SECOND EDITION

YOUTH HELD FOR BEATING SCHOOLGIRL PAGE 32

DHAKA BUSES TO UNIFY INTO SINGLE COMPANY PAGE 5

PIR KILLED INSIDE HIS SHRINE IN CTG PAGE 3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 | Bhadro 21, 1422, Zilqad 20, 1436 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 142 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

Jamaat plots its next moven Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

After failing to oust the government from o� ce and halt the trial of its leaders for 1971 war crimes, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s “wait and see policy” belies the long-term preparations the party has made to survive.

Jamaat leaders said they are waiting to see if the government actually bans the party. If it does, party bosses say they will re-establish it with new faces in the leadership under a new political platform, on the model of the Turk-ish Islamist political parties.

The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that the par-ty will not come out of its quiescence at this time but will wait for the government’s next move.

One section of the party, led by the busi-ness wing of party, wants to modify the party on the lines of the Turkish Justice and Devel-opment Party (AKP).

Another section, led by former Chhatra Shibir members, prefer “direct action,” a eu-phemism for street politics and violence.

The pastIn 2013, the Election Commission cancelled Jamaat’s registration, stripping the party of its right to take part in any kind of election as an organisation, following a court order that ruled that Jamaat’s constitution was not in compliance with the country’s constitution.

This is not the � rst time the party has faced a major crisis. Jamaat has always been on the wrong side of Bangladesh’s history.

Jamaat was banned after the Liberation War. In the parliamentary elections of 1979, six of its members were elected under the banner of the Islamic Democratic League.

Since then, Jamaat has sought to gain legit-imacy and popular support.

The right-wing political party has made strategic alliances with both the BNP and Awami League at di� erent points of time.

Jamaat’s violent reaction to the death pen-alty awarded to its leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee drew massive criticism across the country and from around the world.

Further violent campaigns ahead of the January 5 general elections and this year has again drawn widespread criticism.

Hundreds of people were maimed and burned and over a hundred killed in the BNP-led alliance strike and blockade programme of 2015. The Islamist political party, whose activists helped enforce unpopular the strikes with � rebombings, share in the blame for the

carnage of the 90-day “movement.”There is vocal international pressure for

the BNP to put an end to its dealings with Ja-maat-e-Islami. The European Union has pub-licly asked the BNP to sever its ties to Jamaat.

The presentCurrently, the acting ameer of Bangladesh Ja-maat-e-Islami is Maqbul Ahmed.

His leadership team includes Central Nayeb-e-Ameer Mujibur Rahman, acting Sec-retary General Sha� qur Rahman, Central Ex-ecutive Committee member AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Central Publicity Secretary Tasnim Alam, Central Executive Commit-tee Member and Dhaka city unit President Ra� qul Islam Khan.

Also in� uential in the party are Central Ex-ecutive Committee member and Dhaka city unit Secretary Nurul Islam Bulbul, Central Ex-ecutive Committee member and Dhaka city unit Assistant Secretary Selimuddin, Central Working Committee member and Assistant Secretary of the Dhaka city Jamaat Monjurul Islam Bhuiyan and Central Working Commit-tee member and Dhaka city unit Nayeb-e-Ameer Maulana Abdul Halim.

Central Jamaat leader Redwanullah Sahediis the party’s key liaison o� cer with the Bang-ladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and typically represents his party at alliance meetings.

On the party’s silence over the trial of its top leaders, Imran Hossain, Ameer of Khulna district Jamaat, said: “There is currently no

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Banned group holds conference as police remain witnessn Kamrul Hasan

Banned militant out� t Hizb ut-Tahrir held their scheduled online political conference yesterday af-ternoon vowing to establish Khi-lafat (caliphate) in the country.

Detectives observed the on-line session “Emerging Khali-fah” where � ve leaders of the out� t spoke after 3:30pm, and identi� ed those involved with the anti-state activities.

DB Joint Commissioner Mon-irul Islam said that they had not interrupted for the sake of inves-tigation. “The � ve persons who conducted the programme, held somewhere in Dhaka, have been identi� ed.”

PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Saudi Arabia okays extradition of Rajon murder accusedn Adil Sakhawat

The deportation of Kamrul Islam, the prime accused in the murder of thirteen-year-old Sheikh Sa-miul Alam Rajon, has been approved by Saudi Arabia’s royal court.

The extradition process is expected to take no more than two weeks.

State Minister for Foreign A� airs M Shahriar Alam con-� rmed the desert kingdom’s decision to extradite the

prime suspect in the brutal murder, in a post on his o� cial Facebook page.

“Saudi Royal court approved deportation of Quamrul (sic). They have already issued letter to Interpol. Few other paper works (sic) should not take more than two weeks,” the post reads.

An o� cial of the Bangladesh consulate in Jeddah, who asked not to be named, yester

PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

‘If Bangladesh banned religious-based political parties, Jamaat willemulate the response of religious-based political parties in Turkey’

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Jamaat plots its next moveway we can enforce a systematic and demo-cratic movement. We cannot behave like a terrorist party because, worldwide, Islam is branded as ‘terrorist.’ There is no use wasting energy. We are waiting with great patience.”

The futureAccording to a US embassy cable leaked by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks on Sep-tember 1, 2011, the party already had a back-up plan ready in the event of a ban or a cancel-lation of registration.

On February 10, 2010 Jamaat Assistant Sec-retary General Abdur Razzaq, who is also the chief counsel for the party leaders facing war crimes charges, briefed the then US ambassa-dor in Dhaka James F Moriarty about how the party would re-emerge if declared illegal.

“If Bangladesh banned religious-based political parties, Jamaat will emulate the re-sponse of religious-based political parties in Turkey. Jamaat will rename itself and remove religious tenets from its constitution, but will at the same time challenge the ruling in court,” the cable reads.

The main theme of a recent intra-par-ty presentation was to � oat a new political party on the model of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, with the avowed objective of promoting public welfare, good governance, safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and territorial in-tegrity of the country, protecting the nation’s economic interests, in particular safeguarding gas and other mineral resources.

A workshop paper from July 2009 also rec-

ommended that the proposed party distance itself from demands for a theological state and strict compliance with Shariah law in public life.

Regarding changes to the party leadership, Aminul Islam Khoshru, acting nayeb-e-ameer of the Barisal city unit Jamaat, said: “This is-sue has been discussed at various meetings of the party but there is nothing de� nitive to say about it yet. We discuss and analyse the po-litical situation – but these are just thoughts.”

Imran Hossain, said: “We have experience with the banning of political parties. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood was banned 40 years ago – when democracy was restored to that country, the Brotherhood came to power. We are not frustrated … We are observing the sit-uation with great patience.” l

Saudis okay extradition of Rajon murder accusedday told the Dhaka Tribune: “The paperwork required to deport Kamrul is in the � nal stages.

“A � nal approval from the Saudi Arabian Home Ministry is all that is needed. We hope that very soon we can deport him to Bangladesh.”

On August 27, Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Mosih told the Dhaka Tribune: “The Saudi authorities contacted me and said that Kamrul would be repatriated within the next three to four weeks.”

There is no extradition treaty between the two countries. “Despite that, in the absence of any political element, he will be repatriated very smoothly,” Mosih said.

Rajon, 13, was tied to a pole and clubbed to death by Kamrul and several others in Kumar-gaon on the outskirts of Sylhet city on July 8, after falsely being accused of theft.

Sixty-four injury marks were found on his body, according to the autopsy report.

His tormentors recorded the brutal beating on a mobile phone and circulated the video on the internet, setting o� a massive uproar.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police pressed charges in court against 13 people, including Kamrul, on August 16.

Three of the accused, including Kamrul’s brother Muhith Alam, and eight others, have been arrested. Three of them confessed to the crime before a local court.

Kamrul was identi� ed on July 13 by Bang-ladeshi expatriates living in Jeddah and hand-ed over to the Bangladesh consulate. Saudi police later took him into custody.

Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque had told reporters at the time that, if necessary, assistance would be sought from Interpol to have Kamrul extradited.

Interpol issued a red notice against Kamrul in July. l

Banned group holds conferenceSome 500 persons participated in the event, most of who were police members and jour-nalists. “We will take action against the other participants too,” Monirul said.

On August 23, DB police picked up two members of the militant group in Dakkh-inkhan area and two female members from Uttara area for distributing lea� ets urging people to join the online conference.

After the arrests, Hizb ut-Tahrir threatened the government with worse consequences.

Recently, the authorities of Dhaka Univer-sity and Buet suspended several students for their involvement with the banned organisa-tion.

According to the Anti-Terrorism Act that is applied against outlawed groups, any activity of such organisation – in any form – is considered as anti-state. Despite facing ban, online and of-� ine activities of the group that accepts male and female students mainly of private and pub-lic universities was never stopped until date.

They lure the common Muslims to join their movement by shaming the democratic

governments terming them corrupt and an-ti-Islam. They claim that caliphate will ensure justice in the society.

Having branches in a number of countries, Hizb ut-Tahrir started its operation in Bangla-desh in 2000 and was banned in 2009 for its involvement in militant activities. Most of its branches in the Middle East are also banned.

Since then they have been campaigning against democratic governments by issuing media releases after holding brief processions and rallies in front of di� erent mosques in the capital, Rajshahi and elsewhere, and pasting posters on the walls in the capital’s di� erent areas especially Mohammadpur.

The DMP spokesperson, Deputy Commis-sioner Muntasirul Islam, said that they could stop the programme but did not do so so that they could gather more information on the members of the out� t.

He claimed that the organisational strength of Hizb ut-Tahrir was broken due to persistent surveillance and drives. “We need to identify the persons who hold the extremists mental-

ity,” he said.Detectives earlier said that the Hizb ut-

Tahrir members were working in collabora-tion with the other banned militant groups and radical organisations as their aim is the same – establishing an Islamic state in Bang-ladesh.

The law enforcers last year arrested around 100 members of the out� t, but no top leader.

The Detective Branch of police in a drive early this month arrested Nurullah Kashemi, a spiritual leader of militant platform Bangla-desh Jihadi Group. His name was also found the list of wanted Hizb ut-Tahrir members as a coordinator.

Detectives have also discovered that some of the former Hizb ut-Tahrir members were taking training to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

One of their leaders Sha� ur Rahman Fara-bi, whose Facebook pro� le had become a cen-tre of motivation for the supporters of radical Islamist parties and groups, is now in jail for instigating the murder of secular bloggers. l

Husband’s name to go from new smart NID cards for womenn UNB

The Election Commission has � nalised a sam-ple of highly secure smart national identity (NID) card for eligible citizens.

A decision has been taken to not include the husband’s name in the card for women citizens. Presently, married women have the name of their husbands in the laminated NID cards printed on normal paper, that creates problems for them in case of divorce.

“Name of husband will not remain as visible data in the smart NID card as women having name of husbands in the NID cards face prob-lems in case of separation,” Mohsin Ali, Direc-tor General In-charge of the National Identity Registration Wing of the Election Commission.

The commission has recently taken the decision as a signi� cant number of married women have applied to the commission to change or omit husband’s names from the NID cards in the last couple of years, he told UNB.

Mohsin Ali, however, said information on their spouses will be contained in the NID

server, alongside 44 other bits of data, for all the citizens.

According to media reports, the divorce rate has risen sharply in recent years, with 23 divorce petitions � led a day on average in 2013 in the capital alone.

The two city corporations received 8,191 divorce petitions in 2013 and 7,653 in 2012.

Oberthur Technologies, a French digital se-curity company, got the Tk796 crore contact for the production and distribution of 90 mil-lion smart NID cards within 18 months.

The � rm is scheduled to start the produc-tion of 10-digit smart NID card, equipped with microchip and 2D barcode, this month.

The commission provided a 13-digit NID card in 2007 when the card was introduced in the country, later moving to 17-digit NID cards.

The machine-readable smart cards will be distributed free at � rst, and have multiple uses in getting services like TIN number, driv-ing licence, passport, opening bank accounts, marriage registration and admission in educa-tional institutions. l

Soldier slaughtered inside Jessore Cantonmentn Tribune Report

A soldier was slaughtered inside a barrack of Jessore Cantonment on late Thursday night.

Helaluddin was found with his throat slit in his room – which he shared with 11 other army members – in the barrack around 2am yesterday, said Duty O� cer Manzur Ali Khan of Jessore Kotwali police station.

He was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead around 4am.

Helal was from Jamalganj upazila in Ja-malpur district. In service for eight years, he used to work in 55 Division under 8 Engineer-ing Battalion at Jessore Cantonment.

Manzur further said that one of the three army members who were on duty on the night of the incident had been missing since the body was found. “The other barrack members are currently being interrogated by the mili-tary o� cials.”

A general diary was � led with Kotwali po-lice yesterday morning in this regard. Helal’s

post-mortem examination was conducted in the afternoon.

A high o� cial of Jessore police, requesting not to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that recovering the body, the police performed

their duties including conducting the inquest report and other formalities.

The o� cial later suggested to contact with the ISPR for further information as they are responsible to provide all necessary support about the incident.

Dhaka Tribune ranged the o� ce number of ISPR around 9:30pm, for comments. But an o� cial said that there were no o� cials con-cerned to give information about it and that he was not aware of the incident. l

In service for eight years, he used to work in 55 Division under 8 Engineering Battalion at Jessore Cantonment

NEWS2DT

NEWS 3D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Another Pir, his assistant killed inside shrinen FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

A Pir (religious preacher) was slaughtered by an unidenti� ed youth inside his shrine in the port city’s Bayezid area yesterday.

Rahmat Ullah Amin, 55, alias Lengta Fakir Baba (a preacher who does not wear clothes) was the Pir Baba of the so-called shrine, named after him.

His assistant and caretaker of the shrine, Abdul Kader, 35, was also hacked as he tried to stop the attacker. Kader later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

The incident took place at the shrine lo-cated at Banglabazar in Bayezid area around 1:30pm – during the Jumma prayers, CMP Deputy Commissioner (north) Paritosh Gosh told the Dhaka Tribune.

Another caretaker of the shrine Ali Ah-mad said that he was at his house outside the shrine when the incident occurred. “I went to my house to see my son. I was informed about the murder over the phone, and when I reached the shrine, I found the bodies in a pool of blood.”

Quoting locals, O� cer-in-Charge Pradip Kumar Das of Bayezid police said that a youth carrying a black bag went inside the shrine during the Jumma prayers and slit the throat of Rahmat in his room.

The assailant also hacked Kader when he tried to stop the attacker from � eeing, leaving him critically injured, the OC said. Later the youth set o� several crude bombs and � ed the spot.

Witness Md Kawsar, a construction work-er, said: “After I heard the bombs go o� , I rushed to the shrine and found the two bod-ies on the � oor. Then I took Kader to Chit-tagong Medical College Hospital.”

Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam of the CMCH police outpost said that the duty doctors de-clared Kader dead after he had been brought to the hospital.

OC Pradip said that the reason behind the murder was not clear. However, in primary investigation, the police have found that in-decent and criminal activities took place in-side the establishment during the nights.

It is assumed that the attacker might not

liked these activities leading to the killings, the OC said.

On August 27, 2014, unidenti� ed armed assailants slaughtered Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi, a popular presenter of religious pro-grammes on Channel i, at his own residence in Dhaka’s East Rajabazar area.

He was also the Presidium member and international a� airs secretary of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat – an organisation known better for opposing the views of Jamaat-e-Islami. He was also the imam of the Supreme Court mosque.

On December 21, 2013, a group of unidenti-� ed men posed as religious followers entered the Gopibagh house of Lutfor Rahman – a self-proclaimed Pir, and slaughtered him along with his son, an associate and three disciples.

The victims’ arms and legs had been tied up before the killers slit their throats. The precision of the fatal wounds suggested that the crime might have been committed by trained killers.

Detectives suspect that religious extrem-ists or militant groups might have killed Faru-qi and Lutfor. l

Hindu-Christian Kollyan Trust: Raise voices against land-grabbingn Tribune Report

Hindu-Christian Kollyan Trust yesterday urged Bangladeshis to raise their voices against land and property grabbing of the minorities, including the Hindus.

“Our temples have been seized by the patron of the ruling party leaders and our women repressed. Till now, we have not

gotten justice for a single incident. We urge the people of this nation, including the devoted Muslims, to raise their voic-es in protest against the injustice done to us,” convener of the platform Goutam Chokrobarty said.

Addressing a human chain in front of the National Press Club, the BNP leader urged the government to take stern ac-

tion against the masterminds. Adviser of the platform and a BNP

leader, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, said the world community knows very well how dreadful the communal situation is here.

Chowdhury added that members of the Hindu community � ee the country everyday as they are subjected to re-pression. l

A � yover can ease hassles in Dahagram-Angorpotan Moazzem Hossain, Lalmonirhat

Frustrated over the persistent restrictions imposed by the Indian border authorities at the Tin Bigha Corridor, the residents of Daha-gram-Angorpota now wants total freedom of movement.

Since 2011, people of the two Bangladeshi villages that fall under Indian territory can use the 178-metre corridor round the clock. But there still remains some restrictions im-posed by the Border Security Force (BSF) of India, who are not friendly with the Bangla-deshi people, locals have alleged.

Their movement is now being monitored by two CCTV cameras installed in the corri-dor.

They are also barred from bringing in more than 30 cows each on Saturdays and Mondays to sell those at Patgram Bazar in Lalmonirhat, upon approval of the BSF men at the gate.

On the other hand, bringing cattle from the Bangladesh main land to the villages is totally prohibited.

While using the corridor, motor vehicles and the people on foot cannot stop for a mo-ment.

They also have to keep the road clean. In violation of the rules, the BSF men hurl abuse and even torture the Bangladeshis, alleged Shahidul Islam and Amir Ali of Angorpota and college student Sharmin Akter Asha of Daha-gram.

Earlier, the gate remained open for only six hours when the corridor had been established on June 26, 1992. The time was extended to 12 hours later in 1999, and 24 hours from Octo-ber 19, 2011.

But the yet persistent restrictions bother the villagers as they feel harassed despite be-ing independent. Now they demand that the � yover proposed by the Indian authorities be materialised at the soonest as it will curb their agonies.

Once the � yover is constructed, the Bang-ladeshi people will be able to move freely through the corridor, said Rezanur Rahman Khan, the general secretary of Dahagram-An-gorpota Andolon Sangram Parishad.

He added that the Bangladesh government should control the main gate to ease harass-ment of the villagers.

Lt Col Ahmed Bazlur Rahman, command-er of Lalmonirhat 15 BGB Battalion, said that high-ups of the two governments could solve the issues through discussions and construct-ing the � yover. l

As a part of the month-long mourning marking Bangabandhu’s 40th death anniversary, many bamboo archways were set up on Dhaka roads in the name of Awami League leaders. The mourning ended last month but the archways are still there, occasionally disrupting tra� c RAJIB DHAR

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015NEWS4DT

Pictorial warning signs on tobacco products must by March 19n UNB

The tobacco factories and companies will have to insert pictorial warning signs on their tobac-co products by March 19 to make people aware of adverse impacts of tobacco on human health, says an o� cial of the Health Ministry.

“Pictorial warnings must be inserted on the packets of tobacco products by March 19 next. And we have already selected the pictoral warnings that will be introduced on tobacco products,” programme o� cer of the National Tobacco Control Cell M Mir Nabin Ekram told a workshop yesterday.

He said it is mandatory to insert pictorial

warnings on the packets of all kinds of tobac-co products, bidi, cigarette, gul and jarda.

Progga, an anti-tobacco organisation, ar-ranged the two-day media training workshop for journalists at the conference room of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).

Currently, the multinational tobacco com-panies and local tobacco factories enjoy plain packaging of tobacco products in Bangladesh, which is not found in any developed country.

The current Smoking and Usage of Tobac-co Products (Control) (Amendment) Act 2013 says pictorial health warning must be put on at least 50 percent area of packets of the tobacco products, which will allow smokers

understand health risks and quit as well as a discouragement for non-smokers.

According to anti-tobacco activists, since there are a number of people who can not read or understand the messages given by tobacco companies, the literal warning is not working e� ectively. So, the pictorial warn-ings, which is set to be put on packets of to-bacco products, will help them to understand its adverse impacts on health.

According to available data (Prevalence of tobacco use in Bangladesh-2009), about 95,000 people die in Bangladesh each year while there are 1.2 million cases of tobac-co-attributable illness every year. l

4-day shadow UN conference begins at RUn Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

A four-day long shadow United Nations con-ference, under the theme “Reinstating Good Governance for Equitable and Sustainable Economic Growth,” began on Rajshahi Uni-versity campus yesterday.

The United Nations Youth and Student Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB), a UN model platform for the nation’s young people, organised the conference, which was inaugu-rated at 11am by chief guest State Minister for Foreign A� airs M Shahriar Alam at the univer-sity senate building.

Praising UNYSAB’s young organisers, the minister in his speech upheld the importance of such initiatives, and gave the participants clear views on the UN, its work, goals and activities.

He said Bangladesh is now a role model. “It has � nalised its land boundary and sea boundary treaties with India and Myanmar without any clashes.”

Around 266 participants from seven coun-tries are taking part in the four-day event.

RU Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Chowd-hury Sarwar Jahan, RU proctor Professor Tari-qul Hassan, RU Student Advisor Professor Sad-equl Are� n, among others, are special guests while UNYSAB Director General Kaioum Talu-kdar conducted the inaugural session.

The event includes a general assembly akin to a UN session, campus tour and culture pro-gramme on the � rst three days, and the clos-ing ceremony will be held on day four. At the ceremony, State Minister of Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak will attend as chief guest.

Dhaka Tribune is the media partner of the event. l

1 dies from electrocution, 8 burnt in capitaln Kamrul Hasan

A day labourer died from electrocution while eight others sustained burns in the capital yesterday.

The deceased, Mamun Hossain, 32, worked for a private � rm named Bidyut Projukti Bin-imoy.

His colleague Reza Ahmed said they both were changing a cable near a building at Mat-sya Bhaban in the morning when Mamun was electrocuted.

Mamun was taken to Dhaka Medical Col-

lege Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Meanwhile, eight passengers of a hu-man haulier were admitted to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital after they received burn injuries when a live elec-tric wire fell on the vehicle in Mohammadpur area.

They are Naznin Akhter, 18, Salma Akhter, 18, her mother Nur Jahan, 40, Sammi Fatema, 27, Wahid Hossain, 24, Mithu Lal, 23, Shibli Noman, 23, and Anwar Hossain, 13.

Victim Shibli told the Dhaka Tribune the

vehicle was travelling to Mohammadpur from Shyamoli when the accident took place on Ring Road around 10:30am.

“The vehicle’s engine caught � re and we desperately tried to get out. There were 12 passengers and none died,” he added.

Ahmed Seraji, assistant professor at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said all the injured were out of dan-ger.

Wahid, one of the injured who sustained 7% burns, was later shifted to another hospi-tal for better treatment. l

Shishu-Obhibhabok O Sangathak Forum forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the capital yesterday, calling for protecting children’s rights and ensuring all facilities to aid their physical and mental development MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Bangladesh and Australian police to curb transnational crimes togethern UNB

Bangladesh police and Australian Federal Po-lice will work together in curbing transnation-al organised crimes as the two police forces signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Australian capital city Canberra yesterday.

Inspector General of Bangladesh Police AKM Shahidul Hoque and Commissioner of Australian Federal Police Andrew Colvin signed the MoU on behalf of their respective police forces.

From now both the police forces will work together in controlling various types of trans-national organised crimes including terror-ism, smugglings of illegal drugs, goods and illegal � rearms, cyber crimes and piracy.

It is expected that cooperation between the two forces will be increased in curbing trans-national crimes following the signing of the MoU, said Assistant Inspector General (Media) of Police Headquarters Md Nazrul Islam.

After signing the MoU, the IGP said in-creasing technical capability, information exchange and coordination between the two police forces will play a positive role in com-bating crimes in the region. l

NEWS 5D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Dhaka’s babel of bus services to be uni� ed into single companyn Shohel Mamun

The government plans to fold all of the buses and bus routes in Dhaka city into a single gov-ernment-led public transportation company, in a bid to streamline the capital’s chaotic transportation services.

“We are working to form a company to reduce disorder in the capital’s transport sector,” said Kaikobad Hossain, executive di-rector of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).

Although the company will be formed by the government, private bus owners and op-erators will be included in the company’s op-eration committee, sources said.

The DTCA executive director said: “We

have completed a survey on the transporta-tion situation in the capital under the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) and are now reviewing its � ndings.

“We are determining how many buses are currently plying Dhaka city routes and how many buses and minibuses are actually need-ed on each route.”

A DTCA o� cer, who asked not to be named, said: “When all of the bus owners are accommodated under a single company,separate liveries on buses will only be permit-ted to designate di� erent routes. The objec-tive is to reduce competitiveness among bus owners.”

Bus drivers currently break tra� c rules and drive recklessly to beat their competitors

in the race to take on as many passengers as possible.

“When the government limits the number of trips each bus makes each day and � xes drivers’ salaries, the mentality of overtaking will change,” the DTCA o� cer said.

In reply to a query, Kaikobad said: “A num-ber of owners of private air-conditioned buses have applied to be included in the proposed company.”

But he did not specify which companies had applied.

Abul Kalam, president of the Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, an association of pri-vate transport vehicle operators, said: “The Road Transport and Highways Division and DTCA o� cials discussed the formation of the

company with us.“The DTCA said we would be permitted to

hand over our buses for use in the proposed company.”

But Abul Kalam could not say how many private operators had expressed interest in working under the proposed government company.

Shamsul Haque, professor of civil engi-neering at the Bangladesh University of En-gineering and Technology, said: “Many coun-tries successfully operate government-run transport companies.

“If we operate all of the buses in Dhaka un-der a single company, we will reduce the in-discipline that currently plagues the capital’s transport sector.” l

Abul Mansur Ahmad’s 117th birth anniversary observedn Tribune Report

Abul Mansur Ahmad’s political philosophy emerged through literature. He had ironic perspectives which were amusingly pointed out as inconsistencies.

Researchers, littérateurs, academics and journalists made this assessment in the day-long “Abul Mansur Ahmad Memorial Con-ference” held yesterday at the Abdul KarimSahitya Bisharad Auditorium of BanglaAcademy,

The conference was organised by Abul Mansur Ahmad Smiriti Parishad to markthe 117th birth anniversary of the prominent writer.

Three sessions were held, based on Ah-mad’s life as a littérateur, journalist and pol-itician.

Professor emeritus Anisuzzaman, writ-er and novelist Syed Shamsul Haque, Selina Hossian, Dr Biswajit Ghosh, Professor Abdul-lah Abu Sayeed, Syed Abul Maksud, and Abul Momen spoke in the di� erent sessions.

Anisuzzaman said: “Abul Mansur Ahmad’s basic thoughts on politics and culture were unique.”

“He said that Bengali Muslims have a dif-ferent culture. We must go forward with our own culture. He had done such work with in-tegrity,” said the professor.

Syed Shamsul Haque said: “Satirical writ-ings, such a strong medium of literature, are disappearing due to today’s over-sentimental society. We talk about Abul Mansur Ahmad but it is our responsibility to further continue his work.”

Later, a special honorary memorial was given to Dr Ra� qul Islam for editing a six-vol-ume work of Abul Mansur Ahmad.

Additionally, Dr Nurul Amin, Dr Rajib Humayun, Dr Chengis Khan, Dr MizanurRahman and Imran Mahfuz were awarded for their research work on the prominent littéra-teur.

Prof Anisuzzaman bestowed a crest and Tk50,000 to each of the award winners. l

Flood situation to stay staticn Abu Bakar Siddique

The country’s � ood situation is likely to stay the same over the next few days, as the water level continues to climb in rivers of the up-stream Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya.

Like previous days, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre continued to maintain a cautionary stance regarding the overall � ood scenario.

Ripon Karmaker, on-duty forecasting of-� cer of the � ood warning centre, told the Dha-ka Tribune that water levels of the Brahmapu-tra-Jamuna rivers in Bangladesh is expected to rise for at least the next 72 hours as Indian upstream water levels were still rising.

“The current trends show that more areas of northern Bangladesh will be � ooded, espe-cially in the districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajganj, Sherpur, Jamalpur and Suna-mganj,” he added.

In the next 48 hours, the overall � ood sit-uation in the north and central districts might deteriorate, while the Padma would also be experiencing rising trends, Ripon added.

However, the � ood scenario might im-prove in the northeastern parts as almost all the rivers over there, with the exceptions of

Surma-Kushiyara, were in falling trends. All the rivers in this region may remain steady in the next 24 hours before starting to fall in 48 hours.

As the rivers Jamuna and Padma are in ris-ing trend for the last couple of days, the rivers around the Dhaka city are also in rising trend, but are likely to stay below danger level for the next 72 hours.

Ripon Karmaker assured that the water level was not rising in an unusual rate that could cause � ooding in vast areas across the country.

The ongoing � ood situation has been a re-sult of recent heavy rainfall in the country’s north and northeastern regions, along with the Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya. However, the pattern of heavy rainfall in the areas has already been reduced.

According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the volume of rainfall has re-duced in the last 24 hours across the country as the monsoon was receding.

But according to yesterday’s � ood bulle-tin, 22 measuring stations in di� erent north-ern and northeastern rivers in Bangladesh showed that water was still � owing above the danger level. l

‘Saifur was architect of country’s economic discipline’n Tribune Report

Former chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said it was former � nance minister Saifur Rahman who set the footing of the country’s economic discipline.

“Saifur was the main architect of Bangla-desh’s economic discipline and we have to acknowledge it. His economic reforms were so strong and crucial that none could avoid those.

“He introduced stipends for girls, VAT and food for work programme. We now see these programmes getting broader,” Huda told a discussion arranged at the National Press Club to commemorate Saifur’s sixth death an-niversary.

“What is important for politics is not good for economy, and sometimes there is a face-o� between politics and economy,” he said.

“Shah Azizur Rahman passed an order that allowed lawmakers to import cars with-out paying taxes but Ziaur Rahman asked for Saifur’s opinion on this. Saifur opined against the order, saying that it could not be accepted and the order was invalidated. But later HM Ershad allowed parliamentarians to import cars tax free.”

The erstwhile chief election commissioner said Saifur enacted a law to take stern actions against loan defaulters.

Addressing the discussion, former Bangla-desh Bank governor Saleh Uddin Ahmed said Saifur initiated economic reforms in Bang-ladesh even before reforms had been intro-duced in neighbouring India.

“Saifur was a successful � nance minister. He never intervened in the central bank’s op-erations.”

Awami League’s former organising secre-tary Sultan Mohammad Monsur said Saifur acted in a non-partisan manner in spite of his involvement in BNP’s politics. “His develop-ment activities were not only con� ned to Syl-het but spread across the country.”

Monsur also said Saifur knew how to re-spect others.

“One day Saifur told me that Tajuddin Ahmed was a better � nance minister than him.” l

Esteemed guests with the winners of Abul Mansur Ahmed Research Award 2015 at Bangla Academy. The awarding ceremony took place yesterday, on the occasion of satirist Abul Mansur Hossain’s 117th birth anniversary RAJIB DHAR

NEWS6DTSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Traditional boat race heldn Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria

A traditional boat race was held yesterday in the Titas River under Sadar upazila with par-ticipation of nine boats.

Thousands of spectators gathered on the Sarail-Oruail Road to enjoy the the event in the Budda boat terminal area.

The boat from Horipur village under Nasir-nagar upazila won the race.

Local MP Advocate Ziaul Hoque Mridha distributed prizes among the winners.

He said the race was relaunched in 2008 to revive folk culture in the area.

Former chairman of Sarail upazila Awa-mi League Abdul Halim, who is also afreedom � ghter, chaired the prize giving cer-emony.

Sarail Upazila Nirbahi O� cer Md Emran Hossain was present as the special guest.

Many people, including children and stu-dents, gathered on the both banks of the river and the rooftops of nearby buildings to watch the boat race.

Boat race is one of the traditional sports of entertainment of riverine Bangladesh. A fair is held on the bank of the river and the ven-dors sell various types of goods. l

Rubber processing centres in crisisn Our Correspondent, Tangail

Rubber processing centres in Tangail have been facing severe crisis due to want of mod-ern technologies and skilled worker-shortage.

Sources said Bon Shilpa Unnayan Corpora-tion established � ve rubber gardens on 8,150 acres of land in Tangail and Sherpur under Tangail-Sherpur Zone in 1986. The gardens are situated in Peergasa, Chandpur, Santosh-pur, Kamlapur area in Madhupur upazila of Tangail and Karnojora area in Sherpur.

There are 9,86,287 trees are in the garden. Of them 8,08,260 trees are in production. Tk 6,96,00,000 had been earned by selling rub-ber-sheet in the 2013-14 � scal year. The pro-duction target has been � xed at 1,732 tonnes this year, said the corporation o� cials.

The sources say more than 1,400 irregu-lar workers are working on production basis. They are given Tk6 after collecting one kilo-gram of latex which is not su� cient.

Worker Hamela in Momenpur village said: “I get only Tk3,000 per month. It becomes very di� cult to continue my livelihood.”

“If the wages of the workers increase, rub-ber gardens will be developed,” she said.

Another worker Yousuf Ali said: “We can maintain our livelihoods in the working sea-son, but in the o� season it is di� cult to con-tinue with the wages what we get on produc-tion basis.”

“We urge that the authorities increase our facilities soon,” Yousuf Ali demanded.

Ibrahim Khalil, security guard of Peergasa Rubber Garden said due to scarcity of securi-ty guards, outcomers tried to occupy rubber gardens, destroy rubber trees and steel latex.

“They attack us while we resist them. Due

to shortage of manpower and transportation facilities, we cannot collect the trees which get damaged by the storm,” he also said.

Assistant Field Superintendent Md Shar-iful Islam said:“Residential facilities for the sta� s are not satisfactory.”

“We want that the authorities increase our facilities soon,” he said.

Md Mizanur Rahman, Assistant Manager of Peergasa rubber garden said: “If the tapers become skilled by getting training, they will be able to tap the trees accurately. It will in-crease latex production and also increase the lifetime of the rubber trees.”

“Beside this, quality rubber sheet will be in-creased and we will get a better price if we can use modern equipment,” Mizanur also said.

Noushed Alam Faruque, General Manager of Tangail-Sherpur Zone of Bangladesh Bon-shilpa Unnayan Corporation said: “Modern roller machines, smoking rooms are needed to produce quality rubber sheet.”

“The shortage of skilled workers also wors-ens the development,” he also said.

“A proposal has been sent to the higher authority for the development of rubber gar-dens,” Faruque told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Boats sail in the traditional boat race held in the Titas River in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail upazila yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

‘If the tapers become skilled by getting training, they will be able to tap the trees accurately. It will increase latex production and also increase the lifetime of the rubber trees’

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015NEWS 7

DT

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 6:13PM SUN RISES 5:42AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.8ºC 23.4ºC

Khulna Rangpur

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

F O R E C A S T F O R T O D A YDhaka 33 26Chittagong 32 26Rajshahi 34 26Rangpur 32 23Khulna 34 26Barisal 33 26Sylhet 30 24Cox’s Bazar 31 26

PRAYER TIMESFajr 4:22am

Sunrise 5:40amZohr 11:58am

Asr 4:27pmMagrib 6:14pm

Esha 7:44pm

WEATHER

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

HEAVY RAIN LIKELY

The Shantinagar unit of Communist Party of Bangladesh forms a human chain in Shantinagar yesterday demanding immediate solution to water stagnation MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Janmastami celebration begins in Chittagongn Tribune Report

The members of the Hindu Community brought out a jubilant procession on the � rst day of the celebration of the four-day Janmas-tami, the holy birth anniversary of Lord Sri Krishna in the port city and di� erent parts of the district with due festivity and enthusiasm.

The grand procession was brought out from J M Sen hall premises, the main venue of the festival at 10-30am today with the partici-pations of thousands of devotees.

The procession passed through di� erent important roads in the port city including

Andarkillah, Laldighi Maidan , New Market, DC hill, Momin road and terminated at the same venue at 12 noon yesterday, reports BSS.

Advocate Tapan Kanti Das, Secretary of Janmastami Udjapon Parishad, Bangladesh (JUPB) at a pre-procession meeting here to-day said apart from celebrating the festival, they have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the holy birth anniversary of Lord Sri Krishna in a be� tting manner.

The four-day long programmes of Janmas-tami, the second biggest religious festival of the Hindu community began this morning under the auspices of JUPB. l

9-year-old hit by bullet in land disputen Our Correspondent, Comilla

A minor boy sustained bullet injury during an altercation between three men over a piece of land in Comilla’s Debidwar upazila yesterday.

The victim is Zobayer Ahmed, 9. Locals said two men – Shamim Ahmed and

Nur Mohammed Kislu – shared an enmity over a piece of land in Boncot village of the upazila.

Yesterday around 11:30am, when Shamim opted to set up a toilet on the disputed piece of land, Kislu came and obstructed him. Hear-ing the news, the owner of the land Mokbul Hossain Mukul arrived at the spot. Kislu and Mukul engaged in a brawl.

At one point Kislu opened � re targeting Mukul that hit Shamim’s son Zobayer on leg.

Locals took Zobayer to Debidwar Upazila Health Complex from where he was trans-ferred to the Comilla Medical College Hospi-tal.

Debidwar police station O� cer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman said police were trying to arrest the culprit. l

Uncertainty looms large over crisis-ridden Khulna Hardboard Mill n Our Correspondent, Khulna

Some 48,000 pieces of hardboards worth Tk2.5 crore lay unsold at Khulna Hardboard Mill, putting the facility in severe crisis.

Dealers have recently been more eager to have their securities returned in the face of the crisis, amid worries that the mill might get out of business.

A severe cash crunch, which resulted in in-ability to purchase raw materials and furnace oil, led to an inde� nite closure of the facility in April 2011.

The government came to its rescue and approved a loan of Tk10 crore, which came with some conditions, in November 2012, and production resumed around eight months later.

In the next three months, hardboards valued at Tk3 crore were produced and each hardboard was priced at Tk540, but dealers termed the price in� ated.

The mill authorities then paid part of the dealers’ overdue payments and the dealers urged to re-adjust prices in line with the mar-ket price.

But the products produced were not sold, causing the mill to be plagued by fund short-age and eventually halt production.

Khulna Hardboard Dealers Association General Secretary SM Monir Hossain said there was little hope that the mill would go back into operation as far as the existing crisis was concerned.

“Dealers are about to push for having more than Tk20 lakh returned, which they deposit-ed as caution money,” he said.

The association’s Joint Secretary M Sham-sul Islam Jahangir said the mill authorities had verbally been asked to return the deal-ers’ securities and the next step would follow soon.

Mollah Farid Ahmed, convener of Khulna Hardboard Mill Banchao Sangram Parishad,

said the industries minister while visiting the facility ensured that production would re-sume but that was yet to happen.

He said a sense of disappointment had en-gulfed the mill workers as they had not been paid for three months.

The mill, set up on 9.96 acres of land in Khalishpur in 1965, went into commercial operation a year later. It won a gold medal for outstanding performance in 1980 but was � rst hit by crisis in 2002 when it announced job cuts.

The facility’s project chief, Md Mamunur Rasul, admitted that the situation was not optimistic as e� orts to reopen the facility had been futile and talks were still underway.

“As per the decision of Bangladesh Chemi-cal Industries Corporation, a tender was � oat-ed in April to sell the unsold hardboards but the price o� ered by the highest bidder was markedly below the expected rate. The ten-der was later discontinued,” he said. l

3 killed in clashesn Tribune Report

At least three people were killed and 39 others injured in separate clashes in Sunamganj and Manikganj districts yesterday.

In Sunamganj, Two people were killed and 30 others injured during a clash between two groups at Pirpur village in Chhatak upazila at noon, reports UNB.

The victims were identi� ed as Batu Miah, 45, son of Masuk Ali, of Pirpur village, and Kabir Ahmed, 25, son of Shamser Ali of the village.

Police and locals said the clash ensued around 2pm following an altercation between supporters of Kabir Ahmed and Selim Miah of the village over previous enmity.

Both groups equipped with home made arms attacked each another, leaving Kabir dead on the spot and 31 others injured.

Of the injured, � ve were admitted Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Batu dead.

The rest were taken to di� erent hospitals.In Manikganj, Motaleb Mollah, 70, was

killed and nine other people were injured in a clash between two groups over land dispute at Ostadona village in the upazila around 2pm, reports our correspondent.

Police said the clash erupted between two groups when some youths of a local club went to capture a khas (government) land beside a road in the village, leaving 10 people, includ-ing Motaleb, injured.

Motaleb died on the way to hospital while nine others were taken to Dhaka Medical Col-lege Hospital (DMCH). l

UP chairman arrestedn Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

Police arrested yesterday Abdullah Al Mamoon Ripon, Chairman of Shuvagacha Union Parish-ad under Kajipur upazila of the district.

Mizanur Rahman, o� cer-in-charge Ka-jipur police station said the police arrested Ripon in the morning form his house and recovered a ri� e, 15 bullets, seven machetes, 11 yaba tablets and eight bottles of phensidyl from his possession.

Arrested Ripon is a local BNP leader and several cases are pending against him with di� erent police stations.

A case was � led against him. l

WORLD8DTSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

India cancels foreign funding licence of Greenpeacen Reuters, New Delhi

India’s government has cancelled a licence that allowed Greenpeace International’s In-dian unit receive donations from abroad, the environmental group said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s govern-ment suspended the group’s licence in April and blocked foreign funds in many of its bank accounts. The government said Greenpeace misreported funds and spent money to ob-struct developmental projects.

“It is yet another attempt to silence cam-paigns for a more sustainable future and trans-parency in public processes,” Vinuta Gopal, interim co-executive director at Greenpeace India, said in a statement late on Thursday.

The government says it has found holes in Greenpeace’s balance sheet. The group re-jects the allegations and has launched a legal action against Modi’s government.

“Since the majority of our funding comes from Indian citizens, most of our work can indeed continue,” the Greenpeace statement said. l

Opinion poll: Greek conservatives pull ahead of leftist Syrizan Reuters, Athens

Greece’s conservative New Democracy party has taken a tiny lead among voters over left-ist Syriza ahead of the September 20 elec-tion, a new opinion poll published on Friday showed.

New Democracy has rapidly closed the gap with Syriza in recent days, and the Metron Analysis poll on Friday was the second this week to show it overtaking former prime min-ister Alexis Tsipras’s party.

Syriza would get 23.4% of the vote while New Democracy would take 24%, the poll showed. Over 11% of the respondents were undecided. l

UN set to back raising Palestinian � agn AFP, United Nations

A draft resolution on raising the Palestinian � ag at the United Nations will likely be adopted next week in time for president Mahmud Abbas’ visit to New York, the Palestinian envoy said Thursday.

The UN General Assembly will vote on Septem-ber 10 on the measure that is almost certain to garner a majority of votes in the 193-nation forum.

“We have the votes and we are working to get as many votes as we can,” said Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the United Nations.

Once adopted, the UN will have 20 days to carry out the decision, which would be in time for Abbas’ visit on September 30.

Mansour declined to say whether a formal � ag-raising ceremony would be held during Abbas’ visit, an event that would highlight the Palestin-ians’ aspirations for statehood.

“It is a symbolic thing but it is another step to

solidify the pillars of the state of Palestine in the international arena and give our people a small hope that the international community is still supporting the independence of the state of Pales-tine,” Mansour told reporters.

The draft resolution presented last week to the General Assembly would allow the � ags of Pales-tine and of the Holy See to be hoisted alongside those of the 193 member states.

Both the Vatican and Palestine have non-mem-ber observer status at the United Nations.

Israeli angerIsrael’s envoy to the United Nations this week expressed strong opposition to the initiative, accusing the Palestinians of trying to “score easy and meaningless points at the UN.”

Ambassador Ron Prosor had asked UN Secre-tary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly president Ron Kutesa to block the move, which would break with the UN practice of � ying only the

� ags of member states.UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Ban

would abide by the General Assembly decision.European countries were discussing the

vote and could decide to abstain, according to a diplomat.

The General Assembly upgraded the status of the Palestinians to that of non-member observer state in 2012.

Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are among the world leaders converg-ing on UN headquarters as of September 25 for an anti-poverty summit and the annual General Assembly debate.

Pope Francis is to make a much-anticipated ad-dress on September 25. The Vatican has o� cially recognized Palestine as a state.

The Holy See said it would abide by the decision of the General Assembly. But it also noted that the tradition at the United Nations was to � y the � ags of full members. l

ANALYSIS

China’s Xi stands tall, but pressures mountingn AFP, Beijing

China’s front pages were plastered Friday with images of President Xi Jinping reviewing a giant military parade, but analysts say the show of untrammelled power is undermined by signs of disquiet within Communist ranks and fears the economy is eluding its control.

In less than three years Xi has consolidated authority to a remarkable degree compared with his predecessors, demonstrated when he rode in an open-topped Red Flag limousine past row upon row of soldiers.

“Just symbolically you can see that he is at the apex of his power,” said Willy Lam, an expert on Chinese politics at the Chinese Uni-versity of Hong Kong.

Xi has become the “big boss” of the Com-munist Party, Lam added, far outpacing other

top leaders such as Premier Li Keqiang, who was relegated to announcing the start of the parade.

“At this stage he seems unassailable,” Lam said.

Since coming to power in late 2012 as Com-munist Party general secretary, Xi has pushed what he calls the “Chinese dream”, a prom-ise to revitalise the nation so it can assume a world position be� tting its status as a great power.

Under him the ruling party has pledged re-forms to give the market the “decisive role” in the economy, and his campaign against graft has rocked the 88-million-strong organisa-tion that has ruled the People’s Republic since 1949, as well as its armed force, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

His public image has been burnished by

common touch demonstrations such as a visit to a bun shop, as well as the glamour of his wife Peng Liyuan, a popular singer.

Later this month Xi will make a state visit to Washington, a� rming what Beijing sees as its equal “great power” status with the United States.

Pressure buildingBut the public displays cannot hide the fact that China faces serious problems, especially slowing growth and � nancial market turmoil.

The deployment of hundreds of billions of dollars on the exchanges, which failed to stop share prices falling, has spurred concern that Xi and other leaders still have interventionist tendencies and could struggle to handle an increasingly sophisticated economy.

State media commentaries last month sug-

gested deep aversions within the Communist Party to Xi’s reforms, adding another element of uncertainty.

“The scale of the di� culties and resist-ance, and the obstinacy, truculence, complex-ity and weirdness of forces that cannot adapt to, or even oppose the reforms, are probably beyond what could have been imagined,” said a commentary on state broadcaster CCTV’s website.

Now that Xi had established himself as the “supreme leader”, Lam said, questions were being asked on “what is the next step, what is he doing in the area of reform?”

“So the pressure is building,” he added.Xi’s prestige has been hit by the � nancial

turmoil, analysts say, with many of China’s 90m investors losing money in the country’s torrid summer on the markets. l

French farmers, driving their tractors, converge on the Place de la Nation square in Paris on Thursday. Hundreds of tractors were heading towards Paris for a protest where farmers called for more help with low prices and high costs in the EU’s largest agro-producer country REUTERS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Putin slams Ukraine for Kiev unrestn AFP, Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday condemned the deadly clashes that took place this week between police and national-ists in Kiev and questioned how long Ukrain-ians would “put up with” the instability rock-ing the country.

In his � rst public comments on the unrest, Putin lamented the “tragic events” which un-folded outside Ukraine’s parliament on Mon-day after a vote on granting more autonomy to regions, including two breakaway pro-Rus-sian regions in the east.

Three National Guard members died in a grenade blast during the clashes, which the government blamed on an ultra-nationalist group.

Speaking at an international economic fo-rum in Vladivostok, Putin was quoted by TASS state news agency as saying the violence con-stituted “the next enactment of the political confrontation in Ukraine”, where the ouster of a pro-Russian president in 2014 brought a pro-Western government to power.

Asked how he saw events in the former So-viet state unfolding, Putin said: “This doesn’t depend on us, this depends on Ukraine itself, on the Ukrainian people, how long the Ukrain-ian people will put up with this bacchanalia.”

The constitutional reforms being debated by Kiev’s parliament, which passed a � rst read-ing in parliament Monday, are part of a package of reforms required under a February peace deal between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels in the east who took up arms against Kiev after the February 2014 ouster of Russian-backed then president Viktor Yanukovych.

Putin said that it was “crucial” to give more powers to the separatist Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

He also urged Ukraine to pass a law on am-nesty for combattants. l

Putin: Europe migrant crisis was to be ‘expected’n AFP, Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called Europe’s migrant crisis a predictable re-sult of its policies in the Middle East and said he had personally warned of the consequences.

“I consider that this crisis was absolutely expected,” Putin said in comments broadcast on national television.

“We in Russia, and your humble servant in particular, several years ago said that there would be big problems if our so-called West-ern partners followed this mistaken -- as I al-ways said -- policy.”

Russia is a long-standing ally of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which it is continuing to support militarily.

The West supports the mainstream op-position, which has been overtaken in many parts of the country by jihadist groups like the Islamic State (IS) that are being targeted by a US-led campaign of airstrikes.

Moscow, which is not part of the cam-paign, has proposed extending the anti-IS co-alition to include Assad’s government and its allies -- a suggestion that has been summarily dismissed by the West.

Putin on Friday � ercely criticised Europe’s foreign policy in the Middle East and in north-ern Africa, which he said was oblivious to lo-cal speci� cities.

“What is this policy? It’s an imposition of their standards, not taking into account his-torical, religious, national or cultural traits of those regions,” Putin said.

He also accused US media of being hypo-critical in its reaction to the su� ering of mi-grants arriving in Europe, many of them � ee-ing the war in Syria.

The Russian leader stressed he was mak-ing the criticisms “not to say ‘look how clever we are, and how short-sighted our partners proved to be’.”

“We need to work out what to do,” he said. l Source: UNHCR

Some 4.09 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries since 2011, according to the UNHCRSyrian refugees

TURKEY1,938,999

EGYPT132,375

NORTHAFRICA*24,055

By country of registrationUNHCR persons of concern

As of August 29

DAMASCUS

1,113,941LEBANON

*Morocco,Algeria,Libya

7.6 million internallydisplaced

MillionsChange over time

IRAQ249,463

51.1%of refugeesare children

20.85-11

4 and under

17.7%

3.160+

12.612-17

45.818-59

JORDAN629,245

Mar2012

Jan2013

Jan2014

Jan2015

Aug2015

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

By age group

Britain’s Labour party leader candidates clash over Europen AFP, London

Candidates to head Britain’s Labour party clashed over how to approach a referendum on membership of the European Union on Thurs-day, in the � nal debate to decide who should be the country’s new opposition leader.

The surprise frontrunner in the contest, anti-austerity candidate Jeremy Corbyn, has been criticised for being unclear on whether he would de� nitely support Britain’s remain-ing in the EU.

Labour is in a battle to rede� ne itself after the party, lost to Conservative party in a May election, with the new leader due to be select-ed by September 12.

Asked by the debate moderator whether he considered himself a strong pro-EU can-didate, Corbyn launched into criticism of the 28-member bloc.

“I’m concerned about the way the Europe-an Union is increasingly operating like a free market across Europe, tearing up the social chapter, damaging working class and working interests across Europe,” Corbyn said.

Andy Burnham, a 45-year-old former min-ister who is in second place behind Corbyn, emphasised that Labour needed a leader who would be clear on their stance on Europe.

“We could be a year away from a European referendum. This referendum will be the de-� nitive moment in politics for a generation I believe,” Burnham said.

“I want to lead a pro-European party from day one,” he added. “It’s not perfect but La-bour should always make the pro-European argument and win that referendum.”

The runner-up candidates took turns chal-lenging Corbyn over his critical stance.

Yvette Cooper, a party insider who polls in-dicate is in third place, warned that change to Europe would not be possible if Labour was to “just stand on the sidelines and shout”.

Liz Kendall, seen as the most centrist of the candidates, declared herself “the strong-est pro-European candidate in this contest” and interrupted Corbyn as he criticised the EU, saying “How are you going to change it if you’re out of it?”

The four candidates agreed that Britain

should do more to help refugees � eeing to Europe from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Burnham said the issues of the EU and migration were “linked”, saying that Britain would have a stronger hand to negotiate re-forms if it did its part to help refugees, while Corbyn and Cooper indicated far more should be allowed into Britain.

Meanwhile, In a surprising move on Friday, British eurosceptic leader Nigel Farage on Fri-day said he wanted leftist Jeremy Corbyn to be the next leader of the Labour Party and in-vited him to join his campaign for Britain to leave the European Union.

Since being re-elected prime minister, Cameron has undertaken a whirlwind of di-plomacy to drum up support for reforms he wants to the EU, including restricting access to British welfare for migrants from within the EU and an opt-out of a committment to ever-closer union.

Cameron has said he will campaign for Britain to remain in the union, as long as the reforms are agreed. l

British PM agrees to take more Syrian refugeesn Reuters, Lisbon

British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed on Friday that Britain would take in “thou-sands more” Syrian refugees.

Cameron gave no precise � gures, but a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency told reporters in Geneva that the British move would improve the lives of 4,000 Syrians.

Several of his own Conservative legislators and the human rights chief of the Council of Europe urged Britain to take in more refugees.

“Given the scale of the crisis and the suf-fering of people, today I can announce that we will do more in providing resettlement for thousands more Syrian refugees,” Cameron told reporters in Lisbon after meeting his Por-tuguese counterpart.

Later in the day in Spain, he also said Britain will spend a further £100m pounds ($152m) on humanitarian aid to address the Syrian refugee crisis.

About 5,000 Syrians who made their own way to Britain since the start of the war in their country have been granted asylum, and another 216 were brought to Britain under a UN-backed relocation scheme. l

WORLD 9D

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015WORLD10D

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Harvard gives students more latitude to describe their gendern Reuters, Boston

Harvard University’s largest academic divi-sion is allowing students register for the new academic year as male, female or transgen-der and choose which gendered or gender-less pronouns they prefer, school o� cials said Thursday.

The Ivy League school’s arts and science college, which enrolls about half of Harvard’s 21,000 students, will give them the chance to indicate whether they prefer to use the tradi-tional pronouns “he” and “she” or alternatives including “ze,” “hir” or variants of “they.”

“If faculty or advisers are inadvertently outing someone by using a name or pronoun that doesn’t re� ect their authentic self, that is a problem,” said Michael Burke, registrar for the university’s school of arts and scienc-es. He noted that the program may be rolled out across Harvard’s other schools next year.

Professors will be able to access this in-formation through a new student informa-tion system, eliminating what Burke said can sometimes be an awkward conversation about gender identity between professors and their new students.

“If on the � rst day of class your professor

is referring to you as a man, and you iden-tify as a woman, even if you’re not trans, you could understand how that might a� ect you,” Burke said. “It’s jarring.”

The move comes at a time of increased awareness of transgender Americans, with Ohio State University for the � rst time o� ering housing for transgender freshman beginning this year and the White House saying it had hired its � rst openly transgender sta� mem-ber, Ra� Freedman-Gurspan, who was named outreach and recruitment director in the White House O� ce of Presidential Personnel.

The move is expected to raise few eyebrows

in liberal-leaning Massachusetts, which more than a decade ago became the � rst US state to legalize gay marriage, Burke said.

“This is not a very radical thing here on campus,” Burke said. It’s not uncommon for me to go to a meeting where people intro-duce themselves not only by their name and title, but by their gender pronoun.”

But a similar move by the University of Ten-nessee, where a newsletter from the school’s O� ce of Diversity and Inclusion suggested that professors asked students what pronoun they preferred and noted that “ze,” “zir” and “zirs” was an option, drew harsh criticism. l

11D

TEDITORIALSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

INSIDE

We welcome the announcement by the Alliance for Bangladesh Workers Safety that more RMG factories have completed 100% of required remediation work to ensure the highest international standards of safety.

Of the 528 factories visited by Alliance, a clear majority are making progress as the brand-led stakeholder initiative completes two years of work. While there is a lot more to be achieved, as a � fth of Alliance inspected have made less than 20% progress, it is evident that the work being undertaken by Alliance, Accord, the Sustainability Compact and National Tripartite Action Plan, is moving encouragingly forward.

This is vital to help Bangladesh’s garment manufacturing sector move on from the Rana Plaza disaster and build a safe and sustainable industry.

Mckinsey’s most recent report indicates major buyers are still looking to move RMG production away from China and Bangladesh is expected to be a main destination.

As global competition increases, with Myanmar recently announcing a minimum monthly wage of around $67 a month for a six-day work week, it is absolutely essential Bangladesh’s RMG sector ties improving compliance with investment to increase productivity and competitiveness. It cannot a� ord the risks of a race to the bottom, but must strive to add value and diversify products and customers so that it can build and grow on its established links with major buyers and brands.

It is encouraging to see Alliance working with Bangladeshi stakeholders and USAID to help fund new loans for factory improvements. It must be hoped these moves will also help exporters achieve the aim of restoring the country’s GSP privileges with the US to help boost con� dence.

The government should allocate under-utilised khas and other state-controlled lands for investors to develop new industrial zones and allow more new RMG factories to be built, to help secure the industry’s future.

Tie improving compliance with investment to increase productivity and add value to secure industry’s future

Build on compliance to boost RMG competitiveness

Be heardWrite to Dhaka Tribune

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Arts & LettersPAGE 15

A wicked traitor?PAGE 16-17

Those of you on a civilising mission

PAGE 14

Slaying the Trump card

PAGE 12

OPINION12DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

n M Serajul Islam

The Republicans are now seriously worried. They had hoped that the Donald Trump tsunami would blow over without causing the party seri-

ous damage. Donald Trump’s performance in the TV debate of the 10 top runners out of the 16 in the race for the Republican ticket, that was held on August 6, was bizarre.

Most of those who watched the debate had little doubt that not only had he out-debated himself from contention for the Republican ticket, but had also caused the party serious damage by the views he had expressed leading to the debate during the debate, and immediately afterwards, on national and international issues that are expected to grab the attention of the voters in the next presi-dential election.

In the US, women voters out-number male voters, however slightly. Latino voters are now in enough strength to act as swing voters to determine the eventual winners with near-ly 9% of the votes. Donald Trump’s views on women and Latinos are unbelievable, coming from someone who would like to be the pres-ident, and a party that is going by established sequence should send its candidate to the White House. Since President Eisenhower, no party has succeeded in sending its candidate to the White House after a two-term presi-dent in the White House.

In the August 6 debate, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly reminded Donald Trump that he had, at various times, called women “fat pigs,” “dogs,” “slobs,” and “disgusting animals.” Instead of denying the allegations, Donald Trump had replied that he did not have time for “total political correctness.” He later called the Fox anchor a “bimbo.” He called Mexican immigrants “rapists and drug runners.” When that statement, made in June, caused uproar, he did not scale back and, in fact, made many more insult-ing remarks that are not just going to upset millions of Mexican-Americans but also the Latino voters in the country.

Donald Trump, however, paid no atten-tion to the uproar in a large section of voters in the country, as well as the Latinos in general, intentionally for short-term gains. He understood correctly that his bizarre views appealed to a strong minority of the Republicans who held equally bizarre views about Mexicans, Latinos, and immigrants in general, a minority that fell behind him more solidly after the August 6 debate. This minority of extreme-right conservatives is, nevertheless, enough to allow Donald Trump a comfortable lead in the large pack in the race for the Republican ticket.

Aware that there were a few more he could get in his camp after analysing the post Au-gust 6 debate, he announced an immigration plan in which the 11 million illegal immi-grants in the country would be sent home. Under him, if elected, the 14th Amendment that allowed citizenship to anyone born in the US, would be scrapped. And between Mexico and the US, in his immigration plan, a wall would be built and the money to build

that wall would be paid by Mexico!Critics of President Geourge W Bush who

had concluded that, in him, the country had a president who ran the administration with the mentality of a cowboy, are now at a loss about how to describe Donald Trump. His idea of foreign relations is for the US to take the world by the neck and deal with it like a master treats his subjects. If elected, he said he would bomb ISIS to pulp and send ground troops to ensure that the terrorist group would be completely annihilated. And the expenses for such an adventure would be borne by Saudi Arabia. He also has equally absurd ideas about dealing with China.

The bizarre views of Donald Trump not-withstanding, he continues to amaze, puzzle, and worry di� erent groups in the country di� erently. His extreme-right supporters are amazed about how his views have jelled them together to support him more enthu-siastically, because, in him, they have found someone who is not afraid of expressing extreme views on sensitive issues because of “political correctness.”

The majority of Americans are puzzled how someone with such outlandish world-views and equally outlandish views on domestic issues is holding on to his lead in the Re-publican Party and even building on it. The Republican Party is worried because, unless they � nd a way to sideline him soon, he may damage the party to the extent where the White House would be for the asking for the Democrats.

The latest polls on the Iowa caucuses, to be held in February, that would kick o� the 2016 presidential elections that have come out this week, are particularly worrisome for the Republicans. A new Bloomberg/Des Moines Registrar (Iowa’s main newspaper) poll conducted among Republican Iowa caucus goers, placed Donald Trump with 23% support � rmly in lead. The more signi� cant outcome of the poll was the fact that 61% of Iowa Republicans now view his candidature favourably against 35% who see it in an unfa-vourable light. In May, 63% had viewed him unfavourably, with 23% favourably.

Iowa, an agricultural state, is not really an important state in terms of its voter distribu-tion to be truly representative of the national mood. Nevertheless, the performance of

the candidates in the Iowa caucuses of the two main parties, have been taken seriously based on past presidential elections in giving an early indication of the chances of the candidates in eventually winning the ticket of their respective parties. Therefore, the Bloomberg/Des Moines poll result has only added to the worries of the Republican Party over Donald Trump.

It has been said that President Clinton had a telephone conversation with Donald Trump before the latter announced his candidature. The truth in the telephone call has not been proven though. Nevertheless, Donald Trump has now emerged the way President Clinton would have wanted if he had indeed made that telephone call -- to encourage him to become the Republican candidate. Given Donald Trump’s known views in politics, President Clinton, like many, knew that Hillary Clinton would have almost a walk over if the Republicans were forced to give him the ticket.

If Donald Trump holds on to the support he has been receiving from the extreme-right with now new elements consisting of those who are fed up with “political correctness”

joining, the Republican Party would have to conjure up some tricks to deny him the tick-et. Even if they can make something up and side-line Donald Trump eventually, he has threatened to become a third-party presiden-tial candidate that too would hand the White House to the democrats on a silver platter.

If the Republicans were to deny him the ticket and also � nd a way to encourage him not to become a third-party candidate, with some luck, the bizarre views that he has thus far expressed on the major election issues have already done serious damage to the Republicans because some of the other candidates in the race have expressed views nearly as bizarre as Donald Trump to remain in the race and take away some of the extreme right voters of Donald Trump. Thus, the Republican Party seems damned if it nominated Donald Trump and also damned if it does not. Unless the Democrats come up with something more disastrous than Donald Trump, the Republicans’ road to the White House, at this stage, appears to be a bumpy one. l

M Serajul Islam is a retired career ambassador.

Slaying the Trump cardThe Republican Party has a problem, and its name is Donald Trump

Critics of President George W Bush who had concluded that, in him, the country had a president who ran the administration with the mentality of a cowboy, are now at a loss about how to describe Donald Trump

Trumps outlandish, pompous views are incompatible with modern America, regardless of party a� liations REUTERS

OPINION 13D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

n Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud

I live in London: The greatest city in the world after Dhaka. The Greek debt crisis is one of hottest topics in the breakfast table here. There are extremists on both

ends. Some people think the Greeks are just lazy and they should be strangled to death till they pay their debt. There is no shortage of people who, on the other hand, think that austerity is not the right way to go and that the EU is just fending o� the inevitable.

This morning, I was trying to focus on the baked beans and eggs on my plate while my European colleagues were passionately de-

bating on how much debt Greece in the � rst place should have been allowed to take, and it suddenly dawned on me: What about our country? Really, we never talk about it. Are we just playing blind? Well, my research says we have borrowed too little. Sounds irration-al? Not so much.

Almost all of us were, in some fashion, advised that piling up loans to repay is a bad thing. However, people like me who ended up studying � nance, now know that that’s not really the case. The whole concept of “� nancial leverage” tells you that an entity should borrow up to a sustainable level to bene� t from � nancial leverage. I work in the

corporate � nance division for one of the larg-est corporations in the aerospace industry. Here, a low level of borrowing is deemed as poor management of shareholders’ equi-ty. For a country, the shareholders are the tax-payers.

Of course, countries are not necessarily like giant corporations. There are more than a few additional variables when it comes to a nation. However, a very well-run country like Singapore shows similar attributes to successful corporations. You might say, “OK, intelligent people must have worked on this before.” You are absolutely right.More than a dozen economists have contributed to this knowledge bank. The most widely used and simple parameter that can indicate a coun-try’s debt level is its gross public debt as a percentage of GDP -- Greece has an unusually high percentage in this regard and Bangla-desh very low.

In 2002, Catherine Pattillo, a high pro� le economist from IMF, found that the average impact of external debt on per capita GDP growth is negative for debt levels above 35% to 40% of GDP for developing countries. Sounds promising? Wait. About � ve years ago, two famous Harvard professors (Rein-hart and Rogo� ) concluded that growth rates for countries with public debt over roughly 90% of GDP, are several percentage points lower.

In fact, their � nding was deemed so valu-able that it served as an intellectual bulwark in support of austerity politics post � nancial crisis. However, three students from MIT proved recently that there is no real evidence that GDP growth is a� ected after a 90% debt-to-GDP ratio.

So, in essence, the scholars are divided and there isn’t enough to draw a conclusion that supports this desire to lower sovereign debt, if not the opposite. You’d think that with all that’s going on in the Western world, researchers would be keen to understand developing countries better. In reality, that hasn’t happened.

Now, let’s look at Bangladesh and our peers. It appears that we have tried to reduce our debt levels over time. There are not too many countries that are doing the same. The other obvious question is about what countries with similar economic conditions are doing. According to IMF’s country classi-� cation, Bangladesh falls under the Emerging and Developing Asian country category. And within that group, we are sitting at the lower quadrant in terms of debt-to-GDP level. Countries below Bangladesh are also mostly much smaller or are unique economies.

From every angle, it really feels like we are just being too risk averse. Maybe not! Maybe our Finance Ministry is too smart, and as citizens we should not be worrying about these things at all. It is not also absolutely unlikely that our thinking regime is still living in the medieval age and are trying to make us believe that we are on our way towards becoming an e� cient and successful economy.

We always talk about the need of in-frastructural development in Bangladesh. Surely we could borrow more and help accelerate economic growth? Surely we could build more educational institutes that will improve our productivity as a nation and, hence again, accelerate growth? These are the questions we should be asking ourselves and if possible our decision-makers. l

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud leads the planning team for a major airline.

How does Bangladesh compare to Greece?We need to talk about Bangladesh's debt situation

According to IMF’s country classi� cation, Bangladesh falls under the Emerging and Developing Asian country category. And within that group, we are sitting at the lower quadrant in terms of debt-to-GDP level. Countries below Bangladesh are also mostly much smaller or are unique economies

Bangladesh needs to take note of Greece's � nancial mistakes REUTERS

OPINION14DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

n Shehtaz Huq

On the one hand, Republican political commentator Ann Coulter denounces “speech Nazis” at an Iowa rally for GOP presidential

candidate Donald Trump, simultaneously drawing the ire of those who are “up to here” with Trump’s grab-bag of sins (xenophobia, jingoism, misogyny … one gets the picture). On the other hand, I get a call from the manager of my gym asking if my instructor’s choice of song was the reason I cut out of class 20 minutes early.

In this corner, we have a vast need for self-editing -- political correctness, even. And in this corner, perhaps a little too PC?

The balance between o� ensive and inclusive is razor-thin. What is said in jest in the comfort of one’s home is never uttered in polite society (sometimes, with good reasons). Other times, we grasp for that nebulous sweet spot of culturally-sensitive-yet-free-to-express-opinions, blindly, not knowing if a carefully crafted comment on immigration, or the job market, or why

certain regions of the world shun pork while others do not, will inadvertently o� end someone else.

Google claims that political correctness is “the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalise, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.” On the surface, this e� ort is laudable. Rarely

do people shun a culture of inclusivity, especially in small-town America where locals pride themselves on their sense of community. Yet, the ways in which inclusivity is implemented, especially at an institutional level, fall short of undoing marginalisation.

Wearing a T-shirt that proclaims “COEXIST” will not, sadly, “cut it.” Nor will extreme policing of thought, to the point where a manager goes into his organisation’s data system (and perhaps closed-circuit surveillance footage) to determine which patron left what class at approximately what hour, all the while operating under the impression that the song choice was o� ensive.

One worries that a cultural “safe space” does not exist at the institutional level. One is so concerned with maintaining inclusivity that genuine dialogue, the kind that promotes cross-cultural understanding, is stamped out. Co-workers who are truly curious, or intrigued, or befuddled, feel awkward addressing their concerns for the fear of “crossing lines.”

To be fair, that degree of concern is not a bad thing. As a person of colour working at a school that’s sta� ed with predominantly white, middle-class colleagues, I appreciate my co-workers’ e� orts to make me feel more welcome. Yet it comes at the cost of us learning from each other, given our mutual lack of insight into each other’s backgrounds compounded by our fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

A culture of “assuming the best” could get us to that sweet spot of culturally-sensitive-yet-insightful-commentary. Comedians Lily Tomlin and Cameron Esposito leverage their spotlight to address, not shirk, uncomfortable questions about their sexual orientation with compassion and humor. Louis CK often addresses the realities of living as a white male in America

in his routines, o� ering up searing critiques en route, while still promoting a culture of inclusivity.

It can be done, and done well, but one must pair compassion with patience, social intelligence with self-control -- and that is where the razor-thin line between inclusivity and o� ensiveness becomes hard to walk.

Shehtaz Huq is a teacher based in Rochester, NY.

I didn’t mean to o� end you The line between too much political correctness and insensitivity is razor-thin

One worries that a cultural ‘safe space’ does not exist at the institutional level. One is so concerned with maintaining inclusivity that genuine dialogue, the kind that promotes cross-cultural understanding, is stamped out

Can we say anything at all without fear of o� ense? BIGSTOCK

LONG FORM 15D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

n Adnan R Amin

Those of you on a civilising mission -- listen up!

You! Yes, you … who regularly risk mockery when you refuse to litter in

unliveable cities. And you, who would rather give leftovers to the hungry than dispose of them at the restaurant. And you, who are also part-time teachers to your household help. You, who hop o� rickshaws when going uphill. You too, who are intent on � nding worthy recipients for your hand-me-down textbooks. And you, who protest food adul-terers on the streets. You, who compulsively tighten faucets and turn o� stoves in order to conserve.

Your campaigns mean more than you think.

Let it be said that presuming to civilise a civilisation that is thousands of years old can raise suspicions about delusions of grandeur; about a (brown) saviour complex. But I urge you to brush aside such discomfort or hes-itation; the people will learn to see it as the price of social activism. You, the do-gooders -- let me tell you that even without knowing it, Bangladesh needs you to step up. Now, more than ever.

Those of you on a civilising mission -- you know who you are. It is you, who are thought outlandish because you insist that domestic help should not only eat the same food, but also at the same table. It is you, who refuse to cross an empty street, because red lights mean “stop.” It is you who are made to wait half an hour in Bangla time fashion because you got to the meeting � ve minutes early.

It is you, who call out the queue-jumper at a super-shop. It is you, who point out that pro� ciency in foreign languages does not equal having learned their virtues and man-ners. It is you who refuse to give up positions

of morality in the face of ancient traditions and cynical cultures.

You are on a civilising mission if you are still spelling out why ridiculing celebrities for marrying dark, homely spouses is not okay. You are on the mission if you call out aunties who post about Sheryl Sandberg but insist on marriage over career for Bengali girls. You are on a civilising mission if you su� er in endless queues because your refused to pay a bribe. You are on a civilising mission if you post about modern apartheids, not because you hate the aggressors, but because you truly feel for the victims.

You are on a civilising mission if you crit-icise royal crimes, not because you secretly serve the vizier, but because of the principle. You are on a civilising mission if you tell people about the di� erences between what is just and what is legal. You are on a civilising mission if you can overcome the discomfort of talking about intra-familial and marital rape. You are on a civilising mission if you preach that the son shall not bear the sins of the father; or devour the fruits of his labour.

It is you who turn into a temporary traf-� c-controller at an immobile intersection. It is you who turn collective opinion against ad hominem attacks on social media. It is you who give up your bus seat for someone more deserving. It is you who embark on Facebook crusades to � nd homes for puppies. It is you who stop to kneel by the old beggar lying listless on the sidewalk. It is you who insist on crediting original authors and artists in this age of misinformation, plagiarism, and instant sharing.

It is you who accept a slap and a scratch while stopping a street � ght. It is you who develop a free tra� c app, not to lure in VCs, but just to help. It is you who rush to sites of humanitarian disasters, armed with only able limbs and bleeding hearts. It is you who are

still prepared to make personal sacri� ces for collective gains.

You are the modern, deconstructed prophets.

Those of you on a civilising mission -- don’t get caught up in politics. You will � nd resistance against honesty and altruism, more than you will � nd against crime. There is an idiom in Bangla that roughly translates to “to live o� the family and drive cattle in the forest.” It points to the altruistic pursuit of higher, collective goals at the expense of one’s worldly support systems.

If idioms are any re� ection of cultural wis-dom, then this culture probably views self-less altruism as ultimately foolish. Centuries of feudal rule have taught us that rulers and subjects must be at constant loggerheads. What you can have for yourself is only what you can cheat the ruler and the neighbours out of. We are yet to emerge from that dysto-pia in to a society where cheating the system is not the norm. Sadly, it has turned us into believers in “apne baachle baaper naam” (ask about your father only if you yourself are saved � rst).

In contrast, yours is the journey of a hermit: Sel� ess, unsung, and apparently pointless. But hold on to your “no harm” principle and soldier on. You may be campaigning for royalty for local musicians. Or you may be seeding documentaries or e-books of expensive texts. Even these two diametrically opposite activities may have the common, noble goal of civilising. So don’t bother with ideology or approval, as long as your goal is true.

Those of you on a civilising mission -- know that your journey will be neither smooth nor appreciated. It will not be smooth because you will � nd your subjects reluctant and because your private energy and resources will be spread thin over collec-tive challenges. It will not be smooth because bene� ciaries of dysfunctional systems will put up resistance.

Still, do your bit and expect nothing in return. If you are hoping for recognition, funding, popularity, or a career -- then this appeal is not for you, because you are not on a civilising mission. But if your actions are indeed sel� ess, remember that it is not up to you to save the world. But it is up to you to brighten the day.

Those of you on a civilising mission -- don’t lose patience. When you see people un-moved by children’s death or by hunger that makes grass palatable, don’t stop believing. When you hear death warrants issued from the pulpit, don’t lose faith. When you read about unborn children getting shot, don’t forsake your post. When you see societies petri� ed into a state of perpetual callousness and indi� erence, don’t lose hope. You know that they don’t.

When the hundredth drop of water cracks a boulder, it was not the last drop alone that did it but all the previous drops that came before it. Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force, but through persistence. Be persistent like the water and you shall break the stone. Even if you make no breakthroughs, you will be one of the 99 water-drops that catapulted the last drop into a revolutionary event. You will be the giants on whose shoulders future missioners will stand and see further.

Those of you on a civilising mission, please stay the course. You, who are on the verge of surrendering the crusade against classroom bullying, please rant on. And you! You, whose dedication to preventing cruelty (against people or animals) can only be described as “religious,” please keep � ghting tooth and nail. You, whose pestering of VIP vehicles on the wrong-side is running out of steam, lumber on. And you, whose protest against segregation of drivers/chau� eurs at lavish weddings is raising some authoritarian eyebrows, go on rebelling.

You, who are disrupting and lecturing bik-ers on the sidewalks, keep walking your path. And you, who are chronicling the history of the present, keep making history. You, who are choosing pens over swords in the battle of ideas, defend your lines. You, who are wag-ing wars against under-age marriage, keep resisting the advances.

Those of you on a civilising mission -- be reminded that anarchy, pessimism, cynicism, and indi� erence cannot be the natural state of any nation. Understand that we only know what we have seen. If you show us a better way, we will follow. And please know that you are being watched. Emulated, even. The very ones, who think yours is a lost cause, are watching on anxiously, wondering at what level of success they should join you. And know that countless others are watching you -- trying to get past awe, brush o� hesitation, or break o� historic shackles.

Remember that, while explicitly thanking someone is not a part of Bangali culture, we are not ungrateful. Your e� orts are not in vain. Even if you fail miserably, your choos-ing to swim against the current will have been an act of rebellion. By every de� nition, you -- and not talkative grey-haired men with circular logic on television -- are our civil society. All of you people creeping ahead with your personal development agenda, on your private civilising missions, please forge ahead. l

Adnan R Amin is a strategy and communications consultant.

Those of you on a civilising mission

Those of you on a civilising mission -- be reminded that anarchy, pessimism, cynicism, and indi� erence cannot be the natural state of any nation

It is you, who wish to change the world, who can

Through small acts of kindness, we can � x our nation BIGSTOCK

HERITAGE16DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

n Tim Steel

Mir Jafar has been tarred for his dubious role in the British victo-ry at Plassey, and often referred to as “the wicked traitor.” As

usual in history, however, his life might well be read in a somewhat di� erent light, as that of a man, at least as much sinned against as sinning, both in his lifetime, and in history.

History, they say, is written by the victors; and in the case of Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah, the “last independent ruler of Bengal,” there may well be some truth in it. But perhaps, as in the case of Mir Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur, there should come a time for the reputations of both to be reconsidered.

Siraj, of course, was famously -- some would say, infamously -- defeated at the Bat-tle of Plassey, on June 23, 1757, opening the way for the East India Company to begin ma-noeuvres to take � nancial and administrative control of the traditional, and very valuable, tri-state lands of northeast India, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. A control subsequently con� rmed by the Delhi Mughal administra-tion, who still held nominal control of most of India, despite the chaos that had ensued

following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707.

It was the battle of Buxar, seven years after Plassey, in which the British forces, in support of those of the East India Company, consolidated the Company’s earlier grip on the territories they already held, and which were to be the foundation of their eventual conquests in, and around, South Asia. And, arguably, with the vast supplies of saltpetre secured, much of the rest of the world.

The British forces at Buxar comprised the British Regiment of the 89th foot, newly raised in Britain following the 1745 rebellion, in the clearing up of which, Major Hector Munro, the regiment’s commanding o� cer, played a leading role.

The force also comprised a considerable number of Company-recruited local sepoys. Munro’s � rst task, in fact, on assuming com-mand of the force at Patna, had been to quell a “formidable” mutiny amongst the sepoy soldiers, as a result of which 20 mutineers were executed.

Despite such di� culties in his own army, numbering between 8,000 and 10,000 which, taken to battle at Baxar, Munro defeated an

enemy army of about 40,000. This fact serves well to illustrate the confusion and disarray of the forces on both sides of what had been a somewhat titanic struggle for India, of which Plassey had, in its own way, been simply the � rst battle.

In the course of his own assumption of the status of Nawab of Bengal, Siraj is said to have had sought to overcome what he perceived to be threats to his own title. But that, too, involved both violence and duplicity, including, without much doubt, placing considerable, ill-considered reliance on cronies. And Mir Jafar was one victim of his manoeuvering.

Whilst it is true that, in writing histo-ry, winners often seek to emphasise the weaknesses of the losers, rather than their strengths. In the case of Siraj, a dispassionate view of the evidence might reasonably con-clude that some, at least, of what has been written of him, could well have selectively ignored weaknesses that, circumstances suggest, may well have existed.

There is little doubt that the Bengal of the post-Aurangzeb era might well be described as what is referred to in French as “un pan-nier des crabbes,” de� ned as the way in which

crabs, put together in the environment of a bucket, rather than seeking to escape as a lone crab would usually successfully achieve, instead, attack each other.

There seems little doubt that the youthful Siraj, on inheriting his grandfather’s au-thority, at the age of 27, in April 1756, found himself top crab in the basket. But lacking, apparently, the essential qualities of guile, management and duplicity, to climb above the turmoil.

Clive, who oversaw his defeat just over a year later, had no special reason to describe him, as his biographer did, as, possibly, “a monster of vice, cruelty, and depravity.” However, not unreasonably, he continues, “though he may have su� ered from the demoralising e� ects of too much wealth and power at too early an age, he was, in fact, no more cruel than most 18th century eastern despots.”

It may be worth noting that few such des-pots survived long. But there seems no doubt that religious, social, commercial, and per-sonal insecurities, sel� sh greed, and possibly even signi� cant international interests, and even racial di� erences lay at the foundation

of his troubles.Sometimes, as the famous Palmerstone

doctrine suggests that, when in trouble at home, start a war abroad -- amongst other adherents of which, of course, Thatcher and the Falklands spring to mind -- such a policy can be successful. Whether Siraj was an early exponent, however, seems unlikely, but his almost instant attack on British interests might have represented such an attempt.

Mir Jafar was born into the Persian aristoc-racy of the Turkish Empire. His grandfather had been governor of the city of Najaf, now in Iraq, a city regarded as holy by both Shia and Sunni Muslims.

When the Portuguese traveller Pedro Tex-eira visited the ancient city in the early 17th century, nearly a century before Mir Jafar’s birth, he found that a change of course by the Euphrates river, upon whose banks the city originally stood, had reduced the city to a shadow of an earlier centre of worship and trade.

Although it had recovered, somewhat, by the time of Mir Jafar’s birth in 1691, it still left him “a penniless young man” by the time he followed his father to the Court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, where his father

A wicked traitor?Mir Jafar legacy may be tainted, but his actions can be understood

That Mir Jafar, recruited, belatedly, by Siraj, should have joined with the British to defeat his own nephew may well mark him, in fact, as a man who held the commercial interests of Bengal and the Mughal Empire closer to his heart than the support of the wayward nephew

HERITAGE 17D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

became chief justice. Another of the signif-icant appointments of o� cials of Persian origin made throughout the Mughal period, reducing, in status, those of Afghan origin who had preceded them.

The death of Aurangzeb, as we know, set the entire Mughal Empire, irretrievably, as it turned out, through decline towards disaster. What is certain is that, with the regular changes of regime, the prospects for a secure employment forced Mir Jafar to seek “his fortune” elsewhere. And where else would a young soldier seek it but in the wealth and trade of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, under the last of the largely independent Nasiri Nawabs, Sirfaraz Khan? He rapidly proved his value to the Nawab, becoming commander of his Eastern Army in Orissa.

Remaining loyal to Sirfaraz’s successor, Alivardi Khan, the � rst of the Afshar Dynasty, he successfully defeated in Orissa the family of Sirfaraz Khan, who sought to continue their dynasty, following Sirfaraz’s death at the Battle of Patna in 1740. The subsequent kidnap of Alivardi’s nephew, Syed Ahmad Khan, by the rebels, Mir Jafar met with force, rescuing the young prince.

His loyalty to Alivardi Khan, however, was not repaid by the Nawab’s grandson, Siraj, on his succession as Nawab in 1756. Mir Jafar was removed from his military commands,

and, it is reported, humiliated. This, despite the fact that, as a result of his loyalty and military successes, Alivardi had married him to his niece.

Siraj’s early assault on East India Company interests, including his attack on Calcutta, is cited as a measure of the new Nawab’s endeavours to rid his realm of the in� uences of the Company. Objectively, it is worth con-sidering just why the young Nawab regarded the threat of the Company, great though it certainly was, as requiring such precipitate action; or, indeed, action calculated to both enrage the British, and give them time, following the Calcutta adventure, to call up from Madras the reserves led by Robert Clive.

He must have been aware that, not only his displacement of his grandfather’s loyal follow-ers, but also his patronage of his own younger associates, risked alienating in� uential men.

It is unlikely also that he could have been completely unaware of the complex of vested interests, including those of the numerous Armenian merchants, whose commerce might well su� er for his actions.

A realm in ferment, in an empire in tur-moil, might well have merited carefully con-sidered, and carefully planned, action. Siraj, however, it appears, may well have been “� ckle and indecisive,” but also inclined, as is so often the wont of such people, to impul-sive action.

That Clive recognised in Mir Jafar a man who had already lost much, and, probably, with much more left to lose under Siraj, should come as no surprise. Mir Jafar’s history of military achievement was certainly known to the Company. That, severely outnumbered, Clive should have sought out Mir Jafar, and enlisted his assistance in overcoming the forc-es of the Nawab at Plassey, would serve only to mark the Englishman’s shrewd skills.

That Mir Jafar, recruited, belatedly, by Siraj, should have joined with the British to defeat his own nephew may well mark him, in fact, as a man who held the commercial interests of Bengal and the Mughal Empire closer to his heart than the support of the wayward nephew. And, despite all that followed, it would be di� cult to consider his judgement at fault at the time. l

Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

Despite such di� culties in his own army, numbering between 8,000 and 10,000 which, taken to battle at Baxar, Munro defeated an enemy army of about 40,000. This fact serves well to illustrate the confusion and disarray of the forces on both sides

It was the battle of Buxar, seven years after Plassey, in which the British forces, in support of those of the East India Company, consolidated the Company’s earlier grip on the territories they already held

ARTS & LETTERS18SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Send your submissions to: anl@dhakatribune.com

Why did the chicken cross the road?n SM Shahrukh

The � rst known printing of this riddle was in 1847, in The Knickerbocker, a New York City monthly magazine:

“There are ‘quips and quillets’ which seem actual conundrums, but yet are none. Of such is this: ‘Why does a chicken cross the street?’ Are you ‘out of town?’ Do you ‘give it up?’ Well, then: ‘Because it wants to get on the other side!’”

The joke had become widespread by the 1890s, when a variant version appeared in the magazine Potter’s American Monthly:

“Why should not a chicken cross the road? It would be a fowl proceeding.”  

“Why did the chicken cross the road?” is a phrase used worldwide as a joke or a riddle. The answer to this, you may call it a punch-line, is “to get to the other side.” This sounds like anti-humor, since one is expecting a humourous answer but, instead, gets a plain one. But many content that it is, in fact, a misunderstood pun.

The other side, many believe, may refer to the afterlife. In which case, the chicken wanted to commit suicide. There are other animal references too.

The duck crosses “because it was the chicken’s day-o� ,” and a dinosaur “because chickens weren’t there yet.” The mad cow crossed because it was driven by madness. An interesting variant, with double a enten-dre, is: “Why did the duck cross the road? To prove he’s no chicken.”

Some interesting answers to the riddle were found in the webpage of Harvard Uni-versity, Department of Physics:

Albert Einstein: “The chicken did not cross the road. The road passed beneath the chicken.”

Isaac Newton: “Chickens at rest tend to stay at rest. Chickens in motion tend to cross roads.”

Wolfgang Pauli: “There was already a chicken on this side of the road.”

Carl Sagan: “There are billions and billions of such chickens, crossing roads just like this

one, all across the universe.”Ludwig Boltzmann: “If you have enough

chickens, it is a near certainty that one of them will cross the road.”

Blaise Pascal: “The chicken felt pressure on this side of the road. However, when it arrived on the other side it still felt the same pressure.”

Enrico Fermi: “In estimating to the nearest power of 10 the number of chickens that cross the road, note that since fractional chickens are not allowed, the desired power must be at least zero. Therefore, at least one chicken crosses the road.”

From a blog on philosophy with a lighter mood in play, the following answers were found:

Plato: “For the greater good.”Karl Marx: “It was a historical inevitabil-

ity.”Machiavelli: “So that its subjects will view

it with admiration, as a chicken which has the daring and courage to boldly cross the road, but also with fear, for whom among them has the strength to contend with such a paragon of avian virtue? In such a manner is the princely chicken’s dominion maintained.”

Jacques Derrida: “Any number of contend-ing discourses may be discovered within the act of the chicken crossing the road, and each interpretation is equally valid as the autho-rial intent can never be discerned, because structuralism is DEAD, DAMMIT, DEAD!”

Thomas de Torquemada: “Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I’ll � nd out.”

Timothy Leary: “Because that’s the only kind of trip the Establishment would let it take.”

Nietzsche: “Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road gazes also across you.”

Oliver North: “National Security was at stake.”

BF Skinner: “Because the external in� u-ences which had pervaded its sensorium from birth had caused it to develop in such a fashion that it would tend to cross roads, even while believing these actions to be of its own free will.”

Carl Jung: “The con� uence of events in the cultural gestalt necessitated that indi-vidual chickens cross roads at this historical juncture, and therefore synchronicitously brought such occurrences into being.”

Jean-Paul Sartre: “In order to act in good faith and be true to itself, the chicken found it necessary to cross the road.”

Now, ladies and gents, � nd an answer of your own!

SM Shahrukh is a freelance contributor.

Before Going to the Saloonn Shaheed Quaderi

My hungry hair � ies wildly in the airNot easily tamed.Many times, many times,Have I tried to feed it wellAnd put it to sleep. “The monster is coming … sleep my baby,”But nothing works.My hair stands sleeplessLike a santal sardar with his lean muscular body, unclad;Or like some motionless, unblinking rebelUnbent by storms or bowed down by the rain,He stands for ages, for ages.This mad, black horseTerri� es everyone, threatens to disruptAfternoon tra� c, injure friends and relatives.Everybody says the same thing,“It’s grown too long, cut it down to size,”It’s grown too long, past the ears,Down to the shoulders.There’s nothing to do.It’s my hair, but not within my control.It grows on its own, moves and scatters,Flies like a rasping crow,Invades someone else’s skyLike its own, uses it with reckless abandon.My hair is like some truant schoolboy’s

Covered with dust from head to foot,Obsessed with the dream of possessing a football;It is like some maverick playerDominating the � eldLike a stubborn monarch,Heedless of the referee’s whistle.So this is my hair, my ru� ed, unruly hair, Somehow sticking to my perplexed skull.Suddenly, like a tra� c signal,My wild, disorderly hair will be tamedWhen the barber’s � rm, active scissorsSnip them o� — And so I would go to the best saloons, To discipline my hair.The arrogance of my hairIs not acceptable to members of civilised society,It has to be cut, shortened.My head has to be like ten other heads,Like ten other heads in society,And so it must be cut down,Trimmed and � attened, silenced over my skull,It must lie quietly plastered over my headLike a cold mat.Still, it is my hair!Blind, silent, and deaf,It springs up againLike an injured horseEven before the month is past.

Shaheed Quaderi, Translated by Shawkat Hussain.

The other side, many believe, may refer to the afterlife. In which case, the chicken wanted to commit suicide

DT

CLIMATE CHANGE 19D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

This page has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and its partners Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This page represents the views and experiences of the authors and does not necessarily refl ect the views of Dhaka Tribune or ICCCAD or its partners.

n Abu Bakar Siddique

Ahead of COP 21, Dhaka Tribune spoke with Achala C Abeysinghe who is Principal Researcher and team leader of the global climate law, policy, and governance team at International Institute for Environment and Development. She is an experienced negotiator in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and has been working as the legal and technical adviser to the LDC Group since 2011.

What are the most important issues that are going to be discussed in COP21?There are a number of key issues, but one major issue is the long-term temperature goal. There are varying positions on this issue. The most ambitious of them is the net zero emission by 2050, which means the countries have to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to a very serious level. If it is net zero by 2050 the time-line is very short, but science says that this is still possible. However, countries will have to take serious measures to meet such a target. Hence I think our political leaders need to be involved in this part of negotiations and make a serious commitment to do this.

Do you think that it is possible to get a legally binding agreement on emission cut in this year’s COP?It is possible. We have been given a signi� cant opportunity to address the gaps that the current regime has not managed to address. We have had many decisions under the UNFCCC, but the implementation of some of those decisions is questionable.

I believe that the legally bindingness is one of the elements in the 2015 agreement that countries can use to show that they are serious about addressing climate change. Also, with the bottom-up approach of nationally determined contributions, countries decide what they will do and how. Capturing those targets in a legally binding agreement is the least that countries can do to show they are serious about their nationally determined targets. We hope that an annex of mitigation and � nance numbers could be attached to the agreement so that it is a strong part of the Paris Agreement, yet can be kept � exible for amending overtime.

We understand that there are di� culties for certain countries to have a protocol at an international level because their national level systems may not approve such kind of arrangement. One of those countries is the US. However, US delegation is actively negotiating and we hope that their internal systems will not be a reason to jeopardise this historical momentum to adopt an e� ective and legally binding agreement at international level that will be applicable to all Parties.

Is this the only problem to get a legally binding agreement?No, you have the issue around di� erentiations.

We understand that the world has changed since 1992 and that it may be the time to move on from the strict � rewall of di� erentiation between developed and developing countries.

However, we still have to have some kind of di� erentiation between countries who emit more, who have the capacity to do more and those who have minimum emissions and have limited capacity to address impacts of climate change. Particularly, there should be special provisions to address needs and demands of least developed countries.

What is the role of least developed countries (LDCs) in the UNFCCC negotiations?LDCs have very strong moral voice in the negotiations, because their emissions are still very low, but they are the � rst and hardest hit by climate change impacts. Despite their vulnerability and lack of resources, many LDCs are preparing their nationally determined contributions despite it not being mandatory

for them to do so. This means other more capable and responsible countries should not shy away from strongly committing to the new agreement. All of the developed countries and emerging economies should do much more. LDCs believe that 2015 is the opportunity for every country to act collectively, to address climate change problem.

What is the strategy of LDCs in the UNFCCC process?Negotiations among 196 countries to � nd compromises in order to adopt a de� ning global agreement is a very di� cult task. The strategy of the LDCs is to be solution-oriented and be a bridge builder in the di� cult negotiations. The LDC Group listens to all Parties and tries to understand the underlying rationale of stated positions before helping to � nd solutions. However, with limited capacity and resources, this is not an easy task.

Is it possible to limit the carbon emission by 1.5 degrees?It is possible and it is needed. Technologically it is possible. Financially, it is possible. What is lacking is political will. Us and our political leaders have a choice at this de� ning moment. If they choose not to do it, the consequences will be severe. To say the least, some of our countries will completely disappear.

What are the major points we are going to see in the Paris agreement? As mentioned, a long-term global goal,

commitments to mitigation and adaptation, and provisions for means of implementation for vulnerable developing countries, particularly for LDCs, are key. Hopefully, the agreement will also introduce a system where parties can prepare cycles of commitments and do regular reviews and assessments on their commitments to increase ambition overtime. Provisions for transparency and accountability, both for actions and support are needed. Also, compliance and enforcement should play a vital role in the new agreement.

In addition, at COP 21, we will get a number of decisions setting the scene for negotiations between 2016 and 2020. These are the decisions that are needed to put the structures in place during the transition period between 2016 and 2020 in order to implement the new agreement from 2020.

Do you think this year’s COP will be a landmark to go the future?I think it is. Not only for the COP 21, this year is the landmark year for many reasons. If you look at the events going on across the world -- on Sustainable Development Goals, on Disaster Risk reductions, on � nance of development -- they are all key events. Every meeting has the opportunity to lead the world towards collectively setting up systems for an environmentally sustainable and better future. I am con� dent that the parties to the UNFCCC will use this opportunity at the COP 21. l

The strategy of the LDCs is to be solution oriented and be a bridge builder in the di� cult negotiations

‘What is needed is political will’Achala Abeysinghe talks about the upcoming international climate change conference

FEEDBACK20DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Bangladesh termed ‘least emotional’ country globallyAugust 27

riazo  How comical. Who comes up with these surveys? And who responds to them in the � rst place. Bangladeshis are some of the most emotional people on Earth.

Sammy riazo: Your last sentence is very well put. This survey simply fails the proverbial smell test. I have lived and travelled all around the globe ... Bengalis and Arabs are the most emotional people on the planet.

Asif Sammy: I agree with you both. But if we disregard the emotional label which is a piss-poor title for what these fve almost unrelated questions supposedly asked, the answers are actually interesting if not suprising.More Bangladeshis than other nationalities said they are NOT well rested, or treated with respect, or in a position to have laughed or learnt anything new the day before. Given all that, the numbness concluded is less astonishing. For poor people -- ie most Bangladeshis -- drudgery and being treated without respect are the norm after all.

Pen Muni Dhaka Tribune recently started publishing these “rankings” by known and unknown research groups. Dhaka is the least livable, Biman is the worst, Bangladeshis are the least emotional, etc etc. And of course, people are gobbling them up. Since Western “researchers” are proclaiming these ideas, they must be true!

Firstly, Dhaka Tribune has failed to identify the research methodology and failed to question these ostentatious claims. Their job is to inform the mass with intelligent review, not to publish reports blindly without any critical analysis. This is an unfortunate example of our post-colonial residue. Secondly, it shows the banality of some of these reporters and how they fail to analyse local context.

Of course, I am saying this because as a Bengali, I don’t need a research to tell

me that my emotions are running high.

azim Pen Muni: This is a news report! Why should a report question ostentatious claims?

vhs Pen Muni: First of all, Gallup is hardly an “unknown research” group. Their surveys do tend to make the news worldwide.

Secondly, this is only a news report, not an analysis piece. Dhaka Tribune isn’t giving you a critique of the study here, but rather simply reporting on a rather amusing study. Nothing in this report suggests that Dhaka Tribune agrees with these � ndings.

Hope that helps. :)

Monir sikder Total rubbish.

Ayaz This is the most ridiculous survey. Bangladesh is the most emotional country I have seen.

The whole country is charged with emotion, the only problem is it’s very short lived and is triggered whimsically. We won our war for independence just by means of our emotion. This shows how shallow these surveys can be when you have asked the wrong questions and that too, to an insigni� cant number of the population without proper sample size calculation.

Yeakub Ali  Bogus questionnaires to assess the emotions of people. Bangladeshis are the most emotional people in the world.

meheem  I am not a big fan of Bengalis or anything and � nd a lot of things to criticise them for.

However, this is the most ridiculous thing I have seen being said about them. Lack of emotion isn’t one of their faults, rather being overly emotional is. They are super sentimental, emotional, poetic, and overly dramatic. Seriously, who did this work?

DTConductor of maladies

September 1

Zia Azad This guy should participate in the

Olympics … that jump!Maysun Faisal 

The entire transport sector should be under the government. We can’t rely

on the private sector to provide better transport, it’s all business to them at the end. And that means resorting to

cost-e� ective measures like out-dated buses. Private sectors should only be

allowed to operate between cities, not within a city.

Md Abdullah Al Mamun New item to be included in the Olym-

pics: Side-water-jump. Gold medal goes to Bangladesh!

lala chowdhury  Haven’t heard the expression “lotor

potor” in ages. Very funny. Yeah, buses could be modern and mind you, in

Bangladesh, people should be wearing deodorant. Smelling another person’s sweat is the most disgusting and nau-

seating smell of all. This can be the sin-gle biggest turn o� to go in public and I keep on planning and cancelling a trip

to Dhaka. Why doesn’t the government buy cheap buses from Tata Motors in

India? Where are millions of dollars of aid money going? Dumb question I

asked. We all know where it goes.

When will BCL learn?September 1Farhad  When it is shut down and all the goondas are in prison!

School psychologists and mental health of children and youthSeptember 3Mush� que Wadud  Very good read … many thanks for this. I fully agree that many problems of our teenagers can be solved if schools have psychologists. The problem is that our policy-makers don’t understand the ne-cessity of the psychologists in schools. Despite having a directive by the prime minister, the concerned department is not working on this.

An hour of heavy rain paralyses DhakaSeptember 2

rose  Water stagnation is indeed a serious problem in this country. Obviously, noth-ing is impossible and there are solutions to these problems. What are the mayors of Dhaka city and other relevant bodies doing in this regard?

Bad, unsatisfactory service -- that is what the word “bus” should stand for in Bangladesh. Every day, most people bemoan the awful, over-crowded, hot, and dangerous bus journeys as a risky and awful way of commuting. It is a potential hazard, made worse by the rash and irresponsible manner with which buses are usually driven, and tey they are the largest passenger-carrying vehicles plying the roads of all cities and most towns in Bangladesh!

Buses over-taking one another is a regular hazard for the rest of the tra� c on the other side, crossing with each other, with no physical lane separation. These common hazards are faced every day by all bus passengers and those in other vehicles on the other side of the road -- we have no safe and secure public transport system operating in Bangladesh, it seems.

One way of discouraging and stopping this dangerous malpractice could be the police randomly patrolling some of the busier roads, and stop any over-loaded buses, impound them, and only promise release after collecting a hefty � ne from the bus owner.

A more permanent solution can be colour-coded buses with matching colour-coded stops, which will be placed after every 100 meters or so apart, could be a good solution. This will distribute the crowd of waiting passengers and help in decreasing over-crowding in buses.

Most important is to deal with the malpractice of stopping buses at whim, they should only stop at designated points. If such practices are introduced and enforced, over-loading of buses will decrease.

Engr SA MansoorDhaka

LetterSeptember 3

21D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015T

-JUNCTION

INSIDE22etiquette

The modern guest

23letters to Mars

In love with crazy

24news

UGC chairman distributes Media-Pad among senior o� cials

ILLUSTRATION: ANIKA FARJANA

Bring out the wild side

With a portfolio of over 250 brands and counting, hosting more than 15,000 products ranging from an array of fashion brands, mobiles, electronics, home appliances and beauty products and many more, daraz.com.bd has become Bangladesh’s primary shopping destination. Yellow, Noir, Ecstasy, Bata, Samsung, Huawei, Symphony, Maximus, Mciromax, Intex, Watches World, The Body Shop are just a few popular brands who have already set up e-stores with Daraz.com.bd with excellent sales reviews. With a vision to establish a credible platform for online buyers ensuring a hassle-free and fun shopping experience, the website www.daraz.com.bd is fully optimised to cater to the country’s Internet subscribers, and the emerging demography of mobile apps and Internet users.

To add more credibility to our platform, we have brought in Bangladesh test captain Mush� qur Rahim as our brand ambassador, making it a deadly trifecta line-up of quality, reliability, and excellent service.

“Daraz.com.bd is all about quality and assurance, which made Mush� qur the obvious choice to represent us. At a time when we question authenticity, e� ciency

and reliability, daraz.com.bd provides 100% original products, easy returns and cash on delivery. His endorsement of daraz.com.bd creates a perfect synergy between these two names,” says Sumeet, founder and chief executive o� cer of daraz.com.bd.

“Daraz.com.bd has a great product range, competitive pricing and excellent customer service. Whenever I want to shop for any branded items or lifestyle products, daraz.com.bd is the � rst name that comes to my mind,” says Mush� qur.

Not only do we have to uphold the leading athlete’s trust in us, we are simultaneously doing exclusive product launches with giants like Micromax and trendy fashion brands like Le Reve, to name a few.

Exciting contests are being held on daraz.com.bd’s Facebook page regularly, providing the chance to win prizes including smartphones and gift vouchers.With a long standing international success rate in the online shopping world, daraz.com - a company of Asia Paci� c Internet Group (APACIG), is currently operating in Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh and looking to expand to other emerging markets in South Asia like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. l

news

TellT-JUNCTION22DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015T-JUNCTION22D

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ARIES (MAR 21-APR 19): Feeling particularly gregarious, you shall indulge in several forms of social obligations that you will thoroughly enjoy. However, beware of your restless impatience and restrain from making hasty decisions.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAY 20): Frustration shall gnaw at you this week as you cannot tolerate delays or restrictions. Instead of taking individual decisions, join your e� orts

to gain a stronger control over your life. However, beware of being too pushy.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Rather unexpectedly, your secret emotions shall erupt. Your urge for personal power will make you � ght much too hard to get things done to your liking. Despite it all, you will feel spirited and optimistic about your life’s progress.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JUL 22): This time around, whatever your intentions may be, you will be able to completely ful� ll your needs with your uniquely magnetic prowess. Relations shall � ourish and strengthen this week, thanks to your spirited interactions with others. A desire for love shall awaken. LEO (JUL 23-AUG 22): Plagued with self-doubt, your mood will be slightly somber. It is a good time to re� ect on your shortcomings to create a better game plan for your life. Your desire for others’ approval shall be heightened.

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 22): This week will thrive with entertainment in many forms. Happy and jovial, you will feel the need to share your happiness by portraying your love for others via expensive gifts. Any contracts signed at this time will be pro� table.

LIBRA (SEP 23-OCT 22): Despite being a generally diplomatic person, your competitive nature might make you end up doing too much. Your energetic self will make you eager to indulge in more competitive endeavours. You may tend to overindulge in food.

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21): A sudden desire to believe in a certain philosophy or belief system shall be evident now. An excessive power struggle is likely as you engage in verbal disputes and debates. Slow your pace this week.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21): In a volatile mood, your anger outbursts may

hamper relations with close ones, most of whom will be very critical of you. Feeling particularly blocked by the world, you will crave a sense of belonging.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 19): In a very charitable mood, this is the ideal time to respond to your humanitarian side. On the domestic sphere, you will be prone to getting into arguments since you are in no way patient this week.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 18): This week’s success will be entirely dependent on your mood. If you are able to omit personal prejudices, you may be able to make correct decisions. Make use of friendship opportunities.

PISCES (FEB 19-MAR 20): Despite being very socially active, you feel alone and separated. What you need is some quite time to allow your inner harmony to prevail. Your eventual optimism will help you focus on long range plans. l

HOROSCOPE

etiquette

n Amreen Rahman

There’s nothing worse than having an obnoxious house guest who disrupts your daily schedule, demands to be treated like a princess and is a constant ache on your backside. Most hosts will invite guests hoping to show them a good time, making it seem like their sole responsibility is to enjoy themselves to the fullest. In reality, while it is natural for guests to relax in the company of their gracious hosts, they have a greater responsibility of making sure they aren’t a burden to them while they’re at it. Regardless of how and when a guest is going over, no matter how hospitable your host is, try not to forget these three steps to keep those invitations coming.

Always RSVPThe first rule for being a good host is to RSVP. In other words, always let your host know if and when you can make it to their invitation. It has come to a point where most guests take for granted that their hosts will be prepared for their arrival, even though they haven’t

confirmed. RSVP-ing allows the host to know exactly how many people will be coming, lessening their burden along the way.

Bring a token of your appreciationCall us old-fashioned, but it’s always nice to bring your host a small gift or present. While it’s more common for Bangladeshi’s to take sweets when visiting someone, you can always carry a more personal gift or take them out for dinner later if you’re staying overnight or more.

Be thankfulThe last leg of the excellent guest guide includes a simple, yet easily forgotten rule – thanking your host. Not only have they graciously hosted you, but have taken it upon themselves to make your stay as hassle-free and comfortable as possible. Don’t just blurt a rushed “thank you!” as you leave, but really mean it. Send them a note or even leave a text message to let them know that you sincerely appreciated their hospitality. l

The modern guest

Mush� qur Rahim becomes brand ambassador of Daraz

Three ways to ensure you get a return invitation from your host

Photo: Bigstock

T-JUNCTION 23D

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015Tell

In love with crazy

letters to Mars

n T-Junction desk

I’ve been in love with a psycho for the last three years. By psycho, I don’t really mean mentally disturbed (although she can prove otherwise), but just deranged in general. One minute she’s acting needy and so in love with me she can’t bear to have me not text her for an hour; next, she’s disappeared into the land of Tinder, Facebook and partying with as many men as she pleases. She says she’s just being “friendly” and “social” and that’s “how she is as a person,” but I know her better than this. I don’t know what to do – she’s both magnetic and lovable and totally psychotic and intolerable at the same time. I want to make a decision and move forward but don’t know how.M

Dear MThree words: let her go. If this woman is really doing all that you claim she is, it makes me wonder – for what reason did you fall for her? If those reasons are no longer alive and all you have to deal with is a clingy woman who blows hot and cold all the time, then it’s time you call it quits. Cut off all contact with her and make sure you don’t let her slither her way back into your life using any means she has used before. Every time you feel weak in the knees, remember that from the looks of it, she’s just using you to fulfill her needs, that too only when she’s feeling needy for your love. For the most part, her needs are being satisfied by others. Good luck! l

Photo: Bigstock

letter to Venus

Lady in love?n T-Junction desk

I’ve always been a promiscuous girl and I will proudly mention that fact (especially on an anonymous platform such as this). While I have no qualms with the lifestyle I lead, others do but that doesn’t really bother me. However, in the recent past I’ve found myself losing interest in my multiple lovers. I met a man called R and ever since I feel more drawn to him than anyone else. I am not ready for a relationship just as yet, but neither am I willing to continue the casual � ings I have with my other lovers. This has never happened before and I am very confused as to how to deal with this.S

Dear S,You haven’t mentioned your age, but I am assuming you are mature enough to realise that your regular lifetsyle and interests are changing as we speak. How you choose to share your life and love is entirely up to you – whether you enjoy casual relationships or want to settle down for a serious one – that is your prerogative. What you really need to think about right now is how you’re feeling. If you are finding it enjoyable to just be with R, then so be it. Take it one step at a time, and let all those feelings settle before you make a rash decision. Take it easy and go with the flow, that will help you understand if you are okay with the decisions you’ll be making. l

n T-Junction desk

I’m a 24-year-old woman studying abroad for my undergraduate degree. Beginning to live away from home, I have gotten used to the free lifestyle I can now secretly have. My parents are conservative Muslims and they naturally don’t take a liking to the idea of dating before marriage.

Regardless of what they think, I will marry the man of my choice and I will date before I tie the knot. Instead of arguing and fighting with them, I want to get them used to the idea of me going on dates. How do I broach the subject with my mother without driving her up the wall?

This is a particularly touchy subject to broach, especially if your parents are

very particular about you leading a life free of dating (both casual and serious). First things first, only broach the subject face-to-face. Instead of announcing your decision, ease into it. Since we don’t know just how comfortable you and your mom are, it’s best to first find a common ground. Talk to her and get her to share her own experiences from her past. Once she feels more free talking to you, you may casually mention that you will choose the man you marry. See how she reacts and then break it down to her slowly. She may not take it well, but remember that she is your mother after all, and she will come around eventually. Be gentle and loving and try to steer clear from sounding too stern with her – it won’t bode well. l

issues

Breaking the mom-barrier

Photo: Bigstock

Photo: Bigstock

NewsT-JUNCTION24DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

The MediaPad (tab) distribution ceremony was held at University Grants Commission (UGC) auditorium on September 3, as UGC o� cials holding the posts of deputy secretary, joint secretary and their equivalent o� cials were provided with the tabs. UGC chairman professor Abdul Mannan, chief guest of the ceremony, distributed the tabs to 22 senior o� cers.

UGC members Professor Dr Mohammad Mohabbat Khan, Professor Dr Md Akhtar Hossain and Professor Dr Mohammad Yousuf Ali Mollah were present on the occasion as well.

In his speech, Abdul Mannan stressed the need for proper utilsation of the MediaPads to expedite the dynamism of work in the institutions. l

UGC chairman distributes MediaPad among senior o� cials

Hikvision claims top position in CCTV and video surveillance market for the fourth timen T-Junction Desk

Hikvision has strengthened its position as the world’s leading CCTV and video surveillance equipment company, making this the fourth year in a row that Hikvision has topped the list. The company’s dominant 16.3% total market share in terms of revenue is up by more than 50% compared to the previous year, and more than double its market share two years ago, which was at 8%.

Hikvision specialises in video surveillance technology, as well as designing and manufacturing a full-line of innovative CCTV and video surveillance products.

Excel Technologies is authorised for the Bangladesh market since 2013, key account manager of Hikvision, Kevin Fang, talks about his recent visit to Dhaka.

Kevin said: “Hikvision is not only the producer of the security devices but also focuses on the A2Z solutions of technology based security surveillance. We have been maintaining our operations all over the world in over 200 countries. We stepped in Bangladesh shaking hands together with Excel Technologies in 2013. In the meantime, we have grown gradually and become market leader here as well within two years, and that is a great knock for us.”

Excel Technologies have contributed immensely to bring the brand to the top of the technology commodity market here.

“Initially, we started our journey with the aim to reach the Dhaka market. But now, saying this happily, we have started joint initiatives with Excel technologies to reach the common people outside Dhaka as well,” says Kevin.

Hikvision has also been working on

changing the diversity of the camera technology.

Kevin added: “Hikvision is working with all range of products and services related to security. We used analogue cameras for security purposes which had slowly digitalised with time. This change has been driven by us as well.

The company not only focuses on an enterprise and individual level, but also on policy level for public service. The Singapore Safe City is one of the successful city surveillance services provided from the Chinese technology giant.

Hikvision possess one of the largest research and development teams and state-of-art manufacturing facilities; allowing their customers the bene� t of world-class products that are designed with cutting-edge technology. As a further commitment to their customers, Hikvision annually re-invests 8% of its revenue into research and development for continued product innovation and improvement.

Hikvision operates over 30 domestic branches in China and 16 overseas regional subsidiaries all over the world to achieve a truly global presence. They are even publicly listed in the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.“Hikvision has many notable achievements. One of the biggest sports hubs in the world, Chinese Bird’s Nest uses security technology provided by us. Besides, we were authorised for the security solutions of the Football World Cup in 2014. The Singapore Safe City project is the biggest contribution from us in a bold line. We are very excited to introduce the experience we gained in Singapore in Dhaka as well, through public private partnerships,” concluded key account manager of Hikvision, Kevin Fang. l

Professional Advancement Bangladesh Limited (PABL) is a training institute associated with Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), UK. Recently, PABL has conducted a double day workshop on “Insurance Selling Master Class: Sales strategies and Negotiating skills” for their own employees and for the employees of other life/ non-life insurance companies in the capital.

In the inauguration session, Md Quddus Khan, member, Insurance Development & Regulatory Authority, was present as the chief guest and Ahsanul Islam Titu, vice president, Bangladesh Insurance Association was present as the special guest. Nasir A Choudhury, founder

of Green Delta Insurance, and Farzana Chowdhury, managing director of Green Delta Insurance, Ms. Papia Rahman, in-charge of PABL, among other o� cials from di� erent insurance companies were present.

The trainer, Paul Archer, is a renowned trainer from the UK. He has a lot of expertise in sales, marketing and other sectors. Paul has shared the latest sales techniques which are designed keeping the consumers of today in mind. He showed how to plan for them using the lifeline � nancial planning tool and to coach rather than sell. It’s full of practical and use-able techniques and strategies. l

Workshop on “Insurance Selling Master Class” by Paul Archer

25D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

FEDERER ROMPS AS HEWITT SAYS FAREWELL

MORGAN WANTS MORE FROM ENGLAND

26 2927

Jose Mourinho received a boost to a stuttering start to the season with

Chelsea when he was presented with � ve records that will be

included in the 2016 Guinness Book of Records

GUINNESS RECORDS

SportLATIF WAS SURE OF BANGLADESH’S POTENTIAL

Tirtha heroics inspire Bangladesh physically challenged team over England n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Dhrupam Tirtha’s all-round e� orts guided hosts Bangladesh cricket team to a � ying start in the International Committee of the Red Cross Twenty20 Tournament For People With Physical Disabilities yesterday. Bangla-desh defeated England by 14 runs to start the � ve-nation tournament on a winning note at BKSP Ground 3.

Asked to bat � rst, the home side posted 118 on the board, losing eight wickets, in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, England were able

to manage 103 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.

Although England lost a couple of early wickets, brilliant batting from Jamie Thomas and Callum Jason Flin brought the visitors back into the game. Bangladesh captain Alam Khan however, removed Jamie for 31 while Tirtha dismissed Flin for 33 to enable their side to the driving seat.

The hosts kept up the pressure on their op-position, led by Tirtha (3/12) who spearhead-ed the bowling attack, to script the victory.

Earlier, Kumar Pal’s 22 and Alam’s 19 laid

the foundation for Bangladesh to register a � ghting total. Tirtha added 17 while Moniru-zzaman chipped in with a vital 14.

Flin was the most successful English bowl-er with two wickets for 32 runs.

Pakistan v AfghanistanLeft-hander Mohammad Matlub, who bats one-handed, led from the front as Pakistan got o� to a winning start, thrashing Afghani-stan by eight wickets at BKSP Ground 4.

Fielding � rst, Pakistan skittled out the Afghans for 118. In pursuit of 119, Pakistan

reached their destination losing just two wickets with four overs remaining, courtesy some � reworks from Matlub.

Pakistan captain Hasnain Alam, alongside Matlub, made a strong start to the chase. Hasnain scored 35 while Matlub remained unbeaten on 55 from 46 balls with the help of eight boundaries.

Earlier, Mohammad Ullah’s 24-ball 43, featuring seven boundaries and two sixes, ensured Afghanistan would eventually cross the 100-run mark. Pakistan’s Ahmed Javed scalped four wickets conceding 21 runs.l

Bangladesh left-arm seamer Dhrupam Tirtha celebrates one of his three wickets against England during their opening game of the ICRC T20 Tournament For People With Physical Disabilities at BKSP Ground 3 in Savar yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Sport26DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

5 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE AUSTRALIA-BANGLADESH CLASHFitness and strength

By the look of things, the Australian media enjoyed making fun of Bangladesh forward Enamul Haque's gut during the game. Some of the Bangladesh fans also mocked the 29-year old Enamul in the social media, drawing comparison with the Vanity Fair cover of Demi Moore from August

1991. For Enamul however, this is not a matter of fun and rather a thing to be worried about. Not so long ago, the veteran Muktijoddha SKC forward used to be known for his hard work and versatility but his form went downhill in the second and � nal phase of the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League. Instead of his age, his belly is now more of a con-cern. But it is not only Enamul who did not appear match-� t against the Socceroos. Young mid� elder Hemanta Vincent Biswas and left-back Nasirul Islam Nasir broke down in injury in the � rst half after being unable to cope with the speed of the game.

Back-up planA lack of a Plan B hurt Bangladesh’s plans. When they found out that short passes was not the order of the day against the pacey Australians, they should have resorted to long-ball football in order to bring

forwards Jahid Hasan Ameli and Enamul into the action. As it happened, the Bangladesh footballers kept playing short passes that were snu� ed out by the opposition more often than not.

Someone to rely on between the sticks

Sheikh Jamal DC goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel was one among few positives in the last

two matches against Australia and Malaysia. The custodian seemed to have improved a lot under the supervision of German goalkeeping coach Christian Schweichler and produced a number of vital saves in the two matches. His positioning, re� ex and reading of the game have also improved recently. The position of the netminder used to be Bangladesh’s Achilles heel but Sohel has already taken care of that problem.

Ground and JerseyThe disparity between the two teams was not only evident in quality and dynamism of the players but also in the infrastructure. The pitch at Bangaband-hu National Stadium is no match in comparison to the top football nations of the world. And when it rains in the capital, the big bowl gets even worse. In contrast, the NIB Stadium looked picture-perfect.

This should be an eye-opener for the Bangladesh Football Federation. The jerseys without the name of the Bangladesh footballers also raised quite a few eyebrows. The Australian media was enquiring repeatedly as to why it happened, especially in a World Cup quali� er.

Uncertainty over coachJust a day before the game, a Bangladesh TV channel started a rumour, saying Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif would be sacked due to a pay dispute. The rumour spread like wild� re but what cannot be ignored is the uncer-tainty surrounding De Kruif in the last few

months. He is now serving as a temporary coach. To add to that, the Dutchman's interview to an Aus-tralian media did not help Bangladesh's preparation one bit as he admitted that he would be interested if he is o� ered the chance to work down under. The federation should try to settle the issue as soon as possible. Either assign him on a long-term contract or bring in someone as his replacement.

–SHISHIR HOQUE

Latif was always sure of Bangladesh’s potentialn Minhaz Uddin Khan

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif yes-terday informed the media that Bangladesh would achieve greater heights in cricket in the future. The former Pakistan wicket-keep-er, who is currently working as the brand ambassador to the Pakistan disabled cricket team, said he was always aware of Bangla-desh’s potential, given the facilities available in the country.

“I visited Bangladesh in May, 2009, to complete my level-three coaching course. Looking into the facilities in the National Cricket Academy, I understood Bangladesh will progress rapidly into a world-class side if they work on the right track,” said Latif at BKSP.

“They defeated England in the [2015 ICC] World Cup and later whitewashed Pakistan. They also defeated India and South Africa. They are playing scintillating cricket at the moment and have developed as an attacking side. They now know their aim I believe. I can say one thing right away; Bangladesh will de-velop remarkably. I will ask the Bangladesh Cricket Board to give more importance to the age-level sides. I want to see more attacking cricketers in the Bangladesh team and wish them luck for the series against Australia [in October],” added Latif, who is scheduled to leave Dhaka today.

The former Pakistan right-handed bats-man has always been vocal against corruption in cricket. There has been ample occasions when Latif stood up against the wrong-doers in the game and is still doing the same. Latif credited the International Cricket Council for their e� ort against match- and spot-� xing.

“ICC has been very cautious and strict

against corruption. They are trying hard to eliminate this thing from cricket. They have punished a few cricketers over the past few years, which include cricketers from Pakistan too. This is helping in reducing the wrongdo-ings,” said Latif.

In 2010, former Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were found to be involved with match-� xing during Pakistan’s tour of England. The trio were later banned in November, 2011, after evidences of � xing emerged. At the moment, the three cricketers are waiting to get back to domestic action.

Latif stated that the three cricketers have the right to return to domestic cricket but not internationals. Latif believes the cricketers should not be allowed in the international arena due to ethical reasons.

“It is their right to play in domestic cricket but I don’t support in bringing them back to international circuit. I think playing interna-tional cricket will only make it hard for them and at the same time hamper Pakistan Cricket Board’s image,” Latif explained.

“Look at what Bangladesh did. [Mohammad] Ashraful is getting punished for what he did. I think these kind of players should not be allowed in international cricket,” he added.

Latif further informed that his association with disable cricket will continue and that he will be available for them 24 hours a day.

“Cricket is a beautiful game and its get-ting better with the association of the disable cricketers. There are many talented cricketers in all the teams and they should be supported well. I want all the cricket boards to support the disable teams. It is our duty to support them,” said the 46-year-old. l

Pakistan disable cricket team batsman Mohammad Matlub plays a shot during their opening game of the ICRC T20 Tournament For People With Physical Disabilities against Afghanistan at BKSP yesterday. He scored 55 with the help of eight boundaries MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Bangladesh's 5-0 loss to the Socceroos in the 2018 Fifa World Cup second round qual-i� er at NIB Stadium in Perth last Thursday was not an unusual result in world football, given the huge gap in quality of the two sides. It was also one of Bangladesh's biggest

matches in recent times and the Asian champions made it crystal clear that the Bengal Tigers have a long way to go yet. However, if we treat the encounter as the beginning

of something better for the future, then there are many things to learn from the defeat, apart from the much-needed experience gained by the Bangladesh footballers. Dhaka Tribune analysed and pointed out � ve things that the booters could learn and improve

upon before contesting their � ve � nal quali� ers of the Russia World Cup.

Sport 27D

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Sri Lanka’s former cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga (R) takes an oath as he is sworn in as a minister of ports and shipping in front of Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena (C) during the swearing in ceremony of newly elected cabinet ministers in Colombo, Sri Lanka yesterday

REUTERS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Bayern to donate, set up migrants’ training campBayern Munich will donate one million euros ($1.11 million) to help migrants and will set up a training camp for those arriving in Munich, as the number coming to the city rises.Thousands have crossed into Germany via Hungary and Austria with Munich’s train station one of the main points of entry. The plight of those � eeing con� ict in their own countries such as Syria, as well as economic migrants escaping poverty, has polarised opinion in Europe, with the amount of new arrivals stretching the EU’s asylum system, as well as straining relations within the bloc.

–REUTERS

Johnson set to return to Sunderland trainingSunderland winger Adam Johnson is set to return to training next week after recovering from a shoulder injury that ruled him out of all but the � rst game of the campaign, which the Black Cats lost 4-2 to Leicester City. “This week Adam had to go to the doctor for the � nal time - but everything is OK with his legs,” Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat told the British media.

–REUTERS

Bayern boss says rejected ‘very high’ Mueller o� erBayern Munich rejected a “very high” o� er for versatile attacking mid� elder Thomas Mueller this summer, president of the German club Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said. United’s last o� er for the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot win-ner was thought to be in excess of 70 million pounds ($106.70 million), according to British media reports.

–REUTERS

Debuchy mulled Arsenal exit after losing placeArsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy has said he considered leaving the Gunners after losing his place in their starting line-up to Spaniard Hector Bellerin, French sports daily L’Equipe reported. Arsene Wenger signed the France international for a reported 12 million pounds ($18.3 million) last season as a replacement for Bacary Sagna, who moved to Manchester City.

–REUTERS

Grand Slam of golf canceledThe 2015 Grand Slam of golf featuring the year’s major champions has been canceled as the PGA of America found it too complicated to move it from Donald Trump’s Los Angeles course. The PGA had announced in July that it was pulling the October event from Trump National Los Angeles over the billionaire presidential hopeful’s contro-versial remarks about Mexican immigrants.

–AFP

‘United’s lack of experience wrecked De Gea deal’Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has blamed Manchester United’s “lack of negotiating experience” for the failure of goalkeeper David De Gea’s move to the Spanish capital on Monday.

–REUTERS

QUICK BYTES ENGvAUS, 1ST ODIAUSTRALIA INNINGS R BJ Burns c& b Rashid 44 53D Warner c Woakes b Rashid 59 67S Smith c Stokes b Rashid 44 54G Bailey lbw b Rashid 23 16G Maxwell c Buttler b Wood 15 15 S Watson run out (Stokes, Buttler) 6 11M Wade not out 71 50M Marsh not out 40 34Extras (lb-1 w-2) 3 Total (for 6 wickets, 50 overs) 305

Fall of wickets1-76, 2-133, 3-164, 4-178, 5-192, 6-193BowlingFinn 7 - 0 - 41 – 0, Wood 10 - 0 - 72 – 1, Woakes 9 - 0 - 57 – 0, Rashid 10 - 0 - 59 – 4, Ali 8 - 0 - 37 - 0 Stokes 6 - 0 - 38 - 0 ENGLAND INNINGS R BJ Roy c Warner b Maxwell 67 64 A Hales c Watson b Marsh 22 22J Taylor b Watson 49 51E Morgan c Wade b Watson 38 46 B Stokes c Burns b Starc 13 26J Buttler c M. Marsh b Coulter-Nile 4 10 M Ali c M. Marsh b Cummins 17 18C Woakes c Wade b Coulter-Nile 0 1A Rashid c Wade b Starc 11 11M Wood not out 10 10S Finn b Cummins 10 17Extras (lb-1 w-4) 5 Total (all out, 45.3 overs) 246

Fall of wickets1-70, 2-112, 3-152, 4-172, 5-194, 6-, 7-194, 8-220, 9-232, 10-246BowlingStarc 10 - 0 - 55 – 2, Coulter-Nile 8 - 1 - 39 – 2, Cummins 9.3 - 1 - 48 - 2, Marsh 4 - 1 - 35 – 1, Watson - 0 - 39 – 2,Maxwell 6 - 0 - 29 - 1

Australia won by 59 runsEngland batsman James Taylor is clean bowled by Australia’s Shane Watson (not in picture) during their � rst ODI at the Ageas bowl in Southampton, England on Thursday AP

Morgan wants more from Englandn AFP, Southampton

England one-day captain Eoin Morgan ac-cepted his side still had a lot to learn in 50-over cricket after a 59-run defeat by world champions Australia at the Ageas Bowl.

The frustration for England, following their tenth defeat in 11 one-day internationals by Australia, was that they were in the con-test for much of Thursday’s match in South-ampton.

They reduced Australia to 193 for six, with leg-spinner Adil Rashid taking four for 59, only for an unbroken century stand between Matthew Wade (71 not out) and Mitchell Marsh (40 not out) to see Australia to a total of 305 for six. England then made an enter-prising start, with opener Jason Roy scoring a maiden international � fty, only to lose three wickets in four balls on 194.

They were eventually bowled out for 246, with nearly � ve overs of their innings left.

England will now head to Lord’s on Satur-day 1-0 down in the � ve-match series.

“We can certainly improve. We are a long way o� the world’s best at the moment,” said Morgan.

“We can learn a hell of a lot, and ultimately it comes down to individual skill.”

Nevertheless it has been possible to detect a recovery in England’s one-day form follow-ing their woeful � rst-round exit at this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. l

28DT Sport

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

EURO QUALIFYING Luxembourg v Macedonia Ukraine v Belarus Spain v Slovakia Estonia v Lithuania San Marino v England Switzerland v Slovenia Russia v Sweden Austria v Moldova Montenegro v Liechtenstein

Bale puts Wales on brink, Iceland stun Netherlandsn Agencies

Unsung Iceland and Wales took big steps toward qualifying for the European Championships - and they don’t intend to take the long road to the expanded 24-team tournament just because there are more ways

to qualify.Iceland stunned 10-man Netherlands

1-0 in Amsterdam and leads Group A, while Gareth Bale scored a late goal for Wales in a 1-0 victory in Cyprus to give the British squad a three-point lead over Belgium atop Group B.

Iceland has never quali� ed for a major tournament, while Wales’ only appearance came at the 1958 World Cup.

“We know what we have to do,” Bale said. “We are a strong team, we are together. We know what our capabilities are. We have earned the right to be in this position.”

Meanwhile, Graziano Pelle saved Italy from embarrassment against Malta again, securing a 1-0 win against the 160th-ranked opponent to move the Azzurri in command of Group H. Pelle also scored in a 1-0 win at Malta in October.

“That’s my job - to score,” he said. “It’s never easy. Football is very balanced these days.”

The top two � nishers from the nine groups qualify automatically for next year’s tournament in France. The best third-placed team also quali� es automatically, and eight more teams can qualify through a playo� .

Group AArjen Robben’s � rst match as Netherlands captain was over inside a half hour as he limped o� the Amsterdam Arena pitch injured and had to watch from the sideline as his team lost 1-0 to group leader Iceland.

Danny Blind’s debut as national coach went from bad to worse in the 33rd minute when referee Milorad Mazic showed defender Bruno Martins Indi a direct red card for making a striking movement with his arm as he tumbled to the ground in a tackle with K o l b e i n n

Sigthhorsson.Gyl� Sigurdsson

converted a 51st-minute penalty for Iceland’s only goal after Gregory van der Wiel brought down

Birkir Bjarnason.Sigurdsson must wish he played only the

Netherlands - the mid� elder scored twice in Iceland’s 2-0 home defeat of the Dutch last October.

In other quali� ers, the Czech Republic came from behind to beat Kazakhstan 2-1 to stay second, and Latvia drew 1-1 with Turkey.

Group BWales is one win from qualifying for a � rst major tournament in 58 years after Gareth Bale powered in an 82nd-minute header to clinch a 1-0 victory in Cyprus.

Wales, which reached an all-time high ninth in FIFA’s rankings hours earlier, has a

three-point lead over Belgium.Marouane Fellaini,

Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard gave Belgium a 3-1

victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

With three games remaining, Israel stayed two points further back after routing Andorra 4-0. Beating Israel on Sunday will secure Wales’ � rst trip to a tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

Italy took command of the group after scraping out a 1-0 win over Malta with a second-half goal from Graziano Pelle.

It appeared that Pelle used his shoulder or arm to redirect in a cross from Antonio Candreva in the 69th. But it wasn’t clear if the goal should have been disallowed.

Italy is level on 15 points with Croatia, which was held to 0-0 in Azerbaijan and is likely to lose a point for fan trouble pending an appeal. Norway, which won 1-0 at Bulgaria, is next with 13 points, followed by Bulgaria with eight, Azerbaijan with � ve, and Malta with one.

Vegard Forren scored his � rst international goal for Norway in the 57th with a volley. In Azerbaijan, the closest either side came to scoring was a shot o� the crossbar from Croatia’s Ivan Perisic in the second half. l

EURO QUALIFYINGCzech Republic 2-1 KazakhstanSkoda 74, 86 Logvinenko 21

Netherlands 0-1 Iceland Sigurdsson 51-P

Turkey 1-1 LatviaSelcuk Inan 77 Sabala 90+1

Belgium 3-1 Bosnia and HerzegovinaFellaini 23, Dzeko 15De Bruyne 44, Hazard 78-P

Cyprus 0-1 Wales Bale 82

Israel 4-0 AndorraZahavi 3, Bitton 22, Hemed 26-P, Dabbur 38

Bulgaria 0-1 Norway Forren 57

Italy 1-0 MaltaPelle 69

Azerbaijan 0-0 Croatia Iceland team celebrate their victory over the Netherlands with fans after their Euro 2016 qualifying match in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on Thursday REUTERS

Waning Rooney on brink of England historyn AFP, London

It is telling that although he stands on the verge of becoming England’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Wayne Rooney’s standing in the game remains a matter of debate.

Ahead of back-to-back Euro 2016 quali� ers away to San Marino, on Saturday, and at home to Switzerland, on Tuesday, Rooney needs two goals to surpass Bobby Charlton’s tally of 49, which has stood for 45 years.

But he goes into the games on the back of a 10-match league scoring drought - the longest of his Manchester United career - and facing questions as to whether he can still cut it as a top-level goal-scorer.

Aside from a well taken hat-trick at Club Brugge in the Champions League play-o� round, Rooney has cut a sluggish � gure in United’s campaign to date.

Rooney admitted as much last year, after England’s meek group-stage exit at the World Cup in Brazil.

“Obviously I’m not going to be as big a legend as Sir Bobby Charlton,” Rooney said. “He’s won the World Cup.”

He is only the ninth player to have repre-sented England 100 times or more and with his 30th birthday still to fall, he is likely to sur-pass Peter Shilton’s all-time appearance re-cord of 125 and improve Charlton’s goal-scor-ing mark by a healthy margin. l

England’s Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling during training at St George’s Park yesterday

Sport 29D

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Japan’s Shinji Kagawa (C)

controls the ball during their

2018 World Cup qualifying match against

Cambodia at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, north

of Tokyo on Thursday

REUTERS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

Ten Sports 9:00PM US Open 20153rd Round, Session 1 Ten ActionSky Bet Championship 5:00PM Southend United v Peterborough 8:00PM Cambridge United v Luton Town Sony KIXUEFA Euro Quali� ers 20169:30PM San Marino v England 12:30AMSpain v Slovakia Star Sports 13:30PM Australia Tour of England 2nd ODI Star Sports 2FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup 12:00PM Russia v China 4:20PM Japan vs. USA Star Sports 405:25PM F1: Italian Grand PrixQualifying

DAY’S WATCH

AFC/WC QUALIFYING UAE 10-0 Malaysia

Saudi Arabia 7-0 Timor Leste

Jordan 0-0 Kyrgyzstan

China 0-0 Hong Kong

Qatar 15-0 Bhutan

Iran 6-0 Guam

Oman 3-1 Turkeminstan

Japan 3-0 Cambodia

Syria 1-0 Singapore

Iraq 5-1 Chinese Taipei

South Korea 8-0 Laos

Kuwait 9-0 Myanmar

Uzbekistan 1-0 Yemen

Bahrain 0-1 North Korea

Humiliation! Asian fans cringe over record scoresn AFP, Hong Kong

Record scorelines left fans cringing and coaches looking over their shoulders on Fri-day after an avalanche of goals cruelly ex-posed the gulf in class at Asia’s World Cup qualifying.

No fewer than 76 goals were rattled in across the continent in Thursday’s 15 games - an average of 5.067 per match, one of the highest on record.

Malaysian supporters were aghast after their team crashed 10-0 against UAE, their worst ever defeat and eclipsing their previous low of 8-2 against New Zealand in 1967.

Malaysia at least fared better than tiny

Bhutan, who shipped 15 unanswered goals against Qatar - an average of about one every six minutes.

The result was Qatar’s biggest ever win by a distance, almost twice the 8-0 victories they recorded over Afghanistan and Lebanon in the 1980s.

It was also a jolting reality check for Bhu-tan, who have climbed o� the bottom of the world rankings and are competing in the sec-ond round of qualifying for the � rst time.

Several posts on Facebook questioned the appointment of Japanese head coach Norio Tsukitate, who was brought in after Chokey Nima had led the “Dragon Boys” into the sec-ond round.

But Bhutan and Malaysia were not the only teams with red faces as Laos lost 8-0 to South Korea, Kuwait pummelled Myanmar 9-0 and Saudi Arabia beat East Timor 7-0.

Iran smashed six without reply against Guam, Iraq beat Taiwan 5-1 and Australia thumped Bangladesh 5-0, with Japan’s 3-0 win over Cambodia looking tepid by comparison.

One game without goals was Hong Kong’s dogged 0-0 draw with China, which was greeted like a victory in the semi-autono-mous Chinese territory.

Heads could roll with Malaysian media casting doubt over the future of coach Dollah Salleh, who � elded three di� erent goalkeepers during Malaysia’s catastrophe in Abu Dhabi.l

Lleyton Hewitt of Australia waves to the crowd after his match against Bernard Tomic of Australia (not in picture) on day four of the 2015 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center yesterday. Tomic won 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 REUTERS

Federer, Murray through as Hewitt says farewelln AFP, New York

Five-time champion Roger Federer strolled into the US Open third round on Thursday as fellow old-timer Lleyton Hewitt bid farewell in trademark � ghting style.

On a dramatic day which saw a record created for the longest women’s match, and a new Grand Slam high for retirements from the men’s tournament, Andy Murray escaped his earliest exit in 10 years when he came

back from two sets down to make the last 32.There was also a late security scare when a

drone crashed into the corner of Louis Arm-strong Stadium.

Then, after midnight, 2009 and 2014 run-ner-up Caroline Wozniacki, the fourth seed, was knocked out by Czech world number 149 Petra Cetkovska who saved four match points to win 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/1).

Cetkovska, who recently missed seven months of action with a hip injury, committed 60 unforced errors but unleashed 60 winners.

World number two Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam champion, needed just 80 min-utes to rout Belgium’s Steve Darcis 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.

Third seed and 2012 champion Murray came back from two sets down to defeat tir-ing Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Murray goes on to face Brazilian 30th seed Thomaz Bellucci for a place in the last 16.

Former world number one Hewitt, the champion in 2001, made a dramatic farewell battling from two sets down and having two match points before losing to fellow Australian Bernard Tomic on a rocking Grandstand court.

In his � nal match in New York, the 34-year-old fell 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 after three hours and 27 minutes after his 57th career � ve-set match. Meanwhile, New York police were investigating a drone which crashed on Arm-strong, causing Flavia Pennetta’s victory over Monica Niculescu to be held-up. l

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark holds a towel during her match with Petra Cetkovska of Czech Republic in the US Open yesterday REUTERS

DOWNTIME30DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

DILBERT

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.

CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS

CODE-CRACKER

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a di� erent letter of the alphabet. For example, today 11 represents T so � ll T every time the � gure 11 appears.You have two letters in the control grid to start you o� . 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, � ll in the other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check o� the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

CROSSWORD

ACROSS1 Close up (4)6 Vassal (5)8 Powerful (6)9 Power stake (4)10 Electrical unit (3)12 Long narrow eleva-tions (6)13 Eaten into (6)15 Seller (6)18 Weapons (6)20 Self (3)21 Target (4)23 Show clearly (6)24 Stories (5)25 Obtains (4)

DOWN1 Garden tool (5)2 Vast age (3)3 Top room (5)4 Sheltered side (3)5 Long steps (7)6 Astonished (4)7 Trees (4)11 Brave man (4)12 Venerates (7)14 Slender shoot (4)16 Male honey-bee (5)17 Governs (5)18 Repose (4)19 Young horse (4)21 Band’s engagement (3)22 Perform (3)

SUDOKU

SHOWTIME 31D

TSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

WHAT TO WATCH

CELEBS ON SOCIAL

Adam Levine @adamlevineI’m � ve minutes into the #VMAs and I already need a shower.

Ryan Reynolds @VancityReynolds My � rst girlfriend, Karen. Obsessed with Knott’s Berry Farm. She refused to leave. Refused to do lots of stu� .

PRIYANKA @pri-yankachopra Me n my box of tissues!! Atchooooo!! Zzzzzz � y � y...

The Conjuring HBO 09:30pmParanormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorised by a dark presence in their farmhouse.Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston

Male� centStar Movies 03:30pmA vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley

Indian Idol Junior Sony 6:00pmIndian Idol Junior is an Indian reality television singing competition. It is an spin-o� of Indian Idol.Judges: Sonakshi Sinha, Salim Merchant, Vishal Dadlani

n Showtime Desk

Writer and director Kamar Ahmad Simon was declared the winner of the 9th edition of Asian Pitch, which is his second time. The event was held in Singapore. Medicorp, the foremost group of commercial media companies from Singapore, recently con� rmed the win in a letter.

Four leading Asian television channels (NHK from Japan, KBS from South Korea, PTS from Taiwan and Mediacorp from Singapore) organise the competition every year, where original documentary pitches by the Asian � lmmakers are awarded. This year, Kamar won the award for his new docu-drama script titled “Neel Shirostran (Blue Helmet).” The four organising companies will be funding the entire production, screening the � lm in their prime-time slots and initiating the international marketing-distribution once the � lm is completed.

Kamar said: “Winning for the second time is certainly a matter of joy. But with every win, expectation rises. But I am enjoying this!”

In 2013 Kamar won the Asian Pitch for his script titled “Ekti Sutar Jobanbondi (Testimony of a Thread).” The � lm was highly acclaimed after being broadcasted on NHK in June this year and is scheduled to be screened on the rest of the three channels later this year. Kamar is also planning to screen the � lm here in Bangladesh. The aim of Asian Pitch is

to discover talents in Asian and present them to the world with their compelling human stories. This year 135 scripts were submitted from 12 countries, of which 10 selected ones were invited to present their ideas in Singapore. Apart from Bangladesh, the other winning � lms are from India and China. Earlier this year Kamar’s � rst feature “Shunte Ki Pao! (Are You Listening!)” won the National Award and has already been awarded in 10 international competitions including the “Grand Prix” in Paris and “Golden Conch” in Mumbai. l

n Showtime Desk

Award winning singer/songwriter Shahin Badar is one of the most distinctive Asian female artists in the UK music industry. She has two creditable albums titled Laila and Destiny. Bringing artistry to all her tracks, she has teamed up with Bollywood producers such as Oscar winner, A R Rahman and electronic beat giants, The Prodigy. Their albums topped the UK charts with smash hits like Get Up, Get off. Fat of The Land, which was also a multimillion selling album, won her a quadruple platinum award as well as an entry into the Guinness book of records in 1999 for the fastest selling UK album.

Shahin is signed to UK’s top independent label Skint records (Fat Boy Slim). Her songs were featured on many dance tracks. Shahin’s vocals have also been a part of the � lm and television circuit, and more recently featured on the critically acclaimed

British comedy sitcom Magnificent 11. Her collaborations also include the likes of Indian Ropeman, Noise Control, Doug Laurent, Kaya Project, Gio Makyo, Jah Wobble, FX, Fraser T Smith, Twista and Juliet Lewis, and many more. Many of her songs were featured in more than 30 Hollywood and Bollywood � lms including Academy, BAFTA and Golden Globe Award nominated � lms such as Closer and Charlie’s Angels.

Shahin Badar has made it to the headlines of many festivals around the world and launched numerous events. She was one of the judges for “Miss Great Britain,” “Miss Universe” and also for the Asian talent hunt for “BritAsia Superstar 2010.” She was also invited to perform with chart-topping Turkish artist, Mercan Dede, in Germany and worked with director Ang Lee on The Hulk (Eric Bana). To top it o� , Shahin was invited to perform alongside Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. l

Unerringly driven

Kamar wins Asian Pitch for the second time

BACK PAGE32DT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015

KAMAR WINS HIS 2ND ASIAN PITCH PAGE 31

BD PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED TEAM TRIUMPH OVER ENGLAND PAGE 25

HOW DOES BANGLADESH COMPARE TO GREECE? PAGE 13

Pro-IS preacher gets bail in Londonn AFP, London

A British judge yesterday granted bail to high-pro� le radical preacher Anjem Choudary, who faces charges for inviting sup-port for the Islam-ic State jihadist group through social media.

The 48-year-old Anjem, who has been frequently inter-viewed by British and US media on his views on Islam and the Middle East, was arrested last month and has indicated he will plead not guilty. Choudary and his co-accused Moham-med Rahman, who faces the same charge, are due to stand trial next year.

“I am concerned about anything being dis-seminated publicly by either of them or on their behalf which would encourage others to go to live in Syria as part of their religious duty,” Judge John Saunders said.

“I have not found this an easy decision but I do consider that the conditions of bail pro-posed will substantially reduce the risk of dis-semination of those views,” he added.

Anjem, back in 2013, was seen leading a protest in front of the Bangladesh High Com-mission in London, demonstrating against the capital punishment handed down to war criminal Delawar Hossain Sayedee, by a spe-cial Bangladesh tribunal.

Activists gathered at the brief event had placards that read “Shariah for Bangladesh; Islam will eradicate secularism,” “Democracy go to hell� re; Shariah is the solution,” “Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party: Enemies of Islam and Muslims” and “The Kh-ilafah will return.”

Prime Minister David Cameron has promised new legislation to “put out of action the key extremist in� uencers who are careful to oper-ate just inside the law, but who clearly detest British society and everything we stand for.” l

Cattle import thriving in Lalmonirhatn Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

This year’s Eid-ul-Azha rush has seen a boost in the number of cattle being imported across the border in Lalmonirhat, with trad-ers saying the numbers are far higher than previous years.

They also credited the BGB for ensuring that the maximum amount of revenue was collected from cattle importers as corridor tax.

Sirajul Haque, the lessee of the area’s largest cattle market in Patgram’s Rasulganj, said this year has seen a boom in the number of cattle being imported ahead of Eid. Saying most of these cattle have already been sent to di� erent

districts, he added that there was no possibili-ty of a cattle shortage like the last year.

According to sources at the Islampur cus-toms corridor o� ce, the 2014-15 � scal year saw a total 12,602 cattle being imported, com-pared to the previous � scal year’s import of 8,419 cattle.

The cattle import trend also continued to experience a rise through to the months of Ju-ly-August, with the Eid rush boosting import � gures to more than � ve times than that of the last year.

According to the Islampur customs cor-ridor o� ce, only 704 cattle were imported through the Lalmonirhat border during Ju-

ly-August last year, while the number was 3,638 during the same period this year.

According to existing rules, importers have to pay the government Tk500 for every cattle as corridor fee.

During 2013-14 year, over Tk42 lakh was collected as corridor tax, while the number jumped to Tk63 lakh for the recently conclud-ed � scal year.

Several local cattle traders told the Dhaka Tribune that the BGB’s monitoring of revenue collection has ensured that 100% of the corri-dor fees were paid this year.

Motiar Rahman, the assistant revenue of-� cer in charge of the Islampur corridor, said:

“I alone have to handle the Islampur customs corridor, Patgram customs warehouse, and Patgram VAT circle. Still, the customs corridor has been kept open around the clock in order to collect revenue.”

Customs commissioner for Rangpur di-vision, Mujibur Rahman, also admitted that there was a manpower shortage in the Islam-pur corridor.

Despite the shortcomings, e� orts were on – with the help of Border Guard Bangladesh – to continue the 100% revenue collection from importers who brought in their cattle through the di� erent border areas in Lalmonirhat, he added. l

Youth held for beating schoolgirln Mohammad Nur Uddin, Habiganj

Police have arrested a teenage boy in Habiganj for physically assaulting a schoolgirl last week and uploading its video to Facebook.

He was detained at Richi in Habiganj sub-urb area yesterday afternoon by local people, who later handed him over to Sadar police.

The assault took place on August 26 around 4pm near Habiganj Girls’ High School, where the victim is a student of Class VIII.

Witnesses said the boy, a student of Class XI in Habiganj High School and College, stopped her near her school gate after school

broke for the day and beat her in public, his friends looking on and one of them � lmed it on his mobile phone.

The 24-second video was uploaded on Facebook a week later, on Thursday. It showed the boy repeatedly slapping the girl and calling her names.

The incident sparked outrage across Hab-iganj town – locals formed a human chain in Town Hall area yesterday morning to protest the assault and demand justice for the victim.

Sources close to the victim’s family said the boy had been harassing her for a long time, and her father had complained to his

family about him several times.However, the detained boy, before he was

taken away to the police station, said he was in a relationship with the victim and had a � ght with her, which is why he beat her.

But he claimed he did not know about his friends � lming the assault or uploading the video on Facebook.

No complaint about the harassment or the assault has been � led with police yet, said OC Nazim Uddin of Sadar police station.

“We are interrogating the boy. Others in-volved will be arrested soon,” he told the Dha-ka Tribune, declining to comment further. l Anjem Choudary

With public playgrounds gradually getting out of common people’s reach in the capital, this sibling duo found a way to entertain themselves – by making a makeshift swing outside their father’s tea stall. The photo was taken at Tejgaon SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Clinton says sorryn Reuters

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton yester-day said she was sorry that her use of a per-sonal email account while secretary of state caused confusion, in her most contrite com-ments yet about an issue that is plaguing her White House bid.

She said she was wrong not to use a gov-ernment email account when she was serving as the nation’s top diplomat.

Clinton, the Democratic front-runner ahead of the November 2016 presidential election, did not apologise for her own behaviour. “At the end of the day I am sorry that this has been confusing to people and has raised a lot of questions but there are answers to all these questions,” she told MSNBC in an interview.

“I certainly wish that I had made a di� erent choice and I know why the American people have questions about it,” Clinton said. “I take re-sponsibility. I should have had two accounts, one for personal and one for work-related,” she said.

Clinton said that while she should have behaved di� erently, she had done nothing wrong. “It was allowed and it was fully above board. The people in the government knew that I was using a personal account,” she said.

The FBI is now investigating the security of the private server and any classi� ed informa-tion on it. l

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 O� ce: 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