Form committees to combat militancy, PM to lawmakers

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asks her party’s lawmakers to form functional committees in their respective areas with the people irrespective of political affiliation to combat militancy and extremism in the country. Star file photo

Star Online Report

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked her party’s lawmakers to form functional committees in their respective areas with the people irrespective of political affiliation to combat militancy and extremism in the country.
Mentioning that the people’s security and the country’s congenial atmosphere is a must, the prime minister said, “We will have to ensure people’s security for the sake of continuation of the country’s overall development.”
To make the mission a success, Hasina said active committees will have to be formed across the country so that militant and extremist forces cannot create any volatile situation.
Hasina was addressing an emergency meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Party held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban this afternoon.
Hasina also asked the lawmakers to oversee whether the Islamic Foundation suggested Khutba are being recited in the mosques across the country to create anti-militant sentiment among the people.
Upholding activities of the law enforces and intelligence agencies during the recent militant attacks, Hasina said her government has tackled all the situations successfully.
Hasina also president of the ruling Awami League ordered her party’s lawmakers to take preparation for the next general election.

“You (lawmakers) should ensure development in your own areas and people’s peace as we are getting preparation for the next parliamentary election.”
Leader of the parliament Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting that began at around 4:00pm at the parliament complex.
Several ruling party lawmakers also spoke at the meeting upholding time buffeting leadership of the prime minister.

Cops release stunning pictures of Dhaka terrorists’ den

Star Online Report

Police have released stunning and chilling pictures of what was found inside the terrorists’ den at Kalyanpur in Dhaka that give a glimpse of the militants’ life.
The rooms had no signs of furniture, even beds. They must have slept on the floor.

Backpacks with logo of Wilson were found. These bags are exactly the same kinds carried by the Gulshan café attackers. Photo: DMP

Backpacks with logo of Wilson were found. These bags are exactly the same kinds carried by the Gulshan café attackers.

The rooms had no signs of furniture, even beds. The militants must have slept on the floor. Photo: DMP

There were a lot of Jihadi books and notebooks. But, many of the books were about HSC exams and test papers. There were many burned pages strewn around. The terrorists had burned some important documents before the police could finally get them.

The militants had covered a window with an IS flag. Photo: DMP

They all wore black Punjabi and wore red and white checkered scarves. One had a backpack on his back before receiving bullets in his death. There were quite a few laptops, computers and black IS flags.

There were quite a few laptops, computers and black IS flags. Photo: DMP

The terrorists had burned some important documents before the police could finally get them. Photo: DMP

A plastic tray holds a pistol, two daggers and a sunglass. In a corner of a room stood a violet plastic rack holding two cans of shaving foam, a toothbrush and a head scarf. They had covered a window with an IS flag.

In a corner of a room stood a violet plastic rack holding two cans of shaving foam, a toothbrush and a head scarf. Photo: DMP

A plastic tray holds a pistol, two daggers and a sunglass. Photo: DMP

The bodies of the terrorists are also seen strewing around the rooms. They had bullet wounds. These pictures are too gory to be uploaded.

FOR THEM GIRLS WITH A LOT OF HAIR

PHOTO: FARIA KHAN

FARIA KHAN

Hair – you and I – we both have it, but I'd like to say I have a little bit more than you. Sometimes this extra amount is a hassle when it's not busy being a true blessing. This is not about ranting but merely an honest description of what we girls with a lot of hair have to face on a daily basis.
Let's start with going to sleep and hair. We have all read it a hundred times: loosely tie your hair before going to sleep to avoid breakage. However, tying it means feeling the huge bundle of hair on the back of your head, or on the side and I am really not a huge fan of that. So I just let it all loose. Now waking up to this hair means taking at least ten minutes to detangle all that mess. My morning routine is almost completely taken up by combing my hair back to reality.
Moving on to shower and hair. A lot of hair means more time to wash it. It also means more shampoo and more conditioner. If you are the brave thug who skips the conditioner, bless your guts. I'll admit it, I'm lazy and I can't be wasting time on conditioning. So after drying my hair I spritz some leave-on conditioner and trust me, it does wonders. Without this, it's all a tangled mess that I am not ready to deal with. Drying the hair itself is a major problem. I had so much hair at a point, that it took almost the whole day to completely dry it. I tried to skip on the blow dryer but I couldn't. Just couldn't. Also, a match not made in heaven is thick wet hair and sleep. You can't let it dry naturally. The voluminous hair takes its own course. It just blows up and feels weird.
Hair, and it's really just everywhere. You lose so much it's similar to a dog or a cat shedding its fur. After your room is cleaned, dust isn't the main dirt, turns out, it's all just hair. Even after you're done blow drying your hair, when you look down on the floor, what do you see? Hair! After you're done with your shower and you see that the water's not going down as it's supposed to, what's wrong with the drain? Oh, your hair got it all clogged up.
Making yourself look pretty and hair. Straightening your hair might take a couple of hours. So you pretty much need to clear your schedule to either straighten or curl your hair. Holding up these curlers and flat irons for hours will give you a work out, really. Plus, you can't really be following those YouTube tutorials. Nothing stays where it is supposed to stay no matter how much hair spray you're using. Especially, with the humidity in our country, it's a big no-no.
Even though the weight of the hair itself can give you a headache, you know you won't be becoming bald any time soon so go ahead and be proud of the bombshell hair you have!
Faria Khan is an ambivert who truly believes in the divine power of music. Give her a piece of your mind at fariaa.964@gmail.com

Nusrat Faria Happy with reaction to “Badsha”

Nusrat Faria's latest film “Badsha” was released this Eid which received good response from the actors and audience. According to her, she is receiving more praise for her performance in “Badsha” than she did for “Aashiqui” and “Hero 420” from the audience and actors.  She also feels that she needs to perform better than before now as everyone will be expecting more.
Starring with her in the film is popular actor Jeet. Among the list of movies released in Eid, “Badsha” stands at second place in terms of box office collection. The movie has gained quite the popularity in movie theatres. The movie was released in a total of 60 halls, with a possibility for an increase in the number.

Anti-militancy drives on Jamuna chars

3 held in Manikganj

Joint forces conducting anti-militancy drives in char areas of Jamuna river in Manikganj and Pabna districts on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Photo: Star

Star Online Report

Joint forces have been conducting anti-militancy drives in char areas of Jamuna river in Manikganj and Pabna districts.
During the drive, three suspected militants were detained in Daulatpur upazila of Manikganj, our district correspondent reports.
They are Abul Bashar, 60, acting principal of Baghutia Alim Madrasa; Ishak Ali, 40, assistant teacher of Kazi Shafiuddin Dakhil Madrasa; and Shah Alam, 45, a businessman of Baghutia in the upazila, Mahfuzur Rahman, superintendent of police in Manikganj, told the correspondent.
READ MORE: 9 ‘militants’ killed in joint drive in Kalyanpur
The joint force comprising of 200 members of police, Rapid Action Battalion and Armed Police Battalion have been conducting the drive in different chars of Baghutia, Char-Katari, Bachamara and Jionpur unions in the upazila.
Manikganj SP Mahfuzur and Assistant Police Superintendent of Rab Unu Mong led the operation that started around 10:30am.
Our Pabna correspondent reports, another joint force comprising of police and Rab personnel have been conducting another drive in Char Sakulla and Kolyanpur Char areas in Bera upazila.

The drive started at 10:00am, Liton Kumar Saha, additional superintendent of Pabna, told our Pabna correspondent.

Japan knife attack leaves 19 dead

Police officers and rescue workers are seen at a facility for the disabled, where at least 19 people were killed and as many as 20 wounded by a knife-wielding man, in Sagamihara, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 26, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Reuters, Tokyo

* Police say 15 dead, 4 in cardiac arrest, 45 injured - media

* Attack happened at facility for disabled southwest of Tokyo

* Former employee of facility arrested - reports quoting police

Nineteen people were feared dead and 45 injured after an attack by a knife-wielding man at a facility for the disabled in Japan early today, national broadcaster NHK reported.

Police in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Tokyo, have arrested Satoshi Uematsu, a 26-year old former employee at the facility, Japanese media reported.

They said staff called police at 2.30 a.m. local time (1730 GMT Monday) with reports of a man armed with a knife on the grounds of the Tsukui Yamayuri-En facility.med

The 3-hectare (7.6 acres) facility, established by the local government and nestled on the wooded bank of the Sagami River, cares for people with a wide range of disabilities, NHK said, quoting an unidentified employee.

Media reports said the man, wearing ablackmediaT-shirt, did not have a knife when he turned himself in at a nearby police station. Police said they were still investigating possible motives.

Asahi Shimbun reported that the suspect was quoted by police as saying: "I want to get rid of the disabled from this world."

Fifteen people were confirmed dead while four were in cardiac arrest, the media reports said. The wounded were taken to at least six hospitals in the western Tokyo area.

Twenty-nine emergency squads responded to the attack, Kyodo reported.

A man identified as the father of a patient in the facility told NHK he learned about the attack on the radio and had received no information from the centre.

"I'm very worried but they won't let me in," he said, standing just outside a cordon of yellow crime-scene tape.

Kyodo, citing the facility's website, said the centre had a maximum capacity of 150 people.

Such mass killings are rare in Japan. Eight children were stabbed to death at their school by a former janitor in 2001.

Schools shut on security reason at Kalyanpur after overnight Dhaka anti-militancy raid

In this photo Law enforcers are seen in the Kalyanpur area of Dhaka where an anti militany drive was going on. Schools around the area are declared closed considering the security of the students in the morning . Photo: Shaheen Mollah

Star Online Report

The authorities today declared shut at least eight government and non-government schools in Kalyanpur area of Dhaka where an anti militancy drive was going on, reports Bangla daily Prothom Alo.
The schools have been declared closed considering the security of the students, Bangla daily reports quoting the school authorities.
The authorities took the decision after nine alleged militants were killed this morning during a special drive of the joint forces in Kalyanpur, ending an overnight standoff that ensued with a raid to hunt down “militant den”.
Kalyanpur Girls’ High School, Bean KG School, Shishu Kalyan School, Holly Crescent School and Kalyanpur Laboratory School are among the schools which were declared shut.
Saifunnahar, a student of a local school, told the daily that she found the road blocked when she was trying to reach school. Later, she came to know about the school closure.
Nine alleged militants were killed this morning during a special drive of the joint forces in Kalyanpur, ending an overnight standoff that ensued with a raid to hunt down “militant den”.

Hostage-takers at French church near Rouen 'are dead'

BBC Online

Two armed men who took hostages at a church near Rouen in northern France are now dead, police sources have said.
The hostage-takers were reported to have been holding between four and six people at the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

#BREAKING One hostage killed at church in northern France: police source

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 26, 2016

A priest and two sisters, as well as churchgoers, were among those held, local media said.
France 3 television said a number of shots had been heard. Police and the emergency services are at the scene.
French TV said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was on his way to the town to be briefed by police.

US election: Michelle Obama denounces Trump 'hate'

US first lady Michelle Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Photo: Reuters

BBC Online

US first lady Michelle Obama has denounced Republican Donald Trump and passionately backed Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
"The hateful language... from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country," she said, to loud cheers and applause.
"Don't stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high."
Earlier, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders urged Democrats to back Clinton.
She will accept the party's presidential nomination on Thursday.
"While Donald Trump is busy insulting one group after another, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths," Sanders said.
Some supporters of the senator, who had been Clinton’s rival in the Democratic primary, booed mention of Clinton’s name; others wore duct tape with the word "silenced" over their mouths.
 Obama's speech was widely seen as an attack on Trump, although she did not mention the Republican nominee by name.
She said she wanted her husband to be succeeded by "somebody who knows this job and takes it seriously".
"Somebody who understands that the issues of our nation are not black or white. It cannot be boiled down to 140 characters," she said, in a reference to Trump’s enthusiasm for using Twitter.
"You can't have thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed."
She said there was "only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president... and that is our friend Hillary Clinton".
Because of the Democrats' candidate, she said, "my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."
In other remarks, she praised Clinton as a "true public servant" who had shown "devotion to our nation's children" and "never buckles under pressure".

Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn't be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS. I love you, Michelle.

— President Obama (@POTUS) July 26, 2016

After her speech, President Obama wrote on Twitter: "Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn't be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS [first lady]. I love you, Michelle."
Garry Mauro, head of the Clinton delegation for Texas, said Obama’s speech was "stunningly good."

Bernie Sanders totally sold out to Crooked Hillary Clinton. All of that work, energy and money, and nothing to show for it! Waste of time.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2016

Trump, who has criticised his rivals, both Republican and Democrat, in sometimes colourful language on Twitter, said Sanders had "sold out" to Clinton.
He also condemned other speakers at the Democratic convention including senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, but made no mention of Obama.

Five times Michelle Obama referred to Donald Trump

-"When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't stoop to their level''
-"We urge them [our daughters] to ignore those who question their father's citizenship or faith"
-"Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great"
-Issues facing a president "cannot be boiled down to 140 characters"
-Ideal president "can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out"

In other key moments from the convention on Monday

Senator Warren attacked the business record of Trump
Comedian Sarah Silverman, who supported Sanders, told his supporters to get behind s Clinton
One of the loudest cheers went to Senator Cory Booker when he told the crowd: "In America, love always trumps hate"

Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood skittle Sri Lanka for 117

Nathan Lyon (C) celebrates with his teammates after he dismissed Sri Lanka's Dilruwan Perera during the first day of the opening Test cricket match. Photo: AFP

Cricbuzz

The duo of Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood shared three spoils each to snuff out Sri Lanka for a paltry117 in just 34.2 overs on Day 1 of the first Test at the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday (July 26) in Kandy.
If Hazlewood dented Sri Lanka's top order, Lyon ran through the lower order with his box of tricks. Only Dhananjaya de Silva offered some resistance and top-scored for the hosts with 24 on debut.
Earlier, on a pleasant day, with the ground surrounded by the blissful facade of clouded mountains and leafy ramble of trees swaying in the gentle breeze, Angelo Mathews won the toss and elected to bat. Sri Lanka handed Test debuts for de Silva and Lakshan Sandakan while on expected lines, Australia opted to play two spinners - Nathan Lyon and O' Keefe.
It was the opening pace duo of Starc and Hazlewood, who joined forces to sow seeds of doubt in the opposition ranks. Starc was rewarded for generating copious swing with the scalp of Dimuth Karunaratne (5) in the fifth over of the innings.
The 28-year-old opening batsman played down the wrong line and was struck plumb in front. He wasn't convinced of the decision and opted for a review, but on replays, it was clear that it would clatter into the leg stump. Hazlewood backed up Starc's incisive spell by snaring the wickets of Kusal Mendis (8) in the next over and Kaushal Silva (4) soon after, with three of Sri Lanka's batsmen back in the shed within the opening ten overs.
The New South Welshman explored every nook and cranny of the batsmen's defence in the corridor of uncertainty. He ended Mendis's essay with a delivery that nipped back off the seam appreciably to trap him in front and made further inroads prising out Silva with an outswinger.
For a while, Mathews (15) and Chandimal (15) shared a fluent stand of 25 and tried to resurrect the innings. The duo mainly looked to deal in a diet of singles and twos, sprinkled by the occasional eye-catching shots. The cut stroke that Mathews crunched off Starc gave an inkling that he was approaching the challenge with a positive intent.
The Lankan think-tank would have hoped for the pair to stitch a substantial partnership, given that those were the last two experienced hands in the line-up. However, Mathews's resistance was soon ended by O'Keefe after the Sri Lankan skipper reached out to a delivery that was bowled from wide of the crease by the left-arm spinner and the outside edge was snapped up by Steve Smith at first slip.
To make matters worse, Chandimal fell to a probing outswinger from Hazlewood on the brink of lunch.
De Silva, who looked in fine fettle before lunch, fell right after the break to Lyon. The offspinner then ripped through Sri Lanka's lower order by bowling a slew of sliders. In a space of seven deliveries, he accounted for the wickets of Dilruwan Perera, Kusal Perera and de Silva.
Starc, too, chipped in for the visitors by prising out Rangana Herath for 6. The left-hander was initially given not out, but the visitors took a review and replays showed that it smashed into Herath's boot before the veteran left-arm spinner eked out an edge on it.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 117 (Dhananjaya de Silva 24; Nathan Lyon 3-12, Hazlewood 3-20, Steve O'Keefe 2-32) vs Australia

Dhaka raid: Swift steps saved country from catastrophe, Bangladesh PM says

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing the four-day annual conference of deputy commissioners fromPrime Minister’s Office on July 26, 2016. Photo: TV grab

Star Online Report

Swift action on the Kalyanpur terrorist den based on top intelligence saved the country from a major catastrophe, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said today.
“Nine terrorists were killed, one was detained and another managed to escape,” the premier said while addressing the inaugural of the four-day annual conference of deputy commissioners at her office.
It was understood that they (the alleged militants) were preparing for sabotage, Hasina said.
“Several terrorists took preparation for carrying out a terrorist act, and according to a report by our detectives, law enforcers took swift measures.”
The police force conducted the operation very successfully as they were well prepared, she said.
The nine alleged militants were killed this morning during a special drive of the joint forces in Kalyanpur, ending an overnight standoff that ensued with a raid to hunt down “militant den”.
SWAT, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Detective Branch of police (DB) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) jointly carried out a one-hour operation “Storm 26” from 5:51am.

9 militants killed in overnight raid in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur house

Police at the entrance of Road no. 5 in Kalyanpur of the capital where a special operation of the joint forces neutralised nine militants on July 26, 2016. Photo: Shaheen Mollah

Star Online Report

Nine alleged militants were killed this morning during a special drive of the joint forces in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur, ending an overnight standoff that ensued with a raid to hunt down “militant den”.
- Operation ‘Storm 26’ of SWAT, Rab, DB, cops
- All JMB militants, says Bangladesh police chief
- 1 militant held, claims himself ‘IS operative’
SWAT, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Detective Branch of police (DB) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) jointly carried out a one-hour operation “Storm 26” from 5:51am.
“We neutralised nine militants in the operation,” Sheikh Maruf Hassan, DMP’s additional commissioner, told media on completion of the operation.

READ MORE: Terror Strikes Dhaka
One militant was detained from the spot with bullet injuries and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He claimed to be a member of the Islamic State, DMCH police camp sources said.
Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque, who visited the scene, told reporters that these militants had black outfits similar to those Gulshan cafe attackers were wearing.
“The detained person claims to be an IS member, but we think they are of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB),” he added.
On July 1, gunmen killed 20 hostages, mostly foreign nationals, at an upscale eatery Holey Artisan Bakery in the capital’s diplomatic zone in a 12-hour siege.
Police believe the attacks on the Gulshan restaurant and Sholakia Eidgah were both carried out by JMB militants who were trying to wield the emblem of the Islamic State.

CRACKDOWN IN KALYANPUR, OPERATION 'STORM 26'

Mirpur police and Rab carried out the primary crackdown in the multi-storied “Jahaj Building” on road No. 5 at Kalyanpur around 12:45am, our correspondent reports from the spot.
The militants said to have hurled handmade bombs at the law enforcers, who in retaliation, fired several rounds. The occupants of the building and adjacent ones were evacuated overnight.

The ‘Jahaj Building,’ which is said to be the house where the alleged militants were living, at Road no. 5 in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur. Photo: Shaheen Mollah

“We took time to evacuate the residents,” police’s Additional Commissioner Maruf Hassan said.
The militants were holed up in the fifth floor of the building. Police said they had rented the flat and were living there.
Several hundred bullets were heard to have been fired during hour-long operation “Storm 26”. Nine alleged militants were said to have been killed at the spot.
Last reported, police had cordoned off the area and were going through the building. A team of bomb-neutralising squad was defusing some handmade crude bombs in the building.

HELD ‘MILITANT’ CLAIMS ISLAMIC STATE LINK

The alleged militant who was held with bullet-wounds from the scene was identified as Hassan, hailing from Bogra. He claimed to be a student of Bogra’s Government Shah Sultan College.
Hassan had a bullet injury and a fractured left leg, Sentu Chandra Das, an assistant sub-inspector at DMCH police camp, told The Daily Star.

An ambulance of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence seen at Road no 5 in Kalyanpur of Dhaka where joint forces conducted a special anti-militancy drive on July 26, 2016. Photo: Shaheen Mollah

The detainee told doctors that he along with ten others live on the fourth floor of the building from where he jumped off sensing presence of police.
Conversing with the DMCH doctors, he claimed that he was the cook of the militants living in “Jahaj Building”. There were heavy arms and explosives inside the flat, Hassan added.
He told them that he was an operative of the Islamic State. Bangladesh’s police chief later said he was more likely to be a JMB operative – those who carried out Gulshan and Sholakia attacks.

DETAINEE IDENTIFIES 8 ‘MILITANTS’

Identities of eight of the nine suspected militants, who were killed have been confirmed, UNB reports quoting the detainee Hassan.
They were Robin, Ovi, Sabbir, Atik, Sohan, Imran, Taposh and Iqbal.
Hasan said that he had been living with them in the building for the last one year where he worked as a cook. However, police did not reveal anything about the deceased militants.

Opinion: Dhaka militant den raid gives us confidence

Law enforcers at Road no. 5 in Kalyanpur in Dhaka where a special operation of the joint forces neutralised nine militants on July 26, 2016. Photo courtesy Prothom Alo

Star Online Opinion

Kalyanpur gives us confidence.

After what we have been experiencing in the past few months – militants freely attacking and killing people one after another – a deep sense of insecurity had seeped into the society.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s quick statement that the country averted a catastrophe by busting this den of terrorists is a pointer. This is why the sudden and successful eradication of the militant den in Kalyanpur in the early hours of today was so assuring. It surely proved a few things.

First, there is no alternative to effective intelligence gathering to fight terrorism and that the people should be taken along in this task. The government should invest heavily in intelligence. It already has a lot of weapons in its armory- it has laws that enable the agencies to snoop on what the private citizens are doing. That should be applied properly and in the right direction.

It also proves that there is no scope for complacence. Because of the geopolitical situation, militants nowadays seem to be active on their Jihadi path, constantly conspiring to destabilize nations. The Kalyanpur militants are merely an obvious corroboration to that effect.

After the Gulshan café attack, security has been tightened and a lot of agencies are working to flush out the militants. Amidst that, these militants had been digging and drilling a dark tunnel leading to some big terrorist acts. The prime minister herself had said the other day that she expected more attacks apprehending that some educational institutions might just be the next target.

And with the unfolding of the latest event shows the militants are not scared by the heightening of security. So surveillance will be a key to fighting them. Such successful operations will also break the morale of the militants. Many would shun the path of destruction.

However, many would harden as well and become even more elusive. So our law enforcers will also have to be more effective and stay one step ahead of the Jihadists.

We believe busting more such militant dens would bring even more sense of security for the people who are already panicky. Restaurants and shopping malls find thin crowd because people are scared to go to public places. This is not good for economy.

So the vigil must be enhanced to bring Bangladesh to its old form. Kalyanpur operation is a sure way to that direction.

Dutch-Bangla chamber chief found dead

Star Online Report

Four days after going missing from Dhaka’s Dhanmondi, Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Hassan Khaled was found dead in Buriganga river today.
Hassan, 55, also the chief executive officer of New Era Trading, left his Dhanmondi home around 9:00am Saturday to buy medicines from a nearby shop but did not return.
This afternoon, his body was found floating in Keraniganj area of Buriganga river, Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Noor-a-Azam Miah told The Daily Star.
Details have not been obtained yet.
Until yesterday, police were clueless about Hassan’s whereabouts. They went through surveillance cameras in the neighbourhood but could not reach any definitive conclusion.
Hassan is one of the founders of the DBCCI, established in November 1999, and he has been involved in advocating bilateral trade between Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
He was residing on the third floor of the six-storey building in Dhanmondi House 45, Road 4/A over the last three years with his wife and daughter.

Militants shouted 'Allahu Akbar', black flags found

The ‘Jahaj Building at Road no. 5 in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur,’ where law enforcers during a special drive of the joint forces killed nine militants on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Photo: Shaheen Mollah.

Star Online Report

The militants shouted “Allahu Akbar” before they attacked the law enforcers during a special drive of the joint forces in Dhaka’s Kalyanpur today.
Police found “Allahu Akbar” inscribed black flags from the den, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said while addressing a press briefing at his office.
Nine militants were left dead during the raid and one was caught alive.
Police recovered 13 handmade grenades, one sword, one pistol, seven magazines and bullets from the den, the DMP commissioner said.
The militants had rented the apartment on June 20 and had gathered there to carry out terror attacks, he claimed.
One police man was slightly injured in the operation, Mia said.
The militants were aged about 20, wore jeans and sneakers and were highly educated, he added.

Mia further added that police suspect these attackers belong to the same group that attacked the Gulshan café because similar kind of red handkerchiefs and backpacks were found. “Black dresses were also found there,” he added.
The militant detained from the spot with bullet injuries was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He claimed to be a member of the Islamic State, DMCH police camp sources said earlier.

Aamir Khan to turn rapper for “Dangal”

Bollywood star Aamir Khan is going to attempt something no other Khan has done before. He will be 'rapping' for his upcoming film 'Dangal'. The actor, who has lent his vocals in the past, to the track 'Aati Kya Khandala' in the film 'Ghulam', will reportedly take over the microphone once again for his wrestling-themed film. Reports state that Aamir will soon be recording a rap number that will be used for the film's promotions. The actor will first record the song before beginning shooting for the video. The track has been composed by Pritam, written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and will feature only Aamir at vocals. Living up to his 'Mr Perfectionist' title, Aamir has already begun practice sessions and is working hard to perfect the song.
Source: Time of India

England v Pakistan: James Anderson fitness debate a 'messy affair'

England's James Anderson during nets. Photo: Reuters

BBC Online

England captain Alastair Cook said he was surprised by the row over the decision to omit seamer James Anderson for the first-Test defeat by Pakistan.
Anderson, 33, believed he was fit after a shoulder injury but the England selectors were unwilling to risk him.
"If we'd won, that story wouldn't have blown up like it has," said Cook.
England have trimmed pace bowlers Jake Ball and Steven Finn from their 14-man party ahead of second Test, which starts on Friday at Old Trafford.

Instead of playing for the national side last week Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker with 454 dismissals, bowled 22 overs for Lancashire, taking 3-58 in their County Championship defeat by Durham at Southport.
"It happened, it was a slightly messy affair and an unimportant sideshow. We have to move on and play good cricket," added Cook.
Pakistan won by 75 runs at Lord's to take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.

Will the selectors be sacked?

England's 12-man squad for the first Test was chosen by selectors James Whitaker, Mick Newell and Angus Fraser, alongside coach Trevor Bayliss, who, along with Cook, wanted to take Anderson's word on his fitness.
However, the selectors decided not to pick Anderson, a decision that was labelled "prehistoric" by England captain Michael Vaughan and "ridiculous" by ex-Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait in an interview with BBC Stumped.
"The medical report was 50-50, so he was left out," said 31-year-old Cook. "The selectors felt he was a week away from match fitness.
"We didn't play the greatest game of cricket, so people start jumping on things that were less important.
"There was a headline that said the selectors will be sacked. I don't know where these stories are coming from."
Anderson returns at his home ground alongside all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has recovered from knee surgery, and Cook confirmed that both will play.
"We've got some really good cricketers in that team, who will be hungry to bounce back," added Cook.

One spinner or two?

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, 28, gives England the option of two slow bowlers on an Old Trafford pitch that traditionally offers assistance to spinners.
Cook did not reveal who would make way if Rashid is selected but said the only way the Yorkshire bowler would be included would be as a second spinner, meaning Moeen Ali's place is assured.
"Adil really impressed during the one-day series against Sri Lanka," said Cook.
"He is improving all the time. He seems to have been around forever but spinners can take a while to develop."
While England are set to make changes to their bowling attack, opener Cook said it is the batting that cost his side at Lord's and must improve if they are to level the series.
"Lack of runs at Lord's cost us 100%," he said. "It's an opportunity here and the guys are in a good frame of mind.
"You know you can talk all you want, but it's about us playing as a group and standing up."

Yasir fit after injury scare

Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, named man of the match at Lord's after taking 10 wickets, suffered a blow to the shoulder during practice but has been declared fit by captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
Misbah said Pakistan, who celebrated their first win at Lord's since 1996 with press-ups after taking the final wicket, must refocus on securing a first series victory in England in 20 years.
"We know that England are a fine team," said Misbah. "There is a bigger challenge for us in the coming games.
"We always respect the opposition and we know their strengths. We have to really work hard in the next three Tests and we are ready for that."

What's the weather forecast?

Farmers busy in growing vegetable saplings on water

Habibur Rahman from Pirojpur

Farmers of the marshland in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur are busy in growing vegetable saplings on water bed, locally known as ‘Dhap’.
Since mid May they have started making seed beds on water to grow vegetable saplings and will continue till October.
The farmers of Mugarjhor, Dewlbari, Dobra, Paddadubi, Beel Dumuria, Manoharpur, Gaokhali, Sachiya, Meda, Jugiya, Pakuria, Mitharkul and some other areas in the upazila are now making floating seed beds and planting seeds of different types.
“Most of the farmers here are busy growing vegetable saplings,” said Mostofa Howlader, a farmer of Mugarjhor village.
Farmers of these marsh lands cannot grow paddy in their land because water predominantly covers the land and rises to over seven feet most of the year.
“Wholesale buyers from different areas come here to buy saplings and supply those to different parts of the country,” said Mizan Bepary, another farmer.

A dhap is made with water hyacinth and other organic materials and is usually 100-180 feet long, over two feet thick and four feet wide.
After getting orders from the farmers, dhap technicians start making the seed bed on the water. Using locally discovered technique, water hyacinths are gathered to make a dhap. Three men need around four days to complete a dhap. They are paid on daily basis or sometimes contractual.
After completing a dhap they carry it to the marsh land and set it there. One piece of dhap is sold for over Tk 7,500.
The discovery of dhap has created job opportunities for the ill fated marsh land people.
“I don’t know what we would do if dhap was not be discovered,” said Alamgir Mollic, another farmer of Mugarjhor village.
After setting them in the marshland, different types of vegetable seeds including bottle gourd, bean, bitter gourd, papaw, brinjal, beet, pumpkin, tomato, pepper are planted on the dhap. Mainly these saplings are winter vegetables.
In this case, women play an important role. They make small balls with different water plants and set a vegetable seed inside each of them. These balls are known as doulla.
As soon as the saplings come out from doulla, they are transferred to the dhap.
“From my childhood, I am making doulla,” said Mansura Begum, 40, of Boithakata village.
She makes doulla for others and gets money which is also a great support to her man, she added.
“We can grow around 2,000 vegetable saplings at a time,” said Abdur Rahim, another dhap cultivator adding that a dhap can be used for 4-5 times.
Some farmers also use dhap for growing vegetable on it and it can also be used as compost fertilizer.
At present, different non government organisations (NGO) are working to make dhap cultivation popular among the farmers.
“Climate change posing as a risk for us as water level is rising day by day. In this case agriculture sector is at serious dilemma. So, we are inspiring people to practice floating cultivation, where the facility is available,” said Sirajul Islam, coordinator of Integrated Child Centered Climate Change Adaptation (ICCCCA) project of UDDIPAN.
Dighbijoy Hazra, Nazirpur upazila agriculture officer, said that dhap cultivation is possible at every marsh land. But, in this case water hyacinths should be available.
He also said that extreme saline water in not suitable for dhap cultivation.
The exact time of the beginning of dhap cultivation could not be known. But, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Pirojpur sources said that around 150 to 200 years back farmers discovered the technique.
Although this system started in Nazirpur upazila first, now it has spread to adjacent Nesarabad upazila in Pirojpur and some other parts of Barisal district including Banaripara upazila.
For the development of the farmers involved in this cultivation process, youths of Mugarjhor have set up a club named Mugarjhor Krishi Unnayon Club in 2008.
“In our club, we train farmers about modern cultivation system,” said Md Samsul Areafin, one of the members of the club who completed diploma on agriculture.
In addition, government and non government organisations arrange program for the farmers in the club, he said.

Tourist missing in Kuakata

Star Online Report

A youth was reported lost in the sea at Kuakata beach today. Currently, a search and rescue operation is underway to find the youth.
Plabon Ahmed, 20, from Jessore town, went missing after he went to take a dip at the sea around 1:30pm, said Shahnewaz, a friend of the youth.
“We were having a bath in the bay and at one point he got washed offshore”, he added.
Bangladesh Tourist Police’s Assistant Sub-Inspector Bibekananda endorsed the fact and said that a search is underway to find the youth.
Plabon passed HSC exam last year from Magura Hosni Sarowardi College, according to his friend.

Search for missing Malaysian MH370 to be suspended: joint panel

Australian and Malaysian officials examine aircraft debris at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau headquarters in Canberra, Australia, July 20, 2016 after it was found on Pemba Island, located near Tanzania, in late June and was transported to Australia for examination. Photo: Reuters

Reuters, Kuala Lumpur

The hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be suspended if the aircraft is not found in an area now being searched, Malaysia, China and Australia said in a statement today.
The Boeing 777, with 239 aboard, disappeared in March 2014 while on a flight from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing.
Almost A$180 million ($135 million) has been spent since then on an underwater search spanning 120,000 square kilometers (46,332 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean.
"In the absence of new credible evidence, Malaysia, Australia and China have collectively agreed to suspend the search upon completion of the 120,000 sq-km search," Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai told a news conference at which he read out the statement from him and his Chinese and Australian counterparts.
The families of those on board, most of whom were from China, have pressed hard for answers ever since the plane went missing, and they are likely to decry any suggestion the search will end.
Liow said the team was not "giving up on the search for MH370" even if the less than 10,000 square kilometers that remains to be searched did not come up with anything.
"Should credible new information emerge which can be used to identify the specific location of the aircraft, consideration will be given in determining next steps," the ministers said in the statement.

Investigators believe the plane was deliberately flown thousands of miles off course before crashing into the southern Indian Ocean off Australia.
Malaysian investigators said in 2015 there was nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of pilots or crew.
PIECES OF WRECKAGE

A woman leaves a message of support and hope for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur on March 16, 2014. Reuters file photo

Several pieces of aircraft wreckage have washed up on beaches in Africa and been positively identified as coming from MH370 but they shed little light on the mystery.
"While acknowledging the significance of the debris, ministers noted that to date, none of it had provided information that positively identified the precise location of the aircraft," the ministers said.
The search has lasted more than two years but has found no sign of the main wreckage.
Searchers at the Dutch company leading the underwater hunt for MH370 told Reuters they believed the plane may have glided down to the sea rather than dived, meaning they have been scouring the wrong patch of ocean.
That was the first time officials directly involved in the search have lent some support to contested theories that someone was in control during the flight's final moments.
The glide theory is not supported by the investigating agencies, which includes Boeing Co, France's Thales SA British satellite company Inmarsat PLC and officials from the United States, Britain and Australia.
Liow told the news conference there was not enough evidence to confirm a controlled ditching, and added that he was confident the search was in the right place.
He said all data and information collected from the flight, search and debris of MH370 would be released to the public.
"It is in a very big volume, so it will take some time," he said.

Fox News boss resigns amid sexual harassment charges

Roger Ailes, the long-time boss of Fox News,resigns after a number of female employees accused him of sexual harassment. REUTERS file photo

BBC Online

Roger Ailes, the long-time boss of Fox News, has resigned after a number of female employees accused him of sexual harassment.
The network's parent company, 21st Century Fox, announced his resignation.
The announcement does not mention the sexual harassment allegations, which have now come from multiple Fox presenters.
Executive chairman Rupert Murdoch wrote that Ailes has made a "remarkable contribution" to Fox News.
"We continue our commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect," Fox executives Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch said in the statement. "We take seriously our responsibility to uphold these traditional, long-standing values of our company."
Analysis: Nick Bryant, BBC News, New York
Roger Ailes has long been viewed one of America's most powerful conservatives. The one-time media consultant to Richard Nixon was the key figure in building the Fox News channel into a ratings, profits and, most important perhaps, political powerhouse.

Prior to his dramatic and embarrassing downfall, Ailes was said to be one of the few employees that Rupert Murdoch actually feared. But it was the media mogul's admiration for his long-time lieutenant and ideological soul-mate that came through in the warm statement released by Fox News Channel's parent company, 21st Century Fox.
"His grasp of policy and his ability to make profoundly important issues accessible to a broader audience stand in stark contrast to the self-serving elitism that characterises far too much of the media," said Rupert Murdoch, in a tribute that did not touch upon the allegations of sexual harassment against the former news chief. Noticeably, it was left to Murdoch’s sons, Lachlan and James, to point out that the company is committed "to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect."
I'm told by a source close to the company that the Murdochs wanted to move quickly, a lesson learnt from the handling of the phone hacking scandal.
It's also measure of the importance that Murdoch attaches to the Fox News channel that he is personally taking over as chairman and acting CEO after losing one of the central figures in his global media empire. What makes Ailes’ departure all the more dramatic is that it should happen on the final day of the Republican convention at a time when a deeply divided conservative movement was already in such a state of flux.
Ailes, 76, said he was stepping down because he had become a "distraction".
"I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day,” Ailes wrote in a letter to Rupert Murdoch.
He has run Fox News since it launched in 1996 and is credited with reshaping the American media and political landscape.
A veteran of Republican political campaigns, he turned the cable news network into a ratings leader and an influential force in the Republican Party.
"Rupert Murdoch is a conservative, but the Republican intensity, the conservative passion including the viciousness toward the Democrats that we now see against Hillary Clinton and has been going on against Obama all these years, all that is Roger Ailes,'' Paul Levinson, communications professor at Fordham University, told the AP news agency.
Less than two weeks ago former presenter Gretchen Carlson sued Ailes for sexual harassment and wrongful termination, claims he denies.
Carlson, who worked for the network for 11 years, alleges that he proposed having a sexual relationship with her and he instructed her to turn around in his office so he could look at her backside.
Ailes also allegedly called her a "man hater" and that she needed to "get along with the boys".
A report in New York magazine, citing anonymous sources, said lawyers for 21st Century Fox gave Ailes a deadline of 1 August to resign or face being fired.
Further allegations surfaced in US media that Ailes sexually harassed another Fox News presenter, Megyn Kelly, about 10 years ago, claims he has also denied.

Pakistan celebrity Qandeel Baloch's parents speak of pain

BBC Online

The parents of Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch have spoken of their closeness to her and their bitterness towards their son, who has confessed to murdering her last week.
Qandeel's mother, Anwar Azeem, told BBC Urdu that her daughter had shared all her sorrows and secrets with her.
Her father, Muhammad Azeem, said his son should be "shot on sight".
Her mother said her son lost his mind because of taunts about his sister's frank and often risque posts online.
More than 500 people, almost all of them women, die in Pakistan every year at the hands of relatives who believe shame has been brought on their family.
Qandeel became a household name in Pakistan after posting sometimes raunchy photographs, comments and videos on social media sites, on which she had hundreds of thousands of followers.

The 26-year-old was well aware of the opposition she faced in the conservative Muslim country but was unapologetic.
Her brother Waseem has said he drugged and then strangled her to death last Friday "for dishonouring the Baloch name".
In their first interview with international media, Baloch's parents said they had also been drugged on the night of the murder.
"My husband and I fell deeply asleep. We had drunk milk, it had been mixed with sedatives," mother said.
"In the morning, I called Qandeel for breakfast... but she didn't get up."
READ ALSO: Pakistani star killed 'by brother for honour'
She found her daughter's body and found that "her whole face was covered in bruises, her tongue was black, her lips was black", and started crying, she said.
"We were mother and daughter, sharing all our sorrows and secrets. She used to tell me: 'Your daughter is working hard, she'll go far,'" she added.
But, Qandeel's brothers "always had hatred in their hearts", her mother said. "Before, they didn't care much. But recently, things got worse, people... poisoned their minds."
'She must have called out'
Azeem said his daughter had been his "best friend", but described his son as "crazed".
"I say he should be shot on sight! He suffocated my little one," he added. "We were drugged, asleep upstairs. She must have called out to us."
Earlier this week, the Punjab provincial government also became a complainant in the murder case, designating it a crime against the state.
The rare move effectively prevented members of Qandeel's family from legally forgiving her brother - a common legal loophole that sees many so-called "honour killings" go unpunished.
An anti-honour killings bill to close the loophole nationwide has been bogged down in the Pakistani parliament.
But, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter said on Wednesday that the ruling party hoped to present it before a joint session of parliament within weeks.

Dhaka attackers’ blood samples handed over to FBI

Police hand over blood samples of the Gulshan café attackers to the FBI for a chemical test. Photo: STAR FILE

Star Online Report

Police today handed over blood samples of the Gulshan café attackers to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a chemical test in their laboratory.
Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Media wing, confirmed it to The Daily Star.
Doctors on Wednesday collected hair and blood samples from the bodies of six “terrorists” to ascertain whether they had been under the influence of drugs while “carrying out” the attack on a Gulshan café.
A forensic team of Dhaka Medical College Hospital collected the samples on request of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of the DMP.
The move came amid media reports that militants, especially members of the Islamic State, are popping addictive pills, which help “fuel their fury”, before attacking the victims.
The six dead include the café's pizza chef Saiful Islam who investigators say was one of the attackers. His family, however, claimed he was innocent.
Blood samples of the family members of the six men were also collected on Wednesday at the lab of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the capital.

On July 1, terrorists stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in the high security diplomatic zone in Gulshan-2, killing 20 hostages, mostly foreigners. Two police officials were also killed.

Train derails in Moulvibazar, Sylhet rail link cut

The rail link between Dhaka and Sylhet gets snapped after a cargo train derails in Moulvibazar on July 22, 2016. File photo

Star Online Report

A cargo train broke down and derailed at Kamalganj upazila in Moulvibazar this afternoon, snapping rail link between Dhaka and Sylhet completely.
The fertilizer-laden Dinajpur-bound train from Fenchuganj of Sylhet derailed in Janokichhara area around 3:00pm, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting Ali Azam, senior deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Railway.
“Rescue work is underway but it will take some time. The rescuers are facing difficulties to reach the hilly area where the derailment took place,” the railway official added.
Kulaura Railway Station master Haripada Pal said Dhaka-bound Parabat Express, Sylhet-bound Joyantika and Paharika expresses were stranded at Srimangal due to the derailment.

Fizz roars on Sussex debut

Mustafizur Rahman has started his Natwest T20 Blast stint as he was expected to -- with a bang as he took four wickets in Sussex Sharks win over Essex Eagles at Chemsford on Thursday. Photo: Star File

Star Online Report

Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman took the Natwest T20 Blast by storm as he picked up a man-of-the-match award on his debut for Sussex Sharks against Essex Eagles at Chelmsford on July 21.
Mustafizur’s four-wicket haul was instrumental in Sussex emerging victorious by 24 runs and therefore staying alive in the tournament. They were placed sixth in the nine-team South division before the match and facing relegation, but the strong performance elevated them to number four in the table and in line for a quarterfinal place.
A strong batting display topped by a 21-ball 45 from all-rounder Chris Jordan carried Sussex to 200 for six after they were asked to bat by Essex skipper Ravi Bopara. Mustafizur bowled just one over in the Powerplay overs, and it was left to the other bowlers to stave off the Essex charge till the death overs, when they would hand it over to the death-overs specialist.
It is a measure of the respect that Sussex have for Mustafizur’s talent that skipper Luke Wright left three of the last five overs for him. That included the last over, which for a 20-year-old with very little experience of English conditions and presumably some jet lag was a huge show of faith that he repaid with interest. Mustafizur had earlier shown, by taking the catch of opener Nick Browne off Tymal Mills, that he was ready to perform.
The stage was set perfectly for Mustafizur. The opposition needed 68 off the last five overs with six wickets in hand. There was no choice for England discard Bopara, batting on a 25-ball 32, but to attack. And for Mustafizur, who had just completed a long flight to get to England a day ago on Wednesday, that was the signal to pounce.
It was a classic Mustafizur wicket as Bopara tried to play across the line only to sky a steep edge  that was gleefully accepted by Wright in the infield. Wright knew that the challenge was all but snuffed out.

Mustafizur’s first over had gone for just four runs, but the death overs of a T20 game is where he excels, and excel he did. Ryan ten Doeschate did manage to hit a straight six off a length delivery in the first ball of Mustafizur’s next over, but the single he took off the next ball opened the floodgates. Former England wicketkeeper James Foster shuffled across but was bowled around his legs in a dismissal reminiscent of the Fizz’s castling of Australian captain Steven Smith in the World Twenty20 earlier this year.
Callum Taylor stepped away to hit his first ball through the off side, but Mustafizur darted it in outside off stump to beat the right-hander with a quick ball. The next delivery was a classic off-cutter that moved across Taylor and bowled him as he tried to turn it to the leg side.

With three wickets for just 13 runs in three overs, the Fizz may have been eyeing his best T20 figures. That seemed even closer when he set up ten Doeschate brilliantly in the first two balls of the last over, which started with Essex needing an improbable 35. The first ball was a very quick delivery that beat ten Doeschate for pace, and the next one was a slower outside leg that the Dutch big hitter could only scoop to short fine leg. After 3.2 overs, the Tetulia terror had taken four for 13. A no-ball single to new batsman Graham Napier was followed by another single as Paul Walter failed to take advantage of the free hit, but Napier spoiled Fizz’s figures somewhat by hitting a six that just eluded long-off’s hands.
But that did not matter much as Mustafizur rounded off the innings with two more dot balls and fabulous figures of four for 23 in four overs, perhaps leaving the Sussex management wondering about what could have been had the Bangladeshi arrived earlier.
Scores in brief
Sussex Sharks: 200 for 6 (Jordan 45 not out, Salt 33, Wright 32, Nash 25; Bopara 2-32, Lawrence 1-10)
Essex Eagles: 176 for 8 (Lawrence 36, Bopara 32, ten Doeschate 26; Mustafizur 4-23, Mills 1-36, Archer 1-39)
Result: Sussex Sharks won by 24 runs
Player-of-the-match: Mustafizur Rahman

Big thanks to our new Bangladesh fans who stayed up all night to support us #TheFizz #SharksTogether #SussexFamily pic.twitter.com/IcQfbiUdGy

— Sussex CCC (@SussexCCC) July 21, 2016

4 of a family die in Habiganj trawler capsize

Rescue teams are recovering bodies of those died after a trawler capsized in the Dhalashwari River under Lakhai upazila of Habiganj this afternoon. Photo: Star

Star Online Report

Four of a family died after a trawler capsized in the Dhalashwari River under Lakhai upazila of Habiganj district this afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Haq Miah, 43, his son Mujahid, 10, daughter Jannat Ara, 8, and nephew Sourov, 8, all from Kishorganj, reports our Moulvibazar correspondent.
Police said the trawler, with seven passengers on board, started from Ostogram to Haq’s father-in-law house at Lakhai upazila in Habiganj around 2.30pm.
When the trawler reached deep into the river, it suddenly capsized hit by strong current caused by a storm, said Md Muzammel Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Lakhai Police Station.
Three people managed to swim ashore, he told The Daily Star.
On information, a rescue team rushed to the spot and recovered bodies, the OC said, adding that the bodies were already handed over to the family.

India launches massive search operation for missing military plane

An Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft. NDTV file photo

BBC Online

An Indian military plane with more than 20 people on board has gone missing over the Bay of Bengal, the Indian air force (IAF) has confirmed to the BBC.
The Antonov-32 transporter aircraft took off from Chennai (Madras) at 08:30 local time (03:00 GMT), bound for Port Blair in the eastern archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar.
It was scheduled to land at 11:30.
Four aircraft, 12 ships and a submarine have been deployed to search for the plane, the ministry of defence said.
The IAF operates more than 100 Antonov AN 32.

The Indian Air Force has a relatively poor safety record and the Russian-made aircraft which form the backbone of the Indian fleet have been the most accident-prone.
A navy spokesman told the Reuters news agency that surveillance planes and ships were looking for the missing aircraft, which was carrying service personnel to strategic islands near the Malacca Straits, where India has a military base.

India's ministry of defence initially deployed two aeroplanes and four ships to look for the missing aircraft.
Eight more warships and a submarine have now joined the search.

জাতীয় সংসদের সামনে কি হচ্ছে দেখেন

প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সংবাদ সম্মেলনের পূর্নভাষণ ১৭ জুলাই ২০১৬

প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সংবাদ সম্মেলনের প্রশ্নোত্তর ১৭ জুলাই ২০১৬

Extra Ordinary Mezabin

Playful Joyita

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মন ভাল করার গান

নিজেকে একা ভাববেন না

রয়টার্সের এক বিশেষ প্রতিবেদন -যে ভাবে চুরি হয়েছে বাংলাদেশের রিজার্ভের ট...

ম্যাকআপ ছাড়া ইন্ডিয়ান নায়িকাদের দেখুন

আদ্রিয়ান আরবী শব্দ। এর অর্থ সৌভাগ্যর প্রতীক।

আদ্রিয়ান আরবী শব্দ। এর অর্থ সৌভাগ্যর প্রতীক। আদ্রিয়ান শব্দটি
আরবী শব্দ আদ্রিয়ানো থেকে এসেছে। Adrian also mean a city in southeastern Michigan; population 21,391 (est. 2008).

Texts from a brother held hostage inside Holey Artisan Bakery

Militants storm popular Gulshan hangout for foreigners; about 20 foreign nationals, children among dozens held hostage; 2 police officers killed; around 40 injured; 'IS claims responsibility'

 

 

Prabir Barua Chowdhury

Soumir Baroi held hostage inside one of the bathrooms at Holey Artisan Bakery, which is witnessing a hostage situation, managed to establish contact with his brother Gopal via texts.
As gunmen held hostage dozens of people inside the popular hangout for foreigners in the capital's diplomatic zone of Gulshan, Gopal tried to reach his elder brother Soumir, who works at the restaurant, over phone around 9:30pm.
After failing to reach him on one of his numbers, Gopal managed to reach Soumir on another number, which he did not pick up.
At 10:00pm: In reply to Gopal’s text, Soumir wrote, “Me and nephew are fine. Locked in the bathroom”.
At 1:44am: Soumir texted again “What is the situation outside?” To which Gopal replied “Rab is overlooking everything. They are doing all they can do, so that you all are not harmed”.
At 1:45am: Soumir texted again “Chhoto Mamun (his identity could not be known) knows where our toilet is. We are there. If you can, please break the wall and take us”. Gopal replied: “Switch on your Facebook. Please give me one picture”.
At 2:15am they exchanged a series of texts. Gopal wrote, “Do they know you are in the toilet?”

Soumir: “Yes”.
Gopal: “Are they saying anything to you?”
Soumir: “They don’t want anything. They have locked us”.
Gopal: “Dada please sit on a side of the toilet. They may fire”.
Soumir: “Yes we are”.
At 4:58am: Gopal asked: “Dada how are you now?”
Soumir: “Yeah”.
At 5:28am: Gopal texted: “We all pray for you so that you come back safe and sound”.
Soumir replied: “Yes”.
Again at 5:48am: Soumir still trapped inside texted: “May be Rab will enter now. Please come to the toilet soon. It is painful here”.
Gopal replied: “I have told a major about you all”.
At 6:22am: Gopal texted his brother: “Please say how you are now?”
There has been no contact for a long time now. At 7:40am an offensive was launched. Gopal has been trying to reach his brother for a while. At one point, he managed to get through the line, but there was no answer.
Operation Thunderbolt ended around 9:30am bringing the hours long hostage situation to an end. However, the fate of those trapped inside could not be known.

 

Bloody end to Dhaka hostage crisis

13 including Indian and Japanese citizens rescued as army commandos storm Holey Artisan café; 6 attackers killed, says PM

An army armoured vehicle moves along a street as police stormed the Holey Artisan restaurant after gunmen attacked it and took hostages early on Saturday in Dhaka, Bangladesh in this still frame taken from live video July 2, 2016. Photo: Reuters

 

Star Online Report

Army commandoes brought to end an unprecedented hostage situation at an eatery in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone, rescuing at least 13 people who include Indian and Japanese citizens almost 12 hours after gunmen stormed the popular café.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said six attackers were killed during operation by the law enforcers.
- Troops storm café 11 hours after hostage crisis began
- Indians, Japanese among 13 rescued
- 2 police officers were killed shortly after the crisis began
- 6 attackers were killed during law enforcers’ operation

Witnesses and journalists said they saw several bodies lying on the floor of Holey Artisan Bakery after the operation, which ended around 9:30am.

BREAKING: Japanese government says 1 Japanese rescued, 7 unaccounted for in Bangladesh restaurant attack

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 2, 2016

No official version on death toll was available till filing of this report at 11:15am today.
LIVE UPDATES: Gulshan hostage crisis
The Amaq News Agency of Middle-east based terrorist organisation Islamic State which reportedly claimed the attack tweeted bloody photos of the dead victims lying in pool of blood.

The first of such major coordinated attack, the hostage drama sent a chill across the country making headlines with top world news outlets as it unfolded.

Almost 11 hours after it had begun, security forces launched an offensive to end an unprecedented hostage crisis at the restaurant at 7:40am.

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Gunshots and heavy sound of explosion were heard as a concerted operation at Holey Artisan Bakery on Road No. 79 in Gulshan, our correspondents reported from the spot.

The whole neighbourhood was rocked as the skirmish continued for 15 minutes without almost no break.

“With the rattling sound of gunshots and sound grenades, we heard cries of a large number of people coming from the direction of the café,” said Daily Star correspondent Prabir Barua Chowdhury.   

There was a respite in the frequency of gunshots and explosion after 7:55am. Sporadic gunshots were heard again between 8:03am and 8:15am.

“Law enforcers have rescued 13 people,” Tuhin Md Masud, commanding officer of Rapid Action Battalion-1, told journalists.   

Prior to beginning of the operation, armoured vehicles were brought in and special troops from different law enforcement agencies were seen taking position around Holey Artisan Bakery.

Commandos from Bangladesh Army and Navy joined police, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, elite force Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) in the early hours as the hostage crisis dragged for hours.

Our reporters said they saw two ambulances leaving the area during the operation. 

READ MORE: 7 Italians among Dhaka cafe hostages
In the early hours of today, Gowher Rizvi, an adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, told Reuters news agency that security forces were trying to negotiate a way out of the crisis, failing which they would launch an offensive to end the siege.
Italy's ambassador to Bangladesh, Mario Palma, told Italian state TV that seven Italians were among the hostages.
"It is a suicide attack. They want to carry out a powerful and bloody operation and there is no room for negotiation," Palma said.
The hostage crisis marks an escalation from a recent spate of murders claimed by Islamic State and al Qaeda on liberals, gays, foreigners and religious minorities.
Last year, several Western retailers temporarily halted visits to Dhaka following the killing of two foreigners.

Security personnel began an offensive to end a hostage crisis in Dhaka's diplomatic zone Gulshan at 7:40am Saturday. Photo: Star

Both Islamic State and al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for many of the killings, although local authorities say there are no operational links between Bangladeshi militants and international jihadi networks.

According to Bangladesh security officials, two local militant groups, Ansar-al-Islam and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, are behind the violence. Ansar pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda, while Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen claims it represents Islamic State.

A police officer at the scene said that when security forces tried to enter the premises at the beginning of the siege they met a hail of bullets and grenades.

Television footage showed a number of police being led away from the site with blood on their faces and clothes. Heavily armed officers could be seen milling on the street outside.

A resident near the scene of the attack told Reuters he could hear sporadic gunfire nearly three hours after the attack began.

"It is chaos out there. The streets are blocked. There are dozens of police commandos," said Tarique Mir.

Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Twitter he was closely following the situation in Dhaka, adding he was "anxious for Italians involved" and expressing solidarity with their families.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi abruptly left a ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome on Friday evening to follow the hostage-taking incident, a source at his office said.

The US State Department said all Americans working at the US mission there had been accounted for. A spokesman said in Washington the situation was "very fluid, very live".

President Barack Obama has also been briefed about the attack, the White House said.