25 July, 2016

Page 1

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2016

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Shraban 10, 1423, Shawwal 19, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 89

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

Flood worsens in the north n Tribune Desk Flooding in Bangladesh’s northern districts has worsened, with continued rain and overflowing rivers leaving villages marooned without food and basic amenities, our local correspondents have reported. At least two people have gone missing in the flood. Marooned flood victims are facing a severe crisis of food, drinking water and shelter. Crop and fisheries have been destroyed.

Jamalpur

Water level of the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna continued to rise due to incessant rain and onrush from the upstream in Jamalpur district. The Jamuna was flowing 47cm above the danger line at Bahadurabad Ghat yesterday, said Naba Kumar Chowdhury, executive engineer of Jamalpur Water Development Board. A total of 18 unions in four upazilas namely Dewanganj, Islampur, Melandaho and Madarganj have been flooded, leaving more than 100,000 people in miseries, our correspondent reported. People were facing scarcity of food and safe drinking water in the affected villages. Seedbeds and seasonal crops are being damaged due to the flood water.

Sunamganj

Incessant rain and onrush from the upstream has worsened the flood

A crowd gathers near a culvert in Nabinagar area of Sunamganj town after a boy goes missing in the flood water yesterday near the drainpipe situation in Sunamganj. The Surma was flowing 89cm above the danger line yesterday, according to the Water Development Board. Fishes of more than three hundred ponds in four upazilas had been washed away by the flood,

according to the district fisheries office. It has caused a loss of Tk10 crore. Sunamganj Directorate of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said around 350 hectares of Aush and Aman paddy field in the district had been damaged. Besides, sea-

sonal crops in 100 hectares of land have also been destroyed due to the flood. People were marooned in many villages, especially, in the low-lying areas of Tahirpur, Biswambharpur, Doara Bazar, Jamalganj and Sadar upazilas, as most of the village

NEWS COMMENTARY

An action plan to combat extremism in Bangladesh n Faiz Sobhan While the Bangladesh government has, in the past few years, achieved considerable success at disrupting extremist groups and keeping them on the run, the reality is that these groups have spent the past few years regrouping and have continued their activities unabated, constantly finding new ways and means to thrive and survive. The factors that enable these groups to function revolve around a local network of supporters and trainers, their particular brand of ideology, religious and political, and sources of funding. The government along with relevant stakeholders – including

civil society, the media, the private sector, religious clerics, public and private schools, state-run madrasas, colleges, universities, students and youth in general – must, without delay, take steps to counter the threat of extremism.

Among the key measures should be: Developing, first and foremost, a mass awareness campaign about the dangers of extremism and how it goes against the basic tenets of Islam. In order to gain traction, this drive must target all sectors of society. Drafting a national strategy to prevent and counter violent extremism. Such a strategy should have a strong

emphasis on recognizing and curbing early signs of radicalization by focusing on the role of families, in particular, mothers and women in general, as well as civil society at all levels, the private sector, clerics, educational institutions and the media. Furthermore, the strategy should enlist cooperation through educational campaigns, culture and sports events, and even by utilizing well-known personalities such as sporting figures, musicians, literary figures and others. Developing a dedicated National Counter Terrorism Agency - a supranational body under which various counter-terrorism bureaus and agencies would operate. Such national agencies or bodies exist

in a number of countries including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa.Having such a national agency would strengthen coordination between the various law enforcement and intelligence agencies fighting terrorism. Strengthening the training and capacity of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including improving human intelligence and real-time intelligence sharing between agencies. Designing a “deradicalisation” programme for the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremists into society, as well as addressing the growing problem of radicalization of youth (from all socio-economic backgrounds) and  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

DHAKA TRIBUNE

roads were under the flood water. Meanwhile, a boy went missing in the flood water in Nabinagar area of Sunamganj town yesterday. Sharafat Ali, son of Almas Ali and Hasu Begum of Surma union, was a student of class five, said  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Police: Gulshan terror attack mystery solved n Arifur Rahman Rabbi The Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief yesterday claimed that they had identified the masterminds behind the July 1 Holey Artisan terror attack and they would be arrested soon. “We have solved the Holey Artisan Bakery attack. Now it is a matter of time to arrest the planners. We have quizzed a number of persons and got enough evidence on how they carried out the attack,” DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told reporters at his office. He also said that the law enforcement and intelligence agencies  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3


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