october 21, 2013

Education

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Parents need to detect drug problems in their children at an early stage

Kartik 6, 1420 Zilhajj 15, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 207

International

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Death toll in Philippine quake nearing 200

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decision on alliance 'Polls only under caretaker' JP depends on situation Khaleda tells her followers she will not backtrack even if they do n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Two days after the prime minister’s proposal to form an all-party government with lawmakers, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said her party would take part in elections only under a non-party caretaker government.

“There will be no election under your [Sheikh Hasina] administration... it will not be allowed...it cannot happen,” she said while addressing the convention of pro-BNP professions’ body Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad in the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

“I will not deviate from my stance [demanding election under a non-party caretaker government] even if all of you backtrack,” the three-time premier told her followers.

“You did not take part in the election scheduled to be held on January 22, 2007. You did not accept [former chief

justice] KM Hasan as the chief of caretaker government that time. Now there is no rationale for accepting you [as the head of government].”

Khaleda said a non-partisan government was needed to “save democracy” and ensure a free, fair and credible election.

The prime minister in her nation address on Friday said the elections would be held within 90 days after October 25, and appealed to the opposition to give names of their lawmakers for the interim cabinet.

BNP will make its position clear on Hasina’s proposals today from a press conference at Hotel Westin at 4pm.

Yesterday, the 18-party opposition alliance chief asked the government to insert non-party caretaker government provision in the constitution.

“It has been proved from the Awami League government’s activities that free and fair election is not possible under them. I want to tell the govern-

ment that you still have time in hand to amend the constitution.”

Issuing a note of warning, Khaleda said: “If you [government] have planned to hold the election unilaterally using police, Rab and BGB, it will be a great mistake since it will be resisted.

“I am saying that the next election will be held under a non-party interim government and people’s government will be established.”

Several hundred pro-BNP professionals including teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers and retired government officers, and party activists participated in the convention.

The event began at 3pm after the DMP granted the organisation permission asking it to wrap up the event by 6pm. Khaleda reached the venue at 4:20pm and the programme ended around 6:30pm.

Former Dhaka University vice-chancelllor Prof Emajuddin Ahmed presided over the convention which was addressed by leaders of different pro-BNP professional bodies.

During her about 20-minute speech, the BNP chief condemned the government for what she termed “misrule and misdeeds” in the last five years. She  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

n Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee Jatiya Party yesterday said they would decide whether to contest the elections alone or as part of the Grand Alliance after considering the future political situation.

Secretary General Ruhul Amin Howlader said this after a delegation of the party, a key ally of the ruling alliance, held a meeting with the senior Awami League leaders for over an hour at Ganabhaban where they discussed the election time arrangement.

After the formal meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad also had a oneto-one meeting for around an hour.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that the Jatiya Party would participate in the next general elections under the banner of Awami League-led Grand Alliance if the BNP joined the polls, but would change decision in case of boycott by the main opposition.

BNP may propose search committee to pick caretaker chief n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP may propose formation of a search committee to choose the chief of a “non-partisan and neutral” government to run the next general election, party insiders said.

The committee should comprise retired chief justices or some other widely-accepted persons and it will propose names to the president of the republic to choose one of them as the chief of the polls-time government, a senior leader of the party said after a meeting of the BNP-led 18-party alliance last night.

LDP President Oli Ahmed floated the idea of the search committee, Shawkat Hossain Nilu, chief of National People’s Party, told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

Party insiders said the leader of the opposition is likely to present a counter proposal on the polls-time interim gov-

INSIDE News

3 The administrative secretaries committee has approved a proposal from the mass education ministry to create 22,925 new posts for primary teachers at newly-registered primary schools.

Nation

7 Cannabis traffickers are making a quick buck at the Jhenaidah and Chuadanga districts as demands for illegal drugs has risen in recent weeks, amid allegations of lax security at the border points.

Op-Ed

11 Towheed Feroze: Revolutionaries never fade away, they simply adapt!

It’s drizzling. The entire day has seen sporadic rain.

ernment at a press briefing today.

Though the main opposition may keep the option for a dialogue open to end the political standoff, it will not accept Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as chief of polls-time interim administration, meeting sources said.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will make the party’s position clear at a media briefing today. “The press conference will be held at Hotel Westin at 4pm,” says a press release signed by the chairperson’s Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan.

She might give a broad outline of the interim government to oversee the next general election, Nilu said.

The BNP chief discussed all aspects with the alliance partners in the hourlong meeting at her Gulshan office to firm up their position on the proposal put forward by the prime minister on Friday.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Awami League will take formal initiatives to bring the main opposition BNP to the negotiation table only if it responds positively to the proposals put forward by the prime minister, senior ruling party sources said.

Some Awami League leaders on condition of anonymity said if BNP’s reaction was affirmative they would request talks with the opposition party to bring a solution to the ongoing political impasse.

The government is now awaiting BNP’s reaction over the premier’s proposal.

But the Awami League chief is yet to assign anybody with the task of keep-

Election in early January and new government to take charge in mid-January Meeting insiders told the Dhaka Tribune that Jatiya Party endorsed the prime minister’s proposal for the all-party polls-time government. However, the party a day before said the proposal lacked clarity.

Hasina in her speech had said the elections would be held within 90 days after October 25.

After the meeting, Ruhul Amin told  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Dissolving JS a must for level-playing field: Menon

n Tribune Report

People enter Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, after Dhaka Metropolitan Police grants pro-BNP Sammilita Peshajibi Parishad conditional permission to hold its convention at the venue yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

'AL to send letter if BNP UK envoy urges political responds positively' parties to be flexible n Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee

Ashraf said the elections would be held in the first week of January while Hasina would head the all-party interim cabinet.

Sources said Awami League requested the Jatiya Party to join the election as part of the Grand Alliance, but Ershad disagreed with the proposal saying that his party was taking preparation for contesting the polls unilaterally.

ing close contact with BNP or taking initiatives to hold talks, party Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah told the Dhaka Tribune. However, Finance Minister AMA Muhith earlier said the party chief assigned General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam to hold dialogues with the opposition.

About Awami League’s stance, Kazi Zafarullah said his party was ready to sit at the table with BNP. “Everything depends on BNP’s attitude. We will take initiatives only after getting BNP’s positive response,” Zafarullah said, adding that consensus between the two parties was mandatory for a free and fair election.

Awami League General Secretary  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

n Tribune Report The United Kingdom has urged the Bangladesh government and the opposition political parties “to show flexibility” and hold a dialogue to create conditions congenial for impartial elections, keeping the country’s interests first.

The UK hoped that all sides would act with restraint and do everything possible “to discourage acts of violence,” British High Commissioner to Dhaka Robart W Gibson said in a statement yesterday.

“We welcome the announcement of the Honorable Prime Minister and other indications from political leaders over the last few days that the door for dialogue is open,” he said.

The parliament must be dissolved for creating a level playing field for all candidates in the next general elections, Workers Party of Bangladesh President Rashed Khan Menon said yesterday.

“I will be contesting in the elections remaining as an MP… It will not be acceptable,” he said at a press briefing at the party’s central office in the capital.

Menon, also a ruling coalition lawmaker, said the existing ban on rallies inside the capital had negatively affected chances of a dialogue to end the current political deadlock.

Saying the move was a hindrance to democracy, the Workers Party leader called upon the government to lift the restrictions. Holding rallies is a democratic right, he said.

Menon also said the prime minister’s proposal for an all-party pollstime government lacked clarity.

Dialogue should be held among all political parties except Jamaat-e-Islami, he said. l

BDR killing case verdict Oct 30 n Tribune Report

The British envoy said the UK urged parties to seize the opportunity for holding a dialogue; negotiate in good faith; and show flexibility.

While the UK was aware of the ban on meetings and rallies in Dhaka, he hoped that the ban would not detract from efforts to achieve an agreement on an interim administration or preclude legitimate political activity in Parliament and through the media.

“It is not for the United Kingdom to dictate what shape or composition an interim administration should have,” he said.

The interim government should ensure the neutrality of the electoral process and that the people of Bangladesh

The much-awaited verdict of BDR carnage case will be delivered on October 30, fifty-six months after the unprecedented bloody mutiny in the country’s border security force.

The highest numbers of people (850) have been accused for murder in the BDR carnage case, which was filed in connection with the mutiny at the force’s Pilkhana headquarters on February 25-26, 2009.

The 33-hour mutiny that broke out around 9am on February 25 left 74 people including the then director general of the paramilitary force killed. The victims include 57 top- and mid-ranking army officers who were posted to the force on deputation.

After completion of the legal

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, October 21, 2013

'Polls only under caretaker'  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

alleged that the government had politicised all the institutions including the civil and police administrations.

Alleging that a free and fair election was not possible under the incumbent government, Khaleda said before the electoral process began, the government had imposed ban on meetings and rallies – both indoor and outdoor – and started arresting the opposition leaders and activists.

“When I was coming to the convention, the way the law enforcers have been deployed [on the streets] seemed to me a war-like situation is prevailing in the country.

“How is it possible to hold a fair election under you [Hasina]? If we take part in the election [under Hasina] it will only harm us,” she said.

The former premier also claimed that Hasina had welcomed all the unconstitutional forces, so she would not talk about democracy and constitution.

Khaleda also criticised the prime minister for cancelling the caretaker govern-

ment provision from the constitution without taking the people’s mandate.

“You could have gone for a referendum before cancelling the provision but you did it clandestinely. Now you are blaming the court whereas the court does not do anything without your direction.”

She claimed that the government’s popularity was going down while the demand for a non-party caretaker government gaining public support. “If you think you and your party are popular, then create a level-playing field to test your popularity and see who wins.”

Khaleda said the prime minister was seeking votes travelling on airplanes.

“Your boat [party symbol] has leaked.

None will get on board your leaked boat.”

She also alleged that the Awami League “lies in every step” and for this, “once the highest court termed prime minister wrong-headed. The country is heading towards wrong direction as it is directed by…”

Without naming any country, Khaleda said none would be allowed to expand its hegemony in the country. l

AL to send letter  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad in a meeting yesterday at Ganabhaban

ILO team to hold talks on RMG n Tribune Desk

A delegation of International Labour Organisation will hold talks with stakeholders and assess the progress on improving working conditions in Bangladeshi garment industry on Monday and Tuesday.

Deputy Director General, Field Operations and Partnerships, Gilbert Houngbo will lead the ILO delegation, says a UNB report.

“The team will be here for just two days - October 21 and 22, and comprise of Gilbert Houngbo and Yoshihiro Senoo,” said an ILO official through e-mail. l

Road accident kills minor in Rajbari; Dhaka-Khulna highway blocked n Our Correspondent, Rajbari Traffic on the Dhaka–Khulna highway remained disrupted for about an hour, as locals blocked the highway and formed a human chain at Goalondo Mokbuler Dokan Intersection of Rajbari sadar upazila yesterday after a bus ran over a minor girl.

Officer-in-Charge of Goalondo police station Md Abul Basher said Reddi, five, of Juran Mondoler Para village, Goalondo upazila, was killed by a Khulna-bound Diganta Paribahan bus as she was crossing the road. The victim’s family members said she died on the spot.

Following the incident, locals attacked the staff of the bus, injuring Shaheen, 25, Akash, 26, and Rakibul, 28.

Later, they maintained a human chain for an hour to demand punishment of the vehicle’s driver and address different issues regarding road accidents.

Hundreds of vehicles were brought to a standstill on both sides of the highway by the demonstration.

Police rushed to the spot and tried to calm the agitated locals. They said the traffic situation became normal around 3:30pm, after they promised to arrest the driver responsible within a week.

Reddi’s body was sent to Rajbari Sadar Hospital Morgue for autopsy, and a case was filed with Goalondo police station. l

Bangladesh Labour Party president held in Ctg n Our Correspondent, Chittagong Six people including president of Chittagong city unit of the Bangladesh Labour Party, an associate organisation of BNP-led 18-party alliance, were arrested in Chittagong yesterday. They were held on charges of planning to carry out subversive activities across the port city.

Alauddin Ali, 40, president of BLP Chittagong unit and joint convener of the alliance's city unit, was picked up along with five of his accomplices in Chandranagar Residential Area around 3am.

Sairul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bayezid police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that acting on a tip-off, they held the six from a residence in that area.

He claimed that the arrestees had gathered to plan subversive activities. l

BSS

Tension runs high in Chittagong Al, BNP call rallies at same venue on October 25 Meanwhile, Amir Khasru Mahmud yesterday evening that they had not n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Chowdhury, president of BNP, given permission to either party.

Tension is mounting in Chittagong after both the governing Awami League and main opposition BNP yesterday set October 25 as the date for rallies at Laldighi Maidan in the port city.

ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, president of AL, Chittagong city unit, in a press conference in his residence yesterday said they would hold a rally at Laldighi Maidan on October 24 and 25.

“We have sought permission from Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) to hold the rally,” he said. Police, however, said they had given no such permission.

Chittagong city unit, in a meeting at the party’s city office in the afternoon vowed to hold their rally at the same venue.

Khasru said they sought permission from Government Muslim High School as the school is the owner of the ground, and also CMP, prior to AL, and they had already obtained the school permission. When contacted, Amir Kashru said the ruling party was trying to create a confrontational environment in the country.

Nazrul Islam, assistant commissioner of City Special Branch (CSB) of CMP, told Dhaka Tribune

AL lawmaker and its Presidium Member Engineer Mosarraf Hossain said every party has the democratic right to hold a rally but doing it at the same venue and on the same day promises further instability.

“We do not want to invite any chaos in the name of politics,” he said.

CMP Additional Commissioner (crime and operation) Banaz Kumar Majumdar said: “We will take decision over the matter after a discussion.”

Meanwhile, Chittagong city unit of BNP called another rally at Laldhigi Maidan on October 26. l

EC gains clarity on polls date from PM’s speech n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has derived legal directives on when to hold the next parliamentary election from the televised address delivered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday.

“In her speech, the prime minister made it clear that the next general election must be held between October 27 and January 24 and earlier we also hinted so,” Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz told reporters at the EC secretariat yesterday.

Newaz said the EC would go by the constitution when preparing the political parties’ electoral code of conduct and holding the election. The parties

could make suggestions to the commission and the EC would upload that draft suggestions on its website.

Shah Newaz said the EC would accept those suggestions about the electoral code of conduct, which will be applied during the pre-election time.

“We are preparing the electoral code of conduct for the national polls in order to ensure that all political parties enjoy equal rights and none within the government enjoys any extra privileges,” he said, adding that the commission would send the draft of electoral code of conduct to all registered political parties giving sufficient time.

When asked about the polls-time

Pro-BNP teachers' rally on October 24 n Mushfique Wadud The United alliance of Teachers and Employees, a pro-BNP teachers’ organisation, has announced that it would hold its prescheduled rally at Suhrawardi Udyan on October 24, despite a police ban on gatherings in the capital.

Chairman of the Alliance Salim Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune they would hold the rally even if they do not get permission.

“All our preparations are complete.

About 200,000 teachers across the country are set to attend the rally,” he said.

“Since the government gave permission to Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad, a pro-BNP professional body, to hold a rally yesterday, why would it not give permission to us?” he added.

However, insiders of the organisation told the Dhaka Tribune that teachers were divided over defying the ban.

The divide became apparent yesterday as two conflicting statements were issued by the organisation.

At 2:11pm, the Alliance issued a statement saying the October 24 rally was postponed, as the government did not give them permission. The statement

also condemned the government decision, calling it undemocratic.

At 3:35pm, the organisation issued another statement saying the rally would be held on October 24 as previously announced.

Alliance Chairman Salim, however, said they had postponed their previously announced strike from October 22 to October 26 in all non-government educational institutions.

Earlier this month, the organisation announced that it would hold a rally on October 24 and observe strike from October 22 to 26.

They have several demands that include nationalisation of jobs. However, some teachers said they mainly wanted to show off their strength since the tenure of the government was about to end.

Students and their guardians have expressed concern about the strike and the movement as annual examinations in schools will start from late November.

Many guardians told the Dhaka Tribune that students had already missed out several classes due to political chaos throughout the year.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education earlier said it would take necessary actions if the students’

government, Shah Newaz said it was the matter of political parties as the commission was only thinking about how to hold the next general election in a credible manner.

“We are yet to get any specific indication as to whether the next general election will be held without dissolving the parliament or not,” said Shah Newaz, adding that the EC would be clear about the formation of polls-time government when the political parties sit and exchange views on that.

About fixing the next parliamentary election date, the election commissioner said the EC would fix it up considering the interests of all political parties. l

BNP demonstrates in districts protesting ban on gatherings n Tribune Report Main opposition BNP brought out demonstrations in different parts of the country yesterday as part of its previously announced programme, protesting ban on rallies and gatherings in the capital by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The demonstration programme was reported peaceful in some areas, whereas in some other places the party activists reportedly clashed with the law enforcers.

In Gazipur, its activists exploded several crude bombs and engaged in a clash with the law enforcers, leaving three of its activists injured. Meanwhile, an activists was also arrested in this connection.

In Natore, the BNP activists observed a brief rally in front of its district office, as the law enforcers foiled their procession in the area.

Elsewhere in Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Kushtia, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Tangail, Mymensing, Sylhet, and Khulna, the BNP brought processions and marched different important parts of the district cities as part of the central programme. Leaders of the district unit BNP addressed the rallies.

No untoward incident was reported in these areas. l

Syed Ashraful Islam last night said possibility of dialogue depends on BNP’s response to the Prime Minister’s offer.

“If BNP rejects Prime Minister’s proposal, there will be no basis for talks...

Dialogue cannot take place empty-handed,” he said after the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad.

On Friday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her address to the nation proposed the formation of an all-party government to hold polls, and she appealed to the opposition to give names from their lawmakers for the interim cabinet.

She also requested opposition leader Khaleda Zia to respond to her call and request with a positive gesture.

But at a programme yesterday, the opposition chief said her party would not participate in the national elections without a neutral caretaker government - a flat rejection of Sheikh Hasina’s proposal to form an all-party government to oversee the poll.

Khaleda Zia will clarify her party’s stance at a press conference scheduled to be held today.

Meanwhile, Awami League sources confirmed that even though it was keen on holding talks with BNP to reach a consensus, it would not compromise with Hasina being the head of the polltime government, or over Jamaat participating in the interim cabinet.

Awami Leaague Presidium Member and Communication Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday hinted at an evolving situation.

Asked if Awami League would send a letter to the opposition for talks, Quader at his office at the secretariat said: “Wait and see, a sequence of events will unfold in the days to come.”

As a conciliatory gesture, the prime minister herself yesterday ‘intervened’ in the decision to allow BNP-backed Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad to hold its annual convention, even though Dhaka Metropolitan Police has slapped a ban on all kinds of gatherings, rallies and processions in the capital. l

BDR killing case verdict Oct 30  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

arguments by prosecution and defence, Judge Dr Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman of the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka yesterday fixed date for pronouncing the verdict.

After the mutiny, the BDR was renamed as Border Guard Bangladesh.

Following the shocking bloodbath, a criminal case was filed with Lalbagh police station which was later transferred to New Market police.

After more than one year of investigation, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 2010 pressed charges against 824 persons.

Among them, 801 were BDR soldiers and 23 civilians including former BNP lawmaker Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu and Awami League ward-level leader Torab Ali, both of them are in prison since their arrests after the mutiny.

The CID later submitted a supplementary charge sheet to include 26 more accused in the carnage case.

Twenty-five of them were former BDR soldiers. With this, the total number of accused reached to 850.

The trial began in August 2011. Considering the number of accused and security of the court, the government built a special one-storey tin-shed

building at Bakshi Bazar near the Dhaka Central Jail.

Till yesterday, four out of the 850 accused died in jail during trial while 20 accused are still on the run and 13 accused have been freed on bail. The remaining 813 accused are now in jail.

Moreover, 57 mutiny cases were also filed with different police stations against 6,046 BDR mutineers in Pilkhana and different battalions of the force across the country.

They were tried at the former BDR courts in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country formed to try the February 2009 mutineers as per the law of the paramilitary force.

On October 20 last year, 11 such special courts including six in Dhaka completed the trials and awarded 5,926 rebels sentence to various jail terms and acquitted 115. Five others were dropped from the mutiny charges.

The mutineers in Pilkhana looted the armoury and used those against their bosses from the army. They even killed former director general of the paramilitary force Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed and his wife.

The BDR carnage had created huge crisis for the ruling Awami League-led Grand Alliance government which had assumed office in January 2009. l

JP decision on alliance  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

reporters: “We earlier announced to contest the polls alone. But the decision will be taken after observing the future political situation. We talked to the prime minister and she understood.”

Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, said Hasina would continue as prime minister until a newly-elected government assumed office in mid-January next year.

Responding to a query about dialogue with the BNP, Ashraf said possibility of a dialogue depended on opposition’s reaction. “If the BNP rejects the prime minister’s proposal, there will be no rationale of talks.”

BNP is likely to clear its position

on the proposal of interim government floated by the prime minister on Friday. However, opposition chief Khaleda Zia yesterday ruled out elections without a non-partisan caretaker government.

Senior Awami League leaders including Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi Zafrullah, Mohammad Nasim, Obaidul Quader, and PM’s advisers HT Imam and Dr Alauddin Ahmed were present at the meeting. From the Jatiya Party, Kazi Jafar Ahmed, Kazi Firoz Rashid, GM Quader, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ziauddin Bablu, Mujibul Haque and Secretary General Ruhul Amin took part in the meeting. l

UK envoy

BNP may propose

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were able to elect the government that they wanted, he added.

In a televised speech on Friday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested the main opposition to join a pollstime interim cabinet.

However, a day later, the government imposed ban on rallies, processions and human chains in the capital prompting the opposition to demonstrate in different districts yesterday. l

“The alliance leader will brief today about our stance on the prime minister’s statement,” Andaleeve Rahman Partha, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party, told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

Abdul Latif Nezami, chairman of Islami Oikya Jote, told the Dhaka Tribune that Khaleda would present a formula of the election-time government today.

He said they had decided to hold the October 25 rally at any cost. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Monday, October 21, 2013

23,000 primary teacher posts approved Government says it was an electoral pledge

n Asif Showkat Kallol The administrative secretaries committee has approved a proposal from the mass education ministry to create 22,925 new posts for primary teachers at newly-registered primary schools.

The committee approved the proposal at a meeting at cabinet division yesterday presided over by Senior Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Abdus Sobhan Sikder.

State Minister for the Ministry of Primary and Mass education Md. Motahar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that due to teacher shortages, primary schools across the country were not operating smoothly.

“It was a part of the election pledges of the government to appoint more schoolteachers through creating posts, but the process had been delayed in the last two years due to the rigid position of the finance division,” he said, adding that following the approval of the secretaries committee, new teachers will be able to join work from next July.

As per the proposal, the annual total cost to the government to pay these teachers their salaries, under the Monthly Payment Order arrangement, will be Tk4bn.

In January 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at a teachers’ grand rally in the capital, announced that her government would nationalise all non-government registered primary schools to fulfil one of the election pledges of the grand alliance government.

The government, as per the prime minister’s announcement, took an initiative to nationalise around 26,200 non-government primary schools. Accordingly, 22,925 primary schools were nationalised in the first phase.

Another 2,252 schools will be nationalised in the second phase.

Besides, the state minister said, the nationalisation of 960 unregistered primary schools would begin after the data for listed schools, teachers and employees are collected and scrutinised in the next phase, which will begin on January 1, 2014. l

BGB arrests 10 Bangladeshis n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

Defence fails to produce witness in Nizami case

Nine get bail in mass beating case

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested 10 Bangladeshis, including two women, in Jhenaidah on Sunday afternoon while they were attempting to enter into India illegally.

They were detained at Banshbaria frontier under Moheshpur upazila in the district.

“The arrestees were attempting to enter into Indian territory without legal documents. All of them were from Rajbari, Faridpur and Magura districts,” said Mahbub Alam, havilder of Samanta border observation post.

The arrestees said they were going to India with a hope to find out a job of day labourers.

Police sent them to Moheshpur police station, and lodged a case in this connection. l

n UNB

n Our Correspondent, Rangpur

Fakhrul condemns police attacks on demonstration n Tribune Desk BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned police attacks on the party’s demonstrations at different parts of the country yesterday.

In a statement, Fakhrul demanded punishment of the police members responsible for the attacks on BNP’s demonstrations held in district towns across the country in protest against the government’s ban on holding rallies and public meetings in Dhaka city, reports UNB. He said the police attacks on the BNP’s demonstrations came as part of the Awami League government’s plan to bury democracy already weakened by its corrupt activities.

“The government has indulged in massive misdeeds like forced disappearances, killings, secret killings and extortion as part of its blueprint to establish a one-party rule in the country,” he alleged.

Police hit and injured many leaders and activists by firing shots at BNP’s demonstrations in Sirajganj, Rupganj of Narayanganj, Kurigram and elsewhere in the country.

“The desperate behaviour of the police proves that the government doesn’t understand the language of democracy and failed to realise the public demand. So, the government wants to hang onto power illegally depending on the police,” Fakhrul said. l

The scheduled deposition of a defence witness (DW-1) for accused Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, being tried for the 1971 war crimes charges, could not take place due to his nonappearance before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday.

As the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, began its session, defence counsel Tajul Islam prayed for adjournment on the ground that the DW is on his way to Dhaka and yet to reach the tribunal.

Allowing the defence plea, the tribunal asked the defence counsel to produce the DW-1 before it for deposition today.

Rickshaws, seized by police on charges of plying the out-of-bound VIP roads of the capital city, lay upside down in front of the Rupashi Bangla Hotel

Earlier, the tribunal had granted detained Nizami four DWs out of 25 as proposed to make their depositions to defend the accused.

Meanwhile, the prosecution had brought 26 prosecution witnesses before the tribunal, including the investigation officer, to prove the charges against the Jamaat boss.

A former minister during the past BNP-Jamaat rule, Nizami is being tried on charges of involvement in murders and torture of unarmed people along with hatching conspiracy, planning, incitement and complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation army.

Also the president of Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971, Nizami faces 16 counts of charges based on 16 separate incidents of crimes against humanity, in which at least 600 unarmed people were killed and 31 women raped during the Liberation War. On May 28, 2012, the tribunal indicted the Jamaat ameer for committing the 1971 crimes against humanity.

On June 29, 2010, Nizami was arrested in front of the National Press Club after a magistrate court in Dhaka issued warrant of arrest in connection with a criminal case over hurting religious sentiment of Muslims. Later, he was shown arrested in connection with the war crimes case. l

Muhith says he had to ‘compromise’ n Asif Showkat Kallol

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said he sometimes had to bow to political factors while taking decisions on the country’s economic issues during the tenure of the present government.

The minister also said some of his proposals had not been accepted while he had to accept some proposals which he would not support.

He, however, would not elaborate on the issues.

“I had to compromise during the last five years as a political government, assumed office with huge majority, has to satisfy its voters,” he told the Dhaka Tribune in an interview in Washington DC recently.

But, Muhith said, as the finance minister during the rule of military dictator HM Ershad, he had taken all the decisions related to economy by his own.

He said after coming to power in 2009, the prime minister had explained to him how she wanted to see Bangladesh in the future.

“Then I took reform programmes in the second year of the government. For instance, we initiated enacting the VAT Law and the Bank Company Act. “But the IMF put several dates for their quick execution of the laws as part of the conditions for credit facilities.”

He, however, said the push had brought better results. The laws were passed several months ago.

Muhith said the major achievement of the last five years was the rise in the government’s local resource mobilisa-

tion which has increased by 4%.

“I carried out planned reform from the second budget, and in the third budget, I targeted to increase the domestic resources mobilisation from 10% to 14%.”

He spoke to the Dhaka Tribune at Hotel Embassy Suites in Washington DC after a meeting with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and attending the board meetings of the World Bank and the IMF.

Bangladesh had lost $1.2bn fund pledged by the World Bank last fiscal year due to allegation of possible corruption Regarding funding of the Padma bridge project, the minister said Bangladesh had lost $1.2bn fund pledged by the World Bank last fiscal year due to allegation of possible corruption. “But we received $1.5bn in the last fiscal year and the disbursement next year will be $1.8bn.”

He also confirmed that the $1.2bn fund meant for Padma bridge project would not be diverted to any other project.

The Asian Development Bank was likely to finance the mega infrastructure project, Muhith said, adding: “I will announce this within short time.”

The ADB stepped back from the project after the World Bank had suspended its funding.

Yunus hurting development

The minister also blamed Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus for creat-

ing negative impression about the government abroad. “He wants to destroy the economy. His activities are affecting the development assistance.”

Muhith said during the meeting Lagarde had recognised the achievement of Bangladesh in social sector.

She also talked about the contribution of Yunus in the development of social sector, “but I did not talk on the matter,” the minister said.

According to Muhith, Lagarde was the finance minister of the immediate-past France government when Yunus had received the highest honour of her country. Meanwhile, the US government also conferred him prestigious awards, “so they listen to what Yunus tells them,” Muhith said.

The minister, however, was disappointed with the IMF MD as she had not mentioned the name of Bangladesh for maintaining 6% growth rate for the last five years.

In her speech at the IMF headquarters, Lagarde named Cambodia for achieving 7% growth last year, from 4% the previous year. “But Bangladesh has achieved 6.3% growth in the last five years. I did not complain but demanded that the name of Bangladesh should have been mentioned in her speech.”

The minister also said: “I suggested Lagarde that in future, for the interest of global trade, the government’s finance and development activities in the public sectors should be monitored by international organisations instead of credit rating agencies like Standards and Poor’s and Moody’s.” l

Dhaka to support BCIM economic corridor n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Dhaka will support the construction of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor to strengthen regional connectivity.

The issue came up during the bilateral talks between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing yesterday.

Talks between the two countries foreign ministers’ on BCIM is considered

significant in the context of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s scheduled visit to Beijing from October 22-24.

Dhaka has been interested about the BCIM project and ready to participate to convert the academic discussion into a reality, said an official of the foreign ministry. “The BCIM used to be a part of Track II Diplomacy but official level talks began after May,” he said.

The economic corridor initiative started in 1999 but it received its first

major boost in May this year when Chinese and Indian prime ministers jointly declared that both of them agreed to construct the corridor, converting long-standing academic discussions into a regional cooperation strategy.

A Chinese delegation has recently visited Bangladesh, India and Myanmar and discussed about the future work plan to move forward.

“China had already submitted a memorandum of understanding on

BCIM and we gave our inputs during our meeting with them before Eid,” the ministry official said.

It has been decided that the first joint working group meeting of the economic corridor would be held in Kunming in December, he added.

The BCIM zone covers Yunnan province of China, Bihar, West Bengal and Northeast India, Myanmar and Bangladesh with an area of 1.65 million square kilometres. l

Nine out of 12 accused of beating up two villagers in Rangpur, alleged to be “cattle thieves,’’ got bail yesterday from a district court. Two other accused had managed bail on Friday.

But the law enforcers are yet to nab Kalupara union parishad Chairman Shahidul Haque Manik, the main accused, who along with his supporters and two village defence party (VDP) members had beaten up Amzad Hossain and Sohirul Islam during a village arbitration in Boyrampur village of Badarganj upazila on October 13.

The victims claimed that Manik had tortured them as they had not campaigned for him during the union parishad elections.

The victim Amzad, 30, is the son of Abdul Gofur of the same village while Sohirul, 40, hails from Kachabari Moulovipara area under Lohanipara union of the same upazila.

Following the incident, Gofur filed a case with Badarganj police station against 12 people including Manik. The same day, one Abdul Qaiyum of the area filed a case against the duo, for cattle theft, with Mithapukur police station.

The victims are now undergoing treatment at the Rangpur district jail.

District Superintendent of Police Abdur Razzaq told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the police had been conducting drives to arrest the main accused.

However, locals said Manik was staying in Dhaka and trying to get bail from the High Court. They also claimed that the UP chairman was influencing the bail of the other accused with the help of his brotherin-law, who is a Khulna district judge.

Manik had earlier claimed that they

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

had found a smuggled cow at the house of Amzad, who he claimed was known in the area to be a thief.

A three-member probe committee, formed by the deputy commissioner of Rangpur on Friday, is working on the matter. The probe body has been asked to submit a report within five working days.

Officer-in-Charge of Badarganj police station said this type of mass beating was “violation of human rights.”

Witnesses said Amzad had bought a cow for Eid on October 12 from Sohirul for Tk11,000. The following day, the UP chairman sent persons, including two VDP members – Abdul Mannan and Abdur Rahim –to detain the duo.

The victims were taken from their homes and dragged through the Boyrampur village, with ropes tied at their waist.

When they were brought to the local high school grounds, Manik started conducting an arbitration and told the locals that he would not tolerate any cattle thieves, drug addicts or gamblers in the village.

Then along with his accomplices and the two VDP members, Manik beat up the victims mercilessly for around four hours, while their hands and legs were tied.

During that time, Amzad, his wife, children and relatives requested the UP chairman that he not be punished over a false allegation.

Later the chairman handed over the duo to police.

Auto-rickshaw driver Amzad claimed that he had been beaten up for not campaigning in favour of Manik during the last elections.

Sohirul said he had bought the cow from one Shahidur Islam of the same area and then sold it to Amzad. He also claimed that UP chairman had targeted him for not campaigning for him. l

Youth team leaves for India today n Tribune Desk Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran yesterday said youths could be the bridges of understanding between India and Bangladesh overcoming all the challenges ahead.

The envoy made the remark at a pre-departure interaction with the members of a hundred-member youth delegation of Bangladesh at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre who will visit

India from today.

Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and actress Jaya Ahsan were also present.

Saran said the tour would be productive and different than any individual trip as it will bring opportunity to interact with Indian youths and academic as well as professional background in a two-way exchange of building bridges of understanding.

The 100-member Bangladesh youth delegation leaves for India today. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, October 21, 2013

PADMA BRIDGE SCAM

ACC cannot advance without Canadian papers Commission to send legal adviser to Canada for observing pre-trial procedures and collecting documents be held on November 1 against the of- commercial cost,’ but the real fact is the but the decision was yet to be imple- 12% commissions for the project, and n Syed Samiul Basher Anik the information was very precise. It mented, said an ACC official. ficials of SNC-Lavalin, which had com- intention was bribe.”

The Anti-Corruption Commission is waiting for documents from Canada to complete investigation into the Padma bridge conspiracy case, an official said yesterday.

The ACC has reportedly completed the Bangladeshi part of the investigation and was waiting for the Canadian documents to wind up the enquiry.

“Without the information from Canada, it is really difficult for us to complete the investigation,” the official, preferring to remain anonymous, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Meanwhile, the commission has decided to send its legal adviser Anisul Haque to Canada later this month to observe the pre-trial and collect documents related to the case, if possible.

The pre-trial of the Padma bridge case in Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Toronto, Canada is scheduled to

peted for the bridge’s supervision job.

Confirming the matter, ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune ‘’Necessary preparations have already been completed. The official has obtained his visa to Canada. He will be there to observe the pre-trial and collect documents related to the Padma bridge case including [SNC-Lavalin official] Ramesh Saha’s diary,” The pre-trial hearing began in May. However, the ACC team that earlier travelled to Canada failed to collect a copy of the diary which allegedly contained the code names used by SNCLavalin to describe the hidden costs to get the contract.

Mohammed Ismail, a key accused in the case, on May 15 had told the CBC News: “They interchangeably used the word, PCC. Sometimes it was ‘project consultancy cost,’ sometimes ‘project

The commission was now unable to complete the investigation since the Canadian authorities had declined to provide a copy of diary until the case was pending in a Canadian court.

The Canadian court had also warned that leaking information to the media could harm the judicial process as the case was under consideration in the Canadian court.

On September 18, Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged five people in connection with the scam.

They are the former state minister Abul Hasan, SNC-Lavalin officials Kevin Wallace, Mohammad Ismail and Ramesh Saha, and Zulfiquar, a Canadian citizen who has business ties in Bangladesh.

Following the charges, the commission started thinking of getting a statement from Zulfiquar and Abul Hasan,

Commissioner M Sahabuddin earlier told the media that they had kept Abul Hasan under close watch.

“The progress in the case and charges framed by the Canadian police will help us in completing the investigation,” he said. “Abul Hasan could be charged too if the allegation is proved against him.”

On December 17 last year, the ACC filed a case of “conspiracy for corruption in the Padma bridge project” against seven people, and kept the names of former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and Abul Hasan as suspects.

The ACC said the duo would be kept under observation and their names could be added later if their involvement was proved.

It was learned that the diary contains a list of those who received 10-

said: “Padma PCC, 4% Min, 2% Kaiser, 2% Nixon, 1% Secretary and 1% Moshi Rahman.”

According to the diary, “Min” refers to the former communications minister, “Kaiser” refers to Abul Hasan and “Nixon” to the prime minister’s nephew Mujibur Rahman. “Secretary” is former bridges division secretary Mosharraf Hossain while “Moshi Rahman” is the Prime Minister’s Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman.

A 2% commission was set aside for someone whose name was not mentioned.

The Padma bridge work stalled in late 2011 after its lead financier World Bank suspended its pledged funds raising corruption allegations. The Canadian police started investigation into the allegation on a request from the bank. l

Ban on rallies will not block dialogue: Quader n Tribune Desk Communications Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the ban on holding rallies and protests in the capital will not stand in the way of dialogue to reach an understanding between the ruling and opposition alliances.

WEATHER

No possible change in temperature n UNB Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions until 6pm today.

Moderately heavy falls were also likely at places, Met Office said.

Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:27pm today and rises at 5:59am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 34.2 degree Celsius was recorded at Khulna and Satkhira and lowest 21.0 degrees at Dinajpur yesterday.

Highest and lowest temperatures recorded in some major cities yesterday were: City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

33.2 30.8 33.0 30.4 34.2 32.6 32.8 31.5

26.0 25.0 24.2 24.0 25.4 24.4 23.7 23.6

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:43am 5:58am 11:43pm 3:50pm 5:27pm 6:43pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Milon among 1,500 BNP men sued in Chandpur n Tribune Desk Three cases were filed yesterday against some 1,500 BNP men, including former State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, in connection with violence during Saturday’s daylong hartal in Kachua upazila of Chandpur, reports UNB. Sub-inspectors M Shahjahan Miah, Mohammad Zahir and Mohammad Baten filed the cases against 175 named and 1,300-1,400 unnamed BNP activists with Kachua Police Station in the early hours on charges of attacking cops, preventing them from discharging their duties and vandalising vehicles during the shutdown.

About 20 people, including eight cops, were injured when BNP activists clashed with law enforcers during the hartal in Kachua upazila on Saturday.

Local BNP enforced the shutdown protesting the death of upazila unit vice-president Delwar Hossain Dulal, 43, in jail under police custody on October 17.

Milon was made accused in all three cases, confirmed additional police super M Quamrul Islam.

Meanwhile, two BNP men arrested earlier were shown arrested in the cases and sent to jail on Sunday, said officer-in-charge of the police station Alamgir Hossain Majumder. l

Fake currency recovered n Tribune Desk Police arrested an alleged fake currency trader and recovered fake Bangladeshi currency worth about Tk 3.36 million from his possession along with equipment for making forged currency from the city’s Shah Ali thana area on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of Shah Ali thana police led by Assistant Subinspector Mosiur Rahman conducted a drive at a house at Road No-1 of BlockG in Mirpur Section-1 at about 8:15 pm, says a UNB report.

Police arrested fake currency trader Joynal Abedin, 38, and recovered from his possession fake currency and currency faking materials.

A case has been filed with the police station in connection with the incident. l

As far as I have learned from the home ministry, preemptive measure has been taken on information of preparations for a big sabotage Talking to reporters after a meeting with the ministry officials, the minister noted that the prime minister’s proposal for an electiontime interim government opened up a new avenue for dialogue and consensus, and that the opposition must avail itself of the opportunity, reports UNB. Obaidul Quader, also an Awami League presidium member, defended the decision to ban rallies and processions in Dhaka city saying that it has been taken on security grounds.

“As far as I’ve learned from the home ministry, the preemptive measure has been taken on information of preparations for a big sabotage,” he added.

Asked whether Awami League will send any letter to BNP inviting it to join the polls-time government, he said, “Things change in Bangladesh quite often. There’s still time …wait a bit.” l

HARTAL VIOLENCE

Workers of Narayanganj City Corporation yesterday remove all posters, banners and signboards of political parties including the ones with Eid greetings

DHAKA TRIBUNE

RAILWAY RECRUITMENT SCAM

Arrest warrant against eight including Mridha n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A Chittagong court yesterday issued arrest warrants against eight, including Yusuf Ali Mirdha, suspended general manager of Bangladesh Railway East Zone, and two other officials in recruitment scam cases. The cases were filed on April 10.

Chittagong Metropolitan Senior Special Judge SM Mujibur Rahman passed the order after taking the charges into cognisance.

The charges were corruption in the recruitment process for the posts of

fuel checker and assistant chemist.

Mohammed Fuad, bench assistant of the court, said the court had fixed November 21 for further hearing.

The same court on October 6 issued arrest warrants against suspended General Manager Mridha and four others in another related case.

Social welfare officers Golam Kibria and Hafizur Rahman and Mridha were suspended after the scam surfaced.

Apart from them, arrest warrants were also issued against Ganesh Chandra Shil, Sultana Begum, Jahirul Islam, Abul Kashem, and Anisur Rahman - all

allegedly illegally recruited.

Of the three cases, charge sheets of two cases were submitted before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mashiur Rahman on August 18 while the court transferred the charge sheets to the Chittagong Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on September 5.

Sources at BR said the east zone issued seven advertisements in October and November of 2010 to fill up 3419 vacant posts in 38 categories.

Border Guard Bangladesh personnel seized Tk7m which was allegedly collected from the job seekers as bribe

from a car of Omar Faruk, assistant personal secretary of the then Railway Minister Suranjit Sen Gupta on April 9, 2012.

Mridha, Kibria and Dhaka divisional commandant of Railway Nirapatta Bahini Enamul Haque were in the car. The driver of the car Ali Azam, who took the car to the BGB headquarters, has remained missing mysteriously since the incident.

The then rail minister Suranjit Sen Gupta resigned from his post after the incident. He suspended his APS prior to resigning from the post of minister. l

Eight killed, 33 injured in road accidents n Tribune Report

Eight people were jukked and at least 33 injured in separate road accidents in four districts in the last two days.

In Dhaka, a college girl named Marjana Jahan alias Munmun, was run over by a bus at TTpara Crossing yesterday, reports UNB. 17-year old Marjana was a first year student of the Central Women’s College in Gupibagh.

Family members and witnesses said she was on her way to the college by a when a bus knocked her down around 7:45am, leaving her dead on the spot.

Following the accident, pedestrians caught the driver and started beating him. Later, police apprehended the driver.

The girl’s body was sent to the Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy.

In Barisal, the driver was killed after a bus fell into a roadside ditch on the Barisal-Dhaka Highway yesterday.

Badal Mia, 38, was a driver of a Rohan Paribahan bus, reports our Barisal correspondent.

Police said the passengers were rescued by them and the locals. The driver’s dead body was sent to the Barisal medical college morgue and an unnatural death case was lodged.

Meanwhile, a pedestrian was killed after being hit by a van near the bus stand area on the Nabinagar-Chandra Highway in Ashulia near Dhaka yesterday, reports BSS.

Central Women’s College student Marjana Jahan Imdadul Houqe, 50, was from Munshiganj village in Nilphamari. Police arrested the driver of the van and seized the vehicle.

In Comilla, three, including a minor boy, were killed and 25 others injured in separate road accidents in Daudkandi and Chouddagram upazilas yesterday, according to UNB. The deceased could not be identified till the filing of this report.

Mizanur Rahman, OC of Daudkandi Highway police station, said a cab driver was killed

and 15 were injured after a Comilla-bound bus hit the taxi on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Doulatpur around 2:30pm.

In another accident, a Comilla-bound bus rammed a microbus at Raipur around 2pm, killing its driver and leaving five others injured.

Meanwhile, five passengers of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw were injured when a Dhakabound bus crashed into the three-wheeler at Sahidnagar around 1pm.

In Chouddagram, an unidentified minor boy of about 11 was killed when a Chittagongbound bus ran over him.

In Laxmipur, two people were killed and eight injured in a road accident near Laxmipur Bus Terminal area Saturday noon, reports BSS. The dead were CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Yusuf Hossain Chutu, 28, and Omar Faruk, 30.

Eyewitness said a Bhola-bound bus of Toifa enterprise collided head-on with a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Laxmipur Bus Terminal area, leaving the auto-rickshaw driver and passengers critically injured.

Yusuf Hossain and Omar Faruk succumbed to their injuries on their way to hospital. The injured were admitted to the Sadar Hospital.

Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Hossain of Laxmipur Sadar Thana said the bus driver had managed to flee the scene after the accident.

A case was filed with Laxmipur Sadar Thana in this connection. l

Body to select River Commission members n Tribune Desk The shipping ministry has formed a three-member search committee to select the chairman and members of the National River Protection Commission.

An official order in this regard was issued by the ministry early this month.

The five-member commission will be formed under the purview of the National River Protection Act 2013.

Palli Karma-Shahayak Foundation Chairman Qazi Kholiquzzaman was made the convener of the search committee, while shipping ministry Joint Secretary M Alauddin and Brac University Vice Chancellor Ainun Nishat were made the member secretary and member respectively.

The committee will work out the members in 15 working days. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Education

5

Monday, October 21, 2013

Parents need to detect drug problems Ensuring educational equality in their children at an early stage Dhaka Tribune talks with Mitul Kazi about her

Fellowship with Teach For Bangladesh and her plan to fix the country’s education system to ensure quality education for all

n Samira Mostafa

One of the common problems in the world, regardless of their wonderful upbringing is that a child PARENT’S may fall through the cracks and end up in CORNER the wrong life trajectory. Drugs are a rising problem in our country and often it has little to do with how careful or protective one has been as a parent.

Whether a parent has to deal with or prevent such a problem, they need to be aware of their child’s whereabouts, who they are mixing with and make sure to be there for them at all times.

In order to prevent or even understand the first stages of a child starting to do drugs, a parent needs to look for a number of signs.

Appearance: Drastic changes in appearance is often a giveaway for adolescent drug use; changes may be facial or in terms of clothing. If your child suddenly changes their entire wardrobe without your consent and starts wearing makeup and gets piercings, it may be the right time to keep a closer eye, especially if your child has not been into such things in the past. This is not to say that any change has to raise eyebrows, since adolescence is a time of change, but certain choices are associated with drug use, and a parent is the best judge at the end of the day.

Grades: Academic values mean less when drugs enter the picture. Look out for the sudden changes in grades or even concerns from teachers. Grades may change for any reason, but try to understand the reason behind it and

Tell us a little about your education background.

BIGSTOCK

whether your child is repenting the bad grades or not. Lack of concern about their grades and general apathy should give you reason for concern.

Eating and sleeping habits: A parent is usually quite conscious about how their children eat or sleep. Changes in that pattern may be a hint of drug use.

Excessive need for sweets and junk food and no appetite for other healthy food may signify the same. Weight loss and insomniac attitudes are of concern as well. Drug usage tends to push the user towards dysfunctional body habits.

Rejecting personal interests: Kids who are suddenly rejecting their own hobbies and having a complete change in interests are also of concern. This is especially true if a previously active child is no longer interested in sports or other physical activities.

Mood swings: Harsh manners and rude responses that were not there before are indications of drug use.

Rebellious acts and not obeying parents for the slightest reasons is a point to be concerned about; however, one needs to keep in mind that sometimes this may simply be be-

cause of adolescence.

Companionship: Keep an eye out for any changes in friend circles and whether your child is spending more time with newer friends and ignoring older ones.

Physical changes: Certain physical changes are a dead giveaway for drug abuse, but they usually manifest prominently later on. Wearing long sleeves to hide injection marks or wearing sun glasses to hide red, blotchy eyes are common. Another giveaway is if they start carrying eye drops with them. l

Youth Think Tank and Daffodil University organised outsourcing workshop BYLC has launched Youth Leadership Bootcamp in Chittagong Youth Leadership Bootcamp 2013, a national residential leadership development programme of Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) began on October 5. The three-day programme was held at the BRAC Learning Center (BLC), Kazir Dewri, Chittagong.

100 university students were competitively selected for the programme from 1,155 applicants from 188 institutions across seven divisions of Bangladesh.

The sessions of the bootcamp are designed to equip participants with leadership skills, help improve their communications skills, expose and sensitise them to the realities of the workplace, and prepare them for their careers.

The programme had been divided over three days with each day focusing on a different learning outcome. On the first day, the participants explored their own leadership styles by reflecting on their assumptions about power and authority influence on leadership.

On the second day, participants experienced real-world challenges and business practices through field visits to Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, AK Khan and Company Ltd, BRAC, MM Ispahani Ltd and Western Marine Shipyard Ltd. The third day was dedicated to helping the participants articulate their life goals and career aspirations through effective resume and cover letter writing, interview skills and personal action plans.

At a pre-event press conference at the national press club in Chittagong on October 3, Ejaj Ahmad, founder and president of BYLC said: “The education system in Bangladesh often falls short of provid-

COURTESY

Teach For Bangladesh (TFB) is an organisation working to solve one of the oldest injustices in our country: educational disparity. The opportunity for children to access quality education is determined by the socio-economic conditions of their birth.

Teach For Bangladesh addresses this by creating bold new leadership enlisting top Bangladeshi young adults to a two-year leadership development Fellowship, during which they teach full-time in low-income schools. Currently there are 29 countries which have adopted the model.

ing leadership training to the youth, thus failing to prepare them to be successful in their respective careers. Keeping this in mind, during the bootcamp, the participants will develop their leadership, problem-solving and teamwork skills and gain practical knowledge about the workplace through their visit to different industries.”

Wahid Malek, Managing Editor of Dainik Azadi, added: “In a country where more than 50% of the population is below the age of 25, it is absolutely essential that we invest in preparing our youth to lead in private and public sector institutions.”

Dr Moinul Islam, also present during the press conference, mentioned: “Leadership is not inherent, it needs to be nurtured and practiced. The youth of Bangladesh need to come forward to practice active leadership in order to stay away from glaring social problems like drug abuse.”

The US Embassy is the title sponsor of the programme. RSRM and Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd are the gold and silver sponsors respectively.

The programme is also supported by Equity Property Management Ltd, UCB and BSRM. The print media and hospitality partners are Dainik Azadi and the Peninsula Chittagong respectively.

The programme concluded on October 7 with a gala dinner and networking reception where, among others, leading entrepreneurs in Chittagong, academicians, civil society leaders, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dan W Mozena and UN Resident Coordinator, Neal Walker were present. l

The Youth Think Tank and Daffodil University jointly organised a workshop on outsourcing and freelancing on October 8. 150 students from Daffodil University participated in the three-hour workshop.

The sessions focused on how to join the outsourcing arena, how one can become a good freelancer and ways to excel in one’s freelancing career. The participants received specific tips from the instructor during the question-answer session, much to their enthusiasm.

The workshop ended with the founder of Youth Think Tank Zubair Kabir’s speech, in which he emphasised the need for alternative career options and promised that similar workshops will be organised in the future.

Youth Think Tank Bangladesh is a platform that mainly focuses on the youth and upcoming generation of Bangladesh. Its emphasis is on creating new job sectors and employment opportunities for the new generation. l

A call for teachers: Celebration of World Teacher Day

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instil love for learning – Brad Henry “A Call for Teachers” – the slogan marked by UNESCO, ILO, UNDP, UNICEF and Education International for this year’s World Teachers’ Day to recognise the contribution of teachers was adopted by Scholastica to celebrate this significant occasion.

From October 3 to 7, the different campuses of Scholastica celebrated the event to pay tribute to the teachers for their untiring work and relentless effort to nurture and shape the young minds and leaders of tomorrow.

The campuses were decorated with

balloons, ribbons, charts and banners with inspirational quotes. To commemorate the day, campuses organised a handball tournament, team-building games, display of art and write-ups, speech by students, cultural show etc. A special cake had been arranged, which was shared among all amidst great enthusiasm and gaiety, as gifts, handmade cards by students, flowers and chocolates were given to the teachers.

The teachers of Scholastica were appreciated for their contribution in providing quality education and for being the most powerful force for equity, access and quality education. l

Google MapMaker MapUp held at Dhaka University Dhaka University hosted a mapping workshop, “MapUp,” on October 4, 2013 at the Department of MIS in the university’s premises. The event was organised

by Mapping Bangladesh Community.

Google Country Consultant (Bangladesh) Kazi Monirul Kabir was present at the event as chief guest while Altaf Uz Zaman, Country Advocate of Google MapMaker, was the special guest.

Faculty members from Department of MIS, DU and Google MapMaker Regional Expert Reviewers were also present on the occasion. Under the direction of Masum Ikbal, a group of 30 mappers mapped important places of DU and the rest of the country on Google Maps.

Qubee supported the event with WiFi connectivity, and the event was telecast live on YouTube. l

I completed my O’Levels from Sunnydale School in 2006 and received a USA State Department scholarship to finish my high school in Seattle, Washington.

I studied at Brigham Young University, Utah shortly before coming back to Dhaka and finishing my LLB from University of London International Programmes. Currently, I am completing my MBA at BRAC University.

When did you first notice a disparity in our education system; have you always wanted to do something about it?

After coming back from US in 2007, I was extensively involved in different types of volunteer work which led me to visit slums in Dhaka; I noticed the realities of their lives and the inequalities that persist in our society. I decided I wasn’t going to sit back and watch nothing change; I would strive to put myself in a position to help reduce the educational gap in Bangladesh.

Please share a little bit about TFB that you have come to experience till now.

TFB has some wonderfully smart, talented and empathic people devoted to their mission. They are kind and helpful and find creative ways of communicating that help me understand their goals better and make me feel like a part of the team.

What led you towards TFB as opposed to conventional options?

TFB is part of a global movement that focuses on teachers as leaders. This particular aspect of their objective is what attracted me more than any other development organisation. The professional development and mentorship offered at TFB also sets it apart.

The TFB Fellowship programme is one that is highly selective. In your opinion, which of your achievements

and roles set you apart from your peers?

I have persistently demonstrated leadership qualities throughout my academic and professional life. The US government recognised my leadership potential and offered me the scholarship to study in the US for a year. In addition, I am currently working with students with unconventional education backgrounds which gives me the raw skills required to deal with the troubling situations in low income families and help students overcome those obstacles.

Do you plan to remain in the Education sector following the completion of your two-year Fellowship or do you plan on bringing the professional development and training you receive to another field?

I plan to remain in the Education sector after the completion of my two-year fellowship. I want to focus on raising awareness about human rights and how it can be incorporated into national curriculums.

Where do you see yourself two years from now, at the end of your Fellowship?

I see myself in a position to make changes. At the end of my Fellowship, I believe I will be armed with experience and skills that are vital in solving the problem of inequity.

What is your dream for the children of Bangladesh?

I dream of every Bangladeshi child having the confidence and belief in themselves to make a difference. I dream of them being ambitious and successful despite the economic status of their families. l

Teaching versus learning n Sabrina Syed

The goal of education is learning and not teaching. Teachers are more concerned about teaching, especially giving lectures because traditional focus of education has always been on teaching.

In most educational institutions, memorisation is mistaken for learning.

Most of what we remember is remembered only for the short-term. This is called knowing, not understanding.

Knowing and understanding are two completely different concepts. Understanding is far more rewarding than knowing. Does our education system facilitate us to understand what we have to learn?

Even young children are conscious of the fact that most of what is expected from them in school can be done better by computers, recording machines, cameras and so on.

Teaching is the better way to learn, rather than being taught. A teacher should serve as a guide and a resource but not as one who will force-feed content into students’ heads.

There are many different ways of learning, and teaching is one of many.

We learn more on our own especially by independent study, sharing knowledge with others, and by going through trial and error. For example, one can learn more engineering by building and designing one’s house than by taking several courses on civil engineering. When medical students are asked whether they learned more in classes or during their internship, without exception they will say it is the latter.

In every educational institution, students should be offered a wide variety of ways to learn so that they can choose the ideal one that suits their learning style best. Every human being is different, in sense, in behavior and thinking; every learner is also different in the manner of their learning.

Though students may not realise it, learning styles have more influence in education because it guides the way one learns. Research shows that each learning style uses different parts of the brain.

By involving more of the brain during learning, learners remember more of what they learn. When teaching and learning methods do not match, a discrepancy arises in education. l The writer is a lecturer at BRAC University.

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, October 21, 2013

Hill Tracts Commission writes to PM to pass CHT land dispute act

The proposals were approved by the Cabinet on June 3, 2013 inclusion of all 13 amendments will be n Tribune Report an example of your Government’s ful-

Passengers disembark from water transports at Sadar Ghat terminal in the capital yesterday after the Eid vacation

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC), yesterday sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, calling upon the government to pass the bill on the amendment of the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001 during the ongoing ninth parliamentary session that ends on October 24.

“We particularly call upon you to ensure that all 13 points proposed by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council and the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs which were approved by the CHT Accord Implementation Committee and adopted by the inter ministerial committee are fully and accurately included in the Bill,” the letter reads.

The proposals were approved by the Cabinet on June 3 and placed in the House on June 16.

Signed by its three co-chairs Eric Avebury, Sultana Kamal and Elsa Stamatopoulou, the letter said: “With the upcoming national general elections, the passing of this Act with the

Dhaka-bound passengers suffer for lack of transport

Olama League men chop journalist n Our Correspondent, Barisal n Our Correspondent, Barisal Many people trying to return to the An Olama League leader and his fellows yesterday made an attack on a journalist and chopped him severely over publishing a report against unlawful activity of a local Awami League leader in Barisal.

Witnesses said Mojibor Rahman Jamaddar, president of upazila Olama League, along with his fellows made the attack on Abdul Motalib, Taltali upazila correspondent of national Bengali newspaper Daily Jugantar, at Taltoli bazar around 11am, where they severely beat and chopped him indifferently.

Kabir Akon, secretary of Sonakata union Aawami League, and his followers’ vandalised Fakirhut Bazaar BNP office and looted union BNP Convener Salam Haoladar’s fish business centre on last Thursday.

Later, Abdul Motalib, who is also the former president of Taltali Press Club, wrote a report on the occurrence, which was published on daily Jugandor on Saturday.

After publishing the report the Olama League leader, along with his fellows made the attack to take a revenge.

Dr Mahmud Hasan, medical officer of the Amtali upazila health complex, said the journalist sustained severe injuries on his head and different parts of the body.

The family members of the victim alleged that the Olama League leader and his associates have threatened Motalib to leave the area.

They family members also complained that police remained indifferent about the incident.

But Mojibor Jamaddar, who claimed himself as an acting editor of ‘Digital Bangladesh Protidin’, denied the incident of beating and chopping Motalib while he acknowledged that they had an altercation.

Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Taltali police station, said no allegation was lodged in this connection. l

capital after the Eid vacation failed to get seats on Dhaka-bound water transports yesterday at Barisal port as most vessels were overloaded.

A dozen triple-decker launches and two steamers that had left Barisal on Saturday night returned empty from Dhaka’s Sadar Ghat terminal yesterday evening.

Tickets for cabin seats were only available in the black market at 30%50% higher prices, and many people did not manage even to get inside the crowded port-terminal, passengers alleged.

Even after reaching the port on time, a large number of passengers could not board the Dhaka-bound vessels scheduled for 7:45 pm-8:45 pm yesterday due to the heavy rush.

Law enforcers, meanwhile, ordered overloaded vessels to leave the port ahead of schedule for safety and security of passengers.

It had become impossible to tackle the rush of Eid passengers even after

The same situation may continue for more one or two days and it became impossible to tackle rush of Eid passengers even after giving double trips of the vessels, the owner association and port sources said scheduling extra trips for the vessels, and the situation may continue for a day or two, owners’ association and port sources said.

Saidur Rahman Rintu, vice president of Barisal Launch Owners Association, said the capacity of the triple-decker

launches plying the Barisal-Dhaka route was limited to 750-1,240 passengers each.

But last evening, the vessels carried 2,000-3,000 passengers each at great risk to life and property, he said.

Sharmin Sultana, a garment worker, said she took the risk of boarding an overloaded launch as there was no alternative transport available.

“It offers the lowest fare and easiest journey, without affecting my working hour,” she said.

Gopal Chandra Majumdar, assistant general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation’s Barisal station, said they started a 12-day special steamer service with five extra vessels from October 11 to different destinations on the Dhaka-ChandpurBarisal-Jhalakathi-Pirojpur-BagerhaatKhulna routes for the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.

However, the additional services proved insufficient to deal with the huge rush of Eid passengers at Barisal port, he admitted.

Md Shahidullah, a Barisal port official and deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said authorities tried to tackle the Eid rush by diverting Dhaka-bound water transports from other ports to touch Barisal, and introducing daytime services.

But the rush of passengers was more than expected as a large number of garment workers and low-income people preferred to travel on the cheapest mode of transport.

“We also noticed the overloading situation, but failed to control it as sufficient vessels were not available to tackle the rush of Eid passengers on water ways,“ the port officer acknowledged. l

Three men murdered in three districts n Tribune Report At least three people have been killed in separate incidents of violence across the country.

In Barisal, a man succumbed to his injuries yesterday, which he suffered on Saturday afternoon while trying to prevent the snatching of a motorcycle.

Abdur Rashid Haoladar, 60, son of late Montaz Haoladar from Lohalia area under Bakerganj upazila, passed away yesterday at noon at Barisal’s Sher-eBangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH).

Sources said Rubel and Kalu, two local youths, allegedly attacked the victim’s cousin Nannu on Saturday and tried to snatch away his motorcycle at the Satalia Bazar. The culprits severely beat up Abdur Rashid when he came to his cousin’s aid.

Officer-in-Charge of Bakerganj police station Nurul Islam said the

victim’s body had been sent to the SBMCH morgue for autopsy, while preparations were going on for lodging a murder case when this report was filed.

Elsewhere in Gazipur, a cable operator was shot dead at the Mill gate area in Tongi on Saturday.

The deceased was Shahadat Hossain Rony, 26, son of Mujibur Rahman, hailing from Baraikhali village of Shreenagar upazila in Munshiganj.

According to his family, Rony was returning home on a rickshaw with a co-worker on Saturday night, when unidentified miscreants shot and killed him near Namar Bazar area, where Rony resided at a rented house.

Aminul Islam, inspector at the Tongi police station, confirmed the incident.

Police recovered Rony’s body and sent it to Gazipur Sadar Hospital morgue for a post mortem examination yesterday.

Police suspect that the incident took place over previous enmity regarding cable operating business.

Shahanaj Begum, the victim’s mother, filed a murder case with the Tongi police station accusing unidentified miscreants.

According to his family, Rony was returning home on a rickshaw with a co-worker on Saturday night, when unidentified miscreants shot and killed him near Namar Bazar area, where Rony resided at a rented house Meanwhile, a man was stabbed to death and another person was injured at Kishoreganj’s Itna upazila, when clashes broke out during a local arbitration.

The deceased was Abu Sadek Bhuiyan, 52, hailing from Laimpasha village

under Mriga union in Itna, while the injured was one Yahia.

Police and local sources informed that altercations broke out between rival groups on Saturday night over the judgement of the local arbitration in Laimpasha village, over an incident of eve teasing.

In an agitated state during the clashes, locals Jahangir, Mohsin, Lalon, Alamgir Sakib Toufiq and Joy Mahmud allegedly stabbed Abu Sadek and Yahia indiscriminately.

Abu Sadek was declared dead by doctors at Itna upazila health complex, while Yahia was admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

Md Abdus Salam Mia, officerin-charge of Itna police station, said the victim’s body was sent to Kishoreganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital morgue for post mortem examination yesterday. l

DRIVE AGAINST HILSA NETTING

Six fishermen including UNO injured in clash n Our Correspondent, Barisal

BNP supporters brought out a procession in Narayanganj yesterday to protest the ban on public gatherings by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the capital. The opposition protesters faced a police barricade in the city centre FOCUS BANGLA

At least six fishermen received gunshot wounds while defying the ban on netting hilsa in the Majher Char area under Barguna Sadar upazila early Sunday.

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nur e Alam and assistant Sub- Inspector Obaidul Islam were also injured as the agitated fishermen threw brick chips at them.

The UNO said their mobile court team was engaged in a drive against hilsa netting, marketing and transportation when the men were fishing in the river, defying the 11-day ban.

Police controlled the situation by firing blank shots and lodged a general diary in this connection.

The mobile court sentenced Chan Mia, 65, Abdur Rahman Khokon, 28, Mahbubul Alam, 26, to seven-days in prison for defying the ban and ob-

structing the police from performing their duty.

Local UP member Sarwar Ul Alam said while the lawmen were trying to seize nets from the riverbanks in the

The UNO said their mobile court team was engaged in a drive against hilsa netting, marketing and transportation when the fishermen were defying the 11-day ban dark, locals attacked them, mistaking them for robbers.

At least six fishermen were injured by shots fired by the law enforcers leaving Zulhas, 35, Mosharraf, 31, and Pintu, 26, in critical condition.

Sarwar said the fishermen left the spot sensing the presence of law enforcers. l

filling its pledge made to the people during the 2008 election.”

The commission also urged the government to take specific measures to appoint a capable, credible and impartial chairperson of the CHT Land Commission so that the Commission could start resolving land disputes in the CHT, which is crucial to the implementation of the accord.

The commission said it was deeply concerned that whilst the land commission remained non functioning, conflicts related to land grabbing continued to take place in the CHT. Citing some recent examples in which indigenous people were attacked, it said the allegations of grabbing indigenous peoples’ land could only be addressed once the commission started functioning fully and effectively.

Failure to do so would bring into question the credibility of the government’s commitment to fully implement the 1997 accord, the letter asserted. l

Chandpur police files 3 cases against 500 BNP activists n Our Correspondent, Chandpur Chandpur police filed three separate cases accusing 500 BNP men over clashes during the party’s general strike in the district.

Police lodged the cases with the Kachua police station on Saturday night.

The cases mentioned the names of 14-15 activists including former State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, who is the current president of the Kachua upazila BNP, and UP Chairman Mizanur Rahman, acting secretary general of the upazila unit along with others who are yet to be named.

Alamgir Hossain Majumder, officerin-charge of Kachua police staton, said the cases have been filed on charges of attacking police, obstructing and preventing them from performing their duty, and vandalising vehicles.

Earlier on Friday, Kachua upazila BNP Vice-President Delwar Hossain Dulal died in detention at a hospital in Comilla.

BNP claimed that police tortured Dulal to death in custody.

Later, protesting the death, BNP observed a dawn to dusk general strike at Kachua upazila on Saturday.

Several clashes, chases and counter chases took place among the BNP activists and police on the day.

At least 15 people, including police and hartal supporters, were injured in the clashes. l

Clashes leave 20 AL activists injured, MP affronted n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi About 20 activists belonging to ruling Awami League were injured in a factional clash during an inauguration ceremony at the Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi yesterday.

The incident occurred when two factions of Awami League, led by an incumbent member of parliament and a senior local leader respectively, engaged in heated arguments following a blistering public criticism directed at the former by the latter.

According to eyewitnesses, authorities of the recently-established Sabuj Pahar Degree College were hosting the inauguration ceremony at the college grounds, in which both the incumbent MP from Narsingdi-3 constituency, Zahirul Haque Bhuiyan Mohan, and an ex-MP from the same constituency, Shahjahan Saju, were invited.

Mohan was present as chief guest of the event while upazila AL President Harun-or-Rashid chaired it. Saju, leader of the other faction, was among the invited guests.

Saju criticised the chief guest, accusing his associates and him of being corrupt and engaging in different kinds of crimes and irregularities, including misappropriation of state money.

Saju proceeded to declare Mohan unwelcome in the Shibpur hill area, provoking an instant outcry from Mohan’s loyalists. This led to an altercation between the two factions, with both sides hurling abuses at each other and engaging in physical blows, leaving 20 injured. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

7

Monday, October 21, 2013

Cannabis trafficking goes unabated Kotchandpur becomes centre point of illegal drug trading as it is very close to the border with India

n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

Cannabis traffickers are making a quick buck at the Jhenaidah and Chuadanga districts as demands for illegal drugs has risen in recent weeks, amid allegations of lax security at the border points.

Smugglers became active on the occasion of the closely-timed Durga Puja and Eid-ul-Azha – two of the biggest festivals in the country – and apparently made Kotchandpur upazila their trading hub.

Kotchandpur lies between the Kaliganj and Moheshpur upazilas of Jhenaidah and the Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga district and thus constitutes a “strategic zone” for the drug peddlers, said an official at the police department.

“The town being situated close to India is considered an ideal place for trading drugs such as cannabis and phensedyl. There are several drug cartels active there,” the official, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

Kotchandpur police on Thursday arrested two drug peddlers named Hossain Ali and Babu Ali, both residents of Prakatnager village in the Daulatpur

Two youths beaten for stalking n Our Correspondent, Jhenaiah Two youths were beaten and indiscriminately slashed with knives by college students for stalking a girl and attempting to molest her at the Jhenaidah Kesab Chandra Government Degree College campus yesterday noon.

The stalkers Roni, 18, a student of the college, and his friend Apu, 17, were rushed to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital in critical condition. The duty doctors later referred Roni to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

The college principal, Abdul Baset Mia, said Roni and Apu were trying to molest a girl who studied at the college.

Hearing the girl’s screams, other students went to her rescue but as they failed to stop Roni and his friend, they started to beat the two, he added.

Sources said at one stage of the beating, some unruly students started slashing at the two stalkers with knives, leaving them critically injured. Later, police rescued them and sent them to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital.

Jhenaidah police station Officer-inCharge Kazi Jalal Uddin Ahmed said the situation at the college was under control. l

Lightning strikes kill five in Moulvibazar n Tribune Desk

Five people, including a couple, were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike in Srimangal and Kulaura upazilas yesterday.

Locals said Shakil Mia, 25, and his wife Sumi Akhter, 22, of Birampur village in Srimangal upazila, were killed as they were struck by a thunderbolt during rain at about 12:30pm.

In another incident, a thunderbolt hit Rahi Mia, seven, at noon while he was playing out on the field at Birampur village, killing him on the spot.

In another incident, Turak Mia, 58, was killed when a streak of thunderbolt struck him during rain at Sindurkhan village in the afternoon.

In Kulaura, a woman was killed and her husband and mother-in-law were injured by a lightning strike at Takiuli village in the afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Selina Akhter, 30, wife of Abdul Hafiz of the village.

Locals said Selina died on the spot when a thunderbolt struck her during rain around 2:30pm.

Hafiz and his mother Runa Begum were also injured in the lightning strike. They were rushed to Kulaura Upazila Health Complex. l

upazila of Kushtia. About 10kg cannabis, popularly known as ganja, was recovered from their possession.

Police said they first nabbed the peddlers around 11am and then, based on their confessions, seized the substance from a rickshaw van.

The arrestees were sent to a Jhenaidah prison after a case was filed with the Kotchandpur police station in this connection.

According to local sources, the reasons behind Kotchandpur town being a trading point for drugs have to do with its strategically important location—being very close to the border with India— and lax monitoring of the police and border guards.

From here, smugglers can operate their business in the surrounding areas including Kaliganj and Jhenaidah sadar upazila, as well as Darsana, Jibannagar and other parts of Chuadanga.

However, the commanding officer of Chuadanga camp of the Border Guard Bangladesh Lieutenant Colonel Gazi Mohammad Asaduzzaman ruled out allegations of lax monitoring.

“BGB is very active in curtailing drug trades and arresting those active in the business.” l

Dinajpur city assumes a festive look to welcome the Prime Minister tomorrow. The photo was taken yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

Seven tourist spots declared ‘restricted’ One killed in Sherpur clash n

Our Correspondent, Bandarban

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism designated seven tourist spots of Bandarban as “restricted” to make the areas more accessible to tourism and allow for “environment-friendly” development activities in these areas.

The restriction was declared through a public notice issued by the ministry recently, and at least 272 acres of land of the seven spots were surrounded with barbed wire fences following the order.

The spots are: Meghla Parjatan Complex, Prantik Lake, Mirinja Parjatan Complex, Shorno Mondir, Shoilopropat, and certain areas of Chimbuk

Hill and Nilachol. However, Nilgiri, another popular tourist attraction located about 47km southeast of Bandarban town, was not included in the restricted areas.

The restriction was declared through a public notice issued by the ministry recently, and at least 272 acres of land of the seven spots were surrounded with barbed wire fences following the order The authorities think the move would be of benefit to tourists and ecology. “We are trying to make these spots eco-friendly,” said Shamim

Hossain, nezarat deputy collector of the district.

“Tourists often land in trouble while visiting the spots because of poor communication means and lack of proper sanitation facilities.”

According to a source at the district administration, Nilgiri, which is under direct control of the army, wasn’t declared restricted because of unavailability of necessary documents of ownership. The Prime Minister’s Office had instructed the administration to produce land records of Nilgiri.

Besides, the land ministry has sent a letter to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry regarding property rights to the land. l

n Tribune Desk A young man was killed and his three brothers were seriously injured in an attack by rivals over a trivial matter at Tilkandi village in Sadar upazila on Saturday night.

In Sherpur, a clash ensued at 11pm following an altercation between Abdus Salam and shopkeeper Golap Hossain of the same village, as Salam refused to pay for the groceries he bought, reports UNB. At one stage in the altercation, Golap and some of his associates attacked Salam and hacked him with sharp weapons indiscriminately, leaving him critically injured.

When three of Salam’s brothers – Sobhan, Shah Jamal and Halim – tried

to save him, they too were attacked with sharp weapons. Sobhan died on the spot while Shah Jamal and Halim received injuries.

Later, police recovered the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. The injured were admitted to the hospital.

Meanwhile, at least 50 people were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers over a petty matter at Akhitara village in Sarail upazila.

Police said Sami and Chundu Miah of the village were engaged in an altercation over eating sweetmeats on Friday.

As a sequel to the brawl, their supporters attacked each other with lethal weapons on Saturday, leaving 50 injured from both sides. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Youth found dead at Sylhet MC College Police recovered the body of an unidentified youth from MC college campus in Sylhet on Saturday. College authorities found the body near a drain in the morning and informed police. Police said criminals might have killed the youth, aged about 28, on Friday night and left the body on the campus. The body bore some marks of injury. Police sent the body to Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. – UNB

Three Jamaat activists held in Jessore

Demanding exemplary punishment of the murderers of local trader Shahjahan Ali Shohag, residents of Malancha village of Melandaha upazila under Jamalpur district, formed a human chain yesterday FOCUS BANGLA

Rajbari Public Library observes centennial anniversary n Our Correspondent, Rajbari Rajbari Public Library yesterday observed its centennial anniversary amid colourful programmes.

The public library authorities in association with the district administration took up a series of programmes to mark the 100th year of the library. The programmes included a two-day-long book fair, a rally and a discussion meeting.

In the morning, a colourful procession started from the Rajbari Shilpokola Academy that paraded across the area.

Lawmaker Kazi keramot Ali of Rajbari 1 constituency led the procession.

A discussion meeting was also held at the Shilpokola academy auditorium.

Lawmaker Kazi Kermot Ali attended the programme as the chief guest while Secretary to the Cultural Ministry Dr Ranjit Kumer Biswas was in the chair.

Former chief election commissioner of Bangladesh Mohammad Abu Hena, Rajbari Deputy Commissioner Hasanuz Zaman kallol, Director General of Bangla Academy Shamsuzzaman Khan, Superintendent of Police Md Rezaul Haque, Rajbari Sadar upazila Chairman advocate Emdadul Haque Biswas, Rajbari Municipality Mayor Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah and the public library General Secretary advocate Wazed Ali Chowdhury addressed the discussion.

In their address, the discussants recalled that former prime minister and veteran leader of Bangladesh Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Haque visited the library in 1924 and wrote his comment in the library register.

They said the library possessed 8,000 books written by renowned authors. They termed the Rajbari Public Library “a storehouse of knowledge”. l

Truck union calls strike in Tangail n Our Correspondent, Tangail The truck drivers’ union at Tangail is scheduled to enforce a district wide strike today to protest the alleged torture of one of its senior leaders on October 5.

The strike would entail termination of goods transportation via trucks.

The strike was declared at an open-air meeting conducted in the town’s Shahid Minar premises yesterday. Earlier, a procession from a local school ground was brought out protesting the incident.

The strike would entail termination of goods transportation via trucks.

The union, chaired by Bala Miah, the alleged victim of police assault, who also spoke at the meeting, warned of countrywide strikes if necessary steps were not taken by authorities. l

Police in a drive arrested three activists of Jamaat-e-Islami at Goyra village early Saturday. The arrestees were identified as Abdur Rashid, 45, M Hamjar Ali, 36, and Haidar Ali, 25, of the village. Officer-in-charge of Benapole port police station Kaium Sardar said being tipped-off, a team of police conducted a drive in the village early in the morning and arrested them. The Jamaat men were arrested as they were planning to carry out sabotage, he said. – UNB

21,000 metres of nets seized in Bagerhat Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard and officials of Fisheries department in their overnight drives seized 21,000 metres of current nets from Baleshwar River in Sharankhola uapzila and Pashur river in Mongla upazila on Saturday. Narayan Chandra Mandal, fisheries officer of Bagerhat district, said a joint team of Bangladesh Coast Guard and Fisheries department conducted drives in Baleshwar and Pashur rivers from Friday midnight till Saturday morning and seized the nets. However, none was arrested during the drive, he said. The government imposed an 11-day ban on the catching, transportation and marketing of hilsa in the coastal areas from October 13 to October 23 to ensure safe spawning of the popular fish. – UNB

Three shops gutted in Nawabganj Three shops were gutted and six people sustained burns as a fire broke out at Natun Bandura bazar in Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka on Saturday. Locals said the fire

broke out in a shop of fuel oil around 1pm and soon engulfed a rice shop and a hotel, leaving six people injured. Fire fighters from Keraniganj fire station rushed in doused the blaze after one hour of frantic efforts. Three of the victims were identified as Mona, 30, Hashi, 28 and Ratan Das, 35. The condition of Hashi was stated to be critical. – UNB

Elephant kills farmer in Bandarban A farmer was killed as a contingent of angry elephants attacked him at Baishfari village under Naikkhongchhori upazila of the district early yesterday. The deceased was identified as Kabir Ahmed 52, son of late Ula Mia of the area. Local Union Parishad (UP) member Abdur Rahim said that the victim was attacked by a contingent of wild elephants while he was coming home from local market at midnight. The elephants trampled and squashed him mercilessly, leaving him dead on the spot.

However, another farmer was killed by wild elephants two days ago. Following the incidents, panic prevailed in the area.

Locals opined that wild elephants often come to localities in search of food due to food shortage and forests have shrunk day by day. – Banglanews

Trader hacked to death in Bogra A sand trader was hacked to death by unidentified criminals at the Sabgram village of Bogra Sadar upazila early yesterday. The deceased Rashed Ahmed, 38, was the son of Moazzem Hossain of the same village.

Quoting family members, Sub-inspector Saiful Islam of Naroli police camp said Rashed went missing since he left home after receiving a phone call on Saturday at midnight.Later, locals found his body riddled with stab wounds lying on a road near his house. – UNB

Labour Party leader held in Chittagong Police arrested city unit president of Bangladesh Labour Party, a component in the 18-party alliance, from Chandranagar residential area in the city early yesterday.

Officer-in-Charge of Bayezid Bostami police station Sairul Islam said they had arrested Alauddin Ali, 40, on charge of planning to carry out sabotage. – UNB

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Monday, October 21, 2013

Roma girl allowed to return to France n Agencies

Suicide bomber kills 31 in Syria n AFP, Beirut

Francois Hollande, France’s president, has said a Roma schoolgirl deported may be allowed to come back, but without her family.

Hollande’s comments on Saturday came amid protests by thousands of high school students against Leonarda Dibrani’s deportation which has sparked an outcry in France. Manuel Valls, the interior minister, has also come under a barrage of criticism over the deportation.

“If she makes a request, and if she wants to continue her studies, she will be given a welcome, but only her,” Hollande said live on television, in his first remarks on the affair that burst into the limelight on Wednesday.

Much of the anger surrounding the 15-year-old has focused on how she was taken off a bus during a school outing earlier this month, before she was deported with her family to Kosovo.

A probe into the deportation published on Saturday found that it was lawful, but that police could have used better judgment in the way they handled it.

Dibrani herself turned down Hollande’s offer, speaking from the town of Mitrovica in Kosovo where she has been living with her family since their deportation on October 9 from the eastern French town of Levier.

“I will not go alone to France, I will not abandon my family. I’m not the only one who has to go to school, there are also my brothers and sisters,” she said. l

A suicide bomber blew up a truck laden with explosives at an army checkpoint in Syria’s central city of Hama Sunday killing at least 31 people, a monitoring group said.

“At least 31 people, including regime troops, were killed when a man detonated a truck laden with explosives at a checkpoint near an agricultural vehicles company on the road linking Hama to Salamiyeh,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based watchdog said the death toll was likely to rise, as “there are dozens of wounded, some of them in critical condition”.

State television had earlier reported multiple casualties from a bombing in Hama without giving a more precise casualty toll. In the first months after the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime erupted in March 2011, Hama saw some of the largest demonstrations against his rule.

But in late summer of that year, security forces stormed the city, killing scores of people. They have held a tight grip on the city ever since.

While several other Syrian cities have been engulfed by fighting, Hama has seen only sporadic violence in recent months.

However, the surrounding province has seen some major clashes between troops and rebels. l

Faculty of medicine first year students are seen after seniors sprayed them with different types of sauces, liquids, flour and eggs as part of an annual tradition during a celebration in honour of their patron Saint Lucas at Granada University in Granada, southern Spain REUTERS

Syria conference set for Nov 23 n AFP, Cairo A keenly anticipated peace conference for Syria will convene in Geneva on November 23, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said on Sunday after meeting international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Arabi acknowledged that there were still obstacles to holding the conference, as Western and Arab governments prepare to meet Syrian opposition leaders on Tuesday to attempt to persuade them to attend.

Arabi made the comment to reporters after meeting the UN-Arab League envoy for Syria at the bloc’s Cairo headquarters, on the first leg of a regional tour Brahimi is conducting ahead of the conference.

“It was decided that the Geneva II conference will be held on November 23, and preparations are underway for this conference,” Arabi said.

The top Arab diplomat warned, however, that there were still hurdles to convening the already much-delayed meeting.

“There are many difficulties that must be overcome for this conference to succeed,” he said.

Brahimi refused to publicly set a date for the conference, saying it would be announced after he concluded his tour.

The envoy told reporters after meeting Arabi that he would travel to Qatar, Turkey, Iran, Syria and then Geneva for talks with Russian and US representatives. l

Suicide bomber kills 6: Iraqi police n Reuters, Baghdad A suicide bomber blew himself up near the house of a senior policeman on Sunday, killing at least six of the officer’s relatives in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, police said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Sunni Muslim insurgents, including al-Qaeda, have regularly targeted security personnel and others working for the Shi’ite-led government.

The attacker drove up to a group of

people who had gathered at the scene of an earlier, smaller explosion close to the house of senior officer Nasser Dawood, police said.

Dawood was out when the bomber set off his explosive, but most of those killed and wounded in the blast were members of his family, the force said.

Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate was forced underground in 2007 but has since regrouped, invigorated by the war in Syria and growing resentment of the government that came to power after the US-led invasion in 2003. l

WORLD WATCH Killer ‘clowns’ murder Mexican ex-drug capo: official The eldest brother of Mexico’s once powerful Arellano Felix drug cartel family was killed by gunmen dressed as clowns at a children’s party, authorities said Saturday. Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix, 63, was gunned down Friday during a family event Friday in Cabo San Lucas, a tourist resort in the Baja California peninsula, state special investigations prosecutor Isai Arias told reporters. Authorities close to the case said the gunmen were disguised as clowns when they shot Arellano Felix at the party in the luxurious Casa Oceano tourist residence. The Arellano Felix brothers once dominated drug trafficking between Mexico and California through their brutal Tijuana cartel, inspiring characters in the Steven Soderbergh movie “Traffic.”

Cat caught carrying marijuana into Moldovan prison

A cat has been busted for smuggling pot into a prison in Moldova. Guards became suspicious about the feline, which routinely entered and left the prison through a hole in a fence, when they noticed its odd collar. On closer inspection, they found two packets of marijuana attached to it. The Department of Penitentiary Institutions said Friday that someone in the village of Pruncul was using the cat as a courier to supply inmates with dope at the local prison. Whoever the human was, this wasn’t a first regarding cat couriers at lockups. In June, guards caught a cat carrying cellphones and chargers taped to its belly to inmates in Penal Colony No 1 near the city of Syktyvkar in northern Russia.

DNA links mysterious Yeti to ancient polar bear

A British scientist says he may have solved the mystery of the Abominable Snowman — the elusive ape-like creature of the Himalayas. He thinks it’s a bear. DNA analysis conducted by Oxford University genetics professor Bryan Sykes suggests the creature, also known as the Yeti, is the descendant of an ancient polar bear. Sykes compared DNA from hair samples taken from two Himalayan animals — identified by local people as Yetis — to a database of animal genomes. He found they shared a genetic fingerprint with a polar bear jawbone found in the Norwegian Arctic that is at least 40,000 years old. Sykes said Thursday that the tests showed the creatures were not related to modern Himalayan bears but were direct descendants of the prehistoric animal.

Bookish baby boy born in LA-area Barnes & Noble

A woman walked into a Los Angeles-area Barnes & Noble looking for books and came out with a baby instead. Firefighters delivered the newborn Friday evening in the bookstore’s lobby at Del Amo Fashion Centre, Torrance Fire Department Capt Steve Deuel said. The firefighters had responded to a call of a woman in labour and were deciding whether to put her in an ambulance or keep her in the store when they realized the infant was coming. Store manager Marchelle Hughes said the woman gave birth just five or 10 minutes after walking through the door around 7:30pm.

Turk, Lebanese hostages free after Syrian war deal n AP, Beirut Nine Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria and two Turkish pilots held hostage in Lebanon returned home Saturday night, part of an ambitious three-way deal cutting across the Syrian civil war.

Thousands of well-wishers greeted the Shiite pilgrims in Beirut, with one man being carried out of the airport on the shoulders of a crowd. Meanwhile, a plane carrying the two freed Turkish Airlines pilots landed in Istanbul, where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials greeted them.

Their planes departed just minutes apart, crisscrossing in the skies as part of the carefully-calibrated plan. The hostage release ends an ordeal that began a year and a half ago when Syrian rebels kidnapped the pilgrims, triggering tit-for-tat kidnappings that included the two Turkish pilots.

The deal, negotiated by Qatar and Palestinian officials, also was meant to include freeing dozens of women held in Syrian government jails to satisfy the rebels who abducted the pilgrims. However, it wasn’t immediately clear Saturday night whether any of the women had been freed. The Syrian government and its official SANA news agency did not mention any such release.

The nine Shiite pilgrims were kidnapped in May 2012 while on their way from Iran to Lebanon via Turkey and Syria. Turkish Airlines pilots Murat Akpinar and Murat Agca had been held since their kidnapping in August in Beirut.

Their abductions show how the chaos from the Syrian civil war, now in its third year, has spilled across the greater Middle East. The men also described facing similar despair and hardships while in captivity.

“For the first 15 days, we were kept in a room and didn’t see the light of day,” Akpinar said in a hastily organized news conference after landing in Istanbul. He said he and his colleague were guarded by dozens of gunmen.

“It was impossible for us to escape,” he said.

In Beirut’s international airport, hundreds of relatives shouted and screamed as the pilgrims filed in. Most of the freed men wore tidy plaid shirts, their faces visibly tired.

“My son, my son!” one woman sobbed.

Dozens of green-clad Lebanese soldiers tried to keep order as crowds heaved forward. One pilgrim accused his kidnappers of not offering the hostages medical care.

“We wished that any of them had any kind of values,” said the pilgrim, who did not give his name in the chaos.

“We were with people who couldn’t tell a female camel from a male camel,” he said, referring to an Arabic proverb to describe an ignorant person.

Other pilgrims said they were kept in dark, humid rooms for most of their confinement. They could hear heavy fighting nearby.

Lebanese government officials and clerics greeted the men, kissing their cheeks one by one. A top Lebanese official who coordinated the pilgrims’ release entered the airport to the backdrop of whooping cheers and loud music.

“It was difficult, without a doubt,” said Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, head of Lebanon’s general security apparatus.

“I didn’t want anything from this deal, except to see this sight,” he said, gesturing at the waiting crowds.

The Lebanese pilgrims gained their freedom first, crossing into Turkey late Friday. The Turkish pilots were released Saturday.

The pilgrims were held by Syrian rebels who initially demanded that the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah end its involvement in the Syria’s civil war. l

Train carrying oil, gas derails in Canada n AP, Gainford, Alberta

Firefighters battling a major blaze after a Canadian National tanker train derailed west of Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday have decided to withdraw and wait for the flames to burn themselves out. No injuries to people or livestock have been reported.

The latest derailment has raised more questions about rail safety that became a major issue after a runaway oil train derailed in a Quebec town in July, triggering explosions that killed 47 people.

Canadian National spokesman Louis-Antoine Paquin said 13 cars — four carrying petroleum crude oil and nine loaded with liquefied petroleum gas — came off the tracks around 1am local time in the hamlet of Gainford, about 80km from Edmonton. Three cars began leaking and caught fire.

With no further explosions expected from the 13 cars, withdrawing the firefighters is the safest thing to do, said Parkland County fire chief Jim Phelan.

Parkland County includes Gainford.

“This fire needs to be extinguished by consuming the product,” Phelan said. About 100 people from the village of Gainford were evacuated.

“It was a huge boom and the house started shaking,” said Devon Cadwell, 15, who lives on a ranch just outside Gainford.

One resident told CHED radio he heard a series of crashes moments before seeing a “huge, huge fireball” shoot into the sky.

“The fireball was so big, it shot

Car bomb, assault in Iraq kill 10 n AP, Baghdad Officials say a car bomb and an assault on a local council building in Iraq have killed at least 10 people.

The deadlier of Sunday’s attacks was in a village north of Baghdad where a car bomb targeted a police officer’s house, killing his father, brother and five nephews aged 7 to 11 years old. A police officer says six others were wounded. The officer was not in the house.

Security forces meanwhile foiled an attack on the local council of the western town of Rawah by five wouldbe suicide bombers disguised in police uniforms, says Muthana Ismail, head of the local security committee.

Ismail said two attackers were shot while the rest blew up themselves up outside. Two policemen and an official were killed and 20 people wounded, he says. l

Egypt police, protesters clash n AP, Cairo Egyptian riot have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi who cut a main road in Cairo outside a prestigious Muslim institution and hurled stones.

The Sunday clashes were the second in two days at Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s most prominent center of learning. Many supporters of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group are students at Al-Azhar.

The protests come amid heated debate over a new law that would place new restrictions on demonstrators, imposing heavy fines and possible jail time on violators.

Morsi was overthrown on July 3 after millions took to the streets to demand he step down. Since then, Cairo has seen non-stop demonstrations by his supporters demanding his return.

A military-backed crackdown has left hundreds dead and seen thousands arrested. l

Tropical Storm Raymond forms in Pacific off Mexico n AP, Miami

across both lanes of the Yellowhead (Highway) and now both lanes of the Yellowhead are closed and there’s fire on both sides,” said the witness, identified only as Duane.

No damage to homes or other private property was reported.

The train was travelling from Edmonton to Vancouver, British Columbia, Paquin said.

The Transportation Safety Board said it is sending investigators to the scene.

Questions about the increasing transport of oil by rail in the US and Canada were raised in July after an unattended train with 72 tankers of oil rolled into the small Quebec town of

Lac-Megantic near the Maine border, destroying the town’s centre. The rail company’s chairman blamed the train’s operator for failing to set enough hand brakes.

Greenpeace Canada warned that train accidents such as Saturday’s derailment in Alberta will become the “new normal” unless the government tightens safety rules for shipping dangerous goods by rail.

Keith Stewart, the environmental organization’s climate and energy campaign coordinator, said the federal government has taken some steps since July’s devastating derailment in Lac-Megantic, but not enough to mitigate the risks. l

The US National Hurricane Centre in Miami says Tropical Storm Raymond has formed in the Pacific south of Mexico.

The centre said Raymond had maximum sustained winds of 65km/h early Sunday and was located about 300km south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico.

It was moving toward the northwest near 11km/h.

Forecasters say Raymond is expected to slowly approach the southern coast of Mexico late Monday or Tuesday and then begin to meander. The centre says Raymond is expected to become a hurricane in the coming 48 hours.

Forecasters warn heavy rainfall is possible along the south-central Mexican coast in coming days and could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. A tropical storm watch is in effect from Acapulco to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

9

Monday, October 21, 2013

Death toll in Philippine quake nearing 200 n AFP, Manila The death toll from a killer quake in the central Philippines is likely to approach 200 as rescue teams focused on finding dead bodies buried under landslides and fallen structures, an official said Sunday.

A total of 185 deaths have been confirmed so far from the 7.1 quake that shook the tourist island of Bohol on October 15, toppling bridges, shattering roads, causing landslides and reducing historic churches to rubble.

Bohol suffered 172 dead alone with over 120 dead from falling structures, said Augusto Escopia, the island’s information officer.

“Our conservative estimate is that there are roughly 180 to 185 dead in Bohol alone,” he told AFP, a day after authorities halted the search for survivors and focused on recovering dead bodies.

The quake also left 13 others dead in the central islands of Cebu and Siquijor, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

The recovery of bodies in Bohol will likely last one more week, said Escopia, adding that reports from some hospitals indicated that there were further fatalities to be counted.

There are also nine more missing in Bohol, he added amid fading hopes they would be found alive.

The biggest problem facing the more than 1.2 million residents of Bohol island is the need for shelter after the quake destroyed or damaged many homes, he added.

“They (the residents) are afraid to go home because there are still aftershocks. Some have cracks on their walls. They are still afraid to go inside,” Escopia said.

About 600 kilometres from capital

A Philippine sultan whose armed followers invaded a vast Malaysian region, sparking a security crisis that left dozens of people dead earlier this year, died Sunday of multiple organ failure. He was 75.

Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s wife, Fatima Celia, told The Associated Press that her husband died in her arms at a Philippine hospital. She said that before he died, he ordered his family and followers to keep alive the historic territorial claims to Sabah state in neighboring Malaysia.

Although largely forgotten and dismissed as a vestige from a bygone era, Kiram’s Muslim sultanate, based in

Residents queue up under a the rain to receive relief supplies at quake-hit Sagbayan township, central Philippines

Maldives: Nasheed wants new vote

Sultan who claimed Malaysian region dies n AP, Manila

Manila, Bohol is known for its beaches, its rolling “Chocolate Hills”, tiny tarsier primates, and centuries-old Catholic churches, many of which collapsed or sustained heavy damage.

Thousands of people in Bohol have taken to camping out in the open in front of damaged houses and buildings to avoid being crushed in case their buildings collapse further, Escopia said.

Both the government and foreign aid groups have been sending in tents to help residents, he added.

More than 370,000 people were displaced while more than 36,000 houses have been damaged in Bohol due to the quake, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management council said in a statement.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. l

n AFP, Malé, Maldives

in weeks of sporadic fighting before the standoff eased.

Malaysia has governed the resource-rich frontier region of timberlands and palm oil plantations in northern Borneo as its second-largest federal state since the 1960s.

The Kiram sultanate, which emerged in the 1400s, built a legend for its wide influence at the time and its feared Tausug warriors. Chinese and European leaders once sent vassals to pay homage to their powerful forebears, sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani said. The Sulu sultanate preceded both the Philippine republic and Malaysia by centuries.

But overrun by history, the Kirams now

Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed Sunday demanded fresh elections under a caretaker president, a day after police forced the postponement of a vote he was expected to win.

Nasheed, a former president, told reporters in the capital island Malé that the outgoing President Mohamed Waheed should step down immediately and allow the national Speaker to conduct a fresh presidential vote.

“We believe that the only prudent way forward and the solution is for Waheed to resign and the Speaker of Parliament to take over the government until elections are over,” Nasheed said.

He accused the incumbent of letting the police block Saturday’s vote to try to push the country into a constitutional crisis before seizing power.

“It has become very evident that they (Waheed and police) have obstructed these elections, and very ev-

ident that the game they are trying to play,” Nasheed said.

“It is to take this country into a constitutional void and then capture power.”

The constitution requires that a new president be in office by November 11, but the independent Elections Commission (EC) has said it would be difficult to meet that deadline.

The current president was Nasheed’s deputy when Nasheed was forced to resign following a mutiny by police in February last year. Nasheed later accused Waheed of being involved in a coup to topple him and take power.

On Sunday Nasheed said free and fair elections would be impossible under Waheed. He said that while the current president may set an election date, he would not allow a vote to take place.

Earlier in the day the opposition leader urged supporters at a rally in Malé to continue their campaign for elections in a country which only adopted multi-party democracy five years ago.

“I will not stop, I will remain steadfast,” he told the gathering in the early hours. Police stopped the elections commission from holding Saturday’s presidential vote on the grounds it was “illegal,” a move that triggered international concern.

Nasheed had been widely expected to win after securing more than 45 percent of the vote in a now-annulled September 7 election.

The Supreme Court scrapped the September vote and called fresh elections after upholding a petition from a third-placed candidate alleging voter list irregularities, even though international observers had said the poll was credible, free and fair.

After police blocked election authorities from going ahead with the re-run on Saturday, hundreds of Nasheed loyalists took to the streets to denounce the authorities.

“Be angry,” Nasheed told his supporters. l

Dengue epidemic fills Delhi hospitals n AFP, New Delhi

Relatives and followers carry the coffin of Filipino Sultan Jamalul Kiram III the southern Philippine province of Sulu, stirred up a security crisis in Malaysia when his younger brother and about 200 followers, dozens of them armed, barged into Sabah’s coastal village of Lahad Datu in February.

Stunned, Malaysia responded by sending in ground troops and launching air strikes. Dozens of people were killed

AP

carry royal titles and nothing much else.

“I’m the poorest sultan in the world,” an ailing Kiram said in an interview in March at his rundown residence in a Muslim village in Manila, the Philippine capital.

The Kirams claim Sabah has belonged to their sultanate for centuries and was only leased to Malaysia, which they say pays them a paltry annual rent. l

Iran’s Rouhani names replacements for rejected nominees n AFP, Tehran Iran’s moderate President Hassan Rouhani named three new ministers on Sunday to replace nominees rejected by the conservative-dominated parliament in August, Iranian media reported.

Rouhani made a last-minute change to his pick for the science, research and technology portfolio for fear of a new rejection by MPs.

Ali Asghar Fani, a reformist who was for a short period interim education minister under Ahmadinejad, was nominated for the education portfolio Interim minister Jafar Tofiqi had come under fire from hardliners in parliament for alleged involvement in the massive street protests that accompanied the controversial 2009 re-election of Rouhani’s predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as well as for allegedly dismissing conservative officials at the ministry.

Reza Faraji Dana, who holds a PhD from Canada’s Waterloo University and was unsuccessfully nominated for the same post under reformist president Mohammad Khatami, Ahmadinejad’s predecessor, received the nomination in his place, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Ali Asghar Fani, a reformist who was for a short period interim education minister under Ahmadinejad, was nominated for the education portfolio.

Reza Salehi Amiri, who worked for the Centre for Strategic Research, a think-tank linked to parliament which Rouhani headed from 1992 until his election as president in June, was nominated for the sports ministry.

Parliament will start voting on the three new nominations on October 27, the ISNA news agency reported.

In August, parliament rejected Rouhani’s original nominees for education, Mohammad Ali Najafi, and science, research and technology, Jafar Mili-Monfared — both considered close to reformists — as well as Massoud Sontani-far, at sports and youth. l

Factory worker Mohammad Awwal is gripped by fever, sweats and the sort of agonising aches that mean his condition is sometimes called “breakbone disease”. It’s an annual plague in India and a hidden epidemic, say experts.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease with no known cure or vaccination that strikes fear into the citizens of New Delhi when it arrives with the monsoon rains — just as the scorching heat of the summer is subsiding.

Hospital wards are overwhelmed and tales abound of deaths and cases while New Delhi public authorities insist that only 3,500 have fallen sick so far this year — with only five fatalities.

“I took him first to a government hospital. I was shocked to see that it was packed with dengue patients. There was not even a single bed available,” said

Awwal’s mother, Mehrunissa, sitting in her one-room shack in east Delhi.

She is now treating him at their home, giving him multi-vitamins, paracetamol and water as he lies on the floor with two pillows and a bedsheet but no mattress.

In a sign that this year’s outbreak could be as bad as record-breaking 2010, the city’s largest public hospital, Hindu Rao, announced earlier this month that it had suspended all routine surgeries to make room for more dengue patients.

The Delhi government has blamed prolonged monsoons for the hike in infections, but says it has added beds at hospitals and increased resources for spraying insecticides to tackle the mosquito menace.

“It’s nothing to worry about, there is no crisis,” Charan Singh, additional director of Delhi health services, told AFP, dismissing allegations that the

city of 17 million under-reports the problem.

“It is a lot of hype going on... The government is in action and we report all cases according to international guidelines,” he added.

Fear of a panic?

The virus — first detected in the 1950s in the Philippines and Thailand — affects two million people across the globe annually, with the number of cases up 30 times in the last 50 years, according to the World Health Organisation.

In India, cases have increased sharply over the last five years — there have been 38,000 so far in 2013 — but doctors say these numbers only capture part of the problem.

Transmitted to humans by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, it causes high fever, headaches, itching and joint pains that last about a week. There are four strains, one of which can cause fatal internal bleeding. l

AP

Death toll in India from toxic liquor rises to 42 n AP, Lucknow, India Another 10 people have died in hospitals after drinking toxic bootleg liquor in northern India, police said Sunday, raising the death toll to 42 in the past three days.

Some 40 people are being treated in hospitals in Uttar Pradesh state, said District Magistrate Neena Sharma.

Police arrested 32 people for illegally brewing and selling the toxic drink to the villagers, who were celebrating the Hindu “Dussehra” festival in Azamgarh district last week, Sharma said Sunday.

The region is 300km southeast of Lucknow, the state capital.

Deaths from drinking illegally brewed alcohol are common in India because the poor cannot afford licensed liquor. Illicit liquor is often spiked with chemicals such as pesticides to increase potency. l

Five held for selling fuel to US ship n AP, New Delhi Indian police say they’ve arrested five fishermen for selling 1,500 litres of diesel fuel to crew members of a USowned ship who have been arrested on charges of illegally transporting weapons and ammunition in Indian waters.

Police officer M Durai said Sunday that the five worked for a local shipping agent in Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

He did not give further details.

Indian Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh said eight crew members and 25 security guards aboard the MV Seaman Guard Ohio were arrested Friday after they failed to produce documents allowing them to carry the weapons.

The ship, which was detained Oct 12, is owned by Virginia-based security company AdvanFort but is registered in Sierra Leone. AdvanFort denies the charges. l

Hundreds flee homes in typhoon-hit Japan island n AFP, Tokyo

Hundreds fled their homes Sunday on a Japanese island already devastated by a typhoon for fear that torrential rain would trigger fresh mudslides.

The town of Oshima, 120km south of Tokyo, advised 2,300 residents in two districts on the island of the same name to evacuate, saying rain was expected to intensify due to a depression.

A total of 632 people had taken shelter in school gyms and community halls by early afternoon, an official at the town’s administrative office said.

Many others were staying at relatives’ homes in safer areas of the island, she said.

The meteorological agency has warned that rainfall could reach 40mm per hour in the afternoon and has urged residents to be on alert.

The rain could trigger fresh landslides on the island where at least 27 residents were killed as a typhoon struck last week. Two others died in or near Tokyo. Twenty-one people were still missing but search operations were suspended due to the bad weather.

Military airplanes flew 14 inpatients at the island’s medical centre to hospitals in central Tokyo while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cancelled his visit to the island set for Sunday.

Powerful typhoon Wipha triggered

A woman looks at the aftermath of landslides in the rubble of smashed houses in Oshima after a powerful typhoon hit Izu Oshima island mudslides that buried some 30 houses and damaged more than 300 structures on Oshima last week.

Empress Michiko cancelled events scheduled Sunday at the imperial

palace in Tokyo to celebrate her 79th birthday in the wake of the disaster.

An even stronger typhoon was churning north in the Pacific towards the Japanese archipelago.

AP

Super Typhoon Francisco, currently packing winds of up to 198km per hour near its centre, is expected to be off the coast of Japan later in the week, according to the weather agency. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, October 21, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

The wrong call

Islam means peace October 17

T

he leader of the opposition has stated that her party will contest the elections only under a non-partisan, neutral caretaker government. This is an effective rejection of the prime minister’s proposal of an all-party administration.

While this is not altogether surprising, given her party’s long-standing position, we feel it would have been wiser politically for the BNP to have shown more flexibility.

The prime minister’s proposal was quite open-ended and placed the ball squarely in the BNP court. The BNP had earlier made clear that it would not accept a polls-time administration headed by Sheikh Hasina, but the PM’s proposal left the identity of the head of government unspecified.

The BNP could have placed its own proposal It would be in the substantially in line with interests, both of the the PM’s one, by demandparty and the nation, ing parity in the cabinet for the BNP to try to and proposing a neutral engage with the ruling figure to head the governparty and work towards ment. a mutually acceptable This would almost arrangement certainly have been unacceptable to the AL, but at least it would have shown flexibility on the part of the BNP and indicated to the general public that it was looking to find a solution.

Khaleda Zia’s unequivocal statement and uncompromising stance gives the impression that she is not interested in reaching a resolution acceptable to all, and this is regrettable.

The leader of the opposition will present her party’s official position today. While we are not unsympathetic to the BNP’s preference for a caretaker government, we feel that it would be in the interests, both of the party and the nation, for the BNP to try to engage with the ruling party and work towards a mutually acceptable arrangement.

It surely does no political party any good to be seen to be the more inflexible one.

Winning the war on hunger

We the inhabitants of Rajshahi have been living in peace for a long time. But now we are facing a time of great fear. Before or during hartals, we cannot journey anywhere, nor send our kids to schools or even outside our homes.

During this incumbent government, terrorism has increased significantly in Rajshshi, as well as across the country. Many people look at bearded men suspiciously, thinking they are terrorists. But it is common knowledge that many who are pious wear beards. And many pious Muslim women face the similar treatment. But Islam does not believe in terrorism.

Mawduda Hasnin, Rajshahi

T

CROSSWORD

Gazi Man of the Match as BD draws with NZ October 14 Sakib did one better in 2011, when he hit 144 runs and took 6 wickets against Pakistan in the second test at Mirpur. But congrats to Gazi! rutland waters Congrats! Shohag Gazi is our hero today!

Waliul Haque Khondker

Selling Bangladeshi eco-tourism On the one side, there is promotion for eco-tourism, and on the other side there are government projects that are going to destroy the environment! Practically, in such a scenario, eco-tourism is rather ineffective.

M syeed

DOWN 1 Hazard (4) 2 Insect (3) 3 Smother (6) 4 This place (4) 5 Sticks (7) 6 Strange (3) 7 Regret (3) 8 Result from (5) 13 Wrath (3) 15 Diversity (7) 17 Scrape off (6) 18 Burn with unsteady flame (5) 20 Little devil (3) 22 Dash (4) 23 Separate (4) 25 Weapon (3) 26 Consumed (3) 28 Annoy (3)

Just another inhuman incident! I pray for him.

P Sarker The lives of human beings are at stake now.

Siam Ashraful Stories like this make me so sad for everyone involved.

Michele Curley

October 13 I am not a lawyer, but a Bangladeshi expatriate living in the States for more than thirty years.

Out here, we have the freedom of expression, but at the same time, if our expression undermines the reputation of an individual or a group, that better be substantiated. In this litigious society, the rights of any individual are balanced with responsibilities.

As I subscribe to six Bangladeshi channels, I catch up with the news over dinner every night. Especially on the talk-shows, I am often exasperated at some of the talking heads hurling accusations at each other that have no bearing on fact or reality.

Yes, freedom of expression is a right for the citizens in any democratic society, but that needs to be tempered with the responsibility and liability that right brings. If one cries “fire” in a crowded theatre only to “manufacture” a “panic,” the same person needs to know that there are consequences.

Gorky

Be Heard

Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion@dhakatribune.com Visit our website: www.dhakatribune.com Come join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Digital haat October 13

How do you protect consumers’ best interests?

Are consumers allowed to get a refund if the product isn’t satisfactory?

Mohammed H Masum No thanks.

Muhaiminul Islam Jaan This is nice. Lol Hasna Mamtaz Shoma

Malaysia court rules non-Muslims can’t use ‘Allah’ October 15

When did Muslims start believing Christians had a different Allah? Uff! R Habib Then what about other 98 names of Allah?

Malik Kafur This does not make sense.

Mohammad Tanvir Khalid Madness!

Tamzid Ahmed Sad the lack of confidence Malaysian politicians have in the depth of the faith of the Muslim Malays. But then, who am I to judge? Maybe that lack of faith is justified?

Tim Steel

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS 1 Skin eruption (4) 5 Worship (5) 9 Mean to do (6) 10 Mouse-coloured (3) 11 Agitate (4) 12 Conceals (5) 14 High temperature (5) 16 Region (4) 19 Irish republic (4) 21 Mean person (5) 24 Altruistic love (5) 27 Molten rock (4) 29 Groove (3) 30 Dealer (6) 31 Foe (5) 32 That following (4)

October 14

Speak no evil

October 14

his year’s Global Hunger Index shows that Bangladesh has climbed up ten spots, placing us at the 58th position in the world.

This is, by any standard, a substantial improvement in our standings, and is something that all stakeholders who have had a hand, notably the government and NGOs working on the issue, deserve praise for.

It was not so very long ago that we had a famine in this country, and people dying of starvation was a What we need to commonplace occurrence do now is intensify during the lean season. our efforts so that Thankfully, those days are long gone, and this is we continue to see one thing that we should progress in achieving be proud of as a nation. In our aim of eradicating today’s Bangladesh no one hunger altogether starves to death, and this is something to celebrate.

Now the battle is to overcome hunger, and there is still much work to be done. But the indications are that this is a war that we are winning.

Over the years, we have made great agricultural strides, and increased our food production. And by doing so, we have ensured that people get enough to eat. At the same time, we have increased people’s purchasing power, which ensures that they have enough money to buy the food they need.

We still have a long way to go, but we should take the time to acknowledge the good work of the generations of Bangladeshis who have toiled tirelessly to make hunger a thing of the past. What we need to do now is intensify our efforts so that we continue to see progress in achieving our aim of eradicating hunger altogether.

Newborn baby recovered from dustbin in Dhaka

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

Sudoku

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Monday, October 21, 2013

A response to Rainer Ebert n Muhammad Shafiullah

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Iconic portraits of Che Guevara, Karl Marx, SM Sultan and the like displayed at the Institute of Fine Arts in Shahbagh

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Che’s shadow over a forgotten Dhaka revolution

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n Towheed Feroze

evolutionaries never fade away, they simply adapt!

It’s drizzling. The entire day has seen sporadic rain. Roads are submerged in knee-deep water, yet the erratic rainfall is hardly a deterrent for the avid young men who keep inscribing slogans of equality on the walls.

Posters to be plastered are stacked on a Yamaha motorcycle. Filterless Star cigarettes keep the rain-drenched shivers at bay – for revolution, some pain needs to be tolerated.

The area is the university campus, the year is 1988. The young men are university students, die hard followers of a Marxist guerilla who was shot and killed in a Bolivian jungle on October 9, 1967.

Reportedly, that revolutionary, before being killed, said: “Shoot, you will only kill a man, the ideology will live on”.

Whether the guerilla uttered that line or not, these young men carry the torch of revolution with them, believing that Guevara’s philosophy of change, inspired by socialism, would rule one day.

Fast forward to 2013. The night in 1988 now seems long, long ago. When the world changes at a super-fast pace, 25 years is similar to a century.

Indeed, that was a time when cold war was raging, the Berlin Wall was intact, Germany was divided, pop music ruled, mobile phones were unheard of, computers meant Lotus 123 and Word Perfect, and daily entertainment meant switching on the national TV channel.

Almost nothing of that era survives.

Almost! Only the image of a guerilla, who inflamed the passion of revolution in the bedraggled young ones on a wet night in the university campus, is still around.

Going past Shahbagh, the street-side makeshift stall selling bags carrying the iconic image of Che Guevara attracts attention. The photo taken by Alberto Korda is deemed one of the most influential images of the 20th century.

of revolution. Che’s spirit mingled with the undying essence of 1971.

Back in the late 80s a large section of youth believed a socialist change in line with Marxism could be possible, and while many propagated a peaceful uprising of the classes, there were others who were tilted more towards Che’s idea of an armed rebellion.

Maybe they were romantics but their young hearts harboured immaculate thoughts of social equality.

One of the guys from that rainy night in 1988 now drives a BMW – a garment magnate who has hit gold and platinum in a matter of a decade. Che is still his idol

It inspired millions of young people imbued with a sense of justice to defy imperial policies. That image was at the forefront of mass rallies chanting anti-Vietnam slogans in the 60s and, come to think of it, during the autocratic rule in Bangladesh between 1982 and 1990, Guevara became the symbol of thousands of young students aspiring to bring down a usurper.

One image of an Argentinian revolutionary brings back many other forgotten memories of Dhaka. This one stands out: one noted freedom fighter returning to Bangladesh after a long exile attended a large rally passing through Nilkhet in 1989.

As he waved his hands, swarthy men in olive green uniforms similar to the ones Che wore walked beside his car. The air was filled with cries

In 2013, the night in the university campus of 1988 seemed like a page out of a fantasy novel but the presence of Che’s face reminds us; romantics never disappear. They just evolve to fit into a new social setting.

Perhaps the revolution did not happen the way it was envisaged, but today’s social media-driven movements are in a way similar to the uprisings about which the youngsters dreamt on a wet dark night.

Doesn’t matter if socialism as a credo faltered, what is significant is that the core value of the ideology, which involves galvanising the masses, is very much alive.

One of the guys from that rainy night in 1988 now drives a BMW – a garment magnate who has hit gold and platinum in a matter of a decade.

Che is still his idol but he does not

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take himself to be a hypocrite at all. If China can embrace all the trappings of capitalism and still maintain a façade of communism then what’s the problem in blending Che with affluence?

Che’s fight was to ensure rights for the common working man, and in his garment factory he gives the workers the best wages supported by all the other benefits.

Another from the same group works for a Western government which he denounced in the 80s as a decadent capitalist sham. He hasn’t renounced Guevara either – just altered his outlook a bit!

During his free time, he is an active social media user, always the first to trigger an online debate about current socio-political issues. Take off his Aquascutum shirt and underneath is that T-shirt with Che gazing into the distant.

All those urban guerillas of the 80s have evolved. Today they are revolutionaries in a new age. One can say the hard core socialist doctrine has been supplanted by a more practical approach.

Like Che said: “I don’t care if I fall as long as someone else picks up the gun and keeps on shooting.” Well, others have picked up the fight, but guns are not the best option anymore. Why kill, when the clicks on a laptop or a smart phone can bring so much awareness?

As the writer stops to look at the image of Che on the bag more closely, the eyes seem to pass a message: Revolutions never die, their flames remain, and revolutionaries never fade away, they simply adapt! l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently

uslims all over the world, including Bangladesh, celebrate Eid-al-Adha by sacrificing to Allah an animal they can afford. This year, Muslims in Bangladesh have been urged

by Rainer Ebert, and certain signatories, to reconsider their qurbani using a twopoint argument.

The first point he makes is the disparity in socio-economic reality between modern day Bangladesh and 7th century Arabia during Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) lifetime. The second and more crucial point is that of “cruelty to animals” and apparent “moral depravity” in taking an animal’s life to appease Allah (or feed oneself).

This open letter immediately caused uproar on social media with several attempts made to refute his argument.

However, most of these rebuttals are based merely on economic or religious significance of qurbani. Consequently, this piece attempts to address all the inherent flaws in Ebert’s logic and allow us to discover the underlying agenda.

Firstly, the economic significance of the “Qurbani Eid” is paramount.

According to an article by Alauddin Mohammad, some eight million heads of livestock are slaughtered in Bangladesh during Eid-al-Adha. Mohammad makes a compelling economic case for this Eid. Qurbani Eid generates hundreds of thousands of temporary jobs pertaining to livestock transportation, trade, meat butchery, and the leather industry.

Ebert suggests that money spent on animals is better spent as donation to NGOs which essentially argues that charity is better than trade. However, he fails to acknowledge the idea of Islamic charity (zakah) and that qurbani does not substitute for zakah. Ebert also ignores the fact that the majority of sacrificial animals are raised by peasant farmers and qurbani trade acts as a process of income redistribution.

Ebert’s argument is based on his premise that animal sacrifice is not a part of the core spiritual truth of Islam Furthermore, Ebert’s suggestion that modern day Bangladesh is better-off than 7th century Arabia and there is no need for qurbani anymore is untenable. While no economic data of Prophet’s (SAW) Arabia are available, it is simply incorrect to suggest that modern day Bangladesh is “well-off ” and meat is readily available.

The data actually paints a picture to the contrary as Bangladesh has one of the world’s lowest per capita income and meat consumption. In fact, almost a third of the population lives in absolute poverty, and donated meat would provide sustenance, albeit temporary, to many of these impoverished people.

Ebert’s second argument against qurbani is his opposition to meat consumption. His belief that animals’ interests are totally forgone through domestication and animal husbandry is flawed. It is hinged on the anthropocentric view that humans (alone and often cruelly) domes-

ticated helpless wild animals for their own good. This is increasingly challenged in scientific literature by the theory of “self-domestication” which argues that wild relatives of domestic species sought human contact for protection and/or company. One recent study concludes that the self-domestication process in mammal species may have been more ubiquitous than previously thought.

Thanks to domestication, livestock animals are among the most numerous of vertebrate species while their wild cousins are either extinct or endangered.

Ebert’s polemic against qurbani killings contains also a serious logical fallacy.

Only a fraction of the stock of cattle, goat, sheep, camel, usually the males of these species, is killed as sacrificial animals. In addition, qurbani sales allow Bangladeshi peasant farmers to continue to care for and replenish their livestock. Consequently, there is no scientific or philosophical basis against rearing of domestic livestock as it is mutually beneficial for humans and the animal species.

Ebert rightly points out that the process of transporting these animals over vast distances and keeping them in crowded and noisy “haats” (livestock markets) can be greatly traumatic. In addition, improper handling during slaughter can also add to the misery of the animal. However, cruelty to qurbani animals that exists is largely due to poor legislation and enforcement of animal welfare laws. Using this logic, asking for an end to qurbani for a few instances of animal cruelty is similar to asking for a ban on driving in Bangladesh due to poor law enforcement and high levels of human casualties and deaths.

A part of Ebert’s argument is based on his premise that animal sacrifice is not a part of the core spiritual truth of Islam. He employs a number of animal kindness and animal-community related verses and hadith to somehow reach this conclusion. Interestingly, in describing the history of qurbani, Ebert gives an incorrect account of Ibrahim’s (SAW) attempt to slaughter his son Ismail (SAW).

Ibrahim (SAW) went to sacrifice his son not because Allah ordered him but because he dreamt that he slaughtered his son for the sake of Allah (Qur’an, 37:102-107). He also forgets to mention the verses where qurbani (along with salah) is made a requirement (Qur’an, 108: 2) and that qurbani is intended to express gratitude towards Allah and personal sacrifice of sustenance (meat) and possessions with fellow human beings (Qur’an, 22:34).

In conclusion, animal sacrifice is a religious practice of many other religions including Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. Yet, Ebert singles out qurbani during Eid-al-Adha to put an end to. In fact, animal rights activism has become a new frontier for Islamophobic diatribe. The opposition to this Islamic practice is indeed part of a well-concerted, persistent Islamophobic propaganda aimed at portraying Islam as a monolithic, chauvinistic, savage cult that is cruel to women, children, and even animals. l Muhammad Shafiullah is pursuing his PhD in Economics at Griffith University, Australia.

The agony of uncertainty n Mohammad Ali Sattar

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s the game really on? So it seems!

Once again we are being forced into fear and apprehension. We remain clueless about the proceedings of tomorrow.

The nation is unduly weighed down with the unbearable load of uncertainty. This is unfortunate.

Events are taking sharp twists and turns. BNP and its allies had announced the October 25 rally in Dhaka long before the Eid holidays. It has been saying that the final declaration would come from the October 25 meet.

Meanwhile, the government did not budge from its position until the address of the prime minister last Friday.

However, the address for which the nation was waiting with great hope did not amount to much.

Heads of states or governments don’t address the nation frequently.

Except on special occasions of national import or celebrations, they don’t come on TV or radio to speak to the people. Whenever they do, it creates extraordinary interest.

Our prime minister’s speech – at short notice to the citizens – created a huge reaction among the populace.

We were all of a sudden informed by the TV channels and online papers that the PM would speak to the nation on October 17 at 7.30 pm.

First, people were enormously busy with festivity of Eid and Puja.

They were more worried about the availability of tickets on trains and busses, the long queue of vehicles on the highways, the overcrowded steamers, and the fluctuating cattle market than anything political.

People were rather bracing themselves for “something else” after the Eid. Sadeq Hossain Khoka’s emotional call upon the party activists to face the government forces with “dao” and “kural” sent a chill down the nation’s spine.

The PM’s speech and the proposition therein about formation of an all-party government was indeed a positive note. But just, only just!

Even the PM must have realised that she did not give any detailed offer as to the size of the proposed cabinet, who will be head of the government, functions of the ministers, etc.

Consequently, the proposal by the PM to the opposition to submit names of their MPs to be included in the polls-time management has fallen apart. However, it did manage to create some ripples in influential

quarters.

Individuals from all sections of society poured out their reactions.

There is a new hype in politics.

Media is agog with news on the issue, taking reactions, and making news.

Akbar Ali Khan has welcomed the PM’s proposal and said that now the opposition should go to the parliament and start negotiating.

Barrister Rafiqul Haque however is not so happy and said the proposal is incomplete. Jatiya Party said it will sit with the PM and would discuss at length if there is anything more in her bag. HM Ershad once again, as usual, hinted at parting with the grand alliance.

And the debate goes on, will go on, until a new situation emerges.

Even before the deliberation could reach every nook and cranny of the country there came the most unwelcome announcement from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police that all kinds of meetings and rallies are banned in Dhaka until further notice, which clearly points at the October 25 meeting called by the BNP. Police have their own reasons to impose the ban. They claim the restrictions have been imposed to avoid violence that might erupt as both BNP and AL have called meet-

ings on the same date.

The ruling party could have avoided the confrontational decision, knowing very well the outcome.

This announcement not only creates a further rift, it also diminishes the hope of a dialogue which the PM’s proposition had created.

One fails to comprehend what prompted the ruling party leaders to be so impatient about the opposition reaction or plans.

It could have easily played the part of observer and waited until something concrete could be learnt from the rivals.

In a natural reaction to all these developments in just two days, the opposition has rejected what it calls the hypocritical approach by the government.

A strong quarter believes that the PM’s proposition was just to stem the hype that the opposition has been creating lately. She also threw a spanner in the possibility of a negotiation.

She managed to create some interest and excitement by her pronouncement, but the subsequent decision by the police to ban meetings and rallies has altered whatever good image the government had earned.

By now it is clear that the prime minister and ruling party influentials

are aware that elections under the present setting will not be acceptable to the people.

The party should come up with tangible offers to make the opposition draw closer to the negotiating table.

Consequently, the proposal by the PM to the opposition to submit names of their MPs to be included in the polls-time management has fallen apart

Let not the people hold government liable for the ills to come. Let the opposition have some role to play and responsibilities to carry out.

After all, the opposition is also accountable for smooth running of the political affairs of the country.

To the politicians: don’t give us the excruciating weight of insecurity! l Mohammad Ali Sattar is Chair, Peace Bangladesh Foundation, and a political analyst. He can be reached at malisattar@hotmail.com.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Monday, October 21, 2013

ON TV Single-episode plays Bishe Bishokkhoy

“Bishe Bishokkhoy” will be aired on Channel i at 9:35pm today. Written by actor Mir Sabbir and directed by Zia Rayhan. The drama features popular actors such as Zahid Hasan, Mimo, Mir Sabbir and many more. The story is based on the popular phrase:“Venom helps to reduce venom.” The story starts with some visitors who come to explore a forest. l

Tobu O Tumi Amar

The drama “Tobu O Tumi Amar” will be aired today at 7:45pm on Desh TV. Written by M Aslam Liton and directed by Towhid Khan Biplob, the drama features Shotabdi and Jeni. The story revolves around a couple who tends to fights with one another as their preferences often not match. They are so incompatible that they rarely need a reason to fight.

Their unsavory behaviour attracts negativity from people all around them. Sometimes they even fight in the presence of strangers. l Never Mind The drama “Never Mind” will be aired today at 9:15pm on Channel 9. Written and directed by Dipankor Dipon, the drama features Shojol, Moushumi Nag, Lutfur Rahman George, Niloy Monir, Tonmoya Tania and many more. The story is about a petty rivalry between two colleagues. Fahim works for a bi-weekly magazine “Meyeli” and his sub editor is Zara.

Both have equal authority over the magazine. Fahim and Zara fall in love. To avoid complications, they make a deal so as not to exercise their power over each other while working. Fahim breaks the rule, and the infuriated Zara counters his move. A hilarious and bittersweet battle between the two takes the story forward. l

Shironamhin’s vocalist debuts as an actor in Trump Card n Shadma Malik Popular band Shironamhin’s vocalist Tanzir Tuhin, who also is an architect, will be seen acting in the sequel of “Trump Card.” The drama will be aired today at 8:20pm on RTV. Dhaka Tribune caught up with Tuhin to know about his current projects and experiences:

What is the story of Trump Card 2?

The drama is the continuation of “Trump Card,” which was telecasted last Eid. In “Trump card 2,”I played the role of Ziko who is a mobster. Mim, my co-worker who plays the role of Maria comes back to town and she has Tk5bn with her. I am aware that Maria has the money. So I fake a romantic interest in her and later betray her. But I did not know that at the back of her mind, Maria had other plans. As I try to escape with the money, I die in a car bomb blast and in the end, Maria gets all the money.

What inspired you to act? Would you like to continue?

It is not possible to play different characters in real life, therefore I really enjoyed acting in this drama. I played such a character that has no resemblance to my real self and it was quite thrilling for me.

If I see a script that I really like, I would prefer to continue to act on drama series in near future.

Did you have acting experience before?

Well, when I was twelve years old, I was with theatre troupe “Obhijatrik.” That was my first acting experience.

A scene from Trump Card 2

Does drama compliment your music profession?

Both are art. As a musician, I would love to explore myself in all kinds of genres related to art. It also enhances my creative process and enables me to explore my limitations. l

Deepika replaces Priyanka in Fashion 2 n Entertainment Desk Director Madhur Bhandarkar is planning for a sequel of 2008 hit film “Fashion,” but apparently with a new star cast.

And if rumors are to be gone by, he plans to rope in “Ram-Leela” actor Deepika Padukone in “Fashion 2” and has also approached Dharma Productions for his film.

If that’s the case then we aren’t quite surprised that Madhur intends to cast Deepika in his film over Priyanka Chopra. Even if PeeCee has acquired international status, looks like its Deepika whose films sell better.

Though there has been no official announcement so far, it will be interesting to see our leggy lass in Priyanka’s shoes.

The movie “Fashion” made quite an impression on the audience with its focus on models and the harsh reality they face to make it big in the industry. The previous flick also had Kangana starring as a troubled model. l

“Opare Oshim Akash” will air on Banglavision at 8pm today. Written by Zinat Hossain Juthi and directed by Jewel Rana, the drama features, Moushumi, Shahriar Shuvo, Majnun Mizan, Mukti, and Nil

Telefilms Tumi Je Amar Kobita

“Tumi Je Amar Kobita” will be aired on ATN Bangla at 3:05pm today. Written by Rokeya Islam, scripted by Komol Sarker and directed by Sadek Siddique, the telefilm features Shahriar Nazim Joy, Moushumi Nag, Farzana Chhobi, Shahnur, Mahima, Rahul and many more. The plot of the story revolves around a university student named Sajal. He falls in love with an acid victim by hearing her sing in a mesmerising voice. When he proposes marriage to the woman, she tells him the truth about her background. Another character in the drama is Sajal’s brother who is involved in an extramarital affair with a neighbour. l

Ekjon Bikkhato Loker Mrittur Por

The telefilm “Ekjon Bikkhato Loker Mrittur Por” will be aired at 3:10pm on Channel 9. Written and directed by Shahriar Nazim Joy, the drama features Tarin, Shahiduzzaman Selim, and Mousumi Nag. It is a thriller story investigating the murder of a popular producer. After the death of the producer, the actress of his films point towards his wife and accuses her of his murder. The investigators start looking for the real culprit. To prove themselves innocent, the actress and the wife are seen at press conferences and talkshows. One day, the wife of the deceased visits the actress to inform her that she had indeed killed her husband but she also holds the actress accountable for his death. l

Telefilm Mouth Organ will air on Channel i today at 2:30pm. Written and directed by Shahnewaz Kakoli, the star studded telefilm features, Mamunur Rashid, Wahida Mallik, Mahbuba Parvin and Sajin

Oprah to auction off personal items n Entertainment Desk The legendary talk show host is hoping to raise funds for her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation College Fund - which benefits graduates of her school for girls in Africa as they try to get into universities around the world - by selling collectables from her homes from all over the United States, including residences in Chicago, California, Indiana and Hawaii.

Among the items up for auction are poster prints from her hit 1985 film “The Color Purple,” which the 59-year-old star has autographed, electric bikes, several paintings, a children’s doll and even a British-inspired post box.

Oprah is also auctioning off numerous home furnishings such as glamorous chandeliers, a marble bathtub, and a side table which is thought to be from the late 18th Century or early 19th century.

The items will be sold by Karminski auction house on November 2.

It was recently reported that Oprah had reached out to troubled basketball player Lamar Odom and offered to help him get his life back on track, amidst rumours his marriage to Khloe Kardashian Odom is on the rocks, and allegations of a cocaine addiction.

Oprah previously took troubled actress Lindsay Lohan under her wing upon her release from court-ordered rehab in August. l

Did you know?

Mesut Ozil’s first goal against Norwich is the first time he has ever scored with a header in a league/Champions League game

Sport

Another mystery to be solved

Monday, October 21, 2013

14 Barca, Atletico stumble and miss out on record

15 Siddikur slips on last day in Macau

n Reazur Rahman Rohan

Bangladesh cricket selector Habibul Bashar, captain Mushfiqur Rahim and team manager Akram Khan take a look at the newly laid wicket at SBNS yesterday MUMIT M

Bangladesh will be out to upset the visiting New Zealand side when they take the field for the second and final Test today. After a brave outing in the first Test in Chittagong that ended in a draw, Bangladesh, the bottom ranked team in the ICC Test rankings, are looking a different side as they seek to win the match and clinch their first ever Test and series victory over the Kiwis.

The performance of the youngsters in the side is what keeps the home side ahead in what promises to be an exciting battle. The visitors certainly had planned for the seniors – Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim - but now they have a tougher task in hand as players like Sohag Gazi and Mominul Haque have stepped up and proved themselves able at this level.

Sohag had already set his eye for another five-wicket haul as he wants to become the highest wicket-taker of the series and the Kiwis must come out with a plan to keep him away from the feat at the bowler’s favourite ground – Sher-eBangla National Stadium. It will also be a test for Mominul, who replaced the vicecaptain Mahmudullah in the first Test, and though he repaid the faith in huge dividend, he must show his consistency.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain is all set to wear his first Test cap. He is likely to replace Robiul Islam who was used for just 17 overs in the previous match, 13 in the first innings and four in the second.

Al-Amin will pair up with Rubel Hossain, who had a quiet time in the first match, as both the seamers will be upbeat to shine at the home of cricket.

Shakib returned to the top of the ICC all-rounders rankings and given his quick-fire fifty on the final day, he will be fired up to steal the show for his country in the all important clash and all these

signs ahead of a crucial clash are very positive for Bangladesh.

Mushfiq was clear about his intentions going into the match, “The first Test, which we eventually drew, we wanted to win the match. Our hunger is still the same and we want to win.”

However, ranked two places above Bangladesh at eight, New Zealand are also eyeing a win. The visitors were frustrated with the placid wicket in Chittagong, but will looks to their inexperienced spin attack led by left-arm spinner Bruce Martin and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi to deliver in Mirpur. Bruce and Sodhi, who made his debut in the first Test, however, looked ordinary in the face of some mature batting from the home side and the visitors may choose to replace one of the slow men with another seamer.

Kane Williamson will once again be a key figure in the Kiwis batting line-up while opener Peter Fulton, who made two fifties in the opening Test, is poised to play the anchor role at the top of the order for New Zealand to register a big total.

New Zealand skipper McCullum accepted the result of the first match as he thinks the two sides are evenly matched and he said, “We have a real fight on our hands to get the result that we want.” l

Squads Bangladesh (likely): Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Marshall Ayub, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Shakib al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Sohag Gazi, Abdur Razzak, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain New Zealand (likely): Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Brendon McCullum (capt), BJ Watling (wk), Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Bruce Martin/Neil Wagner/Mark Gillespie Form guide (last five matches, most recent first) Bangladesh: D W L L D New Zealand: D L L D D

Kiwis out to secure series

A scientific coach with a Mushfiq and Co hungry for win n modern approach

The second and final Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand gets underway at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) today with the series at stake after the first match in Chittagong ended in a draw.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was looking at things more positively on the eve of the decider and felt that plenty of time had gone by since the last tour.

“We won the last time we played in Mirpur that was against South Africa, though. The ODI series against Bangladesh was a long time ago. It is a different squad and it is a different set-up now. We learnt some lessons from that tour and hopefully, we are ready to put them into practice. But this Test match is one of those where both the teams have played some good cricket in the previous game.

The wicket was not responsive for a victory but it made both the teams work really hard,” he told the media yesterday.

“It is always important when you play a Test match. We have a decent amount of respect for Bangladesh. They are a tough opposition and we saw that in the last match. It was a very good match with both teams showed their skills and didn’t at any stage relent. We said at the outset that we should be winning the series, and the expectation is on us to do so, and that hasn’t changed,” he added.

The standout performance in the first Test came from off-spinner Sohag Gazi.

Gazi struck his maiden Test hundred and went on to claim a hat-trick and six wickets in New Zealand’s second innings, to go along with the two wickets he took in the first innings.

Asked if his team had a plan against Gazi, McCullum said, “Everyone has their own plans. He bowled exceptionally well in the last Test match. When we looked to dictate terms, he got wickets.

Prior to that, we played him pretty well.

If we have to do well, he is one of the guys we have to overcome.” l

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n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Mazhar Uddin

Raihan Mahmood

Nathan Hall, the 29-year old Australian, became Abahnai Ltd.’s 16th overseas coach yesterday. Speaking to the press, the young and energetic Aussie was in high spirits as he looks to make a mark in Bangladesh’s football arena.

How do you feel to be in Bangladesh?

NH - It feels good, it feels great to be in Dhaka. Back in September I came to Dhaka and after some productive chat between me and the club, I sealed the deal, I spent the last season in India and in India it might be the best professional circuit in this region. I am very eager, very open minded, I look forward and am excited over the new challenge.

Why did you choose Bangladesh?

NH: I chose Bangladesh for the experience of being somewhere new. I am young though I have been involved with coaching for ten years and have worked in many countries. Here I will try to keep my head down and it’s a new adventure for me, I am focused to work hard. I know that Abahani is hungry for success. I am very committed towards my work, I will try my best to make sure that at the end of the season Abahani achieves its target and objectives as a powerhouse. It is guaranteed that I will try my best to produce good results as Abahani has some of the best footballers in the country. I will try to improve and make them better.

Elaborate your coaching philosophy NH: I am a scientific coach with modern approaches. From what I’ve seen, in this region the footballers play direct football. I encourage pressing football with a lot of running. I want the footballers to play their game in the right manner, I want to dominate the teams and win the matches. The players should be precisely fit and if there are requirements of changing the players, I will definitely ask for it.

Last year was not a productive year for

Australian coach Nathan Hall Abahani so I have to see the team and I know I don’t have much time. I will choose the best players. I am not worried about any footballers - I will not see who has played for the country 100 times, I don’t care about what they’ve have done. Rather I will see what they do now. I am a scientific coach and will split the work, the beginning of the week will be tougher. I will work three days on tactics and set pieces - you know, 65% of the goals comes off the set pieces, the players will need to run a lot and want to make it right.

Your coaching license…

NH: My license is a top grade license in ASEAN region and it won’t be a problem.

Who is your coaching idol?

NH: Andre Villas Boas of Tottenham Hotspurs is my favourite coach. He was never a big player, I was also. I started coaching at 21 and Villas Boas also did the same. Both of us have science backgrounds. The difference is Boas worked with the great coaches while I did not had any notable mentors.

About national coach de Kruif’s playing style?

NH: I will talk with the national coach about how he wants his players to play.

It needs a curriculum to teach the players how to play within a style and the developed countries follow it. l

13

Tigers hunt for glory

TAKING A FINAL LOOK

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

With the second and final Test beginning from today weather is a worry for both Bangladesh and New Zealand as it rained heavily in Dhaka yesterday. The forecast also suggests showers over the next couple days, but the wicket remains as the major concern for both sides. Along with the outfield the match at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) will be played on a newly laid pitch and the behavior is unknown to all.

The wicket at Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the first game of the series frustrated both parties as it hardly offered any assistance to the spinners while the batsmen struggled in the first two days of the game as the ball kept low and slow. A slow wicket is expected at Mirpur too, but it might offer much to batsmen and spinners. The fast bowlers will struggle, although reverse swing is a possibility given the outfield conditions.

“It should be similar to Chittagong where there is not much pace and bounce. I think that’s the challenge of playing in Bangladesh. It is a myth that it spins in Bangladesh. I think Sri Lanka and India offer a lot more for the spinners. In Bangladesh it tends to skid, and you have seen it in the modes of dismissal in the last game,” said New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum yesterday.

The game will be played on the center wicket which for a fact is new even to Bangladesh in spite of it being the home side. “We have played a lot of matches in this ground, but we have not played on the centre pitch so far,” said Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim yesterday.

Apart from the wicket the outfield is also a concern. Mirpur carries the reputation of having one of the best drainagesystem, but the heavy rain for about 35 minutes yesterday revealed a different scenario. The stagnated water on the outfield even hours after the rain had stopped surprised many. A member incharge of the field replied requesting anonymity, “The grass on the field is new and the sand still needs to settle.

We are working to sort it out and hopefully it will not be a trouble tomorrow (today).” l

14 Ibrahimovic, Cavani propel PSG in Ligue 1

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim thinks they have achieved a lot in the first Test and now the pressure will be on the visiting New Zealand side as the Tigers look to win the ultimate Test and clinch the series at the Sher-eBangla National Stadium.

“We have a lot of achievements in the first Test which we eventually drew, but we wanted to win the match.

Our hunger is still the same and we want to win and this Test and the series,” said Mushfiq.

“I think they are in much pressure than us as you know New Zealand side

is ranked higher than us and they don’t want to lose or draw the Test series, but definitely we will try to execute our plan and play well,” he added.

Though the skipper is taking it as a challenge, playing Test matches after a long gap and performing consistently, Mushfiq believes the players are much matured now and they are capable of carrying the responsibility.

Like the first Test, this match will also be played on a new pitch and Mushfiq said, “We have played a lot of matches in this ground, but we have not played on the centre pitch so far.

Most probably the spinners will get help while the pacers might also get re-

Al-Amin set to wear Test cap n Mazhar Uddin Young pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain is set to make his debut in the second Test match against New Zealand that begins at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today. Al-Amin, who will likely come in place of Robiul Islam, will become Bangladesh’s 70th Test cricketer.

Robiul, the man-of-the-series in Bangladesh’s last series in Zimbabwe, only bowled 17 overs in the first Test in Chittagong and failed to take a wicket.

The paceman, who is known for his stamina and long spells, has been recovering from injury, and his unimpressive showing has opened the door for Al-Amin.

Though the Bangladesh team management has not disclosed any information about the starting eleven, inside sources told the Dhaka Tribune that Al-Amin would be making his debut.

Al-Amin has been in sensational

First-Class stat Mat 13

Wkts BBI 45 7/36

BBM Ave 12/89 19.26

5w 4

form recently and has taken 18 wickets in six matches in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League for Abahani.

The 23-year old made his first class debut two years ago for Khulna and has taken 45 wickets in 13 matches at that level, to go along with 31 wickets in 17 matches at the list “A” level.

Al-Amin further invited the selectors’ attention with a solid performance in Bangladesh “A” team’s recent tour of England where he took six wickets in three 50 over matches, while most of his teammates were found wanting.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim earlier told the press yesterday that the team management would wait until the last moment to finalize the playing eleven and added that the overcast conditions could be helpful to the pace bowlers. l

verse swing with the old ball.”

“Obviously we are expecting the wicket will help the spinners and our bowlers are quite good enough to take 20 wickets in the Test match,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mushfiq also said that the performance of the whole unit has took some pressure of Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal who looked rusty in the first Test.

“Definitely they are very relaxed though Shakib and Tamim did not perform to their caliber, but they have a good record in Mirpur and at the same time they are very relaxed as there are seven-eight cricketers who are also performing well for us,” he said. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Monday, October 21, 2013

Barca, Atletico stumble and miss out on record n AFP, Madrid

Match Results

Barcelona missed the chance to equal the best ever start to a Spanish league season as they dropped their first points of the campaign in a 0-0 draw at Osasuna.

With Messi starting on the bench, the visitors failed to make the most of their dominance in the first-half with Marc Bartra’s wayward header their only serious effort on goal. Neymar and Cesc Fabregas then passed up great chances to put Barca in front at the beginning of the second period before Messi was finally introduced for the final quarter.

However, even the Argentine couldn’t open the door as Osasuna stood firm to prevent Barca scoring in the league for the first time since January 2012.

Martino had decided to hand a surprise start to captain Carles Puyol after seven months out due to knee surgery, but left Messi on the bench as he returned from a thigh strain.

“Obviously, we were trying to win the game when Leo came on, but independent of the result, whether Barcelona were winning or losing, we always saw Leo playing 20-25 minutes,” said the coach. Barca’s best chance in the first half came from a set-piece when Bartra headed over when completely unmarked from Xavi’s corner in stoppage time.

Valencia

1-2

Real Sociedad

Osasuna

0-0 1-0

Barcelona

Mueller denies Barcelona link n AFP, Berlin Germany winger Thomas Mueller has confirmed reports he was in Barcelona last Sunday, but has denied he met representatives from the Spanish giants.

“I was there, but it didn’t have anything to do with transfer negotiations,” said Mueller, who was seen eating in Barcelona’s fashionable Boca Grande restaurant.

News of Mueller’s trip to Barcelona first broke in the Spanish media on Friday amidst reports he met with two FC Barcelona representatives last Sunday in the Spanish city.

The 24-year-old scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 4-1 win over Mainz 05 on Saturday to stay top of the Bundesliga and has been a regular in the Germany team since 2010. l

Pabon 90+2

Espanyol

Courtois 54-og

Griezmann 41, Pardo 58

Atletico Madrid

Neymar was inches away from finding the breakthrough nine minutes after the break but he just couldn’t reach Martin Montoya’s low cross on the stretch.

Fabregas then blasted over after being played in perfectly by Xavi.

With the chances beginning to arrive, Martino summoned Messi from the bench 22 minutes from time in place of Xavi. The Argentine fired a warning shot wide with his first opening 12 minutes from the end, but Barca failed to create another clear sight of goal and had to settle for a draw.

A point was enough though to move Martino’s men to the top of the table as Atletico Madrid also lost their 100 percent record with a 1-0 defeat at Espanyol.

Thibaut Courtois’ own goal 10 minutes after the break handed Javier Aguirre’s side the three points against his old club to leave Atletico a point adrift of Barca in second place. Real Madrid cut the gap on the leaders to three points ahead of their clash at the Camp Nou next weekend with a routine 2-0 win over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu. l

Barcelona's Neymar (L) backpasses to teammate Lionel Messi (R) during their La Liga match against Osasuna at Reyno de Navarra stadium in Pamplona on Saturday

REUTERS

Rossi hat-trick stuns Juventus

Any trophy will do: Fergie

Giuseppe Rossi scored a hat-trick for Fiorentina in a stunning come-from-behind 4-2 win over Juventus on Sunday which helped Roma maintain their five-point lead at the top of Serie A. Roma’s 2-0 defeat of Napoli on Friday opened up a five-point cushion over both Rafael Benitez’s side and Juventus ahead of the latter’s visit to Florence.

And despite Juventus holding a 2-0 lead at the half-time interval following a Carlos Tevez penalty and a strike from Paul Pogba, the champions crumbled during 14 second-half minutes in which ‘La Viola’ staged a remarkable comeback.

Roma now have a maximum 24 points from eight wins with Napoli back up to second at five points adrift with Juventus, suffering their first defeat of the season, slipping one place to third.

Alex Ferguson told successor David Moyes that winning a trophy in his first season as Manchester United manager would be “fantastic” after a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton dented their Premier League title hopes.

Saturday’s result at Old Trafford left reigning champions United an unusually lowly eighth in the table, five points adrift of the Champions League places and only four above the relegation zone.

They’ve now won just three of their opening eight Premier League games under Moyes, handpicked by Ferguson as the veteran manager called time on a 26-and-half-year reign at Old Trafford that yielded 13 English League titles and two Champions League triumphs among a horde of trophies at the end of

n AFP, Milan

Fiorentina’s win was not the only shock of the day, however, with Atalanta securing a precious 2-1 win at home to Lazio thanks to German Denis’s 84th minute winner.

Early season surprise packages Verona kept their place in the top five thanks to a 3-2 win over Parma which came courtesy of two penalties from Jorginho in the 61st and 88th minutes.

Verona, one of three promoted teams from Serie B, now sit fourth, eight points behind Roma and one ahead of Fiorentina although both sides could be overtaken by Inter if Walter Mazzarri’s men beat Torino in Sunday’s late match.

Sampdoria, meanwhile, had Nicola Pozzi’s penalty strike in the sixth minute of added-on time to thank for a 2-1 away win at new boys Livorno.

It was the struggling Genoa club’s first win of the campaign and moved them

two places above the relegation zone.

It leaves Bologna as the only team in Serie A without a win. l

Match Results Atalanta

2-1

Fiorentina

4-2

Genoa

2-1

Verona

3-2

Livorno

1-2

Sassuolo

2-1

Cigarini 41, Denis 84 Rossi 66-p, 76, 80, Joaquin 78 Gilardino 22, 50 Cacciatore 9, Jorginho 61-p,88-p Siligardi 90+2

Berardi 12-p, Floro Flores 17

Lazio

Perea 53

Juventus

Tevez 37-p, Pogba 40

Chievo

Bentivoglio 47

Parma 2

Parolo 19, Cassano 25

Sampdoria

Eder 19-p, Pozzi 90+6-p

Bologna

Diamanti 34-p

n AFP, Manchester

last season. But should former Everton manager Moyes lift a trophy this term he would do something not even his illustrious fellow Scot managed in all his time with United.

It took Ferguson nearly four years following his arrival at Old Trafford from Aberdeen to win his first silverware, with the 1990 FA Cup success giving him the breathing space he needed to set the club on the path to greater glories.

“For David, winning a trophy would be a fantastic achievement,” Ferguson told MUTV, United’s in-house television station.

“No matter what it is -- the League Cup, FA Cup, European Cup or Premier League. It is not easy winning a trophy in our league because you could say there are six teams fighting for the league,” added Ferguson. l

Euro eight await World Cup play-off fate n AFP, Paris

Paris Saint-Germain's Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) kicks the ball to score against Bastia during their French L1 match P at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday AFP

Ibrahimovic, Cavani propel PSG n AFP, Paris

Match Results

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani both struck twice to inspire Paris Saint-Germain to a comfortable 4-0 victory over hapless Bastia and lift the capital side three points clear in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic opened the scoring after only 10 minutes and added a second three minutes later which broke the game wide open and put PSG in command against their Corsican visitors.

Cavani then added a brilliant third and a late penalty to carry Laurent Blanc’s unbeaten side to their seventh win in ten outings.

Sweden captain Ibrahimovic scored a trademark opener when he backheeled the ball home from mid-air to give former PSG ‘keeper Michael Landreau little chance.

PSG

Ibrahimovic 10, 13, Cavani 62, 89-pen

4-0

Ajaccio

0-1

Evian/Thonon

1-2

Montpellier

0-1

Rennes

2-2

Benezet 25

Kadir 7, 50

Bastia

Nantes

Bedoya 87

Guingamp

Giresse 74, Douniama 78

Lille

Ndiaye Souare 4

Valenciennes

Le Tallec 65, Da Silva 73

The former AC Milan and Barcelona marksman, who capped his maiden campaign in the capital with a league leading 30 goals, then took his tally this season to five in ten matches with a close range finish that appeared to go in off his shoulder following a good cross

from Brazilian Lucas.

Cavani continued the rout with a superb individual effort on 63 minutes.

The 26-year-old Uruguayan picked up the ball on the left wing, cut inside the box and beat two defenders as well as rounding Landreau before rolling the ball into an empty goal from an acute angle.

A late 89th minute Cavani penalty, confidently planted in the top right hand corner, gave the scoreline an emphatic look.

In other matches, Nigerian ‘keeper Vincent Enyeama saved a late penalty to preserve Lille’s 1-0 win at 2012 champions Montpellier while Guingamp came back to defeat Evian 2-1.

Nantes continued their sparking return to the top flight by defeating Ajaccio 1-0 in Corsica, while Algerian Foued Kadir gave Rennes a 2-0 lead before basement dwellers Valenciennes stormed back to salvage a 2-2 draw. l

France manager Didier Deschamps, who captained France’s 1998 World Cup-winning side, is praying the footballing gods smile on his team in Monday’s eight-team European zone play-off draw.

Deschamps has publicly expressed his annoyance that France missed out on being seeded and as a result in danger of being pitted against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Euro 2004 winners Greece, Croatia or Ukraine in the draw at FIFA’S Zurich headquarters.

Joining the French in the unseeded ‘pot’ are the Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired Sweden, Romania and surprise packet Iceland.

Deschamps, asked which team he waDeschamps will be counting on his

side sealing their Brazil berth in less controversial fashion than they did their ticket to South Africa.

France owed their appearance at what was to prove a disastrous 2010 World Cup to a play-off success over the Republic of Ireland, with a little help from Thierry Henry’s hand.

Henry admitted to deliberately handling the ball to set up William Gallas’s decisive goal to seal France’s presence in South Africa.

Portugal meanwhile will be hoping to continue their success in play-offs having successfully navigated their way through the two-legged process to get to the last World Cup and Euro 2012s both at the expense of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who made no mistake this time round qualifying by right.

Like Portugal Sweden go into Monday’s draw secure in the knowledge that talismanic leader Ibrahimovic is back

after being suspended for last week’s 5-3 loss to Germany.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward said after that game: “I am not worried. In the play-offs we will have two completely different games.

Croatia go into Monday’s lottery with a new man at the helm after running out of steam with defeats in their final two qualifiers. Coach Igor Stimac paid the price after offering to stand down in the wake of last week’s 2-0 loss to Scotland, which came four days after a 2-1 home defeat to Group winners Belgium.

He was replaced by Niko Kovac, who skippered the side at Euro 2004 and 2008 as well as at the 2006 World Cup. Iceland, one of the revelations of the eurozone qualifiers, secured their place in their first-ever play-offs, with a closing 1-1 draw with Norway to finish as Group E runners-up behind Switzerland. l

'Rooney should not Aguero sends City fourth be judged on past' Match Result n AFP, London n Reuters, London West Ham 1-3 Manchester City A masterful perfor-

England striker Wayne Rooney has the potential to be one of the standout players of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and should not be judged on his past disciplinary problems, said manager Roy Hodgson.

“If the question is, do I believe Wayne Rooney has got the ability and can be a star at the World Cup playing for England playing like he is at the moment?, I would say: ‘Yes of course I believe it, of course I think he can do it’,” said Hodgson at a media briefing this week.

“You can’t keep judging people on the past and errors they’ve made in the past. If there’s been temperament errors, he’s been lambasted for them and paid the penalty for them but you can’t keep on dragging that up,” added the 66-year-old. l

mance from Sergio Aguero saw Manchester City win 3-1 at West Ham United on Saturday to claim their first away victory in the Premier League this season.

The Argentina forward scored either side of half-time before setting up David Silva for the clincher after Ricardo Vaz Te’s acrobatic overhead kick had given West Ham a glimmer of hope.

It was no more than the visitors deserved from a pulsating encounter in east London and moved last year’s runners-up into fourth spot.

Perhaps with the trip to play CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday in mind, City manager Manuel Pellegrini changed the entire defence used in the last match against Everton, with Samir Nasri also coming in for

Vaz Te 58

Aguero 16, 51, Silva 80

James Milner. But the Chilean did keep faith in the burgeoning strike partnership between Aguero and Alvaro Negredo and they almost found an early breakthrough in the seventh minute.

Nine minutes later, City took the lead as Negredo dummied a through ball from Fernandinho to fool James Tomkins and Winston Reid, allowing Aguero to take full advantage by slotting past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

The visitors did not have to wait long to double their lead after half-time.

Jaaskelainen then produced yet more heroics to keep his side in the match when he denied Aguero his hat-trick before saving again from substitute Aleksandar Kolarov. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Siddikur slips on last day

Quick Bytes

Makudi wins another 4-year as Thai FA chief after bitter election fight

n Fazley Rabbi Moon

Controversial Thai football boss Worawi Makudi has finally retained control of his federation after months of internal squabbling. Makudi was re-elected president of the Football Association of Thailand for another four years after defeating former national team boss Virach Chanpanich 42-28 in a secret ballot to earn his fourth straight term. Two votes were deemed invalid. The election had been postponed because of a dispute among federation members, many of whom opposed Makudi’s fight to hold on to his post. Although his term of office expired in mid-June, he always insisted he was not responsible for the impasse that prevented elections from being held and that he was simply following FIFA instructions to impose new reforms first. Opponents claimed the reforms - which involved slashing the number of eligible voters by more than half to 72 - would play into the hands of Makudi but FIFA had threatened to kick Thailand out if the national federation did not amend its rules.

–Agencies

Wenger wowed by Arsenal wonder goal Arsene Wenger hailed Arsenal’s opener in the 4-1 win over Norwich City as one of the best goals he has ever seen at the Emirates Stadium. England midfielder Jack Wilshere finished a fluid passing move as the Gunners swept across the half-way line and put the Canaries on the back foot in the 18th minute on Saturday. Wilshere started and then ended the attack that involved Spaniard Santi Cazorla and a sublime one-two with France striker Olivier Giroud to lift the ball over the back four into the path of Wilshere who ghosted in and tucked home. “It was certainly one of the best and one I enjoyed the most,” said Wenger, whose side cruised to victory after Wilshere’s strike hanks to Mesut Ozil’s double and an Aaron Ramsey goal.

“It was the combination and speed I like to play. It was a mix of technical quality, speedy thinking and quick reaction.

It was a great goal. “I think we have scored some good goals already this season, but the first was exceptional. “I think their keeper played well and they played well. We had a period where we struggled to keep out game going too.”

– AFP

Phantom goal decision expected end of October A decision on Bayer Leverkusen’s ‘phantom’ goal is not expected to be made before the end of October, according to the German Football League’s (DFL) managing director. Third-placed Leverkusen enjoyed a 2-1 victory at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Friday, but replays showed Stefan Kiessling headed the winning goal via a hole in the side netting. Hoffenheim have demanded a replay and the German Football Federation (DFB) will hold a preliminary meeting on Monday to review the goal and assess referee Felix Brych’s match report. A later hearing is then expected to be scheduled which will decide whether a replay will be ordered or the result stands. Andreas Rettig, managing director of the DFL has said scheduled elections within the DFB on Thursday and Friday could delay a date for that hearing until the end of October.

– AFP

Federer back in spotlight as Nadal skips Swiss Indoors Roger Federer has regained the spotlight at his home Swiss Indoors starting on Monday following the late pullout of Rafael Nadal, who said that the strain of winning ten titles this season had sapped him of all energy. Federer, who got his start in the game as a ballboy at the event, owns five Basel titles and has played nine finals at the St Jakobshalle, his second spiritual home in the sport after Wimbledon. This edition will have even more significance than usual for the 32-year-old who needs a solid showing in Basel and the week following at the Paris Masters if he is to earn one of four spots remaining for the eightman World Tour Finals starting in just over a fortnight in London. Nadal’s voluntary exit caught organisers on the hop, with feelers going out immediately to world number two Novak Djokovic asking him to reconsider and join the field.

– AFP

Day’s Watch Gazi TV 9.30am New Zealand tour of Bangladesh 2nd Test, Day 1

15

Monday, October 21, 2013

Bangladesh golfer Siddikur Rahman (R) walks down along with his golfing idol South African Ernie Els during the final round of the Venetian Macau Open at the Macau Golf and Country Club yesterday ASIAN TOUR

Whatmore wary of South Africa comeback n AFP, Dubai Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore drew on bitter personal experience to warn his players that world number one Test team South Africa can bounce back in the second Test starting in Dubai on Wednesday.

Pakistan won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by seven wickets on Thursday, but Whatmore recalled a personal experience of South Africa’s resilience when he was the coach of Sri Lanka in 2000/2001.

“This South African unit is quite resilient,” said 59-year-old Whatmore on Sunday.

“I’ve had first hand experience in Sri Lanka where they lost by an innings in

Galle and came back to win in Kandy,” said Whatmore of the series in Sri Lanka.

“I think there was a drawn game in Colombo so it was 1-1 in the series, so you leave them off at your peril.”

South Africa’s unbeaten series run away from home since losing to Sri Lanka in 2006 is also under threat and Whatmore, born in Sri Lanka but who emigrated with his family aged eight, said Pakistan will do their best to win.

“Well 1-0 is just as good as I think because a hard fought draw is also very important for any team, having been 1-0 up in the series, but we enter the game to win,” said Whatmore, whose team lost to Zimbabwe in the second Test in a 1-1 drawn series last month.

Pakistan have an incentive of jump-

ing to fourth from sixth in the Test rankings if they win or square the series.

Whatmore, who played seven Tests and one limited overs international for Australia, refused to agree that Pakistan’s win was an upset.

“I wasn’t surprised we did well, people leading up to this series in Pakistan were alluding to the fact that we lost against Zimbabwe and here you are going to play the No. 1 team in the world, no chance.

“But that was never the case, in my mind I knew that we can be competitive.” Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title, said different conditions and of some personnel, especially in the top order, paid off. l

It was a dream-come-true for Siddikur Rahman as he teed off with his idol Ernie Els but the Bangladesh golfing ace failed to maintain the high standard he had set as he carded an equal-par 71 in the final round of the Venetian Macau Open to finish joint 7th yesterday.

The 29-year-old, who started the day in second position and had led the field after the second day, made three birdies and the same number of bogeys on the final day. His final total was eight-under-par 276 at the Macau Golf and Country Club earned the Bangladeshi US$21,200 from the US$800,000 Asian Tour tournament.

It was Australian Scott Hend who won the event by three strokes. Hend shot a four-under-par 67 on the last day to total 16-under-par 268 for the four days. The victory is Hend’s third of the year, following wins in Chiangmai and Taipei.

India’s Anirban Lahiri matched the course record with a blistering nineunder-par 62 for second place while four-time Major champion Ernie Els of South Africa shared third with Elmer Salvador of the Philippines after a 67 and 66 respectively. l

Lucky to be alive, Ryder ready to return n Reuters, Wellington Batsman Jesse Ryder will return to top-level cricket in New Zealand next week, ready to put behind him a year in which he served a six-month doping ban and survived an assault that left him in a coma with serious head injuries.

The 29-year-old, who had been in self-imposed exile from the New Zealand team following another breach of team discipline, makes his return to the field for his new first-class side Otago against his former team Wellington next week.

“After this year, you could probably say that I’ve been through the worst things you could go through, for my career at least anyway,” Ryder told Fairfax Media on Sunday.

“The drug thing, that could have been my career over if I’d been given a two-year ban, which had been a possibility. Then with what happened in Christchurch, that too could have easily been the end of it for my career.

“I wouldn’t look at it like I’ve been given a second chance at life. I’m just lucky, I guess.”

Ryder spent almost a week in hospital in late March after an incident outside a Christchurch bar left him with a fractured skull and rib injuries. He was kept in an induced coma for more than two days.

While he was recovering from the assault, he was informed he had tested positive for two stimulants which are banned in competition and handed a six-month provisional ban on April 19. l

Lorenzo keeps title race alive after Marquez error n AFP, Phillip Island Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo won a chaotic Australian MotoGP on Sunday, throwing the race for the world championship wide open as title leader Marc Marquez was disqualified at Phillip Island.

The defending world champion pulled to within 18 points of rookie Marquez at the top of the championship with two races to go after his countryman was sensationally black-flagged for ignoring a mandatory pit stop in the middle stages of the race.

The MotoGP was shortened to 19 laps from a scheduled 26 laps because of safety concerns over Bridgestone tyres degrading on the new tarmac surface.

Riders were required by race officials to make a mandatory pit stop by the 10th lap of the race and change to a replacement machine to avoid potentially

dangerous tyre wear.

Marquez instead remained on the track on his Repsol Honda for an extra lap and incurred a black flag from race officials, disqualifying him.

That enabled Lorenzo to make up a maximum 25 points and keep alive the world title race with two events of the championship remaining, at Motegi and Valencia. Marquez went into the weekend leading Lorenzo by 43 points and was poised to become the first rookie rider to clinch the premier class championship since American Kenny Roberts 35 years ago. “Today was a crazy race and much different than a normal race with the change of bikes in the middle of the race,” said Lorenzo.

“Twenty five points, the best result possible, and we now have opened the world championship, but it is still very tough. l

Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo of Spain (C) leaps for joy after winning the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island yesterday as second-placed Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa (L) and third-placed Yamaha's Valentino Rossi (R) look on from the podium AFP

In-form Halep lift Kremlin Cup

ICC to ‘review’ Aamer’s ban

n AFP, Moscow

n AFP, London

Romanian Simona Halep’s superb year continued on Sunday as she captured her fifth title of the year beating Australian Samantha Stosur 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 in the final of the Kreamlin Cup in Moscow.

The 22-year-old fifth seed -- ranked 18 in the world -- took 1hr 41minutes to defeat her seventh-seeded opponent and 2011 US Open champion and record only her second win in five meetings with the Australian.

“It’s an incredible year for me and I am enjoying every moment of it,” said Halep, who is projected to break into the Top 15 after her latest win.

“Now I already have all of my thoughts about the Tournament of Champions in Sofia (the second tier end of season tournament, the top event taking place in Istanbul in the coming week).

“It’s a very special event for me and I’m preparing thoroughly for it and hope to perform there at my top level.”

Halep and Stosur, who was looking for her second successive title hgaving won in Osaka last Sunday, were evenly -matched throughout the first set but

the Romanian took a firm grip on the tie-break to take the set in just over an hour.

Stosur, 29, started the second set brightly breaking her opponent immediately but Halep, who has won all of her four previous finals this year, stepped up a gear and broke back before breaking Stosur’s serve on another

two occasions to ease to victory.

At the award ceremony the winner Halep received a silver trophy by Cartier and a $132,470 cheque, while runner-up Stosur pocketed $70,728.

Later on Sunday top seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet will face Kazakhstan qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin in the ATP final. l

Romania's Simona Halep holds her trophy after her victory over Australia's Samantha Stosur in the Kremlin Cup final in Moscow on yesterday AFP

Pakistan seamer Mohammad Aamer’s five-year match-fixing ban will be “reviewed” after a “revised” anti-corruption code has been adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body said Saturday.

Officials plan to discuss, and possibly adopt, the new code in January, a statement issued after a two-day ICC board meeting in London concluded Saturday said. “The ICC board was informed that a revised version of a more robust and strengthened ICC anti-corruption code will be submitted for discussion/approval at the January 2014 meeting,” said the statement.

“During the discussion, the matter of Mohammad Aamer’s five-year ban also came up for discussion.

“The ICC board decided to review the matter in due course after the revised ICC anti-corruption code has been finalised and adopted.”

Prior to this weekend’s meeting the PCB, who have taken up Aamer’s case, had set great store by the opinion of a senior British lawyer or QC that the bowler’s “unjust and perverse” ban should be re-

laxed to at least allow him to play firstclass cricket, given his admission of guilt and appearance in ICC anti-corruption videos. The PCB, responding to Saturday’s announcement, said they’d been encouraged by their talks with England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke, who is heading up an ICC anticorruption laws review committee.

“Mr Giles Clarke, head of the ICC’s anti-corruption laws review committee working group, assured PCB chairman Najam Sethi that he would work with him to find ways and means of positively reviewing the young fast bowler’s (Aamer’s) case,” a PCB statement said.

“Earlier, Mr Sethi made a passionate pitch before the ICC board to review Aamer’s case and enable him to play firstclass cricket as soon as possible.

“The British QC engaged by the PCB has argued that, keeping in view the acceptance of guilt by Mohammad Aamer, the ban has become unjust and perverse.”

The PCB statement said Sethi, since becoming PCB chairman, had “tirelessly argued for Mohammad Aamer at all forums of the ICC” and would be pressing his case again at the next board meeting. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, October 21, 2013

murdered Corrupt doctors slip through cracks Schoolboy n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

Around 400 doctors punished by ministry in recent years n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Despite the health ministry’s efforts to punish over 400 doctors in the past three-and-a-half years, those accused of financial irregularities and corruption have managed to slip through cracks in the system.

Sources said more than 400 practitioners faced punishments by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) between January 2010 and June 30 this year, with punishments including dismissal, removal, and compulsory retirement.

During this period, a total of 587 allegations were lodged against doctors by their supervising officials, with 224 receiving major penalties, 155 receiving minor penalties and 208 others being acquitted.

Up to June 30 this year, a total of 71 cases were lodged, with 13 doctors receiving major penalties, 36 minor penalties and 22 being cleared.

Dr Md Abdur Raquib, director (LR) in-charge of discipline section of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told the Dhaka Tribune that according to the Government Servants (Discipline & Appeal) Rule, 1985, the health ministry had been taking two kinds of action by imposing major and minor penalties against the doctors.

All the allegations are heard by a committee led by an additional secretary of the ministry, before judgements are made.

Minor penalties included withholding promotions or salary increases for a certain period, deducting the govern-

ment’s losses from salaries, and lowering time scales.

Seeking anonymity, senior officials of the DGHS told the Dhaka Tribune that about 90% of the penalties were handed out because of unauthorised absence by doctors from their duty stations for a long time. The number of incidents of doctors being penalised for involvement in corruption was “very insignificant”, they admitted.

Sources also informed that probes by both the health ministry and the parliamentary standing committee on health ministry had found proof of corruption against doctors at several hospitals. The Anti-Corruption Commission had also filed several cases against doctors of National Heart Institute and Dhaka Medical College Hospital, after finding their direct involvement in fi-

nancial irregularities.

There are also claims that the accused doctors managed to escape punishment as they had close ties with top leaders of ruling party-backed Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip) and Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), as well as support from influential quarters.

Preferring not to be named, a reliable source inside the health ministry also claimed that most of the doctors who faced punitive measures during the last few years were all loyal to the opposition-backed Doctors Association of Bangladesh (Dab).

However, Dr Md Shahnewaz, director (administration) of the DGHS, denied the claims and said the punishments were handed out in accordance with the rules. l

An eight-year old child was slaughtered by unknown assailants on Saturday night, at the Nutun Bazar area of Mymensingh’s Muktagachha upazila.

The victim was Mahbubur Rahman Maruf, a class three student of Residential Model School in Mymensingh town and the son of Arab Ali, a local Awami League leader and a businessman in Muktagachha.

Quoting Mazeda Khatun, mother of the victim, police said Maruf went out on Saturday evening to buy noodles from a nearby shop. Family members started searching for him when he did not return.

Around 11pm, the slaughtered body of Maruf was found in a sack next to a pond adjacent to Maruf’s house, police said.

Police later recovered the body and sent it to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

The victim’s father Arab Ali is currently in Saudi Arabia performing Hajj, family sources said.

When contacted, Mir Rakibul Haque, officer-in-charge of Muktagachha police station, said no motive behind the killing was yet to be found.

No case was lodged and no arrests had been made in connection with the killing, until filing of this report. l

Country’s first Bone Marrow Transplant unit opens at DMCH n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The country’s first ever Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit was inaugurated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday.

Health Minister AFM Ruhal Hoque unveiled the plaque of the five-bed unit on the ninth floor of the new DMCH building.

“It was my dream to start BMT in Bangladesh, (and it) became a reality today.

Hopefully, the first ever bone marrow transplant in the country will be done by the end of this month,” said AFM Ruhal Hoque at the inauguration programme.

In the afternoon, Non-Communicable Disease Control Unit of Directorate General of Health Services organised a sharing session at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital, where the results of a study conducted on 1,658 cancer patients availing treatment from six tertiary hospitals of the country were presented.

The study revealed that 11% of the 1,658 cancer patients were suffering from blood cancer.

Dr Bayezid Khurshid Riaz, key conductor of the study, associate professor of Nipsom and project director of DMCH 2, told the Dhaka Tribune that all across the country, approximately 500 patients were suffering from blood cancer, while 4,500 were suffering from other forms of the disease.

“A big portion of the blood cancer patients could avail proper treatment from the newly-launched BMT, which should be a new light of hope for the patients,” he said.

Dr Bayezid said his team collected data from the oncology departments

of six tertiary hospitals of the country: DMCH, National Cancer Research Institute Hospital, Mitford Hospital, Chittagong Medical College Hospital and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The total number of patients stood at 1,658.

Dr Bayezid further explained that there are two kinds of blood cancers: Lymphoma and Leukemia.

“A gross need still exists for better vigilance in the diagnosis of Lymphomas,” he said.

Lymphomas is a type of blood cancer that occurs when the white blood cells that form a part of the immune system and help protect the body from infection and disease, divide faster than normal cells or live longer than they are supposed to.

“An inter-disciplinary approach was needed for the effective management of the disease,” Dr Bayezid said.

In bone marrow transplantation, doctors replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow – the soft and spongy tissue inside bones – with healthy bone marrow stem cells to treat different types of blood cancer, certain genetic blood and immunity disorders like thalassemia, and severe aplastic anaemia. It also has the potential to cure several types of bone cancer, and other non-malignant and non-cancerous diseases.

The BMT at DMCH will charge between Tk500,000 to Tk600,000 for a general transplant while the charge for the “allogeneic,” where bone marrow of siblings or donors are used, would be between Tk1m and Tk1.5m, depending on the fitness of patients. This compares to BMT costs of around Tk10m in the US, over Tk5m in Singapore, and over Tk4m in India. l

Eid holidays may be over but the roads of the capital have not yet gone back to their usual hustle and bustle. This photo was taken yesterday at the Shapla intersection in the capital’s commercial hub Motijheel around midday NASHIRUL ISLAM

Census of tigers begins in the Sundarbans n Tribune Report Census of Bengal Tiger using cameras began in the Sundarbans yesterday.

More than a thousand field workers are taking part in the census for estimating the tiger population in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans.

For the first time ever, a tiger census is being carried out using cameras instead of the traditional footprints method.

Funded by the World Bank under

“Strengthening Regional Co-operation for Wildlife Protection Project,” the census will be completed by June next year.

A 2004 survey showed that the Bengal Tiger population in Bangladesh part was 440 while in Indian part 217. The UNDP had conducted the census using pugmarks.

According to the records of Forest Department, Bengal Tiger population in Bangladesh part was 453 in 1982 and 450 in 1985.In 1994, the Bengal Tiger population had come down to 369, ac-

RANA PLAZA TRAGEDY

Pregnant wife of a slain worker left ‘abandoned n Muktasree Chakma Sathi Abandoned by in-laws ever since her husband died in the Rana Plaza collapse back in April, Asha Akhter, 18, is now suffering from malnutrition seven months into her pregnancy because of poverty.

“In April, my husband and I were celebrating my pregnancy. In the same month my husband died. I remember the morning of April 24. Before leaving for his workplace, he said ‘I will make sure you are being well-fed. Our kid will be a healthy one,’ and I smiled at his joy. He used to work in a factory on the fourth floor of Rana Plaza,” Asha told the Dhaka Tribune with a blank look.

Following the incident, Asha has received only two packets of biscuits and eggs worth of Tk300 until date. Neither she received her husband, Abu Zafar Sentu’s due wages, nor did she get any compensation from the government or any other organisations.

Asha claimed that none of her inlaws came to see her after she had moved in with her mother at Bakhtarpur, Savar due to pregnancy. Her inlaws live in a different area of Savar.

“I understood the fact that they do not want me anymore. Although I have heard they will take my child away if it is a boy,” said Asha.

“I know they [in-laws] received Tk20,000, which was given out at the Adhar Chandra High School ground, after my mother [Aleya] identified my husband’s body. But, I do not know

whether they received any other amount or not,” she said.

The school ground was used to keep the recovered bodies from the Rana Plaza for the relatives.

Asha’s mother found 21-year-old Sentu’s body, which was totally decomposed, after 16 days of the collapse.

“The clothes Sentu was wearing decomposed as well,” Aleya who earns Tk1,500 per month as a domestic help said.

Jabed, one of Asha’s neighbours, who also lost his wife in the incident, said: “She was searching for her son-inlaw like mad. She searched every single male dead body’s pockets looking for a

wallet madly.”

Aleya said she had finally found the wallet that contained a picture of her daughter in one of the bodies. “I was sure this was none other than Sentu.”

Asha said: “We got married in 2012 and since then one of my photos find its place in my husband’s wallet. He started working in the Rana Plaza the same year.”

Meanwhile, Asha’s step father-inlaw Habib confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune over phone that they had received Tk20,000 at the Adhar Chandra High School and later received another Tk30,000 through bKash, which was given by Irish clothing retailer Primark

to at least 4,000 workers and relatives of the deceased as a short-term aid.

Habib also claimed that Asha was staying with his family.

However, during a visit to Savar, the Dhaka Tribune found that Asha was living with her mother in a six feet by six feet rented room, which situated in a completely different area, contrary to Habib’s claims.

Aleya is paying Tk1,700 for the room, which is used for cooking purpose cum bed room.

“My brother, who is a rickshaw puller is paying the house rent. But, I do not know how long he may bear the cost,” Aleya said.

Asha said she was not dreaming of going to a hospital for her delivery. She said: “Doctors said the delivery would probably happen in December. It is better for everyone if my child is born here [in the rented house]. We can save some money if we are not going to a hospital. Later, we can use that saved amount for the child.

“We are living from hand to mouth, we are not in a condition to afford hospital facilities,” said Asha apparently coming to accept the fact that she would not get any help from anyone.

The collapse of the eight-storey Rana Plaza, where five garment factories were housed, claimed at least 1,132 lives on April 24. A massive drive went on for 20 days that rescued 2,438 people from the debris, but relatives of the victims claim that hundreds of people are still missing. l

cording to a survey of Food and Agricultural Organisation.

Assistant Conservator of Forests in charge of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Md Mobinul Hasan said 89 automatic cameras would be set up atdifferent points of the Sundarbans to monitor movement and take pictures of tigers during the one-year project involving Tk3m, reports BSS. The actual number of tigers can be ascertained after analysis of the pictures, he said.

“The major threats to the Bengal Tiger are poaching and habitat loss,” he said.

Bangladesh has earlier taken a number of steps for tiger conservation, includingTiger Action Plan 2009-2017, National Tiger Recovery Programme and an amendment to the Forest Act 2012, he added.

On May 4 this year, a five-day pilot survey of Bengal Tigers, which was the first phase of the Bengal Tiger Census and Monitoring project, was held at Kotka-Kochikhali area of the Sundarbans. l

Dhaka urged to voice for climate migrant rights n Tribune Desk

Rights groups yesterday demanded that Bangladesh initiate necessary research and assessment as homework to strengthen the issue of climate migrants in the upcoming international climate negotiations.

They also demanded that the definition of “UN Refugee” should be redefined in view of the increasing nature of climate-forced migrants worldwide, especially in Bangladesh.

The demands were raised at a seminar titled “Climate Induced Migrants: Responsibilities in National and International Level” held at the National Press Club. Six rights groups and civil society networks – BAPA, BIPNetCCBD, CCDF, CSRL, CLEAN and EquityBD – organised the discussion. Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud joined the seminar.

The minister, who has been leading Bangladesh delegation to international climate negotiations for the last five years, admitted that, in fact, there was setback on climate migrants issue after 2010. It was first officially accepted in the Cancun climate agreement.

But it has lost the momentum while countries reframe the timeline in the Durban agreement – new agreement should reach by 2015 and implementation after 2020.

He said the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategic Action Plan would be revised and money allocation would be there for research on the climate migrant

issue. The minister mentioned that the developed countries had to take responsibilities of the climate-induced migrants and the definition of the UN refugee has to be revisited to accommodate them.

Quamrul Islam Chowdhury of BEJF said the Bangladesh delegation must demand a solid work programme on climate-migrants issue in next Poland conference so that there is some agreements in Paris during 2015.

Centre for Global Change chief Dr Ahsanuddin cited a case of New Zealand showing how a climate migrant family from a pacific small island demanded climate migrant rights in that developed country. He said Bangladesh must tell the developed nations that within its limited capacities, the country was spending almost $1bn per year for social safety net programmes.

Golam Rabbani of BCAS said without preparing and implementing a national programme on climate migrants, Bangladesh’s claim in the international level would be weak.

Zakia Haque of Oxfam_CSRL mentioned that the EU and Oxfam in fact were supporting both Bangladesh government and civil society to strengthen their voice at the international-level.

Moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD, the seminar was also addressed by Motahar Hossain of BCCJF, Mizanur Rahman of NCCB, Pragati Chakma of BIPNetCCBD and Badrul Alam of Krishak Federation. Hasan Mehedi of Humanity Watch presented the keynote paper. l

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B2 BOI roadshow in

Germany tomorrow

B3 Dhaka-Delhi talks on

customs cooperation begin today

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

New look for Ruposhi Bangla on cards Reservation to remain suspended for 19 months since May next n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The Ruposhi Bangla Hotel will remain closed for at least 19 months from May next as the management plans for a massive renovation before rebranding it for the InterContinental Hotels chain.

The five-star hotel already announced there will be no reservation from the first day of the month and is supposed to open after rebranding in January 2016.

The board of directors of Bangladesh Services Limited, a government-owned company and the operator of the hotel, made the decisions in September.

“Before starting the renovation work, we need to vacate the hotel and 18 months [actually 19 months] is quite enough for making the hotel a modern and world standard one,” said James McDonald, general manager of the hotel located at the busy city centre of Shahbagh.

The tender documents are being processed to invite bids February next.

“The design [for the renovations] is ready and we have engaged 14 consultants for a comprehensive renovation,” McDonald told the Dhaka Tribune.

The employees were, however, against the full closure as they feared job cuts and losses of the service charges each of them gets every month. Under the banner of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel Sramik O Karmachari Union, they demanded implementation of the renovation work in phases and without hampering the services.

But McDonald, a representative of the world’s largest hotel chain InterContinental Hotels Group, said partial renovation was “simply impossible.”

“We need to change every pipe, every cable, every toilet [fitting] and every bathtub to turn this hotel into a world-standard one.

It is impossible to offer the service and carry out the renovation work at the same time,” he said.

He added: “The employees will be paid their basic salaries and other benefits during the renovation period. So, there is no fear of job cuts.”

The workers’ union said 19 months was a long time and there was a huge possibility that the hotel would lose its business.

An official informed the Dhaka Tribune that the hotel had earned Tk1.25bn in revenues in 2012 and Tk740m as of September this year.

James McDonald, however, is confident that they can get back the business when the hotel reopens after renovation and rebranding.

“There is no doubt here. We can sell the history of this hotel and that of the

A general view of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel is seen from a construction site at Shahbagh in Dhaka InterContinental during this country’s Liberation War,” he said.

However, the workers’ union is worried that the full closure will mean losses of the service charges they receive every month.

An official said each of the employees got Tk28,000 last month as their share in the service charges earned by the hotel. The workers are holding demonstrations inside the hotel at breaks every working day.

“We are not against the renovation but we do not need one that causes concerns for us. We want the prime minister’s interference in this issue,” Md Shafiuddin, president of the workers’ union, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Earlier in June, the management demolished five rooms without a tender for renovation, but the room is yet to be refurbished. “We have changed our plans as the T20 World Cup is in March 2014,” McDonald said.

Meanwhile, sources said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had also requested the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel management to reschedule the renovation work, which would cost $40m.

The Bangladesh Services Limited inked an agreement with the InterContinental Hotels Group for 30 years in February last

year, which had a condition for renovating the hotel.

McDonald declined to disclose the profit sharing between the two parties.

The Bangladesh Services Limited will bear the renovation cost partially from its own fund and the rest from bank loans.

In the new design, the hotel will decrease the number of guest rooms from 272 to 231 as the size of the rooms will be increased from 26 square metres to 40sq-m. The dining hall and swimming pool will be relocated while some added services and benefits will be offered.

InterContinental ran the iconic Dhaka

DHAKA TRIBUNE

hotel from 1966 to 1983. Sheraton took over its operation and management in 1983 for the next 25 years that ended in December 2008.

The government requested Sheraton to continue the operation until April 30, 2011 for the World Cup Cricket tournament.

Starwood, the mother company of Sheraton, gave the BSL a conditional extension offer in 2009, but there was a disagreement between Starwood and the BSL authorities over the renovation cost and the fate of the employees. Eventually, the BSL took over the hotel’s operations, renaming it Ruposhi Bangla Hotel. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

BOI roadshow in Germany tomorrow A 36-member team leaves Dhaka today for the event aimed at attracting FDI

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladesh is set to hold a roadshow in Frankfort, Germany tomorrow with a view to branding itself and attracting foreign direct investment into the country.

A 36-member delegation, comprised of government officials and private entrepreneurs, leaves Dhaka in the early hours today to attend the show.

The team is led by Syed A Samad, Executive Chairman of Board of Investment (BoI) of Bangladesh.

BoI and Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) are jointly organising the event titled “‘Bangladesh Investors’ Meet 2013: Emerging Bangladesh.”

Investments will be sought mainly in the fields like production of garment industry’s machinery, hospital equipment, establishing vocational training institutions and generation of renewable energy, said a BoI official preferring not to be named.

He said this (roadshow) is one of initiatives the government has taken for the private sector development to continue economic growth and also to take it to a new height.

Apart from attending the roadshow, the team will meet business people and chamber leaders of Germany to discuss business opportunities and privileges Bangladesh is offering to foreign investors, said a source.

Representatives from Bangladesh Bank,

FDI Inflow $1.29bn $1.14bn $0.91bn

BSRM Steel gets syndicated loan of Tk5.9bn

n Tribune Business Desk 2010

2011

Power Development Board, Export Promotion Bureau, Ministry of Power and Energy and chief executive officer of Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project, Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), first secretary of National Board of Revenue, media personalities and representative from private sector, among others, will be present during the show.

The past three years’ data showed the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh maintained a continuous growth.

2012

SOURCE: BOI

In 2012, FDI rose to $1,292.6m with 13.75% up from the previous year’s $1,136.38m while in 2010 the figure was $913.32m, showed an UNCTAD report.

According to the report, the 2012 FDI inflow was the highest ever in Bangladesh.

The year’s FDI came to the sectors mainly of fresh equity, $497.63m, and intra-company loans, $207.4m. And, a total of $587.53m was received from the reinvested earnings.

In 2012, the telecommunication sector received the highest FDI of $375m while the textile sector got $307.5m. l

GPEU gets UNI award for anti-job cut campaign n Muhammad Zahidul Islam GrameenPhone Employees Union (GPEU) is going to receive UNI Global Union’s Freedom from Fear Award 2013 for having organised workers against the job cuts by the mobile phone operator in May last year.

UNI Global Union is a platform of 20m service sector workers around the world, covering 150 countries through 900 affiliated unions.

The award will be handed over at the forthcoming meeting of the UNI World Executive Board in Dublin, Ireland on November 12-13.

In a letter on Friday last week, UNI General Secretary Philip J Jennings informed GPEU about it.

In May 2012, Grameenphone decided to cut 250 jobs, prompting GPEU to take stance against it and launch a campaign “Break the silence, get organised and form a union.”

The country’s leading mobile operator GP has never approved GPEU’s operation and even the organisation is yet to be registered formally.

Rather, the GP management has formed a counter-organisation named Grameenphone People’s Council (GPPC).

However, the GPEU members are holding all the posts of GPPC after the election in May this year.

“In the face of numerous threats and challenges to protect the rights of jobs of workers

and particularly those of GPEU leadership, the union succeeded in organising 1,600 employees and formed the GPEU, for which recognition is pending,” the letter read.

Moinul Kader, a senior leader of GPEU, told the Dhaka Tribune: “This is a matter of honour for GPEU as we are going to receive this prestigious award for the first time in Bangladesh,” “It is the formal recognition of the GPEU’s international standard unionisation practices from a global organisation which will motivate us to work further to ensure employees’ rights in Bangladesh,” he added.

Moinul, also the president of GPPC, said the GPEU has been able to draw international attention in this short period of time and the organisation was honored to attend the three international conferences aboard in past two months organised by different international workers’ bodies.

UNI congratulated the GPEU for nego-

tiating the workers’ agenda with management and achieving “a great breakthrough in reaching an agreement with management on 5% profit sharing.”

In the face of numerous threats and challenges to protect the rights of jobs of workers and particularly those of GPEU leadership, the union succeeded in organising 1,600 employees and formed the GPEU, for which recognition is pending With the amendment of labour law, it has been made mandatory that 5% of profit will be for workers of any industry. But many of the organisations are now following the new provision. l

BSRM Steel Mills received a syndicated term loan of Tk5.9bn ($40m) to produce quality billets for internal consumption.

A total of 25 banks and financial institutions including Export-Import Bank of India have participated in the syndication, said a press release.

IDLC Finance Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank and City Bank Ltd have jointly arranged the loan.

This is the largest commercial loan syndication arranged for any Bangladeshi corporate, said the company.

At a recent financial closing ceremony of BSRM Steel Mills Ltd in Dhaka, Bangladesh Bank’s Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury was present as chief guest. l

NRB Bank gets new AMD

n Tribune Business Desk ASM Bulbul has joined NRB Commercial Bank Ltd as additional managing director recently.

Prior to joining the bank, Bulbul was deputy managing director of National Bank Ltd, said a press release.

He started his career as a probationary officer in National Bank in 1984 and continued working there until joining Southeast Bank Ltd in 1996. Later, he joined Mercantile Bank Ltd in 2005.

ASM Bubul is a post graduate diploma in management and completed graduation and master’s in history from the University of Dhaka.

He participated in training programmes and seminars on banking at home and abroad including China, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong. l

SIBL holds EC meeting

n Tribune Business Desk Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd (SIBL) recently held its 551st Executive Committee (EC) meeting at its head office in Dhaka.

The executive committee chairman Mohammad Younus presided over the meeting, said a press release.

Among others, the bank’s directors Anwer Hossain Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed, managing director Md Abdur Rahman Sarker, deputy managing directors Md Setaur Rahman and Khondoker Nayeemul Kabir were also present. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

Dhaka-Delhi talks on customs cooperation begin today

3

Stocks plunge amid nervous selling

n Tribune Report Host to seek removal of NTBs and development of Indian land ports Stock trading resumed with a dismal note in Bangladesh would also request India to information, infrastructure facilities availathe opening session yesterday, following a n Syed Samiul Basher Anik improve infrastructure facilities at their nine-day closure due to festival holidays. ble at the Land Customs Stations (LCSs) and customs stations, including development of testing facilities at major customs stations to reduce difficulties being faced by the exporters, said the official.

“On the other hand, they [India] do not allow testing certificates by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) for many products like soaps, Jamdani Sarees, RMG and food products,” he said. “It causes loss of time and money for the Bangladeshi exporters.”

The Indian side would mainly propose construction of a road as a trade route from Ichamati-Beltoli village at East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya to Lubia village in Sylhet.

Their other proposals would include re-fixation of working hours and days, exchange of customs intelligence information between the two countries, and exchange of import-export documents electronically. l

A two-day meeting of customs officials of Bangladesh and India begins in Dhaka today to facilitate trade between the two countries.

The customs cooperation issues would be tabled at the meeting being held within the bilateral framework of Joint Group of Customs (JGC). It would be the ninth round of JGC after the last one held in April last year in New Delhi.

National Board of Revenue Chairman Ghulam Hussain and Indian revenue secretary Sumit Bose will lead the respective sides.

Bangladesh would seek removal of non-tariff barriers India imposes on its imports and improvement of infrastructure at the Indian land customs stations along the border with Bangladesh, officials said.

The two sides would review the existing mechanism for exchange of customs related

procedural bottlenecks like testing facilities, online processing facilities, congestion and documentation.

“Under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), almost all Bangladeshi products are allowed to enjoy duty-free access to Indian market. But, many Bangladeshi exporters are facing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) at the Indian customs stations,” said an official.

Bangladesh exports to India increased by over 13% to about US$564m in 2012-13 as compared to the previous fiscal year when India announced duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to its market.

To facilitate export of Bangladeshi readymade garments products, the official said Bangladesh will seek withdrawal of 15.36% countervailing duty, which discourages many Indian importers to import RMG products from Bangladesh.

Oil edges higher on upbeat Chinese growth data

BGMEA to submit fresh wage proposal with 50% hike

n AFP, Singapore

Oil prices rose in Asian trade Friday on upbeat economic growth data from China, but concerns over the stop-gap deal to avert a disastrous US debt default capped gains, analysts said.

New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in November, was up 35 cents at $101.02 a barrel in afternoon trade, while Brent North Sea crude for December gained 26 cents to $109.37.

China said Friday its economy expanded 7.8% year-on-year in July-September, snapping two quarters of slowing growth in the world’s top energy consuming nation.

“The price support for oil right now is probably due to the stronger Chinese growth data,” David Lennox, resource analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, told AFP. He added that gains were capped by worries about developments in the United States, after a last-gasp deal by lawmakers on Thursday averted a disastrous debt default by the world’s biggest economy.

A bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama restarted government operations after a 16-day partial shutdown, and raises the country’s debt ceiling until February 7. However, there are fears of another stand-off in Washington when that time is up.

“Investors are probably fretting over the lack of information on US crude demand with no weekly crude stockpiles reports from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) during the shutdown,” Lennox said.

The EIA said on its website Thursday that it would resume its weekly stockpiles report – a barometer for US energy demand – on October 23. l

n Tribune Report The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is likely to revise the minimum wage proposed earlier for garment workers, offering a 50% raise.

On September 17, the apparel makers’ apex body proposed an increase of Tk600 or 20% from the existing minimum wage of Tk3000 per month.Most workers rejected the offer, and many took to the streets demanding a higher minimum wage.

The revised minimum wage for readymadegarment (RMG) workers may be set at Tk4500,which would mean an increase of Tk1500, or a 50% hike,said a BGMEA director, who preferred not to be named

The revised minimum wage for readymadegarment (RMG) workers may be set at Tk4500,which would mean an increase of Tk1500, or a 50% hike,said a BGMEA director, who preferred not to be named.

Leaders of RMG workers, however, have proposed Tk8114 as the minimum wage.

The BGMEA director said the revised minimum wage would be finalised after negotiationswith all the parties concerned.

Meanwhile, members of the wage board

formed to reviewthe minimum wage for RMG workers is scheduled to meet today to share experiences of their recent visit to some southeast Asian nations. The revised proposal is likely to be placed before the board today.

“I hope that the owners would come out of their earlier proposal considering the overall situation, and place the revised proposal today,” said Sirajul Islam Roney, president of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employee League.

Labour unrest in the RMG sector will continue if the owners do not reconsider their proposal of 20% wage hike for the workers, Roney added.

“In the proposal, I have put emphasis on the wages of workers who are directly involved in production,” he added.

Roney, also the workers’ representative at the wage board, said around 60%to 70% workers are directly involved in production, and they should get priority Recently, members of the wage board visited Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia to see the working environment and learn about the minimum wages in their RMG sectors.

In Vietnam, the minimum wage is $120 (about Tk9,000), while in Thailand, it is $80120 (Tk6,000-9,000) with 60% house rent, said Roney, adding that the living standard in those countries ismuch better than in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh formed the first wage board in 1994 to set minimum wage for RMG workers.

Then, the minimum monthly pay was set at Tk940. In 2006, the second wage board fixed the minimum wage at Tk1662.50, while the third wage board in 2010 raised the minimum pay to Tk3000. l

Analysts say stocks plunged on nervous selling due to fears of political turmoil followed by an apparent face-off between the ruling and the opposition parties over the upcoming national election.

Investor presence on the trading floor was very thin as holiday hangover gripped the market.

The benchmark DSEX index fell steeply 71 points or 1.9% to close at 3,771, recording four and a half month low. The index extended its losses for the sixth consecutive session.

The blue chip index DS30 dropped 29 points or 2% to end at 1,359.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, declined 126 points to 7,368.

Investor reluctance in participating in trading was well reflected in the turnover

The steep index slope falling like a waterfall is nothing abnormal for the day’s market as the bourse reflected investors lack of participation, since most of the people are still on Eid vacation outside the city

that stood at Tk1b, which was 10-month low since January 21 this year and almost 50% down from the previous session.

“No one was willing to make fresh commitments amid high political tension,” said a leading stock broker.

More than 80% issues lost their value as out of 278 issues traded, 229 declined, 28 advanced and 21 remained unchanged in the prime bourse.

“Over imminent turmoil in political frontier and condensed fear on it fueled this downbeat after long closure,” said IDLC Investments in its market analysis.

Additionally, it said, investors’ faded confidence fostered this downhill amid panic sale.

“The steep index slope falling like a waterfall is nothing abnormal for the day’s market as the bourse reflected investors lack of participation, since most of the people are still on Eid vacation outside the city,” said Zenith Investments.

“After a long streak of holidays, the market is either set to move forward or investors may again adopt wait and watch strategy due to some upcoming political agendas,” it said.

Newly listed Bangladesh Building Systems became the turnover leader with shares worth over Tk68m changing hands, followed

by Argon Denim, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd, JMI Syringe and Square Pharmaceuticals.

Fine Foods was the day’s worst loser with 28% decline as the company declared 2% stock dividend. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

EU strikes trade deal with Canada n Reuters, Brussels The European Union and Canada agreed a multibillion-dollar trade pact on Friday that will integrate two of the world’s largest economies and pave the way for Europe to clinch an even bigger deal with the United States.

The deal will make Canada the only G8 country to have preferential access to the world’s two largest markets, the EU and the United States, home to a total of 800 million people.

“This is the biggest deal our country has ever made,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in Brussels, adding that it outstripped the North American Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Talks between the two sides launched in May 2009 but stalled for months over quotas for Canadian beef and EU cheese. Harper and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met in Brussels to resolve outstanding issues and seal the deal.

In a cheeky touch, chefs served Italian gorgonzola and Greek feta cheese at a four-course lunch laid on for the two leaders to celebrate the deal, which EU trade chief Karel De Gucht called a “template” for negotiations with the United States.

Breakthrough Deal

The deal marks a breakthrough for Brussels’ free-trade agenda, which had previously achieved smaller agreements with South Korea and Singapore. It is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods and services by a fifth to 25.7bn euros ($35bn) a year, according to the latest EU estimates.

Barroso said he hoped the agreement could come into effect from 2015, after EU governments, the European Parliament and Canada’s 10 provinces give their blessing.

One significant potential obstacle was cleared on Friday when the government of Quebec, whose dairy industry had been unhappy about the increased EU cheese quota, announced its support for the agreement.

On dairy, the province’s government said

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso poses with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (left) ahead of a meeting at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels REUTERS Ottawa had committed to compensate producers for any losses due to the new import quotas. However, France signaled some reservations about an influx of Canadian beef under the deal, even if its Munster and Camembert cheese will now win easier access to Canada’s supermarket shelves.

“I am waiting for confirmation from the Commission that this accord, particularly in agriculture, does not a set a precedent for talks with the United States,” said French Trade Minister Nicole Bricq at a meeting with De Gucht and her peers in Luxembourg.

The Commission is negotiating trade pacts with more than 80 countries on behalf

of the bloc’s 28 members after the collapse of the marathon Doha round of global trade talks. The delays that dogged the agreement with Canada showed how difficult such deals can be.

Efforts to sign a free trade accord with the United States faced a setback this month when a second round of negotiations was canceled because of the US government shutdown.

Despite plans to do a deal by the end of next year, the talks have also been overshadowed by reports the United States bugged EU offices under surveillance programs made public by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who has taken refuge in

Russia.

Still, the EU-Canada agreement should provide a boost for EU-US negotiations. Both deals seek to go far beyond tariff cuts and to reduce transatlantic barriers to business.

There are similar sticking points, such as agriculture.

“It’s a good signal. I’m a transatlanticist,” German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler told Reuters in Luxembourg.

“It’s a great basis for all other negotiations, such as the TTIP talks with the United States,” he said, referring to the proposed deal by its formal name, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. l

India business chiefs warn of ‘atmosphere of fear’ n AFP, New Delhi India’s top business groups have warned of an “atmosphere of fear” enveloping corporate circles and bureaucrats that could hurt economic recovery after police accused a leading industrialist of corruption.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier in the week filed a case accusing Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of conglomerate Aditya Birla Group and one of India’s most respected business names, of conspiring to obtain a coal block for a cut-rate price eight years ago.

“Reputations of institutions and individuals take years to build,” Kris Gopalakrishnan, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said.

“Extreme caution needs to be exercised before any action is taken which jeopardises reputations,” he said late Friday, adding,

“creation of an atmosphere of fear is not desirable.”

The case against Birla, viewed in the corporate world as a by-the-rules player, sent shock waves through the business community.

“Such developments dent the national psyche and dampen investor confidence,” said Gopalakrishnan.

The corporate alarm comes as the economy has slumped, growing by 4.4% in the last quarter – half the nearly double-digit rates seen in the last decade. Birla, 46, joins a string of senior business figures and civil servants being probed over various graft scandals that have rocked the Congress-led government and forced several ministers’ exits.

The billionaire was accused of conspiracy along with the former coal secretary, P.C. Parakh, over a scandal in which the national auditor accused the government of underpricing coalfields and giving away billions of

dollars in windfall gains to firms. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

The series of scandals have cast a shadow over the government’s re-election hopes in polls due by May. The president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Naina Lal Kidwai called the accusations against “industry icons” and bureaucrats “unfortunate”.

“Capable and highly regarded officers and business leaders cannot be made scapegoats of mere suspicion and misconstrued actions,” she said. Civil servants in the vast Indian bureaucracy, a legacy of British colonial rule commonly mocked for its red tape, have spoken about paralysis in ministries.

Officials have said they are worried about taking decisions for fear of facing accusations of wrongdoing later.

“We’re in a very, very uncomfortable situation as a nation” with industrialists and

senior bureaucrats under investigation, D K Mittal, a former top finance ministry official, told a financial portal.

If business and government cannot “work for the nation, how can we grow?” he asked.

Senior civil servants met Friday to discuss ways they can be “protected for bona fide decisions” taken in the “line of duty”, local media reported. Business people have said they are hesitant to bid for contracts in case the transaction is questioned later and they face legal action.

“We need to bring back a regime of courageous decision-making,” said Kidwai, adding that decisions involving no personal gain “are critical for growth”. Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily also expressed his unease.

“India cannot become just like Russia where investors are not prepared to go and billionaires are put behind the bars,” he told reporters. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

5

India clears Walmart of FDI violations n AFP, New Delhi India has cleared US supermarket giant Walmart of accusations it broke a ban on foreign investment in supermarkets by taking an indirect stake in a local chain, reports said Thursday.

The Indian government has been investigating a purchase by Walmart of $100 million in convertible debt from the retail arm of Indian conglomerate Bharti Enterprises to see whether the US supermarket chain was seeking to circumvent curbs on foreign investment in the sector.

Walmart’s purchase of debentures had sparked accusations it was trying to get round foreign direct investment (FDI) rules as the debt could be converted into an equity stake in violation of regulations in force at that time.

But the Enforcement Directorate, a fed-

eral investigation agency, said it had found no violation of FDI guidelines by the multinational retailer under new rules, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported.

“The Enforcement Directorate has found no contravention of foreign exchange laws as the government has recently amended the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the guidelines regulating FDI in the multi-brand retail sector,” a senior unnamed official told PTI. “There is no concrete basis for the agency to take forward the probe, unless otherwise there are some new directions,” the official was quoted as saying.

The Wall Street Journal also carried a similar report on its website, citing an unnamed official familiar with the probe as saying there appeared to be no violation.

India last year allowed foreign supermar-

kets to operate in the country as part of a move to open up the economy to FDI. The probe was ordered after a communist lawmaker wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh complaining about Walmart’s 2010 purchase of the convertible debentures in Cedar Support Services, the holding company through which Bharti controls Easyday, a multi-brand retail chain.

Walmart has long insisted the purchase did not break the rules and that it was discussed with government officials when the transaction took place. A spokesman for the store declined to comment Thursday, saying the Enforcement Directorate had not yet officially released its findings.

The latest development comes just a week after Walmart and Bharti announced they were ending their retail partnership.

The companies said they would “inde-

pendently own and operate separate business formats”, ending an alliance aimed at building Walmart’s presence in India’s potentially lucrative retail sector.

The world’s biggest retailer has operated since 2007 in India as a wholesaler via its partnership with Bharti.

Walmart had partly blamed India’s foreign investment rules for the break-up.

Walmart had said in July it was unable to meet the government’s requirements stipulating that 30% of its products must come from local small-scale industries for it to open retail stores.

Under the break-up, Walmart will acquire Bharti’s stake in the wholesale business.

Walmart is expected to stay focused on its wholesale business, which would help to build up its supply chain to support any future store venture. l

China’s pioneers to drive recovery in solar equipment demand n Reuters As China’s solar panel makers venture into uncharted markets, the handful of companies that supply equipment for their plants are dusting off their order books to meet a revival in demand.

GT Advanced Technologies Inc and Meyer Burger Technology expect a new wave of orders from next year, when worldwide spending by solar companies is forecast to rise for the first time since 2011.

“Demand is coming from many more countries than previously, and the emerging markets are waking up to the potential from solar,” said Edward Guinness, co-portfolio manager at Guinness Atkinson Asset Management in London.

China is the world’s largest solar panel maker. Its companies, stung by a slowdown in the once-lucrative European market, are moving into Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and southeast Asia, where demand for solar power is rising fast.

Attracted by local incentives to invest in these markets, companies such as JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd and Canadian Solar Inc view overseas production as a way around US and European Union tariffs on China-made solar products.

There is a considerable global capacity overhang to work through - some analysts say 10 gigawatts - before demand will exceed installed capacity, meaning a rise in equipment orders will not be felt until 2014 at the earliest.

But new plants will be built in new locations. JinkoSolar, the first Chinese solar panel maker to return to profitability, is building a plant in South Africa to meet local production requirements, company spokesman Sebastian Liu said.

Canadian Solar, which has most of its manufacturing operations in China, is planning to build a 60 megawatt (MW) plant in Indonesia in partnership with a local solar panel maker to take advantage of a new feed-in tariff scheme.

Investment in China itself, after grinding practically to a halt, will also be kick-started by new industry guidelines that set min-

A worker inspects solar panels at a solar farm in Dunhuang, China imum thresholds for capacity installation and energy efficiency.

Beijing requires domestic solar companies to spend at least 3% of annual revenue, or no less than 10m yuan ($1.64m), on research and development and technical upgrades, which will drive demand for new and better equipment.

“The next solar capital investment cycle ... is likely to begin to occur in late-2014 or early-2015,” said Tom Gutierrez, chief executive of GT Advanced Technologies. He identified the Middle East in particular as a potential region of growth.

Investor Interest

Business information provider IHS estimates about $3bn will be invested in equipment and facilities next year by producers of modules, cells, ingots, wafers and polysilicon - a material key to solar panel production.

The global solar equipment market peaked at about $13bn in 2011, when a rapid expansion in Chinese capacity was in full swing, but by this year it had dwindled to $1.8bn, according to NPD Solarbuzz, a solar industry research company.

The promised recovery, however modest, has revived investor interest in solar

REUTERS

equipment manufacturers. GT’s shares have almost tripled since the beginning of this year.

“There is a case for investing in solar equipment suppliers,” said Guinness, who holds shares in several Chinese solar companies, including Trina Solar Ltd and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd. IHS forecasts solar capacity in southeast Asia will almost quadruple to 800 megawatts (MW) this year. Capacity in Central and South America will triple to 600 MW, while a threefold jump in the Middle East and Africa could take capacity there to 1 gigawatt. l

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 3771.68 ⇓ 1.87%, Turnover: 1104.39 M.Tk ⇓ 49.68%, PE: 11.85 Turnover 1,224.73 MTk . ⇓ 48.51% October 20, 2013 MarketCap. 1,828.22 BTk. ⇓ 1.91% CSE All Share Index: 11669 ⇓ 1.68%, Turnover: 120.34 M Tk. ⇓ 34.87%, PE: 11.72 Combined Turnover Leader BD Building Systems -N Argon Denims Limited-A

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 107165 D: 22.80 ⇑ 0.44% | 22.86 | 23.20 / 20.50 C: 22.70 ⇓ 0.44% | 22.59 | 22.90 / 22.50 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 514078 D: 16.00 ⇑ 0.63% | 15.92 | 16.30 / 15.00 C: 15.80 ⇓ 0.63% | 15.69 | 15.90 / 15.30 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 332575 D: 20.30 ⇓ 1.46% | 20.48 | 20.90 / 19.50 C: 20.10 ⇓ 2.43% | 20.10 | 20.70 / 19.90 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 385584 D: 34.70 ⇓ 0.86% | 34.82 | 35.50 / 34.00 C: 34.90 ⇓ 1.13% | 34.88 | 35.00 / 34.60 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 1014074 D: 10.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.30 | 10.60 / 10.10 C: 10.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.21 | 10.30 / 10.10 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 187033 D: 30.90 ⇓ 0.32% | 30.92 | 31.10 / 29.50 C: 30.40 ⇓ 1.94% | 30.44 | 30.60 / 30.00 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 4900 D: 58.10 ⇓ 0.85% | 58.16 | 59.40 / 57.80 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 1092042 D: 18.00 ⇓ 1.10% | 17.99 | 18.30 / 17.80 C: 17.90 ⇓ 1.65% | 17.91 | 18.20 / 17.70 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 161018 D: 25.40 ⇓ 0.39% | 25.54 | 25.80 / 24.00 C: 25.10 ⇓ 1.57% | 25.19 | 25.60 / 25.00 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 103000 D: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.81 | 5.90 / 5.60 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 19617 D: 26.40 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.45 | 26.70 / 25.00 C: 26.20 ⇑ 0.77% | 26.03 | 26.30 / 25.70 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 80450 D: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.78 | 13.90 / 12.50 C: 14.00 ⇑ 2.94% | 14.00 | 14.40 / 13.70 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 94405 D: 17.90 ⇑ 1.70% | 17.84 | 18.00 / 16.00 C: 17.70 ⇑ 3.51% | 17.60 | 17.70 / 17.00 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 520250 D: 13.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.91 | 15.00 / 12.60 C: 13.90 ⇓ 0.71% | 13.94 | 14.00 / 13.90 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 51401 D: 17.40 ⇓ 0.57% | 17.35 | 18.00 / 16.00 C: 17.30 ⇓ 0.57% | 17.40 | 17.60 / 17.00 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 260740 D: 10.70 ⇓ 0.93% | 10.74 | 11.00 / 9.80 C: 10.90 ⇑ 0.93% | 10.82 | 11.00 / 10.70 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 497996 D: 10.70 ⇓ 2.73% | 10.79 | 11.40 / 9.90 C: 10.90 ⇓ 1.80% | 10.88 | 11.00 / 10.80 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 6000 D: 91.50 ⇑ 1.67% | 91.50 | 92.00 / 90.00 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 9440 D: 14.10 ⇓ 1.40% | 14.23 | 15.40 / 12.90 C: 14.20 ⇑ 1.43% | 14.17 | 14.20 / 14.10 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 108356 D: 12.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.72 | 13.40 / 11.80 C: 12.60 ⇑ 0.80% | 12.62 | 12.80 / 12.50 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 318680 D: 14.10 ⇓ 0.70% | 14.12 | 14.20 / 13.30 C: 14.00 ⇓ 2.10% | 13.94 | 14.20 / 13.80 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 76900 D: 18.30 ⇓ 1.08% | 18.44 | 18.70 / 16.70 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 87828 D: 11.50 ⇓ 0.86% | 11.50 | 11.70 / 11.00 C: 11.40 ⇓ 0.87% | 11.42 | 11.50 / 11.40 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 312828 D: 10.50 ⇓ 0.94% | 10.58 | 10.80 / 9.60 C: 10.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.59 | 10.70 / 10.40 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 11559 D: 12.80 ⇓ 0.78% | 12.84 | 13.50 / 11.70 C: 12.90 ⇑ 1.57% | 12.90 | 12.90 / 12.90 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 86920 D: 27.30 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.26 | 27.50 / 25.00 C: 27.10 ⇑ 0.74% | 27.04 | 27.20 / 27.00 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 95629 D: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.79 | 13.90 / 12.40 C: 13.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.78 | 14.00 / 13.60 PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 114151 D: 9.10 ⇓ 2.15% | 9.07 | 9.50 / 9.00 C: 9.10 ⇓ 1.09% | 9.02 | 9.10 / 9.00

1893500 912080

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

81.01

6.62

51.06

4.17

Avg. P 42.78 55.98

BD Submarine Cable-A

269820

48.78

3.98

180.77

JMI Syringes MDL-A

157000

29.72

2.43

189.29

Square Pharma -A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

Vol.

156687

27.27

2.23

TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 68872 D: 17.80 ⇑ 4.09% | 17.66 | 18.00 / 15.40 C: 17.70 ⇑ 9.26% | 17.70 | 17.80 / 17.30 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 146466 D: 10.90 ⇓ 0.91% | 11.02 | 12.00 / 9.90 C: 10.80 ⇓ 1.82% | 10.82 | 10.90 / 10.80 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 43390 D: 54.70 ⇓ 2.67% | 54.97 | 56.20 / 54.50 C: 55.40 ⇓ 1.95% | 55.72 | 56.00 / 55.00 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 33083 D: 24.80 ⇓ 2.75% | 25.06 | 25.50 / 24.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 25650 D: 70.20 ⇓ 2.64% | 70.17 | 72.00 / 69.70 C: 71.60 ⇓ 0.69% | 70.14 | 72.40 / 70.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 155299 D: 23.30 ⇓ 0.85% | 23.37 | 23.90 / 21.50 C: 22.40 ⇓ 3.86% | 22.40 | 22.40 / 22.40 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 262055 D: 20.30 ⇓ 3.79% | 20.20 | 21.50 / 19.00 C: 20.30 ⇓ 4.25% | 20.34 | 21.80 / 20.10 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 115528 D: 20.90 ⇓ 2.79% | 21.02 | 21.40 / 20.00 C: 21.20 ⇓ 1.85% | 21.00 | 21.20 / 20.60 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 60000 D: 10.00 ⇓ 0.99% | 10.13 | 10.20 / 10.00 C: 10.20 ⇓ 0.97% | 10.02 | 10.20 / 10.00 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 82000 D: 15.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.04 | 15.20 / 14.80 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 44374 D: 51.70 ⇓ 2.27% | 51.62 | 53.00 / 47.70 C: 52.50 ⇓ 1.13% | 51.15 | 52.50 / 51.00 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 35207 D: 14.50 ⇓ 5.23% | 14.73 | 15.10 / 14.00 C: 14.90 ⇓ 3.25% | 14.81 | 14.90 / 14.60 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 34000 D: 17.50 ⇓ 1.13% | 17.35 | 17.80 / 16.80 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 3500 D: 27.30 ⇓ 2.85% | 27.43 | 27.60 / 27.10 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 272095 D: 19.80 ⇓ 0.50% | 19.77 | 20.70 / 18.00 C: 19.00 ⇓ 4.04% | 19.03 | 19.40 / 19.00 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 252500 D: 12.80 ⇓ 5.88% | 12.97 | 13.80 / 12.80 C: 12.90 ⇓ 5.15% | 13.00 | 13.20 / 12.80 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 141687 D: 27.40 ⇑ 1.11% | 27.08 | 27.60 / 24.70 C: 27.20 ⇑ 0.74% | 27.17 | 27.40 / 27.00 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 101380 D: 13.50 ⇓ 2.88% | 13.58 | 13.70 / 13.50 C: 13.50 ⇓ 2.88% | 13.53 | 13.60 / 13.50 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 17316 D: 51.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 51.22 | 51.70 / 47.20 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 118250 D: 27.70 ⇓ 1.77% | 27.56 | 28.30 / 27.00 C: 27.40 ⇓ 0.72% | 27.42 | 28.00 / 27.00 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 55000 D: 25.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.13 | 25.40 / 24.80 C: 25.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.17 | 28.00 / 25.50 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 3142 D: 1401 ⇓ 2.66% | 1405 | 1440 / 1350 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 23000 D: 23.30 ⇓ 2.92% | 23.35 | 23.50 / 23.30 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 458500 D: 15.20 ⇓ 4.40% | 15.33 | 15.80 / 15.20 C: 15.20 ⇓ 4.40% | 15.31 | 15.80 / 15.10 INVESTMENT 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 500 D: 175.2 ⇑ 1.27% | 176.00 | 175.8 / 174.0 4THICB | 29.24 | 229.24 | Vol. 500 D: 172.4 ⇑ 0.23% | 172.00 | 174.0 / 172.0 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 6200 D: 44.70 ⇑ 0.22% | 44.84 | 45.00 / 44.10 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 1500 D: 49.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 49.33 | 49.30 / 49.00 1STBSRS | 14.43 | 161.88 | Vol. 41000 D: 82.10 ⇓ 0.12% | 82.15 | 83.20 / 81.10 C: 81.00 ⇑ 1.25% | 81.00 | 81.00 / 81.00

174.01

DSE Gainer Trust Bank-A NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A Islami Ins.BD-A ICB Islamic Bank-Z Prime Bank-A

C% 4.09 3.57 1.92 1.75 1.70

A% 3.46 4.16 4.95 1.04 1.13

AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 129075 D: 34.80 ⇓ 3.33% | 34.85 | 36.00 / 34.50 C: 35.00 ⇓ 3.85% | 35.18 | 36.80 / 34.90 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 92500 D: 41.80 ⇓ 3.24% | 42.19 | 43.80 / 41.50 C: 41.60 ⇓ 3.48% | 41.57 | 41.60 / 41.50 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 4500 D: 21.50 ⇓ 0.46% | 21.56 | 21.60 / 21.50 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 89500 D: 8.60 ⇓ 2.27% | 8.72 | 8.90 / 8.50 C: 8.80 ⇓ 3.30% | 8.85 | 8.90 / 8.80 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 294800 D: 15.00 ⇓ 3.85% | 15.21 | 15.50 / 15.00 C: 15.10 ⇓ 4.43% | 15.16 | 15.30 / 15.00 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 289500 D: 18.40 ⇓ 6.12% | 18.71 | 19.70 / 18.40 C: 18.30 ⇓ 6.15% | 19.02 | 19.40 / 18.20 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 220454 D: 6.40 ⇓ 3.03% | 6.52 | 6.60 / 6.40 C: 6.50 ⇓ 2.99% | 6.50 | 6.60 / 6.50 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 500 D: 5.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.50 | 5.50 / 5.50 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 60500 D: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.74 | 5.90 / 5.70 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 250000 D: 7.20 ⇓ 1.37% | 7.20 | 7.40 / 7.10 C: 7.20 ⇓ 2.70% | 7.24 | 7.30 / 7.20 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 57500 D: 5.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 5.05 | 5.60 / 5.00 C: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.16 | 5.20 / 5.10 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 134000 D: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.20 | 5.30 / 5.20 C: 5.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.17 | 5.20 / 5.10 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 191500 D: 6.10 ⇓ 1.61% | 6.19 | 6.20 / 6.10 C: 6.20 ⇓ 1.59% | 6.23 | 6.30 / 6.10 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 75000 D: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.24 | 5.30 / 5.20 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 62000 D: 4.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 4.90 | 4.90 / 4.90 C: 4.90 ⇓ 2.00% | 4.90 | 4.90 / 4.90 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 176500 D: 5.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 5.58 | 5.80 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.58 | 5.60 / 5.50 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 86500 D: 5.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.00 | 5.00 / 5.00 C: 5.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.00 | 5.00 / 5.00 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 221412 D: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.63 | 5.90 / 5.20 C: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.60 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 90500 D: 5.00 ⇓ 3.85% | 5.08 | 5.20 / 5.00 C: 5.10 ⇓ 1.92% | 5.10 | 5.10 / 5.10 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 421000 D: 5.10 ⇓ 1.92% | 5.16 | 5.30 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.19 | 5.20 / 5.10 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 4000 D: 6.10 ⇓ 4.69% | 6.25 | 6.30 / 6.10 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 50000 D: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.02 | 6.10 / 6.00 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 146700 D: 7.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.69 | 7.80 / 7.60 C: 7.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 8.07 | 8.30 / 7.60 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 243100 D: 7.70 ⇓ 2.53% | 7.79 | 8.00 / 7.70 C: 7.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 7.61 | 7.70 / 7.50 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 86000 D: 7.20 ⇓ 7.69% | 7.23 | 7.40 / 7.20 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 20500 D: 6.60 ⇓ 1.49% | 6.68 | 6.80 / 6.60 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 303500 D: 8.20 ⇓ 2.38% | 8.26 | 8.50 / 8.10 C: 8.20 ⇓ 4.65% | 8.20 | 8.20 / 8.20 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 1000 D: 8.90 ⇓ 4.30% | 8.90 | 8.90 / 8.90 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 13075 D: 8.70 ⇑ 3.57% | 8.77 | 8.80 / 8.20 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 185000 D: 6.50 ⇓ 4.41% | 6.53 | 6.70 / 6.50 C: 6.30 ⇓ 4.55% | 6.38 | 6.60 / 6.30 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 500 D: 7.20 ⇓ 6.49% | 7.20 | 7.20 / 7.20

DSE Loser

C%

A%

CP

Fine Foods-A

-28.70

-27.97

15.90

Desh Garments-B

-10.00

-11.39

54.90

MeghnaCement-A

-9.95

-11.77

123.10

5.80

Legacy Footwear -A

-9.94

-10.57

28.10

17.90

Aziz Pipes-Z

-9.84

-9.99

17.40

CP 17.80 8.70 31.90

ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 197864 D: 97.30 ⇓ 4.33% | 98.21 | 101.0 / 92.00 C: 97.80 ⇓ 4.59% | 98.57 | 99.50 / 100.0 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 12400 D: 17.40 ⇓ 9.84% | 17.47 | 17.90 / 17.40 C: 17.40 ⇓ 9.84% | 17.44 | 17.50 / 17.40 OLYMPIC | 5.94 | 14.91 | Vol. 20567 D: 189.1 ⇓ 4.06% | 189.97 | 193.0 / 182.0 C: 202.3 ⇑ 1.66% | 202.25 | 214.5 / 190.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 11100 D: 133.9 ⇓ 4.83% | 134.81 | 140.9 / 133.0 C: 134.7 ⇓ 2.04% | 134.72 | 135.0 / 134.1 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 500 D: 296.2 ⇓ 7.35% | 296.00 | 301.5 / 292.0 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 31025 D: 187.5 ⇓ 1.68% | 188.23 | 191.0 / 178.0 C: 186.2 ⇓ 2.05% | 185.46 | 188.5 / 185.0 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 5850 D: 160.6 ⇓ 2.90% | 160.68 | 162.8 / 160.4 BDAUTOCA | 0.25 | 6.23 | Vol. 23000 D: 30.50 ⇓ 9.76% | 30.87 | 32.10 / 30.50 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 50080 D: 27.80 ⇓ 5.12% | 27.86 | 28.10 / 27.50 C: 27.30 ⇓ 6.19% | 27.23 | 27.30 / 27.10 RENWICKJA | 5.62 | -90.00 | Vol. 4850 D: 122.3 ⇓ 7.70% | 124.12 | 130.0 / 120.0 NTLTUBES | -2.52 | 312.10 | Vol. 13012 D: 68.20 ⇓ 2.43% | 67.61 | 68.50 / 63.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 112055 D: 25.60 ⇓ 3.76% | 25.80 | 26.70 / 25.00 C: 25.50 ⇓ 3.77% | 25.57 | 26.00 / 25.10 ANWARGALV | 0.51 | 8.08 | Vol. 58000 D: 22.00 ⇓ 9.84% | 22.23 | 23.30 / 22.00 C: 22.40 ⇓ 9.31% | 22.38 | 22.70 / 22.30 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 6000 D: 15.00 ⇓ 5.66% | 15.00 | 15.20 / 14.90 C: 15.20 ⇓ 0.65% | 15.20 | 15.20 / 15.20 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 18000 D: 82.40 ⇓ 3.29% | 82.39 | 83.00 / 81.00 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 36000 D: 36.50 ⇓ 3.69% | 36.76 | 37.60 / 36.40 C: 37.00 ⇓ 2.63% | 37.04 | 37.20 / 37.00 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 93112 D: 40.40 ⇓ 2.65% | 40.62 | 41.50 / 37.50 C: 40.10 ⇓ 2.91% | 40.18 | 41.00 / 40.10 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 85100 D: 61.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 61.66 | 62.30 / 56.00 C: 61.30 ⇓ 1.13% | 61.48 | 62.80 / 60.90 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 35115 D: 59.60 ⇓ 2.61% | 59.71 | 61.20 / 56.00 C: 59.30 ⇓ 3.10% | 58.96 | 60.00 / 58.70 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 134103 D: 16.30 ⇓ 2.40% | 16.35 | 16.70 / 15.50 C: 16.20 ⇓ 3.57% | 16.36 | 17.10 / 16.00 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 10700 D: 40.00 ⇓ 2.20% | 40.02 | 41.00 / 39.70 BENGALWTL | 2.42 | 20.72 | Vol. 206600 D: 45.10 ⇓ 4.45% | 46.16 | 47.50 / 45.00 C: 46.20 ⇓ 2.74% | 46.16 | 47.90 / 45.00 BDBUILDING | 1.02 | 12.40 | Vol. 1893500 D: 41.90 ⇓ 9.11% | 42.82 | 45.80 / 41.40 C: 41.60 ⇓ 9.76% | 42.57 | 44.10 / 41.00 NPOLYMAR | 2.01 | 324.37 | Vol. 19675 D: 47.90 ⇓ 6.45% | 48.34 | 51.00 / 47.30 C: 47.00 ⇓ 6.93% | 47.01 | 47.10 / 47.00 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 400 C: 72.00 ⇓ 8.86% | 72.03 | 72.10 / 72.00 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 24800 D: 87.60 ⇓ 0.68% | 86.67 | 88.70 / 84.00 C: 84.20 ⇓ 2.88% | 84.20 | 84.20 / 84.20 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 26173 D: 382.2 ⇓ 7.68% | 390.36 | 416.0 / 379.0 C: 383.4 ⇓ 6.28% | 386.52 | 391.0 / 380.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 800 D: 1512 ⇓ 4.14% | 1511 | 1521 / 1501 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 350 D: 799.9 ⇓ 0.01% | 800.00 | 800.0 / 799.9 C: 815.0 ⇑ 0.62% | 812.50 | 815.0 / 810.0

ZEALBANGLA | -23.01 | -193.09 | Vol. 1500 D: 9.00 ⇓ 1.10% | 9.00 | 9.00 / 9.00 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.53 | 53.37 | Vol. 30300 D: 204.5 ⇓ 6.28% | 205.93 | 212.1 / 203.0 C: 202.0 ⇓ 7.93% | 202.59 | 206.1 / 201.0 FUWANGFOOD | 1.26 | 12.37 | Vol. 137813 D: 22.70 ⇓ 2.58% | 22.92 | 23.40 / 21.00 C: 22.60 ⇓ 3.83% | 22.62 | 23.50 / 22.40 MEGHNAPET | -0.58 | -1.02 | Vol. 8500 D: 7.10 ⇓ 8.97% | 7.18 | 7.30 / 7.10 MEGCONMILK | -6.68 | -16.22 | Vol. 11000 D: 6.90 ⇓ 4.17% | 6.90 | 6.90 / 6.90 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 391731 D: 20.50 ⇓ 7.66% | 20.71 | 22.10 / 20.00 C: 20.50 ⇓ 7.24% | 20.59 | 21.20 / 20.40 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 496000 D: 15.90 ⇓ 28.70% | 16.20 | 17.50 / 15.00 C: 15.80 ⇓ 29.46% | 16.20 | 17.80 / 15.50 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 500561 D: 21.00 ⇓ 1.87% | 20.95 | 21.40 / 19.50 C: 20.90 ⇓ 2.34% | 20.80 | 21.10 / 20.50 GHAIL | 1.01 | 22.08 | Vol. 201120 D: 43.00 ⇓ 4.44% | 43.30 | 44.90 / 40.50 C: 43.10 ⇓ 4.43% | 43.33 | 44.00 / 42.90 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 2950 D: 586.7 ⇓ 4.17% | 587.12 | 599.0 / 585.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 61705 D: 277.5 ⇓ 2.84% | 275.33 | 280.0 / 270.0 C: 277.6 ⇓ 2.53% | 275.70 | 286.0 / 272.1 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 195050 D: 19.60 ⇓ 6.67% | 19.76 | 20.60 / 19.10 C: 19.70 ⇓ 6.19% | 19.90 | 20.30 / 19.50 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 82924 D: 29.80 ⇓ 2.30% | 30.04 | 30.70 / 27.50 C: 29.90 ⇓ 2.29% | 30.31 | 31.30 / 29.80 DESCO | 2.80 | 35.25 | Vol. 60575 D: 70.60 ⇓ 0.28% | 70.70 | 71.30 / 65.00 C: 63.10 ⇓ 9.86% | 63.10 | 63.10 / 63.10 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 48140 D: 53.00 ⇓ 0.93% | 53.31 | 54.00 / 53.00 C: 52.50 ⇓ 0.94% | 52.50 | 52.50 / 52.50 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 75035 D: 221.0 ⇓ 0.50% | 219.41 | 235.0 / 212.0 C: 218.5 ⇓ 1.40% | 218.52 | 220.0 / 217.5 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 69785 D: 250.4 ⇓ 0.91% | 248.98 | 252.8 / 245.0 C: 249.5 ⇓ 1.27% | 249.86 | 251.6 / 248.9 TITASGAS | 9.01 | 36.56 | Vol. 109977 D: 77.30 ⇓ 2.40% | 77.47 | 78.60 / 71.30 C: 77.20 ⇓ 3.14% | 77.33 | 78.00 / 77.10 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 66202 D: 44.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 44.37 | 45.00 / 40.00 C: 43.80 ⇓ 1.35% | 43.92 | 44.50 / 43.00 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 178248 D: 25.10 ⇓ 2.71% | 25.27 | 25.80 / 23.60 C: 25.00 ⇓ 3.85% | 25.08 | 25.50 / 24.90 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 38748 D: 69.80 ⇓ 0.43% | 70.01 | 70.90 / 65.00 C: 68.20 ⇓ 1.73% | 68.14 | 69.00 / 68.10 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 131831 D: 24.30 ⇓ 2.80% | 24.51 | 25.00 / 22.50 C: 24.40 ⇓ 2.40% | 24.41 | 24.60 / 24.10 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 222290 D: 46.90 ⇓ 3.30% | 47.18 | 48.50 / 43.70 C: 46.90 ⇓ 3.50% | 47.08 | 48.00 / 46.60 JUTE JUTESPINN | 2.06 | 17.42 | Vol. 3950 D: 102.5 ⇓ 7.07% | 102.78 | 104.0 / 102.3 NORTHERN | -13.80 | -6.19 | Vol. 600 D: 34.80 ⇓ 2.25% | 35.00 | 37.50 / 33.00 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 3800 D: 127.6 ⇓ 5.34% | 126.58 | 132.4 / 125.5 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 1.35 | 15.64 | Vol. 24101 D: 79.90 ⇓ 0.87% | 79.25 | 84.90 / 74.00 RAHIMTEXT | 0.51 | 73.88 | Vol. 500 D: 235.3 ⇓ 7.54% | 236.00 | 240.0 / 233.0

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

7

October 20, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 31,278.32 ⇓ 0.26% NBFI: 18,568.47 ⇓ 1.55% INVS: 4,527.78 ⇓ 1.49% ENGG: 5,503.70 ⇓ 1.88% FOOD: 9,531.19 ⇓ 2.24% F&P: 9,455.01 ⇓ 2.96% TEXT: 2,939.72 ⇓ 3.30% PHAR: 16,472.26 ⇓ 1.69% PAPR: 911.37 ⇓ 6.38% SERV: 2,742.94 ⇓ 3.47% LEAT: 4,788.31 ⇓ 0.53% CERA: 467.86 ⇓ 3.89% CMNT: 4,278.44 ⇓ 2.00% INFO: 6,915.17 ⇓ 2.71% GINS: 9,126.89 ⇓ 0.29% LINS: 105,231.56 ⇓ 2.14% TELC: 1,230.30 ⇓ 3.02% MISC: 5,730.81 ⇓ 2.30% SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 207400 D: 29.20 ⇓ 2.34% | 29.17 | 29.80 / 28.80 C: 29.20 ⇓ 3.31% | 29.19 | 29.30 / 29.00 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 1650 D: 77.70 ⇓ 9.65% | 78.79 | 86.00 / 77.40 DSHGARME | 0.72 | 12.00 | Vol. 29700 D: 54.90 ⇓ 10.00% | 55.52 | 59.00 / 54.90 DULAMIACOT | -8.46 | -27.78 | Vol. 1400 D: 8.30 ⇓ 4.60% | 8.57 | 8.50 / 8.20 TALLUSPIN | 2.56 | 12.06 | Vol. 237449 D: 38.60 ⇓ 3.98% | 38.93 | 40.40 / 37.50 C: 38.30 ⇓ 4.73% | 38.35 | 38.60 / 38.30 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 2000 D: 65.20 ⇓ 4.40% | 65.00 | 68.00 / 64.00 MITHUNKNIT | 4.54 | 30.39 | Vol. 32000 D: 80.30 ⇓ 6.95% | 81.25 | 84.20 / 80.00 C: 80.60 ⇓ 5.29% | 80.63 | 82.00 / 79.80 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 220600 D: 29.10 ⇓ 6.73% | 29.63 | 31.00 / 28.80 C: 29.30 ⇓ 6.39% | 29.78 | 30.20 / 29.00 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 115000 D: 15.90 ⇓ 8.62% | 16.32 | 17.00 / 15.80 C: 16.10 ⇓ 8.00% | 16.12 | 16.30 / 16.00 PRIMETEX | 1.01 | 63.54 | Vol. 108000 D: 23.90 ⇓ 6.27% | 23.97 | 24.30 / 23.30 C: 23.60 ⇓ 7.45% | 23.74 | 24.00 / 23.50 ALLTEX | -0.11 | 23.81 | Vol. 65500 D: 8.20 ⇓ 5.75% | 8.18 | 8.40 / 8.10 C: 8.30 ⇓ 6.74% | 8.28 | 8.50 / 8.20 ANLIMAYARN | 1.19 | 11.01 | Vol. 36500 D: 34.40 ⇓ 4.18% | 34.32 | 34.70 / 33.70 C: 32.80 ⇓ 9.89% | 32.80 | 32.80 / 32.80 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 55425 D: 32.30 ⇓ 7.98% | 32.87 | 35.10 / 32.00 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 675959 D: 29.70 ⇓ 6.60% | 30.14 | 31.20 / 28.70 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 91000 D: 21.10 ⇓ 7.86% | 21.39 | 22.60 / 20.90 C: 21.20 ⇓ 7.42% | 21.29 | 22.00 / 21.10 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 59850 D: 89.10 ⇓ 1.33% | 89.29 | 90.00 / 89.00 C: 88.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 88.03 | 88.60 / 87.80 METROSPIN | -1.00 | 19.59 | Vol. 130500 D: 15.60 ⇓ 6.59% | 15.85 | 16.30 / 15.50 C: 15.50 ⇓ 6.63% | 15.58 | 15.80 / 15.40 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 473560 D: 14.50 ⇓ 5.23% | 14.74 | 15.20 / 13.80 C: 14.70 ⇓ 3.92% | 14.74 | 15.10 / 14.50 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 109799 D: 26.10 ⇓ 2.25% | 26.06 | 26.30 / 24.10 C: 25.90 ⇓ 2.26% | 25.93 | 26.00 / 25.90 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 802126 D: 27.00 ⇓ 4.93% | 27.30 | 28.20 / 26.00 C: 27.20 ⇓ 3.89% | 27.36 | 28.20 / 27.10 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 120600 D: 14.90 ⇓ 3.25% | 14.99 | 15.50 / 14.80 C: 15.00 ⇓ 3.23% | 14.97 | 15.10 / 14.90 MALEKSPIN | -1.44 | 46.87 | Vol. 239000 D: 22.90 ⇓ 3.78% | 22.96 | 23.90 / 22.80 C: 22.80 ⇓ 4.20% | 22.95 | 23.30 / 22.70 ZAHINTEX | 1.91 | 35.25 | Vol. 82050 D: 28.80 ⇓ 4.32% | 29.17 | 29.70 / 27.10 C: 28.10 ⇓ 6.95% | 28.05 | 28.30 / 27.60 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 287000 D: 22.70 ⇓ 2.58% | 22.91 | 23.50 / 22.60 C: 22.50 ⇓ 3.43% | 22.59 | 23.60 / 22.20 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 975060 D: 21.50 ⇓ 4.44% | 21.68 | 23.00 / 20.30 C: 21.70 ⇓ 3.13% | 21.67 | 22.00 / 21.40 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 394670 D: 54.40 ⇓ 2.68% | 54.43 | 56.00 / 50.50 C: 54.60 ⇓ 2.67% | 54.76 | 56.00 / 54.00 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 912080 D: 56.20 ⇓ 1.40% | 56.03 | 61.00 / 51.30 C: 56.10 ⇓ 0.36% | 55.60 | 58.00 / 54.30 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 187500 D: 37.80 ⇑ 0.53% | 37.48 | 38.90 / 36.60 C: 37.60 ⇑ 0.27% | 37.36 | 37.80 / 36.50 QSMSILK | -0.22 | -0.06 | Vol. 0 C: 0.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 0.00 | 0.00 / 0.00 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 3800 D: 237.3 ⇓ 4.93% | 239.45 | 243.0 / 235.5 C: 240.1 ⇓ 3.11% | 240.10 | 240.2 / 240.0

DAFODILCOM | 1.12 | 11.14 | Vol. 100099 D: 16.90 ⇓ 1.74% | 16.94 | 17.10 / 16.80 C: 16.70 ⇓ 5.11% | 16.86 | 17.00 / 16.70 AAMRATECH | 1.46 | 21.90 | Vol. 284200 D: 30.90 ⇓ 4.63% | 31.10 | 32.10 / 29.20 C: 31.10 ⇓ 3.42% | 31.05 | 31.50 / 30.80

BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 51160 D: 40.30 ⇓ 2.42% | 40.41 | 42.00 / 37.90 C: 40.60 ⇓ 2.64% | 40.94 | 41.30 / 40.50 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 50 D: 890.0 ⇑ 0.09% | 890.00 | 890.0 / 890.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 2802 D: 153.9 ⇓ 2.47% | 153.85 | 156.5 / 153.4 C: 151.4 ⇓ 3.14% | 151.15 | 151.4 / 150.0 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 2700 D: 690.9 ⇓ 1.93% | 691.48 | 700.0 / 683.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 13150 D: 163.1 ⇓ 4.56% | 165.63 | 170.1 / 162.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 41334 D: 93.80 ⇓ 6.20% | 94.71 | 100.0 / 90.00 C: 95.00 ⇓ 4.43% | 94.14 | 96.70 / 92.00 LIBRAINFU | 4.64 | 1565.37 | Vol. 800 D: 366.2 ⇑ 0.27% | 366.25 | 384.0 / 355.0 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 44800 D: 40.50 ⇓ 4.71% | 40.89 | 43.10 / 40.30 C: 40.80 ⇓ 2.16% | 40.80 | 42.50 / 39.10 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 156687 D: 174.3 ⇓ 0.34% | 174.10 | 176.0 / 157.5 C: 173.5 ⇓ 0.63% | 173.11 | 175.8 / 172.1 IMAMBUTTON | -1.68 | 5.67 | Vol. 18500 D: 8.30 ⇓ 9.78% | 8.30 | 8.30 / 8.30 C: 9.00 ⇓ 8.16% | 9.00 | 9.00 / 9.00 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 368550 D: 22.60 ⇓ 4.24% | 23.02 | 23.80 / 22.50 C: 22.80 ⇓ 3.39% | 23.06 | 23.50 / 22.60 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 650 D: 807.0 ⇓ 0.25% | 807.00 | 807.0 / 807.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 19300 D: 74.30 ⇓ 1.72% | 74.81 | 75.90 / 74.00 C: 73.90 ⇓ 0.94% | 73.35 | 73.90 / 73.00 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 2250 D: 727.4 ⇓ 3.13% | 727.11 | 735.0 / 715.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.33 | 11.97 | Vol. 209500 D: 13.70 ⇓ 2.84% | 13.84 | 14.20 / 13.70 C: 13.70 ⇓ 2.14% | 13.77 | 14.00 / 13.60 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 202500 D: 88.10 ⇓ 4.13% | 88.44 | 90.30 / 88.00 C: 88.30 ⇓ 3.71% | 90.44 | 95.50 / 88.20 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 217503 D: 19.00 ⇓ 5.47% | 19.29 | 20.30 / 19.00 C: 19.10 ⇓ 4.98% | 19.29 | 21.20 / 18.80 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 152250 D: 51.30 ⇓ 4.47% | 51.76 | 53.30 / 50.30 C: 51.20 ⇓ 5.19% | 51.95 | 54.00 / 50.60 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 378420 D: 58.10 ⇓ 5.37% | 59.46 | 61.40 / 55.30 C: 58.60 ⇓ 4.72% | 59.80 | 61.00 / 58.00 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 157000 D: 188.4 ⇓ 8.72% | 189.23 | 197.5 / 188.4 C: 190.1 ⇓ 8.39% | 190.11 | 192.5 / 189.4 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 442000 D: 33.10 ⇓ 2.65% | 33.48 | 34.30 / 32.90 C: 33.20 ⇓ 2.06% | 33.44 | 34.50 / 32.60 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.64 | 11.02 | Vol. 15000 D: 23.70 ⇓ 5.95% | 23.76 | 24.00 / 23.20 C: 23.80 ⇓ 8.81% | 23.82 | 24.00 / 23.70 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 12500 D: 88.10 ⇓ 8.61% | 88.25 | 91.00 / 86.80 C: 88.30 ⇓ 9.90% | 88.30 | 88.30 / 88.30 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 31200 D: 24.70 ⇓ 1.20% | 24.69 | 25.10 / 24.50 C: 24.90 ⇓ 0.80% | 24.55 | 25.00 / 24.30

EHL | 2.87 | 18.48 | Vol. 109226 D: 51.90 ⇓ 3.35% | 52.06 | 53.90 / 48.40 C: 51.20 ⇓ 4.83% | 51.04 | 51.20 / 51.00 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 68900 D: 109.9 ⇓ 3.09% | 110.15 | 114.0 / 109.1 C: 111.2 ⇓ 1.85% | 113.54 | 116.1 / 108.2 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 2800 D: 658.9 ⇓ 2.95% | 657.86 | 664.0 / 653.0 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 28000 D: 340.0 ⇓ 6.72% | 342.82 | 350.0 / 338.0 SAMATALETH | -0.07 | 12.08 | Vol. 1500 D: 11.60 ⇓ 1.69% | 11.33 | 12.00 / 11.00 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 225100 D: 28.10 ⇓ 9.94% | 28.35 | 30.90 / 28.10 C: 28.10 ⇓ 9.65% | 28.40 | 30.30 / 28.00 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.71 | 96.33 | Vol. 18350 D: 31.80 ⇓ 5.92% | 32.44 | 33.70 / 31.80 C: 31.50 ⇓ 7.35% | 31.50 | 31.50 / 31.50 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 11000 D: 37.80 ⇓ 1.82% | 37.91 | 38.50 / 37.00 FUWANGCER | 1.43 | 13.25 | Vol. 151730 D: 17.90 ⇓ 4.28% | 18.22 | 18.70 / 17.90 C: 18.10 ⇓ 3.21% | 18.13 | 18.20 / 18.00 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 100452 D: 15.40 ⇓ 2.53% | 15.46 | 16.00 / 15.00 C: 15.40 ⇓ 2.53% | 15.46 | 15.90 / 15.30 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 55382 D: 48.90 ⇓ 1.21% | 48.87 | 50.00 / 44.60 C: 48.00 ⇓ 4.38% | 48.00 | 48.00 / 48.00 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 30450 D: 360.3 ⇓ 3.79% | 364.68 | 375.0 / 357.1 C: 363.8 ⇓ 2.41% | 364.52 | 367.0 / 360.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 76924 D: 114.0 ⇓ 2.81% | 114.73 | 117.6 / 113.7 C: 113.9 ⇓ 3.06% | 113.88 | 114.5 / 113.0 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 120800 D: 123.1 ⇓ 9.95% | 123.56 | 127.0 / 123.1 C: 124.8 ⇓ 9.57% | 124.83 | 125.0 / 124.5 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 28000 D: 66.50 ⇓ 4.86% | 66.36 | 68.00 / 65.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 375500 D: 33.10 ⇓ 0.60% | 33.13 | 33.60 / 32.90 C: 33.20 ⇓ 0.60% | 33.11 | 33.20 / 33.00 MICEMENT | 4.14 | 40.00 | Vol. 148083 D: 92.90 ⇓ 3.03% | 93.39 | 96.00 / 86.30 C: 92.40 ⇓ 2.43% | 92.04 | 93.00 / 91.60 PREMIERCEM | 3.59 | 22.92 | Vol. 39200 D: 98.30 ⇓ 3.06% | 97.96 | 100.0 / 95.00 C: 100.4 ⇓ 1.18% | 100.23 | 99.80 / 100.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 73500 D: 15.40 ⇓ 8.88% | 15.71 | 17.50 / 15.30 C: 15.50 ⇓ 9.36% | 15.79 | 16.30 / 15.40 BDCOM | 1.00 | 14.91 | Vol. 114652 D: 25.20 ⇓ 7.01% | 25.37 | 26.00 / 25.00 C: 27.80 ⇑ 4.12% | 27.80 | 27.80 / 27.80 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 101090 D: 14.70 ⇓ 5.77% | 14.76 | 15.50 / 14.50 C: 14.70 ⇓ 6.37% | 14.97 | 16.10 / 14.60 AGNISYSL | 1.07 | 25.52 | Vol. 131290 D: 21.50 ⇓ 2.71% | 21.87 | 22.20 / 21.30 C: 21.50 ⇓ 3.15% | 21.50 | 21.50 / 21.50

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 19800 D: 28.40 ⇓ 2.07% | 28.46 | 28.70 / 28.40 C: 28.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.23 | 28.40 / 28.00 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 10000 D: 92.70 ⇓ 1.70% | 92.80 | 94.50 / 92.20 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 200 D: 43.30 ⇓ 5.25% | 45.00 | 43.40 / 43.30 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 121115 D: 29.10 ⇓ 7.32% | 29.59 | 31.40 / 29.00 C: 28.90 ⇓ 6.47% | 30.30 | 31.00 / 28.90 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 40 D: 38.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 36.00 | 36.00 / 36.00 JANATAINS | 7.84 | 170.69 | Vol. 8660 D: 240.3 ⇓ 5.41% | 242.10 | 251.5 / 237.8 C: 240.0 ⇓ 4.38% | 240.00 | 240.0 / 240.0 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 6105 D: 40.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 40.17 | 40.20 / 40.10 C: 40.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 36.00 | 40.00 / 40.00 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 31000 D: 45.10 ⇓ 3.43% | 45.19 | 46.80 / 45.00 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 34800 D: 29.50 ⇓ 1.01% | 29.60 | 29.70 / 28.30 C: 28.50 ⇓ 1.72% | 28.50 | 28.50 / 28.50 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 25400 D: 22.50 ⇓ 2.60% | 22.56 | 22.90 / 22.40 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 50600 D: 30.60 ⇓ 2.86% | 31.14 | 31.90 / 30.50 C: 31.00 ⇓ 0.96% | 31.08 | 31.10 / 31.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 116100 D: 21.90 ⇓ 3.10% | 22.09 | 22.60 / 21.80 C: 21.90 ⇓ 2.67% | 22.10 | 22.90 / 21.60 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 3012 D: 67.40 ⇓ 6.39% | 67.32 | 68.10 / 65.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 77550 D: 20.80 ⇓ 4.59% | 21.03 | 22.00 / 20.70 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 5514 D: 53.00 ⇓ 2.93% | 53.05 | 53.60 / 50.00 C: 51.30 ⇑ 6.88% | 51.30 | 52.80 / 48.30 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 6250 D: 30.20 ⇓ 4.43% | 30.24 | 30.40 / 30.20 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 4500 D: 63.90 ⇓ 3.77% | 64.00 | 64.50 / 63.30 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 9792 D: 27.70 ⇓ 4.48% | 27.65 | 29.70 / 26.50 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 15261 D: 27.20 ⇓ 5.88% | 27.19 | 27.50 / 26.20 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 6000 D: 28.70 ⇓ 2.38% | 28.67 | 29.00 / 28.40 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 4000 D: 34.40 ⇓ 1.71% | 34.50 | 34.60 / 34.10 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 4000 D: 28.60 ⇓ 5.30% | 28.75 | 28.90 / 28.60 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 39000 D: 23.60 ⇓ 4.84% | 23.74 | 24.10 / 23.50 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 10000 D: 23.00 ⇓ 2.13% | 23.00 | 23.70 / 22.70 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 20700 D: 26.90 ⇓ 5.61% | 27.25 | 27.70 / 26.10 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 107000 D: 29.40 ⇓ 6.07% | 29.99 | 30.60 / 29.20 C: 29.50 ⇓ 6.35% | 31.75 | 32.70 / 29.50 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 13835 D: 42.10 ⇓ 4.32% | 42.14 | 44.00 / 40.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 500 D: 39.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 39.40 | 39.40 / 39.40 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 28560 D: 42.80 ⇓ 2.06% | 42.90 | 43.90 / 39.40 C: 48.00 ⇑ 8.60% | 48.00 | 48.00 / 48.00 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 22359 D: 40.80 ⇓ 3.09% | 40.83 | 41.60 / 38.00 C: 42.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 42.00 | 42.00 / 42.00 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 53776 D: 25.90 ⇓ 4.43% | 26.24 | 28.80 / 25.00 C: 26.50 ⇓ 5.36% | 26.50 | 26.50 / 26.50

ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 41700 D: 31.90 ⇑ 1.92% | 32.88 | 33.50 / 30.50 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 16000 D: 38.10 ⇓ 1.55% | 38.14 | 38.40 / 37.70 C: 38.00 ⇓ 3.80% | 38.00 | 38.00 / 38.00 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 1650 D: 246.4 ⇓ 0.52% | 246.67 | 248.0 / 245.3 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 2000 D: 5064 ⇓ 3.75% | 5065 | 5071 / 5064 C: 5005 ⇓ 3.75% | 5007 | 5010 / 5005 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 17440 D: 65.70 ⇓ 2.95% | 66.40 | 68.00 / 65.60 C: 65.10 ⇓ 1.06% | 65.07 | 65.50 / 65.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 10000 D: 170.9 ⇑ 0.12% | 170.90 | 173.0 / 165.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 20957 D: 90.30 ⇓ 3.73% | 90.99 | 96.60 / 84.50 C: 89.70 ⇓ 3.55% | 89.71 | 90.00 / 89.00 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 13350 D: 96.00 ⇓ 3.81% | 95.30 | 96.50 / 94.00 C: 100.0 ⇓ 4.67% | 100.00 | 100.0 / 100.0 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 6721 D: 96.60 ⇓ 4.26% | 96.57 | 101.5 / 94.50 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 18158 D: 106.0 ⇓ 4.16% | 106.48 | 111.0 / 104.1 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 7550 D: 91.10 ⇓ 1.62% | 90.99 | 92.10 / 90.70 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 93000 D: 93.10 ⇓ 5.10% | 93.75 | 95.50 / 91.00 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 32520 D: 57.50 ⇓ 6.20% | 57.93 | 62.00 / 56.00 C: 57.00 ⇓ 8.80% | 57.88 | 58.50 / 57.00 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 76300 D: 54.20 ⇓ 1.09% | 53.87 | 54.90 / 49.40 C: 52.40 ⇓ 3.85% | 52.38 | 53.20 / 52.10 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 121536 D: 179.5 ⇓ 1.05% | 178.82 | 180.5 / 177.0 C: 178.9 ⇓ 1.27% | 178.26 | 184.5 / 177.0 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 269820 D: 177.2 ⇓ 8.04% | 180.84 | 189.2 / 176.0 C: 177.1 ⇓ 7.95% | 180.05 | 191.0 / 176.2 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 1736191 D: 15.20 ⇓ 3.18% | 15.29 | 15.60 / 14.20 C: 15.20 ⇓ 3.18% | 15.36 | 15.70 / 15.20 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 148110 D: 80.00 ⇓ 2.79% | 80.33 | 83.90 / 74.10 C: 79.10 ⇓ 3.77% | 80.03 | 81.00 / 78.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 5000 D: 266.9 ⇓ 5.79% | 268.40 | 278.3 / 266.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 52890 D: 449.5 ⇓ 5.86% | 453.85 | 475.0 / 447.0 C: 450.0 ⇓ 6.31% | 455.93 | 480.0 / 448.8 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 23817 D: 142.8 ⇓ 1.72% | 143.29 | 145.0 / 141.6 C: 141.1 ⇓ 2.69% | 141.46 | 142.9 / 140.5 USMANIAGL | 0.50 | 26.03 | Vol. 15900 D: 129.6 ⇓ 4.50% | 128.49 | 132.1 / 126.0 C: 128.1 ⇓ 4.97% | 127.79 | 130.0 / 127.0 SAVAREFR | 0.23 | 12.32 | Vol. 200 D: 60.00 ⇓ 3.23% | 60.00 | 60.20 / 60.00 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 393666 D: 26.60 ⇓ 2.56% | 26.79 | 28.00 / 24.60 C: 26.60 ⇓ 3.27% | 26.84 | 27.40 / 26.50 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 80500 D: 20.60 ⇓ 3.29% | 20.75 | 21.20 / 20.40 C: 20.30 ⇓ 4.69% | 20.88 | 21.00 / 20.00 MIRACLEIND | 0.14 | 14.90 | Vol. 53500 D: 13.60 ⇓ 6.85% | 13.87 | 14.50 / 13.60 C: 13.70 ⇓ 7.43% | 13.69 | 14.00 / 13.60 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 70 D: 953.5 ⇓ 0.65% | 957.14 | 956.0 / 953.0

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013

‘Service excellence is what differentiates banks’ Mohammed Sami Al Hafiz, a freethinking spirit, a poet, an academic, and a spokesperson for the Mutual Trust Bank, shares his take with Mehrab Al Islam How did you come to this point of your career in the banking industry?

I started my career at Holcim Cement Bangladesh Ltd. Later, I joined the Marketing department of HSBC to start my career in banking. In the course of the next eight years, I have gained the understanding of marketing practices and operations of a multinational bank. To make a difference and implement my understanding of service excellence, I opted for a local bank to transmit the knowledge gained from an MNC, and enhance the customer experience that prevails in local banks. Since Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) is a reputed local bank with a strong board, it seemed like a viable option.

Designation: Group Chief Communication Officer, Mutual Trust Bank Limited

Career background: Building Materials, Banking Academic background: MBA Market Research, Texas State University

Interests: Reading, Travelling, Collecting stamps, Writing poetry, Spending time with the kids.

How are local banks different from multinational banks?

The existing trend of service differentiates local banks from multinational banks. Even though multinational banks provide lower rates, the service excellence delivered keeps customers flocking to them. Also, multinational banks believe that engaged staffs are committed staffs.

Hence, they engage their staff more through various activities and programmes.

How is communication in banking sector different from other industries?

Communication in the banking industry is quite regulated. Unlike FMCGs, there is no “Buy one get one free” or “x% extra.” Then again, it’s all public money and it needs to be handled carefully as security and trust aspects are paramount. The objective is to amplify that “You can trust us with your money.

We will keep it safe and invest it so that it grows and you grow as your money grows.”

All the banks are regulated by the Central Bank through set guidelines about who, what, how and where we can communicate. Also, internal guidelines rectify all the information that is to be communicated. Every statement that is communicated has to be numerically, statistically and scientifically proven.

What are some factors a bank should consider to succeed in Bangladesh?

Banks should consider accessibility, money-laundering prevention, fraudulent activities, and reaching out to the grassroots. However, recently there has been concern about vast amounts of idle money in banks, partly

Mohammed Sami Al Hafiz

‘Be aware of the surroundings, subject matter, audience, and prepare in the language of the audience. It is okay to be nervous, but do not show it.

Have a glass of water before speaking.’ due to the global economic downturn and slower than expected economic growth. To a certain extent Bangladesh is feeling the after effects of the global economic crisis.

As a result, rules are stricter, and the use of public money for loans is regulated. The government insists on thorough checks and proper “KYC (Know Your Customer).” Nonetheless, there are some people trying to prise open gaps within and beyond regulations for personal interests. However, banks are taking increased precautions than before, trying to make it safer day-by-day.

How important is Corporate Social Responsiblity (CSR) for a bank?

Banks are doing a lot of CSR for the people. Recently, all the banks jointly donated Tk800m for people affected by the Rana Plaza tragedy. CSR is one way of using idle money to serve public interests.

What is the scenario of bankable or potential customers? What percentage has been reached so far?

50% of the population is bankable, and 5%

or less of them are banking. There is huge possibility, but accessibility and mindset of people in keeping money to themselves are issues.

What is the level of competitiveness in the banking industry?

There are almost 53 banks, so the competition is high. It provides customers with many options and varieties to choose from, however market size is limited. Thus, all banks are pushing to gain market share.

Is there capacity for more banks to start operating?

Due to accessibility and reach, market size is relatively small. Incoming banks focus on the same market, and stretch it. The emphasis is shifting to retaining existing customers rather than getting new businesses.

There has been talk about introducing agent banking. What are your thoughts?

Bangladesh Bank is working on the criteria for agent banking, and have sent a regulatory framework to the banks for their feedback.

It may take a while to figure out issues requiring consideration. Agent banking will be the future wherever accessibility is an issue.

What is the current scenario of money laundering and how are banks opposing?

Money laundering in financial institutes has decreased to around 50% due to recent initiatives taken by the central bank and banks themselves. The high strictness in foreign banks is transiting down to local banks and eventually to nationalised banks.

MTB has its own money-laundering department where we have periodic trainings.

We were recently chosen to be a part of Egmont Group for the initiatives and activities we undertook resulting in 0% money laundering in our bank.

What are core focus service areas of MTB? What differentiates your bank from competitors?

MTB provides banking services of all kinds, which includes retail banking, wholesale banking, trade services, 24/7 contact centre, and SMS banking. We recently reintroduced internet banking, which is one of the best services compared to some multinational banks. Besides doing regular or normal transaction you can pay your mobile bill. In addition, we are talking to utility suppliers to fit utility bills to our list as well. We have a two-phase security service for our Internet banking, ensuring security to confirm and verify transactions.

Everyone is providing similar services, but to differentiate MTB focuses on service excellence.

What are your tips for people starting a career in the banking industry?

Have good command in English, be a good speaker, be humble, be polished, and when going to an interview, research the organisation.

What’s next in your career plan?

Be somewhere where I will directly get to deal with the banks’ customers.

Do you have any favourite quote for our readers?

“Be yourself. Who else is qualified?” l

Dollar edges up in Asia after US budget deal n AFP, Tokyo The dollar edged up in Asian trade on Friday as dealers turn their attention from the US debt showdown to the future of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus programme.

The greenback bought 98.04 yen Friday afternoon in Tokyo, a tad up from 97.91 yen in New York but well below the mid-98 yen range in Tokyo earlier Thursday.

The euro bought $1.3676 and 134.09 yen compared with $1.3677 and 133.92 yen.

While markets breathed a sigh of relief

that US lawmakers on Wednesday agreed a deal to reopen the government and avert a default, the temporary nature of the fix weighed on sentiment.

The bill restarts government operations until January 15 and raises the debt ceiling until February 7, giving lawmakers time to draw up a longer term deal.

“Despite a US deal being done and a crisis averted (for now), investors are now wondering whether to expect another government shutdown and another round of deadline-day deals early next year,” said National

Australia Bank.

“There’s been a big move in the US dollar overnight as markets now start to reassess the Fed outlook,” it said, adding that the Fed would likely put off winding down its stimulus scheme until early next year owing to the impact of the shutdown on the economy.

Data Friday showing China’s economic growth accelerated in the third quarter – expanding 7.8% from a year earlier – helped soothe fears over sharper slowdown in the global economy.

The Australian dollar, which soared to

a four-month high against the dollar this week, bought 96.25 US cents Friday afternoon against 95.36 cents Thursday.

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens told a business audience in Sydney that he hoped the currency would take a breather.

The Aussie dollar’s strength has fuelled concerns it could snuff out export growth in the non-mining sector of the economy, which remains weak.

The US dollar weakened against most other Asia-Pacific currencies. l