August 10, 2016 by DhakaTribune

SECOND EDITION

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Shraban 26, 1423, Zilqad 6, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 105

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

DhakaTribune

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Shraban 26, 1423, Zilqad 6, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 105

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

Wife: Hasnat was used as a shield n Arifur Rahman Rabbi

500 YELLOW-COLOURED RICKSHAWS IN DIPLOMATIC ZONE Niketon 50 rickshaws Uniform orange and lemon Rickshaw fare:

Gulshan 200 rickshaws Uniform orange and grey

Baridhara 50 rickshaws Uniform yellow

Banani 200 rickshaws Uniform yellow

Minimum Tk15 Maximum Tk50

New yellow-hooded rickshaws authorised for Dhaka’s Gulshan area are lined up on a road yesterday as they get final touches before being introduced today. Each rickshaw will have fare charts attached on their back DHAKA TRIBUNE

Diplomatic zone gets special rickshaws, buses n Shohel Mamun A new fleet of 30 air-conditioned buses and 500 rickshaws will hit the streets in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone from today as part of beefed up security measures in the area that witnessed Bangladesh’s worst terror attack last month. Along with security concerns, bringing discipline into the transport system of the diplomatic zone is also an area of concern behind introduction of the system. Once the new services are introduced, the area will be off limits to other modes of public transport. Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq will inaugurate the services at the Gulshan Police Plaza, DNCC Executive Engineer Khandakar Mahbub Alam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. Security has been tightened in Gulshan area since 24 people, mostly foreigners, were killed by terrorists on July 1 at an upmarket

restaurant located at the heart of Dhaka’s diplomatic zone. The plan for the new area-exclusive transportation services was chalked out when four hous-

exact amount of money needed could not be known. Earlier, the DMP had identified seven security loopholes in the diplomatic zone including movement of rickshaws.

Selected rickshaw pullers have been trained on security scenarios so that they may act as police informants as well

Rickshaw pullers to work as police informants

ing societies – Niketon, Gulshan, Baridhara and Banani – sat with Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Dhaka North City Corporation to come with security strengthening measures. The four societies are funding their own rickshaws. However, the

As many as 1,500 rickshaw pullers will be engaged in three shifts round the clock, said DNCC's Khandakar Mahbub. The local housing society members said the selected 1,500 have been trained on security systems so that they can also act as police informants. Personal information of all the rickshaw pullers have been kept by the DMP. “For any kind of crime, transport is a major factor. So, if the rickshaw pullers can see any occurrence happening, they can inform the police. In such a way, they will act as informer of the police on crime events,” said Shamsul Arefin,

member secretary of a coordinated committee that deals with issues of the four societies. The rickshaw pullers will have unique coloured uniform based on their area of operation. For Niketon, the uniform colour is a combination of orange and lemon, while it is orange and grey for Gulshan. Although rickshaw pullers of both Banani and Baridhara have to wear yellow uniforms, the dresses must include logos of the respective housing societies.

Yellow rickshaws

Every single rickshaw operating in the areas, now coloured in yellow, will have retro-reflective number plates so that those can be identified easily through CCTV cameras, said Shamsul Arefin. No rickshaws other than the yellow coloured ones will be allowed to ply in the diplomatic zone. Number plate detectors were  PAGE 4 COLUMN 1

Gulshan terror attack suspect Hasnat Reza Karim, now in remand, was used by the attackers as a human shield, his wife Sharmina Parveen has claimed. When the attackers found that Hasnat was in the Holey Artisan Bakery with his family, they chose him to do different tasks as the attackers knew Hasnat would not abandon his family in any situation, she said in a media statement yesterday. Parveen, who went to the Spanish cafe with Hasnat and two children, also said that they would continue to cooperate with the police in their investigation to speed up his release. She said that they had gone to the restaurant that evening to celebrate their daughter's 13th birthday. “The children are Hasnat's life and he will never put us in danger. Once the attackers found out that we were Hasnat's family, they took advantage of it. They knew he will not abandon us. That is why they chose him to carry out several  PAGE 4 COLUMN 4

BSF kills one on Kurigram border n Ariful Islam, Kurigram Indian Border Security Force has reportedly killed a Bangladeshi national on Khetab Char border under Raumari upazila of Kurigram district. The incident took place early Wednesday. Raumari police station Officerin-Charge ABM Sajedul Islam confirmed it to the Dhaka Tribune saying that the body of Nurul Amin, 32, son of Muksed Ali from Khetab Char village, was sent to the district hospital morgue for autopsy. Protesting the killing Border Guard Bangladesh’s Datvanga Outpost Company Commander Abdul Aziz sent a letter to the BSF camp concerned urging a flag meeting. According to BGB and locals, a BSF patrol team from India’s Dweepchar camp opened fire at Nurul Amin around 3am when he along with three others tried to smuggle cattle into Bangladesh from the country. However, Nurul managed to reach his residence with bullet wounds on his neck and died of injuries an hour later. l

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Jessore to receive justice today

Indian envoy meets BNP chief

n Ashif Islam Shaon

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla met BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday in a courtesy call and discussed bilateral issues and the situation in Bangladesh, among other things. This is the high commissioner’s first meeting with Khaleda Zia since he took office in January. At the meeting the BNP chief’s Gulshan office, Harsh Vardhan told her that terrorism and extremism are major impediments to peace and development in the region. “India condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and there can be no justification for

The war crimes tribunal will deliver today its judgement in the case against eight suspects, including former Jamaat-e-Islami MP from Jessore Sakhawat Hossain. Apart from Sakhawat, who is now the religious affairs secretary of Jatiya Party, the other accused are his associates Md Billal Hossain, Md Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Md Mujibur Rahman, Md Abdul Aziz Sarder, Qazi Ohidul Islam alias Wahidur Salam, Md Aziz Sarder and Abdul Khalek Morol. Of them, only Sakhawat and Bil-

n Mohammad Al Masum Molla

lal are in jail. Another accused, Lutfor Morol, died of cardiac arrest in police custody on May 6 this year. The accused were charged with abduction, confinement, torture, rape and murder of Bangalis in Keshabpur and Mahadebpur areas of Jessore between mid-September and mid-October in 1971. International Crimes Tribunal Chairman Justice Anwarul Haque announced the verdict date yesterday. The tribunal finished hearing in the case on July 14 and kept the case pending for verdict. Seventeen witnesses testified against the accused. l

senseless acts of violence. The high commissioner conveyed that India stands firmly with Bangladesh in its fight against terrorism,” said a press release issued by the Indian High Commission following the meeting. The Indian envoy also informed Khaleda of recent developments in bilateral cooperation. Harsh Vardhan said: “India is fully committed to partner Bangladesh in its economic development with a pragmatic and mature approach based on sovereignty, equality, friendship, trust and understanding for the mutual benefit of peoples of both countries and collective prosperity of the region.” According to party sources, the

BNP chairperson told the Indian high commissioner that relations should be based on people-to-people contact to develop the relations, not towards any single party. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul wanted to know about the river linking project of India. In reply the Indian envoy said there is no plan of river interlinking. After the meeting, Khaleda Zia gave Harsh Vardhan a book on BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. The high commissioner also gave a present to the BNP chief. Rajesh Uike, first secretary (political and information), Manusmriti, second secretary (political and visa) and Ranjan Mondal accompanied the Indian high commissioner. l

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Gulshan Shooting Club

Lowest bus fare Tk15 Kemal Ataturk Avenue

Gulshan 2

Banani

Navy HQ

RROUTE # 1 Gulshan 1

Gulshan 1

Kemal Ataturk Avenue

Gulshan 2

Banani

US Embassy

Gulshan 2

Notun Bazar

Gulshan Shooting Club

Gulshan 1

Hasnat was used as a shield

30 air-conditioned buses

NEW BUS ROUTES

RROUTE # 2 Gulshan 1

US Embassy

Gulshan 2

Diplomatic zone also set at the entry and exit points of all the housing societies, added Arefin, who is also the president of Niketon Housing Society. For Niketon area, the numbers of the rickshaws was set from zero to 50. For Gulshan, it is 51 to 250 and 251 to 450 for Banani. The rest of the 50 rickshaws will op-

tasks during the night. That is why they used him as a human shield,” she said in the statement. Parveen claimed that they were held at gunpoint while Hasnat was forced to follow commands from the attackers throughout the night. “They threatened us with life … They made him give them his ID and mobile phone, and then used it to access the Internet,” she said. Detectives interrogated Hasnat, his family and other survivors after they were released minutes before the commando operation on July 2. Even though others were released, Hasnat and another survivor – Tahmid Hasib Khan – were kept in custody at least for a week, according to police.

erate in Baridhara area. The rickshaws under Baridhara Housing Society cannot operate outside their area; however, the rickshaws of the other three areas can freely move from one place to another. But, no rickshaw will be allowed to ply in the Gulshan and Banani avenues. All the rickshaws will have a fare chart based on destinations and distance. The minimum rate was fixed at Tk15 while the maximum fare will be Tk50.

Buses, old and new

The public transports that were earlier operating to different areas through diversions in the diplomatic zone, will not be allowed to do so any more. Currently, many buses go through Gulshan 1, 2 and Banani to travel to other areas of the city. “Buses can only ply from Mohakhali to Gulshan 1, but have to go out through Badda link road. No bus will be allowed to move to Gulshan 2 or shooting club road. In addition, no bus can also be allowed to enter the diplomatic zone through Kamal Atartuk Avenue,” said Mosleh Uddin, joint commissioner of DMP (traffic). As for the new air-conditioned buses, they belong to Nitol-Niloy Group, owned by FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad. The lowest bus fare will be Tk15, Mahbub said. l

They threatened us with life … They made him give them his ID and mobile phone, and then used it to access the Internet But the families claimed that they had no contact with the duo until the law enforcers arrested them on August 3. They were put on eightday remand the following day. In the remand petition, police mentioned Hasnat as an active member of banned militant outfit Hizb utTahrir and Tahmid as his associate. Police also claimed that Hasnat had influenced the attackers to carry out the atrocities. He also downloaded WICKR ME, a secured private messenger, on his phone at 8:57pm – only 13 minutes after the attack was launched. The militants used the app to communicate with their seniors and send photos and videos of the attack.

The detectives say they will conduct a forensic test of the mobile. They are also assessing the relaxed movement of the duo inside and on the roof of the cafe and Tahmid holding a gun during the hostage crisis, as seen in some photos and videos of the attack.

‘Hasnat was not terminated’

In the statement, Sharmina brushed aside rumours that Hasnat had been fired from North South University for militant connection as completely false. “He retired from his position to help his father’s business as a civil engineer in 2013. In fact, the NSU released a statement clearing his name,” she said. “We are all very tired and worried about him and we only want him back home with us. We are fully confident that any further investigation will exonerate him as he is innocent,” she added. However, Belal Ahmed, deputy director of NSU’s public relations department, on Saturday said that in 2013, Hasnat and three other teachers of the university had been asked to resign because of their involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir. Hasnat was then working as a parttime teacher. He left his full-time job at the university in 2012 and asked for a release order saying he wanted to concentrate on the family business, but continued till the spring semester of 2013. Hasnat joined the NSU business faculty in 2008. Meanwhile, detectives yesterday said that they could say something about Hasnat and Tahmid’s involvement in the attack after their remand is completed. “We are questioning Hasnat and Tahmid as suspects. A clear idea about their involvement can only be confirmed at the end of their remand,” said Saiful Islam, additional deputy commissioner of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit. l

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

2 deals inked for 414MW power plant in Sirajganj n Aminur Rahman Rasel The government has signed two deals with Sembcorp North-West Power Generation Company Ltd to set up a 414MW dual-fuel, combined cycle power plant in Sirajganj. The deal to construct the power plant was signed between the Power Division and Sembcorp North-West and the the other deal, a power purchase agreement, was signed between Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) between Sembcorp North-West. Both the deals were signed on Monday at a hotel in Dhaka. Sembcorp North-West Power Generation Company Ltd is a joint venture of Singaporebased Sembcorp Industries and Bangladesh-based North-West Power Generation Company Ltd. Sembcorp has 71% ownership in the joint venture company. The simple cycle unit of the power plant is expected to be operational in June 2018, and the combined cycle unit is expected to be fully functional by February 2019. The total cost of the project is estimated at $412.5 million. The engineering procurement and construction cost is estimated at $278.92 million. Sembcorp North-West will borrow 75% of the project cost from international lenders, and will fund the rest of the amount. Once the power plant goes into production, the PDB will purchase electricity from the plant at the levelled tariff rate of Tk3.188 per unit (kilowatt-hour) for 22.5 years. Pashchimanchal Gas Company Ltd will supply gas to the dual-fuel plant, while Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation will supply diesel. l

People of different indigenous communities form a human in front of Central Shaheed Minar yesterday demanding their land rights. The human chain programme was organised marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People MEHEDI HASAN

Dengue in Dhaka on the rise n Abid Azad

er as many cases remain unreported. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says dengue fever has caused the deaths of at least five people this year so far, while a total 1,203 patients have been reported since January. Although the fatality rate has dropped significantly since the dengue outbreak of 2000 – when at least 93 deaths were reported, the Aedes mosquito which is responsible for the fever becomes active each year around monsoon. “Dengue fever is usually in-

Following high levels of rainfall in Dhaka city in July, hospitals in the capital have been reporting a rise in the number of dengue patients. According to the DGHS control room, at least 533 dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka city in July alone, while a further 115 have been admitted in the first nine days of August. However, the actual number of dengue patients may be much high-

creased from June to September for which patients suffer from fever, acute bodily pain and headache” Dr Saif Ullah Munshi, an associate professor of virology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. “But it cannot be said if the number of dengue patients this year would surpass the previous year. It depends on the rainfall. The number of patients went high as we had much rainfall in July. If the rain continues then the number [of patients] will also increase, otherwise it will decrease” Dr Munshi added.

In 2015, six dengue-related deaths were reported, while a total 2,816 patients were reported, according to the DGHS. Officials at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) said the authorities concerned should be more active in creating awareness and carry out mosquitoes killing programmes in every possible breeding grounds. People should also be more aware about their living places and keep their homes clean to stay safe from dengue fever, they added. l

Two Banglamail journos sent to jail n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday sent three journalists of online news portal Banglamail24.com to jail in a case filed with Paltan police station on charges of spreading rumours about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Gu-

Ullah Khan, Executive Editor Maksudul Haider Chowdhury and Assistant Editor Pantho Polash. On Sunday, Rapid Action Battalion detained the three journalists from Banglamail’s office in Kakrail Scouts Bhaban on charges of spreading rumours about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son and her ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy. l

lam Nabi passed the order rejecting their bail petitions after Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman, also investigation officer of the case, produced them before the court seeking a seven-day remand. However, the court also rejected the remand petition of police. The three journalists are Banglamail24.com acting editor Shahadat

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10

Dhaka

Chittagong

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 6:36PM

Rangpur

Khulna

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:32AM

35.1ºC Syedpur

23.8ºC Teknaf

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

Cox’s Bazar

Fajr: 4:55am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:50pm Esha: 8:45pm Source: Islamic Foundation

News

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Billboards hamper Khulna’s beauty n Hedait Hossain Molla, Khulna The people of Khulna have to face manifold problems as unathorised billboards have been set up at the city’s important points over the last three years. According to local sources, hundreds of hoardings have been installed in commercial areas including Royal mor area, Shibbari, Masjid Sarani, Khanjahan Ali Road , Boira College Road, Boikali intersections and on the rooftops of the buildings in the city. On the other hand, many poles of the billboards had been set up on the drain land hampering the drainage system. Nuruzzaman Talukder, estate officer of Khulna City Corporation

(KCC), said Khulna Development Authority (KDA) had brought allegation against the owners of the billboards as they were violating the rules. But the KCC had overlooked it.

Vehicles cannot ply the roads in the area as it went under water maximum times of the year More than 150 illegal bilboards had been built up at several important points of the city without permisson of the KCC, he said. SM Salam, manager of Hotel Castle, said : “ A big bilboard has been

built in front of our hotel recently. The hoarding covered up the signboard of the hotel, and already we have to incure losses as the customers do not come like before.” Alamgeer Hossen, manager of the Hotel City, said the hoardings erected on the rooftops of the buildings had broken down on the citystreets hampering tranport system on April, 5, due to nor’wester. Maximum hotels, restaurants, trade centres and shops of Resthouse area, Moilapotha, Sher-eBangla road, Sonadanga Bus Terminal , Abu Naser Stadium , Joragate and Zeropoint were damaged as 17 hoardings fell down on the day. Rainwater coming from Jessore road area accumulated in KDA region. The whole area remained un-

der the water during the year as the drainage system could not work, said Faruk Hossain, senior officer of KCC. Jahangir Alam, in-charge of Eagle Bus Service, said the drainage system in Shibbari Mor area has remained dysfunction for three years. Vehicles cannot ply the roads in the area as it went under water maximum times of the year, he said. Shopkeeper Ali Mintu alleged that maximum businessmen like him had to suffer as the city roads were coverd with mud and water maximum times of the year. When contacted, Chief Revenue Officer at KCC Arif nazmul Hasan said : “ After investigation , we will take rapid action in this regard.” l

Six to die for killing n Tribune Desk

A speedy trial tribunal in Chittagong yesterday sentenced six people to death and acquitted four others in the case for killing Waliullah Mridha in Chandpur district in 2014. Chittagong Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Mohammad Mahitul Haq Enam Chowdhury found the six accused – Harun Mridha, Abdul Kader Mridha, Abdul Hamid, Mehedi Hasan, Nazmul Hasan and Gourob – guilty of murdering Waliullah. According to the prosecution, the convicts killed Waliullah Mridha at Shangkorpur village in Kachua upazila of Chandpur over a land-related dispute on July 30, 2014. l

SM Sultan’s birth anniversary today n Sultan Mahmood, Narail

The 92th birth anniversary of SM Sultan will be celebrated today at his village home in Machhimdia under Narail town. SM Sultan foundation, district administration and SM Sultan birth celebration committee-2016, has taken a day long programme to mark the birth anniversary of the artist. SM Sultan Bengal Art College, Educational institutions and various socio-cultural organisations will celebrate the day. The day will be begin with placing floral wreaths at the artist’s graveyeard. Qurankhani, Miladmah-

fil,Mazar ziarat, art competition and discussion will be held at Shishu Swarga auditorium followed by a prize giving ceremony. A three-day Sultan Utsab will be held on August 29 at Sultan Mancha in Narail Government Victoria College premises to mark the anniversary. All preperations had been taken to clebrate day, Member Secretary of Sultan foundation Ashikur Rahman Miku said. Deputy Commissioner Helal Mahmud Sharif is expected to attend the programme as chief guest. Artist Sultan was born at Machhimdia in Narail town of in a poor family on 10 august,1924. l

BMA cadets work across the globe Hussain, n Anwar Chittagong

Dr Sajid Hussain, IMO maritime ambassador for Bangladesh has said the cadets graduated from the Marine Academy are working with reputation across the globe. He came up with the comment at a discussion on Bangladesh Marine Academy campus yesterday organised as the part of observing International Day of the Seafarer. “The maritime related professions are well-paid, adventurous, competitive and challenging,” said Dr Sajid also

Commandant of Bangladesh Marine Academy (BMA). “At present, 16 lakh seafarers are now working at 50,000 vessels all over the world. Of them women seafarers are 24,000 which is 1.5 percent of the total number,” added Dr Sajid. A four-year long study for the female marine cadets was introduced in the BMA in 2012. The academy awards the marine cadets with certificates of pre-sea nautical science or pre-sea marine engineering upon completion of the training. l

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Wildlife of Lawachhara forest at risk due to human habitation n Saiful Islam, Moulvibazar Taking land of the Bangladesh Railway in lease, local people have started cultivation of lemon and betel leaf on the land which is posing threat to the habitation of wildlife in Lawachhara forest, a major national park and nature reserve in Bangladesh. Sources at Wildlife Management and Nature Reserve Department told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already sent a letter to the estate officer of the Bangladesh Railway, Srimangal on July 17 and July 21 asking railway authorities to cancel the lease order as soon as possible for the great interest of wildlife of the forest. According to sources at Lawach-

hara Forest, an assistant forest conservation officer during his visit in Baghmara area recently found that locals were farming lemon and betel leaf on hill slopes along rail track in the area cutting a number of trees. He later came to know that the Bangladesh Railway authorities have given lease of those land to some farmers of the locality for cultivation. Local residents – Md Hiron Mia, Md Bashir Mia – informed the forest officer that about 15 farmers had taken lease of about three acres of land from railway authorities. They also informed the official that they had applied for the lease of land two years back and railway authorities had given lease recently after scrutiny.

Assistant Forest Conservation Officer of Wildlife Management and Nature Reserve Department Md Tabibur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that the farmers had showed him lease documents. He said they would sit with railway authorities about the issue as soon as possible. He also alleged that a former lawmaker grabbing a portion of the forest had been cultivating lemon on the land for the last three years. The Bangladesh Railway and authorities of Lawachhara Forest have been a loggerhead over the usage of five-kilometre areas along railway track. A case is still pending at High Court over the issue. According to the railway act 50 feet of land along rail track is considered as railway’s land, claimed

News

Railway department. Authorities of Lawachhara Forest, however, said the land was under the ownership of forest department, as the rail track into the forest area had been built much later the territory of the forest defined. Estate Officer of Bangladesh Railway Md Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune that he was informed about the letter. He said he would look in the matter. The Bangladesh Railway has recently sent a letter to forest department, Komolganj range with an entreaty to fell about 25,000 trees along rail track in order to make train journey safe. Md Tabibur Rahman said the issue would be solved in a meeting going to be held soon. l

‘Robber’ killed in ‘gunfight’ Islam Swapan, n Saiful Lakshmipur

An alleged robber was killed in a “gunfight” with police in Raipur upazila of Lakshmipur early yesterday. The deceased Alamgir Hossain was a son of late Leda Mia of the upazila. Acting on a tip off, police conducted the drive in Dakshin Raipur village of the upazila around 2am when a gang of alleged robbers led by Alamgir was preparing for a robbery, OC Lokman said. Sensing the presence of law-enforcers, the gang members had opened fire which forced the police to retaliate. Alamgir sustained bullet injuries and was rushed to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital. The doctors there declared him dead, added the OC. Other members of the gang managed to flee the scene. l

DaulatdiaPaturia launch services suspended n Motiur Rahman, Manikgank

Launch services on the Daulatdia-Paturia suspended yesterday night due to tidal surge in the Padma River. In-Charge of Aricha Naval Police Samsul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had suspended the services to avoid any kind of accident. Due to the sudden suspension, hundreds of people got stuck on both sides of the route. Moreover, ferry services on the route have remained suspended since Sunday after landing stations of four ferry terminals were devoured by the Padma River. Consequently, thousands of vehicles carrying people and goods got stuck on both sides of the route. The ferry services on the route were yet to get normalcy on Tuesday. The movement of Ro-Ro ferries remained halted while small vehicles were being ferried using utility ferries after the authorities concerned managed to repair No 3 ghat of the landing stations. However, no heavy vehicles, including buses and goods-laden trucks, could be ferried. The authorities, however, were doing repair works of two ferry ghats by placing sand sacks, bamboo and logs while the Roads and Highways Department were constructing the approach road of the ghats. l

Indigenous women artists are seen performing at Muslim Hall Auditorium in Chittagong yesterday to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples RABIN CHOWDHURY

Cancellation of Rampal power deal demanded n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong

The progressive minded lawyers of Chittagong yesterday demanded that the government scrap the deal to set up a coal-fired power plant in Rampal. The left-leaning lawyers also urged the government to step back from setting up coal-fired thermal power plant since it will deal a severe blow to the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest. The lawyers under the banner

of “Progressive Lawyers against Rampal Power Plant” raised the demand from a rally held on Chittagong DC office premises. Urging the government to ditch project, the lawyers feared that the power plant would cause massive and irreparable damages to the flora, fauna and ecology of the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Criticising the firm stand of the government to install the power

plant, the agitating lawyers said that 10 lakh people will lose their livelihood due to the impact of the proposed power plant. With veteran lawyer Bhulan Bhowmik in the chair, the rally was addressed by many senior lawyers including Akhter Kabir Chowdhury, Sushovon Biswas, Fakrudin Kabir Abid, Amir Abbas and Jahiruddin Mahmud. Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited signed an agreement with India’s state-run

engineering and manufacturing company Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd on July 12 to set up around 1320MW (2 units of 660MW) coalfired Rampal power plant. The project cost of the supercritical power plant is Tk14,999 crore. Of that amount, Bangladesh Power Development Board will provide Tk4,500 crore from its own funds. The rest of the money will come as a loan from India’s Exim Bank. The plant is expected to start power generation during 2019-2020 fiscal. l

8 World

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Market blast kills 2, wounds 15 in Afghanistan A bomb attack, carried out by a suicide bomber, in a crowded in market in the north Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday killed at least 2 people and wounded 15. Mazar-i-Sharif, an important commercial centre near the border with Uzbekistan, has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the Nato-backed government in Kabul. -REUTERS

INDIA

India summons Pakistan high commissioner India on Tuesday summoned Pakistan’s high commissioner in New Delhi to protest against what it said was the continued infiltration of militants from across the border. The Foreign Ministry said an arrested Pakistani national Bahadur Ali had confessed that he was infiltrated into India after being trained by the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. -REUTERS

CHINA

China warns UK ties over nuclear plant China’s ambassador to Britain urged London on Tuesday to approve a Beijing-funded nuclear power plant as soon as possible, warning that relations between the two countries were at a critical point. On July 28, Britain’s new government said it was delaying final approval of the $23bn project to build Hinkley Point, the country’s first new nuclear plant in a generation. -REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan summons Chinese envoy amid ship incursions Japan summoned China’s ambassador Tuesday after the country’s ships were spotted near disputed East China Sea islands for a fifth straight day. Foreign minister Fumio Kishida called in Cheng Yonghua, Beijing’s envoy to Tokyo, the 2nd such summons since Friday. Cheng told reporters after the meeting he reiterated Beijing’s official stance that the islands belong to China and called it only natural that Chinese ships operate in this region. -AFP

MIDDLE EAST

Saudi-led strikes push alQaeda out of Yemen town Air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition have forced al-Qaeda fighters out of a key town in southern Yemen, a security official said on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s coalition backs the Yemeni government against Huthi Shia rebels supported by Iran, and late Monday resumed air strikes around the insurgent-held capital. -REUTERS

FACT CHECK

Trump shapes facts to fit agenda n Tribune International Desk

Donald Trump changed some of his facts to fit his agenda Monday, pitching shades of truth and misconceptions in what was billed as a major economic policy speech. He wrongly accused Hillary Clinton of proposing to increase middle-class taxes and blamed crumbling roads and bridges on money spent on refugees, a minuscule expense in comparison with infrastructure. He overstated the corporate tax burden and declared the jobless rate — the prime statistic for holding leaders accountable for the state of the economy — a hoax. A look at some of his claims and how they compare with the facts: Trump: “She said she wanted to raise taxes on the middle class.” Facts: If Clinton said that — and it’s debatable — it’s clear she didn’t mean to. Her economic agenda calls for middle-class tax cuts (which are not specified) and she has repeatedly said she would not raise taxes on middle incomes. In a speech in Omaha, Nebraska, last week, she talked about “fairer rules for the middle class” and delivered a line that was difficult to understand, either “we are going to raise taxes on the middle class” or “we aren’t.” If she said the former, it was obviously a flub. Her policy on middle-class taxes has been consistent — no increases. Trump: “You cannot ever start a small business under the tremendous regulatory burden that you have today in our country.” Facts: Trump is exaggerating. There are clear signs that new business formation has slowed, but it hasn’t ground to the halt that he suggests. Between 2011 and 2013, the most recent years available, the Census Bureau found that the number of companies that employ fewer than four people has increased by 43,232 to 3.58m. Nor should anyone assume that regulation alone explains the decline in small business starts. Most entrepreneurs relied on personal savings, home equity and credit cards to finance new companies before the housing bust hurt their ability to access credit, according to a speech by Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Other studies say student loans are inhibiting entrepreneurship among younger Americans.

Trump: “Our roads and bridges fell into disrepair, yet we found the money to resettle millions of refugees at taxpayer expense.” Facts: You have to go a long way back to get to “millions” of refugees. Over the last eight years, the period Trump addresses when pointing to failures of President Barack Obama, the US resettled 530,830 refugees. That includes many from the final year of the Bush administration. So far in the budget year that ends September 30, the US has resettled 59,099 refugees. Last year, 69,933. Over the last 15 years: about 850,000. The State Department puts the cost of the resettlement program to taxpayers at less than $1.2bn a year. That’s roughly 0.03% of the federal budget, a rounding error according to most experts. That sum would hardly make up for the infrastructure shortfall. The American Society of Civil Engineers said in a report that the government needs to spend $1.4tn through 2025 to close the infrastructure funding gap. Trump: “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, before Nafta went into effect, there were 285,000 auto workers in Michigan. Today, that number is only 160,000.” Facts: Trump is playing fast and loose with the stats. The numbers cited in his speech don’t even line up with the footnotes provided by his campaign. Michigan actually added jobs after the North American Free Trade Agreement began in 1994, when auto plants employed roughly 200,000 workers. Over the next six years, their ranks increased to 231,000. The decline only occurred after the tech bubble burst and US automakers lost market share among US consumers, a decline that prompted a government bailout that caused Michigan auto jobs to start rising again in late 2009. Many US auto jobs also relocated to other states. Foreign automakers such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan built plants in other states, including Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Trump on the unemployment rate: “This 5% figure is one of the biggest hoaxes in modern American politics.” Facts: The unemployment rate has its shortcomings but it is not a hoax. The unemployment rate has become controversial since the recession ended because many people have stopped looking for work, and the government doesn’t count

Donald Trump speaks to the Detroit Economic Club at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan on August 8 REUTERS those out of work unless they are actively searching for jobs. If an unemployed person gives up on a job hunt, that reduces the unemployment rate without anyone being hired, so it has overstated the improvement in the job market. Still, a broader measure of unemployment that includes people who have recently stopped looking for jobs has also fallen — from a peak of 17.4% in 2010 to 9.7% now. The proportion of Americans working or looking for work is now 62.8%, near the lowest level since the 1970s. That’s down from 66% before the recession. At least half that decline in the workforce stems from greater retirements, as baby boomers age. Many of the figures Trump cited in his speech are compiled by the same monthly survey that produces the unemployment figure he considers a hoax. Trump: “The United States also has the highest business tax rate among the major industrialized nations of the world, at 35%. It’s almost 40% when you add in taxes at the state level.” Facts: The stated corporate tax rate looks high, but most US businesses don’t pay it. The tax code is full of deductions, credits and loopholes that limit the tax burden for many companies. The effective corporate income tax rate is around 27%, roughly in line with global averages, according to government estimates. Another way to look at it is examining federal corporate taxes as a share of the US economy. Corporate taxes made up just 1.9% last year, according to the government. That is well below the historic average of 2.7%, but slightly above the Reagan-era levels during the 1980s. In some years, the majority of all large US-controlled corporations reported no federal tax liabil-

ity, according to the Government Accountability Office. Trump: Repealing and replacing Obama’s health care law would mean “saving another 2m American jobs.” Facts: Since Obama’s health care law came into effect, the economy has added more than 14.6m jobs and the jobless rate has fallen to 4.9% from 9.9%. So how can it be that repealing the law would mean 2m more jobs? Trump’s charge has its origins in an estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that the labour force would be smaller by about 2m workers in 2025 under the health care law than without it. But that’s not because the law is a job-killer. The agency explained that the main impact of subsidised coverage under the law is on the supply of labour. Translation: It gives many people the opportunity to retire, stay at home with family or switch to part-time work, because they can get health insurance more easily outside of their jobs. That voluntary retreat from the workforce, made possible by the law’s benefits, is not the same as employers slashing jobs because of the law’s costs. Overall, the health care law seems to have had limited impact on jobs. Trump: “Nearly 12m people have been added to the food stamp rolls and ... it’s growing so rapidly since President Obama took office.” Facts: He’s right that the number of food stamp recipients has grown substantially since Obama took office. More than 28m people received food stamps in 2008, before Obama was inaugurated. As of May, the most recent data available, 43.5m people were receiving them. l

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Turkey chides US, Europe as Erdogan meets Russia’s Putin n Reuters, Istanbul Turkey on Tuesday warned of rising anti-American sentiment and risks to a migrant deal with the European Union, ramping up the rhetoric in the face of Western alarm over the scale of purges in state institutions since last month’s failed coup. President Tayyip Erdogan, who was in Russia on Tuesday for talks with Vladimir Putin on improving ties, has sharply criticised the United States and the EU for what he says is a lack of solidarity with Turkey over the

July 15 coup and of caring more for the rights of the suspected plotters. Erdogan blames Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers for the attempted putsch, in which more than 240 people were killed and nearly 2,200 wounded. Turkey has launched a series of mass purges of suspected Gulen supporters in its armed forces, other state institutions, universities, schools and the media since the abortive coup, prompting

Western worries for the stability of a key Nato ally. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said anti-American feeling among Turks was on the rise and could only be calmed by the United States extraditing Gulen, who denies any involvement in the coup and has condemned it. “There is a serious anti-American feeling in Turkey, and this is turning into hatred,” Bozdag said in an interview with staterun Anadolu Agency, broadcast live on Turkish television channels. “It is in the hands of the United States to stop this an-

World USA

Republican national security officials reject Trump

ti-American feeling leading to hatred.” Responding to Turkey’s demand for Gulen’s extradition, US President Barack Obama has said Ankara must first provide clear evidence of wrongdoing. Last week a State Department spokesman said Washington was evaluating new documents it had received. “Whether the US extradites Gulen or not this will be a political decision,” Bozdag said. “If he is not extradited, Turkey will have been sacrificed for a terrorist.” l

50 senior Republican national security officials have issued a stinging rejection of their party’s White House nominee Donald Trump, warning if elected he would be the most reckless president in American history’. The group, some of whom had already announced they would not vote for Trump, included former homeland security chiefs, intelligence directors, senior presidential advisors. -AFP

THE AMERICAS

Brazilian judge rules to allow protests at Olympics Rio de Janeiro federal Judge Joao Carneiro Araujo has ruled that Olympic organisers cannot ban peaceful protests in stadiums, following the controversial expulsion of people holding up signs calling for interim president Michel Temer’s resignation. The ruling was a direct rebuke to the Brazilian Olympic authorities who have cited the Olympic Charter’s prohibition on political demonstrations at events as justification for preventing anti-Temer protests. -AFP

Kalikho Pul

REUTERS

Ex-Arunachal Pradesh CM hangs himself n Reuters, Guwahati The former chief minister of remote Arunachal Pradesh was found dead and hanging from a ceiling fan on Tuesday, police and officials said, after a court ruled last month that his appointment had been illegal. Kalikho Pul, 47, until July the chief minister of the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, had suffered from depression and was upset over the judgment, his aides told media. “He has committed suicide,” Nabam Tuki, a senior lawmaker of the opposition Congress party said in the capital of the vast but sparsely populated region bordering China. Pul’s family discovered the body in his bedroom at the chief minister’s residence. Media said he had left a diary, which police were examining. A politician with Congress since 1995, Pul became chief minister in February after rebelling against the party. He was put in charge by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s federal government, which had imposed direct rule in the state to end a political crisis. But the Indian Supreme Court held illegal the imposition of president’s rule, as it is called in India, ordering that the dislodged Congress should return to power immediately, forcing Pul from office. The apex court’s ruling dealt a blow to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitions of expanding in the remote northeast region, where his Bharatiya Janata Party scored its first state election victory in the region with a win in Assam in May. China claims more than 90,000sq-km of territory disputed by India in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. Much of that forms the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls South Tibet. India says China occupies 38,000sq-km of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west. l

May, Rouhani agree to work on closer ties Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and agreed in a telephone call on Tuesday to work on forming closer ties at various levels. The two discussed expanding economic relations, especially in banking and insurance sectors, and regional cooperation, specifically in the fight against terrorism. -REUTERS

EUROPE

Germany arrests highranking IS militant German authorities have arrested a suspected high-ranking Islamic State militant in the western town of Mutterstadt, according to a Bild newspaper report on Tuesday. The newspaper, in its online edition, said that the man had been arrested during a routine police stop. It said German authorities had received a tip-off about the man from a prison. -REUTERS

AFRICA

Sudan rebels sign AUbrokered peace roadmap Prominent Sudanese rebel groups said Tuesday they have signed a roadmap brokered by African Union mediators to end deadly conflicts in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced over the years in the 3 regions as ethnic minority groups rebelled against President Omar al-Bashir’s Arab-dominated government. - AFP

World

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

INSIGHT

China determined to battle on two fronts as North Asian tensions spike South China Sea

REUTERS

n Reuters, Beijing/Tokyo As China diplomatically confronts the United States and South Korea over new missile defences and intensifies pressure on Japan at sea over disputed islets, Beijing is signalling it is prepared to stand its ground on two key regional fronts. Mainland analysts see little immediate chance for an easing of tensions now roiling across Northeast Asia, saying a rising China is showing it is keen to shape its own battlefield despite fresh threats. “This action is China saying to the world that it has the ability to fight two regional conflicts on its doorstep,” said Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. “If (Japan) is actively making provocations in our South China Sea, then in the East China Sea, on its doorway, it will face a little pressure,” Ni said. Beijing’s claims to much of the South China Sea were invalidated last month in an emphatic ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague in a case brought by rival claimant, the Philippines. The region’s deepening fault lines after the ruling were exposed at the weekend as a fleet of Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels sailed near Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea. Japan warned China on Tuesday ties were “deteriorating markedly”. Tokyo worries that Chinese control of the South China Sea, through which much of the oil it imports is shipped, threatens its national security and takes Beijing a step closer to extending its influence into the Western Pacific. Japan has cranked up assistance recently to two countries who have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, the Philippines and Vietnam. Japan’s administration of the disputed islands it calls Senkaku, and China calls Diaoyu, puts them under the long-standing security treaty between Washington and Tokyo. Kevin Maher, a Washington security consultant and a former head of the State Department’s Office of Japan Affairs said he thinks China is trying to warn Japan not to interfere in the South China Sea after Tokyo strongly endorsed the Hague ruling. China “wants to see how far they can push until they get pushed back,” Maher said. “Their ultimate goal is hegemony in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.”

Missile defence

At the same time, South Korea’s presidential Blue House rebuked China for criticising Seoul’s decision to deploy an advanced US anti-missile defence system, urging Beijing to instead work harder to rein in North Korean nuclear and missile tests. While China has grown increasingly irritated over North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, it vehemently opposes South Korea’s decision to host a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit with the US military. Beijing sees THAAD’s radar system, capable of peering into China’s military installations, as part of Washington’s strategy of containment, with the two powers clashing over China’s possible militarisation of rocks and reefs in the disputed South China Sea. Recent satellite photographs show China appears to have built aircraft hangars that could accommodate any fighter jet in its air force on artificial islands it is building on reefs in the South China Sea, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank. THAAD’s location was announced a day after The Hague court ruled against China’s claims in sea, through which some $5 trillion of cargo passes annually. South Korea and the United States have said THAAD would only be used in defense against North

Korean ballistic missiles. Washington’s alliances with Japan and South Korea are crucial to its strategic pivot to Asia but the three countries have been coordinating with China over the years in a flagging effort to curtail North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and has launched a series of missiles in recent months, the latest on Wednesday, when one ballistic missile that flew about 1,000km landed near Japanese-controlled waters. The economic stakes in the region are high as well: Japan, South Korea and China account for a quarter of the world’s economy and tensions among them risk having a chilling effect on trade and investment at a time of slower growth. Yet the strong economic ties and the stumbling diplomacy could help defuse potential clashes. “China has its own limits to where it can go,” said Lee Tai-hwan, director of the China studies centre at the Sejong Institute near Seoul. “It can’t simply stop complying with UN sanctions against North Korea. They don’t want to leave a bad example in relations with neighbouring countries by doing something bad to South Korea.” l

SOUTH CHINA SEA TERRITORIAL DISPUTES Territorial claims:

Malaysia Philippines China Brunei Vietnam

CHINA

Handi

Hong Kong Paracel Islands

South China Sea facts:

Spratly Islands

China Claim

PHILIPPINES

Philippines

Occupies 8 of the Spratly islands. Claims are based on EEZ*, the continental shelf principle and a 1956 explorer's expedition.

Vietnam

Philippines Claim

Claims a significant portion of the sea based on EEZ and its continental shelf. Occupies 20 of the Spratly islands and claims the Paracel islands despite having been forcibly removed by China in 1974.

Vietnam Claim

Brunei Claim

China

Claims almost all of the South China Sea, including all of the Spratly islands. Seized the Paracel islands from Vietnam in 1974. China's claims are based on historical records of the Han (110AD) and Ming (1403-1433AD) Dynasties.

Malaysia

INDONESIA

South China Sea

CLAIMS BY COUNTRY

Claims limited to the continental shelf and EEZ. Claims 3 islands of the Spratlys, having built a hotel on the and bringing soil from the mainland to rise the level of other.

Bandar Seri Begawan

MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE

China Philippines Malaysia Vietnam Taiwan

Manila

BRUNEI

500km

Island/reef controlled by:

South China Sea

VIETNAM

Size: 1.7 min sq km No. of islands: 200+

Kuala Lumpur

TAIWAN

Malaysia Claim

EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone. Under the UN Law of the Sea, EEZ is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources

Taiwan Lays claim to most of the South China Sea, including all of the Spratly islands, based on historic records.

Brunei

Claim limited to its EEZ. Source: EIA, Middlebury College Graphic: Brice Hall/RNGS

REUTERS

Dhaka Tribune 11 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

12 Business

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

TOP STORIES BTRC: 69 ISPs licences won’t be renewed Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will not renew licences of 69 ISPs as they didn’t submit operational activities in time, says a notice issued yesterday. PAGE 13

Government releases Tk10cr for Rooppur power plant company

WB to fund $120m for BBIN connectivity n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi World Bank (WB) will finance $120 million to implement the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) connectivity project aiming to strengthen economic activities in the region. “The World Bank will provide technical and financial support to implement the BBIN connectivity project to boost trade and commerce in the region,” said Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed after a view exchange meeting with WB Bangladesh Country Director Qimiao Fan at the secretariat yesterday. Qimiao Fan said: “We have discussed the project that is now under preparation. This is the project that will help Bangladesh reduce time and cost for regional trade and WB will provide financial support of $120 million.” The project will support a num-

ber of initiatives including investment to improve a couple of land ports, setting up single window by the NBR and capacity improvement of women entrepreneurs. “This is one of the serious projects, the global lender is financing. Through this project we can enhance regional integration not only in trade but also in transport and other aspects,” said Qimiao. Currently, there are investment commitment of $10 billion by the WB in Bangladesh. The number of investment projects in the country is about 40, which are under implementation. These projects cover many areas including education, health, social protection, agriculture, rural development, water resource management, regional integration in energy and rural growth and financial sector. The WB top official lauded

Bangladesh for its achievement in poverty reduction, human development, women education and empowerment. “In many ways, Bangladesh itself has many successful development stories. Bangladesh has a lot to offer to the rest of the world in terms of development achievement,” said Qimiao. He, however, cited some challenges including in infrastructure and particularly in energy, reliable supply of power, road sector, transport and climate change. It is a delta country on the way to attain the status of a middle-income country, Qimiao says, adding that Bangladesh will become a middle-income country in a few years. He urged the government to use domestic resources for building new infrastructure instead of repairs and integrate private sector investment in infrastructure development. l

Inflation slips in July INFLATION TREND (Figure in %)

China’s slowing deflation takes pressure off central bank China’s factory price deflation moderated further in July, with prices falling at their slowest pace in two years, taking pressure off the central bank to cut rates as policymakers turn their focus to structural reforms and ballooning credit. PAGE 15

Capital market snapshot: Tuesday DSE Broad Index

4,567.7

-0.0% ▼

Index

1,118.9

-0.2% ▼

30 Index

1,783.0

-0.1% ▼

Turnover in Mn Tk

4,540.4

-2.0% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

102.2

-5.1% ▼

All Share Index 14,062.6

-0.0% ▼

30 Index

12,925.9

-0.1% ▼

8,561.5

-0.0% ▼

261.0

2.2% ▼

CSE

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk Turnover in Mn Vol

6.7 -16.5% ▼

n Tribune Business Desk Inflation in Bangladesh dropped in July compared to previous month, government data shows. The month-to-month inflation stood at 5.4% in July, which was 5.53% in June, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data released yesterday. “Inflation rate has been witnessing a lowering trend over the last couple of months due to continued drop in imported products,” said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal after the Ecnec meeting held at the NEC conference room in the city. But, food inflation increased a bit due to spending on Eid-ul-Fitr as the government’s procuring foods

from the farmers in higher prices for ensuring fair prices, he said. Food inflation moved up to 4.35% in July from June’s 4.23% and non-food inflation decreased to 6.98% from 7.5% during the period. In rural areas, inflation rate in July was 4.54%, which was 4.63% in June and in urban areas, it was down 7% from 7.23%. In rural areas, food inflation spiked 3.59% from 3.44% and in urban areas, it climbed to 6.11% from 6.06% during the period. In case of non-food inflation, it declined to 6.26% from 6.79% in rural areas while it was down 7.98% from 8.48% in urban areas. The general Point-to-point inflation rate came down to 5.40 per-

centage point in July, which is lower for more than 10 years, mainly due to the lowering trend for the last couple of months and slight decrease in non-food inflation. l

Airtel asked to provide int’l standard VRS for employees n Ishtiaq Husain Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has asked Airtel management to provide its employees with international standard Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) after the merger of Robi-Airtel. The regulator also instructed Airtel to provide its employees with American Express Bank or Grameenphone standard VRS as they are not bound to join Robi Axiata Limited as per their job contract. BTRC will place a “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” regarding Robi and Airtel merger proposal before the High Court today. The commission also set Tk100 crore as merger fee and Tk507 spectrum adjustment prices which will be payable after the court’s approval and before the final paper work from the Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, said the NOC. Robi and Airtel signed a merger agreement on January 28, this year. As per the deal, the joint venture will be operated under the brand name of “Robi”. The regulator also imposed a condition that Robi won’t be able sack any Airtel employee for any reason within three years after the merger. According to Grameenphone’s VRS program, employees under three categories, based on the tenure of service, receive the scheme benefit. In June, Grameenphone announced a voluntary retirement scheme for its employees where about 350 accepted the programme and quit their jobs. Grameenphone provided its VRS employees with 24-70 basic salaries evaluating their services. At present Airtel has around 450 employees. According Robi-Airtel merger proposal, the merged company Robi will have to abide by 15 conditions. l

WB-funded project trains up 3,180 unskilled labourers n

Tribune Business Desk

The World Bank-funded project has so far trained 3,180 unskilled labourers to improve their livelihood opportunities, the bank said in a statement yesterday. Of the unskilled labour force, 26% were female, and 93% of the trainees have already secured jobs in manufacturing sector. Moreover, rural and poor trainees receive food, travel and accommodation facilities at subsidised costs. Since 2010, STEP has been working to strengthen public and private polytechnic institutions to improve the quality of skills training, align curriculum with skills market demand and increase employability of the trainees. To improve job market opportunities for informal workers, STEP operationalised the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme in 2014 to assess and certify skill level of workers who have no prior formal training or qualifications. The RPL programme has assessed over 9,000 candidates

and certified 7,533 as competent. In Bangladesh, rural people, especially young women, often do not have access to industry-based skills trainings as the industries are mainly located in cities. To overcome the challenge, the Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) in partnership with the Bangladesh Garments and Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has been providing skills training to rural people in training centres to improve livelihood opportunities since 2010. The project provided stipend support to 1,44,615 poor students, surpassing the project target. To promote female skills training and employability through technical and vocational education, the project has been providing stipend to all female diploma students since 2012. The female beneficiary share has increased from 10% to 27% while the female trainees supported courses reached 27% against the target of 20% between 2010 and 2016. l

IDLC launches ‘Easy Invest’ product n Tribune Business Desk IDLC Investments limited yesterday launched ‘Easy Invest’, a monthly investment plan for the retail investors. It is a discretionary portfolio management product, where IDLC Investments will work as fund manager. The fund will be invested in selected blue chip stocks with an aim to minimise market risk and generate reasonable return. Mirza Azizul Islam, a former finance advisor to the caretaker government, inaugurated the new product at a city hotel. Describing about the product, CEO and Managing Director of IDLC Finance Limited Arif Khan said the newly launched product is designed to attract small savers and bring back people to the market who lost all their hopes since the market crashed. “Be emphasised that this new form of portfolio manage-

ment will help the investors having a little or no knowledge about the stock market or those who do know have much time to follow the market. This is completely a new concept in our country, even though it is highly popular in India -- commonly known as SIP (systematic investment plan).” Md Moniruzzaman, managing director of IDLC Investments, said investing in blue chip shares pays significantly higher return than investing in FDRs in the long term. He said currently, the inflation rate and FDR rate is almost the same. Thus, the clients can hardly generate any ‘real return’ from FDRs, he added. “After the 2010-11 stock market crash, some blue chip shares witnessed a growth of around 400%. Thus, this product is particularly suitable in this low interest rate regime.” Operationally, no physical cheques will be handled. Fund pulling will be done electronically. l

BTRC: 69 ISPs licences won’t be renewed n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will not renew licences of 69 ISPs as they didn’t submit operational activities in time, says a notice issued yesterday. The decision for not renewing their respective licences would be effective from August 25 when the regulator will stop to provide bandwidth, according to the notice. “The commission will take legal action as per Telecommunication Act 2001,” said the notice. The companies included ABSCO Limited, AGI Communication Limited, Akij Online Limited and Apple Network Limited. l

Business

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

GP launches new app MyGP n Ishtiaq Husain Grameenphone has launched a new digital self-care channel styled MyGP for the customers to access all GP services, offers, bonus and rewards. Grameenphone’s Chief Marketing Officer Yasir Azman formally launched the app at the Westin hotel in the city yesterday. The programme was attended, among others, by Nehal Ahmed, chief communication officer of Grameenphone, Syed Talat Kamal, deputy director, external communication. Yasir Azman said, “MyGP has an ambition to give its users a unique onestop solution that will enable them to access all GP services and avail all the offers. Being a digital service provider, Grameenphone is committed to ensuring that its users stay connected with all GP services.”

Terming the new apps a big milestone, Nehal Ahmed said: “The digital journey of Grameenphone is bring everything under a single umbrella.” MyGP App will be the single digital channel which lets customers interact with GP through its rich and personalised user experience. Development of MyGP is a continuous process and users will get new features every now and then to be updated with all the GP services The app is available for downloading in Google Play and Apple Store, This exclusive channel for Grameenphone users will help them to manage all GP services with efficiency and ease. Regular data charge will be applicable for download and usage of the app. The app can also be used offline, but real time information will not be updated when not connected to the internet. l

Business

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Government releases Tk10cr for Export incentive Spain, Portugal officially off Rooppur power plant company increased for budget deficit hook n Asif Showkat Kallol

The government has given Tk10 crore to the Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited as the country recently signed agreement with Russia to construct its first-ever nuclear power plant, official sources said. The company will operate the 2400-megawatt nuclear power plant to be built in Rooppur, Pabna. Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday signed a summary report on giving the fund as the company’s paid-up capital. According to the summary, the Finance Division disbursed Tk10 crore for the company from the unexpected expenditure management fund in the FY2016-17 budget. The Rooppur plant has been identified as one of the country’s first-track projects. The authorised capital of the company is Tk100 crore, divided into 100m shares and price of each share is Tk100. This is a public lim-

ited company by shares. According to a proposal, the company’s board will comprise 11 directors who will be picked from public service. The head office of the company will be in Dhaka and the branch offices, if necessary, will be set up elsewhere in the country after taking permission from the board, according to the company’s rules. CEO and Managing Director of the company is Dr Mohammad Shawkat Akbar who is also the project director of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and Science and Technology Secretary is the chairman of the board. Bangladesh and Russia signed a financial deal of $11.38bn in Moscow recently to implement the country’s first-ever nuclear power plant. Russia will provide all assistance for setting up the plant, including providing the fuel and taking back the used fuel. A total of 262 acres of land have been acquired to set up two units with a capacity of 2,400 MW. l

10 products n Asif Showkat Kallol

The government has increased cash incentives on exports of 10 items during the fiscal year 2016-17. An inter-ministerial meeting on Monday with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair made the decision to encourage more export of those products. The products include ships, potatoes, bone powder, leather goods and jute products. Of them, the agricultural products has received 20% cash incentive. The export incentive for the shipping industry has been increased to 10% from 5%. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed also attended the meeting. He said: “While the government has decided to give cash incentives to new non-traditional exportable items to boost their exports, incentives for some regular exportable items have also been increased.” l

n AFP, Brussels EU member states let Spain and Portugal off the hook yesterday, deciding against fines for their repeated breach of budget deficit rules meant to bolster growth and the public finances. EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici said the decision reflected “an intelligent application” of the Stability and Growth Pact which sets the fiscal rules member states are supposed to follow. The move confirms an earlier ruling by the EU Commission. “By giving more time to Spain and Portugal to bring their public deficits below (the ceiling of) three percent (of GDP), the Council sets new credible fiscal trajectories, which will contribute to strengthening both their economies and the euro area,” Moscovici said in a statement. “Stability and growth require a

strong determination to put public finances in order. I trust that Spain and Portugal will respond accordingly,” he added. The European Commission agreed late last month not to impose fines of up to 0.2% of Gross Domestic Product for fear of stoking even more anti-European Union sentiment in the wake of Britain’s shock vote to quit the bloc. The final decision rested with the 28 member states in the European Council where many such as France and Italy argued Brussels should cut them more slack as they try to get their economies back on track amid public anger at continued austerity. Germany in contrast championed the SGP rules as the only way forward, saying that sound public finances are the only foundation for growth. After six years in recession, Spain reported a 2015 budget deficit of 5.1% of GDP, way off the 4.2% target set by the Commission. l

Business

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

China’s slowing deflation takes pressure off central bank n Reuters, Beijing China’s factory price deflation moderated further in July, with prices falling at their slowest pace in two years, taking pressure off the central bank to cut rates as policymakers turn their focus to structural reforms and ballooning credit. A government-led building spree has increased demand for

construction materials, but higher prices are also due in part to speculation in China’s commodities futures market, which has pushed up Shanghai rebar futures up by 50% this year. The producer price index (PPI) fell 1.7% in July from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday, smaller than June’s 2.6% decline. Analysts expect producer price inflation to turn positive this

year for the first time in more than four years, but the recovery at the factory gate is unlikely to lead to a rebound in private investment, which has fallen to record low growth rates. “The improvement of PPI should benefit the corporate sector’s profitability, but is unlikely to encourage private sector investment, as the main beneficiaries are heavy industries – which are dominated by state-owned enterprises,”

said ANZ economists in a note. Non-ferrous metals prices rose 2.8% month-on-month in July, while steel prices increased 0.4%. Downstream prices, however, remained subdued in July with the consumer price inflation accelerating at its weakest pace in six months as food price gains slowed. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.8% in July from a year earlier, compared with a 1.9% increase

in June, and matching this year’s low hit in January. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a 1.8% gain. Consumer inflation has remained well below China’s official target of around 3% in 2016, despite concerns that severe summer flooding, which has disrupted public infrastructure and agricultural production, would increase inflationary pressures. l

Feature

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Unlearning gender Bonhishikha brings back It’s a SHE thing

n Shuprova Tasneem “When are you getting married? When are you getting married again? Are you going to have children? WHAT, only one child?”

Literary Festival last year, and performed at the British High Commission as well. We were really happy with the response, from both women and men. Are there security concerns for a play such as this? We’re providing as much security as we can. We’re asking people to register from before and using ID checks, and the venue will have full security as well. Obviously there are concerns, but these are concerns that stay with us all the time – not just for staging the play. So we’re not worried about this separately because there is a lot of security within and outside the premises. However, we decided not to push back the play because we think there is a need for these kinds of events that people can come out to and be a part of – kind of like a counter-terrorism effort, because women’s rights and issues are inseparable from what is happening today. Also, these are all issues that continue to be a part of our lives, and despite the security threats, we still need to talk about life as it is. Last year, the very first production of It’s a SHE thing, a play that is inspired by Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, put into words the experiences of thousands of women across Dhaka, who have been faced with such personal and probing questions. Not only that, the monologues drew on the experiences of women from diverse backgrounds to tell the stories of gender discrimination – the sort of stories that are kept hidden in a society where women’s bodies, attitudes, behaviour, choices and even tone of voice are open to judgment. It’s a SHE thing is back again this month, running from 19-20 August at Spectra Convention Centre Limited in Gulshan, and is brought to you by ‘Bonhishikha – unlearn gender,’ an organisation that believes that gender stereotypes and roles constrain

the potentials of individuals by holding them back. This week, we chat with Syeda Samara Mortada, Coordinator of Bonhishikha, and Anika Karim, both of whom will be performing in the play. How did this play come about? Tasaffy Hossain, founder of Bonhishikha, first started staging The Vagina Monologues in Dhaka, of which we were a part as well. During the process, we realised that while The Vagina Monologues was something many of us could relate to, it didn’t actually have mass appeal. It’s not really about Dhaka people and their lives, where the context is very different. So we wanted to speak about issues that were specific to women in Dhaka. We had been collecting stories for a while, and we found many interesting ones that needed to be told.

What’s different this year? This year we will be featuring different stories but with more or less the same cast. The concept is the same, but while planning for the play this year, we focused on the issues that are current and affecting us right now. It was always a group effort, so we split up and gathered the necessary information, and wrote the scripts accordingly. Overall, I think we are also much more organised and professional than our efforts last year. What are some of the issues you’re focusing on? We are really focusing on mental health and emotional abuse this year. We are also talking about the fact that women are always expected to play these multiple roles – of mother, wife, daughter, colleague etc – and do it all seamlessly with minimum effort.

We will be focusing on how people view feminism and the different myths that come with it, and there is also a bit about sex workers and the very real abuses of their rights. Just like the rest of the pieces, this performance is also based on real interviews with sex workers in Dhaka. There are also group pieces that address stereotypes about women and the different views associated with womanhood, and also focus on issues of consent. How was the reception to the play last year? Even when we were staging The Vagina Monologues, the venues have always been full, and that was the case at the staging of It’s a SHE Thing last year as well. And it’s not even just the reception during the play – last year, we had so many organisations calling us and asking us to stage the play again. We were part of the Dhaka

What is the next step for Bonhishikha? It’s really important to mention that the proceeds from the play will be donated to Leaping Boundaries, which is an organisation that, through a girlfocused project, aims to increase visibility of madrasah students on mainstream national platforms where they are traditionally underrepresented. Currently, they are working with 120 girls and 80 boys from two alia madrasahs in Dhaka. We also have many other plans from Bonhishikha to address gender issues, such as arranging talks and related events. We also have a special event coming up in November, but don’t want to give away the surprise yet. To learn more about the play, visit https://www.facebook.com/ events/835311383270054/ Tickets are only available at imdhaka.com l

Feature

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

An active citizen’s indomitable spirit n Features Desk ‘‘I can dream - this is the biggest achievement in my entire life,’’ said Bahar Uddin Raihan, an Active Citizen from Bangladesh, at the International Study Visit 2016 of Active Citizens held in January 2016. His story moved 15 of the Active Citizens who came from different countries. When Raihan was telling his story, the audience, which comprised of Active Citizens, a member of the Bangladesh Parliament, and relevant influencers, were left mesmerised. Raihan lost both his hands in an accident when he was only nine years old. According to him, the incident marked the start of a fight, the fight against challenges that plagued his life. He has been fighting ever since, but today, he feels like a winner because he can dream and hope again. With the only one family member, his mother, Raihan, a young boy from Cox’s Bazar, almost drowned in a sea of challenges before being able to find strength in his ability to overcome these obstacles. The Active Citizens Youth Leadership Training was able to restore his life back to normalcy,

aiding him in his growth. He said, “It opened up my eyes. Now I know what my rights are and also know how to get those rights. I think I am more competent for work than many other young people who are physically okay. I can work more without hands because I gained confidence through my journey as an Active Citizens.” Raihan is working on a social action project where he along with other team members are running a school for underprivileged children. They are also getting a lot of support from people from the community. He is a very popular leader as well as president of a committee for people with disabilities in his area. People in Cox’s Bazar who are usually preoccupied with other disasters have little time to think about rights of persons with disabilities. However, now, small initiatives taken by Raihan is finally bringing about change. Interestingly, Raihan is also a blogger. He uses the digital platform to create and increase awareness about rights of differently-abled people. His friends, teachers and mentors are proud for him and they believe that he will one day be able to do something innovative which no

one has thought about, breaking free from stereotypes. The British Council has seen Raihan as a very active and successful team player in different

activities and events. His team won the best Social Action Project (SAP) award in the Active Citizens Regional Achievers’ Summit in 2016. Raihan’s aim is to become

a magistrate one day. No matter what he becomes, he surely will become someone that Bangladesh is proud to call as one of our own.l

| talk |

Growth, jobs, and equity: ULAB hosts public lecture on the future of Bangladesh University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organised a public lecture titled “Bangladesh Tomorrow: Growth, Jobs, and Equity” by Dr Faisal Ahmed, Senior Economic Adviser to the Governor of Bangladesh Bank on Monday 08 August, 2016 at its own campus in Dhanmondi. Dr Ahmed, CFA had been involved with the IMF since 2003 and until recently was the IMF Resident Representative in Cambodia (2011-2015). He has a Ph.D. from University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), Masters in Finance from Princeton University. In his speech Dr. Ahmed said, “we need to leverage our large domestic market and labour force to navigate the new world, increase investment and exports, and focus on the quality of

growth.” He added that from low income agrarian society at its birth in 1971, Bangladesh is now a lower middle income country of 160 million people in the midst of critical transitions. He particularly stressed on the opportunities in the manufacturing sector that would be key to Bangladesh’s success in upcoming years. He cautioned the student to be cognisant of the fact that the world-wide economic growth might not be as dynamic as it has been in the past twenty plus years, and urged the students to grow competencies to be able to thrive in a turbulent job market. Professor Imran Rahman, Vice Chancellor of ULAB, delivered the welcome speech. Niaz Morshed Patwary, Assistant Professor, ULAB School of Business, gave an introductory speech. l

Feature

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Speak Up without Hiccup –

an initiative to become the master of the mic presentation,” advised the polished trainer and speaker Quazi M Ahmed. Young entrepreneur Ayman Sadiq enthused to “tell a story to connect with the audience.” Rezaul Hossain from his experience in the corporate world focused on “setting the priorities” while designing the speech. “We all have the potential to become what we dream of, we just have to reach down and unleash our true potential,” said G Sumdany Don, urging the youth to focus on the significance of selfdevelopment. Participants from every walk of life were left feeling mesmerised and inspired throughout the workshop. Government officials, young professionals, students of private, public and national universities, knowledge thirsty enthusiasts from beyond the borders of Dhaka were part of the gathering, with their sole intention to learn and develop. The workshop was successful through the 360 degree support of the sponsors and partners of the event. Bombay Sweets Co Ltd & EMK Center were the Photos: Farzana Akhter

n Features Desk

officer, bKash, Quazi M Ahmed, CEO, FutureLeaders, Ayman Sadiq, founder and CEO, 10Minutes School, Nafees Kausar, inspirer, Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy and G Sumdany Don, CIO, Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy. Essential issues such as the secrets of public speaking, how to present from the corporate POV, use of humour in public speaking, how to be charismatic during presentations, the four P’s of public speaking, the ways and methods to get the audience interested at the beginning of a presentation, tips and tricks of engaging the audience were addressed during the daylong workshop by different speakers. “To overcome the fear of

“Power, presence and warmth - three things needed to be charismatic” – said Rubaba Dowla addressing the youth on August 6 at the “Speakup without Hiccup,” a Don Sumdany signature event held at the EML Center. It was a gathering of young minds, professionals and enthusiastic people under one roof to know and learn the art of public speaking. The necessity and significance of presenting oneself efficiently in front of an audience is immense. The event focused on creating a common ground where experts from diversified fields, the masters of the mic, all came along to share their experience,

tips and tricks to enthuse the audience about public speaking. The panel of guests included Rubaba Dowla, chief service officer, Airtel Bangladesh, Naveed Mahbub, founder, Naveed’s Comedy Club, Syed Tanvir Husain, director – COE, Grameenphone, Rezaul Hossain, chief commercial

public speaking, you have to do it for and by yourself,” said Syed Tanvir Husain; emphasising the importance of making an effort to get rid of the fear of public speaking. Emphasising on the importance of humour in presenting oneself, Naveed Mahbub stated “Humor is the ice breaker.” It enables the speaker to connect with the audience properly. “The attention of the audience has to be captured at the very beginning of your

sponsors of the event believing in the development of youth of our nation. The partners were GTV, Dhaka Tribune, bdnews24.com, ICE Business Times, Cooper’s, ColoursFM 101.6, Kabab Junction, ticketchai.com and GPA Matters. Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy aims to bring bigger and better events in the future to facilitate the youth of this nation towards a skilled and optimistic future. l

Biz Info

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

| university |

BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL): creating space for language practice for young learners

BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL), as a part of its commitment to the betterment of society and ensuring social justice, has successfully completed a free English Language course entirely run by MA in TESOL students. The participants of the course were children of employees of BRAC and BRAC University, whose monthly salary is not more than Tk20,000.

As a part of Teaching Practicum 01 course (TSL 507) of MA in TESOL Programme, students need to practice classroom teaching at diverse levels to make them competent as language teachers and practitioners. Teaching Practicum Course is a functional approach to teaching and this course creates spaces where fundamental language

teaching skills are expressed through organising and utilising students’ learning experiences. Furthermore, it provides students with first-hand experience of implementing course concepts, language theories, teaching methods, approaches, and techniques in real life settings. Usually, students of such professional courses utilise lab

schools for class observations and practice teaching tasks of practicum course on which they are required to write reflective reports. Parallelling Lab Schools, BIL initiated this unique opportunity for the TESOL students by inviting students of the outreach community. This internship-like experience allows the TESOL students to gain valuable educational experiences, apply the language teaching skills in real settings, investigate the gaps between theories and practices, and contextualise theories with the classroom settings. In order to ensure that the TESOL students get the maximum benefit of exposure, BIL has created a space for them to practice teaching by inviting participation from school and college students affiliated with BRACU and BRAC families. Based on the needs assessment carried out for the invited students,

two groups were made, namely beginner level (grade six to eight) and elementary level (SSC to HSC). TESOL students were also put into various groups to teach their target students. The course teacher of Syllabus Design designed the syllabus for the participants, whereas the course teacher of Teaching Practicum 01 guided the TESOL students on preparing and using materials for hands-on practice. As the classroom teaching approach was functional, interactive and participatory, the invited students received exposure to various innovative and effective classroom experiences. It was noticed that they became extremely enthusiastic and motivated and were eager to continue the course. This exercise in providing the platform for teaching practice in authentic setting has proved to be another feather in the cap of the MA in TESOL program of BIL.l

| meals |

Signature Chakma dishes at Peda Ting Ting

Sweet and savoury revolution at Peyala

Peda Ting Ting and Gallery Cafe are introducing a few fiery new dishes. With the addition of home delivery services, they are also introducing traditional, signature Chakma dishes for the first time in Bangladesh. The new dishes include: Chumat Kura Hera Chumat Kura Hera is a signature dish by Peda Ting Ting. It’s essentially chicken cooked in bamboo, making it a little spicy. It is prepared in a manner that despite trying other items, you won’t feel too full. This dish is cooked with minimum oil. It’s not curry based nor is it dry, and that’s the best part - because it keeps you guessing about all the secret ingredients. Fish Kebang “Kebang” in Chakma means “the process of cooking in banana leaves.” As ginger is a household staple for cooking food in Rangamati, the highlight of this dish is the spice factor, which

gives it a golden texture. Kura Gudiya (Mashed Chicken) The famous chakma dish Kura Gudaiya is only for those who can brave the flavours of extremely spicy food. Boda Kebang Boda Kebang is a dish meant for egg lovers. Eggs are wrapped in banana leaves using secret

ingredients and then baked. They are delivering to Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara. For large party orders, call +88017411 02403 or email usinfo. peda.ting.ting@gmail.com visit us https://www.facebook. com/PedaTingTing/. l

Since the beginning of their journey, Peyala Cafe has been tantalising peoples’ taste-buds with a range of mouthwatering sweet, savoury and beverage lines. As promised, Peyala is continuously introducing newer routes to its flavourful food voyage. Recently, they added three new flavours to its wrap and salad routes: Tandoori Chicken, Beef Rendang and Palak Paneer. Peyala not only explores in the spicy arena but also masters in the art of sweet dishes. To satisfy

everyone’s sweet-tooth cravings, they have introduced an array of new dessert delights last week. The delicious and chocolaty “Boston Brownie” is an affordable dish priced at Tk120. The “Mocha Crème Caramel” has the same classic taste but with a twist of coffee flavour to it. Also, the new “Brownie-o-trifle” having multiple layers of brownie, chocolate pudding, whipped crème and everyone’s favorite Oreo is definitely a treat for those with a sweet tooth. l

20 Editorial

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

TODAY

What does North Korea mean for Bangladesh? Getting North Korea to play gentle with everyone, including its own populace, could be a good agenda for Bangladesh to discuss during the proposed visit of the Chinese President Xi Jingping to Dhaka next month PAGE 21

Take some responsibility DHAKA TRIBUNE

We need to set examples for the next generation. The government cannot always take initiatives, and as citizens of this country, we also have to come forward to take on leadership roles PAGE 22

Reach out to all flood victims

Aleppo is being ethnically cleansed The exodus from Aleppo has not yet started. It may not start for a few weeks yet. But chances are that sooner or later, it will happen. And when it does, we in the West must be ready for it 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.

lthough the overall flood situation has improved in the last few days, the suffering is not yet over. It is of utmost importance that relief is able to reach all affected areas, including hard to reach areas like Chilmari upazila, Kurigram, and many others where houses are still under water and supplies are scarce. Bangladesh has been dealing with the devastation caused by heavy floods for a long time, and although the government and NGOs have come a long way in tackling the challenges of relief and rehabilitation, there is still a long way to go. There are still far too many people in the flood-affected areas suffering from lack of pure drinking water, medicine, and sanitation facilities in the aftermath of the floods that affected 17 districts across the country. It is a matter of grave concern that six rivers are still flowing above the danger level, as assessed by the flood forecasting and warning centre. The government should reach out to people in remote affected areas where many people are forced to continue living in school buildings, and on roads and flood control embankments. More immediate and practical relief operations need to be carried out nation-wide in the face of this adversity. Another objective of the government should be to ensure more rehabilitation programs for villagers who have lost their sources of income due to damaged crops in the flood. More needs to be done to prepare villagers in remote areas to prepare for floods and their aftermath, such as issuing warnings of heavy rainfall, and helping them stock up on food and medicine. If we can create a better, more sustainable system for flood relief, much human misery can be averted in the coming years.

The government should reach out to people in remote affected areas where many people are forced to continue living in school buildings, and on roads and flood control embankments

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

What does North Korea mean for Bangladesh? Should we reconsider our relationship with the more volatile Korea?

n Shahab Enam Khan

nce again, North Korea has become a front page story in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has expelled Mr Han Son Ik, first secretary of the North Korean Mission to Dhaka, for his illegal activities violating diplomatic norms last week. Customs officials reportedly seized a bulk of tobacco and electronic products worth Tk350 lakhs from the Inland Container Depot last month. What is disturbing is the repeated involvement of North Korean diplomats in similar cases over the past few years. Last year, in March 2016, customs officials in Bangladesh seized gold worth around Tk130 lakh ($1.7m) from the hand luggage of a North Korean diplomat, Mr Son Young-nam, then first secretary at the North Korean embassy in Dhaka. I must mention that North Korea’s alleged involvement in the $915m 2016 Bangladesh Bank heist has further strained its relationship with Bangladesh. This link to North Korea was established by the security researchers working at Symantec -- a leading internet security firm, and the British defense contractor BAE Systems. In looking into the attack on the bank in Bangladesh, the Symantec researchers found an unusual code that has only been found in

time for Bangladesh to review its relationship with North Korea given its current status in global security and perhaps its recent activities focusing on Bangladesh. The unpredictability of disturbing the young dictator, chairman, and supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, son of the Eternal Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-il and grandson of the Eternal President of North Korea Kim Il-sung, has posed significant threats to the Far East, South East, South Asia, Middle East, and the United States. In recent years, North Korea’s aggressively developed and utilised capabilities, such as cyber warfare, nuclear weapons, and ballistic missiles to advance its interest could be seen as a major threat to the global economic architecture, and, hence, its alleged involvement in the Bangladesh Bank heist is a credible development. I won’t be surprised if North Korea starts producing miniaturised nuclear warheads -- for a specific market dominated by the extremist outfits, and I certainly assume that they have that capability. I often fear what will happen if that paranoid young man, out of a desperate need to sustain his empire of dystopia, supplies his nuclear weapons and arms to the rogue outfits? The Asian countries will have little to no warning of Kim Jongun’s paranoid provocation, which may kick off an endless cycle of

Kim Jong-un is a little too unpredictable

Getting North Korea to play gentle with everyone, including its own populace, could be a good agenda for Bangladesh to discuss during the proposed visit of the Chinese President Xi Jingping to Dhaka next month

two other cyber attacks, ie Sony Pictures in December 2014, and media outlets in South Korea in 2013. The relationship between Bangladesh and North Korea has largely been ceremonial rather than functionally beneficial in terms of trade, culture, politics, and, of course, social. Nevertheless, it has become high

action and counteraction leading to an unintended escalation of the arms race and fatalities. This calls for the need for a proactive role for Bangladesh to maintain a high level of preparedness and vigilance to protect its national and economic interests. Perhaps Bangladesh, India, China, Japan, South Korea,

Australia, the US, and the Middle East should focus on ensuring good, effective implementation of the UN Security Council resolution against North Korea which places strong constraints on North Korea’s ability to continue to conduct commerce across its borders, whether by sea, air, or land. However, one must not forget

REUTERS

that, in spite of sanctions, North Korea has proceeded with its nuclear and arms programs. It has mastered phenomenal ways to evade sanctions. It has a pool of elite state-owned trading companies and linkages with rogue outfits that keep the flow of cash and supplies steady. To dismantle these companies, it will require strong commitment and co-operation between the US and China. But that would also require collective diplomacy too. Bangladesh should be a part of this collective diplomacy for its own interest to deter any future attacks, or to stop the smuggling of arms from North Korea all the way to the Middle East, using the Indian sub-continent. I think North Korea has a slight bias towards Beijing, and Beijing is probably the only practical hope to

stop Kim from going further rogue. Getting North Korea to play gentle with everyone, including its own populace, could be a good agenda for Bangladesh to discuss during the proposed visit of the Chinese President Xi Jingping to Dhaka next month. If we don’t take it seriously in our foreign policy, the next cyber attack or a bulk of arms consignment for the extremists may come sooner rather than later from North Korea. l Shahab Enam Khan is Associate Professor and Chair, Department of International Relations, Jahangirnagar University. This is an excerpt from Shahab Enam Khan’s keynote speech at a seminar on “Human Rights and Security: Asian Perspective,” organised by the Centre for Governance Studies on August 6.

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Take some responsibility We, the citizens, need to do our part to fix this country

It is every citizen’s responsibility to dispose of garbage in the right place

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

We need to set examples for the next generation. The government cannot always take initiatives, and as citizens of this country, we also have to come forward to take on leadership roles

n Abdul Baten

e are responsible for each and every action we take, no matter the outcome. Usually, we tend to take responsibility for our positive actions and try to blame others for the negative ones. More or less, that is human nature. I can speak for myself, and admit I have the same tendency. But the more we take responsibilities for our actions, the more we get to correct our

mistakes, and it helps us grow. Being responsible for our actions, whether right or wrong, shows our level of maturity. We are always blaming others for traffic jams, accidents, and vandalism -- but we forget that sometimes we are causing them. When there is a foot overpass close by and we are not using it, rather carelessly crossing the busy street, it might cause an accident, and then there is no way we can blame others for it. In a situation like this, we are not causing problems only for ourselves, but also for people around us.

We need to think about the consequences of our actions. A small mistake can be life-changing in a split second, for example, it is very unsafe for three people to ride on a motorcycle that too without helmets. The authorities can make rules and implement it, but if people don’t follow set rules and cause accidents, then they should take responsibility for it. As citizens of this country, we have a major role to play. It is to follow and respect the rules, regulations, law and order, and to keep the country clean and safe.

After all, rules are made to benefit us and keep us safe. Mahatma Gandhi said: “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and the soul of its people.” In my close observation of Bangladesh, I’ve witnessed that we have a tendency to break the law and look for a shortcut, so we build a culture of breaking the laws, and letting people off unpunished. As a nation we are very impatient. We don’t want to wait in line, we tend to take the wrong lane on roads and cause accidents, and we want results without putting in any effort. We forget that results without effort cannot be sustained for very long. We have a tendency to work for quick results, but not to attain knowledge, value, and quality. We need results which can be sustained for the long term, and that requires extra effort and hard work, which most people are not willing to put in. People who are giving extra effort will stand

out and become extraordinary achievers. Let’s learn to take responsibility for all our actions. It is not easy, but it is very much possible. If our action brings a negative result, let’s admit our mistake and learn from it. Admitting our mistakes makes us better people -- there is no shame in saying sorry for mistakes made. We need to promote a culture where people take responsibility for their own mistakes. If the promotion comes from political and business leaders, then it will set an example for the whole nation. Everyone will be more responsible, and will make fewer mistakes, which, in effect, can reduce accidents, crime, and corruption. We make mistakes because we are only human, but we should learn to take responsibility for all our actions. We all want to be better people and build a better nation that we can take pride in. When we start taking responsibility for our actions, our behaviour will be more positive, and we will get immediate benefits. The initiative by the two city corporations in Dhaka of placing trash cans throughout the city to keep the city clean is a good approach by the mayors. Our responsibility is to utilise these trash cans and not litter, and the city corporations’ responsibility is to clean the trash cans on time. When both parties fulfill their responsibilities, we will all get to see a cleaner Dhaka that we can enjoy, and leave to the next generation. We need to set examples for the next generation. The government cannot always take initiatives, and as citizens of this country, we also have to come forward to take on leadership roles. There is a saying: “When you point a finger at someone, there are four fingers pointing back at you.” So when we are pointing a finger at the authorities, we forget that we have some responsibilities too. We always have to ask ourselves if we are fulfilling our share of the responsibilities. We need to remember that it is a two- way street. Let’s dream for a better nation, and a better future, and work to fulfill that dream. l Abdul Baten is an Assistant Professor of School of Business in University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Aleppo is being ethnically cleansed The strategy now is to remove from the city those who oppose Assad’s regime

Assad’s forces won’t be able to kill every one of these rebels

n Azeem Ibrahim

leppo has been under siege from Assad’s forces and their Russian allies for many, many months now. And while the rebels in the city have on occasion been successful in fighting back, government forces have always managed to return with a vengeance. Aided, in no small part it has to be said, by Russian air power. But it seems that now the resistance in the city must be on the verge of collapsing. Starvation has long since set in, while Russian aerial bombardment is a daily reality -- not least against hospitals and other basic, civilian infrastructure. For a long time, the inhabitants of the city have remained steadfast, unwilling to abandon their city, and fearing that the “humanitarian corridors” put in place by the besiegers are some kind of trap. Yet, they are now left with hardly any resources to put up resistance. Trap or no trap, the corridors offer at least some chance of survival. Whereas, remaining in the city looks increasingly likely to end in tragedy. For parents having to look

after their children, the calculation of how to best see them through this crisis is shifting. Of course, the UN and the West are as sceptical of the corridors as the citizens of Aleppo themselves. Neither Assad nor his Russian allies have shown any compunction about bombing civilians in the past -- the Syrian Committee for Human Rights has documented as many as 68 “massacres” in July alone. Missing the point But this is all to rather miss the point. Of course, we should have no doubt that if Assad and the Russian believed that killing more civilians would help their cause, they would do so without hesitation. The point is, though, that Aleppo is now in a situation where more massacres are no longer needed. I believe that the strategy is not necessarily to lure the citizens of Aleppo out into the open and attack them, but rather, it is to simply remove from the city those who oppose Assad’s regime. From the city, and perhaps even the country. And to move them onwards, ideally, towards Europe. In other words, even the brutal alliance of Assad and Russia are either unwilling, or unable to just kill every last rebel in the country.

REUTERS

The exodus from Aleppo has not yet started. It may not start for a few weeks yet. But chances are that sooner or later, it will happen. And when it does, we in the West must be ready for it

And just as well, they do not need to kill everyone. They just need to make sure that the more militant elements who can and are inclined to put up resistance are removed from the country, while the others can be cowed into submission. And if they manage to push the remaining people of Aleppo onwards towards Europe, Putin will no doubt count that as a double win. The refugee crisis has already caused more instability in the European Union than the 2008 Financial Crisis and the Greece debt saga combined, and from the point of view of Russia, anything that can pile on the pressure in Brussels and in the other European capitals can only be a good thing for Putin’s geo-political ambitions. The exodus from Aleppo has not yet started. It may not start for a few weeks yet. But chances are

that sooner or later, it will happen. And when it does, we in the West must be ready for it. The politics of the continent are fraught, and the nationalist, xenophobic backlash against the Syrian and Iraqi refugees has been strong. But, in the best case scenario, there will be at least one more wave of migrants to come, and we must pave the way for welcoming and integrating them once more. If we succeed, our societies will be better for it. If we start to fail, we are setting ourselves up for decades of very ugly politics in what we would like to think of as the civilised, developed world. l Azeem Ibrahim is an RAI Fellow at Mansfield College, University of Oxford and Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. He tweets @AzeemIbrahim.

24 Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

‘Hijab won’t keep me from sport’

TOP STORIES

Mourinho ready for EPL encore

n AP, Rio De Janeiro

Manchester United and Jose Mourinho both need to prove certain things this season. United have struggled in the last three seasons after their legendary coach Alex Ferguson called time on his coaching career. PAGE 25

Hijab-wearing US fencer exits on high Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad said she was proud to represent the United States and hailed a “beautiful experience” despite being knocked out of the Rio Olympics women’s sabre competition on Monday. PAGE 26

Arambagh, Brothers in tense stalemate Brothers Union registered their third draw in four outings in the Bangladesh Premier League after they played out a 2-2 draw with Arambagh Krira Sangha at Rafikudddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh yesterday. PAGE 27

City sign England defender Stones Manchester City signed John Stones from Everton for 47.5 million pounds yesterday, making the England international the world’s second most expensive defender. The 22-year-old agreed a six-year contract to join City. PAGE 28

Doaa Elghobashy (L) of Egypt and Kira Walkenhorst of Germany competing in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro INTERNET

When Doaa Elghobashy made her debut at the Copacabana venue on Sunday night, she was proud to represent Egypt as part of the nation’s first Olympic beach volleyball team. As for the hijab that covered her head and the long sleeves on her arms and legs, she never gave that a thought. “I have worn the hijab for 10 years,” she said after a 21-12, 21-15 loss to Germany. “It doesn’t keep me away from the things I love to do, and beach volleyball is one of them.” Elghobashy and partner Nada Meawad qualified for the Summer Games through a regional competition designed to open the Olympic field to countries beyond the Brazilians, Americans and Europeans who dominate the international pro tour. And when the Egyptians took the court wearing long pants and sleeves, they were the beneficiaries of uniform regulations that were relaxed by the international volleyball federation before the London Games so as not to exclude cultures that might be turned off by the standard bikinis and boardshorts. “It was to open it up culturally,” FIVB spokesman Richard Baker said on Sunday night as the Egyptians played in their opening match of the Rio Games. “The goal was to allow more people to play the sport of volleyball.” By one measure, it’s worked. Baker said there were 169 different countries involved in the Continental Cup qualifying process for the 2016 Olympic, compared to 143 for London. Egypt had never qualified for either the men’s or women’s beach volleyball tournament at the Olympics. “I’m proud to be seen raising the Egyptian flag in a carnival with so many nations,” Elghobashy said. l

‘Focus on ourselves only’ n Minhaz Uddin Khan Tigers head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who returned to Dhaka on Monday, said the upcoming England tour will solely depend on the visitors and that all the Bangladesh Cricket Board can do is give assurance regarding the security situation. “They (England) have to decide, what I have heard is that their security people are coming here. Then they will take a decision. But again, what we can focus on is what we can do here,” Hathurusingha told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. “The situation is not ideal but we cannot do anything about it. That is what I told the boys as well. What we can do is try to be

prepared with our ability and take the time that we have in our hands as an advantage and not as a disadvantage. It is not ideal but that is the situation we are in,” he said. Hathurusingha informed that despite the foreign members of the team management reaching Dhaka late, he is happy that the camp started as planned. For the past 10 days, the Tigers underwent fitness camp and started skill development yesterday. The camp will also have practice matches and plans to make the players participate in a few games of the franchise-based Bangladesh Cricket League before England’s arrival. The BCL is scheduled to start on September 20. “We actually started as we planned our fitness camp on the day that we planned anyway.

Of course we took some time to come but we were lucky that we had good people around us to start the camp whom we trust. So we are into our plan. We are starting the skills. We already started fielding, just doing some throwing work load, getting some miles into our shoulders. And then getting into pace next week. On the 20th (of this month), we start batting and bowling then we play a few matches before Eid. We’ll probably play a few BCL matches before England arrive,” informed the former Sri Lanka cricketer. “It is not ideal, and easy as well, but what can you do if you don’t have matches? We are trying to practise according to our plans. We take it as a positive because we have time in our hand. We can prepare very well, but then again

it is not like playing matches. Ideally the players like to play games and keep their confidence going. When you start a new series, it’s a little bit tensed at the start unless you get into the series. That’s the disadvantage that we might have because we are playing after a long time but we can’t control about this now,” he added. l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

BFF to involve patrons

Saintfiet confirms BFF his return

n Tribune Report

Amidst all the doubts and uncertainty, Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet has confirmed to Bangladesh Football Federation about his return date yesterday to resume the responsibility of the national team. Saintfiet is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka next Wednesday and will watch the Bangladesh Premier League’s sixth round matches before the national team begin their residential training camp four days later ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers play-off against Bhutan in September-October. “He (Saintfiet) confirmed his return ticket (yesterday) and we hope he will arrive in Dhaka on August 17,” said Abu Nayeem Shohag, BFF general secretary, yesterday. The 43-year-old coach is however yet to sign the deal with BFF despite conducting a six-day training camp with the national team last month. He also watched BPL matches before leaving for a twoweek vacation on July 31. He was all set to pen the deal on July 27 for a three-month contract but it was cancelled at the last moment. Saintfiet is reportedly linked with the Nigerian FA for a job as the Super Eagles’ head coach. Last week, Nigeria drafted a three-man shortlist for the vacant manager/head coach’s position, and Saintfiet is one of their preferred choices but the 43-year old coach wants to concentrate on Bangladesh only.l

Bangladesh golfer Siddikur Rahman works out in the gym yesterday

INTERNET

The Bangladesh Football Federation is planning to involve a number of business organisations as patrons for their long-term development plan and national football team’s activities. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin held a meeting with the top representatives of Max Group, Toma Construction, Impress Group, Saif Powertec, Sharp Securities and KBC Agro Products to discuss the matter at the BFF House yesterday. It was the second meeting between the two parties but no final agreement was made despite the BFF calling for a press briefing for yesterday. “We already sat in two meetings and it’s all positive. We almost reached an agreement. Hopefully we need one or two more meetings to reach a conclusion. Then we can officially announce may be in eight-10 days about it,” said Salahuddin. He informed that it is not just about “financial benefits” but includes planning for long term to

Taskin, Sunny tests likely in August n Tribune Report Bangladesh bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny are likely to appear for their bowling action test under the International Cricket Council’s supervision, by the end of August, according to head coach Chandika Hathurusingha yesterday.

Both Taskin and Sunny have been working on their action after the duo were suspended for illegal bowling action during the 2016 World Twenty20 earlier this year. “I had a look at their (Taskin and Sunny) progress. I have been informed regularly what they are doing. We are planning to get them tested by the end of this month or

early next month,” said Hathurusingha after training at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Both the bowlers have given bowling action tests to the Bangladesh Cricket Board and are confident of appearing at the official test. Left-arm spinner Sunny already started bowling in a different action and yesterday, gave the test

Mourinho ready for EPL encore n Ali Shahriyar Bappa Manchester United, one of the most popular clubs in the world, and Jose Mourinho both need to prove certain things this season. United have struggled in the last three seasons after their legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson called time on his coaching career. After David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, the responsibility has now been handed to Mourinho to turn the tables around. The job will not be easy for Mourinho and Co as the Premiership has become extremely competitive in recent times. Now fivesix teams compete regularly for the

take football to a new level. “They want to be here long-term and so do we. If we reach a stage I hope it will open a new chapter for Bangladesh football,” he said. Golam Mohammad Alamgir, chairman of Max Group, expressed their interest to work with BFF for five-10 years. “The reason for the discussion is to upgrade football in grassroot level from villages to districts to national level. We have similarity in our ways of thinking about what the BFF lacks and what they have to do in five-10 years for the development of football,” said Alamgir. “There is no limit of how much money is required and how much money will be given. No limit. We are ready for that. We really feel there is a big vacuum compared to other footballing nations. Let’s take it strongly and do the job for the nation,” he added. BFF vice presidents Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Badal Roy and Mohiuddin Mohi were also present along with other BFF officials and top representatives of the patron organisations.l

title race. Even teams like Leicester City, who were battling relegation two years ago, became champions last season playing quality football. In the last couple of years, United have spent a lot of money in the transfer market. Expensive recruits like Angel di Maria, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay did not bring the expected results for the Red Devils. Even this season, the transfer spree continued as Paul Pogba rejoined the club for a world record fee of £89 million. The amount of money spent to buy back Pogba raised eyebrows as the midfielder was allowed to leave for just £1.5m in 2012. Mourinho also made some key additions to the squad like Zlatan Ibrahimovic (free), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£26.3m) and Eric Bailly (£30m). The attacking line seems explosive as the signing of Ibrahimovic will play a huge impact in United’s game. The Swede has already made

his mark in the Community Shield with the 83rd minute winner. The world class Ibrahimovic has been successful in all the major leagues of the world. His experience will surely guide the young attacking talents like Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Martial. Ibrahimovic partnering with club captain Wayne Rooney will be another thing to watch out for. With these two proven goalscorers, United fans will certainly hope for the goals to flow this season, as they managed only 46 last season. Rooney has to find his rhythm immediately under Mourinho. Rooney, a proven goal scorer in the EPL, lost his form in the last two campaigns and even played in midfield during LVG’s tenure. Mourinho recently revealed that he will not play Rooney in midfield any more. Now it is time for Rooney to step up as it will be vital for his international career as well. In midfield, Mourinho has vari-

ous options. Everyone is interested to know how Pogba will be implemented in Mourinho’s plan. After all, the role of the central midfielder is very essential in Mourinho’s style of play. Mourinho also has the option of using Marouane Fellaini, Morgan Schneiderlin or the veteran Michael Carrick. In defence, Mourinho will be relying on Bailly and Chris Smalling. The oft-injured Luke Shaw is back to full fitness and impressed Mourinho in pre-season. The Italian Matteo Darmian is a good option in right back and even Antonio Valencia can play at that position. Between the posts, Mourinho has David de Gea who was probably their standout performer last season. But Mourinho perhaps needs another world class centreback. The EPL, after all, is a marathon and not a long sprint so if players pick up injuries at crucial junctures, then the title challenge will fall apart. l

to the BCB’s bowling action review committee. Taskin, who took part in the Dhaka Premier League after being suspended, has worked under BCB’s bowling coach Mahbub Ali Zaki. BCB’s plan is to have both bowlers get the clearance from the ICC before the England tour in October. l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Hijab-wearing US fencer exits with head held high n AFP, Rio de Janeiro

MEDAL TALLY COUNTRY UNITED STATES

19 13

CHINA

AUSTRALIA

ITALY

JAPAN

HUNGARY

RUSSIA

SOUTH KOREA

THAILAND

GREAT BRITAIN

Updated yesterday (9pm)

DAY FIVE EVENTS TO WATCH BANGLADESHI ATHLETES

Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt dances samba at a press conference on Monday

Samba and smiles as Bolt warms up for Olympic swansong n AFP, Rio de Janeiro

Shyamoli Roy (Archery) Women’s Individual Round Of 64 6:26pm

GOLD MEDAL EVENTS CYCLING (ROAD) Women’s Men’s

Time Trial

5:30pm

Time Trial

7pm

ROWING Men’s

Quadruple Sculls Final A 7:22pm

Women’s Quadruple Sculls Final A 7:34pm SHOOTING Men’s

50m Pistol

Shimmying amid a troupe of semi-naked samba dancers and wise-cracking with journalists, Usain Bolt is determined to bow out of the Olympics with a flourish. The 29-year-old Jamaican sprint star took centre-stage on Monday at his first major press conference since arriving in Rio de Janeiro for his final Games. And from the moment he strutted onto the stage at Rio’s Cidade des Artes theater - instructing his audience to applaud - he was determined to entertain. The setting of the largest theater

in South America could not have been more appropriate for track and field’s greatest showman. It was a reminder of just what athletics will lose when Bolt walks away from the sport next year after the World Championships in London. Before that however he has his final Olympics to think about, where he will bid to win 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles for a third straight Games, the fabled “Treble-Treble.” Bolt is preparing to bow out as athletics reels from two of the biggest controversies in the sport’s history, the Russian doping scandal

9pm

Kayak Single

12:15am

Men’s

Double Trap

12:25am

WEIGHTLIFTING Women’s

69kg Group A

12:30am

Men’s

77kg Group A

4am

n AFP, Rio de Janeiro

DIVING Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard 1am GYMNASTICS Men’s

Individual All-Around

1am

JUDO Women’s Men’s

70kg

1:40am

90kg

2:01am

FENCING Women’s Men’s

Individual Foil

5:15am

Individual Sabre

5:45am

TABLE TENNIS Women’s

Singles

6:30am

SWIMMING Men’s

200m Breaststroke

7:03am

Women’s

200m Butterfly

7:54am

Men’s

100m Freestyle

8:03am

Women’s 4*200m Freestyle Relay 8:55am

and corruption allegations against the former leadership of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Even so, Bolt believes athletics has turned the corner. Although the Russian doping scandal exposed the sophisticated lengths that drug cheats were prepared to go to avoid detection, Bolt said he was unconcerned about the possibility that he might be lining up against rivals in Rio who are not clean. “That’s WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), IAAF and IOC (International Olympic Committee) these are the guys that worry about that stuff,” Bolt said.l

Rio thieves strike faster, higher, stronger

CANOE SLALOM Men’s

REUTERS

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad said she was proud to represent the United States and hailed a “beautiful experience” despite being knocked out of the Rio Olympics women’s sabre competition on Monday. Muhammad, who became the first US Olympian to compete in a hijab, said she hoped she had done her bit to change attitudes about Muslim women. Muhammad’s tournament ended 15-12 to France’s Cecilia Berder in the table of 16, but it was a significant appearance for an athlete who says she has suffered discrimination since childhood. Muhammad’s participation in Rio comes in the midst of a US presidential election campaign marked by anti-Islamic rhetoric while incidents of threats and vandalism at mosques reached an all-time high last year. She said she aimed to explode stereotypes about Muslim women and blaze a trail for other Muslim girls to get involved in sport.l

Argentina, Brazil fans get into punch-up The intense rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is not just confined to football. Supporters from both countries have been seen taunting each other from the very first day of the Rio Olympics in the various sporting pavilions across the city. And the banter finally boiled over on Monday during the tennis match between Argentina’s Del Potro and Portuguese player Joao Sousa, with security personnel having to intervene when an Argentine and Brazilian got into a punch up. After the game, which Del Potro won 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 following his shock defeat of Novak Djokovic on Sunday, said he hopes there’ll be no repeat of the ugly scenes. “I hope that these types of incidents don’t happen again because people come here to watch tennis. This isn’t football.”

In the chaotic world of Rio criminality, it is an old trick that is winning the gold medal. A blonde woman distracts the victim while an accomplice grabs the bag of cameras, computers or valuables. A second partner in crime sends the victim the wrong way if he or she gives chase. This textbook larceny is being played out each day on the beachside cafes along Ipanema. Pickpockets also ply Copacabana and there is also a more dangerous version. Sometimes the attacker just takes out a knife and puts it to the throat of his victim. Around the Olympics, thefts and muggings have become the talk of the town. A government minister, athletes

and coaches and press photographers have all fallen victim. The danger lurks from the Rio media village to stadiums, and the cafes on the upscale seafront Ipanema district. The “Cariocas”, as the inhabitants of Rio are known, have long got used to the threat of crime. It has been a shock to the Olympic influx and the government estimates that 500,000 people will visit Brazil for the Games. Even on the night of the opening ceremony, two people were fatally shot near the Maracana stadium where it was held. Australian photographer Brett Costello is one of a growing press band to have suffered. The News Corp. journalist lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. l

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Arambagh, Brothers in tense stalemate n Tribune Report Brothers Union registered their third draw in four outings in the Bangladesh Premier League after they played out a 2-2 draw with Arambagh Krira Sangha at Rafikudddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh yesterday. Nazmul Islam Rasel took the lead for Brothers with only six minutes into the clock. Mohammad Rony headed a Mannaf Rabby corner inside the penalty area before Rasel’s side-volley hit the back of the net. Arambagh cancelled out the lead in the 25th minute through a header by Nigerian striker Kester Akon. Young winger Jafor Iqbal put Arambagh in the lead in the first

half, heading home from Abdullah’s free-kick. Mannaf restored parity for the Gopibag outfit in the 70th minute when the young forward fired past Arambagh goalkeeper Mitul Hasan after a one-toone with Nkwocha Kingsley.

RESULT

2-2

Arambagh Kester 25, Jafor 45+1

Brothers Rasel 6, Mannaf 70

TODAY’S MATCH Baridhara v Rahmatganj, 4:00pm

Arambagh moved to seventh place with the draw having five points from four matches while Brothers are placed 10th with only three points from the same number of outings. l

Women’s 22-member squad announced n Tribune Report Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the 22-member Bangladesh women’s preliminary squad for the upcoming tour to Ireland yesterday. Jahanara Alam and her troop are scheduled to play three Twenty20Is and as many ODIs against the Ireland women’s team in September this year. The 22-member women’s squad will begin training from today. They will work on their fitness along with skills

in Mirpur. Bangladesh women’s squad: Sanjida Islam (Moyna), Jahanara Alam, Ayasha Rahman (Suktara), Nahida Akter, Fargana Hoque (Pinky), Panna Ghosh, Lata Mondol, Khadija Tul Kobra, Rumana Ahmed, Suraiya Azmin, Nigar Sultana, Shamima Sultana, Sharmin Akter Supta, Jannatul Ferdous, Shaila Sharmin, Happy Alam, Salma Khatun, Sultana Khatun, Ritu Moni, Muntahana Hasnat, Fahima Khatun, Sumana Akhter. l

DAY’S WATCH OLYMPICS STAR SPORTS 1 6:00PM, 12:30AM Rio Olympic Games 2016 Daily Live Coverage

FOOTBALL

12:45AM Sky Bet EFL 2016/17 Fleetwood Town v Leeds United

CRICKET TEN 1 1:30PM NZ Tour of Zimbabwe 2nd Test, Day 5

TEN 2 7:00PM India Tour of West Indies 3rd Test, Day 2

Sport

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS IN HISTORY

PAUL POGBA (FRANCE)

Juventus To Man United - £89M

Manchester United had been linked to offers for Pogba even when Louis Van Gaal was still coach. But the machine really started turning when Jose Mourinho took over on his mission to get United back into the Champions League frontrunners.

Record-breaking Pogba eyes triple triumph

GARETH BALE (WALES)

Tottenham to Real Madrid - £85.1m - 2013

Welsh forward whose performances for an attractive Spurs side persuaded Real to bid for him. The English side could not refuse such advances and let their star man go.

CRISTIANO RONALDO (PORTUGAL)

Man United to Real Madrid £83.7m - 2009

Real Madrid came calling for the Portuguese master with what was then a world-record bid. Ronaldo was keen to join, and since arriving in the Spanish capital he has become their all-time top goalscorer and consistently set records in the Champions League.

GONZALO HIGUAIN (ARGENTINA)

Napoli to Juventus £75.3m - 2016

Juventus paid the biggest fee for a domestic transfer in history when they matched Higuain’s buy-out clause of 90 million euros to bring the Argentinian to Turin from Napoli last month.

LUIS SUAREZ (URUGUAY)

Liverpool to Barcelona £75m - 2014

Barcelona didn’t hesitate to sign the striker despite his shame at the World Cup finals when - for the third time - he bit an opponent, this time Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. l

n AFP, London Paul Pogba has set his sights on winning the Premier League, Champions League and Ballon d’Or after the France star completed his world record move to Manchester United yesterday. United have shattered the transfer record with an £89 million deal to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford from Juventus. The former United midfielder, who left Old Trafford for Juve in 2012 for just £800,000, immediately outlined his desire to repay the huge fee by helping the Premier League club become champions of England and Europe, while establishing himself as the world’s best player. “I want to win the league for the first time with United, because I hadn’t won the league when I left. The Champions League of course. And, personally, one of my dreams is to win the Ballon d’Or,” Pogba

told MUTV. “That will come with time, hopefully, but first I want to win the Premier League, which I have never done.” Since leaving United in 2012, Pogba has helped Italian giants Juve win four Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia twice, while they also finished as Champions League runners-up in 2015. Pogba, set to earn a reported £290,000-per-week at United, was also part of the France side who finished runners-up at Euro 2016. On Sunday, with Pogba given permission to undergo a medical, United manager Jose Mourinho said he felt the 23-year-old was coming to the “perfect” place for him to surpass Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the game’s preeminent player. Pogba is looking forward to working with a serial winner like Mourinho and said: “I spoke with a lot of players when he was at (Real) Madrid - I spoke with (Alvaro) Morata, (Raphael) Varane - and they all told me he is a coach for me, he will make me improve a lot because he makes you work harder.” l

PAUL LABILE POGBA

Age Date of birth Place of birth Position

: 23 : March 15, 1993 : Lagny-sur-Marne, France : Central midfielder

PLAYING CAREER Clubs

: Manchester United (ENG/2011-2012) Appearances : 7 Goals :0 Clubs : Juventus (ITA/2012-2016) Appearances : 178 Goals : 34 National team : France Appearances : 38 Goals :6 Debut : March 22, 2013 (v Georgia, Saint-Denis)

HONOURS CLUB: Serie A (4): 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 Coppa Italia (2): 2014-15, 2015-16 Supercoppa Italiana (2): 2013, 2015 INTERNATIONAL: FIFA Under-20 World Cup (1): 2013 INDIVIDUAL: FIFA Under-20 WC Golden Ball: 2013 Golden Boy: 2013 FIFA WC Best Young Player: 2014 Bravo Award: 2014

City sign England defender Stones n Reuters, London Manchester City signed John Stones from Everton for 47.5 million pounds ($61.7 million) yesterday, making the England international the world’s second most expensive defender. The 22-year-old agreed a sixyear contract to join City as new manager Pep Guardiola continued a major overhaul of his squad in a bid to reclaim the Premier League title they last won in 2014. “John is an excellent young Eng-

lish defender and we are all really pleased he is joining us,” City director of football Txiki Begiristain told the club website. “We have worked hard to bring him to City and we feel we are signing one of the best central defenders in Europe.” Stones, who joined Everton from Barnsley in 2013 for three million pounds, is football’s second costliest defender after Brazilian David Luiz, who moved from Chelsea to Paris St Germain for 50 million pounds in 2014.

“I’m looking forward to the next stage in my career,” Stones said. “I’ve obviously seen what’s going on here at the Etihad, it’s an ambitious Club with a great manager so I can’t wait to get stuck in and help achieve the goals.” Spaniard Guardiola, who joined the Manchester club from Bayern Munich at the end of last season, identified Stones as the perfect fit for his possession-based game. “We want to help John show his quality with us and improve on what he has already achieved,” Guardiola said. “I like the way he plays the game and I’m looking forward to welcoming him into the squad.” Stones’s name appeared in City’s Champions League squad which was published on the UEFA website hours before the transfer was confirmed. The club admitted the mistake was a “huge embarrassment”. Stones became City’s eighth signing of the transfer window after midfielders Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Aleksandar Zinchenko, Aaron Mooy and Marlos Moreno along with forwards Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus.l

Spanish footballer Jese Rodrigez, holds his new Paris Saint Germain jersey as he poses with his companion Aurah Ruiz at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Monday. French champion Paris Saint-Germain bolstered their attack by recruiting Spanish forward Jese on a five-year deal from Real Madrid AP

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Seraglio (5) 4 Early freshness (3) 6 Reflected sound (4) 8 Tracking system (5) 9 Cricket term (4) 11 Harvest (4) 12 Foe (5) 15 Schemes (5) 18 Gem (4) 20 Curved (4) 21 Cavalry weapon (5) 22 Norwegian capital (4) 23 Vast age (3) 24 Hooked claw (5)

DOWN 1 Multitude (5) 2 Long narrow elevation (5) 3 Clemency (5) 4 Bird (4) 5 Twist out of shape (4) 7 Hourly (5) 10 Deserve (4) 13 Back of the neck (4) 14 Dissolves (5) 15 Airman (5) 16 Make void (5) 17 Lustre (5) 18 Musical instrument (4) 19 In a shirt time (4)

Downtime

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODECRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents F so fill F every time the figure 3 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. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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

Showtime

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

Ink drawings on display at AFD n Showtime Desk A solo drawing and painting exhibition titled Dessins à l’encre by artist Jalilur Rabbi Tamim has begun at Galerie Zoom, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) with the inaugural ceremony held on Saturday, August 6. The artwork exhibited in Dessins à l’encre (meaning ink drawings) differ from Tamim’s previous solos. As an artist and fine art student in France, Tamim came to explore the age old method of creating drawings and paintings from live models. Most of the work presented for this exhibition are done in the renowned atelier of Académie de la Grande Chaumière in

n Showtime Desk

Montparnasse, Paris and Tamim was awarded for his work over there.

Karishma Tanna feels under privileged n Showtime Desk Karishma Tanna, who is part of a dance reality show Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa 9 recently danced to the song from Kapoor & Sons. The film is produced by Karan Johar, who is also one of the judges on the show. KJo was so impressed by her performance that he compared her to Karishma Kapoor! He said, “Karishma (Tanna) reminds me of Karishma Kapoor. The way she dances with heart and energy is the same as Karishma used to perform.” Wonder how the Kapoor lass will react to this! This was a very motivating and inspiring compliment to receive, especially since she mentioned she feels “underprivileged” in Bollywood. What she meant is possibly that she’s not priviledged like other “Star” kids. However KJ told her the basic rule of life: some people don’t even get a chance to perform on stages like Jhalak. In that case Tanna is already lucky enough.

Nadiya Hussain to judge Junior Bake Off

Karishma Tanna started her acting career as Indu Virani in 2000 with the superhit show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. After that, she did many serials till she turned her focus towards B-Town. But things didn’t work out as expected in Bollywood, and soon, Karishma returned to the small screen with the reality TV show Bigg Boss. Here, she talks about her comeback to television, her journey so far, and more. She is famous for her stubborn attitude in reality shows. l

Different types of ink-work and bamboo pens were used to create these drawing-paintings. The artwork reflect different models with different poses over a course of different time-frames. These are very recent works of the artist which he is delighted to share with audience. This is Tamim’s fourth solo exhibition at Alliance Française de Dhaka. His first solo exhibition was held in 2006, the consequent ones in 2008 and in 2010 with different types of work and installations. The exhibition will be open to all till August 13. l

Nadiya Hussain, a British-Bangladeshi baker and the 2015 Great British Bake Off winner, has confirmed to join the new series of Junior Bake Off. Hussein said she is “delighted” to be joining the new series as a judge where young bakers tackle a series of baking challenges including the art of baking. The Great British Bake Off champion will share her knowledge to the CBBC program alongside Allegra McEvedy, international chef and food writer, as they judge 40 young bakers on their quest to be the best. Hussain said: “I’m delighted to be joining Junior Bake Off as a judge. This time last year I was in the Bake Off tent and now I get to go back and help encourage the next generation to get their bake on. “I am so excited to have this

opportunity.” Susanne Rock, an

executive producer of the company behind the series, said: “As the winner of last year’s Great British Bake Off, Nadiya proved herself to be one of the most talented, committed and hardworking bakers the tent has ever seen.” This June, the 31-year-old released her first cook book Nadiya’s Kitchen. She also writes a column for The Times and made the Queen’s 90th birthday cake. Hussain will present her own TV show, The Chronicles of Nadiya, which will see her trace her culinary roots in Bangladesh. l

Munna Bhai returns n Showtime Desk Sanjay Dutt was released from jail this February, after serving the remainder of his five-year sentence for illegal possession of arms. Recently he spoke about his upcoming films in a media interaction on the occasion of his 57th birthday. Dutt was asked about the release date of Munnabhai 3, he said, “2018.” “My movie with (Vidhu) Vinod Chopra sahab will start in November; it is called Marco. And after that, I am doing a film with Mahesh Manjrekar; it is a remake of De Dhakka, and then there is a good line-up of movies,” he said. About De Dhakka, he added: “It is a family film, and it’s about how a broken family reunites. He (Manjrekar) has adapted it well; let’s see what happens.” Dutt was also asked the reason for the delay, considering his fan’s excitement for the film. He said: “That you should ask Raju Hirani and Vinod sir. Even I am waiting for Munnabhai.” Recently, Arshad Warsi, whose character Circuit plays the sidekick to Sanjay’s Munnabhai, had stated that the film has been delayed as Hirani’s biopic on Dutt with Ranbir Kapoor in the lead has yet to go on

the floor despite initially being set to begin in June. Asked about the biopic, Dutt said: “First of all, I am not acting in it; I think it will be shot in February.” He also said, “I have started working out. I do martial arts. I spend four hours in the gym in a day. I have quit drinking. You should not drink alcohol. There is a very strict diet for me, grilled fish, grilled chicken, and you have to eat what you eat in the hospital.”l

Twice in a day

n Showtime Sultan Suleyman, the most popular show of Deepto TV has reached the top spot, according to Television Rating Points. It has successfully been able to revive interest in local TV shows. Recently, the second season of

the show ended, and from Eid Ul Adha, the third season of the show will start. From August 8, season two of the show is going to repeat telecast twice in a day. After checking the popularity of the show, the channel authority has decided to keep the audience in suspense once

Actor Bradley Cooper, famous for starring in films like American Sniper and the Hangover, is reportedly developing a TV miniseries on ISIS. The series is based on a book about the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Joby Warrick’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS chronicles the formation of the jihadi extremists outfit and its transformation, into the international terrorist organisation with ambition of world domination. The book follows its origins in a remote Jordanian prison to its advances in Syria. The non-fiction book also recorded the activities of a small group of American and international agents working to destroy ISIS. Cooper is developing the miniseries for HBO through his production company, HBO reported. It will dramatise events in the book.

Joby Warrick, who is a national security reporter at the Washington Post, commented that the series would aim to “explain, educate and help clarify issues about the group and its motivations.” Warrick had also discussed the subject with Cooper, and thinks that this subject was of immediate and utmost importance to American citizens. “It’s entertainment but it’s not purely entertainment,” Warrick said on Friday. “The story is in good hands,” Warrick commented. He said that Cooper and partner producer, Todd Phillips had visited him at his home outside of Washington, DC earlier this year to pitch their idea. Cooper and Phillips formed their production company, Joint Effort, in 2014. A project of the production company called War Dogs is set to be released this August. It is a comedy about arms dealers in Afghanistan and stars Bradley Cooper. l

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH

again. The airtime time of the show is now at 7pm and 10pm. Deepto TV has aired 70 episodes so far. Sultan Suleyman, also known as The Magnificent Century is a Turkish historical fiction television series. Written by Meral Okay and Yılmaz Şahin, it

Bradley Cooper makes TV series about ISIS n Showtime Desk

Showtime is based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, the longest reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire; and his wife Hürrem Sultan, a slave girl who became Sultana. It was originally broadcast on Show TV, then transferred to Star TV. At the age of 26, when his reign began, Sultan Süleyman sought to build an empire more powerful than Alexander the Great and to render the Ottomans invincible. Throughout his 46-year reign, his fame as both the greatest warrior and ruler of his age spread through both the East and the West. The series also focuses on the relationships among the members of the imperial household, especially romantic entanglements and rivalries. The animosity between Hürrem Sultan and Mahidevran Sultan, mother of the Sultan’s eldest son, and the role of Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, the Valide sultan; Hürrem’s rise as Süleyman’s favourite while pregnant with his son, her fall from favour after her son’s birth and her eventual return to grace; Pargalı İbrahim’s entanglement with Hatice Sultan, the Sultan’s sister, and many others. l

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone HBO 8:30pm Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Star Movies 3:03pm Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them. Cast: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead Assassins WB 6:30pm Professional hit-man Robert Rath wants to fulfill a few more contracts before retiring but unscrupulous ambitious newcomer hit-man Miguel Bain keeps killing Rath’s targets. Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Julianne Moore The Incredibles Z Studio 5:10pm A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world. Voices: Craig T. Nelson (Bob Parr), Holly Hunter (Helen Parr), Jason Lee (Buddy Pine), Samuel L. Jackson (Lucius Best) Despicable Me 2 Movies Now 1:20pm When Gru, the world’s most super-bad turned super-dad has been recruited by a team of officials to stop lethal muscle and a host of Gru’s own, He has to fight back with new gadgetry, cars, and more minion madness. Cast: Steve Carell (Gru), Kristen Wiig (Lucy), Miranda Cosgrove (Margo)l

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WB TO FUND $120M FOR BBIN CONNECTIVITY PAGE 12

‘HIJAB WON’T KEEP ME FROM SPORT’ PAGE 24

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016

INK DRAWINGS ON DISPLAY AT AFD PAGE 30

Govt bans tuition fee hike over 30% at pvt institutions n Tribune Desk Private educational institutions in Bangladesh cannot increase their tuition fees by more than 30% at a time, under any circumstances, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Education yesterday. The directive is applicable for all non-government schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions. Authorities of these institutions also cannot charge additional fees as establishment costs other than what is mentioned in the admission guidelines as session and development fees, said the circular signed by Additional Education Secretary AKM Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan. The authorities will consult with parents and guardians of students before increasing the fees. However, the decision can only be implemented after the additional deputy commissioner of education in the institution’s region approves it. The circular was issued in the wake of the implementation of the Eighth National Pay Scale 2015. l

Guava traders crowd the Bhimruli canal in Jhalakathi Sadar upazila looking to sell their fresh produce. The floating guava market is an everyday scenario in the area this time of the year. The photo was taken recently SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Zakir Naik’s IRF under scrutiny n Tribune Desk

Maharashtra police yesterday turned in a report, which points out many unlawful activities pertaining to controversial televangelist Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), to the state’s chief minister, reports The Indian Express. “The government (Maharashtra state government) has received a report on Zakir Naik from the commissioner of police of Mumbai. There are many indictments in the report. Many unlawful activities have been pointed out pertaining to the organisation of which Zakir Naik is the leader,” said CM Devendra Fadnavis while briefing reporters. Fadnavis said certain activities are attributed to Zakir Naik as well in the report. “The Maharashtra government is studying the report and will soon share report with the MHA (Indian Ministry of Home Affairs). There are certain activities attributed to Zakir Naik as well. In consultation with the MHA, we will decide the further course of action which we

need to take,” said the CM. The Maharashtra police initiated action against Naik after reports suggested that the Dhaka militants who killed 23 people at a restaurant in Gulshan on July 1 used to follow Zakir Naik. Security agencies have said that he inspired several terrorists in India as well. His Peace TV was banned in Bangladesh last month after an investigation while the government is also inspecting the controversial activities of a number of unauthorised “Peace” schools set up in Dhaka and elsewhere. Zakir Naik’s most controversial speech revolves around his defence of Osama bin Laden. “If he (Laden) is terrorising America the terrorist (then) I’m with him,” argues Naik. “Every Muslim should be a terrorist,” this was the speech shared by Rohan Imitiaz, one of the Dhaka militants killed in Operation Thunderbolt on July 2.

MHA to inspect Naik’s organisation

Earlier, the MHA on Monday issued an inspection notice to Islamic Re-

search Foundation for alleged Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) violations, The Hindu reported quoting a senior official of the ministry. The notice is the first step towards suspending or revoking the FCRA registration of any NGO or organisation. This is one of the first legal actions initiated by the Indian government against the televangelist, after he came under the scanner for allegedly inspiring some of the Gulshan cafe attackers through his speeches. Two Mumbai-based educational organisations, Islamic Research Foundation and IRF Educational Trust, are registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The two NGOs have received foreign funds to the tune of Rs10cr in the past decade. The funds came mostly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia awarded him with the 2015 King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) for Service to Islam. “We have issued an inspection notice to IRF. We will inspect their

books of accounts to see whether the provisions of the FCRA were violated or not. If we find discrepancies, the next step is to put it under temporary suspension and all the foreign donations will then have to be routed through MHA. We will give them time to respond and if we are not satisfied with the reply, the NGO’s registration can be cancelled,” said the official. Donations were also made by individual donors from countries like Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Indonesia, the US the UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Singapore, Mauritius, Kenya and Nigeria. A Hong-Kong based religious NGO also funded the Foundation, which had received Rs9.3m from just one individual from the United Arab Emirates in 2007-08. Naik, a popular but controversial Islamic orator and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in UK and Canada for his controversial speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is wildly popular

in Bangladesh through his Peace TV although his preaching often demeans other religions and even other Muslim sects, the report said. With his speeches and teachings, Naik has garnered over 14m followers on Facebook and around 200m viewers of Peace TV. In a July 2008 Peace TV broadcast, Naik suggested that al-Qaeda was not responsible for flying hijacked airliners into New York’s World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, killing almost 3,000 people. “Even a fool will know that this was an inside job,” he said in the video, claiming then US president George W Bush was behind the attacks. In 2010, Naik was reportedly barred from entering Britain after the home secretary cited “numerous comments” which showed his “unacceptable behaviour.” Islamic scholars in Bangladesh last year demanded banning Peace TV saying it was misleading Muslims. In a series of fatwas or edicts, India’s influential Darul Uloom Deoband asked Muslims not to follow him. l

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