11 June, 2016

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

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Ashar 27, 1423, Shawwal 5, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 75

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

More than 100 youths missing in Bangladesh n Tribune Desk More than 100 young persons, of similar age as the terrorists who attacked Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka on July 1, have gone missing since January 2015, according to a government official.

Seeking anonymity, the official, who is working closely on the issue of terrorism, said at least half of the missing persons are from Dhaka.

Law enforcers gathered the information from the general diaries

Law enforcers have been collecting information on missing persons – especially young persons – from police stations around the country provided by police stations from around the country, as well as parents of the missing persons who contacted police since the attack, the official told the Dhaka Tribune on Saturday.

Three of the terrorists who led the carnage in Gulshan came from affluent families in Dhaka and went missing four to six months before the attack, sources said.

The government official said the missing persons from Dhaka come from similar family background as the terrorists and went missing within a specific period of time –

mainly since January last year.

Since the Gulshan attack, the government urged people to come forward and inform law enforcement agencies if someone in their families are missing too.

Many families came forward and informed police about their missing family members. One such missing person turned out to be Abir Hossain, the attacker who was killed during a gunfight between police and terrorists near Sholakia Eid ground in Kishoreganj on Thursday.

His father, Sirajul Islam, filed a general diary with Bhatara police station in Dhaka only a day before Sholakia attack, stating Abir had been missing for nearly eight months. He was a student of business administration at North South University, according to sources.

Law enforcers are now considering bringing the private universities under surveillance since several terrorists have been found to be private university students.

Some media outlets have published names of 10 young men who are missing, saying their families want the government to find them.

Law enforcers have been collecting information on missing persons – especially young persons – from police stations around the country.

A video reportedly released on the internet by the so-called Islamic State on Wednesday shows three Bangladeshi men hailing the Gulshan attack. One of the trio was identified by his friends who claimed he went missing around three years ago. l

Protesters throw stones amid tear gas smoke fired by Indian police during a protest against the killing of Burhan Wani, a separatist militant leader, in Srinagar yesterday REUTERS

18 killed as police, protesters clash in Indian Kashmir n Tribune Desk Protesters and government forces in Indian Kashmir clashed for a second day Sunday as anger over the death of an influential rebel leader boiled over, with 18 people killed in some of the worst civilian unrest to hit the region since 2010.

Another 200 people have been wounded in the violence, reports AFP. Many of them protesters who were hit when government forces fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition on Saturday.

Among the 18 dead was a police man who drowned when angry protesters pushed an armoured vehicle into a river in the southern district of Sangam on Sunday, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Witnesses to carnage now gone missing n Tribune Desk

Tahmid Hasib Khan

Even though police have claimed that witnesses Tahmid Hasib Khan and Hasnat R Karim were released on the night of July 6, their families have told the Dhaka Tribune that neither had returned home.

The obvious question is: Where are they now?

Both were rescued in operation

Thunderbolt and were taken in as witnesses along with 25 other people on July 2. They had just endured an 11-hour hostage situation that left 20 hostages and two policemen dead.

Both Hasnat and Tahmid were described as survivors, along with 30 others rescued from the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, in the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Thousands of residents of the disputed region are defying a government-imposed curfew to take to the streets in protest at the killing on Friday of rebel leader Burhan Wani.

The state government, which has also cut off internet and mobile phone networks to try to stop the protests spreading, called for calm on Sunday.

"They (protesters) should not take their protests to a level where a man holding a gun is forced to open fire," said spokesman Nayeem Akhtar.

There were also reports of security forces attacking hospitals and ambulances treating the wounded.

"Attacking hospitals and ambulances is a crime under the international humanitarian law and Indian

armed forces have been repeatedly accused of this crime in Kashmir," said the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a rights group, in a statement.

Wani, a 22-year-old commander of Kashmir's largest rebel group Hizb-ul-Muzahideen (HM), was killed along with two other rebels during a brief gun battle with government forces.

Police say protesters have set police stations on fire and thrown rocks at army camps in the south of the restive region.

Uptick in violence

It is the worst civilian violence to hit the restive region since 2010, when mass protests broke out against Indian rule.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

INSIDE

Shyamal Kanti Bhakta returns to work The head teacher of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj’s Bandar upazila, Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, returned to his workplace yesterday.  PAGE 5

Blair may face contempt motion in parliament Former British prime minister Tony Blair could face a motion of contempt in the House of Commons over the 2003 invasion of Iraq.  PAGE 11

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Nasim demands action against NSU n Tribune Desk Health Minister Mohammad Nasim yesterday demanded action against North South University (NSU) after several students of the top private university were found to be involved in two deadly terrorist attacks in Bangladesh, reports state-run news agency BSS. Referring to the NSU students’ involvement in deadly terrorist attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia, the minister said: “The attacker who died after killing police personnel near Sholakia Eidgah was also a student of North South.

“What are they teaching there?

Actions must be taken against them.”

Awami League presidium member and 14-party Alliance coordinator Nasim was speaking at a meeting on Sunday at Awami League central office on Bangabandhu Avenue. l

Workers use bags of sand to create a “safe” place for security personnel in front of the office of Independent TV in Tejgaon, Dhaka yesterday, spurred by the recent terror attacks in the country MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Zakir Naik’s Peace TV banned in Bangladesh

n Shohel Mamun “Every Muslim should be a terrorist,” these are the words of controversial televangelist Zakir Naik who has allegedly inspired acts of terror. As of yesterday the Bangladesh government stopped airing Peace TV, the channel featuring Naik’s preachings.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu made the announcement at a press briefing after a cabinet committee meeting on law and order.

“The information ministry will execute the order,” said Amu, president of the cabinet committee on law and order.

Naik, formerly a doctor, rose to fame when Peace TV was initially launched in 2006. An Urdu version of the channel which was originally in English was soon released in 2009 followed by a Bangla version in 2011.

Naik regularly claims Islam is superior to other faiths in his lectures which have gained popularity

in Bangladesh. At least one of the terrorists who killed 20 hostages at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka drew inspiration from Peace TV. Though Naik denies encouraging terrorism, he has made plenty of audacious statements.

“If Osama Bin Laden is terrorising the US, I am with him,” he said in one of his speeches.

In an investigation issued by the Maharastran government last week, the central government deemed Naik’s speeches “highly objectionable.”

Peace TV, based in Dubai, was banned in India on Saturday. The channel has about a hundred million dedicated viewers but little is known about its funding.

Islamic scholars in Bangladesh believed Peace TV was misleading Muslims and have rallied to ban the channel for a year.

In a series of fatwas and edicts, an influential Indian Islamic school Darul Uloom Deoband urged Muslims not to heed Naik’s teachings. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Witnesses to carnage now gone missing case filed in connection with the attack.

All of the survivors of the Holey Bakery attack, except Tahmid and Hasnat, were released the day after their rescue.

According to sources in the police department, both of them gave separate statements about the incident. It was not made clear why they were kept for questioning for extra 72 hours.

And it is not clear where the two survivors – Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student of the University of Toronto, and Hasnat R Karim, a former teacher of the North South University – ended up after their release.

Family members of Tahmid, a Canadian resident, have been running campaign on social media to get him back.

They also tried to get Tahmid medical attention as he is an epileptic and legal representation, but failed.

A report in the Canadian newspaper National Post dated July 6 said that pleading with the police to release him from custody, his family members had stationed a lawyer outside the building of the Detective Branch of Police where he was being interrogated.

“They have been released after interrogation,” Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune last night. He, however, did not specify the exact time of their release.

Monirul Islam, additional com-

missioner of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit of police, on July 6 afternoon said that police had not detained or arrested Tahmid. “They are just being questioned as they witnessed the incident,” he said.

The two police officials’ versions suggest that Tahmid and Hasnat were released on the night of July 6, hours before the Eid Day. Both the families confirmed the Dhaka Tribune that Hasnat and Tahmid had not returned home as of 11pm yesterday, nine days after the July 1 carnage that claimed at least 22 lives.

Police earlier said they were looking into their alleged involvement in the Gulshan attack as circulated on the social media.

According to the law, any person who is arrested must be told why they are arrested and must be given access to counsel.

Moreover, the constitution grants every person who has been arrested or detained the right to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of the arrest. Detentions beyond that period are not allowed without the authority of a magistrate.

Tahmid’s father, businessman Shahriar Khan, sounded worried about his son while talking to the Dhaka Tribune on Saturday night.

“If the state needs to question him, they should, but they should let us know where he is,” he said.

Hasnat’s father Rezaul Karim told this newspaper that his son was still missing. l

18 killed in Indian Kashmir Wani joined the HM rebel group at the age of just 15, and was viewed as a hero by many in Kashmir. The state’s former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted after his death that he had become the “new icon of Kashmir’s disaffected”.

Witnesses said tens of thousands attended his funeral on Saturday despite the curfew, chanting independence slogans and firing pistol shots in his honour.

HM is one of several groups that for decades have been fighting around half a million Indian troops deployed in the region, calling for independence for Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since 1947, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting since 1989.

Violence has sharply declined in recent years following a major crackdown by the hundreds of thousands of forces deployed in the region.

But a recent uptick in militant attacks has galvanised frustrated young Kashmiris, many of whom deeply resent the military’s presence.

In recent months there have been several instances of protesters converging on the scene of gunbattles, throwing stones and hurling abuse at security forces to provide a distraction and enable trapped rebels to escape. l

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IS threat spreads panic, claims a life n Nure Alam Durjoy After the terrorist attack on a Gulshan eatery that killed 22 people on July 1, more threats of fresh attacks have been issued in the name of Islamic State culminating panic everywhere, though not all those came from verified sources.

The law enforcers have beefed up security measures in all the areas of Dhaka, especially gathering places like shopping malls, as unknown Twitter users posted about possible targets.

One of those was twitted by one Kamil Ahmed on July 4 saying that Jamuna Future Park was the next IS target, and it would be launched on July 20. The account was found deactivated after several hours.

But it already spread quickly

among thousands on Facebook triggering speculation and creating panic. Many users copied and shared the information on Facebook apparently mainly to alert the public, but soon the number of potential targets increased manifold, scaring more people.

Meanwhile, three Bangladeshis fighting for IS in Syria released a new video on July 6 threatening more attacks in Bangladesh and urging Muslims to join their jihad.

Around 2:30pm on July 4, a seven months pregnant woman sustained severe injuries during a stampede that ensued due to a sudden security check at the entrance.

She died at a hospital on July 6.

People were running frantically inside the mall as they thought there was a bomb threat while some

people lied on the floor fearing that gunmen had attacked the mall.

Denying any incident of stampede, the market authorities said they were just conducting a security check due to possible bomb threats.

Morshed Jahan Mithun, a Dhaka Tribune journalist, was a witness to the scary situation.

At that time, he said, a teenager who was running for safety hit the 35-year-old woman’s tummy accidentally. Later, Mithun helped the mother get into her car.

Driver of the car Babu told the Dhaka Tribune that she had died due to excessive bleeding while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital. She was given 19 bags of blood but to no avail.

Many people have criticised the

authorities for conducting a security check all of a sudden when several thousand shoppers were present in the market.

A top-ranking security official at the mall, seeking anonymity, said that they had increased security measures to ensure safety of the shoppers.

Niketon security tightened

Meanwhile, panic gripped the people living in Dhaka’s Niketon area and its nearby places after the law enforcers took tough security measures Saturday evening.

Checkpoints were set up at two entrances, and every person was frisked before being allowed to enter the residential area which is very close to Gulshan diplomatic zone.

Three other gates were kept shut.

Due to the measures, the number of cars, rickshaws, CNG-run auto rickshaws came down significantly.

Md Shamsul Arefin Chowdhury, president of Niketon Welfare Society, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had tightened security of the area by deploying additional forces following a request of Gulshan police.

“We do have foreigners in the locality. Even though we did not receive any threat, it is better to take precautions,” he said.

Gulshan police OC (investigation) Salauddin Ahmed on Saturday told the Dhaka Tribune that they had set up cheek posts at Niketon to protect the diplomatic zone from any further terrorist attack. l

FBI assisting Dhaka in Gulshan attack investigation n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Police frisk pedestrians in front of Gulshan Shooting Club in Dhaka yesterday, as a part of law enforcers’ strict measures to prevent terror activities following the deadly attack on a Gulshan cafe on July 1 that killed 22 people, including two police officers MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

North South University to expel students missing for a semester n Tribune Desk North South University (NSU) has decided that if any of its students is absent for one semester without giving any valid reason, their enrollment will be canceled.

Belal Ahmed, deputy director of public relations at NSU, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the university usually cancels enrollment if students are absent for two subsequent semesters without

valid reason.

“Now that it is a matter of serious concern, students who go missing for one semester will have their enrollment canceled,” he said.

This month at least two students of the university were revealed to have joined terrorist groups. They were involved in the Gulshan and the Sholakia attack.

Nibras Islam, a terrorist killed in the Holey Artisan Restaurant hostage crisis and Abir Rahman,

the attacker killed at the Sholakia Eid congregation, were both NSU students. Abir had been missing since March and Nibras since February.

“In the context of the decision made by Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid today to procure lists of students who are absent from the institution for over 10 days at a stretch, the university has also decided to take such measures,” said Ahmed. l

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assisting Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies in the investigation process of the July 1 Gulshan attack.

Washington has expertise in this subject and Bangladesh is taking help from them, said a senior government official seeking anonymity.

When asked about the issue, a spokesperson of the US embassy in Dhaka said in an email: “Please speak with Bangladeshi law enforcement about details of what sort of cooperation they have now.”

When asked about the issue, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque said the FBI was assisting Bangladesh in combating terrorism.

FBI has been maintaining an office in Dhaka for a long time, he added.

Twenty people including one Bangladeshi-American were killed in the terrorist attack of Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan 2 on the night of July 1.

The foreign secretary said he had a good meeting with US Assistant Secretary Nisha Desai Biswal yesterday, as Washington wants to provide support to Bangladesh to combat terrorism.

Nisha came to Dhaka yesterday and met with the foreign secretary and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali. She will make a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Prime Minister’s Inter-

national Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi today.

The foreign secretary said Washington has proposed to give support for capacity building and Bangladesh will consider their proposals.

Training, assisting investigation, information sharing and other related issues fall under capacity building, he said.

An official of the foreign ministry said Dhaka and Washington have been discussing cooperation issues to get technology, technical transfer, assistance in investigation process, training and other issues for the last couple of months.

Nisha and other senior US officials came to Dhaka in May and discussed the issue and eventually Bangladesh handed over an assistance proposal, he said.

The official said the US side expressed their surprise about the children of affluent society engaging in terrorist activities.

In reply the Bangladesh side said they were also looking for answers.

A press release of the US embassy said US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat, Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Manpreet Anand had met with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque yesterday to discuss Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with the United States and the security situation. l

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

No headway in Gulshan terror attack Rahman Rabbi and n Arifur Kamrul Hasan Ten days have passed since the most dreadful carnage in the country’s history claimed at least 22 lives at a Gulshan eatery in Dhaka on July 1. All but one attackers were killed in a raid the following day, but now the police say they have got no clue about the masterminds.

Investigators claimed that they had made much progress in the case, and were working to identify and arrest the masterminds based on statements of the hostages and information gleaned from suspects.

Considering the extent of the attack, the officials think it was part of planned militant attacks ranging from the Hussaini Dalan attack in October last year. They claim that the attack was carried out to kill foreigners with a view to tarnishing the image of the government and to put at risk the country’s sovereignty and public safety.

On the night of July 1, some terrorists attacked Holey Artisan Bakery and its sister concern O’ Kitchen restaurant on Road No 79 at Gulshan 2, and killed at least 17 foreigners, two Bangladeshis and

an Indian. Two police officers were shot dead by the terrorists. After midnight, international terrorist group Islamic State released five photos of the attackers.

Other people present at the cafe were kept hostages until next morning when a para commando team of Bangladesh Army conducted “Operation Thunderbolt.” According to ISPR, six attackers were killed and another detained alive. Semi automatic rifles, foreign-made pistols, machetes and handmade bombs were used in the attack.

A case was filed with Gulshan police on July 4 and the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit of the DMP handed over the charge immediately. All the 13 survivors were questioned by the law enforcers and released before the Eid-ul-Fitr.

The law enforcers have been conducting raids to arrest the other terrorist involved in the attack that shocked the world.

It was the 25th attack carried out

by IS in Bangladesh since September last year that killed at least 44 people, mostly foreigners, non-Muslims and non-Sunnis. On the other hand, an al-Qaeda affiliate has killed 11 writers, publishers and LGBT activ-

ists terming them blasphemers.

The police, however, claims that the attackers belonged to outlawed militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Police first published five photos identifying them as Akash, Bikash, Don, Badhon and Ripon. Their identities were later confirmed as Meer Samih Mubasshwer, 19, Rohan Imtiaz, 20, Nibras Islam, 20, Khairul Islam Payel, 22, Shariful Islam Ujjal alias Bikash, 26 and Saiful Islam Chowkidar, 40.

Police later admitted that hostage Saiful might have been killed mistakenly during the commando operation.

On the other hand, an assistant chef at the restaurant Zakir Hossain Shaon, 18, who was held during the hostage situation as a suspect died at a hospital under custody on Friday. Shaon’s father Abdus Sattar binned the police accusation of his son having militant ties and said that his “innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family” died due to torture.

Meanwhile, another well-placed source said they had collected all the CCTV footage of Gulshan area including the streets around the spot and interviewed the survivors.

CTTC unit’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanowar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that they had got much information about the attack, but needed time to verify those.

Case statement

Based on information, Assistant Commissioner of Gulshan zone Rafiqul Islam instructed SI Ripon Kumar Dash to go to the spot with the patrol team. Reaching there, SI Ripon found that some youths equipped with arms were leaving the cafe. They fired bullets and charged hand bombs seeing the police team. SI Farooq and two constables were injured in the gunfight.

SI Ripon informed the matter to Deputy Commissioner SM Mostaque Ahmed and other senior officials seeking assistance. Additional forces reached the spot and cordoned off the restaurant.

The law enforcers first tried to negotiate with the attackers. In the meantime, diplomatic security division police, police members from all the DMP units, SWAT team and RAB rushed to the spot.

A police team came under grenade attack when they went forward to talk to the attackers around

10:30pm. At least 33 policemen including DMP Additional Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hasan got injured. They were rushed to United Hospital. OC of Banani police Salauddin Khan died around 11:20pm and AC Rabiul Islam shortly afterwards.

Bangladesh Army’s para commandos started their operation around 7:40am and took the situation under control in 13 minutes. During the operation, the commandos rescued 13 persons including foreigner and locals. Earlier, the police rescued 19 people including two foreigners.

Seizure list

A total of 86 pieces of evidence were collected from the spot.

The law enforcers recovered five 0.9mm pistols made in India, China and Japan; three AK22 machine guns made in USA, USSR and Japan; seven AK22 magazines; six 0.9mm magazines; six rounds of live 0.9mm bullets; 28 rounds of live bullets of 7.65 bore pistols; 35 rounds of AK22 bullets; 44 rounds 0.22 bore bullets (AK22); one nine-inch-long knife, one 18-inch-long knife, one 18.5-inchlong knife and a 13-inch-long machete; nine grenade safety pins and several passports of foreigners. l

‘Shut down unauthorised restaurants in Gulshan’ n Shohel Mamun The government has taken several decisions to control militant attack and protect the people, including all foreign nationals, at their residences and workplaces in the country, said Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu. The decisions come from the cabinet committee, after the killing of 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, at an upscale restaurant in Dhaka’s secured diplomatic quarter on July 1 and a militant attack near the Sholakia Eid ground.

The cabinet committee, the highest body on law and order chaired by Amir Hossain Amu, decided to close all unauthorised restaurants, hospitals and educational institutions and proved security to permitted establishments in the capital’s Gulshan residential area.

The minister said: “The government will provide more security at the export promotion zone where a huge number of foreigners have been working. Government will provide any additional security requested by any foreigner and industrialist.”

Amu said: “Police and other law enforcement agencies will increase patrolling and surveillance. Government will take step to build the

capacity of the police by providing them with the latest arms, equipments and instruments to protect people from such a sudden militant attack.”

“Speech at Jumma prayers by Imams across the country would be monitored. The government has decided to launch a social movement to prevent militancy with the support of conscious people including educationalists and social intelligences,” he added.

He also mentioned that the government has requested private television channels to not telecast events that will infringe upon the interest of the country, such as that on July 1.

Industries Minister shared these decisions while talking to reporters after a meeting of the cabinet committee at the Home ministry yesterday.

The meeting consisted of Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, LGRD Minister Mosharraf Hossain, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mojibul Hoque Chonnu and key persons of the law enforcement agencies. l

A family of five put themselves at unnecessary risk of accident by cramming itself on a single motorcycle – which is also illegal; only two riders are allowed on a motorcycle – at Baneshwar in Puthiya, Rajshahi yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

Grant bail to militancy-related cases more cautiously n Tribune Desk Judges should be more cautious in granting bail to the accused detained in militancy-related cases, urged Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday.

While talking to reporters after attending a training program for new assistant judges at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka, the minister further in-

formed that the government has already instructed the prosecution of these cases to present strong arguments against bail pleas.

He also said that the government is considering that no loopholes remain in any important case’s charge sheets and that there is no lack of coordination with the attorney general’s office in conducting these cases.

Asked about the progress of investigation in the Gulshan terror

attack case, the minister informed that the relevant information will be made public after the investigation has been completed.

“I will only say that the investigators are on the right track,” he said.

The law minister also mentioned that the Ramna Batamul bomb blast case in the High Court and the Aug 21 grenade attack case in a lower court will be resolved as soon as possible. l

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Bogra terrorists’ families want bodies back n Tribune Desk The families of Shafiqul Islam Ujjal and Khairul Islam Payel, the two young men from Bogra who carried out the Gulshan terrorist attack, are waiting to bury their sons.

“I ask forgiveness from everyone for my son’s actions. I struggled hard to put him through school. I never imagined in my dreams that he would become a terrorist,” Ujjal’s mother Asia Begum told reporters at her home in Dhunat’s Baniajan Chalishpara village yesterday.

“And I beg for my son’s dead body,” she added.

‘I beg for everyone’s forgiveness for my son’s actions. I struggled hard to put him through school.

I never imagined in my dreams that he would become a terrorist’ Ujjal and Payel are among the five terrorists identified by police as attackers who took part in the Holey Artisan Bakery attack on July 1, slaughtering 20 people and holding 13 others hostage for around 12 hours.

Ujjal’s neighbours described him as a religious, honest and talented boy and said they were shocked by his violent actions.

The family had no idea how he had turned into an extremist. A

family member said Ujjal was the youngest of local farmer Badiuzzaman’s three sons. He graduated from Gosaibari Degree College in 2011 and began working at a kindergarten school in Ashulia, Dhaka.

He used to send money to the family every month and used to preach religion whenever he came home.

Asia Begum said Ujjal left home six months ago to attend a Chilla (a religious gathering) and then did not contact them again. On the morning of July 4, she recognised him from photos being shown on the TV. In the afternoon police took her elder son and husband to Dhaka to identify the body.

Meanwhile, police officials said DNA samples had been collected from Ujjal’s father Badiuzzaman, brother Asadul Islam and Payel’s parents Abul Hossain and Piyara Begum.

Abul and Piyara were picked up by detective police from their home in Brikushtia Dakkhinpara village on July 3.

Dhunat Police Station Officer-inCharge Mizanur Rahman said both families returned to Bogra from Dhaka before Eid. On July 6, Bogra police identified one of the terrorists involved in the Gulshan attack as Khairul Islam Payel, 20, a listed terrorist the police had been looking for. One of his known associates, JMB member Abdul Momin, was arrested in April with an AK-22 rifle, the same weapon used in the Gulshan attack.

Payel passed his Dakhil exams in 2014 from Bihigram DU Central Fazil Madrasa. Ujjal on the other hand graduated from a local degree college and was teaching at a school. l

Students welcome Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj who was publicly humiliated for allegedly insulting Islam, as he resumes work yesterday – three months after the incident DHAKA TRIBUNE

Headmaster Shyamal returns to work n Tanveer Hossain, Narayanganj The head teacher of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj’s Bandar upazila, Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, returned to his workplace yesterday, three months after he was sacked by the school’s management committee and was later reinstated by the Ministry of Education.

He said he was happy to return to work after a long time but was worried about whether he would be able to work comfortably.

“I am actually apprehensive of the environment I will find myself in,” said Shyamal, who went to the school from his Khanpur Mokorba Road residence in the morning under police protection.

A team of Narayanganj Sadar police surrounded his house since morning to avert any untoward situation before escorting him to school.

Shyamal visited the classrooms after entering the school, and exchanged Eid greetings with teach-

ers and students. He also enquired after everyone.

Parvin Akhter, acting head teacher of the school, later handed over the responsibility to Shyamal.

Meanwhile, Rifat Hasan, the tenth-grader who accused Shyamal of making disparaging remarks about Islam, left the school soon after the head teacher joined work.

Rifat’s mother Rina Begum said she had taken her son home from school because of security concerns.

On May 13, a mob, which included the school’s management committee members, beat Shyamal up, accusing him of making derogatory remarks on Islam.

Narayanganj 5 lawmaker AKM Salim Osman made Shyamal do squats by holding ears on the school premises, but later told a press briefing he was sorry that he had to do this and there was no other way to save the teacher from the wrath of the mob.

Shyamal was first taken to Bandar Upazila Health Complex on the

night of May 13 and was shifted to Narayanganj 300-bed Hospital in Khanpur the following morning.

He was treated at the hospital under the supervision of Dr Shafiul Azam and was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital under police protection on May 20.

A medical board was formed for his treatment.

Shyamal was discharged from the hospital on June 9 and he returned home on the same day.

Since then, he lived under police protection for many days.

The school’s management committee fired Shyamal after the incident, which triggered outrage across the country.

But Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid declared the committee’s decision to sack Shyamal illegal, and said he would get back his job as the headmaster.

He also announced that the school committee had been dissolved for making the decision against the rules. l

3rd death anniversary of Barrister Zahir today n Tribune Desk

pany law reform committees in Bangladesh, and was elected a member of the Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France.

Dr Zahir authored the renowned analytical legal publication “Company and Securities Laws” which is being widely used as a book of reference in South Asia, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. His colleagues and friends are requested to seek Allah’s mercy and blessings for his departed soul. l

Today is the third death anniversary of eminent jurist and constitution expert Dr Muhammad Zahir. He passed away in 2013. His family has arranged a Quran Khawani and a doa mahfil at his Dhanmondi residence.

Muhammad Zahir taught company law at Dhaka University and was a senior advocate of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, the convener and member of several com-

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

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Rangpur

29

25

Khulna

32

26

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:19AM

34.4ºC Sylhet

24.5ºC Teknaf

Source: Accuweather/UNB

32

27

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

32

25

Cox’s Bazar

30

Fajr: 4:45am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 7:00pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

26

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News

6

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Gaforgaon people at risk for use of bamboo-pole as power pillar Seizel, n Ashrafuddin Mymensingh Some unscrupulous officials of Gaforgaon Power Development Board (PDB) have given connection to residential and industrial areas in the district with bamboo poles risking lives of locals.

According to local sources, a syndicate at the office with the help of Executive Engineer AZM Aowaruzzaman connected power lines in Shialsi, Raghaichti, Sholohasia, Charsaltia, Tetulia, Pukhuria, Haturia, Uthuri and Amatia vil-

lages taking a lot of money illegally from the consumers.

Locals alleged that the officials have connected the lines using bamboo poles instead of concrete pillar.

“When they took money from us, they said the line will be connected with concrete pillar. But after taking money they used bamboo poles. It is injustice against us,” said Shohel of Pukhuria.

Ashikur Rahman Ashik of Shialsi said: “Accident may take place anytime as the power connection has been given over the branches

of trees in the area.”

Sometimes live wires lie down on the street and the PDB officials are not found to repair the line, he added.

Mostofa of the village said: “When the connection was given with bamboo poles, we have protested it. But the officials did not heed in our words.”

“Now, always we are in tension if any accident takes place.” he said.

Murshidul of Raghaichti vilage said: “Maximum guardians in the area live in tension after sending their children to schools as the pow-

er cables lie down on the street.”

“A lot amount of electricity is also wasted this way in the name of system loss,” he added.

At least two hundred transmitters damaged in last two years for using the poles, locals said.

They said they had protested the activities of the officials in social media including Face book.

The engineer misbehaved with them after they went to meet him, locals alleged.

When contacted Aowaruzzaman over cell phone, he did not make any comment. l

Over 10,000 exclave people to be voter Hossain, n Moazzem Lalmonirhat The Election Commission yesterday started to enlist the names of 10,299 residents in voter list of 59 exclaves in Patgram upazila.

According to local sources, a total of 31 officials had been appointed to complete the programme by July 16.

When visited 119 No exclave, it was found that people gather at the yard of one Joynal Abedin’s house to be enlisted.

Jobed Ali, Shafiul Alam and Nazrul Islam at the yard said they were proud to be voter of Bangladeh.

They also thanked the government for solving their long-time problem.

Aftabuzzaman, upazila election commissioner, said the officials had been given direction to collect the information of a person properly so that no body can be dropped out.

Fazlul Karim, election commissioner of the district, said a gazette had been published on April 11 to enlist the exclave people in voter list.

“We are doing work carefully to complete the work. National ID card also will be given to the voters when they will be enlisted,” he added.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman said the officials had been ordered to collect information about the voters to go to their home. l

CPB-BSD: Resist extremism, militancy n BSS The festivity has yet to leave Chittagong Railway office as tables lay empty at the office yesterday on first day of work after a long Eid vacation

ROBIN CHOWDHURY

PANCHAGARH PRIEST KILLING

Charge pressed against 10 JMB-Shibir men Rahman Sazzad, n Sazzadur Panchagargh Police have submitted charge sheet in connection with the killing of Joggeshwar Roy, who was killed by militants at Debiganj in Rangpur.

Officer-in-Charge of Debiganj police station and also investigation officer of the case Md Aiub Ali submitted the charge sheet before district and sessions’ judge court

yesterday afternoon.

The people who have been made accused in the charge sheet are Jahangir Hossain, Rajibul Islam, Md Saddam Hossain, Md Nazrul Islam, Md Alamgir Hossain, Md Ramjan Ali, Md Harez Ali, Khalilur Rahman, Md Rana and Md Shafiul Alam.

One day after the killing of a Hindu priest in Panchagarh, police have arrested three people – two of

them members of JMB and the other from Shibir.

A gang of miscreants slit the throat of priest Joggeshwar Roy, 50, in the morning on February 23.

Gopal Chandra Roy, 35, neighbour of the deceased, received bullet injuries as he tried to save the priest.

Sub-Inspector of Debiganj police station Md Mujibur Rahman filed two cases in connection with

the killing.

Soon after the killing, police claimed that members of the banned Islamist group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was involved in the attack.

Three accused of the case have already confessed to killing of the priest.

OC Aiub Ali said they would issued for the absconding accused soon. l

Leaders of CPB and BSD yesterday called for united efforts of the pro-liberation forces to resist secret killings and extremism in the country.

They made the call at a human chain jointly arranged by Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) and Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) on the Press Club premises here as part of their nationwide Resistance Day programme against recent militant attacks and killings.

District Coordinator of BSD for Rangpur Abdul Kudus presided over the human chain programme moderated by its district unit Member Mominul Islam.

Associate Professor of Begum Rokeya University Dr Rishin Parimal, district unit Member of CPB Abdul Jalil addressed among others. l

7

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Mother and daughter take shelter at press club for safety n Hedait Hossain, Khulna Finding no alternative, a woman with her minor girl has taken shelter at Khulna press club yesterday in a bid to save themselves from attack of local goons.

Momotaz Begum, mother of Farzana Akter Anamika who is a student of Class X at Yusuf MA Majid High School, while talking to journalists said Naim, son of Nantu Mollah of Fulbari gate area in Khulna city, had been harassing her daughter for long.

She said: “I have talked with his

parents and local distinguished about the mater, but no result has come. Naim and his cohorts also vandalised my house two days ago.

They also took signatures from us on a white paper. I was compelled to complain Daulatpur police station, as I had no option.”

She also alleged that the hoodlums also assaulted her husband Moshiur Rahman.

Earlier, police arrested Naim following a complain of Momotaz on June 11. He was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for harassing the girl on the same day.

Momotaz alleged that family members of Naim had been threatening them with dire consequences since then.

“When we went to Daulatpur police station today [yesterday] morning, police told us that they would not take any responsibilities of us, if we go back to our residence at Fulbari gate. To save our lives we have come to you [journalists], she said breaking down in tears.

OC of Daulatpur police station SM Anwar Hossain said people of the locality were annoyed with them, as Momotaz Begum filed

several cases against many people.

“Local residents have already alleged that the mother-daughter are involved in anti-social activities.

They can freely move, as police have helped them.”

Mominul Islam, coordinator of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights, said Momotaz Begum had taken shelter at the press club as they had not got any assistance from law enforcement agencies.

He also urged authorities concerned to come forward to help the mother-daughter. l

BNP leader killed in ‘gunfight’ n Asaduzzaman, Satkhira A BNP leader was killed in a gunfight with police at Kashimbari, Shyamnagar upazila, Satkhira in the early hours of yesterday.

Shudhangshu Shekhor, sub-inspector of Shyamnagar police station, said a team of police was patrolling at Kashimari union Parishad around 3:30pm.

Some youths riding on two motorcycles were heading towards Charkhal area, then police signalled them to stop vehicles.

Denying police’s signal, some members of the gang hurled crude bombs and opened fire towards the law enforcers, forcing them to open fire in which Wali Ullah Mollah, son of Ekramul Haque Mollah of Kashimari village in Shyamnagar upazila and also general secretary of Kashimari Union Parishad unit of BNP was bullet injured.

He was taken to Shyamnagar Upzila Health Complex where he died.

Two police personnel were also injured in the gunfight. Police seized a shutter gun, a motorcycle and several crude bombs from the spot. l

Sons kill father n UNB

A septuagenarian man was beaten to death allegedly by his two sons over a land-related dispute at Shimulia village in Saturia upazila on Saturday night.

Quoting locals, officer-in-charge of Saturia police station Habibullah Sarker said Afaz Uddin, 70, a resident of Shimulia village, had long been at loggerheads with his two sons Awlad and Aliar over the distribution of his lands.

At one stage, the two brothers beat up their father with sticks around 8pm, leaving the elderly man dead on the spot. l

DT

News

After celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, people are returning to their workplaces in Dhaka from Rajshahi on rooftops of buses to avoid extra costs. Due to the rush of Dhaka-bound passengers at the end of the nine-day long vacation, bus tickets are being sold at Tk500-600, whereas the space on the rooftops are managed by Tk200-250. The photo was taken from the Dhaka bus stand in Rajshahi yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

SP WIFE KILLING

Arms supplier Bhola among two put on 3-day remand Mizanur Rahaman, n FM Chittagong A court in Chittagong yesterday placed two persons, including Ehteshamul Haque Bhola who had allegedly supplied firearms to the killers of Mitu, wife of Superintendent of Police Babul Akter, on a three-day remand in connection with a case filed under arms act with Bakalia police station.

The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Abdul Kader placed Ehteshamul Haque Bhola and his associate Monir Hossen on three-day remand, said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (prosecution) Nirmalendu Bikash Chawakrabarty.

On June 28, the duo was arrested from Bakalia area in possession of a pistol and a revolver, which believed to be used in the gruesome murder.

Assistant Commissioner of Detective Branch of Police Kamruzzaman filed an arms case against Bhola and Monir with Bakalia police station.

Police said Bhola was a listed criminal and he used to supply firearms to professional killers.

AC Kamruzzaman who is the Investigation Officer (IO) of Mitu murder case said Bhola had provided the firearms to Wasim and Musa on June 4 and took back those arms on June 5.

Later, he kept the firearms to Monir’s house fearing police’s drive, added the DB official.

Mahmuda khanam Mitu mother of two children was stabbed and shot dead. l

Khulna in dire need of ambulances n Hedait Hossain, Khulna

Moslem Gazi, a guardian of a patient of Khulna Medical College Hospital, had to spend Tk1,800 to get a private ambulance for reaching home at Patkelghata in Tala upazila of Satkhira. Md Nazmul Hossain, a relative of another patient of the hospital, went through a similar experience. A driver of a private ambulance asked Tk25,000-3000 from him for going Paikgachha upazila.

Md Tipu, a driver of an ambulance of Abu Naser Specialized Hospital, told our correspondent that the drivers charge Tk 700-800 for giving a trip to Shiromani in Khulna city from Surgical Medical College and Hospital at Shonadanga (10 kilometres away from Shiromani) by public ambulance or

private ambulance, while according to the government rules the fare within Khulna City Corporation area is Tk300.

Dr Ananda Mohan Shaha, superintendent of Khulna Medical College Hospital, said, “I heard about the allegations of charging extra fare but could not take any step, as nobody lodged any written complain.”

“There are only two ambulances for the hospital, one of which goes out of order frequently,” said Ananda. He admitted that 10 to 15 private ambulances are seen every day in front of the hospital.

A total of 42 ambulances among 106 for more than 18 million people in 10 districts of Khulna division are out of order, according to Health Department of the division.

The remaining 64 ambulances

are not being utilized properly. At present, Mollahat Health Complex at Bagerhat, Damurhuda Health Complex at Chuadanga and Shalikha Health Complex of Magura are unable to offer any ambulance for their patients.

Syed Jahangir Hossain, health officer of Mollahat Health Complex, said letters were sent to health ministry several times to solve the crisis, but the situation remained unchanged. The patients have to depend on private service, he added.

AKM Tamiz Uddin, chairman of Koira upazila in Khulna district, said Koira Health Complex could not manage with a lone ambulance, as the complex was located in a remote area.

Due to the crisis, a syndicate of private ambulances has emerged in

Khulna, according to local sources.

Outdated microbuses with an ambulance horn and stickers are being used as ambulances.

The syndicate is compelling the patients to pay fares as per the drivers’ demands.

Md Amir Hossain, senior vice president of Cooperative Society of Khulna Zila Ambulance Drivers, denied the allegations. There were 60 to 70 private ambulances under the society in Khulna city, he said.

The society was going to fix a fare chart to prevent charging extra amount, he added.

Md Rakib Hasan, assistant commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (traffic), said they would conduct drives against the private ambulances without licenses of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). l

DT

8 World

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif returns home after surgery in London Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home from London on Saturday after undergoing successful open heart surgery in the British capital. Sharif, whose operation was carried out in the last week of May, remained in the UK for more than six weeks. Sharif left the country shortly after Panama Papers linked his family to a series of offshore companies.

-AFP

INDIA

15 dead from floods in central India Flash floods from torrential downpours in the in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have killed 15 people, with 7 deaths over the weekend, and left thousands of people displaced.

The state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked senior officials to stay vigilant for the next 24 hours as more heavy rain is forecast.

-AFP

CHINA

Chinese navy holds live-fire drills in South China Sea Chinese warships, fighter jets and submarines held live-fire war games in the South China Sea, just days ahead of an international tribunal’s ruling on a challenge to Beijing’s expansive claims in the waters. The high-profile display of naval hardware is China’s latest salvo in a propaganda offensive aimed at demonstrating its military might and asserting its sovereignty over the disputed region.

-AP

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan ruling bloc expands majority in upper house Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition won a landslide victory on Sunday in an election for parliament’s upper house. Media projections showed Abe’s coalition and like-minded parties had won the two-thirds super majority needed to try to revise the constitution’s restraints on the military. -REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

IS territory shrinks 12% since start of 2016 The Islamic State group lost 12% of the territory it holds in Iraq and Syria in the first half of 2016, according to an analysis by research group IHS. The analysis published Sunday says the jihadist group, which proclaimed its self-styled caliphate in the two countries in 2014, is continuing to lose ground after a string of setbacks last year.

-AFP

CHRONICLE

Battleground Jammu & Kashmir 2016 KASHMIR CONFLICT January 2

Police arrested a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant, identified as Towheed Ahmad Mir, who was wanted by Police for killing of a former militant, Bashir Ahmad and his three year old son Burhan Ahmad in September 2015, from Sopore area in Baramulla District of Jammu and Kashmir.

January 4 Protesters pelted stones on Security Forces (SFs), which left 7 of them, injured in Srinagar District, during clashes that triggered when the Shias’ Protested against the execution of top Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr-al-Nimr by Saudi Government.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India which enjoys special autonomy under Article 370 of the Constitution of India according to which, no law enacted by the parliament of India, except for those in the field of defence, communication and foreign policy, will be extendable in Jammu and Kashmir unless it is ratified by the state legislature of Jammu and Kashmir

ARMED

groups

Hizb-ul-Muzahideen Lashkar-e-Taiba Harkat-ul-Muzahideen Jaish-e-Mohammad

January 11 A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander was killed during an encounter with the SFs in the outskirts of Srinagar. Police and SFs received information about presence of Sajjad Ahmad Bhat alias Peer in Gossu village of Zakura in the outskirts of Srinagar. Sajjad Ahmad was one of the main architects of setting up of LeT bases in South Kashmir since 2007.

Religion 0.11%

Buddist

0.88%

January 12 At least 6 persons including 2 Policemen were injured during clashes in the outskirts of Srinagar in Pantha Chowk area, as Police fired scores of tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters who had blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway over the killing of top LeT commander Sajjad Ahmad Bhat.

January 27 The central government cabinet approved five new battalions of Indian Reserve Police (IRP) for J&K, which would be raised over a period of one and half years to two years with preferential treatment to the youths of border areas. The cabinet cleared a proposal to raise a total of 17 new IRP battalions including five for J&K.

January 30 Two LeT militants were killed during an encounter in North Kashmir’s Lolab area in Kupwara District. The militants have been identified as Abu Mushtaq Hyder and Abu Rashid Suliaman Qadri.

February 8 The Police detained Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and other senior leaders in Srinagar, to deal with the shutdown called by the separatists to mark the death anniversaries of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat on February 9 and 11.

February 13 Five militants of LeT including their commander and two Army personnel, were killed and two Army personnel including an officer were injured during a fierce

TROOPS

97.2% Muslim

5,476,9.70 population

Sikh

1.84%

100,000

650,000

Deaths 1 3AllCivilians

Hindu

Total Population of Jammu and Kashmir is 10,143,70 Muslim: 66.97% Hindu: 29.63% Sikh: 2.03% Buddist: 1.36%

encounter in Chowkibal forest area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara District.

Hafiz, in an encounter at Wadhakpora in Awantipora area in Pulwama District.

February 14

April 12

Two civilians including a woman and one LeT militant were killed and over three dozen others were injured during an encounter and clashes that broke out in Kakpora village in Pulwama District of J&K. Protests erupted during the gun battle in which two persons Danish Farooq Mir son of Farooq Ahmad Mir of Ratnipora, Pulwama, and the woman as Shaista Hameed daughter of Abdul Hameed of Lelhar village were killed.

Three persons were killed and 6 others were injured as Army reportedly opened firing on protesters in Handwara town of Kupwara District.

March 7

May 21

Stone-throwing clashes erupted amid shutdown in Kulgam town of South Kashmir in Kulgam District, against the killing of a local HM militant commander, Sheikh Dawood, in an encounter with SFs in the District on March 6.

Five militants of JeM, including their commander, were killed in a fierce gun battle in Drugmulla village in Kupwara District, while two Army personnel were injured.

March 9

Three policemen including one ASI of Police were killed by the militants in Srinagar city.

SFs killed Abu Ukasha, a top commander of the LeT, and his associate, Abu

April 15 A youth was killed and three others injured as SFs opened firing in Kupwara District of North Kashmir, to disperse protesters who were pelting stones on an Army camp during a protest demonstration.

May 23

June 3 Three BSF personnel were killed and seven others critically injured when militants ambushed their convoy near Bijbehara on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Anantnag District.

June 4 Militants killed two Policemen, including an officer, in poll-bound Anantnag town in Anantnag District. The attack comes ahead of the June 22 polling for by-election to Anantnag Assembly seat where Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is one of the nine candidates in the fray.

June 25 Eight paramilitary Indian Central Reserve Police Force troopers were killed and 20 others injured when militants attacked their convoy at Frestbal near Pampore in Srinagar on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Sources: South Asia Terrorism Portal, BBC, NYT, Reuters

9

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Scores killed in South Sudan infighting n Reuters, Juba At least 272 people have died in fighting between South Sudan’s rival factions in the capital Juba, including 33 civilians, a government source said on Sunday, as heavy gunfire erupted again in the city and many residents sought shelter at a UN base.

The fighting first broke out on Thursday and Friday between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and soldiers who support vice president Riek Machar.

The violence raises fears South Sudan could slide back into conflict after emerging from a twoyear civil war, which began in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president.

Neighbouring Kenya called for urgent action by the two leaders to move troops away from civilians and end the crisis.

A government spokesman later said the situation had been brought under control. “At present the situation is calm,” Michael Makuei, minister of information, said in a broadcast by South Sudanese TV. He said the government was calling on people to go back to their homes and that the situation

MILLIONS GOING HUNGRY IN SOUTH SUDAN

Food security in the country is worsening by the month

Jan-March 2016 assessment

May-July

UNITY STATE

BAHR EL GHAZAL CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Emergency Crisis Stressed Minimal

SUDAN

ETHIOPIA

SOUTH SUDAN

USA

Trump considering retired general Flynn as possible running mate Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is giving consideration to retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as a potential vice presidential running mate, a Republican source familiar with the process said on Saturday. Flynn was chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama from 2012-2014.

-REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

Brazil could sell Sao Paulo and Rio airports

JUBA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

KENYA

100 km

Source: Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)

was under control.

On Saturday Juba had been calm, but on Sunday residents said gunfire was heard in Gudele and Jebel suburbs of Juba, near the military barracks that hosts troops loyal to Machar.

Officials at the UN South Sudan mission UNMISS could not immediately be reached for comment.

A Health Ministry source said early on Sunday that at least 272 people had been killed, including 33 civilians, so far. There was no official statement on the death toll.

Peace deal delays

South Sudan’s civil war was fought largely along ethnic lines with Kiir, a Dinka, and Machar, a Nuer, drawing support from their respective tribes.

A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar spent months after that wrangling over details and have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the peace deal.

Machar returned to Juba in April, which as seen as a step to end fighting. But experts said the failure to move swiftly to imple-

ment other aspects of the peace deal, such as re-integrating or demobilising rival forces, risked a new conflict.

On Friday, shooting had erupted even as Machar and Kiir were in talks to defuse tensions. Both called for calm and said they did not know what sparked the flare up, raising concerns about their ability to control their respective troops.

The violence initially began late on Thursday, when soldiers loyal to Kiir demanded to search vehicles of Machar supporters.

That stand-off led to clashes. l

INSIGHT

Brash Trump courts, jabs Republicans n Tribune International Desk A defiant Donald Trump made it clear he won’t change his brash tone or message as he courted anxious Republican lawmakers last week, blaming the media for stumbles that continue to alarm GOP leaders and energise Democrats with voting less than three months away.

The New York billionaire repeatedly called for unity in his second Capitol Hill tour in three months, but he also threatened would-be party critics on a day that was designed to rally anxious Republicans behind him. Deflecting questions about his discipline in public comments, Trump insisted his recent praise for former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was taken out of context and ignored fresh concern about a campaign tweet widely condemned as anti-Semitic, according to Republicans who attended closed-door meetings.

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake declined to address reports that Trump threatened to attack him politically during a testy exchange that Senator John McCain said

DT

World

Protester outside the Trump Taj Mahal Casino, Atlantic City, in New Jersey REUTERS “everybody was talking about” afterward.

Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, who wasn’t in Thursday’s meeting, fired back at Trump, who reportedly called him a loser during the private gathering.

“We haven’t seen a personality like his too much in the Midwest.

Eastern, privileged, wealthy bully,” said Kirk, who faces a tough re-election contest and has declined to endorse Trump.

There was a more cooperative tone inside Trump’s meeting with

House Republicans, even if sceptical lawmakers didn’t necessarily hear what they were hoping for.

Trump’s unwillingness to moderate his tone follows repeated promises from campaign officials that he would do just that as he shifts toward the general election.

While Election Day nationwide is November 8, early voting begins in some states in September.

The Republican Party remains deeply divided with its national convention less than two weeks away.

Trump’s former rival, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, announced Thursday he would speak at the Cleveland gathering. Yet many high-profile Republicans are refusing to go, former Republican Presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush, 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and Ohio Governor John Kasich among them.

The party strife played out as Republicans tried to focus on Democrat Hillary Clinton’s email practices, which FBI Director James Comey described as “extremely careless.”

But Trump has struggled to keep the focus on his Democratic rival.

The night before his Washington tour, he resurrected a debate over an image he tweeted depicting Clinton’s face alongside a six-pointed star over hundred-dollar bills. Many saw the symbol as a Star of David and condemned the tweet as anti-Semitic.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, the nation’s top elected Republican, was among the critics.

Trump also continues to defend his praise for Hussein, the Iraqi dictator whom he described as having been effective at killing terrorists. l

Brazil’s government will consider selling airports in Sao Paulo and Rio to help to reduce a large fiscal deficit next year, interim President Michel Temer said. Brazil plans to sell several assets and award licences for companies to build and operate infrastructure projects as it tries to revamp the economy and reduce a budget deficit estimated at $51.59bn this year.

-REUTERS

UK

Blair’s former deputy: Iraq war was illegal Tony Blair’s deputy as prime minister when Britain joined the invasion of Iraq has said he believes the war was illegal, days after a long-awaited report excoriated Britain’s role in the conflict.

John Prescott, number two in the Labour government when Britain took part in the US-led invasion in 2003, made the remarks in a piece to be published in the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

-AFP

EUROPE

Berlin leftist rioting leaves 120 officers injured Police say more than 120 officers were injured and 86 demonstrators were detained during leftist riots in the German capital which police call the most aggressive and violent protests in the last five years. About 3,500 protesters participated in the rallies. Activists had called for the demonstration to protest against police operations at buildings taken over the squatters in the eastern part of the city last month.

-AP

AFRICA

16 Boko Haram fighters, 2 soldiers dead in Nigeria shootout 16 Boko Haram extremists and 2 soldiers have been killed when the extremists tried to ride explosives-laden motorcycles into an army base in the country’s volatile northeast. Colonel Sani Kukasheka, said in a statement Saturday that soldiers at the base in Rann in Borno state repelled the extremists with a gunfight that went on for hours. -AP

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

ANALYSIS

What’s behind insurgency in Indian Kashmir?

As India clamps down on Kashmir with an iron grip, it risks permanently losing the hearts and minds of the people rous over time. The insurgents are n Fahad Shah mainly focusing on their particular The death toll in Kashmir rose to 20 on Sunday as clashes between Indian troops and protesters continued despite a curfew imposed in the disputed Himalayan region to suppress anti-India anger following the killing of a popular insurgent commander. Anti-India protests have been reported from many places across Kashmir since Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Kashmir’s largest insurgent group, was killed Friday in fighting with Indian troops. The dead included 17 civilians killed in two days of clashes between angry, rock-pelting protesters who defied the curfew and Indian troops. After the protests erupted, Indian troops used live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas to try and control the angry crowds.

More than 150 civilians have so far been injured in the clashes.

It was not the first time that a similar incident had occurred in the heavily militarised region. In almost three decades of armed oppression against the civilian population, supposedly a bid to win back trust in Kashmir, many women and girls have been raped and molested

by Indian soldiers. Sexual violence has been used as a channel to impose authority upon the female population, while torture and killings are used to suppress their male counterparts.

This isn’t the only reason why a popular civilian uprising is underway in Kashmir as India’s rule grows weak again. The government’s hold over the territory had strengthened with the help of mass killings in the early 1990s, and later, with the regional elections held in 1996. In the early 1990s, when India’s grip was weak and the rebels, a government militia was instrumental in crushing popular dissent, leading to the fall of most insurgent groups.

Currently, there is one group (other than a scattering of new-formed ones) that is still fighting in Kashmir and continues to gain power: the indigenous Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, also known as the Hizb. The Hizb has pro-Pakistan leanings, but most of its members are local. In the last few years, the Hizb has managed to climb to the top in terms of popularity, and continues to successfully gain new recruits, who are being celebrated as righteous warriors by the general public.

Even mourning the rebels’ losses is seen as a major political statement in contemporary Kashmir, as thousands of people join funeral processions for both local and Pa-

Protesters throw stones towards Indian police during a protest against the killing of Burhan Wani, a separatist militant leader, in Srinagar on Sunday REUTERS kistani insurgents who died fighting Indian soldiers. During several recent gunfights, moreover, civilians diverted the soldiers’ attention from the procession in order to help the insurgents escape unscathed.

These trends have alerted Indian security agencies. Meanwhile, social media remains abuzz with many people who idolise insurgent commanders, like Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a 23-year-old Hizb commander in South Kashmir who had become the iconic face of the new rebellion. The people’s acceptance of this rebellion has grown with the decline of any political process that can hope to empower them.

The change in mood has its roots in the 2008 and 2010 mass uprisings in Kashmir, during which Indian troops and police shot more than 200 teenagers dead on the streets.

This has gradually led to major protests, drawing in the younger generation, with people from all walks of life vehemently rejecting India’s continued rule in Kashmir.

Continuous killings and impunity for soldiers

The armed rebellion against Indian rule in Kashmir started in the late 1980s. In these years of violence, around half a million soldiers in the region used extreme torture and targeted killings against civilians, with hundreds killed in some incidents. Estimates of the number of people killed in Kashmir range from 70,000 to 100,000.

Force was again used in 2010, when the political narrative in

Kashmir took a different shape as youths took over the reins of public dissent and rebellion. Two mass uprisings in 2008 and 2010 showed the brutal face of the state to children born during the 1990s, who had not seen such mass violence spearheaded by the state before. It further strengthened the younger generation’s anti-India sentiments and brought about a fresh wave of dissent. The slow growth of young rebels over the last five years is a product of this phenomenon.

Without a clear policy-based solution apparent, two laws that have been instrumental in crushing the recent popular dissent in the Valley: the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which provides impunity to Indian soldiers for basically any action, and the Public Safety Act (PSA), which is used to imprison people without due process. Amnesty International calls the PSA a “lawless law”. On the AFSPA, Amnesty International said in its report in 2015 that the impunity is a long-standing problem in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sexual violations as a form of oppression

After the five civilians were shot dead by soldiers in Handwara, for example, the state government expressed regret over the killings, but it did not issue an investigation.

The central government in New Delhi continued its silence, aside from blaming pro-freedom leaders for instigating the violence.

At the core of the long weeks of

violence was an underage girl, who was subjected to attempted sexual harassment and was also forced to refrain from speaking to the media while she was kept under police detention. Activists accused the police of a forced detention to protect the solider who had committed the act; there was no clear response from New Delhi.

It has been two months now since the attempted molestation and killings in Handwara, but the government has not yet produced an investigation report, as demanded by opposition parties.

Incidents like the one in Handwara are not the first of their kind.

Sexual violence conducted by the Indian forces has long been a mainstay tactic, with no one prosecuted to date.

New insurgents and a strengthened movement

On Saturday, demonstrators set fire to three police stations and two government buildings in towns south of the state’s summer capital of Srinagar, and three officers had gone missing in the violence. In earlier months, insurgents overpowered three policemen and snatched four service rifles from the police in South Kashmir. Insurgents have been using this strategy for the last few years, taking weapons from the police or paramilitary troops and later giving them to their new recruits. It also shows the growth of the rebellion as an indigenous movement, as the border with Pakistan has become less and less po-

areas, mostly in the south of the Kashmir Valley. But lately some attacks and rebel activities have happened in North Kashmir and Central Kashmir also. In the absence of any political solution, the youth have become restless and their anger has intensified.

The Indian Army has also started acknowledging the change in the Kashmiri situation. Growing anti-India sentiments their counterpart in rapidly rising support for Pakistan among people in India-controlled Kashimr.

Some observers also believe that Pakistan has changed its approach too, from involving itself on the ground to becoming the political backbone for the Kashmir issue globally. This endeavour to advocate on behalf of the Kashmiri people was evident at recent UN meetings, where Pakistan continuously raised the Kashmir issue, as well as in bilateral talks with India. As a result, India has declared that Pakistan is needlessly internationalising the Kashmir issue.

The situation in Kashmir may look better compared now to the peaks of violence in the past, but don’t be fooled: in the heart of the Valley, the rise of anti-India sentiment has weakened India’s control.

Anti-India forces are hugely motivated by the extreme force used against dissenting voices by the newly formed regional government, which brought together the local People’s Democratic Party and the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The new head of the region’s government, Mehbooba Mufti, recently said that there are only four bunkers of Indian forces in the Valley – a statement that highly angered the people, who have to face soldiers and police regularly in their daily lives.

The regional government’s anti-dissent tactics combined with the disappearance of opportunities to construct a solid political solution to provide respite to the ordinary people in Kashmir has only made things worse. Unless India changes tactics — and soon – Kashmir will continue to slip away. l

Fahad Shah is an independent journalist, who frequently writes for Foreign Affairs, Al Jazeera, The Diplomat, The Christian Science Monitor, Scroll.in, and Hindustan Times. He is the Editor of the anthology Of Occupation and Resistance: Writings from Kashmir (2013) and also founding editor of The Kashmir Walla magazine.

He can be followed at @pzfahad

Aussie PM retains power after marathon election AUSTRALIA’S PRIME MINISTERS Starting date Sept 15, 2015

Malcolm Turnbull Tony Abbott

Sept 18, 2013 June 27, 2013 Kevin Rudd June 24, 2010 Julia Gillard December 3, 2007 Kevin Rudd

Liberal Party Labor Party

Source: primeministers. naa.gov.au

March 11, 1996

John Howard

n Reuters, Sydney Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared victory on Sunday in a marathon national election, with his coalition government retaining power and the opposition Labor Party conceding defeat.

Vote counting continues into an eighth day, with Turnbull’s coalition expected to win two of the five seats still in doubt, enabling it to form a majority government, after having already won 74 of the 150 lower house seats up for grabs in the poll.

“We have won the election,” Turnbull told a news conference in Sydney. “We have gone through this election with fiercely fought arguments, issues of policy, issues of principle and we have done so peacefully and it’s something we should celebrate.”

Although he is expected to form a majority government, Turnbull’s gamble in calling the election backfired badly, with a swing to the centre-left Labor opposition and a rise in the popularity of minor parties and independents.

Turnbull’s narrow margin of victory over Labor leaves him likely to be forced to rely on independents, who won five seats, to ensure the passage of legislation. That raises questions about how effective his government will be in the long term.

Labor, on course to win 69 seats, conceded defeat.

Labor vowed not to unduly disrupt the new parliament, although it and several independents oppose much of the coalition’s jobs and growth agenda, from how to return to budget surplus to a proposal for a A$50bn corporate tax break. l

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Blair may face contempt of parliament motion over Iraq war n Tribune International Desk Former British prime minister Tony Blair could face a motion of contempt in the House of Commons over the 2003 invasion of Iraq – a motion that his own Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he would probably support, reports The Guardian.

The Conservative MP David Davis, backed by the Scottish National Party’s Alex Salmond, has said he will present on Thursday the motion accusing Blair of misleading parliament. MPs could debate the issue before the summer if it is accepted by the Commons Speaker, John Bercow.

In a long-awaited report on the Iraq invasion, the investigator Sir John Chilcot said the legal basis for the war was reached in a way that was “far from satisfactory”, but he did not explicitly say the war was illegal.

Davis told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that the motion would say Blair held the house in contempt over the 2003 invasion. He said that if his motion was accepted by Bercow it could be debated before parliament’s summer recess.

Salmond said he believed Corbyn’s support would mean the motion had enough cross-party support. “No parliament worth its salt tolerates being

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, right, looks at the then US President George W Bush at a news conference in the White House on June 7, 2005 REUTERS misled,” Scotland’s former first minister told ITV’s Peston on Sunday.

He said Blair’s promise to George Bush that he would be “with you, whatever” meant Blair had been “saying one thing to George W Bush in private, and a totally different thing to parliament and people in public”. He said Blair’s actions were “a parliamentary crime, and it’s time for parliament to deliver the verdict”.

The prospect of a contempt vote has opened a rift between Corbyn, the Labour leader, and Angela Eagle, the former shadow business secretary who is challenging him for the leadership.

Asked about the potential vote,

Corbyn told Marr he would probably back the motion. “Parliament must hold to account, including Tony Blair, those who took us into this particular war,” he said.

Eagle hinted that she would not support it. Explaining that she had not yet seen the motion, she told the BBC’s Sunday Politics: “We have to make certain that we don’t spend our time in parliament just exacting revenge. I think Tony Blair has been put, rightly, through the mill about the decisions he took. The Chilcot report did that.

“We would be far better learning the lessons and making certain that we don’t fall into the same mistakes if – God forbid – there should be a future situation where these decisions are made.”

John Prescott, who was deputy prime minister at the time of the 2003 invasion, has claimed the Iraq war was illegal.

Writing in the Sunday Mirror, the Labour peer says: “I will live with the decision of going to war and its catastrophic consequences for the rest of my life. In 2004, the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, said that as regime change was the prime aim of the Iraq war, it was illegal. With great sadness and anger, I now believe him to be right.” l

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TOP STORIES Moddy’s: Terror attack has long impact on Bangladesh economy Terrorist attacks may erode investor confidence that could cast an adverse impact on Bangladesh’s ability to attract Direct Foreign Investment (FDI), global credit-rating agency Moody’s said.

PAGE 13

Reading in a time of Dubsmash Growing up in Dhaka, my earliest bookstore memories are of Sobhanbagh’s Gyankosh, Kola Bagan’s Bishwa Bichitra and New Market’s Zeenat Books. And my earliest memories of reading are of the imported paperback classics of Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, Alexandre Dumas, the Bronte sisters, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain and so forth.

PAGE 14

Capital market snapshot: Sunday DSE Broad Index

4,495.2

-0.3% ▼

Index

1,104.5

-0.6% ▼

30 Index

1,759.6

-0.6% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

2,095.5 -44.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

75.9 -28.9% ▼

CSE All Share Index 13,786.6

-0.1% ▼

30 Index

12,767.9

-0.0% ▼

8,387.7

-0.1% ▼

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk

115.0 -72.2% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

5.1 -62.3% ▼

Global apparel retailers keen to see security steps in Bangladesh n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The recent Gulshan attack has concerned global retailers and brands of the apparel products who are now keen to see what measures have been taken to ensure security during their visit to Bangladesh, sector insiders say.

Instead, some buyers have asked the manufacturers to meet them in the third country in the wake of security concern for negotiating business deals and placing orders.

The recent terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone killed 20 people including nine Italians, most of whom were involved in garment trade in Bangladesh.

“Following the tragic event, what are you planning to implement security-wise for visitors in your country? As the attack was a clear target on foreigners by extremists and I think I’m expressing here the concern that most of the foreigners have nowadays about traveling to Bangladesh,” according to a buyer’s e-mail sent to a manufacturer.

“I am under pressure from all foreign companies that are concerned about the recent attack on foreigners,” the manufacturer said, seeking anonymity.

He urged the government to assure the buyers that it would take necessary steps to maintain security.

“The global retailers will not pull out their business from Bangladesh, but want to see that security has

workers at a garment factory in Dhaka been beefed up for local as well as foreign representatives living here,” BGMEA Vice-President Mohammad Nasir told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the buyers want to know what measures the government are going to take for tightening security.

“As of yesterday, two-three buyers asked me to meet them in a third country as they are unwilling to visit Bangladesh for placing work orders due to security concerns,” said Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) president Abdus Salam Murshedy.

“If the situation continues,

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

they will be more reluctant to visit and we have to travel down there, which would accelerate our production cost.”

The Cabinet Committee on Law and Order has decided to provide full-fledged protection for all foreigners and business individuals, who are doing business here in Bangladesh, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune. The export processing areas will be brought under special security coverage so that foreign buyers can move with full-fledged protection, said Tofail.

“If demanded, the govern-

ment will provide law enforcers equipped with arms to ensure security for the buyers as we are committed to protecting investors as well as their investment.”

According to the provisional data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), in July-May period of FY’15-16, Bangladesh earned over $25 billion, which is about 9.44% higher compared to $22.92 billion a year ago.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s export earnings posted a nearly 9% rise to $30.66 billion in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, compared to $28.14 billion a year ago. l

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Moddy’s: Terror attack has long impact on Bangladesh economy n Tribune Business Desk Terrorist attacks may erode investor confidence that could cast an adverse impact on Bangladesh’s ability to attract Direct Foreign Investment (FDI), global credit-rating agency Moody’s said.

The Moody’s latest analysis came following a deadly terror attack in an upscale restaurant in Bangladesh on July 1, killing 20 people, most of them foreigners, along with two police officers.

“It was the most damaging of a series of attacks targeting foreigners and minorities over the past year, and highlighted political risks that are factored into our government bond rating, through our assessment that Bangladesh’s vulnerability to political event risks is moderate,” the US-based Moody’s Investors Service said in its latest analysis, released on Monday last.

Jica to send 10 volunteers for Dhaka metro rail project n Asif Showkat Kallol

Japan International Cooperation Agency is sending 10 metro rail feasibility study experts to Bangladesh to work in the country’s first-ever metro rail construction project, said a senior Bangladesh government official.

The decision follows the deadly terror attack at a Dhaka cafe on July 1 as the victims included seven Japanese nationals, most of whom were visiting Bangladesh as metro rail consultants.

“Jica will send 10 volunteers to Bangladesh for metro project in seven days. The Jica authorities told it to Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique in a letter today (Sunday),” Senior Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said: “A number of development workers were killed in the attack. Such attacks are a matter of concern for our economy what we have already conveyed to the home ministry.”

Mahbub Ahmed said the situation could have an immediate impact on the economy but the country would be able to overcome the shock. “We are hopeful as our micro-economic situation remains good.”

After the restaurant tragedy, Jica has assured that Japan will continue to provide development supports to its long-time friend Bangladesh. l

However, the frequency of violent attacks such as the one last week is rising, signaling rising political risks that could further distract the authorities from their economic and institutional goals, it added.

Besides, prolonged political or geopolitical instability could erode investor confidence and a worsening of the external payments position, it said. “The most direct impact would be on Bangladesh’s ability to attract foreign investment.”

The Moody’s pointed out that adverse trends in foreign investment would be particularly detrimental to garment exports, a predominant growth driver.

Exports comprise 16.3% of Bangladesh’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and sustaining foreign investment in the textile sector, which accounts for 80% of the total export basket, is crucial for growth.

Bangladesh’s economic expan-

sion has been exceptionally stable, averaging 6.2% year-on-year over the last decade, amid political transitions, natural disasters, and temporary factory shutdowns related to labor conditions.

Moreover, Bangladesh is one of the few countries in Asia Pacific that has continued to clock growth in exports as global demand has weakened.

“These gains come despite stiffer competition from Vietnam, where lower value-added exports are also increasing strongly,” said Moody’s.

Between July 2015 and April 2016, Bangladesh’s total exports increased by 9.2% year-on-year.

Pharmaceuticals, raw jute, knitwear and woven garments, and engineering goods exports powered the increase.

“Bangladesh’s domestic politics have long been tumultuous. Relations between the two main parties

are highly polarized, culminating in frequent and disruptive strikes and protests,” said the Moody’s.

Nonetheless, it said historical trends suggest that neither FDI nor export growth has been particularly sensitive to such tensions, which have tended to escalate in the runup to elections.

However, last week’s terrorist incident came in the wake of a rising number of attacks targeted at foreigners and minorities, suggesting that the risks of political disruption have risen substantially over the past year, it added.

The number of terrorist events in the country climbed to 465 in 2015, from 18 in 2012, according to the Global Terrorism Database.

“Terrorist attacks can have long-lasting effects on a country’s economy, ranging from growth to investment and borrowing costs,” said the Moody’s. l

G20 nations pledge to boost trade despite growing protectionism n AFP, Shanghai The world’s top 20 economies will work to boost sluggish global trade despite growing protectionism, overcapacity concerns, and uncertainty over Brexit, G20 trade ministers said yesterday at a meeting in Shanghai.

“The global recovery continues, but it remains uneven and falls short of our ambition for strong, sustainable and balanced growth.

Downside risks and vulnerabilities persist,” the trade ministers said in a joint statement, adding that trade should remain “an important engine” to spur global growth.

The G20 nations, which account for 85% of global trade, admitted that protectionism has been rising since the financial crisis, and said that new trade restrictions in the group had reached the highest monthly average registered since the WTO began monitoring in 2009.

“We note with concern that despite the G20’s repeated pledge, the stock of restrictive measure affecting trade in goods and services has continued to rise,” they said in the statement.

Ahead of the meeting, WTO chief economist Robert Koopman warned that restrictive measures could affect industries including air freight cargo, sea based cargo, automobile sales and production, electronics trade, and agricultural raw materials.

The world’s leading economies

China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng attends the opening ceremony of the 2016 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Shanghai REUTERS at the weekend pledged to oppose trade protectionism and reiterated a promise not to add new protective measures until 2018.

Global trade is expected to grow at a tepid 2.8% in 2016, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said in April.

And this year is expected to be the fifth in a row where trade grew at less than three percent its weakest sustained level in 30 years, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Friday ahead of the talks.

To combat the global slowdown, the ministers said they agreed to improve global trade governance and to work towards easing and liberalising trade.

Brexit, China concerns

Concerns over China’s production overcapacity in steel have led to

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trade disputes with the EU and US, and China’s vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said yesterday that the G20 economies “have realised the necessity to take global cooperation to handle the challenge caused by production overcapacity”.

But despite claims that China is dumping steel in foreign markets, he said “China’s effort in (handling) over capacity has been highly recognised” by the group.

“While some other countries are talking about how to cut down production, Chinese government has already taken measures which have been effective.”

Meanwhile Britain’s referendum vote to leave the European Union has added new concerns for the recovery of global economic and trade growth. l

Stocks end lower after terror attack n Tribune Business Desk

Stocks closed lower amid extremely bearish trading activities yesterday, as investors were worried over the deadly terror attack in the country.

In first day trading after the attack on upscale restaurant in Gulshan and nine-day Eid vacation, trading activities dipped to 16-month low and stocks saw a steep fall in first session before recovering significantly riding on banking issues at the final session.

After losing over 65 points in the morning, the benchmark index DSEX lost 12 points or 0.3% to 4,495 at the end of the day.

‘The recent terror attack has wrung out risk sentiment among the investors’ The blue-chip comprising index DS30 was down 11 points or 0.7% to 1,759. The DSE Shariah Index DSES declined 6 points to 1,104.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX closed at 8,387, shedding 9 points.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange turnover, the important indicator of trading activities, fell 44% to Tk209 crore over the previous session, which is lowest since March 19 last year, when when it was Tk167 crore.

Lanka Bangla Securities said, “After nine days Eid vacation, trading on DSE resumed with steep decline in early hours.”

“Fear of potential fallout of the recent terror attacks and killings in Gulshan and Sholakia have wrung out the risk sentiment among the investors.”

However, the index managed to recover the early losses as soon as banking stocks came to rescue the market, it said.

Sheltech Brokerage said, “DSEX moved down on the first day after the Eid vacation as panic gripped investors following terrorist attack in Dhaka.”

On the other hand, banks gave support to recover the fall backed by half-yearly earnings growth in 2016, it said All the large-cap sectors showed negative performances except the heavyweight banking sector, which advanced over 1.3%.

Non-banking financial institutions posted the highest loss of over 2%, followed by fuel and power 1% and engineering almost 1%.

Food and allied and telecommunication, pharmaceuticals closed negative.

Prices of over 65% shares eroded as out of 313 issues traded, 205 closed lower, 73 higher and 35 remained unchanged on the DSE. l

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Reading in a time of Dubsmash n Sajid Amit Growing up in Dhaka, my earliest bookstore memories are of Sobhanbagh’s Gyankosh, Kola Bagan’s Bishwa Bichitra and New Market’s Zeenat Books. And my earliest memories of reading are of the imported paperback classics of Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, Alexandre Dumas, the Bronte sisters, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain and so forth.

By around Grade 5 or 6, my friends and I had graduated to Stephen King, Arthur C. Clarke, Jeffrey Archer, Frederic Forsyth, and Robert Ludlum. In school, we also read a good deal of Shakespeare. In fact, I remember one of my friends in Grade 8 had mem-

orized Much Ado About Nothing, in its original form, cover to cover, for the year-end final exams.

An English medium schooling helped in cultivating a read habit, but some of my friends who went to Bengali medium schools had very similar reading predilections. A cross-pollination of influences occurred, as Satyajit Rai’s Feluda and several other short stories of modern Bengali writers found their way to my bookshelf.

Subsequently, the Anglo-American humanities experience during higher studies meant newer topics and subjects. A particular favorite of mine was “theory” or “critical theory,” a divisive approach to philosophy, often

tied to literary criticism but widely relevant for study of any human science. In SOAS, for instance, development studies courses taught students to apply theory to situate development in cultural contexts.

Looking back, as unknowingly as my own tryst with reading has unfolded, I am acutely aware of its benefits. In business, when I talk to different people, be it clients, senior colleagues, partners, although we do not necessarily bring up the topic of books we have read (although that happens too), it feels uniquely satisfying to be able to relate to people across a broad swath of society and culture.

Even in the most commercial of interactions, and I use com-

mercial in the strictest sense, often, knowing the history of a particular sector in relation to the business history of the country, has helped me close deals. To this end, books help far more than Wiki articles, as fond as I tend to be, of the latter.

Personally, while I do not lament social media’s usurpation of reading habits and replacement thereof with piecemeal stimuli, from fleeting Facebook updates to imprudent Dubsmash videos, I do wish there was an outlet for readers, and equally importantly, a way to popularize reading.

A smattering of bookshops still exist in Dhaka, and some people I know still carry paperback or hardcover books, but the absence

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of an outlet for readers, and the decline of reading as a pastime, is a problem, and not just a local one.

We, as a people, owe much to the reading habits of our predecessors, and the practical benefits of reading are uncountable. Then there are the examples of famous people made famous, in their own admission, by their reading habits. Warren Buffet once professed to reading 500 pages every day, explaining that knowledge builds up like compound interest. Also, worth remembering that Winston Churchill won his Nobel Prize in Literature and not Peace! l Sajid Amit is director of the Centre for Enterprise and Society at ULAB.

Oil industry is losing the burn of Asian demand

It’s not how much oil, but how much influence

n Reuters

n Andy Critchlow

After half a year of strong oil price rises, Asian crude demand is slowing and by some measures falling, and many market participants suspect it is not just a cyclical phenomenon, but also a product of more permanent structural changes.

With years of annual economic growth of 7-10% in China and similar recent figures from India, Asia-Pacific has overtaken the Americas to become the world’s biggest oil consuming region, accounting for almost 40% of global demand.

But an industry that has come to rely on Asia’s booming thirst for oil could soon be scratching around for growth.

Thomson Reuters Eikon data shows that Asian crude oil tanker imports have fallen, albeit from record levels, for four straight months and by 12% since March to around 82 million tonnes (20 million barrels per day), slightly below last year’s levels.

Much of the surprise decline is explained by conditions in China, the region’s biggest consumer, accounting for 27% of Asia-Pacific demand and 13% of global demand.

With its long-term growth outlook now camped perhaps permanently below 7%, most analysts expect vehicle sales in China will slow accordingly.

They have already slipped to 2.1 million at the end of May, down from a peak of almost 2.8 million in December 2015.

Refiners across Asia said that was starting to hit their business.

The United States has more oil than Saudi Arabia, says a new study by Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy. The size of American reserves, at 264 billion barrels, is around a fifth higher than what is estimated to be located in the desert kingdom.

That’s a surprise. But it’s also beside the point. Oil supremacy goes not to the one who has most, but the one who controls the price.

Reserves are an important measure for estimating future supply and the potential earnings of producers.

But they are only worth counting if they can be produced economically over time. Consider an extreme example: the backers of an oil discovery in southeast England known as the “Gatwick Gusher” claim it sits above 124 billion barrels. However, only a fraction of this crude may ever be sucked out of the ground because environmental restrictions – and the presence of a giant airport right next door – make it too expensive to take seriously.

Saudi – which is the world’s largest crude exporter – has a big advantage because its oil is cheap to produce and largely unregulated.

The same cannot be said about the United States, where the shale oil industry is being slowly asphyxiated by the collapse in oil prices over the last two years. Production in the United States has fallen by about 1 million barrels a day to 8.7 million barrels per day in May, when the price of crude averaged around $48 per barrel. By comparison, Saudi output has remained above 10 mil-

A worker walks past oil pipes at a refinery in Wuhan “Asian oil demand growth is slowing down. China, Asia’s largest market, is experiencing sluggish demand,” said a South Korean refiner.

As domestic refiners sell off surplus fuel, China’s exports of diesel and gasoline, the main refined fuels for industrial and passenger vehicles, have both soared.

“Asia refiners have already started to pull back ... and there are reports of (oil) cargoes struggling to sell,” said Adam Longson of Morgan Stanley this week in a note to clients, adding that demand in the third quarter could fall further.

Ship brokers say traders have started chartering supertankers to store supplies that consumers can’t absorb.

One key pillar of recent demand is never coming back. Analysts think China has nearly finished building its strategic petroleum reserves (SPR).

Oil analysts at JPMorgan esti-

REUTERS

mated in a note to clients last week that the SPR was now at 400 million barrels, which they believed was close to capacity.

“Our model suggests a 15% month-on-month decline in China’s crude oil net imports in September, or a loss of 1.2 million barrels versus August and 0.8 million barrels less from the 12-month average,” they said.

Efficiency savings

Structural changes in demand are not limited to China.

For Asia’s most developed oil markets, Japan and South Korea, analysts say long-term demand will steadily fall.

Japan’s oil consumption, once 6 million barrels per day (bpd) and 10% of global demand, has fallen to not much more than 3.5 million bpd, or under 5 percent of world consumption. It will fall further as government consolidates its refiners. l

lion barrels a day, and the kingdom says it has up to 2.5 million more it could add at any time. The ability to keep prices low means that Saudi effectively decides whose reserves are economically viable.

Saudi – which is the world’s largest crude exporter – has a big advantage because its oil is cheap to produce and largely unregulated In reality, guessing how much oil is out there is frustrated by Saudi’s scanty disclosure. The kingdom has measured its own oil holdings at around 260 billion barrels for decades. The rate of depletion of major fields such as Ghawar – its largest deposit – is unknown. Plans for an initial public offering (IPO) of a stake in state-owned producer Saudi Aramco may push Riyadh towards lifting the veil of secrecy around its oil industry, especially if the IPO includes Aramco’s upstream assets.

One day, if wells start to run dry and other energy sources haven’t taken crude oil’s place, who has how much of what will matter deeply. But until then, supremacy in oil reserves is less important than influence over prices. In this regard Saudi is still unchallenged.

Andy Critchlow is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist.

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UK launches bilateral trade talks for post-Brexit deal with India n Reuters Britain said it would start preliminary talks with India on Friday about an eventual bilateral trade deal after last month’s referendum vote to leave the European Union, which has forced London to rethink its trade ties with the rest of the world.

British Business Secretary Sajid Javid also said Britain would have as many as 300 trade specialists in place before the end of the year, up from about 100 now, as the country tries to increase its firepower to operate as a solo trading nation.

Britain has negotiated its trade deals through the EU for decades.

“Following the referendum result, my absolute priority is making

sure the UK has the tools it needs to continue to compete on the global stage,” Javid said in a statement “Over the coming months, I will be conducting similar meetings with other key trade partners, outlining the government’s vision for what the UK’s future trade relationship might look like,” he said.

Javid’s trip to New Delhi was likely to be followed in the coming months by discussions about trade with the United States, China, Japan and South Korea, the business ministry said.

London also appears to be keen to tighten its trade ties with China.

A source close to British finance minister George Osborne said he met senior officials from the world’s

second-largest economy in London on Thursday to discuss trade, agreeing to work to foster stronger ties between the two countries.

Britain’s decision to leave the EU at a referendum on June 23 has raised big questions about its future trading relationship with the rest of the bloc, which buys about 45% of British exports, and with other economies.

Brexit supporters have said that Britain will be able to strike a good deal with the EU and also reach agreements with other big economies more quickly on its own than as part of the 28-nation EU. For its part, the bloc has so far failed to do a deal with India.

Formal negotiations between

As sugar finds its sweet spot, investors ask for how long? n Reuters, New York After a four-year bear market, sugar has found its sweet spot.

Its steepest bull run in years has seen prices of US raw sugar, the global price benchmark, more than double in less than a year, making one of the smallest commodity markets one of the best performing so far this year, outpacing two of the biggest, gold and oil.

Investors who have ridden the market to 2012 highs, betting on expectations of dwindling supplies from key growers like India and Thailand, are now wondering how much higher prices can go, still awaiting a long-anticipated deficit.

“It’s uncertain how much further the run-up can go ... The upside may be limited to another 10 to 15%,” said David Martin, founder and managing member of Martin Fund Management LLC in New York which has $82m of assets under management.

He placed bullish options bets when sugar, currently over 20 cents a lb, broke through 17 cents in May, reversing a longstanding bearish position. He said he is now positioned neither bullish or bearish.

World demand is expected to exceed supply for the first time in six years this year as drought in India, the world’s second-largest grower, and unfavorable weather elsewhere in Asia threatens output.

But there is little sign yet of extreme nearby tightness to justify lofty prices above 20 cents, some say.

On Friday, data showing a drop in speculators’ net long position offered the first sign appetite may be waning. The meager 270-lot decline marked the first time hedge funds have scaled back the record bullish bet they have held since May, worth some $6 billion.

‘It’s uncertain how much further the run-up can go ...

The upside may be limited to another 10 to 15%’ “I imagine (a correction) could be quite violent,” said Doug King, chief investment officer of Merchant Commodity Fund in London. “There is no reason to believe the market could go to 25 cents.

We don’t have a shortage of sugar now.”

Still, some commodity trading advisors (CTAs) that typically rely on technical indicators see little in the charts to call an end to sugar’s sizzling run just yet.

Sameer Ahuja, founder and chief investment officer of Dera Capital Management in Harrison, New York, said he is watching for October futures to break a resistance at 21.25 cents, and then 24 cents, which would mark the highest since July 2012.

“We could be heading for levels seen in 2011,” he said.

Britain and countries such as India and the United States will have to wait for London to settle its future ties with the EU, something that is likely to take years.

India is by far the most populous nation in the 53-country Commonwealth, whose members are mostly former British colonies and represent a combined 2.2 billion people across the world.

Britain was the biggest foreign investor among the Group of 20 nations in India in 2015, while India represents the third-largest source of foreign direct investment in Britain, the British business ministry said in a statement.

Bilateral trade in goods and services last year was worth 16.55bn

pounds ($21.33bn), it said.

As one of the world’s biggest and fastest-growing developing economies, India has long been a target for rich countries. It has demanded significant visa concessions for its citizens to work abroad, a source of tension with the United States.

The leaders of Britain’s “Leave” campaign in the referendum said they wanted to allow more skilled, non-EU workers into the country under a new selective immigration policy. On its part, Britain is likely to push for more access to India’s financial services market.

Javid was due to meet Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Dramatic turnaround

For the CTAs that caught the runup early, sugar’s turnaround from seven-year lows around 10 cents per lb seen in August 2015 has been sweet.

Sol Waksman, president and founder of BarclayHedge Ltd, an Iowa-based firm that tracks CTA performances, said Martin’s was the best performer of the 51 agricultural funds he tracked through the end of May. Martin attributes that to exposure to sugar and coffee markets.

The fund was up 17.5% in the first five months of 2016, according to its website.

By any measure, June saw a spectacular rally as cash continued to pile into the market. Turnover for the month hit 3.74 million lots, worth 190 million tonnes of sugar, the third highest, according to records going back almost four decades, as prices hit their highest in almost four years.

Much now depends on top grower Brazil, where the harvest runs through December.

Martin said he is watching the premium of nearby futures over prices further out, an indication of supply concern. The premium of the second-month March contract over the third-month May spiked to a near five-year high this week.

“You could still put another three or four cents on this,” said Jobe Moss, a broker with MCM Inc in Lubbock, Texas, whose interest in sugar has been renewed amid this year’s rally. “(But) I’m not going to chase the market up right now.” l

BRAC Bank Limited has recently donated Tk 1.5cr to the prime minister’s relief and welfare fund, said a press release. The bank’s director, Dr Hafiz GA Siddiqi handed over a cheque to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard

Mutual Trust Bank Ltd has recently opened two agent-banking centres at Bagerhat and Momtaj Miar Hat in Feni Sadar, said a press release. The bank’s managing director and CEO, Anis A Khan was present on the occasion

Shah Cement Industries Limited has recently signed an agreement with Connecting Edge on Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover Branding, said a press release. AGM (accounts and finance) of Shah Cement, Kazi Asif Iqbal and Azad Hossain, director of Connecting Edge have signed the agreement

DT

16

Education

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

International degree in Asia/ Middle-East Monash University, Malaysia Located in the model town of Bandar Sunway, surrounded by the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, the Sunway Pyramid mall, the Sunway Medical Center and much more, this is the perfect balance between a college town and a bustling city. Kuala Lumpur is just 20-30 minutes away from Monash Malaysia by taxi. Sunway University College is a mere 10 minute walk from Monash while Taylors University is 10 minutes away by taxi. Therefore the area predominantly caters to international and local students alike.

Per year tuition costs for business or arts degrees are around $10,000, approximately a third of the cost in the Melbourne campus. This is truly a bargain as living costs in Malaysia are much cheaper than in Melbourne, making this a top choice for Bangladeshi students. Students at

n Jumana Abuwala Studying in an international university is an invaluable jewel to any resume. For entry level jobs, the university graduated from can be a huge factor that employers consider. However, not everyone wants to move to a different continent or spend a fortune on their undergraduate studies.

For your benefit, we have compiled a list of international universities with campuses in Asia and/or the Middle East that will allow you to have access to the best standards in education while being fairly close to home.

NYU Shanghai/Abu Dhabi New York University (NYU) now has campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. The staff is as diverse as the city itself, having been sourced from 49 countries. Given the fact that UAE is an expensive country in general, the costs are fairly high at $47,800 per year in fees.

The Shanghai campus on the other hand, is slightly cheaper with tuition fees priced at $46,000 per year. The living costs, however, are much cheaper, and the overall costs including meals, accommodation and travel would be about $10,000 cheaper for those at the Shanghai campus.

Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

This is an Emirati university that works in collaboration with the 760 year old French university in Paris. Located on the tech-savvy Al-Reem Island, this relatively small university with a student population of 700, is well on its way to achieving the standards of its main campus in France.

The tuition fees will set you back $50,600 for a three year degree.

University of Nottingham Malaysia/China University of Nottingham, originally a British university now boasts two campuses in Asia. The Malaysia campus is located in the Semenyih district and is less than two hours from Kuala Lumpur.

This scenic campus is best known for engineering courses but offers a plethora of courses at preuniversity, undergraduate and post-graduate levels. The per year tuition fee ranges from $9,000 to $15,000 depending on the degree.

The China campus is located in the city of Ningbo, which is a hybrid between a college town and a commercial city. This offers a truly unique experience for students at a tuition fee of $13,000.

Both campuses allow students to complete a portion of their studies at the Nottingham campus.

Texas A & M at Qatar Texas A & M University at Qatar is a branch of the same university in

For entry level jobs, the university graduated from can be a huge factor that employers consider

the US. Located in the ‘Education City’ of Al Rayyan, the campus offers undergraduate courses in engineering, most notably petroleum engineering which is especially relevant in the Qatar context. The university also offers liberal arts and science courses.

The entry requirements are the same as those in the US branch.

The tuition fees are at $14,000 per semester but everyone can apply for financial aid from the Qatar Foundation. The Education City is also home to a branch of Cornell, making this an interesting study environment that encourages learning and sharing of ideas.

this campus can go on exchange programs to Monash Melbourne for up to a semester, to Monash South Africa for up to a year, and to a Monash Arts center in Prato for up to a month for no added fees.

James Cook University Singapore James Cook University Singapore (JCU Singapore) is a branch of JCU in Australia. The university is ranked in the top four percent of universities in the world, making this a university of great standards.

JCU Singapore offers preuniversity courses in English

language and foundation programs for those who do not meet undergraduate entry requirements. The undergraduate and postgraduate degrees offered span across the fields of IT, psychology, environmental sciences, etc. The undergraduate tuition fees range from $48,000 to $58,700 depending on the course.

Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus This is a campus of the established Swinburne University of Technology in Australia and it operates in much the same way that Monash and Nottingham do – offering students easy mobility to the mother campus in Australia alongside providing access to their partner universities as well. This campus is located in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, in the Western region of Malaysia. A hub for tourists who want to experience the natural beauty and cultural diversity of Sarawak, Kuching is much cheaper in terms of living costs compared to KL and it’s suburbs. An undergrad degree in engineering will cost you only $8,500 per year for 4 years. This is definitely cheaper than Monash and other established universities in Asia of similar international repute.

Carnegie Mellon Qatar Another jewel of the ‘Education City’ of Al-Rayyan, Carnegie Mellon Qatar is a branch campus of the Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.

This is a fairly small campus with a student population of 400, perfect for those looking for a smaller yet reputed university. The school currently offers undergraduate courses in computer science, business, computational biology and a biological sciences degree that is the result of collaboration between Carnegie Mellon and the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. The tuition costs are the same in Pittsburgh and Doha.

However, all students are eligible for financial aid from the Qatar foundation.l

Article was published under special arrangement with www.grad-insights.com

What’s that smell?

17

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

were based on how the fast paced modern life keeps gets in the way of people’s personal hygiene.

Again preferring anonymity, a high school girl said, “I shower every alternate day as I have school and so may classes to attend afterwards. My days are too full.”

In fact, some people, especially the male candidates, confessed that they deliberately miss out shower sometimes to save time for other daily tasks. Most girls believe that getting ready for going out becomes more time consuming after shower as they have to use towel to dry themselves, blow-dry their hair and moisturize.

A snap survey into hygeine habits in the city

DT

Health

Clean enough This is ranked fourth in the list of reasons in order of popularity.

13% candidates opted for this option. Candidates in this category only take baths when they feel ‘a certain degree of dirty’. It could be two days or two weeks but they won’t take shower until their family members complain about them smelling like a dead horse.

A 21 year old said, “I only take showers after a gym session or on extremely hot days when I sweat very profusely.”

It’s a phobia Only two percent candidates said that taking shower can be very dangerous. “Being on a slippery

The neat freaks Only 13% of the candidates claimed to adhere to the tradition of showering regularly. Sharmin, a 19 year old, said, “It is a force of habit since childhood and no circumstances can drive me to skip a shower.”There are two different takes on why some people take frequent showers.

First, some people feel mentally calm and comfortable after some time under the running water. Second, according to Gurl. com, regular showering is most probably motivated by “societal pressure to be clean” instead of actually needing a shower.

If you fall under this category, good for you. However, keep your showers short (think about all the water you are wasting while people die of drought) and use minimal products while you are at it. Here’s what the dermatology experts have to say.

How often is too often There is no hard and fast rule about the number of showers to take every week. According to Professor Stephen Shumack, principal of St. George Dermatology University, you should only shower when you need it. This “need” depends on gender, climate, lifestyle, age and year old habits. Dr. Richard Gallo, dermatology chief at University of California, said that useful

Ablutophobia (from Latin ablutere ‘to wash off ”) is the persistent, abnormal and unwarranted fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning. This phobia is a situational specific phobia. Ablutophobia tends to be more common in children and females than in males

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

n Noor-E-Shahrin Given that our climate is a hot and humid one, and add to that the fact that Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities, you would think that those who can, would be taking multiple showers every day just to stay clean. A decade ago, you’d be forgiven for making that assumption. Do not be fooled by all those splashy soap ads. Daily showers/baths are slowly on the decline.

We recently conducted a survey of around 50 people of both sexes and aged between 15-40 to understand why, despite the grime and the heat, they opt out of the

daily showers. Here’s what we found.

The lethargy Life in this busy city means a lot of commitments in and outside of the house. When ranking the items on the to-do list according to priority, baths and showers tend to get slotted lower than many other tasks.

31% of the candidates in the survey said they are too lazy to go through the process every single day. Preferring anonymity, a candidate said, “I try to put a two days gap in between two shower sessions if I can help it. Tiring days outside make me lazy at home.”

The season decides Almost 25% candidates said their showering habits were based on the season, making this reason stand second in the list. A 27 year old lady said, “I take regular showers in the rainy season because germs spread more effectively those days, almost always in the sunny seasons, but very rarely in winter season as it’s cold.” Indeed, our body and mind listens to the voice of environment around us; it’s hard to fight.

Where’s the time?

Here’s our third most common reason for not taking regular shower. Around 16% responses

floor with metal taps around can cause many accidents,” said a 15 year old boy, “I myself fell down once and hurt my thigh badly in my tub.” We request all our readers to take this matter seriously and not experiment their dancing skills in their bath tubs. Singing skills, on the other hand, may be explored.

Ablutophobia (from Latin ablutere ‘to wash off ”) is the persistent, abnormal and unwarranted fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning. This phobia is a situational specific phobia.

Ablutophobia tends to be more common in children and females than in males.

bacteria in skin cells makes our skin immune to the harmful bacteria; showering too often with soap can dry our skin of this bacteria. Here’s good news for those who feel guilty about not taking regular shower.

Dr. Casey Carlos of Michigan said, “People don’t realise that skin does a pretty good job of cleaning itself.”

At the end of the day, it’s your mental and physical condition that should decide whether you need a shower or not. But, don’t stress yourself about this issue and don’t give others a hard time if they don’t take long bubble baths every single day. I mean, what are deodorants for! l

DT

18

Feature

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Blogs are better than press releases for startups

Photo: Bigstock

n Features Desk Startups make for great stories, and stories can help sell your product in an amazing way. People love stories, and especially those that they can connect to. Blogging is an amazing way to get your story to the right audiences and

help you get a great amount of exposure.

If you build an audience around your new blog, you basically get an earned media channel for instantly sharing your news with the most interested audiences. This doesn’t only include your journalist and bloggers, but your customers,

prospects, employees and all the other key audiences interested in your news.

Get the right voice Startups need to spread up its voice. A blog will indeed do that for you. You should pay particular attention to the last section of the post. Also, use your blog to gather

feedback and interaction.

Social media is for getting attention in order to drive traffic to your site. But a blog is more personal and intimate. As a startup, you can use blogs to explain your story and create a connection. To do so, it is very important for you to be honest and

authentic.

An authentic connection People connect to authentic stories. Many startups rely on press releases which really won’t give you that authenticity. Smart people know you are desperate for exposure, and won’t rely on your newspaper ravings to believe you.

Rather, a blog is where you can put your original stories, get reviews and feedbacks, will get you better customer connection.

Tell story with humor Through your blog, there are infinite opportunities to understand your audience and emphasise on the topic with them.

A press release would be very rigid in comparison. Whereas in your blog, you can (and should) use humor which works best to create empathy and understanding. This will help you to get more readers and connect better.

Save money It is very obvious that your press release will cost you, even more so in terms of time and effort.

As a startup, you need to think of getting most exposure within your budget. It’s true that you will have to pay people to write content for your blogs and maybe pitch certain stories. But if you do a good job in building your audience, the press request will eventually come to you, not the other way around. l

The top 3 things young entrepreneurs worry about n Features Desk It’s never easy to start a new business. Entrepreneurs with new business don’t have money or time to waste. As a result of this, they always carry on feeling the need to succeed at any cost, which results in consistent stress.

Here are some of the main issues that an entrepreneur usually stresses about. Knowing about them will hopefully help you to lighten your burden and tackle them better in the future.

Generating sales For any business, the ultimate aim is a growing client base or revenue, and for this, it is important for an entrepreneur to figure out ways to bring consistency in sales and growth of the business.

There is no definite sales

strategy. As a new business, most things you will do is trial and error.

The focus has to be working for the growth of the company and the way you will figure out and refine your strategies.

Differentiation It might seem really exciting to start something on your own, but you need to differentiate yourself from others. In this overly competitive, buyer-driven world, differentiation is a critical component to your sales puzzle and overall company strategy.

You need to figure out your differentiators and try to improve them. Rather than figuring out who you are, it’s better to list who you are not going to be.

It will guide you into maturing your business’s true differentiating factors.

Finding the right talent

Starting a business from scratch and taking it to a successful point requires the right talent. It is very important to fill in key roles and delegate responsibilities to the right person who would further build a foundation of growth for your company.

Finding the right person is hard, very hard. It’s just not about the resume and the interview, rather about the cultural fit, future growth potential, professional growth potential and personal interest.

The best advice for finding the right people is to take your time.

Although time is a luxury for the early birds, you should show some patience in this case for the betterment of your team, and eventually, your company. l

Photo: Bigstock Article printed under special arrangement with SD Asia

19

DT

Feature

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Project Trishna: Making clean drinking water available for all Are we aware of the processing of those water brands? Are we even bothered to have a look whether the “mineral” water is too old to consume or not? Not really. Our negligence has lead to different kind of diseases like diarrhea, chorea etc.

Now when the the entire society along with volunteers and private corporations, unite together as a whole and take strategies to make this world a better place to live in, we should make sure that our actions create a path towards achievement of our desires. This project will not only help people to lead a more prosperous life but also turn out to be effective to the vehicle controllers, pedestrians and rickshaw pullers etc as they will have access to their basic necessity.

I felt so contented the other day when I caught sight of a CNG driver being able to drink water from one of those filters, that waiting for 10 minutes for my car to arrive didn’t even make me feel impatient, instead enlightened me as I felt proud to be a part of the Footsteps’ family.

One of the massive problems the world is facing is starvation and having lack of water,

n Nusayba Iftekhar In a city that is constantly in motion, Dhaka thrives with the hard and strenuous labor of lower income groups. As the heat rises, and the temperature continues to reach record figures.

Poor pedestrians suffer from dehydration and heat stroke as they lack proper access to clean and affordable drinking water.

Rickshaw pullers, beggars and people from low income groups can barely afford to spend money on clean drinking water with the little income they have left after spending on food and shelter.

Footsteps organisation, a youth empowered social enterprise based in Dhaka, believes that creating free access to clean drinking water can provide an avenue for social development in a country ripe for development.

It is also a large step in the right direction in the fight against absolute poverty. Making drinking water more accessible will allow people to carry on with their lives so that they can dedicate their time and effort into activities that lead to more beneficial outcomes.

This means that once you take

your mind off from securing access to basic necessities for your family, you can then pay full attention towards improving your income and standard of living.

In one of Footsteps’ recent ventures, Project Trishna addresses a crucial social problem in our community - free access to clean drinking water. Using the platform of cultural social responsibility, the organisation has set up water filtration systems all over the city and by engaging numerous local and regional business entities in the project.

The organisation was successful in efficiently implementing this particular project.

It is a prime opportunity for local businesses to engage in cultural social responsibility and in the process, enhance their image.

Footsteps’ active volunteer base played a crucial role in engaging the business entities in Project Trishna. With around 30 water filtration systems in different locations of the city, the project is providing more than 1000 liters of free clean drinking water each day to mainly the urban poor of Dhaka.

Focusing on the urban evolution of a country like

Bangladesh, it should be noted that the public health of the citizens play a vital role which can help the country develop. Project Trishna therefore brings out one of the greatest solutions which can help to resist the power of different diseases from spreading out. It promotes public health by preventing people to drink contaminated water and spreading water based diseases. The installation of water filters located at different places all around Dhaka city, will enable the citizens to have access to clean water regardless of wherever they are leading to economic development of the country.

In addition, the platform of CSR allows private corporations to address this issue effectively.

The private corporations will be aware of the benefits of such water filters and therefore will be keen to invest on such projects leading to a sustainable development of country. Such private sector involvement will not only direct to greater investments but will also ensure that the water which is being filtered is absolutely pure and are serviced on a monthly basis.

Focusing on the urban evolution of a country like Bangladesh, it should be noted that the public health of the citizens play a vital role which can help the country develop

Being one of the volunteers, it can be stated that this project strives to bring a change to this nation and develop the community as a whole. It targets to build up a union where people will be able to comprehend the importance of having clean and hygienic water.

Nowadays, thirst leads to rapid purchase of any mineral water sold in grocery stores or mini marts.

especially occurring in third world countries like Somalia, Sudan etc.

One drop of water will equal to many liters of water to them, as they strive for a living.

Accordingly, being a citizen of a developing country, tackling with substantial world issue should be our prime objective, which is why I believe that this idea of installing clean water throughout the Dhaka city was absolutely incredible.l

DT

20 Editorial

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

TODAY

How Drishtipat saved me from brainwashing Growing up in Dhaka means we can all become Nibras. Our only chance of being anything different is when we are surrounded by love, intellect, forgiveness, and kindness PAGE 21

Are we prepared?

Not taking initiatives against the possibility of a mass casualty situation when the world is at a knife’s edge, with terrorist organisations threatening human existence and very successfully wiping out innocent victims with impunity, is not only callous, but frankly, an abomination PAGE 22

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The thin blue line

W ‘For you is your religion, and for me is my religion’ You are contributing in spreading the culture of intolerance when you don’t raise voice against their moral policing based on religion and nationality 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.

e must never forget that it is our brave law enforcers who are on the front-lines in the battle against terror, evidenced by the fact that two who died at Holey Artisan and two more in Sholakia, are among the dead.

It is they who stand between us and oblivion. They give their all, every day, rushing into harm’s way, without questioning and without fear. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

We must not forget that without them, the attacks at Holey Artisan and Sholakia could have and would have been a lot worse.

Not only that, but we should not forget that for every tragedy such as Holey, there remain dozens of other plots that are uncovered before they come to fruition. It is only the tireless work of the law enforcement authorities that has kept the danger of militancy at bay so far.

Our law enforcers come in for a lot of criticism, and much of it is deserved.

Are they perfect? By no means. Do they make mistakes? They unquestionably do. Is there much to be desired when it comes to police conduct? There can be no doubt, and we have never been shy about pointing this out.

Nevertheless, while all the above is true, it is also true that our law enforcement is manned by brave men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day. This is something we should recognise and appreciate.

They are under-manned, under-equipped, and under-trained, but this is not their fault, and no one should doubt their commitment to public safety. The hundreds of policemen slain in the line of duty fighting terror and violence over the past decades is ample testimony to their courage and conviction.

It is up to the government to give them the resources they need so they can do their job -- which is to keep the nation safe.

It is thus a national security imperative that they are provided with the funding and equipment needed so that they can keep doing their jobs to protect the public. When we go to sleep at night, we should remember that it is under the blanket of security that they provide.

It is a national security imperative that our law enforcers are provided with the funding and equipment needed so that they can keep doing their jobs to protect the public

DT

21

Opinion

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

How Drishtipat saved me from brainwashing Small steps can lead us away from destructive paths

Learning and awareness could save the withdrawn youth of today from radicalisation

BIGSTOCK

Growing up in Dhaka means we can all become Nibras. Our only chance of being anything different is when we are surrounded by love, intellect, forgiveness, and kindness

n Sabhanaz Rashid Diya

I

have been playing the narrative repeatedly inside my mind. Many have written to me asking what we can collectively do. What makes a boy pick up a gun instead of protecting his friends when facing death?

I am not a parent, but I can tell from my experiences while still gathering my thoughts.

The shaping of my political and religious identities started much like everyone else’s. A huzur would come to our house, we would memorize the Qur’an without understanding what it meant, and recite verses in public events in front of proud parents and teachers.

My parents had taught me to pray, never shamed me for not fasting, and took me to visit mosques, churches, and temples as children.

My family would only speak about politics in times of public service failures, and my school would avoid it completely, in spite of half my class being from political families.

In my early teens, I found a book in the British Council that discussed all the major religions in the world.

I was fascinated by the similarities. It was beautifully written, not thick or intimidating.

This got me interested enough to go and start reading about all the religions.

Of course, when I was growing

up, Facebook had just begun and it wasn’t the opinion pit as it is today. I had to read books. In my late teens, I made friends whose views were more religious in comparison with my moderate ones, and spending time with them made me realise that God is to be loved, not feared.

I had once accidentally walked into a Harkat-ul-Jihad workshop in my coaching center, and was surprised by the number of familiar faces there.

Of course, the discussion had nothing to do with suicide missions, rather some other interpretation of Islam. I wasn’t impressed -- they talked about punishment, not kindness.

This was around the same time I bumped into the writings of a group of Bangladeshi writers (people in Dhaka, and people in the diaspora) on a website called Drishtipat (aka Unheard Voices). I was inspired.

They wrote about current affairs, gave contrasting and constructive views on politics, connected history with the everyday, and had incredible depth which I hadn’t found anywhere before when it came to

Bangladeshi politics.

By then I was working in The Daily Star’s Rising Stars, and I had found a small but vocal bunch of people to share my ideas with.

When I look back, I realise how little things added up to make sure I walked out of a militant Islamist meeting.

The fact that my parents never shamed me about not fasting made me realise we always have a choice.

The fact that my friends told me about God’s forgiving nature made sure I chose praying as repentance rather than large, public actions The fact that I read books, and found writers I could admire on Bangladeshi politics, and not some imported ideas, made sure I wasn’t disengaged.

As the realisation dawns upon us, growing up in Dhaka means we can all become Nibras.

Our only chance of being anything different is when we are surrounded by love, intellect, forgiveness, and kindness. l Sabhanaz Rashid Diya (sabhanaz.rashid. diya@gmail.) is a journalist, social entrepreneur and MPP candidate at UC Berkeley.

DT

22

Opinion

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Are we prepared?

We need to have a better plan in place to respond to emergencies

Are our emergency services ready?

BIGSTOCK

Not taking initiatives against the possibility of a mass casualty situation when the world is at a knife’s edge, with terrorist organisations threatening human existence and very successfully wiping out innocent victims with impunity, is not only callous, but frankly, an abomination

n Raqibul Mohammad Anwar

J

uly 7, 2005: The morning was no different from any other July morning in London until the terrorists struck and unleashed their poisonous venom on the London public transportation system, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more. A similar terror attack of unparalleled brutality befell suburban Gulshan, almost exactly 11 years later, with over 20 dead and even more injured. The sheer horror, the barbarity of their act, the vicious cruelty demonstrated, and savage ritual execution only speaks of the descent of the devil himself on the peaceful pizzeria in Dhaka.

Prior to the 7/7 terror attack, the emergency services in London had spent many years in anticipation of such an attack, forming a coordinating body, London Resilience, in the wake of 9/11.

A major incident plan for London hospitals and emergency services were set up, safety measures, concrete blocks, dedicated emergency ambulances

including helicopter medical services all were strategically planned, implemented, and then hundreds of emergency medical staff participated in a simulated chemical attack on one of the underground train stations.

So, on 7/7, doctors were mobilised from all over the city to report to work and put their hospitals’ major incident plans into action. A smaller group of specially tasked doctors were mobilised by the Central Ambulance Control (the “gold doctors”) to attend at the scenes of the terror attacks. These doctors included members of London’s pool of “major incident officers” as well as members of the London Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

Though we in Bangladesh are an inescapable part of 21st century global geo-politics, we seem to be oblivious to the world around us, of the terror wave sweeping globally, threatening to destroy the very essence of humanity. So we have to broaden our horizon of understanding of world affairs, wake up to the reality that we are

not immune to this pestilence and be resolute in our preparedness.

This preparedness against terror attacks is to include a “Major Incident Plan” (MIP) in large cities, especially Dhaka, capable of coping with situations of mass casualty where the emergency medical resources, personnel, and equipment are likely to be overwhelmed by the number and severity of casualties.

This would require preparedness and involvement of disaster management authority at local, regional, and national levels.

The MIP should be based on looking at some of the specific challenges they present to health services and suggesting possible operational contingency measures as well as considering the coordination and communication aspects. An incident that produces mass casualties can significantly challenge any emergency health care system of any country.

Not taking initiatives against the possibility of a mass casualty situation when the world is at a knife’s edge, with terrorist organisations threatening human

existence and very successfully wiping out innocent victims with impunity, is not only callous but frankly an abomination.

Let society set the agenda rather than the events, as we have already been threatened by events and our knowledge and experience is thus urging us to be comprehensively prepared.

If an attack happens, no loss of human life cannot be guaranteed, but a well-prepared emergency medical system would without doubt minimise death and disability.

As soon as the crisis unfolds, the “major incident” should immediately be declared by the designated Central Control and all the hospitals within the MIP network be informed. For example, in Dhaka, the MIP should have the Central Control based in the most appropriate location.

The Central Control coordinates the arrival of the prehospital personnel with required equipment at the scene, directs the military, police, and paramilitary forces to rapidly and effectively keep clear approach roads to hospitals taking casualty, and ensures that the receiving hospitals are duly alerted and prepared.

Specially tasked doctors working with the ambulance services, should have the capability to provide immediate care of the individual patients with serious injuries. Others would be engaged in management at the scene of evacuating large numbers

of casualties to surrounding hospitals (Triage at the scene).

Once hospitals are alerted, all staff members of the hospitals should be called in. Patients already in the emergency department are either admitted to wards, or transferred or discharged home in order to clear the way for those injured in the major incident.

The terrorism we are facing may or may not have been born in Bangladesh, though on July 1, it is the terrorists born and bred in Bangladesh that committed the murders. The roots are in madrasas, schools, colleges, universities, and training camps. Indoctrination can happen thousands of miles away, or at home in the villages, in towns and in cities.

Emergency management in response to terrorist attacks has to incorporate working on mitigation.

Openness of the government, the education system, and awareness of citizens about vulnerability are also very important. Mitigation courses should be a part of the required curriculum at different levels of education.

Schools in Bangladesh should teach young people how to prepare, plan, and stay informed before and during emergencies.

They also have to teach the children how to find opportunities to help with community preparedness because children are not mere passive victims of the disasters; they may save many people’s lives if they are better informed about how they may prevent and what to do in times of disaster.

In the future, Bangladesh, due to its geo-political importance, is likely to face the threat of major disasters and attacks. Bangladesh government needs to be prepared to react effectively.

We have to have a “Major Incident Plan” and we do so on the basis of prediction not certainty. It is important to remember that in time of a disaster, the line between life and death is very thin. Rescue operations can be hampered by delays, communication failures, and tactical confusion mitigated only by advance planning that puts the right resources in the right places. l Professor Raqibul Mohammad Anwar is a Colorectal Surgeon at Bart’s and The Royal London Hospital, Ambassador and Convener of Examinations, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Colonel, UK Armed Forces (RAMC), and President and CEO of RAHETID (RA Hospital, Education and Training Institute Dhaka).

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‘For you is your religion, and for me is my religion’ Where is the multicultural and multi-religious Bangladesh we grew up in?

Are we all guilty of the horrendous attack that took place?

REUTERS

n Muktasree Chakma Sathi

I

am a thousand miles away from my home. I am at a place where, for the last four days, every non-Bangladeshi I have met has been asking me if I am okay or if I had lost any friend or relative in the horrible killing that happened in Dhaka on July 1 (one of the darkest night in many people’s lives, including mine).

I answered: “Though none of them was well-known to me, I am in pain. I feel like I have lost family members and close friends.”

I couldn’t gather the courage to say: “I am okay. I am fine.”

Because I am not.

Bangladesh is mine, though I belong in the minority -- sexwise, class-wise, ethnicity-wise.

The only way I can connect to my country is either by logging into social media, or scrolling across online news.

And all over my newsfeed and the news media is the horrible, heinous incident which happened in my home country, which once was globally known for its tolerant and welcoming citizens, and for its hospitality.

Yes, once. Not anymore. I am sorry if I offend anyone but please, at least now, let’s speak the truth.

Our denial has already crippled our country, people’s lives, and security.

Every explicit and implicit justification in relation to the killing and oppressing of minorities and secularist individuals is guilty for what

You are contributing in spreading the culture of intolerance when you don’t raise voice against their moral policing based on religion and nationality

happened on July 1.

And Bangladesh becoming intolerant, racist, and a nonsecular country didn’t happen in a single day. Minorities have been facing the wrath of extremism for a long time.

Many of you haven’t. Thus, many of you didn’t feel the pain until the night of July 1.

Did the night of July 1 hurt a lot? Why? Because 20 wonderful and promising people were killed?

Did it hurt the same when more than 20 people from minority sections were being killed and oppressed in other parts of Bangladesh? Or is it only now that you are shaken?

Because it happened in one of the posh areas which we all thought was comparatively safer than the areas where minorities’ livelihoods are based?

You might already know, but I want to highlight that even there, in the Gulshan incident, minorities were the prime target. Not the majority, in terms of religion and nationality. In order to explain further, I want to share two experiences.

I was traveling with my elder sister in the late 90s, during

Ramadan. At the Manikchari Police Check Post, the police stopped our bus for a regular check-up.

My sister was drinking water, and the police constable, who was about to get down from the bus, came back and asked in a certain tone and attitude: “Aren’t you a Muslim?”

My sister replied: “No.” In a harsher tone, he responded: “This is Ramadan. You shouldn’t be having any food or drink.”

My sister managed to answer: “I told you, we are not Muslim and we are not fasting. So we have the right to have food whenever we are hungry.”

We were shamed publicly for drinking water. We were not supposed to be thirsty and have water because it was Ramadan, even though we were not Muslim.

I wonder how many such moral police are around us nowadays who think it is a duty to shame and blame others who do not belong to his/her own faith?

Who thinks that it is okay to shut the minorities up, to make minorities fast in a way too, to force minorities to change their attire and food habits in

Bangladesh, because these attributes belong to the majority people’s religion? How many such people do you come across daily?

Few? My grandfather from my mother’s side was taken by the Pakistani occupational armies on March 25, 1971 when he was serving as a police officer in Comilla. For being a Bengali Hindu. My mother’s family never saw him again.

At that time, my mom and her family locked themselves inside their house so that it seemed that all of the family members had left.

So that they stayed alive.

Even with limited food, they remained alive. Because a Muslim imam never forgot to supply my mom’s family food through the tiny hole of their closed door.

My mom and her family stayed alive until the Liberation War ended in December 1971.

My mom has been trying to get the “martyr” status for my grandfather. A source in the government office said my grandfather won’t get the status unless my mom dishes out the bribe, and because he was a Hindu and Hindus can’t be shahid -- an

Islamic term given to martyrs.

Where is that Muslim Imam now? The one who helped a nonMuslim family when non-Muslims and non-Pakistanis were being executed. How many of such kindhearted humans do you actually know of nowadays? Many?

You ask yourself which type of people are more visible and dominant now in Bangladesh?

Who are you scared of? Do you speak against such force? You might not support what they are doing, but believe me, that is not enough. You are contributing in spreading the culture of intolerance when you don’t raise your voice against their moral policing based on religion and nationality.

Now, based on these questions, you decide, whether you and I are guilty for this Bangladesh or not.

I grew up in a multicultural and multi-religious environment.

Many days of my childhood, my dad made my siblings and I read pages out of the Holy Quran, the Tripitok, the Bible, and the Gita.

We celebrated Eid, Puja, Christmas, and almost every occasion that we came across, and we still do. And I am pretty sure our family is not the only one.

There are many families who grew up under a single culture, but stayed human, rather than claiming themselves better than others who do not belong to their religion or ethnicity. I am thankful to those kinds of friends and their families.

Sharing what one friend said after the night of July 1: “If they had asked me to recite a verse of the Holy Quran, as a deciding factor to kill me or not, I would have said: ‘Here is one for you -Lakum di nukum wal ya deen -- for you is your religion, and for me is my religion’.”

One can always find ways to spread hatred using religion, ideology, and nationality, especially when we fall divided in so many clusters. But we can also get together and help the world and ourselves in cultivating tolerance, peace, and love if we really want to. What do you want to do? l Muktasree Chakma Sathi is an activist, feminist, and researcher presently working with Minority Rights Group International and SANGAT, a South Asian Feminist Network. You can follow her on Twitter @SathiChakma.

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Murray roars to second Wimbledon title n AFP, London

TOP STORIES

Nepal friendlies cancelled Bangladesh Football Federation yesterday cancelled the two proposed friendlies against Nepal, scheduled for this Friday and Sunday. PAGE 25

Simmons bats with one pad, scores slowest T20 fifty

A never-before-seen sight in cricket is being seen at the currently ongoing Caribbean Premier League match between Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, where Patriots opener Lendl Simmons is going about his business with only one pad on. PAGE 26

SL hand Vithanage one-year ban for misconduct Sri Lanka Cricket have suspended Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of the game for one year after finding him guilty of misconduct and breaching the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct.

PAGE 27

Number 22 and still counting for Serena It was third time lucky for Serena Williams as she finally matched Steffi Graf’s record of 22 grand slam titles by beating Angelique Kerber to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown. PAGE 28

Andy Murray of Britain hits a return to Milos Raonic of Canada during the men’s singles final on the fourteenth day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London yesterday AP

Britain’s Andy Murray clinched a second Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam crown yesterday when he downed misfiring Milos Raonic of Canada 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2).

The 29-year-old world number two added the 2016 trophy to his 2013 triumph at the All England Club and his 2012 US Open breakthrough.

Appearing in his 11th final at the majors, but his first against an opponent other than Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, the Scot put on a Centre Court masterclass.

Murray buried his head in his towel and wept in the moments after victory.

Murray faced just two break points in the two hour 48 minute encounter while 25-year-old Raonic, who had clobbered 137 aces going into the final, managed just eight yesterday.

Victory for Murray helped make up for the disappointment of losing the Australian and French Open finals to Djokovic this year.

It also illustrated the master-stroke he pulled off in tempting Ivan Lendl back into his coaching corner.

Raonic was attempting to become the first Canadian to win a Slam title but he was thwarted by Murray’s tough-as-teak defence and inspired return game.

In the final analysis, his 29 unforced errors compared to Murray’s miserly 12 proved fatal in a match where serve was broken just once.

Victory preserved the iron-grip on the majors of the sport’s “Big Four” with Lleyton Hewitt the last man outside of Murray, Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal to win Wimbledon back in 2002.

Fittingly for such an occasion, the Centre Court Royal Box was packed with sporting and celebrity star power.

Prince William and wife Kate were joined by former champions Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg as well as Hollywood actors Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch and Hugh Grant.

Murray had won all four of the pair’s meetings in 2016, including the Australian Open semi-finals and in the final at Queen’s Club.

The second seed was unable to convert his first break point in the seventh game but deservedly edged ahead at 4-3.

In a rush of blood to the head, Raonic came to the net off a weak approach and Murray gleefully fired back the ball to induce the crucial error. l

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Nepal friendlies cancelled n Tribune Report Bangladesh Football Federation yesterday cancelled the two proposed friendlies against Nepal, scheduled for this Friday and Sunday.

BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag informed that the national team management committee didn’t approve the holding of the friendlies.

“The proposal for the friendlies actually came from Nepal’s side during the Eid holidays. Rough dates for the friendlies were initially set for July 15 and 17. But the national team management committee informed that they are not interested,” said Shohag before adding, “After long vacation of Eid, the team will get only threefour days for preparation following which holding the friendlies will not be fruitful. Rather, we can play friendlies with them (Nepal) before the Asian Cup qualifying play-offs against Bhutan. We sent a counter proposal to the All Nepal Football

Association.”

When asked if the current security situation in the country is a concern following the Gulshan terrorist attack on July 1, Shohag said, “No, not at all.”

Newly-appointed national team head coach Belgian Tom Saintfiet will arrive in the capital tomorrow to take charge of the side. The Belgian has already sent a 32-man preliminary squad last week, ahead of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifying play-offs against Bhutan in September-October.

The 32 national squad members have been asked to report at the BFF House tomorrow for a week-long training camp. Following the camp, the national players will return to their respective clubs as the Bangladesh Premier League is scheduled to get underway on July 24.

Youngsters Abdullah, Jafar Iqbal, Shakil Ahmed and Jewel Rana, who all shone in the recently-concluded Federation Cup, received call-ups in the 32-member squad. l

Abahani Limited’s national footballers Hemanta Vincent Biswas (L) and Wahed Ahmed (C) attend a club training session in the capital yesterday. Following the Eid holidays, the Sky Blues resumed training yesterday, ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League which begins on July 24 this year MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Cricket board rules out neutral venue n Minhaz Uddin Khan The Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury has ruled out the use of a neutral venue if England decide not to tour Bangladesh in October this year.

England captain Eoin Morgan last week raised security concern over Bangladesh following the terrorist attack in Dhaka earlier this month.

“We always believe that neutral venue is never a solution. Cricket cannot stop in a country. We will make our best effort to fulfil the Future Tours Programme commit-

ment,” said Nizamuddin yesterday.

He informed that the cricket operations committee of the BCB and the England and Wales Cricket Board are in constant communication over the upcoming series.

When asked about BCB’s stance following ECB raising security concern, Nizamuddin said: “We should have one thing in mind that security has become a global issue now.

It is not that the issue is persisting only in Bangladesh. You will find these occurrences in many leading countries in the world, in countries where they have barriers of securi-

ty. So this is not a special concern for us. But as we all know Bangladesh takes special security measures when we host a series or any tournament.

“The Bangladesh government and the security agencies like the police and Rapid Action Battalion gives out full support and we have very good record of hosting big events of the International Cricket Council. I hope the boards will consider these facts. There was some security concern when Bangladesh hosted the ICC Under-19 World Cup earlier this year but we got full sup-

port from the top level of the government and hosted the event successfully. I think I should mention that England had sent their U-19 team, despite the issues, and they had their full support towards us.

I hope the same will remain in the coming days.”

England are scheduled to reach Dhaka on September 30. During the month-long tour, England will play two Tests and three one-day internationals against hosts Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, despite security concerns in the past successfully

hosted bilateral series and also big ICC events. The latest was hosting the ICC U-19 World Cup in January this year where Cricket Australia had pulled out its U-19 team showing concern. But the BCB, backed by the government, hosted a successful event.

“We have a very good track record of hosting successful international events with the support from the government and the law enforcement departments. We believe we will get the same support in future for hosting cricket in the country,” said Nizamuddin. l

Ponting urges limits on bats n AFP

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has backed a call for size limits on bats ahead of an upcoming meeting of world cricket figures, as concerns about a glut in run-scoring grows.

Manufacturers have been producing thicker bats with larger “sweet spots” that do not feel as heavy as those wielded by power-hitters from past decades, but there are fears they give batsmen an advantage.

“I don’t mind it (big bats) for the shorter versions of the game,” Ponting told the Australian Cricket

Society’s annual dinner on Tuesday night, cricket.com.au reported.

“I would actually say you’ve got a bat you can use in Test cricket and a certain type of bat you can use in one-day cricket and T20 cricket.”

Ponting said the issue would be on the agenda at an upcoming Marylebone Cricket Club World Cricket Committee meeting. The MCC has overall global responsibility for cricket’s Laws or rules.

“The short forms of the game survive on boundaries – fours and sixes – whereas the Test game is being dominated too much now by batters because the game is a bit easier for them than it was,”

Ponting, who is a member of the MCC World Cricket Committee, added.

While there are limitations on bat length – when the lower portion of the handle is inserted it shall not be more than 38in/96.5cm – and width – 4.25in/10.8cm at its widest part – none currently exist on depth and weight.

Ponting said he did not blame players for using the bigger bats.

“If you are strong enough to use them that’s fine, but you should not get a bat that’s bigger in size than (India captain Mahendra Singh) Dhoni’s but a whole lot lighter,” he said. l

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Simmons bats with one pad, scores slowest T20 fifty n Agencies

Barcelona launch campaign backing sentenced Messi n Reuters

A never-before-seen sight in cricket is being seen at the currently ongoing Caribbean Premier League match between Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, where Patriots opener Lendl Simmons is going about his business with only one pad on. He forsook the services of one of his pads after the 12th over, going on to bat the last eight overs of the match in this unusual avatar.

Incidentally, he was also the highest scorer of his team, being run out on 50 in the last over of a very low scoring first innings. However, his 60-ball 50 is also the slowest known T20 half-century ever witnessed.

The Warriors have been set a target of 109 and are expected to chase it down without much worry. Chris Lynn has been in fantastic form for them, and Martin Guptill at the top of the order, as ever, is a volcano waiting to explode.

Adam Zampa was the star with the ball for the Warriors, with figures of 3/18, but the biggest talking point of the match has been Simmons’ inscrutable decision to drop one pad. As the 13th over started, Simmons was seen only with his left pad on. Stadium audiences did not know what to make of it, and TV audiences were equally dumbfounded.

Did Simmons do it to be able to be more mobile? Was it just a fashion statement? For now, a guess is all that can be made. l

Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud.

The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to “express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks.”

Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona.

“We want Leo to know that he is not alone,” the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com).

“All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate.”

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: “Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We’ll defend you to the end. Together forever!”

A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars.

Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned.

It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. l

Lendl Simmons of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots batting with one pad during Match 10 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League against Guyana Amazon Warriors at Guyana National Stadium in Providence, Guyana CRICINFO

Bielsa blames Lazio for shock exit n AFP

Marcelo Bielsa, who pulled out of coaching Lazio in a shock move just 48 hours after his appointment was announced, has blamed the club for his exit saying it had failed to sign a single player.

The intense Argentine, known as “El Loco” (the Madman), called Lazio boss Claudio Lotito overnight Thursday to say he had decided not to come to Rome after all, triggering threats of legal action from the Italian club and denials it had broken any promises.

In a curt letter to the Serie A club dated July 7 – which appeared in Argentine media on Saturday – Bielsa said: “It had been decided and made clear... that reinforcements were necessary, taking into account the departure of 18 players

from last season.

“It was agreed, as an essential condition to the implementation of the work programme, that we would sign at least four footballers before July 5, with the aim that they would participate in pre-season training.

“To this date, not one player has been signed. For my method of working we needed to have these players arrive in a timely manner to train.”

Bielsa also complained that Lazio announced he was to join the club knowing full well that the conditions he had demanded had not been met.

Bielsa, touted for the coaching role left open by Gerardo Martino at the Argentina national team, stressed in the letter that he had “no other work offer in hand”. l

Hattrick at 75: Pele set for third marriage after finding ‘love forever’ n Agencies Brazil football legend Pele is getting married tomorrow for the third time, tying the knot with his girlfriend of six years Marcia Cibele Aoki.

Pele, 75, told O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that this time, he has found “love forever.” Pele and Aoki met in New York in the 1980s but only started seeing each other in 2010, when they crossed paths in an elevator in Sao Paulo.

Aoki, a 42-year-old businesswoman, has been by the three-time world champion’s side for nearly all his public appearances since 2012, as well as during his repeated hospital visits in recent years.

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is held by many as being the greatest footballer in history. He scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches,

File picture of legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele appeared 91 times for Brazil between 1957 and 1971 and played his club

REUTERS

football for Brazil’s FC Santos as well as the New York Cosmos. l

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QUICK BYTES Spanish judge drops Neymar fraud case A Spanish judge on Friday dropped a fraud and corruption case against Brazilian superstar Neymar and his father in relation to the player’s 2013 transfer to Barcelona. However, the judge said that irregularities in the high-profile transfer were detected, but it was an issue for a civil court, not a criminal court to settle. The case was brought by the Brazilian investment fund DIS, former owners of the rights of the player, now 24 and who moved to the Camp Nou from Santos in his homeland.

AFP

Sneijder fights huge Galatasaray fine Galatasaray’s Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder was on Friday locked in a bitter conflict with the club after it reportedly ordered him to pay a fine of 2.3 million euros for picking up too many yellow cards. Sneijder, a favourite with the Istanbul crowds since arriving in 2013 at Galatasaray, returned for pre-season training on Thursday saying he was sad over the events but there was no question currently of him leaving the club.

AFP

Skrtel to join Fenerbahce from Liverpool Fenerbahce are set to sign the fiery Slovakian international defender Martin Skrtel on a free transfer from Liverpool, the Istanbul giants said on Friday. Last season’s Turkish runners-up said in a brief statement they were in advanced talks with Liverpool and the player, who made a strong showing in helping Slovakia to the last-16 at Euro 2016.

AFP

CSKA Moscow striker Musa joins champions Leicester Nigeria striker Ahmed Musa has joined Leicester City from CSKA Moscow on a four-year deal. The English Premier League champions did not disclose financial details but media reports estimated the transfer fee was 16 million pounds ($20.71 million), which would make him a club record signing.

REUTERS

DAY’S WATCH CRICKET STAR SPORTS 1 11:30PM Natwest T20 Blast 2016 Leicester v Nottinghamshire

Indian cricketer Lokesh Rahul plays a shot during the twoday tour match against WICB President’s XI squad at the Warner Park stadium in Basseterre, Saint Kitts on Saturday AFP

Unhappy anniversary leaves England rudderless n AFP England’s humiliating defeat by Iceland provided the sensation of Euro 2016 and left the team staggering into an uncertain future without a manager or a sense of direction.

A talented new generation of players spearheaded by Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane had raised hopes that England would mark the 50th anniversary of their 1966 World Cup win with a strong showing in France.

But after finishing second below Wales in Group B, they were dumped out in the last 16 by Iceland, population 330,000, extending their run without a semi-final appearance at a major tournament to 20 years.

The team and the Football Association faced withering criticism.

“The perennial problem (is that) when it gets to the business end of the tournament, England seem brittle,” said FA chief executive Martin Glenn.

“We need to understand why that is.”

On top of Glenn’s in-tray is the search for a new manager, after Roy Hodgson responded to the 2-1 loss to Iceland by immediately announcing his resignation in the Nice stadium press conference

room.

Glenn hinted that the job would be offered on an interim basis to England Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate, only for reports to emerge that the former Middlesbrough manager was not interested.

Other names touted include 38-year-old Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, one of the leading young coaches in the English Premier League.

Also mentioned are former England manager Glenn Hoddle, Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce, United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, former Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink and Arsene Wenger, whose contract with Arsenal expires next year.

England start their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign away to Slovakia on September 4, but Glenn says the FA is prepared to let an interim manager take on the role if it helps to land the right long-term successor to Hodgson.

In the meantime, the now familiar soul-searching that follows England’s elimination from major tournaments is in full swing.

Previously, England’s failures have been ascribed to fatigue caused by the lack of a mid-season break in English football or to the dwindling pool of home-grown players in the Premier League.

But those theories were blown out of the water by underdogs Wales, who reached the semi-finals with a squad of largely England-based players drawn from a far smaller reservoir of talent.

The post-mortem has also flagged up mental factors, with England’s accused of having fatal psychological flaws that only manifest themselves at major tournaments.

England captain Wayne Rooney confessed that the team struggled to plot their way through matches.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said the Premier League’s academy system and high wages had produced a generation of players who were simply “too soft”.

With Hodgson having selected England’s youngest tournament squad since the 1958 World Cup, there is plenty of raw material for his successor to work with.

But some senior players approach the World Cup qualifying campaign with question marks over their heads.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart was at fault for two goals in France, including the strike by Iceland’s Kolbeinn Sigthorsson that ultimately sealed England’s fate.

Rooney’s role, meanwhile, looks more uncertain than ever. l

SL hand Vithanage one-year ban for misconduct

n Reuters Sri Lanka Cricket have suspended Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of the game for one year after finding him guilty of misconduct and breaching the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct.

According to local media reports, the 25-year-old was involved in a late night public brawl in Colombo last month. This is the second disciplinary issue involving Vithanage in as many years.

In September 2014, the left-handed batsman, who last played for his country in January, was fined his full match fee and handed a “suspended sentence of one year” after leaving the team hotel overnight during a Test tour.

“The Disciplinary Committee was presented with written and oral evidence from witnesses to the incident in question and Vithanage was invited to present similar evidence in his defence,” the SLC said in a statement on Thursday. l

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Legend Graf hails ‘incredible’ Serena n AFP Steffi Graf hailed Serena Williams for an “incredible performance” in matching her long-standing Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam wins.

Williams won her seventh Wimbledon title with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Graf’s German compatriot Angelique Kerber at the All England Club on Saturday.

“What an incredible performance by Serena at Wimbledon,” Graf wrote on her Facebook page.

“Such a gift to all sport fans who get to continue to watch her add to an already amazing career #22!!!

“Also, well done to Angelique making Germany so proud with her talent and fighting spirit!”

Men’s world number one Novak Djokovic, who saw his title defence end in a third-round defeat to Sam Querrey, also tweeted his congratulations. “@serenawilliams loves being 22. So young and successful. Well done Rena!” tweeted Djokovic. l

Number 22 and still counting for Serena n Reuters

It was third time lucky for American Serena Williams as she finally matched Steffi Graf’s professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles by beating Angelique Kerber to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown on Saturday.

Top seed Williams was forced to play some of her best tennis by resolute Kerber in an engrossing Centre Court duel in which her formidable firepower proved decisive in a 7-5 6-3 over her German opponent.

Kerber had stopped Williams in the Australian Open final to win her first grand slam title and last month Spain’s Garbine Muguruza

also kept the 34-year-old waiting to equal Graf’s mark when she beat her in the French Open final.

Williams, who racked up grand slam number 21 against Muguruza at last year’s Wimbledon, also stumbled at the 2015 U.S. Open, losing to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals when a calendar year Grand Slam and Graf’s record loomed.

But this time Williams would not be denied.

To her great credit fourth seed Kerber used her skilful shot placement and scrambling ability to stay in contention throughout a fascinating match of contrasting styles.

But with the Williams serve at its destructive best there was only

TWITTER REACTION “Congratulations to the best ever! Serena Williams ! Amazing achievement.”

- Kim Clijsters “@serenawilliams v @AngeliqueKerber@Wimbledon Serena = champion!

Incredible effort. You’re a class act. #22.”

- Actor Hugh Jackman “Congratulations @serenawilliams! #legend #22.”

- US Open champion Flavia Pennetta “Bravo @serenawilliams, @pmouratoglou and all your staff ! Really happy for you, this is HUGE ! #trueinspiration#greatestchampion #22.”

- French player Alize Cornet “@serenawilliams #22 Legend.”

- Elena Vesnina, who lost to Williams in the semi-finals “Discipline, determination, work ethic, believe and will. Congrats to @ serenawilliams on getting #22 , truly amazing. Great @wimbledon and much respect for another great grand slam run from @angie.kerber.”

- Germany player Tommy Haas “Way to go @serenawilliams - you are a true champion. Proud of you!”

- Donald Trump “Huge congratulations to @serenawilliams on a majestic performance to take her 7th #Wimbledon title. Just amazing! A ture champion.”

- 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash

so much punishment the 28-yearold Kerber could absorb on a breezy Centre Court.

The end came quickly when the German was broken for the second time in the match in the seventh game of the second set and Williams roared to the title with a love game, sealing victory with a simple volley before collapsing to the turf.

Kerber warmly embraced Williams once the emotional American rose to her feet – saying later she had been beaten by a “great champion and a great person”.

Williams won 38 of 43 points on her first serve and faced only one break point, at 3-3 in the second set, which she saved with one of

the 13 aces she delivered.

Kerber reached the final without conceding a set and scuppered hopes of a first all-Williams grand slam final since 2009 when beating Venus in the semis.

With a stunning win against Serena in Melbourne, the German walked on court full of belief winning the opening point with a cleanly struck forehand.

Williams, patrolling her baseline with menace, bit into the Kerber serve in the second game but failed to convert any of the three break points she had.

An intense scrap developed from then on as Williams attacked incessantly and Kerber bravely

Kerber: I was helpless n AFP

Defeated Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber admitted she was helpless to prevent the Serena Williams onslaught which powered the American to a seventh Wimbledon and record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title.

The fourth seed, bidding to become the first German to win the Wimbledon crown since Steffi Graf in 1996, slipped to a battling 7-5, 6-3 loss in one of the better All England Club finals in recent years.

“This is how Serena is playing. I had one break point, and I couldn’t do nothing,” said Kerber, who had defeated Williams for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian

Open in January.

“I was trying to be tough, to stay in the match, trying to fight until the last point.

“But Serena was the one who won the match. I played my best, did what I could. At the end, she deserved it.

“I think I played what I could today. Serena was serving unbelievable. I tried everything,” said the 28-year-old, who had not lost a set at the tournament before Saturday.

Kerber had knocked out fivetime champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals.

“She really played unbelievable. I think we played on a really high level.

I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match.” l

traded blows.

Williams bent double and pumped both fists when winning a long rally on serve at 3-3 as Kerber briefly threatened. She was also taken to deuce on serve at 4-4 and 30-30 at 5-5, yelling “C’mon!!” as she kept her nose in front.

Having coped with the heavy artillery heading her way, Kerber’s downfall was self-inflicted as two poor errors opened the door for Williams to take the opener.

Serena returned to Centre Court later to claim a sixth Wimbledon women’s doubles title with Venus against fifth seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova. All in all, not a bad day’s work. l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Refuse of grain (4) 5 Wooden shoe (4) 10 Summit (4) 11 Period of time (3) 12 Wish wrongfully (5) 13 Inferior horse (3) 14 Rendezvous (5) 16 Unmarried (6) 18 Attempt (6) 21 Company of lions (5) 24 Attacks (5) 25 Sheltered side (4) 26 Lyric poem (3) 27 Bloom vessel (4) 28 Water hole (4) 29 Paradise (4)

DOWN 2 Bird (5) 3 Copy (3) 4 Stung with annoyance (7) 6 Camera part (4) 7 Public speaker (6) 8 Joke (3) 9 Book of the Bible (4) 15 Arbitrator (7) 17 Obstruct (6) 19 Sheeplike (5) 20 Examine (4) 22 Scottish dance (4) 23 Depressed (3) 25 Help (3)

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29

Downtime

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 2 represents H so fill H every time the figure 2 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

DT

30

Showtime

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Amitabh Reza’s new TV drama

n Showtime Desk In the last two years, audiences have missed Amitav Reza Chowdhury on the small screen.

Apparently, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury was busy on making his debut big screen venture Aynabaji, and thus refrained from making anything for TV, apart from the TV commercials of course.

The talented director ended the hiatus by making a single

epsode TV drama this time around. The drama titled Shesh Adda stars Intekhab Dinar, Bijori Borkatullah, Adnan Faruque Hillol, Saju Khadem and Neville, as five friends. The drama will be aired on NTV on July 13 at 8:05pm.

The story chronicles the lives of five friends who met after 20 years. They travel together to a resort located far from the city.

Seemingly, their feelings and emotions have changes as the

Kate Hudson reunites with Matt Bellamy

n Showtime Desk Kate Hudson and ex-fiancé Matt Bellamy reunited for their son Bing’s fifth birthday on Saturday, July 9, and they celebrated in the coolest way ever. The trio, plus Hudson’s firstborn, Ryder Robinson, 12, headed to the Palace Theatre in London to see the new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play.

“Happy Bday Bing!!! #harrypotterandthecursedchild @katehudson xxx,” Bellamy,

38, captioned an Instagram photo of the family posing in front of a poster for the two-part West End stage play, which is currently in previews and officially opens on July 30.

The Muse singer and Hudson, 37, also treated Bing to a Star Wars BB-8 toy and an epic Tony Hawk skateboard cake.

The Almost Famous actress shared a series of videos on her Snapchat account of the family playing with the toy, one of which she captioned, “When parents get excited about their kids toys!”

Earlier in the day, Hudson posted an adorable Instagram shot of herself and Bing cuddling up in bed. “And with a snap of my fingers, five years flew by,” she wrote. “Happy birthday Bingo #MorningSnuggle #5YearsOldToday.” l

time passes. Everything related to them have changed as well.

However, they figure out this meeting could be the last of its kind.

The incidents, both the joyous and melancholy, taking place in their lives depict their love stories as well.

Talking about her role in the drama, Bijori, who played a woman named Meera, said: “We (the actors) are friends in real life.

We enjoyed working in the TV drama as we got together after a long time. We acted in the drama causually, as if we are in a real life adda,” she added.

Bijori, who earlier modelled in several TVCs directed by Amitav Reza Chowdhury and made a guest appearance in Aynabaji, played for the first time in a TV drama directed by Chowdhury.

She mentioned the director as her husband and Intekhab Dinar’s “good friend.”

The shooting of the drama took place in Gazipur and Dhaka in early July. Lastly, Amitav Reza Chowdhury directed a TV drama named Surface in 2014, played

by Shahed and Sanjeeda Preeti in lead. l

Cineplex arrives in Cox’s Bazar n Showtime Desk From Eid-Ul-Fitr, July 7, 2016 Star Cineplex, the country’s first multiplex cinema halls, has extended its service to Cox’s Bazar.

Star Cineplex has opened a brand new hall at Hotel Sayman Hotel in Cox’s Bazar, jointly developed by both parties.

The new hall is offering stateof-the-art technologies including

Shruti on the hunt n Showtime Desk

The Singam franchise is quite popular in the South and we expect this film to be quite an interesting watch. Vivekh was also supposed to be a part of the film, but because he didn’t have a meaty role, he declined to sign on board S3. A new cast joined Suriya and the film was shot in Andhra Pradesh.

Actress Shruti Haasan, who is currently shooting for Suriyastarrer Singam 3 (aka S3) in Vishakhapatnam, reportedly plays a journalist in the film. As a source from the film’s set revealed to IANS, “Shruti plays Vidya, a journalist who helps Suriya crack a big case. By working together, they bring down the empire of the antagonist.”

Shruti will shoot for S3 till the end of the month before returning to the sets of her father Kamal Haasan‘s trilingual film, Sabash Naidu. Directed by Hari, S3 is the third installment in the Singam franchise, and it also stars Anushka Shetty among a battalion of supporting actors. Suriya dons khaki yet again in the film, which contains music composed by Harris Jayaraj.

The film is set to release this Diwali and may clash with Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay.

While there won’t be much effect down South, the film might lose some money in the other key cities due to this clash. l

Dolby Sound System and 2K Digital Projection System. “With a seating arrangement for 200, this multiplex will be another popular hub of tourists,” informs an official from the Cineplex.

The new movie theatre has started its journey on Eid day through the screening of three latest Hollywood films: “The Conjuring 2,” “The Legend of Tarzan,” and “The Jungle Book.”l

David Gilmour returns to Pompeii

31

MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Deepika says yes n Showtime Desk The “Bajirao” Ranveer Singh had more than one reason to celebrate last Wednesday, his birthday, when he got “unofficially” engaged to his rumoured girlfriend Deepika Padukone.

The news comes from a report published on the Indian Express.

It says, amid zero formalities, the two stars got unofficially engaged in the presence of their parents on the sames day.

However, both of them sought more time to settle down with their respective careers before marriage.

Neither Ranveer nor Deepika

n Showtime Desk On Thursday, David Gilmour played in Pompeii for the first time since Pink Floyd’s legendary 1972 concert film. The guitarist made his return to the Roman Amphitheatre after 45 years.

It was the first-ever rock show to take place in front of an audience at the Amphitheatre, and it was a milestone, too, for Gilmour, considering he handn’t played there since he and his Pink Floyd bandmates shot the 1972 cult-hit concert film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, which director Adrian

Maben once described as an “antiWoodstock” picture.

At his Pompeii show, which was recorded for a future concert film, Gilmour included a couple of rarely played early ’70s Pink Floyd songs in his set, all in honour of the occasion. It included “One of These Days,” a 1971 tune that appeared in Live in Pompeii; and the Dark Side of the Moon tune “The Great Gig in the Sky,” which he hadn’t performed live since 2006.

After a few tracks, Gilmour addressed the crowd saying, “Grazie mille (thank you so much)…It’s lovely to be back here

has confirmed the news yet.

When asked about the matter, Ranveer’s representative said “no comments.”

At the ceremony of the 17th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards held this year, the two stars became the center of attraction for their public display of affection.

Deepika, who won in the category of best actress for playing titular role in Piku, threw flying kisses and showed Ranveer heart sign at the end of her performance. Ranveer was awarded as the best actor for his spectacular performance in Bajirao Mastani. l

in this beautiful place after all these years, amongst all you people and all these ghosts, ancient and recent.”

The rest of the show featured songs Gilmour has been performing regularly during his current tour, including plenty of tunes from his latest solo album, 2015’s Rattle That Lock, and a few cuts from his 2006 release, On an Island.

Filling out the set were various Pink Floyd classics and deep cuts, including “Wish You Were Here,” “Money,” “High Hopes,” “Fat Old Sun,” “Run Like Hell,” and “Comfortably Numb.”l

WHAT TO WATCH

Horrible Bosses HBO 6:00pm Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realise they are standing in the way of their happiness.

Cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Steve Wiebe, Kevin Spacey

Captain America: The First Avenger Star Movies 7:00pm Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a “Super-Soldier serum”. But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a war monger and a terrorist organisation.

Cast: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan

Constantine WB 3:30pm Supernatural detective John Constantine helps a detective prove her sisters death was not a suicide, but something more.

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Djimon Hounsou, Max Baker

DT

Showtime

Spider-Man WB 9:30pm When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J. K. Simmons The Expendables 2 Zee Studio 11:30pm Mr Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat.

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016

Back Page

GLOBAL APPAREL RETAILERS KEEN TO SEE SECURITY STEPS IN BANGLADESH PAGE 12

MURRAY ROARS TO SECOND WIMBLEDON TITLE PAGE 24

Ronaldo’s Portugal seal first-ever title n Agencies Portugal have won Euro 2016 after Eder’s superb extra-time strike gave them a 1-0 victory over hosts France in Paris, despite Cristiano Ronaldo coming injured in the first half.

Substitute Eder, who came on as a late second-half replacement for Renato Sanches, struck low into the bottom corner past Hugo Lloris from 25 yards to hand Portugal their first-ever major tournament crown in dramatic fashion.

The sight of Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo in tears after being substituted with a knee injury was undoubtedly the key moment from a tame first half in Paris, though the majority of half-chances fell to France.

In the second half, unmarked Antoine Griezmann’s glancing header went just over the bar from close range, before substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac hit the post in stoppage time.

Portugal had the better chances in extra-time before Eder’s stunning winner, and the victory also means Fernando Santos’ side ended a 41-year winless streak against the French, which included the infamous 1984 European Championship semi-final defeat in Marseille. l

Portugal’s forward Eder kicks the ball to score during the Euro 2016 final against France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris yesterday while a tearful Cristiano Ronaldo (Inset) is barely able to control his emotions following the match-winning goal AFP

Laden’s son vows to Sydney Schanberg, NYT journo avenge father’s murder who covered Liberation War, dies n Reuters, Dubai

The son of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has threatened revenge against the US for assassinating his father, according to an audio message posted online.

Hamza bin Laden promised to continue the global militant group’s fight against the US and its allies in the 21-minute speech entitled “We Are All Osama,” according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

“We will continue striking you and targeting you in your country and abroad in response to your oppression of the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and the rest of the Muslim lands that did not survive your oppression,” Hamza said.

“As for the revenge by the Islamic nation for Sheikh Osama, may Allah have mercy on him, it is not revenge for Osama the person but it is revenge for those who defended Islam.”

Osama bin Laden was killed at his Pakistani hideout by US commandos in 2011 in a major blow to the militant group which carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Documents recovered from bin Laden’s compound and published by the US last year alleged that his aides tried to reunite the militant leader with Hamza, who had been held under house arrest in Iran.

Hamza, now in his mid-twenties, was at his father’s side in Afghanistan before the 9/11 attacks and spent time with him in Pakistan after the US-led invasion pushed much of al-Qaeda’s senior leadership there, according to the Brookings Institution.

Introduced by the organisation’s new chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in an audio message last year, Hamza provides a younger voice for the group whose ageing leaders have struggled to inspire militants around the world galvanized by Islamic State. l

n Tribune Desk

Sydney H Schanberg, the New York Times correspondent who was among the first foreign journalists to break the news of the 1971 Bangladesh genocide committed by the Pakistani occupation army to the world, died on Saturday in New York.

He was 82.

Schanberg worked for the Times for 26 years and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for reporting the fall of Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge, which inspired the Oscar-winning 1984 film “The Killing Fields.”

Schanberg died in Poughkeepsie after a heart attack earlier in the week. His death was confirmed by Charles Kaiser, a friend and former Times reporter, the New York Times reported.

His Cambodian colleague, photojournalist Dith Pran, was a refugee and survivor of the Cambodia

‘Killing Fields’

genocide whose ordeal inspired Schanberg’s work.

In 1980, Schanberg described Dith Pran’s ordeal of torture and starvation at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in a magazine article, and later a book called “The Death and Life of Dith Pran.”

Besides Pulitzer, Schanberg won the George Folk Award for excellence in journalism twice – in 1971 and 1974 – and numerous other awards.

In 1975, Schanberg and Dith Pran ignored directives from Times editors to evacuate and stayed in Cambodia as almost all Western diplomats and journalists fled.

Both were seized by the Khmer Rouge and threatened with death.

Dith Pran’s pleas saved Schanberg’s life. The pair took refuge in the French Embassy but Dith Pran was forced to leave and was sent into the countryside.

Two weeks later Schanberg was evacuated by truck to Thailand.

Dith Pran eventually managed to escape to Thailand and died in 2008.

It was he who coined the term “killing fields.”

The Khmer Rouge was the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, during which it was responsible for one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century. The genocide claimed the lives of more than a million people – some estimates say up to 2.5 million. l

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