e_Paper, Friday, August 18, 2017

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017 | Bhadra 3, 1424, Zul-qaadah 24, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 5, No 102 | 24 pages plus 24-page weekend supplement | Price: Tk10
Flood disrupts school
education across
the country › 5
Which way will
Ershad go? › 2
COURTESY
Saudi Arabia reopens
Qatar border for
Hajj pilgrims › 6
16th Amendment
debate: Here is
what you need
to know › 3
‘EC will not mediate
any polls-related
issue among
political parties’ › 7
When will we have a Bus Rapid Transit? › 10

2
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
News
Which way will Ershad go?
Jatiya Party chief pursues a three-pronged strategy ahead of national elections
• Manik Miazee
POLITICS
With just over a year to go until the
next general election, Jatiya Party
(JaPa) Chairman Hussain Muhammad
Ershad is weighing several
campaign options, hoping to place
his party as the main opposition.
JaPa, which became the principal
opposition in parliament by
default with the second highest
number of seats after BNP boycotted
the last polls, is currently pursuing
at least three alternative routes,
according to sources.
The first and foremost option,
which has taken shape in the last
few months, is taking part in the
election under the banner of a new
coalition composed of leftist and
democratic political parties, sources
and JaPa leaders have said.
The second alternative is the
58-party United National Alliance
(UNA), which JaPa leads, formed in
May with mostly Islamist parties.
The third option is going solo.
However, Ershad is not very
hopeful of doing well in the election
with UNA because of various
reasons, while leaders of a number
of the allied parties have so far
shown no respect for his decisions,
sources said.
Whichever way Ershad chooses,
JaPa is already preparing to contest
in all 300 constituencies across the
country, like it did in the 2014 election.
According to members of the
Presidium, the party’s highest policymaking
body, Ershad is cautious
about making decisions regarding
the 11th parliamentary polls and is
currently juggling different options.
A JaPa central leader, requesting
anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune:
“He (Ershad) has asked party
leaders to maintain communications
with all potential allies. GM
Quader is communicating with the
leftist and democratic parties, two
others with Awami League and
BNP, and Ruhul Amin Howlader
with UNA.
“At the moment, even I’m not
sure which way we’ll go. Most
probably, as per his characteristics,
he’ll decide at the last minute.”
The Jatiya Party took part in the
2008 polls as a partner in the Grand
Alliance led by Awami League (AL).
It, however, contested separately
in the last election and is now the
main opposition in the House.
But it still has a stake in the government
with a minister and two
state ministers while Ershad serves
as a special envoy to Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina.
However, Ershad, known for his
unpredictable political moves and
Now Jatiya Party is not what it was in the past. We’re now a big factor in
politics. There’ll be no election without us and no one will be able to gain
power without us
statements, recently has been taking
shots at both AL and BNP over
various issues.
After the recent deadly landslides
and floods in the country,
the former president had said that
these natural disasters were like
‘the wrath of Allah coming down
on the AL government’.
He also criticised the current
law and order situation, saying it
was the worst in the country’s history.
Taking a dig at BNP, Ershad recently
said that Khaleda Zia’s party
was the main obstruction to the
country’s development. “Bangladesh
would have surpassed Dubai
and Singapore by now if its
progress wasn’t delayed by BNP’s
destructive activities during its anti-government
movements.”
While throwing jabs at both AL
and BNP, Ershad is keeping things
close to the chest before deciding
the way to go for the next polls due
between late 2018 and early 2019.
“Now Jatiya Party is not what
it was in the past. We’re now a big
factor in politics. There’ll be no
election without us and no one will
be able to gain power without us,”
Ershad said yesterday in Sherpur,
reports UNB.
He also said they were making
JaPa stronger as now there is a
bright prospect for them to return
to power with people’s votes.
Despite all the confusions inside
the party, JaPa had given Ershad
a grand reception, the biggest he
has received in recent memory, on
the day he returned from India last
month.
The leftist and democratic one?
Sources inside JaPa told the Dhaka
Tribune that Ershad has been
mostly maintaining good relations
with the leaders of several leftist
and democratic parties, who have
been talking about forming a third
bloc beyond the coalitions headed
by AL and BNP.
On August 2, Ershad’s brother
and JaPa Co-Chairman GM
Quader had joined a meeting at
Bikalpadhara Bangladesh President
AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury’s
Baridhara residence.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD)
President ASM Abdur Rab, Nagorik
Oikya Convener Mahmudur
Rahman Manna and Gano Forum’s
Executive President Subrata Chowdhury
also attended that meeting.
JSD General Secretary Abdul
Malek Ratan said that meeting had
discussed the possibility and potential
of forging the new alliance.
Rab had hosted another gathering
at his Uttara house on the night
of July 13 with Badruddoza, Krishak
Sramik Janata League chief
Abdul Kader Siddique, Manna and
Subrata in attendance among others
before police gatecrashed it.
These parties and ten others will
form the new alliance, according to
sources.
UNA – The hopeless second choice?
Jatiya Party also hopes the new
coalition – UNA – that HM Ershad
formed three months ago with 57
other parties will serve as an alternative
to the AL-led 14-party and
the BNP-led 20-party alliances.
The UNA comprises JaPa, Bangladesh
Islamic Front, the 34-party
Islamic Moha Jote, and the 22-party
Bangladesh Jatiya Jote. But only the
first two parties are currently registered
with the Election Commission.
Announcing the alliance’s formation,
Ershad had said: “We have
come together because we hold the
same political ideology, Islamic values,
sense of nationality and respect
for all religious communities.”
However, sources inside the Islamist
parties have said that most
of the UNA members want the
three JaPa ministers to resign from
the AL-led government.
Since January, Ershad on several
occasions said that the JaPa leaders
will leave the cabinet “very soon”.
But, the JaPa ministers and Ershad
are yet to resign from their ministerial
and special envoy posts.
COURTESY
With that issue dragging and
other unregistered alliance members,
UNA is yet to join the political
arena actively and that has made
Ershad hopeless about its future,
sources said.
They said only 11 out of 58 parties
had attended the first alliance
meeting in May. Many alliance
leaders did not even respect Ershad’s
decisions and showed that
openly there.
Time to go solo?
On the other hand, several JaPa
central leaders said that Chairman
Ershad has asked them to make
preparations for participating in
the election on their own if the other
options fail.
According to sources, Ershad
has given this directive to more
than 100 party leaders across the
country, fearing the UNA move
may not work.
If BNP boycotts the next polls
too, then JaPa plans to become the
main opposition in parliament as
an individual political party even if
they lose the ballot to AL, sources
said.
Several times in the last few
months, Ershad has said that JaPa
now has a good chance to take the
mantle of second biggest political
party in the country from BNP.
What AL and BNP think
On JaPa issue, AL Presidium Member
Abdur Razzak told the Dhaka
Tribune: “Our plan until now is to
go into the election as the 14-party
alliance. We have no separate plans
for Jatiya Party at the moment. But
we’ll consider adding them in our
coalition if they wish to join us.”
However, several central leaders
of JaPa have said that they wish
to remain by AL’s side in the next
polls.
A JaPa Presidium member, requesting
anonymity, told the Dhaka
Tribune: “There is still a possibility
that we’ll join the polls with
AL as allies. There has been no disagreement
or tension between the
two parties.
“The 11th national polls will be
different than the last one. BNP has
also hinted about participating in
the election. The 14-party alliance
is preparing a strategy for that.”
BNP Standing Committee Member
Gayeshwar Chandra Roy told
the Dhaka Tribune: “HM Ershad
will take the route he finds in his favour
like always. But I think he will
only choose the path his master,
whoever that is, asks him to take.”
When asked who Ershad’s ‘master’
was, Gayeshwar skirted a direct
answer. “He (Ershad) does not live
by his own rules. He will never disobey
his masters abroad.” •

News
FRIDAY,
3
AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Trump’s crisis spurs talk of White House
departures
• Reuters, New York
WORLD
US President Donald Trump’s
turnabout on the violence in Charlottesville,
Virginia has rocked his
administration, leading to rising
speculation that some top officials
may be looking for a way out.
A parade of business executives
broke ties with Trump on Wednesday,
a day after he blamed white
nationalists and counter-protesters
in equal measure for the weekend
clashes that left one woman dead.
Now, frustrated aides could be
next. Trump’s remarks have left
some wondering if sticking by the
president comes at too high a cost
to their reputations.
It was hoped that retired General
John Kelly, Trump’s new chief
of staff, could impose some form of
discipline on Trump that his predecessor,
Reince Priebus, could not.
But Kelly stood with his eyes
fixed on the floor when Trump
veered off-script at his Manhattan
office tower on Tuesday. The president
accused the protesters, who
16th Amendment debate: Here is what you need to know
• Tribune Desk
JUDICIARY
The Supreme Court’s decision to scrap
the 16th Amendment to the constitution,
nullifying parliament’s power to remove
sitting judges, has given rise to a heated
debate about the respective powers of
the judiciary and the legislature. The apex
court’s observations on Bangladesh’s history
and politics have also drawn protests
from government ministers. Here we
explain the main points of contention.
What is the 16th Amendment?
The 16th Amendment to the constitution
— passed on September 17, 2014—
empowered parliament to remove
judges of the Supreme Court for their
incompetence or misconduct based on
a two-thirds majority.
Ministers said the amendment harked
back to the first constitution, drawn up
in 1972, which bestowed on members of
parliament the right to impeach judges.
That power was transferred to the president
following the fourth Amendment
to the constitution in 1975. Later, the fifth
Amendment, brought in during military
ruler Ziaur Rahman’s regime, legalised the
formation of a Supreme Judicial Council
(SJC) to impeach judges.
Why it was declared illegal
In light of the State vs Masdar Hossain
US citizens residing in Argentina hold anti-Trump signs as they protest outside the US Embassy against a visit by US Vice
President Mike Pence in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 15, 2017
REUTERS
rallied against neo-Nazi and white
supremacist groups in Charlottesville,
of being “very, very violent.”
In the uproar that followed,
chief executives at companies such
as Merck & Co Inc, Under Armour
case verdict, the judiciary was separated
from the executive and legislative
organs on November 1, 2007.
The Supreme Court scrapped the
16th Amendment on the ground that it
undermined the independence of the
judiciary. Nullifying parliament’s power
to remove judges, the apex court reinstated
the Supreme Judicial Council for
the removal of errant judges.
“Neither individual judges nor the
judiciary should be accountable to the
executive,” according to the verdict.
Who will remove judges now?
In its ruling, the apex court said the power
of impeachment was now automatically
transferred to the Supreme Judicial
Council since the 16th Amendment
was void. The SJC was a much more
transparent process, the seven-member
bench said in its verdict. Disagreeing
with the court, Law Minister Anisul Huq
claimed: “A court cannot make a law or
order retention of its earlier version. It
can only define the law.”
Why is the government unhappy?
Ruling party lawmakers are dissatisfied
with the verdict because they think the
legislature in a parliamentary democracy
should have more authority compared
to the judiciary. Secondly, the present
Awami League-led government feels
that the image of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Inc, Intel Corp, Campbell Soup Co
and 3M Co quit advisory councils
to the White House. Trump then
dissolved the councils.
The exodus of executives
sparked talk that Gary Cohn,
was “undermined” through the Supreme
Court observation that “No nation, no
country is made of or by one person.”
What does the verdict say about
Bangladesh’s history?
“If we want to truly live up to the dream
of Sonar Bangla as advocated by our
Father of the Nation, we must keep
ourselves free from this suicidal mindset
and addiction to ‘I alone’, that only one
person or one man did all this,” Chief
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha said in his
observation on the verdict.
He also remarked on the state of
politics, martial law, Election Commission,
corruption and independence of
the judiciary.
“Now power, not merit, tends to control
all public institutions of the country.
It is an irony that while unflinching
determination and indomitable spirit
enabled us to free a country from the
clutches of a military power, we have
been measurably defeated by ourselves
in that very free country,” it said.
Criticising the last two martial law
regimes, the court observed: “After
independence, unholy alliances
of power-mongers reduced this country
to a banana republic twice. They bluffed
and hoodwinked the people to legitimise
their illegal exercise of power.”
What will the government do?
Asked about the government’s stand,
Trump’s top White House economic
adviser and a key liaison to the
US business community, might resign
in protest as well.
David Shulkin, US secretary of
Veterans Affairs, told reporters on
Law Minister Anisul Huq said they
would likely seek a review to get “objectionable
and irrelevant” statements,
particularly political observations
made by Chief Justice in the judgment,
expunged. He also hinted at further
amending the constitution, if deemed
necessary, in the future.
What BNP says
In its immediate reaction, Bangladesh
Nationalist Party, or BNP, termed the
judgment historic, saying it aptly highlighted
the prevailing political scenario in
the country. The government has taken
the judiciary as its opponent, it said.
Coming down hard on the law
minister and Awami League leaders for
criticising the judgment, BNP Secretary
General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
said: It is the law minister’s duty to implement
the verdict, not to take a stand
against the judiciary. By slamming the
verdict, he [Anisul Huq] deviated from
his moral duties for political expediency.”
Why the judiciary and the
executive are at loggerheads
The ongoing row between the two
organs has resulted from disagreement
over the issue of the judiciary’s
separation. Both the chief justice and
ministers frequently exchanged heated
words over the formulation of a code of
conduct for lower court judges. Added
to that is the apex court’s refusal to
Wednesday that as a Jewish American,
he was “outraged” by neo-Nazis
and other white supremacist
groups and felt obligated to speak
out against them.
Steve Bannon, a White House
senior adviser with close ties to
far-right groups, told the American
Prospect in an interview published
Wednesday that he constantly
butts heads with Cohn over issues
such as trade with China. “That’s
a fight I fight every day here,” Bannon
said.
Cowan and Company, a financial
services firm, said on Wednesday
that the departure of the pragmatic
and business-friendly Cohn could
adversely affect markets.
Trump thinks highly of Cohn
and has spoken often of the financial
sacrifices he made to leave
Goldman to join the administration.
He is widely considered to
be a leading candidate to chair the
US Federal Reserve should Trump
choose not to retain Janet Yellen.
That decision would insulate
Cohn from the day-to-day drama of
the Trump White House, but likely
is months away. •
accept a draft of the code of conduct
submitted recently by the government.
During court proceedings, government
officials raised objections against
what they saw as ‘political comments’
by the Chief Justice.
Chief Justice SK Sinha in his reply said
he would continue to speak out for the
sake of the welfare of the judiciary even if
critics described these as political remarks.
Political implications
The verdict came at a time when the
Pakistan Supreme Court declared the
country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
unfit for office. Sharif stepped down as
premier of Pakistan, complying with
the judgment.
Leaders of the ruling Awami League
in Bangladesh are concerned about
what they see as judicial overreach in
the 16th Amendment verdict. They
also fear that the court may make more
such moves in the future.
However, Chief Justice Sinha urged
everyone not to play any political
games over the verdict.
“The court will welcome constructive
criticism, but its judges should not
fall into the trap laid by the government
or the opposition,” he said.
When will Sinha retire?
SK Sinha took office as chief justice
on January 17, 2015 and will retire in
January, 2018. •

4
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
News
Indians decry ‘racist’ Chinese video on border standoff
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
Indians have reacted with bemusement
and outrage at a “racist” video
posted online by Chinese state
media, as a highly charged border
dispute between the two countries
enters its third month, the Guardian
reports.
The Chinese state broadcaster
Xinhua published a video on
Wednesday highlighting India’s
“seven sins” in relation to a standoff
between the countries’ armies
at the Bhutan-China border.
Indian soldiers crossed into
Bhutanese territory in mid-June to
block Chinese soldiers from upgrading
a road that Beijing says is within
its borders, but which Bhutanese
leaders claim belongs to them.
As a presenter lists India’s perceived
misdeeds, the video repeatedly
cuts to a Chinese man
wobbling his head, wearing a fake
beard and turban, and appearing to
feign an Indian English accent.
The turbaned character in the
video mocks India’s reaction to the
Chinese roadwork, which he likens
to someone “building a path in his
garden”. It portrays Bhutan, which
asked Delhi for military assistance
to repel the Chinese, as an unwilling
participant in the conflict and a
victim of Indian bullying.
The footage is part of a series
called The Spark, an English-language
segment recently launched
by the Chinese state media outlet
that appears to be aimed at foreign
audiences.
It was posted on Twitter, Facebook
and YouTube, which are
blocked in China and inaccessible
without the use of a virtual private
network to get past the country’s
Great Firewall.
Indians on Twitter have called
the video’s exaggerated depiction
of a Sikh soldier racist, while the
Indian Express newspaper criticised
its “collage of poorly designed
graphics replete with the
soundtrack of canned laughter”.
Diplomatic attempts to break the
impasse in the Doklam plateau have
reportedly foundered, with India
pushing for a simultaneous withdrawal
of troops and China insisting
the Indian soldiers unilaterally retreat
before dialogue can begin.
This week Chinese troops pelted
their Indian counterparts with
stones in another disputed border
area near the Himalayan region
of Ladakh, yet another sign of the
burgeoning regional rivalry between
the pair, which fought a border
war in 1962.
Analysts believe another armed
conflict is unlikely but say the
harsh rhetoric on each side, especially
from Beijing state organs, is
increasing tensions.
In recent years, Chinese propaganda
chiefs have embraced social
media networks as a means of
spreading the Communist party’s
line overseas.
Xinhua has more than 10 million
followers on Twitter; the Facebook
page of the recently rebranded
state broadcaster, CGTN, has more
than 50m likes.
Flag meeting
Indian and Chinese army officials
reportedly held a flag meeting in
Chusul sector of Leh on Wednesday,
a day after Indian troops had foiled
an attempt by Chinese soldiers to
enter Ladakh, an unidentified official
told the Hindustan Times.
The meeting was reportedly
held to defuse the tension between
the two nations, according to Deccan
Herald. However, details of the
meeting were not available.
Indian Defence Minister Arun
Jaitley too refused comments. “This
is not a subject on which the government
normally makes a comment.” •

News 5
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Flood disrupts school education
across the country
Flood relief still
inadequate
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT AFFAIRS
• Mahadi Al Hasnat
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Academic activities in around
4,000 primary and high schools,
colleges and madrasas in northern
and northeastern districts of the
country have been severely affected
by monsoon flooding that began
earlier this month.
Many schools have had to be
shut down due to dwindling attendance
of students who had taken
refuge in flood shelters along
with their family members.
Books and other instruments
have been lost or damaged while
mid-term exams have been postponed.
The number of affected education
institutions is increasing
across the country as new areas become
flooded every day. However,
government officials said that in
some areas, the floodwater has already
started going down.
Mahbub Elahi, the deputy director
of Rangpur division office of the
Directorate of Primary Education,
said a total 1,946 primary schools
had been shut down across the division
while 1,359 schools had been
closed due to flooded classrooms.
A further 587 schools were being
used as shelters.
“Three schools have been swallowed
by the river while some infrastructure
and educational goods
were saved,” he said.
“In cases of swallowed schools,
new schools will be built on government
land with the governmental
allocation, and educational
activities would be started soon. If
there is no land, then we would ask
local people for land for establishing
educational institutes.”
At least 3,000 primary schools
have been affected by the
flood in Joypurhat, Gaibandha,
Bogra, Kurigram, Panchagarh,
Nilphamari, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat,
Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Rajshahi,
Naogaon, Jamalpur, Tangail, Sirajganj,
Sherpur, Sunamganj, Sylhet,
Netrokona, Faridpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur
and Manikganj.
Deputy Director of Rangpur
divisional Directorate of Primary
Education Abul Khayer said school
teachers were hopeful the children
could make up time lost to the
flooding.
“They will pay extra concentration
in classrooms to minimise the
loss after the situation is improved
Almost the entire building of this primary school in Jamalpur is submerged in floodwater
so that they can do well in completion
and annual exams,” he said.
In Rajshahi division, academic
activities have been suspended
in around 131 schools in Sirajganj,
120 in Naogaon, 76 in Bogra, 19
in Pabna and three in Joypurhat.
Eight schools in Sirajganj, two in
Pabna and one in Naogaon were
swallowed by the river, the sources
said.
According to sources at the Rajshahi
divisional office of the Directorate
of Primary Education,
educational activities have been
interrupted in 564 schools from a
total of 8,840. Classes have been
suspended in 426 schools while 11
schools have been swallowed by
the river. Sixty schools are being
used as flood shelters.
Primary Education Director Md
Abdur Rouf (Planning and Development)
told the Dhaka Tribune
that they had been collecting field
level information on flood affected
schools but the total amount of
losses and damages have yet to be
The number of affected education institutions is increasing across the country as
new areas become flooded every day
DHAKA TRIBUNE
determined.
“Floodwater has entered the
classrooms and in many cases, the
buildings have been badly damaged.
We will get an overall idea
of the damage after the water has
receded,” he said.
According to Rajshahi divisional
office of the Directorate of Secondary
and Higher Education, 138
schools and madrasas have been
affected by the flood. Among them
87 institutions are in Sirajganj, 24
in Naogaon, 11 in Joypurhat, 11 in
Bogra and five in Pabna.
In Sylhet division, 33 educational
institutes have been affected in
Sunamganj district while academic
activities in eight schools and
madrasas have been interrupted,
source said.
Around 750 primary schools in
the division have been affected by
the flood while academic activities
of some 321 schools were suspended.
In Sunamganj, 567 primary
schools were affected while classes
and exams were suspended in 302
DHAKA TRIBUNE
schools, the sources said.
Prof Md Elias Hossain, director
(secondary) of the Directorate of
Secondary and Higher Secondary
Education, told the Dhaka Tribune:
“According to our primary
report, around a thousand secondary
schools, colleges and madrasas
have been flooded.”
Meanwhile, National University
authorities have suspended degree
pass and certificate examinations
of the students of 2015 (old syllabus)
scheduled for Wednesday and
yesterday because of the ongoing
floods.
A press release signed by the
National University acting examination
controller Badruzzaman
said that they suspended philosophy
fourth part exam for August 16
(Wednesday) and geography fourth
part exam for August 17 (yesterday)
due to the deteriorating situation.
“The new schedule of the suspended
examination will be announced
later,” the press release
added
On July 15, the examination
began with the participation of
267,000 students of 1,600 colleges
across the country.
Candidates of Primary Education
Completion Examinations and
Junior School Certificate Examinations
are the worst sufferers as the
exams are scheduled in November.
But the academic lives of many
students have become uncertain
as many schools have been left
severely ravaged or entirely swallowed
by the river.
Government officials said steps
will be taken to restore academic
activities in educational institutions
after the flood water is totally
gone. •
As flood continues to worsen in the
northern region, relief goods have
not yet reached many remote areas.
According to the Flood Forecasting
and Warning Centre (FFWC)
of Bangladesh Water Development
Board, the flood situation in
Kurigram and Rangpur districts
is likely to improve a little in the
next few days, but the situation in
Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj
may continue to worsen.
Dinajpur
A total of 54,950 flood affected
families have so far been accommodated
in 192 shelter centres
across the district.
Flood relief reaching those shelters
are inadequate; many people
are half-starving, said officials.
Some of the displaced people
have already started moving
back to their villages with news of
floodwater receding, but the crisis
of food and drinking water is still
haunting them.
About 150,000 tube-wells have
been damaged by the flood, according
to the district administration.
Nilphamari
Around 200,000 people in
Nilphamari’s Dimala upazila will require
various post-flood assistance.
Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner
Khaled Rahim said they had so far
distributed 93 tons of rice and Tk7
lakh cash among the victims.
Kurigram
The entire district has been affected
by the swelling of the Teesta and
Dharla rivers, displacing hundreds
of thousands of people. As of yesterday,
most of the victims complained
they had not received any relief yet.
Jamalpur
A total of 55 unions and six municipal
areas have so far been inundated
in the district. Jamalpur Primary
Education Officer Abdur Razzak
said they had temporarily shut
down 968 education institutions in
those areas.
Naogaon
About 200,000 people are marooned
across nine upazilas of the
district.
Flood control embankments on
the Atrai and Chhoto Jamuna riverbank
areas have been breached at
15 places in Raninagar, Manda and
Atrai upazilas, leading to fresh inundation
yesterday. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
HEAVY RAINFALL
LIKELY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
Dhaka 34 28 Chittagong 34 27 Rajshahi 32 26 Rangpur 31 26 Khulna 32 26 Barisal 32 27 Sylhet 33 26
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:29PM
SUN RISES 5:35AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
35.1ºC
23.9ºC
Sylhet
Rangamati
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Cox’s Bazar 32 26
Fajr: 5:00am | Jumma: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:00pm | Magrib: 6:41pm
Esha: 8:30pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
News
Saudi Arabia reopens Qatar
border for Hajj pilgrims
• AFP, Riyadh
WORLD
Saudi Arabia on Thursday ordered
the reopening of its border with
Qatar to Muslim pilgrims, a move
which Doha said was welcome but
too little to heal relations between
the feuding Gulf neighbours.
The Salwa border crossing, also
known as Abu Samrah, a key passage
for Muslims on the annual
Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, has been
closed since June in a diplomatic
crisis that saw Riyadh cut ties with
Doha over accusations the emirate
supported Islamist extremists.
Qatar has denied the allegation
and in turn accused Riyadh of restricting
its citizens’ right to make
the Hajj, or annual pilgrimage to
Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, located
in western Saudi Arabia.
Saudi King Salman authorised
“the entry of Qatari pilgrims to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through
Salwa border crossing to perform
Hajj, and to allow all Qatari nationals
who wish to enter for Hajj without
electronic permits”, state news
agency SPA announced.
He also ordered that private jets
belonging to Saudi airlines be sent
to Doha airport “to bring all Qatari
pilgrims at his expense”.
Qatar’s foreign minister welcomed
the decision but lashed out
at Riyadh’s ongoing “politicisation”
of religious freedoms.
The Hajj, a pillar of Islam that
capable Muslims must perform at
least once, is to take place this year
at the start of September and it is expected
to draw around two million
Muslims from around the world.
Hajj pilgrims’ passport submission
deadline expires tomorrow
• Ishtiaq Husain
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The government has extended the
deadline for Hajj pilgrims to submit
their passports to the Saudi Arabian
embassy in Dhaka by two days
until tomorrow.
The development came yesterday
as Biman Bangladesh Airlines was
allocated seven new landing slots
by the Saudi Arabian civil aviation
authority, one fewer than requested.
Until yesterday, the airlines authorities
got 14 additional slots
while Biman initially received 144
A handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meeting
with Qatari envoy Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali bin Jassim al-Thani in Jeddah on August 16, 2017
AFP
slots to carry 63,599 pilgrims in
Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, The national flag
carrier was compelled to cancel
two more flights yesterday owing
to the continued shortage of Hajj
pilgrims.
“Around 5,000 pilgrims are yet to
submit their passport but we hope
that they will manage to do so in
the next two days to get their visa,”
said Shahadat Hossain Taslim, the
secretary general of Hajj Agencies
Association of Bangladesh.
He termed the passport submission
extension “a great relief” for
those whose Hajj visa applications
‘Right to pilgrimage’
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt,
Bahrain and the United Arab
Emirates severed diplomatic and
trade ties with Qatar in what has
emerged as the worst political crisis
to grip the region in decades.
The Saudi decision to reopen
the frontier for Qatari pilgrims
came shortly after the kingdom’s
powerful Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman met with
Qatari envoy Sheikh Abdullah bin
Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassim al-
Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling
dynasty.
It was the first public high-level
encounter between the nations
since the crisis erupted.
The Qatari foreign minister,
however, said Sheikh Abdullah
had acted on a “personal initiative”
by meeting the crown prince on
Wednesday in the Saudi city of Jeddah
and not on behalf of the Doha
government.
The decision also came after
SPA reported that Crown Prince
Mohammed had received a phone
call from US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson, who has sought repeatedly
to defuse the regional crisis.
Saudi Arabia last month said Qatari
pilgrims would be allowed to
enter the kingdom for Hajj this year
but imposed several travel restrictions,
including flying in only on
airlines approved by Riyadh.
Doha has accused Riyadh of
jeopardising the pilgrimage to
Mecca by refusing to guarantee the
safety of Qatari citizens.
“We hope that the Saudi authorities
cooperate with our government
agencies to ensure the
security of the Qatari people,”
the foreign minister said in Stockholm.
Analysts cautioned Thursday
that the diplomatic crisis was far
from over. •
are still pending.
In the last few days, instead of
cancelling flights Biman opted to
run its scheduled services below
capacit,y just aiming to smoothen
Hajj pilgrimage.
“We are pretty much upset on
local Hajj agencies as Biman is not
getting sufficient number of pilgrims
despite arranging special flights,” Biman’s
mouthpiece Shakil Meraj said.
Though a Boeing 777 300 ER has
a capacity of 419 seats, most flights
are leaving Dhaka with a less number
of devout pilgrims
“With just a few days left to end
the Hajj flights, the fates of hundreds
of pilgrims are still hanging
in the balance,” Shakil said. “If Hajj
agencies fail to supply us an optimum
number of pilgrims by that
time, we fear that Biman may not
be able to carry them.”
Biman will operate its last Hajj
flight on August 26, while the last
flight of Saudi Arabian Airlines will
take off from Dhaka the next day.
As of yesterday, Biman had
transported 35,314 pilgrims while
Saudi Arabian Airlines had carried
37,869.
This year, a total of 127,198
Bangladeshi pilgrims are expected
to perform Hajj. •
Doctors take
Annisul off the
ventilator
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Doctors have supposedly removed
Dhaka North City Corporation
(DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq’s ventilator
and are trying to wake him
up from sedation in a normal way.
The mayor’s family friend Dr
Abdun Noor Tushar provided the
update in a Facebook post yesterday
morning.
Tushar, who is responsible for
giving updates on Annisul’s health,
said doctors would remove the ventilator
anytime yesterday.
“It is a complex process and the
doctors will try to bring him back to
a normal state gradually. Hopefully,
he will react to the medicines,”
Tushar wrote.
He also asked everyone to keep
the mayor in their prayers.
Press Minister at Bangladesh
High Commission in London Nadeem
Qadir said Annisul’s condition
in the last 24 hours remained
unchanged. “His overall condition
is stable,” he added.
Annisul went to London on a
family tour on July 29. He was admitted
to the intensive care unit
(ICU) of a hospital in London after
he fell ill. Doctors say he is suffering
from cerebral vasculitis (inflammation
of the blood vessel wall
involving the brain). •
This article was first published on
banglatribune.com
Case filed over
Panthapath raid
• Arifur Rahman Rabbi
MILITANCY
Police have filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism
Act over the anti-militancy
operation in Panthapath, Dhaka
that took place on Tuesday.
The case was filed around
11:40pm on Wednesday, said Ramna
Division Police’s Deputy Commissioner
Maruf Hasan Sarder.
The case has been handed over
to the Counter-Terrorism and
Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit,
who will handle the investigation.
CTTC sources said though the
investigation was only in the initial
stage, it had already yielded some
information that was in the process
of being scrutinised.
Police raided Hotel Olio International
at Panthapath where militant
Saiful Islam, suspected to be a member
of New JMB, had been staying.
Saiful blew himself up after he
was cornered by police.
Police suspect Saiful, 21, and
several other militants planned to
bomb Mourning Day processions. •

News
FRIDAY,
7
AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
‘EC will not mediate any polls-related
issue among political parties’
• Bilkis Irani
ELECTION
The Election Commission will neither
“bow down to or mediate” any
election-related issue among the
political parties, the Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) has said.
KM Nurul Huda made his comments
yesterday in a consultation
with senior journalists and electronic
media representatives ahead
of the next polls, which are due to
be held in late December 2018 or
January 2019.
“It is not the Election Commission’s
duty to mediate among the
political parties. We do not need
to go to anyone as the commission
is an independent body,” the CEC
said at the Election Commission
building in Agargaon, Dhaka yesterday.
As part of its roadmap for the
upcoming parliamentary election,
the EC will also sit in talks with 40
registered political parties, election
observers, female leaders and election
experts in separate dialogues
which are scheduled to start on
August 24.
A total of 26 electronic and online
media representatives and
journalist leaders entered into the
talks yesterday with the chief election
commissioner.
Four election commissioners –
Mahbub Talukdar, Rafiqul Islam,
Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (retd)
Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury –
and acting secretary of the commission
Helaluddin Ahmed were
also present at the dialogue.
Like their colleagues in the print
media, the electronic media representatives
asked to reinstate the
option of No vote in the upcoming
parliamentary election.
Having the option of No
vote will inspire more voters to
go to the polling centres, they reasoned.
However, unlike many of their
colleagues in the print media, they
advised against army deployment
during the election.
“Army deployment should be
avoided if there are chances of the
force being used for political interest,”
Ekattor TV Managing Director
and Chief Editor Mozammel Haque
Babu said.
Mozammel further advised
the Election Commission to allow
TV cameras in all the polling
centres to ensure a “free and fair”
election.
BSS Managing Director and
Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad reiterated
Mozammel’s comments on
the army and asked the Election
Commission to conduct the election
according to the constitution.
Bangla Vision Head of News
Mostafa Firoz said: “If the political
parties could reach a place of compromise,
there would be no need
for army deployment.”
The CEC said the Election Commission
would decide whether the
army would be deployed or not
during the election depending on
the situation.
Responding to a query regarding
the election-time government,
he said the Election Commission
had no role regarding the nature of
the government that would remain
during the election.
“As the commission is a technical
office, it is obliged to conduct
the election in the system which
is determined by the government,”
he said.
On Wednesday, the Election
Commission sat in the dialogue
with newspaper editors, journalist
leaders, senior journalists and columnists.
On July 31, the Election Commission
held a dialogue with civil
society members.
The other participants in yesterday’s
dialogue were Channel i
Director Shykh Seraj, Independent
TV Executive Editor Khaled Muhiuddin,
Masranga TV Chief News
Editor Rezwanul Haque Raza,
NTV Head of News Khairul Anwar
Mukul, ATN Bangla Head of
News ZE Mamun, RTV CEO Syed
Ashiq Rahman, Jamuna TV Chief
News Editor Fahim Ahmed, Voice
of America’s Bangladesh Correspondent
Amir Khasru, Dhaka
Reporters’ Unity (DRU) President
Sakhawat Hossain Badsha and BTV
Director General SM Haroon-or-
Rashid. •
Imran H Sarker assaulted
in Shahbagh
• DU Correspondent
CRIME
A group of unidentified attackers launched
an assault on Gonojagoron Mancha spokesperson
Imran H Sarker on Thursday, in front
of the National Museum in Dhaka’s Shahbagh
area.
According to eyewitnesses, some activists
of Gonojagoron Mancha, who were collecting
funds to provide aid to people in flood
affected areas, were attacked by a group of
men who claimed there were no floods in the
country.
The assailants fled the scene when other
activists of Gonojagoron Mancha rushed to
Imran’s defense.
Though the attackers are yet to be identified,
Gonojagoron Mancha activist Jibananondo
Joyonto said that members of
Bangladesh Chhatra League had previously
threatened to beat them up if the Gonojagoron
Mancha activists were seen near the
DU campus.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Imran
said: “A group of unidentified miscreants
abruptly launched an attack on us with
blunt instruments like sticks, hockey sticks
and brick bats. At least five of our activists
were injured in the attack.”
“Before launching their assault, they
shouted that there is no flood in the country
and that we have been creating the flood.”
“It appears that the attack was preplanned
and they were fully prepared for
it,” Imran added.
One of the Gonojagoron Mancha activists,
named Riyad, was seriously injured
during the attack and rushed to Dhaka Medical
College Hospital.
Imran said a formal complaint was lodged
with Shahbagh police station. However, the
Officer-in-Charge of the police station said
he was yet to receive a complaint in this connection
at the time of filing this report.
Earlier, Nagorik Shomaj, a social awareness
platform of which Gonojagoron Mancha
is aligned with, organised a human
chain demanding increased government action
and rescue operation for the flood victims
in the northern districts at Shahbagh. •

8
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Four new border haats in
Meghalaya on the cards
• Shilajit Kar Bhowmik
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
India has finalised a plan to
construct four new border
haats along with Bangladesh-Meghalaya
frontier
soon.
“The Centre (central
government of India) has
allocated Rs18.60cr for
the construction project,”
Meghalaya Chief Minister
Mukul Sangma announced
in a rally, organised on the
occasion of India’s 71st Independence
Day.
The haats will be constructed
at Bholaganj and
Rynku in East Khasi Hills,
Nalikat at South West Khasi
Hills and Shibbari in South
Garo Hills of Meghalaya.
Meghalaya and Bangladesh
share a 443-km border
with each other. •
News
Tk425 crore lost in illegal
fuel dealings
Private refineries allegedly sell condensate to filling stations
instead of supplying refined products to BPC
• Aminur Rahman Rasel
SPECIAL
Private refineries have been illegally
selling condensate to filling stations instead
of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation,
costing the national exchequer
Tk425 crore in just one year, a BPC
insider has claimed.
The refineries generally buy condensates
produced in gas fields run by
state-owned Petrobangla and other international
oil companies under a government
contract to produce fuels such
petrol, diesel, octane and kerosene.
However, a total of 11 named refineries
have reportedly been selling condensate
to different privately-owned filling
stations in backroom dealings, violating
the contract and defying the yield pattern
of the Energy and Mineral Resources
Division (EMRD).
Natural gas condensate is a low-density
mixture of hydrocarbon liquids that
are present in raw natural gas extracted
from gas fields across the country, while
yield pattern refers to the proportional
rate of produced fuel oils processed
from condensate.
“The BPC’s marketing companies
have witnessed a downward trend in
fuel sales in the last couple of years,” a
BPC official told the Dhaka Tribune on
condition of anonymity.
“Investigation later revealed that some
corrupt businessmen have been selling
the condensate to many petrol pumps.”
BPC’s marketing companies are Padma
Oil Company Limited, Meghna Petroleum
Limited and Jamuna Oil Company
Limited.
“Though private refineries were
supposed to sell refined condensate to
these companies, they did not deliver
the processed fuel oils following the
EMRD yield pattern,” said the official.
Currently, there are four public and 13
private condensate fractionation plants,
which produce petrol, diesel and octane.
According to the EMRD directive, private
refineries are supposed sell at least
45% of their petrol and 16% of their diesel
to BPC following the yield pattern.
But they apparently only deliver 4-40%
of the 61% volume of petrol and diesel
combined.
The official said the government
stopped selling condensate to the private
refineries after it suffered the Tk425
crore loss in the 2015-16 fiscal year.
The 11 companies that apparently
contributed to the huge loss are: Super
Refinery (Pvt) Ltd, Aqua Mineral Turpentine
& Solvents Plants Ltd, Chowdhury
Refinery Ltd, PHP Petro Refinery
Ltd, Synthetic Resin Products (Pvt) Ltd,
JB Refinery Ltd, Lark Petroleum Company
Ltd, CVO Petrochemical Refinery
Ltd, Universal Refinery (Pvt) Ltd, Rupsa
Refinery (Pvt), and Golden Condensate
Oil Refine Factory Ltd.
Sales rebound
When adulterated petroleum was flooding
the local market between October
2015 and June 2016, the BPC’s sale of
petrol was at 104,480 tonnes while the
figure for diesel was 2.8 million tonnes.
However, once the corporation resumed
selling to private refineries under
the yield pattern, petrol sales jumped
by 83% to 191,299 tonnes and diesel by
8% to over 3 million tonnes between October
2016 and June 2017.
“Sales of petroleum fuels increased
after actions were taken against some
private condensate fractionation plant
owners,” BPC Director (marketing) Mir
Ali Reza told Dhaka Tribune.
The parliamentary standing committee
on the power, energy and mineral resources
ministry discussed the Tk425 crore loss
and illegal condensate trading in a meeting
on July 24. It also received accusations
that condensate with high-level lead was
being mixed in all types of fuels including
petrol, diesel and octane.
The committee recommended taking
legal action against those involved and
formed a three-member team led by
Member of Parliament Md Abu Zahir to
look into all the allegations, identify the
culprits and submit their findings “as
soon as possible”.
Government officials have also said
that the Anti-Corruption Commission
is also investigating several private refineries
over alleged irregularities and
corruption.
‘Ruined reputation’
Petrol Pump and Tank-Lorry Owners
Association President Mohammad Nazmul
Haque said his group had urged
the government “several times” to take
action over the illegal condensate dealings,
but that nothing had happened.
“Recent monitoring has somewhat
decreased the illegal condensate selling,”
he said. “While this trade has ruined
the reputation of our business,
some corrupt businessmen and owners
are making huge profit from this.”
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Petrochemical
and Refiners Association
President Irshad Hossain rejected the
allegations.
“The BPC has made the account of
losses as they seemed fit. There was no
yield pattern before. But after it was introduced
on September 1, 2016, we have
maintained the pattern in supplying
petrol and diesel,” he claimed.
Irshad said the BPC used to export
condensate aboard some years ago. “After
our refineries started operating, we
are now refining the condensate and
producing petro, diesel and octane inside
the country.”
Irshad said the BPC had managed to
bring a major achievement in the private
RAJIB DHAR
sector through producing fuel to meet
the country’s energy demand. “(But)
now, our businesses are being obstructed
in many ways and we are treated intolerantly,”
he said.
‘Prices need to be refixed’
Meanwhile, another BPC official who
wished not to be named said the buying
of diesel and petrol manufactured by local
private plants was “not profitable for us”.
“BPC buys product from these plants
only to ensure usage of local condensate,
which costs it more,” he said. “It
will be profitable if BPC imports condensate
and refines that through our
subsidiary company, Eastern Refinery
Ltd, as the condensate prices have
dropped in the global market.”
The BPC currently buys per litre diesel
at Tk58, petrol at Tk60 and octane at
Tk67 from the local private refineries,
the official said.
But if the condensate is imported and
refined at Eastern Refinery, the expenditure
would fall to Tk47 for per litre diesel,
Tk44 for petrol and Tk55 for octane.
“The prices need to be refixed,” the
official said.
The amount of loss or profit from the
last fiscal year 2016-17 was not available
to be included in this report. •

Trump blasts GOP
senators over
Charlottesville
criticism
• Reuters, Washington, DC
WORLD
Britain confident of
new phase in Brexit
talks by October
• Reuters, London
WORLD
Britain said on Thursday it
was “confident” talks with the
European Union would move
towards discussing their future
relationship by October,
in contrast to warnings from
the top EU negotiator that the
target is receding.
British Prime Minister Theresa
May’s government wants
to push the discussion beyond
the divorce settlement soon,
to offer companies some assurance
of what to expect
after Britain leaves in March
2019.
But the bloc has repeated
that until there is “sufficient
progress” in the first stage of
talks on the rights of expatriates,
Britain’s border with EU
member Ireland and a financial
settlement, officials cannot
consider future ties.
Last month, the EU’s top
Brexit negotiator Michel
US President Donald Trump
on Thursday fired back at a
growing number of fellow
Republicans who denounced
his response to the Charlottesville,
Virginia violence,
further fuelling the latest controversy
to engulf his sevenmonth-old
presidency.
In a series of posts on Twitter,
Trump lashed out at Republican
US Senators Lindsey
Graham and Jeff Flake as well
as the media, and said he not
had drawn any moral comparisons
between white supremacists
and those who opposed
them.
The weekend violence at
the Virginia college town has
inflamed racial tensions nationwide
and renewed concerns
over hate groups after
Trump blamed both anti-racism
activists and white nationalists.
On Tuesday, the president
offered a more vehement reprisal
of his initial response to
Saturday’s bloodshed, telling
a news conference “there is
blame on both sides” for the
violence, and that there were
“very fine people” on both
sides.
The comments drew rebukes
from top Republicans
and corporate leaders for his
failure to unequivocally denounce
white supremacists,
although many did not name
the president outright.
Other Trump supporters,
including Vice President Mike
Pence, have said they stand by
the president and his words.
On Thursday, Trump called
Graham’s statement a day earlier
“a disgusting lie.” Graham
had said Trump’s comments
had suggested “moral equivalency”
between the two
sides and urged him to use his
words to heal Americans. •
Barnier said talks on future
ties had become less likely to
start in October because of
a lack of progress in the “divorce”
talks.
“Government officials are
working at pace and we are
confident we will have made
sufficient progress by October
to advance the talks to the
next phase,” a spokeswoman
for Britain’s Department for
Exiting the European Union
said on Thursday.
“As the Secretary of State
(Brexit minister David Davis)
has said, it is important that
both sides demonstrate a dynamic
and flexible approach
to each round of the negotiations,”
she said in a statement.
On Wednesday, unidentified
sources were quoted by
Britain’s Sky News as saying
the two sides might have to
delay talks on their post-Brexit
relationship until December
because they would not make
the progress required by the
EU. •
News
9
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT

10
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
News
When will we have a BRT?
Other development projects overlap Bus Rapid Transit route, construction cost doubles
• Shohel Mamun
SPECIAL
The average traffic speed in Dhaka
is now only 7km per hour, according
to recent data from World Bank.
A BRT bus, however, could operate
at 25km/h along the suggested
routes.
So why has Bangladesh not succeeded
in developing a BRT system
to ease the pain of commuters in
Dhaka?
Many other major cities in the
world have Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
systems including Delhi, Bangkok,
Jakarta and Shanghai. Rio de Janeiro
opened its BRT system for the
2016 Olympic Games last summer.
Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian
capital city of five million people,
has recently launched its BRT system,
just three years after the plan
was adopted. It has earned the city
authorities the prestigious “Sustainable
Transport Award 2018” as
the first African city to adopt such
a system.
A BRT system can ensure a
smooth and comfortable journey
since the buses run within dedicated
corridors through the middle of
the road, with little scope for congestion
as other vehicles are denied
access.
Buses can drive through without
any interruption and BRT buses
can even be given priority when
passing through intersections.
Commuters can catch BRT buses
from dedicated stations by paying
in advance through smart cards.
BRT projects are cheaper than
building new flyovers or highways
because they involve limited construction
and are normally based
on existing routes.
Bangladesh had planned to
build three BRT systems around 20
years ago to improve Dhaka’s traffic
system and reduce emissions, but
now the authorities say they will
build only two BRT routes due to a
shortage of space on existing roads.
The first route will be constructed
along a 42km stretch between
Shibbari in Gazipur and Jhilmil near
Keraniganj in Dhaka. Another 36km
line will be built on the capital’s eastern
edge, according to the Revised
Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP).
The 42km project, called BRT
line 3, was launched by the Road
Transport and Bridges Ministry in
2010 but its progress is currently
below 5% and the civil work is yet
to start. It will be implemented in
two parts: from Gazipur to Dhaka
airport (20km); and from the airport
to Keraniganj (22km).
The cost of the Gazipur and Airport
part has been set at Tk2,040
crore and the Airport to Jhilmil
section at Tk4,747 crore. The total
cost for BRT line 3 of Tk6,787 crore
is more than double the initial estimated
cost of Tk3,034 crore.
Officials from the Road Transport
and Highways Division and
officials involved in the project say
the major cause of rising costs are
loopholes in the preliminary design,
three revisions of the design
due to overlap with other projects,
and negligence of the implementing
authorities.
However, MAN Siddique, secretary
of the Road Transport and
Highways Division, told the Dhaka
Tribune: “We have no experience
building a BRT, but we have already
overcome the challenges. Hopefully
the project will be implemented
by 2019 as per plan.”
Progress of Gazipur-Airport section
Land development work for a depot
for the BRT line 3 project started
late last year and is still ongoing by
a local firm, nearly four years after
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid
its foundation stone on October 31,
2013. The PM inaugurated the construction
work on July 26, 2016.
The Roads and Highways Department
signed a Tk2,040 crore
deal with China Gezhouba Group
No 6 Engineering Co Ltd on December
1, 2016, for the building of Line
3 including a 16km road corridor,
flyovers and 25 stations. In addition,
the Bridges Division will build
a 4km flyover at Tongi for a further
Tk855 crore.
The Asian Development Bank,
France Development Agency and
Global Environmental Facility will
finance the project.
“Under the project we will build
six flyovers, 32km of footpaths, a
depot in Gazipur and an eight-lane
bridge over the Tongi river, which
has raised the cost,” BRT (Gazipur-Airport)
Project Director AQM
Ikram Ullah said.
“The BRT will also need 48 hectares
of land to develop the depot.
While most of it is public land,
Tk1,107 crore has been spent to acquire
the rest, with a rehabilitation
cost of Tk268 crore.”
Articulated buses will run on
the BRT at a cost of Tk392.4 crore.
Prof Shamsul Hoque of Buet’s
department of civil engineering
said there is no need to build a separate
infrastructure for BRT.
“Building two dividers on the
existing roads would have sufficed.
Even land would not have
been necessary,” he said. “All that
would be necessary would be some
stopping points for the passengers.
Also, the traffic light system should
be upgraded to prioritise the BRT
system.”
Progress of Airport-Jhilmil section
The project authority says Dhaka
South is more congested than the
north and so this is a challenge for
the second phase of the BRT line
3 project. The draft design was
changed three times, delaying its
completion and raising the cost
twice from an initial Tk2,747 crore to
the current figure of Tk4,747 crore.
As per the design - which has
been funded by the World Bank -
the main bus corridor, intersection
modification, 16 stations, underpasses,
box culverts and bridges
will cost a combined Tk1,019 crore.
The cost for feeder roads, drainage
and footpaths has been set at
Tk488 crore.
Mohakhali terminal reconstruction
and bus depot construction
cost is Tk1,163 crore. Keraniganj
bus depot cost is Tk132.5 crore.
BRT transportation system cost is
Tk163 crore. The cost of automated
fare collection and ticketing system
is Tk52 crore.
The Shantinagar-Keraniganj flyover
is not in the RSTP, but Rajuk
is implementing the project which
has become another major block
for the BRT route. As a result the
project authorities are trying to redesign
the route, which may now
end at Mohakhali.
“The project authority’s thought
for an alternative is that if the BRT
is finally built between Gazipur to
Mohakhali instead of Keraniganj,
the authority will install two shuttle
bus services from Mohakhali
bus terminal to Farmgate and another
from the terminal to Gulistan,”
PD Anisur Rahman said. • Source: Dhaka transport co-ordination authority website

29 platoons of troops deployed
in flood-affected districts
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT AFFAIRS
News 11
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
Four Points by Sheraton Dhaka
launches Fish Market Festival
• Tribune Desk
METRO
DT
The army has so far deployed
29 platoons of soldiers in the
northern region of the country
as flood situation kept deteriorating
there.
In the latest move, the
army sent its members along
with speedboats and rescue
equipment in Kurigram,
Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari
and Panchagarh following
the government’s order, said
a press release issued by the
Inter Service Public Relations
Directorate (ISPR) yesterday.
The army also increased
its troops and rescue equipment
in Dinajpur, Gaibandha,
and Rangpur districts
and Syedpur upazila under
Nilphamari.
The army members are
not only engaged into rescue
operation and protection of
embankments, but also started
providing necessary relief
and medical assistance to the
flood-affected people.
Till date, they rescued
over 2,000 people and a
number of cattle, and recovered
a large cache of household
goods.
They have also assisted
the local administration to
repair damaged embankments
in Syedpur and Gaib-
ISPR
andha.
According to the press release,
the army is monitoring
the flood situation and prepared
to provide any kind of
support in the flood-affected
areas. •
Four Points by Sheraton
Dhaka has launched Fish
Market Festival featuring its
new chef Stefen Babits, who
is an expert in Mediterranean,
Thai & European cuisine
to provide a new taste of
era.
The festival started on
August 17 and will continue
until August 26.
The festival is offering
the guests to enjoy the variation
of local, foreign and
sea fishes, such as Lobster
Bisque, Mediterranean tomato
fish soup with seafood,
seafood salad, lobster
cocktail, fresh lobster and
caviar live station, Thai Basil
“Asian Style” with multi
preparation along with live
stations and signature desert
options.
The buffet dinner costs
Tk4,000 per person. •
COURTESY
Parjatan
Corporation
observes
Mourning Day
• Tribune Desk
METRO
Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation
has observed the 42nd martyrdom
anniversary of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman amid due
solemnity.
Marking the National Mourning
Day on Tuesday, the corporation organised
a number of programmes including
commemorative discussion
at a Dhaka hotel, says a press release.
Presiding over By Bangladesh
Parjatan Corporation Chairman
Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, the discussion
was attended, among others,
by Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister
Rashed Khan Menon and Bangladesh
Tourism Board Chief Executive
Officer Dr Md Nasir Uddin
The corporation also held a storytelling
contest, and later on, special
prayers were offered for Bangabandhu.
Earlier in the day, officials and
employees of Bangladesh Parjatan
Corporation paid their tribute to
Bangabandhu by placing floral
wreaths before his portrait at Dhanmondi
32. •
COURTESY
On Wednesday, Bangladesh Power Development Board
(BPDB)’s Sports, Culture and Welfare Association organised
a discussion session and milad mahfil to mark the 42nd death
anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the
Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) central office. A
blood donation drive was also organised during the event
Eid Week sale starts
at Pickaboo
• Tribune Desk
METRO
Online electronics store
Pikaboo kicks off it’s Eid
Week sales ahead of Eid
al-Azha, which will continue
till August 22.
With this offer,
consumers will be able
to enjoy discounts on
TVs, ACs, smartphones,
kitchen appliances,
laptops and other featured
electronics.
These offers will be
available by cash on delivery,
card swipe on delivery
and online payment
purchases through all
major bank cards with a
three-day product return
policy option. •

DT
12
Editorial
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
TODAY
As the sea levels rise
We need to create at least 20 industrial
cities which will eventually house and
employ a total population of 50 million
PAGE 13
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
Between alt-right
and alt-left
The US has the opportunity to
demonstrate responsible leadership
once again
Bangabandhu’s
dream for
Bangladesh
Write to Dhaka Tribune
FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath,
Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207
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The views expressed in opinion
articles are those of the authors
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official view of Dhaka Tribune
or its publisher.
PAGE 14
The AL should put more effort on
positive campaigning, by focusing
on its achievements in the areas
of development, democracy, and
decentralisation over the last two terms
Be heard
PAGE 15
Bangladesh comes out on top
The dynamism exhibited by the
Bangladesh economy in the 70 years since
Partition is nothing if not admirable.
Bangladesh has been outperforming
both India and Pakistan in several economic
indicators, with signs that we are only getting
better as we move into the future.
Women’s average income and reduced child
mortality rate stand out as the biggest success
stories.
We are also rapidly reducing the rate of extreme
poverty each year, and our level of income
inequality is lower than that of our neighbours.
But while it is clear that we are doing better
than our neighbours in many ways, we cannot
stop here -- we have to aim higher, and compete
with the rest of the world, if we are to become a
true economic powerhouse.
The water keeps rising
With widespread flooding, the
country could be on the verge of
catastrophe.
According to latest reports,
57 people have died across 13 districts, with
most casualties occurring in the northern
district of Dinajpur.
As we have editorialised before,
Bangladesh is not new to the problem of
floods, but year after year, we find ourselves
woefully unprepared.
Countless people find themselves stranded
and with their crops damaged, while the
nation teeters on the edge of a food crisis.
It is time to think long-term and invest in
the right things -- industrial infrastructure,
and food self-sufficiency -- so that as the sea
levels rise further, Bangladesh stands ready.
Women’s average
income and reduced
child mortality stand
out as the biggest
success stories
It is time to think longterm
and invest in the
right things

As the sea levels rise
Preparing for rising sea levels and the end of self-sufficiency in food
Opinion 13
DT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
Fossil fuels are the culprits
• Zahin Hasan
The Earth is getting
warmer; the Antarctic ice
is melting.
Scientists expect that
by the end of this century, many
low-lying districts of Bangladesh
will be permanently inundated;
the agricultural lands in these
districts will be lost. In “The
Unfolding Tragedy of Climate
Change in Bangladesh” (published
on the Scientific American
website) Robert Glennon writes:
“A three-foot rise in sea level
would submerge almost 20% of
the entire country and displace
more than 30 million people.
Some scientists project a five-tosix
foot rise by 2100, which would
displace perhaps 50 million people
… Already, the intruding sea has
contaminated groundwater, which
supplies drinking water for coastal
regions, and degraded farmland,
rendering it less fertile and
eventually barren.”
When millions of people lose
their homes and their farms,
they will move to cities in
search of work. As cities expand
to accommodate millions of
migrants, they will swallow up
even more agricultural land.
At some point, Bangladesh will
become permanently dependent
on imported food; self-sufficiency
We need to create at least 20 industrial cities which will eventually house
and employ a total population of 50 million
in rice production is no longer a
realistic long-term goal. A more
realistic long-term goal would be
to create enough industrial jobs to
ensure that the poor are employed,
and can afford to buy imported
rice. This is possible, but will
require careful planning.
The crux of the problem is
that Dhaka and Chittagong,
the traditional destinations for
migrants from the countryside,
cannot accommodate millions of
more migrants. The slums which
house the working class in Dhaka
are unliveable; many of them
occupy low-lying areas of the cities
which periodically flood with
rainwater and raw sewage.
Chittagong has already
expanded to risky hillsides, whose
residents live with the danger of
fatal landslides. We simply cannot
allow the unplanned growth of
these two cities to continue.
SEZs show the way
Fortunately, the government has
already taken the first step, which
will create alternative destinations
for migrants: Several Special
Economic Zones (SEZs) have been
created in different districts. As
factories and mills are set up
in these SEZs, they will tend to
grow into industrial cities; the
government should encourage this
growth by investing in the towns
and villages near each SEZ.
The employees of each SEZ will
need government schools, universities,
hospitals, magistrate courts,
and of course infrastructure like
roads, sewage, railways, and power
distribution.
If the government makes all
these investments, a well-planned
industrial city can grow around
each SEZ.
As climate change and
population growth will probably
create 50 million migrants, we
need to create at least 20 industrial
cities which will eventually house
and employ a total population
of 50 million people. The
infrastructure required for 20
industrial towns will probably
require the government to invest
about $20 billion.
Fortunately, the government
can finance this by taxing fossil
fuels (oil, gas, and coal). Burning
fossil fuels is what caused the
crisis of rising sea levels, so it
makes sense that fossil fuels
should be taxed to raise money for
adaptation to rising sea levels.
Creating industrial cities is
not just a matter of building
infrastructure; private capital will
be required to set up factories in
the new cities.
The private sector will probably
require about $20bn to set up
10,000 factories (at an average
investment of $2m per factory).
Let the taka float
The best way to ensure that these
investments are made is to allow
private banks in Bangladesh to
borrow money from abroad (where
interest rates are very low), so they
can lend to industrial companies
at low interest rates.
In the past, the private sector
in Bangladesh has been forced
to borrow money at high interest
rates; other countries which have
convertible, floating currencies are
easily able to attract large amounts
of capital from abroad.
BIGSTOCK
It is time to make the taka a
freely floating currency, and to
make it convertible for capital
account transactions (transfers
of assets). Foreign financial
institutions will then have the
confidence to lend large amounts
of money to Bangladeshi banks.
Only private banks should be
allowed to borrow money from
abroad; massive fraud and loan
default have illustrated that the
state-owned banks are thoroughly
corrupt, and should not be allowed
to expand their lending business.
State-owned banks should only be
allowed to lend their deposits to
private banks.
Once industrial cities have
been created, and foreign capital
has been attracted to Bangladesh
to finance new factories,
Bangladeshis who lose their land
to rising sea levels will naturally
move to the new industrial cities
to find employment.
Bangladesh will have
successfully transformed into an
industrial economy; preventing
hunger will then be a simple
matter of adjusting the minimum
wage to ensure that the average
working family can afford
imported rice. •
Zahin Hasan is a businessman, and a
member of the board of directors of the
Dhaka Tribune.

14
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Opinion
Between alt-right and alt-left
Has the extreme right gained renewed strength?
southern states, whose economy
was driven by agriculture grew
with slave African labour,
naturally felt threatened by the
emancipation of the slaves.
The civil war ended but it left
many memories and memorials,
good and bad. Many southern
states preserved the Confederate
Flag along with US flag, and in
many cities the memories of
Confederate heroes (mainly
army generals) were preserved as
statues not only as historical icons
but also as proud reminders of
their state’s role in the civil war.
A champion for the disgruntled
To many Americans, these
memories bring great discomfort
since they remind them of a past
of bigotry, intolerance and white
supremacy. But, unfortunately,
there is still a large faction of
Americans who glorify these
values and would like to revive
the past to spread their neoconservative,
far-right political
ideas.
In his political campaigns,
Trump had attracted these
fringe groups and they rallied
to his support in a way that
threatened the Republic and the
establishment. So powerful was
the presence of these groups that
the party wilted to nominate him
into political oblivion because of a
lack of platform as the Republican
Party which had traditionally been
the flag-bearer of conservative
politics in the country tried to
move closer to the center by
adopting a more moderate stance.
This move was seen by the ultraconservatives
as a betrayal and
many of them abandoned the
party.
Donald Trump’s call for a
total “draining of the swamp in
Washington” was able to draw
back not only the ultra-right, but
also other elements that were in
the fringes because they espoused
the values of the secessionists of
the South in the Civil War.
The fringe groups included
such disparate elements as the
infamous KKK, neo-Nazis, and
other white supremacists that
were driven to political oblivion
because of the changes in
American politics since the civil
rights movement of the 1960s.
The call from Trump to cleanse
America of its “politically correct”
politics (read establishment
politics), with cries to deport
immigrants, withdraw from trade
pacts, and a general condemnation
of the progressive politics of
his predecessor (a non-white),
brought to fore far-right groups,
now called “the alt-right” by the
equivocal in denouncing the
riots last week where a young
woman was crushed to death by a
speeding car driven by one of the
far-right supporters.
In his speech, later, Trump
denounced the assembly of the
extreme-right groups and said
there was no room for bigotry
in the country, but in the same
breath he also blamed the “other
side,” people who had come out to
challenge the extremists, calling
them the alt-left, a new term for
the progressives.
A polarised country
The presidential election of 2016
saw a clear polarisation of the
country into two camps, not just
along ideological grounds but
also ethnicity. Traditionally, the
Republican Party has had more
conservative politicians, but
despite endeavours from its more
moderate leaders to bring diversity
in the party, the party is seen more
and more as the party of white
majority.
On the other hand, the
Democrats, who were always seen
as left of the centre (attracting the
most minorities), are gradually
being seen as a bastion of liberal
politics.
No one knows which group
will ultimately win in this political
For Trump, however, this is just another small hiccup in his incredible
political rise. He is counting on riding this one out, as he has done
other waves
Champion of bigotry
BIGSTOCK
• Ziauddin Choudhury
The English language
vocabulary has a new
word now, alt-left, thanks
to Donald Trump and his
advisers.
Trump recently used this word
to define the group of extreme
rights (white supremacists and
neo-Nazis) protesting the removal
of the statue of General Lee, a
confederate army general during
civil war, in Charlottesville,
Virginia.
The historical context
History buffs will recall that one of
the main reasons for the US Civil
War was the rift that was created
over the question of emancipation
of the slaves. The issue drove the
country in two camps, one being
the Confederation, comprising 11
out of 36 states seceded from the
Union in order to preserve slavery,
states’ rights, and political liberty
for whites.
The war ended after five years
(1861-65) but not before thousands
of deaths on both sides and
billions in property damage, and
losses for the economy at large.
The civil war brought out the
worst of America at a time when
slavery was the order of the day
and no one had ever thought of
a government ever to be run by a
non-white person or non-white
group.
America was a home to white
immigrants who had wrested away
the land from the natives and
worked hard to make the country
their homeland.
Slaves were imported from
Africa to help the country
grow, but they were indentured
labourers who lived at the
command of their masters. The
as its candidate.
Trump became beholden
not to the Party but to the right
groups which banded together
as a powerful political force and
voted for him. He is keenly aware
of the maverick role he played
during the campaign, and how
he deliberately attracted far-right
groups, yearning for the “good
old days,” with his anti-immigrant
slogans, and by blaming the
“establishment” for all the ills of
the country.
Among those “ills” were
illegal immigration, flight of
manufacturing jobs from US to
other countries, job losses in many
states from the closure of steel
mills and coal mines, and shifting
demographics that had the
potential of loss of political control
to non-whites.
Trump’s rallies cheered the
elements that had gradually faded
media and progressive politicians
of the country.
However, despite initial
hesitation by the Republican
establishment, Trump’s ability
to draw such large crowds led
the party to recognise him.
Republicans became aware of the
power of this group which was a
crucial factor in Trump’s election.
The Charlottesville incident last
week was a clear evidence of the
renewed strength of the extremeright,
a group that will continue to
show its presence every now and
then to rally for its causes. The
protest was apparently ignited by
the city’s decision to remove the
statue of a military leader who
fought for the secessionist states
(Confederates), but it had more
to do with other causes espoused
by far-right groups that Trump
had given support to during his
campaign. That is why he was
battle, alt-right or alt-left, or what
will be the political outcome in
the forthcoming congressional
elections. But what is known is
that the Republican establishment
is the victim in this battle.
The party is between the horns
of a dilemma. The party leadership
can neither condone the assembly
of extreme-right groups for the
violence last week, for fear of
aggravating the core supporters
of Trump, nor can it ignore the
malignant effect that such groups
can have in American politics.
For Trump, however, this is
just another small hiccup in his
incredible political rise. He is
counting on riding this one out, as
he has done other waves. •
Ziauddin Choudhury has worked in the
higher civil service of Bangladesh early
in his career, and later for the World
Bank in the USA.

Opinion 15
DT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
Bangabandhu’s
dream for
Bangladesh
Development, democracy, and
decentralisation are key
• Moazzem Hossain
Every year, August 15 brings
to our nation a reminder
of our dark history -- one
tainted by the atrocity
and injustice wreaked upon
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and his nearest and
dearest, in 1975.
While the country mourns
the untimely loss of the Father
of the Nation, a victim of an
unprecedented carnage, we
also celebrate his extraordinary
achievements in life, and his
dream for an independent and
prosperous land for Bangalis.
We also remember the
tremendous sacrifices he made for
the sake of his people.
Bangabandhu spent more than
13 years in a Pakistani prison,
out of the 24 years that the two
Pakistans -- East and West -- had
the nation lost about three million
people and more than 200,000
women lost their dignity at the
hands of enemy forces.
We know well that after the
brutal killing spree staged by some
rough and inhuman members
of the then armed forces of
Bangladesh in 1975, the nation was
subjected to military rule by two
generals, Ziaur Rahman and HM
Ershad, for 15 years, until 1990.
The three Ds of prosperity
For any nation, the three Ds --
development, democracy, and
decentralisation -- are essential
attendants on the road to
prosperity.
After 1991, the nation has been
experiencing democracy’s rollercoaster
ride, including a two year
military-backed, hand-picked
civilian regime duiring 2006-08.
However, in 2009, a
The AL should put more effort on positive
campaigning, by focusing on its achievements
in the areas of development, democracy, and
decentralisation over the last two terms
Good governance will take our country a long way
BIGSTOCK
been in existence.
Finally, on March 7, 1971, he
declared his desire for the freedom
and independence of his people
in a historic speech to millions of
Bangalis at the Dhaka Race Course
grounds.
But the enemies of liberation
had different plans for the future.
Pakistani armed forces began a
bloodbath in Dhaka and other
large cities on March 25, 1971.
The Liberation War commenced
immediately on March 26, with
Bangabandhu’s declaration of
independence.
The nation of Bangladesh was
liberated from occupied forces on
December 16, 1971.
During the nine months of war,
democratically-elected
government came to power in a
landslide victory, led by Sheikh
Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu.
Since then, she and her
administration have been
committed to the three Ds of
prosperity.
The next general election is due
in a year and a half, and all eyes are
on the democracy element of the
three Ds at the moment.
A voter’s dilemma
Pre-election tensions between the
incumbent and opposition parties
outside parliament suggest that
the voters will be facing a dilemma
in exercising their voting right at
the 11th parliamentary election in
2018/19.
On the one hand, since the
14-party alliance led by the Awami
League has been in power for two
consecutive terms, the so-called
“incumbency” factor is likely to be
a challenge for them.
Voters are more likely to be
undecided at the ballot box and it
is also going to be a daunting task
for the AL-led alliance to attract
floating voters.
The opposition (members of the
alliance led by the BNP), on the
other hand, are going to face great
difficulty attracting voters (floating
and new), because of how the
BNP-Jamaat alliance turned the
whole nation into an inferno in the
name of a movement to dislodge
the AL government in 2014.
Floating voters would hesitate
to trust them so soon, due mainly
to their lack of commitment
in controlling militancy and
terrorism.
Elections and future prosperity
Bangladesh has come a long way
since 1991, and the time has come
for all of us to ask how to achieve
the three Ds, which would bring
prosperity to our people, stability
in our politics, and security in our
lives.
The incumbent has been
quite successful in these aspects,
particularly with regard to its zero
tolerance stance on terrorism and
related violence.
At this moment, the AL-led
alliance looks likely to win another
term. However, they know
well that there is no room for
complacency in the election game.
The AL should put more
effort on positive campaigning,
by focusing on its achievements
in the areas of development,
democracy, and decentralisation
over the last two terms.
Those are the keys to a
prosperous and thriving
Bangladesh, the kind that the
Father of the Nation had dreamed
of. •
Moazzem Hossain is a freelance
contributor and lives in Brisbane,
Australia.

16
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
CODE-CRACKER
ACROSS
1 Absent (4)
3 Molten rock (4)
7 Early freshness (3)
8 Break out (5)
11 Accomplished (4)
12 American elk (5)
13 Watchful (5)
15 Cult (4)
18 Transmitted (4)
19 Niggard (5)
20 Make effort (5)
21 Thunder god (4)
23 Lacerates (5)
24 Corn spike (3)
25 Vestments (4)
26 Refuse (4)
DOWN
1 Sporting enclosures
(6)
2 Keen insight (6)
4 Fuss (3)
5 Italian city (6)
6 Respectful fear (3)
9 Carrier (6)
10 Small child (3)
11 Longing (6)
14 Death-dealing (6)
16 Landed property (6)
17 Reliable (6)
19 Encountered (3)
21 Beverage (3)
22 Sphere (3)
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 15 represents P so fill P
every time the figure 15 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

Biz Info
17
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
EVENTS AROUND TOWN TODAY
FAIR
MOVIE
THEATRE
STAR CINEPLEX
Where Bashundhara city, Dhaka
What Movie Showtime
MONSOON MEET-UP 2017
When 11am-5pm
Where Moar, Ventura Iconia, Level 3, Plot 37, Road 11, Block
H, Banani, Dhaka
What After the scorching success of our last Summer Meetup
2017 at Banani, MIB Spirit - Made in Bangladesh has
teamed up with Moar, a creative space renting service, which
is situated just at the heart of Banani to bring you the much
awaited Monsoon Meet-up 2017.
TRUNK SHOW
When 11am-9pm
Where Gallery Cosmos: Villa De Anjuman, House 115, Road 6,
New DOHS, Mohakhali,
Dhaka
What An exclusive private event, featuring the newest
collection of clothes and jewellery for the upcoming Eid.
Viceroy’s House (2D): 11:30am,
2:10pm, 4:40pm, 7:10pm
Dunkirk (2D): 1pm, 7:20pm
Spiderman Homecoming (3D):
10:50am, 1:45pm, 4:40pm, 7:30pm
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature
(3D): 10:50am, 3:20pm, 5:20pm
Atomic Blonde (2D): 11:10am,
1:40pm, 4:20pm, 7pm
Voyangkor Sundor (2D): 11am,
1:50pm, 4:10pm, 6:50pm
Annabelle: Creation (2D): 11:20am,
2pm, 5pm, 7:30pm
BLOCKBUSTER CINEMAS
Where Jamuna Future Park, Dhaka
What Movie Showtime
CHITRANGADA
When 7-9pm
Where Studio Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy,
Shegun Bagicha, Dhaka
What Directed by Zahid Repon, the cast of the play
includes Sonali Rahman Julie and Farzana Rahman Mita as
Chitrangada, Mostafizur Rahman as Arjuna, Sakhwat Shymal
as Madan and Shishir Sikdar as Basanta.
CRUTCH-ER COLONEL
When 7-8:30pm
Where Mohila Shomity, Shiddheshwari, Dhaka
What Based on Shahaduzzaman’s documentary novel of the
same title, the play is adapted by Samina Luthfa and Soumya
Sarker and directed by Mohammad Ali Haider, and revolves
around the life of Colonel Abu Taher, a decorated Liberation
War hero turned controversial military revolutionary.
WORKSHOP
EXHIBITION
A THOUSAND TALES
When 5-8pm
Where Gallery Chitrak, Road 6, House 4, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
What A group exhibition of artworks with their own diverse
stories by young artists of today, where renowned artist
Mustafa Monwar will be present as the chief guest.
RHYTHMS OF CLOUDS
When 3-8pm
Where Shilpangan, House 7, Road 13, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
What A solo sculpture and art exhibition by Ferdousi
Priyabhashini.
The Glass Castle (2D): 11:45am,
2:05pm, 2:20pm, 5pm, 7:10pm,
7:35pm
Transformers-The Last Knight (3D):
11:30am, 4:30pm, 7:30pm
Spider-Man Homecoming (3D):
1:45pm, 4:30pm, 7:20pm
The Mummy (3D): 12:10pm, 5pm
Baywatch (2D): 12pm, 2:30pm
Despicable Me 3 (3D): 11:40am,
2:30pm
Voyangkor Sundor (2D): 7:30pm
Raiyan (2D): 2:20pm, 5pm
Annabelle: Creation (2D): 11:45am,
2:35pm, 4:45pm, 7:30pm
Viceroy’s House (2D): 12pm, 5pm,
7:25pm`
TEEN FILM WORKSHOP 2.0
When 3-7pm
Where 5, Fuller Road, Dhaka
What The workshop will be conducted by prominent filmmakers
and industry technicians based in Bangladesh who
have a vast knowledge as well as experiential techniques to
offer.
KUNDALINI YOGA CLASSES
When 10-11:30am
Where Jatra Biroti, 60 Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka
What An uplifting blend of spiritual and physical practices,
Kundalini Yoga incorporates movement, dynamic breathing
techniques, meditation, and the chanting of mantras.

DT
18
Sports
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
Champaka arrives as new BCB HP bowling coach
• Ali Shahriyar Bappa
BCB High Performance Unit’s new bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake addresses the media in Mirpur
yesterday
MD MANIK
Former Sri Lanka pacer Chamapaka Ramanayake
has returned to the Bangladesh cricket
arena but with a change in responsibility.
The former right-arm pacer will be in
charge of the pacers in the BCB High Performance
Unit and also mentor the discards
from the national and Bangladesh A team.
Champaka will also be responsible for
finding new talents in Bangladesh, a country
emerging as a powerhouse in world cricket.
Champaka in his previous post with Bangladesh
cricket from 2008-10, was in charge
of nurturing the pacers in the national team,
inclusind the likes of Rubel Hossain, Shafiul
Islam and Shahadat Hossain.
The task is now being looked after by former
West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh.
The BCB has inked a two-year contract
with Champaka.
“I will be working as HP fast bowling
coach for the emerging players. My role is to
develop them for the national team. The last
time when I was in Bangladesh, I had started
in the academy for a few months and then
was upgraded to the national team,” Champaka
told the media in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla
National Stadium yesterday.
“This time I am going to work with the
youngsters, probably with the drop-off from
the national or A team players,” he said after
joining his new workplace.
“The results will come maybe after the
period (two years). It will be enough to work
with the players. We will see what happens
after two years,” he added.
Working with raw talent and developing
them for international cricket is no new task
for the 52-year-old hailing from Colombo.
The former Sri Lanka speedster in his 14-
year engagement with Sri Lanka cricket as
bowling coach has developed many young
pacers, which he now intends to bring into
his Bangladesh job.
“You shouldn’t make too many changes to
natural ability. That’s my philosophy. In Sri
Lanka, we produced a lot of freaks from nowhere
because of their natural talent. Sometimes
people try to change too many things
and then you lose the natural ability. Everyone
is different in this world, so you have to treat
them differently. Actions are different so as
long as they produce results and are effective,
that’s the main thing,” Champaka explained.
Champaka explaining his role with the
BCB HP unit informed, “The coaching will
be the same but maybe I will look into the
youngsters who have never been seen before.
I am thinking of going around the country to
find out raw talent. Definitely there is talent,
because cricket is big in the country. There
should be a lot of players with natural talent,
so I am looking forward to finding them.” •
Rocket named title
sponsor of Bangladesh-
Australia Tests
• Tribune Report
Dutch-Bangla Bank’s mobile service
“Rocket” has been named as
the title sponsor for the two-match
Test series between host Bangladesh
and Australia.
The BCB made the declaration
in a ceremony held yesterday.
Dutch-Bangla Bank had purchased
the title right for all the
Bangladesh home series’ for the
years 2016 and 2017.
In continuation of the deal, the
Dutch-Bangla Bank decided to
keep Rocket as the sponsor for the
first Test series in 11 years between
Bangladesh and Australia.
Rocket was the title sponsor in
Bangladesh’s last two home series
too, against England and Afghanistan.
“We are thankful to Dutch-Bangla
Bank. They were with us during
Bangladdesh’s maiden Test (in the
year 2000). I will hope they will be
with Bangladesh cricket in future
too,” said BCB CEO Nizamuddin
Chowhdhury at the BCB media
conference room.
The Aussies will reach Dhaka tonight.
The first Test will be played
in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National
Stadium from August 27-31.
The second and final Test of
the series will be played in Chittagong’s
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury
Stadium. •
BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury briefs the press in Mirpur yesterday
MD MANIK
2018 ICC U-19 WORLD CUP
Bangladesh set to clash against
England, Canada and Namibia
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh have been drawn in
Group C along with England, Canada
and Namibia in the 2018 U-19
World Cup, scheduled to held on
January 13 next year.
The ICC through a media release
yesterday announced the groups
and the fixture of the tournament.
New Zealand will host the competition
for the third time.
The tournament will be played
across seven venues in four cities
- Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga
and Whangarei.
The junior Tigers will begin
their campaign against Namibia in
Lincoln on the opening day of the
competition.
Bangladesh will then face Canada
at the same venue on January
19 before taking on England in their
last group stage match in Queenstown.
Before going into the main
event, the Bangladesh U-19 cricketers
will play two warm-up matches,
against Afghanistan on January
8 at Christ College, Christchurch
and the other against Pakistan at
Hagley Park, Christchurch.
The 10 Test-playing nations
(prior to Afghanistan and Ireland’s
recent inclusions) gained automatic
qualification to the event along
FIXTURE
WARM-UP MATCHES
January 8, 2018 – Afghanistan
U-19, Christchurch
January 10, 2018 – Pakistan U-19,
Christchurch
GROUP STAGE MATCHES
January 13 – Namibia U-19, Lincoln
January 15 – Canada U-19, Lincoln
January 18 – England U-19, Queenstown
GROUPS
Group A – West Indies, New Zealand,
South Africa, Kenya
Group B – India, Australia, Zimbabwe,
Papua New Guinea
Group C – Bangladesh, Canada,
England, Namibia
Group D – Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Aghanistan, Ireland
with the best finishing Associate
from the last edition - Namibia.
Defending champion the West
Indies, New Zealand, South Africa
and Africa qualifier Kenya are in
Group A.
Three-time champion India and
Australia are clubbed together in
Group B, along with Zimbabwe and
East Asia Pacific qualifier Papua
New Guinea.
Two-time champion Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Asia qualifier Afghanistan
and Europe qualifier Ireland
are in Group D.
The West Indies will play the
inaugural Group A day-night fixture
at Bay Oval in Tauranga on the
opening day of the event, which
runs till February 3.
The top two sides from each
group will advance to the Super
League phase of the tournament
while the remaining eight teams
will feature in the plate championship.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals
and final of the Super League will
be among the 20 matches to be
broadcast live on television.
The final will be played at
Bay Oval in Tauranga on February
3 while both the semi-finals
will be played at Hagley Oval in
Christchurch on January 29 and 30.
The plate tournament will
run simultaneously but end with
the final at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in
Christchurch on January 28.
Entry to the grounds will be free
for the 11th edition of the tournament.
The participating teams from
the Asian sub-continent will gear
up for the world event through the
ACC U-19 Asia Cup, set to be held in
Malaysia in November this year. •

Sports
19
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Gemcon, Bando win big in Ascent Corporate Soccer
Dhaka Tribune make winning start
• Tribune Report
We warmly welcome you all to the
12th edition of the Ascent Cup fivea-side
Corporate Tournament and
as in like most years, this edition
promises to be yet another blockbuster.
Action from the Ascent Corporate Soccer Cup in Dhaka yesterday
Security agencies on toes as Aussies arrive tonight
• Tribune Report
Fourty four corporate giants will
descend on the hallowed grounds
of the Syed Tanvir Murshed Hall for
the next 10 days to battle their wits
COURTESY
and skills against one another and
to see who shall bring home the
bragging rights of Corporate champion
this year.
As we go through the team list
RESULTS, DAY 1
BANGLACAT 5-2 BONGO
GEMCON 14-1 ORION GROUP
CHEVRON 0-4 ASCENT
TRIBUNE 5-3 STERLING GROUP
BANDO DESIGN 16-0 AAMRA TECH
MD MANIK
With the Australia Test team set
to reach Dhaka tonight for the
two-match Test series against host
Bangladesh, the law enforcement
agencies of the country have started
preparation for foolproof security
arrangement.
For the last two days, the first
para-commando of Bangladesh
Army held drills in Mirpur’s Sher-e-
Bangla National Stadium, the venue
for the first Test, set to begin on
August 27.
Security has been flagged as a
concern by many foreign missions
in Bangladesh for the past few years.
However, the arrangement set
by the government and the security
agencies has been able to give
the touring teams in Bangladesh
confidence.
Bangladesh played their last
home series, against England, in
October, 2016, and the security arrangement
for the touring side and
their stakeholders has been widely
praised.
Australia, in their first Test series
against Bangladesh in 11 years, will
play the second Test against the host
in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury
Stadium from September 4.
The Aussies are also set to a play
a two-day practice game ahead of
the series. The venue for the match
against a BCB XI is however, yet to
be confirmed. •
this year, we cannot help but notice
that all the usual suspects are
back. Bangla Cat, Chevron, General
Electric, British American Tobacco,
Robi, Green Delta Insurance and
Le Meridien are just a few of the
teams who will no doubt be fighting
for honours this season with
their strengthened squads. Others
like three time reigning champion
Gemcon must be fancying their
chances for a fourth. Of course that
is whether Bando Design has anything
to say about the outcome.
We also welcome newcomers like
Marico BD Ltd, Euro Vigil, Lal Teer
Seed, Fogg and Gemsclip.com to
our tournament and wish them the
best.
We take this opportunity to
thank our sponsors, Ascent Group,
ValueFirst, Fogg, Apex, Microsoft,
Tata Tea, Primordial Energy,
Four Points Sheraton, Dan
Cake, Pepsi, GTv, Dhaka Tribune,
DhakaFM90.4, Aamra Networks
and Monowara Hospital. We are
humbled by your generosity.
As always we expect very high
standards from the teams participating
and a sense of fair play
throughout the tournament. Competitiveness
is good, but good
sportsmanship is even better.
And so without further adieu,
let the games begin.
It should be noted that Dhaka Tribune
began their campaign with a resounding
5-3 win over Sterling Group
with BM Fazley Rabbi Moon netting
twice for DT and Baizid Haque Joarder,
Sumon Mondal and Khan Shahriar
Real baggine one each. •

20
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Sports
Barca problems
mount with
Suarez and
Pique injuries
• Reuters, Barcelona
Barcelona have been dealt another
blow after their crushing 5-1
aggregate defeat to Real Madrid
in the Spanish Super Cup with the
news that Luis Suarez will be out
for around four weeks with a knee
injury.
A statement from the Uruguay
national team yesterday said that
the striker had suffered trauma in
his right knee during Barca’s 2-0
defeat to Real the previous day and
would be out for between four and
five weeks. The Liga side said in a
later statement he would be out
for four weeks (www.fcbarcelona.
com).
Suarez was seen limping towards
the end of the game but remained
on the pitch, as coach Ernesto
Valverde had used his three
substitutes.
The 30-year-old will miss Barca’s
opening league game at home
against Real Betis on Sunday, as
well as matches against Alaves, Espanyol
and Getafe.
Barca also said that defender
Gerard Pique sustained a groin
strain during the 2-0 defeat to Madrid
and was a doubt for the game
against Betis. •
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema scores their second goal during their second leg of the Spanish Supercup at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Wednesday
Real complete Super Cup rout of Barcelona
• AFP, Madrid
Real Madrid shrugged off the absence
of the suspended Cristiano
Ronaldo to cruise past rival Barcelona
2-0 in the second leg of the
Spanish Super Cup to cap a 5-1 aggregate
win.
Ronaldo’s replacement Marco
Asensio enhanced his reputation as
one of world football’s rising stars
as he smashed Real into the lead
after just four minutes.
Karim Benzema then deservedly
doubled Real’s lead before halftime.
Barca responded with a more
spirited second-half showing and
were unfortunate not to at least
pull a goal back as Lionel Messi and
Luis Suarez hit the woodwork.
Victory continues Real’s run
of success under Zinedine Zidane
with the European champion now
having lifted seven trophies in the
20 months since he took charge.
“We played a great match tonight,”
said Zidane.
Zidane even had the luxury of
leaving first-team regulars Gareth
Bale, Isco and Casemiro on the
bench as Real’s strength in depth
Napoli win with disputed penalty
• Reuters, Berne
RESULTS, 1ST LEG
Napoli 2-0 Nice
Mertens 13, Jorginho 70-P
Basaksehir 1-2 Sevilla
Elia 64 Escudero 16, Ben Yedder 84
Beer-Sheva 2-1 Maribor
Nwakaeme 12, Tavares 10
Tzedek 45+2-P
Celtic 5-0 Astana
Postnikov 32-og, Sinclair 42, 60,
Forrest 79, Shitov 88-og
Olympiacos 2-1 Rijeka
Odjidja 66, Romao 90+3 Heber 42
Napoli scored from a disputed penalty
to beat Nice 2-0 in the first leg
of their Champions League playoff
on Wednesday as the French side
had two players sent off in quick
succession late on.
Former European champion
Celtic were helped by two own
goals as they thumped Astana 5-0
at home and a late goal from Wissam
den Yedder gave Sevilla a 2-1
win at Istanbul Basaksehir in torrential
rain.
Olympiakos came from behind
to beat Rijeka 2-1 at home with
a last-minute goal from Jacques
Alaixys Romao in another of the
ties.
Italian sides have been beaten
in the playoff ties for the last
three seasons, but Napoli are wellplaced
to end that run after their
win against Nice, who have never
played in the group stage.
Dries Mertens put Napoli ahead
in the 13th minute when he raced
onto Marek Hamsik’s chipped pass
and thumped the ball into the far
corner.
Jorginho converted a penalty
in the 70th after Christophe Jallet
tripped Mertens, although replays
suggested it happened just outside
the penalty area.
Nice were reduced to nine men
in the 79th minute when Vincent
Koziello was given a straight red
card for a studs-up challenge on Piotr
Zielinski and Alassane Plea was
given a yellow card for protesting -
his second of the game.
Nigerian Anthony Nwakaeme
volleyed a spectacular goal from
outside the area as Israeli champion
Hapoel Beer Sheva, also looking
for a first group stage appearance,
beat Maribor 2-1.
Shir Tzedek converted a penalty
in first-half stoppage time to give
his side a slender lead to take to
Slovenia next week. •
RESULT
Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
Asensio 4, Benzema 39
Real Madrid won 5-1 on aggregate
was demonstrated in a dominant
first 45 minutes.
“This team has hunger and
every time we play it shows,” added
Zidane.
“We have to try to continue like
this. To start the season like this is
very good, but we know a long season
is just starting.”
Barca boss Ernesto Valverde has
AFP
suffered the worst possible start to
his reign with back-to-back defeats
against the Catalans fiercest rival
and the visitor never threatened to
mount a comeback after conceding.
“We have to recover quickly,
the league is on the horizon,” said
Valverde, ahead of Barca’s La Liga
opener against Real Betis on Sunday.
The visitor’s night was summed
up when Suarez headed against the
post with the goal gaping after Navas
had parried Messi’s driven shot
into his path. •
Segura: Barca close to
Coutinho, Dembele deals
• Reuters, Madrid
Barcelona sporting manager Pep
Segura has said the club are close
to signing Liverpool’s Philippe
Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele
from Borussia Dortmund.
“We are close to Coutinho and
Dembele, we are discussing their
conditions but we do not know
when they will be sealed,” Segura
told Spanish television station
TV3.
“We hope they will be Barca
players this season.”
According to reports in British
media, Coutinho has submitted
a transfer request after Liverpool
rejected a second bid worth 100m
euros from the La Liga club.
Barca’s other reported target,
Dembele, has been suspended by
Dortmund after the 20-year-old
France international skipped training
amid speculation of a possible
move to Spain.
An initial Barca offer was rejected
by Dortmund, with club bosses
saying it was too low.
German media have estimated
the price of a move at more than
100m euros.
Barca are clearly in need of reinforcements
after being outclassed
in the Super Cup.
After losing 3-1 at home on Sunday,
Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat came
at the hands of a Madrid side minus
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and
Isco. •

Sports
21
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Cook, Root lead
England recovery
• Reuters, Birmingham
England recovered from a typically
stuttering start with the bat in their
first day-night Test to move on to
108 for two at lunch on the opening
day of the series against West
Indies yesterday.
1ST TEST, DAY 1, LUNCH
ENGLAND 108/2 in 27 overs (Cook 50*,
Root 40*) v WEST INDIES
Toss: England
The host lost Mark Stoneman
and Tom Westley for eight each to
slump to 39 for two, before Alastair
Cook (50 not out) and captain Joe
Root (40 not out) launched a strong
fightback at Edgbaston.
Root won the toss and would
have been hoping for a steady
opening partnership but Stoneman,
making his debut as Cook’s
latest partner, was bowled offstump
by a fine delivery from Kemar
Roach.
Miguel Cummins trapped Westley
lbw, the West Indies successfully
reviewing the umpire’s not out
decision to leave England in trouble
at the start of the three-match
series.
Cook and Root dug in, however,
and took advantage of good batting
conditions and wayward bowling
with a flurry of crisp boundaries to
give their side a solid platform.
Cook, who hit 10 fours, brought
up his fifty shortly before the interval
and will have his sights firmly
set on a 31st Test century.
England, fresh from beating
South Africa 3-1, are strong favourite
to overcome a callow West
Indies side without many of their
leading players due to contractual
disputes with the country’s cricket
board.
The fifth ever day-night Test and
the first in England, played with an
unfamiliar pink ball, was expected
to offer the touring side their best
chance to upset England. •
Lighter gloves spell quick end of
Mayweather, says McGregor
• Reuters
Mixed martial arts champion
Conor McGregor is happy about the
switch to lighter gloves for his Aug.
26 fight against undefeated boxer
Floyd Mayweather and says his opponent
will now struggle to make it
past the second round.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission
on Wednesday, just 10
days before the hotly anticipated
Las Vegas fight, approved requests
from Mayweather and McGregor
to wear eight-ounce gloves rather
than 10-ounce ones.
“That was a good thing for me.
I’m very happy with it,” McGregor
told reporters on a conference call.
Mayweather had nearly all of his
49 professional wins using eightounce
gloves, which may accentuate
one of his advantages - his hand
speed.
McGregor preferred the lighter
gloves since he is used to the fingerless,
four-ounce gloves typically
worn in MMA.
“That’s it in a nutshell, you’ve
got pros and cons on both sides,”
he said.
“Favours us both in certain
ways.
“I believe now that the gloves
England's Alastair Cook in action during day one of their first Test against the West Indies yesterday at Edgbaston
are eight ounces, I don’t believe he
makes it out of the second round,”
McGregor added.
“Part of me...kind of wants to
show some skills and dismantle
him that way. (But) I do not foresee
him absorbing the blows in the first
two rounds.”
While most pundits have McGregor,
who has never boxed professionally,
as a heavy underdog, the
Dubliner said he was determined to
prove the doubters wrong.
“I’m just looking forward to
Aug. 26, going in and proving what
I’m saying and educating the world
on what martial arts is,” he said. •
REUTERS
Pakistan’s Akmal in trouble
over Arthur outburst
• Reuters, Lahore
Umar Akmal faces sanction from
the Pakistan Cricket Board following
the out-of-favour batsman’s
public outburst against head coach
Mickey Arthur. Akmal addressed a
news conference on Wednesday in
which he lashed out at Arthur, accusing
the South African of insulting
him and refusing him access to
the coaching facilities at the National
Cricket Academy.
“I accept my fitness isn’t up to
the mark, and I am trying to work
on it, and I asked to be allowed a
trainer to help me,” Akmal said.
“But Mickey said I shouldn’t even
have come to the NCA and should
be playing club cricketinstead,” he
said, claiming Arthur’s language as
“demeaning and insulting”.
The PCB said a “show-cause”
notice has been issued to Akmal
following the outburst.
“The middle-order batsman
has seven days to file a reply,” the
board said on its Twitter feed.
Arthur had sent Akmal back
from the Champions Trophy squad
in England for failing fitness tests.
“I did tell him a few home truths
and said he was always looking for
excuses instead of looking at himself,”
the former South Africa and
Australia coach told ESPNcricinfo. •
DAY’S WATCH
CRICKET
STAR SPORTS SELECT 2
6:58PM
West Indies Tour Of England 2017
1st Test, Day 2
TENNIS
SONY ESPN HD
11:00PM
ATP 1000 Masters 2017
Cincinnati Open QFs
FOOTBALL
STAR SPORTS SELECT HD 1
11:30PM
Bundesliga 2017/18
Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen
SONY TEN 2
12:00AM
Spanish La Liga 2017/18
Leganes v Alaves
Nadal’s advice for injured stars - accept, keep going
• AFP, Cincinnati
Once and future world No 1 Rafael
Nadal has some advice for men’s
tennis stars in danger of missing
the US Open due to injury - accept
it and keep going.
The 31-year-old Spaniard defeated
France’s Richard Gasquet
6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the
third round at the ATP Cincinnati
Masters, the last major US Open
tuneup with the year’s last major
starting August 28 in New York.
Nadal, a 15-time Grand Slam winner
nagged by knee injuries for years,
will overtake Andy Murray atop the
ranking on Monday, the British star
being sidelined by a hip injury.
Nadal was assured the top spot
for the first time since July 2014
when 19-time Grand Slam winner
Roger Federer withdrew from Cincinnati
with a back injury.
“I worked a lot to give me another
chance and here I am,” Nadal
said.
“Just to be back to that position
makes me happy and of course is
going to be an emotional moment
for me.”
Serbian 12-time Grand Slam
champion Novak Djokovic will
miss the remainder of the year with
an elbow injury while and Swiss
2016 US Open champion Stanislas
Wawrinka is out with a knee injury
and Kei Nishikori will miss the
rest of 2017 with a torn right wrist
tendon.
Add Marin Cilic out with an adductor
injury and Milos Raonic
withdrawing with a left wrist injury
and seven of the world’s top 10
are absent this week.
Nadal knows all too well how
that feels.
He has missed six Grand Slam
events in the 13 years since he began
winning such titles.
“I have been in that position
more than all these players that are
out now,” Nadal said.
“I know how tough it is. I’m
very sorry for all of them and I
wish all of them a fast and good
recovery.” •

22
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
Showtime
Ayub Bachchu showered with love on birthday
• Nasir Rayhan
LRB front man Ayub Bachchu, one
of the pioneers in the country’s
rock music scene, turned 55 on
Wednesday. Invaluable love from
his fans, expressed with a heartwarming
birthday party, followed
by a music session, made the day
for the revered guitar maestro.
PHOTO: MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU
It all happened because some of
AB’s die-hard fans came together
to pay their tribute to the artist
who has won their hearts with
albums like Moyna and Koshto.
The LRB and AB fan club organised
a party to celebrate his birthday in
a Baily road restaurant and to add
some extra spice to the evening’s
delight, they approached the
musician to join with them.
Bachchu, who later admitted
that the evening of his 55th
birthday was the best evening of
his life, gave his consent to be with
the crowd upon request.
AB entered the venue around
6. The awaiting cheerful crowd
received the musician with roses.
After cutting the birthday cake,
Bachchu went on to address
the audience. Showered with
their wishes, honour and love,
the guitar maestro eventually
burst into tears and said, “The
honour you’ve given me today
is unforgettable but I have a
request to make. Please, don’t
give up the practice of honouring
the musicians you like and also
the ones others do. Don’t ever
disrespect an artist even if you
don’t like him.”
AB later asked the audience to
raise their hands and make the
promise of honouring every single
artist and helping the budding
musicians of the country to rise
and shine.
Bachchu, who has lost his
mother, said that he had been
searching for the reason of his
existence till his mother’s demise
and now he found one. He could
live years to see this kind of crowd,
to listen to their whistles and
shouts.
Several young musicians who
had been closely nurtured by AB
also joined the evening to pay
tribute to their “Guru” by singing
his famous numbers in front of
him. Essentially, the AB fans also
had the opportunity to witness
and listen to an unparalleled
acoustic session by AB himself.
The amount of AB fans in
the homely event wasn’t much
in number but surely rich in
diversity. Some of the participants
even travelled inter-district just
to wish their beloved musician.
“I was anticipating my whole
life to see ‘Boss’ (Ayub Bachchu)
in person and now, here I am,
celebrating the birthday of my
most favourite musician, standing
close to him. I couldn’t be any
happier,” said a fan who travelled
all the way from Rangpur to join
the birthday bash.•
Mark Ruffalo and Michel Moore lead protest
outside Trump Tower
• Showtime Desk
Scores of celebrities have taken
to social media to excoriate
US president Donald Trump’s
doubled down assertion about
the Charlottesville incident.
Earlier in a statement, Trump
accused “both sides” of being
responsible for the deadly violence
at a white supremacist march in
Charlottesville on Saturday.
Many of the Hollywood
celebrities denounced Trump’s
statement in various social media
platforms, but actor Mark Ruffalo
and film-maker Michael Moore
went one step further and took
their outrage to the streets outside
Trump Tower in Manhattan on
Tuesday night.
According to Variety, filmmaker
Moore, who is starring in
his own one-man Broadway show
The Terms of My Surrender, rallied
his audience after Tuesday’s
performance and urged them to
join him in protesting Trump.
Mark Ruffalo was a special
guest performer in the show and
joined Moore in protest. Many
of the audience members joined
the celebrities to protest against
Trump’s assertion and honour
Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old
female victim, who was killed at
the rally in Charlottesville by a car
which plowed into a sidewalk full
of counter protesters.
Moore even chartered a few
double-decker buses to transport
members of the audience to the
protest site, while many others
walked to the Trump Tower
to show their outrage, Variety
reported.
Using a bullhorn, Ruffalo led
the group in protest chants during
the short bus ride, chanting “No
Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,”
confirmed Associated Press.
According to the White House
press pool, Donald Trump was at
Trump Tower at the time, arriving
late Monday, for the first time
since his inauguration.
Several other celebrities
were also spotted in the crowd,
including Olivia Wilde and Tom
Sturridge. •

Showtime
23
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
WHAT TO WATCH
Selim Al Deen Utsab 2017
commencing today
The Italian Job
HBO, 3:37pm
Charlie is a mastermind thief,
and the gold bullion heist at
a palace in Venice, is a job
executed to perfection. Along
with him are Steve, the man
inside, Lyle, the computer
expert, Rob, the wheel-man,
Left-Ear, the bomb expert, and
John. Charlie is shocked to the
core when one of them turns
out to be a double-crosser.
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize
Theron, Edward Norton, Seth
Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def
• Showtime Desk
Marking the 68th birth
anniversary of Selim Al Deen, a
six-day festival titled, “Selim Al
Deen Utsab 2017” will commence
today. The drama doyen, who
made significant contribution to
Bengali drama in the post-Tagore
era, was born on August 18,
1949 in the Shenerkhil village of
Sonagazi Upazila, Feni.
The festival will be
inaugurated in the morning
through placing wreaths at the
resting place of the playwright at
Jahangirnagar University. With
Dr Salimullah Khan presenting
a paper, a seminar will also take
place at the Seminar Room of
National Theatre Hall today,
at 3pm. Afsar Ahmed, Lutfor
Rahman, and Sohel Hasan
Galib will also participate in the
seminar as speakers.
On August 19, an art
competition will be held at the
lobby of National Theatre Hall
starting from 4pm followed by
an inaugural ceremony, and
the Selim Al Deen Awards 2017
conferring occasion will start
from 6pm. Later, Dhaka Theatre’s
stage production, Dhaboman will
be staged.
On Sunday, Chandraboti
Kotha, a play by Bodhon
Theatre will be staged at the
National Theatre Hall, while a
discussion on Selim Al Deen’s
works and songs will take place
at the Studio Theatre Hall,
simultaneously. Later, Bangolok
will stage Rupchan Sundorir
Paala.
Dhaka Theatre’s
Nimojjan, Drama and
Dramatics Department of
Jahangirnagar University’s
Shopnoramonigon and Mahakaal
Natyasampradaya’s Neelakhyan
will be staged at the National
Theatre Hall on August 21, 22,
and 23, respectively.
Dhaka Theatre, Bangladesh
Gram Theatre and Selim Al
Deen Foundation have jointly
organised the festival in
cooperation with Bangladesh
Shilpakala Academy.•
Emma Stone named top
earner of 2017
• Showtime Desk
Emma Stone has been named
the best paid female actor of
Hollywood in 2017, in the Forbes’
annual list of top earners.
The La La Land star made a
total of $26 million in the last 12
months, the majority of which
came from her Academy Awards
winning performance in La La
Land. The musical romance made
over $445 million, worldwide.
The 28 year-old star recently
spoke out against the pay
disparity of Hollywood, claiming
that her male co-stars had often
taken cuts to ensure equality.
Stone said, “In my career so far,
I’ve needed my male co-stars to
take a pay cut so that I may have
parity with them.”
“And that’s something they
do for me because they feel
it’s what’s right and fair. That’s
something that’s also not
discussed, necessarily: that our
getting equal pay is going to
require people to selflessly say,
‘That’s what’s fair,’” she added.
In the Forbes’ list, Emma Stone
was closely followed by Jennifer
Aniston with $25.5 million,
most of which came from her
endorsements.
The top earner from last year,
Jennifer Lawrence is currently in
the third place. With $24 million,
which is almost half of her
previous year’s earning, reflects
her participation in slightly smaller
films, such as Darren Aronofsky’s
horror movie – Mother! and the spy
thriller – Red Sparrow.
Melissa McCarthy and Mila
Kunis have made it to the top five
on the list, as well.
Emma Watson has secured
the sixth position on the list,
after her starring role in Beauty
and the Beast, even though
her performance in the cyberthriller,
The Circle wasn’t much
appreciated at the box office. The
Harry Potter star is followed by
Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett,
Julia Roberts, and Amy Adams in
the top ten.
Emma Stone will next be seen
alongside Steve Carell in Battle
of the Sexes, a true-life tennis
drama, and is currently filming
a dark Netflix comedy, Maniac,
along with Jonah Hill.•
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
WB, 11:54pm
Max, a former Highway Cop
is searching for fuel and food,
so as to survive. His only
companion is his dog and he
has become a cold, untrusting,
and withdrawn loner.
Cast: Mel Gibson, Bruce
Spence, Michael Preston,
Virginia Hey
Big Hero 6
Movies Now, 9:30pm
Robotics prodigy, Hiro lives
in the city of San Fransokyo,
next to his older brother,
Tadashi, after the death of his
parents, he spends his time by
participating in illegal robot
fights.
Voice: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter,
Daniel Henney, T J Miller

24
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017
DT
TK425 CRORE LOST IN
ILLEGAL FUEL DEALINGS › 8
Back Page
CHAMPAKA ARRIVES AS NEW
BCB HP BOWLING COACH › 18
EMMA STONE NAMED
TOP EARNER OF 2017 › 23
Ordeal of a Bangladeshi man
abducted in South Africa
Abduction of businessmen by international gangs is on the rise, particularly
in the country’s capital Pretoria
The Bangladeshi who was abducted
• Shohel Mamun
CRIME
Sharif Miah, a Bangladeshi businessman
in South Africa, was abducted
from the streets of Pretoria
on June 10.
The next day, Sharif’s family in
Bangladesh received a phone call
from South Africa. A man who
spoke in Bangla said the family
would have to pay Tk20 lakh if they
wanted Sharif back alive.
Sharif, the owner of a super
shop in Pretoria, has been living
there for eight years.
Seeing no other way, the family
members negotiated over phone
and agreed to pay the money in
instalments. Initially, they sent
Tk55,000 to an associate of the kidnappers
through a mobile money
transfer service.
The abductor then instructed
them to go to Gulistan with Tk7
lakh and handed it over to his associates.
On June 13, Sharif’s brother
Zaman Miah and a cousin arrived
at Gulistan with the money, but
the abductors told Zaman to come
alone to Keraniganj. Zaman took
his cousin anyway.
Three men were waiting there
to receive the ransom. They made
a phone call to South Africa after
they took the money, and Zaman
Alleged abductor in South Africa
Not only in South Africa, the
kidnapping gangs are also active in
Iran, Iraq and Dubai, Libya, Nigeria,
and some other countries
talked with his brother Sharif on
that phone.
“They have just let me go,” Sharif
told his brother.
When Zaman returned from the
spot he tried calling his brother,
but he did not pick up the phone.
His mobile phone has remained
switched off since then.
It was at this point that the family
decided to go to the authorities.
Based on their complaint, police
have already arrested two members
of the gang from Keraniganj.
The arrested gang members
are Altab Hossain and Nadim. SI
Nazmul Hossain of Kaliganj police
station, who is investigating the
case, said the arrestees had confessed
to collecting the ransom.
Police have recovered Tk5 lakh
from them.
From them, police have gleaned
the identity of one of their associates
in Pretoria. His name is Akhter
Hossain and he is from Keraniganj.
Police have interrogated
Akhter’s mother.
Pretoria police have already arrested
a man named Russel, the investigating
officer said.
Warisur Rahman, second secretary
to the Bangladesh High Commission
in Pretoria, told the Dhaka
Tribune that the local authorities
were investigating the kidnapping.
The commission is in contact
with the South Africa Department
of International Relations and Cooperation
and is closely monitoring
the situation, he said.
An abduction spree
In South Africa, and in Pretoria in
particular, abduction of businessmen
by international gangs is on
Abductor’s associate in Bangladesh
the rise.
The abductions of Pretoria businessman
Omar Carrim, 76, and
Cape Town businessman Zhaun
Ahmed, 71, are among the two
high-profile cases that took place
this month.
A Pretoria private investigator
named Shaheen Suleiman who is
looking into these cases told the
South African newspaper Mail and
Guardian that he has seen many
similar kidnappings, usually involving
countries like Pakistan and
Bangladesh.
Police here say several criminal
groups are involved in the abduction
of Bangladeshi nationals
abroad.
“Not only in South Africa, the
kidnapping gangs are also active in
Iran, Iraq and Dubai, Libya, Nigeria,
and some other countries,” an
official said.
Dhaka has started joint investigation
with related countries to
bust the gangs, officials said.
Additional Deputy Inspector
General Rawshan Ara, who is with
the Criminal Investigation Department
(CID), told the Dhaka Tribune:
“We have evidence about involvement
of Bangladeshi people
in these abductions that take place
abroad.
“We have arrested kidnapping
gang members from Iran, Libya
and Nigeria recently.” •
OLA plans
Dhaka
expansion
• Shohel Mamun
FEATURE
Following in the footsteps of Uber,
Indian ride-sharing service OLA is
reportedly planning to extend its
operations into Dhaka.
Sources close to the app-based
company said they want to expand
internationally, and both Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka had been identified
as ideal starting points.
“Ola is currently reviewing and
analysing data on Dhaka’s market,”
the sources said.
In addition, the Bangladesh
Road Transport Authority (BRTA)
confirmed that it had received multiple
applications for permits from
app-based ride sharing companies,
though it refused to say if OLA was
among them.
“Some local and international
organisations have already contacted
the BRTA for approval to start
ride-sharing services. However, we
can not disclose the names of the
organisations,” BRTA Director (road
safety) Sheikh Md Mahbub-e-Rabbani
told the Dhaka Tribune.
US tech company Uber established
the first app-based ride sharing
service in Bangladesh when
they began operation in Dhaka last
November, but the BRTA has since
declared such services illegal until
ride-sharing guidelines can be approved
by cabinet.
When asked about OLA’s possible
expansion into Dhaka, an Uber
spokesperson said: “We do not comment
on our competitors.”
Uber rivals OLA in around 26
states of India.
The Dhaka Tribune sent an email
to OLA asking for confirmation of
the expansion, but it did not respond.
•
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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