The hunt for Van Gogh’s bed

The hunt for Van Gogh’s bedVincent van Gogh’s painting of his bedroom gives a deep insight into his personal life in Arles in Provence, where he accomplished his greatest work. The actual bed depicted in the celebrated work survived until after the Second World War, we can reveal. In 1945, a descendant donated the bed to a community near Arnhem that suffered during the liberation of the Netherlands.

Van Gogh bought the bed (and another for a guest) in September 1888, just before Gauguin arrived to stay with him at the Yellow House. Each bed cost 150 francs, a very large sum equivalent to ten months’ rent. The fact it was a double bed suggests that Van Gogh had a lingering hope that he might eventually share it with a woman. Ensconced in the first comfortable home of his own as an adult, he proudly completed a picture of his newly furnished bedroom. “The most beautiful paintings are those one dreams of while smoking a pipe in one’s bed,” he wrote. It was there that he conceived some of his finest works.

Gauguin arrived a month after the beds but his stay was abruptly curtailed by the events of 23 December. It was to his bed that the bleeding Van Gogh returned after his notorious self-mutilation and visit to a local brothel where he delivered part of his ear to a girl. From then on he only spent a few nights at home, being mainly confined to the Arles hospital.

He had thought of taking his bed to the asylum in Saint-Rémy, where he retreated in May 1889 but instead left it in Arles, and in 1890 had it “flat-packed” and sent by rail to Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris, where he worked for the last weeks of his life. While in Auvers, he wrote to his brother, saying that, like painted portraits, “pieces of furniture one knows… recall memories for a long time”. On 27 July 1890 he shot himself in the wheat fields above the village, dying two days later.

Vincent’s brother Theo, who inherited his estate, died of syphilis six months later, and the bed then passed to his widow, Jo. She immediately moved back to Holland, where she set up a small guest house. Van Gogh’s bed came, too, since it would prove useful for the lodgers. Jo died in 1925, and the bed then passed to her son, also called Vincent, who was living in the village of Laren, east of Amsterdam.

How I followed the paper trail

While working in the archives of the Van Gogh Museum I found an unpublished reference to the bed. In 1937 there were plans to turn the Yellow House into a small museum, and Fernand Benoît, the curator of the Arles museum who championed the idea, wrote to Vincent van Gogh, the artist’s nephew who received Jo’s inheritance, to ask to borrow paintings. Vincent replied positively, adding that “I could give you the bed which appears in the painting of the bedroom”. This letter, written on flimsy paper, which has partly disintegrated, provided the first evidence that the bed had survived. The Yellow House was never turned into a museum. The building was later hit by Allied bombs in 1944 and then demolished.

My next step was to contact the son of Van Gogh’s nephew, Johan van Gogh, then aged 93. I visited him at his home outside The Hague in 2015. He remembered the bed in store in his family’s cellar and recalled what had happened in 1945. That year his father had donated the bed to victims of the war who lived “somewhere in the Arnhem area” in the eastern Netherlands.

Teun Koetsier, a historian in the town of Laren and author of a book on the Second World War, provided me with further information. In September 1945, the citizens of Laren had collected several truckloads of furniture to donate to Boxmeer, a small town 40km south of Arnhem. Photographs of the lorries arriving in Boxmeer survive.

In 1945 Van Gogh’s bed formed part of a donation to a Netherlands community (© Courtesy of NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Netherlands)

The needy Boxmeer recipient of Van Gogh’s bed would have had no idea of its famous provenance. It would have been nearly 60 years old and its new owner may well have replaced it some years later, when life became easier. But there remains the intriguing possibility that the bed still survives in Boxmeer—a silent witness to the story of Van Gogh in Arles.

• Martin Bailey is the author of Studio of the South: Van Gogh in Provence, published by Frances Lincoln (£25) on 3 November

National Gallery director says $30m Matisse portrait 'not Nazi-looted art'

National Gallery director says $30m Matisse portrait
Henri Matisse, Portrait of Greta Moll (1908). © The National Gallery, London
The National Gallery in London is vigorously contesting a legal claim in a New York court over ownership of Matisse’s Portrait of Greta Moll (1908). The heirs of the sitter argue that the painting was misappropriated in the aftermath of the Nazi period.

Gabriele Finaldi, the gallery’s director, tells The Art Newspaper that it is “not a Nazi-looted art case”, since the Matisse remained in Moll’s possession until 1947. He points out that the UK’s Spoliation Advisory Panel was unable to consider the case because its Nazi-era mandate ends in 1945. Finaldi is confident that the gallery has “rightful ownership” of the work, which is currently on display.

Moll and her husband Oskar, who were both Berlin-based painters, had faced criticism by the Nazis for their “degenerate” art. After the war, in 1947, Moll handed over the Matisse to a friend, Gertrud Djamarani, who had agreed to take it to Switzerland, where she ended up leaving the picture as collateral for a loan. The Matisse passed through various hands and was eventually bought by the National Gallery for £450,000 in 1979. At that time there was less concern about provenance than there is now and few questions seem to have been raised about how the picture had left Moll.

David Rowland, the New York lawyer acting for the three Moll claimants, says it is “improper for public museums to hold misappropriated/stolen artworks”, particularly for art “lost in the Nazi-era and its immediate aftermath”. He values the Matisse at over $30m.

Rowland has lodged a claim with the Southern District of New York court on behalf of the heirs. Finaldi, however, believes that the case should not be brought in New York. “The National Gallery is in London, the picture was acquired from a dealer here, and none of the heirs live in America,” he says. Finaldi adds that the gallery will be calling for the case to be dismissed over “jurisdictional issues”. Hannah Rothschild, the chairwoman of the gallery, promises that the trustees “will robustly defend this action on behalf of the British public”.

German baker Dr Oetker finds possible Nazi loot in company art collection

German baker Dr Oetker finds possible Nazi loot in company art collectionDr Oetker, a family-owned German manufacturer of baking products, muesli and pizza, says it has found four works in the company art collection that may have been looted by the Nazis and has made contact with the heirs of the original Jewish owners to reach a settlement.

The corporate collection includes several hundred paintings, silver and porcelain, according to a company statement. Much of it was acquired in the 1950s by Rudolf-August Oetker, who died in 2007. The company assigned a provenance researcher to investigate the art collection in 2015, after publishing a study about the firm’s history during the Third Reich.

“The goal is to check whether works in the collection were originally owned by people who were persecuted by the Nazis,” Dr Oetker said in a statement on 26 October. Should any art be identified as looted by the Nazis or sold in forced sales, the managers of the art collection will seek an amicable settlement, the company said.

Dr Oetker hopes to reach settlements with the heirs of the original owners of the four works already identified as possible Nazi loot in the coming weeks. A spokesman for the company declined to give details about the art in question because of confidentiality agreements with the heirs. He also declined to give __more details about the collection, which is kept private and rarely loaned to public exhibitions.

Indian firing destroys 4 Pak military posts

The Indian army said it had destroyed four Pakistani military posts on Saturday along its contested border, the latest escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The attack comes a day after India and Pakistan traded accusations that each had killed civilians in cross-border shelling in the Kashmir region, which is claimed in its entirety by both countries but controlled in part by each.

"Four Pak posts destroyed in massive fire assault in Keran Sector. Heavy casualties inflicted," the Indian army's Northern Command said in a statement late on Saturday.

On Friday, a Pakistani official said three civilians were killed as Indian troops shelled villages along the Line of Control in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian officials, meanwhile, said two civilians died when Pakistani shells hit India-administered Kashmir.

The Indian army on Friday said in a statement that militants at the border mutilated the body of an Indian soldier they had killed before crossing back into Pakistan. The armyvowed "response".

Shelling by both sides in the divided and disputed Himalayan regions has been going on since gunmen killed 19 Indian soldiers in September at an army camp in Kashmir, an attack India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

A look at communalism and fundamentalism in society

Communalism and Fundamentalism in Bengali Society and Literature"- (Bangali Somaj O Sahitye Samprodayikota ebong Moulobad)- by Dr. Nooh-ul Alam Lenin, 

The author, a Member of the Presidium, the Bangladesh Awami League, has been involved with research and publication pertaining to the War of Liberation and the evolution of culture and civilization in deltaic Bengal for some time. He has been involved in this regard in the establishment of the Bikrampur Museum, the Liberation War Museum and the "Gyanpith' Research Center. He was also part of the team that drafted this political party's election manifesto before the elections in 2001, 2008 and 2014.

This book emerged from the original research he had to carry out while completing his Ph.D thesis at the Jahangirnagar University. In his own words, it was done in the 'afternoon' of his life, nearly four decades after having left his regular formal education career. This has made the book that much __more special. 

He points out quite correctly that communalism and fundamentalism have always been two important facets of social history and have in their own way influenced the evolution of culture and civilization. He also acknowledges that their role, at different times, have affected the understanding of rituals and also impacted on social dynamics. This in turn has resulted in conflict, disputes and even war when different sides have tried to gain prominence over their rivals in matters of statecraft or governance. 

It is against this backdrop that the author has suggested that it is important that we try to identify how communalism and fundamentalism left their mark within the paradigm of historical evolution of literature, culture and metaphysical thought in Bengal. 

In this context the author points out the need to efface the twin curses of communalism and fundamentalism from the Bengali ethos. Measures required to efface these evil abominations are particularly required at this point of time-given the unfortunate rise, once again, of sectarianism and the challenges that this is creating for our desired secular way of life. 

The book has been divided into six sections and also has a concluding chapter. 

The first and the second sections have an analysis of the emergence and the evolution of communalism and fundamentalism within the religious landscape of Bengal. The third section evaluates how the presence of these two elements influenced Bengali literature, literary pursuit in ancient Bengal and also during the medieval period. The fourth section reviews the dynamics of communalism and fundamentalism as they impacted on Bengali literature between 1801 and 1947. Within this matrix, he also points out the debatable and contentious role played by the colonial British administration in trying to divide the different sections of the community through their uneven and controversial support for different religious groups. 

The fifth section dispassionately examines the role these two factors played in determining the evolution of thought processes in Bengal between 1947 and 2000. The sixth section reviews the gradual growth of secularism due to the War of Liberation and its role in creating a less communal and fundamentalist society within the Bengali parameter in independent Bangladesh. In the concluding section, the author expresses his hope that a careful and holistic study is required by the readers to understand the significant role that can be played by a secular society in the transformation of Bangladesh and in successfully meeting the needs of its citizens. This would encourage respect for the belief of others and also reduce the possibilities that arise from clash of culture.

This work needs to be read carefully, particularly the areas that detail the influence of communalism on distinguished litterateurs in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries in India in general and particularly in Bengal.

If possible, the Bangla Academy should take the step of translating it to English for a wider audience. 

The reviewer is former Ambassador, Distinguished Fellow, Bangla Academy, Dhaka. 

A Deathless Life: Tagore and the “Daughters of Jorasanko”

Aruna Chakravarti has done it again! After the success of “Jorasanko,” her impeccably researched, intimately detailed fictional account of the inner life of the Tagore household in the early years of the Bengal Renaissance (1859-1902), she has just published the even __more engrossing sequel, “Daughters of Jorasanko”, which takes up the story where it left off, and completes the tale, ending at a vital moment of closure for Tagore lovers.

As we reluctantly come to the end of this second book, it is 1941 and a great poetic spirit leaves both his bodily abode and his home in Kolkata. There can be no spoilers or surprise in this, since we know the date and circumstances of the poet's passing, being well-documented historical facts. But such is the magic of Aruna Chakravarti's writing, transmuting history into throbbing reality, that by the end of this exquisitely imagined historical novel, we are so emotionally entrenched in the life of Tagore and his family that despite our foreknowledge of the outcome of the story, we experience the suspense and finality of the moment, as if we were right there, standing with Nandita, Tagore's grand-daughter, on a rain-washed, moonlit verandah, awaiting confirmation of our intimations of a loved one's transition to the beyond.

The proof of an accomplished writer is that she sends the reader, who is barely finishing the last lines, reeling back to the beginning, wanting to re-read it, reliving the entirety of the whole life, not just of a great man, but a house teeming with characters and events.

As stated in the beginning, and according to Aruna Chakravarti herself in her Author's note, “Daughters of Jorasanko” is a sequel to her earlier novel. But even though each book can stand on it's own, I feel, they are really volumes one and two, of the same story. It's not essential to read them in sequence, but it is, I feel, imperative to read both books to understand __more deeply not only a particularly vibrant epoch of Bengal's history, but also of some lesser known facts about Tagore, the man and the poet.

“Jorasanko” had concentrated on the initial years of both the founding of the Tagore family, and Tagore's career, with emphasis on three important women in his life: his two sisters-in-law, the dynamic Jnanadanandini and his muse Kadambari, and his supportive wife Mrinalini. But “Jorasanko” ended abruptly with Mrinalini's death, and the entire story of Tagore's life still remained to be told.

Thus, the “Daughters of Jorasanko” is an essential read, picking up the narrative where a bereaved Tagore is left to bring up his children as a single parent. The stories of the difficult life of his three daughters Beli, Rani and Meera and two sons Sami and Rathi, while dark, ironically throw light on the human side of Tagore, the less than perfect father.

We meet not only many other women of Jorasanko, important in his life and to the establishing of Shantiniketan, like his daughter-in-law, Protima, but also those female characters not connected to Jorasanko but to Tagore, influencing and inspiring the poet, such as the precocious Ranu Adhikari and the Argentinian, Victoria Ocampo

What makes this sequel even more compelling is the fact that now we are witnesses to the most important years of Tagore's literary journey, both in the figurative sense, and as we accompany him on some actual voyages across the ocean. We are with him as he reads the telegram informing him of his being awarded the Nobel, and we live through the aftermath of his negative reaction to the sudden public jubilation. We are in his head and privy to his uneasy thoughts and written communications, when he is struggling to understand and forgive his daughter Beli's assaulter, or trying to bridge the resultant rift with her.

Chakravarti splices and spices the narrative with excerpts from his private letters, official communications, speeches and poetic compositions, but in such balanced measure and with such a delicate hand that it never obstructs, rather helps the flow of fiction.

It's the same with the use of fragmented and multiple points-of-view: jumping from the perspective of one character in one section, to that of another in the next, does not jar but helps the narrative transit neatly from one historical event to another. Chakravarti deftly uses her female characters as vehicles to explore various periods in Tagore's life, or the political and social history of Bengal. Some of the notable women we encountered previously in “Jorasanko,” like Swarnakumari, Tagore's gifted literary sister, or Jnanadanandini, the wife of Tagore's brother(the first Indian to be an officer in the British civil service), who initiated the modernization of Bengali women by her own example, are represented in the present volume by their daughters: Sarla and Bibi, respectively. Through Sarla, we meet Swami Vivekananda at a personal level, along with important figures of the epoch, charged with the spirit of awakening and of Indian independence. Bibi gives us a window into Tagore's involvement in the protest movement against the division of Bengal in 1905, the Rakhi Utsav.

Chakravarti's deployment of language is controlled and consistently graceful, with painterly descriptions of surroundings and seasons. These along with her astute and insightful observations of emotional and psychological complexities, make the story immediate, and add resonance, depth and credibility to characters and events.

Among the many flashes of literary brilliance, two instances glow in my mind. The first is the section about Tagore dealing with the demise of one of his daughters by escaping by train to Shantiniketan, without seeing her lifeless face one last time, leading him that very night to compose the song “Aaj jyotsna raate sobai geche boney”(On this moonlit night all have gone to the woods/in a sweet wind drunk on the wine of spring./ But I'll not go with them – no, not I/ I'll sit within these walls in my own corner/ a quiet corner of my lonely self.) In this luminous section, Chakravarti's prose makes us quietly witness this poetic transmutation of human grief into sublime poetry.

The other instance is the poignant section right at the end, when Tagore lay dying in one part of the divided Jorasanko, and in the other part his nephew Abanindra is making a farewell round through his recently sold family home, on the eve of giving it up to the new owner. Chakravarti's vision of the pain and beauty of desolation and loss, the wrench of memories and “the sense of a world slipping away” is masterly. The evocation in this last chapter, of the illusory past and of Abanindra trying to recall some verses of his dying uncle's deathless poetry, captures the essence of Jorasanko---the historic house and Chakravarti's two shimmering books.

Abanindranath Tagore is humming his Robi kaka's song: Dinguli mor shonar khanchai. At one point he halts, forgetting the next verse:

“What came after that? If he remembered rightly it was a series of questions. The lines came to him as he sang:

Can so much anguish be in vain?/Are they not birds  but shadows?/

Did nothing stream across the sky?/ My rainbow-coloured days?”

At the end of the book, we too, ask ourselves: perhaps, the fleeting physical world exists more truly in imagining, remembering and recreating it?

 

  * * *           

About the Author:

Aruna Chakravarti is a well-known academic, writer and translator. She was also the principal of Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi, for ten years. The Inheritors, her first novel, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2004. She has also translated Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyays Srikanta and Sunil Gangopadhyays Those Days and First Light. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, among them the Vaitalik Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Sarat Puraskar.

About the Reviewer:

Neeman Sobhan is an Italy based Bangladeshi writer, poet & columnist. She teaches at the University of Rome, La Sapienza.

Among her published works are: a collection of her columns 'An Abiding City: Ruminations from Rome'(UPL); an anthology of short stories 'Piazza Bangladesh' (Bengal Publications) and recently, a collection of poems, 'Calligraphy of Wet Leaves'(Bengal Lights).

She is presently working on her first novel, 'The Ninety-nine Names for Being'.

Symphony brings new fingerprint secured smartphone- i50

Symphony Mobile launched “Symphony i50”, an entry level smartphone with fingerprint security. Users can lock message, camera and all of the apps using the fingerprint feature.  The smartphone comes with 2.5D glass, android 6.0 Marshmallow, 1.3 GHz Quadcore processor, 1GB RAM along with 5.0” HD display. It also sports 5p lens, f2.0 8MP rear camera and 3p lens, f2.0 5MP front camera. 

Price: Tk. 7,590/-.

Asaduzzaman Noor turns 70

“Kothao Keu Nei” is one of the most popular plays in Bangladesh's television history. Asaduzzaman Noor's performance in the play as Baker Bhai is considered one of his best roles, and boosted his popularity. His performance, in fact, made such a major impact on the nation that when Baker Bhai had to be hung in the narrative, it provoked a nationwide protest. Today marks the eminent actor's 70th birthday and it will no doubt be a busy one. 

A TV play that added to his formidable reputation was “Ayomoy”. Appearing as Chhoto Mirza, the actor won critical acclaim for his role, and both “Kothao Keu Nei” and “Ayomoy” are recognised as major milestones in Bangladesh media.

These are only two of the many ventures where Asaduzzaman's contribution has earned him fame. Theatre is another sphere where he has made his mark. With his own troupe Nagorik Nattyangon, he is best known for the play “Nuroldiner Sharajibon,” where he plays the titular character Nuroldin.

His contribution to Bangladesh's showbiz also extends to films, with his first role in “Shankhnil Karagar”, and his phenomenal performance in the Liberation War film “Aguner Poroshmoni”.

His latest acting role was in the TV play “Matir Pradeep”, which was aired during Eid ul Fitr.

However, his presence is not limited to showbiz. He has been a Freedom Fighter with a role in the country's Independence movement. Currently the Minister of Cultural Affairs, he has made big strides in the country's cultural development. 

His journey as an actor began with theatre after joining a troupe called Padatik in 1973. His initial involvement had primarily been off the stage and out of the spotlight, until Abul Hayat, leading actor of a play, suffered an injury during rehearsals. Asaduzzaman Noor stepped in as his replacement, and eventually rose to great heights today.

Rebel rockets kill 38 civilians in Aleppo

Syria's regime and rebels were locked in fierce clashes yesterday on the western edges of Aleppo, where 38 civilians have been killed in two days of opposition rocket fire, a monitor said.

Among those killed over the two-day period were 14 children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Another 250 civilians have been wounded in heavy bombardment by anti-government factions since Friday morning, according to the Britain-based group.

The barrage is part of a major assault by rebels and allied jihadists to break a three-month government siege of Aleppo's eastern half, where __more than 250,000 people still live.

AL man's brother accused of raping fifth grader

A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the capital's Bhatara on Saturday night.

In this connection, the family filed a case with Bhatara Police Station accusing three persons -- Rashedul Amin Khandoker, 38, Shaheen and Nazmul -- who are on the run, said Officer-in-Charge Nurul Muttakim.

Of them, Rashedul is the younger brother of Bhatara Thana unit Awami League general secretary Shahidul Amin Khandoker.

The girl, a fifth-grader, is being treated at the One-stop Crisis Centre (OCC) at Dhaka Medical College Hospital with wounds to her chest, neck and face.

Till last evening, her forensic was not conducted, the doctors said.

The girl's mother told The Daily Star that Shaheen called her daughter and took her to his mess while she along with her 14-year-old sister were on their way home from a friend's house.

Soon after, Rashidul entered the mess, around 100 yards from her residence, and tortured her while Nazmul held her firmly against the bed, she quoted her daughter as saying.

“My daughter returned home around 10:00pm,” she said.

Rashedul gave her Tk 2,000 and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident, she added.

“He (Rashedul) is so influential that nobody dares to speak against him,” said a neighbour of the girl, seeking anonymity.

Rashedul's brother Shahidul said, “If police in their investigation find him guilty, he has to be punished.”

Panic after Rajshahi city embankment subsides

A huge portion of the Padma river embankment subsided in Shekher Chalk area of Rajshahi city on Friday night unleashing panic among the dwellers.

Over a hundred people in the area are living in fear as cracks have also developed in some of their houses along the road, the dwellers said.

They said the cracks on the road started appearing on October 21, and huge chunks of land subsided on Friday night.

Around 60 meters of a newly constructed road over the town protection embankment and walkway along the road subsided __more than three feet, said Ashraful Haque, chief engineer of Rajshahi City Corporation.

During the last month's flood, water leaked through old blocks of the embankment, which made it vulnerable, said Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of Rajshahi Water Development Board.

He said a char in the middle of the river was being washed away, which also created a pressure on the left bank. The embankment was constructed in the late 90s and was not maintained properly, he added.

During a visit yesterday, cracks were seen on the road and floors of several houses. The villagers were seen putting bamboo poles into ground, which they said will be able to keep the embankment stable.

“We're living in constant fear now,” said Sajeda Begum, a resident of the area.

Other residents of the area -- Idris, Kalam, Alamgir and Khokon echoed her.

“I woke up hearing a loud thud around midnight. Later I saw the portion caved in,” said Meherun Nesa, a middle-aged woman. She said the cracks in her house were increasing.

“Though the road and walkway were constructed not __more than a year ago, the walkway subsided repeatedly during its construction and the city corporation had to repair it three times,” alleged her neighbour Mohammad Idris.

Contacted, Ashraful Haque, RCC chief engineer, said they did not hear any complaint during the construction work. “As it is on the river bank, we have ensured its sustainability and durability.”

“The repair work will start in the coming dry season,” said Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of Rajshahi WDB.

ACC arrests UP chairman for stealing VGF rice

The Anti-Corruption Commission  (ACC) yesterday arrested the chairman of Senhati union parishad of Khulna for misappropriating 150 sacks of rice allocated for special vulnerable group feeding (VGF).      

Gazi Ziaur Rahman went into hiding since Digholia's Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdur Rahman filed a case against him on September 8.

Ziaur stored all the rice that he got for distributing among the poor ahead of Eid-ul- Fitr. Police seized the sacks which were being transported from his warehouse on that day.

He was handed over to Sonadanga Model police.

Man to die for murdering daughter

A Pirojpur court yesterday sentenced a man to death for killing his daughter and another to life imprisonment for murdering his wife in 2005 and 2009 respectively.

The death penalty awardee is Maharaj Hawlader of Bhechki village in Mathbaria upazila, while Selim Bepari of Tetulbariya village in the upazila was jailed for life.

Judge SM Zillur Rahman of Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court also fined Selim Tk 20,000. In default, he is to suffer one __more year in jail.

According to the prosecution, Maharaj opened a 10-year term deposit pension scheme (DPS) with a local bank in the name of his eight-year-old daughter Jesmin Akhter Rinku in 2005.

After depositing an instalment of Tk 1,000 on May 4, Maharaj strangled Rinku the same night and later dumped her body in a canal in a bid to establish the incident as an accident and claim the DPS money without paying its regular instalments.

After the autopsy, when the reality came to light Maharaj went into hiding.

Later, Sub-inspector Mustafizur Rahman of Mathbaria Police Station filed a case against Maharaj.

In another case, Selim beat his wife Aklima Begum to death allegedly over a family feud on July 8 in 2009.

Victim's brother Abul Kalam filed a case with Mathbaria Police Station accusing Selim the following day.  

CJ takes steps for quick disposal of old cases

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha has taken up a special measure for the quick disposal of old cases at High Court in order to reduce sufferings of litigants.

He recently instructed officials concerned of the Supreme Court to select old cases filed till 2010 and send those to different HC benches and include those in hearing lists of benches for early hearing.

Explaining the initiative, Sabbir Fiaz, additional registrar of the High Court Division of the SC, told The Daily Star that usually the new cases were heard and settled at the HC on priority basis. He said the SC officials were now selecting the old cases and have already sent around 500 to 15 HC benches. He, however, could not specify how many old cases were now pending with the HC at present.

Brac launches innovation contest

Brac launched a year-long competition to find solutions to the growing challenges encountered by people living in cities across the country, said a press yesterday.

The competition "Urban Innovation Challenge" has been initiated with an aim to create a platform for innovators, young entrepreneurs and university students to improve urban people's lives and to find the best ideas and support the innovators to build them into sustainable social enterprise models.

The winners will receive mentoring, skill development supports as well as a Tk 5 lakh grant.

Chhatra Front starts mock referendum

Dhaka University (DU) unit of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (SCF), a left leaning student organisation, yesterday started a “symbolic referendum” on building Rampal power project near the Sundarbans..

The student leaders and activists went to classrooms and teachers' lounge with ballots and a box. Many students and teachers cast their votes.    

Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil Gas Mineral Resources Power and Ports, will announce the result at a student rally on the Aparajeya Bangla premises on the campus on November 17.

Eva Majumder, president of the DU unit, said, "The government has decided to build a coal-based power plant near the Sundarbans and is not paying any heed to the opinions of scientists, researchers and experts. Through collecting votes till November 14, we can reveal as evidences the judgment of university students, teachers and employees."

The power plant site is about 14km away from the Sundarbans.

DNCC defied rules when felling trees

Information Commission yesterday found that Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) did not "properly follow rules" when felling four big trees in Banani area for its drainage and footpath development work few months back.

The Commission holding a hearing in its office fixed November 20 for further hearing, as DNCC Secretary Md Nabirul Islam who took part in the hearing failed to provide proper information.

The tree felling guideline was not properly followed in this case and there was a negligence from the DNCC engineering department, which is why Information Commission decided to give final decision after hearing the engineering department officials, said Chief Information Commissioner Prof Dr Golam Rahman.

Shamsul Bari, a resident in the area, filed a complaint with the Commission accusing DNCC of not giving him information about the tree felling despite seeking it twice under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

He first sought the information on May 3 and then on July 12.

In his application to DNCC, the resident wanted to know under which rules the city corporation felled his two trees in front of his house and two other trees of his neighbour.

Workers involved in the drainage development work told Shamsul that the trees were felled for getting the drain straight and building footpath on it, he said. 

Among the trees, a 40-year-old Bakul (Maulsari) tree was planted by his wife who died two years back, he claimed.

DNCC did, however, not fell another seven trees on the road though they, too, impede the drainage construction, Shamsul mentioned, expressing his happiness over not felling the trees.

He added that after many days he received a reply to his second application on September 8, which was void of complete and proper information. Among others, information commissioners Nepal Chandra Sarkar and Dr Khurshida Sayeed were present during the hearing.

Road crashes kill 4, injure 22

Four people were killed and 22 others injured in road accidents in three districts yesterday and Saturday.

In Chittagong, three people were killed as a human-hauler with a bus in Chunoti area of Lohagara upazila yesterday.

The deceased were human-hauler driver Morshed, 35, of Lohagara upazila and its passengers Osman, 32, and Mizan, 20, of Chakaria in Cox's Bazar.

Osman died on the spot while Morshed died on the way to a hospital. Mizan was declared dead in hospital, police said.

In Barisal, Rayhan Matabber, 33, of Esat Bejhar village was killed and two others injured as a bus rammed an auto-rickshaw carrying them in Mahilara yesterday. Rayhan was driver of the auto-rickshaw and the rest passengers. In Rangpur, 20 people were injured as a bus and a tractor collided in Mithapukur upazila on Saturday night. 

Dhaka Int'l Folk Fest to open Nov 10

The second edition of the Dhaka International Folk Fest will take place from November 10-12 at the Army Stadium in the capital. The event, organised by Sun Events is being presented by Meril, in association with GP Music, powered by Dhaka Bank and Supported by Microsoft. The announcement was made at a press conference yesterday, but to the bafflement of many, the organisers refrained from announcing the names of any performing artistes or groups.

Anjan Chowdhury, chairman and managing director and Sun Events; Grameenphone's acting CEO and CMO Yasir Azman, Dhaka Bank Deputy MD Emranul Haque, Microsoft Bangladesh MD Sonia Bashir and Bengal Foundation chairman Abul Khair attended the press conference, where they discussed Bangladesh's folk heritage, and the importance of presenting it to the people.

Online registration for the festival, free of cost, will begin on November 1 on the website: dhakainternationalfolkfest.com. Updates of the festival will be available on the Facebook page of Dhaka International Folk Fest. The festival, running from 6pm to midnight every day, will be streamed live on the official Facebook page and Youtube, while Maasranga TV, the broadcast partner, will telecast it.

The festival's other partners are Radhuni, Bengal Digital, Aamra Companies, Radio Dinrat, MediaCom, Square Hospitals Limited, Aegis Security Force, The Westin Dhaka and Shohoz.com

Tom Hardy to play Al Capone

Having taken on not one but two Kray twins in 2015's hit British gangster biopic “Legend”, Tom Hardy is now set to play the biggest mobster of them all.

The Academy Award-nominee will star as Al Capone in “Fonzo”, the upcoming project from writer-director Josh Trank. The story will centre on Capone at the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, as dementia rots his mind and his violent past comes back to haunt him.

The film will be produced by Russell Ackerman and John Schoenfelder for Addictive Pictures alongside Oscar-nominated Lawrence Bender. Bloom is handling international sales on the project, now in pre-production.

 “'Fonzo' brings together the myth and lore of notorious American Gangster Al Capone, with the undeniable talent of Tom Hardy and Josh Trank,” said Bloom's Alex Walton. 

Source: Hollywood Reporter

One dies falling from tree in RU

A man died as he fell down from a tree on Rajshahi University campus yesterday.

The deceased was Selim, 25, a resident of Kazla area of the city.

Witnesses said Selim climbed up the tree and was seriously injured after he accidentally fell from it at noot.

He was rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. 

ICDDR,B scientist receives gold medal

Dr Md Sirajul Islam, an emeritus scientist of icddr,b, was awarded a gold medal, a crest and Tk 2 lakh on the 34th installation ceremony of the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Dhaka.

He got this "SEED" award for his breakthrough discovery of blue green algae as a reservoir of cholera and consequent innovation of the “Siraj Mixture” to neutralise the algae to control cholera.

The award was presented by Professor Emeritus of Dhaka University Dr Anisuzzaman on Saturday at a hotel in the capital.

An open space is an open space

It should surprise anyone who is looking for a breathing space literally in various parts of the capital amidst a concrete jungle that the city has really become, to know that the Matiur Rahman Park, which the Mayor terms as “open space” would be used to resettle hawkers. The hawkers, who are going to be evicted from various parts of Gulistan-Banga Bhaban-Baitul Mukarram area, have been occupying these spots illegally and all attempts to remove them have proved futile. 

That the Mayor of Dhaka South has considered relocating the hawkers is a very good idea indeed. These pavement markets have been there for a long time. They not only provide livelihood for many low income groups, they also offer many goods at cheaper prices affordable to the middle and low income groups. There is thus a demand for such a facility. And doing away with them without providing an alternative would adversely affect both the sellers and the buyers. But is the alternative of the so called “open space” as described by the Mayor the best? 

Open spaces in Dhaka city are being continually occupied by the rich and the powerful and there is very little left of it. And just because it is described in official documents as an open space does not condemn it to the fate that it will face once the Mayor's plan is carried out. And for those who are conversant with the area would know that this “open space” was actually a part of Banga Bhaban that was ceded for public use as a park. 

The Mayor's intention is noble, but that should be implemented in a manner that would save the “open space” and rehabilitate the hawkers as well.

CU BCL men hack fellow, injure another

A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists of Chittagong University (CU) unit allegedly hacked a leader of the same unit on the campus on Saturday night.

Seriously injured, Tayeful Haque Topu, vice president of the unit, was first taken to the university medical centre and later to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

His physical condition is stable, but he is not out of danger yet, said CMCH physicians.

Topu, a graduate student of economics, bore multiple hacking marks in his head, forehead and legs, his brother Ariful Haque Tapu quoted the physicians as saying.

Some 12 masked BCL men of Banglar Mukh, a campus-based BCL group, armed with sharp weapons and machetes attacked Topu when he was chatting with his friends in front of a tea stall near Abdur Rab Hall.

"They hacked him [Topu] indiscriminately," said his friend Mizanur Rahman Mizan, also BCL hospitality secretary of the same unit.

"When I went there to rescue him, they also attacked me and later fled the scene," added Mizan.

Later they were rescued by other leaders.

Meanwhile, Mizan filed a case with Hathazari Police Station yesterday against 13 BCL men including CU BCL leader Abu Bakar Toha, Central Committee Assistant Secretary Diaz Irfan Chowdhury, CU unit Vice President Mohammad Maman in this connection.  

Md Balal, officer-in-charge of the police station, said they were trying to arrest the accused.

Diaz and Mamun masterminded the attack to destabilise the campus while their followers carried it out, an allegation of CU BCL President Md Alamgir Tipu, denied by Diaz, who claimed that he did not have any link with CU BCL and knew who carried out the attack and why.

Mamun claimed that he was in Dhaka during the attack and was not involved in it. Following the incident, Topu's followers vandalised residences of Diaz and Mamun in the Gate No 2 area near the campus.

HC wants records of murder case unsettled for 22yr

The High Court yesterday asked for the records of a murder case from the lower court concerned as this case was not settled in last 22 years after it was filed with Sutrapur Police Station in Dhaka.

Issuing a suomoto rule, the HC asked the jail authorities to produce Md Shipon, a detained accused of the case, before it on November 8 for hearing his statement.

In the rule, the bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan asked the government to explain as to why Shipon should not be granted bail in this case.

The judges came up with the order and rule following a report broadcast by a private television channel on October 26 about sufferings of Shipon in jail and not disposal of the murder case against him in 22 years.

Cumar Debul Dey, a Supreme Court lawyer, placed the record of the TV report before the HC judges and prayed for passing necessary orders.

According to the report, a case was filed with Sutrapur Police Station on October 25, 1994 on charge of killing one Mahtab.

The following year, police submitted a charge sheet against six including Shipon to the trial court.

Shipon was arrested on November 7, 2000. The case is pending with the Environment Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka, Cumar Debul Dey told The Daily Star.

He also said Shipon is now in Kashimpur Jail-2 in Gazipur.

Punishment demanded for Dinajpur rapist

Protesting the recent rape of a five-year-girl in Dinajpur, a section of writers and cultural personalities staged a protest yesterday demanding exemplary punishment of the rapist. 

The protest rally was organised under the banner of Writer, Artist and Cultural Activists in front of the capital's Bangladesh National Museum, showcasing banners demanding punishments of rapists who killed and raped women irrespective of age.

Cultural activist Sangita Imam said, “Rape has turned into festival in the country where none is safe. Punishment is important but to uproot the rape culture we must change our mindset first.”

Urging the political leaders and activist to voice protests against recent rapes, writer Aditi Falguni said, “Those who are mentally sick can rape a child and they deserve punishment.”

Activist Robin Ahsan said, “Human consciousness needs to develop in society and the young generation should be __more vocal against rapes to stop it.”

“To eradicate the rape culture, we must hand out exemplary punishment to the rapist of the five-year old,” he added.

Architect Sadia Sultana Ana said, “Only monsters can commit rape, not an animal.”

Demanding making rapists ineligible for bail, advocate Sadia Begum said, “They are insects of the society.”

Pitches a product of winning mindset

In March 2010, Bangladesh had set England a target of 209 to win in the fourth innings in Mirpur. Then, the match had gone till the fifth day and the fifth morning started with Bangladesh trying to bat out time in order to salvage a draw after conceding a first innings lead of 77. Fans and players alike were hopeful after they batted till after lunch and set a target of 209, just enough to hope for a draw. 

Alastair Cook, on his first tour as captain, then hit an unbeaten century and Kevin Pietersen a quickfire 74 to take England home with nine wickets and plenty of time to spare, making a mockery of home hopes. 

  Numbers Game
19  Mehedi Hasan now has the most Test wickets after the first two Test matches for Bangladesh with 19 scalps to his name. Mahmudullah Riyad and Sohag Gazi are second with 12 each. It is also the highest number of wickets by a Bangladeshi in any Test series, surpassing Enamul Haque and Shakib Al Hasan's 18-wicket hauls.
19 Y 

5 D
At 19 years and 5 days, Mehedi became the second-youngest player to claim a 10-wicket haul against England. India's LSivaramakrishnan did it when he was 18 years and 338 days.
12 Mehedi's 12 for 159 is the best Test bowling analysis for Bangladesh, surpassing Enamul Haque's haul of 12 for 200 against Zimbabwe in 2005.
9 Nine players have won the man-of-the-series awards on debut series. Mehedi joins Rohit Sharma, James Pattinson, Vernon Philander, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajantha Mendis, Stuart Clark, Jacques Rudolph and Sourav Ganguly.
8 The number of Test wins Bangladesh now have. All their other wins have come against either Zimbabwe or the West Indies.
4th Mehedi also has the fourth-highest number of wickets overall after the first two Test matches. India's Narendra Hirwani leads that list with 24, with England's Alec Bedser (22 wkts) and Bob Massie (21) behind him.
   



When he fronted up to the press yesterday after a 108-run loss to Bangladesh in the second Test that ended within three days, even if he wasn't thinking of that match six and a half years ago, a question from the British press contingent took him back to 2010. 

“They've obviously taken big strides, but we've played them on totally different wickets,” said Cook when asked how different Bangladesh were as a side since he last played them in a Test in their backyard. “Last time the wickets were flatter, they didn't spin as much. They've decided that's the way they want to be brave and try to win the game, and why wouldn't you as a side?”

What he may have missed, however, is that the change in pitches are a result of a change in mindset.

For Bangladesh, it was not the obvious thing to do. It would have been much easier to look for __more draws. But they had the heart to gamble in the format they were least proficient in, and the skills to pull it off.

“We have never played on wickets like these before,” said skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, presenting the other side of the pitch phenomenon moments after Cook had completed his presser. Although they have proven to have better spinners than England and were able to negotiate England's twirlers better, this was as much a step into the unknown as England had taken when they stepped out to play the first Test of the series in Chittagong on October 20.

Cook may have hoped that Bangladesh would see the 22-run loss in Chittagong as a backfire of their new policy to go for the win. Instead they doubled down -- they selected only one pacer in the eleven and the pitch in Mirpur was as spin-friendly as the Chittagong one, while being __more prone to breaking down because of its clay base. 

Cook would have done well to ask Eoin Morgan, England's one-day captain who chose to sit out the tour, about Bangladesh's change because although the methods were vastly different, the mindset that made England reluctantly share the spoils of a series they would have expected to win is a continuation of the one which resulted in the 15-run win that saw England exit the World Cup last year.

That came on the back of a disastrous 2014, during most of which Bangladesh could not buy a win. Then Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took over the reins and with coach Chandika Hathurusingha devised strategies to win and a team more than willing to execute them. And once the joy of winning was tasted, it was not one they wanted to let go of, regardless of format.

It is cause for celebration that Bangladesh, outstripping all expectations, translated that attitude so quickly to the Test arena. Their play is not perfect by any means -- there were frustrating moments of captaincy brain-freezes yesterday and the batsmen seemed too anxious to get runs on the board -- but they have finally found their niche at home and much like in the ODI format, they can look forward to being a force in Tests at home too.

“They'll find it hard on bouncy wickets,” added Cook when talking about his opponents. Judging by Bangladesh's track record of adjusting strategy and personnel to the conditions, that is a prediction Cook should not be putting much money on.

Fishermen shortchanged

Fishermen in fourteen districts are being shortchanged by the authorities who have imposed a ban on the catching, selling, transportation, storage and exchange of Hilsa to sustain the population of the delicious fish; most of them have not yet received the rice that was promised to them by the government as compensation. Pushed to the wall, some of those who went fishing defying the ban were arrested, fined, jailed and had their fishing nets burnt down by the authorities. 

We wish the authorities were as efficient in keeping their promise as they were enforcing the prohibition. Twenty days have gone by since the ban was declared without the rice—20 kilograms per family—reaching many families while relevant ministries blame each other for the failure. It is interesting, however, that the rice reportedly found way to the homes of affluent and politically connected people all across the country. No ministry or department has offered any explanation as to why and how that happened. 

The ban on catching premature Hilsa is a good initiative for facilitating its breeding and growth. There is a high demand of the fish in the country and abroad and the move is likely to contribute significantly to the economy. But at whose expense? What message does the failure to compensate the fishermen send to them? That it is alright to stop plying their trade for their livelihood so that the fish could grow? The concerned ministries and departments should immediately step in to ensure the distribution of the promised rice to these people. That's not going to solve all their problems—rice is not the only thing one gets by—but it's a start. 

Mitu murder suspect freed

Abu Nasar Gunnu arrested in connection with Mahmuda Khanam Mitu murder was released from Chittagong jail yesterday.

He got released after they had received a High Court order granting him bail, said Senior Jail Super Ikbal Kabir Chowdhury.

On June 5, Mitu, wife of former SP Babul Akter, was hacked and shot dead at the city's GEC intersection, while she was on the way to put her son on his school bus.

On June 8, the detectives arrested Gunnu in Hathazari upazila.

Jute packaging must for nine more agro products

The government is set to make it compulsory to package nine __more agricultural products in jute bags to limit the use of environmentally harmful plastic bags and reduce dependence on the global market, a senior official said yesterday.

Farmers and traders will soon have to pack chilli, turmeric, onion, ginger, garlic, pulse, coriander, potato and rice bran in jute sacks. At present, the use of jute sacks for packaging some of these produces is optional.

“A decision has been taken in this regard. We expect a notice to be issued by the end of this year,” said Mosleh Uddin, director general of the Department of Jute.

The move comes as businesses have started packaging rice in jute bags in recent times in the face of heightened enforcement of the law, framed in 2010 to protect the interest of 40 lakh farmers and increase the use of environment-friendly fibre.

The government has made the use of jute sacks mandatory for packaging six commodities -- rice, wheat, maize, fertiliser and sugar -- based on the law of compulsory packaging of goods.

In 2013, rules were framed to implement a law stipulating that all traders as well as government organisations must use jute bags to pack the commodities.

It also asked all rice millers and traders to clear their stock of plastic bags by December 31 of the same year.

However, private companies remained non-compliant, citing reasons such as higher cost of jute sacks compared to plastic bags and problems in branding.

The market has ample supply of jute sacks to meet the demand for packaging, Mosleh Uddin said.

Jute millers will be able to meet the additional demand that will be generated for the inclusion of new products, he said.

About 50 crore __more pieces of sacks may be needed for inclusion of new items in the rule for compulsory packaging, according to Mosleh Uddin.

Public and private jute mills will increase production, he said, citing that 125 jute millers, including public sector mills, are in operation.

A study conducted jointly by the Centre for Policy Dialogue and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 2012 estimated that the annual demand for jute sacks would rise to 84 crore pieces from 90,000 pieces.

It will require 539,200 tonnes of raw jute a year, equivalent to about 77 percent of the total production of the fibre, according to the study.

Industry insiders said the enforcement of the mandatory packaging law has increased the demand for jute, allowing farmers to get better prices for the fibre. 

As a result, the acreage of jute began recovering from fiscal 2014-15, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Bangladesh produced 75 lakh bales of jute in fiscal 2015-16, up 0.7 percent from a year earlier, according to BBS.

Mills process two-thirds of the raw jute mainly for shipment abroad. Jute yarn and twine account for 65 percent of the sector's annual export receipts of over $850 million, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau and Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association. 

Duterte's American fixation

Cabinet secretaries and campaign volunteers alike have told me that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is open to new ideas and serene about ceding full control to his appointees within their scope of work. In my own, limited interaction with him during the presidential campaign, he struck me as someone entirely at ease in his own skin. All of which makes one ask: Why is his foreign policy driven by long-standing resentment, and why does his signature governance initiative depend on an old, unsound idea?

Since his election, and especially since his so-called war on drugs provoked US President Barack Obama to raise human rights concerns, he has attacked the United States for its great-power hypocrisy and Obama for, well, being an American. He denounced the presence of American forces in the Philippines, ordered an end to decades of annual military exercises between the Philippine military and the American armed services, refused Philippine participation in joint naval patrols in disputed parts of the South China Sea, and, while on a state visit to China, dramatically declared a “separation” from the United States.

I think it is fair to say that the vigorous criticism of American presence and policy preceded any articulation on his part of the Philippine Constitution's directive for the country to develop an “independent foreign policy.” The gut reaction to what Duterte's leftist supporters call continued American “domination” of the Philippines came first; in a remarkable disclosure, President Duterte even told a forum in China that he felt slighted many years ago when his application for a US visa was rejected. His own humiliation thus magnifies the worst excesses of American colonial rule in the Philippines; it helps explain why, in his first appearance on the world stage, in Laos, he was driven to lecture the summit of leaders on atrocities Americans committed against “my ancestor.” (He did not however include American complicity in the crimes of the Marcos dictatorship, because Marcos' descendants support him.)

The war on drugs he launched in the Philippines less than four months ago — his signature initiative — has already claimed thousands of lives, including the obviously innocent. (Children caught in the crossfire, overseas Filipinos back home for a quick visit.) And yet the experience of other countries, including Thailand, has already discredited this take-no-prisoners approach. It simply does not work. 

But here's the supreme irony. President Duterte's war on drugs is an American invention. It is an American travesty of justice, which Duterte seems intent on imposing on his own country. Not least, it is an American failure, with which Duterte is unaccountably fixated. 

It was US President Richard Nixon who, in 1971, designated drug abuse as “public enemy No. 1.” and officially declared a “war on drugs.” War is the right word, because what Nixon started eventually mobilised government agencies, military assets and police resources in many countries in a massive attempt to stop the illegal drugs trade. It has failed, it is failing, because the undertaking, understood precisely as a war, sees users as enemies, rather than victims who both need help and are a potent source of the help needed. 

The excellent Vox special report on the war on drugs notes: “Over the past four decades, the US has committed __more than USD 1 trillion to the war on drugs. But the crackdown has in some ways failed to produce the desired results: Drug use remains a very serious problem in the US, even though the drug war has made these substances less accessible. The drug war also led to several — some unintended — negative consequences, including a big strain on America's criminal justice system and the proliferation of drug-related violence around the world.”

Why is President Duterte fixated on this American idea? For the same reason, I believe, that he thinks China is “good” to the Philippines, Marcos was the Philippines' best president, and Beijing and Moscow continue to be politically aligned and would welcome newly non-aligned countries like his: His formative ideas were formed in the 1960s and 1970s, and now, at long last, he is in a position to make them real.

This is a series of columns on global affairs written by top editors from members of the Asia News Network and published in newspapers across the region.

22 killed in Egypt floods: new toll

At least 22 people were killed and 72 injured in flooding in parts of Egypt caused by torrential rains, authorities said yesterday, updating an earlier toll of 18 dead.

Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the death toll could rise as some families may not have reported the loss of relatives who have already been buried since the flooding began on Thursday.

The government on Saturday announced the provision of 50 million pounds ($5.6 million/five million euros) for flood-hit areas, which include Sohag, South Sinai and along the Red Sea coast.

The Al-Masry Al-Youm and Al-Watan newspapers said residents in Ras Gharib angry over the government response to the floods on Saturday blocked a convoy transporting Prime Minister Sharif Ismail.

Ras Gharib, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, was the worst hit area with nine people killed in the flooding.

Also among those lost in the disaster were six people killed when a bus overturned on a flooded road in Sohag province.

Rains in the autumn and winter cause flooding in parts of Egypt, especially those with poor infrastructure, almost every year.

Is Microsoft back in the game again?

We ask ourselves this question once every year, laugh and then go back to whatever else is worth the hype. The only exception is probably the Surface by Microsoft; which is a godsend.

The Surface Studio launched on 26 October and our jaws dropped. The sleek design, the alluring curves, a 28-inch touch display – are certainly enticing.  And the Surface Dial, which is albeit slightly gimmicky, might just have some application in the creative industry. It's a breath of fresh air in a market that's trying to sell matte black as an innovation.

The last time Microsoft could induce goose-bumps was…when? I think I wasn't even born. Our feelings of incessant need (read: want) followed up by complains from our wallets were always Apple's forte but the simplistic Surface Studio launch video had us scrambling for the pricing. It starts at $2999 (Core i5 Skylake, 8GB RAM, 2GB GeForce GTX 965M), with the mid-range offering at $3499 (Core i7 Skylake, 16GB RAM, 2GB GeForce GTX 965M) and the high-end Surface Studio being $4199 (Core i7 Skylake, 32GB RAM, 4GB GeForce GTX 980M); all of these include a keyboard, a mouse and a Surface Dial and a Surface Pen.


Ouch.

The entry-level iMac is priced at $1800 and the high-end at $3400. Both are significantly cheaper than what Microsoft's putting on the table. The exclusion of newer generation of Intel Kaby Lake processors and nVIDIA's 1000-series cards also raises some questions. The GTX 900-series is significantly weaker than the new genera

tions. Not only that, they failed to mention exactly what a Rapid Hybrid Drive is. Is it an SSD? Is it an SSHD? Who knows? The ambitious pricing of a generation late device, raises quite a few eyebrows. Even though the stocks have seen an uptick, it remains to be seen exactly how important these specs are and if the price is worth a graphics tablet on steroids with a dial. Microsoft seems confident but that confidence can be questioned by the rumours of a new iMac launch around the end of this year. One thing's for certain, Microsoft won't hold back when it comes to promoting their holistic ecosystem against Apple. Hold onto your money, it's going to be a one heck of a ride.

The smiling assassin

Veni, Vidi, Vici.

A 19-year old whose lean figure belies his robust determination, born in Barisal but brought up in Khulna, entered the world stage and removed a huge burden from the shoulders of a cricketing nation which was often criticised for not catching the big fish.

With an innocent smile that disguises the venom of his craft, Mehedi Hasan Miraz spun his country to their greatest victory in their cricketing history and thus stamped out the long-standing pain it had been enduring since being elevated to the highest level of the game in 2000.

Coming from a humble family, this young man overcame all adversities to become a cricketing hero and won a battle for his country that not only delighted his cricket-crazy countrymen but also silenced critics all over the world ever ready to raise questions about Bangladesh's credibility in Tests.

How pleasing it must be for fans to watch the Tigers knock down a top-ranked side for the first time, after beating Zimbabwe five times and a depleted West Indies twice – especially those fans who had gone through painful days when their beloved team surrendered one Test after the other meekly.

But a youngster who had to overcome many adversities in his childhood knows better than most how big it is to win under such circumstances. “Actually you can understand what is going through my mind. We have won our biggest moment and I could contribute for my team; nothing can be __more pleasing for me,” said an emotion-choked Mehedi.

“I know the whole country is excited but you know I was born in Barisal and brought up in Khulna. There has been a special feeling among the people, I believe. Many people supported me in my career and I want to thank everybody. Cricket can help me forget all of my pain,” he continued. 

Understandably, praise was showered on the young man who finished the series with 19 scalps after taking a match-winning 12 wickets in the second Test but the hero was as humble as he always has been.

During the ICC Under-19 World Cup the fans saw how enthusiastic he was as a captain. Then, one of his mentors and Khulna Division captain Abdur Razzak identified that quality as a key factor behind his success and yesterday coach Chandika Haturusingha sang the same song.  Another aspect that everyone praises is his cricketing brain and his nagging accuracy to bowl at one spot consistently.

“He [Mehedi] is an exceptional talent. He is keen to do well, which is big for me. He has enthusiasm for the game. He is always sitting next to me or the other coaches in the dressing room, listening to every word that we are saying. He is very keen to learn,” said Chandika while praising his team's youngest member.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim was confident about __more success from this young talent in future. “We knew the type of player he is. We wanted him to play against England rather than Afghanistan so that they [England] don't know anything about him. It is all his credit that he did so well. I didn't think he would do so well. There's a lot to learn from him, and I know he has the calibre to do well in future.”

Mehedi has one target -- to contribute for the team with consistent performances.

“The other day what [after his five-for on debut on the first day of the first Test] I meant was that my aim is to perform consistently when I talked about average performance. I just always try to play for the team and give whatever I can for my team,” said Mehedi. 

Regarding his dream and future plans, he said: “I never thought that I would be called for the national team… I just wanted to do well. No matter when they called me I wanted to be ready and be strong, that's all.

“Here, the wickets did help but the way I got help [from the wickets], I won't get wickets like that outside [the subcontinent]. So I have to be stronger mentally. I may not get that in foreign grounds. I have to practise more so that we can survive in any condition,” he added.

With an apparently simple method Mehedi has achieved great success for the country and few will have doubts about his future successes to help establish Bangladesh as a strong cricketing nation on the world map.

What can we say except: Thank you Mehedi and wish you many more successes in the coming days.

VW says expects five-digit number of job cuts

Volkswagen expects the shift to electric cars to cost a five-digit number of jobs in coming years, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported, citing the carmaker's human resources chief.

Karlheinz Blessing, who sits on VW group's nine-member top management board, said the carmaker will need to cut jobs in production as assembly of electric engines requires fewer workers than making combustion engines, the newspaper said, citing an interview to be published in Saturday's edition.

EU, Canada sign long-delayed trade deal after Belgian drama

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union leaders on Sunday finally signed a landmark trade deal seven years in the making, after it was nearly being torpedoed by a small region of Belgium.

The ceremony in Brussels had been pushed back from Thursday after French-speaking Wallonia, with just 3.6 million people, initially vetoed an agreement affecting __more than 500 million Europeans and 35 million Canadians.

Cheers and applause erupted as Trudeau signed the pact alongside EU President Donald Tusk, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

Protesters earlier burst through riot police lines and hurled red paint at the European Union's headquarters, while activists banged drums and chanted slogans against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

"Well done, well done," Trudeau said as he hugged and kissed Tusk and Juncker on his arrival amid tight security. "Things were difficult but we managed to succeed in the end."

"What patience," replied Juncker, adding: "This is an important day for the EU and for Canada too because we are setting an international standard that will have to be followed by others."

The start of Sunday's summit was further delayed when Trudeau's plane was briefly forced to turn back due to mechanical problems, capping two weeks of chaos over what was meant to be a symbolic sign-off.

CETA removes 99 percent of customs duties between the two sides, linking the single EU market with the world's 10th largest economy.

The Belgian drama had sparked dire warnings for the EU's credibility as a trading partner as it wrestles with Britain's shock vote to leave, a huge migration crisis and the threat of a resurgent Russia.

After years of negotiations the deal almost collapsed, with Trudeau only agreeing late Friday to fly to Brussels after Wallonia finally agreed to join the rest of Belgium and the other 27 EU member states in approving the deal.

The pact required all EU member states to endorse it and in some cases such as Belgium's for regional governments to agree too, giving tiny Wallonia an effective veto.

The Walloons had for two weeks resisted huge pressure from all sides until it won concessions for regional farming interests and guarantees that international investors will not be able to force governments to change laws.

The concerns in the declining industrialised region in Belgium's south reflected wider concerns in Europe about globalisation, as well as fears among activists that such deals erode consumer, social and environmental protections.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said "nothing is simple in Belgium but few things are impossible" as he officially signed up to the deal on Saturday.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel insisted that the marathon talks with Wallonia "did not change a comma" in the deal.

But Walloon government head Paul Magnette said he received assurances from the federal government of strengthened social and environmental protections.

The EU-Canada deal has also drawn widespread protests from anti-globalisation "Stop CETA" activists who say it undermines local industries and standards for healthcare and other issues.

On Sunday around 100 protesters banged drums and shouted slogans outside the European Council building while Belgian riot police backed by water cannon looked on, AFP reporters said.

The glass front doors of the building were also daubed with red paint after some protesters briefly managed to break through police lines.

The activists also see CETA as a Trojan horse for an even bigger and __more controversial deal between the EU and the United States.

Negotiations for that deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), have however stalled in recent weeks with the goal of approving it by the end of President Barack Obama's term of office now having been abandoned.

The troubles with the Canadian deal have meanwhile been seen as a possible harbinger of things to come for Britain as it tries to negotiate a new trade pact with the EU after it leaves the bloc -- most likely in 2019.

PERFORMER OF THE SERIES

MEHEDI HASAN

A 19-wicket haul in a two-match test series is any bowler's dream. And if the dream is realised by a 19-year-old debutant, thrown into the mix for his first taste of international cricket, it is an epic achievement. So a man-of-the-series award is no __more than what he Mehedi Hasan Miraz has deserved. His achievement -- taking most number of wickets in a two-match Test match series by a Bangladeshi – was not unexpected either. An accomplished all-rounder and captain at age-level cricket, Miraz had shown his worth when he guided Bangladesh to a third-place finish in the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the beginning of this year, himself scoring 242 runs in six innings and picking up 12 wickets. And now with his first chance among the big boys, Miraz showed full repertoire of his off-spin skills, stifling the English batsmen with immaculate line and length, together with the turn. The all-rounder might have missed out with the willow, but it is just a matter of time before he shines in that department too. 

Double blow for raped girl

Shaken to the core, a teenage rape victim in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur has received humiliation, instead of support, traumatising her no less than the physical violation two months ago.

She and her family have been subjected to torture and coercion since her mother filed a case with Mithapukur Police Station on September 8, a week after the incident, against five people. 

Rashedul Islam, a college student, used to stalk her daughter on her way to school, said the plaintiff, Afroza Begum.

The girl's parents complained to his family about the matter several times but saw no action from that side.

On September 1, the schoolgirl was returning home when Rashedul, who used to run a studio, picked her up with help from two accomplices and took her to his shop at Chharanbazar in the upazila town. There he confined her for nearly an hour and raped her, the victim said.  

As she returned home, her family took her to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where she received treatment for a week.

On her release, her parents went to Borobala Union Parishad Chairman Saheb Ali Sarker and informed him of the rape by his nephew Rashedul. They also told Rashedul's father Shahdur Rahman about the matter. But they beat up the girl and her parents and drove them out. 

Having been through all this, she joined her class in Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Girls School. But Headmaster Anisur Rahman often called her mother and asked her to transfer her daughter to another school, Afroza said.

Finally, he handed a transfer certificate (TC) to the girl, a student of Class-IX, on October 23, which drew huge criticism. 

Two days later, Rashedul, who had apparently been fleeing, was arrested at Chharanbazar and sent to Rangpur jail on a court order.

However, no action has been taken against the other accused in the case -- Rashedul's accomplices, father and the uncle, the girl's mother lamented.

Receiving instructions from Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Rahat Anwar, UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer) of Mithapukur Mamunur Rashid took the matter seriously and sought a clarification from the headmaster as to on which grounds the TC was issued.

Failing to do so, Headmaster Anisur admitted the girl to the school again.

Anisur said his school's management committee had forced him to issue the TC.

“I admit it was a mistake but I did it as Lutfar Rahman, president of the school's managing committee, forced me [to do so],” he said.

Lutfar said guardians' representatives in the committee had been pressing him to get her out.

The UNO said the headmaster had issued the TC unlawfully. A probe committee has been formed to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, the victim's mother demanded punishment of the accused.

Talking to The Daily Star, Saheb Ali Sarker, chairman of Borobala UP, said the allegations of rape and torture were false and that those were part of a conspiracy against him.

Asked about the TC, he said, “I did not influence anyone to issue the TC.”

Opec meets non-Opec nations for oil talks, Russia still on board

Officials from Opec and non-member oil producing countries met on Saturday aiming to build support for an Opec plan to reduce output one day after Opec members were unable to agreed on how to implement the deal.

Arriving for the meeting with Opec's High Level Committee of exporters, only the representative of non-Opec Azerbaijan made comments supportive of the need for producer action to help prop up prices.

"Today we will discuss the recognized positions of countries, first of all the Opec countries," Azerbaijan's energy minister Natig Aliyev told reporters outside Opec's headquarters.

"Just one week ago we met with the president of Venezuela," he added, in reference to the south American Opec member which has been pushing for measures to support prices.

"Venezuela and Azerbaijan agree that some measures will be taken to stabilize the market. We agreed the price of oil can be around $60 per barrel."

Oil LCOc1 is trading closer to $50 a barrel, less than half its price of mid-2014, weighed down by persistent oversupply and squeezing the incomes of exporting nations.

Other non-Opec officials did not mention joint producer action.

The deputy minister for Kazakhstan, asked what he hoped the meeting would achieve, said: "We just hope the price will react and it will increase."

Brazil's representative said his country was attending only as an observer.

"Brazilian production will increase in the next few years," said Brazilian official Marcio Felix.

Russia, which is one of the world's top producers and has been supporting action with Opec to prop up prices, is also attending the meeting, so far without making public comment in Vienna.

FIRST and FABULOUS

He was born the year Bangladesh celebrated its first major success on a cricketing plain. He was only three years old when the fledgling cricketing nation was granted Test status after that famous ICC Trophy triumph in 1997.

And on Sunday the 19-year-old Mehedi Hasan, who has grown up loving and playing the game like many other youngsters, became the vibrant new face of Bangladesh's third historic achievement and understandably the biggest in terms of success on the field. He took a stunning 12 wickets, six in the second innings, at Mirpur as Bangladesh stunned England by 108 runs -- their first Test victory of substance and against a top Test nation.

The smiling assassin from Khulna played a stellar role in that dramatic win in the second Test at the home of Bangladesh cricket, which witnessed the fall of 10 English wickets in the final session of what was the third day of a captivating contest.

The two-Test series that ended 1-1 seemed to be heading west when England, set a stiff target of 273 to win, raced to 100 for no loss at Tea. And when both teams headed for the break the biggest crowd in the match so far and millions of fans glued to television sets started to feel betrayed once more.

But once Mehedi struck with the first ball after tea, it served as the last twist in a fascinating tale. His wicket of a dangerous Ben Duckett, who struck a fluent 56 off 64 balls, not only brought back the roar in the stands but also injected the belief in the Tigers camp that they could win.

And it was all about a magnificent turnaround after that with Mehedi finding a perfect partner in Shakib Al Hasan to rip through the England hearts. Shakib had Joe Root leg-before for one in the next over, leaving England at 105 for two. Mehedi then dismissed Garry Balance and Moeen Ali in quick succession before removing the biggest obstacle -- England captain Alastair Cook, who survived two leg-before appeals on his way to 59 before buckling under tremendous pressure. Cook firmly pushed a quicker Mehedi delivery to silly mid-off where Mominul Haque clung on to a fantastic low catch. With Cook gone England were reduced to 127 for five.

Bangladesh's countdown for their biggest success started when Mehedi hurled in a peach of a delivery that England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow could only fend to leg slip for a simple catch. It was then a magical over from Shakib that put the Tigers on the verge of a famous win. The left-arm spinner, who had an off-day on the second day, removed all-rounder Ben Stokes (25) with the third ball of the 43rd over and trapped Adil Rashid in front with the very next ball, before having debutant Zafar Ansari caught brilliantly at short leg with the last ball of the over. England slumped to 161 for nine.

Then it was Mehedi who fittingly ended England's stunning collapse by dismissing number 11 Steven Finn. And the moment umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised his dreaded finger to rule Finn leg-before, the whole stadium erupted with joy and the players were involved in a race to capture the stumps -- the biggest souvenirs they can keep as long as they live.

If that was the biggest watershed moment in Bangladesh's cricketing history, then Shakib's salute to Stokes after having him clean bowled has become the most memorable image of a magnificent contest over the last one month, where every game -- the three ODI series that the visitors won 2-1 and the first Test in Chittagong that England won by 22 runs -- was a cliffhanger.

England will now head to India for yet another demanding series. But they will certainly feel that their decision to tour Bangladesh despite those security threats was worth it. And for Bangladesh it was again time to thank the England team for embarking on this tour, which cricket fans in this part of the world will fondly remember as one of the most entertaining series. Thank you, England.

Citycell licence cancellation awaits PM's nod

The licence cancelation issue of mobile phone operator Citycell has now been placed before the prime minister, after the telecom regulator sent its recommendation to the telecom division for approval.

Bangladesh Telecommuni-cation Regulatory Commission sought permission from the government to cancel Citycell's licence, as the company did not clear its dues worth Tk 477.69 crore.

Senior officials of the telecom division said they sent the file to the Prime Minister's Office and will ensure that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also in charge of the telecom ministry, gives a decision as soon as possible.

“We are addressing the licence cancelation issue according to procedures, and taking the prime minister's approval is a part of that,” said Md Faizur Rahman Chowdhury, the telecom secretary.

If the prime minister gives the nod, it will be the first time a mobile phone operator's licence will be scrapped in the country.

The move comes after the telecom regulator brought down the curtains on Citycell's operations on October 20 by suspending its spectrum.

The spectrum suspension is permanent and there is no scope to reverse it, Tarana Halim, state minister for telecom, said at a press meet recently.

Citycell's dues include spectrum renewal fee of Tk 229 crore, annual licence fee of Tk 10 crore, annual spectrum fee of Tk 27.14 crore, VAT Tk 39.92 crore and late fees of Tk 135 crore, according to the telecom regulator.

However, the operator calculated a different figure and it had requested the regulator to set a meeting before suspending the spectrum. But that meeting was not arranged.

On the nonpayment of dues, the regulator issued a notice on July 31 and asked the customers of the oldest mobile phone operator to switch to other operators by August 16.

After a legal battle, the Supreme Court ordered the operator to pay two-thirds of the due or Tk 318.42 crore by October 19.

However, Citycell paid Tk 130 crore to comply with the apex court's order.

But the regulator took a tough stance and suspended its spectrum on October 20.

Citycell began its operations in 1993, with its subscription reaching a peak of 19 lakh in 2011. For at least 10 years now, it has been a minor player in the market.

In fiscal 2014-15, its total revenue stood at Tk 139.77 crore, while its investment was zero, according to the regulator.

Singapore's SingTel owns 44.54 percent shares in Citycell, Pacific Motors 37.95 percent and Far East Telecom 17.51 percent.

Shareholders had been trying to sell the operator's licence for the last few years but could not find any interested party. 

Turkey detains editor and staff at opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper General Mayhem guides Turkey’s media repression This is the biggest witch-hunt in Turkey’s history | Can Dündar

Protesters shout slogans as they hold the latest copy of Cumhuriyet outside its headquarters

Turkish police have detained the editor and at least 12 senior staff of Turkey’s opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper in a widening crackdown on dissenting voices.

The editor-in-chief, Murat Sabuncu, the cartoonist, Musa Kart, the paper’s lawyer and several columnists were detained, some following raids at their homes, Cumhuriyet reported on its website. Police had warrants for the detentions of 16 staff members, the paper said.

The detentions at the left-leaning and pro-secular Cumhuriyet, one of Turkey’s oldest newspapers, come amid accusations by opposition parties and human rights groups that Turkey’s government is using the state of emergency imposed following a failed military coup in July to clamp down not only on the alleged coup plotters but on all government critics.

A statement from the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said those detained were suspected of “committing crimes” on behalf of the movement led by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, accused by the government of masterminding the coup attempt as well as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party, or PKK.

While those detained are not accused of membership of the Gülen movement or the PKK, there are “claims” and “proof” that shortly before the 15 July coup attempt, the suspects published content that attempted to legitimise the coup, the statement said. Gülen, who lives in the US, has denied any involvement in the coup attempt.

Authorities have arrested nearly 37,000 people following the coup and __more than 100,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from government jobs in a purge to eradicate Gülen’s network. Over the weekend, the government issued two decrees that dismissed 10,000 additional civil servants and shut down 15 __more mostly pro-Kurdish media outlets.

Sibel Günes, the general secretary of the Turkish Journalists’ Association, told the Associated Press that 170 media outlets had been shut down since the attempted coup and 105 journalists arrested. Authorities revoked the press accreditation of more than 700 journalists while thousands of journalists are unemployed, Günes said.

Opposition politicians rushed to Cumhuriyet’s headquarters in Istanbul and its office in the capital Ankara in a show of solidarity. Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered, chanting anti-government slogans.

“Instead of moves to strengthen democracy we are faced with a counter coup,” the main opposition party leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said after visiting the newspaper. “We are faced with a situation where the coup has been used as an opportunity to silence society’s intellectuals and mount pressure on media.”

Christophe Deloire, who heads Reporters Without Borders, said on Twitter that “the raids against media in Turkey seem to have no limits”. Those wanted for detention include columnist Kadri Gursel, who also heads the Turkish national committee of the media advocacy group International Press Institute. He tweeted that his house was being searched.

Ayse Yildirim, a Cumhuriyet columnist, said the detentions could be a prelude towards a government takeover of the newspaper.

“We are not going to hand over Cumhuriyet, we are not going to allow them to assign a trustee. We will hold our heads high and continue our publication without fear,” she said outside the paper’s Istanbul headquarters.

As he left the building to surrender to police, Kart told reporters: “How will they explain this to the world? I am being taken into custody for drawing cartoons.” Kart has been prosecuted in the past for insulting the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Anadolu agency said the authorities had also issued an arrest warrant for the paper’s former editor-in-chief, Can Dündar, who was sentenced to five years in prison in May for reports in Cumhuriyet on alleged arms smuggling to Syrian rebels. The verdict is being appealed. Dündar left Turkey after the coup attempt, saying he would not receive a fair trial.

Turkey shuts 15 media outlets and arrests opposition editor General Mayhem guides Turkey’s media repression

An employee of the pro-Kurdish DIHA news agency in his office in Istanbul on 30 October

Turkish authorities have shut down 15 media outlets, including one of the world’s only women’s news agencies, and detained the editor-in-chief of an opposition newspaper, in the latest crackdown since a coup attempt in July.

The Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief, Murat Sabuncu, and other executives from the paper were detained in raids early on Monday morning on accusations that they committed crimes on behalf of Kurdish militants and a network linked to the US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, the Istanbul prosecutor’s office said.

Gülen is blamed by the Turkish government for the attempted putsch.

An emergency decree issued late on Saturday ordered the shutdown of 10 newspapers, two news agencies and three magazines. Most of the media organisations that were closed had head offices in the predominantly Kurdish south-east. A further 10,000 civil servants have also been sacked.

The decree brought the total number of media outlets closed since July to __more than 160.

Erdoğan’s crackdown: ‘Free speech is being rebranded terrorism’

“The police came around 4am on Sunday morning and sealed the office,” said Beritan Canözer, a journalist in Diyarbakır for Jinha, the news agency staffed entirely by women. “We have not received a court order. There have not been any official justifications for this measure. Nobody explained anything to us.”

Canözer, who was detained last December while reporting on a demonstration in Diyarbakır because police decided she looked “too excited”, underlined that the shutdown would not spell the end to Jinha’s work. “We will find other ways to inform the public,” she said. “We will continue to report … They cannot silence us.”

Rights groups have harshly criticised the recent crackdown on press freedom in Turkey.

According to independent media platform P24, 99 journalists have been formally arrested since the botched military intervention, turning Turkey once again into the world’s leading jailor of reporters. Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs. Hundreds of government-issued press accreditations have been cancelled, and an unknown number of journalists had their passports revoked, thus banning them from all foreign travel.

Almost 2,000 academics and teachers were also among those sacked via the emergency decrees, many of whom were members of the leftist teachers’ union Eğitim-Sen.

A state of emergency, announced on 20 July, has recently been extended for another three months until January. The measure allows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP cabinet to bypass parliament, rule via decree, and suspend rights and freedoms as they deem necessary.

According to state-run news agency Anadolu, __more than 37,000 people were formally arrested. Around 100,000 more civil servants were fired or suspended during recent purges.