03 July, 2016

SECOND EDITION

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

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Ashar 19, 1423, Ramadan 27, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 71

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

Black Friday Anguish is written on the faces of those who lost loved ones in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on Friday night, in which 22 innocent people were killed.

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

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Siege ends hostage crisis n Tribune Report The first indication that the terrorists meant serious business was when two policemen –one OC and another assistant commissioner – were killed in an explosion around 9:15pm.

That was just half an hour into the siege that was to escalate into the deadliest hostage crisis in Bangladesh.

Things began to unfold rather quickly from 8:45pm when gunmen entered the premises of Holey Artisan Bakery, an upmarket eatery popular with foreigners and Dhaka’s elite. Witness accounts place eight men at the scene while official announcements account for seven terrorists, of whom 6 were killed and one taken alive.

One of the men went to the pizza shed, one of the later additions to Holey. Another went to the far side of the veranda beside the main restaurant and pointed a gun — an AK 22 according to Saturday’s press briefing — at the chest of a man working there. This young man, Ashraf according to his colleague, told the assailants he was merely an employee and did not know much.

The gunman asked, “Are you Muslim?”

“Yes,” came the frightened reply.

“Then run. Run for your life.”

Ashraf then sprinted towards the fence and climbed over it. The terrorists had apparently locked the main entry immediately after they entered the premises. But Ashraf managed to see from the other side that one terrorist stood at the far side of the veranda where guests could sit down for a meal while others went into the main dining room.

Those six set off bombs and opened fire at random. That bomb and brushfire continued as long as he waited. He managed to flee within the first few minutes of the hostage crisis.

This is approximately when reports of gunshots started coming in from neighbouring buildings and presumably when law enforcers

Police are seen taking wounded survivors to hospital after the commando operation brought an end to the nightlong hostage crisis were first notified of gunfire at the heart of Dhaka’s diplomatic zone in Gulshan.

Holey Artisan is at the dead end of Road 79 and borders on the lake on one side. There is a maternity clinic facing it from the other side of the street. The Nordic Club, frequented by diplomats is on the street (Road 80) and the site is barely five minutes away from a number of embassies including those of Germany and Australia.

The police were at the scene within the next half an hour presumably.

By 9:30pm there were reports of ‘gunfire exchange’ coming from the area as the police on the scene went into action only to find out they were faced with far better firepower than they had anticipated.

This is also when the Dhaka Tribune first received reports of gunfire exchange and broke the news.

The hostage takers hurled grenades or bombs and fired upon

H O W July 1, 9:30pm - Three heavily-armed gunmen enters the bakery and starts shooting indiscriminately, leaving the two unidentified people dead.

Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the both the chefs of the bakery have been taken hostage. Earlier, the Dhaka Tribune received unconfirmed reports of severe gunshots being fired in several parts of Gulshan and adjacent areas since 8:45pm on Friday.

9:50pm - Police is yet to reach the vicinity due to indiscriminate shooting by the unidentified gunmen, Gulshan police Inspector Salauddin Ahmed says adding a joint team of police, RAB, BGB has been deployed at the site.

10:00pm - Assistant Commissioner of Police (Gulshan Division) Rafiqul Islam confirms three people were shot in an apparent terrorist attack in Gulshan. He also says the injured - two police con-

this first group of policemen killing two and wounding many more. It was around 10pm that the reports of law enforcers being mortally wounded started flooding in when bloodied bodies of policemen were loaded on to police vehicles, in front of newsmen and sent off to the nearby United Hospital.

By then throngs of newsmen had gathered on Road 79 near the scene for first-hand accounts from the ground. They soon got confirmation of the deaths of Banani Police Station OC Salauddin Khan.

An additional commissioner of the Detective Branch of police (DB), Rabiul Karim, was wounded in the same skirmish and succumbed to his injuries a little later.

It was close to 11pm when a supervisor of the restaurant Sumon Reza spoke on live TV and described how he had escaped. He said he jumped off the roof of the two-storey building and showed his bandaged fingers saying he had

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gotten hurt in the process.

He said: “The terrorists had stormed into the restaurant shouting ‘Allahu akbar’ (God is great).”

“There were eight of them at most.” He went on to say that the terrorists were dressed to blend in.

“Their shirts were all tucked in and they moved about with casual air.”

This employee also said there were at least 20 foreigners dining at the restaurant during the time of the siege. A number that proved to be less than what has been accounted for in the official announcements so far.

Chief of the elite crime busting unit Rapid Action Battalion, Benazir Ahmed, a prominent police officer himself, rushed to the spot around 11:20pm and spoke to the media briefly.

Benazir Ahmed told newsmen to refrain from airing live footage as “many others are also watching television.” He said this several times.

The RAB chief said law enforc-

RAJIB DHAR

ers were interested to get in touch with the hostage takers to listen to their demands. “We intend to end this matter peacefully,” said Benazir, making it evident that he was in fact addressing the terrorists of his intentions.

By this time the world media had turned their attention to the unfolding scene in Gulshan terming it a grave hostage crisis.

It is presumed that by this time the terrorists had targeted foreigners and executed them in a gruesome manner. According to the official announcements, the recovered bodies bore signs of being slaughtered by sharp weapons.

Photographs tweeted from certain Twitter handles confirmed that executions had taken place.

Around midnight, the US termed the situation “very fluid, very live.”

An hour later, there are reports another group of policemen injured in gunfire. They were sent off to hospital for treatment. >>

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stables and a civilian - have been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

10:20pm - Dhaka Tribune’s DMCH correspondent Aminul Islam Babu confirms the identities of the injured. They are driver Abdur Razzak, who took a bullet in the throat and police constables Pradip and Alamgir. The later two were shot in their right legs.

10:30pm - An explosion is heard from

the site.

10:45pm - Three people, including two policemen, have been shot, police sources confirm.

10:55pm - Bakery’s Supervisor Sumon Reza, who escaped the attack, tells reporters that at least 20 foreigners were at the bakery when the gunmen stormed inside. He also says the attackers were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. An

Italian baker had escaped but the other, an Argentine, could not, Reza claims.

However, his information could not be verified immediately.

11:00pm - Three ambulances are at stand-by near the site in order to move the injured to hospitals, police say.

11:10pm - Members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Bomb Disposal Unit arrives at the site, confirm police sources.

>> Within 10 minutes there is confirmation that DB Assistant Commissioner Rabiul Islam had succumbed to his injuries.

Islamist terrorist organisation ISIS claimed responsibility of the attach around 1:30am.

It was almost 3am when SWAT rescued the restaurant’s Argentine Chef Diego and the in house electrician from an adjacent house.

Within barely a quarter hour, around 3:15am, ISIS claimed 24 deaths and 40 others injured in the attack. There was still no word from the authorities about the casualties or what may have transpired inside the restaurant.

Close to 4am, gunshots were heard from inside the restaurant but the authorities were still keeping mum. Soon, law enforcers were seen taking away an injured man who sources said was a suspect.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal reached the scene around 5am, almost eight hours after events began unfolding.

Law enforcers announced they were ready to launch a rescue operation around 6:15am.

More than an hour later around 7:40am, 1 Para Commando Battalion launched Operation Thunderbolt, which lasted for barely a quarter of an hour rescuing 13 people including three foreigners and killing six terrorists.

One was taken alive, according to the official statement made later in the afternoon.

Operation Thurnderbolt officially ended at 8:30am.

By 1pm, rescued hostages were taken to the Detective Branch headquarters for questioning and debriefing.

The chief of military operations of the Bangladesh Army confirmed the death toll for the first time around 1:40pm when he briefed the media in the presence of other officials and thanked the prime minister for her resolve in the face of crisis.

He also commended the law enforcers who took part in the Operation Thunderbolt.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced two days of national mourning in her address to the nation at 7:45pm and urged Bangladeshis to have faith in her government. l

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STRAIGHT TALK

Time to bury the hatchet n Zafar Sobhan If the government is serious about tackling the terrorist threat that shattered the peace of July 1, leaving at least 22 people dead in its grim wake, the first thing it needs to do is to come out of its state of denial and get a grip on reality.

It cannot continue to blame its political opposition, either directly or indirectly, for the carnage that the militants have unleashed on society.

It cannot continue to bury its head in the sand about the clear and convincing evidence of transnational links to domestic terror groups and operations.

And it cannot continue to dismiss each new atrocity as an isolated incident and try to argue, with a futil-

ity that is apparent to all onlookers and should be to itself, that it has everything under control.

The first step to solving any problem is to admit that you have one.

The longer the government persists in its denial mode, the bigger the hit to its credibility, and the smaller the chance of it finding a resolution to its troubles.

The world and the people of Bangladesh are watching.

Even more than firm and decisive action, what they are looking for is a sure sign that the government understands and accepts the magnitude of the threat that this nation faces and, more importantly, its true nature.

What the government needs to do to win the confidence of the nation,

and indeed, what it needs to do if it ever wishes to have any hope at all of winning its battle against terror is to admit its missteps of the past nine months and correct course.

That’s the first step.

The second step would be the recognition that in times such as these we must all come together as a nation.

We must stand united against the terrorist threat.

Now is not the time for partisan political bickering or the petty squabbling on marginal issues that typifies our depressing socio-political discourse.

The time has come for us all to stand shoulder to shoulder, AL and BNP, government and civil society, military and civilian, for it is only united that we will be strong enough to

face down the existential threat of terrorist nihilism that gave such a chilling exhibition of its ferocity in Gulshan two nights ago.

The call of the hour is unity in the face of a common enemy and the leadership to recognize this and act accordingly. The time for incendiary and divisive rhetoric and policies is over.

Bangladesh can no longer afford it, if we ever could.

What July 1 should have taught us is that we need to come together and bury the hatchet for the good of the country.

For if we do not, the consequences for us all are unthinkable. l Zafar Sobhan is the Editor, Dhaka Tribune.

Army: Hostages dead before rescue op WEAPONS RECOVERED AT THE SCENE ●

Folded-Butt AK 22 rifles

Unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) ● Pistols ● Several sharp weapons ● Walkie-talkies ●

Most of the murders were committed using sharp weapons, said Brigadier General Nayeem Ashfaque Chowdhury, the director of Military Operations Directorate.

“We managed to subdue all of the terrorists within 12-13 minutes

of commencing the operation – in which six terrorists were killed and one was taken alive.”

Brig Gen Nayeem said the joint operation – which lasted around 50 minutes in its entirety - managed to rescue 13 hostages including two Sri Lankans and a Japanese national.

Saying the murders took place as early as Friday evening, he added that the victims’ autopsies would be conducted in due process.

Briefing the media yesterday,

too early to say who is involved in the attack or what their motive is. “We have accounted for all Americans working for the chief of mission authority” in Dhaka, State Department spokesman John Kirby told a press briefing. He said the situation was “very fluid, very live.”

1:10am - Detective Branch of Police Assistant Commissioner Rabiul Islam has died of his injuries at United Hospital, Deputy Commissioner of DB Nazmul Hasan confirms. He says at least 20 more policemen are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

1:02am - Gulshan OC Sirajul Islam is in critical condition at Dhaka’s United Hospital. More than 24 policemen have sustained injuries.

1:33am - ISIS claims responsibility for Gulshan hostage crisis, says SITE Intelligence’s Rita Katz quoting Amaq, the Salafist militant group-run news agency.

Army personnel leave the Gulshan 2 area yesterday at the end of their joint drive that ended the hostage crisis at Holey Artisan Bakery MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

n Abu Bakar Siddique Long before the rescue drive commenced around 7:40am yesterday, 20 hostages had already been killed inside Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery, the army said yesterday.

11:20pm - “Some derailed youths have entered the restaurant and launched the attack,” Director General of RAB Benazir Ahmed says. “We have talked to some of the people who have managed escape from the restaurant. We want to resolve this peacefully. We are trying to talk to the attackers, we want to know what they want.”

restaurant, which is a sister concern of the Holey Artisan Bakery and operates out of the same building at Road 79 in Gulshan 2.

11:20pm - Benazir confirms the gunmen kept the hostages at O’ Kitchen

12:10am - In an immediate reaction, the US State Department says it is

July 2, 12:05am - Banani OC Salahuddin Ahmed has been killed, Assistant Commissioner of Ramna Division Shibly Noman confirms to the Dhaka Tribune.

Nayeem confirmed that the army began preparing for Operation Thunderbolt after getting orders from the highest authority – hinting at the prime minister.

The 1 Para Commando Battalion led the joint operation by army, navy, air force, RAB, border guards and the police, he said.

The briefing at the Army Officers Mess also confirmed that the assailants were armed with “AK 22 assault rifles.”

Earlier, an employee of the Gulshan restaurant told TV reporters that one of the assailants who stormed into the restaurant was also wielding a sword.

Commanding Officer of the 1 Para Commando Battalion Lieutenant Colonel MM Imrul Hasan, head of the 46 Infantry Brigade Brig Gen Mujibur Rahman, and police’s Counter-terrorism and Transnational Unit chief Monirul Islam were among other officials from navy, air force, RAB and BGB present at the briefing. l

2:03am - IS claims more than 20 people have been killed in the attack, Reuters says quoting Amaq.

2:30am - As of now, no contact has been established with the hostage takers, says police sources. High-level security officials have sat in a meeting.

2:52am - Two restaurant staff, who escaped the siege, have been taken into police custody, reports Indpendent TV.

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Remembering the fallen n Tribune Desk 1. Faraaz Hossain, son of Ms. Simeen Hossain, CEO of Eskayef and grandson of Mr. Shamim Latifur Rahman, Chairman of Transcom Group 2. Abinta Kabir, daughter of Elegant Group chairman Ruba Ahmed. She is from Miami in Florida and was an Emory University undergraduate student at the Oxford College campus 3. Ishrat Akhond, Institute of Asian Creatives - IAC 4. Tarishi Jain (19), daughter of Shri Sanjeev Jain of India. She passed out from American School Dhaka and was a student of University of California at Berkeley. Indian minister External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirms 5. Adele Puglisi, Italian 6. Marco Tondat, Italian 7. Claudia Maria d’Antona, Italian 8. Nadia Benedetti, Italian 9. Vincenzo d’Allestro, Italian 10. Maria Rivoli, Italian 11. Cristian Rossi, Italian 12. Claudio Cappelli, Italian 13. Simona Monti, Italian 14-20. Seven dead, comprised of five men and two women, according to the country’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. He, however, declined to release their names, saying the government has not yet obtained the consent of the survivors’ families.l

Families yet to see survivors Jamil Khan, n Mohammad Arifur Rahman Rabbi, Kamrul Hasan Families of the hostages who were rescued from Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka yesterday morning have found little comfort since then as they have yet to see or speak with their loved ones.

The Dhaka Tribune spoke to the family members of some survivors of the terror siege, who said they were still worried about their loved ones’ well-being.

They said the survivors were still in the custody of the Detective Branch of police as of 10pm last night, being interrogated by the detectives and had yet to be allowed to meet their families.

Alamgir Patwary, brother of Bachchu Patwary who is a kitchen staff in the bakery, said his brother was one of the hostages who was in the DB office.

“We have been waiting outside the DB office for hours, but have not had even a glimpse of my brother,” he said. “We are worried.”

He further said Bachchu’s colleagues Rintu, Sabuj and Shishir also got rescued, but another colleague named Samir is still missing.

A chef named Dwin Islam Rakib of O Kitchen, the Spanish restaurant that is on the same premises as Holey

Who were the attackers? n Tribune Desk Law enforcement agencies have not officially disclosed many details about the men who stormed Holey Artisan Bakery and O Kitchen, a restaurant in the Gulshan 2 area of Dhaka, and killed 21 civilians and 2 policemen.

Police authorities say seven attackers were involved. Among them five were listed criminals namely Akash, Bikash, Don, Badhon and Ripon, a Police HQ press release said.

Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque yesterday categorically said all of the attackers were list-

ed criminals. But he did not elaborate about the crimes they were wanted for.

A law enforcement insider told the Dhaka Tribune that all of them were Bangladeshi nationals aged between 20 and 28.

“All of them were students and communicated at the crime scene in both Bengali and English,” he said.

Unverified sources claimed they were private university students residing in Dhaka.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Counter-Terrorism and Trans-National Crime Unit and Detective Branch have not commented. l

H O W 2:55am - Diego, an Argentinian chef of the restaurant, and Belarus, an in-house electrician of the restaurant, have been rescued from adjacent building by SWAT, police sources say.

3:01am - Italian nationals are believed to be among the hostages, Reuters reports quoting a source at the Italian Foreign Ministry. However, the source could not confirm the number of the Italian nationals.

Johra Begum holds up a photo of her brother-in-law Saiful, a staff of the Holey Artisan Bakery, who had been missing since the attack on the Gulshan eatery on Friday. Unfortunately the family later identified Saiful’s body at CMH yesterday RAJIB DHAR Artisan, was with them as well.

Gopal Barai was also waiting outside the DB office for a word about his brother, Sumir Barai, who is a chef at O Kitchen, the restaurant on the same premises as Holey Artisan.

“Sumir was trapped inside a bathroom at the bakery and sent me an SMS about the siege. He last sent me a text around 6:25am,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

“After the rescue operation, I was told that he was in the DB office, but I don’t know when I can meet him. All I know that he is in the detectives’ custody.”

Abdul Khaleq, whose son Imam Hossain, a staff at Holey Artisan, said he received a call from the DB around 12:30pm yesterday, saying his son had been rescued and was in the DB custody.

Many people were seen waiting near the crime scene in Gulshan, waiting for an update on their family members who were hostages. A number of them had been waiting there since midnight.

After the operation officially ended, family members of the survivors went to the DB office as the detectives notified them, saying the

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Survivors being questioned about the attack

Detectives are questioning the survivors of the terror siege in Holey Artisan Bakery to find out details about the terrorists.

A senior DB official, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the victims are being asked to describe the appearances of the attackers, how they entered the premises, with whom they spoke with outside the bakery during the

siege and how they moved around to get an idea about them and their motive of attack.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, DB Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Nazmul Alam said the attack on Holey Artisan is similar in pattern to some previous attacks.

“But we need more time to ascertain the attackers’ identities,” he said.

Monirul Islam, chief of police’s Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CT) unit told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying to find out if the terrorists had any links with Khaled Saifullah, the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) recruiter who allegedly masterminded the recent attack on a Hindu college teacher in Madaripur and was arrested in Dhaka’s Demra area in the early hours of yesterday.

During the siege, the terrorists reportedly demanded immediate release of Khaled Saifullah.

Monirul said Khaled recruited at least 49 members to the JMB who are now a part of sleeper cells, adding that police were now working to find out if any of these sleeper cell members had been a part of the siege in Gulshan.l

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3:14am - 24 killed and 40 injured so far, claims ISIS.

about the situation. We are working on it right now. I can not comment further.”

3:23am - Seeking anonymity, a high level police official confirms to the DT that contact has been established with hostage takers. The official also confirms that there are nine gunmen inside.

3:53am - Sound of three-rounds of gunshots heard from inside the building, reports DT correspondents from the spot.

3:51am - Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal tells the Dhaka Tribune: “The PM is being continuously updated

survivors were safe in their custody.

Around 8:45pm on Friday night, a group of heavily-armed terrorists stormed into Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan 2 and took the guests and staff of the cafe hostage, slaughtering at least 20 people, most of whom were foreign nationals.

After nearly 11 hours of the siege, a joint commando team comprising Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Navy, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion, police and fire service members launched a rescue mission named Operation Thunderbolt around 7:30am yesterday, rescuing 13 hostages and killing six terrorists, while apprehending one.

3:58am - Our correspondent witnesses a young man being brought out of the building by RAB members. He appears to have sustained serious injuries. His identity could not be immediately confirmed.

4:03am - The wounded young man has been taken to United Hospital. Sources confirm that he is a suspect.

4:10am - Seven Italians are among hostages, Italian State TV reports quoting Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Mario Palma.

4:53am - Home minister reached the spot eight hours after people were taken hostage, our correspondent reports.

5:21am - Strongly denouncing the terrorist attack, BNP in a statement says: “BNP has long been saying the country is passing through a serious crisis. This evening incident is an outcome of the crisis.” The party hopes that the government will also make all-out efforts to safely rescue the hostages and urged the government to beef up the security of people, including their chief Khaleda Zia, who also lives in Gulshan.

E Y E W I T N E S S

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A C C O U N T S

Hostage gives harrowing account of the night n Abid Azad As soon as the shooting began, Alam (pseudonym), along with two other colleagues and a Japanese diner, ran into the office at Holey Artisan Bakery.

What would have been a regular day at work for Alam turned into a hellish nightmare at 8:30pm when five armed gunmen stormed into the restaurant shooting randomly at patrons dining al-fresco.

The gunmen besieged the restaurant and found the group hiding in the room and said: “You people don’t have to be afraid, we won’t kill the Muslims, we came here to kill non-Muslims and people who are destroying the Muslim world.”

Alam, who was sure he was going to die the minute the gunmen

opened the door, felt a sense of relief before he realised they had a Japanese man within their tiny group.

As the gunmen directed the Bangladeshis out of the office leaving the Japanese behind, Alam heard a gunshot, his blood running cold.

They were then taken to the main dining area along with the other employees and Bangladeshi diners and made to sit on the floor with their heads under the table.

There were 22 staff members who were on duty at Holey Artisan Bakery, Alam said. Among them, 12 were taken to the main dining area.

Eight others were hiding inside one of the bathrooms, and two managed to escape when the siege began.

What follows next made Alam vomit compulsively as he heard people being brought in, one af-

ter another to be killed while they screamed and begged for life.

The lights were off, he did not dare lift his head to see the faces of the people or open his eyes to see the pools of blood flooding under his legs; all he could do was feel his clothes get wet and his nose fill with the smell of fresh blood.

Alam was unaware of how much time had passed during each execution, his phone had been confiscated by the gunmen, who were loaded with AK47 look-alike assault rifles, grenades, machetes and pistols.

He could hear them talking to each other, then talking to people

on the phone and sending text messages but he thinks this was through the internet because it took hours for the internet connection to be severed in the area.

During the course of the siege, Alam tired to recall if these men had ever been at the restaurant before but he could not seem to recall these faces. The terrorists were young men – not even 30 – dressed like any young men would, in casual clothes.

He heard them talk in Bangla but he cannot confirm if they were taking orders from someone else.

They kept saying: “Do not worry, we are here to kill foreigners and

The ‘They let me go because Hostage Site I’m Muslim’ n Ashif Islam Shaon Hiding on the balcony of a clinic beside Holey Artisan Bakery, Ashraf was speaking in a hushed voice to his ex-colleague.

“They pointed a gun at my chest and asked me if I was Muslim... I begged for life... they let me run away,” Ashraf, a senior waiter who was on duty when the terrorists stormed in, told Liton around 1am before his line got disconnected.

Frantically, Sirajul Islam Liton, who used to work at the bakery until last week, called Ashraf again and again but they went unanswered.

Liton told the Dhaka Tribune that he still has no idea what happened to his friend since then.

During a three-and-a-half-minute conversation, Ashraf told Liton that he was serving on the bakery’s first floor balcony when seven or eight attackers – all aged between 22 and 28 – started shooting bullets indiscriminately as they entered the place.

One of the men entered the pizza shed beside the entrance, one stood

guard at the door, one moved to the balcony, while four or five others entered the main hall. All of them had weapons.

“There were guests – men, women, locals and foreigners – inside the main hall who were having food. The attackers waited some moments and screamed Allahu Akbar and fired blank shots indiscriminately and blasted handmade bombs,” Ashraf described to Liton about what he saw through a glass wall.

As the terror unfolded, a cleaner of the bakery, Jasim, was hit by a stray bullet, while other guests also sustained bullet wounds.

All the guests hid under the marble tables while a number of the bakery staff, who knew the building’s layout well, either ran to the roof or climbed over the boundary wall to run away, Ashraf said.

That was when Ashraf was confronted by a gun-wielding terrorist.

“I am a service man here. I am a poor guy. Please let me go,” the senior waiter pleaded.

The attacker asked if Ashraf was a

5:46am - Detective Branch of Police Deputy Commissioner Nazmul Hasan says preparation for a rescue operation has been completed.

6:10am - Security forces are trying to negotiate to end the crisis, reports Reuters quoting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Advisor Gowher Rizvi.

6:06am - Police has begun canvassing to empty the area except for law enforcement personnel. All security personnel have been asked to wear bullet-proof vest, our correspondent reports from the spot.

6:15am - RAB Assistant Director (legal and media wing) Mizanur Rahman says they are ready.

7:40am - Several rounds of gunshots and two explosions are heard.

8:00am - Gunfire and explosions con-

Entrance to Holey Artisan Bakery

non-Muslims. You should pray to God, pray five times a day.”

He still feared that he would never see another dawn.

Then light broke and still nothing, his head buried under the table.

His clothes soaked in pools of blood, Alam finally heard more gunshots and hoped help had finally arrived.

Commandos stormed the restaurant at 7:30am and after an hour he was freed. He does not know how his captors died. He was free.

Alam says he has been having flashbacks since his release from the DB office. He is out but he is not free.

He does not think he will ever be. l

Entrance to O’Kitchen

Main Entrance: 6/7 militants armed with assault rifles, bombs, and sharp weapons hurried into the restaurant premises

Outdoor sitting area/entrances to O’Kitchen dining area: Remaining 6/7 militants entered the dining area through 3 entrances here, exploded crude bombs and started shooting

Pizza Shed: The militants first came across the pizza shed and held the pizza baker at gunpoint. One militant stood guard here.

PHOTOS: GOOGLE, TRIPADVISOR

Muslim; when the answer was “yes” the terrorist replied: “Go... run.”

Fleeing for his life, Ashraf dashed through the lawn, jumped over a fence and crossed the bakery’s parking space before he could run to the roof of the nearby Lake View Clinic.

From there, he witnessed further horror unfold at the bakery.

Talking to Liton, Ashraf described how the attackers were moving around with guns, swords, machetes and pistols.

“Ashraf saw them [attackers] open fire on the guests. Before a power cut-off, at least four to five

seemed dead as they were lying on the floor,” Liton quoted Ashraf.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Liton said: “I started calling Ashraf, Saiful and Sobuj [Saiful and Sobuj are also the bakery’s staff ] soon after news of the hostage situation broke on TV. “None of them were picking up phones... finally Ashraf picked up his phone at 12:52am. He was afraid and was speaking in a low voice.”

Liton also tried calling Saiful, who was working at the pizza shed, but could not get a response. Later it turned out that Saiful was killed

by the terrorists; his relatives identified him at the Combined Military Hospital.

Saiful spoke to his wife just hours before the attack happened, according to his sister-in-law Johra. At the time, he described how the bakery was having a busy time as there was a good number of guests present.

Imam Hossain Sobuj, another staff who was on duty during the attack, also could not be reached by Liton.

“However, I spoke to his father this afternoon [Saturday]. He said Sobuj was okay. He was rescued and taken to the DB office,” said Liton. l

tinue. Army personnel are seen moving rapidly, our correspondent reports from the spot.

8:40am - Two more hostages rescued, says Mizanur Rahman.

at Police Headquarters.

8:15am - Gunfire stops.

8:20am - Several people, including a foreigner, rescued, says RAB Assistant Director Mizanur Rahman. They are being taken to a hospital. Army chief Gen Shafiul Huq arrives the spot.

9:05am - Five bodies recovered from the restaurant, says RAB. 9:15am - A total of 14, including a foreigner, rescued from the restaurant, says a reliable source from the spot.

9:45am - A total of 18 people rescued from the restaurant, says a high official

10:34am - There will be an official briefing about Gulshan hostage crisis around 1pm, says ISPR in a press release.

10:51am - A Sri Lankan couple are among the rescued hostages. They are under treatment at a hospital in Dhaka, says a source at the company where the couple work.

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PM vows to resist plots n BSS Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reaffirmed her firm conviction to resist conspirators rallying countrymen’s support as she made a nationwide televised address, hours after the end of the hostage episode.

“We will resist the conspirators’ plot at any cost taking with us the countrymen . . . we would establish Bangladesh as a peaceful country by rooting out terrorism Insha Allah,” she said in her address to the nation this evening.

The premier added: “The peace-loving people won’t allow any evil design of the conspirators to be executed.”

Sheikh Hasina urged the people to keep confidence in the government saying “we are determined to protect Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty earned in

exchange for blood of three million martyrs and honour of two lakh women and sisters”.

“No conspiracy will thwart our advancement,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina issued a clarion call urging people to be united to ward off a handful derailed terrorists.

“I’m making a fervent appeal to all to face terrorism by involving the anti-terrorism committees, community police and the general people at district and upazila levels,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina questioned tender-aged youths who preferred to choose the path of darkness alongside those who were derailing them what they actually want to achieve by killing people.

“What you want to achieve by killing people? Islam is the religion of peace. Stop killing people in the name Islam ... don’t pollute

the holy religion. Come back to the right track and uphold the dignity of Islam,” she said.

The prime minister simultaneously called upon the guardians to ensure their proper teachings.

“Keep a watch that they don’t go to the wrong path,” she said.

She urged the countrymen to join their hands to build a safe Bangladesh and Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the Nation by sinking all differences burying all differences,” she said.

The premier said when Bangladesh was set to be established as a dignified and self-reliant country on the world stage, the local and international quarters were out to foil its advancement.

“They want to introduce Bangladesh as an ineffective state by keeping innocent people hostage at gunpoint,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said these ele-

ments chose the path of terrorism after failing to win the peoples’ heart.

“They are pushing the tender-hearted youths and juveniles to wrong directions in the name of religion ... they are killing people by handing Them over the weapons,” she said.

Referring to the earlier today’s security assault, the premier said some armed hooligans raided a Gulshan restaurant and took hostage unarmed people at the outlet at gun point and launched a killing spree, just when pious Muslims were preparing to offer their Esha and Tarabih prayers in the holy month of Ramadan.

“Their attack denigrated both the religion and humanity . . . such barbaric and cowardly attack in a secular country like Bangladesh is unprecedented,” she said.

The premier said soon after receiving the information the government quickly moved to take the situation under control.

“Members of police, RAB, BGB and other law enforcement agencies rushed to the scene and launched rescue operation,” she said.

The premier said army, navy and air force commandoes launched an anti-terrorist assault and freed the hostages this morning.

“Six assailants were killed on the spot and 13 hostages out of which three were foreigners were rescued unhurt,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina thanked police, RAB, BGB, army, air force, navy, fire service and other forces for taking part in the operation.

“I also express my gratitude to the world leaders who expressed their solidarity and union with us,” she said. l

‘Unite to stop terrorism’ n Tribune Report

Ambulances yesterday carry out the bodies of those who were killed at Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery during the hostage crisis RAJIB DHAR

H O W 11:35am - Four men, believed to be employees of the restaurant, are led away by DB police in handcuffs in two ambulances. Police had covered the heads of two, reports our correspondent from the spot.

11:53am - Shahriar, a 27-year-old employee of the restaurant, made a phone call to his aunty around 7:45am informing about his safety, says Shahriar’s uncle Jahid.

12:10pm - Six of the gunmen were killed, one was captured and 13 hostages were rescued from the restaurant, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in the inaugural ceremony of Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway. Earlier, Police Headquarters had said 18 people were rescued.

12:30pm - A total of five people, including three women and two men, were seen getting out of the restaurant in a

I T

While she accused the government of ignoring the militancy problem and targeting the political opposition, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia nevertheless called on them to create national unity and all-party coordinated efforts to fight against terrorism.

Similar calls for solidarity and condemnation of the attack were heard from across the political spectrum in the aftermath of the carnage that took place at O’Kitchen Restaurant in Gulshan.

“I am once again urging the government to take steps irrespective of politics or creed to eradicate this savage, immoral, anti-democratic extremist force,” Khaleda Zia said in a statement.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said evil forces had carreid out the militant attacks at Gulshan.

“Bangladesh is ours and we are Bangladesh. No evil force will be

spared. Kindly have patience. Refrain from spreading rumors,” he said.

Rowshan Ershad, the leader of the opposition Jatiya Party condemned the killing of innocent people and urged everyone to resist the evil of terrorism.

Jatiya Party Shairman HM Ershad said it was an urgent need of the hour for the people of the country to forge a bond of unity to resolve this crisis.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSad) President Hasanul Huq Inu and General Secretary Shirin Akhtar strongly condemned the killing of innocent people.

The nature of the attack proved that the killers were trying to make a display of strength, they said in a statement.

The leaders of Samyabadi Dal, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (SPB) and others also urged the nation to stand united against militancy and terrorism. l

U N F O L D E D

private car, reports our correspondent.

Koichi Hagiuda told reporters.

12:56pm - Rescued hostages taken to DB Headquarters.

1:12pm - Military Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) left the spot, reports our correspondent.

1:05pm - Eight Japanese citizens were among the hostages taken by gunmen in the restaurant. At least one of them have been rescued, reports the Japanese Times. Japan, however, has not been able to contact the remaining seven, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary

1:33pm - Brig General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury, director of military operations, is briefing the media about Operation Thunderbolt right now.

1:35pm - Brig General Nayeem Ashfaq

Chowdhury says the gunmen had AK22 folded butt.

1:36pm - 20 were slaughtered with sharp weapons by the assailants long before the joint operation began, says Brig General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury. Earlier, an employee of the restaurant who had managed to escape said he had seen one of the terrorists was wielding a sword while the rest had come with firearms.

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SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Governments, diplomats condemn Dhaka terror attack n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Army personnel use a boat yesterday to patrol the Gulshan Lake, ahead of the drive to rescue hostages from Holey Artisan Bakery MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Hide and seek with IS n Tribune Desk

Bangladesh continues to blame home-grown militants for recent attacks even though militant groups like the Islamic State and the al-Qaeda’s Indian offshoot keep claiming responsibility with unfailing regularity.

In the latest incident, a group of armed men stormed into an upmarket restaurant, popular with foreigners and Dhaka’s elite, in the heart of Dhaka’s diplomatic zone in Gulshan and executed at least 20 hostages.

Reports and updates indicate these victims, mostly foreigners, were slaughtered by sharp weapons on Friday night.

The hostage crisis, unprecedented in Bangladesh, ended yesterday morning in a commando operation with six terrorists being taken down and 13 hostages rescued.

One was reported to have been arrested during the operation.

A statement on IS’s news agency Amaq claimed credit for the executions much earlier, shortly after 3am past Friday midnight. There had been no response from the government about the claim till much later on Saturday afternoon.

The government has been adamant in its claim that IS does not

exist in Bangladesh.

Aftter the IS claimed responsibility for the killing of two foreigners – Cesare Tavella and Kunio Hoshi – last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ruled out its presence and put the blame on the ‘BNP-Jamaat alliance’.

In November, she said there was ‘tremendous international pressure’ to make Bangladesh admit to IS presence. She again ruled out IS existence in February.

In an interview with Reuters, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said the claims were an attempt to “ride the wave” without them — Islamist terrorist organisations — being involved at all.

“Those claims (of killings) are certainly false … till date, the global radical organisations, terrorist groups, haven’t been able to make a toehold in Bangladesh, let alone make it their base.”

Addressing the nation after the latest attack, the prime minister on Saturday evening declared two days of national mourning and vowed to root out terrorism.

Still refusing to acknowledge the possibility of involvement of any international terrorist groups, the prime minister blamed the attack on certain groups which “embraced terrorism having failed to win the people’s hearts in a democratic manner”.

“They want to portray the country as a failed state by holding the people hostage at gunpoint. They are exploiting religion to lead the impressionable youths astray and have people killed.

“Have faith in us,” she said. “We are determined to safeguard Bangladesh’s sovereignty … at any cost,” said the prime minister in her brief address to the nation. l

‘They want to portray the country as a failed state by holding the people hostage at gunpoint’

1:39pm - The bodies of the victims have been kept at the CMH morgue for autopsy; to confirm the identities of the victims, people have been requested to contact Provost Marshal at 01769-012524, says Brig General Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury.

2:20pm - Provost Marshal says Brig General Mohsin said people can call to know the identities of the victims after three to four hours.

Since 2013, al-Qaeda’s Indian offshoot has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks killing 11 people, including secular bloggers and LGBT activists, while the IS claimed responsibility for 24 attacks killing 20 people, mostly non-Muslim and non-Sunni preachers and foreigners.

Like the prime minister, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has time and again ruled out the possibility of IS involvement in these incidents.

The April edition of IS propaganda magazine Dabiq claimed it has operations in Bangladesh. But police chief Shahidul Hoque said: “We can announce loudly that there is no presence of IS in Bangladesh.”

5:00pm - External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj tweets: “I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka.

5:30pm - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the nation on Saturday evening, Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim says.

7:00pm - The attackers were blacklisted by police, says Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque.

7:50pm - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declares two-day national mourning.

8:03pm - Nine Italians confirmed dead, 1 missing in Dhaka attack, reports Reuters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a Gulshan restaurant that killed at least 20 foreigners and two police officers Friday.

He called Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina yesterday. “The attack in Dhaka has pained us beyond words.

I spoke to PM Sheikh Hasina and strongly condemned the despicable attack,” Modi said in a tweet.

A group of terrorists stormed O’ Kitchen restaurant frequented by foreigners in Gulshan diplomatic zone Friday evening and kept hostage the guests and staff. Some 40 law enforcers and civilians were injured as the attackers opened fire and hurled grenades at them.

After a joint operation, the law enforcers rescued 13 people from the restaurant. There were nine Italians, seven Japanese nationals and an Indian among the dead. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also spoke to Hasina yesterday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, he said the attack was a challenge against universal values shared by us and the international community. “I strongly feel indignant because the brutal, inhuman terrorism took the lives of the innocent,” Abe said, adding he feels “heart-breaking grief.”

The Japanese “all have made efforts to contribute to development of Bangladesh,” The Japanese man who survived the hostage crisis was shot, and was being treated at a hospital, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said, adding that he is in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ah Mahmood Ali received phone calls from Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida who expressed condolence and concerns about the incident.

They wanted to help Bangladesh and do whatever possible to combat terrorism in the country, and requested Bangladesh government to send back the bodies of their nationals as soon as possible.

A press release of the Italian Foreign Ministry website Gentiloni has had a telephone conversation with the Bangladesh foreign minister.

In another development, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in a tweet said that an Indian girl was among the victims of the attack. “I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian

girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka.

“I have spoken to her father Shri Sanjeev Jain and conveyed our deepest condolences. The country is with them in this hour of grief,” she wrote.

She also instructed her officials to arrange visa for their parents to visit Dhaka.

After the attack, the British Foreign Office updated its travel alert for Bangladesh.

“Following the incident in the Gulshan 2 area of Dhaka we advise you to remain vigilant and follow the advice of the local security authorities,” the recent update says.

“We specifically advise until further notice against visiting areas where foreign nationals are known to congregate such as public areas of International Hotels, large supermarkets, restaurants and clubs. You should also minimise your presence on the street, travelling by vehicle where possible.”

Meanwhile, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire condemned the “appalling and senseless #BangladeshAttack” in a tweet.

European Commission High Representative Federica Mogherini in a statement said that the attack was a direct challenge to the global community. Terrorism is a global threat, and as the international community all of us have to tackle it all together, she said.

“I am in contact with the Italian Foreign Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, to put the Delegation of the European Union in Bangladesh at full disposal of the Italian authorities. The Delegation is ready to assist the Embassy.”

France also condemned the attack in the strongest terms. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and its solidarity with Bangladesh.

Terrorism is a global scourge.

France is determined to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism everywhere, the statement added.

US President Barack Obama was briefed about the attack on Friday.

The White House yesterday said the US government has offered assistance to Bangladeshi authorities as they investigate what happened, saying one of the victims was a US citizen, Spokesman Josh Earnest confirmed. The identity has not been released.

Earnest said the attack was a “despicable act of terrorism” and the US stands with Bangladesh and the international community to confront terrorism wherever it occurs. l

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Five killed in Munshiganj road accident n Tanjil Hasan, Munshiganj

People trying to climb on to the roof of an overcrowded train as they head to their homes ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The picture was taken yesterday from Chittagong Railway Station RABIN CHOWDHURY

Five people were killed and around forty were injured, as a bus fell into a roadside ditch losing its control over the steering on Dhaka-Mawa Highway of Keutchira in Shreenagar upazila of Munshiganj.

The identities of the deceased passengers could not be known immediately, said ASP Samsuzzaman Babu (Louhajang Circle).

The Tungipara-bound bus of Tungipara Express lost its control over the steering and fell into a roadside ditch, leaving three of its passengers dead on the spot. Two other succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, he added. l

Lama LGED: Hub of corruption N’ganj BCL leader held n S Bashu Das, Bandarban The construction firm, which was awarded the tender of repairing Lama Upazila Parishad Complex Building within June 30, has drawn the bill for the project even before starting the work, according to the sources in Lama Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and other local construction firms.

The construction firm of Aung Shai Marma drew the bill for the repair work on June 26 though he has not even started any work.

Lama LGED published a notice inviting tenders for the repair work worth TK 30 lakh in some underrated newspapers on May 2 to dodge

submitting the forms and June 14 was fixed to open the tender box.

Though as per the government rule, the tender box should be opened to collect the submitted forms in presence of UNO and upazila parishad chairman, they were not informed from the LGED office, said UNO Khaled Mahmud.

Some officials of the LGED opened the box and awarded the tender to Aung Shai, said sources in the department and other local firms.

Seeking anonymity, an engineer of the department said Mostafa Jamal, a member of Bandarban Parbatto Zila Parishad, is doing the business in the name of the awarded firm, exerting his influence. l

the local construction firms. Local firms saw the notice online and tried to collect the tender forms in vain, according to the firms’ owners. They had staged a demonstration in front of Bandarban District LGED Bhaban, as the district and upazila offices of the LGED had not provided them with the forms.

When our correspondent also tried to collect the form in disguise of a businessman upon the allegations, Engineer Md Mobarak Hossain of the upazila LGED told him that he would let him know whether the form would be given or not after talking to Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).

June 13 was the closing day for

CMP tightens security for foreigners in Chittagong n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has beefed up security for foreign citizens living in the port city in the wake of the deadly attack at a restaurant in Dhaka.

“Security has been tightened at hotels and in residential areas where foreigners live. We have deployed additional force and set up check posts in many strategic points across the city to avert any untoward incident,” said CMP Commissioner Iqbal Bahar.

According to CMP sources,

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

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of Science & Technology (USTC) and Asian University for Women (AUW).

Additional law enforcers have been deployed in various high-profile locations, including diplomatic offices, residential hotels, restaurants, religious establishments, shopping malls, bus terminals, railway stations and the airport.

Wing Commander Md Rezaul Kabir, airport manager of Shah Amanat International Airport, reassured the Dhaka Tribune that security is on high alert and appropriate measures have been taken to avert any untoward incident. l

around 3000 foreign citizens live in the port city of Chittagong.

Khulshi, Panchlaish, Sugandha, Halishahar and Mehedibag are some of the residential and industrial zones of the city where foreign citizens usually live and work.

Tofayel Ahmed Miah, deputy Director of Industrial Police-3, Chittagong, informed that around 700 foreign citizens work in the three EPZs of Chittagong - Chittagong EPZ, Korean EPZ and Karnaphuli EPZ. In addition, many foreign students study at the city’s University Dhaka

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over dockyard attack n Tanveer Hossain, Narayanganj

A local Chhatra League leader in Narayanganj was arrested yesterday in a case filed over an attack on a dockyard in the district’s Bandar upazila.

Khan Masud, an organising secretary of Chhatra League, was held in possession of 18 machetes, eight rounds, yaba pills and 24 bottles of phensidyl at 11:30am.

In the case, Masud was accused of attacking privately-owned Bangla Dockyard after he demanded money from the owner on Thursday afternoon.

The armed attack left four people injured, including a nine-year-old child who sustained bullet wounds.

The dockyard was also heavily vandalised during the attack.

Dockyard owner Abul Kalam Basu named 11 people, including Masud, in the case lodged with

Khulna

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Bandar police station on Friday.

Yesterday morning, Masud’s associates were holding a protest outside the dockyard when a police team arrived there to disperse them. They attacked the law enforcement officials and snatched a firearm.

Additional police arrived on the scene later and Masud was arrested in a nearby house.

Sub-Inspector of Bandar police station Ahsanullah, who led the operation to arrest Masud, said police were trying to recover the snatched firearm.

Local lawmaker Salim Osman said he had repeatedly told police to keep an eye on Masud.

“No terrorist can be a member of any political party. I want a fair investigation of the case filed against Masud. Legal steps should be taken against him after the probe,” he said. l

Sylhet

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Fajr: 3:53am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 7:03pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

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SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Journo stabbed by muggers

LAWACHARA NATIONAL PARK

Local influential grab 800-acre land n n Syful Islam, Moulvibazar A section of locally influential people grabbed at least 800-acre land of the Lawachara National Park at Kamalganj upazila in Moulvibazar with the support from ruling party leaders and forest officials.

According to local sources, the 1,200 hectres park, located 60 km off the Sylhet divisional city and 160 from Dhaka, is home to 160 plant species and over 3,00 other birds, mammals and rare insects.

Under the wildlife act 1974, the forest department in 1996 declared the land as national park to protect its rich biodiversity.

Locally influential people-Shameful Mian, Nazir Mian, Cherag Ali, Aslam, Masuk Mian, Firoz Mian, Abdul Gafur, Alam Mian, Niamatullah and Motaleb Mian grabbed the maximum part of the land with the help of Badrul Alam Jenar, secretary of Sadar

upazila Awami League (AL), Asid Ali, Madabpur union unit AL president, AL leader Soleman Hossain Bhutto and Abdur Rahim.

They raised jackfruits, lemon, pineapple, guava and litchi plantations on the grabbed land by clearing forests.

Khasia, Monipuri and Tripura people who have been living in the area for generations alleged that felling trees at a rapid pace endangered the park.

Locals said Khasia headman Jidion Prodhan Kordor involved with the land garbing and timber smuggling.

With the help of the headman, the forest officials Babu, Mohsin, Fazal and Jasim smuggled timbers from the park.

The grabbers are also using some forest land for raising crops after felling trees, the local people said.

A human rights activist, who campaigns for the rights of ethnic

DT

News groups, said since 1997 over an 800-acre area of land of the park had been grabbed by powerful groups with backing from the leaders of the successive ruling parties.

Jackfruits, lemon, pineapple, guava and litchi plantations on the grabbed land by clearing forests He said that 300 families from the outside were settled on government lands around the Lawachara National Park decades back.

When contacted, Badrul Ahmed Jenar, who raised a several-acre lemon plantation in the park denied that he was using grabbed park land for the purpose.

He said homeless outsiders, known as refugees had raised the lemon garden.

According to recent media reports poachers fell teak and other valuable trees to smuggle the timber from the protected national park.

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology professor, who takes interests in campaigns for the environmental conservation Zahir Bin Alam said unhindered forest land grabbing was affecting the park’s biodiversity and the ethnic groups living in the area for generations.

Beat officer of Lawachhara forest Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune that 86 acre of land had been grabbed.

Wildlife and Nature Conservation Division Deputy Director Mihir Kumar Dey pleaded ignorance about grabbing the land.

“As the grabbers are politically influential, steps cannot be taken against them,” he said.

“A case is under trial with the High Court in this connection,” he said. l

FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Muggers snatched away an iPhone and cash from a reporter of a local newspaper in Chittagong after stabbing him in the port city’s Jamal Khan area early yesterday.

Victim Mostafa Emran Sohel, the court correspondent of Daily Purbokon, said a gang of five miscreants took away his iPhone and Tk 12,000 at arms point in front of QC Petrol Pump area at Goni Bekari intersection when he was going home by rickshaw.

The criminals stabbed him in his right arm, as he tried to resist them.

He was given primary treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said Emran, also a lawyer in Chittagong court and a member of Chittagong Bar Association.

Later, he filed a complaint with Chawakbazar police station in this regard. l

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SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

AUSTRALIA ELECTIONS

Voters swing against ruling coalition n Reuters, Sydney Australia appeared to be heading for a hung parliament or a minority government with half the votes counted in a national poll on Saturday, potentially blocking Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s ability to enact major economic reforms.

Official electoral data halfway through the count for the House of Representatives showed a 3% swing away from the Liberal-led coalition government.

On the current count, the coalition was projected to hold 69 seats, against the opposition Labor Party’s 70 seats and five to independents and the Greens Party.

The coalition is expected to win several of the remaining 16 seats to be determined, but it is unclear if it will be enough to form a government without an alliance with small parties and independents to get a majority.

The result was so close, Attorney-General George Brandis said it would not be called on Saturday evening with just a couple of hours before counting officials clock-off.

There is no counting scheduled for Sunday, with counting for the Senate to resume on Monday and the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Former prime minister Tony Ab-

bott, who retained his Sydney seat, told Liberal Party followers in his electorate it was a “difficult night”.

At the coalition headquarters in central Sydney, the mood was nervous and quiet as the crowd thinned.

A Reuters reporter was prevented from taking a photo of a champagne-filled fridge.

“It’s a nightmare, it’s a disaster,” Rene Licarta, a Liberal Party member, told Reuters. “It looks like it might be a hung parliament, with the Greens and the independents running the show. It’s scary.”

Such a result would mean that Turnbull’s gamble of dissolving both houses of parliament in May to trigger the election has backfired, given that was a bid to oust intransigent independents in the upper house Senate who had blocked his agenda.

Turnbull had called for Australians to vote for the coalition and political stability, invoking the global economic and political fallout from Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.

Minor parties, possibly in a coalition with centre-left Labor, he argued, could not be trusted to manage an economy hampered by the first mining downturn in a century and balance public finances after years of deficits.

With half the vote counted, Labor was benefiting from a 3.3% swing in its favour on a two-party

basis, short of the 4% it needs to win government but potentially enough to leave the coalition with a minority government.

At the Labor Party’s federal election headquarters at the Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, the mood was initially subdued but cheers began to ring out as Labor pulled ahead in key seats.

The votes tallied on Saturday evening only gave limited results for the 76 seats of the upper house Senate, where independents including the centrist Nick Xenophon Team are expected to win several seats.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party was polling strongly in Queensland according to an early Senate vote count, raising the prospect that the far right politician, who campaigned on anti-immigration, anti-Muslim agendas, will be back in the federal parliament after an almost 20 year absence.

Xenophon has vowed to block the Coalition’s cornerstone A$50 billion ($37 billion) corporate tax cuts if his party holds the balance of power in the senate.

Xenophon’s party had an early win stealing a House of Representatives seat for the electorate of Mayo from the coalition for the first time in its 115-year history and giving the party its first ever lower house position. l

AUSTRALIA ELECTION Candidates for prime minister in July 2 vote

Malcolm Turnbull

Current prime minister Liberal Party

Bill Shorten

Opposition leader Labor Party

Former journalist, lawyer, investment banker and entrepreneur before he entered politics

Former lawyer and union chief, served as education minister and workplace relations minister

Seized power from Tony Abbott in sudden leadership ballot for Liberal Party in Sept 2015

Assumed Labor party leadership in Oct 2013 after years of infighting that saw two Labor premiers, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, toppled in party coups

Served as environment minister under prime minister John Howard Criticised as out of touch with ordinary Australians, but insists he is a steady hand on the economy

Cleared by police in Aug 2014 of historical sex assault allegations Campaigns on Labor government standing up for middle- and working-class families

Trump, Clinton looking for different things in a running mate n Tribune International Desk Donald Trump wants a running mate who has what he lacks — political experience.

Hillary Clinton is putting a premium on diversity as she searches for a number 2, reports The Associated Press.

Yet the presidential rivals are running strikingly similar processes for tapping their vice presidential picks: relying on prominent Washington lawyers to comb through the background of top contenders, seeking guidance from a small circle of trusted advisers and family members, and weighing their personal chemistry with prospects.

Trump, a wealthy businessman who has never held public office, is mulling a small number of political veterans. He’s seriously considering former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions and Indiana Governor Mike Pence, according to people with direct knowledge of the vetting process.

The presumptive Republican nominee appears less concerned

about diversity. His campaign chairman has said publicly that Trump is not interested in choosing a woman or minority for the sake of appealing to a particular segment of the electorate. The confirmed contenders are all white men over age 50.

Clinton has said she wants a running mate who is well-prepared to become president. But Democrats say she’s also giving priority to diversity and has been weighing women, Hispanic and black candidates — a nod to the voting blocs Democrats need to win in presidential elections.

Top contenders for the Democratic ticket include Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of Washington’s most prominent female lawmakers; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, a telegenic 41-year-old Hispanic politician; and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, one of two black senators, was also being considered, though it’s unclear whether he is still in the running.

It’s rare that a running mate dramatically shifts the trajectory of a presidential race. Yet it’s still among the most important decisions nominees face during the general election and their choice is viewed as a reflection of their priorities and values.

Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

Clinton has veteran Democratic lawyer James Hamilton overseeing her selection process, with input from longtime confidants John Podesta and Cheryl Mills. Clinton is expected to begin meeting with candidates herself next week, according to two Democrats with knowledge of the process.

Given Clinton’s decades in the public eye, her advisers don’t expect her selection of a running mate to change her electoral prospects significantly. But one Clinton aide said it was important that her running mate help tell the “story” of her candidacy.

Clinton has increasingly said her campaign is about Americans being “stronger together” — a phrase in-

tended to convey the importance of a diverse country fighting for common goals.

Aides who have worked in senior White House posts under President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton have also been emphasizing the need for personal chemistry, noting that a strained relationship between a president and vice president can be destructive in the West Wing.

Clinton and Trump face fast-approaching deadlines as they evaluate their choices.

Trump has said he plans to announce his running mate at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off in Cleveland in just over two weeks — but the campaign

REUTERS

has also considered pushing up the date. A person familiar with Trump’s decision-making process said the one-time reality television star is weighing how to maximize the suspense of his choice. He might do it showbiz-style at the convention.

Trump has spent weeks discussing his options with his adult children, business associates and even friends from his country clubs. A B Culvahouse, a lawyer who has overseen vice presidential vetting for previous GOP nominees, sent vetting paperwork to top contenders late this week.

The businessman has a close relationship with most of vice presidential finalists. He’s less familiar with Pence, though the two plan to meet this weekend, according to Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the Indiana governor.

In choosing a political veteran, Trump would not be sending a message only to voters, but to the numerous GOP leaders who are wary of his candidacy.

Clinton is expected to wait until after the Republican convention to announce her running mate, allowing her to use her pick to distract from any boost Trump receives from the GOP gathering. She and her running mate will be nominated at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia the last week in July. l

11

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World

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Anti-Brexit protesters march in London n Reuters, London Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday in a loud and colourful protest against last week’s vote to leave the European Union, a result that has plunged Britain into political chaos and which most people in the capital rejected.

Most protestors were young adults, and many were draped in EU flags while others waved banners bearing slogans like “I’m with EU” or simply “Wrexit.”

They chanted “what do we want to do? Stay in the EU,” as they marched towards the Westminster political district to a soundtrack of songs like Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will always Love You.” “I was genuinely stunned on the

morning after the vote,” said one protester Nathaniel Samson, 25, from Hertfordshire north of London.

“I feel deeply uncertain about my future,” he added. “I’m on the march to voice my discontentment. I am accepting the result, but it’s to show that we won’t accept it quietly.”

Another, Italian Pamela Zoni, 34, who has lived in Britain for 6 years said she was very upset by the result and having second thoughts about taking British citizenship.

“I would like a second referendum,” she said. “The first campaign was based on lies, and the margin was so tight: it was not a fair result.”

London voted 60% in favour of remaining in the EU in last Thursday’s referendum, with younger voters widely in favour of staying in the bloc, but 52% of Britons overall

cast ballots in favour of leaving.

Rally organiser, King’s College graduate Kieran MacDermott, said: “We can prevent Brexit by refusing to accept the referendum as the final say and take our finger off the self-destruct button.”

Parliament should have the final say on whether Britain should leave, he told the BBC. The vote to leave has prompted a battle within the ruling Conservative party to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron who said he would resign after the result.

The main opposition Labour Party has also turned on itself, with most of its lawmakers in parliament having voted to withdraw support for party leader Jeremy Corbyn after what they saw as his lacklustre contribution to the referendum campaign. l

Protestors hold banners in London Parliament Square during a ‘March for Europe’ demonstration against Britain’s decision to leave the EU REUTERS

DT

12 Business

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

TOP STORIES Setting up housing zone a must to control population density

Establishing housing zones in adjoining areas of the capital is indispensable for stemming the high population density in the metropolitan city.

PAGE 13

Asian factories struggle, Brexit throws up new threats China’s factories flatlined in June as exports shrank and jobs were cut, a worrying trend evident across Asia that argues for yet more policy stimulus as doubts gather over the potency of measures taken so far.

PAGE 13

Global government bond yields sink as markets eye central bank action Global stock markets climbed for a fourth day and government bond yields around the world hit their lowest levels in years on Friday, driven by the prospect of further cuts in interest rates and more central bank bond buying to support weak economies.

PAGE 14

Capital market snapshot: Past Week DSE Broad Index

4,507.6

2.9% ▲

Index

1,110.8

3.0% ▲

30 Index

1,770.8

3.3% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

19,700.8

21.7% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

544.1

8.0% ▲

All Share Index 13,802.6

2.5% ▲

30 Index

12,773.7

3.1% ▲

Selected Index

8,396.6

2.5% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

2,293.5 122.8% ▲

CSE

Turnover in Mn Vol

52.0

36.1% ▲

Terror attack pulls Eid sale down

The sellers pass an idle time due to lackluster presence of customers The city’s new market, the most that I can return quickly.” in Bashundhara City shopn Kayes Sohel, Ibrahim Hossain outlet rush area, seemed to have a differAnother shopper, a governping mall, said: “The number of Ovi and Jebun Nesa Alo

Eid sale has suffered badly following the deadly terror attack on an upscale Dhaka restaurant that left at least 28 dead, including six attackers and 20 foreigners.

According to sellers and traders, the presence of shoppers was down yesterday compared to other days ahead of Eid. They said the fear of terrorist attacks on public places might be the factor that has kept shoppers away from the markets.

During visits to different city shopping malls, some shoppers were seen in a hurry to leave the places and some traders were just gossiping.

Redwan Shifo, manager at the Yellow outlet in Dhanmondi, said: “Sales have suddenly come to a half after the incident since Friday night. The impact still continues.”

Robin, a salesman at a mobile

customers was relatively small compared to other days.”

According to Noor Hossain, a salesman at Palky in Mirpur area, “We are yet to sell any item till midday, but yesterday during this time we had already sold clothes worth Tk35,000.”

Mohammed Babul, another salesman at Manobee in the same area, said people have already left the city to celebrate Eid as they got long holiday.

In the remaining days before the Eid ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslim community, sales can be affected as the number of customers is gradually declining because of the nine-day-long holiday that began on July 1, he said.

“This incident has added additional pain to our sale.”

Manushi Khandaker, a housewife, said: “I live near to this shopping centre. I have come here so

ment employee, wishing to be unnamed, said: “I am aware of the Friday night’s incident, but I am not afraid of it.”

Early yesterday, troops stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, a diplomatic zone, ending an 11-hour standoff with gunmen who had taken hostages.

The frequency of attacks has increased in recent months, but those murders generally only involved a handful of assailants and the latest attack appears to have been on a much bigger scale and the first time that people were held hostage.

“There is general fear of terrorist strikes. But I am pretty sure that the markets will bounce back next month,” an analyst said.

“On a short-term basis, it would put some people off, while on long-term, people will forget as all have short memories.”

ent scenario yesterday. Shopkeepers were sitting idly due to lackluster presence of customers during the whole day following the incident of terror attack in Gulshan.

Abdullah, a trader of a clothing store in the Chadni Chalk market, said they shut down their shop before 12am on previous night soon after the news of terror attack spread out while they keep the market open till 1am.

He said the customer’s attendance was very poor from the beginning of yesterday in the wake of hostage crisis.

Hamid, a shoe seller on footpath in the new market area, was surprised about the poor attendance of customers yesterday.

He said this time was supposed to be the pick time for sale.

He suspected that the Gulshan incident might have caused interruption in their sale. l

Exporters shocked at terror attack on foreigners n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladeshi exporters condemned the worst terrorist attack in Dhaka on Friday night which targeted mainly foreigners. They said they were shocked as the events unfolded, but ruled out any long-term impact on the country’s export sector.

However, exporters and analysts see the possibility of a shortterm impact on the sector.

Such incident might dent the confidence of foreign buyers to visit Bangladesh for negotiation, they said.

Some described the situation as another attack on the country’s image after secret killings of two foreigners in separate incidents last year.

However, local exporters believe Bangladesh could overcome it.

“We are shocked. We express condolence to the victims’ families,” Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB), told

Dhaka Tribune.

He said such attack would tarnish the country’s image, making international buyers feel insecure to visit Bangladesh.

“Buyers will choose to negotiate in a third country, which will increase the cost of products,” Salam Murshedy said.

Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said such type of attacks had not happened only in Bangladesh, but happened in developed countries too. He believed the country can overcome it.

“But there will be a temporary impact on the business,” BGMEA president said.

An exporter, requesting anonymity, criticised two major political parties for their blame game in the previous terrorist incidents.

“We will again suffer image crisis. The export sector faces another trouble as such events will create a sense of insecurity among

foreign buyers,” he said.

Abdul Matlub Ahmed, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, praised the government to take immediate action and said the incident would not have a long-term impact on the country’s businesses.

He urged the government to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents.

AB Mirza Azizul Islam, a former adviser to caretaker government, said the terror on foreigners

would affect the country’s foreign direct investment inflow.

“FDI inflow may be affected.

Such attack may cast a shadow on the FDI situation of the country,” he said.

Mirza Azizul Islam said buyers’ visit would be hampered after the attack and buyers may consider visiting a third country to negotiate price and quality check.

He stressed that the government should be open-minded to its foreign partners. l

DT

13

Business

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Setting up housing zone a must to control population density n

Stocks rebound before 9-day closure

n

Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Establishing housing zones in adjoining areas of the capital is indispensable for stemming the high population density in the metropolitan city.

The government along with the private sector should come forward in this regard to address the issue.

Sadat Salim – an advisor to Rupayan Group – shared his thought in an interview with the Dhaka Tribune.

What should the government do to reduce population density in Dhaka City?

Salim: Dhaka is one of the highly populated cities in the world.

People from rural areas end up in the capital for education, job, healthcare and business. To reduce population density here, establishing housing zone with all residential facilities is a must.

Frankly, it would be entirely a residential area.

What are the major challenges to the real estate sector?

Bangladesh is a small country with a vast population. The main challenge to the country is the scarcity of land and its high price. The other challenges include lack of gas and electricity connection and infrastructure development. All these work as barriers to ensuring housing facility for the city dwellers.

Does the real estate sector lack investment fund or buyers?

There is no problem about investment and buyers, but the problems lie in getting electricity and gas connection while infrastructure development is another key requirement for investment.

What can be done to make the sector vibrant?

The real estate sector is going through a crucial and transitional period as the investment in the country is sluggish while the capital market is dull since 2010. To

Rupayan Group Advisor Sadat Salim make the sector vibrant, the government should provide low-cost fund for the middle-income people to buy flats and policy support for the realtors. The development of suburb did not take place in the country due to lack of proper policy while corruption is a factor. The government should play the role of a facilitator. What we have seen in the past is frustrating. The government developed the land allocated

by RAJUK which seemed to be a business.

What should be the government role in developing land?

To ensure housing facility for everyone, the government can build projects under Public Private Partnership. In that case, the government can acquire land and develop it. After the development, it can make allocation through a bidding process to the private sector that will develop flats for the city dwellers who will be able to buy at a reasonable price.

COURTESY

What is Rupayan Group doing to provide housing facility for the city dwellers?

ing path for the elderly people to exercise. In the vicinity, 63% of its space would be kept open while 37% used to build residential buildings. The project will be built on 134.5 bighas of land in four phases. There will have 2,500 flats and about 12,000 people will live there.

Could you please explain Gated Community?

How will you remove mistrust between real estate company, land owners and buyers?

We are going to develop a Mega Gated Community Project that will incorporate all facilities and meet the basic needs of dwellers. It would be a secured and safe housing project.

The term – Gated Community – refers to those communities, a majority of which live with plenty of facilities offered to them in one area surrounded by a gate. I think other real estate companies will also come up with the idea to develop the capital’s surroundings to provide a better living space for people.

How will the Mega Gated Community Project ensure all basic needs?

The project will have all opportunities including school, playground, shopping mall, mosque and walk-

There is mistrust between some real estate companies and buyers, and it has been only due to greed of land owners. The land owners provide land for a realtor, who offers more signing money without having proper knowledge about the financial capacity of the company.

In this regard, the government should take action including financial penalty against those companies that will fail to handover flats to their buyers within the time frame. On the other hand the buyers and land owners should be aware of realtor capacity. l

Tribune Business Desk

Stocks rebounded in the final week before Eid-ul-Fitr holidays as, analysts said, investors injected fund in the market to make tax benefit seeking investments.

The bourses began nine-day shutdown from Friday.

“Surpassing the usual pre-Eid sale, market rallied as investors injected fund in the market to make tax benefit seeking investments,” said IDLC Investments.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange DSEX gained 126 points or 3% to close at 4,507.

The blue-chip comprising index DS30 rose 56 points or 3% to 1,770.

The DSE Shariah Index DSES advanced 32 points or 3% to close at 1,110. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX climbed 205 points or 2.5% to close at 8,396.

The week started with a flat beginning. However, significant buy pressure emerged in the following days, prompting the market to rally.

Over the week, investors remained enthusiastic over pharmaceutical sector, as it captured 24.7% of the week’s DSE total turnover.

Mutual funds made notable move, in the past week. Among the funds, SEMLLECMF advanced by 30.4%, while FBFIF advanced by 14.5%.

At the end of the week, all the major sectors ended positive. The cement sector made the highest gain of 5.3% in the past week, followed by non-banking financial institutions 5.1% and bank 4.1%.

The DSE daily turnover averaged Tk394 crore, registering an increase of 22% over the previous week’s average of Tk324 crore.

LankaBangla Securities said the prime index made significant move last week amid increased participation as the market witnessed tax benefit seeking investments.

Stocks-wise movement was strong, as some issues attracted considerable turnover and offered substantial gain. Large-cap issues like Lafarge Surma Cement, ICB and IDLC Finance surged 9.4%, 8.6% and 6.7% respectively, it said. l

Tk16.74cr paid to Tazreen Fashions fire victims, dependents n Tribune Report Tazreen Claims Administration Trust (TCAT) has paid Tk16.74 crore to the injured, the dependents of missing workers and the dead of Tazreen Fashions fire incidents.

In September 2015, the trust was established to make payments to the victims of Tazreen Fashions Fire, including injured workers

and families of the dead and those missing.

A total of 373 claims were filed by the dependents of 103 workers killed in Tazreen fire. The amount awarded and paid to the 373 dependents of the 103 dead amounts to Tk9.93 crore, said a press release.

While a total of 37 claims were filed by the dependents of 10 Taz-

reen missing workers, the amount awarded and paid to 37 dependents of the nine missing is total Tk1.05 crore.

Against a total of 174 claims the amount paid to 172 injured workers is total Tk5.75 crore.

Payments were made to the individual bank account opened for each beneficiary with the Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd, Motijheel Branch.

As per the estimate, a fund of $2.5 million was required to pay awards, and to provide long-term medical care for injured workers from the Tazreen fire. Of the total amount, C&A Foundation contributed $1 million, Fung Foundation $1 million BRAC USA $250,000, KiK $150,000 and EI Corte Ingles $100,000.

In addition, C&A Foundation

covered the administrative and running costs of the trust separately so that 100% of the money from donors could go directly to the victims and their families.

Further programmes will continue as planned, including the educational trust for the children of Tazreen victims funded by the C&A Foundation and Fung Foundations. l

DT

14

Business

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Asian factories struggle, Brexit throws up new threats n

Oil boosted

by Turkey, Bangladesh attacks

n Reuters, Sydney

China’s factories flatlined in June as exports shrank and jobs were cut, a worrying trend evident across Asia that argues for yet more policy stimulus as doubts gather over the potency of measures taken so far.

The hard times signalled by a range of surveys was not what the world needed a week after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union condemned that bloc to months, if not years, of political and economic instability.

Most of the responses from manufacturers also preceded the Brexit vote, suggesting July could be even tougher.

“The unimaginable has happened and the UK vote will cast a long shadow over the UK, Europe and global markets for some time to come,” warned Westpac head currency strategist Robert Rennie.

“A structurally weaker pound, a softer euro and weaker global growth beckons.”

Among the many surveys out on Friday, China’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slipped a tick to 50 in June, dead on the level that is supposed to separate growth from contraction.

One saving grace was the services sector measure, which nudged up to 53.7 in a positive sign for consumer activity.

More worrying was the Caixin version of the PMI, which covers a greater share of smaller firms, where the index fell to a fourmonth trough of 48.6 in June, from 49.2 in May. “Panellists widely commented that poor market conditions and a drop in new work had led them to cut output,” reported Caixin.

“Data suggested that part of the weakness stemmed from softer foreign client demand, with new export sales declining for the sev-

Labourers work at a garment factory in Bangkok enth month in a row.”

That had to be a disappointment to Beijing which has resorted to ever-looser fiscal and monetary policy to support growth and jobs in the world’s second largest economy.

It was a frustration likely shared by the Bank of Japan which found major manufacturers in a morose mood despite all its attempts at aggressive easing.

The reasons were clear in the Markit/Nikkei measure of Japan’s PMI which edged up slightly to 48.1 in June, but stayed in contractionary territory for the fourth straight month.

Government data were no better with household spending down for the third month in a row and core consumer prices suffering their

biggest annual drop since 2013.

Markets reacted by driving Japanese government bond yields deeper into negative territory. Investors now pay 24 basis points for the privilege of lending Japan money for 10 years, a once unthinkable condition that is becoming standard fare.

An end to free trade?

The news from South Korea was relatively cheery as its PMI reached a six-month high, yet at 50.5 it was just barely into expansionary territory.

Indeed, a separate report showed shipments from the world’s sixth-largest exporter fell for an 18th straight month in June.

Likewise, electronics powerhouse Taiwan reported some im-

REUTERS

provement but again growth was only marginal.

Vaninder Singh, an economist at Royal Bank of Scotland in Singapore, noted the region had been the greatest beneficiary of globalisation and any shift to trade barriers or closed borders would hurt Asia the most.

“Overall, what is clear to us is that the impact, will be limited in the near-term, but much more significant in the medium-term,” said Singh.

“We expect this event and what it represents to subtract as much as 0.3% from growth next year compared to our pre-event baseline and expect Asian central banks to respond with another round of easing.” l

AFP, New York

Oil prices finished a choppy week higher Friday as an apparent hostage crisis in Bangladesh revived worries about political risk and the implications for oil supply.

Gunmen stormed a crowded restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Friday night, apparently taking diners hostage and sparking a firefight with police, officials said.

Analysts said the oil market was already jittery after suicide attackers on Tuesday launched an assault at the Istanbul airport in Turkey, leaving 44 people dead.

US benchmark West Texas intermediate for August delivery gained 66 cents at $48.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent North Sea oil for September delivery advanced 64 cents to $50.35 a barrel in London.

Investors want to play it safe before the long weekend, with the US market closed Monday for the Independence Day holiday, said energy industry consultant Andy Lipow.

“The market didn’t really want to go into the weekend short (on oil) given what’s been going on in the Middle East,” Lipow said. “There’s probably some nervousness going into a three-day weekend.”

Lipow said oil is also expected to receive support from rising gasoline use this summer as more motorists take advantage of low prices at the pump and opt for road trips instead of air travel.

Friday closed out a volatile week for oil as prices first slid along with equity markets in response to Britain’s June 23 vote to leave the European Union, before beginning to rebound on Tuesday. The Brexit is viewed as a headwind to global growth, though there is debate among economists on the extent of the impact. l

China has more to lose from Western turmoil n Rachel Morarjee China has much to lose from Western turmoil. The country’s leaders may be keen to use Britain’s referendum on European Union membership to show off their relative stability: Chinese media coverage of the vote’s aftermath served mainly to remind the local population of how risky voting can be.

But the growing backlash against globalisation in the developed world is a serious problem for the People’s Republic.

That helps explain why China is now advocating global economic cooperation. Premier Li Keqiang told the audience of dignitaries attending the World Economic Forum in the port city of Tianjin that countries needed to pull together to solve the economic problems.

No single economy, he said, could shield itself from the forces at work across interconnected markets.

China is quietly building international links. As markets tumbled after the Brexit vote, the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank announced it had made its first four loans worth a combined $509m. The Chinese-led institution is working with the World Bank on slum redevelopment in Indonesia and has joined forces with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on a road to link Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The promise of financial support is slowly changing attitudes to China. The enthusiasm of Asian delegates for the AIIB and China’s “One Belt, One Road” project to

open markets around the region surpasses their nervousness about tensions in the South China Sea. Yet sustained upheaval in the West could overwhelm these fledgling efforts. Protectionist sentiments are not confined to the United Kingdom. The US electorate is flirting with Donald Trump’s isolationist policies. Even Germany – a big beneficiary of trade with China – is fretting about the possible sale of a stake in robot maker Kuka to a Chinese consumer electronics group. Meanwhile, financial mar-

ket volatility strengthens the US dollar, putting renewed pressure on the Chinese yuan.

From Venezuela to Sri Lanka, Chinese leaders have been adept at striking deals with elites but less good at taming populist concerns or handling sudden changes of power. That’s a risk they now need to worry about in developed markets as well. l Rachel Morarjee is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The article was initially published at Reuters.

DT

15

Business

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Global government bond yields sink as markets eye central bank action n Reuters, New York Global stock markets climbed for a fourth day and government bond yields around the world hit their lowest levels in years on Friday, driven by the prospect of further cuts in interest rates and more central bank bond buying to support weak economies.

Signs that the world’s big central banks will go even easier on monetary conditions, extending an era of ultra-low interest rates, have helped drive a recovery for stock markets after a bout of volatility following Britain’s vote to leave the European Union last week.

The 30-year US Treasury yield hit its lowest since the 1950s at 2.189%.

The yen climbed against the dollar and sterling was pinned near 31-year lows as the chances of a US rate hike from the Federal Reserve receded and Britain’s central bank hinted at a rate cut and more stimulus in the months ahead. European shares rose with the European Central Bank also reported to be looking at bond purchases.

“The market is trying to frontrun possible central bank actions,” said Ed Al-Hussainy, a global rates and currency strategist at Columbia Threadneedle in Minneapolis.

The 10-year US Treasury yield fell to its lowest in four years, hitting 1.382% and taking it within striking distance of record lows.

A man holding an umbrella walks in front of an electronic stock quotation board outside a brokerage French and Dutch equivalents hit all-time lows. Those among Europe’s struggling southern states also fell, with Spain’s 10-year debt at its lowest in over a year.

Bond returns have outstripped stocks so far this year. The Bank of America/Merrill Lynch US Treasury index returned 5.7% in the first half of the year, outpacing a total return of 2.69% for the S&P 500.

Bundesbank President and ECB rate setter Jens Weidmann, however, poured cold water on the idea of further stimulus. He said monetary policy is already expansionary and expressed doubts further easing would have a stimulus effect.

Gold climbed and was headed for its fifth weekly gain, supported by a weaker dollar and the prospects for further monetary policy

ECB board member: Brexit will impact eurozone recovery n AFP, Frankfurt The uncertainty sparked by the British vote to leave European Union will “inevitably” harm economic recovery in the euro area, European Central Bank executive board member Benoit Coeure said in a newspaper interview Friday.

The pick-up in the eurozone economy “will inevitably suffer from the ‘uncertainty shock’ that the British referendum has triggered, even if the impact is difficult to quantify at the moment,” Coeure told the French daily Le Monde.

The effect would be all the more damaging because “the recovery in the euro area is already there. It’s healthy and driven by domestic demand and by investment,” even it was being “kept down by high unemployment levels and debt,” he argued.

The victory of the Leave vote in Britain last week has already led to

severe turbulence on the financial markets.

“Central banks are continuing to monitor developments and are ready to intervene if financial stability is jeopardised, by supplying liquidity if necessary,” Coeure said.

“The important thing is to clarify how and when Britain will leave, because prolonged uncertainty will carry an economic cost,” both for Britain and the EU, he said.

The priority was to “re-establish confidence between European countries,” by pushing through structural reforms before pressing ahead with integration.

“If everyone plays their part, confidence will return and Europe will be able to move forward,” Coeure continued.

The solution to the problems “lies as much with Berlin, Paris and Rome as with Brussels and Frankfurt,” he said.

Separately, the head of the Ger-

man central bank or Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, said he did not expect the ECB to ease monetary conditions in the euro area still further to cope with the fallout from the Brexit vote.

“I don’t see the need for further monetary easing in the euro area,” Weidmann said in speech in Munich.

“Monetary policy is already very expansive and it would be questionable whether making it even more so would really have a stimulating effect,” the German central bank chief said.

“The crisis that has arisen for the EU is a political crisis and must be solved politically.”

In order to help boost economic recovery in the euro area, the ECB has slashed rates to zero, pumped vast amounts of liquidity into the financial system and embarked on a huge programme of sovereign debt purchases. l

REUTERS

easing. Spot gold rose to a session high of $1,341.4 an ounce. The metal gained 8.8% in June, its biggest monthly rise since February.

Silver prices soared, jumping 5.5% to push the metal 11.5% higher on the week, its best weekly gain since August 2013. It last traded at $19.66 an ounce, the highest in nearly two years.

The MSCI All-Country World in-

dex rose 0.5% and has risen nearly 6% in the last four days, although it is still below where it was trading prior to Britain’s referendum on June 23.

The S&P 500, trading close to all time highs, gave up some of its gains into the afternoon as financial stocks weighed. The index ended up 0.2%.

Britian’s FTSE has been one of the surprising leaders of the post-referendum rebound. It rose 1.1% and was trading at its highest level in over a year. The index is nearly 4% higher than before the referendum.

In currency markets, the dollar fell 0.6% against the yen JPY= and was down 0.5% against a trade-weighted basket of currencies.

Sterling traded down 0.3% to $1.3274, continuing its slide after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Thursday that the central bank would probably need to pump more stimulus into Britain’s economy over the summer.

Sterling was approaching a recent low of $1.3218.

The euro rose 0.2% against the dollar to $1.1128.

The weaker dollar also spilled over into the commodities market, pushing up the price of oil. Brent crude futures settled up 64 cents, or 1.3%, at $50.35 a barrel.

US crude’s West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 66 cents, or 1.4%, to settle at $48.99. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Standard Chartered Bangladesh has recently signed a SCF (Supply Chain Finance) financing programme agreement for the dealers of Holcim Cement (Bangladesh) Limited, said a press release. The bank’s CEO, Abrar A Anwar and Rajesh Surana, CEO of Holcim Cement (Bangladesh) Limited have signed the agreement

NRB Bank Limited has recently elected Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman as its chairperson at the bank’s 39th board meeting, said a press release. Prior to the new role, Mahtabur Rahman was the bank’s vice chairperson.

He is currently the chairperson and managing director of Al Haramain Perfumes Group of Companies

DT

16

Career

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Wired this way offer. The queue of job seekers keeps increasing exponentially to that of job providers. Moreover, the local and multinational companies are keener on employing a foreigner. Isn’t there a way to restore balance to this unbalanced structure of the society? As we grow up, our career plan keeps changing more and more as we start to understand and accept the real world. The desire for what once was our dream job vanishes into thin air.

As for me, I am simply driven by perseverance.

Why stand in a line for a job when you can create one for yourself? It might not have a very high return but at least you will have full control over your decisions. And when you get to do what you love, you can do wonders. In the process you might end up doing something extraordinary for the society. What motivates me the most are the people who make things happen and inspire others to do the same.

It all starts with a dream and you will never know if it’s possible until you work on it.

n Farhana Shahnaz Computer science and engineering have been a popular path to pursue in terms of education for the past few years, especially given the leaps and bounds technology has advanced both locally and globally. However, students are often doubtful about the potential of such a degree to provide income for them once they graduate. To get an idea of the contemporary scenario in this field, we spoke to Sadbin Ahmed, a successful CSE graduate.

The choice is simple. Either you work on your dreams or someone else’s

Why did you decide to go for entrepreneurship instead of a convenient 9-5 job?

The answer is a bit vague. People are more or less driven by money.

Most people fail to pursue their calling while making a decision to earn their living. Entrepreneurship is not always about money. For me it’s an opportunity to implement all my crazy ideas and to create a positive impact, no matter how small or big. I was always fascinated with solving problems and this was something I had fun doing – so why not exercise it to the fullest by pursuing entrepreneurship? It’s fast paced, challenging and when you love what you do – the “inconvenience” is barely felt. Inconvenience is, for me, a lack of job security, and I believe job security is just a myth.

Moreover who wouldn’t love to be their own boss?

The choice is simple. Either you work on your dreams or someone else’s. Entrepreneurship is nothing like a 9-5 job, in fact, it needs involvement 24/7, 365 days a year.

If you are able to establish one then you start working on the next venture. At least you don’t end up being confined in an endless loop for the rest of your life.

What motivated you to pursue this path?

To tell you the truth, while growing up, I’ve felt unemployment to be a major stigma. Many people are clamoring for jobs but there are very few on

According to you, what are the differences in requirement of an immediate CSE graduate from a university in Bangladesh with those required at an entry level (or higher) well-paying IT job?

Experience - the industry is moving so fast that it needs a 25 years old with 30 years’ worth of experience. Then how can a fresh graduate compete against someone with years of experience in the IT sector? One way to overcome this is to create your own opportunity. Try to work on all your small ideas and create an enriched portfolio. The dropouts are doing well but they have limitations as well. Very few are lucky enough to go up the ladder.

Most of them are stagnant and can’t make it to the managerial positions for not having proper qualifications. However, a degree will only get you a foot through the door. To thrive in the industry you need to have the hunger to learn more since what is being taught in the institutions are not enough to compete in the industry. In the IT industry you grow with the job or get left behind.

Fresh graduates are not used to working under pressure.

They are not deadline-oriented which makes it very difficult for them to give efficient output.

The international market places still lacks around three million developers which means there is enough room for anyone who

is still thinking of starting. The online outsourcing marketplace is the biggest opportunity for all those who are interested in working in this industry.

Although it’s not that easy to get work from the market place, it’s not impossible either. A proper mindset is really important and you need to push yourself beyond limits to debug problems which might be new.

What are the universities missing?

What can the government/ institutions do?

The pathways of our educational institutions are fragmented and those of the industry are segmented. The gap between this fragmentation and segmentation is what the institutions are lacking.

The demanding technologies are changing rapidly where as our institutional curriculum is static. The curriculum needs to be updated with time to keep up with the fast moving tech world.

For example, the most demanding and highly paid projects in the industry at this moment are on mobile platform but our institutions are not taking any measures to keep our skills belt updated. Bangladesh is a country with selective education. Simply put, a willingness to learn is not enough; you must have the ability to pay for it as well.

The IT industry is a service industry and the rates are determined by the work hours and quality. The institutions are unable to provide professional knowledge of the practical field. The government is extending all sorts of aids to develop more quality developers by organising training programs. Our PM’s IT advisor and IT Minister are working very closely to develop this emerging sector.

What kinds of opportunities are available in Bangladesh for the IT sector according to you?

Bangladesh is a perfect platform for foreign direct investment. If we can ensure quality, I believe we can be the largest IT solution provider in the world. A proper mindset is really important and you need to push yourself beyond limits to debug problems which might be new.l

Article printed under special arrangement with www. developers-haat.com

17

DT

Internships

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

A guide to a successful gap year n Muzakkir Hossain The problem with life these days is that it is extremely fast paced.

Even from the tender age of 14, students in competitive societies like Bangladesh are subjected to the grind: days full of school, extra tutoring and outer-curricular activities. People work week in and week out, day after day, until they get to the top of their corporate ladder. Everybody has a limit, mentally and physically.

As we have seen with our parents, and their parents, people would hit this limit at around retirement age. Now I don’t know for sure if people have just gotten weaker or life has gotten more competitive, but folks seem to be hitting that limit far sooner than before. This leads to students dropping out of university courses, quitting jobs all to get a whiff of freedom before the hunger for money calls. To avoid burning out, millennials started taking gap years and now, at least in western countries, it is a common term among recent graduates.

What is a gap year?

A gap year is simply a year taken out of your “planned” academic path before you jump into another major segment of your life. There is no hard and fast rule as to what work you should do in your gap year and that precisely is the magic of it. A gap year should ideally allow you to explore your own strengths, weaknesses and passions which might not have been possible inside a classroom. When it comes to gap year opportunities, the sky’s the limit. You can use this year to intern at an organisation, volunteer for an NGO, and if your budget allows it, travel.

What to do in a gap year?

A simple rule is to change things about a bit. So don’t go back to your daily summer schedule of lazing around. While a gap year is important to “turn off ” and take a breather from your day to day grind, it is imperative to stay in the game. A good rule of thumb when considering what to do is to evaluate if it will give you the opportunity to gain new skills and experiences, which you can

add to your CV. However, this is a gap year, so there is really no convention to hold on to here. Do not be afraid to take risks because you will never get the opportunity to learn from failure without implications on your academic or professional future. If you had a business idea you wanted to pursue, go ahead an do that before the responsibilities of life hit you.

Planning your gap year As with most areas of life, success will come with planning. If you just finished an undergraduate degree, a gap year will give you the perfect opportunity to explore different areas of your field before deciding on a graduate degree. If you are considering pushing your academic or professional career back a year, make a plan of what you want to do for every month.

This will prevent you from ending up on the couch after your friends

leave you after summer.

Should you take a gap year?

I have seen a lot of students make an amazing experience out of their gap year, but I have also seen a fair share of students who end up wasting a year out of their lives.

Remember, a gap year won’t be as fun as summer with your friends.

Most of your friends will have moved on and a gap year will mean you are a year behind your peers. A common point among parents and educators alike is that a gap year can have a damaging effect on the study skills that you have spent more than a decade building.

However a gap year is recommended by a lot of universities, Harvard being one of them. It prevents students from burning out throughout the course. Moreover, gap year students are known to bring fresh, new ideas to the classroom. l

DT

18

Feature

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Your ideal shopping destinations this Ramadan

n Nashshaba Nawaz Eid is one of the few occasions that allow us to dress extravagantly in traditional attire, often preceded by people shopping excessively.

Shops and streets are lighted abuzz as heaps of people pour into every possible store in search of that “perfect” outfit, be it for themselves or for their loved ones.

Shopping can seem like a chore when you have been doing it for hours without any food or water, especially when you have toddlers or moody adolescents whining and inquiring repetitively about the time they’ll be leaving for home.

Shopping smartly is not an option but a necessity in this day and age. Standing still in one place has become difficult due to constant shoving and pushing of others. So don’t waste time in one place only to return home disappointed and empty-handed.

Be it clothes, accessories, shoes, bed-sheets, kitchen utensils or decoration pieces, the following guide will give you a run down of places you should shop at

depending on what you’re inclined towards as a person. Your mother maybe an energetic shopaholic but you may be a couch potato repelled by the idea of stepping out into the scorching heat of the sun. Don’t hesitate to resort to the option that interests you due to peer pressure, or to be more exact, your mother’s persistent nagging.

If you’re not interested in the enervating task of running from one place to another to get all the elements needed to pull together your look, but prefer the satisfaction accompanied with shopping in person, then large shopping malls will act as one-stop platforms. The intense heat and never-ending traffic can take a toll on the best of shopaholics. Such malls are home to a sundry of shops showcasing an assortment of clothes, accessories, homeware items and a miscellaneous collection of objects. You can buy your desired stiletto heels, fake Gucci handbags, embroidered kurtas, all under the same roof.

Examples of such malls are as follows:

• Jamuna Future Park (Bashundhara) • Gulshan Pink City (Gulshan) • Shoppers World (Gulshan) • Bashundhara City Shopping Complex (Panthapath) • Eastern Plaza Shopping Complex (Shanti Nagar) • Metro Shopping Mall (Mirpur) • Rapa Plaza (Mirpur) If you are the type of person that wants to avoid any form of physical exertion associated with shopping and dodge awkward small-talk with over-friendly sales people, then online shopping sites and Facebook pages are your ticket to relief. Instead of rummaging frantically through racks of clothes, you could simply type in the name of the item you’re looking for in the search bar.

An array of clothes of your preference will pop up on your screen within a fraction of second.

Which is more alluring? Spending an hour in a shop and spending

an extra five minutes to muck up the courage to ask the sales person the cost of the item you’re holding only to discover it is way out of your budget or sitting in your air-conditioned room wearing your pajamas with your purchase being a click away. Here are some options:

• • • • • • • •

Opal Fashion Wear PriyoShop.com BdHaat.com Shaaz Exclusives Bagdoom.com Bodhua Tahoor Ajwa Boutique

If bargaining is not one of your strong suits, then retail palaces filled with lust-worthy delights are your go to pit-stop.

Want to steal that outfit worn by the unexceptionally beautiful runway model? The high-end boutiques proffer unique pieces will leave you gazing wistfully.

But rest assured, these pieces cost an arm and leg so your wallet may look like it’s been hitting the gym often after exiting the store.

Here are some stores that leave you staring at the stunning and elaborately crafted dresses draped on mannequins through their windows: • • • • • • •

Anokhi O2 Vasavi Jatra Bangladesh Limited Zaara Joconde Stylesell l

19

DT

Biz Info

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

| clarity |

Fire at bti Premier Plaza commercial complex.

The fire fighting and evacuation system of the total complex was fully provided by the builder as per design. To elaborate, the underground water reservoir of 80,000 gallon capacity was in operation with full water and in-house deep tube well facility.

Over 200 nos of fire extinguishers and fire hydrants were also in

A fire broke out in the bti Premier Plaza at Progoti Sarani, Uttar Badda on June 29. Various opinions have been published particularly with regards to the existing building design and fire fighting system.

Today, bti would like to express their factual information in the above matter so that general public of the society and concerned persons are fully aware of the situation.

The building was designed in compliance with “building construction rule 1996” and was approved by RAJUK in 2005 accordingly. The building was

operation, and all these facilities were initially used. At a later stage, while the fire was spread over larger areas, the fire brigade had to use water from outer sources and it took several hours to bring down the flames under control.

Presently bti and its management is fully cooperating with the building owners association to bring the apartment

complex and eventually the commercial complex back into operation in order to ensure full safety in all aspects, including the building damages which resulted from fire. BUET has been assigned to make an assessment and evaluation of the structural damage and to give their recommendation.l

handed over duly following the design and with all utilities including fire fighting system in 2011.

The building has two parts one apartment complex and the other is commercial complex.

The apartment complex was handed over to its buyers wealthy commercial complex was dully used by home n décor, a sister concern of bti, having shopping spaces for numbers of renowned brands.

On the early hours of June 29, neighbors reported fire on the first floor level of a furniture shop at the North West corner of the

| CSR |

| appointment |

Everjobs rejoices Ramadan in Bangladesh

Re-appointed UAP VC

Everjobs, the fastest growing online career portal in Bangladesh, distributed T-shirts and water bottles to over a thousand people in Dhaka last Monday, June 27. The initiative, taking place in Motijheel before iftar time, is part of the company’s activities on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eidul-Fitr.

“For the month of Ramadan, we decided to combine our marketing efforts and give

something useful to the people in Dhaka,” said Gijs Verheijke, CEO of Everjobs Asia.

The career platform, that has over 3,000 job opportunities available online, has also recently organised CV workshops and motivational career speeches at several universities in the city to ensure the accessibility of the website to a wide range of professionals in the country.

Launched in Bangladesh in June 2015, their mission is to simplify the job search and hiring

process by connecting job seekers with employers in a matter of clicks. The site offers helpful tools and intuitive features, such as a CV creation tools, user-friendly site navigation, enhanced search filters and professional career advice as well as content in both English and Bengali.

Featuring some of Asia’s top employers, Everjobs brings the Bangladeshi job market to the fingertips of the job seekers. l

Professor Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury has been re-appointed as vice chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) for the next four years.

The chancellor, President Abdul Hamid, appointed Professor Choudhury on June 29. He has been serving the university as vice chancellor since May 02, 2012.

Professor Choudhury is a prominent educator and a former adviser to caretaker government of Bangladesh.

He is a renowned engineer, researcher and scientist. He has received numerous accolades for his valuable contributions and achievements in education, infrastructure development, science, ICT policy formulation and research.

Professor Choudhury graduated from the Engineering University Dhaka in 1963 and joined there as a lecturer in the department of civil engineering in the same year. He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) by Manchester University on October 20, 2010, the first person of Bangladeshi origin to receive this honour from a British University. l

DT

20 Editorial

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

TODAY

This is an emergency The way you feel about going out for dinner just won’t be the same anymore.

Again, sadly, that’s exactly what the terrorists want -- for you and me to live in fear. By attacking 20 people, they want to scare 20 million PAGE 21

What’s going on in this world of mine?

If you are someone who has been wronged, I beg you to not reach for the gun, and understand that adversity is a core element that helps us become stronger individuals PAGE 22

The beginning of the end This is the day we realise that we have failed to fight the good fight and succumbed to the forces of terror because of our apathy, our ignorance, our apologism, our silence, our inaction, our denial PAGE 23

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

The views expressed in Opinion articles are those of the authors alone. They do not purport to be the official view of Dhaka Tribune or its publisher.

COURTESY

There are no words

T

here is nothing one can write or say at a time like this, which can do more than sketch the bare outline of the devastation that has been wrought on the families of those killed in the horrific carnage of the night of July 1, a date that will live in infamy in Bangladeshi and world history.

Tragedy has struck Bangladesh in the worst possible way.

By the official count, at least 22 men and women, including two police officers, lie dead in the biggest and most appalling terrorist attack this country has ever seen, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Make no mistake: This was an attack on all of us. This was an attack on Bangladesh itself.

This was an attack on all that we hold to be good and true. This was an attack aimed coldly and calculatedly straight at the nation’s heart to inflict the maximum possible amount of terror and pain.

The sorrow and suffering of the families of those killed cannot even be imagined, and we can only stand in support and solidarity with them and mourn with them for the senseless, sickening, and shocking loss of their near and dear.

We are thankful for and proud of the commitment of our law enforcement and military personnel who put their lives on the line to free as many hostages as they could.

And we must take the time to consecrate and reaffirm our belief in this beautiful, brave, unbowed country of ours.

We may have been bloodied, but we have not been beaten, and we never will be.

The terrorists behind this killing have exposed themselves as brutal, inhuman, and unfeeling.

They have laid bare the hollowness of their souls and of their claims to act in the name of God. At a time like this, we must all stand together as one nation, shoulder to shoulder against the barbarous hordes that seek to tear down our very civilisation and destroy everything we hold dear.

Something like this can never happen again.

And we must vow, individually and as a nation, that we will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that this scourge is rooted out and banished from the face of the Earth.

This is an existential battle, and nothing less will be enough.

If it wasn’t clear to everyone before, it surely must be now.

It is us or them. And this is a battle we cannot afford to lose.

It is us or them. And this is a battle we cannot afford to lose

DT

21

Opinion

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

This is an emergency In this vat of ignorance and hate that we have created, extremism thrives

Gulshan 2 won’t be the same again

n Abak Hussain

B

angladesh is under attack, from within.

It has been so for quite some time. The attack on Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery is just the latest, but the depressing reality is that it probably won’t be the last.

Even this one wasn’t surprising for those who keep an eye on the news. Disgusting, yes. Shocking, horrifying, all that. But not really surprising. Violent extremism has been the one constant in Bangladeshi life in the past decades, and the passage of time has only increased its presence.

This latest one happens towards the end of the holy month of Ramadan, just a few days before Eid. Two senior police officers dead. Five bodies recovered from the scene. The hostage standoff is apparently over, but the overall dread is not.

The assailants shouted “Allahu Akbar,” according to witnesses.

They did not make demands the way hostage-takers normally do.

There are guns and grenades in the hands of brainwashed murderers, and these murderers are not doing these things towards any kind of rational endgame -- they have nothing to lose. They think, after the curtain falls, they’re going to heaven.

Social media erupted with fear and speculation after words of the

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

initial blasts came through. CNN questioned if Bangladesh was the new hot spot for the Islamic State, predictably gaining hate from offended Bangladeshis. Our own government will most likely be vehemently denying any such thing.

Writers and editors get harassed, injured, or thrown in jail if they’re lucky. If they’re unlucky, well, you know.

Civilians don’t have any faith in the police force, as the vast majority of our uniformed friends seem more interested in harassing

constant fear. Secular-minded people, and those who have friends of many creeds and lifestyles, live in constant fear.

Sadly, that is exactly what the terrorists want.

Whenever something bad happens, the people in office

The way you feel about going out for dinner just won’t be the same anymore. Again, sadly, that’s exactly what the terrorists want -- for you and me to live in fear. By attacking 20 people, they want to scare 20 million

And you’ll find government lackeys claiming this was all the anti-state work of domestic organisations who wish to “destabilise” the country and undermine all the good work the government has done so far. There will be vague philosophical statements about how atrocities like this can be committed during Ramadan, but very little effective action.

Our government loves to look the other way, pretending there isn’t really much that is wrong.

In the meantime, book stalls get shut down, and reading material gets confiscated (the enlightened folk cluck their tongues and say: “Oh well, something offensive must have been in those books”).

innocent citizens at the security checkpoints in the tri-state area than to catch actual criminals. By the way, how did the terrorists get through? That’s a lame question, I know. All you have to do is be in a car when attempting to enter Gulshan and you’re good. Only someone poor enough to be in a CNG is subject to checking, interrogation, and harassment around here.

But now, police officers are dead at the hand of extremists.

Will some things change because of that? Only time will tell, but if history is any indication, only the lives of law-abiding people will get harder.

Minorities and atheists live in

blame the victims or pass the buck. One of our favourite pastimes is blaming “Western media” for the world’s perception of us, childishly unwilling to own up to the fact that we created this mess on our own.

Our legislators want to close down our minds and burn our libraries. Whenever they see a lifestyle they don’t fully understand, while hypocritically claiming everyone has the right to live however they want, they add the caveat: “Oh, but that sort of thing isn’t part of our culture.”

In this vat of ignorance and hate, sympathy for IS and al-Qaeda don’t just survive, they thrive.

If only there was some measure

of how much blood has been spilt because of our inaction. To anyone who had their eyes open these past couple of decades, it has been painfully, depressingly obvious that extremism has moved centrestage; that the secular, tolerant, and free Bangladesh we imagined when differentiating ourselves from terrorist havens like Pakistan existed only in political speeches and bad poetry.

As Eid approaches, let’s take a moment to consider that we’ve reached the next level. If gunmen can storm in and take hostages in one of the swankiest restaurants in Dhaka, they can certainly do so at any restaurant you frequent.

The way you feel about going out for dinner just won’t be the same anymore. Again, sadly, that’s exactly what the terrorists want -- for you and me to live in fear. By attacking 20 people, they want to scare 20 million. They want power over us, they want to curb our freedoms.

I wish I could offer something more positive at this point -- some sort of solace, some words of assurance that everything is going to be alright. The truth is, though, the cancer of extremism has spread far and deep. Bangladesh is terminally ill.

And there’s no doctor in the house. l Abak Hussain is Op-Ed Editor, Dhaka Tribune.

22

DT

Opinion

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

What’s going on in this world of mine?

Consider this my plea for human life

What is the world coming to?

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

If you are someone who has been wronged, I beg you to not reach for the gun, and understand that adversity is a core element that helps us become stronger individuals

n Rubaiyat Kabir

“I

t remains unclear who was responsible for this atrocity,” was the very last update I remember reading in Reddit’s live-feed coverage of the brutality that was inflicted on a hapless group of diners at an upmarket restaurant in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone last night.

Trying to pin down a motive, I wracked my brain for every possibility -- from crackpot theories of a disgruntled team of 99-percenters exacting some kind of perverse symbolic revenge on the third-world bourgeoisie, to the more obvious scenario of the more egregious followers of the religion of peace continuing to not do the one thing they don’t know how to: Practice what they preach.

Like you, I too have read news reports about the gay bar shooting in Orlando from last month and

gone about my day like it was nothing. I too remember finding myself in discussions about the recent abhorrent suicidebombing of an airport in Istanbul and absent-mindedly nodding in agreement of how “hateful” and “cowardly” the perpetrators must have been to be able to do something like that.

What I really should have been doing is counting the number of bodies it would take before an atrocity of this magnitude eventually affected me personally.

I don’t know if it was divine intervention or just the attackers’ schedule for me to be thankful of, but had they launched their attack an hour or two earlier, I probably would have lost my brother and my sister-in-law today. I don’t expect you to empathise with me, lord knows I sure as hell wouldn’t have if it happened to someone else.

No, what I expect you to do

is understand something: You see, there is a certain sanctity to human life, because it never exists in a vacuum. Everybody is someone’s son or daughter, after all. Take away one life, and it invariably affects an entire treeworth of other lives.

In living our lives, we are all looking for answers to innumerable questions: “Who am I?” “Why are we here?” “Why do I starve when others enjoy a hot meal three times a day?” “Whose beliefs are right and whose are wrong?” And, appropriately enough, there is an infinite number of ways in which we can try to get our answers.

Except two.

You know the old movie cliché “violence is never the answer?”

Turns out Hollywood writers were right after all. The only answers that violence and death can get you are to questions about your own self.

And yet, it feels like that’s all I see in the headlines these days.

What is the world even coming to?

It’s been confirmed by now that the attackers were indeed Islamist hardliners -- they spared any hostages who were able to successfully cite the Qur’an -- the defining line that separates those who believe from those who don’t.

But does knowing that really

change anything? At least 20 people lost their lives and countless others were gravely injured. Will information about the attackers’ motives do anything to bring those lost souls back to their families or justify the lifetime of trauma imparted on the ones lucky enough to survive?

Consider this my plea for human life then: If you find yourself questioning your own existence, please drop the knife, get off of your preferred social network, and try to realise that we don’t live our lives through others but for them.

If you are someone who has been wronged, I beg you to not reach for the gun, and understand that adversity is a core element that helps us become stronger individuals.

And if you feel like your faith, your very belief, has been questioned by someone else, well, I just hope you realise that swords and machetes are incredibly inefficient killing tools in the modern world, and that beliefs are always temporary, the questioning of which is what eventually helps us get the answers we seek.

My condolences to anyone affected by yesterday’s attack. l Rubaiyat Kabir is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune.

DT

23

Opinion

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

The beginning of the end We will look back and see this night as the point where we began to fade

When it all changed

n SN Rasul

I

honestly don’t care how bad you feel, sitting across a 42-inch Bravia flat screen TV, turned to a news channel, and cursing at the state the country suddenly finds itself in. “What is happening to this country?” you ask to those around you, your friends, your family, your neighbours.

Some intellectual uncle comments on the police and RAB’s incompetence; a self-claiming aficionado of Bangladehshi politics comes up with some pseudoanalysis about how this country is going to hell; a servant, sitting on the floor, quips in her broken Bengali tinted with the local dialect of some long-forgotten district; a father, weary from a long day of fasting, wonders how the youth, who barely listen to a lifetime of their family’s teachings, can be brainwashed by a single destructive idea; a mother gently shakes her head, agreeing with her husband; a teenager looks down at his phone, shares a status on social media, vacuously warning everyone to be safe; an aunt calls to ask: “Were any of you guys in Gulshan today?”

I honestly don’t care if you blame Western influences for the growing East-West dissonance that is prevalent in the world

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

today. I don’t care if you believe that America’s foreign policy regarding the Middle East -- be it Israel-Palestine, the War on Terror, digging for oil, selling arms -- was responsible for the insurgence of religious groups leading to theocratic governments.

I do not care if you think Western media was responsible for creating the dichotomy that bred the hate between people with different religions and skin tones.

I don’t care if you look at these incidents on the screen and curse them for giving Islam a bad name, and interject with the oft-misleading “these aren’t proper Muslims.”

I don’t care about the misrepresentation of minorities nor the anglicisation of your children’s names, the Westernisation of their behaviour, the sexually charged environment of the upper middle class, the leftleaning next generation who have no respect for their heritage and tradition.

I don’t care if your heart bleeds with sympathy for the victims and the eventual victims, and imagines the blood that needs to be scrubbed off of the floor of Holey Artisan Bakery. I don’t care how you pray tonight so that everything is alright in the end. I don’t care if “Allah’r rohom” is all you can offer at the end of a longwinding conversation discussing

number of people dead, but the number of people who could’ve; not the number of people inside, but how many of us could’ve been one of those people.

What matters is that out of the 20 or so hostages which were held, one of them was a relative I wasn’t close to, but knew. He had studied medicine abroad, played the guitar, was a straight A student, and other such qualities we tend to list off in such situations. But that doesn’t matter.

What matters is that their lives were deemed worthy based on whether they could or couldn’t recite verses from the Qur’an.

What matters is that, by the time this article is published, we’ll be in a different time. But we will also be in a different country. The number of victims may have gone up, the number of officers dead, too. Whether ISIS or al-Qaeda was or wasn’t behind the attack may or may not have been established.

That, too, doesn’t matter.

What matters is that, years from now, when our country lays waste to whatever illusion of tolerance it once boasted, we will look back and see this night as the point

This is the day we realise that we have failed to fight the good fight and succumbed to the forces of terror because of our apathy, our ignorance, our apologism, our silence, our inaction, our denial

the causes and effects of such a situation.

I don’t care if you look at the pictures released on Twitter, with the blood all over the floor, the tables betraying a quiet dinner, and feel disgusted and hopeless.

I don’t care if you think this is the culmination of the free reign of free speech.

I don’t care if you’re offended.

And I don’t care if you think I’m Muslim, Hindu, Christian, atheist, agnostic, Jewish, a liberal, libertarian, conservative, a left-leaning, self-hating, Englishtoting Bangladeshi, a pariah amongst your largely coalescing viewpoints, sent here to wreak havoc and controversy for havoc and controversy’s sake.

All that matters is that six (as of latest reports) gunmen walked into a restaurant, yelled a god’s name, and opened fire right in my city’s backyard. It matters little that the 20 hostages were mostly

foreigners, not Bangladeshis.

It matters little that this was in an overpriced breakfast place almost exclusively for privileged expats, where I personally have never been (though many I know have, or went there recently, have celebrated their birthdays and anniversaries there, or were going there in the near future).

It matters that this is an unprecedented incident of violence, unlike anything we’ve seen in our country’s history. Every time you’ve heard something like this, it was always foreign, somewhere in one of those backwater Asian or Middle Eastern countries like Pakistan or Syria with pigheaded autocratic rulers and a propensity for extremist violence.

It was always somewhere else.

What matters is that the country you once thought was bad, but not terrorist haven bad, has become just that. What matters is not the

where we began to fade.

This is the day we realise that we have failed to fight the good fight and succumbed to the forces of terror because of our apathy, our ignorance, our apologism, our silence, our inaction, our denial.

What matters is that this isn’t a problem anymore. This is the state of the nation we live in.

We will look back and mourn not just the 20 people who are dead, but our collective national identity. We will fast today and wonder why we were forsaken today by the respective entities we pray to. We will look in shock and wonder as the police hand in their report and be unable to connect the image we had, and what’s happening.

And we will hold our head in our hands and ask ourselves: Is this really how it all ends? l SN Rasul is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him @snrasul.

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TOP STORIES

Robson-Kanu nets Wales history goal Currently without a club, Wales’ striker Hal Robson-Kanu placed himself squarely in the shop window with a goal of shimmering audacity in his side’s Euro 2016 quarter-final victory over powerhouse Belgium. PAGE 25

Bolt in race to be fit for Rio after injury Jamaican star Usain Bolt is facing a race to be fit in his bid for an unprecedented third treble Olympic gold with the Rio Games just five weeks away. Bolt withdrew from the 100m final of the Jamaican Olympic Trials on Friday. PAGE 26

France’s players exercise during a training session in Clairefontaine, outside Paris, France on Wednesday

Djokovic crashes out of Wimbledon Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia was sent crashing out of the Wimbledon Championships by big-serving Sam Querrey yesterday, shattering his hopes of securing the first calendar Grand Slam in 47 years. PAGE 27

United confirm Giggs departure Ryan Giggs is leaving Manchester United after 29 years at Old Trafford, the Premier League club said yesterday. The 42-yearWelshman played 963 games for United, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in a glittering career. PAGE 28

AP

France need swift start to escape Iceland eruption QUARTERFINALS n Reuters, Paris France must take the game to Iceland right from the start of their European Championship quarter-final today or their dream of glory on home soil might end up buried in volcanic ash.

The hosts, who have often had to rely on late rallies, with all of their six goals so far scored in the second half, must wake up early for a change to avoid becoming the next casualties of a tiny country with a heart the size of a continent.

The smallest nation ever to appear at a major soccer event, Iceland reached the last eight with a shock 2-1 win over England and are now dreaming fo a fairytale ending to their run, not unlike that of English club Leicester City, who stunned the soccer world by

claiming the Premier League title last season.

Iceland, a nation of 330,000 people known for its volcanoes, could also take inspiration from Denmark and Greece, who relied on a similar, defensive approach when they came out of nowhere to become European champions, in 1992 and 2004 respectively.

Courtesy of England, who looked clueless after finding themselves trailing Iceland 2-1 less than 20 minutes into their game, France know exactly what they must not do.

As physical and tight at the back as they may be, Iceland should not be discarded a just another bunch of rough minnows with limited skills, warned France defender Patrice Evra.

France coach Didier Deschamps, who has kept tinkering

with his team since the start of the tournament, will be forced to rejig once again with centre back Adil Rami and holding midfielder N’Golo Kante suspended.

New Barcelona signing Samuel Umtiti should step in for Rami, who will not be sorely missed after looking shaky a times, with the experienced Yohan Cabaye taking over Kante’s crucial role in front of the defence.

Iceland are likely to stick to their resolute 4-4-2 system with now familiar player such as bearded, tattooed midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who carries off the rugged Viking look to perfection and plays his club football in the second tier of the English league with Cardiff City.

In goal will stand Hannes Halldorsson, who became a full-time professional only in 2014. l

V FRANCE

ICELAND

Stade De France, Paris 8pm local time (1am BST) * Bangladesh standard time

HEAD-TO-HEAD FRANCE

17 11 8 0 3 30 8

ICELAND Fifa ranking Matches Wins Losses Draws Goals scored Goals against

34 11 0 8 3 8 30

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Giggs savours ‘greatest night’ n AFP, London

Wales’ forward Hal Robson-Kanu scores a goal during their Euro 2016 quarter-final against Belgium in Lille on Friday

Job-hunting Robson-Kanu nets Wales history goal n AFP, Lille Currently without a club, Wales striker Hal Robson-Kanu placed himself squarely in the shop window with a goal of shimmering audacity in his side’s Euro 2016 quarter-final victory over Belgium.

With the score 1-1 early in the second half in Lille on Friday, the 27-year-old gathered a cross from Aaron Ramsey and took three defenders out of the game with an exquisite Cruyff turn before confidently placing a shot past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

It inspired Wales to a 3-1 win that sent them into their first major semi-final, where they will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, and left onlookers hailing one of the

greatest goals in Welsh football history.

“Hal Robson-Kanu sent Thomas Meunier for a cup of tea and a piece of toast with that turn there!” said former Wales striker John Hartson on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“If I was a chairman of a Premier League club I would be making Hal Robson-Kanu my next signing.

What a goal.”

Having been released by second-tier Reading when his contract expired on Thursday, Robson-Kanu’s 55th-minute strike at a drizzly Stade Pierre-Mauroy completed a remarkable 24 hours.

He went into the tournament having scored only two goals for Wales, but has doubled his tally in France with two crucial strikes.

Dogged by an ankle injury in the build-up to the competition, he started Wales’s first game against Slovakia on the bench, but came on to scuff home a 79th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory.

RESULT Wales Williams 31, Robson-Kanu 55, Vokes 86

3-1

Belgium Nainggolan 13

He was rested entirely for the 3-0 group-phase win over Russia and was a second-half substitute in the 1-0 last 16 defeat of Northern Ireland.

But he performed valiantly on his return to the starting XI against Belgium, going toe-to-toe with

AFP

the defenders right across the Belgian back four and creating space for Gareth Bale and Ramsey to attack.

“Hal, once he’s in that mood where he was up for everything and anything, he’s a defender’s nightmare,” said Wales manager Chris Coleman.

“We’re delighted he got his goal.

He got an injury in Portugal in the first week (of pre-tournament training) and that kept him out for a week or 10 days, so he nearly didn’t make the tournament.

“He worked his socks off to get himself in a physical condition where he could compete. I thought he was awesome in his work rate tonight and I think he deserved the goal.” l

Ryan Giggs said Friday represented the “greatest night in Welsh football history,” after Wales beat Belgium to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Victory in Lille saw Wales into the last four of a major tournament for the first time in their history.

It was a result made all the more impressive by the fact that this was Wales’s first appearance in a leading global event since they were beaten by eventual champions Brazil in the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Manchester United great Giggs, a former Wales captain, was in no doubt of the signficance of his country’s 3-1 win over Belgium, which set up a semi-final against Portugal.

“I’m so proud,” said the 42-yearold in his role as a pundit for British broadcaster ITV. “It’s quite simply the greatest night in Welsh football history, the best result in Welsh football history but more impressively, it was the best performance.

“To make a team ranked second in the world look so ordinary and in the end win comfortably is very impressive.

“They (Wales) were the better team in every area - defensively, offensively, they won every challenge, and they looked comfortable.

“Of course Belgium had their moments, but so did Wales. And three fantastic goals,” he added of well-taken efforts by skipper Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes, all of which came after Radja Nainggolan gave Belgium a 13th-minute lead.

Giggs, capped 64 times by Wales, is the most decorated player in United’s illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to former managers David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.

However, there were reports in the British media on Friday that he was about to quit United and so end an association with the Old Trafford club stretching back 29 years after being offered a reduced backroom role by incoming manager Jose Mourinho.l

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FIVE REASONS BELGIUM FAILED WALES SHOW THEY ARE MORE THAN BALE

Belgium achieved their pre-match aim of keeping Real Madrid star Gareth Bale quiet, yet Chris Coleman’s men showed they are far from a one-man team with a rousing response from going behind to Radja Nainggolan’s early thunderbolt.

Captain Ashley Williams had been a major doubt due to a shoulder injury picked up in the 1-0 last 16 win over Northern Ireland. However, his determination to play through the pain barrier proved vital when he stooped to head home Aaron Ramsey’s corner.

Bale would have been proud of Hal Robson-Kanu’s sensational Cruyff turn and finish past Thibaut Courtois to put Wales 2-1 up. And just six minutes after replacing Robson-Kanu, Sam Vokes powered home Chris Gunter’s cross to ensure a historic place in the last four.

BELGIUM LACK KILLER TOUCH

Belgium’s players walk out of the field following their Euro 2016 quarter-final defeat to Wales in Lille on Friday

Italy to wear black armbands for Dhaka n Agencies Italy were set to wear black armbands in yesterday night’s Euro 2016 quarter-final with Germany in honour of those killed in Dhaka.

A terrorist attack at a restaurant in the capital of Bangladesh saw at least 20 killed last Friday night.

Most of the victims are believed to be Italian or Japanese nationals.

Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi confirmed that Italians were among the dead. Italian news agency Ansa said up to 10 Italians may be unaccounted for. The Italian press said many of those dining at the cafe worked in the garment industry.

Uefa had given Italy permission to wear black armbands. It kicked off in Bordeaux yesterday night at 1am (Bangladesh standard time).l

REUTERS

Despite having arguably the most talented array of attacking talent on show in France, Belgium were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal as their dominance at the start of both halves went largely unrewarded.

Premier League stars Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard were wayward, whilst Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini somehow missed the target with a header from point-blank range 16 minutes from time with the score at 2-1.

RAMSEY WILL BE BADLY MISSED

The one negative of a historic night for Wales was Ramsey’s second yellow card of the competition that will rule him out of the semi-final.

Ramsey’s importance can’t be overstated on the night. He set up Wales’ first two goals, adding to the goalscoring threat that saw him notch the opener in Wales’ 3-0 thrashing of Russia in the group stage.

WILMOTS OUTCOACHED AGAIN

Belgium coached Marc Wilmots was lambasted by the press at home after the Red Devils’ opening 2-0 Group E defeat to Italy and can expect more of the same after blowing a huge chance to deliver Belgium’s first ever major international trophy.

HAZARD FAILED TO SHINE ON LILLE HOMECOMING

Belgium captain Eden Hazard had threatened to take Euro 2016 by storm after his man-of-the-match display as Belgium blew away Hungary 4-0 in the last 16. Hazard was also returning to the city where he made his name before Chelsea paid £32 million (38 million euros, $42.5 million) for the two-time Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2012.

Yet, in keeping with his underperforming side, Hazard failed to shine under the thunderous rain. l

Bolt in race to be fit for Rio after trials injury n AFP, Kingston Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt is facing a race against time to be fit in his bid for an unprecedented third treble Olympic gold with the Rio Games just five weeks away.

Bolt withdrew from the 100m final of the Jamaican Olympic Trials on Friday with what the reigning Olympic champion described as a mildly torn left hamstring.

The prospect of the 29-year-old 100 and 200m world record holder, seeking his third consecutive Olympic titles in the 100, 200 and 4x100m relay, missing the Games will rightly give organisers and fans palpitations.

Bolt enjoys near-mythical status in athletics, his track performances making the six-time Olympic gold medallist one of global sport’s most recognisable faces, a surefire crowd draw.

He also represents the image of “clean” athletics at a time when the sport is being dragged through the mud over state-sponsored Russian doping linked to widespread corruption within world governing body the Iaaf.

All parties interested in the

Olympics will be hoping all is done to ensure the presence of one of the world’s highest paid athletes in Rio. Unlike the United States, where only the top three finishers in any event are selected, Jamaica employs a more flexible rule whereby athletes can still be chosen if they meet certain criteria.

To fall into that category, the athlete must be top ranking, produce a medical exemption and be able to prove fitness before the Games.

“Athletes who are ranked/listed in the top three in the world for their event who are ill or injured at the time of the National Championships and are granted an exemption from competing at the Championships may still be considered for selection provided that they are able to prove their world ranking form prior to the final submission of the entries for the competition,” state the Jamaican athletics federation’s rules.

Bolt clocked 9.88 seconds over 100m at a meeting in Kingston on June 11, the second-fastest time in the world this year.

But it is less than clear in the

200m, Bolt not having raced his self-professed favoured event this season, so not figuring in the top three in the world. The Jamaican likely must now prove his fitness over 200m at the Diamond League meet July 22 in London to have a hope of running the event in Rio. l

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Stunned Djokovic crashes out of Wimbledon n AFP, London Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic was sent crashing out of Wimbledon by big-serving Sam Querrey yesterday, shattering his hopes of securing the first calendar Grand Slam in 47 years.

The world number one, bid-

Amla, Bravo in world record T20 stand n AFP, Port of Spain South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Dwayne Bravo of the West Indies set a new world record for a fifth-wicket stand in Twenty 20 cricket of 150 in the Caribbean Premier League on Friday.

The pair put on their match-winning partnership in 92 balls for the Trinbago Knight Riders against the Barbados Tridents at Queen’s Park Oval. Amla went on to score 81 from 54 balls having brought up his half century

from 42 balls.

Bravo made an undefeated 66 with both men hitting four sixes.

They took their side from what looked like certain defeat to victory in 15.2 overs.

Trinidad made 170-5 off their 20 overs before restricting Barbados to 159-8 for an 11-run win.

The previous record for a fifth-wicket partnership in T20 cricket was 149 set by Yogesh Takawale and Sairaj Bahutule in the Indian Premier League in 2007. l

Hashim Amla hits out on his way to 81 during the CPL game between Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Tridents on Friday INTERNET

DAY’S WATCH FORMULA ONE STAR SPORTS 4 6:00PM F1: Main Race Red Bull Ring Spielberg Austria

FOOTBALL SONY ESPN

1:00AM Euro 2016: QF 4 France v Iceland

SONY SIX Caribbean Premier League T20 7:00AM Trinbago v Guyana 3:30AM (Monday) St Kitts & Nevis v St Lucia

ding for a fourth Wimbledon title and 13th major, suffered his earliest loss at a Slam since the 2009 French Open.

The 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) defeat, played out after an overnight suspension and two further lengthy rain interruptions, also ended Djokovic’s Open era record

run of 30 successive wins at the majors and his streak of having reached 28 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals.

American 28th seed Querrey, the world number 41, goes on to face 34-year-old Frenchman Nicolas Mahut for a place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Simona Halep strung together three successive victories at the All England Club for only the second time in her career as she eased into the Wimbledon Championship fourth round with a 6-4 6-3 win over Dutch dangerwoman Kiki Bertens yesterday.l

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All’s good in the Mariner camp n Tribune Report Located in Arambagh in the capital’s Motijheel area, Mariner Young’s Club are just beside the Bangladesh Football Federation House but they don’t have any football team. They have four sports in their roster – hockey, handball, table tennis and cricket.

Mariner women’s handball team became champions in the first division last year while the cricket team emerged as the champions twice in the second division - in 2005 and 2008. They had a renowned basketball team in the early 1990s when they boasted a number of national players at their disposal.

When everything’s said and done, the club’s main strength is their hockey team who were rewarded for their hard work in the last few years when they clinched the Premier Division National Hockey League title for the very first time in history. They did it in style, winning 13 consecutive matches, and finished top with a five-point lead over joint champions Abahani Limited and Usha Krira Chakra.

After being formed in 1972, Mariner’s maiden success came in 1988 through their hockey team when they won the second division title.

Since then, 28 years have elapsed without any major success till last Friday.

Mariner Young’s Club players celebrate after winning the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League title last Friday at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK Their credentials were visible from the beginning of the season when Mariner decided to form a stronger squad than the previous seasons and appointed former Bangladesh head coach Peter Gerhard to guide the team. Gerhard later admitted that their main at-

tention was the league title as they failed to reach the final of the Club Cup Hockey.

“There has been a new excitement in the club following the hockey team’s success. We will try our best to continue this successful run in hockey,” said club general

secretary Hasan Ullah Khan Rana yesterday.

“We are planning to form a new club for the second division hockey in order to make a pipeline for the future national stars. We want to take Mariner hockey team further forward,” he said.l

Gopalganj venue included in topflight football n Tribune Report Bangladesh Football Federation has decided to include one more venue – Gopalganj’s Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium - for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League, scheduled to begin on July 24.

The country’s football governing body earlier decided to hold the premier league matches in six different venues – Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Dhaka – around the country, which will be the first of its kind.

Officials of the National Sports Council and the BFF visited the Gopalganj venue last Wednesday and the inclusion of the latest venue was finalised yesterday afternoon in a meeting of the professional football league committee.

Twelve teams will be taking part in this season’s top flight where a total of 22 round matches, split into two legs, will be played. According to the new decision, the clubs will first travel to Chittagong to play the opening round of the first leg before moving to Sylhet, Barisal, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Gopalganj and Dhaka for the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds respectively. l

ECB concerned, monitoring Dhaka closely n Minhaz Uddin Khan Last Friday night’s terrorist attack in Dhaka, which left 20 people dead, have made the England and Wales Cricket Board concerned.

The ECB through a statement in the media yesterday said it will follow the government advice before the cricket team’s scheduled tour to Bangladesh this September. England are scheduled to reach Dhaka on September 30 for two Tests and three one-day internationals against the Tigers.

According to the ECB, it will “work closely” with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its own security experts over the coming months and make a decision over whether the tour will go ahead.

Chairman of the media and communications committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Jalal Younus said he understands the ECB’s concern and hopes the series will go ahead as per the schedule.

“We are also shocked and saddened with the incident and totally understand ECB’s concern. But

there is still around two months left before the series takes place. I hope the situation will be better in the coming days and the tour will happen as per the schedule. The BCB will also closely monitor the situation,” said Jalal to Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Last Friday night, gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Gulshan before security forces took charge and brought an end to the terrorist attack.

“The safety and security of our players and management is al-

ways of paramount importance to ECB and this applies to all teams representing England on overseas tours,” said an ECB spokesman to the media yesterday.

“We will continue to monitor and assess the situation in Bangladesh over the coming weeks and months and will undertake a thoroughgoing and robust pre-tour inspection of planned security arrangements for the England team.

“We will also continue to work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and should our

Manchester United confirm Giggs departure n Reuters, London Ryan Giggs is leaving Manchester United after 29 years at Old Trafford, the Premier League club said yesterday.

The 42-year-Welshman played 963 games for United, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in a glittering career before hanging up his boots in 2014. He worked in coaching roles with managers David Moyes and Louis van Gaal after Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 but decided

not to seek a role alongside Jose Mourinho who took over the top job in May. “After 29 seasons at Manchester United as a player and assistant manager, I know winning is in the DNA of this club - giving youth a chance, and playing attacking and exciting football,” Giggs said in a club statement.

“It’s healthy to have high expectations, it’s right to expect to win. Manchester United expects, deserves, nothing less,” he added.

“This is why it is a huge decision

for me to step away from the club that has been my life since the age of 14. It has not been a decision that I have made lightly.

“However, the time feels right and although I have no immediate plans to step into management, it is where I want to be. My final thank you is to the fans. I cannot begin to tell you how much I will miss walking out at Old Trafford in front of you. It’s extremely difficult to say goodbye after 29 years. I have loved every minute both as a player and assistant manager.”l

Director of Security, Reg Dickason, or the FCO, advise that the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps,” the spokesman added.

Security concerns in Bangladesh had made Cricket Australia postpone a scheduled tour of the country based on government security advice.

And earlier this year, they had pulled out of the Under-19 World Cup that was hosted by Bangladesh. l

Mkhitaryan joins Red Devils n Reuters Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund, the German club said yesterday.

The 27-year-old midfielder became the Premier League team’s third high-profile signing since the appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager in May. He followed defender Eric Bailly and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic into Old Trafford.l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Require (4) 6 Vigour (3) 7 Conceal (4) 9 Reduce to carbon (4) 10 Airman (5) 11 Interior decoration (5) 12 Top card (3) 14 Postpone (5) 17 Added clause (5) 20 Metal-bearing rock (3) 21 Country bumpkin (5) 23 Noisy situation (5) 25 Timber-dressing tool (4) 26 Part of the eye (4) 27 Employ (3) 28 Easy pace (4)

DOWN 1 Drink of the gods (6) 2 Dodged (6) 3 Dreadful (4) 4 No score (3) 5 Wager (3) 7 Employ (4) 8 English Channel port (5) 10 School of whales (3) 13 Drink (5) 15 Outer cover for papers (6) 16 Discard (6) 18 Facial features (4) 19 Fish eggs (3) 22 Direction (4) 23 Mingle (3) 24 Ignited (3)

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Downtime

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 20 represents T so fill T every time the figure 20 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 DE FG H I J K L MN 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

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SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

Showtime

Saifeena is pregnant

Villain turned hero n Showtime Desk Tom Felton, better known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, is moving on from the wizarding world to the DC Comics universe.

The 28-year-old has landed a role in the hit superhero series The Flash, which airs on The CW Network in the United States.

Felton will join fellow cast members in the third season of The Flash as Julian Dorn, a crime scene investigator.

Felton’s casting in the upcoming third season was announced via a tweet from the official Twitter account of the show.

Felton has previously appeared in all eight of the Harry Potter films alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. He stated in an interview back in April that he missed playing the character of Draco Malfoy and would probably always be associated with it.

He said, “I miss him greatly. I certainly enjoy the darker side of characters.”

He concluded, “Equally, I just enjoy playing someone who isn’t like me.”

Felton was a revelation in

the Harry Potter films. His performance in The Flash will definitely not disappoint fans.

Source: Sky News l

50 Cent in hot water

n Showtime Desk One of the happiest couples of all time in Bollywood has finally gone official with some big news. Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are expecting their first child together, and they are about to welcome their bundle of joy in this December. Kareena’s fans may have to accept that the leading actress will be away from the big screen for a while.

While confirming Kareena’s pregnancy earlier, Saif and Kareena said they would like to thank well wishers for their blessings and support and also the press for their discretion and patience. Saif also expressed his thanks when IndianExpress.com got in touch with him. This will be Kareena’s first child and Saif’s third. He has two children from his first marriage.

Kareena and Saif tied the knot in 2012 after a five-year relationship.

Time surely flies. While Saif talked about the pregnancy for the very first time, Kareena has been fielding the question for some time now.

Kareena’s dad, Randhir Kapoor, said he wasn’t informed by the couple and had no clue about the news. But he hopes that it’s true and also said, it is high time that they had a baby. l

n Showtime Desk Rapper 50 Cent and a member from his crew were charged for using “indecent language” during a music festival performance and were detained by the police in St Kitts and Nevis.

A statement released by the police said that, Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent and Bajar Walter were arrested and charged after the performance. 50 Cent’s

representative, Amanda Ruisi, said that the rapper had been booked to host the St Kitts Music Festival initially.

Apparently, festival organisers insisted that besides hosting the show, he should also perform, and “there were profanities used during the performance.”

50 Cent accepted the charges, paid a fine for it and returned to the United States. Under St Kitts’ Small Charges Act, it is a

misdemeanour to use profane words in public places. St Kitts was a former British colony, and is currently home to about 40,000 people.

According to the police, any offender could be sentenced to jail depending on the severity of the violation. Back in 2003, rapper DMX aka Earl Simmons, was also arrested on the island for swearing during a concert.

Source: Sky News l

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Aajob Records drops eight albums on Eid n Showtime Desk

Aajob Records, a prominent record label of the country, releases in eight musical albums of distinct taste on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Ranging from folk to rock, the albums are available in digital formats as well as audio CDs across the country.

1. Shopno Shomuddur:

3. Folk Beats:

5. Shudhu Tomar Ami:

6. Operation Angry Machine:

2. Prithibir Canvas:

4. Rockoholic:

7. Prithibir Prohor:

8. Jochhonar Ki Mane:

Leading singer Kumar Bishwajit and popular musician Joy Shahriar are here to present the audience with their first duet album. The album, exclusively available on GP Music, consists of six songs among which three were sung by Bishwajit. Mahmud Manjur, Shomeshwar Oli and Farhan Habib are the lyricists of the songs composed by Joy.

Pop queens – Kona, Puja and Naomi – are featured in the album containing six songs written by Mahmud Manjur. Joy Shahriar and Kishore have composed the music of the songs available on GP Music.

Forhad has picked six songs from the vast collection of Bangla folk songs and has given them a new form through freshly composed tunes. Parvez, Joy Shahriar, Kishore, Nishitha, Puja and Naomi are the vocals.

The album can be exclusively heard on Gaan App.

It is a mixed album featuring 12 Bangla musical bands featuring nine bands from Bangladesh and three from India. Joy Shahriar has done the overall planning in coordination with Nabid Salehin Niloy.

Two popular singers of recent times – Kazi Shubho and Ilias Hossain – have lent voices for the seven songs in this album composed

by Nasif Oni. The lyrics are written by Sarajat Shoumo, Syed Atik and Obhro Chottopaddhyay.

This is the first album of Eclipse, the second runner-up of D Rockstar. There are nine songs in the album, all exclusively can be heard on Gaan App.

An instrumental album brought in by eminent guitarist of the country Sazzad Arefeen. Sazzad made his debut with an instrumental album with this one available on Gaan app.

Talented artist Shujon’s single Jocchonar Ki Mane is composed by Riad Hasan while the lyrics are written by Pulok Onil. The album can be heard on GP Music. l

WHAT TO WATCH

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 WB 4:00pm Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Star Movies 4:30pm When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill

Mission: Impossible – Ghost protocol Zee Studio 6:50pm The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organisation’s name.

Cast: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Michael Nyqvist

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TERROR ATTACK PULLS EID SALE DOWN PAGE 12

FRANCE NEED SWIFT START TODAY PAGE 24

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SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

AAJOB RECORDS DROPS 8 ALBUMS ON EID PAGE 31

PM inaugurates two four-lane highways n BSS A new dimension has been added to the road communications with inauguration of the country’s two four-lane highways connecting two important cities Chittagong and Mymensingh with the capital city Dhaka.

Inaugurating the Dhaka-Chittagong Four Lane National Highway and Dhaka-Mymensingh Four Lane National Highway, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the roads would immensely help ensure quick, uninterrupted and safe journey of the people and transportation of goods making contribution to the country’s economic prosperity.

“Inauguration of the two major road networks ahead of holy Eid-ul-Fitr is an Eid gift of my government to the country,” she said while addressing a function on the occasion at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) yesterday.

The Prime Minister extended her thanks to the Department of Roads and Highways, Road Transport and Highways Division and Special Works Organization (west) of Bangladesh Army for construction of the highways properly.

“The costly and labour-intensive highways have added 278 kilometer new four-lane roads with our national highways network and it will accelerate the pace of our eco-

Shibir leader killed in gunfight n BSS A shibir leader was killed in a gunfight with police at north Kastsagra village in Sadar upazila in the early hours of yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Ibnul Islam Parvez, 29, son of Jahangir Hossain of Bonanipara area of the town.

OC of Sadar Police Hafizur Rahman said a team of police launched a drive there at about 3 am. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, some terrorists opened fire on them, prompting the police personnel to retaliate that triggered a gunfight.

At one stage, Parvez was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot while the others managed to flee the scene.

Two policemen were also injured in the gunfight. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina waves as she inaugurates the four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Highway and Joydebpur-Mymensingh Highway yesterday BSS nomic development,” she said adding that the four-lane roads would make the travel of homebound people easy and comfortable.

The 190.48-kilometer Dhaka-Chittagong Four-Lane National Highway has been constructed at a cost of Taka 3,816.94 crore while 87.18-kilometer Dhaka-Mymensingh Four-Lane Highway was built at a cost of Taka 1815.12 crore.

The Dhaka-Chittagong Highway is stretching from Daoudkandi Toll Plaza to Chittagong City Gate and the Mymensingh Four Lane High-

way begins from Joydevpur Chowrasta and ends at Mymensingh Medical College square.

Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Kader and Bangladesh Army Chief General Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq were present among others on the occasion.

Terming the developed communication infrastructure as one of the most important factors for country’s economic development, the Prime Minister said her government after taking office in 1996 had designed a plan for development

of the country’s road communications.

All the activities of our government are being guided with an aim to develop Bangladesh as a developed country through socio-economic development and ensuring basic needs of the people, she said adding her government had worked hard to make the country self-reliant in food in five years apart from development of necessary infrastructure.

Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League was not in power for seven

years from 2001 when most of the sectors had lost their development momentum. And, after taking office in 2009, her government is working under the guideline of an economic policy for development of the country.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is moving forward according to the plan which resulted in reaching the country’s economic growth to 7.05 percent. Country’s poverty has been declined drastically while per capita income of people has been raised.

She said Bangladesh is now a role model of development of before the world. But it’s our misfortune that we always have suffered from sudden blows whenever we tried to proceed and prosper.

Pointing out the mayhem of the militants and terrorists in a city restaurant last night, the Prime Minister urged people to forge resistance against the evil force and let the country proceed toward prosperity.

Dhaka-Chittagong Highway has 23 bridges, 242 culverts, 14 bypasses, 34 foot-over bridges, two underpass (Comilla Cantonment and Sitakunda), 61 bus bays and 15.66-kilometer concrete pavement. Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway has five bridges, one flyover (Maowna), one railway overpass (Salna), four foot-over bridges, 155 box-culverts and 3425-meter concrete pavement. l

Satkhira priest attacked by robbers or militants? n Asaduzzaman, Satkhira

Police in Satkhira yesterday said they were not certain whether the attack on a Hindu priest at a temple in the early hours of the day was made by robbers or militants.

Local police sources said the priest at Brahmarajpur Radha Gobinda Iskcon temple, Bhabasindu Bar, was attacked around an hour after a robbery at the house of Abdul Majed Muhuri in Kalerdanga village at 3am.

The robbers held the family members at gunpoint, and took away Tk1.30 lakh in cash and 10 bhoris of gold ornaments.

Bhabasindu, son of Hazarinam Bar of Bajuadanga village, was hacked by assailants at around 4am, and the attack left him critically injured.

This is why we are not sure

whether the attack was made by robbers or militants, said Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Abul Kashem Mohammad Mohiuddin.

“The two crimes appear to be linked to some extent but nothing can be said for sure until an investigation is carried out.

“We have beefed up security in the whole district and Eid holidays of government officials have been cancelled,” he said.

“Bhabasindu was first admitted to Satkhira Sadar Hospital but was later sent to Dhaka by a helicopter for better treatment,” said Mohiuddin.

Locals said Bhabasindu sleeps in a room inside the temple and some seven to eight masked assailants tied the two security guards up outside before entering the place of worship.

They knocked on the door of the priest’s room, and said they

wanted to inform him of where the money and jewellery robbed from Majed’s house had been kept.

As soon as Bhabasindu opened the door, the attackers ransacked the room and hacked him indiscriminately before fleeing the scene.

Neighbours rushed in after they heard the victim’s scream and took him to Satkhira Sadar Hospital.

Khulna range Deputy Inspector General of Police SM Moniruzzaman, Satkhira Superintendent of Police Chowdhury Manjurul Kabir and top local Awami League leaders visited the temple in the morning.

Manjurul told reporters the assailants would be captured and brought to justice.

Munsur Ahmed, president of Awami League’s Satkhira unit, said Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir could

be behind the attack.

Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officerin-charge of Satkhira Sadar police station, said 25-year-old Alamgir Hossain had been detained for questioning in connection with the attack.

“None responsible for the attack will be spared,” he added. l

SEHRI & IFTAR

Ramadan 27 28 29

July 03 04 05

Sehri – 3:44 3:44

Iftar 6:54 6:54 6:54

Source: Islamic Foundation

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