e_Paper, Monday, July 03, 2017

SECOND EDITION
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017 | Ashar 19, 1424, Shawwal 8, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 5, No 56 | www.dhakatribune.com | 24 pages plus 8-page world supplement | Price: Tk10
Flash floods wreak
havoc again › 2
DHAKA TRIBUNE
PM warns govt
secretaries
against
corruption › 3
Stakeholders worried
over extension of
Accord’s inspection
tenure › 6
WORLD SUPPLEMENT
A family coup in Saudi
Arabia › 2
Osama bin Laden’s son is
helping al-Qaeda stage a
comeback › 3
Who poisoned Nibras’ mind? › 5
Gorkhaland movement is a
question of identity › 7

2
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
News
Flash floods wreak havoc in
Moulvibazar, Sylhet
• Saiful Islam, Moulvibazar and
Mohammed Serajul Islam,
Sylhet
DISASTER
As monsoon rains once again cause
rivers in the northeast parts of
Bangladesh to swell, flash floods
have struck again.
Vast tracts of Moulvibazar and
Sylhet have become inundated for
the third time this year due to the
flash floods and the following onrush
from the hills.
200,000 people stranded in
Moulvibazar
The flood has submerged some 29
unions of Moulvibazar’s Kulaura,
Juri and Borolekha upazilas.
Most of the houses, schools and
roads are now underwater, stranding
some 200,000 people.
The recent flash flood has taken
a heavy toll on the farmers and
fishermen of the surrounding areas
as they had no necessary precautions
for such an untimely disaster.
In March, the rivers Sonai, Kontinala,
Juri and Kushiara became
overflown and caused a flash flood
which submerged vast swathes of
land in Sunamganj and Moulvibazar.
The series of frequent natural
calamities have pushed the dwellers
of these areas into a serious
crisis.
Local farmers have incurred a
huge loss due to the damage of the
Boro paddy caused by the March
flood. And the recent flash flood
has put another nail in the coffin of
their fortune inundating the seedbeds
of Aush and Aman paddy.
Locals in Fenchuganj upazila, Sylhet are forced to shop groceries on a boat as all the roads are now inundated in flood water.
This is the third time in 2017 that Sylhet has been struck by flash flood
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Many of the government offices
that were supposed to resume yesterday
after Eid vacation are also
submerged. Officials were seen using
boats to go to their offices.
The government has been distributing
relief materials among the
affected people through various
disaster management programmes
such as Gratuitous Relief (GR),
Vulnerable Group Development
(VGD) and Vulnerable Group Feeding
(VGF), yet the allocation is very
scarce compare to the demand.
Kulaura Upazila Parishad Chairman
AFM Kamrul Islam has urged
the government to announce this
region as a crisis-stricken area and
take immediate steps to resolve the
crisis.
Moulvibazar Water Development
Board’s Executive Engineer
Bijay Indra Sarker told the Dhaka
Tribune that the rainwater flowed
down to the rivers Sonai, Kontinala
and Juri through hundreds of hilly
channels.
“The water of the Hakaluki haor
passes through the Kushiara River.
But the water level in the river
is flowing 29cm above the danger
limit, causing the excess water to
overflow the banks of the river,” he
added.
Minister Nahid visits flood areas
Education Minister Nurul Islam
Nahid flew to Sylhet yesterday
afternoon and visited his electorate
in Golapganj. The minister is
scheduled to continue his visit
through today.
Awami League to distribute relief
on Monday
A five-member delegation led by
Awami League Organising Secretary
Md Misbah Uddin Siraj is
15 WDB officials,
46 others sued
for crop losses
• Himadri Shekor Vodro,
Sunamganj
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Anti-Corruption Commission
(ACC) has sued 61 people including
15 Bangladesh Water Development
Board (BWDB) officials over the
losses of crops in Sunamganj.
ACC Assistant Director Faruq
Ahmed filed the case with Sunamganj
Sadar police station against
the BWDB officials of Sunamganj
and Sylhet, and 46 contractors and
their associates yesterday.
Sunamganj BWDB Executive Engineer
Afsar Uddin, Sylhet BWDB
former superintendent engineers
Nurul Islam Sarker and Md Abdul
Hye are among the accused.
Harvest of 166,612 hectares of
land was inundated and 400,000
Haor people were affected in the
recent flash flood in the district. •
scheduled to visit the inundated
areas in Sylhet today.
Siraj will be accompanied by
Central Working Committee member
Badaruddin Ahmed Kamran,
Sylhet Awami League President
advocate Lutfar Rahman, General
Secretary Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury
and AL MP Mahmud-us-
Samad Chowdhury.
Awami League General Secretary
Obaidul Quader urged all
Awami League leaders and workers
in Sylhet to do everything in their
power to assist the relief distribution
programme. •
Report: Northern Bangladesh is
likely to experience flood
• Abu Siddique
FORECAST
The water level of the Brahmaputra basin is likely
to rise above danger level in the next few days, a
monitoring agency forecast.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre
(FFWC) based their assessment on the trend of
the rainfall in the upper catchment of the river in
India’s Assam and the incessant heavy rainfall in
the upstream that has been continuing for the last
couple of days.
“If the rainfall continues like this, Bangladesh
might experience a flash flood in the northern districts
beside the Brahmaputra banks – commonly
known as Jamuna in Bangladesh,” said Sazzad
Hossain, executive engineer of FFWC.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department,
the Assam and Meghalaya states there will
experience heavy to torrential rainfall till July 06.
Under the influence of the heavy rainfall in the
upstream from the last few days, the water level
of another major river system in northern Bangladesh,
Teesta, has been flowing 5cm above the
danger level.
FFWC also reported that the water level of Brahmaputra
might likely to rise in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the water level of the Surma-Kushiyara
river system in the northeastern part of the
country is above danger level in the last two days
due to the rainwater coming down from upstream.
FFWC in its flood summary that was issued on
Sunday morning said the Surma is flowing 67cm
above the danger level at Kanaighat area, and the
Kushiyara is flowing above 77cm, 72cm and 24cm
of danger level at Amalshid, Sheola and Sherpur-Syhet
areas respectively. •
Flood shuts down 175 schools
in Sylhet
• Mohammed Serajul Islam, Sylhet
DISASTER
The flood in Sylhet has forced 175 educational institutes
to shut down. Among them, 162 are primary
schools and the other 13 secondary schools.
Sylhet Primary Education Officer Nurul Islam
told the Dhaka Tribune that three schools each
in Fenchuganj and Beanibazar have been turned
into shelters for the time being. He said the
schools have been instructed to resume classes
as soon as the floodwater recedes.
Secondary Education Officer Gulzar Ahmed
Khan added that 25 secondary schools are also
waterlogged, in addition to the 13 schools already
flooded.
Flooding in six upazilas commenced on Friday.
The Relief and Rehabilitation Office has allocated
127 tonnes of rice and Tk2.77lakh in cash for aid.
The Water Development Board said that as
of 3pm yesterday, the major rivers in Sylhet had
surpassed the danger level. The Surma is flowing
54cm above the danger level in Kanaighat, the
Kushiara is flowing 74cm, 88cm and 23cm above
the danger levels in Sheola, Amalsid and Sherpur
respectively.
Md Sirajul Islam, executive engineer at the Water
Development Board, said the weather forecasts
predict rain, which may aggravate the conditions.
Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Rahat Anowar
called for several emergency meetings yesterday.
He said the Surma and Kushiara rivers have
flooded Zakiganj, Beanibazar, Golapganj, Osmaninagar
and Balaganj.
The DC said the administration is working to
set up flood shelters and provide relief to the affected.
•

PM Hasina warns government
secretaries against corruption
• Asif Showkat Kallol and
Shohel Mamun
GOVERNMENT
News
MONDAY,
3
JULY 3, 2017
Secys want
better tenure,
retirement
facilities
• Asif Showkat Kallol and
Shohel Mamun
GOVERNMENT
DT
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presides over a meeting with government secretaries at the Secretariat in Dhaka yesterday
FOCUS BANGLA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has
warned government secretaries and
administrative staff to stay away
from corruption and instructed
them to ensure good governance.
Speaking at a meeting with the
top executives and secretaries of
ministries and government divisions
at the Secretariat yesterday,
the premier also urged the officials
to take strong initiatives to reduce
wealth distribution gap in the
country.
“Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman always
emphasised the importance
of equal distribution of state resources
among the people of the
country,” she said.
Cabinet Secretary (Reform and
Coordination) MN Ziaul Alam
briefed reporters after the meeting.
He said the prime minister had
asked local administrations to stop
using and trafficking illegal substances.
“Local administrations must run
all-out campaigns against militancy
and drug addiction,” she added.
The prime minister mentioned
that the wages of civil servants had
improved significantly under her
government, and directed all government
officials to ensure good
governance and reduce hassle for
the citizens who seek service.
“She directed the secretaries to
take initiatives so the land and river
ports around the country stay
open round the clock to facilitate
export and import and ensure the
interests of local businesses,” said
Ziaul Alam.
He said the prime minister also
harshly reminded the secretaries
concerned to maintain adequate
funds in all the district administrations
for smooth relief efforts as a
fresh bout of floods strikes parts of
the country.
Saying development projects
should be aimed at benefiting the
maximum number of people, she
told the meeting that all the common
people want are projects that make
their lives and livelihoods better.
Hasina urged the secretaries to
work sincerely in priority projects
and instructed them to establish
new industries in the special economic
zones.
She stressed the importance
of tree plantation in the rural
areas and said every secretary
should work toward achieving the
UN-mandated Sustainable Development
Goals.
She also emphasised training
young government officials who
are going to stay in service for a
long period of time.
Furthermore, Hasina instructed
the government secretaries to
increase the number of fast-track
projects.
She also instructed to complete
paperwork of all impending projects
within the first three months
of the current fiscal year, as it is the
time of monsoon.
“Finish the paperwork so the
work can be started as soon as the
monsoon passes,” she said. •
Secretaries of different ministries
and divisions have demanded a
raise in several facilities, including
an extension of their job tenure to
62 years and better retirement facilities,
officials said.
Currently, the retirement age of
civil servants is 59 years.
The government secretaries
placed their demands to Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina at a meeting
at the Secretariat yesterday.
Seventy-seven secretaries attended
the meeting, some of whom
praised their own work in front of
the prime minister.
A source familiar with the meeting,
said: “They [the secretaries]
wanted separate logo like the ones
the justices use in their cars and in
front of their homes and offices.”
They also requested the premier
to increase retirement facilities,
demanding that all the benefits of
the post-retirement leave (PRL) be
provided to them.
The prime minister, however,
did not make any comment about
the demands. Rather, she questioned
why the number of vacant
posts in public service had increased.
She also ordered them to
promote eligible civil servants who
are performing well, sources said.
It was the second time that the
premier sat with government secretaries
after taking office for the
second consecutive time in 2014. •
SIKKIM STAND-OFF
Eye on China, India pushes more troops in Doka La
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
India has pushed in more troops in a
“non-combative mode” to strengthen its
position in an area near Sikkim, where its
soldiers have been locked in a stand-off
with Chinese troops for almost a month
now in what has been the longest such
impasse between the two armies since
1962, the Times of India reports
India brought in more troops after the
destruction of two of its bunkers and “aggressive
tactics” adopted by the Chinese
People’s Liberation Army (PLA), sources
said. In a “non-combative mode”, the
nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.
Giving details for the first time about
the events that preceded the face off between
the two armies, the sources said
the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army
to remove the two bunkers set up in
TENSION BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA
New Delhi denounces the Chinese army building a road on territory which is also claimed by Bhutan
100 km
CHINA
INDIA
BHUTAN
NEPAL
2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in
the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner
of India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction.
The Indian Army, which had been patrolling
this area for many years, decided
Doklam
Plateau
Gangtok
BANGLADESH
CHINA
THIMPHU
BHUTAN
INDIA
in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned
there as a backup option, besides
providing security to the Bhutan-China
border. The Indian Army forward positions
informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter
in North Bengal about the Chinese
warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.
This is the longest stand-off between
the two armies since 1962. The last one,
which carried on for 21 days, occurred at
Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of
Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese
troops entered 30 km into Indian territory
till the Depsang Plains and claimed it
to be a part of its Xinjiang province.
They were, however, pushed back.
Sikkim, which became a part of India
in May 1976, is the only state which has
a demarcated border with China. The
lines are based on a treaty signed with
the Chinese in 1898. After the India-China
war of 1962, the area where the Indian
troops are stationed was placed under
the Indian Army and the ITBP, which
is the border guarding force and has a
camp 15km from the international border.
As the scuffle broke out between
the two sides, the Indian Army rushed
an officer of the Major General rank to
the area and a flag meeting was sought
with the Chinese counterparts.
China rejected two such requests
from the Indian side, but accepted the
third call for a meeting, where it asked the
Indian Army to withdraw its troops from
the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.
Doka La is the Indian name for the
region which Bhutan recognises as
Dokalam, while China claims it to be
part of its Donglang region.
Defence experts believe China wants
to exert its dominance over the Chumbi
Valley, which is a part of the southern
reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La
area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical
advantage so that it can monitor
all movements along the India-Bhutan
border. China has also increased diplomatic
pressure on India and lodged a protest
over the alleged “crossing of boundary” by
Indian troops in the Sikkim section. •

4
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
News
‘Judges’ conduct rules gazette by July 15’
• Tribune Desk
JUDICIARY
Law Minister Anisul Huq has said a
gazette notification on disciplinary
and conduct rules for lower court
judges will be issued by July 15.
He made the statement while
talking to the journalists at the Judicial
Administrative Training Institute
in Dhaka on Sunday.
In response to a time plea filed by
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam,
the Supreme Court for the last time
extended the deadline to issue the
gazette notification in the morning,
reports the Bangla Tribune.
While extending the deadline
by two weeks, Chief Justice Surendra
Kumar Sinha said: “It’s last
chance.”
Govt gets two more weeks to
publish judges’ conduct rules gazette
The Appellate Division of the Supreme
Court has yet again extended
the deadline to issue a gazette notification
on disciplinary and conduct
rules for lower court judges.
A seven-member bench of the
apex court, headed by Chief Justice
Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the
order on Sunday, in response to
Attorney General Mahbubey’s time
petition.
The court extended the deadline
by another two weeks, reports
UNB.
Earlier on several occasions, the
apex court expressed dissatisfaction
at the government’s failure to
issue the gazette notification.
On December 12 last year, the
court had asked the authorities
concerned to issue the gazette by
January 15. The deadline was extended
several times.
The court has
issued multiple
orders asking the
government to issue
the gazette but in
vain
Earlier, President Abdul Hamid had
decided not to issue the gazette despite
a court ordering the government
to do so. Then the bench had
said that the president might have
been misinformed.
A historic Appellate Division
verdict on the Masdar Hossain
case mandated drafting a 12-point
guideline on the separation of the
judiciary from the executive.
The government had drafted the
rules and sent it to the apex court
for its opinion, which made some
changes and sent it back for the gazette
issuance.
So far, the court has issued multiple
orders asking the government
to issue the gazette but in vain.
Earlier on several occasions, the
apex court expressed dissatisfaction
at the government’s failure to
issue the gazette notification.
On December 12 last year, the
court had asked the authorities
concerned to issue the gazette by
January 15. The deadline was extended
several times.
Earlier, President Abdul Hamid
had decided not to issue the gazette
despite a court ordering the
government to do so. Then the
bench had said that the president
might have been misinformed.
A historic Appellate Division
verdict on the Masdar Hossain
case mandated drafting a 12-point
guideline on the separation of the
judiciary from the executive.
The government had drafted the
rules and sent it to the apex court
for its opinion, which made some
changes and sent it back for the gazette
issuance.
So far, the court has issued multiple
orders asking the government
to issue the gazette but in vain. •
Khaleda’s graft case
trial to continue
• Ashif Islam Shaon
COURTS
May could walk out of
Brexit talks over exit bill
• Reuters, London
WORLD
The Supreme Court has rejected
BNP Chairperson Khaleda
Zia’s plea to reinvestigate a
part of Zia Orphanage graft
case, paving the way to continue
her trail in the case.
A four-member Appellate Division
bench led by Chief Justice
Surendra Kumar Sinha passed
the order on a leave-to-appeal
petition yesterday, upholding a
previous High Court order that
went against Khaleda.
Khurshid Alam Khan, counsel
of Anti-Corruption Commission,
said the Appellate Division
upheld the High Court
order with some observations
having some directives about
the dockets which stated
about the source of the money.
Khaleda recently filed the
petition after the High Court
on March 9 had passed the
order as the BNP chief moved
the court, urging the reinvestigation
of the portion of
the case that focused on the
source of money.
In 2008, the ACC filed the
case against six people, including
Khaleda and her elder
son Tarique Rahman, for allegedly
embezzling Tk2.1 crore
from the funds of the Zia Orphanage
Trust. •
British business leaders have
been told to brace for the possibility
that Prime Minister
Theresa May’s government
may walk out of Brexit talks
this year, according to the Sunday
Telegraph.
The move would be designed
for “domestic consumption”
to show the government
is negotiating hard
with the European Union,
the newspaper reported. The
newspaper did not reveal how
it obtained the information.
The Sunday Telegraph said
the briefing of business leaders
by a senior May aide took
place after last month’s general
election and the person has
since left in the recent overhaul
at the top of government.
May’s office did not immediately
to a request for comment.
The Sunday Telegraph
quoted a source in May’s office
saying a retreat from talks is
not part of its plans.
Brexit minister David Davis
said two months ago that
Britain will not pay €100bn to
leave the European Union after
it was reported that the EU
was preparing to demand that
amount.
The EU wants to agree with
Britain on a formula for calculating
how much it will owe
the bloc after it leaves before
it starts talks on its future trading
relationship. •

Who poisoned Nibras’ mind?
• Nuruzzaman Labu
SPECIAL
“No idiot.” These were Nibras
Islam’s last words to his sister,
Bushra, when she asked him if he
was going to die. He sent them to
her by text on June 27, 2016, just
four days before participating and
losing his life in the terror attack on
the Holey Artisan Bakery.
Even a year after the incident,
his family still wonder what led
him to turn from a meek and gentle
boy into one of Bangladesh’s most
infamous terrorists.
Bushra was also the last person
Nibras spoke to in person before
disappearing in 2016, telling her to
take care of the family. He had also
left a note seeking their blessing
and assuring them of his return.
“I tried hard to know where he
was and what he was doing but he
never answered. He used to share
almost everything with me but he
did not share this. We could at least
have tried to bring him to reason if
he shared his transformation with
us even once,” Bushra told the Dhaka
Tribune.
In his initial texts to her on June
27, Nibras had asked his sister not
to make blasphemous remarks and
perform “Hijrat” as he did.
“We are an ordinary Muslim
family. We say our prayers but Nibras
was never too interested in
religion. We had to push him to
attend Jumma prayers on Friday.
But he started praying regularly after
returning home from Malaysia,
where he was studying at Monash
University, in 2015,” said Nibras’ father
Nazrul Islam.
“I thought it was a good sign
and never noticed something abnormal
in it. How am I supposed to
know that he was being misguided
through the internet? We could not
understand it. Otherwise we could
have saved our son.”
Nazrul suspects that someone
from Malaysia misguided Nibras.
“I demand extreme punishment
for those who brainwashed my son
and led him to take part in such
News 5
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
heinous act. My son was not supposed
to accept such a fate. I rolled
up my business to a certain extent
so that I could spend enough time
with him. I used to take him to the
playground all the time as he loved
to play games,” he said
With tears welling up in his
eyes, Nazrul sought the forgiveness
from those who had lost family
members in the attack and added:
“I had a friendly relationship with
my son. I nurtured him with all
my love and affection and that son
turned into a terrorist.”
Nibras’ mother Laila Bilkis was
similarly at a loss to explain why
Nibras transformed and why he
hid it from them. She said Nibras
had taken some old clothes with
him when leaving home for the
last time. When Laila asked him
about the clothes, Nibras said he
was going to exchange them with
new ones from one of his friend’s
shop.
Later, Laila discovered her son
had gone missing along with four
of his friends and left a letter in his
home.
“Please find out who brainwashed
my son and punish them,
so that no other mother loses her
child and no other incident like
the Dhaka terror attack ever takes
place,” Laila pleaded. •
Qatar defiant as deadline nears to resolve Gulf rift
• AFP, Doha
WORLD
A deadline was approaching Sunday
for Qatar to accept a series of
demands made by several Arab
states to lift a de facto blockade,
with no indications Doha was
ready to comply.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-
Thani said Saturday that the 13 demands
from Saudi Arabia and several
of its allies were designed to be
spurned.
“The list of demands is made to
be rejected,” Sheikh Mohammed
said.
“Everyone is aware that these
demands are meant to infringe
the sovereignty of the state of Qatar,”
he said at a news conference
in Rome after meeting his Italian
counterpart. “The state of Qatar...
Nibras Islam, one of the 5 militants that attacked and were killed at the Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1, 2016
is rejecting it as a principle,” he
said, adding: “We are willing to engage
in providing the proper conditions
for further dialogue.”
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced
on June 5 they were severing
ties with their Gulf neighbour,
sparking the worst diplomatic crisis
to hit the region in decades.
They accused Doha of supporting
extremism and of being too
close to regional arch-rival Iran,
which Qatar has strongly denied.
The crisis has raised concerns of
growing instability in the region,
home to some of the world’s largest
energy producers and several key
Western allies hosting US military
facilities.
On June 22 the Arab states presented
a list of demands and gave
Doha 10 days to comply. The ultimatum
is expected to expire at the
end of the day on Sunday, though
the deadline has not been officially
confirmed.
Riyadh and its supporters have
already severed air, sea and ground
links with Qatar, cutting off vital
routes for imports including food.
Threat of further sanctions
Qatari citizens were ordered to
leave the countries and various
steps were taken against Qatari
companies and financial institutions.
It is unclear what further measures
will be taken if Qatar fails to
meet the demands, but the UAE
ambassador to Russia Omar Ghobash
warned last week that further
sanctions could be imposed.
As well as expelling Doha from
the six-member Gulf Cooperation
Council, the Arab states could
tell their economic partners they
need to make a choice between
doing business with them or with
Qatar, he told Britain’s Guardian
newspaper.
Riyadh’s demands include ending
Doha’s support for the Muslim
Brotherhood, the closure of Al-Jazeera
television, a downgrade of
diplomatic ties with Iran and the
shutdown of a Turkish military
base in the emirate.
Qatar has long pursued a more
Obaidul: Army
to perform as
striking force
in next polls
• Tribune Desk
ELECTION
DT
Road Transport and Bridges Minister
Obaidul Quader on Sunday said
Army will be deployed during the
next general election as striking
force if required.
“Army will perform its duty as
per the constitution during the
next national polls. They will be
deployed if the Election Commission
decides to do so,” Quader told
the reporters at the secretariat
meeting room, reports the Bangla
Tribune.
He came up with the remark as
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
Chairperson Khaleda Zia demanded
army deployment during the
election.
Quader said: “Elections took
place in her (Khaleda) regime too.
We will deploy army in the election
the way she did during her
time. How does she force us to do
something that she did not practice
herself?”
About Khaleda’s comment on
Swiss Bank accounts of Bangladeshis,
Quader said the whole
world know about the stories of
Tarek and Koko. It has been proved
by FBI and the courts of Singapore
and United States. AL does not
have such records. •
Qatar’s Minister of Defense Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah, right, and his
Turkish counterpart Fikri Isik review a guard of honour as they meet in Ankara,
Turkey, June 30, 2017
REUTERS
independent foreign policy than
many of its neighbours, who tend
to follow the lead of regional powerhouse
Saudi Arabia.
Doha has said it is ready for talks
to end the crisis and Kuwait, which
unlike most of its GCC neighbours
has not cut ties, has taken the lead
in mediation efforts. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
LIGHT TO MODERATE
RAIN LIKELY
MONDAY, JULY 3
Dhaka 34 27 Chittagong 32 27 Rajshahi 32 26 Rangpur 31 25 Khulna 32 27 Barisal 32 27 Sylhet 31 25
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 6:50PM
SUN RISES 5:16AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
34.8ºC 23ºC
Bhola
Rangamati
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Cox’s Bazar 29 26
Fajr: 4:45am | Zohr: 1:15pm
Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 7:00pm
Esha: 8:45pm
Source: Islamic Foundation

6
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
News
Celebrating 10 years of National Birth Registration Day
• Bilkis Irani
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Bangladesh will celebrate Birth
Registration Day today, marking 10
years since July 3, 2007 that it was
officially declared as National Birth
Registration Day.
Birth registration is now compulsory
to get 16 basic services for
every citizen. A birth certificate
serves as a legal age verification
document acknowledging the individual’s
existence and status before
the law.
Birth registration falls under the
Birth and Death Registration Act,
2004 (Act No. 29 of 2004), where
name, gender, date and place of
birth, parents name, nationality
and permanent address of a person
are provided to get a birth certificate.
It is mandatory to have a child’s
birth registration completed with
45 days of their birth. The service is
free of cost. There are legal penalties
if the process is not completed
with two years of a child’s birth.
The applicant can get the certificate
within 15 working days. If the
person or organization responsible
for birth registration fails to perform
the duties properly, actions
can be taken against them under
the Right to Information Act.
The 16 basic services that can be
availed with a birth registration are:
Passport, marriage registration,
admission to school and colleges,
applying for jobs, driving license,
over ID, land registration, opening
a bank account, import and export
license, getting water, gas and electric
connections, Tax Identification
Number (TIN), Contractor license,
approval of the home design, vehicle
registration, trade license and
getting on the voter list.
Expatriates also can register the
birth of their children by providing
a certified copy of a birth certificate.
One can register births in the
city they are currently living in or
where their permanent address is
listed in their passport.
The place where can go to register
for birth are with the chairman
or councilor of their Union Council
or any officer or member empowered
by the Government, with the
mayor of their municipality or any
Stakeholders worried
over extension of Accord’s
inspection tenure
• Ibrahim Hossain Ovi
BUSINESS
The Bangladesh government
and RMG manufacturers have
expressed deep concerns over
a decision taken unilaterally by
global trade unions, European
apparel brands and retailers
on Thursday, extending the
Accord’s inspection tenure by
three years without holding discussion
with stakeholders.
Describing the decision as
unexpected, the government
and stakeholders asked them to
submit a proposal to extend the
tenure if the extension deems
necessary.
Accord, a platform of European
buyers, has been tasked
with monitoring safety standards
at the country’s apparel
factories.
Commerce Minister Tofail
Ahmed expressed worries over
the decision in a meeting at
his office in Dhaka yesterday.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh
Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat,
European Union Ambassador
Pierre Mayaudon,
Canadian High Commissioner
Benoît-Pierre Laramée and
Dutch Ambassador Leoni Margaretha
Cuelenaere, BGMEA
President Siddiqur Rahman and
Vice president Mahmud Hasan
Khan Babu were present there.
“The decision is unexpected
and unacceptable as the Accord
has taken it unilaterally without
holding discussion with stakeholders,”
Tofail told reporters
after the meeting.
He said: “As per agreements,
the Accord will be operational
until June 30, 2018, and inspection
and remediation tasks will
have been completed by the
time. If the extension is necessary,
the Accord will have to be
in a different form where all the
other officer or councilor authorized
by him, with the mayor of the
City Corporation or an officer or
councilor authorized by him,the
president of the cantonment board
or any officer empowered by him,
and with the ambassador of Bangladesh
Embassies or with any officer
empowered by him.
From July 2016 to June 2016 a total
of 1,39,580 Births were registered
in Dhaka North City Corporation
while the number is significantly
lower in Dhaka South City Corporation
with just 26,994 registered
births in the same period of time. •
stakeholders will be included.
“If there is no representation
of the government and local
stakeholders, the decision will
be meaningless one. Also, it will
not be logical to forcibly impose
such a decision on factories under
the Accord.”
The ambassadors present
there agreed with him on the
issue and called it a proposal
rather than a decision, Tofail
claimed.
“Since Bangladesh gets
trade benefits from the European
Union, we have raised the
issues with the ambassadors
so they cannot be dissatisfied
over them,” the minister said,
adding that some of the companies
were surprised at the time
extension as they had not been
informed of this.
There are 215 brands under
the existing agreements. Thirteen
brands and retailers signed
the extended agreement, while
eight more brands committed to
signing it.
The Steering Committee of
the Accord informed the issues
to the Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA), but it did
not inform the government.
Meanwhile, in reaction to
the move, the BGMEA said it
had been closely working with
the Accord for four years and
was certain that none would
move forward without holding
consultation with stakeholders
including manufacturers and
the government.
“We hope that you [who
took the decision] will engage
in consultation with us and the
government, and the Accord
version 2 remains flexible to ensure
all of us are a part of a unified
vision of improving the fate
of those who work within the
industry,” the trader association
said in a statement. •

News
MONDAY,
Khagrachhari-Rangamati road link still
suspended 3 weeks into landslide
• Nuruchsafa Manik,
Khagrachhari
NATION
Disconnected by fatal landslides on
June 13, the road link between Khagrachhari
and Rangamati districts
have not been restored yet, causing
immense suffering to the locals.
Sources said because of heavy
rainfall, at least three sections of
the 63km Khagrachhari-Rangamati
road is inundated in water. Moreover,
due to the landslides, the road
is covered in muds and potholes;
commuting is particularly risky
through 10-12 points between Mahalchhari,
Khagrachhari and Manikchhari,
Rangamati.
Locals in both the districts complained
that some unscrupulous
CNG-run autorickshaw and motorcycle
drivers, as well as boatmen,
were taking ill-advantage of the
crisis by charging high fare.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune
on Saturday, several commuters at
Fishery Ghat in Mahalchhari said
they were being extorted as there
were no other means of communication
other than boats.
“The bus fare to Rangamati was
Tk70. But now, the boatmen are
charging us Tk200,” said Makbul
Hossain.
Sudarshan Chakma said: “I have
to take boat rides twice every day to
go to work, which takes much longer
than usual. Before, it took an hour to
go to the office, now it takes three.”
Commuters at Kesing in Mantula
Para, Rangamati said CNG-run
Sweden-Bangladesh relationship in hot water after
journo harassed in Hasina’s Stockholm event
• Tribune Desk
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Bangladesh ambassador to Sweden
was summoned by the Nordic
country’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday
to explain an incident of harassing
a Bangladesh-born Swedish
journalist by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina’s security detail during the
premier’s recent trip to Stockholm.
On Friday, the journalist, Anwar
Hossain, while being interviewed
by the Radio Sweden, claimed he
was literally tossed out from the
official photo op, taking place at
Stockholm’s Rosenbad building,
of the Bangladesh premier and
her Swedish counterpart, Stefan
Löfven, by people protecting
Sheikh Hasina, just because “he
looked like a Bangladeshi and they
did not want any Bangladeshi without
state press credentials around.”
autorickshaws were charging double
fare for a single trip.
“Before, the autorickshaw fare
for a trip to Khagrachhari from
Rangamati took Tk200, but now it
costs Tk500-600 per person. In addition,
we have to walk around 4km
on the way,” said Bir Bala Tripura.
“It has been 20 days since the
road link was snapped, yet the
road authorities have taken zero
steps to repair the broken parts of
the road. Because of this situation,
Anwar went further in claiming
that the security men forced him to
delete the pictures he had captured
on his smartphone.
Radio Sweden introduced Anwar
as a “dissident journalist who
fled to Sweden after being falsely
accused of murder in Bangladesh.”
It also reported that the Swedish
Ministry for Foreign Affairs has expressed
regret over the incident.
In a failed attempt to water
down the controversy, Bangladesh’s
envoy in Stockholm, Golam
Sarwar, on Thursday, told the
Radio Sweden on record that he
believed that the Swedish Foreign
Ministry’s security and media officers
had been involved in the
decision to force journalist Anwar
Hossain to delete photos.
Officials at the Swedish Foreign
Ministry were not happy with Sarwar’s
statement.
“It is extremely important to
more than 500 families in Manikchhari
are facing a lot of inconvenience,”
said Bijoy Chakma.
The lack of road connectivity is
affecting locals farmers too.
Uday Sankar Chakma, owner of
a fruit orchard in Rangamati, said
fruits and vegetables were going
to waste because a good number
of buyers were unable to come and
collect the produce.
“We faced extensive losses due
to the landslides and the heavy
rains. Whatever we had left is now
rotting in the orchards,” he told the
Dhaka Tribune.
When contacted, Md Emdad
Hossain, executive engineer at the
Rangamati office of Roads Highways
Department, said it would
take around 15 days to filled up the
cracks and potholes and remove
the mud from the road.
“Then, hopefully, light vehicles
will be able to use to road,” he
added. •
A section of the Khagrachhari-Rangamati road in Kutubchhari area in Rangamati collapsed during the landslides on July 13,
2017. The authorities concerned have not taken any initiative yet to repair the road DHAKA TRIBUNE
stress that what the ambassador
[Golam Sarwar] said was not right.
We are going to ask the ambassador
to come in tomorrow [Saturday]
and will ask how he managed to get
that impression,” Patric Nilsson, a
press officer of the Swedish Foreign
Ministry, said while talking to the
Radio Sweden later on Thursday.
Meanwhile, after the meeting
on Saturday, Sarwar told the
Bangla Tribune that the journalist
Anwar is actually a defendant in a
murder case in Bangladesh and has
taken political asylum in the Nordic
country.
He also clarified details of the
meeting between him and Swedish
Foreign Ministry officials.
“The Swedish authorities
stressed on the fact that officials
and personnel from their side were
not involved in the incident. However,
I managed to settle the issue.
Relations between the two countries
cannot be strained over such a
small matter,” he said while talking
to the Bangla Tribune.
The Swedish Bar Association and
the country’s premier union of journalists,
Journalistförbundet, however,
do not believe that the incident
of ejecting Anwar is a small one.
Strongly criticising Sweden
Foreign office officials for failing
to protect Anwar, Anne Ramberg,
general secretary of the Swedish
Bar Association, called on her
government to demand an apology
from the Bangladeshi envoy to
Sweden.
In a letter addressed to Swedish
Foreign Minister Margot Wallström
and issued on June 30, the Journalistförbundet’s
chairman Jonas Nordling
expressed frustration over
the incident and asked his government
to distance itself from the
“violation of Anwar’s right to work
as a journalist.” •
7
JULY 3, 2017
DT
Budget deficit
likely to be
7.46% of GDP
• Asif Showkat Kallol
ECONOMY
Even as the National Board of Revenue
imposes more supplementary
duties on imports, the budget
deficit is likely to widen further to
7.46% of gross domestic product
by the end of the new fiscal year,
according to Finance Division prediction.
The budget deficit will increase
to Tk1,66,000 crore from the current
target of Tk1,12,276 crore, officials
said. The total rise of the deficit
will be Tk44,834 crore while the
size of the total GDP outlay will be
Tk22,23,600 crore.
Finance Division officials said
the NBR may collect Tk2,05,000
crore compared to earlier target
of Tk2,48,190 crore in tax because
of the non-implementation of the
new value-added tax law.
According to the preliminary
data, the NBR exceeded the revised
target of overall tax collection of
Tk1,85,000 crore last fiscal year.
The achieved amount is Tk1,85,071
crore.
“It’s a good news that the NBR
achieved the revised tax collection
target last fiscal year though the actual
target was Tk1,70,000 crore,”
said an official.
The total tax collection target
set for the NBR in the last fiscal
year was Tk2,03,152 crore.
NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman,
on his Facebook post, said the if
NBR was “not so engaged with the
efforts to implement the new VAT
law, there would have been more
collection last fiscal year.
He said an additional amount
of Tk22,579 crore could be collected
as VAT, especially from large
business organisations this fiscal
year, if the new law was implemented.
Finance Division sources said
the deficit could be wider than
Tk1,66,000 crore this fiscal year if
the planning ministry fails to implement
development projects of
Tk57,000 crore funded by foreign
sources.
According to the Planning
Commission, an amount of up to
Tk40,000 crore foreign aid, out of
Tk57,000 crore, can be disbursed in
the current fiscal year.
A high official of the Finance Division
said the budget deficit will
widen by up to Tk10,000 crore.
But he said the deficit will be met
by loans from banking system and
saving instruments.
However, State Minister for Finance
MA Mannan said the current
fiscal year’s budget deficit will increase
by up to Tk20,000 crore. He
said the deficit will be met by loans
from commercial banks.•

8
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
News
Banks’ operating profits rise
despite excess liquidity, NPLs
• Shariful Islam
BUSINESS
Despite the pressure of excess liquidity
and non-performing loans
(NPLs), most public and private
banks have seen an increase in their
operating profits in the first six
months of the calendar year compared
to the same period a year ago.
As there is an embargo from
Bangladesh Securities and Exchange
Commission (BSEC) and
Bangladesh Bank on disclosing
information about the operating
profits, the Dhaka Tribune collected
a total of 45 banks’ profit data by
contacting them respectively.
The authorities concerned
marked down the information
about profit data as “sensitive”.
The data shows that at least 22
banks have made significant profit
at the end of June while only three
of them have seen profit downturn.
Though the fiscal year is counted
from July to June period, banks
maintain January to December period
as their fiscal year. For this,
every year banks settle accounts by
June 30 and enjoy holiday known
as bank holiday on July 1, thus
making a half-yearly calculation.
But this year has been an exception
because July 1 fell on Saturday.
Moreover, settling accounts was
easier than previous years as most
banks automate their business process,
said sources in the banks.
According to the banks calculation,
Islami banks have made more
profits than others in the first half
of the current year.
HALF YEARLY OPERATING PROFITS OF BANKS
(January-June) Amount in Taka, crore
Name of Bank 2017 2016
Sonali Bank 240 -500
Agrani Bank 300 102
Rupali Bank 35 260
IBBL 1050 854
Jamuna Bank 200 201
Modhumoti Bank 73 32
SIBL 267 225
NRB Bank 37 36.9
BASIC Bank 19.81 -46
Pubali Bank 460 297
Bank Asia 307 297
Mercantile Bank 325 229
National Bank 408 585
Southeast Bank 411 420
Dutch-Bangla Bank 350 324
Al-Arafah Islami bank 360 350
EXIM Bank 320 255
NCC Bank 243 197
Meghna Bank 67 58
Shahjalal Islami Bank 173 159
SBAC Bank 65 70
Premier Bank 250 200
First Security Islami Bank 222 167
Mutual Trust Bank 209 200
Farmers Bank 42 30
Source: Compiled by Dhaka Tribune
The operating profits of the
banks are, however, not the final
profit. It is the unaudited profits. In
the final count, the amount may be
a little higher or lower as the banks
have to set aside funds for provisioning
bad debts and taxes payable
to the government from their
operating profits, according to the
bankers.
Pressure of excess liquidity, NPLs
Though the operating profits have
been on an upward trajectory,
banks face huge pressure from excess
liquidity and non-performing
loans, which are affecting performance,
according to sector people.
The state banks’
default loans
expanded from
Tk4,691 crore to
Tk35,716 crore during
the Q1 of the year
The latest central bank data released
on March this year showed
that the excess liquidity in the
banks stood at Tk1,22,073 crore
at the end of 2016 while it was
Tk1,20,679 crore in 2015.
The non-performing loans in
the banking sector increased by
Tk11,237 crore in the first three
months of the current year.
At the end of March, the total
NPL stood at Tk73,409 crore which
is 10.53% of total outstanding loans.
The default loan of private banks
stood at Tk29,727 crore in the first
quarter of the year, up 28.93% from
the last three months of 2016.
The state banks’ default loans
expanded from Tk4,691 crore to
Tk35,716 crore during the first
quarter of the year.
The foreign banks’ default loans
declined from Tk2,405 crore to
Tk2,282 crore.
The NPL was Tk62,172 crore at
the end of December, 2016. •
Bangladeshis
among 1,035
detained in
Malaysia
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
Malaysian Immigration Department
has rounded up 1,035 illegal
immigrants and 16 employers
throughout the country on the
first day of a nationwide Op Mega
after the deadline for registration
of temporary Enforcement Card
(E-Card) expired Friday midnight.
During Op Mega led by its director-general
Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali,
3,393 foreigners were screened at
155 premises with Johor registering
the highest number detained 414
illegal immigrants and three employers,
reports Bernama.
“In Kelantan, 147 illegal immigrants
were nabbed while in Sabah
(69 illegal immigrants) and four
employers were nabbed,” he said.
The E-Card is a temporary document
that allows foreign workers
without a valid travel document or
work permit to carry on working in
the country pending the approval of
a permanent document or work permit
because the temporary E-Card
expires on February 15, 2018.
The Immigration Department
had said when the deadline for
E-Card registration ended on June
30, only 23 percent or 161,056 illegal
immigrants had registered, although
the registration for E-Card
was launched on Feb 15, this year.
For the number which involved
28,375 employers, 145,571 E-Cards
were issued but the figure was way
off the initial target of 600,000,
said Mustafar. •
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9
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT

10
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
News
Pope shakes up Vatican by replacing
conservative doctrinal chief
• Reuters, Vatican City
WORLD
In a major shake up of the Vatican’s
administration on Saturday, Pope
Francis replaced Catholicism’s top
theologian, a conservative German
cardinal who has been at odds with
the pontiff’s vision of a more inclusive
Church.
A brief Vatican statement said
Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller’s
five-year mandate as head
of the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, a key department
charged with defending
Catholic doctrine, would not be
renewed.
Mueller, 69, who was appointed
by former Pope Benedict in 2012,
will be succeeded by the department’s
number two, Archbishop
Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.
Former Pope Benedict embraces newly elected cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller
of Germany during a consistory ceremony led by Pope Francis in Saint Peter’s
Basilica at the Vatican February 22, 2014
REUTERS
Ladaria, a 73-year-old Spaniard
who, like the Argentine pope
is a member of the Jesuit order,
is said by those who know him
to be a soft-spoken person who
shuns the limelight. Mueller, by
contrast, often appears in the
media.
Since his election in 2013, Francis
has given hope to progressives
who want him to forge ahead with
his vision for a more welcoming
Church that concentrates on mercy
rather than the strict enforcement
of rigid rules they see as antiquated.
Mueller is one of several cardinals
in the Vatican who have publicly
sparred with the pope.
In 2015 he was among 13 cardinals
who signed a secret letter to
the pope complaining that a meeting
of bishops discussing family
issues was stacked in favour of liberals.
The letter was leaked, embarrassing
the signatories.
Mueller has criticised parts of a
2016 papal treatise called “Amoris
Laetitia” (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone
document of Francis’ attempt
to make the 1.2 billion-member
Church more inclusive and less
condemning.
In it, Francis called for a
Church that is less strict and more
compassionate towards any “imperfect”
members, such as those
who divorced and remarried, saying
“no one can be condemned
forever”.
Conservatives have concentrated
their criticism on the document’s
opening to Catholics who
divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies,
without getting Church
annulments.
Under Church law they cannot
receive communion unless they
abstain from sex with their new
partner, because their first marriage
is still valid in the eyes of the
Church and therefore they are seen
to be living in an adulterous state
of sin. •
Citycell CEO Mehboob
Chowdhury granted bail
• Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
COURTS
A Dhaka court has granted bail to Mehboob
Chowdhury, CEO mobile phone operator
Citycell, yesterday afternoon after he was produced
before the court by the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC).
He had been detained in the airport
area in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon for
allegedly embezzling Tk348.5 crore
that had been taken as a bank loan for
Citycell.
ACC Deputy Director Sheikh Abdus Salam,
investigation officer of the case, produced
Mehboob before Dhaka Chief Metropolitan
Brac clarification
• Tribune Desk
NATION
Brac says they are investigating allegations of
forcing Ramgamati landslide victims to pay
their loan installment by Brac staff in shelters
last month.
In response to a Dhaka Tribune report
“NGOs press landslide victims for loan repayment”
published on on June 22, Brac told
the Dhaka Tribune: “We assure you that Brac
management has strictly ordered its staff in
those areas to immediately stop instalment
collection.
“However, we are seriously investigating
the specific case of a Brac staff acting in breach
of our code of conduct and in violation of clear
Magistrate Lashkar Sohel Rana and requested
the court to place him in prison, but the court
rejected it.
Mehboob’s defence counsel Kamrul Islam
Sikder filed a bail petition for him, which the
court granted.
Earlier on Saturday, ACC Public Relations
Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told the
Bangla Tribune that the Citycell CEO had been
arrested in a case filed over the embezzlement
of Tk348.5 crore taken as a loan from the AB
Bank.
The ACC filed the case with Banani police
station on June 28 this year.
A total of 16 people, including former foreign
affairs minister M Morshed Khan, have
been accused in the case. •
instructions given, as reported in your newspaper.
We will take appropriate action once
the facts come to light.
“Brac has a very strict code of conduct
for its frontline microfinance staff and we
take compliance with that code very seriously.
Moreover, during times of natural
calamities, we always send further instructions
to field offices in the affected areas to
stand by our clients instead of focusing on
recovery.
“In recent weeks, this was done during
the Haor crisis as well. Brac is committed
to upholding the highest standards of client
protection and is the only microfinance provider
in Bangladesh and the largest globally
to have been Smart Certified for Client Protection.”
•

Over 30m mobile banking
accounts inactive
• Shariful Islam
BUSINESS
The number of inactive mobile
banking account users
has crossed the 31.2 million
mark by May this year, according
to the latest Bangladesh
Bank data.
The central bank data
showed that till May a total of
52.6 million users were registered
with Mobile Financial
Services (MFS). Of them, 21.4
million accounts are active.
Sources said any account
which is not used for three
months is marked down as
inactive while the number of
inactive accounts might shoot
up due to recent actions taken
by the central bank to prevent
the abuse of MFS.
Of the accounts that were
closed, bKash topped the list
of closure.
The central bank lowered
the ceiling of mobile banking
transaction in January this
year along with other several
restrictions intended to bring
about discipline to the sector.
According to the latest
BB directive, a person can
make financial transaction
at a maximum amount of
Tk15,000 twice a day. But the
limit was maximum Tk25,000
per day at three takes.
Now a monthly transaction
of Tk1 lakh is allowed at a maximum
delivery of 10 times.
Previously, the amount was
set at highest Tk1.50 lakh at
the same 10 takes per month.
Besides, the central bank
directed the MFS providers
not to open more than one
account with a single national
identity card and a SIM.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune,
a managing director
related to an MFS operating
bank, said the central banks’
move to stop the abuse of mobile
banking service is the reason
behind the rise of inactive
account users.
BB spokesperson and Executive
Director Subhankar Saha
told the Dhaka Tribune “The
number of inactive account
users might increase as the
MFS providers are following
the central bank’s directive.
“Though the number of active
account users decreases
temporarily, it will bring good
in the long run.”
A central bank report
showed that the total transaction
through MFS was Tk25.47
crore in May while it was
Tk25.02 crore in April.
The daily average transaction
also increased from
Tk834.7 crore in April to
Tk844.07 crore in May. In May,
the amount of the country’s
inward remittance through
MFS was Tk7.56 crore, which
was Tk7.5 crore in April.
At present, a total of 17 of
19 banks that got permission
to run MFS operations are
providing services. Of them,
BRAC Bank’s bKash and Dutch
Bangla Bank’s Rocket topped
the list of service providers. •
Woman raped by father-in-law
• S M Samsur Rahman,
Bagerhat
NATION
A 20-year old housewife has
been reportedly raped by
her father-in-law at Kachua
in Bagerhat while the latter’s
son was out of home.
According to a case filed
by the woman on Saturday,
father-in-law Nazrul Molla
raped her repeatedly on June
SEBL makes Kamal Hossain MD
• Tribune Business Desk
NATION
28, when her husband went
out of home at night.
The woman married off
with Riaz Molla, son of Nazrul
of of Bilkul village ten
months ago, said her fatherin-law
often proposed her for
making illicit relation when
her husband remained absent
in the house.
Around 8.30pm on the
day, when Riaz went out,
Nazrul entered the room and
violated her forcefully by
keeping pillow on the mouth.
Later, she informed the
incident to her husband and
mother-in-law. But they
forced her to leave the house.
Kabirul Islam Molla, officer-in-charge
of Kachua police
station, said Nazrul went
into hiding after the incident.
Police were trying to arrest
him, he said.
The woman had been sent
to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital for
medical test, added the OC. •
M Kamal Hossain has been appointed
as managing director
of the Southeast Bank Limited
recently. As of June 20, he had
been managing director (current
charge) of the bank, said
a press release. He was in the
post since March 29.
M Kamal Hossain joined
the SEBL in November 2003
as vice president. Prior to his
current assignment, he served
as additional managing director
of the bank.
During his years in the
SEBL, he has held the position
of head of branch in a number
of branches of the bank.
Kamal Hossain started his
banking career as a probationary
officer in National Bank
Limited in 1983. He had spent
18 years in National Bank Limited
and served important positions
in different branches
including the head office.
In his 34 years of banking
profession, Kamal Hossain
garnered extensive banking
experience and developed a
wide range of expertise in almost
all areas of commercial
banking comprising import,
export, credit, general banking,
human resource, accounts
etc, said the SEBL.
It said under his visionary
leadership, the SEBL is expected
to evolve as a leading
commercial bank of Bangladesh
with exemplary business
and financial outcomes.
Hossain has acquired BSS
and MSS degrees with distinction
in Public Administration
Department of the University
of Chittagong.
He attended numerous
seminars, workshops and training
programmes at home and
abroad. He visited different
countries including the United
States, United Kingdom,
Switzerland, Germany, France,
Spain, Australia, Canada, Myanmar,
Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, China, Saudi Arabia,
Oman, Qatar and India. •
News 11
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT

DT
12
Editorial
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
TODAY
Why I sued the
federal government
over air pollution
Our case may be in the court system
for years, but a win on the Supreme
Court level will force the government
to develop and implement a plan to
rapidly reduce emissions
PAGE 13
RAJIB DHAR
Worker safety is
everyone’s concern
Nefarious Eid heroes
One can easily dismiss my concerns as
just frivolous fun, but when year in year
out we are given movies in the same
template, there has to be some impact
on young minds
PAGE 14
Our garments industry fetches about $25
billion in foreign currency every year.
Garments workers are the backbone
of this industry and their safety should
therefore be given the highest importance, but that is
still not the case for many factories.
While the renewal of the Accord by foreign
companies -- designed to improve workplace safety
-- is commendable, there are still millions of workers
and thousands of factories left unprotected.
According to recent investigations, factories
monitored by the Bangladeshi government have
barely made any progress in terms of safety.
We can’t wait for foreign entities to fix our
problems.
We certainly appreciate the help, but we must pull
our own weight here.
We certainly appreciate
the help, but we must
pull our own weight
here
The right brand
Corporations could play an enormous
role in creating a positive and powerful
identity of a nation
Be heard
Write to Dhaka Tribune
FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath,
Shukrabad, Dhaka-1207
Send us your Op-Ed articles:
opinion.trib@gmail.com
www.dhakatribune.com
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https://www.facebook.com/
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The views expressed in opinion
articles are those of the authors
alone and they are not the
official view of Dhaka Tribune
or its publisher.
PAGE 15
No country for communal violence
A
month after the Langadu attack, it is
disheartening to see communal tensions
continue to spread amongst the Adivasi and
Bangali communities.
What happened in Langadu was a terrible reminder
that there were forces present in our midst that wished
to wreak havoc amongst our peace-loving denizens.
And, even now, there are questions as to what led
to the attacks, with many parties trying to further
instigate violence amongst the communities.
The authorities must push the message forward
that Bangladesh is a peaceful and secular nation
that takes care of its minorities, and that communal
violence will not be tolerated.
With many Adivasis losing their homes in the
attack, we must make sure nothing like this happens
ever again.
We must make sure
nothing like this
happens ever again

Opinion 13
DT
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
Why I sued
the federal
government
over harmful
air pollution
Deliberately endangering the
environment is a violation of the law
• Sophie Kivlehan
Man-made climate
change is the biggest
threat facing my
generation. So I, along
with 20 other youths from across
the United States, am working to
solve this problem by bringing an
unprecedented lawsuit against the
federal government.
Of cases and lawsuits
In our civil rights case -- titled
Juliana, et al v United States, et al
(available at ourchildrenstrust.org)
-- we assert that the government is
violating our constitutional right
to life, liberty, and property by
approving emissions of fatally high
levels of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere, despite being aware
of its damaging effects.
Earth has warmed one degree
Celsius this past century. Letting
temperature rise another 0.4
degree would be catastrophic. We
will experience greater weather
extremes, including floods,
droughts, and super-storms
-- which will affect food supply.
Sea level rise of several meters
will destroy coastal cities, forcing
the displacement of millions of
people and bringing chaos among
governments.
Our case was filed in federal
court in Oregon on August 12,
2015. The government responded
by filing a motion to dismiss our
case before it could get to trial. We
all travelled to Eugene, Oregon, to
participate in a hearing on March
9, 2016.
The initial hearing was the first
time all 21 plaintiffs met together.
Some of us are experienced
activists, and some of us avoid the
spotlight. Some are extroverts who
speak freely on television shows
and in magazine interviews, while
others have their words carefully
penned on the papers they cling to
with shaking hands.
But we all share a common goal:
To be heard and be taken seriously.
We know that we are fighting for a
viable future.
We listened as the government’s
lawyers argued that we had a
weak case. They did not deny
global warming or the damage
Our case may be in
the court system
for years, but a win
on the Supreme
Court level will force
the government
to develop and
implement a plan
to rapidly reduce
emissions
being done to the planet, but
they denied any responsibility to
address the crisis.
Take responsibility for your
actions
First, the US government sets our
national energy policy and what
kind of fuels we use. When it
sets standards for how inefficient
the things that burn those fuels
can be, like our cars, the US
government is taking action.
Trump does not think of climate change as a big enough issue
When it leases land to
corporations to dig up coal or drill
for oil or gas, the US government
is taking action. When it offers tax
breaks and subsidies to fossil fuel
companies, the US government is
taking action. When it permits the
pollution that comes out of the
energy system it controls, the US
government is taking action.
When you add up all these
actions, the US government, more
than anyone else, is responsible
for the level of carbon dioxide
pollution that will determine the
climate in my lifetime.
As a young person, I’m not
worried about President Donald
Trump’s opinions on climate
change, but rather the US
government’s actions. Because I
know the actions it takes today
to promote fossil fuels will cause
fossil fuel emissions, and those
emissions will cause climate
change. And that climate change
will mean impacts that I will
have to live with, throughout my
lifetime.
A ray of hope?
That’s why I take a little comfort in
knowing that Trump can withdraw
from the Paris agreement, but he
can’t withdraw from my lawsuit.
US Magistrate Judge Thomas
Coffin, in his 2016 opinion allowing
the lawsuit to proceed, wrote that
“the alleged valuing of short-term
economic interest, despite the
cost to human life, necessitates
a need for the courts to evaluate
the constitutional parameters of
the action or inaction taken by the
government.”
This means that we will have a
trial near the end of this year. We
feel excited and optimistic about
returning to Eugene and appearing
in court again.
Our case may be in the court
system for years, but a win on the
Supreme Court level will force
the government to develop and
implement a plan to rapidly reduce
emissions.
Logical and feasible solutions
exist to limit emissions, and
economic studies have shown that
these solutions would increase
gross national product and create
millions of jobs.
I feel strongly that it is my and
my fellow plaintiffs’ responsibility
to spread awareness about this to
other young people -- we must all
take ownership of our future. •
Sophie Kivlehan, a 2017 graduate
from Parkland High School, will attend
Dickinson College in the fall. This article
first appeared on The Morning Call.
REUTERS

14
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
Opinion
Nefarious Eid heroes
What do our movies say about our country?
SERPENT
IN EDEN
• Towheed Feroze
The massive banner on
the front side of the
Balaka Cinema Hall
publicised yet another
movie glamouraising the dashing
underworld don. Of late, the
protagonist in almost all Bengali
movies is not a man from what we
call the civilised section of society.
He is not a journalist (too
bland), not a doctor (outdated),
definitely not a singer
(impoverished), or a government
servant (staid), but a gangster
who is the epitome of everything
forbidden.
It’s good to be bad and so,
heroes now-a-days are gun-toting
mastaans, although I find no
Our movie industry needs a dramatic reshoot
similarity between the screen
goons and the real life ones.
The Robin Hood template vs
reality
Growing up in Elephant Road and
seeing several such underground
leaders operate during the
tumultuous periods, I must say,
the reality is less flattering.
For starters, none of the gundas
ever spoke coherent Bangla. I
often wondered about their stock
of words which included, bichi
(bullet), machine (pronounced
maaachine, indicating the gun),
chapati (machete), fit deya
(extortion demand), size kora (beat
up), etc.
Anyway, in films, of course,
the top don is the best looking
guy around. Despite his raw and
aggressive side, he also possesses
a heart of gold. I mean, all of these
people are regular Robin Hoods.
Don’t forget the chivalrous
behaviour in front of the ladies.
He is also articulate. These virtues
attempt to neutralise all the
killings and the illegal acts shown
on screen.
This is in contrast to what I
saw during my university days
when a political leader came to
my department and demanded
romance from the class belle.
You have to love me.
She capitulated; her other, not
so bellicose amour, was slapped
with a warning: “Ar konodin jeno
na dekhi (I better not see you
anymore).”
Er, well, if I recall the goons in
our area, who are now well laid in
their graves (all shot and killed),
I don’t remember any altruistic
deeds that they carried out. Wait,
there was this “Loti chera Bablu”
(Bablu without an earlobe), who
reportedly rehabilitated one
from his gang who lost his hands
making a Molotov cocktail.
Anyway, Bablu is now a store
keeper, the fiery days of the 80s,
when his presence sent all of us
packing, are long gone.
In fact, he is more than willing
to give credit to people who buy
from his shop.
Travesty called joint production
For Eid we went to see Boss 2
-- another movie where the donlike
life is lionised. This time the
person in question is called Surya,
or Shurjo. The part is played by an
Indian actor who is seen delivering
social reforming messages for his
country.
Surprisingly, the country shown
with special emphasis on the flag
is not Bangladesh. Therefore, the
faint underlying development
message of the movie is not aimed
at this country.
One can easily
dismiss my concerns
as just frivolous fun,
but when year in
year out we are given
movies in the same
template, there has
to be some impact
on young minds
It’s a joint production film -- we
are reminded in bold sentences.
But shouldn’t a joint production
flick have equal number of actors
from two respective countries?
Sorry to say, the film is
blatantly skewed, with only a few
roles played by Bangladeshis.
In fact, the part of a senior
Bangladeshi police chief is shown
in a derogatory way, the character
played by a bumbling novice.
One of the baddies is also a
Bangladeshi.
Denigrating sexual overtones
In one scene, the hero is
seen taking refuge in a shrine
somewhere in Dhaka to evade
the police. With law enforcers
encircling the shrine, the hero
asks for divine guidance, uttering
the line “poth dekhao” (show
me a path) and voila, a woman
covered in a shawl bumps into
him, slipping a mobile phone in
his pocket.
And it’s not any woman -- but a
svelte bombshell to ignite Surya’s
fi r e .
The phone rings, the female
voice asks the hero Surya to follow
her and what do you know, at the
backside of the shrine, an ultrahedonistic
mystical dance session
is going on, where heady puffs
from large shisha blends with
heart stopping pelvic thrusts and
strategic navel onslaught.
So, we are given to believe
that in Bangladesh, if you go to
the backside of a shrine devoted
to a mystic then you will most
certainly be sucked into a vortex of
sensuous excess.
A perverted final message
Yes, one can easily dismiss my
concerns as just frivolous fun, but
when year in year out we are given
movies in the same template,
there has to be some impact on
young minds.
The main issue is about the
central role, which is that of a
mastaan, a goon. We are glamourising
the life of a person who lives
at the edge of the social system.
For levity, this can be done once in
a while, but just take a close look
at all the movies that have been
released in the last few years.
Off the top of my head I recall
Shikari, Top Terror, My Name
is Khan, King of Dhaka, Sultan,
where the main role is that of an
underground terror. If the main
role is spared, there will be side
characters who are mafia dons.
What is fueling this obsession
with transgressive bravado?
Maybe in schools we should
now ask bright young students:
“Baba, what do you want to be
when you grow up -- a doctor,
engineer, sports person, writer, or
the ‘top terror of Dhaka’?”
Also, in the name of joint
production, we are fed films
advocating the progress of another
country. How the censor board
gave clearance to this is a puzzle.
I personally felt that the movie,
in a very shameless way, sent
some disparaging messages about
Bangladesh. Sorry, we simply
cannot brush it aside as just
another film.
Driven by blind rapacity,
our producers are investing in
movies which do not represent
this country fairly. What is worse,
people are watching this garbage.
Well, seeing the movie I felt like
looking at the sky and saying: Poth
dekhao (show a path) to our movie
producers. •
Towheed Feroze is a journalist working
in the development sector.

The right brand
Behind every great nation, there is a great corporation
Opinion 15
DT
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
Have we been able to capitalise on the achievements of the RMG industry?
RAJIB DHAR
• SM Musa
The term “identity” is an
abstract concept. Yet, it
is incredibly important
in our personal, social, as
well as political life. In fact, how
we live is very much determined
by our identity and vice versa.
Is your name your identity?
Perhaps, perhaps not. When we
think of names, they not only
draw some persons in our mind,
but also the personalities of each
name. This means that identity
goes beyond a name or title. It tells
meaningful things.
Take a friend’s name. By the
time you take his/her name, you
get a clear image of him/her. What
the person does, what describes
the person -- careless, good,
among many other adjectives. And
by now, maybe you are not fully
aware of this fact, but you can see
his/her core and why he/she is
different from other friends.
Identity crisis
Now name a company of your
liking from our country. I bet this
time you didn’t get the adjectives
that easily. You had to think a bit.
Maybe you can see some negative
aspects from the news you once
read about that company.
I hope you didn’t think of any
government firm -- that would be
depressing. Maybe it is still a blur.
You just don’t get a clear image of
the company you like. It’s a blackbox.
This is identity crisis. When
a customer can’t identify a firm,
hardly one can trust that firm.
Albeit, not all, but few firms seek
to be trusted by customers.
I tried too. And almost every
time, I failed to find a clear identity
even for the most renowned
corporations of the nation.
Organisational identity is
defined by how a corporation is
perceived by its internal as well
as external stake-holders. It also
reflects in what the corporation
does as its primary activities and
finally, how it does those activities.
Now, why should a firm care
about organisational identity? In
fact, it shouldn’t. Of course, not in
our market. What is in the name
when you can just sell?
But I can tell that things
are getting more complex and
competitive every day. Sales are
not that easy, and are becoming
more and more reliant on trust
and relationship. And can we trust
anyone without an identity?
Tomorrow’s sales will be largely
captured by the firms with clear
and strong organisational identity.
Days of monopoly will not prevail,
and political power will not help
much as well. So, why not just
create an identity?
It can be done by simply being
open, transparent, and honest.
What about a fake identity, one
Corporations could play an enormous role in creating a positive and
powerful identity of a nation
may ask. Well, how long does a
fake identity last? Not for too long.
And one should work to build
legacies, not temporary moneymaking
machines.
Communication is key
Create a true identity of your
organisation. Tell your customers
what you really do, how you do it,
and why you are doing it. Don’t be
shy telling them that you cherish
profit. After all, profit is the
motivating force of any economy.
One cannot ignore the force.
But please do give a reason as
to why you think you deserve the
profit. Trust me, customers just
need one good reason to buy from
you even at a higher price.
A firm can have multiple
identities when it is in the business
of selling different commodities.
But this doesn’t go without a
caveat: The core or the essence
must remain the same.
Coca Cola has more than 100
brands indicating more than 100
different identities. Still, when
we talk about Coca Cola, we know
what it stands for. Core should
be central, distinguishable, and
enduring.
An economy is largely identified
by its corporations. The same
could be said for a nation. Along
with cultural and political issues,
corporations also could play
an enormous role in creating a
positive and powerful identity of
a nation. Behind the rise of all the
major economies, there has been
at least one corporation.
Brand names and corporate giants
The rise of corporate America
wouldn’t have been possible
without the rise of some of
the finest and most revered
organisations such as Ford,
General Electric, Coca Cola, IBM,
Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon.
Similarly, for Japan there is
Toyota, for South Korea there is
Samsung, for Germany there are
Mercedes (Daimler) and BMW, for
the Netherlands there is Shell, for
China there is Alibaba, for India
there is Tata.
So, which corporation name
represents us, Bangladesh?
We had a great opportunity
to create a noble identity based
on our RMG industry. We could
have branded this whole industry
and could have taken our export
revenue to a different level. But
we lost the opportunity because of
our negligence and short-sighted
policies.
What’s the next step?
We also can’t blame the
government for every failure.
The private sector has its own
opportunities and responsibilities.
It would be a shame if our
corporate managers fail to
capitalise on the hard work of RMG
workers to create a respectable
organisational identity and make
sure that it is recognised from the
furthest corners of this world.
A failure of our organisations to
create proper identities will bear
the risk of our economy to remain
unidentified in the world stage.
I hope soon we will get at least
one corporation through which
global citizens can positively
identify our beloved nation. •
SM Musa is doing research on Strategy
& Innovation. He writes from the
Netherlands and can be reached at
musa.sm1408@gmail.com.

16
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
Downtime
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Absolute truth (6)
4 Church seat (3)
7 Ooze out (5)
8 Tempt (6)
11 Colour (3)
12 Observed (4)
13 Eager (4)
15 Camping equipment
(5)
16 Gets up (5)
20 Cutting comment (4)
23 Sheltered nook (4)
24 Fragmentary bit (3)
25 Entertained (6)
26 Customary (5)
27 Golf mound (3)
28 Cricket team (6)
DOWN
1 One entertained (5)
2 Artist (7)
3 Welsh national emblem
(4)
4 Unmixed (4)
5 Paradise (5)
6 Marry (3)
9 Born (3)
10 Number (3)
14 Person of refined
taste (7)
17 Distress call (3)
18 Girl’s name (3)
19 Type of car (5)
20 Foundation (4)
21 Malarial fever (4)
22 Large bundle (4)
24 Groove (3)
CODE-CRACKER
How to solve: Each number in our
CODE-CRACKER grid represents a
different letter of the alphabet. For
example, today 8 represents S so fill S
every time the figure 8 appears.
You have two letters in the control
grid to start you off. Enter them in the
appropriate squares in the main grid, then
use your knowledge of words to work out
which letters go in the missing squares.
Some letters of the alphabet may not be
used.
As you get the letters, fill in the other
squares with the same number in the
main grid, and the control grid. Check
off the list of alphabetical letters as you
identify them.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
CALVIN AND HOBBES
SUDOKU
How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the
numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must
contain all nine digits with no number repeating.
PEANUTS
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS
CODE-CRACKER
CROSSWORD
DILBERT
SUDOKU

Feature
17
MONDAY, JULY 3 , 2017
DT
5 ways to deal with post-Eid dilemmas
Without crying a river on your desk
• Khan N Moushumi
Having a hard time dragging yourself to work every morning after the
nine-day long Eid vacay? Tell us about it! But here are a few pointers on
breaking out of the post-festive lethargy and getting yourself back on
your feet.
Diet and exercise
It’s only normal to feel lethargic after
all the delish Eid platters you have
been stuffing yourself with during
the holidays. It’s time to cut down
on spicy, oily food and start eating
clean. Limit your salt intake and eat
baked, grilled or steamed veggies
and chicken for the week. If it’s too
bland for you, add a little apple cider
vinegar or a spritz of lemon for some
added flavour.
Don’t forget to sweat off those few
extra kilos you have gained over the
last week—we recommend walking or
jogging for a good 40-minutes on the
treadmill a day. Remember, getting
your adrenaline pumping from a
workout session also boosts your
energy level, preparing you to beat
the post-festive blues.
No more late night shows
You may have picked up a bad habit or two during the long holidays and
staying up late at night to binge-watch your favourite show may be one.
Break the cycle by setting your alarm at six in the morning and do not nap
the entire day no matter how difficult it may be. Keep yourself hydrated
and active. Stick to waking up early the next few days and your sleep
cycle will fall back in place in no time.
Make a to-do list
As soon as you get to
work, grab a pen and
notepad and start making
a list of the things you
have to do for the day.
Don’t worry if you
want to take a break
in between tasks, but
don’t push yourself to
multitask. This is not the
time for it.
Lift your spirits
No matter how much you may cringe at getting out of the comfort of your
bed and back to work, there’s no denying that work can be fun too. Sure
you have to prepare yourself to storm through the gridlock out on the
streets every day but don’t let that stop you from having fun. Update the
play list on your phone, invest in extra-curricular activities and schedule
something fun for after work, such as catching up with colleagues over
coffee or dinner.
Make plans for the weekend
Keep your head high. The weekend
is just five days away. The first
week after the holidays may be a
little bumpy but if you manage to
power through it, you’ll fall right
back on track from the next. In
the meantime, look forward to
the weekend. Movies, concerts,
bowling, exhibitions! There’s so
much to do. •

DT
18
Sports
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
Mexico’s Oribe Peralta (R) challenges Portugal’s Pepe during their 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup third place match at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow yesterday
2019 ICC WORLD CUP
Captaincy issue still not decided
BCB looking to provide younger players more match experience
• Tribune Report
According to the Bangladesh Cricket
Board President Nazmul Hasan
the board is looking to prepare the
younger players of the side to get
more match experience as part of
the preparation for the upcoming
2019 ICC World Cup in England.
Over the past few years the performance
graph of the Bangladesh
cricket team has improved significantly.
Ever since the 2015 ICC
World Cup, the performance, especially
from the young players have
paid dividend to the Tigers.
Meanwhile when asked whether
the board is thinking about the captaincy
in the ODI for the upcoming
2019 World Cup or not, Nazmul informed
that they are still in a process
but are yet to make any decision
regarding the matter.
“We have already taken some
steps regarding this issue and if you
see there was a question regarding
the captaincy in the T20 format as
we were not sure whether Mashrafe
bin Mortaza will be able to play in
the 2020 ICC World T20 or not. So
we talked with him and the declaration
came from his end as we did
not tell him to do so. He declared
after consulting with us. We are
discussing about the process which
itself is a big example,” he added.
However, the BCB boss also informed
that they are not planning
to exclude the experienced members
of the side for this reason and
added that it’s important for the
youngsters to get the exposure and
experience. So some senior players
might be rested to make way for
the youngsters.
“Bangladesh are playing well at
the moment. Many people will talk
about the performance of the Bangladesh
team and the players have a
lot of well-wishers but that does
not mean I am not accepting the
contribution of the senior players.
If you see the major break-through
of Bangladesh cricket came in the
bilateral series against Pakistan,
South Africa, India and against
New Zealand where we have beaten
them previously.
“These three series have been
the major break-through and if
you have noticed, along with
Shakib, Tamim and Mushfiq, the
contribution from the new players
behind the success was huge.
Soumya Sarkar played outstandingly
against South Africa while
during those three series. Especially
against India, Mustafizur Rahman
played a big role. Mosaddek
Hossain’s knock in the 100th Test
against Sri Lanka was vital and
without his contribution it would
have been almost impossible to
win the game. The way Mehedi
Hasan Miraz bowled against England
in the Test series was extraordinary.
So look, the contributions
from the new comers are there.
“We have many talented cricketers
in the country. But the problem
is who to replace. If we don’t give
AFP
the youngsters the opportunity to
play then how will they compete all
of a sudden in the 2019 World Cup?
That’s not possible. So it’s important
to give the youngsters some
opportunity in the team to play
now. And if you want to include the
newcomers, someone has to make
way for them. And then the questions
may arise that there might be
some problem in the board. But the
fact is we have to give the opportunity
to the newcomers for the sake
of the team and country. But that
doesn’t mean those who will be
rested are going to lose their place
in the team. It’s difficult to say that
a new player will immediately start
to perform but if we don’t give
them the opportunity the that’s
a problem. All of a sudden our
six-seven senior players will retire
from international cricket in future
then we will face a huge vacuum to
fill,” said Nazmul to the media at
his corporate office in Dhanmondi
on Sunday. •
CONFEDERATIONS CUP
Portugal beat
Mexico to
finish third
• AFP, Moscow
Adrien Silva scored an extra-time
penalty as Portugal recovered from
a goal down to beat Mexico 2-1 in
Sunday’s third-place play-off at the
Confederations Cup in Moscow.
Luis Neto bundled into his own
net to hand Mexico a 54th-minute
lead, but Pepe stabbed home a
stoppage-time equaliser to force an
extra 30 minutes at Spartak Stadium.
Silva then struck his first international
goal after a handball inside
the box on 104 minutes, while
both sides finished with 10 men as
Nelson Semedo was dismissed for
Portugal before Raul Jimenez saw
red for Mexico.
World champions Germany face
Copa America holders Chile later in
the final in Saint Petersburg.
European champions Portugal
were without captain Cristiano
Ronaldo after the Real Madrid star
was released from the squad to
return home to meet his newborn
twins.
Portugal and Mexico drew 2-2
in the opening game of the group
stage, when Hector Moreno salvaged
a last-gasp point for the Gold
Cup winners, but were left fighting
for a consolation prize in the Russian
capital.
Portugal should have gone in
front in the drizzling rain on 17
minutes when Andre Silva was
upended by 38-year-old Rafael
Marquez, with the video assistant
referee stepping in to award the
spot-kick.
But Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo
Ochoa flung himself superbly
to his right to tip Andre Silva’s low
spot-kick round the post.
Rui Patricio produced a sharp
stop to deny Javier Hernandez,
Mexico’s all-time leading scorer,
from close range on the half hour,
but the Portugal keeper was beaten
shortly after the break.
Hernandez’s cross from
the byline floated beyond
Carlos Vela and Patricio, with
Zenit St Petersburg centre-back
Neto unwittingly turning the ball
home.
Portugal went in pursuit of an
equaliser and Gelson Martins – replacing
Ronaldo in attack – was
denied by an excellent save from
Ochoa with just over an hour
played.
But Ochoa was beaten in the
first minute of injury time as Pepe
lunged to get on the end of Ricardo
Quaresma’s curling right-wing
cross to force extra time. •

Sports 19
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
Nazmul confident of direct WC qualification
DT
• Tribune Report
Bangladesh Cricket Board president
Nazmul Hasan hopes Bangladesh
will directly qualify for the
main round of the 2019 Cricket
World Cup as the current position
of team Tigers in the ICC one-day
international ranking table has
been impressive.
The Tigers are currently in the
seventh spot in the ODI rankings
followed by Sri Lanka in number
eight. Considering 30 September as
the cut-off time for the qualification,
Nazmul believes Bangladesh will remain
in top eight. Afghanistan’s win
over West Indies and Sri Lanka’s recent
loss against Zimbabwe helped
Bangladesh’s cause and according to
current situation, either West Indies
or Sri Lnka will go to the 2019 World
Cup as the eighth-placed team.
The top eight sides of the in the
ODI ranking on the cut-off date will
directly move to the main round of
the world cup.
“Chance of not playing the
qualification is big for us. The ICC
has already started planning considering
Bangladesh as one of the
top eight teams,” said Nazmul to
the media at his Dhanmondi corporate
office yesterday.
Speaking on the speculation of
Australia not touring Bangladesh
for the two-match Test series following
pay dispute between Cricket
Australia and its players, Nazmul
informed that the BCB has not
been informed yet regarding any
negative step from the Australian
counterpart.
“They have not informed us anything
yet. So far we know that the
tour is in place and they will tour
Bangladesh as per schedule. We are
considering that the two Tests will
Australia A to boycott SA tour if no pay deal
• AFP, Sydney
Players will boycott an Australia A
tour of South Africa this month in
an escalation of their bitter dispute
with Cricket Australia unless a new
pay deal is agreed, the Australian
Cricketers’ Association said Sunday.
The players’ union held an
emergency meeting in Sydney
where they decided to take action
for the tour beginning on July 12
unless a new Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) was signed with
CA by Friday.
ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson
said a “significant breakthrough”
was needed for the South
Africa tour to proceed.
The latest development in the
stalled pay row comes after both
parties failed to reach an agreement
on a new MoU before Friday’s
deadline after months of protracted
negotiations.
It leaves as many as 230 male
and female players unemployed
and threatens fixtures including
this year’s prestige home Ashes series.
“They don’t intend to tour but
the reality is they don’t fly out of
the country until Friday,” Nicholson
told reporters of the Australia
A tour.
“So the players are going to go
into camp as planned and hopefully
we can make some progress with
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan addresses the media in Dhanmondi yesterday
regards to the MoU.
“There would need to be a significant
breakthrough on the key issue
of the revenue sharing model.”
CA said in response it would
never force any players to play for
an Australian team.
“Australia A is a development
tour which gives players an opportunity
to perform at a high level,”
CA said in a statement.
“It is therefore surprising that
players would elect not to tour,
however CA has never, and would
never attempt to force anyone to
play for an Australian team who is
unwilling to do so.
“CA remains ready to negotiate
a new MoU and has again called on
the ACA to show genuine flexibility
and commence negotiations in the
best interests of the players and the
game.”
The players’ union decision also
includes players who are on multi-year
deals with their respective
state teams and who will refuse to
play without an MoU.
“It’s not an easy thing to do...
but we are very united,” Australia
A captain Usman Khawaja told reporters.
“We’re still going to be training
this week. Hopefully something
can be resolved, but if it’s not, it’s a
tough decision that sort of has to be
made,” he said.
“Not to go is a sacrifice in some
Usman Khawaja (L), Clea Smith (2L), Shane Watson (R) and Australian Cricketers’
Association (ACA) chief executive Alistair Nicholson speak during a press
conference in Sydney yesterday
AFP
COURTESY
respects, but we see the broader
picture.”
The ACA also warned that upcoming
Australian tours to Bangladesh
and India were also under
threat.
“Players expressed a strong desire
to tour both Bangladesh and
India and urged CA to support
them by renewing an MOU on fair
terms, allowing the tours to proceed,”
the ACA said.
“However, due to the fact of
unemployment and the resolution
and an absent MoU there are no
professional cricketers presently
obliged or available to tour.”
Australia’s Test tour to Bangladesh
is from August and the oneday
international series is in India
in September.
In the absence of a new deal the
players also discussed the prospect
of the ACA taking control of their
playing rights and selling them to
the governing body.
“The venues are all booked.
The schedule is there. It’s just a
different way to get the players
playing cricket,” Nicholson said.
“An agreed MoU remains the clear
preference.”
Looking further ahead, the ACA
said that in the event of a dispute
which could threaten this year’s
Ashes series with England, the association
would look at offering
the players back to CA “on the right
terms”. •
take place accordingly until any negative
communication from them.
Also we cannot plan an alternative
series in that slot at the moment because
Cricket Australia has not canceled
the tour,” explained Nazmul.
Meanwhile the BCB chief informed
that the next BCB election
will be held in October as per
scheduled but the governing body
is waiting for a court’s decision.
“There is no chance for a delay.
We are waiting for a decision
from the court and that’s why we
are not being able to hold even the
EGM and AGM. We wanted to have
election as per the old constitution
but our legal advisor advised us
not to do according to old constitution.
There are few pending issues.
I hope those will be solved soon,”
said Nazmul who is also a member
of the Bangladesh parliament.
When questioned if Nazmul
will like to stay as BCB president
for another term, he informed,
“It is tough for me to keep myself
away from cricket to be honest
but then again it is being hectic
for me. I think it will be better for
me to become as a board director
rather than president. I am literally
working as full time for the board
despite my engagements with my
job and politics. But I think it will
be a relatively easy ride doesn’t
matter who forms the next board.
Bangladesh cricket has reached in
a new level now and this progress
will make at least next eight year’s
job easy,” Nazmul concluded. •
Maradona says
invitation to
Messi wedding
must have ‘got
lost somewhere’
• Agencies
Diego Maradona still loves Lionel
Messi despite admitting that his
invitation to the Barcelona star’s
wedding must have been “lost
somewhere”.
The Argentine icon was among
those left off the guest list for a
star-studded event in Rosario on
Friday.
Messi did bring along several of
his Barca team-mates and international
colleagues to celebrate the
day with him, but Maradona and
Luis Enrique were among the notable
absentees.
His legendary countryman
insists that he holds no grudge,
though, and still considers the fivetime
Ballon d’Or winner to be a top
professional and man.
Maradona, who is currently in
Russia after the Confederations
Cup, told Sovetskiy Sport: “I congratulate
Messi; he knows how
much I love him.
“My invitation to the wedding
was lost somewhere, but my attitude
towards Messi will not change
because of this. He is a good athlete
and an excellent guy.” •

20
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
Sports
Roger Federer takes part in a training session at Wimbledon tennis club in southwest London on Saturday prior to the start of the tournament on July 3
Federer poised for record Wimbledon triumph
• AFP, London
Twelve months after
shutting down his season
in the wake of a
devastating semi-final
defeat, Roger Federer
returns to Wimbledon as favourite
to capture a record-breaking eighth
title and become the tournament’s
oldest champion.
The evergreen Swiss, who turns
36 in August, has stunned the critics
who wrote him off as yesterday’s
man when he went down to
Milos Raonic in five gruelling sets
on Centre Court in 2016.
The loss forced him off tour for
the remainder of the year to rest a
knee injury, leaving his Grand Slam
title count on 17 where it had been
since 2012.
Fast forward a year and Federer
is poised to break the tie for seven
Wimbledon titles he shares with
Pete Sampras and take his career
tally at the majors to 19.
With eternal rivals Andy Murray
and Novak Djokovic in slumps of
varying degrees, and Rafael Nadal
fretting over whether or not his
knees will bear the stress of grass
courts, it is Federer once again in
the box seat.
Federer, who captured a fifth
Australian Open in January, will go
into Wimbledon buoyed by a ninth
title on the grass of Halle and refreshed
by skipping the claycourt
season.
However, he will not write off
his three major rivals with whom
he has shared all the Wimbledon
titles since his maiden triumph in
2003.
AFP
“If Andy is anything close to
100% physically, I consider him
one of the big favourites to win. It’s
that simple. It’s the same for Novak
and the same for Rafa,” said Federer
who will start his Wimbledon
campaign against Alexander Dolgopolov
of Ukraine.
“I think it’s very even when we
put it all out on the line. Everybody
has their own little story right now.”
For tennis storylines of 2017,
Federer shares top billing with Nadal
after the Spaniard defied the doubters
to win a 10th French Open. •
Wimbledon braced for new women’s shock
• AFP, London
With Serena Williams
preparing for the birth
of her first child and
Maria Sharapova sidelined
by a thigh injury,
the race to be crowned Wimbledon
champion is the most wide-open in
a generation.
Having stepped away from the
court as she waits to become a
mother in September, Williams,
who won Wimbledon in 2015 and
2016, has created a power vacuum
at the top that Sharapova was expected
to fill when the Russian returned
from her doping suspension.
Instead, Sharapova lasted just
three tournaments before a muscle
injury in Rome forced the five-time
major winner to withdraw from the
Wimbledon qualifying tournament.
In the absence of American
great Williams, who has 23 Grand
Slam titles on her CV, and the headline-grabbing
Sharapova, women’s
tennis has an undeniable lack of star
power heading into Wimbledon,
which gets underway on Monday.
But the flip-side is the opportunity
for the sport’s less heralded
names to seize the spotlight, as
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko showed
with her unexpected breakthrough
triumph at the French Open.
“Of course, it’s different if Serena
is not here. Everything is possible, in
two weeks especially,” world number
one Angelique Kerber said. “There
are so many good players right now,
they can win the big tournaments.”
Ostapenko, 20, shot up to 13th in
the world from 47th after coming
from a set and 3-0 down to defeat
Simona Halep in the Roland Garros
final. Now she has to prove that
stunning success was more than a
flash in the pan.
A junior Wimbledon champion in
2014, Ostapenko’s game is well suited
for the low-bouncing lawns of the
All England Club, now that she has
learned to enjoy a surface she once
thought was only “for soccer”.
While Ostapenko, who faces
Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first
round, arrived in London on a
wave of post-Paris euphoria, second
seed Halep is still struggling to
come to terms with her failure to
win her first Grand Slam.
Three games away from the title
and the world number one ranking,
Halep crumbled to her second major
final defeat -- the other coming
at the 2014 French Open.
Murray fit for
Wimbledon
title defence
• AFP, London
Andy Murray insisted he is fit
enough to start the defence of his
Wimbledon title on Monday despite
his recent struggles with a hip
injury.
Murray sparked concerns he
might have to withdraw from Wimbledon
after cancelling two scheduled
exhibition matches this week
due to his sore hip.
The world number one was seen
limping while practising at Wimbledon
over the weekend, but he is
convinced he can make it through
two weeks of the grass court Grand
Slam.
“I’ll be fine to play the event and
play seven matches,” Murray told
reporters at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Murray, a two-time Wimbledon
champion, will play the first match
on Centre Court on Monday against
Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik.
That will be a huge lift for Murray,
who admitted he had been
worried the hip pain wouldn’t ease
off in time for Wimbledon.
“You never know. I haven’t been
in that sort of position too often,
only a few days before a Slam and
not felt good at all,” he said.
“Obviously this is an extremely
important tournament, so you worry
a little bit. It’s a little bit stressful
if you can’t practise for a few days.
“You really want to be preparing,
training as much as you can to
get ready and make you feel better,
especially when you hadn’t had
any matches.
“I just tried to think positively.
I tried to make the best decisions
along with my team to give myself
the best chance to feel good on
Monday. I feel like I’ve done that.”
Facing world number 134 Bublik
should be a gentle introduction to
the tournament for Murray, who is
desperately short of match practice
on grass after a shock Queen’s Club
first-round loss against unheralded
Australian Jordan Thompson. •
The 25-year-old Romanian, who
has never been past the semi-finals
at Wimbledon, opens her campaign
against Marina Erakovic.
Kerber, who starts against Irina
Falconi, needs to improve dramatically
after making unwanted history
when her defeat against Ekaterina
Makarova made her the first
top-ranked woman in the Open era
to fall in the opening round at Roland
Garros.
Beaten by Serena in the Wimbledon
final 12 months ago, Kerber,
who won the Australian and US
Opens last year, has yet to claim a
single WTA title in 2017. •

Sports
21
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
SCORECARD
ZIMBABWE
H. Masakadza c and b Gunaratne 41
S. Mire c Dickwella b Pradeep 0
C. Ervine c Dickwella b Sandakan 22
S. Williams c Pradeep b Gunathilaka 13
S. Raza c Pradeep b Sandakan 8
R. Burl b Sandakan 9
M. Waller b Hasaranga 38
P. Moor b Sandakan 11
A. Cremer not out 1
D. Tiripano lbw b Hasaranga 0
T. Chatara b Hasaranga 0
Extras (b1, lb5, w4, nb2) 12
Total (33.4 overs) 155
Fall of wickets
1-11, 2-67, 3-74, 4-91, 5-102, 6-119, 7-147,
8-155, 9-155
Bowling
Malinga 3-1-17-0 (1nb), Pradeep 7-0-18-
1 Chameera 5-0-23-0 (2w), Sandakan
10-0-52-4 (1nb, 2w), Gunaratne 5-0-15- 1,
Gunathilaka 1-0-9-1, Hasaranga 2.4-0-15-3
SRI LANKA
N. Dickwella c and b Cremer 35
M. Gunathilaka b Chatara 8
B. Mendis c Moor b Chatara 0
U. Tharanga not out 75
A. Mathews not out 28
Extras (b2, lb2, w6, nb2) 12
Total (3 wickets; 30.1 overs) 158
Fall of wickets
1-9, 2-10, 3-77
Bowling
Chatara 5-0-33-2 (2nb, 2w), Raza 10-0-34-
0, Tiripano 1-0-6-0, Cremer 9.1-0-46-1(1w),
Williams 3-0-20-0 (2w), Burl 2-0-15-0
Sri Lanka won toss and put Zimbabwe
in to bat. Sri Lanka win by seven wickets
Japan’s Sugita
lifts first title in
Turkey
• AFP, Antalya
Japan’s Yuichi Sugita lifted his first
ATP title after winning the grasscourt
tournament at Antalya on
Saturday. The 66th-ranked Sugita
battled past France’s Adrian Mannarino,
ranked four places above
him, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).
The 28-year-old from Sendai
had earned a berth in his first final
after Marcos Baghdatis retired in
Friday’s semi-final with heat exhaustion.
Sugita had been leading
6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 4-1 when the Cypriot
player retired.
Mannarino, 29, was playing the
third final of his career after Bogota
and Auckland in 2015, as he searches
for his maiden title. •
DAY’S WATCH
TENNIS
STAR SPORTS SELECT 1
6:00PM
Wimbledon Championships
CRICKET
SONY SIX
2:00PM
Asian Premier League
Final
Teen Hasaranga bags
debut hat-trick as SL
crush Zimbabwe
• AFP, Galle, Sri Lanka
Teenager Wanidu Hasaranga took a
hat-trick on his international debut
as Sri Lanka took revenge on Zimbabwe
with a seven wicket drubbing
in their second one day international
on Sunday.
Fellow-spinner Lakshan Sandakan
also took four wickets, to earn
the man-of-the-match award, as Sri
Lanka hit back at their critics with a
confident performance in Galle.
Sri Lanka bowled out Zimbabwe
for 155 and then reached 158-3 in
30.1 overs. Upul Tharanga ended
unbeaten on 75. The win relieved
pressure on Sri Lanka captain Angelo
Mathews after the squad was
accused of being unfit by the country’s
sports minister.
“I wouldn’t call it a clinical
performance,” he said. “We still
dropped catches.”
But Mathews said Sri Lanka’s
“attitude and intensity was superb.
We just need to regroup, and it was
great effort from the boys.”
The captain hailed Sandakan
and Hasaranga, two of the three
Horn stuns Pacquiao to win WBO
welterweight world title
• Reuters
Australia’s Jeff Horn stunned Filipino
Manny Pacquiao in a bloody
Brisbane battle to claim a unanimous
12-round decision and win
the WBO world welterweight title
in front of 50,000 fans at Lang Park
on Sunday.
The unheralded 29-year-old former
schoolteacher, who improved
his record to 17-0-1, was awarded
the win over the eight-division
world champion by scores of 117-
111, 115-113 and 115-113.
“I’m so happy, I can’t explain
my feelings,” Horn said at ringside,
before welcoming the prospect of a
rematch.
“I’ve just believed since I was
very young that I could do this.”
Pacquiao, one of the finest boxers
of his generation, paid the price
for a slow start and his inability to
end the fight with a knockout.
The 38-year-old was knocked
off his stride by the aggression of
the taller and heavier Australian in
the early rounds but looked to have
weathered the storm as the fight
wore on and Horn tired.
With blood pouring from both
sides of his forehead after accidental
butts, the southpaw launched a
fierce assault on Horn which nearly
changes made after Zimbabwe tore
apart the Sri Lanka bowlers in their
six wicket win on Friday.
“Sandakan was brilliant, so was
Wanidu. Credit should go to the
selectors to pick him. I, honestly,
haven’t seem him much,” Mathews
said of the newcomer.
Nineteen-year-old all-rounder
Hasaranga bowled only 16 balls but
tore through Zimbabwe’s tail.
Malcolm Waller hit Hasaranga for
four but was bowled the next ball going
for another big hit. The teenager
then snapped up Donald Tiripano
and Tendai Chatara with googlies.
Mathews won the toss and put
Zimbabwe into bat. Hasaranga replaced
Lahiru Madushanka with
fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera
and Sandakan coming in for Amila
Aponso and Akila Dananjaya.
Zimbabwe looked rocky from the
start. Solomon Mire, who scored his
maiden one-day century in Friday’s
win, was out for zero after facing just
five balls. Hamilton Masakadza scored
a patient 41 and Waller hit out for his
late 38. But Zimbabwe never got to
grips with Sri Lanka’s spinners. •
Manny Pacquiao (R) of the Philippines fight Jeff Horn (L) of Australia during the
World Boxing Organisation match at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane yesterday AFP
Sri Lanka’s Wanidu Hasaranga (L) celebrates after he dismissed Zimbabwe’s
Donald Tiripano (R) during their second ODI in Galle yesterday
AFP
ended the contest in round nine.
“Show me something in this
round, or I’m going to stop the fight,”
the referee warned the Australian.
Horn, who was cut above his
right eye in round two, said he had
been exhausted and rattled by the
Filipino’s punches.
“It was hard, hard getting
through that round, hard getting
hit, getting caught with a shot and
then continue on,” Horn said.
“(But) I was like ‘settle down
everyone, I’m fine’. I was recovering
pretty quickly.”
The Australian showed remarkable
powers of recuperation as he
battled gamely on through the final
three rounds with Pacquiao, who
earned the last of his 38 knockouts
in 2009, unable to capitalise on his
dominance.
The bout ended with the fighters
in a clinch on the ropes and although
Pacquiao gave a little shuffle
and a grin to show he had plenty
left in the tank, his fate was in the
hands of the judges. •
Saul extends
Atletico deal
until 2026
• AFP, Madrid
Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul
Niguez on Saturday signed a contract
extension that will keep him
at the La Liga outfit for another
nine years.
The 22-year-old joined Atletico’s
academy in 2007, and extended his
stay in the capital by a further five
seasons, despite reported interest
from other European clubs.
“I am very happy because at
Atleti we are a family and there is
no better place to be,” Saul said in
a statement on the club’s website.
“I will work my full potential on
the field as always to pay back the
trust that the club is giving to me.
I’d like to thank all my teammates
and the coaching staff for their help
day by day so that I can be the player
I am today.”
Saul has scored 22 goals in 148
appearances for the Atletico senior
team, helping them reach the
Champions League final in 2016.
The Spaniard has also been
capped three times at full international
level, and won the golden
boot with five goals as Spain
reached the final of the European
Under-21 Championship, before
losing 1-0 to Germany on Friday. •

22
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
Showtime
6 Bollywood films to watch out for
• Showtime Desk
Jagga Jasoos and Jab Harry Met Sejal are constantly in the news now.
But the Bollywood machine is far from exhausted and ready to churn
out more films to stir up the box office. These are six new films to be
released in July and August that are sure to get Bollywood fans flocking to
theatres.
Mom
Sridevi starrer Mom saw some good reactions coming its way
when the teaser was unveiled a few months ago. Recently, when
its theatrical promo was released, it generated interest with its
suspenseful dramatic thriller storyline.
The intriguing trailer of Mom left much to be desired but luckily
fans won’t have to wait much longer. The film is set to be released
on July 7.
Haseena Parkar
Shraddha Kapoor in and as Haseena
Parkar, Apoorva Lakhia’s upcoming
biopic on Dawood Ibrahim’s sister, has
impressed the social media and the film
industry with the first teaser which was
recently released. Apoorva Lakhia, the
director of the film, has praised Shraddha’s
performance saying she captured every
nuances of the character. Apoorva Lakhia
in his interview with a magazine said that
it was, “easier to get her to play a 17-yearold
but I also wanted to see if Shraddha
was up for the challenge of aging as the
film spans 40 years.” Haseena Parkar is set
to hit the screens on August 18.
Daddy
Releasing on the same day as Munna
Michael on July 21, Daddy will
feature Bollywood heartthrob Arjun
Rampal. But this time Rampal is
not only staring in the film, but also
providing the raw material for the film
by co-writing the story with Ashim
Ahluwalia. He is also producing the
political crime drama.
In the film, the actor plays the role
of a gangster-turned-politician Arun
Gawli. The trailer for the film garnered
positive response from the audience,
and Arjun Rampal seems to be quite
satisfied with the direction that Daddy
has taken. “With this film, I have got
everything. So, I would say Daddy
makes me creatively satisfied,” the
actor said to Cinemaexpress.
A Gentleman
The makers of Sidharth Malhotra’s
next film with Jacqueline
Fernandez have finally revealed
its title. The first teaser of A
Gentleman is already out and it has
been met with a great response.
In a sleepy suburb in the US,
Gaurav (Sidharth) is on a mission
to settle down. He already has
a boring 9 to 5 job, and has just
bought an oversized house and a
minivan. Now, he is in the process
of charming Kavya (Jacqueline)
into marrying him. For the rest of
the story, the audience will have to
wait until August 25, when the film
will be released.
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
Who doesn’t like propaganda films funded
by governments? Well, for Akshay Kumar
upcoming satire Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, the
propaganda is for a good cause. The film
is a satirical comedy which is designed
to support Indian Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,
a governmental campaign to improve the
sanitation conditions in India.
Albeit all the buzz it created the film has
already stumbled across few road blocks
with documentary filmmaker Praveen
Vyas sending a legal notice to the Viacom
18 Motion Pictures, the distribution
company for the film, and the film’s
producers alleging that several portions
and dialogues in the film were lifted from
his award-winning documentary film
Manini. But the controversy hasn’t made
any of the anticipation go away and fans
are still looking forward to August 11,
when the film will be released. •
Munna Michael
Munna Michael stars Bollywood
veteran Tiger Shroff and
debutant Nidhhi Agerwal, whose
characters are utterly in love, as
appears in the film’s brand new
music video ‘Pyar Ho’.
The song was shot in exotic
locations of Egypt and Jordan,
featuring a shirtless Tiger
Shroff romancing and dancing
with young and the beautiful
Nidhhi Agerwal in the desert
landscape. Munna Michael is
the story about a young man
from the streets, called Munna,
played by Tiger Shroff, who
from a young age is a big fan of
Michael Jackson. Munna Michael
also stars Nawazzudin Siddique
who plays a gangster named
Mahinder Fauji and aspires to
become a dancer. This movie is
set to release on July 21.

Showtime
23
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
TV shows to watch in July
• Showtime Desk
Are you planning to be
enamoured by thrilling and
colourful TV shows this month?
So are the cable and streaming
services.
Here is a list of five TV shows
to check out in July, ranging from
period drama to horror thriller.
The Strain S4
Release Date: July 16
This FX series is for those horror
fans who are craving a different
kind of take of the genre.
Created by Guillermo del Toro
and Chuck Hogan, this graphic
novel-inspired horror series
depicts a world where a vampiric
viral outbreak risks wiping out
humanity as we know it.
advisor who secretly relocates
his family to the Missouri Ozarks
when his dealings with a drug
cartel go wrong. Created by
Bill Dubuque (The Judge, The
Accountant), Ozarks could be an
intriguing reverse of Breaking
Bad. Starring Jason Bateman and
Laura Linney, this crime drama
has the potential to be the series
that could scratch the traditional
crime drama itch for the summer.
The Last Tycoon
Release Date: July 28
This Amazon Prime’s showbiz
drama portrays a war in 1930s
Hollywood between the
wunderkind studio executive
Monroe Stahr, and his mentor
and current head of the studio,
Pat Brady.
Developed by Billy Ray (Secret
in Their Eyes) and adapted from F
Scott Fitzgerald’s posthumously
published novel, The Last Tycoon
could be a potential standout
this summer as it is one of the
lone period piece series currently
airing. Besides, who wouldn’t
want to see Matt Bomer, Lily
Collins, Kelsey Grammer and
Rosemarie DeWitt in 1930s
fashion?•
Ozark
Release Date: July 21
This Netflix release drama series
follows a Chicago-based financial
Game of Thrones S7
Release Date: July 16
This fan-favorite fantasy series
needs no introduction. Over the
course of its six seasons, Game
of Thrones has tapped into the
cultural zeitgeist. Based on George
RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire
book series, Game of Thrones
charts the rise and fall of families
and kingdoms in the mythical
Westeros, as one after another
fights for the Iron Throne. With
this seventh season, everything
the last six seasons has been
building towards is finally coming
to a boil.
Will
Release Date: July 10
This drama depicts the lost
years of young William
Shakespeare after his arrival
to London in 1589, when
theatre was at its peak. A
young William, played by
Laurie Davidson, with a dream
changed the world with his
words. The drama series is
written by Craig Pearce (Strictly
Ballroom, Moulin Rouge!) and
directed by Shekhar Kapur
(Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The
Golden Age), appears to be
an enjoyable romp through
Elizabethan England.
Tanjina Toma to
perform in Kolkata
• Showtime Desk
Rabindra sangeet singer
Tanjina Toma is going to
perform at the Satyajit Ray
Auditorium of Rabindranath
Tagore Centre in Kolkata on
July 5, where she has been
invited by the Indian Council
for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to
perform.
Toma will sing selected
songs of Tagore that the
Nobel prize winning poet
wrote during his stays in
erstwhile East Bengal – the
current Bangladesh. Titled
Abar Esechhe Asar, the songs
selected for the show are on
themes like rain, devotion,
love. Some of these tunes are
kirtan and baul influenced,
which Tagore absorbed during
his long writing spells in the
rural areas of Bangladesh.
“I am privileged to be
invited by ICCR to sing
on the same stage where
I along with a team from
Bangladesh performed in 2008
at the inauguration of the
Rabindranath Tagore Centre,
in the presence of the then
India’s Minister for External
Affairs, Shri Pranab Mukherjee
and the Chief Minister of
West Bengal Shri Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee,” Toma said.
Tanjina Toma has gained
considerable popularity in
India over the last several
years, with her impressive
performances in various stages
and television channels in
Kolkata and Tripura. Three of
her solo albums were released
from Kolkata’s leading audio
houses: ‘Jibon Kotha’ from
Cozmik Harmony; ‘Tumi O
Ami’ from Saregama (formerly
HMV); and most recently
‘Tomar Shonge’ from UD
Series.
Toma also revealed that
she is currently working on
an album with Hindustan
Records, the pre-eminent
record company which
was inaugurated by
Rabindranath Tagore himself
in 1932. The album will be
released marking the death
anniversary of Tagore this
year. •

24
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT
‘JUDGES’ CONDUCT RULES
GAZETTE BY JULY 15’ › 4
Back Page
CAPTAINCY ISSUE STILL
NOT DECIDED › 18
TANJINA TOMA TO
PERFORM IN KOLKATA › 23
How female migrant workers
changed the face of their village
• Fazlur Rahman Raju
FEATURE
It would not be surprising, in this
day and age, to find a number
of expats from any of the villages
scattered around Bangladesh.
People have been trickling out of
Bangladesh over to the Middle
East for decades. However, inside
the boundaries of Basotpur Colony
in Sharsha Upazila of Jessore, the
scenario is completely new. From
being one of the poorest villages
in the union, Basotpur Colony has
turned into a place for educated
and wealthy villagers. And the
change can only be credited to its
main workforce- the female expats.
Only 10 years ago, Basotpur
Colony was one of the most impoverished
villages in the union,
according to information provided
by Baganchara Union Parishad in
Sharsha Upazila of the district. The
agro-lands of the village would be
underwater 8 months a year and
people would catch fishes to survive.
The men of the village did not
have any jobs, with the majority of
them working as day labourers.
Things started to change when
Jahanara Begum, wife of Billal
Hossain, left for the United Arab
Emirates on 1991 as the first female
expatriate. She worked as a house
maid for several years before taking
her husband, brothers, sisters
and relatives to UAE.
“I had never dreamt of good
food and a house while I was in my
village. The villagers led hopeless
The family that got out of the drug trade
• Ujjal Chakraborty,
Brahmanbaria
NATION
An entire family involved in the local
drug trade, how often do you see it?
Other than TV shows, there is very little
chance of it happening. It is even rarer
to see the entire family get out of dealing
drugs without a bloody shootout
that resembles a Mexican cartel or a
Hollywood TV show.
Jahanara Begum unknowingly changed the fate of her entire village when in 1991 she decided to cross thousands of miles in
search of work. Here she stands with her children, who are now also working abroad
COURTESY
and frustrating lives. So one day, I
made up my mind to go the United
Arab Emirates. An Indian expat
helped me with my visa,” Jahanara
Begum told the Dhaka Tribune.
“At first the locals opposed my decision
and tried to stop me from following
my dreams,” she continued.
“But I did not listen to them. I was
the first woman to leave my village
and fly to the UAE. Now I am happy
that I got to fulfill my dreams.”
Now the once poor village has
turned into one of the richest villages
in the union. Nearly 1,600
women and 600 men of the village
are working in different countries
in the Middle East, according to the
information relied by Bangachara
But that is exactly what happened in
Brahmanbaria. No casualties, no shootouts,
no stand-offs. Just a family with 39
outstanding cases against them surrendered
in a drab, uneventful fashion at
the police station.
A family of seven – each of them
involved in the drug trade around
Akhaura, Brahmanbaria – surrendered
to the police and pledged to never get
involved in drugs again.
Four brothers – Basir Miah, Md Ibn
Miah, Nasir Miah and Jibon Miah – were
UnionParishad. These expatriates
with their income earned abroad
have changed the circumstances
inside Basotpur.
“I had nothing to lose. At home I
had four children, a sick mother-inlaw
and others to feed. But I had no
income source. My husband made
little money and could not support
our large family. So I decided to risk
everything and left for the Middle
East. Now, nearly 2,000 people are
working abroad and sending their
money home,” said Jahanara Begum.
According to the locals, in 2000,
the village faced the devastating
consequences of a flood which
caused terrible food crisis throughout
the entire area. During the
involved in the drug trade along with
their wives Hasina Begum, Noyontara,
Shahina Begum and Kobita Akhtar.
In police stations all over Brahmanbaria,
there are 17 cases filed against
Basir, 10 against Nasir, nine against Ibn
and three against Jibon.
The family, residing in Noapara,
Akhaura, was struck with terror when
police announced their names on a
list of 40 top drug dealers operating in
Brahmanbaria. About 12 of them had
been killed in police raids and internal
flood, the villagers survived upon
government provided reliefs. After
the flood, the women finally made
up their minds and began migrating
to the Middle East.
Rokeya Begum, a housewife
from the village who has lived in
the UAE for eight years, told Dhaka
Tribune that she was forced to
leave her two-year-old daughter
and seven-year-old son because of
the overwhelming poverty. After
returning from the UAE in 2011, she
built a fully furnished two-storey
building in her village. Her daughter
is now studying in a college in Dhaka
and her son is a businessman.
The chairman of Baganchara Union
Parishad, Ilias Kabir Bakul, said:
strife over the past one year.
Jibon was arrested some time ago,
and is currently incarcerated. The rest
of the family surrendered on Sunday to
Brahmanbaria SP Mizanur Rahman.
Basir, Ibn and Nasir were sent to jail.
But the women were let go after they
signed affidavits swearing off any future
involvement with drugs.
The three brothers, before departing
for prison, said: “We made a grave
error by getting involved in this life.
This was a mistake. We are never selling
“The expat women have changed
the scenario of this village, turning
it from the poorest to the richest.
They are a blessing to us.”
He also said: “A total of 2,000
women and 800 men from my
union have been working in the
Middle East over the years. Among
them, 1,600 women and 600 men
hail from the Basotpur Colony.”
Rezaul Islam, the first ever person
to study in Dhaka University
from Basotpur, told the Dhaka
Tribune: “People from my village
never dreamt of pursuing higher
studies. Their only thoughts were
of food and survival. There were
only two or three people in our
village who had passed SSC. But
now we have many kids from here
studying all over the country, some
even in Dhaka University.”
Rezaul’s elder sister has been
working in Oman for the last eight
years while his brother has been in
Malaysia for seven years.
“Our women make us happy.
They changed the financial state
of the locality. They are the faces
of women’s empowerment. I am
proud that my sister is also an expat
and has helped to expand the
economy of the village,” he said.
Ismail Hossain, Jahanara’s brother
and a teacher of Basotpur Colony
Government Primary School, said:
“Our women have changed the lifestyles
of the men in our area. Now
women from other villages are taking
their lead and going to the Middle
East to seek employment. But
my sister Jahanara was the pioneer
and flag bearer.” •
drugs again. And we swear to discourage
other drug dealers to continue operating
as well.”
SP Mizanur, in a statement to the
media, said the police have taken a
stern position on drugs. He said it was
the police’s overwhelming operational
capabilities that encouraged the family
to surrender.
“Other drug dealers ought to follow
their example. If they do not surrender
of their own free well, we will convince
them otherwise.” •
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower,
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