November 07, 2013

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Kartik 23, 1420 Muharram 2, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 224

Law

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15

Why should one choose to arbitrate?

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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Another spell of hartal on cards n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Apart from a routine press briefing by the acting secretary general at the end of the day, no senior leader of the main opposition BNP or its allies turned up on the streets during the 60-hour hartal that ended last evening.

The previous spell of 60-hour hartal on October 27-29 was no different.

But this has not stopped the 18-party opposition alliance from mulling over another spell of countrywide hartal next week to further press home their demand for the upcoming polls to be

A day after the verdict, relatives of imprisoned BDR members gather outside the Dhaka Central Jail yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Massive reshuffle, promotion spree likely in bureaucracy n Mohosinul Karim The civil administration is likely to face a massive reshuffle in some important posts and a new promotion spree at the end of the present government before the interim polls-time administration takes control.

The public administration ministry has already begun work on reshuffling the administration and the further promotion of officers who were left out during the last wave of promotions under this government.

Sources in the ministry told the Dhaka Tribune that some of the more powerful high officials in different ministries and divisions, who have been in the same office for three years, will be transferred before the election schedule is announced.

“The ministry was working towards promoting some joint secretaries to additional secretaries, deputy secretaries to joint secretaries and senior assistant

JS session to stretch beyond November 10 n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The Awami League is set to extend the ongoing 19th session of parliament beyond November 10 in a move which would likely further delay the announcement of the election schedule.

The government has already decided that the current ninth parliament would not go into session after the announcement of the schedules of the 10th polls, which must take place before January 24.

On October 23 the Business Advisory Committee decided that the session would go up to November 7, authorising Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

secretaries to deputy secretaries for a few weeks. A meeting of the Superior Selection Board (SSB), led by the cabinet secretary, has already been held.

The ministry is waiting to get the prime minister’s nod to issue the order,” a ministry official said.

The SSB met again yesterday to finalise the recommendations of promotion in the cabinet division conference room at the secretariat.

“The SSB finalised the proposal of promoting seven acting secretaries to secretaries and at least 100 joint secretaries out of a list of 297 candidates to additional secretaries. The meeting of SSB will continue in the next few days to finalise the proposal of promoting deputy secretaries to joint secretaries and senior assistant secretaries to deputy secretaries,” a deputy secretary of the public administration ministry confirmed.

Amidst the rumours of massive reshuffle and promotion in the civil ad-

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

IO dissatisfied at acquittal in BDR murder case kar Ali Manik and n Julfi Ashif Islam Shaon The investigation officer of the BDR murder case said he was disappointed at the acquittal of about one-third accused.

“I did not expect that such a large number of the accused would be acquitted,” said Abdul Kahar Akand, special police superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department who investigated the case.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday acquitted 277 of the 846 accused, saying the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations brought against them.

Kahar told the Dhaka Tribune last

INSIDE Business

B1 The country’s commercial banks are awash with idle money due to poor investment and lower credit demand, with almost all kind of business expansion remained suspended amid political uncertainty ahead of the upcoming general election.

News

3 Thirty-four gas-based power plants, which are being built in the public and private sectors and scheduled to start production by 2016, are likely to face primary fuel shortages due to lack of adequate gas supply.

Nation

7 Soaring prices of essential commodities have left Narsingdi’s low-income earners with few alternatives, as the district was hit by a double whammy of dry spells in business and consequent price increases.

Entertainment

ministration, Senior Public Administration Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar denied any possibility of a large number of transfers, similar to what had happened before the last government left power, and a promotion spree before the election.

“Some of the officials who have been serving in an office for two or three years will be replaced before the interim government takes charge, as per the policy of the ministry. It is a routine work. But there is no possibility of massive reshuffle in the civil administration,” he said.

“The interim government will take charge after the Election Commission announces the election schedule. The public administration ministry and all officials and employees related with election will be placed under the commission. If they need any reshuffling, the ministry will execute it with the suggestion of the commission,” he added.

12 The leading cultural organisation Chhayanaut will hold a twoday classical dance festival at its premises, from tomorrow. This is the third time Chhayanaut is organising this festival. Manipuri, Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak, an array of prominent classical dance forms will be performed throughout the festival.

night over phone that he would ask the prosecution lawyer to examine if they had any scope to appeal against the acquittal order.

He, however, said despite the unexpected exemption order, the verdict would work as a warning to the members of the border security force and this type of tragic incidents would not recur.

Meanwhile, some confusions about the verdict arose because of errors in the written copy of the verdict delivered

by Judge Dr Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman of the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

held under a non-partisan government.

The BNP-led alliance is also contemplating a rail-road blockade to cut off the capital from the rest of the country but they want to use this weapon after the announcement of the election schedule, not now, said senior leaders of the BNP. They said they would wait until the “last moment” to reach an understanding on the neutral pollstime administration.

The party’s standing committee will sit tonight in a meeting with party chief Khaleda Zia in the chair to discuss

next course of action after the end of two spells of 60-hartal in two successive weeks.

The BNP will hold a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan today to mark the National Revolution and Solidarity Day, where the senior leaders will address the rally.

Party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the movement would be intensified day by day if the government did not pay heed to their demand.

A senior leader seeking not to be  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Ministers to start submitting resignation letters from Sunday n Mohosinul Karim Ministers and state ministers are likely to hand in their resignation letters from Sunday, while some will submit after Monday’s cabinet meeting, confirmed several senior ministers yesterday.

Most of the members of the cabinet have already prepared their resignation letters for submission, following a letter issued by the ruling Awami League on Tuesday.

They may hand in undated letters, which would be effective any time after November 20 for the polls-time “all-party” interim government to be formed and assume office.

Officials at several ministries confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that most of the ministers received a letter from the ruling party on Tuesday, asking them to hand in their resignations within seven days.

According to the letter, the ministers have until November 11 to submit their resignation letters.

Meanwhile, a source at the local government ministry claimed that State Minister and Awami League Joint-General Secretary, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, submitted his resignation letter to the PM yesterday. Nanak, however, could not be reached when contacted over the phone.

In the meantime, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas told the Dhaka Tribune that he may submit his resignation letter Sunday in line with the PM’s directive.

He said he has already prepared the letter according to a draft sent by Jute and Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui on Tuesday.

Water Resources Minister Search Results Ramesh Chandra Sen said he was ready to resign any time and may submit his letter to the PM after attending Monday’s cabinet meeting.

He said, however: “Even though the resignation letters were submitted by next Monday, they will be effective any time after November 20 once the

polls-time government is formed. The present cabinet will continue to carry out its duty until the polls-time government takes over.”

Most of the ministers would submit their resignation letters by Monday after attending the meeting, he said.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said he was prepared to resign anytime to pave the way for the polls-time government.

He confirmed receiving the letter from Awami League as well.

Food Minister Abdur Razzaque also confirmed receiving the instructions and a draft resignation letter sent by Jute and Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Communication Minister Obaidul Quader also told the media that his resignation letter was ready and he would hand it in at any moment.

Meanwhile, several ministry officials seeking anonymity said the polls-time government was likely to be formed any time between November 20 and 25. l

BNP condemns Grameen Bank bill n Mohammad Al-MasumMolla

Yunus terms new GB law ‘shame for whole world’

The main opposition BNP yesterday claimed the government passed the Grameen Bank bill in order to “destroy” the noble prize-winning organisation.

“The government wants to destroy the Grameen Bank by changing its character, and bring it under the supervision of the central bank. That is why the bill was passed in the parliament,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in the capital.

The spokesperson of the party said the government should not try to micromanage the bank: “We want to ask the government to come away from controlling the Grameen Bank and let it run on its own course.”

“The Grameen Bank has brought international prestige for the country and its people, so to protect its prestige do not interfere in the bank’s operations,” added Fakhrul.

Earlier, BNP delegations met Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus and expressed their solidarity with him on the issue. They said him and his organisation should not be harassed. l

n UNB Founder and ex-managing director of Grameen Bank Dr Muhammad Yunus has condemned the passage a new law to govern the microcredit agency, saying ‘a great global iconic institution, created by this nation, has been brutally harmed by a group of irresponsible and thoughtless people.’

“With these amendments, the government has opened the door for its ultimate destruction. What a shame for the nation, and the whole world,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“The immediate task before the country is to repair the enormous damage done to the Grameen Bank law at the earliest opportunity, before it is too late,” said the Nobel laureate, hoping that the whole nation, particularly all women, along with the women of Grameen Bank, their family members, as well as the staff of the bank will rise to the occasion and make it happen.

He said the Grameen Bank was created as a bank owned by poor women,

and managed by poor women.

“Its legal structure didn’t allow any government interference of any kind, except for regulatory oversight. The amendments to the law have created the opportunity for the government to take 100 percent control of the bank if they wish to.”

These amendments fundamentally change the character of the bank, the statement said.

On Tuesday, parliament passed the much-talked-about Grameen Bank Act, 2013, one that elevated the government roles in the running of the microcredit organisation without any increment of its ownership stakes.

“As the Grameen Bank has been running under an ordinance, it was necessary to enact a law,” Finance Minister AMA Muhith said in parliament before passing the bill.

Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu questioned why such an important bill was being passed when the national election is knocking the door. He suggested taking public opinion before the passage of the bill as ‘interests of many people have been featured in it’. l

Massive reshuffle, promotion spree  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

rding to ministry sources however, the office of Sikdar as well as Local Government Secretary Abu Alam Md. Shahid Khan, Education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Public Works Secretary Khondakar Showkat Hossain and Land Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman will be changed before the interim government takes charge.

The promotion of joint secretaries to additional secretaries will be considered first as they received promo-

tion only once in last two years while the deputy secretaries received two times and senior assistant secretaries received three times, the ministry officials told.

Abdus Sobhan Sikdar said the promotions of deputy secretaries and senior assistant secretaries will only be considered only after the promotions of joint secretaries.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the public servants and ministries or divisions related with elec-

tion activities will be placed under the election commission after the election schedule is announced. “The Election Commission will decide about reshuffles if needed,” he said.

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader said the Election Commission will handle the civil administration independently during the election. The interim government will not interfere on their work. The government will only assist the commission to execute its decisions. l

JS session to stretch  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

to stretch the session if necessary.

“We have to stretch the session beyond November 10 as a number of bills are in the consideration of the standing committee and the House,” the speaker told the Dhaka Tribune at her office.

“It is not possible for us to dispose of all bills by November 10,” said the speaker, who will fly to New York on November 10 to attend a conference of the women speakers.

The deputy speaker will run the House after November 10. The parliament secretariat sources say at least four bills are awaiting disposal.

“More bills will come. So, this is difficult to predict a closing date of the current parliament,” said Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

The end of the Awami Leauge-led ninth parliament has become controversial politically as the Business Advisory Committee on September 12 decided to end the “last session” on

October 24. The main opposition BNP told its leaders and activists to pour into the streets on October 25 as parliament would end on October 24.

The committee members agreed that there would be no sitting of the House after the announcement of the polls schedules.

The prime minister, the speaker, the opposition leader, deputy leader of the house, the deputy speaker, chief whip and senior members are the members of the Business Advisory Committee. l

The media yesterday received an unsigned copy of the list of the judge’s decisions on all 846 accused.

The total number of accused in the case was 850, but four died in jail during the trial.

Of the remaining 846 accused, 823 were employees of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) – most of them uniformed soldiers while others employees such as cleaners, gardeners and cooks.

The investigation officer said the remaining 23 had been civilians, including one Ansar member. Kahar said they considered the Ansar member as a civilian because he was not a member of the BDR force. The Ansar member, Md

Sarwar Hossain, has been given three years’ rigorous imprisonment.

Of the other 22 civilians, four were female of whom Suraiya Begum and Zohura Khatun were acquitted, Rahima Begum was given 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and Runa Akter Bithi three years’ imprisonment. The judge acquitted seven more civilian accused.

Zakir Hossain, son of former BDR personnel Nayeb Subedar Kanchan Ali, is the only civilian sentenced to death for his involvement in the heinous crimes during the mutiny at the Peelkhana BDR headquarters on February 25-26, 2009.

Two civilians have been sentenced to life – former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and ward-level Awa-

Police cracking down hard on Jamaat-Shibir hideouts Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Manik Miazee

Law enforcement agencies have launched crackdown across the country amid intelligence report that Jamaat-Shibir men are planning subversive activities in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.

Some 450 dens of suspected saboteurs in Dhaka and some 1000 more in other parts of the country have been identified.

The intelligence officials have also recognised 35 leaders of the opposition alliances including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jamaat-e-Islami in the capital.

Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, deputy commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of Police, told the Dhaka Tribune that the size of hand bomb blasts and the number of injuries had risen. Many people including some innocent children were injured in the recent attacks during hartal days.

“However, we are working to trace the attackers and hope that we would be able to arrest them shortly after investigation,” he added.

As part of their clampdown, law enforcers arrested three Shibir men and recovered petrol, leaflets and other campaign literature from their rented

mi League leader Torab Ali. Torab, 70, retired from the BDR as a Subedar.

Of the remaining eight civilian accused, two have been given 10 years’ imprisonment and six others three years’.

The judge also fined all convicts, including those who have been given death sentence.

The convicts sentenced to death will have to pay Tk100,000 each; former BDR personnel who have been given life term jail will have to pay Tk50,000 each; but civilians Pintu and Torab will have to pay Tk500,000 each. Among the 823 accused BDR employees, 151 have been sentenced to death, 159 to life, and 242 to jail terms from one year to 20 years. l

house in the capital’s Shekhertek under Adabar police station around 6:30am yesterday.

Adabar police said at first they had arrested Humayun Kabir, 32, and Md Ajgar, 22, from near Shia Mosque, and extracting information from the two, detained another having petrol in his possession from a house on road 10 in Shekhertek.

In this regard, Biplab Sarkar, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division, said the house was a den for Jamaat-Shibir men who were planning to deal a major blow.

“We are in search of such other dens of Jamaat-Shibir men and the investigation is underway,” he said.

Lawmen also raided several dwellings where Chhatra Dal, Shibir and Jamaat men took shelter.

During raids in Koltabazar area yesterday noon Sutrapur police recovered two handmade bombs.

Source said such raids were also carried out in Malibagh, Jatrabari, Banasree and Mohammadpur areas in a bid to arrest the violent Jamaat-Shibir men and rein in their evil attempts.

Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media and publication) of the DMP, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had arrested 18 pickets until yesterday while they were throwing bombs and

vandalising vehicles.

Police were deployed at all sensitive points across the capital, and action would be taken against anyone for committing violence, he warned.

A source in Jamaat said the party has already called in their activists from outside the capital to intensify anti-government movement. The party members are residing either in different rented houses across the capital or in their relatives’ houses.

Sayed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Jamaat’s working committee member, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already readied their activists to face the current political situation.

“We are carrying out agitation obeying the law, but if the lawmen fall upon us or attack us without any reason, our activists will make a counterattack on them,” he claimed.

On the other hand, the law enforcement agencies are prepared to deal with any untoward situation and protect law and order of the country, police said.

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker said instructions had been issued to all officials concerned to take necessary steps to rein in violence.

Stern action would be taken if anyone broke the law, he warned. l

Hartal ends amid sporadic violence n Kailash Sarkar

At least 100 people were injured across the country yesterday in sporadic violence, as the 18-party called 60-hour hartal came to an end.

The pickets torched and vandalised many vehicles and exploded over 100 crude bombs during the day, while police made at least 51 arrests.

Yesterday’s figures of violence put the 60-hour hartal’s total death toll at five, while around 700 people were injured.

Among yesterday’s incidents, at least 50 people were injured in a clash between Awami League and the BNP in Bahria Bazar area of Chandpur sadar upazila. The clashes ensued when a BNP procession met a counter-procession by ruling party activists. Awami League activists also allegedly set fire to the local BNP office.

Five Shibir activists were also arrested during a clash between Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir members and police in front of the Chandpur Government College. Police also detained four BNP pickets from the Chandpur-Kuchua

road.

In the capital, Jamaat-Shibir men allegedly set fire to an office of Sramik League in Demra, as well as locking horns with law enforcers in Gulshan, where at least 10 crude bombs were set off. At least eight people were injured in the clashes.

Earlier, three Shibir men were detained with Jihadi books and leaflets from a Shekhertek house in the capital.

Jubo Dal supporters allegedly attacked journalists and vandalised a media van in Badda.

Bombs were exploded in front of the Judge’s court building, Jagannath University, and the headquarters of both Awami League and the BNP. A Chhatra Dal activist named Abdul Kaiyum was picked up from in front of the Awami League office with two bombs, while a Jubo Dal leader named Mehedi Hasan Khokan, 32, was also arrested with two bombs at Mugda.

Sources at the police headquarters said a total of 156 people, including 76 in capital, were arrested, 26 vehicles were set ablaze, 52 were vandalized, while 28

policemen were injured during the 60hour hartal.

However, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that four activists of the 18-party alliance were killed, 6,000 were injured, 1,707 were arrested and 26,000 were accused in cases during the hartal.

Among other major incidents, train communication on the Dhaka-Chittagong route was disrupted for an hour, after pickets uprooted a railway slipper at Shilmun in Gazipur’s Tongi at around 6:15am. A bus was torched in front of Tongi fire station, another bus carrying garment workers was set ablaze at Manikganj’s Shivalaya upazila, while an auto-rickshaw was set on fire in Khulna.

Two Shibir men were injured in Bogra’s Dhunat upazila during an attack

by Awami League activists.

Elsewhere, eight pickets were arrested in Maulvibazar, and two Jamaat men were held at Paikgachha in Khulna.

A mobile court also awarded a picketer one year’s jail for picketing at Dharabarisha village in Gurudaspur upazila in Natore. l

Another spell of hartal on cards  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

IO dissatisfied at  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Police recover jihadi books, petrol, laptop, glass bottle, iron rods and a banner of Islami Chhatra Shibir from a flat in the capital’s Adabar yesterday. Three people were detained MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

named told the Dhaka Tribune that they might go for a rail-water road blockade.

“If we go for blockade programme we will avoid road blockade,” he said but did not explain the reason behind not blocking the road communication.

“We will launch a vigorous street campaign to force the government to realise the demands,” Sadeque Hossain Khoka, convener of Dhaka city unit BNP, told a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday.

However, neither Khoka nor any other senior leaders and stalwarts were seen on the streets especially in the capital during the two successive 60hour countrywide shutdowns.

“We cannot stand for a minute on the street as the law enforcers open fire on us. How can we bring out a

procession,” Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP, told the Dhaka Tribune.

After observing 60 hours of hartal, Fakhrul at a press briefing alleged the government was playing “hide- andseek” with the opposition.

“Election commission is yet to announce the election schedule. The government has not yet adopted a clear stance on the duration of the parliament session and the formation of the polls time government.”

Dialogue

Party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday told reporters: “We have not yet received a response of the letter sent to Syed Ashraful Islam but we hope the government will respond soon. We will wait until the last moment.”

He referred to the letter BNP sent to

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on October 22.

The BNP acting secretary general was speaking to journalists at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in the morning on the last day of the opposition’s 60-hour hartal.

About the allegations that BNP having a close tie with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was involved in the BDR Pilkhana killing, Fakhrul shrugged it off saying that these were “deliberate propaganda to divert people’s attention from the ongoing anti-government campaign.”

Blaming other political parties for their ties with foreign countries he said: “BNP has no foreign masters; it is a cooked-up story.”

The BNP leader said people were spontaneously participating in the shutdown for caretaker government.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Witness: Yusuf directed killing of my father

HALL-MARK SCAM

Money may be recovered through court cases: Muhith n Asif Showkat Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the Sonali Bank will recover the financial loss of Tk15bn from the Hall-mark scam through court cases against the accused.

The minister was speaking to journalists yesterday after meeting the newly appointed board of directors of the country’s largest state owned commercial bank Sonali Bank. Managing Director and CEO of Sonali Bank Pradip Kumar and Chairman of Sonali bank board Prof AHM Habibur Rahman also attended the meeting.

Pradip told reporters that the total liabilities of Hall-mark scam were Tk25bn but total wealth against the scam was Tk11.7bn. “We have taken different strategies to release the rest of the amount from Hall-mark Group,” he said.

Muhith said the newly-appointed the board of directors of Sonali Bank had asked him for two things: to not give Tk6bn for inland bill purchase of 26 private and state-owned commercial banks and to increase the interests on government bonds. He said there had been no decisions regarding the inland purchase bills as this matter was within the jurisdiction of Bangladesh Bank.

He also said they wanted assistance from the finance ministry regarding those issues and the Sonali Bank would financially benefit from a waiver of the amount Tk6bn.

“Sonali Bank gives 37 types of social services to the country’s people which the private commercial banks cannot do,” the minister said. He also said in most of the cases pensions of the Bangladesh armed forces were given from Sonali Bank without any service charge. l

Mild earthquake felt in Bangladesh n Abu Bakar Siddique A moderate earthquake jolted parts of northeastern Bangladesh yesterday, according to the Met office.

However, no casualty was reported till filing of the report.

The epicentre of the earthquake was at Barpathar in the Indian state of Assam, 389km northeast of Dhaka’s earthquake observatory.

Met officials in Dhaka said only mild tremors were felt in Dhaka and other parts of the country though the earthquake measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. This is the fourth earthquake in last four months that has occurred near the Bangladesh-India border. l

n Udisa Islam

An activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir hurls crude bomb from a procession targeting the people and the law enforcers at Laxmibazar, Old Dhaka yesterday

Gas shortages may hamper production in 34 under-construction power plants n Aminur Rahman Rasel Thirty-four gas-based power plants, whichare being built in the public and private sectors and scheduled to start productionby 2016, are likely to face primary fuel shortages due to lack of adequate gas supply,Power Development Board (PDB)officials said.

The new plants, with a total capacity of 5,372MW(megawatt), would require about 1,100mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) of gas for producing electricity.

Experts warned that the rate at which Petrobangla, the state-run oil, gas and mineral corporation, is exploring for newwells, it will not be able to meet the demandsof the power plants.

Unless fresh gas reserves are found and developed quickly, the new plants would not be able to go into production.

Moreover, the plants will have to depend on imported diesel and furnace oil, which will increase production costs.

At present, PDB buys a unit of electricity from a gas-based plant for less than Tk2, whereas per unit cost from a plant run on diesel or furnace oil isTk14-Tk17.

Meanwhile, a Petrobangla official Number of power plants

Capacity

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday said the Election Commission would seek army deployment for the upcoming parliamentary polls just as troops had been deployed during all previous general elections.

The commission will decide the matter after reviewing the situation ahead of the polls at a meeting with law enforcement agencies after announcing the polls schedule.

“Army has been deployed in all elections since 1973…We will seek army’s assistance this time, too,” the CEC told reporters at a briefing after a meeting of the commission at the EC Secretariat.

“It is not possible to maintain law and order in all 300 parliamentary constituencies with the police force and government security agencies…The number of voters and polling centres has also increased in the meantime,” he said.

Mihir Sarwar Morshed, deputy secretary at the EC, later told the Dhaka Tribune that the areas and period of army deployment would be fixed considering the prevailing situation as reported by the intelligence.

He pointed out that army had been deployed for five days during the fifth parliamentary elections.

Asked if he could hint a tentative timeframe of army deployment, he

said the commission usually did not disclose the matter.

“After the meeting with law enforcement agencies, the commission will decide – considering the situation – how many troops to deploy where and when,” he said.

Replying to a query at the briefing, CEC Rakibuddin said the Representation of People Order (RPO) was not required to seek army’s assistance as the force was not included in the RPO definition of law enforcement agency. The force was not defined as a law enforcement agency in the RPO before the 2008 national polls, yet it was used during those polls.

10 regional election offices receive 40,000 transparent ballot boxes today “Army was also not included in the definition of law enforcement agency during the Chittagong City Corporation elections, yet the commission took its assistance. The situation was comparatively good during the last two city polls, so the commission did not seek its deployment,” he said.

The CEC said as per the constitution and the RPO, the commission could seek assistance from any institution and that institution must provide the EC with the help sought. “The Election Commission will seek army’s assistance in advance, maintaining all procedures.”

Against a daily demand of 2,750mmcfd, Petrobangla is now able to supply 2,300mmcfd of gas, leaving a shortfall of 450mmcfd.

Despite adding500mmcfd to the national grid during the period,Petrobangla-

Expected year of production

Gas required

3

254 MW

2013

50 mmcfd

11v

1264 MW

2014

250 mmcfd

16

2594 MW

2015

520 mmcfd

4

1260 MW

2016

250 mmcfd

Total: 34

5372 MW

1070 mmcfd Source: Power Development Board

claimed thatthe PDB had signed contracts for the power projects without giving any assurances of gas supply.

The country has been facing gas shortagesfor the past five years, and the crisis is likely to continue as demand far exceeds supply.

EC will seek army in JS polls: CEC n Mohammad Zakaria

He said the election would be held as per the timeframe stipulated in the constitution, but the EC would wait “until the last moment within the constitutional timeframe” for a consensus among the political parties.

Rakibuddin said the matter of announcing the polls schedule would be decided at a meeting of the full commission. He said the dates would be fixed “giving all enough time.”

Referring to the EC’s request to the ministries of education, primary and mass education for completing all examinations by the first week of December, the CEC said the request had been made so teachers were free when the polls were held. “The commission heavily depends on the teachers for holding elections. We will have to train a large number of them in the election procedures,” Rakibuddin said.

About cancelling the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, he said the EC had received a copy of the full verdict on Jamaat’s registration. The EC would decide on the matter after going through the judgement.

Meanwhile, 10 regional election offices will receive 40,000 transparent ballot boxes and 1.2m locks and seals today. The election materials will be distributed at the Internal Container Depot at Kamalapur in the capital. District election offices already have 265,000 transparent ballot boxes from the previous elections. l

has failed to increase gas supply to cope with soaring demands, experts said.

Gas production lags behind target due to delays in drilling exploration wells and developing them. Also, no major gas reserves have been found in recent times.

A group of saboteurs had allegedly been trying to crash the high-tech information server belonging to Management Information System of Directorate General of Health Services. Several attempts have been made to wreck the server making them look like fire incidents within the last few months.

Around 11am on last Friday, the fire alarm went off from the main server

room of MIS. The security guards and other staff heard it and noticed smoke rising from there. The firemen were called and soon the smoke was quickly under control.

The DGHS officials were informed of the incident. DG Prof Dr Khondokar Md Sifayetullah visited the spot.

Under the direction of the DG, a three-member probe committee had been formed headed by Dr Subash Kumer Basu, additional director general (ad-

ministration). The two other members were Dr Md Shah Newaz, director (Administration) and officials of Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Seeking anonymity, several DGHS high-ups told the Dhaka Tribune that the MIS server was very sophisticated and well-equipped, which had stored all necessary information on digitalisation of health services.

A group of wreckers in collusion with a few evil-minded officials in the DGHS

“The gas demand is too high for us to meet, as our resources are limited.

Drilling for gas wells is a lengthy task.

If we find any problem while drilling, it takes more time to solve,” Petrobangla Chairman Hossain Monsursaid.

PDB Chairman Md Abdul WahabKhan said if Petrobanglafails to ensure gas supply, the newly-built power plantswill lie idle, incurring huge losses. Generally, a 100MWcapacity power plant requires Tk8bn-Tk9bn to construct.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Ijaz Hossain, a professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said: “Petrobangla failed to take any good initiative in the last five years, and we are not getting any proof that it would be able to offer anything better in the next three years to bring changes in the gas sector.”

“The electricity bill will not be minimised if we fail to build gas or coalbased power plants,” he added. l

Prosecution seeks death for Nizami n Udisa Islam

At the end of its argument session, the prosecution yesterday sought capital punishment for incumbent Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami as it could prove the allegations of crimes against humanity against the accused, also with the help of defence documents.

“Nizami was the ringleader of all the crimes that were committed during the Liberation War and we believe we have been able to prove all the charges against him. So the prosecution is seeking the highest punishment for Nizami,” Tureen Afroz told the three-member International Crimes Tribunal 1, led by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir.

Nizami was indicted on May 28 last year on 16 counts of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, arson and inciting violence in Pabna and Dhaka. During the war, he had been the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha, then students’ wing of Jamaat.

After a whole day argument, the tribunal asked the defence to start submitting their part of the closing arguments today. The senior defence counsels were not present at the court because of the shutdown enforced by the opposition.

On the fourth and final day of closing arguments by the prosecution, Tureen spoke on charges 11, 12, 13, and 14 that deal with the crime “incitement.” And she took the help of the documents that

Team formed to probe fire at MIS server of DGHS n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

MAHMUDOPU

A prosecution witness yesterday claimed some razakars killed his father upon the directives of Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf, who allegedly formed a razakar force that collaborated with the Pakistani occupation army during the 1971 Liberation War. AKM Shamsul Alam, 58, the third prosecution witness, told the International Crimes Tribunal 2 that Yusuf had instructed razakars to shoot some unarmed Hindus and one freedom fighter in Morolganj of Bagerhat. The razakars also abducted and tortured him.

Later, a junior defence lawyer started cross examining the witness as the conducting counsel was not present at the tribunal. As the cross-examination remained unfinished, the tribunal set today for further procedure of the case.

In his deposition, the witness said his father Dr Abdul Majid, who had been a physician, was targeted for helping the wounded freedom fighters during the war.

“In the afternoon on July 26, 1971, some razakars came to our house to capture my father upon instruction of Yusuf.

They took him to Panguchhi River and shot him.”

He added that before his father was killed, the collaborators had taken him to a razakar camp. A razakar named Moslem Maulana compelled him to promise that he would not help any freedom fighter.

The witness also told the tribunal about the killing of freedom fighter Abu Bakar on May 12, 1971. He had been wounded during an operation and took shelter at the house of local Ramzan Kazi.

Later, the collaborators caught him from that house and later killed him in the presence of the accused.” He added that the next morning, Bakar’s brother had sought permission from Yusuf for the body.

The witness said he and Bakar’s brother had taken the body from the razakar camp which was set up at the Roy’s House.

Witness Shamsul described a mass looting and arson in the shops at Morelganj local market, particularly those belonged to the Hindus. Around 300-400 shops were looted and burnt to ashes. He claimed that he had been hiding at the market place at that time.

The witness also told the tribunal Shanti Ranjan, Sanjeet Das, Barun Das along with Amar Das, Shankar Das and Pijush Kanti Ghorai were taken to Morolganj launch terminal and killed upon order from Yusuf. l

had been trying to sabotage the server.

An influential official had been transferred from the MIS section. He is a relative of an ex-scientist of ICDDR,B, said a source. Earlier a grade IV employee had also been transferred from there.

Another official asking not to be named told the Dhaka Tribune though a committee had been formed, MIS officials cleaned the server room prior to inquiry.

The DG hoped that the inquiry team would find out the reason of fire. l

the defence had submitted to rely upon.

Tureen said: “We are very grateful to the defence as they submitted these documents.”

Referring to an interview of Nizami published in news magazine Probe and the daily Times of India, exhibited by the defence, the prosecutor said: “In the interview, replying to a question why Jamaat did not apologise for its role in 1971, Nizami himself said, ‘Ghulam Azam, after getting back his citizenship, had addressed a rally at the northern gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and regretted for his party’s role in 1971.”

Tureen asked: “If they did not do any wrong, why were they sorry?” By praising the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army, the prosecutor said, Nizami in his series of public addresses (in Rangpur, Bogra, Rajshahi, Barguna and Barisal’s Bakerganj) had incited the audience to commit further offences. “And incitement has to realise with combined text and context. Nizami not only incited his men in Chhatra Sangha to commit all the heinous crimes against humanity, but he also praised the Pakistani occupation army for the same reason.”

In an audacious act of misinterpreting the religion, Nizami had compared Pakistan with Ka’aba Sharif, and asked all his men to take up arms to safeguard it, Tureen said, adding: “Nizami is very much intelligent...”

She also referred to Nizami’s speech at

a meeting organised in remembrance of Al Madani at the Islamic Academy Hall on August 22, 1971. “Nizami stated that taking revenge for Al Madani’s blood would only prove their respect for Al Madani.

By saying this, Nizami incited the minds of innocent people and members of Chhatra Sangha to go after and eliminate those who are struggling to free Bangladesh from Pakistani occupation, terming them as enemies of Pakistan.”

Another defence document, the daily Sangram – the mouthpiece of Jamaat showed Nizami had referred to the freedom fighters as “enemies of Islam” and asked his accomplices to wage a jihad (holy war) against them. Tureen cited Sura Tawba, where there is no chance to indentify Liberation War as jihad. “He tried to make the Liberation War a religious war.”

Quoting from an invitation letter to join the al-Badr force written by Chhatra Sangha leader Sirajul Islam Matlib to someone in Sylhet, Tureen said: “Matlib told the receiver that he was writing the letter upon the order of Nizami and mentioned that the people who would not join al-Badr will lose membership in Chhatra Sangha.”

After her submission, conducting prosecutor Mohammad Ali placed his argument on the depositions of four defence witnesses including Nazibur Rahman, son of Nizami. Ali said the witnesses had intentionally denied all the offences. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Now students demand resumption of classes at JU They threaten movement if teachers do not return to classes; teachers set to cut off utility connections at VC’s residence United Forum,” a day after issuing an teachers – and the JU Teachers’ Asso- chain in front of the VC’s residence de- formed a new platform to involve the the VC’s house as Prof Anwar Hossain n JU Correspondent entire JU family with our ‘oust-VC is not paying any heed to our demand.” manding resignation of Prof Anwar. ultimatum to Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr ciation.

On Tuesday, the teachers gave the ultimatum to the VC to resign from his post. But the VC refused to do so.

Over 500 agitating teachers and employees yesterday formed a human

A section of students at Jahangirnagar University under the banner of “Shocheton Shikkharthibrindo” staged a demonstration in front of the administrative building yesterday, demanding the resumption of classes and examinations.

Over 300 students joined the protest and chanted slogans against the ongoing teachers’ movement which has halted classes and examinations at the university since April 25.

The teachers have no right to make the students victim of their dirty politics, the students said.

“Although teachers have been observing work abstention for several months and boycotting classes and examinations, they did not stop drawing their salaries,” said Md Zakaria, a third year student of government and politics department.

“Our parents spend money for our study facing many difficulties but our academic life is being hampered as the classes and examinations are not held,” he added.

The students also vowed to launch a tougher movement, if the agitating teachers did not return to classrooms immediately to save the students from a session jam.

Meanwhile, the agitating teachers formed a combined platform “Teachers-Students and Officers-Employee’s

Anwar Hossain.

Earlier they were demonstrating under the banner of “General Teachers’ Forum” – backed by the previous VC who was ousted last year and pro-BNP

Hefazat, Tariqat call rallies on Nov 15 n Manik Miazee

Officials’ phone and internet bills raised

Islamist groups Hefazat-e-Islam and Bangladesh Tariqat Federation have chosen Shapla Chattar of Motijheel in the capital to hold rallies on November 15.

Nearly six months after holding a rally in the city’s busiest financial hub, radical Islamist group Hefazat declared the rally on November 2 to realise its 13-point demands and cancelling the Qawmi Madrasa Education Authority Bill, 2013.

Tariqat Federation announced the rally on November 3 with a call to resist Jamaat-Shibir and protesting “conspiracy of making the country a Taliban state.”

Party Chairman Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari told the Dhaka Tribune that they would hold the rally at any cost. He said they had to reschedule rallies three times this year.

“We have already submitted an application to the DMP for permission and hope that the government will allow us to hold the rally this time.”

He also claimed that the party had over 450 Sufi Pirs, around 1,400 shrines and more than 50m supporters.

Hefazat’s Dhaka unit Press Secretary Ahlullah Wasel told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had not submitted application to the DMP seeking permission for holding the rally. l

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

WEATHER

Dry weather likely n UNB Weather is likely to remain 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.

Night and day temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:16pm today and rises at 6:09am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 31.7 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday at Sandwip and lowest 16.1 degrees at Srimangal.

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

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

29.6 29.2 29.4 29.0 30.2 30.0 30.2 30.8

19.2 20.1 18.8 18.8 20.0 19.2 18.6 20.0

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:51am 6:07am 11:42am 3:40pm 5:16pm 6:33pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

In the evening, the newly-formed forum at a press conference announced that they had decided not to provide any facilities to the confined VC. Prof Kamrul Ahsan said: “We have

movement.’ The forum will hold its first assembly today.

“The forum has also decided to reduce different facilities [electricity, water supply, cable connection etc] to

Prof Anwar told the Dhaka Tribune: “The country has its law and no one is out of country’s law. Necessary steps would be taken according to law and university act if they do so.” l

Students demonstrate in front of the university’s administrative building urging the agitating teachers to call of strike while teachers continue agitation paralysing academic activities yesterday

Home telephone and internet allowances for senior government officials have been raised from this month to facilitate more use of digital technologies in official communications and better services to people.

The increase in the ceilings of monthly telephone and internet bills range from 46% to 111%. An official order, signed by public administration ministry’s Senior Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, was issued last week amending the residential telephone policy, 2004.

It says senior secretaries and secretaries will enjoy unlimited telephone and internet facilities at their residences.

Members of the Planning Commission, inspector general of police, chiefs of autonomous bodies, divisional and district commissioners, superintendents of police will also have the same privileges.

The home phone and internet bill ceiling for additional secretaries and joint secretaries has been raised from Tk1,800 to Tk3,800 per month, a 111% increase. This category includes members of National Board of Revenue, deputy attorney general, deputy divi-

sional commissioners and officials of the same level.

Deputy secretaries, personal secretaries of the ministers, judges, upazila nirbahi officers and officers-incharge will get Tk2,650 for telephone and internet bills per month, up from Tk1,500 earlier.

The increase in the ceilings of monthly telephone and internet bills range from 46% to 111%. Senior secretaries and secretaries will enjoy unlimited telephone and internet facilities The bill limit for senior assistant secretaries and others of the same grade has been raised to Tk1,950 from Tk1,200, while assistant secretaries will now get Tk1,425 for telephone and internet usages at home, which was fixed at Tk975.

“We hope the increases in bills will help the high officials of the government adopt more digital technologies, which will ensure transparency and faster services to the people,” Abdus Sobhan Sikder told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Bangladesh–India joint retreat ceremony start journey n Tribune Report Bangladesh and India launched joint retreat ceremony at the zero point between Benapole of Bangladesh and Petrapole of India yesterday.

Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir and his Indian counterpart Sushil Kumar Sambhajirao Sinde inaugurated the retreat with festive mood defying the 18-party alliance countrywide general strike, according to state news agency BSS. Both the ministers inaugurated the historic “joint retreat ceremony” by releasing pigeons, the symbol of peace, and laid foundation stone there.

Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Aziz Ahmed and Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) Subhash Joshi, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Bangladesh High Commissioners and Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi and Kolkata respectively and high officials of both the countries attended the function.

An official familiar with the process told BSS that the main objective of the ceremony is to create an “environment of friendship” through the common culture shared by both the countries.

With the formal ceremony, the official said border security forces of two neighbouring countries have joined hands to promote peace, harmony and mutual understanding between the people of two countries by involving in culture instead of

encouraging animosity.

According to BGB officials, hundreds of people from both the countries witnessed the march-past of the “joint retreat ceremony” followed by a cultural programme that included Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul songs, and recitations from poems of Jibananada Das as well as songs of Lalon Fakir.

Children from villages of both the countries performed dance at the programme.

In his speech, Home Minister Alamgir said the ceremony had created a new history in friendship between Bangladesh and India. He recalled India’s contribution to the war of independence, according to our correspondent.

The Indian minister said his country extended support in the war of liberation of Bangladesh in 1071. “India and Bangladesh must work together for the sake of development in future,” he added.

He said India and Bangladesh came closer by signing extradition treaty, understanding on curbing militancy and some other contexts.

After the opening session, the home ministers observed joint cultural programme named Mohona directed by Alokananda Roy of India. They also observed formal retreat ceremonial function participated by BGB and the BSF by downing the national flags of Bangladesh and India with the sounds of bugles.

Alamgir, in the briefing said the countries were trying to turn border killings into zero level. l

Bills on REB, Eelection Commission passed in JS n Kamran Reza Chowdhury Parliament yesterday enacted the Rural Electrification Board Bill, 2013 and the Election Commission Secretariat (amendment) Bill, 2013.

State Minister for Energy Enamul Haque tabled the first bill, which replaces the Rural Electrification Board Ordinance, 1977, promulgated by then president Ziaur Rahman.

In the absence of the main opposition, independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim opposed the passage of the bill without eliciting public opinion or scrutiny by a select committee.

His objections were rejected by a voice vote.

The house also passed the Election Commission Secretariat (amendment) Bill, 2013, reinstating a provision allowing the constitutional body to recruit its officers and staff.

The bill was introduced on Monday by Law Minister Shafique Ahmed, and sent to the relevant parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

NU teacher sent to jail for defaming PM n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday sent a National University teacher to jail in a defamation case filed against him for allegedly making derogatory comments about the prime minister and her family on Facebook.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Tarek Moinul Islam Bhuiyan passed the order, after AKM Wahiduzzaman appeared before the court and pleaded for a bail extension.

Defense counsel Md Sanaullah Miah mentioned in the plea that the case was filed under a section which was bailable, and that his client did not make any defamatory comments about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members.

The petitioner, who was filing cases in the name of Jononetri Parishad, is among some people who are trying to bring themselves in the limelight, the defense counsel said, as he had pleaded for a bail extension for the accused as the court could find the petitioner’s intention. However, the court rejected the plea and sent the accused to jail.

On October 11, Wahiduzzaman secured a one-month month bail from the High Court.

Earlier on August 22, Wahiduzzaman,

an assistant professor of the geography department at Gazipur’s National University, allegedly posted a defamatory comment on Facebook about Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul.

According to the case details, the NU teacher had allegedly posted a Facebook status that criticised the media’s portrayal of Sajeeb Wazed Joy as an “IT specialist” for only making several PowerPoint presentations, although Joy originally studied public administration. He also said the media portrayed Saima Wazed Putul as a “disability specialist” for rearing her own disabled offspring, and criticised the prime minister’s many degrees.

On October 8, AB Siddiqui, president of pro-Awami League Bangladesh Jononetri Parishad, lodged the defamation case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

On the same day, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against him.

Meanwhile, on April 23 last year, AB Siddiqui also filed a general diary against Hafizur Rahman Rana, a lecturer of mechanical engineering department of Buet, for issuing death threats to the prime minister on Facebook. On June 27, a Dhaka court sentenced Hafizur to seven years’ imprisonment. l

Bill passed to protect local products’ patent rights n Abu Bakar Siddique The country’s claims to its geographical indicative products – like hilsa fish, aroma chinigura rice, kanchagolla sweets – will be protected from now on after the country passed a law to protect its indigenous goods.

The bill titled Geographical Indicative Products (Registration and Protection) Act 2013 passed in the parliament on Tuesday, after being initially tabled

by Industries Minister Dilip Barua on October 27, with an aim to safeguard the patent rights of the country’s centuries-old indigenous products.

The act would protect the country’s claims to commodities such as hilsa fish, jamdani saree, nakshi kantha, pineapple, and fazli mango, said Jamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, registrar of the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT).

“Now we will formulate the necessary rules to make the newly formulated act functional, which will take three or four more months,” said Jamal, who will also oversee the implementation of the act.

According to the act, geographical indications (GI) is a sign which defines the source and contains the goodwill of a product that originated in a particular area, like hilsha from Padma, chamcham from Tangail and kanchagolla from Natore.

The objective of introducing the act was to protect the interest of the producers by using a particular sign through registering.

Earlier, Bangladesh formulated an ordinance named Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Ordinance 2008, which identified 66 products as the country’s GI products.

However, indigenous products like jamdani saree, fazli mango and nakshi kantha have already been registered as geographical indicative products of India.

According to the Geographical Indications Registry of India, nakshi kantha was registered as a GI product in 2008, while fazli mango and jamdani saree were registered in 2009.

The registry also said Uppada jamdani saree was a handicraft item produced in Andhra Pradesh state, nakshi kantha in West Bengal and fazli mango was grown in the Maldah district of West Bengal.

“The country has already lost its famous products like jamdani, nakshi kantha and fazli Mango because of not having the act in due time,” said Farida Akhter, director of Probortona, a company selling local handloom products.

However, Jamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury assured that India’s registration would not be a problem as the origin names of the products were different.

“India called its jamdani saree as Uppada jamdani and we the Bangladeshis call our jamdani as Dhakai jamdani; the Bangladeshi fazli mango will be Rajshahi fazli mango, while the Indian fazli mango is called Maldah fazli mango,” he added.

The initiative has been taken in line with the Agreement of Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

(TRIPS), which Bangladesh signed on January 1, 1995.

As per the act, a separate unit will be formed under the Department of Patent, Design and Trademark to operate on works related to the GI products.

The unit will conserve a detailed list of the GI products from across the country as a primary database of the local products.

To register a product, the association or the co-operative for a product will have to apply; no one individual can register a product, according to the act.

The validity of a particular registered geographical indication product will remain for five years. The producer would have to apply for re-registering after the validity expires.

Any person or organization will be punished with three years of imprisonment and Tk200,000 fine for producing, transporting, storing and selling of a particular geographical indication product by providing false and fabricated information.

Similar punishment will be charged for marketing of a particular registered product which had expired its validity, and for breaching the conditions of the registration as a geographically indicative product.

Meanwhile, the decision taken earlier this June by World Trade Organisation’s council for TRIPS to extend the transition period for the least developed countries for a further eight years until July 01, 2021 – will give the government some cushion to implement the GI law. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Law

5

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Why should one choose to arbitrate?

A speedy yet effective mode of dispute settlement

ASK YOUR ADVOCATE Question: I live in Dhaka with my family and work in a private company. The salary I receive is hardly enough for maintenance of my own family. My father is no more and my mother lives in our village home.

I have two brothers, one lives abroad and the other lives in our village home and he takes care of our mother. The one who lives abroad sends money every month to take care of our mother. I am aware of the law that has recently been passed which obliges children to spend a certain amount of their income for their parents.

Now, will I be liable under this law if I cannot afford to send money to my mother regularly? Mustakim Hossain, Mirpur, Dhaka.

Answer: Thank you for your question. As you are aware, the newly enacted law compels the children to take good care of their parents. There is no exception for people who cannot afford to spend money for their parents. However, if your mother exempts you from spending money for her, you will not be liable for that.

According to the Parent’s Care Act, 2013 the children will have to take necessary steps to look after their parents and provide them with food and shelter.

Each of the children will have to pay 10% of their total income regularly to their parents if they do not live with their parents. Moreover, children will have to meet their parents regularly if they live in separate residences. Furthermore, under no circumstances are children allowed to send their parents in old homes beyond their wishes.

The law also allows aggrieved parents to file cases against their children if they decline to support them. A first class magistrate court will settle issues related to the violation of the law. For reconciliation of any issues, local government representatives such as chairmen, members and others authorised by them will settle the disputes. The law has the provision of Tk2 lakh as fine and, in default, six months jail term for violation of the law.

Spouse or any relative, including the in-laws, will be considered as offenders and will be punished if they are proved to be guilty of having objected to such support. l Advised by: Advocate Yadnan Rafique Rossy, an associate of Amir and Amir Law Associates. He can be reached at yadnan.rossy@gmail.com.

BIGSTOCK

A

n Md Nasir Shikder

2

1

3

5

HUMOUR

People in general are not willing to publicise their private matter. Privacy and confidentiality are two important characteristics of arbitration proceedings. The tribunal members, the parties and their representatives are the only persons allowed to participate in the proceeding unless the parties and the tribunal decide otherwise.

As the arbitration is not a public trial, public has no right to attend an arbitration proceeding.

The usual rules of evidence and procedure applied in a lawsuit may be disregarded if the arbitral tribunal want.

If a dispute needs immediate solution the parties can choose a tribunal which can act promptly. In addition, the parties can also be represented by anyone of their choice as they are not bound by the rules restraining appearance of persons without particular legal qualifications.

The number of cases pending before the lower and higher judiciary has shown us the gruesome gridlock in judicial proceedings. In contrast the picture is different in arbitration proceedings. Arbitration proceedings can be more flexible in terms of time and course of action compared to that of court proceedings.

4 In this era of globalisation, agreements between nationals of different countries are inevitable.

Where parties to an agreement come from more than one country, arbitration instead of litigation is preferable in order to avoid conflict of laws issue.

6

Arbitration offers liberty in the choice of law, procedure and forum. The parties may agree upon the law and procedure of a third country or leave the matter to the tribunal. The parties have the opportunity to appoint an arbitrator from another country. Parties feel comfortable to do so because there will be less chances of partiality or unfairness in that case.

7

8 The procedures and tactics that apply in the arbitration proceedings are completely different from the complex legal procedures of the court. The arbitral tribunal has the sole jurisdiction to try matter at its own accord without availing the normal course of dispute settlement mechanism. However, in so doing the tribunal must not violate prevailing legal norms.

The writer is a lecture, Department of Law & Justice, Southeast University.

An arbitrator is different from a judge in another important respect. A judge is trained in law in order to decide legal issues. In arbitration proceedings the parties have the opportunity to appoint an arbitrator trained in other disciplines in order to decide other technical issues apart from law. For example, a party may appoint an engineer if the dispute is about construction material.

An arbitral award made by an arbitral tribunal pursuant to an arbitration agreement is final and binding on both the parties. An arbitral award is enforceable under the Code of Civil Procedure in the same manner as if it were a decree of a court. The law also recognises and provides mechanisms of enforcing a foreign arbitral award by the national courts.

A H Mamun/DT Infographic

CARTOON BY RIO SHUVO

s a means of resolving disputes outside of the court, the concept of arbitration in the form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has developed in Bangladesh in the recent past. Arbitration in Bangladesh is being governed by section 89B of the Code of Civil Procedure and Arbitration Act, 2001 which is based on UNCITRAL model law. The Act of 2001 will apply to all arbitrations in the country except those which may not be submitted to arbitration by virtue of any other law.

Arbitration is a process where the parties refer their disputes to a person or a group of persons who decides the disputes between or among the parties, and the parties agree to oblige the decision without intervention of the court. We can say it is an agreement to resolve the dispute without the aid of the court.

With all other means of resolving disputes available before the parties, why should they choose to arbitrate? A lawsuit may seem to be cheaper than the costs involved in arbitration because the professional fees of the arbitral tribunal and the expense of venue have to be borne by the parties of a dispute. After attending a couple of arbitration sessions as legal counsel I can say that there are many reasons why anyone should choose arbitration proceeding by overlooking the tawdriness of the court.

As no dispute settlement mechanism is perfect, it is necessary to mention the cons as well as pros of arbitration.

Expenses of arbitration proceedings in Bangladesh are, to some extent, higher in comparison to other modes of dispute resolution. Undeniably there is an extra cost in respect to the fees of the arbitral tribunal. Another difficulty in arbitral proceedings is the challenges made to the arbitration agreement or to an arbitrator.

The success of resolving disputes outside the court rest on the people’s participation in the various modes of alternative dispute settlement mechanism. And, people can only participate when they actually know the benefits of ADR. So, it is the duty of the government, judiciary and the lawyers to encourage people to participate in different kinds of dispute settlement mechanisms like arbitration and take immediate result without intervention of the court.

Advantages of arbitration for settlement of disputes

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Dhaka Tribune

A case against hartal n Law Desk

I

n the case of Khondaker Modarresh Elahi v The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (1999) the High Court Division of the Supreme Court issued a suo moto rule seeking explanation as to why call for and enforcement of hartal would not be declared illegal and a criminal offence. After hearing the case, the High Court Division delivered a verdict declaring that hartal is a political and constitutional right, but violence and coercion for or against hartal is a criminal offence.

The petitioner of the suit, a citizen of Bangladesh and a practising advocate in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, sought to protect his fundamental right and that of other citizens threatened to be violated by hartal on April 18, 1999 as in the past, and for a declaration that calling and the holding of hartal is unconstitutional and therefore illegal. While the Rule Nisi was pending, another hartal took place on May 11, 1999. The petitioner submitted additional supplementary affidavits giving further accounts of violent incidents.

From the petition and the affidavit-in-opposition the core questions which arose before the Court were whether: l The calling of hartal on April 18, 1999 was illegal l The calling and holding of hartal is illegal as it interferes with the petitioner’s and citizen’s right to work and pursue their occupation and trade, or l Whether hartal is a means of expression which is guaranteed by the Constitution The HCD observed that “call for hartal per se is not illegal but where any call for hartal is accompanied by threat it would amount to intimidation and the caller of hartal or

strike would be liable under the ordinary law of the land.”

The HCD further observed: “The calling for hartal and not accompanied by threat would only be an expression guaranteed as a fundamental right under the Constitution. But any attempt to enforce it or ensure that it is observed would make the call illegal and interfering with the individual right.”

‘This political issue should in all fairness be decided by the politicians themselves without unnecessarily burdening this Court to adjudicate something it is not empowered to’

Although the Court confirmed that calling a hartal cannot be declared illegal as a hartal is a democratic right, it also stressed that hartals should be observed peacefully – with no illegal activities or provocation on the side of those calling the hartal, or over-reaction and aggression by anti-hartal parties.

At the same time the HCD opined that any kind of provocation, instigation, intervention and aggression by anti-hartal activists to foil the hartal would also be unlawful.

In paragraph 51 of the judgment the HCD made its position clear stating, “hartal is a political issue. It is resorted to and supported by the parties in opposition while it is criticised and opposed by the party in power. So, the determination whether hartal is good or bad depends on the position held by the political parties. As such, this political issue should in

NASHIRUL ISLAM

all fairness be decided by the politicians themselves without unnecessarily burdening this Court to adjudicate something it is not empowered to.”

The decision of the High Court Division was appealed against. In the Appellate Division case called Abdul Mannan Bhuiya and others v the State and others (1999) the apex court delivered its judgment in December, 2007. The judgment had two dimensions.

Firstly, it upheld the HCD’s decision that hartal is a political and constitutional right. Secondly, it reversed HCD’s declaration that “violence and coercion for or against hartal is a criminal offence.”

This turnaround was based on a technical legal ground.

According to the court’s observation, offences have already been defined in the Penal Code and in the Code of Criminal Procedure. Furthermore, offence can be created only by a law, by an act of the Parliament and not by any legal pronouncement by any court.

Hence, the HCD had no authority in entering into the field of law-making and to declare the pro-hartal and anti-hartal activities as cognisable offences.

In paragraph 34 of the judgment, the Appellate Division observed: “We have no hesitation in holding that enforcing hartal by force leading to violence, death and damage to the life and property of the citizens is not only illegal but also liable to be detested and punished as per law of the land in existence. These are already cognizable offences under the Penal Code and other penal laws of the land.

But hartal or strike per se enforced through persuasion unaccompanied by threat, intimidation, force or violence is a democratically recognized right of the citizens guaranteed under the Constitution.” l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, November 7, 2013

City billboards showcase government’s successes again n Muhammad Zahidul Islam After the Awami League’s scheme of highlighting the current government’s successes on city billboards’ drew severe criticism, the government has apparently taken up a new technique of promoting itself on billboards.

Advertisements, promoting the achievements of several ministries under the Awami League government are now being brandished on billboards at key points of the city using, what officials said, public funds.

The Dhaka Tribune found dozens of these billboards put up by the communication ministry and ministry of LGRD and co-operatives at different places in the city.

Besides these, ministry of education, ministry of industries, foreign ministry, health ministry, planning ministry, science and technology ministry, information and communication technology ministry, jute and textiles and the ministry of defence were all found exhibiting the successesof the current governmenttenure.

Meanwhile, power, energy and mineral resources ministry and ministry of post and telecommunication have displayed their achievements on banners in front of their different offices in and outside the city.

Dhaka WASA, and the Export Promotion Bureau have also put up a good number of billboards. Billboard owners, however, gave mixed reactions over the advertisements.

Some of them claimed the government has spent a large amount of public funds just to demonstrate its successes while there have also been complaints of political musclemen in different area grabbing billboards worth millions.

The two billboards installed in Motijheel commercial area of the city show achievements of Ministry of Communication and local Government Engineering Department SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Hazi Md Rashed, general secretary of Bangladesh Outdoor Advertising Establishment Owners Association told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have no prob-

lem with what the government is doing. But the problem is that it inspired local ruling party leaders, who try to grab billboards by force.”

He said some of the owners had even received death threats when they resisted grabbing of their billboards.

“We think the situation might get

worse before the general elections,” Rashed said.

“It is a decision not taken by the party but the government to publicise

its successes through different media,” Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told the Dhaka Tribune.

“As we are accountable to the people we have chosen the billboard as a media to showcase our achievements,” he said.

Earlier on first week of August ruling party has occupied hundreds of billboards in the city to a campaigning technique that is unprecedented in Bangladesh.

The same trend was observed in Chittagong and divisional headquarters of Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barisal.

Education minister claimed that his ministry has rented only 15 billboards in the city, all of them from private business groups. However, he would not disclose the expenses.

The billboards were concentrated around some key spots in the capital like the Ruposhi Bangla intersection, and commercially important areas like Dilkusha, BijoySharani, Banani, Asad Gate, both sides of the newly-built Mayor Mohammad Hanif flyover.

Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud, also the publicity secretary of the ruling party said: “This time it was a government decision and our party is not involved in this matter.

Ministries have their own funds to publicise their successes.”

He also said: “If anyone hangs a billboard at an important place in the capital, it will take the attention of millions every day thus we have opted for billboards.”

Back in August the residents of Dhaka found that nearly all billboards in the city were literally covered with banners showcasing the successes of the present government claimed to have been achieved during its tenure. l

Freedom fighter advocate Rafiqul Alam Ratan dies n UNB

Kuet students on hunger strike

President for evaluating merit, innovation of youth

n Our Correspondent, Khulna

n BSS

A wounded freedom fighter and political activist, Advocate Rafiqul Alam Ratan died at a city hospital yesterday. He was 58.

Ratan was son of Abdul Ghoni and nephew of President Abdul Hamid. He was suffering from diabetes and kidney diseases.

Namaz-e-Janaza for the valiant freedom fighter will be held today after Zohr prayer at Bangabhaban.

President Abdul Hamid expressed his deep shock at the demise of Rafiqul Alam Ratan.

In message of condolence, the President recalled the courageous role of Ratan during the War of Liberation.

The President prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the members of the bereaved family. l

Some students of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) yesterday went on a hunger strike, demanding the resumption of classes at the university.

Around 119 students from the civil engineering department started the hunger strike in front of the main gate of administration office and demanded that the authorities take action immediately.

Teachers of Kuet are abstaining from work, since May 5, demanding the suspension of eight students, according to a decision taken by a committee of the university on May 4, earlier this year.

The crisis started when Johana Sharmin, a third year student of the department, complained against a teacher for harrasing her during the viva examination. Acting on the complaint, the university formed a committee to investigate

the matter and acting on its recommendation decided to suspend eight students, including Johana for three semesters.

The students approached the High Court against the decision taken by the university committee and the court issued a stay order on the suspension of the students.

Following the court order, the university did not implement the suspension order of the committee, prompting the teachers of the civil engneering department to stop work. They are demanding that the vice-chancellor of the university suspend the students and are accusing the VC of inaction against the erring students. Johana refused to comment on the matter.

The VC of Kuet, Prof Mohammad Alamgir, said: “This is an important matter for the teachers, we are trying to solve the problem. I think the teachers will resume classes within few days. l

President Abdul Hamid yesterday called upon both the public and private sectors to step forward for evaluating merit and innovation of the country’s youth to check the brain drain.

“They (youth) go abroad as they don’t get evaluation of merit in the country. I urge both the public and private sectors to come forward for evaluating merit of these talented youths through implementing their innovations,” he said.

The president was inaugurating the ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation Expo’ at a city hotel yesterday. The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the cooperation of Bangladesh Bank has taken initiative to create 2000 entrepreneurs across the country through the expo.

Governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr

Atiur Rahman, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, DCCI president Md Sabur Khan and President of American Chamber of Commerce Aftab Ul Islam addressed the programme.

President Abdul Hamid laid emphasis on establishing an Entrepreneurs Development University under the joint initiative of government and private sectors to create more dynamic and professional entrepreneurs.

“Most of the new ideas of innovations come through the endeavor of various educational institutions in many developed countries. But teachers and students in our country don’t feel inspired to involve themselves in new and innovative activities due to lack of necessary sponsorship,” he said.

The president said it is unfortunate but true that no step has so far been

taken for formulating specific education curriculum for developing entrepreneurs and building proper business leadership in the country. “It is urgent to formulate pro- entrepreneur’s education policy and education curriculum for creating new and successful entrepreneurs,” the president observed.

President Abdul Hamid urged the industrial organisations to work intensively with the educational institutes in this regard so that meritorious youths, who will lead the country in the future, can utilise their merits to expedite industrialisation in the country.

The president said rate of unemployment is comparatively more in our country and moreover several lakhs of potential youths have been entering the job market every year. It is not possible to create employment opportunities for these huge human resources only through generating jobs, he said. l

Relocation of Hazaribagh tanneries by end next year 102 migrant workers

return from KSA

n Tribune Report

The process of relocating tannery factories from the city’s Hazaribagh area to Savar’s Hemayetpur is likely to be complete by December next year.

Industries Minister Dilip Barua told the BSS that the government would consider ensuring all facilities for the factory owners, “if the tannery industry is relocated by December 2014 in line with a tripartite agreement struck recently.”

He said the government was giving importance to green industrialisation.

“So, it has undertaken the Tk10.8bn project to develop an environmentfriendly tannery zone and stop pollution of the Buriganga river,” he said.

Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (Bscic) Project Director Anisul Haq Bhuiyan said the 205 plots had already been distributed among 155 tanners who were operating in Hazaribagh.

The move to relocate tanneries from the capital to Savar has remained suspended for a decade, due to disagreements between the authorities and tannery owners over who should bear the cost of the move.

A recent report published by Zurichbased Green Cross Switzerland and New York-based Blacksmith Institute ranked Hazaribagh as the fifth most polluted place on earth, exposing at least 160,000 people to pollution due to the presence of toxic chemicals, mainly chromium.

On October 13, the MoU was inked between Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Bangladesh Tanners’ Association (BTA) and Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLFEA) signed the MoU. As per the agreement, the govern-

n Rabiul Islam A total of 102 migrant workers returned to Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, two days after an amnesty ended and a day after the authorities started drives to deport illegal foreign worker from the oil-reach country.

Earlier, officials at the Bangladesh embassy in the kingdom hinted that several thousand Bangladeshi migrant workers would return home, said a senior official at Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

Whether any Bangladeshi national has been arrested or not during the

drive, could not be known immediately, but Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia, reported that thousands of workers had been detained.

Efforts were made to talk to officials at Bangladesh embassy in KSA, but they were not available for comment.

Earlier, officials of BMET claimed that 750,000 Bangladeshis have been benefited from the amnesty.

Around 400,000 illegal Bangladeshis were legalised while 350,000 migrants have been benefited in various ways, including from changing professions. l

Another held in cop killing case in Chittagong An aerial view of Hazaribagh tannery which is ranked as one of the top 10 polluted places on earth by Zurich-based Green Cross Switzerland and New York-based Blacksmith Institute SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN ment will offer a compensation package worth Tk2.5bn to 155 factories and assign Tk6.39bn for the installation of the central water treatment plant (CETP) – a must for red-category factories discharging toxic chemicals.

Establishment of infrastructures at the 200-acre tannery estate on the bank of river Dhaleshwari at Harindhara village of Tetuljhora in Savar is nearly complete. The plots have been prepared while construction of roads, Bscic Bhaban, police outpost, CETP

and a power plant are underway.

Khandaker Shaukat Ali Khan, who is working at the CETP, said construction of the plant was complete. “It is now waiting for power connection.” The plant will supply about 900,000 litres of water in the tannery zone per hour.

The plant will treat 2.5m tonnes of industrial refuse daily. It is being built by a Chinese company.

M Abu Taher, chairman of BFLLFEA, said they would try to relocate the tanneries by December next year.

BTA President Shahin Ahmed said as per the agreement with the government, the issue of releasing compensation money for the factory owners was related to the relocation process.

After a public interest litigation was lodged, the High Court in June 2009 asked the government to relocate the tanneries from Dhaka to a proposed leather estate at Harindhara, Savar by February 28, 2010 or face shutdowns.

The government has repeatedly sought more time. l

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Police arrested another accused yesterday afternoon in a case filed in connection with the killing of a police constable, who was deployed at the bungalow of Chittagong range’s deputy inspector general.

Babul Akhter, additional deputy commissioner at the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, told Dhaka Tribune that acting on a tip-off, they nabbed accused Mintu Das from the city’s DC Hill area around 1pm.

He said they had also recovered the machete, which was used in the kill-

ing, from a residence in the port city’s Baghmoniram area around 2pm.

Earlier on Tuesday, police arrested an accused Sohel in the same case from the city. Police constable Md Abdul Kaiyum was hacked to death in the city’s Batali Hill area on Sunday, and three other police constables:-Md Salauddin, Ariful Islam and Md Shahabuddin -were also injured.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Asaduzzaman, guard-in-charge of DIG bungalow, lodged a case with Khulshi police station accusing 11 named persons and at least seven unnamed individuals in connection with the killing. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

7

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Price hike offers little solace for poor Two college girls commit suicide

Claims made that prices are rising due to creation of artificial supply crisis “I tutor in the evenings to supple- prices of almost all essentials had risen village, a rickshaw-puller. n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi of Kawriapara n UNB “I need at least 3kg rice per day; ment my regular income. But with win- beyond government-fixed amounts.

Soaring prices of essential commodities have left Narsingdi’s low-income earners with few alternatives, as the district was hit by a double whammy of dry spells in business and consequent price increases.

Prices of almost all essentials have increased in all six upazilas of the district, and those with inadequate incomes are finding it hard to reconcile the gulf between their expectations and the reality.

This correspondent interviewed a number of individuals linked to different low-income professions and found almost similar reactions from all of them.

“I earn between Tk350 and Tk400 daily, and with the prices rising almost every day, it has become quite difficult for me to run my family,” said Hazrat Ali

plus, there are other things to buy that are required by a family. None of these come a dime a dozen these days.

“So I had to cut our food budget, finding no other alternatives.”

Abul Kashem, another rickshaw-puller, said the existing political turmoil in the country and successive strikes enforced by the opposition made a big dent in his monthly earnings.

“And things went from bad to worse with the price increases of essentials, including rice and vegetables. Since my income hasn’t increased a bit, how can I cope with the increased prices of these things?” he added.

Abdul Bari, a high school teacher in Narsingdi town, said he earned Tk12,000 monthly but had a monthly expenditure of around Tk15,000.

Bumper production of sugarcane expected in Rangpur zone n Tribune Desk A bumper production of sugarcane is expected at the eight sub-zones of Rangpur Sugar Mills Limited (RSML) as the sugarcane saplings have grown well in the fields.

Around 5,500 farmers of the subzones have cultivated sugarcane on a total of 7,040 acres of land, officials said.

To run the mill properly and to turn it into a profitable firm in near future, the authorities concerned took many initiatives including high quality seed distribution, subsidy, and loan disbursement on easy terms for the growers Zinnat Ali Prodhan, president of Sugarcane Growers’ Association of the mill, said favourable climatic condition, timely supply of high quality seed, fertilisers, and insecticides and other agri-inputs and proper disbursement of subsidy and agri-loan to the growers were the main reasons behind the expectation of a bumper production,

Garage worker burnt alive in Jhenaidah n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah An employee of a motor garage was burnt alive, while he was working on an oil tanker in Paglakanai area in Jhenaidah town yesterday afternoon.

Bablu Mia, 42, of Barakamarkundu village in Jhenaidah sadar upazila, sustained severe burn injuries.

He was taken to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital where on-duty doctor declared him dead. l

reports BSS. Though the RSML went to sugar production every year, it was not operated as per expected time due to lack of supply of required quantity of sugarcane from the mill zone areas, causing losses for years.

To run the mill properly and to turn it into a profitable firm in near future, the authorities concerned took many initiatives including high quality seed distribution, subsidy, and loan disbursement on easy terms for the growers.

Besides, officials and staff of the mill conducted different motivational and monitoring programmes for the farmers of the mill zones during the plantation season to bring more land under sugarcane farming to attain the goal.

According to sources, over 1,500 acres of land were brought under sugarcane cultivation in the 2012-13 plantation season compared to the previous season and it was possible due to the pragmatic measures taken by the mill authorities.

Managing Director of the RSML Abdul Khaleque said around 125,700 tonnes of yields might be produced. l

ter coming, there are warm clothes to buy for my family, and if prices jump any further, I am going to be in a fix for sure.”

Abdur Rahim, a third-class government employee, is facing a similar condition with a bare subsistence-level income and said he had been struggling to meet ends meet.

“It has become very difficult for me to run my family against the backdrop of increased prices. I have to spend Tk5,000 as house rent. There are utility bills, tuition fees of my children, everyday essentials and other expenses.

“I had to drastically reduce my expenditure because of the market situation.”

This correspondent visited a number of bazars in the district town, including Bara-Bazar, Natun Bazar, UMC Bazar and Bhelanagar bazar, and found that

Two college-going girls allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves from ceiling fans in separate incidents in Satkhira in Chittagong.

The deceased are Arifa Khatun Juli,22, a second-year honours student at Government City College in Chittagong, and Rahima Khatun, 18, an HSC first year student at Satkhira Simanta Adarsha College of Mahmud village at Satkhira sadar upazila.

Mirza Zahir, sub-inspector of Chittagong Sadarghat police station, said when Juli’s mother went to her daughter’s room yesterday morning around 9:30am, she found the body of her daughter hanging from a ceiling fan.

Juli’s family members believed she might have committed suicide, but

ISHWARDI CHILDREN DEFY HARTAL

Two children play in the road in Ishwardi town yesterday, the last day of 60-hour countrywide hartal

FOCUS BANGLA

1 killed, 15 hurt in clash RCC elects three panel mayors n UNB A man was killed and 15 others were injured in a clash over toll collection and establishing dominion in Ranihati Bazar area of Shibganj upazila on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Kafiluddin.

District Police Super Bashir Ahmed said a group of miscreants swooped on Kafiluddin and hit him with lethal weapons inside the Ranihati Bazar toll counter around 7:30pm, leaving him dead on the spot.

The miscreants also exploded several crude bombs during the attack, injuring 15 people.

Among the injured, Channu and Mosidul Haque Babu were rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

Officer in charge of Shibganj police station Mizanur Rahman said the attack might have been made as a sequel of previous enmity.

Additional police members were deployed in the area to fend off further trouble. l

Harvest of short duration paddy ends in northern districts

n Tribune Report

The present council of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has elected three panel mayors and chairpersons for 22 standing committees, from among the 40 elected councilors, including 10 from the seats reserved for women.

The election was held in the second general meeting of the council, with RCC Mayor Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul in the chair on Tuesday afternoon.

The elected panel mayors are: Anwarul Amin Azab, NuruzzamanTitu and NurunNahar Begum.

23 BNP, Jamaat men charge sheeted in Bogra

n Tribune Desk The farmers have completed harvest of the short duration Aman paddy in the northern districts to get bumper production combating the seasonal lean period.

The harvest began in the last week of September and continued till November 1, said sources at Department of Agriculture Extension.

The DAE sources said the farmers had got good yield rate of 4.5 tonnes paddy per hectare on average after completing harvest this season.

Farmers of northern districts have already started cultivation of Robi crops, including potato, creating working opportunities for farm and day labourers.

Meanwhile, the newly harvested short duration variety BINA dhan 7, BRRI dhan 33, BRRI dhan 39, BRRI dhan 56, BRRI dhan 57, BRRI dhan 46 and other short duration hybrid variety rice has already appeared in the local markets, reports BSS. According to the DAE sources, the farmers had cultivated these short duration paddies on 172,690 hectares of land.

Farmers – Lokman Hossain, Arifur Rahman, Abidur Rahman, Kalam Hosain, Shachindra Nath, Halimuzzaman and

Low-quality rice is selling at Tk3536 per kg, medium-quality rice selling at Tk40 and fine-quality rice at Tk45.

Each kilogram of domestic onions is selling at Tk95 while those imported selling at Tk90.

The prices of all kinds of cooking oil have risen, as have prices of vegetables.

The onset of winter, the usual season for vegetables, has brought little relief for low-income consumers.

There are allegations that prices are rising due to tbe creation of an artificial crisis in the supply of commodities. Unscrupulous traders have been blamed for the crisis and resultant price hikes.

Local people urged the government to take immediate steps to contain price rates and ensure smooth flow of commodities in the market. l

did not disclose any reason behind the incident.

In a separate incident, unable to bear the shame of sexual harassment by a local young man, a college girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in Satkhira on Monday night, UNB reports.

The deceased’s cousin Abdul Majed said Rahima committed suicide in her room by hanging herself with a scarf from the ceiling at night.

According to Majed, Rahima was forced to take the step as she could not bear the trauma of being harassed by the indecent comments made to her, by a local boy, while she was on her way to and for from the college. She had been putting up with the nuisance a long time. Both the bodies were sent to hospital for post-mortem in their respective towns. l

n

Farmers trash paddy at courtyard at a Thakugoan village yesterday Kafil Uddin said they got 4.8 tonnes paddy per hectare on an average this year.

Renowned rice scientist and Associate Director Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr M A Mazid said expanded farming of short duration Aman paddy had brought revolutionary success in combating ‘monga’ in recent years.

Executive Director of Northbengal Institutive of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said early harvest of the short duration paddy assisted the poor in overcoming the seasonal ‘monga’ that has already disappeared

FOCUS BANGLA

five years ago.

“There is no monga for the fifth consecutive time this season following expanded farming of short duration paddy with early harvest side by side with the government’s massive social safety net programmes in the northern districts,” she added.

Additional Director of the DAE Sikander Ali said the farmers were getting more profits through farming shot duration paddy and subsequent cultivation of early winter vegetables, potato, mug, maize, mustard etc on the same land, increasing crops production. l

Our Correspondent, Bogra

Police filed a charge sheet against 23 members of BNP, Jamaat-e Islam and Chhatra Shibir for their alleged involvement in torching Bogra railway station and destroying properties in Bogra’s Gabtali Ar Kahalu upazila during unrest in March.

The charge sheet was filed on the basis of three cases lodged by railway officials Benjurul Islam and Afzal Hossain centering the unrest over a rumour regarding Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee’s image being visible in the moon on March 3.

Bogra G.R.P outpost Sub-Inspector Bimal Kumar said: “The charge sheet was filed against 23 people including Bogra district Jamaat ameer Professor Shahabuddin’s son Hadi Ibne Sihab and BNP leader Polin.”

Earlier on October 9, police filed a charge sheet against 36 Jamaat-e Islam and Chhatra Shibir members for their alleged involvement in the killing of a night guard in Bogra, during an unrest in Mokatola union over the same rumour. l

“I want to be a servant, not stay as the city father. My door will remain open for all so that no one can say that the corporation did not listen to them,” Mayor Bulbul said while addressing the general meeting.

He urged the newly elected panel mayors and standing committee chairpersons to work together for fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the city dwellers and to develop Rajshahi as a model city, reports BSS. “Creating employment opportunities will be one of my major tasks,” said the mayor.

Seeking cooperation of all, irrespective of their political affiliations and ideologies, he said: “It will be one of my biggest challenges to create jobs for the unemployed youth of the city.”

The mayor cited drug abuse as a major concern of the city dwellers and said: “I would do whatever it takes to control the menace.”

RCC Chief Executive Officer Ajahar Ali, Secretary AKM Masuduzzaman and some of the panel mayors and standing committee chairpersons also spoke on the occasion. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Two killed in Mymensingh Two youths were found dead on the bank of Kongsha River in Dhubaura upazila, Mymensingh, on Tuesday night.

The victims were Sumon Miah, 25, and Rafiqul Islam Rabi, of Tangati village in Dhubaura. The bodies bore marks of injuries, said the police. Abdul Haque, officer-in-charge of Dhubaura police station, said both Sumon and Rabi were allegedly involved in criminal activities in the locality and they might have been killed over an intra-gang feud. They were hacked with sharp weapons and the miscreants left the body on the bank of Kongsha, said the OC. On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies at 9:30am yesterday.

The bodies were sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for post mortem examination. None was arrested regarding the murders. – Our correspondent

Eight Chhatra Dal, Shibir men held in Moulvibazar Police arrested eight activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir from Chadnighat area of the district town on Tuesday for their suspected subversion attempt. The arrestees include four activists of Chhatra Dal, associate body of BNP for students, and four of Shibir, student front of Bangla-

desh Jamaat-e-Islami. M Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Moulvibazar Model police station, said a team of police arrested the eight at noon on suspicion of subversion. – UNB

Housewife attempts to commit suicide in Moulvibazar A housewife attempt to commit suicide with her three children by jumping in front of the running train at Vanugas railway station under Sadar upazila of the district on Tuesday. She was identified as Gulshan Begum, 32, wife of one expatriate Jamir Miah of Kathalkandi village under Kamalganj upazila of the district. Being informed, UNO Jahidul Islam rushed to the spot and rescued them and admitted to upazila health complex. A case was filed in this regard. BSS

Jamaat Ameer held in Netrakona Police arrested Barhatta upazila Jamaat Ameer Nazmul Haque on Tuesday on charges of his involvement in terrorist and subversive activities during the hartal called by BNP led 18-party alliance. Police said a team of police from Barhatta Thana arrested him from Monash Bazar area under the upazila. Officer-in-charge of the Thana Sultan Mahmud said Nazmul was wanted with Barhatta Thana in connection with several criminal cases. BSS

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Thursday, November 7, 2013

US senate panel US sceptical over Syria chemical declaration: envoy approves intelligence authorisation bill n

Indonesia says reported US, Australia spying damaged trust

n AFP, Jakarta

AFP, United Nations

The United States is sceptical about Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons to an international watchdog and is still checking its accuracy, a top US envoy said Tuesday.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to destroy all his banned chemical arms by mid-2014 as part of a Russia-US deal that headed off the threat of a US military strike.

Samantha Power, Washington’s envoy to the United Nations, said experience dealing with Assad has led to US “scepticism.”

Other Western envoys say their countries also have strong doubts about a 700-page declaration of Syria’s chemical weapons sites and arms made to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Damascus has also met a deadline to destroy its chemical and weapons production facilities and been praised for its cooperation by international inspectors.

But “more work of course remains to be done to ensure that the Syrian government’s list of declared sites is comprehensive and that the process remains on track, particularly as we enter the destruction phase,” Power said.

n Reuters, Washington

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power American experts are still studying the “extremely technical” Syrian document, Power told reporters after UN Security Council consultations on Syria’s chemical weapons.

“We obviously bring scepticism born of years of dealing with this regime, years of obfuscation in other contexts, and of course a lot of broken promises within the context of this current war,” Power said.

REUTERS

“You will certainly hear from us in the event that we detect non-compliance or we detect significant discrepancies.”

Other US officials said Washington is concerned that the Assad government could try to retain some of its stockpiles.

But the officials said the US administration has full confidence in OPCW inspectors and any Syrian breach of its obligations would be dealt with “through diplomatic channels.” l

A US Senate panel approved its annual authorisation of funding for intelligence operations on Tuesday, including measures to increase spy agencies’ ability to prevent leaks of classified information like those by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

The US Senate Intelligence Committee voted 13-2 to approve the 2014 Intelligence Authorisation Act, which authorises intelligence funding to counter terrorist threats, prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and conduct covert actions around the world.

Concern about surveillance – and privacy – has been growing since Snowden began leaking information in June that the government collected far more internet and telephone data – both within the United States and abroad – than previously known.

Among other things, the authorisation act would give the director of national intelligence the power to improve the government’s ability to investigate – and reinvestigate – individ-

uals who have security clearances, like Snowden, and their access to classified information.

The bill also adds funds to deploy information technology detection systems across the intelligence community, after US government agencies fell behind in installing such software to stop leaks of secret information.

Reuters reported in October that the NSA failed to install the most upto-date anti-leak software at its Hawaii operations centre before Snowden went to work there and downloaded tens of thousands of highly classified documents.

The bill would also would make the director and inspector general of the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office subject to presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.

The authorisation bill passed by the Senate Intelligence panel on Tuesday faces several hurdles before becoming law. It must pass the full Senate and be reconciled with the House of Representatives’ version of the legislation, which has not yet been approved by the House Intelligence Committee. l

Gaza jihadists take Israel slams Palestinians as US bids to rescue peace talks their fight to Syria n AFP, Jerusalem n AFP, Gaza City Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NeWhen Mohammed al-Zaanin blew himself up in a suicide attack in Syria, the 23-year-old Palestinian joined the ranks of a growing band of Gazans who have died fighting the Damascus regime.

Zaanin was a member of a Salafist Islamist group in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, and his flight to war-torn Syria represents the mix of frustration and zeal that have seen more than two dozen young men leave in search of jihad, local militants say.

Salafists in Gaza marked his death by putting up a large placard hailing him as “a martyr of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL) – a jihadist group affiliated to al-Qaeda fighting in Syria.

Zaanin left Gaza in June, apparently on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, but only in September did his family realise he was in Syria.

Abu Abdallah al-Maqdisi, a prominent Salafist leader in Gaza, puts the number of Gazan jihadists to have travelled to Syria at “around 27, some of whom have returned and some who’ve been martyred. Following a November 2012 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which ended a bloody eightday conflict, the Islamist movement’s security forces have been patrolling the strip to stop rogue militant groups firing rockets over the border. l

tanyahu on Wednesday accused Palestinians of creating “artificial crises” during talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is striving to rescue the fragile peace process.

Kerry’s arrival in the region late Tuesday for meetings with both sides comes amid growing indications the US-brokered peace talks that resumed in late July are on the brink of collapse.

Palestinian negotiators, incensed

by Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, have threatened to quit the talks, which despite three months of secretive meetings have produced no sign of an agreement.

Netanyahu played down the Palestinian concerns at a meeting with Kerry in Jerusalem, accusing them of avoiding tough decisions and calling on the US to get the negotiations back on track.

“I am concerned about progress because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitements, to create artificial crises ... and run away from historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace,” he told Kerry, according to a statement from his office.

The top US diplomat voiced confidence the two sides could reach the peace deal that has eluded them for decades if they were prepared to “make

Lieberman acquitted of corruption charges n Reuters, Jerusalem Former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was acquitted of corruption charges on Wednesday, a verdict that paves the way for the far-right politician to return to the post.

Lieberman’s ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party is allied with the rightwing Likud of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who kept open the foreign ministry portfolio for him while the trial was under way.

A Jerusalem court decided unanimously to acquit Lieberman, who had been charged with fraud and breach of trust over allegations he gave an Israeli diplomat an ambassador’s post in exchange for a tip-off about a police probe into his affairs.

“This chapter is now behind me,” Li-

eberman told reporters in brief remarks outside the courthouse.

Prosecutors said they were weighing whether to appeal.

Lieberman has been outspokenly sceptical of US-backed peace talks with the Palestinians, which resumed in July after a three-year impasse, saying that he thought any permanent deal “impossible.”

His party has grown into one of Israel’s largest political forces on the strength of votes from Lieberman’s fellow immigrants from former Soviet republics.

Lieberman is the latest in a string of Israeli politicians to have faced corruption charges in the past few years.

Ehud Olmert resigned as prime minister in 2008 after being indicted. He has since been acquitted of most of the charges against him. l

Former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (C) wears a prayer shawl as he arrives in Jerusalem’s Old City REUTERS

A Palestinian boy poses inside the frame of a broken television outside his house in al-Shatee refugee camp in Gaza City real compromises and hard decisions.”

“There are always difficulties, always tensions. I am very confident of our ability to work through them,” he

told reporters after the meeting.

In a symbolic gesture, Kerry’s first stop on landing on Tuesday evening was to visit the Tel Aviv square where

AFP

the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was gunned down 18 years ago by a rightwing Israeli opposed to the peace talks. l

Indonesia said Wednesday that reported spying by the Australian and the US embassies had “hurt our trust” and it would review how it shares information with both countries.

The news came as a senior Indonesian MP demanded that the top Australian and American diplomats in the country, who have already been summoned over the spying allegations, face questions from lawmakers about the affair.

The espionage controversy spread to Asia last week after reports that US missions across the region were being used for clandestine surveillance, and that Australian embassies and consulates were also involved.

On Monday Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa ratcheted up the angry rhetoric, declaring “enough is enough” and suggesting the controversy could affect cooperation between Jakarta and Canberra.

And on Wednesday the government went a step further, saying the reports had “hurt our trust” in Washington and Canberra and it would now look at how it cooperates with both.

“As a sovereign state, Indonesia has a formal framework for cooperation with the countries in question,” said presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha. l

Findings of Arafat death probe handed to Palestinians n AFP, Ramallah Palestinian authorities have received the reports of Swiss and Russian forensic investigations into the 2004 death of Yasser Arafat, an official said Tuesday, without disclosing the findings.

“The report was delivered” by the Swiss laboratory, Tawfiq Tirawi, who heads the Palestinian investigation into Arafat’s death, told AFP. When contacted, the Swiss lab declined to comment on the matter.

Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said that a Russian team appointed by the Palestinian Authority also handed in its report on November 2 and that its conclusions would be made public in due course.

Some 60 samples were taken from the remains of the late Palestinian leader in November last year for a probe into whether he was poisoned by polonium.

The samples were divided between the Swiss and Russian investigators and a French team carrying out a probe at the request of Arafat’s widow Suha.

Arafat died in hospital in France on November 11, 2004 at the age of 75, but doctors were unable to specify the cause of death. l

NSA reporter’s partner challenges British detention n

Reuters, London

The partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald, who brought leaks from former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden to world attention, went to court on Wednesday to challenge the legality of his detention by British police in August.

David Miranda was held under anti-terrorism legislation and questioned for nine hours when he landed at London’s Heathrow Airport en route from Berlin to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

After his return to Rio, Miranda filed

Russia no-show at court hearing on Greenpeace ship

n AP, Berlin

Russia has failed to appear before an international court that is hearing a Dutch bid to force the release of the Greenpeace protest ship Arctic Sunrise and the activists who were on board her.

Russia announced last month that it does not accept the arbitration procedure before the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. A representative for the Netherlands, Liesbeth Lijnzaad, urged the court Wednesday to proceed with the case despite Russia’s absence.

The 28 Greenpeace activists, a Russian photographer and a British videographer have been held since the Arctic Sunrise was seized by the Russian coast guard after a protest near a Gazprom-owned oil rig on Sept 18.

The tribunal handles disputes related to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. l

a suit seeking the return of materials seized from him by British authorities and a High Court review of the basis for his detention.

Snowden’s revelations about the extent of electronic surveillance by the United States and its allies, sometimes of each other, have embarrassed those countries but also, according to the governments, given valuable information to enemies.

British authorities have said that items seized from Miranda included electronic media containing 58,000 documents from the US National Se-

curity Agency, Snowden’s former employer, and from its British counterpart, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

Arguing that Britain had misused anti-terrorism laws to detain Miranda, he and Greenwald said in statements submitted to the High Court that Britain wrongly equated journalism with terrorism and improperly confiscated journalistic material.

“Responsible publication of sensitive material is not an act of terrorism. And those involved in such work - the journalists and those who assist

them - are not involved in terrorist activity,” Greenwald said in his statement.

“It is irrational to suggest that sensitive material in the hands of responsible journalists and their staff should be equated with sensitive material in the hands of terrorists,” he added.

Miranda said he believed the British authorities had long planned to stop him, with the aim of viewing the material obtained from Snowden.

Miranda’s lawyers who failed to stop the government examining the data seized after Miranda’s detention. l

WORLD WATCH Saudi beheads Pakistani drug trafficker

Saudi authorities beheaded a Pakistani man Wednesday in the eastern Qatif province after he was convicted of drug trafficking in the kingdom, the interior ministry announced. Jaafar Ghulam Ali was “arrested as he was smuggling a large amount of heroin,” said the ministry statement quoted by the official SPA news agency. His beheading brings to 71 the number of people executed in Saudi Arabia so far this year, according to an AFP count.

In 2012, the conservative Muslim kingdom carried out 76 executions, according to a tally based on official figures. Human Rights Watch put the number at 69. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the oil-rich Gulf state’s strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

California man busted for selling rustled cow costumes

Police in Southern California have busted a

cattle costume rustler after he tried to sell the stolen suits online. Redlands police say the two 7-foot cow costumes created for the Chick-fil-A chain were nabbed in separate restaurant burglaries. The costumes turned up for sale for $350 apiece on Craigslist on Oct 30. An undercover officer arranged to buy the bovine attire in time for Halloween.

When the seller produced the black-andwhite outfits, he was arrested.

Indian police arrest man over Nigerian death in Goa

Indian police in Goa said Wednesday they had arrested a local man in connection with the killing of a Nigerian, whose death has triggered protests and heightened tensions in the holiday state. An Indian man in his mid-thirties was detained on Tuesday night in north Goa, accused of being part of a gang who stabbed the Nigerian man to death last week, a senior police official told AFP, adding further arrests were expected soon. Tensions have been rising in the western resort state since the man was found dead on October 30, with police blaming the killing on rivalry

between local and Nigerian drug traffickers.

The arrest came after Nigeria told India on Tuesday that it feared for the safety of its nationals in Goa and called for immediate action against those behind the killing.

N Korean sailors posthumously honoured

North Korean sailors who died last month when their warship sank have been posthumously awarded the title of “patriotic martyr,” the country’s state media said Wednesday. It was the second time in recent days that the official media has referred to the sinking – an unusual admission of a military setback by the tightly controlled and secretive state. The sailors who died “heroic deaths while performing their combat duties” have been given state commendations, martyr’s certificates and membership cards of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, the North’s official news agency said. The agency praised leader Kim Jong-Un for building a cemetery to “glorify forever their patriotic soul and revolutionary spirit.”

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Egypt rejects Brotherhood ban appeal Case against Brotherhood was brought citing the need to protect Egyptians from violence

n Reuters, Cairo Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood failed in an attempt on Wednesday to overturn a court ruling banning it, the state news agency said, another blow to the debilitated Islamist movement.

A court in September outlawed the Brotherhood after the army overthrew President Mohamed Morsi in July following mass protests against his rule.

The case against his Brotherhood was brought by a lawyer from the leftist Tagammu party, which cited the need to protect Egyptians from violence.

It accompanied a campaign by security forces to crush the Islamist movement in which hundreds of its members have been killed, thousands arrested, and its leaders, including Morsi, put on trial.

Wednesday’s decision was another political blow to the group.

“In its scheduled session today, the Cairo Urgent Cases court dismissed an appeal raised by the Muslim Brotherhood to stop the execution of the previous order banning the activities of the group,” state news agency MENA reported.

Since Morsi’s overthrow Egypt has become fiercely divided, with state media lionising the military and police for the crackdown and his supporters frequently protesting in the streets.

The military-installed government has promised new elections next year which foreign governments say must include all political factions to mark a credible return to democracy. The court ruling indicated the Brotherhood was likely to be excluded.

Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, faces charges of inciting violence. His trial began on Monday and was adjourned by a judge to early January. l

An Egyptian man reads the daily Al-Ahram newspaper fronted by pictures of the trial of Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi at a coffee shop in Cairo AP

Holocaust museum highlights Myanmar’s Rohingya n AP, Washington Just a few blocks from the White House where Myanmar’s president was feted for working for democracy, another side of his country is now on display at a more haunting Washington landmark: the plight of its most beleaguered people, the Rohingya Muslims, depicted in photos projected at night onto the external walls of the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The stark, black and white images by American photographer Greg Constantine combine searching portraits with pictures of the scorched settlements the Rohingya were forced to flee after a deadly outbreak of sectarian violence last summer that left more than 100,000 confined to camps and further darkened the prospects for this stateless people.

“It’s disturbing that at a time when there are so many conversations on the perceived amazing developments in Burma, this tragedy has been overshadowed by everybody’s interest on what’s been happening elsewhere in the country with democratic reforms,” said Constantine, who has spent seven years photographing the Rohingya on both sides of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.

The US government-funded Holo-

Photographs by Greg Constantine showing the plight of Burma’s Rohingya people, projected on the exterior walls of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington AP caust museum primarily commemorates the genocide against the Jews by the Nazis during World War II. But it also documents the mass killings that have blighted Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan, and seeks to spotlight situations where it sees a repeat of such atrocities. It has previously projected images on its walls of Holocaust survivors, and from South Sudan and the Darfur region of Sudan.

“We are not saying that genocide is taking place in Burma,” said Michael

Swedish cinemas launch feminist movie rating n AP, Stockholm You expect movie ratings to tell you whether a film contains nudity, sex, profanity or violence. Now movie theatres in equality-minded Sweden are introducing a new rating to highlight gender bias, or rather the absence of it.

To get an “A’’ rating, a movie must pass the so-called Bechdel test, which means it must have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.

“The entire ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, all ‘Star Wars’ movies, ‘The Social Network,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’ and all but one of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies fail this test,” said Ellen Tejle, the director of Bio Rio, an art-house movie theatre in Stockholm’s trendy Sodermalm district.

Bio Rio is one of four Swedish movie theatres that launched the new rating last month to draw attention to how few movies pass. Most visitors have reacted positively to the initiative “and for some people it has been an eye-opener,” said Tejle, reclining in one of Bio Rio’s cushy red seats.

Beliefs about women’s roles in society are influenced by the fact that movie watchers rarely see “a female superhero or a female professor or person who makes it through exciting challenges and masters them,” Tejle said, noting that the rating doesn’t say anything about the quality of the film. “The goal is to see more female stories and perspectives on cinema screens.”

The state-funded Swedish Film Institute supports the initiative, which is starting to catch on. Scandinavian cable TV channel Viasat Film says it will start using the ratings in its film reviews and has scheduled an “A’’ rated “Super Sunday” on Nov 17, when it will show only films that pass the test, such as “The Hunger Games,” ‘‘The Iron Lady” and “Savages.”

The Bechdel test got its name from American cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who introduced the concept in her comic strip

“Dykes to Watch Out For” in 1985. It has been discussed among feminists and film critics since then, but Tejle hopes the “A’’ rating system will help spread awareness among moviegoers about how women are portrayed in films.

In Bio Rio’s wood-panelled lobby, students NikolajGula and Vincent Fremont acknowledged that most of their favourite films probably wouldn’t get an “A’’ rating.

“I guess it does make sense, but to me it would not influence the way I watch films because I’m not so aware about these questions,” said Fremont, 29.

At least one Hollywood star sounded excited by the idea when asked about it by The Associated Press.

The “A’’ rating is the latest Swedish move to promote gender equality by addressing how women are portrayed in the public sphere.

Sweden’s advertising ombudsman watches out for sexism in that industry and reprimands companies seen as reinforcing gender stereotypes, for example by including skimpily clad women in their ads for no apparent reason other than to draw eyeballs.

Since 2010, the Equalisters project has been trying to boost the number of women appearing as expert commentators in Swedish media through a Facebook page with 44,000 followers. The project has recently expanded to Finland, Norway and Italy.

For some, though, Sweden’s focus on gender equality has gone too far.

“If they want different kind of movies they should produce some themselves and not just point fingers at other people,” said TanjaBergkvist, a physicist who writes a blog about Sweden’s “gender madness.”

The “A’’ rating also has been criticised as a blunt tool that doesn’t actually reveal whether a movie is gender-balanced.

Research in the US supports the notion that women are underrepresented on the screen and that little has changed in the past 60 years. l

Abramowitz, director of the museum’s Centre for the Prevention of Genocide.

“The Holocaust was a unique event in human history. But what we do want to do is use our assets to try to prevent these kinds of crimes from happening to others in the future.”

The Myanmar authorities’ failure to prevent sectarian clashes between minority Muslims and majority Buddhists has dented the international reputation of the government of Myanmar President Thein Sein. l

9

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Myanmar set to release dozens of political prisoners n Reuters, Yangon Myanmar may release scores of political prisoners this month to fulfil a promise by its reformist president to free prisoners of conscience by the end of this year, a member of a state-appointed panel said on Wednesday.

A 19-member committee set up by President Thein Sein to identify the political prisoners has recommended 63 people be freed and the move could be imminent, Nyan Win, a former prisoner and member of the panel, told Reuters.

Such a release would be in line with the guarantee Thein Sein made during a visit to Britain in July and add weight to Myanmar’s promises that its political reforms are genuine and not superficial, as many critics have said.

By the end of Myanmar’s five decades of military rule in 2011, the num-

UN welcomes progress in Myanmar peace talks n AFP, Yangon The United Nations has hailed peace talks between Myanmar’s government and armed ethnic minority groups as a “significant move” towards ending decades of civil war in the former junta-ruled nation.

The meeting in the conflict-torn northern state of Kachin on November 4-5 was the first for decades between a combined group of ethnic representatives and government negotiators on home soil.

The parties agreed to work on building a framework for a nationwide ceasefire deal and to hold political dialogue, the government said in a statement.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon’s special adviser on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, hailed the meeting as “a significant move forward in the national reconciliation process,” in a statement released late on Tuesday.

“The fact that such a meeting could take place within the country testifies to the distance that the government and the ethnic armed groups has traversed since the beginning of the reform process,” added Nambiar, who joined the talks in the state capital Myitkyina as an observer.

A new round of negotiations is

due to be held next month in conflict-scarred eastern Karen state.

Myanmar has been beset by ethnic rebellions for decades and while tentative peace pacts have been signed with most armed groups a nationwide ceasefire has remained elusive, overshadowing widely praised political reforms.

Ongoing fighting in Kachin – the country’s last major active civil war – prompted the UN last month to express concern for civilians.

The conflict flared up in June 2011 when a 17-year ceasefire crumbled. It has displaced some 100,000 people.

The government triggered international alarm in January with the use of air strikes against the Kachin rebels.

In May the government and Kachin rebels, meeting on home soil for the first time since the renewed fighting erupted, signed a seven-point plan to end hostilities in the remote northern region.

It came after Myanmar’s government in February held peace talks with a federation of about a dozen ethnic groups, including the Kachin, across the border in Thailand.

While the KIA is the last major rebel army to agree to a preliminary peace deal, skirmishes occasionally break out between the government and other groups. l

Afghan police find bodies of seven abducted soldiers n AP, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Philippines evacuates coastal areas

Afghan police say they have found the bodies of seven soldiers, believed to have been killed by their Taliban captors in a southern province.

The police say the bodies were found on Wednesday on the outskirts of the provincial capital of southern Zabul province. Police chief GhulamSakhi says the seven Afghan National Army soldiers disappeared while travelling from southern Kandahar province to their homes in neighbouring Zabul a week ago. l

The Philippines evacuated coastal areas and put emergency workers on alert on Wednesday as a storm expected to grow into a super typhoon headed towards central islands still recovering from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit last month.

Typhoon Haiyan, with gusts of up to 185 km/h was moving over the sea at 30km/h and may make landfall at mid-day on Friday in the central islands of Samar and Leyte, said Sci-

n Reuters, Manila

ber of political prisoners was estimated to be as high as 2,500, with activists, journalists, politicians and even comedians and artists behind bars, often in brutal conditions.

“The president has said several times that there wouldn’t be any political prisoners in the country by the end of this year, so we can expect their release any time,” said Nyan Win, a close aide of Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who suffered house arrest for years under a military junta.

A senior Home Ministry official, however, told Reuters his ministry had yet to receive any instruction from the president to release more detainees.

Freeing political prisoners has been key to the West’s support for Thein Sein, the elderly former general who was fourth-in-command of the junta that for two decades ignored international calls to release them.l

Indonesian plotted on Facebook to attack Myanmar embassy

n AFP, Jakarta

A suspected Indonesian extremist plotted with other Islamic militants on Facebook to bomb the Myanmar embassy to avenge the killing of Rohingya Muslims in that country, a court heard Wednesday.

Separiano, 29, could face the death penalty over the plan to attack the mission in Jakarta in May, amid anger in Muslim-majority Indonesia at persecution of the Rohingya in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.

The suspect, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was arrested the night before the planned attack as he rode a motorbike with another man allegedly involved in the plot.

Police said they found five pipe bombs in a backpack they were carrying. Several men were arrested over the plot and Separiano is the first to go on trial.

Prosecutor Susilo told the South Jakarta District Court as his trial began that Separiano was radicalised over several years after attending sermons by an extremist preacher at a central Jakarta mosque.

He also attended several sermons by firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah which was the terror network behind the 2002 Bali bombings. l

1 killed, 8 injured in northern China explosions

ence and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo.

“We are advising the people to secure their homes because we are expecting a powerful typhoon, a super typhoon,” Montejo said.

“It’s still in the Pacific but it has gained speed and may enter our area of responsibility by tomorrow (Thursday).”

Officials in the central Cebu, Bohol and Albay areas have closed schools, prepared emergency shelters and food and put emergency workers on alert. l

n AP, Beijing

A series of small explosions killed one person and injured eight others Wednesday outside the provincial headquarters of the ruling Communist Party in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan, officials said. Officials gave no word on the target or perpetrators of the blasts, which state media said were caused by homemade bombs.

The explosions came during heightened security following a suicide car crash at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing that killed five l

Thai senate to reject controversial amnesty bill, says speaker

n Reuters, Bangkok

An anti-government protester holds up a placard reading ‘No Thaksin’ during a rally against a political amnesty bill in Bangkok

AP

The Thai Senate will reject an amnesty bill critics say is aimed at bringing back convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra from exile, the Senate Speaker said on Wednesday, a move that could defuse rising tension on the streets of Bangkok.

The bill is aimed at whitewashing crimes committed by all leaders involved in political unrest since 2004 and is backed by the ruling Puea Thai Party of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister. “We will not accept this amnesty and the Senate majority agrees with me,” Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatpanij told Reuters.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Bangkok since Friday in protest at the bill, threatening to disrupt months of calm in a country scarred by bloody unrest in 2010.

More than 5,000 students at Bangkok’s prestigious Chulalongkorn University marched through the capital in protest against the bill on Tuesday as public outrage gathered momentum. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

In India, size is everything

Learning from the BDR mutiny

November 4

What a wonderful piece by Tunku Varadarajan! India may indeed by a land of political pygmies, but then what to make of Bangladesh? We build statues all over the place, many of them aesthetically less than pleasing. Although none of them are quite as gigantic as the one Modi has commissioned for himself, it is only a matter of time before we see such a monstrosity in our own backyard. What would Mr Varadarajan think of our own giants who all have feet of clay?

A Hussain

V

erdict and sentences have now been issued in the BDR mutiny case for the killings of 74 people including 57 senior Bangladesh Army officers at Peelkhana in 2009.

Out of the 846 accused for this carnage, mostly belonging to the BDR, 152 have been given death sentences and 277 have been acquitted. Among those receiving life sentences are two politicians, one BNP and another Awami League.

Since the mid seventies, when politics was darkened by coups We believe that and intra-armed forces violence an independent common, the country has been judicial commission spared incidents of this type and is necessary to this is why the mutiny in 2009 investigate the was so shocking. matter and address While one chapter has now these issues closed for families, questions reproperly main. The judicial process has not provided a detailed explanation of how and why an incident of such magnitude came into being.

It is next to impossible that two district level politicians could have instigated such an event alone.

The judgment acknowledged issues that led to the uprising and massacre, including intelligence failures, discontent over disparate treatment between members of different armed forces, and disputes over involvement in commercial activities along the border. However, it remains doubtful that this is the entire story.

We believe that an independent judicial commission is necessary to investigate the matter and address these issues properly. The findings of such a inquiry have to be made public.

We must make sure that lessons have been learned and acted upon. The country cannot afford a repeat of similar incidents.

October 31

Mushtaq Ahmed Absolutely correct.

Pen Muni This piece is written in a cavalier fashion with no depth to it. What is the cost of a mission abroad?

How are they failing our foreign remittance senders? How many Bangladeshis are abroad? If the writer feels the diplomats don’t know their duties then what are the duties of a diplomat?

Why are we not adopting a third party consular service? What specific steps by the missions can enhance foreign investments? This information would have made the article much richer.

From this article, it seems the writer is just mad that his conference didn’t go well. Good points, but poorly researched and poorly written article.

matthewislam Pen Muni: An op-ed is supposed to be based on an opinion formed from the writer’s gathered evidence or experience. The evidence need not be presented in the piece itself and with a word limit of 600 or 750, there is little detail that the writer can afford to share because that is the nature of this type of writing. Give the guy a break!

Pen Muni matthewislam: I see your expectation from the writer is very low. Whether an op-ed, or muckraking, when the writer is lecturing the diplomats on how to run their business, it should be based on objective evidence. Trust me, there is plenty such evidence. The writer just failed to mention them in an orderly fashion. And 600 words is enough to articulate one’s opinion.

Frkislam Pen Muni: Agreed with the observation that this is a haphazardly written article. But the basic thrust of the piece may not be wrong.

First time I saw a tiger hugging a tree like this!

MM Khan The picture is telling a tale. I am sure that lone tiger was missing its family and friends. And we think they don’t think of feel like us!!

Sayeed Sohag I think the tiger is saying, “I shall sacrifice my life but I shall not allow you to cut the tree.”

Maniruz Zaman This is an infant!! It would still need to drink milk to survive. Why was this one left alone?? Without its mother, it won’t last more than a few days. Plus, at this age, they haven’t learnt how to hunt yet (all of this said by looking at its size, which is rather small).

Munem Shahariar The tiger seems to be saying: “Please save us from becoming extinct. Save nature. Save our habitat.”

A great illustration of this image.

Fahim Farhad Mishuk Why does he look so panicked and scared?

Nujhat Tani It’s just marking its territory.

Rafat Al Islam

The ‘whore’ stigma

October 31 I don’t exactly know about its position within the Bangladeshi social lingo, but the word “whore” is slowly being spun off its axis into a wider intersection of the hypothetical Venn diagram. Whore is often used to indicate a person who’s willing to compromise his/her moral fortitude for their own gain, material or otherwise, which doesn’t necessarily contain any connotations to sex.

Breadbitten

The wrong priority

A

mong other things, the Grameen Bank Bill 2013 massively empowers the government members of the microcredit organisation’s board to take policy decisions even against the wishes of the nine elected board members.

The nine board members elected from the bank’s members, who still formally represent the majority of shareholders, may be bypassed by the three government directors as the bill allows meetings to be held with the presence of just three out of the 12 members of the board of directors.

In short, the bill is intended to strengthen government control and weaken that of members and borrowers.

By changing Grameen Bank’s tax status and removing the standard indemnification for directors from all losses and The government expenses incurred in discharge has failed to of their duties except those demonstrate caused by their own willful act how increasing or default, the bill’s provisions government may also potentially be used to influence over threaten existing directors from Grameen in this speaking out when there is a way will improve its conflict between the governgovernance ment’s interest and that of the bank’s members and borrowers.

The government has failed to demonstrate how increasing government influence over Grameen in this way will improve its governance. While it has authority to regulate banks and microcredit institutions more generally, this bill is clearly directed at a single institution and appears to be part of an agenda intended to give the government power over Grameen Bank’s operations, if not its assets, against the wishes of its members.

With parliament so near the end of its session and the country in political crisis, the fact that the government chooses to press on with such a contentious piece of legislation, seems to us to suggest a highly wrongheaded set of priorities.

Aww, what a wonderful picture!

Be Heard

Farha N Zaman

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

Tigers are lone animals. They are illusive. The sadness in its eyes is nothing more than it missing its real forest.

Tamanna Harun Khan We’re really cruel! Wow, this picture says it all!

Syed Ahsan Even the tiger loves trees! While we like to cut trees and destroy forests and the Sundarban in the name of establishing a power plant! Save our forests! Save the tigers!

Nur Elahee

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Corolla leaf (5) 4 Malleable (4) 7 Ointment for the hair (6) 8 Skin openings (5) 10 Welsh national emblem (4) 11 Additional (5) 12 Greek letter (3) 14 Exploit (4) 17 Soft powder (4) 19 Land measure (3) 20 Listens to (5) 23 Otherwise (4) 25 Bishop’s headdress (5) 26 Ejected (6) 27 Weapons (4) 28 Requires (5)

November 3

Our diplomats in foreign lands Wahid Choudhury Very well written. But the sad reality of the country is, if anything will change.

Bengal tiger hugs a tree in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park

DOWN 1 Doll (6) 2 Summit (4) 3 Missing (4) 4 Cold dish (5) 5 Lyric poem (3) 6 Tentacle (6) 9 Actual (4) 13 Maker of suits (6) 15 Direction (4) 16 Postpones (6) 18 Game of skill (5) 21 Prayer ending (4) 22 Be carried (4) 24 Result of addition (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

How to solve Sudoku: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Let’s have some standards n Md Abu Abdullah

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MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Waiting for answers

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n Saquib Rahman he BDR Pilkhana case verdict by no means can ever heal the wounds of those who have lost their dearest ones in the massacre. The Supreme Court’s decision on trying the mutineers directly involved in the killings, under Penal Code 1860, has to be much appreciated since the accused like DAD Tauhid, Jalil, Habib and others deserve nothing less than the death penalty for their crimes committed inside the BDR headquarters on February 25-26, 2009. The massacre had a total death toll of 74, including 57 brilliant officers of the Bangladesh Army.

It’s not clear what might have been the story behind the carnage. I believe all readers are very well aware that so far no report on the inquiries of the trial has been made public, although the bloody incident took place about five years from now.

For soldiers to point rifles at their ranking officers, taking their lives not just by bullets but with bayonets, dragging their bodies to previously dug mass graves, or throwing the bodies through manholes – are actions certainly not expected from a disciplined uniformed force out of the blue. What could be the motive or the instigation behind it?

The general masses, or civil society, have various points of views with

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regards to the Pilkhana tragedy. Some say there was involvement from outside, some talk of the government’s inaction during the incident, and some choose to point fingers at the intelligence agencies.

People in general have been left to guess for the lack of any truth coming out from any quarter. Therefore it was of utmost importance that a fair trial be held. The families of shaheed officers deserve justice and want to know the reasons behind the carnage.

autonomously and have access to legal and other documents, and also to the BDR jawans in jail for questioning.

Expectations from the commission are that their findings will be made available to the public. In that case, not only can the abettors be found, but there can also be details of the massacre starting from the initial movement of the mutineers and the distribution of leaflets (containing materials instigating the jawans) among the soldiers one day before Darbar started in the morning of February 25.

Some say there was involvement from outside, some talk of the government’s inaction during the incident, and some choose to point fingers at the intelligence agencies

Questions like, why the BDR jawans would engage in mutiny, who backed them up, what did they expect out of this, and who gained at the cost of so many army officers, were brought up.

Was it a conspiracy to weaken the Bangladesh Army for decades or forever?

Demand for a judicial commission Here is a proposal which the government may choose to grant. An investigation may be conducted by a judicial inquiry commission that may be headed by a retired Supreme Court justice. The commission would work

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Divided we stand n Mamun Rashid

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hese days are not very good for me. My friends are telling me: there is no midway, in Bangladesh one has to be either Awami League or BNP. Otherwise one has to have tonnes of money to be able to dictate the terms or influence the system.

The entire country is divided along the lines of Awami League or BNP. Patriotism, democracy, governance, and social justice, all have a BNP and Awami League version

The entire country is divided along the lines of Awami League or BNP. Patriotism, democracy, governance, and social justice, all have a BNP and Awami League version. The other day I invited a few serving generals and senior government officials for dinner in honour of a distinguished person.

The people of this country and families of the victims have a right to know the actual reasons of the mutiny and who was behind the massacre.

The government has done something to help the families of the deceased officers. But it’s not enough.

A paltry sum of 1.5m paid by the government and the army to the victims’ families is to be the value of a life like my father Col Quadrat Elahi, ndc, psc, an outstanding officer in the Bangladesh Army.

Having stood first in his MBA from IBA, in his professional career, he

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Despite tremendous eagerness to show respect to the day’s guest of honour, many of them could not attend because a few people belonging to the opposition also got included in the invitees list. A friend of ours all of a sudden left a social gathering once a past secretary of the government called a BNP leader “illiterate.”

I could show thousands of examples of how the nation is being forced to bear the brunt of divided politics and hatred for each other. Courtesy of the immediate past government and a few distinguished beneficiaries of their rule, there is hardly any civil society in existence.

The Awami League and their friends think whoever is not supporting them must be a razakar. Some of the aggressive stalwarts would club any bearded person as a Jamaat man. If you even murmur something about the way the 1971 war crimes tribunal is working, they may simply force you to leave for Pakistan.

Such a hyped up situation. Most of them feel that if you are a supporter of Awami League, you must be shy of loudly criticising India. Many of them now pretend to hate the armed forces because their arch-rival Ziaur Rahman

was a meritorious officer who was instructor twice in SINT (School of Infantry and Tactics), a post reserved only for the officer who stands first in his course.

He was also directing staff and senior instructor in the defence services command and staff college and instructor of MIST (Military Institute of Science and Technology). He was sector commander in the Sudan peacekeeping force, and received the Gallantry Award from UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who flew to Sudan to present the award.

Lastly he was posted to Dinajpur as sector commander, BDR, where he served only for one month and ten days. The reward for this illustrious unarmed soldier was to be shot or bayonetted inside the Pilkhana for no fault at all. Many of his fellow victims were extraordinary like him.

My humble request to the government on behalf of all the shaheed families is to please consider giving a little more thought to unveiling the real truth behind this most tragic incident, where 57 high ranking officers were so brutally killed in one day.

Can anybody return my father, my mentor, and my best friend on earth? l Saquib Rahman is the son Shaheed Col Quadrat Elahi Rahman Shafique, ndc, psc, and a student of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Dhaka.

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also belonged to the army and lived in a cantonment environment.

We are destined to be ruled by these two parties, more importantly two of their leaders. Their seniors can seldom talk about democracy within the party or make the party hierarchy flatter.

The top leader always calls the shots.

They are like what Machiavelli mentioned in “The Prince”: “Whether the Prince believes in religion or not, he must pretend to be religious.” We all must be pretending to be championing democracy, no matter how democracy looks in Bangladesh.

They, in government, seem to have answers to all questions. Everything coming from them is a quotable quote.

Even if they say something wrong, I can bet you will find many university teachers, journalists, student leaders and political tycoons terming those to be the best.

Otherwise, they know they will be deprived from any vice-chancellor, director-general, bank director, ambassador or member of the planning commission roles. One of the ruling party MPs has recently learnt the cost of speaking; even one line against his top leader and head of the government has a cost.

standard is an agreed way of doing something. It could be about making a product, managing a process, delivering a service or supplying materials. Standards cover a wide range of activities undertaken by organisations and used by their customers.

Standards, both local and international are developed to provide guidance to firms on how they can enhance lives. These standards provide guidance to ensure social responsibility in business. Some of the principles elaborated include accountability, transparency, ethical behaviour, respect for stakeholders’ interests, and respect for the rule of law.

Standards support rapid economic growth in developing countries by outlining the best practices that enable them to avoid reinventing the wheel. Given the strong correlation between economic growth and urbanisation, standards are becoming increasingly important in making cities better places to live in.

International trade is key in development. World trade is guided by free and transparent trade objectives of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Participation in international standardisation is helpful to meet the WTO-technical barriers to trade agreement requirements.

Conformity to international standards helps organisations, especially those from developing countries like ours, to access new markets emerging in a free and fair global trade. From the economic point of view, standards ensure positive change in those products that are made according to the specific international standards and can be marketed all over the world.

Once these products enter international markets, businesses flourish due to increased markets across borders. This translates into increased revenue with improved living standards of people.

Standards ensure transfer of technology from developed countries to developing countries, which would otherwise be difficult and costly for developing countries to adopt.

From the environmental standpoint, standards help industries manage the environment by reducing waste. All over the world, everyone is now concerned about global warming.

The effects are heavily felt by developing countries like Bangladesh.

Implementation of international standards will minimise environmental hazards such as reduction of carbon emissions that cause global warming and occurrence of natural disasters such as droughts and floods.

This brings about positive change in the lives of the people.

An inherent strength of the standardisation process is that the standards are created by the stakeholders.

Getting involved in this process can ensure significant advantages to business enterprises. The BSTI has formu-

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Elections or transfers of power could not ensure justice to democracy in Bangladesh. Democracy always remained one-sided and centric. Its definition was always dictated by the big shots. Like the constitution, they always abused the term “democracy.”

Elections or transfers of power could not ensure justice to democracy in Bangladesh.

Democracy always remained one-sided and centric

Democracy, thus, delivered little in Bangladesh. Yet, you can’t speak much against “democracy” or democratic values. You will be termed as anti-democratic or you may be siding with military junta. So-called civil society people may pity you.

Media will marginalise you. To remain popular, you must pretend to be democratic.

lated over 5,000 standards on diverse fields ranging from food, chemicals, and textiles, to engineering and electronics, with a focus on international standards.

These standards are formulated by consensus through a network of technical committees, comprising different stakeholders like industry, researchers, development organisations, consumers and testing laboratories.

Of them, 153 standards are declared mandatory by the government of Bangladesh.

International standards are strategic tools and guidelines to help and ensure that business operations are as efficient as possible.

For society, ISO has over 19,500 standards touching almost all aspects of daily life. When products and services conform to international standards consumers can have confidence that they are safe, reliable and of good quality.

Standards provide guidance to ensure social responsibility in business.

Principles elaborated include accountability, transparency, and ethical behaviour For example, ISO’s standards on road safety, toy safety and secure medical packaging are just a selection of those that help make the world a safer place.

ISO supports the involvement of consumers in standard development work with its committee on consumer policy, international standards on air, water and soil quality, on emissions of gases and radiation and environmental aspects of products that help to preserve the environment and the health of citizens.

For the government, ISO standards are vital resources when developing regulations. Local governments can make ISO standards a regulatory requirement (remember ISO standards themselves are voluntary) for the betterment of its citizens.

ISO standards are developed by experts. By integrating an ISO standard into national regulation, governments can benefit from the opinion of experts without having to call on their expensive services directly.

Some organisations promote the idea of open standards. An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it, and may also have various properties of how it was designed.

There are some limitations to standards. To be effective, standards need to be revised frequently in response to rapidly changing circumstances. However, in practice legislation tends to not keep up with the pace of change. l Md Abu Abdullah is director general, Bangladesh Accreditation Board.

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Let’s hope, with all of our prayers and blessings from those who matter, that there will be an election. A cabinet will be formed, and parliament will go for session. The opposition will remain absent at frequent intervals.

Parliament members will spend most of their allocated time bashing the opposition or praising their leader. Interests of the toiling masses or public will either go unserved or underserved. In the name of democracy, there will be frequent hartals too, but the party calling the hartals will be different.

Whether Jamaat will be with them or not, these hartals are going to be violent too. The prime minister talking to the opposition leader will keep on capturing media headlines.

Though we are shy of speaking against democracy, we should ask ourselves: did we get enough out of our democracy? With 42 years gone, why is our democracy taking so much time to mature? What did our premier institutions do to protect democracy or rescue it? l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Moliere Drama Festival starts today n Entertainment Desk

Classical dance festival begins n Afrose Jahan Chaity

The leading cultural organisation Chhayanaut will hold a two-day classical dance festival at its premises, from tomorrow. This is the third time Chhayanaut is organising this festival.

Manipuri, Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak, an array of prominent classical dance forms will be performed throughout the festival. A special performance on Gaudiya Nritya will be presented by Rachel Priyanka Paris. Apart from Chhayanaut students and teachers, eminent dance artists, such as Tamanna Rahman, Munmun Ahmed, Warda Rihab, Amit Chowdhury and invited guests from outside Dhaka will perform at the festival. A number of dance schools, like Nrityanchal, Nrityashree, Nrityam, Jaago Art Centre and Kathak Nritya Sampradaya, will add more colours to the event.

Dhaka Tribune talked with some wellknown dance artists of Bangladesh, who will perform at the festival, to find out what they

will perform, their opinions on the classical dance scene in Bangladesh and more about the festival:

Munmun Ahmed

I will perform a dance rendition titled Sargam which will be synchronised with raga Malkosa on the first day of the dance festival.

Many organisations are promoting classical dance through foreign artists, especially artists from India. On the contrary, many classical dance artists of our country are taking part in international festivals abroad, but they are not getting due recognition in Bangladesh.

We need to be more concerned about promoting our own dancers at the national level.

I appreciate Chhayanaut’s initiative in popularising classical dance.

Amit Chowdhury

On the first day of the festival, I will perform Natesha Kauthuvam which is a fast-paced dance recital praising the supremacy of Na-

tesha (Shiva), who dances with a drum in one hand and is worshipped by sages.

Classical dance is the basic of all dance forms. A dancer should have the orientation of classical dance, and then he should proceed to try different genres of dance.

Our next generation should know the rich heritage of classical dance. By organising such festivals, Chhayanaut created a platform for Bangladeshi classical dancers to demonstrate their talent.

Warda Rihab

I will perform a dance recital on Tandava (a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution), choreographed by Guru Bipin Singh and the voice is given by Kalavati Devi. I will perform on second day of the festival. The performance is a demonstration of pure classical dance without Avinaya (acting).

The festival will be a rendezvous of classical dancers from all around Bangladesh. l

Roots to be remade

by History n Entertainment Desk

A scene from Nilchuri

Nilchuri to air today n Entertainment Desk

The telefilm Nilchuri depicts a satirical consequence of Hilla marriage, a regulation in Islamic Sharia. This can be termed as “interim marriage” which applies if a Muslim man utters talaq (divorce) 3 times to his wife. But if that same Muslim man then regrets it and wants to resume his marriage to his now ex-wife, Islamic Sharia requires the now divorced woman to enter into a Hilla marriage with another man, have the marriage consummated, and then her new husband must divorce her. Only then she can remarry her former husband.

Nilchuri is written by Zinat Hossain Juthi and directed by Tariqul Islam and features Shahriar Shubho, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, Chitralekha Guho and many more. It will air on Maasranga Television at 8pm tonight.

The drama revolves around a seventy-year old man named Sagir Miya, who

married three times. His third wife is a beautiful young woman named Ayna.

Coming from a deprived family, she is happy to marry Sagir Miya, as he is quite affluent.

On the other hand, Sagir Miya is also content with his marriage, as Ayna is a caring and devoted wife. One day, he loses his temper and in angry haste, abuses Ayna physically and divorces her. But when she is on the verge of leaving his home, he regrets his decision and stops her.

But, according to the village norm, in order to return to her marital home with Sagir Miya, Ayna needs to go for a Hilla marriage. Sagir Miya then marries her off to one of his trusted and loyal employees, Jamir, who does exactly as he is told at all times.

However, after his Hilla marriage to Ayna, Jamir changes his tune and refuses to let go of her as he is quite taken with his beautiful bride. l

Thirty six years after Roots changed television and helped steer the course of racial discourse in the United States, the A&E-owned cable channel is working on a remake of the iconic miniseries.

History bought the television rights for the project from Mark Wolper, son of David Wolper, the original producer on the ABC mini-series, and the estate of author Alex Haley, who wrote the book, Roots: The Saga of An American Family, according to Deadline.com.

The original miniseries, which starred LeVar Burton as the slave Kunta Kinte, was a national phenomenon when it aired in January 1977.

The final episode is still the third most watched telecast of all time — it attracted an estimated 100 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

“My initial reaction was, Why?’,” Burton told New York Magazine when rumours first surfaced recently about a potential remake.

“But, look, the bottom line for me is if one soul is moved irrevocably toward the side of humanity, then it’s worth it.”

Preeminent black historian, Dr Henry Louis Gates told The News he is looking forward to the miniseries. “One definition of a classic is that it has to have legs,” he says. “So, Roots for the 21st century is an exciting prospect.”

In terms of television projects the stakes couldn’t be higher; however, History has been on a role lately, boosted in profile and profits by success stories like Hatfield & McCoys and The Bible. l

Kareena and Farhan pair up n Entertainment Desk

It was reported that Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar will enact Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi in his biopic and as the latest developments reveal, Kareena Kapoor Khan may pair

up with him as Ludhianvi’s love-interest Amrita Pritam. Kareena said: “I have been offered the film and I am still in the process of reading it; I am going through it.”

Directed by Jasmeet Reen, the biopic will be produced by Ashi Dua.

A two-day Moliere Drama Festival begins today at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 6:30pm.

Shattik Natya Sampradaya organised the festival to pay a tribute to the playwright who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Walton is the sponsor of the event.

The festival features the French playwright’s two masterpieces in Bangla version: Kanjus by Loko Natya Dal (today) and Pejgi by the host troupe (tomorrow).

The play Kanjus is an adaptation of The Miser, which has been adapted by theatre personality Tariq Anam Khan and directed by Liaquat Ali Lucky, the troupe president and the director general of BSA. The adapted play Kanjus has an impressive history of being staged more than 600 times by the troupe.

Kanjus has managed to keep the originality of the story and its incorporation of hypocrisy, arrogance, greed, social pretensions, biasness and discrimination in the comedy was flawless and entertaining.

The central character of the play is a Dhakaiyya (a resident of Old Dhaka), a rich and hilarious old man named Haider Ali. His local Dhakaiya accent makes punches into the play.

Through Haider Ali’s story, Kanjus attacks the selfish and opportunistic tendencies of the privileged class through a hilarious storyline.

On the other hand, Pejgi is an adaptation of Molière’s Le Medicine Malgre Lui. Adapted

by Apu Anam and directed by Kamruzzaman Tupa, the play’s plot revolves around a Hakim (doctor) named Pejgi, who ill-treats his wife.

At a point, the woman decides to teach him a lesson.

It is a satire on the hypocritical and lying tendency of human beings through witty dialogues. l

Earlier Kareena made an exit from one of Zoya Akhtar’s projects but she never damaged her professional relationship with Zoya and Farhan. Kareena said, “It’s an actor’s prerogative and choice to do a film or not. And I am friendly with Zoya and Farhan. They are wonderful, they keep offering me films. And it is an actor’s choice which film to do and not.” It is being heard that Kareena will have to undergo a strict regime to build a tough body for Karan Johar’s next production Shuddhi opposite Hrithik Roshan.

When Kareena was asked about her stand on any physically challenging movie, she said: “I don’t like action films, they don’t excite me much. So I don’t know. Not sure. I did it once in Tashan and that is enough.” It was reported a few days ago that Priyadarshan is planning to make a movie on Kunjali Marakkar, a valiant warrior’s life. Rumours were doing rounds that Kareena will be starring opposite Mohanlal in the film. But Kareena brushed off all such reports, “I haven’t got the offer. I don’t think I will do a Malayalam (film). I get many offers from South, but I get scared to work as I can’t speak Tamil, Telugu.” l

A scene from Kanjus

Another Wolverine movie in the pipeline n Entertainment Desk Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold are getting ready to sink their claws into Wolverine again.

The star and director of this summer’s The Wolverine are in negotiations with Twentieth Century Fox for another installment of the hairy X-Man’s solo adventures, Deadline. com reported.

Under Mangold’s guidance, The Wolverine earned $413.5m at the box office, and managed to erase much of the critical stink surrounding the brooding mutant’s last escapade, 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Assuming both Mangold and Jack-

man sign on, the Wolverine film will be the third collaboration between the pair after 2001’s time-traveling romantic comedy, Kate & Leopold.

Jackman told the Daily News in July that he could see himself continuing to play the character even after he just wrapped filming on his seventh film as Wolverine in the upcoming X-Men Days of Future Past.

“I think the same way golfers are always looking for a hole in one, I love this character and I never take for granted the opportunity I have to play what I think is one of the cooler, more interesting, multi-layered comic book characters,” Jackman said at the time. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Kinetic Photography Exhibition Gazi Nafis Ahmed Time: 10am – 8pm EMK Center, H-5, Road- 27(old) Dhanmondi Exotic Jute II Time: 3pm – 8pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Dhanmondi 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

Festival

Urban Youth Festival II Time: 11am – 8pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh Road 9 (new) House 10 Dhanmondi R/A

Film

Planes in 3D Riddick Purno dhorgho prem kahini Monsters University in 3D Titanic (3D) Bullet to the Head Udhao Level 8, Bashundhara City Panthapath

ON TV MOVIE 8:00pmHBO The Dictator

11:00pm Zee Studio Miami Vice

DRAMA

Tom Cruise: I have in no way cut Suri out n Entertainment Desk “I have in no way cut Suri out of my life,” he said in a declaration filed on November 5, in a $50m (£31m) defamation case against magazine publisher Bauer.

6:30pm Zee Café The Lying Game

9:30pm Star Plus

Diya Aur Bati Hum

COMEDY 2:30pm Z Cafe

Mike And Molly

10:00pm Comedy Central Yes Dear

MISC 1:30pm AXN

The Millionaire Matchmaker

9:30pm Travel XP

Divine Destinations

The 51-year-old is suing Bauer over two 2012 tabloid stories that claimed he was absent from his daughter’s life.

Cruise and Holmes divorced in June last year after six years of marriage.

The legal action relates to stories in Life & Style and In Touch magazines that claimed overseas film shoots had stopped the actor being a constant presence in Suri’s life.

In documents made public by Radar Online, the star acknowledged he was “a professional actor in motion pictures” whose job involved “extended periods of time in various parts of the world.”

However, Cruise insisted he and his daughter remained “extremely close” and had a “wonderful relationship and cheerful phone calls.”

“While I’m sure my daughter misses me when I am not with her (as I miss her), she is a very happy child,” the actor’s statement read.

Suri, he continued, “has never indicated, in words or substance, that she has ever felt abandoned by me.”

Cruise’s lawyers are asking a judge to order Bauer to declare it did not have any sources to support its contentions. l

Did you know?

None of Manchester City’s 27 Champions League goals have been scored by an English player. They scored five goals in a single match for the first time in their CL history on Tuesday

Sport

Thursday, November 7, 2013

14 Bayern, City into Champions League Last 16

14 O’Neill out for quick start as Ireland boss

Kiwis finish with win Hosts Bangladesh went down fighting in the only Twenty20 game of the series against New Zealand at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. Chasing a mammoth target of 205, the Tigers got off to a flying start, putting 76 runs in the power play despite losing three wickets, but the absence of a set batsman at the end had cost them by 15 runs.

The loss denied the home side from ending the year on a winning note and at the same time gave the visitors their first win in more than four weeks after arriving in Bangladesh. The win was also the first for New Zealand against Bangladesh in Bangladesh since 2008.

The home side openers, Shamsur Rahman (4) and Ziaur Rahman (6), were sent back in the first over by Tim Southee before Mominul Haque on nine was dismissed in the second over to turn Bangladesh 3 for 19 in just 1.4 overs. However, a counterattack launched by Mushfiqur Rahim and Naeem Islam brought the hosts in the game as the duo added 43 off just 20 balls to register 50 runs inside four overs.

Naeem’s dismissal in the fifth over broke the partnership only to see

Mushfiq and new batsman Nasir Hossain add another 54 runs in six overs.

Mushfiq registered his maiden T20 fifty in 28 balls before losing his composure and wicket in the very next ball. The chanting stands at SBNS turned silent as the Bangladesh skipper was cursing himself during his long walk back.

Bangladesh were reduced to 120-6 in 12 overs as Nasir followed Mushfiq in the next over. The game was still kept alive by Mahmudullah (34) and Sohag Gazi (24) as the pair put on a 50-run partnership, but with the required runrate creeping up every ball it was too much to ask from the lower orders as Bangladesh were restricted to 189 for nine.

Earlier, some powerful hitting from the Kiwis allowed them to post a mammoth 204 for five. Anton Devcich’s 31-ball 59 set the tone for the visitors before Colin Munro’s blistering innings took the game away from the home side.

Ross Taylor and Munro humiliated the hapless Bangladesh bowlers taking the score from 83-2 to 176-3 in the eight overs they batted together. Left-handed Munro’s unbelievable switch hit off Mahmudullah in the 12th over went for a six over the cover boundary which displayed his confidence on the day. He bagged his maiden fifty and went onto post an unbeaten 73 off 39 balls hammering three fours and five sixes.l

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim thought his team needed to play more T20 games to improve in the shortest format of the game after the Tigers went defeated by 15 runs to New Zealand in the sole T20 game of the Kiwis’ tour at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

“We couldn’t bowl according to our plan. After the huge amount of runs we gave in the power play, it was always going to be difficult to come back. It’s simple - we gave 20 runs too many. If it was 180 or 185, it would have been a different ball game,” said the skipper.

The Bangladesh captain looked disappointed after losing the match and said that Bangladesh need to play more T20 matches if they were to improve, “We just need to play enough T20 matches to fill our weak spots. At the moment, I think we need to play a bit more of T20s so that we can understand and get used to the game better, so that we can practice for the pressure-situations.

“In the T20 format, we aren’t that sort of a team yet, we still have many areas where we can improve. Hopefully we will play more matches in the future.

You can never expect a team to win T20 matches when they haven’t played for 4-5 months. That’s difficult. So we are trying to work on that,” said Mushfiq.

The wicket-keeper felt the critical point in yesterday’s match was the number of runs Bangladesh conceded in the power play. “No matter how well you play, in T20 cricket if you give almost 80 runs in six overs, then it’s difficult. We were trying to pull

In the T20 format, we aren’t that sort of a team yet, we still have many areas where we can improve. Hopefully we will play more matches in the future back from the 7th to 15th over, but if you notice, they did not give us that opportunity. They batted well.

Our depth bowling or power play bowling also did not go as expected, we should have kept them within 180,” he said.

Nonetheless, the Bangladesh batsman came out firing in chasing a huge 205 run target even after losing three early wickets. Hinting again at the side’s lack of experience, Mushfiq

15 India starts ‘farewell’ series in style

n Mazhar Uddin

The sensational Switch Hit. New Zealand batsman Colin Munro turns to a right hander to hit a six off Mahmudullah in the T20 match at SBNCS yesterday MUMIT M

Need to play more T20s: Mushfiq n Mazhar Uddin

13

A packed SBNS

Tigers go down fighting in the lone T20

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

DHAKA TRIBUNE

thought the Tigers did not pace their innings properly.

“The way we batted in the power plays is not possible, “We can’t attack every ball. That’s not my natural batting or Naeem bhai’s or any of our batsmen. I doubt if we can click if we play like this in the future. We had lost too many wickets. In the last two overs if we had a set batsman - me or Riyad then I think we could have chased 200 odd runs.”

Mushfiq also signaled out the bowling of Corey Anderson, who took two wickets and conceded just 21 runs from his four overs. “Corey Anderson bowled very well. His figure for this game were very good. We lost the game at that point, I think. I had to try because we didn’t have a batsman coming in who could score 20 to 30 runs at the end.”

The 25-year old went on to add that Bangladesh needed to plan better and develop the ability to hit out in the power play if they were to improve in T20 cricket, before concluding with words of praise for the whole teams overall performance in the series, asserting they have many match-winners in the side and applauding the positive spirit that existed in the dressing room. l

Score Card

New Zealand A Devcich c Shamsur b Razzak H Rutherford c Nasir b Sohag R Taylor c Naeem b Ziaur C Munro not out C Anderson b Al-Amin L Ronchi c & b Al-Amin N McCullum not out Extras (lb2 w7) Total (five wickets, 20 overs)

59 17 28 73 18 0 0 9 204

Bowling Mashrafe 4-0-46-0, Sohag 3-0-30-1, AlAmin 4-0-31-2, Nasir 1-0-16-0, Mahmudullah 4-0-34-0, Razzak 2-0-19-1, Ziaur 2-0-26-1 Bangladesh Shamsur c McClenaghan b Southee Ziaur Rahman b Southee Mominul c Mills b McClenaghan Mushfiqur c Taylor b Anderson Naeem Islam c Southee b Mills Nasir Hossain c & b McCullum Mahmudullah c Taylor b Anderson Sohag Gazi run out Mashrafe not out Razzak b Southee Al-Amin not out Extras (lb3, w1) Total (nine wickets; 20 overs)

4 6 9 50 18 28 34 24 7 0 5 4 189

Bowling Southee 4-0-38-3, McClenaghan 3-045-1, Mills 4-0-32-1, McCullum 2-0-18-1, Devcich 3-0-32-0, Anderson 4-0-21-2 Results: New Zealand won by 15 runs MOM: Colin Munro

A successful ODI series increased the excitement not only among the cricket lovers, but also among other cricketers as many were seen inside the Sher-eBangla National Stadium hoping to see the Tigers finish the series with another win yesterday. The 25,000 capacity stadium in Mirpur didn’t have an inch left as people from every corner rushed in to witness the Tigers play their last international match of the year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who carries a great interest in cricket, watched the match at the ground before participating in the prize giving ceremony.

The Under-19 cricketers, who are in a camp at the academy ground adjacent to the SBNS for their upcoming West Indies series, also did not spare the chance of getting inside the stadium as their practice was called off for the match.

A future prospect of the U-19s Abu Haider Rony, who came to see his favorite cricketer Mashrafe bin Mortaza in action, informed, “We had a scheduled practice session at afternoon, but our management informed us we can watch the match so that we could learn something from our seniors who so far played excellent cricket.”

Among many more known faces suspended cricketer Mohammad Ashraful was also seen at the stadium.

The former captain of Bangladesh, who was earlier suspended from cricket for his involvement with the match fixing scandals in the Bangladesh Premier League, along with another suspended cricketer Mahbubul Alam Robin was cheering for Bangladesh.

The fighting spirit staged by the Tigers was acknowledged by the full house crowd at SBNS as, despite the loss, they all felt proud with the effort the home boys put in. l

Mills delighted with win n Minhaz Uddin Khan New Zealand captain Kyle Mills credited his batsmen for the 15-run win over Bangladesh in the lone T20 game of their tour yesterday.

Having drawn the Test series 0-0 and been whitewashed 0-3 in the ODIs, the Kiwis were extra motivated to claim a win in the T20 and succeeded after putting up a huge 204 runs in the first innings, which proved to be too much for the home side.

“I think in the first innings we batted magnificently well. The opening partnership took the game by the scruff of the neck. Ross Taylor crafted another beautiful innings and Munro carried on the form from the last game. When you put a decent score on the board, 200, you’re reasonably confident at the halfway mark, but we still had a job to do with the ball. The Bangladesh side, like they have done all series, came pretty hard at us. It was a good, entertaining match and it was nice to come out on the right side,” Mills told the press at SBNS. After putting up a mammoth 205, New Zealand removed Bangladesh’s first three batsmen within 10 balls to put themselves firmly in the driver’s seat. Nonetheless, the Tigers’ middle

order fought back with gusto and at times, the match looked like it could go either way. Mills, however, said he remained confident throughout the match’s second innings.

“They batted reasonably well in those first seven overs but we were always picking up wickets along the way.

They never really built any big partnership. We were chipping away at the wickets column, we were always going to be in control.

“At the half-way mark I was pretty confident that we were going to do the job. We just had to bowl well and take the early wicket and the bowling group really stepped up today from what was an adequate performance in the last ODI. I was reasonably confident all the way through,” he said.

The win was the Kiwis first against Bangladesh in Bangladesh in five years and over two series’ and Mills said, “We turned the page pretty quickly from the 3-0 ODI series. We really had to.

We had two days to prepare for this game. Let’s not forget we beat Bangladesh the last time we played T20 against them in Sri Lanka in March. We were pretty confident that we could come out and do the job today if we played good cricket.” l

Kiwis demonstrate T20 savvy n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh’s moment of doom. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim returns to the pavilion after playing an attacking innings of 50 in the T20 match against New Zealand at the SBNCS yesterday MUMIT M

Inventiveness, improvisation and thinking made all the difference in the lone T20 match of New Zealand’s tour of Bangladesh as the visitors claimed their first victory in the country at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

At the post-match press conference, skipper Mushfiqur Rahim admitted Bangladesh lacked fine tuning in the shortest version of the game. “T20 format is not just slamming and banging, there are some chemistry and we are short of that. Our approach was very good - after being restricted to 20/3, I don’t think many teams would finish on 189. We will look over the areas and take the steps to acquire what is required,” he said.

The shortcomings in planning were evident on the field. New Zealand’s opener Anton Devcich and the hard hitting Colin Munro were able to find gaps in the field at will and in particu-

lar, targeted the mid-wicket region with great effectiveness. During the power play, they took advantage of the fielding restrictions with a mixture of nudges and pushes, along with the occasional big hit in clinical fashion.

One shot in particular from Colin Munro demonstrated the kind of skill required in the shortest format of the game. As Mahmudullah delivered a standard delivery on off-stump to start the 13th over, the left handed batsman turned himself around and unleashed a vicious switch hit over extra cover for six.

Munro showed other touches of being in touch with the needs of the game.

Most batsmen would have left the ball Mashrafee bin Mortaza sent well down the leg side knowing it would be called a wide, but Munro, aware of the field, stretched to his limit to flick the ball down to the vacant fine leg boundary for four.

New Zealand’s bowlers also showed what it takes to be successful in T20s.

Tim Southee and Kyle Mills changed their pace, used yorkers and a line wide of off-stump to make scoring quickly difficult for Bangladesh’s batsmen. Variety as opposed to predictability is the key to pressuring the batsman in T20s, as the Kiwis ably demonstrated.

By contrast, Bangladesh openers Shamsur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman tried to be too aggressive and Mominul Haque also lost his cool, showing an inability to read the needs of the situation. Nonetheless, Mushfiq and comeback man Naeem Islam stilled the trembling ship and Bangladesh remained very much in the game till the last over.

Coach Shane Jurgensen also pointed out the Tigers’ shortcomings. “We don’t often play international T20s.

More playing is more learning, with the T20 World Cup ahead we have to work hard to fine tune the performances.

The attitude and the approach today was alright but we have add something more to win,” he said. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Casillas responds to speculation with world class saves n Reuters If Iker Casillas has become frustrated at losing his untouchable status at Real Madrid, he certainly did not show it on Tuesday in the 2-2 draw at Juventus.

Casillas, restricted mainly to Champions League outings by new coach Carlo Ancelotti this season, responded to speculation that he might leave the club with a string of world-class saves in an epic battle against the Italian champions.

His performance, arguably the best on the Real side, earned congratulations from opposite number Gianluigi Buffon, another talismanic goalkeeper.

“I’m happy Gianluigi Buffon offered me his congratulations at the end of the game,” said Casillas, 32. “These days it’s difficult to get into the team so when I have the opportunity to play I have to be at my maximum level in order that the coach keeps faith in me.

“It’s not easy only playing every two weeks but that’s the way it is.”

Casillas, who hinted last month he could leave the club if he did not get more opportunities, brilliantly stopped Pepe from scoring an own goal.

He also used his feet to stop a downward Claudio Marchisio header after the Juve midfielder outjumped Marcelo to get to a Carlos Tevez cross at the far post.

Another pick from an outstanding crop was in the second half when he managed to stop another Marchisio effort at point-blank range.

“Casillas did really well tonight,” said Buffon. “His saves helped his team to get a draw. It won’t be easy for us now but we’ll do what we can to qualify.” l

Manchester City's Spanish forward Alvaro Negredo (R) scores the fifth and his third goal during the Uefa Champions League group D match against CSKA Moscow at The City of Manchester stadium in Manchester on Tuesday AFP

Bayern, City into Champions League Last 16 n AFP, Paris Holders Bayern Munich and English side Manchester City became the first teams to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Bayern made heavy weather of beating Viktoria Pilsen 1-0 while group rivals City reached the knockout stages for the first time, after flopping in the group stage the last two seasons, with a 5-2 thumping of CSKA Moscow in Manchester.

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, whose side equalled the Champions League

record of nine successive wins set by Barcelona back in the 2002/03 season, was satisfied despite the unconvincing display exemplified by yet another poor first-half performance.

City got the better of CSKA with a Sergio Aguero double and a hat-trick from Alvaro Negredo, with manager Manuel Pellegrini saying: “It is the first step, but it’s an important one as the team has not qualified before. We have done that now.”

Real Madrid came close to joining them but having gone 2-1 up in Turin against Juventus they were pegged back to 2-2 with a goal by former Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente the Italian club’s saviour.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener for

Real, Gareth Bale got their other, took him level for the all time total of goals scored in the group phase with eight.

The result leaves Real needing a result at home to Galatasaray, who lost 1-0 away at FC Copenhagen, later this month to assure themselves of a place in the Last 16.

For his Juventus counterpart Antonio Conte there was much to be pleased with even if his side are bottom of the table, a point off both Galatasaray and Copenhagen.

Former French champions Paris Saint Germain, who Ancelotti left for Real at the end of last season, also missed out on claiming their place in the Last 16 as they were held to a surprising 1-1 draw at home to previously

Schwarzer retires from Socceroos n AFP, Sydney Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Australia’s most-capped player ever, yesterday announced his retirement from international football, with teammates expressing shock at the decision.

The 41-year-old had appeared set for a swansong at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but informed Football Federation Australia on Wednesday morning that he was quitting with immediate effect.

Currently the back-up keeper to Petr Cech at Chelsea, Schwarzer played 109 times for Australia since his debut in 1993.

But his recent move from being Fulham’s first-choice gloveman to playing second fiddle to Cech raised questions as to whether he would be able to hold onto his starting role in the national team. l

Juventus' Spanish forward Fernando Torres Llorente (L) celebrates his goal with French midfielder Paul Pogba during their Uefa Champions League Group B match against Real Madrid at the Juventus stadium in Turin on Tuesday AFP

Rooney challenges Arsenal to keep up title form n AFP, San Sebastian Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has said Arsenal still have to prove they have the consistency to fight for the Premier League title this season.

The two sides meet this Sunday with the North Londoners eight points clear of United at the top of the table after a blistering start to the campaign.

United’s form is also on the up, though, as a 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad on Tuesday night extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight games.

And Rooney believes Arsenal -- who haven’t won a trophy for over eight years – still have to show they can last the distance of the 38-game season.

“We’ve beaten Arsenal many times in the past. They are in good form at the minute, they’re top of the league, so we

know it is going to be a difficult game.

“But we have to go into the game confident that this is the game that will bring us back into the mix.

“We’ll have to wait and see where they are in March. We’ve seen before that they’ve been in the top two until February, March time and then dropped off so it’s down to them to try and stay there.

“They are doing brilliantly and are in a great position so it is down to us to match them.

“We know we are playing better and are stating to do well. There are only 10 games gone so there is no big worry at the minute.”

Rooney started the 0-0 stalemate in San Sebastian, but was replaced by Robin Van Persie with half an hour remaining to keep him fresh for Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford.

Van Persie went onto miss a penalty and saw another effort strike the post as United failed to secure the win that would have all but sealed their place in the last 16.

The English champions still lead Group A by a point from Bayer Leverkusen with two games remaining.

However, Rooney was frustrated not to have taken all three points having had by far the better of the chances in a cagey encounter.

“We’re disappointed not to get the three points. I thought we were the better team, but overall it is another clean sheet and decent result.

“I think coming away from home in the Champions League, they are always difficult games. We had good chances so we feel we should have won the game, but a draw away from home is ok.” l

Results

pointless and goalless Belgian outfit Anderlecht, who the French side had thumped 5-0 in their match a fortnight ago in Brussels.

In the end with the restive PSG fans booing their side, who nonetheless extended their unbeaten start to the season in all competitions, it was Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic who grabbed them a point for the hosts after they briefly trailed.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc was like the club’s fans similarly dissatisfied with the performance, though, they can seal their second successive knockout spot with a draw at home to Greek side Olympiakos later this month.

While City won with something to spare -- though their defence looked

shaky at times and could be exposed against tougher opposition -- their city rivals Manchester United laboured to a 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad, who gained their first point of the campaign.

Robin van Persie summed up United’s frustrating evening hammering his second-half penalty against the post, though, Ashley Young looked to have dived to win it in the first place.

They still lead their group by a point but both Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar Donetsk, who drew 0-0 in Ukraine, are lurking.

However, United manager David Moyes, who has had a tough start to his reign after replacing the legendary Alex Ferguson, said he was happy with their position.l

O’Neill out for quick start as Ireland boss

Spurs out to seal progress in Europa League

n AFP, Dublin

n AFP, Paris

Martin O’Neill has said he will quickly get down to work as Ireland’s new manager with the aim of getting the qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 off to a strong start.

The 61-year-old Northern Irishman along with right hand man Roy Keane signed initial two-year deals on Tuesday evening, bringing to an end the Football Association of Ireland’s search for a replacement for Giovanni Trapattoni.

O’Neill took his time over the decision to accept its offer of employment, but said that ultimately he had to accept it. He told Sky Sports News: “It’s a privilege to do it. You know, a job like this may not come round again for quite some considerable time. l

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas is hoping to put his side’s struggles in front of goal on the domestic front behind them as they look to seal Europa League progress against Sheriff Tiraspol today.

Spurs have scored just nine times in 10 games in the Premier League this season, including three times from the penalty spot, and Sunday’s 0-0 stalemate against Everton has led to increased scrutiny on their misfiring attack.

However, they have not had such problems in Europe thus far, scoring 15 goals in five matches, with Jermain Defoe netting six of those to equal Martin

Young dives headlong into more controversy n Reuters Manchester United’s Ashley Young plunged headfirst into another diving controversy when the winger tumbled over to win a penalty during Tuesday’s 0-0 Champions League draw at Real Sociedad. Robin van Persie smashed the spot kick against the right post but Young’s apparent theatrics left former United players accusing him of “conning” the referee.

“If you are a Manchester United player and you see a player getting tugged back you want him to go down.

Ashley Young has obviously gone down too much over the last few months,” former United captain Roy Keane said on ITV television.

Young, who was warned by manager David Moyes earlier in the season about diving, went down easily in front of the referee in the 69th minute. l

Fixture Krasnodar (RUS) St Gallen (SUI) Ludogorets (BUL) PSV (NED) Esbjerg (DEN) Standard (BEL) Rubin (RUS) Maribor (SLO) Dnipro (UKR) Pandurii (ROM) APOEL (CYP) Maccabi (ISR) R Vienna (AUT) Thun (SUI) Sevilla (ESP) Estoril (POR) Rijeka (CRO) Guimaraes (POR) Warsaw (POL) Lazio (ITA) Tromso (NOR) Tottenham (ENG) AZ Alkmaar (NED) Haifa (ISR)

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Swansea (ENG) Valencia (ESP) Odessa (UKR) Zagreb (CRO) Elfsborg (SWE) Salzburg (AUT) Wigan (ENG) Zulte-W'gem (BEL) De Ferreira (POR) Fiorentina (ITA) Bordeaux (FRA) Frankfurt (GER) Genk (BEL) Dynamo Kiev (UKR) Slovan (CZE) Freiburg (GER) Lyon (FRA) Betis (ESP) Trabzonspor (TUR) Apollon (CYP) Anzhi (RUS) Tiraspol (MDA) Karagandy (KAZ) PAOK (GRE)

Copenhagen

0-0 0-0 1-0

Galatasaray

Juventus

2-2

Real Madrid

Olympiakos

1-0

Benfica

PSG

1-1

Anderlecht

Man City

5-2

CSKA Moscow

Viktoria Plzen

0-1

Bayern Munich

Shakhtar Sociedad Braaten 6

Vidal 41-pen, Llorente 65 Manolas 13

Ibrahimovic 70 Aguero 3-pen, 20, Negredo 30, 51, 90+3

Leverkusen Man United

Ronaldo 52, Bale 60

de Zeeuw 68

Doumbia 45+1, 72-pen

Mandzukic 65

Chivers as the club’s record scorer in continental competition.

As a result, the London outfit sit top of Group K with a maximum nine points and a win at home to the Moldovans at White Hart Lane will seal their place in the competition’s knockout stages with two matches to spare, while a draw will also be enough as long as Tromso do not beat Anzhi Makhachkala in Norway in the evening’s other match in the section.

That would allow Villas-Boas the chance to blood some younger players, but in the meantime he will send out a strong starting line-up, although there is some doubt as to whether Hugo Lloris will feature in goal.

Spurs were due to assess the condition of Lloris on Wednesday after the France captain was knocked out but got up to play on during the draw at Everton.

Meanwhile, Swansea City could also qualify on Thursday if they win away to Kuban Krasnodar and Swiss side St Gallen lose at home to Valencia in Group A - a scenario that would see the Spaniards progress too.

Swansea lost 1-0 away to Cardiff City in the South Wales derby in the Premier League on Sunday and manager Michael Laudrup is hoping for a return to winning ways despite the arduous journey to Krasnodar, which lies more than 1300 kilometres south of Moscow.

Swansea had to learn a hard lesson when they hosted Kuban last month, having to settle for a 1-1 draw when Djibril Cisse scored a stoppage-time penalty for the Russians. Elsewhere, Wigan Athletic must also travel to Russia, taking on Rubin Kazan in Group D knowing a win will see them leapfrog their opponents into first place in the section.

A host of teams can seal qualification for the last 32 on Thursday, including Fiorentina, who have maximum points in Group E as they prepare to go to Romania to face Pandurii, and Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, who go to Israel to take on Maccabi Tel-Aviv. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mohammedan and Navy share lead n Shishir Hoque

Quick Bytes Mymensingh crush Hobiganj in U-15 girls’ football Mymensingh handed Hobiganj a crushing 7-0 defeat in the Plan Under-15 Girls’ Championship at the Hobiganj district football stadium yesterday. Sajeda and Sanjida Khatoon scored a brace each for the visitors, while Nazma Akter, Marzia and Yasmeen netted one goal each.

-SH

Heat’s Bosh skips trip after daughter’s birth Miami Heat star forward Chris Bosh did not join the defending NBA champions on Tuesday for their game at Toronto following the birth of his daughter on Monday. The Heat gave Shane Battier his first start of the season in place of Bosh, who played for the host Raptors from 2003-2010. “I feel like I’m 10 ft.

Tall right now! Very happy to welcome another child to the world! #proudfather #BoshFamily” Bosh posted on his Twitter page. Bosh is averaging 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds through the first week of the NBA season. The Heat split their first four games of the campaign.

-AFP

Smith out of Pakistan series over head injury South Africa withdrew former captain and opener Graeme Smith from the remainder of the one-day series against Pakistan, an official said Wednesday. The 32-year-old suffered a blow on the head off a Pakistan’s paceman Mohammad Irfan’s bouncer during his epic 234 in the second Test in Dubai last month, a match which South Africa won to level the series 1-1. He managed to play the first two one-days in the five-match series but was withdrawn before the third match played in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Team manager Mohammed Moosajee said Smith suffered postconcussion. “Graeme was symptom free after the blow except for a mild headache and tests at the time allowed him to continue playing. However, seven days post-injury, during the second one-day in Dubai he started complaining of blurred vision which progressed to dizziness, unsteadiness on his feet and difficulty focusing,” said Moosajee.

-AFP

Watson cleared of serious injury Australian batsman Shane Watson was Wednesday cleared of serious injury, with team officials confident he will be fit for the first Ashes Test against England. The powerful and experienced all-rounder had scans this week on a left hamstring strain he picked up during Australia’s recent tour of India, raising concerns that he could miss the Test opener at Brisbane starting on November 21. But team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said he was quietly confident Watson would be ready, describing the injury as “a low-grade muscle strain”.

“He will have intense treatment and rehabilitation in Sydney over the coming days and just how well he responds to this will determine how quickly he can resume full training and match preparation,” he said.

-AFP

US man threatened US drug chief over Armstrong probe A US man has pleaded guilty to threatening the head of the US anti-doping agency USADA over the probe which brought down cycling legend Lance Armstrong, prosecutors said Tuesday. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) head Travis Tygart took the threat, which warned he should wear a bullet-proof best, so seriously that he hired private security and moved his family to a protected location while the FBI investigated. Robert Hutchins, who admitted guilt as part of a plea deal the terms of which were not disclosed, faces up to five years in jail for the offense.

-AFP

Day’s Watch

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shares the delight of Bangladesh cricketers who won the three match ODI series against New Zealand at the SBNCS yesterday

BOA announces special training camp n Shishir Hoque In a bid to bring some glory for the nation, Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) is set to arrange a 10-month isolated training camp in five disciplines for 30 players ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2014 Asian Games and Asian Youth Games. The camp is likely to start at the end of November and will be held somewhere in the Cantonment.

The BOA boss, Chief of Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan said that the choice of the 30 players would be carefully done and those selected would be ones with the potential to excel in the upcoming tournaments.

The BOA is also considering hiring foreign coaches each of the five disciplines - shooting, archery, boxing taekwondo and swimming – and discussions about the position of swimming coach has already begun.

Badal Roy, a BOA committee member, said the budget for the camp would be Tk18m, including the wages of the foreign coaches, but might be increased. The players willreceive Tk15,000- 20,000 per monthduring the camp and will have a code of conduct to ensure they are training seriously.

“The codes of conduct will be applied for the players during the camp.

They have to sign an agreement before entering the camp that will not allow them to leave the camp for any reason,” said Badal Roy, who is also a vice president of the Bangladesh Football Federation.

Regarding the selection of coaches, Badal said, “The BOA chief told us that they will select the coach according to past records and with the permission of the federations.

“There are a few disciplines where only two athletes might be selected for the camp, but the problem is how the foreign coach will train only these two.

It will be good for the coach if they get more trainees,” he added.

The BOA committee previously made a list of 62 athletes from 15 disciplines but the BOA executive committee cut it down to five disciplines on a priority basis. A committee has also been formed to run the selection process. The committee visited the shooting federation yesterday to select the shooters for the camp based onrecent records.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow next July and the Asian Games will be held in September later in the year. l

India starts ‘farewell’ series in style Sachin gets wicket as WI blowed out for 234

n Agencies Pacer Mohammed Shami announced his arrival on the Test arena by scalping four wickets in a dream spell against the West Indies as a dominant India started Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series by taking early control of the first Test here today. Shami returned impressive figures of 4/71 in 18 overs as India bowled out the visitors for a paltry 234 after they opted to bat at the Eden Gardens on the opening day.

At stumps, India were comfortable placed at 37 for no loss with the two openers, Shikhar Dhawan (21) and Murali Vijay (16), at the crease. At the end of first day’s play, India trailed the West Indies by 197 runs with all their wickets intact.

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy’s decision to bat may have prevented the crowd from watching Tendulkar bat on the first day itself, but the 40-year-old retiring legend did his bit with the bowl picking up a wicket in his first over itself, taking his Test wicket tally to 46.

While Tendulkar was undoubtedly the cynosure of all eyes, Shami grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he rocked the West Indies middle-order with a hostile spell that included quite a few reverse-swinging deliveries.

The 23-year-old Shami’s wickets included Kieran Powell, top-scorer Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin and Sheldon Cottrell.

Earlier, West Windies were placed were placed comfortably at 107 for two at lunch, but Shami wreaked havoc in the second session, extracting excellent reverse swings from the Eden pitch to trigger a collapse. The touring side lost eight wickets for 96 runs to be skittled out in 78 overs.

Samules scored 65 off 98 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes.

About 40,000 turned up on the first day, expecting Tendulkar to bat. While that did not happen, with the ball he turned the clock back as he trapped Shane Shillingford in front of the wicket with a straighter one after bowling three turning deliveries. l

Score Card West Indies 1st innings CH Gayle c Vijay b Kumar KOA Powell c Kumar b Shami DM Bravo run out MN Samuels b Shami S Chanderpaul b Ashwin D Ramdin b Shami DJG Sammy c Kumar b Ojha S Shillingford lbw b Tendulkar V Permaul c & b Ashwin TL Best not out SS Cottrell b Shami Extras (b 4, lb 7) Total (all out; 78 overs) Bowling Kumar 14-6-33-1, Shami 17-2-71-4, Ashwin 21-9-52-2, Ojha 24-6-62-1, Tendulkar 2-1-5-1 India 1st innings S Dhawan not out M Vijay not out Extras Total (0 wickets; 12 overs)

18 28 23 65 36 4 16 5 14 14 0 11 234

21 16 0 37

Bowling Best 2-0-15-0, Cottrell 5-2-13-0, Shillingford 4-2-8-0, Permaul 1-0-1-0 India trail by 197 runs in the 1st innings

Djokovic subdues Federer n AFP, London Novak Djokovic got the better of Roger Federer for the second time in four days as the Serb started the defence of his ATP World Tour Finals title with a 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2 win on Tuesday.

Djokovic had triumphed when the two old rivals met in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters on Saturday and they produced another gripping encounter across the English Channel at London’s O2 Arena.

Once again Djokovic had the upper hand as the world number two began his bid for a third crown at the seasonending tournament by repeating his victory over Swiss great Federer in last year’s final.

Neither player was at their best, with Federer making 45 unforced errors and Djokovic 33, but the erratic quality of the tennis couldn’t detract from the drama.

Federer added: “Novak proves time and again he is one of the best defensive players we have ever seen.

“But I didn’t think it was as high qual-

ity a match as the final last year.

Since losing the US Open final to Rafael Nadal in September, Djokovic has played like a man on a mission to erase the bitter aftertaste of that defeat.

This was his 18th consecutive victory since trudging off court as a loser in New York, a run that has brought him titles in Beijing, Shanghai and Paris, and another crown in London looks a distinct possibility.

In contrast, after one of the worst campaigns of his illustrious career, Federer has tumbled to sixth in the world rankings and will fail to finish the year as a member of the world’s top four for the first time since 2002.

Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion has only won one title this year in Halle, with many pundits writing off the 32-year-old as a fading force.

Djokovic had risked irking Federer further in the build-up to the match by claiming the Swiss star was “moving maybe slower than he used to”.

And evidence of both Federer’s genius and his failings were on show in a

tight first set, with the first break point not arriving until the ninth game when the Swiss squandered a chance to land the first blow with a forehand down the line that dropped wide.

That proved a crucial miss as Djokovic capitalised on his escape, producing a brilliant return of serve that drew an error from Federer and brought up two set points.

Federer saved the first but a wayward forehand gifted the first set to the Serb.

Despite being in command, Djokovic looked oddly agitated and unsure of himself after failing to convert two more break points in the second game of what proved an error-strewn second set.

Federer broke for a 3-2 lead and Djokovic immediately levelled, only to drop his serve again in sloppy fashion.

When Federer had his chance to serve out the set at 5-4, he wasted a set point and allowed Djokovic to break once more. There was no surrender from Federer though and he won the tiebreak emphatically to take the match to a final set. l

Sachin Tendulkar celebrates the dismissal of S Shillingford with team members on the first day of their first Test match against West Indies in Kolkata yesterday AP

Cook, Carberry in huge opening stand

Star Sports 1 3:30AM India Vs West Indies 2013 1st Test, Day 2 Star Sports 4

n AFP, Hobart

08:00 PM ATP World Tour Finals, London UEFA Europa League 2013/14 Ten Sports 11:00PM Kuban Krasnodar v Swansea 2:00AM Sevilla v Liberec Ten Action 11:00PM Rubin Kazan v Wigan Athletic 2:00AM Tottenham v Sheriff Tiraspol

MUMIT M

Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited and Bangladesh Navy Chess team were at the top of the Ruphali Sarees Premier Division Chess League points table after the fifth round at the federation hall-room yesterday. The leaders have eight points but Navy has played one more match.

Yesterday, Bangladesh Navy beat Gopalganj Chess Club 4-0 with GM Abdulla Al-Rakib, GM Enamul Hossain Raqzib, FM Sk. Nasir Ahmed and FM Kh. Aminul Islam defeating their respective opponents of FM Mohammad Fahad Rahman, Niraula Bhupendra (Nepal), Kayastha Madan Krishna (Nepal) and Alamgir Hossain of Gopalganj.

Titas Club, who beat Sreejan Chess Club by 4-0, were in second place with seven points. FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman, FM Debaraj Chatterjee, Jamal Uddin and Sharif Hossain defeated Monjur Alam, Aminul Islam, Din Mohammad and Samiha Sharmin Shimmi respectively.

In the day’s other matches, Leonine Chess Club beat Faith Chess Club 3-1 and Access Group Chess Club drew with Pritam-Prism Chess Club. l

Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Roger Federer in their group B singles match in the round robin stage of the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Tuesday AFP

Skipper Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry put England in a commanding position with unbeaten centuries on the opening day of their tour match against Australia A on Wednesday.

At the close, England had batted all day and were 318 without loss after winning the toss, with Cook unbeaten on 154 and Carberry, preferred as opener to Joe Root, on 153.

It is already the highest opening partnership at Hobart’s Bellerive ground, and not since Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash put

on 377 against South Australia on the 1998/1999 tour have an England pair batted together for an entire day.

A dominant Cook conjured memories of his last triumphant Ashes tour of Australia three years ago with another big innings off 272 balls.

Carberry all but played his way into the Test team for the Ashes series opener against Australia in Brisbane on November 21 with his patient 288-ball innings, which included 22 boundaries and two sixes.

The 33-year-old Hampshire lefthander was given his chance to open with Cook after Root was bumped

down to number five in the batting order for the Hobart game.

Carberry followed up his 78 in last weekend’s drawn opening tour game against the WA Chairman’s XI in Perth with another impressive audition for a Test spot.

He made his only Test appearance against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2010, where he put on 72 and 65 batting with Cook at the top of the order.

Root appears to have paid the price for England’s brittleness in the top order during the July-August Ashes series, when the home side failed to pass 400 in any of their innings. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, November 7, 2013

US concerned over attack on Hindus

Primary teacher ‘fined’ Tk105,000 for rape attempt n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

n Tribune Report

Expressing grave concern over the recent attack on Hindus in Pabna and Lalmonirhat districts, the US embassy has urged the government to protect the rights of the minority communities.

The call came through a statement issued yesterday by the embassy in Dhaka.

The statement read: “We call on all those involved in these incidents to desist from abusing the rights of minorities, and ask all parties to ensure they are stopped immediately and the perpetrators are held accountable.”

It asked the government to act authoritatively against those who incited and committed this violence. The statement also expressed concern over the deaths, injuries, and ongoing violence associated with hartals.

“While engaging in peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, we firmly believe violence is never the answer.”

We look to the government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all its citizens and encourage all Bangladeshis to peacefully express their views,” it added.

It also urged all political parties to stage peaceful demonstration programmes to avert violence. l

Dhaka urges UK to extradite Tarique n UNB Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir yesterday said the British government has been requested to extradite BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to help execute the court order against him.

“The Home Ministry has sent a letter to the British authorities seeking the extradition of Tarique Rahman to execute the court order,” he said.

The minister was talking to the media after a joint retreat ceremony between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the Benapole-Petrapole frontier.

On May 26, a Dhaka court issued a warrant for Tarique’s arrest in a money-laundering case.

The Home Ministry has recently sent the arrest warrant to the British government through diplomatic channel, requesting it to send back him.

Earlier, MK Alamgir and his Indian counterpart Sushilkumar Shinde inaugurated the glittering and dazzling spectacle of the joint retreat ceremony in the afternoon.

He also inaugurated murals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and poets Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam, erected at the security gate at Benapole. l

Instead of frightening people by hurling bombs and vandalising vehicles, hartal pickets in Lakshmipur organise cultural programme, street drama and comedy shows on the road at Dalalbazar drawing huge crowds. Local Juba Dal leaders Mohiuddin Bitu, Tipu Sultan and Nur Nabi were among the organizers of the unique picket SAIFUL ISLAM SWAPAN

BTRC presses for retrospective permit for an NTTN company n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has allegedly been putting pressure on the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MoPT) for authorising a private land phone operator with a retrospective permit, sources at the ministry said.

Bangla Phone, the private land phone operator (PSTN), has been operating a NTTN (Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network) on the basis of a permit – without proper licensing since 2011, despite several MoPT warnings.

On August 7, the government had last asked the BTRC to take legal actions against the company, for operating without a NTTN licence.

However, BTRC sent aletter to the

Cries of hartal victims fill DMCH burn unit

ministry seeking a retrospective permit for the company, effective from 2011.

“License provisions for NTTN does not have any number restrictions, but the permit issued by the regulator is totally illegal, and now they are trying to legalise it,” Barrister Aneek R Haque, who had fought a legal battle for BTRC back in 2008 against Bangla Phone, told the Dhaka Tribune.

In the letter, BTRC informed the government that since October 22, 2011, it extended Bangla Phone’s permit five times and the next renewal was fixed for April 2014.

The telecom watchdog said as Bangla Phone have some business contracts with other companies, their permit can be approved.

Barrister Aneek R Haque, however, said: “As Bangla Phone is a land phone

(PSTN) operator they are neither eligible for NTTN licence nor qualified for the permit. It is totally unlawful and violates the existing guideline.”

“As per the Telecom Acts’ section 40, it is the government’s responsibility to approve any permit for establishing a telecommunications network.”

This meant, Bangla Phone has not been required to pay NTTN licence fee worth Tk30m and annual fees of Tk2.5m, as it does not have a proper licence.

Meanwhile, Amjad Khan, managing director and CEO of Bangla Phone, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are creating a network and the government should give us the permission to work. People in many areas would not have got internet access at a minimum rate if not for us.”

Earlier,in 2008, BTRC had directed Bangla Phoneto not to lay fibre but it took BTRC to the court and lost the case. The court had fined Bangla Phone Tk5,000 for wasting valuable time of the court.

After the change of the government, however, Bangla Phone managed a permit in 2011, bypassing the telecom law and has been running its business since.

According to the BTRC’s records, Bangla Phoneas a zonal operator has seven annual fees and revenue sharing for 21 quarters outstanding.

On its website, Bangla Phone claimed to have got permission to operate land lines in the northeast zone on June 22, 2004.

However, it claimed to be a transmission network service provider with 16 districts under its network. l

250-bed global standard hospital set

Malaysian prime minister to join the inaugural function in Gazipur on November 18 One in critical condition five others stable n Moniruzzaman Uzzal down,” he said. n Mohammad Jamil Khan Five other patients were improving, A new 250-bed specialised internationThe air in the burn unit was heavy with the smell of burnt flesh. The entire place was filled with screams of victims in pain and the cries of their near ones unable to hold back their tears.

At the ICU of Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s burn unit, 12-year-old Monir Hossain was lying in an intensive care unit bed with 95% burns. There had been no improvements to his condition and the doctors had given up hope.

The boy was attacked by some hartal supporters on the first day of the opposition’s 60-hour hartal at Gazipur while he was going home with his father.

Rebeka Sultan, attending doctor of the ICU at the burns unit, said Monir’s condition was not good.

“However, we are trying and providing our best possible effort so that we can reduce some of his pain,” she added.

“In my life I have seen many burns patients. But these cases are different,” burns unit coordinator Dr Samanta Lal Sen told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Almost everyone is in a critical condition, since they were burnt by gun powder,” he added.

Ramzan Ali, father of the victim, said he had left everything up to the almighty and was preparing to accept his fate.

“Why did these people attack my child, who does not understand anything about politics? I did not take my van out on the road against their hartal, and yet they burnt it

doctors said. On Monday, another hartal victim Mukul, an employee of Biswash Group, died at the hospital from burns injuries.

Benazir Ahmed, the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), was also visibly shaken by the extent of the victims’ injuries and their sufferings.

“Hartal supporters have no responsibility and no humanity in them. How could they force innocent

Hartal supporters have no responsibility and no humanity in them. How could they force innocent people, including children, to the door of death by setting them on fire? people, including children, to the door of death by setting them on fire,” he told a press briefing afterwards.

“We feel hopeless and sorry for these heinous activities,” he said.

“They do not belong to a civilised society. If they belonged to any civilised society they would have stopped to think before burning innocent children and women.”

Commissioner Benazir Ahmed addressed the briefing at the burn and plastic surgery department premises after visiting those injured by hartal supporters. The DMP commissioner gave flowers and fruits to the victims. l

al standard hospital and a 50-seat nursing college will soon be opened at Tetuibari village of Gazipur sadar upazila.

The Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital & Nursing College, set up by the initiative of the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust, is expected to be inaugurated on November 18 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the president of the trust.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will be present as chief guest at the inaugaration, while Sheikh Rehana, sister of Hasina and also the trust’s vice president, will be present as special guest The hospital has been set up on 2.45 hectares of land at a cost of Tk2.15bn with the involvement of the Ministry of Social Welfare under Public Private Partnership.

The ministry provided over Tk1.69bn and the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust provided Tk450m for the project, and the hospital will be run by a Malaysian private healthcare provider named Kumpulan Perubatan (Johor) Sdn Bhd (KPJ).

Senior officials of the hospital management board and members of the trust said the hospital has been established to reduce maternal and child mortality and morbidity, provide emergency and life-saving treatment to road traffic accident victims, ensure a proper safety net for the poor, support women victims of violence, act as referral hospital for the lower and higher level hospitals, fulfill academic purpos-

es for undergraduate and post-graduate medical students, nurses and paramedics; and provide services for disabled people.

Dr Bayezid Khurshid Riaz, a member of the hospital management committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that the international-standard hospital was established to stop the outbound flow of a large number of Bangladeshi patients who seek medical treatment in countries like Singapore, Thailand and India.

To ensure world-class medical facilities, the memorial trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KPJ Malaysia, who will provide specialised doctors, nurses and technicians to serve at the hospital along with local doctors, Dr Riaz added.

Although the KPJ will act as the operator of the hospital, around 90% of the required staff will be recruited

locally. However, three top officials Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief of Nurse (CON) and Chief of Finance (COF) - will come from the KPJ. The Malaysian hospital operators will provide free medical treatment for approximately one-third of the total patients, who will be referred by the trust’s nine-member hospital managment board, led by Prof Syed Modasser Ali, adviser to the prime minister on health and family welfare.

It was also learnt that Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana donated the land to the trust for building the hospital.

Focus will be given on the following areas of services: out-patient, emergency, in-patient, pathological lab and diagnostic facilities, safe blood transfusion, OT, housekeeping, management information system, referral, family planning, public health and quality assurance services. l

The managing committee of a primary school at Moheshpur upazila in the district fined a teacher Tk105, 000 for trying to violate a student of Class-V on the school campus.

The penalty was imposed on Tuesday afternoon in presence of accused teacher Hafizur Rahman, an assistant teacher of Bhabdia-Garapota government primary school under Moheshpur upazila in Jhenidah.

Locals said Hafizur tried to violate the girl on October 27 on the school campus. As the girl informed her guardians about it the school management committee called an arbitration.

Manirul Islam, president of Bhabdia-Garapota government primary school, said the arbitration was held on the school premises where the accused himself and guardians of both the accused and the victim were present.

Ward member of Banshbaria union parishad Mohammad Khokan said during the arbitration, the accused teacher Hafizur admitted his guilt and sought an apology for what he had done.

The headmaster of Bhabdia-Garapota government primary school Shahjahan Ali did not respond to several attempts by the Dhaka Tribune to contact him, eventually switching his phone off.

Moheshpur Upazila Primary Education Officer Rafiqul Islam said he had sent a letter to the authorities concerned to take immediate and necessary action against the accused teacher.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nasima Khatun said she along with a number of local government officials had visited the family and the victim.

The UNO assured the girl and her family members of all possible help while also advising the family to fight the matter legally, saying the local administration would follow the rule of law in all respects. l

Dipu Moni’s ex-PS made ambassador to Bhutan n Kamran Reza Chowdhury Foreign Minister Dipu Moni’s former private secretary Jishnu Roy Choudhury was appointed as Bangladesh Ambassador to Bhutan earlier this week in blatant violation of the cadre composition rule.

Public administration ministry will seek clarification from the foreign ministry on the procedures of the appointment, says a top official.

According to the cadre composition rule, the government can appoint 30% of people from any profession other than career diplomats. The ministry of establishment appoints ambassadors from outside the foreign cadre service, officials say.

The foreign ministry appoints ambassadors from the foreign service.

But the foreign ministry yesterday appointed Jishnu Roy Choudhury, an administration cadre official (84 batch), as the new envoy to the Himalayan state. He is serving as an additional secretary (administration) to the foreign ministry.

“We appoint ambassadors from outside the foreign cadre, but I do not know why the foreign ministry appointed him. I will seek clarification from the ministry,” Abdus Sobhan Sikder, secretary to the public administration ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Jishnu Roy Choudhury was deputed as the private secretary to the foreign minister after the Awami League formed a government in January 2009.

After his promotion, he was attached as a director general of the ministry and was later promoted to the rank of additional secretary. Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque yesterday declined to comment on the issue.

“I see here that the ambassadors are appointed from the foreign ministry.

The public administration deputed me to the foreign ministry much earlier.

So, I do not see anything wrong with it,” Jishnu Roy Choudhury said.

Former ambassador and career diplomat Humayun Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune that Jishnu Choudhury’s appointment should have been made from the public administration ministry, not from the foreign ministry, according to the cadre composition rule.

Bhutan is a very important place as many projects to boost sub-regional cooperation are in place there, he said.

“So, appointment of a career diplomat would be better given the political importance of the country.” l

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B2 Row continues within government

B3 Bank investment in

shares to be halved

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

Banks burdened with excess liquidity Political uncertainty, lack of energy supply held responsible Banking sector facts Deposit rate

Advance-deposit ratio

July 2013 Sept 2013

Sept 2012

Sept 2013

85%

71.65%

8.61%

13.39%

2013

The country’s commercial banks are awash with idle money due to poor investment and lower credit demand, with almost all kind of business expansion remained suspended amid political uncertainty ahead of the upcoming general election.

The excess liquidity increased by Tk240bn or 40% during January-September period of the current year and stood at Tk840bn from Tk600bn in January, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.

The amount of surplus liquidity increased rapidly while credit growth dropped continuously.

The credit growth of the banks was 13.39% in January with surplus liquidity of Tk600bn, followed by 10.29% growth in March with Tk660bn in excess liquidity. The growth was 8.97% in June when the liquidity was Tk790bn and 7.40% in September as the liquidity rose to Tk840bn.

The banks burdened with the huge idle money were looking for alternative investment window as reflected from their rising investment in the government securities.

The banks’ investment in government securities increased by 26% to Tk1tn during the 9 months period till September from Tk990bn in January, according to the central bank data.

“The investment opportunities for the banks shrunk due mainly for political unrest, lack of gas and electricity. Besides, they have also barrier to invest in share market according to the amended bank company act,’’ said a senior executive of a private bank.

However, the banks were taking away in-

vestment from the capital market instead of reinvesting there as they are bound to keep their exposure limit at 25% of paid up capital and reserves, which also pushed the liquidity to go high, he said.

“As a election year, banks remained shy to disburse big loans throughout the year and in last two months, there will have no possibility to release big loans,” said National Credit and Commerce Bank Managing Director Nurul Amin.

He said credit growth also decreased due to inflow of low cost foreign loans in the private sector as provided by Bangladesh Bank.

“Banks already cut their lending rates slightly to attract the borrowers and the rate will go down further within December,” said Amin, also the President of Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB).

The deposit rate dropped to 8.5% in September from 8.61% in July as banks reluctant to take more public funds.

“Banks’ interest income against credit declined due to sluggish disbursement while their interest expenditure against deposit went up, adversely hitting the profit. As a result, banks cut the interest rate on deposits and also moved to reduce lending rates to stimulate credit,” said a senior executive of a private bank.

The advance-deposit ratio (ADR) in the overall banking sector also declined to 71.65% in September against 85% a year back.

The ADR is likely to go down further in the coming months, if the current sluggish trend of credit to the private sector continues and the political situation takes a turn towards further confrontational course again. l

8.5%

Credit growth

10.29% January

March

8.97% June

Excess liquidity Tk600bn

Tk660bn

Tk790bn

7.4% September

Tk840bn

2013

n Jebun Nesa Alo

January

March

June

September

Investment in govt securites up by 26% since January 2013

Essentials dearer due to repeated call of hartals n Rabiul Islam Prices of daily essentials, especially vegetables, went up in the capital’s kitchen markets as supplies suffered setback during the 60-hour hartal ended yesterday.

Commodities could not reach Dhaka from the country sides, causing short supply of the essential items, Razzak, a seller of vegetable at Vanga bazaar in Shukrabad area.

While talking to Dhaka Tribune yesterday afternoon, he said the fare of goods-laden trucks almost doubled – from Tk20,000 to Tk40,000 per truck in some cases. Razzak said the prices of vegetables including brinjals, beans and cucumbers have increased from Tk10 to Tk15 per kg.

“I would not buy potato today as it is Tk24 per kg, but tomorrow, I would get it at Tk18 per kg as there is no hartal,” said Rasel, who works in a private company.

We have sold a fish at Tk280 per kg, but during the hartal we are selling them at Tk300 After bargaining for a few minutes with Sohel at Bou Bazar at West Panthapath, Rasel hailed from the Panthapath area, went away with frustration.

Sohel also expressed his anger, saying: “You

have called 60-hour hartal, why the prices will not go up as trucks cannot move.”

“Is not it a high price as gourd is selling at Tk60 per kg?” Sufia Khatun questioned. Sufia usually comes to Shukrabad kitchen market to buy essentials. She said the prices of essentials are high all the time.

The prices of all kinds of fishes were also high in the markets yesterday, said Jamal at Shukrabad kitchen market. He said little amount of fishes came to Dhaka due to hartal.

He said prices of fishes have increased by a range between Tk20 and Tk30 per kg. “We have sold a fish at Tk280 per kg, but during the hartal we are selling them at Tk300,” he said.

Shop Owner Yousuf at Bismillah Centre said

not for hartal, prices of all kinds of rice including miniket, najirshail are being sold higher by Tk2 per kg for the last couple of days.

He, however, said the prices of pulses have gone up by Tk10 per kg. “Before hartal, we bought pulses at Tk88 per kg and during the hartal we have to pay Tk98 per kg,” he said, adding they were retailing the lentils at Tk110 per kg.

He admitted the prices of bottled edible oil have not increased. But the prices of potato have gone up, he added.

Fahim, owner of a department store, generally sells oil, soap, milk and other dry food items.

He said the sales witnessed sharp fall due to hartal, although the prices of his items have not increased. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

PALLI SANCHAY BANK

Row continues within government n Asif Showkat Kallol The LGRD ministry has asked Bangladesh Bank not to oppose the establishment of Palli Sanchay Bank (PSB), a bank proposed to encourage rural savings.

Rural Development and Cooperatives Division of the ministry recently wrote a letter to the central bank governor in this regard, said officials.

Bangladesh Bank is opposed to PSB as “such specialised banks already in operation have not succeeded in their objectives.”

Finance Division is also against the PSB since the country already has some of such banks.

The letter was signed by Patit Pabon Devnath, Assistant Secretary to the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, which called for no-objection from the central bank to set up the PSB. Today, Banking Division has called a meeting on the issue at its office in Dhaka.

Officials of Rural Development and Cooperatives Division will also be present at the meeting to be presided over by the Finance Minister AMA Muhith, said official

sources.

Bangladesh Bank and Banking Division are suggesting the establishment of a microcredit institution instead of launching Palli Sanchay Bank.

The rural division letter said the future beneficiaries of PSB have already expressed grievance over the central bank’s decision.

It said the people will soon “demonstrate against the central bank” for allowing the establishment of PSB. Cooperatives Division said principal secretary Sheikh Md Wahid Uz-Zaman talked to the central bank governor over phone on the issue.

The letter read cooperatives division has already taken preparation to turn “One House One Farm Project” to the PSB as the number of projects’ beneficiaries has exceeded 1m.

At an inter-ministerial meeting last month, Bangladesh Bank and Banking Division issued their oppositions to the setting up of the PSB. Officials of Rural Development and Cooperatives Division were also present at the meeting.

The Cooperatives Division already prepared a draft Palli Sanchay Bank Act 2013.

But the central bank and the banking division officials ruled out the possibility of any such law to be made during the tenure of the present government.

The Cooperatives Division is however adamant at their stance to set up a specialised bank.

Bangladesh Bank said such specialised banks have not been successful in Bangladesh and the PSB would also not be viable.

Last month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that the government will establish Palli Sanchay Bank to improve rural economy encouraging the people to rural savings.

She was inaugurating the digital banking service for the rural poor people. The function also distributed national awards on “One House One Farm” project.

“We’ll have to convince the Banking Division,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina added that the “One House One Farm Project” was showing a new path towards poverty alleviation. l

Trade bodies form BUILD Trust

Euro bounces back in Asia

n Tribune Report

n AFP, Tokyo

Three leading trade bodies of the country yesterday formed a trust to conduct research on policies, practices and regulations affecting business in Bangladesh.

The euro rebounded in Asia yesterday on hopes for fresh European Central Bank easing policies after officials downgraded their eurozone growth forecasts for next year.

The pick-up follows days of selling pressure for the unit, which began falling last week after data showed inflation at a fouryear low.

After suffering early selling pressure the single currency climbed to $1.3487 and 132.84 yen in Tokyo midday trade, up from $1.3474 and 132.76 yen in New York Tuesday. The currency is well down from the $1.3787 and 134.40 yen before last week’s inflation data.

The dollar slipped to 98.47 yen, from 98.53 yen in New York where it had won support from better-than-expected US services sector data.

On Tuesday, European officials said the eurozone economy would grow 1.1% next year, slower than the 1.2% it forecast in May. They also kept their estimate of a 0.4% contraction this year.

The figures- along with data showing inflation surprisingly fell to just 0.7% - dented hopes about a strong recovery in the debtwracked bloc but fuelled speculation the

BUILD is now an independent institution to continue its efforts as a research-backed public-private dialogue (PPD) platform Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) jointly formed the BUILD (Business Initiative Leading Development) Trust. Presidents of the chambers signed a trust deed at a function in Dhaka, said a press release.

BUILD is now an independent institution to continue its efforts as a research-backed public-private dialogue (PPD) platform.

Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD), since its inception in October 2011, has been working proactively with the private sector and government of Bangladesh with the objective of developing recommendations and advocating for their reform.

BUILD receives technical assistance from the Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF) managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in partnership with the UK Government and the European Union (EU).

Representatives and dignitaries from partner organizations, including past presidents of DCCI and MCCI, directors of the three chambers, Managing Director of SME Foundation and Chairman, BUILD were present on the occasion. l

ECB would cut already record-low interest rates at its policy meeting Thursday. Lower interest rates tend to weigh on currencies.

“Since the ECB looks uncomfortable with a recent rally in the euro above $1.38, the ECB President Mario Draghi is unlikely to say something that can be taken as denying the odds of a future rate cut,” Marito Ueda, managing director at FX Prime Corp, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Dollar trading was focused on upbeat US services sector figures on Tuesday, which pointed to a pickup in the world’s biggest economy.

The ISM purchasing managers index for the service sector rose to 55.4% in October up from a September reading of 54.4% and much higher than the expected 54.0%. A figure above 50 points to growth while anything below indicates contraction.

The figures, which come ahead of third-quarter US economic growth and October jobs figures, added to expectations the Federal Reserve will start winding down its monetary easing plan sooner rather than later.

The central bank has said any pullback on the scheme - which would tend to boost the dollar - hinged on a firm US economic recovery. l

Appollo Ispat draws IPO lottery today n Tribune Report

Appollo Ispat Complex is going to draw lottery of its initial public offering (IPO) today.

Through the draw, the shares will be allocated among the winning investors.

The function will be held at 10am at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital.

Appollo Ispat, a manufacturer of corrugated and galvanised sheets, received more than Tk5bn against Tk2.2bn of public issuing of IPO, which was oversubscribed by 2.27 times.

It issued 100m ordinary shares of Tk10 each, in addition to Tk18 as premium per share.

According to the IPO prospectus, Appollo Ispat will use around Tk1.53bn from the IPO proceeds to repay bank loans, Tk600m for project development and the rest to bear the IPO expenses. l

Banks asked to submit asset-liability statements n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has directed the chief executives of all scheduled banks to submit their asset and liability statements.

The direction was made through circular yesterday as per the Bank Company Act, 1991 (amended).

Under section-36(01) of the act, the scheduled banks require to submit asset and liability statements to the central bank on quarterly basis.

According to section 38 of the act, the statements of asset and liability and loss and profit need to be submitted in a specific format and method every year at the end of every quarter.

Banks are required by the law to submit the statements within the last working day of the following month of the quarter, said the circular said. l

Westin begins Arabian food festival today n Tribune Business Desk

The Westin Dhaka today launches a weeklong Arabian food festival at the signature restaurant seasonal tastes.

The guest chefs from Egypt Mohamed Ali Mahmoud Al Dawa and Alaa Mohamed Hamdi Abdel Ghani Beshir will preside over the kitchen throughout the festival, said a press release.

The festival will end on November 14. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

3

Bank investment in shares to be halved ‘It will not be so detrimental to the market’ n Jebun Nesa Alo The commercial banks’ investment in the share market will have to bring down by almost half of the current position in accordance with the new bank company amend act 2013.

Bangladesh Bank has asked the banks to adjust the investment level as it set a deadline of 3 years to reduce the investment level, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

The banks are now allowed to invest 25% of their total paid up capital and reserves in the share market, according to the amended act. Earlier, the banks’ investment threshold was 10% of total liabilities.

The central bank recently issued a circular asking the banks to bring down their investment gradually within July 21, 2016.

Thirty banks are listed in the share market and their total investment in the share market stood at Tk160bn, which is 4% of their total liabilities as of March, 2013, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.

They will have to bring down the investment to Tk95bn in accordance with the circular.

The listed banks had a cumulative liability of Tk4tn in March, 2013. As a result, they could earlier invest up to Tk400bn in the share market. They, however, invested only Tk160bn as of March.

Currently, the listed banks have Tk380bn of paid up capital and reserves, and they would be able to invest up to Tk95bn in accordance with the newly amended rule.

Bangladesh Bank has asked the banks to adjust the investment level as it sets a deadline of 3 years to reduce the investment level RAJIB DHAR

“To reduce the investment risk of banks, Bangladesh Bank sets a time limit of 3 years for bringing down their investment in the share market as Bangladesh share market environment is very much unpredictable,” said Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury.

“So this sector is not suitable for banks to invest.”

The banking sector is holding the major stake in the share market, which went to its peak in 2009-10 due to over investment by the banks. Most of the banks had investment above 10% of their liabilities.

As the central bank tightened its supervision in 2010, the market started falling.

To revive the share market, authorities including Dhaka Stock Exchange, Chittagong Stock Exchange, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and the Finance Ministry called upon the banks to reinvest.

But, the central bank remained strict against reinvestment and asked the banks not to go to the market.

“As the banks are now well regulated and doing good business, they are capable of giving minimum 15% to 20% dividend at the year end. So the current lucrative share price of the banks offers a good chance for buying shares,”’ said Prof Abu Ahmed of Dhaka University.

However, he said, the banks have to adjust the investment with the new amended act. But there will be no significant changes as the banks already started the process even earlier. “It will not be so detrimental to the market.” l

Stocks edge higher amid cautious trading n Tribune Report Stocks edged higher amid cautious trading yesterday, driven by heavy weight banks that continued to dominate the trading.

The market opened on a positive note but profit taking on some issues mainly the power sector restricted some gains.

The benchmark DSEX index gained 21 points or 0.6% to close at 4,112, extending its gaining streak for the fifth consecutive session.

However, the blue chip index DS30 fell 8 points or 0.6% to 1,435. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, was marginally up 9 points to 8,009.

The market went through volatility with slight improvement in turnover and DSE index, said Zenith Investments in its market analysis.

Investors seemed to be more active in generating quick return and indecisive for long term positioning, it said.

In the short-term, the market was getting extended with slightly improved turnover amid cautious trading attitude of market makers, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its market analysis.

Market indicators signal the fundamentals, not the uncertainty around the market,

would be the driving factor in the coming days, it said.

However, the market breadth remained negative as out of 284 issues traded, 127 gained, 138 declined and 19 remained unchanged. The total turnover at the prime bourse amounted to Tk3.9bn, which was 0.3% higher than the previous session.

Banks, making up more than 30% of the total market cap, continued to advance for the third consecutive session, contributing to pull up the market.

The largest sector saw the highest gain of 2.5%, led by IFIC Bank that was the top gainer as it closed 9.2% higher.

Banks also dominated the top ten gainer’s chart as five of them featured in the list. Telecommunications ended 0.8% higher.

The other majors – pharmaceuticals, non-banking financial institutions and textiles edged down. Power sector saw sharp correction with a fall of more than 2%.

United Commercial Bank was the most traded stock of the session with turnover worth over Tk140m changing hands, followed by Beximco Ltd, IFIC Bank, Heidelberg Cement, Titas Gas, Argon Denim, Envoy Textile, City Bank, Active Fine, Padma Oil and Mercantile Bank. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

China’s Oct commodities imports to rise n Reuters, Shanghai China’s main commodities imports likely eased from record levels last month due to a week-long holiday in October, but shipments of crude oil, copper and iron ore are still expected to post strong annual growth as economic recovery gathers pace.

Import demand for crude oil, copper and soybeans is seen staying elevated through the rest of the year, as an invigorated manufacturing sector boosts consumption by refineries, smelters and crushers, traders and analysts said.

The world’s top commodity buyer is showing signs of a stabilizing economy after growth had slowed for nine of the past 10 quarters. Two surveys this month showed manufacturing was on a stronger footing and expanding at its fastest rate in at least seven months.

Preliminary trade data is due out on Friday between 0200 and 0300 GMT. China’s headline exports are forecast to have rebounded in October after a surprise fall in September, reinforcing the government’s view that the economy has regained

Facebook profit up but teens could be losing interest n AFP, San Francisco Facebook shares spiked recently with stellar earnings results, but plummeted back down on word teenagers may be falling out of love with the social network.

The world’s leading online social network reported profit of $425m in the quarter that ended on September 30, compared with a loss a year earlier.

The earnings figures showed soaring advertising revenue, nearly half of it from smartphones or tablet computers.

Facebook shares leapt about 15 percent and remained aloft until chief financial officer David Ebersman mentioned in an earnings call that internal analytics indicate decreased use of the social network by “younger teens.”

Shares dropped back near the trading day closing price of $49.01 after the earnings call.

“That would probably do it,” independent Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said of share price suffering due to fears it is losing the devotion of teenagers.

“That market is incredibly fickle,” he continued. “You don’t want to see a trend that kids no longer think Facebook is no longer the place to be; that it is now their dads’ service.”

The notion that Facebook is falling out of favour with a budding generation prompts worry about the company’s future earnings potential no matter what fiscal guidance executives provide.

“The kids are Facebook’s seed corn, and you don’t want to lose that,” Enderle said.

Ebersman cautioned that Facebook engagement by young people is tricky to measure because users claims regarding ages are not validated. The social network used internal tools to get a sense of activity by teenagers. l

ber after hitting a record high of 6.25 million barrels per day in September, traders said.

Stockpiling may have eased in October after China’s commercial crude oil inventories jumped more than 10% in the previous two months.

Traders said it was hard to tell if refinery run rates would recover in October, after falling 1.2 percent on a year ago in the preceding month, as two major refineries had began maintenance work just as a few other plants returned on-stream.

Sinopec’s 500,000-bpd Maoming refinery in the southern province of Guangdong and 240,000-bpd Fujian refinery in southeastern Fujian province both shut down from mid-October for 50-55 days maintenance.

Iron ore Trucks are loaded with shipping containers at a port in Yingkou, Liaoning province some momentum as its prepares to unveil plans for an economic overhaul at the third plenary session on November 9-12.

Crude oil

REUTERS

Crude oil imports from China, which overtook the United States to be the world’s top net importer in September, likely fell in Octo-

China’s iron ore imports in October are expected to ease from a record high in September, when shipments jumped 15% on a year earlier to 74.58 million tonnes (1.1023 ton).

Buying interest from China, the world’s top steelmaker, has slowed after the weeklong National Day holiday due to tepid steel demand and weak prices. l

Facebook

The world’s leading online social network

Net income (loss) $ millions

Mobile users

Active users Daily, millions*

425

Daily, millions

Asia 189

333 219

Europe 188 329

374

425

469

507

64

-59 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2012 2013

Rest of the world 208

*As of end Sept

US & Canada 144

Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2012 2013 54.22 Oct 18

Share performance 50 $

40

39.19 Aug 5

38.23 May 18

30

32.47 Jan 28

49.01 Oct 30

22.90 Jun 5

17.73 Sept 4

20 June 2012

Source: AFP, Facebook

Sept

Dec

Mar 2013

Jun

Sep

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

5

‘Time to taper India’s dollar window’ n Reuters The RBI should start tapering its dollar swap facility for oil companies given it has already been priced in by markets, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said in a report dated November 5.

The removal of the dollar window could mark a key signal of stability for the rupee, and the Reserve Bank of India has said any such action would be done in a calibrated manner.

BofA-Merrill notes that with FX reserves of about $280bn, it would be hard to continue to fund net oil imports that average $8-$10bn a month.

The bank expects the rupee to stabilise between 61-63 per dollar levels, helped by an expected $15bn that will be raised via the RBI’s two foreign currency non-resident windows and the potential inclusion of Indian debt into global benchmarks, which could raise about $20-$25bn. l

Samsung Electronics vows more aggressive investment n Reuters, Seoul Samsung Electronics Co Ltd vowed to double its dividend yield, invest in new technology and boost marketing as it sought to topple Apple Inc in the mobile devices segment and ease investor concerns over its sagging share price.

The world’s leading maker of smartphones, memory chips and televisions outlined its strategy on Wednesday at a rare meeting with analysts designed to reassure investors that it is listening to complaints about low returns and poor use of capital.

But shareholders appeared unconvinced as they drove the stock 2.3 %lower in a flat wider market. Samsung trades at seven times projected earnings, while Apple trades at a premium of 12.

“Investors had expected a bag of presents from today’s meeting, but its dividend payout plan is disappointing,” said Kim Sung-soo, a fund manager at LS Asset Management.

The second analyst meeting of its kind in eight years came after a string of record quarterly profits, which have fed a cash pile totaling $50bn as of September. But the bumper earnings failed to arrest a 4.7% slide in the share price so far this year.

Shareholder returns are at their lowest in five years, with investors getting just 5.1% of profit in 2012 compared with a 15.8% total shareholder return in 2007 when Samsung last bought back shares in the market.

“Our management view is that our product valuation multiple does not truly reflect our earnings growth and leadership position in the IT industry,” Chief Financial Officer Lee Sang-hoon told analysts at the meeting in Seoul.

He said the South Korean giant would modify its dividend strategy based on a target yield. It also flagged a more flexible approach to shareholder returns by vowing to review them every three years to ensure they reflected changes in business conditions.

Rather than specify a longer-term target dividend yield, he said the 2013 payout would be around 1% of the share price compared with 0.5% last year, a level that fuelled investors’ complaints that the company was hoarding cash at their expense.

Lee said the $50bn war chest was being prepared for “significant investment” in strategic technologies, mergers or acquisitions, suggesting the company could loosen its purse strings as it chases the next big thing in mobile technology.

“I know we have been somewhat conservative in M&A but it may be different in the future. Based on this, I don’t believe the current level of net cash balance is excessive,” he said.

“We plan to allocate a significant portion of our annual cash flow into capex and R&D to secure future growth and shareholder return,” he said.

Samsung said Wednesday’s announcement marks a strategic shift to more friendly shareholder returns. Its shares are poised to post their first annual decline in five years.

“This indicates if you help our share prices go up, dividend will go up because we got a target dividend yield. That’s the magic of this whole formula,” Robert Yi, head of Samsung’s investor relations, told analysts.

Eyes on tablets

Faced with slowing growth in the market for its top-selling Galaxy range of high-end smartphones, Samsung said it would target the tablet segment where Apple’s iPads dominate.

“Our tablet sales significantly increased already this year. So we are ready for the next step,” said J K Shin, co-chief executive and head of Samsung’s mobile business.

The mobile business brings in two-thirds of Samsung’s total profit, and Shin said the $228 billion company would continue to invest heavily in marketing to create “buzz” and boost sales of its latest gadgets.

“We have technologies ready to bring new innovation into the market soon. At the same time, we’ll leverage our Galaxy brand,

distribution channel and global networks,” he said.

Samsung, whose smartphone market share rose to a record 35.2% in July-September versus Apple’s 13.4%, remains a second player in the tablet market. It had 20.4% of the tablet business in the third quarter versus Apple’s 29.6%, according to researcher IDC. Shin said Samsung would expand its mobile “experience shops”, hold more global events like the launch of its Galaxy S4 smartphone at Manhattan’s iconic Radio City Music Hall in March, and try out new marketing formats such as collaboration with fashion shows.

Assuming conservatively that Samsung will keep its marketing budget stable at last year’s 6.5% of sales, outlays are expected to increase 16% to a staggering $14.2bn this year, on par with its R&D spending. l

A journalist walks at the Samsung booth during a media preview day at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin

REUTERS

6

Share

DHAKA TRIBUNE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 4111.97 ⇑ 0.53%, Turnover: 3901.91 M.Tk ⇑ 0.33%, PE: 12.71 Turnover 4,316.00 MTk . ⇑ 0.78% November 6, 2013 MarketCap. 1,974.45 BTk. ⇑ 0.08% CSE All Share Index: 12651 ⇑ 0.32%, Turnover: 414.09 M Tk. ⇑ 9.46%, PE: 12.48 Combined Turnover Leader BEXIMCO Ltd. -A UCBL - A IFIC Bank - A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 1018978 D: 27.60 ⇑ 1.85% | 27.75 | 28.50 / 25.00 C: 27.50 ⇑ 0.73% | 27.84 | 28.50 / 26.80 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 4146964 D: 20.90 ⇑ 3.98% | 21.04 | 22.00 / 19.00 C: 21.20 ⇑ 5.47% | 21.23 | 22.00 / 19.90 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 4121704 D: 33.30 ⇑ 9.18% | 32.95 | 33.50 / 27.50 C: 33.20 ⇑ 9.21% | 32.78 | 33.40 / 30.30 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 88557 D: 36.20 ⇓ 0.55% | 36.09 | 38.00 / 33.90 C: 36.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 35.98 | 36.20 / 35.60 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 5347143 D: 11.90 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.97 | 12.20 / 10.70 C: 11.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.95 | 12.20 / 11.60 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 345949 D: 31.40 ⇑ 0.96% | 31.49 | 31.90 / 28.80 C: 31.40 ⇓ 0.32% | 31.81 | 32.20 / 31.20 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 117841 D: 71.10 ⇑ 0.42% | 72.60 | 75.70 / 67.00 C: 72.90 ⇑ 3.26% | 72.93 | 74.10 / 71.00 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 6922832 D: 23.70 ⇑ 1.72% | 23.92 | 24.50 / 22.00 C: 23.80 ⇑ 2.15% | 24.06 | 24.60 / 23.00 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 2366056 D: 32.40 ⇑ 5.88% | 32.19 | 33.50 / 28.00 C: 32.50 ⇑ 6.91% | 32.33 | 33.40 / 30.50 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 642500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 5.97 | 6.10 / 5.90 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 424213 D: 28.10 ⇑ 2.93% | 27.99 | 28.40 / 25.00 C: 27.90 ⇑ 1.45% | 27.80 | 28.10 / 27.30 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 2404697 D: 16.90 ⇑ 4.97% | 16.76 | 17.30 / 14.90 C: 16.90 ⇑ 4.97% | 16.86 | 17.00 / 16.10 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 407700 D: 24.90 ⇑ 2.05% | 24.88 | 25.10 / 22.90 C: 24.00 ⇑ 0.42% | 24.66 | 25.00 / 23.10 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 2062308 D: 18.10 ⇑ 4.02% | 18.08 | 18.60 / 16.00 C: 18.20 ⇑ 4.00% | 18.13 | 18.50 / 17.50 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 305830 D: 19.40 ⇑ 1.57% | 19.41 | 20.00 / 18.00 C: 19.30 ⇓ 2.03% | 19.52 | 20.00 / 19.20 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 1797273 D: 12.80 ⇑ 1.59% | 12.93 | 13.60 / 11.50 C: 12.90 ⇑ 2.38% | 12.91 | 13.10 / 12.00 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 1566940 D: 12.40 ⇑ 2.48% | 12.51 | 13.10 / 11.00 C: 12.50 ⇑ 1.63% | 12.45 | 12.60 / 12.00 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 79670 D: 99.60 ⇑ 2.26% | 99.85 | 104.0 / 92.00 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 103056 D: 16.10 ⇑ 2.55% | 16.17 | 16.50 / 14.20 C: 16.30 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.00 | 16.80 / 16.00 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 2072033 D: 14.10 ⇑ 3.68% | 14.14 | 14.50 / 12.50 C: 14.10 ⇑ 3.68% | 14.11 | 14.40 / 13.20 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 2895908 D: 15.10 ⇑ 3.42% | 15.03 | 15.50 / 13.20 C: 15.10 ⇑ 2.72% | 15.08 | 15.40 / 14.50 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 293882 D: 19.80 ⇑ 2.59% | 19.96 | 20.30 / 18.00 C: 20.20 ⇑ 3.59% | 20.23 | 21.40 / 19.80 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 5828691 D: 15.50 ⇑ 8.39% | 15.27 | 15.70 / 13.00 C: 15.50 ⇑ 8.39% | 15.36 | 15.70 / 14.20 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 1392575 D: 11.80 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.93 | 12.10 / 10.60 C: 11.80 ⇓ 0.84% | 11.92 | 12.30 / 10.80 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 388803 D: 16.00 ⇑ 3.23% | 16.08 | 16.50 / 14.00 C: 15.90 ⇑ 1.27% | 15.98 | 16.20 / 15.50 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 696438 D: 31.80 ⇑ 2.91% | 31.70 | 32.50 / 28.00 C: 31.90 ⇑ 3.57% | 31.68 | 32.00 / 31.00 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 1753240 D: 16.90 ⇑ 3.05% | 16.91 | 18.00 / 15.00 C: 16.80 ⇑ 2.44% | 16.86 | 17.20 / 16.10 PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 2165478 D: 11.80 ⇑ 2.61% | 11.83 | 12.00 / 11.00 C: 11.80 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.77 | 12.00 / 11.50

Vol. 5310990

TO M. Tk. 170.95

% of TTL 3.96

6922832

165.71

3.84

4121704

135.77

3.15

Generation Next Fashions-A

4745500

HeidelbergCement -A

262600

118.76 106.05

2.75 2.46

TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 281588 D: 18.50 ⇑ 3.35% | 18.65 | 19.20 / 16.20 C: 18.60 ⇑ 3.91% | 18.62 | 18.90 / 18.00 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 2223136 D: 13.90 ⇑ 5.30% | 13.93 | 14.50 / 11.90 C: 14.00 ⇑ 6.06% | 13.85 | 14.10 / 13.10 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 224335 D: 59.00 ⇓ 1.01% | 59.69 | 60.70 / 56.00 C: 58.20 ⇓ 1.02% | 60.09 | 61.00 / 58.20 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 538722 D: 29.00 ⇑ 3.57% | 28.68 | 29.40 / 26.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 131064 D: 79.00 ⇑ 0.64% | 78.85 | 80.00 / 71.00 C: 78.50 ⇑ 1.82% | 78.35 | 79.50 / 77.20 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 500 D: 29.60 ⇓ 7.21% | 29.60 | 29.60 / 29.60 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 2274157 D: 29.30 ⇑ 4.64% | 28.79 | 29.80 / 25.50 C: 29.20 ⇑ 5.04% | 28.67 | 29.60 / 27.40 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 1560212 D: 23.40 ⇑ 4.93% | 23.09 | 23.60 / 20.30 C: 23.40 ⇑ 4.00% | 23.15 | 23.70 / 22.30 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 479509 D: 24.80 ⇑ 2.90% | 24.57 | 25.00 / 22.00 C: 24.90 ⇑ 2.89% | 24.65 | 25.00 / 24.00 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 85655 D: 10.00 ⇑ 1.01% | 10.01 | 10.20 / 9.10 C: 10.20 ⇑ 0.99% | 10.13 | 10.20 / 10.10 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 817501 D: 16.00 ⇑ 2.56% | 16.10 | 16.40 / 14.50 C: 16.00 ⇑ 1.91% | 16.10 | 16.50 / 15.60 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 686065 D: 56.50 ⇓ 0.35% | 56.32 | 58.00 / 51.10 C: 56.80 ⇑ 0.35% | 56.65 | 57.50 / 55.70 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 243989 D: 17.00 ⇑ 1.19% | 17.01 | 17.50 / 16.00 C: 17.30 ⇑ 2.98% | 17.15 | 17.30 / 16.50 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 179500 D: 17.70 ⇑ 1.14% | 17.65 | 18.00 / 17.40 C: 18.00 ⇑ 2.86% | 17.95 | 18.10 / 16.80 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 32059 D: 27.30 ⇑ 0.74% | 27.24 | 27.50 / 25.00 C: 27.10 ⇓ 6.55% | 27.45 | 27.10 / 27.10 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 161107 D: 18.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.09 | 18.50 / 17.00 C: 18.20 ⇑ 1.11% | 18.20 | 18.40 / 18.00 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 772695 D: 14.80 ⇑ 2.07% | 14.87 | 15.10 / 13.50 C: 14.90 ⇑ 2.05% | 14.90 | 15.10 / 14.40 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 572687 D: 30.50 ⇑ 4.45% | 30.22 | 30.90 / 26.50 C: 30.60 ⇑ 2.34% | 30.34 | 30.70 / 30.10 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 387918 D: 13.80 ⇑ 1.47% | 13.77 | 13.90 / 13.00 C: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.79 | 13.90 / 13.60 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 32000 D: 55.70 ⇓ 1.24% | 55.42 | 56.20 / 54.30 C: 54.00 ⇓ 4.09% | 54.00 | 54.00 / 54.00 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 146475 D: 29.40 ⇓ 0.34% | 29.57 | 30.10 / 29.10 C: 29.80 ⇓ 0.67% | 29.79 | 30.00 / 29.40 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 281346 D: 28.80 ⇑ 3.60% | 28.68 | 29.20 / 25.50 C: 28.40 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.47 | 29.00 / 28.00 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 9150 D: 1447 ⇓ 2.80% | 1465 | 1496 / 1432 C: 1455 ⇓ 2.12% | 1455 | 1455 / 1455 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 109231 D: 25.00 ⇑ 1.21% | 24.85 | 25.20 / 23.00 C: 24.90 ⇓ 0.80% | 24.95 | 25.00 / 24.90 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 588500 D: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.79 | 14.00 / 13.60 C: 13.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.83 | 14.00 / 13.70 INVESTMENT 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 2100 D: 181.0 ⇓ 0.55% | 181.00 | 181.0 / 181.0 4THICB | 29.24 | 229.24 | Vol. 200 D: 172.1 ⇓ 0.46% | 172.10 | 172.1 / 172.1 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 13800 D: 130.4 ⇓ 7.12% | 130.36 | 134.0 / 130.2

Avg. P

DSE Gainer IFIC Bank-A

32.19 23.94 32.94 25.03 403.84

C%

A%

CP

DSE Loser

C%

A%

CP

9.18

6.19

33.30

DESCO Ltd.-A

-11.51

-12.53

64.60

Savar Refractories-Z

8.73

9.09

59.80

Rahim Textile-A

-8.31

-6.38

315.40

Delta Life Insu.-Z

8.72

8.72

315.50

Midas Financing-Z

-7.21

-6.62

29.60

Mercantile Bank-A

8.39

5.31

15.50

5th ICB M F-A

-7.12

-7.15

130.40

Titas Gas TDCL-A

-6.52

-5.80

74.50

Samorita Hospital-A

6.45

3.81

6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 11600 D: 45.30 ⇓ 0.44% | 45.34 | 45.70 / 45.10 7THICB | 13.53 | 98.60 | Vol. 1000 D: 74.10 ⇓ 3.01% | 74.10 | 74.10 / 74.10 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 285750 D: 38.80 ⇑ 1.84% | 38.24 | 39.00 / 37.40 C: 39.00 ⇑ 3.45% | 38.30 | 39.00 / 37.50 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 90500 D: 16.50 ⇓ 1.20% | 16.62 | 16.80 / 16.30 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 485000 D: 45.60 ⇑ 3.87% | 44.84 | 45.90 / 43.70 C: 45.80 ⇑ 3.15% | 45.40 | 46.00 / 44.20 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 12000 D: 24.30 ⇑ 1.67% | 24.42 | 24.50 / 24.20 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 325500 D: 9.70 ⇑ 3.19% | 9.65 | 9.80 / 9.20 C: 9.70 ⇑ 4.30% | 9.55 | 9.70 / 9.30 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 1964900 D: 16.90 ⇑ 3.05% | 16.75 | 17.10 / 15.50 C: 17.00 ⇑ 3.03% | 16.95 | 17.20 / 16.20 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 1297500 D: 22.90 ⇑ 5.05% | 22.65 | 23.20 / 22.00 C: 23.00 ⇑ 5.50% | 22.75 | 23.30 / 22.20 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 347345 D: 6.80 ⇑ 1.49% | 6.84 | 6.90 / 6.50 C: 6.90 ⇑ 2.99% | 6.88 | 6.90 / 6.70 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 38500 D: 5.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.84 | 5.90 / 5.80 C: 5.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.80 | 5.80 / 5.80 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 244000 D: 6.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.32 | 6.50 / 6.00 C: 6.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.26 | 6.30 / 6.20 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 1034919 D: 7.50 ⇑ 2.74% | 7.48 | 7.60 / 7.40 C: 7.50 ⇑ 1.35% | 7.54 | 7.60 / 7.20 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 103000 D: 5.10 ⇑ 2.00% | 5.18 | 5.30 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.15 | 5.20 / 5.10 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 248000 D: 5.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.58 | 5.60 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 1.82% | 5.58 | 5.60 / 5.50 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 630991 D: 6.70 ⇑ 1.52% | 6.77 | 7.00 / 6.00 C: 6.80 ⇑ 3.03% | 6.72 | 6.90 / 6.60 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 233000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.38 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.60 ⇑ 3.70% | 5.45 | 5.60 / 5.30 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 384000 D: 5.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.02 | 5.10 / 5.00 C: 5.20 ⇑ 1.96% | 5.10 | 5.20 / 5.00 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 465500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 6.00 | 6.10 / 5.90 C: 6.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 6.00 | 6.00 / 5.90 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 310000 D: 5.20 ⇓ 1.89% | 5.25 | 5.30 / 5.20 C: 5.40 ⇑ 3.85% | 5.32 | 5.40 / 5.20 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 1086362 D: 5.90 ⇑ 1.72% | 6.00 | 6.10 / 5.30 C: 6.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 6.00 | 6.10 / 5.90 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 168500 D: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.40 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.34 | 5.40 / 5.30 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 916500 D: 5.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.46 | 5.50 / 5.40 C: 5.50 ⇑ 3.77% | 5.45 | 5.60 / 5.30 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 51000 D: 6.60 ⇓ 1.49% | 6.63 | 6.70 / 6.50 C: 6.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.66 | 6.90 / 6.60 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 42500 D: 6.20 ⇓ 3.13% | 6.30 | 6.40 / 6.20 C: 6.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.40 | 6.40 / 6.40 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 1003350 D: 8.20 ⇑ 2.50% | 8.15 | 8.40 / 7.90 C: 8.40 ⇑ 5.00% | 8.30 | 8.40 / 8.00 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 40000 D: 7.40 ⇑ 1.37% | 7.45 | 7.90 / 7.30 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 567850 D: 8.50 ⇑ 3.66% | 8.48 | 8.70 / 8.20 C: 8.60 ⇑ 4.88% | 8.51 | 8.80 / 8.40 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 187000 D: 7.60 ⇑ 2.70% | 7.60 | 7.80 / 7.40 C: 7.80 ⇑ 6.85% | 7.61 | 7.80 / 7.60 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 7327500 D: 6.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.73 | 7.00 / 6.70 C: 6.90 ⇑ 4.55% | 6.90 | 7.00 / 6.80

104.00

NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 1018450 D: 9.30 ⇑ 3.33% | 9.25 | 9.60 / 8.50 C: 9.30 ⇑ 3.33% | 9.29 | 9.50 / 8.40 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 61000 D: 8.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.16 | 8.40 / 8.10 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 497500 D: 6.80 ⇑ 1.49% | 6.88 | 7.00 / 6.80 C: 6.80 ⇑ 3.03% | 6.84 | 6.90 / 6.80 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 226740 D: 100.5 ⇓ 3.09% | 101.19 | 108.0 / 95.00 C: 100.5 ⇓ 3.46% | 101.36 | 104.0 / 100.2 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 11700 D: 16.90 ⇓ 1.17% | 17.09 | 17.80 / 16.60 OLYMPIC | 7.85 | 22.10 | Vol. 209815 D: 211.1 ⇑ 0.00% | 211.48 | 214.7 / 202.0 C: 209.4 ⇓ 0.38% | 211.07 | 225.0 / 209.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 4900 D: 127.6 ⇓ 0.55% | 126.80 | 129.7 / 125.7 C: 128.0 ⇓ 3.54% | 128.00 | 128.0 / 128.0 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 3100 D: 80.60 ⇓ 1.83% | 80.65 | 82.10 / 80.00 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 2100 D: 264.7 ⇓ 3.57% | 266.19 | 272.5 / 260.0 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 38062 D: 193.5 ⇓ 1.02% | 193.50 | 195.5 / 182.0 C: 193.0 ⇓ 0.57% | 192.77 | 195.3 / 192.0 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 8000 D: 162.1 ⇓ 0.31% | 163.25 | 165.9 / 157.1 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 41600 D: 25.40 ⇓ 3.79% | 25.89 | 26.90 / 25.00 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 190500 D: 32.60 ⇓ 0.31% | 32.74 | 33.90 / 32.60 C: 32.40 ⇓ 0.92% | 32.31 | 32.50 / 32.00 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 9200 D: 142.0 ⇓ 6.21% | 144.02 | 151.9 / 141.3 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 48816 D: 69.50 ⇓ 3.61% | 70.86 | 72.70 / 69.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 152395 D: 24.50 ⇓ 1.61% | 24.78 | 25.20 / 23.80 C: 24.70 ⇓ 1.20% | 24.81 | 25.30 / 24.60 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 74500 D: 22.60 ⇓ 3.00% | 23.13 | 24.00 / 22.60 C: 22.90 ⇓ 1.29% | 23.06 | 24.00 / 22.70 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 8000 D: 14.90 ⇓ 0.67% | 15.00 | 15.50 / 14.30 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 22000 D: 82.60 ⇓ 2.02% | 82.84 | 85.20 / 82.20 C: 82.00 ⇓ 7.87% | 82.00 | 82.00 / 82.00 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 365700 D: 40.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 41.09 | 41.80 / 39.00 C: 40.90 ⇓ 0.49% | 41.34 | 42.00 / 40.50 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 399340 D: 44.20 ⇓ 2.21% | 44.42 | 46.00 / 41.00 C: 43.70 ⇓ 3.32% | 44.28 | 45.00 / 43.70 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 202675 D: 67.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 67.56 | 70.00 / 60.60 C: 67.00 ⇓ 0.45% | 67.85 | 69.10 / 67.00 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 74256 D: 64.40 ⇓ 0.77% | 64.28 | 64.90 / 58.50 C: 64.00 ⇓ 0.16% | 63.96 | 64.00 / 63.00 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 262386 D: 16.20 ⇓ 1.22% | 16.33 | 16.50 / 15.00 C: 16.10 ⇓ 2.42% | 16.25 | 16.40 / 16.00 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 591600 D: 45.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 47.04 | 47.80 / 45.00 C: 45.80 ⇑ 0.44% | 46.88 | 48.00 / 45.50 BENGALWTL | 4.16 | 26.24 | Vol. 396200 D: 46.20 ⇓ 1.28% | 46.87 | 47.50 / 46.10 C: 46.40 ⇓ 1.28% | 46.37 | 47.00 / 46.10 BDBUILDING | 1.53 | 14.60 | Vol. 829000 D: 40.50 ⇓ 0.74% | 40.90 | 41.70 / 40.20 C: 40.40 ⇓ 0.49% | 40.79 | 41.70 / 40.20 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 16800 D: 89.90 ⇓ 1.64% | 89.86 | 91.00 / 89.50 C: 88.70 ⇓ 1.55% | 88.62 | 88.70 / 88.10 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 27487 D: 388.1 ⇓ 2.83% | 390.43 | 400.0 / 370.0 C: 388.3 ⇓ 1.97% | 388.47 | 390.0 / 388.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 19350 D: 1601 ⇑ 0.03% | 1644 | 1650 / 1600 C: 1531 ⇓ 4.31% | 1531 | 1531 / 1531

GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 50 D: 166.0 ⇓ 3.88% | 166.00 | 166.0 / 166.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 300 D: 783.3 ⇑ 1.53% | 783.33 | 790.0 / 770.0 ZEALBANGLA | -28.94 | -221.34 | Vol. 800 D: 7.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 7.70 | 7.70 / 7.70 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 23600 D: 188.6 ⇓ 1.87% | 190.31 | 195.4 / 186.2 C: 188.9 ⇓ 1.31% | 187.68 | 190.0 / 187.0 FUWANGFOOD | 1.03 | 13.51 | Vol. 376117 D: 22.30 ⇓ 1.33% | 22.53 | 23.00 / 21.50 C: 22.40 ⇓ 1.75% | 22.55 | 22.90 / 22.30 MEGHNAPET | -0.50 | -1.52 | Vol. 12000 D: 5.90 ⇓ 6.35% | 5.92 | 6.00 / 5.80 MEGCONMILK | -7.48 | -23.70 | Vol. 14500 D: 7.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 7.03 | 7.20 / 6.90 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 371198 D: 19.80 ⇓ 1.00% | 19.87 | 20.20 / 18.00 C: 19.80 ⇓ 1.49% | 19.85 | 20.80 / 19.60 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 99170 D: 16.70 ⇓ 2.34% | 16.78 | 17.20 / 16.00 C: 16.80 ⇓ 1.18% | 16.94 | 17.60 / 16.50 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 362364 D: 21.60 ⇓ 0.92% | 21.74 | 22.20 / 20.00 C: 21.60 ⇓ 0.92% | 21.70 | 22.10 / 21.50 GHAIL | 2.43 | 25.58 | Vol. 1020180 D: 37.50 ⇓ 3.10% | 37.93 | 39.00 / 35.00 C: 37.50 ⇓ 3.60% | 37.87 | 38.50 / 37.50 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 14500 D: 628.7 ⇑ 0.54% | 629.10 | 640.0 / 625.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 299300 D: 298.5 ⇓ 4.91% | 304.24 | 313.5 / 296.0 C: 299.3 ⇓ 4.56% | 304.74 | 314.0 / 296.5 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 350 D: 316.8 ⇑ 0.19% | 317.14 | 320.0 / 315.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 222698 D: 19.50 ⇓ 0.51% | 19.60 | 20.10 / 18.00 C: 19.70 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.57 | 19.80 / 19.40 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 848653 D: 34.00 ⇑ 2.41% | 34.14 | 34.60 / 30.00 C: 33.90 ⇑ 2.11% | 34.11 | 34.50 / 33.60 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 219518 D: 64.60 ⇓ 11.51% | 64.03 | 64.90 / 60.00 C: 64.70 ⇓ 11.13% | 65.17 | 68.90 / 63.10 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 10500 D: 53.50 ⇓ 0.74% | 53.62 | 54.00 / 53.40 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 254278 D: 224.7 ⇑ 0.31% | 223.65 | 228.0 / 219.9 C: 224.0 ⇓ 0.44% | 223.07 | 224.9 / 221.0 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 280985 D: 261.9 ⇓ 0.68% | 262.99 | 267.0 / 241.0 C: 263.1 ⇑ 0.11% | 262.39 | 266.0 / 260.0 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 1330595 D: 74.50 ⇓ 6.52% | 75.22 | 76.60 / 72.00 C: 74.60 ⇓ 6.75% | 75.12 | 76.70 / 74.60 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 102967 D: 47.00 ⇑ 0.21% | 47.10 | 47.70 / 42.50 C: 46.70 ⇓ 0.64% | 46.73 | 47.10 / 46.60 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 772430 D: 28.00 ⇓ 3.11% | 28.28 | 29.20 / 26.10 C: 28.00 ⇓ 3.45% | 28.36 | 29.00 / 27.90 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 34864 D: 71.10 ⇓ 1.39% | 71.26 | 72.10 / 66.00 C: 70.90 ⇓ 1.66% | 70.32 | 71.50 / 70.50 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 1113296 D: 26.50 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.97 | 28.00 / 24.00 C: 26.80 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.06 | 27.40 / 26.50 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 1066240 D: 57.60 ⇓ 4.00% | 58.46 | 60.30 / 54.00 C: 58.00 ⇓ 3.49% | 58.55 | 60.20 / 54.10 JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 8550 D: 65.10 ⇓ 2.98% | 65.26 | 67.00 / 64.10 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 6000 D: 128.4 ⇓ 2.06% | 129.00 | 130.0 / 128.1 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 58382 D: 88.30 ⇓ 0.79% | 86.72 | 89.00 / 82.00 RAHIMTEXT | 5.81 | 70.85 | Vol. 4500 D: 315.4 ⇓ 8.31% | 321.78 | 325.2 / 314.0

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

7

November 06, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 36,758.63 ⇑ 2.11% NBFI: 20,223.13 ⇑ 0.77% INVS: 4,772.62 ⇑ 2.14% ENGG: 5,799.98 ⇓ 1.22% FOOD: 9,377.68 ⇓ 0.76% F&P: 9,965.25 ⇓ 2.10% TEXT: 3,158.82 ⇓ 1.42% PHAR: 16,978.33 ⇓ 0.74% PAPR: 940.86 ⇓ 0.01% SERV: 2,827.59 ⇓ 0.72% LEAT: 5,136.50 ⇓ 0.22% CERA: 487.17 ⇑ 0.33% CMNT: 4,372.14 ⇓ 0.07% INFO: 6,697.53 ⇓ 2.77% GINS: 9,135.86 ⇓ 0.19% LINS: 112,407.04 ⇑ 5.81% TELC: 1,299.44 ⇓ 0.13% MISC: 6,075.58 ⇓ 0.58% SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 509400 D: 28.90 ⇓ 1.70% | 28.98 | 29.30 / 28.80 C: 28.80 ⇓ 1.03% | 28.81 | 29.00 / 28.60 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 1150 D: 75.00 ⇑ 0.13% | 74.78 | 75.20 / 74.00 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 35000 D: 54.50 ⇓ 5.05% | 54.89 | 58.00 / 54.00 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 6100 D: 7.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.87 | 7.90 / 7.70 TALLUSPIN | 2.01 | 18.59 | Vol. 784700 D: 39.30 ⇓ 2.24% | 39.59 | 40.50 / 39.00 C: 39.50 ⇓ 1.74% | 39.64 | 40.10 / 39.10 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 10600 D: 65.10 ⇓ 1.36% | 65.19 | 66.50 / 65.00 MITHUNKNIT | 3.33 | 23.82 | Vol. 68810 D: 75.80 ⇓ 1.69% | 76.25 | 78.00 / 74.40 C: 74.90 ⇓ 3.60% | 75.49 | 76.20 / 74.40 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 447900 D: 30.40 ⇓ 1.94% | 30.53 | 31.60 / 29.50 C: 30.60 ⇓ 1.61% | 30.76 | 31.60 / 30.10 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 70864 D: 16.00 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.05 | 17.00 / 15.10 C: 16.00 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.00 | 16.10 / 16.00 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 411000 D: 24.50 ⇓ 1.21% | 24.44 | 25.40 / 24.10 C: 24.60 ⇓ 1.60% | 24.76 | 26.40 / 24.40 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 64500 D: 7.20 ⇑ 1.41% | 7.17 | 7.30 / 7.10 C: 7.20 ⇓ 1.37% | 7.26 | 7.90 / 7.10 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 62000 D: 30.50 ⇓ 1.61% | 30.36 | 31.50 / 30.00 C: 30.00 ⇓ 3.23% | 30.00 | 30.00 / 30.00 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 126500 D: 34.50 ⇓ 2.82% | 34.69 | 35.90 / 34.20 C: 34.40 ⇓ 1.99% | 34.36 | 34.40 / 34.00 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 1358766 D: 29.60 ⇓ 2.31% | 29.87 | 30.70 / 28.00 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 438542 D: 22.90 ⇓ 3.38% | 23.05 | 23.80 / 22.80 C: 22.90 ⇓ 3.78% | 23.04 | 23.80 / 22.80 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 63883 D: 89.60 ⇓ 0.55% | 89.85 | 90.50 / 88.00 C: 89.70 ⇓ 0.33% | 89.43 | 90.00 / 89.10 METROSPIN | 0.62 | 19.48 | Vol. 352212 D: 18.40 ⇓ 1.08% | 18.48 | 18.80 / 17.00 C: 18.50 ⇓ 0.54% | 18.77 | 19.20 / 18.40 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 1144373 D: 15.70 ⇓ 1.26% | 15.75 | 16.20 / 14.40 C: 15.70 ⇓ 1.26% | 15.80 | 16.10 / 15.70 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 370367 D: 26.40 ⇓ 2.94% | 26.49 | 27.20 / 24.50 C: 26.60 ⇓ 1.48% | 26.72 | 27.90 / 26.30 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 1500425 D: 30.40 ⇓ 0.98% | 30.66 | 32.00 / 28.00 C: 30.40 ⇓ 1.30% | 30.66 | 31.10 / 30.30 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 683689 D: 15.70 ⇑ 1.29% | 16.01 | 16.50 / 14.50 C: 15.80 ⇑ 1.28% | 16.09 | 16.50 / 15.70 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 2416420 D: 27.50 ⇓ 4.51% | 27.61 | 29.00 / 26.00 C: 27.70 ⇓ 3.82% | 27.91 | 28.50 / 27.30 ZAHINTEX | 1.38 | 35.73 | Vol. 659950 D: 28.40 ⇓ 2.07% | 28.74 | 29.20 / 27.00 C: 28.40 ⇓ 2.07% | 28.61 | 29.30 / 28.20 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 698000 D: 23.40 ⇓ 1.68% | 23.47 | 23.90 / 23.30 C: 23.50 ⇓ 1.26% | 23.46 | 23.80 / 23.30 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 4745500 D: 24.90 ⇓ 1.97% | 25.02 | 25.50 / 23.00 C: 25.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 25.05 | 25.70 / 24.70 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 1518640 D: 58.20 ⇓ 2.84% | 58.66 | 60.40 / 54.00 C: 58.10 ⇓ 2.84% | 58.84 | 61.90 / 57.90 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 1406400 D: 66.10 ⇑ 0.15% | 66.40 | 67.70 / 60.00 C: 65.90 ⇑ 0.30% | 66.24 | 67.40 / 65.60 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 326000 D: 41.40 ⇓ 2.59% | 41.98 | 43.10 / 41.10 C: 41.90 ⇓ 0.71% | 41.89 | 42.60 / 41.50 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 3750 D: 252.3 ⇓ 1.71% | 252.12 | 253.1 / 250.1 C: 251.0 ⇓ 1.72% | 250.12 | 251.0 / 250.0 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 270246 D: 44.70 ⇑ 0.45% | 45.26 | 48.80 / 40.10 C: 44.40 ⇓ 0.22% | 44.92 | 45.90 / 44.00

GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 500 D: 931.7 ⇑ 0.06% | 932.00 | 979.9 / 923.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 6016 D: 165.1 ⇓ 1.26% | 165.06 | 167.8 / 156.0 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 3050 D: 714.6 ⇓ 1.19% | 717.05 | 724.0 / 712.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 300 D: 765.8 ⇑ 0.76% | 766.67 | 770.0 / 765.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 13750 D: 164.0 ⇓ 1.50% | 164.87 | 167.8 / 163.0 KOHINOOR | 9.52 | 10.49 | Vol. 2500 D: 412.7 ⇑ 4.88% | 412.80 | 413.6 / 412.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 40730 D: 97.20 ⇓ 0.61% | 97.80 | 99.70 / 95.00 C: 96.90 ⇓ 1.72% | 96.60 | 97.80 / 95.80 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 127400 D: 40.80 ⇓ 1.92% | 41.10 | 41.90 / 40.70 C: 40.50 ⇓ 1.46% | 40.74 | 41.00 / 40.50 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 376894 D: 178.9 ⇓ 0.39% | 179.18 | 181.1 / 165.0 C: 178.8 ⇓ 0.72% | 179.10 | 180.5 / 178.5 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 46500 D: 7.10 ⇓ 2.74% | 7.19 | 7.40 / 7.10 C: 7.20 ⇓ 4.00% | 7.20 | 7.20 / 7.20 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 783751 D: 24.10 ⇓ 1.63% | 24.20 | 25.00 / 23.00 C: 24.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.22 | 24.50 / 24.00 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 500 D: 813.3 ⇓ 1.91% | 814.00 | 843.0 / 810.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 18550 D: 73.30 ⇑ 0.55% | 73.00 | 73.80 / 70.00 C: 73.90 ⇑ 0.82% | 73.40 | 74.00 / 72.50 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 320525 D: 11.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.56 | 11.70 / 11.40 C: 11.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.51 | 11.60 / 11.00 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 926334 D: 87.80 ⇓ 4.46% | 89.13 | 93.40 / 82.80 C: 88.30 ⇓ 3.81% | 88.78 | 91.30 / 87.00 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 359533 D: 19.10 ⇓ 1.04% | 19.16 | 19.40 / 17.50 C: 19.20 ⇓ 1.03% | 19.27 | 19.60 / 19.10 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 391250 D: 51.50 ⇑ 1.18% | 51.19 | 51.90 / 50.40 C: 51.60 ⇑ 0.58% | 51.15 | 52.00 / 50.60 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 836350 D: 53.60 ⇓ 2.01% | 53.85 | 54.70 / 50.00 C: 53.90 ⇓ 2.00% | 54.10 | 54.90 / 53.70 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 123500 D: 185.3 ⇓ 2.37% | 186.64 | 192.0 / 184.0 C: 185.0 ⇓ 3.14% | 185.53 | 190.0 / 185.0 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 275000 D: 28.20 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.36 | 28.70 / 28.10 C: 28.20 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.38 | 28.50 / 28.20 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 16000 D: 26.00 ⇓ 4.06% | 26.00 | 26.20 / 25.80 C: 26.00 ⇓ 0.76% | 26.27 | 28.40 / 26.00 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.31 | 17.25 | Vol. 45000 D: 104.0 ⇑ 6.45% | 101.39 | 107.0 / 98.00 C: 106.1 ⇑ 4.02% | 106.10 | 106.1 / 106.1 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 132820 D: 26.40 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.49 | 26.90 / 24.80 C: 26.40 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.62 | 27.00 / 26.20 EHL | 3.16 | 20.74 | Vol. 293825 D: 53.00 ⇓ 2.39% | 53.51 | 54.50 / 48.90 C: 53.00 ⇓ 2.21% | 53.55 | 54.20 / 52.80 LEATHER

APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 48300 D: 105.8 ⇓ 1.49% | 106.17 | 107.5 / 105.3 C: 106.2 ⇓ 0.84% | 106.19 | 106.6 / 106.0 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 2000 D: 703.8 ⇓ 0.68% | 704.00 | 704.2 / 703.2 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 65200 D: 392.6 ⇑ 1.08% | 388.40 | 394.9 / 380.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 5500 D: 12.50 ⇓ 3.85% | 13.00 | 13.00 / 12.00 C: 11.00 ⇓ 9.84% | 11.03 | 11.10 / 11.00 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 207300 D: 32.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.87 | 34.00 / 30.50 C: 32.60 ⇓ 0.91% | 32.71 | 33.80 / 32.20 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 36850 D: 30.10 ⇓ 2.90% | 30.63 | 31.60 / 29.90 C: 30.10 ⇑ 2.73% | 30.10 | 30.10 / 30.00 STANCERAM | 1.07 | 15.97 | Vol. 47000 D: 40.30 ⇓ 2.66% | 40.85 | 42.50 / 38.90 C: 40.00 ⇓ 1.48% | 39.95 | 40.00 / 39.90 FUWANGCER | 0.72 | 13.97 | Vol. 263920 D: 18.20 ⇓ 0.55% | 18.27 | 18.70 / 16.50 C: 18.40 ⇓ 0.54% | 18.36 | 18.50 / 18.10 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 463177 D: 16.00 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.25 | 16.60 / 14.90 C: 16.10 ⇑ 1.26% | 16.29 | 16.60 / 16.00 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 127380 D: 50.50 ⇑ 0.20% | 50.53 | 51.00 / 45.50 C: 50.70 ⇑ 0.20% | 50.35 | 53.90 / 49.60 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 262600 D: 405.4 ⇑ 1.22% | 403.81 | 415.0 / 396.0 C: 406.7 ⇑ 0.74% | 406.14 | 406.9 / 400.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 97151 D: 125.5 ⇓ 1.34% | 126.37 | 128.6 / 120.0 C: 125.5 ⇓ 0.95% | 125.63 | 130.0 / 124.2 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 79800 D: 123.9 ⇓ 0.64% | 124.51 | 126.8 / 123.8 C: 130.3 ⇑ 4.74% | 130.30 | 130.3 / 130.3 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 34000 D: 70.00 ⇓ 0.85% | 70.67 | 72.80 / 69.80 C: 71.70 ⇓ 0.42% | 71.70 | 72.00 / 71.40 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 234000 D: 31.30 ⇑ 0.64% | 31.38 | 31.40 / 31.20 C: 31.30 ⇑ 0.64% | 31.27 | 31.50 / 31.10 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 277066 D: 91.40 ⇓ 1.19% | 91.82 | 93.00 / 84.00 C: 91.20 ⇓ 2.56% | 91.07 | 92.00 / 84.30 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 216000 D: 106.9 ⇓ 3.87% | 107.78 | 111.8 / 106.2 C: 105.4 ⇓ 4.96% | 107.23 | 108.7 / 105.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 53707 D: 15.80 ⇓ 1.25% | 15.91 | 16.60 / 15.00 C: 15.90 ⇓ 0.63% | 15.92 | 16.00 / 15.70 BDCOM | 1.54 | 15.85 | Vol. 369227 D: 27.10 ⇓ 2.52% | 27.54 | 28.10 / 25.10 C: 27.10 ⇓ 4.24% | 27.36 | 28.30 / 26.90 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 137006 D: 14.80 ⇓ 0.67% | 14.88 | 15.10 / 13.50 C: 14.90 ⇓ 0.67% | 14.89 | 15.00 / 14.80 AGNISYSL | 1.06 | 16.39 | Vol. 278364 D: 21.50 ⇓ 3.15% | 21.77 | 22.40 / 20.00 C: 21.50 ⇓ 3.15% | 21.76 | 22.00 / 21.50 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 614572 D: 13.20 ⇓ 3.65% | 13.23 | 13.70 / 12.40 C: 13.30 ⇓ 2.92% | 13.28 | 13.50 / 13.20 AAMRATECH | 1.46 | 21.90 | Vol. 796550 D: 31.20 ⇓ 3.11% | 31.36 | 32.20 / 29.00 C: 31.30 ⇓ 2.19% | 31.38 | 32.70 / 31.00

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 34392 D: 29.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.91 | 30.80 / 27.00 C: 29.70 ⇓ 1.33% | 29.72 | 30.00 / 29.70 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 23086 D: 81.10 ⇓ 0.12% | 81.31 | 83.50 / 79.30 C: 79.00 ⇑ 3.00% | 79.00 | 79.00 / 79.00 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 600 D: 43.90 ⇓ 0.45% | 43.33 | 44.90 / 43.30 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 231785 D: 34.30 ⇓ 0.58% | 34.86 | 35.40 / 33.00 C: 34.30 ⇓ 1.15% | 34.53 | 35.00 / 34.30 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 3000 D: 39.10 ⇑ 0.77% | 39.29 | 39.70 / 38.60 C: 37.60 ⇓ 0.27% | 37.60 | 37.60 / 37.60 JANATAINS | 7.84 | 170.69 | Vol. 14043 D: 261.0 ⇑ 0.29% | 260.27 | 264.0 / 255.0 C: 258.3 ⇓ 0.39% | 258.14 | 260.0 / 253.3 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 44503 D: 41.60 ⇓ 2.58% | 41.74 | 42.40 / 39.20 C: 42.30 ⇑ 1.20% | 41.96 | 42.30 / 41.90 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 103150 D: 47.80 ⇓ 0.42% | 48.02 | 52.00 / 46.90 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 7300 D: 29.40 ⇓ 2.00% | 29.44 | 30.40 / 28.00 C: 29.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.50 | 29.50 / 29.50 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 90200 D: 23.40 ⇓ 1.68% | 23.67 | 24.20 / 23.40 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 70106 D: 32.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.67 | 32.90 / 31.00 C: 32.80 ⇑ 0.92% | 32.43 | 32.90 / 32.20 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 228558 D: 24.40 ⇓ 2.01% | 24.62 | 25.20 / 23.00 C: 24.50 ⇓ 1.21% | 24.75 | 25.20 / 24.50 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 4500 D: 70.80 ⇓ 1.53% | 70.89 | 71.50 / 70.60 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 373350 D: 23.70 ⇓ 0.84% | 24.08 | 24.70 / 22.00 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 35460 D: 57.50 ⇓ 1.20% | 57.81 | 60.70 / 57.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 14549 D: 31.70 ⇓ 1.25% | 31.72 | 31.90 / 31.00 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 70500 D: 67.80 ⇓ 2.31% | 67.30 | 68.50 / 65.60 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 85500 D: 28.30 ⇓ 1.74% | 28.53 | 29.50 / 28.10 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 51120 D: 27.10 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.13 | 28.50 / 26.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 29660 D: 29.00 ⇓ 1.69% | 29.18 | 30.00 / 28.90 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 2147 D: 35.40 ⇑ 1.14% | 35.33 | 36.00 / 33.00 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 34500 D: 30.40 ⇓ 1.30% | 30.51 | 31.50 / 30.10 C: 30.50 ⇑ 2.69% | 30.52 | 31.00 / 29.60 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 119560 D: 24.60 ⇓ 0.81% | 24.73 | 25.40 / 22.50 C: 24.70 ⇓ 1.20% | 24.70 | 24.70 / 24.70 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 75008 D: 24.60 ⇓ 0.81% | 24.81 | 25.00 / 23.50 C: 25.40 ⇑ 1.60% | 25.40 | 25.40 / 25.40 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 53536 D: 29.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.55 | 29.90 / 28.00 C: 29.40 ⇓ 1.34% | 29.40 | 29.40 / 29.40 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 131200 D: 30.60 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.73 | 31.20 / 29.50 C: 30.80 ⇓ 0.96% | 30.79 | 30.90 / 30.70 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 245009 D: 41.80 ⇓ 2.11% | 42.10 | 43.30 / 40.00 C: 42.20 ⇓ 1.17% | 42.24 | 42.50 / 41.70 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 33448 D: 39.90 ⇓ 1.72% | 39.96 | 40.80 / 37.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 39734 D: 42.30 ⇓ 1.86% | 42.57 | 43.20 / 40.00 C: 42.50 ⇓ 3.41% | 42.50 | 42.50 / 42.50 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 228253 D: 43.50 ⇓ 0.91% | 43.81 | 44.60 / 42.00 C: 43.60 ⇓ 0.68% | 43.66 | 44.00 / 43.50 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 67557 D: 27.10 ⇓ 0.73% | 27.20 | 27.50 / 26.00 C: 27.10 ⇓ 4.91% | 27.06 | 27.50 / 26.90 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 5000 D: 34.60 ⇓ 1.14% | 34.60 | 35.30 / 32.80 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 43432 D: 29.70 ⇓ 1.00% | 30.00 | 30.60 / 27.00 C: 29.00 ⇓ 3.65% | 29.00 | 29.00 / 29.00

DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 92375 D: 39.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 39.48 | 39.80 / 37.00 C: 39.50 ⇓ 0.75% | 39.47 | 39.90 / 38.90 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 25157 D: 254.3 ⇑ 3.75% | 251.19 | 258.0 / 240.0 C: 246.0 ⇓ 0.61% | 246.00 | 246.0 / 246.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 7250 D: 315.5 ⇑ 8.72% | 315.50 | 315.5 / 315.5 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 30852 D: 69.10 ⇑ 0.58% | 68.87 | 69.40 / 62.00 C: 67.50 ⇓ 1.75% | 67.50 | 67.50 / 67.50 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 163600 D: 196.0 ⇑ 3.21% | 195.87 | 198.0 / 173.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 80638 D: 92.60 ⇑ 1.76% | 91.93 | 93.60 / 87.00 C: 92.90 ⇑ 0.65% | 92.60 | 93.00 / 92.50 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 96450 D: 102.6 ⇑ 1.08% | 101.78 | 104.5 / 98.10 C: 100.1 ⇓ 2.34% | 100.10 | 100.1 / 100.1 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 18461 D: 108.3 ⇑ 6.18% | 107.85 | 112.2 / 98.00 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 57225 D: 124.3 ⇑ 2.56% | 123.77 | 130.0 / 110.0 C: 122.0 ⇓ 2.40% | 122.00 | 122.0 / 122.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 19652 D: 91.50 ⇑ 0.55% | 91.58 | 93.00 / 91.20 C: 91.10 ⇓ 2.04% | 91.09 | 91.10 / 91.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 46027 D: 97.80 ⇑ 1.98% | 96.49 | 100.0 / 89.00 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 63860 D: 56.30 ⇓ 1.92% | 56.24 | 60.00 / 51.70 C: 57.20 ⇓ 2.72% | 56.40 | 58.00 / 56.00 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 45425 D: 57.70 ⇑ 0.87% | 57.44 | 58.80 / 51.50 C: 56.30 ⇑ 0.36% | 56.29 | 57.30 / 55.70 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 401400 D: 196.5 ⇑ 0.98% | 196.36 | 198.3 / 194.6 C: 195.7 ⇑ 0.41% | 196.00 | 198.0 / 194.2 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 357434 D: 166.6 ⇓ 2.00% | 167.55 | 180.0 / 154.1 C: 166.8 ⇓ 2.00% | 167.64 | 171.0 / 166.1 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 4012192 D: 15.90 ⇓ 0.63% | 16.04 | 16.30 / 15.00 C: 16.00 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.06 | 16.30 / 15.90 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 325660 D: 76.90 ⇓ 1.16% | 77.25 | 78.30 / 70.50 C: 77.10 ⇓ 0.64% | 77.26 | 78.00 / 77.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 23700 D: 295.3 ⇓ 1.27% | 297.23 | 300.0 / 293.2 C: 293.0 ⇓ 4.47% | 293.00 | 293.0 / 293.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 54430 D: 416.3 ⇓ 1.01% | 416.91 | 423.8 / 414.0 C: 418.3 ⇓ 1.06% | 418.43 | 423.8 / 415.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 26408 D: 139.4 ⇓ 1.13% | 140.16 | 143.0 / 139.1 C: 139.1 ⇓ 0.57% | 139.14 | 141.9 / 139.0 USMANIAGL | 3.80 | 29.92 | Vol. 90400 D: 131.3 ⇓ 2.81% | 132.28 | 136.0 / 130.7 C: 130.6 ⇓ 3.47% | 130.23 | 134.1 / 127.4 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 2100 D: 59.80 ⇑ 8.73% | 60.00 | 60.00 / 57.00 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 5310990 D: 31.70 ⇑ 3.26% | 32.22 | 33.60 / 28.00 C: 31.80 ⇑ 4.26% | 32.06 | 32.90 / 31.00 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 181000 D: 20.70 ⇑ 1.47% | 20.53 | 20.80 / 20.30 C: 20.60 ⇑ 1.48% | 20.36 | 20.80 / 20.10 MIRACLEIND | 0.10 | 15.13 | Vol. 99000 D: 14.00 ⇓ 2.10% | 14.15 | 14.30 / 14.00 C: 13.90 ⇓ 2.11% | 13.98 | 14.20 / 13.70 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 340 D: 965.8 ⇑ 0.63% | 966.67 | 970.0 / 962.0 C: 951.0 ⇓ 0.11% | 951.00 | 951.0 / 951.0 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 10 D: 881.5 ⇑ 0.17% | 900.00 | 882.0 / 881.5 BRACSCBOND | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 10 D: 1030 ⇑ 3.78% | 1030 | 1030 / 1030

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

China seeks world role for people’s money n AFP, Beijing With deals from London to Singapore, China is seeking a greater role for its yuan currency in global markets to challenge the hegemony of the almighty dollar.

The most attention-grabbing reform planned for Shanghai’s new free trade zone is free convertibility of the yuan - also known as the renminbi, or “people’s money” - an unprecedented change which would allow greater use of the currency.

But no timetable has been specified, and a true contest between Mao Zedong, Communist China’s founding father whose face is emblazoned on most yuan notes, and Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill will be years in the making.

purchasing foreign exchange at a frantic rate in recent weeks... underlining again how reluctant policymakers are to leave the renminbi in the hands of market forces For decades the US has benefited to the tune of trillions of dollars-worth of free credit from the greenback’s role as the default global reserve unit.

But as the global economy trembled before the prospect of a US default last month, only averted when Washington reached a deal to raise its debt ceiling, China’s official Xinhua news agency called for a “de-Americanised” world.

It also urged the creation of a “new international reserve currency ... to replace the dominant US dollar”.

For China - which has the world’s biggest foreign exchange reserves - the immediate appeal of a greater role for the yuan is lubricating trade flows and drawing foreign investment.

“Policymakers have made new efforts to increase the attraction of the renminbi in global markets,” said Capital Economics analyst Wang Qinwei.

He pointed to a deal with Britain in Octo-

World’s most traded currencies Top 10

Market share, % 1 US dollar 40.14

2 Euro 16.16

3 British pound 11.31 4 Japanese yen 5.78 10 Korean won 0.86 9 Russian rouble 1.16 8 Chinese yuan 1.49

5 Australian dollar 3.21 6 Swiss franc 2.34 7 Canadian dollar 1.99

Source: AFP, SWIFT RMB tracker (Aug 2013 data) ber allowing London-based institutions to invest directly in China - avoiding an expensive detour via Hong Kong - with an initial quota of 80bn yuan ($12.9bn).

A week later Beijing signed a similar 50bn yuan agreement with Singapore.

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, also signed a currency swap deal with the European Central Bank last month for 45bn euros ($61bn), giving eurozone banks greater access to the yuan.

In the run-up to an important plenum of the ruling Communist Party, Zhao Longkai of the Guanghua School of Management at

Peking University, said the measures were “important steps” but added that progress was likely to be slow.

“We take gradual steps, so that’s what China will do,” he told AFP. “It’s China, it’s hard to talk about any dramatic changes.”

“China has to be very careful about this because... we want to maintain the value of the currency,” he added.

The yuan-dollar exchange rate is effectively controlled by Chinese authorities, and the relaxation of strict capital controls could see funds flow out of China.

Since January, the yuan has strengthened

by more than two percent, setting a series of record highs and creeping towards the symbolically significant 6 yuan to the greenback mark.

The Chinese central bank has been “purchasing foreign exchange at a frantic rate in recent weeks... underlining again how reluctant policymakers are to leave the renminbi in the hands of market forces,” said Wang of Capital Economics.

“Among many other implications, this suggests that capital account liberalisation is a long way off.”

But investors’ lust for yuan shows no sign of weakening. It became the world’s eighth most-traded currency this year, overtaking the Russian ruble and South Korean won, according to the interbank network Swift.

Yuan currency trading volumes more than doubled between January 2012 and August this year, when it held a 1.49% global market share, it added.

Outside China and Hong Kong, London saw 62% of the transactions by value, followed by New York and Paris.

The market for “dim sum” bonds, denominated in yuan and issued in Hong Kong, is small but growing rapidly: the total issued in the first nine months of this year was 65% higher than that for all of 2012, according to ratings agency Fitch.

The yuan will become the world’s fourth most commonly used currency in international trade by 2020, with $3tn worth of business denominated in yuan, estimates Standard Chartered economist Stephen Green.

But Jens Nordvig, global head of foreign exchange strategy for investment bank Nomura, warned that internationalisation of the unit could only occur “over a multi-year horizon”.

China needs free convertibility on the capital account and developed capital markets, he said. At present the yuan is only convertible on the current account, consisting mainly of trade flows.

“First, it needs to be super liquid and second it needs to be available for global investors,” he said, “neither of which are fully developed in China.” l

Google launches ‘Helpouts’ commerce platform n AFP, San Francisco Google on Tuesday launched a new online service called “Helpouts,” aiming to connect businesses and consumers to solve problems or get advice on a range of issues.

The service is similar to Google’s “Hangouts” with live video for paid services in areas ranging from computer tech support to weight loss.

“What if getting help for a computer glitch, a leaky pipe, or a homework problem was as easy as clicking a button?” Google’s Udi Manber said in a blog post announcing the new service.

“What if you could get someone knowledgeable to get you ‘unstuck’ when you really need it?”

Manber said some of the services now

are “how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. “ But he added that “today is just the beginning. We’re starting small and in a few categories.”

While Helpouts offers very intriguing potential for individuals and enterprises (think product demos and customer service) there are also many potential pitfalls that could derail Helpouts The categories being offered initially include art and music, computers, cooking, education and careers, fashion and beauty, fitness and nutrition, health and home and garden.

The Helpouts range from free to $240 or more. Some examples include chemistry tutoring and homework, learning to play guitar, yoga instruction, French language lessons, fixing computer problems or refrigerator repair.

“With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews,” Manber said.

“You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone.”

Analyst Greg Sterling of Opus Research said this was Google’s third attempt at providing an expert network after Google

Answers and Google Knol.

Sterling said on the Marketing Land blog that if the service catches on, it could be a tool for enterprises, business owners and service providers, as well as a way to obtain reviews.

“While Helpouts offers very intriguing potential for individuals and enterprises (think product demos and customer service) there are also many potential pitfalls that could derail Helpouts,” Sterling said.

“Free Helpouts are more likely to be marketing efforts for their providers,” Sterling said.

“However, will consumers pay for advice? Some will, in certain cases. But in many others, YouTube videos or other free resources online will work just as well.” l