Bangladesh v South Africa, Day 2 washed out

Bangladesh v South Africa, 2nd Test, Mirpur, 2nd day

Rain plays the spoilsport on day 2 of the 2nd Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at Mirpur. File Photo: BCB

Star Online Report

Continual rain from early morning compelled match officials to call off play for day 2 of the 2nd Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at Mirpur stadium today.
Earlier, heavy overnight and morning showers delayed the start of the second day's play.
After an absorbing day of cricket on the first day, Bangladesh are at 246 for 8 in 88.1 overs with Nasir Hossain unbeaten on 13 at the wicket.
Several Bangladeshi batters got out after good starts, while Mushfiqur Rahim became the first skipper for his side to score a fifty against South Africa in Test matches.
Dale Steyn became the 13th bowler to take 400 Test wickets but South Africa's part-time spinners enjoyed most of the success on an gripping day of grind on both sides.
South Africa's bowlers showed more intent and aggression than in the first Test but were made to toil on a slow, dry surface that had been run ragged as early as day one.
There were signs of substantial turn, which will suit Bangladesh later on, and it placed added importance on the hosts making the most of what will likely be the best batting conditions of the game.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, the inclement weather is likely to have the last laugh as far as the game is concerned, with incessant rain at Dhaka from early morning today.
Rain is the order of the day according to AccuWeather.com and the chances of play on 2nd day look terribly bleak indeed.
Bangladesh Team
Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain, Wicketkeeper), Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Liton Das, Mohammad Shahid, Mustafizur Rahman and Jubair Hossain
South Africa Team
D Elgar, S van Zyl, F du Plessis, HM Amla (Captain), T Bavuma, JP Duminy, DJ Vilas (Wicketkeeper), VD Philander, DW Steyn, SR Harmer, M Morkel

Separated again 68 years after

Enclave dwellers' freedom a few hours away

Mrinal Chandra Barman, left, and others at Indian enclave Dashiarchhara in Phulbari of Kurigram. They want to become Indian nationals. Photo: Zahed Khan

Inam Ahmed

It is nothing compared to the greatest migration in history when people moved like ants to cross borders into Bengal and Punjab. There will be no violence and death stalking them at every footstep. And yet there will be many similarities.
Second time in the history of this sub-continent, a mass migration, however small may be the number – 979 to be exact and only one way from this side to India– will take place anytime soon once the enclaves will no longer exist from midnight today.
For the second time in our history, people were given a choice, just as in 1947, to choose their homeland.
In Dashiarchhara, an Indian enclave in Bangladesh, 284 people – 158 of them Hindus and 126 Muslims – will travel to India, cross the border and say goodbye to this land for ever.
Mrinal Chandra Barman is one of them who is waiting to migrate. He had ten bighas of land here which he farmed.  But now he is taking preparation to leave. He has already sold all the tall trees on his homestead for Tk 10,000.
“I don't know what I will do there, but I will go,” Mrinal says, his wife and children waiting in the background.  “This was my fate. What can I do?”
Mrinal knows he will not get any land from the Indian government against the land he will forego here. He knows he will have to stay in a camp. And he does not know what will happen to him next.  He also does not know what will happen to his land here.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I have to surrender the land to the administration. But I am not sure whether I can sell the land because there will be no buyers, or they will quote ridiculously low price because they know I have no option.”
Krishna Kanti Barman also does not know how and when he will reach India.
“I hope the government will provide us vehicle to transport our stuffs– beds and utensils,” he says. “I was an Indian enclave person. So I opted to be an Indian.”
Krishna however has a better hope because he is a mason and he has some relatives there who had migrated illegally before India put up the barbed wire fence.
“I know how to build a building. I have heard that there is a big town over there. So there must be a lot of constructions. If you know how to work, you will not go unfed,” he laughs, nervously.
Like Krishna and Mrinal, 30 percent of the Hindus of Dashiarchhara will go to India and become its citizens.
For Muslims, the comparable figure will be much lower at only about 1.5 percent.
Shahjahan Ali and his entire family of three brothers and two sisters are among them who are also getting ready for the migration.  They however have very little to take with them. They do not even have any land.
“We will just grab our clothes and go,” Shahjahan says.
“I will take my ornaments,” says his sister Asma, who shows her box of imitation bangles. “I love them. I don't want to go without my bangles.”
And as Mrinal, Shahjahan and others like them are preparing to leave, the moneyed people in Dashiarchhara are getting ready too for a different reason.
They know those who are leaving will have no choice but to sell their property, now or later.
“I will buy their land. It must come cheap because if we do not buy who will then?” Shamsul chortles in front of his pucca house. “After all it is the time for making hay.”

Girl rescued while being trafficked to India; one held

Police rescue a young girl while being trafficked to India through Putkhali border point on July 30, 2015. Star file photo

Unb, Benapole

Police rescued a young girl while she was being trafficked to India through Putkhali border point here last night.
The victim was identified as Mamata Khatun, 17, a garment worker and daughter of Faji Islam of Hawra Satpara village in Sadar upazila of Sherpur district.
Nur Alam, a sub-inspector of Benapole Port Police Station, said Mamata had developed a relationship of love with Sagor, son of Afsar Sheikh of Hawra Satpara village, one month back.
Sagar married Mamata with a promise to give her a good job in Malaysia.
On Thursday night, Sagar took Mamata to Baropota village in the bordering area to cross the border.
Suspecting the movement of Sagar and Mamata, local people rescued the girl and caught Sagar around 10:00pm.
Later they were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station.