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Saturday 6 August 2016

Neymar, Brazil seek to bounce back: Rio Olympics

AFP, Rio de Janeiro
Mercilessly cast as "greedy" and "missing" for failing to fire Brazil to victory in their Rio 2016 opener against South Africa, Neymar and his highly-touted teammates need a big response against Iraq on Sunday.
A 0-0 draw against a South African side reduced to 10 men for the final half hour on Thursday was met with a chorus of boos by a near 70,000 capacity crowd in Brasilia.
Brazil were expected to launch the Games in style as red hot favourites to land a first Olympic football gold thanks to the presence of Barcelona superstar Neymar.
However, he suffered the most severe backlash in the Brazilian press Friday after losing possession 27 times, more than double any other Brazilian player.
"Greedy Neymar becomes a problem in the Olympic team," said ESPN Brazil.
"Inexplicably, Brazil did everything contrary to what they rehearsed and preached for 17 days (in preparation)," added Rio newspaper O Globo. "Neymar was missing too."
However, Neymar, who still had Brazil's two best efforts brilliantly saved by Itumeleng Khune, defended his decision to act as more of a playmaker, comparing his role to that occupied by five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
"Sometimes you end up playing according to a certain player. It's like how Barcelona play. We play according Messi, he is the guy who plays more on the ball and we end up moving off the ball," he said.
"It's why we don't get bothered by touching the ball into Messi, that's what many people do not understand."
However, Brazil coach Rogerio Micale defended his star and captain, citing rustiness as Neymar hadn't been involved in competitive action since May 22 after skipping the Copa America in June.
"I think we have to see he is coming off a long holiday period and is regaining the pace of play," said Micale.
"He will grow a lot during the competition, I have great confidence in him."
Neymar didn't face the ire of the Brazilian press alone.
Manchester City's new £27 million ($36 million) signing Gabriel Jesus somehow managed to hit the post when presented with an open goal.
"I will not sleep tonight," admitted the 19-year-old.
Another slip-up against Iraq back in Brasilia is unimaginable for the hosts, but they will face a well-prepared and highly-motivated opponent who enjoyed the better of their opening 0-0 draw with Denmark.
In contrast to Brazil's short preparation time, Iraq have been in training camps across Europe for months in the build-up to the Games with the aim of surpassing their run to fourth at the Athens Games in 2004 when they beat a Portugal side containing Cristiano Ronaldo.
"For us it is an honour to be here," said Iraq coach Abdulghani Alghazali.
"In Brazil, we have earned the sympathy of the local people. Our next game, against them, will be very important for us."
Brazil aren't the only big nation in need of quick turnaround in fortunes on Sunday.
Two-time gold medallists Argentina face Algeria after suffering a 2-0 opening defeat to Portugal.
Defending champions Mexico opened with a 2-2 draw against Germany, but are expected to pile more misery on Fiji, who lost 8-0 to South Korea on Thursday. Germany also face the Koreans in Salvador.
Nigeria's Oghenekaro Etebo was the star of the opening round with four goals in a thrilling 5-4 win over Japan as the Africans shrugged off the jetlag with ease having arrived in the Amazonian city of Manaus, nearly 3,000km from Rio, just hours before kick-off.
Another win for the gold medal winners 20 years ago in Atlanta against Sweden will seal their place in the last eight.
Japan look to bounce back against Colombia, Denmark meet South Africa with both in search of their first win, whilst Honduras and Portugal face off with both well-placed after opening wins.

Floating schools gear up education for underprivileged ‘Chalanbeel’ kids

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu, back from Chalanbeel
They do not go to school, the school comes to them.
Some 22 floating schools locally known as “Nouka School” moved in to the submerged Chalanbeel area spanning over three districts providing academic facilities to more than 2,000 underprivileged children in the last few years.
Floating Schools have now broadened their facilities, ensuring basic agricultural training for underprivileged women and also library and computer training facilities among people in Pabna, Natore and Sirajganj, thanks to ‘Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha’ (SSS), a non-government organisation for initiating better service enlightening Chalanbeel people.
The SSS first introduced floating schools for the underprivileged kids in Singra upazila of Natore district in 2002.
The school gained quick popularity among the people and there are now 22 floating schools in Chatmohar and Bhangura upazilas of Pabna, Gurudashpur and Singra of Natore and Tarash upazila of Sirajganj under Chalanbeel region, organisation sources said.
“Chalanbeel areas go under water for four to six months each year during monsoon. Maximum educational institutions mostly primary schools located in remote areas become inaccessible. A major portion of school going children drop out as they are unable to go to their institutions during the monsoon,” Suprokash Poul, program coordinator of floating school program, said.
“Floating schools go to the doorstep of the children. Carrying students from different points of the villages it reaches a certain point where classes are held. When classes end, the children are dropped to their villages again,” Suprokash said adding that each school holds three shifts a day with 30 students in each shift.
“We get training on crop cultivation in submerged land during monsoon. We learn how to cultivate paddy, jute and vegetables and how to protect the crops from pest attacks without using chemical pesticide,” Bulbuli Khatun, a housewife of Kalinagar village in Singra upazila of Natore district, said.
“There is no computer facility in our village. We would have to go to the upazila headquarters for this, which is 30 kilogremre away. But now, we get these facilities at our doorsteps,” said Abu Sayed, an HSC student of Singra.
A total of 39 boats--including 22 floating schools, 10 boats for library and computer lab and seven training centers have been moving in the five upazilas of Chalanbeel area but this is not enough to cover the vast area of Chalanbeel region,” Suprokash said.
The organisation is trying to increase the number of floating schools.

O, A-level exams on time: British Council

Star Online Report
British Council Bangladesh today said O-level and A-level examinations (Cambridge International Examinations and Pearson Edexcel) will take place on time as scheduled.
The council authorities are working on to deliver the exams services to the students, according to a press release floated for media.
The British Council recognises the importance of the services to the young people and takes this responsibility very seriously, it said.
The registration deadline for the Cambridge International Examinations in November 2016 session has been extended to August 10, 2016, the release said.
School candidates are requested to contact their school for a unique school candidate registration link.
Private candidates from Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, and Khulna can apply through the British Council website.
Earlier on July 27, British Council temporarily closed its offices in Bangladesh.
READ ALSO: British Council closes Bangladesh offices temporarily
The press release also read, “IELTS registration dates are still open for August and September 2016 and the candidates are requested to register online at ielts.britishcouncil.org.”
Along with the Examinations services, the British Council is running all corporate English courses and workshops as per schedule.
Their Active Citizens Youth Leadership Training programme is also running smoothly, the release also read.

Falu resigns as BNP vice chairman

Star Online Report
Mosaddek Ali Falu, newly made vice chairman of BNP, has resigned from the post without citing any reason.
He was previously an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Ntv reports.
He quit the party post hours after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the full list of the party’s national executive committee, vice chairmen, advisers and standing committee members.
READ ALSO: Khasru, Fakhrul, Salahuddin make way into BNP standing committee
Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the committee at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka.

Clinton’s lead over Trump narrows to less than 3 points


Reuters, New York
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's lead over Republican rival Donald Trump narrowed to less than 3 percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday, down from nearly eight points on Monday.
About 42 percent of likely voters favored Clinton, to Trump's 39 percent, according to the July 31-Aug. 4 online poll of 1,154 likely voters. The poll had a credibility interval of plus or minus 3 percentage points, meaning that the results suggest the race is roughly even.
Among registered voters over the same period, Clinton held a lead of five percentage points, down from eight percentage points on Monday, according to the poll.
The reasons behind the shift were unclear.
Clinton had pulled well ahead of Trump on the heels of the Democratic National Convention last week, where she became the first woman to accept the US presidential nomination from a major political party.
Since then, Trump has engaged in a days-long feud with the family of an American soldier killed in Iraq and squabbled with the Republican leadership over his comments and leadership turmoil within his campaign.
Trump, in recent days, however, has sought to refocus. On Friday he announced his economic policy advisory team, said he would deliver an economic policy speech early next week, and was expected to endorse US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the top US elected Republican, who is seeking his 10th term in Congress.
An average of polls aggregated by Real Clear Politics showed Clinton ahead of Trump by 6.8 percentage points on Friday, up from 3.9 on August 1.

Rio Olympics 2016

Beating heart of Brazil's musical heritage reveals deeper message

Star Online Report

A joyful sashay through Brazil's extraordinary musical heritage was infused with a social message and a warning over the dangers of climate change as Rio de Janeiro drew back the curtain of the 2016 Olympic Games with a highly charged opening ceremony.
"Past the risky point" is how creative director Fernando Meirelles described the state of the planet hours before the ceremony in the Maracana Stadium, and the Oscar-nominated director of City of God made good on his promise to urge the expected three billion-plus television audience to sit up and take action, reports the official website of Rio Olympic Games.
Giant, NASA-inspired heat maps showing the projected effect of sea-level rises on cities including Amsterdam, Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro were displayed, while the sight of smiling musical legends Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veleso delighted the watching thousands.
The Amazon featured heavily, with one section highlighting the birth of the world's biggest rainforest inducing gasps of delight as clouds of luminous yellow butterflies engulfed the iconic football stadium.
The celebration continued to be matched by Meirelles' message, with even the Olympic rings turning a lush green after the almost 11,000 parading athletes were each given a cartridge containing a seedling. Organisers have pledged that every tree will be transplanted to create an Athletes' Forest in Deodoro, site of the second-largest Rio 2016 venue cluster.
Areas of low-income housing were represented by wild urban beats and stark images of poverty. A city of contrasts, pop-funk sensation Ludmilla shared the stage with 1950s samba queen Elza Soares, before 12-year-old rapper MC Soffia picked up the baton and led 1500 residents of the Carnaval city into a rocking street party.
Many of Brazil's highest profile personalities made an appearance. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, 36, marked what she has declared to be her last appearance on a catwalk in spectacular style, holding the stadium enraptured to Tom Jobim's iconic song The Girl from Ipanema. Compatriot Lea T, the first transgender model to sign a beauty contract, added to the insistent message of tolerance and diversity, carrying a placard in the Athletes' Parade.
The tones of acclaimed British actress Judi Dench were also heard, reading a classic Brazilian poem. As bizarre as that sounds, it somehow fitted the smile-inducing spectacle.
Two further moments of international focus stood out. First, the awarding of the newly inaugurated Olympic Laurel to two-time Olympic gold medallist athlete Kipchoge Keino, 76, recognising his work educating orphaned children, and the arrival of the Refugee Olympic Team to roars almost as deafening as those reserved for the home athletes.
In a fitting finale, it was Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, the marathon runner made famous for seeing his gold medal hopes dashed by a spectator who wrestled him to the ground during the latter stages of the Athens 2004 race, who lit the Olympic flame.
As predicted by Meirelles, Brazil's "heart" proved more than enough.

Khasru, Fakhrul, Salahuddin make way into BNP standing committee

The party announces full list of executive and standing committee members

UNB, Dhaka
BNP today announced its full list of executive and standing committee members, four and a half months after its national council was held on March 19.

Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the committees at a press briefing at BNP's Nayaplatan central office in Dhaka.

According to the fresh list, BNP’s central executive committee has been constituted of 502 members and 35 vice chairmen and 73 advisers, Fakhrul said.

UNB adds: Mirza Fakhrul, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, who is now in India, got entry in the 19-member standing committee.

However, two posts --17 and 18 number positions in the BNP policymaking body -- will be announced later.

At the BNP national council held in the city, party councillors endorsed Khaleda Zia as party chairperson and her son Tarique Rahman as senior vice chairman.

They also entrusted Khaleda with the responsibility to constitute the party executive committee and stranding committee.

Earlier, the party unveiled the names for 41 posts, including that for secretary-general, senior joint secretary-general, treasurer, joint secretaries general, organising secretaries and assistant organising secretaries.

However, some changes were brought in the earlier declared posts.

Held militants prefer to die: IGP

Star Online Report
Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque today alleged that arrested militants prefer to die instead of giving any information.
When a militant is detained he tells police, “Kill me, I will go to heaven,” the IGP tells a discussion quoting the militants.
The police chief was talking as a key speaker at a seminar on ‘Curbing Militancy and Terrorism: Role of Community Policing and Mass Media’ at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka. 
READ ALSO: Source of arms in Dhaka attack traced: IGP
He urged all to find out the people who are motivating the militants and how they are being motivated.

Tuesday 2 August 2016

New human rights commission chairman

Ex-secretary Reazul Hoque new human rights commission chairman

Star Online Report
The government today appointed former secretary Kazi Reazul Hoque as the chairman of Nation Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh.
Farhana Syead, public relations officer of NHRC, confirmed it to The Daily Star this afternoon.
Earlier, Reazul had served as the full time member of the NHRC till June 22, 2016 from 2010.

কল্যাণপুরের জঙ্গিরা রেকর্ড করা বক্তব্যে পরিবার ও গণতন্ত্রের নিন্দা জানায়


Tue Aug 02 2016

জায়েদুল আহসান
Dhaka-militant
নিজেদের শেষ পরিণতির কথা জানতে পেরে, কল্যাণপুরের জঙ্গিরা আইন প্রয়োগকারী সংস্থার সদস্যদের উপর আক্রমনের চূড়ান্ত প্রস্তুতি নেয়। কথিত ‘ইসলামিক স্টেট’-এর কালো পাঞ্জাবী পড়ে এবং নিজেদের পরিবার এবং “বিশ্বের মুসলমানদের” জন্য তাদের বক্তব্য রেকর্ড করে রাখে।
সেই ধারণকৃত বক্তব্যে শোনা যায় দুই সদ্য তরুণ জঙ্গি তাদের পরিবারের উদ্দেশ্যে বলে "তোমরা আল্লাহর কাছে ক্ষমা চাও, আর ইসলামের পথে অগ্রসর হও" | তাদের মস্তিস্কের বৈকল্য এমনই হয়েছে যে এদের একজন তার পরিবারের নিন্দা করে বলে "তোমরা সবাই মুরতাদ কারণ তোমরা সবাই গণতন্ত্রকে সমর্থন করো, তোমরা দেশের প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনাকে সমর্থন করো |"
তাদের বক্তব্যে উঠে এসেছে, তাদের কতো গভীরভাবে ইসলামের ভুল ব্যাখ্যা শেখানো হয়েছে এবং তাদের মতবাদকে কিভাবে হিংসা আর সাধারণ মানুষের পাশাপাশি তাদের পরিবারের প্রতিও তীব্র ঘৃণা দিয়ে ভরা হয়েছে, তাদের বাবা-মাও যে ইসলামের প্রকৃত সমর্থক নয় সেকথা মৃত্যুর জন্য প্রস্তুত হয়ে তারা রেকর্ড করে গেছে।
এই লেখক নয়জন জঙ্গির মধ্যে তিনজনের রেকর্ডকৃত বক্তব্য সংগ্রহ করে পর্যালোচনা করে দেখেছে এদের মধ্যে জুবায়ের হোসেন বাংলায় এবং , শেজাদ রউফ অর্ক আর তাজ উল হক রাশিক ইংরেজিতে বক্তব্য রেকর্ড করেছে। মাঝে মাঝে তারা কোরআনের আয়াতও উচ্চারণ করেছে।
অপারেশন স্টর্ম ২৬ সফল পরিচালনার পর পুলিশ বাড়িটিতে তল্লাশী চালিয়ে কিছূ নস্ট করে ফেলা ল্যাপটপ পেনড্রাইভ উদ্ধার করে। তাতে শুধু অডিও রেকর্ডই নয়, একটি ভিডিওচিত্রও পাওয়া যায়। যেখানে কিছু কাগজপত্র পোড়াতে দেখা গেছে। অপারেশন শুরুর আগে পুলিশ যখন বাড়িটি ঘিরে রেখেছিল তখনই তারা একসাথে কালো পাঞ্জাবি পরে তৈরী হয়ে ছবি তুলে। এবং কাগজপত্র ও ডিভাইসগুলো পুড়িয়ে ফেলে।
তারা বেশ কয়েকটি ফোন নম্বর, ল্যাপটপ আর পেনড্রাইভ ব্যবহার করতো তাদের বক্তব্য আর ছবি রাখার জন্য | ধারণা করা হচ্ছে, কন্টেন্টগুলো মেসেঞ্জারের মাধ্যমে নানান জায়গায় পাঠানোর জন্যই এই যন্ত্রগুলো রাখা হয়েছিল। যদিও, গোয়েন্দারা শেষ পর্যন্ত ডিভাইসগুলো থেকে তাদের বক্তব্য উদ্ধার করতে সক্ষম হয়েছে |
ওই তিনজনের একজন সামরিক অস্ত্র ব্যবসায়ী তৌহিদ রউফের পুত্র, শেজাদ রউফ অর্ক মার্কিন নাগরিক | তার দাদা সাবেক সামরিক গোয়েন্দা প্রধান | সে ২০০৯ সালে বাংলাদেশে ফেরত আসে, এবং নর্থ-সাউথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে এমবিএ তে অধ্যয়নরত ছিল | সে বসুন্ধরা আবাসিক এলাকায় থাকতো |
তার বক্তব্যের অনেকটা অংশ পরিবারের বিরুদ্ধে, তার বাবা তৌহিদ রউফ এবং পরিবারের সবাই যারা 'শেখ হাসিনাকে' সমর্থন করে, আর শরীয়াতের বিধান সমর্থন করে না | সে বলেছে, সে সব কিছু ত্যাগ করেছে জিহাদের জন্য, এবং কোরানের আয়াত দিয়ে নিজের কাজকে সঠিক প্রমানের চেষ্টা করে বলেছে "তুমি মরবে, নাহলে মারবে, জান্নাত আমাদের জন্য |"
"তোমরা শেখ হাসিনাকে সমর্থন করো, তোমরা গণতন্ত্র সমর্থন করো.. তাই আমি আমার পরিবারের সবাইকে মুরতাদ বললাম.. তোমরা সবাই কাফের | তোমরা অনুতপ্ত হও, দেরি হয়ে যাবার আগে তোমরা অনুতপ্ত হও" -- বলেছে অর্ক |
তাদের অবস্থানটি যখন আইন শৃঙ্খলা বাহিনী ঘিরে রেখেছে, কয়েকবার চেস্টা করেও যখন ভেতর থেকে পালানোর পথ পাচ্ছিল না সেই চিত্র বিবেচনায় নিয়ে অর্ক বলে “আমরা এই মুহুর্তে অস্ত্র নিয়ে প্রস্তুত, পুলিশ হোক আর র‌্যাব হোক যারা প্রথমে আক্রমণ করবে আমরা তাদের হত্যা করব, আমরা আল্লাহর কাছ থেকে নির্দেশ পেয়েছি, আমরা তোমাদের হারাবো " ইংরেজিতে এ বক্তব্য ধারন করে অর্ক |
অর্কের এ কথার সময় কিছু আওয়াজ শোনা যাচ্ছিলো| আওয়াজে মনে হয়েছে সেগুলো ধাতব বস্তু (সম্ভবত অস্ত্র)। তিন জঙ্গির আরেকজন তাজ উল হক রাশিক। নর্থ সাউথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের ইলেকট্রিকাল এন্ড ইলেকট্রনিকস ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং বিভাগ থেকে স্নাতক ডিগ্রি নিয়েছে। সে ধানমন্ডির বাসিন্দা রবিউল হকের ছোট ছেলে | রাশিক একাডেমিয়া থেকে ও'লেভেল আর মাস্টারমাইন্ড স্কুল থেকে এ' লেভেল পাস্ করে |
তার দুই মিনিটের বক্তব্যে জিহাদকে সমর্থন করে জনগণের স্বার্থে বলে "তোমরা সবাই খিলাফতে যোগদান করো", সাধারণ জনগণকে কাফের অভিহিত করে সে বলে 'এটা শুরু মাত্র, দেখতেই তো পাচ্ছ তোমাদের দেশে যুদ্ধ শুরু হয়েছে ... এই বার্তা তোমাদের ভাই তাজ উল হকের ... আল্লাহ যেন আমাকে শহীদ হিসেবে গ্রহণ করেন' |
তৃতীয় যে জঙ্গির বক্তব্য পাওয়া গেছে তার নাম জুবায়ের হোসেন। সে নোয়াখালী সরকারি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় কলেজে রাষ্ট্রবিজ্ঞানের দ্বিতীয় বর্ষের ছাত্র ছিল | সে দুই মাস নিখোঁজ থাকার পরে, তার বাবা আব্দুল কাইয়ুম জুলাই মাসে সুধারাম মডেল থানায় একটি সাধারণ ডায়েরি করে|আব্দুল কাইয়ুম সাংবাদিকদের জানিয়েছেন তার পুত্র ইসলামী ছাত্র শিবিরের কর্মী ছিল।
জুবায়ের তার বক্তব্যে আইএস এর প্রধান আবু বকর আল বাগদাদিকে উদ্দেশ্য করে বলে 'সেই সকল পাপীদের চোখ তুলে নাও যারা তাদের কঠিন দৃশ্য দিয়ে প্রকৃত মুসলমানদের ভয় দেখায়।'
সে তার পরিবারের উদ্দেশ্যে বলে 'তোমরা ধর্মের পথে এসো' । যে তার মা বাবাকে ইসলামের পথ দেখাবে তাকেই সে পছন্দ করবে বলে সে বক্তব্যে উল্লেখ করে।
পুলিশের কাউন্টার টেররিজম ইউনিটের প্রধান অতিরিক্ত পুলিশ কমিশনার মনিরুল ইসলাম মনে করেন জঙ্গিদের মাস্টারমা্ইন্ডরা নতুন করে কারো মগজ ধোলাই করতে এই ভিডিও ও অডিওগুলোকে অনুপ্রেরণা হিসেবে ব্যবহারএর চেষ্টা করতেও পারে। ধারনকৃত এসব ছবি ও অডিও-ভিডিও তৈরি করে দেশের কয়েকটি জায়গায় পাঠানো হয়েছে বলে তার ধারনা। কাদের কাছে পাঠানো হয়েছে তার অনুসন্ধান চলছে বলে জানান তিনি।
আর একটি ভিডিওচিত্রে দেখা যায়, তার ধারনা, ওই আস্তানার একটি ভিডিওতে দেখা গেছে জঙ্গিরা কয়েকটি কাগজে আগুন দিচ্ছে। তখনই একজনকে বলতে শোনা যায়, “এই সব সার্টিফিকেটের কোনো দাম নেই। এই সার্টিফিকেট দিয়ে কেবল চাকর হওয়া যায়।”

Peace Int’l School to be shut down

Star Online Report
The education ministry has asked the home ministry to shut unapproved Peace International School immediately.
The ministry today issued an office order, according to a press release.
The ministry has also asked the Dhaka Education Board to cancel the registration of Peace School at Dhaka’s Lalmatia for ‘its involvement with controversial activities’, added the ministry’s press release.