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113 verdicts
in 850
militancy
cases over
18 years › 2
RAJIB DHAR
BUSINESS SUPPLEMENT
Fears of more Israeli-
Palestinian violence
over holy site › 6
With climate change
driving child marriage risks,
Bangladesh fights back › 7
Local brands
dominate
smartphone
market › 2
Bangladesh to turn
mobile manufacturer
soon › 3

2
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
News
113 verdicts in 850 militancy cases over 18 years
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
SPECIAL
A total of 850 militancy cases have
been lodged across the country
over the last 18 years, from 1999
to March 2017. Out of these, only
13.29% have been settled, while the
rest remain bogged down under
trial and investigation.
Two people lost their lives and
scores were injured in a militant
attack on the Tazia procession of
Husseini Dalan in Old Dhaka on
October 23, 2015. It took 18 months
to start proceedings of the case
under the Anti-Terrorism Act as
police took a year to file the charge
sheet, accusing 10 militants. The
trial finally began on May 31 this
year.
This is not even the worst
instance of a delay in a militancy
case. Similar incidents have been
under trial for years, while some
have seen no progress in a decade
and a half.
Nine militancy cases were filed
between 1999 and 2004, with all
of them yet to be concluded. Seven
are under trial, while the remaining
two are still in the investigation
phase.
According to the militant
monitoring cell of police
headquarters, around 3,457
members of militant outfits have
been arrested in the 850 militancy
cases. Police have submitted
charge sheets to the court for 598
of these cases, 21 final reports have
been filed and 231 militancy cases
are still under investigation.
The sluggish progress of
militancy cases not only thwarts
justice, but also raises other terror
related concerns, say analysts.
Militants out on bail
Many militants are released on bail
due to the slow progress of their
cases, making it more difficult for
law enforcement agencies to track
their whereabouts.
According to jail authorities,
more than 100 militant prisoners
have been released on bail from
jails over the past six months.
Among them are members of
New JMB, old JMB, Ansarullah
Bangla Team, Harkatul Jihad
(HuJIB) and Hizbut Tahrir.
New JMB’s Abdur Rouf Prodhan,
arrested from Dhaka in January
this year, was released on bail after
giving his confessional statement
on June 2. Old JMB’s Saleh Ahmed
was released on bail the same day,
while Ansarullah Bangla Team
member Ariful Islam was released
the day before.
Faruk Ahmed, who has handled
a number of militancy cases as a
defence lawyer, told the Dhaka
Tribune that militancy trials have
to be completed within 360 days as
per the code of criminal procedure.
Long trial proceedings that require suspected militants to be repeatedly shuttled between the court and jail increases the risk
of escape. One only needs to think back to February 2014, when members of JMB killed a policeman and rescued three of their
detained operatives from a prison van in Trishal, Mymensingh
MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
The main reason
trial proceedings of
militant cases stall is
due to the absence
of witnesses on the
scheduled date. Not
limited to civilian
witnesses, police are
also often guilty of
failing to show up
and give statements
If a trial cannot be completed
within this time, then the court
may grant bail to the accused.
When contacted, Counter
Terrorism and Transnational
Crime (CTTC) unit officials have
expressed their anxiety about
the release of militants on bail,
confirming that it creates difficulty
in monitoring them and leads to
the risk that they may carry out
further attacks.
A window for escape
Furthermore, long trial proceedings
that require suspected militants to
MILITANCY CASES OVER 18 YEARS
YEAR
TOTAL
CASE
FINAL
REPORT
CHARGE
SHEET
be repeatedly shuttled between the
court and jail increases the risk of
escape.
One only needs to think back
to February 2014, when members
of JMB killed a policeman and
rescued three of their detained
operatives from a prison van in
Trishal, Mymensingh. One of the
militants was recaptured within
hours, while the other two are
believed to have fled to India.
When asked about the risk of
escape during transfer of militants
to court, Senior Superintendent of
Kashimpur High Security Central
UNDER
INVESTIGATION
UNDER
TRIAL
FINISHED
TRIAL
1999-2004 9 0 7 2 7 0
2005 203 16 187 0 203 83
2006 47 0 45 2 45 17
2007 29 3 26 0 29 5
2008 11 0 11 0 11 3
2009 39 0 39 0 39 4
2010 38 0 38 0 38 0
2011 43 0 43 0 43 0
2012 42 0 42 0 42 0
2013 35 1 33 1 34 1
2014 58 0 56 2 56 0
2015 77 0 63 14 63 0
2016 178 1 8 169 9 0
March 2017 41 0 0 41 0 0
Total 850 21 598 231 619 113
Jail Mizanur Rahman told the
Dhaka Tribune that it was the duty
of the police to handle the prisoner
from the gate of the jail to court
and back.
Senior police officials said that
they had taken measures regarding
the problem of escape attempts
when transferring militant
prisoners.
Deputy Commissioner (Media)
of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police
Masudur Rahman said: “After
the Trishal incident the police
are much more careful about the
transfer of militants and special
SOURCE: POLICE HEADQUARTERS
security measures are put in place
whenever they have to be moved.”
Militant activities in jail
Law enforcement officials
have also raised concerns that
militants held in jail may seek to
radicalise other inmates. However,
Kashimpur High Security Central
Jail authorities have dismissed
the concerns as they said special
measures were taken for militant
prisoners.
Kashimpur Senior Jail
Superintendent Mizanur Rahman
said: “We are aware of who the
militant prisoners are. They are
separated from other prisoners in
the jail and we constantly observe
them. It is impossible for any
militant prisoners to hold meetings
and plan subversive activities
while in jail.”
Why do the cases stall?
Abdullah Abu, public prosecutor of
the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions
Judges Court, told the Dhaka
Tribune that the main reason trial
proceedings of militant cases stall
is due to the absence of witnesses
on the scheduled date.
Not limited to civilian witnesses,
police are also often guilty of failing
to show up and give statements.
There are a number of instances
where the investigating officer was
absent at court despite the accused
having been produced before it, he
said
Abdullah added that, for old
cases specifically, there was a
problem of cases proceeding in
various courts of the country
against the same militant.
“This wastes time, as the
accused cannot be produced at a
court if he is already at another one
on the same date,” he said.
A police official from the
prosecution department said
for most of the cases where the
witnesses failed to show, they
were not found at the addresses
which were mentioned in the case
statements as they had changed
residences.
In order to resolve the issue,
witnesses in more recent cases
have to provide alternate addresses
and mobile phone numbers as
well as their current address, he
added.
However, it was more difficult to
fix the issue of witnesses that later
decide against giving statements to
the court out of fear that militants
may look for retribution, the police
official said.
Attorney General Mahbubey
Alam, chief legal official of the
state, told the Dhaka Tribune
that most trials for militant cases
were delayed in the lower courts.
However, some militant cases,
including that of HujiB leader
Mufti Hannan, have been resolved
quickly in the High Court. •

News
SUNDAY,
Local administration had also harassed
UNO over Bangabandhu portrait
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Barguna sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer
(UNO) Gazi Tarique Salman
was not only harassed through a
defamation case, but also by the local
administration over his printing
of an invitation card with an image
of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman drawn by a child.
On April 3, the UNO was first
served with a show cause notice
from the divisional commissioner of
Barisal, when the former was serving
as the UNO of Agailjhara upazila
in Barisal. Salman responded to the
notice, which claimed the image
had disrespected Bangabandhu.
On April 18, the then divisional
commissioner of Barisal Md Gaus
issued a letter in response to Salman’s
answer.
The letter read: “Gazi Tarek Salman
has responded to the show
cause notice and explained why
the card was printed with a picture
of the Father of the Nation without
Would Trump self-pardon end Russia investigations?
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
US President Donald Trump has insisted
he has “the complete power to pardon”
- fuelling speculation he is considering
using the device to extricate himself and
members of his team from an investigation
into collusion with Russia to interfere
in the US election.
The President made the statement
during an early-morning stream of posts
on Twitter, saying: “While all agree the US
President has the complete power to pardon,
why think of that when only crime so
far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS.”
It comes amid mounting pressure on
the leader and his administration over
their alleged links with the Kremlin’s
purported attempts to influence the vote
last November in his favour.
Just yesterday, White House deputy
press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders
refused to rule out the possibility Trump
would use his pardon power to shield
himself, his family, and his administration
from federal lawsuits.
The US Constitution does not specifically
prohibit presidents from pardoning
themselves before they’re formally
accused of wrongdoing.
So if President Trump, who has not
been implicated in wrongdoing, were to
decide to grant himself a pass from any
prospective prosecution, he would not
be violating the letter of the Constitution.
But he would be stretching the
bounds of presidential power as they’ve
never been tested before – and, more
Police escort Barguna UNO Gazi Tarique Salman after he was granted bail in a case
filed for disparaging Bangabandhu on July 13, 2017
DHAKA TRIBUNE
proper respect. His answer was not
satisfactory.”
On May 24, Salman was transferred
from Agoiljhara to Barguna,
joining in June.
When asked about Salman’s
transfer, the deputy commissioner
said: “After receiving a complaint
from an important person, the divisional
commissioner instructed me
to seek an explanation from Salman.
Accordingly, I issued the notice
to which Salman responded.”
importantly, legal experts said, Trump
probably would not be able to halt Justice
Department and congressional investigations
simply by pardoning himself and any
allies known to be under scrutiny.
In fact, attempting to use pardons to
obviate the special counsel investigation
could backfire, said Walter Dellinger, who
wrote about prospective presidential
pardons as a top official in the Clinton
Justice Department in 1995.
No court in the US has ever had to
decide whether a president has the
authority to pardon himself because no
president has ever done so.
The Nixon memo
Before Trump, the only previous president
known to have contemplated a
pardon for himself was Richard Nixon as
he faced possible obstruction of justice
charges from the Watergate special
“However, I did not respond to
Salman’s reply, the divisional commissioner
did,” he added.
Then divisional commissioner
Md Gaus said: “Some party men
came to me and complained about
the card and the picture. There was
no written complaint.”
“The picture was printed on the
back page of the card instead of the
front page, which violates the rules
issued for printing Bangabandhu’s
picture. Thus Salman’s answer was
prosecutor.
Nixon asked his Justice Department
(DoJ) whether a self-pardon was legal.
Justice lawyers issued a memo opinion
in 1974 advising that it was not. The DoJ
memo said that under the age-old legal
maxim that no one can be the judge of
his own case, even the president of the
United States cannot pardon himself.
The 1974 Justice Department memo
is the first, last and only official word on a
US president’s power to pardon himself,
according to Michigan State law professor
Brian Kalt, who has been thinking and
writing about presidential self-pardons
since he was a Yale Law student in the
1990s. The issue has simply never come
before a US court, even tangentially.
Article II of the Constitution authorises
the president to “grant reprieves and
pardons for offences against the United
States, except in cases of impeachment.”
President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One, on July 22, 2017 AP
marked as unsatisfactory,” he added.
Advocate Obaedullah Saju,
Awami League Barisal city unit religious
affairs secretary, filed a Tk5
crore defamation case against Salman
at the Barisal Chief Metropolitan
Magistrate’s Court on June 7.
Salman was sent to jail regarding
the case on July 12 and was released
on bail on July 13.
The portrait, drawn by a student
of class five in Barisal, was selected
through an official competition
on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s
birthday and printed on the back of
an invitation card for the local administration’s
Independence Day
official event.
Awami League has since suspended
Saju from his post as Barisal
city unit Religious Affairs secretary,
after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
expressed extreme dissatisfaction
at the mistreatment of UNO Salman
over an act that she said “should be
considered praiseworthy.” •
The story was first published on the
Bangla Tribune.
Unbearable pressure
The pardons clause explicitly says that
presidents cannot grant pardons from
“cases of impeachment.”
That clause, said former Clinton
Justice official Dellinger, could give special
counsel Mueller a mandate to continue
investigating the Trump campaign even
if the president were legally entitled prospectively
to pardon himself and everyone
else under Mueller’s scrutiny for possible
violations of federal criminal laws.
Dellinger drew an analogy to Whitewater
independent counsel Kenneth
Starr, who did not charge President Bill
Clinton with crimes but prepared a report
that served as the basis for articles of
impeachment against the president.
If Trump were to pardon himself prospectively
– and particularly if he were to
attempt to use that pardon as a rationale
to end Mueller’s investigation prematurely
– the FBI and Congress could end
up investigating whether the president’s
motives, and the motives of Justice
Department officials who implemented
his orders, were proper.
Presidential pardons do not carry
an implication of guilt. Presidents have
exonerated people who steadfastly
maintained their innocence even as they
accepted the pardon. If President Trump
were to pardon himself, he’d be conceding
nothing about his criminal liability in
the Russia investigation.
But given the questionable legality
of the maneuver and the likelihood that
probes would continue and even intensify,
it’s hard to see what a self-pardon
would accomplish for the president. •
3
JULY 23, 2017
DT
Judge who
punished UNO
owes govt
Tk93,950
in rent
• Anisur Rahman Swapan,
Barisal
NATION
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
(CMM) Md Ali Hossain of Barisal,
who sent UNO Gazi Tarique Salman
to jail for using an image of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
drawn by a child, has not paid the
rent for staying at Barisal Circuit
House for eight months.
Then Nezarat deputy collector
of Barisal District administration
Kalyan Chowdhury sent a letter
to CMM Ali Hossain asking him to
repay his pending dues on August
4, 2016, according to a government
document.
The document says CMM Ali
Hossain had used room number 7
of the Barisal Circuit House from
October 27, 2015, to June 28, 2016.
Although he paid Tk390 as rent
Although letters
were issued to the
judge asking that
he pay the rent, he
did not respond
positively
from October 27 to November 1,
2015, he has not paid any rent for
the remaining days.
According to government policy,
the charge for staying at the house
for between one to three days is
Tk90 per day, while it is Tk120 per
day for the next four. If the stay exceeds
seven days, the rent is Tk400
for each subsequent day. Considering
these rates, the CMM’s dues
now stand at Tk93,950.
The Dhaka Tribune made several
attempts to contact the judge,
but the phone calls remained unanswered.
Barisal district Deputy Commissioner
Gazi Md Saifuzzaman said
CMM Ali Hossain had stayed in the
room in district’s circuit house for
eight months, but paid the rent for
only five days.
“Suddenly we came to know
that he had left the Circuit House,”
the DC said, adding that the judge
did not even notify him before
leaving the Circuit House.
Although letters were issued to
the judge asking that he pay the
rent, he did not respond positively,
the Barisal DC added. •

4
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
News
Dhaka College students block road
over Shahbagh incident
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi and
Tarek Mahmud
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Agitated students of the Dhaka College
have blocked the key street in
front of their institution protesting
against Thursday’s police action on
Dhaka University-affiliated college
students at Shahbagh.
The demonstrators kept the
important street occupied for
more than half an hour, disrupting
traffic.
New Market police station Officer-in-Charge
Md Atikur Rahaman
told Dhaka Tribune: “The
student blocked the street from
Qatar emir calls for negotiations to ease Gulf boycott
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
In his first speech since four Arab
countries severed ties with his
country, Qatar’s emir called for dialogue
to resolve a political crisis
pitting his country against them.
A defiant Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad al-Thani said life was continuing
as normal despite what
he described as an unjust “siege”
from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.
The countries cut ties and imposed
sanctions on Qatar last
month, accusing it of financing
extremist groups and supporting
terrorism, which the emir denied.
“Qatar is fighting terrorism relentlessly
and without compromise,
and the international community
recognises this,” Sheikh
Tamim said in the televised speech.
He spoke hours after US Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson said
the United States was satisfied
with Qatar’s efforts to implement
an agreement aimed at combating
terror financing, and urged the four
states to lift their “land blockade”.
11:45am to 12:25pm on Saturday.”
He said: “The students returned
to classes after being assured that
their demands will be fulfilled.
At least two students, including
Siddiqur Rahman of Titumir College
were injured in a clash with
police on Thursday morning when
students of seven government
colleges, affiliated with the Dhaka
University, were staging a peaceful
demonstration at Shahbagh demanding
dates for their examinations
be announced.
The exam dates were announced
after the clash.
Police on Thursday filed an attempted
murder case against 1,200
unidentified suspects over the
Previously planned campaign
The crisis revolves around allegations
that Qatar supports Islamist
militant groups, including in Syria
and Libya, and hosts members of
the Muslim Brotherhood.
It began after a speech in late
May by Sheikh Tamim appeared
on the state news agency’s website,
which Doha said he had never
made and indicated the website
had been hacked from one of its
neighbours, indicating the UAE.
The Washington Post, citing US
intelligence officials, last week reported
that the United Arab Emirates
had arranged for Qatari government
social media and news
sites to be hacked in order to post
the fiery but false quotes. The UAE
denied any involvement.
Sheikh Tamim described the
sanctions as a campaign that had
been pre-planned against Qatar,
calling it an act of aggression
against Doha’s foreign policy.
“Its planners planted statements
to mislead public opinion
and the countries of the world,” he
said.
Sheikh Tamim vowed to withstand
the sanctions and said he had
instructed the Qatari government
that Qataris should become more
self-reliant and called for the economy
to be opened up to foreign investments.
“The time has come for us to
spare the people from the political
Shahbagh incident.
Meanwhile, Dr Iftekhar Md Munir,
an associate professor the National
Institute of Ophthalmology
(NIO), said they had operated upon
the eyes of the injured, Siddiqur
Rahman, yesterday on Saturday
morning.
“There is less chance of him
[Siddiqur] getting back his eyesight.
We are skeptical about how
much he could be able to see. Later
he may need more than one operation,”
Dr Munir said, adding, both
the two eyes of Siddiqur were severely
damaged due to injuries.
“Cornea, prisons and many other
things are related with eyesight.
They came out of Siddiqur’s right
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani delivers a televised speech in Doha, Qatar, July 21, 2017
differences between the governments,”
he said, urging dialogue.
UAE welcomes anti-terror move
In a sign of progress, an Emirati
state minister on Friday welcomed
changes to Qatar’s anti-terror legislation
as a “positive” step.
Qatar announced a emiri decree
on Thursday establishing two nominal
lists of individuals and terrorist
entities, and the requirements
for being included in them.
It also defined terrorists, terrorist
crimes, terrorist entities as well
as the financing of terrorism.
The decree follows the signing
on July 11 of a US-Qatar agreement
to combat terror funding during a
visit to Doha by Tillerson.
However, the four Arab countries
at odds with Doha dismissed
eye. And everything has become
displaced in the left eye,” he added.
On the other hand, Dhaka Metropolitan
Police (DMP) Commissioner
Asaduzzaman Mia has said in a program
that they will investigate the
Shahbagh clash where a student
suffered serious eye injuries.
“Police and students are making
contradictory claims over the incident.
Protesters said Titumir College
student Siddiqur Rahman was
hit by a teargas canister but police
said he was injured when the protesters
threw flowerpot, bricks and
stones,” he said.
“We will investigate the incident
and take action accordingly,”
the DMP chief added. •
REUTERS
that deal as “insufficent”.
On Friday, the UAE state minister
for foreign affairs welcomed the
latest Qatari move.
“It is a positive step to deal seriously
with the list of 59 terrorists,”
Anwar Gargash tweeted. “The
pressure linked to the crisis has begun
to bear fruit.”
But Gargash, repeated his demands
for Qatar to reorient its policies
in order to ease the crisis with
its Arab neighbours.
“It would be wiser (for Qatar) to
totally change its (political) orientation,”
he said.
The changes Qatar announced
to its anti-terror legislation amend
an earlier law published in 2004
but Thursday’s decree did not provide
details of the exact nature of
the revisions. •
HSC, equivalent
exams results
Sunday
• Tribune Desk
EDUCATION
This year’s results of the Higher
Secondary Certificate (HSC) and
its equivalent examinations will be
published today.
Education Minister Nurul Islam
Nahid will handover the results to
the prime minister in the morning.
Later, the minister will formally
announce the results at 1pm at a
press briefing, reports UNB.
Tapan Kumar Sarker, examination
controller at Dhaka Education
Board, said the results will be published
simultaneously from respective
certre or college and online at
1:30pm.
Institution-based result sheet
has to be downloaded through entry
of EIIN of respective educational
institution from www.dhakaeducationboard.gov.bd.
Students can also collect their
results from www.educationboardresults.gov.bd,
result corner of
www.educationboard.gov.bd and
website of respective education
board.
The written tests of the yearly
public examinations ended on May
15 while practical exams on May 25.
A total of 1,183,686 students
took the exams this year from ten
education boards. •
DU student
killed in Cox’s
Bazar landslide
• Abdul Aziz, Cox’s Bazar
NATION
A student of Dhaka University was
killed in a landslide when he went
to see the Himchhari waterfall in
Cox’s Bazar yesterday afternoon.
The deceased is Ridwanul Alam
Sabbir, a second year student of the
university’s Marketing Department.
Two others—Rahat Alam, 24,
and Md Ibrahim, 21-- of the same
department received minor injuries
in the incident.
Dr Imran Uddin Rubel of Cox’s
Bazar Sadar Hospital said members
of the army rescued Sabbir and the
duo and took them to the hospital
around 4pm.
Sabbir, aged around 20, was
brought dead, the physician said,
adding, the injured were released
after primary treatment.
The three youths fell victim to a
landslide, he said quoting the army
men.
Mentionable, a team comprising
at least ten students of the university
had come to Cox’s Bazar on a tour
three days ago. Then, they boarded
an army resort in the area. •

News 5
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
‘Dhaka has a unique opportunity
that other cities don’t have’
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune’s Ibrahim Hossain Ovi, Chief Economist for South Asia Region
of the World Bank Martin Rama discusses Dhaka’s unique opportunity to transform itself by
well-planned expansion east of the Balu River
DT
How can Bangladesh attract more
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
when private sector investment
has only seen very slow growth?
What brings FDI is the opportunities
a country provides. The fact
that Bangladesh has been doing
so well with ready made garments
(RMG) but has had difficulty expanding
beyond that could be partly
related to the business environment,
the ease of doing business.
This is also related to logistics and
logistical cost. A place that is too
congested, that does not have good
infrastructure may not attract investors
because you lose a lot of
money just getting things going.
From that perspective, if you
think of a corridor to Chittagong
from east Dhaka over the Padma
Bridge then Dhaka will have a very
good connection towards the west
of the country. In a way Dhaka is
the hub of Bangladesh and having
a functional hub can be a way to
attract FDI.
Think of different scenarios for
east Dhaka. For example, you can
have a scenario where east Dhaka
is very much like west Dhaka and
you do the same thing, put in people
until there is no more space
left, that is unlikely to attract much
FDI. You will have factories, you
will have shops but you will not be
a very attractive place.
Now you can really develop east
Dhaka much better than west Dhaka.
That is a place where you can
build high quality services such as
universities, hospitals, schools and
IT and that will be much more attractive
for FDI.
Which sectors can attract FDI in
Bangladesh?
What you will expect from the
stage of development Bangladesh
is in, to move towards other light
manufacturing jobs. The candidates
for foreign direct investment
are pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding
and appliances.
The experience of South East
Asia’s development was that these
were the next thing that came after
garments, but poor logistics and
If the logistics and the business environment are conducive, you
can take advantage of the fact that there are many investors who
are looking for places that have a good labour force and Bangladesh
has a good reputation
difficulty of doing business is making
it difficult here. Again, good development
of Dhaka could change
that dramatically.
Bangladesh’s export earning is
starting to decline. Do you see an
export opportunity to the South
Asian markets?
Bangladesh is on the road between
India and South East Asia (Asean)
which are two of the most dynamic
markets in the world. That opens
up an enormous opportunity.
There is also the fact that western
RAJIB DHAR
economies are starting to recover
from the recession and Bangladesh’s
exports are concentrated in
Europe and US, that should help.
If the logistics and the business
environment are conducive, you
can take advantage of the fact that
there are many investors who are
looking for places that have a good
labour force and Bangladesh has a
good reputation. It also does not
have a high labour cost. So if the
logistics and business environment
can be addressed I am confident
Bangladesh can get a lot of investment
from the Japanese and the
Chinese.
Since old Dhaka is on the banks
of the Buriganga River, how can
Dhaka use river transport to ease
the traffic on the roads?
Rivers are very important in Bangladesh
and Dhaka has so many rivers,
those rivers have challenges
as they are already half dead. But
navigation could be improved and
a viable connection made to Chittagong.
You see now, Industrial and Export
Processing Zones (EPZs) are
being developed in places where
you can directly be on the river.
The connectivity to Kolkata will
happen with Padma Bridge which
will give an enormous dynamism
to that area.
Since Bangladesh is moving into
being a middle income country
what should be the focus on
increasing the GDP?
You can think about this in several
ways. You can think about it in
terms of sectors like how do you
move out of mainly RMGs to other
things as well, and that is important
and that would require improvements
in the business environment
but you can also think of it spatially
- growth happens in cities.
When some one moves from the
countryside, from being a farmer
to working in a city, there is a gain.
That person gains higher earnings,
and the country also gets higher
productivity. Successful urbanization
is very important for the
growth of Bangladesh.
When you look at the size of
Dhaka relative to Bangladesh, to
me the success of Bangladesh is
very much dependent on the success
of Dhaka. So being strategic in
making Dhaka a much better city is
a priority.
Two things that are very important
to Bangladesh, exports and
migrant workers, both have
slowed in growth recently. What
do you think Bangladesh should do
to revive or refocus our energies?
The prospect of exporting labour
depends on the economic situation
of what happens in Gulf countries
and things like fuel prices. These
are things that are beyond the control
of Bangladesh. You can be sad
if opportunities decline but what
is under the control of Bangladesh
is having vibrant job creation in
Bangladesh. You can cope with
reduction of opportunity in gulf,
if you have job creation in Bangladesh
and jobs are created in cities,
so job creation in cities should be a
top priority. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 32 26 Chittagong 31 27 Rajshahi 32 26 Rangpur 32 26 Khulna 28 25 Barisal 30 26 Sylhet 32 25
Cox’s Bazar 28 26
RAIN LIKELY
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:46PM
SUN RISES 5:24AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
35.3ºC
24.2ºC
Sylhet
Rangamati
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 4:50am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:58pm
Esha: 8:45pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
News
PM urges hajj
pilgrims to pray
for peace
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has
urged the hajj pilgrims to seek mercy
of Almighty Allah while offering
prayers at the holy mosques to allow
Muslims, as well as people of
other faiths in the country, to live
peacefully and to continue the nation’s
progress.
“You are going to the holy places.
You will offer prayers so that
Muslims and people of other faiths
can live in this country peacefully
and may Allah allow the peoply
wrongle interpreting Islam to return
to the right path,” the premier
said while inaugurating this year’s
Hajj programme at Ashkona Hajj
Camp Saturday.
Sheikh Hasina said we should be
careful that no one can misuse Islam,
as the religion never supports
killing of innocent people and indulgence
in militancy and terrorism,
reports BSS.
Due to the activities of some
misguided people, the whole Muslim
Ummah is in danger, she said,
adding that Muslims are being harassed
around the world and are
even being killed.
“We will not allow them to carry
out their activities in our country,
as Islam is a religion of peace and
Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (Pbuh)
Fears of more Israeli-Palestinian
violence over holy site
• AFP, Jerusalem
WORLD
Stabbings and clashes that left six
people dead raised fears on Saturday
of further Israeli-Palestinian
violence as tensions mount over
new security measures at a highly
sensitive Jerusalem holy site.
Friday’s violence – a stabbing
attack that killed three Israelis and
clashes which left three Palestinians
dead – was among the most
severe in recent years.
There were concerns over whether
it would spark wider unrest as Israeli
officials grappled with how to
ease tensions over the Haram al-Sharif
mosque compound, known to
Jews as the Temple Mount.
The site in Jerusalem’s Old City
that includes the revered al-Aqsa
mosque and Dome of the Rock has
been a rallying cry for Palestinians.
Tensions have risen throughout
the past week because of new Israeli
security measures at the compound
following an attack nearby that
killed two policemen on July 14.
The measures have included the
installation of metal detectors at
entrances to the site, which Palestinians
reject since they view the
move as Israel asserting further
control over it.
Israeli authorities say the July 14
attackers smuggled guns into the
holy site and emerged from it to
shoot the policemen.
Abbas freezes contacts
Three Palestinians between the
ages of 17 and 20 were shot dead.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported
450 people wounded in Jerusalem
and the West Bank, including
170 from live or rubber bullets.
In the evening, a Palestinian
broke into a home in a Jewish settlement
in the West Bank during a
Sabbath dinner and stabbed four
Israelis, killing three of them.
The 19-year-old Palestinian was
shot by a neighbour, an off-duty
soldier, and was taken to hospital.
Preparations were also being
made to demolish the attacker’s
home, a measure Israel regularly
employs because it views it as a
deterrent, although human rights
groups say it amounts to collective
punishment.
Amid mounting pressure to
respond to the dispute over the
mosque compound, Palestinian
president Mahmud Abbas announced
late Friday he was freezing
contacts with Israel. •
Islamist parties in trouble over 33% female leadership rule
• Manik Miazee
SPECIAL
The Islamist parties of Bangladesh are
facing an unprecedented challenge, trying
to meet the Election Commission’s
requirement of having female members
in at least one-third of all committee
memberships.
Although none of the registered
political parties have met this requirement
yet, many including the two
major parties have reported significant
progress to the EC. The deadline for
this condition is 2020.
But for the Islamist parties this is
both an ideological and a logistic crisis.
Many are unwilling to commit to having
female leadership because of their religious
views and some do not even have
enough female members to fill 33% of
the leadership positions.
EC asked all registered political
parties to include 33% women in their
committees before 2020 with a view
also always preached that. No one
has the right to kill innocent people.
The Almighty will pass the final
judgment. Why can’t they have faith
in Him?” the prime minister added.
She said the people misinterpreting
Islam are creating confusion
among members of the public, such
as claiming that a person who commits
suicide would go to haven. But
Islam never says that, she said, adding
that “we don’t want our country
to be ruined in this way.”
Later, the premier sought help
from the pilgrims to reach out to
people with the true message of the
religion. “You will pray to Allah so
that his blessings fall on these people
and they change their minds.”
Secretary of the Ministry of Religious
Affairs Abdul Jalil gave the
welcome address while prayers
were offered for safe journey of the
pilgrims and acceptance of the holy
Hajj by the Almighty.
Later, the prime minister exchanged
pleasantries with the pilgrims.
The first Hajj flight to Saudi Arabia
this year, carrying 419 pilgrims,
will take off from Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport on June 24
morning. This year, the Hajj flights
will continue till August 26, 2017.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
and Saudi Airlines will carry some
127,198 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia
this year to perform Hajj. •
to increasing women’s participation in
politics.
Leaders of different Islamist parties
told the Dhaka Tribune that they are
not morally happy in doing this, but
they are working on including women
in their committees as per the EC’s
instructions.
“We are working to change our
party charter as required to follow the
EC provision,” a leader of an Islamist
party said.
Currently, Bangladesh has more
than 20 Islamic political parties, of
whom 11 are registered with the EC.
The EC announced the rule in 2008,
but none of the registered Islamist
parties have submitted the required
progress reports. Currently, most of
these parties have less than 1% female
representation in their committees.
Only Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
took a visible step last year, amending
their party charter to have 33% women
in their committee by 2020.
The Pir of Chormonai Sayed Rezaul
Palestinians react following tear gas that was shot by Israeli forces after Friday prayer on a street outside Jerusalem’s Old city
July 21, 2017
REUTERS
Karim, who is the ameer of Islami Andolon
Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune
that they do not have a single woman in
their committee yet.
“Our party is working to include
33% women in our committee by the
deadline. The latest party meeting on
July 15 decided to move forward on
this,” he said.
In the parties that do have women
in various committees, none of these
women are working directly in the
field and are not a part of the decision
making process, sources in Islamist
parties said. They also said female
members are not interested to be in the
committees.
Leaders of Islamic parties are saying
they are working to find a way to include
women in the committees while
keeping their ideologies unchanged.
Islami Oikya Jote Secretary General
Mufti Faizullah said his party was allowing
women into the party’s upper levels
in a way that is permissible in Islam.
“We are working on this matter and
will submit our report soon to EC,” he
said.
Sources said Islamic parties would
require more time, may be till 2030, to
comply with the EC recommendation.
Most of the parties will send papers to
the EC reporting on the present status
of women in their committees.
The EC on June 13 sent letters to 40
registered political parties inquiring about
their current status, but in reply, most
Islamist parties have sought more time.
Currently, there are no women in
the central and grassroots committees
in different parties including Jamiat-E-
Ulema-E-Islam Bangladesh, Bangladesh
Khelafat Andolon, Bangladesh Islami
Front (BIF), Islami Andolan Bangladesh
(IAB) and Bangladesh Khelafat Mojlish.
Khelafat Majlis Secretary General
Ahmad Abdul Quader told the Dhaka
Tribune that they had sought more
time from the EC.
He said the party had recently
formed women’s units to try and recruit
more women. The secretary general
failed to say what the percentage of
women is in the party at present.
“We have opened women’s units in
Sylhet, Moulvibazar and other districts,”
he added.
“Islam does not allow women in
the top leadership of a party. Although
there some conflicting issues here, we
are nevertheless working to to fulfill the
EC’s condition. But we need more time.”
He said because of social and cultural
realities it would not be possible
to fulfill the EC’s condition within the
deadline and that the condition was
unfair.
“Not a single political party, including
Awami League, BNP and secular
parties, meet this condition,” Faizullah
added.
He said: “Some one of our party
leaders said if we might need to bring
our domestic helps into the party to
fulfill the conditions.”
He criticised the EC’s condition, saying
it was illogical and an idea imported
from the west. •

News
SUNDAY,
7
JULY 23, 2017
DT
With climate change driving child marriage
risks, Bangladesh fights back
• Reuters
RIGHTS
Climate change-driven extreme
weather – from flooding and mudslides
to blistering heat – is accelerating
migration to Bangladesh’s
cities, raising the risks of problems
such as child marriage, according
to UNICEF’s head of Bangladesh
programmes.
“In Bangladesh, climate change
is in your face. You can’t avoid it.
You can see it happening,” said
Sheema Sen Gupta in an interview
in London with the Thomson Reuters
Foundation.
“Every year you have cyclones,
floods, landslides. It’s a given. It’s
now part of everyday living, and
the clearest thing you see (from it)
is rural to urban migration.”
But surging migration to cities
by rural families no longer able to
make a living from farming or fishing
brings other threats, from worsening
urban overcrowding to child
marriage, as families seek to keep
girls “safe” in a new environments.
“I hesitate to say climate change
and urbanisation are the major
causes of child marriage. But they
do compound it and make it a bit
more difficult to intervene,” said Sen
Gupta, who has been in Bangladesh
for seven months and previously
worked for UNICEF in India, Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Ghana and Somalia.
However, innovative efforts
to curb the threat – particularly
training young people to help each
Hefazat chief Shafi flown
to Delhi for treatment
• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong
NATION
Ailing Hefazat-e-Islam chief Shah
Ahmed Shafi has left Dhaka for
New Delhi for better treatment.
Azizul Haque Islamabadi, central
organising secretary of the
Islamist platform, told the Dhaka
Tribune that a flight carrying Shafi
left Hazrat Shahjalal International
Airport at 10am Saturday.
“He [Shafi] has been suffering
from various old age complications.
He is now taking liquid food
through tube. His respiratory problem
has also worsened. That’s why
he is going Delhi for better treatment.
Delhi’s Deoband Madrasa
teacher Arshad Madani will look
after him during the treatment session,”
Azizul said.
The 96-year-old was undergoing
Across Bangladesh, more than 4,000 youth clubs have been set up which gather young people regularly to listen to radio
broadcasts on human rights issues, health, nutrition and other topics, and then discuss the issues
REUTERS
other – are paying off, with Bangladesh’s
government now incorporating
programmes started by
organisations such as UNICEF and
Save the Children, she said.
Across Bangladesh, more than
4,000 youth clubs have been set
up which gather young people regularly
to listen to radio broadcasts
on human rights issues, health, nutrition
and other topics, and then
discuss the issues.
Youth Initiatives
Preventing child marriage is one of
treatment at a private hospital in
Chittagong city after he fell sick on
May 18.
He was flown to Dhaka on June
6 after his condition deteriorated.
Doctors at Asgar Ali Hospital in
Gendaria treated him for old age
complications and released him
from the hospital on July 10.
The controversial nonagenarian
leader, who is known as Boro
Hujur (the oldest cleric) among his
followers, is heavily lambasted by
progressive people for his highly
prejudicial views on various social
issues and also for the radical Islamist
platform’s pledge of Islamising
Bangladesh.
Shafi is the rector of Al-Jamiatul
Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam, also
known as Hathazari Madrasa, and
the chairman of Befaqul Madarisil
Arabia Bangladesh, the largest Qawmi
Madrasa board in the country. •
15 years on, no disability allowance
for Mir Kashem
• Abdul Aziz, Coxs Bazar
NATION
Despite being
a physically
and psychologically
challenged
person, Mir
Kashem of
Ramu upazila
Cox’s Bazar
have repeatedly
been
approaching
the administration to get his disability
allowance for the last 15 years.
An inhabitant of Ilishia village of
Joyarinala Union Parishad under the
upazila, Kashem, who has been speech
impaired for last 30 years, is visiting
the government offices for last 15 years
after the allowance was introduced.
the main focuses of the groups, Sen
Gupta said, with members keeping
an eye out in the community for
girls at risk, and then, if they see a
threat, alerting community leaders,
who are able to step in.
“The best tool is the adolescents
themselves,” she said “They intervene
– they know who to contact,
they have a helpline. They call and
say a marriage is planned.”
Better yet, said Sen Gupta, a psychologist
by training, the groups
have created a growing conviction
among many girls that early marriage
is not only bad for their health
and prospects, but something they
can avoid with community support.
“Adolescents themselves are
more able to say ‘I’m not getting
married’” she said. “Girls are able
to stand up to their parents.”
Monitoring of child marriage
rates over the last two years suggests
that numbers are falling, but
Sen Gupta said UNICEF is not yet
fully confident of the data.
Bangladesh in February passed
a Child Marriage Restraint Act,
His mother Nur Jahan had been
looking after him since his father Hazi
Yusuf Ali passed away 12 years ago.
But, she too died two weeks ago
making him an orphan. Kashem cannot
explain people about his problems and
he can not walk either.
“We have visited different government
offices for my brothers disability
allowance for last 15 years, but the
wait is not over yet,” said his brother
Mofizur Rahman, a schoolteacher at
Sabrang upazila of Teknaf.
It has become very difficult for
Mofizur to look after his brother as he
comes to Ramu every Thursday and
have to go back to Teknaf on Saturdays.
The 30-year-old disabled Mir Kashem
is yet to get any help from government
or private sources. Although it
has passed 15 years after introduction
of disabled allowance by government,
but his name is not enlisted there yet.
Their parents, while alive, had tried
which bans marriage of girls under
18 – a significant change in a
country where 18 percent of girls
are married before 15 and more
than half by 18, according to a 2016
UNICEF study.
However, the new ban has a
gaping loophole that allows parents
to agree to such marriages in
“exceptional circumstances” with
a magistrate’s approval, Sen Gupta
said.
UNICEF and other partners are
now “trying to frame the rules
about what the exception is so
everything doesn’t become an exception”,
she said.
Sen Gupta said that low-lying
and densely populated Bangladesh,
widely seen as one of the
countries most vulnerable to climate
change, sees the risks and has
proved adept at scaling up successful
pilot efforts run by non-governmental
organizations into broader
government-run programmes.
“Bangladesh has a good framework
of climate adaptation, based
on the fact that they need to survive,”
she said. “Clearly there is an
awareness (climate impacts) are increasing
and we need to do something.”
That is an attitude needed more
globally, she said.
“People need to understand
how important this is for kids,
for their rights, for their development,”
she said. “If we don’t look at
climate change, at addressing these
issues, we won’t make the progress
we’re committed to making.” •
hard and soul to have Kashem’s name
enlisted for the allowance, but in vain.
Now, his brother Mofizur is fighting to
do something for him. When asked,
local UP member Mofizur Rahman said
said he was unaware about the matter.
“I will try to enlist his [Kashem’s]
name this time,” said the UP member,
who is now serving his third term.
Cox’s Bazar Social Welfare Directorate
Deputy director Pritam Kumar
Chowdhury said: “After the allowance
was introduced, the upazila social welfare
office enlisted names of disabled
people as suggested by local UP chairman
and members. As the local Union
Parishad could not submit the name of
Mir Kashem, it was not included.”
Ramu Upazila Nirbahi Officer
Shahajahan Ali said: “I came to know
about the matter. Instructions have
been made so that Mir Kashem gets
all government facilities, including
disability allowance soon.” •

8
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
News
Trump attacks Washington Post
report on Sessions Russia meeting
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions
US President Donald Trump went
on the offensive on Saturday morning,
after the Washington Post reported
that his attorney general,
Jeff Sessions, discussed Trump’s
White House bid with the Russian
ambassador to Washington in 2016,
the Guardian reports.
The president did not defend
Sessions, whom earlier this week
he criticised strongly for his recusal
from the Russia investigation.
Instead, Trump complained about
“illegal leaks” and demanded:
“Why isn’t the AG or Special Council
[sic] looking at the many Hillary
Clinton or Comey crimes. 33,000
e-mails deleted?”
The Post report cited US intelligence
intercepts which contradict
Sessions’ assurances that the campaign
was not discussed. Sergey
Kislyak told his superiors in Moscow
he talked about campaign-related
matters and significant policy issues
during two meetings with Sessions,
according to current and former US
intelligence officials, the Washington
Post reported on Friday.
The ambassador’s accounts of
the meetings, which US spy agencies
intercepted, clash with those of Sessions
and pile fresh pressure on the
attorney general just days after the
president publicly criticised him.
On Saturday morning, Trump
tweeted his anger.
On Friday, Gen Raymond Thomas,
head of Special Operations
Command, blamed a “media leak”
for one instance of Islamic State
leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, escaping
capture or death.
Trump did not immediately follow
up or expand his argument,
instead tweeting about a speaking
engagement in Norfolk, Virginia.
He then tweeted a reference to
reports, met with horror among
Democrats, that White House advisers
were exploring the possibility
of presidential pardons.
“While all agree the US President
has the complete power to
pardon,” Trump wrote, “why think
of that when only crime so far is
LEAKS against us.FAKE NEWS.”
The Post cited an unnamed US
official who called Sessions’ statements
“misleading” and “contradicted
by other evidence”. An unnamed
former official said the intelligence
indicated Sessions and Kislyak had
“substantive” discussions on matters
including Trump’s positions on
Russia-related issues and prospects
for bilateral relations in a Trump administration,
the paper reported.
The officials acknowledged that
the ambassador could have mischaracterised
the meetings in his
briefings to Moscow.
Madaripur residents await
Habiganj Bridge that will cut
distance by 30km
AP
The attorney general has repeatedly
said he never discussed campaign-related
issues with Russian officials
and that it was in his capacity
as a senator, not a Trump surrogate,
that he met Kislyak. “I never had
meetings with Russian operatives
or Russian intermediaries about the
Trump campaign,” he said in March.
The president, marking six
months in office, appeared to be
venting concern that the investigation
headed by special counsel
Robert Mueller was reportedly expanding
to include his business ties
with Russia.
The report about the Russian
ambassador capped another tumultuous
day in Washington. Sean
Spicer resigned as White House
press secretary, ending a controversial
tenure as the administration’s
public face. He stepped down
after the president tapped Anthony
Scaramucci, a New York financier
and longtime Trump supporter, as
the new White House communications
director. •
Magura bullet-hit girl’s
2nd birthday today
• Khan Mazharul Haque,
Magura
NATION
Today is the 2nd birthday of Suraiya,
who received bullet injuries
while in her mother’s womb during
a Jubo League factional clash in
Magura on July 23, 2015.
The parents of the girl are worried
thinking about her future as
her physical growth seems to be
unlikely compared to other children
in the society.
While this correspondent visited
Suraiya yesterday, she was noticed
in the lap of her mother, Nazma
Begum, in the house yard.
Nazma said: “Though we are
happy and arranged everything
to celebrate the day according to
our ability, at the same time we
are worried thinking about her future
as she cannot speak, walk and
move like a normal child.”
“She lost an eye after being hit
by a bullet in my womb, is now losing
vision in the other eye too,” she
also said.
“She has been recommended
regular treatment and checkups,
but we are unable to afford the
treatment cost,” the mother added.
“Doctors at Bangladesh Eye
Hospital in Dhaka prescribed regular
medication for Suraiya. But I do
not have the ability to continue her
treatment due to financial crisis,”
Suraiya’s father Bachchu Bhuiyan
said.
She was also having other physical
complications, Bachchu said,
adding that Suraiya was unable to
walk and speak though she should
have been doing these at this age.
He said that after the incident,
the government, different organisations
and individuals visited the
house and extended financial support
for the family.
“But no one comes to see us or
asks about the wellbeing of Suraiya
now,” the father said.
Earlier on July 23, 2015,eightmonth
pregnant Nazma was shot
in her abdomen during an attack by
a faction of Magura Jubo League on
their rival faction in Doarpar area
of Magura town. The attack also
left one killed.
A bullet pierced through the unborn
baby’s right shoulder and also
injured her right eye.
Miraculously, the baby survived
after being delivered following a
two-hour caesarean on her mother
at Magura General Hospital. Nazma
Khatun also survived the accident.
The baby was sent to the DMCH
on July 26 without her mother
as her condition was critical. Responding
to doctors’ advice Nazma
was brought to the DMCH on July
30 from Magura General Hospital to
breastfeed her baby as the newborn
needed it the most to survive.•
DHAKA TRIBUNE
• Manjur Hossain, Madaripur
NATION
Several hundred thousand people
of several union parishads under
Madaripur Sadar upazila are awaiting
the inauguration of Habiganj
Bridge on the Arial Khan River.
The bridge, once opened to
traffic, will reduce the distance
between the Sadar and Shibchar
upazilas, where the approach
road of the much-hyped Padma
Bride is situated, by around 30 kilometres.
Locals say the bridge will greatly
help commuters travel in the region
and even in Dhaka smoothly
and comfortably.
Construction of the bridge,
520-metre long and 9.3-metre
wide, started on February 15, 2013
at an estimated cost of Tk63.94
crore.
Moreover, the local government
department has recently repaired
12.3 kilometre road stretching
from Khagdi bus stand to Srinadi
area between the two upazilas to
help smooth traffic through the
bridge.
Dhurail Union Parishad Chairman
Md Majibar Rahman Mridha
said the people living in the area
have been suffering for want of a
bridge for decades.
“Education, health, electricity
and communication is the area are
badly affected owing to the situation,”
he said, hoping, the bridge
will help the people get rid of all
the problems.
Madaripur Local Government
Engineering Department’s Executive
Engineer Malay Chakrabarti
said they will fix a date to formally
inaugurate the bridge. •

News
9
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Who gouged Shahjalal’s eyes out?
• Rafsan Jani
NATION
A man from Khulna has alleged that
policemen from Khulna’s Khalishpur
police station had gouged out his
eyes after he refused to bribe them.
The victim, Shahjalal, is now
undergoing treatment at the Dhaka
Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Shahjalal said: “I went out to buy
milk for my daughter in the evening,
on July 18, when policemen arriving
on three motorcycles picked me up
saying that there were many complaints
against me. They beat me up
mercilessly at the police station and
demanded Tk1 lakh for my release.
“When I said that I did not have
the money, they took me out of the
station saying that I would be admitted
to the hospital. Then they
took me to Bishwa Road area and
gouged out my eyes after tying up
my hands, feet and mouth.”
He said when only the driver of
the police van was wearing uniform
while the others were in plainclothes.
However, Khaliashpur police
station Officer-in-Charge Nasir
Khan claimed that it was the people
who gouged out Shahjalal’s eyes
after he was caught snatching a bag
from one Suma Aktar near Khalishpur’s
Golakhali rail line.
He said police later rescued him
and took him to the police station.
The OC further said a woman
who was hijacked filed a case against
Shahjalal with the police station.
“Shahjalal is also accused in six
to seven cases filed in different police
stations,” he added.
Shahjalal’s wife Rahela Begum
said: “Hearing the news that my
husband was picked up by Inspector
Rasel and Mamun, I rushed to
the station. I was allowed to see my
husband for Tk100. His eyes were
fine at the time. Then a police officer
said they would release my
husband if we give them Tk1 lakh.
Then they asked me to leave.
“I stayed in front of the police
station that night and saw that the
policemen took Shahjalal out of
the station around 11:30pm. I kept
waiting, but my husband was not
brought back to the station on that
night. Police later asked me to go
to the hospital. I rushed there and
found him lying on the floor.”
Dr Faridul Hasan of Dhaka Medical
College said: “The injury is so
severe that we are not sure whether
he will get back his eye sight. •
This story was first published on the
Bangla Tribune.
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Situation in Myanmar
Yanghee Lee speaks during a news conference in Yangon REUTERS
UN envoy complains of
state surveillance, access
restrictions in Myanmar
• Reuters, Yangon
WORLD
Activists and journalists in
newly democratic Myanmar
continue to be followed and
questioned by state surveillance
agents, a UN envoy said
on Friday, at the conclusion of
a visit she said was beset by
official snooping and access
restrictions.
Aung San Suu Kyi came to
power last year after a landslide
in the landmark 2015 elections.
She does not oversee the
police or the military, which
ruled the country for decades
and retains its powerful position
under a constitution
drafted by the former junta.
Special Rapporteur Yanghee
Lee told a news conference
at the conclusion of her 12-day
visit that she faced “increasing
restrictions” on her access.
Lee said the government,
citing security concerns, had
prevented her from visiting
parts of the northeast where
the military is accused of
abuses against civilians in its
conflict with ethnic rebels.
She was also not allowed
to visit three journalists detained
last month by the army
and charged with contacting
a rebel group, despite the site
of their detention being a popular
tourist spot, the human
rights envoy said.
Myanmar regularly blocks
monitors and journalists from
travelling to areas near the
conflicts citing concerns over
safety. Security officials say
monitoring prominent people
is a normal part of their work.
Lee said it was “unacceptable”
that people meeting her
were watched and even followed
by agents she suspected
to be from the police Special
Branch that once stalked political
opponents during almost
half a century of dictatorship.
“I have to say I am disappointed
to see the tactics
applied by the previous government
still being used,” she
said.
“In the previous times,
human rights defenders,
journalists and civilians were
followed, monitored and surveyed
and questioned. That’s
still going on,” Lee added.
Suu Kyi’s office did not directly
address the issues of access
or surveillance, but said it
was “disappointed” with Lee’s
end of mission statement,
which “contains many sweeping
allegations and a number
of factual errors”. •

10
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
News
Indo-Bangla border changes due
to continuous river erosion
• Nuruchsafa Manik,
Khagrachhari
SPECIAL
The Indo-Bangla border has been
changing due to continuous river
erosion caused by the incessant
monsoon rain in Khagrachari.
Around eight hectares of land
surrounding the Feni river in Khagrachari’s
Matiranga upazila. Hundreds
of Bangali settler families are
living in fear in these areas.
In the recent years, river erosion
has become more intense due to
lack of governance, locals claim.
However, the Bangladesh Water
Development Board (BWDB) have
evaded the matter by saying that
they were unable to monitor the
area due to lack of road communication.
Besides patrolling the area, the
Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB)
has been using their own funds
and working with the locals to prevent
the situation. They have been
continuously trying to stop the
river erosion by dumping concrete
blocks and sacks of sand.
Although India has demarcated
their boundary with barbed wires,
Bangladesh has yet made any such
effort. Thus, in some of the areas,
the river has been considered as
international maritime boundary.
Bangladesh is losing its land mass
every year due to the lack of river
governance, whereas new shoals
are emerging at the Indian side.
BGB 40 Battalion Commanding
Officer Lt Col Md Khalid Ahmed
said that BGB has taken the responsibility
of protecting 40km of
the Indo-Bangla border areas. He
added: “39 international boundary
markers have completely submerged
and 16 of them are now in
the river. We have collected these
information by conducting a joint
survey with India and then notified
the authorities concerned. Bangladesh
will be in a crisis without adequate
river governance.”
BWDB Deputy Divisional Engineer
(Khagrachari office), Md Nurul
Absar Azad, said: “The government
has taken the initiative for river
governance in order to stop the
erosion of rivers at the border. On
July 11, after a discussion chaired
Many agricultural lands have been affected by the erosion of Feni river
BGB jawans are helping the locals to dump concrete blocks to prevent the land from the river erosion of Feni DHAKA TRIBUNE
DHAKA TRIBUNE
by the prime minister, a project has
been approved regarding this matter.
The construction of this project
will start in the next dry season.”
Hundreds of crops and agricultural
lands in Matiranga are now in
crisis.
Whereas, to avoid any such a predicament
India has created a concrete
dam around the bank of Feni
in Tripura state’s Amarpur. To ensure
the movement of Border Security
Force (BSF), they have also constructed
roads in the border area.
In contrast, Bangladesh has not
made similar efforts which rendered
much of its land mass to go
under the river.
A local from Bornal Amtoli village,
Chinglaprot Marma, said that
he has lost around 0.4 hectares
of land due to river erosion in the
past few years. His entire family
depended on what they earned by
cultivating crops on this land.
Another local, Komol Bikash
Chakma, said: “Twenty days ago, I
took a piece of land on lease for cultivating
crops from a local, Yusuf
Mia. Within a few days of sowing
the seeds, around 0.64 hectares of
this land went under Feni river due
to the incessant rain. I also took a
loan to buy the seeds and fertilisers.
Now, I do not know what to do.”
A local from Dewan Bazar area,
Md Mizan, said: “All my life, I
have noticed India building dams
around the river to protect their
surrounding areas. I have not witnessed
such an effort being made
by Bangladesh and that is way so
much of our land is getting submerged
in the river every year.”
Predicting a severe land mass
crisis, Chairman of Mantiranga
Bornal union, Ali Akbar, suggested
that the government should start
dumping concrete blocks promptly
to protect the areas around the
river from being flooded. He added:
“The union’s Tholapara, Kadamtoli,
Noyapara and Amtoli area
have already lost around 2 hectares
of agricultural land due to the river
erosion. Around three hundred
Bangali settler families have been
also affected in Motumog Karbari
area, Dewanpara and other surrounding
villages.” •
US friendly fire
kills 12 Afghan
policemen
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
An errant US airstrike has killed
12 Afghan National Police officers
who were fighting the Taliban and
wounded two others.
Helmand provincial police chief
Abdul Ghafar Safi said on Saturday
that the death toll in Friday’s airstrike
was determined after a site
inspection of the compound in
Gereshk District.
The Pentagon confirmed the airstrike
on the Security Forces compound
happened during a US-supported
operation against Taliban
insurgents in the area, and offered
its condolences to the families of
the security forces who were killed.
While much of Helmand province
is under the control of Taliban,
Afghan national security forces
have been waging fierce battles to
retake territory.
Nato and US troops are in Helmand
to assist Afghan troops.
Safi told press that the dead
were police officers who were operating
with the army in the area.
The Helmand governor, Hayatullah
Hayat, said it was believed
the police officers were not in uniform,
which may have resulted in
mistakenly identifying them as
Taliban fighters.
A Taliban statement meanwhile
claimed a victory and said 16 Afghan
soldiers were killed.
Iran accuses US
of nuclear deal
sabotage
• AFP, Vienna
WORLD
Iran on Friday vented frustration
over fresh US sanctions which it
says “violate” the terms of a 2015
landmark nuclear deal, raising its
concerns at a meeting with major
world powers in Vienna.
“We talked in detail about the
sanctions and the instances that
the Americans had delayed in fulfilling
their commitments, the instances
where they violated the
deal,” Tehran’s lead nuclear negotiator
Abbas Araqchi told reporters.
“We showed one by one the instances
where the American side
in the last year and a half acted
without good will and even acted
with ill intention. US was “trying to
sabotage the situation, to threaten
or scare off foreign companies to
invest in Iran”, Araqchi said.
The regular quarterly meeting to
review the deal heard, as Washington
already confirmed earlier this
week, that Iran is sticking to its side
of the pact with the US, Russia, China,
Britain, France and Germany. •

News 11
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Neil Armstrong’s moon bag sells for $1.8m
Sotheby’s Cassandra Hatton displays the Apollo 11 Contingency Lunar Sample
Return Bag, used by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11 to bring back the very first
pieces of the moon ever collected, during a media preview for Space Exploration
auction in New York on July 13, 2017
AFP
• AFP
WORLD
A bag Neil Armstrong used to collect the
first ever samples of the moon — which
was once nearly thrown out with the
trash — sold at auction Thursday for $1.8
million, Sotheby’s said.
The outer decontamination bag,
which was flown to the moon on Apollo
11 and still carries traces of moon dust
and small rock, was sold on the 48th
anniversary of the first moon landing in
1969.
Auctioneer Joe Dunning introduced
the lot as “an exceptionally rare artifact
from mankind’s greatest achievement.”
It sold to an anonymous buyer on the
telephone following a sluggish five-minute
bidding war.
Its previous owner was an Illinois
lawyer, who bought it in 2015 for $995.
But even with the buyer’s premium
added to Thursday’s $1.5-million hammer
price, the bag fell short of Sotheby’s
pre-sale estimate of $2-4 million.
Sotheby’s said it was the only artifact
from the Apollo 11 mission left in private
hands. After Apollo 11 returned to Earth,
nearly all the equipment from the mission
was sent to the Smithsonian, the
world’s largest museum.
But an inventory error left the sample
bag languishing in a box at the Johnson
Space Centre.
Staff were about to throw it out before
offering it to a collector who ran a
space museum in Kansas, keeping it unaware
of its provenance.
When the collector was later convicted
of theft, fraud and money
laundering, the FBI seized the box
from his garage to auction it off for
restitution.
The bag — which has a tear and is
made of the same fire-retardant material
as space suits — was offered four
times for sale, before the Illinois lawyer
bought it in 2015.
Noticing dark smudges inside, she
sent it to NASA for testing, which confirmed
in 2016 it was indeed moon dust
from the Apollo 11 landing site, and that
it was the decontamination bag listed in
the Apollo 11 stowage list.
A legal battle ensued over ownership,
which ended in a federal judge
ordering NASA to return the bag to the
lawyer — who then offered it for sale. •
Interpol circulates list of 173 suspected
members of IS suicide brigade
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
IS fighters in Raqqa in 2014
Interpol has circulated a list of 173
Islamic State fighters it believes
could have been trained to mount
suicide attacks in Europe in revenge
for the group’s military defeats
in the Middle East, the Guardian
reports.
The global crime fighting agency’s
list was drawn up by US intelligence
from information captured
during the assault on IS territories
in Syria and Iraq.
European counter-terror networks
are concerned that as the IS
“caliphate” collapses, there is an
increasing risk of determined suicide
bombers seeking to come to
Europe, probably operating alone.
There is no evidence that any of
the people on the list have yet entered
Europe, but the Interpol circulation,
designed to see if EU intelligence
sources have any details on
the individuals, underlines the scale
of the challenge facing Europe.
The list, sent out by the general
secretariat of Interpol on 27
May, defines the group of fighters
as individuals that “may have
been trained to build and position
improvised explosive devices in
order to cause serious deaths and
injuries. It is believed that they can
travel internationally, to participate
in terrorist activities.”
The data was originally collected
by the US intelligence “through
trusted channels”. The material
was handed over to the FBI, which
transmitted the list to Interpol for
global sharing.
Reliability of the sources
US intelligence is apparently confident
about the reliability of the
sources used to compile the list.
But western counter-terrorism
forces have said they face an uphill
struggle identifying potential suspects,
who have access to a mountain
of false documents, double
identities and fake passports.
Interpol stressed the list’s transmission
came as part of its role
circulating information between
national crime-fighting agencies.
“Interpol regularly sends alerts and
updates to its national central bureaux
(NCB) on wanted terrorists
and criminals via our secure global
AP
police communications network,”
a spokesman said. “It is the member
country which provides the information
that decides which other
countries it can be shared with.
In 2015 the UN considered there
were 20,000 foreign fighters in Iraq
and Syria, of whom 4,000 were
from Europe, but there has not previously
been a specific list of those
fighters including those born in the
Middle East who have been identified
as potential suicide bombers.
The speed with which IS fighters
are likely to attempt to reach
Europe will depend on a range of
issues including whether the group
tries to set up a new base in Syria
in the wake of the impending fall
of Raqqa, its last major redoubt in
north-west Syria. There is a growing
suggestion that IS fighters will
shift south from Raqqa to the defensible
territory stretching from
Deir el-Zourez-Zor to Abu Kamal.
US Army Col Ryan Dillon on Friday
estimated there were around
2,000 IS militants in the city, who
he said were using civilians and children
as human shields. The distance
between SDF forces on the eastern
side of the city and on the western
fronts is now just under 2km.
The United Nations estimates
that about 190,000 residents of
Raqqa province have been displaced
since April, including about
20,000 since the operation to seize
the provincial capital began in early
June.
US diplomats this week admitted
that the SDF forces, due to
their ethnic make-up, will be constrained
from going south of Raqqa
to pursue IS as far as Deir Azzour,
saying this may be the task of the
Syrian forces under Bashar al Assad,
or even Iranian-backed Shia
militia. •
Bangladesh Public Relations Association (BPRA) celebrated 38th anniversary of
its founding bu cutting a cake at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday. The
function was attended by Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar, National Press Club General
Secretary Farida Yasmin, BPRA President Mostafa-E-Jamil, Secretary General
Moniruzzaman Tipu and journalists and public relations officers from different
organisations, said press release. BPRA was founded on July 22 in 1979 COURTESY
Govt, Green Delta sign
deal on healthcare project
• Tribune Desk
METRO
Health Economics Unit (HEU)
of Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare and Green Delta Insurance
signed an agreement for
implementation of second phase
of Shashthya Shurakhkha Karmashuchi
(SSK) project.
Green Delta has been working
as the scheme operator of the SSK
since launching of the programme
on March 24, 2016, said a press release.
Now the HEU is initiating the
second phase in Kalihati, Ghatail
and Modhupur of Tangail and
Green Delta will be continuing its
services as the scheme operator.
SSK is a “dream project” of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for
the population living below poverty
line.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) has brought a concept titled
“Universal Health Coverage (UHC)”
to ensure health care for everyone,
regardless of their social status.
The Bangladesh government
has also taken up the challenge to
achieve the UHC by the year 2032
through implementing the SSK
project.
The project was initially taken
up in Kalihati of Tangail district
and was seen as a huge step in
revolutionising the healthcare delivery
system for the poor by introducing
micro insurance.
The poor people selected under
certain criteria will get a card to
receive treatment for 50 diseases
commonly found in them.
The treatment will take place in
government health facilities of the
district. The government will give
Tk1,000 per family each year as
the premium for a pool fund. One
family will get Tk50,000 treatment
a year.
The signing ceremony was held
at the health ministry office. HEU
Director General Md Ashadul Islam
and Managing Director and CEO of
Green Delta Insurance, Chartered
Insurer Farzana Chowdhury ACII
(UK) signed the MoU on behalf of
their respective organisations. •

DT
12
Editorial
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
TODAY
The road to peace
IPHRC has been charged to play a more
pro-active role in promoting human
rights
PAGE 13
BIGSTOCK
Who is selling out,
exactly?
BBC is a pinko propaganda machine,
they hollered. And the casting decision
was yet another PC sell-out move, they
raged on
PAGE 14
Time for a new port
Chittagong port has more on its
plate than it can handle right
now.
And it is no surprise that vessel
congestion has been choking the port,
considering that 90% of the country’s
imports and exports go through there.
The solution lies in developing a new
port on a priority basis, as near-complete
dependence on Chittagong is clearly not
sustainable.
Furthermore, Chittagong port’s
capacity also needs to be upgraded -- the
infrastructure at the port right now is
woefully inadequate, and no jetty has
been constructed in the last nine years
in spite of significant increases in cargo
volume.
Chittagong port’s
capacity also needs to
be upgraded
A failure to protect
Bangladesh has been walking a
tightrope for too long, as the state is,
dangerously close to giving legitimate
space to Islamist fanatics
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath,
Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207
Send us your Op-Ed articles:
opinion.trib@gmail.com
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https://www.facebook.com/
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The views expressed in opinion
articles are those of the authors
alone and they are not the
official view of Dhaka Tribune
or its publisher.
PAGE 15
Sending the right message
Hats off to Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina for doing the right thing.
It is heartening to see PM Hasina,
president of the AL, take action
against the Barisal lawyer who sued UNO Gazi
Tarek Salman over publishing a drawing of
Bangabandhu on an invitation card.
We are glad to see that the rule of law, as well
as common sense, has prevailed.
But more importantly, this action on part
of the AL sends out a much-needed message:
Over-zealous actions which persecute citizens
under such false pretenses will not be tolerated.
The actions of Obaedullah Saju do not
honour the memory of the Father of the Nation,
but quite the opposite.
Neither the government, the AL, nor the
people will fall for such antics.
The actions of
Obaedullah Saju do not
honour the memory
of the Father of the
Nation, but quite the
opposite

The road to peace
The OIC and its monitoring of human rights
Opinion 13
DT
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
P O S T
BREAKFAST
• Muhammad Zamir
The preamble of
the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights states:
“The inherent dignity and
equal and inalienable rights of all
members of the human family is
the foundation of freedom, justice,
and peace in the world.”
Upholding of human rights
has gained focal attention all over
the world. It is generally agreed
that absence of this important
factor within the paradigm of
governance affects individual
security, collective security, and
also national security.
In this context, there is also
consensus that elements like
sectarianism and absence of
respect of socio-cultural rights
respect and protection for
different societies with separate
value-structures.
The youth is our future
This has been done with the belief
that this will strengthen the role
of youth and also foster peace and
development in all OIC member
states.
Details of the efforts
undertaken by the IPHRC in this
regard was recently enumerated
by its Vice Chairperson, Dr Rashid
Al Balushi, during the 44th session
of the OIC Conference of Foreign
Ministers (CFM) held in Abidjan
Republic of Cote d’Ivoire from
July 10-11. His address touched
on the theme of “Youth, Peace,
and Development in a World of
Solidarity.”
Dr Balushi also pointed out
that despite resource constraints;
IPHRC’s effort was being widely
recognised by the international
human rights community. In
this context, he also informed
Don’t just promote human rights, ensure them
BIGSTOCK
IPHRC has been charged to play a more proactive
role in promoting human rights
among different communities
have also had an effect on the subregional
and regional matrix.
The prevailing situation
of terrorism and violence in
different parts of the world --
resulting out of fundamentalism,
communalism, populism, and
misinterpretation of religion --
has resulted in displacement of
populations, both internally as
well as across frontiers.
Such an equation has
particularly emerged within the
parameters of parts of Africa
in general and North Africa in
particular, and also in several subregions
within the Middle East and
parts of South and Southeast Asia.
Armed violence has contributed
to instability, loss of lives, and
tension in the context of bilateral
relations.
Recognition of these factors
appears to have persuaded
the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) member states
to focus their collective attention
towards the upholding of human
rights. In this context, the OIC
Independent Permanent Human
Rights Commission (IPHRC) has
been charged to play a more proactive
role in not only promoting
human rights but also ensuring
the member states about IPHRC
conducting two field visits to
Palestine and Kashmir and also
preparing detailed reports on the
ongoing human rights situation in
these sensitive areas.
The IPHRC has apparently
also carried out research and
prepared a detailed report on the
subject of “Sexual orientation and
Gender identity” and also tried
to review the Cairo Declaration
on Human Rights in Islam against
existing universal human rights
instruments.
Both these studies with
concrete recommendations were
later submitted to the 44th CFM
for consideration and appropriate
follow up. It would be fitting at
this point to outline the manner in
which the IPHRC evolved within
the OIC. It is an expert body
with advisory capacity that was
established by the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as one
of the principal organs working
independently in the area of
human rights.
A new avenue of peace and order
The creation of IPHRC was
enunciated in the New OIC Charter
adopted by 11th Islamic Summit
held in Dakar, Senegal, on March
13-14, 2008. The commission
was formally launched with the
adoption of its statute by the
38th session of the Council of
Foreign Ministers held in Astana,
Kazakhstan, on June 28-30, 2011.
The nascent commission has
since emerged as a fully functional
human rights mechanism
pursuing its multidimensional
objectives and mandates. From
its first regular session, the
commission adopted a set of five
guiding principles for its work.
These include the principles of
complementarity, introspection,
prioritsation, incremental
approach, and credibility.
The IPHRC has also claimed
that they are now offering
programs of assistance to member
states in a variety of areas such
as advancing human rights,
reviewing the corresponding
domestic legislations, counseling
with regard to obligations
under international human
rights instruments, awareness
campaigns, and provision of
technical assistance for capacity
building, etc. One can only hope
that these objectives do not suffer
due to absence of political will or
financial contributions.
Support is key
The OIC, in this significant
journey, needs to fully support
the IPHRC while it undertakes
measures towards advancing
human rights and fundamental
freedoms in member states
as well as the fundamental
rights of Muslim minorities and
communities in non-member
states in conformity with the
universally recognised human
rights norms and standards and
with the added value of Islamic
principles of justice and equality.
This effort aimed at promoting
and strengthening human rights
in member states should also
include interfaith and intercultural
dialogue as a tool to promote
peace and harmony among
various civilisations and the
promotion of the true image of
Islam -- as a religion of peace and
understanding.
This will need extending
support to member states and
their national institutions in
the promotion and protection
of human rights for all in an
independent manner. It will also
require reviewing the OIC’s own
human rights instruments and
recommending ways for their finetuning,
as and where appropriate,
including the option of
recommending new mechanisms
and covenants.
Subsequent promotion of
cooperative working relations
with relevant bodies of the
United Nations will help to
strengthen regional human rights
mechanisms with the support
and association of accredited civil
society organisations.
A vast network
IPHRC, with its member states
spread over four continents
is designed to work as a
cross-regional human rights
mechanism that brings together
and promotes the universal
character of human rights. Over
the last three years, the IPHRC
appears to have deliberated on
a number of important issues of
contemporary concern such as
rights of women and children,
right to development, combating
Islamophobia, extremism, and
intolerance.
It would, however, be fitting
for OIC member states to
understand that the objectives
for setting up the IPHRC can only
be meaningfully achieved if they
seriously abide by the stipulations
set forth in international
instruments and not just in lipservice.
Conformity with these
aforementioned principles will
then ensure good governance
particularly with regard to the
millions of expatriate workers
-- both female and male -- who
now work in the Middle East from
least developed and developing
countries.
It will be a challenge, but I shall
try to make certain of this during
my tenure as an elected member
of the IPHRC for three years from
February, 2018.•
Muhammad Zamir, a former
Ambassador and Chief Information
Commissioner of the Information
Commission, is an analyst specialised in
foreign affairs, right to information, and
good governance. He can be reached at
muhammadzamir0@gmail.com.

14
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Opinion
Who is selling
out, exactly?
The new Doctor Who is a woman.
So what?
• Syed Raiyan Nuri Reza
The BBC declared
the person to play
the Doctor’s 13th
reincarnation, and I was
duly reminded that I am quite the
sorry excuse of a Whovian with an
awful lot to catch up on.
And while I make a mental note
to pick up the Doctor Who series
from the second season -- [gulps]
fellow Whovians, I can explain -- I
was taken aback at some of the
reactions online.
They, those behind the said
surprising reactions, threw a bit
of a tantrum over the fact that the
iconic fictional character -- a time
travelling alien with regeneration
ability that confers it near
immortality as it can reincarnate
itself with new bodies -- is, for
the first time, to be played by an
actress.
BBC is a pinko propaganda
machine, they hollered. And the
casting decision was yet another
PC sell-out move, they raged on.
Say, the casting decision was
indeed politically and socially
motivated. So what, I retort?
It is but the utmost naivety to
assume fiction is conceived of in
a vacuum. Their creation draws
from the social, economic, and
political trends. Their themes and
setting reflect the beliefs (or a lack
thereof) of their creators. And
reality itself is refracted in the lens
of fiction.
Orwell’s acclaimed novels
1984 and Animal Farm come to
And are we to forget the
very British James Bond series?
Written in post-war United
Kingdom where Britain still had
an empire to its name, the series
had unsurprisingly pro-imperial
undertones.
Of course, to say nothing of CS
Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia,
which promoted Christianity and
is suffused with religious allegory.
And even with my superficial
degree of familiarity with the
authors’ lives, I can discern their
personal background smudged in
between the lines of their work.
Orwell had his brush with death
and communism at the Spanish
Civil war.
Ian Fleming served for British
intelligence. And CS Lewis
rediscovered religion in his 30s
after renouncing his Christian faith
in adolescence.
See the connections, right?
Now, I will leave it to you
to dig a bit deeper onto who is
running the show at Doctor Who
and put two and two together.
Instead, I will tell you this. In our
increasingly polarising political
and social atmosphere, we need to
grow up.
In our escapades within fiction,
we should not angrily switch
channels when we see the very
humdrum concerns of our lives
that we are trying to leave behind
stare right back at us. That’s not
how it works. Fiction is drawn
from facts and real life.
Let us remember that the script
writers, producers, and directors
BBC is a pinko propaganda machine, they
hollered. And the casting decision was yet
another PC sell-out move, they raged on
Some people don’t like the idea of Doctor Who in heels
REUTERS
mind in this regard. The former a
dystopian narrative and the other
a cautionary tale, both literary
reactions to the totalitarian
regime of Soviet Union and rise of
communism.
are creatures of flesh and blood
and hormones and entitled to their
viewpoints and can incorporate
them in their work all they like.
Provided they do so gracefully
and intelligently and still give
us worthy plot with memorable
characters, making our moments
of entertainment worthwhile.
Yet if the whiff of social and
political activism proves too much,
if any is there in the first place,
instead of incoherent rambling just
articulate an intelligent opinion.
And sure, who am I to stop
you from balling up your fists and
ranting under your breath against
the politically correct invasion
of pop culture. But it does make
me wonder: Who exactly is the
snowflake here again? •
Syed Raiyan Nuri Reza is a freelance
contributor writing from Iran.

A failure to protect
Opinion 15
Economic growth means nothing if we can’t keep girls and women safe from abuse
DT
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
Young girls should never have to face abuse
Bangladesh has been walking a tightrope for too long, as the state is,
now more than ever, dangerously close to giving legitimate space to
Islamist fanatics
• Jahanara Nuri
Bangladesh is going
through hard times.
“People” have grown
too dependent on their
rulers, and the rulers are suffering
from a lack of perspective being
surrounded by sycophants, leading
to disjointed decisions being made
regarding the future of our nation.
On the February 27, the Child
Marriage Restraint Act 2017
was passed despite nationwide
protests and requests from the
more civil parts of our society. In
order to make a decision which
may have devastating effect on the
lives of women, the administration
resorted to a game of semantics to
confuse and confound us.
What kind of a law is it that
allows the parents of a girl who
was raped to marry her off to the
rapist himself?
The state could have delivered
a stern warning by rejecting the
bill, signaling that perpetrators
of violence against women and
girls wouldn’t be spared, and that
the victims of violence would
get better legal and physical
assistance.
A country failing to provide
safety to its citizens should come
as a sobering testimony of the
gross lack of human rights here.
We are now openly fighting every
inch of our way for a pluralist,
liberal way of living.
In Bangladesh, women and
girls are safe nowhere, not even
within their families. We may have
failed to put an end to violence
against women in our society, but
our failure to save children from
being molested and/or sexually
assaulted in madrasas and on the
streets is simply inexcusable.
Bangladesh has been walking
a tightrope for too long, as the
state is, now more than ever,
dangerously close to giving
legitimate space to Islamist
fanatics. It’s worrying that our
politicians are now willfully
diluting the secular foundations
upon which our nation was built to
that end.
The number of women being
subjected to violence, in both
domestic and public settings, is
the highest it has ever been. Islam
has a storied history of oppressing
women, the fact that the
administration is now increasingly
DHAKA TRIBUNE
pandering to Islamists, coupled
with the Child Marriage Restraint
Act, all but makes sure that we
have our own special version of
the Sharia Law in effect.
No. Parading around a battalion
of female police officers at the
UN or pointing out a handful of
ministers in the cabinet wearing
blouses does not count as “female
empowerment.” Far from gender
parity, Bangladesh lacks any
semblance of safety for women
who need to step out of their own
homes to support their families.
Certainly, Islamist fanatics
such as Hefazat, with their
13-point demands against the
empowerment of women, are
celebrating. But Bangladesh is far
from the “happy nation” that the
international audience thinks of
us as.
Growth indicators can only do
so much. •
Jahanara Nuri is a writer and human
rights activist.

16
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
CODE-CRACKER
ACROSS
1 Banquets (6)
4 Poor actor (3)
7 Vestige (5)
8 Longing (6)
11 Ignited (3)
12 Level (4)
13 Emotional state (4)
15 Out of sorts (5)
16 Remedies (5)
20 Neckwear (4)
23 Body of water (4)
24 Knight’s title (3)
25 Seesaw (6)
26 Fragrance (5)
27 Female swan (3)
28 Disconcert (6)
DOWN
1 Loses colour (5)
2 Cheat (7)
3 Slender support (4)
4 Circle of light (4)
5 Sour (4)
6 Encountered (3)
9 First women (3)
10 Observe (3)
14 Wealthy (7)
17 Rodent (3)
18 Supplement (3)
19 Durable fabric (5)
20 Weary (4)
21 Metal (4)
22 Main actor (4)
24 Plant juice (3)
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 11 represents P so fill P
every time the figure 11 appears.
You have two letters in the control
grid to start you off. Enter them in the
appropriate squares in the main grid, then
use your knowledge of words to work out
which letters go in the missing squares.
Some letters of the alphabet may not be
used.
As you get the letters, fill in the other
squares with the same number in the
main grid, and the control grid. Check
off the list of alphabetical letters as you
identify them.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES
SUDOKU
How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the
numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must
contain all nine digits with no number repeating.
PEANUTS
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
DILBERT
SUDOKU

What’s on
17
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
EVENTS AROUND TOWN TODAY
THEATRE
MOVIE
SEMINAR
STAR CINEPLEX
Where Bashundhara City, Dhaka
What Movie Showtime (July 23)
KONJUSH
When 7-9pm
Where National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala
Academy, Shegun Bagicha, Dhaka
What An adaptation of the Molière satire The Miser, to be
staged by the theatre troupe Loko Natyadal.
EXHIBITION
BEACONS 3.0
When
Where Drik Gallery, House 74, Road 8a, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
What The third phase of Beacons - a multidimensional art
exhibition, most of which is done by Team Icarus.
SOLO PAINTING EXHIBITION
When 10am-8pm
Where Gallery Chitrak, House 4, Road 6, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
What 3rd solo painting exhibition by artist Sultan Ishtiaque.
The Mummy (3D): 11:30am,
2:10pm, 5pm
Nabab (2D): 3:50pm, 7pm
Spiderman Homecoming (3D):
10:50am, 1:45pm, 4:30pm,
4:40pm, 7:10pm, 7:30pm
Baby Driver (2D): 11:10am, 1:30pm,
7:20pm
Despicable Me 3 (3D): 11am, 1pm
Dunkirk (2D): 11:20am, 1:50pm,
3pm, 5:15pm, 7:30pm
War for the Planet of the Apes (2D):
10:50am, 1:40pm, 4:10pm, 7:15pm
BLOCKBUSTER CINEMAS
Where Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka
What Movie Showtime (July 23)
CAREER IN IOT
When 3-5:30pm
Where AUST Innovation and Design Club, 141 & 142 Love
Road, Dhaka
What Seminar hosted by AUST Innovation and Design Club,
and Toru Institute of Inclusive Innovation.
PHD APPLICANT: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
When 4-5:30pm
Where EMK Center, Midas Center Building (9th Floor) House
5, Road 16, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
What Join the session to know first hand what it takes to be a
PhD applicant.
MUSIC
TRIBUTE TO CHESTER BENNINGTON
When 3-8pm
Where BRAC University, 66 Mohakhali, Dhaka
What An event where the BRAC University Cultural Club and
two other bands will perform songs from the band Linkin
Park, as a tribute to Chester Bennington.
BURDEN
When 5-8pm
Where Kalakendra, 1/11, Iqbal road (3rd floor),
Mohammadpur, Dhaka
What A twenty-day solo art exhibition by A Rahman.
WORKSHOP
TALK
DARE TO LEAD WITH ASHFAQUE KABIR
When 11am-1pm
Where Department of Management Studies, Jagannath
University, Chittaranjan Avenue, Dhaka
What An hour-long session on leadership and career
development
Rajneeti (2D): 12pm, 3pm, 6pm
Spider-Man: Homecoming (3D):
11:30am, 1:45pm, 2:10pm, 4:30pm,
7:20pm
Baywatch (2D): 12pm, 2:30pm,
5pm, 7:30pm
The Mummy (3D): 12:30pm, 5pm,
7:30pm
Transformers: The Last Knight
(3D): 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:55pm,
7:25pm
Despicable Me 3 (3D): 11:40am,
2:55pm, 5:30pm
Dunkirk (2D): 12:30pm, 2:50pm,
5:10pm, 7:30pm, 7:55pm
IDP IELTS MASTERCLASS
When 10am-4pm
Where Raowa Convention Hall, Mohakhali DOHS, Dhaka
What A unique and premium IELTS workshop organised by
IDP.

DT
18
Sports
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
Mustafizur Rahman bowls during training in Mirpur yesterday
BCB CEO: Australia delegation
to arrive in Dhaka Tuesday
• Ali Shahriyar Bappa
An Australian delegate team will
arrive in Bangladesh on Tuesday,
ahead of the Aussies’ tour of Bangladesh,
informed BCB CEO Nizamuddin
Chowdhury.
Australian players have been
involved with their board in a pay
row for months now and only recently,
Australia A side boycotted
their tour of South Africa as the
dispute between Cricket Australia
and the Australia Cricketers’ Association
did not resolve.
Australia are supposed to play
two Test matches against the Tigers
this August.
Bangladesh are currently practising
hard in the fitness and conditioning
camp, ahead of their
much-awaited home series against
Australia.
As the series nears, BCB high-up
Nizamuddin yet again said CA has
not informed anything regarding
the cancellation of their Bangladesh
Tests and that a delegation
team will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday
to inspect the facilities.
“There is no talks from CA regarding
the abandonment of the tour.
But we will discuss today. A delegate
team will visit Bangladesh
on Tuesday. The delegate team
have visited Dhaka on previous
occasions. They were here during
the England series (last year) and
observed our security system. The
team which visited Bangladesh
Playing cricket is important for us.
Australia’s participation is important. We
don’t see any chance of the series losing
glamour if anything does happen
MD MANIK
will observe the logistics and other
facilities here. If they have any
suggestions then they share them
with us,” Nizamuddin told the media
in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National
Stadium yesterday.
“BCB is preparing to host Australia.
We are working according
to that. CA is working on that too.
What they are doing to resolve
their dispute is their internal matter.
We don’t want to make any
comment on that,” he said.
According to some media reports,
Australia might send a
weakened team to Bangladesh.
When asked regarding the
speculation, the BCB CEO
confidently said Bangladesh
are fully focused on Australia’s
visit and that they are preparing
accordingly for the tour, rather
than concentrating on which side
the Aussies might send.
“Playing cricket is important for
us. Australia’s participation is important.
We don’t see any chance
of the series losing glamour if anything
does happen,” concluded
Nizamuddin. •
Decision on
number of
BPL foreigners
in playing XI
tomorrow
• Tribune Report
The franchises’ opinion on the
foreign players’ policy in the
Bangladesh Premier League
Twenty20 is likely to end up even
square.
It is understood that among the
eight teams, four have made their
opinion of allowing maximum
four foreign cricketers while equal
number of teams have asked the
BPL governing council to allow
maximum five cricketers in the
playing XI.
An official announcement from
the BPL GC is however, due.
It is learnt that a final decision on
the issue will be reached tomorrow
in a BPL GC meeting.
The meeting will also finalise
the names of the Icon cricketers for
the tournament’s fifth season and
also other policies related to the
competition.
Yesterday was the deadline for
the eight BPL franchises to submit
their opinion on the overseas
players’ policy for the fifth edition
of the tournament, which is
scheduled to begin in November
this year.
The BPL GC during a press
conference in May this year had
informed that they were mulling
allowing five foreigners in the
playing XI and that the request
had come from the franchises
and for the greater benefit of the
tournament.
The opinion by the BPL GC
paved the way for mixed emotions.
Bangladesh ODI captain
Mashrafe bin Mortaza and opener
Tamim Iqbal went on record, saying
five overseas cricketers should not
be allowed in the playing XI.
Mashrafe, who is set to play for
Rangpur Riders this season while
Tamim for Comilla Victorians, have
said playing five foreigners will cut
the opportunity of the local players
in the tournament.
If five overseas cricketers in the
XI is allowed, it will not be the first
time of such instance happening in
the tournament.
The money-spinning BPL T20
in its first two seasons allowed a
maximum of five foreigners in the
playing XI.
Mashrafe in both the seasons
captained Dhaka Gladiators and
lifted the title.
The Gladiators were scrapped
later following fixing controversies.
•

Sports 19
DT
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
Mezbah, Shirin best Bangladesh
athletes yet again
Players and officials of the Titans Khulna Masters react during the press conference in Mirpur yesterday MD MANIK
2017 MCC players’ draft held
• Ali Shahriyar Bappa
The players’ draft of the Masters
Cricket Carnival 2017 was held yesterday
in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla
National Stadium.
Six franchises completed their
squad formalities during the players’
draft.
The teams are - Titans Khulna
Masters led by Habibul Bashar, previously
known as Gemcon Khulna
Masters, Ispahani Chittagong
Masters led by Akram Khan, Acme
Rajshahi led by Khaled Mashud,
Expo All Stars led by Hasibul Hossain
Shanto, Raw National Dhaka
Metropolis led by Khaled Mahmud
and Bashundhara Dhaka division
led by Naimur Rahman.
Former players, who played for
the national team or “A” side or the
Dhaka Premier Division Cricket
League for at least five years are eligible
to take part in this tournament.
The 18-over-a-side tournament
will start from Wednesday in Cox’s
Bazar’s Sheikh Kamal International
Cricket Stadium.
This is the second edition of the
tournament.
The first edition was also held in
Cox’s Bazar.
Khulna were victorious in the
MCC 2017 SQUADS
inaugural edition.
Defending champion Khulna
have changed their name this year
and will participate as Titans Khulna
Masters.
Former Bangladesh captain Habibul
Basahr Sumon is the Icon of
the team and will lead the Titans
Khulna as the previous year.
With the participation of six
sides divided into two groups, the
final of the four-day long tournament
will also be held in Cox’s Bazar
on Saturday.
The tournament will be organised
by Walton and powered by
Scan Cement. •
• Tribune Report
Mezbah Ahmed became the fastest
man of the country for the sixth
consecutive time while Shirin Akter
emerged as the nation’s fastest
woman for the fifth straight instance
as the sprint duo continued
their supremacy in the 100m of the
National Summer Athletics Championship
2017 yesterday.
There were complaints from
both the sprinters regarding the
poor condition of the track at Bangabandhu
National Stadium as Mezbah
took 10.80s to complete his
run while Shirin clocked 12.30s to
touch the finishing line.
Both the timings were recorded
through hand-timing, which was a
common scene throughout the twoday
event that concluded yesterday.
The 22-year old Mezbah has been
dominating the BNS track since
2013 and the Bangladesh Navy
sprinter needed only one more title
to touch a 34-year-old record created
by Mosharraf Hossain Shamim,
who won seven straight titles from
the late 1970s to the early 80s.
“My target was to make it sixth
straight time. Now I will try to extend
it to seven and eight, if possible
more, before going into retirement,”
said a delighted Mezbah
after finishing his run.
He added, “Since Shamim sir
has seven titles then my target is to
make it eight.”
Mezbah’s best timing is 10.72s,
which he set in the 2013 Bangladesh
Games.
He then went on to win three
national crowns and two titles in
the summer athletics.
“I’m not satisfied with my timing
but at the same time, it is not
possible to produce great timing on
that field. The field is old now and
the track is slow,” said Mezbah.
“I’m leaving the country for the
World Championship on August 1.
If I made any mistakes [yesterday]
it would be a setback to my participation
in the World Championship.
If I have to make a better result, I
need international standard training.
It is better if we get our times
in electronic timing,” concluded
Mezbah, who clocked 10.88s in
Bhubaneswar in India last month.
Mezbah will be the only athlete
from Bangladesh to take part in
the World Athletics Championship
2017, which will be held in London
from August 4-13. Mezbah is scheduled
to fly on August 1.
Like Mezbah (Bagerhat), Shirin
(Satkhira) also hails from south
Bengal and both participated in the
Olympics for the first time in Rio,
Brazil last year. Shirin, whose personal
best is 11.99s, is determined
to win a gold medal in the next
South Asian Games.
“I was training in BKSP for quite
a while under Kafi sir. I believe I
can improve my timing in the upcoming
events, both at home and
abroad,” said a confident Shirin. •
Expo All Stars
Masudur Rahman Mukul, Talha Jubair,
Mohammad Asadullah Khan Biplob,
Mohammad Ehsanul Haque Seezan,
Hasibul Hossain Shanto, Rashidul
Haque Sumon, Mehrab Hossain Opi,
Morshed Ali Khan Sumon, Jahangir
Alam, Neaz Morshed Nahid, Sohel
Hossain Pappu, Jahirul Haque Khan
Rashed, Mohammad Nuruzzaman Tuhin
and Baqui Billah Himel
Dhaka Metro Masters
Khaled Mahmud Sujan, Neeyamur
Rashid Rahul, Tanvir Ahmed Timir, AIM
Moniruzzaman, Faisal Hossain Dickens,
Anisur Rahman Sanchoy, Monirul
Islam Taj, Mohammad Anisul Hakim
Rabbani, Mohammad Iqbal Hossain,
Sajjad Ahmed Shipon, Minhaj Ahmed
Shafil, Imran Hamid Partho, Mir Ziauddin
Ahmed and Mizanur Rahman Babul
Acme Rajshahi
Khaled Masud Pilot, Abdul Hannan
Sarkar, Mohammad Rafikul Islam Khan,
Javed Omar Belim, Sheikh Golam
Mostofa, Mohammad Monjurul Islam,
Mahmudul Hasan Rana, Mohammad
Rasheduzaman, Ali Arman Rajon,
Tarikul Islam Tarek, Gazi Alamgir, Imtiaz
Mohammed Polash and AZM Shafayatul
Kirom
Bashundhara Dhaka division
Zakir Hasan, Mohammad Sanuar Hossain,
Naimur Rahman Durjoy, Mohammad
Rafique, Shahriar Hossain Biddut, Towhid
Hossain Shamol, Arafat Salauddin, Lablur
Rahman, Shafaq al Zabir, Imran Parvez
Ripon, Adil Ahmed, Humayun Kabir, Sabbir
Khan Shafin and Towhidul Islam Chapal
Titans Khulna Masters
Mohammad Harunur Rashid Liton, Mohammad
Salim, Jamaluddin Ahmed, Mohammad
Hasauzzaman Jhoru, Habibul
Bashar Sumon, Neaz Morshed Poltu,
Shafiuddin Ahmed Babu, Mohammad
Murad Khan, Tasrikul Islam Totam, Anwar
Hossain Monir, Fahim Muntasir Sumit,
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Patwary,
Shakil Kashem and Amiruzzaman Babu
Ispahani Chittagong Masters
Akram Khan, Minhajul Abedin Nannu,
Enamul Haque Moni, Tareq Aziz Khan,
Ahsanullah Hasan, Shahnewaz Kabir
Shuvro, Saifullah Khan Jem, Saiful Islam
Khan, Mushfiqur Rahman Babu,
Zubair Mohammed Ishtiak, Fazle Bari
Khan and Golam Mortuza
Shirin Akter and Mezbah Ahmed celebrate winning the 100m sprint in the National
Athletics Championship at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday COURTESY

20
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Sports
Neymar posted this photograph on his official Instagram account, stirring much speculation that he is perhaps mulling moving
to Paris from Barcelona
INTERNET
Morata completes
Chelsea move, targets
silverware
• AFP, London
Premier League champion Chelsea
completed the signing of Real
Madrid striker Alvaro Morata on a
five-year-deal on Friday in a deal
reported to be worth up to 80m euros
($92.2m).
“I am so happy to be here. It’s
an incredible emotion to be part
of this big club. I am looking to
work hard, score as many goals as
I can and to win as many trophies
as possible,” the 24-year-old told
Chelsea’s club website.
Morata put pen to paper with
the London giants after undergoing
a medical and he is now expected
to link up with his new teammates,
who are preparing to play
Arsenal in a pre-season friendly in
Beijing yesterday.
He could make his debut against
Bayern Munich in Singapore next
Tuesday.
Morata, who scored 20 goals in
43 appearances for Real last season
on their way to the Champions
League and Spanish title, also has
nine goals in 20 appearances for
Spain - including three at last year’s
European Championship.
Chelsea technical director Michael
Emenalo said Morata can
make a huge impact domestically
as well as in the Champions
League.
“We are delighted to complete
Alvaro’s signing and welcome him
to the club. We believe he can make
a great impact for Chelsea and look
forward to seeing him in action,”
said Emenalo.
“Alvaro has proven class at the
highest level and his quality will
be a huge asset to Antonio and the
squad.”
Earlier Friday, Chelsea coach
Antonio Conte marvelled at the
“crazy” transfer fees demanded for
players, though he praised Morata
as a young but experienced striker
with a bright future.
“He’s a good striker. He’s a player
with the right prospect for Chelsea.
He’s very young and for sure
he can improve a lot,” Conte told a
press conference on the eve of the
game against Arsenal.
Chelsea had long been linked to
a move for Everton striker Romelu
Lukaku, but they signed Morata after
the Belgian international joined
Manchester United instead for a reported
85m euros.
Asked whether the price paid for
Morata was fair after he had previously
warned about the spending
power of Chinese clubs, Conte
acknowledged that “for sure this
transfer market is crazy”.
“I think if you want to buy a simple
player, okay, a normal player,
you have to start to think to spend
40-50m euros, and I think this is incredible,”
he said. •
Five things on Alvaro Morata
• AFP, London
Decent proposal
Morata possesses a flamboyant side
as he revealed when he proposed to
his sweetheart Alice Campello. He
did so at a show by magician Antonio
Diaz in Madrid. Diaz instructed
Alice to face one way on the
stage and then turn round adding:
“This’ll be the best trick you’ve ever
seen.” As she wheeled round she
saw Morata down on bended knee
with a ring in his hand. “I was more
nervous that day than any other,”
he told The Guardian in April this
year. “When you’re taken away
from your pitch, your territory, the
nerves are greater.” The happy couple
were married in Venice in June.
Conte a long-time admirer
Morata will at last be managed
by Antonio Conte after the latter
coaxed him into joining Juventus in
2014 from Real Madrid and jumped
ship to take over the national side
days before the Spaniard signed
his contract. However, Morata is
positively dewy-eyed about Conte.
“Conte is the manager who most
‘bet’ on me, without even ever
having had me in his team,” he told
the Guardian. “I’m very conscious
of that: he bet on me for Juventus
but left before I arrived. He knows
me better than I could imagine, I’m
sure, and that’s important: it motivates
you to work hard, train well.”
Sensitive side
Morata has very fine locks admired
Picture this! Neymar
stirs PSG fever
• AFP, Paris
Neymar’s decision to post a photo
of himself in thoughtful contemplation
sparked a fresh wave of
speculation that he is on the verge
of sealing a world record 222-m-euro
($256.8m) move from Barcelona
to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Instagram picture, even accompanied
by a matching emoji,
shows the 25-year-old Brazilian superstar
stretched out on the pitch
with his chin resting on his left hand.
It garnered more than 1.5m
“likes” within 12 hours of it being
posted in the United States where
Barca are on a pre-season tour.
Three of the “likes” came from
PSG players - winger Angel di Maria,
goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and
midfielder Marco Verratti.
French newspaper Le Parisien
fuelled speculation Friday with an
unsourced report that Neymar had
told several Barca teammates of his
Alvaro Morata is all smiles with the Chelsea jersey
by many. Sergio Ramos had a ritual
whereby he shaved Morata’s head
hoping it would bring them goals
but last year he appeared shorn for a
very different reason. It turned out
he was doing it in support of child
cancer sufferers at the Hospital
Nino Jesus de Madrid. “There were
some kids at a hospital that wanted
to have the same hairstyle as me,
but they couldn’t (due to cancer).
Instead for them to have my hair
style, I cut my hair and got their
hairstyle,” he said.
Father figure Buffon
Morata left Juve for a return to
Real last year but he will forever
be indebted to legendary Juve
and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi
Buffon. He found life hard in Turin
until Buffon took him to one side
and told him not to show how he
was feeling in public, lest others
use it to their advantage. “All
lads who aren’t mature yet live
various situations to the extreme.
intentions to join PSG, adding that
the transfer is considered a done
deal by some Barca players.
That echoes media company
Esporte Interativo’s insistence that
an agreement has been reached
for Neymar to move to the French
capital from Barca, where he has
played since 2013.
On Tuesday, PSG skipper - and
fellow Brazilian - Thiago Silva gave
a digital thumbs up to a mocked-up
photo montage published by Esporte
Interativo showing Neymar in a PSG
shirt along with compatriots and prospective
teammates in France.
Barca coach Ernesto Valverde
described the ongoing saga as a
“time of rumours”.
That match will give Neymar a
chance to display his coveted skills
for the first time this summer.
PSG skipper Thiago Silva told Le
Parisien he had no idea if the Brazilian
star was about to switch to
the French capital. •
INTERNET
They live with great joy or with
great depression if things aren’t
going well,” Buffon told Real
Madrid TV last year. “Alvaro had
some negative thoughts in his last
period at Juve, we talked about it
a bit because I felt sorry for him,
he was a lad I really liked and I
wanted to help him and give him
security. He deserved the help
of a teammate, and I have huge
affection for him.”
Morientes’ stamp of approval
Morata has been often compared
with former Real striking great
Fernando Morientes - who formed
a lethal partnership with Raul for
many years. Morientes himself is
a great admirer of Morata. “He’s a
penalty area player who plays well
high up the pitch. He’s a goalscorer
and a complete player,” he told
Omnisports last year. “And apart
from that he’s a player you can use
out wide. He’s very quick and he
can go past players.” •

Sports
21
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Ashes might
be scrapped
• AFP, Sydney
Australia’s cricketers have been
warned this year’s Ashes series
could be scrapped, even if a new pay
deal is reached with the game’s governing
body, reports said yesterday.
ACA chief Alistair Nicholson has
warned the players via email the
showpiece Test series against England,
due to begin in Brisbane on
November 23, is under threat.
Negotiations over a new Memorandum
of Understanding between
players and CA have all but broken
down, although Nicholson and CA
counterpart James Sutherland are
scheduled to meet today, Fairfax Media
said. CA said it was surprised and
perplexed by the ACA’s claims but
would not comment on key details.
Australia’s next series is a Test
tour of Bangladesh in August.
While the Ashes are four months
away, much preparation, including
broadcast inventory and sponsorship
and advertising deals, must be locked
in far earlier, Fairfax Media said.
It added that the players had
thought the two parties had
reached common ground since
Sutherland joined negotiations
earlier this month. •
Lord’s to cut
down on booze
• AFP, London
English cricket ground Lord’s is
clamping down on alcohol allowance
for fans after a recent “incident” at
the first Test between England and
South Africa, the Marylebone Cricket
Club announced.
Fans at the famous stadium
have long been allowed to bring in
as much of their own booze as they
like, but new rules suggest that this
will be a thing of the past.
Lord’s members may only be
allowed to take up to two pints of
beer into the grounds if it is under
6% alcohol, or a single 75cl bottle
of wine if it is between six and 18%
- the same restrictions as Wimbledon.
“Amounts of alcohol in excess of
these limits...will be confiscated,”
said the MCC. •
DAY’S WATCH
FOOTBALL
TEN 2
3:00AM
International Champions Cup 2017
Real Madrid v Man United
CRICKET
STAR SPORTS 1
3:00PM
ICC Women’s World Cup
Final: England v India
India’s Mithali Raj bats during training yesterday, ahead of their Women’s World Cup final against England today
India will offer England stern test in final
• Reuters
England start as favourite to lift
their fourth Women’s World Cup
title at Lord’s today, but face an
Indian side high on confidence
after knocking out defending
champion Australia in the semifinal.
Indian middle-order batter
Harmanpreet Kaur took centre
stage with an unbeaten 171 and
was backed by a disciplined
performance by her bowlers as
India pulled off a 36-run upset
win over six-time world champion
Australia.
England, captained by Heather
Knight, edged out South Africa
by two wickets in the other semifinal,
and hold the head-to-head
advantage over India in the 50-
over format at World Cups, with six
wins to the visitor’s four.
But the Indian squad’s ability
to grind out results under pressure
will not have gone unnoticed, least
of all by the English, who were
beaten by India by 35 runs in their
first match of the tournament.
Since that defeat the host have
won seven matches in a row to
reach the final.
Knight and opening batter
Tammy Beaumont have been
consistent at the top of the order,
scoring 750 runs in the tournament
so far, while the reliable Natalie
Sciver at No 4 is the only player to
have recorded two centuries.
India, skippered by Mithali Raj,
are chasing their first World Cup
title and are known for their strong
batting line-up, but it is their spin
bowling trio that has wreaked the
INTERNET
most havoc during the tournament.
Off-spinner Deepti Sharma has
been the key to their success in the
middle overs, picking up 12 wickets
on her World Cup debut.
Sharma has been backed by
leg-spinner Poonam Yadav and leftarm
spinner Ekta Bisht, who decimated
Pakistan with a five-wicket
haul earlier in the tournament.
Raj and veteran fast bowler Jhulan
Goswami are the only two members
from the last Indian side that reached
a World Cup final - when they lost to
Australia in 2005. •
Bangla Bantams to help
disadvantaged fans enjoy
Bradford matches
• Agencies
A Bradford City supporters’ group
is looking to raise £10,000 to enable
deprived members of the community
to watch the club’s games.
The Bangla Bantams is looking
to raise the cash through crowdfunding
to give people from across
the Bradford district, specifically
U-16s and their families, free tickets
to a Bantams home match at
Valley Parade this season.
The scheme has been running at
the club since 2015, but its organisers
are now looking to expand it
after initially giving tickets to residents
of Manningham.
The appeal total would be spent
on travel expenses for its volunteers
on matchdays, and transportation
costs.
It also aims to introduce more
girls to the sport and the club and
will be open to people from all
faiths and cultures.

22
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Showtime
Bollywood hobbies
WHAT TO WATCH
• Showtime Desk
Bollywood stars make a whole lot
of money for acting in movies.
But just like all of us, they too
need a break from their jobs to do
something different, only they
get to buy a football team if their
hobby happens to be football. But
keeping that aside, they do need
little bit of solitude every now
and then when they are all tired
from being rich and famous.
Here is a list of Bollywood
stars and the hobbies they like to
spend time doing:
Kangana Ranaut
She slays on-screen with her
acting skills but not many people
know that she is also a great cook.
Some even claim Kangana is an
even a better cook than an actor.
The crew members of Queen are
a few lucky ones who got to taste
Kangana’s homemade Chinese
delicacies.
Cars
9:30pm, Star Movies
A hot-shot race-car named
Lightning McQueen gets
waylaid in Radiator Springs,
where he finds the true
meaning of friendship and
family.
Voices: Owen Wilson, Paul
Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech
Marin, Tony Shalhoub
Aamir Khan
Beside his obsession for
becoming perfect as an actor,
Aamir Khan is actually honing
his skills as a rockstar. It could
surprise you that Mr Perfectionist
is a pretty darn good drummer.
Some insiders have revealed that
the actor even has a 32-piece
drum kit at his disposal and play
it quite often. For the promotion
of his film Peepli Live!, Aamir
was spotted rocking the drums
in a concert with the band Indian
Ocean.
Saif Ali Khan
Another rockstar in the list. Saif
Ali Khan is as good a guitarist
as he is an actor. Well, he may
be no Van Halen, but he loves
performing live and rocks his
audience hard. He actually toured
with the legendary rock band
Parikrama.
Akshay Kumar
Here comes the Khiladi with his
karate chop. Well, not exactly
Karate, but Akshay Kumar is a
master of Tai Chi. Not impressive
enough? He also holds a 6thdegree
black belt in Thai Boxing.
Akshay left school after the 11th
grade to pursue martial arts.
Salman Khan
No, driving and hunting are
not his hobbies. Salman Khan’s
actual hobby is quite peaceful.
Crazy bhai fans must know this
one. Salman Khan likes to paint
to calm his mind. Not only that,
Bhai is quite known for being a
good painter.
Ranbir Kapoor
We can’t really call it a secret after
Ranbir Kapoor bought a football
team. Ranbir is a football fanatic,
a football player and also an ISL
football team stakeholder now.
He loves Barcelona and is also an
honorary fan of the Catalan club.
Sonam Kapoor
She is known to the world as
a fashionista but many of us
probably don’t know that the
daughter of Anil Kapoor is a crazy
shopaholic. The diva hunts down
the best clothes from the best
designers and shopping outlets
to catch the latest trends even
before they become trendy. In
January, she went for a shopping
extravaganza with her bestie
and sister Rhea Kapoor, when
she posted on her Facebook:
“Nothing like a bit of retail
therapy with my partner in crime
to happy things.”
Hrithik Roshan
We know Hrithik looks amazing
in front of the camera, but in his
alone time the actor and dancer
likes to spend time behind
it. The Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai
famed Bollywood superstar has
immense love and passion for
photography. Whenever he gets
time, he picks up his camera and
starts clicking. The actor once
mentioned how photography
is something he can never get
enough of.
Ranveer Singh
Apparently, his hobby is as cool
as he is. Ranveer loves to rap. His
rapping skills are so impressive
that he’ll be playing a full-time
rapper in Zoya Akhtar’s next film
Gully Boy. The Bollywood star has
also rapped in some of his songs
like “My Name is Ranveer Ching”
and “Aadat se Majboor.”•
Suicide Squad
7:18pm, HBO
A secret government agency
recruits some of the most
dangerous incarcerated supervillains
to form a defensive task
force. Their first mission: save
the world from the apocalypse.
Cast: Will Smith, Jared Leto,
Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman,
Viola Davis, Jai Courtney
Spectre
2:15pm, Movies Now
A cryptic message from Bond’s
past sends him on a trail to
uncover a sinister organization.
While M battles political forces
to keep the secret service alive,
Bond peels back the layers of
deceit to reveal the terrible
truth behind Spectre.
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph
Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ben
Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave
Bautista, Andrew Scott
John Wick
5:25pm, Zee Studio
An ex-hitman comes out of
retirement to track down the
gangsters that took everything
from him.
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Michael
Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem
Dafoe, Dean Winters

Showtime
Films coming out this Eid
• Showtime Desk
With one and a half months
remaining till the next Eid, hall
owners, producers along with the
actors are super busy with their
Eid releases. Rangbaaz, Ohongkar,
Mone Rekho, Ontor Jala, Pashan are
on the list of the films expected to
come out this Eid. Posters of some
of these ‘expected-to-be-released’
films have already been unveiled.
However, complications are
arising regarding two of the films,
the Indo-Bangla joint venture
film, Noor Jahan and the domestic
Pashan. In case of Noor Jahan, the
recent stance of the information
ministry has left the future of the
film in uncertainty, as the ministry
is working on creating a new policy
for cross border collaboration
films, in light of the recent rapid
production of films through
Bangladesh-India joint ventures,
and postponed activities related
to joint production films until the
new policy is made into law. This
means that there is no chance of
Noor Jahan getting released until a
new preview committee is formed
before Eid, which is highly unlikely
to happen.
Pashan, on the other hand, is
likely to hit roadblocks with the
“Cholochitro Pradarashak Samiti”
and that’s because of one of the
cast of the film, Misha Sowdagar,
ran into trouble with hall owners
after he had heated exchanges
with them on the matter of jointproduction
films. Consequently,
the hall owners union took a bold
step against Sowdagar by banning
the screening of all films in which
the actor will appear, making the
release of Pashan quite uncertain.
Both Pashan and Noor Jahan are
Jaaz Multimedia productions.
“I am looking forward to
releasing both the films this Eid.
There’s still time and the
preview committee could
be formed any time
before Eid,” Aziz
said about the
release of Noor
Jahan. About
Pashan, on
the other
hand, Jaaz
Multimedia
said, “I’ll
be able to
release the
film only if
Misha breaks
the ice with
the owners
union before
Eid. Otherwise, it is
impossible to release the
film.”
The release of Rangbaaz and
Ohongkar has been confirmed by
the directors of the films. They
have already started to book halls
nationwide for their films. “We’ve
already confirmed 83 halls. We are
looking forward to a number of
150 halls to release our film,” said
Sahadat Hossain, the director of
Ohongkar.
The much talked about,
Rangbaaz, which was scheduled
to be released during the previous
Eid, got caught up in a wrangle
with the Parichalak Samiti and
was stalled. But the film is finally
coming out this Eid, confirmed
producer Mozammel Haque.
According to the producer, nearly
80 halls are already booked for the
film and the number may rise up
to 150.
Both Rangbaaz and Ohongkar
feature the buzz making duo
Shakib Khan and Bubly. Bubly,
who made her debut on the silver
screen with two films during the
Eid-ul-Adha last year, is coming
out after a hiatus and that too in
two of Shakib Khan films.
“Rangbaaz was supposed to
come out last Eid. But for some
reason it didn’t happen and that’s
why it going to come out this Eid.
However, even if the films weren’t
originally meant to come to the
theatres at the same time, their
simultaneous release is actually
going to be a good thing for me,”
said Bubly.
Dhaka’s Mahi and Kolkata’s
Bonny starrer Mone Rekho will also
be released this Eid, confirmed
Wazed Ali, the director of the film.
“We are working with a view to
release the film this Eid. We’ve
already sent the posters to the
distributor office,” he said.
Although, Porimoni and
Jayed Khan starrer Ontor Jala is
speculated to be released this Eid,
director Malek Afsari refused to
confirm the release as of yet. •
• Showtime Desk
Celebrity actor Ben Affleck
might soon be hanging
up his Batman cape and
mask as Warner Bros is
reportedly plotting a future
for the Batman movie
franchise without Affleck.
The news came at a time
when the actor is on the
heels of dropping out of the
upcoming Netflix project,
Triple Frontier.
According to the
Hollywood Reporter,
Warner Bros has plans to
“gracefully” usher the movie
superstar out of the DC
movie universe as it moves
forward with a planned
trilogy of Batman movies by
director Matt Reeves.
Affleck, who is currently
45 years old, would quickly
be approaching 50 by the
time The Batman comes out
in 2019 or later, which is
being considered as a major
reason for the potential
change, sources confirm.
It is to be noted that
23
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
Affleck’s Batman no
more?
critics immediately slammed
Warner Bros. choice when
Affleck was announced as
the next Bruce Wayne. Even
then the detractors cited the
actor’s age as one of their
reasons for disapproving
Affleck’s casting in the role.
According to the
Hollywood Reporter, there
would be an in-continuity
reason for the change in
Batman actors, which
probably means that the
Affleck’s Bruce Wayne would
either retire or be killed off.
Ben Affleck, who was
set to direct a planned
standalone Batman movie
for Warner Bros, has decided
not to helm the project a few
months ago.
However, Ben Affleck
will star as Batman in
Justice League, which will
be released on November
17, 2017. So far, Affleck has
played the Dark Knight
in last year’s Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice
and a cameo in Suicide
Squad.•
DT

24
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
DT
Back Page
INDO-BANGLA BORDER CHANGES DUE
TO CONTINUOUS RIVER EROSION › 10
2017 MCC PLAYERS’
DRAFT HELD › 19
FILMS COMING OUT
THIS EID › 23
How did Hungama Ltd’s Tk2lakh investment
make Tk13cr in profit?
• Hitler A Halim
SPECIAL
Hungama Bangladesh Private Limited
– an Indian digital media company
– invested Tk2lakh in Bangladesh
and has sent back nearly
Tk13cr in profits to India.
The profit is a whooping 320 times
its original investment. Bangladesh
Bank is treating the subject as an
“unusual business activity.” As such,
the central bank has twice asked the
chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission
(BTRC) via letters on their opinion
on “Hungama Bangladesh Private
Limited sending excessive dividend
to non-residential shareholders.”
Bangladesh Bank alleges that
Hungama invested only Tk2lakh in
Bangladesh and has sent back profits
in crores. In 2015, it sent back
Tk6.74cr as dividend and in 2014 it
was Tk6.07cr. The total dividend of
the past two years is 320 times the
original investment in Bangladesh.
The central bank, in its investigation,
found that Hungama Bangladesh
has just one employee. It
has no fixed assets in Bangladesh.
The fact that a “small-capital”
managed to raise profit 320 times
its original investment has given
Bangladesh Bank a cause for concern.
In the letters to BTRC, Hungama
is referred to as a “disreputable
company with 100% foreign ownership”
by Bangladesh Bank.
Hungama Bangladesh is a subsidiary
of India’s Hungama Digital
Media Entertainment Private Limited.
The company is helmed by
Neeraj Roy, who serves as both the
managing director and the chief executive
officer. Hungama provides
a diverse array of mobile services
ranging from WAP, CRBT (Caller
Ring Back Tone), IVR (Interactive
Voice Recognition) and music
streaming.
Bangladesh Bank analysed the
financial reports of Hungama and
found that the majority of its income
came from selling various services
to different mobile operators.
Bangladesh Bank Deputy General
Manager (Foreign Exchange
Investment Department) Md Ali
Akbar Farazi signed the letter that
was conveyed to the BTRC. In the
letter, Bangladesh Bank asked if
the provision of any such services
required taking permission from
the BTRC, and asked if there was
any justification in permitting a
“disreputable company which is
fully owned by foreigners” and
whether there should be any regulation
in mobile phone operators
charging such exorbitant prices in
providing WAP, CRBT, IVR and music
streaming services.
Recently, Hungama applied to
the BRRC for a shortcode service.
The shortcode has been requested
for e-entertainment services (music,
wallpaper, animation, games,
videos). Hungama paid the BTRC
Tk1.15lakh (VAT inclusive) through
a cheque. The shortcode application
bears the authorisation of
CEO-MD Neeraj Roy, followed by
his phone number in India. The
pad bears a Gulshan address, but
no Bangladesh contact number or
e-mail address.
The BTRC has said that they will
look into the matter after Bangladesh
Bank expressed its concerns.
The office of Hungama Bangladesh
is located on Road 126 in Gulshan.
They share an office with an
accounting firm. A visit to the office
on Thursday revealed that the digital
media company occupies just
one room, which often remains
closed, even on weekdays. A CIMA
employee said that the Hungama
office has just one employee, who
only shows up from time to time.
Hungma is registered with the
Bangladesh Office of the Registrat
of Joint Stock Companies and
Firms with the number C-86484.
The contact number on the application
was called and the receiver
said it was the Mumbai office of
Hungama. The received said Neeraj
Roy was not in the office and his
contact number was not permitted
to be given out. After persisting,
the call was transferred to a woman
who identified herself as Priyanka,
overseeing the Mumbai operations
of Hungama.
She said that Hungama operates
out of their Gulshan office in Bangladesh.
She failed to provide a reason
when asked why the office was
closed on weekdays.
Priyanka also said that mobile
phone users in Bangladesh purchase
content from them. When
asked for details, she could not provide
any further insight.
She took the caller’s number
and said that the legal department
of Hungama Digital Media will contact
them with the details. But as
of this report was written, nobody
from Hungama reached out.
Officials at several mobile
phone operators in Bangladesh
have revealed that their users often
download songs, wallpapers,
ringtones or welcome tunes from
various content providers. The users
are charged from their account
balance. Businesses like Hungama
share the profits with the mobile
phone operators. Said profit has
amounted to Tk13cr, which has
been transferred back to India as
dividend for the shareholders.
BTRC Secretary Md Sarwar Alam
said the central bank has informed
that this firm has no fixed asset in the
country and has only one employee.
He said: “We have asked all the
mobile phone operators to provide
us with information to help with
our investigation. Afterwards, we
will decide on our next course of
action.” •
This story was first published on the
Bangla Tribune.
International Math Olympiad: Bangladesh best in South Asia
• Tribune Desk
FEATURE
Bangladeshi students have won four
medals, including two silver and two
bronze, in the 58th International
Mathematical Olympiad held in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
Though one of the students missed out
on a gold medal by one point, Bangladesh
ranked 26th, while India finished 52nd, Sri
Lanka 62nd, Pakistan 81st and Nepal 110th
among 111 countries. Bangladesh was
ranked in the 35th position last year.
The silver medal winners are Asif-e-
Elahi of MC College, Sylhet and Ahmed
Jawad Chowdhury of Cantonment
English School and College of Chittagong.
The bronze winners are Tamjid
Morshed Rubab of Notre Dame College
and Rahul Saha of Dhaka College.
Sabbir Rahman of Notre Dame
College and AM Naimul Islam of Amrita
The Hungama office has just one employee,
who only shows up from time to time
Lal Dey Mohabiddyaloy were given
Honourable Mentions for their scores in
the competition.
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, vice president
of Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad
committee, said: “Missing gold for
one point is heart breaking but I will not
let this to ruin my joy. I am proud of our
BdMO team and congratulate everyone.
“It must be fun to beat every country
in our region and climb 8 steps up in
world ranking,” he added.
The 58th International Mathematical
Olympiad (IMO 2017) was held in Rio de
Janeiro of Brazil from July 12 to 23.
This was the first IMO to be held in
Brazil. However, the history of the IMO
goes back to 1959 when its first edition
was held in Romania.
Since then, the competition has
provided a stimulus to mathematics,
offering a great opportunity for the creative
exchange of ideas and experiences
among students from various cultures. • The Bangladesh team poses for a photo after the announcement PHOTO: COLLECTED
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower,
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