e_Paper, Sunday, August 27, 2017

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 | Bhadra 12, 1424, Zil-Hajj 4, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 5, No 111 | 24 pages plus 8-page businesss supplement | Price: Tk10 

BUSINESS SUPPLEMENT 

Home loans jump as interest 

rates plummet › 2 

Our goal is to ensure low-cost 

housing facilities in rural areas › 3 

Why the interference and what’s 

the hold up? › 7 

Too many candidates, 

too much conflict in 

Awami League › 2 

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN 

Diseases 

spreading 

in flood-hit 

districts › 3 

US national 

security aide 

Sebastian 

Gorka fired › 4 

Shots fired on 

Myanmar border 

as Rohingya influx 

continues › 5

2 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2017 

DT 

News 

Too many candidates, too much 

conflict in Awami League 

With the next election just over a year away, the party’s central leaders are scrambling to 

resolve the problems 

• Fazlur Rahman Raju 

SPECIAL 

With the 11th parliamentary election 

just over a year away and numerous 

aspiring candidates vying 

for nominations, infighting has 

now become the biggest headache 

for the Awami League. 

A large number of aspirants also 

mean that the ruling party will 

have a tough time picking candidates 

and there is the possibility 

that those left in the cold may contest 

as renegades and take bites out 

of the party’s vote bank. 

Choosing the right candidates 

is now a big challenge for Awami 

League, which is eyeing its third 

consecutive term in power. It’s 

now working to solve the squabble 

inside the party and come up with 

the best 300 candidates to field in 

the polls. 

With Khaleda Zia’s BNP, which is 

scrambling to select their ideal candidates 

for all 300 seats, preparing 

to join the fray, more infighting in 

Awami League simply means it will 

lose votes that could go into the 

bags of either BNP or other contenders. 

The ruling party will face another 

threat if HM Ershad’s Jatiya 

Party chooses to battle it out in the 

next polls on its own, leaving the 

Awami League-led alliance. 

Sources told the Dhaka Tribune 

that the Awami League high command 

was aware about the bickering 

at the grassroots and district 

levels and is trying hard to quickly 

resolve them. But the major conflicts 

between the district leaders 

and lawmakers often present an 

intractable problem. 

Political analysts say an internal 

feud between several leaders contributed 

to Awami League’s loss in 

the Comilla City Corporation election 

in March this year. 

A recent Dhaka Tribune survey 

found that there were at least five 

to six nomination seekers in each 

constituency. The number was 

even higher in some constituencies. 

For example, 11 Awami League 

leaders from Jamalpur 5 constituency 

say they hope to represent the 

party in the next election. There 

are 10 nomination seekers each for 

Nilphamari 4 and Narail 2 constituencies. 

Party insiders said the aspirants 

have already hit the campaign trail 

Awami League top brass has recently assigned several central leaders to resolve the conflicts before the party heads to the 

next polls, due between late 2018 and early 2019 

RAJIB DHAR 

and were keeping in touch with the 

party’s top brass to get polls tickets. 

Awami League’s Jamalpur sadar 

unit chief Abdul Mannan Khan attributed 

the rise in the number of 

candidates on what he called, “the 

controversial activities of incumbent 

MPs”. 

Khan, also one of the aspirants 

for Jamalpur 5 seat, told the Dhaka 

Tribune that they would work for 

the party’s chosen candidate in the 

polls. 

“If the party chooses wrong 

candidates then there’s a chance 

that we will lose seats,” he quickly 

added. 

Sheikh Aminur Rahman Himu, 

who hopes to represent the ruling 

party from Narail 2 seat, said the 

number of nomination seekers 

had “increased tremendously” this 

time. 

Himu, a former expatriate 

Awami League leader, said he 

had greater chances of securing 

nomination. “I will try my best to 

serve the people if I am given the 

chance,” he said. 

Several district-level leaders 

claimed that each and every unit 

of the party was divided and many 

leaders think they are the most 

suitable candidates for the next 

election, even though lots of them 

are not committed to the party. 

They said many businessmen, 

formal military officers and bureaucrats 

have also attributed in 

raising the number of potential aspirants 

with their attempt to secure 

Awami League nominations. 

Awami League Joint General 

Secretary Abdur Rahman said the 

high number of candidates was 

a “very positive” sign. “This will 

help us to find the most suitable 

candidates,” he added. 

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, 

an organising secretary in the party’s 

Central Working Committee, 

said 4,000 people had pleaded for 

nominations from the party before 

the last election, and this time the 

number will be more than 10,000. 

Roiled by conflict 

Conflict among the party’s leaders 

and bloody clashes involving their 

supporters are big headaches for 

Awami League, which says is working 

to resolve the disputes. 

Rights group Ain O Salish Kendra 

said the ruling party activists 

clashed with each other at least 88 

times last year, leaving 17 dead and 

1,052 injured. 

During the same period, Awami 

League activists clashed with rival 

parties 13 times, resulting in one 

death and 190 injuries. 

On August 11, a Jubo League 

leader was killed in Shariatpur’s 

Naria upazila in a clash between 

two Awami League factions. 

Iqbal Hossain, vice-president of 

the upazila’s Rajnagar union Jubo 

League unit, was shot during the 

clash between supporters of union 

Awami League unit President Dadon 

Mia and union Chairman Zakir 

Gazi. 

Zakir is a follower of upazila 

Chairman Ismail Hossain while 

Dadon follows local Awami League 

lawmaker Shawkat Ali. 

On August 15, four ruling party 

activists were injured when 

two more factions clashed during 

the National Mourning Day programme 

in Chittagong’s Hathazari 

upazila. 

On April 2, 2016, at least 25 people 

were injured in a clash between 

two groups of Awami League supporters 

at Rosulpur High School 

ground in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi. 

One group was led by Durgapur 

Awami League unit President Abdul 

Majid and other by local lawmaker 

Abdul Wadud Dara. 

Sources said internal feuds were 

common but there was serious 

infighting in Chittagong city, Khagrachhari, 

Jessore, Khulna, Rajshahi, 

Natore, Bandarban, Narsingdi, 

Comilla, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, 

Brahmanbaria, Noagaon, Barisal 

city, Bhola, Pirojpur, Moulvibazar 

and Sunamganj. 

Jamalpur Awami League leader 

Abdul Mannan Khan dubbed the 

incumbent Jamalpur 5 parliamentarian 

Rezaul Karim Hira “unfit” 

for representing the party in the 

next polls. 

He accused Hira of creating a 

number of factions inside the district 

unit of the party. 

“Party’s high command should 

be more careful when nominating 

someone for his seat,” he said. 

“The party may lose seats if it selects 

wrong and unqualified candidates.” 

Narail Awami League leader 

Himu alleged that the party’s leaders 

were trying to wipe out each 

other. They were either filing cases 

against supporters of rival leaders 

them or taking them out. 

“It will be a very difficult task 

for the high command to select the 

right candidates in this situation.” 

He added: “Senior and prominent 

district-level leaders have 

created factions inside the units to 

fulfil their own interests. If the party 

picks these divisive leaders, then 

we may lose the seats as supporters 

of their rivals will most likely vote 

against them.” 

Frantic efforts to resolve infighting 

Several central leaders told the 

Dhaka Tribune that inner conflict 

was now the biggest problem for 

the party. If these conflicts were 

not resolved before the next ballot, 

Awami League will suffer, and 

also may lose the election, they 

feared. 

Awami League top brass has 

recently assigned several central 

leaders to resolve the conflicts before 

the party heads to the next 

polls, due between late 2018 and 

early 2019. 

Joint General Secretary Abdur 

Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune 

that party’s top leaders has already 

had talks with various district leaders 

to resolve the problems. 

“At least 80% of the conflicts 

will be solved automatically after 

the selection of candidates,” he 

claimed, without elaborating. 

However, Organising Secretary 

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury went 

in a different direction, claiming: 

“There are no internal feuds in the 

party but fair competition, because 

of the huge number of committed 

leaders and aspirants. To an outsider 

it seems like conflicts.” 

He also asserted that this “competition” 

will not affect Awami 

League during the polls. 

“Awami League has passed 

harder times before. We will select 

the most suitable candidates and 

after that everything will be resolved,” 

he added. •

2 


DT 

News 

Too many candidates, too much 

conflict in Awami League 

With the next election just over a year away, the party’s central leaders are scrambling to 

resolve the problems 

• Fazlur Rahman Raju 

SPECIAL 

With the 11th parliamentary election 

just over a year away and numerous 

aspiring candidates vying 

for nominations, infighting has 

now become the biggest headache 

for the Awami League. 

A large number of aspirants also 

mean that the ruling party will 

have a tough time picking candidates 

and there is the possibility 

that those left in the cold may contest 

as renegades and take bites out 

of the party’s vote bank. 

Choosing the right candidates 

is now a big challenge for Awami 

League, which is eyeing its third 

consecutive term in power. It’s 

now working to solve the squabble 

inside the party and come up with 

the best 300 candidates to field in 

the polls. 

With Khaleda Zia’s BNP, which is 

scrambling to select their ideal candidates 

for all 300 seats, preparing 

to join the fray, more infighting in 

Awami League simply means it will 

lose votes that could go into the 

bags of either BNP or other contenders. 

The ruling party will face another 

threat if HM Ershad’s Jatiya 

Party chooses to battle it out in the 

next polls on its own, leaving the 

Awami League-led alliance. 

Sources told the Dhaka Tribune 

that the Awami League high command 

was aware about the bickering 

at the grassroots and district 

levels and is trying hard to quickly 

resolve them. But the major conflicts 

between the district leaders 

and lawmakers often present an 

intractable problem. 

Political analysts say an internal 

feud between several leaders contributed 

to Awami League’s loss in 

the Comilla City Corporation election 

in March this year. 

A recent Dhaka Tribune survey 

found that there were at least five 

to six nomination seekers in each 

constituency. The number was 

even higher in some constituencies. 

For example, 11 Awami League 

leaders from Jamalpur 5 constituency 

say they hope to represent the 

party in the next election. There 

are 10 nomination seekers each for 

Nilphamari 4 and Narail 2 constituencies. 

Party insiders said the aspirants 

have already hit the campaign trail 

Awami League top brass has recently assigned several central leaders to resolve the conflicts before the party heads to the 

next polls, due between late 2018 and early 2019 

RAJIB DHAR 

and were keeping in touch with the 

party’s top brass to get polls tickets. 

Awami League’s Jamalpur sadar 

unit chief Abdul Mannan Khan attributed 

the rise in the number of 

candidates on what he called, “the 

controversial activities of incumbent 

MPs”. 

Khan, also one of the aspirants 

for Jamalpur 5 seat, told the Dhaka 

Tribune that they would work for 

the party’s chosen candidate in the 

polls. 

“If the party chooses wrong 

candidates then there’s a chance 

that we will lose seats,” he quickly 

added. 

Sheikh Aminur Rahman Himu, 

who hopes to represent the ruling 

party from Narail 2 seat, said the 

number of nomination seekers 

had “increased tremendously” this 

time. 

Himu, a former expatriate 

Awami League leader, said he 

had greater chances of securing 

nomination. “I will try my best to 

serve the people if I am given the 

chance,” he said. 

Several district-level leaders 

claimed that each and every unit 

of the party was divided and many 

leaders think they are the most 

suitable candidates for the next 

election, even though lots of them 

are not committed to the party. 

They said many businessmen, 

formal military officers and bureaucrats 

have also attributed in 

raising the number of potential aspirants 

with their attempt to secure 

Awami League nominations. 

Awami League Joint General 

Secretary Abdur Rahman said the 

high number of candidates was 

a “very positive” sign. “This will 

help us to find the most suitable 

candidates,” he added. 

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, 

an organising secretary in the party’s 

Central Working Committee, 

said 4,000 people had pleaded for 

nominations from the party before 

the last election, and this time the 

number will be more than 10,000. 

Roiled by conflict 

Conflict among the party’s leaders 

and bloody clashes involving their 

supporters are big headaches for 

Awami League, which says is working 

to resolve the disputes. 

Rights group Ain O Salish Kendra 

said the ruling party activists 

clashed with each other at least 88 

times last year, leaving 17 dead and 

1,052 injured. 

During the same period, Awami 

League activists clashed with rival 

parties 13 times, resulting in one 

death and 190 injuries. 

On August 11, a Jubo League 

leader was killed in Shariatpur’s 

Naria upazila in a clash between 

two Awami League factions. 

Iqbal Hossain, vice-president of 

the upazila’s Rajnagar union Jubo 

League unit, was shot during the 

clash between supporters of union 

Awami League unit President Dadon 

Mia and union Chairman Zakir 

Gazi. 

Zakir is a follower of upazila 

Chairman Ismail Hossain while 

Dadon follows local Awami League 

lawmaker Shawkat Ali. 

On August 15, four ruling party 

activists were injured when 

two more factions clashed during 

the National Mourning Day programme 

in Chittagong’s Hathazari 

upazila. 

On April 2, 2016, at least 25 people 

were injured in a clash between 

two groups of Awami League supporters 

at Rosulpur High School 

ground in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi. 

One group was led by Durgapur 

Awami League unit President Abdul 

Majid and other by local lawmaker 

Abdul Wadud Dara. 

Sources said internal feuds were 

common but there was serious 

infighting in Chittagong city, Khagrachhari, 

Jessore, Khulna, Rajshahi, 

Natore, Bandarban, Narsingdi, 

Comilla, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, 

Brahmanbaria, Noagaon, Barisal 

city, Bhola, Pirojpur, Moulvibazar 

and Sunamganj. 

Jamalpur Awami League leader 

Abdul Mannan Khan dubbed the 

incumbent Jamalpur 5 parliamentarian 

Rezaul Karim Hira “unfit” 

for representing the party in the 

next polls. 

He accused Hira of creating a 

number of factions inside the district 

unit of the party. 

“Party’s high command should 

be more careful when nominating 

someone for his seat,” he said. 

“The party may lose seats if it selects 

wrong and unqualified candidates.” 

Narail Awami League leader 

Himu alleged that the party’s leaders 

were trying to wipe out each 

other. They were either filing cases 

against supporters of rival leaders 

them or taking them out. 

“It will be a very difficult task 

for the high command to select the 

right candidates in this situation.” 

He added: “Senior and prominent 

district-level leaders have 

created factions inside the units to 

fulfil their own interests. If the party 

picks these divisive leaders, then 

we may lose the seats as supporters 

of their rivals will most likely vote 

against them.” 

Frantic efforts to resolve infighting 

Several central leaders told the 

Dhaka Tribune that inner conflict 

was now the biggest problem for 

the party. If these conflicts were 

not resolved before the next ballot, 

Awami League will suffer, and 

also may lose the election, they 

feared. 

Awami League top brass has 

recently assigned several central 

leaders to resolve the conflicts before 

the party heads to the next 

polls, due between late 2018 and 

early 2019. 

Joint General Secretary Abdur 

Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune 

that party’s top leaders has already 

had talks with various district leaders 

to resolve the problems. 

“At least 80% of the conflicts 

will be solved automatically after 

the selection of candidates,” he 

claimed, without elaborating. 

However, Organising Secretary 

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury went 

in a different direction, claiming: 

“There are no internal feuds in the 

party but fair competition, because 

of the huge number of committed 

leaders and aspirants. To an outsider 

it seems like conflicts.” 

He also asserted that this “competition” 

will not affect Awami 

League during the polls. 

“Awami League has passed 

harder times before. We will select 

the most suitable candidates and 

after that everything will be resolved,” 

he added. •

4 


DT 

37 beggars 

rehabilitated in 

Gopalganj 

• Manoj Kumar Saha, 

Gopalganj 

NATION 

Aimed at making society beggar free, 

the administration of Gopalganj Sadar 

upazila has taken steps to rehabilitate 

beggars in the district. 

For the first time, the administration 

yesterday rehabilitated at least 

37 beggars by providing them with 

alternative sources of income. 

Nine among them were given grocery 

shops, four were given tea stalls, 

one a pitha (cake) shop, 22 were given 

poultry farms and one a bookstall 

at a cost of Tk8 lakh. 

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) 

Shammi Akter handed over the 

shops and livestock among the beggars 

at a function organised by the 

administration at Social Welfare auditorium 

on the day. 

A discussion was also held where 

Social Welfare Officer Sultana Zahid 

Parveen, Raghunathpur union council 

Chairman Sreebas Biswas and 

Gopinathpur UP Chairman Aminul 

Haque Bachhu, among others, spoke 

on the occasion. 

A total of 85 people are begging in 

the upazila at last count. 

The UNO said all of them would be 

rehabilitated soon by being provided 

with alternative sources of income. 

The government aims to free the 

country of beggars by 2018 in line 

with sustainable development goals, 

a United Nations agenda to end poverty 

and protect human rights following 

the expiry of the millennium 

development goals in 2015. 

Directives for launching a beggar 

rehabilitation programme have already 

been given to district officials 

by former principal secretary to Prime 

Minister’s Office Abul Kalam Azad. • 

News 

US national security aide 

Sebastian Gorka fired 

• Tribune Desk 

WORLD 

Sebastian Gorka, a national security 

aide whose hard-line views on 

immigration and terrorism caused 

discord inside and outside the 

White House, is the latest official to 

exit US President Donald Trump’s 

administration, with conflicting 

claims about whether he resigned 

or got the boot. 

“Sebastian Gorka did not 

resign, but I can confirm he no 

longer works at the White House,” 

an administration official said 

after reports that Gorka had left 

voluntarily. 

Gorka, 46, had become a 

familiar face on television, 

offering a bombastic defence 

of the US president in a strong 

English accent. Born in London to 

Hungarian parents, he became a US 

citizen in recent years. 

A deputy assistant to the president, 

he had been accused of ties 

to far-right groups and his claimed 

counter-terrorism knowledge was 

repeatedly questioned by peers. 

His failure to gain security 

clearance cast doubts over his dayto-day 

role inside Trump’s White 

House. 

He had been seen entering Oval 

Office events not with staff but with 

the press, and snapping photos 

from the press position behind the 

wings of Air Force One. 

String of hawkish 

Gorka is the latest in a string of 

hawkish or nationalist advisers to 

leave the National Security Council 

This file photo taken on February 24, 2017 shows Deputy Assistant to US President 

Donald Trump, Sebastian Gorka, speaking during the Conservative Political Action 

Conference in National Harbor, Maryland 

AFP 

and other parts of the White House 

in recent weeks, suggesting that in 

the battle among Trump’s foreign 

policy advisers, internationalist 

voices such as those of McMaster, 

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and 

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are 

prevailing. 

Earlier, the conservative Federalist 

news outlet, citing multiple 

sources familiar with the situation, 

said Gorka, a counterterrorism 

expert, had quit. In a letter of 

resignation, Gorka expressed dissatisfaction 

with the current state 

of the Trump administration, the 

Federalist said. 

“As a result, the best and most 

effective way I can support you, 

Mr. President, is from outside the 

People’s House,” Gorka was quoted 

as saying in the letter. 

Trump fired Bannon a week 

ago in the latest White House 

shake-up, removing a far-right 

architect of his 2016 election 

victory and a driving force 

behind his nationalist and antiglobalisation 

agenda. 

“Regrettably, outside of yourself, 

the individuals who most embodied 

and represented the policies 

that will ‘Make America Great 

Again,’ have been internally countered, 

systematically removed, 

or undermined in recent months. 

This was made patently obvious 

as I read the text of your speech on 

Afghanistan this week,” he said in 

the letter. • 

US partially 

relaxes travel 

warning for 

its citizens in 

Bangladesh 


CURRENT AFFAIRS 

The US Department of State has 

eased the travel warning for Bangladesh, 

allowing all spouses or 

partners of US government personnel 

to remain in or return to Dhaka. 

However in the statement of 

August 24, the US Passports and International 

Travel wing said, “Minor 

dependents are still prohibited 

from residing in Dhaka.” 

This travel warning replaces the 

travel warning dated January 5, 

2017. 

The US State Department 

warned US citizens of continuing 

threats from terrorist groups in 

Bangladesh and to consider the 

risks of travel to and throughout 

the country. 

The State Department has updated 

the travel warning to reflect 

the change in the US Embassy in 

Dhaka’s status to “partially accompanied”, 

effective from August 24 

allowing all spouses, partners of 

the US government personnel to 

remain in or return to Dhaka. 

Previously, only adult family 

members employed by the US government 

were permitted to remain 

or return to Dhaka. 

The US Embassy, it said, remains 

open and will provide all consular 

services. 

In October 2016, IS threatened to 

target “expats, tourists, diplomats, 

garment buyers, missionaries, and 

sports teams” in the most “secured 

zones” in Bangladesh. • 

Nasreen Huq murder: 

One sentenced to life 

imprisonment 


COURTS 

A Dhaka court has sentenced 

a man to life term imprisonment 

for the murder of human 

rights activist Nasreen Huq. 

The convict is Zakir Hossain. 

Additional Metropolitan 

Sessions Judge of court no 4 

pronounced the verdict on 

Thursday. 

The court also fined the 

convict Tk20,000. 

Nasreen Huq, former country 

director of Action Aid died 

on April 24, 2006 at the parking 

lot of her Dhanmondi resi- 

Nasreen Huq 

dence after being hit by the car 

which was supposed to pick 

her up for the Action Aid office. 

Nasreen’s husband filed a 

case with Dhanmondi police 

station accusing car driver Zakir 

of killing Nasreen by reckless 

driving. •

News 5 


DT 

Shots fired on Myanmar 

border as Rohingya influx 

continues 



Myanmar’s Border Guard Police 

(BGP) have fired shots at Bangladeshi 

territory near Bandarban’s 

Toombroo border, according to 

Border Guard Bangladesh. 

Sources at the border said bursts 

of gunfire had rung out at two 

points in Toombroo area in the 

afternoon yesterday. It wasn’t immediately 

clear what the BGP was 

targeting. 

Lt Col Monjurul Hasan Khan, 

commanding officer of Border Guard 

Bangladesh’s (BGB’s) battalion-34, 

told the Dhaka Tribune that eight 

to 10 gunshots were fired at Bangladesh 

territory by members of BGP. 

BGB had strongly protested the 

firing, and, in response, the BGP 

had expressed regret over the incident, 

he added. 

In Cox’s Bazar, members of 

Bangladesh Coast Guard sent back 

a boat carrying 56 Rohingyas, who 

tried to enter Bangladesh through 

Noyapara area of Teknaf upazila, 

early morning yesterday. 

Bangladesh expresses concern 

over Rohingya influx 

The Charge’d Affaires of Myanmar 

Embassy in Dhaka was summoned 

to the Foreign Ministry yesterday 

afternoon. 

Mahbub Uz Zaman, secretary 

(Asia and Pacific) of the Foreign 

Affairs Ministry, met the Myanmar 

envoy and expressed Bangladesh’s 

concern over the evolving situation 

in the Rakhine State. 

He recalled the influx of Myanmar 

nationals into Bangladesh on 

the aftermath of deadly attacks on 

Rohingya people in October last 

year. 

The secretary informed about 

85,000 Rohingyas crossed over to 

Bangladesh following the attack. 

He also noted thousands of unarmed 

civilians, including women, 

children and elderly persons from 

Rakhine State had assembled close 

to the border and making attempts 

to enter Bangladesh over the last 

few days. 

Bangladesh expressed serious 

concern at the possibility of recurrence 

of such a situation as Bangladesh 

is already hosting about 

400,000 Myanmar nationals. 

Bangladesh stressed that the 

Myanmar authority should ensure 

protection and shelter for the unarmed 

civilians, particularly women, 

children and elderly people. 

67 Rohingyas held for trespassing 

Our Cox’s Bazar correspondent 

reported that police yesterday detained 

67 Rohingya people including 

women and children for illegal 

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) prepare a mortar as a part their 

defence after heavy gunshots are being heard at the Myannmar side in Cox’s 

Bazar, Bangladesh on August 26, 2017 

REUTERS 

intrusion. 

They detainees were attempting 

to enter into Kutupalang Refugee 

Camp in the district’s Ukhia upazila. 

Ukhia police station’s Officer-in- 

Charge (investigation) Md Kai Kislu 

said they kept the detainees in 

their custody. 

“The detained Rohingyas will 

be sent back to Myanmar with the 

help of Border Guard Bangladesh 

after getting permission from the 

higher authorities,” he added. 

No Rohingya to be allowed 

Meanwhile, the government has 

directed the local administration 

in the district to employ its best 

efforts to restrict the entry of fresh 

Rohingyas into the country saying 

not a single person will be allowed 

in the name of ‘humanity’, reports 

UNB. 

“The government has directed 

to enforce the best efforts to stop 

any fresh influx and tackle the situation,” 

said Cox’s Bazar Deputy 

Commissioner (DC) Md Ali Hossain 

at an urgent meeting held at the 

Circuit House on Friday night. The 

meeting was attended by government 

officials, representatives of 

law enforcement agencies, politicians 

and others. 

The deputy commissioenr, 

however, said the government is 

keeping humanitarian aspect of 

the situation in mind with due sincerity. 

“That doesn’t mean we’ll 

have to bear the burden for years 

after years by allowing the entry of 

people from another country into 

Bangladesh.” 

The meeting has decided to take 

stern action against those who will 

help Rohigyas enter Bangladesh. It 

also decided to punish those using 

the Naf River to help Rohingyas get 

into Bangladesh through mobile 

courts. 

In the name of humanity, no 

more Rohingyas will be allowed in 

Bangladesh’s land for the sake of its 

own existence and security, he told 

the meeting. 

Police Super of the district Dr 

AKM Iqbal Hossain and Additional 

District Magistrate Khaled 

Mahmud were also present at the 

meeting. 

Two separate meetings were 

also held in Ukhia and Teknaf with 

the respective UNOs in the chair. 

The UP members and chairmen 

who were present at the meeting 

were given directives to follow 

government instructions so that 

not a single Rohingya can enter 

Bangladesh. 

At least 89 people, including 

12 security officials, were killed as 

militants besieged border posts in 

northern Rakhine State of Myanmar 

on Friday. The attack triggered 

a fresh influx of refugees towards 

Bangladesh. • 

Injured Rohingya man Muktar at hospital bed 

Horrors in Rakhine 

haunt persecuted 

Rohingyas 

• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong 


The atrocities by Myanmar’s army 

during the recent crackdown are still 

haunting the country’s Rohingya Muslims, 

triggering a fresh exodus of refugees 

to Bangladesh. 

Among the latest arrivals, one identified 

as Musa by his companion died 

at Chittagong Medical College Hospital 

(CMCH) from a gunshot wound 

sustained during the crackdown. The 

22-year-old was from Maungdaw in 

Rakhine state of Myanmar. 

Another injured Rohingya man, 

who called himself Mukhtar, yesterday 

told the Dhaka Tribune that he, Musa 

and another trespassed into Bangladesh 

after a group of army men with 

heavy weapons swooped on their village 

all on a sudden on Thursday night. 

“They shot dead a villager. We were 

injured in the gunfire,” he said. 

The third Rohingya was admitted 

to a hospital at Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s 

Bazar. 

“The army men were firing indiscriminately 

at us. We were running helter-skelter 

to save our lives. Only two 

of us managed to escape the atrocities, 

and two died on the spot. Initially, 

we took shelter in a nearby hill after 

fleeing our village with severe injuries. 

To avoid being caught by the army 

men, we later left the hill and crawled 

into another village,” the shell-shocked 

survivor narrated the horrors of the 

night, lying on a CMCH bed. 

“The villagers provided us with 

food, water and shelter. Later, we 

crossed into Bangladesh with the help 

of agents from the two sides. Scores of 

Rohingya people, mostly women and 

DHAKA TRIBUNE 

children, are still agonisingly waiting 

to take shelter in Bangladesh,” he said. 

At least 89 people including a 

dozen security forces were killed as 

Rohingya insurgents besieged border 

posts in northern Rakhine State, according 

to The Hindu. 

The state is bisected by religious 

hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya 

Muslim minority, who are 

reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants 

in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. 

Fearing further persecution, Mukhtar 

said he did not want to return home. 

Standing beside the bullet-hit 

youth, Jahara Begum, who identified 

Mukhtar as her son-in-law, said that on 

information she received and whisked 

him off to the hospital. 

“I live in a registered Rohingya refugee 

camp in Cox’s Bazar. I am worried 

as many of our relatives are still passing 

their days in utter insecurity,” added 

Jahara. 

Contacted, CMCH Director Brig 

Gen Md Jalal Uddin said the two Rohingya 

youths were admitted to the 

hospital with gunshot injuries early 

Saturday. 

“Both of them received bullet injuries 

two days back in Myanmar. Of 

the two, one by the name of Musa succumbed 

to his injuries at the hospital,” 

said Jalal. 

Asked about Mukhtar’s condition, 

he said: “Mukhtar sustained injuries in 

the chest. He is showing symptoms of 

poor consciousness level. We will take 

decision about surgery after conducting 

some tests. 

“We are hopeful of giving him proper 

treatment if his health condition 

does not deteriorate.” 

The body of Musa has been kept at 

the hospital morgue. • 

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY 

Dhaka 31 27 Chittagong 32 27 Rajshahi 31 26 Rangpur 31 26 Khulna 32 26 Barisal 30 27 Sylhet 33 25 

Cox’s Bazar 29 26 

RAIN LIKELY 


DHAKA 

TODAY 

TOMORROW 

SUN SETS 6:22PM 

SUN RISES 5:38AM 

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW 

35.8ºC 

24.5ºC 

Dinajpur 

Rangamati 

Source: Accuweather/UNB 

PRAYER 

TIMES 

Fajr: 5:00am | Zohr: 1:15pm 

Asr: 5:00pm | Magrib: 6:41pm 

Esha: 8:30pm 

Source: Islamic Foundation

6 


DT 

News 

Will everyone have electricity by 2018 or by 2021? 

• Aminur Rahman Rasel 

POWER 

Getting electricity to everyone 

in the country is one of Awami 

League’s election promises. In its 

2014 manifesto, the party set a 

deadline of five years to accomplish 

this task. 

Although the government 

appears to have made significant 

progress in the direction of hundred 

percent electrification, it is unclear 

if the goal will be achieved by 2018. 

In a speech made in a special 

book published on the occasion of 

National Power and Energy Week 

2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 

hoped that they would be able to 

provide electricity to every home 

by 2021. 

However, the State Minister for 

Power Nasrul Hamid maintains that 

it can be done by 2018. The minister 

reiterated this in a seminar at Biduyt 

Bhaban in the city on August 19. 

Critics are not convinced. 

Consumers Association of 

Bangladesh Energy Adviser 

Prof M Shamsul Alam said the 

government’s statements did not 

match the actual progress. 

“This is nothing but political 

stunt. There is no similarity between 

the statements and the progress 

made in the reality. We expect the 

government to meet the target to 

make satisfactory developments,” 

he said. 

The Rural Electrification Board 

(REB) is playing the key role 

between six distribution agencies 

and companies to accomplish 

the task. They have already 

implemented several projects and a 

number of projects are ongoing. 

Officials and contractors related 

to REB project implementation 

said around 47% of the consumers 

were getting electricity when the 

government took charge in 2009. 

RAJIB DHAR 

REB’s target is to get power to 488 upazilas of which only 16 upazilas have electricity connections in their entire areas 

According to REB, around 

80% of the population now avails 

electricity. However, 80% coverage 

does not mean that 80% of the 

country is connected to the grid in 

terms of area. 

There are 491 upazilas in the 

country; three of them are islands 

that can only be connected to the 

grid at a massive cost. So REB’s 

target is to get power to 488 

upazilas. 

Out of 488 upazilas, only 

16 upazilas have electricity 

connections in their entire areas. 

There are 10 other upazilas where 

this has been accomplished, which 

the prime minister was scheduled 

to inaugurate on August 20, but this 

was cancelled due to floods. 

REB says another 35 upazilas 

are now ready to launch full 

electrification. By December 2017, 

the REB is expecting to add another 

50 upazilas to this list. 

Put together, all of these only 

covers 111 upazilas or less than one 

fourth of the target upazilas. 

Officials said the 2021 target 

would be more appropriate 

considering the prevailing status of 

the project. 

Power contractors remarked 

that whereas it had taken 39 years 

to bring electricity to half of the 

country’s upazilas the government 

is trying to connect the remaining 

half in 10 years, which is a difficult 

task. 

After the government took 

power, there was a project for 1.8 

million consumers which was 

delayed for two years. In addition, 

four other projects taken for 

divisional areas also saw delays, 

which are core reasons for the 

current situation, officials said. 

Lack of raw materials used for 

the task, manpower crisis and difficulties 

in assigning people for the 

projects led to this situation. 

Power Division officials who 

wished to remain anonymous, said 

much of the progress in rural electrification 

was attributable to the 

current REB Chairman Moin Uddin, 

who they described as a hard-working 

and sincere official. But the 

officials said his work was bogged 

down by many incompetent and insincere 

officials in REB and the Palli 

Bidyut Samity. 

The government took a number 

of projects for supply of electricity, 

but the volume of transmission, 

distribution lines and sub-stations 

was insufficient to meet the target. 

There is also a crisis in power production, 

leading to uncertainty in 

meeting the target. 

An official of REB seeking anonymity 

said there were at least 

15 Upazilas that REB cannot bring 

under 100% electrification by 2020 

due to lack of progress of work. 

“If we can bring 90% of the villages 

under electrification by 2018, 

that would also be a major success,” 

REB Chairman Maj Gen Moin Uddin 

told the Dhaka Tribune. 

“We are expecting to bring rest of 

the upazilas by bringing 70-80% of 

them under electrification and that 

would be a major satisfaction for 

the consumers, also a success for 

us,” he added. 

He said that places that were difficult 

to connect to the grid would 

have mini-grids with renewable energy 

as source. 

To achieve the goal, REB needs 

to establish over 10 million new 

power connections and extend distribution 

lines by around 100,000 

km. 

Maj Gen Moin Uddin said to 

achieve the target by 2018, three 

years earlier than the previous target, 

is a big challenge. 

According to estimates, by 2021 

the number of power consumers 

will raise from 9.7 million to 23 million, 

an increase of almost 230%. 

The peak demand will rise from 

4,500MW to 9,200MW, an increase 

of 100%. 

“At present, REB is running 16 

consumer connection projects estimated 

to end by 2019. In order to 

implement the 2021 target we are 

going to take on seven new projects,” 

the REB chairman said. 

Established in 1977 to ensure 

rural people’s access to electricity, 

REB has been working in association 

with 80 Palli Bidyut Samitys. 

State Minister for Power Nasrul 

Hamid said: “We are hopeful about 

doing this by 2018. But it may take 

more time. It is not a fault if we miss 

the deadline.” • 

Chador in, hijab out: Iran VP’s wardrobe draws criticism 


WORLD 

Just a couple of weeks into her appointment, 

the new Iranian vice president’s 

decision to abandon her fashion style 

for the all-encompassing black chador 

is raising questions among women in 

the Islamic Republic, especially after 

she said President Hassan Rouhani personally 

asked her to wear the traditional 

women’s garment. 

Although Laaya Joneidi typically 

used to wear a hijab, the headscarf that 

is mandated by law in today’s Iran, and a 

long coat with pants, her switch to the 

more conservative chador serves as a 

political statement in and of itself in the 

Islamic Republic. 

Laaya Joneidi 

TWITTER 

And coming after Rouhani failed 

to nominate any women to serve as 

ministers in his Cabinet, some are 

questioning the moderate cleric’s 

campaign promise to bring more 

women into the government. 

“Not only could Rouhani not appoint 

a woman minister, but also he could not 

appoint a vice president who does not 

wear the chador either and forced her to 

wear the chador,” tweeted Hamid Mashayekhi 

Rad, an Islamic seminary student 

and activist. 

The controversy began when a government 

website posted a photograph 

of Joneidi, who earned a doctorate from 

Harvard in comparative law and international 

commercial arbitration, wearing 

the long black chador, exposing only her 

face. Social media exploded with posts 

referring to her as a “chadori.” 

The controversy only grew after 

Joneidi, one of two female vice presidents 

in Rouhani’s new government, 

gave an interview to the reformist daily 

newspaper Sharq. 

“Mr Rouhani, because of the protocol 

of the Cabinet, asked me to wear 

the chador,” she told the newspaper. “I 

respected his demand.” 

The criticism then found a target in 

Rouhani, whose re-election campaign 

promised women spots in his 18-minister 

Cabinet. The cleric had no women 

ministers in his first term, and when he 

announced appointees for his second 

term, earlier in August, there were again 

no women among his picks. 

The following day, Rouhani named 

two women as vice presidents, including 

Joneidi. 

“Mr Rouhani, based on which law 

or your protocol forced Laaya Joneidi 

to wear the chador?” tweeted Amene 

Shirafkan, a journalist who works at 

“Zanan-Emrooz” or “Today’s Women” 

magazine. 

The chador controversy underscores 

the unwritten protocol rules for those 

in public office and government in 

Iran, rules that also affect men. Iranian 

Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif 

famously wore a goatee before entering 

Rouhani’s government, but later grew 

the full beard common for those in 

power. 

The chador has a long history in Iranian 

politics. The sisters of Shah Reza 

Pahlavi famously tossed theirs away in 

public in the 1930s, before it was outlawed. 

In the 1979 Islamic Revolution, 

women who took to the streets to rally 

in support of the clerics embraced the 

chador. After the revolution installed the 

clerics in power, the hijab became law. •

News 

SUNDAY, 

7 

AUGUST 27, 2017 

DT 

Government ponders new PSCs for oil and 

gas exploration 

• Aminur Rahman Rasel 

ENERGY 

After facing criticism for leasing 

gas blocks to foreign firms through 

a special provision instead of 

through competitive tenders, the 

government is set to formulate separate 

models for offshore and onshore 

production sharing contracts 

(PSCs) with a view to awarding tenders 

to international oil companies 

(IOCs) for oil and gas exploration. 

The Energy and Mineral Resources 

Division has called for a 

meeting at the headquarters of the 

Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral 

Corporation (Petrobangla) today 

with a view to discussing the PSCs, 

which may include increased prices 

of gas in order to attract bids. 

In addition, consideration of local 

firms for exploration of onshore 

oil and gas deposits is also likely 

to be discussed in the meeting, as 

well as the possibility for investment 

by local companies. 

Unlike the power sector, there is 

no policy for local private companies 

to invest in the energy sector. 

A round of bidding for tenders 

would be Bangladesh’s fifth for exploration 

of hydrocarbon deposits, 

following those in 1993, 1997, 2008 

and 2012. 

A Petrobangla official, asking 

not to be named, said that the fifth 

round of bidding may take place as 

soon as the end of this year. 

“After finalising the offshore 

model PSC 2017 and onshore model 

PSC 2017, the Energy and Mineral 

Resources Division will send 

them to the Cabinet Committee on 

Economic Affairs for approval,” he 

said, adding that Petrobangla could 

Currently, US-based Chevron and KrisEnergy of Singapore are engaged in onshore hydrocarbon operations, while Australian 

company Santos and Indian companies ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd are conducting surveys for offshore oil and gas 

exploration 

DHAKA TRIBUNE 

not solicit tenders until then. 

On the government’s behalf, 

Petrobangla leases out oil and gas 

wells, engaging IOCs for exploration. 

There are 22 onshore blocks 

and 26 offshore blocks of oil and 

gas deposits in Bangladesh. 

Currently, US-based Chevron 

and KrisEnergy of Singapore are 

engaged in onshore hydrocarbon 

operations, while Australian company 

Santos and Indian companies 

ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd 

are conducting surveys for offshore 

oil and gas exploration. 

On March 15, 2017, the government 

signed a deal with South Korean 

company Posco Daewoo Corporation 

to conduct seismic survey 

and explore oil and gas resources 

in deep sea block (DS) 12 under the 

Speedy Supply of Power and Energy 

(Special Provision) Act 2010. 

The government had also selected 

Russian energy giant Gazprom 

and two other foreign oil companies 

to dril 13 exploratory onshore 

gas wells in the country, even 

though state-owned exploration 

company Bapex has the capacity to 

implement the project. 

The companies were selected 

under the Speedy Supply of Power 

and Energy (Special Provision) 

Act, 2010 after they submitted Expression 

of Interest (EoI) letters for 

the project, sources told the Dhaka 

Tribune. 

In the previous drilling job, 

which Gazprom received without 

having to go through the tender 

process, the company failed to extract 

the target amount of gas when 

it drilled 15 wells between 2012 and 

2016. 

Bapex needs only Tk80 crore to 

drill a well, but it costs as much as 

Tk200 crore per well when a foreign 

company conducts the operation. 

The last model PSC was adopted 

in 2012 and was later amended following 

immense pressure from the 

IOCs, which argued that the prices 

for oil and gas listed were too low. 

According to the amendments, 

an IOC would sell around 50% of 

the gas produced to Petrobangla 

at $6.50 per Mcf (1,000 cubic feet), 

instead of $5.50. The amendments 

also exempted IOCs from paying 

transport tariffs and corporate tax. 

Prof Ijaz Hossain of the department 

of chemical engineering in 

Bangladesh University of Engineering 

and Technology told the Dhaka 

Tribune: “Bangladeshi companies 

could be awarded deals for onshore 

gas and oil exploration, which will 

be a great opportunity despite being 

a risky venture. In order to attract 

IOCs, the offshore gas prices 

may be increased.” 

He added that even if the price 

for oil and gas from offshore wells 

was set at $8 per Mcf, it would still 

be profitable for Bangladesh. • 

Three Indian police killed in Kashmir’s biggest militant 

attack in a year 

• Reuters, Srinagar 

WORLD 

Militants killed three Indian policemen 

in the Kashmir valley after storming into 

a police camp on Saturday in their biggest 

strike on a government compound 

in the disputed region in nearly a year. 

One of the militants, who entered 

the camp in Pulwama town of southern 

Kashmir, was also killed in the ensuing 

gunfight, said a senior Indian army officer 

who declined to be named. 

The army and police are jointly trying 

to dislodge the militants and have evacuated 

families from the camp’s residential 

block, Lieutenant General J S Sandhu 

of the Indian army told reporters. 

The attack on the police complex 

is the biggest on a state security facility 

since September 18 last year, when 

armed militants broke into an army 

camp near the de facto border, called 

the Line of Control (LoC), in Uri, killing 

18 army personnel. 

The exact number of militants inside 

the compound is not known, India’s federal 

home ministry said in a statement. 

Indian troops have killed 134 militants, 

including 7 top commanders, 

this year, officials said. Majority of these 

militants were eliminated in the last two 

months after security forces doubled 

Indian soldiers takes positions while a gunfight takes place between militants 

and government forces in Pulwama, south of Srinagar, on August 26, 2017 AFP 

down on an offensive in south Kashmir 

and along the LoC. 

Last year, 150 militants were killed in 

Kashmir. 

About 79 militants crossed the LoC 

into Indian Kashmir in July, according to 

Indian officials. 

India accuses Pakistan of training 

and arming militants, and helping 

them infiltrate across the LoC dividing 

Kashmir. Pakistan denies those allegations. 

The South Asian rivals fought two 

of their three wars since independence 

in 1947 over Muslim-majority Kashmir, 

which they both claim in full but rule in 

part. •

8 


DT 

Hajj pilgrims, who have been unable to attend the Hajj this year due to various 

complications, hold a protest in front of a Hajj Camp at Ashkona in Dhaka 

yesterday 

DHAKA TRIBUNE 

Saudi Arabia extends 

Biman’s pre-Hajj 

flights till August 28 

• Ishtiaq Husain 


Biman Bangladesh Airlines has 

received approval to operate dedicated 

Hajj flights from Dhaka to 

Jeddah for an additional two days, 

till August 28. 

As a result of the approval from 

the Saudi Arabia General Authority 

of Civil Aviation, the national carrier 

will now be able to operate eight 

more flights to carry pilgrims over 

August 27 and 28. 

As per the previous flight schedule, 

the national flag carrier’s pre- 

Hajj flights were supposed to end 

yesterday, August 26. 

Confirming the news, Biman 

General Manager (PR) and spokesperson 

Shakil Meraj told the Dhaka 

Tribune that around 800 pilgrims 

would have missed Hajj this year 

if the extra landing slots had not 

been granted. 

“As we received the approval, 

now all pilgrims can be transported 

to Jeddah without any hassle or 

suffering,” he said. 

Earlier, Biman had applied for 

12 additional slots, but was only 

granted two. 

As of yesterday, Biman had 

transported 60,099 pilgrims to Jeddah, 

while Saudi Arabian Airlines 

had carried 55,631. 

This year, the national flag carrier 

was compelled to cancel 24 flights 

as Hajj pilgrims failed to board for 

a number of complications including 

visa problems. Biman has hence 

redeployed several large aircraft for 

smooth operation of dedicated Hajj 

flights while also requesting the additional 

landing slots. • 

News 

Phulbari day: Environmentalists call 

on govt to scrap Rampal project 

• DU Correspondent 

ENVIRONMENT 

Speaking on the on the occasion 

of Phulbari day at the Central Shaheed 

Minar, leaders of the national 

committee to protect oil, gas, 

mineral resources, power and port 

yesterday called for the Awami 

League-led government to scrap 

the controversial Rampal power 

plant project and fulfill the Phulbari 

agreement immediately. 

“The government is working to 

protect the interests of multinational 

corporations and imperialist 

forces, but movements staged 

by the people to protect national 

interests have never failed,” said 

Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah, 

Who are the Shinawatras, why are 

they so polarising? 

• AFP, Bangkok 

WORLD 

On Friday Thailand’s ousted prime 

minister Yingluck Shinawatra failed to 

show up for the verdict in her trial for 

criminal negligence, sparking an arrest 

warrant and feverish speculation as to 

her whereabouts. 

The trial, which could have seen 

Yingluck jailed for up to ten years and 

banned for life from politics, is just the 

latest in a slew of legal and political 

challenges faced by her family in the 

last decade. 

So who are the Shinawatras and 

why are they so controversial? 

The Shinawatra backstory 

At the heart of Thailand’s current 

political divide sits one man, Thaksin 

Shinawatra, Yingluck’s older brother. 

Thaksin began his career as a police 

officer before switching to business 

in the 1980s and making billions as a 

telecoms tycoon. 

He turned to politics and swept to 

victory in 2001, dramatically building 

his own strong political network and 

riling the conservative establishment. 

With his pro-poor policies he won 

a landslide again in 2005, making 

him the only Thai prime minister to 

have seen out a whole term and be 

re-elected. 

His support remains strong among 

Thailand’s populous but poor rural 

northern portion and the Bangkok 

working class. 

But he was booted from power by 

the military in 2006, sparking instability 

that Thailand has yet to shake off. 

Thaksin, 68, lives overseas to avoid jail 

for corruption. 

The Shinawatras rolled out policies 

such as universal healthcare, debt 

relief, loans for start-up business and 

big rice subsidies for farmers. 

Why do many dislike them? 

Thaksin intially won over chunks of the 

Bangkok business elite. But he came to 

be loathed by that same group as well 

as the military who have hit Shinawatra 

governments with two coups. 

The family were accused of corruption 

and enriching themselves and 

their allies while buttressing their vote 

banks with costly populist policies. 

Thaksin is also criticised for an 

authoritarian streak, evidenced by 

a deadly drug war that saw around 

3,000 shot dead. 

How has their influence been 

curbed? 

Coups and courts. The military ousted 

Thaksin in 2006 and his sister’s administration 

in 2014. In between, two 

more Shinawatra-allied prime ministers 

were dismissed by the courts. 

convener of the national committee, 

at a brief rally. 

He urged the government to 

scrap the Rampal project as consequences 

for the Sundarbans as 

a result of the power plant would 

be catastrophic, and stressed that 

locals would resist the project just 

as they did the open-pit coal mine 

in Dinajpur 11 years ago. 

Furthermore, Shahidullah demanded 

that the six-point demands 

agreed upon between 

protesters and then BNP-led government 

on August 30, 2006, be 

fulfilled, expressing his dismay 

that Asia Energy were still operating 

in the country. 

During demonstrations against 

the construction of an open-pit 

coal mine by Asia Energy in Phulbari 

coal field on August 26, 2006, 

three protesters - Aminul, Tarikul 

and Salekin – were killed in gunfire 

by police. The day has since been 

observed as Phulbari Day, in remembrance 

of the demonstrations. 

Four days after the three were 

killed, the then BNP-led government 

agreed to six-point demands 

by protestors that included the 

banning of open-pit mining and 

the expulsion of Asia Energy from 

Bangladesh. 

This year, various student and 

political organisations including the 

Communist Party of Bangladesh, 

Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Revolutionary 

Workers Party and Ganasanghati 

Andolan laid wreaths at the 

base of Shaheed Minar in memory of 

the victims of the tragedy. • 

Supporters of ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra wait for 

her at the Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand on August 25, 2017 REUTERS 

Thaksin has had $1.3bn in assets 

seized while Yingluck faces a damages 

claim worth $1bn. 

Their political networks and allies in 

the police have also been hacked back. 

Are they down and out for good? 

The Shinawatras are certainly on the 

ropes. Over the last ten years they 

have been drummed out of office and 

faced a barrage of legal challenges. 

Red Shirt leaders have either been 

jailed or gone to ground. 

Now with Yingluck’s disappearance 

they risk losing the last remaining charismatic 

figurehead with the family name. 

There are no other members of the 

Shinawatra clan who carry the same 

star power as Yingluck or her brother. 

The family still command a huge 

and loyal following. 

But barring an unexpected amnesty, 

or even a royal pardon, Thaksin is 

unlikely to set foot on Thai soil again 

and Yingluck’s future is now more 

uncertain than ever. •

Bankers responsible 

for defaulted loans 

• Asif Showkat Kallol 

BANKING 

Finance Minister AMA Muhith 

has alleged that bankers are responsible 

for loan defaults as 

they always try to show their 

clients as defaulters to avoid 

being held accountable for 

loan defaults. 

“When a client approaches 

a bank for a loan, what comes 

first to bankers’ minds is how 

to show him or her as a loan 

defaulter. And, they do this to 

avoid being held responsible 

for loan defaults. This is a very 

bad culture in our banking sector,” 

he said. 

Muhith was addressing as 

the chief guest a workshop 

styled “State-owned banks 

and ways to tackle the prevailing 

challenges,” organised by 

Financial Institutions Division 

of the Finance Ministry in the 

Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka 

yesterday. 

When a client seeks a loan, 

the bankers try to establish 

him or her as defaulter, he 

said. 

“Also, the bankers set terms 

and conditions in such a way 

that the client becomes a defaulter. 

Every bank does it. 

They try to show their clients 

as defaulters so that they need 

not shoulder the responsibility 

for loan defaults,” Muhith 

said, stressing the need for 

avoiding such tendency. 

He also said that overall financial 

condition of the country’s 

banks is not so good. It 

is a problem not only for the 

banking sector, but for the 

whole economy.” 

“…no bank has become 

bankrupt since the independence. 

We are running this sector 

in a transparent way,” the 

minister claimed. 

Md Eunusur Rahman, senior 

secretary to Financial Institutions 

Division, presided over 

the workshop. 

State Minister for Finance 

and Planning MA Mannan, 

Chairman of the Parliamentary 

Standing Committee on 

Finance Ministry Dr Abdur 

Razzak, Senior Secretary to 

Finance Division Hedayetullah 

Al Mamun and Bangladesh 

Bank Governor Fazle Kabir attended 

the event. • 

News 

9 


DT 

Special operation forces of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), guided 

by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, take part in a target-striking 

contest to occupy islands in this undated picture provided by KCNA in 

Pyongyang on August 25, 2017 

REUTERS 

North Korea tests shortrange 

missiles 

• Reuters, Seoul 

WORLD 

North Korea fired several shortrange 

missiles into the sea off 

its east coast early on Saturday, 

South Korea and the US military 

said, as the two allies conducted 

annual joint military 

drills that the North denounces 

as preparation for war. 

The US military’s Pacific 

Command said it had detected 

three short-range ballistic missiles, 

fired over a 20 minute 

period. 

One appeared to have 

blown up almost immediately 

while two flew about 250km 

in a northeasterly direction, 

Pacific Command said, revising 

an earlier assessment that 

two of the missiles had failed 

in flight. 

The test came just days after 

senior US officials praised 

North Korea and leader Kim 

Jong Un for showing restraint 

in not firing any missiles since 

late July. 

The South Korean Office of 

the Joint Chiefs of Staff said 

the projectiles were launched 

from the North’s eastern Kangwon 

province into the sea. •

10 


DT 

News 

St Martin’s island: Paradise lost? 

• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong 

SPECIAL 

Unplanned tourism, marine pollution 

and illegal man-made structures 

are posing a serious threats 

to the biodiversity of Bangladesh’s 

lone coral island, Saint Martin’s, a 

Department of Environment (DoE) 

report says. 

Locally known as ‘Narikel Jinjira’, 

the island is located on the 

southernmost tip of Bangladesh, 

separated from the mainland by a 

9km wide channel. 

Sandy beaches, corals and clear 

blue water attract thousands of 

tourists, both local and foreign. 

The DoE says an estimated 7,000 

people live on the 13sqkm island, 

which can at best support about 

4,000. During peak tourist season, 

5,000 to 6,000 people visit it daily 

on average and about a thousand 

stay overnight. 

Illegal construction boom 

Bangladesh declared the island an 

Environmentally Critical Area in 

1999, making DoE’s clearance mandatory 

in the construction of concrete 

buildings and the opening of 

hotels and resorts. 

The Ecologically Critical Area 

Management Rules-2016 also prohibits 

discharging waste in the water 

or activities that can damage or alter 

the natural characteristics of an ECA. 

Recently, the DoE found many 

hotels and resorts operating without 

having obtained clearance or 

having failed to renew them, said 

DoE Chittagong region Assistant Director 

(technical) Md Bodrul Huda. 

Between 2010 and 2011, 10 hotels, 

resorts and restaurants were 

fined Tk17,150,000. 

Blue Marine was fined Tk10 

lakh, Prince Heaven Tk6 lakh, 

Sayed Alam Tk32 lakh, Sea Inn Hotel 

Tk36 lakh, Keari Restaurant and 

Resort Tk20 lakh, Labiba Resort 

Tk63 lakh, Panna Resort Tk3 lakh, 

Nil Diganta Resort Tk50,000 and 

Jafar Alam Prince Tk1 lakh. 

More than 100 buildings were 

built without DoE’s clearance in 

the last decade, according to the 

report placed at the 36th meeting 

of the Standing Committee on Ministry 

of Forest and Environment on 

August 10. 

Most of these were constructed 

soon after the government decided 

to set up a marine park on the island. 

The High Court in 2011 asked 

concerned authorities to carry out 

a number of tasks including identifying 

and demolishing buildings 

constructed without DoE clearance. 

On March 21 this year, the 

court issued a contempt ruling 

against 11 government officials for 

ignoring its directive. 

No eviction drive has been conducted 

in St Martin’s since 2011. 

Local Union Parishad Chairman 

Nur Ahmed and his men thwarted 

the last attempt in 2013. 

DoE Chittagong Region Director 

Md Masud Karim said they had 

served show-cause notices on 100 

buildings but several businesses 

moved the High Court and secured 

a stay order. 

Experts ring alarm 

St Martin’s is home to some rare 

flora and fauna. 

Chittagong Veterinary and Animal 

Sciences University’s Prof Dr M 

Nurul Absar Khan said man-made 

causes threatened the island’s environment. 

“The coral island is a stock of 

extraterrestrial, marine and land 

resources. It is also a suitable habitat 

for different species of multi-coloured 

ornamental fish but 

humans are adversely affecting 

the biodiversity,” he told the Dhaka 

Tribune. 

Coral reefs, the world’s most diverse 

marine ecosystems, are made 

up of thin layers of calcium carbonate 

secreted over thousands of 

years by billions of tiny soft bodied 

animals called coral polyps. 

Most corals depend on algae for 

food. The algae produce food for 

themselves and the polyp through 

photosynthesis. Turbidity caused 

by boat propellers can prevent the 

algae from getting sunlight and 

cause the corals to eventually die. 

Marine biologist Prof Dr Md 

Maruf Hossain said: “Corals are 

very important in the food chain 

since they account for 30% food 

supply for fish. The reefs provide 

shelter for brooding fish during 

spawning season. Moreover, corals 

are called bio-indicators of changes 

in water quality.” 

The Chittagong University professor 

conducted research on the 

status of the island’s biodiversity 

between 2006 and 2009. 

He said the island had at least 67 

species of corals and noted that it 

was a “good example of co-occurrence 

of corals, algae, sea weeds, 

grasses and mangroves.” 

He found 234 species of fish, 

seven species of crab, 187 species of 

mollusk, and 14 species of algae. Of 

the corals, 19 were fossil corals, 36 

living corals and the rest were from 

six families of subclass Octocorallia. 

There was an estimated 1,500 

tons of red sea weed biomass available 

around the island while an estimated 

1,650 metric tonnes of fish 

were caught every year. 

Maruf noted that over-exploitation 

of renewable marine and 

coastal resources and removal 

of coastal vegetation were major 

threats to the island’s ecosystem. 

Tough time for sea turtles 

The number of endangered Green 

Turtle and Olive Ridley Turtle that 

visit the island every winter to lay 

eggs has decreased significantly in 

recent years. 

“Human activities hamper the 

breeding of sea turtles,” Prof Khan 

said. 

According to DoE, campfires on 

beaches or use of flashlights disrupt 

breeding of sea turtles. Besides, 

pariah dogs that roam the 

beaches in search of turtle eggs 

also contribute to the turtles’ decreasing 

number. 

Moreover, sea turtles are often 

killed when they get caught in fishing 

nets. 

According to the DoE, over 200 

flashlights were seized and some 

shops were evicted from the beaches 

as the sea turtles did not lay eggs 

in February 2013. 

Lack of waste management 

More tourists are good for business 

but bad news for environment. 

As their number goes up, so 

does the amount of waste. St Martin’s 

does not have a waste management 

mechanism in place to 

tackle the problem. 

As a result, raw sewage and 

other wastes are discharged in the 

open. This has a damaging impact 

on the island’s ecology. 

The island’s once picturesque 

sandy beaches are littered with debris. 

Prof Maruf said regular beach 

cleaning programmes can help reduce 

the trash. 

St Martin’s needs concrete guideline 

The DoE report proposed formulating 

a guideline for conserving 

biodiversity and suggested determining 

the number of hotels that 

should be allowed to operate there. 

It said the guideline should fix 

the number of tourists and cover 

rehabilitating the coral and shell 

collectors. 

Top: The number of sea 

turtles visiting St Martin’s 

island has decreased significantly 

in recent years 

FILE PHOTO/DHAKA TRIBUNE 

Left: Bangladeshi tourists 

can be seen in the 

background of a piece 

of coral at the shore of 

Saint Martin’s Island November 

29, 2004 Rafiqur 

Rahman via REUTERS 

The report noted that it was possible 

to earn a substantial amount 

of revenue through planned tourism, 

without disturbing the ecological 

balance. 

India’s Lakshadweep, Andaman, 

Maldives and Macau are perfect 

examples of being governed 

under a special guideline, it added. 

The DoE has undertaken a 

Tk15.85 crore project to recreate 

Keya forest, regenerate and conserve 

coral, and create alternative 

jobs for coral collectors, among 

others, to conserve and improve 

the island’s biodiversity. 

Maruf said: “The government 

should carry out a thorough scientific 

study to determine the island’s 

current state of environmental 

degradation. 

“Bangladesh should take cues 

from Thailand and Indonesia and 

go for eco-tourism to conserve St 

Martin’s biodiversity.” •

News 11 


UK govt overestimates the number of 

foreign students staying back 

DT 


WORLD 

The UK’s Office of National Statistics 

(ONS) on Friday published a 

statement on the migration of international 

students clarifying an 

earlier report which suggested that 

many students who went to the UK 

for higher education tended to stay 

behind at the end of their degree. 

The Guardian reports that new 

data, published by the ONS and 

based on recently created exit 

checks at Britain’s borders, showed 

just 4,600 overstayed their visa last 

year. Estimates for previous years 

had been close to 100,000. 

The old data on overseas students 

- like all previous UK net migration 

estimates - were based on 

the International Passenger Survey 

(IPS), reports the BBC. 

Between April 2016 and April 

2017, 1,050 Bangladeshi students 

extended their leave to remain 

in Britain after the expiry of their 

student visas with 948 choosing to 

leave before the expiry of their student 

visas. 

British Prime Minister Theresa 

May has insisted on including international 

students in the government’s 

esitmate of net migration 

and has maintained that students 

overstaying is a major problem. 

The shadow home secretary Diane 

Abbot of the Labour Party said: 

“The exit check data showed Prime 

Minister Theresa May’s long-running 

campaign to malign international 

students is based on fantasy, 

with no evidence of a major issue 

with students overstaying”. 

The ONS in it’s statement said: 

“The first is that the new detail 

on students shows that net migration 

has been overestimated by 

100,000. This is not the case. The 

material published yesterday was 

only about students and does not 

provide evidence about the accuracy 

of the totals. 

“The second misunderstanding 

concerns the discussion of students 

who overstay their student visas. 

ONS figures have shown since 

2012 that around 100,000 more 

people enter each year on a student 

visa than those who leave saying 

they have been a student. Both 

ONS and Home Office statisticians 

have pointed out that this is not an 

estimate of students who overstay 

their visas. Many people do not 

simply immigrate for study and 

leave afterwards. Their lives are 

more complex – some people for 

example arrive on a work visa and 

legitimately change to a study visa 

and vice versa. 

Indian security forces walk next to burning vehicles set alight by rioting followers of a religious leader convicted of rape in 

Panchkula on August 25, 2017 

AFP 

Haryana under siege after clashes 

over ‘rape guru’ kill 30 

• AFP, Panchkula 

WORLD 

Hundreds of troops Saturday patrolled 

a northern Indian city hit by 

deadly clashes that killed at least 30 

people after thousands protested a 

court’s decision to convict a controversial 

spiritual leader of rape. 

The army was deployed in Haryana 

state’s Panchkula city after 

tens of thousands of followers of 

guru Ram Rahim Singh went on an 

angry rampage, attacking television 

vans and setting fire to dozens 

of private vehicles. 

Security forces were put on high 

alert to ensure there was no repeat 

of the violence that erupted Friday, 

minutes after a special court pronounced 

the self-styled guru guilty 

of raping two of his followers. 

Mobile phone services were disrupted 

in some parts of Haryana and 

neighbouring Punjab state, where 

authorities had earlier imposed a 

curfew following the clashes. 

Although the curfew was lifted 

Saturday, restrictions on public assembly 

remained in place. 

Police said, at least 30 people 

had died with the toll likely to rise 

as some of the wounded were being 

treated for serious head injuries. 

The 50-year-old Singh is known 

as the “guru in bling” for his penchant 

for bejewelled costumes and 

claims to have 60 million loyal followers 

worldwide. 

The rape case was brought 

against him after an anonymous 

letter was sent to then prime minister 

Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 

accusing him of repeatedly raping 

the sender and several other women 

in the sect. 

A judge asked the Central Bureau 

of Investigations to look into 

the accusations, but it took years 

to trace the alleged victims and it 

was not until 2007 that two women 

came forward and filed charges. 

Some 200,000 members of Singh’s 

sect had gathered in Panchkula 

in a show of support for the guru 

a day ahead of the verdict. 

The conviction enraged his followers, 

with many saying they were 

in a state of shock over the verdict. • 

“Yesterday’s publications did, 

however, conclude that the student 

emigration figures derived solely 

from the International Passenger 

Survey (IPS) were likely to be an 

underestimate because fewer students 

appear in fact to return to 

the UK within 12 months than say 

they intend to return when they are 

asked on the point of departure.” 

The BBC explains the new data 

is vastly different because officials 

now have access to exit check data, 

which records actual behaviour of 

international students rather than 

what people leaving the UK tell IPS 

interviewers at ports and airports 

about their future plans. 

When non-EU former students 

were departing the UK in 2015 and 

2016, 28% told the IPS they were 

unsure how long they would be out 

of the UK or that they intended to 

return within 12 months. 

Exit checks data suggest the 

proportion of non-EU students 

who actually returned is much 

lower at around 6%, meaning there 

may have been an underestimate 

of long-term emigration. 

“There is no evidence of a major 

issue of non-EU students overstaying 

their entitlement to stay,” the 

ONS said in its report. 

The report focused on 1.3 million 

visas granted to non-European 

Economic Area nationals which expired 

in 2016/17, without an extension 

to stay longer. 

It showed that out of 181,024 

expired student visas, 176,407, or 

97.4%, left the country in-time. 

There were similar proportions for 

work 95.4% and visitor 96.7% visas. 

This gave an overall percentage 

of 96.3% of visa holders departing 

before their leave to be in the country 

ran out. • 

Bangla translation of 

‘Tripitaka’ published 

• Bijoy Dhar, Rangamati 

NATION 

The first ever Bangla translation 

of the entire “Tripitaka,” which is 

the earliest collection of Buddhist 

scriptures and the only text recognised 

as canonical by Theravada 

Buddhists, has just been published. 

Chief Abbot of Rajbana Vihara 

venerable monk Pragyalanker Mohastahbir 

unveiled the 25-volume 

Bangla translation, titled “Pabitra 

Tripitaka,” at a programme on the 

Vihara premises on Friday. 

Modhumangal Chakma, president 

of Tripitaka Publishing Society, 

was also honoured at the event 

for his efforts in publishing the voluminous 

translation. 

A team of 27 monks, led by Indragupta 

Mohasthabir of Rajbana 

Vihara, translated the huge compendium 

of Buddhist scriptures 

over a period of five years, from 

2012-2016, originally written in the 

Pali language. 

The Pali version, also known as 

the Pali Cannon, is comprised of 59 

volumes. 

Speaking on the occasion, Chakma 

Queen Yan Yan hoped that the 

translation would widen the scope 

of understanding the “Tripitaka” 

for laypersons outside the monastery 

and academy. 

The “Tripitaka” was written 

down at an assembly of Buddha’s 

disciples in the third century BCE. 

The scriptures are organised 

under three segments, namely the 

Vinaya Pitaka (basket of discipline), 

the Sutra Pitaka (basket of discourse), 

and the Abhidharma Pitaka 

(basket of special teachings). • 

Local Government Engineering Department has implemented several development 

projects involving Tk2,000 crore in parts of Jessore. The 90-metre-long Narikelbaria 

Bridge in the district’s Bagherpara upazila one of the development projects COURTESY

DT 

12 

Editorial 


TODAY 

Why so flooded? 

Human interventions in the natural 

river systems make the hill slope 

steeper, causing frequent, and 

destructive, floods 

PAGE 13 

DHAKA TRIBUNE 

A little relief goes a long way 

Is it all really 

nonsense? 

All an investor needs to do is to stay 

patient with his/her investment, given 

the company he/she is selecting has 

solid fundamentals and is not trading at 

an overvalued price 

PAGE 14 

The ongoing floods have taken a severe toll on 

Bangladesh, and, as always, it is the rural poor 

who end up suffering the worst. 

And with widespread damage of crops, 

naturally the impending food crisis becomes a major 

cause for alarm. 

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has done 

the right thing and treated flood relief as a priority, 

declaring that “not a single person will suffer from 

hunger.” 

We applaud the prime minister for this noble 

mission -- the government has already taken steps 

to procure grain, and there is a plan to import an 

additional 1.5 million tons of food grain to ensure food 

security if necessary. 

Furthermore, the initiative to give out agricultural 

loans to farmers deserves kudos. 

We trust and hope that these promises will be 

translated into action, and the government will deliver 

on the promise of making sure nobody has to starve in 

the wake of these terrible floods. 

We applaud the 

prime minister for 

this noble mission 

Not all change 

is good 

Bangladesh on its own initiative has 

also created a Climate Change Trust 

Fund worth $400 million from its own 

financial resources 

Be heard 

Write to Dhaka Tribune 

FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, 

Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207 

Send us your Op-Ed articles: 

opinion.trib@gmail.com 

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The views expressed in opinion 

articles are those of the authors 

alone and they are not the 

official view of Dhaka Tribune 

or its publisher. 

PAGE 15 

The bumpy road home 

Holiday-makers going home for Eid 

never expect a smooth ride, with our 

transportation system stretched to its limits 

in the mad rush of the season. 

But this year, the journey might be worse than 

usual, with flooding causing extensive damage to our 

road system. 

A nation’s road network is a symptom of where it 

stands in its overall development journey, and in that 

regard, sadly, we are not doing very well. 

Many of our roads are highways riddled with 

potholes, or, worse yet, completely broken. 

These bad road conditions cause a trip to take three 

or four times longer than it would normally take -- 

there is no way that such a thing can be acceptable. 

For a country aspiring for middle-income status, 

good inter-city connections are a must, and with our 

highways in such woefully dilapidated conditions, it is 

clear we are falling behind. 

It is time for some much-needed repair-work. 

These bad road 

conditions cause a trip 

to take three or four 

times longer than it 

would normally take

Why so flooded? 

Opinion 13 

To tackle the flood problem, all countries sharing a common river basin need to act together 

DT 


There is a way out 

Human interventions in the natural river systems, and the changes in 

the land-use pattern of their catchments, make the hill slope steeper, 

causing frequent, and destructive, floods 

• AKM Saiful Islam 

I 

am often asked by journalists 

and some colleagues about 

our country’s recent flood 

situation -- their line of 

questioning is usually whether we 

can do anything to prevent it. 

Before addressing the issue of 

managing floods of such enormous 

scale, it is important to discuss the 

causes. 

Common sense dictates that 

prevention is always better than 

cure, the scale of the devastation 

caused by these floods can be 

reduced at some stage if we 

can work on some of the major 

human-induced causes. 

Geographically, Bangladesh 

is located in a delta of the 

three major rivers: Ganges, 

Brahmaputra, and Meghna -- 

commonly known as the GBM 

basin. Some 57 trans-boundary 

rivers carry flood-water from four 

upstream countries: China, Nepal, 

Bhutan, and India. 

If heavy rainfall occurs in the 

upper parts of the catchment for 

a few days straight, direct run-off 

generated by excess rainfall will 

be carried out by these transboundary 

rivers towards our 

country. However, when normal 

monsoon floods exceed the danger 

level, it would cause damage 

to property, infrastructure, 

agriculture, livestock, and even 

risk lives. 

In the recent past, we have 

observed major floods in 

Bangladesh during the monsoon 

seasons of 1987, 1988, 1998, 

2004, 2007, and 2016. In 2017, 

the peak water level crossed the 

highest recorded water levels in 

Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharala, 

and Jamuneswari rivers. We may 

not able to blame nature only for 

such high flood levels, as there 

are many human-induced reasons 

MEHEDI HASAN 

behind them. 

Human interventions in the 

natural river systems, and the 

changes in the land-use pattern 

of their catchments make the 

hill slope steeper, and our rivers 

are now carrying large amounts 

of sediments than ever before, 

causing frequent and destructive 

floods. 

Urbanisation generates more 

runoff while encroachment 

of wetlands and embankment 

confine flood water inside the river 

channel which raises the flood 

peak. Moreover, excess sediments 

raise the bed level and further 

exacerbate the flood conditions. 

Before the monsoon season, 

it is important to ensure that 

flood control infrastructures are 

functioning properly. Inadequate 

and improper maintenance of 

the embankments and water 

control structures such as sluices, 

regulators, etc would also assist 

with breaches in the embankments 

and flood inundation in the 

protected sides. 

Many centres such as National 

Centres for Atmospheric Research 

in the US provide long-term 

seasonal outlooks of precipitation 

which can be modelled to provide 

long-term outlooks for our 

flooding. 

Dredging of rivers and canals 

can benefit from reducing flood 

peaks and also act a storage 

reservoir of water during the 

dry season. It can also help 

in improving navigability, 

recharging groundwater, ensuring 

sustainability of the eco-system, 

enhancing fisheries, etc. 

Due to global warming, the 

monsoon has become more 

damaging in recent decades. But, 

as a result, our water-holding 

capacity has increased. The impact 

of climate change on hydrological 

cycles and extreme events is still 

an active field of research. 

Many regional climate 

modelling results showed us that 

the mean monsoon flow will be 

increased by more than 20% in 

the Brahmaputra basin by the 

end of this century. Moreover, the 

sea level rise will be expected to 

provide additional pressures due 

to the backwater effect on flood 

flows. 

A lot of studies show that the 

intensity of rainfall, and overall 

precipitation, in a year will only 

increase in South Asia going 

forward. If all the countries 

sharing the common river basin 

act together and eliminate these 

man-made causes of floods, it will 

be possible to reduce the severity 

of the floods up to a certain extent. 

Otherwise, we have to face such 

catastrophic disasters much more 

frequently in the future. • 

AKM Saiful Islam is a Professor at 

the Institute of Water and Flood 

Management (IWFM) at the Bangladesh 

University of Engineering and 

Technology (BUET).

14 


DT 

Opinion 

Is it all really nonsense? 

Is the stock market a ‘nonsense’ investment option? 

• Rashed Hasan 

Caution: Technical 

analysts, active fund 

managers, and informed 

brokers with “money 

doubling expertise” are requested 

to not concern themselves with 

the content of this article. 

This article is targetted 

towards investors who expect to 

generate a “steady” return above 

the net yield of existing saving 

instruments. 

Last month, I met a relative of 

mine who retired a few years ago 

after serving his organisation for 

30 years. Such a hard-working 

person he was throughout his 

career that he never deemed it 

necessary to plan for life after 

retirement. When he retired with 

a handsome amount of money (as 

per his evaluation), he thought he 

would be “just” fine for the rest of 

his life. 

But what he estimated to be 

“handsome” at that moment (only 

five years ago) soon became barely 

enough to keep up with the rising 

living cost of Dhaka. 

He decided to reach out to 

me thinking I would be able to 

suggest to him a few investment 

alternatives, as I have been 

working in the investment 

management industry for the last 

10 years. 

The first question that came to 

my mind was: “Why now?” 

I asked him what had changed 

in the past five years that made 

him feel that his retirement 

savings were insufficient. 

And that is when he started to 

rant. From falling deposit rates 

and escalating tuition fees of his 

children -- he gave me about 10 

reasons responsible for his lower 

income with higher expenses. 

And, out of the entire 

conversation, I could pick on only 

one word: “Nonsense.” 

The retirement plans, education 

system, traffic, inflation -- every 

single thing in this country 

seemed nonsensical to him and, to 

my surprise, he considers himself 

a nonsensical person too for not 

being a better assessor of the 

future. 

I was trying to comprehend his 

anger and frustration as well as 

think quickly about what could be 

his best investment options, which 

would provide a sustainable cash 

flow to him. Based on my expertise 

and experience, I suggested a few 

names that he might consider for 

investment, and his reply was: 

“Your stock market is a ‘nonsense’ 

place to invest in.” 

When I asked him why he 

Watching the money grow 

thought so, he gave me a few 

reasons which prompted me to 

address those misconceptions. 

Myth 1: Networking skills are 

everything; you need to know the 

right people to make money 

Well, if you are an active 

participant in this market, you 

must have heard this statement 

at least a few dozen times 

already. And if you are new, I can 

personally guarantee that you 

are about to receive this piece of 

“advice” from your broker very 

soon. 

And to reinforce their case, they 

might even show you the recent 

price performance of a few stocks 

with relatively weaker business 

performance and corporate 

governance. “Kom daami share 

kinen, return hobe beshi” -- you 

are going to hear these exact 

words from many of the so-called 

experts. 

One thing that these “experts” 

always forget to mention is that 

one could have generated a higher 

return by investing in blue-chip 

names that have significantly 

stronger fundamentals and a 

lower risk than that of these poorfundamental 

stocks. 

For instance, if you bought 

the entire market on the first 

trading day of 2009 and held your 

portfolio until today, the return 

would have been only 104% 

against the blue-chip index return 

of 456%. 

If you had taken a position 

in fundamentally strong names 

even at the historical peak of the 

index (December 5, 2010), your 

return would have been more 

than sufficient (given your return 

expectations are not insane). 

Myth 2: You have to actively 

monitor your portfolio to protect 

your capital/to generate a healthy 

return 

This is another popular myth 

among retail investors who either 

restrict themselves from investing 

or compel themselves to visit 

brokerage houses on a daily basis. 

Make no mistake, there are 

multiple short-term trading 

strategies which skilled traders 

and quant specialists can 

implement efficiently. However, 

an average investor, who does not 

have the technical expertise, will 

never be able to use these tools to 

make money consistently. 

All an investor needs to do 

is to stay patient with his/her 

investment, given the company 

he/she is selecting has solid 

fundamentals and is not trading 

All an investor needs to do is to stay patient 

with his/her investment, given the company 

he/she is selecting has solid fundamentals and 

is not trading at an overvalued price 

at an overvalued price. However, 

identifying winning stocks or 

evaluating the investment merit 

of a business is not the job of a 

common person. 

I had a three-hour quality 

conversation on what can be my 

uncle’s best investment options 

and how he should allocate/utilise 

his assets, especially at a time 

when things are changing at a fast 

pace. Having imparted my hardearned 

knowledge on security 

selection and asset allocation to 

him, I felt quite complacent. 

Meanwhile, my five-year-old 

daughter entered the room and 

started watching her favourite 

YouTube channel on her iPad. 

After observing her attention 

towards the screen, being 

completely oblivious to everything 

else in the room, he asked me one 

last question: 

“Son, throughout my life, I tried 

BIGSTOCK 

my best to live a minimalistic life 

even though I was lucky enough 

to inherit some wealth from my 

parents. And look where I am right 

now -- seeking advice from you so 

that I can live without worry for 

the next 10 years. 

“I just wonder what would 

happen to your generation who 

has an insatiable ‘necessity’ of 

consuming things. Our philosophy 

of ‘plain living, high thinking’ 

seems long gone now and I do not 

understand how your generation, 

with no wealth and savings of 

their own, can spend what they 

have not really earned. Have you 

ever given any thought to where 

your generation will be when they 

reach my age?” 

Perplexed, I kept thinking -- am 

I living a nonsensical life too? • 

Rashed Hasan is Senior Vice President at 

LR Global BAMCO.

Not all change is good 

The fight against climate change faces some serious hurdles 

Opinion 15 

DT 


P O S T 

BREAKFAST 

• Muhammad Zamir 

Environmentalists assert 

that climate change is 

caused by human activity, 

as opposed to changes 

in climate which may have 

resulted as part of Earth’s natural 

processes. From this point of 

view, the term “climate change” 

has become synonymous with 

anthropogenic global warming. 

Over the last three decades, 

climate change incorporated in 

the title of the Intergovernmental 

Panel on Climate Change and 

the UN Framework Convention 

on Climate Change was used as 

a noun and has now become an 

issue rather than the technical 

description of changing weather. 

Despite qualms about the 

future implementation of agreed 

postulates, it is generally agreed 

that success in containing climate 

change will greatly depend on 

Washington and Beijing being 

pro-active in the fulfilment 

of expectations related to decarbonising 

electricity production 

and containing fossil fuel energy 

production. In this context, France 

and Germany are now held as 

shining examples because of their 

wide use of renewable energy and 

wind energy. 

regard by the UN. 

President Trump has taken a 

very different approach to the 

environment compared to Obama, 

who argued that climate change 

was “real and cannot be ignored.” 

Among the initiatives now rescinded 

is the Clean Power Plan, which 

required states to slash carbon 

emissions, to meet US commitments 

under the Paris accord. 

Trump’s supporters are saying 

that his decision will create 

thousands of jobs in the liberated 

oil and gas industries. Trump 

has not given a timescale for US 

withdrawal, but it could take up 

to four years. As a result of this 

decision, US payments to the UN 

Green Climate Fund, which helps 

developing countries cope with 

the effects of climate change, will 

stop. In the meantime, observers 

have noted that the Global Carbon 

Budget 2016 launched during 

COP-22 aimed at aiding countries 

towards adaptation and mitigation 

efforts has not proved to be as 

successful as anticipated due to 

lack of sufficient contribution by 

many countries despite previous 

promises. 

Where we stand 

In this context, Bangladesh, one 

of the most vulnerable countries 

with regard to the after-effects of 

climate change, has taken COP-22 

with the required gravity. Some 

109 out of 197 UN member states 

have, so far, ratified the Paris 

Agreement and it came into force 

Bangladesh on its own initiative has also 

created a Climate Change Trust Fund worth 

$400 million from its own financial resources. 

These measures have highlighted the 

commitment of our country in addressing 

climate change challenges 

Our planet is melting in front of our own eyes 

BIGSTOCK 

Trumped-up claims 

In the midst of all the positive 

efforts undertaken in Paris 

and Marrakkesh came the US 

presidential elections in 2016. 

This cast a shadow on the 

evolving paradigm of tackling the 

after-effects of growing carbon 

emissions. It started with Trump’s 

comment that global warming is 

a “hoax.” He has since taken the 

controversial step of technically 

withdrawing from the global pact. 

He also underlined the possibility 

of stopping financial support for 

the measures initiated in this 

on November 4, 2016. 

Bangladesh has already 

handed over the “Instrument 

of Ratification” of the Paris 

Agreement to the UN secretary 

general. Bangladesh on its own 

initiative has also created a 

Climate Change Trust Fund worth 

$400 million from its own financial 

resources. These measures have 

highlighted the commitment of 

our country in addressing climate 

change challenges. 

The positive factors undertaken 

already by Bangladesh were 

reiterated in the keynote speech 

delivered by Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina in the high-level 

segment of COP-22 on November 

16, 2016. They included the need 

for collective action to tackle 

the problems associated with 

effective implementation of 

measures related to adaptation 

and mitigation, the resolution of 

the crisis being created through 

migration of climate change 

affected people, the need to 

ensure safe drinking water and 

sanitation through effective water 

governance, the creation of a new 

global fund to support research, 

innovation, and sharing advances 

in technology required to solve 

serious after-effects of climate 

change in the area of agriculture 

and water management. 

This, she pointed out, would 

help meet SDG goals. 

The irresponsible approach 

on the part of the Trump 

administration, in its own way, 

has now become a catalyst in 

leading many nations towards rethinking 

reducing global warming 

and taking pre-emptive steps 

towards this end. Nevertheless, 

the overall international response 

to this US decision has been one 

of great disappointment. They, 

including Canada, France, Japan, 

Germany, China, India, and the EU 

have reiterated their resolve and 

“highest political commitment” 

for the implementation of the Paris 

Accord. • 

Muhammad Zamir, a former 

Ambassador and Chief Information 

Commissioner of the Information 

Commission, is an analyst specialised in 

foreign affairs, right to information and 

good governance, can be reached at 

muhammadzamir0@gmail.com.

16 


DT 

Downtime 

CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

1 Pleased (4) 

5 Extend over (4) 

10 Summit (4) 

11 Top card (3) 

12 Exhorts earnestly (5) 

13 Frozen formation (3) 

14 furniture item (5) 

16 Oppressively hot (6) 

18 Indicated agreement 

(6) 

21 African river (5) 

23 Rodent (3) 

24 Draws nigh (5) 

26 Consumed (3) 

27 Microbe (4) 

28 Precious stones (4) 

29 Draw with force (4) 

DOWN 

2 Light beer (5) 

3 Monkey (3) 

4 Foreordain (7) 

6 Container for liquids 

(4) 

7 Give consent (6) 

8 Born (3) 

9 Corrosion (4) 

15 Embellished (7) 

17 Showiliy splendid (6) 

19 Play (5) 

20 Morse element (4) 

22 Article (4) 

23 Fragmentary bit (3) 

25 Do wrong (3) 

CODE-CRACKER 

How to solve: Each number in our 

CODE-CRACKER grid represents a 

different letter of the alphabet. For 

example, today 21 represents Y so fill Y 

every time the figure 21 appears. 

You have two letters in the control 

grid to start you off. Enter them in the 

appropriate squares in the main grid, then 

use your knowledge of words to work out 

which letters go in the missing squares. 

Some letters of the alphabet may not be 

used. 

As you get the letters, fill in the other 

squares with the same number in the 

main grid, and the control grid. Check 

off the list of alphabetical letters as you 

identify them. 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

CALVIN AND HOBBES 

SUDOKU 

How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the 

numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must 

contain all nine digits with no number repeating. 

PEANUTS 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS 

CODE-CRACKER 

CROSSWORD 

DILBERT 

SUDOKU

Biz Info 

17 


DT 

Santoor Soap launched in Bangladesh 

MOVIE 

Wipro Consumer Care and 

Lighting, the fast-moving 

consumer goods (FMCG) and 

Lighting division of Wipro 

Limited, in association with 

Haque Group of Industries 

have launched Santoor soap, 

the iconic Indian sandal 

and turmeric soap brand in 

Bangladesh market. The launch 

encompasses introduction of 

new packaging, new shape 

and improved formulation to 

provide everlasting natural 

beauty. 

At the launching event, 

Priyadarshi Ranjan, Head 

of SAARC, Wipro Consumer 

Care said, “We have retained 

the original goodness of 

Santoor and enhanced the 

offering by introducing new 

fragrance, formulation and 

carton packaging. With the 

new Santoor, we seek to 

strengthen our presence in 

Bangladesh market and grow by 

appealing to the consumers in 

Bangladesh.” 

Bangladesh being a country 

with strong economic growth 

and macroeconomic stability, 

WCCLG has a long term vision 

of investing in Bangladesh. In 

line with this vision, WCCLG 

has established a local branch 

office and has tied up with local 

partner M/S Haque Group for 

manufacturing and distribution 

of Santoor soap. 

Expressing joy and 

great satisfaction over this 

collaboration with WCCLG, 

Adam Haque, managing 

director of Haque Group said, 

“I am very excited for this 

new collaboration with Wipro 

Consumer care. As you have 

seen Wipro is one of the large 

FMCG companies in India and 

is planning to extend their foot 

prints in Bangladesh as well. 

This collaboration with Wipro 

will benefit mutually. There 

would be information and 

knowledge sharing at various 

levels, more specifically on 

sales front and I am sure both 

the parties involved would be 

greatly benefited though this 

collaboration. The collaboration 

is at multi-departmental levels 

where value addition comes 

from Haque’s team right 

through the entire value chain 

starting from production till 

distribution. I personally see 

huge potential in this brand 

in Bangladesh. We should 

treat this as our own brand 

and therefore should try to 

contribute towards making it 

successful in Bangladesh.” 

Santoor is present through 

its trade partners in Nepal, Sri 

Lanka, and Myanmar and is now 

entering Bangladesh through 

collaboration with Haque Group 

of Industries. Their focus on 

providing the right value to 

the customer has contributed 

significantly to the brand’s 

success across the countries. 

The challenge this time 

was to understand and make 

necessary changes in the 

product mix without diluting 

the core of the brand in 

response to the local market 

needs. After several months 

of consumer work, Santoor 

decided to make certain 

changes in the product mix 

which is much more in line with 

local tastes and preferences. 

Consumers can now experience 

the goodness of sandal and 

turmeric in the new Santoor 

soap. • 

STAR CINEPLEX 

(August 27) 

The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2D): 

11:30am, 2:10pm, 4:40pm, 7:10pm 

Dunkirk (2D): 10:50am, 1:10pm 

Spiderman Homecoming (3D): 

10:50am, 1:45pm, 4:40pm, 7:30pm 

Atomic Blonde (2D): 11:10am, 

1:40pm, 4:20pm, 7:20pm 

Voyangkor Sundor (2D): 11am, 

1:50pm, 4:10pm, 6:50pm 

Annabelle: Creation (2D): 11:20am, 

2pm, 4pm, 5pm, 7pm, 7:30pm 

BLOCKBUSTER CINEMAS 

(August 27) 

BEPZA exceeds investment 

export employment target 

in 2016-17 fiscal year 

Dhaka Regency’s 

Corporate Night 2017 

Bangladesh Export 

Processing Zones 

Authority (BEPZA) 

crossed investment, 

export and employment 

target in 2016-17 fiscal 

year. During the last 

fiscal year, BEPZA gained 

investment $343.71 

million, the operating 

enterprises of eight EPZs 

exported goods worth 

$6549.37 million and 

created employment 

opportunities for 26,638 

Bangladeshi nationals. 

As per the Annual 

Performance Agreement 

(APA) of 2016-17 FY 

signed between BEPZA 

and Prime Minister’s 

Office (PMO) the target 

was fixed $300 million in 

investment, $6200 million 

in export earnings and 

generating employment 

opportunities for 25,000 

Bangladeshi nationals. 

464 industries are 

operating and 127 under 

implementation in BEPZA 

as on June 2017. At the 

end of the FY 2016-17, the 

cumulative investment of 

BEPZA stood at $4341.25 

million and exported 

goods worth $59,366.85 

million. 4,79,181 

Bangladeshi nationals are 

producing world famous 

brand items in the eight 

EPZs of Bangladesh. • 

Dhaka Regency, one of the 

leading five-star hotels of the 

country organised a corporate 

night programme at its 

Celebration Hall last Thursday. 

The high officials of the 

country’s renowned business 

companies, airlines, embassy, 

tour operators along with 

Dhaka Regency’s Chairman 

Musleh Ahmed, Executive 

Director Shahid Hamid FIH, 

and Sales and Marketing team 

were present at the dazzling 

programme. 

The whole event was 

delighted by the musical 

performance of the prominent 

singer. He has actually 

mesmerised the audience 

by singing an array of his 

self-composed songs along 

with popular others . The 

corporate night ended with a 

mouthwatering dinner. • 

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to 

Power (2D): 12pm, 2:05pm, 7:25pm 

Raiyan (2D): 5pm 

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 

The Glass Castle (2D): 11:45am, 

2:20pm, 5pm, 7:10pm, 7:35pm 

Voyangkor Sundor (2D): 2:20pm, 

7:30pm 

Annabelle: Creation (2D): 11:45am, 

2:35pm, 4:45pm, 7:30pm

DT 

18 

Sports 


Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar during training in Mirpur yesterday 

Bangladesh, Australia prepare 

to do battle after long wait 

• Ali Shahriyar Bappa 

The much anticipated first Test 

match between host Bangladesh 

and visiting Australia is going to 

start in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National 

Stadium today. 

Bangladesh’s recent performance 

at home has raised expectation 

of a series win against the 

relatively inexperienced Australia. 

But the Tigers have to play 

their best cricket and come out all 

guns blazing to get some positive 

result against the Aussies, led by 

Steve Smith and his deputy David 

Warner. 

Batsmen Tamim Iqbal and Imrul 

Kyes are likely to open proceedings 

for the Tigers. 

But the No 3 position remains 

uncertain for the home side as 

there are two good quality players 

vying for that position. 

Recently Imrul informed that he 

has been practising at No 3 in training 

and that he is trying to adapt to 

his new role. 

Left-hander Mominul Haque 

batted at No 3 for Bangladesh in the 

last few years but his recent run of 

form initially cost him his place in 

the squad. 

Although Mominul was included 

a day after his exclusion, the 

No 3 position is likely to be occupied 

by Imrul, as preferred by head 

coach Chandika Hathurusingha. 

In the Tigers’ last Test, against 

Sri Lanka back in March this year, 

youngster Mosaddek Hossain batted 

at No 3. 

But Mosaddek has been ruled 

out of the series due to eye infection 

so the Tigers camp could include 

Nasir Hossain in that position. 

The inclusion of Nasir could add 

more spinning options for Bangladesh 

as off-spinner can prove to be 

handy, considering Australia have 

plenty of left-handers in their batting 

line-up. 

Weather could play a crucial 

part as forecasts suggest rain in the 

upcoming days. 

Rain could affect the game as 

the pitch might change its behavior 

after short or heavy shower. 

“It is hard to predict what will 

happen with regards to the Mirpur 

pitch. The weather condition is 

quite different in this time of the 

year. But it is the same for both 

teams. We will have a better idea of 

what it will be like. How we apply 

ourselves will be more important,” 

said Tigers Test captain Mushfiqur 

Rahim during the pre-match press 

conference in Mirpur yesterday. 

“We can talk about the wicket at 

the end of the Test. It was tough to 

prepare the wicket because of all 

the rain. The first innings will be 

crucial, whether we are batting or 

bowling.” he added. 

In contrast, Smith has already 

announced their playing XI yesterday. 

Australia will play two specialist 

spinners with the experienced Nathan 

Lyon leading the spin attack 

alongside left-arm spinner Ashton 

Agar. 

Another notable inclusion is the 

return of top-order batsman Usman 

Khawaja after seven months. 

Khawaja, who hasn’t played a 

match at any level since January, 

will slot in at No 3 with Smith moving 

down to No 4. 

Seamers Josh Hazlewood and 

Pat Cummins will lead the seam 

battery while Warner and Matthew 

Renshaw will face the new ball. 

Australia will drop down to 

sixth in the ICC Test ranking if they 

lose or even draw the series. 

But Smith said his team are not 

MD MANIK 

bothered about the drop in ranking 

and that they are eager to face the 

challenge against Bangladesh. 

“Not really thinking about 

rankling. For me it’s just about 

ensuring that our processes are 

right going in to each game taking 

ball-by-ball as such. It’s gonna be 

an exciting series. It’s been 11 years 

since we last played here. I am 

very excited about the series,” said 

Smith. 

Toss could be an important factor 

as well as both the captains will 

look to bat first. 

Generally the Mirpur pitch becomes 

more spin friendly as the 

game goes on so both the teams 

will try to avoid batting in the 

fourth innings. 

Australia XI: Steve Smith (c), 

David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, 

Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, 

Glenn Maxwell, Matthew 

Wade, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, 

Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood 

Bangladesh XI: Mushfiqur Rahim 

(c), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya 

Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Shakib al 

Hasan, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Sabbir 

Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Taskin 

Ahmed/Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur 

Rahman and Taijul Islam • 

Sleepless 

night for 

Hathurusingha 

over team 

selection 

• Minhaz Uddin Khan 

Bangladesh cricket team coach 

Chandika Hathurusingha’s tweet 

about his “sleepless night” has 

stirred speculation in the cricket 

community and in the social media 

platforms. 

The former Sri Lanka cricketer 

in his verified account tweeted 

“Rock n hard place!! Give in to emotion 

of a nation or go with b combo...! 

#sleeplessnights” – at around 

4am yesterday. 

With the first Test match between 

the Tigers and Australia set 

to start today in Mirpur’s Sher-e- 

Bangla National Stadium, such 

tweet from the Bangladesh coach is 

being said to have hinted the pressure 

he is currently dealing with 

over selection of the playing XI. 

The Tigers coach and the national 

selection panel were recently on 

the receiving end of criticism over 

selection of the first Test squad. 

The initial exclusion of batsman 

Mominul Haque saw the BCB and 

the national selection panel blown 

away with criticism. 

Mominul eventually got included 

in the squad but only as the replacement 

for youngster Mosaddek 

Hossain, who was suffering from 

eye infection at that time. 

Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur 

Rahim during the pre-match 

press conference at SBNS yesterday, 

was queried over Hathurusingha’s 

tweet. 

The wicketkeeper-batsman informed 

that he was unaware of the 

tweet, given that he is not a regular 

on social media platforms. 

“It is tough to select the XI when 

you have a squad of 14 best cricketers. 

It is not a bad thing for the 

coach I will say,” said Mushfiq. 

“The job becomes tough if you 

have an injury in the squad or need 

to keep a good player out of the 

playing XI due to combination. It 

is good for us that we have enough 

resources in the team. We will have 

sleepless nights if we play well and 

win the game,” he added. •

Sports 19 

DT 


Smith surprised 

at 2-0 prediction 

in favour of 

Bangladesh 

• Ali Shahriyar Bappa 

Australia captain Steven Smith expressed 

wonder on the eve of the 

first Test match between the visiting 

side and Bangladesh regarding 

the home side’s coach and his 

charges’ target of a 2-0 result in favour 

of the Tigers. 

Bangladesh head coach Chandika 

Hathurusingha and all-rounder 

Shakib al Hasan remarked that the 

Tigers very much have the ability 

of making a clean sweep of the series. 

Smith yesterday accepted the 

challenge when asked about the remarks 

and informed that he is surprised 

by the bold statement. 

“I am surprised a little bit about 

the comment. I think Bangladesh 

have won only nine out of their 100 

games. So it’s a very confident prediction 

I guess. But obviously, they 

are confident about their skill set 

at the moment. They are at home. 

Most teams play pretty well at 

home. Bangladesh have been playing 

well at home. So it’s gonna be a 

good challenge for us,” Smith told 

the media in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla 

National Cricket Stadium. 

“It’s a great challenge for my 

group of players to see what we 

have learned from India. Looking 

at the wicket I think it’s gonna be 

somewhat similar what we got in 

India. Hopefully we can learn from 

what we did there. And no doubt it’s 

gonna be an exciting series,” he said. 

The Aussies had some intense 

training sessions at the academy 

ground in Mirpur last week and 

Smith informed that they are all 

ready to go for the first Test. 

“The facilities have been outstanding 

here. The wickets are being 

really good. Fortunate to have 

some sessions in between rain. 

Unfortunately no tour match took 

place. But that is something where 

we did not have control. But we 

worked really hard this week. And 

we are ready to go [today],” he explained. 

“I had a look on the wicket. I think 

it will be quite slow and make some 

spin as the game goes on. No real 

surprise for me. We have to adapt to 

the condition,” he added. • 

Mushfiq and his counterpart Steve Smith pose with the Test series trophy yesterday at SBNS 

MD MANIK 

Mushfiq strongly believes 

in Australia series win 

• Minhaz Uddin Khan 

Bangladesh are highly confident of 

a 2-0 win against Australia in the 

two-match Test series, set to begin 

in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National 

Stadium today. 

Different Bangladesh team 

members ahead of the series expressed 

confidence regarding a series 

win, considering the fact that 

Australia have struggled in this 

format in the sub-continent for the 

last 10 years. 

Such level of confidence has 

surprised Australia captain Steven 

Smith but Bangladesh skipper 

Mushfiqur Rahim yesterday stood 

strong with their belief and said it 

is totally justified, bearing in mind 

the Tigers’ recent performance in 

the white outfit. 

“We are confident because 

of our performance in the last 

two years. World cricket is rating 

Bangladesh high for not winning 

two Tests (against England and 

Sri Lanka) but for our consistent 

performance,” Mushfiqur told 

the media in the pre-match press 

conference in Mirpur. 

“It is now our duty to carry on 

with the performance. We have 

played well at home and we will 

have to carry that into the series 

against Australia. It is possible to 

get that (2-0) result but we will have 

to work really hard on the field for 

that. We are playing against a team 

which will fight till the end. There 

are teams that let go the game at 

some point but Australia are not 

like that. We have enough capable 

cricketers, so we can think of a 

good result from this series,” the 

wicketkeeper-batsman said. 

Bangladesh in their previous 

Test at home, against England in 

October last year, were boosted 

by the spin attack, led by debutant 

Mehedi Hasan Miraz. 

The Tigers recorded a historic 

win in the second Test, played in 

Mirpur, to draw the series. 

With yet another Test set to be 

played in Mirpur, Mushfiq said he 

has confidence in his spinners but 

added that a lot will depend on the 

behaviour of the wicket and the 

weather. 

The scenario can however, be 

different for Bangladesh too as 

Australia have off-spinner Nathan 

Lyon to make life of the home side 

batsmen extremely difficult. 

The 29-year old has picked up 

58 wickets in 13 Tests in India and 

Sri Lanka, since his five-day bow in 

2011. 

Lyon during Australia’s tour of 

India last March bagged 19 wickets 

in four Tests. 

“We all know spinners play a 

big role in the sub-continent. So 

Lyon will for sure add strength 

to the Australia team and things 

might be difficult for us, given we 

have many left-handed batsmen 

in the top-order. He played really 

well when Australia toured India, 

despite the fact that India batsmen 

play spin well,” said the 30-year 

old Mushfiq. 

“But we should not worry 

much, given that we have played 

against the top bowlers. We have 

that confidence. If we get to 

start well we will be able to put 

up a big score on the board,” he 

concluded. • 

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Mehedi Hasan Miraz 

Off-spinner, Bangladesh 

The first Test match between 

Australia and Bangladesh starting 

in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National 

Stadium today is being touted to 

be a battle of the spinners. Though 

a lot will depend on the behaviour 

of the track and the weather, Tigers 

off-spinner Miraz will be expected 

to start from where he had left off 

in the last Test played in Mirpur. The 

former Bangladesh U-19 captain was 

instrumental behind Bangladesh’s 

brilliant win against England last year. 

Miraz, in his debut series, picked up 

seven wickets in his first Test and 

another 12 in the second to guide 

Bangladesh to their maiden Test win 

against England. Since that series, 

the 19-year-old Miraz has been one 

of the main man in the Bangladesh 

bowling attack in Tests, decreasing 

some load off Shakib al Hasan. 

Nathan Lyon 

Off-spinner, Australia 

The Australia fans are expected to 

have their eyes on the 29-year-old 

Lyon as he is set for yet another Test 

series in his most favoured continent. 

The off-spinner has bagged 

58 wickets in 13 Tests in India and 

Sri Lanka since his Test debut in 

2011. In his recent tour of India last 

March, Lyon has taken 19 wickets 

in four Tests. Among the four 

matches, the Australian slow bowler 

notched five wickets in Pune, eight 

in Bengaluru and another five in 

Dharamsala. With such incredible 

stats behind him, Lyon will be 

expected to put tough competition 

for the Bangladesh batsmen. 

Minhaz Uddin Khan

20 


DT 

Sports 

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling scores their second goal during the Premier League match against Bournemouth in Bournemouth yesterday. City won 2-1 thanks to Sterling’s last gasp goal 

REUTERS 

Afridi, Junaid clear stance over BCB-CSA row 

• Tribune Report 

The ongoing collision between 

the BCB and Cricket South Africa 

involving overseas players for 

the boards’ respective T20 cricket 

leagues has gained intensity. 

It is understood that both the 

boards have got involved in communicating 

to and fro over the 

issue and trying to reach a final 

point. 

CSA got into a difficult situation 

after the BPL T20 franchises communicated 

with the BCB regarding 

overseas players, who have 

committed to play in fifth edition 

this year in Bangladesh but were 

named in the players’ draft for the 

South Africa T20 Global League. 

The players’ draft for the maiden 

edition of the Global League is 

set to be held in Cape Town today. 

Clash of schedule of the two 

tournaments has been the chief 

reason behind the tug of war for 

the overseas players. 

Among the two boards, BCB was 

the first to declare the schedule of 

its money-spinning domestic T20 

tournament, scheduled to get underway 

on November 3 in Sylhet. 

According to sources, the BCB 

has already communicated with 

CSA to establish why the BPL franchises 

are right to have the service 

of the cricketers involved in the issue. 

Names of at least seven 

cricketers are understood to have 

placed a strong case in the issue 

and that the respective franchises 

have already submitted copies of 

agreement with the players to the 

BCB. 

Agreements of Cameron Delport 

and Shahid Afridi with defending 

champion Dhaka Dynamites, Liam 

Dawson with Chittagong Vikings 

and Darren Sammy with Rajshahi 

Kings have been submitted to the 

BCB. 

Khulna Titans have provided 

agreements of Dawid Malan, Carlos 

Brathwaite and Junaid Khan. 

Meanwhile, Afridi and Junaid 

have cleared their stance over the 

matter and clearly stated that they 

would be available only for BPL 

2017. 

Afridi and Junaid both took 

their respective verified Twitter accounts 

to make statements. 

“Unfortunate that I’ll miss Global 

T20 due to commitments with 

Dhaka Dynamites in BPL. All the 

best to everyone in SA. See you 

soon,” said former Pakistan captain 

Afridi. 

“I have already signed a contract 

with @khulnatitans and will be 

playing with them in BPL. I am not 

participating in CSA Global league,” 

informed Pakistan left-arm pacer 

Junaid. 

On the other hand, a few players 

including the likes of Malan, Dawson 

and Brathwaite might end up 

being unavailable during the T20 

leagues due to their international 

commitment. 

Dawson and Malan are both 

playing Test for England and have 

good chance of playing the Ashes 

series which is set to take place 

down under in November this year. 

Meanwhile, West Indies T20 

captain Brathwaite is likely to be 

involved with the tour of Pakistan 

this November. 

In a recent announcement by 

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman 

Najam Sethi, West Indies are set to 

tour Pakistan this year for a threematch 

T20I series. • 

Cup winner Comfit Composite players pose for photographs 

COURTESY 

ASCENT CORPORATE SOCCER CUP 

Brilliant Comfit 

Composite clinch 

Cup title 

• Tribune Report 

Comfit Composite lifted the Cup 

title of the 2017 Ascent Corporate 

five-a-side Soccer Cup after edging 

Bando Design 2-1 in the grand finale 

at STM Hall, Scholastica, Dhaka 

yesterday. 

In the Plate final, Sterling Group 

defeated Neo Zipper 2-0 while Bongo 

beat Rahimafrooz Solar 1-0 in 

the Bowl final. 

This was the 12th edition of the 

tournament, contested by 44 corporate 

houses. 

Like the previous seasons, the 

tournament did not allow professional 

booters to play and only 

amateur players from different corporate 

houses were eligible to take 

part. 

More than 400 players from 44 

corporate houses participated in 

the event. 

The teams were comprised with 

eight members. 

Ascent Group was the title sponsor 

of the tournament, for the 10th 

consecutive time, while Dhaka 

Tribune was the media partner. •

Sports 

21 


DT 

‘Dembele can fill 

Neymar’s void’ 

• Reuters, Barcelona 

Barcelona’s record signing Ousmane 

Dembele will give the team the attacking 

presence they lost by selling 

Neymar to Paris St Germain, coach 

Ernesto Valverde said on Friday. 

Barca and Borussia Dortmund 

finally agreed a fee of 105m euros 

plus bonuses on Friday after being 

locked in negotiations for weeks. 

Dembele is Barca’s second signing 

since the departure of Neymar 

for a world-record fee of 222m euros 

in August, with Brazil midfielder 

Paulinho also joining. 

Valverde believes Dembele 

will restore sharpness to his side’s 

attack. • 

DAY’S WATCH 

CRICKET 

STAR SPORTS SELECT 1 

9:50 AM 

Australia Tour of Bangladesh 2017 

1st Test, Day 1 


3:58 PM 

West Indies Tour of England 2017 

2nd Test, Day 3 

SONY TEN 3 

3:00 PM 

India Tour of Sri Lanka 2017 

3rd ODI 

SONY SIX 

7:00 AM 

Caribbean Premier League 2017 

Jamaica Tallawahs v Trinbago Knight 

Riders 

FOOTBALL 


6:20 PM 

Premier League 2017/18 

Chelsea v Everton 

8:50 PM 

Liverpool v Arsenal 

SONY TEN 1 

10:00 PM 

Serie A TIM 2017/18 

Torino v Sassuolo 

1:00 AM 

Napoli v Atalanta 

SONY TEN 2 

10:00 PM 

La Liga Santander 2017/18 

Eibar v Athletic Bilbao 

12:30 AM 

Getafe CF v Sevilla 

2:00 AM 

Real Madrid v Valencia 

SONY ESPN 

1:00 AM 

French Ligue 1 2017/18 

AS Monaco v Olympique De Marseille 

NEO SPORTS 

4:30 PM 

Feyenoord v Willem II 

6:30 PM 

Venlo v AFC Ajax 

8:30 PM 

PSV Eindhoven v Roda JC 

MOTO GP 

SONY ESPN 

2:30 PM 

Moto GP 2017: Race 

British Grand Prix 

England’s Joe Root in action during day one of their second Test against the West Indies in Leeds on 

Friday 

REUTERS 

Hember treble inspires Saif Sporting rout 

• Shishir Hoque 

Colombian forward Hember Arley 

Valencia slammed the first hattrick 

of the season as Saif Sporting 

Club registered their fifth straight 

victory in the Bangladesh Premier 

League after outplaying Brothers 

Union 5-0 at BNS yesterday. 

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, 

on the other hand, moved jointly 

to the top of the points table after 

beating Bangladesh Muktijoddha 

Sangsad Krira Chakra 2-1 in the 

day’s second match at the same 

venue. 

The biggest margin of victory in 

the league this season didn’t change 

newcomer Saif Sporting’s position 

in the standing but they managed to 

close the gap to only one point with 

joint leaders Chittagong Abahani 

Limited and Sheikh Jamal. 

Hember dominated the scoresheet 

with an amazing treble but it 

was Jewel Rana whose performance 

also deserved special mention. 

The national midfielder caused 

constant havoc on the opponent 

defence through the right wing and 

assisted four goals, including Hember’s 

all three goals. 

It however, took big-spending 

Saif Sporting 45 minutes to break 

the deadlock, which came with a 

brilliant effort from Jewel. 

Receiving a short pass from Matin 

Miah, Jewel took some time with 

the ball at the near post before his 

Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani in action with St Etienne’s Ronael Pierre Gabriel during their Ligue 1 match in Parison 

Friday 

REUTERS 

Root equals 

De Villiers record 

• Agencies 

The name Joe Root was etched in Test cricket’s history 

book on Friday alongside one of the game’s greatest batsmen, 

reports cricket.com.au. 

In the afternoon session on the opening day of the 

second Test against the West Indies at Headingley, Root 

reached his 31st Test match half-century and his 12th in as 

many Tests. 

The dozen successive Tests with a score of 50 or more 

equals the mark set by superstar South Africa batsman AB 

de Villiers in 2014. 

Root’s streak started in October last year with 56 against 

Bangladesh in Dhaka and continued against India in the 

subcontinent, South Africa at home and now the West Indies. 

The prolific period has seen the England skipper average 

54 and post three centuries in the process, one fewer than 

De Villiers accumulated during his record run. 

However, Root’s innings on day one should have been 

terminated when he was on eight. 

The 26-year-old, who is captaining England on his home 

ground in Leeds for the first time, was dropped at first slip 

by Kieran Powell from the bowling of Shannon Gabriel. 

He was out nine runs after tying De Villiers’ mark, 

toe-ending a sweep shot off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo 

to first slip and left the field visibly upset at his dismissal. 

Root and England return to Lord’s for the third and final 

Test against the West Indies early next month before their 

next Test assignment – the Magellan Ashes in Australia. • 

cutback slightly deflected off a defender 

and landed onto the feet of 

Hember who timely tapped home 

from three yards. 

Hember doubled the lead a minute 

later in the added time, placing 

home past the Brothers goalkeeper 

with a right-footer from the middle 

of the box, following a low cross 

from Jewel from the right side. 

Hember, who netted in the last 

two matches as well, completed his 

treble in the 64th minute. • 

Cavani outshines 

Neymar in PSG win 

• AFP, Paris 

Neymar for once played a more 

restricted role as Edinson Cavani 

scored twice and Thiago Motta 

once in Paris Saint-Germain’s comfortable 

3-0 home win over Saint- 

Etienne in Ligue 1 on Friday. 

It was following a Neymar freekick 

that Motta netted a rare goal 

after half-time to make it two before 

Cavani completed the win at 

the death. 

“We have achieved our objective 

of being top of the table after 

this game,” said PSG coach Unai 

Emery. • 

LIGUE 1 

Paris St Germain 3-0 

Cavani 20-P, 89, 

Motta 51 

St Etienne

22 


DT 

Showtime 

That time when Margaret Atwood called it 

A review of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale 

• Sabrina Fatma Ahmad 

You don’t need to be living in Trump’s 

America to agree that we’re passing 

through some bleak times. Around the 

world, climate change is already hitting 

back at us with floods and drought. 

Scientists are starting to flag under the 

battle of antibiotic resistance. Fertility 

rates in Western countries (at least 

for now) are on the decline. Terrorist 

attacks are becoming the new normal. 

At home, the legal age of marriage has 

been lowered, despite protests, rape 

cases become 

topics of national 

debate, and 

moral policing 

continues 

to enjoy its 

moment in the 

spotlight. Some 

thirty-two years 

after Margaret 

Atwood, inspired 

by her memory 

of her travels 

behind the Iron 

Curtain, wrote 

The Handmaid’s 

Tale, the dystopian fantasy she created 

suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched 

at all. 

Hulu’s television adaptation of the 

same, brings to life the frightening 

world of Gilead, built on what remains 

of the United States following some 

major system failure, and fertility is on 

the decline. The society that exists is 

frighteningly hierarchical, intolerant 

and exploitative. All forms of media 

are strictly rationed. Women have no 

rights to speak of; the few remaining 

fertile ones are forced to have sex with, 

and bear children for powerful men. 

Penalties for the slightest infraction are 

severe – “if thine right eye offends thee, 

cut it off” is taken literally. 

The little tweaks and departures 

made by the show-runners of The 

Handmaid’s Tale make it even more 

relatable to today’s audience – the 

clever montage of past and present 

making a credible case for how such a 

state has come to pass. Through some 

truly brilliant performances – Elizabeth 

Moss of Mad Men fame is simply 

sublime as the show’s protagonist 

Offred/June – and masterful use of 

colour, sound, and perspective to 

vividly convey the claustrophobia 

and the paranoia of the handmaids. 

But the real genius behind this most 

relevant show is how they capture 

the normalisation of such extreme 

violations of human rights. 

It is a sad reflection on the human 

condition that the book was never not 

relevant ever since it hit the shelves, 

but the show seems particularly timely. 

The Handmaid’s Tale has easily earned 

its place amongst the top must-see 

shows of 2017 • 

Amy Jackson taking Hindi 

Skype lessons 

• Showtime Desk 

Amy Jackson, a British model 

and actress who came into 

prominence in Bollywood after 

appearing in Tamil period-drama 

Madrasapattinam, has not been 

seen in a Hindi film since Freaky 

Ali. The actress is still taking 

Hindi lessons on Skype, while 

she maintains that she can have 

conversations in Tamil. However, 

she is crystal clear about what 

her category is in Bollywood. 

While she is doing well in the 

South and is even part of an Indo- 

Brit film now, there is a feeling 

that she isn’t quite serious about 

Bollywood. 

Amy is quite clear that she 

would not be playing the role of 

an Indian village girl, she said 

in an interview published on 

dnaindia.com. She also thinks 

that people already assume that 

she does not know Hindi. So, they 

are offering her film according to 

their preconceptions. However, 

she says that “the roles that are 

available aren’t a problem for me.” 

Amy has been busy with The 

Villain, an upcoming Kannadalanguage 

film directed by Prem 

and produced by CR Manohar, 

starring Shiva Rajkumar, Sudeep, 

Amy Jackson and Mithun 

Chakraborty. 

When she was asked about 

having a translator, she replied, 

“No, I have not done that 

actually, up till now. I was doing 

The Villain and that’s a totally 

different language. I feel at 

home in Chennai. I can have 

conversations in Tamil and I can 

understand everything. So no 

one can get away with anything. 

The Villain is a totally new 

territory and I am working with 

Apeksha from Akshay Kumar’s 

team. Akshay spoke in Hindi in 

2.0, but it had to relate to the 

Tamil audience so when they 

dubbed it, the sync was there. 

Apeksha helped him on the sets 

and she was wonderful. I have 

stolen her and taken her now for 

The Villain. She speaks five to six 

different languages. So it’s nice to 

have that insight from her.” 

2.0 is an upcoming Indian 

fiction film written and directed 

by S Shankar, co-written by B 

Jeyamohan, and produced by 

Subaskaran Allirajah, founder of 

Lyca Productions. A sequel to the 

2010 Tamil film Enthiran, the film 

will feature Rajinikanth reprising 

the roles of Dr Vaseekaran and 

Chitti, alongside Akshay Kumar 

and Amy Jackson. The film will 

be released simultaneously in 

Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi in 

2018.•

Showtime 

23 


DT 

Turmoil in Dhallywood 


After months of unmitigated 

disputes and wrangles among 

the Dhallywood film 

artists, Bangladesh 

Chalachitra Shilpi 

Samiti has decided 

to send nine show 

cause notices to 

some of the leading 

artists of the 

industry, including 

Moushumi, Kazi 

Hayat, Omar Sani, 

Bidya Sinha Mim, 

Sadek Bacchu, Shiba 

Shanu, Kabila, Kala 

Aziz and Bobby. The 

artists were asked to show 

proper reasons for activities 

that violate the constitution 

of the organisation, said 

Jayed Khan, the general 

secretary of the artists’ 

coalition. 

Chalachitra 

Paribar, a union of 

18 different film 

related organisations, 

previously banned 

Shakib Khan 

indefinitely, for 

making allegedly 

derogatory comments 

about film directors and 

declared that any other 

member of the organisation 

working with Shakib Khan 

will also face the same fate. 

Seemingly the show cause 

notices were sent to the artists 

for not heeding the warning. 

In an urgent meeting held on 

Thursday, the organisation also 

decided to permanently ban 

two other members, Kamal and 

Zakir Hossain, while halting the 

membership of fight director 

Delower Hossain Chunnu for 

three months. 

Jayed Khan informed that 

the letters will be issued to the 

recipients on Saturday. When 

asked about the relevance of 

the ‘Shakib Khan issue’ with the 

action they are taking against the 

artists, Jayed Khan simply said, 

“The decision has been taken by 

the executive panel of the Samiti 

because they have infringed the 

constitution.”• 

Bangladesh Short Film Forum celebrates it’s 31 year anniversary 


Bangladesh Short Film Forum, the 

organisation of young Bangladeshi 

film makers, is celebrating 31 years 

of alternative film movement. 

Formed on August 24, 1986 by 

a group of young independent 

filmmakers and activists who were 

then campaigning for creative 

and aesthetically rich cinema, 

the organisation has passed 

chalked out elaborate programs to 

celebrate the occasion. 

Starting with lighting candles, 

the participants observed one 

minute’s silence in remembrance 

of the demised members of 

the organisation. The second 

session of the daylong program 

started with cutting a cake, which 

was later followed by an open 

discussion session. Film makers 

and members of the advisory 

panel of BSFF, Manjare Hasan 

Murad, Zahidur Rahman Anjan 

and Syed Imran Hossain, took 

part in the discussion along with 

Mridul Mamun, the acting general 

secretary of BSFF, among others. 

Professor Dr Jakir Hossain Raju, 

who is also the president of the 

organisation, has presided over the 

session. 

Aside from reminiscing their 

memories with the organisation, 

the speakers also discussed the 

future of Bangladeshi film in the 

session. 

To celebrate its 31 st founding 

anniversary, BSFF also organised a 

day long film-screening session on 

August 26. Selected independent 

films, made between the years 

1985 to 2005, including Morshedul 

Islam’s Agami, Tanvir Mokammel’s 

Hulia, Tareque Masud’s 

Adamsurat, Enayet Karim Babul’s 

Chakki, Tareq Shahriar’s Kalighar 

and Shamim Akter’s Se, will be 

projected throughout the day. 

However, throughout its 

31 years of journey, the forum 

featured some of the most 

notable young Bangladeshi film 

makers among its members, 

including Morshedul Islam, 

Tanvir Mokammel, Tareque 

Masud, Enayet Karim Babul, 

Tareq Shahrier, Shameem Akhter, 

Manjare Hasin Murad, Yasmin 

Kabir, Nurul Alam Atique, Zahidur 

Rahim Anjan, Rashed Chowdhury, 

and Akram Khan. 

The forum is mostly noted for 

organising the biennial and noncompetitive 

international short 

and independent film festivals. •

24 


DT 

Back Page 

SAUDI ARABIA EXTENDS BIMAN’S PRE- 

HAJJ FLIGHTS TILL AUGUST 28 › 8 

BANGLADESH, AUSTRALIA PREPARE 

TO DO BATTLE AFTER LONG WAIT › 18 

PM promises every support necessary 

for flood victims to recover 



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has 

said no-one will suffer from hunger 

due to the ongoing flood, renewing 

the promise that her government’s 

support for the flood victims will 

continue until the next crops are 

harvested. 

“Our aim is just one – not a single 

person will suffer from hunger. 

We will take steps to ensure food 

security for each person,” she said 

when distributing relief materials 

and seedlings among flood victims 

in Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj on 

Saturday, reports UNB. 

Hasina said the government was 

aware that there would be a flash 

flood this time. “So, we took steps 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina distributes relief goods and seedlings to flood 

victims in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha. The photo was taken yesterday 

BSS 

to ensure food for all and avert any 

possible food scarcity … We have already 

started importing food grains.” 

She said the government would 

import 1.5 million tons of food grains, 

if necessary, to ensure food security. 

“We will distribute food free of 

cost among the extreme poor who 

are unable to buy it,” the prime 

minister said. “Our plan is to ensure 

that until the next crops are 

harvested … not a single person 

will suffer from hunger.” 

The prime minister said the 

government would distribute 

Tk587,719,315 among the flood victims 

alongside continuing the agricultural 

loan so that they can go for 

cultivating their next crops. 

All out support to ensure 

agricultural rehabilitation 

Mentioning that the inundation 

has led to huge crop losses in 21 districts, 

the prime minister assured 

of her government’s all out support 

for the agricultural rehabilitation, 

adds Dhaka Tribune’s Kurigram 

correspondent. 

Each flood-affected farmer will 

be provided with seedsand other 

agricultural inputs like fertilisers 

and pesticides very shortly to recuperate 

the losses, she said. 

She also promised that the farmers 

of the flood-affected areas would 

be able to take agricultural loans 

with zero interest and collateral. 

The Prime Minister said the government 

will continue to provide 

all types of assistance, including 

the distribution of rice to 1cr poor 

at Tk10 per kg, in the flood affected 

people for the next three months. • 

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, 

8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207. Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

e_Paper, Sunday, August 27, 2017

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