27 Sep, 2016

SECOND EDITION

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

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Ashwin 12, 1423, Zil-Hajj 24, 1437

Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 150

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6 JMB men held in West Bengal, Assam n Tribune Desk Six top members of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including suspects in the 2014 Burdwan blast case, have been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata police in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam.

Of the six, three have been identified as Bangladeshi nationals, The Statesman reported yesterday quoting STF chief and Kolkata Police (Crime) Joint Commissioner Vishal Garg.

The arrestees are: Anwar Hussain Faruk alias Enam alias Kalobhai; Mawlana Yusuf alias Bakkar alias Abu Khetab; Zahidul Sheikh alias Zafar alias Zabirul; Md Rafique alias Md Rubel alias Pichchi; Shahidul Islam alias Surya alias Shamim and Abdul Kalam alias Kalim, reported Anandabazar Patrika.

Of them, Faruk, Rubel and Kalam are from Bangladesh and are top-ranking leaders of the JMB in India, according to the STF. Anandabazar reported that five

among the six detained men were enlisted as suspects in the charge sheet of Burdwan blast case on October 2, 2014.

Moreover, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India put bounty on the arrest of all six, the report said.

During interrogation, the arrestees confessed to planning attacks in south or northeast India, Vishal Garg said at a press conference in Lalbazar, Kolkata yesterday.

“The arrestees were not in West Bengal after the Khagragarh blast [in Burdwan]. They fled to southern and northeastern states,” he said.

The arrestees used codes to communicate with each other; the STF decoded one of their messages to find them, he said.

The first arrest was Zahidul in Cachar district of Assam on Saturday.

During interrogation, he confessed that he was an activist of JMB and gave information on several  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Anwar Hussain Faruk

Mawlana Yusuf

Zahidul Sheikh

Md Rafiqul

Shahidul Islam

Abdul Kalam

Clinton, Trump to square off in first debate Hempstead, New n Reuters, York Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump will face off for the first time today in a presidential debate that could rank as one of the most watched and highly anticipated political showdowns in US history.

The tight race for the White House and the unpredictable clash in styles between well-known but polarising foes has generated wide interest in the potentially pivotal encounter, which comes six weeks before the November 8 election.

The size of the television-viewing audience is expected to challenge the presidential debate record of 80m who watched the 1980  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

Trump v Clinton: The first TV debate

USA

A head-to-head in the race for the White House

3 themes 90 minutes

“I understand it’s a contact sport”

Hofstra Univeristy Hempstead (New York) Monday Sept 26 9:00pm local time

HC orders to freeze owner’s bank account

America’s direction

no ad breaks

Securing America

Achieving prosperity

“If she treats me with respect, I will treat her with respect”

n Tribune Desk

Moderator Lester Holt (NBC Nightly News)

Hillary

Dry run with a Trump stand-in

Clinton Age: 68

preparation

Mastery of the issues Little charisma, cerebral

Retransmission Major TV networks YouTube Twitter Facebook live

Photo AFP/Thimoty A. Clary - Jim Watson Sources: Commission on Presidential Debates, media

Donald

Informal briefings

Trump

Authenticity Visceral, vulnerable on fine detail

qualities

A record audience?

100 million 66.4

1960 Kennedy-Nixon

67.2

2012 Obama-Romney

80.6

1980 Carter-Reagan

possible viewers

Tampaco fire: Bodies still coming out, 3 more today

Age: 70

Next debates October 9 and 19

Rescuers yesterday recovered the bodies of three more workers from the rubble of the Tampaco Foils Limited factory in Tongi.

Fire Service rescuers pulled out two bodies after 11am and another around 1:10pm yesterday, Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Director Aktaruzzaman Liton told the Dhaka Tribune.

Both the bodies are in no condition to be identified, he added.

With the recovery, the death toll from the disaster now climbs up  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

INSIDE Expert: Narrator, singer in new IS video is Tahmid Shafi The narrator of the latest Islamic State video that features the Gulshan cafe attackers as heroes and calls on supporters for more barbarities has been identified.  PAGE 3

Water crisis grips Fazilatunnesa Eye Hospital

Admission of patients and surgery at Fazilatunnesa Mujib Eye Hospital and Training Institute in Gopalganj has come to a halt since Saturday due to water crisis.  PAGE 7

PM’s reply makes fourthgrader popular overnight

Having the prime minister of the country reply to his letter has made fourth-grader Shirshendu Biswas a “celebrity” among his classmates, teachers and neighbours overnight.  PAGE 32

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Imam hacked to death n Md Wali Newaz, Faridpur

An Imam was hacked to death in North Alipur of Faridpur yesterday.

The deceased was Abul Bashar, 60, imam of Shah Makdum Mosque in Saltha Gotti union in the district.

According to police and local sources, Bashar had two wives. He used to live with his second wife in Saltha. His first wife lived with her six daughters and one son in Alipur.

On the day Bashar went to his first wife’s house after few years.

In the morning, daughters and son of the couple were shouting their father was killed by miscreants.

On information, police went to the spot and recovered the body.

Lokman Fakir, brother of Bashar filed a case accusing seven persons.

The police also arrested five persons in this connection. Nazimuddin, OC of Kotwali police station, said the arrestees were interrogated.

Shahida Begum, the first wife of Bashar confessed to her involvement in the murder. l

A road in Dhaka’s Kathalbagan area yesterday goes under water after a rain in the afternoon. The drainage problem in some areas of Dhaka has become a nuisance for pedestrians and vehicles alike hampering day-to-day activities MEHEDI HASAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

6 JMB men other activists, Anandabazar quoted the STF chief as saying.

Following Zahidul’s lead, police nabbed Kalam at New Coochbehar train station the next day. Police claim that Kalam was trying to enter West Bengal via Assam and he was sent from Bangladesh to run the JMB wing in Cachar.

Faruk and Rubel were arrested on Sunday on Bangaon-Bagda Road in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas, near the Bangladesh-India border.

Garg said both were from Jamalpur district in Bangladesh. Faruk is the chief of JMB’s West Bengal unit and Rubel is an expert on improvised explosive device (IED) and a coordinator who provided shelter to JMB activists from Bangladesh.

On the same day, Yusuf and Shahidul were arrested at Natun Bazar area in Bashirhat, North 24 Parganas. Shahidul is the chief of JMB wing in Northeast India and the main planner of JMB’s subversive acts in India, according to the STF. Yusuf had a Rs10 lakh bounty on his head, while Kalam and Rafique had Rs3 lakh and Rs1 lakh bounties, respectively, The Statesman reported.

Police also seized documents of future attacks, forged ID papers, 2kg of white explosive powder, a laptop, several mobile phones, detonators, wire cutters, batteries, letters written in Bangla and both Bangladeshi and Indian currencies from the arrestees.

Rafique had a Bangladeshi trade licence and a book on chemical compounds, the STF chief said.

Police were set to send the arrestees to court, he added. l

Tampaco fire: Bodies still coming out, 3 more today to 39, our Gazipur correspondent reports.

A massive fire erupted at the food and cigarette packaging factory after a huge explosion on September 10. What caused the fire is still unknown. Gas supplier Titas Gas in its report claimed gas leak did not trigger the fire.

It was Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster since the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse that left over 1,100 people, mostly readymade garment workers, dead.

Bangladesh’s industries have been plagued by allegations of low

wage and lax safety measures. After the November 2012 Tazreen fire, which killed over 100 workers, the government made major efforts to improve working condition, but the efforts were largely focused on the export-oriented garments sector.

Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday asked the government to freeze the bank accounts of the owner of Tampaco Foils Limited Syed Mokbul Hussain.

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das also issued a rule

asking why direction of providing sufficient compensation to the inferno victims will not be given.

The High Court order came after the court heard a writ petition filed by three rights organisations —Ain o Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust who moved the petition recently.

In the order, the court said that only workers salary and benefits can be paid from the bank account. The factory authorities have to submit a report before

the court within a month on how much money was spent in this purpose.

The writ petition had prayed for the court’s directives to provide treatment for the injured and the government to identify and punish those responsible for the deadly fire. It also urged the court to seek an investigation report from the government.

The petitioners prayed to the court to freeze the bank accounts of the factory owners and distribute the money among the victims as compensation. l

Clinton, Trump to square off in first debate encounter between Democratic President Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan.

The 90-minute debate will begin at 9pm local time at Hofstra University on New York’s Long Island. It is the first of three planned presidential debates.

Both Trump and Clinton, who polls show are the least liked White House candidates in modern history, hope to use the debate to erase lingering voter doubts and address campaign-trail weaknesses.

The volatile Trump, a New York businessman and former reality television star, will get a chance to show a depth and steadiness worthy of a credible commander in chief, while the cautious Clinton will be able to try to connect directly with voters who do not trust her, strategists said.

But Trump, a political newcomer who has often shown more affinity for putdowns than policy, could benefit from lower expectations from voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday showed half of America’s likely voters would rely on the debates to help them make their choice. More than half, 61%, were hoping for a civil debate and were not interested in the bitterness shown on the campaign trail.

Grudge match

Clinton, 68, and Trump, 70, have regularly exchanged sharp insults, raising the prospect of a fiery grudge match. Trump frequently refers to Clinton as “Crooked Hillary” and has called for her jailing for the email controversy. Clinton condemns Trump as tempera-

mentally unfit for the White House.

Trump dominated the crowded Republican debates with rapid-fire attacks on his rivals but he has no experience in a one-on-one debate setting that requires more prolonged discussion of issues.

Clinton has participated in many one-on-one debates on the national stage with Obama during her unsuccessful 2008 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and with US Senator Bernie Sanders in their Democratic nominating race earlier this year.

Clinton’s camp has done its best to raise the bar for Trump, and in television interviews on Monday both campaigns tried to frame expectations.

The role of moderator Lester Holt of NBC News has come under scrutiny ahead of the debate

with the Clinton campaign and her Democratic supporters urging him to correct Trump if he makes false claims.

Trump also has tried to influence Holt and the moderators of the other showdowns with Clinton, saying the candidates should be the ones to correct the record.

But in a year when outsiders like Trump and Sanders have made a mark, Trump’s best argument could be that he is a better agent of change than Clinton, said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican operative who is now chief strategist for the US Chamber of Commerce.

“He’s got to draw the contrast between Trump as the candidate of change and Clinton as the candidate of more of the same,” Reed said. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Istishon blog blocked for Bangladesh users n Tribune Desk Access to the Istishon website, a popular secular blogging platform, from Bangladesh has been apparently blocked.

Founder and Editor of the blog Nur Nobi Dulal yesterday said that many users from different parts of the country had not been able to access the website since Sunday night.

A message from the gateway operator reads: “BTRC blocked the domain and our server IP. We can’t host your website...”

Dulal urged the government to withdraw the “ban” immediately.

No authorised officer of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission was found for comment on the matter.

Dulal who left the country recently in the face of threats by Islamist extremists in a Facebook post Monday afternoon condemned the restriction imposed by the government, and mentioned that freedom of expression and right to information are the basic rights of the people.

Instead, he demanded closure of the websites and Facebook pages spreading religious extremism.

In the last couple of years militants hacked to death over a dozen of secular bloggers, publishers, LGBT rights activists and war crimes trial campaigners.

The BTRC last month blocked 35 websites, mostly little-known news portals spreading propaganda, on government orders. l

Education for Indigenous people emphasised

n DU Correspondent Speakers at a seminar in Dhaka yesterday urged the government for introducing education curriculum for indigenous people.

Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) organized the seminar titled “Imperialism in Parbotto Chattogram education systme” at Dhaka University RC Majumdar auditorium in the afternoon.

The speakers raised voice to give indigenous people due rights and to implement CHT agreement.

Speaking at the seminar, Professor Abul Quashem Fazlul Haque said the Indigenous people should be treated with equal rights as a citizen of Bangladesh.

“Adivashi people should have individual education system according to their language and culture”, he said.

Hasibur Rahman, president of Lekhok Shibir, also urged government to introduce new education system for the indigenous people. l

Visitors are seen entering the British Council premises in Dhaka’s Fuller Road yesterday amid tight security at the entrance. The institution remained closed for almost two months until reopening yesterday following the July 1 Gulshan attack RAJIB DHAR

Expert: Narrator, singer in new IS video is Tahmid Shafi n Tribune Desk The narrator of the latest Islamic State video that features the Gulshan cafe attackers as heroes and calls on supporters for more barbarities has been identified.

He is none other than Tahmid Rahman Shafi or Abu Isha al-Bangali, confirms Tasneem Khalil, a Sweden-based journalist who monitors online activities of jihadists, using some software tools.

Once a popular Close-Up star, Shafi also sang a motivational song in the video.

Shafi, who worked as a teacher at an English medium school before going missing in mid-2015, and two of his Bangladeshi associates spoke on camera in the first IS video released from Raqqa, Syria on July 6 hailing the Holey Artisan Bakery attack that killed 23 people including 17 foreigners on July 1.

While the video created much hype in social media, the trio were identified by their friends and family members, as well as the law enforcers.

The new video was first released on Android app Telegram by Arabic

Nashir, the official IS media channel, on Friday and later posted by IS’ Bangla media At-Tamkin. The 15-minute video was produced by “Bilad al-Bengal media office.” Bilad, in this context, means province or region.

recognition software named MARF (Modular Audio Recognition Framework) to compare voice samples and a popular audio software – Audacity – to clip the audio from the videos.

He tested three samples to

‘IS propaganda magazine Dabiq and other media claim the group has a covert unit in the country which they want to use as a base to launch attacks in Myanmar and India to avenge persecution on Muslims, and establish Khilafah’ On Sunday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal reiterated the government’s firm stance against militancy and said that there was no leader of the IS group in Bangladesh. “The video footage has been released as part of a conspiracy against Bangladesh,” he added.

On Monday, journalist Tasneem Khalil posted a video on YouTube, demonstrating how Shafi’s voice samples from both the videos matched.

He used an open source voice

compare the voice of the narrator.

The first two samples were voice clips from the new IS Bangla video which were then compared with voice clips from the first IS video stored in the software database.

The third sample was the song used in the new video.

All the three samples were found to be the voice of Shafi.

The youth completed his BBA from Brac University and MBA from the Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University.

He worked for Grameenphone and

Mastermind School before he went missing last year.

Supporters of the international terrorist group IS claims to have carried out 26 attacks in Bangladesh since September last year killing 45 people including foreigners, non-Muslims and non-Sunnis, and law enforcers.

IS propaganda magazine Dabiq and other media claim the group has a covert unit in the country which they want to use as a base to launch attacks in Myanmar and India to avenge persecution on Muslims, and establish Khilafah.

Since November, at least 31 supporters including the main coordinator of the Salafist group in Bangladesh, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, have been killed in raids by commandos, SWAT and counter-terrorism units.

Bangladesh government, however, maintains that the Middle East-based terrorist group has no organisational base in the country, and that the recent targeted attacks were acts of local militants linked to banned outfits Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Ansarullah Bangla Team. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

CHINESE PRESIDENT VISIT

Advance team arrives in Dhaka n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman An advance team has arrived in the city to discuss the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.

The 15-member delegation led by

Chinese Chief of Protocol Qin Gang visited Bangabhaban, Prime Minister’s Office and airport yesterday and they are expected to visit several others places today. Xi Jinping is coming to Dhaka on October 14.

The delegation discussed about

Best of global digital marketing conference held in Dhaka

n Tribune Desk The Best of Global Digital Marketing, a conference which covers all areas of digital marketing including social media, mobile marketing, content marketing, Big Data and real-time marketing, was held in the capital yesterday.

The seven and a half hour event began around 9am at the Krishibid Institute Bangladesh.

The conference, which was based on the case studies of most recent award-winning digital marketing campaigns around the world, is part of The Best of Global Digital Marketing World Tour 2016.

D-Money, a financial technology (FinTech) based organisation, had tied itself up with the Bangladeshi counterpart of this global event as the main sponsor.

The event was addressed by globally-renowned panel guests--Norman Wagner, managing director, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Germany; Hando Sinisalu, CEO at Best Marketing International from Estonia; Bikram Vaskar Gangopadhyay, CEO at IBS (Interface Business Solutions), India; and Refayat

Ahmed, lead specialist, Brand Communications, Grameenphone, Bangladesh.

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak was also present as the guest of honour.

Addressing the event, he said: “As we talk about the many different aspects of Digital Bangladesh, I am happy today to say that from today we will now speak about digital marketing as being an essential part of Digital Bangladesh.

“I know that the many bright minds in the audience will soon make sure that the Bangladeshi digital marketing industry is known regionally and internationally for its excellence.”

Approximately 20 case studies were covered in depth, placing examples of creative works, interviews with clients and their agencies. The main lessons from each of the award-winning case studies were also summarised.

The case studies were presented for campaigns from P&G Shiksha, Old Spice India, Shell, Volkswagen, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Red Bull, Adcock Ingram, Dell, Snickers, McDonalds and many more. l

logistics issues with the officials concerned in the different ministries, said a government official.

The visit is very important and Bangladesh is taking full-fledged preparation for it, he said.

An inter-ministerial on the visit

will be held at the Foreign Ministry on October 2, he added. This is the second time any Chinese president is visiting Dhaka. In 1986 the then Chinese president Li Xiannian visited Dhaka. This is also the second bilateral visit of Xi Jinping to Dhaka.

He came to Dhaka in 2010 as Chinese vice-president and planted a tree at Savar mausoleum.

This visit of the Chinese president is politically very significant as it shows goodwill gesture from Beijing towards Dhaka. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

World Tourism Day today n Tribune Desk World Tourism Day, a global initiative

by United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is being celebrated by Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB).

World Tourism Day is celebrated to build awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

The theme ‘Tourism for All’ has been chosen to illustrate the importance of domestic as well and international tourism in the country.

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY

THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

The day will be celebrated by BTB, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) and different tour operators with day long arrangements of various programmes, including a colourful parade inaugurated by Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon.

President Abdul Hamid urged the authorities concerned to ensure awareness building for a sustainable tourism.

The day aims to highlight tourisms’ potential in helping reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President Abdul Hamid said the government is trying to highlight the ex-

Dhaka

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Chittagong

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DHAKA TODAY SUN SETS 5:50PM

Bangladesh to host PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2016

pansive natural beauty of Bangladesh to foreigners to help build a thriving industry.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message said the Awami League led government has taken diverse initiatives for the development of the tourism industry as well as offer hospitality services at an affordable rate.

The day will be celebrated with many events including folk music, discounts on food and accommodations at hotels and motels and seminars across the country along with print and TV specials. l

Rajshahi

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Rangpur

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n Ishtiaq Husain

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will stage a threeday long event called PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum (NTFF) 2016 in Cox’s Bazar from November 23-25.

The event is being hosted by the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

The recent terrorist attack forced many organizations to cancel their conferences in Bangladesh including many tourists cancelling their trips after the Holy Artisan Cafe attack where 22 people, mostly foreigners, were brutally killed by the extremists.

Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, CEO, BTB said that he hopes the tourism industry will bounce back from the deadly terrorist attack after the PATA NTFF 2016.

It will definitely promote tourism in the country especially in Cox’s Bazar, he told the Dhaka Tribune in a recent interview.

A total 200 foreigners from different countries will visit Bangladesh to attend the PATA NTFF 2016 this year in addition, a total of 100 local participants will also attend the conference.

“We commend Bangladesh for hosting such an important event, particularly as the country celebrates the ‘Visit Bangladesh 2016’ Year, and trust that this will be a relevant step forward in building a stronger image of Bangladesh as a tourist destination,” said Akhtaruz Zaman.

PATA is honoured to confirm that Xu Jing, Regional Director of Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations World Tourism

Khulna

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:49AM

34.5ºC Chandpur

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22ºC Tetulia

Source: Accuweather/UNB

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Sylhet

Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, CEO, Bangladesh Tourism Board Organisation (UNWTO) will be opening the conference.

In attendance will be British Social Entrepreneur, Yasmin Choudhury, Founder and Managing Director of E-Tourism Frontiers, Damian Cook, Rob Holmes, founder and chief strategist GLP Films, Sarah Mathews, head of destination marketing, APAC, TripAdvisor; Tania Miorin, country representative, Myanmar for Istituto Oikos and Maeve Nightingale, Mangroves for the Future Programme Manager, IUCN, as speakers.

Akhtaruz Zaman said: “Bangladesh offers ample opportunities for cruising, hiking, trailing, rowing, wild life observations, bird watching and exciting cultural festivals.”

A three member PATA official team has already inspected the conference venue and it’s security ahead of the program.

The team was satisfied with the over the security arrangement.

Last year PATA NTFF 2015 was held in Philippines.

Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from within the Asia Pacific region. l

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Fajr: 5:15am | Zohr: 1:15pm Asr: 4:30pm | Magrib: 6:05pm Esha: 8:00pm Source: Islamic Foundation

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Forest robbers, the name of fright Hedait Hossain Molla, n Md Khulna Fishermen who live in Sundarbans have to face forest robbers torture, kidnap, killing and harassment every day, as the robbers have established safe haven inside the mangrove forest.

According to local sources said at least 23 gang of robbers, including five gangs which leaders have already surrendered to law-enforcers with 97 firearms and 7,028 bullets in last four months, are involved in criminal activities in the forest area.

Currently, over 120 forest dacoits of 20 gangs are active in the area and they are committing several crimes under the nose of administration, said Debobrot Mandol, leader of fisherman community and a trader in Koira area.

The armed robbers mainly target honey collectors. They loot all their collections and steal their boats as well as torture them. The

pirates also fell trees for timber and steal wood. Last month, 12 fishermen were kidnapped from the Sundarbans.

Later, three were released after their families paid Tk1 lakh each.

Yesterday, members of the elite force also rescued 16 fishermen from the captivity of forest robbers and arrested a robber in possession of three firearms and ammunition at Dacope upazila.

Earlier, the robbers kidnapped seven fishermen from Joymonir area in the Passur River in the Sundarbans.

A gang of robbers of notorious “Sumon Bahini” attacked the fishermen on seven trawlers while they were fishing in the river, said an official of Coastguard (west zone).

They abducted the seven and demanded Tk10,000 as ransom for the release of each fisherman.

The fishermen have to give a rich amount of money to the pirates while they go to catch fish

and crabs in the sea. After giving extortion they have no condition to run the family with the poor amount of money.

Koira Fishermen Traders’ Union President and UP Chairman Sarder Lutfar Rahman said: “The pirates in Sundarbans area are now out of control. They are committing heinous crimes like robbery, murder and kidnapping continuously.”

“Many fishermen have decided to leave their ancestral profession as they have to face continuous threats by the pirates,” he added.

Fishermen and traders in the area said though members of law-enforcers conducted drives in the area several times and five gang leaders including their associates surrendered to them in last few months.

But recently more 20 gangs have become active. Of them, five gangs led by Jahangir, Jonab, Noa, Sagor and Alif have become ferocious challenging the law enforcers, they

added.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB 8) Deputy Commander Major Adnan said the five gangs were serious threat to the fishermen now in the area.

Members of law enforcers were conducting special drives continuously to arrest the pirates, he added.

Locals said in last two months more than 150 fishermen had been kidnapped by the pirates.

Of them eight fishermen were released after their families paid Tk2 lakh each.

Shamsher Ali, officer-incharge of Koira police station, said the people in the area had been asked to inform the members of law-enforcers about the pirates.

Major Adnan Kabir, deputy commander of RAB-8, said they had a great plan to uproot the pitates în Sundarbans. For this they were working with the help of Coastguard. l

Jubo League leader hacked to death n Sultan Mahmood, Narail

A Jubo League leader was hacked to death by his rivals at Shiorbor village, Lohagora upazila, Narail on Sunday night as a sequel to previous enmity.

Ziaul Hasan Molla, 37, son of Hasem Molla, was the president of Jubo League at Salnagar union parishad’s word no 7.

Officer-in-Charge of Lohagara police station Jahangir Alam said there had been a long-standing dispute between Sikder and Molla families over establishing supremacy in the locality.

Supporters of Saifur Sikder allegedly stabbed him indiscriminately on his way to home around 9pm, leaving him critically injured.

He was taken to Lohagora upzila health complex. Later, he was shifted to Jessore Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A case was filed. l

FREEDOM FIGHTER FARUK KILLING

MP Rana denied bail n Afzal Hossain, Tangail Ruling Awami League MP Amanur Rahman Khan Rana has been denied bail by a Tangail court in freedom fighter Faruk Ahmed murder case.

Judge Abul Mansoor Mia of Tangail additional district and sessions judge court 1 passed the order yesterday.

On Sunday, Amanur’s lawyers filed the bail petition mentioning that their client had received a letter to attend the current parliamentary session and for this he needs bail, said Ashok Kumar Singh, OC of Tangail Detective Branch of Police.

After hearing the bail petition, the court rejected his bail plea and sent the lawmaker to jail, the police official said.

On September 18, Tangail 3 MP Rana appeared before the Tangail additional district and sessions judge ending his fugitive run for 22 months.

Then the court of First Additional District Sessions Judge Abul Monsur Mia sent him to jail after rejecting his bail plea.

Earlier, the court issued arrest warrants for 10 people, including MP Rana and three of his brothers, for the murder of local Awami League leader and freedom fighter Faruk. It also ordered confiscation of their properties.

Faruk was found murdered in front of his house in the town’s College Para area on January 18, 2013. Later, his wife Nahar Ahmed filed a murder case with local police.

In August 2014, police arrested two cohorts of MP Rana who gave confessional statement before a court.

Rana is the only accused who has turned himself in to face charges of murder. The others are on the run.

Police pressed charges against 14 men in court on February 3. On April 6, a court accepted charges against 10 men and issued warrants for their arrests.

In May, police raided residences of the accused but said they found nothing to confiscate. The MP reportedly went to Parliament in June and signed the attendance book, before bolting out.

Of Rana’s three brothers, Sahidur Rahman Khan Mukti is a former mayor of Tangail municipality, Jahidur Rahman Khan Kakon is a leader of an organisation of Tangail businessmen, and Saniyat Khan Bappa is a former vice-president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling party student front.

The other accused are Kabir Hossain, Darowan Babu, Alamgir Hossain Chane, Nasir Uddin Noor, Sanowar Hossain and Masudur Rahman. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Water crisis grips Fazilatunnesa Eye Hospital n Monoj Shaha, Gopalganj Admission of patients and surgery at Fazilatunnesa Mujib Eye Hospital and Training Institute in Gopalganj has come to a halt since Saturday due to water crisis.

Water supply has remained suspended everywhere of the hospital, including toilets, as the water treatment plant of the hospital has gone out of order, reports our correspondent.

The hospital authorities did not admit Mojiron Begum to the hospital due to the water crisis. “Many other patients like me returned home being denied of admission,” said Mojiron from Ghoradaha village at Sadar upazila.

Nani Gopal Malakar, son of Moyna Malakar from Hariargop village at Chitalmari upazila in Bagerhat district, has brought his mother in the hospital for taking treatment.

They are purchasing water from outside, as there is no water in the hospital, even in the toilets.

“We are suffering tremendously due to water crisis,” said Nani.

Subrata Kumar Haldar, operator of the water treatment plant, said iron and sand had blocked the 80feet long shallow tube-well of the plant. “If a 1200-feet tube-well is installed instead of the existing one, the problem will be solved,” he added.

‘The hospital requires around 25,000 litres of water every day There was a 1200-feet long deep tube-well near the hospital, from where the patients were now buying water, said Subrata.

“The hospital requires around 25,000 litres of water every day, whereas the pump of the plant cannot collect 30000 litres of water in

Attendant of a patient at Gopalganj Eye Hospital collects water from a municipality vehicle yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

CHITTAGONG CITY BNP

39 ward committees dissolved n Anwar Hussain, Chittagong Chittagong city chapter of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) dissolved its tenure expired 39 out of total 41 ward committees.

The Chittagong city chapter came up with the declaration after holding a press conference at a city restaurant yesterday.

Of the dissolved 39 committees, council preparation committees have been formed in 31 wards and the rest eight committees will be declared within this month.

Two ward committees of the city BNP – Kattali and Uttar Pahartali – have been exempted as the tenure is yet to be expired.

The convening committees have been directed to hold councils in their respective wards within three months.

While addressing the press conference, Dr Shahadat Hossain, president of Chittagong city BNP, said they dissolved the date-expired committees for revitalising the organisation and electing leadership at grassroots in a democratic manner.

“We are going to embark upon a campaign to collect members from October 1 of this year,” said Dr Shahadat, adding that they

would execute ‘one man-one post policy’ in the organisation.

“Committees will be comprised of 31 members in small wards and 51 members in large wards of the city,” added Dr Shahadat.

Abul Hashem Bakkar, general secretary of Chittagong city BNP, in his speech said they had decided to overhaul the organisation with an aim to wage a concerted movement.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s Chittagong city chapter was reconstituted on August 6.

In the reconstituted 3-member committee, Dr Shahadat Hossain and Abul Hashem Bakkar were made president and secretary respectably while Abu Sufian was made vicepresident.

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury who was the president in the previous Chittagong city chapter got a berth in the party standing committee member.

Dr Shahadat Hossain was the general secretary of the previous BNP committee of Chittagong city chapter while Abul Hashem Bakkar was president of Chittagong city Jubo Dal. l

Three killed in road accident n Tribune Desk

Three people died after being run over by a speeding truck at the district’s Islabad area on Sunday night.

The accident took place on the Brahmanbaria-Sylhet Highway around 11pm.

Identities of the victims could not be known imme-

diately, but police said they were the driver of a local bus and his assistants.

Khatihata Highway police’s Officer-in-Charge Md Humayun Kabir said a the driver and his assistants of Diganta Paribahan were changing a punctured tyre beside the road when a cargo truck going towards

Sylhet ran them over. The three men were killed on the spot.

OC Kabir said there were no passengers on the bus during the accident.

The bodies have been taken to the police station.

A case was being filed over the accident, the OC added. l

15 days,” added the operator.

On Sunday, the hospital purchased 6000 litres of water at Tk1000. “It requires water of Tk5000 every day to run the hospital, which is not possible,” opined Dr Amrit Lal Biswas, assistant director of the hospital.

Acting Director of the hospital Dr Bimal Krishna Gian said it was not possible to run such a big hospital with the defective water plant.

The quarters of the hospital were also lying vacant for the same reason, he added.

“We have sent a letter to higher authorities in this regard. The firm, which had installed the plant, would repair it, said the director.

However, the outdoor service at the hospital was open, said Dr Bimal.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the hospital located at Ghonapara on the outskirt of Gopalganj town, on April 30 this year for rendering modern treatments to the eye patients of the country’s southern region. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan police accused of illegal killing Police in Pakistan illegally executing hundreds of people each year in fake encounter killings, human rights investigators have warned.

Senior police were happy to admit the practice of encounter killings, in which about 2,000 people died in 2015, Human Rights Watch says. The term encounter is a widely understood euphemism for extra-judicial killings in Pakistan. THE GUARDIAN

INDIA

India seeks adoption of global treaty on terror India on Monday asked the global community to urgently adopt a long-pending global treaty on terrorism as well as implement the UN Security Council reform. Highlighting the two pending tasks of General Assembly, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said despite the passage of two decades, the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, which was proposed by India in 1996, is yet to be implemented. TOI

CHINA

China to build outposts on Tajikistan-Afghan border China plans to finance and build several outposts and other facilities to beef up Tajikistan’s defence capabilities along its border with Afghanistan. The Central Asian nation’s 1,345km border with its southern neighbour is leaky and Dushanbe routinely reports clashes between border guards and armed drug smugglers there. REUTERS

ASIA PACIFIC

Australia fails to block maritime boundary case Timor-Leste will have its case against Australia over a disputed maritime boundary heard by the permanent court of arbitration in the Hague after the court rejected Australia’s claim that the court had no jurisdiction.

Australia has resisted negotiating a permanent border until 2056 at the earliest. THE GUARDIAN

MIDDLE EAST

Khamenei: Ahmadinejad not to run again Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has told former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not to stand again in next year’s elections, effectively eliminating a major challenger to pragmatist incumbent Hassan Rouhani. Ahmadinejad had not announced any plans to run in the vote scheduled for May, but has made several speeches in recent months, prompting speculation of a political comeback. REUTERS

Colombia to sign peace deal with Farc guerillas today n Reuters, Cartagena, Colombia Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Marxist insurgent leader Timochenko will use a pen made from a bullet today to sign an agreement ending a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people and made their nation a byword for violence.

After four years of negotiations in Havana, Santos, 65, and Timochenko, a nom de guerre for 57-year-old revolutionary Rodrigo Londono, will shake hands on Colombian soil for the first time.

Some 2,500 foreign and local dignitaries will attend the ceremony scheduled for 5pm local time (1800 EST/2200 GMT) in the walled, colonial city of Cartagena.

The agreement to end Latin America’s longest-running conflict will turn the Farc guerrillas into a political party fighting at the ballot box instead of the battlefield they have occupied since 1964.

“We are going to sign with a bullet-pen ... to illustrate the transition of bullets into education and future,” said Santos, who staked his reputation on achieving peace.

Guests expected include United Nations head Ban Ki-moon, Cuban President Raul Castro, US Secre-

tary of State John Kerry and victims of the conflict.

“The UN will assist in the implementation of the accord and offer Colombians our complete support at a time that sees a new destiny for the nation,” Ban said before flying to Colombia.

Peace vote next week

Despite widespread relief at an end to the bloodshed and kidnappings of past decades, the deal has caused divisions in Latin America’s fourth-biggest economy.

Influential former President Alvaro Uribe and others are angry that the accord allows rebels to enter parliament without serving any jail time.

Colombians will vote on October 2 on whether to ratify the agreement, but polls show it will pass easily. Around Cartagena on Monday, huge billboards urged a “yes” vote.

Farc, which stands for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, began as a peasant revolt, became a big player in the cocaine trade and at its strongest had 20,000 fighters. Now it must hand over weapons to the United Nations within 180 days.

Colombians are nervous over

COLOMBIA AND THE FARC REBELS: THE PEACE DEAL Agreements reached An integrated agrarian development policy (05/2013) Political participation (11/2013) Illegal drugs (05/2014)

Area of influence Caribbean Sea

PA

Reparations for conflict victims (12/2015)

NA

MA

VENEZUELA

Bilateral ceasefire and disarmament(06/2016) Colombia’s president and FARC chief sign peace accord on Sept 28 Referendum on the agreement set for October 2

The conflict in numbers

BOGOTA

Pacific Ocean

COLOMBIA

Displaced

6.8 million

ECUADOR

Deaths

BRAZIL

260,000 Disappeared

PERU

45,000

300 km

Sources: Fundacion Paz y Reconciliacion, Colombian defence ministry, Unidad para las víctimas, Acnur

how the remaining 7,000 rebels will integrate into society, but most are optimistic peace will bring more benefits than problems.

“I can’t believe this day has finally come,” said an excited Juan Gamarra, 43, who sells jewelry in Cartagena.

Colombia has performed better economically than its neighbours in recent years, and peace should reduce security costs and open new areas for mining and oil com-

panies. But criminal gangs could try to fill the void, and land-mines hinder development.

With peace achieved, Santos, a member of a wealthy Bogota family, will likely use the political capital to push his economic agenda, especially tax reforms to compensate for a drop in oil income caused by a fall in energy prices.

Big screens to watch the ceremony were being erected around the nation of 49 million people. l

India begins campaign at UN to isolate Pakistan n Reuters India began a campaign to isolate Pakistan at the United Nations on Monday, telling the 193-member General Assembly it was time to identify nations who nurture, peddle and export terrorism and isolate them if they don’t join the global fight.

India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the arrest of Pakistani Bahadur Ali was “living proof of Pakistan’s complicity in crossborder terror.” India has said Ali confessed that he was trained by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group.

“But when confronted with such evidence, Pakistan remains in denial. It persists in the belief that such attacks will enable it to obtain the territory it covets,” she said on the final day of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

“My firm advice to Pakistan is: abandon this dream. Let me state unequivocally that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always re-

India’s Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj addresses the UN General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York on September 26 REUTERS main so,” Swaraj said.

India accuses Pakistan of having a role in a Sept. 18 raid on an Indian army base in Kashmir, one of the deadliest attacks in the Himalayan region that has been divided since 1947 and lies at the heart of the nuclear-armed neighbors’ rivalry. Pakistan denies any role in the attack.

“We need to forget our prejudices and join hands together to script an effective strategy against terror,” Swaraj said. “And if any nation refuses to join this global strategy, then we must isolate it.”

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Saturday to mount a global campaign to isolate Pakistan.

Last month US Secretary of State

John Kerry urged Pakistan to join other nations in fighting terrorism.

India has long accused Pakistan of backing militant groups operating in disputed Kashmir as well as of sending fighters to other parts of the country to carry out acts of violence. Pakistan denies the allegations.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week told the UN General Assembly India had put unacceptable conditions on dialogue.

“What pre-conditions?” Swaraj said on Monday. “We took the initiative to resolve issues not on the basis of conditions, but on the basis of friendship.”

Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi dismissed Swaraj’s statement on Monday as “a litany of falsehoods and baseless allegations.”

“For the Indian Foreign Minister to claim that her country has imposed no preconditions for talks with Pakistan is another flight from reality. India suspended talks more than a year ago, and has refused to resume these despite repeated offers from Pakistan,” Lodhi said. l

9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Russia accused of war crimes in Syria n Tribune International Desk

Moscow on Monday slammed the US and UK for blaming Russia of “barbarism” and war crimes in Syria. Moscow was also gravely concerned by the situation in Syria where it said terrorists were using a ceasefire to regroup and wage offensives against government troops.

“We note the overall unacceptable tone and rhetoric of the representatives of the UK and the US, which can damage and harm our relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added, “The Kremlin views the situation as extremely complicated, We are chiefly concerned that, terrorists are using a ceasefire to regroup their forces, to replenish their arsenals, for obvious preparations for waging offensives.”

“Moscow is not losing the hope and political will to use maximum efforts to reach the point of political settlement in Syria,” Peskov said Monday. “So far it’s been hard.”

Almost impossible peace

Russia’s Ambassador Vitaly Churkin conceded that the surge in violence over the past days meant that “bringing a peace is almost an impossible task now.” Churkin again laid blame for the failed diplomacy with the US, accusing Washington of being unable to convince armed opposition groups that it backs on the ground to distance themselves from the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and abide by the ceasefire.

A US-Russian ceasefire deal that would have charted a way forward towards peace talks was broken by the “sabotage by the moderate opposition”, he asserted.

Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

THE AMERICAS

Great Bear forest comes under Commonwealth canopy

Damaged aid trucks are pictured after an airstrike on Urm al-Kubra town, western Aleppo city on September 20

Lack of blood, more amputations

A Syrian military source told, regime forces had no intention of letting up on rebel-held areas.

“The air force will bomb any terrorist movements, this is an irreversible decision,” the source said, reiterating that the regime’s goal was to “recapture all regions of Syria” outside its control.

A medical source in rebel-held Aleppo said hospitals were struggling to deal with a huge number of casualties. “Hospitals that are still in service are under a lot of pressure due to the significant number of wounded in recent days, and the major shortage of blood,” the source told. “Because of this, serious injuries are requiring immediate amputations,” he said.

The price of a portion of bread had risen to 500 Syrian pounds from 350 Syrian pounds last week, and food was becoming increasingly difficult to find. Several charity kitchens that had distributed food in eastern districts were no longer operating due to the danger of air strikes. Water supplies also remained cut off to many areas after pumping stations were damaged at the weekend.

Diplomatic efforts

Russia and the US agreed on September 9 a deal to put the peace process back on track. It included a nationwide truce and improved humanitarian aid access but it collapsed when an aid convoy was bombed killing some 20 people.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who hammered out the truce in months of intensive diplomacy, pleaded with Russia to halt air strikes. UN Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura appealed to the Council meeting to come up with a way to enforce a ceasefire.

However, Russia is one of five veto powers on the council, along with the US, France, UK and China.

Russia and China have protected Assad’s government by blocking

several attempts at council action.

China’s UN envoy Liu Jieyi repeated a call for all sides to work harder to help find a political solution but also said counter-terrorism was a “very important component” to a resolution. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Russia was guilty of prolonging the war in Syria and may have committed war crimes by targeting an aid convoy.

The rebels said they could not accept Russia as a sponsor of any new peace initiative, because it was a partner with the regime in its crimes against their people. It said Russian backed Syrian forces were using napalm and chemical weapons without censure from the international community.

UN investigators are looking into the alleged use of the incendiary weapons phosphorus and napalm in several cities.

The war has ground on for nearly six years, drawing in world powers and regional states. Islamic State, the enemy of every other party to the conflict, has seized swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

World powers appeared to believe that neither Assad nor his opponents were capable of decisive victory on the battlefield.

But Russia’s apparent decision to abandon the latest peace process could signal it now thinks that victory is in reach, at least in the

REUTERS

western cities where the majority of Syrians live.

Assad’s fortunes improved a year ago when Russia joined the war on his side. Since then, Washington has worked hard to negotiate peace with Moscow, producing two ceasefires. But both proved short-lived, with Assad showing no sign of compromise.

Outside Aleppo, anti-Assad fighters have been driven mostly into rural areas. Nevertheless, they remain a potent fighting force, which they demonstrated with an advance of their own on Saturday.

From hope to horror

A horrifying catalogue of human rights abuses including war crimes and crimes against humanity have overwhelmed Syria almost six years causing human suffering on a vast scale. Nearly 1.7m Syrians who are registered in neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon live in precarious circumstances notwithstanding the generosity of hosting governments. According to various human rights organizations and UN, human rights violations have been committed by both the government and the rebels. The prospects of a negotiating peace settlement in the Syrian civil war are broken down. Now the hope are turn to horror. l

Source: REUTERS, AFP, GUARDIAN

5 km

TURKEY

Aleppo

SYRIA DAMASCUS IRAQ

d

Aleppo

250,000 people trapped Airport

Areas controlled by: Kurds Rebels

Regime

Sources: ISW, CarnegieMiddleEast, ConflictNews, bureaux AFP

An unlikely alliance of the Queen, Prince William, the Labour MP Frank Field, Commonwealth countries and Canadian ecologists join forces to protect one of the largest coastal temperate rainforests in the world, the Great Bear rainforest along the central and west coast of British Columbia.

Prince William is in the Canadian province for a week-long visit and announce that the forest will join an international network of forests. THE GUARDIAN

UK

Labour party to ban fracking if elected The Labour Party pledged on Monday to ban fracking if elected in 2020, putting it at odds with the Conservative government and raising the risk for investors looking to put money into the nascent industry. The industry trade body told that no wells had been drilled into shale in 2016, and it knew of none planned before 2017. REUTERS

EUROPE

France to close Calais refugee camp French President Francois Hollande said the sprawling Jungle migrant camp in Calais would be dismantled by the end of this year under a plan to spread asylum seekers around the country. Hollande called on British authorities to help in assisting the migrants, most of whom are desperate to reach Britain. Between 7,000 and 10,000 migrants are currently living in the Jungle. AFP

AFRICA

THE SIEGE OF ALEPPO

Ro a

Moscow slams unacceptable UN statements

USA

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if elected, the US would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While Israel calls Jerusalem its capital, few other countries accept that, including the US. Most nations maintain embassies in Tel Aviv. REUTERS

Castello

Russia has been directly and repeatedly accused of barbarism and war crimes at the UN security council by US and UK in an unusually blunt session, as hopes of any form of ceasefire were flattened by the scale and ferocity of the Syrian regime’s assault on eastern Aleppo.

The war crimes accusations centred on the widespread use of bunker-busting and incendiary bombs on the 275,000 civilians living in the rebel-held Aleppo, weapons that Moscow’s accusers say were dropped by Russian aircraft.

“Bunker-busting bombs, more suited to destroying military installations, are now destroying homes, decimating bomb shelters, crippling, maiming, killing dozens, if not hundreds,” Matthew Rycroft, the UK ambassador to the UN, said during the emergency security council session on Syria on Sunday.

DT

World

Islamic State group

July 17 Regime cuts off Castello Road (key supply route) Sept 8 Aleppo totally encircled. Citizens deprived of food and fuel Sept 12-19 Truce declared nationwide between regime and rebels (not IS group). Agreed terms are ignored in Aleppo: - demilitarisation of Castello Road - access for humanitarian aid Sept 19 Air strike hits Aleppo aid convoy.

US blames Russia Sept 23-25 Regime and Russia bombard city.

More than 100 people killed

Boko Haram leader appears in video The purported leader of Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video posted on social media in which he rejected statements by the country’s military that he had been seriously wounded. Last month Nigeria’s air force said it had killed senior Boko Haram members and that Shekau had been wounded. REUTERS

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10

World

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

UK call for UN human rights mission to Yemen n Tribune International Desk The UK has put its name to a call at the UN this week to set up an independent mission to report on human rights abuses in Yemen, reports The Guardian.

The proposal, which marks a shift in British policy, is due to be voted on at the UN human rights council in Geneva this week and has been welcomed by human rights campaigners, even if it stops short of what some had been seeking.

Saudi Arabia intervened in March 2015 to support the Yemeni government against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in control of the capital, Sana’a. Earlier this month the Guardian published data indicating that more than a third of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition had hit civilian sites. The Houthis are also accused of repeated human rights violations including the use of landmines and indiscriminate shelling.

The wording of the draft resolution suggests the UK for the first

time accepts the need for international experts to monitor human rights abuses in Yemen, and to report on them to the UN human rights commissioner. The resolution is also substantially tougher than rival proposals put forward for debate at the human rights council

by Arab states.

The draft resolution, sponsored by the Netherlands, requests the commissioner “to dispatch a mission, with assistance from relevant experts, to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Yemen, on violations and abuses thereof since September 2014, and to collect and preserve information in order to establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and abuses”.

The Dutch draft resolution calls on the inquiry team to provide an oral update of its findings to the next meeting of the human rights council and then to report in writing to the council at the session after that. The 47 mem-

bers of the human rights council will vote on the motion on Thursday or Friday, but there is likely to be horse trading behind closed doors before the vote.

The resolution has the support of 22 EU member states including France, Germany, Italy and Slovakia.

John Fisher, advocacy director at Human Rights Watch in Geneva, said the EU-sponsored resolution “stops short of a full international independent inquiry, but should be supported since it provides for international scrutiny reporting to the UN human rights commissioner. It is a key test of the UK’s commitment to human rights and its claim to have a seat on the human rights council that they continue to support this resolution.”

The UK has previously said that it is not against an independent inquiry in principle, but nonetheless voted to reject one when the same issue was raised at last year’s human rights council. The UN instead voted for the appointment

WHO IS INVOLVED IN YEMEN WAR?

HOUTHIS

PRO-HADI FORCES

Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi The rebels belong to was elected unopposed the Zaydi sect of Shia Islam, long excluded by in 2012 to aid transition from the violent end of Sana’a elites. The extent of Iran’s backing Saleh’s regime but he is disputed, but they do failed to strengthen the failing state, which the have the support of Houthis and al-Qaida in forces loyal to former the Arabian Peninsula president Saleh (AQAP) exploited of a Yemeni national commission, but the UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein concluded in August that the national commission was “unable to implement its mandate in accordance with international standards”.

Since then, the death toll has mounted in Yemen and three se-

AQAP Despite occasional Saudi claims of fighting terrorism, AQAP has actually gained territory while the coalition and pro-Hadi forces have concentrated on the Houthis

lect committees in the UK parliament have called for an inquiry in the wake of allegations of human rights abuses by both sides in the 18 month-long civil war. The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, has also expressed his concern, but appeared dubious about the need for such a probe. l

Nine wounded in Houston shooting, suspect dead International n Tribune Desk A troubled lawyer opened fire on morning commuters in Houston on Monday, injuring at least nine people before being fatally shot by police, authorities said.

Six victims were taken to hospitals and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their vehicles in the wealthy neighbourhood of West University Place, acting Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo told reporters.

One of the victims was in critical condition and another was in serious condition.

Montalvo declined to identify the suspect but said he was a lawyer. She said the FBI was assisting with the investigation and did not mention terrorism as a motive.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, in Cuba on a trip to develop trade relations, told reporters, “The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm went bad.”

The police bomb squad was securing the suspect’s

car, a black Porsche, which had numerous weapons in it. Police were planning to search his house.

Broken glass from shattered car windows littered a parking lot in an upscale shopping center near where the suspect fired 20 to 30 shots.

The shooting comes days after a shooting at a Washington state mall that left 5 people dead. On September 17, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot to death by an off-duty police officer. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

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12 Business

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Banks blamed for default loans n Tribune Business Desk Banks are solely responsible for default loans as proper scrutiny is not made before disbursing the credit, discussants said at an international programme yesterday.

“Banks choose big borrowers more than small ones for lending.

So they are responsible for default loans,” said Mirza Azizul Islam, a former adviser to caretaker government.

Azizul said this while addressing the concluding day of a twoday international conference.

The conference was jointly organised by BIBM and Australian Academy of Business and Social Sciences at Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) auditorium in the capital.

The former adviser alleged that clients divert their loans from one business entity to another in the name of business that leads the credit to default.

Large loans are getting default mostly while small ones remain regular. Therefore, banks should concentrate more on recovering loans from big defaulters, he suggested.

He observed that banks fail to settle default cases due to lack of enough judges.

Aziaul urged the government to appoint more judges to resolve the default cases.

Expressing frustration, the seasoned economist said the number of banks is much more than the size of the country’s economy which is unexpected.

He also suggested to merge some weak banks to address the issue.

In his address, Zahid Hossain, chief economist of the World Bank, said the banking sector has to endure a little pain as the financial sector in the country is growing.

Describing default loans as cancer, he said banks also realise this truth. l

Capital market snapshot: Monday DSE Broad Index

4,684.0

0.2% ▲

Index

1,122.6

0.2% ▲

30 Index

1,771.5

0.2% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk

5,529.3

-4.1% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

199.4

-8.1% ▼

All Share Index 14,396.5

0.5% ▲

30 Index

13,014.0

0.3% ▲

8,766.0

0.5% ▲

CSE

Selected Index Turnover in Mn Tk

354.5 -35.0% ▼

Turnover in Mn Vol

13.4 -36.1% ▼

Govt plans monetising unused assets to fund big projects n Asif Showkat Kallol The government wants to monetise its unused assets and collect fund for the country’s future big infrastructural projects so foreign aid dependency can be reduced, official sources said.

As prime minister has directed to ensure maximum use of the unused assets, officials are also planning to securitise pension funds of the private and public employees.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said if the used assets can be utilised to the full, the country can reduce dependency on foreign assistance.

Senior Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed said: “We have failed to utilise our assets fully. We can monetise our assets that lie used.

We can securitise the government pension funds.”

“The future big projects will be funded from the government exchequer and the practice will continue,” he added.

Mahbub Ahmed said the there would have positive impact on the economic growth if the government used the country’s untapped wealth.

“Dependency on foreign loans and experts will not help us achieve growth,” secretary said.

Prime minister directed the officials to work towards achieving

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Padma Bridge construction site. She believes Bangladesh has the capacity to fund big infrastructural projects making the maximum use of own resources BSS the middle income status through materialising the dreams of the Father of the Nation.

As per the prime minister’s directive, the target of the foreign assistance, loan and grant has been reduced in the fiscal year 2016-17, said officials.

The main goal of the current fiscal year’s budget is to increase internal demand and production.

The government has increased the supply of own funds to the de-

velopment projects. In this year’s budget, the deficit is Tk97,000 crore and foreign source will meet Tk30,000 crore of the deficit.

“The government has started trying to fund big development projects from its own resources,” said a planning ministry official.

He said: “Size of the foreign loans and grant will reduce drastically when the United Nations will declare Bangladesh as middle-income country.”

The future metro-rail projects 5, 3, and 4 and the rail-line over Padma Bridge project at Tk34,000 crore will be funded by the Bangladesh government.

Padma Bridge is now under construction with the government fund of Tk28,000 crore.

According to the Finance Division predictions, Bangladesh will become a middle-income nation within 2021 and a developed country within 2041. l

Better Work to bring boon for RMG makers n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh RMG manufacturers can enhance reputation and competitiveness by joining the Better Work programme that will help improve workers efficiency.

Louis B Vanegas, programme manager for Better Work (BW) Bangladesh, came up with the remarks while talking to a group of journalists in the capital yesterday.

In 2014, International Labor Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, launched the Better Work Programme to improve working conditions and promote competitiveness in the ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh.

The International Labor Organisation (ILO) has targeted 225 garment factories at its fold by 2017 for ensuring more social compliance and more worker rights.

Currently, 98 garment factories in Bangladesh are the members of the BW programme from 2014.

“Bangladesh can build its image through participation in BW as it is working on ensuring workers rights and other compliance,” said Vanegas.

“In the primary assessment, we have found violation of labor rights, occupational safety, overtime and participation committee,” Vanegas said, adding that the next course of action would be to fix it.

An independent review of the BW programme launched yesterday showed significant gains in the quality of life workers in the factories enjoy as well as enhanced productivity and profitability for those business involved.

The final report on Bangladesh would be launched in October.

“We have set a target to engage 225 more factories by the end of next June and 500 factories by the end of 2021,” Vanegas added.

A factory with 1,000 workers has to pay $3000 for joining the BW while the buyers have also to pay for joining the programme.

If a factory joins the BW it will

not have to asses social audit, which is necessary for a factory to receive work orders.

For joining the BW, a factory has to show documents from the Accord and Alliance that it has done safety improvement in terms of electrical, fire and structural issues.

Commenting on the BW, Vanegas said 95% RMG owners are joining the programme due to mounting pressure from their buyers.

Established in 2009 by the ILO and IFC, BW aims to improve

working conditions and promote competitiveness in global garment supply chains.

Currently, BW is functioning in seven countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Jordan, Haiti and Nicaragua, engaging 1,300 factories employing more than 1.6 million workers.

In Bangladesh, 120 factories have so far been recruited and 98 registered, employing 20,1995 workers while the number of global buyers is 31. l

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13

Business

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

German business morale shrugs off Brexit to hit 28-month high n Reuters German business morale rose far more than expected in September, reaching its highest level in more than two years, a survey showed on Monday, signaling that executives had brushed off concerns about Brexit that had weighed on

their mood last month.

The Munich-based Ifo economic institute said its business climate index, based on a monthly survey of 7,000 firms, rose to 109.5 from an upwardly revised 106.3 in August, the biggest monthly increase since July 2010.

“Companies are clearly more op-

Storm clouds are seen above the Canary Wharf financial district in London, Britain REUTERS

Majority of UK CEOs considering moving operations abroad post-Brexit n Reuters Three-quarters of British company bosses are considering moving operations abroad following the vote to leave the European Union, according to a survey published yesterday.

The KPMG survey of 100 UK chief executives, from companies with revenues between 100m pounds and 1bn pounds ($130m-$1.30bn), found 86 percent were confident about their company’s growth prospects and 69 percent were confident about the British economy’s growth prospects over the next three years.

However, 76% said they were considering moving either their headquarters or their operations outside Britain because of the June 23 “Brexit” vote.

“CEOs are reacting to the prevailing uncertainty with contingency planning,” said Simon Collins, KPMG UK chairman.

“Over half believe the UK’s ability to do business will be disrupted once we Brexit and therefore, for many CEOs, it is important that they plan different scenarios to hedge against future disruption.”

The June vote has created uncertainty over Britain’s future economic and trade relationship with the European Union.

John Nelson, chairman of Lloyd’s of London, told Reuters last week that the insurance market would be ready to move some of its business to the EU as soon as Britain invoked Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, which triggers the start of exit from the bloc.

Aides to Prime Minister Theresa May have suggested she hopes to trigger Article 50 early next year, opening the way for up to two years of negotiations.

Asked what would encourage businesses to continue investing in Britain following the Brexit vote, the majority of CEOs surveyed by KPMG ranked certainty over trade terms as the most important.

Only one CEO said a timetable for triggering the formal divorce process and the subsequent exit was the most important factor.

KPMG said 72% of the CEOs surveyed had voted to remain in the EU. The Brexit vote has hit the British currency, with sterling skidding to a five-week low close against the dollar on Friday, but a Reuters poll this month found Britain is expected to narrowly dodge a mild recession that was widely predicted after the referendum. l

timistic about the months ahead.

They are also more satisfied with their current business situation,” Ifo head Clemens Fuest said in a statement. “The German economy is expecting a golden autumn”.

A separate index measuring corporate expectations in Europe’s biggest economy over a six-month

horizon rose to 104.5. This was the highest reading since November 2015, suggesting many firms were not expecting economic headwinds.

“The Brexit shock has been digested for now,” said Ifo economist Klaus Wohlrabe, adding that German executives appear to have

overcome the “small amount of uncertainty” created by Britain’s decision in June to leave the European Union.

A breakdown of the headline figure showed that sentiment had improved significantly in construction, manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing. l

Business

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14

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Stocks end marginally higher after fall n Tribune Business Desk Stocks closed higher amid volatility yesterday, a day after profit booking fall.

The trading began with a jump, but dipped in red before edging higher at the final minutes on modest buying mainly on telecommunications.

The benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, gained 10 points or 0.3% to 4,683. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, witnessed marginal rise about 3 points to 1,771.

The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, rose around 2 points to 1,122. However, the Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX was up 40 points to 8,766.

Trading activities declined as the DSE turnover was slightly down to Tk552 crore from previous session’s Tk555 crore.

Telecommunication gained highest 0.7%, followed by food & allied 0.3%, pharmaceuticals 0.2% and engineering 0.2%.

Most other sectors including non-banking institutions, power, textile and banks closed flat.

Gainers outpaced losers as out of 322 issues traded, 175 ended up, 103 down and 44 remained unchanged.

LankaBangla Securities said benchmark index consolidated as some investors were taking profit following last week’s gain on large cap while stocks with annual declaration were in focus. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Confidence Group has recently signed an agreement with the Centre for English Teaching and Research, Department of English, University of Dhaka. Under this agreement, CETR will train the employees of Confidence Group on Business Communication Skills Development

Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has recently opened a Fast Track booth at Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) campus in Mirpur cantonment, said a press release. Commandant of MIST, Brigadier General KM Salzar Hossain inaugurated the booth. The bank’s chairperson, Sayem Ahmed was present on the occasion

Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) has recently signed an agreement with a Middle East region based company named Oman and UAE Exchange Centre & Co LLC on providing remittance services, said a press release.

The bank’s MD & CEO, Md Shafiqur Rahman and CEO of Oman and UAE Exchange Centre, Boban Madamana Pailo have signed the agreement

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16

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Tech

Play with Motorola The new Moto Z series is bang for your buck

n Mahmood Hossain The device we’ll look into today is the Moto Z Play, one of the three different models available from Motorola (Moto Z; Moto Z Force).

Another reason for this choice is because of its affordability compared to the other two versions of the smartphone. It may lack in a few specs here and there but also boasts in other categories.

Truth is, at a price around $450 (or Tk35,000 unlocked), the Moto Z Play is definitely worth buying if you’re attracted by the given characteristics of the phone.

Different but same

The new Z Play looks exactly like the Z and Z Force. So what exactly differs from its siblings? Well, for one, the Z Play retains the 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s right, the other models decided to take a page out of Apple’s new approach and keeps only a USB Type-C port at the bottom of the phone. The

Z Play also has a 5.5-inch display like the others, but unfortunately has a 1920x1080 resolution, unlike the 2560x1440 screen on the other models.

With lesser 403ppi pixel density, this model also weighs heavier than the two. It comes in at 165g, two more units heavier than the Moto Z Force, while the Moto Z comes in at 136g. There’s a perfectly legitimate reason for this, as the Z Play boasts a very impressive 3,510 mAh, nonremovable battery. Alongside the large battery, there’s the 16-megapixel rear camera, paired with the 5-megapixel front-facing camera that is standard on all three models. The Moto Z as 13-megapixel in its main camera, while the Force has the superior 21-megapixel camera. And it’s nice to know that all three can shoot 4K video. But it seems that the Play’s camera performed slightly better than the other two. Always keep in mind, more megapixels do not necessarily equate to better images.

The Z Play only comes in a 32GB model with 3GB RAM (4GB in the other two), and houses the 2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon

625 processor. Again, falling behind the Moto Z and Force’s 2.2GHz Snapdragon 820 chip. On the plus side, all three models can let you expand your storage up to 2TB.

Take a close look

Here’s the rough part. The Moto Z series is not the prettiest thing on earth, but it’s not ugly either.

Keeping things as simple as possible, Motorola makes the Z look, well, mediocre. It almost looks like any other Android rectangular shaped with curved edges smartphone. And strangely enough, they decided to put the fingerprint sensor at the bottom of the phone, making it look like a ‘Home’ button. So what you see is not a physical button, as the real ‘Home’ button is on the screen just a tap or touch away. This could get a tad annoying, which is really a puzzling design decision by the brand. But it would be a lie if we said the rear design of the phone doesn’t look premium. Then again, it really depends on what colour combo you end up getting. The allwhite back with gold accents will pretty much provide that premium finish.

Is it really worth it?

What we’ve mentioned isn’t out of the ordinary, and it may not even match up with other Android smartphones at the same price range in the market.

However, the Z Play has two rows of magnetic bumps at the back that lets you attach and swap accessories called Moto Mods.

These mods can be as simple as a decorative cover, snap-on speaker, a projector or even a point-and-shoot camera. There’s nothing difficult about these additions either, they are quite easy to put on and use.

True, it is a new phone, but may not be able to beat out phones like the OnePlus 3. If you aren’t a big fan of the fancy mods or don’t really care about the battery life (who are we kidding?), then you’re actually better off with the latter.

But out of the three different Moto Z models, the Play provides the best value considering its price tag. And in all honesty, the average consumer won’t be able to tell the real difference between the upgraded tweaks on the other two models. In any case, you won’t be wasting your money on this, you’ll be investing in it.l

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DT

Tech

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

MacOS Sierra now available as a free update- and it’s great n Nahid Farzana Apple users must be having a great time recently. Right after the launch of iPhone 7 and 7s the company announced that MacOS Sierra, the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating systems, is now available as a free update.

It came up with some amazing new features and can be easily downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Finally Siri In Mac:

Siri is finally up on the Mac platform through the Sierra update.

Apple was kind of falling behind Microsoft and Google, both of whom placed voice-controlled artificial intelligence on their own desktop operating systems. Apple made up for it by placing it in lots of places on the Mac. The AI can help users multitask and send messages and emails, find documents, look for information, search user’s photo library, adjust system preferences and perform a whole lot of other miscellaneous tasks.

The Siri results can be dragged and dropped into a document or even be pinned into the Today view for future reference.

The Artificial Intelligence is extraordinary and can respond

very well to complex queries. If you ask to find the Photos you took at home or the word files you worked upon in the last 7 days- Siri will do exactly that for you.

Safer Transaction through Apple Pay:

The safest and most convenient payment system- Apple Pay is now available on the web ensuring a secure and better online shopping experience on the Safari browser.

You can check out now without having to enter your credit card numbers. You can simply click the Apple Pay button on the shopping sites and complete the purchase with Touch ID on your iPhone or by double-clicking the side button on your Apple Watch. As a result, your information is stored on Apple servers instead of being shared with the merchants.

Photos Curated By Memories:

Mac now has Memories which was already available on a few other platforms. Memories can automatically create curated collections of occasions like birthday parties or family vacations and create stunning slide-shows out of your pictures.

The new powerful technology

allows delivering improved face recognition, displaying all your photos on a world map and lets you search photos by the object or scenery in them.

iClouds Drive In Sierra:

All your files on your desktop and in documents folder will now be automatically stored and updated in iCloud Drive, freeing up memory on your system. This feature called Optimized Storage

will ensure you have ample space left on your device. The folders stored in iCloud can be synced to other devices- Mac, iPhones, iPods touch or iPads. Any edits you make from one device can be finished off in another too. One major drawback is- you will either have to sync all the contents or nothing at all- there’s no option of selecting individual files.

There are other amazing features linked to messaging,

iTunes, Tabs, etc. In general, Sierra is indeed a great update.

The fact that the update is freeis making it more amazing. But eventually, if you want to use all of its amazing new features, you will have to purchase iCloud storage.

The free 5 GB storage Apple is providing will not be enough for most users. There is scope for more improvement and Apple will definitely be bringing them soon enough. l

numerous memes and product reviews on the AirPods. People are concerned about its sound, quality, looks and most of all, its size. The product isn’t available yet and won’t be until late October.

According to various reports the company is still looking into the podcast issue and the Airpods are still early hardware.

The bugs need to be resolved before they go for official release next month. There are mixed reviews about the product but people are sure fascinated by this new item. Whether it’s a perfect product remains to be seen, but Apple is sure getting lots of free advertisement. Social media and influencers are talking about it and there’s so much word-of-mouth.

Of course, there are negative reviews but that’s just part of the territory.

Any new product can come with few problems, but accepting them is a different story. It’s

important that one recognize the problems and find ways to quickly solve them, and Apple seems to be of that opinion.

Apple has an amazing first mover advantage with new technology. If they can handle the complaints could follow the launch- they are sure to get tons of exposure. People are surely complaining and will do so- but this is indeed a new and revolutionary technology with amazing prospects. This first step towards a wireless vision is probably just worth it.l

The wireless vision n Nahid Farzana Apple introduced its latest devices iPhone 7 and 7s last Wednesday.

The new devices already created lots of hype, most of which was about the lack of a headphone jack. The answer to this dilemma

is supposed to be the AirPods that go with these phones. A pair of the wireless earbuds would cost around $159. There were

Articles reprinted under special arrangement with www.sdasia.com

DT

18

Biz Info

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

| exchange |

Guests pose for a group photo after the inauguration of Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange – 2016, a collaborative initiative by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Armed forces and the US Army Pacific to help effectively tackle the crisis following natural calamities such as earthquakes.

Photo: ISPR

| initiative |

| learning |

Let’s clean up Dhaka

A photography workshop for young and aspiring photographers held in Dhaka

JCI Dhaka Cosmopolitan, a membership-based international non-profit organization, organised an event named “Let’s Cleanup Dhaka” on September 20, to celebrate World Peace Day. The event was organised in partnership with “Let’s Do It! World”, another global voluntary organisation fighting for a cleaner planet. The

objective of this event was to create awareness about citizen initiatives to have a cleaner city and also to cleanup a certain location of the city. The chosen location for the event was Gulshan Central Park, a popular recreational spot for the city dwellers. JCI Bangladesh President Mr. Shakawat Hossain Mamun and visiting JCI Executive Vice President

Jeniffer Gracey inaugurated the event. JCI Vice President Mr. Amzad Hossain and JCI Dhaka Cosmopolitan President Mr. Arman Khan were also present for the event. After the inauguration, members of JCI Bangladesh cleaned up the Gulshan Central Park premises themselves to start the movement. l

A three-day photography workshop was held in Dhaka on September 23-25.

Twelve winners of the “Focus on Culture” photo competition participated in this workshop conducted by Bangladeshi photographer GMB Akash. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh organised the workshop and the photo competition to promote young and aspiring Bangladeshi photographers.

While congratulating the workshop participants on their winning the photo competition, Siroco Messerli, the Deputy Director of the Embassy of Switzerland, who was present in the closing session of the workshop, said, “Culture and development are

inter-connected. Culture is an important instrument to promote development and to fight various dimensions of poverty.”

He also called on the young photographers to keep up their good work and use their skills for the development of the society.

The photo competition was launched in May 2016.

Around 90 photographers participated in the competition.

A six member jury panel comprising international and local photographers and experts determined the winners.

The Embassy of Switzerland will organize a public exhibition in Dhaka in October where the 12 winners will exhibit their photographs.

For details on the list of the winners and their photographs, visit http://focusonculture.net/ contests/winners. l

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DT

Auto Connect

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

The Lexus GS F:

The Aspiring Super Saloon The Toyota luxury brand is setting up its own playground with its own rules; sticking a thumb at the Germans in mock flattery for their horsepower war

n ASM Foysal 471 horsepower doesn’t sound like much, but not too long ago that’d be a hefty output from a standard sized 4 door saloon. Things have gotten a little bonkers since, in the power aspect of hot saloons.

577bhp by the Mercedes AMG E63 and a whooping 592bhp output from the BMW M5 Competition Edition; seems like manufactures are sprinkling horsepower here and there, ready to be taken up by anyone with the means to do so.

We live in a time where 471bhp doesn’t count for much but that’s what the Lexus GS F is arming itself with in its battle against the titans.

This is not a conscious effort on Lexus’s part to make a declaration of war against its German horsepower crazed rivals, it’s about delivering a simple 5.0 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine without utilizing turbo power, the kind it’s German rivals like Audi, Merc and BMW are resorting to.

Speed! Power! That’s what petrolheads living on the edge seems to crave for. However,

the ridiculous amount of power surging through the likes of German machineries will have the most crazed petrolhead taking his/ her foot off the pedal after a few seconds of full throttle.

The Toyota luxury brand is setting up its own playground with its own rules; sticking a thumb at the Germans in mock flattery for their horsepower war, Lexus is presumably giving its customers “less for more”; putting in a practical amount of horsepower that wouldn’t have you shrieking and diving for the brakes every few seconds. With a 0 to 100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, this is a car you can use and truly appreciate on the road. Needless to say, it’s still fast, just not as fast as the others. Being naturally aspirated, the power it does offer is accessible instantly with the roar of thunder which is music to any petrol-head’s ear.

With a torque peaking at 4800rpm and power at 7100rmp, you’ll find yourself gunning for the redline at 7300rpm quite frequently. That compounded with the noise of the non-aspirated

engine ensues you’ll have a driving experience that’ll put a smile on your face each time. The V8 will kick things up a notch at 4000rpm and let out a wail almost similar to the iconic 4.7 liter V8 in Maserati GrandCabrio. The howl could use a tone up though; it’s too muted in even Sport+ mode. In spite of the low volume, the super revvy engine dominates the entire driving experience.

The chassis is not to be overlooked though, the steering is smooth and you get decent feedback and the body seems to slide along rough terrains.

Give the GS F some bends and it’ll show you exactly what it is made of. It glides through the curbs, maintaining a lingering sophistication and elegance hard pressed to find a match. Taking a turn on high speeds isn’t rocket science in this vehicle, the tyres

have enough grip to sail smoothly past any bend without being skittish.

Not all is well in the luxury line of Toyota though, there are some issues with the GS F which could stave you off. Firstly, the seven speed gearbox is downright distressing; it never feels “quite right” in auto mode and shifting down manually with the paddles is sluggish at best. Furthermore, having a significant power deficit that its German counterpart, the GS F isn’t very cheap although having the torque vectoring differential does add some significant value to it. Worst of all is the joystick one uses to navigate the information/entertainment system. It’s bad to the point of being unusable for almost anyone.

If you are really into the whole idea of getting a Lexus, the price isn’t too bad. Unlike the expensive

options in Mercedes, Audi, and beemer, there isn’t a whole lot of choices to ponder upon and that’s a good thing. From the 10way adjustable Leather-trimmed seating with black carbon fiber accents to the Dynamic gauge cluster and the 12.3 inch split screen multimedia display, almost everything you might want comes as standard with the car.

Credit must be given to where it’s due, Lexus is burning the naturally aspirated flames for a little while longer whereas its competitors have switched to forced induction. A bulky car like this really doesn’t need its engine pushing the 600bhp door. The sweet sounding GS F gets my nod of approval. It’s an inspiring V8 hero aspiring to do what others are afraid of and it’s a refreshing alternative to all the other super saloons out there.l

DT

20 Editorial

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

TODAY

At the peak of her powers But in her address to the General Assembly, the centrepiece of every leader’s program, the prime minister struck an admirably universalist tone PAGE 21

Tourism for all A person with disabilities usually does not travel alone -- at least one person is with them as a companion. So, for the tourism service providers, income doubles

BIGSTOCK

PAGE 22

BBIN can be a game-changer

T

Hear me roar Too often does it happen that sports demand an undying, uninhibited, unabashedly pure loyalty that is, for some, impossible. A loyalty beyond criticism 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.

he three planned land ports under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-IndiaNepal initiative will, if implemented properly, revitalise trade relations in the region and open up new vistas for Bangladesh.

The proposed land ports in Sylhet, Rangamati, and Satkhira are strategically placed for the greatest trade benefits. The Bhomra port in Satkhira, for example, is close enough to Kolkata to drastically reduce import-exports costs between India and Bangladesh.

Safe, economically efficient, and environmentally sound road transportation policies would go a long way towards cutting out unnecessary hindrances to trade in the region that the business community often faces.

With lower transportation costs, improved facilities, and increased trading capacity, everybody wins.

Greater regional cooperation between these four countries is imperative if the region is to prosper, and BBIN may have a chance to succeed in areas where SAARC has failed.

BBIN’s initiatives don’t end with land ports. Bus and cargo services in the sub-region would have a considerable positive impact by making it easier to travel, increasing people-to-people contact and cross-border activities.

The BBIN roads deal would create opportunities by enabling the seamless movement of passengers and cargo across countries. Under this deal, member states would be allowed use the roads of other member states for the transportation of goods and passengers.

While some security concerns have been raised by BBIN’s critics, more, not less regional connectivity is the solution.

But plans mean nothing if not implemented properly. All four countries involved must commit fully to co-operate on all kinds of infrastructurebuilding, which include the land ports, and safer and speedier highways.

In time, positive effects of the BBIN corridor could mean not just access to greater markets, but also improved living standards, health care, and education.

Bus and cargo services in the sub-region would have a considerable positive impact by making it easier to travel, increasing people-topeople contact and cross-border activities

DT

21

Opinion

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

At the peak of her powers Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina exhibited great statesmanship at the UNGA

n Enayetullah Khan

F

or anyone interested in international affairs, the week of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York represents possibly the most exciting time of the year. Where else are you likely to witness such a gathering of world leaders and diplomats, hardened policy-makers and dreamy idealists, as well as assorted experts in almost every field relevant to our common good, all acting as a magnet for the world’s press.

And these days, where the spotlight is, you get your usual gaggle of celebrities as well, for they are made for it. Each fall, usually the latter half of September, they all descend on Manhattan, the historical birthplace and the beating heart of New York City, to provide a snapshot of the state of the world we live in, of the times we inhabit.

It is, to be sure, history in the making.

New Yorkers must put up with the customary interventions that come from hosting a global community, even though “the land occupied by the United Nations Headquarters and the spaces of buildings that it rents” are under the sole administration of the UN and not the US government. They are technically extra-territorial.

That, of course, doesn’t stop the traffic from spilling over, well beyond midtown Manhattan’s Turtle Bay neighbourhood that is home to the iconic UN complex. I was in town from Hawaii, where I had just attended IUCN’s World Conservation Congress 2016, and relished the opportunity to get a wind of Bangladesh’s participation at the Olympics of governance, especially in light of our visibly growing presence on the international stage.

Bangladesh today is an acknowledged partner in a number of bilateral and multilateral partnerships with the nations of the world, in a variety of fields ranging from security to the economy to conservation efforts.

Its voice is increasingly heard, even sought. Its development model is … well, a model.

The government’s “zero tolerance” approach to terrorism has gained resonance throughout the world, and puts it in good company at the table of the family of nations. This was largely reflected in the person of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as she strutted across the international

stage at the head of her entourage.

Her program, based out of the world famous Waldorf Astoria hotel, largely made sense and veered clear of controversy, despite some speculation that Bangladesh might find itself unwittingly embroiled in the belligerent mood-finding succor in its neighbourhood.

But in her address to the General Assembly, the centrepiece of every leader’s program, the prime minister struck an admirably universalist tone

The PM has left New York with her own image and that of her country enhanced But in her address to the General Assembly, the centrepiece of every leader’s program, the prime minister struck an admirably universalist tone, summed up best in her quoting her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s address in 1974, when he said: “Bangladesh’s total commitment to peace was born of the realisation that only an environment of peace would enable us to mobilise and concentrate all our energies and resources in combating the scourges of poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, and unemployment.”

She also delivered a confident riposte to those who might wish to question the validity of legal processes such as the proceedings of the International Crimes Tribunal initiated by her government to bring justice to the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Bangladesh’s Liberation War. While advocating her government’s firm stance on ensuring accountability and justice, the PM said Bangladesh will “remain vocal about recognising the role of national judicial processes in ensuring

accountability and justice for mass atrocities.”

Identifying “terrorism and violent extremism” as the major global challenges of the present time, she said these menaces were sweeping across borders and no country seems immune, no individual beyond their target.

Before coming to the horrific Gulshan attack on July 1 that brought Bangladesh firmly into the orbit of the international terrorist franchises operating out of the Middle East, she pointed out the indiscriminate killing of innocent people everywhere from the US to Europe, Africa to Asia.

And who could deny her the opportunity to sing her own government’s recent successes in combating this menace, when she said: “Our government did succeed in disintegrating the homegrown terrorist groups, plugging their regular financing pipelines, and flushing out the regional operatives from our territory.”

Then, insightfully, she added: “With the vicious rise of certain international terrorist entities, it appears some of the local fringe elements have drawn inspiration and managed to regroup and rebrand them.” All in all, it was an

address whose spirit mirrored the aspirations of this year’s General Assembly.

The next day, the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh at the UN arranged for a morning press conference, to brief media about the outcome of the prime minister’s participation at this year’s UNGA, where she also chaired sessions on developmentrelated topics, and picked up awards for her commitment to women’s empowerment and a digital future for all in Bangladesh.

I took the opportunity to attend the Q&A session and ask her a couple of questions on international topics, in between a volley of queries that largely pertained to domestic politics back home, which seemed to miss the point.

When I asked her about any preferences for the upcoming US presidential election, for which the campaigning is on in full swing at the moment, she skillfully evaded disclosing a choice, like any experienced and right-thinking leader should. She did it by lobbing the question back at me, and we settled on the most sensible choice of going with “whoever worked best with Bangladesh.”

The UN secretary-general’s

FOCUS BANGLA

post is also about to fall vacant in December, and it is strongly rumoured that this time the position will be taken up by a woman. For my next and last question, I asked the PM whether she endorsed that line of thinking, fully expecting a resounding yes.

But in another sign of her growing statesman-like temperament, she tempered her answer, saying while she would be “delighted” were a woman to assume the post, she and her government would be “keeping an eye” out for the candidates and see what other countries were doing, before taking a decision “in due time.” After the press conference, I had the chance to present her with copies of a book on “art against terrorism” that was recently published by the art gallery I run, Gallery Cosmos, in collaboration with Cosmos Books.

When you’re looking out for a nation, the attitude displayed by the prime minister is the sort of outlook you expect. She would leave New York with both her own image and that of Bangladesh enhanced. l Enayetullah Khan is Editor-in-Chief, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) and Dhaka Courier.

22

DT

Opinion

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Tourism for all Able-bodied or not, everybody needs a vacation

n Md Ziaul Haque Howlader

E

very year, all the member countries of the UNWTO have celebrated World Tourism Day on this day with a specific theme since 1980.

This year, the theme “Tourism for all: Promoting universal accessibility� reflects the rights of every human being regarding tourist activities. To put it more clearly, it is to make the tourism industry friendly to all types of people, irrespective of race, caste, creed, gender, age, ethnicity, and persons of special needs.

This kind of tourism engages a collaborative process among stakeholders, and enables people with access requirements including mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services, and environments. This is, in fact, inclusive of all people, including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities, and seniors.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are approximately 1 billion persons with disabilities in the world. This equates to approximately 15% of the world population having a physical, mental, or sensory disability.

In addition to this data, rapid aging of the population is underway. In 2009, there were more than 730 million people over the age of 60, equivalent to 10% of the population -- an increase of more than 20% since 2000.

By the year 2050, the number of persons over the age of 60 will increase to account for 20% of the world’s population, with one-fifth of this group being over 80 years old.

Due to aging population in industrialised countries, the rate of disability among people with the capacity to travel is increasing, adding to the demand for an accessible environment, transport, and services -- which adds to the market value of the accessible tourism segment.

Much of the senior population has a significant income and the desire to travel, both in their home countries and abroad, and their expenditure tends to be higher than that of tourists in general. Because senior citizens and many people with disabilities are no longer active in the workforce -- they have the possibility of travelling throughout

the year, which helps to reduce the seasonality of demand experienced by many destinations.

The attention being turned to the accessible tourism market presents a challenge to the global travel industry in terms of improving policies and mobilising investment to carry out the necessary improvements in the short and long term. With the right approach, the tourism sector of Bangladesh has an excellent opportunity to serve an important and growing market, win new customers, and increase revenue at a time when other segments of the market may be weakening.

Bangladesh is going ahead with various programs to promote and develop its tourism industry. We must go ahead with well-planned and well-controlled tourism programs and infrastructure suitable for all types of tourists.

We must cater to all types of tourists with special focus on the physically challenged, kids, and aging tourists. The hotels and motels of Bangladesh must create suitable facilities such as separate front-desks, toilets, walkways, separate points at parks, museums, and destinations across the country.

A person with disabilities usually does not travel alone -- at least one person is with them as a companion. So, for the tourism service providers, income doubles.

Tourists with disabilities might need an extra hand

A person with disabilities usually does not travel alone -- at least one person is with them as a companion. So, for the tourism service providers, income doubles

The major obstacles tourists face in Bangladesh that need to be removed are lack of accessible facilities (buildings, outdoor environment, transports etc) in the tourism service chain, lack of accessible destinations, reliable information, awareness and knowledge among tourism providers; universal design of infrastructure (hotel, transports, roads, airports, parks, museums, food service facilities), accommodation, special parking zones, allocation of priority seats, necessary equipments for sports tourism etc.

Disabled people tend to be loyal to an accessible destination, staying longer and spending more.

According to figures from Open

Doors Organisation, American adults with disabilities or reduced mobility spend about $13.6bn a year on travel.

In Germany, the direct turnover generated by disabled travellers is estimated at Euros 2.5 bn, and rises to Euros 4.8 bn when including indirect effects. In Australia, disabled tourists contribute up to 16% of tourism GDP and sustain up to 17% of jobs in the tourism sector, according to research studies. These figures could rise even higher in future if the gap between the potential customer base and the actual number of travellers can be reduced.

In Germany, for example, about 37% of disabled people decided

not to travel in the past due to a lack of accessible facilities. Yet 48% would travel more frequently if these were available, and as many as 60% would be ready to pay higher travel costs for improved accessibility.

Bangladesh has a long way to go. It needs to diversify its tourism products as well as make the entire infrastructure friendly to all types of tourists from the beginning of construction. We must also focus on how to attract disabled people by creating better and more inclusive infrastructure, and providing good services. l Md Ziaul Haque Howlader is Head of PR, BPC.

BIGSTOCK

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Opinion

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Hear me roar Bangladesh just beat Afghanistan narrowly. Should we celebrate?

A close shave

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Too often does it happen that sports demand an undying, uninhibited, unabashedly pure loyalty that is, for some, impossible. A loyalty beyond criticism

n SN Rasul

I

do not support the Bangladeshi cricket team.

But, hear me out: My relationship with the

Bangladeshi cricket team is one of perfect harmony; I am not saddened by their loss, but it feels good when they win (unless, of course, it’s against South Africa).

There is a certain form of blasphemy in that sentence that

one, perhaps, shouldn’t advertise publicly.

With work and life having eaten away at the amount of my free time I am blessed with, my relationship with cricket in general is at the sad end reserved for long distance romance: Slowly, but surely, withering away, shelved somewhere in the back of the mind, only brought back out to revel in rose-tinted bouts of nostalgia.

As a result, I can’t remember the last time I looked at a cricket match that wasn’t a passing glance on my way to somewhere else.

Occasionally, I’ll look up a scorecard, if there’s a lot of a fuss, or watch it alongside a crowd outside an electronics store as my rickshaw is stuck in traffic.

But I feel the connection slipping away.

So, when the BangladeshAfghanistan match went down to the wire, the only reason I knew of its existence was because I had read a newspaper that day and later, a friend of mine had posted a photo of her watching the last over or two of the match.

If it had been against a team of more repute, one of the big guns, my thought would’ve been: “Oh look, interesting.”

But since it was the Afghanistani team, a team which can barely participate in the World Cups (has it ever? I can’t recall), a win wouldn’t come close to exciting me, and a loss would just mean the Bangladeshi cricket team being its Bangladeshi cricket team self: Flip-flopping under the burden of inconsistency, struggling to find its proper footing, much like its batsmen, unable to decide whether it belongs in the big leagues or not.

But my lack of attachment to the team, or indeed, my inability to take pride in most things Bangladeshi, has been problematic.

As much as I enjoyed having my feet on two separate boats, when it came to airing my opinions in public, when I told a fellow Bangladeshi of how I felt, it seemed that I was neither a Bangladeshi nor a fellow man.

Sports are a great way of uniting the people of a nation, and bringing people from all walks of life together, under the same awning.

But too often does it happen that sports demand an undying, uninhibited, unabashedly pure loyalty that is, for some, impossible. A loyalty beyond criticism.

Too often does it happen that a sports team becomes the poster child for nationalism.

Now the merits and demerits of nationalism can be discussed all day long; most Bangladeshis would take pride in their Bangladeshi-ness, their ilish and machh and bhorta, their so-called “resilience,” their Tigers.

Some will latch on to things that are barely their own and wear them like undeserving badges of honour.

I, on the other hand, have always been on the other side of the spectrum, choosing to see ideas of nationalism and patriotism as mere loyalty to real estate.

And that should be okay. To have a differing opinion. The problem here is the underlying expectation and demand of blind loyalty, the flaws and imperfections of the entity to which you pledge loyalty to.

It should be okay to say: “You know what, the country I live in, it’s terrible.

The cricket team it’s so proud of? Even worse!” Not that I’d say it, not unless I meant it (well, the first half…).

The point being, even if I did, it should be acceptable for the people and the government to listen to my grievances without going to the age-old comeback: “Then why don’t you get out?”

The country you are born in, much like your religion, your name, your parents, is not a choice.

These are the cards you are dealt as you play the game of life, and within it, watch the game of cricket.

When you watch your national team, or local club, and roar in pride and misery when they win and lose, that is a result of billions of years of cause and effect.

And that is perfectly fine.

But, contrarily, if you watch your neighbours, your friends, and family do the same and find yourself isolated, alienated, wondering why this is even a thing, that is fine too.

Dissent and criticism, discussions and debates, we must make room for these. No one deserves our blind faith, not even the country that is forced to allow you to inhabit it.

Bangladesh went on to win by seven runs. A close shave. Was I happy? No. Disappointed? Not really. And that’s okay. l SN Rasul is a Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune. Follow him @snrasul.

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24 Sport

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

TOP STORIES

‘Team effort key behind success’ University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh cricket team were felicitated for their runners-up finish in the Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016. The felicitation ceremony was held in Mirpur’s SBNS yesterday. PAGE 25

Madrid face Dortmund rematch,

One of the most highly-anticipated showdowns of the group stage sees reigning champions Real Madrid head to Germany to take on 1997 winners and 2013 runnersup Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park. PAGE 26

India celebrate 500th Test in style India celebrated their 500th Test in style when they overcame New Zealand’s dogged resistance with mesmeric spin and masterful swing to claim the series opener by 197 runs. New Zealand were 93 for four at stumps on day four. PAGE 27

Atletico downs Deportivo Antoine Griezmann’s second-half goal earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win against 10-man Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday, but Diego Simeone’s side suffered a double injury blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. PAGE 28

Following a rain-affected training session in Mirpur, Tigers assistant coach Richard Halsall and Mahmudullah make their way to the dressing room

MI MANIK

‘The change has come’

Walsh praises Taskin

n Mazhar Uddin

It was the very first game for the Tigers’ new bowling coach Courtney Walsh as Bangladesh narrowly escaped defeat against Afghanistan in the first ODI in Mirpur on Sunday.

At one stage it appeared that the visitors would run away with the match but the home side held their nerve, eventually managing a seven-run win.

Despite the close nature of the victory, Walsh believes his charges performed well following a 10-month break from ODIs. “We sent messages to try to get him (Mashrafe bin Mortaza) to relax and remember what we were doing in practice. Everyone tried to fit in as best as they could. I think everybody was keen because we hadn’t played for a while,” Walsh told the media yesterday.

“We were match rusty. The boys turned it around and did very well. We were saying inside [the dressing room] that if we can get two good overs and if those overs had wickets, the game could change. We weren’t sharp in the field like we usually are but once we started taking wickets, we knew we had a chance,” added the West Indies fast bowling legend.

The 53-year old also praised Taskin Ahmed, who recently made a comeback to international cricket following a suspension for illegal bowling action.

“I thought he did very well. He was under a bit of pressure before the game. He was reported by the International Cricket Council so to come into a game of this nature after not playing for 10 months, I think he was trying a little bit too hard at the beginning,” he said.

“But he delivered what we needed him to do. Credit to him for how he came back. He could have had a completely bad day and that could have cost us the match,” he added. l

There was a time a couple of years back when Bangladesh did all the hard work against an opposition only to fall short in the latter stages of a game owing to a lack of experience and self belief.

The first ODI against Afghanistan in Mirpur on Sunday was perhaps a repeat of the previous times but this time around, the Tigers gave a better account of themselves, eventually winning the game by seven runs. Roles were reversed as it was the visitors who couldn’t capitalise on their good start and fell short at the end due to a lack of confidence and composure.

At one stage in their pursuit of 266, Afghanistan were cruising thanks to Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 144-run stand for the third wicket. The foundation was laid as the Afghans required 77 runs from their last 10 overs with as many as eight wickets to spare.

Any experienced side in world cricket would have surely cashed in on the situation but it was Bangladesh who snatched the game from the visitors’ grasp. The Tigers remained calm and managed a narrow win, courtesy some fine death over bowling from the returning Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Shakib al Hasan.

And according to Mahmudullah, who scored 62 off 74 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes on Sunday, all the signs are there that the Tigers are slowly emerging into a top side in international cricket.

“I think yes, honestly, we lost a few close games in the past as we were not able to win for some small mistakes. Eventually we went on to lose the games which we should have won. So I think the change has come slowly and gradually. We have started to change our mindset,” Mahmudullah told the media yesterday following a rain-affected training session at Sher-eBangla National Stadium.

“I hope that we can continue this habit and play some good cricket in the coming days.”

However, the 30-year old admitted that there were some errors on the field from the home side but it was only because they returned to the ODI circuit following a 10-month hiatus.

He said they would be looking to improve their displays, especially ground fielding, with the second ODI scheduled to be held tomorrow at the home of cricket.

Mahmudullah, who plays the role of a finisher in T20Is these days, has developed a few strokes in his new and different role in ODIs as he bats at number four. The stylish right hander said he tried to remain positive and attacking till the finish, despite the fall of regular wickets at the other end.

“It was on my mind. I tried to remain attacking and play positive cricket as I was set at that time. But it would have been better if were more alert. I could have scored some more runs as I had a good partnership with Shakib at that time,” he added. l

n Mazhar Uddin

25

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

‘Team effort key behind ULAB success’ n Ali Shahriyar Bappa University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh cricket team were felicitated for their runners-up finish in the Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016. The felicitation ceremony was held at the conference room of Bangladesh Cricket Board in Mirpur’s Sher-eBangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday.

ULAB posted a comprehensive 10-wicket win over University of Sydney, Australia in their first match of the tournament at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Sri Lanka on September 5.

But in their second match a day later, ULAB lost to Loughborough University, England by 25 runs.

Later on September 7, ULAB claimed a nervy one-wicket victory over Assupol Tuks Cricket, University of Pretoria to confirm their semi-final ticket.

ULAB then progressed to the grand finale after beating University of Central Punjab, Pakistan by two wickets at Galle International Stadium on September 10.

Skipper Hasanuzzaman was the top-scorer for ULAB with 168 runs in five matches while Arifur Rahman was the highest wicket-taker

of the tournament with 13 wickets in five matches.

ULAB captain Hasanuzzaman said the achievement is the result of total team effort. He gave credit to team discipline and spirit for their success.

“We were a balanced team. We enjoyed performing throughout the tournament. We did not have any national team players like Sri Lanka or South Africa had. But we believed in ourselves. We maintained team discipline. Maybe it was the key behind our success,” said Hasanuzzaman.

“We targeted the semis at first.

After reaching that stage, we thought we had nothing to lose so we just enjoyed the moment and played our best cricket. Unfortunately, we came up short,” he added.

On the other hand, head coach Sheikh Mamun said ULAB were one of the best teams in the tournament.

“Everybody contributed well and played accordingly. We were unfortunate not to win the trophy but the players played brilliantly,” said Mamun.

“Coaches and managers, even players from several teams praised

our displays and regarded us as the best team of the tournament,” he added.

ULAB earned the opportunity to participate in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Final Tournament by winning the ninth Fair Play Cup 2016 in February. Every year since 2006 ULAB have been organising the Fair Play Cup. Jalal Younus, director and chairman, media committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Kazi Inam Ahmed, director of BCB, Taufiq Aziz, advisor of ULAB Field Sports Club and Mamun were present among others on the occasion. l

ULAB cricket team players pose for photographs alongside BCB directors Jalal Younus (C) and Kazi Inam Ahmed (CR) during the felicitation programme in Mirpur’s SBNS yesterday

Razzak, Al Amin wreck Barisal Khulna v Barisal (tier one)

Veteran spinner Abdur Razzak and pacer Al Amin Hossain’s three-wicket hauls helped Khulna dismiss Barisal for 261 runs on the second day of the first round in the 18th National Cricket League yesterday.

RD 1, DAY 2 BARISAL 291 (Monir 57, Al Amin 3/38, Razzak 3/84) lead KHULNA 221/4 (Tushar 91, Mahedi 85, Kabir 3/21) by 70 runs CHITTAGONG 368 (Noor 40*, Babu 3/73, Sajedul 2/65) lead RANGPUR 183/5 (Saymon 53, Mahmudul 39, Mishu 3/36) by 185 runs At stumps, Khulna trailed by 40 runs with six wickets remaining in their first innings. The tier one game at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna resumed with Barisal on 165 with seven wickets in hand.

Monir Hossain’s 57 runs ensured Barisal made some progress but it was Al Amin and Razzak who had the last laugh.

In reply, Khulna, propelled by Tushar Imran’s 91 and opening batsman Mahedi Hasan’s 85, posted 221 runs on the board losing four wick-

ets. Right-arm pacer Golam Kabir picked up three wickets for Barisal.

Chittagong v Rangpur (tier two)

At Sylhet International Stadium, Rangpur trail by 185 runs with five wickets remaining in their first innings, in reply to Chittagong’s 368.

The tier two match resumed on day two with Chittagong on 294 for 5.

However, the port-city outfit could only add 74 runs to the tally before losing all of their wickets.

Noor Hossain remained unbeaten on 40. Alauddin Babu and Sajedul Islam bagged two wickets each for Rangpur. Later, Rangpur finished the day on 183 runs for the loss of five wickets in 59 overs.

Opener Sayman Ahmed scored 53 with the help of seven boundaries.

Chittagong paceman Yasir Arafat Mishur bagged three wickets.

Other matches

The second day’s play between Dhaka Metropolis and Dhaka in Bogra (tier one) and Rajshahi and Sylhet in Rajshahi (tier two) was washed out by heavy rain without a ball being bowled.

- TRIBUNE REPORT

DHAKA TRIBUNE

BOYS’ U-18 ASIA CUP HOCKEY

Upbeat Bangladesh up against Oman n Tribune Report A confident and spirited Bangladesh Under-18 hockey team will take on Oman today in their second Pool A match in the fourth edition of the Boys’ U-18 Asia Cup Hockey at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium. The match begins at 3pm.

Following their nail-biting 5-4 win against favourites India on the opening day of the tournament, a draw against Oman would be enough for the boys in red and green to finish the group stage as Pool A champions. Oman conceded a huge 11-0 defeat against India on Sunday and Bangladesh will also

be looking forward to a convincing victory against the Arab nation.

Bangladesh are likely to face China in the semi-finals if they earn at least a point today while Dhaka could witness an India-Pakistan battle in the last four this Thursday.

The line-ups will be finalised today after China face Chinese Taipei at 11am and Pakistan lock horns with Hong Kong at 1pm.

The home side are in a jolly mood following their amazing victory against India where dragand-flick specialist Ashraful Islam netted four goals. Ashraful will be eyeing to add more goals to his tally while attackers like Romman

Sarkar, Arshad Hossain and Fazle Hossain Rabby would also want to get their names on the scoresheet.

Bangladesh Hockey Federation vice president Khwaja Rahmatullah informed earlier that Bangladesh never lost to Oman in any age-level tournament. Bangladesh beat Oman twice in the eighth Men’s Junior Asia Cup Hockey last November. They won 5-4 in the group stages where Ashraful scored twice and Romman and Arshad added one apiece.

Bangladesh got the better of Oman again in the classification match in Malaysia, courtesy a 3-2 win in the penalty shoot-out. l

Sabbir fined 30 percent of match fee n Tribune Report Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman has been fined 30 percent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct during their first ODI against Afghanistan in Mirpur on Sunday. Sabbir also received two demerit points for his actions.

Following a drinks break during Afghanistan’s innings, Sabbir was found guilty of questioning one of umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat’s leg-before wicket decisions and made offensive comments.

According to an ICC press release, Sabbir was found to have breached Article 2.1.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which

relates to using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an international match.

Over the next two years, if Sabbir garners four or more demerit points, it will be converted into two suspension points. Two suspension points equal a ban from one Test match or two ODIs or two T20Is. l

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Sport

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Madrid face Dortmund rematch, Leicester host Porto Monaco v Bayer Leverkusen

Former runners-up Monaco will be looking to build on their impressive opening win over Tottenham Hotspur when they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Stade Louis II. The principality club have not lost in four previous meetings with Leverkusen, beating them home and away in the group stage two seasons ago. Leonardo Jardim’s side are fresh from beating Angers 2-1 to go top of Ligue 1. It was their eighth win in their last nine games but they were without Radamel Falcao in that game after he suffered concussion in last Wednesday’s 4-0 defeat at Nice.

Leverkusen, who drew 2-2 at home to CSKA Moscow on matchday one, are mid-table in the Bundesliga but they travel to the Mediterranean coast on the back of a 3-2 win at Mainz on Saturday, in which Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored a hat-trick. Karim Bellarabi is out until the end of the year with a groin injury.

CSKA Moscow v Tottenham

Tottenham will look to kickstart their European campaign in the Russian capital after losing 2-1 to Monaco at Wembley last time out. Mauricio Pochettino’s side go to Moscow for the first time and do so in second place in the Premier League after a 2-1 weekend win at Middlesbrough in which Son Heung-Min scored twice. Moussa Sissoko could miss the game after suffering concussion at the weekend and a depleted Spurs are already without striker Harry Kane while also having major doubts over Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier and Danny Rose. CSKA came from two goals down to draw in Leverkusen last time out to set them up nicely for their first Champions League game in their new 30,000seat stadium.

Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

One of the most highly-anticipated showdowns of the group stage sees reigning champions Real Madrid head to Germany to take on 1997 winners and 2013 runners-up Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park.

Both teams are expected to progress to the last 16 and both won their opening matches, albeit in contrasting circumstances. While Dortmund romped to a 6-0 win away at Legia Warsaw, Real needed two late goals to come back and beat Sporting 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid won 3-2 on aggregate when the teams last met in the quarter-finals in 2013/14, but they have been beaten on their last three visits to Dortmund and they do not have a good record in Germany, with just four wins from 29 trips. Dortmund, meanwhile, have won four on the bounce in all competitions, scoring 20 goals in the process, and are unbeaten in 24 home Bundesliga games, equalling a club record, after defeating Freiburg 3-1 on Friday.

Sporting v Legia Warsaw

These sides are expected to be fighting it out for third place and a Europa League berth in the new year and both lost their opening matches. Jorge Jesus’ Sporting were unlucky not to take something from their trip to Madrid and will be favourites at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, where they beat Estoril 4-2 on Friday with Dutch summer signing Bas Dost scoring twice as they stayed second in the Portuguese league behind leaders Benfica. Jesus serves a touchline ban against Legia, who have changed coach since their humbling home loss to Dortmund. A 3-2 home defeat to Zaglebie Lubin brought an end to Besnik Hasi’s brief reign in the dugout.

FC Copenhagen v Club Brugge

The Group G outsiders meet in the Danish capital with Copenhagen looking to build on a 1-1 draw away to FC Porto last time out. Stale Solbakken’s side are unbeaten in seven European outings already this season and are four points clear atop their domestic league after defeating AGH Aarhus 2-0 at the weekend with goals from the Paraguayan forward Federico Santander and Kasper Kusk. In contrast to their hosts, former European Cup runners-up Club Brugge have had a poor start to the season and were brushed aside

by Leicester City, losing 3-0 on matchday one.

Leicester City v FC Porto

The Premier League champions get set for another historic moment as they host two-time European champions Porto in the first ever Champions League game at the King Power Stadium.

Claudio Ranieri’s team lost 4-1 at Manchester United on Saturday, their third league defeat already this season. However, a 3-0 win in Bruges was an ideal start to their European campaign and Porto have lost and failed to score on each of their last four visits to England. They will be familiar with the threat of Leicester’s record signing Islam Slimani from his time in Portugal with Sporting. Andre Silva scored twice as Porto beat city rivals Boavista 3-1 at the weekend.

Maxi Pereira is expected to be fit for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who were held at home by Copenhagen after beating Roma to reach the group stage.

Sevilla v Lyon

These two teams should fight it out to go through to the last 16 along with Juventus. The Spaniards will

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo shoots during training ahead of their today’s Champions League encounter against Borussia Dortmund INTERNET fancy their chances of taking three points at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Europa League winners in each of the last three years, they held Juve in Italy in their group opener and are looking good under new coach Jorge Sampaoli. A 3-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday ended a six-game unbeaten run, though, for a side that features half a dozen French players. Lyon beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 at home in their opener but have won just once in five in Ligue 1 outings and are without injured top scorer Alexandre Lacazette for the trip.

Dinamo Zagreb v Juventus

The Italian champions, runners-up in 2015, did not get off to the best start as they were held to a goalless draw by Sevilla but they will be expected to get a win under their belts in Croatia against one of the weakest sides in the competition. The Turin giants have injury worries too, with Asamoah and Rugani joining Benatia and Marchisio on the sidelines in their 1-0 weekend win at Palermo. Marko Pjaca could play.

Dinamo have bounced back from a run of three straight defeats with back-to-back domestic wins. l

Anik propels Muktijoddha n Tribune Report

Southampton ‘s Austin (2L) scores one of their three goals against West Ham during their EPL match on Sunday

REUTERS

A 10-man Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra yesterday earned a narrow 1-0 victory over newly promoted Uttar Baridhara Club to move to third place in the Bangladesh Premier League points table.

Anik netted the all-important goal in the 67th minute of the game to help the All Reds salvage three points in the eight round of the league at Sylhet District Stadium after Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan received a red card in the 57th minute.

Muktijoddha moved to third position with 15 points from eight matches while Uttar Baridhara remained at second-from-bottom with only three points. It was Uttar Baridhara’s seventh consecu-

tive defeat, despite kicking off the league with a win over Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra in Chittagong.

Meanwhile in the day’s other match, Mohammedan Sporting Club registered their sixth draw in the league when they played out a goalless draw with Arambagh Krira Sangha at the same venue.

The Black and Whites remained one of two sides in the 12-club premier league who are yet to win a single game after eight rounds, along with Sheikh Russel. They earned only six points to stay at 10th while Arambagh moved to seventh with eight points from as many matches.

Today at the same venue, Chittagong Abahani will take on Feni Soccer Club while Rahmatganj MFS face Team BJMC. l

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

India players celebrate after winning the first Test against New Zealand at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur, India yesterday REUTERS

India thump NZ to celebrate 500th Test in style n Reuters, Kanpur India celebrated their 500th Test in style when they overcame New Zealand’s final dogged resistance with mesmeric spin and masterful swing to claim the series opener by 197 runs yesterday.

1ST TEST, DAY 5 INDIA 318 & 377/5 dec beat NEW ZEALAND 262 & 236 (Ronchi 80, Santner 71, Ashwin 6/132) by 197 runs New Zealand were always going to do well to manage anything more than delaying the Indian celebrations when they resumed on 93 for four in their pursuit of an improbable 434run victory target on a track offering generous spin and bounce.

To their credit, they kept the home bowlers at bay for 50 overs on a turning day-five track before collapsing for 236 to give the hosts a comprehensive victory in the milestone Test.

Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 6-132 to complete his 10-wicket match haul and prove why he is considered India’s premier spinner.

His spin partner Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged man-

of-the-match for claiming six wickets and scoring 92 runs without being dismissed in either innings.

When final day’s play began under an overcast sky, overnight batsmen Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner (71) continued their resistance against the in-form Indian spinners at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium.

Kohli predictably began with spin from both ends but the batsmen mixed caution with aggression to defy their hosts.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja finally made the breakthrough when he induced Ronchi into an ill-timed slog against the turn and Ashwin pouched the skier at point.

The dismissal pretty much summed up a Test in which India’s spin duo, who shared 16 of the 20 Black Cap wickets between them, combined to wreck New Zealand’s hopes of a result.

It was a tame end to Ronchi’s 102-run partnership with Santner, a defiant battle spread over 36 overs that proved the local spinners were not unplayable.

Ronchi hit nine boundaries and a six before his rush of blood to the head ended his innings on 80. l

DAY’S WATCH FOOTBALL TEN 1

12:45AM UEFA Champions League CSKA Moskva v Tottenham

TEN 2 12:45AM UEFA Champions League Dortmund v Real Madrid

TEN 3 3:30PM FFA Cup 2016: QF3

Bentleigh Greens v Melbourne Victory

SONY SIX 05:18AM FIFA Futsal World Cup SF 1: Iran v Russia

CRICKET TEN 3 10:00PM Pakistan v West Indies 3rd T20I

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Atletico down Deportivo n Reuters, Madrid

LA LIGA 1-2

Leganes Szymanowski 21

Atletico Madrid

Valencia

Nani 33, Mario Suarez 51

1-0

Deportivo

1-O

Osasuna

Griezmann 70

Villarreal 3

Pato 5, Bruno 24-P, Sansone 39

Torres 45+1-P

0-2

Espanyol

Antoine Griezmann’s second-half goal earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday, but Diego Simeone’s side suffered a double injury blow ahead of their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.

France international Griezmann scored his fifth goal of the season from close range 20 minutes from fulltime after the visitors were reduced to 10 men following midfielder Faycal Fajr’s sending off.

With tomorrow’s home game against Bayern Munich looming, Atletico midfielder Augusto Fernandez left the pitch on a stretcher with a suspected knee injury before defender Jose Gimenez limped off.

After last Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Barcelona, Atletico rested Stefan Savic and Saul while Gabi and Gameiro started on the bench. l

Celta Vigo

Rossi 90+1, Sisto 90+3

LA LIGA POINTS TABLE Team

P

W

D

L

Madrid

6

4

2

0

GD Pts

Barcelona 6

4

1

1

13

13

Atletico

6

3

3

0

10

12

Villarreal

6

3

3

0

5

12

Bilbao

6

4

0

2

3

12

9

14

Atletico Madrid’s Brazilian defender Filipe Luis (R) and Deportivo Coruna’s Raul Albentosa in action during their La Liga match on Sunday REUTERS

Totti still magic as Roma icon turns 40 n AFP, Milan As hard as he tries, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is unlikely to convince fans this week that Francesco Totti is just another player for the Serie A giants.

Today Totti turns 40 and the one-club man who is in his 25th and likely last season with the ‘Giallorossi’ (Yellow and Reds) is still, when he gets the chance, producing the magic.

Known as the “Golden Boy” as a precociously-gifted teen, and

revered as the “King of Rome” throughout a storied career that saw Totti, if not his underachieving club, rise to the top, fans expect a fairytale ending this season.

It is over 23 years since Totti made his Roma debut in the final minutes of a 2-0 win at Brescia in March 1993.

And his latest milestone serves as a reminder of how Totti has evolved, adapted to and excelled in a changing game during some of the wonder years of Italy’s top flight.

SERIE A POINTS TABLE

Team

P

W

D

L

GD Pts

Juventus 6

5

0

1

8

15

Napoli

6

4

2

0

9

14

Inter Milan 6

3

2

1

2

11

Roma

6

3

1

2

6

10

Lazio

6

3

1

2

3

10

When Totti took the captain’s armband from Brazilian defender Aldair under pioneering Czech coach Zdenek Zeman in 1998, he had answered his calling.

Two seasons later, he helped

end Roma’s 18-year wait for the Serie A title, in 2001. When Roma weren’t winning, he was stunning rivals with an astonising array of ball skills and goals.

Totti has “purged” bitter city rivals Lazio on more than one occasion, goaded other rivals with equally provocative messages on T-shirts and, last year, hit the headlines after celebrating a brace against Lazio by running to the “Curva Sud” and using a telephone to take a “selfie” with thousands of fans in the background. l

SERIE A Torino

3-1

Belotti 8, Falque 53-P, 65

Genoa

1-1

Simeone 47

Inter Milan

Pescara Manaj 86

1-1

Perisic 37

Lazio

Roma Totti 55-P

Bologna Destro 14

2-0

Empoli

1-0

Udinese

0-0

AC Milan

Keita 29, Lulic 90

Sassuolo Defrel 34

Fiorentina

Nice go top again with Schalke slump to fifth straight 1-0 win at Nancy defeat of the season n Reuters, Paris Nice reclaimed top spot in Ligue 1 after Alassane Plea’s finely executed second-half goal gave the Azurean side a 1-0 win at promoted Nancy on Sunday.

Lucien Favre’s Nice team were missing their top scorer Mario Balotelli but Plea stepped up with a clinical finish in the 61st minute, latching onto Valentin Eysseric’s cross to score the only goal of an otherwise rather dull encounter.

Unbeaten Nice have 17 points from seven games and lead AS Monaco, who beat Angers 2-1 on Saturday, by one point.

The visitors had to cope without Balotelli after the Italian striker, who has already netted four goals in Ligue 1 this season, was ruled out with a groin injury.

They sat back in the first half but

n Reuters, Berlin

LIGUE 1 Saint-Etienne

3-1

Lille

Beric 63, Nordin 72, Roux 90+3

Civelli 80

0-1

Nancy

Nice Plea 61

2-1

Marseille

Nantes

Njie 23, Gomis 53-P

Sala 3

LIGUE 1 POINTS TABLE Team

P

W

D

L

Nice

7

5

2

0

8

17

Monaco

7

5

1

1

6

16

Toulouse

7

4

2

1

6

14

PSG

7

4

1

2

9

13

4

1

2

3

13

Bordeaux

7

GD Pts

made the most of their best chance when forward Plea connected with Eysseric’s chipped pass to score his third goal of the season. l

Bundesliga basement side Schalke 04 slumped to a fifth straight defeat when they lost 2-1 at Hoffenheim on Sunday as one of Germany’s biggest clubs made their worst start to a season.

Cologne and RB Leipzig remained unbeaten after drawing 1-1 in a match which started 15 minutes late because the home fans staged a sit-down protest in the street to prevent the visitors’ team bus from reaching the stadium.

Schalke took an early lead but their players were left speechless after a mistake by midfielder Nabil Bentaleb set up Lukas Rupp’s 40th minute winner for Hoffenheim, who themselves had drawn their opening four matches.

Schalke, the only Bundesliga team without a point after five

BUNDESLIGA Hoffenheim

2-1

Schalke

Kramaric 17, Rupp 41

Choupo-Moting 4

1-1

Cologne

Leipzig

Osako 25

Burke 5

BUNDESLIGA TABLE Team

P

W

D

L

GD Pts

Bayern

5

5

0

0

14

15

Dortmund 5

4

0

1

12

12

Cologne

5

3

2

0

7

11

Gladbach 5

3

1

1

4

10

Frankfurt 5

3

1

1

3

10

games, got the perfect start when Breel Embolo raced past two defenders and crossed for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to head in after four minutes.

But Schalke, who have not finished outside the top six since

2010-11, handed the initiative back to the hosts, who levelled with a powerful header by Andrej Kramaric in the 17th minute.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar headed against the post for Schalke but Hoffenheim went ahead five minutes before the break.

Kerem Demirbay pounced on a poor Bentaleb pass, burst forward and laid the ball off for Rupp to slide in at the far post. Hoffenheim, who are ninth on seven points, dominated the second half as the Royal Blues went down with barely a whimper.

In Cologne, Leipzig’s bus eventually reached the stadium via an alternative route after the latest protest against energy drinks manufacturer Red Bull’s ownership of the club.

Rival fans say Leipzig are an example of a “plastic club”. l

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Passionate (6) 5 Large container for liquids (3) 7 Anger (3) 8 Leave (6) 11 Result of addition (3) 12 Flies upwards (5) 14 Country (4) 16 Concretion of nacre (5) 18 Embellish (5) 20 Drug-yielding plant (4) 21 Lines between abutting edges (5) 23 Small spot (3) 24 Increases (6) 27 United (3) 28 And not (3) 29 Reply (6)

DOWN 1 Help (3) 2 Immerse (3) 3 Obliteration (7) 4 Wicked emperor (4) 5 Slave (6) 6 Place of worship (6) 9 Observed (4) 10 Faucet (3) 13 Grounds for belief (7) 14 Forgive (6) 15 Duty list (6) 17 Put to flight (4) 19 Seize suddenly (3) 22 Satellite (4) 25 Ply the needle (3) 26 Term of respect (3)

29

DT

Downtime

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

CODE-CRACKER How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 21 represents Y so fill Y every time the figure 21 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

DT

30

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Showtime

Bangladesh picks ‘Oggatonama’ for Oscar

Photo: Sohel Mamun

n

Rumpa Farzana

Oscar Bangladesh Committee has stated that they have been nominated to participate in the upcoming 89th Academy Awards.

Among four films, the committee has chosen Oggatonama, a Tauqir Ahmed film to take part under the Foreign Language Film category. The film which released in Bangladesh on August 19, won a jury mention at an independent film festival in Naples, Italy, and was screened at the Le Marché du Film on the sidelines of this year’s Cannes festival.

The film cast consists of Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shahiduzzaman Selim, Nipun, Mosharraf Karim,

Shatabdi Wadud, Abul Hayat and Shehed.

The film premiered in Paris on September 7. At the award ceremony of the Film Fest Kosova, Tauquir Ahmed took home the awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay. The film also travelled to USA to participate in the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival from September 9-11. It will then be screened at the Religion Today Film Festival in Trento, Italy from October 7-17, before going back to USA to the Seattle South Asian Film Festival set to take place from October 14-23.

The board of nine members of the committee are very hopeful

about the movies success. They think the film has met the criteria of a film worthy of the Oscars.

Hosted by Bangladesh Federation of Film Society, the Oscar Bangladesh Committee made a call for movies earlier for the nomination, setting the deadline at September 21. Three movies from Impress Telefilm and one from Khona Talkies were shortlisted for selection.

The other movies are Krishno Pokkho by Shawon Ahmed, Under Construction by Rubaiyat Hossain and Dorpon Bishorjon by Shumon Dhar along with Oggatonama.

Finally Oggatonama was selected by members of the committee.

Nine members of the committee are Prof Abdus Selim, president (BFFS), Delowar Jahan Jhantu, president, Bangladesh Film Director Associations, Md Saiful Islam Chowdhury, president, Bangladesh Motion Pictures Exhibitions Association, Shakib Khan, actor and president of Bangladesh Film Artist Association, Reza Latif, president, Bangladesh Cinematography Society, Abu Musa Debu, president, Bangladesh Film Editors Guilds, Shamim Akhtar, independent film maker and writer and Arifa Zaman Moushumi, actress. l

Radio Foorti celebrates a decade in the industry n Showtime Desk One of the most popular radio stations of this era, Radio Foorti steps into the next year, with millions of listeners and wellwishers following suit in their journey as they chant this years theme: “10xfoorti!”

On the occasion the station has given a big “thank you” to listeners and partners of Radio Foorti. “Thanking them is indubitably a must – their relentless love and support is constantly inspiring Radio Foorti to do better and better,” they stated. A small slice of 10xfoorti was the in-house celebration at the Radio Foorti office where renowned celebrities and artists spent unforgettable moments on September 22, singing, dancing, reminiscing and capturing their memories via fun-filled photo sessions. Just as the celebrations went by in the blink of an eye, the past decade too, seemed to have gone by in a flash.

Commencing with a single station in Dhaka back in 2006,

Radio Foorti swiftly spread to millions of hearts within and across borders. Currently they have ten stations all over the country (Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna, Mymensingh, Barisal, Bogra, Noakhali and Cox’s Bazar).

Moreover, with the introduction of the global Foorti app, Radio Foorti can be heard anywhere, anytime.

Radio Foorti is now live, 24 hours round the clock for listeners to be able to enjoy new and upcoming music and spectacular shows anytime they want. For the ones who want to be a part of this pleasant progress, Radio Foorti has its door wide open. The Radio Foorti RJ Hunt has begun for those with a knack for telling a good tale, and for those that know how to have a good laugh. l

Ranbir’s new girlfriend n Showtime Desk Life seems to be making a turn for the better for Ranbir Kapoor. With Ae Dil Hai Mushkil creating a positive buzz and his role already being liked in the trailer, things look good for the Kapoor star. It’s been eight months since Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif parted ways earlier this year.

While Katrina has been busy getting her career back on track post break-up, meanwhile it seems Ranbir has found love in a young actress: Shruti Hassan.

Rumour mills claim that RanbirShruti have been dating each other for a couple of months now. The two met during the shooting of a Phillips LED commercial. Ranbir and Shruti hit it off immediately and were spotted chatting for hours. The rumoured couple were also spotted going on a dinner date and reportedly got cozy there as well.

Sources claim that RanbirShruti are quite serious about each other. While reports of their link up are getting rife, it is also being speculated if Shruti was the reason behind Ranbir’s break-up with Katrina.

Earlier, the actor was rumoured to be dating a Delhi based girl Bharti Malhotra.

However,

Malhotra refuted the reports and said she barely knows the actor.

On the other hand, Shruti too has been linked with several Tollywood stars including Dhanush and Sidharth for a while now. l

Tora-san in Bangladesh n Showtime Desk The Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, the Japan Foundation and the International Television Channel Ltd (hereinafter NTV) are pleased to announce that an all-time Japanese box-office hit Tora-san’s Sunrise and Sunset will be aired on NTV at 8:45 am on September 29 followed by two more films of the same series.

Humanistic yet humorous, this film which promises laughter and tears, features the unsuccessful love and family drama of a peddler, Tora-san (starring Kiyoshi Atsumi) who travels back and forth from his home in downtown Tokyo. The life and sentiment of characters depicted in the film made it a long running hit since its first screening in 1969, spanning 48 episodes till 1995 and one special episode in 1997.

NTV, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation will air three selected films of Tora-san dubbed in Bangla for the first time to introduce various aspects of Japan as well as familiarise Bangladeshi viewers with the Japanese culture and faces.

The screening information on Tora-san’s Many-splintered Love and Tora-san Goes North will be informed on the website of NTV and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh later this year.

Synopsis: Tora-san meets a grubby old man at a downtown bar in Ueno.

He mistakes the old fellow for

Screening Information Tora-san’s Sunrise and Sunset 17th in the series: Released July, 1976 Date and time of broadcasting: 8:45am, September 29, 2016 TV channel: NTV a tramp and feeling sorry for him, invites the old man back to the family home. The family is surprised to learn that the “old tramp” is in fact the famous

artist, Seikan Ikenouchi (Jukichi Uno) who in the manner of all true Japanese art luminaries, goes by the single name “Seikan.”

In gratitude for the family’s hospitality, Seikan presents them with a piece of artwork he creates especially for them. This picture turns out to be worth a small fortune and when Tora-san asks for more artwork, in order to solve a number of his regular problems, a heated argument ensues. As always, this exchange

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

WHAT TO WATCH drives away Tora-san from the family home and puts him on the road, this time to Tatsuno City in Hyogo Prefecture, where he coincidentally reunites with Seikan at an inn.

In the honour of the famous artist, the city prepares a feast complete with geisha where Tora-san thoroughly enjoys the festivities. Along the way, he becomes good friends with one of the geisha, Botan (Kiwako Taichi). Botan reveals she is having problems with one of her customers, Kito (Asao Sano) who borrowed two million Yen from her and was last seen heading for Tokyo. Eventually, Botan comes to Tokyo tracking the man who stole her money. Tora-san is very angry at this betrayal and he vows to help her.

The friendship between Tora-san and the Living National Treasure Seikan, is an enjoyable contrast, proving that aligning Tora-san and intellectuals is always brilliant comedy. The beautiful Kiwako Taichi is superb in her role as a vulnerable geisha and her appearance helps make the 17th film of the series, one of the most memorable of all the Tora-san films. On a side note, legendary performer Yoshiko Okada made her comeback to the world of Japanese film in the supporting role of Shino, Seikan’s ex-lover.

Madonna: Kiwako Taichi Guest actors: Jukichi Uno, Yoshiko Okada Location: Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture l

Nusraat Faria vs Pori Moni n Showtime Desk Nusraat Faria and Pori Moni, two leading ladies of Dhallywood, have been working in the industry since 2015 as both the actresses’ debut work got released in the same year.

Among the Dhallywood ladies, Pori Moni and Nusraat Faria are currently taking all the attention. The popular actresses leave behind all of their contemporaries in terms of having the most followers on Facebook.

As the first female celebrities of the country, both have surpassed 5 millions followers on Facebook. Pori Moni tops by 5.4 millions while Nusraat

31

DT

Showtime

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Zee Studio, 11:40pm

This film is set three years after Indiana Jones recovered the Ark of the Covenant. He comes across the history of yet another biblical artefact in the form of The Holy Grail. Jone’s father, Henry goes missing while also searching for The Holy Grail.

Cast: Harrison Ford, Sean

Connery, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, River Phoenix

Kick-Ass WB, 11:40pm

Dave Lizewski, a teenager and high school nerd who has been a loser most of his life, determines to become a super hero and calls himself “Kick Ass”. But he is injured in the very first attempt. At another part of the city an ex-cop is trying to catch a wellknown criminal Frank D’Amico and trains his eleven year old daughter Mindy as a vigilante.

Cast: Chloe Moretz, Nicolas

Cage, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong,

Mission: Impossible III HBO, 11:32pm

Super-spy Ethan Hunt has retired from active duty to trains new IMF agents. But he is called back into action to confront the toughest villain he’s ever faced.

Faria is followed by 5.1 millions.

Meanwhile, a different kind of battle has brewed between the celebrities to garner more

attention online and increase followers.

It has been learned that, both the celebrities operate their

own pages, delivering updates for their fans and posting pictures and videos of their recent work. l

Cast: Tom Cruise, Philip

Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup l

DT

32

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

Back Page

GOVT PLANS MONETISING UNUSED ASSETS TO FUND BIG PROJECTS PAGE 12

‘THE CHANGE HAS COME’ PAGE 24

TORA-SAN IN BD PAGE 31

Air strikes pound rebel-held Aleppo districts n Reuters, Beirut Dozens of air strikes hit rebel-held areas of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo overnight, a monitor and defence worker said, continuing a fierce air campaign by Syrian government and allied forces since a ceasefire broke down almost a week ago.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of air strikes hit the rebel-held half of the divided city, the target of a fresh offensive announced by the Syrian army on Thursday.

Aleppo has become the main battle ground of a conflict now in its sixth year. Capturing rebel districts of Syria’s largest city, where more than 250,000 civilians are trapped, would mark the biggest victory of the civil war for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Bebars Mishal, a civil defence worker in rebel-held Aleppo, said the bombardment continued until 6am.

“It’s the same situation. Especially at night, the bombardment intensifies, it becomes more violent, using all kinds of weapons,

phosphorous and napalm and cluster bombs,” Mishal told Reuters.

“Now, there’s just the helicopter, and God only knows where it will bomb. God knows which building will collapse,” he said.

Another civil defence worker, Ismail al-Abdullah, said the overnight bombardment had been less intense than it had been in the past few days and the morning was relatively quiet.

The Observatory said it had documented the deaths of 237 people, including 38 children, from air strikes on Aleppo city and the

surrounding countryside since last Monday when the ceasefire ended.

Of those documented deaths, 162 were in rebel-held east Aleppo city.

Civil defence workers say about 400 people have died in the past week in the rebel-held parts of the city and surrounding countryside.

Rescue efforts have been severely hampered because bomb damage has made roads impassable and because civil defence centres and rescue equipment have been destroyed in raids.

Civil defence worker Ammar al Selmo said rescuers have only two

fire trucks and three ambulances left in Aleppo and that three fire trucks, two ambulances and three vans had been hit in the past week.

“We are trying to respond ... but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” Selmo said, speaking from Gaziantep, Turkey after recently leaving east Aleppo.

Brita Hagi Hassan, president of the city council for opposition-held Aleppo, said the bombardment over the past three days has been exceptional. “The planes are not leaving the skies at all ... Life in the city is paralysed. l

Unclaimed militant bodies to be given to Anjuman n Tribune Desk

Participants of a parklet demonstration programme yesterday poses before the camera in the capital’s Shahbagh. The parklet demonstration took place in front of Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University from 11am to 1pm. Organised by the Institute of Wellbeing, the demonstration was one of a series of events this week to celebrate World Car-free Day SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday said the bodies of militants that had yet to be buried would be handed over to Anjuman Mofidul Islam.

The minister made the statement while talking to reporters at the Secretariat in the afternoon.

Dhaka Medical College sources said that there were still 14 bodies of militants in the morgue.

Among the 14, nine were killed at Kallyanpur drive, three were in Narayanganj’s Paikpara, one in Mirpur’s Rupnagar and the other one was killed in Azimpur area.

Asaduzzaman Khan said: “The bodies will be handed over to An-

juman Mofidul after a specific time if nobody applies for their burial.”

However, the home minister did not specify any time period.

Earlier, Anjuman Mofidul buried six bodies of Gulshan attackers and the chef on September 22 afternoon at Jurain graveyard.

The bodies were at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and later handed over to Anjuman.

Asaduzzaman said the authorities of CMH were asking them to bury the corpses and since none of their parents had applied to take the bodies, they handed them over to the organisation.

He said they had waited long for the relatives to respond. l

PM’s reply makes fourth-grader popular overnight n Rajib Bose, Patuakhali Having the prime minister of the country reply to his letter has made fourth-grader Shirshendu Biswas a “celebrity” among his classmates, teachers and neighbours overnight.

The letter, dated September 8, reached Shirshedu’s school – Patuakhali Government Jubilee High School in the district’s Mirzaganj upazila – on September 20 and was handed over to him in a decorative ceremony at the school auditorium yesterday. Earlier when the news of the letter reached the school, Shirshendu’s friends, teachers, family and neighbours all started cheering for him. Some were awestruck by his “luck,”

while others were proud of his successful attempt at reaching the prime minister.

“I cannot believe that the prime minister wrote back to my son! We are very happy about it,” said Shirshendu’s mother Shila Rani Sonnamot.

“We are happy that the prime minister of the country replied to Shirshendu’s letter. We are proud of him,” said Md Siddiqur Rahman, headmaster of Shirshendu’s school.

Former Mirzaganj upazila parishad chairman Sultan Mridha announced a Tk10,000 reward for him.

Shirshendu wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asking for a bridge over the Payra River in the upazila.

In the letter dated August 15, he

described how people living on both sides of the river had difficulty crossing it due to the turbulent current and desperately needed a safe passage. Hasina responded to his letter assuring him of having a bridge built over the river.

At yesterday’s ceremony, Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner AKM Shamimul Haque Siddiqui said: “We are grateful to the prime minister for responding to Shirshendu’s letter and promising to have a bridge built over the Payra River.”

Handing the letter over to Shirshendu, he also announced that the district administration would take all responsibilities of his education and Shirshendu would receive Tk50,000 reward from the Deputy Commissioner Parishad. l

Shirshendu Biswas showcases his letter from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as his classmates cheers him with victory signs at the compound of Patuakhali Government Jubilee High School yesterday

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