e_Paper, Monday, August 7, 2017

SECOND EDITION 

MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017 | Shrabon 23, 1424, Zul-qadah 13, 1438 | Regd No DA 6238, Vol 5, No 91 | 24 pages plus 8-page world supplement | Price: Tk10 

PTI 

What does the China-India 

standoff mean for Bangladesh? › 2 

DT 

World Tribune 

Venezuela crisis 

deepens 

WORLD SUPPLEMENT 

Key figures in Venezuela political crisis › 2 

Long history of US leakers to media 

facing charges › 3 

WHY VENEZUELA IS 

2 IN CRISIS 

3 

LONG HISTORY OF US 

LEAKERS TO MEDIA 

FACING CHARGES 

BEING OUTSIDE COULD 

BECOME DEADLY IN 

7 SOUTH ASIA 

Being outside could become deadly 

in South Asia › 7

2 

MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017 

DT 

News 

What does the China-India standoff 

mean for Bangladesh? 

• Syed Zainul Abedin, Ashis 

Biswas and Shahariar Sajib 

SPECIAL 

The international border between India and China at Nathu La Pass, Sikkim 

Himalayan border standoff 

India and China have each deployed around 3,000 troops to positions 

on the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction – the point where the three 

Himalayan regions of Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan meet 

AFGHANISTAN 

N EPA L 

PAKISTAN 

Arabia n 

S e a 

500 miles 

800km 

H 

I M 

Darjeeling 

CHI N A 

Mount 

Kailash 

I NDI A 

A L 

B a y 

o f 

Benga l 

A Y 

I NDI A 

Sources: Global Security, Press Trust of India, Stratfor 

A 

SIKKI M 

Gangtok: Headquarters 

of 17 Mountain Division 

S 

Kalimpong: Headquarters 

of 27 Mountain Division 

WEST 

BENGAL 

CHI N A 

Mount 

Everest 

NEPAL 

Siliguri 

Corridor 

I NDI A 

CHI N A 

ARUNACHAL PRADESH 

Largely claimed by China 

SIKKIM 

BHUTAN 

INDIA 

BANGLADESH 

B a y o f Benga l 

MYANMAR 

125 miles 

200km 

TIB E T 

AUTON O M O U S 

R EGION 

Doklam Plateau: Disputed 

territory. China is building road 

towards Gamochen, capable of 

taking weight of military vehicles 

Dhoka La: 

Standoff 

at border 

tri-junction 

Gamochen 

BHUT A N 

Thimphu 

25 miles 

40km 

© GRAPHIC NEWS 

PHOTO: COURTESY 

Chinese and Indian military forces 

have been in a standoff in the 

Doklam area at the tri-junction of 

the India-China-Bhutan border. 

The latest round of dispute started 

on June 18, 2017 when Indian 

troops opposed the building of a 

road by Chinese forces at Doklam, 

which is under China’s control but 

is claimed by Bhutan. 

The two countries have never 

been so close to a confrontational 

situation since 1962. 

The crisis began when China 

claimed the Doklam plateau, located 

in the north of Bhutan, as part 

of its territory, to build a link road 

which would allow China access 

to the Chumbi valley from where 

the Siliguri Corridor, aka Chicken’s 

Neck Corridor of India, would be 

within the range of Chinese artillery. 

Apart from its responsibility to 

maintain Bhutan’s territorial integrity 

as part of a long-term agreement, 

India would never want to 

lose its control over the Siliguri 

Corridor as it is the sole route that 

connects the northeast of India 

with the rest of the country. 

The standoff between the two 

mighty neighbours puts Bangladesh 

in precarious situation, not in 

the least because it has extensive 

ties with both countries on the political, 

economic and military front. 

Security experts in Bangladesh 

and India are already speculating 

that in the event China takes the 

Doklam plateau, India would want 

to use Bangladesh as a transit for 

military purposes, which would 

leave Bangladesh in a serious predicament. 

Bangladesh is heavily dependent 

on India for water, trade, and 

even food security, not to mention 

the two countries share a more 

than 4,000km border, one of the 

largest borders between two countries. 

On the flip side, China is en 

route to becoming the single largest 

individual investor in Bangladesh. 

Recently, the two countries 

have signed a $13.6bn worth of 

deals in trade and investment, and 

China has promised to provide 

Bangladesh with a loan assistance 

of $20bn. Ever since the fiasco surrounding 

the financing of the Padma 

Bridge project, Bangladesh has 

become increasingly dependent 

on China for its infrastructure and 

development projects. According 

to Bangladesh government statistics, 

a total of $61 million was 

channelled from China into Bangladesh 

as foreign direct investment 

in 2016. 

Being a relatively weaker country 

in what can become a reasonably 

volatile region, Bangladesh 

cannot afford to put all the eggs in 

one basket. It is also not clear that 

how long India’s Nehruvian defence 

policy would last, especially 

amidst the ongoing rise of right 

wing politics in India, with BJP 

often playing up anti-Bangladesh 

sentiments in the east and northeastern 

India. 

Surrounded by a highly 

militarised zone – northeastern 

India and a semi-hostile neighbour 

in Myanmar – Bangladesh 

needs some degree of military 

preparation in the event it finds 

itself in any worst-case scenario. 

In that case, ironically, Bangladesh 

would have to resort to Chinese 

armaments for their affordability 

and reasonable standard. Recently, 

Bangladesh has procured two 

submarines from China for $203 

million. On the flipside, Bangladesh 

signed a comprehensive defence 

agreement with India during 

the Prime Minister’s latest tour 

to India. Although details of the 

agreement are yet to be made 

public, media reports suggest the 

India’s underlying motive for the 

agreement is to have some sort 

of supervision over Bangladesh’s 

defense cooperation with China. 

Not all is however lost for Bangladesh. 

There are a couple of scenarios 

which could lead both the 

parties to avoid such hostility. 

Firstly, India is a whopping $1.2bn 

market for Chinese goods and products. 

Secondly, the growing Indian 

economy will go through massive 

infrastructural development for 

which it would have to resort to 

Chinese products and technology. 

Thirdly, both of the countries 

might stay away from engaging in a 

conflict fearing prolonged regional 

instability and involvement of other 

foreign nations. 

According to security expert Maj 

Gen (retd) Abdur Rashid, the area 

of contention is very remote and 

almost impassable as it remains 

under snow for eight months in a 

year. As a result, the cost for operating 

a war in that region would be 

huge for both the countries. 

“But if the countries do engage 

in war, it may cause regional polarisation 

throughout Asia. Japan 

and the ASEAN states might take 

the side of India owing to the aggressive 

advancement of China towards 

the South China Sea.” 

“In that case, it would be difficult 

for China to carry out the One 

Belt, One Road initiative,” the security 

expert added. 

The risk of a confrontation cannot 

be completely ruled out as it 

involves the image of China at the 

global level. 

M Shahiduzzaman, a professor 

of International Relations at Dhaka 

University told the Dhaka Tribune: 

“If China compromises on the issue 

of Doklam, it has to compromise 

on its territorial claims forever, including 

Arunachal.” 

He also opined that India’s economy 

would collapse within a week 

if it goes to a war with China. 

According to former ambassador 

Humayun Kabir, both the conflicting 

parties should consider the 

interest of Bhutan as it would suffer 

the most should any confrontation 

take place. 

“India is pressing the Bhutanese 

government to get back to the 

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal 

motor vehicles agreement (BBIN 

MVA) on one hand, while China is 

looking forward to building a link 

road in its territory, on the other. 

But no one is considering the threat 

to Bhutan’s integrity because of 

these projects,” the former diplomat 

added. 

Government officials of Bangladesh 

however said the BBIN agreement 

may end up being a connecting 

route between Bangladesh and 

India, as Bhutan and Nepal has already 

expressed reluctance to be a 

part of this endeavour. •

News 

MONDAY, 

3 

AUGUST 7, 2017 

DT 

BISHWAJIT MURDER 

HC upholds death penalty for two 

Family unhappy with verdict 

• Ashif Islam Shaon 

COURTS 

The High Court has upheld death 

for two out of eight Bangladesh 

Chhatra League men initially sentenced 

to hang by a lower court for 

killing Bishwajit Das in old Dhaka. 

The two convicts are former 

leaders of Chhatra League in Jagannath 

University Rafiqul Islam 

Shakil and Rajon Talukdar. 

Delivering its verdict on death 

references and appeals yesterday, 

the High Court bench of Justice Md 

Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev 

Chakraborty commuted 

sentences of four to life imprisonment 

while the remaining two – Md 

Saiful Islam and Qayum Mia Tipu — 

were acquitted. 

The four who were given the 

benefit of doubt are Mahfuzur Rahman 

Nahid, Emdadul Haque Emdad, 

Rasheduzzaman Shaon and 

Noor-e-Alam Limon. 

Among 13 accused who were 

sentenced to life imprisonment by 

the trial court in December, 2013, 

two — AHM Kibria and Golam 

Mustafa — appealed against their 

sentences. The High Court acquitted 

them, but made no comment 

about the remaining 11, who are 

now on the run. 

The fugitives are Saiful Islam 

Saiful, Tarique Bin Zohur, Azizur 

Rahman, Al Amin Sheikh, Alauddin, 

Obaidul Quader Tahsin, Imran 

Hossain, Khandaker Md Yunus Ali, 

Monirul Haque Pavel, Mosharraf 

Hossain and Kamrul Hasan. 

A total of 21 members of Chhatra 

League, the student front of 

the ruling Awami League, were 

convicted of murdering Bishwajit, 

a tailor by profession, on the way 

to his tailoring shop at Laxmibazar 

in Old Dhaka on December 9, 2012 

during a strike enforced by the 

BNP-led opposition. 

Bishwajit, then 24, was hacked 

and beaten to death by the Chhatra 

League men. The brutal killing in 

broad daylight was caught on cameras 

of four TV channels and several 

newspapers. 

As law enforcers present in the 

area did not stop the attackers, a 

rickshaw puller rescued and took 

him to a hospital where on-duty 

doctors declared him dead. 

Terming the attack “a senseless 

act of merciless murder,” the High 

Court lambasted former sub-inspector 

of Sutrapur Police Station 

Jahedul Haque, saying he made an 

incomplete report on Bishwajit’s 

death. 

It asked the police chief to find 

out if Jahedul was negligent while 

conducting the inquest into the incident. 

The court also criticised Dr Md 

Maksud, who performed Bishwajit’s 

autopsy at Sir Salimullah Medical 

College, saying he did not properly 

discharge his duties. 

The Ministry of Heath and Family 

Welfare, Directorate General of 

Health Services, and Bangladesh 

Medical and Dental Council were 

ordered to check if there was any 

negligence by Maksud. 

The High Court called on Human 

Rights and Peace for Bangladesh 

(HRPB) President Advocate 

Manzill Murshid to keep an eye 

on the inquiries and report to the 

court from time to time. 

Family’s reactions 

Bishwajit’s family and relatives, 

who were happy with the lower 

court’s verdict, said the High Court 

verdict acquitting four of the 21 accused 

pained them unspeakably. 

“There is no word to describe 

our grief over this verdict,” Ananta 

Kumar Das, father of Bishwajit, 

told journalists. 

They urged the authorities concerned 

to uphold the earlier judgment. 

Court’s observation 

Announcing the judgement, the 

High Court bench said: “Nowadays, 

we notice that the glorious 

history of student politics has seriously 

been stigmatised by some of 

the derailed youths who have got 

involved in criminal activities such 

as extortions, arms and drug trading, 

murder and violence. 

“Some political leaders patronise 

these youths. Even, we see 

the youths beat their teachers as 

the latter do not let them follow 

unfair means in public examinations. 

Also, some of them who are 

involved in politics are seen forcing 

general students to take part in political 

activities with them.” 

The court said it was the duty 

of national leaders to address these 

problems and authorities at educational 

institutions should adopt 

policy to stop such practice. • 

Amid US-Russia feud, Tillerson and Lavrov hold talks 

• Tribune Desk 

WORLD 

The United States and Russia are 

feuding, expelling diplomats in 

what Washington calls a new post- 

Cold War low. But that didn’t stop 

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson 

and Russian Foreign Minister 

Sergey Lavrov from meeting for the 

first time since the Trump administration 

imposed new sanctions 

against Moscow. 

As investigations plow ahead 

into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 

US presidential election, the two 

held talks Sunday on the sidelines 

of an Asian regional gathering in 

the Philippines. They smiled and 

exchanged pleasantries but made 

no substantive remarks to journalists 

briefly permitted to observe 

the start of the meeting. 

Neither Tillerson nor Lavrov 

responded to a shouted question 

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, 

shakes hands prior to their talks in Moscow on April 12, 2017 

AP 

about how the new US penalties 

might affect their discussions. 

More than an hour later, Tillerson 

emerged from the meeting and 

boarded his motorcade without 

commenting. 

Bishwajit Das, 24, was beaten and hacked to death by Bangladesh Chhatra League men on December 9, 2012 

Tillerson and President Donald 

Trump opposed the sanctions 

package, passed by Congress in 

July, that makes it harder for Trump 

to ever ease penalties on Russia. 

Trump signed the bill last week, 

but called it “seriously flawed.” 

The White House said Trump’s 

opposition stemmed from the bill’s 

failure to grant the president sufficient 

flexibility on when to lift 

sanctions. Trump’s critics saw his 

objections as one more sign that 

he is too eager to pursue closer ties 

to Russia, or to protect the former 

Cold War foe from penalties designed 

to punish Moscow for its actions 

in Ukraine, election meddling 

and other troublesome behavior. 

Even so, Trump’s administration 

has argued there’s good reason for 

the US to seek a more productive relationship. 

Tillerson has cited modest 

signs of progress in Syria, where 

the US and Russia recently brokered 

a cease-fire in the war-torn country’s 

southwest, as a sign there’s fertile 

ground for cooperation. 

Yet Russia continues to chafe at 

the suggestion it interfered in the 

US election. The former Russian 

ambassador in Washington, Sergey 

COLLECTED 

Kislyak, denied those allegations in 

an interview Saturday on Russian 

state television. He said he was 

merely carrying out his duties as a 

diplomat when he met with members 

of Trump’s campaign team. 

“Any diplomat, Russian or not, 

works to better understand the 

policy of a country he’s posted to, 

figure out what the new administration’s 

course is and understand 

where cooperation is possible,” 

Kislyak said. 

Still, a US Justice Department 

investigation is moving ahead into 

Russia’s election interference and 

potential Trump campaign collusion. 

Trump denies any collusion and 

has repeatedly questioned US intelligence 

about Moscow’s involvement. 

Trump has tried to turn the 

issue into a political rallying cry, arguing 

that the controversy is an attempt 

by Democrats and the media 

to undermine the many millions of 

Americans who voted for him. •

4 


DT 

News 

No progress made two years after 

blogger Niloy’s murder 

• Md Sanaul Islam Tipu 

CRIME 

Even after two years, there has 

been no significant headway in 

the investigation of the murder of 

blogger Niloy on August 7, 2015. 

Niladri Chatterjee Niloy, 27, was 

popularly known as Niloy Neel on 

blogging platforms and Facebook, 

was killed by four assailants with 

machetes posing as prospective 

tenants at his Goran residence in 

Dhaka. 

At least 23 dates were fixed by 

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrates 

Court asking the investigators 

to submit their probe report 

but the investigators have missed 

every extended deadline provided. 

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan 

Magistrate Lutfor Rahman 

Shishir has again asked the Investigation 

Officer of the case, Counter 

Terrorism and Transnational Crime 

(CTTC) of Police, Inspector Bahauddin 

Faruki, to submit the probe 

report by September 17, yesterday. 

Niloy, well known for his secularist 

and atheist views worked for 

an NGO called Research and Development 

Collective, was afraid 

for his safety that summer saying 

he was being followed and tried to 

file a general diary with the police 

twice but was instead told by a police 

officer to “leave the country as 

soon as possible.” 

Officers at both Khilgaon and 

Shahjahanpur police stations 

claimed that Niloy’s concerns did 

not fall within their jurisdictions 

as they sent him back and forth 

between the stations, with one officer 

explaining off the record that 

police were unwilling to register 

such diaries because the recording 

officer would be held responsible 

for the safety of the complainant. 

His post-mortem examination 

revealed 14 stab wounds with eight 

deep wounds that killed him on the 

spot. 

After the murder, the victim’s 

wife Ashamoni had lodged the 

murder case with Khilgaon Police 

Station. 

Law enforcers arrested eight 

suspects, speaking to the Dhaka 

Tribune investigators said they 

found involvement of members of 

the banned militant organisations 

Ansarullah Bangla Team and Ansar-Al-Islam 

behind Niloy’s murder. 

Tarikul Islam, Masum Rana, 

Saad Al Nahiyan, Kamal Hossain, 

Kawsar Hossain, Mortuja Faysal, 

Mufti Abdul Gaffar and Abdur 

Rashid—were arrested in connection 

with Niloy’s murder. 

Investigation Officer of the case, 

CTTC inspector Bahauddin Faruki 

said: “After we interrogated the arrested 

men we found the involvement 

of several other people in the 

case and we are trying to catch them. 

“We would submit the charge 

sheet shortly, as soon as we arrest 

the rest of the suspects.” • 

Trump turns to base 

to protect imperilled 

presidency 

• AFP, Bedminster 

WORLD 

Beset by investigations, dire 

approval ratings and growing 

party dissent, Donald Trump 

is stirring up his base, hoping 

to mobilise an army of political 

shock troops to protect his 

presidency. 

Revelations that a grand 

jury has been impanelled to investigate 

his finances and his 

campaign’s ties to Russia raises 

the spectre of indictments 

and subpoenas that would 

shake any administration. 

But for Trump, who is just 

six months into his presidency, 

it represents more turmoil 

after an exodus of top White 

House officials and humiliating 

recent reverses in Congress. 

Facing the prospect of 

limping through another three 

and a half years, Trump is settling 

on a strategy of shoring 

up the support of voters who 

propelled him to the White 

House with a series of rightwing 

policy announcements 

and red-blooded speeches. 

In little more than a week, 

Trump has encouraged police 

to dole out rough justice, 

summarily threatened to kick 

transgender personnel out of 

the military and played up the 

threat of Hispanic gangs. 

Energising the core 

There is still little clarity on 

how the ban on transgenders 

can be implemented while 

White House sources admit 

that the immigration proposal 

has scant hope of passing 

through Congress. 

Emily Ekins, polling director 

at the CATO Institute, 

believes it is too simplistic to 

think of Trump voters as a homogeneous 

group, but rather 

a loose coalition of conservatives, 

free marketers, cultural 

preservationists, anti-elites 

and the politically disengaged. 

But, she says, opposition to 

immigration is a rare common 

thread running through most 

of the US president’s base. 

“The thing that really made 

this election distinctive were 

attitudes toward immigration, 

his core supporters were the 

most energised on the issue of 

immigration,” Ekins said. 

After losing a key vote on 

health care and then having 

his hands tied on dealing with 

Russia by a vote on sanctions 

that he has tried to disown, 

Trump has become openly 

critical of Congress – even 

though his Republican party 

has a majority in both houses. 

While Trump regularly 

railed against the Washington 

“swamp” on the campaign 

trail, he appeared to recognise 

the need to work with the Republican 

establishment once 

in power by bringing some of 

its main movers and shakers 

into the White House. 

But the recent exits of his 

chief of staff Reince Preibus and 

chief spokesman Sean Spicer 

has made Trump’s already difficult 

relationship with the GOP 

look ever-more tenuous. •

News 5 


What do you do with rape victims? You send 

them away 

DT 

• Udisa Islam 

HUMAN RIGHTS 

Eleven years ago, 10-year old Sitara 

from Sirajganj was raped by three 

men from her village. Her parents 

did not file a case against the rapists. 

The village came together, and 

after a “shalish,” caned the rapists 

as punishment. However, Sitara’s 

mother left next year for her parents’ 

house in Pabna along with 11- 

year old Sitara, never to return. 

Sitara is now 21 years old, with a 

family of her own. But she still has 

not been able to get over what happened 

to her as a child. She still has 

to suffer name-calling and insults 

reminding her of the childhood 

trauma. 

When Sitara’s mother was asked 

why she left her village, she said: 

“If only you knew how many people 

harassed my child. My daughter 

was in no way responsible for 

what happened. She was innocent. 

But the situation only worsened 

after everyone found out about 

the rape. Everyone used to tease 

her. I had to protect my daughter 

from the abuse. But even now, I 

am afraid that the word will spread 

here eventually.” 

Moni from Dinajpur was a victim 

of rape when she was four 

years old. She came into the public 

eye after suffering grievous injuries 

during the assault, and received 

proper medical aid as a result. Although 

a year has passed since the 

incident, her family still bears the 

scars of the trauma, and Moni herself 

relives the incident because 

of the constant name-calling. Her 

mother is always trying to shield 

Moni from vicious onlookers. 

While weeping profusely, she said: 

“I want to send to her to the other 

side [to India].” 

Sitara and Moni are only two 

examples of the many women and 

children who fight the trauma of 

their rape every day, trying to live a 

life away from society and people. 

The negative perceptions of society 

as well as wrongful accusations 

often drive many rape survivors to 

commit suicide. 

Social scientists and psychologists 

say although the victims are 

not responsible for the traumatic 

incidents, they have to live their 

entire lives feeling that way. The 

relationship between the rapist 

and victim is always one of unbalanced 

power. Oftentimes the victims 

have to leave their homes because 

the perpetrators do not face 

justice. 

Women’s rights activist Khushi 

Kabir said: “The women who are 

victims of rape have no fault in it. 

But they have to face the full force 

of society’s repercussions. They 

do not receive justice, but have no 

space left in society to recover. Although 

some people show solidarity 

at first, the lack of a follow-up 

means that victims have to continue 

the struggle for their lives on 

their own. 

“Since the perpetrators usually 

have more power in society than 

the victims, it is quite obvious why 

it becomes impossible for those 

victims to continue living in that 

society. We have also failed in creating 

that kind of atmosphere in 

our societies,” she added. 

Rokeya Kabir, executive director 

of Bangladesh Nari Progoti 

Shangha, believes that a lack of 

societal support system is at fault 

for the displacement of rape victims. 

“If the government does not 

provide her with the necessary security, 

she will have to find that on 

her own. The state of our society 

is such that we unfairly judge the 

Venezuelan authorities crush military rebellion 

• Reuters, Caracas 

WORLD 

Venezuelan authorities have suppressed 

a military rebellion near 

the central city of Valencia, a ruling 

official said on Sunday, days after 

President Nicolas Maduro formed a 

legislative superbody internationally 

condemned as a power grab. 

Socialist Party deputy Diosdado 

Cabello made the announcement 

shortly after the release of a video 

showing a group of men in military 

uniform announcing a rebellion 

and calling for a broad uprising 

against President Nicolas Maduro. 

One witness in the area of a military 

base in the town of Naguanagua 

reported hearing gunshots 

before dawn, but Cabello said the 

situation had been brought under 

control. Officials said the rebels, 

whom they described as “terrorists,” 

were trying to steal weapons 

and that seven people were detained 

after the attack on the base. 

The Defence Ministry did not 

immediately respond to a request 

for comment. But government allies 

were quick to denounce the 

attack as a right-wing plot aimed 

at bringing down the “Bolivarian 

revolution” started nearly 20 years 

In most cases, rape survivors become pariahs in our society 

Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guard officers fire teargase towards resident that 

try to walks to the Military base Paramacay in Valencia on August 6, 2017 

AP 

ago by the late Hugo Chavez and 

carried on by his protege Maduro. 

“These attacks, planned by 

delirious minds in Miami, only 

strengthen the morale of our 

armed forces and the Bolivarian 

people,” tweeted Socialist Party official 

Elias Jaua. 

BIGSTOCK 

On Friday, government allies 

inaugurated a new legislative superbody 

that the Venezuelan opposition 

and leaders around the 

world denounced as a power grab 

by Maduro. 

In Sunday’s video, a man who 

identified himself as Juan Carlos 

Caguaripano, a former National 

Guard captain, said: “We demand 

the immediate formation of a 

transition government.” He was 

flanked by about a dozen men in 

military uniforms. 

“This is not a coup d’etat,” he 

said. “This is a civic and military 

action to re-establish constitutional 

order. But more than that, it is 

to save the country from total destruction.” 

On Saturday, Maduro’s new 

“constituent assembly” removed 

the chief prosecutor from her post 

and ordered her to stand trial, 

confirming opposition fears that 

it would use its powers to root out 

critics of the government. • 

victim instead of the rapist,” she 

said. 

Prof Sadeka Halim from Dhaka 

University believes that such conversations 

are a step in the right 

direction. “Providing rape victims 

with special assistance draws further 

attention to them, and it is a 

very precarious matter to balance. 

We have to try to change society’s 

perception of such incidents. If we 

can ensure justice, it might change 

how we think about the perpetrators 

and the victims. This is just as 

important as trying to help the victims 

themselves.” 

Psychiatrist Mekhala Sarkar believes 

that society is ill-equipped 

to provide physical and mental 

support for victims of rape. She 

said: “The victims cannot escape 

their trauma and reintegrate back 

into society because of society itself. 

Society can erase their presence 

as well. They have to live 

feeling that they cannot be a part 

of society while being in it. This 

makes it impossible for them to 

live a normal life.” • 

Names of victims have been changed 

to protect their identities 

This article was first published on 

banglatribune.com 

Suspected 

Bangladeshi 

terrorist arrested 

in India 


TERRORISM 

A suspected 

Bangladeshi 

terrorist associated 

with al 

Qaeda-inspired 

extremist 

group Ansarullah 

Bangla Team has been arrested 

by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist 

Squad from Muzaffarnagar, reports 

Hindustan Times. 

The detained, identified as Abdullah, 

had an Aadhar card and a passport 

under fake alias, said the ATS officials. 

He was allegedly involved in 

arranging fake identity papers for terrorists, 

especially from Bangladesh, 

and their safe hideouts in India. • 

TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY 

LIGHT TO MODERATE 

RAIN LIKELY 


Dhaka 33 28 Chittagong 32 27 Rajshahi 34 27 Rangpur 33 26 Khulna 32 27 Barisal 30 27 Sylhet 29 25 

DHAKA 

TODAY 

TOMORROW 

SUN SETS 6:38PM 

SUN RISES 5:31AM 

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW 

34.4ºC 

24.5ºC 

Jessore 

Rangamati 

Source: Accuweather/UNB 

PRAYER 

TIMES 

Cox’s Bazar 30 26 

Fajr: 4:55am | Zohr: 1:15pm 

Asr: 5:15pm | Magrib: 6:55pm 

Esha: 8:45pm 

Source: Islamic Foundation

6 


DT 

News 

PWD props up cracked hospital 

ceiling with bamboo 

• Md Tauhid-Uz-Zaman, Jessore 

NATION 

Engineers of the Public Works Department 

(PWD) have made good 

use of bamboo stumps in the repair 

and risk management of an ageing 

structure. 

It is two months since the PWD 

engineers were called to inspect 

the vulnerable ground floor ceiling 

of the Old Building at Jessore General 

Hospital, but no steps were 

taken towards repairing it. 

The plaster of the ceiling was 

falling off at a number of different 

places, exposing the supporting 

iron rods, while a serious crack 

became evident above the ground 

floor veranda. Now, as a section 

along the crack has tilted, the engineers 

have arranged for the installation 

of 10 bamboo stumps to 

prevent a possible collapse. 

Hospital staff and patients on 

the ground floor of the Old Building, 

which holds 30 beds, are reported 

to have been in a state of 

panic ever since the tilt became 

apparent on Saturday. 

Shirin Sultana, a nurse at the 

hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune 

that she was startled to see the 

bamboo stakes supporting the fractured 

segment of the ceiling when 

she came to work on Saturday 

morning. 

Resident Medical Officer Dr 

Waheduzzaman said the relevant 

Cracked roof of the old building of Jessore General Hospital being propped up by bamboo sticks to prevent the building from 

collapsing entirely 

MD TAUHID-UZ-ZAMAN 

PWD engineer was informed about 

the fracture in the ground floor 

ceiling two days prior to the last 

Eid-ul-Fitr. 

PWD officials were again called 

on Saturday to assess the situation, 

and decided to support the ceiling 

with bamboo stumps. 

Contacted for comment, 

PWD Sub-Assistant Engineer 

Tarikul Islam said: “Some beams 

in the ceiling are weak and there 

is a problem at the side of the 

veranda. But it is nothing to 

panic about. There is no need to 

move the patients. Only movement 

around the veranda should be 

avoided.” 

An estimated cost for the urgent 

repair works had been forwarded 

to higher authorities, he added. • 

Southeast Asian nations feud over China 

India forms 

committee to 

oversee border 

fencing 

• Shilajit Kar Bhowmik, Tripura 

WORLD 

The Indian Supreme Court has established 

a committee to oversee 

the fencing of the Bangladesh-India 

border. 

The order was issued by Justices 

Ranjan Gogoi and Rahinton Fali 

Nariman on Friday. 

The order came at the hearing of 

a case bought by the Assam Public 

Works, the All Assam Ahom Association, 

and the Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, 

a confederation of indigenous 

people. They allege that illegal 

migrations from Bangladesh into Assam 

is undermining the sovereignty 

and territorial integrity of India. 

The formation of the committee, 

which was due to be established 

in July, was necessitated after the 

chair of the previous overseeing 

committee, former Home Secretary 

Madhukar Gupta expressed 

his inability to continue in the role, 

citing personal reasons. 

The three-man committee will 

be chaired by Former Union Home 

Secretary GK Pillai, who sits alongside 

former BSF Director-General D 

K Pathak, and Abdul Mannan, a former 

professor at the department of 

statistics of Gauhati University. It is 

due to present its first report within 

three months. 

In early 2017, the court ordered 

that construction of the border 

fence begin immediately. • 

• AFP, Manila 

WORLD 

Southeast Asian nations feuded 

yesterday over how to respond to 

Chinese expansionism in the South 

China Sea, with Vietnam insisting 

on a tough stance but Cambodia 

lobbying hard for Beijing, diplomats 

said. 

The debates among foreign 

ministers of the 10-member Association 

of Southeast Asian Nations 

(Asean) at a security forum in the 

Philippines were the latest in years 

of struggles to deal with competing 

claims to the strategically vital sea. 

The ministers failed to release 

a customary joint statement after 

meeting on Saturday because of 

their differences on the sea issue, 

and follow-up negotiations on Sunday 

did not end the stand-off, two 

diplomats involved in the talks 

said. 

"Vietnam is adamant, and China 

is effectively using Cambodia 

to champion its interests. But the 

Philippines is trying very hard to 

broker compromise language." 

Vietnam had insisted that tough 

language be inserted into the statement 

expressing concern over 

"land reclamation", a reference 

to an explosion in recent years of 

Chinese artificial island building in 

contested parts of the waters. 

Cambodia, one of China's 

strongest allies within Asean, has 

firmly resisted, according to the 

diplomats involved in the talks in 

Manila, as well as an excerpt of proposed 

Cambodian resolution. 

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono (6th L) joins Association of South East Asian 

Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers and representatives for the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial 

Meeting of the 50th ASEAN regional security forum in Manila on August 6 

AFP 

China claims nearly all of the 

sea, through which $5trn in annual 

shipping trade passes, and its artificial 

islands have raised concerns 

it could eventually build military 

bases there and establish de facto 

control over the waters. 

Its sweeping claims overlap with 

those of Asean members Vietnam, 

the Philippines, Malaysia and 

Brunei. 

No consensus 

Tensions over the sea have long 

vexed Asean, which operates on a 

consensus basis but has had to balance 

the interests of rival claimants 

and those more aligned to China. 

Critics of China have accused 

it of trying to divide Asean with 

strong-armed tactics and chequebook 

diplomacy, enticing smaller 

countries in the bloc such as Cambodia 

and Laos to support it. 

The Philippines, under previous 

president Benigno Aquino, had 

been one of the most vocal critics 

of China and filed a case before a 

UN-backed tribunal. 

The tribunal last year ruled China's 

sweeping claims to the sea had 

no legal basis. 

But China, despite being a signatory 

to the UN's Convention on the 

Law of the Sea, ignored the ruling. 

The Philippines, under new 

President Rodrigo Duterte, decided 

to play down the verdict in favour 

of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing. 

This in turn led to offers of 

billions of dollars in investments or 

aid from China. 

The Asean foreign ministers and 

their Chinese counterpart, Wang 

Yi, on Sunday adopted a framework 

for negotiating a code of conduct 

to defuse tensions in the sea. 

Wang hailed this as a breakthrough. 

But analysts cautioned not to 

place too much significance on 

the agreement on a framework, 

pointing out it came 15 years after a 

similar document was signed committing 

the parties to negotiating a 

code of conduct. •

News 

MONDAY, 

Padma Bridge authorities 

seek more time 

• Shohel Mamun 

DEVELOPMENT 

The Padma Bridge project authority 

has submitted a proposal recently 

to the government requesting an 

extension of the deadline to complete 

the project – till June 2019 instead 

of December 2018. 

According to the authority, piling 

work for the bridge was disrupted 

due to uncontrollable current 

on the river bed, as well lack of 

hard soil underneath. 

The incumbent Awami League 

government, however, is committed 

to complete the priority project before 

the next parliamentary election. 

“Bangladesh Bridge Authority 

has already submitted the proposal 

to the Implementation Monitoring 

and Evaluation Division (IMED) for 

a new deadline,” said an official. 

“The IMED has already given a positive 

response after evaluating the 

condition of the river.” 

However, none of the officials, 

including the project Director Md 

Shafiqul Islam, made any comment 

on the issue. 

When asked, Road Transport 

and Bridges Minister Obaidul 

Quader said: “The government did 

not accept such proposal on the 

Padma Bridge project.” 

“Padma is one of the uncertain 

rivers of the world, like the Amazon. 

There will be ups and downs 

in its flow. But we are still firm on 

our decision to complete the bridge 

by December 2018,” the minister, 

also the general secretary of Awami 

League, added. 

The plan was to 

install the first span 

on the Mawa side, 

but now the span will 

be installed at the 

Jazeera point 

Meanwhile, Professor Jamilur Reza 

Choudhury, head of the advisory-panel 

of the project, said: “We 

have given some additional directives 

and guidelines to the construction 

firm to strengthen the piling 

work. Especially 14 (piers) pillars are 

proving to be problematic, which is 

why it should be re-analysed.” 

“If we have to remodel the pillars, 

it can take more time,” the renowned 

professor added. 

Padma Bridge will stand over 42 

pillars, including two transition pillars 

towards the land, with the support 

of 240 piles. These pillars will 

carry 41 spans. Each of the span’s 

length is 150 metres. The Padma 

Bridge will be 6.15km long. 

According the design, the depth 

of the piles was 90 metres to 120 

metres. But during the construction, 

the soil underground turned 

out to be in very poor state. As a 

result, the expert team headed by 

Prof Jamilur Reza set the pile depth 

at 130 metres for selected piles. 

The piles on the Bangabandhu 

Bridge over the Jamuna River were 

constructed on only 78 metres 

depth. 

Bridge authority officials said 

some 44% construction work of 

Padma Bridge was completed till 

June and the first span of the bridge 

will be installed in September. 

Initially, the plan was to install 

the first span on the Mawa side, but 

now the span will be installed at 

the Jazeera point because of strong 

current in the river. 

The total project cost stands at 

Tk28,793cr after three re-estimations. 

The authority has already 

spent Tk13,000cr on the project. 

The China Major Bridge Engineering 

(CMBE) Co. Ltd is constructing 

the main Padma Bridge 

since December 2014, following 

a work order of the Bridge Division 

on November 26, 2014, at a 

cost of Tk12,133.39. Sinohydro 

Corporation Ltd China is doing 

the river training work at a cost of 

Tk8,707.81cr. • 

7 


DT 

Biggest gold bust of the 

year at Dhaka airport 

• Arifur Rahman Rabbi 

CRIME 

Customs officials at Hazrat Shahjalal 

International Airport yesterday 

seized 25kg of gold from a man 

who arrived from Singapore on a 

wheelchair, in the biggest bust of 

this year. 

The seized 256 gold bars are 

worth about Tk15.5 crore. 

The detained Jamil Akter, 48, 

is a Nilphamari native, arrived on 

a Singapore Airlines flight around 

10:30pm on Saturday. 

This is the largest gold bust of 

this year. Last year, another passenger 

on wheelchair was caught 

with 23kg gold. 

“Acting on a tip-off, our team 

confronted the man when he was 

crossing the green channel on a 

wheelchair, pretending to be unwell,” 

Dhaka Customs House Preventive 

Team Assistant Commissioner 

Ahsanul Kabir said. 

“He denied having any gold initially, 

but admitted to it later, during 

interrogation. We found 250 gold 

bars in a vest kept between his legs. 

“The man has a chips shop in 

Singapore. He went in and out of 

the country 13 times in the last six 

months,” the customs official added. 

Customs officials were preparing 

to hand over him to police after 

filing a criminal case. 

Meanwhile, Another team found 

The wheelchaired man was challenged 

by customs officials at green channel 

COURTESY 

6kg gold abandoned in a plane 

that arrived from Singapore on a 

US-Bangla Airlines flight, yesterday. 

Acting on a tip-off another customs 

official team found out that 

gold was being smuggled through 

a US-Bangla Airlines flight. It was 

coming from Singapore yesterday 

at 7:45am. They found the 6 gold 

bars abandonded in the plane’s 

bathroom, said AC Ahsanul Kabir. 

He said the 6 gold bar were 

scotch taped together. Each gold 

bar was weighs 1kg and is said to be 

worth Tk3 crore in the market. 

The Customs officials will take 

legal action against both the incidents 

he added. • 

India police: Pakistan-based Lashkar behind Hindu pilgrim murders 

• AFP, Srinagar 

WORLD 

An entourage of pilgrims on the way to Amarnath. Eight Hindu pilgrims on the way from Amarnath Temple in Kashmir valley 

were killed in a terror attack 

AP 

Indian police said Sunday a Pakistan-based 

Islamist militant group 

blamed for the 2008 Mumbai 

attacks was responsible for last 

month’s killing of eight Hindu pilgrims 

in Kashmir. 

Police said an investigation had 

concluded that Lashkar-e-Taiba 

(LeT) and Kashmiri accomplices 

were behind the July 10 attack that 

saw militants open fire on a bus 

carrying Hindus on the annual Amarnath 

pilgrimage. 

“Lashkar was involved and the 

accused have been identified,” Inspector 

General of Police Muneer 

Ahmed Khan told reporters in 

Anantnag district in Indian-administered 

Kashmir. 

“Once the investigation was 

started it was revealed that... a Pakistani 

militant of Lashkar along 

with two other militants and one 

local Kashmiri Lashkar militant 

carried out the attack.” 

Three others who provided 

logistical support to the militants, 

including hiding places and vehicles, 

had been arrested. 

The July shooting was the worst 

such attack in the divided Himalayan 

region since 2000, when 

gunmen fired on a group of Hindu 

pilgrims and killed 32 people including 

two police officers. 

Khan said the militants had carefully 

plotted to attack any police or 

tourist vehicle that crossed their 

path on the evening of the assault. 

“They had kept separate code 

words for tourist and CRPF (Central 

Reserve Police Force) vehicles... 

It was purely an act of terrorism 

carried out with an aim to spread 

fear,” he said. 

LeT has been blamed for a string 

of deadly attacks inside India, most 

notably the Mumbai carnage in November 

2008 when heavily armed 

gunmen battled commandos on 

the streets of the financial capital. 

It took the authorities three days 

to regain full control of the city and 

New Delhi has long said there is 

evidence that “official agencies” in 

Pakistan were involved in plotting 

the attack. 

Islamabad denies the charge. 

Rebel groups, including LeT, have 

for decades fought Indian troops 

and police deployed in Kashmir, 

demanding independence or a 

merger of the former Himalayan 

kingdom with Pakistan. 

Kashmir has been divided 

between India and Pakistan since 

the end of British colonial rule in 

1947, but both claim the territory 

in full. •

8 


DT 

Call: 0161-I-WANT-DT (01614926838) | Visit: dhakatribune.com/subscribe 

News 

Finance Division worried 

about budget deficit 

• Asif Showkat Kallol 

ECONOMY 

Finance Division officials have expressed 

concerns over meeting the 

deficit in the current budget at the 

beginning of the fiscal year, citing 

the unimplemented VAT law. 

Even Finance Minister AMA Muhith 

is not immune from worry, as 

he has also expressed doubts about 

meeting the ambitious budget targets 

without the implementation 

of the 2012 VAT Act. The minister 

has sought a work plan from the 

National Board of Revenue (NBR) 

to find ways to meet the deficit. 

After a two-hour meeting on 

Thursday, Muhith directed NBR 

Chairman Najibur Rahman on the 

creation of a work plan, said Finance 

Division officials. The Finance 

Division will start a revision 

of the budget after the NBR has 

Dhaka to open new 

diplomatic missions 

• Asif Showkat Kallol and 

submitted the plan. 

fall Tk67,000 crore short of the Shohel Mamun 

On July 30, members of the parliamentary 

target due to postponement of the 

standing committee on new law which introduces a 15% FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

the Finance Division discussed the flat VAT rate on all sectors. 

budget, suggesting that the deficit The decision to postpone the Bangladesh is going to open seven 

of Tk17,000 crore would be met by VAT law has raised eyebrows, questioning 

new fully fledged diplomatic mis- 

expansion of VAT areas along with 

the government’s ability to sions in Toronto, Sydney, Chennai, 

collection of large dues by the NBR. meet its budget deficit, and the Finance 

Freetown, Bucharest, Kabul and 

An estimated Tk5,000 crore will 

Division says the deficit may Khartoum in a bid to expand its ex- 

be earned from taxes and duties on force the government to borrow port market. 

cigarettes and biris, Tk500 crore more from saving instruments and The missions will also aim to 

from bank accounts and Biman banking sectors. 

strengthen diplomatic relations 

tickets as excise duties, and Tk100 The NBR has increased revenue with the countries, said officials. 

crore from fast food and 10% supplementary 

targets by 34% to Tk91,275 crore in A proposal of the Foreign Minis- 

duties. Tk6,000 crore the current fiscal year through VAT try on the matter will be placed at 

will be earned from other sectors as and supplementary duty collections. 

the weekly cabinet meeting today 

additional earning, according to Internal 

The target for revenue from with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 

Resources Division sources. those sources for the fiscal year in the chair. 

The NBR is also set to earn 2016-17 was Tk74,114 crore. 

According to the proposal, the 

Tk22,000 crore from Petro Bangla In the last fiscal year, the NBR Foreign Ministry has decided to set 

through dues, and an additional managed to collect Tk52,842 crore up new embassies or diplomatic 

Tk2,000 crore from Petro Bangla up till April, which was 18.4% higher 

missions in Canadian city of To- 

during the current year. 

than the same period in the fiscal ronto, Australian city of Sydney, 

According to Finance Division year 2015-16, which was Tk44,631 Romania’s capital Bucharest, Sierra 

calculations, VAT collection will crore. • 

Leone’s capital Freetown, Indi- 

Downing Street dismisses £36bn Brexit divorce bill 


speech towards the end of the summer with additional money to make up the “rights and obligations”. 

fleshing out details of any offer to 

€40bn figure that UK negotiators hope News of the figure will be controversial 

WORLD 

Brussels, while a series of papers are will break the deadlock in talks. 

among some Conservative MPs who 

expected in coming weeks on how the 

The Sunday Telegraph quoted a 

believe the UK should not pay as much, 

Downing Street sources have played UK proposes to manage a transition. Whitehall source saying: “We know that or anything at all. Just three weeks ago 

down reports that the UK is prepared to A Number 10 official told The Independent 

(the EU’s) position is €60bn, but the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said EU 

pay a divorce bill of up to £36bn to try 

that reports the Government actual bottom line is €50bn. 

leaders could “go whistle” if they expected 

and force progress in stalled Brexit talks. was preparing to offer the EU payments “Ours is closer to €30bn, but the Britain to pay an “exorbitant” divorce bill. 

The figure amounting to some 

of €10bn every year for up to three 

landing zone is €40bn even if the public The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator 

€40bn would be offered in a bid to 

years after Brexit were “highly speculative 

and politicians are not all there yet.” 

Michel Barnier warned it is “very 

push discussions on from withdrawal 

and wrong”. 

Brexit Secretary David Davis and unlikely” talks can progress in October as 

and towards a future trade deal, according 

It was claimed on Sunday that the May have both said that the Govern- 

planned if there is not better progress. 

to reports. 

commitment to the ongoing budget ment would work with Brussels to 

May is preparing to give a speech 

Theresa May is expected to give a payments would then be supplemented determine a fair settlement of the UK’s close to the start of September in which 

Like what you’re reading? 

an city of Chennai, Afghan capital 

Kabul and Sudanese capital Khartoum. 

A senior Foreign Ministry official 

said the opening of new missions is 

part of the Awami League government’s 

plan to prioritise economic 

diplomacy in its foreign policy. 

Upholding the government’s decisions, 

the official said it became 

necessary for Bangladesh to open 

more embassies to serve the growing 

number of expatriate Bangladeshis, 

raise exports and boost 

diplomatic ties with Europe, Africa 

and North America. 

As per the Foreign Ministry estimates, 

about 7 million Bangladeshis 

now live abroad and send home 

around $12bn a year as remittance. 

Currently, 72 Bangladeshi missions, 

high commissions, consulates, 

deputy high commissions, 

assistant high commissions and 

visa offices are operating in 56 

countries. • 

she is expected to spell out details of 

the EU withdrawal agreement including 

a divorce bill. 

Positioning papers on how the UK 

might manage customs arrangements 

during a transition and the issue of the 

border between Ireland and Northern Ireland 

are expected as early as next week. 

There will also then be a string of 

other papers detailing various aspects 

of May’s proposals, including the 

approach to the single market during 

transition, as the Government attempts 

to show it has a solid plan for Brexit.•

News 

9 


DT 

Joining Arab states, Israel 

plans to ban al-Jazeera 


WORLD 

Israel said Sunday it plans to ban 

Qatar’s flagship al-Jazeera news 

network from operating in the 

country over allegations it incites 

violence, joining Arab nations that 

have shut down the broadcaster 

amid a separate political dispute, 

reports the Associated Press. 

Communications Minister Ayoob 

Kara said he plans to revoke 

the press credentials of al-Jazeera 

journalists, effectively preventing 

them from working in Israel. 

Kara said he has asked cable and 

satellite networks to block al-Jazeera 

transmissions and is seeking 

legislation to ban them altogether. 

The minister, a member of 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 

Likud Party, gave no timetable 

for such measures. 

Doha-based al-Jazeera did not 

immediately respond to a request 

for comment. Its Arab and English 

channels reported the news. 

Walid al-Omari, the broadcaster’s 

bureau chief in Jerusalem, said 

on air that his office has not been 

informed by Israeli officials of any 

possible measures the government 

might take. 

Communications 

Minister Ayoob 

Kara said he plans 

to revoke the press 

credentials of al- 

Jazeera journalists 

Al-Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite network 

funded by the Qatari government, 

already has been targeted by 

Arab nations now isolating Qatar 

as part of a months-long political 

dispute over Doha’s politics and alleged 

support for extremists. 

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have 

recently closed al-Jazeera’s local 

offices, while the channel and its 

affiliate sites have been blocked in 

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, 

Egypt and Bahrain. 

“Lately, almost all countries in 

our region determined that al-Jazeera 

supports terrorism, supports 

religious radicalisation,” Kara said. 

“And when we see that all these 

countries have determined as fact 

that al-Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic 

State, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, 

and we are the only one who have 

not determined that then something 

delusional is happening here.” 

American viewers became familiar 

with al-Jazeera after the attacks 

of September 11, 2001, when 

its golden-hued Arabic logo became 

synonymous with video messages 

by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin 

Laden. That sparked frequent complaints 

by then-President George 

W Bush’s administration. The station 

defended its policy, saying the 

messages were newsworthy. 

Al-Jazeera was the first Arab satellite 

news channel to offer a range 

of views outside of heavily censored 

state media across the region 

and extensively covered the 2011 

Arab Spring. It also was the first 

Arab-owned news outlet to host 

Israeli officials and commentators, 

which some analysts note coincided 

with Qatar’s ties with Israel at 

the time. • 

Muktamoni in her hospital bed at DMCH 

Muktamoni out of danger 


CURRENT AFFAIRS 

Muktamoni is now out of danger 

after her surgery, said Dr Samanta 

Lal Sen, coordinator at the National 

Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery 

of Dhaka Medical College Hospital 

(DMCH). 

“Her wounds have been dressed 

today. She is speaking normally. In 

regard to her surgery, there is nothing 

to be concerned about,” the 

doctor said on Saturday. 

Muktamoni is an 11-year-old girl 

who has been suffering from a mysterious 

disease that resulted in a 

malignant growth on her right arm. 

MEHEDI HASAN 

A team of specialist doctors of 

the DMCH burn and plastic surgery 

institute and the anaesthesia department 

conducted her operation on 

Saturday. 

Muktamoni’s father Md Ibrahim 

said the doctors were taking 

good care of his daughter. He asked 

everyone to pray for her. 

Last month, DMCH doctors identified 

the mysterious illness afflicting 

Muktamoni as lymphatic malformation. 

The affliction has resulted in a 

malignant growth on Muktamoni’s 

right arm, rendering her bedridden 

for the last two years. • 

This article was first published on 

banglatribune.com 

Drilling starts at 

Shahbajpur 

East-1 well 


ENERGY 

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration 

and Production Company 

Ltd (Bapex), Bangladesh Gas 

Fields Company Ltd (BGFCL) 

and Sylhet Gas Field Ltd (SGFL) 

have inked an agreement with 

Russian energy giant Gazprom 

for drilling 10 wells. 

Of the wells, the Bapex, a 

Petrobangla subsidiary, owns 

four wells (Shahbazpur-3 and 

4, Semutang-6 and Begumganj-3), 

says a press release. . 

Srikail 4 well was drilled by 

Gazporm, which has already 

completed 15 wells, among 

them Bapex has 5 wells and 

the other two companies have 

10 wells. 

The Bapex has planned to 

dril 108 wells (53 exploration 

wells, 35 development wells 

and 20 work-over wells) to 

provide 1000 million cubic 

feet of gas to the national grid 

by 2021 for the implimentation 

of short, medium and longterm 

gas production plans. 

In order to implement Vision 

2021, the prime minister 

gave an approval on 10 special 

initiative projects taken up by 

Bapex on 12-05-2016 under the 

“ Increasing supply of electricity 

and fuel (Special provisions) 

Act, 2010”. 

Among the 10 projects, the 

plan for drilling 23 exploration 

wells, 2 development wells and 

3 work over wells under the 

Rupkolpo-1 to Rupkolpo-7 within 

the tenure of the government. 

In this regard, Bapex has recruited 

three group of contractors 

on the turn-key basis for 

drilling 13 exploration wells. 

Two exploration wells 

(Shahbazpur East-1 and Bhola 

North-1) and two work-over 

wells have been planned to be 

drilled under the Rupkolpo 4 

drilling project. 

On May 5, 2016, the premier 

had approved the drilling of 

the two wells. 

In the context, Bapex’s Addendum- 

6 has been signed 

with Gazporm, with a contract 

value of $ 33.2 million. Under 

the agreement, the drilling of 

Shahbajpur East-1 well was inaugurated 

yesterday. •

10 


DT 

News 

US, China pressure North Korea 

after sanctions vote 

• AFP, Manila 

WORLD 

The United States and China piled 

pressure on North Korea Sunday 

to abandon its nuclear missile programme 

after the UN Security Council 

approved tough sanctions which 

could cost Pyongyang $1bn a year. 

One day after Council members 

voted unanimously for a partial ban 

on exports aimed at slashing Pyongyang’s 

foreign revenue by a third, 

top diplomats from the key powers 

in the dispute met in Manila. 

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson 

said he was encouraged by 

the vote, but officials warned that 

Washington would closely watch 

China – North Korea’s biggest trade 

partner – to ensure sanctions are 

enforced. 

China’s Foreign Minister Wang 

AmarMP site 

wins Indian 

mBillionth award 


EVENT 

Bangladesh’s voluntary organisation 

AmarMP.com has won the 

prestigious mBillionth Award 2017 

for providing comprehensive information 

of parliament members and 

means to communicate with them. 

“Amar MP” delegation received 

the award in a gala event held at 

New Delhi, India, on August 4. 

The delegation included Titu 

Das, Mahabub Alam, Imtiaz Emon, 

Md Shahin, Abdur Rahman and 

Nazrul Islam. 

The mBillionth Award South 

Asia is presented each year, starting 

in 2010, for socially valuable 

innovations in mobile communications 

in South Asia. 

The scheme is run by the Digital 

Empowerment Foundation, an 

Indian NGO seeking to improve 

access to and usage of digital communications. 

Seven organisations were selected 

out of 196 in the category of 

Government and Citizen Engagement 

this year. 

“This recognition will inspire 

us. We have been awarded several 

times this year because of the hard 

work of our volunteers,” said Sudhanta 

Das Gupta, chairman of AmarMP.com. 

AmarMP.com, a social initiative, 

has started a ground-breaking, social 

democratic movement by coordinating 

all information about MPs. • 

Yi met his North Korean counterpart 

Ri Hong-Yo before a major regional 

security forum being hosted 

by the 10-nation Association of 

Southeast Asian Nations. 

He urged the North to halt its 

nuclear and ballistic missile tests. 

Pyongyang’s top envoy has so 

far avoided the media in Manila. 

But in a characteristically fiery 

editorial before the latest sanctions 

were approved, the North’s ruling 

party newspaper Rodong Sinmun 

warned against US aggression. 

“The day the US dares tease our 

nation with a nuclear rod and sanctions, 

the mainland US will be catapulted 

into an unimaginable sea of 

fire,” it said. 

‘Military option’ 

The urgency of the situation was 

underlined by President Donald 

Trump’s national security adviser 

H R McMaster, who told MSNBC 

Weeklong Chinese food festival 

kicks off at Westin Dhaka 


METRO 

The Westin Dhaka will organise 

Chinese food festival “Culinary 

Treats from China,” at the hotel’s 

buffet restaurant Seasonal Tastes, 

where guests can come and taste 

exclusive delicacies from all over 

China for a week. 

The festival will start today and 

continue until August 13. Chef Tan 

news that the US leader was reviewing 

plans for a “preventive 

war”. 

“He said he’s not going to tolerate 

North Korea being able to 

threaten the United States,” Mc- 

Master said. 

Saturday’s UN resolution 

banned exports of coal, iron and 

iron ore, lead and lead ore as well 

as fish and seafood by the cashstarved 

state. 

If fully implemented it would 

strip North Korea of a third of its 

export earnings – estimated to total 

$3bn per year despite successive 

rounds of sanctions since the 

North’s first nuclear test in 2006. 

The resolution also prevents 

North Korea from increasing the 

number of workers it sends abroad. 

Their earnings are another source 

of foreign currency for Kim’s regime. 

Kwang Aik from JW Marriott Hotel in 

Kolkata has been flown in as the guest 

chef, according to a media release of 

the hotel. He who will be delighting 

guests with his culinary magic. 

Meanwhile, a press conference 

and a food tasting event were held 

yesterday ahead of the festival in 

the hotel’s Silver Room, where Tan 

Kwang, Westin Dhaka’s Executive 

Chef Stephen Mcgarrie, Director (operations) 

and acting General Manager 

Shakawath Hossain, and Director 

It prohibits all new joint ventures 

with North Korea, bans new 

investment in current joint companies 

and adds nine North Korean 

officials and four entities including 

the North’s main foreign exchange 

bank to the UN sanctions blacklist. 

What next? 

Trump hailed the vote – saying 

in a tweet that the sanctions will 

have “very big financial impact!” – 

and thanked Russia and China for 

backing a measure that either could 

have halted with their UN veto. 

The United States began talks 

on a resolution with China a month 

ago, after Pyongyang launched its 

first intercontinental ballistic missile 

on July 4, followed by a second 

ICBM test on July 28. 

But the measure does not provide 

for cuts to oil deliveries, which 

would have dealt a serious blow to 

the North’s economy. • 

Guest Chef Tan Kwang Aik from the JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata poses with some of the many dishes on offer at the Westin 

Dhaka on the occasion of Chinese Food Festival 2017 

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN 

(sales and marketing) Md Al-Amin 

were present. During the food tasting 

session, Chinese dishes such as 

sweet and sour fish, Hunan Kung 

Pao and Sichuan style lamb with ginger 

were prepared by guest chef Tan 

and presented to guests for tasting. 

The food festival is a dinner-only 

event, and the buffet dinner 

is priced at Tk5,000 per person. 

Guests will have to make reservations 

by calling at +8801730374871 

to attend the dinner. • 

Chhatra Dal 

leaders deny 

conducting 

urine tests on 

aspiring leaders 

• Md Wali Newaz, Manik 

Miazee 

NATION 

Are political leaders – especially 

young leaders of tomorrow – required 

to be drug-free? 

BNP’s wing organisation Bangladesh 

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s 

Boalmari upazila unit seems to 

think so. The upazila Chhatra Dal 

secretly conducted a urine test of 

eight candidates for its committee. 

According to locals, former MP 

and BNP’s central leader Shah Md 

Adu Jafar collected the urine samples 

and sent it to a diagnostic centre 

in Dhaka on Friday for analysis. 

When asked, the senior leader 

told the Dhaka Tribune that he was 

asked by central leaders of Chhatra 

Dal and women leaders in the district 

to usher in a new generation of 

pure leadership. 

“The next generation of leaders 

should not be addicted to marijuana, 

phensedyl or yaba, we cannot have 

drug addicts as leaders,” he said. 

But when the district Chhatra 

Dal unit President Benazir Ahmed 

Tabriz was asked, he denied knowing 

of any such matter. 

He said: “Abu Jafar has no right 

to interfere in anyone’s personal affairs, 

especially matters regarding 

bodily functions.” 

Chhatra Dal President Rajib Ahsan 

also denied of any such drug 

tests being taken. 

He called the test fake news and 

said a upazila unit has no right to 

elect members for a committee. 

He said: “We have no information 

about the committee and our 

student organisation has no systems 

regarding this manner.” • 

Syrian army 

takes last IS-held 

town in Homs 

• Reuters, Beirut 

WORLD 

Syrian government and allied forces 

have taken the last major town in 

Homs province from IS, the Syrian 

Observatory for Human Rights said, 

as the army advances toward militant 

strongholds in the east of the country. 

The town of al-Sukhna lies some 

50km northeast of the ancient city 

of Palmyra, which was captured by 

government forces in March. 

al-Sukhna is some 50 km from 

the administrative frontier of Deir 

al-Zor province, which is almost entirely 

under Islamic State control. •

Accused in Chittagong 

cocaine haul case files 

Tk100cr lawsuit 

• FM Mizanur Rahaman, 

Chittagong 

NATION 

An accused in the 2015 liquid 

cocaine haul in Chittagong 

has filed a Tk100 crore defamation 

lawsuit with a Chittagong 

court against seven 

companies and three individuals, 

two of whom are Bangladesh-born 

UK citizens. 

Nur Mohammad, chairman 

of Khan Jahan Ali Group in 

Chittagong, filed the lawsuit 

with the Chittagong Joint District 

Judge’s Court 3 on July 27 

this year claiming he was innocent 

and had no connection 

with the cocaine consignment 

that was seized by customs intelligence 

officials at the Chittagong 

port on June 6, 2015. 

“Taking the case into cognisance, 

the court heard it today 

[yesterday] and asked the 10 

accused to appear before it on 

October 8 with written explanations,” 

Nur’s counsel Ibrahim 

Hossain Chowdhury told 

the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. 

“Nur Mohammad is a reputed 

businessman in Chittagong. 

He had no connection 

BCL urges govt to bring back 

Bangabandhu’s killers 

• Fazlur Rahman Raju 

METRO 

Bangladesh Chhatra League 

has urged the government to 

bring back and hang the seven 

killers of Bangabandhu 

and his family members. 

with the liquid cocaine smuggling 

but was made accused 

in the case, which tarnished 

his image and caused him 

and his business financial 

losses. That is why he is seeking 

Tk100 crore as compensation,” 

the lawyer added. 

Nur’s counsel Ibrahim said 

the accused in the lawsuit 

used Khan Jahan Ali Ltd’s address 

to smuggle the cocaine 

into the country. 

The 10 entities sued in the 

case are: Import Export Elvaivent 

SRL Calle of Bolivia, 

COSCO Container Lines Ltd, 

South Freight Logistics Ltd, 

COSCO Bangladesh Shipping 

Ltd, Carlos Correa Ltd, cocaine 

carrier vessel MV Thorstream 

VTH067, its Bangladeshi 

agent PIL (Bangladesh) 

Ltd, Prime Hatchery Ltd Manager 

Golam Mostafa Shohel, 

Leaders and activists of 

the ruling party’s student 

wing made the demand during 

a human chain event from 

Shahbagh to Doyel Chattar in 

Dhaka yesterday morning. 

They claimed that Bangladesh 

lost its guardian when 

Bangabandhu and his family 

Brac CDM announces 

monsoon offers 


BUSINESS 

Brac CDM Savar and Rajendrapur 

offered special monsoon 

hospitality packages 

which starts from Tk2,500 

per night for a room which 

can accommodate two 

guests, said a press release. 

Nur Mohammad is a reputed 

businessman in Chittagong. He 

had no connection with the liquid 

cocaine smuggling 

Dalton Zahir, Head of 

Sales and Marketing of 

Brac Services Ltd, said Brac 

CDM Savar is “delighetd 

to announced the package 

which start from Tk2,500 per 

night for a double room while 

Brac CDM in Rajendrapur 

also offers the doubleroom 

package starting from 

Tk4,000 per night.” 

and UK citizens Bokul Mia 

and Fazlur Rahman. 

The name of Nur’s company 

Khan Jahan Ali Group 

came to light after the Customs 

Intelligence and Investigation 

Directorate (CIID) 

seized a consignment of liquid 

cocaine which was smuggled 

into the country in sunflower 

oil barrels in June 2015. 

The case regarding the haul, 

filed with Bandar police station 

under the Narcotics Control 

Act on June 28, 2015, named 

Khan Jahan Ali Group as the 

importer of the consignment. 

The Detective Branch 

of police pressed charges 

against eight people on November 

19, 2015, while RAB 

also submitted a charge sheet 

against 10 people, including 

Nur Mohammad in the case 

on April 3 this year. • 

members were brutally assassinated 

on August 15, 1975. 

After the demonstration, 

Chhatra League activists led 

by President Saifur Rahman 

Shohag and General Secretary 

Jakir Hossain handed over 

a memorandum to Foreign 

Minister AH Mahmood Ali. • 

The package includes 

accommodation, boating, 

breakfast and this offer will 

be valid during the month of 

August, 2017. 

Brac said the conditions 

apply to the offers 

and requested to contact 

for any query related 

to offers at the numbers: 

+8801777707781-5. • 

News 11 


Emirates launches enhanced 

Onboard Lounge for A380 


BUSINESS 

The much-talked-about enhanced A380 Onboard 

Lounge of Emirates has made its operational 

debut on a flight to Kuala Lumpur, 

marking the 9th anniversary of the airline’s 

award-winning A380 service. 

The Onboard Lounge was first introduced 

on August 1, 2008 and has since become the 

mainstay of Emirates’ flagship aircraft. Till now, 

the upgraded lounge is arguably the most popular 

social spot at 40,000 feet of the airlines. 

The latest makeover inspired by private 

yacht cabins features a more intimate and social 

area, said a press release issued recently. 

With a clientele made up of Business and 

First Class customers on board the A380, the 

exclusive lounge accommodates 26 guests 

DT 

and serves the finest beverages from all over 

the world. It also serves over 18 different bar 

snacks, the most popular of which are the 

smoked salmon bagels and fresh fruit skewers. 

Emirates has over 6,000 crew trained as mixologists 

who can whip up up to 14 cocktails. 

The menu also includes juices, Illy coffee 

and several varieties of tea from Dilmah for 

those preferring to perk me up. At the back of 

the lounge, a 55-inch LCD screen gives customers 

the latest flight information, live TV broadcasts 

of the latest news and sports updates. 

Emirates has also recently expanded its 

Wi-Fi offering free to its Skywards members 

throughout their flight. 

Emirates flies the A380 to 48 cities on six 

continents. Being the world’s largest operator 

of A380 aircraft, it has 96 of such double-decked 

aircraft in service while 46 more 

are on order. •

DT 

12 

Editorial 


TODAY 

Is Islam the 

ultimate solution? 

Ironically, most of the Islamists are 

graduates of secular educational 

systems and lack formal training in 

Islamic jurisprudence 

PAGE 13 


A worrying trend 

An apology 

to my students 

While I just observe, my students take 

action to change their world 

Sultan of smut 

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 

Join our Facebook community: 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

DhakaTribune. 

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 14 

An educated man without scruples 

filming others in intimate moments to 

make money and create torment is the 

ultimate debasement of social ethos 

Be heard 

PAGE 15 

The fact that there are criminals posing as 

DNCC officials and duping hard-working 

citizens out of their hard-earned money is 

worrisome. 

Promising to install GPRS name plates, the 

perpetrators took money from the residents of 

Dhaka North. 

What is worse is that, once people realised they 

had been deceived and contacted the DNCC, the 

DNCC were unresponsive. 

The job of each mayor’s office is to ensure 

that the people under their jurisdiction are not 

only taken care of, but that their inquiries and 

complaints are listened and responded to in an 

efficient manner as well. 

The authorities must nip this problem in the bud 

immediately. 

Not only must they catch the criminals 

responsible, but also ensure that something like this 

does not happen again. 

Well in development 

Bangladesh has experienced drastic progress 

when it comes to our economy, that much 

is certain. 

However, something that we seldom 

hear about is the progress that we have made when 

it comes to social indicators, as made evident by our 

strong trajectory in meeting the UNDP’s Sustainable 

Development Goals. 

Bangladesh has achieved much with regards to 

ending poverty, dealing with climate change, and 

retaining environmental integrity, despite being a 

least developed country. 

But there is still a lot more which needs to be 

done. 

We must make sure that we carry this momentum 

along through our journey into meeting the SGDs, 

and make Bangladesh the most prosperous nation it 

can hope to be -- both economically and socially. 

Falling behind now is not an option. 

Not only must they 

catch the criminals, 

but also ensure that 

something like this does 

not happen again 

We seldom hear about 

the progress that 

we have made when 

it comes to social 

indicators

Opinion 13 

Is Islam the ultimate solution? 

How the Muslim Brotherhood kick-started a fire that refuses to be put out 

DT 


Groups such as IS are the culmination of a decades-old battle of ideologies 

REUTERS 

(abode of Islam) and the Dar-al- 

Harb (abode of war). Considering 

the presence of a vibrant Muslim 

diaspora in the West, such binary 

division seems archaic and 

redundant. 

They claim to have exclusive 

access to God and hurl their critics 

with charges of illegitimacy and 

blasphemy while purporting to 

have found an unadulterated 

version of the teachings of Islam. 

Ironically, most of the 

Islamists are graduates of 

secular educational systems and 

lack formal training in Islamic 

jurisprudence. 

Islamist pioneers like Banna 

and Nabhani branded their 

movements as “social and 

cultural puritanical movements” 

in contrast to the status quo. 

Nevertheless, the Islamists 

Erdogan’s Justice and 

Development Party (AKP) are 

Ottoman nostalgists who are 

ideologically aligned with 

the Brotherhood -- they have 

shown a remarkable level of 

adaptation with the secular state 

apparatus. The Tunisian Ennahda 

(Renaissance) party formed a 

coalition government with the 

secular Nidaa Tounes party. The 

Jordanian Brotherhood has a 

parliamentary wing, Jabhat al’- 

Amal al-Islami (The Islamic Action 

Front). 

Does the accommodation 

of Islamists in the mainstream 

politics mean that once in power 

they will honor the supremacy of 

the popular will? Will they cease 

to be Islamists and give up their 

dreams of establishing the Islamic 

state order? 

• Siddhartha Dhar 

The global pan-Islamic, 

transnational Islamist 

movements envision an 

idealistic global order 

where popular sovereignty will be 

supplanted by an Islamic Sharia 

based state. 

Imbued with traits of 

modernity, Islamism is a modern 

day ideology that attempts to 

reinterpret the Islamic doctrine 

into its desired mold while 

vigorously resisting any liberal 

interpretations or efforts of 

cultural modernisation. 

The Islamist thinkers castigate 

the “man-made” nation-states 

while suggesting the Islamic 

system as an alternative to 

socialism, nationalism, and the 

cultural and political hegemony of 

the West. 

Where it all started 

The fall of the Ottoman empire 

and the subsequent abolition 

of the Islamic Caliphate created 

a sudden pandemonium in the 

Muslim world. In 1928, it was 

against this backdrop that Hasan 

Al Banna (1904-1949), a schoolteacher 

from the British-controlled 

town of Isma’iliyya in Egypt, 

formed the youth club Muslim 

Brotherhood to resist what he 

deemed “orientations to apostasy 

and nihilism” which was engulfing 

the Muslim youth. 

It was in response to the 

British mandate and Zionist 

colonialisation in 1936-7 that the 

Muslim Brotherhood transformed 

itself into a political entity. It 

declared Islam as: (1) A “selfevolving 

system” and the ultimate 

path of life that (2) emanates from 

“the Qur’an and the prophetic 

tradition” which is (3) applicable 

to “all times and places.” 

In the 1950s and 1960s, 

buttressing its position as 

a resistance movement in 

opposition to the Nasserite state 

ideology of “Arab nationalism,” 

the Brotherhood extensively 

propagated their staple slogan 

“Islam is the solution.” 

It eventually evolved into 

the most controversial Islamist 

political organisation to this date. 

Bitter squabbles between 

the conservative and reformist 

bents have often hindered the 

Brotherhood’s ability to develop 

a more cohesive strategy. The 

creation of the military wing 

Nizam al-khass and the advent of 

the radical ideologue Sayyid Qutb 

as a higher echelon dented its 

status of a non-violent movement. 

Indicted for treason, Qutb was 

eventually hanged to death by the 

Nasserite regime in 1966 which 

impelled the Brotherhood to take 

a more conciliatory approach. 

The extremist bent formed small 

spin-off groups and one of them, 

Al-Jihad assassinated the Egyptian 

President Anwar Sadat in 1981. 

The glory days of Tahrir 

Sheikh Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, 

founder of the global Islamic 

political party Hizb-ut-Tahrir (The 

Liberation Party), considered the 

Islamic system as unique to its 

right and rejected the ideas of Arab 

nationalism and Ba’athism, which 

he believed are stripped off Islamic 

ideology. 

Prioritising the Arabic language 

and ethnic Arabs as essentials 

parts of Islam, Al-Nabhani 

envisaged the revival of Islam 

among the Arabs, which would 

subsequently be embraced by 

other non-Arab Muslim populace. 

Officially established in 

Jerusalem in 1953, Tahrir earned 

a reputation for its neutral stance 

in the sectarian conflicts among 

Muslims and its explicit refusal 

to the use of violence. But it 

struggled to face the growing tide 

of Arab nationalism and failed 

in its attempt to overthrow the 

Jordanian regime. 

The apparent bleak prospects 

in the Arab political climate forced 

Tahrir to shift its focus beyond 

the boundaries of the Middle East. 

It faced the same fate, and, as of 

today, Tahrir is banned in at least 

13 countries worldwide. 

In the Indian sub-continent, 

the Islamist philosopher and jurist 

Syed Abul A’la Maududi founded 

the political group Jama’at-i-Islami 

(People of Islam) in 1941. He wrote 

a pamphlet titled “Human rights 

in Islam” where he castigated 

the Western society and argued 

for the superiority of the Islamic 

civilisation over the West. 

Fearing that remaining Muslims 

will lose their identity in the Hindu 

state of India, Maududi initially 

opposed the creation of the state 

of Pakistan. After Partition, a 

humbled Maududi moved to 

Pakistan and worked to shape the 

contour of Pakistan as an Islamic 

state. The party’s East Pakistan 

chapter was heavily involved in 

war crimes during Bangladesh’s 

Liberation War of 1971. 

Islam and war 

The Islamist denominations 

worldwide hold a Manichean 

proposition where the world is 

divided between the Dar al-Islam 

Ironically, most of the Islamists are graduates 

of secular educational systems and lack formal 

training in Islamic jurisprudence 

actively participated in the 

democratic apparatus they 

vouched to uproot. When they 

fail to change the system from 

within, in such occasions, they 

often seek support from the 

military apparatus to stage coups 

in support of their cause. 

The Islamists believe in a 

border-less supra-national 

community, or Ummah, yet, in 

reality, they have mostly confined 

their activities within state 

boundaries. 

Despite its rigid stance against 

popular sovereignty, the Muslim 

Brotherhood often adopted 

politically-expedient policies over 

the course of time. It participated 

in the parliamentary elections it 

vowed to abolish and flirted with 

the military regimes in times it 

deemed necessary to stay relevant 

in the political context. 

Following the Arab spring, the 

Brotherhood galloped to power 

despite its timorous absence in 

the early days of anti-Mubarak 

protests, fearing a backlash 

from the Mubarak regime. It’s 

Palestinian offshoot Hamas 

distanced itself from the pan- 

Islamist ideas, concentrating 

solely on the cause of Palestinian 

independence. Hamas seeks to 

emulate the “Erdogan Model” 

in Turkey which is a blend of 

Islamism and conservative 

nationalism. 

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, 

the Guardian Council calls the 

shots in every major decision, 

thus crippling any popularly 

elected legislature. A newly passed 

referendum in Turkey has made 

president Erdogan effectively a 

dictator. Conversely, the Tunisian 

Ennahda is trying to ditch its 

Islamist heritage. 

The Brotherhood’s chief 

benefactor Qatar is facing a 

blockade from its previous patron 

and friend-turned-foe Saudi 

Arabia and other Gulf countries. 

All these events point to the 

fact that, rather than a static 

ideology, the Islamist movement 

is a constantly evolving social 

phenomenon which deserves 

rigorous studying. In the absence 

of a liberal alternative, the 

Islamists are often successful in 

tapping into the grievances of the 

ordinary people and channel those 

to their benefit. 

But they also find it extremely 

difficult to accommodate the 

nuanced Muslim voices worldwide 

in their black-and-white moral 

absolutism. One thing is for 

certain, the Islamist panacea to 

solve all the quandaries of the 21st 

century proves to be more fragile 

than ever. • 

Siddhartha Dhar is a Sweden-based 

Bangladeshi blogger, writer, and 

translator.

14 


DT 

Opinion 

An apology to my students 

We should support students, not try to control them 

Students are the rightful voices of tomorrow 

BIGSTOCK 

• Rifat Mahbub 

to an 

unavoidable 

circumstance, 

“Due 

the authority 

of (name any public university) 

has declared that the university 

will remain closed until further 

notice” -- this is the most common 

and frustrating news that any 

student who studied or studies 

in public universities gets here in 

Bangladesh. 

Days pass by, uncertainties 

brew in, frustration mounts -- and 

one day the universities open, 

classes are managed, and exams 

are taken. 

The situation has changed 

slightly for the better recently, 

when many public universities 

are maintaining their academic 

calendars accurately. 

The semester system means 

that teachers and students need 

to move by the clock, life becomes 

busy, work is routinised, exams 

are standardised, results are duly 

published, and the next semester 

comes by too quickly. 

The boom and success of 

private universities in Bangladesh 

partly lie on the long-standing and 

unresolved failures of the public 

universities. 

In the early 2000s, when 

private universities first started 

to increase in numbers, they were 

a breather in our claustrophobic 

and vision-less higher education 

system. We envied our distant 

friends who were able to study at 

private universities because their 

parents could afford to. 

Their fluent English, their 

rambling about presentations 

and quizzes, their confidence 

lin anding a job shamed us. Our 

only consolation was repeating 

to ourselves we were the truly 

brilliant students, yet, deep inside, 

we knew even that was not true. 

I now teach at a private 

university. And I see my students 

with wonder. 

They are kids of today, as I look 

at them and I realise, silently yet 

rapidly, how our education system 

(not all the structural criticism 

withstanding) has produced 

groups of young people who are 

While I just observe, my students take action to change their world. 

They are no copycats; they are human beings with a real sense of 

perception and ability. They are firm and controlled -- they know how 

to share the world together 

brilliant and empathetic, who 

are global thinkers yet are firmly 

rooted in their local causes. 

I teach courses on feminism in 

literature, media, and culture; and 

I see how my students take in the 

lecturers to transform themselves 

and their surroundings for the 

better. I see them boiling in anger 

when they realise that discussions 

in the classroom are the hardest to 

translate in the real world. 

Our society changes slowly, 

the education system moves in 

contradictory directions, and the 

entrenched autocratic system, 

even in the relatively liberal 

institution such as universities, are 

fed on the power of iron hands. 

While I just observe, my 

students take action to change 

their world. They are no copycats; 

they are human beings with a real 

sense of perception and ability. 

They are firm and controlled -- 

they know how to share the world 

together. 

Let them grow up, let them be 

the rightful voices of tomorrow. 

They are our best parts. If 

we destroy them, we will be 

destroying ourselves. • 

Rifat Mahbub is Assistant Professor, 

Department of English and Humanities, 

BRAC University.

Opinion 15 

DT 


Sultan of smut 

What does the case of Md Fuad Bin Sultan say about our society? 

SERPENT 

IN EDEN 

• Towheed Feroze 

The news was possibly a 

surprise for many though 

I am sure there are those 

who are keen social 

observers and notice the murky 

sides of life cleverly concealed by 

a layer of pseudo modesty. I am, of 

course, talking about the arrest of 

the local Sultan of porn. 

The man in question left a 

conventional career and decided 

to delve into the world of the 

forbidden to make a fast buck. As 

far as we know, he ran an escort 

service -- providing women willing 

to be intimate to clients for a price 

-- and also used his flat to offer 

discreet meeting spots for such 

trysts. 

One act leads to another 

It seems that the man in question, 

reportedly the son of a retired 

police officer, had been running 

the operation of providing female 

companionship in exchange for a 

fee for some time. In the West, this 

business, though not discussed 

at public forums too often, is a 

legitimate way of earning since the 

women involved are believed to 

have entered the work willingly. 

A few years ago, an 

international news channel ran 

a story about recession-time 

students earning to pay for their 

tuition working as part-time 

escorts. Many of the women 

later went on to enter perfectly 

acceptable professional positions, 

leaving that small bit of their lives 

behind. 

In recession time, there have 

been incidents when women, for 

a short while, have been seen to 

work as escorts to pass through a 

hard patch. Desperate times call 

for desperate measures, as they 

say. 

There’s always the chance to 

wipe the slate clean and start over. 

Our man in question, who 

conveniently has Sultan in 

his name, began his business 

providing escorts, but later, 

possibly driven by greed, decided 

to film the intimate moments and 

then use the clips to blackmail 

the client and also the women 

involved. 

Obviously, with the secret 

filming, the whole affair took a 

very diabolic turn. One should 

not endorse escort services from 

a puritanical point of view, but 

A symptom of a sexually-repressed society? 

we need to look at this social 

phenomenon not with the 

blinkered view of a purist but with 

that of a rationalist. 

Driven by moralist zeal, many 

denounce brothels on the grounds 

that they undermine traditional 

values and then force sex workers 

on the street into a world of 

brutal exploitation, disease, and 

depravity. 

No matter how conservative we 

try to portray ourselves to be, the 

fact is we have registered brothels 

where thousands live and play 

a vital role in maintaining social 

civility. 

The crime is the secret filming 

Whether someone wants to be a 

discreet special companion for 

livelihood is that person’s choice 

but making secret films and then 

using that for blackmail takes us 

into darker territory. Obviously, 

in this downward slope, the yaba 

tablet, known for its inhibitionbusting 

powers, plays a central 

role. 

In fact, if we meticulously look 

at all current-day social anomalies, 

from rising brutality to savage 

behaviour to the rise of divorce 

rates in urban areas, a link to the 

drug can eventually be found. 

I hear from my media friends 

that the common line in all current 

day crime related investigations is: 

“What is the baba (a euphemism 

An educated man without scruples filming others in intimate moments 

to make money and create torment is the ultimate debasement of social 

ethos 

for yaba) connection?” 

The latest case is no exception; 

yaba was found in the man’s flat 

where he allegedly drugged both 

men and women and then led 

them to indulge in unrestrained 

acts, filmed by hidden cameras. 

The most perturbing aspect 

of this whole sordid affair is that 

the person in question is not 

unrefined or boorish but someone 

who is educated and comes from a 

respectable background. 

Values wither when the profit is 

quick 

We are not wrong in guessing that 

in the face of fast profit, all social 

inhibitions of the so called “porn 

king” dissipated. Whether he has a 

university degree or not becomes 

irrelevant since society now knows 

him as a blackmailer. 

Reminiscent of the soft-spoken 

but thoroughly vile Sherlock 

Holmes master blackmailer, 

Charles Augustus Milverton, who 

made a handsome livelihood by 

selling the secrets of others. 

An educated man without 

scruples filming others in intimate 

moments to make money and 

create torment is the ultimate 

debasement of social ethos. 

A few years ago, another such 

person, a photographer, was 

arrested by police when he lured 

children from underprivileged 

backgrounds with cash to pose for 

photos which were later sold to 

pedophiles abroad. 

Is it time for legitimate adult 

entertainment? 

Some say we should bring down 

the vacuous brouhaha over the 

cliched lines of conservative 

values and lifestyle according 

to impractical social restrictions 

-- and try to come to terms with 

the metamorphosis which has 

happened behind the curtain of 

puritanism. 

Stands to reason, adult 

entertainment is a global trend; we 

may not admit it in public but, in 

Bangladesh, the hits into over 18 

sites are staggering. 

And, if we go back in time, 

we recall (even in the 80s) the 

RAB 

roaring business of the makeshift 

VCR theatres in Thataribazar, 

Begumbazar which mainly showed 

adult movies. 

Society has ingrained within 

us that anything to do with 

physical pleasure is a taboo 

topic and cannot be discussed 

openly. Interestingly, way back 

in the 70s, during a brief period 

of enlightened thinking, a film 

for adults (possibly called Gopon 

Kotha), featuring top movie 

stars of the time, openly talked 

about puberty, family planning, 

and other issues topped with a 

balanced dose of tantalising thrill. 

The recent case of Sultan is 

another incident which asks us 

not to hide under a make-believe 

blanket of prudery and address 

several social proclivities with a 

healthy dose of liberalism. 

Such sultans of smut will 

proliferate unless we talk about 

areas of life which have been 

blocked out irrationally. • 

Towheed Feroze is a journalist working 

in the development sector.

16 


DT 

Downtime 

CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

1 Thunder god (4) 

5 Self-defence style (4) 

10 Burden (4) 

11 Fresh (3) 

12 Remedies (5) 

13 Unwell (3) 

14 Sample (5) 

16 Hexes (6) 

18 Reflected sounds (6) 

21 Unit of capacity (5) 

23 Insane (3) 

24 Lowest point (5) 

26 Consumed (3) 

27 Not working (4) 

28 Twenty quires (4) 

29 Nimble (9) 

DOWN 

2 Multitude (5) 

3 United (3) 

4 Cattle thief (7) 

6 Single entity (4) 

7 Cancel (6) 

8 Night bird (3) 

9 Book of the Bible (4) 

15 Goes up (7) 

17 Roof of the mouth (6) 

19 Command (5) 

20 Hindu garment (4) 

22 Notion (4) 

23 Spoil (3) 

25 High mountain (3) 

CODE-CRACKER 

How to solve: Each number in our 

CODE-CRACKER grid represents a 

different letter of the alphabet. For 

example, today 18 represents M so fill M 

every time the figure 18 appears. 

You have two letters in the control 

grid to start you off. Enter them in the 

appropriate squares in the main grid, then 

use your knowledge of words to work out 

which letters go in the missing squares. 

Some letters of the alphabet may not be 

used. 

As you get the letters, fill in the other 

squares with the same number in the 

main grid, and the control grid. Check 

off the list of alphabetical letters as you 

identify them. 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

CALVIN AND HOBBES 

SUDOKU 

How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the 

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

contain all nine digits with no number repeating. 

PEANUTS 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS 

CODE-CRACKER 

CROSSWORD 

DILBERT 

SUDOKU

Biz Info 

17 


DT 

NESTLÉ Bangladesh gives out gifts 

to contest winners 

Aziz al Masud, managing director of Partex Fashions Ltd, inaugurating the mega 

showroom for “Red Origin” by Partex Group at Jumauna Future Park. Managing 

director of Partex Beverage Ltd Rubel Aziz, general manager (finance and 

accounts) M M Nurun Nabi and other officials were present at the ceremony. 

New VC of Stamford 

University appointed 

• Showtime Desk 

Nestlé Bangladesh Limited 

organised a celebration for the 

contest winners of “Pushtir 

Patshala” for its Breakfast Cereal 

consumers on August 3, 2017 at 

Nestlé Bangladesh Head Office. 

The contest starting on March 

1, 2017 and ending on April 30, 

2017 was based on the theme of 

bond between mothers and their 

children and involved sharing 

their photos and stories on 

Facebook. 

During the contest, 

participating mothers made their 

submissions through the Nestlé 

Corporate page on Facebook 

and were judged based on the 

quality and engagement on 

their posts. The contest winners 

were selected outlet-wise and 

the first winners received brand 

new bicycles. The second and 

third prizes were trendy skating 

board and mini basketball sets 

respectively. The Pushtir Patshala 

contest was conducted in 19 key 

stores across Dhaka City. 

Senior Management Team and 

members of Nestlé handed out 

the gifts to the winners. • 

Nando’s Master Grillers’ Challenge 2017 held 

Renowned professor and architect 

Professor Mohammad Ali Naqi 

has been appointed as the new 

Vice-Chancellor of Stamford 

University Bangladesh. He has 

been appointed as the VC for the 

next four years by the Chancellor, 

President of Bangladesh Abdul 

Hamid Chowdhury. 

Professor Mohammad Ali Naqi 

completed his undergraduate in 

Architecture from BUET in 1989 

with first class and completed his 

M. Arch. from the same university 

in 2004. 

He started his career as a 

lecturer at Khulna University in 

1991 and subsequently promoted 

to an Asst. Professor in 1994 

and Associate Professor in 2001. 

He also became the head of the 

architecture department at Khulna 

University during his tenure 

there. In 2006 he joined Stamford 

University Bangladesh as the Chair 

of the department of architecture. 

Well known for designing a 

number of notable architectural 

structures in the country, 

Professor Naqi has many 

publications in reputed journals. 

He has succeeded the former VC 

Professor Feroze Ahmed. • 

UGC chairman to deliver 

memorial lecture at the former 

Islamia College in Kolkata 

Like every year, Nando’s 

Bangladesh organised the Master 

Griller’s Challenge 2017 at its 

Gulshan 1 branch last Saturday. 

Anthony Shoikat Gomes seized 

the winning title and as the 

regional winner of this year 

he will be joining the Nando’s 

Master Griller’s Challenge in 

South Africa. 

He will represent the Nando’s 

Bangladesh team against the 

master grillers of 24 countries 

in this prestigious culinary 

battle. MGH Restaurants Pvt 

Limited (MRPL) has been the 

Master Franchisee of Nando’s in 

Bangladesh for 10 years. 

The special guest judges 

of this festive fight included 

celebrity singer Hridoy Khan, 

model and presenter Ismath 

Zerin Chaity, television host 

Samia Afrin, the winner of 

Nando’s customer survey Ashik 

Noon. 

The 12 griller Nandocas 

(the name given to a Nando’s 

team member) went through 

a month of intense training 

sessions and screening tests. 

The master grillers Md Al 

Mamun (Dhanmondi), Uttam 

Sarker (Gulshan 2), Md Al Imran 

(Banani) and Anthony Shoikat 

Gomes (Gulshan 1) became the 

finalists of 2017. The finalists 

had only fifteen minutes to 

prepare and grill their best 

PERI-PERI chicken and impress 

the judges.• 

Bangladesh Deputy High 

Commission in Kolkata has 

organized a memorial lecture on 

‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur 

Rahman and Bangladesh’ on 

August 17 to mark the national 

mourning day on August 15. 

This August it will be the 42nd 

martyrdom anniversary of the 

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu 

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

The memorial lecture, for 

the first time will be held at the 

former Islamia College (presently 

Maulana Azad College), where 

a young Bangabandhu studied 

and started his political career. 

Professor Abdul Mannan, 

Chairman, University Grants 

Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh 

will deliver the memorial lecture 

as the keynote speaker. Other 

speakers include Professor 

Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor, 

Jadavpur University, Paschim 

Banga and Professor Bijoy Krishna 

Roy, Principal, Maulana Azad 

College, Paschim Banga, India, 

who will speak on the topic ‘the 

life and works of Bangabandhu.’ •

DT 

18 

Sports 


World championships 

men’s 100m final 

Usain Bolt of Jamaica, Justin Gatlin of the US and Christian Coleman of the US compete in the final of the men’s 100m event in the London World Athletics Championship 

on Saturday 

REUTERS 

Bolt stunned by Gatlin in 100m farewell 

• Reuters, London 

Justin Gatlin ruined Usain Bolt’s 

farewell party when the 35-year-old 

American won the world 100 metres 

title on Saturday, beating the Jamaican 

superstar into third and sparking 

a chorus of boos from a London 

crowd unhappy with his doping past. 

What was meant to be a glorious 

celebration of the departure of the 

sport’s greatest showman turned 

into a condemnation of its biggest 

pantomime villain as Gatlin, twice 

banned for drug offences, rolled 

back the years to win a second world 

title 12 years after his first and 13 after 

claiming Olympic 100m gold. 

As so often before Bolt made a 

terrible start but for once could not 

make it up as Christian Coleman, the 

21-year-old American who beat him 

in the semi-finals, looked set for victory. 

But Gatlin, who stumbled at 

the death to lose the 2015 world final 

to Bolt by a hundredth of a second, 

on this occasion timed his surge and 

dip to perfection to win in 9.92s. 

Coleman, who has run over 40 

races this year but turned professional 

only a few weeks ago, took 

silver in 9.94. Bolt, straining every 

sinew, fought all the way to the line 

but the pace and grace that took 

him to his world record of 9.58 

eight years ago has withered with 

age and perennial injury battles 

and this time he ran out of track. 

“It’s just one of those things,” 

Bolt said. “My start is killing me. 

Normally, it gets better during the 

rounds but it didn’t come together.” 

When the results flashed up on 

the giant screen the crowd immediately 

began repeating the booing 

with which Gatlin’s name had been 

greeted since the heats on Friday. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, his first 

response was to put his finger to his 

Bolt reacts as Gatlin pays homage to the Jamaican 

lips to indicate silence. 

The crowd reacted by chanting 

Bolt’s name and the Jamaican 

hugged Gatlin and told him he did 

not deserve the disrespect. 

“I tuned it out (the boos) 

through the rounds and stayed the 

course. I did what I had to do,” said 

Gatlin, who served a four-year ban 

from 2006 for a second doping offence 

- which he always denied. 

“The people who love me are 

here cheering for me and cheering 

at home. 

“It is Bolt’s last race and he’s 

the man so it’s not about beating 

him. I have had many victories and 

many defeats down the years, he’s 

pushed and inspired me to be the 

athlete I am today.” • 

REUTERS 

1. Justin Gatlin (US) 9.92 

2. Christian Coleman (US) 9.94 

3. Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 9.95 

4. Yohan Blake (Jamaica) 9.99 

5. Akani Simbine (SA) 10.01 

6. Jimmy Vicaut (France) 10.08 

7. Reece Prescod (Britain) 10.17 

8. Su Bingtian (China) 10.27 

Gatlin: I have 

done my time 

• Reuters, London 

Justin Gatlin said it was sad that 

fans booed his victory in the world 

100m final on Saturday, saying he 

had “done my time” for his doping 

offences - and Usain Bolt, the man 

he beat into third place, agreed 

with him. 

Gatlin took the title in 9.92 but 

instead of acclaiming the remarkable 

success of a 35-year-old triumphing 

13 years after he won the 

Olympic title, vast swathes of the 

crowd booed him in response to his 

two bans for drugs offences earlier 

in his career. 

“It’s kinda sad that my boos 

were louder than some of the others’ 

cheers,” Gatlin told reporters. 

“I wanted to keep it classy and at 

the end of the race bend the knee 

to Usain. Pay homage to him. This 

night is still a magical night for 

track and field and for Usain Bolt; 

he’s done so much in his career.” 

“I wasn’t booed in 2010, 2011 

or 2012 - or 13, 14 or 15 - and now 

I am. I’m just sitting up here, I’m a 

runner, I’m back in the sport, I’ve 

done my time, I’ve done community 

service. I’ve talked to kids, I 

inspire kids - that’s all I can do,” the 

American added. 

“Society does that with people 

who make mistakes and I hope 

track and field can understand that 

too.” 

Bolt, who finished third behind 

American Christian Coleman, 

agreed. 

“Over the years I’ve always said 

he’s done his time,” said the Jamaican, 

who was the first to hug Gatlin 

post-race. 

“If he’s here, it’s okay. I’ve always 

respected him as a competitor. 

He deserves to be here, he’s 

worked hard. 

“I treat him like any other athlete 

- as a competitor.” 

Gatlin was asked if he thought 

his victory had been a disaster for 

the spot. 

“I wasn’t focused on the boos, I 

wasn’t thinking about whether my 

win tonight was a disaster for the 

sport,” he said. 

“I really did it for my fans, my 

support staff, my countrymen, the 

people who really believe in me.” •

Sports 19 

DT 


Dhaka Derby today 

• Tribune Report 

Archrivals Dhaka Abahani Limited and Mohammedan 

Sporting Club Limited will take on each other in 

the first Dhaka derby this season in the third round 

of the Bangladesh Premier Football League 2016-17 

season at Bangabandhu National Stadium today at 

7:15pm. 

Bangla TV will telecast the match live. 

Considering the quality and strength of the squad, 

five-time professional champion Abahani might 

appear favourite but it was only in their last match 

against Farashganj Sporting Club that they conceded 

their first league defeat after a 23-match unbeaten 

run. 

Abahani defeated their archrival twice in the 

league last season before going on to win the league 

without losing a single match. 

They also won this season’s Federation Cup while 

Mohammedan, like every tournament last season, 

crashed out in the quarter-finals. 

The two sides faced each other 19 times in 10 years 

of professional league history with Abahani winning 

seven times and Mohammedan winning four. 

Eight encounters ended in a draw. 

Mohammedan’s struggle continued in the league 

as well as they suffered two defeats against Sheikh 

Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited and Chittagong Abahani 

Limited in their first two matches while Mohammedan 

won their first game against Saif Sporting Club 

but suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Farashganj. 

• Mohammedan and Abahani players during training in Dhaka yesterday, ahead of the Dhaka derby today MD MANIK 

O’Neill: I’m trying to prepare them for a Test match 


Bangladesh team practised at Zahur 

Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium 

in Chittagong yesterday, ahead of 

the two-match Test series against 

Australia. Tigers batting coach 

Mark O’Neill, who was appointed 

prior to the Australia series, has expressed 

satisfaction with the batsmen 

following the nets session. 

“I am impressed how our batsmen 

batted in the nets, particularly 

[yesterday]. Batsmen are working on 

several techniques which can help 

them in Test cricket. I am trying to 

develop them for Test cricket as Australia 

series is looming,” said O’Neill. 

“I am trying to ensure that batsmen 

are playing proper shots in the 

nets and can realise the value of 

their wicket in the longer-version. 

A batsman has to concentrate on 

timing and weight transfer in longer 

format, rather than hitting too hard. 

“The basic thing about batting 

in Test cricket is patience. The basic 

thing is to stay steady in your 

strength, and not being in the position 

of another’s strength. Belief 

in yourself is important,” he added. 

Top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar 

has been struggling in recent times. 

The Australian coach however, 

believes there is no chance of 

changing Soumya’s batting style. 

“I do not see any problem with 

his technique. Not only him but 

also the other batmen in the team 

are also very good just like other 

batsmen of the world. Most of the 

time he plays with the middle bat. 

He can hit anywhere he likes. The 

matter is psychological, they have 

to believe that they are world-class. 

If they are confident of their abilities 

then Australia will have a great 

test in the upcoming series,” said 

O’Neill. 

“If you get a ball to hit then you 

will have to hit it. I do not want to 

change anyone’s batting technique 

as a batting coach in any way. My 

job is to tell them what they can 

do consistently without taking too 

many risks and not to play bad 

shots,” explained the former firstclass 

cricketer. 

One of O’Neil’s major work will 

be to work with tail-ender batsmen 

and improve their performance. 

The batting coach thinks tailenders 

can produce valuable contributions 

for the team. 

“One of the issues of lower-order 

batsmen is that, as a bowler, 

they do not get enough time to bat. 

They even get rare opportunities to 

bat in practice. But both as a player 

and coach, I have seen many times 

that the team is winning when the 

lower order batsmen survive and 

contribute for the team,” he said. 

“To get something from them, 

you have to pay more attention to 

them, give more time and opportunity 

to bat in practice. They should 

be encouraged to play according to 

their own strengths and play a role 

of giving back the strike at the other 

end,” he added. 

The first Test will played in Dhaka 

from August 27-31 while second 

Test will be played in Chittagong 

from September 4-8. • 

Courtois, Morata gift Arsenal 

Community Shield 

Arsenal’s Sead Kolasinac scores their first goal against Chelsea during the Community Shield in London yesterday 

REUTERS 

• AFP, London 

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and 

star signing Alvaro Morata were the 

Chelsea fall guys as Arsenal won 

the Community Shield 4-1 on penalties 

at Wembley yesterday. 

Goals from Chelsea’s Victor Moses 

and Arsenal new boy Sead Kolasinac 

sent the game to a shootout 

and with both Courtois and Morata 

limply squandering their spotkicks, 

Arsenal won the trophy for 

the third time in four years. 

Courtois blazed his penalty over 

the bar before substitute Morata, 

a £58m capture from Real Madrid, 

shot wide, allowing Olivier Giroud 

to seal victory for Arsenal. 

Arsenal, embarking upon their 

first season without Champions 

League football since 1997, have 

won on their last nine visits to 

Wembley, a run stretching back to 

a victory over Wigan Athletic in the 

semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2014. 

Arsene Wenger’s side open the 

Premier League season at home to 

2016 champions Leicester City on 

Friday, with Antonio Conte’s Chelsea 

beginning their title defence at 

home to Burnley the following day. 

Moses was also sent off after 

receiving a second yellow card for 

diving as Arsenal stunned Chelsea 

2-1 in May’s FA Cup final. •

20 


DT 

Sports 

Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery celebrates with the trophy after winning the DFL-Supercup Final against Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund on Saturday 

REUTERS 

Bayern beat 

Dortmund to 

win German 

Super Cup 

• Reuters 

German champion Bayern Munich 

beat Cup holder Borussia Dortmund 

5-4 on penalties to win a record 

sixth Super Cup after the entertaining 

curtain-raiser to the new 

season finished 2-2 in regular time 

on Saturday. 

Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich 

saved Marc Bartra’s sudden-death 

spot kick to settle a riveting tie at 

Dortmund’s packed Signal Iduna 

Park. 

Dortmund looked to have 

done enough after top scorer 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 

scored a superb 71st-minute goal 

to give the home side a 2-1 lead but 

they were undone by a late Lukasz 

Piszczek own-goal. 

American forward Christian 

Pulisic fired Dortmund ahead in the 

12th minute when he robbed Javi 

Martinez and steered the ball past 

Ulreich after Robert Lewandowski 

fired over the bar at the other end. • 

PSG will make 

Neymar best 

in world, says 

Pastore 

• AFP, Paris 

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder 

Javier Pastore has pledged Neymar 

that his new club will help him become 

the best player on the planet. 

Neymar became the most expensive 

player in history when the Ligue 

1 giants snatched the 25-year-old 

Brazilian from Barcelona after paying 

the 222m euros release clause. 

Neymar was joyously welcomed 

at Parc des Princes on Saturday 

night at his official unveiling before 

PSG’s opening Ligue 1 win over Amiens. 

“He’s one of the best players in 

the world. He’s a decisive player, 

who scores goals. The whole team 

are going to help him become the 

best player in the world,” vowed 

Pastore. 

“For us it’s fantastic, we’re 

thrilled that he’s come here,” added 

Pastore, who has relinquished 

his No.10 shirt to the Brazilian star. 

“We’re waiting now for him 

to play to start to help us win 

everything this season.” 

Red tape forced Neymar to skip 

his hoped for debut in Saturday’s 

2-0 win as his international transfer 

certificate wasn’t lodged in time 

with the French league, meaning he 

had to watch Pastore and his new 

team-mates from the stands. • 

Neymar watches as PSG beat Amiens 

• Reuters 

Neymar’s Paris St Germain debut 

was put on ice as red tape reduced 

him to the world’s most expensive 

spectator but his ineligibility 

proved no problem for the hosts as 

they beat Amiens 2-0 in their Ligue 

1 opener on Saturday. 

The 25-year-old Brazilian, who 

cost PSG a world-record doubling 

222m euros ($261.32m) from Barcelona 

this week, had hoped to be 

making his debut but his transfer 

was not registered in time and he 

will have to wait until next week. 

RESULTS 

Paris SG 2-0 Amiens 

Cavani 42, Pastore 80 

Lyon 4-0 Strasbourg 

Diaz 23, 61, Fekir 59-P, 90+1 

Metz 1-3 Guingamp 

Roux 14 Briand 39-P, Blas 71, Diallo 84 

Montpellier 1-0 Caen 

Camara 58 

Saint-Etienne 1-0 Nice 

Bamba 4 

Troyes 1-1 Rennes 

Grandsir 46 Tell 69 

PSG’s Neymar watches their Ligue 1 game against Amiens from the stands in Paris on Saturday 

He still stole the limelight though 

as he was paraded before kickoff in 

front of tens of thousands of ecstatic 

fans who hope the striker can turn 

them into kings of Europe. Neymar, 

who was joined by the club’s CEO 

Nasser Al-Khelaifi on the pitch an 

hour before kickoff, delighted his 

new fans with some ball skills and 

threw his shirt into the crowd. 

He also addressed the fans, saying 

he wanted to win trophies for 

the club. Neymar, whose salary is 

reported to be 45m euros, meaning 

he earned around 123,000 euros for 

his pre-match ball juggling. • 

REUTERS 

Klopp delighted 

by cut-price 

Liverpool stars 

• AFP, Dublin 

Liverpool’s German boss Jurgen 

Klopp will keep an open mind on 

the Reds’ participation in the transfer 

market, after signing off on an 

unbeaten pre-season with a 3-1 win 

over Spanish top-flight side Athletic 

Bilbao. 

The Reds boss watched 19-yearold 

summer signing Dominic 

Solanke score again, along with 

17-year-old Ben Woodburn, while 

Alberto Moreno impressed at full 

back. 

Klopp shelled out a club record 

£34m to Roma for Mohamed Salah 

this summer, and £8m for Scottish 

full back Andy Robertson from Hull 

but he’s been enthused by the impressions 

made by those who cost 

little or nothing. 

“We’ve always said that until 

August 31 we’ll run through the 

world with open eyes, that’s clear, 

but it’s not us alone who decides 

about these things. It’s all about 

other clubs [too],” said Klopp. 

“I thought today and this 

pre-season brought us new players, 

if you want. Alberto Moreno is 100 

per cent back, which is very nice after 

a really difficult year. 

“Andrew Robertson shows all 

the skills he has, of course he still 

has to adapt to our way of playing 

but you can already see what a 

threat he can be offensively. •

Jadeja bowls India to 

series-clinching victory 

• Reuters, Colombo 

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja 

broke the back of Sri Lanka’s resistance 

after lunch to secure India’s 

series-clinching victory by an 

innings and 53 runs in the second 

Test yesterday. 

The all-rounder claimed his 

ninth five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka, 

forced to follow on after being 

shot out for 183 in the first innings, 

made 386 in the second before 

collapsing minutes before the tea 

break on the penultimate day. 

It was a first victory by an innings 

or more for India in Sri Lanka 

and, following their biggest victory 

by runs in Galle last week, ensured 

an eighth straight series triumph 

under Virat Kohli. 

Kohli will fancy equalling Australia’s 

modern era record of nine 

Historic win 

for Nofel SC in 

Championship 

League 


Newly formed Nofel Sporting Club 

kicked off their first ever Bangladesh 

Championship League campaign 

with a comfortable 2-0 win 

over former premier league outfit 

Feni Soccer Club at Birsreshtha 

Sepahi Mustafa Kamal Stadium in 

Kamalapur yesterday. 

It was the inaugural match of 

this season’s second tier league and 

also the first official match of Nofel, 

who were formed early this year. 

Both the clubs – Nofel and Soccer 

Club – are managed by the same 

owners. 

Ariful Islam netted the historic 

first goal for Nofel in the 26th 

minute before Mohammad Sazzad 

Zaman doubled the lead in the 45th 

minute. 

Relegated from the top flight 

last season, Soccer Club shuffled 

the entire squad and formed a new 

team. 

They later struggled to script a 

comeback to the game. • 

DAY’S WATCH 

CRICKET 

STAR SPORTS SELECT 1 

4:00PM 

South Africa Tour of England 

4th Test, Day 4 

SONY SIX HD 

6:00AM 

Caribbean Premier League 

Trinbago Knight Riders v St Lucia 

consecutive Test series wins when 

India host Sri Lanka for three 

matches later this year. 

Sri Lanka will take a modicom 

of confidence into that series from 

a second innings resurgence that 

was built around the 191-run stand 

between Dimuth Karunaratne and 

Kusal Mendis, who fell for 110 on 

Saturday. 

Lefthander Karunaratne’s gallant 

141 merely delayed the inevitable 

on Sunday, though, as Jadeja 

(5-152) and spin partner Ravichandran 

Ashwin (2-132) tormented Sri 

Lanka on a worn-out track where 

the ball spun alarmingly and often 

kicked off. 

Sri Lanka had resumed the 

fourth day on 209-2 at the Sinhalese 

Sports Cricket Ground with 

Karunaratne continuing his grim 

battle with the Indian bowlers. • 

Sports 

Siddikur finishes 29th in TAKE 

Solutions Masters 


Premier Bangladesh golfer Siddikur 

Rahman finished 29th, alongside 

five others, as the fourth and 

final round’s play in the TAKE Solutions 

Masters concluded yesterday 

at Karnataka Golf Association Golf 

Course in Bengaluru, India. 

Siddikur carded two-under-par 

69 yesterday to take his overall aggregate 

to two-under-par 282, 14 shots 

India’s Ravindra Jadeja in action during day four of their second Test against Sri 

Lanka in Colombo yesterday 

REUTERS 

behind champion Poom Saksansin 

of Thailand, who pocketed $54,000. 

The 32-year old Siddikur from 

Madaripur, who hit four birdies 

against a single bogey in the 11th 

hole, received $2,380 for his 29th 

place finish. 

TAKE Solutions is a globally recognised 

knowledge intensive player, 

delivering comprehensive and 

niche solutions in Life Sciences. 

TAKE Solutions will title sponsor 

the new Asian Tour tournament 

in India for the next three years until 

2019. 

Through this new collaboration 

between TAKE Solutions, Asian 

Tour and PGTI, at least 40 Indian 

golfers will have the opportunity to 

compete against the region’s leading 

golfers where a win will be rewarded 

with full playing rights on 

the Asian Tour until the end of the 

2018 season. • 

Alexander Zverev of Germany hits a forehand against Kei Nishikori of Japan (not pictured) in the men’s singles semi-final at 

Fitzgerald Tennis Centre. Zverev won 6-3, 6-4 

AP 

21 


2ND TEST, DAY 4 

Jadeja 

suspended for 

Pallekele Test 

• Agencies 

DT 

India 1st innings 622-9 dec (C. Pujara 133, 

A. Rahane 132; R. Herath 4-154) 

Sri Lanka 1st innings 183 (N. Dickwella 51, 

A. Mathews 26; R. Ashwin 5-69) 

Sri Lanka 2nd innings (overnight 209-2; 

D. Karunaratne 92, M. Pushpakumara 2) 

Karunaratne c A. Rahane b R. Jadeja 141 307 

U. Tharanga b U. Yadav 2 9 

K. Mendis c W. Saha b H. Pandya 110 135 

M. Pushpakumara b R. Ashwin 16 58 

Chandimal c A. Rahane b R. Jadeja 2 6 

A. Mathews c W. Saha b R. Jadeja 36 66 

Dickwella c A. Rahane b H. Pandya 31 56 

D. Perera st W. Saha b R. Jadeja 4 10 

D. de Silva c A. Rahane b R. Jadeja 17 17 

R. Herath not out 17 30 

N. Pradeep c S. Dhawan b R. Ashwin 1 9 

Extras (lb5, nb2, w2) 9 

Total (all out; 116.5 overs) 386 

Bowling: U. Yadav 13-2-39-1, R. Ashwin 

37.5-7-132-2, M. Shami 12-3-27-0, R. Jadeja 

39-5-152-5, H. Pandya 15-2-31-2 

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (U. Tharanga), 2-198 (K. 

Mendis), 3-238 (M. Pushpakumara), 4-241 

(D. Chandimal), 5-310 (D. Karunaratne), 

6-315 (A. Mathews), 7-321 (K. Perera), 

8-343 (D. de Silva), 9-384 (N. Dickwella), 

10-386 (N. Pradeep) 

Result: India won by an innings and 53 runs 

Series: India take three-match series 2-0 

India spinner Ravindra Jadeja has 

been suspended from the third and 

final Test of the series against Sri 

Lanka after accumulating six demerit 

points over a 24 month period, 

reports espncricinfo. 

Jadeja had come into the Colombo 

Test with three demerit points, 

slapped on him for running on the 

pitch in Indore in October 2016. Now, 

the ICC have penalised him further 

after an incident in the 58th over of 

the Sri Lankan second innings. 

Jadeja had fielded the ball off his 

own bowling and then thrown it a 

the batsman Dimuth Karunaratne 

“in a dangerous manner” according 

to the on-field umpires Rod Tucker 

and Bruce Oxenford. This was in 

breach of article 2.2.8 of the player’s 

code of conduct which deals 

with “throwing a ball (or any other 

item of cricket equipment such as 

a water bottle) at or near a Player, 

Player Support Personnel, Umpire, 

Match Referee or any other third 

person in an inappropriate and/or 

dangerous manner during an International 

Match”. 

Jadeja admitted to the offence 

and accepted his sanction by match 

referee Richie Richardson. In addition 

to the demerit points, which 

tallied up to a suspension, he was 

fined 50% of his match fees. Jadeja 

had been a vital part of India’s innings 

victory at the SSC, becoming 

one of only two Indians ever to hit a 

fifty and take a five-for in the same 

Test. With him forced into the sidelines, 

India might look to play leftarm 

wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav in 

Pallekele on August 12. •

22 


DT 

Showtime 

Bangladeshi youngster Shomi 

directs SRK and Diplo 


For his latest venture, Jab Harry 

met Sejal, Shah Rukh Khan has 

collaborated with Grammy winner 

DJ Diplo for a song titled “Phurrr”. 

The American rapper and singer 

has composed the song with 

Pritam and Rocky Wellstack for 

the film. The video was directed 

by Shomi Patwary, a Bangladeshi 

youngster, along with Mikhail 

Mehra from India. 

“Phurrr” was made as a 

promotional for King Khan’s film 

and was released day before the 

release of Jab Harry Met Sejal. The 

2 minute 20 second long video 

instantly created a buzz, and has 

been viewed more than 10 million 

times as of now. 

One of the executive producers 

of the video, Punom Tanzina, is 

also a Bangladeshi and married 

to Shomi. Born in Dhaka, Shomi 

Patwary’s original name was 

Mahfuzur Patwary, who moved 

to USA with his family in 1990. In 

2010, Shomi married Noakhali’s 


Months after her father and 

Soundgarden front man Chris 

Punam Tanzima. Together, the 

couple run a production house 

named Shot By Shomi. 

With his sheer love and 

eagerness for making videos, 

Shomi, who has no institutional 

knowledge in the field, joined Star 

Trek, the studio of the famous 

American rapper and singer 

Pharell Williams, as an intern. 

Shomi and sensational record 

producer Diplo were introduced 

back in 2011, when Diplo’s fame 

wasn’t as widespread as it is 

today. Mikhel Mehra, the other 

director of the video, also knew 

both of them, hence proposed 

that the duo to collaborate with 

him. Later, Diplo created “Phurrr” 

with Bollywood music director 

Pritom’s composition. The number 

was voiced by Mohit Chauhan and 

Tushar Joshi. 

The opportunity of working 

with Shah Rukh came as a 

breakthrough for Shomi. Before 

the shoot of “Phurrr”, Imtiaz Ali, 

the director of the film, wrote 

to Shomi, “I’ve watched your 

Chris Cornell’s daughter pays 

tribute to him and Chester 

Cornell committed suicide, 

and after Linkin Park singer 

and their family friend Chester 

Bennington died in the same 

previous works. I have my full 

confidence in you. Good Luck,” 

Shomi confirmed with Prothom- 

Alo. 

According to Shomi, Shah Rukh 

Khan, who has earlier collaborated 

way weeks later, Toni Cornell 

has taken to the stage to perform 

an emotional tribute for the two 

iconic singers. 

During Friday’s Good Morning 

America, the 12-year-old 

daughter of Chris Cornell stepped 

up to join OneRepublic on stage, 

to perform a poignant version of 

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. 

They dedicated the cover to the 

iconic rock singers who took their 

own lives in identical ways. 

In a statement, Toni Cornell 

said, “It’s an honour to perform 

this for my dad and Chester and 

to sing for them.” 

OneRepublic front man Ryan 

Tedder said, “Chester sang this 

at Cornell’s funeral, and this 

is arguably one of the greatest 

songs written in the last 50 years. 

It’s a very special song to us, 

and I think to most people and 

especially to Toni [Cornell] as 

well.” 

Toni Cornell and Ryan Tedder 

alternated lead vocals on the 

cover, singing in unison at the 

end. The audience members 

were visibly weeping during the 

performance. Linkin Park were 

scheduled to perform at Central 

Park on Friday as part of Good 

Morning America’s Summer 

Concert series. • 

with international music sensation 

Akon for chartbuster “Chammak 

Challo” from RaOne, gave the 

jacket he wore in the video to 

Shomi and praised the couple, 

saying, “You are too professional. I 


Recently, Kazi Hayat has created 

quite a buzz by announcing he 

will be steping out from the 

Bangladesh Film Directors’ 

Association over a dispute with 

the association of film-makers. 

His film-making career comes 

to an end here, as the eight 

time National Award winning 

director has sent a membership 

cancellation application to the 

association on Thursday. 

Hayat’s return to filmmaking 

depends on finding a 

solution to his discontent with 

the association, which is yet to 

materialise. 

Now, the veteran film-maker 

and actor has made another 

headline by being a model in 

an upcoming music video. Kazi 

Hayat played the father of singer 

liked working with you.” 

The budding director has 

previously worked with the likes 

of Beyonce, Kanye West and Kylie 

Jenner and looks forward to make 

films in future. • 

Kazi Hayat dons role of 

Imran's father in music video 

Imran for his upcoming music 

video “Jodi Haat Ta Dharo,” 

while Khaleda Aktar Kolpona, the 

veteran film actress, played the 

singer’s mother in it. 

Bristy, one of the top seven 

participants of Bangladeshi Idol 

in 2013, sang the song, besides 

appearing in the music video. 

Faisal Rabbikin penned the 

lyrics of the song, while Imran 

composed it. Saikat Reza directed 

the music video. 

Talking about his upcoming 

musical venture, the singermusician 

said, “It’s a very proud 

moment for me as I had the 

opportunity to work with film 

personalities like Kazi Hayat and 

Khaleda Akter Kolpona. I hope this 

will be a perfect Eid treat for my 

fans.” 

The music video will come out 

during Eid-ul-Adha. •

Showtime 

MONDAY, 

23 


DT 


Rumour has been making 

rounds that DJ Khaled, the 

popular record producer, radio 

personality and DJ broke a horse’s 

back while riding on it. VYBZ 

Media, a relatively unknown site 

posted the news on Monday in 

this regard, saying that Khaled 

had broken a horse’s back 

during his recent vacation at the 

Bahamas, where the popular 

hip-hop producer saddled on the 

steed. 

“He said he weighed 200 

pounds. But our horse’s back 

determined that was a lie,” the 

Porimoni 

to star in 

a Chinese 

fi l m 

Photo: Hossain Ninjoy 

site said, quoting an unnamed 

employee of the resort. They 

added that the producer/DJ 

offered to pay for the horse’s 

funeral. To prove the authenticity 

of their news, VYBZ Media posted 

a YouTube video of the heavyset 

producer, repeatedly getting off 

and on the horse. In the video, 

DJ Khaled was also seen boasting 

about his latest album, saying 

that the album hit number one 

two weeks in a row. 

The news, which went viral 

through various social media 

outlets, later, proved false. DJ 

Khaled’s representatives denied 

the claims. 


Popular Dhallywood star, 

Porimoni is about to make her 

debut in a Chinese film. Titled 

Chasing Murder, the film will 

be made based on a true event 

that took place in China on 

May 6, last year, and became 

famous as “Xiangxia shooting 

murder.” 

Porimoni will be seen as a 

member of international police 

interrogating the murder, with 

a number of actors from China 

and Hong Kong, confirmed the 

actor herself. 

If everything goes as 

planned, Porimoni will be the 

first Bangladeshi to act in a 

Chinese film. “It’s pleasing 

to think that I’m going to be 

the first Bangladeshi to act 

in a Chinese movie,” she said 

expressing her delight. 

“I’ve visited China recently. 

As you know, many of the 

popular social apps are banned 

there, which is why I started to 

use We Chat, and got to know 

That’s one DJ who’s never going to be a 

knight in shining armour 

To verify the 

authenticity 

of the news, 

Snopes, an 

Internet 

reference 

source, 

contacted 

Christina 

Turner, who 

runs Horseplay, 

a horseback riding 

business in Nassau, 

Bahamas that Khaled visited 

with his family. Turner turned 

down the rumour and said that 

Khaled’s horse ride took place 

on July 10, 2017 and lasted, 

“probably less than 10 minutes.” 

“I got a call from the Ocean 

Club, where DJ Khaled was 

staying, saying that he wanted to 

do a family ride with his wife and 

child…His wife rode the horse 

in the water, his son rode the 

horse and then he rode the horse, 

and he did a little quick clip for 

his Instagram. They were a very 

friendly, great family,” she said. 

“That was the extent of the 

story,” she added, “until the crazy 

rumours.” 

She also confirmed that the 

horse in question is not owned by 

the resort. 

To confirm the story, she sent a 

picture of herself with the animal 

healthy Eclipse, Khaled was 

riding, standing next to a copy of 

some Bangladeshi people 

living there. There was a young 

Bangladeshi who is working 

with the film company and 

out of nowhere he offered me 

the role. Later, he took me to 

the production house. I had a 

meeting with the kingpins of 

the company, who described 

the whole story to me. They’ve 

contacted me again after 

my return to Bangladesh. 

That’s how I got connected,” 

the Mohua Sundori actor 

explained. 

She also added that the 

official contract with the 

production house will be 

signed this coming September. 

The actor is now busy taking 

Mandarin lessons in a language 

teaching institute of Dhaka. 

Chasing Murder will be 

directed by two directors, 

Huxiahui and Denipang, under 

the banner of Fengu Tiangxia 

Film company. Shooting of the 

film will take place in China 

and Bangladesh, Porimoni 

confirmed. • 

the Nassau Guardian newspaper 

from July 18, 2017, eight days 

after DJ Khaled’s visit. 

Additionally, members 

of his entourage were later 

photographed riding the same 

horse. 

Aside from his popularity 

as a hip-hop producer, Khaled 

received significant attention 

on the internet due to a number 

of Snapchat videos of Khaled’s 

detailing his “key to success” his 

larger-than-life persona, mainly 

popularised by the YouTube 

channel h3h3Productions in late 

2015–16. This newfound online 

recognition instantly made him 

an “internet phenomenon,” 

with some describing him as 

a “living meme” or “meme in 

human form,” which may have 

contributed in the wide spreading 

of the news. • 

WHAT TO WATCH 

Step Up 

4:39pm, WB 

Tyler Gage receives the 

opportunity of a lifetime after 

vandalising a performing arts 

school, gaining him the chance 

to earn a scholarship and 

dance with an up and coming 

dancer, Nora. 

Cast: Channing Tatum, Jenna 

Dewan, Mario, Drew Sidora, 

Alyson Stoner 

Lights Out 

11:11pm, HBO 

Rebecca must unlock the terror 

behind her little brother’s 

experiences that once tested 

her sanity, bringing her face to 

face with an entity attached to 

their mother. 

Cast: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel 

Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, 

Billy Burke, Maria Bello 

WALL-E 

9:30pm, Movies Now 

In the distant future, a 

small waste-collecting robot 

inadvertently embarks on 

a space journey that will 

ultimately decide the fate of 

mankind. 

Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, 

Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, 

MacInTalk 

Avatar 

6:06pm, Star Movies 

A paraplegic marine 

dispatched to the moon 

Pandora on a unique mission 

becomes torn between 

following his orders and 

protecting the world he feels is 

his home. 

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoë 

Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, 

Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen 

Lang, Joel David Moore

24 


DT 

Back Page 

PWD PROPS UP CRACKED HOSPITAL 

CEILING WITH BAMBOO › 6 

Restaurant fined 

for cheating 

customer with 

overpriced 

bottled water 

BOLT STUNNED BY GATLIN 

IN 100M FAREWELL › 18 

PORIMONI TO STAR 

IN A CHINESE FILM › 23 

• Afrose Jahan Chaity 

CONSUMERS’ RIGHTS 

People frequently overlook when 

they are charged extra for products, 

or provided with low quality 

goods or services at markets, fearing 

the hassle and embarrassment 

that comes with a confrontation, or 

simply because they are ignorant 

of their rights as consumers. 

Fear no more, because now 

there is an effective solution. 

If you are charged extra for a 

product, deceived by a seller or a 

service provider in any form – be 

it lower quality/adulterated products/prohibited 

products in food, 

food or medicine past their expiry 

date – you can complain to the 

National Consumers Rights Protection 

authority. 

Ambarin Zaman Khan, intern at 

the National Credit & Commerce 

Back Ltd, was at a reputed restaurant. 

When she ordered a 500 ml 

bottle of water with her food, she 

found that she had been charge Tk5 

extra for the bottle. 

When Ambarin asked why she 

had been charged extra, she received 

a dismissive reply from the 

management. She told the Dhaka 

Tribune: “I felt bad and I left that 

restaurant with a copy of the bill 

and filed a complaint against them 

at the Directorate of National Consumers 

Rights Protection (DNCRP). 

Ten days later, I received a reply 

from the authorities asking me to 

come to a hearing.” 

She went to the directorate 

where both parties gave statements 

on July 31. 

The restaurant owner was fined 

Tk50,000 at first. “He asked me to 

withdraw my complaint, but I did 

not. Later, on his request, the matter 

was reconsidered and the fine 

was changed to Tk5,000,” she said. 

Ambarin Zaman Khan, the 

plaintiff received Tk1,250, which is 

25% of the compensation, as stipulated 

by the Consumers’ Right Protection 

Act 2009, on July 31. 

According to the Consumers’ 

Right Protection Act 2009, in 

Section 40, if any person sells or 

offers to sell any goods, medicine 

or service at a price higher than 

the price set under any Act or 

law, they shall be punished with 

imprisonment for a term not 

exceeding one year, or with fines 

not exceeding Tk50,000, or with 

both. 

Director General of the Directorate 

of National Consumers Rights 

Protection, Md Shafiqul Islam 

Laskar told the Dhaka Tribune: 

“We receive around 30-40 complaints 

every day. People are now 

more aware about their consumer 

rights and we are willing to receive 

complaints from them.” 

According to DNCRP, in 2015 the 

complaint wing received 225 complaints, 

in 2016 they received 1622 

complaints, and in 2017 they received 

more than 6,000 complaints 

till today. 

Md Shafiqul Islam Laskar said: 

“We receive about 1,000 complaints 

in a month, which is a positive 

sign, and the number of complaints 

is increasing each day as 

people are becoming more aware 

of their consumer rights and about 

the complaint centre now.” 

How to file a complaint 

A complaint form has been uploaded 

to the website of the DN- 

CRP. If anyone wants to complain, 

they will need to have a copy of the 

bill and other related documents, 

such as photographs of the actual 

price of the good which was purchased 

by the consumer. 

The form is available at this link 

Consumers can also make phone 

calls to the National Consumers 

Complaint Centre by dialing 

8801777-753668, or email them at 

nccc@dncrp.gov.bd. • 

When the main roads are packed with traffic, motorcycle riders in Dhaka take the liberty to take up the space on the footpaths 

too. The photo was taken at Monipuri Para in Farmgate area yesterday 


Nasa’s response to a 9-year-old 

will motivate you to work harder 

Nine-year-old Jack Davis’ letter to 

Nasa applying for the position of 

Planetary Protection Officer, left, 

and Nasa’s response to the letter 

asking him to study hard so he could 

join the space organisation one day 

COLLECTED 


FEATURE 

When most elders struggle to frame job 

applications, a self-described “Guardian 

of the Galaxy” decided to apply for 

his dream job. 

Nasa lately announced a job opening 

for a “Planetary Protection Officer,” 

a role established in 1967. The job is 

to prevent alien contamination during 

Nasa space missions and any alien microorganisms 

from reaching Earth. It 

pays around $124,406-$187,000 per 

year plus benefits. 

Nine-year-old Jack Davis reached 

out to them, and he had his reasons. 

In the letter, he introduces himself 

as the guardian of the galaxy. The 

fourth-grader wrote: “I maybe nine but 

I think I would be fit for the job.” He bolsters 

in the fact that he had watched 

all space and alien movies he could. 

But the most convincing reason is the 

fact that he is young, so he can learn to 

think like an alien. 

Jack’s case was prompting enough 

for Dr James L Green, director of Nasa’s 

Planetary Service Division, to not let him 

down. Green wrote back to Jack, appreciating 

his interest. His letter said: “I hear 

you are a ‘Guardian of the Galaxy’ and that 

you’re interested in being a NASA Planetary 

Protection Officer. That’s great!” 

Green went on to explaining what 

the job was about and why it was important. 

He encouraged Davis to study 

hard, and expressed his hope to see 

him at Nasa one day. 

Nasa’s encouragement didn’t stop 

there. Jonathan Rall, Nasa’s planetary 

research director, personally congratulated 

Jack on his interest in the position. 

The surprise pleasant exchange received 

huge attention on social media. 

In a press release, Nasa also explained 

that the Planetary Protection 

Officer position may not have its literal 

meaning, but it promotes the responsible 

exploration of the solar system by 

preventing microbial contamination of 

other planets and our own. 

Nasa continues to inspire dreams 

in young minds. If you are an aspirant, 

Nasa might be rooting for you too. • 

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 

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

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