immense sufferings in our everyday life during this season. We see no noticeable effort from our authorities concerned to mini-

mise our sufferings,” said Mariam Akther, a resident of Malibagh area.

According to the Met Office, it recorded 88 millimeters of rain in Dhaka city in the last 24 hours till 6am yesterday while 146 millimeters in Rangpur, 34 millimeters in Chittagong, 36 millimeters in Khulna and 24 millimeters in Sylhet.

According to the Met office’s weather forecast for 24 hours commencing 9 am on Friday, light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.

Heavy to very heavy falls may occur at places over Rangpur, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions while moderately heavy to heavy falls at places elsewhere over the country, the forecast said. l

Boat capsize kills 2 siblings in Narail n Our Correspondent, Narail

Two siblings have been killed as a boat capsized in Rameshorpur lake under sadar upazila in Narail.

The deceased are Antora, 10, and Shaon, 5, children of Ebaidul of Rameshorpur village.

Locals said Ebaidul went on a cruise with his family members, children and relatives around 5pm Thursday. The boat capsized due to sudden heavy rain and strong wind around 6pm.

Of the 11 passengers on the boat, everyone swam to the shore but Antora and Shaon went missing in the incident.

Later, their bodies were recovered by police and fire rangers around 8pm.

Narail sadar police station Sub-Inspector Kishore Kumar confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune. l

Construction worker dies in Chittagong n Tribune Report

A construction worker was killed after being hit by an iron road in his head in Chittagong city’s Hathazari upazila yesterday morning.

The deceased Md Manik, 18, son of Abdul Aziz haied from Netrokona,, said police sources.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Pankaj Barua of Chittagong Medical College Hospital Police Outpost said the incident took place in Madunaghat area of the upazila in the morning.

An iron road fell off on the Manik’s head during pilling work under a Wasa project in the area leaving him critically injured, said the ASI, adding that he was taken to CMCH where on duty physicians declared him dead. l

DT

NEWS 5

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Five burned and one electrocuted in city n Kamrul Hasan Five members of a family were burned in a fire at Keraniganj, and one youth was electrocuted at Gendaria early yesterday.

The family members were burnt in a fire triggered by a short circuit early yesterday.

The injured are rickshaw puller Ripon, 45, his wife Molida, 35, their son Abdul Goni, 4, Ripa, 16, and Monir Hossain, 14.

According to locals, the fire began around 3am at the family’s house opposite Tilabari mosque at Ekuuria of Keraniganj.

Locals also informed the fire service unit, but by the time the unit reached the site, the locals had doused the flame, said fire service control room official Bhajan Sarker.

He said the fire might have been set off by a short circuit in an electric fan.

Partha Sankar Paul, resident medical officer of the DMCH burn unit, said the family members are in critical condition.

Among them, Ripon sustained 65% burns on his body, Molida sustained 31%, Ripa 20%, Monir 22% and Goni sustained 40% burn injuries.

Meanwhile, in Gendaria, a live wire claimed the life of Afzal Hossain, son of Shakil Ahmed from Shahid Akbar Ali lane of Gendaria. Afzal was an HSC examinee this year but failed the exam.

His uncle Badol Miah said the turmeric ceremony of Afzal’s elder brother Alam was held on Thursday. Around 2am yesterday when Afzal went to the roof, he was electrocuted by a live wire. He was declared dead after being rushed to the DMCH. l

A critically injured girl lies at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. She along with four members of her family received burn injuries in a fire that was triggered by a short circuit in their house at Keraniganj in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Progress slow in Rid Pharma case n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu While the country’s justice system recently scored a major win by handing 20-year jail sentences to six unscrupulous drug manufacturing officials, a similar case against officials of Rid Pharmaceutical Company continues to be stuck in the courtroom for years.

Court sources told the Dhaka Tribune that the trial was moving at a sluggish pace because both the defence and prosecution lawyers were repeatedly filing time petitions, while the prosecution witness had also been failing to appear on scheduled dates.

Although the trial was at its final stage after the court concluded recording depositions from six prosecution witnesses, the proceedings remain adjourned because of yet another defence petition.

Five people are being tried by Drug Court Judge M Atoar Rahman on charges of causing the deaths of at least 28 children who died in 2009 after consuming toxic paracetamol syrup produced by Rid Pharma.

The five accused are Rid Pharma Managing Director Mizanur Rahman, directors Sheuli Rahman – also Mizanur’s wife – and Abdul Gani, and Rid’s pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque.

Of them, Mizanur and Sheuli are on bail, while the remaining three have been on the run since the case was filed in 2009.

Even after reaching its final stages, the trial duration began to be stretched when Rid Pharma boss Mizanur’s counsel Mosharraf Hossain Kajol filed a recall petition on Febru-

ary 2 this year, seeking a court order to again cross-examine the complainant of the case.

After granting the plea, the court recalled the complainant, drug administration directorate’s Drug Superintendent Shafiquel Islam, and fixed February 24 for the fresh cross-examination.

However, since then, the court has fixed seven dates but seen no development in the trial proceedings as the prosecution and defence counsels filed time petitions on every scheduled dates.

The prosecution filed time petitions on three dates – April 4, 16, and March 6 – as they failed to present the complainant before the court.

Meanwhile, the complainant appeared before the court on three dates – February 24, March 14 and July 26 – but on each occasion the defence counsels filed time petitions instead of questioning the complainant.

Finally, on August 12, the court issued an arrest warrant against the complainant as he again failed to appear before the court; the court also fixed September 1 for the next hearing.

This trial had seen similar delays before when proceedings had be adjourned on several dates because of the non-appearance of witnesses.

Public Prosecutor Shaheen Ahmed Khan told the Dhaka Tribune: “Although the trial process is going on slowly, we are hopeful about completing the trial within one and a half months.

“We are working hard to dispose the case within short time,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, a Dhaka court awarded 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment to six top officials of BCI (Bangladesh) Pharmaceuticals

Limited for manufacturing an adulterated drug that killed many children in the early 1990s.

The court also fined the six convicts Tk4 lakh in the two cases, in default of which they must serve an extra 12 months in prison.

In 2014, the court also sentenced an owner and two employees of Adflame Pharmaceuticals to 10 years in jail and fined Tk2 lakh each in a case for the company’s use of poisonous substance in its paracetamol.

History of the Rid Pharma case

According to the case documents, at least 28 children died between June and August in 2009 of renal failures due to intake of the paracetamol syrup made by Rid Pharma.

Following the deaths, Shafiquel Islam filed the case with Dhaka drug court on July 21, 2009, accusing five officials of Rid Pharma.

The following day, the drug administration sealed off Rid Pharma’s factory, while the government formed a seven-member probe committee to investigate the incident.

The probe committee found that Rid Pharma used poisonous diethylene glycol, meant for tannery and rubber industries, in it’s paracetamol syrup as a substitute for propylene glycol.

They did so because at the time diethylene glycol cost Tk200 per litre while propylene glycol was far more expensive at Tk1,100.

On March 9, 2011, the court framed charges against the five accused. During the trial, six witnesses gave depositions in the case, including complainant Md Shafiquel Islam and Dr AR Khan, the then professor at Dhaka Shishu Hospital. l

Ex-Jubo League leader killed in Gazipur n Our Correspondent, Gazipur A former Jubo League leader of Gazipur’s Kaliakair was killed in an attack by his rivals yesterday evening.

Rafiqul Islam, 43, was the former president of Jubo League’s Kaliakair upazila unit.

He was attacked near Jatir Pita Bangabandhu University College when a mourning day discussion arranged by the local unit of Awami League was going on on the college ground, said witnesses.

Local Awami League members were present at the discussion which was presided over

by Abdul Aziz, president of Ward 5 unit of Kaliakair Awami League.

Rafiqul was smoking at a tea stall when his rivals swooped on him with rods, sticks and machetes. They indiscriminately beat him up and hacked him.

He was taken to Kaliakair Upazila Health Complex in a critical condition where doctors pronounced him dead.

Officer-in-Charge of Kaliakair police station Omar Faruq said the discussion was foiled after Rafiqul was attacked and the discussants were taken to the police station for security.

He said Rafiqul’s body was kept at the health complex and none was detained in connection with the killing.

“The situation is now under control,” added OC Omar. l

DT

6 NEWS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Primary education in Chapainawabganj char land stumbles badly n Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj Primary education system in remote char lands, sandy lands emerged from riverbed, in the district has almost come to a halt allegedly owing to absence of teachers, poor monitoring and questionable role of the managing committees.

Consequently, not only the dropout also question has been raised about prevailing the quality education there.

Acknowledging the poor condition, local primary education officials opined that they have failed to monitor the schools regularly because of the manpower crisis and very poor

communication system. Besides, local political leaders failed to ensure accountability there, they continued.

It was learnt from the education office that there are seven char lands in the district and all of them are located in Sadar upazila. About 24,390 students study in the 99 primary schools and 123 teacher posts remain vacant for long there as well. Poor communication system in the remote areas hampers the teachers’ presence while the office assistant and peon, in some cases, help to keep the activities there active.

While visiting, the correspondent found the aforesaid poor scenario in 82 Shahjahanpur Government Primary School in Shahjahanpur

union on August 8, where peon Rabiul Islam was giving “Global Introduction of Bangladesh” subject exam in the second terminal test.

Rabiul said: “I am giving the examination with the order from headmaster Md Sanaullah as all three teachers including the headteacher are absent today.”

The guardians alleged that they pushed the teachers to ensure their regular presence, but they paid no heed to their appeal. Sometimes, the teachers leave their workplace before the office hours.

However, the headmaster failed to give any satisfactory answer about his absence to the correspondent over mobile phone.

About the controversial role of standing committee, Shahjahanpur UP Chairman Matiur Rahman said they have repeatedly informed the higher authorities of the malpractices, but their effort ended in vain duo to the negligence of the officials.

Terming the dereliction in duty of the teachers unfortunate, local Assistant District Primary Education Officer Sayedul Islam said they served show-cause notice to the three teachers seeking their explanation on the allegation.

“I do not support such sort of malpractice of teachers,” said Sayedul acknowledging to have poor monitoring system in the schools in char lands owing to the manpower crisis. l

Info centre set up at Lalmonirhat exclave n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

To provide internet-based services to the new Bangladeshis at 18 now-defunct enclaves, a digital information sub-centre has been set up in Jongra union under Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district.

Project director of the Access to Information (a2i) programme and Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Kabir Bin Anwar inaugurated the centre at exclave no 120 Bashkata in Patgram on Thursday. Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman, Patgram Upazila Chairman Ruhul Amin Babul, Patgram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nur Kutubul Alam and local leaders of the enclave exchange coordination committee were present at the event.

The centre has been set up temporarily at the house of Motiar Rahman, a resident of Bashkata exclave. Gradually the centre will be equipped with furniture and made permanent there, said UNO Nur Kutubul Alam.

“People in the rural areas are now enjoying the benefits of ICT-based public and private services through digital information centres and now we are taking initiatives to bring inhabitants of now-defunct enclaves dwellers in Lalmonirhat under internet facilities,” Kabir Bin Anwar told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Grabbing a good portion of a road, farmers keep newly harvested paddy on it, that sometimes leads to road accidents in the locality. The photo was taken from Mundomala area, Tanore upazila, Rajshahi yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Decrepit roads bring misery for commuters n Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj The Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid, Gomostapur-Bholahat and Nachole-Naogoan roads have become unfit for vehicular movement as those roads have not been repaired for long, much to cause sufferings for commuters.

Particularly, 45 kilometre area stretching from Amnurar Lakhipur to Porsha upazila’s Adda area is in worst condition and everyday pity accidents takes place on the road.

Although some portions of the road have been repaired six months back, the road comes back in its old shape within a few days.

Local people are now alleging that as unscrupulous officials of the Roads and Highway Department used sub-standard materials in the repairing, plaster of the road decayed

within some days. While talking to the correspondent, several passengers and driver said Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi Highway was the lone way for communication with the capital for the people of the locality.

Hundreds of good-laden trucks from country’s second largest land port everyday run on the road road amid risks.

People who live in the Barind area are the worst sufferers of the situation. The road is the long way to take patient to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

About 80% of the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi Highway remains in undown state for lack of repair and maintenance roads across the Rajshahi region leads to immense sufferings to local people.

Selim, driver of a BRTC bus, told the Dhaka

Tribune that he drove bus on the thoroughfare everyday. He said: “The road has turned unfit for vehicular movement and often vehicles got stuck on big potholes that created on the middle of the road.

Antaj, driver of Mohananda paribahan, said the road was on a rundown state. He said: “We cannot reach our destination for the poor condition of the road. As we cannot maintain time schedule, our boss sometimes rebuke us.

Sometimes we have to pay fine.”

Executive Engineer of the Roads and Highway Department Suniti Chakma told the Dhaka Tribune that they had sent a proposal to reconstruct the road which is waiting for the approval of Executive Committee of National Economic Council. He also expressed hope that the proposal would be approved within a few weeks. l

Doctor burnt to death in Chittagong n Tribune Report

A doctor was burnt to death and his wife sustained critical burn injuries in a fire that broke out in Chittagong city’s Kulshi area early yesterday.

Imtiaj, 50, doctor in a private hospital also the brother-in-law of Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, state minister of Land Ministry, had been living with his wife Sabrina Selina, at the 2nd floor of a residential building named “Zara” located at Khulshi No 4 in the port city for long.

Sabrina, 45, who sustained around 90% of burn, was brought to Dhaka from Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said the OC.l

DT

NEWS 7

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Low navigability disrupts Shimula ferry services n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Navigability crisis has badly disrupted ferry services on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route in the past two weeks, multiplying the woes of thousands of passengers of 21 southern districts.

As four ro-ro ferries have remained out of operation for two weeks, 14 medium and small ferries transported goods and passengers during this period.

But operations of medium and small ferries are halted sometimes due to navigability crisis and strong current in the mighty River Padma, said Giasuddin Patwary, assistant manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) at Shimulia ferry terminal yesterday.

The latest disruption hit Shimulia terminal, the gateway to one of the key ferry routes in the country, late on Thursday night and lasted for nearly nine hours before the resumption

of services around 10:30am yesterday.

More than 500 transports were stuck on both sides of the Padma River because of the disruption, leading to huge tailbacks as well as sufferings for passengers.

Local sources said a huge number of underwater shoals have formed in the channels of the ferry routes between Mawa and Kawrakandi due to irregular dredging.

He said: “As the authorities concerned do not dredge the riverbed, shoals emerge there that leads suffering to people.”

Rafiq Mia, a resident of Tongibari upazila headquarters, was waiting to cross the river in the morning, said: “I have to visit my sister’s house at Gopalganj sadar upazila, as she is sick, but I cannot for the disruption of ferry service.”

He also said he was trying the cross the river by speedboat which would multiply his travel cost.

Hazera Khatun, a resident of Kayettuli in Old Dhaka, said: “I am waiting in the bus for

four hours, but I do not know when I will be able to reach Shariatpur.”

But a BIWTA source seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that dredging was carried out to overcome navigability crisis, but the scale of the operation proved inadequate.

“The depth of water in channels should not be below 7.50 feet for smooth operation of roro ferries but it was 6.25 feet over a 100ft area at Louhajang turning point in the Padma River during high tide on Thursday morning,” said BIWTC Marine Officer Md Shahjahan.

Deputy Director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority SM Ajgar Ali said: “Dredging at Louhajang turning point began two days after Eid-ul-Fitr and is still going on but sediment brought in by tides is filling up the channels that have been dredged.”

Officials said only the small ferries are now operating without any element of risk but those will also pose a risk if the depth of water decreases further. l

Ctg transport workers call off strike n Tribune Report A few hours into its enforcement, the Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, Chittagong region, called off a 36-hour strike yesterday night.

The association withdrew the strike as the transport worker for whom they called the strike was rescued from Boroiya area, Mirsarai upazila around 7pm.

AKM Shahidur Rahman, additional commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, told the Dhaka Tribune that being informed, a team of police had rushed to the spot and rescued Nurul Islam, who was picked up by some unknown people on Wednesday.

Some unidentified people dropped him in the area, said the additional commissioner of the CMP, adding that Nurul’s physical condition was fine.

Some unidentified people identifying themselves as personnel of law enforcement agencies picked up Nurul Islam from his residence on Wednesday morning.

Later, the association called a 36-hour strike from August 26 protesting the incident. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 DHAKA TODAY

TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:26PM

SUN RISES 5:36AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY 33

27

Chittagong

31

26

Rajshahi

32

26

Rangpur

32

26

Khulna

33

26

Barisal

32

26

Sylhet

33

26

Cox’s Bazar

30

26

Dhaka

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.5ºC

23.5ºC

Sayedpur

Rangamati Source: Accuweather/UNB

A rickshaw passenger falls from a ride as the rickshaw’s wheel gets stuck in a hole on a waterlogged street in Malibagh area of the capital yesterday. The downpour in the last few days has caused waterlogging in many areas of the capital MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Hajj uncertain for 1,000 pilgrims n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:15am 5:35am 12:02am 4:35pm 6:27pm 7:57pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Performing hajj for 1,000 pilgrims has become uncertain in Sylhet as they are yet to register.

Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) sources said the pilgrims could not be enlisted in data entry sheet due to negligence of concern authorities.

Last date of deposition of money for hajj was February 26. But the deposition process was closed on February 22, four days before the time frame.

The first flight took off from Hazrat Shah-

jalal International Airport on August 16.

Seeking anonymity, a proprietor of a hajj agency, said a group of unscrupulous people created fake data entry registration. At least 25,000 pilgrims deposited their Muallim fee but they failed to be enlisted in data entry registration.

The quota was filled up before the time frame and concerned authorities closed the registration process before the scheduled time.

Another sources alleged some agencies were involved with trafficking in the name hajj pilgrims. At least 29 agencies in Sylhet could not complete their legal process, said

HABB sources. Monsur Ali Khan, president of HABB, said closing the data entry registration before the scheduled time, was the main reason behind the stalemate.

“We are in uncertain regarding the unregistered pilgrims,” he said.

Abdul Jobber Jalil, former president of Association of Travel Agency of Bangladesh (ATAB), said to overcome the situation they had submitted the demi official letter to concern ministry. Approximately, 7,000 pilgrims will perform hajj in the region this year, HABB sources said. l

DT

8 WORLD

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Modi on charm offensive as India seeks more clout n AFP, New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi, once a pariah of the West and a sharp critic of Asian neighbours, has confounded expectations with a relentless diplomatic charm offensive designed to raise India’s standing.

In his first 15 months in office, the right-wing premier has travelled to some two dozen countries, burnishing ties with allies and rivals alike in a campaign to ensure India punches its weight on the world stage and offsets China’s rise.

Critics say “Modiplomacy” has yielded little and accuse him of taking his eye off domestic affairs as he struggles to enact key reforms.

But even opponents admit Modi has injected some vigour into India’s pursuit of the world stage.

As well as meeting leaders of heavyweights such as the United States, Germany, Russia, Brazil and China, Modi has reached out to neighbours, becoming the first Indian leader to visit Sri Lanka in three decades.

He also rolled out the red carpet for smaller countries, hosting 14 heads of state from Pacific islands from yesterday and a summit with African leaders in October.

Shashi Tharoor, a minister in the previous Congress government, says Modi has shamelessly reversed his stance on a host of foreign policy issues but acknowledges he brings “personal energy” to the table.

“He is doing well, says the right thing in whichever country he goes to and leaves a positive impression,” Tharoor, a former UN deputy secretary general, commented.

Given Modi’s track record, few had anticipated diplomacy would be one of his top priorities.

growing weight in the international system.”

On his way back from China, Modi paid the first visit by an Indian leader to Mongolia, and dropped into five of the resource-rich Central Asian republics which have long-standing relationships with Beijing.

Analysts say similar thinking explains Modi’s invitation to the African and Pacific leaders, many of whom have received soft loans from China.

China has long cultivated ties with African countries as it seeks resources that India may also need as its development quickens.

“India has historically had good relations with Africa but lost out (to China) in the last 15-20 years,” said analyst Ashok Malik of Delhi’s Observer Research Foundation.

‘Greater confidence’

AFP

He first drew the attention of foreign governments during a frenzy of communal violence in Gujarat soon after becoming chief minister in 2002. He was consequently blacklisted for a decade by the US and European Union.

During last year’s election campaign, Modi burnished his credentials as a hardline nationalist by berating China’s “expansionist mindset”.

But soon after taking power he invited Xi Jinping for the first visit by a Chinese leader to India in eight years before his own visit to Beijing in May. He has also accepted an invitation from his counterpart Nawaz Sharif to attend a summit

in India’s arch rival Pakistan, another target of his ire on the campaign trail.

Sphere of influence

C Raja Mohan, author of a new book on Modi’s foreign policy, says the premier’s overriding goal is to “expand India’s sphere of influence”, not least by joining China as a permanent UN Security Council member.

“With Modi, I think that there is a Gujarati pragmatism that dictates how to think about the world,” Mohan said.

“He is conscious of India’s changed position in the international system, that India can be a confident player which is aware of its

Modi’s greater involvement in South Asia is widely seen as a pushback against China’s overtures towards India’s neighbours, such as Sri Lanka.

India won kudos in Nepal after April’s earthquake for its aid response, which dwarfed China’s.

Demonstrating his growing self-assurance on the world stage, Modi is now more comfortable delivering speeches and talking to his counterparts in English, after initially speaking only in Hindi.

S. Jaishankar, India’s foreign secretary, says recent initiatives “speak of greater confidence”.

“Perhaps it is time to reassess our ability to drive and lead on global issues, and be active and nimble rather than neutral or riskaverse,” he said in a speech. l

Bangkok explosions likely to hit Thailand tourism sector n Adil Mahmood Monday’s deadly explosion in Bangkok could take a toll on Thailand’s tourism, a major pillar of the country’s weakening economy that is already suffering from political turmoil persistent for more than half a decade.

At least 20 people were killed, including seven Chinese nationals, and more than 100 others injured in the tragic incident.

The first half of year 2015 saw marked achievements in the tourism sector, which, however, will be badly affected by the explosion that rocked Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection, a popular tourist attraction in downtown Bangkok, on Monday night.

Analysts fear that the already-affected Thai economy, due to power struggle between the military junta and political rivals, may not recover from the negative impact of the explosion until early next year.

In the short term, it’s been predicted that fewer individual tourists will be visiting Thailand, and the situation will be further exacerbated if there are similar incidents to follow.

The remainder of this year is expected to witness slower economic growth, which will rely heavily on government spending.

However, some have different opinions in this matter. Kutilda Yee, a freelance Thai journalist currently based in Hamburg, said that the blast will have short-term influence on the tourism industry.

“The Thai authorities have already ruled out any foreign link with the explosion. We hope that it was only an isolated incident, with no more similar attacks to follow. I am sure the Thai government will take measures to ensure safety, restore tourists’ confidence and protect the tourism sector from being severely affected,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.

When contacted, Saksith Saiyasombut, a writer with the Asian Correspondent, expressed almost similar views.

“Thais have carried on with their lives, and the explosion will only have minimal impact on the Thai economy,” he said.

Some argue that the number of tourists to Thailand is unlikely to drop to any alarming extent following Monday’s blast, which may simply be attributed to the fact that most will not frequent such specific spots.

As many as 28 million tourists are expected to visit the country throughout this year.

Different news agency reports suggested that ruling Thai military junta already issued stern warning to Thai nationals and vising foreigners to exercise utmost caution at other tourist-frequented spots in the heart of the capital, besides the Ratchaprasong intersection area, including Patumwan intersection, Silom Road, Sukhumvit Road, Victory Monument and Khaosarn Road areas.

Bangkok police are currently investigating the bombing though no perpetrator has been arrested as of filing of the report on Friday evening. l

Tourists in Thailand By region 2013, in percent East Asia

60

Africa By country Top 10 in 2013, in millions 5

1

26.5 million

Middle 2 East

visitors

4

4

4

Oceania

5

Americas

3

Europe

24

South Asia

2

Contribution to the economy, 2014

1

19.3%

of GDP 0

s ina aysia apan orea India Lao pore tralia l K J a . ga us S M Sin A

Ch

UK

US

14.1%

of jobs

Sources: World Travel and Tourism Council, Thai Office of National Statistics

DT

WORLD 9

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Refugee crisis: Merkel, Hollande want EU to move faster n

India urges Pakistan against meeting separatists

n Reuters, Berlin Germany and France will press the European Union to move faster and with more unity to deal with the worsening refugee crisis, amid complaints from Germany that it is shouldering too big a burden.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande will meet in Berlin on Monday to discuss how to speed up relief for thousands of migrants, many of whom risk dangerous sea voyages to reach southern Europe before making their way across the continent.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told a news conference on Thursday with his French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve that the EU must move more quickly as migrant numbers across the EU have surged in recent months.

“It’s unacceptable for European institutions to continue working at the pace they are currently operating at,” said de Maiziere, one day after he said Germany will receive a record 800,000 refugees and asylum-seekers this year.

De Maiziere said he and Cazeneuve agree Italy and Greece need considerable EU help to set up “waiting areas” for newly arrived refugees. Countries bordering the EU will also need EU support to counter smugglers as well address the causes of mass migration, he said.

“It’s obvious that Italy and Greece will need help and that will cost a relatively large amount of EU money,” said de Maiziere, a close ally of Merkel, who earlier on Thursday complained Germany has taken in 40% of the EU’s refugees.

In search of a better life refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean so far this year

0.26 million

Arrivals by sea, 2015

2,500

Migrant deaths

UNHCR (as of Aug 14)

IOM (as of Aug 17) Jan

1,953

104,000

IOM (as of June-July)

Eritrea 25,657 Nigeria 11,899 Somalia 7,538 Sudan 5,658 Syria 5,495

GREECE

158,456

94

359

Mar

69

1,265

April

MALTA

Syria

88,204

Afghanistan 32,414 Albania 9,713 Pakistan 9,445 Iraq 5,421

(plus 1,716 via land border with Turkey)

May

95

June 1 0 July Aug

*All bar Albania are zones of conflict/persecution

“That is too many for the long run,” he told German TV. De Maiziere told the news conference that the EU Commission needs to apply far more pressure on countries outside the EU, especially those seeking to join the EU in the Balkans, to take back refugees failing to qualify for asylum.

Merkel, who called it “extremely unsatisfying” that Germany is taking in a disproportionate numbers, said earlier this week that the EU urgently needs to come up with joint policies in the face of the worsening humanitarian crisis. She said the issue would become more

77

Feb

ITALY

SPAIN Main countries of origin*

others died in the attempt

130 344 Source: UNHCR, IOM

pressing for Europe than the euro zone crisis.

“We need a common European asylum policy,” she said.

Britain said on Thursday it will contribute €10m euros to increased French humanitarian assistance and a fast-track asylum process for thousands of migrants camped in Calais in the hope of crossing the Channel.

The measures were announced by British Home Secretary Theresa May and Bernard Cazeneuve during a joint visit to the northern French port city of Calais.

Tens of thousands of migrants are arriving in Italy and Greece each week. l

AFP, New Delhi

India has urged Pakistan against meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of rare talks between the two countries’ top security advisers in New Delhi, hiking tensions between the arch rivals.

An Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson in a tweet on Friday said it would be inappropriate for Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz to hold the meeting on Sunday in Delhi just before scheduled talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

India cancelled talks with Pakistan last year between their foreign secretaries, outraged over a similar meeting that took place, a move that set back already tense relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

“India has advised Pakistan yesterday that it would not be appropriate for Sartaz Aziz to meet with Hurriyat (separatist) representatives in India,” spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.

In the lead up to the talks, more than six civilians have been killed in an increase in cross-border shootings between their troops in Kashmir last week.

Three Indian Kashmiri separatist leaders were briefly placed under house arrest on Thursday in the region’s main city of Srinagar, but were later released.

Pakistan said Friday it push ahead with the meeting despite India’s “advice”, calling the pro-independence leaders “genuine stakeholders” in efforts to find a solution to the dispute over the Kashmir region.

About a dozen militant groups have been fighting since 1989 for either the independence of the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan. l

Malala top of the class in British school exams n AFP, London

Giant panda cubs are seen inside baskets during their debut appearance to visitors at a giant panda breeding centre in Ya’an, Sichuan province, China REUTERS

Malala Yousafzai, the teenage education rights campaigner who came to Britain after the Pakistani Taliban tried to kill her, has scored high marks in national school exams, her father confirmed Friday.

Malala, shot in the head three years ago for championing girls’ rights to education, gained six A* grades, the highest possible, and four As, the second highest, in her GCSEs. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 jointly with India’s Kailash Satyarthi for promoting education rights for children.

“My wife Toor Pekai and I are proud of Malala,” her father Ziauddin wrote on Twitter.

“Education for every child.”

Her top grades were in biology, chemistry, physics, religious studies and two maths exams.

The 18-year-old was flown to Britain in 2012 for hospital treatment after being shot on a school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.

She now lives permanently in Birmingham, central England, with her family and attends an all-girls school.

GCSEs are exams in a wide range of subjects usually taken by all children in Britain at the end of their fifth year in high school. Pupils received their results on Thursday. l

DT

10 World

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Alexis Tsipras: Lone PM locked in endless Greek tragedies n AFP, Athens Alexis Tsipras knew all too well that Greece’s huge bailout would appall many in his radical leftist party -- but now the hard-fought rescue has cost him his government.

Tsipras, who resigned Thursday calling for snap elections, had swept to power in January vowing an end to the deep and painful spending cuts demanded by Greece’s creditors in exchange for €240bn of financial aid since 2010.

Then, after months of bitter negotiations with the creditors, he reluctantly signed his debt-crippled government up to more of the same tough reforms -- despite having earlier convinced Greeks to reject such measures in a referendum.

The youthful and charismatic premier insisted that a third rescue package -- worth €86bn ($96bn) -- was the only way to prevent the country from defaulting on its enormous debts and crashing out of the eurozone.

“I had specific choices before me: one was to accept a deal I disagree with on many points, another was a disorderly default,” he said.

But for furious critics within his hard-left party Syriza, the agreement represented capitulation to “blackmail” from the creditors and an unacceptable betrayal of everything they stood for.

“Every corner and beauty of Greece is being sold,” railed parliament speaker Zoe Constantopoulou, decrying the bailout deal as a “crime against humanity”.

Tsipras had battled a major rebellion within the party for weeks, with dozens of his MPs refusing to back the bailout in three successive parliamentary votes.

Each time, he was forced to rely on the opposition to get crucial bills approving the rescue passed -- meaning he had effectively lost his parliamentary majority.

It is perhaps no wonder that Tsipras’ mother said recently that he barely has time to eat or sleep. Yet it shows surprisingly little; with a frank smile, the premier is rare to show either anger or fatigue.

Despite being unable to keep his lawmak-

Alexis Tsipras: quits after 7 months Jan 26 Tsipras becomes prime minister on pledge to renegotiate austerity measures demanded by EU-IMF Feb 20 Greece’s creditors agree to extend financial aid to June 30 but no further June 30 Bailout expires. Greece defaults on IMF debt repayment July 5 Referendum: Greeks reject EU-IMF conditions for more financial aid July 6 Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis resigns to ease tensions with creditors July 13 Tsipras agrees to tough austerity terms to obtain a new EU bailout July 17 Government reshuffles after Syriza MPs rebel against bailout terms Aug 14 Parliament ratifies bailout after bitter debate and defection of 32% of Syriza MPs Aug 20 Tsipras resigns ers in line, the 41-year-old nonetheless remains widely trusted by Greeks as the best man to be leading the country through the crisis, and is far ahead of any of his rivals in opinion polls.

He once again leapt fiercely to the bailout’s defence as he announced his resignation, saying: “I want to submit to the Greek people everything I have done so that they can decide once more.”

Rebel who backed down

A fan of Che Guevara and a hater of neck-ties, Tsipras forged his firebrand image early in life, protesting as a teenager for students’ right to skip class if they want. He met Betty Baziana -- the mother of his two boys -- at high school, when both joined the Communist Youth.

Gujarat High Court: Voters have right to abstain n AFP, Ahmadabad Plans by the authorities in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state to make voting in local elections compulsory have been put on hold, with a court saying voters had the right to abstain.

The Gujarat state government had said anyone who failed to take part in elections for civic and village bodies without providing a legitimate excuse would be fined Rs100 (about $1.50).

It planned to change local laws, making voting compulsory for the first time in the world’s largest democracy.

But the Gujarat High Court issued a stay

order pending further hearings after filing of a public interest litigation suit.

“While staying the new Act, the court observed that the right to vote itself means the right to refrain from voting,” KR Koshti, the attorney who filed the suit, said.

“The court has granted us interim relief by staying the implementation of the new law.”

The proposal to make voting compulsory in local elections was drawn up when Bharatiya Janata Party leader Modi was Gujarat’s chief minister.

Although he stepped down from the post in May last year a, the legislation continued to be steered through the state legislature and was finally approved last month. l

An engineer by training, Tsipras was born in the suburbs of Athens in 1974, the year which marked the collapse of a seven-year army dictatorship that mercilessly persecuted leftists and Communists.

His early steps in politics were informed by hard-left positions even as he took up with different parties, winning a seat on Athens’ municipal council with Synaspismos, a leftwing coalition, in 2007. He was elected Synaspismos leader the following year, and Syriza leader in 2008, aged just 34.

In Brussels, his erratic negotiating tactics infuriated creditors, who accused the Greeks of gambling the country’s future by engaging in irresponsible brinkmanship -- notably by calling a snap referendum on the bailout, urging citizens to reject the proposals. l

Syriza party splits, rebels form antibailout front n Reuters, Athens

Rebels angered by Greece’s bailout walked out of the leftist Syriza party on Friday, formalising a widely-expected split after leader Alexis Tsipras resigned as prime minister to pave the way for early elections.

The new anti-bailout Popular Unity party set up by the far leftists is expected to steal some euro-sceptic voters away from Tsipras.

But it allows Syriza to move closer to the political centre and clears the way for Tsipras to more decisively implement the bailout programme if he is re-elected.

The split - which cost Tsipras 25 lawmakers or a sixth of Syriza’s parliamentary group came a day after he abruptly resigned to force early elections in a bid to cement his grip on power and deal with the growing rebellion in the party’s ranks.

Greece’s president gave the conservative opposition a chance to form a new government, but the effort is almost certain to prove unsuccessful and Greeks are expected to return to the polls for the second time this year on September 20.

However, The election could hamper or delay a review planned for October of Greece’s progress under its new bailout programme and rekindle concerns about Athens’ ability to honour its pledges, Fitch ratings agency warned.

Former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, a former close adviser to Tsipras who was fired last month for refusing to back the government, said his new leftist party would give Greeks who oppose the €86bn ($97bn) bailout package from eurozone and International Monetary Fund lenders a voice.

He and other far-left members of Syriza have been defying Tsipras in parliament ever since he performed a U-turn and accepted the bailout package and its austerity measures in order to save the financial system and Greece’s future in the euro.

With 25 lawmakers, the new leftist party will be the third largest bloc in Greece’s 300seat parliament. That allows it to have a go at forming a government if the conservative opposition fails to cobble together a coalition. l

DT

EDITORIAL 11

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

INSIDE

America and guns: Passion with a reason PAGE 12

Is that a compliment?

BIGSTOCK

PAGE 14

W

Arts & Letters PAGE 15

Bengal syndrome?

PAGE 16-17

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, 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

Increase incentives to aid fight against climate change e welcome this week’s declaration by the International Islamic Climate Change Symposium in Istanbul urging governments to phase out fossil fuels and move towards 100% renewable energy generation by 2050.

The call by climate experts and Islamic scholars from 20 different countries is a useful step forward in engaging the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims on environmental issues.

It is encouraging to see faith based initiatives of this type add moral weight to efforts to preserve the environment and help protect vulnerable people from the adverse environmental impacts of climate change caused by greenhouse emissions.

Climate change is the biggest long-term challenge faced by Bangladesh. It is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and threatens to displace millions of people through rising water levels.

Improving resilience and the ability of our population to adapt has to be at the heart of public policy. We should increase support for global efforts to cut greenhouse emissions and increase investment in renewable energy.

Although per capita, Bangladesh is a low emitter, it is good that the government and international funders are supporting initiatives such as the millions of solar home systems set up by IDCOL and Grameen Shakti which are renewably providing rural households with energy for lighting, and running fans and TVs. While our historical emissions are negligible and not a barrier to efforts to industrialise the economy, it is important we seek to grow energy production sustainably to help add weight and authority to supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world.

The government can improve the part Bangladesh plays by cutting subsidies on fossil fuels. Thus would help harmonise our national polices to increase investment in renewable energy generation, and cut emissions growth.

Internationally, the government should become pro-active in supporting global carbon taxes to help stimulate renewable energy.

It is imperative that we harmonise policies to increase incentives to move the world towards more sustainable energy future.

Cut subsidies on fossil fuels to increase investment in renewable energy and help world move to a more sustainable energy future

DT

12 OPINION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

America and guns: Passion with a reason The US has a complicated relationship with the right to bear arms

A gun-obsessed culture?

BIGSTOCK

The relationship that America has with guns is unique enough that it would be a folly to judge it through the lens of simple theories which are deduced from the facts in other parts of the world

n Esam Sohail

E

very time there is a fatal crime resulting from guns in the United States, the world collectively rediscovers its amazement that firearms are regulated so little in that country.

While predicated on the rather unproven causality between legal fire-arm ownership and criminality, such concerns often get lost in hysteria and hubris that do not explain well the American exceptionalism regarding guns.

Almost uniquely in the developed world (Switzerland being the other exception), neither a general prohibition of personal fire-arm ownership nor a licensing regime for the same is part of the American legal framework.

For reasons that are constitutional, historical, primal, and social, the regulation

of private gun ownership is fundamentally different in the United States than any of her peers in the developed democracies of the world, let alone the developing societies.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, as reinforced by two Supreme Court decisions in the first decade of this century, prohibits any government, at any level, from “infringing” upon the rights of citizens to own fire-arms for hunting or self-defense.

Within that constitutional parameter, at the national level, gun regulations principally deal with sale and shipment of weapons, and the registration of high-capacity items like machine guns and grenades.

Beyond that, different states have varying sets of regulations dealing with private ownership of firearms: The more urban states like New York, California, and Illinois prohibit the sale of certain, purely militarystyle weapons and require some form of training or licensing for the possession of other types.

The more rural states in the South and Midwest have very few regulations, and some, like my own, allow citizens who are not felons to openly carry fire-arms in public as long as they don’t seek to intimidate others.

Historically as well, in a country born of a revolt against the world’s mightiest empire, the individual right to bear arms strikes a chord that is hard to dismiss. Without a culture of self-reliance for defense, it is inconceivable to imagine that the rag-tag

militias of George Washington would have been able to take on the British Army.

Self-defense was also important in the aftermath of the Reconstruction period in the 1870s, when the Ku Klux Klan terror organisation systemically targeted blacks, Jews, Catholics, and Republicans in the American South, while the largely white, Protestant, Democratic law enforcement structure there stood on the sidelines.

It is no surprise that some of the fiercest opponents of gun control were the first wave of emancipated blacks in the Deep South states, where, more often than not in the early years of the 20th century, the only defense against murdering KKK bigots was the rifle of the home-owner.

Fast forwarding to recent times, the primal desire of individuals to be safe in their own person and property has hardly diminished since the Civil War era. The sheer size of the inhabitable land which, outside of the major metropolitan conurbations, finds families living dozens of miles away from any police unit, makes it almost a necessity to find means of protecting oneself from intruders bent on harm.

At the same time, many of the biggest American cities have a permanent and huge under-class, where generations of illegitimacy and welfare dependency create a criminal under-current that can terrorise lawabiding citizens who are loath to depend on an imperious municipal police for emergency protection.

Beyond the practical uses, guns also serve as a revered totem for a certain broad demographic in the United States: Men with little formal education and traditional social mores, whose importance as sole breadwinners for their families has been severely compromised by breath-taking changes in the socio-economic landscape.

With women matching and often surpassing men in educational attainment, and low-tech manufacturing plants replaced by information technology firms, such men are left with few obvious symbols of their once vaunted primacy -- a collection of guns is one such symbol.

The relationship that America has with guns is unique enough -- in both substance and context -- that it would be a folly to judge it through the lens of simple theories which are deduced from the facts in other parts of the world.

Indeed, there is some truth to the point often made by gun rights advocates that world history has often shown that tyrants begin their reign by disarming ordinary citizens.

Given the strong constitutional safe-guards and the necessity of gun ownership felt by so many law-abiding Americans, it is highly unlikely that private ownership of fire-arms in the United States will go the route of England, Canada, or Australia anytime soon. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

DT

OPINION 13

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Finding a job is a full-time job The job market can be brutal for fresh graduates

The fact that employers prefer experienced candidates puts green job-seekers in a frustrating position

n Naima Nuren Khan

I

t is only after graduation that one begins to realise how honey-coated student life was. Smacked by the hurdles of real life, you start wishing you could age backwards. Sadly, the time machine has yet to be invented -- and thus begins the struggles of finding employment.

It starts off with a frenetic hunt for job circulars. With the Internet integrated into our very lives, the job search has extended from print media to web portals, making it a fairly easy endeavour.Social networks have also had a positive impact, by opening up dedicated groups in which job circulars are regularly posted. Universities also often host interactive sessions, competitions, and seminars as part of their career development programs.

Yet, finding a desirable job with decent pay is a tough job in itself for many. With the number of graduates being so much higher than the number of jobs available, and the widespread favouritism and nepotism prevalent in the job market, it quickly becomes an exercise in futility.

In addition to that, fresh graduates also have to undergo some rather unnecessary difficulties. Such difficulties include companies which post jobs without even stating the company’s name, instead, posting circulars as “a reputed multinational company.” This is quite common in Bangladesh job portals and social media job circulars.

New graduates are always eager to find jobs, and many end up applying willy-nilly.

With the inadequate company information

made available, it often turns out to be a useless exercise because of the mismatch between the vacancy and what the applicant was actually looking for. This anonymity is said to be the company’s “compliance policy of non-disclosure” -- whatever that may be, this rule is certainly misleading many new graduates, wasting their time and effort.

Furthermore, the process of getting a job in

BIGSTOCK

and time-consuming screening processes leads one to question employers’ trust in the credibility of the four-year graduate certificates in our country.

Then again, due to a high number of candidates, it is perhaps less of a matter of trust, meaning only to sort out the most deserving candidates.

One would imagine that employing the

Finding a desirable job with decent pay is a tough job in itself for many. With the number of graduates being so much higher than the number of jobs available, and the widespread favouritism and nepotism prevalent in the job market, it quickly becomes an exercise in futility

Bangladesh is painstakingly lengthy. Upon application, the interviewee is called for assessment within a time-frame of two weeks to two months on an average! The assessment process is usually of five tiers -- the first three including a written examination, group discussion, and presentation.

After successful completion of the aforementioned phases, there is the HR interview and then the final interview -- all this for an entry-level job. The same process is generally repeated for each job a freshly graduated student applies to. Such thorough

best of the best through such thorough screening systems will ensure a good payment. However, to much disappointment, the salary of a fresh graduate is hardly ever adequate. After subtracting expenditures like daily conveyance, meals, and other basic expenses, there is little left.

Numerous companies have employment contracts that bind an employee legally for a certain time period, and breach of the contract imposes monetary compensation.

While this has little to no value in the court of law, there are cases where the employee

had to pay monetary compensation to join elsewhere.

Another problem new graduates face is that of employers preferring experienced individuals even for entry-level posts. Even though their job circular clearly aims for, and encourages, fresh graduates, experienced candidates have more of a competitive edge.

In most domestic companies, and even some multi-nationals, there is a lack of clarity, respect, and proper maintenance of working hours. Concepts like workplace ethics, harassment laws, good corporate culture, and maintaining employee morale still are issues which are not adequately sorted out in Bangladeshi companies -the lack of a good working environment adversely impacts the motivation and selfesteem of recently graduated employees.

Given the state of individual security in Bangladesh, bogus interview calls are dime a dozen. Prior to attending an assessment or interview at a firm, it is imperative that you inform your family members about the location of the office.

Forming alumni groups in social media or career development services in universities which are actually effective can provide meritorious students with opportunities to land the job they want.Given the thorough screening processes, the long waiting hours for interviews, the four years of studying in expensive universities, and the costs of daily living, one cannot help but wonder if a job which pays peanuts is actually worth all that trouble. l Naima Nuren Khan is a freelance contributor.

DT

14 OPINION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Is that a compliment?

Comments from strangers do not have to be derogatory to be irritating

Should we just graciously accept compliments without questioning their motives?

n Shehtaz Huq

I

’m picking up donuts for the staff on our first day of school. The young man on the other side of the counter takes a look at me and says: “You look like one of those ladies from the 40s.”

To which I immediately respond with: “Is that a compliment?”

This is not the first time I have questioned the intentions of a male stranger who tried to engage with me. Men have approached me in public spaces, soliciting my attention or my number or both. They say things like: “Honey, that’s a good look on you” or “can I have your number?” Their comments don’t appear to be derogatory. Mildly irritating, yes, but not offensive. Yet, they rub me the wrong way.

My 16 years in Dhaka taught me to be wary of public spaces, to cover up my “offensive” chest and legs, to lower my gaze and stare at my toes if -- God forbid -- I had to leave the confines of my home. Getting in or out of a waiting vehicle, the short distance between the pavement and the store-front, the school yard -- all were areas that were “unsafe,” teeming with “lascivious beings.” And if a man were to poke his head out of a car or a doorway and holler at me, I was to run to

safety.

I could not figure out if it was perhaps my physique that drew male attention, or the mere fact that I’d grown into a woman. It did not take long, however, for me to panic at the sight of a man’s compliment. Why did I have to draw his attention?

The fault would be all mine. After all, men cannot help their gaze.

Fast forward seven years and here I am, living by myself in upstate New York, and it would seem as though the men hardly notice me, regardless of what I wear or how I do my hair. But when it does happen, when passers-by and fellow patrons tell me that my outfit is “vintage” or I look “half-Vietnamese,” I want to collapse in on myself. I fear retribution -- punishment for flaunting my womanhood. I fear the catcalls and jeering and leering that had caused me so much dismay back in Bangladesh.

My colleagues tell me it is gracious to accept a compliment with a smile and a thank you. But what type of compliment, and when, and from whom?

I would not have batted an eyelid, for example, if some lady implied I looked vintage.

I subconsciously crave female approval for the way I put myself together every morning.

I crave approval, female or otherwise, for the

BIGSTOCK

work that I do and every day that I manage to drive to school without ramming into a fence.

But when a male patron at Starbucks tells me that I have a “good look,” or wants to hold the door open, or asks me for my number, I seize up. I panic. My words run into each other.

When passers-by and fellow patrons tell me that my outfit is ‘vintage’ or I look ‘half-Vietnamese,’ I want to collapse in on myself. I fear retribution -- punishment for flaunting my womanhood

Perhaps my cynicism has blinded me to the presumably good intentions of certain people who may just want to spread a little joy in the world. Or perhaps two decades of unwanted male attention, unsolicited male attention, male attention with obscure intentions, have left me questioning even the most benign of comments. l Shehtaz Huq is a teacher based in Rochester, NY.

DT

ARTS & LETTERS 15

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Send your submissions to: anl@dhakatribune.com

An insignificance of loss n Gaurav Deka

Y

ou are awakened by the loud honk of a passing car. It’s a Sunday spell of dozing-in-motion. The ones you’d usually experience in moving buses, cars, and trains, while on your way to the health camps. Today, you’re in the back seat of an omni-van, on your way to the airport to receive the parents of your dead lover.

Remembering the thinness of his fingers on your shoulders stretching out from the back seat. And then a strange fondness. Grows.

You are on the same road, still looking out and scribbling on your prescription pad. It is the shortcut you’d taken for the airport that day; you’d come to drop him. Told him how you’d always felt an overwhelming sense of freedom every time you were leaving the city, by the same road to the airport.

So, to keep the feeling going for a while, you’d skip hospital, make your patients wait, lie to your super-intendent, rent a cab and drive down that road. Drop almost everyone you knew, everyone who came to you in the hope that you’d cross them over, everyone you could grieve for. For a moment you could pretend that you were leaving this place.

Here, this place, where you were born and raised single-handedly by your mother whom you’d lost, few years back, to one of those eleven bomb-blasts under the city-flyover. You could imagine you were flying away, leaving the rented house in Rupnagar, where you grew up with her. Pine for the

ex-lover who’d write to you from Berlin -- his letters littering outside your door. Sulk in the memory of your slow-motioned life in Tezpur -- where you work as a resident doctor.

That life falling rapidly behind you. And then, let that old, mundane grief grow and take the better of you so much so that it no longer can be abated by the everyday news of the thousands of men, women, and children killed by militants in Kokrajhar, Sonitpur, and all over North Assam. All over your country.

You only read about them in The Assam Tribune. The ward-boy leaves a copy of the newspaper every morning along with a cup of hot buffalo-milk tea. You flip through the photographs of the carnage, bodies lying in line, upside-down on the front page. Such things are impersonal, you think, and without wincing, flip onto page six, carrying the aid of a powerful new aphrodisiac, every day a new one.

Later, while walking down to your quarter you leave it on the table, to be replaced by tomorrow’s, and feel relieved that your mother is dead long and you do not have a brother or a friend you’d have to cry for, anytime later in future.

But today, perhaps you must. You must cry. You don’t want to cry. You try not to.

You try to jot down all that you don’t want to think about. Trying to arithmetise the sequence of events, making meaningless equations, and solving each one like a sum.

Dissolving. Out of your head.

X = February 2012: Saw him at the medicine ward.

Y = June 2012: Proposed. said “yes.” (+) = December 2012: flew to Silchar. Saw his hometown. Met his parents.

(-) = January 2013: Came out to parents.

(-) = March 2013: Fought. Broke up. Discovered old letter from ex.

(-) = April 2013: Parents asked him to come back. (+) = May 2013: Flew back to Silchar. Again! (+) = January 2014: Patched up.

(Z) = February 2014: Returned, lived together, bought a house. Happy!

X (+) (-) (-) (-) (+) (+) Y≠ Z ≠December 2014: Carnage. Curfew. Killed. Outside the door.

Full-stop. You tear the page. Throw it out of the window. And now you’re on that damned road once again. By fate, by ill-luck, by habit -- one of those that refuse to die.

Hoping that the road never ends. Or if it does then you could just skip meeting them, his parents, or send them back with an obscene lie: It was a false alert. Your son is still alive!

Or perhaps explain them with an extension to the greater truth: What’s the point of coming all the way to see a corpse? You think.

Break into a sob. Think. Sob. Think. Sob. The driver doesn’t look back. He only looks ahead, his face twisted in concentration.

The airport is two minutes away, already looming ahead like a tangible passage of time. From where souls depart, souls return.

You suddenly gather that, of all shapes,

there is comfort only in the linearity of the “line.” Where things end and don’t return.

And there, as you wait at the arrivals, for a minute, you’re almost yielded to believe of this moment as a hopeful glitch in the fabric of space and time. A brief irregularity in the rotation of the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, and the galaxies: In a few moments, your young lover will walk up heavy-eyed, weightless as a phantom through that door, and reach up to you.

A waft of bags and shoes will trail behind, in the warmth of the announcements filling up the passage for the ones waiting. “So glad to see you again,” he will say and you will gulp a swallow, your hands nervous and shaking, gently pulling the luggage from his hands. The weight of beauty will exert slowly as he will place his hands on your shoulders and start walking along.

“Doc. What’s with the mute-mode?! Say something?” You will answer nothing and walk slowly, minding your pace, lest he removes his fingers. You will look back, every now and then reassuring yourself of the comfort of his presence. When you reach the van the air will turn cold. It’ll come to a slow still like a reel about to end, and your each breath praying: Don’t break this spell. Don’t break this spell. l Gaurav Deka studied medicine in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. His short story, “To Whom He Wrote From Berlin” won The Open Road Review Short Fiction Contest, 2014.

Remind me Long nights, fogged up heads, Short mornings, unmade beds Remind me of you.

Eggs and burnt toast, Words like “importance” and “utmost” Remind me of you.

Lip bites, wild eyes, Gasps and sighs Remind me of you.

Unanswered questions Secrets out in the open Remind me of you.

Blurry vision, unfinished sentences, Surprises, unforeseen circumstances Remind me of you.

Black forest wedding cakes, John Legend’s “All of me” Two second stares and my consequent inability to speak Remind me of you.

Sunrises, sunsets Starlit nights, shadows, silhouettes Remind me of you.

Blue skies, turquoise seas

Impatience on endless journeys Remind me of you.

Coffee cups, dystopian books, Laughter, smiles, smoldering looks Remind me of you.

Red nail polish, 90s TV sets My insanity, your profanity, all those things I can’t forget Remind me of you.

Oversized t-shirts, your embrace The way the table lamp accentuates this dark place Remind me of you.

The way your fingers felt, intertwined with mine Every single “Once upon a time” Remind me of you.

Endings, middles, beginnings Shouting, screaming, weeping Remind me of you.

Late night confessions, nostalgia, longing Every emotion, every feeling Remind me of you.

Norma Bijita Hilton is a freelance contributor.

DT

16 HERITAGE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Bengal syndrome?

Michael Madhusudan Dutt’s journey to literary fame was a tumultuous one displayed similar behaviour; however, whilst in the 18th and 19th century many Bengalis were very evidently ready to resist their British rulers and suffer imprisonment and even death to do so, there were those who appeared to have developed similar characteristics of emotions to the Stockholm captives.

Certainly, there were many who happily and willingly benefitted through their engagement with the British; and others who, however resigned, simply accepted the rule, and made the best of it.

However, one 19th century Bengali, one of their most famous poets and dramatists, born in Jessore, seems to have manifested similar characteristics to those of the Swedes of Stockholm, over a century later.

lifestyle, qualities which inspire a youthful imagination.

His early exposure to English language and literature, which began in his childhood, was, probably, the root of his Anglophilia; but his move to Calcutta, like that of many social contemporaries, certainly developed it.

His teacher at Hindu College, Captain DL Richardson, himself a poet, certainly fanned the youthful passions. At the age of 19, Dutt took the first step towards fulfilling his dream, and converted, in the face of considerable family opposition, to Christianity. It was, perhaps, the first step, as he saw it in his imagination -- to realising, what reason might have told him was, in fact, an unrealisable dream -- to becoming English.

It was a step that alienated, irrevocably,

Michael Madhusudan Dutt may well have been one of Bengal’s greatest poets, but the wish he manifested, even from youth, to become as British as his affluent Hindu birth could permit, appears to have fuelled much of his talent

n Tim Steel

W

e have a 20th century diagnosis for the psychological phenomenon of identification with, and positive feelings towards, captors; it is known as Stockholm Syndrome.

The name derives from the way in which captives taken by bank robbers in Stockholm, in August 1973, and held hostage for six days, came to develop an emotional attachment to their captors, defending them even after their own release.

Hostages released in further cases have

Michael Madhusudan Dutt may well have been one of Bengal’s greatest poets, but the wish he manifested, even from youth, to become as British as his affluent Hindu birth could permit, appears to have fuelled much of his talent, but, in the end, probably left him a very disillusioned and disappointed man.

It is, perhaps, not hard to discern, in his early moves to Anglicise himself, to become “English,” at least in his own eyes, the budding of a vivid imagination, and levels of imaginative creative activity that was to flower into what was, certainly, one of the greatest literary talents ever seen in someone born in Bangladesh.

No doubt, admiring the lives and lifestyle of the British rulers, and, as we know, certainly, their rich literary traditions, it is not hard to imagine the adolescent Dutt, imagining himself as one of the apparently gilded literati and elite.

He was born in 1824, in the village of Sagordari, the son of a highly successful and wealthy Hindu lawyer from a Zamindar family. No doubt, in the spacious and graceful way of life in which he grew, there was time and opportunity for a youth, evidently, from an early age, to visualise and imagine the achievement of a way of life that was, in fact, both religiously, socially, and culturally alien to his own, but one to which he aspired.

It is probably even easier when we recognise his lifelong admiration for the works of the almost contemporary English poet, the, “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Lord Byron, and the romanticism, and lyrical effulgence of both his work, and reputed

DT

HERITAGE 17

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

His early death in 1873, at the age of 49, in Calcutta, seems to have passed largely unnoticed and unmarked. His demise was, perhaps, due, not only to his life-long adult struggle with poverty, but also an ever increasing alcoholism

from his family, and took him, inevitably, towards the regret that, by the end of his life, finally revealed that no matter how much his dramatic and poetic work was admired, in the end, late 19th century British, already, in India, becoming ever more racist, and in England, tolerant, but never totally accepting, would never take him, or his talent, completely to its heart.

His conversion to Christianity is generally recognised as a gesture, not merely to reject his religion, but also to refuse an arranged marriage his father was attempting to force on him. It meant, not simply an alienation from his family that endured for the rest of his life, but also that he had to leave Hindu College.

To evade further family attempts to reverse his decisions, he fled to Madras, where he quickly found, to his delight, and married, an orphan Scottish girl, Rebecca McTavish, with whom, over the next decade, he had four children.

Little seems to be known about his 10 years in Madras, and, certainly, little work in fulfilment of his unquestionable literary promise seems to have emerged. Perhaps he

taught; certainly he would have found much of the lifestyle as English as anything else that might be found in India.

It is not, however, hard to imagine that English society in Madras should have given him clues to what he finally came to recognise: The colour of his skin would always exclude him from achieving fulfilment of his own vision of himself as an Englishman.

In 1854, literally abandoning his wife and children, it seems, following the death of his father, he returned to Calcutta. It is not hard to reflect that, to all appearances, his life in Madras may have been something of the somewhat Bohemian life of poets pictured, some half a century later by the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, in his famous opera La Boheme.

Taking a second wife, in 1856, with whom he was to have two children, he finally, in 1862, realised his continuing ambition to “become English,” travelling to London and being accepted to study law at Gray’s Inn, one of the four great Inns of Court.

It is clear that the Hindu community had not entirely rejected him. He found accommodation with a member of the great

Tagore family, Rabindranath’s elder brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was, at the time, in London, studying for the Indian Civil Service Exam, which, since 1853, had been open to native Indians.

Whilst, a year later, his wife joined him, he struggled with his finances, and, perhaps already recognising that London was not ever going to accept him as English, a perception heightened by his association with Tagore, aspiring to a previously English only employment, in the face of great uncertainty that was no doubt heightened by British attitudes to native Indians following the 1857 uprising.

At some point in the 1860s, it appears that, in order to relieve his continuing poverty, he moved, temporarily, to Paris. Yet another venture into Bohemianism, maybe.

Finally recognising that neither his racial origin nor his finances were ever going to enable him to realise his life-long dream, he returned to Calcutta.

It may well be significant that, amongst his literary work in Calcutta, he is believed to have been the translator of the controversial dramatist Deenabandhu Mitra’s famous play, portraying the plight of the workers in Indigo Plantations at the hands of their British masters. Perhaps, inevitably, his disillusionment turned, finally, unsurprisingly, to hatred?

His early death in 1873, at the age of 49, in Calcutta, seems to have passed largely unnoticed and unmarked. His demise was, perhaps, due, not only to his life-long adult struggle with poverty, but also an ever increasing alcoholism, both of which we may recognise from the lives of other great poets.

It was, indeed, 15 years before any monument marked his grave. But his contribution to the literary heritage of Bengali poetry and drama became increasingly acknowledged.

Indeed, he was spoken of as one of the greatest ever figures in Bengali literature, and,

Indeed, he was spoken of as one of the greatest ever figures in Bengali literature, and, indeed, as the greatest poet in the Bengali language until the advent of Rabindranath Tagore

indeed, as the greatest poet in the Bengali language until the advent of Rabindranath Tagore.

Such delay in recognition was, of course, a fate, at the time, not uncommon amongst the 19th century artistic and literary giants, achieving recognition only after death.

Tagore, himself, was, at the time of Dutt’s death, a mere 12-year-old youth; but perhaps his early writing, from the age of eight, was, perhaps, inspired by his own elder brother’s increasingly famous literary giant of a friend? l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

DT

18 CLIMATE CHANGE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Bangladesh: An example of adapting to a harsh environment

Windfarm on an embankment in Kitubdia PHIL VOYSEY

Cyclone shelters double as schools in Kitubdia PHIL VOYSEY

n Phil Voysey We travel by car and speed-boat to the island of Kitubdia in the Bay of Bengal. From the ferry ghat, it is a bumpy 15-minute ride into town in the back of a jalopy. I’ve come to the island with Bangladeshi friends to research the impact of climate change on this community of fishermen and farmers.

Bangladesh, a country at sea level with three main rivers but over 700 in total criss-crossing the country, is the canary in the coalmine when it comes to climate change. In any given year, the country will face water shortages in winter, flooding in monsoon, and cyclones of varying intensity at different times of the year.

Communities along the Bay of Bengal are especially vulnerable. The cyclone of April 1991 smashed these communities with 250 km/h winds and six metre waves, killed more than 150,000 people and left 10 million homeless. I visited an impacted village a few weeks later in my capacity as the Director of Save the Children and was struck by the surreal scene of devastation and renewal as locals gathered debris from a wizened landscape of mud, sand and splintered palms, determined to rebuild their lives as best they could.

The cyclone of 91 was unusual in its ferocity. The general consensus among climate scientists is that the rise in air and sea temperatures resulting from climate change is likely to increase cyclone intensity, making events like 91 more common place.

Multistory concrete cyclone shelters scattered around the village double as community centres and schools. They give hope that if the direst predictions come true, the community of Kitubdia, at least, will be better prepared.

The encroaching sea

Local lecturer Showkap leads us to a recently built embankment of concrete blocks funded by the World Bank. A dormant wind farm sits along the top of the embankment. The farm has the capacity to supply 1,500 homes with electricity -- notoriously unreliable in Bangladesh -- but the failure of the Bangladesh Power Development Board to provide meters so that houses can hook up to the grid means that families, six months on, are still waiting.

Since the cyclone of 91 the seawater has continued to rise and swallow up huge tracts of land. Showkap points to a spot 200 metres out to sea where he used to play. In another part of the village, the top section of the old lighthouse, bent over by the tidal waves of 91, juts out of the sea, a monument to the power of nature.

“When there was a beach here sea turtles used to breed. We used to farm the eggs and tourists used to come and watch the hatchlings head out to sea. Now all we get is dead turtles washing up onto the embankment,” he says.

Local fishermen explain that rising sea waters have turned once productive rice paddies into salt pans.

Abdu Sattar, bare torso with his lungi around his waist, became a fishermen when his pad-

dy field was flooded. He used to earn 100,000 taka($1600) in six months as a farmer. This was adequate for his family of six children. In a good year as a fisherman he can earn $1,300 in nine months. But last year was a bad year.

“Big fishing trawlers in the Bay of Bengal have taken all the fish,” Abdu says.

Last year, he and the other fishermen earned less than $200 for 9 months’ work.

This has meant that many of them have been unable to repay the loans they took out with local moneylenders, at 30% interest, to buy their boats. “We now work on the boats we used to own for the person who lent us the money,” Abdu observes ruefully. “Can you stop the trawlers?” he asks.

Adaptation to climate change

The relentless push of the sea inland is helped by water management practices upstream in India. It is a perennial and seemingly intractable problem that the two respective governments have failed to resolve. During the dry winter months, when water upstream is diverted for irrigation in India, the rivers in Bangladesh are low and sluggish allowing the sea to encroach steadily inland.

This has presented opportunity to some.

In coastal areas, farmers have adapted to the increasing salinity of water by harvesting salt and shrimp, which is now Bangladesh’s second largest export after garments.

“It is rich farmers who have benefited most from shrimp farming,” Saleemul Huq tells

me. Huq is the Director of the Dhaka based International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD). ICCCAD conducts research, builds capacity on climate change, and fosters the growth of networks working in climate change in Bangladesh and globally.

This rise of the shrimp industry exacerbates a historical tension between fishermen and farmers over where to locate embankments and how to manage water.

It is a tension that has implications not only for food security, but also for health.

“There is some evidence that increasing water salinity in drinking water is linked to pre-eclampsia in pregnant women,” he adds.

This is in addition to the naturally occurring arsenic contamination of tube well water in many parts of Bangladesh.

There are signs the government of Bangladesh takes the threat of climate change seriously and is tackling the problem. The Bangladesh Climate Strategy and Action Plan receives annual funding of $100 million from the government.

But one strong lesson from Bangladesh is that government and donor-funded top down development projects can only, at best, be part of the solution.

Bangladeshis have never had the luxury of waiting for the government to solve their problems. They have had to take action in response to the threat of rising water. Villagers in flood-prone areas have traditionally built their houses on mud platforms and protected their communities with networks of embankments.

ICCCAD remains a strong advocate of local initiatives and supports the concept of Community Based Adaptation (CBA). Solutions developed at the local level have the best chance of being successful since it is the poorest living in areas prone to storms, floods, and droughts who are most vulnerable and best understand what needs to be done. This approach seeks to give these communities a voice since it is powerlessness as much as location that makes these communities vulnerable to climate change.

Huq gives the example of one new initiative where villagers in some areas have developed floating bamboo beds, the size of double beds, that can grow gourd type vegetables.

Investing money in developing suitable salt-tolerant rice varieties will be crucial to further protecting the food security of rice dependent Bangladesh.

Bangladesh -- an exemplar of resilience

We squeeze onto a local launch for the trip back to the mainland. There are no life vests on this boat and locals sit precariously around the edge. One man cradles his infant. I’m terrified what might happen in the event of an unexpected lurching of the boat. But the father is unconcerned. He’s done this trip many times.

Bangladeshis have a different idea of risk.

They have learned to cope with the threat of floods and cyclones every year. They negotiate the chaos of the roads and the challenges of poverty every day.

Outsiders have often dismissed Bangladesh as a basket case. But it has always been an exemplar of adaptation to a harsh environment and a testimony to the resourcefulness and resilience of its people.

As climate change begins to impact coastal communities all around the world and pose questions of survival and adaptation, we might well be turning to Bangladesh for answers. l Phil Voysey is Co founder and Director of Cultural Connexions.

DT

CLIMATE CHANGE 19

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

A Cyclone Aila-affected community rebuilds life at the Disaster and Climate Resilient Shelter, Bainpara, Khulna, Bangladesh -- a government pilot housing project

Technology development and commercialisation of renewable energy technologies will move us to a target of zero emissions SYED TASFIQ MAHMOOD

Energy and climate Climate change disaster reduction planning: change -- recent moving from periphery to centre views and opinions n AWAL REZA/THE COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME (CDMP II), MINISTRY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF, BANGLADESH

Jonathan Fowler

Climate change is a clear and present danger, forcing countries to evolve their policies constantly to keep up, participants at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction said today.

“It’s clear that climate change is going to have dramatic consequences for disaster risk reduction, particularly for poorer countries,” said Mr. Phil Evans, Government Services Director at the United Kingdom’s Met Office.

The scale of the challenge makes it all the more important to seize the unique opportunity of 2015, given that this year sees three interlocking events: The World Conference, then a summit of global leaders on the Sustainable Development Goals in New York in September, and finally, in Paris in December, the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

All three events are part of international efforts to chart out future policy to cope with the changing climate and rein in impacts such as increasingly frequent and extreme super-storms or droughts.

“In the context of disaster risk reduction and climate change, 2015 is a remarkable opportunity to address these issues,” said Evans.

Bangladesh, one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, has won wide praise for its disaster risk reduction policies.

The cyclones and floods of the past claimed tens of thousands of lives in the low-lying South Asian nation, but community-based early warning and evacuation plans have helped pull the toll down into the hundreds.

The Bangladeshi government is doing even more to meet the challenge head on, said Mr Shahid Ulla Mia, Ad-

n Anika Ali

An innovative disaster resilient village in Shymnagar. The houses are designed with community participation, using locally available materials and is a viable alternative to communities being displaced NASIF AHMED / UNDP BANGLADESH ditional Secretary at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

“Momentum on management of disaster and climate risk across all levels is on the rise in Bangladesh,” he said.

“These have translated into high political commitment, growing public investments, advancement of risk-informed development, formulation of institutional and legislative policy for disaster risk management, innovation, use of technological solutions, and finally, promotion of the ‘whole of government’ and ‘whole of society’ approach for managing risk.

“Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation have moved from the periphery to the centre of development planning. The agenda of disaster risk reduction and climate change

adaptation is the top of the political agenda in Bangladesh.” The picture is similar in the Philippines, which is regularly battered by typhoons.

“Investing in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction is critical to maintain development gains,” said the Philippines’ Climate Change Commissioner Lucille Sering, underscoring that the need to tackle the issue had spurred a common approach by all branches of the country’s government. l Jonathan Fowler works in communications with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. This article first appeared on http://www.unisdr.org/archive/43236 and has been reprinted with their permission.

Energy is the most talked about issue these days in the context of the growing world population, climate change, and the need to reduce our carbon footprint. Increasing the renewable energy mix is the way forward for all nations. While there are fast and slow movers in the race to incorporate renewable energy, lessons and experiences are emerging which are critical and interesting to say the least.

Ecofys, an international energy consultancy firm, projects that “other” types of renewables alongside “solar” will have to play a huge role in achieving the renewable energy targets of the future. Jane Burston, Head of Centre for Carbon Measurement, National Physical Laboratory, UK, recently mentioned that the key thing in the expansion of renewable energy in any given country is not the infrastructure, as most people keep pointing out, but it is the lack of awareness.

Technology development and commercialisation of Renewable Energy Technologies are two key factors in this field. Some countries are skilled innovators eg Israel, Finland, USA, while others are good at commercialising eg Brazil, China, and Denmark. A fruitful collaboration between these two groups would provide the ideal platform for the effective scale-up and incorporation of renewable energy technologies globally. Policy innovation, policy quality, responsive certification, culture of entrepreneurship, and public engagement have been identified as the key intangible issues in the commercialization of renewable energy by Jane Burston. Also, point of production and point of need of renewable energy have to be well planned such that there is not too much cost and loss in transmission.

Another hot topic alongside energy is climate change. While discussions continue globally on reducing carbon emissions, it is interesting to see where the existing atmospheric carbon dioxide is ending up. Professor Jon Lloyd, Chair of Global Ecosystem Function of Imperial College London, UK, recently pointed out that the oceans are proving to be less effective as carbon sinks, ie absorbing carbon emissions, whereas the terrestrial systems like the rain forests are proving to be much greater sinks for human-induced increases in atmospheric carbon. This is resulting in temperature increases within the terrestrial systems which might in turn impact the related eco-systems.

While climate change is being talked about almost univocally, Professor Mike Hulme, School of Social Science & Public Policy at King’s College London, UK, argues that a cultural analysis of the climate and its changes is needed parallel to a scientific one. He believes that this would reveal the different meanings of climate change to different people with different beliefs, cultures ,and priorities and would in turn help to design and enact the climate change related policies and interventions in a more meaningful manner. l Anika Ali is a Doctoral Researcher, Imperial College, London, UK.

This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

DT

20 FEEDBACK

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Tagore beyond Tagore August 13

Farhad Faisal Tagore can be overwhelming. Trying to appreciate his genius is one thing, “worshipping” it would be another. sundar It is no doubt a good exercise on the part of the author to prove his versatility.

Expert in foreign exchange, political analyst, development economist, educationist, sociologist, you name it.

But he should know that Tagore’s novels, particularly the two mentioned here, are not worth his literary genius.

Whatever might be the themes of those two novels, they are extremely poor in terms of style, form, and narrative.

On reading his novels, one is sure to get confused whether one is reading a novel or a scholarly piece of an essay or some research paper on social issues.

The characters in his novels speak, whether in their drawing room, bedroom, kitchen, or on the roadside, in such a manner that it gives the impression that they are not engaging in dialogue but giving formal lecturers on a podium.

In regular life, nobody talks how his characters talk.

As a novelist, Tagore definitely proved to be a failure, particularly compared to his unquestionable excellence in other areas, like short stories, song-writing, poetry, drama, and essay-writing.

Mamun Rashid sundar: Thanks Mr Sundar, you have a “sundar mon.” I just narrated my life studying Tagore, nothing less, nothing more.

I dare not be a Tagore critic, since he remains to be so vast, so meaningful, and so admirable to me. For a boy of 1516 years in 1976-77, Gora and Ghare Baire came out to be quite eye-opening. Please stay well and keep reading. sundar Mamun Rashid: Really impressed with your level of refinement, I have repeatedly tried to to provoke you but your extreme tolerance has really humbled me.

Believe me, I have no ill feelings or dislike towards you. As a matter of fact, I am not at all qualified to judge anybody, let alone an erudite person like you, with an immeasurable sense of humility found rarely nowadays. My sincerest apologies if my comments hurt your feeling.

Dev Saha Mamun Rashid: I would not dare critique this giant either, with the little academic analysis that I have done over Tagore’s work.

Can we say that every piece of work that had been crafted by Shakespeare is great and flawless? Probably not. Also, it depends on who you ask. While a story may strike a chord with you, it may not excite others.

A writer also matures with age. So, if some of Tagore’s work is not up to the mark, that is very normal and very much

L

etter

August 19 The saddest day in history, and you are smiling It is ridiculous, it is horrific, and it is nothing more than surprising that, having called August 15 the saddest day ever for the nation and one of the blackest days worldwide, you are smiling. Is it respectful to the meaning of this day that on one side there is the picture of a murdered leader, blood dripping, tears streaming down the cheeks of his family, and next to that is your huge smile. How can this be allowed by a senior leader in the party? Is this the tribute you give to the father of the nation while you are part of the AL? We are indifferent, and act as if we are dying for our leader. But unfortunately, many of his followers don’t even know who Bangabandhu is, what his goal was, what kind of politics he took part in, and what the AL is.

This is a shame and we don’t seem to know what we are doing or whom we are making happy with such rubbish. And while our present leader whose leadership you are following is crying, you are smiling despite wearing that black badge.

We need to educate people on what to do when and why. Your actions were not only shameful for yourself but for the whole party. I hope you soon realize that you are where you are because of this great deceased leader and start to treat his memory with more respect.

Yousuf Bhuiyan Bari Babupur, Noakhali

DT Dhaka ranks 2nd worst city for 3rd year in a row

A friend indeed?

August 15

August 20

expected from any prolific writer.

Tagore, as a whole, is simply brilliant, and I would not trade this man with anybody else in this world. Life without Tagore would have been different and less enriching … I dare say. Thanks for this snippet. sundar Dev Saha: Tagore is undeniably the greatest literary talent this sub-continent has ever produced. As a matter of fact, till today he remains unsurpassed in his creativity.

But that can’t deter anybody from expressing his or her opinion on any of his creative productions.

To my mind, the touch of his artistic genius is missing in most of his novels.

Dev Saha sundar: Point taken. Yes, Tagore is not beyond critique. Writing fiction was not his main strength, but he indulged in it anyway.

For some not-so-sharp-minded Bangalis, they were not too bad, and people liked the story-lines. Tagore started to paint too at a very late stage of his life just for fun.

The work is not great but they bear his unique signature. He probably thought he had the license to venture around in all spheres of Bengali life and create the momentum for the next generations to follow?

I believe it was great that he got involved in many things and made many fields very, very exciting for others.

His prose was weaker if we compare them with today’s sharper mindset and standard.

Subon Tanchangya Karachi is a far better city than Dhaka.

Haha.

AR Associates There is a city that can beat Dhaka and become the worst city in the world!

That’s really amazing!

Avinash Dubey The problem is not with Dhaka, but that people who flock to the main cities because of lack of employment in rural places. We must come up with the concept of parallel cities where people can find their bread and butter at the source level and minimise migration.

Sabina Faiz Rashid Still home for me ... crazy but true!

Sumi Mahmud I actually like living in Dhaka city, with all its flaws and colours.

Syed Nayeb Congratulations! We have done it again!

Redaera Absorbing as always, another interesting spotlight on history by Tim Steel. One of many in the newspaper. Thanks!

Whoever goes to Lanka August 20 sundar Not always. Sita went to Lanka, be it willingly or under duress, but never morphed into Ravana. Vibhisana was born in Lanka but never got himself morphed into Ravana. Only those who carry the attributes of Ravana in his or her gene can easily turn into him.

Could we have saved Bangabandhu?

August 20

Emran Khan Look on the bright side, we can only go up from here.

Faruq Hasan I really want to know what the government has done to tick off the Economist.

Second worst city in the world?

Seriously?

Shamsul Such a simple yet thought-provoking and well-written piece is rare on the topic of Mujib. Thanks to the author. The Russian mother’s question says it all.

news

INSIDE Bangladesh dental society’s newly elected president, Dr Abul Kashem and general secretary Dr Humayun Kabir (Bulbul) congratulates Unilever Bangladesh brand building director Javed Akhter on behalf of Pepsodent.

22

etiquette

Don’t be selfie-ish!

23

letters to Mars

Rekindling old flames

DT

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

T-JUNCTION

Re-imagining imagitaion

21

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

24

Written in the Stars

Creative learning

DT

22 T-JUNCTION

Tell

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

etiquette

Don’t be selfie-ish! #SelfieEtiquette101

n Baizid Haque Joarder The fact that TIME magazine listed the selfie stick as one of the “Top 25 inventions of 2014” is ample proof of how selfies have become an integral part of our lives.

However, there are times when you come across a selfie on your Facebook newsfeed and have to roll your eyes in distaste and scroll away. And to make sure that you aren’t the one uploading such inauspicious selfies, T-Junction has prepared a list of precautions you might want to take before getting your selfie game on.

Take permission If you want a selfie where there is no one else in the background, by all means, go for it. However, if you want to feature a stranger in your picture, make sure you take permission from that person. It’s only fair that you do so.

Safety first So you are driving on the highway and think that you look like a rebel with your flowing hair, sunglasses and all. You decide to take a selfie as you cruise, literally throwing caution to the wind. Think again.

Be rational – taking a selfie while driving will not only risk your life but will also put the lives of others in jeopardy. A picture surely cannot be worth that much.

Bad humour When you see something immensely funny

and you can’t wait to share it on all social media sites possible, STOP. Let’s think about it before you hit the upload button.

Ask yourself how others would interpret the situation. What you might perceive as funny might not be the same for others.

Consider your surrounding Reading the situation at hand is key here folks. Places which have a horrifying history attached to it, places such as funerals or hospitals aren’t places where you show off your front camera credentials. No matter how badly you want the picture, be respectful of those around you.

Also, owning a selfie stick isn’t all that bad. Although, keep in mind that you’re not overdoing it. Taking several snaps to figure out the perfect lighting inside a cafe might end up making others uncomfortable.

Again, if you are in a serious situation such as an accident spot, don’t reach out for the camera but offer your help and assistance.

Is it appropriate?

The dilemma of whether taking a selfie is appropriate behaviour is and will be there for as long as we live. No one is telling you to consider what rumours the gossipyaunty-with-a-cute-daughter-on-your-list is spreading around. After all, she doesn’t pay your bills! But posting steamy, intimate pictures might come across as distasteful

might arise may add to your long list of difficulties you’ll have to face the rest of the week.

HOROSCOPE

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 19): Your personal

life seems busy this time of the month; you can neither part from your freedom nor resist a certain someone’s charm. The mind battle you face may take its toll on you, so make sure you stay strong.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY20): You should

make a good amount of effort to maintain a positive front with company you’d rather do without. Any conflict that

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): This week is all about being happy and amazing. Do whatever makes you happy - go mingle, and participate in that public event that you’ve been hesitating to. Avoid being stubborn and pushy at all costs.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JUL22): Make sure you get along with all your family members as they are the ones who will be helping you fight your way through all the problems you’ll be facing this week. Let your loved ones in; at the end of the day they’re the ones who will be there for you.

LEO (JUL 23-AUG 22): Your week is filled with surprises good and bad, but all in all everything will be quite smooth. Your politeness and natural way of always impressing your contacts will be of dire use as you will struggle to make new friends in strange places.

to a stranger, as well as to your family.

Go for it, just don’t overdo it Like it or not, selfies are here to stay.

Having said that, posting pictures after every few hours capturing how you woke up, reached office, had lunch, all the

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 22): You are probably

going to have trouble keeping a steady hold on your finances. This is not the time to splurge - or to buy expensive gifts for a little kid’s birthday party you accidentally got invited to.

LIBRA (SEP 23-OCT22): This week looks favourable for you, so go ahead and make the most out of whatever life throws at you. Feel free to splurge on yourself; this is, after all, your time to enjoy.

SCORPIO (OCT23-NOV21): Your success in any given endeavour will depend solely on your ability to adjust to them. Also remember that this is not the time to experiment with new things and try to steer clear of any conflicts you might find yourself up against.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV22-DEC 21): This

week is the time when you lose all the self-control you’ve ever had. You’re vulnerable to the idea of any upcoming

way to your bed time selfie is not illegal.

Apart from crazy stalkers, bear in mind that not everyone will want to see all the documented aspects of your daily life.

Narcissist, is what you’ll come across as.

But first, let me take a selfie! l

adventure and might find yourself in quite a bit of a mess if you don’t think before you act.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN19): Be open to expecting new surprises by unexpected people this week. Don’t work yourself over on it though; if it seems genuine, sit back and enjoy. If not, let the other person do whatever they wish; it really doesn’t matter.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 18): A sudden change in plans might work to your advantage and pique your interest in things you were beginning to think were getting old. You might face confusion regarding your feelings, so make sure to rub them out of the picture while making important decisions.

PISCES (FEB 19-MAR 20): This week, you’ll feel nervous about new challenges or adventures. This is a very lucky week for you, but still, try to keep your mind clear. l

T-JUNCTION 23

DT

Tell

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

issues

Keeping secrets from the children n Agony Aunt I am 36 years old and have been diagnosed with early stage ovarian cancer. I have two children under 10 years old and a doting husband.

I am currently undergoing extensive treatment but the children have started to notice that I can’t keep up with them like before. My husband thinks there is no need to tell them as he is confident I’ll get better. But I don’t want to lie to my children. I don’t want to worry them either. What should I do?

Parents often think their children do not know what is going on. Truth be told, most of the time, children often know everything that is going on. The next time they notice that you are ill, sit them down and gently explain your situation to them. Tell them that there is a problem with your ovaries but the doctor is confident that you will be well once the treatment is over.

Explain to them that because of the treatment, you get tired very easily and you need their cooperation: to do their homework diligently and be patient while you are recovering. l

Our Agony Aunt is a life coach and a relationship coach as well as a corporate and organisational consultant. AA lives and works in Bangladesh but travels extensively around the world to attend seminars and see her clients

Photo: Bigstock

letters to Mars

letter to Venus

Religion in the way of love Photo: Bigstock

n Agony Aunt Hi. I have been dating my high-school sweetheart for the last six years and we are still going strong. From hormonal teenagers to consenting adults, we have gone through our fair share of fights and issues, but the recent development is something I never expected to deal with. My boyfriend was always very outgoing but recently he has become very religious. As much as I respect his choices and have strong faith myself, the fact that he is imposing them on me is what is bothering me. I have always been very independent and I cannot seem to deal with his constant preaching and nagging. I don’t want to change myself for him because this is not what I signed up for. I don’t want to hurt

him either because I do love him. Please help me out.

This is a big dilemma for you and I understand your worries: you love your man, but he wants to push down your throat a way of life that, as you said, you did not sign up for. I am afraid this is going to be a very difficult life for you, especially if you choose to marry him. He will hope in time you will understand the importance of how he practices his religious beliefs, and you will hope that in time he will understand you have a different view on how to pray and communicate with God. Talk to him and make him understand that “you” want to be understood and be free to worship the way your heart feels is right. l

Photo: Bigstock

Rekindling old flames n Agony Aunt I used to date a girl in university. I felt quite strongly about her then, as is the case with most university romances. As of now, I am well settled with a wife and two kids and am quite happy where I am. Recently I found out that she has been diagnosed with leukemia. I always thought she was the one that got away. She’s married now with three children but I cannot help but miss her and find myself wondering about her. Should I reach out to her or at least ask her how she is doing?

No, please do not complicate your life and hers. It has been years that you’ve been married and have three children. Do you really think it’s worth the complication?

Perhaps you feel this way since she has leukemia and you feel guilty. For the sake of yourself and your family, it’s better to steer clear from rekindling old relations.

It seems as if you two moved on with your lives and did so happily. What is the underlying behind this new found desire?

If you must reach out to her, send her a card wishing her well but let that be it. l

DT

24 T-JUNCTION

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Written in the Stars

Creative learning T-Junction spent a day exploring Charu Puthi, a fine arts school

n Saudia Afrin At first glance you notice an empty room, the floors covered with a blue carpet. There are, however, two lonesome benches in the left corner, devoid of children. As you exert your eyes further, you discover artwork – the result of several tiny little hands expressing themselves on paper. This is one of the rooms at Charu Puthi, a school of fine arts, eagerly waiting for its beloved tiny masters.

With the slogan “esho notun kichu kori,” Charu Puthi has been enriching young minds by encouraging students to find their calling in fine arts. An initiative

by Ehasan Protick and Sabira Sultana, the school is another contribution of their shared love for children.

“Through Charu Puthi, we dreamt of creating a world where children will not only draw pictures, but will also cultivate an open, expressive mind,” said

by Sabira Sultana. Meanwhile, Ehasan Protick entered with a shora - a beautifully designed and coloured clay pot, as well as two origami books designed by Charu Puthi.

The multicoloured pot was decorated by one of their students for the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. “Each and every one of these pots has been designed and coloured by our students. Even though there is wastage at times, we are just happy to know that they are learning,” a beaming Sultana expressed.

Children who join as trainees have the freedom to learn in whichever manner they feel fit. They have the liberty to choose any medium to express themselves, letting their imagination grow. Apart from teaching children how to draw, Charu Puthi also makes sure they make their students familiar with different subjects, aiding them every step of the way.

Charu Puthi has a special series on origami where teachers not only teach students how to create origami structures, but also extend the childs imagination and knowledge by making them enact the part of that particular origami character.

According to Sultana and Ehasan, this exercise helps, especially for those children who suffer from autism.

“Akbo, bolbo, shikbo” is another one of their workshops where children cut

out pictures, paste it on a book and write down exactly how they feel. On the front page of one of these books was a small cut-out of Earth with a quote that read: “Ami ei shundor prithibi tey thaki, amar naam Sharya.” There were several other similar quotes as well. While showing me one of these artworks, Sabira Sultana said: “This book is all about their thoughts and their imagination about their world.” The cover was also adorned with small sparkly stickers.

Alongside this workshop, they have another that helps build children’s architectural knowledge. They are taught about how and why different geometrical figures are used in one’s home, and are also briefly taught about the core functions of each shape.

While in conversation with both of them, T-Junction came across more artwork that was submitted for the competition “Tomar chokhe shilpi S M Sultan.” From all the submissions, 200 of the best will be selected for an exhibition at Shilpakala Academy on September 4. “From next year we are planning to organise programmes at a divisional level

since it gets hard for people who live outside Dhaka to participate. Shilpakala will be helping us in this regard,” added Ehasan Protick.

The entire school was filled with the artwork by students, especially artwork that celebrates two of the important events for Bangladesh – Pohela Boishakh and Victory Day. Charu Puthi celebrates Victory Day by making children express themselves by keeping the national anthem as the main focus behind their artwork. l

Photos: Courtesy

Former England pacer Chris Tremlett says he is retiring from cricket on medical advice. He says, ‘My body can no longer withstand the vigour of performing at the level required to play professional cricket.’

Sport 26

BANGLADESH U19s LOOK TO REPLICATE U16s

27

BCB’S ELITE PLAYERS’ CAMP STARTS TODAY

28

25

DT

GIVEN UP

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

VAN GAAL’S WINNING FORMULA BOOSTS UNITED

Sangakkara, Silva rescue Sri Lanka n AFP, Colombo Kumar Sangakkara contributed to a Sri Lankan revival in his final Test as India found wickets hard to come by in the second Test in Colombo on Friday.

The hosts recovered from an early setback to close the second day at 140-3 in their first innings, still 253 runs behind India’s total of 393 with seven wickets in hand.

Sangakkara survived a torrid start to make 32, adding 74 for the second wicket with Kaushal Silva after Dimuth Karunaratne was leg-before to Umesh Yadav in the second over of the innings.

Silva, who had been caught behind off Stuart Binny on 14 before replays indicated a no-ball, scored 51.

At stumps, Lahiru Thirimanne was unbeaten on 28 and skipper Angelo Mathews was on 19.

India, seeking a series-levelling win after losing the first Test in Galle by 63 runs, were all out in the third over after lunch with wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha making 56.

Sangakkara, the fifth-highest run-getter in Test history who will quit international cricket after the match, walked on to warm applause from some 4,000 home fans and a guard of honour by the Indian fielders.

But the left-hander endured a tough time in the middle after keeping out a first-ball yorker from Yadav. He remained scoreless for 13 deliveries before steering Ishant Sharma to third man for two to get off the mark.

Sangakkara drove Yadav to the point fence for his first boundary, but escaped narrowly on 24 when Ajinkya Rahane failed to grasp a sharp chance in the slips after the batsman slashed at Ravichandran Ashwin.

Sangakkara managed to add only eight more runs before the same Ashwin-Rahane combination got rid of him after tea with the fielder completing a low catch in the slips.

Silva, who made five and zero in the first Test, defied the Indian bowlers for more than three hours before top-edging a sweep off Amit Mishra to Ashwin at fine-leg.

Earlier, Saha followed his 60 in the first innings at Galle with another gutsy half-century before he was ninth out, leg-before to left-arm spinner Rangana Herath after lunch.

Saha and Amit Mishra put on 46 for the eighth wicket to frustrate the hosts’ bid to wrap up the innings quickly after India resumed the day at 319-6.

Mishra, essentially a leg-spinner, made 24 with three boundaries before he was caught behind off a rising delivery from fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.

Saha led a charmed life at the crease with two lucky escapes off the bowling of seamer Dhammika Prasad before he had added to his overnight score of 19. l Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara plays a shot during the second day of their second Test match against India at the P Sara Oval Cricket Stadium in Colombo yesterday AFP

DAY 2 INDIA 1ST INNINGS (overnight 319-6) W. Saha lbw b Herath R. Ashwin c Silva b Mathews A. Mishra c Chandimal b Chameera I. Sharma lbw b Herath U. Yadav not out Extras: (b8, lb13, w4, nb3) Total (all out, 114 overs)

R

B

56 2 24 2 2 28

117 7 50 21 8

393

Bowling Prasad 24-7-84-2 (w2), Mathews 15-7-24-2, Chameera 20-2-72-2 (nb2, w2), Herath 25-3-814, Kaushal 30-2-111-0 (nb1).

SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS D. Karunaratne lbw b Yadav K. Silva c Ashwin b Mishra K. Sangakkara c Rahane b Ashwin L. Thirimanne not out A. Mathews not out Extras: (b2, lb3, nb4)

R 1 51 32 28 19 9

Total (for three wickets, 53 overs)

140

B 5 118 87 81 31

Bowling I. Sharma 10-2-31-0 (nb3), Yadav 11-5-34-1, Binny 11-3-24-0 (nb1), Ashwin 14-2-37-1, Mishra 7-1-9-1.

SL trail by 253 runs with 7 wickets in hand

DT

26 Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

The Bangladesh Under-19 footballers jog during training in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday ahead of their today’s Saff U-19 Championship 2015 opener against Bhutan

Meshu included for Australia clash n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh Football Federation yesterday announced a 23-man squad for the upcoming 2018 Fifa World Cup second round qualifier against Asian champions Australia, slated for September 3 in Perth.

Before the Australia clash, Bangladesh will take on Malaysia in a friendly in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday as part of their preparation.

The training camp will begin tomorrow following today's final Manyavar Bangladesh Premier League encounter between Sheikh Jamal and Abahani.

Bangladesh's Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif has excluded trio Wahed Ahmed, Towhidul Alam Sabuj and Reasat Khaton and included veteran defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu. In their first two qualifiers at home,

Bangladesh suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Kyrgyzstan before being held to a 1-1 draw

by Tajikistan.

Along with 10 others players from Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, forward Toklis Ahmed and midfielder Monaem Khan Raju remained in the squad despite featuring rarely in the starting XI in the top-flight.

Bangladesh's opponents Australia, on the other hand, declared their squad last week.

The Socceroos' squad comprises several players who are involved in the top-tier across Europe including goalkeeper Mat Ryan (Valencia), midfield general Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace), forward Robbie Kruse (Bayer Leverkusen) and winger Mathew Leckie (Ingolstadt). Legendary striker Tim Cahill, who currently plies his trade in China, was also named in the squad.

Bangladesh squad

Shahidul Alam Sohel, Rasel Mahmud Liton, Ashraful Islam Rana; Rayhan Hasan, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, Yeasin Khan, Yeamin Ahmed Munna, Mohammad Linkon, Topu Barman, Atiqur Rahman Meshu, Nasirul Islam Nasir; Mamunul Islam, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Jamal Bhuiyan, Sohel Rana, Monaem Khan Raju; Zahid Hossain, Jahid Hasan Ameli, Toklis Ahmed, Enamul Haque, Abdul Baten.

Australia squad

Alex Cisak, Adam Federici, Mat Ryan; Aziz Behich, Jason Davidson, Tarek Elrich, Ryan McGowan, Matt Spiranovic, Alex Wilkinson, Bailey Wright; Jackson Irvine, Mile Jedinak, Massimo Luongo, Matt McKay, Mark Milligan, Aaron Mooy, Tom Rogic; Nathan Burns, Tim Cahill, Tomi Juric, Rob Kruse, Matt Leckie, Tommy Oar. l

Pakistan rules out Butt, Asif early return n AFP, Karachi

Pakistani cricket fans lay flower garlands around the neck of Salman Butt in Lahore on Thursday

Pakistan on Friday ruled out an early return to international cricket for the disgraced trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif ahead of the imminent expiry of their spot-fixing bans.

The players are eligible to return to the sport on September 2 after serving five-year bans for bowling no-balls to order during a Test match in England in 2010.

But the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) chief selector Haroon Rasheed effectively ruled out their return against England in Oc-

tober or in a proposed series with India, both in the United Arab Emirates.

“No time frame can be given by the selection committee at this point in time with regards to their future involvement in cricket at any level until and unless proper policy guidelines are issued by PCB,” Rasheed told AFP. In February 2011 an anti-corruption tribunal of the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a ban of five years on Amir, seven years on Asif - of which the final two years were conditionally suspended - and 10 years on Butt - of which the final five years were conditionally suspended.l

BFF

Bangladesh U19s look to replicate U16s n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh Under-19 football team will kick off their 2015 Saff U-19 Championship campaign today with the match against Bhutan at ANFA Complex in Nepal at 3:45pm (Bangladesh standard time).

The hosts defeated Bhutan 3-1 in last Thursday's inaugural game of the age-level tournament's maiden edition so a victory for the junior Tigers will be enough to take them through to the semi-finals and consign the Dragons to last place in the group.

Following the success of the Bangladesh U-16 side in the just-concluded third edition of the Saff U-16 Championship, the U-19 team are inspired to put up a positive display in Nepal. Unlike the past, none of the current U-19 players have represented the senior team but the squad does comprise nine players who have played in the top-flight.

Bangladesh U-19 head coach and national assistant coach Saiful Bari Titu admitted yesterday that the current Bhutan side have improved than before but said his charges are ready.

“We must win the match to qualify for the semi-final. All of us saw the match video of the Bhutan team. They are much-improved than before because they are now playing pressing football. But we also know how to tackle them. So our first target is to reach the last four,” Titu told the media yesterday.

Bangladesh captain Masuk Mia Joni said, “All the players are physically well, mentally prepared and ready to give a tough fight to win the match and play in the semifinal.”

Bangladesh will face hosts Nepal in their second and final group-stage match this Monday at the same venue. l

DT

Sport 27

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

BCB’s Elite Players’ camp starts today n Mazhar Uddin Following a much-needed 18-day break, the 27 members of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s Elite Players’ Conditioning Camp will begin training from today at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The cricketers have already reach Dhaka after spending their holidays in their respective hometowns and the month-long camp will conclude on September 22. With the exception of ODI and Twenty20 captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza and his deputy Shakib al Hasan, all the members of the 27-man squad are expected to join the camp.

Shakib, who is now in the United States with his wife, is expected to return this Wednesday while Mashrafe, who went to Singapore for his son’s treatment, will return a day earlier.

Tigers’ Test skipper Mushfiqur Rahim though did not wait for the camp as he started training a week ago along with diminutive batsman Mominul Haque. The duo spent most of their time at the gym and batting at the nets.

Bangladesh trainer Mario Villavarayan will supervise the camp in the absence of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who will join the camp later. l

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket Sky Bet Championship 8:00PM Charlton Athletic v Hull City 10:15PM Cardiff City v Wolverhampton

Ten Action 5:30PM Sky Bet Championship Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday French Ligue 1 9:00PM Olympique Lyonnais v Stade Rennais 12:00AM Toulouse FC v AS Monaco

Sony Six 10:00AM India Tour of Sri Lanka 2nd Test, Day 3 9:30PM Italian Serie A Hellas Verona v Roma

Star Sports 1 4:00PM Australia Tour of England 5th Test, Day 3

Star Sports 2 English Premier League 5:30PM Manchester United v Newcastle United 8:00PM Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur

Star Sports 4 German Bundesliga 7:15PM 1899 Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich

National left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny (2L) and former first-class cricketer-turned-umpire Masudur Rahman Mukul (L) in action for Beximco Pharmaceuticals in the 2015 Ascent Corporate Soccer Cup MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Ascent Corporate Soccer, a fine platform for former, current cricketers n Mazhar Uddin The Ascent Corporate Five-A-Side Soccer Cup, one of the country’s most prestigious corporate football tournaments, has been a fine platform for the former and current professional cricketers to engage with an organisation for sporting reasons and get employed for their skills at the same time.

The 10th edition of the tournament is sponsored by Ascent Group and organised

by Excalibur Entertainment. The tournament kicked off on August 14 and will conclude today with the semi-final and final matches of the Cup, Plate and Bowl phase. A total of 45 corporate team were divided into 14 groups

with defending champions Gemcon Group looking strong favourites for the Cup title.

National left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, former first-class cricketer-turned-umpire Masudur Rahman Mukul, former national fast bowler Morshed Ali Khan Sumon and former national all-rounder Neeyamur Rashid Rahul were some of the star cricketers who featured in the indoor event.

And according to Rahul, who is now the First Assistant Vice President of Mutual Trust Bank, these kind of indoor tournaments help the former and current national cricketers to connect with different corporate houses and create a cordial relationship between the two parties.

Ton-up Smith keeps Aussies on top against England n AFP, London Australia were dismissed for 481 on the second day of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England at The Oval on Friday.

Captain-elect Steven Smith top-scored with 143, his second hundred of the series after his 215 in Australia’s 405-run win in the second Test at Lord’s David Warner (85), Adam Voges (76) and Mitchell Starc (58) all made fifties after Australia had been sent into bat by England captain Alastair Cook.

Steven Finn and Ben Stokes took three wickets apiece.

But Stuart Broad, whose eight for 15 saw Australia skittled out for just 60 on the first

morning of their series-losing innings and 78run defeat in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, bowled 20 wicketless overs for 59 runs.

England, who have already regained the Ashes, lead the five-match series 3-1. l

DAY 2 AT TEA Australia 481 (Smith 143, Warner 85, Voges 76, Starc 58, Finn 3-90)

England 30-1 (Cook 22, Lyon 1-4)

“I think it’s a great platform for the corporate houses to get involved with sports and more importantly, it helps us to connect with each other from different sectors. At the same time, there are some former and current national cricketers who get appointed for a job and play for his company in this type of tournaments. I think the Ascent Indoor Corporate tournament has been a great platform,” Rahul told Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“Our managing director and CEO of Mutual Trust Bank, Anis A Khan, has been the main man behind our participation in these type of sporting events and we all play together as a team. There are no senior or juniors when we play in the field,” added Rahul. l

DT

28 Sport

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

RESULTS Dinamo Minsk (BLR) Gabala (AZE) Astra Giurgiu (ROM) Slovan Liberec (CZE) Zorya Luhansk (UKR) Ajax (NED) Molde (NOR) PAOK (GRE) Krasnodar (RUS) Sparta Prague (CZE) Milsami Orhei (MDA) Young Boys (SUI) Atromitos (GRE) Rabotnicki (MKD) S Bucharest (ROM) Zilina (SVK) Altach (AUT) Odds BK (NOR) Bordeaux (FRA) Viktoria Pilsen (CZE) Lech Poznan (POL) Southampton (ENG)

2-0 0-0 3-2 1-0 0-1 1-0 2-0 5-0 5-1 3-1 1-1 0-1 0-1 1-1 0-3 3-2 0-1 3-4 1-0 3-0 3-0 1-1

Salzburg (AUT) Panathinaikos (GRE) AZ Alkmaar (NED) Hajduk Split (CRO) Legia Warsaw (POL) Jablonec (CZE) Standard Liege (BEL) Brondby (DEN) HJK Helsinki (FIN) Thun (SUI) Saint-Etienne (FRA) Qarabag (AZE) Fenerbahce (TUR) Rubin Kazan (RUS) Rosenborg (NOR) Athletic Bilbao (ESP) Belenenses (POR) Dortmund (GER) Kairat Almaty (KAZ) Vojvodina (SRB) Videoton (HUN) Midtjylland (DEN)

Mourinho and Fabregas inspired Pedro switch n AFP, London Chelsea’s new winger Pedro Rodriguez has revealed conversations with Jose Mourinho and Cesc Fabregas persuaded him to swap Barcelona for the Premier League champions.

Pedro chose the Blues over English rivals Manchester United despite appearing set for a move to Old Trafford until Chelsea’s late intervention into the transfer saga.

The 28-year-old’s decision to snub interest from United and Manchester City was inspired by the personal touch from Chelsea manager Mourinho and fellow Spain international Fabregas, who both contacted Pedro to tell him how much he would relish life at Stamford Bridge.

“He (Mourinho) is one of the main reasons why I’m here. He phoned me a few times and said he needed me to make the team stronger,” Pedro told Chelsea’s website.

“He has won titles wherever he has been.

I am really looking forward to playing under him and hopefully winning more titles.

“I spoke to Cesc. We are very good friends.

I knew I would feel at home here and that was one of the main reasons why I decided to join.

“He’s a great player, he’s got brilliant vision and he links up really well with the other attacking players. I know we work well together on the pitch so I can’t wait to play with him again.

“I have also played with Diego Costa and Cesar Azpilicueta before, for the national team, so I feel very comfortable here.”

Mourinho’s latest acquisition has an impressive pedigree, boasting five La Liga trophies and three Champions League titles.

But he left Barcelona having fallen down the pecking order under Luis Enrique, who has preferred the all-star front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and has used the Canary-Islands born player more sparingly.l

Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C) scores his second goal against Odd Grenland during their Europa League play-off first leg match in Molde on Thursday REUTERS

Dortmund in remarkable recovery n AFP, Paris Borussia Dortmund came from three goals down to beat Norwegian side Odd 4-3 in a remarkable Europa League match on Thursday, while Southampton were held at home by the Danish champions Midtjylland.

Dortmund continued their perfect start to life under new coach Thomas Tuchel with a 4-3 win away to Norwegian side Odd, but they needed a remarkable recovery from three goals down to do it. In Skien, two hours south of Oslo, the hosts looked on course to claim a famous win as goals from Jone Samuelsen, Fredrik Nordkvelle and Espen Ruud put them 3-0 up by the midway point in the first half.

Dortmundgot back on level terms thanks to a

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brace either side of a Shinji Kagawa strike. And Armenian star Henrikh Mkhitaryan emerged as the hero, scoring his seventh goal in four games to win it for the Bundesliga club and leave them with one foot in the group stage.

Southampton have work to do if they are to join Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool and make it three English clubs in the group stage after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Danish champions Midtjylland.

Wedged in between the second leg of their Spanish Super Cup triumph over Barcelona on Monday and a rematch with the Catalans at San Mames in their opening game of the season in La Liga on Sunday, a trip to face MSK Zilina in Slovakia looked like being

Van Gaal’s winning formula boosts United n AFP, Manchester Manchester United defender Chris Smalling says Louis van Gaal has finally discovered a winning formula ahead of Newcastle’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Van Gaal chopped and changed his side at the start of his United reign last season and had to wait four games for his first Premier League win.

FIXTURES Crystal Palace Leicester Man United Norwich Sunderland West Ham

v v v v v v

Aston Villa Tottenham Newcastle Stoke Swansea Bournemouth

But 12 months later, the United manager is reaping the rewards of selecting a more settled line-up. And while he may make the odd tweak against Newcastle this weekend, with Bastian Schweinsteiger pressing for a full debut in midfield, continuity appears to be the key.

That is particularly the case in defence with the same goalkeeper and back four likely to continue their ever-present records, having played together for every minute of United’s two Premier League wins and their midweek 3-1 Champions League play-off first-leg victory against Club Brugge.

United’s winning start has made them one of four teams with 100 per cent records in the Premier League. And with an early kick-off to look forward to against winless Newcastle on Saturday, Smalling wants United to steal an early march on their rivals for top spot. l

a hazardous one for Athletic Bilbao. And so it proved for the beaten 2012 finalists, who threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2. With a starting line-up much changed from Monday’s match at the Camp Nou, Athletic were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to goals by Sabin Merino and Kike Sola.

Robin van Persie scored his first goal for Fenerbahce since joining the Turkish club from Manchester United for 4.7 million euros (£3.4m, $5.2m) last month. The 32-year-old Dutch international striker replaced Moussa Sow 10 minutes from the end of Fener’s match away to Greek side Atromitos in Athens and netted a 90th-minute winner. The 1-0 victory leaves the 2013 semi-finalists primed to clinch a place in the group stage. l

29

DT

Ascent Cup 2015

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

V

V

Gemcon Group captain Shamim (L) and Beximco Pharmaceuticals skipper Adil, both star players in their own right, will be looking to spearhead their teams’ cause in the Cup semis today RAJIB DHAR

Bando Design captain Imran (R) and Comfit Composite skipper Tanim will be desperate to put one over each other when they clash against each other today in the semi-final of the Cup phase RAJIB DHAR

TODAY’S FIXTURES CUP FINAL SF-1, 9:30AM

SF-2, 10:00AM

Gemcon Group

Comfit Composite

Ascent, Sajeeb, Comfit, Bando march to Cup semifinals n Arsalan Quddus and Syed Shabab

Beximco Pharma

Bando Design

PLATE FINAL SF-1, 10:30AM

SF-2, 11:00AM

Green Delta

HRC Group

IMDhaka.com

Dhaka Tribune

BOWL FINAL SF-1, 11:30AM MTBL

Edge Consulting

SF-2, 12:00PM Bengal Blueberry

Asiatic EXP

What looked like a miserable day outside, was a glorious day for football inside the STM Hall.

The quarter-finals of the Cup were played out yesterday and they very much lived up to the hype, as the top guns of the tournament battled it out for a place in the semi-finals.

ASCENT GROUP v GEMCON GROUP

It has to be said the home side Ascent Group is the most improved corporate side we have seen over the years. They were not intimidated one bit when they took on the reigning champions in the first match of the day. We witnessed a marvellous encounter with both teams displaying immense passing ability and counter-attacking football. However, it was the champions who got the better of this contest with Shamim and Sohel both converting for them. In the meantime, the homes side exits the tournament with their heads held high.

SAJEEB GROUP v BEXIMCO PHARMA

And whilst we are talking about underdogs, Sajeeb Group continued their thrilling brand of football, winning fans all over. Captain Farhan Ibrahim gave another stunning performance along with team mate Chisty. However, the day belonged to the five-time champions Beximco Pharma as they stormed into semis with another convincing 5-2 win. Serial goal-scorer Adil bagged another scintillating

brace along with Shuvo. Mukul of Beximco Pharma may not score as many goals as the rest of his team mates, but his overall contribution to the Beximco Pharma cause can never be denied; he is a powerhouse of a player who leads his troops like a true General.

SECUREX v COMFIT COMPOSITE

Securex bowed out of the tournament after their heartbreaking loss against a very Confident Comfit Composite. The game was a nail-biter of a contest which saw the scoreline swinging to and fro for either team. At the end of regulation time, the score was locked at 3-3 which forced the game into overtime. A last minute screamer from Tanim sealed the deal for Comfit Composite. It was back to the drawing board for Securex who hopefully will come back next year with a better plan.

GEMCON

4-2

ASCENT

BEXIMCO PHARMA

5-2

SAJEEB GROUP

COMFIT COMPOSIT

5-3

SECUREX

BANDO DESIGN

6-3

BANGLA CAT

BANDO DESIGN v BANGLA CAT

DHAKA TRIBUNE

3-1

BKASH

HRC

8-2

FAS FINANCE

GREENDELTA

3-1

BEXIMCO TEXTILE

IMDHAKA.COM

4-3

METLIFE

Bando Design continued to shock and awe their opponents when they took on a very stubborn Bangla Cat. The Cats defended staunchly for the most part, but in the end the silky moves of Imran and Mobarak proved too much for them. Shakil was the cream of the crop slotting in four while Mobarak supported him with another two. We bid adieu to our old friends Bangla Cat who have been a part of this tournament since its inception. Meanwhile, the Bando Design brand of Total Football continues to rock the audience of the STM Hall. l

RESULTS, DAY 8 CUP QUARTER FINALS

PLATE QUARTER FINALS

BOWL QUARTER FINALS MUTUAL TRUST BANK 5-0

LE MERIDIAN

EDGE CONSULTING

4-5

ENERGY PAC

BENGAL BLUEBERRY

2-1

ADCOMM

ASIATIC EXP V BITOPI Asiatic progressed to semis after Bitopi walkover

DT

30 DOWNTIME

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Fashion (4) 3 Goddess of tillage and com (5) 8 Uncommon (4) 9 Dry (4) 11 Scope (5) 12 Of sound mind (4) 14 Fish (3) 15 Freshwater fish (5) 18 Cut off (5) 19 Female sheep (4) 21 Water pitcher (4) 24 Mistake (5) 26 Unsightly growth (4) 27 Prima donna (4) 28 Part of a ship (5) 29 Nimble (4)

DOWN 1 Water filled trench around castle (4) 2 Raised platform (4) 4 Period of time (3) 5 Stock farm (5) 6 Therefore (4) 7 Out of sorts (5) 10 Fruit (4) 11 Replenish (5) 13 At no time (5) 16 Ship’s company (4) 17 Unwanted plants (5) 18 Wait on (5) 20 Legal document (4) 22 Utter gratingly (4) 23 Remain (4) 25 Rowing implement (3)

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 21 represents V so fill V every time the figure 21 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

A B C D E FG H I J K L M N O P Q RST UVWXYZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

DT

SHOWTIME 31

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

Shayma Prem at IGCC

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

n Showtime Desk A Rabindranath Tagore dance drama Shayma Prem will be staged today at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Gulshan at 6:30pm in the capital.

Staged by Prangonemor, this dance drama is one of the most acclaimed productions by the theatre troupe.

This famous dance drama is scripted by Chittoranjan Ghosh with the sole theme of Shyama being centred around love, freedom and humanity.

It traces the life of Shyama, a simple, straightforward girl who hails from a poor family. The story takes a turn when a tyrant landlord plunders her from her beautiful, free life to entice her into the world of dancing. Here, Shyama, Nabina, Mala and Uttieo are lead characters that hail from the same village, helping each other along the way.

When Shyama loses hope in all her innocent young dreams, she finds hope in the form of a friend and lover Bojrosen. Shyama’s role is played by the talented Nuna Afroz.

Theatre troupe Prangonemor began their journey back in 2003, with an aim to stage plays by Rabindranath Tagore. Initially founded by theatre artist Ananta Hira and Nuna Afroz, Prangonemor has successfully produced five Tagore plays since their inception, garnering praise both at home and abroad.l

Disney to revamp Jack and the Beanstalk n Showtime Desk Disney fans have one more exciting production to look forward to as the company recently announced that it will convert the Jack and the Beanstalk story into an animated film titled Gigantic.

Making the announcement at the D23 Expo, Disney will give the story its very own individualistic spin.

The new version of this beloved fairytale will feature Jack, a man hailing from 15th century Spain. Not only will he explore one castle and one giant, but he will introduce himself to a completely different new world. The initial expedition will begin with him meeting a 60 feet tall 11 year old girl called Inma.

“She gets her hands on a grown man Jack, and she thinks he’s a toy,” said Director Greno who will be heading the project.

Inma’s character was inspired by a young girl the team met when scouting for shoot locations in Spain.

What’s more interesting is that Disney will be hiring Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the award-winning Frozen, duo to write Inma’s very own song. l

The Weeknd @theweeknd WE DON’T PRAY FOR LOVE @trvisXX josh groban @ joshgroban Cooking up something really fun for @JimmyKimmelLive tonight. Do tune in wont you?

Caitlyn Jenner @ Caitlyn_Jenner I just heard... We did it! Thank you so much for voting to crown this old newbie! #SocialMediaQueen #TeenChoice

WHAT TO WATCH

QUIZ

These are your favourite Hollywood superstars. One of them is everyone’s hearthrob from CBS’s teen-drama series, while the other celebrity smile belongs to the one everyone cherishes in their hearts. The third and final smile belongs to the celebrity who won the Academy Award for Best Actor, beside many others.

Guess the owner of these wonderful smiles and find out how well you know your celebs.

The Conjuring HBO, 3:33pm Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorised by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor Green Lantern Movies Now , 9:30pm Reckless test pilot Hal Jordan is granted an alien ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers that inducts him into an intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps.

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong

Answers 1.Ian Somerhalder

2.Paul walker

3.Julia-Roberts

The Exorcism of Emily Rose WB, 11:50pm A lawyer takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest who performed an exorcism on a young girl.

Cast: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Jennifer Carpenter

DT

32 BACK PAGE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

AN INSIGNIFICANCE OF LOSS PAGE 15

SANGAKKARA, SILVA RESCUE SRI LANKA PAGE 25

Ban on entry of medium, large boats into the Sundarbans on the cards

A boat loaded with golpata, a kind of long leaf that the rural people use to make the roofs of their houses and for multifarious purposes, sails through the Andharmanik River through the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. The photo was taken in February this year SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

n Abu Bakar Siddique The government is planning to prohibit certain kinds of water vessels from entering the Sundarbans as a measure to curb the recent rise in poaching.

This comes after a recent census of Bengal Tigers in the world’s biggest mangrove forest indicated a drastic fall in big cat population – from 440 to just 106 in a matter of a few years – which is attributed mostly to poaching.

“We are planning to put the ban into affect in coming season [September-February].

Under this, all kinds of medium and large engine-run boats and trawlers will be prevented from entering in the forest,” said Yunus Ali, chief conservator of forest (CCF).

The proposed ban will also bar the authorities from allowing permit to local people who extract Nipa Palm from the forest.

According to the CCF, this will be done because poachers, disguised as Nipa cultivators, enter the forest on big boats and carry out wildlife and timber.

However, the ban will not affect those who collect fish, crab and honey in small boats, Yunus said.

He also told the Dhaka Tribune that a series of discussions is being held with the stakeholders – including the Forest Department, RAB, Coast Guard, Navy and the administration of the three adjacent districts of the forest – regarding finalising the ban.

According to the Forest Department, around 300,000 people living in the forest’s periphery are directly dependent on its resources.

Currently, these people enter the Sundarbans by taking permission from 16 forest stations located in the periphery, which fetches

the government Tk50-60 crore as revenue annually.

However, experts have voiced concerns that the ban may harm the forest’s ecology as certain trees – such as the Nipa Palm – require regular extraction for regeneration.

Farid Uddin Ahmed, executive director of the Aranyak Foundation, said that if the broaches of Nipa Palm are not cut regularly, the species will die out gradually.

However, Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed, former CCF and now the country representative of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Bangladesh, said that imposing ban on Nipa Palm harvest for five to 10 years would not create any problems.

He welcomed the government’s move to impose ban on the entry of large boats and the Nipa Palm harvest as these would curb poaching. l

Ex-Jubo League leader killed in gunfight n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A former Jubo League leader has been killed in an alleged gunfight with the police in Gazipur, just a couple of days after separate incidents saw two ruling party activists being killed in similar gunfights in Dhaka and Magura.

Saidul Islam, 35, the former president of Jubo League’s Shimultola unit in Dhaka’s Badda, was shot near Gazipur’s city’s Salna area in the late hours of Thursday. Two police officials of the Detective Branch – Yasin, 30,

and Ujjal, 31 – were also injured in the incident and are now receiving treatment at the Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital.

Gazipur’s DB Inspector Amir Hossain said Saidul, who had two cases filed against him with the Gazipur police station, had been arrested on Thursday.

When the police took him to the Dokkhin Salna area for an arms recovery drive around 11:45pm, Saidul’s accomplices tried to snatch him from police custody and shot at law en-

forcers who fired back, Amir said.

The ex-Jubo League leader was hit in the thigh and rushed to the hospital where he later died, the inspector said.

Meanwhile, officer-in-charge of the Badda police station, MA Jalil, told the Dhaka Tribune that Saidul also had five cases against him at the station including two murder cases.

Ranjit Kumar Pal, the on-duty doctor at the hospital, said Saidul died while receiving primary treatment at the hospital. The deceased had wounds on both his thighs, Ranjit added. l

SHAYMA PREM AT IGCC PAGE 31 Homecoming of the baby who brought a community together n Our Correspondent, Magura Residents in Dari Magura area of Magura town have come together in celebrating the homecoming of the miracle child Suraiya, who beat all odds to survive bullet wounds she received while still in her mother’s womb.

Almost a month after the eight-monthspregnant Nazma was rushed to the hospital with bullet wounds on her abdomen, she returned home on Thursday night with a healthy baby in her arms.

Surrounded by her close relatives and hundreds of neighbours who prayed for the baby’s wellbeing throughout the ordeal, it was a scene of joy the locality had never seen before.

“Suraiya is not only the child of a single mother, she is the baby of hundreds of mothers,” said Nazma’s neighbour Duli Begum who brought a hand-stitched blanket and frocks she made herself as gifts for the baby she had never seen before. “I have made these because of the motherly feelings I have for Suraiya,” Duli said.

Asma Khatun, another neighbour, said: “We never thought we shall get back Suraiya alive.

I prayed to God for her recovery and God has responded to my prayers.”

Suraiya’s elder sister Sumaiya, a student of class four, had been forbidden by her mother to hold little Suraiya in her arms as the doctors have restricted everyone from touching the baby yet. However, she could not be stopped from showing her affection to Suraiya as she stood firm beside her baby sister, reluctant to let the infant out of sight for a second.

The baby’s mother, Nazma, said the entire ordeal of being shot at still caused her to get panicked at times. However, she added that the events that occurred afterwards had shown her that the world still had many good-hearted people who had dedicated themselves for the betterment of other human beings.

Nazma also thanked the many people who helped her family to overcome the challenges with their well wishes and financial assistance.

She thanked the local police superintendent for a Tk20,000 donation, the local pharmacy for the free medicine, and the local doctors for their efficient treatment and a successful critical surgery.

Nazma further expressed her gratitude to the doctors at DMCH for their free treatment, and thanked the health minister for personally taking care of the needs of the family.

On July 23, Suraiya was hit by bullets while still in her mother’s womb when Nazma was shot in the abdomen during a clash between two factions of Jubo League in Magura.

One of the bullets went through the unborn baby’s right shoulder and another damaged her right eye. She was born after a three-hour caesarean section at Magura General Hospital.

Suraiya was later brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, from where she was finally released on Thursday afternoon. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com