November 08, 2013

Weekend Tribune A dummies guide to caretaker government

Kartik 24, 1420 Muharram 3, 1434 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 225

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To begin at the beginning

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Top bureaucrats asked to assist polls-time govt Secretaries meeting also asks them to support Election Commission n Mohosinul Karim Secretaries of the administration have been asked to work “cordially” with the polls-time government and execute the decisions accordingly during the next general elections, which would be held by next January, officials at different ministries said.

They have also been asked to ensure the security of the Election Commission and provide it with all kinds of support for holding a peaceful election as per the constitution.

The directive came yesterday in a meeting of the secretaries at the cabinet division conference room at the secretariat, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.

A total of 20 secretaries out of 54 attended the 15th meeting of secretaries during the present government’s tenure.

They participated in open discussion and talked about different issues, Bhuiyan told the media after the meeting.

“The secretaries assured us that they were ready to provide all kinds of support to the election commission and the polls-time government they might need,” he said.

Bhuiyan said: “The secretaries have also been asked to talk to field-level officials associated with their ministries or divisions. If they had any confusion over assisting the polls-time government or the election commission, the secretaries were directed to discuss the issue and clear the confusions.”

“Excluding the security and law enforcement agencies, around 700,000 officials working under different ministries or divisions will work with the election commission during the election period as the commission does not have adequate officials to conduct the election. They need proper instruction from their line ministry,” he said.

Asked, what would be the election-time role of civil servants, the cabinet secretary said: “It is not a matter  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

A relative of a killed worker of Rana Plaza bursts into tears at Jurain graveyard after recognising the grave of her beloved one through DNA test result yesterday

Khaleda disagrees Now 72-hour hartal with EU's no polls boycott proposal from Sunday tion at the performance of the Dhaka n Sheikh Shahariar zaman n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla city unit of the party as none of its senOpposition Leader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has apparently disagreed with the European Union’s proposal of not boycotting the next parliamentary elections and refraining from hartal.

“If the election is not acceptable, what is the point of taking part in it?

The people of Bangladesh must have the confidence that the election results are acceptable,” BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury yesterday told reporters, quoting Khaleda, after an EU delegation’s meeting with her.

EU Ambassador in Dhaka William  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

After observing two successive 60hour nationwide hartals, the BNP-led 18-party alliance plans to enforce another 72-hour hartal from Sunday, demanding elections under a non-partisan government.

Seeking anonymity, a member of the party’s Standing Committee told the Dhaka Tribune last night that this time the hartal would be for 72 hours.

The highest policymaking body of the BNP made the decision in a meeting around 8:30pm yesterday at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office.

The leader said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had expressed dissatisfac-

ior leaders had taken to the streets during the previous hartal hours.

The Standing Committee member also said the party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir would likely announce the programme at a press conference today.

Khaleda, also the leader of the opposition, entrusted two of the party’s Sanding Committee members – Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Mirza Abbas – to strengthen Dhaka city unit BNP through coordination among them.

BNP high-ups believe that the government’s offer for a dialogue was nothing but a trap for killing time. l

HARTAL VIOLENCE

Monir loses battle for life n Mohammad Jamil Khan

The 12-year-old boy injured in an arson attack at the Gazipur intersection during the countrywide 60-hour shutdown on Monday died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Thursday.

Monir Hossain, a student of Class V at Boro Kanchanpur Primary School in Gazipur, succumbed to his burn injuries around 4:45pm, said Partha Sharothi Das, doctor at the Burn and Plastic Surgery unit of DMCH. The doctor said Monir was admitted to the hospital burns to 95% of his body, adding: “We have tried our best but the boy could not hold on to life.”

Monir lived with his mother Monoara Begum and his younger brother at their village home in Borokanchanpur.

He had never visited the capital but requested that his father take him to the city for a visit. His father Ramzan Ali, a driver of covered van, brought Monir to Dhaka on Sunday morning.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Ramzan said he and his son were going back to Gazipur with some goods on Monday morning. After reaching Gazipur, he unloaded the truck and found Monir to be sleeping.

“Later, I went over to the main road to have a glimpse of it to see if I could start for Gazipur but within five minutes I found my truck on fire with my son inside it,” said Ramzan with tears in his eyes. He then took him to hospital with the help of police.

On Wednesday night between 8.00pm and 9.00pm, Monir asked him to take him back to his mother and after seven hours pleading, he went to the world of no return, Ramzan said, crying uncontrollably as he was talking.

On hearing the news, his mother came to the hospital on Tuesday but after she saw his condition she drifted in and out of consciousness. For that reason, Ramzan sent her back to the village.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

‘Ma, I will never come to Dhaka again!’

n

Mohammad Jamil Khan

“Ma, I will never come to Dhaka again.

So much pain, mother, it’s hard to bear.

Please help me.”

This was the appeal of a nine-yearold girl, writhing in pain and crying for her mother’s help at the burn and plastic surgery unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

The girl, Shumi Akter, from Durgapur in Netrokona, was coming to Dhaka to visit her aunt during the latest opposition-sponsored shutdown.

She was injured during a sudden arson attack launched by pickets.

The bus carrying her and her grandmother, Rahima Khatun, was set on fire after being intercepted near the Gazipur intersection around 9pm on Sunday night. They were seated in the middle of the bus and little time to get to safety.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Business leaders sceptical about talks prospects n Tribune Report The business community’s initiative to broker a dialogue between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia seems to have fallen flat as their concerns about political volatility and appeals for a peaceful solution have been treated with cold shoulder during their separate meetings with the two top leaders.

Their representatives came out of yesterday’s meeting with the prime minister grim-faced, running out of steam they had during days of parleys for meeting the two leaders and persuading them into talks to end the stalemate that has been darkening the country’s business future.

Rather, after meeting the chiefs of the ruling Awami League and the main opposition BNP in a span of five days, they found the two leaders hardened their stances and positioned themselves worlds apart from a possible dialogue.

“I can foresee tough time ahead. We are still in the same place where we were before beginning to pursue political parties to reach a consensus,” said Annisul Huq, former president of the FBCCI who was on the delegation that met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A number of delegation leaders said the prime minister had advised them

INSIDE Business

B1 The extent of default loans increased in the third quarter due to tightening the loan classification guideline, sluggish business activities during the political uncertainty and interruption in energy supplies.

News

4 The government is likely to issue a large number of licences to private recruiting agencies before the end of its tenure, raising concerns about the transparency of the process.

Nation

7 An acute crisis of workers and a lack of residential and transport facilities has led to mismanagement of the academic activities of Comilla Government College.

to do their own business and not to be overtaken much by political events.

“She said the government will ensure security of businesses during hartal and take steps for smooth transportation of goods through the Pangaon river port which she opened yesterday,” a business leader said.

“If necessary, steps will be taken for sending consignments by air force cargo plane,” she told the business leaders.

The prime minister assured the business leaders of smooth transportation of goods through air and water ways during hartal The prime minister did not agree to call Khaleda for a second time and offer a fresh date for talks as requested by the business delegation led by Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) chief Kazi Akramuddin Ahmad.

The FBCCI delegation met the Prime Minister at her office.

“I have already invited her [the opposition chief]…it remains still valid,” the apex trade body chief quoted Hasina as saying.

“She said for dialogue, the opposition party should come forward first.”

On the general secretary-level dialogue between the two parties, Hasina said: “Our general secretary has the authority to make any decision anytime, I do not know if the BNP secretary general has any authority like this as he is still an acting secretary general.”

A UNB report says: While the business leaders pressed her for making another phone call to the opposition leader, Hasina said: “I got insulted once by calling her. Now who will take the responsibility if you business leaders cannot convince her to come up for a dialogue?”

She also mentioned that she had already asked the opposition leader to place her demand which ministries she wanted for the all-party polls-time government.

When the businessmen pressed her for announcing a fresh date, the prime minister said there was no need for a date as her previous invitation was still valid. “The opposition leader can come up any time, my door is open.

But she has to come shunning the path of hartal.”

She urged Khaleda to apologise for calling a series of “unnecessary” hartals and killing innocent people.

The prime minister said she had invited Khaleda to Ganabhaban for talks  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 8, 2013

Khaleda blames AL for talks failure n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday blamed ruling Awami League for not holding dialogue to reach a consensus over the polls-time cabinet saying that her party was still hopeful about a secretary-level talk.

“We have not yet shut the door to dialogue. It was the government that moved away from dialogue by putting conditions beforehand,” she said in a recorded speech.

Her speech was screened at a rally in Suhrawardy Udyan held to mark the National Revolution and Solidarity Day. The BNP chief in her written speech said business leaders held a meeting with her for solution and they proposed for secretary level talks, Khaleda said.

“We agreed on the proposal. But the very next day the prime minister said dialogue would not take place if we did not withdraw hartal. It again imposed condition and deviated from the path of dialogue.”

Referring to the Awami League’s movement in 1996 demanding election under a caretaker government system, Khaleda said people of the country witnessed what level of vandalism the Awami League, Jamaat and Jatiya Party unleashed.

“They did not respond to our call that time. We do not want this and that’s why we repeatedly called for dialogue. Though the government has shun the path of dialogue by putting conditions, we did not close the door to dialogue.”

Apparently defending her position on telephone conversation, Khaleda alleged that the prime minister made snide comments during the telephone conversation. “I replied specifically to all the allegations…it seems to me that she made the phone call to blame me.”

The former premier alleged that leaking the telephonic conversation the government had proved that it was not cordial to resolve the crisis in a

peaceful manner through talks.

“The telephone conversation was recorded secretly and was telecast on government’s initiative. They did not inform me and even did not take my permission before telecasting it. It is totally immoral and illegal. It has proved that the government is not cordial to resolve the crisis through talks.”

Khaleda said they wanted peaceful solution and that’s why agreed to sit any day after October 29 but the prime minister’s proposal was conditional as she said dialogue should be held on October 28 after withdrawing hartal.

“By setting such a condition, she moved away from the path of peaceful solution.”

Presenting logics for waging action programmes, the leader of the opposition said the prime minister wanted to hold election under its arrangement and proposed for taking some ministers from the opposition for the pollstime cabinet but people rejected her formula.

“That’s why I placed a proposal and asked for talks. The proposal was placed in the parliament but the ruling party ruled out the proposal and expressed their reservation about it. After that we were compelled to enforce action programmes,” she said.

Reiterating that they do not want confrontation Khaleda expressed her optimism saying the ruling Awami League will “come back to the path of an understanding on a neutral non-party government.”

Urging the people of the country to continue the movement in a peaceful manner, Khaleda asked the government to stop killing and repression.

Dhaka city unit BNP organised the discussion with its convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka in the chair while senior leaders of the party and alliances addressed the rally.

Earlier, Khaleda Zia along with her party colleague, placed wreaths at the party founder late president Ziaur Rahman’s grave and offered prayer there. l

Top bureaucrats

Monir loses battle for life

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for the civil servants to see who is in power rather we always work to execute the decision of the government.

We will continue to perform our duties as we did under the polls-time caretaker government. It will not be reflected on our activities.”

Regarding the size of the interim cabinet, he said: “The circle of a cabinet is unique, whether it is 15 in number or 55. If the size of the cabinet is small, the ministers would have to take additional charges. It is a political issue whether the cabinet will be consist of one party or all party. We will have to execute their decisions.”

“Most of the existing ministers will not be in the interim government. It’s not their disgraceful exit. They will leave the cabinet to help the election process as some new ministers will be included in the interim government’s cabinet.

"The prime minister will decide everything through consultation,” he added.

The cabinet secretary said: “The election commission secretary informed that the number of polling centres would be increased to more than 40,000 from existing 35,000 considering the population of the country. There are 94million voters in the country at present. But, it may be increase before the election schedule is announced.”

Regarding the law and order situation during the election, Bhuiyan said: “Tight security measures will be taken to ensure voters’ safety during the poll.” l

“My son came with me on the seat next to me but this time he will go lying dead in the back of my truck. You do not know how painful it is,” said Ramzan before bursting into tears and flopping down on the floor of the hospital.

Case filed against hundred Jamaat-BNP men. Police on Tuesday filed a case with Joydebpur Police Station in relation to the setting on fire of the covered van with school student Monir Hossain inside.

SM Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Joydebpur Police Station, told the Dhaka Tribune that Hafizur Rahman, sub-inspector of the police station, filed the case against 54 identified and 30 unidentified people.

According to the case history, the accused are Jamaat Gazipur district Ameer Abul Hashem Khan, General Secretary SM Sanaullah, Joint General Secretary Jamal Uddin, Organising Secretary Mo-

Business leaders meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office yesterday

Home boss hints at ban on hartal n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir on Thursday dropped a hint about a ban on hartal following a demand from a senior minister as the BNP-led opposition is preparing for another spell of shutdowns from the next week.

Issuing a statement on urgent public interest matter (rule 300 of the Rules of Procedure), the home minister said the government would enact a law with a provision to set up an insurance-type fund for hartal victims and realize compensation from the hartal enforcers.

The Rule of Procedure of parliament does not allow any lawmaker to raise any question or debate on the minister’s statement on the rule 300.

The minister issued the statement just before the end of Thursday’s sitting. Prior to his statement, Suranjit Sengupta took the floor in an unscheduled discussion to enact the private member bill seeking a ban on hartal.

The minister without portfolio said the House should decide about hartal

hammad Jahangir Alam, Jamaat Gazipur city Ameer Khairul Hasan, BNP leader Nazim Uddin, Gazipur city corporation Ward 22 counsellor Tanbir Ahmed and 54 others, including 30 unidentified activists of BNP and Jamaat.

Asked if any arrests had been made Hafizur said they were investigating the incident.

However, at the time of filing this report on Thursday evening, no one had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Akbar Ali Khan said usually common people fall victim to political violence, not the people from well-off and affluent families as they can foresee what might befall them and how to be safe.

“Especially those who live from hand to mouth become the worst sufferer because they have to come out of their houses during hartals for bread and butter,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Ma, I will never come to Dhaka  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Both Shumi and Rahima were admitted to DMCH with burns to 15% and 13% of their bodies, respectively. Five days after the incident, Shumi has yet to recover from the searing pain in her body.

Visiting the hospital yesterday, this correspondent met Rubina Begum, Shumi’s mother, who came to attend to them at the hospital. Sitting beside her daughter’s bed with a vacant look on her face, she remained silent when asked about her next course of action.

All she could say was that she wanted to go home with her daughter.

Staying in the same ward with Shumi were two others burnt during the latest hartal: Asadul Gazi, a driver of a CNG three-wheeler was admitted with burns to 60% of his body; and Hasu Mia, a technician with Bishwas Group, with 10% burns.

During the two 60-hour hartals enforced in quick succession by the opposition alliance, at least 15 people from various areas of the capital sought treatment at DMCH. Two of them, Mostafizur Rahman Mukul, 34, and Monir Hossain, 12, died yesterday. l

Khaleda disagrees  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Hanna who led the delegation to Khaleda’s Gulshan office said: “In our messages today to the opposition leader, we stressed the need to avoid a boycott of elections and disruption of public life.”

Hanna said the next few weeks would be very critical for democracy in Bangladesh.

He urged the opposition to refrain from further hartals which, he said, were jeopardising the country’s growth.

Quoting Khaleda, Shamsher said: “The BNP will continue democratically and constitutionally accepted peaceful movement to fulfil the de-

mand of the people to have an acceptable election.”

The EU ambassador said they would also request a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said they encouraged a political solution through dialogue and opposed violence and said they were ready to facilitate transparent, inclusive and credible elections.

“We stand ready to deploy an election observation mission. We hope that the elections will produce a sustainable outcome, which will be acceptable to all the main political forces,” Hanna said.

Hanna also urged the BNP and its alliance partners to condemn political

PMO

violence and refrain from such violence before, during and after the election.

Shamsher later said Khaleda condemned all sorts of violence and said her party was ready to hold a dialogue at the level of secretary general.

Swedish Ambassador Anneli Lindahl Kenny, Spanish Ambassador Luis Tejada Chacón, British High Commissioner Robert Gibson, French Ambassador Michel Trinquier, Dutch Ambassador Gerben Sjoerd de Jong, German Ambassador Albrecht Conze and Danish Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær were present at the meeting with Khaleda. l

Two rival groups of BNP hold separate rallies in Khulna n Our Correspondent, Khulna

before the Supreme Court intervenes in the matter.

Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque (Kishoreganj) in 2010 submitted a bill styled “Public Interest” for a ban on hartal given the widespread misuse of this once-effect non-violent instrument of political movement.

Muhihuddin Alamgir in his 20-minute statement referred to the violent and destructive activities of the BNP-Jamaat activists during the just-concluded 60-hour hartal.

He said those who call hartal and “criminals enforcing illegal hartal” could not mobilize people in favour of the “so-called demand”.

Even, he said, the BNP-Jamaat leaders stay back at homes while the criminals unleash violence to enforce hartals.

The minister said the home ministry was thinking of creating an insurance-type fund to compensate the hartal victims.

Mujibul Haque in his private member bill proposed collecting compensation from the leadership of the parties

sponsoring hartals.

In his unscheduled speech, Suranjit Sengupta said a high court bench issued a suo moto rule banning hartal, but the Supreme Court set it aside without giving any decision on it. The high court observation stipulated that the criminal activities during hartals could be taken as “cognizable offence”.

He referred to the courts in Kerala and Maharastra in India, Turkey and Canada who punish hartal enforcers.

“Time has come to rethink about it.

We should enact the private member bill (of Mujibul Haque),” he said.

He said the Supreme Court would not sit idle on hartal issue unless parliament decide about it.

“We have to decide about it before the Supreme Court intervenes,” he said.

He said the hartals should be banned for constitutionality and continuation of the ongoing democratic process.

The minister’s statement being over Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury who was chairing the sitting adjourned the sitting until November 10. l

ActionAid Bangladesh wins UNFCCC award

AL starts sale of nomination forms from November 10

n Tribune Report

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conferred ActionAid Bangladesh the “Lighthouse Initiatives 2013” award on Wednesday for its success in empowering rural women and role of the women to face climate change risks at community level, said a press release.

A total of 17 climate change adaptation initiatives from 13 countries received the prestigious award this year under the “Momentum for Change” initiative for their outstanding contribution to climate change adaptation. l

Business leaders  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

over dinner when they last spoke on phone on October 26.

But the BNP chief “rejected the invitation, she did not withdraw the hartal programme and talked in an indecent tone,” Hasina regretted during yesterday’s meeting.

Talking about the government’s intention to hold dialogue for resolving the ongoing issue, she said the 19th session of parliament was still on. “We are holding this session until now, hoping that the opposition will come and talk about their demands in the House.”

The top business leaders requested the prime minister to initiate a process to start the dialogue between the AL general secretary and the BNP acting secretary general to break the country’s prolonged political deadlock through a peaceful way.

FBCCI President Kazi Akramuddin led the delegation, which, among others, included former FBCCI presidents Mir Nasir Hossain, Yusuf Abdullah Haroon, Abdul Awal Mintoo, AK Azad and Annisul Huq. Their meeting with the BNP chief last Saturday was not a happy one, too.

The FBCCI delegation, during the meeting at the BNP chief’s Gulshan office, had requested Khaleda to see whether a dialogue could be initiated at the secretary general-level without any condition. They also urged her not to call any more hartal, but Khaleda shot back, saying they had no other option.

That very day the BNP-led opposition alliance called the 60-hour hartal on November 4-6. l

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

While the main opposition BNP-led 18-party alliances are yet to be set on participating in the upcoming polls, the ruling Awami League is going to start selling party nomination forms from November 10.

“The nomination forms will be available at the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue from November 10 and the aspiring candidates can buy those for Tk25,000 between 10am and 5pm,” said a press release signed by deputy office secretary Mrinal Kanti Das. The nomination seekers who are eligible for contesting the polls as per electoral laws and party constitution can buy the forms.

Earlier on October 27, the ruling party’s parliamentary board meeting at the

Two rival groups of Khulna BNP held separate rallies yesterday, marking the National Revolution and Solidarity Day. One group, led by city unit BNP President Nazrul Islam Manju and city Mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, held a rally at Maharaj Square in Khulna, while another group, loyal to former MP Ali Ashgar Lobi, held their rally at the Khulna Press Club Auditorium.

Both the groups, however, demanded the creation of a non-party caretaker government for the holding of a credible and fair election, threatening that they would conduct greater agitation activities if a caretaker system was not restored.

Tension mounted in the city as the two rival groups held their rallies, but, amidst strong vigilance by the law enforcers, no violence was reported. l

prime minister’s official residence Ganabhaban decided to sell nomination forms from November 10.

The party insiders said Awami League planned to field its candidates a bit earlier so that it could take time to redress the grievances of unsuccessful nomination seekers.

Sources also said AL Chief Sheikh Hasina at the party’s election steering committee meeting said most of the party candidates would be selected shortly so that they could take full preparation.

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina repeatedly said the next elections would be held under an all-party polls-time government while the leader of the opposition said they would not participate in any elections under the incumbent government. l

Jamaat cannot participate in polls: Shah Newaz n Mohammad Zakaria Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz yesterday made it clear that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party had already been cancelled through the High Court verdict and the party could not participate in the next general elections.

“Jamaat has no registration as per the High Court, and at this moment it cannot contest in the elections as a political party,” Newaz said.

“No political party can contest parliamentary elections without registering with the Election Commission,” he told reporters at the EC Secretariat.

Asked if the commission would inform Jamaat about the cancellation formally, Newaz said there was no need for that as the EC had already posted a notice on the matter on its website. “Jamaat also participated in the hearing on the issue at court.”

Replying to another query, he admitted that the list of registered political parties still carried Jamaat’s name on the EC website. He referred to the notice on the commission’s website again and said the commission would decide deleting the name.

He said the EC got a copy of the full verdict on Jamaat’s registration and would discuss at its meeting if any other steps were required against the party after examining the verdict. On August 1, the High Court had cancelled Jamaat’s registration “by majority view.”

In the full verdict, the court has observed that the Election Commission did not register the party in 2008 “lawfully” and Jamaat’s charter contains elements contrary to the constitution and election rules of Bangladesh.

It says Jamaat has no moral right to be in Bangladesh politics for the atrocities it committed during the 1971 Liberation War. Jamaat got registered with the EC with the scale as its election symbol on November 4, 2008.

The registration was subject to a few conditions that required it to amend the party charter because of contradictions with the constitution.

Meanwhile, the EC will publish a mass circular today, seeking objections, if any, to the registration of the new political party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF). Objections can be submitted within seven days. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Friday, November 8, 2013

One held for planning bomb attack on Ganjagaran Mancha n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Detective Branch of police yesterday arrested a person believed to be masterminding a future bomb attack on the Shahbagh Ganajagaran Mancha.

Deputy Commissioner of DB Krishna Podo Ray told the media that a team of detectives raided the capital’s Meradia area in Khilgaon based on information from bomber Anwar Hossain and arrested Shafiqul Islam, who trained Anwar in bomb-making, in the early hours of yesterday.

Earlier on Sunday morning, police had arrested Anwar, who was injured in an explosion of a bomb he had been carrying at Kataban.

The DB team led by Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of the agency’s bomb disposal unit, also raided a house at Aftabnagar where the two lived and recovered a large amount of bomb-making materials, jihadi books and anti-government leaflets, said the DC. In initial interrogation, Shafiq told the detectives that he had motivated Anwar and taught him to make and ex-

Front body leaders skip BNP rally to avoid arrest n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla In an unusually low turnout, only a few hundred BNP leaders and activists showed up at yesterday’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, which BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia chose to address for the first time through a video message.

Top and mid-ranking leaders of the associate and the front bodies of main opposition BNP, who commonly led such programmes, remained absent at the rally.

Senior leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal told the Dhaka Tribune that the party chief asked the associate and front bodies’ leaders not to attend the rally and at the same not to go to the Gulshan office.

“Rizvi vai [Ruhul Kabir Rizvi] phoned me and said madam [Khaleda Zia] has instructed us not to attend today’s rally and also not to go to the chairperson’s Gulshan office. The next course of action will be informed later,” a Jubo Dal leader, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune.

When contacted, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the party, said: “Things are not like that. A cautionary message was sent. It [the message] said to stay safe as the law enforcers are in aggressive mood.”

Mahfuj Ahmed, a Chhatra Dal leader, said the associate and front bodies were the nucleus of a party to wage street movement. “Attending the rally and getting arrested by law enforcers will not bring any success to the movement. That is why the leaders avoided the rally.”

Not only the front and associate bodies, but also many of the Dhaka city unit leaders remained absent at the rally.

“Police is targeting us and might arrest anytime. That is why we are not attending the programme,” said a ward commissioner, preferring not to be named.

Explaining the possible reason behind the low turnout, a party supporter named Mamun Mia said: “Madam is not here.

That is why top leaders and activists did not come here. Usually leaders throng the venue with activists and supporters to show their strength. As madam is not here who will see the strength?”

During the opposition alliance’s 60hour nationwide hartals, none of the senior BNP leaders, especially the Dhaka city unit leaders, were seen on the capital’s streets; although they chanted slogans vowing not to leave the streets till their demands were met.

When asked about the issue, Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP, said: “Police do not allow us to stay for a minute on the streets and open fire; then how will you bring out any procession?”

After the second spell of the 60-hour hartal, party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that four activists were killed, 6,000 were injured, 1,707 were arrested and 26,000 were accused in cases during the hartals. l

plode bombs.

He said the two had rented the Aftabnagar house to make bombs and plan the attack on the Ganajagaran Mancha.

Krisna Podo said Shafiq and Anwar had made six powerful bombs to use them at times of violence. To experiment the power of the bombs they had exploded one in Taltola area of Khilgaon on September 21 and another at Balurmath in Aftabnagar. A youth had been injured in the Khilgaon blast.

They had been carrying the four other bombs for exploding them at the Ganajagaran Mancha, but one had exploded in the pocket of Anwar’s trousers at Kataban, said the DB official, adding that Shafiq had been able to flee the scene while his cohort lay injured.

The DC Krisna Podo said Shafiq had links with several militant groups and might have carried out attacks and explosions as per their instructions.

“We are looking for those who gave these two economic support,” he said.

Two separate cases have been filed with New Market and Badda police stations against the two. l

AL leader stabbed to death at Motijheel

n Kailash Sarkar

Khairul Alam’s daughter embraces her mother as she cries over her father’s death yesterday

Pressure for last-minute approvals of more medical colleges n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is likely to give primary approval to several new private medical colleges at the eleventh hour of the government, with sources saying more than a dozen applications had been submitted at the ministry for approval.

The health ministry has already sent a list to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) with directives to visit and report on four new medical colleges, which were seeking primary approvals.

On the other hand, the 11 new medical colleges which had already secured primary approval from the ministry have also boosted up their efforts to get the final academic approvals within the tenure of the current government.

Recently, health ministry gave primary approvals to: Addin Basundhara Medical College, Shah Makdum Medical College, Care Medical College, United Medical College, Universal Medical College, Advocate Abdul Hamid Medical College, Khulna City Medical College, Skyview Medical College, Port City Medical College, US Medical College and Rangpur Medical College.

It has been learnt that influential people like President Abdul Hamid, Bashundhara group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Popular Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Mostafizur Rahman, ex-treasurer of BSMMU Prof Dr Moazzem Hossain, and ruling party-backed Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad leaders were behind the institutes.

With the government’s tenure running out, the official protocols were allegedly being ignored, with documents for approving the new med schools swiftly being passed around among officials to hasten the process.

The people who have direct or indirect ownerships in the new med schools were also allegedly pressuring and trying to bribe the officials at the medical education section of the DGHS to visit the new colleges and send positive reports to the ministry for approval.

There are also allegations that different individuals were lobbying Prof Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, director (medical education and manpower development) of the DGHS, to speed up the process of approval.

Leaving behind a series of tragic episodes, a healthier Aduri, once a domestic worker, returned home along with her mother in Potuakhali yesterday.

Aduri expressed delight to be home among family members.

A good number of people gathered to welcome the 11-year-old at the Patuakhali launch terminal.

They demanded Aduri’s torturer be

Asked on the issue, Dr Hannan said the entire process of approving new medical colleges was done within the rules. The med schools received timely approvals after submitting their applications, the DGHS director added.

Meanwhile, when asked about the academic approvals of 11 new med schools, health ministry’s Joint Secretary (medical education and manpower development) Motiur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday: “We are examining the necessary documents prior to giving academic approvals to 11 medical colleges.”

However, he added that the director of medical education at the DGHS could inform on the issue of primary approvals for more medical colleges. l

Defence trashes all charges against Nizami n Udisa Islam

The defence of war crimes accused Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami began placing closing arguments yesterday and denied the charges pressed by the prosecution.

Defence counsel Mizanul Islam argued for the whole day claiming that during the war, Nizami had played his role as a politician not as al-Badr chief, and that the prosecution could not prove any crime of Nizami. At the International Crimes Tribunal 1, he said the case was politically-motivated.

The Jamaat chief was indicted in 16 charges of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, arson and inciting violence he had allegedly committed in

Pabna and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War. The defence argued on contradictions in the deposition of prosecution’s first witness Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury and 11th witness Shamsul Huq Nannu.

Then they placed arguments on the deposition and cross-examination of the investigation officer.

Citing the prosecution’s argument on “incitement,” the defence replied that after September of 1971, Nizami had not been the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha. Then he had given some statements which were his “political responsibility.”

Mizanul claimed that the prosecution could not establish any relation between Nizami and the Pakistani army and their complicity. The IO had not seized any

document to prove this issue, he said.

The prosecution on Wednesday concluded their part of the closing arguments, terming Nizami as the ringleader of 1971 and sought his capital punishment. They claimed before tribunal that they were grateful to the defence as they had helped unintentionally by submitting some documents which were more accurate to establish the prosecution’s case.

Prosecutor Tureen Afroz said by praising the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army, Nizami in his series of public addresses (in Rangpur, Bogra, Rajshahi, Barguna and Barisal’s Bakerganj) had incited the audience to commit further offence. “And incitement has to realise with combined text and context.

Nizami not only incited his men in Chha-

tra 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. “Nizami is very much intelligent...”

Another defence document, the daily Sangram – 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.” l

War criminal Alim challenges tribunal verdict

Other tribunal to hear Mir Kashem’s petition

n Nazmus Sakib

n Udisa Islam

Convicted war criminal Abdul Alim yesterday lodged an appeal with the Appellate Division questioning the tribunal verdict that had sentenced him jail until death.

His counsel Tarikul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that Alim had sought acquittal.

On October 9, the International Crimes Tribunal 2 awarded the former BNP minister of Gen Ziaur Rahman cabinet the punishment for committing crimes against humanity in Joypurhat during the 1971 Liberation War. Alim was spared the death sentence because of his “old age, ill health and physical disability.”

Meanwhile, the government side

is yet to decide on whether to file an appeal seeking death penalty for Alim.

The issue is under consideration, Additional Attorney General MK Rahman said.

Today is the last day of filing appeal with the apex court as the tribunal law stipulates that appeals should be entertained by 30 days from the pronouncement of verdict.

Earlier, the government appealed for capital punishment to Ghulam Azam, who had acted as the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh chapter in 1971, and collaborated with the Pakistani occupation armies to commit crimes against humanity.

He was also excused from death penalty for ill health though the war crimes tribunal said the Jamaat kingpin had deserved death sentence. l

The International Crimes Tribunal 2 refers the review petition on indictment order against alleged al-Badr leader Mir Kashem Ali to the tribunal 1 for disposal.

The case was with the tribunal 1 from the beginning. After passing the indictment order on September 30, the case was transferred to tribunal 2 for speedy disposal. The tribunal 1 made the change on its own motion since the other tribunal was comparatively less burdened with cases.

But before that, the defence had submitted a petition seeking review of the indictment order. Yesterday was fixed for opening statement by the prosecution and placing of witness.

But on October 27, defence counsels informed the tribunal about the review petition and sought disposal on the mat-

Aduri returns home in rejoice, still bears marks of torture n Our Correspondent, Barisal

DHAKA TRIBUNE

given exemplary punishment and that the right activists be more upfront in restricting child labour and ensuring rights of the domestic workers.

Reached around 6am, Aduri along with her family members first went to visit the holy shrine of Yearuddin Khalifa at Mirzaganj to thank the Almighty for rescuing Aduri. After that, they went to their home in Kourakhali village under Joinkathi union of Patuakhali sadar upazila.

Bombarded with questions from the crowd at the launch terminal, Aduri was becoming agitated and sentimental sometimes.

She said she still was bearing the marks of torture on her body and felt pain while talking because of the burn injuries on her face and inside mouth.

She became moved remembering the horrific tortures that she bore from her employer. “Her whole body was

slashed with blade. Her back, belly and chest were burnt with a hot iron,” Aduri’s mother Shafia Begum said with a lump in her voice.

She feared that after reaching home the heads and other powerful community in the village would force them to withdraw the case as they were connected with Chunnu Miya as well.

Shafia thanked police and media for rescuing Aduri and help her to recover the trauma. l

ter. The defence said the tribunal 2 could hear the petition while the prosecution said as per the law, this matter should be disposed of at the tribunal 1 as it had indicted Mir Kashem.

Mir Kashem was indicted on August 29 on 14 counts of crimes against humanity he had allegedly committed in Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War. Meanwhile yesterday, the defence of alleged razakar founder and Jamaat leader AKM Yusuf cross examined prosecution’s third witness AKM Shamsul Alam. Later the tribunal set Sunday for the next witness.

According to the prosecution, the accused had formed peace committees in every sub-division, police station and union in Khulna. He established the razakar force on May 5, 1971 at an Ansar camp on Khan Jahan Ali Road in Khulna. l

A leader of the ruling Awami League was stabbed to death yesterday evening inside a building accommodating Cooperative Bank in the capital’s Motijheel.

Khairul Alam Mollah, 46, organising secretary of Jatrabari unit Awami League and general secretary of Bus Owners Association at Sayedabad bus terminal, was killed when he was coming out of the bank after a meeting with its Chairman Mohiuddin Mohi, a Jubo League leader.

The Awami League leader is suspected to have been killed either centring feuds over establishing supremacy in the area or extortion at the bus terminal or party infighting.

According to witnesses, Khairul was accompanied by two other leaders of the ruling party – Jubo League leader Ali Akbar Khan Babul, also an organising secretary of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Shramik Union, and Taiyab Ali, a vice-president of ward 75 unit of Jubo League – during the attack.

Family members and relatives of the victim said Taiyab had disappeared and his cellphone had been switched off since the incident.

Cooperative Bank Chairman Mohiuddin Mohi told journalists at Dhaka Medical College Hospital that a gang of seven to eight unidentified armed men had attacked Khairul around 7pm.

He said the killers could be identified from the footages of the CCTV camera installed there.

Jubo League leader Ali Akhbar Khan Babul said: “We three were coming out of the chairman’s office. Suddenly several criminals swooped on Khairul and started stabbing him indiscriminately between the first and ground floors.

“The criminals left the scene after confirming his death and fired several rounds of blank shots.”

Babul claimed that he had tried to resist the attackers, asking them who they were, and had been beaten.

Khairul was a resident of the capital’s south Jatrabari. He left behind his wife Shefali Begum, two daughters – Badhan and Bondhon, and son Mashiur Rahman.

Md Ashrafuzzaman, deputy commissioner of Motijheel division, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying to identify and arrest the killers and unearth the reasons behind the killing.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Jahangir Alam Matubbar, DC (East) of DB, said: “We have seized the CCTV camera installed at the bank.”

The DB official said they were not sure whether Jubo League ward 75 unit vice-president Taiyab Ali was involved in the killing.

Meanwhile, bus owners at the Sayedabad terminal announced to go on a strike at the terminal in protest against the killing of their leader.

They demanded immediate arrest of the killers and exemplary punishment to them. l

59,517 absent, the first day of JSC, JDC exams n Tribune Report Around 59,517 students were absent across the country on the first day of Junior School Certificate and its equivalent for madrasa students, and Junior Dakhil Certificate examinations, according to education ministry control room.

The control room also added that 54 students were expelled on the first day for cheating in the examinations.

The school students sat for English First Paper and madrasa students for Arabic Second Paper yesterday. Some 1,902,746 students took part in the examinations at 2,420 examination centres across the country.

The highest number of expelled, 28, were in the Dhaka education board and the highest number of absent, 20,813, were in the madrasa education board. The exams, scheduled to begin from Monday, were postponed along with Wednesday’s due to the 60 hours hartal called by the 18-party opposition alliance. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 8, 2013

More overseas recruiting agencies waiting for licences n Rabiul Islam The government is likely to issue a large number of licences to private recruiting agencies before the end of its tenure, raising concerns about the transparency of the process.

Officials at the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry said about 80 applications have been submitted for licences to send workers abroad for jobs.

A committee, headed by a joint secretary of the ministry, has already held several meetings to scrutinise the applications, they added.

“We scrutinised the applications case by case, but I don’t know exactly how many applications have been finally recommended for issuing licences,” a committee member told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday on condition of anonymity.

Ministry officials said there were around 1,200 licenced private recruiting agencies in the country. Of them, only 300 to 400 agencies were active in sending workers overseas.

However, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), 850 recruiting agencies are in operation.

A section of ministry officials hinted that a huge amount of money was involved in the process of issuing licences.

Some migration experts also remarked that it was unfair to issue licences towards the end of the incumbent government’s tenure.

“It is not fair to issue recruiting licences at the end of the government’s tenure as elections are nearing,” Tasneem Siddique, founding chair of the Dhaka University-based Refugee and

Migratory Movements Research Unit, said yesterday.

Tasneem questioned why new licences were being given at a time when existing recruiting agencies were finding it hard to send workers abroad. She added that it raised questions of transparency.

On the other hand, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said, “If someone wants to take a recruiting licence by depositing two million takas, what is wrong with issuing licenses?”

He also defended the timing of giving the new licences, saying, “It is a continuous process. We cannot stop issuing licenses.”

Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, said it was a citizen’s right to get a licence.

“The ministry will decide whether it is reasonable or not to issue new recruiting licences,” he said. “We have nothing to disagree on.”

Meanwhile, Zafar Ahmed Khan, secretary of the overseas employment ministry, said the licences would be given following the rules and regulations.

“What can we do if someone puts money in someone’s pocket? We have to give licences to those who fulfil the criteria and it is a continuous process,” Zafar told this correspondent at his office recently.

Mentioning that Brac, the country’s largest development organisation, had also applied for a licence, the secretary said, “We will give Brac a licence because we think such a reputed organisation can send workers transparently.” l

Bangladesh eligible for US Millennium Challenge Corporation programme n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bangladesh has been declared eligible for the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threshold programme.

The MCC released its country scorecard for 2014 yesterday, in which Bangladesh scored above average in 11 out of 20 indicators.

“It is a recognition to the advancement Bangladesh has achieved in social, economic and political spheres,” Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

The MCC board, headed by US Secretary of State John Kerry, would hold its meeting in December and declare the size of the fund and where it would be used, he added.

This is the first time Bangladesh passed the Corruption Control and Gender in the Economy indices in the MCC.

21 Bangladeshis held for staying in KSA illegally n Rabiul Islam

New law may disrupt GB activities

n Mushfique Wadud Employees of the Grameen Bank said yesterday they were panicked and worried about the new Grameen Bank law as they feared that the law would create division and conflict in the bank at all levels and would hamper loan collection and distribution.

“With this, Grameen Bank will gradually be destroyed,” President of Grameen Bank Employees’ Association Shamsul Alam said in a written statement at the bank’s headquarters in Mirpur.

He said with the law passed in the parliament, 26,000 employees of the bank were panicked about the future of the bank and their fates.

He urged the government to consider the interest of the 26,000 employees and their families and not to do anything that would harm the bank.

He said they would continue their protests against they what they said were “attempts to destroy” Grameen Bank.

Among others, Grameen Bank General Manager Dulal Chandra Kor and former president of the employees’ association Shagir Rashid Chowdhury spoke at the press briefing. The employees also wore black badges and staged a sit in in front of the headquarters.

On Wednesday, the founder and former managing director of Grameen Bank Muhammad Yunus condemned the passage of the new law to govern the microcredit agency. l

The Saudi Arabian authorities detained 21 Bangladeshi migrant workers on suspicion of staying there illegally, said Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Md Shahidul Islam.

“Since the drive on November 4, the authorities detained 21 Bangladeshi migrant workers, but 17 of them were later released finding legal documents,” Shahidul told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

The ambassador said a total of 17,000 to 18,000 foreign workers were detained during the drive.

Of them, 8,000 to 9,000 were Yemeni citizens. Officials at Bangladesh Embassy said they did not know actually how many Bangladeshi workers were staying in the oil-rich country. l

114 workers leave for Malaysia

n Rabiul Islam A total of 114 migrant workers yesterday left Dhaka for Malaysia on a flight of Malaysian Airlines at 12:50pm to join work in plantation sector, said an assistant director of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.

The official also said another flight with 47 migrants would be scheduled to fly today. Under the governmentto-government arrangement, so far around 1,000 migrant workers had gone to Malaysia to work, each spending only Tk30,000.

Now, a worker is earning Tk25,000 a month. Earlier, a migrant labourer needed Tk2,00,000 to Tk3,00,000 to go to Malaysia and in many cases the workers failed to find job. l

WEATHER

Dry weather likely n UNB Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country until 6pm today.

Light fog might occur at places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Sylhet divisions during late night till morning, Met Office said.

Night temperature may rise slightly and day temperature 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 32.2 degree Celsius was recorded at Sitakunda and lowest 15.6 degrees at Srimangal yesterday.

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

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

31.0 29.4 30.6 28.8 30.5 30.0 31.0 31.6

19.4 20.1 18.5 18.6 20.0 18.7 17.7 20.0

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

4:52am 6:08am 11:42am 3:39pm 5:15pm 6:33pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Bangladesh scored above average in indicators on inflation, access to credit, business start-up, immunisation, child health, political rights, civil liberties, freedom of information, and government effectiveness.

Fiscal policy, health expenditure, primary education expenditures, natural resources protection, girls’ primary education, regulatory quality, trade policy, land rights and access, and rule of law were the indicators in which Bangladesh scored less than average.

Bangladesh has been pursuing this full grant fund for about a decade.

A press release of the foreign ministry said it had been in constant touch with the MCC in the past four years.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni in her official talks with former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Kerry urged them to consider Bangladesh’s access to the MCC fund. l

A rickshaw turns over with its passengers as the vehicle was hit by a bus in front of the National Press Club yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

Businessman found slaughtered Prosecution finishes arguments in Tarique-Mamun case n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The body of a real estate businessman was yesterday found in a sack in the Katakhali area of Hathazari upazila of Chittagong district.

Police recovered a motorbike belonging to the deceased 50 yards from where the body was found.

The deceased was named as Amir Khasru, 27, son of Abdus Sattar, hailing from Battoli village in Fateyabad union in the upazila, police sources said.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Rashedul Hasan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Madunaghat Investigation Centre under Hathazari police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that they found the body at around 10:45am after being alerted by locals.

The body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue

for autopsy. SI Rashed said miscreants slaughtered Khasru sometime during night and dumped the body in the area.

Police suspect that Khasru was murdered following a feud over a land dispute with other businessmen in the area, said Liakat Ali, OC of Hathazari police station.

“We also heard that Khasru was involved with Jamaat-e-Islami; however, we are investigating the matter,” he said.

Quoting family members, the OC said Kahsru left his residence on Wednesday night around 7pm for his regular work and was missing from around 11pm.

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

No one has been held yet in this connection, said the OC. l

n

Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday completed hearing of prosecution argument in the money-laundering case against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and his friend controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun.

The Anti-Corruption Commission’s counsel Mosharaff Hossain Kajal also filed a petition for arrest warrant against Tarique Rahman.

The court allowed the petition and ordered that the warrant be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for execution.

The ACC demanded highest punishment for the accused.

Defence counsel Masud Ahmed Ta-

GAZIPUR FACTORIES CLOSED

Garment workers continue minimum wage protests n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Garment workers in Gazipur abstained from work, vandalised factories and clashed with police yesterday as they continued their protests to demand a higher minimum wage.

Industrial police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the agitating workers, while over 300 factories were declared shut by management for a third day to avert further violence.

Police and witnesses said workers of several factories at Konabari, Jarun, Kashimpur and Kaliakoir areas of the district took to the streets, instead of joining their work, to press for a fixed minimum wage of Tk8,000.

At one stage, the protesters attacked a few factories that were operating and

forced their fellow workers to join the protest.

Inspector Jakir Hossain of Gazipur industrial police said workers of Southern Ltd at Baroipara in Kaliakoir marched to Hechong Ltd nearby and urged the workers there to join them.

The protesters clashed with police who tried to stop them. Later, authori-

ties declared both the factories closed for the day. When workers of Jamuna Group refused to join the demonstration, protesters attacked the factory and hurled brickbats at police guards.

Police charged batons and fired several rounds of tear gas shells and rubber bullets to quell the situation. Three policemen and at least 10 workers were injured in the melee.

Management shut the factory for the day to avoid further unrest.

Inspector Nazrul Islam of Gazipur industrial police said due to an ongoing worker unrest, most factories in the area had been closed for the past few days. Some of the factories reopened yesterday under police protection, but were forced to suspend production again following the fresh protests. l

lukder also filed a petition for re-call of prosecution witnesses.

Masud mentioned in the petition that they could not cross- examine the witnesses and so the re-call petition should be allowed for proper justice.

After hearing the plea the court rejected the defence petition and fixed November 11 for defence argument.

Earlier on October 31 the deposition of five defence witnesses were recorded and cross-examined.

According to case details, the ACC filed the case against Tarique and Mamun with Dhaka Cantonment police station on October 26, 2009, accusing the duo of “siphoning off Tk204.1m to Singapore” between 2003 and 2007. l

ACC to file two cases against former GB official n Syed Samiul Basher Anik The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday approved filing of two separate cases against a former official of Grameen Bank on charge of his involvement with the embezzlement of around Tk334,000 of clients’ money.

The accused M Faruk Hossain, former manager of Grameen Bank Dakkhin Khan Branch embezzled around Tk334,000, deposited by 76 of its clients during August 2010 to June 2012, an ACC official said.

During his service, he had deposited the money in his personal account rather than dropping it to the respective ledger book of clients. Following complaints by the clients, the ACC conducted an inquiry and after finding evidence of irregularity, the commission approved filing two cases against the official. l

ACC to look into asset of LGED chief engineer n Syed Samiul Basher Anik The Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to inquire the irregularity in wealth possessed by Local Government Engineering Department Chief Engineer Md Wahidur Rahman.

The decision came after allegations surfaced that the chief engineer acquired illegal wealth and was involved with money laundering, an ACC official said yesterday.

The graft busting agency earlier in 2008 conducted an inquiry into the same allegation of illegal wealth accumulation and undisclosed income, but failed to find any irregularities.

The official with his wealth statement of 2008 said he worked with LGED from 1982. He spent Tk13.5m on a building construction and had

Tk4.83m in different banks.

However, the commission earlier traced nothing faulty in his wealth statement, ACC sources said.

Recently, the commission decided to further inquire into the allegation that he had undisclosed income and been involved in money laundering.

The commission had already received photos that Wahidur Rahman, his son and daughter-in-law had property Australia including building, car etc, said an ACC source.

A committee will be formed soon in this regard, he added.

Contacted, the LGED chief engineer denied commenting on the matter.

“I am yet to be informed formally about the matter and cannot comment on it till receiving any notice from the graft busting agency,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Heritage

Friday, November 8, 2013

5

To begin at the beginning The lands of the Ganges delta are arguably as ancient and as influential as Egypt in the development of what we call civilisation today

E

n Tim Steel ver since I understood, at an early age, that everything has a beginning, and only things of the past have any apparent ending ... ignoring how they themselves gave birth to other beginnings ... how things began has been, for me, a constant source of fascination.

The beginnings of essential Bangladesh, so rich in ancient heritage and in an extraordinary diversity of religious and social cultures that interact so wonderfully, took my attention from the first day I arrived in 1997.

In Bangladesh terms, therefore, I am a teenager, and, even at my real age, my friends comment that I display, in my relationship with Bangladesh, many teenage characteristics. A weird mixture of passion, enthusiasm, frustration, boredom, but above all, an abiding affection for this, one of the most chaotic countries amongst the many I have been fortunate enough to visit in my seven decades.

lands of the Ganges delta, the world’s largest such deltaic lands, dwarfing, though inviting comparison, even with the famous Nile?

Hold that thought! The Nile delta is much more famously documented, if only because the ancient lands of Egypt were more accessible and more important to the culturally developing Europeans and, later, Americans.

But what is slowly emerging from the alluvial deposits of the lands of the Ganges delta may not be as tangible and visible a heritage as that revealed in Egypt. It is, nevertheless, arguably as ancient and as influential in the development of what we call civilisation today.

No one can say, for sure, when human life first encountered the great Mangrove swamps that undoubtedly formed, in very early times, in the water-soaked lands of the delta. It is theorised reasonably that the early “out of Africa” migrants who finally arrived in Australia over 100,000 years ago must have passed this way, probably travelling a shelf that now

So crude are some of the early tools that it is, in fact, impossible to judge just how ancient they are. They may indeed be much older than the most recent estimates of Palaeolithic settlements in the deltaic lands

The beginnings, of course, are all about the river. A distinguished Bangladeshi is reported as saying he wished the nation would “get over” being the Ganges Delta. Why would it?

Perhaps it is, mysteriously, the reason the Ganges River does not actually exist in the last few hundred kilometres before the sea, becoming Padma, which merges with that other river that lost its character and name, the great Brahmaputra. I have never received any satisfying explanation for, at least, the loss of Ganges. The river capture by Jamuna of Brahmaputra I can appreciate.

But why would anyone want to get over their nation being, at heart, the

lies beneath the coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal.

It may well be that they left behind them stragglers, as they did in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, amongst other places. But if they did, only genetic research may eventually identify them as earliest Bangladeshis.

The annual deposit of seasonal alluvium on the lands has hidden any marks of earliest habitation deep beneath the soils. However, the earliest tangible evidence of human habitation we have is traces of Palaeolithic peoples, of perhaps 10 or 20 thousand years ago, on the low ridges of sedimentary “rock” that run through the country of Bangladesh.

The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna basins

The annual deposit of seasonal alluvium on the lands has hidden any marks of earliest habitation deep beneath the soils SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

These ridges are probably echoes of the effect of the collision of continents that threw up the Himalayan range, up to 50 million years ago. It is the continuing movement of the “Indian” continental plate into that of Asia that is the cause of so much seismic activity in the area. It is estimated that in the next 10 million years it will penetrate a further 1,500 km.

So crude are some of the early tools that it is, in fact, impossible to judge just how ancient they are. They may indeed be much older than the most recent estimates of Palaeolithic settlements in the deltaic lands.

However, there is increasing evidence of Mesolithic and Neolithic communities hereabouts. Probably, let’s say, in 5,000 BCE numbering in total no more than some hundred inhabitants.

Their tools and settlements recovered in both the lands of the delta, and in the hills around the lands that are now Bangladesh, give us an increasingly clear picture of the evolution of their culture.

But let’s stick for a moment with

the thought that 7,000 years ago, a mere blink in the history of the human species, a few hundred people gathered in communities of crude shelters somewhere in Bangladesh, where we now live, all 170 million of us.

If I were to write that these people were your direct ancestors, or mine, you would immediately respond that, being European, they could not be mine. But you might well be wrong.

The history of civilisation embraces what we know as the Indo European culture. This describes cultural development of peoples, originating, per-

haps, in what is known as the Bronze Age, for its early use of tin and copper to blend into metal tools and weapons, about 5,000 years ago. It describes, especially, linguistic traditions that reach across the world, from ancient societies stretching from the Ganges basin and delta, to the Atlantic coast of Europe.

Taken together with increasing knowledge of genetic studies, such traces enable specialists to theorise massive migrations that lie at the foundation of most developing cultures across that vast stretch of the globe.

There is one gem of a place where, if you know what you are looking at, can take you on a short, but extraordinary journey to where Bangladesh began

WIKIMEDIA

Our understanding of just where such cultures originated is far from complete. Even now, emerging details of Harappan culture, named for the first traces discovered a century ago at Harappa, in the Indus valley, are altering our appreciation of ancient history.

Indian archaeologists now believe that this remarkable early example of civilised communities may date back at least 7,000 years, predating by a millennium or so such as Egypt and Mesopotamia, presently seen to be the “cradle of civilisation.”

Until now, the development of what we know as the Ganges Basin Civilisation, which developed on the banks of the great river, and in its delta lands that are now Bangladesh, about 4,000 years ago, originated with the ending of the Indus, Harappan civilisation. But it is increasingly clear that we may have to rethink that.

What does all this mean to Bangladesh? Well, we may not have identified sites of Palaeolithic settlement, but it is not hard to see in so many of the crude homes of today’s Bangladesh, either mud or wattle walled, with rush roofs: homes that might have been familiar to the denizens of the country 10,000 years ago, suggest-

ing little change over many millennia in such shelters.

And the crude wooden ploughs, still sold in shops around the country, would be familiar to anyone who has visited Iron Age site museums in Europe.

To actually see, with your own eyes, and trace such development of our early ancestors, it is possible to work your way through the galleries at such as National Museum in Dhaka.

But there is one gem of a place where, if you know what you are looking at, can take you on a short, but extraordinary journey to where Bangladesh began. It is the Pathan collection at Wari Bateshwar, in Narshingdhi.

The collection was started in the 1930s by the local schoolmaster from surface finds in the area. Now curated by his ageing son, the few display cases contains stone tools, both Palaeolithic and Neolithic. It also includes stone loom weights that describe emerging crafts and commerce.

It contains traces from Bronze and Iron ages, and the site, of course, girdled by its 5 kilometre mud ramparts, includes an excavated Bronze Age Pit dwelling. The more valuable artefacts, such as coinage or trading tokens, from as early as 6th century BCE, are held elsewhere.

As importantly, however, what the small collection also contains, and other collections in Bangladesh, in a larger quantity, is the tangible, visible evidence of both craft skills and trade dating back close to three thousand years ago.

Unsurprisingly, Wari Bateshwar, like other more famous sites, such as those at Paharpur and Mahasthangarh, stands on one of the low ridges of sedimentary rock that run through the lands of Bangladesh.

On those ridges the earliest people of Bangladesh made their homes; in the swamps and waters of the delta lands they subsisted; and from the great rivers that flowed into the delta from central Asia, and central India, and the delta’s connections with a developing world, they built what would become one of the world’s earliest, and greatest, centres of international trade and commerce.

This is where it all began, for Bangladesh, and millions of peoples across the entirety of today’s world. l Tim Steel is a communications, marketing and tourism consultant.

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 8, 2013

30 journalists hurt in back-to-back hartal n Kailash Sarkar

Fire fighters extinguish fire of a bus in Azimpur area of the city yesterday. A gang of miscreants set fire to the vehicle in the morning

IDB agrees to give $8m to build technical teachers’ training institute n Rabiul Islam

Dhaka north authority plans to relocate three cattle markets from next Eid If alternative sites unavailable, the markets will be stopped

The Islamic Development Bank has in principle agreed to provide $8m to Bangladesh to establish a technical teachers’ training institute.

“IDB has agreed, and included in its country programme, to build a teachers’ training institute in Bangladesh,” Hazrat Ali, additional secretary of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The institute, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, would be dedicated to training instructors at technical training centres run by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), the official said.

Ministry sources, meanwhile, said it was primarily decided to build the institute in the capital’s Mirpur area to facilitate attendance by working teachers.

The sources said a proposal in this regard would be sent soon to the planning commission for its approval.

At present, there are no training facilities for around 2,500 teachers engaged at 37 technical training centres and a marine technology institute across the country that mostly cater to people seeking jobs overseas.

The teachers will get adequate and updated training facilities at the proposed institute, BMET Director Khalilur Rahman said.

Rahman also said it was essential to train teachers as industries were introducing newer technology every day.

He added that there was a huge demand for skilled workers abroad, and such an institute would greatly contribute to generating a skilled workforce.

Furthermore, Mujibur Rahman, joint secretary of the labour and employment ministry, said the Philippines earned around $25b annually by sending 2.2 million skilled workers overseas.

“In contrast, we earn around $14b annually by sending around 8 million _ mostly unskilled _ workers abroad” he said. l

Bombs hurled at Satkhira journo n Tribune Desk

Three to die for killing businessman

A journalist was injured in a crude bomb attack by miscreants in Badhghata area in Satkhira sadar upazila on Wednesday night.

The victim was identified as Samiul Monir, former president of Shyamnagar Press Club.

Police said some unidentified miscreants had waylaid Saimul on his way home and hurled three crude bombs at him around 9:30pm, leaving him injured.

Later, he was admitted to Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex in a critical condition.

Sagir Miah, officer-in-charge of Shyamnagar police station, said they were looking into the incident.

People who are involved in the attack will be arrested soon, he said. l

n Our Correspondent, Barisal A court in Barisal yesterday awarded death sentences to three people for killing businessman Sultan Badhsa after abducting him.

Of the accused, Anwar Hossain, 30, and Bashiruddin, 32, have remained absconding for long and Md Yunus, 32, was present in the court during announcement of the verdict. All of the convicts are the residents of Lamchhari area under Kawnia police station in the city.

SM Nasim Reza, second dditional district and session judge, declared the verdict after examining 22 out of 35 witnesses and other evidences.

The court also acquitted other three accused – Adam Ali Mazhee, 35, of

n Abu Hayat Mahmud The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is planning to relocate three makeshift Eid cattle markets from the city’s residential areas, in a bid to stop people’s sufferings.

High-ups at the DNCC said they were searching three alternative sites in the city to shift the cattle markets of Azampur, Agargaon and Taltola, while there were also plans of stopping the three markets altogether if suitable sites were not found by next Eid-ulAzha.

The DNCC sets up 10 makeshift cattle markets, including the permanent biggest one at Gabtali, for Eid-ul-Azha every year.

The three markets in question are set up each year at Azampur Government Primary School playground in Sector 6 of Uttara, Agargaon slum and Taltola playground.

Md Fasiullah, chief estate officer

Lamchhari, Altaf Hossain Khalifa, 26, of Shyampur Bakerganj and Babu, 22, of Chhoymile Babuganj upazila, as allegation brought against them could not be proved.

According to the prosecution, real estate businessman Sultan Badsha, 40, went missing on June 2, 2010.

Abdul Malek Majhi, father of Sultan Badsha, lodged an abduction case with Kotwali police station the next day.

Later, the abductors demanded Tk5m as ransom and gave his family members 24 hours to pay the amount.

But his family failed to pay the amount.

Then, the body of Sultan Badsha was recovered from Kirtankhola River near Rasulpur area of the city on November 5 and the abduction case was transformed to a murder case. l

Shah Amanat airport gets international recognition

Cyclebazaar opens today n Tribune Report

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

With more and more Dhakaits choosing bicycles as their preferred mode of transportation, BDCyclists (Bangladesh Cycling Community) has brought in “Cyclebazaar,” powered by Cellbazaar.com.

The bazaar offers bicycle enthusiasts to buy and sell cycles, gears and accessories.

With help of the cellbazaar officials, anyone can take pictures their unsold bicycles and upload them on the popular online marketplace Cellbazaar.com.

Open for all, the bazaar will be held today at the Manpower Ground, on road 13/A in Banani, from 3pm to 7pm.

Sponsored by Cellbazaar.com, the event aims to help cyclists sell their cycles easily and promote and make bicycles available to a larger group of people of the country.

For more details, readers may login to http://www.facebook.com/ events/227309594097050/ l

Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong yesterday received its international recognition certificate from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) 13 years after its opening.

The certificate will be effective from October 31 and will be valid till October 31, 2015, said the airport authority.

Air Vice-Marshal Mahmud Hossain, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority in Bangladesh (CAAB) and also the local representative of ICAO, handed over the certificate to Wing Commander Nur-E-Alam, manager of Shah Amanat International Airport yesterday.

Nur-E-Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that the airport had been termed as international airport locally until now, but that yesterday it got the real international recognition from ICAO. He said though they received the

certificate yesterday, it would be formally announced on November 10.

A vigilance team visited the airport from October 21-23 and the ICAO provided the certificate following the results of the report from the vigilance team, the manager said.

According to airport sources, the airport was set up as an airfield during British rule back in 1940, with some development work conducted before the liberation of Bangladesh.

A runway, which was 762 metres wide and 3,048 metres long, was set up in 1977-78 and was upgraded in 198485 while other establishments, including the terminal, were constructed after the cyclone on April 29, 1991, which left the airport severely damaged.

The first initiative to develop the airport was taken in 1996 with the signing of an accord with Japan for technical and financial assistance. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

At least 30 journalists have been injured during the two 60-hour-long nationwide shutdowns enforced by the 18-party alliance across the country, with the latest being four hurt in the capital and in Noakhali on Wednesday.

Two broadcast journalists of private television channel Bangla Vision were injured as Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebok Dal activists, two associate organisations of the BNP, swooped on them in the capital’s Badda are on Wednesday morning.

The vehicle carrying them was also damaged when they were covering bomb explosions during the hartal as part of their professional duties.

Later, they were rescued by the police and other fellow journalists.

Two more journalists were attacked

by BNP workers in Noakhali near the town hall area around 5pm.

The BNP activists attacked Tajul Islam Manik Bhuiyan, district correspondent of Bengali daily Alokito Bangladesh, and Golam Kibria, a reporter of online news agency “onenewsbd” from

a procession led by district BNP General Secretary Harun ur Rashid Azad.

Earlier on Tuesday, at least eight journalists were injured as they were assaulted physically in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Meanwhile, at least six journalists from different print and electronic media came under attack by the activists of two front organisations of the ruling Awami League in Dhaka’s Fulbaria area.

The cadres of Sramik League and Swechchhasebok League swooped on the journalists after several crude bombs were exploded by pickets of the opposition parties during the hartal.

The injured journalists were Arifur Rahman, a senior reporter with NTV, its camera person Ainal Ahmmed, a senior camera person at ATN, Kabirul Islam, photojournalist of Bengali daily Janakantha, Jibon Ghosh, Monir Hossain of channel 71, and its camera person Shibli. Two other journalists in Chittagong were injured during a clash between police and pickets.

Over 15 journalists were injured and their cameras and vehicles were damaged during the first phase of the 60hour hartal from October 27 to 29. l

of Delhi Public School (DPS) in Uttara, said: “Students and guardians feel annoyed to enter the school because of the stench coming from the cattle market nearby. Sometimes we have to suspend classes from a week in advance to avoid encountering the cattle market.

“Earlier we requested the city corporation and Azampur police station officials to shift the cattle markets elsewhere from this year, but they did not take our plea into consideration. We hope the city corporation authority will shift the market from next Eid” he added.

Azhar Ali, a government employee living in Agargaon staff colony, said: “When the cattle market is set up, we cannot move easily for the cattle.

Sometimes few cattle go berserk.”

Azhar also suggested that the city corporation authority should shift the two cattle markets in Agargaon and Taltola to different non-residential areas. l

of the DNCC, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are concerned about the Azampur Government Primary School, about the Agargaon and Taltola cattle markets.

We are planning to shift the markets to other spots from next Eid.” He claimed that attempts to shift the Agargaon and Taltola cattle markets to a place near the old airport area were denied because of objections by the Bangladesh Army.

“We are hoping the alternative sites will be found; and if we cannot find it out, we will stop the three haats [markets] considering the locals’ benefit,” he added.

Seeking anonymity, a DNCC official said: “The city corporation authorities are forced to set up few Eid cattle markets because of pressure from political leaders of the ruling party’s different wings and associate organisations during every government’s tenure.”

It was learnt that a syndicate of ruling party men allegedly controlled the

cattle markets of Dhaka this Eid-ulAzha.

Meanwhile, locals and the authorities of different government, nongovernment and educational organisations at Azampur, Agargaon and Taltola blamed the city corporation for setting up the markets ignoring public concerns.

Nargis Sultana, head-teacher of Azampur Government Primary School, said: “We tried to prevent them from establishing the cattle market here.

Now the field is full of deep pits. It has become muddy and filthy as the authority is yet to clean the animal wastes fully. The children play there as they have no other option.”

Nargis also said an application was submitted yesterday to the authorities concerned, with a 15-point demand including compensation for damages caused to the school playground and a stop to the market from next Eid. Stickle M, manager (administration)

DU Kha unit admission test today n Arif Ahmed

Activists protest attacks on Hindu community

Dhaka University’s Kha unit admission test for enrolment into its bachelor degree courses for the 2013-2014 academic sessions will be held today.

The one-hour written examination will take place at 10am and will be held at 62 centres on the campus, and 10 others off the campus, said a public relations officer of the university.

The aspiring students can check out their seat-plans at the following web address: http://admission.eis.du.ac.bd.

No examinees are permitted to carry mobile phones, electronic devices or cameras during the exam, he added.

The tests for the Ka unit will be held on November 22, Ga unit on November 15 and Cha unit on November 23. l

Rights activists yesterday protested against attacks on the Hindu community in Pabna and Lalmonirhat and demanded the immediate arrest of those behind the attacks.

Samprodyekota Birodhi Chhatra Shikhak Mancha, a platform of teachers and students advocating communal harmony, made the demand at a human chain formed in front of Aparajeyo Bangla at Dhaka University (DU).

Speakers at the event also demanded compensation for the victims and urged the government to ensure “exemplary punishment” of the perpetrators.

Soumitro Shekhar, a professor of Bangla, said, “Minority people do not

n Arif Ahmed

subscribe to any one political unit and are citizens of this country just like those of different faiths. Targeting them in such a gruesome way is deplorable to say the least.”

Ashwim Sarkar, provost of Jagannath Hall at DU, said, “When people harbouring a racist mentality have power, they attack the minorities. We have seen similar actions after 2001 too.

“We urge the government to give exemplary punishment to those involved in the attacks.”

Among others, Robayet Ferdous, an associate professor of journalism, Ajay Ray, former provost of Jagannath hall, Narayan Chandra Bishawsh, a professor of Sanskrit, and others were present at the event. l

Jatiya Garments Shramik Federation stage demonstration in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting closure of Radical Design, a garment factory in Narayanganj RAJIB DHAR

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Academic activities of Comilla Government College in mess n UNB An acute crisis of workers and a lack of residential and transport facilities has led to mismanagement of the academic activities of Comilla Government College.

The inadequacy of the current infrastructure and other logistic issues further add to the problem.

Established as an intermediate college in 1968, the institute currently caters to 7,000 students.

The college was nationalised in 1985 and over the years began offering degree (Pass course) and honours courses in accounting, management, English and political science.

However, the existing teaching staff numbers are highly inadequate to cater to the students enrolled at HSC, honours and degree level.

As a result, providing lessons to the students in the above-mentioned subjects have become difficult, students

alleged. Despite the college offering the honours courses for a long time, no post for a vice-principal at the college has thus far been created.

There is no one in the post of a professor at the college, despite the college committee’s recommendation that there should be four professors.

Only two associate professor posts have been filled out of seven sanctioned posts. One of the 12 posts for assistant professors and 14 lecturer posts are vacant.

One lone lecturer is taking all the En-

glish classes, which is a compulsory subject in the curriculums at all levels.

The college has two three-storey buildings, one two-storey building and two tin-roofed structures where all the academic and administrative activities take place.

There is an insufficient number of classrooms in the academic buildings to accommodate the existing numbers of students.

Though Information and Communication Technology has been introduced as a compulsory subject in the HSC as of the current academic year, no teacher has been recruited to teach the subject.

Honours courses are predominantly run using guest lecturers. Two of three office assistant posts, and five of 10 Grade IV posts are lying vacant.

Talking to the UNB, some HSC students said they often could not prepare for their lessons in time due to scarcity of books and space in the library.

They alleged that they had to reside in costly rented houses or mess halls outside the campus and use public transport to travel to the college as the institution did not provide any residential or transport facilities.

The teachers and employees are not being provided any campus quarters either. The house allotted to the principal was declared abandoned several years back.

When contacted, principal of the college Prof Ziauddin Ahmed said they had already written to the higher authorities regarding the establishment of an examination hall-cum-academic building, the creation of new posts in various departments, the reconstruction of the roof of the old administrative building, the set up of a central library, and various other problems.

He hoped that the authorities would promptly take measures to address the issues. l

Eight upazila, UP chairmen face graft cases n Tribune Desk The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is set to file seven cases against eight upazila and union parishad chairmen on charges of misappropriating over 100 tonnes of wheat from a rural infrastructure development project under the government’s Test Relief Programme.

The national graft watchdog found that Jhenaigati Upazila (Sherpur district) Chairman Aminul Islam Badsha in collusion with other UP chairmen misappropriated over 100 tonnes of wheat The Commission at a recent meeting approved proposals to file cases against them.

The eight chairmen who are going to be sued are Jhenaigati Upazila (Sherpur district) Chairman Aminul

n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

Locals removed bricks laid out for a road under repair at a Jhenaidah village yesterday, pointing out their inferior quality. The incident occurred at the district’s Maheshpur upazila.

Local Awami League leader Atwar Rahman is supervising the work which began on October 2.

Sources said the road had been in disrepair for a while before it was finally decided a few weeks ago that it would be repaired. The task was initially given to an ex-commissioner but then redirected to Atwar.

Abdul Hakim, a village imam, said bricks being used to rebuild the road were “below-par” which enraged locals. “They were worried that the road would fall into disrepair once again and proceeded to remove them in protest.” l

Police detained Majlish-e-Sura member of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, also chairman of a union parishad from Kustia sadar upazila yesterday for his alleged involvement with the murder of a police constable of Harinakunda police station.

The arrestee is Md Motahar Hussain, chairman of Harinakundu upazila in Jhenaidah district.

The detainee’s brother Shariful Islam said a team of police led by additional police super Hasanuzzaman had conducted a drive and arrested Motahar from his relative Abdul Kader’s house located at Piyarpur village under Kustia sadar upazila of the district.

Motahar Hussain was convicted in two cases, one for killing Gazi Omar Faruq, a police constable of

Candidates taking examination at Dinajpur Collegiate Girls’ High centre. The Junior School Certificate and Junior Dakhil Certificate examinations began across the country yesterday, under a revise schedule due to 60-hour hartal FOCUS BANGLA

16,036 unemployed youths get jobs under National Service Programme The second phase of the National Service Programme (NSP) has made significant progress, successfully creating jobs for the unemployed educated male and female youths in Rangpur division, claimed officials at the youth development department.

Under the programme, job opportunities would be created for around 16,036 unemployed youths in eight upazilas of Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat in the division. The government has allocated Tk95.29m for the purpose.

The current government launched the NSP back in 2010 to fulfil its pre-election pledge of freeing the unemployed educated youths from unemployment through creating jobs for at least a member in each family.

According to officials, the government has a plan to employ 720,000 unemployed educated youths in the country with temporary jobs for two years through imparting training in different trades and turning them into skilled workforces.

Following a successful implementation of the first phase of NSP-pilot project in Kurigram, Barguna

and Gopalganj, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the second phase of the programme in seven districts in Rangpur on February 28 this year.

Under the first phase, 56,054 unemployed youths aged between 18 and 35 years, were employed following a 3-month-long basic training on ten modules, in 19 upazilas under Kurigram, Barguna and Gopalganj districts since 2010.

The government has a plan to employ 720,000 unemployed educated youths in the country Deputy Director of the Youth Development Department Azizur Rahman Talukder said 3,576 unemployed youths have already been appointed under the second phase in different government departments, primary schools and other places in Kawnia and Pirganj upazilas of Rangpur for two years, after training.

“Under the second phase, three months basic training for another 1,329 unemployed educated youths was ongoing and they will be appointed after completion of the training course in these two upazilas,” he added.

Beneficiaries Farhana Afroz of

10 injured in Gaibandha clash over char possession n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha At least 10 people, including seven women, were injured in a fierce clash between two rival groups at Bochagari char (shoal) under Sundarganj upazila in Gaibandha on Wednesday over char grabbing.

Locals said over 200 people supported by the union parishad chairman equipped with country made weapons attacked char dwellers and set fire to five houses.

As the char people tried to resist the attackers, a clash ensued between them, leaving 10 people of both groups injured. The injured were admitted to different hospitals and clinics.

Abul Kashem, a resident of the char, filed a case with Sundarganj police

Islam Badsha, Kangsa Union Parishad Chairman Abdur Rouf Sarker, Dhansail Union Parishad Chairman Riazul Islam, Gauripur Union Parishad Chairman Sultan Ahmad Khoka, Hatibandha Union Parishad Chairman Nasir Uddin, Malijhikanda Union Parishad Chairman M Safiuddin, Jhenaigati Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Zainal Abedin and Nalkura Union Parishad Chairman Khalilur Rahman, reports UNB. According to the ACC inquiry, the national graft watchdog found that Jhenaigati Upazila (Sherpur district) Chairman Aminul Islam Badsha in collusion with other UP chairmen misappropriated over 100 tonnes of wheat from the rural development project during the fiscal 20011-12 by making allocations against fake projects.

ACC Deputy Director Jahangir Alam (Sherpur district office) conducted the inquiry into the graft allegation.

The cases will be filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947. l

Jamaat man held for cop killing

Locals remove bricks protesting road condition

n BSS

7

Friday, November 8, 2013

station yesterday accusing 36 identified and 150 unidentified men of the chairman’s group, said Golam Mostafa Ahmed, inspector of the police station.

According to land office sources, over 200 hundred landless and erosion affected people have been living on 60 acres of land at Bochagari char for long.

Local UP Chairman Manju Miah was conspiring to evict the people living on the char in a bid to settle his supporters taking money from them and establish his dominance in the locality, local people alleged.

A tense situation have been prevailing there for the last few months between char people and the chairman’s supporters.

UP Chairman Manju Miah denied his involvement with the clash. l

Dakshin Goddimari in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat, Masud Rana and Selina Akhter of Fotehpur under Pirganj upazila of Rangpur expressed their feeling after getting employed.

“After completing the 3-month basic training courses, we have got jobs and started a new life. We had lost all hopes after failing to get jobs despite hectic efforts in the past years,” they said.

Member of Parliament from Kurigram-2 constituency Jafar Ali said: “The first phase of the programme has proved to be very successful in Kurigram where 31,358 selected unemployed youths were provided with temporary jobs for two years after imparting them 3- month training in 10 modules.”

First-phase NSP beneficiaries Jyotsna Rani and Ratna Biswas said they worked for two years, and received Tk4,000 a month out of Tk6,000 while the rest, Tk2,000 were deposited with their own bank accounts and received Tk48,000 once their job expired.

“We have invested our deposits in poultry, dairy, pisciculture, crop cultivation and also got easy-term loans from different banks to launch income generating activities, utilising knowledge acquired from trainings and working experiences,” they said. l

Newly married housewife commits suicide in Sylhet n UNB A newly married housewife allegedly committed suicide at Chandpur village in Jagannathpur upazila on Wednesday night.

The deceased was identified as Joba Rani Debnath, 23, wife of Bijon Kumar Debnath of Jamargaon village in Chatak upazila.

Quoting family members, police said Joba hanged herself as she came to visit her father’s house after her marriage three months back.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Sunamganj Hospital for autopsy on Thursday morning. It was not known what actually prompted Joba to kill herself. l

Harinakundu police station and the other for obstructing police while performing duty in Bhabitpur village under the same upazila.

Later, a court granted him bail for six weeks.

Shariful said Motahar had been staying at Piyarpur village for appearing before a lower court of the district on November 13.

Mohibul Islam, officer-in-charge of Harinakundu police station said he had heard about the news of chairman’s arrest from the public, however, did not receive any information from the office of police superintendent in this regard.

The chairman allegedly killed police constable Gazi Omar on March 3 this year over previous enmity.

He was absconding since the cases were filed, he added. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Kerry sees some clarity from Mideast peace talks n AP, Amman, Jordan US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday he was “pleased” with his discussions among Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week as he scrambled to salvage faltering peace talks in a furious round of shuttle diplomacy.

“We’ve created some clarity on some of the points,” Kerry told Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Wednesday. “I was pleased.”

Kerry’s comments after he announced he would be returning to Israel on Friday for a third meeting with Netanyahu in two days. Speaking in a joint interview with Israeli and Palestinian TV networks, which will air later Thursday, Kerry said he would meet with Netanyhu in Jerusalem. He had not originally been scheduled to return to Israel.

Kerry will now see Abbas again

Amnesty criticises Shell’s reporting of Nigerian oil spills n Reuters, Abuja Amnesty International called into question Royal Dutch Shell’s accounting in Nigeria for oil spill amounts and causes, saying the oil major was seeking to avoid compensation payments and damage to its reputation.

The Anglo-Dutch oil major responded in a statement that it “firmly rejects unsubstantiated assertions that they have exaggerated the impact of crude oil theft and sabotage to distract attention from operational performance.”

There are hundreds of leaks every year from pipelines that pass through the creeks and swamplands of the Niger Delta, damaging the environment and cutting into profits of oil companies including Shell and Italy’s Eni. Widespread oil theft, sabotage and pipeline operational failures are cited as the main reasons for leaks, but the official cause of a leak is often disputed between oil companies and local communities.

Shell says most of its oil spills are caused by sabotage and theft and that it cleans up the damage whatever the cause. Amnesty International said in a report on Thursday that evidence suggested this might not be true.

“Shell is being disingenuous about the devastation caused by its Niger Delta operations. This new evidence shows that Shell’s claims about the oil spills cannot be trusted,” said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty’s director of global issues.

The watchdog said it saw reports of spills that stated the reason as sabotage without any further explanation and also examples in which Shell had calculated the size of a spill behind closed doors. l

Thursday night in Amman and then return to Jerusalem on Friday for a third meeting with Netanyahu in two days before continuing with his swing through the Middle East and North Africa in the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Morocco.

Kerry brokered the re-start of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which began three months ago. But little progress has been made in the talks, which are supposed to produce an agreement by the end of April 2014.

Kerry has been hit with complaints from both sides during his trip while working to maintain an optimistic tone. On Wednesday he noted that in any negotiation “there will be moments of up and moments of down.”

Tensions have been running high after Palestinians said a secret negotiating session on Tuesday broke down in a dispute over Israeli settlement construction.

US-brokered talks for Israeli-Palestinian peace began at Kerry’s behest

John Kerry speaks at a press conference in Amman three months ago. Both sides have remained largely quiet on the negotiations but there has been little, if any, progress evident.

The stalemate has prompted specu-

Inspectors: 1 Syrian chemical site was abandoned n AP, Beirut

AFP

lation that the US may need to increase its involvement in the talksand present its own outline for peace — or lower expectations and pursue a more limited, interim agreement. l

Syria army retakes key rebel town near Damascus: monitor n AFP, Beirut Troops backed by Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah fighters and other pro-regime militiamen on Thursday retook Sbeineh, a major rebel enclave south of Damascus, a monitoring group and state television said.

“Sbeineh was one of the most important rebel positions on Damascus’ outskirts. Rebels in southern Damascus have now had practically all their supply routes cut off,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

State television also reported the takeover. “Our brave army has taken control of... the Sbeineh (area)... and (the nearby village) of Ghazalah in Damascus province after crushing the last terrorist positions there,” said the broadcaster, using the regime’s terminology to refer to rebels.

The takeover of Sbeineh, a rear base for rebels in southern Damascus, comes a year into a suffocating army siege of the town.

It also comes nine days into an intense campaign aimed at cutting off one of the main rebel supply lines

Friday, November 8, 2013

Syria has given international experts video and photographic evidence that shows a chemical weapons site near the contested northern city of Aleppo has been dismantled and abandoned by the government, inspectors said Thursday.

With the latest documentation, experts from the joint mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations have now verified 22 of the 23 chemical weapons sites declared by Syria.

Last month, the inspectors visited 21 of the 23 sites but were unable to visit two — one of them near Aleppo — because of fighting in the area.

The photographs and footage provided by President Bashar Assad’s government showed the facility near Aleppo empty and with “extensive battle damage,” according to a statement from the OPCW-UN mission, which is overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons program. There were no details on when the battle damage occurred.

The images were shot with a tamperproof camera that inspectors had fitted with a GPS system so that the location of the camera could be tracked, the statement said. It added that the photos and video have been authenticated by international inspectors.

The OPCW-UN mission has not released the location of the last remaining site the inspectors need to visit.

The inspectors said last week that Syria had met the Nov. 1 deadline to destroy or “render inoperable” all chemical weapon production facilities and machinery for mixing chemicals into poison gas and filling munitions, even though two sites had not been inspected because of fighting in the country’s civil war.

The organisation said at the time that Syria had declared the two inaccessible sites already had been abandoned and all equipment had been moved to other sites that had been inspected.

Syria is believed to possess around 1,000 metric tons of chemical weapons, including mustard gas and sarin.l

France says ‘plausible’ Al-Qaeda killed journalists in Mali

into southern Damascus, said the Britain-based Observatory.

“The army was backed by fighters from Hezbollah, the pro-regime paramilitary National Defence Force as well as Syrian and non-Syrian Shiite fighters from the Abul Fadl al-Abbas brigade,” Abdel Rahman added.

“There are fears for the lives of civilians in Sbeineh. Experience tells us that the army may well execute civilians and put the blame on rebels,” he said.

The takeover of Sbeineh comes weeks after the fall from rebel hands of nearby Husseiniyeh, Ziabiyeh and Bweida. l

n AFP, Paris France said on Thursday that Al-Qaeda’s north African branch may have killed two French journalists in Mali at the weekend, as the group had earlier claimed.

“We’re in the process of verifying it, but it seems plausible,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French television, referring to the claim over the murders of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in the flashpoint northeastern town of Kidal on Saturday.

Dupont, 57, and Verlon, 55, were

kidnapped and shot dead after interviewing a spokesman for Tuareg separatists in Kidal.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said in a statement published online on Wednesday that the killings were “the minimum debt” owed by France and its leaders “in return for their new crusade” in Paris’s former colony.

Mali has been the target of a series of attacks claimed by Islamist insurgents since France launched a military operation in January against Al-Qaedalinked groups including AQIM occupying the north of the country. l

PLO official urges global Britain’s spy chiefs in televised grilling probe into Arafat ‘killing’ n AFP, London

n AFP, Ramallah A PLO official on Thursday called for an international inquiry into “the killing” of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, a day after Swiss scientists said he probably died from polonium poisoning.

“The (test) results proved Arafat was poisoned by polonium, and this substance is owned by states, not people, meaning that the crime was committed by a state,” said Wasel Abu Yusef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee.

“Just as a committee was formed to investigate the killing of (slain Lebanese prime minister) Rafiq Hariri, there must be a international committee to investigate the killing of president Arafat,” he told AFP. The central committee of the Fatah

party, which is headed by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and which dominates the PLO, was to meet on Thursday at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) to discuss the latest findings, said senior party official Amin Maqbul.

Swiss scientists, who carried out tests on Arafat’s remains, concluded he probably died from polonium poisoning, according to a text of their findings published by Al-Jazeera television on Wednesday. The results “moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210,” said the 108-page analysis posted on the Qatar-based satellite broadcaster’s website.

The experts who penned the report are also to give a news conference in Lausanne on Thursday at 1245 GMT to discuss the results. l

The chiefs of Britain’s three intelligence agencies were to face an unprecedented public grilling on Thursday, amid intense scrutiny of their work following the leaks from US analyst Edward Snowden.

The hearing brings Andrew Parker – director general of domestic intelligence agency MI5 – together with the head of its foreign counterpart MI6, John Sawers, and Iain Lobban, head of electronic eavesdropping agency GCHQ, together in public for the first time.

The questioning by parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee casts an unprecedented light on the British spymasters, who have until now given evidence in private because of the sensitive nature of their work.

The head of GCHQ faces particularly awkward questions because Snowden’s leaks have suggested close

collaboration between the British listening post and its US counterpart, the National Security Agency (NSA), to harvest vast quantities of data from ordinary citizens’ communications.

MI5 boss Andrew Parker has previously accused Snowden of handing a “gift” to terrorists with his leaks.

But Glenn Greenwald, the American journalist who worked with Snowden to publish some of his revelations in Britain’s Guardian newspaper, denied that they had done anything to damage national security or to help terrorists.

Greenwald told BBC radio ahead of the hearing: “The system has failed to exercise meaningful accountability up to this point, because there was a huge, suspicion-less system of mass spying that the British people and the American people had no idea had been built in their name and with their money.”

But David Omand, former director of GCHQ, accused Greenwald of

WORLD WATCH

ME AND MINNIE

Pope to receive Putin on November 25

Pope Francis will receive Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 25, the Vatican said on Thursday, as the Roman Catholic Church seeks to improve ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Putin has previously met the pope’s predecessor Benedict XVI as well as late pope John Paul II and there are hopes for what would be an historic meeting between a pope and a Russian patriarch.

Putin’s predecessor Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the prime minister, met with Benedict XVI in 2011. During another visit

by Medvedev in 2009, the two states re-established full diplomatic ties which had been severed during Soviet times.

Relations between Russia and the Vatican have improved since the coming to power in 2009 of Patriarch Kirill, who headed up the Russian Orthodox Church’s diplomatic arm for years. The Russian Orthodox Church has frequently used the Catholic Church of proselytising in Russia. Pope Francis wrote to Putin in September as head of the G20 group of global powers to ask him to press for a political solution to the conflict in Syria without outside intervention.

Wartime shell found at Hong Kong tourist hotspot

A bomb disposal squad was called to one of Hong Kong’s prime tourist destinations Thursday when a wartime artillery shell was found by construction workers.

Police said the British shell from World A woman rides a motorcycle taxi with a Disney character Minnie Mouse balloon in Beijing on November 7

“dodging around the issue of damage to public security” and said the world was less safe as a result of the leaks.

He told the BBC that lawmakers would face as much scrutiny Thursday as the spy chiefs themselves because of questions over whether politicians have exercised sufficient control over intelligence operations.

“They’re on show this afternoon every bit as much as the three heads of agency,” he said.

“They have to demonstrate that they can satisfy the need for oversight.”

Snowden’s revelations have strained Washington’s ties with its allies over suggestions that it has spied on dozens of foreign leaders, including by tapping the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ahead of the hearing, the committee said the three spy chiefs would be questioned over terrorist threats to Britain, cyber security and espionage.l

AFP

War II, weighing 36kg and 60cm long, was found at Lugard Road on The Peak.

The Peak is home to the city’s most expensive property and is also a tourist hotspot because of its stunning views of Victoria Harbour. Police said the shell was dealt with but did not elaborate.

A member of staff at the nearby Peak Galleria shopping mall said it had been detonated in a controlled explosion. The then-British colony was the scene of fierce fighting between invading Japanese forces and defenders in December 1941. Last year hundreds of people were evacuated when a British shell was found at a construction site near residential and commercial buildings.

S Korea judge convicts poet of libelling president

A South Korean court on Thursday convicted a prominent poet of libelling President Park Geun-Hye before her election victory last year, after a jury had decided he was not guilty.The court judge in the southern city of Jeonju found Ahn Do-Hyun, 52, had libelled the then-ruling party presidential candidate, by repeating 17 times on his Twitter account an allegation that she had acquired the stolen possessions of a famous pro-independence fighter.Ahn was ordered to pay a one million won ($940) fine, but the sentence was suspended for two years.On October 28 a seven-person jury in the case acquitted Ahn, but the judge disagreed with their conclusion and delayed a final ruling until Thursday.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Maulana Fazlullah chosen as new Pakistan Taliban leader n AFP, Miranshah The Pakistani Taliban Thursday chose a hardline cleric as their new chief following the death of the previous leader in a US drone strike.

Maulana Fazlullah, elected by the Taliban ruling council, led the militants’ brutal two-year rule in Pakistan’s northwest valley of Swat in 2007-2009 before a military operation retook the area.

He takes over leadership of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike last Friday.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Dhaka Tribune reported the TTP had appointed Khan Said alias Sajna, as their new head, based on a lead from Al Jazeera’s website. The Qatar-based news agency had reported the Shura, a consultative body of the Tehreek-e-Taliban, made the appointment. The website, however, did not have any updates regarding Fazlullah’s appointment as leader as of Thursday 8pm BDT when this report was filed.

Indian Mars mission leader criticised over temple visit n AFP, New Delhi The head of India’s space agency, basking in plaudits after the launch of the country’s first voyage to Mars, was brought down to earth Thursday by criticism of his decision to seek divine blessing for the mission.

K Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), visited the famous Lord Venkateswara temple in southern India on Tuesday where he reportedly placed a replica of the Mars spacecraft at the feet of an idol.

Later in the day Radhakrishnan oversaw the successful launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission, known as “Mangalyaan” in India, which is on an 11-month journey to study the Martian atmosphere.

India’s rationalist organisations, which campaign against religion and superstition in the diverse but officially secular country, slammed the widely publicised temple visit.

“There would have been nothing wrong had he gone there in his personal capacity. But to go there as chairman of ISRO and ask for heavenly favour is nonsense,” Narendra Nayak, president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, told AFP. “It sends a wrong message to the common man who will think God can sort out all his troubles,” said Nayak.

Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, also flayed the ISRO chief who was congratulated by the prime minister and president on Tuesday.

“What sort of message are we sending out to the world? It’s a shame for our country that prides itself on its secular credentials,” he told AFP. India is attempting its first inter-planetary journey with a spacecraft built in just 15 months on a budget of $73m, a fraction of previous attempts.

More than half of all missions to Mars have ended in failure, including China’s in 2011 and Japan’s in 2003. Only the United States, Russia and the European space agency have succeeded.

A spokesman for ISRO could not immediately be reached for comment. l

The announcement was made by TTP caretaker leader Asmatullah Shaheen at a press conference attended

by AFP at an undisclosed location in northwest Pakistan.

“I congratulate all the Muslim brothers that Maulana Fazlullah has been elected as the new chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,” Shaheen said.

“The supreme shura has also elected Sheikh Khalid Haqqani as the deputy chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.”

There was heavy gunfire in celebration in Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal area.

The killing of Mehsud on Friday came as government representatives prepared to meet the TTP with a view to opening peace talks.

It triggered an angry response from Islamabad, with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar accusing Washington of sabotaging peace efforts.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was more measured, but said his government was committed to seeking peace

The Sunni extremist group Jaish-ul Adl has claimed responsibility for the assassination of a public prosecutor in Iran’s restive southeast, media reports said Thursday.

The reports came a day after Mousa Nouri, prosecutor of the city of Zabol which lies near the Afghan border in Sistan-Baluchestan province, was gunned down in a “terrorist attack,” according to officials.

Jaish-ul Adl, the rebel group formed last year whose name means Army of Justice in Arabic, said in a statement Wednesday night that the assassination was carried out in retaliation for a mass hanging last week.

“After the hanging of 16 innocent young Baluchis, the fighters decided to take revenge and kill a judicial official,” read the statement posted on the group’s website,jaishuladl.blogspot.fr.

WHY FAZLULLAH ?

n Tribune Desk

A Pakistani journalist watches a newly released video of radical Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlullah in Peshawar. The Pakistani Taliban elected Maulana Fazlullah as their new chief following the death of the previous leader in a US drone strike AFP

The appointment of Maulana Fazlullah is a clear signal by the TTP: They are no longer interested in coming to the table and will pursue a harder line against their adversaries than they have done in the past, which was quite hard to begin with. Fazlullah is well known for his reluctance to seek peace with the Pakistani government and a strict interpretation of Islamic Law was applied rigourously in the Swat Valley under his command. Fazlullah fled when the army swept into the valley and is believed to have been in Afghanistan, though Pakistan says he has directed attacks from across the border. Pakistani intelligence believes Fazlullah is linked to shooting of Malala Yousafzai in October 2012, an attack which was claimed by the TTP. Choosing Fazlullah over Khan Said Sajna, who was initially expected to succeed Hakimullah Mehsud, is a decisive shift away from reconciliation, which Sajna was known to be in favour of. However Fazlullah will still have to win the loyalty of the Pakistan Taliban’s forces , the most of whom are currently loyal to the Mehsud clan, of which Fazlullah is not a member. This will be a significant struggle for him as clan loyalty is of paramount importance to the Pakhtun . l

Pakistan lifts Musharraf Japan putting missiles on Pacific house arrest gateway islands n AFP, Islamabad Pakistan formally freed former ruler Pervez Musharraf from house arrest on Thursday after a court granted him bail in the last criminal case against him.

But the retired general remains under heavy guard in his villa on the edge of Islamabad because of serious threats to his life.

The Taliban have threatened to kill Musharraf, who as president allied Pakistan with Washington in the US “war on terror” in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

An Islamabad district court on Monday gave the 70-year-old bail over a deadly raid on a radical mosque in the capital in 2007, the last of the cases against him dating back to his 19992008 rule.

Prison staff left the house, which had been declared a “sub-jail,” on Friday after Musharraf’s legal team submitted bail bonds totalling Rs200,000.

“We received written orders from Islamabad city administration this

Six world powers sit with Iran in nuke talks

n AP, Geneva

Six world powers are dangling the prospect of easing some sanctions against Iran if Tehran agrees to curb work that could be used to make nuclear weapons.

Talks resumed Thursday between Iran and the six — The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

The last round three weeks ago reached agreement on the framework of what to discuss. The two sides now want to start a process meant to culminate in limits on Tehran’s potential ability to make nuclear weapons, in exchange for easing of sanctions crippling Tehran’s economy.

Before the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif met with top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton, who is convening the meeting. Ashton spokesman Michael Mann said the two had good discussions.

Iran denies any interest in nuclear arms. l

Sunni rebels claims Iran prosecutor assassination n AFP, Tehran

through dialogue and stressing that an end to bloodshed could not be achieved “by unleashing senseless force.”

Sharif came to power in May partly on a pledge to hold talks to try to end the TTP’s bloody insurgency that has fuelled instability in the nuclear-armed nation.

In September he won the backing of major political parties to begin overtures to the Taliban.

Imtiaz Gul, an author and expert on militancy in Pakistan, warned the choice of such an uncompromising candidate would spell problems for the embryonic peace process – and a bloodier campaign from the TTP. “It means they are not serious about any talks with the government,” Gul told AFP. “TTP will be more brutal now.”

During Fazlullah’s rule in Swat, the Taliban enforced a rigorous version of Islamic law, publicly beheading and flogging wrongdoers and burning schools. l

9

Friday, November 8, 2013

Home to a large Sunni minority, the province of Sistan-Baluchestan has been the scene of fresh unrest in recent weeks.

‘After the hanging of 16 innocent young Baluchis, the fighters decided to take revenge and kill a judicial official’ The group carried out an ambush on Iranian border soldiers on October 25, killing 14 of them.

In response, the authorities in Shiite-dominated Iran executed 16 “rebels” – eight Sunni insurgents and eight drug traffickers.

Security forces later killed four rebels in a separate clash near Mirjaveh, a town close to the border with Pakistan, officials said last week. l

morning and we have called back the prison officials deployed at his house,” Malik Mushtaq, the superintendent of Adiala prison Rawalpindi, told AFP. Jawad Paul, the head of Islamabad local administration, confirmed the news.

“Musharraf is a free man now, his house is no more a sub prison,” he told AFP. Former commando Musharraf returned to Pakistan in March after years of self-imposed exile to run in the May general election, vowing to “save” the country from economic collapse and militancy.

But he was barred from contesting the poll, won convincingly by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – the man he ousted from power in 1999 – and was hit with a series of criminal cases dating back to his rule.

Musharraf has faced charges over former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder at an election rally in 2007, the death of a Baluch rebel leader in 2006 and the detention of judges in 2007. l

n AFP, Tokyo Japan’s military is stationing unarmed missiles on islands that mark the gateway to the Pacific, officials said Thursday, as part of a major drill that has made China nervous.

The exercise, aimed at bolstering defence of Japan’s southern islands, has already seen a launching system and a loader for Type-88 surface-toship missiles installed on Miyako island, complete with two missiles.

Four more missiles are due to arrive on the main island of Okinawa later Thursday. It was not clear how long they would remain in place.

“This is the first time” that missile systems have been taken to Miyako, said a spokesman for the Joint Staff of the Self Defence Forces, adding that the missiles could not be fired in their present state.

“The drill is designed for the defence of islands,” he said.

While the Japanese military makes

no secret of the fact these missiles are not operable, observers say their deployment serves to remind anyone watching of Japan’s capabilities.

The Self Defense Forces began their 18 days of war games on November 1, with 34,000 military personnel, six vessels and 360 aircraft.

The exercise comes amid growing nervousness in Japan and other parts of Asia over China’s surging military might, which has seen it expand its naval reach into the Pacific Ocean as it squabbles with Tokyo over the ownership of islands in the East China Sea. Beijing also has separate disputes with numerous countries over competing claims in the South China Sea. It claims most of the sea as its territory.

Chinese naval assets stationed in the north of the country are somewhat hemmed in by the chain of Japanese islands that separate the East China Sea and the Pacific.

The strait between Miyako and the main island of Okinawa offers one

of the few direct access points to the ocean.

The Japanese drill would bring the roughly 300-kilometre (190-mile) stretch between the main Okinawa island and Miyako under the missiles’ presumed range, Japanese media reported.

Tokyo has said the drill is not aimed at any specific nation, but Japanese leaders have openly expressed disquiet as China escalates its territorial claims.

The Self Defence Forces are also preparing to form a special amphibious unit, much like the US Marine Corps, whose remit would be to defend small islands and recapture them in case of enemy attacks.

Beijing has routinely sent government vessels to disputed islands in the East China Sea, staging dangerous face-offs between the two nations’ coastguards.

The ongoing Japanese drill has irritated Beijing, where local media said there was no doubt it was targeting China. l

N Korea says it has arrested Fukushima plant readies for S Korean spy – KCNA dangerous fuel rod removal n Reuters, Seoul North Korea said on Thursday it had arrested a South Korean spy and was investigating him on charges of espionage in a rare report of the capture of a secret agent by either of the rivals.

The man was arrested in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and had confessed to entering the country illegally, the North’s Ministry of State Security said in comments carried by the North’s official KCNA news agency.

“An initial investigation indicates that he was engaged in anti-DPRK espionage and plot-breeding activities in a third country bordering the DPRK for nearly six years, while disguising himself as a religionist,” KCNA said, referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

KCNA did not identify the suspect

nor the “third country.” It did not elaborate on what it meant by “religionist.”

“He entered the DPRK to rally dishonest elements within the boundary of the DPRK and use them for undermining the stability of the social system,” KCNA said. It gave no more details.

An officials for the South’s National Intelligence Service dismissed the report as “groundless” and said the agency had no further comment.

Public announcements of the arrests of secret agents by either the South or the North have become rare despite the consistently high level of espionage activities conducted by the rivals since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea has prosecuted US citizens for conspiring to undermine its security and is holding a Korean-born American missionary on a 15-year hard labour sentence. l

n AFP, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear engineers in Japan are preparing to move uranium and plutonium fuel rods at Fukushima, their most difficult and dangerous task since the plant’s runaway reactors were brought under control two years ago.

Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) is expected this month to begin removing fuel rods from a pool inside a reactor building at the tsunami-hit plant, in a technically challenging operation that will test the utility’s expertise after months of setbacks and glitches.

Experts say the operation is a tricky but essential step in the decades-long decommissioning and recovery after the worst atomic accident in a generation.

But, they add, it pales in comparison with the much more complex task that

awaits engineers in the future. They will have to remove the misshapen cores of three reactors that went into meltdown, probably relying on technology that has not yet been invented.

More than 1,500 nuclear fuel assemblies – bundles of rods – must be pulled out of the storage pool where they were being kept when a tsunami smashed into Fukushima in March 2011.

The reactor which the pool serves – No. 4 – was not in operation at the time. But hydrogen from Reactor No. 3 escaped into the building and exploded, tearing the roof off and leaving it at the mercy of natural hazards like earthquakes, storms or another tsunami.

TEPCO says it has not yet found any damage to the assemblies at No. 4, which contain a mixture of uranium and plutonium, but will be monitoring for abnormalities. l

Olympic torch flies to International Space Station n AP, Moscow A Russian spacecraft carrying the Olympic torch and three astronauts has docked with the International Space Station.

Video streamed by the US space agency NASA reported a flawless docking Thursday about six hours after the craft blasted off from Russia’s manned space facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The unlit torch for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi is to be taken on a spacewalk Saturday, then return to Earth on Monday (late Sunday EST) with three departing space station astronauts.

The arriving crew members Thursday were Russia’s Mikhail Tyurin, American Rick Mastracchio and KoiRussia’s Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft carrying an international crew including Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Russian cosmonaut chi Wakata of Japan. l Mikhail Tyurin and US astronaut Rick Mastracchio and an unlit Olympic torch AFP

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Friday, November 8, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Making a mockery of Digital Bangladesh

T

he denial of bail to a National University teacher in a defamation case smacks of a disproportionate interpretation of the law and is unjust.

AKM Wahiduzzaman was accused of making derogatory comments about the prime minister and her family on Facebook in August. Having presented himself to the court and secured a month on bail on October 11, there is no reasonable justification for not extending it further.

We have editorialised before about The notion of the misuse of the law to limit fundausing the law to mental rights to freedom of expression police criticism and and have remarked on the serious impersonal comments pediments to freedom of speech posed is incompatible by the recently enhanced ICT law. with a democratic The notion of using the law to police society criticism and personal comments is incompatible with a democratic society.

Public figures should be big enough to cope with mockery and the cut and thrust of debate.

Moreover, it is incompatible with the government’s proclaimed vision for a Digital Bangladesh.

For a start it shows no appreciation that public sites such as Facebook and YouTube are in many ways self-policing, as if people see anything they do not like online, they are able to debate or rebut them online. It also ignores the fact that internet posts can be faked or made impossible to trace.

The importance of freedom of speech places the onus squarely on the government to justify any laws that infringe it in any way.

This applies even more so to speech on the internet which gives people freedom to record even the most fleeting of thoughts.

As the very nature of the internet encourages comment and debate, the government undermines its Digital Bangladesh vision by seeking to police internet postings in such a high-handed and draconian manner.

Fix our deadly tannery problem

T

he Hazaribagh tannery area in Dhaka has been found to be one of the five most polluted places on earth by two international research organisations. This should be a wake-up call to government to act on the long overdue relocation of the tanneries to a safer and less environmentally damaging site.

According to the report, at least 160,000 people have become victims of pollution in the Hazaribag locality due to exposure to toxic chemicals, mainly chromium, a well-known carcinogen.

Workers of the tanneries and local residents of this densely populated area also face a number of less severe but common health problems, such as skin and respiratory diseases, aches, dizziness and nausea.

Previous reports by news media and human rights bodies showed that the owners of tanneries have been In the power enjoying a high level of impunity wrangling between from authorities despite flouting rules the government and on pollution, workplace safety and public health. the tannery owners, Although a decision was made it is the workers and in 1993 to move the tanneries to the local residents better-equipped facilities in Savar, who are left to suffer disagreements between the governthe consequences ment and the owners over the cost of relocation and the development of the facilities have halted this process thus far.

This October the agreement for relocation of the factories was finalised. However, the construction of the treatment plant is expected to take at least another 18 months. Given the history of this relocation, it is difficult to be optimistic about this deadline being kept. Meanwhile, in the power wrangling between the government and the tannery owners, it is the workers and the local residents who are left to suffer the consequences.

Leather exports are in important source of revenue for Bangladesh. However, it is time for us to make sure that this income isn’t generated at the cost of the workers, local residents and the environment.

CROSSWORD

CNG-run autos yet to adjust meters November 1

This has become a serious issue for Dhaka city dwellers and I am one of the sufferers. Eventually, I was forced to buy my own car for my daily transportation. Authorities should strictly enforce traffic laws and punish anyone who breaks the rules.

Zia F Rahman

Could a military operation have saved the day?

DOWN

1 Laundry item (3)

1 Dance (5)

3 Church recess (4)

2 Self (3)

6 Astonished (4)

4 Suffering (4)

7 Depressed (3)

5 Old cloth measure (3)

9 Testament (4)

6 Foreign (5)

10 Writing fluid (3)

8 Work into a fabric (5)

11 Deserve (4)

9 Bird (4)

13 Conscious of (5)

12 Sports enclosure (5)

16 Occurrence (5)

14 Cry (4)

18 Eager (4)

15 Glittering particle (5)

19 Period of time (3)

17 Lukewarm (5)

20 Jump rope (4)

18 Flying toy (4)

21 Serpent (3)

20 Undermine (3)

23 Colour (4)

22 Mineral spring (3)

24 Sly look (4) 25 Wicked (3)

November 3

Wow. At 19, I never thought of cleaning my room let alone cleaning the ocean. Truly a great idea.

Ahnaf Saber 7,250,000 tonnes of plastic from the oceans in just five years? Sounds fishy.

Zebrul Hossain

November 1

Kamran I have few things to clarify, sir, regarding your options.

One: You speak of leadership. By the time it was revealed who the leaders were, 2 to 3 days had already passed, didn’t it? And it must have been midnight at the time?

Two: Second, attacking from five to six directions literally means engaging in a full-scale battle, means making a front, and that inside the capital!

Three: The wall of Pilkhana doesn’t provide much protection, because you can easily scale it using a small ladder.

Four: My family evacuated from Dhanmondi Road 11, but they needed some time to do that. Also, at least half the families in our apartment building didn’t move from home. And think about the area surrounding Pilkhana. How many hours do you think would have been needed to evacuate the people?

Five: There were no confirmations; we were getting news of different BDR units engaging in mutiny elsewhere and almost everywhere. You can check the papers of those days if required.

Waliul Haque Khondker Let’s see what another Brigadier General had to say about Feb 27, within 48 hours of the mayhem: “It is not quite the spontaneous outburst of resentment at not being heard by the DG. In the 35 years of my service in the army, a great portion of which was spent in the company of troops and in operation under very trying conditions I have

Reforming our political culture November 3

We should levy the politicians whose party cadres burn and destroy public and private property!!

Syed Hashemi

never heard of or encountered a situation where grievances manifested in the form of violence that we are getting to hear about. No level of grievance can justify the mayhem.

The situation has been tackled in a very pragmatic manner by the government. The government troops were on a very sticky wicket tactically, given the location of the BDR HQ and the other installments inside it, and the heavy conurbations all around it.

It was an extremely judicious approach to adopt the path of least resistance. Knowing when to withhold from precipitate use of force that might risk civilian lives is the hallmark of good planning.

But the fact remains that we have a rebellion on our hands. And a large number of officers have been killed.

I would suggest that there is much more than what is made out by the rebel troops justifying their action. No sane persons can indulge in random killings just because their officers refused to hear their grievances.”

This was said by Brig Gen (retd) Shahedul Anam Khan.

Besides this, commando attacks are normally conducted during the hours past midnight. In this case, the damage had already been done by that time! BDR had an APC, artillery, machine guns and a fortified location. By doing what the author suggests, we could have seen casualties running in to hundreds, if not thousands! With none saved from amongst whom we had sadly lost.

History repeats itself November 2

Beautifully written with lots of valuable information to back up the statement. Kudos to the writer.

Almeer

Tigers whitewash Kiwis once again November 3

New Zealand, please do visit us for another Bangla-wash after two years. Good for you, good for us.

What can I say Tigers: If you run as a political party in this country, I am sure everyone will vote for you. You are Bangladesh, you are us. You are the future. You are what we want to become, setting aside our petty issues. Salute to the Tigers.

Mohammad Zahinul Islam

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CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS

19-year-old develops plan to clean up ocean in 5 years

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Friday, November 8, 2013

The new war to be free n Zia Hassan

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Cutting the baby in half

W n Zafar Sobhan

e all know the story of the Judgement of Solomon. Two young women come to King Solomon of Israel (or the Prophet Sulaiman, as he is known in the Quran), each claiming to be the mother of a baby boy. After hearing their competing claims, Solomon calls for his sword and decrees that the only fair solution is to cut the baby in half, with each woman receiving half the baby.

No sooner does he issue his decree then the presumed true mother withdraws her claim, begging him to spare the child and give him to the other woman, preferring that the child live, even if it means that he will no longer be hers, whereas the presumed false mother responds by telling him to go ahead and cut the baby in half, as he has proposed.

In this way, Solomon deduces who the true mother is, the presumption being that the true mother would rather see the baby live than be cut in half, even if it means giving him up, while the one who is willing to see the baby cut in half rather than relinquish her claim could not possibly be his true mother.

Yes, yes, very clever, very wise, so stipulated. But hold on a minute. How would he have figured it out if both of the mothers had folded their arms across their chests and said: Fine, go ahead. He wouldn’t have looked too wise then, would he? Of course, he might have then come to the deter-

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mination that whichever one of the women might be the true mother, that neither deserved the child, and he might not have been far wrong.

You see, there is a second point to the story, that has nothing to do with the great king and prophet and his wisdom and sagacity. The point has to do with how we determine devotion and whether someone is really looking out for someone else, or is just motivated by their own selfish self-interest.

When in opposition, both the AL and the BNP have devoted themselves single-mindedly to violent confrontation and non-cooperation to make the country so ungovernable that the ruling party will be chased from office in failure and disgrace at the end of its term.

They have so far succeeded every time, as it happens, but at the cost of the nation, which has had to suffer the hartals and killings and the economic

The party which backs down and gives in on the caretaker government issue rather than put the country through any more of the devastation it has suffered is the one that will have my respect

His solution would not have worked had both the women agreed to cut the baby in half. The underlying premise to the whole story is that if you really have something or someone’s best interests at heart then you would rather give up your claim to that person or thing, even if it is rightfully yours, than to see it destroyed.

Well.

By this token, it seems clear that neither the prime minister nor the leader of the opposition can be said to have shown much evidence of caring overly for the nation they have ruled in turn for over two decades and its long-suffering inhabitants. The past two decades of political warfare demonstrate pretty unequivocally the point that both of them would rather destroy this country than let the other have it.

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and sociologic consequences of these scorched earth tactics.

This kind of maneuver is not unique to Bangladesh, by any means (see, e.g., Republican Party, United States). But nowhere in the world has this kind of oppositional strategy taken such an extreme form as it has in Bangladesh, and it seems axiomatic that any party (here or elsewhere) that employs these tactics cannot credibly claim to be acting in the national interest.

Both sides would argue that they are motivated by love for their country and the bottomless iniquity of the other side, that to allow the other side to either continue to rule or come to power would be a greater disaster than any that they are visiting on the country at present, and that it is only

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to save the country from the horrors of AL or BNP (please choose one, as appropriate), that they are forcing such suffering on us. And it is all the other side’s fault, anyway.

It’s a vaguely plausible argument, but if you fall for that one, I’ve got a bridge over the Padma River I’d like to sell you. Simply put, the current crisis is occasioned not by a difference of opinion over who will govern us come next year, but on the rules for how to conduct the upcoming elections to decide who will govern us.

AL could conceivably win an election under a caretaker government and BNP could conceivably win one without one.

But this is a proposition neither side is willing to take any kind of chance on, and the death, destruction, mayhem, and misery they are more than happy to rain down on all of our heads, instead of giving way on this one point, tells us everything we need to know about whose best interests they have at heart (hint: not ours).

The party which backs down and gives in on the caretaker government issue rather than put the country through any more of the devastation it has suffered is the one that will have my respect, as it would have demonstrated that it has at least a modicum of respect for the national interest.

But as of right now, both sides are saying: Go ahead and cut the baby in half. The people of Bangladesh can draw their own conclusions. Solomon had it easy. l Zafar Sobhan is the editor, Dhaka Tribune.

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f you are living in Bangladesh and if you are not on Facebook, you probably have not heard about Wahiduzzaman Apollo. He is an unashamedly nationalist activist, aligned with BNP. What is different about him is that he is part of the new generation of activists who protect their party dogma through an exercise of intellect.

He is one of those who do not seek financial dividends in return for their activism. Wahiduzzaman Apollo is not a single person.

A new Bangladesh is emerging in the online space where constantly, ideas are expressed, debated and challenged. For one Wahiduzzaman Apollo in support of the nationalist movement and BNP, there is another Doctor Aiju or Omi Pial in favour of Awami League and the Bengali nationalist movement, whose name you may not have heard either.

There are others, Baki Billah and Parvej Alam, who challenge the narratives of both Awami League and BNP, it is unlikely that you have heard their names either.

The mentioned few are all part of a new generation of online warriors who are trying to portray a new Bangladesh, that is, trying to break out of the shackles of the old, protected intellectual establishment, which is now settled in its comfort zone and is unable to add value to the dynamic narrative of the new Bangladesh that is emerging.

This is a genuine fight of the generation. A new war to be free, definitely not comparable with the liberation war that was fought in 1971 when 3 million lives were lost, but a fresh one to create a new, emancipated, open, and enlightened Bangladesh.

The new generation of online warriors operates in the space of Facebook, blogs and other online media.

They have their own followers in tens and thousands, who subscribe to their views. They are constantly debating each other with their status updates and each of their words is tested in a space by their followers and opposition as the media allows each person to freely express their minds.

So, none can get away with an outright lie as each word is validated by a huge group of people, who enjoy an absolute freedom of speech in this new medium.

In a country where all the traditional media has been captured by political elites and their business allies, people are fed with news and debate which eventually protects the standing of the establishment only.

So, Facebook, blogs and online spaces where the small debates take place are the only free space left for people to express their mind. The freedom to write anything is the central tenet that fuels these debates and allows new ideas to flourish.

This freedom is now allowing a new narrative of a Bangladesh which is showing the way forward or building up a space which will show the way forward for the country.

The importance of these small debates cannot be undermined. The Shahbagh movement, which has

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fundamentally changed the country for better or worse, is a result of these debates on online space. Wahiduzzaman Apollo is one of the catalysts of this new wave.

The government and the current political establishment are aware of this impact. The latest ICT law which has provisions of seven years jail term without any bail was one of the tools that was thought out by the political establishment to control this space and curtail the freedom that is enjoyed by these new generation activists.

AKM Wahiduzzaman Apollo is the first victim of this law. A case was filed against him a few weeks back and later he was been put behind bars for his opinions. Wahiduzzaman Apollo is an imperfect man, he is also guilty of selective judgment. But, he has done nothing wrong other than to speak his mind. He has neither preached religious hatred nor did anything other than saying what is being said by most people: the corruption and the ill-doings of the government, and the evil nature of the leadership.

This makes AKM Wahiduzzaman one of the first victims of the new war to liberate Bangladesh. A war that is being fought to free Bangladesh from the old establishment It is clear that the establishment which is now headed by the Awami League, wants to give a signal to the online community to curtail their thoughts and limit their speech and bully them to stop criticising the government.

The case filed against Wahiduzzaman Apollo is designed to silence him and other vocal activists. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that, when this establishment changes its leader and BNP comes to power, similar silencing will be carried out, as before.

This makes AKM Wahiduzzaman one of the first victims of the new war to liberate Bangladesh. A war that is being fought to free Bangladesh from the old establishment which has captured all the power, assets, space and voice and the established narrative which does not state the real voices of people.

This is a fight between evil and the good, the establishment and nothaves, the new and old, the real and fake. This is the second liberation war that Bangladesh awaits, to free its people from the evil establishment that now controls everything. The arrest of Wahiduzzaman Apollo must be unequivocally condemned.

The old establishment is not aware that their days are numbered. They are not aware that an arrest of one Wahiduzzaman will give rise to 160 million Wahiduzzamans and the government cannot put them all behind bars. There are not enough seats in the jails of Bangladesh to arrest them all.

Wahiduzzaman Apollo must be freed immediately with an apology, or else this will snowball into something that the establishment will be totally unable to control. l Zia Hassan is a blogger. This article was originally published in AlalODulal.org.

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Ethics of being unethical n Ekram Kabir

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ears ago, I was asked to answer a question during an extensive journalism training course organised by Reuters-Thomson Foundation. The trainer who asked the question was a famous editor from one of the African newspapers. The question was quite complicated, at least for us who did journalism in this country.

He asked: “You’re a photojournalist.

On your way to the office, you’re in the middle of an incident. A man is about to stab another man. What would you do? Would you take the photo first, or would you try saving the man from getting stabbed?”

they would take the photo first. The trainer was quite amused, but he said: “No, as a journalist, your first duty is to take the photo. You’re not the saviour. Saving a person in distress is somebody else’s duty.”

His teaching kept me thinking on the issue for all these years. As a journalist, I agreed with his professional approach, but never could accept it.

However, in my professional assignments, I tried to apply what he taught us. It always kept me wondering whether I was following proper ethics while performing my official duties.

Many years have passed since then.

Our media grew with many ups and downs. Some actions by my colleagues

Should we have given Reshma some time before asking any questions, to get over the shock she was in? Or was it only normal for us to rush to her and ask about her mental state

The participants got divided while answering the question. Most of us said we would save the person from getting wounded. A few said

in different media houses always reminded me of what my trainer said in the mid-’90s.

We’ve seen our mates weeping

while live on TV. We’ve seen some of them literally quarrelling with the police, also live on TV. We’ve seen reporters asking the right questions in the wrong time. We’ve seen reporters risking their lives during the Pilkhana carnage. And we’ve witnessed a reporter doing live from inside a grave dug for Rana Plaza victims. The list would be quite long.

To my mind, the reporter who was doing live standing inside a grave at Azimpur certainly wanted to do something different than the others.

After all, it’s the visual media and the audience always loves to see some sort of variation on the screen.

Sometimes, we try to draw the audience’s attention by presenting attention-grabbing tricks, which sometimes may be tantamount to gimmicks. We seem to consider the tricks as “exclusives”. However, how acceptable would that be in the minds of the audience hardly crosses our minds. We seem to take the audience for granted.

Let’s look at another example.

When Reshma was coming out from the rubbles of Rana Plaza, we kept her asking: “How are you feeling?” Now, as a journalist, we’ll all obviously try to

talk to her first and broadcast what she says, as an exclusive, before others do.

But the way we did seemed out of the way to a great extent.

Should we have given Reshma some time before asking any questions, to get over the shock she was in? Or was it only normal for us to rush to her and ask about her mental state at that time? These questions need answers as far as our ethical knowledge is concerned.

A similar incident happened when we were asking questions to the suicide bombers at the hospital after the country-wide bomb exposition in 2005. The persons, totally bandaged, were wrenching in pain and we were asking them about how they did it.

The latest such incident was noticed when a photograph of a reporter, with a boom in hand, asking questions to a wounded man lying on the ground, was published on Facebook.

The man was carrying a bag-full of hand bombs which exploded and wounded the carrier.

Certainly, the journalists would have a flurry of questions for him.

There’s a lot to know from him about the incident. However, was it a good time to ask all these questions?

Perhaps not. By any indicator, asking questions at that time, when he was bleeding with wounds all over his body, was certainly less than expected.

We could always remain journalistically ethical in a competitive backdrop if we simply had regular training along with editorial guidelines

Arguably, these incidents take place in Bangladesh sometimes as a matter-offact and sometimes as a reality. We just can’t stay away from the opportunity of delivering an “exclusive”.

But in the process, our journalism gets a bad name. We believe this could change. We could always remain journalistically ethical in a competitive backdrop if we simply had regular training along with editorial guidelines for each media organisation. I repeat, the need for editorial guidelines of us has now become mandatory. l Ekram Kabir is executive editor of Natunbarta.com.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Dhaka Comicon 2013 Bigger and Better starts today n Entertainment Desk

A two-day mega event for comic lovers, Dhaka Comicon 2013 Bigger and Better, will begin today at Jamuna Future Park

(Level 5) D Zone. The programme was earlier set to be held last month, but due to political unrest it has been rescheduled.

The event will continue from 11am

to 8pm on November 8 and 9. The single-day pass is priced Tk 150 and special two-day pass is Tk 200 per head.

Passes will be available for purchase at the venue and will also be available for pre purchase online (www.boxoffice.com.bd). The programme features showcasing of comic books, science fiction, fantasy, films, toys, collectible card games, video games and related popular arts. A special musical performance by Nemesis will be an added attraction on the first day.

The occasion calls onto the comic lovers and diehard fans of the entertainment industry to dress up as their favourite character, be it from comics, film, TV, anime, or video games. The main aim of the convention is for people to enjoy and see fans dress up as their loved characters to bring them to life.

Also, winners of several competitions organised by the host will be announced and the prize giving ceremony will also take place.

Comicon was founded at the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970 by a group of San Diegans. The event is commonly known as Comic-Con. In Dhaka, Comicon was first introduced

by Saadi Rahman and Syed Abu Yousuf in December 2012. l

Dugdugi provides legal site for music streaming and downloading n Entertainment Desk Dugdugi, an online music streaming and legal music downloading site in Bangladesh, will be launched today through a formal ceremony at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dhanmondi.

The programme, presenting a concert featuring an array of popular bands, will begin at 3pm. Dhaka Tribune is the print partner of the event.

According to the organisers, the site is distributed via the website www. dugdugi.com.bd. The music can be streamed, provided the consumer has adequate internet connectivity, for free. However, the quality of the stream is below CD-standard and onpar with FM radio. The music lovers can also purchase individual songs or whole albums and download the items into their personal device in very high quality. The prices of the items are clearly specified in the website’s user-interface.

On today’s programme, bands such as Arbovirus, Karnival, Crematic X, Minerva, Poraho, The Manager, Zagforth, Crusader and Downfall Extinction will perform. Entry is free for all. l

ON TV MOVIE 4pm Zee Cinema Khal Nayak

8pm Zee Studio The Romantics

DRAMA 4pm Colors Sanskaar

8:30pm Zee Tv Jodha Akbar

COMEDY

MISC

11:30pm FX

12:00pm AXN

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Bloopers

11:00pm Comedy Central

11:00pm Fox Traveller

Citizen Khan

Eat Street

Friday, November 8, 2013

Iffat Ara Dewan to perform today

n Entertainment Desk Music lovers are in for a treat, as a musical concert of seasoned singer Iffat Ara Dewan will be held today at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre located at Gulshan. The show is organised by IGCC in association with Asian Paints, IRCON and Marico Bangladesh. The curtain will rise at 6:30pm and entry is free for all.

Dewan received her early training in music through a 5-year music course at Chhayanaut in Dhaka under noted Tagore exponents Waheedul Haque and Sanjida Khatun. Subsequently, she specialised in Rabindra Sangeet and old Bangla songs of the 1920s such as songs

of Angurbala, Indubala, Nidhu Babu and many others. She is presently a member of the executive committee of Chhayanaut and has performed extensively both in Bangladesh and abroad.

She has performed in Kolkata, Shantiniketan, Delhi, Mumbai in India, and also in the USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium.

She has been a regular performer for Bangladesh TV and Radio since 1968.

She was conferred the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Award in 2007. She has also released several popular music albums over the last decades that have mesmerized the music connoisseurs worldwide. l

Bhoirob goes to television n Entertainment Desk

From left, Syed Shamsul Haq, Kazi Shahid Ahmed and Faridur Reza Sagar

Channel i is going to produce a TV soap on Kazi Shahid Ahmed’s landmark novel Bhoirob soon. A programme announcing the new venture of the channel and also celebrating the 74th birth anniversary of the veteran writer, also the chairman of Gemcon Group, was held yesterday on the premises of Channel i.

Famed writer Syed Shamsul Haq and Channel i Managing Director Faridur Reza Sagar were also present at the

programme among other distinguished guests.

Bhoirob, set on the backdrop of the Liberation War in 1971, is Ahmed’s first novel and is published by Agami Prakashani.

The novel is a symbolic presentation of the emergence of Bangladesh and the main character Bhoirob is vocal against the Brtish and Pakistani rule.

The protagonist, with his lover Shiuly, challenges the fundamentalist Muslims surrounding him which is a highlighting point of the novel. l

Baul Festival ends with hope n Afrose Jahan Chaity A two-day Baul Festival and seminar, organised by Baul Tori – a folk cultural organisation, ended at the music and dance auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on November 6.

The two-day festival began at 4pm on November 5 with a view to highlight the philosophies of mystic bard Lalon. It started with a discussion focused on the present state of Baul songs across the country and the need to preserve them.

Sheikh Mofizur Rahman, founder of Baul Tori, presided over the first day’s

discussion on the topic while Secretary of Planning Bhuinya Safiqul Islam was chief guest. Director of BSA, Liaqat Ali Lucky, Abdul Matin Pradhan, folk researcher Akira Munakata, ATM Momtajul Karim and Shahjahan Bhandari were present as special guests.

The main attraction of the festival was the second session which featured renditions of Baul songs. Singers from all over the country performed till 9pm.

The first part of the evening featured songs by the local bards and others sang Lalon songs. In total more than 20 bards performed in the first day.

On the second day, another discussion was held at the venue. The discussion centred on Lalon’s life and works.

Bards from different districts and Dhaka rendered songs in the evening.

Shahnaz Mukti mesmerised the audience with three songs – “Radhelo Tor Bhalobasha,” “Bichar Korle Shobai Pagol” and “Emon Manob Jonom Ar Hobe Na.” “Loke Bole Ami Naki Ghor Chhara”

by Alam Sarker, “Ami To More Jabo”

by Osman Udas, “Bhul Kori Nai” by Jamal Dewan, “Badhia Mayadore” by Sultan Dewan, “Raat Pohale Pakhi Bole

Dere Khai Dere Khai” by Baul Alamgir Sarker played to a full house at the festival. The festival was directed by Naima Hossain Pori and S M Mosharraf Hossain.

Thirteen bards were awarded at the closing ceremony of the festival – Momotaz Begum MP, Romjan Ali, Abdul Kadir Molla, Matal Kobi Razzak Dewan, Abdus Sattar Mohonto, Baul pagla Bachchu, AKM Enayat Kabir, Jahanara Kabir Shila, Shah Alam Sarker, Mohammad Fakhrul Alam, Fakhruddin Ahmed, Shamim Ahmed and Abdul Hafiz. l

From top, Ayna Kahini featuring Samrat and Keya in lead roles and Bhalobasha Zindabad starring Arifin Shubho and Airin will hit cinemas all around the country today

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Kinetic Photography Exhibition Gazi Nafis Ahmed Time: 10am – 8pm EMK Center, H-5, Road- 27(old) Dhanmondi When Silence Eats Sound Group Exhibition Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge 60 Gulshan Avenue

Theatre

Pejgi Shattik Natya Sampradaya Time: 7pm Main hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

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 Baul singers’ performances enchant a huge audience on November 6 at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

SADIA MARIUM

Marvel reveals Muslim superhero n Entertainment Desk Marvel announced that it is introducing a new Muslim superheroine, a revamped Ms Marvel, whose secret identity is that of a Pakistani-American teenager from Jersey City.

Sixteen-year-old Kamala Khan is the brainchild of writer G Willow Wilson, an Islamic convert herself, and Muslim editor Sana Amanat in an effort to reach out to segments of the comic book reading public that haven’t had their own heroes.

“At her core, Kamala is just a 16-yearold girl, exploring the many facets of her identity when she is suddenly bestowed with super-human powers that send her on the adventure of a lifetime,” Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso said in a release.

Khan will debut in January’s AllNew Marvel NOW! Point One Comic Book before kicking off her own Ms Marvel series a month later. The creators promised the title would focus as much on her interaction with her more traditional parents as it would with battles with super villains.l

Sport

Did you know?

Lionel Messi scored 5+ goals in 7 successive Champions League seasons, no other player has done it more than five

Friday, November 8, 2013

14 Barca, Atletico reach Champions League last 16

14 Ramsey the hero of the hour, and season, for Arsenal

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Rohit’s debut century rescues India after top-order collapse

World T20 tickets

n Raihan Mahmood International Cricket Council deferred the date of ICC World T20 tickets going on sale by one week yesterday.

Tickets for games will now go on sale from November 17, instead of November 10 as had been announced earlier. The process has been delayed by a week to further analyse and streamline the technicalities in order to ensure greater convenience and access to tickets for local and overseas fans.

From 10:00am November 17, tickets will be available via the ICC website and at nearly 100 official ticket sales counters/booths located in MoneyGram outlets in designated branches of National Credit & Commerce and Agrani banks situated across Bangladesh.

The ICC and the BCB have appointed “Book my Show” to manage the ticket selling process. The sales policy will ensure equal access to tickets for local and overseas fans. l

DPL POINTS TABLE Teams

M W L N/R Pts

Gazi Tank

9 6 3

0

12 +0.319

RR

Prime DSC

9 6 3

0

12 +0.014

Mohammedan 9 6 3

0

12 -0.490

Kalabagan CA

9 5 3

1

11 -0.407

Prime Bank

9 5 4

0

10 +0.681

Sheikh Jamal

9 5 4

0

10 +0.641

Brothers

9 4 4

1

9

Victoria SC

9 4 4

1

9 +0.358

Abahani Ltd

9 3 6

0

6

+0.521 -0.321

Kalabagan KC

8 2 5

1

5 +0.080

Khelaghar

9 1 8

0

2

-1.226

Prime Bank opener Saikat Ali hits one through mid-wicket during their Dhaka Premier League match against Victoria Sporting Club at SBNS yesterday

COURTESY

Bashar reflects on Race to super league heats up n New Zealand tour Minhaz Uddin Khan

n Minhaz Uddin Khan The last month has been a rollercoaster ride for Bangladesh cricket and its fans as the Tigers clashed with the touring New Zealand side in two Tests, three ODIs and one T20 match. Overall, the results – a 0-0 draw in the Tests, a 3-0 win in the ODIs and a 0-1 loss in the T20 – make this one of Bangladesh’s most successful series’ ever.

The series began with two Test matches – a format of the game that has been the source of many a headache for the Tigers over the years. This time however, the Tigers stepped up much and held their own against a side considered to be superior.

In the first match in Chittagong, the wicket was flat and allowed batsmen to prosper freely. Nonetheless, after New Zealand put up a large total in the matches’ first innings, it would not have surprised long-term Tigers fans to have seen their team capitulate under pressure.

Instead, they stood up and held the fort. Opener Tamim Iqbal, known for his hard-hitting style, adapted to the needs of the game to play a patient innings, while Mominul Haque mixed aggression with solidity to make the match safe. Lower order batsman Sohag Gazi added his maiden hundred and later, took six wickets in the Kiwis second innings – including a hat-trick.

Bangladesh held firm in Dhaka too, but the weather effectively ruined any chance of a positive result there. National selection panel member Habibul Bashar blamed the pitches for the dryness of the Test series.

“The ball hardly turned on those wickets. Spin is our attack and strength, but they were left without any help out there to be honest. Shakib (al Hasan) had just came in after a long break without any practice and (Abdur) Razzak looked unfortunate and the fast bowlers were also helpless. Even though the series ended in a draw, I think we dominated both games and managed to bounce back under pressure,” said Bashar.

The scene then shifted to the ODIs

and Bangladesh completed their second successive whitewash of the Kiwis.

The highlight of the series was the final match in Fatullah where Bangladesh – sans Shakib, who missed the whole series, and Tamim, who was injured – chased down over 300 to complete the “Banglawash”. The big lesson was that Bangladesh had moved beyond depending on their established stars, and the youngsters were capable of stepping up when the chips were down.

“This helped us to be responsible to some extent. It was a blow for the team not having their key members but I will say that the situation taught many to be responsible. In all the three games, we saw individuals doing their job and helping the team out, this is really pleasing,” said Bashar.

The last international of the tour however, a T20 match, went New Zealand’s way and was Bangladesh’s seventh loss in their last eight matches in that format. With the World T20 just four months away, questions are being asked of the team’s temperament and their ability to grasp the nuances of T20 cricket.

The bowlers bled runs and several batsmen recklessly threw their wickets away in the face of a 205 run target.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim admitted after the game that his side did not fully understand T20 cricket.

“Not playing much of T20 is the reason,” said Bashar. “It is not that the other teams are playing many but they still get to play enough of T20s in domestic cricket and other places, but we have only Tamim and Shakib playing around the world, while the others wait for the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League).”

Nonetheless, Bashar praised the way the Tigers fearlessly chased the mammoth total and fell just 15 runs short. “Losing too many wickets cost us the game but we chased very well.

The game will help to plan for the World Cup ahead of us so cannot term the game a loss right away. We have two T20s with Sri Lanka, the board plans to have some kind of T20 tournament, if not BPL, so yes we are working on it and trying to progress.” l

Riding on Abdul Mazid’s maiden List ‘A’ ton Kalabagan Cricket Academy bagged their fifth win of the Dhaka Premier League season against Gazi Tank yesterday. In the other games of the day, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club humbled Khelaghar SKS, Abahani Limited defeated Brothers Union and Prime Bank CC beat Victoria SC. The race to the super league is now an open ground as eight teams will be fighting for the top six spots in the last round matches beginning from today with Mohammedan SC will face Kalabagan KC in the only match of the day at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Kalabagan CA v Gazi Tank

Chasing a target of 205, Mazid and Avishek Mitra (21) gave Kalabagan a 57run start with Mazid being the dominant partner. The loss of wicket eventually resulted in just a consolation for Gazi cricketers as Mazid and Zimbabwean Hamilton Masakadza shared an unbroken 150-run second wicket stand to take their side to 207-1.

Right-handed Mazid’s 136-ball knock contained 12 boundaries and two over boundaries while Masakadza, who made 77 off 70 balls, struck with five fours and three big sixes.

Earlier, title contenders Gazi Tank were all out for 204 runs with skipper Imrul Kayes scoring 83 off 98 balls. Aftab Ahmed and Hamidul Islam posted 22 each. Maksudul Hasan, Avishek and Zakaria Masud took two wickets each for Kalabagan.

Abdul Mazid 102 off 136 balls Abahani made 227 with majority of the runs coming from Greg Smith’s bat who scored 62 off 106 balls. Shahriar Nafees made 43 while coming in at numner eight Alauddin Babu smashed 44 off just 23 deliveries. Sohrawardi Shuvo took four wickets to lead the charts for Brothers.

Later, Brothers Union were bowled out for 200 runs with Jashimuddin scoring the highest 33 runs.

Prime Bank Cricket Club defeated Victoria Sporting Club by seven wickets.

Batting first, defending champions Victoria were bowled out for 134 runs in the 41st over. Left-arm spin duo Liam Dawson and Enamul Haque Jnr took three wickets each while Ravi Bopara claimed two for Prime Bank. In reply, opening batsman Saikat Ali’s unbeaten 81 aided Prime Bank cruise to the shore in 26 overs. Saikat hammered eight fours and three sixes in his 69-ball innings.

Sheikh Jamal v Khelaghar SKS

Sheikh Jamal bagged a six-wicket win against Khelaghar at BKSP-2. Batting first, Khelaghar scored 190 with Steven Mullaney making 44 and Michael Vandort adding 40. Elias Sunny starred the Sheikh Jamal attack picking 4 wickets for 22 while Nahidul Islam and Angelo Perera claimed two wickets each.

Later, Sri Lankan hard-hitting batsman Dilshan Munaweera blasted 88 off 81 balls, with five fours and five sixes, to steer Jamal to the victory in the 36th over. l

Abdul Mazid hammered an unbeaten 102 as Kalabagan cruised to a nine-wicket victory at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium. The win helped them move to fourth position with 11 points.

Abahani v Brothers Union

Walton golf starts today

SC Feni completes registration Corporate T20

n Raihan Mahmood

The Walton Golf will begin today at the picturesque Savar Golf Club (SGC) today, with 70 professional and 300 amateurs participating.

The pro circuit will be played on the full course of 18 holes, while the amateur circuit will see 9 holes. There will be four categories in the amateur circuit. “We are trying to develop the standards involving as much as possible regarding the local players. We believe the tournament will be benefit them,” said SGC official Major Taufique.

Major Ahmed, the club secretary, thanked Walton for sponsoring the event to the amount of Tk1.5m.

F.M. Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional secretary of Walton, hoped for a successful meet. “This is our first golf sponsorship and we look forward to be involved with golf, which we think has potential to grow in Bangladesh,” said Dawn. l

Left-arm spinner Shamsul Alam’s fivewicket haul aided Abahani to a safer place in the league as they handed Brothers a 27-run defeat at BKSP-3.

n Shishir Hoque With a mixture of youth and experience, Soccer Club Feni pledged to offer better football in the upcoming season of Bangladesh Premier League as the Feni outfits completed their players’ registration at the BFF House yesterday.

The Soccer Club became the second club to complete their registration process after BJMC who got their players registered on October 31. Feni submitted a total of 24 players’ registration forms 23 local and one foreign player, Wassou Okalawom - and six players are under 19 years old.

The Soccer Club also changed their head coach, appointing former Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s Gambian coach Omar K Sisse. Jamal signed Omar for their youth football academy and later appoint the Gambian as interim head coach for the Super Cup last season in the absence of their full time Nigerian coach Joseph Afusi.

Feni, only club based outside Dhaka to play in the premier league last season,

Prime Bank v Victoria

At Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium,

have brought in six under-19 players in their team - Md Rasel Alam, Md Saddam Hossain, Monjur Rahman Manik, Nazmul Islam Rasel, Rubel Molla and Murad Hossain. Only 10 footballers who played for Feni last season have been retained in the 24-man squad.

The new players to join the club are Md Nehal from Sheikh Russell, Syed Rashid Turza from Arambagh, Afzal Hossain Biddyut from Muktijoddha, Ramjan Ali Molla from BJMC, Motiur Rahman from Rahmatganj and Akramuzzaman Liton from Muktijoddha. Md Parvez was recruited from Noakhali league and Fakrul Hasan Kamran from Feni league.

There was no player present at the BFF house yesterday when the club joint secretary Shakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan submitted the registration forms to the BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy. The club representative promised to perform better than last season, where they finished seventh.

“It’s getting tough to find quality players but we tried our best to form a team,” said Shakhawat Hossain. l

starts today n Raihan Mahmood

The MARCEL 3rd T20 Corporate Cricket, featuring 28 corporate houses, starts today in the capital across four different venues.

Nazmul Hasan, Bangladesh Cricket Board president, will inaugurate the meet as chief guest at the Residential Model School and College ground. Dhaka Military Museum, Mohammadpur Eidgah ground and Nobin Shangho Club ground are the other three venues.

The participating teams are Philip Morris, Chevron, Centro Group, Marico Bangladesh, Eastern Bank, Beximco Pharma, Computer Source, DBL Group, Anowara Group, Bangla Cat, Walton, Apollo Hospitals, Dhaka Tribune, Confidence Group, Spotlight, Reliance Insurance, LM Ericsson, Qubee, Multi Securities, Bando Design, RACE Management, ROBI, Energypac, ICDDRB, Square Group, Santos Sangu Field Limited, Green Delta Insurance and IDLC. l

www.partex.net

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Friday, November 8, 2013

Barca, Atletico reach to last

Results

Garcia and Filipe Luis scoring in the first half before Diego Costa - who had earlier had a penalty saved - scored his 16th of the season late on.

“It was a good performance and I am pleased that we are through to the last 16,” said Simeone. “Now we can relax a little more in the two games we have left against two good sides.”

Behind Atletico, Zenit St Petersburg held on to second place by coming from behind to draw 1-1 with 2004 European champions Porto in Russia, Hulk scoring against his former side to cancel out Lucho Gonzalez’s opener.

Hulk was a hero and a villain for Zenit, however, as he saw his second-half penalty saved.

Atletico and Barcelona join Manchester City and defending champions Bayern Munich in qualifying for the last 16 with two group games remaining, but elsewhere Arsenal took a huge step towards the next phase with a fine 1-0 win away to Borussia Dortmund.

The Premier League side gained revenge for a 2-1 defeat when the sides met in London last month, soaking up plenty pressure and snatching a winner when in-form Aaron Ramsey scored his 11th of the season just after the hour mark in Germany.

Arsenal are now level on nine points with Napoli at the top of Group F - with Dortmund three adrift - after the Italians came from behind to beat Marseille 3-2, Gonzalo Higuain scoring twice.

In Group E, Chelsea moved three points clear thanks to a 3-0 win over Schalke at Stamford Bridge, Samuel Eto’o bagging a brace before Demba Ba put the seal on the victory.

Schalke remain in second spot after Basel were held by Steaua Bucharest, but Chelsea are well placed now to win the group. l

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was evasive when asked why attacking midfielder Eden Hazard had been omitted from his squad for the 3-0 win over Schalke in the Champions League.

The 22-year-old Belgium international has found form in recent weeks, but he watched from the stands at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as Chelsea closed to within a point of the last 16.

Mourinho revealed prior to kick-off that Hazard had “missed a crucial training session”, but he replied enigmatically when pressed to explain what had happened in his post-match press conference.

Hazard was in France to watch former club Lille play Monaco on Sunday evening and there are suggestions that he returned late the following day, but Mourinho said he still expected him to feature in Saturday’s Premier League game at home to West Bromwich Albion.

“I don’t want to lie. He’s not injured,”

Mourinho told reporters.

Asked why Hazard had missed training, Mourinho suggested: “He forgot the time?”

He then added: “Let’s end the story.

He’s a kid, kids make mistakes. And fathers have to be clever in the way they educate their sons. He didn’t play. He wanted to play, he’s sad because he didn’t play. We won without him and Saturday he’s back, so no story, or end of story.”

Mourinho also paid tribute to Samuel Eto’o, who scored Chelsea’s first two goals. The Cameroon striker charged down a kick from dawdling Schalke goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand to break the deadlock and added a second before substitute Demba Ba completed the scoring.

The victory, Chelsea’s 100th in UEFA competition, left Mourinho’s side three points clear at the top of Group E and needing just a draw from their penultimate game away to Basel to reach the last 16.

Eto’o has had a slow start to life

Schalke (GER)

Basel (SUI)

1-1

Steaua (ROM)

Napoli (ITA)

3-2

Marseille (FRA)

Dortmund (GER)

0-1

Arsenal (ENG)

At Madrid (ESP)

4-0

Vienna (AUT)

Sio 90+1

Inler 22, Higuain 24, 75

Miranda 11, Raul Garcia 25, Filipe Luis 45, Diego Costa 82

Piovaccari 17 A. Ayew 10, Thauvin 64 Ramsey 62

Zenit (RUS)

1-1

Ajax (NED)

1-0

Celtic (SCO)

Barcelona (ESP)

3-1

AC Milan (ITA)

Hulk 28

Schone 51

Messi 30-P, 83, Busquets 40

Porto (POR)

Lucho Gonzalez 23

Pique 45-o.g.

Ramsey the hero of the hour, and season, for Arsenal n Reuters, London

Arsenal's Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey (R) celebrates scoring the opening goal with midfielder Mesut Ozil during their Uefa Champions League group F match against Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund, western Germany on Wednesday AFP

Mourinho coy over errant ‘son’ Hazard n AFP, London

3-0

Eto’o 31, 54, Ba 83

Arsenal gain Dortmund revenge Austria Vienna, winning 4-0 at the Vin AFP, Paris cente Calderon with Miranda, Raul Spanish duo Barcelona and Atletico Madrid became the latest sides to qualify for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday as Arsenal gained revenge on Borussia Dortmund with a fine win in Germany.

Barcelona made it through to the knockout stage for the 10th consecutive season as they beat AC Milan 3-1 at the Camp Nou in Group H in what was the eighth meeting of the clubs in just over two years.

Lionel Messi - who had been criticised in some quarters for not scoring in three games since the 1-1 draw in Milan last month - scored twice for the Catalans, converting a first-half penalty and then combining with Cesc Fabregas to net a superb goal late on.

In between, Sergio Busquets also scored for the hosts while Gerard Pique turned a Kaka cross into his own net to give Milan hope.

“We knew the Messi thing was just a question of games because he is incomparable and in front of goal he is always in form. We hope he now doesn’t stop scoring,” Busquets told Canal Plus.

“We have achieved our objective.

I think we played very well in the first half, it was just a shame to concede the own goal.”

The result, combined with Ajax’s 1-0 home win against Celtic, means that Barcelona are five points clear at the top of the section and cannot now be denied a place in the top two with two games to come.

Meanwhile, Atletico are through to the knockout stages for the first time since 2008-09 after making it four wins out of four in Group G to guarantee top spot.

Cholo Simeone’s side outclassed

Chelsea (ENG)

at Chelsea since signing from Anzhi Makhachkala, but Mourinho believes he is now finding his feet.

“He was for two years playing without big motivations and when you play without big motivations, you train without big motivations, and you lose condition and you lose sharpness and you lose even appetite,” said the Portuguese.

“So it was not a surprise for me that he arrived here not in the best condition after two years in Anzhi. Now, step by step, he’s going.

“He’s 32, but naturally he’s a fit, slim guy; he’s not a heavy body. He’s intelligent, of course, and I think goals give confidence.”

Eto’o has been presented an opportunity by an adductor muscle injury suffered

by Fernando Torres, but Mourinho said he expected to have the Spaniard available again after the international break.

“We hope that’s he back after the national teams, but of course no chance for this weekend and still a doubt to be back after,” he said.l

During the long hours in the gym as he fought his way back to fitness from a horrific leg injury, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey must have wondered whether he still had a future in football. The February 2010 injury, when he shattered two bones in a tackle by Stoke City’s Ryan Shawcross, was a distant memory on Thursday as England’s media hailed the 22-year-old Welsh international as Arsenal’s Champions League hero.

Inevitably dubbed “Rampant Rambo” by the tabloids, Ramsey celebrated his 11th Arsenal goal in 17 games this season, equalling his entire scoring tally from his previous five seasons with the club.

“Where on earth would Arsenal be without him?” asked the Daily Mirror.

Wednesday’s win extended their unbeaten away record to 15 games and Ramsey, who has been at the club since joining from Cardiff City at the age of 17, was given much of the credit.

“Aaron Ramsey can do no wrong,” said the Guardian. “Everything he touches turns to goals right now.” l

Blatter lends support to Iran Asian Cup bid

Microsoft in talks with Real Madrid to rename stadium n AFP, Madrid n AFP, Tehran Microsoft said Wednesday it was in talks with Real Madrid over naming rights for the Spanish football giant’s legendary Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

“The issue of the stadium has been put to us, as well as other companies.

We are talking,” Maria Garana, the head of Microsoft’s Spanish division, told the Antena 3 television network.

“We have excellent relations with Real Madrid. They are using our technology and that makes us very proud,” she said.

Florentino Perez, chairman of the world’s richest football club, has said he wanted to renovate the 85,000-seat stadium.

The Spanish press has reported that Real Madrid may also be in talks with the Emirates airline and German automaker Audi.l

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given his support to Iran’s bid to host the 2019 Asian Cup during a visit to the country on Wednesday.

The official Iranian news agency Irna reported that Blatter and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain met Iranian president Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, with Rouhani thanking both men “for their support of Iran’s candidature for the 2019 Asian Cup”.

“Football can reinforce relations between nations,” Rouhani added.

Iran won consecutive Asian Cups in 1968, 1972 and 1976, hosting the 1968 and 1976 tournaments.

A total of eight countries submitted bids to host the 2019 finals, with Bahrain, China, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi

Arabia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates joining Iran.

The next tournament in 2015 will be held in Australia, with Iran currently on course to qualify.

Coached by Portuguese former Real Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz, Iran have also qualified for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

Blatter is on a 36-hour “courtesy visit” to Iran and is also due to attend a football and science seminar on Thursday organised by the Iranian Football Federation.

“It is a courtesy visit to the Iranian football federation, after I postponed my visit last year,” Blatter told FIFA official media.

“It is a good time to go. There was a change, I’m honoured to meet President Rouhani to speak with him about the future of the country and the future of football.” l

Lahm unsure of what position to take

Simeone’s Atletico revolution takes Europe by storm

n AFP, Berlin

n AFP, Madrid

Germany captain Philipp Lahm has said that while he enjoys switching between right-back and the defensive midfield position, he wants to settle on one role before the 2014 World Cup. Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has largely used the 29-year-old as a number six, a lone defensive midfielder playing in front of the back four, this season for the Bundesliga champions.

National coach Joachim Loew also carried on the trend by deploying Lahm in that role for last month’s 5-3 World Cup qualifier win against Sweden in Stockholm.

While Lahm has said he has no problem switching, he wants to go into next June’s Brazil World Cup in one position.

“There is an option for Jogi Loew to let me run out as a number six,” Lahm told magazine Sport Bild.

“We will certainly talk about it, but in the tournament, there should be no surprises or spontaneous changes of position.”

Lahm said that players are not always happy “changing from match to match. You have to adapt to a position”, but says he feels comfortable playing in midfield.l

With a 100 percent record in the Champions League and 11 wins from 12 games in La Liga, Atletico Madrid have been one of the revelations of European football this season.

A 4-0 hammering of Austria Vienna on Wednesday meant Atletico joined holders Bayern Munich as the only sides to have won all four of their group games and ensured simple passage into the last-16 on their return to the Champions League for the first time in four years.

Diego Simeone’s men also split traditional powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, a point behind the Catalans and five ahead of their city rivals.

However, the high they are currently riding is no flash in the pan. Since Simeone’s arrival at the club in December 2011, the man who was a star player the last time Atletico won the league back in 1995/96, has completely turned around what was an underachieving sleeping giant.

Whilst world class talents like Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan came and went from the Vicente Calderon, the overall organisation of the club and lack of balance on the field prevented them from ever truly punching their weight over the past decade.

Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar kicks a ball watched by forward Lionel Messi during their Uefa Champions league match against AC Milan at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Wednesday AFP

Simeone’s arrival brought about an instant change in fortunes. In his first six months in charge the team shot up the table to just miss out on Champions League football on the final day of the season and stormed to the Europa League by winning every single game in the knockout stage.

That was followed by more silverware as they hammered Chelsea 4-1 in the European Super Cup thanks to a Radamel Falcao hat-trick and, powered by the Colombian, they started last season in similar fashion winning 11 of their opening 13 games before being defeated, as the always did, to Real in the Madrid derby.

Simeone’s powers of motivation and tactical nous even managed to end that curse though, as Atletico eventually beat Real for the first time in 14 years at the best possible time, in the best possible scenario. A Copa del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabeu, 40,000 Atleti fans there to witness them break down the biggest psychological barrier on enemy territory.

The continued rise of Atletico’s stock this season is arguably Simeone’s greatest achievement as they have taken on the extra rigours of Champions League football and coped with Falcao’s departure to Monaco without any sort of stumble.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Youth hockey tournament starts tomorrow

Quick Bytes

Jamaican national player joins Russell Ricardo Cousins, an attacking midfielder from the Jamaican national team, arrived in Dhaka to play for reigning Bangladesh Premier League champions Sheikh Russell yesterday. Cousin was first selected for Jamaica in 2008 and has gone on to appear seven time for them – his last appearance coming three years ago.

– RM

n Shishir Hoque

Michu out for ‘up to four weeks’ Swansea City forward Michu could be out of action for four weeks after injuring his ankle during the 1-0 defeat by Cardiff City, manager Michael Laudrup revealed on Wednesday. The 27-yearold, Swansea’s top scorer last season in his first campaign at the club, had to be substituted in the 65th minute of Sunday’s loss at Cardiff in the Premier League. He had already been ruled out of Swansea’s Europa League tie with Kuban Krasnodar on Thursday but, speaking ahead of the game in Russia, Laudrup said that the injury was more serious than he had feared. “Michu, our top scorer last season, has been struggling for a few weeks and is not 100 percent and unfortunately he is out again for maybe three to four weeks,” Laudrup told a press conference, in comments reported in the British media.

Laudrup said that Michu, who made his international debut for Spain last month, would use the enforced break to get treatment on some longstanding knee problems. “When I say he has not been at his best, it is because he has been struggling with both his knees for many weeks, but he wanted to play anyway and he is one of our most important players,” said the Dane.

– AFP

Sunderland sink Southampton to reach League Cup quarters

Seb Larsson’s late strike sent struggling Sunderland through to the League Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over fellow Premier League side Southampton on Wednesday. The Sweden international came off the bench to score his first goal of the season and earn his team a home match against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light next month. After a tightly-contested first half the deadlock was broken on 59 minutes when Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley pounced on a spilled save from Kelvin Davis. Jozy Altidore’s initial header was parried by the Southampton keeper but Bardsley applied the finish from close range. As Southampton piled players forward in search of an equaliser, Sunderland, second-bottom in the Premier League, exploited the gaps and Altidore raced through on 86 minutes before squaring to Larsson who made no mistake when firing into the bottom left corner. Maya Yoshida scored a late consolation for Southampton two minutes from time, but Sunderland held on to earn their third consecutive League Cup victory at home.

– Reuters

Score Card West Indies 234 all out Samuels 65, Shami 4/71 India 1st innings Dhawan b Shillingford 23 M Vijay st Ramdin b Shillingford 26 CA Pujara c Ramdin b Cottrell 17 SR Tendulkar lbw b Shillingford 10 V Kohli c Powell b Shillingford 3 RG Sharma not out 127 MS Dhoni c Ramdin b Best 42 R Ashwin not out 92 Extras (b 4, lb 8, w 1, nb 1) 14 Total (6 wickets; 102 overs) 354 Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-57, 3-79, 4-82, 5-83, 6-156 Bowling Best 14-0-53-1, Cottrell 15-3-53-1, Shillingford 41-8-130-4, Permaul 20-1-54-0, Sammy 12-1-52-0 India lead by 120 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

Rohit Sharma of India acknowledges the crowd as he walks back to the pavilion at the end of days play on day two of the first Test match against West Indies at The Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata yesterday

Rohit’s debut century rescues India after top-order collapse n Agencies Rohit Sharma stamped his class by hitting a sparkling century on debut as India recovered from a top-order collapse to take a firm grip of the first Test against the West Indies with a 120-run first-innings lead in Kolkata on Thursday.

Sharma stole the thunder with his unbeaten 127 as the hosts, who were precariously placed at 83 for five at one stage, reached a comfortable 354 for six at close on an eventful second day’s play.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the other batting hero of the day as he remained unbeaten on 92 as he combined with Sharma to pull India out of trouble.

Sharma became the 14th Indian to score a century on debut.

With retiring legend Sachin Tendulkar being given out in a contentious manner in his penultimate match, the in-form Sharma along with Ashwin added 198 runs for the seventh wicket to almost bat the visiting side out of the match on a tricky Eden Gardens strip.

Handed the Test cap by Tendulkar after his Man-of-the Series performance in the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia, Sharma struck 16 fours and one six while facing 228 balls.

The 26-year-old Mumbai right-hander was playing in his maiden Test seven years and nine months after playing his first ODI. Ashwin played the perfect foil as the offspinner made invaluable runs in their match-turning partnership that helped India get past the West Indies first innings score of 234.

On a pitch that has started to crumble, the match is tilted in favour of India, who will be looking to seal the issue without needing to play on the final day.

For the elegant Mumbai batsman, who was assured of a Test debut on the morning of February 6, 2010 against South Africa before a freak collision with Wriddhiman Saha dashed his hopes, it was perseverance that paid off.

Having come after the unlucky dismissal of Tendulkar, Sharma showed

Nadal digs deep to seal No.1 ranking The year dawned with a cloud hanging over Rafael Nadal’s career but will end with him on top of the world after a win over Stanislas Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Finals on Wednesday that illustrated why he is in the pantheon of tennis greats. He has certainly played better during a sensational season that began in February after a seven-month injury layoff, but the way he soaked up everything the Swiss could muster to complete a 7-6(5) 7-6(6) victory on Wednesday underlined Nadal’s almost fanatical refusal to be beaten. Wawrinka walked off the cavernous showcourt wondering how he is yet to take a set off Nadal in 12 meetings, but it would be a harsh judge who criticised the world No.8 for failing to convert the fleeting chance that came and went in the second-set tiebreak. He was within a whisker of taking a high-calibre opener too, but Nadal, as he has in winning 74 matches in a spectacular season of almost total dominance on all surfaces, proved armour-plated in defence and ruthless when invited to attack. Nadal arrived in London for the glitzy seasonender needing two wins to fend off Novak Djokovic in his bid to end a year as world No.1 for the third time in his career.

– Reuters

Day’s Watch Star Sports 1 3:30AM India v West Indies 2013 1st Test, Day 3 Star Sports HD 2 1:00AM La Liga 2013/14 Osasuna v Almeria

15

Friday, November 8, 2013

Bogey-less Siddikur shares lead at Hero Indian Open n Asian Tour Bangladesh Golfer Siddikur Rahman fired a flawless six-under-par 66 to share the opening round lead at the Hero Indian Open on Thursday after adopting a more attacking style of play.

Rahil Gangjee of India saved par on the last and was among the leaders which included Mardan Mamat of Singapore, winner of the 2004 Indian Open, Asian Tour rookie Carlos Pigem of Spain and Thai duo Pariya Junhasavasdikul and Chapchai Nirat.

Siddikur traded his conservative approach with a more attacking flair after playing and learning from Major champions Keegan Bradley and Bubba Watson at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia a fortnight ago.

“They played very aggressively. Most players can hit the ball but not all of

them can play like them. Since then, I’ve been trying to play more aggressively and the results seem to be showing,” said Siddikur.

A victory this week for the slightly built Bangladeshi will sweeten his impressive track record at the Delhi Golf Club where he has six top-10 results including two runner-up finishes since 2011.

“I have good memories on this golf course. This is one of my favourite golf courses and I always love playing here.

I like golf courses where you need to place your ball and I always do well here.

I hope to keep it up,” Siddikur added.

Meanwhile, Shankar Das of India placed seventh on 67 while Jay Bayron of the Philippines, Shamim Khan and Unho Park of Australia were a further shot back in tied eighth at the US$1.25 million Asian Tour event staged at the Delhi Golf Club. l

The Agrani Bank 24th National Youth Hockey Tournament 2013 will get underway with as last year’s runners-up Rajshahi district meet Natore in Rangpur tomorrow.

The matches in Dhaka will be held on November 14. A total of 21 teams, split into seven groups, are taking part in the tournament. The top finishers from each group will qualify for the final round, which will be held in Dhaka although schedule for the final round has yet to be finalized.

Nine teams are playing in the Rangpur venue splitting across three groups where the matches and the matches from that are will finish on November 11.

In addition to the Rajshahi district - Natore match, Rajshahi division will take on Joypurhat, while Rangpur district face Naogaon on tomorrow’s opening day.

A total of 12 teams, split into four groups, will play in the Dhaka venue.

The three-day meet will end on November 16.

The detail of the tournament was revealed at a press conference at the Bangladesh Hockey Federation conference room yesterday. Agrani Bank Limited is the title sponsor of the tournament and will provide Tk3.6m to the federation over three years – 1.1m the first year, 1.2m the second and 1.3 in the third.

The federation also has plans to provide long-term training for players who excel in this tournament. l

Mohammedan maintain lead n Shishir Hoque Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club retained the lead in the Ruphali Sarees Premier Division Chess League table after crushing Faith Chess Club 4-0 at the federation hall-room yesterday. At the end of the sixth round,the reigning champions have 10 points.

Mohammedan’s Grandmaster Amonatov Farrukh, GM Ziaur Rahman, IM Minhazuddin Ahmed and Mahtabuddin Ahmed beat Omer Faruk, Majedur Rahman, Tofazzal Hossain and Masud Rana respectively to seal the result.

Bangladesh Navy Chess Team and Leonine Chess Club are in joint second place with eight points. Leonine Chess Club beat Titas Club 2.5-1.5 with FM Mohammad Javed and Sohel Chowdhury of Leonine beating FM Debaraj Chatterjee and Md Jamal Uddin, Titas’ FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman Emon defeating Monir Hossain and FM Mehdi Hasan Parag drawing with IM Abu Sufian Shakil of Titas.

In the day’s other games, Gopalganj Chess Club beat Access Group Chess Club 3-1 and Pritam-Prism Chess Club, Narayanganj defeated Sreejan Chess Club 2.5-1.5. l

amazing resillience.

As wickets started to tumble with Shane Shillingford (4/130) reducing the hosts to 83/5 in the first session, it was left to Sharma and Ashwin to do the recovery act.

Sharma got to the century in style, gliding one past between first slip and gully. And, the ones bowled by Sheldon Cottrell, just before and immediately after the batsman got to the three-figure mark, were also spanked for fours on either side of the turf.

Sharma, who had amassed 491 runs including a double hundred at an average of 122.75 in the Australia ODI series, remained composed as he initially rebuilt the innings with Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (42).

Barring Tendulkar, who got out to a dubious lbw decision by English umpire Nigel Llong, the frontline Indian batsmen Shikhar Dhawan (23), Murali Vijay (26), Cheteshwar Pujara (17) and Virat Kohli (3) were lacking in temperament.

But Sharma showed temperament

and excellent technique, and lived up to the challenge.

Dhawan (187) was the last Indian to score a century on debut against Australia in March.

Sharma walked out to the centre in the middle of an intense first session’s play when the Eden crowd’s emotions were punctured with the dismissal of Tendulkar after a 41-minute outing.

Getting into the groove with two boundaries off Shillingford, Tendulkar would be cursing his luck for being given out to a doosra that seemed to be going over the stumps.

The ball did all the talking for Shillingford as WI had Sharma and Virat Kohli heavily-guarded. Kohli became the offspinner’s fourth victim.

India’s backbone was broken after they lost three wickets -- Pujara, Tendulkar and Kohli as the hosts were tottering at 120/5 at lunch.

The first new ball deteriorated after 51 balls and had to be replaced, giving WI a ray of hope. l

Steyn and Tahir inspire easy win for South Africa

BFF to handle awkward situation

n Reuters

n Raihan Mahmood

Paceman Dale Steyn returned from a brief vacation to inspire South Africa and spinner Imran Tahir took four wickets as they throttled Pakistan’s batsmen to win the third one-day international in Abu Dhabi by 68 runs on Wednesday.

Steyn took only a single wicket but his fiery spell stopped Pakistan’s momentum after they had made a flying start chasing an imposing target of 260, setting an example followed by his bowling colleagues.

South Africa bowled out Pakistan for 191 in 44.3 overs to go 2-1 ahead in the five-match series in the United Arab Emirates. Steyn, rested for the first two one-dayers, was surprisingly not given the new ball but used as first change, immediately breaking a 50-run opening partnership off just eight overs.

Taking the wicket of Ahmed Shehzad, who lashed 32 runs off 24 balls, put the brakes on Pakistan and was followed by scalps for fellow seamers Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe who was thrashed in his first spell of four overs.

He then bowled a sequence of 21 dot balls in his second to leave Pakistan floundering in their run chase.

It might have been an even more comprehensive win had Pakistan’s tail not wagged with 61-run eighth-wicket partnership between Sohail Tanvir (31) and number nine Wahab Riaz who topscored with 33.

Pakistan-born Tahir continued his rehabilitation in the South Africa team after almost a year on the sidelines with a four-wicket haul. l

Bangladesh Football Federation is in an awkward position after a heated exchange of words between national captain Mamunul Islam and public relation officer Ahsan Ahmed Amit.

A few days ago, Mamunul confronted Amit about the latter’s alleged commenting that Mamunul had not given his full effort at the Saff Championship in Nepal in an effort to protect an injury. Amit denied making the comment and the two got into an argument.

Later Amit submitted a written complaint against Mamunul to the federation and BFF accordingly lodged a show-cause notice to Mamunul. BFF asked Mamunul to answer within 48

hours of the receiving the show-cause notice. Mamunul submitted the answer within the given time frame and expressed surprise over the move. “I am surprised with the action. How can the federation take such an action towards the national captain? I have requested the federation to investigate what Amit has said to people regarding the performance of the national team captain,” he said.

Abu Naeem Shohag, the general secretary of the BFF admitted that the situation was awkward. “All I can say is that we have received a complaint from a BFF official. As it was in black and white, we have to take steps and the BFF will do whatever is necessary to resolve the matter,” he said. l

Switzerland's Roger Federer poses with the 2013 ATP Fans Favourite award, the Humanitarian award and the Sportsmanship award in London on Wednesday AFP

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Friday, November 8, 2013

Country’s first inland container terminal opens at Pangaon

Dhaka to focus on green finance n Abu Bakar Siddique

n UNB Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal on the bank of Buriganga River at Pangaon in South Keraniganj yesterday.

The premier inaugurated the container terminal by releasing balloons and pigeons and unveiling a plaque.

She also stood by and observed as a mobile harbour crane moved a container at the terminal.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) jointly built the terminal at a cost of Tk1.54bn.

The terminal is expected to play a positive role in the country’s economic development by opening up a new horizon in the transportation of exported and imported goods through waterways.

The project aims to help ease the pressure of cargo movement on the Dhaka-Chittagong railway and highway corridors. The terminal would have a storage capacity of 3,500 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers and handle 116,000 TEU containers annually.

The capacity will gradually be raised to 160,000TEU. Hasina also addressed a function at the terminal premises. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and local MP Nasrul Hamid Bipu also spoke on the occasion.

Shipping Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam delivered the welcome address.

Three vessels – Pangaon Express, Pangaon Success and Pangaon Vision – have already been procured from China at the cost of Tk500m to operate the terminal. Each vessel can carry 128 containers (20ft equivalent units or TEUs).

Officials said the terminal would help reduce the cost of carrying goods from Chittagong and Mongla and ease the traffic pressure on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Khulna highways.

The government has given approval to build 30 vessels for the purpose of carrying goods through the terminal.

Two container-laden vessels can be berthed at a time at the jetty.

Officials said all facilities, including RCC jetties, marshalling yards, office buildings, a container-freight station workshop, a 500km connecting road and two RCC bridges had already been built.

Of the total number of containers released from the Chittagong Port, 70% travel to Dhaka and Narayanganj areas.

Only 10% of these containers come by trains, while the rest are transported through road, which is more expensive and prone to creating traffic congestions.

Around Tk21,000-22,000 is needed to carry a container from Chittagong to Dhaka by road, while the cost goes down to around Tk8,500 per container if it is the waterways.

The CPA-funded project was scheduled to begin in July 2005 and be finished by June 2007. The deadline was extended in 2007,2009, 2010 and 2011 because of bureaucratic tangles and the tardy approach of contractors.

The Pangaon terminal has been built on 64 acres of Biwta land along the Buriganga River. RCC yards, jetties and sheds were constructed on 35acres of land, while measures towards bank protection and roads were built on 29 acres.

More than 1m TEUs of containers are handled at the Chittagong Port annually. Of them, only 10%can be taken to the lone Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Kamalapur in Dhaka by trains. l

A cargo at Pangaon Inland Container Terminal which was inaugurated by the prime minister yesterday

The government has decided to seal off the frontiers with Myanmar to stop infiltration of Rohingya Muslims as the minority Burmese nationals flock into Bangladesh to escape persecution by the majority Buddhists, foreign minister tells parliament.

Dipu Moni on Thursday told the Jatiya Sangsad that the government would take legal actions against the locals giving shelters to the Rohingya Muslims, who had been creating pressure on Bangladesh.

She, however, said Saudi Arabia and the other Muslim countries are sympathetic to the causes of the persecuted Muslims, putting the government under pressure to take any decision about infiltrating Rohingyas since 2.5 million Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia alone.

A fear immortal for the last man standing

BDR CARNAGE TRIAL

Still no clue on whereabouts n of fugitive rebels n Julfikar Ali Manik Despite various efforts, the law enforcement agencies and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) still remain clueless about the whereabouts of the 20 fugitive rebels, who were tried in absentia in the BDR carnage case.

Eighteen of them have been convicted in the carnage case, according to the verdict. Following the verdict, the police and the BGB are now pondering to make further moves to catch them.

After completion of the trial, which began in August 2011, the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court delivered verdict on Wednesday.

Judge Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman pronounced names of at least 14 fugitives – who were awarded death sentences, while four other fugitives were handed 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.

Although the fates of the two remaining fugitives were not clear during the pronouncement of verdict on Wednesday, Director General of the BGB Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed yesterday confirmed that the court had acquitted those two fugitives from their charges.

Seeking anonymity, several police and BGB officials who had knowledge about the search for the fugitive BDR mutineers, said they did not have any specific information regarding the whereabouts of the fugitives.

One of the sources said it would be difficult to obtain information if the fugitives had left the country.

However, BGB DG Maj Gen Aziz last night said over phone that he knew about one of the fugitives who had joined the former BDR from an indigenous community in Chittagong Hill Tracts, who later joined the UPDF after the mutiny.

Authorities would catch him after

Myanmar border to be sealed off: Dipu Moni n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

PMO

“Given the recent unstable situation in the Rakhain state, the foreign ministry has adopted measures to immediately seal off the Myanmar border to stop the infiltration of the Myanmar nationals for national interests,” Dipu Moni told parliament replying to a question from Awami League MP Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury.

The government, she said, had already taken measures to create awareness among local people in Cox’s Bazar against such infiltration.

Local people had suggested the local authorities, local government bodies and border forces not to allow Myanmar nationals in any more, she informed the House.

“Besides, the law enforcing agencies working at the local level have been instructed to take legal actions against illegal infiltrators and those giving them shelter,” said Dipu Moni. l

The government will focus on making the Green Climate Fund (GCF) operational in the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP19) to be held in Warsaw, Hasan Mahmud, minister of Environment and Forest, said yesterday.

“We hope that the future of the fund will be decided in this year’s conference,” the minister told a press briefing in his office organised prior to his departure for the conference.

He also said Bangladesh would discuss the promised financial contribution of worth $100bn by the developed nations to the vulnerable states supposed to be released from 2020 each year.

In addition to this the country would raise the demand for rehabilitation of climate induced people by the industrialised nations responsible for global warming, the minister said.

The COP19 scheduled to be held in Warsaw from November 11 to November 22 is the 19th session of the UN Climate Change Conference.

The fund named GCF initiated at the COP16 held in Cancun to cooperate the most climate vulnerable countries like Bangladesh is yet to finalise the sources of the fund. l

being sure of his specific location, the BGB boss said.

Sepoy Paltan Chakma is one of the fugitives who was given the death sentence.

The 13 other fugitives who were handed the death sentence are: Sepoy Md Moinuddin, Sepoy Hasibul Hasan, Sepoy Md Rezaul Karim, Sepoy Md Mizanur Rahman, Sepoy Md Mukul Alam, Sepoy Md Qamrul Hasan, Sepoy Md Baki Billah, Sepoy Md Mesbah Uddin, Sepoy Md Selim, Sepoy Md Nurul Alam, Lance Nayek Md Hamidul Islam, Sepoy Md Anisur Rahman and Sepoy Md Maqbul Hossain.

After the mutiny, the names and pictures of 23 fugitive rebels were distributed to the police and local administrations across the country. Three of those fugitives were later arrested Of them, fugitive Sepoy Moinudin of 13 Rifle Battalion of BDR along with few other colleagues entered the Darbar Hall with arms to kill the then BDR director general Shakil Ahmed at 9:25am of February 25, 2009, according to the mutiny case records.

As per the records, the then deputy DG Brig Gen Bari and some other officers were able to disarm Sepoy Moinuddin, but a voice rising from the troops screamed “Jago” (wake up).

Many other BDR armed rebels soon took control of Darbar Hall and its surrounding areas, looting arms from the border guard’s arsenal.

Maj Gen Shakil was killed later in the morning of the first day of mutiny on February 25. Some rebel sepoys later

broke into the slain DG’s residence in Pilkhana, where they killed the DG’s wife and committed offenses like torture, ransacking, looting and arson.

Seventeen civilians including the DG’s wife were killed during the 33hour bloody mutiny in Pilkhana. The mutineers killed 57 top and mid-ranking army officers including DG Shakil.

Judge Akhtaruzzaman awarded death sentence to 151 former BDR personnel and one civilian – for killing a total of 74 people during the mutiny.

The four fugitives who received 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment are: Sepoy Md Al Mamun, Sepoy Md Atiqur Rahman, Sepoy Md Sadullah and Sepoy Md Qamrul Islam.

The court acquitted fugitives Sepoy Abdullah al Manum and Md Ayub Ali, said BGB DG Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed, adding that after getting copy of full judgement they would consult with prosecution lawyers whether there was any scope to appeal against the acquittals of rebels.

After the mutiny, the names and pictures of 23 fugitive rebels were distributed to the police and local administrations across the country. Three of those fugitives were later arrested.

The authorities had also declared a bounty for the fugitives’ whereabouts.

“We will remind all authorities concerned next week about arresting the fugitives,” the BGB chief told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“We will approach to launch necessary steps again,” he said.

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker said: “Of course we give special importance in arresting the wanted accused.”

About arresting the convicted fugitive BDR rebels, the IGP said: “The matter is being considered with special importance.” l

Julfikar Ali Manik and Syeda Samira Sadeque

Memories of the horrifying 33-hourlong BDR carnage in February 2009 still haunt survivors Col Md Iqbal Hassan, his wife and two children.

For Col Iqbal, who narrowly escaped death, witnessing the brutal murder of his colleagues during the carnage, what has become immortal is the fear, the haunting image of his dead comrades.

“Col Reza sir’s face is an especially recurring memory, because he breathed his last on my skin,” Col Iqbal told the Dhaka Tribune in an interview recently.

Coupled with the nightmares, Col Iqbal and his family now live in a perpetual state of fear and unease. His wife and two children, who were confined inside their house for 33 hours and caught between gunshots all around, now have a phobia of even the slightest noise. The soldiers had even tried to enter their house, but luckily the family survived.

“Whenever I am on the road and there is a little chaos, I feel nervous,” said his wife, Sufia Sayeeda Hassan, an associate professor at Badrunnessa College.

Col Iqbal had hidden inside a kitchen at the Darbar Hall during the carnage that killed 74 people. During his testimony at a special court which delivered a verdict on the accused on Tuesday, Col Iqbal recounted how he hid behind large pots as he heard his comrades being shot right outside.

Some, including Col Reza, Col Arefin and Col Zahid, who were hiding with him, were killed in a brushfire by the soldiers – a fate Col Iqbal missed only by a hair.

Col Iqbal, who says he was the last man standing at the scene, was lying on his left when the soldiers shot Col Reza, who was right in front of him. Col Reza dropped to the floor so close to Col Iqbal their noses were touching. “Even today, when I lie down on my left, I see Reza sir’s face in front of me,” he said.

Col Iqbal said he did not even real-

ise until much later that he did not get shot. As soon as he realised he was unhurt, he left the hiding place.

“Even though Allah saved me, I have no joy after seeing so many deaths,” Col Iqbal said.

A special court on Tuesday delivered the verdict against 850 accused of violent crimes during the mutiny, of whom 152 were sentenced to death.

“This is one of the biggest verdicts in the world, and of course the authorities should be congratulated on the quick and successful proceeding,” said Col Iqbal on the phone following the verdict.

He also said while many were satisfied with the verdict, he felt sorry for the loss that the family members of the convicts would suffer.

“At the same time, the men we lost, the losses we suffered, are irreversible. It is a void that cannot be filled,” he added.

The BDR carnage has taken away immensely from those who witnessed or survived it: comrades, family members, leaders, mental stability. What it has left behind, what has stayed on for the last four years – both within and outside of the borders of Darbar Hall – is, however, the fear. The fear that no verdict, no answer may be able to curb. l

Striking JU teachers ‘ignore’ chancellor’s initiative n Tribune Report

President Abdul Hamid, also chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, has asked the agitating teachers to withdraw their indefinite strike unconditionally for the continuation of academic activities and bringing back congenial atmosphere on the campus.

The president also said Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain would take immediate steps to hold the senate elections and select VC panel through the senate in line with the university act. The VC was also instructed to withdraw the writ petition filed against the agitating teachers, an education ministry press release said yesterday.

Both the VC and the anti-VC teachers have been asked to take necessary measures in resuming activities of the university’s Syndicate and other committees including the academic council, and to begin the first year admission test procedures.

The press release said President

Abdul Hamid had given the directives on Wednesday after the ministry had taken different steps through the minister, secretary and the parliamentary standing committee. An investigation committee was formed and the probe report was placed to the president.

The statement said the instructions had been conveyed to the VC, the agitating teachers under the banner of General Teachers’ Forum and the JU Teachers’ Association (JUTA).

However, Prof Anwar told the Dhaka Tribune last night that he had not got any such directives, but was aware of the ministry’s press release.

The campaigning teachers too said they were yet to get the message of the president.

The forum, backed by ousted VC Shariff Enamul Kabir and pro-BNP teachers, and JUTA yesterday continued their all-out strike demanding resignation of VC Prof Anwar for the sixth day when a section of students, officers and employees joined them. A new

platform was formed named “Teachers-Students and Officers-Employee’s United Forum.”

They took position in front of the VC’s residence while all activities of the administrative building had been stopped since November 2. The teachers have been agitating since April this year against the VC who was made elected in July last year.

Officials said since the administrative office had been locked, they could not check the fax or attend the phone calls.

The VC on October 24 announced that the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) election would take place on December 6, while the VC panel polls before January 24.

The former Dhaka University teacher also declared that he would leave the JU after the elections and would not contest the VC panel polls. “I am an elected VC, and I will hand over the charge of the university to an elected VC,” he told a press conference on the campus.

Asked, the VC told the Dhaka Tri-

bune that he had no pressure from the government to resign and that he was determined not to resign before holding the Jucsu polls.

No Jucsu election has taken place since 1992, depriving students of a platform to express their views, while same fate with the senate where the students have five representatives.

Prof Kamrul Ahsan, secretary of the united forum, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We want an honourable step-down of the VC and he should leave immediately considering the university’s interest.”

Meantime General Teachers’ Council, a platform loyal to the VC, yesterday protested the anti-VC movement and demanded resumption of classes and examinations immediately. At a press conference, they also demanded that the investigation report of the education ministry probe committee be made public.

On Wednesday, a section of students agitated on the campus demanding resumption of academic activities. l

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B2 RAKUB disburses Tk3.44bn loan in northwest region

B3 DSEX hits 15-week high FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

Default loans rise in Q3 due to tight rules Political uncertainty, interrupted energy supply act as catalyst n Jebun Nesa Alo The extent of default loans increased in the third quarter due to tightening the loan classification guideline, sluggish business activities during the political uncertainty and interruption in energy supplies.

The classified loans increased by Tk44bn or 8% to Tk567bn in the July-September quarter from Tk523bn of the April-June quarter of this year, according to Bangladesh Bank data. The classified loan is about 13% of the total outstanding loan of more than Tk4tn.

The total classified loan was Tk510bn in March this year, which was Tk290bn in June, 2012.

“The classified loans increased due to tightening the guideline,” said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank. Besides, sluggish business during the political uncertainty and lack of gas and electricity pushed the classified loans up, he said.

Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury said the commercial banks have classified the loans from March quarter following the international standard guideline issued by Bangladesh Bank.

He, however, said the banks have faced

No case to write off bad loans below Tk50K n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Bank has relaxed the guidelines for writing off small bad loans as it considered the litigation cost is sometimes higher than the amount of a loan.

It allowed the scheduled banks to writeoff classified loans below Tk50,000 without filing any case.

The banks will, however, have to comply with other guidelines while writing off the loans, said a circular issued yesterday.

Earlier, the banks had to write off any bad loan through filing case and keeping 100% provision.

The banks go for writing off a loan when it considers there is no hope to get the money back.

The scheduled banks are allowed to write off loans, having been adversely classified for more than 5 years, by maintaining a 100% provision.

The banks have written off a total classified loan of Tk242bn till 2012. l

some problems to follow the new guideline.

“They will overcome the problems gradually.”

According to the new guideline, banks have to classify the loans in three categories, included sub-standard, doubtful and bad or loss.

Of the total classified loans, four state-

owned banks have Tk241bn, private commercial banks Tk223bn, specialised banks Tk87bn and foreign banks Tk14bn.

Of the state-owned banks, Agrani Bank’s classified loan stood at Tk51bn, which is 27% of the total outstanding loan; Janata Bank

Tk47bn, which is 18% of outstanding loan; Rupali Bank Tk16bn, which is 17% of their outstanding loan; and Sonali Bank Tk125bn, which is 42% of their total outstanding loan.

Under the revised loan classification guideline, the general provision against all unclassified loans of small and medium enterprises (SME) has been set at 0.25% from the existing 1%.

Besides, the base for provisioning has been re-fixed at minimum 15% of the outstanding balance of a loan from 20%.

Under the revised provisions, the down-payment for the first time rescheduling of a term loan has been reduced to minimum 15% from at least 25% previously of the overdue installments or 10% of the total outstanding amount of a loan, whichever is lower.

The application for second time loan rescheduling will be considered upon receipt of cash payment of minimum 30% of the overdue installments or 20% of the total outstanding amount of a loan, whichever is lower.

The application for third time loan rescheduling will be considered upon receiving cash payment of minimum 50% of the overdue installments or 30% of the total outstanding amount of the loan, whichever is lower. l

Row over Palli Sanchay Bank ends n Asif Showkat Kallol It seems that the row within government over the proposed Palli Sanchay Bank, a bank to encourage rural savings, has finally seen an end.

Bangladesh Bank and Finance Division who have been opposing the proposal from the very outset have retreated.

“We have given consent to the bank. It will be placed at the next cabinet meeting for approval in principle,” said Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday.

Emerging from a meeting on the proposed bank in Dhaka yesterday, the minister told it to the reporters yesterday. State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanok, the LGRD Secretary, Banking Division Secretary Dr Aslam Islam and Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman also attended the meeting held at the finance ministry office.

AMA Muhith said the draft Palli Sanchay Bank Act 2013 will be presented in the next session of the parliament.

The ministry realised that such bank would make rural people interested in saving money and attract investment opportunities in the rural areas.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith He said they first opposed the idea of Palli Sanchay Bank as the proposal for establishing a commercial bank.

As the government is at the last stage of its tenure, it might not be able to finalise the proposal before leaving office, said the

minister. “There is no political motive against the setting up of the specialised bank. Proposal was also not made hurriedly.”

The finance minister said the concept of the Palli Sanchay Bank comes from the Grameen Bank. “But this is not to destroy Grameen Bank.”

“If someone says that it (Palli Sanchay Bank) is a conspiracy against the Grameen Bank, it’s just rubbish.”

Earlier on July 30, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave her direction to establish a new specialised bank named Palli Sanchay Bank to avoid the misuse of deposits made by poor rural people.

The ministry of finance took the decision to establish the specialised bank on the same day it decided to prepare a draft of the Palli Sanchay Bank Act 2013 in a meeting on August 1.

According to a press release, the number of beneficiaries of “One House One Farm” project now stand at over Tk1m while their deposits exceeded Tk1bn.

Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar (One House One Farm) was launched by the Rural Development and Cooperative Division under the LGRD ministry with a target of positively changing the lives of rural people. l

Business RAKUB disburses Tk3.44bn loan in northwest region

2

n Tribune Business Desk Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) has disbursed around Tk3.44bn as loan to boost rural economy alongside employment generation in the country’s northwest region in the first four months of the current 2013-14 fiscal.

Of the disbursed loans, Tk1.36bn for crop production, Tk0.03bn for fisheries, Tk0.21bn for animal resources, Tk0.01bn for irrigation machineries, Tk0.065bn for agro-based industries, Tk0.19bn for SMEs, Tk0.98bn as cash credit, Tk0.215bn for poverty reduction and Tk0.38bn for different other need-based sectors.

Side by side with the disbursement, the bank has also recovered Tk4bn and mobilized deposit worth Tk22.89bn during the last four months.

RAKUB Managing Director, Mofazzal Hossain told the bank has set a target of disbursing Tk14.5bn as loan, recovery of Tk15bn including classified loan worth Tk6.5bn and

DHAKA TRIBUNE

deposit mobilization of Tk30bn in the current fiscal, reports BSS. He said the present government had earmarked the huge money for RAKUB for disbursing as crop and rural uplift loan only in the northwest Bangladesh during the current fiscal.

To build a poverty-free Bangladesh, he said the bank had enhanced its lending activities in multipurpose potential fields for boosting agriculture production, intensifying food security and flourishing poultry and dairy sectors to reduce protein deficiency.

Production of pulse, oil-seed, maize and spice crops were brought under special credit programme at 4% interest rate to lessen the import pressure of the items.

Disadvantaged and underprivileged people in the region were brought under the financial inclusion programme.

“We have adopted special credit programme for encouraging the people for setting up solar power, biogas and waste management plant for generating eco-friendly

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 2013

and alternative power to face the power supply deficit,” he said.

He also mentioned that credit is being extended to the sector on a priority basis.

The bank has adopted multipurpose development programmes at the grassroots to make the credit programmes easier. Emphasis has been given on enhancing credit flow towards exploring the potential sectors of the region. Level best effort to ensure transparency and accountability in all the banking activities is continuing.

Apart from this, importance has been given to increasing relations between the bankers and the customers especially the rural farmers for boosting farm production, he added.

More than 120 branches have, so far, been brought under automation and all the 371 branches will be brought under the modern system by 2014 through which the bank will be able to provide various modern banking services online, by means of SMS and ATM booths. l

VoIP deactivation pulls Airtel launches 3G commercially down Banglalink’s Q3 Moreover, as a promotional offer, the earnings n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Airtel customers will receive 100% bonus The mobile phone operator Airtel yesterday on each subscription of minimum 1GB data n Tribune Report pack purchase. commercially launched the mobile broadThe third quarter earnings of mobile phone operator Banglalink dropped by about 15% to Tk10bn from the corresponding period of last year.

The revenue fall is due to ongoing deactivation of suspected VoIP customers, according to a report its parent company, Vimpelcom, released yesterday.

The second largest cell phone operator in the country in terms of subscribers registered lower usage per subscriber after the implementation of regulatory directives to deactivate the suspected VoIP users, it said.

The deactivation of suspected VoIP customers, in compliance with regulations set by the telecom regulator – BTRC, is expected to have a prolonged negative impact during this year.

Banglalink ended the quarter with 28.1 million customers, up 5% year-on-year. Average revenue per user (ARPU) went up but MOU fell to 189 from 225.

However, EBITDA rose to Tk4bn from Tk3bn on cost savings and lower SIM tax subsidies and EBITDA margin improved to 36.3% from 29.3% in Q3 2012.

Jo Lunder, group CEO of Vimpelcom said: “The third quarter results were impacted by regulatory and competitive pressures.”

He said the Africa and Asia business unit delivered stable EBITDA and continuing strong subscriber growth.

Bangladesh and the CIS, as well as the continued rollout of HSPA+ and backbone capacity to support data growth in Italy and acquisition of 3G licence in Bangladesh.

Earlier, the telecom regulator had fined the operator Tk1.68bn for their involvement in VoIP during 2008 emergency period. l

band service in Dhaka and Chittagong simultaneously.

With the initial launch, the service will be available in some limited areas of the cities, said officials. They said Airtel is offering 3G service at the price of 2G. “We are excited to offer innovative products and prices of our 3G services with highest speed, innovative contents and affordable packages for all segments, which will mark a major milestone for Airtel in Bangladesh,” said Chris Tobit, managing director and CEO of Airtel.

Sylhet customers of Airtel will get soon the 3G service, the operator said.

Customers can enjoy high speed mobile internet, HD video streaming, file sharing and downloads and much more over Airtel 3G, said officials.

All packages are of minimum 1MBps speed.

With this speed, Airtel customers can enjoy the “pay as you go” data usage service at 2G rate which is a unique offer in the market.

Customers availing this pack in the month of November will get a total of 12GB bonus over the period of 12 months with each subsequent purchase of 1GB pack.

After buying the first pack the customer will get 1GB bonus immediately. Hence, against 1GB purchase customers will get 2GB volume, said officials.

Airtel 3G data packs will be available for as low as T15 for 15MB. Video calls between Airtel to Airtel customers will be only T1/min.

“With this offer I believe Airtel will capture a unique position amongst its customers in terms of communication in the form of entertainment, infotainment, edutainment, m-health, m-commerce etc,” Airtel CEO added.

Sandipan Chakraborty, chief technical officer, presented technical aspects while head of marketing Mir Nawbut Ali came up with packages at the presser.

Earlier, Grameenphone commercially launched 3G on October 8, Banglalink on October 11 and Robi on November 2. l

Appollo Ispat Complex draws IPO lottery n Tribune Business Desk The IPO (Initial Public Offering) lottery of Appollo Ispat Complex Limited (AICL) was held at Engineers’ Institution of Bangladesh in Ramna yesterday.

The draw of the lottery was held in separate categories that are ordinary investors, affected investors, mutual funds and expatriate investors.

Hailing all concerned for making the effort of offering public issue successful, AICL Chairman Deen Mohammad said, “We are highly impressed for the tremendous response of the investors for subscribing IPO of Appollo Ispat.”

“Hope the investors would stay beside the company in the future,” he added.

Appollo Ispat offered 100m ordinary shares to collect Tk2.2bn from the public through IPO, which was oversubscribed to Tk5bn.

Of which, Tk1.53bn would be spent to repay bank loans and Tk0.6bn would be utilized for implementing German Non Oxidizing Furnace technology project.

AICL MD Md Ansar Ali, DMD Abdur Rahman, Directors M A Majid and Mohammad Rafique, Company Secretary and Executive Director Sheikh Abul Hasan attended the meeting.

The representatives of ICB Capital Management Limited, Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited, Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited and Central Depository of Bangladesh Limited were also present at the meeting. l

IBBL opens branch at Kamrangir Char n Tribune Business Desk Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) inaugurated its 282nd branch at Kamrangir Char in Dhaka yesterday.

IBBL vice chairman Engr Mustafa Anwar inaugurated the branch as chief guest, said a press release.

The ceremony was presided over by the MD Mohammad Abdul Mannan whereas the function was addressed by Jami’a Nuria Islamia Madrasah Principal Mawlana Shah Ahmadullah Asraf and Ashrafabad High School President Hazi Md Solaiman Matbor. l

NRBCB opens new branch at Agrabad n Tribune Business Desk NRB Commercial Bank started operations of its 5th branch at Agrabad in Chittagong.

The bank’s vice chairman Dr Toufique Rahman Chowdhury inaugurated the branch on Wednesday, said a press release.

The ceremony was also attended by directors Abu Bakar Chowdhury and Kaniz Farzana Rashed, alternate directors AM Saidur Rahman, Marzanur Rahman and Dr Kutub Uddin. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013

DSEX hits 15-week high

3

n Tribune Report

RMG manufacturers can find good partners in South Korea n Reuters

Stocks rose sharply yesterday with the benchmark index DSEX hitting 15-week high, spurred by the continuous rally over the weeks.

The steep gain was largely attributable to the heavy weight banking sector that advanced 3.5% and continued the gaining streak for the fourth consecutive session.

The DSEX index gained 89 points or 2% to close at 4,200, highest since July 18 this year.

The benchmark index extended its gaining streak for the sixth consecutive session.

However, the blue chip index DS30 rose 18 points or 1.3% to 1,453. The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, rose 180 points to 8,187.

The strong buying spree has led the total turnover at DSE to reach to one month high and stood at Tk4.7bn, which was 21.5% higher over the previous session. The banking sector contributed the highest almost 24% to the total turnover.

Prices of more than 76% issues closed positive, as out of 289 issues traded, 221 advanced, 52 declined and 16 remained unchanged.

The market appeared to be growing at two speeds – sector specific manufacturing stock was generating return and banking sector showed better than expected quarterly earnings in July-September period, said Lanka Bangla Securities.

The rebound in banking sector supports the market to make a smart move throughout the week. It was worth pointing out that even during the uncertainty around the political arena with three days of strike, market

South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka Lee Yun-Young yesterday said the readymade garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh could thrive further through diversification of its export destinations.

The RMG industry in the country has largely been depending on the buyers of its major export destinations – Europe and the United States – and diversification of the export destinations could prove to be more rewarding than the status quo, he said.

Lee Yun-Young was delivering a lecture on a topic titled “All about Korea and Korea-Bangladesh relation,” at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), as the third lecture of the BIISS Country Lecture Series.

The South Korean envoy said the volume of RMG goods import by South Korea is worth $6bn a year, mostly coming from China and Indonesia.

“RMG manufacturers can find good partners in Korea … there’s room for it,” he said.

According to information of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the country exported garments worth around $21bn in the fiscal 2012-2013. Of the amount, nearly $15bn was exported to the USA, Canada and EU countries.

Speaking on the occasion, BIISS Director General, SM Shafiuddin said both Korea and Bangladesh are now closely working in the fields of trade, investment and human resource development, and there is an ample scope for further expanding and developing the partnership in the coming days. l

The index crosses 4,200 psychological level

have gained approximately 233 points this week, it said.

Among the major sectors, heavyweight banks saw a surge of 3.4% and financial institutions 2.9% in their respective market capitalisations, while Cement, Jute and Tannery sector has beaten down by 0.3%, 0.4% and 0.4% respectively.

IDLC Investment said continuous gain in indices as well as healthy level of activities solidified investors’ confidence and drove DSEX over psychological level of 4,200

points, for the first time in last three and a half months.

All other major sectors ended positive with life insurance rising 5.8%, non life insurance 3.6%, non-banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals 2.8% each.

Grameenphone was the most traded stock of the session with a turnover of Tk226.8m, followed by United Commercial Bank, Square Pharmaceuticals, IFIC Bank, First Lease International, Generation Next and City Bank. l

Sonali to help UK services n Tribune Business Desk BKB branches to give bKash services n Tribune Business Desk bKash signed an agreement with Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) to get cash service at the bank’s branches across the country. bKash CEO Kamal Quadir and BKB Deputy Managing Director Manjur Ahmed inked the deal on behalf of their respective organisations on Wednesday, said a press release.

Under the agreement, bKash services including bKash account opening, cash-in and cash-out will be available at all Krishi Bank branches across the country. BKB Chairman Alauddin A Majid, Managing Director Md Abdus Salam FCA and BRAC Bank Managing Director and CEO Syed Mahbubur Rahman were also present at the signing ceremony. l

State-owned Sonali Bank has taken an initiative to help other local banks to run their banking business in the United Kingdom, particularly the remittance service to non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs).

Ten Bangladeshi banks in UK were having difficulties to run various businesses including remittance services after the British bank, Barclays in July this year shut their accounts on ground saying the banks do not match its new eligibility criteria.

Sonali Bank Managing Director and

CEO Pradip Kumar Dutta yesterday said, “Like Barclays, UK branch of Sonali Bank will facilitate service to the exchange houses of different Bangladeshi banks in UK so that the banks can restart providing its clients the services it used to deliver earlier,” reports BSS. He said the exchange house of Pubali Bank has already signed a consent letter with Sonali Bank for availing the services.

Around a dozen of Bangladeshi banks opened their exchange houses in the UK in the past few years to help Bangladeshi expatriates send money home. l

9th WIEF Summit urges countries to reduce trade gap n Tribune Business Desk The 9th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Summit agreed to strengthen the economic cooperation among the countries, especially the Muslim ones to reduce trade gap.

The summit was held in London from October 29 to 31 and was addressed by 18 heads of states and governments, according to a press release issued by the South East Asian Cooperation (SEACO) Foundation, a sister concern of WIEF. The release said the address of Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid was applauded by audience and got wide coverage in the British media.

It said a statement of the forum has been issued and it has already called for enhancing mutual trust by expanding collaboration across cultures and nations, expanding the role of private sector in economic development and as a partner for compressive human development, reports BSS. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Returns fall as banks struggle to rein in costs n Reuters, London The operating performance of the world’s top 500 banks deteriorated last year despite widespread restructuring and attempts to cut costs, a report said on yesterday.

Return on equity, a key measure of profitability, averaged 7% across the banks last year from 7.9% in 2011 once one-time items were stripped out, according to analysis by consultancy McKinsey & Co Including the one-time changes, RoE improved to 8.6%.

Return on equity (RoE) dropped as low as 4% across the industry in 2008 after the financial crisis, and remains below the average cost of capital, estimated at 10-12%.

In the boom years leading up to 2006 many banks’ RoE topped 20%.

Banks are struggling to rein in costs, and reduced leverage also cut into returns, McKinsey said in its Global Banking Annual Review 2013, released on Thursday.

Expenses across the 500 banks last year were little changed from 2011, and costs as a percent of their assets nudged up to 1.91% on average from 1.89%, it estimated. European banks were having most difficulty reducing their costs/assets ratio, the report said.

McKinsey said banks face “a fairly cheerless operating environment”, citing muted economic growth, the regression of financial globalization and tougher regulations. Many banks have “not yet made the hard choices needed to turn around performance,” it said.

About 90 of the top 500 banks delivered returns that averaged 15%, however, thanks to strategies including having a distinctive franchise that customers paid a premium

The Canary Wharf financial district is seen in east London for, being a universal banks with global scale, or a “back-to-basics” strategy, based on steady growth and cost advantages.

The report said they have been rewarded

REUTERS

with a share price that trades at about twice their book value, about double the average across other banks.

“Remarkably, many of these banks are

not from emerging markets but are thriving in highly competitive, low-growth regions,” it said. About a quarter were in the United States. l

Asian currencies edges up n AFP, Tokyo Most emerging Asian currencies crawled higher yesterday, helped by the euro’s rebound, but many investors kept to the sidelines ahead of key US economic data for clues on when the Federal Reserve will scale back its stimulus.

The Taiwan dollar gained on financial inflows. The Indonesian rupiah advanced on exporters’ buying and after officials proposed opening up more business to foreign investors.

The euro gained after strong German economic data dented expectations of an interest rate cut by the European Central Bank later in the day.

The single currency had been weaker due to data last week showing a slowdown in inflation. Its recent depreciation powered the dollar index and dragged emerging Asian currencies lower.

Regional currencies were already under pressure from worries that the Fed may start cutting its bond-buying programme.

“Unless Draghi makes dovish comments, Asian currencies may rise a bit more, tracking the euro’s rebound.

It looks a bit difficult for the ECB to cut rates now, given strong data in North Europe,” said Jeong My-young, Samsung Fu-

A money changer holds stacks of Indonesian rupiah notes in Jakarta tures research head in Seoul, referring to ECB President Mario Draghi.

“Still, Asian currencies are unlikely to move much on increasing fears on the Fed,” Jeong added.

Investors are keeping an eye on US data later this week including the first reading of third-quarter growth and October non-farm

REUTERS

payrolls.

Two top Fed staff economists called for the central bank to drive down unemployment by promising to hold interest rates lower for longer.

Analysts expect the ECB to hold rates at 0.5%, but figures showing eurozone inflation at a four-year low in October has raised

the spectre of deflation and fuelled speculation its head Mario Draghi will leave the door open to a future cut.

“Any such hints from Draghi would see the euro weaken further,” National Australia Bank said.

And Credit Agricole said: “We do not expect the ECB to deliver a rate cut today, but Draghi could hint more explicitly at a December move while providing more details about the ECB’s ‘liquidity plans’.

“The assessment of inflation risks holds the key.” It added that “there is an expectation that the ECB will open the door to a December ease in the wake of very soft inflation data”.

Dealers will also be keeping a close eye on third-quarter US gross domestic product figures later in the day and non-farm payrolls data Friday.

“The dollar is ripe for a near-term correction, as markets square positions ahead of Friday’s payrolls,” Credit Agricole said.

The figures will give traders a handle on the Federal Reserve’s plan for its stimulus programme, with the central bank saying any pullback hinges on a firm recovery in the world’s biggest economy.

The general consensus is that a strong set of numbers will push the bank into winding down the scheme sooner rather than later. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013

5

China’s leaders to meet on economic reform n AFP, Beijing China’s new leadership holds a key meeting this weekend that state media are trumpeting as a likely “watershed” for economic reform, but analysts caution details of its decisions are likely to be vague and implementation gradual.

The four-day session of the full 376-strong Communist Party Central Committee begins Saturday at a closely guarded private hotel in Beijing.

Known as the Third Plenum, it traditionally sets the economic tone for a government’s five-year term.

In the past, such meetings have been used to signal far-reaching changes in how China does business, and state-run media say that anticipation has been building.

The official Xinhua news agency proclaimed that the plenum “is expected to be a watershed as drastic economic policies will be unveiled”.

Other reports have singled out land reform as a key issue, while a government think-tank called for dismantling the residency registration system known as hukou, which restricts access to medical insurance and other benefits for migrants.

But analysts are largely unconvinced and say broad brushstrokes rather than firm details are likely to emerge from the meeting.

Cai Hongbin, a professor at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, said key issues such as urbanisation, the social safety net, taxation and financial reforms would be discussed.

“But I don’t see a sweeping policy package with many specific major policy changes basically across the spectrum,” Cai told reporters, emphasising more time was needed given the complexity of the issues.

Precise measures were more likely to be included in China’s 13th five-year plan, to be announced in 2015, he said.

‘Reforms more complex than in the past’ China most notably signalled major changes at a Third Plenum in 1978, when it embarked on the landmark reform drive that has seen it transformed over the past 35 years from a Communist-style command economy into a key driver of global growth, trade and investment. But the impetus for far-reaching change this time is seen by some as nowhere near so compelling.

“Historically, China has implemented ground-breaking reforms when the economy has faced some serious challenges,”

Nomura International economists in Hong Kong wrote in a report.

“However, we believe that pressures are not yet sufficient to demand such rapid implementation, while the reforms are more complex than they have been in the past.”

Although the economy is no longer completely party- and state-controlled, the ruling body holds huge sway, with officials in charge of key elements, such as the exchange rate, that in other countries are left mostly to markets. State-owned enterprises also play a key role.

The plenum comes a year after China began a once-a-decade leadership change, with Xi Jinping taking over as party general secretary in November and state president in March.

Calling corruption the biggest threat to continued party rule, Xi quickly launched a selective crackdown.

Xinhua quoted experts including professors at the party’s central school as saying any political reform would aim at “strengthening, not weakening” the organisation’s leadership.

Cai said that, ultimately, economic reform cannot truly succeed without changes to how the government acts, such as reducing

local authorities’ interference in business.

“You can talk about all sorts of economic policy changes, in the end whether these policy changes will make a serious impact on the Chinese economy really depends on whether we will have serious government reforms,” he said.

China’s leadership says the economy, the world’s second largest, needs to move away from reliance on state-financed investment projects and unleash the power of consumers and other private actors to propel growth.

The country recently launched a much-publicised free-trade zone in Shanghai, but has not specified deadlines for key reforms in it, including unrestricted currency flows, a government document seen

by AFP showed, suggesting changes will be step-by-step.

Yao Wei, Societe Generale economist in Hong Kong, said Xi’s tenure had shown some promise, with moves to free companies from “the visible hand of the state”.

But a “roadmap with some idea of timeframe” might be the best that can be hoped for from the plenum, she wrote.

She added: “The real test of Beijing’s reform resolution will be the action taken in the following three to six months.” l

Indian state oil firms buying dollars in markets again n Reuters, Mumbai India’s state-run oil companies have started buying 30-40% of their dollar demand in markets instead of the special window provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), television channels reported on Thursday, quoting economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram.

A return to sourcing some of their dollar needs from spot markets would mark a wind down of a key emergency measure imposed by the RBI in late August, when the rupee was tumbling to record lows against the dollar.

The RBI then directed India’s three staterun oil companies to source dollars directly from a special window provided by the central bank in a bid to ease selling pressure on the local currency.

Oil companies are the biggest buyers of dollars in markets, averaging around $300350 million a day, according to traders’ estimates.

Neither TV channel showed Mayaram’s full remarks.

Although the move helped the rupee recover from a record low of 68.85 in late August, it has weighed in the near term on India’s currency reserves of $283 billion, which are enough to cover only seven months of imports.

Under the swap window, oil companies were buying dollars through forward contracts from the central bank at market-determined rates with a promise to pay back those dollars to the RBI. The window would have had to end sometime in November given the RBI was offering a 3-month dollar swap facility to the oil refiners, one official with direct knowl-

A worker fills diesel in a vehicle at a fuel station in Chennai edge of the arrangements told Reuters.

Still, few analysts expect the rupee to slump should the RBI close its dollar window completely, given that the Federal Reserve’s delay of its planned withdrawal of monetary stimulus has sparked a rally in

Indian markets. Foreign institutional investors have bought nearly $4bn in domestic shares since the Fed announced the delay in mid-September, pushing the BSE Sensex to a record high last week.

Banks in India have also raised $15.1bn in

REUTERS

loans and funds from citizens abroad ever since the RBI started subsidising some of the exchange costs. The rupee is expected to stabilise in 1-2 days as state-run oil dollar demand gets absorbed by markets, television channel CNBC-TV18 also quoted Mayaram as saying. l

6

Share

DHAKA TRIBUNE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 4200.81 ⇑ 2.16%, Turnover: 4738.98 M.Tk ⇑ 21.45%, PE: 12.84 Turnover 5,183.81 MTk . ⇑ 20.11% November 7, 2013 MarketCap. 2,016.07 BTk. ⇑ 2.11% CSE All Share Index: 12930 ⇑ 2.20%, Turnover: 444.83 M Tk. ⇑ 7.42%, PE: 12.65 Combined Turnover Leader

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 1029118 D: 28.60 ⇑ 3.62% | 28.36 | 30.00 / 25.00 C: 28.50 ⇑ 3.64% | 28.17 | 28.70 / 25.00 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 4780174 D: 22.10 ⇑ 5.74% | 21.51 | 22.40 / 19.00 C: 22.10 ⇑ 4.25% | 21.67 | 22.40 / 19.50 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 4063414 D: 36.20 ⇑ 8.71% | 35.09 | 36.60 / 32.00 C: 36.40 ⇑ 9.64% | 35.05 | 36.50 / 30.00 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 341767 D: 36.70 ⇑ 1.38% | 36.49 | 37.00 / 34.00 C: 36.70 ⇑ 1.94% | 36.59 | 37.10 / 36.10 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 4855463 D: 12.20 ⇑ 2.52% | 12.17 | 12.50 / 11.00 C: 12.20 ⇑ 2.52% | 12.18 | 12.40 / 11.60 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 565854 D: 32.00 ⇑ 1.91% | 31.72 | 32.30 / 29.50 C: 32.00 ⇑ 1.91% | 31.94 | 32.30 / 31.30 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 53800 D: 71.90 ⇑ 1.13% | 71.80 | 75.00 / 70.30 C: 72.30 ⇓ 0.82% | 72.13 | 73.00 / 69.10 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 9276065 D: 24.80 ⇑ 4.64% | 24.19 | 25.00 / 22.00 C: 24.90 ⇑ 4.62% | 24.38 | 25.00 / 22.00 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 2121222 D: 34.80 ⇑ 7.41% | 34.05 | 35.10 / 31.00 C: 35.10 ⇑ 8.00% | 34.35 | 35.50 / 32.00 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 321000 D: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.05 | 6.20 / 6.00 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 503012 D: 30.60 ⇑ 8.90% | 29.85 | 30.90 / 27.20 C: 30.40 ⇑ 8.96% | 29.29 | 30.60 / 27.80 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 2454942 D: 17.40 ⇑ 2.96% | 17.24 | 18.00 / 15.80 C: 17.50 ⇑ 3.55% | 17.36 | 17.70 / 16.00 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 1336358 D: 25.00 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.03 | 25.90 / 23.00 C: 24.90 ⇑ 3.75% | 24.87 | 25.10 / 24.40 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 3592440 D: 19.00 ⇑ 4.97% | 18.66 | 19.20 / 17.00 C: 19.00 ⇑ 4.40% | 18.75 | 19.40 / 17.00 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 605615 D: 19.90 ⇑ 2.58% | 19.73 | 20.00 / 18.00 C: 20.10 ⇑ 4.15% | 19.90 | 20.40 / 18.50 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 3108204 D: 13.70 ⇑ 7.03% | 13.37 | 13.90 / 11.60 C: 13.80 ⇑ 6.98% | 13.41 | 14.00 / 12.00 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 2299984 D: 12.80 ⇑ 3.23% | 12.63 | 13.00 / 11.50 C: 12.80 ⇑ 2.40% | 12.70 | 12.90 / 11.80 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 37500 D: 101.5 ⇑ 1.91% | 101.19 | 103.0 / 100.0 C: 100.0 ⇑ 8.23% | 100.00 | 100.0 / 100.0 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 133516 D: 16.50 ⇑ 2.48% | 16.44 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.50 ⇑ 1.23% | 16.40 | 16.80 / 15.60 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 2454598 D: 15.00 ⇑ 6.38% | 14.75 | 15.50 / 13.50 C: 15.00 ⇑ 6.38% | 14.68 | 15.10 / 14.00 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 3289210 D: 15.60 ⇑ 3.31% | 15.39 | 16.00 / 13.60 C: 15.60 ⇑ 3.31% | 15.42 | 15.70 / 14.00 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 556697 D: 19.90 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.77 | 20.00 / 17.90 C: 20.10 ⇓ 0.50% | 20.19 | 20.70 / 20.00 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 5644824 D: 16.60 ⇑ 7.10% | 16.18 | 16.90 / 14.00 C: 16.70 ⇑ 7.74% | 16.20 | 16.90 / 14.90 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 2192325 D: 12.10 ⇑ 2.54% | 12.03 | 12.80 / 10.70 C: 12.30 ⇑ 4.24% | 12.12 | 12.50 / 11.00 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 363528 D: 16.80 ⇑ 5.00% | 16.47 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.70 ⇑ 5.03% | 16.47 | 17.00 / 15.90 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 1173601 D: 32.60 ⇑ 2.52% | 32.30 | 32.90 / 30.00 C: 32.80 ⇑ 2.82% | 32.20 | 32.90 / 30.00 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 1206434 D: 17.40 ⇑ 2.96% | 17.33 | 17.70 / 15.50 C: 17.60 ⇑ 4.76% | 17.27 | 17.70 / 16.70

TO M. Tk.

Avg. P

4.87

201.99

Grameenphone-A

1250000 9276065

224.57

4.33

882036

160.90

3.10

IFIC Bank - A

4063414

First Lease- A

3939094

252.49

% of TTL

UCBL - A Square Pharma -A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

Vol.

142.55 124.10

2.75 2.39

PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 2184430 D: 11.90 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.87 | 12.00 / 10.80 C: 11.90 ⇑ 0.85% | 11.86 | 12.10 / 10.70 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 463192 D: 19.30 ⇑ 4.32% | 19.01 | 19.50 / 16.70 C: 19.50 ⇑ 4.84% | 18.98 | 19.50 / 17.00 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 2238360 D: 14.90 ⇑ 7.19% | 14.63 | 15.10 / 12.60 C: 15.00 ⇑ 7.14% | 14.69 | 15.10 / 13.50 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 332768 D: 62.00 ⇑ 5.08% | 61.45 | 62.80 / 58.30 C: 62.20 ⇑ 6.87% | 61.24 | 62.50 / 59.80 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 1249080 D: 31.40 ⇑ 8.28% | 30.72 | 31.80 / 27.60 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 466249 D: 83.80 ⇑ 6.08% | 82.74 | 84.30 / 72.00 C: 83.30 ⇑ 6.11% | 82.54 | 84.00 / 81.00 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 11243 D: 29.70 ⇑ 0.34% | 29.71 | 30.30 / 28.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 3939094 D: 32.20 ⇑ 9.90% | 31.51 | 32.20 / 26.50 C: 32.10 ⇑ 9.93% | 31.27 | 32.10 / 30.40 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 3160199 D: 25.30 ⇑ 8.12% | 24.74 | 25.50 / 22.00 C: 25.40 ⇑ 8.55% | 24.90 | 25.60 / 23.00 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 945132 D: 26.00 ⇑ 4.84% | 25.75 | 26.20 / 23.00 C: 26.10 ⇑ 4.82% | 25.78 | 26.30 / 24.00 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 289800 D: 10.50 ⇑ 5.00% | 10.32 | 10.60 / 10.10 C: 10.60 ⇑ 3.92% | 10.43 | 10.80 / 10.10 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 1586582 D: 16.90 ⇑ 5.63% | 16.80 | 17.10 / 14.40 C: 16.90 ⇑ 5.63% | 16.89 | 17.50 / 15.80 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 875691 D: 58.70 ⇑ 3.89% | 58.60 | 60.00 / 50.90 C: 58.90 ⇑ 3.70% | 58.64 | 59.50 / 57.50 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 357750 D: 17.50 ⇑ 2.94% | 17.56 | 17.90 / 17.00 C: 17.40 ⇑ 0.58% | 17.58 | 18.00 / 17.00 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 401920 D: 19.10 ⇑ 7.91% | 18.92 | 19.30 / 18.00 C: 19.10 ⇑ 6.11% | 18.84 | 19.20 / 16.50 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 69973 D: 28.80 ⇑ 5.49% | 28.40 | 29.00 / 27.00 C: 28.10 ⇑ 3.69% | 28.00 | 28.50 / 26.00 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 450074 D: 18.90 ⇑ 5.00% | 18.75 | 19.10 / 17.00 C: 19.10 ⇑ 4.95% | 18.93 | 19.30 / 18.40 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 1879100 D: 15.70 ⇑ 6.08% | 15.44 | 16.00 / 14.50 C: 15.50 ⇑ 4.03% | 15.40 | 16.00 / 15.00 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 1285673 D: 33.40 ⇑ 9.51% | 32.67 | 33.50 / 29.00 C: 33.60 ⇑ 9.80% | 33.08 | 33.60 / 31.70 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 743860 D: 14.30 ⇑ 3.62% | 14.22 | 14.60 / 13.00 C: 14.40 ⇑ 4.35% | 14.22 | 14.50 / 13.50 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 90000 D: 58.00 ⇑ 4.13% | 57.83 | 58.90 / 55.70 C: 57.80 ⇑ 7.04% | 57.83 | 58.00 / 57.70 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 423700 D: 31.10 ⇑ 5.78% | 30.74 | 31.40 / 27.00 C: 31.10 ⇑ 4.36% | 30.90 | 31.40 / 30.00 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 1182020 D: 31.10 ⇑ 7.99% | 30.42 | 31.40 / 29.20 C: 31.20 ⇑ 9.86% | 30.64 | 31.20 / 29.30 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 7350 D: 1431 ⇓ 1.12% | 1436 | 1452 / 1415 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 266950 D: 26.90 ⇑ 7.60% | 26.49 | 27.20 / 23.30 C: 26.90 ⇑ 8.03% | 26.69 | 27.00 / 25.60 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 895500 D: 14.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 14.04 | 14.20 / 13.80 C: 14.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 14.02 | 14.20 / 13.90 INVESTMENT 2NDICB | 44.10 | 253.11 | Vol. 200 D: 226.0 ⇑ 2.73% | 226.00 | 226.0 / 226.0 4THICB | 29.24 | 229.24 | Vol. 100 D: 175.0 ⇑ 1.69% | 175.00 | 175.0 / 175.0 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 600 D: 140.3 ⇑ 7.59% | 140.00 | 141.0 / 140.0

24.21 182.41 35.08 31.51

DSE Loser

C%

A%

CP

-10.96

-11.07

45.50

Rahim Textile-A

-7.83

-9.68

290.70

Savar Refractories-Z Zeal Bangla Sugar-Z Active Fine Chem.-A

-6.69

-7.85

55.80

-6.49

-6.23

7.20

-6.26

-5.23

82.30

DSE Gainer

C%

A%

CP

First Lease-A

9.90

9.45

32.20

National Polymer-A

Phoenix Finance-A

9.51

8.11

33.40

Eastern Bank-A

8.90

6.65

30.60

Delta Life Insu.-Z

8.75

8.68

343.10

IFIC Bank-A

8.71

6.49

6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 14800 D: 45.60 ⇑ 0.66% | 45.44 | 46.00 / 45.00 C: 45.90 ⇑ 9.29% | 45.90 | 45.90 / 45.90 7THICB | 13.53 | 98.60 | Vol. 500 D: 78.00 ⇑ 5.26% | 78.00 | 78.00 / 78.00 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 3000 D: 50.40 ⇑ 0.60% | 50.33 | 51.00 / 49.60 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 427000 D: 39.60 ⇑ 2.06% | 39.60 | 40.00 / 39.10 C: 40.10 ⇑ 2.82% | 39.80 | 40.50 / 39.10 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 77500 D: 17.50 ⇑ 6.06% | 17.24 | 17.70 / 16.90 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 688000 D: 47.30 ⇑ 3.73% | 47.31 | 47.90 / 46.00 C: 47.80 ⇑ 4.37% | 47.52 | 47.90 / 47.10 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 14000 D: 24.90 ⇑ 2.47% | 25.00 | 25.00 / 24.90 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 372500 D: 9.90 ⇑ 2.06% | 9.90 | 10.00 / 9.60 C: 9.80 ⇑ 1.03% | 9.80 | 9.80 / 9.80 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 1796650 D: 17.30 ⇑ 2.37% | 17.38 | 17.50 / 16.00 C: 17.30 ⇑ 1.76% | 17.34 | 17.50 / 17.00 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 1570000 D: 23.80 ⇑ 3.93% | 24.09 | 24.60 / 22.90 C: 23.70 ⇑ 3.04% | 23.95 | 24.30 / 23.50 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 808756 D: 7.00 ⇑ 2.94% | 7.02 | 7.30 / 6.20 C: 7.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 7.05 | 7.10 / 6.90 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 25500 D: 5.90 ⇑ 1.72% | 5.95 | 6.00 / 5.80 C: 5.90 ⇑ 1.72% | 5.86 | 5.90 / 5.60 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 123500 D: 6.50 ⇑ 3.17% | 6.61 | 6.70 / 6.50 C: 6.60 ⇑ 4.76% | 6.51 | 6.70 / 6.40 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 835021 D: 7.70 ⇑ 2.67% | 7.71 | 7.80 / 7.60 C: 7.70 ⇑ 2.67% | 7.69 | 7.80 / 7.50 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 232500 D: 5.30 ⇑ 3.92% | 5.35 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.40 ⇑ 3.85% | 5.31 | 5.40 / 5.30 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 963000 D: 5.90 ⇑ 7.27% | 5.82 | 6.00 / 5.30 C: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 5.79 | 5.80 / 5.60 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 787169 D: 6.80 ⇑ 1.49% | 6.89 | 7.00 / 6.10 C: 7.00 ⇑ 2.94% | 6.99 | 7.00 / 6.90 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 734000 D: 5.60 ⇑ 5.66% | 5.58 | 5.80 / 5.40 C: 5.70 ⇑ 1.79% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.50 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 687000 D: 5.20 ⇑ 4.00% | 5.21 | 5.30 / 5.10 C: 5.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.20 | 5.30 / 5.10 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 561500 D: 6.20 ⇑ 3.33% | 6.16 | 6.30 / 6.00 C: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.06 | 6.20 / 5.90 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 438000 D: 5.50 ⇑ 5.77% | 5.45 | 5.60 / 5.30 C: 5.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.39 | 5.50 / 5.20 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 2303029 D: 6.30 ⇑ 6.78% | 6.24 | 6.40 / 5.70 C: 6.30 ⇑ 5.00% | 6.23 | 6.40 / 5.50 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 281000 D: 5.50 ⇑ 3.77% | 5.50 | 5.60 / 5.40 C: 5.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 5.49 | 5.50 / 5.30 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 3221500 D: 5.80 ⇑ 7.41% | 5.71 | 5.90 / 5.40 C: 5.80 ⇑ 5.45% | 5.71 | 5.90 / 5.50 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 56000 D: 6.70 ⇑ 1.52% | 6.80 | 7.00 / 6.70 C: 7.00 ⇑ 4.48% | 7.00 | 7.00 / 7.00 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 172000 D: 6.40 ⇑ 3.23% | 6.46 | 6.50 / 6.30 C: 6.30 ⇓ 1.56% | 6.30 | 6.30 / 6.30 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 767100 D: 8.50 ⇑ 3.66% | 8.49 | 8.60 / 8.30 C: 8.60 ⇑ 2.38% | 8.53 | 8.80 / 8.40 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 55500 D: 7.80 ⇑ 5.41% | 7.80 | 8.00 / 7.50 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 1581500 D: 9.20 ⇑ 8.24% | 9.08 | 9.30 / 8.00 C: 9.00 ⇑ 4.65% | 8.99 | 9.20 / 8.90 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.50 | 10.82 | Vol. 213500 D: 7.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.66 | 7.70 / 7.50 C: 7.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.47 | 7.80 / 7.10

36.20

ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 1148000 D: 7.10 ⇑ 5.97% | 7.09 | 7.20 / 6.80 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 1328350 D: 9.60 ⇑ 3.23% | 9.67 | 9.80 / 9.00 C: 9.50 ⇑ 2.15% | 9.75 | 9.90 / 9.30 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 10000 D: 8.90 ⇓ 1.11% | 9.00 | 9.20 / 8.30 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 37500 D: 8.60 ⇑ 6.17% | 8.59 | 8.80 / 8.40 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 625000 D: 7.10 ⇑ 4.41% | 7.03 | 7.20 / 6.90 C: 7.20 ⇑ 5.88% | 7.11 | 7.20 / 6.90 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 22000 D: 7.60 ⇑ 2.70% | 7.67 | 7.90 / 7.40 C: 7.50 ⇑ 8.70% | 7.50 | 7.50 / 7.50 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 355063 D: 100.1 ⇓ 0.40% | 100.23 | 105.0 / 91.00 C: 101.2 ⇑ 0.70% | 100.99 | 102.0 / 97.00 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 8950 D: 17.20 ⇑ 1.78% | 17.21 | 17.50 / 16.80 OLYMPIC | 7.85 | 22.10 | Vol. 272500 D: 208.0 ⇓ 1.47% | 208.39 | 211.0 / 206.1 C: 209.7 ⇑ 0.14% | 209.82 | 211.0 / 208.1 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 7900 D: 128.0 ⇑ 0.31% | 128.14 | 129.0 / 127.5 C: 128.1 ⇑ 0.08% | 128.35 | 130.0 / 128.1 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 2200 D: 77.50 ⇓ 3.85% | 77.62 | 78.00 / 77.00 C: 74.00 ⇓ 4.02% | 74.00 | 74.00 / 74.00 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 600 D: 263.7 ⇓ 0.38% | 263.33 | 274.8 / 258.2 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 70350 D: 195.3 ⇑ 0.93% | 194.18 | 199.0 / 192.0 C: 194.0 ⇑ 0.52% | 194.21 | 197.0 / 192.1 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 3773 D: 162.0 ⇓ 0.06% | 162.74 | 164.9 / 158.0 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 60950 D: 24.30 ⇓ 4.33% | 25.00 | 26.10 / 23.80 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 243000 D: 32.50 ⇓ 0.31% | 32.58 | 32.90 / 32.40 C: 32.60 ⇑ 0.62% | 32.58 | 32.60 / 32.50 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 5900 D: 140.3 ⇓ 1.20% | 140.68 | 146.5 / 139.1 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 67840 D: 69.80 ⇑ 0.43% | 70.27 | 71.00 / 68.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 192242 D: 24.70 ⇑ 0.82% | 24.71 | 25.00 / 24.00 C: 24.90 ⇑ 0.81% | 24.85 | 25.30 / 24.40 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 84000 D: 21.70 ⇓ 3.98% | 22.06 | 22.60 / 21.50 C: 21.90 ⇓ 4.37% | 21.97 | 22.10 / 21.90 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 9000 D: 15.10 ⇑ 1.34% | 15.25 | 15.30 / 15.00 C: 14.70 ⇑ 1.38% | 14.70 | 14.70 / 14.70 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 39000 D: 82.10 ⇓ 0.61% | 82.47 | 84.20 / 82.00 C: 80.20 ⇓ 2.20% | 80.15 | 80.20 / 80.10 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 273500 D: 40.80 ⇑ 0.25% | 40.70 | 41.00 / 40.20 C: 40.50 ⇓ 0.98% | 40.61 | 41.30 / 40.40 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 472881 D: 44.40 ⇑ 0.45% | 44.50 | 45.00 / 43.00 C: 44.20 ⇑ 1.14% | 43.94 | 45.00 / 43.40 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 314380 D: 69.60 ⇑ 3.42% | 68.74 | 70.00 / 60.60 C: 69.50 ⇑ 3.73% | 68.96 | 70.00 / 67.50 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 241971 D: 64.80 ⇑ 0.62% | 65.15 | 65.50 / 62.00 C: 64.70 ⇑ 1.09% | 64.63 | 66.00 / 63.00 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 288157 D: 16.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.22 | 16.50 / 15.00 C: 16.20 ⇑ 0.62% | 16.22 | 16.50 / 16.00 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 228000 D: 45.80 ⇑ 0.44% | 45.65 | 46.30 / 44.70 C: 45.30 ⇓ 1.09% | 45.48 | 45.90 / 45.00 BENGALWTL | 4.16 | 26.24 | Vol. 412400 D: 46.40 ⇑ 0.43% | 46.81 | 47.30 / 46.30 C: 46.20 ⇓ 0.43% | 46.54 | 47.00 / 46.10 BDBUILDING | 1.53 | 14.60 | Vol. 909000 D: 40.40 ⇓ 0.25% | 40.56 | 41.50 / 40.00 C: 40.10 ⇓ 0.74% | 40.37 | 41.00 / 39.70 NPOLYMAR | 2.38 | 32.89 | Vol. 72410 D: 45.50 ⇓ 10.96% | 45.70 | 46.50 / 45.00 C: 45.80 ⇓ 10.89% | 45.93 | 48.00 / 45.00

FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 40950 D: 88.70 ⇓ 1.33% | 88.89 | 90.70 / 88.40 C: 86.80 ⇓ 2.14% | 86.62 | 87.10 / 84.50 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 31469 D: 392.2 ⇑ 1.06% | 389.79 | 404.9 / 381.0 C: 391.1 ⇑ 0.72% | 391.10 | 400.0 / 381.1 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 1450 D: 1609 ⇑ 0.49% | 1608 | 1630 / 1600 GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 1000 D: 162.8 ⇓ 1.93% | 163.00 | 166.0 / 161.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 3950 D: 798.8 ⇑ 1.98% | 797.72 | 800.0 / 795.0 ZEALBANGLA | -28.94 | -221.34 | Vol. 1800 D: 7.20 ⇓ 6.49% | 7.22 | 7.80 / 7.20 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 28420 D: 181.8 ⇓ 3.61% | 183.88 | 190.0 / 180.0 C: 180.2 ⇓ 4.61% | 181.87 | 184.5 / 180.1 SHYAMPSUG | -45.77 | -396.49 | Vol. 600 D: 7.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.00 | 7.00 / 7.00 FUWANGFOOD | 1.03 | 13.51 | Vol. 298964 D: 22.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.37 | 22.60 / 20.90 C: 22.50 ⇑ 0.45% | 22.29 | 22.50 / 22.20 MEGHNAPET | -0.50 | -1.52 | Vol. 7500 D: 6.40 ⇑ 8.47% | 6.40 | 6.40 / 6.40 MEGCONMILK | -7.48 | -23.70 | Vol. 13000 D: 7.10 ⇑ 1.43% | 7.15 | 7.20 / 7.00 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 547955 D: 19.60 ⇓ 1.01% | 19.65 | 20.00 / 19.00 C: 19.70 ⇓ 0.51% | 19.77 | 20.10 / 19.40 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 330500 D: 16.20 ⇓ 2.99% | 16.43 | 16.90 / 16.10 C: 16.40 ⇓ 2.38% | 16.56 | 17.40 / 16.30 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 598488 D: 21.70 ⇑ 0.46% | 21.63 | 22.00 / 20.00 C: 21.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.65 | 21.90 / 21.20 GHAIL | 2.43 | 25.58 | Vol. 849180 D: 36.80 ⇓ 1.87% | 36.99 | 38.20 / 34.00 C: 36.90 ⇓ 1.60% | 37.05 | 37.80 / 36.80 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 9500 D: 624.5 ⇓ 0.67% | 628.84 | 639.8 / 622.0 PADMAOIL | 16.38 | 43.67 | Vol. 209011 D: 301.4 ⇑ 0.97% | 300.54 | 307.0 / 296.0 C: 301.7 ⇑ 0.80% | 300.28 | 305.0 / 296.5 EASTRNLUB | 6.32 | 68.68 | Vol. 750 D: 325.2 ⇑ 2.65% | 325.33 | 332.0 / 320.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 313542 D: 19.60 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.61 | 20.00 / 18.50 C: 19.60 ⇓ 0.51% | 19.62 | 19.70 / 19.60 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 641699 D: 34.70 ⇑ 2.06% | 34.54 | 34.90 / 30.60 C: 34.80 ⇑ 2.65% | 34.59 | 35.00 / 33.00 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 208300 D: 64.00 ⇓ 0.93% | 64.02 | 65.00 / 63.80 C: 64.80 ⇑ 0.15% | 64.78 | 65.50 / 64.10 POWERGRID | 2.56 | 48.08 | Vol. 31435 D: 54.00 ⇑ 0.93% | 54.02 | 54.40 / 50.00 C: 54.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 54.00 | 54.00 / 54.00 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 149830 D: 225.9 ⇑ 0.53% | 225.57 | 227.0 / 223.0 C: 224.7 ⇑ 0.31% | 225.32 | 229.0 / 222.2 MPETROLEUM | 16.98 | 40.41 | Vol. 257780 D: 265.1 ⇑ 1.22% | 264.16 | 266.0 / 258.0 C: 267.6 ⇑ 1.71% | 266.55 | 268.5 / 263.0 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 855900 D: 74.60 ⇑ 0.13% | 74.86 | 75.60 / 70.00 C: 74.50 ⇓ 0.13% | 74.68 | 75.00 / 72.00 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 226914 D: 47.70 ⇑ 1.49% | 47.23 | 47.90 / 45.00 C: 48.00 ⇑ 2.78% | 47.67 | 48.40 / 46.00 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 758671 D: 28.40 ⇑ 1.43% | 28.43 | 28.70 / 27.50 C: 28.40 ⇑ 1.43% | 28.37 | 28.70 / 28.00 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 30501 D: 72.60 ⇑ 2.11% | 72.10 | 73.40 / 64.00 C: 71.50 ⇑ 0.85% | 70.98 | 72.20 / 64.00 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 1026652 D: 27.00 ⇑ 1.89% | 26.98 | 28.00 / 25.80 C: 27.20 ⇑ 1.49% | 27.06 | 27.40 / 24.30 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 902090 D: 57.80 ⇑ 0.35% | 57.73 | 60.00 / 52.00 C: 58.10 ⇑ 0.17% | 57.85 | 59.00 / 52.20

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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7

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013

November 07, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 38,262.25 ⇑ 4.09% NBFI: 21,414.81 ⇑ 5.89% INVS: 4,855.55 ⇑ 1.74% ENGG: 5,845.29 ⇑ 0.78% FOOD: 9,339.82 ⇓ 0.40% F&P: 10,046.97 ⇑ 0.82% TEXT: 3,181.95 ⇑ 0.73% PHAR: 17,122.89 ⇑ 0.85% PAPR: 929.54 ⇓ 1.20% SERV: 2,845.15 ⇑ 0.62% LEAT: 5,126.20 ⇓ 0.20% CERA: 493.97 ⇑ 1.40% CMNT: 4,356.97 ⇓ 0.35% INFO: 6,701.18 ⇑ 0.05% GINS: 9,351.19 ⇑ 2.36% LINS: 114,530.82 ⇑ 1.89% TELC: 1,332.71 ⇑ 2.56% MISC: 6,125.86 ⇑ 0.83% JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 17950 D: 64.00 ⇓ 1.69% | 64.57 | 70.70 / 61.70 NORTHERN | -9.98 | -18.22 | Vol. 200 D: 24.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.00 | 24.00 / 24.00 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 4650 D: 128.4 ⇑ 0.00% | 127.74 | 129.9 / 127.0 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 89100 D: 85.40 ⇓ 3.28% | 87.74 | 92.40 / 85.00 STYLECRAFT | 20.00 | 287.30 | Vol. 200 D: 1290 ⇑ 6.23% | 1290 | 1290 / 1290 RAHIMTEXT | 5.81 | 70.85 | Vol. 1600 D: 290.7 ⇓ 7.83% | 290.63 | 292.1 / 289.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 362600 D: 28.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.98 | 29.20 / 28.80 C: 28.90 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.80 | 29.20 / 28.60 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 1500 D: 76.20 ⇑ 1.60% | 76.00 | 78.90 / 73.70 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 27200 D: 52.00 ⇓ 4.59% | 52.79 | 55.00 / 50.80 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 5200 D: 7.60 ⇓ 2.56% | 7.69 | 7.80 / 7.50 TALLUSPIN | 2.01 | 18.59 | Vol. 788490 D: 41.00 ⇑ 4.33% | 40.39 | 41.70 / 36.00 C: 40.40 ⇑ 2.28% | 40.23 | 41.00 / 39.70 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 3000 D: 64.60 ⇓ 0.77% | 64.67 | 65.10 / 64.20 MITHUNKNIT | 3.33 | 23.82 | Vol. 68000 D: 74.20 ⇓ 2.11% | 74.69 | 75.60 / 74.00 C: 73.90 ⇓ 1.34% | 74.41 | 75.00 / 73.80 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 18.12 | Vol. 395000 D: 30.30 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.19 | 31.00 / 29.80 C: 30.20 ⇓ 1.31% | 30.26 | 31.00 / 29.80 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 202752 D: 15.80 ⇓ 1.25% | 15.91 | 16.10 / 15.50 C: 15.80 ⇓ 1.25% | 15.88 | 16.50 / 15.50 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 180000 D: 24.60 ⇑ 0.41% | 24.63 | 24.90 / 24.40 C: 24.50 ⇓ 0.41% | 24.50 | 24.80 / 24.20 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 179000 D: 7.10 ⇓ 1.39% | 7.17 | 7.40 / 7.10 C: 7.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.23 | 7.30 / 7.10 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 147500 D: 31.50 ⇑ 3.28% | 30.78 | 32.00 / 30.00 C: 30.70 ⇑ 2.33% | 30.70 | 31.20 / 29.50 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 156500 D: 34.60 ⇑ 0.29% | 34.47 | 35.40 / 34.10 C: 33.30 ⇓ 3.20% | 33.30 | 35.90 / 32.00 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 1506156 D: 29.30 ⇓ 1.01% | 29.27 | 30.30 / 28.80 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 456810 D: 22.80 ⇓ 0.44% | 23.05 | 23.50 / 20.70 C: 22.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.12 | 23.50 / 22.80 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 65025 D: 90.90 ⇑ 1.45% | 90.40 | 91.60 / 89.50 C: 90.10 ⇑ 0.45% | 90.14 | 90.60 / 88.00 METROSPIN | 0.62 | 19.48 | Vol. 472947 D: 18.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.38 | 18.60 / 17.50 C: 18.60 ⇑ 0.54% | 18.47 | 18.70 / 18.00 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 1185858 D: 15.80 ⇑ 0.64% | 15.73 | 16.00 / 14.20 C: 15.90 ⇑ 1.27% | 15.77 | 16.00 / 15.00 DACCADYE | 1.21 | 31.13 | Vol. 364000 D: 27.30 ⇑ 3.41% | 27.13 | 27.50 / 26.40 C: 26.70 ⇑ 0.38% | 26.77 | 27.90 / 26.50 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 2103720 D: 31.00 ⇑ 1.97% | 30.79 | 31.30 / 30.40 C: 31.10 ⇑ 2.30% | 30.84 | 31.40 / 30.50 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 634111 D: 15.60 ⇓ 0.64% | 15.64 | 16.00 / 15.10 C: 15.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.80 | 16.00 / 15.60 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 1503865 D: 27.70 ⇑ 0.73% | 27.72 | 28.30 / 25.00 C: 27.80 ⇑ 0.36% | 27.76 | 28.50 / 27.40 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 654000 D: 23.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.48 | 23.90 / 23.30 C: 23.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.50 | 23.80 / 23.40 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 4549920 D: 25.20 ⇑ 1.20% | 25.06 | 26.10 / 22.50 C: 25.20 ⇑ 0.80% | 25.10 | 25.50 / 23.00 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 1294110 D: 57.20 ⇓ 1.72% | 57.72 | 59.50 / 53.00 C: 57.50 ⇓ 1.03% | 57.90 | 59.50 / 52.30 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 661640 D: 67.30 ⇑ 1.82% | 66.97 | 68.50 / 59.50 C: 67.10 ⇑ 1.82% | 66.15 | 67.90 / 59.40

FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 251000 D: 42.80 ⇑ 3.38% | 42.63 | 43.20 / 41.70 C: 42.70 ⇑ 1.91% | 42.56 | 43.00 / 41.70 Pharmaceutical & Chemical AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 8001 D: 246.7 ⇓ 2.22% | 248.03 | 251.8 / 245.0 C: 248.1 ⇓ 1.16% | 248.11 | 260.0 / 245.0 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 167241 D: 45.00 ⇑ 0.67% | 45.04 | 49.00 / 43.00 C: 44.80 ⇑ 0.90% | 44.79 | 45.30 / 42.00 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 550 D: 928.8 ⇓ 0.31% | 929.09 | 932.0 / 924.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 4126 D: 163.3 ⇓ 1.09% | 163.48 | 165.4 / 161.0 C: 162.6 ⇓ 4.18% | 163.12 | 170.0 / 160.0 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 3150 D: 716.5 ⇑ 0.27% | 715.87 | 720.0 / 712.5 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 100 D: 733.5 ⇓ 4.22% | 730.00 | 736.0 / 731.0 PHARMAID | 5.06 | 26.30 | Vol. 24800 D: 162.8 ⇓ 0.73% | 163.79 | 166.4 / 162.0 KOHINOOR | 9.52 | 10.49 | Vol. 3195 D: 432.5 ⇑ 4.80% | 432.50 | 445.0 / 415.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 92310 D: 96.70 ⇓ 0.51% | 96.93 | 98.10 / 96.40 C: 96.00 ⇓ 0.93% | 96.05 | 98.40 / 95.70 LIBRAINFU | 4.21 | 1567.59 | Vol. 200 D: 386.0 ⇓ 4.86% | 386.00 | 386.0 / 386.0 ORIONINFU | 8.72 | 1.73 | Vol. 146400 D: 40.90 ⇑ 0.25% | 41.03 | 41.70 / 40.50 C: 42.00 ⇑ 3.70% | 40.63 | 42.00 / 39.00 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 882036 D: 183.4 ⇑ 2.52% | 182.44 | 187.0 / 163.0 C: 183.1 ⇑ 2.40% | 181.99 | 183.8 / 175.0 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 34000 D: 7.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.20 | 7.30 / 7.10 C: 7.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.27 | 7.30 / 7.20 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 1031802 D: 24.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.13 | 24.60 / 21.70 C: 24.30 ⇑ 0.41% | 24.19 | 24.40 / 24.10 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 1600 D: 815.6 ⇑ 0.28% | 819.38 | 834.5 / 803.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 32700 D: 73.10 ⇓ 0.27% | 72.82 | 73.70 / 72.50 C: 73.80 ⇓ 0.14% | 73.38 | 74.90 / 70.50 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 13500 D: 758.4 ⇓ 2.18% | 754.00 | 764.0 / 750.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 498500 D: 11.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.50 | 11.60 / 11.40 C: 11.40 ⇓ 0.87% | 11.45 | 11.60 / 11.30 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 979500 D: 82.30 ⇓ 6.26% | 84.47 | 88.00 / 80.00 C: 82.40 ⇓ 6.68% | 84.63 | 88.10 / 82.00 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 350475 D: 19.20 ⇑ 0.52% | 19.25 | 19.40 / 18.00 C: 19.30 ⇑ 0.52% | 19.33 | 19.50 / 19.20 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 953500 D: 53.10 ⇑ 3.11% | 53.37 | 54.10 / 51.50 C: 53.30 ⇑ 3.29% | 53.41 | 54.00 / 52.50 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 1366920 D: 53.30 ⇓ 0.56% | 53.36 | 54.20 / 49.00 C: 53.80 ⇓ 0.19% | 53.82 | 54.60 / 49.20 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 141000 D: 179.7 ⇓ 3.02% | 181.85 | 188.9 / 179.0 C: 180.2 ⇓ 2.59% | 181.66 | 185.0 / 176.0 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 403500 D: 27.70 ⇓ 1.77% | 27.84 | 28.40 / 27.50 C: 27.70 ⇓ 1.77% | 27.82 | 28.00 / 27.60 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 24500 D: 25.20 ⇓ 3.08% | 25.21 | 26.50 / 25.00 C: 24.90 ⇓ 4.23% | 25.16 | 26.00 / 24.60

SERVICE SAMORITA | 3.24 | 74.65 | Vol. 99500 D: 107.5 ⇑ 3.37% | 110.93 | 119.0 / 105.7 C: 104.6 ⇓ 1.41% | 104.60 | 104.6 / 104.6 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 345484 D: 27.00 ⇑ 2.27% | 26.75 | 27.30 / 25.00 C: 27.10 ⇑ 2.65% | 26.87 | 27.30 / 26.00 EHL | 3.16 | 20.74 | Vol. 236308 D: 53.10 ⇑ 0.19% | 53.15 | 53.80 / 47.70 C: 53.20 ⇑ 0.38% | 53.04 | 54.00 / 52.70 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 98900 D: 104.5 ⇓ 1.23% | 105.15 | 107.9 / 104.1 C: 104.6 ⇓ 1.51% | 104.75 | 105.0 / 104.5 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 4600 D: 704.6 ⇑ 0.11% | 705.65 | 719.0 / 700.0 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 48400 D: 388.1 ⇓ 1.15% | 389.15 | 396.4 / 387.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 8500 D: 12.70 ⇑ 1.60% | 12.77 | 13.60 / 12.00 C: 12.10 ⇑ 10.00% | 12.03 | 12.10 / 12.00 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 324743 D: 31.50 ⇓ 3.67% | 32.02 | 33.40 / 30.00 C: 31.40 ⇓ 3.68% | 31.72 | 33.00 / 31.10 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 33600 D: 30.00 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.28 | 30.80 / 29.90 C: 30.00 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.03 | 30.10 / 30.00 STANCERAM | 1.12 | 15.49 | Vol. 20000 D: 43.20 ⇑ 7.20% | 42.92 | 43.80 / 41.00 C: 38.50 ⇓ 3.75% | 38.50 | 38.50 / 38.50 FUWANGCER | 0.72 | 13.97 | Vol. 355300 D: 18.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.20 | 18.40 / 18.00 C: 18.30 ⇓ 0.54% | 18.30 | 18.40 / 18.10 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 461344 D: 16.30 ⇑ 1.88% | 16.29 | 17.00 / 14.40 C: 16.30 ⇑ 1.24% | 16.28 | 17.00 / 16.00 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 151102 D: 51.50 ⇑ 1.98% | 51.23 | 52.20 / 50.00 C: 51.80 ⇑ 2.17% | 51.35 | 51.80 / 50.60 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 130500 D: 399.9 ⇓ 1.36% | 405.53 | 420.0 / 396.0 C: 398.1 ⇓ 2.11% | 399.81 | 404.1 / 393.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 160428 D: 123.9 ⇓ 1.27% | 124.71 | 127.0 / 120.0 C: 124.0 ⇓ 1.20% | 124.36 | 125.5 / 123.1 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 65000 D: 122.9 ⇓ 0.81% | 123.17 | 126.0 / 122.0 C: 124.9 ⇓ 4.14% | 122.76 | 129.9 / 119.0 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 62000 D: 70.40 ⇑ 0.57% | 70.40 | 71.60 / 69.50 C: 72.60 ⇑ 1.26% | 72.58 | 74.00 / 69.60 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 529500 D: 31.80 ⇑ 1.60% | 31.82 | 32.00 / 31.30 C: 31.90 ⇑ 1.92% | 31.83 | 32.00 / 31.60 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 533456 D: 91.50 ⇑ 0.11% | 90.97 | 94.90 / 83.00 C: 91.00 ⇓ 0.22% | 90.99 | 92.40 / 82.10 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 295000 D: 102.5 ⇓ 4.12% | 103.33 | 106.6 / 101.6 C: 102.1 ⇓ 3.13% | 103.63 | 105.1 / 102.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 125500 D: 15.60 ⇓ 1.27% | 15.63 | 15.90 / 15.40 C: 15.60 ⇓ 1.89% | 15.60 | 15.90 / 15.40 BDCOM | 1.54 | 15.85 | Vol. 640737 D: 27.30 ⇑ 0.74% | 27.20 | 28.10 / 25.00 C: 27.50 ⇑ 1.48% | 27.61 | 28.40 / 25.00

INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 205260 D: 14.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.89 | 15.10 / 14.00 C: 15.00 ⇑ 0.67% | 15.00 | 15.30 / 14.80 AGNISYSL | 1.06 | 16.39 | Vol. 364840 D: 21.40 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.34 | 22.00 / 21.10 C: 21.40 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.32 | 21.90 / 20.90 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 603644 D: 13.10 ⇓ 0.76% | 13.18 | 13.50 / 12.00 C: 13.20 ⇓ 0.75% | 13.25 | 13.50 / 13.10

ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 55500 D: 34.90 ⇑ 0.87% | 34.85 | 35.30 / 33.20 C: 33.10 ⇓ 4.06% | 33.07 | 33.10 / 33.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 52300 D: 30.50 ⇑ 2.69% | 30.43 | 30.80 / 29.00 C: 30.50 ⇑ 5.17% | 29.41 | 30.50 / 26.10 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 107250 D: 40.90 ⇑ 3.02% | 40.88 | 41.50 / 39.70 C: 41.30 ⇑ 4.56% | 41.17 | 41.70 / 40.50

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 169844 D: 30.70 ⇑ 2.68% | 30.79 | 31.00 / 29.00 C: 30.80 ⇑ 3.70% | 30.39 | 30.90 / 26.80 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 54200 D: 82.90 ⇑ 2.22% | 82.05 | 83.10 / 81.00 C: 80.50 ⇑ 1.90% | 80.50 | 80.50 / 80.50 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 15104 D: 45.50 ⇑ 3.64% | 44.76 | 46.00 / 41.00 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 562375 D: 36.60 ⇑ 6.71% | 35.73 | 37.30 / 32.50 C: 36.30 ⇑ 5.83% | 35.89 | 36.50 / 34.00 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 38603 D: 40.70 ⇑ 4.09% | 40.18 | 41.00 / 38.00 C: 40.50 ⇑ 7.71% | 40.93 | 41.10 / 40.50 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 63900 D: 43.10 ⇑ 3.61% | 43.28 | 43.60 / 40.00 C: 43.30 ⇑ 2.36% | 43.33 | 43.50 / 42.80 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 108260 D: 49.00 ⇑ 2.51% | 48.95 | 49.50 / 43.10 C: 48.70 ⇑ 0.62% | 48.73 | 49.00 / 48.60 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 54000 D: 30.90 ⇑ 5.10% | 30.79 | 31.00 / 29.90 C: 30.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 30.00 | 30.00 / 30.00 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 170380 D: 24.30 ⇑ 3.85% | 24.02 | 24.50 / 22.00 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 341478 D: 34.30 ⇑ 5.21% | 33.93 | 34.50 / 32.30 C: 34.20 ⇑ 4.27% | 33.75 | 34.40 / 33.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 396298 D: 25.40 ⇑ 4.10% | 25.22 | 25.70 / 22.00 C: 25.60 ⇑ 4.49% | 25.12 | 25.70 / 24.00 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 500 D: 73.80 ⇑ 4.24% | 73.80 | 73.80 / 73.80 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 789901 D: 25.00 ⇑ 5.49% | 24.69 | 25.50 / 22.50 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 10702 D: 59.30 ⇑ 3.13% | 59.33 | 59.70 / 55.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 93285 D: 33.80 ⇑ 6.62% | 33.14 | 34.00 / 29.80 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 49000 D: 69.80 ⇑ 2.95% | 69.43 | 70.00 / 67.50 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 223742 D: 29.60 ⇑ 4.59% | 29.19 | 30.50 / 27.00 C: 29.50 ⇑ 4.24% | 29.50 | 29.50 / 29.50 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 73000 D: 28.40 ⇑ 4.80% | 28.12 | 28.50 / 27.60 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 67989 D: 29.90 ⇑ 3.10% | 29.78 | 30.20 / 28.00 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 29000 D: 36.20 ⇑ 2.26% | 36.00 | 36.70 / 35.20 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 174500 D: 32.00 ⇑ 5.26% | 31.88 | 32.90 / 31.00 C: 31.10 ⇑ 1.97% | 31.07 | 31.50 / 31.00 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 194581 D: 25.60 ⇑ 4.07% | 25.59 | 26.00 / 23.50 C: 25.50 ⇑ 3.24% | 25.81 | 26.00 / 24.50 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 131363 D: 25.20 ⇑ 2.44% | 25.24 | 25.60 / 24.00 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 175332 D: 30.40 ⇑ 2.36% | 30.36 | 30.90 / 28.50 C: 30.80 ⇑ 4.76% | 30.40 | 30.90 / 30.10 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 300650 D: 31.70 ⇑ 3.59% | 31.62 | 31.90 / 29.00 C: 31.90 ⇑ 3.57% | 31.69 | 31.90 / 30.10 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 358000 D: 42.90 ⇑ 2.63% | 42.91 | 43.70 / 41.90 C: 42.40 ⇑ 0.47% | 42.81 | 43.50 / 41.90 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 21626 D: 41.10 ⇑ 3.01% | 40.87 | 41.90 / 38.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 83563 D: 43.70 ⇑ 3.31% | 43.53 | 44.00 / 40.70 C: 43.50 ⇑ 2.35% | 43.42 | 43.90 / 42.60 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 473049 D: 45.40 ⇑ 4.37% | 45.20 | 46.00 / 43.00 C: 45.90 ⇑ 5.28% | 45.53 | 46.30 / 44.00 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 92231 D: 27.90 ⇑ 2.95% | 27.89 | 28.20 / 25.70 C: 28.10 ⇑ 3.69% | 28.02 | 28.30 / 27.00

LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 23165 D: 255.0 ⇑ 0.28% | 256.92 | 264.5 / 250.0 C: 248.0 ⇑ 0.81% | 247.06 | 248.0 / 242.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 214150 D: 343.1 ⇑ 8.75% | 342.90 | 343.1 / 326.0 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 187991 D: 74.00 ⇑ 7.09% | 72.48 | 74.90 / 65.00 C: 74.20 ⇑ 9.93% | 73.23 | 74.20 / 68.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 218321 D: 210.7 ⇑ 7.50% | 206.53 | 212.0 / 190.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 164129 D: 96.60 ⇑ 4.32% | 97.09 | 100.0 / 90.00 C: 97.20 ⇑ 4.63% | 96.48 | 98.90 / 90.00 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 136850 D: 108.4 ⇑ 5.65% | 107.33 | 109.0 / 103.0 C: 109.0 ⇑ 8.89% | 109.32 | 110.0 / 106.0 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 42180 D: 114.1 ⇑ 5.36% | 112.52 | 117.5 / 100.0 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 90600 D: 128.3 ⇑ 3.22% | 128.06 | 134.0 / 115.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 27370 D: 94.20 ⇑ 2.95% | 93.50 | 95.00 / 85.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 158120 D: 100.0 ⇑ 2.25% | 101.08 | 103.5 / 99.00 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 59620 D: 58.40 ⇑ 3.73% | 58.11 | 59.40 / 52.00 C: 58.00 ⇑ 1.40% | 57.63 | 58.50 / 53.00 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 212850 D: 59.90 ⇑ 3.81% | 59.26 | 60.40 / 52.00 C: 57.80 ⇑ 2.66% | 58.23 | 59.00 / 54.00 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 1250000 D: 202.4 ⇑ 3.00% | 202.06 | 204.7 / 197.0 C: 202.3 ⇑ 3.37% | 201.43 | 204.0 / 190.0 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 327382 D: 165.9 ⇓ 0.42% | 166.21 | 175.0 / 150.0 C: 166.3 ⇓ 0.30% | 166.67 | 173.0 / 165.0 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 4477263 D: 15.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.99 | 16.20 / 15.00 C: 16.10 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.03 | 16.20 / 15.00 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 379960 D: 76.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 76.96 | 78.00 / 70.00 C: 77.30 ⇑ 0.26% | 77.36 | 78.20 / 77.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 30150 D: 313.9 ⇑ 6.30% | 306.81 | 319.0 / 297.1 C: 305.9 ⇑ 4.40% | 305.86 | 310.0 / 301.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 38470 D: 416.3 ⇑ 0.00% | 417.02 | 421.0 / 415.0 C: 418.3 ⇓ 0.01% | 418.55 | 423.0 / 416.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 33093 D: 139.3 ⇓ 0.07% | 139.56 | 141.3 / 137.0 C: 141.0 ⇑ 1.37% | 140.17 | 141.8 / 139.0 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 850 D: 55.80 ⇓ 6.69% | 55.29 | 58.90 / 55.00 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 2873806 D: 32.40 ⇑ 2.21% | 32.30 | 33.50 / 28.60 C: 32.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 32.18 | 33.00 / 28.70 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 189000 D: 20.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.89 | 21.30 / 20.50 C: 20.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.61 | 21.00 / 20.40 MIRACLEIND | 0.10 | 15.13 | Vol. 129527 D: 13.90 ⇓ 0.71% | 13.95 | 14.10 / 13.90 C: 13.80 ⇓ 0.72% | 13.89 | 14.00 / 13.00 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 20 D: 962.3 ⇓ 0.36% | 950.00 | 963.3 / 961.5 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 6 D: 881.5 ⇑ 0.00% | 881.50 | 881.5 / 881.5 C: 880.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 880.00 | 880.0 / 880.0 BRACSCBOND | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 20 D: 1030 ⇑ 0.00% | 1030 | 1030 / 1030

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER8, 2013

Researchers slam palm oil initiative n AFP, Paris Forests are still disappearing and local communities disregarded by palm oil development despite a plan to put the sector on a sustainable footing, researchers warned as an industry gathering kicked off yesterday.

After conducting 16 case studies in Africa and Southeast Asia, the hubs of the palm oil industry, researchers said in a new book they were disappointed with a joint industry-NGO initiative to reduce the sector’s impact.

The criticism came as the group behind the initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), began its annual meeting in Indonesia.

“Since its founding 8 years ago, the RSPO has adopted good standards, but too many member companies are not delivering on these paper promises,” said Marcus Colchester, one of the authors of the book “Conflict or Consent? The oil palm sector at a crossroads”.

The RSPO was created in 2004 by members of the palm oil industry with the support of governments and non-governmental organisations such as the WWF to take a voluntary approach to limit the environmental and social impact of industrial farming.

Today it counts major producers of the popular cooking oil and processed food component as members.

The RSPO certifies operations that claim to respect the rights of indigenous peoples and adopt conservation policies.

The organisation also aims to be a mediator for communities who have seen their way of life disrupted by palm plantations and the industry.

But as world demand for palm oil has boomed, it has touched off a land rush. Experts believe production will expand to Latin America in the next decade to meet growing demand.

In Indonesia alone, palm cultivation occupies 10.8 million hectares (26.3 million acres) - about the size of South Korea - and projects in the pipeline would occupy another 20 million hectares, or over 10% of the national territory.

Growing palm oil is a major source of conflicts, with the Indonesian government

This aerial photo taken in Central Kalimantan province in Indonesia's Borneo island, shows a palm oil plantation that has been carved out from a forest AFP counting more than 4,000 disputes over land, according to Colchester.

It has also propelled Indonesia into third place globally for greenhouse gas emissions, following the United States and China, due to deforestation.

The 16 case studies included Indonesia and Malaysia, which between them account for 85% of global palm oil output. Also included were Philippines, Thailand, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In most cases the RSPO improved dialogue between local communities and producers, said the book’s authors.

Certain companies even adapted their

practices to take concerns of local communities into account, they added.

“But RSPO-certified companies have not always held to their commitments, especially in respect to the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities,” according to the Forest Peoples Programme, one the groups which conducted the case studies.

It pointed to a disconnect between company executives and managers.

“Senior company officials may have committed to the new approach but too often operational managers have failed to respond,” said the NGO. Numerous companies also fail to follow

guidelines and often local governments fail to protect communities, added Colchester.

He said they were disappointed with the slow progress and expressed concern some firms use RSPO certification as a marketing ploy. Colchester also cited the case of the Singaporean giant Wilmar International, which processes 45% of the world’s palm oil, and is a RSPO member.

When residents of a community on the Indonesian island of Sumatra turned to the RSPO over a Wilmar project, he said the company sold the concession while mediation was under way, thus ridding itself of the problem it had created. l

India moves to level playing field for foreign banks n AFP, New Delhi India’s central bank has moved to level the playing field for foreign banks, opening up new opportunities for overseas lenders in Asia’s third-largest economy.

The regulations, announced late Wednesday, allow foreign banks in India virtually the same freedom as local banks to set up branches, list on stock exchanges and make acquisitions.

The rules change will also allow foreign banks to play a bigger role in expanding the Indian financial sector.

But the Reserve Bank of India attached several conditions to the move, insisting that foreign-owned banks convert to being wholly owned subsidiaries, rather than

branches, as they are at present.

This would allow the central bank greater oversight of foreign banks’ operations by making them subject to the same strict regulation as Indian banks.

Another condition of the move is that banks must allocate 40% of their lending to the “priority sector”, referring to small-scale industry, agriculture workers and low-income earners who find it difficult to obtain loans.

Foreign lenders must also locate one of every four new branches opened in rural areas where there are currently few banks, partly due to the cost of running such farflung outlets.

The new rules, which apply to banks present in India before 2010, are part of the cen-

tral bank’s drive to strengthen the country’s financial system.

The 2008 global financial crisis highlighted the increasing “interconnectedness of financial institutions” and the need for greater control over foreign institutions operating in India to ensure financial stability, the Reserve Bank said.

Converting foreign branches into subsidiaries would ensure that assets of the domestic bank are ring-fenced, it said, meaning the parent bank could not plunder its India-based assets.

To ensure foreign banks do not dominate India’s financial landscape, the Reserve Bank also said it would curb the expansion of foreign banks once the assets of overseas-owned institutions hit 20% of the na-

tional total.

Indian banks currently account for over two-thirds of the banking sector’s assets while foreign banks are still a tiny presence, holding just four percent of deposits, according to recent central bank figures.

The new rules come after the appointment two months ago of a new central bank governor, Raghuram Rajan, who strongly favours financial reforms and modernisation of the banking system.

Under the changes, wholly owned subsidiaries could strike acquisition deals with any private sector bank in India subject to a foreign investment cap of 74%.

Foreign multinational banks operating in India include Citibank, HSBC and Standard Chartered. l