September 19. 2016

SECOND EDITION

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

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Ashwin 4, 1423, Zil-Hajj 16, 1437

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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 142

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www.dhakatribune.com

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32 pages |

Price: Tk10

4 banks fear losses from Hanif flyover n Jebun Nesa Alo

Four state-owned banks are fearing they might incur losses from the investment of Tk2,150 crore in the Mayor Hanif flyover, the first PPP (public private partnership) project in Bangladesh.

This infrastructure project has been implemented completely through PPP in Bangladesh for the first time. The 11.7km-long flyover, Bangladesh’s longest, was fully opened from July 2014.

This is the first time state-run commercial banks have made such a long-term investment. The contractor has, however, already rescheduled the loans twice and missed its targeted payout time by three years, citing increased costs and low income.

The investing banks claimed so far there has been no monitoring of the contractor’s cost estimations or the earnings from the flyover.

A total of six banks and financial institutions invested Tk2,250 crore

India blames Pakistan as Kashmir attack kills 17 soldiers n Reuters, Srinagar India accused Pakistan of being behind Sunday’s separatist attack on an army base near their disputed frontier that killed 17 soldiers, in one of the most deadly attacks in Kashmir in a quarter-century-old insurgency.

Four commando-style gunmen, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades, burst into the brigade headquarters in Uri at 5:30am (midnight GMT) and were killed after a three-hour gunfight, a senior Indian army officer said.

The incident sharply increased tensions between the bitter, nuclear-armed rivals and will raise fears of a potential military escalation.

Indian and Pakistani troops are in close proximity in many places along one of the world’s most heavily militarised frontiers, and exchanges of fire are not uncommon.

Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh told reporters in New Delhi that Sunday’s attack bore the hallmarks of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed. Evidence gathered at the scene indicated the attackers were foreign and their equipment bore Pakistani markings, he added.

“Our men are ready to give a befitting response,” Singh said in response to a reporter’s question. He did not elaborate.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned what he called the “cowardly terror attack”.

“I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,” Modi said in a series of Twitter posts.

The raid came as tensions were already running high in India’s only Muslim-majority region, which has faced more  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE

Holidaymakers suffer for abeyant ferry services

People, on their return to the capital after observing Eid, suffered immensely at Kawrakandi ferry terminal for delayed ferry services.  PAGE 7

BB heist probe report to be made public Thursday Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the probe committee report on the BB heist from the central bank will be made public on Thursday.  PAGE 12

in the flyover, starting in 2010.

They are state-owned Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, Agrani Bank, Rupali Bank, Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), and private Social Islami Bank.

The four state banks lent the lion’s share of the total amount, Tk2,150 crore.

The amount was disbursed from 2010 in three phases. The contractor company was supposed to pay the dividend of the first phase from 2013. But the banks have not got

any dividend against their investment so far.

According to a Bangladesh Bank investigation, Agrani Bank invested a total of Tk500 crore of which Tk200 crore was given as bridge loan, which has already expired.

Although the bridge loan was classifiable as bad debt, the bank did not classify the loan as of December 2014, the central bank investigation found.

The total dues of Orion Infrastructure to Agrani Bank stood

at Tk704.73 crore as of December 2014 which was 32.84% of the total paid up capital of the bank. The investigation report said the loan was very risky as it exceeded the single borrower exposure limit of 15% of paid up capital.

Moreover, the loan was given to the director of Orion Infrastructure, who owns two companies that have already defaulted on loans from Agrani Bank.

The investigation report advised  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Four clinics fined in city n Tribune Desk A mobile court of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday fined four clinics and diagnostic centres in the capital’s Shyamoli area Tk24 lakh on various charges of irregularities.

The clinics and diagnostic centers are Islam Diagnostic Laboratory, Popular Medicine Centre, Trauma Centre and Care Medical College Hospital.

Sarwar Alam, executive magistrate of Rab, led the drive conducted between 11am and 4:30pm.

During the drive at Trauma Centre and Specialized Orthopedic Hospital Ltd, the mobile court found date-expired re-agents being used to conduct various diagnostic tests there.

The mobile court also fined pharmacy in-charge of Popular Medicine Corner Md Shawkat Talukder Tk 5 lakh for selling illegal medicines.

The mobile court also fined Care Medical College Hospital Tk5 lakh for using date-expired medicines.

Besides, the mobile court fined Islam Diagnostic Laboratory Tk6 lakh. l

The dilapidated state of the road underneath Mayor Hanif flyover in Jatrabari, Dhaka is causing much grievances to both the pedestrians and motorcycle and car drivers.

The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

India blames Pakistan as Kashmir attack kills 17 soldiers than two months of protests following the July 8 killing of the commander of another Pakistanbased separatist group.

At least 78 civilians have been killed and thousands injured in street clashes with Indian security forces, who have been criticised by human rights groups for using excessive force.

In an even stronger response, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted: “Pakistan is a terrorist state and should be identified and isolated as such.”

Pakistan rejected allegations that it was involved. “India immediately puts blame on Pakistan without doing any investigation. We reject this,” foreign ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria told Reuters.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 over Kashmir, which is divided between them. Both claim the

former princely state in full.

Choppers fly in, smoke rises

Most of the fatalities happened in a tent that caught fire, Singh, the Indian army’s director general of military operations, told the briefing in New Delhi.

He had informed his Pakistani counterpart of his findings, which linked the attack on Uri to a similar raid in January on an Indian Air Force base in Punjab that India also blames on Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Reuters television footage showed helicopters flying in to evacuate the injured as an operation continued to secure the area. Smoke rose from the compound, set in mountainous terrain. The Defence Ministry earlier put the number of wounded at 35.

Singh, the home minister, chaired a crisis meeting in New Delhi and cancelled trips to Russia and the United States. Defence

Minister Manohar Parrikar and the army chief of staff headed to Uri, roughly halfway between Indian Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar and Islamabad, to investigate the attack.

“There are definite and conclusive indications that the perpetrators of Uri attack were highly trained, heavily armed and specially equipped,” Singh said in a series of strongly-worded tweets that were confirmed as genuine by his office.

US ambassador to India, Richard Verma, also “strongly condemned” the Uri attack, which comes weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry visited New Delhi.

After that meeting Kerry urged Pakistan to do more to combat terrorism, while also announcing the resumption of trilateral talks with India and Afghanistan this month in New York, leaving Islamabad looking isolated.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Worst body count in years

The military death toll was one of the worst it has suffered in a single incident during years of conflict in Indian-ruled Kashmir.

Before this attack, 102 people had been killed in separatist attacks in India’s part of the Himalayan region this year. Among them were 30 security personnel, 71 militants and one civilian, according to a tally by the New Delhi-based South Asia Terrorism Portal.

Modi recently raised the stakes in the neighbours’ decades-old feud by expressing support for separatists in Pakistan’s resourcerich Baluchistan province.

Pakistan has, meanwhile, called on the United Nations and the international community to investigate atrocities it alleges have been committed by Indian security forces in Kashmir.

The UN is preparing to hold its annual general assembly in New

York, where Kashmir is likely to come onto the agenda amid concerns that India’s tough rhetoric could herald a military escalation between the old foes.

Senior Indian journalist and commentator Shekhar Gupta said Pakistan would be “delusional” to think that India would not respond.

“This India has moved on from old strategic restraint,” he said.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been on edge since the New-Year attack on the Pathankot air force base in Punjab, near the border with Pakistan, that killed seven uniformed men.

India has blamed Pakistanbased militant groups for that and a string of other attacks - including one on Mumbai in 2008 that killed 166 people. After initial progress, an attempt to conduct a joint investigation into the air base attack lost momentum and a tentative peace dialogue has stalled. l

2019 to December 2024 as per the new plan.

In its proposal to the banks, Orion Infrastructure, claimed that two factors – price hike of construction materials and delay in starting the construction work – had badly affected the viability of the project.

Moreover, only 20% of the traf- fic floor – the area on the flyover usable by vehicles – was being used because of four bypass roads under the city corporation. These roads had not been shut down as planned. As a result, toll collection

was lower than expected, according to the company.

A senior executive of Sonali Bank said the project should be reviewed by the government as the contractor was claiming higher costs incurred than the project’s estimated cost. There was no monitoring of the actual cost and the income, the executive said.

“The government ultimately may have to take over the project, otherwise banks will never get back their investment,” the executive said. l

4 banks fear losses from Hanif flyover the bank management to intensify efforts to recover the loan and investment from the Mayor Hanif Flyover.

Soon afterwards, Bangladesh Bank classified the investment of the banks as the contractor did not pay the dividend income it had committed to pay within the given period. But the influential contractor later had the loans rescheduled twice, once in January 2015 and then in January 2016.

As per the second rescheduling, the contractor will pay interests and

regular dividends from 2017.

Sonali Bank has invested Tk500 crore, Janata Bank Tk600 crore and Rupali Bank Tk550 crore in the flyover.

The banks invested in the flyover against fully convertible preference share at 10% dividend rate, fully redeemable preference share at 15% dividend rate and bridge finance against proposed public issue at 16% dividend rate.

The project contractor Orion Infrastructure Limited urged the banks to reduce the dividend rate

that was set against the investment as well as to increase the payment period of the principle amount.

Following the contractor’s application, the banks revised the plan of the dividend rate and payment period taking approval from Bangladesh Bank.

The new dividend rate was reset at 10% against convertible preference share, 12% against redeemable preference share and bridge finance.

The dividend accumulated until 2014 will be paid from January

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Pierre Trudeau backed Bangladesh’s independence

n Probir Kumar Sarker When the people of erstwhile East Pakistan were fighting against the Pakistani occupational forces for an independent Bangladesh in 1971, many foreign individuals and heads of government extended support in various forms.

Then Canadian prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau was one of the prominent figures to come forward despite having close ties with Pakistan.

To recognise his contribution – speaking in favour of the Liberation War at the international level and recognising Bangladesh immediately after the independence, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conferred Friends of Liberation War Honour award posthumously on Pierre Trudeau.

She handed over the award to his son and Canada’s incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a ceremony at Hyatt Regency in Montreal, Canada on Friday.

Bangladesh has already honoured several hundred foreign citizens and organisations for their outstanding contributions to the War of Independence of Bangladesh.

Pierre Trudeau also received a warm welcome when he first visited Bangladesh along with his son Justin Trudeau in November 1983 as reported by journalist John Ferguson of The Ottawa Citizen of Canada who also accompanied the then Canadian premier. He earlier visited erstwhile East Pakistan, long before the war.

Media reports say the Canadian government sent a parliamentary delegation to India to witness

the situation of the Bangladeshis fleeing the war-torn country first hand.

Upon their return to Canada, the three-member delegation released a statement in Ottawa on July 19, 1971 stating that the number of refugees in India were from 6.4 million to 6.8 million.

They also mentioned the atrocities in Bangladesh carried out by the Pakistani military, and suggested actions. “... Near borders between East Pakistan and West Bengal, we ourselves saw and spoke to people trudging along the road who told us that they had walked for ten days to get across the border which they had crossed within last 24 hours,” the statement said.

The delegation recommend that the Canadian government increased provisional figure of its commitment to $500 million from $200m to India for the sake of the rising number of refugees. They also urged the Canadian citizens to extend supports generously.

“From our inquiries of many of the refugees it is clear that the great exodus of people was prompted by fear. We were given many sad and depressing accounts – of violent actions by the West Pakistani military forces and other groups – many reported their homes burned, members of their families put to death and other incidents which led them to flee in terror to sanctuary across Indian border.”

The Canadian delegation said that external funds would also be required for medical supplies to rehabilitate citizens returning from India. “One of the most urgent needs is 15 coasters to repair dam-

age to transportation system to enable food to be taken from ports to where it was needed.

They also asked the Canadian government, either by itself or in collaboration with other nations, “to bring question to attention of the UN as conscience of mankind stressing the right of humanitarian intervention on behalf of world community and willingness of the UN to make available observers to supervise and encourage ... refugees from West Bengal to East Pakistan.”

Finally, the parliament members urged upon parties concerned – the Government of Pakistan and the representatives of East Pakistan – that a political settlement be reached reflecting clear expression of opinion in the 1970 election for greater autonomy and a role in their own affairs.

It is also said that at some point of the war, the government of Pierre Trudeau had imposed arms sanction on West Pakistan.

Canada adopted four-strand policy

On the other hand, British politician Richard Pilkington in his book “In the national interest? Canada and the East Pakistan crisis of 1971” mentioned that Ottawa had established an important relationship with Islamabad “as a provider of substantial amounts of development aid and as a partner in Pakistan’s nuclear power programme.”

Despite knowledge of the atrocities in East Pakistan, the Canadian government “chose not to exert hard influence by threatening the withdrawal of aid or technical assistance, but to adopt a four-strand policy based upon public neutrality, the private encouragement of a political settlement in South Asia, calls for restraint to both India and Pakistan, and the provision of humanitarian relief.”

According to Pilkington, this approach served to protect Canada’s relationship with Pakistan, deemed desirable in terms of national interest, narrowly construed, and maintained Canadian neutrality with regard to a foreign secessionist issue that might have stirred unwelcome comparisons with its own separatist debate over Quebec.

It was extremely unlikely, given ongoing support for Pakistan from both China and the US, that firmer Canadian action would have led to the resolution of the crisis, Pilkington said. l

Unable to find space inside, thousands of working-class people return to Dhaka on the roof of an intercity train after spending the Eid holidays at home. The photo was taken in Khilgaon, Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Dead militant Karim’s son remanded n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A juvenile court in Dhaka yesterday placed Tahrim Qadri alias Rasel, son of a New JMB leader who killed himself during a raid in Azimpur area, on a three-day remand in a case filed under Anti-Terrorism Act. Judge Ruhul Amin passed the order after Investigation Officer Ahasanul Haque, assistant commissioner of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, produced him before it seeking 10 days to interrogate Rasel, 14, a level VIII student of Mastermind School at Dhanmondi.

Rasel was arrested along with his mother and two other women – all linked to the militant group, and two children after the raid on September 10. His father Tanvir Qadri alias Abdul Karim alias Jamshed

committed suicide to evade arrest, according to CT unit officials.

Rasel’s mother Abedatul Fatema alias Khadiza, 35, injured during the raid, is now undergoing treatment. His twin brother has joined armed jihad, police say.

According to the remand petition, Rasel closed the door of the flat and attacked the law enforcers with a knife when they entered the house. So he needs to be remanded to learn about the other members of the group and their activities.

CT unit Sub-Inspector Delwar Hossain filed the case with Lalbagh police against Karim, the three women and Rasel. The two other women are Afrin alias Priyoti, 25, wife of Gulshan attack coordinator Nurul Islam alias Shakil alias Marjan; and Shaila Afrin, 23, wife of absconding militant leader Jaman alias Basharuzzaman. l

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Transport owners: Speeding behind road accidents n Shohel Mamun The government has asked the transport owners and workers to identify reasons behind the road accidents occurred during the Eid vacation and submit a report to the BRTA within a week.

The decision came at an urgent meeting of the government monitoring committee on road safety held at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) head office in Dhaka yesterday.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader presided over the meeting. He said: “The monitoring committee has already identified the causes of frequent road accidents. The main reason behind the accidents during the Eid days are speeding for addition-

al trips and reckless driving.”

He mentioned that the drivers were not following the highest speed limit of 80km/hour set by the government for highways.

“The transport owners and workers organisations are yet to address the causes behind road accidents.

“So we have directed the transport owners and workers organisations to find out the reasons behind the accidents and submit a report within a week after discussing with the transport companies and drivers who are responsible for the accidents,” the minister said, adding that the transport owners and workers can identify the reasons properly and solve the issues.

Bus-Truck Owners Association President Faruk Talukder Sohel who was present at the meeting

said that they had some limitations. “But we will investigate the incidents and submit the report within the scheduled time.”

He mentioned speeding and lack of skilled drivers as the key reasons behind the frequent road accidents.

BRTA Chairman Md Nazrul Islam moderated the meeting. He said that around 73 accidents occurred during September 9-17 in which 122 people died.

However, the figure is 157 reported by several news agencies.

The minister claimed that the condition of the highways were better than the past. “But the people are being killed on the roads like birds. Around 150 people have been killed so far. We need to take integrated initiatives to stop accidents.”

Rights activist and columnist Sayed Abul Maksud said that it would have created huge impact had the 150 people died in cholera or any disease. “But road accidents have become so commonplace that we are now accustomed with the menace. We have to prevent further road accidents considering the woes of the victims and their families.”

Prominent actor Ilias Kanchon, who has long been working for road safety, said that at least two drivers who were behind the recent accidents had been drunk while driving.

“Most of the drivers are not aware of the road safety issues. So, at first, we need to train them up properly to avoid road accidents,” he added. l

Charges pressed against 8 war crimes suspects n Tribune Desk The prosecution yesterday submitted seven charges against eight people of Muktagaccha in Mymensingh for their alleged crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

The prosecution submitted the charges before the three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal headed by Justice Anwarul Haq. The ICT bench fixed October 17 to decide whether it would take the charges into cognisance.

The suspects are Rezaul Karim, ABM Yunus Ali, Yusuf Ali, Omar Ali, Belayet Hossain, Nasir Uddin, Kazi Badruzzaman and Ismail. Of them Rezaul Karim, ABM Yunus Ali, Yusuf Ali, Omar Ali were in jail where the others remained absconding.

On December 9, 2015, the International Crimes Tribunal issued warrants for the arrest of the suspects. l

Newspaper hawker leader Anayet Ullah dies n Tribune Desk

Founder member of Dhaka Newspaper Hawkers Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited Anayet Ullah died yesterday morning at the age of 80.

Anayet Ullah, circular manager of Dhaka Newspapers Hawkers Union, died around 5am at Alhelal Hospital in city’s Mirpur area, said a press release.

He left behind his wife, three sons, two daughters and a host of relatives, well-wishers and admirers.

Meanwhile, Mostafa Kamal president and Moslem Mia secretary of Dhaka Newspaper Hawkers Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited have expressed deep shock at the death of Anayet Ullah.

In a condolence message, they prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and conveyed their sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Anayet Ullah was born at Kashimnagar village in Ramganj upazila of Laxmipur district. l

Bangladesh Navy warships BNS Shomudro Joy and BNS Shomudro Abhijan leave the naval jetty in Chittagong for a goodwill visit to India and Sri Lanka yesterday as Navy officials bid them farewell ISPR

Rana Plaza murder trial adjourned n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The hearing was adjourned because of the death of an accused

A Dhaka court yesterday could not start recording the deposition of prosecution witnesses in the murder case filed over the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza that killed over 1,136 people, mostly garments workers.

The new date is November 17.

Forty-one people including owner of the building Sohel Rana were indicted in the case on July 18.

Plaintiff Wali Ashraf Khan, then the sub-inspector of Savar police, appeared before the court of Dhaka’s District and Sessions Judge SM

Kuddus Zaman yesterday.

But the hearing was adjourned because of the death of an accused, Abu Bakar Siddique, in road accident on September 16. His lawyer submitted a death certificate, but the court ordered Savar police to submit a report on the matter.

Moreover, the court was told that petitions filed with the High Court by five accused – former Savar mayor Refayetullah and four officials of Mills and Factories Directorate Abdus Samad, Jamsedur Rahman, Shahidul Islam and Yusuf Ali – challenging their indictment

were pending for hearing due to vacation at the apex court.

On the other hand, the court yesterday issued arrest warrant against Mahmudur Rahman Taposh, managing director of New Wave Style Ltd, as he did not appear before it during the hearing.

Earlier in the day, his lawyer filed a time petition. But the court rejected the petition and issued the arrest warrant against him.

Seven of the accused are in jail, 27 are on bail and the rest are on the run. l

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‘Second Chance’ education for underprivileged children n Shadma Malik “On TV channels, I have seen girls are joining in police forces. One day, after completing my study, I will be a police officer too,” Nur Jahan, a 12 year domestic help expressed her dream with full of determination.

Nur Jahan, now has been working as a housemaid in city’s Muhammadpur area, has started his second innings of education at Ananda School, (school of joy) a school for underprivileged slum children, said: “I had left my school after grade 1 and came in Dhaka from Rangpur for searching work.

But I always wanted to continue my study.”

For these children like Nur Jahan, school is something unattainable, something that they can only dream about, because where they come from, there is a huge gap between their dreams and the harsh reality of their day to day lives.

However, to educate these kinds of children the government has started schools for the disadvantaged children from the slums under the project of Reaching Out of School

The school authorities also provide textbooks, school uniforms and stationary.

Asim Nipa Ballave, facilitator of Jeneva Camp Urban Slum Ananda School said: “Life in a slum is very unhealthy for children.”

“There are many students in our school whose parents are involved in drug business and the students aged 8 to 9 can named all kinds of drugs,” Asim said.

The facilitator told to the Dhaka Tribune: “We give less homework to the students. There are two shifts in our school. Students used to play indoor games like carrom board, chess and ludu in the school. The children prefer to stay in the school to have a playful time.”

“After completing grade 5, the students will be guided in skill development training courses,” said the facilitator.

In an Ananda School there are four class rooms, 189 students and 4 teachers with one facilitator.

Rozina Akhter, teacher of an Ananda School said: “The utmost challenge we have faced, most of the students of our schools are irregular. We used to go at their

Children II (ROSC), with the help of World Bank.

Nur Jahan, who attends school at 2pm and stays there until 5pm said: “At present, I do little errands in the household such as taking care of the baby or washing utensils and I have been paid Tk1200 monthly” According to her information, her family lives in Mithapur of Rangpur district and his father a day a labourer in the agriculture sector and her mother takes care of the livestock.

Nur Jahan, who had a two years gap, is very passionate in her study, continued: “My elder sister told me to study well or my father would give me married. I started my schooling, and now I am in grade 3. I do not want to get marry in an early age.”

Some thousands students like Nur Jahna attend at 21 Ananda Schools in Dhaka’s slums. The schools aim is to give second chance education for the students, mostly drop outs, day labourers and underprivileged children of city’s slum. Students who attend in the classes get Tk1560 as stipend.

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houses, met with their parents and encouraged them to send their children to school. Sometimes we also need to work with students to bring them at school” “Students and guardians do not pay much heed to education.

However, we are trying to motivate them to attend schools regularly,” he said.

Not only that, teachers also take special care to weak students who can not pace with others.

There is monthly meeting for the parents to tell their children progress. The parents are mostly worked as day labour, rickshaw puller and karchupi work on clothes.

According to the information of World Bank, in 2012, 83% of ROSC students passed the national grade 5 examinations, setting themselves on the road to progress to secondary level education.

It also said, 80% of all ROSC school teachers are women and close to 90% of all school management committee heads were women as well, which helps Bangladesh ensuring sustainable woman empowerment. l

Mahmudur’s bail stayed n Ashif Islam Shaon

The Supreme Court stayed bail for acting editor of Daily Amar Desh Mahmudur Rahman yesterday on attempted kidnapping and murder charges against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy till October 30.

Responding to a government petition, the Chamber Judge of Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique stayed the bail granted by a High Court bench to the pro-BNP journalist.

The High Court granted him bail earlier this month. But following the Chamber Judge’s order, his release has been stayed.

After the ongoing court vacation, the Appellate Division will hear the government plea on October 30.

The matter will be heard by the appeals bench led by the Chief Justice.

Mahmudur has obtained bail in several cases since his arrest in 2013.

Mahmudur was sentenced to three years in prison in August 2015 for not disclosing his financial details.

His newspaper published fake blog posts of blogger Ahmed Rajeeb Haider who used to write under the pseudonym “Thaba Baba.”

The derogatory posts were published soon after the Shahbagh movement activist was killed on February 15, 2013. l

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’s bail upheld n Ashif Islam Shaon

The Supreme Court upheld a High Court order yesterday that granted bail to BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed in five criminal cases.

As the government moved with five separate petitions seeking a stay on the High Court’s bail order, the Chamber Judge Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed “no order” which means, the High Court order will remain effective.

But, the BNP leader will not be released from jail as he has been charged in another case.

He was granted six months bail by the High Court earlier this month in five cases filed with Paltan, Khilgaon and Motijheel police stations.

The government requested again to stay the bail following the High Court’s order. l

Members of National Workers’ Foundation form a human chain in front of National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday demanding proper compensation for the victims of the fire accident at Tampaco Foils Ltd and punishment for those responsible for the accident MEHEDI HASAN

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER OR RAIN LIKELY

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Dhaka

34

26

Chittagong

32

27

Rajshahi

DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:58PM

34

26

Rangpur

32

25

Khulna

33

26

Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:47AM

35.7ºC Chandpur

24.4ºC Dimla

Source: Accuweather/UNB

33

26

PRAYER TIMES

Sylhet

32

25

Cox’s Bazar

31

Fajr: 5:10am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 4:45pm | Magrib: 6:12pm Esha: 8:15pm Source: Islamic Foundation

26

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Construction soon of Bakalia Access Road n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) has taken up a mammoth project to construct a four-lane access road aiming to ease traffic congestion and accelerate the communication system of the port city of Chittagong The 60-feet wide road will connect Shah Amanat Bridge road from Sirajuddowla Road via Bakalia Bagarbill.

The mega project titled ‘Bakalia Access Road’ got approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on September 6 of this year with a total outlay of Tk205.46cr.

The town planners and engineers of the CDA are highly optimistic that the traffic congestion in the northern and eastern part of

the city would be reduced to a great extent due to the construction of the access road.

After implementation of the four-lane road, the city people will be able to reach important locations within a very short time. The city people will not have to take a long detour of 7-8km for reaching the heart of the city and it will be possible to reach Shah Amanat Bridge from Sirajuddowla Road travelling just a distance of 1.53km.

Referring to the exorbitant cost of the project, the CDA engineers said that a large sum of money to the tune of Tk180cr would be spent for acquiring 34.83 acres of land for constructing the access road.

The compensation for demolishing some establishments has also been included in the project.

Moreover, four box culverts, 10

cross culverts, 1221km long retaining wall, 3km long drain on both sides of the road will be constructed for implementing the project.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, CDA Chairman Abdus Salam said that the much awaited project which was proposed in the Master Plan of 1995 could not see the light of the day due to various complications.

“Communication is a prerequisite for any infrastructural development of a city. Bakalia is a thickly populated area of the port city which is inhabited by around 600,000 people. The project will be the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream of the residents of Bakalia area. The area would undergo a sea of changes after completion of the mega project,” said the CDA Chairman. l

Schoolboy murder accused killed in ‘crossfire’ n Mehedi Hasan, Chuadanga The main accused in the killing case of schoolboy Mahfuz Alam Sajib was killed in a crossfire at Gobindahuda village, Damurhuda upzila, Chuadanga in the early hours of yesterday.

Officer-in-Charge of Damurhuda police station Abu Jihad told the Dhaka Tribune that a gang of miscreants opened fire on police when a patrol team reached Gobindahuda village around 2:30am, triggering a gunfight.

Later, police found Rakibul Islam, who was the prime suspected in Sajib killing case, in critical state and took him to Damurhuda Upzila Health Complex where on duty doctor declared him dead.

The body of Sajib, an eighth-grader of Chuadanga VJ Government High School, was recovered from a septic tank of a house in C&B area, Damurhuda upzila headquarters on August 31 after 32 days of his abduction.

Six die as car plunges into ditch in Comilla n Mohiuddin Molla, Comilla

Six persons, including three children, were killed and three others injured as a private car plunged into a ditch in Kalia Cho area, Laksam upazila, Comilla yesterday morning.

The deceased are assistant manager of Berger Paints Shahabuddin Robi, 45, his daughters Raika Tabasum, 7, and Raisa Muntasir, 12, Anwarul Kabir Sohag, 40, and his son Muntakim Shaheen, 4.

Officer-in-charge of Laksam Police Station Mahfuj Ahmed said the Dhaka-bound private car, coming from Noakhali, fell into a roadside ditch after hitting a bridge in the area as its driver lost control over the steering around 6:45am, leaving a child and a man dead on the spot and four others injured.

The injured were admitted to Laksam Upazila Health Complex where two children and a woman succumbed to their injures later, the OC added.

In the afternoon, Marzan Begum Nisho, wife of Anwarul Kabir Sohag, gave birth to a dead baby daughter at Comilla Medical College Hospital.

After the accident, Robi’s wife Jannat, 29, their another daughter Montasir, 6, and Kobir’s wife Marzan Begum Nisho, 32, were undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Man killed in Ctg as bus hits him

A septuagenarian was killed and six others were injured when a speedy

Woman tries to kill herself after killing son n Abdullah Al Dulal, Rajshahi

city service bus rammed a group of people who were waiting for transport in Chittagong city’s Dewanhat Flyover area yesterday morning, reports Chittagong correspondent FM Mizanur Rahman.

The deceased was identfied as Saleh Ahmed, 75, a resident of Munsipara area of Eidgao under

A private car, coming from Noakhali, fell into a roadside ditch after hitting a bridge in the area as its driver lost control over the steering around 6:45am Halishahar police station, said police sources. During the accident, six other persons were injured, said police.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Manik Mia of Double Mooring police station said a Patenga-bound city service bus hit a group of commuters who were waiting for their transport beside the road under Dewanhat Flyover around 9pm, leaving seven critically injured.

Later, on-duty traffic police and locals rescued the injured and sent them to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where the on-duty doctors declared Saleh dead, said the SI. l

In the early hours of that day, members of the RAB conducted a drive at the house of Rafikul Islam, former member of Alukadia union parishad, and recovered the decomposed remains of Sajib from the septic tank.

Abdul Halim, uncle of Sajib, then said a group of miscreants abducted him on July 29 when he went to visit an agriculture fair in Damurhuda upazila. The abductors also demanded Tk20 lakh from the family as ransom for his release the following day.

Manir Ahmed, captain of RAB 6 of Jhenidah, said although the family agreed to pay the ransom money, the abductors killed the boy within two days of his abduction and concealed the body inside the septic tank of the house.

In the afternoon of August 1, a group of people, identifying themselves as members of a law enforcing agency, picked up Rakibul Islam. Since then, Rakibul had been remained missing. l

After celebrating Eid-ul-Azha at native homes, people are returning to their workplaces in Dhaka. Passengers of low income are climbing to the rooftop of the bus for travelling to Dhaka at cheaper rates—Tk200 per head. As train tickets were not available, a huge crowd thronged the Dhaka-Rajshahi bus stand at Shiroil in Rajshahi city. The photo was taken yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

A woman attempted to kill herself after allegedly killing her sevenyear-old son in Budhpara area, Rajshahi city on Saturday night.

Humayun Kabir, officer-incharge of Motihar police station, said Taslima Begum, wife of school teacher Rafiqul Islam, stabbed her son Kabbyo with a sharp weapon and tried to kill herself in the same way after locking the door.

On receiving information, police recovered the body of Kabbyo after breaking open the door around 11pm and rescued Taslima Begum from the room in unconscious state, said the OC. Police recovered a machete from the spot.

Later, she was rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where she is now undergoing treatment.

Family members of Taslima claimed that she was mentally sick.

However, local people said Taslima might have killed her son following a family feud. A case was filed in this connection.

Meanwhile, a man was sentenced to death by a court yesterday for killing his wife Shima Khatun in the district around three and half years back. The convict has been identified as Sujan Ali, 30, son of Shamsuddin of Polashbari village under Durgapur Upazila of the district.

Two other accused father Shamsuddin and mother Meher Nigar were acquitted as the murder charge brought against them could not be proved beyond doubt. l

DT

7

News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Holidaymakers suffer for abeyant ferry services Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services disrupted n Motiur Rahman, Manikganj

A long tailback was created yesterday at Kawrakandi, Madaripur due to delayed ferry services

Islam Khan, n Zahirul Madaripur Thousands of people of 21 districts of Southern region, on their return to the capital after observing Eid ul-Azha, suffered immensely at Kawrakandi ferry terminal for delayed ferry services on the Shimulia-Kawrakandi route.

The movement of passenger-laden buses, goods-laden trucks and others vehicles are being hampered due to shortage of ferries, as two ferries out of 17 have remained inoperative for the last two days.

Abul Kalam Azad, who was returning to Dhaka after celebrating Eid at native home in Barisal yesterday, said: “At least 5-kilometre-long gridlock from ferry ghat to Shibchor Bandorkhola created and passengers have to wait at least 15 hours to get ferry.

Missing college teacher found dead n S Bashu Das, Bandarban

The body of a Bogra college teacher has been recovered from the Rijuk waterfall a day after went missing while taking a dip.

Taufik Siddique was the head of Bangla department at Government Azizul Haque College.

Ruma Thana OC Shariful Islam said Taufik went missing while taking bath in the Rijuk waterfall at Ruma upazila on Saturday.

He was with his wife and child.

The other two managed to swim to the bank.

Police and several other teams started looking for him immediately on Saturday afternoon. Later, divers found his body on Sunday morning, the OC added. l

“Law enforcers and authorities of ferry terminal Kawrakandi are breaking serials after taking bribe from some vehicles.”

Thus, passengers, especially service holders, are searching alternative transport to return to Dhaka instead of waiting for ferry services, said Azad Kamrul Sheikh, a bus driver, said: “Due to the poor vigilance of authorities concerned, we are waiting here for hours and could not crossed the Padma River yet. On the other hands, police are breaking serials as they are bribed by a few transport drivers.”

Superintendent of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), Kawrakandi ferry terminal Md Ruhul Amin said: “Ferry service is being delayed due to traffic jam, but now ferry service on the route is normal. Everyday near-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ly 2,000 vehicles cross the river.”

Ansar Uddin, additional superintendent of police, said: “Some three millions people use the river-route. Rundown vehicles have brought untold discomfort for the passengers.

“Police along with the help of district administration and the BIWTC, are trying to ease the traffic congestion and this problem will be solved within very short time.”

Kamal Uddin, deputy commissioner, Madaripur told the Dhaka Tribune that district and upazila administrations were trying to solve the problem by deploying mobile courts at Kawrakandi ferry terminal, but gridlock had been created duo to reckless driving of drivers.

He urged law enforcers to take strict actions against the serial breakers to reduce passengers’ sufferings. l

Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route has been thrown into a disarray since the connecting road of one of Daulatdia’s ferry terminals was badly damaged by rising water level in the Padma on Saturday night.

The only terminals in operation are number 1 and number 3, the latter believed to be in a risky state.

Several hundred vehicles were waiting on both ends to cross the river on Sunday, most of them carrying people and some transporting perishables.

Flood and strong current damaged several of the ferry terminals and their connecting roads, leading to massive tailbacks on both ends.

BIWTC Daulatdia terminal Manager Shafikul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been operating two terminals after the connecting road of another terminal was destroyed on Saturday night.

Shafikul claimed the pressure was lower compared to Saturday.

Rajbari Roads and Highways Department Executive Engineer Golam Mostofa said the ferry

FREEDOM FIGHTER FARUK KILLING

MP Rana sent to jail after surrender n Afzal Hossain, Tangail A Tangail court yesterday ordered Awmi League MP Amanur Rahman Khan Rana to jail after rejecting his bail plea in freedom fighter Faruk Ahmmed murder case.

Rana surrendered before the court of First Additional District Sessions Judge Abul Monsur Mia in the morning and sought bail.

Earlier, the court issued arrest warrants for 10 people, including the Tangail 3 MP and three of his brothers, and asked law enforcers to confiscate their properties for their involvement in the murder of local Awami League leader and freedom fighter Faruk.

Faruk was found murdered in front of his house in the town’s College Para area on January 18, 2013. His wife Nahar Ahmmed

filed a murder case with local police.

Of the 14 charge-sheeted accused, five, including Rana, are now behind the bars while the rest nine are now on the run.

Those absconding include Rana’s brothers Sahidur Rahman Khan Mukti, former mayor of Tangail municipality, and Jahidur Rahman Khan Kakon, a business leader of Tangail, and Saniyat Khan Bappa, former vice-president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

Among the arrestees, Aminul Islam Raja and Mohammad Ali have already made their confessional statements to law enforcers. l

terminals’ connecting roads were under their jurisdiction but maintaining them was the BIWTA’s responsibility.

He said they would not take responsibility for repairing the damaged roads and added that either the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) or the Water Development Board would have to take responsibility.

Sources say the three government agencies (BIWTA, RHD and WDB) are not on the same page on the issues, which significantly delays repair works.

All four ferry terminals at Daulatdia have been damaged on several occasions due to strong river currents since August, making it difficult to continue operations. Although erosion could be tackled to some extent after the flood water receded, the situation changed with India opening all gates of the Farakka barrage, they said.

Shah Alam, an assistant engineer of BIWTA, said their efforts to protect river erosion was being undone by strong tides.

“We are repairing a terminal and the next minute it is washed away,” he said, hoping that terminal number 4 would be in operation by the afternoon. l

Man to die for killing wife in Rajshahi n Tribune Report

A man was sentenced to death by a court yesterday for killing his wife Shima Khatun in the district around three and half years back.

The convict has been identified as Sujan Ali, 30, son of Shamsuddin of Polashbari village under Durgapur Upazila of the district.

Two other accused father Shamsuddin and mother Meher Nigar were acquitted as the murder charge brought against them could not be proved beyond doubt.

The prosecution story, in brief, is that Sujan Ali used to torture his wife Shima Khatun for dowry and as continuation of the repression he strangulated her to death on March 1, 2013. l

DT

8 World

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Aung San Suu Kyi to get humanitarian award Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar will be honoured as the 2016 humanitarian of the year by students and faculty at the Harvard Foundation.

Suu Kyi was appointed to the newly created position of state counsellor, which is similar to prime minister.

AP

INDIA

Indian minister calls Pakistan terrorist state Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh called arch-rival Pakistan a terrorist state after militants attacked an army base in Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, killing 17 soldiers. “Pakistan is a terrorist state and it should be identified and isolated as such,” Singh said on Twitter.

AFP

CHINA

China launches 2nd experimental space lab module

China launched its second experimental space laboratory on Thursday, part of a broader plan to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. Advancing China’s space program is a priority for Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for the country to establish itself as a space power, and apart from its civilian ambitions, Beijing has tested anti-satellite missiles.

REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

12 dead in Thailand as tourist boat capsizes At least 12 people have died and dozens are missing in Thailand after a boat carrying 150 Thai Muslims capsized in the ancient tourist city of Ayutthaya. At least 37 were injured and many are still missing as rescue workers continue to search for survivors into the night. The accident took place on the Chao Phraya river in Ayutthaya, a Unesco World Heritage site.

REUTERS

MIDDLE EAST

Iran urges US to unblock aircraft deals Iran urged the United States on Sunday to remove remaining obstacles to it buying passenger planes following the lifting of international sanctions and spread out the welcome mat to foreign investors as it seeks to boost its aviation sector.

Iran provisionally agreed earlier this year to buy over 200 jets worth $50bn at list prices from Airbus and Boeing under an agreement between Tehran and world powers to ease sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear activities.

REUTERS

Syria truce endangered after US-led airstrike kills 62 troops n Tribune International Desk Syria’s ceasefire was hanging by a thread on Sunday, after tensions escalated between Moscow and Washington over a US-led coalition air strike that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers battling jihadists.

The truce saw violence drop across Syria for several days after it came into force Monday, but fighting has since erupted on several fronts and besieged civilians are still waiting desperately for promised aid deliveries.

The ceasefire’s co-sponsors, Russia and the United States, have traded accusations over the fraying deal, with relations strained even further after the US-led raid killed scores of Syrian soldiers on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 90 soldiers were killed in the strike. Damascus ally Moscow put the death toll at 62.

The Syrian army said the raid had allowed Islamic State group fighters to gain ground around the key eastern airbase of Deir Ezzor, but a military source said government forces were back on the offensive Sunday.

“The army has retaken most of its positions on Jabal Therdeh with Russian and Syrian air support,” the source said, referring to a hilltop overlooking the base.

Retaking them is vital to prevent IS using them to fire on army aircraft taking off from or landing there.

On Sunday, IS said it shot down a Syrian warplane near Deir Ezzor.

Syrian state news agency Sana confirmed a plane had been shot down there and its pilot killed, but did not say who was responsible.

The base and adjacent government-held neighbourhoods of Deir Ezzor city have been under siege since 2012 and have been dependent on resupply by air.

How the Americans explained the attack

US Central Command said the coalition believed it was attacking positions of so-called Islamic State and the raids were “halted immediately when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military”. It said the “Combined Air Operations Centre had earlier informed Russian counterparts of the upcoming strike”.

The strike and circumstances surrounding it will be reviewed it said, “to see if any lessons can be learned”.

THE CEASEFIRE IN SYRIA The plan has been billed as the best chance yet to halt the bloodshed in Syria's five-year civil war Key points

TURKEY

48h ceasefire from Monday September 12 at 1600 GMT except in zones held by jihadists like the Islamic State group

Aleppo

Idlib

Raqa

Unimpeded humanitarian access to thousands of civilians The demilitarisation of a road which supplies rebel forces to the north of beseiged Aleppo Ceasefire Endorsed Yet to by respond Regime

Deir Ezzor Homs LEB.

Palmyra

Excluded

Rebels

Kurds

IS group Fateh al-Sham Front

DAMASCUS JORDAN

Sources: Thomas Van Linge, AFP

50 km

IRAQ

Territory: IS group Influence Control Syrian regime and allies Rebels and/or Fateh al-Sham Kurds

Australian aircraft also took part in the bombing. Its Department of Defence offered its condolences to the families of government soldiers killed or wounded.

Response to the US account

Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman has been quoted as saying that the attack showed “that the White House is defending Islamic State”. Syria’s foreign ministry said it was “planned and deliberate” and suggested “pre-coordination between IS and the US forces”.

Syrian forces have now regained control of the areas they lost to IS fighters as a result of the strikes, state news agency Sana reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported the strikes had killed at least 90 soldiers.

Shaky truce

Earlier on Saturday, Russia and Syrian rebels cast doubt over the prospects for the increasingly shaky ceasefire, with Moscow saying the situation was worsening and a senior insurgent warning that the truce “will not hold out”.

While the ceasefire has reduced fighting, some violence has persisted across Syria. Meanwhile, there has been little movement on promised aid deliveries to besieged areas and both sides have accused the other of bad faith.

The UN told Reuters aid trucks which had been expected to move to Aleppo on Sunday morning, were once again being delayed.

“Obviously the humanitarian

A Syrian soldier keeps watch near Hama, Syria, in March. Russia says two F-16 and two A-10 planes struck near the Deir el-Zour airport in eastern Syria, killing 62 Syrian soldiers and injuring at least 100 AP community is very frustrated by this. We have hoped to go today with the convoys,” David Swanson, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. “We stand ready to begin the response effort as soon as we get the green light.”

Russia’s Defence Ministry said conditions in Syria were deteriorating, adding that it believed the ceasefire had been breached 199 times by rebels and saying the United States would be responsible if it were to collapse.

After the Deir al-Zor attack, it said Moscow had told the United States to rein in the Syrian opposition and make sure it did not launch a new offensive, adding that it had informed Washington about a concentration of rebels north of Hama.

Insurgents say they only reluctantly accepted the initial deal, which they believe is skewed against them, because it could relieve the dire humanitarian situation in besieged areas they control, and blamed Russia for undermining the truce.

“The truce, as we have warned, and we told the (US) State Department - will not hold out,” a senior rebel official in Aleppo said, pointing to the continued presence of a UN aid convoy at the Turkish border awaiting permission to enter.

Rebels have also accused Russia of using the ceasefire to give the Syrian army and allied Shi’ite militias a chance to regroup and deploy forces ready for their own offensives. l

Sources: REUTERS, AFP, BBC

9

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

New York City shaken by intentional explosion, 29 injured n Reuters, New York

An explosion rocked the bustling Chelsea district of Manhattan on Saturday night, injuring at least 29 people in what authorities described as a deliberate, criminal act, while saying investigators had found no evidence of a “terror connection.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city officials said investigators had ruled out a gas leak as the cause of the blast, but they stopped short of calling it a bombing and declined to specify precisely what they believed may have triggered the explosion.

Police said a sweep of the neighbourhood following the blast had turned up a possible “secondary device” four blocks away consisting of a pressure cooker with wires attached to it and connected to a cell phone.

Residents living nearby were advised to stay away from windows facing the street as a precaution, and the item was later safely moved to a police firing range for further examination, officer Christopher Pisano said.

As of Sunday morning, police were still seeking to determine whether the item was an explosive and had not detonated it, said New York police Lieutenant

Thomas Antonetti.

Pressure cookers packed with explosives and detonated with timing devices were used by two Massachusetts brothers in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 260.

The latest blast came less than a week after law enforcement agencies around the country were on heightened alert for the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, airline-hijacking attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Remaining circumspect about the exact nature of the explosion in Chelsea, De Blasio said early indications were that it was “an intentional act.” He added that the site of the blast, outside on a major thoroughfare in the fashionable West Side Manhattan neighbourhood, was being treated as a crime scene.

“There is no evidence at this point of a terror connection,” the mayor said at a news conference about three hours after the blast.

“There is no specific and credible threat against New York City at this point in time from any terror organisation.”

The mayor also said investigators did not believe there was any

IS supporter stabs 8 people at Minnesota mall An Islamic State supporter carried out the stabbing attack that wounded at least eight people at a mall in the US state of Minnesota on Saturday, the militant group’s Amaq news agency said. A man wearing a private security uniform and armed with at least one knife stabbed eight people at the Crossroads Centre mall before he was shot dead by an off-duty police officer.

REUTERS

THE AMERICAS

A tilted garbage dumpster is seen next to evidence markers near the site of an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York on September 18 REUTERS link to a pipe bomb that exploded earlier on Saturday in the New Jersey beach town of Seaside Park.

No injuries were reported in that blast, from a device planted in a plastic trash can along the route of a charity foot race.

But a US official said that a Joint Terrorism Task Force, an interagency group of federal, state and local officials, was called to investigate the Chelsea blast, suggesting authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terror connection.

A joint task force also took the lead in investigating the New Jer-

n Reuters, New York

for Clinton. And Florida is now considered a likely win for the Republican nominee, with 50% support for Trump to 46% support for Clinton.

If the election were held today, the project estimates that Clinton has a 60% chance of winning by 18 electoral votes. Last week, the project estimated that Clinton had a 83% chance of winning the election.

In a separate national Reuters/ Ipsos tracking poll, Clinton continues to lead Trump by 4 percentage points, and her recent bout with pneumonia doesn’t appear to have scared away her supporters.

The national September 9-15 tracking poll showed that 42% of likely voters supported Clinton while 38% backed Trump. Clinton, who has mostly led Trump in the poll since the Democratic and Republican national conventions

USA

Venezuela, Cuba warn of US intervention

sey incident.

“Just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in New York, and nobody knows exactly what’s going on,” Trump said a hours before New York officials spoke publicly about the blast.

“We better get very tough, folks.”

Democratic rival Hillary Clinton made a statement on her campaign plane on the ground in New York, saying she had been briefed on “the bombings in New York and New Jersey.” But she said she would wait until she had more information before commenting further. l

Race tightens in projected US Electoral College vote An election analysis conducted in the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project shows that the race has tightened considerably over the past few weeks, with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump projected to win Florida, an essential battleground state, if the election were held today.

The project, which is based on a weekly tracking poll of more than 15,000 Americans, shows that the 2016 presidential race could end in a photo finish on November 8, with the major-party candidates running nearly even in the Electoral College, the body that ultimately selects the president.

The States of the Nation project, which delivers a weekly tally of support for the candidates in every state, shows that the race has tightened in several traditional battlegrounds. Pennsylvania has been moved from a likely win for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to a tossup; Ohio has been moved from a tossup to a likely win

DT

World

ended in July, regained the advantage this week after her lead briefly faded in late August.

Clinton has an advantage among minorities, women, people who make more than $75,000 a year, and those with moderate political leanings. Trump has an advantage with whites, men, avid churchgoers, and people who are nearing retirement age.

Little concern over candidates’ health

Overall, Americans appear to be relatively uninspired by their choices for president with less than eight weeks to go before the election. One out of every five likely voters said they do not support Clinton or Trump for president. In comparison, about one out of every 10 likely voters wouldn’t support Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney

at a similar point in the 2012 presidential campaign.

Respondents took the survey after video surfaced of Clinton nearly collapsing at a September 11 memorial in New York on Sunday. Her campaign later said she had a non-contagious, bacterial form of pneumonia.

Clinton and Trump candidates have since released details of their personal health. Clinton’s doctors said her physical exam was normal, apart from the pneumonia, and that she was in excellent mental condition. Trump released a note from his doctor saying that he was in “excellent physical health.”

Americans do not appear to be overly concerned with the health of either candidate. According to a separate question in the poll conducted this week, most American adults said the issue would make “no difference” to how they voted.

Polling aggregators, which calculate averages of major polls, have shown that Clinton’s lead over Trump has been shrinking this month. The most recent individual polls put Clinton’s advantage at 1 or 2 percentage points. l

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has warned world leaders at a Non-Aligned Summit that his country was being lashed by a US economic war aimed at toppling him. Speaking at the same event, Maduro’s closest regional ally, Cuban President Raul Castro, echoed the charge, despite his country’s thawing relations with the US. REUTERS

UK

Conservative Eurosceptics push for hard Brexit Leading Conservative Eurosceptics have formed a new lobby group to push for a hard Brexit, including leaving the European single market and ending free movement. The campaign, Leave Means Leave, could provoke fresh unrest on the Tory backbenches for Theresa May, pushing her government to take a no compromise approach to negotiations with the EU. THE GUARDIAN

EUROPE

Pro-Putin party seen winning in Russia’s parliament The ruling United Russia party is expected to win even greater dominance over Russia’s lower house in a parliamentary election on Sunday, showing that support for President Vladimir Putin is holding. The election for the Duma is being seen as a dry run for Putin’s expected presidential campaign in 2018.

REUTERS

AFRICA

Somali general killed in suicide car bomb attack Somali Military General Mohamed Roble Jimale and at least 7 of his bodyguards were killed on Sunday when their military convoy was hit by a suicide car bomb.

Al Shabaab, which frequently launches attacks on officials in Mogadishu, staged this attack in the build-up to a vote for a new parliament and president, part of efforts to rebuild a nation that has been shattered by two decades of war and chaos.

REUTERS

DT

10

World

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

INSIGHT

World leaders to focus on refugee crisis and Syria at United Nations n Tribune International Desk World leaders meeting at the United Nations starting Monday will be trying to make progress on two intractable problems at the top of the global agenda — the biggest refugee crisis since World War II and the Syrian conflict now in its sixth year which has claimed over 300,000 lives, reports The Associated Press.

Against a backdrop of rising ethnic and religious tension, fighting elsewhere in the Mideast and Africa, extremist attacks across the world and a warming planet, there are plenty of other issues for the 135 heads of state and government and more than 50 ministers expected to attend to try to tackle.

“It’s no secret there’s a lot of fear out there,” US Ambassador Samantha Power told reporters Thursday, citing the uncertainties sparked by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, the threat posed by the Islamic State extremist group, and attacks in many parts of the world

by IS and other terrorist groups.

But Syria, where a tense cease-fire brokered by Moscow and Washington went into effect last Monday, remains at the top of the agenda at the UN General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting. An apparently errant airstrike on Saturday in which the US military may have unintentionally struck Syrian troops while carrying out a raid against the Islamic State group could deal a crushing blow to the US-Russian-brokered cease-fire.

The cease-fire, which does not apply to attacks on IS, has largely held for five days despite dozens of alleged violations on both sides.

Syria crisis

The UN Security Council held a closed emergency meeting Saturday night at Russia’s request to discuss the airstrike. The acrimonious meeting offered a harbinger of the difficulties ahead as the US and Russia remain suspicious of each other’s intents in Syria. US Ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of pulling “a stunt” that is “cynical and hypocritical” in calling for the meeting while not taking similar action in response to atrocities committed by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he had never seen “such an extraordinary display of American heavy-handedness” as displayed by Power.

The acrimony over the airstrike could spill over into a Security Council ministerial meeting on Syria scheduled for Wednesday. Russia was pushing for a resolution to endorse the cessation of hostilities and look

ahead, but the US refused to make public details of the cease-fire deal citing “operational security.” Churkin earlier had called the US uncooperative and said most likely “we’re not going to have a resolution.”

With the truce still fragile, no sign yet of humanitarian aid deliveries, and supporters and opponents of the Syrian government trading accusations, diplomats said there may be a meeting Tuesday of some 20 key countries on both sides who are part of the International Syria Support Group to chart the next steps.

Ban Ki-moon, Barack Obama, Theresa May

The spotlight during the week is also certain to shine on three leaders, who are all scheduled to speak at the assembly’s opening ministerial session on Tuesday morning.

UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon who steps down on December 31, and US President Barack Obama who will leave office in January, will be addressing the 193-member world body for the last time. And British Prime Minister Theresa May will be making her debut on the world stage less than three months after the vote to leave the European Union.

THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA

301,781 people have died since fighting began in March 2011 Children 15,099 Foreign Shiite militia

5,163

1,321

Hezbollah

Adults 71,593

41,564 Syrian militia

52,359 Rebels and the Arab -Kurd alliance

Civilians

86,692

Combatants: Soldiers pro regime 59,006

52,031 Jihadists

107,054

anti regime

104,390

Number of deaths per year

3,645

Unidentified Source: SOHR Figures on Sept 12 * In August alone, 9000 people died

40,000*

2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

0

20,000

40,000

60,000 80,000

REFUGEE AT A GLANCE STATELESS PEOPLE

10m

REFUGEES

21.3m

FORCIBLY DISPLACED PEOPLE WORLDWIDE

65.3m

Private meetings

In UN corridors and at private meetings, the question of Ban’s successor will be a hot topic. Portugal’s former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has topped all four informal polls in the Security Council but he could be vetoed, possibly by Russia, and there are constant rumors of new candidates throwing their hats in the ring.

The US presidential race is already a hot topic at the UN, and no doubt leaders will be privately discussing the impact of a victory by Hillary Clinton, and especially Donald Trump, on the United Nations where the United States is the largest financial contributor and has veto-wielding power in the Security Council.

Refugee crisis

In one of the week’s highlights, the secretary-general has invited leaders to a first-ever UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants on Monday.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, an “unprecedented” 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015, an increase of more than 5 million from a year earlier and the highest number since World War II. They include 21.3 million refugees, 3.2 million asylum seekers, and 40.8 million people internally displaced within their own countries. “’’More countries must resettle more people who have been forced

Source: UNHCR/20 June, 2016

from their homes,” Ban told reporters Wednesday. “And everyone, everywhere, must stand up against the animosity that so many refugees, migrants and minority communities face.”

The political declaration set to be adopted calls for separate Global Compacts for refugees and migrants to be adopted within two years. But human rights groups complained that it was watered down, eliminating Ban’s proposal to resettle 10% of the world’s refugees annually.

At a follow-up summit on Tuesday called by Obama, at least 45 countries are expected to make pledges that will meet or exceed US goals of increasing humanitarian aid by $3bn, doubling resettlement and lawful admission spots, and increasing access to education for one million youngsters and access to employment by one million, a US

official said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the summit.

“We are not going to solve the refugee crisis on Tuesday,” US envoy Power said, “but I think you’ll see an important show of political will from leaders around the world.”

According to the United Nations, 545 meetings have been requested and Ban will take part in 62 events.

Climate Change

The UN chief, who has made climate change a top priority, has organised an event Wednesday for countries to deliver their ratifications of the Paris Declaration to tackle global warming. He is hoping to get the required 55 countries representing 55% of greenhouse gas emissions, if not Wednesday, by the end of the year.

Security issues

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geof-

frey Onyeama, whose government is battling the insurgency by Boko Haram Islamic extremists, told reporters Friday that addressing “this global phenomenon of terrorism” will be high on his country’s agenda along with tackling the UN development goals for 2030 and promoting a new UN body to focus on youth.

The Security Council is holding a ministerial meeting Thursday on improving aviation security, and it could meet again if agreement is reached on a resolution to support the nuclear test ban treaty which will likely single out North Korea, the only country to conduct tests in the 21st century.

The parties to the Iran nuclear deal are also scheduled to meet Thursday as well as the Quartet of Mideast mediators — the US, UN, EU and Russia — who are trying to get Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. l

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IS, Pakistani Taliban faction kill 3 soldiers in Pakistan n Reuters, Peshawar

Three Pakistani soldiers were killed in an ambush in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday, militants said, in an attack for which both Islamic State and a Pakistani Taliban faction claimed responsibility.

Militants said they ambushed an

unmarked vehicle ferrying soldiers on Sunday morning near the congested Daudzai area of Peshawar.

Military sources confirmed the attack but said the killed men were army employees and not soldiers.

The Pakistan army often uses unmarked vehicles for transportation of soldiers and other employees in

volatile areas around Peshawar to avoid being identified and attacked.

“They were travelling in a civil van when unknown armed men opened fire at them,” said a security official who declined to be named.

“Three of them died on the spot.”

Pakistan’s military this month declared that it had foiled Islamic

State’s attempts to establish operations in the country. But the group’s Amaq news agency said Islamic State was behind the ambush, also claimed by Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, an offshoot of the Islamist militant Pakistani Taliban group.

Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, which carried out the Easter Sunday bombing in La-

hore in which 70 people were killed, at one time swore fealty to Islamic State’s Middle East leadership, but later switched back to the Taliban.

The two groups also both claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a hospital in the Pakistani city of Quetta that killed 74 people last month. l

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

TOP STORIES NBR asks field offices to work out on mismatched revenue data The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has asked its field officials to find out reasons behind the mismatch in tax revenue collection figures compiled by the taxmen and Controller General of Accounts office.

PAGE 13

BIS: Market rebound since Brexit may not reflect risks

n AFP, Britain

A delegation of ICMAB meets Finance Minister AMA Muhith at his secretariat office yesterday

Financial markets recovered far more rapidly than expected following Britain’s vote to leave the EU, the Bank of International Settlements said yesterday, warning that the rally might be ignoring significant risks ahead.

PAGE 14

Capital market snapshot: Sunday DSE Broad Index

4,624.0

0.5% ▲

Index

1,111.1

0.2% ▲

30 Index

1,765.7

0.3% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

3,149.2 -34.5% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

86.1 -33.6% ▼

CSE All Share Index 14,211.5

0.4% ▲

30 Index

0.4% ▲

Selected Index

12,847.7 8,652.4

0.4% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

351.4

26.7% ▲

Turnover in Mn Vol

8.5

-5.6% ▼

COURTESY

BB heist probe report to be made public Thursday n Asif Showkat Kallol Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the probe committee report of the $101 million heist from the central bank will be made public on Thursday.

“We will make the full report public. It will be available on the website of Bank and Financial Institutions Division on the same day,” the minister told reporters at a briefing after the meeting with a team of ‘The Institution of Cost and Management Accountants Of Bangladesh” at his secretariat office yesterday.

On May 30, the government-formed investigation committee submitted the report on

the Bangladesh Bank’s reserves heist to the finance minister.

The three-member panel, led by former Bangladesh Bank governor Mohammed Farashuddin, was formed almost one month after it was learnt that the money was stolen by the hackers. The probe committee’s other members are the Finance Ministry’s additional Secretary Gokul Chand Das and Prof Mohammad Kaikobad of BUET’s Science and Engineering Department.

Cyber criminals stole $101 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account with the Federal Reserve Bank in New York in February this year. The incident came to light several days later.

“The report will be posted on the website so that people can have easy access to the document and officials of the central bank will answer to the queries,” said Muhith.

Earlier, he hinted that the report would be out before his scheduled departure for Washington on September 24 to attend the World Bank Group annual meeting.

On February 4, hackers sent several orders through SWIFT to transfer $101 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

A transfer of $20 million to Sri Lanka was halted but $81 million was parked in and beyond the Philippines. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported the theft at the

end of February.

It was later found that Bangladesh central bank officials were aware of the matter but had withheld the information for a month.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman stepped down in the face of widespread criticism and intense pressure to quit for allegedly trying to cover up the incident.

The committee was asked to check how the payment instructions were sent, and to whom, and what measures the central bank had taken to stop the theft, the reason behind concealing the incident, and whether there was any negligence on the part of central bank officials concerned. l

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

NBR asks field offices to work out on mismatched revenue data n Tribune Report The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has asked its field officials to find out reasons behind the mismatch in tax revenue collection figures compiled by the taxmen and Controller General of Accounts office.

The difference of revenue data is rising in every fiscal year mainly because of data compilation methodology used differently by the two agencies.

During the fiscal year 2014-15, the CGA office identified a gap of Tk137 billion of revenue data while it was only Tk29.23 billion in FY’10-11.

NBR officials said the mismatch is occurring because of problems

of compilation and documentation methods of collected revenue by the two agencies of the government.

The CGA officials, however, said the tax officials delay depositing taxes to the government exchequer which leads to the mismatch.

In such a situation, the revenue authorities asked the officials concerned to identify reasons behind the mismatch of revenue figure compiled by the Comptroller and Auditor General office and NBR. NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman, who issued the decision, also asked the tax officials to take necessary initiative to resolve the mismanagement and inform the board about the initiatives taken, accord-

ing to a NBR press release issued yesterday.

Meanwhile, the board has taken up another initiative to ensure hassle-free release of products from the country’s customs stations and houses.

With a move to ensure hassle-free release of goods and products, NBR has decided to harmonise statistical information so that traders can release their goods within the shortest time.

The revenue authority took the decision after it came to know about the reported harassment of importers and exporters while releasing their goods from the customs houses and stations.

To reduce the hassle, NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman has asked the officials concerned to take necessary initiatives to resolve reported harassment in cargo clearance and release of goods and waste of time by some officials.

The NBR boss also instructed the officials of customs houses and stations to ensure proper security in their offices including to inform the status of scanning and waybridge machines.

Officials were also asked to measure the latest status of service delivery related modern equipment, their quantity, and their requirement and take necessary initiative to resolve the issues. l

MetLife teams up with Citi Digitise Payments n Tribune Business Desk

North Dakota hints of US oil industry comeback

MetLife and Citi Bangladesh jointly held an event at the head office of MetLife in the city recently to commemorate successful completion of the data transfer service hostto-host setup between the two entities, according to a press release.

Host-to-host is an automated, two-way data transfer service for high volume online banking usage.

The occasion marked the full suite digitisation of Policy and Vendor Payments for MetLife, Bangladesh’s leading life insurance service provider, through partnership with Citi.

Senior officials from both the two organisations attended the event.

This new solution is a big leap toward achieving the automation of MetLife Bangladesh’s paper-based payment approval system.

The payment processing and reconciliation processes have also been digitised, resulting in significantly faster service delivery to thousands of MetLife’s policyholders. This is also the largest payment system integration initiative in terms of daily volume by Citi Bangladesh - MetLife’s core payment bank in the country.

Addressing the event, Md Nurul Islam, regional senior vice president and head of Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar MetLife said: “We are committed to providing seamless experiences to all our stakeholders, and believe this digital partnership with Citi will help ensure that”.

Khondoker Rashed Maqsood, Citi country officer, said: “Citi has been the pioneer in payment digitisation landscape of Bangladesh, and this Host-to-Host setup with MetLife underlines Citi’s continuous efforts and commitments in this regard”. l

n AFP, Williston In the chilly air before dawn, a handful of men and women huddle in front of a small, one-story building on the outskirts of Williston.

They are waiting for Central Command, a temporary work agency, to open.

Workers in this oil town in the US state of North Dakota, just an hour from the Canada border, once had their pick of jobs. Many are now looking for any work they can find.

“They don’t have very many jobs for us right now,” said Heather Scallion, who traveled some 1,300 miles (2,100 km) from Arkansas, thinking there was still low-skilled work here.

“Hurting for money, honestly,” she explained.

Nearby, a ragged man in his 30s slept on a couch. Scallion was fairly certain he was homeless, because he slept on the same spot every day, wearing the same clothes.

Just minutes from this temporary work site, at the state-run employment agency Job Service North Dakota, it is a far different world. There is a shortage of workers for highly skilled positions in drilling and oil pump maintenance, among others.

“There were layoffs when oil really tanked,” said Cindy Sanford, who heads the agency’s Williston branch.

“Now what’s happening is those companies are bringing people back.”

North Dakota is now seeing hints of a recovery from the bust. As crude prices have rebounded to the $40 range after a stunning crash, there are signs that the industry is slowly regaining its footing.

But the recovery has been uneven, a distinct case of the haves

Heather Scallion waits for a job at the Command Center temporary employment agency in Williston, North Dakota, a once booming oil town AFP and the have-nots, as skilled laborers see their prospects improving, while the less desirable workforce feels little optimism.

Oil boomtown

The Command Center offices are just across from the train tracks that used to ferry coal, livestock and grains, but now shoulder trains loaded with crude from the vast oil and gas deposits that lie deep underfoot, known as the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

When hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and horizontal drilling techniques made those deposits easier to reach, Williston became the epicenter of North Dakota’s oil production.

The industry turned the sparsely populated state into a buzzing hub of investment and hiring starting in 2010, while the rest of the US economy was still stuck in low gear.

At the height of the boom in 2014, Sanford said that they could be so desperate to recruit workers

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they just had to make sure candidates were alive.

“We’d laugh and we’d say, ‘Breathe into the mirror. Oh, it didn’t fog up. Try again,’” said Sanford.

In those heady days, low-skilled workers could easily earn $18 an hour. Williston doubled in size in about four years, to roughly 30,000 people.

Then, the price of oil plummeted, from highs above $100 a barrel to below $30, forcing many drillers to shut down their operations and lay off tens of thousands. Booming Williston went bust.

Hints of recovery

From his truck, Monty Besler points to so-called “man camps,” makeshift mobile housing developments once buzzing with out-of-town workers. They now sit empty.

“We’ve lost a lot of companies,” said Besler, an oil industry consultant, whose license plate reads “Fracn8r” - as in “frackenator,” a nickname given to him by colleagues. l

Stocks open positive after long holidays n Tribune Business Desk Stocks closed higher yesterday, the first day of trading after the bourses went for a nine-day Eid vacation.

However, the day kicked off on a negative note as the key index fell marginally in the morning, but later witnessed steady rise till end of the session.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange DSEX rose about 23 points or 0.5% to 4,623, extending its gaining streak for the seventh straight sessions.

The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, closed 6 points higher to 1,765. The DSE Shariah Index was marginally up 2 points to 1,111.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX moved up 35 points to 8,652.

However, trading activities remained subdued as the DSE turnover stood at Tk315 crore, down around 35% over the previous session.

Sector specific stocks were traded actively whereas overall trading was lackluster as the market was still in holiday hangover, dealers say.

Rally in the market bellwether banking sector continued as the sector added 1.3% to its previous rise of over 1%.

Cement, non-banking financial institutions, engineering and food and allied sector increased by 1.2%, 0.7%, 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.

Telecommunications sector closed flat while pharmaceuticals and fuel and power ended in red.

Lafarge Surma Cement was the most traded stocks from the second straight session with shares worth nearly Tk25 crore. l

Rupali Bank MD calls for aggressive banking

n Tribune Business Desk

Newly appointed Rupali Bank Managing Director Ataur Rahman Prodhan has called for “aggressive” banking to reach remote areas across the country.

“Bank will have to do aggressive banking, coming out from conventional banking, to survive in the competitive market”, said Prodhan while addressing a conference of Rajshahi divisional managers held in Bogra yesterday.

He, however, warned the bank officers not to breach any rule while disbursing loans. He also suggested the officers to concentrate on upazilas, unions and villages for disbursing loans across the country.

Ataur Rahman, who joined the sate-owned bank in August, hinted that he is going to undertake a massive work plan to further develop the Rupali Bank. l

Business

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BIS: Market rebound since Brexit may not reflect risks n AFP, Britain Financial markets recovered far more rapidly than expected following Britain’s vote to leave the EU, the Bank of International Settlements said yesterday, warning that the rally might be ignoring significant risks ahead.

During the two days of trading following the so-called Brexit vote on June 23, most major stock indexes shed more than five percent, while the broadest London stock exchange index plunged 15 percent, and the British pound lost 10% of its value against other major currencies.

But despite the initial dramatic reaction, markets appear to have rapidly overcome the shock, largely due to central banks whose willingness to intervene had a calming influence, said the Basel-based BIS, considered the central bank for central banks.

“The speed of the recovery took many by surprise, given the political and economic uncertainty that the vote had triggered,” Claudio Borio, the head of the BIS monetary and economic department, told journalists in a teleconference.

BIS pointed out that global growth was “showing moderate but persistent signs of strengthening”, while “investors’ risk appetite seemed to return.”

“Volatility in financial markets

An investor is seen behind a stock market screen at a securities company in Hanoi subsided, commodity prices edged higher, corporate credit spreads narrowed, stock markets rallied and portfolio flows to emerging market economies resumed,” it said.

Tell-tale signs

But Borio said that dissonance in some markets indicated all might not be as rosy as it seemed.

Bond yields had continued to

decline, he said, while yield curves had flattened -- “typically a telltale sign of a low growth outlook.”

In fact, the overall stock of sovereign debt was providing record negative yields of well above $10tn in the weeks following the Brexit vote, he said.

BIS also noted concern over the capacity of banks to make profits in an era of persistent low and nega-

REUTERS

tive interest rates.

The prospect of longterm low rates had meanwhile fuelled a search for yield in stock markets resulting in “ebullience”, and “highlighting the sense of dissonance,” it said.

Borio said there had been “a distinctly mixed feel to the recent rally,” with “more stick than carrot, more push than pull, more frustration than joy.” l

Chairperson: LafargeHolcim to withdraw from several countries n Reuters LafargeHolcim is considering withdrawing from several markets as part of its efforts to make last year’s mega-merger a success, Chairman Beat Hess told weekly Sonntagszeitung.

“We will be present in less countries for sure,” Hess was quoted as saying. The sale of operations in several countries was an option, he said.

The world’s largest cement group, created by a merger between Frances’s Lafarge and Switzerland’s Holcim, generates 80% of its operational earnings before taxes, depreciation and amortization in 25 countries, the paper quoted Hess as saying.

He said there was “much potential for improvement” in another 25 countries. “Either we succeed in strengthening these operations through targeted investments or we have to see whether other owners could do better.”

For the remaining 40 countries the Switzerland-based firm operates in, the question was how to reach the target to earn its capital costs in the foreseeable future and “whether it would not be better to invest elsewhere the proceeds coming from a sale.”

The company has already exceeded its 2016 goal of making divestments worth 3.5 billion francs and said in August it had extended the program to 5 billion francs by the end of next year. l

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‘Financial Reporting Iran supports any move to stabilise oil market n Council to be functional this year’ Reuters

n Asif Showkat Kallol Financial Reporting Council (FRC) will be formed at the end of this calender year for functioning of Financial Reporting Act (FRA), said Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday.

“FRC will ensure accountability and improve performance of the professional accountants of Bangladesh,” he said after a meeting with a team of The Institution of Cost and Management Accountants Of Bangladesh at his secretariat office.

The minister said implementation of the FRA will bring transparency of the firms listed on the stock market. “The local stocks market are doing great and there is no abnormal behaviour in the

stock prices.”

The much-awaited Financial Reporting Act-2015 got passed in the Parliament on September 6, 2015.

The FRC will be the sole watchdog to monitor the functions of auditors and ensure transparency and accountability in accounting and auditing of financial organisations including various government autonomous and non-government institutions.

The World Bank Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes, published in 2003, described accounting and auditing environment in Bangladesh dismal.

The report suggested establishing an independent oversight body – Financial Reporting Council. l

Samsung’s handset fires singe its brand n Robyn Mak Samsung’s exploding smartphones are singeing its brand.

The tech giant is speeding up a massive recall of the Galaxy Note 7, after reports of fires, while major airlines have banned in-air use. Samsung’s shares are down sharply. The immediate financial hit looks manageable, but the reputational damage could be worse.

Ten days ago, the chipsto-smartphone maker said it would stop sales of the phones in 10 markets and replace existing handsets, due to faulty batteries. Samsung will take back 2.5 million devices from customers and retailers, in its largest-ever recall. But investors were initially sanguine: Samsung looked to be moving fast enough to contain the damage. The larger-screen Note series is also far less popular than the flagship Galaxy S. Now there is trouble up in the air. US aviation authorities have advised people not to use or charge Notes on board, or stow them in checked luggage.

And airlines are banning passengers from turning on devices in-flight. Samsung may have fanned the flames by telling customers to turn off and hand back phones “as soon as possible”.

By mid day in Seoul on Sept 12, investors knocked some 7% off shares of Samsung Electronics. Since the start of the fiasco, Samsung has lost nearly $20bn in market value. That looks like an over-reaction, at least based on the direct costs.

Bernstein analysts reckon lost Note 7 sales and recall expenses will knock just 4% off Samsung’s 2016 operating profit.

So investors must be bracing for serious spillover into sales of Samsung’s other devices, and perhaps other trouble, like lawsuits. Credit Suisse analysts estimate lifetime sales of the Note 7 could total nearly 19 million units. In contrast, analysts expect Samsung will ship about 310 to 320 million smartphones this year.

Last year, mobile generated more than 10tn won ($9bn) in operating profit, or 38% of the company’s total.

There may not be a big windfall for arch-rival Apple; lost sales may instead go to other Android smartphone makers, like Huawei. But this is embarrassing for Samsung, coming hot on the heels of an acclaimed turnaround in mobile. It needs to put this fire out as soon as possible. l Robyn Mak joined Reuters Breakingviews in 2013.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran supports any move to stabilise the global oil market and lift prices, the Iranian oil ministry news agency SHANA quoted him as saying yesterday.

“Instability and falling oil prices are harmful to all countries, especially oil

producers,” Rouhani was quoted as saying by SHANA. “Tehran welcomes any move aimed at market stability and improvement of oil prices based on justice, fairness and fair quota of all the oil producers,” the president said, referring to a meeting between OPEC and non-OPEC producers in Algeria next week, SHANA said.

Rouhani was speaking to Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Venezuela on Saturday, SHANA reported.

Iran, OPEC’s third-largest producer, has been boosting its oil output after the lifting of Western sanctions in January. l

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Feature

Fallujah: The sectarian narrative is a Western exaggeration Interviews with soldiers who survived the siege of Fallujah reveal the immense human cost that the battle extracted

n Sanjay Kapoor

P

ropped up by pillows with his legs immobilised in a cast held together by large ugly stainless steel needles, it is apparent that the man in the white-walled, spartanly furnished room in a Delhi hospital has seen death.

Ahmed (not his real name), was a soldier in the Iraqi army, whose legs were shattered by artillery fire during the recent recapture of Fallujah, Iraq, from the Islamic State. He had been flown in from Baghdad for treatment the night

before. Ahmed still seems to be bewildered as to where he was.

His brown, tear-filled eyes reflect the deep sorrow, pain and physical dislocation of war and the subsequent hospital confinement which follows. He spoke slowly in Arabic to the questions posed by the interpreter, “I was hurt by an artillery shell two days before Fallujah was liberated. After that, I was moved to Baghdad and later I was brought here.” The Iraqi government announced Fallujah’s liberation on June 26, 2016, after a month-long operation in which the Islamic State initially put

Photo : Reuters

up a big fight, before they were encouraged to slip away in an 11 km long convoy that had 700 trucks. US air force had refused to bomb the Islamic State convoy claiming it was chock-a-full of civilians, but Iraqi army’s Intel suggested otherwise. They ended up destroying the trucks and as a result killing many of the militants. According to Iraq’s Department of Defense about 12 civilians died as well. The description offered of the battle by the website Bellingcat is different than that of the US department of defense.

Ahmed is able to shed light on the battle of Fallujah and capabilities of Daesh as preparations are afoot to free Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul. An infantryman of the Iraqi army, he says that they were earlier fighting on the outskirts of Fallujah city.

“We were directed to head towards areas that were under the control of the Daesh, based on the reports that our unit was getting from drones.” He further said that it was tough to deal with it as there were many civilians who were trying to escape the Islamic State. Fallujah was seen as an unfolding humanitarian disaster as thousands tried to escape the stranglehold of Daesh. Hundreds of Islamic State terrorists had also tried to escape by cross-dressing as women. A vast multitude of civilians had to wade through the waters of Euphrates to reach the safety of the Iraqi army. “ It was a very difficult operation,” remembers Ahmed.

“Were you supported by the US army in the Fallujah operation?”

Ahmed was categorical that he did not see any US troops with them. “It was an entirely Iraqi army operation. I did not see anyone from the US army.” This is an important observation coming from someone who was right in the middle of one of the fiercest fights that have taken place in Iraq in recent memory, after the capture of the town of Ramadi.

The US Department of Defense has often claimed of helping out Iraqi troops through their timely

air operations. This is corroborated

by Ahmed who says, “When we moved into the areas that were earlier captured by Daesh, we found that the food supplies had US stamps on it.”

When asked about his views about the fighting capabilities of the Daesh fighters, Ahmed does not pause to reflect even for a moment. Displaying a mixture of anger and awe he states, “They came at us as if they were crazed or possessed. They looked liked they were on drugs. They refused to give themselves up and fought on till they were killed, sometimes even fighting on despite suffering bullet wounds.” Ahmed’s observation squares with much of the writings that have emerged on the fighting style of Daesh fighters.

Authorities in the Middle East and elsewhere have seized large consignments of a drug called Captagon that makes these fighters completely oblivious to physical pain. The largest seizure of these

illicit drugs was at the Beirut airport where a Saudi Prince was stopped for carrying 2 tonnes of Captagon in his private jet. Users of Captagon can not only work for long hours without any sleep, they also display levels of fearlessness unusual amongst ordinary people.

He seemed fatigued after talking for such a long time and he told us to leave. “Will he able to walk after these injuries?” The interpreter was candid, “cases worse than him have gone walking out of this hospital door. Don’t worry he will walk.”

Another Iraqi soldier under treatment next door seems like he was run over by a train. One of his limbs are missing and he is severely emaciated - it would not stretch credulity to believe that he saw action. He has been under treatment for little over a month, and his attendant says he is better than before.

“How did he get hurt?” Hasan (not his real name), who had seen

They came at us as if they were crazed or possessed. They looked liked they were on drugs. They refused to give themselves up and fought on till they were killed, sometimes even fighting on despite suffering bullet wounds

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

action in Tikrit, said, “ I stepped on the mine on the second day of the Fallujah operation and lost my legs.” His attendant, who is also his brother, is a bit suspicious about how much he should speak with us, but is keen to tell us how Fallujah was conquered. He, too, is candid that the Iraqi army could only win the Fallujah battle with the help of the Popular Mobilisation (Al Hashd Al Shaabi) or just plain Hashd.

Without Hashd, he says that all of Iraq would have been overrun

by Daesh after Mosul fell in 2014.

Hasan’s brother, who is playing with his smartphone, also states that the Iraqi army did not get any assistance from the US troops, who had in fact delayed the operation. When asked whether Hashd was a Shia armed force that had contributed to violence in Fallujah after its takeover from Daesh- he said that it was just plain propaganda and that the sectarian narrative was a Western exaggeration. This point of view is increasingly finding space in the policy community.

A recent article in ‘War on the Rocks’ (www.warontherocks. com) written under a pseudonym brings to the fore poor policy choices by the US government due to “exaggerated Western characterization of Sunni persecution and Shia excesses.”

It is the same largely flawed narrative that gives legitimacy to the spread of Daesh in different parts of Iraq and Syria, and places the ascendancy of Shias in the

context of increased Iranian influence in the region. It would not need much effort to ascertain from where this aggressive sectarian hyperbole is coming from, if we once tries to analyse the vicious game playing out in the Middle East. In the last few years, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been extremely wary of the mainstreaming of the Iranians after the P5+1 deal. Till recently, the Turks and the Israelis were on board, but after the botched coup in Ankara, there has been a shift in strategy. Turks are working closely with the Iranians and Russians and want peace to return to these parts, and that means not to give precedence to sectarian identities and return to a strengthening of the nation states. It is due to this reason that the Turks are saying that they would preserve the territorial integrity of Syria and thus foil designs of regional powers who are using the Daesh to meet these objectives. Hasan’s brother too claims that there is no animosity between Shias and Sunnis as they prepare for the final battle with Daesh to liberate Mosul, which is inhabited by 2 million people. l

This article was first published in the print issue of Hardnews (hardnewsmedia. com). It has been reprinted under special arrangement with Dhaka Tribune

Photo : Reuters

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

A bright future ahead Looking into India’s healthcare startup sector

Any new innovation requires lots of testing, approvals and proven efficiencies before implementation.

As a result, the healthcare startup cannot grow as much as it should have

Photo: Bigstock

n Nahid Farzana

I

ndia’s population is expected to reach 1.4 billion by 2026 and it is reported that half of it will be aged 30 or above.

This simply means the demand for adequate medical attention would also increase. Presently, India’s healthcare is way below the global standard. It ranks 112 among 190 countries on healthcare parameters and has the highest numbers of death during childbirth and death of children under the age of five.

This miserable condition of healthcare is worsening further as the government is failing to allocate sufficient funds.

According to WHO, India’s total expenditure on health care was 4% of its GDP in 2013, which further dropped to 1.2% of GDP in 2015. In the US, where the

population is just one-fourth of India’s, the healthcare expenditure is 8.3% of its GDP. The great news is that, the startup revolution has impacted the healthcare sector. Healthcare startups have brought in some much needed positivity, especially with digital solutions.

Innovation is making collecting and accessing healthcare information a lot easier. The founder of Vibcare (E pharmacy India), Siddharth Singhal said, “The startups have set up platforms where the entire system can be brought on record and have organised the pain points of the industry.”

There are a number of healthcare startups across the country. Among them, Practo Search, CrediHealth.com, and Lybrate have platforms to connect customers to

doctors and hospitals and help them to book appointments.

Perfint Technologies and Biosense Technologies harness intelligent technology to simplify diagnostic procedures.

MyDentist and Vasan Eye Care Hospitals focus on one vertical of medicine so that they are able to provide special care to patients. E-commerce websites like HealthKart, Medidart and Medist help people to order medicines and healthcare equipment from various vendors. Besides these, there are many more like Zoctr, ICliniq, Medibox Technologies, BookMEDS, etc.

Healthcare startups are growing the fastest in India both in terms of employment and revenue. Currently, the healthcare condition in India has huge potential for

penetration and innovation.

Even though around 70% of India’s population reside in rural areas, most of the healthcare resources are focused towards urban areas. There is a heavy shortage of doctors with only 0.6 per 1,000 inhabitants. Specialist in different medical disciplines is also lacking far behind.

This sector could boom even faster if they could get capital investment, research and regulatory clearance from the government. Government initiative could immensely boost the sector and fast.

Besides people, awareness and education are important factors in this case. The more people are aware about health issues, the more they will realise the values of these startups and services. And the biggest issue lies in the lack of

competition in the sector- which is leading to a slow growth.

Any new innovation requires lots of testing, approvals and proven efficiencies before implementation. As a result, the healthcare startup cannot grow as much as it should have.

Since there is high population and clear demand, this sector is obviously a lucrative one. There are high possibilities of growth here. The government and investors should start focusing here and entrepreneurs can have a successful future in this sector. l

Article reprinted under special arrangement with SD Asia.com

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

| news |

Bangladesh navy warships leave Chittagong for goodwill visit to India and Sri Lanka

Photo: ISPR Two Bangladesh Navy warships, Shomudro Joy and Shomudro Obhijaan, have left Chittagong port on Sunday, September 18, 2016 on a goodwill visit to neighbouring countries India and Sri Lanka.

According to Navy traditions,

the ships were given a farewell, which included a brass band musical performance. Assistant Navy Chief (Personnel) Rear Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal (TAS), NUP, ndc, afwc, psc and Commander of Chittagong Navy

Rear Admiral Akhtar Habib NGP, ndc, ncc, psc were present at the farewell, along with local high-level navy personnel, ship officials, sailors and their families.

The two ships will be docked at Port Blair in India from

September 21-25, and will be at the port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, from September 29 to October 04, 2016 as a part of this training programme. A total of 511 people, including navy officials in training, cadets, sailors and officials from

various ministries, forces and organisations, are a part of this visit. There are 24 female officials and cadets among them.

The goodwill visit is being conducted mainly as a part of the training of new officials and cadets in the Bangladesh Navy.

The visit will allow the newly joined members of the Navy to learn more and become more efficient at their jobs, and will also improve existing friendly relations with India and Sri Lanka. It is also being hoped that the tour will strengthen diplomatic relations with India and Sri Lanka with relation to safety at sea, and will also positively portray Bangladesh on the international platform.

The captain of the warship Shomudro Obhijaan is Captain M Kamrul Haque Chowdhury (TAS), PSC, bn and the captain of the warship Shomudro Joy is Captain M Humayun Kabir (TAS), NCC, psc, bn.

The two ships will return to Bangladesh on October 09, 2016 at the end of their goodwill tour. l

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DT

20 Editorial

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

TODAY

To populists and demagogues Ultimately, it is the law that will safeguard our societies -- human rights law, binding law which is the distillation of human experience, of generations of human suffering PAGE 21

What makes the market tick?

Inclusive business is ideally what will help Bangladesh to continue having a flourishing economy PAGE 22

REUTERS

Reaching out to Canada

B Romancing a revolutionary Fidel Castro is now a frail man who turned 90 on August 13, while Cuba is eyeing a new era of thawing relations with her eternal nemesis the US 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.

y all accounts, the PM’s recent visit to Canada has been a resounding success that has helped to enhance Bangladesh’s standing in Canadian eyes as well as brought the two countries closer together.

The bestowal of one of Bangladesh’s most prestigious awards, the Friends of Liberation War Honour award, to Pierre Trudeau, the legendary Canadian PM and father of the current PM, was a gracious gesture, and is the kind of deft diplomacy that will stand Bangladesh in good stead and help advance our interests.

Good international relations are a key to Bangladesh’s future, and it is good to see the PM putting in the effort to advance the nation’s interests overseas and create a good impression for the country.

Canada has long been a good friend to Bangladesh, and the recognition that we need to nurture and advance our relations with other countries, and that we do better with the goodwill and good opinion of our allies, is a welcome one.

We are also encouraged by the fact that the extradition of Noor Chowdhury, one of the killers of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has been put on the table for discussion, even though Canada’s position on capital punishment still stands as an obstacle to his return.

All in all, then, it seems as though the PM’s trip has achieved its goal of tabling Bangladesh’s concerns at the same time as creating a good impression in Ottawa.

We trust that concrete benefits to both countries will follow, and that the ground has been laid for far-reaching and long-lasting co-operation.

A mutually beneficial and co-operative relationship is to the advantage of both countries, and we very much hope that the ties which were cemented on the trip will continue to strengthen in future.

Good relations with Canada are good for Bangladesh, and making the effort to develop Dhaka’s relationship with Ottawa is a worthwhile endeavour.

We trust that concrete benefits to both countries will follow, and that the ground has been laid for far-reaching and longlasting co-operation

DT

21

Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

To populists and demagogues We shouldn’t pay heed to the words of fear-mongers

n Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad

I

wish to address this short statement to Mr Geert Wilders, his acolytes, indeed to all those like him -- the populists, demagogues, and political fantasists.

To them, I must be a sort of nightmare. I am the global voice on human rights, universal rights; elected by all governments, and now critic of almost all governments.

I defend and promote the human rights of each individual, everywhere: The rights of migrants, asylum seekers, and immigrants; the rights of the LGBTI community; the rights of women and children in all countries; minorities; indigenous persons; people with disabilities, and any and all who are discriminated against, disadvantaged, persecuted, or tortured -- whether by governments, political movements, or by terrorists.

I am a Muslim, who is, confusingly to racists, also white-skinned; whose mother is European and father, Arab.

And I am angry, too. Because of Mr Wilder’s lies and half-truths, manipulations and peddling of fear. You see, 20 years ago I served in the UN peacekeeping force during the Balkan wars -- wars so cruel, so devastating, which

pure in form, where sunlit fields are settled by peoples united by ethnicity or religion -- living peacefully in isolation, pilots of their fate, free of crime, foreign influence, and war.

A past that most certainly, in reality, did not exist anywhere, ever. Europe’s past, as we all know, was, for centuries, anything but that.

The proposition of recovering a supposedly perfect past is fiction; its merchants are cheats. Clever cheats.

Populists use half-truths and oversimplification -- the two scalpels of the arch propagandist, and here the internet and social media are a perfect rail for them, by reducing thought into the smallest packages: Sound-bites, tweets.

Paint half a picture in the mind of an anxious individual, exposed as they may be to economic hardship and, through the media, to the horrors of terrorism.

Prop this picture up by some half-truth here and there and allow the natural prejudice of people to fill in the rest.

Add drama, emphasising it’s all the fault of a clear-cut group, so the speakers lobbing this verbal artillery, and their followers, can feel somehow blameless.

The formula is therefore simple: Make people, already nervous, feel terrible, and then emphasise it’s all

People like Geert Wilders succeed by instilling fear

Ultimately, it is the law that will safeguard our societies -- human rights law, binding law which is the distillation of human experience, of generations of human suffering, the screams of the victims of past crimes. We must guard this law passionately, and be guided by it

flowed from this same factory of deceit, bigotry, and ethnic nationalism.

Geert Wilders released his grotesque 11-point manifesto only days ago, and a month ago he spoke along similar lines in Cleveland, in the United States.

I will not repeat what he has said, but there are many who will, and his party is expected to do well in the elections in March.

And yet, what Mr Wilders shares in common with Mr Trump, Mr Orban, Mr Zeman, Mr Hofer, Mr Fico, Madame Le Pen, Mr Farage, he also shares with Da’esh.

All seek, in varying degrees, to recover a past, a halcyon; and so

because of a group, lying within, foreign and menacing.

Then make your target audience feel good by offering up what is a fantasy to them, but a horrendous injustice to others.

Inflame and quench, repeat many times over, until anxiety has been hardened into hatred.

Make no mistake, I certainly do not equate the actions of nationalist demagogues with those of Da’esh, which are monstrous, sickening -- Da’esh must be brought to justice.

But in its mode of communication, its use of half-truths and oversimplification, the propaganda of Da’esh uses tactics similar to

those of the populists. And both sides of this equation benefit from each other -- indeed, they would not expand in influence without each others’ actions.

The humiliating racial and religious prejudice fanned by the likes of Mr Wilders has become, in some countries, municipal or even national policy.

We hear of accelerating discrimination in workplaces.

Children are being shamed and shunned for their ethnic and religious origins -- whatever their passports, they are told they are not “really” European, not “really” French, or British, or Hungarian. Entire communities

are being smeared with suspicion of collusion with terrorists.

History has perhaps taught Mr Wilders and his ilk how effectively xenophobia and bigotry can be weaponised. Communities will barricade themselves into fearful, hostile camps, with populists like them, and the extremists, as the commandants. The atmosphere will become thick with hate; at this point it can descend rapidly into colossal violence.

We must pull back from this trajectory.

My friends, are we doing enough to counter this crossborder bonding of demagogues?

A decade ago, Geert Wilder’s manifesto and Cleveland speech would have created a world-wide furore.

Now? Now, they are met with little more than a shrug, and, outside the Netherlands, his words and pernicious plans were barely noticed.

Are we going to continue to stand by and watch this banalisation of bigotry, until it reaches its logical conclusion?

Ultimately, it is the law that will

REUTERS

safeguard our societies -- human rights law, binding law which is the distillation of human experience, of generations of human suffering, the screams of the victims of past crimes and hate. We must guard this law passionately, and be guided by it.

Do not, my friends, be led by the deceiver. It is only by pursuing the entire truth, and acting wisely, that humanity can ever survive.

So draw the line and speak.

Speak out and up, speak the truth and do so compassionately, speak for your children, for those you care about, for the rights of all, and be sure to say clearly: Stop.

We will not be bullied by you the bully, nor fooled by you the deceiver, not again, no more; because we, not you, will steer our collective fate. And we, not you, will write and sculpt this coming century. Draw the line. l Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This was originally a speech given at the Peace, Justice, and Security Foundation Gala, The Hague, on September 5, 2016.

22

DT

Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

What makes the market tick?

Inclusive business is the only way forward for the Bangladesh economy

Including everyone will only make the market grow larger

BIGSTOCK

While many will argue this to be a form of social business -- one can argue against this logic. Social businesses do not always have a strong profit incentive, and it largely emphasises on creating new enterprises and distribution channels, instead of utilising what is already there.

What the overarching M4P approach does is simply bend the fundamental concept of only catering to those who have steady capital. The strategy suggests adding a cluster of potential consumers who are relatively less commercial, but nonetheless with potential.

International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) studies have shown while multinational companies struggle breaking into the base of the economic pyramid (BoP), the success of local businesses has often been their dedicated focus to capture the attention of the grass-root.

Why does it work? It works because these consumers are not paranoid about changing to new products and therefore offers a longer product life cycle and potential scope for expanding markets to companies.

Take for an example, the Bangladeshi agriculture economy.

World Bank’s latest findings state how agriculture has played a vital role in reducing poverty from 48.9% in 2000 to 31.5% in 2010. Furthermore, 87% of rural people had some part of their income dependent on agricultural activities. Specialists argue that Bangladesh needs to focus more

n Farah K Iqbal

I

n today’s global economy, market practices that generate revenue at exponential rates and cater to large consumer profiles are what the manufacturing industry looks for. The explanation is simple -companies want consumers with good credit and a steady income. It is a fool-proof plan for the industry to ensure constant sales with limited risks.

The fundamental idea that capitalism caters to the rich and not to the poor, backs this market system in every single operational way. In recent times, with the outbreak of small and medium enterprises, this orthodox marketing system did not seem to function in its set paradigm. The system was unable to compete with the institutionalised big market actors, with a dedicated customer base who saturated the

Inclusive business is ideally what will help Bangladesh to continue having a flourishing economy. While it allows the base of the economic pyramid to compete in the agricultural sector, it does not do so at the expense of any private sector company

market.

Thus, finding an alternative marketing solution to promote their products and entering the commercial sprint became the long-term feasible solution.

Inclusive business, or making markets work for the poor, became Adam Smith’s modernday “invisible hand.” The market systems approach analyses functions of private markets and is the overarching approach

to development, providing agencies and governments with the direction required to achieve large-scale, sustainable change in different contexts.

Also known as the M4P approach, this method proved to be successful in various sectors such as health systems (water, hygiene, and sanitation), education, agriculture in various parts of South America, Africa, and Asia.

on high value agriculture, such as fisheries -- to foster future growth and further reduce poverty.

The fisheries industry is an excellent example that illustrates how the agricultural economy is experiencing a more competitive environment, accelerated access to quality inputs and services, and a win-win business model for market actors. One of the largest fish-producing countries in the world, Bangladesh’s aquaculture

accounts for more than 43.5% of the world’s fish production (stated

by FAO in 2005).

Private sector development organisations, such as KatalystSwisscontact, play a major role in motivating input companies in redesigning their marketing strategies. Katalyst argues that inclusion of the BoP’s is not something that is detrimental to the business, rather profitable because the accumulated revenue of these BoP’s can be potentially higher. Indirectly, it ensures improved quality of products, and the companies’ need to provide embedded services such as culture training programs, post-sales services, and demonstration of its use of products.

Penetrating these rural markets is not just a private sector success story, but a macro-economic achievement. By accessing a larger number of consumers to their existing portfolio of stakeholders, companies are experiencing a higher percentage of revenues, creating employment, and generating income for their end users.

Companies such as MM Ispahani Limited, NAAFCO Agrovet Limited, Eskayef Bangladesh Limited are some of the notable market players who have incorporated this approach and have been able to diversify their product portfolio and secure substantial increase in their company’s agri-business revenues.

This phenomenon is not a magical combination of solutions that can remain static over time. In order to attain the best market results, these companies must continue to refine the solutions that they have already incorporated into their business models, and implement it on the field.

Inclusive business is ideally what will help Bangladesh to continue having a flourishing economy. While it allows the base of the economic pyramid to compete in the agricultural sector, it does not do so at the expense of any private sector company.

It seeks to create a winwin situation for both parties generating profit. This approach will not only help create employment and scope of business for the ultra poor markets, but also motivate the private sector companies to keep up with the competition and expand its horizon into newer markets. l Farah K Iqbal is a Senior Business Consultant at Katalyst-Swisscontact.

DT

23

Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Romancing a revolutionary The original fire may have died and gone, but the riot inside moves on

n Towheed Feroze

I

am not at all surprised when the modern-day youth look a bit puzzled hearing the name Castro. Lost in the virtual bliss of game consoles and mobile applications, there is little time to romanticise a revolutionary whom the world in general has forgotten.

Well, almost.

For us in their mid-40s, who grew up as the first generation post-1971, Castro is inextricably linked to the fiery days of youthful idealism.

Won’t be wrong to say that those periods of the mid to late 80s, when the anti-autocracy movement in Bangladesh reached a crescendo, countless young men, who made the asphalt their canvas for protest, looked to Castro and his late deputy Che Guevara, for inspiration.

I admit, the dreams of the almost perfect social system where equality would be guaranteed, never materialised, but the fervent belief in the power of rising against injustice did not have a whimpering end either.

The autocratic regime in

Castro was a dictator that the people loved

REUTERS

Fidel Castro is now a frail man who turned 90 on August 13, while Cuba is eyeing a new era of thawing relations with her eternal nemesis the US -- but the romantic zeal and the revolutionary fervour, in my opinion, are still there

Bangladesh eventually came crumbling down.

Castro, his revolution in the 50s, the overthrow of Batista in 1959 plus the endless defiance shown to the mighty United States of America, seemed, in 1990, too real, especially on the streets of Dhaka.

Fidel Castro is now a frail man who turned 90 on August 13, while Cuba is eyeing a new era of thawing relations with her eternal nemesis the US -- but the romantic zeal and the revolutionary fervour, in my opinion, are still there.

Perhaps the flame has dwindled to just a flicker, but it’s there alright.

On his 90th birthday, the greatest tribute paid to the man and what he stood for can be through remembering how profoundly he touched millions of young, enlightened people all through the 70s and 80s.

Of course, more than 25 years

after the fall of the Soviet Union, the lustre of the socialist dream now appears frayed. Whatever braggadocio capitalists resort to now, for certain sections of society around the globe, Castro’s Cuba will always remain a symbol of rebellion.

Yes, we all love rebels and, in case we denounce them in public, inherently, there is always a place where we worship them. Castro has very little say in modern-day Cuban geo-politics not playing the role of a major socialist adversary.

Practically speaking, with rapprochement in the air, soon, this island nation may become the biggest spot for capitalist investment. Will the hammer and sickle finally fall then? Well, I don’t think so.

What may happen is a massive reform process within the economy, allowing the razzmatazz of consumerism to enter but with the communist tag firmly in place.

Sort of emulating the Chinese formula. Get all the capitalist pleasures, wear the best designer items, pursue individual comfort, but do not question the authority.

To many, this might sound slightly undemocratic, though it’s rational to say that if such an approach brought prosperity for China then Cuba cannot be an exception.

The thing is, the rigid format of the socialist system which the world saw in the decades post-WWII has undergone some phenomenal transformations.

At the heart of this metamorphosis is the realisation that, as long as society exists, the doctrine of ownership will dominate everyday life.

That socialist Utopia is just that -- an embellished illusion.

Hang on, hang on, that does not mean we must cease to romanticise. Life will become too prosaic once expectations become

black and white. Castro made Cuba carry on with the ideals which triggered the revolution. This has remained firm despite the fall of his greatest benefactor, the USSR. Therein lies the success.

Okay, Cuba did not become a major economic hub but the definition of success is a matter of perspective. What Cuba remains till today is the last place on the planet which has not been robbed of romance by the onslaught of ferocious bourgeois market culture.

Cuba’s face may soon begin to change. However, the role that Castro and Cuba played in standing up to a mighty opponent will go on to provide rich reading on the history of 20th century socio-politics.

One would like to recall all those bizarre plots the CIA reportedly conjured up to get rid of him: One plan involved taking advantage of Castro’s love of scuba-diving by planting mollusk shells, containing explosives in the ocean when he was underwater, and painting them bright colours so that he would be attracted to them.

Another idea was reportedly planting a diving suit for him infected with fungus that would cause a lethal skin disease later on.

But the one which beats all plans is the one where a former

lover was hired to murder him.

How riveting.

Once Castro was alone with her, he sensed her ulterior motive, casually handing her the gun to go ahead with the mission. What happened? Well, we are celebrating his 90th birthday. A honeypot who could not pull the trigger … he must have been very good.

Other attempts included using poisonous pens, exploding cigars, and bacterial poison to be dissolved in his morning beverage.

Reportedly, before the US imposed the trade embargo on Cuba, stashes of Cuban cigars were bought to the White House at the behest of JFK. True or false, it doesn’t matter.

For a man who dreamed and carried out a revolution, stood up to his opponents with poise, had the gall to tell an assassin to go ahead and kill him, Castro is an extraordinary example of a role model. He may not have wielded immense military power but he had something more appealing: The charisma of a revolutionary.

Castro’s Cuba is still a time capsule, many say, but let’s buck the trend and put it this way: Castro’s Cuba is where God still favours the romantic. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

DT

24 Sport

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Tamim to make call on Afghan ODIs

TOP STORIES

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

More woes for Mourinho Watford piled on the misery for Jose Mourinho as Manchester United crashed to a third successive defeat in an embarrassing 3-1 loss at Vicarage Road yesterday.

Mourinho’s side were rocked by Etienne Capoue’s opener. PAGE 25

Guardiola: De Bruyne second only to Messi Belgian starlet Kevin De Bruyne is second only to Argentine Lionel Messi, Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola said on Saturday after the playmaker inspired his team to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth. PAGE 26

Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal bats during training as newly-appointed batting consultant Thilan Samaraweera and bowling coach Courtney Walsh look on in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Rosberg back on top after Singapore thriller Germany’s Nico Rosberg celebrated his 200th Formula One race by retaking the championship lead from Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain after a pole to flag win in Singapore yesterday. PAGE 27

Nadal: Spain back where they belong Two years after Spain’s stunning fall from grace in Davis Cup tennis, Rafa Nadal has hailed his nation’s return to the World Group after victory in the playoff against India.

Nadal combined with Marc Lopez in the doubles to overhaul Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni. PAGE 28

Samaraweera: Want to work on mental toughness n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh’s newly-appointed batting consultant Thilan Samaraweera is looking forward to working on the mental aspects of his charges as he joined the Tigers’ first training session after the Eid-ul-Adha break in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

The 39-year old former Sri Lankan cricketer, who previously worked as the batting consultant with Australia, said he is excited to become a part of the Bangladesh coaching staff.

“I think it is a huge excitement when you work with an international team and a great bunch of cricketers. Really and honestly, very excited for the next 45 days (his initial deal). My first priority is the Afghanistan series because I know when you are not playing for four-five months and

come to the international arena, whenever you play a practice match it’s totally different,” said Samaraweera, alluding to the Tigers’ last international assignment in the 2016 World Twenty20 in March.

“I think the first focus should be the three one-day games against Afghanistan and then move to the England series,” he added.

Samaraweera believes the Tigers’ changed mindset, which served them so well in recent times, especially in the limited-over formats, will continue to be key ahead of Afghanistan and England’s arrival.

“I think the freedom that Chandi (head coach Chandika Hathurusingha) and the staff gave made them believe in themselves.

You can see in the last 18 months they beat Pakistan and India. It’s hard to beat India in Asia, and South Africa,” he said.

“They made the [2015] World Cup quarter-finals, Asia Cup [T20] final and then the World T20 Championship where they nearly upset India. So I think it’s a big change,” he added.

The former right-hander, who scored 5462 runs in 81 Tests with 14 hundreds and 30 fifties at an average of 48.76, informed that Hathursingha had a great influence on him before he took up the role.

Samaraweera said the 48-year old had also played a crucial role during his playing career.

“For me, I take down my playing career to two parts. From 2001-06, I am a totally different player. Then, I was dropped from the team. And then I met Chandika. From there, I became a totally different cricketer. I think my average was close to between 50-60.

I know what he is capable of and I would love to work with him,” he explained. l

Following a concern free CT scan report, much will depend on Bangladesh opening batsman Tamim Iqbal ahead of the upcoming bilateral ODI series at home against Afghanistan.

Tamim, who picked up an undisclosed fracture in his left little finger during catching practice last month, underwent a scan yesterday and according to Bangladesh Cricket Board’s chief physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury, the left-hander has nothing to worry about.

The southpaw’s fracture is yet to be healed but Dr Debashish is of the opinion that the injury is not a major one and that he can very well make himself available for the Afghanistan series if he does not feel any discomfort holding the bat.

“Tamim is doing better now and his availability for the series depends on him now. We will actually get to know more after he bats in the nets for two or three days. But I don’t think he will miss the series.

He should be able to play without any worries,” Dr Debashish told the media yesterday.

On the eve of the Afghans’ arrival, the 20-member Tigers squad resumed their training camp in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday following the Eid-ul-Adha holidays.

The maiden bilateral series between Bangladesh and ICC Associate Member Afghanistan is scheduled to begin this Sunday at SBNS. Meanwhile, the squad for the Afghanistan series is likely to be announced this Thursday. According to national chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu, vast changes from the previous squad that played against Zimbabwe last November are unlikely.

Despite the claims, it was understood that much of the attention will be reserved for the uncapped members of the 20-man national pool. In that regard, young cricketers like former Bangladesh Under-19 captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz and middle-order batsman Mosaddek Hossain are under the scanner of the national think-tank.

On the other hand, experienced left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain might be on the wrong side of the 30s but he was considered by the national selection panel after former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju recommended him following a week-long camp with the Bangladesh spinners recently. l

25

DT

Sport

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

‘Utd struggling with lack of confidence’ n AFP, Watford

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba in action with Watford’s Jose Holebas (L) and Etienne Capoue during their Premier League match at Vicarage Road yesterday REUTERS

More woes for Mourinho n AFP, London

Watford piled on the misery for Jose Mourinho as Manchester United crashed to a third successive defeat in an embarrassing 3-1 loss at Vicarage Road yesterday.

Mourinho’s side were rocked by Etienne Capoue’s first half opener and, although Marcus Rashford equalised after the break, United capitulated in the closing stages.

Juan Camilo Zuniga restored Watford’s lead with seven minutes left before Troy Deeney’s penalty condemned Mourinho to a third consecutive defeat for the first time since he was in charge at Porto in 2002.

It was the first time United had lost three in a row since the unla-

mented Louis van Gaal presided over four successive defeats in December last year.

Adding to the indignity for United, it was their first loss in 30 years against Watford, who ended a run of 11 successive defeats against the Manchester giants.

United are already lagging six points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and the feelgood factor following the three wins that marked the start of the Mourinho era has been completely erased.

After losing to City, Feyenoord in the Europa League and now Watford over the last week, the size of the task facing Mourinho as he rebuilds United has been laid bare.

They looked out of sync from the moment United goalkeeper

David de Gea collided with Chris Smalling as they made a hash of dealing with Sebastian Prodl’s towering cross.

When de Gea dropped the ball

RESULT Watford

3-1

Capoue 34, Zuniga 83, Deeney 90+5-P

Man United Rashford 62

straight to Odion Ighalo a goal seemed certain, but the Watford striker fired hurriedly wide of the unguarded net from the edge of the penalty area.

It was a shocking miss, but even that escape couldn’t shake United from their lethargy and de Gea had to throw himself to his left to claw

away a goalbound header from Deeney moments later.

Paul Pogba gave a sudden glimpse of his ability when he quickly shifted the ball to set himself for a curling 25-yard strike that left Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes rooted to the spot as it cannoned off the crossbar.

Roberto Pereyra was unchecked when he raced onto Nordin Amrabat’s pass into the United penalty area and he cut the ball back to Colombia defender Zuniga, who lashed a fine strike past de Gea to leave Mourinho ashen-faced.

There was even worse to come for Mourinho in stoppage-time when Fellaini tripped Zuniga in the area and Deeney stepped up to lash home the spot-kick.l

Jose Mourinho admits Manchester United’s lack of confidence has contributed to their dismal threematch losing streak.

Mourinho’s side slumped to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat at Watford yesterday to cap a miserable week that also included losses against Manchester City and Feyenoord.

After winning the first three games of the Mourinho era, United are stuck in a rut and looked painfully short of inspiration in their first defeat against Watford for 30 years.

It was a tepid display that recalled the worst moments of Louis van Gaal’s reign and Mourinho believes his players are suffering from a lack of belief that takes an extra toll whenever an important moment goes against them.

“We started the season very well and had good results. I feel the first moment we had a defeat, a difficult situation, some of the boys are having a bit of difficulty coping with the negativity,” Mourinho said.

“You see Ashley Young, his mentality the happiness and confidence he brought to the game is something more players need to have.”

It is the first time a Mourinho team has lost three in a row since he was in charge at Porto in 2002.

But Mourinho isn’t about to panic because he believes United’s woes are only partially self-inflicted and he expects a revival once their luck changes.

“I reflect on three factors from the match, but only one of them I can improve,” he said.

“The first factor depends on ourselves, it relates to our individual mistakes and collective mistakes as individual players and as a team. We have to improve something, it is in our hands.

“The second factor is the referee and I can’t control their mistakes.

The story of the game is the result and not the ridiculous situation of the first goal.” l

Iranian cyclist tragedy mars Rio Paralympics finale n AFP, Rio de Janeiro An Iranian Paralympic cyclist was killed in a road race crash, casting a tragic shadow over the Rio Games on the eve of yesterday’s closing ceremony.

Bahman Golbarnezhad, 48, fell during the event Saturday and died of his injuries despite an attempt to take him to the hospital for treat-

ment, officials said.

The cyclist, who wore a prosthesis on his left leg, took up the sport in 2002 and had also competed at the London 2012 Paralympics. It was the first ever death of an athlete during the Games, International Paralympics Committee president Philip Craven told journalists.

Golbarnezhad’s accident occurred during the more than two-

hour C4-5 road race for athletes with varying disabilities but still able to bicycle. He was in the first section of a mountainous descent when he fell.

“The athlete received treatment at the scene and was in the process of being taken to the athlete hospital when he suffered a cardiac arrest,” the IPC said in a statement.l

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Guardiola: De Bruyne second only to Messi n AFP, Manchester Kevin De Bruyne is second only to Lionel Messi, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Saturday after the Belgian inspired his team to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth.

Bruyne put the Premier League leaders ahead with a clever 15th-minute free-kick beneath the defensive wall and also played a part in goals for Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan.

Guardiola won a glut of trophies with Messi during their time together at Barcelona and in his eyes, the Argentina superstar is the only player who can put De Bruyne in the shade.

“Maybe Messi can sit alone at the table. But that table aside, Kevin can stay there,” Guardiola told reporters at Etihad Stadium.

‘Klopp building something special at Reds’ n Reuters Manager Juergen Klopp’s leadership is laying the foundations for “something special” at Liverpool, forward Giorginio Wijnaldum said.

Liverpool have started the new Premier League campaign with 10 points from a possible 15 after a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday.

The Merseyside club, who won at Arsenal and also beat champions Leicester City 4-1, were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane following their 2-0 defeat by promoted Burnley last month.

“This is a very talented squad with a great coach,” Wijnaldum, who joined Liverpool from relegated Newcastle United in July, told the Liverpool Echo.

“I believe he is building something special here. I got that feeling when I first met with Klopp.

“I knew this was the right club for me. I always had a good feeling about moving to Liverpool and things have gone well so far. I am happy to be a part of it. I feel blessed.”

The Netherlands international, who scored 11 goals in 38 league appearances for Newcastle last season, is yet to open his account for Liverpool but is confident he will find the back of the net soon.

“I’m learning game by game and I think I’ll continue to get better.

I hope the goals will come soon.

I’m trying to get in the positions to score,” Wijnaldum added.l

“I think he’s a special player, an outstanding player. He makes everything. Without the ball he is the first fighter and with the ball he’s clear. He sees absolutely everything.

“He decides what you have to do at the right moment every time.

Every time he makes the right decision. That’s why he is a player at another level.

“I am lucky and we are lucky to have him. We will take care of him and I hope he will enjoy it with us to play his amazing football.”

De Bruyne, 25, was the man of the match in City’s 2-1 win at derby rivals Manchester United last weekend, scoring their opening goal and helping tee up Iheanacho for what proved to be the winner.

The Belgium international has now scored 18 goals and provided 16 assists for City in 48 appearances. l

Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne takes a free kick to score the opening goal during their English Premier League match against Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on Saturday AFP

Ranieri impressed by Slimani and Mahrez double act n AFP, Leicester Claudio Ranieri believes Algerian duo Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez can form a deadly double act for Leicester after the Algerian duo inspired a 3-0 win over Burnley.

Slimani scored twice on his Premier League debut for the champions on Saturday, while fellow Algeria international Mahrez displayed the form that saw him voted player

of the year last season.

The pair linked up impressively with Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and Foxes manager Ranieri believes they will relish joining forces at club level.

“It’s good for Slimani and good for everyone,” Ranieri said. “It was a very good performance from him, as well as his team-mates.

“He linked very well with Vardy and the others and he pressed

Leicester City’s Algerian striker Islam Slimani (R) congratulates teammate Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez after the third goal against Burnley on Saturday AFP

so hard during all the match. We bought him for these characteristics. Riyad made two fantastic performances, in Brugge in the Champions League and here and I’m very pleased when he plays in this tactical way because he was very clever he’s very clever when to attack, defend, and play in between the lines.

“Of course he’s happy with Slimani being here – but he’s happy with everybody.”

Ranieri’s men followed their 3-0 Champions League win at Club Brugge in midweek with the same scoreline against Burnley.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel missed out with concussion and Danny Simpson returned from injury but Ranieri otherwise named an unchanged team.

The Italian is planning changes for Tuesday’s English Football League Cup clash with Chelsea but he believes consistency was important from Brugge to Burnley.

“I didn’t want to make many changes, just the keeper and right back because I wanted to keep our momentum,” Ranieri said.

“It was important for us to win and 3-0 is good – now we are in the top half of the table and our focus is in EFL Cup against Chelsea.

“I’ll make changes because have very good players they show me they are strong. I’m very pleased, it was important to win after the Champions League victory against a good, well organised team.”l

Everton manager hails ‘perfect player’ Barry n Reuters Gareth Barry is the perfect player for Everton, manager Ronald Koeman has said after the midfielder scored in his 600th Premier League appearance to help the club beat Middlesbrough 3-1.

After goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg’s own goal in the 21st minute in Saturday’s clash at Goodison Park, Barry marked his milestone with a goal three minutes later to level the score.

“It’s amazing the number of games Gareth has played and even today he proved to be a perfect player for the team,” Koeman told the club’s website.

“Scoring the goal to make it 1-1 was an important moment in the game and it was a special day for Gareth but even more special that he scored and the team won, and that was still the most important for today (Saturday).”

The 35-year-old Barry, who has also played for Aston Villa and Man City, won 53 caps for England.

“He’s very crucial. He’s not a big talker in the dressing room but his quality on the pitch, the cleverness on the pitch is important,” Koeman added.

“It’s also important for Gareth that if the team is playing very compact he doesn’t need to run a lot of distance and he is still one of the best midfield players.”

Saturday’s win gave Koeman’s side the best five-game start to a EPL season with 13 points. l

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QUICK BYTES Bayern lose winger Costa with hamstring injury Bayern Munich’s Brazil winger Douglas Costa was yesterday ruled out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, 10 days before their Champions League clash at Atletico Madrid. Costa suffered the injury in the second-half of Bayern’s 3-1 comeback win at home to Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga on Saturday, which preserved their 100 percent record after three league games under new coach Carlo Ancelotti. Having come off after 83 minutes, Costa’s injury was confirmed by Bayern’s team doctor Volker Braun, but the club gave no details yesterday of how long the Brazilian will be out for.

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg of Germany leads Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo of Australia during the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay, Singapore yesterday REUTERS

–AFP

Lyon drop interest in tardy Adebayor Lyon will not be pursuing negotiations for veteran striker Emmanuel Adebayor after he stalled on his arrival, the French club said on Saturday. In a brief statement the Ligue 1 side said the 32-year-old had “delayed his arrival in Lyon since the beginning of the week before coming to Parc OL on Friday to have talks with coach Bruno Genesio”. It added that free agent Adebayor “also wanted to play the Africa Cup of Nations with Togo at the beginning of 2017, which would have led to an absence of one to two months”. Lyon signed striker Jean-Philippe Mateta on Thursday from French lower league side Chateauroux, and while the 19-yearold is not eligible for the Champions League, he can play domestic competitions - which would have also been the case for Adebayor.

–AFP

Werder sack coach Skripnik after three straight losses Strugglers Werder Bremen have sacked coach Viktor Skripnik after the club was left in last place in the Bundesliga following their third straight loss on Saturday, with under-23 coach Alexander Nouri taking over interim charge.

Werder were beaten 4-1 by Borussia Moenchengladbach and have yet to earn a point this season, with the 46-year-old Ukrainian leaving after almost two years in charge. Werder had also been eliminated from the German Cup in the first round by third tier club Sportfreunde Lotte.

–REUTERS

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL SONY SIX 12:40AM Spanish La Liga Alaves v Deportivo La Coruna

Rosberg back on top after Singapore thriller n Reuters, Singapore

Germany’s Nico Rosberg celebrated his 200th Formula One race by retaking the championship lead from Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton after a pole to flag win in Singapore yesterday.

After a chaotic start that brought out a safety car on the opening lap, Rosberg stayed clear of Red Bull’s late charging Australian Daniel Ricciardo at the floodlit Marina Bay Street Circuit. Triple world champion Hamilton completed the podium in third place.

The German’s third victory in a row, and 22nd of his career, lifted Rosberg on to 273 points, eight clear of Hamilton, with six rounds

remaining and Ricciardo a distant third on 179 in the title race.

Rosberg’s win was his eighth of the season and first in Singapore, a grand prix that has only been won by world champions until now.

The German had started two points behind Hamilton and, despite leading comfortably halfway though the race, crossed the line just 0.488 seconds ahead of Ricciardo after having to complete the last 28 laps on the same soft tyres.

Red Bull opted for a bold tyre strategy to put pressure on Rosberg late on and Ricciardo was closing at roughly three seconds a lap in the closing stages but ran out of road before the chequered flag.

Hamilton had his own private

battle with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen behind the leading duo, the Briton losing third place to the Finn after a mistake on lap 34 but reclaiming the position with a timely pit stop to hold on to the finish.

Last year’s race winner Sebastian Vettel drove brilliantly from last place on the starting grid to claim fifth place in the other Ferrari, the German coming home ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso in a McLaren.

The safety car was deployed immediately after the start when Nico Hulkenberg’s Force India, eighth on the grid, suffered a heavy crash after making contact with Carlos Sainz’s Toro Rosso.

Rosberg got away cleanly to lead

Strauss: No ‘blacklist’ for Morgan n AFP, London

England supremo Andrew Strauss has said there will be no “blacklist” for Eoin Morgan despite the oneday captain opting out of the Bangladesh tour on security grounds.

Morgan led the one-day side to home series wins over both Sri Lanka and Pakistan this season but, together with fellow batsman Alex Hales, has decided against travelling to Bangladesh for next month’s series.

“Right from the start we said there are not going to be any recriminations,” Strauss told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme yesterday.

“It’s not like these guys are going to be black-listed and their names will not be put forward for selection. They absolutely will be,”

England and Wales Cricket Board director Strauss added.

“Both have done outstanding jobs for England over the last 12 months, especially Eoin Morgan whose captaining has been sensational. Of course, we can’t give any guarantees because the situation might change on the ground in Bangladesh.

“Someone might come in and

do unbelievably well, but the intention is for Eoin to come back in as captain and Alex will be in the mix for selection as well.”

Strauss was unhappy that Morgan and Hales were not prepared to accept Dickason’s assurances but respected how they had reached their respective decisions.

“They were both very mature in the way they went about this,” Strauss said.

“They took everything in and didn’t rush into a decision, but ultimately it came down to them not feeling comfortable about going. I would have loved us to be in a situation where the whole team made a combined decision to say ‘let’s go together’. We didn’t get to that situation and that’s a shame. But at the same time every human being is different and sees the world differently.” l

from Ricciardo, with Hamilton in third and Raikkonen behind him after Verstappen suffered a woeful start to slip back to eighth from fourth on the grid.

The race restarted and Rosberg would have been startled to see a marshal at the end of the start-finish straight picking up debris, the man just managing to get off the circuit before the Mercedes reached him.

There were no more safety cars, throughout a 61-lap race that has yet to be completed without one, but the different tyre strategies of the leading cars made for a tactical and exciting race on a circuit that offers very few overtaking opportunities. l

Trott fires Warwickshire to Cup glory n AFP, London Former England batsman Jonathan Trott scored an unbeaten 82 off 100 balls as Warwickshire crushed Surrey by eight wickets in England’s One-Day Cup final at Lord’s on Saturday.

Set just 137 to win, Warwickshire cruised to victory with 118 balls to spare for the loss of just two wickets. Tim Ambrose was also unbeaten at the close on 22, after captain Ian Bell had fallen for 17 and Sam Hain for 12. Rory Burns top-scored for Surrey with 40.

“The bowlers did such a good job. We only had to chase so small (a total) and take our time to get ourselves in,” Trott told Sky Sports.l

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Murray brothers keep British Davis Cup hopes alive

Super sub Milik fires Napoli n Reuters, Naples Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik struck twice in the second half to lift Lazio to the top of Serie A following a 3-1 home victory over Bologna.

Milik went on as a substitute on the hour and seven minutes later chipped the ball over the keeper from a fine Marek Hamsik pass.

He then drilled in his fourth league goal of the season in the 78th minute with a low drive, having also scored twice in the midweek 2-1 Champions League win over Dynamo Kiev.

Spaniard Jose Callejon had put the hosts ahead, sneaking in at the far post to head in a deep cross from Lorenzo Insigne for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Napoli have 10 points from four matches. Champions Juventus, who are a point behind and have a game in hand, travel to Inter Milan on Sunday. l

n Reuters, Glasgow

RESULTS Lazio

3-0

Pescara

Milinkovic-Savic 67, Radu 72, Immobile 76

Napoli Callejón 14, Milik 67, 78

3-1

Bologna Verdi 56

Britain’s Andy Murray and Jamie Murray return to Argentina’s Juan MartÌn del Potro and Leonardo Mayer during their Davis Cup semi-final at Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday AFP

Nadal: Spain back where they belong n Reuters Two years after Spain’s stunning fall from grace in Davis Cup tennis, Rafa Nadal has hailed his nation’s return to the World Group after victory in the playoff against India.

Nadal combined with Marc Lopez in the doubles to overhaul Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni in four sets and complete a 3-0 victory in New Delhi on Saturday, ending Spain’s exile after an acrimonious period.

“For us, it was very important after two years being away from the World Group,” said the 14-times grand slam singles champion.

“It’s important for us to come back to where we think we have to be.”

The tournament’s dominant power of the modern era, Spain won five titles from 2000-11 before decline set in following their tight loss in the 2012 championship decider to Czech Republic.

With Nadal battling injury and his top team mates’ commitment wavering, Spain were turfed out of the World Group in 2014 after being upset by lowly Brazil in a playoff, sparking then-captain Carlos Moya’s resignation.

Moya’s replacement Gala Leon

was sacked within a year after a players’ revolt and Spanish tennis was further embarrassed as the team crashed out to an understrength Russia in the Europe/Africa Zone Group I last year under new captain Conchita Martinez.

Former Wimbledon champion Martinez, who also captains the women’s Fed Cup team, has been at pains to repair relations with her players and managed to bring a strong team to India to get the job done.

Former Davis Cup power Australia also has ambitions of returning to its glory days and will keep their place in the World Group after defeating Slovakia 3-0 in Sydney.

Led by talented but tempestuous 21-year-old Nick Kyrgios, the 28-times champions have a player to build a team around and captain Lleyton Hewitt said he expected big things in 2017.

“We expect that we can go deep,” said the two-time grand slam champion and former Davis Cup winner.

“It’s been quite a while now since we’ve had an opportunity to play in a final and I know from experience I’d love these boys to have that experience of going out there and playing for Australia.” l

Britain kept their hopes of retaining the Davis Cup alive thanks to a terrific backs-to-the-wall effort from brothers Andy and Jamie Murray on Saturday.

The Scottish siblings had to win their doubles rubber to stay in the tie against Argentina and battled hard to reduce the overall deficit to 2-1 with a four-set triumph over Juan Martin Del Potro and Leonardo Mayer to line up a compelling final day.

Andy, so often the British Davis Cup hero, was again the toast of the team, returning to the fray 19 hours after losing the longest match of his career to help secure a 6-1 3-6 6-4 6-4 win with his elder brother.

The victory enabled Andy Murray to earn a measure of revenge over Del Potro who had beaten Andy in an epic five-setter on Friday that had lasted five hours seven minutes.

It sets up a fascinating third day with Andy having to fight off ex-

haustion when he seeks to send the tie to a deciding rubber by beating Guido Pella in the first of yesterday’s reverse singles.

If he prevails it will then be Del Potro’s turn to battle against weariness when he could face Kyle Edmund, who lost his opening rubber against Pella, in a decider.

Britain captain Leon Smith, though, could plump instead for Dan Evans who came so close to toppling eventual winner Stan Wawrinka in this month’s U.S. Open.

The winners of the tie will face France or Croatia in the final in November.

“It’s going to be tough,” said Andy Murray. “I’m obviously tired just now.

“I know how their players will be feeling too. I’ll try and get through the first match and see what happens.”

Smith is hoping home advantage will also come into play.

“We’re going to need the Glasgow roar,” he said. l

Falcao header fires Monaco top n AFP, Paris A towering Radamel Falcao header helped send Monaco top in France on Saturday as a 3-0 home win over Rennes saw them leapfrog Paris Saint Germain.

The win means Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco have 13 points from five games ahead of PSG on ten, while Nice can join Monaco at the top with a win at Montpellier yesterday.

This was Monaco’s seventh con-

secutive win and follows a slick 2-1 triumph over Tottenham at Wembley in the Champions League in midweek.

Falcao’s career has hit the buffers since quitting Atletico Madrid saw him endure unsuccessful injury-blighted loan stints at Manchester United and Chelsea.

But on Saturday, the 30-year-old Colombian leapt high at the back post and powered in a header in the 42nd minute to score his first goal

for Monaco since August 2014 - 755 days ago.

Rennes, who had made the long journey from Brittany, rarely had the south coast side in trouble and lost concentration as the slightly built 20-year-old Thomas Lemar scored twice at the end of the game. His first was a far post tap-in set up by Bernardo Silva and the second a lob which left Rennes keeper Benoit Costil watching the ball drop behind him into the net.l

Monaco forward Radamel Falcao (C) heads to score during their French L1 match against Rennes at Louis II Stadium in Monaco on Saturday AFP

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Ridiculous sham (5) 4 Filed trench round castle (4) 7 Part of the verb 'to be' (3) 8 Male swan (3) 9 Wrathful (5) 12 Clock face (4) 13 Set free (7) 15 Specialised skill (3) 16 Secret agent (3) 18 Eyelid affliction (3) 19 Meshed fabric (3) 21 Is eager to do (7) 24 Minute particle (4) 26 Gap (5) 27 Tiny (3) 28 Spirit (3) 29 Level (4) 30 Search (5)

DOWN 1 Impartial (4) 2 Apprehend (6) 3 Actual (4) 4 Fashion (4) 5 Kimono sash (3) 6 Score (5) 10 Beverage (3) 11 Deserves (5) 14 Paces (5) 17 Abstract (6) 18 Raised platform (5) 20 Helpful hint (3) 21 Prayer ending (4) 22 Storm (4) 23 Transmitted (4) 25 Be indebted (3)

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Downtime

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 2 represents T so fill T every time the figure 2 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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

MONDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

DILBERT

SUDOKU

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Showtime

Runa Laila to celebrate 50 years of music at concert in London n Hasan Dabir Uddin Runa Laila, one of the most prominent singers in the subcontinent, is all set to mark 50 years of her career in music by performing in a concert aptly titled “Gaaney Gaaney 50” in London.

On September 24, the singer will perform at the City Pavillion Hall, London. Last Friday, the organiser of the concert, UKDoctor Chef Limited, had arranged a press conference with the artist at East London to share details about “Gaaney Gaaney 50.”

“Few days back, Arpita Roy and Anirban Mondol from Kolkata, a physician couple living in London, gave me the idea to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of my singing career in this way in London. I liked the idea right away. Now, I’ve arrived in London to perform in it,” Runa Laila said at the press conference.

The singer also said that the

proceeds of the show will go to charity organisations that work in human welfare projects.

The legendary singer started her musical career at an early age. She made her debut in

playback for the Urdu film Jugnu, and started singing for Bangla films in the ‘60s with legendary singer Mahmud Un Nabi in the duet “Gaan-er Khataye Swaralipi Likhey”.

Nirob’s ticket to Bollywood

Laila, who debuted on TV through the Zia Mohyuddin Show, a Karachi TV stage show in 1972, occupies a special place in South Asian music. Born in Bangladesh when it was still

East Pakistan, she established a successful musical career in India and Pakistan too. Runa Laila has memorable hits like “Dama dam mast qalandar” to her record.l

Tahsan and Mithila after wedding changing project?

I am extremely excited about Balaa, and I also know that I am lucky to have landed this opportunity. There is a part of me that also feels proud since this will be the start of my journey in Bollywood.

Did you have to work extra hard to prepare yourself for the film?

It is a Hindi film for which, I have given extra effort to learn the language. I wanted to be fully prepared before we started filming.

n Sajal Khan Popular Bangladeshi actor and model Nirob Hossain recently made news after being handed a golden opportunity to act in Bollywood director Faisal Saif’s new horror flick, Balaa. The film is a horror-thriller which explores themes on Shia-Sunni culture and its controversial

understandings. The actor is leaving Dhaka today to join his co-star Kavita Radheshyam to shoot the film in Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu.

Showtime got in touch with Nirob to talk about his newest venture and he didn’t disappoint at all.

How do you feel about this life-

Tell us a bit about your character.

The story is a unique one. My character is a CBI officer and Kavita plays the role of my wife.

After our characters are married, certain problems within the family start to arise and they try to solve them.

What are your expectations from the film?

It is indeed a great opportunity for me to feature in a Bollywood movie. Even though it is not a big-budget film, it is still a Bollywood film. I hope that the audience will be satisfied by my performance, for which, I seek prayers from everyone. l

n Rayan Quddus Have you seen the new telefilm Mr & Mrs? It stars Bangladeshi powercouple, Tahsan and Mithila, in the lead roles. They are always a treat to watch when they are together but if you haven’t seen this one, you haven’t missed out much.

The story starts with a scene in the bedroom, right after the wedding. The bride, played by Mithila, confesses to her newly wed hubby, played by Tahsan, about her affair with a Hindu boy named Abhijit. She tells him that she only got married due to family pressures and not out of love. Therefore, she begs her husband to help out. The groom is shocked yet agrees to help her with her inter-religious love affair.

These first few minutes into the film looked promising, but the

entire story failed to live up to the hype. It proved itself to be nothing new. It was well acted and well directed, but unfortunately the story was not at all convincing.

Despite the substandard screenplay, it managed to stay alive through Tahsan and Mithila’s acting. Mithila stole the show, and her acting chops are noteworthy as always.

This telefilm proved that a bad script can be tamed with solid acting and shrew directing. If it featured lesser known actors in the leading roles, it would have been a disaster. The director, Mizanur Rahman Aryan, should also be commended for his skillful work.

Given all the criticism, the film is still entertaining, and has some really good moments. If you have some time to kill, it would be a great watch, but don’t expect it to be mind blowing. l Rating- 2/5

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Three Bangladeshi films in Asiatica Film Mediale film festivals worldwide, winning many awards on its way. Recently, it has been showcased in the “Open Doors” section at Locarno Film Festival.

Another Bangladeshi film participating in the festival is My Bicycle, a story told for the first time in an indigenous language in Bangladesh. The film is Aung Rakhine’s debut feature film which

n Showtime Desk Bangladeshi documentary film on 1971 rape survivors Bishkanta (Poison Thorn) is contending in the main competition of 17th Asiatica Mediale Film Festival taking place in Rome. The festival will also showcase two other Bangladeshi films, Under Construction and My Bicycle in the “Panorama” section.

Asiatica film mediale is the largest and most representative event in Italy that is dedicated to Asian cinema, mainly with Italian and European premieres (features, documentaries, shorts, special events and homages to film directors). Running from September 17 to October

2, the festival this year will showcase over 40 films from 20 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Philippines, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam.

Bishkanta, directed by Farzana Boby and produced by Rubaiyat Hossain, revolves around the narratives of three rape survivors of Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971. Their voices have been resurrected from the agony of silence. This film portrays how the pain and stigma of rape keeps haunting them long after liberation, even though the war had ended, another one had begun in their personal lives.

Women who fought and survived

rape are still struggling to gain a respectable existence in society.

They are Birangonas - war heroines - yet they have to fight everyday for social approval. Ranjita Mandal blames patriarchy; Halima Khatun accuses the state while Rama Choudhury negates the idea of violence. They speak to break a silence after forty three long years and through their voices, a new part of our history and identity comes into light.

Rubaiyat Hossain’s internationally acclaimed feature film Under Construction is about a middle class Muslim woman struggling to find herself in the sprawl of urban Bangladesh. The film has participated in major

Karan – Anusha to host MTV Love School

n

Showtime Desk

MTV Love School is surely the ultimate school for lovelorn couples. Real life couple, Karan Kundra and Anusha Dandekar, have been finalised as the love gurus. They will be seen giving a few love lessons to the young participating couples.

There were reports that

Bollywood couple Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu will be seen hosting the show, but that all changed when the producers finalised Karan and Anusha to replace Upen Patel and Karishma Tanna as the hosts of the show.

“The thought behind MTV Love School is what struck me the most and I was on board instantly. What is better than helping couples

has been screened at Tallinn Black Nights and Göteborg film festival.

The film is a mature, sophisticated and poetic representation of Bangladesh’s most marginalised population.

All three films are distributed

by Khona Talkies, a Bangladeshi production and distribution company. l

reignite their love with a little advice? I am extremely excited to be hosting the show with Anusha and both of us turning into love professors,” Karan said in a statement.

Karan and Anusha started dating almost a year ago, and are open about their relationship on social media. Anusha says she is super charged up for the show due to its concept as well as sharing the stage with Karan. He said, “I was super excited when I was asked to host MTV Love School.

Being a part of an MTV show is like homecoming and I’m prom queen!

On top of it, doing this along with my ‘King’ Karan is going to be so much fun. I love the concept and the fact that we will be playing a part in bringing back the real meaning of love for all the young couples out there,” added Anusha.

The first season of the show was hosted by Upen Patel along with Karishma Tanna. But as their relationship did not work out, the show runners couldn’t bring them on as hosts. l

WHAT TO WATCH Attack on Titan Zee Studio 3:30pm In a dystopian world, a young man vows to eliminate the giant humanoid creatures that threatens the remnants of humanity.

Cast: Marina Inoue, Yuki Kaji Yuki Kaji, Bryce Papenbrook, Yui Ishikawa, Trina Nishimura

Real Steel Star Movies 7:00pm In the near future, robot boxing is a top sport. A struggling promoter feels he’s found a champion in a discarded robot.

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand

Guardians of the Galaxy Zee Studio 9:30pm A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe.

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoë Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker The Man from U.N.C.L.E. HBO 9:30pm In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.

Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, Hugh Grant l

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Rice production limited to a few varieties n Abu Bakar Siddique Despite having around 100 rice varieties invented locally in the last four decades at their disposal, Bangladeshi farmers still seem to be dependent on a handful of varieties of Aman, Boro and Aush paddies.

Sources at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) say the number of developed and released rice varieties by the state-run rice research body currently stands at 81. Of them, 25 are varieties of Boro, 36 of Aman and 10 are Aush.

In addition, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) has developed another 18 rice vari-

eties since its inception.

Yet, statistics show that the most popular rice varieties among farmers are two Boro varieties – BRRI Dhan 28 and BRRI Dhan 29.

These two varieties had the highest adoption rates in 2014-15 – 40.14% and 28.51%, respectively.

Among other popular rice varieties are Aman BRRI Dhan 11 with 11.6% adoption rate, Aman BRRI Dhan 49 with 11.07%, Aush BR 26 with 8.75%, Aush BRRI Dhan 48 with 7.84%, Aman BRRI Dhan 28 with 7.26%, Aman BRRI Dhan 32 with 4.13% and Boro BR 16 with 3.71% adoption rates.

However, during Aush season, a significant portion of paddy farm-

ers prefer cultivating BRRI Dhan 28, which is a Boro variety: nearly 21% farmers choose this Boro variety over Aush varieties.

“Only a few rice varieties are being cultivated because the other varieties have not been distributed among farmers,” said Jibon Krisna Biswas, former director general of BRRI. “Another reason could be the nature of the varieties; some of the recently developed rice varieties are region specific, while some are developed with high tolerance to salinity, drought and submergence,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Asked why Boro varieties BRRI Dhan 28 and BRRI Dhan 29 have

such high adoption rates despite the availability of other varieties, the veteran scientist blamed Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), who is responsible for distributing rice varieties among farmers.

“The BADC always tries to produce the varieties that are popular, rather than producing the new ones and introduce them to farmers.”

However, BADC Chairman Md Nasiruzzaman refuted the allegation, saying they produced and distributed seed varieties as per farmers’ demand.

“We cannot produce a variety unless there is a demand for them, in order to avoid financial loss,” he

told the Dhaka Tribune.

Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture Extension Director General Md Hamidur Rahman said popularising a new crop variety among farmers usually takes time.

“In addition, farmers are the best judge of the production value of a variety as they cultivate it for their own profit. They accept the varieties which will give them the best production in short time,” he said.

BADC Chairman Nasir told the Dhaka Tribune: “The government could make the newly invented rice varieties popular via proper field demonstration, so that so that farmers could learn about them.” l

Schoolgirl hacked to death n Zahirul Islam Khan, Madaripur

‘Tree Man’ Abul Bajandar shows his nearly healed hands at DMCH yesterday. After a series of surgeries, Bajandar is recovering well from a rare genetic skin disease that caused wart-like growths on his hands and feet that resembled tree branches. He is now set for the next surgery which is scheduled tomorrow MEHEDI HASAN

Rape victim allegedly takes her life in Gopalganj n Manoj Shaha, Gopalganj An eighteen years old girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself yesterday afternoon after being raped by her paternal cousin at Pirarbari village in Kotalipara upazila of Gopalganj.

Sima Sarker was rushed to Kotalipara Upazila Health Complex in critical condition and later, was declared dead at Gopalganj 250bed General Hospital, said Madhab

Sarker, father of the victim.

Locals handed over Palash Sarker, who allegedly raped the girl, to police on Saturday night.

According to the case statements, on Wednesday, Palash convinced the girl to go to his poultry firm beside their houses and raped her.

After being scolded in a family arbitration, Palash got furious and raped the girl again at her home on Saturday.

Later, Sima hanged herself as she could not bear the disgrace, said the statements.

Madhab filed a case in this regard against Palash, father of four children, and his elder brother Liton Sarker on Sunday.

Hafijur Rahman, sub-inspector of kotalipara police station and also the investigation officer of the case, said Palash not only raped the girl but also spread rumours in the village regarding her character.

“According to our primary investigation, the girl committed suicide being unable to bear the disgrace,” said Hafijur.

Pushpa Rani Sarker, wife of Palash, said her husband and Sima got involved in a physical relation. “When it disclosed, Madhab slapped his daughter and I think that is the reason behind the suicide,” she said.

Postmortem of the body was done at the hospital. l

Amid growing concern over sexual harassment across the country, a schoolgirl was hacked to death by a stalker at Nabogram of Kalkini upazila of Madaripur district yesterday morning.

The deceased was Nitu Mondal, a Class 9 student of Nabogram High School and daughter of Nirmol Mondal of the village.

Police quoting locals and family members of the victim said: “Milon Mondal, son of Biren Mondal and an honors student of Syed Abul Hossain College, a neighbour of Nitu, used to stalk her for many days.”

Following the issue Nitu and milon had locked into altercation for several times, said police sources.

“On the day, when Nitu went out of her house to attend school, Milon swooped on her with a sharp weapon and hacked her in the throat and belly yesterday morning, leaving her dead on spot. Police arrested the killer Milon,” said Anowar Hossain, assistant superintendent of police.

Sohodeb Chandra Baroi, Headmaster of Nabogram High School said: “Locals caught Milon red handed from the area and beat up him when he tried to flee from the spot where he swooped Nitu” He demanded proper justice over the incident. l

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