November 15, 2013

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Verdict in Tarique case on November 17 Money laundering charges brought against BNP senior vice chairman and his aide carry 7 years’ jail term Sanaul Islam Tipu and n Md Ashif Islam Shaon A Dhaka court yesterday set November 17 for verdict on the money laundering case against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and his close friend Giasuddin Al Mamun.

Judge Md Motahar Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 fixed the date in absentia of Tarique, the elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, after completion of arguments between the prosecution and defence. Mamun was present on the dock.

The verdict on the case is set to come in the final days of the current government’s rule when the BNP leaders and activists were hoping Tarique’s comeback to the country and politics This will be the first judgment in any case against Tarique. A total of 16 were filed against him during the army-backed caretaker government tenure. Of the cases, five are now under trial while he was acquitted in another case.

The verdict on the case is set to come in the final days of the current government’s rule when the BNP leaders and activists were hoping Tarique’s comeback to the country and politics.

His lawyer Md Sanaullah Miah alleged that the prosecution was preparing the verdict hastily against the BNP leader in the “politically motivated” case.

ACC Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol, however, claimed they had proved the allegations and expect-

ing highest punishment of seven-year imprisonment.

As the money laundering case story goes, Tarique Rahman and his friend Giasuddin Al Mamun siphoned off Tk204m to Singapore between 2003 and 2007 during the BNP-led alliance tenure.

Later Tk204.12m was brought back

by Anti-Corruption Commission on July 31, 2007 and deposited with the Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country.

The anti-graft watchdog filed the case with Cantonment Police Station in October 2009. The trial started on July 6 in 2011.

Tarique and his friend and business partner Mamun were indicted in August last year under the Money Laundering Act 2002. An arrest warrant was issued against them.

In the case statement the plaintiff alleged that the money was taken as bribe from a businessman with the promise of bagging a tender deal. The money was deposited with a Singaporean branch of Citibank.

Tarique Rahman was arrested during the regime of a military-backed caretaker government in 2007. He secured bail in 2008 and went to London for treatment and since then he has been living in Britain with his family.

On May 26 this year, a Dhaka court cleared the way for the ACC to seek help from Interpol to arrest Tarique Rahman.

Against Tarique and Mamun, the court recorded accounts of 13 prosecution witnesses’ statements including US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Agent Debra Leprovettee, informant of the case Additional Director of  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

The government has extended the tenures of four rental power projects for more than five years to purchase electricity worth more than Tk100.51bn.

The projects are the 100MW Desh Energy Limited, the Ashuganj Precision Energy Limited, the Shikalbaha Energis Power Corporation Limited – the last two having a capacity of producing 55MW of electricity – and the 50MW plant at Thakurgaon.

The Power Division has also proposed transferring the Powerpac Mutirara Power Plant from Khulna to Keraniganj and setting up a 100MW wind-based plant of Consortium of PIA Group LCC and Bangladesh

tims succumbed to their wounds they suffered during opposition-sponsored shutdowns.

The deceased are Nasima Akter, 30, a garment worker at Delta Garment in Gazipur and Abul Kashem, 42, a farmer from Feni district.

Nasima died around 1:35am while Abul Kashem around 9.00am, said Partha Shankar Pal, residential surgeon of burn and Plastic surgery unit of the DMCH. On October 26, the day before the first spell of 60-hour shutdown began, Nasima was returning to her residence after work by a bus.

When the bus reached the capital’s Beribadh area in Mohammadpur around 10.00pm a group of hartal supporters set it ablaze. The fire burnt 46% of her body.

Rahima Akter, elder sister of Nasima, said she was the youngest among her four sisters. Nasima helped their family members including her mother by working at the garment factory after her husband walked out on her.

We always struggle for survival but still we had our dreams and now it is gone, she said holding back her tears.

“The dirty politics not only shatters our dreams but also claims our life though we have done nothing wrong.”

The death of Kashem came as a double blow to his family members as they not only lost only the earning members of the family they had also to face a

n Manik Miazee Former military dictator and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad is leaving the Awami League-led ruling alliance to form a new alliance with several small left-leaning and Islamist parties.

“The Jatiya Party will no longer be a part of the grand alliance and declare a new alliance within a day or two to save people from the hands of the two parties,” Ershad said at a programme at his

Alternative Energy Systems Ltd at Anwara in Chittagong.

The proposals were placed at a meeting of the cabinet committee yesterday on public purchase and approved. Finance Minister AMA Muhith presided over the meeting.

The prime minister’s energy Advise Tawfiq-e-Elahi also attended the meeting.

An official of the Power Division said the government had no alternative to extending the rental power projects up to 2018.

The government sent the proposals on the four power projects to the public purchase committee on Sunday, considering their performance level at 80% power factors.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

INSIDE against the use and production of explosives, intelligence agencies have identified 57 suspected political leaders as financers of the “explosive traders.”

Nation

7 Vast tracts of char land in four upazilas of Gai-

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said pickets hurled a petrol bomb on Kashem when he was going to a market on a rickshaw during the 84-hour hartal in Feni on Tuesday around 11.00pm.

He was rushed to DMCH with 95% burn injury. After the incident Mohammad Shah Alam, sub-inspector of Fugaji Police Station of Feni filed a case against him last Wednesday for making and selling cocktails.

Syed Mostofa, officer-in-charge of Fulgaji Police Station, said Kashem was involved in cocktail making and selling. He was injured as a bomb accidently went off. He died at the DMCH on Thursday morning.

Rabiul Haque Kausar, son of Kashem, strongly opposed the claim of police and told the Dhaka Tribune that his father was innocent and police implicated him falsely in the case.

According to burn and plastic surgery unit registrar, around 20 arson attack victims are now undergoing treatment.

Of them, tempo driver Al-Amin,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Sister of garment worker Nasima, yet another victim of hartal violence who died yesterday, mourns as she receives Nasima's body at Dhaka Medical College morgue NASHIRUL ISLAM

A Dhaka court yesterday placed five BNP leaders on an eight-day police remand each in two cases filed for “attempting to kill law enforcers, provoking violence, committing acts of vandalism and arson attacks”.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim passed the order after the investigation officers of the cases sought 20 days remand.

Earlier, the five leaders were brought from Kasimpur Jail in Gazipur and produced before the court. Defence lawyers sought bail and submitted a remand rejection prayer.

The court, however, placed them on a five-day remand in the police killing case and another three-day remand each in the violence provocation case.

Five BNP leaders are standing committee members Moudud Ahmed MP, MK Anwar MP and barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.

Defence lawyer Md Sanaullah Miah told the court that two arrested accused leaders are parliament members, another accused Moudud had recently come back from London after his treatment while MK Anwer is an aged person and honourable former minister.

Another defence counsel Masud Ahmed Talukder said police arrested  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

JP to leave AL alliance to float new platform: Ershad

The offices of the Dhaka Tribune remain closed today on the occasion of holy Ashura. Therefore there will be no issue of the newspaper tomorrow. However, the online version of the daily will function as usual.

3 Following investigation and a series of raids

Ronaldo, Ibra duel for ticket to Brazil

Moudud, Anwar, Rafiqul, Mintoo, 20 more arson victims passing agonising moments at burn unit Biswas on 8-day case filed against Kashem for his aln Mohammad Jamil Khan leged involvement in cocktail business. remand However, Hazera, Kashem’s wife deTwo families yesterday left the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital nied her husband’s involvement in any n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu in tears as two more arson attack vic- kind of politics and bomb making. She

NOTICE

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Sports

Two more lose battle for life at DMCH

Government to extend tenures of 4 rental plants for 5 years n Asif Showkat Kallol

14

bandha were brought under cultivation of Nazirshail while a bumper production is expected as the season approaches the period of harvest.

International

8 The United States Navy said Thursday its aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, had arrived in the Philippines to aid an emergency relief operation following super typhoon Haiyan.

office in the capital’s Banani yesterday.

He said the new combine would include several left-leaning parties, including Gono Forum, and Islamist parties.

ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, secretary general of Jatiya Party, also said Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain would be in the alliance.

When contacted, Gono Forum Executive President advocate Subrata Chowdhury, however, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The possibilities of joining a

new political alliance led by HM Ershad are very slim.”

Ershad said his party would not take part in the polls if any of the parties did not participate. “Bring all of the parties to the election – only then will the Jatiya Party take part in it,” he said, calling upon the government.

Ershad said: “Evil powers have ruined the country’s democracy by frequently amending the constitution.

“I was an autocrat, but they [the

Awami League and the BNP] are more autocratic than me.”

The Jatiya party chief said: “They do not understand the language of the public and democracy.” He termed both the parties a “curse” for the country.

On Wednesday night, Ershad met with former president and Bikalpadhara Bangladesh chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and discussed forming the new political alliance.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 15, 2013

No scope for compromise: Khaleda n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia has said there is no scope of a negotiation with the government over the non-partisan government to oversee the next elections.

“We have been and will be with the people of the country always. We are fighting for the restoration of democracy and will continue the movement for establishing the rights of the people. There is no scope of compromise.

Compromise means allowing injustice to happen,” she said.

The former prime minister was speaking to journalists during an unscheduled visit to the National Press Club yesterday evening, a day after the opposition’s 84-hour nationwide hartal ended Wednesday. Several senior journalists greeted Khaleda Zia at the press club at 5:45pm.

Terming the demand of election under a non-partisan government is logical, the BNP chief said, “It was your (ruling party) demand, not ours. We inserted the provision in the constitution and you scrapped it, which was unjust.”

Press club President Kamaluddin Sabuj, journalists Ruhul Amin Gazi, Syed Abdal Ahmed, Abul Asad, Abdul Awal Thakur, Kamruzzaman, Abdus Sahid, Mostafa Kamal Majumdar, M Aziz, Khandakar Monirul Alam, Baker

Canadian MPs conduct pre-polls observation

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Two Canadian lawmakers have conducted pre-election observation discussions with a cross section of people and are going to publish their report in a week.

Russ Hiebert and Joe Daniel came to Dhaka on Tuesday on a three-day fact-finding mission convened by Brussels-based South Asia Democratic Forum.

“We met leaders from a wide cross-section of the Bangladeshi society including religious leaders, journalists, lawyers, academics, former government and military officials and representatives of various civil society orgainstaions,” Hiebert told journalists yesterday.

Responding to a question, he said they did not meet any elected representative and government officials.

Their report would be released next week and it would be available on the forum website, he said. l

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia exchanges views with pro-BNP journalists at the National Press Club yesterday evening Hossain, Syed Mesbah Uddin, Amirul Islam Kagoji, Mahfuzullah and M Abdullah were among the pro-BNP journalists who spoke at the programme.

Senior journalists Reaz Uddin Ahmed, Shafique Ahmed, Alamgir Mo-

hiuddin, Abdul Hai Sikder, Dhaka University teacher Mahbubullah and Brac University teacher Pyas Karim were present in the programme.

They urged the BNP chairperson to call for a tougher movement to oust the

Ministers to stay:PM n Tribune Desk

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the members of the cabinet have just expressed their desire to resign, but they will remain in their posts until their resignation is accepted by the President.

“Submitting resignation letter to the Prime Minister does not mean resignation,” she said at the inaugural function of six establishments of Dhaka University at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban at the university yesterday, reports BSS. Her comments came amid debates over ministers’ doing office after submission of letters of intent for resignation to the prime minister.

“We could dissolve the entire cabinet, but I asked my cabinet colleagues to submit their resignation and they have done that.” she said.

Taking a swipe at those who are claiming that the resignation of the ministers has been already effective, the prime minister said: “They are commenting on the issue not

reading the constitution. There is no scope to misguide the people about the issue.”

“Hinting at a small cabinet during the all-party polls-time government, Sheikh Hasina said: “Who will remain in the cabinet, who will not--it is the jurisdiction of the prime minister.”

The six establishments of Dhaka University that were inaugurated by the Prime Minister today are MBA Bhaban (Eastern Wing) of the Business Studies Faculty, Bijoy Ekattor Hall for the students, Shaheed Abul Khayer Bhaban for young teachers and officials, Shaheed Munir Chowdhury Bhaban for senior teachers and officials, Shaheed MA Muktadir Bhaban (Provost Complex) for hall provosts and Bangabandhu Tower for class four employees.

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor AK Azad Chowdhury was the special guest at the function. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique delivered the welcome address, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Admin) Professor Shahid Akhtar Hossain gave the vote of thanks. l

‘autocratic’ government and vowed to support such a movement from their respective positions.

Some of the speakers criticised the Dhaka city unit BNP for its ‘inactivity’ saying there was strong movement

Doctor’s genitals cut off n Mohammad Jamil Khan A doctor yesterday paid a heavy price in the capital being subjected to part with his genitals because of an alleged extramarital affair.

The victim was Dr Mohammad Al Amin, 35, currently studying at a master’s course in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

Amin was picked up in a van and castrated in Paribag area around 8:30am while on his way to the university, police said. He was rushed to BSMMU immediately and later moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 5pm when his condition deteriorated.

An extramarital affair might lead to the incident, Shahbagh police Inspector (investigation) MA Jalil told the Dhaka Tribune. “His wife filed an abduction suit in this regard.”

The doctor's wife Umme Salma, however, told the Dhaka Tribune that this was an act of criminal offence and she wanted exemplary punishment to those criminals. l

RMG new wage from Dec 1

Government to extend

n

Prof M Tamim, a former special assistant of the last caretaker government, said: “The tariffs of the quick rental power plants will be renegotiated to extend the tenures of these rental power projects, otherwise it will affect the country’s economy.

“I think it will be a controversial decision if the government allows the rental projects under political consideration,” the teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) told the Dhaka Tribune.

A report of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies says the country’s net benefit from the rental power plants added 1.2% to the GDP growth and in the long run the growth may be affected because of the rental power plants – if the government does not establish base plants.

As per the proposal, the 100MW Siddhirganj Desh Energy Limited project – owned by former Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and In-

Tribune Report

The new wage structure for readymade garment workers, which set Tk5,300 as the minimum wage for entry-level workers and a 5% yearly increment of basic salary, is set to be effective from December 1.

Labour Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju made the announcement yesterday, adding that the 5% yearly increment was a new addition for the workers.

He made the announcement while talking to labour leaders at his office in the capital yesterday.

The minister told the labour leaders: “It is your duty to protect the sector.

If the sector is destroyed, 4.2 million workers will become jobless and who will take the responsibility of it? If the RMG sector is destroyed, there will be no workers, so whom will you lead?”

Meanwhile, Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said: “The basic of the minimum wage has been brought down to Tk3,000 from the wage board proposal of Tk3,200.”

The new minimum wage saw an increase of 76.66% compared to the existing minimum wage of Tk3,000. l

Holy Ashura today n Tribune Desk

The holy Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hossain (RA), grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), will be observed today across the country with due religious solemnity.

Entrapped by Yazid’s forces on this day, 10th Muharram, in the Hijri year 61, Hazrat Imam Hossain (RA), his family members and close relations

embraced martyrdom in Karbala to uphold the spirit of Islam and the teachings of the Great Prophet.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasions paying deep respects to Hazrat Imam Hossain (RA) and other martyrs of Karbala, reports BSS. Different religious organizations have chalked out various programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner. l

Two BNP men arrested n Kailash Sarkar

Detective Branch of police yesterday arrested two leaders of BNP’s associated organisations from the capital.

The arrestees are Sarafatl Ali Sofu, general secretary of Swechchhasebak Dal and former president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Shafiul Bari Babu, also an organising secretary of Swechchhasebok Dal. Meanwhile, DB and police of the Dhaka Metropolitan police raided residences of different leaders of BNP, Swechchhasebak Dal, Jubo Dal, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and other front organisations of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islam, said sources in DB and DMP. Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner at Media Centre of the DMP,

confirmed the arrest of Swechchhasebak Dal leaders Sofu and Babu and said a team of DB arrested them around 7:00pm from separate places of Bangla Motor area of the capital.

Asked, the DC (Media Centre) said both the leaders were arrested as investigation officers of different cases in their investigation found their involvement in recent incidents of arson and bomb attacks and attacks on police during hartals.

He said both the Swechchhasebak Dal leaders were taken to the DB headquarters in Minto Road and they would be produced before the court today.

Meanwhile, sources said DB officials raided the residence of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel, General Secretary Habibur Rashid Habib and many other leaders.l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

dustry president Annisul Huq – is likely to get five years’ extension as a reward of the economic benefits from the plant.

The performance efficiency level of the project is 65-70%, but it might get the extension considering its power factor capacity at 80%, the proposal said.

It said the Power Division had fixed the revised power tariff at Tk19.5360 per unit, reducing by only Tk0.0334.

The government has a plan to purchase electricity worth Tk68.48bn from diesel-fired power plants.

The government is also going to purchase electricity at Tk15.8312 per unit, a cut in rate by Tk0.1221, from the 55MW Shikalbaha plant, an enterprise of the Jatiya Party Presidium member barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud’s family.

The government will purchase electricity worth Tk19.42bn from the Shikalbaha plant, which is blamed for polluting environment in the area and also causing mechanical faults to a government-owned power project there by emitting smoke. The plant

outside the capital but poor performance in the capital.

Listening to the opinions of journalist community leaders, Khaleda said, “I share your concerns about the current situation of the country. You know many things about the country. Today I came to hear from you.”

The former premier said post and position is not a big deal for her, rather restoration of democracy is her struggle.

“When I started politics, I struggled for restoring democracy and am doing the same thing right now.

People’s government should have to be established ousting this repressive and fascist government.”

Remembering noted journalist Gias Kamal Chowdhury who died recently, Khaleda said he had worked for democracy and people like him were needed most today.

Earlier BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan told the Dhaka Tribune, “ In a democratic system, there is hardly any other alternative.” “ If the government shows restraining in their persecution of the opposition and implement the resignation of the prime minister which she had already indicated in public, the present violent and volatile situation may be resolved within seconds thus paving the way for a meaningful negotiated settlement of the whole crisis,” he said. l

them on the instruction of a ruling party minister. They were shown arrested in this case to foil the opposition movement.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions’ Judge Court Public Prosecutor Md Abdullah Abu, however, opposed the bail plea saying that the accused masterminded cocktail blasts in Kamalapur area.

At about 1.00pm, the five leaders were sent to police custody.

In the case statement filed on November 5 with Motijheel Police Station Sub-inspector ASI AKM Azizul Haque, it was said that the five arrestees along with 60-90 opposition activists blockaded a road in front of New Anar Bakery near Kamalapur Bazar during the second spell of the 60-hour hartal.

“When police tried to resist them, the opposition activists exploded three to four crude bombs in a bid to kill policemen. A number of policemen were injured in the incident,” the remand indictment presented by Investigation

Officer SI Mizanur Rahman reads.

It also said the arrestees provoked the government officers not to obey law by declaring the government illegal at different talk-shows and rallies.

In another case, on September 24, Sub-inspector Humayun Kabir Hawlader filed the case with Motijheel Police Station against 53 leaders and unnamed 80-90 people.

Investigation Officer SI Khandakar Zahid Ali alleged that the BNP leaders torched seven cars and blasted several cocktails in front of Motijheel Ideal School and College on September 24 from a procession which also blockaded the road. In the period of vandalism the accused attempted to kill drivers of vehicles.

The procession was brought out to protest the pressing of charges against Chhatra Dal President Abdul Kader Bhuiyan Jewel and other leaders for hurling a bomb at the information minister’s residence.

On Friday, Moudud, MK Anwar and Rafiqul were detained from in front of

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Colombo yesterday afternoon to a red carpet welcome on a two-day official visit to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, 2013.

Sri Lankan Power and Energy Minister Poravithra Devi Wannia Rachchi and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Md Sufiur Rahman received Sheikh Hasina as a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying her landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

After the ceremonial reception, a group of Sri Lankan artists displayed local dance in honor of the Prime Minister at the airport.

From the Colombo Airport, Hasina drove in a ceremonial motorcade to Taj Somudra Hotel where she will be staying during the visit.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will reach the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theater in Colombo where she will be greeted at the lobby by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma Friday morning.

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin are accompanying the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is expected to return home on Friday midnight. l

Hijras kill minor for Tk400 n Kailash Sarkar A nine-year-old slum girl was tortured to death yesterday afternoon allegedly by a group of hermaphrodites, widely known as hijra, who have recently been recognised as the third gender in the capital’s Banani.

Witnesses and police said a group of six to seven hizras who reside in adjacent shanties killed Sumi, a daughter of slum dweller Bachchu Miah of Korail Bosti, after an amount of only Tk400 went missing from one of their slum houses.

On information, police recovered the body of the deceased and sent it to the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hosptal for autopsy.

Sub-inspector Farida of Banani Police Station said four of the hizras were arrested in connection with the killing of the girl. They were identified as Harun, 30, Liton, 17, Mahbub, 18, and Rohit, 15.

Usually hizras like to be identified as females but the detained hizras identified them as males, said SI Farida.

Day labourer Bachchu Miah, the fa-

ther of the victim, said as he had tried to resist the hizras and save his daughter the hizras also attacked him.

“The hizras forcibly whisked my daughter away from my shanty and killed her in front of the slum dwellers,” said Bachchu Miah adding: “I urged the slum dwellers to rescue my daughter and save her life but none dared to come forward fearing attacks by hizras who are very much organised.”

Sumi was among five children of her parents – day labourer father and domestic help mother.

Sub-inspector Shafiul Azam of Banani Police Station, who recovered the body and made the arrest, said they could arrest four of the killers although the rest others fled the slum.

“The hizras tortured to death the minor girl around 2:00pm suspecting her of stealing Tk400 from a drawer of one of the hizras in the slum,” said Shafiul Azam.

The SI said as a huge number of hizras reside in the slum none dared to protest although the girl was killed in front several hundred slum dwellers. l

JP to leave AL performance efficiency level stands at 55-60%, an official said.

The Power Division will also consider extending the tenure of the gas-fired 55MW Ashuganj Precision Energy Limited for five years. Although the performance of the plant is around 80%, it often fails to add to the national grid because of low-capacity engines.

The power tariff of the plant was revised to Tk2.9128 per unit, a reduction

by Tk0.8060. The government has a plan to purchase electricity worth Tk5.61bn from the plant subject to the approval of the purchase committee.

The Consortium of PIA Group LCC and Bangladesh Alternative Energy Systems Ltd will construct the 100MW wind-based power plant at Cox’s Bazar.

As per the proposal, the government will make a 20-year contract for buying a unit of electricity at Tk9.87.

Earlier, Petrobangla requested the Power Division not to extend the tenure of the gas-fired rental power project at Ashuganj. l

Moudud, Anwar, Rafiqul, Mintoo, Biswas on 8-day  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Hasina in Colombo for CHOGM n UNB

Hotel Sonargaon in the capital, hours after the opposition called 72-hour hartal demanding a non-party polls-time government.

Around five hours later, law enforcers detained Abdul Awal Mintoo and Shimul Biswas from outside Khaleda’s Gulshan-2 residence around 1:10am.

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday placed former president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Sultan Salahuddin Tuku on a 20-day remand in relation to five cases filed with Ramna and Shahbagh police stations.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque passed the order after the investigation officers of the cases sought 50 days remand for quizzing the BNP leader.

On October 21, Tuku was detained from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s convoy during a scuffle between police and her personal staff during Khaleda’s visit to the party headquarters at Nayapaltan for a meeting with BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

The meeting was also attended by ASM Abdur Rab, president of a faction of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Abdul Quader Siddique, president of Krishok Sramik Janata League. l

Two more lose  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

goldsmith Mantu Pal, and Asadul Gazi, the CNG driver are now undergoing treatment at ICU. Their condition is not good, says an attending doctor.

Contacted, Partha Shankar Pal, residential surgeon, said they were trying their best and giving all possible support to the patients admitted into the hospital.

“Now only almighty can save them.” l

Verdict in Tarique  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Anti-corruption Commission Mohammad Ibrahim, recording officer of the case the then OC Cantonment Police Station Hosne-Ara Begum, Inspector of Detective Branch Alimuzzaman, former OC of Gulshan Police Station Kamal Uddin and Chairman of Nirman Construction Ltd Khadiza Islam.

There were five witnesses in favour of Mamun but Tarique had none.

Khadiza Islam said, her company worked as local representative of a Chinese company Harbin Power Engineering (HPE). The HPE won a tender for building an 80MW power plant in Tongi Industrial area in 2002.

But as they failed to sign an agreement even after 8 months, they finally knocked Mamun. The then premier’s son Tarique’s close friend made arrangement for agreement and Harbin paid Mamun in Singapore from China.

According to the plaintiff, from the money Mamun spent $79542.78 by a Citibank gold card while Tarique spent $54982.42. The total bribe they received was $750000.

On June 23, 2011, Tarique’s younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and fined Tk190m in another money laundering case. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

TRADE IN CRUDE BOMBS

57 political leaders identified as financers of bomb-making 24 importers bringing bomb-making materials through Myanmar, India, Pakistan “These bomb-makers produce bombs ing a joint investigation of intelligence bomb-making material during a raid at n Mohammad Jamil Khan and officials with the 49 police stations of the a house in the capital’s New Paltan area on order. There are also groups affiliated Asif Islam Shaon

Following investigation and a series of raids against the use and production of explosives, intelligence agencies have identified 57 suspected political leaders as financers of the “explosive traders.”

Amongst the 57 names, 40 belonged to leaders of the BNP, Juba Dal, Chhatra Dal, Swechchhasebok Dal, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, while the rest of the suspects were members of the ruling party’s local units.

The suspects were allegedly involved in the profitable business as there was a high demand of explosives during the ongoing political turmoil.

Twenty-four traders in the capital have reportedly been commercially importing bomb-making materials and illegally selling the products at the local market. The materials then reach a number of bomb-making groups, who produce the final product and supply on demand.

The suspects were identified follow-

capital. However, the officials did not disclose the suspects’ names because of the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, deputy commissioner of Detective Branch, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The bombs seem to be readily available nowadays. We are working to trace the criminals fast and have also traced some people who are involved in the racket,” he said.

The senior DB official also said some key explosive selling spots have been identified, which include Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, Shaympur, Keraniganj, Tongi and Beribadh area.

Intelligence officials said most of the bomb-making materials came through the Myanmar border, while the rest come from India and Pakistan. The prime importers are set to be arrested and the trafficking routes would be stopped, they added.

Earlier on Monday, police recovered 167 crude bombs and a huge quantity of

of Azimpur.

“The bombs are powerful. We have also found a kilo of two types of gunpowder,” said Officer-in-Charge of Lalbagh police station Nurul Mottakim.

Police had information that more than 70 cocktails were made daily and supplied from the house, while the recovered ingredients were enough to make 100 more.

On Monday noon, at least 18 “abandoned” crude bombs were recovered from Tin Netar Mazar (Three Leaders’ Tomb) at the Dhaka University area in a vacant shoebox.

In a separate drive on Sunday, police recovered about 200 homemade bombs and bomb-making material and arrested four alleged Jamaat-Shibir activists from a Kathhalbagan house.

According to intelligence sources, the bomb makers usually rented mess houses in the capital normally in the guise of students and service-holder bachelors.

3

Friday, November 15, 2013

with them who hurl the bombs on contract. Some group leaders keep contact with local-level political leaders who give them ‘assignments’ to detonate them at certain areas,” an intelligence source said.

Seeking anonymity, the source said the “cocktail making and hurling” business has been booming over the last few months, especially during the political turmoil.

Meanwhile, the prices of crude bomb or cocktails have reportedly risen significantly, with small-sized cocktails being sold at Tk400-500 from their earlier price of Tk300, while regular-sized cocktails, which used to cost Tk500-700 are now being sold at Tk1000-1200.

Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of Detective Branch’s bomb disposal unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that a crackdown had already began on cocktail detonators’ hubs, while the people who were backing them would also be identified and arrested. l

Mir Kashem’s war crimes case starts Sunday n Muktasree Chakma Sathi The war crimes tribunal yesterday rejected a petition that sought review of the indictment order against senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Kashem and set November 17 for placing opening statement in the case.

The International Crimes Tribunal 2, led by Justice Obaidul Hasan, stated that earlier the tribunal 1 had rejected the review petition through a chamber order without any hearing on it.

November 7 was set for beginning the trial against Mir Kashem, a key financier of Jamaat, for his alleged involvement with the atrocities in 1971 Liberation War. On September 27, defence counsel Tanvir-Al-Amin filed the petition with the tribunal 1. On September 30, the case was transferred to the tribunal 2.

The senior defence counsel, however, on the same day pleaded to make a decision on the review petition of his client’s indictment. Following this, the tribunal 2 then transferred the responsibility to the other tribunal.

The prosecution brought 14 charges against Mir Kashem, who, the prosecution says was an al-Badr leader in Chittagong during the Liberation War. The

Nisha Desai to meet Hasina and Khaleda n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition chief Khaleda Zia during her trip to Dhaka.

She is expected to arrive in Dhaka on a three-day trip on November 16.

“Biswal will call on the prime minister when she will be in the city,” said an official of the foreign ministry.

The prime minister did not meet her predecessor Robert O Blake when he visited Bangladesh last year.

In her first bilateral visit to Dhaka, Biswal will discuss global, regional, and bilateral priorities with Bangladesh officials and opposition political leaders.

This will be her first bilateral trip after she was sworn in as the assistant secretary on October 21, replacing Robert O Blake.

Meanwhile, a senior BNP leader told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that Biswal would also meet opposition leader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at 8:30pm on Sunday.

“Nisha Desai Biswal will meet BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office on Sunday,” Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said. l

A sluggish approach by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division has slowed down the singing of production sharing contract for three shallow sea blocks with two international oil companies.

In September, Petrobangla signed initials with the companies. However, the EMRD sent the summary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in charge of the energy ministry, earlier this month, seeking permission for the signing, sources said.

“We were ready to sign the contract to explore three shallow sea blocks within November. But, as the ministry has not yet forwarded the summary of the PSC, we could not do so. I cannot give a specific date, when the deal might go through,” Muhammad Imaduddin, one of the directors of Petrobangla, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Meanwhile, Petrobangla officials said the exploration aimed at meeting the demand for gas in the Chittagong region.

“We have sent the documents to the premier for approval. Now we are waiting,” Senior Assistant Secretary of EMRD, Kahdija Nazneen told the Dhaka Tribune.

Earlier, the cabinet committee on economic affairs allowed Petrobangla to sign

Senior BNP leaders - arrested last week - are almost sandwiched in the crowd of police, supporters and lawyers at the court premises yesterday. Story on Page 1

the initials for blocks 4, 7, and 9 with Indian oil and Gas Company, ONGC Videsh Ltd and US-based ConocoPhillips.

On April 2, ConocoPhillips and ONGC participated in the bidding. ConocoPhillips submitted tender for block 7 while ONGC for 4 and 9.

A government evaluation committee put forward its recommendations to Petrobangla following the bidding.

ONGC has reportedly offered to invest $38.4m to conduct 2D-seismic survey of 2700 line-km, 3D-seismic survey of a 200sq-km area and drill two wells in block 4. The government’s profit-sharing ratio will be 60%-85% for gas and 70%-90% for oil. It has also offered to invest $64.8m to conduct 2D survey of 2850 line-km, 3D survey of a 300sq-km area in block 9 and drill three wells.

Meanwhile, ConocoPhilips has offered to invest $23.5m to conduct 2D-seismic survey of 2347 line-km, 3D-seismic survey of a 500sq-km area and drill one exploration well in block 7.

The profit-sharing ratio for the government would be 55%-80% for gas and the same for oil. Four foreign organisations – Chevron, Santos, ConocoPhillips and Tullow – are currently working in Bangladesh. l

Unscrupulous brokers could permanently damage a US visaseeker’s chances of qualifying for the visa, cautioned Consul General of the US embassy in Dhaka Jamie Fouss yesterday.

“I want the public to know that getting a visa to the US is not a difficult or mysterious process. The visitor, of

course, must have a legitimate and legal reason for entering our country,” the consul general said in a press briefing at the city’s American Centre yesterday.

Fouss said the embassy was aware about many unscrupulous agents and brokers who sold false information.

“I can assure you that they cannot get anyone a visa. In fact, these individuals may do more harm than

DHAKA TRIBUNE

CASE AGAINST YUSUF

Witness says he saw Yusuf order killings n Muktasree Chakma Sathi

A prosecution witness has told the International War Crimes Tribunal that a he has personally witnessed a number of killing that took place in 1971 in the presence of and upon orders from Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf.

Fifth prosecution witness Abdul Jalil Tunu yesterday submitted deposition before the second war crimes tribunal against war crime suspect Yusuf, founder of the Razakar force in 1971.

In his deposition, 58-year old Tunu said his elder brother Abu Bakr, a freedom fighter, was killed in the presence of Yusuf.

“On May 13, around 8 in the morning, I was told that my brother had been taken to the Razakar camp. Later, he was tortured to death. I rushed to the Razakar camp along with my brotherin-law Hafez Uddin Talukder and saw my brother’s bloody dead body and Yusuf there,” Tunu said.

He also said Yusuf permitted him

to take his brother’s dead body for funeral. “I saw many freedom fighters held in the Razakar Camp. Some of them told me that they had been tortured upon Yusuf’s orders. My brother was tortured and killed by the Razakars.”

On May 17, Yusuf, along with 2022 Razakar men, came to Morolganj Marker and ordered the killing of freedom fighters and Hindus.

“Following his speech, around 1010:30 in the morning on the same day, the Razakar men started attacking and looting shops in the Morolganj market and the adjacent houses.

“Some 300-400 shops and 22 houses were burnt on that day,” Tanu continued.

On May 19, around 9 at night, Yusuf came to Morolganj market along with Pakistani soldiers. There he ordered his men to kill the pro-liberation people.

Following Yusuf’s command, around 10-10:30 in the night, Pakistani soldiers pounced on the Morolganj market and confined Amar Das, Shanti Ranjan Das, Pijush Kanti Ghorai, and

US Consul General warns against visa brokers n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told parliament that Jamaat had signed an agreement with a US lobbyist firm to make the trial of war criminals ‘controversial’ He was arrested at the newspaper office in the capital on June 17 last year.

On April 28, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed told parliament that Jamaat had signed an agreement with a US lobbyist firm to make the trial of war criminals “controversial.” He said Mir Kashem had paid $25m for this purpose while claiming that the government had copies of the receipts and the agreement.

According to the prosecution, Mir Kashem was the Chittagong district general secretary of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat, and commander of al-Badr. He had set up makeshift camps at different places of the port city where people who were assisting the freedom fighters were brought in and tortured. l

Defence files review petition in Nizami case n Muktasree Chakma Sathi

Ministry bogs down PSC signing for three shallow sea blocks n Aminur Rahman Rasel

accused is also the chairman of Diganta Media Corporation which owns the daily Naya Diganta and Diganta TV.

good with their schemes and may permanently damage your [visaseeker’s] opportunity to qualify for a visa in the future,” he cautioned.

Fouss suggested that no one should ever pay a broker for a guaranteed visa, as these brokers could not deliver.

Past this year, more than 25,000 visitor visas and over 2,200 student visas had been issued by the US embassy, which were double compared

to the last year.

“While genuine and honest answers do not guarantee a visa, they cost nothing and will help ensure a fair and objective interview in accordance with the law,” he said.

The consul general said the US officers were good at spotting lies or exaggerations, and even one small lie or exaggeration made an entire story unbelievable. l

some others. Other than Pijush and Amar, all of them were killed around 12 that night at Moralganj launch terminal. Tanu told the tribunal that he and some others witnessed the killing secretly.

“I also witnessed the killing of social worker Abdul Majid on July 26, 1971. When Yusuf came to know that Abdul Majid was a pro-liberation person, he ordered Razakar men to kill him. On June 26, Majid was forced to stand up in a lake and shot dead,” Tunu said.

The prosecution witness also identified Yusuf, who was present at the dock. He also told the tribunal that Yusuf had formed the “peace committee” in Khulna with the activists of Jamaat and Muslim League.

The tribunal set November 17 for further hearing in the war crime cases against Yusuf.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yusuf was indicted on 13 war crimes charges, including killing, genocide and arson, religious conversion and deportation of people. l

The defence counsels of top war crimes suspect Motiur Rahman Nizami yesterday filed a petition seeking review of the tribunal order that kept the case for verdict.

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 on Wednesday closed the defence’s closing arguments for skipping the proceedings for the fourth consecutive day citing “personal difficulties” and gave the defence five days to submit their arguments in writing.

On Tuesday, the proceedings were adjourned and the tribunal gave the defence last chance and submit their part of closing arguments that they had begun on November 7. The defence, however, did not appear at the tribunal in the next few days which were hartal days.

The defence petition states that conducting lawyer Mizanul Islam could not perform his duty “due to his illness” and prayed for allowing them place the closing arguments. Tariqul Islam filed the petition to the tribunal registrar.

The Jamaat chief w as indicted on 16 charges of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, arson and incitement he had allegedly committed in Pabna and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War. l

Hearing on charge framing in Qaisar case starts Nov 27 n Muktasree Chakma Sathi The war crimes tribunal yesterday took the charges of crimes against humanity against former Jatiya Party state minister Syed Mohammad Qaisar and set November 27 to begin hearing.

During the order, the accused was present in the dock of the International Crimes Tribunal 2, led by Justice Obaidul Hasan.

On November 11, the prosecution submitted 18 charges against Qaisar for killing, extermination, enslavement, deportation, abduction, confinement, torture, looting, arson and assisting in rape during the 1971 Liberation War in Habiganj.

Qaisar was arrested on May 16. The tribunal later granted him conditional bail considering his age.

A Convention Muslim League leader in 1971, Qaisar had also been a local leader of Peace Committee which collaborated with the Pakistani occupation army.

He then formed the “Qaisar Bahini” and assisted the army in committing crimes against humanity at Shayestaganj, Chunarughat and Madhabpur in Habiganj district and Habiganj sadar areas. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 15, 2013

EC to procure 50 vehicles for commissioners, officials n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has decided to procure around 50 vehicles for two election commissioners, officials and employees of secretariat and field-level officials ahead of the next parliamentary polls.

The procurement proposal was approved at the commission meeting yesterday with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad in the chair, officials said.

The list of vehicles includes cars, jeeps and minibuses.

Four election commissioners, secretary, representatives of finance and public administration ministries and concerned officials attended the meeting.

EC Secretary Muhammed Sadique on Wednesday said there are shortages of vehicles.

Of five commissioners, the commission is yet to provide two of them with transportation facilities.

On the other hand, officials and employees of the secretariat used alternative transports for their commute because of vehicular crises, he also said.

The EC secretary maintained that only 19 of 64 districts were under transportation facilities. Except 19 districts, election officers of the rest of the districts used public transport to go to their workplaces.

The commission secretariat had eight cars for its officials, but some expressed grievances that they did not get transportation facilities, said sources in the EC. The commision’s field-level officials also faced difficulties in carrying out their duties because of shortage of vehicles.

As per the procurement proposal, election officers at district and upazila level require vehicles to visit places for the purpose of monitoring.

The Election Commission has now four microbuses for 48 officials and 205 employees. Only 56 of them enjoy transportation facilities. l

ULAB recognises participants in skills course n Tribune Report University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) awarded certificates of completion to the participants in a skills training course organised by the university.

Professor Brian Shoesmith, Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning, ULAB Board of Trustees, was present as chief guest of the awards ceremony held at the university’s Dhanmondi campus.

ULAB Advisor for Communications and Student Affairs Juditha Ohlmacher delivered the welcome speech while Registrar Lt Col (Retd) Foyzul Islam also spoke at the event.

This year, 102 students participated in the course from June 13 to July 26.

The course – titled “Skills for Life” – is an annual non-academic programme of ULAB in which skills and values to be required by the students in their everyday life are taught. l

WEATHER

Dry weather likely n UNB Weather is likely to remain dry with partly cloudy sky over the country with chances of light rain at one or two places over Chittagong division in 24 hours till 6pm today.

Night temperature may rise slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, Met Office said. The sun sets in the capital today at 5:13pm and rises tomorrow at 6:14am.

Country’s highest temperature 32.0 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday at Cox’s Bazar and lowest 12.4 degrees at Srimangal. Highest and lowest temperature and humidity recorded in some major cities and towns yesterday were: City

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

30.5 28.6 29.6 28.5 29.5 30.3 31.0 32.0

17.4 19.9 13.5 16.4 15.8 15.6 17.4 22.5

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

4:55am 6:12am 11:43am 3:37pm 5:13pm 6:31pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

CU admission test rescheduled n FM Mizanur Rahaman

Dhaka experienced an agonizing gridlock yesterday, the first working day after 84-hour hartal and last weekday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The authorities of Chitagong University yesterday rescheduled the admission test of C unit as the city BNP called for a dawn to dusk for Sunday.

The decision came from a meeting of the admission committee held with the vice-chancellor Anwarul Azim Arif in the chair around 11am.

Dr Safiul Alam, acting registrar of CU, said the C unit examination under BBA faculty was scheduled to be held on Nov 17 would be held on Nov 18.

Schedules for admission tests of H and G units, which were scheduled to be held on November 18, will be announced later, he added. The admission test for 2013-2014 academic session of the university will start from November 16.

Chittagong city unit BNP yesterday called for a daylong hartal for Sunday protesting the arrest of Abul Hossen Bakkar, vice-president of central Jubo Dal. A total of one lakh 62 thousand and 348 admission seekers have sent their applications against 4090 seats under the 46 departments, including seven institutions said academic sources.

Forty aspirants are going to vie for each seat at the eight faculties of the university for the academic session of 2013-2014. l

Over 4,000 illegal structures Law enforcers under spotted in Dhaka river port intelligence scanner Narayanganj port area has such 3,320 establishments; subcommittees formed to resolve Turag, Balu Rivers’ dispute

n Mohosinul Karim The Bangladesh Inland Water Transports Authority has identified 4,021 illegal establishments near the Dhaka river port and on the port’s properties.

Of those, 1,659 illegal establishments had been evicted, while 36 hectares of land had been recovered during the last three and a half years.

During the same period, the BIWTA authority also identified 3,320 illegal establishments near Narayanganj river port and on the port’s properties. Of those, 1,000 illegal establishments were evicted and 20 hectares of land had been recovered.

The authority also managed to stop waste dumping at 44 points in different rivers.

The figures were given yesterday at a meeting of the river protection taskforce chaired by its chief and Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan.

The taskforce under the shipping ministry yesterday formed two separate sub-committees to resolve the disputes on boundary pillars surrounding Dhaka’s Turag and Balu Rivers and to

stop the filling of Sonai River at Madhabpur in Habiganj.

Nur-Ur Rahman, joint secretary of the shipping ministry, was made the convener of the sub-committee for resolving the disputes regarding the setting up of boundary pillars beside the Turag and Balu Rivers.

Two separate sub-committees were formed to resolve the disputes on boundary pillars surrounding Dhaka’s Turag and Balu Rivers and to stop the filling of Sonai River at Madhabpur in Habiganj Other members of the sub-committee included the deputy commissioner of Dhaka, and representatives from the shipping ministry, environment and forest ministry, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Land Record and Survey Department, Paribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba) and Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa).

The sub-committee has been asked to submit its reports within the next 30 working days after disposing of the dis-

TEACHER-REPRESENTATIVE POLLS

JU declares election schedule amid protest n

Mahadi Al Hasnat

Jahangirnagar University authority yesterday declared the schedule for election of teacher representatives in senate brushing aside teachers’ protest.

The declaration came through a press release that said the polls would be held on December 7 at JU Teachers and Officers Club between 9am and 1:30pm.

The university Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique, also returning officer of the election, made the declaration. He said polls would take place according to Jahangirnagar University act.

Following the polls schedule, a preliminary voter list will be published on November 16 while November 18 has

been fixed as deadline for submission of any complaints against the voter list, according to the release.

It said the final voter list would come out on November 20.

The deadline for submitting nomination papers by the aspiring candidates has been fixed on November 23.

The release added that any candidates wishing not to contest the polls might withdraw their nomination papers on November 28.

The final list of contestants would be published on November 30.

Meantime, Teachers-Students and Officers-Employees’ United Forum, an anti-VC platform, yesterday at a press conference protested against the teacher-representative polls. l

putes by consulting and meeting with the concerned complainers.

Dr Khwaza Hannan, the deputy secretary (TA) of shipping ministry, was made the convener of the sub-committee formed to stop the filling of the Sonai River. Other members included the deputy commissioner of Habiganj, and representatives from the BIWTA, the Poba and the Bapa.

The sub-committee has been asked to visit the river and submit its report within the shortest possible time.

After the meeting, Shajahan Khan said the committees were formed to immediately finish setting up pillars beside the rivers, a process which started in April last year but had not been finished because of disputes with illegal occupants of the riverside areas.

The minister also informed that 1,000 kilometres of river had been dredged during the current government’s tenure, while the government also procured three new dredgers, 38 years after the last such procurement was made. He also expressed hopes that eight more dredgers would be included in the fleet within December. l

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Intelligence officials are now monitoring the activities of police officials to find out whether any officials are involved in anti-government campaign.

The intelligence officials will now overhear police officials’ cell phone conversation. They have already started recording the cell phone conversations of the officials working in Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) area and other sensitive posts outside the capital.

While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, a sources of the intelligence agency said the officials were keeping close watch on phone conversation of the officials working in Detective Branch of DMP, all officer-in-charges of police stations, deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners of all crime zones and assistant commissioner of different divisions.

On the basis of the reports of phone conversations DMP has already reshuffled five police stations in the capital.

As per directives of DMP Adabar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shamimar-Rashid Talukdar was transferred to Dakkhinkhan Police Station, DB (North) of DMP Inspector Gazi Ruhul Imam was made Adabar Police Station OC, and Dakkhinkhan Police Station OC M Lokman Hekim was assigned to DMP DB (north).

A party using tax payers’ money for campaigning: Sujon n Mohammad Atiqur Rahman Civil and rights groups yesterday criticised the ruling party for apparently using public money on election campaigning, while insisting that the ministers vacated their posts when they submitted resignation letters.

“A party has already started election campaigning using citizens’ tax money,” Hameeda Hossain, chairperson of Ain o Salish Kendra, said at a press conference, organised by Sujan, a civil society platform, at the National Press Club yesterday.

In recent months, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been travelling around the country to inaugurate various projects as her government nears the end of its tenure.

In addition, Hasina, who is also president of Awami League, has been

using the official visits to openly seek votes for her party, allegedly using public funds and government machineries.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Sujan (Citizens for Good Governance), said the existing electoral Code of Conduct (Section 12) prohibits campaigning three weeks prior to the date of election.

Reading from a statement, he noted that in the famous Raj Narain vs Indira Gandhi case in 1975, the Allahabad High Court in India declared then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha as unacceptable because she had used government facilities in her campaign.

Majumdar also said the Election Commission was created as a “constitutional body”, but now it was “pleading that it is powerless”.

“It has enormous power to take action against (those) violating the code

Mujaheed asked to lodge concise grounds of appeal DU C unit admission n Nazmus Sakib The Appellate Division yesterday ordered death row war criminal Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed to lodge a concise statement of his appeal by November 21.

The five-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, passed the order and adjourned the matter till November 26.

According to the Appellate Division Rules 1988, the appellant party cannot start their appeal hearing until the concise statement (the grounds and fact relied upon) is submitted.

On August 11, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mujaheed lodged the appeal against the International Crimes Tribunal verdict that sentenced him to death for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. On July 17, the tribunal gave the death penalty to the war criminal.

Reading out of the testimony of the prosecution witnesses is still on at the Appellate Division in the war crimes appeals cases of Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee.

The same five-member bench of the Appellate Division adjourned till Sunday the hearing on Syedee’s appeal. l

Besides, Vatara Police Station Inspector (investigation) Kripa Shindhu Bala was transferred to Rampura Police Station as OC while Rampur OC Delowar Hossain was attached to DMP DB (South).

The intelligence officials are not only monitoring the activities of DMP officials but also the other high officials of different districts. The major posts of Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna Metropolitan Police are under watch of intelligence.

The home ministry on Wednesday issued an order to remove the Superintended of Police of Natore district Nahid Hossain and attach him to the Armed Police Battalion. Basudev Banik who was in Sudan was appointed as Additional Inspector General (AIG) to the Police headquarters on Wednesday.

Asked about the reason for such monitoring, a high official of police headquarters confirming the fact on request of anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that they got some information that some police officials inside and outside the capital were giving information of arrest and raids to leaders and activists of BNP led 18-party.

A special security cell was also formed to continue safe and uninterrupted monitoring, concerned sources added. l

test today n Arif Ahmed

Dhaka University’s C unit’s admission test would be held today between 10am and 11am.

Aspirants will take the one-hour written examination for their enrolment in 2013-14 academic session.

A total of 31 centers will take the test. Of the centers, 16 are located on the DU campus while 15 others are outside the campus.

The aspirants can know their seat plans on http://admission.eis.du.ac.bd.

None would be allowed to carry mobile phone, electronics devices or camera during the exam period.

A total of 49234 students will seat in the exam for 1075seats.

The viva of the successful students of B unit would be started from November 29 and continued till December 3.

Aspirants who achieved their merit position from 1 to 2400 would face the viva for around 2,296 seats during the time. The university’s music and drama department will take aspirants’ practical and oral exam from December 4 to 6. l

of conduct,” he added. Meanwhile, Majumdar said the resignations of the government ministers became effective as soon as they submitted their letters.

“Whenever a resignation letter is submitted, it becomes accepted,” Majumdar told the Dhaka Tribune.

He also said constitutional expert Mahmudul Islam in his book, “Constitutional Law of Bangladesh”, wrote that the holders of constitutional posts and offices “have the unilateral right of resignation, effectiveness of which is not dependent on the acceptance of the resignation by any authority”.

On Monday, all the ministers handed their resignation letters to the prime minister, without specifying a date.

The press conference was also attended by Sujan convenor Dilip Kumar Sarkar and Md Jalal Uddin Sarder of Rajshahi University. l

Garpara Imambari procession in Manikganj today n Tribune Report The traditional Ashura procession commemorating the Holy Ashura takes place at Manikganj today under the auspices of the Garpara Emambari.

Thousands of mourners are expected to participate in the procession with Tajia and chanting the name of Imam Hossain. The procession will finish at the Debendra College ground.

Shah Mokhlesur Rahman, the Pir of Emambari Dargah will preside over the proceedings. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

5

Friday, November 15, 2013

India has proposed a series of dams within the Teesta river system that should produce some 50,000 MW of electricity

Beyond Teesta breakthrough

WIKIMEDIA

New Blue Peace Formula ensuring big gains for Bangladesh and West Bengal

O

n Sundeep Waslekar n the surface, the forthcoming elections in Bangladesh and India will create fog of uncertainty in the two countries.

Beneath the surface, a unique opportunity will make it possible for 250 million people from Bangladesh and West Bengal to transform their lives and bring in a new era of prosperity and peace. The question is whether the chief minister of West Bengal, along with the national leaders of Bangladesh and India, will seize this opportunity.

A new three-dimensional Blue Peace formula can help the chief minister of West Bengal and the leaders of Bangladesh and India create history.

If it is implemented, the Teesta will flow for years despite pressures of population growth, economy and climate change. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s words will find a new manifestation turning the Teesta into a heaven’s river, with its banks abundant with water in winter and the flood of joy in every village from Teesta Bazaar to Fulcherry.

It is important to realise that all of the three dimensions of the Blue Peace formula be treated as an integrated package to be implemented simultaneously. The efforts to treat them separately in the past have not succeeded and will not succeed in future.

First, it is essential to sign the Teesta treaty at the earliest on the basis of equitable sharing of water between Bangladesh and India.

rative management of trans-boundary water to derive benefits from it are two sides of the same coin. The experience of 148 countries and 263 shared river basins around the world proves that a mere allocation agreement does not bring prosperity and peace. On the other hand, an agreement on cooperation without clear understanding about equitable sharing or use of waters is impossible. Therefore, the three components of the Blue Peace formula are parts of the one.

It would be helpful to discuss each of the three components in some detail.

The Teesta Agreement finalised in 2011 provides for equitable distribution of water between Bangladesh and India. There can be contesting views on whether to provide for the environmental flow, which is essential for survival of the river, from Bangladesh’s share or India’s share or equally from both shares. However, the difference between any two extreme propositions would be a maximum of 10 billion cubic metres (BCM) per year.

This is equal to one per cent of total annual water flow from India and to Bangladesh. When Bangladesh and India have much goodwill towards each other, it would be unfair to the people of both countries to hold back an agreement for the sake of one per cent of annual water flow and deprive them of greater benefits described below.

The real problem in the Teesta Basin is a drop in the flow of water from December to March to a maximum of 3 or 4 BCM for the entire four-month period in winter. This

It is essential to revamp the Bangladesh India Joint Rivers Commission and turn it into an instrument of integrated, collaborative, and sustainable management of all 54 trans-boundary rivers

Second, it is necessary to launch a Joint Investment Plan by the two countries for the integrated Teesta basin to augment water flow in winter months, change the cropping pattern in favour of drought-resistant crops, and diversify from an agrarian economy to other remunerative means of livelihood.

Third, it is essential to revamp the Bangladesh India Joint Rivers Commission and turn it into an instrument of integrated, collaborative, and sustainable management of all 54 trans-boundary rivers, under the chairmanship of a charismatic leader.

It should do away with any need for a separate treaty for each of the shared rivers in future.

It is important to realise that equitable allocation of a river and collabo-

can worsen the plight of farmers from northern districts of West Bengal and north-western districts of Bangladesh.

Whether there is an agreement or not, flow depletion in the dry months is a stark reality.

It is possible to combat it by innovative means including the following: Shirpur Conservation Pattern successfully practised in Maharashtra to widen and deepen streams, check dams to store water during flood seasons for retrieval during dry months, dredging and excavating of Teesta and her tributaries, Sankosh river link, engineered wetlands and rainwater harvesting.

Further, small-sized, solar-run water treatment plants can facilitate reuse of water for agriculture.

While these measures can augment water supply in winter months,

drought-resistant paddy can be introduced to reduce the demand for water and increase the yield of crop per drop. In the next phase, eco-tourism and navigation can be encouraged to reduce dependence on agriculture and to create higher income livelihood

alliance and respond positively to her call for a Blue Peace approach.

It is also the best time for Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party (Ershad) to propose the Blue Peace approach jointly since all the three parties have a substantial base in the north-western

The impasse over the Teesta should be also used to ensure that there is no such problem in future. The best approach would be to do away with the practice of negotiating river-specific agreements

possibilities for the poor. All these activities will need to be managed jointly by Bangladesh and India since the Teesta aquifers do not recognise national boundaries. They will also need financial resources which can be raised through a Joint Investment Plan.

The Joint Investment Plan will also require an initiative by the West Bengal Government with support from Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jatiya Party (Ershad) that have considerable presence in the north-western districts of Bangladesh. The governments of India and Bangladesh should subscribe to the Joint Investment Plan and also help mobilise the private sector and international investments.

The impasse over the Teesta should be also used to ensure that there is no such problem in future. The best approach would be to do away with the practice of negotiating river-specific agreements. It took 20 years to negotiate Ganga and 18 years to negotiate Teesta. At this rate, it will take 900 years to negotiate separate treaties for all of the shared rivers between Bangladesh and India.

Instead, it would be much more efficient to revamp the Joint Rivers Commission and hand over holistic management of all shared rivers to it.

Currently the Joint Rivers Commission is neither joint nor a commission.

There are two parallel committees which address river management from a competing nationalist and not a joint perspective.

The restructured body should be headed by a prominent Indian or Bangladeshi leader on an alternative basis and supported by a bi-national technical team to address all issues in a collaborative manner. It is also important for such a commission to have a clear arbitration clause with a well-defined mechanism to resolve differences and conflicts of interest.

The best time to reach an agreement on such a comprehensive Blue Peace formula is now. The chief minister of West Bengal is in an ideal position to take the initiative before the Indian elections are announced.

Until then, both national parties, Congress and BJP, will need her potential

districts of Bangladesh. The voters of all the three parties will benefit from a Joint Investment Plan which can only be possible if the Teesta Agreement is signed.

Once the Indian elections are over, it would be possible for any future government of India to sign a treaty with Bangladesh as per Article 73 of the Indian Constitution, Entry 10 and Entry 14 of the Union List and the Supreme Court decision in the “Union of India Versus Manmul Jain” case without consulting the West Bengal government or even seeking ratifica-

Main rivers in Northern Bangladesh

tion from the parliament. The window of opportunity for national consensus on a transformational issue that can change the lives of 250 million people in West Bengal and Bangladesh will close.

The beauty of the Blue Peace formula is that there are no risks. All it requires is a mental framework that recognises the real nature of politics, as a game of additions. Imagine the Blue Peace signing ceremony by the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India, hosted by chief minister of West Bengal in Kolkata, with presidents of BNP, Jatiya Party (Ershad), BJP and other main Indian parties as the guests of honour.

Imagine the reaction from Beijing to Bretton Woods and from Brussels to Brasilia next morning. Much more important, imagine the smile on the faces of eco-tourism entrepreneurs in Jalpaiguri and Rangpur in 2030 whose parents used to be marginal farmers in 2013. Imagine the light that Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore wanted all of us to be filled with. l Sundeep Waslekar is President of Strategic Foresight Group, a leading international think-tank based in Mumbai that has advised governments and national institutions from 50 countries in four continents.

WIKIMEDIA

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 15, 2013

Brac receives $1 million award

Pabna BNP calls hartal for tomorrow

n Tribune Report Brac has won the first GSK and Save the Children $1million Healthcare Innovation Award for the organisation’s drive to provide health services for women and children in the urban slums of Dhaka.

Brac said in a press release it will receive an initial $300,000 to test its “Manoshi” programme, which offers a comprehensive package of health services to mothers, infants and children.

The Healthcare Innovation Award is the first joint initiative announced following the launch of a partnership between GSK and Save the Children which aims to save the lives of a million of the world’s poorest children.

Four other international organisations from Malawi, Mali, Kenya and Colombia were also selected to share the award from a long list of nearly 100 applications from 29 countries from across the developing world.

The Manoshi programme aims to meet the slum dwellers’ health needs through the provision of key services such as clean delivery rooms for new mothers, quick access to emergency health services for those who could not afford it, and digital data collection on patients for more efficient health service delivery.

Azizul Huq, managing director of GSK Bangladesh, said: “This remarkable project shows what can be achieved through innovation from within those closest to healthcare challenges faced by developing countries and we are delighted to be able to recognise the hard work of all involved. It has saved lives of mothers and children in Bangladesh and can make a difference for the people of Sierra Leone.”

Dr Kaosar Afsana, director of Brac’s Health, Nutrition and Population Programme, said: “It is an honour to be recognised and awarded for the work we are doing in Bangladesh through our Manoshi programme.”

The director added that the award money will be used to take the Manoshi programme to Freetown, Sierra Leone, demonstrating excellent South-South collaboration.” l

n Tribune desk

Workers party hold a rally in Dhaka University area yesterday, protesting recent attack on Hindu community in several districts of the country

Train communication still uncertain in Lalmonirhat n

Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

The rail link between Lalmonirhat and Burimari land port was still to be restored yesterday evening after Wednesday’s derailment caused by hartal picketers.

Railway sources said although rescue workers were sent to the spot almost immediately after the incident, the work progress has been slow since the derailed train was not in the best of positions.

Lalmonirhat Railway Divisional Mechanical Engineer (DME) Rezaul Karim

said recovery of the train was still in progress but since the train fell-off the tracks at an odd area, it has become difficult to recover it in a short time.

He said: “We cannot confirm when the derailed train will be retrieved and communication on the route will be restored,” adding that the recovery workers were unable to use heavy tools as the soil was muddy.

On Wednesday, at least 30 people were injured when a Lalmonirhatbound passenger train derailed at Kaliganj upazila of the district in the early hours.

Two compartments and the locomotive of the train went off the tracks around 4:30am as hartal picketers uprooted at least 142 feet of rail tracks near Kakina Station of the upazila.

Assistant Traffic Superintendent (ATS) of Lalmonirhat Railway Division Sazzad Hossain said: “This rail route connects the people of five upazilas in Lalmonirhat and thousands of people are currently facing trouble to commute.”

Regarding the restoration of the service, he said: “I am hopeful that train service will resume on the route by tonight [yesterday night].” l

Eight Rohingyas, two others killed in road accidents n Tribune Desk At least 10 people, including eight Rohingyas, were killed in separate road accidents in Cox’s Bazar, Chuadanga and Sylhet yesterday.

At least eight Rohingyas were killed and 15 others injured in a head-on collision between two jeeps on Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf road near Ukhiya Degree College in the district on Thursday morning.

Of the deceased, seven were identified as Ali Ahmmod, 45, Abul Boshar, 30, Nurul Haque, 26, Belal, 35, Mohammad Alam, 30, Nezam Uddin, 40, and Saydul Alom, 25.

Quoting witnesses, Ukhiya police station Officer-in-Charge Gias Uddin Miah said: “A Cox’s Bazar-

bound public jeep, locally known as Chander Gari, collided head-on with another jeep coming from the opposite direction near Ukhiya Degree College around 8am, leaving five people dead on the spot and injured 18 others.”

Later, three people succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, police said.

The injured were admitted to Ukhiya and Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospitals.

Locals said the Cox’s Bazar-bound jeep, carrying 30/35 Rohingays, left Kutupalong Rohingya Camp in Ukhiya around 7:45am.

In Chuadanga, a man was killed at Benipur village in Jibannagar upazila on Wednesday night.

Locals said motorcyclist Shabuj Mia, 29, son of Nurul Islam Mondal, was critically injured as his bike collided head-on with a power-tiller in the area around 10pm.

He was rushed to Jibannagar health complex, where he later died.

In Sylhet, one person was killed when a motorcycle collided head-on with an oil tanker at South Shahjalal Bridge in the city on Wednesday night.

Sources said Shamim Ahmad, 22, son of Abdul Qadir of Bharan Sultanpur village of Jakiganj upazila, was going to Jakiganj from the city and was killed instantly in the crash.

On receiving information, police recovered the body and sent it to

hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police also seized the oil tanker but its driver managed to escape.

A case was filed in this connection.

In Mymensingh, a school teacher was killed on the MymensinghKishoreganj road at Oluhati in Nandail upazila yesterday afternoon.

Police said Enamul Haque of village Gangail in Nandail, a computer teacher of Tarail Dewar High School in Tarail of Kishoreganj, had sustained injuries when a brick laden trolley collided head-on with his motorcycle around 2pm.

Later, he died on the way of Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital. l

Tough law for ensuring food safety demanded n Our Correspondent, Barisal A section of root level people held a boat rally in Kirtankhola River yesterday to press home their six-point demands to ensure food safety.

They also urged the government to take steps to stop all sorts of land and water body grabbing and to increase the subsidy in the agriculture sector and fix reasonable prices of agricultural commodities.

The speakers said the rate of poverty remains the highest in Bangladesh among the southeast Asian countries and about 50% people are considered as poor The programme was organised by Prantojon Trust, a development organisation, in collaboration with Oxfam and carried out by root level people, including farmers, fishermen, and boatmen.

The speakers said the rate of poverty remains the highest in Bangladesh among the south-east Asian countries and about 50% people are considered as poor. In this regard, the Bangladesh government should enact law with tougher provisions to ensure the safety of food.

Farmers of developing countries are the worst victims as they do not get proper subsidies from the state and for this reason farmers incur huge losses after not getting fair prices, they said.

Issues like grabbing of land and water bodies; climate change; urbanisation; fair price for food producers; creating proper distribution and marketing systems; reforms in land, water and agricultural sectors; and the right to information; should also be considered and coordinated with food security right, they opined.

If the people would not be aware about those issues assurances for food security and poverty eradication would not be possible, they said. l

A boat rally was held in Kirtankhola River yesterday, demanding law to ensure food safety DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Pabna district BNP called a daylong hartal for Saturday in the district protesting the eight days’ remand granted by a court for interrogating five arrested BNP leaders, including BNP chairperson’s special assistant Shimul Biswas.

District BNP general secretary Habibur Rahman Tota announced the shutdown programme at a press briefing after an emergency meeting of district unit BNP, reports UNB. Meanwhile, a group of leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession and staged demonstration in the district town at about 1:30pm protesting the remand.

The Dhaka CMM court on Thursday allowed eight days’ remand to each of the five arrested senior BNP leaders – Barrister Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar and Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, BNP Chairperson’s Adviser and former FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo and her special assistant Shimul Biswas, also Pabna district truck owners’ union general secretary – rejecting their bail prayers in two cases of vandalism, arson and attack on police. l

Ballot boxes gutted as election office catches fire in Narayanganj n Tribune Desk About 500 hundred transparent ballot boxes were gutted as a fire broke out at Narayanganj district election office at Fatullah early yesterday.

Besides, a desktop computer, three laptops, a scanner and two printers were damaged in the fire, District Election Official Takdir Ahmed said.

The local election officials suspect miscreants set fire to the office in the early hours of the day as they found glass of its window broken.

Fire Service officials said the fire broke out in a storeroom of the election commission office at about 3am and soon engulfed the entire room, reports UNB.

On receiving information, two firefighting units from Mandalpara fire station rushed to the spot and doused the blaze after four hours of frantic efforts with the help of office staff.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Gausul Azam said huge old ballot papers, ballot boxes, seals, voter lists and some unnecessary papers, which were made in 1995, were gutted in the fire. Officer-in-charge of Fatullah Model police station Akhter Hossain said the fire incident is mysterious and investigation is going on. High officials of the district administration, police and Election Commission visited the spot.

Election official Takdir Ahmed filed a case with Fatullah solice station against unknown miscreants. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Friday, November 15, 2013

7

School for speech-impaired lies empty 10-yrs n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah A residential education facility for the hearing and speech-impaired people in Jhenaidah is yet to hire any staff or start operations almost ten years after construction work began.

Sources at the Public Works Department (PWD) said the construction of the school building - a boys’ hostel, a girls’ hostel, two residential quarters, a pump house, a power substation and other establishments - began in early 2004 after acquiring 1.2 hectares of land at Mahishakundu area under Jhenaidah sadar upazila. The construction was completed in 2007, the sources added.

After harvesting, farmers upload paddy on a power-tiller to take those to home at Nandigram village in Bogra

Gaibandha farmers expecting bumper yeild of Nazirshail n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha Vast tracts of char land in four upazilas of Gaibandha were brought under cultivation of Nazirshail while a bumper production is expected as the season approaches the period of harvest.

Thousands of hectares of land dotting the riverbeds of Teesta and Brahmaputra were brought under cultivation of the late-season variety – a testimony to its growing popularity with local farmers.

Apart from Nazirshail, varieties of Aman were also cultivated during the current season – on a total of 128,485 hectares of land. The production target from these varieties, set by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), is an approximate 327,138 metric tonnes of rice.

Farmers in the char areas and river basins observed that the plants of Nazirshail, a high-value indigenous variety, had grown well and were now in

their early stages of ripening.

Hossain Ali, a farmer of Char Charitabari under Sundarganj upazila, said he had sown seeds of the variety on a fallow char land after the recession of flood water from there.

“As the production cost of Nazirshail is cheaper than that of other rice varieties char dwellers are increasingly liking the idea of cultivating it,” he added.

Usually, with the water receding, char land turns fertile because of the silt deposited there, while farmers can rest assured about soil health and availability of organic matters on the rice fields.

“Nazirshail is very tasty to eat and pricier than most varieties. It is one of the reasons why farmers are choosing to grow it. With enough soil fertility and favourable climate, they can expect to have a good production anytime,” said Satyen Sen, agriculture officer of Sundarganj.l

FOCUS BANGLA

Indian clothes worth Tk100m seized in Khulna n Tribune Desk Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard seized huge quantity of Indian clothes worth about Tk100m from Khanjahan Ali Bridge area on the Khulna-Mongla Highway early yesterday.

On information, a team of Coast Guard led by operation officer Lieutenant Commander M Mohiuddin Mojumder, took position in the Rupsha toll plaza area around 8pm. The team intercepted the transports on the highway by setting up a check post, said a press release.

While checking the transports the Coast Guard team seized 138 large and small bundles of Indian saris and three-pieces, 21 bundles of long clothes (16,000 meter shirt pieces) and four bales of winter clothes from a truck.

The truck was going to Dhaka from Satkhira carrying the illegal goods, the press release said, adding that the seized Indian goods along with the truck will be handed over to the Khulna Customs House authority. l

With an estimated building cost of Tk38.5m, the school also received an additional Tk3.3m worth of furnishing during the construction. However, the contractor allegedly abandoned the work in 2008 after he was not paid his dues.

Since then, some unscrupulous people have allegedly been stealing the doors, windows, electrical wiring materials, tube-wells and other materials from the establishment. Local residents also claimed that miscreants often used the abandoned site as a shelter.

Executive Engineer of the PWD in Jhenaidah Shafiqul Islam said all the construction work had been complet-

ed, when the contractor abandoned the project for not being paid.

Abdul Matin, project director for the school and the deputy director of the Department of Social Welfare in Jhenaidah, however said the contractor left the work with it only 80% completed.

He also informed that the authorities concerned had not hired any staff for the 29 available posts under the school.

Every year, the school was supposed to admit 100 hearing and speechimpaired people, including 50 female students, and offer them courses in garment and embroidery, woodcraft, computer and poultry and horticulture. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Hay Festival

The Dhaka Tribune brings you highlights from yesterday and previews of tomorrow’s programme at the literary festival

9

Friday, November 15, 2013

9 - 9.45AM | SPIRITUAL SONGS | Lawn 9 - 9.45AM | THE FUTURE of PUBLISHING | Main Stage Shahidul Alam, Rosie Boycott and William Sieghart, with Diya Kar Hazra.

Life in Letters

9 - 9.45AM | HISTORY of the GRAPHIC NOVEL | Small Stage Rimi Chatterjee 10 - 11AM | A LIFE in LETTERS | Main Stage Tariq Ali with Khademul Islam.

10-11am on the main stage Tariq Ali and Khademul Islam will discuss Life in Letters

11.15 - 12.15PM | mvwnZ¨Kv‡ii Avjvc | Main Stage evsjv mvwn‡Z¨i cÖw_Zhkv `yBRb †jL‡Ki AvjvcPvwiZv| mÂvjbvq : mv¾v` kixd| 11.15 - 12.15PM | Have You Really Read KAFKA | Small Stage Eliot Weinberger, David Shook and Kaiser Haq, with Chris Heiser.

Marking the Launch of Dhaka Translation Centre.

12.30 - 1.15PM | DAILY STAR FICTION | Main Stage Sharbari Ahmed and Farah Ghuznavi discuss their debut short story anthologies, moderated by Samit Basu.

12.30 - 1.15PM | POETS in CONVERSATION | Small Stage David Shook with Ahsan Akbar.

1.15 - 2PM | BREAK for FRIDAY PRAYERS 1.15 - 2PM | POETRY PRESCRIPTION Depressed? In love? Pay a visit to get a Poetry Prescription, and William Sieghart, the creator of Forward Poetry Prize will prescribe just the right poetry for you.

1.15 - 2PM | DRIK | Small Stage Slideshow on Positive Light, intro by Shahidul Alam.

2 - 3PM | THE MYSTIC SOUL | Small Stage Patrick Laude, Arundhathi Subramaniam and Ana Cocchiarella, with David Burrell, discuss the spiritual path through different traditions.

Talking to us, the Dhaka Tribune’s literary editor Khademul Islam said that Tariq Ali’s life is so full of events, so dotted with meeting and exchanging ideas with some of the foremost minds – as well as clashing with many of them – of the last century and this one that an hour for discussion is but a drop in the bucket. Besides, no set agenda or topic has been set. So, Khademul Islam said that “Instead of roaming all over this extraordinary life,” he said, “it might be better to focus on one aspect of it, something where we can dig a bit deeper into the quality of his thought

and convictions.” When we asked him what that was, he said with a smile that he had yet to figure out what that was, and was waiting – something that might make the atheistically inclined Taqir smile – divine inspiration.

He may have a point. Tariq Ali’s public life spans many decades and events. He was born in Lahore, Pakistan, to parents who were at the same time members of the communist party and also deeply connected to the mainstream political establishment. Perhaps it was this volatile mixture that produced the volatility

of the militant dissenter who fought pitched street battles in the streets of London, and emerged as a fiery critic of the political establishment – with the Vietnam War being a catalyst –in 1960s. Since then he has emerged as a somewhat more benign father figure of the international left, who at age 69 continues to write stinging critiques of US foreign policy and whose varied output includes fiction and documentaries.

One hopes that divine inspiration indeed comes to Khademul Islam. If not, an earthly one will do. l

Crossing borders and story-art boundaries n Rumana Habib “This Side That Side: Restorying Partition” is an anthology of 27 graphic narratives by 47 contributors across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Many of the stories grew out of conversations – in several cases, across borders – between graphic artists and storytellers. These narratives are creative explorations of partition, not just about those who witnessed India-Pakistan division in 1947, but also the younger generations who continue to negotiate its legacy.

“It’s a very contemporary reading of partition,” said curator Vishwajyoti Ghosh, In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune. “On one level, we’ve learned the history of partition

Poets in conversation At 12.30 the Small Stage plays host to David Shook and Ahsan Ahkbar.

Speaking ahead of the event David Shook tells me “This is the panel I’m most excited to be on this year! Ahsan has been in touch with me all week about this one. We’re going to be discussing the life of a poet and … I think he intends to try and convince me that cricket is the most poetic sport, which, as an American, I’m deeply skeptical about.”

Also up for discussion is one of David’s new projects which involves using a drone to drop poetry from the air over countries that have previously been the targets of more lethal US drone operations. l

in school, heard stories in our childhood. But how do we deal with it on a day-to-day basis? That is the focus of

the this collection.”

Ghosh, also the author of the graphic novel “Delhi Calm,” began the project two years ago. After an open call for submissions, his publishers received more than 150 submissions.

He has held workshops throughout South Asia, including one in Dhaka in November 2011, where he mentored contributors to work within the framework of a graphic narrative.

“Because the form was so nascent, so it was important to show writers how we can use graphics novels in our own storytelling.”

Graphic novels started gaining popularity in India ten years ago, but they are still fairly new in Bangladesh.

“It doesn’t have to be funny. It doesn’t have to be about superhe-

roes. It can be about your life and my life. These are the stories that make graphic stories very interesting, and vibrant. It’s part of our world we live in.”

The Delhi-based Ghosh has his own partition story. He is a Bangali whose grandfather was originally from Barisal. He said he enjoyed visiting his ancestral home on a previous visit to Bangladesh. “Barisal was like this mythical place to us growing up. I’ve heard so many stories, as you can imagine.”

Curator Vishwajyoti Ghosh and Bangladeshi contributors Syeda Farhana, Khademul Islam and Kaiser Haq will be speaking, and Sanjoy Chakraborty will do a performance art piece about South Asian identity. l

‘The US has a habit of short-circuiting all problems with violence’ ‘There is no denying capitalism is inhumane.’

‘Capitalism goes very well with fascism’ ~ Tariq Ali ‘In Egypt the movement was so pure and honest that it didn’t work because there were no political ideals so nobody wanted to be seen seeking power.’ ~ Ahdaf Soueif ‘What form does the longing for change take? What they have in common is a lack of ideology.’

‘As far as the state was changed it has become a protector of inequity. The state has become the enforcer of criminal act – of robbing the people and the country’ ~ Pankaj Mishra ‘There’s that joke about having ‘mangoes’ in the title of your book if you’re from South Asia because it sounds more authentic.’ ~ Eliot Weinberger

Dr K Anis Ahmed, Eliot Weinberger and Pankaj Mishra discuss ‘World Literature’

RAJIBDHAR

2 - 3PM | THE NEW SOUTH ASIA | Small Stage Prajwal Parajuly, Samit Basu, Tishani Doshi, Janice Pariat and Rimi Chatterjee talk about the contemporary South Asian writing scene.

3.15 - 4.15PM | MEASURING LOSS | Main Stage Romesh Gunesekera, Florence Noiville and Nadeem Aslam, with Sandip Roy. 3.15 - 4.15PM | ONE on ONE | Small Stage Ahdaf Soueif in conversation with Razia Iqbal.

4.30 - 5.30PM | EGYPT and BEYOND | Main Stage Ahdaf Soueif and William Sieghart, moderated by Zafar Sobhan.

4.30 - 5.30PM | GRANTA - The Best Young Novelists | Small Stage Tahmima Anam and Ned Beauman, with Ellah Allfrey 6 - 7PM | EXPRORING LANGUAGE | Small Stage Amir Hussein with Firdous Azim 6 - 7PM | PARTITIONS: A Visual Representation | Imagination Tent Launching of the book of the 3 country project This Side, That Side; a graphic narrative of Partition, with editor Vishwajyoti Ghosh, and Bangladeshi contributors Syeda Farhana, Khademul Islam and Kaiser Haq. 7 - 8PM | DANCE with SHADHONA | Main Stage 1500 years of mystical dimensions.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMES 9 - 10AM | THE INVENTORS PUPPET | Imagination Tent For 6 to 12 year olds.

10 - 11AM | CHHORA and STORYTELLING | Imagination Tent Shukumar Rai and Rabindranath Tagore, by Nalonda Biddaloy.

For 6 to 12 year olds.

11.15 - 12.15PM | SHISHU TOSH CHHORA | Lawn For 6 to 12 year olds.

11.30 - 12.30PM | STORYTELLING with SARA ZAKER | Imagination Tent For 6 to 12 year olds.

Don’t miss these at Hay today 10 -11am on the main stage Khademul Islam discusses a “Life in Letters” with Tariq Ali 11:15-12:15pm “Have You Really Read Kafka” marks the launch of the Dhaka Translation Centre, with Chris Heiser joined by Kaiser Haq, David Shook and Eliot Weinberger again on the main stage 1:15-2pm “Poetry Prescription” is a chance for you to find just the right rhymes and poetry to suit your needs, so if you are in love or depressed you may want to meet William Sieghart, creator of the Forward Poetry Prize.

2-3pm Between “The Mystic Soul” on the main stage and “The New South Asia” on the small stage, two sessions

that will be equally fascinating that we can’t decide which one to recommend.

If we could we would attend both.

4:30-5:30pm “Egypt and Beyond” on the main stage with Ahdaf Soueif and William Sieghart will be moderated by our very own Zafar Sobhan, not one to be missed, and we assure you that you will not regret it.

Our final recommendation from today’s programme is “Partitions” from 6-7pm at the imagination tent launching the three country project’s book “This Side That Side” – a graphic narrative of the Partition, with Vishwajyoti Ghosh and Syeda Farhana, Khademul Islam and Kaiser Haq. l

Kicking off the Kids’ slots Efforts have been made to make this year’s Hay Fest more inclusive, as evidenced by programmes to suit visitors of every age and persuasion. Not least of these is the morning slot for children, which kicks off from today.

If you’re there early with the young ones, head over to the Imagination Tent, where poems and storytelling sessions await. The programme kicks off with a puppet show called “The Inventor’s Puppet”, featuring puppeteer Shuvankar Das Shuvo, and theatre artistes Sharmin Shangita Khanom, Sharmin Soheli Khanom Shoma, Shudip Das Dip and Abu Sayem Joy. This will be followed by poetry and storytelling sessions aimed at children aged 6-12 years old, and will continue from 9 am to 12:15 pm. l

Book lovers at Hay

RAJIBDHAR

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

Progress on RMG wages

L

eaders of the BGMEA and BKMEA have accepted the government wage board’s minimum wage of Tk5,300 for garment workers.

Although this falls short of the Tk8,114 sought by unions, it represents a significant advance on the employer’s initial offer of Tk3,600 and is more genuinely in line with increases in the cost of living since the last wage board.

Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees who represented workers at the wage board, has welcomed the new base for the wage The industry bodies scale. need to learn to listen This agreement is a useful more to workers and step towards progress in incorporate regular tackling the challenges facing cost of living increases the RMG sector. Whilst it into their pricing and cannot meet all the aspirations wage structures and requirements of workers, the industry association’s acceptance of the new figure is to be applauded.

With the Tazreen and Rana Plaza tragedies high in the public mind, the RMG sector will be under unprecedented scrutiny over the next few years as it seeks to increase safety and improve working conditions. It cannot afford to be disrupted by relatively straightforward disputes on wages.

The industry bodies need to learn to listen more to workers and incorporate regular cost of living increases into their pricing and wage structures. Had they taken such steps before, rather than relied on waiting for a much delayed wage board, it is likely that this agreement could have been reached sooner.

We acknowledge the progress made and hope that the various initiatives underway will not only secure worker safety, but improve productivity to secure future wage increases. In the meantime, the wage board’s decision should be implemented without delay.

Keep exports flowing

T

he value of Bangladesh’s exports now exceeds $27bn and the country has set an export target of $30.5bn for the current fiscal year.

It is commendable that the government will be awarding a National Export Trophy to 47 different enterprises from a diverse range of sectors.

Among the industries being awarded by the prime minister on November 20 will be companies from the RMG, jute, textiles, frozen food, leather, pharmaceuticals, software, light engineering, and electric and electronic product sectors.

With so much of the country’s growing labour force still underemployed, there is both a necessity to increase export earnings and an opportunity to drive growth further by developing skills to encourage diversification in export areas.

Improving education Improving education and and training are training are urgent priorities to urgent priorities to enable more value to be added enable more value by the workforce and to allow to be added by the the economy and exports to workforce and to allow grow faster. the economy and It still remains important to exports to grow faster address other concerns that may jeopardise export growth.

This includes the urgent need to improve safety and working conditions in the RMG sector.

With transport being disrupted by hartals, there is also the basic imperative of ensuring that export items are properly delivered to market. Earlier this week, only seven export vans were reported to leave Dhaka for Chittagong on a single day when on a normal day, 1,500 trucks carry export goods on this route. The government is providing highway police escorts and has inaugurated an inland container terminal at Pangaon to allow the option of transporting more goods by water rather than road.

In the long term, we hope that hartals will diminish so there is no need for mitigation measures. In the meantime though, these measures need to be improved and supported to enable exports to keep growing.

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

‘Let democracy be freed, down with autocracy’

A million dollar reply November 13

There has been a detailed post-mortem of the mobile phone conversation between the PM and the Leader of the Opposition. There is controversy about whether or not the transcript of the conversation should have been published. A lawyer has even gone to the extent of filing a court case against such a publication.

When all is said and done, we would give 10 out of 10 to Begum Khaleda Zia for the million dollar reply she gave when the PM, out of context, in order to embarrass her opponent, put forward the melodramatic statement: “My heart bleeds when you cut the (birthday) cake on 15th August ….” Prompt came the reply: “Shouldn’t anybody be born on that day?” Only a seasoned politician with the right presence of mind could have given such a prompt reply.

At a recent public meeting, the PM admitted that she had to undergo battering acceptance of defeat during the conversation. In another meeting, she hinted at the educational competence of the LOP. Educational qualification alone doesn’t make a good politician. If that were the case, then all PhDs would have become good politicians.

SA Reza Hussain

November 10

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid Today we need to say the same words again and again – let democracy be freed!

Muhaiminul Islam Jaan Lol ... what has democracy given you? It’s nothing but a failed system of running a state.

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid Agree, but what exact form of democracy do we practice? In our country, it has always been a tale of two women – one is a wife and the other is a daughter.

Parveen Ahmed We are still waiting for real democracy.

Shammi Huda All that these leaders have to offer is hubris, incompetence and corruption. Yet we continue to validate them by valuing their words and reading meaning into their empty gestures. Over 2,000 citizens have died in the last 20 years as the parties have expressed their democratic rights. This isn’t what Noor Hossain stood for.

Democracy? De mockery!

Ishfaq Ahsan Poor guy! If only he knew that he actually fought for these two ladies who are destroying the country today.

MD Easir Arafat Siddik Take back your Digital Bangla and return to me my black and white “Shonar Bangla.”

Cutting the baby in half November 8

“The party which backs down and gives in on the caretaker government issue [...] will have my respect.” But not the respect of the masses, who seem to worship the relentless, the authoritarian, the immovable. It wouldn’t make sense for the two parties to play out gladiatorial rituals every five years unless it impressed the mob.

Adnan The example is perfect! But I have another plausible scenario in this case. The baby’s mother is dead already and the baby has inherited a lot of property for the guardian to enjoy. Now two foster mothers have come up, each claiming to be a better keeper of the baby. Solomon (the people) have to decide which one would be a better keeper. Solomon will now call for a “judge” to decide! :-) Waliul Haque Khondker

Ha ha ha ha. A very pertinent example.

Salvation It truly baffles me when both leaders claim to love our country so much and yet have no incentive to compromise. It seems both have conveniently forgotten why compromise is necessary in political life especially in democratic politics. Perhaps both of them ought to be reminded of Lincoln’s great insight that “united we stand, divided we fall.” In the end it is not who is right or who is wrong, it is about “we the people.” If either of them was capable of working with this concept, then that person would be measured on that. This can only be accomplished when they come out of their trenches and find common ground that serves the general welfare rather than the special interest. At this point for any voter it will go a long way to see which one is more adaptable. a citizen

Rawshan Iajdani Who did he die for? Hasina and Khaleda? Hardly!

Md Mirajur Rahman Patwary I haven’t yet found freedom.

Reshad Bin Karim Salute to you Noor, the real hero !

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SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Scheme (4) 3 Male deer (4) 7 Greek letter (3) 8 Long lock (5) 11 Consumes (4) 12 Kingdom (5) 13 Concluded (5) 15 Country (4) 18 Doubling of a cord (4) 19 Drinks (5) 20 Make effort (5) 21 Discover (4) 23 Concise (5) 24 Top card (3) 25 Tidings (4) 26 Church seating (4)

Friday, November 15, 2013

DOWN 1 Seabird (6) 2 Carry too far (6) 4 Afternoon reception (3) 5 Dress (6) 6 Fuel (3) 9 Oozed (6) 10 Unhappy (3) 11 Widespreading dominion (6) 14 Beginner (6) 16 Meal course (6) 17 Conducts to seats (6) 19 Raining (3) 21 Devoted follower (3) 22 Fresh (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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

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Op-Ed

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It takes two to tango

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Friday, November 15, 2013

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A nation of selective conscience n Zia Hassan

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Can’t we move beyond the politics of the street?

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n Zafar Sobhan he AL game plan seems pretty clear to all by now.

The party appears to have all but succeeded in its (admittedly not difficult) stratagem of goading the BNP into boycotting the elections. It makes a certain amount of sense. After all, if the BNP does not participate, then it can’t win and the AL can’t lose.

The only thing better for in incumbent government than no elections is elections the opposition does not contest, which, when you think about it, pretty much comes to the same thing for the voters.

The one problem that the AL faces is that this was precisely the BNP game plan in 1996 and 2007, and the AL’s position when it was in opposition then is identical to the BNP position now: one-sided elections are unacceptable and confer no legitimacy upon the winner.

The AL makes the same argument that the BNP made before it, that the elections will be constitutional, even though, in the present case, the argument is even more farcical than in the past, because the elections will only be constitutional because the AL amended the constitution to make them so.

The bottom line should be not what the AL or the BNP want, but what the people of this country want. The people of the country did not want the constitution amended to end the caretaker government and they do

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not want elections without the main opposition.

Even more worrisome for the long-term health of our polity than the government’s apparent contempt for public opinion when it comes to this issue is the fact that it looks increasingly as though, unlike in the past, this time a one-sided election will stick.

In 2007, the international community made it clear that one-sided elections would not be considered le-

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

only bit players in this drama.

That’s the way the cookie crumbles, I guess. It saddens me that the acceptability of Bangladeshi elections will be determined, in the final analysis, not by the Bangladeshi people but by outsiders who are concerned, naturally, more with their own national self-interest, and not ours.

Why does public opinion inside the country matter so little? The simple reason is that the BNP and its allies do

For the record, I agreed with the AL position then and find that basic intellectual honesty and consistency thus compels me to agree with the BNP position today

gitimate, even though AL grounds for boycotting that election were considerably weaker than the BNP grounds today. For the record, I agreed with the AL position then and find that basic intellectual honesty and consistency thus compels me to agree with the BNP position today.

What a difference six years makes, apparently. Now it seems as though both India and the US, the two crucial players in this sorry saga, will forsake principle for realpolitik (no surprise there, perhaps) to give their blessings to a one-sided election. The EU is still on the fence, but in the end they are

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not appear to have the muscle power to oppose the AL in the streets. In 1996 and 2007, the AL did have this muscle power, and that made the difference.

But surely one’s ability to muster goon squads in defense of one’s position should not be the measure of the rightness of the position or the measure of the merit of a political party. I for one am quite relieved that the BNP does not appear to have the muscle to press their case in the streets and that the government has the power to more or less keep things under control.

But what should that have to do with the upcoming elections? The test

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of the BNP should surely not be whether it can command sufficient shock troops to bring the country to a standstill, but whether it can command a majority of the vote at the polls.

In Bangladesh, it seems, we measure a party’s power and popularity, not by its strength at the ballot box, but by its strength on the streets. What a dismal reality. To be sure, often the two amount to the same thing, as indeed they did in 1996 and 2007. But not always, and not this year, if recent local election results and opinion polls are anything to go by.

More to the point, if strength on the streets is the only relevant measure of a political party, then it is little wonder that our political parties have evolved into such thuggish entities and there is so little space for reform of the system.

Pushing through a one-sided election would mean that the BNP and its allies would be punished, not for the mayhem and misery they have caused over the past months, but for the fact that they have not been able to cause more. No prizes for guessing where a dynamic like that ends.

Whether one is a supporter of BNP or AL or neither party or no party, we all need to recognise that if we don’t create space for a politics of the people, divorced from the politics of the street (read: armed cadres), then we are doomed to end up being ruled by those who will be least scrupulous in ensuring that they win the arms race to the bottom. l Zafar Sobhan is editor, Dhaka Tribune.

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any of the problems that Bangladesh is facing can be attributed to its population and its leaders. The greater public, now increasingly divided over dogma as per their party lines, are equally guilty of selective application of their conscience.

It is apparent from the response of people on the death of the young boy Monir, who was brutally murdered when patrol bomb was hurled in his truck by BNP/Jamaat loyalists, and the killing of Bishwajit, who was slaughtered by Awami League goons.

You will see a big portion of the population choose to ignore one incident or another based on the party he or she supports. One will be extremely vocal against the injustices in one incident, and will choose to ignore the other one completely or dish out a conspiracy theory.

This selective conscience is now one of the greatest moral issues facing the nation. This is hurting the nation and dividing the people.

This great divide was created by both parties. Both needed a dogma and ideology to hide their looting and plundering.

The AL preached that only a superior cultural form that is Bengali and the Bangaliyana can exist, and that the father of the nation is Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

However, instead of unifying through this mantra, AL has chosen to divide the country by looking through a prism of pro and anti-liberation forces. Even the people who were born after 1971 can be termed as part of the anti-liberation force through that lens.

So, these groups feel a compulsion to support AL, even when they see the looting. The position of BNP and Jamaat is the antithesis of what AL preaches.

BNP supposedly stands for Bangladeshi nationalism, taking pride in being Bangladeshi, standing against the increasing Indian influence in business and culture, and protecting the economic interest of the country.

BNP also swings into a milder version of Islamic nationalism when it is politically convenient. In sincerity, BNP has nothing better or worse to offer in these aspects other than empty rhetoric.

AL and BNP are two sides of the same coin. In her personal and professional life, Khaleda Zia, the leader of the BNP, has not displayed any characteristics of an Islamic fundamentalist.

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So, Monir, who was killed after a patrol bomb was hurled into his father’s van by BNP or Shibir supporters, is ignored by the same group of people who cried for months when the video of Bishwajit, killed in broad daylight

by AL goons, was made public. The screams of Monir’s parents did not reach their deaf ears.

This selective conscience has been preached and taught by the most revered “thought” leaders of the country. You have to think hard where these intellectuals hide when RAB kills people in crossfires or people get killed by the police and AL goons.

Though we hide behind the achievements of Millennium Development Goals, if you strip those fancy goals down and convert those bright indicators to real data, you will find that in Bangladesh 30% of people earn under Tk3,000 per month.

You will see a big portion of the population choose to ignore one incident or another based on the party he or she supports

The achievements of the RMG industry sweeps under the rug the massive inequality that exists in the country. Dhaka is the worst city to live in. People absorb all the garbage that politicians throw their way.

Chattering classes seem apparently happy to ignore these. In the absence of quality entertainment, they have subscribed to daily turn of events that is more dramatic than any Hindi soap opera in Star World.

It has all the action, drama, comedy and suspense that one needs be entertained. They find immense satisfaction in being part of that comedy show by voicing their own versions by brewing up a storm in a tea cup.

Everybody is now a mini talk show host with their own interpretations.

But they are blissfully unaware of their rights and blissfully ignorant that they are ill-served.

They are happy to be divided, happy to be entertained, and happy to be unaware. Politicians at both sides have found a nation willing to support all their atrocities through selective judgment, and nothing for a politician could be more fun than this. l Zia Hassan is a blogger.

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Let’s flex our creative writing muscles n Ekram Kabir

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he ongoing Hay festival in Dhaka once again reminds me about the need for creative writing courses in our universities. This festival evokes quite a lot of enthusiasm among literature aficionados as well as educators in the higher level.

At the end of all sessions and discussions, the participants would go back home with the hope of creating literary works in their individual capacities. But the thought of introducing creative writing courses would hardly cross anyone’s mind, especially of the teachers of literature departments across the country.

This also reminds me of one of my teachers’ opinion about introducing creative writing courses. He recently wondered, trying to convince me against the idea of initiating writing courses, why these types of courses haven’t created any big authors.

Despite having a different opinion on this, I tried to explain why we needed these courses.

If we look back at the time we started going to school, we had three majors: Bangla, English and Maths. From Grade one to 12 (equivalent to higher

secondary certificate and A level), we are taught both Bangla and English.

We learnt words, spelling, grammar, how to write essays etc. No one ever asked us to write a short story or a poem or a simple letter-to-the-editor. No educator ever taught us any speaking skills.

We learnt words, spelling, grammar, how to write essays etc. No one ever asked us to write a short story or a poem or a simple letter-to-theeditor

After a long time, perhaps after completing our university education, we came to know about the four basic ways to learn a language: listening, reading, speaking and writing. What happened to us is that after learning two languages for twelve years, we

still stumble when we are asked to speak and wrestled to write even a job cover letter.

Those who learnt writing in this country have learnt it on their own.

Then, we have Bangla and English departments in almost all the universities in Bangladesh. But, if my memory serves me well, we were never asked to write anything in our classrooms.

The lectures we had attended were fantastic. Our teachers opened up our analytical abilities, but they never asked us to write, say, a short story, or a poem, or a play. Our emphasis was, and still is, on reading texts.

We had read them and prepared our notes which we usually memorised for the exams. We almost never felt the absence of learning creative writing in our departments. But being able to analyse and memorise doesn’t teach you how to write or speak.

Yes, we learnt writing essays. But we used flowery and difficult words with extra long sentences. Our scripts during the exams reflected the same character.

I realised this absence of learning how to write when I became a journalist. My first editor, in our first month, in his newspaper, had organised an

in-house caption and headline writing contest. We also had various training sessions on news writing, feature writing, and editorial writing.

With his help, we came in touch with various books on writing.

Similarly, in other sectors, a huge amount of writing is required all the time. The corporate gurus say they hardly find people who can write confidently.

Introducing creative writing as a subject is likely to have a long-term impact. It would surely produce new novelists, poets and essayists. Many may argue that Bangladesh may have a market for Bangla literature, but there’s no demand for English literature here.

This may be partially true, but we won’t know if we don’t start producing English fiction. There weren’t many things here in the past, but we did create a market for them, and they are now part of our daily lives.

If we can’t sell them here, there’s a huge market abroad. International publishers have already started noticing Bangladeshi writers. Many Bangladeshi writers are selling their work online. But we have to imbue that basic knowledge to the people

who want to be writers.

There are fantastic stories that can attract an international audience. And to my mind, initiating creative writing as a subject may open up that gate for them.

Introducing creative writing as a subject is likely to have a longterm impact. It would surely produce new novelists, poets and essayists

Thankfully, a few private universities have already introduced creative writing courses. They understood the importance of creative writing.

Having said that, I must say that the Hay festival, although it’s a gathering of national and international writers, could be a perfect platform for raising this issue and bringing it to the fore. I hope someone at the festival raises his/her voice in favour of introducing creative writing in our universities. l

Ekram Kabir is executive editor of Natunbarta.com.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

US aircraft carrier arrives in Philippines n AFP, Philippines The United States Navy said Thursday its aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, had arrived in the Philippines to aid an emergency relief operation following super typhoon Haiyan.

It “will go to a position just off the eastern coast of Samar island in order to begin to assess the damage and provide logistical and emergency support to include medical and water supplies,” the carriers commander, Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, said.

The USS George Washington was one of eight American ships in the region as part of “Operation Damayan” – Tagalog for “solidarity” – Montgomery added in a statement emailed to journalists.

He said cruisers USS Antietam and USS Cowpen would join the carrier off stricken Samar while the cargo ship USNS Charles Drew was moving water supplies to Guiuan airfield, elsewhere on the central island.

Two ships were bringing emergency

China to step up aid to Philippines amid controversy n AFP, Beijing

Sailors make room for the transportation of cargo and personnel, as they travel to the Philippines to support humanitarian efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan REUTERS supplies to Tacloban, the devastated capital of Leyte province, while another was focusing on Ormoc, on Leyte island.

An eighth vessel was surveying conditions, Montgomery added. The carrier’s arrival is expected to give the relief effort a much-needed boost, par-

ticularly as the US navy will bring its logistical know-how to bear on a chaotic situation.

Roads have been impassable and the aid that has arrived has been jammed at airports and in warehouses, its delivery complicated by a dicey security situation that has seen convoys attacked. l

Friday, November 15, 2013

China said Thursday it would increase its aid to the typhoon-pummelled Philippines, after criticism of its initial modest response, but some Chinese web users called for no help at all.

The two countries are embroiled in a longstanding row over islands in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

Manila accuses Beijing of asserting its claims increasingly aggressively and says Chinese vessels have occupied the Scarborough Shoal, which it claims itself, since last year.

China – which has enjoyed a yearslong economic boom – announced a $100,000 cash donation on Monday, with a matching one from the Chinese Red Cross, far less than other countries and a move that prompted criticism overseas.

The US magazine Time carried a report Wednesday under the headline “The world’s second largest economy

Attacks against Shias in Iraq kill at least 41 n AP, Baghdad

off-loads insultingly small change on a storm-battered Philippines.”

“The Chinese government has been made to look mean-spirited in front of the world community,” said the article.

Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday that the country decided “just days ago” to provide an additional 10m yuan ($1.6m) for relief efforts in the form of blankets, tents and other materials.

“There will be thousands of tents and tens of thousands of blankets,” he told reporters at a regular briefing.

“We hope that these supplies will be delivered to the disaster-stricken areas as soon as possible to show our sympathies with the Philippines.”

Typhoon Haiyan swept through the central islands of the Philippines on Friday, wreaking havoc across a large area.

Chinese media and Internet users – many of whom are intensely nationalistic – were divided on how the country should respond to the disaster. l

Paul McCartney urges Putin to help free Greenpeace activists n AFP, London Former Beatle Paul McCartney said Thursday he has written to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging him to intervene to help 30 people jailed after a Greenpeace protest in the Arctic.

“It would be great if this misunderstanding could be resolved and the protesters can be home with their families in time for Christmas. We live in hope,” the ageing British rocker said in his letter sent last month and now published on his website.

McCartney, who is currently in Japan, said Putin had not yet replied, but the Russian ambassador to Britain had responded by saying the situation of the detainees “is not properly represented in the world media.”

The so-called “Arctic 30” were detained when the Russian Coast Guard boarded their Dutch-flagged Greenpeace vessel after several activists scaled a state-owned oil platform on September 18 in a protest.

Russia has since put the 30 people in prisons in Saint Petersburg after moving them from the Arctic Circle city of Murmansk.

The Russian ambassador to Britain had responded by saying the situation of the detainees ‘is not properly represented in the world media’ McCartney, whose hits with the Beatles included “Back in the USSR,” denied that the protesters were anti-Russian or doing the bidding of western governments.

“I understand of course that the Russian courts and the Russian presidency are separate.

Nevertheless I wonder if you may be able to use whatever influence you have to reunite the detainees with their families?” he wrote. l

The deadliest of Thursday’s attacks was in the town of al-Saadiyah, 140 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, where a suicide bomber struck a group of Shias gathered for an Ashura event Portraits of Greenpeace activists are frozen in ice cubes in front of the headquarters of Gazprom Germany in Berlin

Egypt to seek bids for first nuclear plant

Turkey lifts ban on trousers for women MPs in Parliament

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n Reuters, Ankara

Egypt will launch an international tender in January to build its first nuclear power station, an Electricity Ministry spokesman said on Thursday before talks with Russian officials on cooperation between the two countries.

Egypt froze its nuclear programme after the 1986 nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, but announced in 2006 it planned to revive it. Plans for a tender were being prepared when President Hosni Mubarak was deposed in February 2011.

Aktham Abouelela, spokesman for the Electricity Ministry said: “The Nuclear Power Plants Authority plans to launch the first international tender in January to build a nuclear station in

Dabaa,” near the Mediterranean coast.

Egypt’s economic outlook has been clouded by political uncertainty since Mubarak’s downfall, which set off turbulence that has chased away foreign investors and tourists.

It was not immediately clear how Egypt would finance the plant, but since Morsi’s removal it has been offered $12bn in aid from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Egyptian officials were due to meet Russia’s foreign and defense ministers on Thursday for talks that were expected to touch on the nuclear power programme.

Former Trade and Industry Minister Hatem Saleh said in April that Russia had agreed to help Egypt develop atomic energy. l

Turkey’s parliament has lifted a ban on women lawmakers wearing trousers in the assembly, in a further liberalisation of dress rules following a landmark decision to allow female deputies to wear the Islamic headscarf.

A deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Safak Pavey, drew attention to the trouser ban during a parliamentary debate on the emotive headscarf issue, which has long polarised opinion in largely Muslim but secular Turkey.

Pavey, elected to office in June 2011, has a prosthetic leg but parliament had rejected her previous request to be allowed to wear trousers because of regulations which spec-

WORLD WATCH Toronto City Council asks Mayor Rob Ford to go away

Toronto City Council asked embattled Mayor Rob Ford on Wednesday to take a break from his job to deal with “personal issues,” which he admits include both buying illegal drugs and smoking crack cocaine. The nonbinding vote came on a day during which both Ford’s opponents and his former allies interrogated the mayor on his suitability to lead Canada’s largest city. Ford said he won’t quit. Councilors voted 37-5 in favour of a formal, but nonbinding, motion urging Ford to take a leave of absence, and also urged him to apologise for “misleading” Toronto residents. Ford insists he has no plans to go, or to seek treatment.

Train mows down, kills seven elephants in east India

A passenger train ploughed into a herd of elephants in eastern India, killing seven, including two calves, as they lumbered across the tracks in a forest, authorities said Thursday. The crash was the worst of its kind in recent memory, said Hiten Burman, forestry minister in West Bengal.

Ten other elephants were seriously injured

and the death toll could rise, he said. The train was traveling at 80km/h through the Chapramari Forest when it struck the herd of 40 elephants crossing the tracks on Wednesday at dusk, Burman said. “The herd scattered, but returned to the railway tracks and stood there for quite some time before they were driven away by forest guards and railroad workers who rushed to the spot after the accident,” he said.

Three US students shot; suspect calls it retaliation

Three high school students heading to their vehicle after classes ended were shot Wednesday, and another student was charged and told police he was retaliating for being beaten during a drug-related robbery last month at school, police said.

Anjohnito Willett Jr, 16, was charged as an adult and in custody late Wednesday on four counts each of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. He’s also charged with illegally possessing a gun as a juvenile. Willett wounded three students and shot at a fourth as they were headed to a car to drive home after Brashear High School

A suicide attacker and twin bomb blast on Thursday targeted Shias marking a sombre religious ritual in Iraq, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 100, officials said.

The ritual, known as Ashura, is observed every year over a 10-day period and has in the past been marred by massive attacks by al-Qaeda and other Sunni extremists who see Shias as heretics. This year, the attacks come amid an escalating campaign of violence by insurgents seeking to thwart the Shialed government’s efforts to maintain security.

The deadliest of Thursday’s attacks was in the town of al-Saadiyah, 140 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, where a suicide bomber struck a group of Shias gathered for an Ashura event. The explosion killed at least 32 people and wounded 75, two police officers said.

The Shias at the Saadiyah gathering were recreating the 7th century battle of Karbala, a city in present-day Iraq.

Ashura commemorates the death of Prophet Muhammad (SM)’s grandson, Imam Hussein, in that battle.

Earlier on Thursday, two bombs exploded simultaneously near tents set up to offer food and drinks to Shia pilgrims passing through Hafriyah, a town about 50 kilometres south of the Iraqi capital, another police officer said.

The Shias were making their way on foot to Hussein’s gold-domed shrine in Karbala, some 90 kilometres south of Baghdad, where authorities said more than two million pilgrims were expected to converge on Thursday.

Ashura attracts hundreds of thousands of Shias to holy sites across Iraq.

Security forces have imposed tight security measures in and around Karbala, as well as other Shia cities and also Baghdad, sealing off areas where the Shias, most of them dressed in black, were passing through or stopping to rest.

let out at about 2:45pm, police Lt Kevin Kraus said. The wounds of the victims, all boys, appeared to be non-life-threatening, according to police spokeswoman Diane Richard.

Libya ‘seeks to make its laws more Islamic’

Libya is seeking to revise existing legislation to make it conform more to Islamic sharia law, a justice ministry document obtained by AFP shows. The text announces the establishment of a “committee charged with revising current legislation and to propose amendments that would not contradict the fundamental rules and regulations of Islamic law.”

It said the 16-strong committee would be nominated by the supreme court and the Mufti, a religious expert on sharia.

The committee, which would be chaired by a judge, would also include professors from Islamic universities, according to the document. The justice ministry’s plan would appear to be aimed at satisfying the demands of Salafist, or extremist Sunni Muslim, groups in the violence-wracked North African nation.

ified that women should wear suits with skirts.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling centre-right AK Party, which

Turkish parliament witnessed historic scenes at the end of October when four AKP female lawmakers wore headscarves for the first time in the assembly has Islamist roots, proposed the relaxation of the trouser ban and the opposition parties – the secularist CHP, the pro-Kurdish BDP and Turkish nationalist MHP – backed the plan.

Parliament approved the measure

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late on Wednesday.

The Turkish parliament witnessed historic scenes at the end of October when four AKP female lawmakers wore headscarves for the first time in the assembly.

The headscarf is viewed by secularists as an emblem of political Islam and thus a threat to the republic’s secular identity, but the AK Party has argued that the restrictions on its use violate the principle of religious freedom.

Secularists made only subdued protests to the move, highlighting a shift in attitudes in Turkey about religion after more than a decade of AKP rule.

The headscarf ban has also been lifted in other state institutions as well as parliament.l

Hezbollah chief vows to continue fighting in Syria n AP, Beirut The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group showed up at a Shia religious ceremony in southern Beirut on Thursday, vowing to keep his fighters in neighbouring Syria as long as needed to shore up President Bashar Assad’s struggle against Syria’s rebels.

The public appearance of Hassan Nasrallah – his second in as many days – came as tens of thousands of Shias and Hezbollah supporters marched in their southern Beirut stronghold for the Ashura, one of the Shia sect’s most important religious occasions.

“As long as there are reasons for us to stay in Syria, we will stay there,” said the black-turbaned cleric, standing on an open-air podium, surrounded by several bodyguards.

Syria’s civil war has pitted the mostly Sunni rebels against Assad’s forces, dominated by his Alawite sect, a Shia

offshoot. Battle-hardened Hezbollah fighters openly joined the conflict earlier this year in a major boost to Assad and were instrumental in recent Syrian government victories, mostly in the suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus and in areas near the border with Lebanon.

At the gathering in Beirut, Nasrallah told followers that Hezbollah’s fighters will remain in Syria to “defend Lebanon, Palestine, the Palestinian question and Syria, the protector of the resistance.”

His comments will likely anger rival Lebanese politicians who have said that Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Syria is a precondition for the organisation joining a new government.

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Tammam Salam, has not been able to form a Cabinet since April as a result of political disagreement between rival groups — mostly over Syria’s civil war, which has sharply divided the Lebanese. l

Some Shias in the processions were ritually whipping their bodies with chains and knives in grief, drenching themselves in blood, which is part of the Ashura.

On Tuesday, triple bombings struck a group of Shias marking the Ashura in the eastern city of Baqouba, a former al-Qaeda stronghold, 60 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, killing eight people, including two children, and wounding 35.

Iraq has been hit by a surge in violence and insurgent attacks since April, when security forces cracked down on a Sunni protest camp in the north. The pace of the killings has soared to levels not seen since 2008.

More than 5,500 people died since April, according to United Nations figures. Thursday’s attacks bring the death toll across the country this month to 176, according to an Associated Press count.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attacks, but suicide attacks and other bombings — especially against Shias and Iraqi forces — are a favourite tactic of al-Qaeda’s local branch. l

Khalid Haqqani to be functional leader of TTP n Tribune Desk A report by the News International states Khalid Sheikh Haqqani is due to call the shots for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, in the wake of former leader Hakeemullah Mehsud’s death and new chief Fazlullah’s absence.

Before joining the TTP, Haqqani had been heading his own militant faction called the Haqqani Taliban. He is reputed as a hardliner and a ruthless commander.

Rumours of Fazlullah’s return to Fata after being elected new chief of the TTP have been brushed off by tribal circles. According to them, Fazlullah wants to return to Waziristan but has been advised against it in light of the high ratio of US drone strikes in the region in comparison to Afghanistan.

With Fazlullah and Khalid’s appointments, command of the TTP has moved from the tribal regions to settled districts of KP. l

Did you know?

Joe Hart has kept 56 clean sheets in the Premier League since August 2010 – more than any other ‘keeper in the division

Sport

Friday, November 15, 2013

14 Ronaldo, Ibra duel for ticket to Brazil

n Mazhar Uddin

Sabbir Rahman’s all round performance helped Prime Doleshwar CC clinch a 79 run win over Kalabagan CA in the last match of the eleventh round to reach the top of the table before going to the super league phase at the Mirpur Sher-eBangla National Stadium yesterday.

After been put in to bat, Prime Doleshwar’s English opener Joshua Cobb gave a good start to the batting side, along with late middle order player Sabbir, after the batting side lost a couple of early wickets.

At the tail end of the innings, national cricketer Sohag Gazi scored a quick 59 runs off just 49 balls, smashing seven fours and a six remained, while Arman Hossain scored 38 runs to post a challenging total of 252/9 in 50 over.

Skipper Sharifullah and Zakaria Masud claimed three wickets each for the bowling side.

In reply, Kalabagan never looked to be able to chase down the target as they kept losing wickets at regular interval.

Wicket keeper batsman Sahagir Hossain’s 34 was the highest score for the batting side while Nuruzzaman scored 30 as Kalabagan were all out 173 in 46.1 overs.

With this win, Prime Doleshwar joined Gazi Tank and Mohammedan at the top of the table with 14 points. Kalabagan also reached the super league stage with 11 points. l

Prime Doleshwar 252/9 in 50 over Joshua Cobb 69, Sohag Gazi 59 Sharifullah 40/3, Zakaria Masud 48/3

Sachin Tendulkar plays his trademark flick into the leg side, during the 1st day of the 2nd Test against West Indies at Mumbai yesterday

Russell complete registration Despite losing a number of key players after last season’s historic treble winning campaign, Sheikh Russell Krira Charka are still hopeful of repeating the success this year as they completed their players’ registration process yesterday. The club arrived at the BFF House without a single player or even the coach.

The newly emerged Bangladesh Premier League giants have the fewest number of players registered of the four clubs who already completed their transfer formalities. Sheikh Russell submitted a total of 20 players’ registration forms to the BFF yesterday with foreign players on the list.

Russell are not the same team as they were last season. The depth and strength of the team decreased after losing vital players like Sony Norde, Mamunul Islam, Zahid Hossain, Linkon, Zahid Hasan Ameli and Nahidul Islam.

The club failed to bring in the right men as replacements but the club officials are still optimistic about the coming season.

Russell coach Maruful Haque, however, did not seem to be as confident with the current squad, especially the latest losses of Zahid and Nahid to Mohammedan on Monday.

“The team was good the day before yesterday. But after the players, we have

Siddikur’s poor start n Raihan Mahmood Siddikur Rahman, the Bangladeshi star golfer, played a 4-over- par 75 in the first round of the Australian Masters at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club yesterday.

Siddikur struck four bogies and was birdie less on the first day at the venue where he will play the World Cup next week. Siddikur was struggling in 83rd position. Nick Cullen of Australia was leading the field with a 6-under-par 65.

Late-blooming South Australian Nick Cullen poured in six birdies - one from less than 3 centimetres - and holed out for an eagle to tame a windswept Royal Melbourne with a six-under-par 65.Cullen, 29, the brother of Australian cricketer Dan, has enjoyed great domestic success in the past two years, including the recent Queensland Open and winning in Indonesia on the OneAsia Tour. l

15 Indoor corporate cricket opens

India in driver’s seat after first day who utilised the conditions well. India n Agencies responded strongly with openers

BRIEF SCORE

n Shishir Hoque

13

Sachin shines in farewell Test

Doleshwar join leaders

Kalabagan CA 173/10 in 46.1 over Sahagir Hossain 34, Nuruzzaman 30 Sabbir Rahman 22/4, Taijul Ismal 33/3 Prime Doleshwar won by 79 runs

14 Mexico rout Kiwis to close in on WC

DHAKA TRIBUNE

to change our target. This time the challenge is tougher than last season. Still I believe I can put together the whole team before the league starts,” said Maruf yesterday.

Maruf admitted it will be hard for him to replace midfielder Mamunul and striker Sony Norde as the duo joined Sheikh Jamal for record fees.

SQUAD Biplob Bhattacharya, Masud Rana, Asheem Das, Aminul Islam, Rezaul Karim, Hasan Al Mamun, Mamun Miah, Rajani Kanta Barman, Bappi Hasan Murad, Tanvir Rana, Shakil Ahmed, Imrul Hasan Emu, Mohammed Suman, Sabuj Kumar Bisswash, Anower Hossain, Mohammed Robin and Mohammed Towhiduzzaman.

“The team is broken. There is a huge gap in the midfield after the departure of Mamunul. But I’m hopeful with Mithun. We have to look forward to foreign recruits to replace Sony,” added Maruf.

Russell already brought in Jamaican Ricardo, who showed his skills in training but Maruf believed he is not like Sony and more a midfield player. Two Moroccan strikers Rock and Yunus are currently playing with the club and will play in the Federation Cup. l

Iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar kept his emotions in check and showed his genius for one last time in front of adoring fans with an unbeaten 38 as India seized early control of his 200th and final cricket Test against the West Indies after a disciplined bowling display here today.

The 40-year-old maestro walked in to the middle amid thundering cheers from the crowd and a guard of honour from his West Indies rivals as he showed glimpses of his vintage form to remain unconquered at close of an eventful opening day of his last Test.

At stumps, India were comfortably placed at 157 for two after bundling out the hapless West Indies for a meagre 182 by tea, riding on left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s five-wicket haul. While Ojha (5/40) grabbed the spotlight in the first half of the day, it was the retiring legend, who held centrestage in the last session with his entire family and childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar watching from the stands.

It was an abysmal batting display by the West Indians after being put in by Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The Caribbeans lost eight wickets for just 89 runs in a single session much to the delight of the Wankhede crowd.

Kieran Powell (48) and Darren Bravo (29) were the only batsmen to put up a semblance of fight against the stifling line and length of the Indian bowlers,

Murali Vijay (43) and Shikhar Dhawan (33) putting on 77 runs in quick time.

The two were sent back by Shane Shillingford before Tendulkar and Cheteshwar Pujara (34) took control of the proceedings.

India, leading 1-0 after winning the first Test in Kolkata inside three days, were just 25 runs behind West Indies at close of play raising doubts whether

the match will go the full distance. Call him a picture of confidence or an epitome of concentration, Tendulkar was everything during his undefeated stay at the crease in which he faced 73 balls hitting six boundaries.

Not only did he look in control but also helped Pujara (34 batting) gain in confidence as they added 80 runs in an unbroken third wicket stand. At exactly 3:33 pm, India’s most loved sportsman walked down the staircase of the pavilion to the deafening applause from the near-packed Wankhede stadium with spectators on their feet after the fall of Vijay’s wicket to welcome the legendary player. l

Hemanta to try out for Dutch club

Jamal and Brothers to replay match n Shishir Hoque n Mazhar Uddin No Bangladesh football has ever gone to Bangladesh cricket Board (BCB) is arranging to replay the Premier League match between Sheikh Jamal and Brothers Union and match referee Obaidul Haque Azam has been suspended for two years informed CCDM member secretary Rakib Haider Pavel yesterday.

After Brothers match against Abahani Ltd on November 7, match referee Obaidul Haque Azam suspended and fined Brothers skipper Sohrawardi Tk20,000 for poor behavior with onfield umpires over a run-out decision.

In Brothers’ next game against Sheikh Jamal, the latter complained against Sohrawardi, who was supposed to be serving the suspension, but instead played in the game which Brothers won by six wickets.

Sohrawardi and Brothers claimed to not have known about the suspension. CCDM member secretary also informed that the umpire’s manager has also been warned for his irresponsible work and the messenger who was supposed to delivered a letter to Brothers Union received a show-cause, while the club was fined Tk100,000 for playing with the suspended player. Meanwhile, Sohrawardi will be suspended for the next match along and fined Tk20,000. The replayed match is likely to be played at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National stadium on November 16. l

a European club for a trial - not even legendary footballers like Kazi Salahuddin or Aslam. The rising star of Bangladesh, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, is going to write history as the captain of Bangladesh U-19 national team received an offer from Dutch professional football club FC Twente.

Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif, using his connections at FC Twente, acted as the scout between the club and the player. Kruif also scouted players in Nigeria for Twente during his time as head coach at Heartland FC. This time, Kruif chose two players from the South Asian region. Along with Hemanta, Nepal U-16 captain Bimal Gharti Magar is also expected to travel to Netherlands for trial.

As a midfielder, the Dinajpur hailing Hemanta rose from BKSP and caught the attention of Dutch coaches Kruif and Rene Koster during the U-19 training camp for the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers which were held in Iraq last month. Hemanta is currently staying with Mohammedan SC without any contract.

“We have a visa for Hemnata. He will go to FC Twente, who were the champions of Netherlands two or three years ago (2009-10). They are a very big club with a fantastic organization, a very good youth department. With my con-

tacts over there, I could arrange a trial period for one month and he will go as soon as possible,” said Kruif at the BFF House yesterday.

“It’s a very big opportunity for young player like Hemanta, he can be an example for other players. Hopefully, the

club will like them, pick them and they can go on with their career in a better environment to develop themselves,” he added.

Kruif said that Vincent, along with Bimal will depart for Europe within a week after the Nepalese obtains a visa. Kruif said it would be a “Miracle” for Bangladesh if Vincent make it into Twente.

“It is very important for them to show the qualities and stay normal, stay humble and keep their eyes and ears very open and try to adapt to the level.

We think that they have a chance. The goal is go to Europe, show yourself with performance and they will keep you

there and that would be a miracle for this country,” said the coach.

Hemanta himself is delighted with the offer. “It’s a great opportunity for me because I’m going to a European country for the first time for trial. I will try to perform my best to get chance there and make the country proud,” he declared.

Meanwhile, another Dutch coach Rene Koster revealed plans for a talent hunting program throughout the country.

“We have 12 tournaments in the coming 18 months in different age groups from U-14 to national team. Our task is to perform in those tournaments. We are thinking there are better players in the country, we don’t know. We need to do talent hunting to give every player in Bangladesh a chance.

“The other thing is to re-organise the staff of the BFF. We also need talented coaches to train them. We are going to talk about coaches and to get staff who are dedicated. We need budget for that.

We need to play international tournaments and friendly matches,” said Koster.

BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag said that the federation will provide the necessary support to the Dutch coaches’ future plans. “It’s the responsibility of BFF to ensure and provide the budget. As per the plans and activities of the coaches, we are yet to finalise that.

We will release the budget as per the approved plans.” l

Walton sponsors Fed Cup n Raihan Mahmood Walton, the leading electronics brand of the country, stepped up to sponsor the 28th edition of Federation Cup, the curtain raiser tournament of the football season at the BFF House yesterday.

The 12 team Federation Cup is scheduled to kick-off from December 20 but the BFF may change the date depending on the political situation.

As per the deal, Walton will provide a purse of Tk2m as the title sponsors.

At the official press conference, BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy thanked Walton for stepping up to sponsor the meet. “We must admit that Walton has provided the assistance in a crucial time, we are thankful to them,” said Murshedy.

AFM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the ad-

ditional director of Walton, said they are here for a sustainable relationship.

“We have sponsored the Women’s Corporate Football earlier, now we have been tagged with another big tournament. We hope to continue the relationship with football,” said Dawn.

Apart from the sponsorship money, Walton will also present a Fusion 110 CC motorcycle to the man of the tournament and there will be five gift hampers consisting of various home appliances every day that will be decided by a raffle draw.

The best players of the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final will also receive gifts from the sponsors. BFF general secretary Abu Naeem Shohag and Walton Brand Ambassador Zobera Rahman Linu were also present on the occasion. l

BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy and Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar exchanges greetings after signing the Fed Cup sponsorship deal at the BFF House yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Friday, November 15, 2013

Ronaldo, Ibra duel for ticket to Brazil n Reuters, Lisbon The story of the 2014 World Cup will inevitably be written without one of the best players in Europe after Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden do battle for a playoff berth.

Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic are both in scintillating form ahead of the twolegged qualifying playoff but only one of their teams will end up in Brazil next year.

Both men scored hat-tricks at the weekend: Ronaldo in Real Madrid’s 5-1 rout of Real Sociedad and the Swede netting all of Paris St Germain’s goals in a 3-1 victory over Nice.

“We are talking about two worldclass stars, living an excellent moment,” said Portugal winger Silvestre Varela ahead of Friday’s first leg at Lisbon’s Luz stadium (1945 GMT).

Portugal captain Ronaldo tops La Liga’s best scorers’ list with 16 goals while Ibrahimovic, with eight, is one behind Ligue 1 top marksmen Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani.

Ronaldo, 28, and Ibrahimovic, 32, are under pressure to deliver again on Friday, and in next Tuesday’s return fixture in Stockholm, and Sweden coach Erik Hamren said his money was on his own man.

“I have Zlatan as number one, as he’s my player,” Hamren told reporters as the squad gathered in Stockholm ahead of the first leg.

“But Ronaldo is a very good footballer. You can keep an eye on him for 85 minutes and then he’ll score two goals from nothing.”

The same could be said of Hamren’s captain Ibrahimovic, who picked up a seventh straight gold ball, the prize awarded to Sweden’s best player, in the Swedish capital on Monday.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento said Sweden were difficult opponents.

“They are taller than us and physically strong, not just in set pieces but also through their direct football that feeds two tall, top-quality players,” he said, referring to Ibrahimovic and Johan Elmander.

“It’s up to us to make the match suit the characteristics of our players.”

Bento also praised the resilience of the Scandinavians.

“Sweden were losing to Ireland, Germany and Austria and never gave up. They always keep their competitive edge going, no matter what”.

The Swedes eventually lost to Germany in a 5-3 thriller despite a fightback but did manage 2-1 comeback

China will hope to ride a wave of optimism after Guangzhou Evergrande’s breakthrough AFC Champions League win as they head into two make-orbreak Asian Cup qualifiers today.

Chinese football received a longawaited boost last week when Marcello Lippi’s expensively assembled side edged FC Seoul to the country’s first Asian title in 23 years.

Now the often-criticised national team will take centre-stage at Xian’s Shanxi Stadium as they face Indonesia and then Saudi Arabia on Friday and Tuesday.

China’s campaign for Australia 2015 has not gone to plan so far with a loss in Saudi Arabia, a fortunate home win

Italian eyes on Balotelli as Italy host Germany n AFP, Milan Italian eyes could be fixed firmly on striker Mario Balotelli today when World Cup heavyweights Italy and Germany clash in Milan for what should be a mouth-watering friendly at the San Siro.

Amid a troublesome season for his club AC Milan, Balotelli has been out of sorts since returning from injury and a three-match ban several weeks ago.

To the often obsessive Italian sports media, Balotelli has come to typify Milan’s malaise but Italy coach Cesare Prandelli suggested he is hoping for the chance to see headlines referring once more to ‘Super Mario’.

“As for Mario, he’s going through a tough period at the moment, but if he has character, he will emerge stronger,” Prandelli said. Recent reports citing Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola said persistent media intrusion could force an eventual move away from Italy, and that frustration seems to have spilled over on to the pitch.

Following a jaded performance away to Parma nearly three weeks ago, Balotelli was substituted early in the second half as the hosts stunned the Rossoneri 3-2 at the death. l

last-gasp home defeat by Bulgaria cost them a place at the 1994 finals.

That was the last time France failed to qualify for a major tournament and Didier Deschamp’s men will hope Friday’s first leg in Ukraine gives them the opportunity to go into the return at the

Stade de France in a calm state of mind.

Four years ago they had to rely on Thierry Henry’s infamous handball to see off Ireland in a World Cup playoff and they will be determined not to cut it that close this time.

“We need a good away result so

we can deal with the return leg,” said Franck Ribery, who has scored six and set up nine of France’s last 24 goals.

“These (playoff ) games are special.

They are surrounded by a difficult context. We need to play without pressure.

We should not be afraid,” he added.

The Bulgaria defeat in a group game on Nov. 17, 1993, when Emil Kostadinov’s last-minute goal earned a 2-1 win at the Parc des Princes, will never be forgotten by the French.

Deschamps played in that match and probably had that evening in mind when he locked down France’s Clairefontaine training centre from Tuesday onwards.

“We must avoid the febrility and anxiety that can harm our performance,” he said.

The younger players, however, are less bothered by the ghosts of that match.

FIXTURES Iceland Greece Portugal Ukraine

RONALDO v IBRAHIMOVIC 28 Age 32 10 Trophy haul 9 15 Club goals (2013-14) 11 6 Int’l goals (2013) 7 43 Total int’l goals 46 10 In Knockout 3

PORTUGAL V SWEDEN Portugal wins Sweden wins Draws

3 6 6

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic attend their respective training sessions ahead of today's 2014 World Cup qualifying play-off match

China seek AFC bounce for Asian Cup n AFP, Singapore

wins in the Ireland and Austria qualifiers to finish second in Group C and earn a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, France need to play without fear in their World Cup playoff against Ukraine to avoid the fate that befell the team 20 years ago when a

over Iraq and a disappointing 1-1 away draw with Indonesia.

The results have left them second in Group C, five points behind the Saudis and just one in front of Iraq, with their quest to reach an 11th straight Asian Cup in danger.

Caretaker coach Fu Bo, who replaced sacked former boss Jose Antonio Camacho, remains in charge despite last month’s draw in Jakarta.

But China cannot afford another slip-up against the last-placed Indonesians if they hope to finish in one of the group’s two automatic qualifying spots.

Former Celtic and Charlton Athletic midfielder Zheng Zhi, 33, who skippers both Guangzhou and China, said national duty was a different order to playing for his club.l

REUTERS

v v v v

Croatia Romania Sweden France

“France v Bulgaria? No, it doesn’t remind me of anything,” said Paul Pogba, who was eight months old when David Ginola’s poor free kick led to Kostadinov’s goal.

“I don’t think about it for a minute,” added midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

FORGET PAST Ukraine will also be looking to forget the past as they participate in a fourth World Cup playoff tie having failed in their three previous attempts.

“We are trying to keep our players away from the past. To know the reasons for those failures, you had to be there,” said Ukraine coach Mykhaylo Fomenko.

Ukraine failed to qualify for the World Cup finals via the playoffs in 1998, 2002 and 2010, being knocked out by Croatia, Germany and Greece respectively.

An elimination against Slovenia in a Euro 2000 playoff makes the streak even more miserable.

Eight Ukraine players go into the home game with the threat of missing the return leg in Paris if booked.l

Mexico rout Kiwis to close in on WC

Injury forces Dempsey, Johnson n AFP, Mexico City out of friendlies Mexico took a huge step toward next year’s World Cup finals, shaking off ren AFP, Chicago cent bad form to pummel New Zealand World Cup-bound United States will be without injured striker Clint Dempsey and midfielder Fabian Johnson for upcoming friendlies against Scotland and Austria.

US Soccer said Wednesday that both Dempsey and Johnson had to withdraw from the squad and no replacements would be added.

Dempsey strained his right calf during training Wednesday morning in Glasgow.

Johnson is still troubled by a nagging right ankle injury.

The United States faces Scotland today at Hampden Park in Glasgow and four days later take on Austria for the first time since 1998.l

5-1 on Wednesday in their intercontinental play-off first leg.

Playing in Mexico City’s imposing Azteca Stadium, El Tri delivered on their manager Miguel Herrera’s pregame call to take a big goal advantage into the second leg in New Zealand on November 20.

It was a massive turnaround for Mexico, who barely made it to the playoff after struggling in their North and Central America and Caribbean regional group, finishing fourth out of six teams.

“We had a debt (to the fans) and we have not finished paying it,” said Herrera, who last month became Mexico’s fourth manager in six weeks.

After winning just twice and scor-

ing a paltry seven goals in 10 games within the CONCACAF final group, the Mexicans looked like a revived team as they came out charging against the All Whites.

Herrera shook things up after taking over, calling up only domestic league players while leaving out Europe-based stars such as Manchester United’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Vil-

RESULT Mexico

5-1

Aguilar 31, Jimenez 39, Peralta 48, 80, Marquez 84

New Zealand

Chris James 85

lareal’s Giovani dos Santos.

On loan from Club America, which he coached to a Mexican league title this year, Herrera fielded seven players from his Mexico City team against New Zealand.

The outspoken manager had voiced

confidence that Mexico would win, even asking his squad to score at least three goals to take them closer to Brazil next year.

New Zealand, who made it to the 2010 World Cup after a memorable play-off victory against Bahrain, had hoped to keep it close but Mexico were the stronger side. Mexico have played in 14 of the last 19 World Cups while New Zealand only appeared twice, making them massive underdogs against the CONCACAF giants.

The All Whites were missing their captain, key defender Winston Reid, who was ruled out of the play-off due to an ankle injury he suffered with his English Premier League club West Ham. Goalkeeper Glen Moss made several valiant saves but Mexico’s relentless attack was too much, with Santos forward Oribe Peralta leading the charge with a brace. l

Nigeria eye fifth World Cup n AFP, Abuja

African champions Nigeria are expected to seal their place at next year’s World Cup this weekend but Cameroon and the Ivory Coast face an uphill battle against Tunisia and Senegal.

Nigeria go into Saturday’s return fixture with Ethiopia 2-1 up from the first leg in Addis Ababa, while Cameroon and Tunisia played out a goalless draw in Tunis and Ivory Coast beat Senegal 3-1 at home. The Super Eagles needed secondhalf goals from striker Emmanuel Emenike and had to draw on all their experience to win in the Ethiopian capital.

The result was Nigeria’s fifth victory over Ethiopia in eight encounters – and potentially the most crucial – boosting confidence for the fixture in the southern coastal city of Calabar.

“We will win for the country and qualify for the World Cup,” vowed Liverpool forward Victor Moses, who this week made the shortlist for the BBC African Footballer of the Year award.

“We’re not under pressure and so we will settle down, play our football and win,” added Lokomotiv Moscow forward Obinna Nsofor.

Real Betis midfielder Nosa Igiebor and Uche Nwofor, from Dutch club Heerenveen, have dropped out of the

squad because of injury.

But coach Stephen Keshi has recalled Chelsea defender Kenneth Omeruo, Gabriel Reuben from Scottish club Kilmarnock, and US-based striker Bright Dike after long-term injuries.

Ethiopia have been boosted by the return of South Africa-based striker Getaneh Kebede, who scored four goals in the qualifiers but missed the first leg with an ankle injury.

Egypt-based striker Saladin Said has vowed they will fight till the end, despite the apparent disadvantage.

“Nigeria might have the upper hand by virtue of the away goal but I believe it is not over until the 90 minutes,” he said.

“I am happy Getaneh is back and hopefully we can both help our beloved team to score the important goals in Calabar.”

The Ivory Coast’s win in Abidjan was a big step towards their third World Cup appearance and Saturday’s return leg will be played in Casablanca, Morocco.

The switch to a neutral ground follows a riot last year during qualifying for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Elephants will be without defenders Arthur Boka and Siaka Tiene, who are both injured, as well as Newcastle midfielder Chieck Tiote, who is suspended. l

Mexico's forward Oribe Peralta (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring against New Zealand during their FIFA World Cup intercontinental play-off match in Mexico on Wednesday AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Friday, November 15, 2013

Shane Deitz to coach women’s team n Minhaz Uddin Khan

QUICK BYTES

Indian Gomes wins women’s chess event WFM Zakia Sultana became 34th and WIM Rani Hamid became 37th earning 6 points each at the end of the 11th round in the Women Grandmasters Chess Tournament at Chennai yesterday. Masuda Begum became 60th with 5 points, Jahanra Haque Runu became 71st with 4.5 points and Mahmuda Hoque Chowdhury Moly became 80th with 4 points. In the last round, Zakia drew with WFM Bidhar Rutumbara of India, Moly drew with Yuti Mayur Patal of India Rani Hamid lost to Pratyusha Bodda of India, Masuda lost to Saughanthika of India and Runu lost to Shweta Gole of India. WGM Marry Ann Gomes of India clinched the title, WGM Batsiashvili Nino of Georgia became runner-up and IM Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman of India became 3rd with 8.5 points each. Their tie were broken by tie-breaking system.

A total 100 players, including 11 WGM, 4IM, 4WIM from nine countries participated in the event.

–RM

Vettel looks to break Schumacher mark Sebastian Vettel will be focused on records and reconciliation this weekend when he seeks an eighth consecutive victory of the season at the United States Grand Prix. The newly-crowned four-time drivers world champion will overhaul fellow-German Michael Schumacher’s all-time Formula One record if he is triumphant again at the Circuit of the Americas. Seven-time champion Schumacher set his mark of seven wins in the 2004 season for Ferrari and will be among the first to congratulate Vettel, 26, if he records another victory.

Only Italian Alberto Ascari has a better record, winning nine consecutive races during the world championship’s Formula Two era in 1952-53. Vettel began his winning run at the Belgian Grand Prix in August and has accumulated 11 this year. Two more wins, in Texas and then in Sao Paulo, would lift him level with Schumacher’s record of 13 in a season, again set in 2004.

–AFP

Perez announces departure from McLaren

Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez announced on Wednesday he is to leave the McLaren team after an unsuccessful season in which his best result was fifth in the Indian Grand Prix. The 23-year-old, who is likely to be replaced by McLaren’s Danish test driver Kevin Magnussen, has garnered just 35 points in his maiden season with them while team-mate Jenson Button has accrued 60 in what has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the stable. McLaren are without a win or even a podium position this year and are heading towards their worst season in modern times as the team heads to the United States this weekend. Perez, who earned his moved to McLaren to replace Button’s fellow former world champion Lewis Hamilton on the back of impressive performances last season for Sauber with three podium finishes, expressed his gratitude to McLaren and said he was only sorry he had not been able to succeed in his goals for them.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH TODAY Ten Cricket 10:00PM Pakistan v South Africa 2nd T20I Star Sports 2 10:00AM India v West Indies 2nd Test, Day 2 Star Sports HD 2 2:00AM International Friendlies England v Chile Star Sports 2 1:30AM International Friendlies Italy v Germany Sony Six

Captains of the participating teams in Indoor Corporate Cricket Tournament pose for a photo at the Indoor Stadium, Mirpur in Dhaka yesterday

Indoor corporate cricket tournament opens n Minhaz Uddin Khan The Islami Bank Indoor Corporate Cricket 2013 kicked-off with a dazzling opening ceremony at Mirpur’s Shaheed Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium yesterday.

Sixteen corporate houses of the country will participate in the threeday tournament.

Divided into four groups, they will battle it out in the tournament for the championship title worth Tk500,000.

The teams will get to play three games each in the group stage and the top two sides from each group will move to the next phase of the tournament.

The 3 Crics, who earlier gained huge recognition after holding the indoor university cricket in Bangladesh is the oraganiser of the tournament.

Renowned Bollywood singer Monali Thakur’s performance was the main

attraction in the opening ceremony.

Chief guest of the ceremony Mohammed Shamsul Hauqe, Managing Director (current charge) Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated the tournament. IH Mallick, Director, Bangladesh Cricket Board was present in the ceremony along with several leading officials from the different oganisations participating in the tournament.

AB Bank, Trust Bank, Rangs Group, Grameenphone, Uttara Finance, Dhaka Tribune, Suvastu Development, Computer Source, Acme, Bangla Lion, Novo Com, Robi, Gazi Group, Partex and Akiz Group will participate in the inaugural edition of the event.

Co-sponsored by Akiz Ceramics, Clemon, AB Bank, Ispahani and Bangla Lion the tournament has GTV and Dhaka Tribune as media partners. All the matches will be televised live on GTV.l

Tipsarevic fitness key to Djoko’s Davis Cup dream n AFP, Belgrade Novak Djokovic is eyeing another Davis Cup win in Belgrade as he leads Serbia against the Czech Republic in the final which gets underway today but much may depend on whether Janko Tipsarevic is fit or not.

After sweeping world number one Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the ATP Tour Finals in London on Monday, second-ranked Djokovic illustrated how determined he is to beat the defending champions in his home city.

“God knows if we’re going to have as a country another opportunity like this to win a Davis Cup title at home,” said the 26-year-old, whose country won its only Davis Cup title in 2010 beating

France 3-2 also in Belgrade.

“We have very tough opponents... but the Davis Cup is the only team competition in our sport that brings the best possible energy and willpower in me,” he added.

In Belgrade, few have doubts that the trophy will return to Serbia -- giant posters on the arena advertising the tie scream “Povratak trofeja”, or “Return of the Trophy”.

But while Djokovic is widely expected to grab two points from his singles rubbers, the rest is in the air as Tipsarevic, ranked 36 in the world, is desperately trying to win his battle to recover from a heel injury.

“I’m still in the recovery process,” Tipsarevic told reporters on Wednesday.

“I tried practising a little bit without any pain but hopefully we will sit down tonight and make a final decision whether or not I am going to play and what is going to happen.”

Missing world number 76 Viktor Troicki over a doping ban, Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic will also have doubles specialists Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic to hand.

The fourth name remains unknown as Tipsarevic attended Wednesday’s press conference alongside 117thranked Dusan Lajovic and lower-ranked Filip Krajinovic and Boris Pashanski.

The Czechs, playing their third Davis Cup finals in five years, lifted the trophy last year after beating Spain in Prague. l

KP eases fitness doubts with fifty n AFP, Sydney Kevin Pietersen proved his fitness for next week’s Ashes opener with a breezy half-century as England closed on the Cricket Australia Invitational XI’s first innings total in their tour game yesterday.

Pietersen, who had a cortisone injection for a troublesome knee earlier this week, cracked 57 runs off 71 balls as he warmed up for his 100th Test starting in Brisbane on November 21.

Jonathan Trott (83) and skipper Alastair Cook (81) also spent valuable batting time in the middle, as England’s top order fine-tuned for the first Test at the Gabba, reaching 302 for five at the close on the second day of the four-day tour match in Sydney.

At stumps, Joe Root was 26 not out and Jonny Bairstow was unbeaten on 11.

England trailed by just two runs on the first innings after Steven Finn earlier staked his claim for the first Test fast bowling vacancy, finishing with five wickets for 103 to help dismiss the home side for 304 midway through the first session.

Pietersen looked scratchy early in his innings as he nicked a couple short and wide of the slips and hesitated on occasions when running between wickets with partner Cook.

But he appeared physically unencumbered during his 93-minute stay at the crease to further boost England’s confidence ahead of the Ashes.

He smashed seven fours and two sixes and almost seemed as if he was trying to get out when he skied legspinner James Muirhead (2-97) into the outfield.

“Kev seems fine, I haven’t heard him complain about (his knee),” Trott said.

“It’s always nice to see him in full flow and being confident in warm-up games.

“But it doesn’t really count now what the guys do, it’s all about being ready and right for Brisbane on that first day.”

Trott and Cook have both already posted first-class hundreds on tour, and the pair looked on track to do it again as they piled on an effortless 143run stand after opener Michael Carberry (4) had fallen early. l

Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek (L) shakes hands with Serbia's Novak Djokovic during the draw for the Davis Cup final between Serbia and the Czech Republic at the Kombank Arena in Belgrade on Wednesday AFP

South Africa overwhelm Pakistan in first Twenty20 n AFP, Dubai South Africa outclassed Pakistan with a commanding nine wicket win in the first Twenty20 international in Dubai on Wednesday to go 1-0 up in the twomatch series.

Dale Steyn took 3-15 in his four hostile overs as Pakistan were restricted to 98-9 – their lowest Twenty20 total against South Africa – after they won the toss and opted to bat.

South Africa easily reached the target in 14.3 overs with opener Quinton de Kock hitting a 38-ball 48 not out while skipper Faf du Plessis made an unbeaten 37 knocking off the runs

without being troubled by Pakistan’s spin-packed attack.

The second and final Twenty20 will also be played in Dubai on Friday.

De Kock hit three boundaries and two sixes off 38 balls while Du Plessis hit four boundaries and a six off 40 deliveries as South Africa made short work of their opponents.

Du Plessis was impressed with how his bowlers had set up the victory.

“It was a pretty good game and that’s how you want to start the series by breaking their back initially.

“The wicket was quite dry and our bowlers have been putting their batsmen under pressure.

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“I wasn’t too surprised by their selection but seeing (Shahid) Afridi at three was a surprise against the new ball.” Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez blamed poor batting.

“Our batsmen are not taking the responsibility which individuals have to in a team and that’s a concern.”

Pakistan’s batsmen once again failed to fire just as they did in the 4-1 one day international series defeat.

Umar Akmal with a 41-ball 49 was the only batsman to put up any resistance in an otherwise chaotic batting display in which four batsmen failed to score after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat.

Paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe chipped in with two wickets for the cost of just nine runs in his four tight overs, while Dale Steyn chipped in with two early wickets as Pakistan were reeling at 4-3.

Umar added 29 for the sixth wicket with Abdul Razzaq who made 10, before finally getting run out. He hit four boundaries and a six.

Shoaib Malik made 12 while Shahid Afridi scored ten.

Paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Imran Tahir took two wickets apiece.

Pakistan’s previous lowest T20 total against South Africa was 119 which they made at Abu Dhabi in 2010. l

Intex Rugby starts today

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n Raihan Mahmood

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MUMIT M

Former South Australian cricketer Shane Deitz joined the Bangladesh national women’s team as the headcoach, replacing Sri Lankan Oshadi Weerasinghe. The 38-year old wicketkeeper batsman arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday and will join the women’s national camp tomorrow.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board women’s wing executive Jannatul Ferdous told the Dhaka Tribune that the management is yet to lock down the tenure.

It was also informed that the Australian coach’s primary target will be the ICC World Women’s Twenty20, scheduled to take place in March in Bangladesh.

All the games of the women’s competition will be played at Sylhet Divisional Stadium.

Also known as “Cleensheets”, Shane is a level three qualified coach who moved to New Zealand in 2008 to take up a position as a development coach with Cricket Wellington. He later became the assistant coach of the Wellington Firebirds under former Bangladesh national coach Jamie Siddons.

A part-time gloveman who sometimes played as a specialist batsman, Deitz, 38, has scored 3,753 first-class runs and averaged 30.76 and was one of South Australia’s best in 2006-07. l

Bangladesh Rugby Union general secretary Mousum Ali speaks at the press conference of the Intex Rugby at the BNS yesterday COURTESY

The Intex Rugby Championship, featuring six teams, starts at the Paltan Ground today.

The six participants are Bangladesh Army, Flame Boy’s Rugby Club, Victoria Sporting Club, Wanderers Club, Azad Sporting Club and J-Sports Rugby Academy. At a press conference at the Bangabandhu National Stadium conference room yesterday, Mousum Ali,

the general secretary of Bangladesh Rugby Union presented the meet to the press. The General Manager of Intex Builders Md. Rezaur Rahman, joint secretary of rugby union Saeed Ahmed and AGM of Intex Builders Eng. Tarek Hossain were also present on the occasion. The sponsors are providing a purse of Tk120,000 for the meet.

S.M. Ashrafuzzaman, the secretary of NSC will inaugurate the tournament as the chief guest.l

Sharapova returns to roots as Sochi broadcaster n AFP, Los Angeles Four-Time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova will return to her roots working for US broadcaster NBC during the Sochi Winter Olympics in February.

“Thrilled to be part of the NBC Olympic Broadcasting team at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games,” Sharapova said via Twitter on Wednesday.

NBC said the 26-year-old Sharapova would bring a unique insight to Russia’s first Winter Games.

“Maria transcends sports as one of the world’s most recognizable stars,” Jim Bell, Executive Producer of NBC Olympics, said in a statement.

“Growing up in Sochi until she was six years old and with family and friends still living in the area, Maria will offer a unique and personal perspective on a place she knows so well.”

Sharapova was the flag-bearer for Russia at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics, where she won the women’s singles silver medal.

She is one of 10 women to achieve the career Grand Slam with her four major titles coming at Wimbledon (2004), the US Open (2006), Australian Open (2008) and French Open (2012).l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Friday, November 15, 2013

commits Desperate bid to keep supply up during hartals Father suicide over

Special security ordered for transportation of export-import goods, says commerce secretary n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has been making desperate efforts to keep the commodity supply chain uninterrupted during hartals, as more such political programmes of the 18-party alliance are feared in coming weeks.

Disruption in supply of essentials to the markets had heavily affected the consumer-level prices during the 84hour hartal that ended Wednesday and also during the two spells of 60-hour hartals in the previous weeks.

Such prolonged hartals would push consumer prices beyond means of fixed-income people, commerce ministry officials expressed fears.

An official, seeking anonymity, said the image of the commerce ministry might be tarnished because of the price hike of essentials.

The image of Commerce Minister GM Quader, who is a Jatiya Party lawmaker, was also facing trouble as his brother Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad decided not to go with the present government and its election mood, another official preferring anonymity said.

The commerce ministry has already requested the home ministry, Bangladesh Police and Dhaka Metropolitan Police au-

thorities to provide security to the trucks which carry the essential commodities.

Sources in commerce ministry said GM Quader even talked to the home minister and several district commissioners a couple of times during the last three days, regarding keeping alive the supply chain of essentials.

The ministry’s Deputy Secretary Sadar Ali Bishwas sent a letter on Wednesday to the district commissioner and police superintendent of Cox’s Bazar to provide security to trucks carrying essential commodities from Teknaf land port and Chittagong port.

Saying the trucks, especially the ones with imported onion from Myanmar and Chittagong port, needed police protection, the letter stated that the domestic market prices of essentials and supply situation relied on the normal transportation of the commodities across the country.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh Director Md Ramjan Ali issued a letter to the open market sale dealers and the DMP to ensure smooth operation of the truckbased sale at 25 points of Dhaka city.

The letter stated that the TCB’s sale of sugar, lentil, soybean oil, and onion, which began on November 2 would

continue till November 21.

The DMP, however, has agreed to give protection to only three OMS spots because of shortage in police personnel, sources in the commerce ministry said.

Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed resumed the TCB’s OMS programme during hartals, following demand from the ordinary consumers, sources said.

‘No owner is ready to put a Tk6 million vehicle at stake for a few thousand taka, not to speak about security of lives of drivers and helpers, who are not being spared now-a-days’ Low- and middle-income people and office-goers were seen standing in long queue during hartal hours to buy essential kitchen items from TCB trucks. Price chart shows a significant difference with market prices of essentials like onion, soyabean oil, sugar and lentil.

Sources in the ministry further informed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also asked her cabinet members, senior officials and different government agencies to take cautionary measures as the political impasse had been affecting economic growth.

Shamsul Alam, member of the General Economic Division, said the country’s farmers or producers and consumers were hit hard by the shutdowns.

The prices of essentials decline in the rural areas where the commodities were produced, while in the urban areas their prices rose due to disruption in the transportation, he pointed out.

Apart from passenger vehicles, goods-laded trucks and covered vans were also vandalized and set ablaze during hartals, scaring transport owners and workers away from highways.

The commerce secretary yesterday said the administration would take up vigorous steps to ensure transportation safety during political volatility. “If required, the government will arrange police and BGB escorts for transportation,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

But arrangements for transporting export-oriented apparels by road from Dhaka to Chittagong port under police protection got poor response as exporters did not dare to send goods by road during hartals, BGMEA sources said.

On Monday night, 24 container trucks were booked, but only seven of them left Dhaka for Chittagong with police escort.

A Narayanganj-based salt trader said

he was struggling to get a truck to ship his salt to northern region as transport owners and workers were not willing to take risk during hartals.

“No owner is ready to put a Tk6 million vehicle at stake for a few thousand taka, not to speak about security of lives of drivers and helpers, who are not being spared now-a-days,” he reasoned.

Few long-haul trucks dared to transport goods during hartals, but charged much higher than usual, adding to the costs of commodities including fresh vegetables and fish.

Chittagong Chamber President Mahabubul Alam said transportation cost for each kilogram of goods rose at least

by Tk 2, which ultimately passes on to consumers.

Traders also had to pay extra fare for both import and export goods.

Monir Ahmed, president of Inter-district Truck Owners’ Association of Chittagong told the Dhaka Tribune that fare of a container lorry was Tk 60,000 on Wednesday, the last day of 84-hour hartal, which was Tk 30,000 a couple of weeks ago.

According to a UNDP report, prices of essentials increase by 12% because of the disruption in supply chain during the shutdown. l

Next Ollo writ hearing Sunday n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The High Court will hear the government side on Sunday over the writ petition that challenged the government decision of giving Bangladesh Internet Exchange Limited (BIEL) a WiMax licence for its Ollo brand without any competitive auction.

Aneek R Haque, lawyer of the petitioner, yesterday told the court that the licence was awarded violating related laws and guidelines and the procedure was not transparent.

The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Khurshid Alam Sarker adjourned the hearing until Sunday following a government plea for time extension.

Additional Attorney General Murad Reza told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had no idea about the details of the writ petition and that they needed time to reply. “We will place our reply before the court on Sunday,” he said.

Aneek R Haque, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the public interest litigation on behalf of Omar Farouq last week against the post and telecommunication ministry, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), and a few high officials of the two organisations and BIEL, and licence aspirant Mango Telecommunication Services. l

BB, 4 STATE BANKS

Separate pay scales ‘ready for execution’ n Asif Showkat Kallol The government will execute the recommendations of the secretaries’ committee on the separate pay scales for Bangladesh Bank and four state-owned commercial banks from next week.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday signed the proposals of the secretaries’ committee, said a senior official of the Bank and Finance Institutions Division.

The official said the committee’s recommendations for a Tk2,000 hike and reconstitution of 11 pay grades instead of the existing 19 would be sent to the implementation division of the Finance Division for issuing a circular.

Earlier, Banking Division Secretary Dr Aslam Alam said the new pay scales would be implemented from November if the boards of directors of Bangladesh Bank and the four state-owned banks – Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali – wanted.

The National Pay Scale grades 6-8 for Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali banks will become one grade while grades 10-11, grades 12-14, grades 15-16, and grades 17-19 will constitute another three grades. An extra increment will be given to higher grades.

At present, the four government commercial banks have roughly 90,000 officers and employees while the central bank has about 6,000 staff members. l

daughter’s rape in Mirsarai n FM Mizanur Rahaman

A father distressed over his daughter’s rape allegedly committed suicide by taking poison on Wednesday night at Mirsarai upazila of Chittagong.

Police said the deceased was a 40-year-old day labourer from Tripura Para in the upazila’s Uttar Talbaria area.

Abdul Alim Sheikh, assistant sub-inspector of Mirsarai police station, said the man’s 15-year-old daughter was raped near their house by two assailants on Tuesday night. The girl later informed her family about the assault.

Police arrested Alauddin, 21 and Joynal Abedin, 25, from the area that night, the officer said. The victim has filed a case accusing the two suspects of rape, he added.

Meanwhile, family sources said the father, who had been suffering from mental stress since the rape incident, was found in his room in a critical condition around 9pm on Wednesday. He was rushed to the upazila heath complex, where on-duty doctors declared him dead. He had reportedly ingested poison.

Police sent the body to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for autopsy and filed a case of unnatural death. l

HC restrain order sought on ministers’ functioning n Nazmus Sakib

Post-hartal violence has also become the order of the day as vandals are seen active yesterday though the 84-hours hartal ended the day before. The photo was taken in the city’s Gulistan area where Shibir activists went on a rampage in the morning rush hours, vandalising vehicles to protests EC’s cancellation of Jamaat’s registration DHAKA TRIBUNE

Recent study finds high levels of lead in children’s blood n

Moniruzzaman Uzzal

High levels of lead in turmeric has emerged as a big health threat for thousands of children in Bangladesh.

A recent research conducted in Bangladesh has found high levels of lead in turmeric, a popular spice, as well as in the blood of children.

The researchers studied blood samples of a total of 284 children aged between 20-40 months and found high levels of lead in 80% of the samples.

They said the alarming study outcomes was a result of the general ignorance among parents about the ills that lead contamination in turmeric could cause.

The study also examined 18 random samples of various kinds of turmeric power collected from the market and found out that all of them contained lead. At least 12 were found with extremely high level of lead.

The high exposure to lead may cause children to perform poorly in school, behave aggressively, and result in speech and language impairment and retarded muscle and bone growth.

The study was jointly conducted by the Dhaka Community Hospital of Bangladesh, the Harvard School of Public Health and the Boston Children’s Hospital. The area of study was Shirajdhikhan upazila in Munshigonj.

Dhaka Community Hospital revealed the results of the study at a press conference yesterday.

Professor Dr Quazi Kamruzzaman, chairman of Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, said the case of high lead contamination was first noticed in blood samples of children collected for another study on Arsenic.

Later, the researchers conducted a separate study last year to find out more about the high levels of lead. They also tested samples of rice, pulse, turmeric, chili powder, dust, water and soil.

Maitreyi Mozumder, staff neurologist of Harvard Medical School, said: “We do not know how the turmeric got the lead. But it is also found in the blood samples of children which is alarming. More investigation should be done in this regard.”

The researchers said a section of unscrupulous businessmen have been taking advantage of the increasing demand for spices like turmeric. They said these businessmen adulterated with the spices by mixing other materials for the sake of profit.

They called upon the government and the authorities concerned to increase market monitoring to check such ill practices that may lead to serious health hazards, especially for children. l

A writ petition was lodged with the High Court yesterday, seeking an injunction against the functioning of ministers and state ministers “since they had resigned.”

Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond filed the petition on behalf of monthly Saarc HIV AIDS Madak Barta Editor Abdul Khaleque Moni, urging the court to issue a rule asking why the functions of the 45 ministers and state ministers “who submitted resignation letters” should not be held illegal.

The petition also sought a ruling as to why the High Court should not direct them from refraining from ministerial activities.

Eunus claimed that the posts had been vacant since November 11 as the ministers and state ministers had placed their resignation letters in the hands of the prime minister for submission to the president.

He said the bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Khurshid would be informed about the writ petition on Sunday.

Akond said he had so far filed about 25 public interest litigations – mostly on constitutional, political and educational matters – with the High Court. l

Polish government, campaigners at loggerheads over energy policy n Probir K Sarker from Warsaw As the Polish government is set to hold a coal and climate summit next Monday in Warsaw, which coincides with the UN climate talks, campaigners have announced a protest outside the meeting venue.

Polish frontline communities from regions affected by coal extraction, doctors and patients, environmental activists, youth and experts from across the globe will gather in front of the conference venue – the Ministry of Economy – to demonstrate that there was no such thing as clean coal.

“We want to bring attention to the impacts of coal on health, climate and peoples’ livelihoods. We want to demand real, healthy solutions to climate change,” said a statement released by CEE Bankwatch Network, klima-allianz deutschland, 350.org, LUSH, the art-activist group Tools for Action and the initiative Cough4Coal.

The gathering will be accompanied by a performance with an inflatable eight meter sculpture of breathing lungs, built by the art-activist group Tools for Action, said the organisers.

Meanwhile, a new opinion polls by CEM Market and Public Opinion Research Institute found that 80% of the Poles believe their government should do more to check climate changes while as many as 63% think that transition in power generation method – from coal to renewables – could be the solution.

The outcome, released yesterday, states that 67% of the Poles would like to see their government give up on coal subsidies to invest in the development of renewable energy instead. A vast majority of people also expressed a serious interest in subsidising energy efficiency and energy saving efforts (42% strongly agree while 36% agree).

Poland is primarily coal-dependent and extracts coal and lignite (brown coal) to feed its power plants and warm rooms. The government has plans to mine more coal and establish new coalbased power plants in the days to come.

The government says they cannot shift from using coal overnight, and so would be using cleaner and efficient technology to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions significantly.

The persistent extraction and use of coal have been a matter of serious concern globally because of its significant contribution to global warming as it emits a vast amount of CO2.

The newly-elected president of this year’s climate talks, Marcin Korolec, Poland’s environment minister, at a press conference yesterday said shale gas could be a better option for Poland in between coal and other renewable energies.

Shale gas is a form of natural gas that is found trapped within sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay.

He was also reluctant about the campaigners’ criticisms regarding the

involvement of different industries with the climate summit through sponsorships.

About the coal and climate summit that coincides with the COP19, he said the government wanted to hold dialogue with everyone within and outside the UNFCCC, so that a level-playing field could be ensured. It would help reach an all-out consensus of the parties at the summit on the priority issues including loss and damage and climate finance.

Currently, Poland’s almost 85% of electricity is produced from coal; two thirds of the installed coal capacity is older than 30 years while almost 20% of its current generation capacity has to be phased out by 2015.

Poland plans to construct a capacity of 11,300MW of coal power by 2020.

Poland’s energy policy makes clear that carbon intensive and climate damaging fossil fuels will remain the chief energy source for Poland at least until 2030. The share of renewable energies is to reach at least 15% of energy total production by 2020, but then only increase by 1% until 2030. At the same time, nuclear energy is to reach 10% of final energy demand by 2030. The remaining 74% will still come from CO2 intensive energy sources.

Yesterday, the national grid of Poland was connected to a wind power station producing 45MW electricity. The plant, located in Legnica took 11 months to construct with $2.7m spent for every 2MW. l

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B2 Insurance scheme for construction workers on the cards

B3 Tribunal for stock related cases takes off soon

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

Hartals affect posh hotel business Occupancy falls sharply while bookings are being cancelled n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The frequent hartals and political unrest are taking toll on the business of luxury hotels in Dhaka.

Hotel officials said they have started witnessing revenue fall during the pick time which stretches from October to January as the country’s politics remain instable.

“Frequently repeated hartals have badly affected our business. But October-January is our pick time,” said Shahidus Sadeque, Marketing Communication Manager of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel told the Dhaka Tribune.

He estimated that the hotel suffered 20%30% revenue fall during the period The executives of different posh hotels in Dhaka expressed their worries over the current political unrest.

They said the occupancy rate of hotel suites and rooms has fallen sharply. According to them, the rate dropped by more than 50%.

The organisers of different functions are not renting spaces in luxury hotels as political violence has gripped the nation.

General Manager of Ruposhi Bangla, James McDonald said the hotel could not earn least $3m in last 7-8 months as of October due to the unrest.

“Confirmed bookings of at least $3m were

The front view of Ruposhi Bangla Hotel, one of the luxury hotels in Dhaka facing dull business since political unrest has gripped the nation TAHMIDUR RAHMAN cancelled because political uncertainty.

The figure of potential bookings was much bigger,” he told the Dhaka Tribune in last month.

Sources concerned said Ruposhi Bangla earned a gross revenue of Tk1.25bn in 2012.

Hundreds of foreigners, mainly business persons, already left Dhaka after the start of

another wave of hartals, said the luxury hotel industry people.

According to the managements of the posh hotels in Dhaka, occupancy rate by foreign guests and space renting for holding events have reduced to half in last one month only. Bookings are being cancelled amid the worsening of political situation and

violence.

Ruposhi Bangla authorities said they are receiving very few booking order while during normal situation the hotel spaces are rented for organising four to five events daily.

The Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka already witnessed 30% fall of its business during last several months.

“Our business dropped 30% in last few months compared to same period one year ago,” said Salman Kabir, Public Relation Manager of Sonargaon Hotel.

He said: “During October-January pick time, our occupancy rate usually stands at 90% to 100%. But the rate reduced to only 30% in October this year.”

“Like many other businesses, the luxury hotel business is also suffering badly the outcome of confrontational politics.”

An assistant sales director of Westin Hotel Dhaka said the hotel saw many foreigners had cancelled room bookings because of the current political situation.

Besides, the organisers have to suspend holding of many events on hartal days, which has led to fall in booking of spaces in the hotel, he added.

Under these circumstances, some hotels are planning special package offers on foods and others services for the clients to offset the hartal losses. l

Default loan in real estate sector soars n Jebun Nesa Alo The classified loan in the real estate sector increased rapidly due to sluggish investment amid political unrest ahead of the upcoming general election in the country.

The total classified loan known as non-performing loan rose almost double to 7% from 4% during October 2012 to June 2013, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.

Bank loans worth over Tk100bn in the real estate sector have been rescheduled in last one year by the banks, because of irregular repayments of loan installments by the clients, according to the central bank data “The investment remained sluggish in the real estate sector in the election year,” said Real Estate and Housing Association of

Bangladesh (REHAB) President Nasrul Hamid Bipu.

Despite having gas and electricity supplies, flats not being sold as buyers reluctant to buy plot or flat fearing political uncertainty, he said. As a result, he said, the real estate developers failed to pay back the bank loans.

“The situation will become normal after the election.”

The total classified loan amount stood at Tk22bn or 7% of the total outstanding loans of Tk310bn in April-June quarter, 2013 from that of Tk19bn or 6% of total outstanding loan of Tk322bn in January-March quarter.

The classified loan was Tk13bn or 4% of total outstanding loan of Tk284bn in October-December quarter 2012.

Banking sources said non performing loan increased in this sector during the last one year due to a “drastic fall in the number of sales of both flats and plots.”

Around 20,000 to 22,000 ready flats worth between Tk140bn and Tk160bn re-

mained unsold and the construction works of more 8,000 flats remained suspended, Rehab sources said.

The average sales of both flats and land plots have dropped by 60% in 2012 compared to the level of the previous year.

The main reason is non-availability of utilities. The other reason is that the banks became shy to provide any fresh project loans or loans to individual buyers during the political turmoil, said a Rehab leader.

Loan inflow in the real estate sector increased to Tk600bn or 35% in April-June period this year as compared to same period

of the last year, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.

“The classified loan was increasing mainly due to rescheduling the loan,’’ said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

Bank loans worth over Tk100bn in the real estate sector have been rescheduled in last one year by the banks, because of irregular repayments of loan installments by the clients, according to the central bank data.

The business is going sluggish, yet some businessmen preferred to continue with the business, contributing to the increase in loans, said Pubali Bank Managing Director Helal Ahmed Chowdhury. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Insurance scheme for construction workers on the cards Tk200,000 compensation for injuries or death n Rabiul Islam The government has decided to introduce an insurance scheme for the construction workers.

Labour and Employment Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju is scheduled to formally inaugurate the scheme on Monday next, said a senior official.

“We are introducing the insurance scheme as the construction workers do not get any kind of support from the government,” Raju told Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

He said a worker would get Tk200,000 if he or she is seriously injured while working.

If the worker is died, the victim’s family will get the same amount of money, he added.

Officials at the labour ministry said insurance scheme would be introduced under the Workers’ Welfare Foundation Board, which was constituted under the labour and employment ministry.

An executive committee, headed by the labour secretary, would implement the insurance scheme. Representatives from the workers, owners of the construction company, Life Insurance Corporation and Bangladesh Institution of Labour Studies (BILLS) would be included in the committee.

Officials at the labour ministry said the insurance scheme would be for a period of five years.

They said a worker has to deposit Tk450 while the labour ministry would give 850 annually as premium. After the end of the period, a worker will get back certain amount of his or her premium.

There is no accurate figure of the construction workers, but some estimates suggest it would be 6m.

“We are surveying to know the number of construction workers,” said the minister. l

Regent Airways offers 50% discount on tickets n Tribune Business Desk Regent Airways is offering 50% discount on ticket purchase for a month from November 10 onwards to make its third anniversary.

Under the special offer, the customers can purchase tickets for different international and domestic routes till December 10 and travel throughout the next year, said a press release. l

ORYX Bangladesh turns 20 n Tribune Business Desk ORYX Bangladesh recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in Dhaka.

The function was attended, among others, by managing director Corinne Dogra, director Vishal Dogra, partner Antoine Monnier and employees. l

IBBL opens branch at Golapganj n Tribune Business Desk Two constructions seen working with risk without any safety materials at a building site in Dhaka NASHIRUL ISLAM

Dollar up after US sell-off fuelled by Yellen remarks n AFP, Tokyo The dollar rebounded in Asia yesterday after suffering a sell-off in New York on remarks from Federal Reserve chief nominee Janet Yellen that indicated the bank will keep its stimulus programme in place for the time being.

The greenback rose to 99.67 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, from 99.14 yen in New York late Wednesday.

The euro weakened to $1.3470 from $1.3492 while it changed hands 134.21 yen against 133.73 yen.

In comments prepared for a Senate hearing yesterday, Yellen signalled her support for continuing the central bank’s $85bn a-month bond-buying until the world’s biggest economy shows signs of a firm recovery.

She said unemployment at 7.3% was too high and reflected an economy running “far short” of its potential. That sent the dollar tumbling in US trade as continued bond-buying pumps vast sums of cash into financial

markets, lowering demand for the unit.

When unveiling the scheme in September last year the Fed said it would only start winding it down when the economy was strong enough.

“Her prepared opening testimony was used as a factor to sell the dollar, but we want to know about what she will say following the opening remarks,” said Daisuke Karakama, market economist at Mizuho Bank’s forex unit. The yen’s decline supported Tokyo

stocks, which rose 1.4% by the break. The Nikkei was also lifted by above-view Japanese third-quarter growth data.

“The yen’s decline was mainly due to a market reaction to a rise in the Nikkei,” Karakama said.

A recent rate cut by the European Central Bank to ward off signs of deflation in the hard-hit eurozone supplied a “good reason to sell euros”, a senior trader at a Japanese bank told Dow Jones Newswires. l

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) yesterday started operation of its new branch in Golapganj, Sylhet.

Managing Director Mohammad Abdul Mannan inaugurated the branch, said a press release.

The function was attended, among others, by Prof Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury of Shahjalal Science and Technology University and Dr Mawlana Md Abdus Samad, Shariah Supervisory Committee Member of Islamic University Chittagong. l

Union Bank opens branch at Mouchak n Tribune Business Desk Union Bank Ltd (UBL) yesterday opened a branch at Maa Super Market, Mouchak Bazar.

UBL Managing Director Md Abdul Hamid Miah inaugurated the branch, said a press release.

The function was attended, among others, by senior executive vice president SAM Salimullah, Gulshan branch manager Mokammel Haq Chowdhury, company secretary Abdul Hanan Khan and Mouchak branch manager Abdus shahid. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Tribunal for stock related cases takes off soon n Kayes Sohel Setting up of a special tribunal for quick disposal of stock market related cases is finally going to take off as the finance ministry yesterday approved the structure and modus operandi of the tribunal.

Under the structure, a special tribunal will have two members – one district judge and another sessions judge – and a tribunal with one judge.

The approval was given at a meeting at the finance ministry that earlier requested the law ministry to scrutinise the draft structure of the tribunal proposed by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC).

The meeting also approved the salary structure of judges of the special tribunal, ranging from Tk36,000 to Tk39,000, appointment of official staff and purchasing official instruments.

“This is a good move. But it should have been taken earlier to ensure transparency and accountability in the market,” said Mahmood Osman Imam, professor of finance at the Dhaka University.

The stock market analyst said investors have longed for the tribunal. “However, it is better late than never.”

Chittagong Port posts record high container release n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong The Chittagong Port Authority reached a new record in the volume of releasing containers as more than 4, 000 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) of containers were released from the port in 14 hours after the end of 84-hour hartal ended Wednesday.

CPA sources said 4, 087 TEUs of containers were released from the port from 6 pm on Wednesday to 8 am yesterday as compared to a regular release of 1,600 to 1,800 TEUs of containers in 24 hours. There was no record of such high volume of releasing containers.

Sayad Farhad Uddin Ahmed, secretary to the CPA, said the pressure of container release had increased after the strike, as only 1,349 TEUs of containers had been released from the port during the 84-hour strike.

“However, other activities of the port were almost normal during the strike,” he added.

Another official said usually volume of containers release increased after any hartal.

This time, however, it had reached a new record. “Usually 2, 000 to 2, 500 TEUs of container were being released in 24 hours after any strike,” he added.

Businessmen said the importers were facing severe problem due to the huge rush in releasing containers as the transport operators had been charging more than double for carrying goods from Chittagong to Dhaka and other destinations seizing the opportunity. l

He said quick disposal of litigation related to the stock market might bring confidence among the investors.

More than 400 cases were filed against companies, investors and manipulators with courts between 1996 and January this year, according to the BSEC.

Whenever the securities regulator imposed fines on any listed company or investor or manipulator, they go to the High Court challenging the regulator’s order or punishment, ignoring its efficacy

The market collapse in 1996 and later in late 2010 had prompted the government to set up a special tribunal to handle stock market-related cases.

After more than a decade, the govern-

ment finalised the structure and operation method of a special tribunal ahead of general election due early next year.

The move has also been taken as part of the conditions attached to the recent Asian Development Bank’s US$300m support as soft-term credits for the overall development of the country’s capital market.

Due to long-pending cases, the listed companies sometimes failed to declare dividends or make corporate disclosures.

Whenever the securities regulator imposed fines on any listed company or investor or manipulator, they go to the High Court challenging the regulator’s order or punishment, ignoring its efficacy.

In November last year, the parliament amended the Securities and Exchange Ordinance 1969 to empower the government to set up special tribunals to try such cases.

“In absence of a special tribunal for the stock market, cases remained pending for years. But after setting up of a special tribunal, the pending cases will be disposed off,” said a BSEC official.

If anybody is not satisfied with the verdict of the tribunal, he or she would have the choice to appeal with the Supreme Court, he said. l

RMG action plan sees progress in 17 areas Bangladesh sends report to USTR to get back GSP

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladesh yesterday sent a progress report on implementation of the action plan outlined by the US government in an effort to get back the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facility.

The Ministry of Commerce forwarded the progress report to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) office.

The government has initiated the process of allowing trade union in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs), but it would take time, he added “The report showed progress in 17 areas of the action plan recommended,” Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed told Dhaka Tribune, yesterday.

“We’re hopeful about regaining the GSP facility as we have made significant progress in the action plan – even 100% in some areas.”

Among the progress, the labour and employment ministry has taken initiatives to appoint 200 factory inspectors, the government withdrawn an order that forced

suspension of the registration of two NGOs — Bangladesh Centre for Women Solidarity, and Social Activities for the Environment.

The ministry also asked the Dhaka district magistrate to take steps to withdraw cases against labour leaders Kalpona Akter and Babul Akter as required in the US action plan.

Ahmed said: “We’ve explained why we failed to make progress in some areas and hope that the USTR would understand it.”

As per their recommendation the government has amended labour law, which would allow workers to form participatory union in the factory, he said.

Commenting on appointment of inspector for the factory inspection, he said the process is going and already some inspectors have been appointed.

The government has initiated the process of allowing trade union in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs), but it would take time, he added.

On June 27, the Obama administration suspended GSP facility for Bangladesh as it did not found progress in safety and labour standards after Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza building collapse.

The US government will review the GSP facility for Bangladesh in December. l

3

DSE turnover crosses Tk5bn mark n Tribune Report Stocks saw modest rise yesterday, extending their gaining streak for the third consecutive session with turnover crossing Tk5bn-mark after six weeks.

The rally was led by the heavyweight banks that gained almost 2% and made up 20% of the total market turnover.

The benchmark DSEX index ended at 4,241 with a rise of 29 points or 0.7% while the blue chip index DS30 adding only 3 points or 0.3% to settle at 1,447.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 60 points to 8,284.

The DSE total turnover marked further improvement as it stood at Tk5.2bn –highest since September 23 and around 10% higher over previous session’s value.

Riding on renewed enthusiasm over banking sector coupled with positive first quarter earnings declarations from fuel and power sector, the market ended with a modest gain, said IDLC Investment in its market analysis.

Apparent stability in the market was awarded with glimmer of confidence from investors, causing turnover to cross Tk5bn threshold, it said.

Profit booking spree in textile sector forced it to close negative, though some positive Q1 earnings declarations from this sector showed healthy.

‘Riding on renewed enthusiasm over banking sector coupled with positive first quarter earnings declarations from fuel and power sector, the market ended with a modest gain’

Life insurance was the worst performer after 10 sessions of consistent gain, while non life insurance following closely. Non-banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals ended 0.5% and 0.3% lower respectively.

Among the major sectors after banks, power and telecommunications gained 1.4% and 0.6% respectively.

Gainers outpaced losers as out of 289 issues traded, 142 gained, 123 dropped and 24 remained unchanged.

Zenith Investment said the strength of the stock market for the past few days is mainly attributed to rise of banking sector.

With very little data about future political crisis of the country to direct market performance, some indecision may creep among investors to move the index in a stable ground, it said.

Generation Next continued to become top turnover leader with shares worth Tk315m changing hands, followed by Meghna Petroleum, Bengal Windsor Thermoplastics Ltd, RN Spinning, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Malek Spinning, Summit Purbanchal Power Company Ltd, Tallu Spinning, One Bank and United Airways. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

‘Oil firms receive $14bn from oil window’ n Reuters

A worker fills a car with diesel at a fuel station in Jammu

REUTERS

State-run oil companies have received around $14bn through the special dollar swap window provided by the central bank since late August, an official familiar with the details said yesterday.

The state-run oil companies will need to pay back those dollars to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) once the swaps mature between February and April of next year.

The maturity dates were picked on expectations the US Federal Reserve would have started its tapering either at the end of the year or early in 2014, the source added.

Investors had worried that demand for dollars would surge when these swaps mature, thus pressuring the rupee, but RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan pledged on Wednesday the central bank would be flexible in order to avoid disrupting currency markets.

Rajan added at a news briefing on Wednesday that the central bank can roll over some of the swaps so that they mature at later dates or settle the swaps by allowing oil companies to make net payments in rupees.

State-run oil companies met central bank officials yesterday to discuss operational issues regarding the oil swap window, the official said. The central bank will examine closing the window at the end of November.

Oil companies are now sourcing 30-40% of their dollar needs in markets, Arvind Mayaram, India’s economic affairs secretary had said earlier this month. l

Top Japan banks’ second-quarter earnings leap thanks to ‘Abenomics’ bull market n Reuters Japan’s top banks logged strong second quarter profit growth and raised their full-year outlook as a surge in the Tokyo stock market boosted equity portfolios, but other benefits of “Abenomics” have yet to spread to their core lending business.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s aggressive re-

flationary policies started a bull run in late 2012 that saw the benchmark Nikkei average end September 63% higher than it was a year earlier.

But, while Abe took financial markets by storm with election campaign promises to revive a moribund economy, a year on bank lending is still struggling to recover, with latest gross domestic product data showing companies remain reluctant to invest and

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (left) shakes hands with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of their meeting at Abe’s official residence in Tokyo REUTERS

consumer spending losing steam.

“We are seeing a slight increase in domestic loan demand, but capital expenditure has not shown sharp growth yet,” Yasuhiro Sato, the president of Mizuho Financial Group told a news conference after releasing the group’s results.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Mizuho Financial Group, respectively Japan’s largest and second largest lenders by assets, posted strong results on Thursday for the first half of the financial year.

For the six months ending in September, MUFG’s net profit grew 83% from a year earlier to 530.2bn yen ($5.33bn), and Mizuho’s grew 133% to 429.8bn yen.

For the July-September quarter alone, according to Reuters’ calculations, net profit rose 156% to 274.9bn yen at MUFG, and totaled 181.8bn yen at Mizuho, up from 356m yen a year earlier, when Mizuho had booked hefty losses on its stock holdings. Both banks were also helped by small bad loan costs.

“We are seeing notable improvement in business performance (of borrowers). It’s an effect of Abenomics that bad loan figures remain low,” MUFG President Nobuyuki Hirano told a news conference.

For the full-year ending in March, MUFG raised its forecast for net profit to 910bn yen from 760bn yen, above the 842.6bn yen projection by Starmine’s SmartEstimate.

Mizuho lifted its full-year net profit forecast to 600bn yen, broadly in line with the 588.4bn yen projection by Starmine’s SmartEstimate.

US and European banks have had to put aside billions of dollars to cover legal costs arising from a string of scandals ranging from interest rate manipulation and money laundering to the sale of risky mortgage-backed securities, Japanese banks have remained largely unscathed.

But, they have come under close public scrutiny after a scandal erupted in September over loans extended to organized crime groups by Mizuho’s core commercial bank.

The likely impact of the scandal on Mizuho’s businesses and the broader banking sector is still unclear, but Japan’s banks are being forced to strengthen loan scrutiny procedures.

Japan’s third largest lender, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, on Tuesday reported net profit rose 53% in the first half from a year ago, but second quarter growth was just 2% up from a year earlier at 217.4bn yen.

Gross domestic product data released on Thursday showed growth slowed sharply in the September quarter, with the “Abenomics” policy mix yet to secure a durable recovery.

Capital spending, personal consumption and exports all moderated, though there are expectations that consumer spending will pick as people try to beat a sales tax rise planned next year.

“The banks are not in a stage yet to see strong growth in lending, driven by Abenomics-led economic recovery,” said Chikako Horiuchi, banking analyst at Fitch Ratings in Hong Kong. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

5

Yellen defends Fed’s monetary policy n Reuters Janet Yellen, President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the US Federal Reserve, will offer a stout defense yesterday of the central bank’s aggressive monetary easing before a Senate panel that includes some tough Republican critics.

At a Senate Banking Committee hearing on her nomination to be the first woman to run the nation’s central bank, Yellen is likely to remain vague on future Fed actions.

But she will look to head off calls for the Fed to back away from its muscular efforts to spur stronger economic growth and lower unemployment.

Yellen last month to replace Fed chief Ben Bernanke when his term expires on January 31.

The banking committee, where Obama’s Democrats occupy 12 of the 22 seats, will vet her credentials to become the most powerful official in the US and world economy, before sending her nomination to the full Senate for consideration.

Despite criticism, she is expected to win confirmation without drama, although it is not yet clear when lawmakers will debate and vote on the merits of her selection.

Obama’s Democrats control 55 of the Senate’s 100 seats, which means the 67-year-old former economics professor need only win

Financial markets have long viewed Yellen as a policy dove more concerned about the high level of unemployment than about the risk that the Fed’s efforts to spur stronger growth might lead to an unwanted rise in inflation

“I believe that supporting the recovery today is the surest path to returning to a more normal approach to monetary policy,” Yellen, the Fed’s current vice chair, will tell the panel, according to prepared remarks released late on Wednesday.

The hearing is scheduled to start at 10 am (1500 GMT).

Her words bolstered expectations the central bank would push on with its bond-buying stimulus into next year and move cautiously when it seeks to temper its support for the economy.

President Barack Obama nominated

backing from five Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome Senate procedural hurdles.

US growth picked up in the third quarter, but is expected to struggle in the final three months of the year after consumer and business confidence was dented by a bitter partisan budget battle in Washington.

As a result, the Fed has maintained a controversial bond buying program, while holding interest rates near zero, and Yellen’s remarks bolstered views she would preserve policy continuity with Bernanke.

Calling the US unemployment rate of 7.3%

in October too high, she noted the economy and labour markets were performing “far short” of their potential, while inflation was under the Fed’s 2% goal and expected to stay there for some time.

“Our country has come a long way since the dark days of the financial crisis, but we have farther to go. Likewise, I believe the Federal Reserve has made significant progress toward its goals, but has more work to do,” she said.

Financial markets have long viewed Yellen as a policy dove more concerned about the high level of unemployment than about the risk that the Fed’s efforts to spur stronger growth might lead to an unwanted rise in inflation.

The Fed has held interest rates near zero since late 2008 and has quadrupled its balance sheet to around $3.8tn through three massive bond-buying campaigns aimed at holding down long-term borrowing costs to boost growth and jobs.

It is buying $85bn in bonds per month.

Critics worry that this monetary largesse could stoke future inflation and fuel asset bubbles as investors are driven into riskier assets in the hunt for higher returns.

Yellen’s testimony, which represents her first public remarks on Fed policy since June 2, will be scrutinized for signs of how she feels about the costs and benefits of continued bond buying.

But analysts expect her to be very careful not to give any clues ahead of the Fed’s December 17-18 meeting, although her stress on the need for stimulus reinforced expectations the central bank would not scale back its purchases until next year. l

US Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen arrives to meet with Senator Charles Schumer in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington

REUTERS

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke addresses a town hall event for teachers at the Federal Reserve Board’s building in Washington REUTERS

‘Important to prevent inflation from falling too low’ n Reuters Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that the US central bank would remain alert to preventing inflation from declining too far from its goal of 2%.

“As you know, my term comes to an end in a few months, and I wish I was leaving with the unemployment rate at 5% instead of 7%,” he told a teacher town hall meeting in Washington. Bernanke’s term as Fed chief expires on January 31.

“But we have done, I think, a good bit to support this recovery,” he said. “And it is important that we continue to provide the necessary support to help put people back to work and keep inflation from falling too low.”

The Fed’s preferred gauge of price pressures facing consumers, the PCE price index, is running at slightly above 1% on a yearly basis. Bernanke said this was “too little.”

The US central bank has held interest rates near zero since late 2008 and quadrupled the size of its balance sheet to $3.8tn to spur growth and hiring through three rounds of massive asset purchases.

It has pledged to keep rates ultra-low until unemployment hits 6.5%, so long as the outlook for inflation stays under 2.5%. The October jobless rate was 7.3%.

These aggressive steps are designed to prevent price pressures from spiraling into Japan-style deflation, and Fed officials decided in October to keep buying bonds at an $85bn monthly pace. Critics fear this socalled quantitative easing will stoke future inflation.

Bernanke said that these measures can be removed once the economy strengthens and when unemployment “falls to its sustainable level,” referring to the maximum jobless rate the US economy can tolerate without triggering inflation.

“Then it will be important for the Fed to normalize policy, to begin to raise interest rates, to begin to reverse, in some way, quantitative easing, perhaps by just letting the assets we hold to run off, to mature,” he said. l

6

Share

DHAKA TRIBUNE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

DSE Broad Index: 4241.54 ⇑ 0.68%, Turnover: 5165.04 M.Tk ⇑ 9.59%, PE: 12.82 Turnover 5,686.09 MTk . ⇑ 8.78% 14 November 2013 MarketCap. 2,031.21 BTk. ⇑ 0.52% CSE All Share Index: 13172 ⇑ 0.76%, Turnover: 521.05 M Tk. ⇑ 1.34%, PE: 12.68 Combined Turnover Leader

% of TTL

Avg. P 30.14

11494240

346.47

6.09

Meghna Petroleum -A

806602

218.41

3.84

Bengal Windsor-N

3326000

164.23

Al Arafa Islami B-A

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 791148 D: 28.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.21 | 30.00 / 26.00 C: 28.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.31 | 28.70 / 27.70 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 3099324 D: 22.30 ⇑ 3.72% | 22.15 | 22.70 / 20.00 C: 22.20 ⇑ 3.26% | 22.00 | 22.40 / 20.50 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 2872806 D: 35.90 ⇑ 1.70% | 36.03 | 37.20 / 31.90 C: 35.70 ⇑ 0.56% | 36.07 | 37.00 / 35.00 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 192111 D: 36.10 ⇑ 0.28% | 36.12 | 36.50 / 34.00 C: 36.10 ⇓ 0.28% | 36.26 | 36.50 / 36.00 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 4577139 D: 12.90 ⇑ 0.78% | 12.94 | 13.10 / 11.80 C: 13.00 ⇑ 0.78% | 13.00 | 13.20 / 12.70 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 1009210 D: 31.60 ⇑ 0.96% | 31.33 | 31.80 / 29.90 C: 31.70 ⇑ 0.63% | 31.55 | 32.00 / 31.10 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 65616 D: 67.50 ⇑ 1.66% | 68.17 | 70.40 / 65.00 C: 70.30 ⇑ 6.19% | 70.32 | 72.10 / 69.00 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 4131876 D: 24.50 ⇑ 4.26% | 24.29 | 25.00 / 22.00 C: 24.40 ⇑ 3.39% | 24.26 | 24.70 / 23.10 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 1425768 D: 33.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 33.61 | 35.00 / 30.00 C: 33.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 33.85 | 34.70 / 32.90 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 119000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 3.33% | 6.12 | 6.30 / 6.00 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 314939 D: 29.70 ⇑ 1.71% | 29.77 | 30.00 / 27.00 C: 29.60 ⇑ 1.37% | 29.55 | 29.80 / 29.20 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 6661897 D: 19.80 ⇑ 7.61% | 19.50 | 20.00 / 17.00 C: 19.90 ⇑ 7.57% | 19.60 | 20.10 / 18.20 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 803847 D: 23.70 ⇑ 0.42% | 23.66 | 24.00 / 23.00 C: 23.70 ⇑ 0.42% | 23.72 | 23.80 / 23.70 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 1919632 D: 19.40 ⇑ 3.19% | 19.30 | 19.60 / 17.00 C: 19.40 ⇑ 3.19% | 19.35 | 19.50 / 18.60 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 808957 D: 19.50 ⇑ 1.04% | 19.52 | 19.70 / 18.00 C: 19.60 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.66 | 20.00 / 19.30 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 3825202 D: 15.20 ⇑ 3.40% | 15.12 | 16.00 / 13.50 C: 15.30 ⇑ 3.38% | 15.19 | 15.50 / 14.50 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 1796474 D: 14.40 ⇑ 2.86% | 14.34 | 15.00 / 13.00 C: 14.30 ⇑ 1.42% | 14.38 | 14.60 / 14.00 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 29500 D: 101.5 ⇑ 0.89% | 102.75 | 104.9 / 100.5 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 289640 D: 16.00 ⇑ 1.27% | 16.18 | 16.70 / 14.50 C: 16.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.86 | 17.20 / 16.50 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 2232068 D: 16.30 ⇑ 4.49% | 16.21 | 17.10 / 14.50 C: 16.30 ⇑ 4.49% | 16.22 | 16.40 / 15.80 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 6474259 D: 18.10 ⇑ 3.43% | 18.02 | 19.10 / 16.00 C: 18.20 ⇑ 4.00% | 18.02 | 18.50 / 17.30 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 512154 D: 19.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.31 | 20.70 / 18.00 C: 20.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.12 | 20.70 / 19.90 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 5063921 D: 17.60 ⇑ 4.14% | 17.58 | 18.40 / 15.30 C: 17.60 ⇑ 3.53% | 17.68 | 18.10 / 16.80 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 1984586 D: 13.70 ⇑ 3.01% | 13.80 | 14.00 / 12.00 C: 13.80 ⇑ 1.47% | 13.78 | 13.90 / 13.50 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 685170 D: 16.50 ⇑ 3.13% | 16.44 | 17.00 / 14.50 C: 16.50 ⇑ 3.13% | 16.67 | 17.00 / 15.90 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 548198 D: 32.90 ⇑ 1.23% | 32.80 | 33.10 / 32.00 C: 32.80 ⇑ 1.86% | 32.80 | 33.10 / 30.00 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 2168732 D: 18.90 ⇑ 1.61% | 19.07 | 20.00 / 17.00 C: 18.90 ⇑ 1.61% | 19.04 | 19.50 / 18.20

TO M. Tk.

Generation Next Fashions-A

R. N. Spinning-A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

Vol.

4136087 6661897

2.89

137.76

2.42

129.99

2.29

PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 1787082 D: 12.80 ⇑ 0.79% | 12.87 | 13.10 / 11.50 C: 12.90 ⇑ 0.78% | 12.92 | 14.00 / 11.60 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 347416 D: 20.80 ⇑ 4.00% | 20.72 | 21.30 / 18.10 C: 20.70 ⇑ 1.47% | 20.69 | 21.20 / 20.30 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 3181915 D: 16.50 ⇑ 5.10% | 16.42 | 16.90 / 14.50 C: 16.70 ⇑ 6.37% | 16.48 | 17.00 / 15.60 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 186453 D: 61.30 ⇑ 0.16% | 61.68 | 62.00 / 61.00 C: 61.00 ⇓ 0.33% | 61.19 | 61.50 / 61.00 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 460444 D: 31.40 ⇑ 2.28% | 31.37 | 33.00 / 30.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 132230 D: 81.90 ⇑ 0.49% | 81.87 | 82.30 / 81.00 C: 81.10 ⇓ 0.61% | 80.91 | 81.20 / 73.50 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 1251534 D: 31.70 ⇓ 1.86% | 32.54 | 33.20 / 31.00 C: 32.00 ⇓ 1.54% | 32.35 | 33.10 / 31.70 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 968130 D: 24.90 ⇓ 0.80% | 25.22 | 26.30 / 23.00 C: 24.90 ⇓ 1.19% | 25.29 | 26.40 / 24.60 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 389183 D: 25.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 25.30 | 25.90 / 24.00 C: 25.30 ⇓ 1.56% | 25.36 | 25.90 / 25.20 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 145857 D: 10.30 ⇓ 0.96% | 10.38 | 10.50 / 10.00 C: 10.40 ⇑ 0.97% | 10.34 | 10.50 / 10.30 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 576000 D: 16.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.03 | 17.20 / 15.30 C: 16.90 ⇓ 0.59% | 17.06 | 17.40 / 16.90 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 889948 D: 55.30 ⇓ 1.78% | 55.95 | 57.00 / 53.00 C: 55.20 ⇓ 1.60% | 55.72 | 57.00 / 55.00 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 123770 D: 16.90 ⇓ 1.17% | 17.10 | 18.00 / 15.50 C: 16.80 ⇓ 0.59% | 16.87 | 17.20 / 16.60 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 167394 D: 19.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 19.15 | 19.50 / 19.00 C: 19.00 ⇑ 0.53% | 18.94 | 19.00 / 18.00 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 34800 D: 28.70 ⇓ 1.03% | 28.69 | 29.40 / 27.00 C: 28.10 ⇓ 1.40% | 28.05 | 28.10 / 28.00 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 110233 D: 18.90 ⇓ 1.56% | 19.10 | 19.50 / 18.00 C: 19.00 ⇓ 1.55% | 19.13 | 19.40 / 18.90 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 490985 D: 15.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.33 | 15.60 / 14.30 C: 15.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.30 | 15.50 / 15.10 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 826282 D: 35.90 ⇓ 1.91% | 36.46 | 37.50 / 35.00 C: 35.50 ⇓ 3.01% | 36.21 | 37.30 / 35.40 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 523601 D: 14.10 ⇓ 2.08% | 14.26 | 14.60 / 13.20 C: 14.20 ⇓ 2.07% | 14.38 | 14.60 / 14.00 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 28000 D: 55.50 ⇓ 0.36% | 55.82 | 56.80 / 54.90 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 397675 D: 30.40 ⇓ 1.62% | 30.76 | 31.30 / 29.30 C: 31.00 ⇓ 1.59% | 30.72 | 31.30 / 30.30 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 245400 D: 30.30 ⇑ 1.00% | 30.62 | 31.10 / 29.50 C: 30.20 ⇓ 1.31% | 30.49 | 31.00 / 30.00 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 5450 D: 1450 ⇓ 0.26% | 1452 | 1480 / 1440 C: 1473 ⇓ 4.74% | 1469 | 1485 / 1450 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 109139 D: 26.20 ⇓ 1.50% | 26.46 | 26.90 / 24.80 C: 26.70 ⇑ 1.91% | 26.60 | 27.20 / 26.20 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 752000 D: 14.00 ⇓ 0.71% | 14.14 | 14.40 / 14.00 C: 14.10 ⇓ 0.70% | 14.15 | 14.40 / 14.00 INVESTMENT 2NDICB | 44.10 | 253.11 | Vol. 850 D: 248.3 ⇑ 1.22% | 248.24 | 250.0 / 248.0 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 100 D: 191.0 ⇓ 1.80% | 191.00 | 191.0 / 191.0 4THICB | 29.24 | 229.24 | Vol. 500 D: 182.1 ⇓ 0.55% | 182.00 | 182.2 / 182.1 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 3800 D: 146.2 ⇑ 0.41% | 146.58 | 149.0 / 145.0

270.77 49.38

C%

A%

CP

BD Building Systems -N

DSE Gainer

9.89

10.90

41.10

Hakkani P& Paper-B

9.80

9.17

26.90

Monno Ceramic -B

9.79

9.50

31.40

C%

A%

CP

National Polymer-A

DSE Loser

-6.57

-3.74

46.90

Reliance Insur-A

-5.05

-4.88

71.40

Stylecraft-A

-4.99

-4.99

1149.00

-4.95

-4.52

17.30

-4.74

-1.94

343.90

33.31

Desh Garments-B

9.76

11.20

60.70

Fu-wang Ceramic-A

19.51

BD. Autocars -B

9.73

10.89

24.80

Aramit-A

6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 18900 D: 53.60 ⇓ 0.92% | 53.60 | 54.80 / 50.00 7THICB | 13.53 | 98.60 | Vol. 3000 D: 80.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 80.00 | 80.00 / 80.00 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 3000 D: 53.50 ⇑ 3.68% | 53.67 | 53.90 / 52.90 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 289250 D: 39.90 ⇑ 0.50% | 39.99 | 40.40 / 39.60 C: 40.10 ⇑ 1.52% | 39.96 | 40.30 / 39.60 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 156000 D: 19.70 ⇑ 0.51% | 19.97 | 20.10 / 19.30 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 179000 D: 45.10 ⇓ 0.22% | 45.28 | 46.00 / 45.00 C: 45.10 ⇓ 1.31% | 45.08 | 45.10 / 45.00 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 19500 D: 26.10 ⇑ 1.56% | 26.15 | 26.20 / 26.00 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 681500 D: 10.50 ⇑ 3.96% | 10.55 | 10.80 / 10.20 C: 10.50 ⇑ 1.94% | 10.50 | 10.50 / 10.50 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 690000 D: 16.90 ⇓ 1.17% | 17.03 | 17.20 / 16.90 C: 17.00 ⇓ 1.73% | 17.02 | 17.20 / 16.90 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 1068500 D: 23.40 ⇓ 1.68% | 23.95 | 24.60 / 22.90 C: 23.60 ⇓ 1.26% | 23.70 | 24.30 / 23.00 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 294767 D: 7.10 ⇓ 1.39% | 7.22 | 7.40 / 7.00 C: 7.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.16 | 7.40 / 7.10 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 96000 D: 6.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.41 | 6.50 / 6.30 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 140500 D: 6.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.44 | 6.60 / 6.30 C: 6.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.51 | 6.60 / 6.50 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 346063 D: 7.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 7.77 | 7.90 / 7.50 C: 7.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.84 | 8.00 / 7.20 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 205000 D: 5.70 ⇑ 1.79% | 5.72 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.80 ⇑ 1.75% | 5.75 | 5.80 / 5.60 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 292500 D: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.14 | 6.30 / 6.10 C: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.21 | 6.30 / 6.10 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 323286 D: 7.10 ⇑ 1.43% | 7.09 | 7.20 / 7.00 C: 7.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 7.02 | 7.10 / 7.00 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 371500 D: 5.90 ⇓ 1.67% | 6.02 | 6.10 / 5.90 C: 6.00 ⇑ 1.69% | 6.02 | 6.10 / 5.90 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 399500 D: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.66 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.67 | 5.80 / 5.60 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 388500 D: 6.50 ⇑ 1.56% | 6.50 | 6.60 / 6.40 C: 6.40 ⇓ 1.54% | 6.42 | 6.50 / 6.40 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 600500 D: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.65 | 5.80 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.61 | 5.70 / 5.60 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 1527938 D: 6.50 ⇑ 1.56% | 6.49 | 6.70 / 5.80 C: 6.50 ⇑ 1.56% | 6.57 | 6.70 / 6.50 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 1725000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 3.33% | 6.34 | 6.60 / 6.20 C: 6.20 ⇑ 1.64% | 6.34 | 6.50 / 6.10 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 1224500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.04 | 6.20 / 6.00 C: 6.10 ⇑ 1.67% | 6.10 | 6.20 / 6.00 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 163000 D: 6.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.00 | 7.10 / 6.90 C: 7.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 6.95 | 7.00 / 6.90 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 239000 D: 6.40 ⇓ 1.54% | 6.59 | 6.90 / 6.40 C: 6.30 ⇓ 3.08% | 6.30 | 6.30 / 6.30 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 302000 D: 8.40 ⇑ 1.20% | 8.43 | 8.60 / 8.30 C: 8.50 ⇑ 2.41% | 8.29 | 8.60 / 8.10 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 691500 D: 9.10 ⇓ 1.09% | 9.28 | 9.50 / 9.00 C: 9.10 ⇑ 1.11% | 9.18 | 9.50 / 9.10 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.47 | 11.18 | Vol. 394000 D: 7.40 ⇑ 2.78% | 7.42 | 7.70 / 7.20 C: 7.30 ⇑ 1.39% | 7.39 | 7.80 / 7.20 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 857000 D: 7.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.68 | 7.80 / 7.50 C: 7.60 ⇑ 2.70% | 7.56 | 7.60 / 7.20

NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 551950 D: 9.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.47 | 9.70 / 9.00 C: 9.40 ⇓ 2.08% | 9.43 | 10.20 / 9.30 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 36000 D: 9.00 ⇑ 1.12% | 9.03 | 9.10 / 8.70 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 10000 D: 8.90 ⇑ 1.14% | 8.90 | 9.00 / 8.90 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 1938500 D: 8.80 ⇑ 2.33% | 8.96 | 9.40 / 8.50 C: 8.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.83 | 9.60 / 8.50 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 8500 D: 7.90 ⇓ 1.25% | 8.00 | 8.00 / 7.90 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.29 | 52.65 | Vol. 280060 D: 100.6 ⇑ 0.50% | 101.44 | 103.3 / 95.00 C: 100.8 ⇑ 0.00% | 101.74 | 103.3 / 100.5 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 2650 D: 17.20 ⇑ 0.58% | 17.21 | 17.50 / 17.10 C: 18.10 ⇑ 1.12% | 18.06 | 18.10 / 18.00 OLYMPIC | 7.85 | 22.10 | Vol. 223405 D: 209.6 ⇑ 0.14% | 209.34 | 211.9 / 207.5 C: 209.1 ⇓ 0.33% | 209.02 | 213.8 / 208.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 19150 D: 131.2 ⇑ 2.74% | 132.59 | 135.0 / 128.1 C: 127.5 ⇓ 1.62% | 129.15 | 133.0 / 127.0 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 1500 D: 73.60 ⇓ 1.34% | 73.60 | 73.60 / 73.60 C: 72.10 ⇓ 3.87% | 72.09 | 73.00 / 72.00 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 1200 D: 277.9 ⇑ 1.35% | 278.33 | 287.0 / 271.7 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 63077 D: 192.7 ⇓ 0.21% | 193.46 | 197.0 / 184.0 C: 192.3 ⇓ 0.77% | 192.27 | 194.6 / 192.0 ATLASBANG | 11.98 | 207.70 | Vol. 21666 D: 167.3 ⇑ 3.91% | 166.23 | 169.0 / 160.0 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 30800 D: 24.80 ⇑ 9.73% | 24.74 | 24.80 / 24.40 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 282500 D: 33.30 ⇑ 0.30% | 33.82 | 34.30 / 33.00 C: 32.80 ⇓ 2.09% | 33.16 | 33.60 / 32.80 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 27200 D: 157.3 ⇑ 6.79% | 155.40 | 161.0 / 150.0 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 95100 D: 71.50 ⇓ 1.11% | 72.79 | 74.20 / 71.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 444881 D: 26.60 ⇓ 2.21% | 27.33 | 28.40 / 26.40 C: 26.50 ⇓ 2.21% | 27.21 | 28.60 / 26.20 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 102500 D: 23.60 ⇓ 4.45% | 24.09 | 25.80 / 23.40 C: 23.70 ⇓ 4.44% | 23.96 | 25.00 / 23.50 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 9500 D: 16.20 ⇑ 1.25% | 16.21 | 17.30 / 15.60 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 54500 D: 85.50 ⇓ 2.62% | 87.01 | 89.10 / 85.00 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 373300 D: 40.90 ⇑ 1.49% | 41.26 | 41.80 / 40.00 C: 41.00 ⇑ 1.49% | 41.36 | 42.00 / 40.80 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 1304232 D: 46.50 ⇓ 1.48% | 47.37 | 48.40 / 45.00 C: 46.50 ⇓ 2.11% | 47.53 | 48.40 / 46.30 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 182146 D: 68.00 ⇑ 1.04% | 68.55 | 69.70 / 66.00 C: 67.60 ⇑ 0.75% | 68.70 | 69.30 / 67.50 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 203783 D: 66.30 ⇑ 2.16% | 65.85 | 66.90 / 58.80 C: 66.40 ⇑ 2.47% | 65.91 | 66.50 / 65.00 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 630309 D: 17.00 ⇑ 2.41% | 17.13 | 17.30 / 15.00 C: 17.10 ⇑ 2.40% | 17.23 | 17.60 / 17.00 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 246000 D: 45.80 ⇑ 0.66% | 45.72 | 46.30 / 44.80 C: 45.70 ⇑ 0.44% | 45.66 | 46.30 / 45.00 BENGALWTL | 4.16 | 26.24 | Vol. 3326000 D: 50.00 ⇑ 4.38% | 49.33 | 51.50 / 48.10 C: 50.00 ⇑ 4.60% | 49.91 | 51.00 / 47.90 BDBUILDING | 1.33 | 12.70 | Vol. 354500 D: 41.10 ⇑ 9.89% | 41.09 | 41.10 / 40.60 C: 40.90 ⇑ 9.95% | 40.88 | 40.90 / 40.80 NPOLYMAR | 2.38 | 32.89 | Vol. 100100 D: 46.90 ⇓ 6.57% | 47.63 | 50.90 / 46.60 C: 47.00 ⇓ 8.74% | 47.49 | 49.50 / 46.80 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 19250 D: 90.00 ⇑ 1.35% | 90.68 | 91.80 / 89.60 C: 89.10 ⇑ 0.56% | 89.03 | 89.30 / 88.60

BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 59995 D: 414.7 ⇑ 0.78% | 421.71 | 428.7 / 395.0 C: 412.0 ⇑ 0.10% | 423.37 | 432.0 / 412.0 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 23150 D: 1634 ⇑ 0.01% | 1635 | 1640 / 1630 GEMINISEA | 10.88 | 9.69 | Vol. 400 D: 171.5 ⇑ 4.45% | 172.50 | 175.0 / 167.6 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 1850 D: 799.4 ⇓ 0.30% | 799.46 | 800.0 / 795.0 ZEALBANGLA | -28.94 | -221.34 | Vol. 400 D: 7.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.50 | 8.10 / 7.50 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 66710 D: 188.3 ⇓ 4.66% | 192.38 | 205.0 / 186.4 C: 188.4 ⇓ 1.62% | 191.74 | 204.0 / 188.0 SHYAMPSUG | -45.77 | -396.49 | Vol. 1300 D: 7.50 ⇓ 1.32% | 7.69 | 7.60 / 7.50 FUWANGFOOD | 1.03 | 13.51 | Vol. 384098 D: 22.60 ⇓ 1.31% | 22.77 | 23.20 / 21.00 C: 22.70 ⇓ 0.87% | 22.88 | 23.20 / 22.60 MEGHNAPET | -0.50 | -1.52 | Vol. 26000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.27 | 6.40 / 6.10 MEGCONMILK | -7.48 | -23.70 | Vol. 24000 D: 6.90 ⇓ 1.43% | 6.96 | 7.10 / 6.90 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 503650 D: 20.20 ⇓ 3.81% | 20.55 | 21.50 / 20.00 C: 20.30 ⇓ 3.79% | 20.53 | 21.30 / 20.20 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 321000 D: 16.30 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.49 | 17.10 / 16.10 C: 16.30 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.48 | 16.80 / 16.20 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 900788 D: 21.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.26 | 22.70 / 19.90 C: 22.10 ⇑ 0.45% | 22.28 | 22.60 / 22.00 GHAIL | 2.31 | 24.36 | Vol. 1219900 D: 37.20 ⇑ 2.48% | 37.45 | 37.90 / 31.40 C: 37.30 ⇑ 3.61% | 37.33 | 37.70 / 35.90 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 19750 D: 608.9 ⇓ 0.41% | 611.85 | 621.5 / 608.0 PADMAOIL | 27.62 | 79.74 | Vol. 278446 D: 296.7 ⇑ 3.92% | 295.37 | 302.0 / 285.5 C: 295.4 ⇑ 3.47% | 294.88 | 301.5 / 287.1 EASTRNLUB | 5.33 | 71.01 | Vol. 600 D: 317.3 ⇓ 0.84% | 316.67 | 320.0 / 312.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 434921 D: 20.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 20.49 | 21.00 / 19.00 C: 20.10 ⇓ 2.90% | 20.46 | 21.20 / 20.00 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 800820 D: 35.50 ⇓ 0.28% | 35.97 | 37.80 / 33.00 C: 35.40 ⇓ 1.12% | 36.07 | 36.60 / 35.20 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 123987 D: 59.10 ⇓ 1.01% | 59.16 | 62.50 / 56.60 C: 59.80 ⇑ 1.36% | 59.87 | 60.00 / 59.20 POWERGRID | 2.19 | 63.69 | Vol. 157948 D: 53.20 ⇑ 2.50% | 53.25 | 55.40 / 50.00 C: 52.20 ⇑ 0.38% | 52.20 | 52.20 / 52.20 JAMUNAOIL | 22.78 | 50.24 | Vol. 335240 D: 229.1 ⇑ 3.24% | 227.99 | 230.2 / 215.0 C: 228.5 ⇑ 2.97% | 228.05 | 230.0 / 224.2 MPETROLEUM | 25.61 | 71.11 | Vol. 806602 D: 273.3 ⇑ 4.51% | 270.78 | 274.0 / 255.0 C: 272.1 ⇑ 4.01% | 270.42 | 274.8 / 265.9 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 389810 D: 72.90 ⇓ 0.14% | 73.17 | 74.50 / 70.00 C: 73.20 ⇑ 0.27% | 73.09 | 74.00 / 72.80 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 146081 D: 48.80 ⇓ 0.41% | 49.04 | 50.00 / 47.00 C: 48.70 ⇓ 0.81% | 48.72 | 49.60 / 48.40 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 550614 D: 28.60 ⇓ 1.38% | 29.03 | 29.60 / 27.00 C: 28.90 ⇓ 0.69% | 29.10 | 29.50 / 28.70 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 151171 D: 74.30 ⇑ 4.21% | 73.49 | 74.70 / 65.00 C: 73.90 ⇑ 3.79% | 72.93 | 74.20 / 70.60 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 1321791 D: 28.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.38 | 29.00 / 25.20 C: 28.10 ⇑ 0.36% | 28.51 | 29.10 / 27.80 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 2008730 D: 60.00 ⇑ 1.87% | 60.46 | 61.80 / 53.10 C: 59.80 ⇑ 1.36% | 60.44 | 61.80 / 59.20 JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 8250 D: 64.40 ⇓ 0.46% | 65.94 | 67.40 / 63.50 NORTHERN | -9.98 | -18.22 | Vol. 1000 D: 31.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.00 | 31.00 / 31.00

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

7

November 14, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 39,044.39 ⇑ 1.71% NBFI: 20,921.27 ⇓ 1.04% INVS: 4,966.49 ⇑ 0.15% ENGG: 5,884.76 ⇑ 0.11% FOOD: 9,465.29 ⇑ 0.51% F&P: 9,990.31 ⇑ 1.38% TEXT: 3,305.81 ⇓ 0.49% PHAR: 17,154.20 ⇑ 0.08% PAPR: 986.28 ⇑ 2.07% SERV: 2,949.76 ⇓ 1.02% LEAT: 5,133.69 ⇓ 0.48% CERA: 496.96 ⇑ 0.39% CMNT: 4,277.98 ⇑ 0.25% INFO: 7,084.84 ⇑ 2.79% GINS: 9,274.46 ⇓ 0.07% LINS: 141,043.40 ⇓ 1.28% TELC: 1,307.54 ⇑ 0.56% MISC: 6,386.06 ⇓ 0.74% SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 45330 D: 139.3 ⇑ 7.40% | 137.88 | 142.6 / 127.0 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 107800 D: 83.70 ⇓ 0.83% | 84.45 | 86.90 / 83.50 STYLECRAFT | 20.00 | 287.30 | Vol. 400 D: 1149 ⇓ 4.99% | 1149 | 1149 / 1149 RAHIMTEXT | 4.65 | 56.68 | Vol. 7000 D: 260.3 ⇓ 2.22% | 270.43 | 289.4 / 255.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 1377100 D: 27.20 ⇓ 4.23% | 27.64 | 28.80 / 27.00 C: 27.50 ⇓ 3.51% | 27.74 | 28.30 / 27.30 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 350 D: 74.90 ⇓ 0.66% | 74.29 | 77.50 / 74.10 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 113000 D: 60.70 ⇑ 9.76% | 60.47 | 60.80 / 56.10 TALLUSPIN | 1.75 | 16.17 | Vol. 2725125 D: 37.50 ⇓ 1.57% | 38.42 | 41.30 / 37.30 C: 37.90 ⇑ 0.26% | 38.17 | 40.90 / 37.30 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 14000 D: 67.90 ⇑ 3.19% | 67.71 | 69.80 / 65.00 MITHUNKNIT | 2.87 | 20.53 | Vol. 149800 D: 70.00 ⇓ 0.43% | 70.78 | 73.60 / 69.20 C: 70.20 ⇑ 1.74% | 70.64 | 74.00 / 70.00 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 26.84 | Vol. 591460 D: 29.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.91 | 30.30 / 29.50 C: 29.60 ⇓ 0.67% | 29.80 | 30.20 / 29.50 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 143617 D: 16.90 ⇓ 3.43% | 17.29 | 17.80 / 16.50 C: 17.10 ⇓ 1.16% | 17.31 | 18.00 / 17.00 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 240500 D: 24.10 ⇓ 1.63% | 24.31 | 24.80 / 24.10 C: 24.30 ⇓ 0.82% | 24.39 | 24.50 / 24.00 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 367000 D: 7.00 ⇓ 4.11% | 7.11 | 7.50 / 7.00 C: 7.30 ⇑ 1.39% | 7.33 | 7.40 / 7.30 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 97500 D: 32.90 ⇓ 0.30% | 32.64 | 33.00 / 31.80 C: 31.30 ⇑ 1.29% | 31.28 | 32.00 / 31.10 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 211500 D: 35.60 ⇓ 2.73% | 36.30 | 37.50 / 35.40 C: 36.60 ⇑ 1.67% | 36.57 | 37.00 / 34.70 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 1380468 D: 30.10 ⇓ 3.83% | 30.55 | 32.50 / 28.50 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 441850 D: 23.90 ⇓ 3.24% | 24.62 | 25.30 / 23.90 C: 23.80 ⇓ 4.03% | 24.31 | 25.40 / 23.60 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 82750 D: 91.70 ⇓ 0.65% | 91.81 | 92.30 / 91.30 C: 92.10 ⇑ 0.66% | 92.34 | 93.90 / 91.50 METROSPIN | 0.62 | 19.48 | Vol. 3036880 D: 20.20 ⇑ 4.66% | 20.29 | 21.00 / 18.00 C: 20.20 ⇑ 4.12% | 20.14 | 20.70 / 19.70 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 2128543 D: 16.20 ⇓ 0.61% | 16.42 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.30 ⇓ 1.21% | 16.42 | 16.80 / 15.00 DACCADYE | 1.02 | 28.44 | Vol. 897774 D: 26.60 ⇓ 2.56% | 26.50 | 27.60 / 25.00 C: 26.60 ⇓ 2.56% | 26.95 | 27.90 / 26.40 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 4136087 D: 33.10 ⇓ 2.65% | 33.30 | 34.50 / 32.00 C: 33.10 ⇓ 2.65% | 33.33 | 34.00 / 32.00 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 405713 D: 15.70 ⇓ 1.88% | 15.87 | 16.30 / 15.00 C: 15.80 ⇓ 0.63% | 15.83 | 16.10 / 15.70 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 4503490 D: 28.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.81 | 30.60 / 27.00 C: 28.30 ⇑ 1.07% | 28.98 | 30.00 / 27.90 ZAHINTEX | 1.20 | 31.07 | Vol. 326500 D: 25.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.79 | 26.40 / 25.50 C: 25.80 ⇓ 0.77% | 25.63 | 26.50 / 25.00 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 873500 D: 24.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.52 | 25.00 / 24.30 C: 24.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.43 | 24.90 / 23.40 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 11494240 D: 30.10 ⇑ 1.69% | 30.15 | 31.00 / 26.70 C: 30.00 ⇑ 0.67% | 30.09 | 31.00 / 29.20 ENVOYTEX | 3.26 | 39.26 | Vol. 1207260 D: 56.40 ⇑ 0.53% | 56.78 | 57.60 / 50.50 C: 56.70 ⇑ 1.43% | 56.75 | 57.80 / 56.20 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 1311640 D: 68.70 ⇓ 1.58% | 68.42 | 69.90 / 62.90 C: 67.90 ⇓ 1.31% | 68.07 | 69.00 / 67.10 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 389000 D: 50.40 ⇓ 1.75% | 50.98 | 52.70 / 50.00 C: 50.30 ⇓ 1.37% | 50.55 | 52.00 / 50.00

AGNISYSL | 0.96 | 14.90 | Vol. 840442 D: 21.20 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.13 | 21.20 / 19.00 C: 21.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.21 | 21.30 / 21.00 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 463020 D: 13.50 ⇑ 0.75% | 13.54 | 13.70 / 13.40 C: 13.60 ⇑ 1.49% | 13.63 | 13.80 / 13.40 AAMRATECH | 1.33 | 19.91 | Vol. 950325 D: 30.30 ⇓ 2.57% | 30.81 | 31.60 / 30.00 C: 30.40 ⇓ 2.25% | 30.85 | 32.00 / 30.10

PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 5156 D: 252.6 ⇓ 1.83% | 255.74 | 263.0 / 251.5 C: 262.0 ⇑ 0.65% | 257.95 | 262.0 / 255.1 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 234558 D: 46.50 ⇑ 1.31% | 46.61 | 47.10 / 42.00 C: 46.60 ⇑ 0.87% | 46.58 | 47.00 / 46.30 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 500 D: 924.6 ⇑ 0.66% | 924.00 | 934.4 / 908.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 16572 D: 161.7 ⇓ 0.06% | 162.46 | 164.0 / 160.0 C: 161.7 ⇓ 0.92% | 161.59 | 162.0 / 161.0 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 3850 D: 717.8 ⇑ 0.31% | 717.40 | 724.0 / 715.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 50 D: 710.0 ⇓ 2.07% | 710.00 | 710.0 / 710.0 PHARMAID | 1.39 | 26.19 | Vol. 28650 D: 154.3 ⇑ 0.46% | 153.79 | 155.1 / 150.0 KOHINOOR | 14.33 | 19.99 | Vol. 4755 D: 413.6 ⇑ 7.43% | 414.30 | 525.0 / 383.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 70700 D: 100.7 ⇓ 1.37% | 101.73 | 103.0 / 100.0 C: 100.0 ⇓ 1.86% | 100.31 | 101.5 / 100.0 ORIONINFU | 1.27 | 7.00 | Vol. 439600 D: 39.70 ⇓ 3.87% | 39.82 | 40.60 / 39.20 C: 39.90 ⇓ 2.68% | 40.34 | 41.00 / 39.50 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 344299 D: 179.3 ⇓ 0.94% | 179.80 | 185.0 / 170.0 C: 179.7 ⇓ 0.50% | 180.03 | 182.0 / 179.1 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 20500 D: 7.40 ⇑ 1.37% | 7.44 | 7.50 / 7.30 C: 7.70 ⇑ 2.67% | 7.65 | 7.70 / 7.60 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 4028679 D: 26.30 ⇑ 6.91% | 26.22 | 27.00 / 24.00 C: 26.50 ⇑ 6.43% | 26.44 | 27.00 / 25.20 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 15600 D: 851.3 ⇑ 1.43% | 853.21 | 860.0 / 830.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 13100 D: 73.70 ⇓ 0.81% | 73.40 | 74.00 / 72.70 C: 74.20 ⇑ 0.54% | 74.02 | 74.20 / 74.00 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 6700 D: 749.0 ⇓ 0.20% | 749.92 | 753.0 / 746.0 C: 745.0 ⇑ 0.93% | 745.00 | 745.0 / 745.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 779850 D: 11.90 ⇑ 2.59% | 11.96 | 12.40 / 11.00 C: 12.30 ⇑ 6.03% | 12.19 | 12.60 / 11.80 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 626000 D: 79.90 ⇓ 1.36% | 80.19 | 81.80 / 79.00 C: 79.70 ⇓ 2.09% | 79.72 | 80.30 / 79.20 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 687645 D: 20.20 ⇓ 1.46% | 20.41 | 21.20 / 19.00 C: 20.30 ⇓ 0.98% | 20.56 | 21.00 / 20.20 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 284000 D: 49.90 ⇓ 1.38% | 50.76 | 51.90 / 49.80 C: 49.90 ⇓ 1.38% | 50.57 | 51.60 / 49.80 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 911140 D: 56.80 ⇓ 1.90% | 57.23 | 58.70 / 54.00 C: 57.00 ⇓ 1.55% | 57.27 | 58.80 / 56.80 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 201500 D: 190.1 ⇓ 3.40% | 197.95 | 206.9 / 187.0 C: 190.7 ⇓ 3.30% | 195.75 | 206.9 / 189.1 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 1059000 D: 29.90 ⇑ 0.34% | 30.41 | 31.40 / 29.70 C: 30.10 ⇑ 0.33% | 30.64 | 32.00 / 29.60 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 74000 D: 26.90 ⇑ 9.80% | 26.90 | 26.90 / 26.90 C: 27.20 ⇑ 9.24% | 27.23 | 27.30 / 27.10 SERVICE SAMORITA | 3.24 | 74.65 | Vol. 51000 D: 109.0 ⇓ 3.20% | 111.20 | 116.0 / 108.0 C: 107.0 ⇓ 6.14% | 106.00 | 107.0 / 105.0

SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 239007 D: 27.30 ⇓ 0.73% | 27.62 | 28.10 / 26.00 C: 27.30 ⇓ 0.73% | 27.74 | 28.10 / 27.20 EHL | 3.16 | 20.74 | Vol. 747630 D: 54.60 ⇑ 2.44% | 54.24 | 54.90 / 50.00 C: 54.00 ⇑ 1.12% | 53.95 | 54.60 / 50.00 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 139200 D: 109.8 ⇑ 4.08% | 108.93 | 110.6 / 106.5 C: 109.7 ⇑ 3.88% | 109.03 | 112.0 / 107.1 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 3600 D: 710.7 ⇓ 0.50% | 710.28 | 714.0 / 708.0 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 56000 D: 382.6 ⇑ 1.54% | 375.89 | 385.7 / 367.5 C: 395.0 ⇓ 2.20% | 395.00 | 395.0 / 395.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 4000 D: 13.50 ⇑ 1.50% | 13.50 | 13.50 / 13.50 C: 12.40 ⇑ 2.48% | 12.40 | 12.40 / 12.40 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 351588 D: 32.30 ⇓ 2.12% | 33.12 | 34.30 / 31.60 C: 32.10 ⇓ 2.43% | 32.88 | 33.90 / 31.80 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 80011 D: 31.40 ⇑ 9.79% | 31.34 | 31.40 / 28.60 C: 31.00 ⇑ 9.93% | 30.98 | 31.00 / 30.10 STANCERAM | 1.12 | 15.49 | Vol. 14000 D: 40.50 ⇑ 1.00% | 40.57 | 41.10 / 40.30 C: 38.90 ⇑ 4.29% | 38.86 | 39.00 / 38.00 FUWANGCER | 0.65 | 12.70 | Vol. 897500 D: 17.30 ⇓ 4.95% | 17.34 | 17.80 / 16.50 C: 17.30 ⇓ 5.46% | 17.43 | 18.00 / 17.20 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 405649 D: 16.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.61 | 16.80 / 15.00 C: 16.50 ⇓ 0.60% | 16.55 | 16.90 / 16.40 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 118816 D: 51.80 ⇓ 0.77% | 52.43 | 53.00 / 49.00 C: 51.50 ⇓ 0.77% | 52.00 | 53.00 / 51.30 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 143550 D: 385.5 ⇓ 0.90% | 389.67 | 398.9 / 383.3 C: 392.9 ⇑ 0.90% | 387.33 | 397.7 / 384.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 230047 D: 123.3 ⇑ 0.24% | 124.88 | 127.2 / 120.0 C: 124.1 ⇑ 1.97% | 125.18 | 126.5 / 122.3 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 53900 D: 123.0 ⇓ 0.32% | 123.90 | 125.8 / 122.8 C: 122.2 ⇓ 0.89% | 123.87 | 126.0 / 121.3 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 75000 D: 72.40 ⇑ 0.42% | 72.11 | 73.50 / 71.60 C: 71.20 ⇑ 1.28% | 71.20 | 71.20 / 71.20 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 388000 D: 31.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.26 | 31.50 / 31.20 C: 31.50 ⇓ 0.32% | 31.55 | 32.00 / 31.20 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 173598 D: 84.70 ⇓ 0.82% | 85.32 | 86.90 / 76.90 C: 85.30 ⇓ 0.47% | 85.44 | 87.60 / 84.80 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 84400 D: 99.40 ⇓ 1.19% | 100.36 | 103.0 / 99.00 C: 99.20 ⇓ 1.20% | 100.12 | 99.20 / 100.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 170565 D: 16.60 ⇓ 2.35% | 17.03 | 17.80 / 15.80 C: 16.70 ⇓ 1.18% | 16.97 | 17.70 / 16.60 BDCOM | 1.54 | 15.85 | Vol. 636188 D: 28.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.42 | 29.00 / 25.50 C: 28.00 ⇑ 2.19% | 28.04 | 28.50 / 27.30 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 239582 D: 15.30 ⇑ 2.00% | 15.39 | 15.70 / 13.50 C: 15.40 ⇑ 1.99% | 15.44 | 15.80 / 15.20

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 46755 D: 29.90 ⇓ 0.66% | 30.08 | 31.50 / 29.00 C: 30.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 30.36 | 31.30 / 30.00 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 73255 D: 79.10 ⇓ 1.13% | 79.62 | 81.00 / 75.00 C: 79.20 ⇓ 2.22% | 79.63 | 81.90 / 79.00 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 4611 D: 43.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 43.69 | 44.10 / 43.00 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 166200 D: 35.70 ⇓ 1.38% | 36.27 | 37.00 / 35.40 C: 35.30 ⇓ 1.40% | 35.41 | 36.00 / 35.30 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 5610 D: 38.60 ⇑ 1.31% | 38.67 | 39.50 / 35.50 C: 38.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 35.00 | 38.20 / 38.20 JANATAINS | 0.78 | 17.07 | Vol. 244460 D: 27.30 ⇓ 1.44% | 27.76 | 28.50 / 26.00 C: 27.80 ⇓ 0.36% | 27.88 | 28.80 / 27.30 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 44003 D: 43.80 ⇓ 2.01% | 44.70 | 45.70 / 42.00 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 101600 D: 47.90 ⇓ 0.21% | 47.98 | 48.80 / 47.70 C: 48.90 ⇑ 1.88% | 48.90 | 48.90 / 48.90 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 8800 D: 30.80 ⇑ 0.65% | 30.80 | 31.40 / 30.20 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 126620 D: 24.70 ⇑ 1.23% | 24.97 | 25.60 / 24.00 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 176722 D: 34.00 ⇓ 0.29% | 34.40 | 35.80 / 33.90 C: 34.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 34.26 | 34.50 / 34.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 332597 D: 25.10 ⇓ 1.18% | 25.46 | 25.90 / 23.00 C: 25.30 ⇓ 1.56% | 25.46 | 25.80 / 25.00 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 4000 D: 71.40 ⇓ 5.05% | 71.50 | 71.50 / 71.40 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 275074 D: 23.80 ⇓ 1.65% | 23.94 | 24.20 / 23.70 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 15823 D: 57.80 ⇑ 0.35% | 57.72 | 57.90 / 57.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 46000 D: 32.50 ⇓ 0.31% | 32.78 | 33.40 / 32.40 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 125194 D: 67.70 ⇓ 0.59% | 68.33 | 69.50 / 67.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 84268 D: 28.30 ⇑ 0.35% | 28.40 | 29.10 / 27.00 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 46471 D: 27.10 ⇓ 0.73% | 27.41 | 27.90 / 27.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 56888 D: 28.60 ⇓ 1.38% | 28.86 | 29.40 / 26.10 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 6138 D: 35.30 ⇑ 0.86% | 35.35 | 36.00 / 35.30 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 55100 D: 30.60 ⇓ 0.97% | 30.83 | 31.50 / 28.00 C: 33.70 ⇑ 8.71% | 33.66 | 34.00 / 31.50 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 127885 D: 25.00 ⇓ 1.19% | 25.21 | 26.00 / 22.90 C: 25.30 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.23 | 25.30 / 25.00 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 135000 D: 25.00 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.41 | 25.90 / 24.90 C: 25.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.07 | 25.10 / 25.00 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 75200 D: 29.40 ⇑ 0.68% | 29.69 | 30.70 / 29.20 C: 29.70 ⇑ 1.37% | 29.37 | 29.90 / 29.10 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 162577 D: 30.70 ⇓ 0.97% | 30.95 | 31.50 / 30.40 C: 30.60 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.72 | 30.80 / 30.60 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 330621 D: 40.90 ⇓ 0.73% | 41.30 | 41.80 / 39.80 C: 41.20 ⇓ 1.20% | 43.32 | 43.80 / 41.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 5063 D: 40.50 ⇑ 0.50% | 40.57 | 40.90 / 38.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 67500 D: 42.20 ⇓ 0.94% | 42.48 | 43.10 / 42.00 C: 42.00 ⇓ 5.41% | 42.03 | 42.10 / 42.00 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 152000 D: 43.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 44.16 | 45.30 / 43.80 C: 43.70 ⇑ 0.69% | 44.33 | 45.00 / 43.50

ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 68804 D: 27.70 ⇓ 0.72% | 27.75 | 28.60 / 27.40 C: 27.80 ⇓ 0.71% | 27.77 | 28.30 / 26.80 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 29000 D: 33.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 33.07 | 33.90 / 32.70 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 63500 D: 29.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.73 | 30.40 / 29.50 C: 30.40 ⇑ 2.36% | 30.40 | 30.40 / 30.40 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 67750 D: 40.40 ⇓ 0.25% | 40.49 | 41.30 / 38.00 C: 40.70 ⇑ 0.49% | 40.68 | 41.00 / 40.50 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 7250 D: 259.0 ⇑ 0.74% | 260.42 | 265.0 / 256.1 C: 252.5 ⇓ 3.40% | 251.25 | 252.5 / 250.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 135975 D: 459.1 ⇓ 4.05% | 509.59 | 516.0 / 450.0 C: 476.7 ⇓ 0.40% | 512.27 | 516.1 / 466.3 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 38250 D: 72.30 ⇑ 0.56% | 72.36 | 74.00 / 70.00 C: 73.00 ⇑ 0.27% | 73.29 | 74.00 / 72.50 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 294483 D: 254.9 ⇑ 7.33% | 253.59 | 258.2 / 225.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 42817 D: 95.30 ⇓ 0.10% | 95.78 | 100.0 / 86.60 C: 95.40 ⇓ 2.65% | 96.15 | 96.50 / 95.40 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 48630 D: 107.7 ⇑ 0.37% | 108.46 | 110.0 / 103.0 C: 106.7 ⇓ 0.19% | 106.73 | 109.9 / 106.1 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 103179 D: 96.90 ⇑ 0.31% | 98.46 | 102.5 / 95.00 C: 99.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 99.00 | 99.00 / 99.00 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 39500 D: 57.90 ⇓ 0.69% | 58.60 | 60.00 / 56.00 C: 58.30 ⇓ 0.34% | 58.30 | 58.30 / 58.30 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 139550 D: 56.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 57.08 | 58.00 / 55.00 C: 57.50 ⇑ 0.70% | 57.81 | 59.70 / 56.70 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 467400 D: 195.6 ⇑ 0.51% | 195.39 | 197.0 / 194.7 C: 195.8 ⇑ 0.67% | 195.56 | 197.0 / 195.0 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 370702 D: 171.6 ⇑ 0.94% | 172.71 | 187.0 / 158.0 C: 171.2 ⇑ 0.18% | 172.53 | 174.9 / 170.0 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 6541856 D: 16.60 ⇓ 1.19% | 16.74 | 17.00 / 15.50 C: 16.70 ⇓ 1.18% | 16.81 | 17.30 / 16.60 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 607545 D: 81.40 ⇓ 1.21% | 82.21 | 84.00 / 74.30 C: 81.50 ⇓ 1.33% | 81.91 | 84.90 / 75.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 27800 D: 343.9 ⇓ 4.74% | 348.16 | 375.0 / 335.2 C: 355.0 ⇓ 0.42% | 355.00 | 355.0 / 355.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 99130 D: 433.0 ⇑ 1.94% | 432.80 | 438.8 / 425.0 C: 432.0 ⇑ 2.01% | 432.40 | 438.8 / 425.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 120456 D: 145.6 ⇑ 2.90% | 145.23 | 149.0 / 140.0 C: 145.1 ⇑ 3.57% | 145.80 | 149.0 / 140.2 USMANIAGL | 3.45 | 27.20 | Vol. 93522 D: 127.8 ⇓ 0.23% | 129.42 | 133.0 / 127.8 C: 127.0 ⇓ 1.40% | 129.65 | 133.8 / 127.0 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 100 D: 57.00 ⇑ 5.56% | 57.00 | 57.00 / 57.00 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 2049952 D: 32.00 ⇓ 1.84% | 32.26 | 33.30 / 29.40 C: 32.10 ⇓ 2.13% | 32.26 | 33.20 / 32.00 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 124500 D: 21.90 ⇓ 0.45% | 22.27 | 22.80 / 21.60 C: 21.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.06 | 22.40 / 21.80 MIRACLEIND | 0.10 | 15.13 | Vol. 181710 D: 14.30 ⇑ 1.42% | 14.42 | 14.60 / 14.10 C: 14.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.24 | 14.60 / 14.10 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 120 D: 989.8 ⇑ 1.98% | 991.30 | 999.0 / 970.0 C: 966.0 ⇑ 0.57% | 966.00 | 966.0 / 966.0 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 14 D: 881.5 ⇑ 0.00% | 916.67 | 882.0 / 880.5 C: 865.0 ⇑ 5.88% | 865.00 | 865.0 / 865.0

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

Leaked Asia trade text sees US backing firms n AFP, Washington The United States is seeking broader protections for its pharmaceutical and other companies in negotiations on an ambitious Pacific trade deal, according to a document released Wednesday by WikiLeaks.

Julian Assange’s anti-secrecy activist website published what it said was the draft text as of late August for a chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is being negotiated among 12 countries that comprise more than 40% of the world economy.

The text shows widespread disagreements among negotiators, despite calls from President Barack Obama to seal the agreement by the end of the year. Talks are scheduled to resume Tuesday in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In multiple passages in the documents, the United States is seen as pressing for greater leeway for companies to seek patents in the medical field, a move that could potentially restrict cheaper generic drugs in the vast area. In the notes, most nations part ways with the United States and support

two-decade-old exemptions under the World Trade Organization for patents in certain areas related to public health.

The text also shows that the United States and Japan are seeking to restrict nations from denying patents on the argument that products do not result in “enhanced efficacy.”

Generic drug leader India, which is not part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, has cited that reason to deny patent protections, enraging major pharmaceutical companies.

Public Citizen, a Washington advocacy group critical of globalization, charged that the Trans-Pacific Partnership marked a step backward and would lock consumers into high prices for medication.

“The Obama administration’s shameful bullying on behalf of the giant drug companies would lead to preventable suffering and death in Asia-Pacific countries,” Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen’s global access to medicines program, said in a statement.

Pharmaceutical companies have traditionally argued that they need revenue from

their inventions to fund further research into potentially life-saving drugs.

In a separate section, the United States and Australia are marked as opposing moves to limit liability of Internet service providers for copyright infringement that takes place over their networks.

Obama has argued that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will create US jobs by enhancing exports while ensuring top-notch labour and environmental standards.

A spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative’s office declined comment on the content or authenticity of the document released by WikiLeaks, saying that negotiations were ongoing. But the leak renewed concerns among Obama’s political base, which has complained it has not been consulted on negotiations.

In a letter Wednesday, 151 House of Representative members from his Democratic Party opposed granting so-called “fasttrack” authority that would give the Obama administration greater authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with Congress

still voting up-or-down but unable to revise the text.

“We are deeply committed to transforming US trade policy into a tool for creating and retaining family-wage jobs in America, safeguarding the environment, maintaining consumer protection and improving the quality of life throughout the country,” the lawmakers wrote to Obama.

The text released by WikiLeaks did not cover agriculture, an area which the trade pact has concerned groups ranging from US Midwestern dairy farmers to Japanese rice farmers.

Many officials view the Trans-Pacific Partnership not only as an economic but as a geopolitical tool. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in deciding to enter talks, spoke of ensuring Tokyo’s role in shaping the future of a region marked by China’s rise.

China, Asia’s second largest economy, is not part of the talks, which include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. l

WGC sees China well ahead of India as biggest gold consumer n Reuters China is this year set to usurp India as the world’s biggest gold consumer by a convincing margin as strict import rules introduced

by New Delhi bite, forecasts from the World Gold Council showed yesterday.

The industry body cut its outlook for Indian demand in 2013 to around 900 tonnes from the 1,000 tonnes predicted previously, while keeping its forecast for China unchanged at 1,000 tonnes.

Plummeting demand from India could further pressure global prices that have dropped around 24% this year on fears the US Federal Reserve would cut its economic stimulus.

“The administrative measures that the Indian government has imposed on the market have proven to be quite effective and imports have slowed down,” Albert Cheng, the WGC’s managing director for the Far East told Reuters.

“It would be difficult to get to 1,000 tonnes,” he said, adding that demand would not go far beyond the 864 tonnes recorded last year.

“If not for administrative measures, India would have seen growth like China.”

According to the WGC’s third-quarter report, demand from India so far this year has reached 714.7 tonnes, lower than mainland China’s 779.6 tonnes. Chinese demand in the first three quarters of the year is already above all of 2012.

India, grappling with a high trade deficit and a weak rupee, imposed a series of measures this year to crimp demand for the precious metal - the second most expensive item on its import bill after oil.

It introduced a record 10-percent duty on gold imports and tied the volume of imports to exports, making it more difficult and expensive for gold to be sold to domestic mar-

An employee shows gold bangles to a customer at a jewellery showroom on the occasion of Dhanteras, a Hindu festival associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, at a market in Mumbai REUTERS kets. Imports plunged to 24 tonnes in October from a record 162 tonnes in May. But the WGC warned that gold was finding its way into India through unofficial channels. It did not give an estimate on supply through smuggling.

“Gold entering the country unofficially through India’s porous borders helped to meet pent-up local demand, together with an influx of recycled gold that was drawn out

by higher prices and promotions offered by retailers,” the WGC said in its quarterly report.

“It is likely that unofficial gold will continue to find its way into the country to satisfy demand.”

Gold forms a key part of a bride’s dowry in India and is considered auspicious as a gift or offering at religious festivals.

Local premiums hit a record $130 an ounce

earlier this month as supplies were scarce in the build up to the peak gold buying season of Dhanteras and Diwali. However, demand failed to match last year’s appetite and premiums have since eased.

“This quarter there wasn’t runaway demand as we had estimated,” said Somasundaram PR, WGC’s managing director for India, commenting on fourth-quarter appetite. “It is going to be lower than last year.” l