second edition

tuesday, october 20, 2015 | Kartik 5, 1422, Moharram 6, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 184 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 | Kartik 5, 1422, Moharram 6, 1437 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 3, No 184 | www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10

Dhaka to Chittagong in two hours?Ambitious road and rail expressway projects in the government's pipelinen Shohel Mamun

At 10 o’clock on a sunny October morning in the year 2023, Nizam Uddin Chowdhury ar-rives in Chittagong for a business meeting.

He woke up in his apartment in Dhaka at 7am and started for the port city in his luxuri-ous eco-friendly SUV at 8 o’clock.

That’s right, it took him just two hours be-cause he is one of the � rst passengers to travel on the newly constructed Dhaka-Chittagong expressway that has drastically reduced the usually seven to eight hours’ journey on the country’s most important route.

The meeting will end at midday and he plans to be in his o� ce back in Dhaka by 3pm.

As much as it seems like a scene from a fu-turistic commercial movie, the government is now – in 2015 – in the middle of readying a plan for such an expressway that might make the journey between Dhaka and Chittagong a two-hour matter.

This plan comes at a time when the govern-ment has already missed several deadlines for completing an ongoing project for upgrading the existing two-lane highway into four lanes between the two cities.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to open the road in about a couple of months time in December, although nearly a fourth of the project’s work is still left.

Recently, two senior bureaucrats, in charge of two important ministries, have given two

Powerpoint presentations in front of the prime minister at her o� ce on the proposed “Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway” and the “Dhaka-Chittagong Express Railway.”

They said, if everything goes according to PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

Italian envoy: No travel advisory against visiting Bangladeshn Tribune Report

Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Mario Palma has said his country did not issue any travel advisory to its nationals against visiting Bangladesh following the murder of Cesare Tavella.

“We did not issue any travel advisory for our nationals, rather we advised our citizens to visit Bangladesh,” an o� cial handout quot-ed the Italian envoy as saying as he called on Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon at secretariat yesterday.

Terming the murder of Tavella – an Italian citizen – unfortunate, the ambassador said: “We want to see the ongoing investigation re-garding the killing be completed e� ectively.”

Palma was accompanied by French Am-bassador in Dhaka Sophie Auber.

Regarding the recent murders of foreign nationals in Bangladesh, the French envoy said they were waiting for completion of the ongoing investigation to see the real fact be-hind these murders.

Menon, meanwhile, said unveiling the mystery behind killing of the two foreign na-tionals was now only a matter of time.

Assuring the envoys about the country’s peace, the minister said Bangladesh is a secu-lar and liberal democratic county. “Here there

PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

Salaries of president, PM, CJ, ministers and MPs to doublen Shohel Mamun and Abu Hayat

Mahmud

The state’s constitutional o� ce holders – including the president, chief justice, prime minister, speaker of the house, leader of the opposition, ministers and members of parliament – will receive a roughly 100% raise starting this year.

Cabinet yesterday approved six proposals to double the renumeration and privileges of the president, prime minister and others holding constitutional positions, to be con-sistent with the pay upgrades for civil serv-ants contained in the Eighth Pay Scale.

Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan disclosed the details to re-porters, saying: “The salary of the president has been raised to Tk120,000 from the current Tk61,200, while the prime minister’s salary will be increased to Tk115,000 from the cur-rent Tk58,600.

The salary of the speaker of the house has been � xed at Tk112,000, up from Tk57,200. The chief justice will receive Tk110,000 in-stead of the current Tk56,000 and ministers’ salaries will rise to Tk105,000 from Tk53,100.

The deputy speaker, leader of the opposi-

tion and chief whip will receive salaries equal to that of ministers.

Appellate Division justices’ salaries have been increased to Tk105,000 from Tk53,100 and those of High Court justices were raised to Tk95,000 from Tk49,000.

State ministers’ salaries have been raised to Tk92,000 from Tk47,800. The deputy lead-er of the opposition and the whips will receive salaries equal to that of state ministers.

Deputy ministers’ salaries have been in-creased to Tk86,500 from Tk45,150 while the salary of members of parliament has been raised to Tk55,500 from 27,500.

High government o� cials’ allowances have also been increased. Constitutional of-� ce holders generally enjoy expenditure al-lowances, house allowances if they live in private houses, insurance coverage during air travel, daily allowances, a discretionary fund and other allowances.

The new remuneration and privileges will be e� ective from July 2015 while the new al-lowances will be given to o� cials from July next year.

The cabinet secretary said all six bills would go to the president for approval since

PAGE 4 COLUMN 2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015News4DT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

DesignationSalary (in Tk) House Rent

(if not in govt housing) (in Tk) Discretionary Fund (in Tk)

Existing Proposed Existing Proposed Existing ProposedPresident 61,200 120,000 - - 20,000,000 20,000,000Prime Minister 58,600 115,000 50,000 100,000 10,000,000 15,000,000Speaker 57,200 112,000 - - 450,000 1,100,000Chief Justice** 56,000 110,000 - - - -

Minister 53,100 105,00045,000

25,000*80,000 400,000 1,000,000

Leader of the Opposition 53,100 105,00045,000

25,000*80,000 400,000 1,000,000

State Minister 47,800 92,00040,000

20,000*70,000 300,000 750,000

Member of Parliament** 27,500 55,000 - - 300,000 500,000* For those willing to live in government housing ** Recipients of other honorariums Source: Cabinet Division

EXISTING AND PROPOSED SALARIES AND HONORARIUMS OFTOP OFFICERS OF STATE AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

Italian envoyis no place for militancy, extremism and fun-damentalism,” Menon added.

During the meeting they discussed various issues related to multilateral matters and mu-tual interest, reports BSS.

The envoys showed keen interest in build-ing commercial venture between Biman and the ATR, a French-Italian aircraft manufac-ture company. l

Dhaka to Chittagong in two hours?plan, the same two-hour journey between the two most important cities in the country will be possible by train as well.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qauder told the Dhaka Tribune yes-terday: “The government has approved the draft detailed design of the Dhaka-Chittagong expressway. The Tk40,000 crore project will be implemented under the public-private partnership [PPP] scheme.”

He also said: “These expressways will make the journey between Dhaka and Chittagong smooth, increase business and strengthen ca-pacity and connectivity.”

Railways Minister Mojibul Haque said: “The proposed high-speed rail service will in-clude facilities for both passengers and goods. But passengers will get priority.”

According to the presentation that Md Firoz Salauddin, acting secretary of the Rail-ways Ministry, gave to the PM, the express railway project will cost $4bn and will take � ve years to complete.

The expresswayThe Dhaka-Chittagong expressway will begin from Kanchpur, a key entry point to the capi-tal city, and end in Sitakunda in the outskirts of the port city, as per the plan.

“Around 30% of the expressway will be el-evated,” said minister Obaidul Quader, elabo-rating on the plan.

A 2013 Asian Development Bank (ADB) study shows that 90% of Bangladesh’s ex-port-import goods are transported on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. Around 60% of the vehicles using the highway carry goods, while 27% transport passengers.

The expressway will have six lanes, which will run alongside the four lanes that are now work-in-progress. Two of these in the middle will make a limited-access road for high-speed tra� c. This means that there will be just one entry and one exit and no feeder roads.

The other four lanes, on either side of this expressway, will be controlled access high-ways that will provide unhindered � ow of

tra� c with no or few tra� c signals, intersec-tions or property access. There will be one ramp that will allow tra� c to travel at high speed to Comilla.

According to a ministry o� cial, the to-tal length of the expressway will be 198km. “So vehicles will have to move at a speed of at least 100km per hour if they are to reach Chittagong from Dhaka in two hours and vice versa,” he said.

Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique, who gave the pres-entation before the PM, told the Dhaka Trib-une: “We have already completed the feasibil-ity study to executed the plan.

“The draft detailed design is also complete and has got the government’s approval. Now we are working to � nalise the detailed de-sign. Several Chinese companies have already shown interest in the PPP project. So, the government might not have to spend a single penny for this,” the secretary said.

He also said that the investor will be able to take a return on investment by collecting toll from vehicles using the expressway.

The SMEC International Pty Ltd of Austral-ia had conducted the feasibility study at a cost of Tk97.876 crore over the last two years. The Bangladesh government and ADB funded this study.

The Planning Commission approved this project in April 2013 and the feasibility study started in July of that year.

The express railwayThe high-speed train service between Dhaka-Chittagong has been planned, keeping in mind the scenario likely to emerge 20 years later.

According to a survey of the Railways Ministry, 80% of the passengers who travel on this route will be interested in using the high-speed train service as it will save time and money and will also be a com-

fortable journey.At present, the Dhaka-Chittagong track

runs through Akhaurha in Brahmanbarhia which makes the journey lengthy.

When the project will be implemented, high speed trains will � rst go to Moynamati in Comilla via Fatullah of Narayanganj and Daudkandi and Mohanpur and then run par-allel with the existing Comilla-Chittagong track.

On the proposed route, a new 110km track will have to be laid from Dhaka to Comilla fol-lowing land acquisition.

If diesel-electric traction locomotives run over standard gauge tracks, the trains will be able to travel at 160km/hr. The speed will rise to 200km/hr if the trains run on electricity. Ten trains would be able to ply on the route with 100MW electricity.

Railways Secretary Md Firoz Salauddin, who also gave the presentation before the PM on October 8, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The existing track from Dhaka to Chittagong is 300km long. The shorter track will be laid alongside the existing Dhaka-Chittagong four lane highway. So, the distance will be reduced by 100km.”

The China Railway Engineering Group has helped the ministry to complete a feasibility study.

According to sources, around 3,000 acres of land will have to be acquired and a supply of 100MW electricity will have to be ensured for the project so that 10 trains can operate si-multaneously at speeds of 200km/hr. l

Salaries of president, PM, CJ, ministers and MPs to doublethey are � nance bills. The bills will then be sent to parliament.

Asked when the top o� cials of state would receive their new salaries, the cabinet secre-tary said: “After the bills are passed by par-liament, they will get their new salaries with arrears.”

On September 7, 2015, cabinet approved the long-awaited Eighth Pay Scale for public servants, which � xed Tk78,000 as the highest basic pay and Tk8,250 as the lowest. l

People react strongly to salary hike of ministers, MPs n Abu Hayat Mahmud and

Shohel Mamun

General people yesterday reacted strongly against the salary hike proposal for the em-ployees of the state including the president and prime minister.

The cabinet at its regular meeting yester-day afternoon, approved the proposal to in-crease the salary of president, prime minister, chief justice, ministers, state ministers, dep-uty ministers, justices of the Supreme Court and members of parliament.

The government has doubled the salary and perks of ministers and MPs while there has been no signi� cant change in the lives of commoners, said Harunur Rashid, an o� cial of a private bank in the capital.

“I am an employee of a private � rm. My company has not raised my salary,” he said.

The government also hiked salaries of its employees twofold in the new pay scale but there has been no change in the salary struc-ture of private organisations, he said strongly reacting to the decision of the government.

Mahbuba Akhter, an employee of a private university, said: “The government has raised tax and VAT and now the high-pro� le people of the state will have increase in their salary - it is something playing with the lives of people.”

As the living cost had gone up the govern-ment may raise their salaries but it also should think about common people of the country.

“Tax and VAT are not paid only by the gov-ernment servants and employees but also by people from all professions,” she added. l

Ansarullah Bangla Team tells media to sack female employeesn Tribune Report

Banned militant out� t Ansarullah Bangla Team yesterday in an email threatened the me-dia with dire consequences if they do not sack female employees from their organisations.

“Since the Islamic Sharia views working of women outside their homes without purdah as punishable o� ense their employers are guilty to the same degree,” said the email bearing the address ansarullahbanglabd@gmail.com.

The letter said: “We are urging the media to release their women from their jobs.”

The letter was sent from the head o� ce, Chittagong, Bangladesh. One Abdullah Bin Selim sent the email, claiming to be publicity coordinator of the Ansarullah Bangla Team.

The out� t also warned against publish-ing any negative report on Jihadi activities, threatening the media that “none of them would be spared.

“From now on, our instruction is the law and if you [the media] do not follow the way of Islam, the outcome will be dreadful. The towering building will come crumbling down to the ground and your heads to the feet of the soldiers of Islam,” the email reads.

When asked, Muntasirul Islam, deputy commissioner of police (media and publica-tion), said the higher authorities have been noti� ed about the email. l

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015News 5

DT

Source: Accuweather/UNB

D H A K ATODAY TOMORROW

SUN SETS 5:29PM SUN RISES 5:58AM

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.3ºC 21.0ºC

Sylhet Srimangal

SourceL IslamicFinder.org

F O R E C A S T F O R T O D A YDhaka 33 23Chittagong 32 24Rajshahi 32 21Rangpur 33 20Khulna 32 20Barisal 32 20Sylhet 32 19Cox’s Bazar 31 24

PRAYER TIMESFajr 4:40am

Sunrise 5:57amZohr 11:43am

Asr 3:51pmMagrib 5:28pm

Esha 6:58pm

WEATHER

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19

Child domestic help beaten by employer hospitalisedn Manoj Kumar Saha, Gopalganj

A 10-year-old domestic help has been hospi-talised after her employer in Dhaka brutally tortured her for allegedly stealing and eating powdered milk.

The victim, Leah, was burned in several places on her body by her employer, Timmi, who beat her so hard that she broke four of Leah’s front teeth, the child told the Dhaka Tribune.

The incident happened in the capital’s Kh-ilgaon area on last Monday, October 12.

Leah, who is from Barfa village in Gopal-ganj’s Sadar upazila, said she had been a do-mestic help at Timmi’s house for six months.

“It was all good at � rst, but after a few

days, Madam [Timmi] started making me do all the house work. If I didn’t do any chore to her liking, she beat me.

“Last week, Madam beat me as her daugh-ter ate powdered milk and told her I had sto-len it. She burnt me with a hot spatula and hit my face with a rolling pin and broke my teeth.”

Leah’s mother Marjina Begum said a neigh-bour of Timmi’s heard Leah’s screams and no-ti� ed Khilgaon police, who rescued Leah.

While Leah was in police custody, Timmi’s husband Nazrul Islam summoned her parents to Dhaka on the same day.

“Nazrul convinced us not to � le a police complaint and took us to the police station to collect Leah. Then he sent us back to Gopal-

ganj,” Marjina said.The family reached Gopalganj next morn-

ing. Leah was admitted to Gopalganj General Hospital on Thursday, October 15.

“The child’s body is covered with bruises,” said Dr Tapan Mazumder, resident medical o� cer at the hospital. “Four of her front teeth are broken. She is very weak.”

Leah’s father Rahman Meena said: “Leah’s employers o� ered us Tk1 lakh to keep quiet about the incident, but I want justice.”

Gopalganj Sadar police OC Selim Reza said: “They need to � le a complaint in Dhaka as the incident took place there. We have advised the family on how to proceed.”

Timmi and Nazrul could not be reached despite several attempts yesterday. l

PCJSS calls for o� ce boycott Oct 21 in CHTn Tribune Report

Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) yesterday called for a complete work abstention in all government and private of-� ces in three hill districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts on October 21.

The boycott was called as part of the non-cooperation movement demanding im-plementation of CHT Accord signed in 1997 between the then Awami League government and the PCJSS, said Sajib Chakma.

Sajib, PCJSS assistant information and public-ity secretary, yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune they would call hartal and blockade too in com-ing months till the accord was implemented.

The one-day boycott will see demonstra-tions, boycotting markets, black-� ag proces-sion, class boycott, student strike, symbolic hunger strike and submission of memorandum.

He also said the government had been in-di� erent in implementing the CHT Accord.

The PCJSS therefore decided to hold o� ce boycott programme applicable to all kinds of of-� ces in the three hill districts of CHT, he added.

The PCJSS called upon people to abstain from attending all government, non-govern-ment and semi-government o� ces, and o� c-es of district, upazila and union on October 21.

It also reiterated that security, interests and rights of permanent residents of Jumma and Bengali people cannot be ensured with-out proper, speedy and fullest implementa-tion of the CHT Accord. l

JU admission test to be held on schedulen JU Correspondent

Jahangirnagar University’s � rst-year honours admission test would be held on the previous-ly declared schedule, the JU Teachers Associ-ation (JUTA) has decided, moving away from its earlier decision to boycott exam duties.

An emergency meeting of the JUTA decid-ed to withdraw Saturday’s decision, in which the teachers said they would not hold the admission test as part of their ongoing move-ment demanding a separate pay scale for uni-versity teachers.

Following yesterday’s meeting, JUTA Pres-ident Prof Khabir Uddin and General Secre-tary Prof Md Mafruhi Sattar announced that the admission test for the 2015-16 academic session, scheduled from October 25 to No-vember 2, would be held in time.

The decision came on the same day JU au-thorities said they have decided to remove a Chhatra League leader from an administrative post of the university following protests from teachers.

JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Farzana Islam re-leased Faisal Hossain Dipu, the incumbent organising secretary for Chhatra League’s JU unit, from his post of administrative o� cer in the administrative o� ce, said JU Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique yesterday.

He added that a withdrawal notice has al-ready been sent to Dipu on Sunday.

“According to the rules, a withdrawal no-tice of a month has been sent to him [Dipu] and he would carry out his responsibilities until November 18,” the JU registrar said.

JU sources said the VC on July 13 appointed six people including four JU Chhatra League leaders to the university on a temporary basis.

The appointees included Dipu, who has been accused of attacking university teach-ers during an anti-VC movement in 2013. He was initially appointed as an administrative o� cer at the JU central library, but could not join his job following protest from teachers.

On August 23, university authorities re-assigned Dipu to the registrar’s o� ce. But teachers continued to demand the cancella-tion of his recruitment, giving the VC a 24-hour ultimatum on Saturday. l

Civil society for constructive debate to improve land healthn Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

from Ankara, Turkey

Engage in constructive and inclusionary debate to strengthen the � ght against deserti� cation, civil society organisations (CSOs) urged yesterday at the 12th confer-ence of parties (COP12) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Deserti� cation (UNC-CD) in Ankara, Turkey.

Speakers said letting go of preconceived notions about the private sector and civil so-ciety would allow the UNCCD to stand out as a pioneering convention in terms including civil society in its processes.

They called on civil society at large to play the role of watchdog over the Land Degrada-tion Neutrality Fund (LDNF), at COP12’s � rst Open Dialogue Session titled “Demystifying the LDN with CSO Contributions.”

CSO representatives reiterated the need for

a proposed ethics advisory committee for the LDNF, and considered whether it should have veto powers.

Jonathan Davies of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in his key-note address, critiqued the idea of Land Degra-dation Neutrality and pointed out some of the challenges that face the global community in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speakers representing CSOs said there was a discrepancy between civil society groups and parties to the convention in the integra-tion of implementation processes.

Regional CSO speakers re� ected on the vast array of diverse and e� ective initiatives being used to conserve soil, preserve ecosys-tems and provide sustainable livelihoods for land-using communities.

They highlighted initiatives developed by civil society in partnership with researchers, students, governments and other stakehold-ers in generating reliable data on land degra-dation and neutrality. l

A footpath is occupied by an illegally parked car while a motorcyclist also feels free to drive over the footpath in the capital’s Gulshan area yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

SUNNY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015News6DT

Boalkhali OC accused of attempted rapen FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

An attempted rape case has been � led against the Boalkhali police OC, accusing him of try-ing to rape a 24-year-old woman on two dif-ferent occasions.

The victim lodged the case yesterday with the Chittagong Woman and Child Repression Tribunal 1 against Boalkhali police station Of-� cer-in-Charge (investigation) Omar Faruk.

“After the case was � led, Tribunal Judge Rezaul Karim ordered a judicial inquiry in

this regard,” the victim’s lawyer Advocate Rezaul Karim Rony told the Dhaka Tribune.

The OC allegedly tried to rape the woman while he was in charge of investigating an ear-lier rape case � led by the same victim against her former boyfriend.

“While investigating the rape case, the OC o� ered illicit proposals to the victim several times, saying the probe would go in her fa-vour [if she consented to his advances]. The OC also tried – but failed – to rape her when he took few of the victim’s family members on

a trip to Chittagong city’s Patenga sea beach area on August 7,” the lawyer added.

“Angered over the incident, the police o� -cial again called the victim [pretending to be] on investigation purposes, and again tried to rape the woman by tearing o� her clothes at Barighata area of Paschim Gomdandi-Jama-darhat under Boalkhali upazila on October 15 at around 4:30pm.” Rony added that records of several mobile phone conversations be-tween the victim and the police OC have been submitted to the court as evidence. l

A sewer opening without lid impedes vehicular movement as well as poses risk of accidents to commuters on the Gulshan-Badda link road in the capital. The situation indicates to a lack of responsibility of the authorities concerned SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

9 vessels, 1 oil tanker � ned at Karnaphuli channel n FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

A mobile court of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) � ned nine lighter vessels and one oil tanker for keeping the channel blocked, over-loading and lacking licenses yesterday.

CPA Executive Magistrate Muhammad Abul Hashem led the drive at the port channel of the river Karnaphuli.

Magistrate Abul Hashem told the Dhaka Tribune that nine vessels and one oil tanker were � ned with a total of Tk10.30 lakh un-der the Inland Shipping Ordinance 1976, on

charges of obstructing movement of vessels on the channel and operating overloaded ves-sels without certi� cate and security tools.

During the drive that started at 10am and continued till 3pm, the court � ned MV Beau-ty of Muladi-1 and MV Sumaiya Sajid with Tk50,000 each, MV Tiger of East Bangal and MV SA Bashar with Tk40,000 each, MV Raihan Express, MV Silvi, MV Jahin Rifat and OT Rain with Tk30,000 each, MV Saifur Rahman with TK 20,000 and MV TLN-27 with Tk10,000.

CPA’s Ansar team assisted the drive, said sources at the port. l

Five detained with � rearms, ammunition in Chittagongn FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Police in a drive arrested � ve people in posses-sion of � rearms and ammunition, including a homemade Light Gun (LG), from Sitakunda upazila in Chittagong early yesterday.

The arrestees are Rumon Kumar Dey, 22, Liton Chandra Debnath, 23, Emon Hossen, 18, Shadhon, 40, and Rimple Dash, 23, said Sitakunda police station sources.

Police recovered the LG, six crude bombs, three cartridge rounds, two knives, and three rocket � ares from their possession, said Of-� cer-in-Charge (OC) Iftekhar Hasan of Si-takunda police station.

OC Iftekhar said police had arrested the � ve men from Sunni Pukur par of Mohadebhpur area in the upazila in a drive conducted in the early hours of yesterday morning. A case was booked in this connection, added the OC. l

Memorial meeting held for Hamdard foundern Tribune Report

A memorial meeting and doa mah� l was held at the auditorium of Hamdard Bhaban in the capital on Saturday on the occasion of the 17th death anniversary of Hamdard founder Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said.

Diabetic Association of Bangladesh Pres-ident Prof AK Azad Khan was present as the chief guest while Prof ABM Faruk of Pharma-ceutical Technology Department of Dhaka University and Prof M Shahabuddin K Chow-dhury of Pharmacy Department of Jahangir-nagar University (JU) were present as special guests, said a press release.

Dr Hakim Md Yousuf Harun Bhuiyan, managing director of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh, presided over the pro-gramme. l

REB to supply power to 11,032 former exclave familiesn Tribune Report

The Rural Electri� cation Board (REB) will be supplying electricity to all the exclaves that have been recently abolished.

A total of 11,032 families will be provided with electricity connections after the Tk35 crore project is implemented, says a press re-lease.

The project entails building 300 kilometres of power lines, and 64km lines have already been built.

On October 15, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the supply of electricity to 2,561 families in 10 former exclaves under Kurigram-Lalmonirhat Palli Bidyut Samity, Nilphamari Palli Bidyut Samity and Thakur-gaon Palli Bidyut Samity, in a bid to bring con-venience and ease to their lives.

The programme was organised by Kurigram district administration and was at-tended by REB Chairman Brigadier General Moin Uddin, cabinet members, lawmakers, local o� cials, and REB engineers.

The REB plans to bring the remaining 8,471 families under electricity facility by Decem-ber 15. l

2 ex-PDB chairman murder accused remanded againn Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday placed the two ac-cused in former PDB chairman Khijir Khan murder case on a � ve-day fresh remand each.

Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Younus Khan gave the order after Detective Branch Inspector Md Azizur Rahaman, also the investigating o� cer of the case, produced Tarequl alias Mithu and Alek Bepary before the court with a 10-day remand plea.

Tarequl is a member of banned militant out� t Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Alek is the driver of the vehicle used by Khi-jir’s killers to commit the crime.

The duo were taken to the court as their three-day remand ordered on October 15 ended.

Detectives detained Tarequl from Tangail while Alek was held in the capital’s Mirpur area.

On October 5, 66-year-old Khijir was killed at Gudaraghat in the capital’s Madhya Badda area.

The victim’s son Md Ashraful Islam � led the murder case with Badda police station against six unidenti� ed persons the following day. l

Death anniversary of Md Al-Aminn Tribune Report

Today is the � rst death anniversary of veteran journal-ist Md Al-Amin, who served in dif-ferent news organ-isations during his long career.

On this day last year, Al-Amin died at the age of 46 at the capital’s Ibrahim Cardiac Hos-pital after su� ering from cardiovascular ail-ments.

Born in June 2, 1968, Al-Amin earned his masters degree from Dhaka University’s in-ternational relations department. He worked at The Daily Star for 17 years before joining the Daily Sun as a joint news editor.

He also served as the planning editor for Primenews.com. At the time of his death he was the news editor for Report24.com. l

INSIDE

7D

TWorldTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Mina disaster death toll crosses 2000The crush and stampede that struck the Hajj last month in Saudi Arabia killed at least 2,110 pilgrims, a new Associated Press tally showed Monday, after o� cials in the king-dom met to discuss the tragedy. PAGE 8

Refugees stream into Balkans, Germany braces for far-right rallyThousands of refugees again streamed into the Balkans Monday where tighter border controls caused tense bottlenecks, as Germa-ny braced for anger at an anniversary rally of the anti-refugee Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident (Pegida) movement. PAGE 9

Srinagar erupts over trucker’s death, curfew slappedAuthorities imposed a curfew in Indian-ad-ministered Kashmir on Monday after protests over the death of a truck worker attacked by far-right extremists angered by rumours of cow slaughter, a � ashpoint for religious ten-sions in the Hindu-majority country. PAGE 8

Britain unveils new counter-extremism measuresProposals include allowing parents to have passports removed from 16 and 17-year-oldsn AFP, London

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday unveiled new planned measures aimed at countering jihadist ideology and stopping young Britons travelling to Syria, challenging Muslim communities to “own” the problem.

Key proposals in the plan include al-lowing parents to have passports removed from 16 and 17-year-olds, and barring those with terrorism or extremist convictions from working with children and vulnerable people.

The new Counter-Extremism Strategy will also include a review of Britain’s citizen-ship rules with a stronger focus on the “good character” consideration to � lter out ex-tremists from those applying to be citizens.

“The � ght against Islamist extremism is, I believe, one of the great struggles of our generation. In responding to this poisonous ideology, we face a choice,” Cameron said Monday.

“Do we close our eyes, put our kid gloves on and just hope that our values will some-how endure in the end? Or do we get out

there and make the case for those values, de-fend them with all that we’ve got and resolve to win the battle of ideas all over again?”

Police say they have foiled several jihadist attacks in Britain, while hundreds of Britons are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group, raising concerns that not enough is being done to counter extremism.

A 15-year old boy, thought to be Britain’s youngest person convicted of terrorism, was sentenced earlier this month to a mini-mum of � ve years in jail for plotting an IS-in-spired “massacre” on an Anzac Day parade in Australia.

Cameron called on the Muslim communi-ty to do more to combat the threat.

“The extremist narrative needs to be fought every day at the kitchen table, on the university campus, online and on the air-waves,” said the prime minister.

“As a government, I know we must own this problem. But our Muslim communities must own it too. We have all got a critical part to play, but I strongly feel the currently silent majority can make all the di� erence.”

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)

warned that Cameron’s comments risked isolating their community.

“Whether it is in mosques, education or charities, the strategy will reinforce percep-tions that all aspects of Muslim life must un-dergo a ‘compliance’ test to prove our loyalty to this country,” said MCB general secretary Shuja Sha� .

“We cannot help but also detect the Mc-Carthyist undertones in the proposal to cre-ate blacklists and exclude and ban people deemed to be extremist.”

Citing police � gures, Cameron’s Downing Street o� ce said there were 338 counter-ter-rorism related arrests in the past year, with 157 linked to Syria and 56 involving suspects under 20.

The planned measure allowing parents to cancel the passports of 16 and 17-year-olds follows a successful trial with youths under 16, Downing Street said.

Cameron’s new strategy comes a day after he pledged £5 million ($7.7 million) to root out the “poison” of extremists by supporting local initiatives, campaigns and charitable organisations in a so-called “national coali-tion” against radicalisation. l

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015World8DT

SOUTH ASIA

ASIA PACIFIC

MIDDLE EAST

INDIA

CHINA

Ex-general tipped as new Pakistan nat’l security adviserPakistan is considering appointing a former general from the powerful military as the country’s new na-tional security adviser, an o� cial said Monday, a move critics said demonstrated the army’s rising grip on civilian power. A senior Pakistani security o� cial said there was a “strong likelihood” that recently retired General Naseer Janjua would be appointed to the post, presently held by the Prime Minister’s adviser on foreign a� airs Sartaj Aziz.Local media has also report-ed Janjua was being considered for the job. -AFP

Typhoon kills 16 in Philippines, strands thousandsResidents of � ooded farming villages in the Philip-pines were trapped on their rooftops on Monday and animals � oated down fast-rising rivers, as the death toll from Typhoon Koppu climbed to 16. Kop-pu also forced more than 60,000 people from their homes, authorities said. Military, government and volunteer rescue units equipped with rubber boats were trying to help residents in dozens of � ooded villages, according to Nigel Lontoc, a regional rescue o� cial. Authorities con� rmed at least 16 people had died because of the storm, and the death toll was expected to rise. -AFP

Syria rebel commander killed during Aleppo battlesThe military commander of the Syrian insurgent group Nour al Din al Zinki has been killed, the group said in a statement on Monday. Nasif Ismail was killed in � ghting raging in southern Aleppo. -REUTERS

Drone downed by Turkey was Russian-madeA drone downed by Turkey near the Syrian border was Russian-made, Turkey’s prime minister said Monday, adding that it could have belonged to a “militia” � ghting in Syria. Turkey shot the drone down on Friday after it violated its air space. Davutoglu said it could have be-longed to Syrian government forces or Kurdish armed groups in Syria, or “it could belong to a militia.” -AFP

BJP o� cials rebuked for India beef lynching reactionThe head of India’s ruling Hindu nationalists has rep-rimanded some of the party’s senior � gures for their controversial reaction to the lynching of a Muslim accused of eating beef, reports said Monday. Amit Shah, president of the BJP, imposed a “gag order” on the o� cials following accusations that Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi had failed to distance himself from their comments, the reports said. The group included the chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar and lawmaker Sakshi Maharaj. -AFP

China attempted hacking US � rms even after cyber pactHackers associated with the Chinese government have tried to penetrate at least seven US companies in the three weeks since Washington and Beijing agreed not to spy on each other for commercial reasons, according to a prominent US security � rm. CrowdStrike Inc said software it placed at � ve US technology and two pharmaceutical companies had detected and rebu� ed the attacks, which began on September 26. It also said the hackers were a� liated with the Chinese government based in part on the servers and software they used. -REUTERS New Saudi performance

centre adds to top prince’s powersn Reuters, Riyadh

Hit by falling oil prices, Saudi Arabia has set up a new body that aims to improve the e� -ciency of government agencies while giving more in� uence to the powerful young Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

The world’s top oil exporter faces a budget de� cit that economists estimate could total $120bn or more this year. This has led the Fi-nance Ministry to close its national accounts a month early to control spending.

The young prince has enjoyed a dizzying accumulation of powers since his father be-came king and placed him in the line of suc-cession ahead of dozens of cousins.

British newspaper The Guardian last month reported there is a growing concern even in the Royal family for Prince Mohammad’s consist-ent accumulation of power, and an unnamed prince, who is one of the direct grandson of the kingdom’s founder Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, called for a regime change.

After taking power in January, Salman abol-ished several governing councils that rarely met and replaced them with two supercommittees, one on the economy and another on security.

The new performance centre will be gov-erned by a council headed by the deputy crown prince and including Economy & Planning Min-ister Adel Fakieh and former Capital Markets Authority chairman Mohammed Al al-Sheikh. l

Srinagar erupts over trucker’s death, curfew slappedn AFP, Srinagar

Authorities imposed a curfew in Indian-ad-ministered Kashmir on Monday after protests over the death of a truck worker attacked by far-right extremists angered by rumours of cow slaughter, a � ashpoint for religious ten-sions in the Hindu-majority country.

Schools and businesses shut and univer-sities cancelled exams as hundreds of police and paramilitary forces patrolled deserted streets of the mainly Muslim region, a day after 19-year-old Zahid Rasool Bhat died of injuries sustained in the October 9 attack.

News of Bhat’s death on Sunday ignited anger in Indian Kashmir, where protesters threw rocks and clashed with government forces who � red tear gas canisters to dis-perse them.

“We have imposed restrictions on public movement in many areas to avoid loss of life,” a senior police o� cer said on condition of anonymity.

Bhat had been in hospital since the truck in which he was travelling was � rebombed by Hindu activists angered by reports that a ban on slaughtering cows was being � outed in the region.

Two dead cows had been discovered in a stream near the area where his truck was attacked, although there was no evidence he was involved. Forensic tests later showed

the cows had died of poisoning.

Lawmaker attackedAmid rising tensions, Kashmir lawmaker Sheikh Abdul Rashid was attacked with black ink during a press conference in New Delhi Monday by a group known as Hindu Sena (Hindu army).

Rashid, who opposes a ban on beef-eat-ing, had been speaking on rising incidents of religious intolerance, according to news channel Times Now.

Earlier this month he was assaulted by lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Jana-ta Party (BJP) in the state’s parliament for throwing a provocative “beef party.”

Several di� erent groups had called for a shutdown in Kashmir on Monday in protest at the attack on truck worker Bhat, which also left a second man with severe burns.

There were fresh protests early on Mon-day as Bhat was buried in his native village of Botengoo in southern Kashmir.

The region has been tense since a court last month ordered the strict implementa-tion of a longstanding but rarely implement-ed colonial-era law banning cow slaughter and the sale of beef in the state.

Another court has since set aside that order and recommended the state govern-ment review the law. l

AP: Mina disaster death toll crosses 2000n Tribune Desk

The crush and stampede that struck the Hajj last month in Saudi Arabia killed at least 2,110 pilgrims, a new Associated Press tally showed Monday, after o� cials in the king-dom met to discuss the tragedy.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the kingdom’s in-terior minister, oversaw the meeting late Sunday, according to the o� cial Saudi Press Agency (SPA). It did not mention any o� cial response to the rising death toll. The coun-try’s own toll since September 26 has stood at 769 people killed and 934 injured.

“The crown prince was reassured on the progress of the investigations,” the SPA report said. “He directed the committee’s members to continue their e� orts to � nd the causes of the accident, praying to Allah Almighty to accept the martyrs and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.”

King Salman ordered the investigation into the September 24 tragedy in Mina, just outside the holy city of Mecca. The disaster was the deadliest in the history of the annual pilgrimage, and came after a crane collapse in Mecca earlier that month killed 111 wor-shippers. The twin disasters marred the � rst Hajj to be overseen by the king since he as-cended to the throne at the start of this year.

The AP � gure comes from state media reports and o� cials’ comments from 30 of the over 180 countries that sent citizens to

the � ve-day annual pilgrimage, which is re-quired of all able-bodied Muslims.

Iran leads all the a� ected countries, say-ing it had 465 pilgrims killed. Many of the dead also came from Africa. Nigeria said it lost 199 people, while Mali lost 198, Came-roon lost 76, Niger lost 72, Senegal lost 61, and Ivory Coast and Benin both lost 52.

Others include Egypt with 182, Bangladesh with 137, Indonesia with 126, India with 116,

Pakistan with 102, Ethiopia with 47, Chad with 43, Morocco with 33, Sudan with 30, Al-geria with 25, Burkina Faso with 22, Tanzania with 20, Somalia with 10, Kenya with eight, Ghana and Turkey with seven, Myanmar and Libya with six, China with four, Afghanistan with two and Jordan and Malaysia with one.

The previous deadliest-ever incident at Hajj was a 1990 stampede that killed 1,426 people. l

A cleric walks past the co� ns of victims killed in Saudi Arabia in a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage, during their funeral in Tehran earlier this month REUTERS

Refugees stream into Balkans, Germany braces for far-right rallyn AFP, Berkasovo, Serbia

Thousands of refugees again streamed into the Balkans Monday where tighter border controls caused tense bottlenecks, as Ger-many braced for anger at an anniversary rally of the anti-refugee Patriotic Europe-ans Against the Islamisation of the Occident (Pegida) movement.

Europe’s unprecedented in� ux has seen asylum seekers – mainly � eeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan – travelling via Turkey, Greece and the western Balkans, hoping to seek safe haven in Germany and other EU states.

Tensions have built along the migrant trail after Hungary shut its key borders with razor wire – diverting the � ow west to Slo-venia, which in turn also limited arrivals, as did Croatia.

On Monday thousands of refugees waited in cold and heavy rain at one of the choke-points, Berkasovo on the Serbia-Croatia frontier, where families huddled around � res and children walked barefoot in the mud.

Despite the delays, there has was no sign of a let-up.

More than 15,000 crossed from Greece into Macedonia at the weekend, said local authorities. From there, the UN refugee of-� ce said, 10,000 marched on into Serbia overnight.

By the agency’s count, more than 600,000 refugees have come to Europe’s shores so far this year, on dangerous journeys that have left more than 3,000 dead or missing.

The ultimate goal for many is the EU’s biggest economy, Germany, which expects to take in around one million refugees this year, and where Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy has sparked a dangerous backlash.

‘Hate in their hearts’Two days after a man with a neo-Nazi back-ground stabbed a pro-refugee politician in the neck, badly wounding her, Germany’s anti-refugee Pegida movement was planning a mass rally to mark its � rst anniversary.

Police expected thousands to join the “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisa-tion of the Occident” demonstration in Dres-den in the former communist East, as well as a large antifascist counter-protest.

The movement had all but vanished af-ter pictures surfaced in January showing its co-founder Lutz Bachmann sporting a Hit-

ler moustache, but it has made a comeback since September, when Merkel opened the doors to a surge of asylum seekers.

Angry protesters have accused her of “treason” and last week carried a mock gal-lows with Merkel’s name on it.

The chancellor on Monday again urged people to “stay away from those with hate in their hearts,” her spokesman said.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Pegida’s organisers were “hardcore right-wing extremists” and implored citizens to “stay away from those who inject this hate, this poison into our country.” l

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015World 9

DT

USA

THE AMERICAS

UK

EUROPE

AFRICA

Kerry: US wants to avoid ‘total destruction’ of SyriaThe United States is working to avoid the “total destruction” of Syria, and plans a meeting in the coming days with Russian, Saudi and Turkish leaders to seek an end to the con� ict, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday. “We have a moral interest to try and stop this unfolding catastrophe,” he said following talks with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo. -AFP

Liberals leading as Canadians head to pollsCanadians began voting in general elections Monday, with polls showing Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party positioned to end nine years of Stephen Harper’s Tory rule. Polling released on the eve of the vote showed the Liberals leading the Tories by eight points, after a late surge from third place. Public opinion, however, has swung wildly – up to 12% points – during the campaign. -AFP

British media charity worker found dead at Istanbul airportA British woman working for a London-based media charity who was heading to Iraq has been found dead at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, her organisation said on Monday. “We at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) are devastat-ed to announce the death of our country director in Iraq, Jacky Sutton,” said the group, which sup-ports and trains local reporters in conflict zones. The 50-year-old was found dead on October 17 after flying in from London en route to her base in Arbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq. During her career, Sutton worked with humanitarian organi-sations, the United Nations and as a producer for the BBC. -AFP

Stabbed mayoral candidate elected Cologne mayor A German city o� cial who was stabbed in the neck in an attack apparently over her work with refugees was Sunday elected the � rst female mayor of the western city of Cologne. Henriette Reker, who was in stable condition in hospital after being seriously injured in Saturday’s assault received 52.6% of the vote. However, turnout stood at only 40% of eligible voters. -AFP

Egypt polls without voters enters 2nd day Egyptians appeared to be shunning the ballot box for a second day on Monday in what one newspa-per called “an election without voters,” highlight-ing growing disillusionment since the army seized power in 2013 and promised to restore democ-racy. Voting got off to a slow start, a day after polling stations pointed to a turnout of around 10% in sharp contrast to the long lines and en-thusiasm in the 2012 election. Younger Egyptians who make up the majority of the population were virtually absent, with many people dismissing it as a sham or expressing doubt that new lawmak-ers would change anything. “An election without voters,” said a front page headline in the business daily Al-Mal. “Elections without queues,” read a headline in Al Shorouk. Even the pro-government Al Ahram zeroed in on the absence of young people at the ballot box. In an apparent attempt to encourage voting, public sector workers will receive a half day holiday on Monday. -REUTERS

Turkey refuses to host refugees permanentlyn AFP, Istanbul

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday his country was “not a concen-tration camp” and would not host refugees permanently to appease the EU, which wants Turkey to stop the � ow of people to Europe.

“We cannot accept an understanding like ‘give us the money and they stay in Turkey’. Turkey is not a concentration camp,” Davu-toglu said in a live television interview a day after talks with Germany’s Angela Merkel on the migrant crisis.

“I said this to Merkel too. No one should expect Turkey to turn into a concentration camp where all the refugees stay in,” he said.

The talks had however resulted in a “pos-itive response” to the government’s request for visa liberalisation, he said.

Brussels last week o� ered Turkey � nan-cial help and an acceleration of its drive for EU membership among other sweeteners to persuade it to do more to tighten its border security. l

‘Benghazi probe panel not aimed at Clinton’n Reuters, Washington, DC

The Republican head of the congressional investigation into the Benghazi attack said on Sunday he is not targeting Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and such talk hurts the inquiry.

Clinton was secretary of state in Septem-ber 2012 when US facilities in Benghazi, Lib-ya, were attacked, killing four Americans in-cluding US Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

The committee’s chairman, US Repre-sentative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, said on Sunday he is focused on � nding out what security failures led to the incident - not on Clinton.

“She is an important witness but she is one witness,” Gowdy, chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Clinton is due to testify before the com-mittee on Thursday. The committee ques-tioned her senior aide, Huma Abedin, for six

hours in a closed session on Friday.Democrats have argued that the

17-month-old probe is a political tool to damage Clinton as she seeks her party’s nomination in the November 2016 presiden-tial election.

Representative Kevin McCarthy, the No. 2 House Republican, stoked that view last month when he said the panel’s work may be hurting Clinton’s poll numbers.

Gowdy advised fellow Republicans who are not involved in the committee’s work to stay quiet. “I have told my own Republi-can colleagues and friends ‘Shut up talking about things that you don’t know anything about.’ And unless you are on the commit-tee, you have no idea what we have done, why we’ve done it,” he said on CBS.

Representative Elijah Cummings, the leading Democrat on the Benghazi com-mittee, told “Face the Nation” that the 18-month-old had lost its focus: the events that led to the Benghazi deaths. l

Nahid: Skills, knowledge can turn people into assetsn Shadma Malik

People, if provided with the right skills and knowledge, can become assets, said Educa-tion Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday.

He said the government emphasises the use of technology in order to make young people competitive.

“The wider applications of technology will also help youths come up with new ideas,” said the minister while addressing a symposi-um at the British Council in the capital.

The British Council, in collaboration with the National Skills Development Council Sec-retariat, organised the symposium to explore ways for supporting the transition of young-sters into employment, helping them become entrepreneurs as well as make academic pro-gress.

It was attended by academic experts and government representatives from Bangladesh and abroad who exchanged ideas on possible ways to ensure access to quality education for students.

The education minister said: “We want to prepare the next generation of Bangladeshis

by giving them knowledge. We also want to reform the traditional education system and formulate a new and modern education pol-icy.

“Our future generation can compete with students from all around the globe. Also, we are putting in e� orts to ensure gender equal-ity in education, meaning we want to ensure that both boys and girls get the same educa-tional opportunities. Children should enrol in schools and we should work to minimise the numbers of dropouts as well.”

Nahid said education is a key priority of the government. “We also highly prioritise technical and vocational skills.”

Robert W Gibson, British high commission-er to Bangladesh, said having an educated workforce is now more important than ever to compete in today’s global business world.

“I am delighted that the British Council has arranged the symposium and has got in-� uencers and key policymakers to discuss ways to ensure that today’s young people can access the best of the educational opportu-nities, which will help them become tomor-row’s workforce,” he added. l

News10DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

INSIDE

There is no justi� cation for police obstructing the � ve-day joint road march held by the CPB and other left parties with environmental activists, to protest the planned Rampal coal plant near the Sundarbans.

It is every citizen’s right to hold and take part in peaceful demonstrations and protests.

The police are entrusted to be impartial and to protect people’s right to peaceful protest. They should not be hindering these basic constitutional rights by blockading marchers.

Of most concern are reports that local police had obstructed marchers in tandem with stick-wielding government supporters, and that several demonstrators, on Saturday, were injured by a police baton charge. It is completely unacceptable that police should have appeared to have been colluding with counter demonstrators to try and obstruct a perfectly peaceful march.

An impartial inquiry should be conducted to resolve con� icting reports on the police baton charge and to prevent any recurrence of this type of hindrance of peaceful demonstrations.

The government must also resolve to act to prevent any acts of intimidation or violent threats by its supporters. Suppression of dissent and political violence have no place in a democratic society.

We hope the state minister for power, energy, and mineral resources will heed his promise to reporters that he will now seek to engage with environmental activists and others opposed to the Rampal power plant site, by taking protesters on visits to the planned plant.

The demonstrators deserve dialogue and engagement with the government on this issue of important environmental and national interest.

There is never any excuse for attacking peaceful demonstrators and impeding the right to protest.

No excuse for blocking and suppressing peaceful protests

God forbid

#RichKids in an unliveable cityThe most important theme missing from public discourse surrounding this event is ‘institutional failure.’ Despite possible charges of illegal motor-vehicle operation, DUI, and voluntary manslaughter -- law enforcement is showing signs of lethargy. DMP is yet to lodge a case

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Rotten applesPoliticians and businesspeople and their sons and daughters treat the city as their playground because they know, for a fact, that their regal presence will not grace the inside of a jail cell or be subjected to any other form of punishment even for a day. And this kid too will run o� scot-free, if not here then somewhere in the � rst world

Governments need monsters whom they need to appear to � ght, the oldest sleight of hand in the politics handbook that draws attention away from government misdeeds and failings. If these monsters look and smell like human beings, the citizens need to exercise their inherent empathy in the face of daunting adversity to transform fake monsters into their real form

Police have duty to defend not obstruct people’s right to protest

11D

TEditorialTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

BIGSTOCK

Opinion12DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

n SN Rasul

Around 4pm on October 12, an SUV driven by a teenager who was racing with another vehicle injured four people when it ran

into two rickshaws. The driver, 16, was the son of prominent businessman HBM Zahidur Rahman and the director of Premier Bank Shaila Shelly Khan.

Most signi� cantly, he is the nephew of former ruling party MP HBM Iqbal. Due to the child being a minor, the Dhaka Tribune and some other media sources have refrained from publishing his name.

The police has, as of yet, not � led a case against the child, saying none of the victims have come forward to do so. They were advised against it because they were poor and needed the money and could not a� ord a legal battle. However, the police reported that there were several bottles of alcohol inside the SUV, claiming the accident was a result of drunk driving.

But I do not wish to spend too many of my words detailing what had happened, though that is required to get a full understanding of the issue. For example, the family tried to sweep the incident under the rug, claiming it was nothing more than a brake failure, which it obviously wasn’t.

But, more importantly, social media and the general public latched on to the kid’s shoulders, ostensibly blaming him for what had happened. #RichKidsofDhaka and #ClassyKidsofDhaka started to trend, as is the norm for the armchair hashtag activism generation that I, too, am indubitably a part of, and who, funnily enough, probably live almost similarly cushy lives.

Also started to spread was an Instagram picture he had posted, apparently hours before the accident. It featured a bottle of Chivas Regal on his steering wheel with the caption “My life>Your life.” The universe’s

sense of irony was not amiss.This motto, which he had used, no doubt,

to show that he was living a better life than most of us, has since then become the rallying cry for the social pike on which his metaphorical head now rests. If you have enough money and powerful friends (or family members, in this case), you can get away with murder.

There is little question that what happened was a tragedy. Because of the blatant, insolent behaviour of a teenager, four people are now in a hospital. Ensuing reports have claimed that the family members were awarded a measly Tk15,000 as compensation. The police were probably paid o� for a lot more than that.

But (yes, there is a but), should the child in question, the one driving the car, really be the one who should be hung out to dry? Aren’t the bigger culprits in this debacle the parents, and the culture we have of kissing the hands of the richest and the most powerful, a culture that revels in excess?

What did he know, a mere teenager, barely having lived any of his adolescent life, and not yet into adulthood? The burden of responsibility, though it can be hoped, cannot be expected to reside on the shoulders of a child in his mid-teens. The blame undoubtedly lies with the parents of a spoilt brat who had bitten o� way more than he could chew.

Why did a kid have an SUV all to himself? Secondly, why was he getting enough money to be able to a� ord not just one, but multiple bottles of alcohol on a regular basis, which we all know are so expensive as to render them una� ordable even for foreigners?

The blame also lies on the culture of impunity we have running as an undercurrent in our daily lives, especially for the rich and the powerful. In a less dramatic form, on the roads we see the dandawala cars of ministers and apparent “VIPs” driving however they wish, even when the VIP in question is not even inside the vehicle itself, and being given preferential treatment while we stand for hours on end at the back of queues.

And then there’s this: Politicians and businesspeople and their sons and daughters treat the city as their playground because they know, for a fact, that their regal presence will not grace the inside of a jail cell or be subjected to any other form of punishment even for a day. And this kid too will run o� scot-free, if not here then somewhere in the � rst world, taking a page from the book of the sons of our ever-so-prominent leaders (though the perpetrator in question has so far been prevented from escaping).

This accident is merely a microcosm of everything that we as citizens have to put up with on a regular basis, our voices oppressed by the weight of money and stolen power. What are these incidents, if not just collateral damage in a massive game of monopoly? And what was this unnameable spoilt child, if not a mere pawn soon to be replaced? l

SN Rasul is a writer. Follow him on Twitter @snrasul.

Rotten applesThe sorry tale of #RichKidsofDhaka and abuse of privilege

Politicians and businesspeople and their sons and daughters treat the city as their playground because they know, for a fact, that their regal presence will not grace the inside of a jail cell or be subjected to any other form of punishment even for a day. And this kid too will run o� scot-free, if not here then somewhere in the � rst world

Money can buy you better justice BIGSTOCK

Opinion 13D

TTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

n Adnan R Amin

In the Dhaka of the 80s, there was a con-sensus regarding who its richest denizen was. At the rare, lavish weddings, my cousins and I would spot him, with his

guards and his clan, and cower at the sight of the wealthiest man in Bangladesh. What it signi� ed, we weren’t totally sure. My cousins could easily name his businesses in real es-tate, banking, and construction. His creamy white Mercedes was instantly recognisable around Dhanmondi streets. In our fantasies, his children’s supposed diet of chocolates and cakes were the source of much envy.

In the Dhaka of today, there are hundreds of such magnates, and their overlords. Their empires span from butchering to hospitality; from travel to manpower. They always have a lawmaker in-law too. Like tribal chiefs of me-dieval Arabia, they are bound to each other in incestuous communions.

Their powers are channelled through surrounding circles and can, for example, en-force or acquire a virtual media blackout and nearly smuggle underage o� enders out of the country. I can’t stop wondering if and how a UK visa might have been procured. Of course, such information probably doesn’t fall under the purview of the RTI Act.

In the Dhaka of the past, there was a vibrant little-mag culture, where teenagers would spend their allowances on printing little booklets of original literature. No one cared about the little-mag guys; not the par-ents, not the sponsors. After much soldiering, the organisers gave up. The rest, as they say, is history: Of a social media site draining dry the literary juices of urban Dhakaites.

Today’s Dhaka has “Rich Kids” social media pages where teenagers post photos of über-expensive clothes, accessories, devices, and automobiles. They use hashtags like #ClassyKidsOfDhaka and #RichieRi-chRich. And don’t be so appalled; almost every major metropolis has a “Rich Kids of X” group on Instagram or Tumblr. Iran, quite predictably, has banned the one that popped up in Tehran (dare we follow Iran?). It is only natural that an urban, unsupervised, and connected generation will adopt these trends.

They have been separated at birth from

Dhaka, the unliveable city. Their air was � ltered, rooms Disney-themed, and chefs, imported. The schools that they went to were reserved for the elite, protected by exclusion-ary enrollment systems, deep background checks, unnaturally high fees, and high walls. These constituted their world: A virtual bubble of young people � oating in excessive wealth -- connected constantly to a� uent worlds, with no local idols or ideals placed before them. It is therefore no surprise that these youngsters are so taken by pimped rides and bling.

Just last year in the USA, an intoxicated 16-year-old behind the wheels took four lives. During the trial, an expert witness claimed that the teen was a product of “a� uen-za” and was unable to link his bad behaviour with consequences, because his parents had taught him “wealth buys privilege.”

On October 11, 2015, another 16-year old boy, racing an SUV under the in� uence while posting photos of his accomplish-ments, rammed two rickshaws, injuring four. Reports claim that he tried to recover the bottles of alcohol even when the victims were lying on the asphalt. Reinforcing the privilege of wealth, at least one victim has re-portedly received a payo� from the boy’s family. His attempt to � y o� to UK has been thwarted and currently, his arrest is eagerly awaited in Dhaka.

The uproar surrounding the accident is signi� cant and ultimately useful. In many previous instances -- after the beating of Rajon, the Curzon Hall assault, the col-lective sexual-assaults on Boishakh, or the tragic demise of little Jihad -- social media activism has helped raise awareness and expedite legal actions. At the time of writing this piece, the accused teen’s attempt to leave the country has been thwarted by air-port authorities, which I hold to be judicious moves, on either side. Five days on, there are also uncon� rmed rumors of an arrest. Unlike the authorities, Dhaka’s social media remains on the vigil.

The narratives generated, as gauged through social media, appear to be from four major threads:l An analysis of the teenager’s character and moralityl Criticism of nouveau riche culture that the

teenager comes froml Subtle, vindictive pleasure of seeing a cornered elite, rationalised by the constant vili� cation (eg through transmission of imag-es of opulence and ostentation)l Lamentation surrounding the devolution of parenting and the community

The social media mob is doing us a great disservice too. Most are hung up on the teenager’s demeanor, hashtag, alcohol con-sumption, apparent lack of remorse, and the distant world of Dhaka’s über-rich.

Unfortunately, the teenager’s media persona comes across as unscrupulous and arrogant; and that can have consequences graver than that of his alleged crimes. This demeanor contextualises, in the mob’s mind, the accident as an inevitable outcome of a pattern of reckless, criminal behaviour.

A second reason why this event has jolted so many is because it has been framed as an o� ense by one of the elites’ own. Come to think of it, reports of underage truck-drivers � eeing the scene of an accident or getting lynched are not too uncommon in Bangla-desh. The di� erence is that this particular

incident has political implications. It betrays public resentment toward the invisible, incestuous aristocracy that rules Dhaka, and thus, Bangladesh. Therefore, the accused has been turned into the poster-boy for spoilt rich kids of Dhaka’s endogamous circle of opulence.

It is fair to assume that activists face a stronger opponent now than, say, in the case of Rajon (his murderer was extradited last week). This opponent may well be capable of twisting arms, stalling cases and making records disappear. Let us not forget that content marketers have been driven out of Bangladesh for taking on much smaller rivals. Besides, this needs to be a fair game. A lot of the social media venom relates to the alleged o� ender’s vulgar display of wealth. But if preferential treatment of elites amounts to an injustice, then so should their media trials. Their wealth and lavish lifestyles do not preclude them from a fair, unbiased investi-gation.

The most important theme missing from public discourse surrounding this event is “institutional failure.” Despite possible charg-es of illegal motor-vehicle operation, DUI, and voluntary manslaughter -- law enforcement is showing signs of lethargy. DMP is yet to lodge a case. The Bangla Tribune is reporting on frantic attempts to protect the accused by the police, who are now contradicting earlier statements about the accident and the identity of the driver. Government agencies may not be lagging behind: Road transport authority BRTA recently feigned ignorance of the ownership of the much-photographed and damaged SUV. The owner’s name has been erased from digital records! There seems to be no attempt to investigate this erasure. The preservation of public records must be a

priority of information rights. It is unaccept-able and petrifying to think that manipulation of records can be procured so swiftly.

Thoroughly seasoned media outlets have been dragging erstwhile lawmakers into the story, presumably in hopes that it will sell more. Not one media outlet has failed to mention that the teen is related to a certain ruling-party lawmaker. As though being someone’s nephew were a crime! Or if unruly behaviour were a genetic trait! That is the state of the media: It no longer believes that the absolute truth works. There are now ver-sions of truth and it’s only rational to pick the most pro� table one. This has set the media diverting attention and resources to moneti-sation and marketing. It now stands balanced precariously on the slippery slope that leads to mere content marketing.

Beginnings of the third institutional failure lie in the visual culture that has produced numerous photos of the accused, the accident, and the extraction. Despite the overwhelming visual and anecdotal evi-dence, the authorities seem dumbfounded. Ossi� ed. While I do not recommend that law

enforcement agencies take unsophisticated and infantile Instagram photos as irrefutable proof of guilt, I do advocate that a digital forensic team is brought in. Earlier this year, a man was arrested for posting derogatory comments about the honorable prime minis-ter. If we have the technology to do that, then why not use it? Is that not what a truly Digital Bangladesh would do?

In the Dhaka of yesteryears, teenagers could hardly sit on the driving seat, let alone drive. Stay-at-home mothers were constantly there, ready with an assault plan that often involved wringing of the ears, caning the skin o� backs, and curtailing of general freedoms. Then there were the neighbours, those nosy people who never wanted youngsters to have any fun. Even if you did get past the neigh-bour, the neighbourhood shopkeeper or the street-vendor would spot you. And to top it o� , there were the sanctimonious, do-good-er boro bhais, ever prepared to rectify a misstep. They would pounce if, for example, a 16-year-old was found drinking; or even smoking in the presence of seniors.

In the Dhaka of today, 16-year olds race SUVs for entertainment. They photograph themselves and their possessions to show o� to peers. They scan others’ possessions to determine what to procure next. By amassing things, they arrive at equations like “my life>your life.” If they have measured everything in gold, it must be because that is what they have seen others do. We cannot refuse to concede twhat these young people are products of the society we have provided them. l

Adnan R Amin is a strategy and communications consultant. This piece was � rst published in www.alalodulal.org.

#RichKids in an unliveable city

The most important theme missing from public discourse surrounding this event is ‘institutional failure.’ Despite possible charges of illegal motor-vehicle operation, DUI, and voluntary manslaughter -- law enforcement is showing signs of lethargy. DMP is yet to lodge a case

Kids today are products of the society they grow up in

Our legal system is too broken to mete out justice BIGSTOCK

Opinion14DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

n Ikhtisad Ahmed

The current Bangladeshi government has long presented itself as the last stand against Islamism, bravely � ghting to keep the tide of

extremism from engul� ng the country. On its watch, a British national has supposedly been the chief perpetrator of targeted killings of bloggers in Bangladesh.

The freedoms of speech and expression continue to be restricted by legal and illegal means, usually violent, as justice evades the victims. British political rhetoric about

radicalisation is increasing, mirroring Bangladesh, but, like Bangladesh, fails to o� er concrete and viable solutions.

An MI5 report on the subject ends by stating that the only way to combat extremism is by trying to assimilate vulnerable groups into society. Initiatives such as helping young people � nd jobs, integrating several generations of immigrant populations into the local culture, and e� ectively reintegrating former prisoners into society have proven to work in theory, and in practice.

A reasonable and measured approach, as voices pushed to the margins in Bangladesh have expressed without being heard. Neither the Home O� ce nor MI5 refer to speci� c religions or motivations in their reports. However, both the words “radicalisation” and “extremism” are only used to label people who identify as Muslim or who have Muslim-sounding names when it comes to actual policy implementation.

In the hours after the murder of drummer Lee Rigby, the British government set out its stall. Theresa May, the home secretary at present and at the time, and Boris Johnson, the then mayor of London and present cabinet member, were amongst the high pro� le voices gleefully toeing the party line of being unable to say anything for certain

-- it was in the immediate aftermath, after all, and the investigation was in its infancy -- but did not hesitate to invoke the dreaded t-word.

A most deplorable crime, no doubt, but a spade was, and still is, called a pitchfork. The two are touted as future leaders of the Conservatives, as future prime ministers. They and their government disrespected the memory of one of its loyal servants to play a dangerous political game, and the feral terrorism narrative, painted all over the media in the age of round-the-clock news, became a mainstay of the public consciousness. The tent pitched on terrorism has become a fortress.

The current Prime Minister David Cameron, and one of the heiresses presumptive, May, constructed their Conservative Party addresses around radicalisation. The latter’s incendiary speech pointed out perceived and factually incorrect problems with immigration, including stating that radicalisation increases with greater immigration -- an assertion thoroughly repudiated by studies and reports. Although the former’s was less controversial, he cited radicalisation as a danger that justi� ed di� cult decisions, implying oppressive measures.

It suggests that the Preventing Violent Extremism strategy (Prevent) and use of the Impero software at home and the drone strikes abroad are only the beginning. Domestic spying programs and extra-judicial killings are not at all unlawful, especially when those in positions of power have itchy trigger � ngers. Greater engagement with communities within the UK is a reasonable approach that can yield results, but fear-mongering is less work and more populist.

That it stigmatises and alienates the very section of the population which, by the government’s own admission, is prone to radicalisation is a happy coincidence -- the higher the number of extremists, the more bigotry is acceptable, and unreasonable, unlawful, oppressive policies are embraced. If it works in the backwaters of a former colony, it is good enough for the Queen’s country. Monsters must be slain. All hail the brave hero that does the slaying.

As if the hubris of believing ideologies rooted in faith could be controlled was not foolish enough, leaders all over the world delude themselves into thinking they have a moral right to rule, and therefore are entitled to using any means necessary to do so. Their end justi� es their means, but is of little or no bene� t to the masses. Having let the genie out of the bottle, governments now demand it grant a fourth wish, domestically and globally.

When the genie disobeys, as is its wont, it and its progenies are labelled as monsters. Governments need monsters whom they need to appear to � ght, the oldest sleight-of-hand in the politics handbook that draws attention away from government misdeeds and failings.

If these monsters look and smell like human beings, the citizens need to exercise their inherent empathy in the face of daunt-ing adversity to transform fake monsters into their real form. That is the starting point for constructive dialogue, positive resolution and genuine progress. Everything else is an elaborate and poorly-constructed magic trick, emphatically cruel. l

Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @Ikhtisad.

God forbid

Governments need monsters whom they need to appear to � ght, the oldest sleight of hand in the politics handbook that draws attention away from government misdeeds and failings. If these monsters look and smell like human beings, the citizens need to exercise their inherent empathy in the face of daunting adversity to transform fake monsters into their real form

In the UK, the concept of terrorism is often used as a political ploy

People like Boris Johnson play the terrorism and immigration cards to further their own agendas REUTERS

15D

TBusinessINSIDE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Oil prices slip below $50 on Chinese demand concernsOil prices fell yesterday on concerns about the pace of economic growth in China, the world’s largest energy consumer, and signs that global oversupply is curbing Saudi crude exports. PAGE 17

Indian $2bn LoC terms remain unsettled Negotiation is still on to strike a draft agreement on new Indian $2bn Line of Credit (LoC) o� ered to Bangladesh by India around four months back. In a latest round of inter-ministerial meet-ing last week, Bangladesh has decided to negotiate further on unsettled issues, including procurement of goods and ser-vices from both the countries, consultant appointment, seller selection, tax, VAT and procurement guideline to execute 13 projects under the LoC. PAGE 16

China economic growth hits lowest since � nancial crisisChina’s economy logged its worst per-formance since the global � nancial crisis yesterday with analysts warning it is likely to worsen and the government needs to do more to avert a sharp slowdown. PAGE 18

China economy

Source : National Bureau of Statistics/Photo: Greg Baker

5.6 5.7

2

4

6

8

10

JS JDO N J/F M M

8.0

Industrial outputMonthly changes, %, y-o-y

2014 2015

7.2

A A S

6.810.9

Retail salesMonthly changes, %, y-o-y

2014 2015

6

8

10

12

14

4

2

JS JDO N J/F M MA A S

Quarterly growth%, y-o-y

Q4Q1 Q1 Q22014 2015

Q2 Q3

7.3 7.3 7.0 7.07.4 7.5

6.9

Q3

Capital Market Snapshot: MondayDSE

Broad Index 4,644.6 0.8% ▲

Index 1,108.5 1.3% ▲

30 Index 1,763.4 1.1% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk 3,358.0 8.0% ▲

Turnover in Mn Volume 89.8 5.3% ▲

CSEAll Share Index 14,156.9 0.5% ▲

30 Index 12,526.6 0.2% ▲

Selected Index 8,614.1 0.5% ▲

Turnover in Mn Tk 293.4 -2.0% ▼

Turnover in Mn Volume 7.8 -7.9% ▼

Land ports begin Durga Puja vacationn Tribune Report

Export and import activities at di� er-ent land ports will remain suspended for di� erent periods on the occasions of Durga Puja and holy Ashura.

Benapole Land Port in Jessore goes on a � ve-day vacation from today while Burimari Land Port in Lalmonirhat be-gan an eight-day vacation yesterday.

Akhaura Land Port in Brahman-

baria has been shut down for 10 days and Hili Land Port in Dinajpur closed for eight days from Sunday. Hili will resume works next Monday.

In Chapainawabganj the Son-amasjid Land Port went into a six-day suspension of works from yesterday.

However, the land ports will re-main open for passengers movement through the immigration posts under special arrangements. l

7th FYP goes to ECNEC today

The export target has been set at $55.1bn and remittance at $25.39bn in 2020 while contribution of agriculture to GDP will be brought down to 12.99%

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

7% 7.2% 7.4% 7.6% 8%TO BE ACHIEVEDInvestment plan Tk31.9t

Investment to GDP ratio 34%Job creation 13.2m

Power generation 2,584mw

Extreme poverty reduction 8.9%Revenue to GDP ratio 16%

ECONOMIC GROWTH TARGETS OF BANGLADESH’S SEVENTH FIVE-YEAR PLAN

ASMAUL HOQUE MAMUN/DT INFOGRAPHIC

n Tribune Report

The seventh � ve-year development plan is set to be placed before the Executive Com-mittee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today for its approval.

The plan was already presented to the prime minister and � nalised after taking opinions and views from experts and stake-holders.

The implementation of the plan, which targets 8% GDP growth in 2020, will begin next year. The country’s economic growth has remained stuck within 6% for a decade.

Early this � scal year the General Econom-ic Division started framing the seventh Five-Year Plan after the end of sixth Five-Year Plan on June 30.

Under the plan, the country will need to invest Tk31.9tn to execute the plan to accel-erate economic growth.

Some Tk28.85tn or 90.4% of the total required investment has been projected to come from domestic resources while Tk3.05tn or 9.6% from external sources.

Of the domestic resources, the govern-ment is expected to invest Tk7,252bn and the private sector Tk24.65tn.

The government also aims to raise the in-vestment-GDP ratio to 34% from the current 29%.

A total of 13.2m jobs at home and abroad

will be created for the Bangladeshis in next � ve years.

Under the plan, 12,584 megawatts of elec-tricity will be generated in � ve years, 61% of which will come from the public sector and 39% from the private sector.

The contribution of agriculture to the GDP will be brought down to 12.99% in 2020 from 16.1% in 2014, according to the plan.

The share of industrial sector will in-crease from 27.6% to 33% by 2020, while that of the service sector will drop to 54.1% from the existing 56.3%. The export target has been set at $55.1bn and remittance at $25.39bn in 2020.

The plans also include bringing down the extreme poverty to 8.9% from 12.9% and poverty to 15% from 24.8% in � ve years.

The target has been set to raise the reve-nue-GDP ratio to over 16% from around 10% now. The tax-GDP ratio in Bangladesh is one of the poorest in South Asia.

According to the General Economic Di-vision’s progress report on sixth Five-Year Plan, the investment slowdown might lead to failure to achieve the average GDP growth rate above 7% over the remaining period of the plan.

Bangladesh launched � rst Five-Year Plan in 1973. The second Five-Year Plan was for-mulated in 1980, third in 1985, fourth in 1990, � fth in 1997 and sixth in 2011. l

Business16DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Indian $2bn LoC terms remain unsettled n Kayes Sohel

Negotiation is still on to strike a draft agree-ment on new Indian $2bn Line of Credit (LoC) o� ered to Bangladesh by India around four months back.

In a latest round of inter-ministerial meet-ing last week, Bangladesh has decided to ne-gotiate further on unsettled issues, including procurement of goods and services from both the countries, consultant appointment, seller selection, tax, VAT and procurement guide-line to execute 13 projects under the LoC.

On the use of goods and services, the meeting decided to propose for reducing pro-curement of Indian goods and services to 65% or below it for civil works-related projects and more reduction for other projects.

Under the LoC, India primarily said a min-imum of 75% goods and services needs to be of Indian origin and must be procured from India.

In response to it in July, Bangladesh had proposed India that 60% goods and services would be procured from India and the rest 40% from Bangladesh, and 50% construction

materials like brick, sand and cement will be procured from India and 50% from Bangla-desh.

On this proposal, India replied that for all projects, it would not be possible to cut the proposed procurement share but terms and conditions could be project-based like � rst LoC.

LoC is a promise to provide loans at subsi-dised rates from agencies such as Exim Bank of India.

These are normally conditional on the re-cipient, using the loan amount to buy equip-ment and services from Indian entities.

Both countries, however, agreed on form-ing a joint venture company for taking recom-mendation services. But in this case, Indian consultant company will play a lead role.

On the point of project management con-sultant (PMC), the meeting decided to negoti-ate further. Earlier, in response to Bangladesh proposal to make it optional and if needed, Bangladesh could appoint own-� nanced PMC from anywhere in the world. In response to it, India replied that it is important to appoint PMC in a critical project-related civil works

under LoC. So, appointment of PMC should not be made optional.

On re-payment date, Bangladesh agreed on India’s proposal on � xing re-payment date af-ter � rst installment of the loan.

The meeting laid emphasis on further dis-cussion on seller selection, as earlier Bang-ladesh proposed that Bangladesh usually accomplishes all civil procurements in line with the internationally recognised rules in response to India’s seeking explanation on omission of two words – transparent and fair – from the deal.

On payment of custom duty, VAT and tax, the meeting decided to discuss further and was told that Indian must pay all personal and corporate taxes as per the country’s rules.

Earlier, India had requested Bangladesh to re-think about not giving tax and VAT waiver for its individuals and companies.

Both side agreed to handle letter of credit issue, borrower’s liability, immunity for the borrower, legal proceeding by court, speci-men signature and amortization schedule.

India had o� ered new LoC at 1% interest and 0.5% commitment fee (on undisbursed

amount) during Indian Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi two-day state visit to Bangladesh in � rst week of June. The loan will have to be re-paid in 20 years with a � ve-year grace period.

In August 2010, Bangladesh signed � rst $1bn credit deal with India to support Bangla-desh’s development works. Of which, $800m has so far been released.

The proposed 13 projects for fresh LoC are setting up of double railway tracks in Khulna- Darshana line, converting the Parbatipur-Kau-nia metre-auge (MG) line to a dual-gauge track, upgrading the Syedpur railway work-shop, installation of Barapukuria-Bogra-Kali-akor 400-kilovolt power-transmission line, procurement of 500 trucks and 500 buses for BRTC, procurement of modern equipment to upgrade the Roads and Highways Depart-ment, setting up of four medical colleges and hospitals, national burn and plastic surgery institute, construction of 49 polytechnic and teacher-training institutes, upgrading of Ashuganj river container port, and improve-ment of Ashuganj river port-Akhaura road.

Two other projects under the ICT ministry are also included in the list. l

Stocks rebound amid volatilityn Tribune Report

Stocks turned around with volatility yesterday, snapping heavy losses of the third consecutive day. But trading activities still remains low, in-dicating that con� dence is yet to be restored.

The market opened marginally higher but nosedived in mid-session before closing high-er on renewed buying interest pulled up by heavy weighted stocks.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index DSEX was up over 36 points or 0.8% to 4,644, rebounding from its previous session’s four months low.

The Shariah index DSES rose nearly 14 points or 1.3% to 1,108. The blue chip comprising index DS30 gained 20 points or 1.2% to 1,763. The Chit-tagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index CSCX settled at 8,614 with a rise of 46 points.

The DSE turnover stood at more than Tk335 crore, up 8% over the previous session’s value.

Almost all the sectors ended in positive territory. Cement gained sharply more than 5%, breaking its steep losses over the last few sessions. Telecommunication also got back on track soaring about 3%, followed by power and pharmaceuticals, which rallied 0.7% each.

Other sectors, including banks, NBFIs, tex-tile, food and allied closed marginally higher.

IDLC Investments said the bourse started with buyers at control in the early morning. Though dented around mid-session, indices kept on appreciating, riding on scrips that faced severe correction recently, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said choppy trad-ing on market partly re� ected uncertainty about the near-term outlook for the markets on the heels of the volatility seen over the past several trading sessions.

The market has bene� ted from the rally of large-cap stocks, although subdued economic data is keeping investors watchful, it said.

Debutant KDS Accessories extended loss-es of over 6% to over Tk66 a share in its third trading day after jumping 329% on its o� er value in � rst trading day. l

Mainetti USA president arrives in Dhakan Tribune Business Desk

Steve Regino, president of Mainetti USA, has come to Dhaka to visit Bengal Plastics Ltd, the country’s largest plastic processor and exporter.

Bengal Plastics is the licensee manufac-turer of Mainetti Group – the world’s largest manufacturer of apparel hangers and accesso-ries, said a press release. Mainetti operates in more than 34 countries in the world.

during his stay in Dhaka, Steve Regino will be visiting the production facilities of Bengal Plastics at Zerabo, Savar.

Bengal Plastics caters to the apparel hanger needs of the 100% export-oriented garments industries of Bangladesh that are exporting gar-ments to USA, Canada and European markets.

The company produces an extensive line of hangers for men, women and children ap-parels. It has an installed capacity to produce 1.5m pieces of hangers a day. l

GP’s data revenues rise while net pro� t falls to 22.53%n Tribune Report

Grameenphone has reported TK230 crore rev-enues in the July-September period from its data services which was TK140 crore at the same period last year.

The company earned TK200 crore from the data service sector in previous quarter.

Dilip Pal, chief � nancial o� cer of Grameen-phone, came up with the disclosure at a press conference held at Pan Paci� c Sonargaon Ho-tel in the capital yesterday.

But unlike earning in data sector, the com-pany’s net pro� t declined due to SIM replace-ment dispute with the tax regulator for the July-September period as the operator had to deposit Tk100 crore to start an “out of the court settlement” procedure.

Although the largest cellphone operator’s revenues grew 3.35% to Tk2,647.42 crore in the third quarter of this year, its net pro� t slipped to 22.53% to Tk414.12 crore.

Replying to the queries, Dilip attributed the deposit to the fall of GP’s net pro� t.

“Depositing the certain amount of money was a pre-condition for starting the settle-ment with the National Board of Revenue to begin the long-standing tax dispute, involv-ing nearly Tk1,000 crore with the Grameen-phone,” he said.

NBR claimed around Tk3,000 crore from four mobile phone operators -- GP, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel – as SIM card replacement tax. The four took the issue to the tax regulator for settlement.

“We are gaining momentum of perfor-mance revival from the headwind experi-enced from intense price competition and po-litical turmoil during the � rst quarter of 2015,” said Rajeev Sethi, CEO of Grameenphone.

“Gradually we are observing healthy min-utes growth and our data performance is showing encouraging developments. Our

clear focus on driving has simpli� ed custom-er-centric market initiatives which are help-ing us to create this momentum.”

Of the total 1.52 crore data subscribers or internet users, 1.2 crore clients use 3G servic-es. With a 10.4% rise on a year-on-year basis, GP acquired 40 lakh new subscribers in the � rst nine months of this year, taking the total subscribers to 5.55 crore by this September.

The market leader mobile operator invested Tk1,470 crore during the � rst nine months for further rollout of 3G sites, 2G coverage, capac-ity enhancement for catering higher volume of data and voice as well as enhancement of IT infrastructure for better product and service o� erings.

It paid Tk3,880 crore as the largest con-tributor to the national exchequer during the period.

In the � rst nine months of this year, the operator’s total revenues rose to Tk7,794.21 crore from Tk7,674.05 crore compared to the same period a year ago.

The net pro� t, however, slipped to Tk1,461.82 crore in the January-September period from Tk1,592.24 crore last year. l

Steve Regino ‘We are gaining momentum of performance revival from the headwind experienced from intense price competition and political turmoil during the � rst quarter of 2015’

Business 17D

TTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Oil prices slip below $50 on Chinese demand concernsn Reuters, London

Oil prices fell yesterday on concerns about the pace of economic growth in China, the world’s largest energy consumer, and signs that glob-al oversupply is curbing Saudi crude exports.

China’s economy grew at the slowest pace in six years in the third quarter, according to o� cial data released yesterday, making it more and more likely Beijing will cut interest rates to stoke activity.

Data also showed that Chinese oil demand fell slightly in September, meaning the coun-try’s year-to-date growth is running behind the International Energy Agency’s forecast.

“With weak Chinese industrial produc-tion, we may see Chinese manufacturing PMI worsen, thus leading to weaker oil prices,” he said, referring to the forward-looking Pur-chasing Managers’ Index to be released later this week.

Brent for December delivery was down 76

cents at $49.70 a barrel at 0952 GMT. US crude for November delivery fell 57 cents to $46.69 a barrel, extending last week’s steep loss.

“Chinese GDP data and the rise in the Saudi stockpile due to falling crude oil exports are weighing on prices,” said Tamas Varga, oil an-alyst at London brokerage PVM Oil Associates.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, shipped 278,000 barrels a day less crude oil in August, trade data showed, sug-gesting demand for Saudi oil is sliding as the global supply glut persists.

Meanwhile Austrian oil producer OMV lowered its oil price forecasts yesterday, see-ing 2016 prices at $55 a barrel and rising to $70 a barrel in 2017, $80 a barrel in 2018 and $85 a barrel from 2019 onwards.

As a result the company also said it would take a 1bn euro ($1.13bn) impairment charge on asset values in its upstream business.

Investors were also eyeing progress in the removal of western sanctions on Iran that will

allow the oil-rich nation to revamp oil produc-tion and resume exports to western consumers.

The United States and the European Un-ion on Sunday took formal legal steps to lift sanctions on Iran once Tehran meets the con-ditions tied to a landmark nuclear agreement with major world powers.

The market will also be watching economic data from the United States and the eurozone expected this week.

“Considering the expectations for both China and eurozone, we could see US being the tie-breaker between oil bulls and bears. US data has not been exceptionally strong, and thus could mean that oil prices could be facing some headwinds towards the end of the week,” Ang said.

The Buzzard oil� eld in the North Sea, the largest contributor to the Forties crude stream that helps set the global oil price, was gradu-ally ramping up production after su� ering a four-day outage. l

The Tesoro oil re� nery is viewed from the air in Carson, California REUTERS

Dollar broadly weakens after China datan AFP, Tokyo

The dollar weakened against emerging cur-rencies yesterday as growth in China’s econo-my in the third quarter slowed to the weakest pace since the global � nancial crisis but still beat analysts’ expectations.

The South Korean won, the Australian dol-lar and the Singapore dollar rose after the data from Beijing gave a lift to con� dence, while expectations the Federal Reserve will delay an interest rate hike also provided support.

Global markets have rallied in October - following a massive sell-o� in the July-Sep-tember quarter - with emerging currencies the main bene� ciaries as bets on a 2015 rise in US borrowing costs recede.

After saying in early 2015 that a rise was expected as the US economy picked up pace, bank policymakers have gradually lowered their expectations, with turmoil unleashed by China’s yuan depreciation in August playing a major role.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Monday morning that growth in Ju-ly-September eased to 6.9 percent, the weak-est since 2009 at the height of the global re-cession but better than the 6.8 percent tipped by analysts in an AFP survey.

“The number was better than expected but it did suggest that Chinese economic activity is slowing, just not at the worrisome pace that the market initially anticipated,” Elias Hadd-ad of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia told Bloomberg News.

The won advanced 0.63% against the dol-lar, while the Singapore dollar gained 0.09% and the ‘Aussie’ rose 0.15%. Indonesia’s rupiah swing in an out of positive territory throughout the morning and was � at in early afternoon.

The won has gained about � ve percent against the US unit this month, while the Australian dollar - which relies heavily on re-sources shipments to China - advanced more than three percent.

“Any relief rally in the Australian dollar or the commodity complex in general should be limited because the fundamentals haven’t changed,” Haddad of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia said.

The Malaysian ringgit dipped 0.87% against the dollar, while the Thai baht, Taiwan dollar and Philippine peso also weakened.

The US unit fell to 119.42 yen from 119.49 yen Friday in New York, after sinking as low as 119.16 at one point Monday.

The euro traded at $1.1362 and 135.71 yen compared with $1.1353 and 135.65 yen in US trade. l

India bank chief urges IMF action over monetary easingn AFP, Mumbai

The head of India’s central bank yesterday called for the International Monetary Fund to stop “applauding” the monetary easing poli-cies of many developed countries.

Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said in a speech that the IMF should be doing more to assess the knock-on e� ects of stimulus measures on the global economy.

“The IMF is supposed to be looking at these sorts of issues ... but it is sitting on the sidelines and applauding such policies,” he told a G20 consultation meeting in Mumbai.

A number of developed economies, most notably the United States, have engaged in signi� cant monetary easing to boost their economies as global growth slows.

But Rajan said some of the policies had been “extreme” and ultimately detrimental

to emerging markets, which struggled to cope with large in� ows of capital which then disap-peared when the easing stopped.

Rajan, the former IMF chief economist, said in his address that the policies initial-ly encourage growth but the e� ect quickly wears o� , leading to a “musical (chair-like) crisis”.

“We are in dangerous territory,” he said in the speech, which comes ahead of the G20

summit in Turkey next month.India, whose economy is expanding at

around seven percent, is presently the best performer of the group of emerging markets known as the BRICS, which is also composed of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.

Last month, Rajan said Brazil’s current economic malaise stemmed from trying to grow too quickly by “overemphasising old and ine� ective methods of stimulus”. l

Business18DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

CORPORATE NEWS

China economic growth hits lowest since � nancial crisisn AFP, Beijing

China’s economy logged its worst perfor-mance since the global � nancial crisis yester-day with analysts warning it is likely to wors-en and the government needs to do more to avert a sharp slowdown.

Gross domestic product (GDP) in the world’s second-largest economy grew at just 6.9% in the third quarter, its slowest rate in six years, adding to fears over the health of the global economy.

“China’s economic growth is still sluggish with many risks remaining unresolved,” ANZ Banking Group chief economist for Greater China Liu Ligang told AFP.

“We should not be over-optimistic. Chi-na’s economic growth will continue to slow down,” he said, adding he estimated GDP would expand 6.4% next year.

China’s decades-long boom, fuelled by infrastructure investment, exports and debt, made it a key driver of the global economy, the world’s biggest trader in goods and a giant market in itself.

Even though growth has eased in recent years its GDP more than doubled in real terms between 2006 and 2014, according to World Bank � gures.

Now it is looking to transition to a “new nor-mal” of slower, more sustainable expansion driven by domestic consumer demand, but the change is proving bumpy and stock exchanges around the world have been pummelled in re-cent weeks by concerns over its future.

Yesterday’s � gure was the worst since the � rst quarter of 2009, although it was margin-ally above the median forecast in a poll of an-alysts by AFP.

It was also the � rst o� cial con� rmation of investors’ fears over GDP since a Chinese stock market slump over the summer followed by surprise currency devaluation in August.

Analysts now widely expect Beijing to further boost � scal spending and ease mone-tary policy to prevent a sharper slowdown in growth.

China has already cut interest rates � ve

times in a year and reduced the amount of cash banks need to hold in a bid to boost lend-ing, but that stimulus has yet to be seen sub-stantially driving real economic growth.

“We expect the government to continue to take additional incremental measures to en-sure that growth does not deviate too much from its targets, but without going for major stimulus,” Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, said in a research note.

China’s GDP expanded 7.3% last year, the slowest pace since 1990, and at 7.0 percent in each of the � rst two quarters of this year.

The government has set a goal of “around seven percent” for 2015.

Growth figures questionedBut many China watchers query the accuracy of numbers released by the government, with some suggesting they are manipulated for po-litical reasons.

“Unfortunately, these � gures need to be taken with a grain of salt as o� cial GDP growth appears to have become a poor gauge of the performance of China’s economy,” Cap-ital Economics China economist Julian Ev-ans-Pritchard said in a research report.

A statement by the National Bureau of Sta-tistics (NBS) described third-quarter growth as a “slight slowdown” but said the economy was still running within a “proper range”.

“However, we must be aware that internal and external conditions are complicated, and downward pressure for economic develop-ment still exists,” it said.

At a news conference, NBS spokesman Sheng Laiyun blamed a weak recovery in the world economy and expectations of a US in-terest rate hike for China’s woes, as well as domestic overcapacity in industries ranging from steel to concrete.

China’s growth slowdown has sent prices of commodities ranging from oil to copper to multi-year lows, and led the US Federal Re-serve to delay a widely expected increase in borrowing costs.

Analysts attributed the July-September de-cline to the � oundering property market and � agging exports, although retail sales o� ered some consolation.

A key indicator of consumer spending, they increased 10.9% in September, the gov-ernment said, marginally ahead of the previ-ous month.

Fixed asset investment, a measure of spend-ing on infrastructure, expanded 10.3% on-year in the January-September period - lower than a median projection for a 10.8% increase, ac-cording to a survey by Bloomberg News.

And industrial production - which meas-ures output at factories, workshops and mines - rose just 5.7% year-on-year in September, the NBS said, well down on August’s � gure and missing economists’ median estimate of 6%.

China’s stock market took the � gures in its stride, on expectations of more stimulus measures, analysts said. By the break on Mon-day, the benchmark Shanghai stock index was up 0.50%. l

Rahimafrooz Batteries Limited has recently hosted its annual convention for business partners. Group chairperson of Rahimafrooz Bangladesh Ltd, Afroz Rahim was present on the occasion among over 350 key nation-wide battery dealers, said a press release

China economy

Source : National Bureau of Statistics/Photo: Greg Baker

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6.9

Q3

‘Unfortunately, these � gures need to be taken with a grain of salt as o� cial GDP growth appears to have become a poor gauge of the performance of China’s economy’

S&P: Islamic � nance growth to slow over low oil pricen AFP, Dubai

The fast-growing Islamic � nance industry is set to slow down next year over the sharp fall in oil revenues and rapid regulatory changes, Stand-ard and Poor’s Ratings Services said yesterday.

“We think Islamic � nance growth will drop to single digits in 2016 from between 10% and 15% over the past decade,” S&P said in a report.

The agency said that such rapid growth had seen the Islamic � nance industry exceed an estimated $2tn in value.

“But we now think the industry faces chal-lenges from the decline in oil prices, changes in the global regulatory framework for banks and insurance companies, and its own frag-mented nature,” said S&P Global Head of Is-

lamic Finance Mohamed Damak.S&P expects the size of Islamic � nance

to hit $3tn sometime in the next decade al-though the Sharia-compliant industry was projected to hit the landmark much earlier.

Governments in core markets see Islamic � nance as a tool to maintain their investment spending, somewhat countering the negative impact of oil prices on their budgets, the re-port said. Islamic � nance bans interest, prod-ucts with excessive uncertainty, gambling, short sales and � nancing prohibited activities considered harmful to society.

Around 40 million of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are clients of the Islamic � nance in-dustry, which has surged in popularity since its niche market days of the early 1970s. l

News 19D

TTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Rundown roads in Ctg bring misery for residentsn FM Mizanur Rahaman, Chittagong

Residents are experiencing great su� ering in Chittagong city due to numerous potholes and cracks having appeared on most of the roads.

As the roads are in a sorry state, residents have been using alternative routes that not only waste their valuable time, but also their money.

Chittagong City Corporation o� cials, how-ever, claim that they had repair work carried out on several of the roads, but the frequent rain had ruined all of their e� orts.

According to the CCC, about 163 kilometres of roadway out of 800km across the city are still in a dilapidated state.

During a recent visit, this Dhaka Tribune correspondent found a number of roads, including the city’s Chawakbazar - Kapash-gola, Chawakbazar – Rahattarpul, Sholosha-har-Gate No 2 road, Bahaddarhat to Garibul-

lah Shah, Bakshirhat to Kalamia Bazar, Port Connecting road, DT road, Agrabad Access road, Bahaddarhat Bus Terminal road, Agra-bad CDA residential area road, and Nayaba-zar-Eidgaon road, are riddled with numerous potholes and cracks.

A layer of bitumen has disappeared from a number of roads, turning them muddy. Public transport and goods-laden trucks sometimes break down, triggering huge gridlock on city roads.

Additional Commissioner (inance, admin-istration and tra� c) of Chittagong Metro-politan Police AKM Shahidur Rahaman said: “Tra� c police are � nding it di� cult to main-tain vehicular movement due to the rundown roads.”

“On several occasions, we requested the CCC to repair the roads on an emergency basis, but no visible output has come out,” he said.

The six kilometer-long Port Connecting Road, which is considered to be one of the

busiest roads in Chittagong city, lies in poor condition.

Locals said, only 25 days back, the CCC had done repair work on the road, but all of that repair work was destroyed after the re-cent rain as the city corporation had used sub-standard materials for it.

Venting his anger, Md Nazim Uddin, a private job holder, said the Port Connecting Road, in some parts, has virtually turned into farmland, as it is di� cult to � nd any concrete structure there.

“The � ve-minute drive now takes nearly half an hour, as trucks often become immobile due to the road’s awful condition,” he said.

Ruhul Amin, a bus conductor whose bus plies between the Patenga and Bahaddarhat routes, said the ongoing construction work on the Muradpur-Lalkhan Bazar � yover has narrowed the road from Bahhadarhat to the CWASA area, forcing tra� c to move slowly.

Superintendent Engineer (division 3)

Ra� qul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that Jica had agreed to reconstruct the Port Connect-ing Road and the 2.5 kilometre-long Agrabad Access Road, with their own funds.

“If they want to construct the roads, then why does CCC waste the country’s money,” said Ra� q over the phone.

Brushing aside the allegation of using sub-standard bitumen, another superintendent engineer, Md Yakyub Nabi, said all of the bi-tumen was collected from Eastern Re� nery. Part of the construction disappeared because of the heavy showers, he added.

He added that to install asphalt plant and renovate the dilapidated roads, a proposal of Tk200 crore was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council. The construction work would start in Decem-ber, he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Executive Engineer of the CCC Monirul Huda said they had already started repair work on an emergency basis. l

CMC physician hacked by miscreants n Tribune Report

A teacher of Chittagong Medical College (CMC) was hacked by some unidenti� ed miscreants at his residence in Halishahar area of Chittagong city in the early hours of yesterday.

Tarek Shams, a lecturer of the Medicine department of the CMC, was undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said O� cer-in-Charge of Halishahar police station Ahsan Uddin.

Tarek with his family is living at Rangipara of Halishahar resi-dential area, said the OC.

“The miscreants knocked the door around 5am and swooped on him when he opened the door. The miscreants hacked Tarek indis-criminately and � ed from the scene immediately,” said the OC. l

Road mishaps kill � ve n Tribune Report

Five people were killed in separate road acci-dents in Rangpur and Chittagong yesterday.

A trucker was killed when a goods-laden truck hit him in Majirghat area, Sadarghat po-lice station in Chittagong morning.

The deceased was identi� ed as Md Mizan, 37, said Sadarghat police station sources.

Marzina Akhtar, O� cer-in-Charge (OC) (in-vestigation) of Sadarghat police station, said the incident took place in Mazirghat Narikel Tala area around 10:30am.

During the accident Mizan handed over the steering to his helper to park it aside and got down from the vehicle while the truck hit him, leaving critically injured, said the OC.

The on duty doctors declared him dead after whisked the driver o� at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said the OC adding that soon after the incident the helper

managed to � ee from the spot.Meanwhile, two siblings and one of their

cousins were killed as a bus crashed into their bicycle at Darshana intersection of the city on Monday afternoon.

The deceased were identi� ed as Shariful Islam, 13, his brother Shahidul Islam, 12, sons of Abul Momin of the area, and their cousin Salma Akhter, 6.

Abdul Aziz, o� cer-in-charge (Investiga-tion) of Kotwali police station, said the Dina-jpur-bound ‘Trishan Paribahan’ bus smashed the bicycle of the trio in the area around 3:30pm, leaving Shariful and Shahidul dead on the spot and Salma critically injured.

Locals took Salma to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where doctors declared her dead, he said.

Outraged at the road accident, locals blocked the road for about an hour. Later, po-lice brought the situation under control. l

Youth held with 10 gold bars in Ctg n Tribune Report

Police arrested a youth along with 10 pieces of gold bars worth of Tk45 lakh from Mirsarai upazila in Chittagong early yesterday.

The arrestee was Jabed Ahmed Nayon, 22, hailing from Sylhet, said O� cer-in-Charge of Mirsarai police station Imtiaz Md Ahsanul Kader.

Tipped o� , police arrested a youth along with the 10 gold bars worth of Tk 45 lakh from a Sylhet-bound bus at Gulistan Petrol Pump Station on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway around 3:30am, said the OC. l

Hatirjheel, a popular recreation spot for the city dwellers, has turned into an abominable source of stench, thanks to the illegal dumping of industrial and household waste. The � oating garbage not only hinders the aesthetic decoration of the lake, but also serves as a breeding ground to mosquitoes spreading diseases to its surroundings. The photo was taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

News20DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Land grabbers endanger Faridpur canaln Our Correspondent, Faridpur

Desperate land grabbers have pushed the main canal in the district town on the edge of extinc-tion, thanks to the controversial role of the lo-cal administration and municipal authorities.

The sorry state appeared as Faridpur mu-nicipal authorities and the district adminis-tration had leased out the canal’s both banks to some people who have started grabbing more land in absence of proper monitoring.

The canal, also known as Faridpur Khal, is alone natural passage for discharging rainwa-ter and wastewater to the Kumar river from the town. It � ows over mainly Alipur and

Lakshmipur areas there.Consequently, acute water logging might

appeared in the town during rainy season due to the disturbance of the water � ow.

It was learnt from the o� cial records that the canal was about 580m in length and 52-115ft in width, but the land grab has changed the scenario in name of lease.

Sources said the canal is actually connect-ed to the Padma via Kumar river and one upon a time locals use boats to move their goods outside of the district through the naval way.

Though the municipal authorities during the 2008 army-backed caretaker government enabled to recover some lands from the grab-

bers, the move lost its pace in course of time. Numerous illegal structures were seen on

both banks and the canal was narrowed very badly leaving its un� t to discharge water.

Recently, the local administration has planned to make a road along the canal to ease tra� c jam of the town, but experts warned that the initiative would worsen the situation.

Faridpur Municipality Mayor Sheik Ma-hatab Ali Methu claimed that they are real au-thorities of the canal. Faridpur Deputy Com-missioner Sarder Sharafat Ali told the Dhaka Tribune that he was unaware of the lease giv-en by his o� ce and he assured of trying his best to end the long-running grabbing. l

Man hacked to death by ex-minister’s relativen Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

A handloom worker was allegedly hacked to death by a former minister’s nephew at Enayetpur upazila in the district on Sunday.

The deceased was Abdul Kader, 35, son of Nur Hossain of Khi-dro Goprakhi village in the upazila.

According to sources, Nargis Khatun, daughter of Nannu Biswas, nephew of former minister Abdul Latif Biswas, had been married to Ismail Hossain, a handloom businessman in Kamarpara area, three years back. After the marriage, a feud ensued between the two fam-ilies as family members of Nannu termed Nargis mentally ill.

On the day, Nannu along with his associates went to the area and attacked the family members over the issue. Local UP member Shmsul Islam came to manage the situation and he also got injured during the incident.

On information, locals went to the spot and got locked in a clash with the men of Nannu while he hacked Kader, leaving him critically injured. Later, he was sent to Enayetpur Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead.

Amena Khatun, wife of the deceased, � led a case accusing Nan-nu and 13 others in connection with the murder.

The body was sent to the hospital morgue, said Monirul Isalm, o� cer-in-charge of Enayetpur police station. When contacted Biswas said that he was informed about the incident. The accused should be punished according to law, he said. l

Rape victim’s facing threatn Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A college girl, who was brutally raped on September 29, and her family members are facing constant threats after she � led a case against the rapists.

According to sources, Shihab, 20, son of Ismail Hossain of Sirirch-ala village under Sadar upazila, took the girl, a student of a local col-lege, to nearby Mamtaj picnic spot with the help of associates Ameer and Ashik on her way to college. They con� ned her and raped her.

On information, locals rescued the girl in a critical condition and handed over to her family members.

Later, the victim � led a case accusing Shihab and two others.The criminals threatened to kill them if they did not withdraw

the case, said victim’s mother. Sub-Inspector Mujibur Rahman of Sreepur police station, said they were trying to arrest the criminals. l

JMB man held in Jamalpurn Our Correspondent, Jamalpur

Police arrested a suspected member of banned militant out� t Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Tupchar area in the district yesterday.

The arrested was Sultan Ahmed of Char-alder village under Melandah upazila.

Nasimul Islam, o� cer-in-charge of Melandah police station, said on a tip-o� , the police raided the area and arrested Sultan while he was hold-ing a secret meeting with other JMB members.

His cohorts managed to � ee the scene.Recently he was freed from Kasimpur Cen-

tral Jail, the OC said. l

Prisoner dies in Kashimpur Jailn Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A life-term sentenced Inmate died at Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur yesterday.

Deceased Shahjahan Molla, 48, was son of Md Momotaj Uddin Molla of Kapasia upazila. Deputy Jailer Md Mush� qur Rahman said, Shahjahan complained of chest pain in the morning.

“He was taken to jail hospital and later shifted to Shaheed Ta-juddin Ahmed Medical College where the on-duty doctor declared him dead,” he added. l

Farzana Oshin Zulhash is joining Mindshare Singapore as a planning manager to manage brands within some of the � agship clients in the agency. She shall be joining an experienced high-� ying team who know how to get the job done and have fun at the same time. This is for the � rst time in Mindshare Bangladesh that an employee has been transferred overseas that too the Asia Paci� c Headquarters of Mindshare global network. We wish her all the best in her journey towards achieving a milestone in her career. l

World Marketing Summit was held in Tokyo from October 13 to 14 with more than 30 speakers and 2,500 attendees, representing as a major event in the world of marketing. Building on the knowledge and know-how of Professor Phillip Kotler, the father of modern marketing, an international group of marketing all-stars was brought together in WMS, aspiring to make a better world through marketing.

Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, vice-chancellor of BRAC University, was invited by Professor Kotler as a panelist for an interactive session on diversity in marketing, where he deliberated in the “E� ectiveness of diversity in marketing in emerging markets.”

Presentations and discussions over the two days covered new marketing trends aimed at building a new sense of dynamism for companies and industries. l

The “Inter Branch Debate and Extempore Speech Competitions - 2015” of Da� odil International School were held at DIU Auditorium on October 8 to observe the International Peace Day, for which an Inter Branch Poster Designing Competition was also observed. The programme included a prize distribution ceremony of the “Intra Branch Quiz and Spelling Competitions 2015.” An English drama named Jealousy, translated from Hingshutey written by Bengali Poet Shukumar Roy, was staged by DIS drama club as well.

Mohammed Nuruzzaman, executive director of Da� odil Education Network and director of DIIT, graced the occasion as chief guest and inspired young minds of DIS to practise multidimensional knowledge. Rahima K Mirza Rosemary, senior vice principal of DIS, was present at the programme and delivered her inaugural speech to welcome everyone along with a short description of recent success stories of DIS. Md Iqbal Hasan, moderator of Green University debating society, acted as a speaker of the inter branch debate competition among Dhanmondi and Uttara branches where Md Zaki Rezwan, lecturer, DIU and Mohammed Modi Uddin Bhuiyan, head of business development, Craveee, were the judges both in the debate and extempore speech competitions. Dhanmondi branch of DIS acted as the opposition party of this Asian parliamentary debate and became the champions. The event ended with a prize distribution ceremony among the winners.

A good number of guardians, students and teachers of both Dhanmondi and Uttara branches of DIS were present at the event.

News 21D

T

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

BRAC University VC attends as Panelist for the WMS, Tokyo 2015

Debate competition at DIS

Mindshare Global Network hires Bangladeshi

Tech22DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Phone bills made easiern Chisty Rahim

Have you ever wondered how di� cult it is to keep track of all the o� ers that come out from your phone service provider, month after month? There are special call rates of a few paisas per minute, some for the same two operators and others for one operator connecting to a di� erent reciever. Then there are bundle deals, where they o� er you free minutes and internet packages. For example, 300MB of internet for Tk99, 30 minutes of talk time and so on.

It all gets pretty confusing just to � gure out which package deal would be best for you to buy. The package deals given by the di� erent service providers are based on usages and user preference, which vary from person to person. And the only possible way to � nd out which one best suits you would be, simply, to try them all. Then again, you have to keep in mind which package you are using to test and compare it for a while before you come to a decision.

Well not anymore!The app, Madviser, a new creation of Humac Lab, is now providing a solution to the problem. The app takes into account your personal usage of the di� erent service providers and o� ers you best solution to minimise cost, and turn your phone and sim into a more e� ective mean of communication.

The app helps with the optimisation of mobile bills by simply suggesting voice,

data packages and special o� ers that goes with your mobile usage behaviour. It has a personal dashboard feature that allows you to make decisions regarding your usage

by providing you with analytical insights based on that. In addition, it also helps you compare your packages with others and clarify what best suits you. The app is created for only users of Bangladesh so far and is planned to reach out to other countries as well.

The best feature of the app is that it remembers all the activation codes provided by the telecom operators. Which means, the days of keeping brochures and written down notes of package activation codes has ended. You no longer have to Google search or bother yourself (and others) for the actvitaiton codes everytime you run out of data or talk time, as your package expires. Madviser simply tells you which package to choose and activates it for you automatically. You can also change your FnF numbers without bothering with codes.

The app has a size of 5.4MB and has already been downloaded a little over 11 thousand times from the app store. It is available for Android versions 2.2 and up, and has recieved a rating of 4.3 average by users.

Some users have complained that the app does not have all the o� ers provided by the di� erent operators. Clearly, It needs a bit of work. But so far, it is a software that would come in handy for a lot of us. Make sure to give it a shot, and see how it works for you. l

App store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.humaclab.madviser

Taking a look at the new app Madviser

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus Executive Machines will be o� ering the most advanced iPhones ever, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, from November 5. Customers can start to pre-register or pre-order iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus from October 23 at their Gulshan and Dhanmondi showrooms.

Website: www.apple.com/iphone Contact: +88019 77727753 / +8801978827753

Even though battery problems are mostly caused by cold weather, Consumer Reports magazine says that heat is the bigger enemy of car batteries and it makes a big impact on its performance and reserve capacity. The magazine recommends that vehicle owners who live in the hotter parts of the world get their car batteries tested after two years of ownership and then every year after. And those who live in the colder regions may wait four years to get the battery performance and capacity tested, and then every year after.

The fact is, heat kills batteries, and given that we live right on the edge of the equator, it does not do us any good. Our batteries are more prone to wear from heat, let alone anything else. Since winter is around the corner, many of us will have trouble starting the engine in the morning. This is solely because the heat of the past summers has weakened the battery. To have a better explanation of the situation, when you try to start the engine in the cold, the starter motor requires more electrical current to turn over since the engine oil inside the engine has thickened due to the cold outside.

Testing a battery’s performance and reserve capacity is not just a matter of seeing whether it will hold a charge for an Acid-Lead battery or checking the electric eye, but to see if it is green on a Lithium-ion battery. If you can get hold of a multi-meter, you can check the battery’s performance at home. But for best results, we recommend that you take it to a battery shop to get it tested. l

How long does the battery last in a new car?

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news app

Tech 23D

TTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

5 takeaways for digital marketing enthusiasts from Spikes Asia 2015

Photos: courtesy

n Shadab Mahbub

The walls of the exhibition hall of the Suntec Convention Center were reverberating with the silent energy of a restless crowd eager for the show to get started. While Spikes Asia was one of the biggest gathering of marketing personnel in Asia, it was not the typical business conference. While not strictly a black tie event, there was no doubt on the kind of talent that the event had attracted from far across the region.

The attendees consisted of technologists, marketers, account servicing personnel and even the executives from some of the biggest agencies in the region. For anyone excited about 21st century marketing in Asia, this was the place to be. As a technologist in Dhaka, I was looking forward to seeing the industry progress in neighbouring regions and garnering some sense of the way agency culture was shaping up in Bangladesh.

Needless to say, the three days that followed were � lled with intense sessions from industry experts and the takeaways greatly enhanced my philosophy about marketing and communication.

Everything starts with a single insightThe importance of working with strong human insights could not be stressed enough in the case studies that were showcased throughout the event. Insights proved to be a compass to help marketers navigate brands in the extremely cluttered environment that riddle most consumer markets.

However, working with insights poses an interesting challenge for those who do, given the dynamic and fast paced nature of modern human interaction. Identifying the behavioral glitch in today’s chaos is not the hardest part; simplifying it and marrying it to the right brand proves to be.

The Role of TechnologyAs a technologist working at a digital marketing agency, the display of marketing technology at Spikes Asia was both enticing and eye opening. The marriage of creativity and technology was enough to capture anyone’s imagination. Going forward, the role of technology in the marketing ecosystem is that of adapting a campaign’s insight to various platforms to suit the platform’s context and audience.

This role presents itself as a double edged sword – on one end we have people creating augmented reality experiences using Occulus technology, and on the other end we have people working tirelessly to � gure out how to create content at scale. For the digital marketer, content at scale is perhaps one of the biggest challenges, and it is a daunting one. However, it was very refreshing to connect with people who were pushing the boundaries on di� erent formats of content – not just visual.

Broadly speaking, technology powers a vast taxonomy of content for marketers and also serves as a tool for collecting insights and generating analytics.

The Creative Process The previous points should have highlighted the importance of working with strong insights for any campaign, and it is no di� erent for digital. We have a habit of placing a lot of importance on the technology itself, forgetting it is just a tool that ampli� es the strength of the message that we are trying to communicate by making it more interactive and engaging its audience in unprecedented ways.

Hence we � nd ourselves creating really agile creative processes that accumulates collective input and tests insights to strike the strongest emotional chord. These processes need to be cross functional and draw out ideas and observations from all participants. I mention agile, not as a keyword, but as an actual reference to the SCRUM work� ow, commonly used with software development.

While there have been recent developments with people using SCRUM for other work� ows, it was a pleasant surprise to see people applying the same principle for creative processes as well. Needless to say, it makes us faster and the quality of our output also improves.

Briefs & human relationshipsEducating the market on the latest of digital and interactive technology is a tough ask, which can only be made easier by the quality of relationships agencies maintain with their clients and vice versa. I believe that well articulated briefs reduce the loops of

Thoughts of a mildly intrigued technologist

redundant communication and allows both parties to focus on quality output.

Ironically, everything being said and done, the lack of proper briefs is an age old problem, and it is what distracts creative minds from focusing in what is actually important.

“In any client meeting, there are always two versions of the brief. One which they tell you about, and the one they don’t” – happens to be one of the most popular insider agency jokes.

As dry the humour may be, it underlines why we need to innovate in this space through education and building mutually trusting relationships. I believe, that the vast majority of technology being developed today has implications not just for marketing, but for energy, health, power and nonpro� t industries as well.

The Immediate ChallengeThere are many given the demands of modern brands. Some say that we need to put more emphasis on research and development to build better products for clients; others say that we need get back to the basics of craftsmanship.

However, in my humble opinion, I think that we need to prioritise on market education now more than ever. With technology progressing at a mind boggling speed, our ability to adapt insights to di� erent platforms is being rigorously tested. However, in order to pass that test we need to keep tirelessly learning about the platforms we are working with and the audience it attracts. Learning, and educating our clients on the scopes of what can be done is the biggest challenge going forward for brands in Asia.

I believe it is the only way we can surpass the dogmatic nature of traditional marketing and transform creativity into a tool for brands to solve actual problems and build lasting relationships with its customers.

WebAble plans on aggressively being a part of this movement as well. We will be taking various initiatives to educate our clients and other stakeholders in the marketing ecosystem to play our part in developing processes and solving problems. l

Article originally published in: http://webable.digital/bable/5-takeaways-for-digital-marketing-enthusiasts-from-spikes-asia-2015

Tech24DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

New Xperia Z5 and Z5 compactSony has had � ve di� erent � agships within two years

n Mahmood Hossain

You can all it innovation, a marketing ploy or even desperation. But the fact is Sony released its � rst Xperia Z in 2013. It is now 2015 and we’ve been introduced to the new Z5 and Z5 compact. It’s a tad alarming how fast the company has been cranking out new smartphones, when their overall sales of their mobile division hasn’t been that great. However, they have had some kind of success in the eastern and southern hemisphere.

This means Sony has released a new � agship twice a year since 2013. It’s a similar strategy taken by some sports video games like FIFA from EA Sports. Every year they release a new title, improve in gameplay and chisel away some of the imperfections of the version before. The two new models from Sony are almost identical, leaving the size of the display and battery, alongside the thicker design of the Z5 compact, as the most signi� cant di� erences. Now, there is a 5.5-inch Xperia Z5 Premium model with a 4K display, but we won’t be seeing that until later this year.

In looksThe devices are still beautiful. Sony has never faltered in the design department. But it might be a little surprising for some that the new Xperia Z models aren’t as round and smooth around the corners like its predecessors. Even though it now has a better grip, the harder edges have made way for the new � ngerprint sensors, which have become standard now for all � agship phones in the market. The � ngerprint sensor, which is also the power button, is located to the right of the device in the middle. Sorry, left-handers.

Back to its overall design, the new Xperia has a sophisticated matte � nish on the back, still including the font and back glass casing. As mentioned before, Sony has never taken a back seat when it comes to elegance in design. The same can be said for its weight. It’s not too light and it’s not too heavy. As Goldilocks would say, it’s just right. My comrade Lance, across the Atlantic, told me that holding the device just felt right. You know that you

are holding a premium device, without any real discomfort.

There are smaller tweeks to the new phones as well, like the headphone jack and the USB charging port not needing to be covered. Remember, it remains dust and waterproof. The battery life also remains in tact, as Sony guarantees that 2-day longevity.

Under the hoodAs usual, the performance is always given an upgrade. Unfortunately, as a former Xperia Z owner, Sony’s native theme and various software tends to make the experience a little sluggish. The company has been plagued with this for quite some time now. It’s really a shame since the � agships have always been gorgeous to look at and other aspects of the phone have been applauded. This has been yet another slight miss in what could have been a contender with the Galaxy S6.

Here are the side by side specs of both the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact:

Xperia Z5• 5.2-inch, 1080x1920 (428 ppi)

resolution with scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating, X-Reality Engine and Triluminos display

• 23 MP, 5520x4140 pixels with phase detection autofocus, LED � ash rear camera

• 5.1 MP, 1080p, HDR front-facing camera

• 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage (with microSD card slot)

• Android Lollipop v5.1.1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, quad-core 1.5 GHz CorteA53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57, Adreno 430

• Non-removable Li-Ion 2,900 mAh battery

• 154g, 7.3 thickness• White, Graphite Black, Gold, Green

Xperia Z5 Compact• 4.6-inch, 720x1280 (323 ppi)

resolution with scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating, X-Reality Engine and Triluminos display

• 23 MP, 5520x4140 pixels with phase detection autofocus, LED � ash rear camera

• 5.1 MP, 1080p, HDR front-facing camera

• 2GB of RAM, 32GB storage (with microSD card slot)

• Android Lollipop v5.1.1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, quad-core 1.5 GHz CorteA53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57, Adreno 430

• Non-removable Li-Ion 2,700 mAh battery

• 138g, 8.9mm thickness• White, Graphite Black, Yellow, Coral

25D

TSportSHEIKH KAMAL INTERNATIONAL CLUB CUP

Big day for ChittagongAbahanis in action on opening day of the eight-club tournament

n Tribune Report

The eagerly-anticipated Sheikh Kamal Internation-al Club Cup is all set to roll on the � eld today with the inaugural match between former Bangladesh Premier League champions Abahani Limited and Pakistan Pre-

mier League champions Karachi Electric FC.The opener will kick o� at MA Aziz Sta-

dium in Chittagong at 4:30pm while hosts Chittagong Abahani will take on Kolkata gi-ants King� sher East Bengal FC in the day’s second match at 7:30pm at the same venue.

Channel 9 will telecast both the matches live.

This is the � rst time the port city of Chit-tagong will be hosting an international foot-ball tournament and the organisers have pledged to hold the event on a regular basis.

Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin will inaugurate the tourna-ment as the chief guest.

Four-time professional league champions Abahani, who are by far the most successful club in Bangladesh, have experienced mixed fortunes in recent times and have failed to lift the top-� ight title in the last four seasons.

Karachi Electric, in contrast, are on a good run of form lately having claimed their � rst ever league title in the 2014-15 season. They are the � rst ever Pakistani club to qualify for the prestigious AFC Cup.

Abahani will be depending on their prolif-ic Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba to deliver the goods. Besides recruiting Topu Barman and Waly Faisal from Sheikh Russel, the Sky Blues have also roped in Chester Akon and

Samson Illiasu from Brothers Union and Team BJMC respectively in order to land the inaugural title.

Abahani’s veteran coach Amalesh Sen yesterday said, “We began our preparation not so long ago. The � tness level is satisfac-tory but we have to beat every opponent if we want to become champions. The group is tough but we are determined to make it to the semi-� nals. This is our primary goal.”

As far as the home side is concerned, experienced coach Sha� qul Islam Manik is bracing himself for his debut tournament with Chittagong Abahani.

And the port city out� t can certainly dream of winning the title, as they have a di� erent and a comparatively better squad than the one in the domestic league.

With national stars like Zahid Hasan Ame-li, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Zahid Hossain

and Mithun Chowdhury at their disposal, the hosts can rightly expect a good start against East Bengal today.

“The success of a team depends on three things; preparation, strategy and luck. Therefore, we might be lacking in prepara-tion but I hope we will � nish in the top two by balancing the three aforementioned as-pects. It will not be an easy task as we are in the group of death. We have the squad and the capability to � ght against the sub-conti-nent clubs,” said Manik yesterday.

On paper, I-League out� t East Bengal are clear favourites for today’s encounter and their newly-appointed coach Bishwajit Bhat-tacharya expressed hope of exhibiting beau-tiful football.

“We try to make our supporters happy wherever we go and we want to do the same here as well. 14 players out of 32 are currently playing in the ISL (Indian Super League). But it is not an excuse,”

said Bishwajit yesterday before adding, “We don’t have enough information about the teams we will be playing in this tourna-ment but we have to beat every opponent for success. We came here to play positive foot-ball.” l

TODAY’S MATCHESAbahani Limited v Karachi Electric 4.30pmChittagong Abahani v East Bengal 7.30pm

INSIDETUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Sohan smacks unbeaten 182 as Khulna take driving seatKhulna presented Dhaka an imposing target of 470 after declaring their second innings on 506/7 declared, courtesy � ne centuries from Mehedi Hasan, Anamul Haque and Nurul Hasan Sohan. Resuming the third day Khulna added 301 more runs for the loss of three wickets. PAGE 26

Icon cricketers included in BPL players’ draftThe Bangladesh Premier League governing council has decided to include the six icon cricketers of the third edition – Shakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Mush� qur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain – in the players’ by choice draft, scheduled to be held this Monday. PAGE 26

Late Foley penalty sinks ScotlandA controversial last-gasp penalty by Ber-nard Foley earned Australia a 35-34 victo-ry at Twickenham on Sunday that broke Scottish hearts and sent the Wallabies into a World Cup semi-� nal against Argentina. Referee Craig Joubert awarded Australia a penalty for o� side. PAGE 28

Higuain sinks Fiorentina, Inter held by JuveGonzalo Higuain gave resurgent Napoli a 2-1 home win over Serie A leaders Fior-entina while Inter Milan missed a chance to go top when they were held 0-0 by champions Juventus in a physical Derby D’Italia on Sunday. Higuain struck in the 75th minute with his sixth league goal of the season. PAGE 29

Chittagong Abahani captain Zahid Hasan Ameli (C) speaks during the pre-match press conference in the port city yesterday ahead of their inaugural match against Kolkata’s King� sher East Bengal at MA Aziz Stadium today BFF

GROUP AMohammedan SC, Dhaka

Mohammedan SC, KolkataDe Spin Ghar Bazan, Afghanistan

Solid FC, Sri Lanka

GROUP BAbahani Limited, Dhaka

King� sher East Bengal, KolkataKarachi Electric, Pakistan

Chittagong Abahani

Abahani Limited, Dhaka, practice at the MA Aziz Stadium yesterday ahead of their opening Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup match against Karachi Electric at the same venue today BFF

Sport26DT

Sohan smacks unbeaten 182 as Khulna take driving seatn Mazhar Uddin

Dhaka under the cosh against KhulnaKhulna presented Dhaka an imposing target of 470 after declaring their second innings on 506/7 declared, courtesy � ne centuries from Mehedi Hasan, Anamul Haque and Nurul Hasan Sohan.

Resuming the third and penultimate day’s play yesterday on 205/4, Khulna added 301 more runs for the loss of three wickets before declaring their innings.

Nurul posted an unbeaten 223-ball 182, featuring 19 boundaries and a six, while An-amul’s painstaking 100-run knock took up 267 deliveries.

Youngster Mehedi had earlier scored a cen-tury on the second day last Sunday to propel Khulna to a gigantic total.

In pursuit of the hefty target of 470, the capital city out� t ended the day’s proceedings on 37/2, still requiring 433 runs to win.

Metro looking to set challenging targetRangpur, who began yesterday on 241/6, managed a 57-run � rst-innings lead when they were bundled out for 299 with Tanveer Haider top-scoring with an 177-ball 78.

Sharifullah was the most successful bowler for Dhaka Metropolis with a four-wicket haul.

In reply, Metro took a 122-run lead as they concluded on 179/2 in their second innings. They will be eyeing to set defending champi-ons Rangpur a � ghting target when the fourth and � nal day’s play gets underway today.

Metro’s Mehrab Hossain Jr (87 not out) and Mahmudullah (48 not out) will also be target-ing individual milestones.

Sylhet face uphill battle against BarisalSylhet, chasing a mammoth target of 448, � nished yesterday on 54/2, needing a further 394 runs for an improbable victory.

Earlier, Barisal declared their second in-nings on 464/7, thanks to impressive hun-dreds from Al Amin (157) and Salman Hossain (146) and half-centuries by opening batsman Shahriar Nafees (67) and Sohag Gazi (50).

Together, Al Amin and Salman added 230 runs for the fourth wicket to steer Barisal to a position of authority.

Chittagong hoping for last-day winChittagong, who resumed yesterday on 238/4, concluded their � rst innings on 350 as they lost their remaining six wickets for the addition of 112 runs. Chittagong middle-order batsman Tasamul Haque was undefeated on 134 from 372 balls, his

knock studded with 14 boundaries. Tamim Iqbal and Irfan Shukkur registered valuable contribu-tions, scoring 62 and 53 respectively.

Sanjamul Islam starred with the leather for Rajshahi, picking up eight wickets for 106 runs.

In their second innings, Rajshahi were batting on 97/2 as they still trail Chittagong by 45 runs. l

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

NCL, ROUND 4, DAY 3TIER 1

Khulna v Dhaka, KSOASKhulna: 117-allout & 506/7 dec in 123.2 overs(Nurul 182*, Mehedi 104, Anamul 100, Masum 3/147)Dhaka: 154-allout & 37/2 in 20.1 overs

Dhaka need 433 more runs to winRangpur v Dhaka Metropolis, SANSMetro: 242-allout & 179/2 in 53 overs(Mehrab Jr 87*)Rangpur: 299-allout in 109.4 overs(Tanveer 78, Sharifullah 4/49, Arafat 3/70)

Metro lead by 122 runsTIER 2

Barisal v Sylhet, SCSBarisal: 155-allout & 464/7 dec in 115.1 overs(Al Amin 157, Salman 146, Shahriar 67, Gazi 50, Rahatul 3/83, Khaled 3/92)Sylhet: 172-allout & 54/2 in 22 overs

Sylhet need 394 more runs to winChittagong v Rajshahi, ZACSRajshahi: 208-allout & 97/2 in 36 oversChittagong: 350-allout in 155.5 overs(Tasamul 134*, Tamim 62, Irfan 53)

Rajshahi trail by 45 runs

Icon cricketers included in BPL players' draftn Minhaz Uddin Khan

The Bangladesh Premier League governing council has decided to include the six icon cricketers in the players' by choice draft, scheduled to be held this Monday.

Initially, the icon cricketers – Shakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Mush� qur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain – were thought to be assigned to the six BPL franchises for the forthcoming third edition of the tournament with consent from the players.

That way ace all-rounder Shakib was supposed to go to Dhaka Dynamites, open-ing batsman Tamim to Chittagong Vikings, all-rounder Nasir to Rangpur and Bangla-desh ODI and Twenty20 captain Mashrafe to Comilla Victorians. Mush� q and Mahmudu-llah were expected to be assigned to Sylhet and Barisal respectively.

The decision however, failed to sustain af-ter it was opposed by the franchises, mainly by Comilla and Rangpur. Comilla preferred Shakib to veteran paceman Mashrafe while Rangpur showed their interest towards Tamim.

The BPL GC was opposed by the two franchis-es for its decision to assign the icon cricket-ers. According to sources, at one point the technical committee of the money-spinning T20 tournament was warned by the franchis-es that they would boycott the competition.

To eliminate such issues, the BPL GC de-cided to put the icon cricketers in the players’ by choice or players' draft. BPL GC member secretary Ismail Haider Mallick informed the media that the technical committee has de-cided to put the icon cricketers in the draft.

“You see, we got requests for Shakib from � ve franchises and when we thought of giv-ing him to Dhaka, the others objected. We do not want to take any blame whatsoever and that is why we have decided to put the icon cricketers in the draft,” said Mallick to Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Bangladesh Cricket Board director Khaled Mahmud, who has been assigned as the advi-sor of Dhaka by the board, stated that his fran-chise are looking to avoid potential con� icts.

“If there is an issue with this (the board as-signing the icon cricketers to the franchises) I think it is better they are put in the draft. The teams can try their luck and select the icons according to the turns of the lottery,” said Khaled to Dhaka Tribune yesterday. l

You see, we got requests for Shakib from � ve franchises and when we thought of giving him to Dhaka, the others objected. We do not want to take any blame whatsoever and that is why we have decided to put the icon cricketersin the draft

Khulna division’s Nurul Hasan slaps a short ball during his unbeaten knock of 182 runs against Dhaka division on day three in the National Cricket League fourth round at Fatullah yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Rajshahi’s Sanjamul Islam took 8-106 against Chittagong yesterday

Sport 27D

T

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Celta Vigo go joint top, Atletico down SociedadCelta Vigo moved level with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of La Liga thanks to Nolito’s last-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at 10-man Villarreal on Sunday. Atletico Madrid are now within two points of the leaders as Antoine Griezmann and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco handed them a controversial 2-0 win at nine-man Real Sociedad.

AFP

Azhar Ali returns home, likely to miss second TestPakistan’s key batsman Azhar Ali will return home following the death of his mother-in-law and is unlikely to play in the second Test against England starting in Dubai on Thursday. The 30-year-old did not play in the � rst Test, which ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi on Satur-day, due to a foot infection.

AFP

Jason Day takes over as world number oneJason Day has replaced Jordan Spieth as world number one in the latest golf rankings released yesterday. The Australian, who won his � rst major title at the PGA Championship in August, takes the top spot for the second time in his career. He previously moved ahead of Spieth on September 21, but lasted just a week as the American won the Tour Championship to regain top spot.

AFP

Juve’s Marchisio cools Liverpool talkJuventus mid� elder Claudio Marchisio has brushed o� reported interest from Liverpool by claiming he is fully focused on regaining his � tness after signing an extension with the Italian champions. Marchisio has been linked with a move to An� eld following the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as the new Liverpool manager. Marchisio returned to the fray following a recent injury knock on Sunday.

AFP

Nadal, Berdych book World Tour Finals spotsRafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych have secured their places at the ATP World Tour Finals, leaving just two spots in the eight-man � eld to � ll. Nadal and Berdych will compete alongside Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka at the season � nale in London from November 15-22.

AFP

Jankovic battles to victory in Hong Kong OpenFormer world number one Jelena Jankovic sealed the Hong Kong Open on Sunday after beating Germany’s Angelique Kerber 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 in a thrilling comeback from the brink of defeat. After ousting American legend Venus Williams in the semi-� nal, the Serb battled hard to gain victory against Kerber and take revenge for a three-set defeat in Wuhan just a few weeks ago.

AFP

QUICK BYTES

Arsenal face crucial Bayern clash, struggling Chelsea go to Kievn AFP

As Arsenal desperately seek a win against the mighty Bayern Munich and Chelsea face a tough test in Ukraine, AFP Sport runs the rule over the games being played in Champions League Groups E, F, G and H today.

Arsenal (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER)Defeats against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympi-akos in their � rst two Group F games have left Arsenal in urgent need of a win, but now they face a daunting double confrontation against Bayern, who are surely the best team in Europe on current form. At least Arsenal warmed up by winning 3-0 at Watford, their third straight victory in the Premier League. Bayern have won their � rst two Group F games, scoring eight goals without reply. Pep Guardiola’s side also became the � rst club in the history of the Bundesliga to win their � rst nine matches of a season when they edged out Werder Bremen 1-0 on Saturday. Arjen Robben and Franck Rib-ery have been on the sidelines while Robert Lewandowski, after 15 goals in his previous six matches, failed to � nd the net with Thomas Mueller getting the winner. Mueller also scored as Bayern won on their last two visits to the Emirates Stadium in 2013 (3-1) and 2014 (2-0).

BATE (BLR) v Barcelona (ESP) Reigning European champions Barcelona are widely expected to see o� BATE but should be wary of opponents who beat Roma 3-2 at home in their last Group E game. BATE se-cured their 10th consecutive Belarusian title on Friday with a 2-0 win at FC Vitebsk giving them an unassailable 10-point lead from near-est rivals Dinamo Minsk with three games to go. Barcelona, meanwhile, travel fresh from beating Rayo Vallecano 5-2 on Saturday as Neymar scored four goals and Luis Suarez once. Such form from that pair should help Barca cope in the continuing absence of the injured Lionel Messi, who scored twice when

the Catalans beat BATE 5-0 in Belarus in 2011. Andres Iniesta (hamstring) and Ra� nha (knee) are also on the sidelines for Barca.

Bayer Leverkusen (GER) v Roma (ITA)When the draw was made these two sides were expected to � ght it out for second place behind Barcelona, so their upcoming double confron-tation, starting with this clash in Germany, is likely to prove decisive. Leverkusen have hap-py recent memories of facing Italian opposition in the Champions League, having eliminated Roma’s capital rivals Lazio in the play-o� s in August. They are in a stronger position, having beaten BATE 4-1 before losing 2-1 in Barcelona while Roma followed up a 1-1 draw with Barca by going down 3-2 in Belarus. Roma could do with getting back Edin Dzeko and Francesco Totti, who have been on the sidelines in recent weeks, while Leverkusen are coming o� a goal-less draw in Hamburg in the Bundesliga.

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Olympiakos (GRE)Arsenal’s poor start has opened up the group and given Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos hope of progressing to the last 16. Both sides have already beaten the Gunners and lost to Bayern ahead of their clash at the Stadion Maksimir in the Croatian capital. The last time Olympiakos went to Zagreb, they drew 1-1 to seal quali� cation for the quarter-� nals of the Champions League for the � rst, and so far only, time in their history. Marco Silva’s Greek champions are in good form just now, too, with an impressive 4-0 win at home to AEK Athens on Saturday, their seventh win out of seven in their domestic league. Dina-mo, meanwhile, beat NK Zagreb 4-1 on Friday and are top of the Croatian league. They have lost just one of their last 48 games altogether.

Porto (POR) v Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR)Having drawn at Dynamo Kiev and then beat-en Chelsea at home, Porto will feel they have the chance to take control of Group G in their

next two games against Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Portuguese side host the Israelis at the Estadio do Dragao as they look to continue their un-beaten record this season - their last defeat was a 6-1 reverse at Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League quarter-� nals in April.

Dynamo Kiev (UKR) v Chelsea (ENG)Jose Mourinho’s erratic Chelsea team go to Ukraine knowing defeat would seriously complicate their chances of progressing from Group G. Chelsea eased some of the pressure on Mourinho by beating Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, but go into Tuesday’s game on the back of a 2-1 defeat at his former club Porto in their previous group match. The Ukrainian champions have taken four points from their � rst two games but are coming o� the back of a 3-0 defeat at home.

Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) v Lyon (FRA)Zenit are top of Group H with two wins from two and can take a huge step towards qualify-ing for the last 16 by beating a Lyon side with just one point. The Russian champions come into the game at the Petrovsky Stadium on the back of a 2-2 draw at Kuban Krasnodar that left them 10 points adrift of leaders CSKA Moscow in third place in their domestic league. How-ever, in Hulk and Russian international Artem Dzyuba, who scored at the weekend, they have a potentially lethal attack.

Valencia (ESP) v Gent (BEL)After a slow start to the season, Valencia appear to have found form ahead of their home meet-ing with Gent at the Mestalla. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side won 1-0 at Lyon three weeks ago to bounce back from an opening loss at home to Zenit. And they warmed up for this game with a 3-0 win against Malaga on Saturday that featured a goal from talented Portuguese mid-� elder Andre Gomes. Gent, who are again with-out the suspended Brecht Dejaegere, have lost just once this season, at Zenit late last month. l

Arsenal players (L-R) Per Mertesacker, Glen Kamara, Calum Chambers, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey during training yesterday on the eve of their Uefa Champions League match today REUTERS

28DT Sport

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Late Foley penalty sinks Scotlandn Reuters

A controversial last-gasp penalty by Bernard Foley earned Australia a 35-34 victory at Twickenham on Sunday that broke Scottish hearts and sent the Wallabies into a World Cup semi-� nal against Argentina.

Scotland had been on the verge of a stun-ning upset with 79 minutes on the clock after an epic quarter-� nal but South African refer-ee Craig Joubert awarded Australia a penalty for o� side, despite the ball appearing to come o� a Wallaby shirt.

Amid a cacophony of boos, � yhalf Foley kept his composure to split the posts and en-sure the World Cup would have four southern hemisphere semi-� nalists for the � rst time.

New Zealand and South Africa will meet in the other semi-� nal, both at Twickenham next weekend.

“They go to the TMO for everything else. It was such a big decision, why didn’t they go to the TMO for that?” Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw said after the game, describing him-self as “lost for words”.

“It’s the toughest defeat I’ve ever had to take,” added the scrumhalf, who kicked 19 points.

Ever-calm Australia coach Michael Cheika, asked about the incident, said: “It’s a penalty and that’s the way it works. You’ve still got to kick it.”

The battle between the winners of the Rug-by Championship and the side who � nished last in the Six Nations after losing every game looked a mismatch on paper but there was nothing between them in what developed into a monumental see-saw battle.

Australia were totally dominant for the

� rst 10 minutes and were rewarded with an Adam Ashley-Cooper try.

It looked ominous for Scotland but they roared back with a Laidlaw penalty and try by Peter Horne when the Wallaby defence mo-mentarily froze at a ruck.

Australia then turned to their forwards for a 10-phase assault that opened the door for Drew Mitchell to get their second try.

Australia’s scrum, highly praised for how it dealt with England, found the Scottish ver-sion a tougher proposition and Laidlaw land-

ed another penalty after a collapse.Again Australia hit back, opting for a lineout

instead of a shot at goal and validating the de-cision by driving � anker Michael Hooper over.

Foley missed all three conversions though to allow Scotland to change round with an un-likely 16-15 lead.

The Wallabies had never won a World Cup match having trailed at the break but took only three minutes to regain the lead after Scotland wing Sean Maitland was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on. l

2015 Rugby WC QFsTalking PointsRebuilt South Africa mustfind room for flairThey began the World Cup like � ash geezers in a customised coupé, only to be mugged while driving down the Brighton sea-front. They threw the chrome on the junk heap and rebuilt themselves as a tractor, made to work the land from dawn till dusk, toilers seeking forgive-ness. Plough for Victory. It would not have been enough. Duane Vermeulen remembered what it was like to be shiny, and with a � ourish he found Fourie Du Preez and they reconvert-ed the tractor into the pulling-machine of the boardwalk. There is room for a little glitter on the hard road to redemption; there is room to give Bryan Habana a pass or two.

New Zealand’s brilliance can be watched only with aweThe only point worth talking about after the second quarter-� nal was this: when could any-one remember the All Blacks so comprehen-sively take apart a quality team for most of the 80 minutes? There are plenty of impondera-bles: could a Greatest XV accommodate Jonah Lomu and Julian Savea – but what then of John Kirwan? Surely Richie McCaw is the � nest ever open-side � anker, maybe the best ever New Zealand captain. Walter Little and France Bunce: are they safe from exclusion by Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith? All that we can be certain of is that this was frighteningly brilliant rugby almost from start to � nish, and we were privileged to witness it.

Ferocious Pumas cannot be ignored any longerArgentina’s doleful national anthem could barely be heard when they lined up alongside Ireland under the roof inside the cavernous Millennium Stadium, before the third quarter-� nal of this World Cup. Not so Ireland’s Call, belted out with gusto. By the end the Pumas were roaring like the mountain predator after which they are named. What a statement the underrated South Americans made by advancing to the semi-� nals for the second time in eight years, at the ex-pense of a team stripped of its best warriors. But one fact shouts loudest: Argentina played some wonderful rugby. They will no longer be ignored. When they play Australia at Twickenham next Sunday, people might like to listen to the core message of their national song: with strong arms they tear to pieces the arrogant Iberian lion. Or maybe a kangaroo or two.

Australia missed David Pocock at the breakdownAustralia’s resilience was overshadowed in the end both by the unexpected brilliance of the Scots and by the confusing, controversial calls made by the referee, Craig Joubert. At the end of it all Australia still scrambled through to a semi-� nal against Argentina, a team they have beaten 10 times in their last 11 games. If they are going to make it 11 in 12, they need David Pocock to recover from the calf injury that kept him out of this game. Pocock, who has won more turn-overs than any other player in the tournament, was brilliant during the group stages but has rarely been more conspicuous than he was on Sunday, when he did not play. His replacement, Ben McCalman, is a � ne player in the loose but without Pocock they simply did not have the same control at the breakdown.

Rugby World Cup 2015 final phase

Source: Rugby World Cup

FINALSat Oct 31

1600 GMT London Twickenham

Quarter finals

Semi finals

Cardiff, Millennium StadiumSun Oct 18

London, Twickenham

.

.

Sat Oct 24 1500 GMT

19

23South Africa

Wales

Sat Oct 17London, Twickenham

London, Twickenham

.

.

.

Sun Oct 25 1500 GMT

London, Twickenham

34

Sun Oct 18

Ireland

Argentina

Australia

Scotland

Cardiff, Millennium Stadium

12

62

Sat Oct 17

New Zealand

France

3rd PlaceFri October 30

2000 GMT London Olympic Stadium

South Africa

New Zealand

Argentina

Australia

20

43

35

Australia’s Bernard Foley (R) kicks a penalty to win the game against Scotland during their IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 quarter-� nal at Twickenham Stadium, London, England on Sunday REUTERS

Sport 29D

T

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Star Sports 27:30PMIndian Super League 2015North East v ChennaiUEFA Champions League 2015/16Ten Sports12:45PMDynamo Kyiv v ChelseaTen Action10:00PMZenit v Lyon12:45PMArsenal v BayernTen Cricket12:45PMLeverkusen v Roma

DAY’S WATCH

EPL is now the priority for settled ArsenalArsène Wenger named undoubtedly his strongest team and it was only natural to wonder if he is no longer putting much emphasis on the Champions League. The Premier League is very much the priority, regardless of what happens against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Wenger said he might make “one or maybe two” changes for it and it is di� cult to think of one that would strengthen the team that toiled for some time against Watford. Wenger’s side pick themselves but, if another injury crisis was to strike, do they have su� cient depth?

Jones, Smalling illustrate merits of defendersIf Blind’s physical limitations seemed to o� er an opportunity to many a strong striker, Romelu Lukaku met his match at Goodison Park when Jones and Smalling were reunited. The Belgian had bullied Liverpool in Everton’s previous game but there was no repeat. The English duo brought levels of resilience and reliability that can be lacking when the more fragile Blind is playing. It may not be part of Van Gaal’s much-mentioned philosophy to � eld two out-and-out stoppers who are comparatively limited in possession but it makes sense on such occasions.

Mourinho right in not to trust youthJosé Mourinho’s desire to shake things up by intro-ducing some of the younger talents at his disposal showed in his starting XI against Aston Villa. Kurt Zouma, 20, is trusted to play regularly at the mo-ment. Starts for the 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek and the 21-year-old Baba Rahman seemed a little more experimental but the experience for them was not overwhelmingly positive. It must have been disappointing for Loftus-Cheek to be withdrawn at half-time while Rahman’s erratic positioning is why Mourinho was reluctant to put him in the team while Branislav Ivanovic was struggling. All may well have glowing long-term futures at Chelsea but the present represents a learning curve.

Ranieri deserves the plauditsAgainst Norwich Ranieri made the bold call to leave arguably his best player this season, Riyad Mahrez, on the bench and his replacement, Je� rey Schlupp, scored what proved to be the winner. Mahrez, struggling for � tness, was again over-looked against Southampton after his international exploits but after a turgid � rst half from Leicester Ranieri wasted no time in bringing on the Algerian alongside Nathan Dyer. The substitutes provided

an assist each for Jamie Vardy as the Foxes fought back to claim a 2-2 draw. Ranieri admitted Mahrez was angry to be left out of the starting XI at both Norwich and Southampton but it was excellent man-management, keeping even his best players hungry. Leicester’s manager has quickly and intimately learned the strengths and weaknesses of his squad.

Sakho shines in Liverpool’s new eraShortly after the � nal whistle blew at White Hart Lane on Saturday Liverpool’s travelling supporters could be heard chanting a name. That was perhaps to be expected at the end of Jürgen Klopp’s � rst match as manager, yet it was not the German they were hailing. “Sakho! Sakho!” was the call and Mama-dou Sakho was clearly appreciative of the gesture on an afternoon when he yet again impressed. The French centre-back may look ungainly but, as anyone who has regularly watched him since his arrival at An� eld in September 2013 will testify, he is a calming, classy performer and it remains one of the mysteries of Brendan Rodgers’ time at Liverpool that the 25-year-old was never an automatic selection.

Allardyce ups the pressure on himself before Newcastle meetingOn one hand Sam Allardyce, rather cheaply, laid the blame for his team’s defeat at the Hawthorns on the referee, Martin Atkinson; on the other hand he heaped pressure on himself for Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby. Even amid general woe Sunderland have repeatedly managed to preserve local pride by winning each of the last � ve meetings with Newcastle and Allardyce says that improbably � ne record gives him a lot to live up to. “I’ve got to make sure I keep the reputation of Sunderland up here,” says Allardyce. “The pressure’s on me more than on Steve [McClar-en] because we’ve won the last � ve so I don’t want to be the one that doesn’t win. Particularly with having managed both clubs.”

Higuain sinks leaders Fiorentina, Inter held by Juven Reuters

Gonzalo Higuain gave resurgent Napoli a 2-1 home win over Serie A leaders Fiorentina while Inter Milan missed a chance to go top when they were held 0-0 by champions Ju-ventus in a physical Derby D’Italia on Sunday.

Higuain struck in the 75th minute, two min-utes after Nikola Kalinic had pulled Fiorentina level, with his sixth league goal of the season to give the hosts their third win in a row.

Lorenzo Insigne had put Napoli in front less than one minute into the second half as they followed up a 2-1 win over Juventus and 4-0 demolition of AC Milan with another � ne performance.

Marcelo Brozovic hit the bar in the � rst half for Inter and Sami Khedira struck the post in the second for Juve in a match littered with free kicks and eight yellow cards at San Siro.

Surprise package Sassuolo won again when a controversial penalty converted by Domen-ico Berardi and Simone Missiroli’s close range goal set them on they way to a 2-1 win over Lazio, who replied through Felipe Anderson.

Fiorentina lead with 18 points from eight games, one ahead of AS Roma, who beat Em-poli 3-1 on Saturday, and Inter.

Napoli, Sassuolo and Lazio are joint fourth on 15 while Juve, champions for the last four

seasons, are languishing in 14th place with nine points. Genoa overcame Chievo 3-2 with a stoppage time goal by Panagiotis Tachtsidis despite playing for the last 35 minutes with 10 men after Blerim Dzemaili was sent o� .

A close-range goal by Franco Vazquez gave Palermo a 1-0 win at bottom club Bologna and Atalanta overcame Carpi 3-0. l

SERIE ABologna 0-1 Palermo Vazquez 24

Napoli 2-1 FiorentinaInsigne 46, Higuain 75 Kalinic 73

Atalanta 3-0 CarpiPinilla 8, Gomez 43, Cigarini 63-P

Verona 1-1 UdinesePazzini 41-P Thereau 84

Genoa 3-2 ChievoPavoletti 13, Gakpe 17, Paloschi 1, Pellissier 77Tachtsidis 90+3

Sassuolo 2-1 LazioBerardi 7-P, Missiroli 60 Anderson 67

Frosinone 2-0 SampdoriaPaganini 54, Dionisi 55

Inter Milan 0-0 Juventus Juventus forward Simone Zaza (R) � ghts for the ball with Inter Milan’s Brazilian defender Juan Jesus (L) during their Italian Serie A match at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Sunday AFP

TALKING POINTS FROM GAME-WEEK 9

PREMIER LEAGUE STANDINGSTeam GP W D L GD PTS

1 Man City 9 7 0 2 16 21

2 Arsenal 9 6 1 2 9 19

3 Man United 9 6 1 2 7 19

4 West Ham 9 5 2 2 8 17

5 Leicester 9 4 4 1 2 16

6 Crystal Palace 9 5 0 4 2 15

7 Tottenham 9 3 5 1 4 14

8 Southampton 9 3 4 2 3 13

9 Everton 9 3 4 2 1 13

10 Liverpool 9 3 4 2 -2 13

11 Chelsea 9 3 2 4 -3 11

12 West Brom 9 3 2 4 -4 11

13 Swansea 8 2 4 2 0 10

14 Watford 9 2 4 3 -4 10

15 Stoke City 8 2 3 3 -2 9

16 Norwich 9 2 3 4 -6 9

17 Bournemouth 9 2 2 5 -6 8

18 Newcastle 9 1 3 5 -7 6

19 Aston Villa 9 1 1 7 -7 4

20 Sunderland 9 0 3 6 -11 3

Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates scoring the sixth goal, and his fourth, for Newcastle United against Norwich City during their Barclays Premier League match at St James’ Park on Sunday. Newcastle won the match 6-2 REUTERS

Downtime30DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 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 15 represents F so � ll F every time the � gure 15 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 Rough broom (5) 4 Scold (4)7 Very small (6)8 Bird (5)10 Fasting period (4)11 Joint (5)12 Newt (3) 14 Stagger (4)17 Fewer (4)19 Anger (3)20 Mistake (5)23 Cat’s contented sound (4)25 Representative (5)26 Papal ambassador (6)28 Cut o� (5)

DOWN1 Rough broom (6)2 Augury (4)3 Prized fur (4)4 Sovereign (5)5 Consumed (3)6 O� er (6)9 Fermentation vessels (4)13 Punishment cane (6)15 Irish republic (4)16 Missive (6)18 Durable material (5)21 Rodents (4)22 S-shaped moulding (4)24 Colour (3)

SUDOKU

Showtime 31D

TTUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

WHAT TO WATCHStep Up RevolutionHBO 5:36pmEmily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily’s father’s development plans.Cast: Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Cleopatra Coleman, Misha Gabriel Hamilton

Batman BeginsMovies Now 9:30pm After training with his mentor, Batman begins his war on crime to free the crime-ridden Gotham City from corruption that the Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it.Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Katie Holmes

How to Train Your Dragon 2Star Movies 12am When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends � nd themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.Voices: Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Cate Blanchett (Valka), Gerard Butler (Stoick), Craig Ferguson (Gobber)

Superman ReturnsWB 9:30pm Superman reappears after a long absence, but is challenged by an old foe who uses Kryptonian technology for world domination.Cast: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden

Iron Man 3Z Studio 11:25pm When Tony Stark’s world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce

Sorrentino on casting Jude Law as the ‘Young Pope’

Bangladeshi-born beauty shines in Ms Earth International 2015

n Showtime Desk

Paolo Sorrentino is notoriously coy about discussing projects before they’re out, but at the Rome � lm festival, the Academy-Award winning director took time out from shooting his eight-part TV series The Young Pope, to discuss why he chose Jude Law to play the youthful yet conservative American ponti� .

Sorrentino said that Law, an Englishman,

was his � rst choice to play an American pope.He further commented: “I wanted a young

handsome actor to play the pope, and that actor had to be absolutely amazing and he � ts the criteria. He is absolutely � awless as an actor. I’ve very rarely seen anyone like him.”While The Young Pope is a � ctionalised, modern, conservative pope, those hoping to see any traces of recent ponti� s are likely to be disappointed. “No, that’s the point you see, he’s creative,” said Sorrentino.

He added: “As far as we know, in recent history there’s never been anyone like him. Due to a number of reasons we’ve never seen a pope like the one we’re making a � lm about. We wanted to make it believable.”A joint production by Sky, HBO and Canal+, The Young Pope premieres across all three networks next year. Diane Keaton, James Cromwell, Ludivine Sagnier, Cecile de France, Toni Bertorelli, Javier Camara, Silvio Orlando and Scott Shepherd also starred in the film. l

n Showtime Desk

Maksuda Akter, a Bangladesh-born beauty won three individual awards at the Ms Earth International 2015 beauty pageant which concluded last Sunday. The 26-year-old Irish citizen has been awarded in three categories: Ms Compassionate, Ms Best Gown and Ms Fitness.

The beauty pageant was commenced at the sea-side resorts of Montego Bay in Jamaica on October 14, in which Maksuda entered as a contestant as Ms Ireland Earth. Last year she was also crowned as Ms Ireland.

In the competition she paved her way to the grand � nale demonstrating her beauty and merit to � nally make it to the � nal � ve list. Although Maksuda was not crowned as Ms Earth International, she left every contestant behind in terms of superiority in the categories she won.

Maksuda was and raised in Dhaka before she moved to Ireland where she started modelling to rejuvenate her “monotonous” life. She began to participate in various beauty pageants soon after. In her professional life, she is working as a private pilot and a � ying instructor, continuing to pursue her dream to become a commercial pilot.

As a single mother of two Maksuda is actively involved in charity work in both Ireland and Bangladesh, working with unprivileged children. Along with Ms Ireland 2014 she has other titles under her belt. This includes Miss Hot Chocolate 2014, Miss Universal Royalty 2013, Ms Ireland Earth 2015, Ms Photogenic 2014 and Supermodel of the Year 2014. She is the � rst Asian-Irish model who was featured in the cover of Ondine Magazine in May 2015. l

Are these the faces of child tra� ckers?n Kamrul Hasan

After spending 38 days behind bars on charg-es of child tra� cking, four children’s rights activists denied claims that their organisation was unregistered.

Four members of Odommo Bangladesh Foundation, who were granted bail yesterday, said they had submitted registration docu-ments to Rampura police station a few days before their arrest.

As members of the group waited outside the gate of Dhaka Central Jail, Odommo vol-unteer Mainul Hossain yesterday said he had been hopeful of their release because the Prin-cipal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s O� ce Abul Kalam Azad had assured them of help.

“The Assistant Press Secretary of the Prime Minister’s O� ce Ashraful Alam Khokon also helped us a lot,” he said.

Talking to reporters, arrestee Arifur Rah-man, known to his Facebook friends as Arian Arif, told the Dhaka Tribune he does not un-derstand why they were taken into custody or what they were being blamed for.

The arrestees – Arifur Rahman, Jakia Sul-tana, Hasibul Hasan Sabuj and Firoz Alam Khan Shuvo – said the police did not inform them why they had been detained at the time.

The group claims a sub-inspector of the po-lice station concerned looked over the docu-ments and asked them to submit a photocopy of the papers, which they claim to have done.

The day before their arrest another police sub-inspector visited their shelter and spoke with ten of the children staying there. The boys even memorised the o� cer’s telephone number when he told them to contact him if they were not properly taken care of.

The group declined to name the sub-in-spectors because the trial was ongoing.

Arif said on Saturday, September 12, most of the group was at Sadarghat conducting a class

for street children. Around 2pm, the manager of Odommo’s shelter home in Banasree, Shuvo, called and said he had been beaten up by some people.

Shuvo told the Dhaka Tribune that one of his assailants was the uncle of one of the children of the home. He and four others at-tacked him, he said.

The other group members rushed to the house and found that the police were already there. Police then told them they had to ac-company the police to the station.

The arrestees claim that nobody spoke to them at the police station. They were taken to the court and then sent on remand.

The police said a drive had been conduct-

ed against the shelter after Munir Hossain, the uncle of one of the boys, � led a complaint with Rampura police. Munir then lodged a case under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Tra� cking Act, 2012.

Odommo Bangladesh opened its � rst school on January 13, 2013, at the Kali Temple in Shahbagh with some 15 street children.

They then extended their operations to Agargaon, Kamalapur and Sadarghat.

To provide a safe space for underage homeless children who do not have a perma-nent place to live, they started “Bayanno,” a shelter home in Banasree, on December 1 last year. Jakia is co-ordinator of the shelter and Shuvo is its chairman. l

Back Page32DT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

BANGLADESH-BORN BEAUTY SHINES IN MS EARTH INTERNATIONAL 2015 PAGE 31

7TH FYP GOES TO ECNEC TODAY PAGE 15

BIG DAY FOR CHITTAGONG PAGE 25

Mojar School volunteersget bailn Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to four volunteer childcare workers, whose arrest on human tra� cking allegations triggered public outrage on social media.

Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Yousuf Hossain passed the order after Sub-Inspector Ziarot Hossain, also the investigating o� cer of the case, submitted a probe report on the Odom-mo Bangladesh Foundation volunteers with Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

“No evidence on suspicion of human traf-� cking has been found during investigation in the case. So they may be acquitted from the al-legation in the case,” the IO said in the report.

“The charges brought against them were not proved authentic,” the probe report read.

The court granted the defendants bail af-ter defence counsel Barrister Bibhuti Tarafdar � led a bail petition on behalf of the four – Ar-ifur Rahman, Jakia Sultana, Hasibul Hasan Sobuj and Firoz Alam Khan Shuva.

They are all volunteers of Mojar School, a school for homeless children run by Odommo.

The four were detained on September 12, when Rampura police raided a Banasree � at rented by Odommo and found 10 children, aged between nine and 14.

The police suspected that the children were kept for human tra� cking purposes.

On September 12, a case was � led by one Monir Hossain with Rampura police station.

The following day, Metropolitan Magis-trate Md Jakir Hossain Tipu granted police two days to question them in their custody.

On the same day, Magistrate Md Toshruzzam-an sent nine of the children to the safe custody of Gazipur Child Development Centre while anoth-er child was handed over to his father. l

Tarana warns operators of compensationfor bad mobile servicen Tribune Report

Telecommunications State Minister Tara-na Halim has warned all mobile operators of compensatory measures if they fail to im-prove their services by this December.

“Operators will have to � x the amount of compensation for call drop; they must also com-pensate for poor services as our aim is to ensure customer satisfaction,” Tarana told journalists after meeting the operators at the Secretariat.

At the meeting, however, mobile operators defended themselves, saying it was not them but the Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and International Gateway (IGW) operators and the Nation Wide Telecommunication Trans-mission Network (NTTN) were responsible for

the quality of services.Tarana said she would sit with the NTTN,

IGW, ICX operators. She said Indian mobile op-erators compensate for call-drop and the same needed to be introduced in Bangladesh.

She told the meeting that operators cannot run any service under users’ accounts with-out their consent and auto-renewal of services would also not be tolerated.

Tarana also asked Bangladesh Telecommu-nication Regulatory Commission to send its Value Added Services guidelines to her ministry so the government can complete the task soon.

The BTRC was also asked to submit a pro-posal on how to ensure the quality of services o� ered by the operators.

On call-dropping, the operators told the

meeting that a lot of components were at-tached to their services and any of those could cause such disruptions.

Emdad ul Bari, director general of the BTRC, said they ran a study in 15 districts and found 78% people experience call-drops. The commission has not, however, produced any technical report yet. According to the International Telecommu-nication Union 3% call-drops are allowed.

Grameenphone Chief Executive O� cer Ra-jeev Sethi said it was not possible for a wire-less mobile communication service to bring call-drops to zero level.

Airtel CEO PD Sharma said they had al-ready introduced one second pulse and if other operators did so, users would not expe-rience over-billing. l

Four volunteers of Odommo Bangladesh Foundation, a group that runs schools for street children, celebrate after being granted bail in front of Dhaka Central Jail yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Actor Riaz admittedto hospitaln Tribune Report

Popular � lm actor Riaz Uddin Ahmed Siddique, more commonly known as Riaz, was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in the capital last night after su� ering a heart attack.

He fell ill on the set of the � lm “Krishnapa-kkha” and was taken to

the hospital around 9pm, where he was im-mediately taken to surgery, � lm director SA Haque Alik told the Bangla Tribune.

Sources at the hospital said Riaz is still in critical condition. He is currently under ob-servation at the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of the hospital, Duty Manager Ma� zul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune. l

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