November 04, 2013

Education

5

The education revolution

Kartik 20, 1420 Zilhajj 29, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 221

International

9

Pakistan furious after Mehsud killing; to review relationship with US

Sport

13

Bangladesh sweep series in emphatic style

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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Death for absconding al-Badr operatives Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, Ashrafuzzaman Khan found guilty in the long-awaited verdict in intellectuals killing case kar Ali Manik and n Julfi Muktasree Chakma Sathi Many in the courtroom, mostly family members of martyred intellectuals, broke down in tears yesterday when the war crimes tribunal handed down death sentences to notorious al-Badr leaders Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan for their leading roles in the killing of intellectuals in 1971.

The three-member tribunal 2 termed the killings “elitocide” – a systematic killing of a community’s political and economic leadership so that it could not regenerate.

Anticipating certain defeat, the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators – razakar, al-Badr and alShams (formed mostly with leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and its then student front, Islami Chhatra Shangha) – had abducted leading Bangalee intellectuals and professionals prior to the declaration of victory on December 16, 1971 and killed them en masse with a view to crippling the nation intellectually.

Since then, the nation every year observes the Martyred Intellectuals Day on December 14.

The victims’ relatives, friends, well-wishers and millions of justice seekers have long waited for the day of the verdict. When it came yesterday, 42 years after the horrific incidents, the emotionally choked near and dear ones of the martyred intellectuals cried out in joy and embraced each other.

“There are some tearful moments that are involved with victory,” Prof Anirban Mostafa, son of a martyred intellectual, told the Dhaka Tribune after the pronouncement of the verdict.

“I think Bangladesh was waiting for this day,” said Anirban, who was only nine months old when his father, journalist ANM Golam Mostafa, was abducted by al-Badr members on the instruction of Mueen and Ashraf.

Martyred Mostafa was the chief reporter of the national daily Purbadesh in 1971, where Mueen worked as a staff reporter. Anirban, a professor of the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Great mothers deserve state recognition: ICT n Julfikar Ali Manik Terming the widows of martyred intellectuals “great mothers” the International Crimes tribunal 2 yesterday in its verdict strongly suggested that they should be awarded state acknowledgement for their struggle since 1971.

“It would not be out of place to pen the observation that the bereaved family of martyred intellectuals started a new battle for survival, even the war of liberation ended,” said the verdict that awarded death sentence to Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman for committing crimes against humanity through systematic killing of intellectuals.

The tribunal Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan and its members  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Tigers whitewash Kiwis n Reazur Rahman Rohan

Bangladesh cricket team anchored another “Banglawash” by wrapping-up the three-match ODI series 3-0 against New Zealand with a convincing four wicket victory yesterday. The second successful chase over 300 runs not only established Bangladesh’s strength at home, but also brought out new match winners in absence of Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.

Shamsur Rahman, in only his second ODI, led the batting chart from the front with a well played 95 as partnerships were the key in the emphatic win.

Shamsur was involved in three 50–plus stands with Ziaur Rahman (22), Mominul Haque (32) and Naeem Islam while the latter, who also made a valuable 63, paired with Nasir Hossain to register  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

• Jamaat-e-Islami designed ‘organised master plan’ to kill intellectuals • Members of al-Badr, formed by Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat, formed killing squad to eliminate intellectuals • Mueen was operation-in-charge and Ashraf chief executor of al-Badr • Mueen and Ashraf convicted for killing 18 intellectuals in five days Decomposed bodies of intellectuals at the Rayerbazar killing field

PHOTO: RASHID TALUKDER, COURTESY: DHAKA 1971, BANGLA ACADEMY

Dhaka’s killing fields: Where their bodies were dumped n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Following a nine-month-long bloody war, just a day after the victory of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971, hundreds of relatives and well-wishers of abducted intellectuals were searching for their near ones who had been abducted and killed by the Pakistani occupation army and its local collaborators - al-Badr, alShams and razakars.

Following information from different sources, they had rushed to all the spots where bodies of the martyred intellectuals and other people were dumped. They discovered the Rayerbazar mass killing field, on the outskirts of Dhaka where bodies of people from

all phases, particularly the intellectuals, had been found.

In Rayerbazar, a three kilometre stretch of road was filled with bodies and the air was filled with the smell of decomposing bodies. At the marshland and

P3 MORE STORIES brickyard, relatives found many blindfolded bodies having signs of handcuff injuries along with gunshot and bayonet wounds in their chests and heads, say news reports and historical books.

The relatives had been busy identifying the persons by checking their clothes, ornaments and other signs in the decayed bodies.

Tribunal: ‘What a shame for the nation!’ n Julfikar Ali Manik The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday lambasted the regimes of the country’s two military rulers Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad as their administration had ensured safe passage for Chowdhury Mueen Uddin to visit the country.

Al-Badr leaders Mueen and Asharfuzzaman Khan disappeared immediately before the birth of Bangladesh.

There was no public knowledge about their whereabouts for a long time. But through some writings and documentaries in the late 1980s and 90s information surfaced that Ashraf was living in the US and Mueen in the UK. The two were handed death sentences by ICT 2 yesterday for their role

in planning and implementing the killings of intellectuals prior to the victory in the nine-month-long Liberation War on December 16, 1971.

The prosecution said Mueen, 65, first went to Pakistan and then to London and had since been there. He is the chairman of Tottenham Mosque and was the director of the Muslim Spiritual Care Provision in the National Health Service. He was also the chairman of the trustee board of an NGO named Muslim Aid. Ahraf, 65, now lives in New York, USA. The verdict said it had been proved from the testimony of a 64-year-old prosecution witness named Shariatullah Bangali, a resident of the village adjacent to Mueen’s village Dagan  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

ATTACK ON HINDU COMMUNITY IN PABNA

Tension prevails at the locality, one arrested n Our Correspondent, Pabna Sunday was not a usual day for the residents of the Hindu locality in Pabna’s Banagram village, with the fear for life etched on the face of each community member. Everything may have seemed normal to an outsider, but the Hindus in the area, many with sleepless eyes, kept distance with others as much as possible.

Panic and insecurity were heightened in the locality, as many were shifting their houses and clearing off the goods from their shops.

Niranjan Ghoswami, a worshipper at one of the vandalised temples, said he had worked in the temple for the last

14 years, but had never witnessed such brutality.

“Several hundreds of people attacked the temple, but the police were inactive in preventing them,” said Krishna Sarker, another victim.

Deployment of police in the area was needed on an urgent basis for the safety of the locals, he added.

Earlier on Saturday, a large number of miscreants vandalised and torched 26 houses at Bonogram village in Santhia upazila, following rumours that Rajib Saha, a hindu boy in the area, had posted abusive posts about Prophet Mohammad (SM) on the internet.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Tales of lone survivor n Muktasree Chakma Sathi

Families of Dr Mohammad Fazle Rabbee, a physician at Dhaka Medical College who had opened a secret hospital for wounded freedom fighters, identified his body, which bore signs of brutality including bullets in the chest and forehead. The physician, who had been abducted by al-Badr members from his house at 15 Shiddheshwari, was dumped at the spot, reads the book “Ekattorer Bodyhobhumi O Gonokobor,” (killing grounds and mass graves of 1971) written by Shukumar Bishwas.

Dr Rabbee (also spelled Rabbi) was one of the several brainchildren of the country, who had been killed between December 10 and 16, just before the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

The accounts of the lone survivor from the Rayerbazar mass killing field have finally found their purpose as the International Crimes Tribunal yesterday convicted al-Badr leaders Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan and sentenced them to death.

The verdict repeatedly named Delwar, who had survived the horror of the night of December 14, 1971 that saw numerous intellectuals of the country massacred at Rayerbazar of Katasur in the capital. Out of panic he had decided to embrace a death by bullets rather than being hacked by bayonets and started running. Eventually, he was able to escape.

All the people had been bayoneted at Rayerbazar field that night, Delwar

told the tribunal.

Both national and international media have often quoted him whenever they have published reports on the killing of Bangalee intellectuals towards the end of the Liberation War. He was quoted in the Times, London on December 30, 1971 and the War Crimes Files aired on a British TV channel in 1995.

Delwar retold the accounts in his deposition to the tribunal, testifying against Ashraf and Mueen.

Now 70, Delwar, who used to work as the chief accountant of Green Mercantile Company in 1971, broke into tears several times and trembled recollecting the horror of the night. There was a pin-drop silence in the courtroom when Delwar was telling his experience of the mass killing.

Delwar particularly mentioned the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, November 4, 2013

Victims’ families cry out for execution of verdict n Udisa Islam Family members of the martyred intellectuals and witnesses yesterday expressed happiness at the verdict of death sentence but said the sentences had to be executed.

Prof Anirban Mostafa, son of martyred journalist ANM Golam Mostafa, said: “I have no memory of my father as I was only nine months old when Mueen and Ashraf abducted and killed him. I lost my father but got Bangladesh. I expect that Bangladesh will be a country of non-communal sprit with this verdict.”

As Prof Anirban was talking to the Dhaka Tribune, his son Bishonko Broto asked him: “What is going on?” Anirban said: “We got justice at last, and those who killed your grandfather have been ordered to be hanged.”

Martyred intellectual Prof Gias Uddin’s brother, sister and niece were present at the court. Farida Banu, sister of the martyr, had filed a criminal case with Ramna police in 1997 against Mueen and Ashraf for the killing of her brother and seven others on Dhaka University campus on December 13, 1971.

She said: “We have got justice. Now the next step is to bring the killers back

so the sentence can be executed.” Otherwise, they would have to live with the same pain they had been undergoing for the past 42 years, she said.

Masuda Banu, niece of Prof Gias and also a witness of his abduction, said the countries that always taught democracy “now have to prove them [democratic] by giving these war criminals back. Now they have to save the right of our democracy.”

Hamida Banu, another member of the family, said: “We are worried what might happen if the ruling Awami League government does not come to power again.”

Shyamoli Nasrin Choudhury, wife of martyred physician Alim Chowdhury, said the verdict had acknowledged the sacrifice of the greatest sons of the soil and their family members.

“I was waiting to hear this [sentence] since the day of his [Dr Alim’s] abduction, and now another waiting starts – execution of the verdict,” she said.

David Bergman, a Dhaka-based British journalist who worked as the main researcher for a documentary titled “War Crimes File” broadcast on British television Channel 4 in 1995 and was present in the courtroom yesterday, said: “As a journalist I always feel

there was sufficient evidence for trial of Chowdhury Mueen Uddin.”

Bergman’s documentary revealed Mueen’s war crimes committed in 1971.

“I am happy as he has been tried,” said Bergman, adding: “We [the research team] collected evidence about Mueen Uddin and substantiated allegations against him.”

He said: “I feel this trial is very important for the victims’ families, though the sentence is unlikely to be executed.”

Prof Syed Anwar Hossain, another witness of the case and teacher at Dhaka University, said: “The present

Tribunal: ‘What a shame for the nation!’  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Bhuiyan in Feni, that Mueen had visited his village twice under police protection during the regimes of Zia and Ershad.

Shariatullah saw Mueen in his village during an Eid when the local freedom fighters resisted his presence at the Eid prayer as he had been involved with intellectuals’ killing.

The verdict said a report of the Special Branch of Feni police confirmed that Mueen had visited his village by a vehicle of Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh.

“It is indeed a great shame for the nation that the government [of Zia and Ershad] allowed Chowdhury Mueen Uddin who went into hiding and later on fled to abroad to visit his native village under police protection and protocol,” said the verdict.

“What a shame! What a shame!” the

judges of the tribunal said. “Instead of being condemned, Chowdhury Mueen Uddin was rather honoured by state machineries.”

Tribunal Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan and members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam in their verdict said: “This fact indubitably shakes and debases the nation.

“It increases the trauma sustained by the victims’ family which caused a further attack to civilisation.”

The tribunal also heavily came down on Ershad’s regime as the second military dictator made Maulana Abdul Mannan, who was also involved with intellectual killing, a cabinet member.

Manna helped al-Badr gang of Mueen and Ashraf in picking up physician Alim Chowdhury, who never came back.

The verdict said Mannan had “full

Tigers whitewash Kiwis knowledge about the common purpose and plan in execution of which al-Badr men abducted Dr Alim Chowdhury.”

Mannan was captured by some Dhaka dwellers and handed over to Ramna police station, but mysteriously police freed him.

The judges asked: “Why was Maulana Mannan set free by the police?

“Maulana Mannan could have been arrested and kept in custody immediately after independence to unearth the truth by identifying the perpetrators and individuals involved with planned annihilation.

“But he was allowed to walk free even after handing him over to police.

Further, astonishingly this Maulana Mannan later became a member of military dictator HM Ershad’s cabinet.”

“What a shame for the nation!” said the verdict.l

Great mothers deserve state recognition: ICT  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Justice MdMozibur Rahman Miah and Justice MdShahinur Islam, yesterday delivered the landmark judgment.

The verdict said: “Facing immeasurable hurdles the traumatised wives of martyrs remained on noble track in nourishing and bringing up their kids who lost their fathers despite untold pains and loss sustained.”

“Four decades after the horrific tragedy, tangibly the children of martyrs are now doctors, professors, journalists and highly educated experts working in international and multinational organisations,” the verdict said.

“This achievement surely might have laid enormous peace to the departed souls of their martyred fathers,”said theverdict.

“It reduces the pains of their worthy mothers too who had to fight numerous constraints and realities untiringly for keeping up the journey.”

“They are “great mothers” indeed and they deserve due state acknowledgement, we stress,” said the judges in their judgment.

The judges in their verdict also said, “We believe, the nation still bleeds for the untold trauma it sustained for the extreme criminal activities carried out to eliminate the illustrious intellectuals

by the organised murderous enterprise formed of infamous al-Badr, the brainchild of Jamaat-e-Islami.”

“We believe too that the nation feels ashamed as it could not bring the notorious perpetrators to book over the last four decades for healing the relentless wound it sustained caused by the beastly act of systematic elimination of eminent sons and daughters of the soil,” read the verdict.

“We are convinced that through this process (trial) the nation has got occasion to stamp its humble recognition and homage to their immense and dauntless sacrifices,” said the verdict. l

Tales of lone survivor  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

names of Prof Munier Chowdhury and Prof Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury of Dhaka University and journalist Selina Parvin as the victims of the massacre by al-Badr, which assisted the occupation Pakistan force in its atrocities in 1971.

“I witnessed the killings [at Rayerbazar] from the beginning to the end.

Ashraf and Mueen led the killings. None of the persons confined at Mohammadpur Physical Training Institute and those taken to the killing field survived. I am the only survivor,” Delwar told the tribunal.

Delwar had been picked up from his home on December 14, 1971 by al-Badr men led by Mueen-Ashraf. He was taken to the physical training centre by a microbus painted in black and blue. Three or four people had already been inside the vehicle on its way to the centre which was used as a torture cell of al-Badr. The microbus stopped a few more times to pick more people.

In his deposition, Delwar pointed out that not all the victims had been intellectuals – there had been several laymen, too. He mentioned a youth named Tarek, a class VIII student, who had untied his hands at the centre.

“I saw tortured people lying on the

floor – eyes of some of them were gouged out. The floor was full of blood. I took off my shirt, soaked it in blood and blindfolded myself in a way so that I could still see,” Delwar said.

Munier Chowdhury and Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury were brought to the centre that evening.

“Around 8pm or 8:30pm, a few people armed with iron rods led by two youths came to the room. They were carrying lanterns because of the blackout. They approached Munier Chowdhury and they told him: ‘You have preached your students a lot, now we will preach you.’

“They also asked Munier Sir: ‘How many books have you written on Rabindranath?’ Munier Sir shook his head.

Then they asked Mofazzal Sir the same question and he said he had written books on Rabindranath Tagore. They told each other that they did not have much time. ‘These persons need to be killed. They are Indian spies.’”

Then they started heating Prof Munier and Prof Mofazzal with iron rods. “Munier Sir was forced to put his head between his legs while sitting on the floor.

He was hit on his back. He bled profusely through his mouth from the beating.”

Delwar said he had also heard a woman screaming out of pain. “I guess she

addresses of the killers are mentioned in the judgement. They should be brought back home through Interpol.”

He also said he would be happier if Jamaat was banned as a political party in Bangladesh.

Expressing happiness, prosecutor Tureen Afroz said the government should start international lobbying to bring the convicts back.

She said the whereabouts of both the convicts were known and they had given interviews to the media about the trial. “So, with the copy of the verdict, we can start the process of bringing them back for execution.” l

was tortured either on the roof or in any other room in the building.”

After midnight all of them were taken to Katasur in Mohammadpur area by 20-22 buses. Delwar said he had heard a woman’s voice requesting: “Please, spare me. Do not kill me. I have a little child. If you kill me, he will die. You also have sisters. Please consider me as a sister.”

Delwar said: “Those who were taking her away asked her name. She answered: ‘Selina Parvin, I am a journalist.’ She told them if they spared her life, she would never write again and would not come back to Dhaka. But those people killed her with bayonets.”

Delwar said they had been kept waiting beside a pond. Each time 20-25 people tied with one piece of rope were taken to the bank of a beel nearby. There were brick fields too. Then they were bayoneted to death.

“The killings continued until 4am of December 15.”

When Delwar was waiting in panic for his turn he heard someone from the group calling out by Ashraf and Mueen’s names. “He said: ‘Ashraf bhai, Mueen bhai, they will kill me. You are here, so please save me.’ Ashraf and Mueen, however, walked away,” said Delwar. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Body of journalist Selina Parvin at Rayerbazar killing field PHOTO COURTESY AFTAB AHMAD

the other 50-run stand. Nasir was unbeaten on 44 when Sohag Gazi struck a four in the last over to take Bangladesh to 309 for six.

Earlier, the visitors rode on a century from their former skipper Ross Taylor to post a challenging 307-5. Taylor, who remained unbeaten on 107, added 130 runs with Colin Munro (85) for the fourth wicket after they were reduced to 101-3 in the 22nd over.

Tigers’ vice-captain Mahmudullah was the pick of the bowlers with 2-36 while Nasir Hossain bowled a tight spell giving away just 33 runs from his 10 overs. l

Tension prevails at the locality, one arrested  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

In this regard, the High Court yesterday on its own initiative ordered the law enforcement agency to nab the persons who were involved in the attack on the Hindu community of Pabna’s Santhia Upazila within 24 hours.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain passed the order yesterday morning, asking the inspector general of police, superintendent of Pabna and officer-in-charge of Santhia police station to submit a progress report within 72 hours.

It also ordered to deploy sufficient numbers of law enforcers in the area that was attacked. The court also asked to assess the damages from the attack and to find out the person who spread

the rumour surrounding the post on the internet.

The High Court also issued a rule asking why the court should not direct for taking legal action against the perpetrators. The home secretary, IGP, SP of Pabna district, OC and UNO of Santhia upazila were made respondents to reply on the rule within four weeks.

Meanwhile, protesting the violence, local Hindus at a human chain and at a joint discussion with the DC office and the police, demanded deployment of law enforcers to prevent any further violence.

The police had so far arrested Rezaul Karim from Gourigram village, OC of Ataikula police station Rezaul Karim said.

“A case has been filed by Rajib Saha’s father Bablu Saha against 200-300 people, while 20 names were mentioned,” he said.

Pabna Deputy Commissioner Kazi Ashraf Uddin said a three member committee had been formed to conduct investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, the DC office had distributed two bundles of tin, 30kg of rice and Tk500 taka to each family.

Human rights watchdog Ain o Salish Kendra has expressed deep concern and resentment over the attacks on Hindu temples and homesteads. They also demanded exemplary punishment to the culprits after thorough investigation to stop recurrence of such violence. l

Dhaka’s killing fields: Where their bodies were dumped  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

dawn of Bangladesh, by collaborators of the Pakistani occupation army like Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman, “operation in-charge” and “chief executor” of the para-military force.

During the Liberation War, Mueen Uddin, Ashraf and their fellows played the central role behind the killing of intellectuals of the country, mainly the teachers, doctors, journalists and writers with an intention to cripple the nation intellectually.

Among the victims of their brutality, only a few had been identified while many remain unidentified since the bodies were too decomposed to be traced.

Of the bodies, only those of Prof Munier Chowdhury, journalist Selina Pervin, and Dr Rabbee had been identified by their relatives, according to the book.

Moreover, the bodies of Prof Abul Kalam Azad and Dr Abul Khayer were also identified from the spot later, according to a news report printed in The Observer on December 19, 1971.

There are several hundred mass killing fields across the country, but the Rayerbazar mass killing field and several places in the Mirpur area are the most familiar names in the capital where the noted intellectuals were

killed and their bodies left by the Pakistani Army and its collaborators who came from right-wing fanatic parties, particularly the Jamaat-e-Islami.

The Harirampur mass killing field near Mirpur also has signs of murdered intellectuals. Four bodies had been recovered from a hole at the area. They are Dr Serajul Haque Khan and Dr NAM Foyzul Mohiuddin, teachers at Dhaka University’s Institute of Education and Research; history teacher Santosh Bhattacharjee; and university physician Dr Md Mortuza, according to a report published in the daily Dainik Bangla on January 5, 1972.

From another nearby hole, police and families identified three decomposed bodies which belonged ro Dhaka University history teacher Dr M Abul Khayer, English teacher Rashidul Hasan, and noted author Anwar Pasha, says the book “Ekattorer Bodhyobhumi o Gonokobor” quoting news reports.

The bodies of many martyred intellectuals could not be found until date.

They are executive editor of Daily Ittefaq Sirajuddin Hossain, joint news editor of daily Sangbad Shahidullah Kaiser; journalist Nijam Uddin Ahmed, and Syed Nazmul Huq, chief reporter of PPI, SA Mannan of the daily Observer, ANM Golam Mustafa from the daily Purbadesh, Dhaka University history teacher Prof Gias Uddin Ahmed and

Bangla’s Prof Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, say historical books and media reports.

To hold the memories of martyred intellectuals, two monuments were established in Dhaka so far – at Rayerbazar and Mirpur.

Following a proposal from Projonmo ‘71, an organisation for the children of martyrs of the Liberation War, a temporary foundation was first laid at Rayerbazar in 1991. The complete structure, which is the result of a number of renovations, has a broken wall with black tombs.

The Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Memorial was first built on December 22, 1972, and it has witnessed many renovations until date. It was constructed on a land of about 100 acres, where a triangular structure of red bricks, erected by an altar made of black granite and a foundation plaque of marble is made as the main structure. A small graveyard for the local people and another for the intellectuals are also signified at the mass killing ground.

On December 14 every year, the whole nation, including families of the martyred intellectuals, walk to the memorials and place floral tributes commemorating the assassination of martyred intellectuals who had been killed for favouring the country’s birth. l

But it has never crossed through experiencing the heartrending event of massive killing targeting a ‘group’ belonging to intellectual community known as the ‘conscience’ of a nation.”

The verdict said the intellectual killing case was “such type of unheard of extermination committed in execution of designed murderous scheme. It not only increases the magnitude of the crimes but it has imprinted untold trauma to the nation.”

“Letters of law cannot remain non-reactive to the enormous colossal and unspeakable pains being carried for decades together by the relatives of martyred intellectuals and the nation too.”

The verdict said: “The designed plan, pattern of such selective but large scale killing of intellectuals inescapably aggravated the magnitude of the criminal acts and liability of the accused persons as well.”

The judges said the martyred intellectuals had been the distinguished sons and daughters of the land bearing untainted pro-liberation ideology. “They

could have immensely contributed in building the nation if they had not been eliminated.”

Thus it is proved that al-Badr was deployed in furtherance of “organised master plan” designed by the fascist Jamaat-e-Islami to wipe out the “socio-cultural intellectual” group of Bangladesh with intent to paralyse the Bangalee nation.

Quoting from the book “Sunset at Midday” by Mohiuddin Chowdhury, the verdict said: “Al-Badr acted as a ‘killing squad’ of Jamaat in accomplishing the plan. Al-Badr, a paramilitary force, was formed by the leaders of ICS [Islami Chhatra Sangha], the student wing of Jamaat. It was formed purely of workers of ICS.” Activities of al-Badr had been carried out under the control and co-ordination of Jamaat, the judgement said.

Citing a few reports published in a Bangla newspaper in 1971, it said: “We believe that the nation shall be continuing to pay its humble tribute and reverence to the martyred intellectuals by reiterating the homage…also with a

pledge to struggle the recurrence of impious clout in the days to come.”

Educationists Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, wife of martyred Golam Mostafa, and her son Prof Anirban were seen continuously wiping off tears. Anirban’s son, 10-year-old Bishonko, also broke into tears. He has grown up learning the history of the country’s Liberation War. Bishonko said he learnt from his father, mother and other relatives about the Liberation War’s history, and the sacrifice of his grandfather, other intellectuals and the 3 million martyrs of the country.

“We read in school about their sacrifice,” Bishonko told the Dhaka Tribune.

Martyred intellectual Giasuddin Ahmed’s sisters, brother and a niece also came to the tribunal. They expressed satisfaction over the verdict as at least they could see the judgement of the intellectual killing being delivered.

“We want to see the verdict implemented after bringing back the convicts to the country,” said Prof Hamida Banu, a sister of Giasuddin. l

Death for absconding al-Badr operatives  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

architecture department at Khulna University, came to the tribunal along with his wife Afroza Parvin and 10-year-old son Bishonko Broto. Mostafa never came back, like many other abducted intellectuals who had been picked up by the armed gangs of al-Badr.

The war crimes case against the duo is popularly known as the intellectual killing case, since all the 11 charges brought against them were for abduction and killing of 18 intellectuals that had taken place between December 10 and 15 of 1971.

“The events were chained together and were perpetrated by a group of al-Badr men forming a killing squad to which Chowdhury Mueen Uddin was the operation-in-charge and Ashrafuzzaman Khan was the chief executor,” said the judgement.

The tribunal of Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan and members Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Shahinur Islam pronounced the summary of the 154-page verdict in a packed courtroom, which was only slightly less

crowded than other verdict days.

Regular followers of the trials of war crimes cases observed that the reduced attendance might be due to the trial in absentia, with Mueen believed to be living in the UK and Ashraf in the USA. The judges unanimously found Mueen and Ashraf guilty of all the 11 charges and condemned them to the single sentence of death, as per the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act. “They will be hanged by the neck till they are dead,” said the verdict, adding that since the convicted accused had been absconding, their sentence shall be executed either after arresting them or when they surrendered before the tribunal.

The judges cited records from local and foreign newspapers, a British documentary, books on the 1971 Liberation War by local and foreign authors and testimonies of witnesses to draw their conclusion.

“We have unerringly concluded that al-Badr being backed by its creator Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistani occupation army designed a premeditated and secret

plan to exterminate the best and notable intellectuals belonging to different professions,” said the verdict. “The intention was to make the nation paralysed.

“It was simply an ‘elitocide’ accomplished in furtherance of a calculated policy and plan. The event of calculative killing of intellectuals in 1971 will forever torment the Bangalee nation.”

The verdict said: “The fierceness of the event of the ‘intellectuals killing’ was extremely detrimental to basic humanness. It deserves to be evaluated as ‘crimes of serious gravity’ intending to demean the human civilisation.”

It said Mueen and Ashraf “were actively concerned in committing crimes against humanity, by aiding, abetting, instructing, ordering, encouraging and providing moral support to the members of al-Badr” and as members of its high command, they “had de facto reasonable and material ability and authority to control” al-Badr.

Citing history, the judges viewed: “The humankind experienced enormous atrocious attack directing civilian population in many parts of the world.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Professor Munier Chowdhury Journalist Siraj Uddin Hossain Doctor Alim Chowdhury

Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury Journalist Shahidullah Kaiser Doctor Fazle Rabbee

Dr Serajul Haque Khan

Journalist Selina Parvin

Journalist Syed Nazmul Haque ANM Golam Mostafa

Dr Abul Khayer

Dr Foyzul Mohiuddin,

Professor Rashidul Hassan

Professor Gias Uddin Ahmed Journalist Nizam Uddin

Professor Anwar Pasha

Santosh Bhattacharjee

Might of their pens scared al-Badr n

Muktasree Chakma Sathi

Relatives of the martyred journalists who had been killed by the active participation of fugitive al-Badr leaders Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan said they were targeted, as their pens were mightier than the ruler’s sword and in favour of the birth of the nation.

They made the observation while submitting depositions at the war crimes tribunal seeking justice for their mothers, fathers, husbands or brothers. Most of them could not identify their loved one’s bodies since they was decomposed or stabbed indiscriminately with bayonets.

Sumon Zahid was eight years old when his mother Selina Parvin had been abducted on December 13, 1971.

He was old enough to understand the incident and can remember it. As the third witness against Mueen-Ashraf, he told the tribunal that he and his uncle Uzir eye witnessed the abduction of his mother by Mueen and his associates.

Later, his uncle recognised Mueen from newspapers.

Selina Parvin became the target of

al-Badr as she had been a pro-liberation writer and regularly wrote for her weekly Shilalipi along with other papers including the daily Ittefaq, the daily Purba Pakistani, the daily Purbadesh, weekly Lalana, Begum and Nurjahan Begum.

“My mother was not a famous journalist but she was killed by al-Badr since pro-liberation writers such as Munier Chowdhury, journalist Shahidullah Kaiser, Zahir Raihan and ANM Golam Mostafa used to write in her weekly,” Suman said.

On December 17, 1971, Selina’s body was found at the Rayerbazar mass killing grounds blindfolded with bayonet wounds.

Towhid Reza Noor’s family was not as lucky as Sumon to identify the body of his father, journalist Siraj Uddin Hossain. Towhid in his deposition as the sixth prosecution witness said his family could not recognise the body from Rayerbazar as most of the bodies had been decomposed. His family went to the Rayerbazar field on December 18 searching for Siraj Uddin after hearing from people that the field had been used to kill intellectuals abducted from

Doctors and academics targeted to break the nation’s backbone n Muktasree Chakma Sathi

Sensing inevitable defeat in the Liberation War of 1971, a plan was designed by the al-Badr and Pakistani occupation forces to break the backbone of the newborn nation by targeting and killing eminent physicians and academics, just days before the country’s liberation.

From December 10 to December 15 of 1971, that plan was executed by alBadr members, who killed some of the brightest intellectuals of the country.

Yesterday, the war crimes tribunal convicted fugitives Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan for their active participation in the killings of Prof Gias Uddin Ahmed, Prof Serajul Haque Khan, Dr Md Mortuja, Dr Abul Khayer, Dr Foyzul Mohiuddin, Prof Rashidul Hassan, Prof Anwar Pasha, Prof Santosh Bhattacharjee, Prof Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, Prof Munier Chowdhury, Physician Fazle Rabbee and Alim Chowdhury.

The verdict against Mueen-Ashraf also mentioned that the intellectual killing was a designed and calculated operation for violently murdering people.

The verdict also said the local collaborators chalked out a common plan and design to break up “the psychological potency of freedom fighters and to cripple the Bengali nation as well, by

carrying out brutal killing of numerous intellectuals of Bangladesh,” after sensing the “inevitable defeat.”

All the depositions of the prosecution witnesses mentioned that the victims were killed because their political and ideological stances, particularly during 1971, went against Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Among the victims, the doctors were targeted because they treated wounded freedom fighters, while the academics were killed because of their pro-liberation stance and faith in a new country called Bangladesh.

Both Nusrat Rabbee and Farjana Chowdhury Nipa, daughters of physician Mohammad Fazle Rabbee and Alim Chowdhury respectively, submitted in their depositions at the war crimes tribunal that their fathers used to run a secret hospital treating wounded freedom fighters during the Liberation War. Professor emeritus Anisuzzaman, not only in his deposition, but also in several interviews given to media including the War Crimes Files, mentioned that al-Badr went ahead with the plan of abducting and killing people in December 1971, after realising there was “no mean to stop the creation of Bangladesh. So they wanted to do as much harm as possible to Bangladesh. And one of the way of doing this was to kill as many intellectuals as possible.” l

3

Monday, November 4, 2013

different places of the capital.

Towhid was three when his father had been abducted on December 11.

He heard about the incident from his mother Nurjahan Siraji and elder brother Shahin Reza Noor. Both witnessed the abduction.

ANM Golam Rahman Dulu, brother of martyred journalist ANM Golam Mostafa, said he had witnessed how a junior al-Badr member was showing respect to Mueen Uddin as a senior leader at a camp. Golam Mostafa had been picked up by the al-Badr militia on December 11.

Dulu also said Mueen had taken him to the Purana Paltan office of Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat and the Physical Training Centre at Mohammadpur which was historically known as an al-Badr torture camp when he was desperately searching for his brother.

“I saw the militia stand in attention after seeing Mueen. He entered the Physical Training Centre very arrogantly,” Dulu said told the tribunal.

Son of martyred journalist Anirban Mostafa never had a chance to say “father” as he was only nine months

old then. Anirban also told the tribunal that later, when he had asked his father’s colleagues and came to know that few days before the abduction, Mueen and Golam Mostafa were engaged in an altercation. At one point, Mueen had threatened him saying “remarks against Pakistan will not bring any good to you.”

Mueen and Golam Mostafa were colleagues at the daily Purbadesh in 1971.

Golam Mostafa’s body was never found.

According to Panna Kaiser, wife of martyred journalist and novelist Shahidullah Kaiser, one of the abductors Khalek Majumder had mentioned Mueen and Ashraf’s name as his superiors when he was caught by freedom fighters in December 1971.

Khalek again mentioned the duo’s name when he faced trial under the Collaborators Act in 1972, Panna Kaiser told the tribunal. She had lived with Shahidullah Kaiser only two years and 10 months as his wife.

Mueen and Ashraf, who are now believed to live in London and New York respectively, were charged for the killing of 18 intellectuals, six of who were journalists. l

Fearless for four decades n Syeda Samira Sadeque The room was dimly lit; daylight could not pour into it as the blinds were drawn.

A small study table stood in one corner next to a book shelf and a sofa set. Pictures, artworks, photographs and certificates adorned the room. Some hung on the wall while others stood tall on the floor with no order maintained in the way the room was set. But it had one gold possession: a tinge of the past. The room echoed a song of what used to be untold stories with pictures and paintings untouched.

“I haven’t decorated this place with modern furniture. Everything here was handpicked by him, and that’s what I decorated the room with,” said Panna Kaiser, widow of martyred journalist and writer Shahidullah Kaiser.

We were waiting in the sitting room of Shahidullah’s Eskaton home as the International Crimes Tribunal read out the verdict against Mueen-Ashraf, the duo charged for orchestrating murders of intellectuals including Shahidullah during the war of 1971. The sentence was to be read out soon, yet Panna was sitting nonchalantly on her sofa.

“It pains me to watch the news on this, so I switched the TV off,” she sighs.

She paused and started again: “My home was broken 40 years ago; yet, over the decades I have smiled through my joys and sorrow.”

Although she was hopeful about the trial she said she wanted to see the verdicts be implemented. “But to me, real justice would have been watching the criminals hang in Suhrawardy Udyan after we won our independence,” her voice suddenly became firm as she spoke.

She recalled December 16, 1971, when she visited the Rayerbazar mass grave in search of her husband’s body. Witnessing the gruesome scene instilled a sense of fearlessness in her. “If I hadn’t been to Rayerbazar I wouldn’t have known where I am today. That one experience has changed me forever.”

“When I went there, somehow I was not scared,” she says. “I suddenly had this belief in myself.”

Later, after checking some corpses, when she still could not find her husband she gave up.

“When I held my children later that day, suddenly I felt the courage inside.

And I have been fearless since.”

Fearless she may be but in a stark contrast her emotions are a collage of hopelessness about the current situation and yet a dim ray of optimism for the future.

She feels hopeless about lack of revolutionary spirit in today’s people. “When thousands gathered for the March 7 speech at Surhawardy Udyan, were they forced? They went there willingly. So where is that spirit today?”

She however expressed hope for today’s youth saying Shahbagh had restored her faith in them.

“With Shahbagh, today’s youth has awakened. The people of Bangladesh have awakened. And this spirit that has sprung up within the youths need to live on.” Panna’s hope for this spirit reflects in the upbringing of her children.

“Shahidullah would write me notes asking me to raise the children with Bangladesh’s values. And I raised my children with a sense of patriotism, a spirit of our liberation war,” she says proudly.

“They often ask me what I have gained from this loss. And I tell them, I have won this country,” she smiles.

Our conversation almost came to an end when I received the news that the verdict had been delivered. “Death sentence,” I told her.

In contrast to the glum that she was enveloped in, her face lit up breaking into a long-overdue smile. She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath, contented.

Four decades after her husband was taken away for “interrogation,” the widow of Shahidullah Kaiser has an answer.

It may be late, but she said she wanted to live with aspiration instead of hopelessness. She wants to see the youth take the revolution forward, live on with the spirit of the liberation war. l

Martyr Giasuddin’s family – his sister Farida Banu, niece Masuda Banu Farouk Ratna, and sister Hamida Banu – on the court premises yesterday (Top - from left) Prof Anirban Mostafa (right), son of martyred journalist ANM Golam Mostafa, walks towards the court yesterday along with his family – son Bishonko Broto and wife Prof Afroza Parvin RAJIB DHAR

KILLING OF INTELLECTUALS

UK documentary narrated Chowdhury Mueen’s involvement n Muktasree Chakma Sathi War Crimes Files, a documentary film aired on British television Channel 4 in 1995, shed light on convict Chowdhury Mueen Uddin’s involvement in the killing of intellectuals during the 1971 Liberation War. David Bergman was the reporter and researcher behind the documentary, which was created in three parts highlighting the atrocities carried out by alBadr, a paramilitary force formed with members of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front which worked as an auxiliary force of the Pakistan occupation army in 1971, particularly in December.

The documentary also mentioned in the report that under the 1957 Geneva Conventions Act, the UK could bring the Bangladeshi war criminals now residing in that country to trial.

Pointing out that a special unit of Scotland Yard had been investigating the alleged Nazi war criminals living in the UK, the report also suggested the same with regard to the Bangladeshi war criminals.

Mueen has been staying in London since 1973, the report said.

Quoting Lord Archer of Sandwell, also then vice-chairman of parliamentary war crimes group, the documentary said the purpose of passing the act of 1957 was precisely for trying the persons whom against such allegations had been made.

According to investigation of the War Crimes Files, during the War of Independence Mueen was the leading commander of al-Badr, which organised the systematic slaughter of Dhaka’s intelligentsia.

The reporter interviewed several people from laymen to experts including journalist Enayetullah Khan, who had observed that Mueen was not only a symbol of killing, but also in fact he participated in those killings.

He also expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that despite their involvement in atrocities in 1971, Jamaat had managed to get involved in national politics. “I don’t think of it as their [Jamaat’s] success…It is our failure, our national failure.”

In 1971, Mueen had worked with the daily Purbadesh. Journalist Atiqur Rahman was superior to Mueen. Atiqur shared with the War Crimes Files how a report on al-Badr scooped all over the Pakistan.

“Mueen first disclosed the news that a force named al-Badr has been established. That was the disclosure made in Purbadesh only, throughout Pakistan.”

The documentary said such disclosure had taken place since Mueen “was in fact on its central committee.”

Hailed from Feni, Mueen used to visit his native village also during 1971. Joynal Abdin, a commander of Bangladesh Liberation Force, told the War Crimes Files that Mueen was one of the al-Badr central leaders. Freedom fighter Giasuddin Ahmed Nanu of Feni echoed the view.

It said it was not clear whether Mueen had been involved in picking up anyone in Feni, but eyewitnesses identified him as leading the abduction of intellectuals in Dhaka.

A number of intellectuals relatives’ and friends including journalist Ataus Samad, Noorjahan Siraji (wife of

martyred Siraj Uddin Hossain), Dolly Chowdhury (wife of Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury), Delwar Hossain (the lone survivor from the mass killing field), and Dulu Rahman (brother of martyred journalist Golam Mostafa) were quoted in the report.

Dulu said Mueen had accompanied him to al-Badr bases in Dhaka when he was searching for his brother ANM Mustafa, who was abducted on December 11. Mostafa and Mueen were colleagues but had an altercation a few days before the abduction. At one point, Mueen threatened him.

The next morning of the abduction, Dulu had gone to the newspaper office and asked for help. “I told them that my brother was taken away. They were completely stunned. I noticed that the atmosphere was rather uneasy. They sent for Mueen Uddin. When Mueen Uddin arrived, they said: ‘Look, they have taken Mostafa away. Please try to find out where he is.’”

Mueen first disclosed the news that a force named al-Badr has been established.

That was the disclosure made in Purbadesh only, throughout Pakistan He said they had not faced any obstacle in entering the places they went.

“Every office we visited he entered quite easily. And particularly when we went to the Physical Training Centre, the guard seemed to stand attention to greet him. He simply walked straight in. He met no obstacles whatsoever.”

In 1971, this base (Mohammadpur Training Centre) was heavily guarded with access restricted to military and al-Badr personalities.

On the same night, the al-Badr tried to abduct journalist Ataus Samad.

Ataus’s attendant Mushtaqur Rahman and neighbour Mahmudur Rahman were interrogated by Mueen, according to the War Crimes Files.

Mushtaq and Mahmudur said they were sure the abduction on that night had been led by Mueen. They recognised him after reports in Bangladeshi papers had been published after the liberation. Then Atiqur wrote a story that made front page news across Bangladesh, naming Mueen as a member of al-Badr.

Atiqur succeeded to gain information that Mueen was the “operation-in-charge” from another confined al-Badr man Khaleque Mazumder.

Atiqur also had his own reason to be convinced. Mueen once had asked for Atiqur’s address from him, according to the War Crimes Files.

“He asked the number of my residence. Immediately it cropped in my mind I should not give him the actual address. So I gave him a false address.”

After the war, in an al-Badr hit list of journalists, Atiqur’s name was found with that false address.

The abduction of intellectuals that had taken place on December 14, 1971 also had eyewitnesses who saw Mueen leading the operation. Prof Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury is one of the intellectuals picked up on that day. His wife Dolly Chowdhury told the War Crimes Files that she had identified Mueen after her husband whipped off the abductor’s scarf. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Constitution does not allow state religion: HC Verdict says parliament has to remove loopholes from RPO Article 12 says: “The principle of tion. n Nazmus Sakib The verdict categorically said the secularism shall be realised by the In its full verdict which cancelled Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration, the High Court observed that the constitution of Bangladesh does not approve the inclusion of state religion.

It said religion is for an individual and not for the state as the goal of a state is to ensure only the earthly wellbeing of its citizens.

It made the observations in its detailed judgement published on Saturday.

The High court bench of Justice M Moazzam Husain, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque on August 1 pronounced the operative part of the verdict declaring “the registration given to Jamaat by the Election Commission on November 4, 2008 was done without lawful authority and is of no effect”.

The judgment was on the basis of majority view.

The court explicated the unconstitutionality of state religion, saying that secularism was mentioned as one of the basic principles of state policy in the preamble to the constitu-

insertion of state religion provision whether by the 8th or 15th amendments is contrary as well as irreconcilable to the preamble of the constitution. Similarly, it is also contradictory with articles 8 and 12, the basic principles of state policy.

The regime of military dictator HM Ershad first included Islam as a state religion in 1988 through the 8th amendment, later annulled by the Appellate Division.

Then in 2011, the Awami League-led government inserted article 2(a) which states “the state religion of the Republic is Islam, but the state shall ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and other religions”.

According to article 8, basic principles of state policy shall be fundamental to the governance of Bangladesh applied by the state in the making of laws, a guide to the interpretation of the constitution and of the other laws of Bangladesh, and shall form the basis of the work of the state and of its citizens, but shall not be judicially enforceable.

elimination of communalism in all its forms.”

Both the counsels of Jamaat and the Election Commission argued that as Islam is the state religion, so is should follow that the registration of the party is legal. The High Court in its full verdict has ruled out the argument saying “it is unacceptable and an outcome of misconception”.

It said Jamaat had misinterpreted Islam from its inception which caused communal violence in the country. But the present electoral law, RPO does have not any provision that bars a political party from being registered, said the verdict.

“Though the article 12(c) of the constitution prohibits the misuse of religion for political purposes for the purpose of upholding secularism, but the court has no authority to enforce the provision as it is a basic principle of state policy. Therefore, the parliament has to remove loopholes from RPO so that no party can use religion for political purposes,” the High Court said. l

Monday, November 4, 2013

AL rally turns into election campaign n Ashif Islam Shaon The grand rally organised by the ruling Awami League in the capital’s Suhrawardi Udyan yesterday to mark the historic “Jail Killing Day” apparently turned into an election campaign.

Except for the main banner on stage, there were very few places where “Jail Killing Day” was mentioned. Though the party high-ups asked its leaders and activists not to carry any posters or banners containing portraits of aspirants, the udyan was flooded with huge posters, banners and placards of the party leaders seeking nominations for the upcoming national elections.

Supporters of lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder and Talukder Towhid Jong Murad were seen wearing t-shirts that contained portraits of their leaders. On the other hand, banners containing portraits of Telecom Minister Sahara Khatun, LGRD State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and posters containing portraits of lawmakers Meher Afroz Chumki Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Narshindi 5 aspirant SM Kaiyum and Dhaka 12 aspirant Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury were also seen.

Banners of Sahara Khatun displayed the government’s achievements

in telecommunications during its tenure, while the banners of the LGRD state minister read: “We need again Hasina’s government to continue the development works.”

With thousands of leaders and activists from the capital and its adjacent districts in the rally, the ruling Awami League experienced a better gathering compared to a number of rallies attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the capital recently.

However, some of the activists were not aware of why the rally was arranged and even some had no idea about the identities of the people whose images adorned banners, posters and t-shirts they were holding and wearing.

Mominul Islam, who was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the portrait of Kamal Ahmed Majumder, said he had no idea about the “Jail Killing Day.” Replying to a question about who his leader was, a shabbily-dressed teenager carrying a placard of Kamal Ahmed Majumder, said: “I do not know. Look at the placard. Some local brothers brought me here.”

Meanwhile, some of the activists, who were wearing t-shirts and cap of several aspirants, said they were provided with biriyani before they started for the rally and would be given “pocket money” after the rally. l

A long-range forecast from the Met Office has warned of a possible cyclonic storm forming in the Bay of Bengal later this month.

The forecast, released for the months of October, November and December, said one or two depressions are likely to form over the Bay in November, and one of them might then turn into a cyclone.

“The possibility of a cyclone is very high as October and November are usually considered the most likely season to have cyclones,” said Shah Alam, the director of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

Local authorities in the coastal districts said they were aware of the forecast and were prepared to deal with any sort of emergency.

Md Ruhul Amin, deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, said, “We are well prepared to deal with this type of natural disaster. After getting cautionary signal from the Met Office, we will take necessary steps such as the rehabilitation of people.”

The authorities in Barguna, Khulna, Sathkhira and Patuakhali also said they had plans and preparations to face any kind of disaster.

The forecast about the cyclone was issued after an expert meeting held in October at the Cyclone Cautionary Centre of BMD. l

RANA PLAZA COLLAPSE

Qawmi Madrasa Board opposes proposed law

DNA tests confirm identities of 157 victims n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong The authorities of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasa Education Board yesterday accused the government of trying to destroy the centres which purely exercise Qur’an and Hadith, by enacting the Qawmi Madrasa Education Authority Act “as part of an international conspiracy.”

“The government is trying to bring the Qawmi madrasas under their control by enacting the act,” claimed Abdul Jabbar, secretary general of the board, while reading out a written statement at a press conference held in a community center at Chittagong’s Hathazari yesterday morning.

He said the government formed Qawmi Madrasa Education Commission on April 15, 2010 with the aim to control Qawmi madrasas, adding that the commission Chairman Shah Ahmed Shafi and most of its members had resigned after sensing the conspiracy.

Jabbar said the government’s attempt to reshuffle the syllabus of Qawmi madrasas in the name of accrediting Qawmi certificates would destroy Qawmi education, as no Islamic scholar would emerge if the current syllabus was to be changed.

Qawmi madrasa teachers-students along with devoted Muslims would launch tough movements across the country if the government tried to enact the law, he also warned.

Other members of the Qawmi Madrasa Education Board – Nur Hossain Kashemi, Zafar Ullah Khan and Tajul Islam - were also present at the conference. l

WEATHER

Dry weather likely n UNB Weather is likely to remain nearly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country until 6pm today. Light fog might occur at places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Comilla and Rangamati during late night till morning, Met Office said. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:18pm today and rises at 6:07am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 32.8 degree Celsius was recorded at Jessore and lowest 17.7 degrees at Rangamati 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

31.5 29.8 30.8 28.4 32.2 31.6 28.6 31.0

21.5 20.4 20.0 20.0 21.0 20.8 19.3 22.0

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

Cyclonic storm likely later this month: Met Office n Abu Bakar Siddique

4:49am 6:05am 11:42am 3:42pm 5:18pm 6:35pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

After the day’s work, commuters wait for buses to go back home yesterday afternoon at Farmgate, as public transport was in short supply because of pre-hartal violence and severe traffic on the main roads due to Awami League’s mass rally at Suhrawardy Udyan NASHIRUL ISLAM

Long queues for OMS onions ahead of hartal n Asif Showkat Kallol

People formed long queues yesterday to buy low-costing onions from makeshift truck shops of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), fearing a supply shortage during the 18-party alliance’s 60-hour hartal.

Rasheda, a private job holder who stood in line near the National Press club, said she had no other choice but to buy onions from the TCB’s open market sale (OMS), as the price was half compared to the kitchen markets.

The fear of supply shortage at the

NU exam suspended

n Mohammad Ali Zheelon The National University authority has suspended exams of different academic sessions set for Tuesday and Wednesday – the second and final days of the latest 60-hour hartal called by the BNPled 18-party opposition alliance.

The authority, which has the right to change the exam schedule without showing any cause, has decided to hold the exams of these two days on a new schedule.

The Honours first year exam will be held on Saturday at 9am, the fourth year Honours exam on Thursday at 9am, and the MBA second semester exam on Thursday at 10am. All were originally due on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s BBA second year fourth semester exam will be held on Thursday at 9am.

The rest of the previous exam schedule will remain unchanged, officials said. l

start of the shutdown may have also caused the long queues in front of the TCB makeshift shops, she said.

Kitchen markets sold onions yesterday between Tk105 and Tk110 for each kilogram, while TCB charged Tk65 per kg at its OMS shops.

Nazrul Islam, an onion trader at Shantinagar bazar, said onion prices will definitely increase in the first week of December, during a gap in local onion harvest.

On Friday, India raised its export price for every tonne of onion from $900 to $1,150, in a bid to rein in prices

in its domestic market, said a notification from the neighbouring country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

A senior official at Bangladesh’s commerce ministry, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have already taken all-out efforts to keep the price of onion down in the local market, while onions stored by TCB will remain for 15 days”.

The official also said the ministry had already sent three TCB officials to the Hili, Sona Masjid and Bhomra land ports to buy onion at any price necessary from onion-laden trucks coming from India.

Assuring that local onion prices would not be influenced by changes to Indian onion prices, the official also said monitoring will be beefed up at the kitchen markets.

Earlier, local onion importers assured the commerce ministry that prices of onion will decrease within two weeks, despite the price hike of Indian onions.

Bangladesh produces about 1.4m tonnes of onion annually against the demand for 2m tonnes. The country imports 20% of its onion demands from India each year. l

Chittagong DIG bungalow’s cop killed and 3 others injured, 4 held n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Miscreants hacked four policemen near Chittagong city’s Batali hill area yesterday, leaving one dead and three injured.

The deceased Md Abdul Kaiyum, 26, who hailed from Gachhua village, Sandwip, was deployed at the bungalow of Chittagong range’s Deputy Inspector General Nawsher Ali. The three injured constables are Md Salauddin, 28, Ariful Islam, 25, and Md Shahabuddin, 28.

Additional Superintendent of Police Saroar Jahan, staff officer to the DIG, told the Dhaka Tribune that around 1015 men attacked the four policemen, who were in plain clothes and off-duty, with lethal weapons around 9:30am, leaving them critically injured.

The four constables had gone to

a tea-stall near the DIG’s bungalow where they found two muggers who had allegedly snatched valuables from a driver of the DIG a few days ago, he said, adding that the muggers started shouting, terming the policemen as snatchers, when they (policemen) tried to nab them.

The cohorts of the muggers, hearing the shouting, attacked the policemen and hacked them indiscriminately, the official said. The injured were rushed to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where the on-duty doctors declared Kaiyum dead and sent his body for autopsy.

Meanwhile, four people – Jewel, Rubel, Suman and Selim – were arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing, said Harun-or-Rashid Hajaree, deputy commissioner of North Zone in

Chittagong Metropolitan Police.

Locals, however, told Dhaka Tribune that the police constables were involved with gambling and they were attacked by other gamblers when the constables locked into a feud centring on the distribution of gambled money.

An official of the CMP, seeking anonymity, told Dhaka Tribune that the four constables had ties allegedly with extortionists, drug peddlers and gamblers in the area and had been collecting tolls from them.

Md Shahidullah, additional deputy commissioner (north) of the CMP, said he heard many “rumours” over the incident and was investigating the matter to find out the facts.

The Dhaka Tribune could not reach DIG Nawsher Ali over mobile phone for his comments in this regard. l

The labour ministry is set to announce today, the DNA test results of 157 unidentified victims of the Rana Plaza disaster.

Earlier yesterday, the National DNA Testing Laboratory at the Dhaka Medical College submitted to the ministry – its findings on 157 victims, among a total of 321 unidentified victims from the tragedy that occurred on April 24 this year.

The DNA laboratory chief Dr Sharif Akteruzzaman confirmed the matter, adding that among the 157 identified victims, 116 are women and 41 are men.

Sources said, the DNA laboratory had completed the DNA profiling of around 300 victims, but had so far only confirmed the relationships between 157 victims and their relatives.

Seeking anonymity, an official of the DNA laboratory said another round of DNA test results were likely to be published in a couple of weeks.

Around 60%-70% identification of the total victims could be known after the reanalysis of the rest of the unidentified victims, the official expressed hopes, adding that the next test will be done following a different analysis system.

However, another source at the DNA laboratory said the targeted percentage may not be reached during the reanalysis.

Meanwhile, Dr Akteruzzaman, chief of the DNA lab, said: “Generally, blood sample helps to get a correct result of a DNA profile. But the samples of the unidentified victims were collected from their bones and teeth. And that is why the actual identification of all unidentified victims may not be found.” l

Dhaka court rejects time petition in Tarique-Mamun case n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday rejected a time petition filed by the defence in the money-laundering case against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and his friend, businessman Giasuddin-Al-Mamun.

Defence counsel Masud Ahmed Talukder mentioned in the petition that three defense witnesses needed more time to appear before the court, as they were currently abroad for medical treatment.

The petition mentioned Babul Kazi, director of One Composite Mills Ltd, and Ershad Karim, director of One Denim Mills Ltd, were now in India, while Apex Group Chairman Harun-or-Rashid was in Singapore for treatment.

After hearing the plea, Dhaka Special Judge 3 Md Motaher Hosain rejected the time petition and set the next date for argument on November 7. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Education

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Monday, November 4, 2013

The education revolution n Cal Jahan October 10 was the second anniversary of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which are rapidly transforming the GOLDEN current educaRULE tion system. A few community members of Dhaka MOOC Exchange got together at Robindro Shorobor to talk about their educational experiences both in various institutions of Bangladesh as well as through online resources such as MOOCs. These online courses are being provided by some of the elite universities such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, to name a few, for free through platforms like Coursera, edX and Udacity.

Free online education is making headway in the US, reeling from financial crisis and with increasing cost of higher education and consequently, student debt. In developing countries like Bangladesh, MOOCs are creating quite a stir. A recent report by the HarvardX research team revealed the number of students from Bangladesh to be 3,106 as of August 18, or 0.6% of the worldwide enrollment for HarvardX courses offered via edX. Despite such dramatic proof of local interest, there’s a lot of skepticism as to the efficacy and quality of these online courses. But listening to the Dhaka MOOC Exchange members, one soon loses those doubts.

Alin has a Bachelors degree in Finance from Dhaka University. He took an Introduction to Finance course from the University of Michigan at Coursera. He was amazed. The content of that one ten weeks course was equivalent to four finance courses at his university. Students can now compare their formal education with that of the best universities around the world. Local educational institutions can benefit as well from these resources by improving their own quality of education.

Raju, from Sherpur, noted the odd phenomenon of rising grades every year under the National Curriculum.

He pointed out the politicisation behind this phenomenon, and how every political government in their bid to show that they have done a better job in education create pressure to artificially inflate the exam results. The question remains, what can we expect from these students when they take on serious, leadership roles?

Cost of education in Bangladesh is disproportionately higher than cost of living and employment compared to first world countries. K-12 education can run upwards of Tk20,000 per month per child. It’s equivalent to some of the best starting salaries in the banking and telecom sectors.

The development sector is full of talk of poverty reduction most of which is focused around income. What if we looked at the costs of education?

And if we could make that single line

wanted to do, art and animation.

Someone saw his portfolio and hired him right away, no certificates needed.

That first year of his employment, his salary quadrupled. And the second year, that quadrupled salary doubled, meaning an eightfold increase of his initial salary. He ventured on his own to start Ogniroth Studios, one of the leading animation studios in Dhaka.

Alin used MOOCs to get a better job.

He took Introduction to Computer Science at Udacity and at Codecademy,

recently and applying to universities, is using his down time to learn programming. He finished a couple of Computer Science courses at Udacity and is an ongoing student at Codecademy. He said Khan Academy changed his whole understanding of learning and education. It taught him to understand complex concepts more intuitively. His learning routine changed when he was studying for his A-levels.

After he came home from class, he watched Khan Academy tutorials to

American idioms

A little bird told me: When someone says “a little bird told me,” it means they don’t want you to know who told them.

Armed to the teeth: Heavily armed.

In hot water: In trouble.

Put your money where your mouth is: If you believe that what you are saying is right, let’s bet on it!

Not playing with a full deck: The person is crazy.

Let’s get the ball rolling: Let’s start now.

To be full of hot air: When someone talks a lot about something they can or will do but in reality, there is no truth to any of it – they are full of hot air!

Monkey see, monkey do: When one person does something, everyone follows and does the same thing.

Hit the books: To study.

To look like a million dollars: To look great; to be very well-dressed!

That takes the cake: Something that is unbelievable and incredible; better than the rest.

Put a lid on it: Be quiet.

Paint the town red: Go out and enjoy the entertainments of the city.

On the wrong side of the tracks: In a bad neighborhood. l

Q: I am a primary school teacher currently taking care of students from playgroup to kindergarten. I’ve been doing this ASK for 4 years now and am MS POP tired and bored of the same thing. I want to teach older students and explore my horizons in other subjects. How should I approach my school?

MsPop: Figure out what type of subjects you are interested in. Try to design course works for these subjects, and ask management for a chance to teach a subject in a higher class for a month or so. Tell them you have new techniques and healthier forms of teaching, and walk them through it step by step. Tell them about your positive attitude towards extending your own skill set and moving ahead and your desire to take on more serious challenges and responsibilities. I am sure the management will understand and work with you.

Q: Being a parent, I am responsible for teaching my children the difference between right and wrong. I believe, to

do this, I need to know a lot more than my children do, and need to teach them everything. Unfortunately, I am very weak in mathematics. Being a mother, how can I tell my children that I am weak in math and hence I cannot help them in that particular subject? I feel embarrassed; what if my child thinks lowly of me?

MsPop: Children usually don’t think lowly of their parents for a simple reason like that, unless they see their parents doubting themselves and thinking in that manner. First of all, change your attitude and how you see this problem. Every person has flaws and weaknesses. So does every mother. And your primary responsibility as a guide and teacher is to teach them humility: that every person is flawed, but not necessarily incomplete, or lowly in any manner. Acknowledge you weaknesses to your child. Find a suitable tutor for your kids and tell them, that you are responsible for a lot of other things and this is not your forte, hence you would like them to learn math from someone who is better equipped to handle it. l

American slang is different from British slang.

The casual variety of the English language grew independent in America, influenced strongly by an TIPS & obsessions with cowboys, TRICKS sports, the building of the railroad, the card game of poker, immigrants, natives and African-American culture.

item in every family’s monthly budget to zero through the adoption of MOOCs, we will certainly see a drastic improvement in the standard of living throughout the country.

Rashid shared his educational experience of constantly getting demotivated and disengaged. There were holes in the curriculum that he was expected to cover without being given any instructions. He is currently taking a few MOOCs through Coursera. He deeply believes there should be a step by step process for students so that they don’t get lost in the system.

Mony, an artist and an animator, has been working at a prominent animation studio in Dhaka. There are no animation schools in Dhaka. She got online and took many tutorials to learn her craft. Within a few years she had a portfolio of work that was so impressive she was hired on the spot. She is currently taking the Interactive 3D Graphics course at Udacity.

Zubuyer, Mony’s iconoclastic boss, didn’t bother getting his Higher Secondary Degree. He knew what he

Introduction to R, a programming language used mainly for statistical analysis. Neither of these courses were part of his curriculum at Dhaka University.

Noting it on his CV, he was not only hired by his employer but was made supervisor of a team of three holding similar finance degrees to himself. He admits not having noteworthy grades at DU, but given his MOOC knowledge,

Cost of education in Bangladesh is disproportionately higher than cost of living and employment compared to first world countries he was able to convince his employer he was qualified for the job.

Alin is not alone. More and more students outside of the Computer Science field are learning programming.

Most are convinced that programming literacy not only enhances their marketable skills but also will be necessary in every field soon enough.

Yasser, having finished his A-levels

gain solid comprehension of the concepts he was introduced to in class.

MOOCs seem to be a good way to not only explore topics one wouldn’t get within their academic discipline, but it’s also a great way to keep highly capable students engaged and interested in learning. MOOCs can play a vital role in supplementing if not supplanting formal education.

The free online education revolution is here. Whatever complaints we may have about the education system, we are not alone and it is not a Bangladeshi problem. What will become of the education system is anyone’s guess, but there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources that are out there for free right now.

Companies are looking more at portfolios of what a student has done rather than the fancy certificates they hold. To build those portfolios, you’ll need the best and the latest knowledge in the world. Visit KhanAcademy. org, Codecademy.com, Coursera.org, Udacity.com and edX.org to begin your exploration. l

Students, teachers and parents are encouraged to send in their queries or share their problems at education@dhakatribune.com

BRAC University celebrates the legacy of poet Seamus Heaney

ULAB celebrates Club Day Fall 2013 University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) celebrated a colourful day-long “Club Day” on October 24 at its auditorium at Dhanmondi. Each term, ULAB holds this programme to promote the importance of extracurricular activities and to encourage new students to join the clubs.

The programme started with welcome songs by ULAB Shangskriti Shangsad. It continued with performances by the other thirteen clubs, including Adventure Club, Art Club, Business Club, Computer Programming Club, Debating Club, Electronics Club, Film Club, Language Club, Media Club, Social Welfare Club, Sustainable Development Club, Sports Club and

Theatre Club. Each club introduced itself and then gave a performance related to its mission among them being dances, songs, poetry recitations, dramas, ramp shows, funny debates and film documentaries.

ULAB Vice Chancellor Professor Imran Rahman was the Chief Guest, while ULAB Co-curricular Coordinator Tahmina Zaman gave the welcome speech for the programme. Among others, Senior Advisor of ULAB Board of Trustees Professor Brian Shoesmith, ULAB Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor H M Jahirul Haque and ULAB Registrar Lt Col Md Foyzul Islam (Retd) were also present in the Club Day, Fall 2013 event. l

BRAC University honored the legacy and mourned the sad demise of a beloved poet Seamus Justin Heaney on October 24. The event was organised by the Department of English and Humanities (ENH).

Chair of ENH Professor Firdous Azim opened the session with a warm welcome note. She said that the department was using this memorial ceremony to celebrate the work of the Irish poet of soil and strife and to inculcate the students with a love of poetry. Professor Fuad Hassan Mallick, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of BRAC University, said that despite being a small department, ENH is rich in literary activities. He mentioned how he enjoys attending the frequently organised poetry sessions, conferences and seminars.

In his keynote address, Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam from the Department of English at Dhaka University, and part-time faculty and graduate course coordinator of ENH talked about Heaney’s poetic lineage and his use of poetic techniques. He also discussed the common heritage of Yeats and Heaney and spoke about their divergences in dealing with their contemporary issues.

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh HE William Hanna discussed Heaney’s passion for sports and drawing. He

said: “He is a poet of my heart.” The ambassador recounted his experience of meeting the poet and subsequently keeping a track of all his later works. He mentioned how reading Heaney during his travels keeps him connected to his homeland.

English language Advisor of the British Council Kathryn Kelly conducted an interactive session for the audience. She started with a discussion of the common aspects of Northern Ireland and Bangladesh commenting on how the differences in the countries’ terrains have given people their livelihood and provided inspiration for creative work. She inspired students to write poetry no matter how difficult the situation is.

Lecturer of ENH Sharlene Nisha Alam discussed how Heaney’s work focused on language as the bearer of cultural history, sound, and rhythm.

She emphasised the importance that Heaney gave to literary tradition in the poetry of the 20th century.

The convener of the programme, Rukhsana R.Chowdhury, Senior Lecturer of ENH, mentioned the quality of the human touch in Heaney’s poems and read a few lines to underscore the timeless position of the poet in the contemporary world.

She ended by thanking everyone involved in making the programme a success. l

Asia Foundation launches Asia Development Fellows The Asia Foundation, an international development nonprofit in Asia, launched a call for applicants to its Asia Development Fellows: Emerging Leadership for Asia’s Future programme, a prestigious new initiative designed to bring together next-generation Asian leaders interested in the region’s social and economic development challenges.

The year-long career advancement program will leverage The Asia Foundation’s rich 60-year history, extensive

18-country network, and deep commitment to innovative leaders and communities across the region. The programme will provide highly qualified, young Asian professionals (under 40 years of age) with an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills and gain in-depth knowledge of Asia’s critical development challenges.

Fellows will engage in intensive learning modules and leadership de-

velopment - including short courses, conferences and study tours - while maintaining flexibility to stay in their current occupations. The 2014 program will be conducted in Singapore, Philippines, San Francisco, and Washington DC with a small grant award of US $5,000 provided.

In an increasingly complex and changing region, The Asia Foundation continues to respond to critical issues impacting Asia in fundamental

ways. Asia Foundation President David D. Arnold remarked: “We have been investing in innovative and entrepreneurial leaders for more than 60 years.

The Asia Development Fellows program continues this tradition by helping to identify, nurture, and support the next generation of leaders for this dynamic and developing region.”

Applications will be accepted November 1 through December 15, 2013.

Visit asiafoundation.org l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, November 4, 2013

Strike continues at JU for VC’s removal

JOB FAIR FOR MAIDS

1,000 aspiring female migrants n register for jobs in Hong Kong n Rabiul Islam Around 1,000 aspiring female migrant workers have registered at a job fair held in the capital for recruiting domestic maids to work in Hong Kong.

A private recruitment agency in Bangladesh, SA Trading, and Hong Kong-based recruitment agency, Technical Employment Service Centre (TESC), jointly organised the two-day fair that ended yesterday at Probashi Kalyan Bhaban.

Officials said a female migrant would be able to earn a handsome amount of money in Hong Kong to help pull her family out of poverty.

They added that it was possible for a

maid to earn as much as Tk41,000 per month while she would enjoy free food and accommodation.

TESC’s Kevin Wong claimed that over 100 female migrants had gone to Hong Kong to work as maids and were doing well. He displayed some pictures of Bangladeshi maids performing their duties in Hong Kong houses.

However, a number have returned home from the country and lodged complaints with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), saying they were forced to work unpaid overtime and were not given enough food.

About such allegations, Kevin said some agencies had experienced such

incidents, but not his. He admitted though that TESC hired 10 female migrants who were terminated from jobs, but arranged their employment later.

Hailing from Rangpur, Reshma registered at the job fair yesterday with a view to going to Hong Kong to make more money to pull her family out of abject poverty.

“I am depressed. My family is very poor. Going to Hong Kong, I want to earn money so that I can run my family well enough,” Reshma told the Dhaka Tribune at the fair yesterday.

The Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry officials termed the fair a good initiative which would help the female migrants learn

where they would go and who to hire them, adding that there was no role of middlemen in this regard.

Md Washim, an office staff of SA Trading, said registered migrants must attend three months of training on their likely responsibilities as housemaids, as well as on the language, culture and food habits of people in Hong Kong.

The selected migrants would be provided training free of cost, he added.

Washim added that a migrant needed to pay Tk20,000 to a local agency while a Hong Kong-based agency took $1,400 from a migrant.

Around 600 migrants registered at the job fair Saturday and 400 yesterday, he added. l

JU Correspondent

Teachers of Jahangirnagar University yesterday boycotted classes and examinations on the second day of an indefinite strike, as part of their ongoing movement to force the vice chancellor’s resignation.

The protesting teachers, belonging to JU Teachers Association (Juta) and General Teachers Forum, have been blockading the university’s Registrar Building since Saturday, halting all administrative and academic activities as VC Anwar Hossain failed to leave his post on October 30 as per their demand.

The teachers have also suspended university bus services, preventing students and staff from coming to the campus from Dhaka.

Final examinations in several departments have been postponed because of

Malaysia-bound workers asked to come to Haji camp to avoid hartal n Tribune Report

ACC approved filing charge sheet against four, including two bank officials

n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission has approved filing charge sheet against four people, including two officials of Uttara Bank Limited on charges of embezzlement of around Tk24.7m through sales of imported apparel products in the open market.

The accused are – former Uttara Bank manager Khan Ahsan Ertazul Islam of Darus Salam, Mirpur Road Branch, former foreign in-charge officer Mizanur Rahman, and importing company Apparel Sources Limited Chairman Abdullah Al Mamun and Managing Director Saiful Alam.

Investigation found that Apparel Sources Limited officials, on January 6, 2000 opened a back-to-back Letter of Credit worth around Tk24.7m with Uttara Bank, Mirpur Branch to import raw materials of RMG products.

With the LC, the company imported raw materials of apparel goods, and sold the prepared goods in the open market, though they were supposed to export the goods, as per the LC condition.

ACC Assistant Director M Abu Bakar Siddique conducted investigation into the case. l

Malaysia-bound workers due to fly on Nov 6 have been asked to come to Haji camp in Ashkona to avoid disruption during this week’s hartal.

A total of 88 workers were scheduled to board a flight of Malaysian Airlines at 12:40am on November 6, officials said.

“We have sent messages to respective workers to report to Haji camp where they can stay before the flight,” Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) Director Md Ziaul Haque told this correspondent yesterday.

It wasimpossible to change the schedules that had already been declared, he added.

Officials said a total of 109 workers wouldget on board a flight of Malaysian Airlines at 12am today.

The migrant workers had already reached Haji camp, they added. l

Jamaat-Shibir men held for planning ‘subversion’ n Tribune Report Ahead of countrywide 60-hour shutdown starting from today, police apprehended five Jamaat-Shibir activists for chalking out plans to execute subversion in the country yesterday.

Sirajul Mawla, former Amir (chief) of Jamaat-e-Islami Sandwip upazila unit was held yesterday for planning to carry out subversive activities in the port city.

In an overnight drive, police arrested Sirajul and Nasir Uddin, another Jamaat activist, from a residence at the Enamnagar area under Shiberhat union of the upazila under Chittagong district.

Md Gias Uddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sandwip police station, told the Dhaka Tribune they had carried out the drive on a tip-off.

The two arrested were being interrogated and a case was being lodged in this connection, he said.

Kalihati police arrested three JamatShibir activists from the rail gate area in Tangail on Saturday.

The arrested are Md Golam Mostofa, 55, son of Md Khoier Uddin of Gohaliabari under Kalihati upazila, Md Humayon Kabir, 22, son of Shamsul Khan of Bollob Bari village and Md Masud, 28, son of Abdul Kader of Soratoil village under the upazila.

Officer-in-charge of Kalihati police station Md Zahirul Islam said based on prior information; police raided some spots in the area located on the eastern side of the Bangabandhu Bridge.

The three had gathered there for planning anti-state activities, he said.

They arrested were sent to the Tangail district judicial magistrate court, he added. l

Activists of Chhatra Dal vandalise a microbus in the city’s Malibagh area yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

JCD man held with arms Chittagong science in Chittagong university students lock n academic office Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Police arrested an activist of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal with a light gun from Nathan Bagicha area of Raozan upazila in Chittagong Saturday night.

Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge of Raozan police station, said locals had detained the JCD man, Mohammad Babu, 24, from the area around 10pm when he was roaming in the area suspiciously. Later he was handed over to the police, he added.

A case was lodged with Raozan police station in this regard.

Refuting the incident, Saber Sultan Kajal, president of Raozan unit JCD, said some men of Bangladesh Chhatra League had beaten-up Babu and later handed him over to the police falsely with arms in possession. He alleged police arrested Babu without any investigation.

Meanwhile, in another incident, po-

lice in a special drive recovered arms and ammunition with equipment for making guns from a farmhouse of a Jatiyatabadi Jubodal leader in Sandwip upazila’s Bauria area early yesterday.

However, the leader, Nazrul Islam, president of Bauria union of Jubodal, managed to flee the scene sensing the presence of law enforcers, said Md Gias Uddin, officer-in-charge of Sandwip police station.

The OC said they had conducted drive at the residence around 1am after receiving a tip-off. A light gun, five rounds of cartridges, five rounds of rifle bullets, eight barrel of gun, eight wooden-parts of rifle, five magazines and lots of materials for making locally made gun, were found from the place, he added.

He said police were conducting drives to arrest Nazrul and a case has been filed with Sandwip police station. l

n CU Correspondent The students of University of Science and Technology put the administrative office under lock and key yesterday, demanding appointment of permanent vice-chancellor.

The office remained under lock and key for about six hours from 8am to 2pm, said the campus sources.

Campus sources said the students of Engineering Faculty brought out a procession on the campus around 8am and students of other faculties joined them.

Later, staffs of the university also expressed solidarity with the demonstrators.

A final year student of engineering faculty, seeking anonymity, said the authorities were yet to fulfill their eight-point demands, despite repeated assurance.

“We asked the pro VC (acting) and registrar to quit from their posts if they cannot do anything in this regard,” said the student.

All the academic activities have remained suspended for more than past two months at the Faculty of Engineering due to the boycott of the students, said the campus sources.

Dr AHM Ishaque Chowdhury, pro vice-chancellor (academic) of the university, could not be reached over phone for the comments after repeated attempts.

The eight-point demands include recruiting sufficient number of faculty members at different faculties, completing procedure to ensure membership of Institute of Engineers Bangladesh for the engineering faculty students, setting up a canteen and increase lab facilities. l

‘Execute death sentence for war criminals by December’

n Tribune Report Chittagong Gonojagoron Moncho brought out a rally yesterday demanding execution of the verdicts of all war crimes trials by this year.

They also demanded a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir politics.

The leaders and activists of the organisation expressed content over the verdict of fugitive Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan for their involvements with the killing of 18 intellectuals between December 11 and 15, 1971.

They brought out a procession to rejoice from the Chittagong Press Club the after announcement of the verdict.

The nation wants to witness another victory during the month of victory, speakers said.

They also urged the governemt to make the nation free from war criminals.

Dr Chandan Das, member secretary of Gonojagoron Moncho in Chittagong, Sharif Chowhan, coordinator, Mili Chowdhury, and freedom fighter Dewan Maksud spoke at the rally. l

RMG workers block Dhaka-Tangail highway demanding wage hike n Tribune Online Report

Mamtaz Ahmed passes away n Tribune Report Mamtaz Ahmed, legislative assembly member of then East Pakistan and a colleague of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, died of old age complications yesterday in Boaliya village of Kolaroya upzila under Satkhira district at the age of 96.

He served as an advisor to the sector 8 during 1971. Mamtaz left behind eight sons and seven daughters.

His namaz-e-janaza would be held at the Shahid Abdur Rajjak park in Satkhira today. l

the strike. However, a few departments were taking examinations in the interest of the students, sources said.

Meanwhile, general teachers and students condemned the strike, saying they wanted a permanent solution to the unrest on the campus, which began on April 6 after a teacher was reportedly assaulted by a leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of ruling Awami League.

Sharif Uddin, Juta secretary, said the VC’s resignation was the only solution to ending the teachers’ movement.

Juta had given the VC two ultimatums to resign last month over his alleged attack on teachers with the support of BCL activists on October 9.

Following the incident, VC Anwar promised to quit after holding elections to the JU Central Students Union (Jucsu) and VC panel polls by January 24. l

Garments workers block highway yesterday, demanding hike in wage

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Garment workers blocked the DhakaTangail highway and vandalised vehicles in Kaliakoir upazila this morning, demanding their minimum wages be raised to Tk8,000.

They kept the road blocked for about an hour while at least 10 of them were injured when police fired teargas shells and charged at the protesters to disperse them.

The incident occurred at Chandra crossing in the Konabari industrial zone of Kaliakoir, which houses a number of garment factories. Fearing the violence might spread, the authorities of most of the factories declared their units closed for the rest of the day.

Traffic on the highway came to a

halt after 8am, when workers of Nayagra Textile Limited occupied the crossing point and began making their wage hike demands be known. Later, workers from other factories, including Nur group and Inter Stop Factory, joined them.

When police tried to clear the road by charging at them, triggering angry protests from the workers Being informed, police rushed to the spot and tried to clear the road by charging at them, triggering angry protests from the workers, who hurled stones and brickbats at them, while also vandalising several vehicles.

Later, police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets before the road was finally cleared after 9am allowing vehicular movement to resume.

Injured workers were given primary treatment at nearby clinics and hospitals. Kaliakoir police said despite the situation going back to normal after 9am, about 8-10 factories declared their units closed on the fear that further disruptions might be triggered.

Regarding the incident, Inspector Jakir Hossain of Gazipur industrial police said garments workers blockaded the highway and vandalised vehicles demanding their minimum wages be raised to Tk8,000.

“Additional police were deployed at the area to check any untoward development,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

7

Monday, November 4, 2013

Jhenaidah farmers worried over smutty rice n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah The farmers in Jhenaidah are worried that they might not have a bumper production of T-Aman as previously expected, following detection of False Smut in the grains of BR 39 and 49 rice varieties.

Large numbers of fields on which the two varieties were planted witnessed conversion of grains into smut balls in their milk stage, just before the beginning of the harvest season.

The farmers are apprehensive that the smuts, a fungal disease characterised by the blackening of the ears of grains, might result in a significant loss of grains.

Farmer Abdul Quddus, 43, of Bhatai Bazer village under Sailkupa upazila, said he was afraid he might not be able to have more than 5-6 maunds of rice from each one-bigha land that he planted those varieties on, although he was expecting 23-25 maunds.

Quddus planted BR 39 and 49 on a total of nine bighas out of his ten bighas and expected to have over 250 maunds of rice before smuts were detected.

Another farmer of the village, Sarafat Hossain, said he too was affected by the spread of the disease.

Shahidul Islam, an agriculturist associated with an NGO called Unnayan Dhara, said excessive heat during the flowering stage of BR 39 and 49 varieties in early October might have caused the disease. “The temperature rose up to 39 degrees Celsius during that time.”

According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah, the two varieties of T-Aman were cultivated on about 31,000 hectares of land out of the total of 93,415 hectares brought under T-Aman cultivation.

Deputy Director of DAE in Jhenaidah, Joynul Abedin called the development “unexpected” as, he said, the growers of BR 39 and 49 had been expecting a good harvest after a mostly favourable weather condition throughout the season.

He blamed “poor presence” of organic matters in the soil for the situation. “An agricultural land requires at least 5% organic matters in its soil, while their average presence in the soils of south-western districts is hardly 1%.”

If the authorities were informed of the development in time, they could have helped the farmers take preventive measures and stop the spread of the disease, he added. l

Kuet students demand resumption of classes n Our Correspondent, Khulna Students of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology observed a sit-in and hunger strike on the campus yesterday, demanding immediate resumption of classes which have remained suspended for the last six months.

A total of 119 students observed hunger strike from 9am to 5pm in front of the main gate of administration and civil department on the campus yesterday.

Dipu, a student of the Civil Engineering Department, said: “We want to attend our classes, but our teachers are not showing professionalism.”

Teachers of the university went on work abstention for indefinite period on May 4 for their four-point demand, disrupting academic activities and the scheduled examinations.

The demands include disclosure of probe report of physical assault on Prof Arif Hossain on the campus on Janu-

ary 2, punishment for posting vulgar remarks on facebook and blogs about a teacher of civil engineering department on March 4, disgraceful slogans on campus raised by a group of students against Prof Md Masud, head of mechanical engineering department, and vandalism committed on the private car of a teacher of the electrical and electronics department of the university on April 2.

The crisis started by an allegation of a 3rd year female student of Civil Engineering Department, Johana Sharmin ,who complained to the authority of Kuet on April 4 that a the teacher had harassed her in the viva examination.

Later, the university authorities formed probe committee and expelled Johana for three semesters.

Professor Mohammad Alamgir, vice-chancellor of Kuet said: “This is the ethical matter of teachers, I think the teachers should take their classes within few days.” l

The Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikyo Parishad forms a human chain in Pabna yesterday, protesting the attack on Hindu community members and looting of their houses at Bangram village in the district FOCUS BANGLA

Minority community seeks security

Five held in Mymensingh n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh Jhenaidah minority community exPolice arrested five BNP men and recovered bomb-making materials from their procession at the Kalibazar bus stand area in Muktagacha upazila of Mymensingh on Saturday night.

The arrestees were identified as Secretary of Ghoga union unit BNP Abdur Razzaq, 55, Ward Secretaries – Tuta Miah, 47, and Shakawat Hossain, 42, and members – Nurul Islam, 45, and Moshiur Rahman, 42.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the Kalibazar bus stand area around 11.30pm and arrested them from the spot, said Mir Rakibul Haque, officer-in-charge of Muktagacha police station.

Police also recovered bomb-making materials from their possession, the OC added.

During interrogation, the arrestees confessed that they had collected the materials to make bombs for ensuing hartal. A case was lodged in this regard.

The arrestees were produced before a court yesterday afternoon. The court ordered them to be sent to jail. l

Festivity at no man’s land n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

The no man’s land between Bangladesh and India in Lalmonirhat yesterday wore a festive look as people of both countries met their relatives living across the border.

The gathering took place at Genduguri under Hatibandha upazila, Nabi Nagar and Sarkerer Hat under Patgram upazilas in the district.

Thousands of Bangladeshi people across the country especially, from different villages in Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Gaibandha, have been started coming to the three borders since Saturday night.

On the occasion, both Border Guard

Bangladesh and Border Security Forces of India beefed up security in border areas.

Local people said the gathering of people of two countries had been taking place on the occasion of Hindu Community’s Shyama (Kali) puja since the inception of the country.

Many Bangladeshi and Indian people who are not capable to take passport and visa wait for this day to meet their near and dear ones.

Both BGB and BSF keep the border open for two hours on the day.

A Bangladeshi woman Sharma Rani Sarkar, 60, wife of Hanuman Sarkar of Chowdhurani village in Rangpur came on Genduguri border to meet with her daughter and seeing her daughter, she

broke down in tears.

Her daughter Mina Rani Sarker, 30, also seemed happy after watching her mother.

“I have been coming on Genduguri border every year for the last 10 years to meet with my daughter who lives in India. I am not capable to collect passport and visa to go to India so I wait for this day,” she said.

Surat Ali Bapari, 50, residence of Mogholhat village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila said he had come to meet with his elder brother Sekendar Bapari, 60, who lives at Kuchbihar town in West Bengal.

BGB officials said a good number of local youths gave their volunteer service to hold the gathering peacefully. l

pressed its concern over the security situation of all religious minorities and urged the government to ensure the safety of the non-Muslim communal in the district.

The Hindu-Bouddha-Khristan Oikyo parishad held a press conference at Jhenaidah press club on Saturday where the speakers also stressed the need for ensuring the security of re-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

tivists looted, vandalised, and set fire to residences of 18 minority community people in last week.

Speakers at the programme also expressed their concern over the attack on minority leader Kanak Kanti Das, who was the Jhenaidah sadar upazila parishad chairman.

Among the participants Subir Kumar Samadder, general secretary of Hindu-Bouddha-Khristan Oikyo parishad of Jhenaidah, Tapan Sikder and Ajit Biswas addressed the crowd. l

‘3 parties ruining peace in Lalmonirhat’ n Our Correspondent, Lalmonrhat Jatiya Party Lalmonirhat unit brought out a procession yesterday alleging that opposition BNP, Jamaat-Shibir alliance and the ruling Awami League, were ruining the peaceful environment in Lalmonirhat by their subversive activities in the name of either supporting or opposing hartal.

JP men alleged, BNP and Jamaat-

Three BNP men held for torturing religious minority n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah Police arrested three BNP men for allegedly carrying out vandalism on Hindu communities in the Harnakundu upazila under in Jhenaidah yesterday.

The arrested are municipal committee (ward no 7) President Abdur Razaque, Vice-president Sohidul Islam and another activist Mintu Hossain.

Mabibul Islam, officer-in-charge of Harinakundu police station said yesterday around 4:30am police carried out a drive at different spots in the upazila and arrested them.

The three arrested were involved in carrying out vandalism and looting properties of the minority at different places in the municipality, he said.

The incidents took place after upazila BNP president Abul Hossain was shot by some unknown miscreants on Monday.

The arrestees were sent to the Jhenidah jail, the OC added. l

Teenage boy electrocuted in Chittagong n Tribune Report

Bangladesh and Indian people meet their relatives at no man’s land at Lalmonirhat border

ligious minority community in every corner of the country.

Speakers at the conference said the recent attacks on minority community in different corners of the country forced minority people to think that they were living in insecurity.

Prafullah Kumar Sarker in the written statement said after the incident of the Abul Hossain killing, who was the chairman of Daulatpur union parishad and was also the president of Harinakundu upazila unit BNP, political ac-

A teenage boy was electrocuted in the port city’s Wireless Colony area under Pahartoli police station early yesterday.

Md Selim, hailing from the Harualchhari village of Fatikchhari upazila in Chittagong, came in contact with a live wire of an electric pole in the area around 1am as his leg got tangled in it, said Nayek Pankaz Barua of Chittagong Medical College Hospital Police Outpost.

Later, he was rushed to CMCH where the on-duty doctor pronounced his death, he said. l

Shibir men conduct picketing to endorse the hartal while their cadres attack shops and houses with lethal weapons.

They also loot assets after vandalising and torching the establishments, they said. On the other hand, AL cadres go on rampage in the same manner but their target turns out to be the supporters of BNP, alleged the leaders.

“People in Lalmonirhat are peace-

loving, they do not wish to bare criminal activities in the town. However, these days they feel scared to move on the streets as pickets of the political parties chase one another,” said Mahbubul Alam Mithu, member secretary of district unit of JP. Mahbubul Alam Mithu led the rally that marched through the main roads in the town. A meeting was held at the Mission Intersection in the town later. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Two held with phensidyl

One killed in Habiganj clash

Police arrested two people and recovered 350 bottles of phensidyl from their possession at Chandra crossing under Kaliakoir upazila of the district yesterday. The arrested were identified as Tofazzal Hossain, 25, son of Momtaz Uddin of Chakhdi village under sadar upazila of Thakurgoan and Ramzan Ali, 30, son of Basir Uddin of Madrashapara village of the same upazila.Omar Farukh, officer-in-charge of Kaliakoir police station said on secret information a team of police stopped a Dhaka-bound tuck at Chandra crossing and sized 350 bottles of Phensidyl from there. Police said they phensidyl were being taken Dhaka from Thakurgoan. A case was filed in this connection. – Our Correspondent

A man was killed and 50 others were injured in a clash between two groups of villagers over land dispute at Amrita village in Bahubal upazila on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Siraj Mia, 25, son of Mokhles Mia of the village. Ohidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bahubal police station, said Mojahidul Islam and Timu Miah of the village had a longstanding enmity over a land. Supporters of both men equipped with lethal weapons attacked each other in the afternoon, leaving 51 people injured. On information, police rushed in and brought the situation under control. Among the injured, Siraj succumbed to his injuries at Bahubal upazila health complex. – UNB

Minor boy dies falling from rooftop in Comilla

At least 10 dwelling houses were gutted in a devastating fire in Rongipara area under city’s Halishahar police station early yesterday. Fire service and civil defense sources said the fire, broke out at a house at around 4.30am, soon spread to the adjacent houses. Being informed, fire fighters rushed to the spot and doused the blaze after one hour of hectic efforts.

No one was injured in the incident. – BSS

A minor boy died after he fell down from the rooftop of a four-storey building at Chwakbazar in Comilla city on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Kanak, 4, son of Amar Chandra. Quoting family members, in-charge of Chwakbazar police camp Tajul Islam said the little boy fell down from the rooftop of their residence in the afternoon and died on the spot. An unnatural death case was filed. – UNB

Minor girl raped in Magura A minor girl was raped by a youth at Phulbari village in Shalikha upazila on Saturday. Police said, Tushar, 18, son of Aynal Hossain of Dorishoil village of the upazila, took the girl to a nearby forest at noon when she was returning home from a neighbour’s house and raped her. Hearing her scream, local people rushed to the spot and rescued the girl.

Later, she was taken to Magura Sadar Hospital in critical condition. Tushar went into hiding after the incident.

A case was filed with Shalikha police station. – UNB

Fire guts 10 dwelling houses in Chittagong

Valuables worth Tk2m looted Robbers looted 20 tolas of gold, cash Tk200,000 and other valuables worth about Tk2m from a house after hurting three members of the family at Chatkhail Municipality in Noakhali yesterday. The injured Lakhi Akther, 21, Farhad, 20, and Md Raju, 25, Belal Hossain, 37, Sakil Hossain, 25, were sent to Dhaka Medical Collge Hospital in a critical condition. A gang of armed robbers numbering 15 to 20 entered into the house of Naser Ahemad after breaking the door and looted the house after made the members of the family hostage at gun point.

Chatkhail police station officer-in-charge admitted the incident.

– Our Correspondent

8 Indonesia volcano erupts again, forces evacuations

n AP, Medan

A volcano in western Indonesia erupted again Sunday, unleashing volcanic ash high into the sky and forcing the evacuation of villagers living around its slope.

Officials raised Mount Sinabung’s alert status to the second-highest level after the 2,600-metre-high mountain erupted early Sunday, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Authorities were working to evacuate residents from four North Sumatra province villages located within the mountain’s three-kilometre danger zone, Nugroho said. About 1,300 villagers have been relocated to safer areas so far.

It was the volcano’s second big eruption since late last month, with its Oct 24 explosion prompting the evacuation of more than 3,300 people.

In September, more than 15,000 people were forced to flee when Mount Sinabung rumbled to life after being dormant for three years.

The volcano’s previous major eruption, in August 2010, killed two people and forced 30,000 others to flee. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Australia, US spied on Indonesia during UN talks: Report n AFP, Sydney Australia and the United States mounted a joint surveillance operation on Indonesia during 2007 UN climate talks in Bali, a report said Sunday in revelations likely to exacerbate strained ties with Jakarta.

The Guardian newspaper’s Australian edition cited a document from US whistleblower Edward Snowden showing Australian spy agency the Defence Signals Directorate worked alongside America’s National Security Agency (NSA) to collect the phone numbers of Indonesian security officials.

Australia’s relationship with close neighbour Indonesia is already under pressure after reports last week that Canberra’s overseas diplomatic posts were involved in a vast US-led surveillance network.

Missions in Indonesia, as well as embassies or consulates in China, were reportedly used to monitor phone calls and collect data, sparking demands for an explanation from Jakarta and Beijing.

The Guardian said the 2007 operation at the United Nations climate change conference was not particularly successful, with the only tangible outcome being the mobile phone number of Bali’s chief of police.

“The goal of the development effort was to gain a solid understanding of the network structure should collection be required in the event of an emergency,” according to an account of the mission included in a 2008 weekly report from the NSA base at Pine Gap in Australia, one of the agency’s biggest overseas bases.

Summing up at the end of the operation, the NSA, according to the Guard-

n Reuters, Cairo

n Reuters, Onitsha

Huge WWII bomb forces mass evacuation n AP, Berlin More than 20,000 people are being evacuated from their homes in the west German city of Dortmund as authorities prepare to defuse a massive bomb left over from World War II. The 1,800-kilogram bomb was discovered after experts analysed old aerial photographs while searching for unexploded ordnance dropped by Allied aircraft over Germany’s industrial Ruhr region.

City authorities said Sunday they expect the operation to defuse the bomb to be completed by about 3:30pm (2:30pm GMT).

While unexploded WWII-era bombs are regularly discovered in Germany, they are rarely as big as this one.

A similar bomb find two years ago prompted the evacuation of some 45,000 people in the city of Koblenz along the Rhine river. l

King Abdullah II of Jordan, center, arrives for the parliament’s opening session

AP

Jordan to go ahead with reforms n AP, Amman Jordan’s King Abdullah II promised Sunday to press ahead with a wide-ranging package of reforms, amending elections laws that the opposition says favour pro-palace candidates and overhauling a public sector widely seen rife with corruption and nepotism.

Addressing parliament, Abdullah said his “white revolution” is part of home-grown reforms he initiated weeks before the outset of the Arab Spring that saw four of his peers deposed in uprisings. Media commentators said the “white” symbolises purity, honesty, and peaceful change rather than the kind of upheaval that has engulfed some of its neighbours. l

Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi, goes on trial on Monday under a security crackdown that has devastated his Muslim Brotherhood movement and raised concerns that the army-backed government is reimposing a police state.

A popular uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011 raised hopes that Egyptians would break the military establishment’s longstanding grip on power.

But the world’s most populous Arab nation has faltered in its political transition, and the generals are back in charge, to the dismay of Cairo’s Western allies who were hoping Egypt’s experiment with democracy would be smooth.

Morsi, who was ousted by the army on July 3 after mass protests against his rule, is due to appear in court along with 14 other senior Muslim Brotherhood figures on charges of inciting violence.

He and the other defendants could

n Reuters, Berlin Fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden said calls for more oversight of government intelligence agencies showed he was justified in revealing the methods and targets of the US secret service.

Snowden’s leaks about the National Security Agency (NSA), from its alleged mass scanning of emails to the tapping of world leaders’ phones, have infuriated US allies and placed Washington on the defensive.

In “A Manifesto for the Truth” published in German news magazine Der Spiegel on Sunday, Snowden said current debates about mass surveillance in many countries showed his revelations were helping to bring about change.

“Instead of causing damage, the usefulness of the new public knowledge for society is now clear because reforms to

face a life sentence or death penalty if found guilty. That would likely further inflame tensions between the Brotherhood and the army-backed government and deepen the political instability that has decimated investment and tourism in a country where a quarter of people live under the poverty line.

When the military ousted Morsi, it promised a political roadmap would lead to free and fair elections.

What followed was one of the harshest clampdowns ever mounted against the Brotherhood, which is now struggling to survive after enduring state repression for decades.

In August, riot police backed by army snipers crushed Cairo protest camps demanding the reinstatement of Morsi, a US-trained engineer.

Security officials accuse Brotherhood leaders of inciting violence and terrorism. Hundreds of the movement’s members have been killed and many of its leaders jailed.

The Brotherhood denies any links with violent activity. l

politics, supervision and laws are being suggested,” the 30-year-old ex-CIA employee and NSA contractor wrote.

“Citizens have to fight against the suppression of information about affairs of essential importance for the public. Those who speak the truth are not committing a crime.”

Snowden is in Russia, where he has been given asylum for at least a year. In an open letter to Germany last week, he said he was counting on international support to stop Washington’s ‘persecution’ of him.

His revelations about the reach and methods of the NSA, including the monitoring of vast volumes of Internet traffic and phone records, have angered US allies from Germany to Brazil.

Admirers have called Snowden a human rights champion. Others say he is a traitor for stealing information from the NSA. l

Kerry arrives for first Egypt visit since Morsi ouster

n AFP, Cairo

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday his country is committed to working with Egypt’s interim rulers, on his first visit to Cairo since the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

On the eve of the opening of Morsi’s trial, Kerry was in Cairo to shore up ties with a key ally and ensure it moves ahead on plans to restore democracy just weeks after Washington suspended aid to the country. “We are committed to work and we will continue our cooperation with the interim government,” Kerry told a joint news conference with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, urging “inclusive, free and fair elections.” “The United States is a friend of the people of Egypt, of the country of Egypt, and we are a partner,” he said.

Kerry also played down Washington’s suspension just weeks ago of part of its $1.5bn in annual aid to Cairo. “US-Egyptian relations should not be defined by assistance,” Kerry said, adding direct aid would continue to Egyptians and to help efforts to “counter terrorism.” l

Tunisia PM deadline set

Egypt not probing killing of protesters

n AFP, Tunis

n AFP, Cairo

Tunisia’s Islamist rulers and opposition have until noon on Monday to agree on a new prime minister to steer the country out of a months-long political crisis, a mediator said.

The Islamist party Ennahda and the opposition have failed in a week of negotiations to choose a new prime minister as part of a roadmap to overcome the crisis, the UGTT trade union said on Sunday.

They originally had until Saturday to bridge their differences, but that deadline passed without an agreement being reached.

“The (new) deadline to announce the name of the head of the government is Monday noon (1100 GMT),” the UGTT said in a statement.

According to politicians contacted by AFP, the negotiators could not decide between Mohamed Ennaceur, 79, supported by the opposition, and Ahmed Mestiri, 88, backed by Ennahda and its allies.

Both are well respected and served under the late Habib Bourguiba, who led the fight for Tunisia’s independence from its French colonial masters and served as its first president for three decades from 1957. l

Human Rights Watch has accused Egypt’s military-installed authorities of failing to investigate the killing of protesters by the security forces, mainly on October 6, when deadly clashes rocked Cairo.

The New-York based group on Saturday charged that three weeks since police used lethal force to break up protests of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, the authorities have not yet questioned or said they intend to question security forces about their use of firearms on that day.

“In dealing with protest after protest, Egyptian security forces escalate quickly and without warning to live ammunition, with deadly results,” HRW’s Joe Stork said in a statement.

On October 6, at least 57 people were killed nationwide, but mostly in Cairo, when security forces cracked down on supporters of Morsi who were trying to march towards the iconic Tahrir Square where backers of the military were celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Arab-Israeli war.

The clashes were the deadliest since the storming by security forces of two pro-Morsi camps in Cairo on August 14

Factory fire in India capital kills six

A large fire erupted at a factory in the Indian capital killing six workers, some of whom were trapped inside and burnt beyond recognition, a fire official and reports said Sunday. The blaze broke out at the three-storey factory, which manufactured leather bags, in a New Delhi neighbourhood on Saturday evening, a city fire department official told AFP. Local media reports quoted witnesses as saying they saw flames leaping from the factory’s windows as workers trapped inside shouted for help. Some of the windows were blocked with iron mesh, forcing firefighters to cut their way into the building to rescue the workers, the Times of India said. Police have taken the factory owner into custody for questioning, while an investigation was under way into the cause of the blaze, the newspaper said.

US police: 10-year-old’s body found in trash can An Indian man walks past a wall mural depicting an elephant in Bangalore

AFP

France says journalists ‘assassinated’ in Mali n Reuters, Paris Two French journalists killed in Mali on Saturday were “coldly assassinated” by the “terrorists” that France is fighting in the west African country, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday.

Radio journalists Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont were abducted after

in which hundreds were killed.

Stork said 1,300 people have died in Egypt since July.

“What will it take for the authorities to rein in security forces or even set up a fact-finding committee into their use of deadly force?” he asked.

HRW said that throughout the past three months, the authorities had not yet established a fact-finding committee or attempted to rein in security forces.

However, when it came to violence by protesters, prosecutors have arrested, investigated and prosecuted them for assault and use of violence, the watchdog said. l

WORLD WATCH

DAYS GONE BY

Bahrain jails Shias for life for ‘Iran linked cell’ n AFP, Dubai A Manama court Sunday jailed four Shias for life and sentenced six others to 15-year terms for forming an Iranlinked “terrorist cell” to mount attacks in Bahrain, a judicial source said.

The defendants were part of a group of 24 on trial, of whom 14 were acquitted.

The interior ministry announced in February that it had busted a “terrorist cell” which planned to carry out attacks on sensitive military and civilian sites as well as public figures.

Members of the group had been spying for Iran and its elite Revolutionary Guards, according to the charges, and had set up an armed organisation called Jaish al-Imam, or the army of the imam.

Since September 29, a total of 138 Shias have been sentenced to prison terms of up to life, after King Hamad in August ordered stiffer penalties for “terror acts.” l

Snowden says calls for reform prove intel leaks were justified

Morsi goes on trial as Egypt struggles for democracy

Nigeria: 24 die in church stampede over politics At least 24 people died during a stampede at an overcrowded church gathering in eastern Nigeria, the Red Cross said on Sunday.

Nineteen women were amongst the dead at the stampede in the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Uke, Anambra state on Saturday, where around 100,000 worshippers had gathered for All Souls Day, Red Cross spokesman Peter Kachi said by telephone.

“There were too many people and the place was so overcrowded,” Osmond Okoli, who narrowly survived being squashed in the crowd, told Reuters TV. “We were too compacted so people fell and they were being pushed on us and then we all began to shout from the ground.”

Religious services gathering several hundred thousand people are common in Nigeria, a country of around 170 million split roughly evenly between Christians and Muslims. l

ian, said: “Highlights include the compromise of the mobile phone number for Bali’s chief of police.

“Site efforts revealed previously unknown Indonesian communications networks and postured us to increase collection in the event of a crisis.”

While largely unsuccessful, the operation is hugely embarrassing for Australia.

At the time, Kevin Rudd was the country’s newly elected prime minister and he attended the summit – his first high-profile international foray – at the personal invitation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Both leaders agreed then to work together to advance ties.

The latest allegations are another blow to ties between the two countries, which have been tested by new Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s policies.l

Monday, November 4, 2013

interviewing a member of the MNLA Tuareg separatist group in northern Mali.

Their bodies were found by a French patrol 12 km outside Kidal, the birthplace of a Tuareg uprising last year that plunged Mali into chaos, leading to a coup in the capital Bamako and the occupation of the northern half of the country by militants linked to al-Qaeda.

A French-led military intervention

drove out the militants but there are still pockets of insurgents.

“The assassins are those that we are fighting, the terrorist groups that refuse democracy and elections,” Fabius said, calling the killings “heinous and revolting.”

“Security in the area and the surrounding areas, especially for French nationals, will be increased,” he said. l

The body of a 10-year-old US girl has been found in a trash can, and her father and stepmother have been charged with murder. Gwinnett County police said in a statement that a man called early Saturday and said he was suicidal. He also said his daughter drank some type of chemical and was dead. The man pointed officers to a trash can at his Georgia apartment complex, where they found the badly burned body of a child. The victim has been identified as Emani Moss. The father, Eman Moss, and the stepmother, Tiffany Moss, are charged with felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree and concealing a body.

Riot erupts in Saudi prison

Inmates at a Saudi prison rioted overnight, torching offices before security forces quickly brought the situation under control in violence that left four people injured, officials said on Sunday. The mutiny broke out late Saturday during weekly visiting hours at the jail in the northern city of Buraydah, the prisons authority spokesman told the official SPA news agency. Buraydah is the capital of Qassim province, a stronghold of radical Islam in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

But according to informed sources, the jail where the mutiny broke out only holds prisoners convicted for criminal offences.

LA gunman charged, planned to kill ‘multiple’ agents

The gunman who allegedly killed a security officer at Los Angeles airport carried a note saying he planned to murder “multiple” agents, prosecutors said Saturday as they announced charges against him. A prosecutor told how Paul Ciancia allegedly opened fire at “point-blank range” on Gerardo Hernandez, the first Transportation Security Agency agent killed since the office was created after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The dead officer’s widow meanwhile said she was “truly devastated” by his death. Ciancia, who used a Smith and Wesson assault rifle and a large stock of ammunition in the attack, faces a possible death penalty on charges of murdering a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport. The gun rampage Friday triggered chaos at LA international (LAX) airport, disrupting more than 1,500 flights. The airport only fully reopened Saturday, more than 24 hours later.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

9

Monday, November 4, 2013

Pakistan furious after Mehsud killing; Nobody in history has ever negotiated with slaves: TTP to review relationship with US n AFP, Miranshah

n Reuters, Peshawar Pakistan is to review its relationship with the United States, the prime minister’s office said on Sunday, following the killing of the Pakistani Taliban leader in a US drone strike.

But a top-level meeting to examine relations, scheduled for Sunday, was postponed at the last minute without explanation.

Mehsud, who had a $5 million US bounty on his head, was killed on Friday in the northwestern Pakistani militant stronghold of North Waziristan, near the Afghan border.

The government denounced Mehsud’s killing as a US bid to derail the talks and summoned the US ambassador on Saturday to complain.

The drone strike that killed Mehsud in the North Waziristan tribal area came a day before the government was to send a three-member delegation of clerics to the region with a formal invitation to start peace talks, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said.

It never ended up going.

Khan called the drone attack “murder” to the peace effort, but hoped the process could continue. He said he warned the US ambassador previously that American drone strikes should not be carried out while Pakistan was trying to hold peace talks and no Taliban leader should be targeted. The government later summoned the US ambassador to complain.

When asked whether he thought the US was trying to deliberately scuttle the peace process, the minister responded: “Absolutely.”

“The efforts have been ambushed,” the minister said.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s office had said he would chair a meeting on the consequences for ties with Washington. There was no indication when it might now take place.

Some politicians have demanded that US military supply lines into Afghanistan be blocked in response.Another prominent political leader, Imran Khan, whose party controls the government in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, threatened to block trucks carrying supplies to Nato troops in Afghanistan over the strike. He said he would push the provincial assembly to adopt a resolution to block the supplies and would do the same nationally.

“Dialogue has been broken with this drone attack,” Imran Khan said.

The interior minister said as soon as Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns from abroad, a national security meeting will be convened to discuss

AP

US-Pakistan relations and cooperation.

He would not specifically address the threatened supply lines closure.

“It is clear that the US is against peace and does not want terrorism to subside.

Now, we only have one agenda: to stop Nato supplies going through (the northern province of) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Asad Qaiser, the speaker of the provincial assembly, told Reuters.

Pakistan is the main route for supplies for US troops in landlocked Afghanistan, for everything from food and drinking water to fuel, and the closure of the routes could be a serious disruption as US and other Western forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of next year.

Pakistani cooperation is also seen as vital in trying to bring peace to Afghanistan, in particular in nudging the Afghan Taliban, allied but separate from the Pakistani Taliban, into talks with

the Kabul government.

Relations between the United States and Pakistan have been seriously strained several times over recent years, including in 2011, when US forces killed al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden in a raid that Pakistan said violated its sovereignty.

Mehsud’s death will complicate efforts by the government to negotiate a peace deal. After a drone strike killed the group’s No. 2 in May, the Pakistani Taliban fiercely rejected any idea of peace talks and accused the government of cooperating with the US In recent weeks, the Pakistani Taliban appeared to soften its position against talks but had still made multiple demands for preconditions to any negotiating, including the end of drone strikes in the tribal areas.

Pakistani officials regularly criticise the attacks as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Three Pakistani Taliban commanders said they had been due to meet a government delegation on Saturday and they had been meeting to discuss the talks. They said they felt betrayed

by Mehsud’s killing and were not interested in talks.

“We have properly understood the duel policy of the Pakistani government and its hypocrisy,” the Pakistani Taliban spokesman said Saturday.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman vowed a wave of revenge bombings.

Allied militant groups are also planning bombings, said Ahmed Marwat, the spokesman for Jundullah militant group. The group recently killed more than 80 people when it bombed a church and is known for big attacks on civilian targets. l

The Pakistani Taliban have appointed an interim leader to head the group temporarily after the death of commander Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike. However, some international news agencies have stated that Khan Said Sajna has already been appointed the new leader.

Shahidullah Shahid, the main spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said a permanent replacement had not been chosen yet.

“Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani, the head of the supreme shura, has been appointed as temporary head of the TTP,” Shahid said, adding that prayers for Mehsud were still going on.

Shahid refused to say there was no chance of the talks going ahead, but accused the government of kowtowing to Washington and cutting a deal to “sell” the militants.

“Nobody in history has ever negotiated with slaves,” he said.

“We were waiting for a meeting, while the Pakistan army and government was sitting with the US finalising deals to sell us.” And he stopped short of vowing revenge for Mehsud, who took over as TTP chief after founder Baitullah Mehsud in a drone strike in 2009.

“Time will tell whether we take revenge of his martyrdom or not,” he said. In the past, the TTP has responded to its leaders being killed with deadly violence. l

US declines to address Pakistan’s concerns n AFP, Miranshah The United States insisted it has a shared interest with Pakistan in ending extremist violence after Islamabad accused it of scuttling efforts towards peace talks by killing Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar condemned the US strike as a “drone attack on the peace process.”

“Brick by brick in the last seven weeks we tried to evolve a process by which we could bring peace to Pakistan and what have you (the US) done?” he said.

“You have scuttled it on the eve, 18 hours before a formal delegation of respected ulema (religious scholars) was to fly to Miranshah and hand over this

formal invitation.”

A State Department official declined to confirm that Mehsud had been killed and did not specifically address Nisar’s comments, saying the issue of whether to negotiate with the TTP was an internal matter for Pakistan. “The United States and Pakistan continue to have a vital, shared strategic interest in ending extremist violence so as to build a more prosperous, stable and peaceful region,” the official said.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it had summoned US ambassador Richard Olson to protest over the drone strike that killed Mehsud, and another that struck a day earlier. Mehsud’s death represents a success for the CIA’s drone programme at a time when it is under intense scrutiny over civilian casualties. l

Boat carrying Rohingyas India reaches for Mars on prestige space mission sinks off Myanmar n

AP, Yangon

A boat carrying 70 ethnic minority Muslim Rohingya capsized Sunday off the western coast of Myanmar, an aid worker said. Only eight survivors have been found.

The boat was in the Bay of Bengal and headed for Bangladesh when it went down early Sunday, said Abdul Melik, who works for the humanitarian organisation Action Against Hunger.

The incident comes after the United Nations warned that an annual and often deadly exodus of desperate people from Myanmar’s Rakhine state appears to have begun. The exodus usually kicks off in November, when seas begin to calm.

As many as 1,500 people have fled in the last week, Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the UN High commission for Refugees, said at a press briefing Saturday in Geneva.

He said the agency had received several reports of drownings and was seeking details from authorities.

In Sunday’s incident, Melik said the wooden boat carrying at least 70 Rohingya from Ohn Taw Gyi village left at around 3am and broke apart about four hours later. Women, children and babies were among those on board.

Family members and friends were scouring the Bay of Bengal and coastlines for survivors, but so far only eight survivors have been found, he said.

It was not immediately clear whether any bodies had been recovered.

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million, has been gripped by sectarian violence in the last 18 months, leaving more than 240 people dead and causing 250,000 to flee from their homes. Most of the victims have been Rohingya, a long persecuted Muslim minority in the country, with Buddhist mobs chasing them down with machetes, iron chains and bamboo clubs.

The UN says it expects this year’s exodus to be on one of the biggest on record because of the violence. l

Iran leader warns against undermining negotiators n AP, Tehran Iran’s Supreme Leader is warning against undermining diplomats engaged in nuclear talks.

The Sunday remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are his latest show of support for President Hassan Rouhani’s policy of outreach to the West.

“They are on a difficult mission and nobody should weaken those who are on assignment,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Khame-

nei, who has final say on all matters of state, as telling a group of students.

Iran and world powers are to start a two-day meeting on Thursday in Geneva about Tehran’s nuclear programme.

The West suspects Iran is developing weapons technology. Iran denies it, saying its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Hard-liners have accused diplomats of being overly optimistic and keeping details of the talks secret. l

n AFP, New Delhi India began a countdown Sunday to the launch of its most ambitious and risky space mission to date, sending a probe to Mars which was conceived in just 15 months on a tiny budget.

After a recent Chinese attempt flopped, India is seeking to make a statement of its technological prowess by becoming the first Asian power to reach the Red Planet more than 200 million km away.

An unmanned probe, weighing 1.35tonnes and about the size of a large refrigerator, will leave earth strapped to an Indian rocket which is set to blast off from the south-east coast on Tuesday afternoon.

Wrapped in a golden film, the orbiter will carry advanced sensors to measure the Martian atmosphere, hoping to detect traces of methane which could help prove the existence of some sort of primitive life form.

“Any interplanetary probe is complex. As we can see for Mars, there were 51 missions so far around the world and there were 21 successful missions,” chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), K Radhakrishnan, told AFP last Thursday.

Undeterred by the failure rates, he laughed off any suggestion of last-minute nerves, saying: “If it is a failure, then learn. Failure is a stepping stone for success.”

Success would be a source of national pride for Indians, whose 2008 unmanned mission to the moon helped prove the existence of water in another leap forward, 39 years after Neil Armstrong set foot there.

It would also bolster the reputation of India, the land of the world’s cheapest car, as a leader in low-cost innovation. The project was announced in August 2012 with a budget of only 4.5bn rupees.

Lacking a rocket large enough to

fire the satellite directly out of earth’s atmosphere, ISRO has also had to rely on another famed Indian specialism of “Jugaad” – confecting a cheap workaround solution.

Instead of flying directly, the 350-tonne rocket will orbit earth for nearly a month, building up the necessary velocity to break free from the earth’s gravitational pull.

“Don’t underestimate it because it is a low-cost mission that is being done for the first time,” Indian science journalist Pallava Bagla, author of the book “Destination Moon,” told AFP. “Yes, there is Jugaad in it, there is innovation in it... and everyone wants to do low-cost missions nowadays.”

NASA is under budget pressure and has faced cuts to proposed Mars missions in 2016 and 2018 despite having an overall objective, set by US President Barack Obama, of sending an astronaut there by 2030.

The United States is the only nation that has successfully sent robotic explorers to land on Mars, the most recent being Curiosity, a nearly onetonne vehicle which touched down in August 2012.

One of its discoveries appeared to undercut the purpose of the Indian mission after a study published in September revealed Curiosity detected only trace elements of methane in the Mars atmosphere.

NASA will help ISRO with ground monitoring from three deep-space facilities after the launch at 02:38pm (0938 GMT) on Tuesday. The American space agency will send its own probe, Maven, 13 days later.

The official countdown for blastoff of the Indian orbiter, nicknamed “Mangalyaan” in local media, began at 06:08am on Sunday, which is the Hindu festival of lights known as Diwali.

Only the US, Russia and the European Union have succeeded in reaching Mars before. l

Sriharikota: Technicians inspect the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota on Wednesday. Mars Orbiter Mission on board PSLV C25 is scheduled to be launched on November 5 PTI

Xinjiang military chief punished after Beijing attack: Report n AFP, Beijing

China’s Communist Party has expelled the military commander of Xinjiang from its ranks, state media reported Sunday, after an attack in Beijing officially blamed on members of the Uighur minority in the troubled northwest region.

General Peng Yong, who was named commander of the Xinjiang military region in July 2011, was dismissed from his post as a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party of Xinjiang, the Xinjiang Daily said in a terse dispatch.

The state-run paper did not give a reason for Peng’s removal but it comes after last Monday’s attack in Tiananmen Square, which was a major embarrassment for the enormous state security apparatus.

Xinjiang has been the scene of several violent clashes, the most recent of which left dozens dead in April, June and August this year.

After being stripped of his party post, Peng is likely to be relieved of his military responsibilities in the far-west region where China’s mostly Muslim Uighur minority is concentrated.

According to Chinese police, three

Xinjiang Uighurs drove their car loaded with petrol canisters into the gate of the Forbidden City in an attack that left two dead, besides the three people in the car, and 40 injured.

Chinese state television said the attack was carried out by a group of eight “terrorists” who possessed weapons including “Tibetan knives and 400 litres of petrol.”

China’s top security official Meng Jianzhu has accused the separatist East Turkestan Islamic Movement of supporting the attack.

The authorities have, however, not provided any evidence to support this

assertion, which has raised doubts among experts given the amateurish nature of the attack and the lack of an established Islamic extremist foothold in China.

Also according to police, the three occupants of the car were members of the same family: driver Usmen Hasan was accompanied by his mother and his wife.

In a statement sent to AFP Sunday, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said the man could have been acting out of personal revenge over a double tragedy.

Citing two anonymous Uighur sources, RFA said Hasan, 33, had lost a

family member during the 2009 ethnic riots in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi.

His younger brother had also died in a mysterious car accident which had been blamed on the majority Han Chinese or the authorities.

AFP was unable to confirm these allegations but RFA, which is funded by the US Congress, has good contacts within the Uighur population of Xinjiang.

Separately, the head of the Communist Party in Beijing, Guo Jinlong, said it must “learn” from the attack and identify “weak links,” according to an article published Sunday by the Beijing

Daily, the official mouthpiece of the party in the capital.

“Draconian prevention of violent terrorist attacks is part of the mission in maintaining order,” he said.

Xinjiang has been sporadically rocked by unrest that authorities have usually blamed on “terrorists” and “separatists.”

But Uighur organisations dismiss claims of terrorism and separatism as an excuse by Beijing to justify religious and security restrictions.

Beijing says its policies and investment in Xinjiang have brought tremendous development. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, November 4, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Justice catches up with Mueen and Ashraf

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he war crimes tribunal has sentenced Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan in absentia for their roles in the mass murder of intellectuals of December 1971.

It is welcome that the tribunal has been able to give a judicial hearing to the evidence against these individuals. The cynical targeted killings of intellectuals were one of the most notorious and well-covered crimes of the Liberation War, and it is important that the court has ended It speaks volumes impunity for these killings. that the defendants This trial has been followed closely and the verdict is important because did not deign to it finally allows the families of the vicpresent themselves tims a sense of closure and justice. before the court, and The gravity of the heinous crimes indeed disparaged and the importance of this verdict the proceedings should not be undermined by the fact with contempt and that the convicted persons chose not arrogance to defend themselves and deliberately remained absent.

Bear in mind that the 11 charges for the crimes brought against these two war criminals have been backed by credible, serious, and convincing evidence.

It speaks volumes that following the indictment in June, the defendants did not deign to present themselves before the court, and indeed disparaged the proceedings with contempt and arrogance. In simple terms, they are absconders, who have spent the last 42 years evading justice. Justice has finally caught up with them. They have received their day in court.

Environmental investments present key opportunity for banks

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e welcome the assertive stance being taken by the Bangladesh Bank to incorporate environmental factors into banking practices. The central bank has been developing guidance on environmental impact assessments for financing proposals since 2008 when it highlighted environmental sustainability issues as part of its work on mainstreaming corporate social responsibility.

At the International Sustainable Banking Conference in Dhaka this week and earlier last month at the Global Green Growth Forum in Denmark, Governor Dr Atiur Rahman spoke of the importance of building capacity to develop green banking It is vital for practices and ensure that sustainaenvironmental bility factors and risks are duly incorsustainability and porated into investment decisions. climate change It is vital for environmental sustainability and climate change resilresilience to encourage ience to encourage more private secmore private sector tor investment into energy efficiency investment into to reduce emissions and to develop energy efficiency renewable energy infrastructure such as solar and bio-mass generation.

Building resilience is not just about channeling large scale multilateral initiatives such as the Clean Development Mechanism but also about policy reforms and incentives such as tax and tariff breaks to support access to safe drinking water and sectors such as organic farming.

The biggest challenge remains one of attitude and mindsets in the commercial banking sector. CSR is still mistakenly relegated by some banks as being largely about philanthropy, rather than being seen as vital to the future sustainability of the economy and therefore an integral factor to consider in all investment decisions.

Bangladesh Bank’s efforts to raise awareness and facilitate funds for environmentally aware finance should be more widely supported.

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A Judicial Inquiry Commission must be made under a retired Supreme Court Justice for proper investigation of the BDR Pilkhana tragedy. No investigation was held in five years.

We are hopeful that the culprits involved in the killings shall be sentenced. Yet without an investigation, the names of the main abettors/conspirators won’t come out! We need the real masterminds behind this to hang!

I urge the government to please let a judicial commission autonomously conduct an investigation. The legal and other concerned documents are available and so are the criminals for questioning. There is no good reason why it cannot be done. The report has to be made public. The nation deserves to know!

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DOWN 2 Courtyard (5) 3 Female sheep (3) 4 Specimens (7) 6 Head and neck covering (4) 7 Fiery (6) 8 Marry (3) 9 Halt (4) 15 Daydream (7) 17 Much ornamented (6) 19 Illustrious (5) 20 Rational (4) 22 Frank (4) 23 Domestic animal (3) 25 Of advanced age (3)

Editorial: Keep our schools open

October 29 People are living confined lives because of politics. What is the condition of day labourers? What will they do? Our school, colleges, universities’ activities are hampered because of politics.

Everything is happening because of destructive politics.

Nazmul Huda Pgarh

Saquib Elahi Rahman

The greater fool

GCC mayor among 50 injured in Gazipur clash

Very intelligent piece. All the talk about corruption and bribery, no one suggests solutions, except saying it is illegal. If things are in black and white then the public will know who is calling the shots behind the scenes. Let’s follow the money!

Shakil

The psychology of hartal supporters, or for that matter the one who initiates it, is simply pathetic: “I’ll have my wants fulfilled regardless, so I may as well hurt or even kill people in the process.”

Nahiyan

October 29

Hasina shocked at Khaleda’s ‘rejection’ October 27

The BNP leader, and leader of the opposition, is well “reputed” as an inflexible leader. She also draws a lot of political mileage among the people for her reputation. Hence, we can’t expect any different attitude from her. The PM may be shocked but I’m not.

WaliulHaqueKhondker Scheduled hartal programme? Pray, may I ask what exactly the schedule entails.

I ask on behalf of all the ordinary people across the nation these two (ahem) ladies purport to serve, so that we too can plan our movements and save our lives and limbs from damage, according to the scheduled programme.

As for the last sentence, I never imagined this day would come when one of the party’s (how they party too!) spokesperson would speak sense, but here we are! Miracle indeed so we still have hope there will be a miracle on Khaleda Zia’s part. Anyway, think many of us ordinary citizens would concur with Hasina that there is no need for any hartal programme, now, or ever.

Naheed “...dialogue can be held only after their scheduled hartal programme.”

Naturally, because the country would surely go to hell and implode from within should this very important schedule not be maintained.

Breadbitten

Excellent article. It raises a very important question: where is the money coming from for the two parties to keep punishing the country? Everyone says they are fed up with these two. Yet they have money to keep going with their nonsense. We need to investigate it and stop it. Divert resources to create a better Bangladesh without this sort of corruption.

Armeen An intelligent piece that raises questions few want to ask and even fewer want to answer. Well written, with great comparisons to the “models of the democracy” that are the US and UK, and very informative. Keep up the good work!

Sarika Makes you wonder why we assume the model used in the West applies in Bangladesh. Excellent article, great insight.

Shoumik

October 30

Hazaribagh OC injured in pickets’ blast October 30

He is a good human being and a pious man also! The police should be protected!

Rubiyat Hossain

Be Heard Write to us at: Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email us at: letters@dhakatribune.com

Not 1996 or 2006, it’s 1970

October 29 Great article. This is truly greater than politics – CTG is now a demand of the people.

Ahnaf

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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Pilkhana verdict - but no investigation?

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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Monday, November 4, 2013

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Foreign fingers in our political mess

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Unbending attitudes, increased roles of foreign elements and orchestrated sectarian tensions put our democratic journey under question

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n Towheed Feroze ith no solution forthcoming over the current political impasse, there is a growing tendency to look to foreign organisations for a ray of hope. To be honest, seeking advice from diplomats and development agencies has always been a trait here.

When no local person manages to provide an answer and only muddles the situation more, we promptly place our microphone in front of foreigners.

Is this the right way to get out of this vortex of confusion?

In principle, asking the opinion of diplomats from nations which are our development partners is not wrong.

Frankly speaking one cannot blame someone for looking to outsiders given the political mess we have created.

All South Asians need to learn is that any politically contentious issue can be maliciously exploited on the religious line to create a catastrophe

But at times we make our requests sound so desperate that it seems as though we are saying that Bangladeshis are incapable of solving their problems.

The government and people can rightly feel a little peeved when so many external elements are seen to be making comments about our political deadlocks. However, it is also true that, internally, we are failing to create a situation for a, if not amicable then at least an acceptable, workable solution to the current state of stalemate.

One can only ask foreigners to refrain from making comments on local

issues when one is making the necessary efforts to resolve local political disagreements.

Sorry to say, our political parties, driven by super-sized egos, are adept at making the waters murkier. When internal machinations are so wicked, outsiders will always take a pot shot or two in providing advice or guidelines.

Just to take a lesson from history, the British would never have managed to defeat Nawab Siraj in 1757 if they had not sensed the profound Machiavellian ploys already at work within the country. Consequently, as the superior force of the Nawab remained inactive, the British secured a decisive victory, thus moving on to exploit more internal discord to expand the web of imperialism.

The most unfortunate thing is though most understand that a local sticking point settled by domestic players presents a mature image of the country, immature squabbling keeps on taking precedence.

The line between imperialism and neo-imperialism where external influence is exerted with subtlety is always a fertile ground for debate, so let’s not get into that, but let’s at least remember that on the surface if we are seen to rely on outside mediation for settling domestic problems, then the country’s democracy looks amateurish.

No one is expecting miracles here, as Bangladesh is still learning the democratic process. But while the evolution is in motion, more maturity needs to be shown. Come on, we must have learnt something in the last 23 years!

It is reported that top diplomats are planning to form a united front to go and ask both parties to sit for constructive dialogue. Conscious citizens may feel indignant since such a move proves that the main parties are incapable of starting any dialogue leading to a solution. Whatever the flaws in our political system, common sense, supported by a conciliatory political

Words = money = lives n Mahmudul Islam

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eet X. X is a country where corruption is rampant, where people’s lives are not secure and where injustice, by and large, reigns over rule of law.

Truth be told, citizens of X don’t love war. They are peace-loving people and try to refrain from becoming embroiled in disputes with others. They, most of the time, if not always, smile and say “fine” when they are asked “how are you?” even if their lives are entangled in difficulties and problems.

Entwined with their identities are resilience and stoicism, two virtues they practice when their dreams still remain dreams.

However, X has got a handful of people who resort to strikes and shutdowns when their wishes aren’t satisfied and their demands aren’t fulfilled.

They say those are serene programs.

To explore far-reaching implications of this so-called serenity, let’s get a bit mathematical. A survey conducted by a leading chamber of commerce in X illustrated several jaw-dropping figures concerning losses the country has to incur because of strikes. The report published in early April this year reveals X faces financial losses worth Tk16bn daily during strikes!

The report adds that X experiences 40 days of strike on an average each year, resulting in an annual loss amounting to Tk640bn.

Let’s rub salt into the wound.

Another survey report released by the same chamber nearly two months later said there were 32 days of countrywide shutdown in the first five months which caused X to suffer a loss of Tk510bn.

The amount should’ve been a little more than Tk266bn if the previous survey is considered (40 days of strike a year and daily losses of Tk16bn).

So it was nearly double the previous estimation because there were more strikes. Are we getting this? Even predictions made by a leading chamber produced fluctuating results.

According to media reports in X, as many as 259 people lost their lives in political violence in the first 10 months this year. So it’s not only the mathematical figures but also human lives that have got increasingly unpredictable in X. Make no mistake. These numbers

are not associated with a country where a war is going on. The numbers represent a state where, as has been said before, opposition men make people cry because the ruling party doesn’t pay heed to their cries!

Now why do they cry? They cry primarily because their demand for restoration of a non-partisan administration hasn’t been fulfilled. They cry and impose strikes, often in a row, to press home their demands.

Do their cries reach out to the ruling party? Definitely, thanks to the boom of electronic, print and online media in X. Does the ruling party act on that?

Definitely not. Why? Perhaps the eighth wonder of the world. The result? More shutdowns, more agitations and more violence which all result in more casualties.

the Hindu community in Facebook.

Whether someone actually made such a comment or not has not been proved but the anarchy it unleashed is a testament to the misuse of social media aimed at disrupting communal harmony.

The culprit here is the group which is using religious sentiments to stir communal hatred. However, let’s be clear, India is not immune to such actions either.

Muzaffarnagar in India has been the centre of the worst Hindu-Muslim violence in recent times with heavy casualties. The army has been deployed and a curfew imposed to restore social order after religious sentiments were inflamed after a video showing two men being lynched went viral.

The video was reportedly shot in Pakistan.

What all South Asians need to learn is that any politically contentious issue can be maliciously exploited on the religious line to create a catastrophe.

Somehow, the sudden Facebook posting in Bangladesh during a volatile period smacks of such a conspiracy. Imagine several such incidents across the nation as the leaders carry on with their intransigence and we keep on asking foreigners for a prescription.

Pardon me if the word “dysfunctional” comes to mind to describe our country. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

In India, size is everything disrupt other people’s lives.

For citizens of Y, life is mesmerising while for those of X, life is agonising.

People of Y think in terms of gain while those of X think in terms of pain.

Ys try to find ecstasy in life while Xs can’t even think about that as their lives keep being affected by agony.

But should it be the perpetual picture of X? On a sunny day, a citizen of X meets a citizen of Y. They go for a stroll in a park and begin talking.

Y: I heard your country can function even after facing a loss of Tk16bn daily.

X: Yes, you heard it right.

Y: So I assume yours is a nation that is very rich.

X: No, you got it wrong. We are very poor, in fact, one of the poorest in the world.

Wealth or property can never be the substitute for a human being even if he bears no significant political identity. But would a person deriving his income from politics ever be able to realise the misery of a politically negligible person who lives from hand to mouth?

How could a country recover losses that are marked by preventable deaths of its citizens instead of its currency?

Is it ever possible to heal wounds that are direct results of indiscriminate attacks on innocent people?

Understood, wealth or property can never be the substitute for a human being even if he bears no significant political identity. But would a person deriving his income from politics ever be able to realise the misery of a politically negligible person who lives from hand to mouth?

This is not the case in Y which is another country on the planet and has the opposite characteristics of X. People in Y are really happy and worry-free as they aren’t subjected to frequent anomalies and political deadlocks.

They observe rapid and significant economic growth and always strive to outperform themselves every single day. They love their fellow countrymen, help each other in bad times and don’t do anything that might harm or

approach, should have entered the political culture sooner.

Meanwhile, a Bengali daily reports that India is concerned that political upheavals in Bangladesh may foment sectarian violence, triggering departures of minority people across the border.

Now sectarian violence is an endemic issue all over South Asia with roots going back centuries. While there is widespread condemnation of religion-based violence, it cannot be denied that the monster of religious bigotry can raise its ugly head here and can be used malevolently from time to time.

There was a reported case of vandalism of homes and a temple recently in Pabna over an alleged defamation of the Prophet (PBUH) by a member of

Y: (baffled) How is it a poor country can function after experiencing such an immense loss?

X: It is unexplainable to some extent. If you stay in our country, you will be able to crack the code.

Y: I see. What is the way out of this mess?

X: We don’t know. Even people who are liable for this, seemingly, don’t know either.

Y: I don’t think so. The roots create the fruits. If you want to change the fruit, you must first change the root.

X: I don’t get your words.

Y: You got it. It is “words.” Urge them to have words with each other.

There is a greater possibility that a solution will emerge.

NB: X doesn’t need to be defined.

Y, however, is not a utopian country. It is the transformed image of X that we all hope to see anytime soon. We are resilient, we are stoic. l Mahmudul Islam is a journalist at Natunbarta.

n Tunku Varadarajan

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arendra Modi is the chief minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat, and he believes that his beloved India is a land of political pygmies. India’s current prime minister, whose job Modi covets to distraction, is an effete old technocrat who takes his orders from the bossy Italian widow of a former prime minister (who was himself the son of a prime minister, and the grandson of another).

The old technocrat’s days in office are numbered, and his replacement as prime ministerial candidate for the ruling Congress party is Rahul Gandhi, the son of the Italian widow (she who must be obeyed), a clumsy “crown prince” of threadbare intellect who would inspire little confidence as the manager of a New Delhi pasta joint, let alone as prime minister of India.

India is a land of political midgets, damn it, and Narendra Modi is going to do something about it. To compensate for the meagre stature of those with whom he must rub shoulders, he is going to give his country a giant statue – the tallest the world has ever seen.

At 597 feet, this “Statue of Unity” will dwarf a 502-feet tall Buddha built in China in 2002, giving India – which suffers from a desperate form of penis-envy of China – something bigger at last than its massive northern neighbour.

The statue, to be situated in Gujarat and made of bronze, iron and cement, will cost a scarcely trivial $340m, much of which will come, in spite of Modi’s free-market protestations, directly from taxpayers who earn no more than $1,400 per annum.

Do the moral math. (The official boast is that it will take only 42 months to build, although you’ve got to believe that the Chinese could complete the task in half the time.) When fully erect, it will be twice the height of the Statue of Liberty and four times that of Christ the Redeemer in Rio. “The world will be forced to look at India when this statue stands tall,” Modi has said. Indeed: But with what kind of gaze?

Before his promotion of gargantuan statuary, Narendra Modi was best known outside India as the man on whose watch about 1,000 innocent Muslims were massacred in 2002 by marauding Hindu chauvinist mobs.

The state police, under Modi’s control, abetted the killings by re-

maining mute (and sometimes gleeful) spectators as men and women were butchered, houses torched, and entire neighbourhoods “cleansed.” Modi, a Hindu nationalist himself (whom many of his critics would not hesitate to call “chauvinist,” or even “fascist”), has paid no legal consequence for his apparent dereliction, having been cleared of all wrongdoing by a special investigative panel appointed by the Supreme Court of India.

Riddled with inconsistencies, the panel’s exculpatory report was controversial, to put it mildly; but this being India, where few major politicians are successfully prosecuted for anything, let alone the abetting of mass murder, Modi has carried on governing Gujarat with a quite chilling blitheness, as if not even a fly had been harmed in his state.

Modi could well be prime minister of India next year, should his party, the BJP, win the country’s parliamentary elections.

Indian regrets Sardar Patel did not become the first prime minister,” Modi told a gathering a day before the site of the statue was inaugurated.

“Had he been the first prime minister, the country’s fate and face would have been completely different.”

Perhaps. We will never know. Maybe we’d have been facing the prospect of a 597-foot statue of Nehru somewhere in India had Patel taken first prize. Instead, we face the prospect of Modi in office, a tough new prime minister of India.

Don’t be churlish and badger him about dead Muslims. Think, instead, of the statue: Vast, tall, and giant, in a land of political pygmies. l Tunku Varadarajan is a writer-at-large for The Daily Beast. A former editor of Newsweek, he is the Virginia Hobbs Carpenter research fellow in Journalism at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. This article was originally published in The Daily Beast.

Before his promotion of gargantuan statuary, Narendra Modi was best known outside India as the man on whose watch about 1,000 innocent Muslims were massacred in 2002 by marauding Hindu chauvinist mobs

This is where the giant statue comes in: It will be of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first deputy prime minister after the country’s independence from Britain in 1947. Patel, too, was from Gujarat.

Unlike Modi, he was a member of the Congress party, and served under Jawaharlal Nehru – India’s first prime minister and the great-grandfather of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress “crown prince.”

In glib Indian political discourse, espoused by pop historians and the like, Patel was the pragmatic, homespun tough guy, in contrast to Nehru’s airy-fairy, Westernised aesthete (the LBJ, as it were, to Kennedy).

It is an axiom on the Indian nationalist right that India would not have been such an international pushover in its first decades after independence had Patel been at the helm. “Every

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

My first priority is my family: Badhon n Afrose Jahan Chaity With her ascent to the top five in the Lux Channel i Superstar 2006 pageant, Badhon has become a popular face in the entertainment industry.

Her convincing acting along with undeniable good looks has brought her audience appreciation, enabling her to find her niche and establish a position in the media for herself.

Badhon made her debut in Bua Bilash, a play written and directed by eminent writer late Humayun Ahmed.

Her appearance in Chondrokotha and Choita Pagol has received positive response. Her return to the entertainment world, after her break, was as swift and successful as her debut.

Badhon took a year and a half break due to the birth of her first child. She made her comeback with a 300-episode drama, titled Akash Meghe Dhaka, directed by Jewel Mahmud. Dhaka Tribune recently caught up with the actor:

How many new projects are you working on?

I am working on a handful of drama series and single episode plays including Mainul Hasan Khokon’s Jibon Sangsar, Noim Imtiaz Neyamul’s Tobuo Jibun, Arif Khan’s Secret Service and Kochi Khondoker’s Yes Boss No Boss.

On the other hand, I am a doctor and my work in a clinic is also keeping me quite occupied.

Within a very short time, I will start my own clinic in Gulshan. Along with my career, I am also a dedicated mother, keen on giving a proper upbringing to my child.

How do you manage time to work in these projects?

It’s really very difficult. My family is my first priority and finding a perfect balance to satisfy both is a challenging task. I want to spend more time with my baby as it is my opinion that a child thrives more with care from its mother.

I am very strict about timing and is keen on maintaining my schedule. I do not work after 8pm, I come straight home. Also, I don’t go for shooting everyday. Like I said before, my first priority is my family.

What about appearing on silver screen?

It is the dream of almost every actor to work on the glorious silver screen. I am no different than others and would love to work as a silver screen actor, given that I can manage time out of my schedule.l

Godor Protikkhay to be staged today n Entertainment Desk Theatre School Praktoni will stage Godor Protikhhay at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on today in the evening.

It is an adaptation of Samuel Becket’s famous absurd play Waiting for Godot. The play has been directed by thespian Ataur Rahman. National Professor Kabir Chowdhury adapted and scripted the play.

Godor Protikkhay narrates the story of two days in the lives of Vladimir and Estragon who divert themselves while they wait expectantly and in vain for someone named Godot.

As Vladimir and Estragon sit in peaceful resignation to their condition, suddenly Pozzo and Lucky arrive on the scene.

Lucky has a rope around his neck and is being driven forward by Pozzo, who is brandishing a whip.

They mistake Pozzo at first for Godot and clearly do not recognise him for the self-proclaimed personage he is.

This irks him, but, while maintaining that the land that they are on is his, he acknowledges that the “road is free to all.”

Throughout Waiting for Godot, the audience may encounter religious, philosophical, classical, psychoanalytical and biographical – especially wartime – references. l

Third Eye airs on ATN Bangla today n Entertainment Desk A new drama series Third Eye airs tonight on ATN Bangla at 8pm. Written and directed by Rajibul Islam Rajib, the drama features Anisur Rahman Milon, Shahed Sharif Khan, Nadia Shamsul Alam Bokul, Chitrolekha Guha, Faruk Ahmed, Mahmudul Iqbal Mintu, Jabed Ali and others.

The story focuses on an aspiring detective and his excellent forecast. The protagonist Robi is inspired by fictional detective character Sherlock Holmes and other criminal investigation stories.

Exhibition

Rhythm of Xylography Group Art Exhibition Time: 11am – 7pm, Gallery Cosmos-2 New DOHS, Mohakhali Nishobdo Solo Exhibition

By Shabekun Nahar Time: 3pm - 9pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Dhanmondi When Silence Eats Sound Group Exhibition Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge 60 Gulshan Avenue

Planes in 3D Riddick Purno dhorgho prem kahini Monsters University in 3D Titanic (3D) Bullet to the Head Udhao

n Entertainment Desk A poll of film fans has named Hannibal Lecter as the scariest horror film character of all time.

According to a census of 1,000 British film fans, the cannibal serial killer from 1991 hit film The Silence Of The Lambs played by Anthony Hopkins, has topped the list by beating Nightmare On Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger.

Psycho killer Norman Bates came third on the list, followed by The Shining’s Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson and Chucky completed the top five.

Characters from Saw, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn Of The Dead also featured, with

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore

Level 8, Bashundhara City Panthapath, Dhaka

Festival

Urban Youth Festival II Time: 11am – 8pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh Road 9 (new) House 10, Dhanmondi R/A

Jaws’ Great White shark securing the tenth position.

The story of the film revolves around young FBI agent Clarice Starling. She is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims.

Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist.

FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter, who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator, has the answers to their questions and can help locate the killer.

However, Clarice must first gain Lecter’s confidence before the inmate will give away any information. l

ON TV

Hewitt’s ‘The Client List’ to be cancelled Jennifer Love Hewitt fans will have to find their fix elsewhere: Lifetime announced recently that it has canceled her show The Client List after two seasons on air.

On The Client List, Hewitt played a mother of two who becomes an escort after getting a job at a spa.

Deadline reports that it was a mutual decision between the network and Sony Pictures TV after the show’s ratings slipped in the second season.

The Hollywood news site notes that the show may have ended thanks to complications with Hewitt, who is expecting a baby.

“Lifetime and Sony TV were in a creative standoff with star Hewitt for storylines for a potential third season after the actress, who is an executive producer on the show, had requested that Brian Hallisay, her real-life fiancé and father of her baby, also play her character Riley’s baby daddy on the show,” Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reported.

Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated. She rose to fame in teenage popular culture in her roles in the Fox series Party of Five as Sarah Reeves Merrin, and films I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel as Julie James.

Hewitt starred on the hit CBS television program Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, for which she won a Saturn Award in 2007 and 2008 for Best Actress on Television.

She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her television movie The Client List. In addition to acting, she has served as a producer on some of her film and television projects. l

Film

Fans chose Hannibal Lecter as scariest character

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk

After passing his college, Robi becomes a private detective. As a detective he is analytical and critical minded.

His first assignment is to find out the thief who has stolen a substantial amount of gold from a family consisting three members: father (Shamsul Alam Bokul), mother (Chitroleka Guho) and their daughter (Nadia). They initially suspect their maid servant and later police arrests her. The mother of the poor servant hires Robi to find out the real thief and save her daughter.

Robi faces different kind of troubles while investigating the incident. l

TODAY IN DHAKA

Demi Moore’s Eat, Pray, Love moment It’s an “Eat, Pray, Love” moment for Demi Moore as her divorce with Ashton Kutcher finally inches towards a closure. She is currently in India, doing some soul-searching or so it seems.

This week, the star was spotted in McLeodganj, Himachal Pradesh, taking a leisurely stroll down the scenic paths. She is said to be in India to attend a spiritual conference, Craving, Desire and Addiction, in which the Dalai Lama is also a speaker. Moore, pictured walking along with a couple of spiritual leaders and monks and sported oversized shades and boots. And the session she attended at the conference was on the role of dopamine in the addicted human brain.

Though the Flawless star looked positively flawless in her de-glam avatar, the fact that the conference also focuses on addiction gives rise to speculation that Moore might still be battling the after-effects of her messy breakup with Kutcher. Incidentally, she had to spend some time in rehab early last year following the end of her marriage. Spiritual leaders and professors of religion and psychiatry from across the world are also participating in the conference. l

Monday, November 4, 2013

DRAMA 9:30pm Star Plus

Diya Aur Bati Hum

10:00pm Zee Tv Qubool Hain

MOVIE 9:00pmZee Studio Happy Gilmore

9:30pm Star Movies Avatar

Celebrated actor Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs

COMEDY 2:30pm Star World The Crazy Ones

8:30pm FX

The Simpsons

NEWS 4:00pm ATN News News Now

9:00pm Independent TV Raater 9tai Bangladesh

MISC 4:30pm AXN Top Gear

10:30pm Big CBS Prime Jennifer Love Hewitt

Survivor

Shah Rukh Khan willing to work with Salman n Entertainment Desk Though Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan had reportedly not been on talking terms since the past few years, SRK maintained that there are no ego issues between them and that he has no qualms in sharing the screen space with Salman.

“The producers and directors should come up with a good script. Inshallah, if there is a chance we will work together. If it happens good, and if it doesn’t, then also it is ok,” Shah Rukh said.

“We don’t have angst against each other. It is just that “hamare raaste

alag hai.” (we follow different paths).

We have no ego issues between us. We both respect each other and our families,” he added.

Shah Rukh and Salman, who had teamed up in Karan Arjun in 1995, had not been on talking terms since 2008 following an incident at Katrina Kaif’s birthday bash that year. The split only seemed to widen as the two Khans are in no mood to call a truce.

However, earlier this year during an iftar party hosted by Congress leader Baba Siddiqui, Shah Rukh and Salman hugged each other, though both the actors called it just a gesture. l

Did you know?

Arsenal are the only team to have scored in every single one of their English Premier League games this season

Sport

Monday, November 4, 2013

14 Ronaldo double sinks Rayo

14 Gunners sink Reds to stay clear

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Fatullah fans out in full force

Nasir stars with all-round performance n Mazhar Uddin

A jubilant Bangladesh side are all smiles after beating New Zealand yesterday to complete an historic 3-0 series win at the Khan Shaheb Osman Alie Stadium in Fatullah

Bangladesh sweep series in emphatic style

MUMIT M

Mills praises Bangladesh’s youngsters n Mazhar Uddin New Zealand skipper Kyle Mills said Bangladesh played exceptional cricket to clinch the series yesterday at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium.

“We are all very disappointed with the outcome of, not just today’s match but the whole series. To go down 3-0 is extremely disappointing. It wasn’t our plan when we came out here but we have to hand it to the Bangladesh side, they played exceptional cricket today,” said Mills.

The Kiwi captain was satisfied with his side’s first innings total of 307 and signaled out Bangladesh’s opening partnership as turning the match around. “I thought we had a total we could defend. The opening batters for Bangladesh played exceptionally well and took the game away from us. Our spinners did a good job to bring it back for us somewhat, but the start they got created huge momentum for them to chase the total down,” he said.

While disappointed with the result, the 34-year old went on to praise the way Bangladesh had developed over the last ten years and expressed the opinion that they had been playing very well for some time now. “We have had success in the past in the subcontinent, it just so happens that in our last

Tigers completed their second‘Banglawash’ over the Black Caps n Minhaz Uddin Khan In only his second ODI Shamsur R a h m a n Shuvo led the Tigers from the front with a mesmerising 96 as the others supported him well to successfully chase 308 runs and hand New Zealand another ‘Banglawash’ at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium yesterday. Bangladesh won the third and final ODI by four wickets to clinch the three-match series 3-0.

The home side came in the game having the series already secured and another ‘Banglawash’ – a term that was born three years back when the Tigers defeated the same opponents 4-0 – was a distant hope at half-way through as Bangladesh, who were playing without Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, two names that always contribute in big wins, were looking at a mammoth target.

It was the sheer determination and dedication that allowed Bangladesh land the win and register their second highest successful chase after the 313 runs against Zimbabwe in 2009. The win also extended Bangladesh’s winning streak to seven matches against New Zealand in over five years.

Bangladesh needed a good start and it was effectively provided by the new pair of Shamsur and Ziaur Rahman as the duo put on 61 runs in just under eight overs to set the momentum.

Both men looked confident as they hammered some lusty blows all over the park. Zia (22 off 20) struck two fours and equal sixes before he skied one at point. However, right-handed Shamsur maintained his rhythm with Mominul Haque (32) and added another 65 from 66 balls. Mominul’s soft dismissal, caught and bowled by Anton Devcich, was followed by Mushfiqur Rahim (two) out to a brilliant onehanded catch by Ross Taylor at short square-leg.

‘Press-Box’ n Tribune Report Hosting the third and the final ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand yesterday was the acid test for Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOAS) in regards of preparation for hosting matches of the ICC World Twenty20 2014.

Though the International Cricket Council (ICC) gave the venue a green signal in its last meeting for hosting the event, many on-duty personals at the venue had to face troubles for no proper arrangements. Getting no other facilities except for the seats, the working journalists held a 30-minute long sitting strike outside the press box at KSOAS. The journalists complained that the air-conditioners were not working and there was no one to look after the issue.

Several requests were made to responsible personals to arrange fans to bare the heat in the air-locked press box, but hardly any initiative was taken. They also complained of the unavailability of other necessary things, but no one was there to take care of the situation.

With no other option the journalists took stance in front of the press box

and denied from covering the series at a point.

The ICC venue inspectors had made several visits to KSOAS. Though it was given the green signal for hosting the World Twenty20, Jalal Younus, director and chairman of the Media and Communications of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confessed the venue to have few things not in place. The BCB member requested to bear with the situation and cover the series for the day.

“We were informed that the air-conditioners were not working properly.

The same is with many other boxes in the stadium. The venue didn’t have any international cricket for years for which these issues are coming up. And to be honest the issues are revealing because we are having a game here today (yesterday),” said Jalal to the media yesterday.

The third ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand is the first international game at KSOAS since 2006. It was also informed that the players’ dressing room also had issues.

The BCB member assured that all the utilities will be in place at any venue in the future tours. l

However, Shamsur stood tall from the other end as he went past his fifty and neared the magical three figures with a showcase of some brilliant strokeplay. Naeem Islam accompanied him accordingly as they recovered all bases in their 75-run stand which was broken with the dismissal of Shamsur.

A thick-edge to the keeper stopped Shamsur’s valiant 107-ball innings just four runs away from his maiden hundred.

Meanwhile, Naeem once again contributed a valuable 63 as the Tigers were scoring along the asking rate and later it was up to Nasir Hossain, after a quite series so far, who returned to what he does best – finish the game.

Nasir’s 44 from 38 balls along with along with Sohag Gazi’s 11 not out saw the home side cruise to victory with four balls to spare.

Earlier, New Zealand rode on Taylor’s unbeaten 107 to post 305 for 5.

Taylor took full advantage of the life he received, a drop catch on 12 by Ru-

It was a case of “cometh the hour, cometh the man” as Nasir Hossain, who had failed to make a significant contribution in the previous two matches, put the finishing touch on Bangladesh’s mammoth chase and guided the Tigers to a 3-0 series win over New Zealand at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium yesterday.

Nasir, who had old only scored 1 and 3 in the previous two games of the series, came to the wicket with the score at 204/4 from 34.1 overs and over a 100 runs still needed.

He proceeded to bat both sensibly and fluently in partnership with Naeem Islam and the pair put on fifty runs in quick time before Naeem was run out for 63.

Undaunted, Nasir continued on with Mahmudullah at the other end.

Keeping the required rate to manageable levels, the 21-year old struck five fours and a six as he finished 44 not out to take Bangladesh to their target of 308 in the last over of the innings.

Nasir had already contributed with the ball earlier in the day. With the New Zealand batsmen in full flow, Nasir came on to bowl his part-timer off-breaks and conceded just 33 runs in 10 overs at an economy rate of 3.33, where the next best in the innings was Mahmudullah’s 5.14 an over. l

bel Hossain off his own bowling in the 23rd over, as he clobbered nine boundaries and three sixes to take his team to a strong position.

Anton Devcich and Tom Latham added 66 runs to give the visitors a good start. However, Bangladesh vicecaptain Mahmudullah dismissed Devich on 46 to get the Tigers back in the game. Within a span of three overs the Tigers got the second breakthrough as a hurried slog from Grant Elliot (3) off Abdur Razzak resulted in a top edge to Gazi at mid-on. Wicketkeeper-batsman Latham became the only victim of Rubel in the game after he was caught behind on 43 to turn the score to 101 for 3 in 21 overs.

Taylor and Colin Munro repaired the damage and established 130 runs for the fourth wicket to get them going. Murno was impressive and though he was unlucky not to make a hundred, as he returned for 85, Taylor made sure of registering his eighth ODI century.l

two series in Bangladesh, we have gone down. I wouldn’t take the gloss off the Bangladesh team, they played exceptional cricket. They have really developed over the last ten years. We tried to front up today but just came short, which is disappointing,” he said.

Comparing this whitewash loss to the last one in 2010, Mills said, “This one’s pretty fresh and pretty raw. I got over the last one, but it’s still very disappointing. The last series we came in with expectations of winning the series quite comfortably. I guess the scars from that series set us up for this series.

We were quite wary of the Bangladesh side. They’ve got some very good players in these conditions, and you have to admire that.”

The stand-in captain praised Bangladesh’s youngsters, especially Momniul Haque, who was named man-of-the-series in the Tests. “They’ve really stood up. In the Test matches too he (Mominul) did well, and in this series he played a hand in every game. He is a player who is in form at the moment and someone who has got a bit of class about him. I don’t want to point out just one person from Bangladesh because in the last game, all the wickets and runs were shared around. They really have played as a team in these last few games and they have played some really good cricket.” l

Mushfiq credits mental strength n M i n h az Ud d i n Kh an Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim attributed his side’s 3-0 series win over New Zealand to the hard work that the team has done over the past four months and a newly found mental strength.

“We (Bangladesh team) had a discussion before the series where we determined our aim. Before it was like we had one or two performers in the side but now we have the ability. We tried to make ourselves understand that if we try and work hard, anything is achievable. Thankfully everyone got this in their mind. There was a time when one person would score a hundred or take five wickets but the team would lose, but now we are getting wins,” Mushfiqur told the media at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium yesterday.

With the team stepping up, Mushfiq has become one of the most successful captains in the country’s history. Under his leadership, Bangladesh has won 11 ODIs in two years and made noticeable improvements in Test cricket. Just six months ago, Mushfiq announced he was stepping down from the captaincy after

is,” he said.

Asked which series win was more special – the current one or the 4-0 win in 2010, the 25-year old said, “The two wins are different. If you are asking for my personal opinion, I will keep this series win ahead of 2010.

“Both the teams were different in 2010 and today we didn’t have two of

what he felt was a disappointing team performance in Zimbabwe.

Reflecting on that time, the wicket-keeper said, “I have said it before many times, the decision was triggered by emotion. I don’t want anything special from the team. All I will love to see is Bangladesh doing well consistently, doesn’t matter who the captain

Bangladesh v New Zealand, Three Match ODI series 2013 Most runs Player

Mat Inns NO Runs HS 84

Ave

SR

54.33

100 50

4s

6s

Naeem Islam (Ban)

3

3

0

163

78.36

0

2

18

1

Ross Taylor (NZ)

3

3

1

160 107* 80.00 84.65

1

0

13

4

Mushfiqur Rahim (Ban)

3

3

0

123

90

41.00

94.61

0

1

9

4

Shamsur Rahman (Ban)

2

2

0

121

96

60.50

75.15

0

1

7

6

Grant Elliott (NZ)

3

3

0

88

71

29.33

77.19

0

1

6

2

Most Wickets Player

Mat Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BBI

JDS Neesham (NZ)

2

19.0

Rubel Hossain (Ban)

3

20.5

Corey J Anderson (NZ)

3

27.5

0

Econ SR

4

5

4/42 11.87 5.00 14.2

2

0

7

6/26 15.85 5.32 17.8

0

1

7

4/40 20.28 5.10 23.8

1

0

95

8

1

111

2

142

Ave

Sohag Gazi (Ban)

3

26.0

0

137

5

3/34 27.40 5.26 31.2

0

0

TG Southee (NZ)

2

20.0

4

79

3

3/34 26.33 3.95 40.0 0

0

our key members (Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal). I think this series is bigger than 2010.”

It was opening batsman Shamsur Rahman’s blazing knock set the platform for Bangladesh’s successful run chase.

The right-handed batsman was named man-of-the-match for his 107-ball 96, but was disappointed at missing his first ODI hundred. Asked if nerves had got to him, Shamsur replied, “I think this was the first time in my life that I was not nervous in the 90s. There could have been dot balls if I had thought too much about it or it might have not. I thought first of the team and it was my bad luck that I couldn’t reach the hundred.”

With just two ODIs behind him, Shamsur epitomized the mental strength that Mushfiq had referred to.

Commenting on the mental approach to chasing such a large target, the 25-year old newcomer said, “We (the openers) tried to play each delivery on merit. Any bad balls, we tried to treat it right. I don’t think chasing 307 is a challenge for Bangladesh now. The wickets was batting friendly and we believed partnerships would get us win in the game,” he said.l

14

Sport

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Monday, November 4, 2013

Spurs, Everton share spoils n AFP, London Tottenham Hotspur and Everton prevented each other from climbing to second place in the Premier League table after an open-ended 0-0 draw at Goodison Park yesterday.

Tottenham had the better of the first half, with Everton creating more clearcut chances in the second, while each team had a penalty claim rejected either side of half-time.

A head injury to Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who managed to complete the game, yielded nine minutes of stoppage time, but neither side was able to land a knockout punch.

The point was enough to take Tottenham into the top four, level on points with Chelsea and Liverpool and five points below leaders Arsenal, while Everton remain in seventh place, albeit only a point behind Spurs.

The home side began to enjoy more success in the second period, however, with Vlad Chiriches producing a superb last-ditch tackle to thwart Kevin Mirallas and substitute Ross Barkley shooting narrowly over.

In a reversal of the first-half penalty incident, Coleman was then brought to his knees by Vertonghen as he shaped to shoot inside the Spurs box, but again referee Kevin Friend remained unmoved. l

Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla (R) scores the opening goal against Liverpool during their English Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium in north London, on Saturday

Gunners sink Reds to stay clear

Marseille stop the rot n AFP, Paris

Marseille’s worrying losing five-match run finally came to an end at Rennes on Saturday in a 1-1 draw marked by a saved penalty from Marseille captain Steve Mandanda.

Rennes’s Portuguese striker Nelson Oliveira put the hosts in front from 20 metres on nine minutes, only for his effort to be cancelled out by Jordan Ayew after quarter of an hour.

With a lack of concentration in the Rennes defence Ayew struck right-footed from near the penalty spot for the Ghana striker’s first goal in 10 months of Ligue 1 action. In the 73rd minute Rennes were awarded a penalty after Kassim Abdallah fouled Foued Kadir.

Oliveira stepped up to take the spot kick but his effort was denied by Marseille keeper Mandanda, much to the delight of the travelling fans.

This stalemate, after three losses in the league and two in the Champions league, lifted Marseille up to fifth, on 18 points. l

Results Rennes

1-1

Ajaccio

1-3

Oliveira 9 Mater 32-og

Marseille

J.Ayew 16

Valenciennes

Pujol 26, 90+2, Dossevi 67

Thonon

2-1

Toulouse

Lyon

2-0

Guingamp

Reims

4-2

Sochaux

0-0

Wass 61, Mongongu 90+3-pen Lacazette 12, B. Gomis 13

Deroussel de Preville 24, Krychowiak 44-pen, Oniangue 50, Atar 81

AFP

Aurier 52

Bastia

Romaric 47, Khazri 90+3

Saint-Etienne

n AFP, London Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in Saturday’s late fixture.

Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey were the scorers on a day when Liverpool would have gone top had they won.

Brendan Rodgers’s visitors now find themselves back in third place, having briefly been in second on goal difference earlier in the day after Chelsea lost at Newcastle United.

That made it the most important domestic fixture for both sides so far this season, with Arsenal now facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday before travel-

ling to Manchester United next Sunday.

The game was also given extra spice

by Arsenal’s pursuit of Luis Suarez over the summer, when the Gunners lodged a bid of £40,000,001 ($63.7 million, 47.2 million euros) in the mistaken belief that it would trigger a release clause in the Liverpool striker’s contract.

Liverpool held on doggedly to a player who was serving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in April and he went into this game having scored six goals in five matches.

The game began at a frantic pace and Tomas Rosicky forced Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet into an early save.

There was quickly a chance at the other end for Jordan Henderson, who robbed Cazorla and was allowed to reach the penalty area before scuffing a weak effort at goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Arsenal’s reply was to take the lead in the 19th minute through Cazorla.

The Spain midfielder was first to Bacary Sagna’s cross from the right and headed against the post before netting the rebound.

Liverpool’s 3-5-2 formation had left them exposed down the flanks at

Results Arsenal

Cazorla 19, Ramsey 59

2-0

Liverpool

times, but Jon Flanagan -- making his first Premier League appearance since April 2012 -- had been more impressive on the right than Aly Cissokho on the other side. Rodgers changed that at half-time, with Philippe Coutinho replacing Cissokho.

It pepped Liverpool up, and Suarez in particular, as he managed to get in

behind the Arsenal defence three times in quick succession, but to no avail.

Olivier Giroud should have made it 2-0 after intercepting Toure’s poor pass to Martin Skrtel, but the France striker chipped into the side-netting with only Mignolet to beat.

Arsenal did not let up, however, and were rewarded with a goal from Ramsey in the 59th minute, with the Wales midfielder finding the net from 20 yards with a swerving effort after demonstrating superior technique to set himself up from Mesut Ozil’s pass.

Suarez almost pulled one back, but saw his effort graze the far post.

Another chance came Suarez’s way late on as Arsenal switched off, but the Uruguay forward fired across goal and wide, and the hosts saw out the final few minutes with no further alarm.l

Juve, Napoli warm up for Europe n AFP, Milan

Juventus and Napoli closed the gap to leaders Roma with wins in Italy’s Serie A on Saturday as AC Milan’s woes continued with a 2-0 defeat at home

Juventus' Andrea Barzagli (R) is tackled by Parma's Alessandro Lucarelli during their Italian Serie A match at Tardini stadium in Parma on Saturday REUTERS

to Fiorentina.

Juventus warmed up for their mustwin Champions League clash against Real Madrid on Tuesday with a precious 1-0 win away to Parma where Frenchman Paul Pogba’s 77th minute winner secured the visitors’ third win in succession.

Juve’s ninth win moved them temporarily up to second place but Antonio Conte’s men then dropped back to third after Jose Callejon and Marek Hamsik struck a goal apiece as Napoli dominated plucky Catania 2-1 at the San Paolo.

It was also Napoli’s third win on the trot, since suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Roma, and will boost Rafael Benitez’s

'Hart needs a rest'

Ronaldo double sinks Rayo

England goalkeeper Joe Hart paid the price for a series of recent errors when Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini left him out of the team for their Premier League match against Norwich City on Saturday.

Romanian understudy Costel Pantilimon, who played in the 2-0 League Cup win over Newcastle United on Wednesday, retained his place in the starting lineup for his first Premier League appearance and kept a clean sheet in a 7-0 victory.

“My duty is to see every week who is the best player to play,” Pellegrini was quoted as saying on the City website (www.mcfc.co.uk). “Joe needed a rest, it will be useful for him - he’s played every match for two years. Every player can have a bad moment.

“I only know that Joe must work very hard and he will have all of the support of me and the goalkeeper coach and the team. He is England’s goalkeeper and I think he will be back.

“I am sure he will return to his normal performance.”l

n AFP, Madrid

n Reuters, London

Gareth Bale provided two assists for the second consecutive game as a double from Cristiano Ronaldo and a Karim Benzema header saw Real Madrid squeeze past Rayo Vallecano 3-2 on Saturday.

Ronaldo had scored a hat-trick in the 7-3 mauling of Sevilla on Wednesday and the Portuguese took just three minutes to open the scoring with a cool finish after racing onto Luka Modric’s pass.

Rayo then had a strong penalty appeal waved away and a goal disallowed, but Madrid doubled their advantage just after the half hour mark as Bale’s rightfooted cross picked out Benzema to nod home his seventh goal of the season.

Ronaldo added a third just after the interval from Bale’s low cross, but two Jonathan Viera penalties in as many minutes gave Rayo hope.

The hosts then piled on the pressure for the final half hour and Alberto Bueno

struck the post as they came agonisingly close to an incredible comeback.

And despite holding on for the win, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti was furious with his side’s lack of control after halftime.

Results Sociedad

5-0

Osasuna

Almeria

1-0

Valladolid

Rayo Vallecano

2-3

Ansotegui 34, Inigo Martinez 47, Griezmann 56, Castro 81, Seferovic 88 Rodri 38

Viera 53-pen, 55-pen

Real Madrid

Ronaldo 3, 49, Benzema 31

Bale was starting a second consecutive game for the first time in his Madrid career and Real started where they left off in midweek as Ronaldo took advantage of Rayo’s dangerous high line to skip past Alejandro Galvez and slot calmly past the keeper for his 19th goal of the season..

Rayo were very unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty moments later when Dani Carvajal appeared to clip Nacho inside the area.

The hosts did have the ball in the net on the half hour mark when Iago Falque turned Lass Bangoura’s cross towards goal, but the ball struck Viera on its way into the net and was rightly ruled out for offside.

Within two minutes of that let off Madrid had made it 2-0 when Bale raced clear on the right and his measured cross was headed home at the far post

by Benzema.

However, Rayo were back in the game when Viera converted his first spot-kick after he had been brought down by Pepe.

Joaquin Larrivey then struck the bar with a diving header, but as the ball ricocheted around the area from the rebound Bueno was brought down by Marcelo for a second penalty.

Viera stepped up again and his strike had just enough power to beat Lopez despite going the right way.l

men ahead of hosting Marseille on Wednesday two weeks after a 2-1 win in France.

Roma can restore their five-point cushion away to Torino on Sunday, when Rudi Garcia’s men will also bid to

Results Parma

0-1

AC Milan

0-2

Napoli

2-1

Callejon 15, Hamsik 20

Juventus

Pogba 77

Fiorentina

Vargas 27, Borja 73

Catania

Castro 25

stretch their all-time record of seasonopening Serie A wins to 11 in succession.

Embattled Milan began their 11th match of the campaign in mid-table and the Rossoneri’s fifth defeat has heaped further pressure on coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Milan head to Barcelona on Wednesday, barely two weeks after squeezing

out a 1-1 draw against the Catalans at the San Siro.

Callejon put Napoli ahead on 15 minutes when he left Mariano Andujar rooted to the spot with a superb left-foot strike.

Minutes later Hamsik doubled Napoli’s lead when he pounced on Lorenzo Insigne’s short pass to beat the ‘keeper with a curling strike inside his near post.

Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain, replaced by Duvan Zapata on 75 minutes, was back to his best following his recent recovery from injury and told Sky Sport Italia: “I’m really happy because I’m in the best shape possible.

There was a touch of fortune for Fiorentina, meanwhile, who opened the scoring at the San Siro with a deflected Juan Vargas free kick in the 27th minute.

Milan spurned several chances to reduce the arrears before Borja Valero secured the points for Vincenzo Montella’s men in the 73rd minute to move La Viola two places up to fourth.l

Real Madrid's players celebrate a goal against Rayo Vallecano during their Spanish first division match at Vallecas stadium in Madrid on Saturday REUTERS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Fatullah fans out in full force

BD v NZ, Score Card New Zealand innings Devcich c Razzak b Mahmudullah Latham c Mushfiqur b Rubel Elliot c Sohag b Razzak Taylor not out Munro c Mushfiqur b Mahmudullah Anderson c Ziaur b Sohag Ronchi not out Extras (lb3, w6) Total (five wickets; 50 overs)

46 43 3 107 85 1 13 9 307

Fall of wickets 1-66, 2-82, 3-101, 4-231, 5-232 Bowling Mashrafe 8-0-73-0, Rubel 6-0-38-1 (w5), Sohag 10-0-67-1 (w1), Razzak 9-0-57-1, Nasir 10-1-33-0, Mahmudullah 7-0-36-2 Bangladesh innings Shamsur c Ronchi b Anderson 96 Ziaur c Milne b McClenaghan 22 Mominul Haque c & b Devcich 32 Mushfiqur c Taylor b McCullum 2 Naeem Islam run out 63 Nasir Hossain not out 44 Mahmudullah c Ronchi b McClenaghan 16 Sohag Gazi not out 11 Extras (b4, lb3, w9, nb7) 23 Total (six wickets, 49.2 overs) 309 Fall of wickets 1-61, 2-126, 3-129, 4-204, 5-254, 6-289 Bowling Millis 8-1-55-0 (nb2), Milne 7-0-42-0 (w2), McClenaghan 9.2-0-69-2 (w1, nb5), Anderson 10-0-56-1 (w4), McCullum 8-0-44-1, Devcich 7-0-36-1(w2) Result: Bangladesh won by four wickets, take series 3-0 Toss: Bangladesh

Quick Bytes CGS emerge champions Chittagong Grammar School emerged champions of 3rd Sunnydale Inter School Football by beating Bangladesh International School and College 2-1 at the Physical Education College ground, Mohammadpur, on Friday. The final was witnessed by a big audience, of mostly students and teachers from the participating schools.

-RM

Ferrer stuns Nadal, faces Djokovic in Paris final

Defending champion David Ferrer upset compatriot and world number one Rafael Nadal on Saturday to reach the Paris Masters final where he will meet Novak Djokovic who eliminated Roger Federer.

Ferrer, 31, who won his only Masters title last year in the French capital, dominated his fellow Spaniard 6-3, 7-5 to set up the championship decider against Djokovic who came back to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 against the 2011 Paris champion. No player has successfully defended the Paris title after previous winners Boris Becker, Guy Forget, Pete Sampras and David Nalbandian all failed after reaching a second straight final. Nadal hit an uncharacteristic 25 unforced errors and converted just one break point in seven attempts as Ferrer defeated his rival for only the fifth time in 21 meetings.

The world number four received plenty of support from the Paris crowd and carved out the decisive break to go 6-5 in the second set before serving out for the match.

– AFP

I signed for United, claims Eriksson Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has claimed that he signed a contract to succeed Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2002. The Swede, who coached England between 2001 and 2006, made the claim in his new autobiography, in which he also revealed that he clashed with Ferguson over Wayne Rooney’s participation at the 2006 World Cup. Ferguson announced that he would step down as United manager in 2002 and although he later reversed his decision, Eriksson says he struck a deal with the club to replace the Scot. In an extract from his book published in British newspaper the Mail on Sunday, Eriksson wrote: “I knew it would be tricky. I had a contract with England until the 2006 World Cup and I would be severely criticised if I broke that contract. “But this was an opportunity to manage Manchester United.

A contract was signed -- I was United’s new manager.”

– AFP

n Mazhar Uddin

Bangladesh batsman Shamsur Rahman (R) attempts a scoop as New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi looks on during their third ODI at KSOAS in Fatullah, on the outskirts of Dhaka yesterday AFP

Abahani win second in a row n Raihan Mahmood Dhaka Mohammedan beat Brothers Union by 23 runs, Prime Doleswar outplayed Kalabagan by two wickets and Abahani defeated Khelaghar by six wickets in the Walton Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League at different venues yesterday.

In Bogra, Rajin Saleh’s blistering 89-ball 90 (two fours, four sixes) and a useful 47 from Afghan Asghar Stanikzai paved the way for Mohammedan and with Md. Nabi’s 24 off 21 balls and Muktar Ali’s 25 off 17 balls at the end, the traditional giants were able to post a formidable 282/8 in the stipulated 43 overs. For Brothers, Sean Ervine took two wickets.

Brothers however was very much

in the chase as Sri Lankan batsmen Thilan Samaraweera sent the opposition bowlers to all the corners of the ground in scoring 78 from 66 balls (10 fours). However he fell short of an able ally in the middle as only Sanjamul Islam, the number nine batsman provided significant support with 53 off 38 balls (six fours, one six). Brothers eventually finished on 269/7 to lose by 23 runs. Habibur Rahman took 3/51 and Md. Nabi captured two wickets for the bowling side.

In Rajshahi, Kalabagan posted 243/7 from their 50 overs after opting to bat on winning the toss. Opener Mithun Ali struck 35, Bilal Shafayat added 60, Jehan Mubrak chipped in with 51 and Forhad Hossain contributed 43 for Kalabagan while, Shafiul Alam bagged three wickets Farhad Reza two.

Italy cruise to fourth Fed Cup title n AFP, Cagliari

Italy cruised to a fourth Fed Cup title on Sunday when Sara Errani gave the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Russian Alisa Kleybanova.

Roberta Vinci and world number seven Errani had given Italy, the champions in 2006, 2009 and 2010, a 2-0 lead on Saturday with victories over Alexandra Panova and Irina Khromachava respectively.

Italy’s Fed Cup captain Corrado Barazzuti thanked his squad for their contribution to the victory but stressed that his players were the “true stars”.

“They’re a great group of players and they’ve put us into the history books of the sport,” said Barazzuti.

“Sara was well focused on her final match... and in any case she’s a true champion. Everyone, from the coaches to the medical staff, contributed to this but the players remain the true stars.”

Kleybanova represented the depleted Russian team’s last chance to rescue their bid ahead of the final singles and concluding doubles rubbers later Sunday.

However despite showing glimpses of promise, notably a powerful serve

which at times Errani struggled to return, the 24-year-old Russian was outclassed by the more experienced Italian.

Errani, 26, had the Cagliari Tennis Club in jubilant mood after racing to a 6-1 victory in the first set and although Kleybanova rallied in the second to take the third game on serve, Errani was never under threat.

The Italian broke Kleybanova to take a 4-1 lead when the Russian sent a wild return into the tramlines.

And after reinforcing her advantage in the next game the Italian finished in style, breaking Kleybanova’s serve when the Russian fumbled a return at the net in the seventh and final game to secure the win. Vinci was due to meet Khromacheva in the final singles rubber however given Italy’s win it was not played.

The dead doubles rubber was to be played Sunday between Flavia Pennetta and Karin Knapp of Italy and Margarita Gasparyan and Khromachava.

Four-time champions Russia went into the final missing the injured Maria Sharapova while fellow top-30 players Maria Kirilenko, Elena Vesnina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova opted instead to chase points and prize money at the WTA Tournament of Champions in Sofia. l

In reply, Prime Doleswar opener Mehedi Maruf set the platform with 47 at the top of the order and the English duo of Joshua Cobb and Dawid Malan added 20 and 75 respectively. Farhad Reza’s unbeaten 20 saw Doleswar to their target with three overs to spare and two wickets in hand.

At BKSP, Abahani continued their winning streak after restricting Khelaghar to 161 in 46.3 overs and comfortably chasing the target down in 37.3 overs for the loss of four wickets. For Khelaghar, Ariful Haque made 46 and Masum Khan scored 32, while Abahani’s Al-Amin and Nabil Samad each took two wickets.

In reply, English opener Yasir Ali made a polished 79 and was supported by twin 26s from Riki Russels and Gregory Smith as Abahani strolled to victory. l

BOA plans camp for Commonwealth and Asian Games n Raihan Mahmood Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) will initiate a long term training camp for the Commonwealth and Asian Games from the middle of this month, it was decided in an executive committee meeting of the BOA yesterday.

The president of BOA, General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan emphasised upon the long term training for the development of the athletes ahead of the two top class meets. The secretary general of BOA Syed Shahed Reza said they will initially start with shooting, archery, swimming, taekwondo and boxing, but later subject to the receipt of money from the government more disciplines will be added.

The estimated budget of the training camp is near Tk50m and it was learnt that BOA vice-president Anjan Chowdhury Pintu will be taking the responsibility to accumulate the money.

The executive committee has preferred the Army Stadium as the training venue as the athletes would find all the necessary training materials there as well as the disciplinary reasons. BOA also thought about bringing foreign coaches if necessary. l

It had been almost seven years since an international game was held at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah and the locals, starved for so long, responded accordingly as the stadium was packed to the rafters to watch the third and final ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand yesterday. The result would have pleased the crowd as well as Bangladesh chased down over 300 to win the match by four wickets and complete a series whitewash.

The roads leading towards the stadium were lined with colorfully attired fans, who welcomed the teams into the ground and chanted the names of their favourite players. The stadium, which holds 25,000, could not contain the demand and thousands of fans who could not get a ticket, gathered outside the

Brief Scores At Rajshahi Kalabagan KC: 243/7 in 50 overs Shafayat 60, J Mubarak 51, Shafiul Alam 3/56 Prime Doleshwar: 244/7 in 47 overs Dawid Malan 75, Mehedi Maruf 47, Imamul Hossain 3/21 Result: Prime Doleshwar won by 3 wickets MOM: Dawid Malan (Prime Doleshwar) At Bogra Mohammedan SC: 282/8 in 43 overs Rajin Saleh 90, Ezaz 51, Sanjamul 2/49 Brothers Union: 259/9 in 43 overs Samaraweera 78, Sanjamul 53*, Habibur 3/51 Result: Mohammedan won by 23 runs MOM: Rajin Saleh (Mohammedan) At BKSP Khelaghar SKS: 161 all out in 46.3 overs Ariful Haque 46, Al-Amin 3/31 Abahani: 162/4 in 37.3 overs Yasir Ali 79, Faisal Hossain 2/26 Result: Abahani won by 6 wickets MOM: Yasir Ali (Abahani)

ESPN 8:00PM Barclays ATP World Tour London, Finals Star Cricket 1:45AM Italian Serie A 2013/14 Bologna FC v Chievo Verona Satr Sports (L to R) Italy's team players Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, Karin Knapp and Roberta Vinci celebrate with the trophy after winning their final match of the Fed Cup tennis women's final in Cagliari yesterday REUTERS

ground to cheer their side on.

One such fan was student Mohammed Sohel, who said, “I was not lucky enough to buy a ticket as you know it was like gold to us. We don’t often see any international matches over here so I didn’t want to miss the chance to at least cheer for my country. I tried to get a glimpse of Nasir, Mushfiq, Rubel by standing next to the partition wall of the stadium.”

With the last international fixture in Fatullah having been an ODI between Bangladesh and Australia, excitement for yesterday’s match would have been high in any case but there was an extra edge of anticipation for the people of Narayanganj as “Banglawash” was on the cards.

As events turned out, the team did not disappoint and for the people of Fatullah, it turned out to be something worth waiting for.l

Vettel wins seventh straight Grand Prix n AFP, Abu Dhabi Quadruple Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel eased to victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday for his seventh successive victory and 11th of the season.

The 26-year-old German led home a Red Bull 1-2 – the 15th time in Formula One and giving them their 100th podium finish – with Australian Mark Webber second, taking him to over 1000 points in his Formula One career which comes to an end at the end of the season.

Vettel’s win drew him level with compatriot Michael Schumacher’s mark of seven successive wins (2004) and should he win the last two races of the season he will equal the overall record of nine held by Alberto Ascari (1952/53).l

HASINA VISITS SHAKIB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Apollo hospital yesterday to see star cricketer Shakib al Hasan who is suffering from dengue. Hasina sat at Shakib’s bedside and talked to the all-rounder for about 10 minutes. Shakib was admitted to the hospital on October 28 and is being treated by Dr. Azizul Hasan, the senior consultant of the international medicine department. The illness prevented Shakib from playing in the just concluded ODI series against New Zealand, which Bangladesh won 3-0 PMO

Afridi confident Pakistan can beat South Africa n AFP, Dubai

Day’s Watch

3:00AM La Liga 2013/14 Elche CF v Villarreal

15

Monday, November 4, 2013

Dashing all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Sunday showed confidence Pakistan can pull off a one-day series win despite the return of Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn in the South African squad for the last three matches.

Afridi starred with 3-26 to add to his 20-ball 26 in Pakistan’s comprehensive 66-run win in the second day-night international in Dubai on Friday which levelled the five-match series at 1-1.

Pakistan spurned a golden opportunity to win the first match in Sharjah on Wednesday, going down by one run from a winning position.

But Afridi, 33, said the way their bowlers were performing Pakistan can win the series.

“There is no doubt Amla and Steyn will strengthen South Africa but the way our bowlers are doing, I am sure we can beat South Africa,” Afridi told reporters.

Amla reteuned to Dubai on Sunday after missing the second Test and the

first two one-day games due to the birth of his child back home.

Steyn is likely to join the squad in time for the third match in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday after returning home for a rest before the one-day series.

The fourth match will also be played in Abu Dhabi on Friday while the fifth and final match will be held in Sharjah on November 11.

The teams will also play two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai on November 13 and 15. Besides Afridi, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took 2-15 and paceman Mohammad Irfan claimed 3-53 in the second match.

Afridi brushed aside criticism of failing to guide Pakistan to a win when only 19 runs were needed when he walked into bat in the first match.

“I got a bad ball which I hit and got out, it could have been a six,” said Afridi who made only nine in that match.

“It’s not Afridi versus South Africa, its Pakistan versus South Africa,” said Afridi, who so far has 365 wickets in 364 matches. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, November 4, 2013

Tk9.9bn scam by Bismillah Group

Which ministries do you want?

ACC files 12 cases against 53 people, including 40 bank officials

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed 12 cases against 53 officials of five banks and the Bismillah Group, a terry towel producer, for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funded loans worth over Tk9.9bn.

The commission filed the cases with Motijheel, New Market and Ramna police stations under section 4(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012, ACC Deputy Director and probe team head Syed Iqbal Hossain told reporters at a briefing.

The list of the accused included 13 people from Bismillah Group, 12 Janata Bank officials, eight Prime Bank officials, seven Premier Bank officials, five Jamuna Bank officials and eight Shahjalal Islami Bank officials.

The Bismillah group, with the help of the bank officials, allegedly embezzled around Tk5.27bn from Janata Bank, over Tk3.26bn from Prime Bank, Tk1.54bn from Jamuna Bank, Tk1.04bn from Shahjalal Islami Bank and Tk625.3m from Premier Bank in three years.

Although the ACC reportedly took statements from Jamil Hossain Durjoy,

son of Gazipur lawmaker Rahmat Ali, and Comilla lawmaker Mohammad Shubid Ali Bhuiyan’s son Mohammad Ali, their names were excluded from the list of the accused as the commission said necessary documents of their involvement were not found during the inquiry.

“The two men had taken allowances from Bismillah Group, but not on a regular basis. They were paid directors, not shareholders. We have scrutinised documents from Bismillah Group authority and Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, but no evidence of their directorship was found during our inquiry, nor in the documents,” Hossain told reporters.

According to the probe report, Bismillah Group, in association with the bank officials, embezzled the money through loans against trust receipts using names of fake foreign buyers. They secured cash incentives against fake export documents, taking advantage of inland bills purchases and overpricing non-existing export items.

The inquiry also found that the group laundered money abroad. The group allegedly embezzled a total of around Tk12bn, but the commission, after its eight-month inquiry, submit-

ted a report on Tk9.9bn funded loan embezzlement.

The accused from the Bismillah Group are: Bismillah Towels Managing Director Khaza Solaiman Anwar Chowdhury; his wife and Chairman Nowrin Hasib; Directors Shafiqul Anwar Chowdhury, Sarwar Jahan, Abida Hasib, Nahid Anwar Khan and Khandker Moinuddin Ashraf; General Manager (commercial) Abul Hossain Chowdhury; Deputy General Manager and authorized signatory Akbar Aziz Muttaki; and Manager (commercial) Riaz Uddin Ahmed.

Among the accused, the graft-busting agency had taken statements from only Akbar Aziz Muttaki, since none of the other accused responded to the commission’s notices, ACC Deputy Director Hossain told reporters.

The other accused are Network Freight System Limited Chairman M Akhter Hossain, TW Express proprietor M Moin Uddin, and Bay Yarn Limited owner Golam Mohiuddin Ahmed.

ACC sources said the MD of Bismillah Group was the mastermind behind the misappropriation.

In primary probe, the ACC found that Chowdhury, the managing director; his wife, father and mother were

currently living in Dubai. Senior Manager Abul Hossain Chowdhury and another top official Riaz Uddin were in Malaysia and London respectively.

Others accused in the cases The 12 people accused from Janata Bank included its Janata Bank Bhaban corporate branch General Manager Abdus Salam Azad, and Deputy General Managers Ajmal Haque and SM Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Moghbazar branch former manager Rafiqul Alam.

The eight people accused from Prime Bank include Vice President Ibrahim Hossain Gazi and former manager Khandker Iqbal Hossain.

Premier Bank former deputy manager GM Shahadat Hossain and former Motijheel Branch manager Shahinur Rahman are among the seven accused from the bank.

Jamuna Bank’s Dilkusha Branch Senior Assistant Vice President Morshedur Rahman and SM Zahidul Islam are among the five accused from the bank.

Shahjalal Islami Bank Eskaton branch Manager Aslamul Haque, former deputy manager ASM Hasanul Kabir, former executive vice president M Golam Wahab are among the list of accused from the bank. l

Hasina asks Khaleda about interim government Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again called for dialogue with the leader of the opposition to determine the interim government under which to hold the next general election.

The premier also proposed that the opposition chief should express her preference for a ministry under the interim government.

Hasina’s proposal came at a rally held at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital yesterday to mark the historic Jail Killing Day. “Let’s discuss. The door is still open for dialogue,” she urged the opposition leader.

“I would ask the leader of the opposition to choose whichever ministry she wants, but she does not agree to hold talks, rather she called another spell of hartal.”

The premier was addressing the party programme as the chief guest.

In her address, Hasina said the door was open for dialogue, but before that, the BNP chief must withdraw shutdown and promise the countrymen no-shutdown further.

The ruling party held the rally apparently to flex its muscle.

Accompanied by its dozens of lawmakers, the ruling Awami League lead-

UK will not send back Mueen

Tribunal law and RPO need amendment to punish criminal organisations

n

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Nazmus Sakib

In its verdict that annulled the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami, the High Court has categorically observed that a provision must be inserted in the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1973 specifying punishment for organisations involved in war crimes.

On February 18, the government included organisations in the tribunal law to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. But the verdict said it was unfortunate that the law had no specific provision mentioning the types of punishment for those organisations.

The High Court said: “Recently the International Crimes Tribunal has termed Jamaat-e-islami a criminal organisation in many judgements since it has found that the party committed crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. As the judgements are pending with the Appellate Division, without commenting more it can be said without hesitation that the people of Bangladesh had witnessed the party had opposed the birth of Bangladesh with arms.”

Although it was a split verdict, all the three judges were of the same opinion about the atrocities carried out on the people of Bangladesh by Jamaat in 1971.

The High Court said: “The RPO does not have any provision which bars a party convicted for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War or any time from being registered to contest in the polls. So, parliament…has to insert a provision in the RPO so that no criminal organisation declared by the court could be registered with the EC.” l

Closing argument in Nizami case begins n Udisa Islam The prosecution in the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami started closing arguments yesterday, accusing him of committing crimes against humanity in Pabna and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War. Conducting prosecutor Mohammad Ali placed his arguments in front of the International Crimes Tribunal 1. The prosecution will continue the arguments today.

The Jamaat chief was indicted on May 28 last year on 16 counts of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, arson and inciting violence.

After the prosecution began the arguments in the second half yesterday, the prosecutor said he would place arguments in four different parts: historical background; the role of Jamaat during the Liberation War; evidences; and legal points. The tribunal then asked him to skip the historical background and start from the second part.

Justice Jahangir Hossain said: “You may start from your second part as we did not allow any prosecutor to place the historical background. We will keep that part in record.” Then the prosecutor started from the definition of Jamaat and the role of al-Badr as a militia force during the war. l

ers and activists attended the rally carrying the party’s election symbol – Boat, chanting slogans and requesting vote for the party in the next general election.

The prime minister also requested the opposition to withdraw hartal for the sake of Junior School Certificate examination scheduled to begin today on November 4.

“You have no right to break the hearts of 2.1 million JSC examinees. Please, withdraw hartal and sit with us for talks,” she said.

The Awami League leaders recalled that they never went for a shutdown when there were public examinations.

Sheikh Hasina said the 10th national elections would be held on time despite the opposition’s efforts to save the war criminals by enforcing plenty of hartals. l

A police official attempts to douse a burning bus, set on fire by hartal supporters in the capital’s Motijheel yesterday morning

FOCUS BANGLA/DHAKA TRIBUNE

Violence marks 60-hour hartal eve n Kailash Sarkar Several vehicles were torched and more than 100 others were vandalised yesterday, ahead of the 18-party alliance’s 60hour hartal. Pro-shutdown activists also clashed with police and exploded crude bombs in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

Most of the violence were reportedly carried out by activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its students’ wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.

A suspected Shibir activist, identified as Anwar Hossain, 30, suffered injuries after a bomb exploded inside his pocket at around 11am, said Abdul Jalil, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Shahbagh police station.

Anwar is currently undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital under police custody. However, Anwar’s wife Yasmin Akhter claimed her husband was a trader at Anarkoli Market in Rampura area, where the couple also resided.

In a separate incident, an auto-rickshaw driver was injured after being hit by a crude bomb at Malibagh. Abu Motaleb, the auto-rickshaw driver who resided at Badda, was rushed to the hospital by locals.

According to Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), police and witnesses, at least 12 vehicles were torched at different areas in the capital, while several more were set ablaze in Kushtia, Chittagong, Gazipur, Ashulia, Mymensingh,

Khulna and other places.

Mohammad Ali, mobilising officer of the FSCD, said buses were set on fire at Shahjadpur, Motijheel, Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Gulistan, Pallabi, Baridhara and Shahbagh throughout the day.

Two private cars were also set ablaze in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters and in the Paltan area, he added.

According to the FSCD official, buses of Shamoli Paribahan were set on fire in Khulna and in Kushtia’s Bheramara, while another bus and a covered van were torched in Chittagong’s Sitakundu.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-Shibir and other opposition activists vandalised at least 12 vehicles including several BRTC buses at Jatrabari in the morning, during clashes with the police which also saw

the explosion of at least 10 crude bombs.

Sporadic clashes also took place in several areas of the capital, including Khilgaon, Moghbazar, Badda, Tejgaon, Kamalapur, Banani, Mirpur, and Sayedabad.

On the other hand, the office of local Awami League at Rayerbagh was set on fire during a clash between police and Jamaat-Shibir men at around 4pm.

Witnesses said Shibir men set the office ablaze while they were passing through the area with a procession.

Security measures have been beefed up across the country, with the police and Rapid Action Battalion members intensifying patrolling activities and setting up check-posts at different strategic places. l

1996 and 2013: Awami League and BNP change roles n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP was forced to introduce the non-party caretaker government in the face of pressure from Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami in 1996, and now in the changed political scenario BNP has taken on the role of Awami League.

“They are requesting us to recall the hartal now. We in 1996 also made similar calls to withdraw hartal but the Awami League and Jamaat did not pay heed to us. This is nothing but a repetition of history,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP acting secretary general told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

In 1996 when BNP was in power, the then opposition Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami waged a movement jointly to demand the staging of the election under a non-partisan government and they forced BNP to insert the provision into the constitution.

During that period, Sir Stephen Ninian, on behalf of the commonwealth, spent 42 days convincing the two leaders to form an interim government by drawing five politicians each from their

respective parties with the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia retaining her position. But the then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina did not conform.

After around 17 years, the situation is just reversed and the opposition BNP is now clamouring for election under a non-partisan interim government, as the caretaker government system was declared null and void by the court and it was scrapped through the 15th amendment to the constitution.

The ruling Awami League, however, is saying the election will be held as per the constitution and there is no scope for handing over power to any unelected persons.

Saying the door of dialogue is still open, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the opposition to withdraw hartal and to promise before the nation for not waging hartal anymore.

Moudud Ahmed, a standing committee member, on Saturday said his party will move for a vigorous movement in the future following the prescription of the ruling Awami League.

Quoting different newspapers of 1994-95, Moudud said: “The then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina said no election will be held under this government (BNP). We are saying today, no election under this government (AL).

If the government does not come to the path of compromise and tries to hold the polls unilaterally BNP will have no other option except for waging tougher progorammes following Awami League’s prescription.”

Moudud, also a former law minister said Sheikh Hasina in 1994-95 said the then prime minister Khaleda Zia had to resign from the office after the announcement of election schedule.

“Now we are saying the prime minister has to resign from the office after the announcement of the election schedule.”

When asked for immediate reaction to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s statement, Fakhrul said the government was staging dialogue drama to confuse the people of the country. “If they have the good intention of holding the dialogue then they have not made

different kinds of comments on a single issue.”

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Saturday said hartal would not be a problem for holding dialogue but yesterday Ashraf said they would enter a dialogue only if the opposition withdrew the hartal.

The BNP-led 18-party allianceyesterday announced another 60-hour countrywide hartal demanding elections under a non-partisan interim government.

MK Anwar, a standing committee member of the party, said they were ready to withdraw hartal and ready to promise not to enforce hartal in future if the government announced that the next election would be held under a non-partisan government.

“We will withdraw hartal if the government agrees to hold election under a non-partisan government,” MK Anwar told the Dhaka Tribune.

Terming the demand of election under a non-partisan government people’s demand, Anwar said there is way to backtrack from the demand. l

Britain will not extradite Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, now a British citizen who was yesterday convicted as a war criminal and sentenced to death by the Bangladesh war crimes tribunal.

The British High Commission in Dhaka yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that Britain would not order a person’s extradition to Dhaka who “could be, will be or has been” sentenced to death.

“We will consider any extradition request received from Bangladesh within the terms of the Extradition Act of 2003. But in line with this Act, the government will not order a person’s extradition to Bangladesh if he could be, will be or has been sentenced to death for the offence,” high commission’s Head of Press and Communications Warren Daley wrote in an email.

The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday sentenced al-Badr leaders Ashrafuzzaman Khan and Mueen Uddin for killing top Bangalee intellectuals in the last weeks of December 1971 towards the end of the Liberation War. Ashraf now lives in the US and Mueen is in the UK. “The UK has made clear its support for Bangladesh’s efforts to bring to justice those accused of atrocities committed in 1971. Along with our EU partners, we are however opposed to the application of the death penalty in all circumstances,” Daley said.

Meanwhile, an official of the foreign ministry told the Dhaka Tribune that the government would initiate diplomatic efforts to bring back the two convicted war criminals but it might face some legal complexities.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday said the ministries of home and foreign affairs would take “prompt” action to bring the two back and expressed hope that the countries where the two were staying would help. l

JSC, JDC exams shifted due to hartal n Mushfique Wadud The government has rescheduled the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and the madrassa equivalent Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations in the wake of the latest 60-hour shutdown.

According to the revised schedule, today’s examinations will be held on November 8 at 2:15pm, while the examinations scheduled for November 6 will be held on November 9 at 10am.

In JSC, Bangla First Paper examination was scheduled to be held today and Bangla Second Paper on Wednesday. In JDC, Quran Majid and Tajbid examination was scheduled for today and Arabic First Paper for Wednesday.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid made the announcement at a press conference at the secretariat yesterday.

Nahid said the decision of rescheduling the examinations came after considering the security of the examinees. l

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B2 Guideline to check

online banking forgery next month

B3 Portfolio investment in stocks rises 170%

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

IGW AND ICX SERVICES

State to lose Tk1.41bn in revenue Sahara goes beyond authority to ask for a cut in annual licence renewal fee

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam A proposal to cut 50% licence renewal fee of IGW and ICX operators now on the table would cause an annual loss of Tk1.41bn for the national exchequer.

Following a request from the operators, the telecom ministry and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) are working on the proposal, which is now waiting for the finance ministry approval.

“If the finance ministry approves the proposal, the renewal fees will be adjusted. But when it will be implemented remains a big question,” said a high official of the country’s telecom regulator BTRC. International Gateway (IGW) and Interconnection Exchange (ICX) currently have been paying Tk75m and Tk25m respectively as annual licence renewal fee since 2008.

If the proposal is implemented, the fee would reduce to Tk37.5m for IGW and Tk12.5m for ICX. Telecom Minister Sahara Khatun said the number of IGW and ICX operators is big compared to the market size of Bangladesh, which has “made the earning of profit difficult.”

In 2008, there were only seven IGW and ICX operators. Then, the government would get a total of Tk375m as licence fee annually, but it can bag now Tk1.23bn revenue from the sector even if the renewal fee is halved, explained the minister.

There are 29 IGW and 26 ICX operators currently in operation in the country.

A high official at the BTRC’s legal and licensing wing said the minister has no authority to make decision or request on financial issues.

Sahara Khatun, however, replied by saying that it is necessary to review the existing guideline as technology is changing rapidly.

“We need to adapt to changes in technology. Taking care of the business is also important.”

Earlier, Sahara Khatun responded the operators’ request by asking BTRC to make a proposal on slashing the licence renewal fee.

Her recommendation was to slash IGW fee to Tk25m from Tk75m. BTRC, however,

Notes IGW

ICX

Operators terminate the international incoming telephone calls Operators ensure interconnectivity between the operators

Sahara Khatun allowed five IGW operators to pay renewal fee in installments against the BTRC rules, the sources said.

Only eight IGW operators paid renewal fee completely by the end of the deadline while seven operators deposited the money partially.

‘If the finance ministry approves the proposal, the renewal fees will be adjusted. But when it will be implemented remains a big question’

proposed cutting it to Tk37.5m.

Meanwhile, the minister deferred the deadline of depositing the renewal fee of the two operators by two months, going beyond her authority.

The last date for depositing licence renewal fee was April 11 this year as per the BTRC guideline while all deadlines ended on August 11.

Only four ICX operators made full payment of annual licence fee while 15 operators paid partially. Seven ICX operators didn’t pay any renewal fee.

BTRC prepared a financial report showing Tk1.29bn as outstanding annual licence renewal fee from IGW operators.

The outstanding renewal fee from ICX operators is Tk430m. l

RMG wage board meets again today n Tribune Report Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and workers leaders sit today, aimed at reaching a consensus on minimum wage for the workers as they failed to set the wage at their last meeting.

On October 31, the BGMEA proposed a minimum monthly wage of Tk4,250, including food allowance, but the leaders of the workers did not accept the proposal.

Later, the independent member to the board, Dr Kamal Uddin, proposed the minimum monthly wage of Tk5, 000, excluding food allowance. The labour leaders also disagreed with the proposal. Both the apparel makers and workers have so far failed to reach a consensus over the food allowance.

“We will try to come up with some extra offer if the labour leaders agree to include food allowance in the wage,” said Arshad Jamal Dipu, who represents owners to the wage board. “We want to reach a consensus and the workers leaders should cooperate otherwise the issue would remain unsettle.”

The board members should consider both the socio-economic situation and the capacity of the industry, he said.

The factory owners should think about the living standard of the workers and come up with a living wage, said Sirajul Islam Rony, workers’ representative to the wage board. “If the workers cannot live with sound health, they would not be able to work properly and the production of the sector will decline.”

In its first proposal, the BGMEA proposed an increase of Tk600 or 20% from the existing minimum wage of Tk3,000 per month. The workers rejected the offer, and many took to the streets demanding a higher wage. l

Commerce ministry to assess official trade tours n Asif Showkat Kallol Commerce Ministry will for the first time evaluate its official visits to different countries in last one year to explore market opportunities.

The ministry’s secretary Mahbub Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they would assess the visits on the basis of three focal points.

A young official will deal with one focal point communicating and exchanging views with officials in the visited countries, he said. The missions visited different countries in Africa, Latin America and Central Asia during the year.

“Previously, there was no such ministerial assessment on official tours and their outcomes,” said Mahbub Ahmed.

Recently, the Latin American country Chile has given Bangladeshi products duty-free and quota-free access to its market in a move to boost trade between the two nations.

Last year, an official delegation headed by commerce secretary visited Chile to talk about strengthening bilateral trade. The team also visited Brazil, Colombia and Mexico at that time.

Mahbub Ahmed believed the duty-free and quota-free offer was the outcome of the visit.

Market exploration for manpower export was also a part of those visits. After taking office, the present government listed 16 countries for manpower export.

The countries included Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Rumania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,

Poland, Australia, New Zeeland, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

But experts said such efforts have been failing to yield any positive outcome due to lack of expertise and involvement of only bureaucrats.

“Expertise knowledge is required in exploring markets. Otherwise, we will continue to fail to grab opportunities,” viewed Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

He also put emphasis on increasing the role of the missions in foreign countries to boost bilateral trade.

The people concerned said there is also no proper policy and guideline on market exploration.

About duty and quota free exports to

Chile, CPD research director said: “As Chile already has such agreements with 60 countries, Bangladesh will not be benefited to that much.”

“But it will help Bangladesh start journey into Latin America.”

In the fiscal 2012-2013, Bangladesh exported goods worth US$30.37m to Chile, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed.

Of the exports, 93% or $28.26m was apparel items while other products included jute yarn, jute fabrics, foot wears, caps and pharmaceuticals products.

During the fiscal, Bangladesh exported $208m to Russia, Ukraine $3.62m, Uzbekistan $6.51m, Kyrgyzstan $290,000m and Kazakhstan $560,000m.

These countries were visited during the year by commerce ministry teams. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Guideline to check online banking forgery next month n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Bank (BB) is preparing a guideline to help banks check forgery in online banking.

The new guideline is likely to be issued next month, a central bank official told BSS yesterday.

The central bank is issuing the guideline against the backdrop of some incidents of credit card forgery and fraudulent transactions at ATMs. Under the guideline, banks will be advised to follow a set of measures to protect their clients from fraudulent activities in online transactions.

Among the measures, the banks would be asked to develop a system from which their clients would get instant message (SMS) and email immediately after each and every online transaction.

Currently, some banks are providing similar services at their own initiatives to protect the interest of their clients and to ensure secured online banking.

“But, all banks should provide their clients with similar services after issuing the guideline,” the BB official said.

He said SMS and email should be sent to

A customer performs online banking on an ATM at a bank branch in Dhaka the respective clients against their transactions by using debit or credit cards at the

TAHMIDUR RAHMAN

ATMs (automated teller machines) or PoS (Point of Sales). l

With gold scarce, India’s festival season loses its shine n Reuters, Mumbai A scarcity of gold and high prices are pushing Indians to look to silver or diamond jewelery as alternative gifts this festive season, adding to the gloom in the gold trade after government measures to restrict imports.

Indians are the biggest buyers of gold in the world and many believe that buying and giving it on holy days brings good fortune. Friday marks Dhanteras, a huge festival associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and another festival, Diwali, falls on Sunday.

“So far, we have sold just two gold rings today. It’s a far cry from what it was during Dhanteras last year,” said executive Sanjay Kumar at Chawla Jewelers in New Delhi.

Saleswomen in bright sareess sat idle.

Outside the shop, a big banner trumpets a 1,000 rupee ($16) discount on gold market prices and a discount of up to 50% on diamond jewelery.

“People are suffering from cost inflation, they don’t have liquid cash. We expect sales of about 25,000 rupees today, about half of what we made last Dhanteras,” said TM Bhandari, selling jewellery at Mohan Silver Shoppe in New Delhi.

Last year over this festival period around 60 to 70 tonnes of gold was sold, roughly the amount imported in an average month, according to Bachhraj Bamalwa, a director at the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation.

This year, supplies in the domestic mar-

A craftsman polishes a gold necklace at a workshop in New Delhi

REUTERS

ket have virtually dried up because of restrictions on gold imports imposed by the government to reduce the trade deficit and support the currency. Import duty on the precious metal is at a record high of 10%.

Gold is selling for around 30,700 rupees per 10 grams, about $120-130 an ounce over London prices. That’s encouraging some recycling, which helps supplies, but buyers that can wait are simply deferring their purchases.

Searching for sales

Given high inflation and low real interest rates, many Indians see gold as an investment. If demand is being displaced anywhere this year, it is to silver and diamonds, which hold their value in the same way.

Imports of silver - which costs just 500 rupees per 10 grams - are likely to hit a record this year after reaching 4,073 tonnes from January to August, more than double the 1,921 tonnes in the whole of 2012.

Jewelers are pulling out all the stops to boost sales at this festival time and television channels are awash with sparkling commercials.

One slot from jeweler Tanishq has taken Twitter by storm, breaking new ground by starring a woman embarking on a second marriage, an event that doesn’t normally attract as much glitz as first weddings in deeply conservative India.

Gitanjali Gems, one of the largest branded jewelery retailers in the world, is pushing sales by cutting prices of diamond jewelery to as low as 4,900 rupees. l

Banks directed to use recognised ECAIs

n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has directed the banks to compute their risk weighted asset (RWA) against credit risk by the duly recognised external credit assessment institutions (ECAIs).

The direction came in a circular issued yesterday.

It said the direction has been made as per the Risk-Based Capital Adequacy (RBCA) guideline for banks.

The calculated RWA and capital adequacy ratio (CAR)will be reported as per specific reporting formats enclosed in the RBCA guidelines, it added.

The Bangladesh Credit Rating Agency Limited (BDRAL) has been recognised as an eligible ECAI in addition to the existing rating agencies.

The agencies include CRISL, CRAB, NCRL, ECRL, ACRSL, ACRL and Waso Credit Rating Company (BD) Limited.

All scheduled banks operating in Bangladesh may nominate one or more rating agencies for their SME clients’ credit rating for the purpose of calculating RWA, the circular said. l

SIBL, KMB ink MoU on remittance

n Tribune Business Desk

Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with KMB International Money Transfer, UK to strengthen bank’s remittance business.

SIBL Managing Director Md Shafiqur Rahman, KMB Managing Director Kamru Miah and KMB Sponsor Director Shahnaz Chowdhury inked the MoU on behalf their respective organisations, said a press release. l

Al-Arafah Bank opens ‘special service’

n Tribune Business Desk Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited (AIBL) has luanched “special services” for customers at all branches.

The bank’s Managing Director Md Habibur Rahman inaugurated the “Special Service Month 2013” programme yesterday at the Motijheel Branch in Dhaka, said a press release.

The programme continues from 1-30 November.

Deputy Managing Director Kazi Towhidul Alam, among other officials and guests, was also present on the occasion. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Portfolio investment in stocks rises 170% Foreign investors take position as locals sell out on political fears n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The foreign portfolio investment at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) registered 170% rise in October as compared to the previous month, breaking the declining trend of last three months.

It rose to Tk2,283m in October from Tk846m in September, according to a DSE release yesterday. Foreign investors bought shares worth Tk2,669m and sold stocks worth Tk3,850m last month.

“Foreign investor took position on stocks when they saw the local investors are selling on apprehension of a fall,” said MA Hafiz, president of Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association.

Foreign investors want security of their funds. It would be possible as the stock exchanges are in the process of demutualisation He said the foreign investors might have considered the political crisis will come to an end as the tenure of the government has expired.

“It prompted them to put funds on equities.”

Currently, the market is more or less at the bottom level and it would get a momentum, which inspired foreign investors to in-

Foreign investment trend in DSE Tk3,366m

Monthly growth -44% -18%

-46%

170% Tk2,283m

Tk1,885m Tk1,554m Tk846m

2013

June

July

August

vest in the country’s stock market, said Akter Hossain Sannamat, managing director of Union Capital. He said political uncertainty would stop after a certain time and the market would be stable.

Prices of some stocks came down at a level as desired by some investors and that is why they got involved with huge investment, he added.

September

October

Meanwhile, a DSE director told the Dhaka Tribune that the process of demutualisation of the stock exchanges might have inspired the investors to buy stocks as the market would then be more transparent and accountable.

“Foreign investors want security of their funds. It would be possible as the stock exchanges are in the process of demutualisation,” he added. l

BBS develops software to mine census data n Tribune Business Desk Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has developed “Web based Geographic Information Services Application Software,” digital database for dissemination software under

tation of the vision-2021 announced by the government.

Terming the ‘software’ as the milestone in developing the digital Bangladesh, he told the function that as the software would present all the censuses and surveys so far

This kind of software would enrich the National Statistics System (NSS) and it will help get different necessary indicators like MDG, SDG, PRS and Sixth Five-Year Plan, said the Secretary while speaking on the occasion the digital information system project to realize the vision-2021 for making all the information and data related to the country available to the people at home and abroad.

The newly developed software, which is for the first time in Bangladesh would help software user to easily collect different kinds of information like census and surveys covering the divisions, districts, upazilas, unions and mouzas throughout the country, reports BSS. Minister for Planning Air Vice Marshal (retired) AK Khandoker inaugurated the software as the chief guest by switching a button on a laptop at a programme held at the BBS auditorium yesterday.

Planning Minister said the software has been developed with the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for quick implemen-

prepared by the BBS. Top level managers, planners, decision makers and potential users will also be able get the benefit by using the software as they will get necessary inputs including map coverage immediately from any corner in the world, the minister mentioned.

Statistics and Information Management Division Secretary, Md Nazibur Rahman delivered speech as the special guest while Director General of the BBS Golam Mostafa Kamal chaired the function.

This kind of software would enrich the National Statistics System (NSS) and it will help get different necessary indicators like MDG, SDG, PRS and Sixth Five-Year Plan, said the Secretary while speaking on the occasion.

Later, the minister inaugurated the software switching the button of the laptop. Digital Information System Project of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics organized the function. High officials from different ministries, researchers, teachers, representatives from different government and non-government organizations, among others, participated in the function. l

3

Stocks post modest gains

n Tribune Report Stocks continued to witness moderate gain for the second consecutive session yesterday, driven by mainly low cap companies.

The market, however, began with negative note in the morning but the momentum got its pace with the progress of the session.

The benchmark DSEX index gained 25 points or 0.7% to close at 3,997 – its highest in four weeks.

The blue chip index DS30 rose 25 points or 1.9% to 1,434. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, was up 60 points to 7,821.

“Investors preferred to book quick profit amid political uncertainty,” said Abdul Awal, managing director of Multi Services and Securities Ltd. He said lackluster trading also indicated that investors were cautious.

Trading activities, however, remained poor as the total turnover stood more than Tk3bn, which was 10% lower than previous session. Out of 278 issues traded, 169 gained, 86 declined and 23 remained unchanged.

IDLC Investment said a cumulative buying force again pushed DSEX to cross 4,000 level, but failed to sustain as the country’s political destination remained uncertain.

In the wake of a 60-hour countrywide hartal and probable continued divergence in political forces, smart money moved into blue chip stocks.

Profit taking on heavyweight banking stocks restricted higher gains as the sector shed 1.9%. Pharmaceuticals and IT sectors closed marginally lower.

Most of the sectors ended in green. Cement sector gained around 4%, riding on Heidelberg Cement that rose 8.7%.

Among other major sectors, power rose 3.3%, followed by telecommunication 2.8%, financial institutions 1.2%.

Significant concentration has been observed in textile and power sectors, making up 26% and 15% of total turnover. Issues from textile and power sectors also dominated the top ten turnover chart.

RN Spinning was the most traded stock of the session with turnover worth Tk154m changing hands, followed by Envoy Textile, Grameenphone, Heidelberg Cement, Meghna Petroleum, Padma Oil and Jamuna Oil. l

Airtel takes part in UCASH service

n Tribune Business Desk United Commercial Bank yesterday signed an agreement with Airtel Bangladesh to bring banking services to the doorstep of the unbanked population of Bangladesh through UCASH, the bank’s mobile financial service.

Airtel is one of the partners of UCB providing the services. All Airtel customers registered with the service will be able to avail of UCASH, said a press release.

Mirza Mahmud Rafiqur Rahman, additional managing director of UCB and Ranjish Kaul, CEO of Airtel Bangladesh signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations at the bank’s corporate head office in Dhaka. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

China President confident about economic growth n Reuters, Beijing China President Xi Jinping is confident that China will have healthy economic growth and will not fall into a middle-income trap, he told a group of Chinese and foreign business leaders on Saturday.

“We are currently changing our way of development, adjusting our economic structure, accelerating our new style of industrialization, promoting technology, urbanization and agricultural modernization,” state media quoted Xi as saying at the meeting in Beijing.

“The domestic elements supporting China’s economic growth are sufficient.”

China’s maturing economy is set to grow at its slackest pace in 23 years this year, at 7.5%, as its export sales falter on fragile global demand.

His comments came as leaders prepare to meet from November 9 to November 12 at a plenum that will discuss deepening reforms. l

China’s President Xi Jinping waves to delegates as he arrives for the opening ceremony of the 11th National Women’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing REUTERS

Twitter set to make a splash on Wall Street n AFP, New York Wall Street is aflutter over Twitter, set to make the most anticipated stock market debut since Facebook in a huge test for social media and the technology sector.

No official date has been set, but Twitter appears on a fast track which could see its initial public offering priced as early as Wednesday for trading on Thursday, according to some reports.

The company will trade under the “TWTR” symbol on the New York Stock Exchange, breaking from the Nasdaq market used by a large number of tech companies.

There is considerable excitement about the IPO because Twitter is “a unique product that no one can replicate,” said Michael Pachter, head of equity research at Wedbush Securities.

Pachter and his colleagues said in a research report that they expect high demand.

“We believe that the market is likely to generate appetite for more than $1bn in stock,” they said.

“The simple rules of supply and demand suggest that by limiting the supply of shares offered to the public in its IPO, Twitter will be unable to satisfy demand.”

And Twitter appears to have learned a

lesson from Facebook’s debacle in May 2012, marked by trading glitches, accusations about secret information and a plunge in the share value for months after the IPO. “The Facebook situation last year was a perfect storm of an overheated private market, a fully priced offering, a massive amount of shares brought to market, all compounded by an historical technical glitch,” said Lou Kerner, founder of the Social Internet Fund.

“That confluence of events is not likely to occur again.”

As of its latest update, Twitter will seek to raise up to $1.6bn - one tenth the value of the Facebook IPO - by offering 70 million shares in a range of $17 to $20.

That is a relatively small chunk of Twitter’s capital, and implies a market value between $9.3bn and $11.1bn - a conservative figure compared with some of the private market trades in Twitter so far.

Analysts say Twitter, unlike Facebook, will not flood the market, and that with demand exceeding supply the price will rise.

The early Twitter investors may not get maximum value right away, but could benefit over time from a rise in the share price.

Twitter does have a star quality that is likely to fuel interest, because it is a key platform for celebrities, politicians and journal-

ists.

In its investor presentation, the company used President Barack Obama’s widely retweeted message of “four more years” after his 2012 re-election, and noted how activist investor Carl Icahn’s single tweet about buying Apple shares moved the stock market.

A crucial question for Twitter, as for Facebook, is how deftly the company is able to monetize its platform.

Twitter has some 232 million active users around the world, but has lost money steadily since 2010, according to IPO documents.

The losses amounted to $133m on $422m in revenues in the first nine months of the year.

Twitter makes most of its money from advertising, chiefly in the form of “promoted tweets.” A recent revamping of its display opens the door to bigger display-type ads.

The investment firm Sterne Agee notes that “Twitter’s scale and deeply engaged user base create valuable opportunities for advertisers to leverage the platform.”

Analysts point out that Twitter can allow companies to advertise for free, or pay for promoted tweets and benefit from analytics that target people based on their interests and profiles.

“Twitter is a niche business that will not

likely be used by ‘everybody’ vs. Facebook, which essentially is,” said a report from Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser.

“However, at the same time we expect that advertisers will continue to value Twitter for its unique attributes and should conceivably allocate budgets from sources intended towards digital goals.”

Risks of an ‘unproven’ model But the report goes on to say that Twitter faces big risks including “a relatively unproven advertiser proposition, the prospects of wild swings in investor sentiment, difficulty scaling the business profitability, rush sellings at a time when early investor lockups expire (and) government regulations primarily related to privacy.”

Still, Pivotal sets a target price of $29 a share, or 46% above the high end of the offering price range.

Others note that it is hard to evaluate Twitter’s financial potential because three-quarters of its users are outside the United States where digital advertising is just taking hold.

“Many international ad markets are years behind the US in terms of the maturity of the digital ad market,” noted Hillside Partners, an investment firm specializing in technology companies. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

5

Banks hope new customers globally Futuristic flagships can tempt a new generation customers to bank branches up 40% and new clients up 25%.

“Mortgage specialists sitting at headHana Bank allows mobile users to transfer n Reuters, Velizy Italy’s Unicredit also said that footfall and money to one another by physically “bump- quarters, connecting via videoconference to Installation art, interactive walls and a robot doorman; the flagship branches of the world’s top banks have come a long way from the iron grilles and potted plants of old.

To compete against online-only rivals and to attract a new generation of customers to branches, banks are installing sleek interiors and hi-tech gadgetry.

ATMs that read fingerprints, touch-screen desks to flick through your finances and videoconference units for expert advice are all on display at payments-technology firm Wincor Nixdorf’s showroom in the Paris suburb of Velizy.

“Banks are investing a lot in their retail branches,” said Steve Bousabata, head of Wincor’s French banking services arm.

“They want customers to come back.”

The reason is clear: after years of relying on branches to drive retail revenue, European banks expect such networks to supply only 62% of sales by 2020 from today’s average of 81%, according to Equinox Consulting.

Banks, especially those still nursing losses from the financial crisis, are under pressure to cut costs and are balancing the need to pare back branch networks by sprucing up select outlets.

But branches are still the first point of contact for many customers and are still the primary location for product sales like mortgages, new accounts and insurance, underlining the importance of upgrading them for a more tech-savvy generation.

The difficulty is knowing exactly what belongs in the branch of the future and what is better left behind.

“Are all the things we see in branches today going to be seen in branches tomorrow?

I very much doubt that,” said Mike Baxter, head of management consultancy Bain’s Americas Financial Services practice.

“There’s an awful lot of experimentation of stuff that turns out to be unsuccessful and uneconomic.”

Flashy “bank of the future” branches mixing gadgetry with design similar to Apple’s minimalist stores have been opened by BNP Paribas in Paris, Barclays in London and Deutsche Bank in Berlin - at an estimated cost of 5m euros each.

They include lounge areas, giant inter-

new business were up at its newly revamped flagship branch in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, which offers “welcoming scents” and a touch-screen wall. Visits are up by an average of 60% while loans and deposits have doubled, a spokeswoman said.

On the other hand, BNP has done away with some ideas that failed to click with consumers: it has scrapped the iPads and touchscreen desk in favour of an interactive wall.

Deutsche Bank and Barclays declined to give data on single branches.

More broadly, some 88% of bank executives view their flagship branches in main street ar-

ing” smartphones. Shinhan Bank has also introduced unmanned “smart” branch kiosks that communicate with handsets.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia is using a mobile app to drive mortgage sales by offering clients data on houses for sale, while BBVA’s US unit Compass is testing drive-through ATMs with videoconferencing.

Customers of the Washington DC branch of Carolina Premier Bank will soon find themselves face-to-face with a robot, which will greet visitors from November 15.

Although some of these advances may

‘We will see further evolution of the branch experience from something that looks like a local government office ... (to) a hybrid between coffee shop and technology store’

eas as being “successful” in promoting brand awareness, according to a survey by Equinox.

Robot Bankers

Beyond Europe, the experiments are even bolder. In South Korea, where mobile banking has flourished faster than in the West,

prove too gimmicky or not functional enough to catch on, long-distance banking via videoconference is seen as a way to reduce branch staffing without hurting service, though customers still prefer a physical point of contact somewhere along the line.

the relationship manager; that works,” said Bain’s head of global retail banking, Dirk Vater.

“But bank-to-consumer, with people sitting on the sofa using Skype and Facetime, has not been adopted yet. It will eventually ... But not yet.”

Increased ATM functionality as used by Citibank Asia and more secure biometric readers are also promising, he added.

The ultimate question of whether to scrap the branch entirely is one that is not being considered, consultants said.

The preference is for a “hub-and-spoke” model that pools resources in urban areas and reduces smaller, rural branches.

While this may lead to more ambitious flagship outlets, it can create gaps for new competitors to fill: France’s Nickel, which offers a low-cost current account, is creating a branch network with the country’s 27,000 tobacconists.

“Even in developed markets, the death of branches is somewhat exaggerated,” Ernst & Young wrote in a 2012 report.

“We will see further evolution of the branch experience from something that looks like a local government office ... (to) a hybrid between coffee shop and technology store.” l

‘Are all the things we see in branches today going to be seen in branches tomorrow? I very much doubt that’

active screens and other trimmings such as handbags for sale and pieces of art.

Gauging their success is tricky. BNP was willing to give data on its refurbished flagship branch near the Paris Opera - which three years ago was fitted with a wall covered in plants, iPads for customer use and a touch-screen desk - saying that footfall was

A customer performs a transaction on an ATM at a branch of Hungary’s largest lender OTP Bank in central Budapest

REUTERS

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 3993.33 ⇑ 0.65%, Turnover: 3152.32 M.Tk ⇓ 10.40%, PE: 12.44 Turnover 3,436.09 MTk . ⇓ 10.17% November 3, 2013 MarketCap. 1,942.21 BTk. ⇑ 1.06% CSE All Share Index: 12305 ⇑ 0.49%, Turnover: 283.78 M Tk. ⇓ 7.49%, PE:12.26 Combined Turnover Leader

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 258943 D: 24.80 ⇓ 1.20% | 24.82 | 25.60 / 22.90 C: 25.00 ⇓ 1.19% | 24.94 | 25.10 / 24.80 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 642754 D: 18.20 ⇓ 2.15% | 18.14 | 20.40 / 17.00 C: 18.10 ⇓ 2.16% | 18.04 | 19.30 / 17.90 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 776155 D: 26.80 ⇑ 1.13% | 26.81 | 27.40 / 24.00 C: 26.80 ⇑ 1.52% | 26.80 | 27.70 / 26.00 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 157612 D: 35.80 ⇓ 2.98% | 35.81 | 37.40 / 33.40 C: 36.40 ⇓ 0.55% | 36.29 | 36.80 / 35.80 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 3804854 D: 11.00 ⇓ 1.79% | 10.91 | 11.40 / 10.50 C: 11.10 ⇓ 3.48% | 11.01 | 11.50 / 10.70 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 134149 D: 31.00 ⇓ 0.32% | 31.09 | 32.00 / 28.00 C: 30.70 ⇓ 0.65% | 30.79 | 31.00 / 30.60 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 8808 D: 62.30 ⇓ 3.26% | 62.33 | 65.00 / 62.00 C: 60.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 60.30 | 60.30 / 60.30 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 2302527 D: 21.40 ⇓ 2.28% | 21.55 | 22.20 / 20.00 C: 21.40 ⇓ 2.28% | 21.49 | 22.00 / 21.20 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 176809 D: 27.80 ⇓ 0.71% | 28.02 | 28.80 / 25.90 C: 28.00 ⇑ 0.36% | 27.93 | 28.50 / 25.20 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 55000 D: 5.70 ⇓ 3.39% | 5.75 | 5.90 / 5.70 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 90730 D: 26.80 ⇑ 1.52% | 26.73 | 27.20 / 24.00 C: 26.00 ⇓ 1.14% | 26.00 | 26.00 / 26.00 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 300512 D: 15.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.45 | 16.00 / 14.00 C: 15.40 ⇓ 1.28% | 15.31 | 15.80 / 15.10 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 109173 D: 22.30 ⇓ 3.46% | 22.37 | 23.00 / 21.00 C: 21.60 ⇓ 6.09% | 23.22 | 24.30 / 21.60 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 634281 D: 16.30 ⇓ 3.55% | 16.50 | 17.00 / 15.50 C: 16.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 16.68 | 16.90 / 16.40 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 142314 D: 18.40 ⇓ 2.13% | 18.11 | 18.80 / 17.00 C: 18.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.08 | 18.70 / 17.70 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 991843 D: 11.70 ⇓ 4.10% | 11.71 | 12.40 / 11.00 C: 11.70 ⇓ 4.10% | 11.83 | 12.10 / 11.60 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 362100 D: 11.60 ⇓ 0.85% | 11.63 | 11.80 / 10.60 C: 11.70 ⇓ 0.85% | 11.58 | 11.80 / 11.50 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 11500 D: 93.10 ⇓ 0.85% | 93.14 | 94.90 / 92.00 C: 89.00 ⇓ 3.26% | 89.00 | 90.00 / 88.00 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 43020 D: 14.90 ⇓ 5.10% | 14.93 | 15.70 / 14.80 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 773531 D: 12.70 ⇓ 1.55% | 12.70 | 13.00 / 11.80 C: 12.90 ⇓ 1.53% | 12.81 | 13.10 / 12.70 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 2516321 D: 13.80 ⇓ 2.82% | 13.86 | 14.40 / 12.90 C: 14.10 ⇓ 2.76% | 13.95 | 14.20 / 13.70 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 204856 D: 18.30 ⇓ 1.61% | 18.46 | 19.10 / 16.80 C: 18.20 ⇓ 3.70% | 18.21 | 18.30 / 18.20 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 631191 D: 13.10 ⇓ 2.96% | 13.17 | 13.60 / 12.90 C: 13.10 ⇓ 2.24% | 13.19 | 13.40 / 13.00 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 563471 D: 11.30 ⇓ 0.88% | 11.34 | 11.70 / 10.30 C: 11.40 ⇓ 1.72% | 11.41 | 11.60 / 11.30 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 257380 D: 14.50 ⇓ 4.61% | 14.60 | 15.20 / 13.70 C: 14.40 ⇓ 5.88% | 14.54 | 15.10 / 14.00 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 379172 D: 29.30 ⇓ 2.01% | 29.43 | 29.90 / 27.00 C: 29.20 ⇓ 1.02% | 29.23 | 29.50 / 29.10 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 305277 D: 15.40 ⇓ 0.65% | 15.57 | 15.80 / 14.00 C: 15.70 ⇑ 0.64% | 15.69 | 15.80 / 15.50

Vol.

TO M. Tk. 167.81

% of TTL 4.88

Avg. P

A%

CP

DSE Loser

C%

A%

12.00

6.04

28.00

Daffodil Computers-A

-20.00

-21.19

13.20

Samorita Hospital-A

9.83

8.77

95.00

BD. Autocars -B

-15.36

-17.16

25.90 742.70

DSE Gainer

CP

R. N. Spinning-A

5341722

Grameenphone-A

710808

140.46

4.09

197.60

Envoy Textiles Ltd-N

2190230

133.18

3.88

60.81

Desh Garments-B

9.70

10.04

52.00

Reckitt Benckiser-A

-6.91

-6.88

Generation Next Fashions-A

4681040

122.22

3.56

26.11

BDCOM Online-A

9.70

6.85

26.00

Jute Spinners-A

-5.61

-5.05

67.30

HeidelbergCement -A

283400

111.61

3.25

Renwick Jajneswar-A

9.57

3.93

148.90

Monno Ceramic -B

-5.49

-5.09

31.00

PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 1591727 D: 11.30 ⇓ 1.74% | 11.36 | 11.70 / 10.70 C: 11.30 ⇓ 1.74% | 11.39 | 12.00 / 11.00 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 115096 D: 17.00 ⇓ 2.86% | 17.12 | 17.40 / 15.80 C: 17.30 ⇓ 2.26% | 17.33 | 17.50 / 17.20 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 258593 D: 12.10 ⇓ 2.42% | 12.22 | 12.50 / 11.20 C: 12.20 ⇓ 1.61% | 12.20 | 12.50 / 11.50 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 118450 D: 56.80 ⇑ 0.35% | 56.40 | 57.20 / 54.00 C: 57.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 57.22 | 58.00 / 57.00 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 140496 D: 26.50 ⇓ 1.49% | 26.60 | 27.00 / 25.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 51259 D: 74.10 ⇑ 0.41% | 74.28 | 74.90 / 70.00 C: 73.50 ⇑ 1.24% | 72.47 | 73.60 / 70.00 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 412 D: 30.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.00 | 28.00 / 28.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 752468 D: 26.40 ⇑ 3.53% | 26.37 | 27.00 / 23.00 C: 26.60 ⇑ 7.26% | 26.37 | 26.90 / 24.00 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 219949 D: 21.40 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.36 | 22.00 / 19.50 C: 21.40 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.39 | 21.60 / 21.30 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 155258 D: 23.30 ⇑ 0.87% | 23.11 | 23.50 / 22.00 C: 23.20 ⇑ 0.87% | 23.07 | 23.40 / 22.50 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 62000 D: 9.90 ⇓ 1.00% | 9.98 | 10.00 / 9.90 C: 10.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.05 | 10.10 / 9.90 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 177744 D: 15.30 ⇓ 1.29% | 15.47 | 15.70 / 14.00 C: 15.30 ⇓ 1.29% | 15.45 | 15.50 / 15.30 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 1285392 D: 53.60 ⇓ 1.29% | 53.66 | 56.40 / 49.00 C: 54.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 54.06 | 55.80 / 52.90 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 259025 D: 16.70 ⇑ 2.45% | 16.82 | 17.90 / 16.40 C: 16.60 ⇑ 2.47% | 16.74 | 17.70 / 16.40 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 32000 D: 17.00 ⇓ 0.58% | 17.09 | 17.30 / 17.00 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 11600 D: 27.00 ⇓ 0.37% | 27.08 | 28.00 / 25.50 C: 27.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.00 | 27.00 / 27.00 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 186309 D: 17.50 ⇓ 2.23% | 17.78 | 18.10 / 16.90 C: 17.50 ⇓ 2.23% | 17.92 | 18.10 / 17.50 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 246250 D: 14.30 ⇓ 2.05% | 14.39 | 14.80 / 13.80 C: 14.40 ⇓ 2.70% | 14.37 | 14.50 / 14.10 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 94762 D: 27.90 ⇓ 0.36% | 28.02 | 30.00 / 26.00 C: 27.60 ⇓ 1.08% | 27.60 | 27.60 / 27.60 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 405053 D: 13.40 ⇓ 0.74% | 13.46 | 13.70 / 12.60 C: 13.50 ⇓ 0.74% | 13.50 | 13.60 / 13.40 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 40450 D: 53.20 ⇑ 0.38% | 53.59 | 54.00 / 48.00 C: 52.30 ⇑ 2.35% | 52.17 | 52.30 / 52.00 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 245000 D: 30.00 ⇑ 1.35% | 29.83 | 30.50 / 29.10 C: 29.30 ⇓ 1.01% | 29.29 | 30.30 / 28.80 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 56316 D: 27.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.45 | 27.80 / 25.00 C: 27.40 ⇑ 0.74% | 26.26 | 27.50 / 24.50 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 16466 D: 1528 ⇑ 2.79% | 1517 | 1560 / 1490 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 36827 D: 23.90 ⇓ 0.83% | 23.96 | 24.20 / 22.00 C: 24.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.00 | 24.00 / 24.00 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 624000 D: 13.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.61 | 13.80 / 13.50 C: 13.70 ⇓ 0.72% | 13.67 | 14.00 / 13.50 INVESTMENT 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 1300 D: 140.4 ⇓ 3.57% | 140.77 | 145.6 / 139.9 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 10600 D: 44.90 ⇓ 1.32% | 45.09 | 46.30 / 44.50

31.42

C%

Hakkani P& Paper-B

393.83

7THICB | 13.53 | 98.60 | Vol. 500 D: 76.00 ⇑ 4.25% | 76.00 | 76.00 / 76.00 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 6500 D: 50.70 ⇑ 1.00% | 50.77 | 51.00 / 49.90 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 235500 D: 37.70 ⇑ 0.53% | 37.68 | 38.10 / 36.80 C: 37.80 ⇑ 1.34% | 37.26 | 38.00 / 36.20 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 7000 D: 16.20 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.29 | 16.30 / 16.20 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 143500 D: 42.90 ⇓ 0.23% | 42.57 | 43.40 / 42.10 C: 43.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 43.10 | 43.60 / 42.90 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 1000 D: 22.80 ⇑ 1.79% | 22.80 | 22.80 / 22.80 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 289500 D: 9.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.07 | 9.50 / 9.00 C: 9.10 ⇓ 1.09% | 9.10 | 9.10 / 9.10 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 636500 D: 16.10 ⇑ 1.26% | 16.03 | 16.30 / 15.80 C: 16.10 ⇑ 1.26% | 16.04 | 16.30 / 15.80 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 508500 D: 21.10 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.05 | 21.50 / 20.70 C: 21.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.09 | 21.30 / 20.80 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 131774 D: 6.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.60 | 6.80 / 6.50 C: 6.60 ⇓ 2.94% | 6.59 | 6.70 / 6.50 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 4000 D: 5.70 ⇑ 1.79% | 5.67 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.70 | 5.70 / 5.70 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 298000 D: 6.40 ⇑ 4.92% | 6.37 | 6.70 / 6.00 C: 6.20 ⇑ 1.64% | 6.15 | 6.20 / 6.10 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 310892 D: 7.20 ⇓ 2.70% | 7.30 | 7.40 / 7.00 C: 7.40 ⇓ 1.33% | 7.38 | 7.50 / 7.10 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 8000 D: 5.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.23 | 5.20 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.20 | 5.20 / 5.20 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 88500 D: 5.40 ⇓ 1.82% | 5.42 | 5.50 / 5.30 C: 5.30 ⇓ 3.64% | 5.36 | 5.40 / 5.30 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 429500 D: 6.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.48 | 6.50 / 6.40 C: 6.50 ⇑ 3.17% | 6.50 | 6.50 / 6.50 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 124000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.36 | 5.40 / 5.20 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 53500 D: 4.90 ⇓ 2.00% | 4.99 | 5.10 / 4.90 C: 5.00 ⇑ 2.04% | 5.00 | 5.10 / 5.00 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 632000 D: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.82 | 5.90 / 5.70 C: 5.70 ⇓ 3.39% | 5.76 | 5.90 / 5.60 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 394000 D: 5.10 ⇓ 1.92% | 5.10 | 5.20 / 5.10 C: 5.00 ⇓ 3.85% | 5.09 | 5.20 / 5.00 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 730511 D: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.85 | 5.90 / 5.40 C: 5.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.77 | 5.80 / 5.70 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 146500 D: 5.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.25 | 5.30 / 5.20 C: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.18 | 5.30 / 5.10 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 699000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 1.92% | 5.33 | 5.40 / 5.20 C: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.28 | 5.30 / 5.20 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 6000 D: 6.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.40 | 6.40 / 6.40 C: 6.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.50 | 6.50 / 6.50 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 91000 D: 6.10 ⇓ 1.61% | 6.11 | 6.20 / 6.10 C: 6.30 ⇓ 1.56% | 6.30 | 6.30 / 6.30 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 189000 D: 7.90 ⇓ 1.25% | 7.94 | 8.20 / 7.90 C: 7.80 ⇓ 1.27% | 7.82 | 7.90 / 7.80 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 500 D: 7.40 ⇓ 1.33% | 7.40 | 7.40 / 7.40 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 551000 D: 8.10 ⇓ 3.57% | 8.22 | 8.50 / 8.10 C: 8.00 ⇓ 3.61% | 8.01 | 8.10 / 8.00 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 78500 D: 7.40 ⇓ 2.63% | 7.36 | 7.50 / 7.30 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 104500 D: 6.80 ⇑ 1.49% | 6.80 | 6.90 / 6.70

NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 472500 D: 8.90 ⇓ 2.20% | 8.97 | 9.20 / 8.90 C: 8.90 ⇓ 4.30% | 9.19 | 9.90 / 8.90 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 35500 D: 8.00 ⇓ 2.44% | 8.08 | 8.70 / 8.00 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 105500 D: 6.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.62 | 6.70 / 6.60 C: 6.70 ⇑ 1.52% | 6.67 | 6.70 / 6.50 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 4500 D: 7.40 ⇑ 1.37% | 7.56 | 7.80 / 7.40 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 394252 D: 102.6 ⇑ 5.23% | 101.08 | 103.0 / 88.00 C: 102.3 ⇑ 4.71% | 100.75 | 99.90 / 100.0 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 6150 D: 17.50 ⇑ 0.57% | 17.59 | 17.90 / 17.20 C: 17.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.45 | 17.00 / 16.30 OLYMPIC | 7.85 | 22.10 | Vol. 163000 D: 207.7 ⇑ 0.97% | 208.18 | 211.0 / 203.0 C: 206.6 ⇑ 0.05% | 207.05 | 209.9 / 200.1 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 11950 D: 127.8 ⇑ 3.82% | 126.75 | 128.5 / 123.0 C: 127.7 ⇑ 2.98% | 127.65 | 128.1 / 127.2 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 11000 D: 79.50 ⇓ 0.63% | 79.45 | 80.20 / 78.00 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 3050 D: 270.6 ⇓ 0.44% | 270.49 | 284.9 / 260.0 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 73060 D: 199.3 ⇑ 6.58% | 196.38 | 204.5 / 182.0 C: 200.0 ⇑ 5.82% | 197.39 | 205.0 / 189.9 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 9250 D: 162.1 ⇑ 2.01% | 161.62 | 163.0 / 158.1 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 100150 D: 25.90 ⇓ 15.36% | 25.58 | 27.40 / 23.00 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 126660 D: 32.30 ⇑ 0.94% | 32.06 | 32.50 / 31.00 C: 32.40 ⇑ 1.25% | 32.35 | 32.50 / 32.00 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 26050 D: 148.9 ⇑ 9.57% | 146.26 | 149.3 / 135.0 NTLTUBES | -2.52 | 312.10 | Vol. 44108 D: 66.40 ⇑ 3.75% | 65.65 | 67.00 / 62.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 192604 D: 24.60 ⇑ 0.82% | 24.50 | 24.80 / 23.50 C: 25.00 ⇑ 3.31% | 25.05 | 25.40 / 24.30 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 98000 D: 23.90 ⇑ 6.22% | 23.65 | 24.00 / 22.30 C: 23.80 ⇑ 6.73% | 23.57 | 23.90 / 21.70 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 6500 D: 14.70 ⇑ 0.68% | 14.77 | 14.80 / 14.30 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 29500 D: 87.20 ⇑ 7.79% | 85.48 | 88.50 / 80.20 C: 85.50 ⇑ 6.88% | 85.50 | 85.50 / 85.50 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 211500 D: 39.20 ⇑ 0.51% | 39.13 | 39.80 / 38.70 C: 39.20 ⇓ 1.51% | 39.41 | 40.50 / 39.10 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 827140 D: 43.20 ⇓ 1.82% | 43.35 | 44.20 / 40.00 C: 43.20 ⇓ 1.59% | 43.05 | 44.00 / 42.80 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 166110 D: 66.30 ⇑ 0.91% | 66.00 | 67.00 / 59.20 C: 65.70 ⇓ 0.15% | 65.39 | 66.00 / 65.00 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 123040 D: 63.90 ⇑ 2.24% | 63.35 | 65.00 / 57.00 C: 63.90 ⇑ 2.90% | 63.59 | 64.20 / 61.50 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 207000 D: 16.40 ⇑ 2.50% | 16.21 | 16.50 / 15.80 C: 16.40 ⇑ 2.50% | 16.18 | 16.50 / 16.00 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 35600 D: 40.90 ⇑ 0.74% | 40.77 | 41.50 / 40.00 C: 40.60 ⇑ 0.50% | 40.45 | 40.60 / 40.30 BENGALWTL | 4.16 | 26.24 | Vol. 311000 D: 45.40 ⇓ 2.37% | 45.59 | 46.40 / 45.30 C: 45.30 ⇓ 1.31% | 45.27 | 45.70 / 45.00 BDBUILDING | 1.53 | 14.60 | Vol. 747000 D: 40.20 ⇓ 0.99% | 40.76 | 41.90 / 39.30 C: 40.00 ⇓ 0.74% | 40.45 | 41.50 / 39.30 NPOLYMAR | 2.73 | 37.82 | Vol. 66800 D: 50.70 ⇑ 3.47% | 50.06 | 52.00 / 48.60 C: 50.10 ⇑ 6.60% | 49.48 | 51.00 / 48.80

FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 15650 D: 91.00 ⇑ 2.94% | 90.36 | 92.90 / 87.20 C: 90.00 ⇑ 5.88% | 90.00 | 90.00 / 90.00 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 46165 D: 398.2 ⇑ 8.29% | 389.71 | 399.8 / 373.0 C: 399.5 ⇑ 8.62% | 393.57 | 399.9 / 379.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 4800 D: 1601 ⇑ 1.76% | 1603 | 1628 / 1590 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 71500 D: 199.8 ⇑ 8.29% | 193.90 | 201.9 / 182.0 C: 198.7 ⇑ 9.66% | 195.72 | 198.7 / 189.5 FUWANGFOOD | 1.03 | 13.51 | Vol. 145784 D: 22.10 ⇑ 0.91% | 21.97 | 22.20 / 20.00 C: 22.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.00 | 22.00 / 22.00 MEGHNAPET | -0.50 | -1.52 | Vol. 1000 D: 6.00 ⇑ 3.45% | 6.00 | 6.30 / 5.80 MEGCONMILK | -7.48 | -23.70 | Vol. 11500 D: 7.00 ⇓ 2.78% | 7.13 | 7.10 / 7.00 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 832345 D: 19.80 ⇓ 3.88% | 19.24 | 20.00 / 18.90 C: 19.90 ⇓ 3.40% | 19.26 | 20.20 / 19.00 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 691438 D: 21.20 ⇓ 0.93% | 21.26 | 21.50 / 20.00 C: 21.20 ⇓ 0.93% | 21.21 | 21.50 / 21.00 GHAIL | 2.43 | 25.58 | Vol. 553260 D: 37.20 ⇑ 1.09% | 36.98 | 37.60 / 33.20 C: 37.40 ⇑ 1.08% | 36.78 | 37.80 / 36.10 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 15650 D: 654.9 ⇑ 4.72% | 646.26 | 658.0 / 634.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 315465 D: 305.0 ⇑ 8.73% | 298.02 | 305.0 / 280.0 C: 304.6 ⇑ 8.59% | 297.17 | 305.0 / 285.0 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 1350 D: 324.1 ⇑ 1.44% | 324.44 | 325.0 / 316.2 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 178353 D: 19.80 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.70 | 20.00 / 19.00 C: 19.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.70 | 20.00 / 19.40 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 405403 D: 32.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.36 | 32.80 / 31.90 C: 32.30 ⇓ 0.92% | 32.29 | 32.60 / 31.10 DESCO | 2.69 | 35.96 | Vol. 226961 D: 72.90 ⇑ 3.70% | 73.90 | 76.90 / 65.00 C: 74.60 ⇑ 5.82% | 74.49 | 75.00 / 74.50 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 16500 D: 52.80 ⇑ 0.96% | 52.80 | 53.40 / 52.50 C: 53.20 ⇑ 3.70% | 53.17 | 53.50 / 53.00 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 359437 D: 232.8 ⇑ 5.58% | 229.43 | 234.0 / 212.0 C: 232.8 ⇑ 4.91% | 231.06 | 234.0 / 221.0 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 391261 D: 272.7 ⇑ 8.09% | 264.59 | 273.7 / 231.0 C: 271.4 ⇑ 7.19% | 266.75 | 274.0 / 256.4 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 918594 D: 80.30 ⇑ 2.16% | 79.53 | 81.00 / 71.00 C: 80.10 ⇑ 2.04% | 80.27 | 80.80 / 79.50 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 91268 D: 46.90 ⇓ 0.21% | 46.84 | 47.20 / 43.90 C: 46.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 46.38 | 47.00 / 46.00 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 817620 D: 28.20 ⇑ 2.17% | 28.13 | 28.90 / 25.00 C: 28.50 ⇑ 3.26% | 28.13 | 28.70 / 27.50 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 34514 D: 71.00 ⇑ 1.72% | 70.11 | 72.00 / 63.00 C: 70.00 ⇑ 1.16% | 68.57 | 70.90 / 68.50 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 752898 D: 25.60 ⇓ 0.78% | 25.85 | 26.50 / 23.50 C: 25.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.01 | 27.00 / 25.60 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 1240850 D: 57.70 ⇑ 2.85% | 57.22 | 58.70 / 50.50 C: 57.60 ⇑ 2.67% | 57.44 | 58.50 / 55.00 JUTE JUTESPINN | 2.06 | 17.42 | Vol. 19850 D: 67.30 ⇓ 5.61% | 68.26 | 71.40 / 66.60 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 10150 D: 133.9 ⇑ 7.55% | 131.23 | 134.4 / 124.0

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

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November 03, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 34,011.48 ⇓ 1.75% NBFI: 19,280.57 ⇑ 0.33% INVS: 4,624.09 ⇓ 0.33% ENGG: 5,745.91 ⇑ 1.24% FOOD: 9,392.67 ⇑ 0.95% F&P: 10,163.80 ⇑ 3.58% TEXT: 3,255.99 ⇑ 2.37% PHAR: 16,907.12 ⇓ 0.03% PAPR: 943.70 ⇑ 2.36% SERV: 2,782.34 ⇓ 0.96% LEAT: 5,040.98 ⇑ 3.97% CERA: 482.25 ⇑ 0.21% CMNT: 4,385.19 ⇑ 3.86% INFO: 6,725.41 ⇓ 0.21% GINS: 8,974.85 ⇑ 0.57% LINS: 104,100.68 ⇓ 0.69% TELC: 1,324.60 ⇑ 3.22% MISC: 5,933.61 ⇑ 0.20% TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 106642 D: 93.30 ⇑ 7.74% | 90.59 | 95.10 / 85.00 STYLECRAFT | 20.00 | 287.30 | Vol. 300 D: 1214 ⇓ 1.60% | 1213 | 1254 / 1190 RAHIMTEXT | 5.81 | 70.85 | Vol. 5050 D: 330.8 ⇑ 3.21% | 324.95 | 335.0 / 310.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 717300 D: 29.20 ⇑ 2.46% | 28.94 | 29.70 / 28.30 C: 29.30 ⇑ 2.45% | 29.15 | 29.60 / 28.80 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 950 D: 79.60 ⇑ 6.85% | 80.00 | 80.90 / 79.00 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 22600 D: 52.00 ⇑ 9.70% | 51.50 | 52.10 / 46.20 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 1600 D: 7.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.60 | 7.60 / 7.60 TALLUSPIN | 2.01 | 18.59 | Vol. 1230937 D: 40.50 ⇑ 9.16% | 39.74 | 40.80 / 33.60 C: 40.50 ⇑ 9.76% | 40.10 | 40.50 / 38.40 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 5000 D: 65.80 ⇑ 2.02% | 65.60 | 67.40 / 63.90 MITHUNKNIT | 3.33 | 23.82 | Vol. 78724 D: 79.20 ⇑ 6.88% | 78.15 | 79.90 / 72.00 C: 79.70 ⇑ 9.93% | 79.09 | 79.70 / 77.00 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 203000 D: 30.80 ⇑ 0.98% | 30.82 | 31.00 / 30.30 C: 31.20 ⇑ 1.63% | 31.15 | 31.40 / 30.60 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 168000 D: 16.20 ⇓ 4.14% | 16.09 | 16.30 / 15.60 C: 16.10 ⇓ 4.17% | 16.11 | 16.30 / 16.00 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 150000 D: 25.70 ⇓ 1.53% | 25.84 | 26.10 / 25.60 C: 25.50 ⇓ 0.39% | 25.44 | 25.50 / 25.30 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 95000 D: 7.10 ⇓ 2.74% | 7.21 | 7.30 / 7.10 C: 7.30 ⇑ 1.39% | 7.24 | 7.50 / 7.10 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 73000 D: 32.70 ⇑ 7.57% | 32.58 | 32.80 / 31.90 C: 30.90 ⇓ 7.76% | 30.88 | 31.00 / 30.70 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 106500 D: 36.20 ⇑ 3.43% | 36.18 | 36.50 / 35.10 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 943816 D: 30.80 ⇑ 1.32% | 30.64 | 31.30 / 27.50 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 290943 D: 24.10 ⇑ 5.24% | 24.09 | 24.50 / 22.00 C: 23.90 ⇑ 4.37% | 23.96 | 24.20 / 23.80 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 316853 D: 89.50 ⇑ 0.34% | 89.21 | 90.20 / 83.50 C: 90.00 ⇑ 1.24% | 89.01 | 90.00 / 89.00 METROSPIN | 0.62 | 19.48 | Vol. 642350 D: 18.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.94 | 19.10 / 17.70 C: 18.90 ⇑ 2.16% | 18.85 | 19.10 / 18.20 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 1659124 D: 16.20 ⇑ 0.62% | 16.35 | 16.60 / 14.90 C: 16.40 ⇑ 1.86% | 16.81 | 16.70 / 16.00 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 571804 D: 27.10 ⇓ 3.21% | 27.46 | 28.00 / 26.00 C: 27.60 ⇓ 1.43% | 27.65 | 28.00 / 27.30 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 5341722 D: 31.40 ⇑ 7.17% | 31.42 | 31.90 / 28.50 C: 31.40 ⇑ 6.80% | 31.34 | 32.00 / 30.20 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 283110 D: 15.20 ⇑ 0.66% | 15.28 | 15.70 / 15.00 C: 15.20 ⇓ 0.65% | 15.28 | 15.60 / 15.00 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 1875675 D: 28.90 ⇓ 2.03% | 28.95 | 29.40 / 27.00 C: 29.00 ⇓ 2.03% | 28.94 | 29.40 / 28.60 ZAHINTEX | 1.38 | 35.73 | Vol. 374100 D: 28.70 ⇑ 1.41% | 28.62 | 29.20 / 27.00 C: 28.80 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.86 | 29.30 / 28.20 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 309000 D: 24.10 ⇑ 0.42% | 24.09 | 24.30 / 23.80 C: 24.10 ⇓ 0.41% | 24.13 | 24.30 / 23.80 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 4681040 D: 26.20 ⇑ 2.75% | 26.11 | 26.50 / 23.00 C: 26.30 ⇑ 2.73% | 26.09 | 26.50 / 23.20 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 2190230 D: 61.30 ⇑ 4.25% | 60.80 | 62.20 / 53.00 C: 61.50 ⇑ 4.59% | 60.93 | 62.00 / 59.10 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 1626060 D: 69.30 ⇑ 0.14% | 68.07 | 70.00 / 62.30 C: 68.90 ⇑ 0.73% | 66.93 | 69.50 / 66.00 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 1067000 D: 43.40 ⇑ 5.08% | 44.10 | 45.10 / 43.00 C: 44.20 ⇑ 9.41% | 44.15 | 44.40 / 43.00

DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 2231140 D: 13.20 ⇓ 20.00% | 13.09 | 16.30 / 12.60 C: 13.30 ⇓ 19.88% | 18.08 | 15.50 / 12.90 AAMRATECH | 1.46 | 21.90 | Vol. 408250 D: 31.90 ⇑ 0.63% | 32.03 | 32.90 / 28.60 C: 32.20 ⇑ 1.26% | 32.17 | 32.50 / 31.60

PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 8350 D: 260.1 ⇑ 4.29% | 255.67 | 261.9 / 250.0 C: 259.4 ⇑ 5.02% | 253.73 | 262.5 / 248.9 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 133672 D: 43.20 ⇓ 0.69% | 43.15 | 43.90 / 39.20 C: 43.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 43.28 | 44.30 / 42.10 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 550 D: 931.0 ⇓ 2.48% | 930.91 | 940.0 / 917.9 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 10300 D: 163.7 ⇑ 3.35% | 160.68 | 165.5 / 156.7 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 3940 D: 724.9 ⇑ 1.60% | 722.84 | 729.0 / 710.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 1050 D: 742.7 ⇓ 6.91% | 742.86 | 755.0 / 740.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 16500 D: 163.5 ⇑ 4.34% | 163.09 | 167.9 / 152.7 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 69074 D: 98.90 ⇑ 3.89% | 97.53 | 99.30 / 92.00 C: 99.70 ⇑ 5.50% | 98.97 | 99.90 / 100.0 LIBRAINFU | 4.21 | 1567.59 | Vol. 1000 D: 411.0 ⇓ 0.72% | 411.00 | 415.0 / 400.0 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 41600 D: 41.50 ⇓ 0.48% | 41.62 | 42.70 / 41.00 C: 41.50 ⇓ 2.35% | 41.50 | 41.50 / 41.50 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 279231 D: 179.5 ⇓ 0.22% | 179.81 | 196.9 / 163.0 C: 179.5 ⇑ 0.22% | 179.71 | 180.0 / 178.0 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 13500 D: 7.50 ⇑ 2.74% | 7.56 | 7.70 / 7.20 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 747000 D: 23.80 ⇓ 2.06% | 24.00 | 25.00 / 22.00 C: 24.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 24.01 | 24.20 / 24.00 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 800 D: 787.6 ⇓ 0.64% | 787.50 | 795.0 / 786.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 24800 D: 72.20 ⇑ 0.28% | 72.27 | 72.90 / 72.00 C: 73.90 ⇑ 3.79% | 73.90 | 73.90 / 73.90 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 8700 D: 782.7 ⇓ 1.09% | 780.57 | 788.9 / 779.1 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 428500 D: 11.30 ⇑ 0.89% | 11.31 | 11.50 / 11.20 C: 11.10 ⇓ 1.77% | 11.20 | 11.40 / 11.10 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 702636 D: 92.40 ⇓ 1.07% | 92.70 | 93.60 / 85.00 C: 92.90 ⇓ 0.32% | 92.69 | 93.80 / 92.50 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 270657 D: 19.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.98 | 19.20 / 17.50 C: 19.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.06 | 19.10 / 18.00 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 129250 D: 48.00 ⇑ 0.84% | 47.98 | 48.80 / 47.50 C: 48.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 48.06 | 48.90 / 47.90 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 707840 D: 53.60 ⇓ 4.46% | 53.64 | 56.00 / 50.80 C: 53.90 ⇓ 4.26% | 53.98 | 55.10 / 53.30 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 153000 D: 195.7 ⇑ 8.90% | 190.66 | 197.0 / 181.1 C: 196.7 ⇑ 9.34% | 191.40 | 197.3 / 178.5 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 275000 D: 28.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.01 | 28.30 / 27.80 C: 28.20 ⇑ 0.71% | 28.01 | 28.30 / 27.70 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 37500 D: 28.00 ⇑ 12.00% | 26.51 | 29.80 / 24.10 C: 27.30 ⇑ 9.20% | 27.29 | 29.00 / 25.00 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 46000 D: 95.00 ⇑ 9.83% | 94.09 | 95.10 / 89.00

SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 100018 D: 26.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.07 | 27.50 / 25.00 C: 26.10 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.08 | 26.30 / 25.80 EHL | 2.87 | 18.48 | Vol. 104527 D: 50.50 ⇑ 1.41% | 50.65 | 51.00 / 47.00 C: 50.50 ⇑ 1.20% | 50.54 | 51.00 / 50.40 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 74000 D: 111.1 ⇑ 3.06% | 108.65 | 112.8 / 104.3 C: 109.2 ⇑ 3.02% | 108.85 | 111.0 / 107.5 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 6792 D: 725.2 ⇑ 3.30% | 718.85 | 726.0 / 700.0 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 69800 D: 398.2 ⇑ 3.75% | 396.51 | 403.7 / 381.0 C: 388.5 ⇑ 8.73% | 388.50 | 388.5 / 388.5 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 351421 D: 34.50 ⇑ 9.52% | 33.71 | 34.60 / 30.00 C: 34.10 ⇑ 7.57% | 33.02 | 34.30 / 31.00 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 74150 D: 31.00 ⇓ 5.49% | 31.12 | 31.80 / 30.70 C: 30.70 ⇓ 4.95% | 30.91 | 31.70 / 30.30 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 15500 D: 39.80 ⇑ 7.86% | 39.61 | 40.00 / 37.50 FUWANGCER | 0.72 | 13.97 | Vol. 165910 D: 17.80 ⇓ 0.56% | 17.88 | 18.10 / 17.00 C: 18.20 ⇓ 0.55% | 18.13 | 18.20 / 18.00 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 235467 D: 15.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.67 | 15.90 / 14.20 C: 15.80 ⇑ 0.64% | 15.77 | 16.00 / 15.60 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 51416 D: 50.30 ⇑ 1.21% | 49.99 | 50.80 / 44.80 C: 50.30 ⇑ 0.60% | 50.03 | 50.50 / 49.50 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 283400 D: 400.1 ⇑ 8.34% | 393.88 | 401.6 / 369.5 C: 399.3 ⇑ 8.51% | 392.00 | 400.2 / 370.1 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 281924 D: 129.6 ⇑ 3.60% | 128.72 | 130.1 / 124.0 C: 129.7 ⇑ 3.68% | 129.04 | 130.5 / 125.8 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 98600 D: 130.2 ⇑ 7.07% | 127.56 | 132.9 / 118.0 C: 129.0 ⇑ 1.42% | 129.00 | 130.0 / 128.0 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 55500 D: 67.90 ⇑ 2.41% | 67.52 | 68.20 / 66.60 C: 71.20 ⇑ 1.86% | 71.18 | 72.00 / 67.10 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 496500 D: 31.00 ⇑ 0.32% | 31.04 | 31.20 / 30.90 C: 31.30 ⇑ 0.97% | 31.36 | 31.60 / 31.00 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 221066 D: 92.70 ⇑ 3.34% | 91.89 | 93.00 / 83.00 C: 93.00 ⇑ 3.10% | 91.99 | 93.50 / 90.30 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 313800 D: 108.1 ⇑ 4.95% | 106.43 | 110.0 / 103.1 C: 109.0 ⇑ 7.81% | 107.84 | 110.0 / 104.7 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 75528 D: 16.60 ⇑ 5.06% | 16.29 | 16.80 / 15.30 C: 16.80 ⇑ 5.66% | 16.24 | 17.00 / 15.40 BDCOM | 1.54 | 15.85 | Vol. 491875 D: 26.00 ⇑ 9.70% | 25.44 | 26.00 / 22.00 C: 25.10 ⇑ 7.73% | 24.25 | 25.40 / 24.10 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 138681 D: 15.10 ⇑ 2.72% | 15.02 | 15.40 / 13.80 C: 15.10 ⇑ 1.34% | 15.14 | 15.40 / 14.70 AGNISYSL | 1.06 | 16.39 | Vol. 346405 D: 21.80 ⇑ 2.83% | 21.69 | 22.00 / 20.00 C: 22.10 ⇑ 2.79% | 21.72 | 22.30 / 21.40

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 25233 D: 29.30 ⇓ 0.34% | 29.41 | 29.50 / 27.50 C: 29.10 ⇓ 1.02% | 29.05 | 29.60 / 29.00 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 18144 D: 78.10 ⇑ 0.64% | 78.32 | 80.00 / 70.00 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 8600 D: 43.00 ⇓ 0.69% | 43.02 | 43.30 / 42.90 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 203400 D: 33.10 ⇓ 0.90% | 33.90 | 34.70 / 32.90 C: 32.70 ⇓ 2.10% | 32.72 | 32.80 / 32.70 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 7600 D: 37.90 ⇓ 3.07% | 38.03 | 38.20 / 37.90 JANATAINS | 7.84 | 170.69 | Vol. 11974 D: 254.3 ⇑ 4.09% | 252.20 | 256.0 / 240.0 C: 252.5 ⇑ 3.59% | 249.31 | 254.5 / 245.0 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 54400 D: 41.10 ⇑ 1.48% | 41.40 | 41.60 / 40.80 C: 40.40 ⇓ 1.46% | 40.40 | 40.40 / 40.40 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 68760 D: 48.00 ⇓ 0.41% | 47.84 | 48.50 / 43.40 C: 49.70 ⇑ 2.90% | 48.50 | 49.70 / 47.90 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 1162 D: 29.00 ⇑ 0.69% | 29.26 | 29.20 / 27.50 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 52440 D: 23.30 ⇓ 0.85% | 23.53 | 24.20 / 21.50 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 94652 D: 32.50 ⇓ 0.61% | 32.53 | 32.80 / 30.00 C: 32.10 ⇓ 0.31% | 32.07 | 32.10 / 32.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 456655 D: 24.20 ⇑ 1.68% | 24.50 | 25.00 / 23.00 C: 24.40 ⇑ 1.67% | 24.47 | 25.00 / 24.10 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 220850 D: 22.70 ⇑ 3.65% | 22.54 | 22.90 / 21.70 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 62300 D: 61.90 ⇑ 5.81% | 61.69 | 63.30 / 58.30 C: 59.20 ⇑ 7.05% | 58.62 | 60.00 / 57.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 25500 D: 32.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.67 | 33.00 / 32.50 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 13000 D: 68.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 68.08 | 68.40 / 67.30 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 30000 D: 27.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.03 | 28.30 / 27.50 C: 28.60 ⇑ 2.14% | 28.55 | 29.00 / 28.10 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 49715 D: 26.70 ⇑ 0.75% | 27.24 | 29.00 / 25.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 33500 D: 28.70 ⇑ 2.14% | 28.72 | 29.60 / 28.40 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 5300 D: 34.40 ⇓ 1.71% | 34.34 | 35.00 / 31.50 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 3000 D: 28.60 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.67 | 28.80 / 28.40 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 52000 D: 24.10 ⇑ 0.84% | 24.18 | 24.80 / 24.00 C: 24.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.00 | 24.00 / 24.00 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 42500 D: 23.50 ⇓ 0.42% | 23.59 | 24.70 / 23.40 C: 24.00 ⇓ 0.41% | 24.00 | 24.00 / 24.00 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 73308 D: 29.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.19 | 29.80 / 28.90 C: 29.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.00 | 29.00 / 28.00 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 173400 D: 30.10 ⇑ 0.67% | 29.98 | 30.50 / 29.00 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 396050 D: 42.30 ⇓ 5.37% | 42.60 | 47.00 / 41.90 C: 42.10 ⇓ 1.17% | 42.21 | 42.30 / 42.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 16000 D: 39.50 ⇑ 0.51% | 39.48 | 40.10 / 39.00 C: 42.50 ⇑ 8.97% | 42.50 | 42.50 / 42.50 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 35442 D: 42.20 ⇓ 2.76% | 42.45 | 44.80 / 40.00 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 716335 D: 45.00 ⇑ 2.97% | 45.59 | 47.70 / 42.00 C: 44.80 ⇑ 2.52% | 45.68 | 47.90 / 44.50 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 34796 D: 26.90 ⇓ 1.47% | 26.98 | 27.30 / 26.00 C: 26.30 ⇓ 3.31% | 27.50 | 29.60 / 25.00 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 2207 D: 32.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.12 | 32.50 / 30.00 C: 30.80 ⇓ 3.75% | 30.80 | 31.10 / 30.20

PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 53706 D: 27.90 ⇓ 1.41% | 28.36 | 29.50 / 27.00 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 30500 D: 39.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 39.15 | 39.50 / 39.00 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 28956 D: 239.6 ⇓ 0.46% | 239.79 | 241.3 / 235.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 200 D: 245.5 ⇑ 8.72% | 245.50 | 245.5 / 245.5 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 14082 D: 67.50 ⇓ 1.03% | 67.53 | 69.40 / 67.20 C: 66.80 ⇑ 1.06% | 66.76 | 69.00 / 66.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 31547 D: 171.7 ⇑ 1.84% | 171.64 | 171.9 / 165.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 17190 D: 90.00 ⇓ 2.49% | 90.24 | 92.00 / 83.20 C: 90.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 90.33 | 92.00 / 85.00 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 27050 D: 100.2 ⇓ 0.79% | 100.04 | 101.7 / 98.60 C: 98.50 ⇑ 0.51% | 98.50 | 98.50 / 98.50 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 14000 D: 102.7 ⇓ 0.10% | 102.71 | 103.0 / 101.8 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 14000 D: 111.0 ⇓ 3.39% | 111.07 | 118.0 / 109.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 9967 D: 90.80 ⇓ 1.73% | 91.01 | 92.00 / 85.00 C: 91.00 ⇓ 2.15% | 91.00 | 91.00 / 91.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 33010 D: 94.50 ⇓ 3.28% | 94.64 | 95.80 / 90.00 C: 86.00 ⇓ 7.53% | 86.00 | 86.00 / 86.00 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 24300 D: 56.40 ⇓ 3.42% | 56.46 | 58.00 / 52.60 C: 56.00 ⇓ 3.45% | 55.66 | 56.00 / 52.70 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 46250 D: 54.50 ⇓ 2.33% | 54.87 | 56.00 / 52.00 C: 54.20 ⇓ 1.99% | 54.14 | 55.00 / 53.20 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 710808 D: 197.5 ⇑ 2.86% | 197.58 | 199.9 / 190.0 C: 198.0 ⇑ 3.39% | 197.88 | 200.0 / 190.0 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 272960 D: 174.2 ⇑ 2.11% | 173.46 | 175.7 / 165.0 C: 174.5 ⇑ 2.65% | 174.29 | 176.0 / 172.0 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 2851738 D: 15.60 ⇓ 2.50% | 15.80 | 16.20 / 14.60 C: 15.70 ⇓ 2.48% | 15.79 | 16.10 / 15.60 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 307965 D: 77.10 ⇑ 1.05% | 76.34 | 78.00 / 69.00 C: 77.60 ⇑ 0.91% | 76.80 | 78.50 / 75.70 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 15550 D: 277.0 ⇑ 4.84% | 272.65 | 279.8 / 256.1 C: 275.0 ⇑ 5.49% | 275.00 | 275.0 / 275.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 103815 D: 433.8 ⇑ 5.60% | 428.83 | 437.0 / 412.0 C: 435.0 ⇑ 5.52% | 427.15 | 437.0 / 412.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 36266 D: 141.6 ⇑ 3.28% | 140.09 | 145.0 / 136.0 C: 141.0 ⇑ 3.45% | 140.59 | 141.9 / 139.8 USMANIAGL | 3.80 | 29.92 | Vol. 50250 D: 124.3 ⇑ 5.16% | 123.10 | 125.7 / 119.0 C: 123.7 ⇑ 3.78% | 122.74 | 126.0 / 119.0 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 1830578 D: 28.70 ⇓ 1.37% | 28.19 | 30.30 / 26.20 C: 28.80 ⇓ 2.04% | 28.29 | 29.00 / 27.70 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 83500 D: 20.10 ⇓ 0.50% | 20.10 | 20.30 / 19.80 C: 20.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.98 | 20.10 / 19.80 MIRACLEIND | 0.10 | 15.13 | Vol. 64500 D: 14.20 ⇑ 0.71% | 14.19 | 14.40 / 14.00 C: 14.20 ⇑ 0.71% | 14.36 | 15.00 / 14.00 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 15 D: 955.3 ⇓ 0.55% | 933.33 | 956.3 / 954.3 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 18 D: 875.5 ⇓ 0.68% | 916.67 | 876.0 / 875.5 C: 890.0 ⇑ 2.18% | 890.00 | 890.0 / 890.0 BRACSCBOND | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 10 D: 992.5 ⇓ 3.64% | 1000 | 995.0 / 990.0

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013

‘Be cruel only to be kind’ Dilruba Chowdhury, Director of Corporate Planning, East Coast Group, an occassional dancer and a passionate baker shares with Tasnuva Amin Nova her association with the company.

Please tell us about your association with East Coast Group?

East Coast Group (ECG), a leading business conglomerate in Bangladesh, was founded and built upon by my father. As the elder daughter, I feel it is my duty to contribute in the continued success and growth of this business.

After graduating from Regent’s University, UK, I began my career as an intern in ECG. After gathering experience through working closely with the subsidiary companies of ECG, I was given the task of setting up a plastic manufacturing unit.

Till date, it has been the most daunting challenge I have faced, as I had to oversee the inception of a manufacturing unit from scratch. This process not only entailed making informed decisions on procurement of machineries, construction of civil works, sourcing raw materials, securing the initial customers, but also required me to familiarize myself with the various government permissions, licenses and permits to be obtained.

I am proud to say that Parkesine Products Limited successfully commenced commercial production in 2010. As the founding Managing Director, it gives me immense pleasure to witness the progression of this company in the relatively short span of time since its establishment.

Subsequently, I was promoted as a director of corporate planning of ECG which requires participation in the core management of the business operation of the entire group. In particular, I am in charge of the Admin & Human Resources Department for the group’s operation in the country.

ECG has investments in some of the leading companies of Bangladesh including Green Delta Investment Company Limited (GDCL). GDCL is one of the most renowned general insurance companies of Bangladesh, which has been successfully carrying on its business with goodwill and reputation for 34 long years. In 2011, I was appointed to the board of directors of GDCL. As a member of the Board I contributed towards formulating policies and strategies with a view to ensure and promote sustainable growth, transparency, increase in shareholders’ values and contribute towards development of the insurance sector. In recognition of my efforts, the board of directors unanimously elected me as the chairman of the executive committee this year.

So far I am grateful to my father for the things which I have been able to accomplish. His guidance,

sometimes. Everybody says I am a superwoman. I make sure that whatever time I give to my family, or to my work, or to my daughter, is quality time.

I make sure that I do not take any work problems back home. I try to take it easy because I know that if I have some pending work at the back of my mind that needs to be resolved, thinking about it is not going to help when I am having dinner with my husband or having a drink with my friends.

uu Designation: Corporate

Planning Director, East Coast Group

uu Education: BA (Hons)

International Business, Finance, Regent’s University

Is it particularly hard for women to establish themselves in the corporate world?

It is. Some people might say that women are more forthcoming nowadays but it is still very difficult for women to overcome gender stereotypes because people are still stuck in the middle ages.

The corporate environment is very cutthroat. It is very difficult to survive. If you can face it and prove yourself through working, people will respect you for that. There is still a lot left to be done.

uu Career background: Oil &

energy, Insurance,

uu Interests: cooking, dancing

Whatever time you spend, you just juggle it because as years go by for our generation, things are going to get even more complicated

supervision and training have been the cornerstone of my career so far. But I have to overcome more challenges if I want to create an identity of my own; I don’t want to be a shadow of someone else.

Have you ever had to prove yourself to be where you are?

I think I have had to prove myself since day one, and I have to continue doing so. It is not unusual for people I meet to think I am holding the positions solely due to my family background. This is perhaps more so because of my gender and age. However, in most cases after my initial interactions, I believe they begin to realize my strengths, ability and commitment to my professional life.

I am just trying to do my best. I do not fit my father’s shoes, but if I have to go a long way then I have to at least make some sort of credible effort.

Describe your leadership style.

As a leader I strive to achieve a “carrot and stick” policy with my employees. However, my leadership style is very straight forward and at times ruthless.

ECG is like family to me but when it comes to decision making, I am very harsh. I believe that I

have to be cruel only to be kind. I take very quick but effective decisions and this helps to set an example for others to follow.

I believe that taking such decisions is an integral part of my job description. I feel that we should stick to our own principles; we should not change it because people don’t like it or because people are manipulating it or talking about it.

Can you tell us more about your interest in learning French?

Apart from the fact that I find French very romantic, I took French as second language because our business mostly deals with foreign countries. Most of the business associates speak dual languages.

They appreciate it when you take the trouble of learning a foreign language to communicate with them and they give time to listen to you. So I decided that I will learn more than one language.

Being such a busy woman how do you balance work and life?

Most people nowadays do. I am a working woman at the same time, a mother, a daughter and a wife. It is very difficult to juggle family and work

What are your visions for ECG? We are working on a lot of major projects and we are counting on them to contribute to our economy. We have a lot of natural resources but we lack the proper resources to exploit those resources. I have a vision that in continuation of its longstanding involvement in the oil, energy and gas sectors, ECG will be able to make significant contributions to the energy sector of Bangladesh.

If we are successful in setting up the projects as planned, these will contribute to the economy by creating many job opportunities, especially in the rural sector. Most of the times people have to migrate to the urban areas for jobs which is the reason behind the overcrowded urban areas. Our motive is to decentralize the urban growth.

What Corporate Social Responsibility activities are ECG involved with?

We have a diabetic center in Sylhet where we provide free medicine for all diabetic patients, especially the underprivileged people. We regularly send medicines from Dhaka through courier. Doctors come to Dhaka to research for new medicines. We have eye testing machines and centrifuge which are even better than those in Dhaka. My father has opened a school there to provide free education to the children there.

Furthermore, all major subsidiaries/affiliates of ECG have their own extensive CSR programs which have proven immensely successful in the past years. l

Global liquidity swell to spill into 2014 n Reuters, London After a bone-dry summer, world markets seem awash with cash again and it looks like spilling into 2014.

Even though the US Federal Reserve has kept its $85bn a-month of bond buying constant throughout, fevered speculation surrounding its easy money spigot has by itself dictated the massive ebb and flow of liquidity seen this year.

The rethink of Fed intentions after September 18 - when the central bank declined to

cut back its asset purchases as expected - has raised all financial boats in one big wave.

Since the Fed demurred six weeks ago, the S&P500 index of top Wall St stocks has jumped 3.5%. So too have 10-year US Treasury bonds.

High-yield corporate “junk” bonds are also up more than 3%, as are gold and the euro. Even indices of the most esoteric and speculative ‘frontier markets’ have added more than 3%.

The global surge has been remarkable as an evaporation of this year’s US dollar’s gains has removed huge pressure from emerging market currencies and, in turn, eased the strain on

some $7.2tn of emerging central bank reserves.

And given these reserves are largely banked in western bonds, a virtuous circle of liquidity appears to have formed.

And by pumping up the euro and Japanese yen, the retreating dollar has upped chances of further easing - quantitative or otherwise - by the Bank of Japan and European Central Bank.

The global liquidity pool - one seeded by central banks and supercharged by the markets themselves - seems to expand anew.

Major stock markets from Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and New York have now clocked up

year-to-date gains of between 20 and 30% and the latter two are in uncharted territory. Property hotspots in many of the same locales are similarly motoring.

Is this the mirror of the financial bubble that blew up pre-2007, as long-term bears such as Societe Generale’s Albert Edwards insist it is?

With huge amounts of spare capacity still across developed labour markets and economies and little or no sign of rising inflation, policymakers seemed unperturbed.

But scale of money building up appears very real. l