November 28, 2013

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Taaga – blending the West and us

Agrahayan 14, 1420 Muharram 23, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 244

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10 killed on 2nd day of blockade Pickets’ attacks claim Several hundred people including law enforcers were also injured

two more lives

n Tribune Report

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

At least 10 more people were killed and scores of others injured yesterday, the second day opposition alliance’s countrywide blockade programme, raising the death toll to 18 since the Election Commission had announced the polls schedule on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the BNP-led 18-party combine yesterday extended the rail-road-waterway blockade until 5am tomorrow.

Among the deceased, two BNP-Jamaat men were shot dead in Sirajganj.

A Jamaat man was killed in Jessore, another Jamaat man and a housewife in Satkhira, a ruling party-backed Union Parishad member in Gazipur and two persons in Chittagong.

Anwara Begum, 42, an employee of National Bank, and Mozammel Haque, 20, a human-hauler driver, succumbed to injuries yesterday. They were injured in bomb attacks on Tuesday.

Moreover, several hundred people, including policemen, were injured during incidents when pickets, mainly from BNP and Jamaat, locked into fierce clashes with the law enforcers and the Awami League supporters. The opposition supporters, armed with bombs, homemade weapons, also engaged in vandalism and arson attacks on vehicles.

On Tuesday, eight people were

Two persons including a woman victimised in blast attacks in the capital on Tuesday succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday.

One of them, Anwara Begum Anu, 50, a grade IV employee of National Bank’s Malibagh branch, was critically injured after some pickets threw a hand bomb at her while she was going back home from work.

The bomb hit her in the head and her condition deteriorated. The doctors immediately shifted her to the Intensive Care Unit.

The woman hailed from Kotapara of Bagerhat district. Mother of three sons and one daughter, Anwara lost her husband and was earning her livelihood by working at the bank as a cook.

Mohammad Alam, elder son of Anu, told the Dhaka Tribune that his mother had stayed in the house of his sister Nasima who was married with one Ripon.

Ripon told the Dhaka Tribune that her mother-in-law was the second wife of Delwar. Her two sons Mohammad Alam and Abir live in their native village.

Nasima said her mother told her about leaving the job at the bank and returning home in Bagerhat next year.

The other victim, Mozammel Haque, 20, who received burn injury from pickets’ attack near South Banas-

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Taranco due in early December n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman UN envoy Oscar Fernandez-Taranco will visit Dhaka with a team from December 6 to 10 in the backdrop of confrontational politics in the country.

Taranco, an assistant secretary-general of Department of Political Affairs, will have official meetings with the Election Commission officials and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, an official of the foreign ministry said.

Yesterday, UN Resident Coordinator Neil Walker had a meeting with the foreign secretary and discussed about the visit, the official said seeking anonymity.

Walker also called on Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad to discuss Taranco’s visit.

This is Taranco’s third visit within a year as he had visited Dhaka first in December and later in May. He had a series of meetings with all major stakeholders including the prime minister, leader of the opposition, speaker, the CEC, leaders of other political parties and members of the civil society.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Anwara Begum, 42, a cook of National Bank, did not belong to any political party and little did she know about the political fight over pollstime arrangement. Yet she had to die yesterday as a bomb had hit her head on Tuesday cracking her skull. She succumbed to her injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Non-stop shutdown or blockade likely next week n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Apparently frustrated at the prospect of a dialogue on polls-time government, the BNP-led 18-party alliance decided to announce a non-stop shutdown or blockade programme from the next week.

The party is also planning to lay a siege to the Election Commission offices across the country on the days of

P3

nomination paper submission but the programme is yet to be finalised, party insiders said.

The opposition alliance yesterday first extended the road-rail-waterways blockade by 12 hours until 6pm today and then in a late night development Ruhul Kabir Rizbhi, joint secretary of BNP, at another press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters further stretched the programme until 5am tomorrow.

The party, earlier, refrained from

BLAST IN CPB RALLY

CID presses charge sheet after 12 years n Julfikar Ali Manik and Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Charges were finally pressed yesterday against 13 activists of banned Islamist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (Huji) in two cases filed over the 2001 terror attack on a rally of Communist Party of Bangladesh at Paltan Maidan that killed eight persons and injured over 50.

Investigation Officer Mrinal Kanti Saha, also an inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), submitted the charge sheets before the Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court accusing Huji for the attack on January 20, 2001.

The IO also made 137 prosecution witnesses in these cases.

The accused will face charges in the cases – one for killing eight people and  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

MORE STORIES

announcing any programme for today leaving an opening for the government to respond to the call of the opposition, he said.

A senior leader seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that they had a plan to impose a five-day blockade or enforce a shutdown from Sunday.

“We hoped that the government would take initiative to hold a dialogue over the polls-time government but the government did not. So as part of our previous plan we will announce a nonstop programme from Sunday,” he said.

He also said they had a plan to lay a siege to the EC offices for one to two days on the last day of nomination paper submission on November 2.

The opposition combine will also offer a Gayebana Namaaj-e-Zanaja on Friday after Juma prayer across the country seeking divine blessings for those who died during the blockade programme.

Rizvi at the press conference yesterday afternoon claimed that eight oppo

INSIDE News

4 The Forensic Department of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital yesterday handed over the body of one Chandan Chakrabarty alias Sajjad Hossain to its anatomy department to use for research purpose, following a High Court verdict.

Juris

5 Affidavit means a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorised magistrate or officer.

Nation

7 The farmers in Jhenaidah were impressed when they were receiving almost optimum prices of their main cereal crop paddy during current harvesting period of Transplanted Aman paddy.

Op-Ed

11 Is the ball in the president’s court now? As violence has gripped the country and more lives have been lost in the past few days, the question has gained currency.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

ree area around 8:30pm on Tuesday, died around 12:30am today.

The human-hauler driver was shifted to the burn unit ICU at the DMCH with 60% injury.

Sohel, brother of Mozammel, said his brother was a “Laguna” driver and they lived in Rampura area. They hail from Sonargaon of Narayanganj.

Two in critical condition; 10 more injured in blast on the second day of blockade

“Last day, I asked my brother to come home as early as possible. He replied that he will make the last trip after sunset and return home. But before he could complete the last trip, destiny brought him to the hospital.”

Partha Sankar Paul, resident surgeon at the DMCH burn unit, told the Dhaka Tribune they had shifted Mozammel to the ICU as his condition denigrated.

Since October 27, eight people have succumbed to injuries because of political violence. At least, 90 people took treatment after being attacked by pickets while 20 were still undergoing  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, November 28, 2013

EC to deploy nine hundred magistrates It will form 140 electoral enquiry committees to resist electoral anomalies

n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission is going to deploy 900 executive and judicial magistrates across the country to ensure enforcement of the electoral code of conduct during the 10th parliamentary elections scheduled for January 5.

In a letter signed by EC Secretary Muhammed Sadique, the commission asked the Cabinet Division secretary not to reshuffle or transfer any government officials without its permission.

The EC yesterday postponed the transfer order of Khulna Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin, the returning officer.

It revised its order issued earlier in the day as he disagreed with the commission’s decision on the delimitation of Khulna 3 and 4 constituencies. The commission is likely to discuss the matter at a meeting today.

The EC has also decided to form 140 electoral enquiry committees comprising a joint district judge and a senior assistant judge or assistant judge for 300 constituencies to resist electoral anomalies.

In a letter, the commission asked the law ministry to send a list of judges mentioning their posts before the civil courts went into December vacation.

Of the 900 magistrates, 300 executive magistrates would be deployed from November 13, the last date for withdrawal of nomination.

Another 300 executive magistrates and 300 judicial magistrates would be deployed for four days before and after the voting day, a senior EC official told the Dhaka Tribune, seeking anonymity.

The EC will ask the public administration ministry today for the names of 300 executive magistrates to conduct summary trials of electoral violence in the first phase.

The two-member electoral enquiry committees will work to curb anomalies and control the electoral environment until publication of the election results.

The commission would form the committees immediately after getting the lists of the judges, the official said.

In previous general elections, the election enquiry committees started working immediately after the announcement of the polls schedule. But the present EC is yet to form the committees two days into the announcement.

EC sources said the enquiry committees were likely to be formed next week.

Under the electoral code of conduct, no candidate can begin electioneering before three weeks of the election day.

Violation of the code of conduct will be deemed an offence and punishable by jail terms of maximum six months or a fine of maximum Tk50,000 or both. In case of a political party, it will be fined maximum Tk50,000 for such violation. l

Taranco due in early December  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Taranco’s meeting with the EC would be a “technical” one and they would discuss how the UN could help holding the next election, the foreign ministry official said.

The UN does not have any mandate to send any observer for monitoring elections but it might facilitate observers of other countries and regions, the official said.

As the polls schedule is declared, the EC would now formally invite all interested parties to send their observers.

During his last visit, Taranco ex-

pressed concern as time was running out for a solution to hold free, fair, credible and non-violent election.

Terming the next election crucial for strengthening democratic process, he had advocated for peaceful dialogue and active engagement to put in place a mechanism that allows establishment of level-playing field for all political parties.

The envoy, however, categorically said the UN did not have any formula.

He cautioned that not having a credible election would have dire consequence like the past. l

Pickets’ attacks claim  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

treatment, some of them at the burn unit.

Among those critically injured, Mohammad Dulu Mia, a policeman, received injury from a crude bomb attack while on duty at Joypurhat Bata intersection on Monday. The victim is now at DMCH ICU and doctors are hopeful about his recovery.

Yesterday, 10 more people were admitted to the DMCH with splinter injuries from crude bomb attack in Chankharpool and Bakshibazar areas around 5:30pm.

Fayez Ahmed, who was caught red-handed while throwing a hand bomb, is also undergoing treatment at the DMCH as the locals gave him a sound beating. l

CID presses charge  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

the other under Explosives Substances Act. Manzurul Ahsan Khan, then president of the CPB, filed the cases with Motijheel police station. He alleged that a group of anti-state conspirators carried out the attack, which took place during the first regime of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.

After two years of the attack, during the regime of BNP-Jamaat led four party alliance government, the CID had submitted a final report on December 17, 2003 accusing none. But the com-

In his statement, Jandal said the Huji men had carried out bomb attack on the CPB rally where five people were killed.

While escaping, the attackers exploded another bomb at Bangabandhu Avenue that killed three people including two hawkers plainant was not satisfied with the report. On January 27, 2005, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate asked the authorities to reinvestigate the matter following a petition for fresh probe into the cases.

Among the 13 accused, Mufti Hannan, Mufti Mainuddin Khaja alias Abu Jandal, Arif Hasan Suman, Maulana Sabbir Hossain, Shawkat Osman and Md Moshiur Rahman are now in Jail.

The seven others on the run are

Maulana Abdul Hai, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Jahangir Alam Badar, Nurul Islam, Mohibul Muttakim, Anisul Morsalin and Rafiqul Islam Miraj.

Involvement of Huji with the blast on the CPB rally surfaced nine and a half years after the attack when Jandal had shouldered responsibility in a judicial confessional statement.

In his statement, Jandal said the Huji men had carried out bomb attack on the CPB rally where five people were killed.

While escaping, the attackers exploded another bomb at Bangabandhu Avenue that killed three people including two hawkers.

Some of the accused including Hannan and Jandal are also accused in August 21 grenade attack cases.

Hannan and some other of the 13 accused are also charged in Ramna Batamul blast case. The CID found Huji’s involvement with the attack on Chhayanaut’s traditional Bangla New Year cultural programme on April 14, 2001 that killed 10 people.

Huji attempted to assassinate Sheikh Hasina when she was prime minister in her first regime from 1996 to 2001.

Banned outfit Huji was also blamed for some other terrorist attacks including the grenade attack on former British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury at Shahjalal Shrine in Sylhet on May 21, 2004. The Bangladeshi-born British envoy escaped death narrowly.

A Sylhet court had awarded Hannan death sentence for the attack. l

Thin traffic at Saarc Fountain in Karwan Bazar during the opposition blockade yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

CU reschedules two Army deployment likely admission tests to Dec 7 in a day or two n CU Correspondent Chittagong University authorities yesterday rescheduled the admission tests of “H” unit under Biological Science Faculty and “G” unit under Institute of Marine Science and Fisheries.

The authorities said the exams were rescheduled due to unavoidable reasons.

SM Akbar Hossain, deputy registrar of academic department also the

secretary of admission committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had re-fixed December 7 for the admission test.

Earlier, the examinations were scheduled for November 18 which was later shifted to November 29.

The examination centres and time would remain unchanged, added the secretary.

More detail could be found at the university website www.cu.ac.bd l

Non-stop shutdown or blockade likely next week  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

sition leaders and activists were killed during the blockade programmes, more than 850 arrested and over 2300 injured. “Cases were filed against over 9000 leaders and activists.”

Another senior leader said as the blockade programme had been successful the same programme might be announced in the next week.

“Our main target is to isolate Dhaka from the rest of the country and it was successful,” he said Rizvi around 11:35pm at another press conference said: “I made a mistake. The ongoing blockade will end at 5am on Friday instead of 6pm on Thursday. As the repression level has increased, the time of blockade has also been extended.” l

Reza Chowdhury and n Kamran Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission is likely to ask the government to deploy army in a day or two to maintain law and order as violence has escalated over holding of the next parliamentary elections.

The EC meets today to find out the strategies to maintain law and order and ensure safety of the voters and officials conducting the polls.

The meeting is set to approve the decision on troops’ deployment and the EC had already contacted the government high-ups, asking for necessary number of troops, officials involved in the process told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Asked about army deployment in a day or two, Election Commissioner Abu Hafiz told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have primarily discussed the matter. We will make the decision tomorrow after consulting the intelligence reports. We will deploy army if the situation demands.”

The EC proposed that the armed forces will aid the civil administration as per the Code of Criminal Procedure.

EC officials said the commission

would primarily propose stationing army at district headquarters under the command of executive magistrates and police commissioners. The troops will work as a strike force in case the police and other law enforcers fail to tackle a situation.

The CrPC stipulates that the forces must “use as little force, and do as little injury” as possible while ensuring public safety.

Ahead of the 2001 polls the EC included the armed forces in the definition of the law enforcement agencies in the Representation of the People Order 1972, the parent law for general elections.

The Awami League amended the RPO in 2011, dropping the armed forces from the definition.

The BNP-led 18-party alliance has intensified its violence after the EC on Monday had announced the schedule for the 10th parliamentary polls, vowing to resist the polls unless the government restored the constitutional provision of the non-party caretaker government.

On the other hand, the ruling Awami League says the caretaker government system will never be reinserted in the charter. l

10 killed on 2nd day of blockade  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

killed across the country. Of them, two were ruling party men, one was Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member while the others were general people.

In Sirajganj, Masum Billah, 25, joint secretary of ward three unit Chhatra Dal, and Maulana Abdul Jalil, 55, a upazila-level Jamaat leader, were killed in a tripartite clash at Mukundugachhi Bazar in Belkuchi upazila yesterday morning.

Separate processions brought out by the Awami League and the BNP-Jamaat men led to the clash, witnesses said.

Police fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the activists leaving the two dead and around 50 people injured.

A Jamaat leader was gunned down at his Jessore New Town residence around 7:30 pm. A marine engineer by profession, Abdul Hye Siddiqui Bulbul, 35, was the secretary of New Town unit Jamaat.

Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officerin-charge, Kotwali police station told the Dhaka Tribune that unidentified miscreants had killed the Jamaat man inside his residence.

In protest, Jessore district unit Jamaat announced a daylong general strike for today.

In Satkhira, Jamaat activist Shamsur Rahman, 35, was shot dead and many others injured in a clash with a joint team of police, BGB and Rab at Shialdanga village in Sadar upazila early yesterday.

A day before, the Jamaat-Shibir men had killed two ruling party men in Kolaroa.

OC Enamul Huq of Satkhira police station said the clash had ensued as Jamaat-Shibir men gathered people through loudspeaker announcement and attacked the lawmen. He said police had gone to the village around 4am to arrest killers of the two ruling party men.

Satkhira district unit Jamaat chief Abdul Khaleque Mandal yesterday called a half-day hartal for today in

the district protesting the death of Shamsur Rahman.

Housewife Ambia Khatun, 30, died after she had fallen under a tree, which was cut by Jamaat-Shibir men to block Satkhira-Jessore Road at Gopinathpur in Kolaroa, around 12:30pm.

Ambia died on the spot while she was standing on the road in front of her house.

Gazipur’s Jamalpur UP member Kamal Hossain, 40, also a former president of Jamalpur Chhatra League unit, was stabbed to death at Chupair in Kaliganj upazila in the morning.

Ten others were also injured in the tripartite clash among the activists of BNP-Jamaat and AL, and the police, said ASP (circle) Shariar Al Mamun of Gazipur police.

Mohammad Shahed, 20, passenger of an easy bike, was injured at Thakurdighi Bazar of Satkania upazila in Chittagong around 7pm when the pickets threw a hand bomb at the vehicle.

Critically injured, he was brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, but died there around 10:20pm, said Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam of the hospital camp. Mother of the victim was also injured in the attack. She was undergoing treatment at Satkania Upazila Health Complex.

In Patia, human hauler driver Mohammad Ershad, 22, was killed when his vehicle overturned being chased by blockaders at Fakinirhat on Chittagong-Anwara road in the afternoon.

Witnesses said Ershad had sustained serious injuries. He died at the CMCH. In Dhaka, more than 50 people, including several journalists, were injured in separate attacks while several vehicles were torched and around 50 others were vandalised.

Bomb attacks were reported in some areas where the blockade supporters brought out brisk processions.

Of the incidents, at least 10 people

were injured in bomb attacks in Chankharpool last night while 10 others, including two policemen, sustained injuries in a clash at North Badda, three injured in Pallabi, five in Khilgaon and six in Jatrabari.

In Sutrapur, police arrested a youth identified as Md Faisal with petrol allegedly during his attempt to set an auto-rickshaw on fire at Laxmibazar in the afternoon.

Two journalists of a private television channel were injured when Islami Chhatra Shibir men set an autorickshaw on fire in Pallabi.

Panicked by violent attacks and sabotages, communication through road, rail and waterways remained almost suspended cutting capital Dhaka off from across the country yesterday when offices, business establishments, educational institutions saw thin presence.

An innumerable number of crude bombs were blasted across the country while police fired several hundred rounds of rubber bullets and teargas canisters and arrested around 100 pickets.

As part of sabotages, pickets set fire to railway compartments, removed slippers, tracks, fishplates and elastic clips causing derailments of trains and snapping communications in Gazipur, Chandpur, Lalmonirhat, Rajbari, Munshiganj and Sylhet.

Moreover, the engine and five compartments of Ognibeena Express were derailed early yesterday snapping train communication on DhakaMymensingh route. The blockade supporters had removed nuts from fishplates, and pins and slippers of the railway tracks.

Rajendrapur Railway Station Master Saiful Islam said movements of Tista Express, Bhaowal Express and all the commuter trains remained suspended although the salvage works were on.

In Noakhali, over 100 people, including two policemen, were injured in tripartite clashes among BNP-

Jamaat, AL and the law enforcers in Begumganj. Police fired 200 rounds of bullets and 50 teargas canisters.

Around 50 people, including five policemen, were injured in a clash at Eliotganj on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Comilla around 11am.

Police fired over 100 rounds of rubber bullets and teargas shells, and arrested six persons.

In Sylhet, more than 10 passengers of Dhaka-bound intercity train “Jayantika Express” were injured as pickets had hurled brick at them near Paraichowk at 10am. Some 10 people were also injured in a clash in Gopalganj upazila.

At Kuadabazar on JessoreMonirampur Road, Shibir men cut off tendons of a local Jubo League leader around 11:30am.

Hailing from Ramnagar union in Sadar upazila, Nazmul is the president of ward eight unit Jubo League. He was first attacked with bombs, mercilessly hit by bricks and later his tendons were cut off.

Meanwhile, around 20 people, including four police officials, were injured in a clash with Jamaat on Jessore-Satkhira road in the same area around 2pm.

In Barisal, at least seven policemen among around 20 people were injured in a clash at Kashipur Bazar of the city in the morning when the pickets set five vehicles on fire and damaged several others.

A compartment of Rajbari-Bhatiyapa intercity express was set on fire at 8am near Rajbari Station forcing train service in the route suspended.

A truck and a bus were torched at Goalanda ferry terminal early yesterday.

Moreover, around 10 people were injured and 10 vehicles damaged in Nilphamari; more than 10 people injured and eight vehicles damaged in Habiganj; four injured in Cox’s Bazar; 10 in Natore; 15 in Narsingdi; 30 in Manikganj; 20 in Chandpur and 25 people were injured in Jhenidah. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Thursday, November 28, 2013

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Clockwise from top left An Islami Chhatra Shibir activist hurls a petrol bomb in the capital’s Dayaganj turning yesterday A policeman, though injured after being hit by a crude bomb, grabs hold of the activist who threw the bomb at Sutrapur Pro-blockade activists vandalise a police vehicle in Shahjahanpur area yesterday during the second day of the 18-party alliance’s countrywide blockade Two policemen chase a procession of Jamaat-Shibir DHAKA TRIBUNE activists at Dayaganj

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Japan to provide 500m Yen grant aid to support pry education program n UNB The government of Japan will provide 500m Japanese Yen (approximately Tk491.9m) to Bangladesh as grant aid for the “Primary Education Development Program 3 (PEDP 3).”

In this regard, “Exchange of Notes” and “Grant Agreements” are scheduled to be signed today at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

ERD Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad will sign the “Exchange of Notes” and the “Grant Agreements” on behalf of Bangladesh while Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Shiro Sadoshima and Jica Bangladesh Office Chief Representative Dr Takao Toda will sign respectively for the government of Japan, according to an ERD official.

The official said that the PEDP 3 would be implemented during 20112016 by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. This would be the third contribution of Japan to this program after 2011 and 2012 when they contributed the similar amount in each tranche.

Under this program, the grant would be utilised in the education sector for poverty reduction in Bangladesh. The main objective of this programme is to improve the quality of the classroom teaching of primary school teachers through providing modern training in science and mathematics. Besides, supporting equipment relating to teaching of science and mathematics will also be provided under the programme to improve the quality of education.

Japan is the single largest bilateral development partner of Bangladesh.

Japan has contributed significantly to the overall development of the country.

In addition to soft loans for poverty reduction, health and family welfare, education, transportation and communication, electricity and other infrastructure and urban development, Japan is also providing significant amounts of grant aid and technical assistance for different projects. l

OSDs, ‘deprived’ officers demand postings and promotions

Some 50 officials met the secretaries of cabinet division and civil administration the lists. Finally, it will be sent to secretary to give us promotion and n Mohosinul Karim and Rabiul Islam fithenalise prime minister’s office for her nod. If posting, as the political government deA section of aggrieved officers in the civil administration yesterday met the cabinet secretary and public administration secretary, requesting posting and promotion during the current interim government.

“I have given a patient hearing to the officers, some of who had dropped out of promotion, and some have remained as OSDs,” the Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune at his office yesterday.

“The officers have requested for promotions and postings during the tenure of the interim government. We have a collective body to discuss, and finally need the prime minister’s consent,” he said.

“We are working to give promotions to deprived officers. But, we are yet to

we get her approval, it will be revealed shortly,”said the cabinet secretary.

We have requested the cabinet secretary to give us promotion and OSD officers wanted their postings Officials said around 50 officials, who claimed to be either deprived of promotion or have been working as OSD for a long time, met the top boss of the two ministries and divisions.

OSD secretaries Ibadat Ali and Mohbub Ur Rahman, who were railway division secretaries earlier, led the aggrieved officers’from assistant secretary level to additional secretary level joined the meeting.

“We have requested the cabinet secretary and the public administration

prived us,” a deputy secretary and now OSD told the Dhaka Tribune over phone on condition of anonymity.

The official claimed the cabinet secretary would look into the matter.

“I have no faults in my annual confidential report (ACR) but I was not given a promotion,” the officer of 85th batch lamented.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, another joint secretary requesting anonymity said: “I am socially humiliated as I was not given a promotion, whereas my colleagueshave become secretary.”

“We, the deprived officers have requested the cabinet secretary to give us promotion and OSD officers wanted their postings as they have been waiting for a long time. We want our fair chance as an interim government has already taken charges recently,” he said. l

Qaisar’s indictment hearing deferred till December 5 n Udisa Islam The International Crimes Tribunal 2 yesterday deferred hearing on the charge framing against war crimes suspect Syed M Qaisar and set December 5 to start with the prosecution’s hearing.

The tribunal gave the order upon a defence plea seeking time.

Defence lawyer Abdus Sobhan Tarafder in his plea said they needed time to get the prosecution documents and for preparation.

On the other hand, prosecutor Rana

Das Gupta mentioned that they had submitted all the relevant documents to the tribunal’s registrar office on Tuesday.

On November 14, the tribunal took into cognisance the war crime charges against Qaisar, a Peace Committee leader from Habiganj, for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The prosecution submitted 18 formal charges against Qaisar on November 10 that include killing, exter-

mination, enslavement, deportation, abduction, confinement, torture, looting, arson and assisting in rape.

Arrested on May 16, Qaisar has since been on conditional bail for his ill health and age.

During the war, he had been involved with Muslim League and formed “Qaisar Bahini” to collaborate with the Pakistani occupation army.

After the war, he joined the BNP and later became a state minister during the tenure of military dictator HM Ershad. l

Police asked to ‘show courage’ in keeping law and order n Rabiul Islam The government yesterday asked police to “show courage” in enforcing law and order at any cost and arrest those involved in imposing the road-rail-waterways blockade.

State Minister for Home Shamsul Hoque Tuku called the inspector general of police into his secretariat office yesterday and asked him to convey the government’s intention down to the

field level of the force, a home ministry official said.

“Law enforcing agencies have been instructed to maintain law and order, and to arrest those who attack innocent people,” Tuku told reporters after the meeting with the IGP. The BNP-led 18-party alliance is imposing a 48-hour road-rail-waterways blockade to protest the election schedule declared by the election commission.

More than a dozen persons – includ-

ing a BGB member – have already been killed and scores more have been injured while the capital is almost cut off the rest of the districts.

Tuku blamed the opposition for the violence unleashed across the country.

In reply to a query, the state minister said those who are vandalising cars and killing people are political offenders. “It will take a bit more time to bring them to book as they are not criminals in the traditional sense of the word.”

He said Khaleda Zia had only one agenda and that was to protect war criminals.

“No one will be spared; today or tomorrow the offenders will be brought to justice,” Tuku said, adding that the law enforcing agencies have to take the highest risk and show courage in maintaining law and order.

About the compensation for the victims, the state minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was taking care of it. l

Dr Kamal for restoration of caretaker government n Manik Miazee Gono Forum yesterday demanded the restoration of caretaker government system in order to hold a free and fair election with the participation of all political parties.

Party President Dr Kamal Hossain at a press conference in his residence said: “The country is currently facing a constitutional and political crisis on the issue of the election time government.”

He urged the ruling government to hold a dialogue with the opposition parties to resolve the current political turmoil, which began after the AL government had dropped the election time caretaker system in the 15th amendment of the constitution.

On the issue of elections under the present government, Dr Kamal said the people of the country would not accept the voting under a partisan government and demanded creation of level-playing field for holding the polls.

He also demanded restoration of the caretaker government and strengthening of the Election Commission, giving them sufficient power to hold a fair election.

On the issue of the announced polls schedule, he said democracy was being misinterpreted and misused.

The EC announced the schedule without consulting and holding a dialogue with all political parties and this has ignited the political chaos again. l

PM’s advisers, city mayors, LG bodies’ chairmen can contest polls leaving posts n Mohammad Zakaria Advisers to the prime minister, city corporation mayors, chairmen of district, upazila and union parishads will have to resign from their posts to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections.

But this will not apply to the ministers and lawmakers as the parliamentary polls would be held without dissolving parliament, said Election Commission officials after a meeting of the commission yesterday.

Municipal mayors could also participate in the election holding their offices.

The commission would make the final decision on the matter at a meeting today, the officials said.

EC Secretary Muhammed Sadique said the chairmen of district, upazila and union parishads could not participate in the polls keeping their posts as their posts were profitable.

The returning officer has sought di-

rectives from the EC about participation of the prime minister’s advisers and local government representatives.

Incumbent mayors could not participate in the recently held city corporation polls without resigning from their posts EC officials said the PM’s advisers had not taken oath like the ministers but they got all the facilities of the ministers.

“The post of an adviser may be considered as profitable and if they want to participate in the polls, they have to resign from their posts,” said an official.

Incumbent mayors could not participate in the recently held city corporation polls without resigning from their posts.

The last date for filing nomination papers is December 2. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Punish BCL men, demand JU teachers n JU Correspondent Agitating teachers of Jahangirnagar University under the banner of “Teachers-Students and Officers-Employees United Forum” yesterday claimed that the Chhatra League activists might attack them again as they had done on October 9.

The forum at a press conference yesterday alleged that the authorities were yet to take action against the Chhatra League men.

Some 500 members of the forum also held a torch procession on the campus around 6:30pm, demanding resignation of VC Prof Anwar Hossain.

On October 9, a section of Chhatra League activists, led by JU unit President Mahmudur Rahman Jony, allegedly assaulted the agitating teachers in front of the registrar building and the VC’s residence that left five teachers injured.

Demanding punishment of all the attackers, forum Secretary Prof Kamrul Ahsan alleged that the authorities were patronising a section of Chhatra League activists to stand against the agitating teachers.

The forum, backed by ousted VC Shariff Enamul Kabir and pro-BNP teachers, has been demanding removal of the incumbent VC and announcement of the VC panel elections under

Primary terminal exam rescheduled for blockade

n Mushfique Wadud

The primary and mass education ministry yesterday shifted the religion paper exam date from today to Saturday as BNP-lead 18-party alliance extended their blockade till 5am tomorrow.

The ministry took the decision soon after the opposition announced the extension of the programme.

Yesterday’s science examination was also rescheduled for the blockade. l

2014 SSC exams to begin February 9 n Mushfique Wadud The Secondary School Certificate examinations of 2014 academic year under all education boards will begin on February 9, said education board officials.

The Ministry of Education took the decision yesterday at a meeting after the board sent the timetable to it for approval.

Examination Controller SM Wahiduzzaman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, said the ministry approved the date yesterday.

The examinations will end on March 13. On the first day, students will take the test on Bangla first paper. l

WEATHER

Thundershowers or rain likely n UNB Rain or thundershowers is likely to occur at one or two places over Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions until 6pm today.

Weather might remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, Met office said Night temperature may rise slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:10pm today and rises at 6:22am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 32.1 degree Celsius was recorded at Teknaf and lowest 12.8 degrees at Srimongal yesterday.

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

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

29.0 28.6 29.8 27.8 30.4 29.4 29.2 31.5

17.7 18.5 15.2 15.8 17.4 16.4 15.9 21.3

the current Senate, which is dominated by teachers appointed by Prof Kabir.

As part of their total blockade since November 20, the forum kept confined the acting VC and pro-VC (administration) for the ninth consecutive day.

Classes and exams were held yesterday as academic activities were kept out of purview of the strike. However, masters students could not process their admission since there were no work at the administrative building.

Meanwhile, the united forum yesterday expressed solidarity with the students who were protesting against the Election Commission’s decision to allow MPhil and PhD students to contest in the Jucsu elections.

The students claimed that authorities had violated the Jucsu constitution and the university’s convention.

The MPhil and PhD students were given the scope recently after VC Prof Anwar had amended the election rules by exercising the Special Powers Act of the JU Act. The Jucsu EC said they had asked for a legal explanation from the university’s law adviser on this issue.

The Jucsu election, set to be held on January 2, was suspended on Tuesday because of the national elections. However, nomination papers could be submitted until December 1. l

Workers of district-bound buses play cricket in front of the closed bus counters in the capital’s Gabtoli Bus Terminal yesterday as all bus services were shut down because of the countrywide blockade RAJIB DHAR

Body given to DMC for research after four years of legal battle Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Sanaul Islam Tipu The Forensic Department of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital yesterday handed over the body of one Chandan Chakrabarty alias Sajjad Hossain to its anatomy department to use for research purpose, following a High Court verdict.

Chandan Chakrabarty alias Sajjad Hossain, 38, vice-principal of Khilgaon Ideal City College, was stabbed to death by a gang of miscreants on December 25, 2009 while he was returning to his

Khilgaon residence.

After recovering the body police sent it to the DMCH morgue for autopsy and it had been in the morgue for last four years.

Hailing from Shibaloya of Manikganj, the victim married Thiti Chakrabarty on July 12, 1986 before going for higher studies on music at Bishwabharati University.

Later, he came back to Bangladesh and married Aklima Akter by allegedly changing his religion on November 28, 2005.

On the information of his death,

both wives demanded the body to perform their last rituals according to their own religion. Both the wives went to the court filing a case with the Khilgaon police station in 2009.

The Metropolitan Magistrate Court after hearing both sides’ statements, on November 19, 2012 asked the DMCH authorities to use the body for research purpose as both the wives failed to prove whether their husband was a Hindu or a Muslim.

However, Aklima and Thiti once again had submitted application with the Metropolitan Session Court on June

5:03am 6:21am 11:46am 3:34pm 5:10pm 6:30pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

n Tribune Report

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a human rights organisation, yesterday expressed concern during the on-going political turmoil saying that the recent violence is posing a serious threat to people’s lives.

At least 10 people were killed and hundreds of injured during the countrywide blockade on Tuesday, said a press release of the organisation.

Every citizens and political parties have democratic rights to hold peaceful programmes to express their opinions and it is their moral responsibility to ensure that their programmes would not cause any casualty as well as violate human rights, said the press release. l

BSMMU expands postgraduate Residency Course

Five ways to boost stocks of hilsa fish

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

A pioneering scheme that could boost stocks of a fish that feeds millions of people in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar may be a model for other fisheries, but would be more effective if it changed in five ways, says a new study.

The research by London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), published yesterday focuses on the hilsa fish and a scheme the Bangladesh government through which fishing communities are compensated to conserve the threatened species.

The scheme is a rare example of “payments for ecosystem services” (PES) from a fishery. Most PES schemes focus on paying people who protect forests because of the benefits this brings to downstream water users. The programme is managed without donor assistance.

This research and publication was part-funded by the UK government and Defra’s Darwin Initiative.

“Most governments use regulations to manage their fisheries, but Bangladesh has combined this stick with

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) has expanded its five-year postgraduate residency course in 16 public and private medical colleges and institutes around the country to elevate the standard of medical education from next year.

It has selected a total of 612 doctors to enrol for residency course next year through a competitive admission test held on 22nd November. A total of 5774 doctors took part in the admission test.

It was learnt that 300 students could take admission to different course at BSMMU and the rest to other medical college and institutes across the country.

The last date of admission is 15th February and the course will commence on 1st March of the next year.

BSMMU has arranged a dissemination seminar on residency programme on Saturday. All the new institutes who opened residency programme for the first time will take part in the seminar.

Professor Dr Ruhal Amin Mia, ProVC (Education) of BSMMU, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already

completed the admission test and selected 612 doctors for the next year.

The residency course, currently available only at the Dhaka premises of the BSMMU has expanded in other public and private medical college and institutes for the first time.

He said all the medical college and post graduate institute of the country who had been administering post graduate course (M.D and M.S and Diploma course) are affiliated with BSMMU since 2010.

Out of total 31 medical colleges and institute 15 introduced residency programme to their institutes.

It has been learnt that the residency course is totally different from traditional MD/MS courses. In the residency programme, medical education experts give more emphasis on hands-on training than on knowledge-based education.

Professor Md Ruhul Amin Miah said not all the departments of each of the colleges and institutes outside Dhaka were prepared to enrol students for the residency programme.

That is why, he said, in the initial stage of expansion, the number of seats are limited. l

n Tribune Report

the carrot of compensation,” says the report’s co-author Prof Abdul Wahab from the Bangladesh Agricultural University.

“To date, few developing nations have drawn from their own budgets to try this approach of providing people with incentives to encourage conservation, and especially not for fisheries.”

Once abundant in the Bay and hundreds of rivers in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar that feed it, the hilsa fish declined steeply in numbers since the 1970s, largely because of overfishing.

In Bangladesh, hilsa stocks increased after the government made it illegal for anyone to catch them in five important spawning grounds during its breeding season. To compensate fishing households for lost incomes, the government provided 30kg rice per month and promoted alternative livelihoods.

The researchers say the if the scheme proves to be a success, this would suggest that direct payments to encourage sustainable fisheries can work elsewhere.

To improve the scheme, they recommend five ways that include better

understanding of the complex socioeconomic and ecological systems that underpin the hilsa fishery; and identifying the beneficiaries of the scheme, such as fish exporters, and identify ways these “buyers” of the ecosystem service can help make the scheme financially sustainable. One way to do this would be to channel a portion of export taxes into a conservation trust fund, the report says.

They also suggested identifying how the fishing communities would prefer to receive their compensation packages and redesign them accordingly, empowering local fishing communities to monitor and enforce compliance, and improving regional co-operation between the three countries which make up the Bay of Bengal: Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

“Sustainable fisheries management is about much more than the numbers of fish in the sea,” says co-author Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed of the IIED. “Bangladesh’s pioneering model of payments to compensate fishing communities has much to teach other nations that face declines in their fish stocks due to overfishing and environmental change,” he said. l

Zafar Iqbal, Yasmeen withdraw resignation n Tribune Report

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

2013 demanding the body. The court rejected their prayer and upheld the previous verdict.

Being dissatisfied with the decision, both of them went to the High Court.

However, the court, after analysing the report, also upheld the previous verdict on last Sunday.

Asked about the legal battle, Abu Abdullah Bhuiyan, a lawyer who represented the Muslim wife, told the Dhaka Tribune that Chandan has some properties at Narayangonj, adding that the conflict might arose over that properties. l

ASK concerned over human rights violation

Family members of Shaheed Dr Milon pay tribute at his memorial on the occasion of his death anniversary in Dhaka University campus yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Only a day after tendering resignation letters, eminent educationist and writer Prof Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and his wife Dr Yasmeen Haque withdrew their decision yesterday amid demands of students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).

Prof Zafar Iqbal announced the decision around 2:30pm on the campus saying that he had changed his decision considering the requests of students and well wishers.

He also said the admission tests would be held in integrated system, proposed for the SUST and Jessore Science and Technology University (JSTU).

Meanwhile, at an academic council meeting yesterday morning, the authorities decided to cancel Tuesday’s

decision to annul the integrated system. The meeting also postponed the admission tests, set for November 30, for an indefinite period.

Prof Zafar Iqbal of computer science and Dr Yasmeen of physics department had resigned in protest against the university’s decision.

Sources said the authorities had cancelled the system following protests by some teachers and a so-called local group “Sylhetbashi.” Media reports say the education and finance ministers were also against the integrated system.

In this system, applicants of the two universities will sit for tests at the same time and they would not need to go to two universities for the separate tests.

The medical admission test is conducted this way. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

5

Thursday, November 28, 2013

How to execute an affidavit

HUMOUR

BIGSTOCK

n RaisuL Islam Sourav

A

ffidavit means a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorised magistrate or officer. By executing an affidavit the executor takes the responsibility of truthfulness of his/her statement. If in any future occasion it is proved that the statement was untrue and the executor knowingly or intentionally provided false statement, he/she will be penalised accordingly.

Once somebody admits something by formal declaration, they have no scope to deny the fact later. This is why affidavit is mandatory in some legal processes for some legal documents. If you want to buy, sell or gift a piece of land or an apartment, you will have to do an affidavit regarding your ownership over the property.

Moreover, affidavit is required for filing suits, correction of names, religious conversion, etc. It is also mandatory for marriage, divorce and many other sectors specified by law.

How to get it done

To execute an affidavit you will have to write the subject matters on a non-judicial stamp paper. The value of the stamp paper varies with the subject matter. Typically, the value is between Tk150 to Tk500. You also need to affix a copy of your passport size attested photograph on the stamp paper. Once you are done with these, you need to go to a first class magistrate or a notary public, before whom you will have to affirm the matters in writing and sign on the stamp.

After scrutinising the documents, the magistrate or notary public will put his signature on the same stamp paper and affix a government special seal along with his official seal on the same paper. Finally he will give the document a number and preserve a photocopy of the document in his office.

Some key points to remember

If you want to get an interim relief in a civil suit, you will have to execute your affidavit before the concerned court officer; in that case no photograph is required. To submit a written statement against such relief same procedure needs to be followed. In case of land related issues, the affidavit will have to be submitted before the registrar to register the document. Presently, age cannot be changed by a mere affidavit. However, in case of alteration of names a newspaper advertisement is necessary along with an affidavit.

It is important to note that a mere affidavit before a magistrate or notary public does not constitute a marriage.

Though it is known as court marriage in popular term, but actually it is a mere declaration of a marriage by the parties.

It has no legal effect to prove a valid marriage; for a marriage to be valid, it has to be completed according to the rule of religion of the parties concerned. Similarly, in case of divorce, parties must follow exact procedure of law.

Finally, an affidavit is regarded as a supplementary evidence to strengthen the claim. By executing an affidavit the executor avow a fact, hence before doing an affidavit one must acquire full knowledge of the fact and describe that fact very carefully. Otherwise, the purpose of affidavit will be defeated and one may lose his/her rights. l

CARTOON BY RIO SHUVO

NOTICE BOARD Send us queries for

Ask Your Advocate and also your articles on any legal issues at: law@dhakatribune.com

Dhaka Tribune

FR Tower, 8/c Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka- 1207 Visit our website at: www.dhakatribune.com

The author is an Advocate at Dhaka Judge Court and a Senior Lecturer of the Department of Law at Dhaka International University (DIU). He can be reached at sourav.mollick@gmail.com

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Are our political leaders compliant?

The recently amended Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates, 2008 will help you know the truth didate is nominated by a political party, he/she may use to any person or organisation of his/her constituency either money in favour of any person or group or institution n Abdullah Al Arif the portraits of the head of his/her political party from any fund belonging to any government, semipublicly or privately in the pre-election period.

T

he schedule for the 10th Parliamentary Election has already been declared and we have entered into the pre-election period. The Election Commission has also amended the Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates, 2008 to suit the upcoming national election.

The code of conduct is prepared by the Election Commission under the rule-making power given in Section 91B of the Representation of the People Ordinance (RPO), 1972.

Pre-election period

e) f)

The size of the portrait shall not exceed 60centimetre × 45centimetre The size of any election symbol used by any contesting candidate shall not exceed 3metres in length, width and height

Subscription, donation etc to any person/organisation is prohibited

Any candidate or any other person on his/her behalf shall not offer or promise to offer any subscription, donation, etc

Approval of public projects, unveiling of plaques, etc are prohibited a)

b)

During the pre-election period no candidate shall approve, declare approval, lay foundation stone for or unveil plaque of any development or revenue projects of government in any government, semi-government or autonomous organisation.

In the pre-election period no government VIPs shall declare any donation, grant any fund, or release any

Pre-election period means the time between the announcement of the election schedule and the publication of election results in the official gazette.

government or autonomous institution.

Election campaign by government VIPs a)

b)

c)

VIPs of the government

No government VIPs shall combine their official visit with electioneering work.

No government VIPs shall use government vehicles, transmission equipment, or exploit any other government facilities for the purpose of election campaign for himself or on behalf of any other person. In addition, government VIPs shall not employ any personnel of any government, semi government or autonomous institution, or any teacher, officer or staff of any government, semi government or autonomous educational institution.

No contesting candidate shall preside over any government-funded development activities or attend any such meeting.

No contesting candidate holding a position of president or member of any educational institution, or any other person nominated by him holding such position shall preside over or attend any meeting of such institution, or engage himself with any activities of such institution.

No government VIPs, not being an agent for himself or any other person, shall enter into the poll center or being present in the vote counting room of a poll centre.

In case of parliamentary election of a constituency where the seat is vacant, no government VIPs shall go to that place for visit or electioneering works during the pre-election period. Provided that if any government VIP is a voter of the concerned constituency, he/ she may go there only to exercise his/her voting right.

Prime minister, speaker of the parliament, ministers, chief whip, deputy speaker, leader of the opposition, deputy chief of the parliament, deputy chief of the opposition, deputy ministers, state ministers, whips, members of the parliament and mayors of the city corporations will be considered very important persons (VIPs) of the government.

Here are some salient features of the code of conduct for our readers:

d)

Commencement of election campaign

f)

Posters, banners, portraits and symbols used in election campaigns

Penalty for the violation of the code of conduct

e)

No political party, nominated candidate or independent candidate or any other person on their behalf shall not commence any election campaign prior to three weeks from the prescribed date of the election.

a)

b) c) d)

The posters and banners used in the election campaign shall be in black and white The size of the posters shall not exceed 60centimetre × 45centimetre The size of the banners shall not exceed 3metre × 1metre No candidate shall use symbols and portraits of any person other than his/her own. However, in case the can-

BIGSTOCK

If any candidate or any other person on his behalf violates any provision of this code of conduct during the pre-election period, he/she will be punished with imprisonment which may extend to six months or a fine which may extend to Tk50,000.

If any political party violates any provision of this code of conduct, it shall be liable to a fine which may extend to Tk50,000. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Gas crisis escalates as winter nears Titas distributes 1,500 million cubic feet per day against a demand of 2000mmcfd

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Fishermen repair net on an empty road during hartal in Bogra yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

Hard rock miners continues strike n Aminur Rahman Rasel Hard rock miners of Maddhapara Granite Mine Company Limited (MGMCL) continued their strike for the third consecutive day as the authorities concerned did not take any initiative to meet their demands.

The miners went on the strike on Monday for indefinite period to press home their five-point demand.

The workers started the work abstention after the company started handing over mine to Germania-Trest Consortium.

A total of 308 workers of MGMCL Workers Employees Union staged a demonstration outside the company building.

On September 2, the state-owned Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Ltd signed a deal with the Germania-Trest Consortium to produce about 9.2m tonnes of hard rock worth Tk20.7bn in six years.

Production under the new contractor is expected to start next January.

Khairul Islam, president of the miners’ union, told the Dhaka Tribune that they would continue their agitation programme until the demands were met.

Although the workers have been demanding regularisation of their jobs since 2001, the authorities did not pay heed to it, he said.

The demands include job regularisation, providing 20% dearness allowance, putting an end to lay-off, re-appointing retrenched workers and stopping appointment of miners outside the company.

Khairul Islam said the workers were earlier given assurance that the mining company would regularise their jobs after their training under the outsourcing of the company is over.

Earlier, on 24 November the miners submitted a memorandum to the managing director of MGMCL to take steps to meet their demands.

Bishwajit murder case nears end n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday recorded the closing arguments of prosecution and defence in connection with the Bishwajit Das murder case.

Public prosecutor SM Rafiqul Islam argued for the prosecution while defence counsel Shah Alam completed arguments on behalf of the main accused, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon.

Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 ABM Nizamul Haque fixed today to record rest of the defence argument.

Of the 21 Chhatra League leaders and activists accused in the case, eight are now in jail.

The court on October 24 completed recording of statements by 33 prosecution witnesses.

Old Dhaka tailor Bishwajit Das was hacked to death in Bahadur Shah Park area by the Chhatra League activists on December 9 last year.

Trial of the case began on June 14 with the deposition of complainant Jalaluddin, sub-inspector of Sutrapur police station. l

Fire kills mother and two children in Chittagong n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong A mother and her two children were burnt alive in a fire that broke out at a residence at Panchpukuria area under Fatikchhari upazila in Chittagong early yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Sumi Nath, 25, wife of a Dubai expatriate Milan Kumar Nath, her daughter Barsha Nath, 3, and one and a half year old son Srabon Nath.

Meanwhile, Nioti Nath, 45, and Sraboni Rani Nath, 14, received injuries when locals recovered them by cutting iron-sheet of the house and were admitted to a local health complex.

Officer-in-Charge of Fatikchhari police station Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune that the fire broke out around 2am and soon engulfed five rooms of the house.

“The mother and her children got trapped inside the room and were burnt alive,” the OC said, adding that the fire might have originated from the kitchen as there was not electricity connection in the house.

On information the law enforcers recovered the bodies in the morning and handed them over to the relatives instead of sending for autopsy as per the formal request of the family members, the OC said.

Meanwhile, Rani Bala, sister-in-law of deceased Sumi, who also live in that house, alleged that someone might have set fire on the house as there was no fire at the stove when they went to sleep.

Rupal Chandra Das, sub-inspector at Fatikchhari police station, visited the spot and said they were investigating either the incident was an accident or anyone set the fire. l

Yesterday, several hundreds of hard rock miners staged demonstration in front of the main entrance of the company in the morning.

The demands include job regularisation, providing 20% dearness allowance, putting an end to lay-off, re-appointing retrenched workers and stopping appointment of miners outside the company Managing Director of the company Mohammad Moinuddin told the Dhaka Tribune that the company would not be able to resolve the issue unless the ministry concerned gives a policy guideline on the matter.

“It is not possible to fulfill any of their demands,” he added.

Maddhapara Granite Mine Company Limited is a company of Petrobangla under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

The MGMCL, country’s only hard rock company, has been mining rocks at the site since 1994.

Mohammad Moinuddin said Germania-Trest Consortium (GTC) would work as a contractor to develop and operate the mine. It would increase the mine’s hard rock production to 5,000 tonnes per day from the present 900 tonnes.

As per the contract, the GTC will work at the project for the next six years, at an estimated cost of $171.86m.

They will produce 9.2m tonnes of hard rock during the contract period.

The GTC, a consortium of Bangladesh-based Germania Corporation Limited and Belarus-based JSC Trest Shakhtos Petsstroywas selected for the project through a tender process contested by five international companies.

The hard rock mine was discovered through a Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) in 1974 at a depth of 136 metres in the underground at Maddhapara, Parbatipur of Dinajpur district. l

The gas crisis in the capital and surrounding areas has begun to escalate with gas pressure in the pipeline now too low to cook in many areas during the peak hours in the morning.

Mir Moshiur Rahman, director (operation) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday how condensation is mixed with gas on a greater scale during the winter season.

“The condensation travels through the pipeline with the gas and because of lower temperature, it gets stuck on the different edges of the pipeline. As a result the pipes get narrow and distribution is hampered,” he said, adding that domestic consumers normally increase the use of gas during this season for boiling water and drying cloths.

“In the capital, there are pipes with widths of one to 1.5 inches which cannot bear the necessary pressure of gas flow,” Moshiur said.

Titas Gas has around 1.55 million residential clients and distributes around 1,500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) against a demand of 2000mmcfd, officials said.

With the crisis at hand, Titas Gas has sought an additional 150mmcfd gas from Petrobangla to ease the situation.

Hundreds of residences in different areas in the capital, including Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Shewrapara, Kafrul,

East Rajabazar, Pallabi, Kazipara, Taltola, Malibag, Shyamoli, Khilgaon, Kalyanpur, Tejgaon, and Jatrabari were suffering, with the locals having to suspend domestic activities for almost half of the day because of the gas shortage.

According to Petrobangla, the current demand of gas across the country was 3,000mmcfd, while production stood at 2,300mmcfd.

Shopna, a resident of Mohammadpur, said there was no gas supply to her home for about seven hours every day from 9am. Her family’s expenditure had increased as all the meals now needed to be prepared with a kerosene stove, she added.

Khaleda Yasmin, a resident of Jatrabari, has to wake up every day at 5am to prepare breakfast and lunch for her family.

“Gas supply in our area has been woefully low between 8am and 5pm every day for the last few days,” she said.

Petrobangla officials admitted that a decrease in gas pressure had also created transmission and distribution problems in some areas, especially in the northwestern part of the capital.

Some owners of the CNG-filling stations said they were being forced to shut down because of the low gas pressure, which is resulting in long queues of vehicles and causing traffic congestions on the adjacent roads. l

Tk2.4m spent every year on Myanmarese prisoners n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar The government incurs a loss of around Tk2.4m every year for maintenance of Rohingyas in the district jail.

On the other hand, the Myanmarese government shows apathy to bring the prisoners back to their country because of legal complexities.

Sources in the Cox’s Bazar district prison said the jail housed at least 1,500 inmates, four times its capacity.

Of the total prisoners, 110 are Myanmarese, 35 of whose conviction period have expired four-five years back.

The Bangladesh government is spending Tk60 per head daily on their maintenance.

Nowadays, more and more Rohingyas are involving themselves in criminal activities in the district.

Rohingyas enter Cox’s Bazar through different points of the frontier district.

Currently, at least 400,000 of them reside in the district illegally.

The Myanmarese are also registering for National Identity Cards through paying bribes to a vested group and offering cheap labour, thus taking control of the labour market in the district.

Most of the Rohingyas engage in pulling rickshaws and other types of cheap labour.

Law enforcers face trouble to arrest and file cases against them as the new arrestees mean adding to the existing inmates in the already overflowing prison.

Cox’s Bazar Jail Super Md Said Hossain said, “Of the 35 prisoners, we have completed legal procedures for sending only five back to their country.”

Tofayel Ahmed, additional superintendent of police in the district, said the presence of Rohingyas was a big problem in and outside the prison. l

Barisal University reschedules admission tests n Our Correspondent, Barisal Barisal University rescheduled the date of the intake tests from November 28 to December 7 because of the nationwide blockade imposed by the BNP-lead 18-party alliance.

According to the revised schedule, one-hour-long 120-mark written tests under MCQ system would be held on December 7 under 3 shifts at 10am-11am for “Gha” unit, at 1pm-2pm for ‘Ga’ and 4pm-5pm for ‘Ka’ and ‘Kha” units.

The test would be held at 11 centers, including temporary and permanent campuses of the university.

The university will publish a fresh seat plan again, said Dr Md Muhsin Uddin, acting registrar of BU. Total 29,690 admission seekers registered for taking part in intake tests against 1,160 seats of 16 departments of six faculties of the university under 4 units for the academic session of 201314, informed, Faisal Mahmud Rumi, public relations officer of BU. l

Results of DU ‘Ka’ unit published n Tribune Desk The results of the admission test under ‘Ka’ unit of Dhaka University for the academic session 2013-14 was published yesterday.

Some 23,374 candidates have come out successful out of 59,253 candidates appeared at the test against 1,618 seats this year, official sources said. The results are available at university website www.admission.eis.du.ac.bd l

Employees of Barisal election office arrange sheets containing symbols

DHAKA TRIBUNE

1,000 sued in two cases in Comilla n Tribune Desk

Two separate cases were filed against over 1,000 people in connection with the killing of Border Guard Bangladesh member Ripon and rickshaw-puller Babul Miah during Tuesday’s clashes in the city and Laksham upazila, reports UNB. Sub-inspector Shahidul Islam of Comilla Kotwali police station on Tuesday night filed a case against 81 named

and 500 unnamed people with the police station for the killing of BGB member Ripon and attacking police.

Meanwhile, eight people were arrested in the case.

BGB member Ripon, 25, was killed and 10 more people, including a policeman, were injured in a clash between activists of the 18-party alliance and law enforcers during the opposition’s blockade at Taltala in Comilla city at 4:45pm on Tuesday.

Rokeya Begum, wife of Babul, filed another case against 36 identified and 500 unidentified people with Laksham Police Station for the killing of her husband.

Babul was killed and 10 other people were injured in police firing during a clash between police and 18-party alliance activists in Doulatganj Dighirpar area in Laksham upazila on Tuesday.

The clash ensued when police tried to remove a barricade put up by the activists of the 18-party alliance. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

7

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Smile on Jhenaidah farmers’ faces as paddy prices increase n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah

Children play on a log put by activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance to block a road in Chandpur

17 bridges, culverts to be built in Jamalpur n Tribune Desk District Relief and Rehabilitation Department has taken a programme to construct 17 bridges and culverts in Jamalpur.

District Relief and Rehabilitation office sources said Disaster Management and Relief Ministry allotted Tk37.03m for construction of the bridges and culverts.

According to sources at the office, out of the bridges and culverts, two each in Sarishabari, Madarganj, Bakshiganj and Dewanganj upazila and three each in Melandah, Islampur and Jamalpur sadar upazila will be constructed.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Jahar Lal Das said tender formalities had been completed and work order will be given very soon.

The construction work of the bridges and culverts will be completed by June next, he added. l

Goat rearing cuts rural poverty n Tribune Report Rearing of goat is very effective for eradicating rural poverty and achieving self-reliance alongside fulfilling protein deficiency of the area, speakers told a discussion yesterday.

They made these observations while distributing 67 goats among the poor and distressed men and women at Fulbari village under Debiganj upazila of the district.

Chilahati union Samaj Kallyan Federation arranged the programme with the assistance of Bangladesh NGO Foundation in rural area under its poverty alleviation project.

Chilahati UP Chairman Md Sahidul Alam was present at the distribution function as the chief guest while Samaj Kallyan Federation Chairman Anwar Hossain was in the chair.

Livestock officer Amol Kumar, RDRS officer Choton Kumar and federation secretary Abdul Kader addressed the function. l

Two Nestle Bangladesh Proper treatment for mentally employees among six ill people stressed killed in road accidents n Tribune Desk

n Tribune Report At least six people, including two employees of Nestle Bangladesh, were killed in separate road accidents that took place in Gazipur and Comilla yesterday.

In Gazipur, the Nestle Bangladesh employees were crushed under the wheel of a speedy truck in Bangla Bazar area on the Dhaka-Kapasia road.

They were identified as Md Khayrul Islam, 46, chemist of the factory and Fakhrul Islam, 42, in-charge of the factory.

Police said a motorcycle carrying Fakhrul and Khayrul had been hit by another vehicle from behind in the area around 7am, leaving them dead on the spot.

On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies and sent those to Gazipur Sadar Hospital morgue for post-mortem

Police arrested Ameer of Barguna municipality Jamaat Mohibulla Harun this morning on charge of setting ablaze a bus and attacking police on Monday night.

Officer-in-Charge of Barguna police station Azam Khan Faroqui said Mohibulla Harun was arrested near the town bridge area this morning. OC said police filed two separate cases against 60 to 70 persons including President and Secretary of district BNP and Chairman of Barguna sadar upazila for setting a bus on fire and attacking police on Monday night.

Mohibulla Harun is one of the accused of

examination. The driver along with the truck managed to flee from the scene.

In Comilla, four people were killed in separate road accidents. Three people were killed in a head-on collision between a pickup van and a lorry on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Nautola area of Chandina upazila in the early hours of the day.

The deceased are driver of the van Moin-uddin Moin, 38, son of Sayed Ahmed of Soyanitobga village in Chatkhil upazila of Noakhali and two passengers.

Of the passengers one was identified as Nasiruddin, 35, son of Giasuddin, of Maijpara village in Munshiganj.

But identity of another passenger could not be known immediately.

Meanwhile, Ali Mia, 70, died when a CNG run auto rickshaw hit him while he was crossing the road in Chakbazar area. l

Speakers at a view-sharing meeting underscored the need for proper treatment and necessary healthcare facilities for mentally sick people is very vital to facilitate them to get back their normal life.

They also observed that collective effort was vital as all the mental diseases excepting the schizophrenia are curable, so social awareness alongside positive attitude to the patients is very vital for their early recovery from mental sickness.

The meeting was held at the seminar hall of Civil Surgeon Office. Action on Disability and Development (ADD), a UK-based development agency, and District Badhan Protibandhi Sangstha jointly organised the meeting in association with Christian Blind Mission.

Civil Surgeon Dr Shahidul Islam and Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Azizul Islam addressed the discussion as chief and special guests respectively with Badhan Protibandhi Sangstha President Sohel Rana in the chair.

Director of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shariful Islam, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital Dr Moyeen and Lecturer Tanzir Ahmed Tusser also spoke on the occasion.

In his keynote presentation, Mustaque Ahmed, project officer of ADD, said mental illnesses were an under-recognised public health problem in Bangladesh, reports BSS. “Awareness about mental illness and acceptance of treatment are very low due to social stigma and superstition”, he said, adding psychosocial care of mentally sick and disaster affected people constitute a major challenge for the health and the social welfare systems of the country.

He told the meeting that some 16.01% of the country’s population is suffering from various mental illnesses but the nation has only 150 physicians to manage huge patients.

Taking advantages of the situation, Mustaque Ahemd said, some

quacks and opportunist groups have been working as money- makers through exploiting the patients. He added that the mal-practitioners are pushing the patients into endangered condition.

He added that mental health needs to be brought under the surveillance system incorporating with other non-communicable diseases. The state level treatment facilities for the mentally disorder patients is very limited, he said and underscored the need for uplifting the scopes to cope with the situation.

Civil Surgeon Dr Shahidul Islam said integration of mental health services with primary health care has become the most viable way of narrowing the treatment gap and ensuring that common people benefit from mental health promotion.

He said all the drug addicts especially the intravenous drug users always suffer from mental sickness as the drugs damage their body strengths and the central nervous system. l

Chars Livelihoods Programme improving life of char people n Tribune Desk

Activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance blocks waterway at Itna in Kishoreganj yesterday, disrupting communication on 30 river routes DHAKA TRIBUNE

NEWS IN BRIEF Barguna municipality Jamaat ameer arrested

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The farmers in Jhenaidah were impressed when they were receiving almost optimum prices of their main cereal crop paddy during current harvesting period of Transplanted Aman paddy.

Sadhan Mandal, 43, a farmer of village Anandanager under upazila said, he had transplanted Aman paddy of paddy on his three bihgas of land in the current season. He had harvested about 67 maunds of the paddy from his plots.

Sadhan Mandal, said, he was worried considering the price of the same paddy in last season as he was compelled to sale the same at Taka 625 to 650 each maund.

Farmer Abdus Salam at Sailkupa weekly market on Tuesday afternoon said, he had sold the transplanted Aman paddy for Taka 745 each maund in the market. The price for each maund should be ensured at least Taka 850, he said.

Department of agriculture extension in Jhenaidah office sources said, the farmers in the district had brought a total of 93,415 hectares of land under the transplanting Aman paddy in the

season. The target of coverage of land for the T Aman was 84,308 hectares in the season, sources said.

Deputy Director of the DAE in Jhenaidah agriculturist Joynul Abedin when contacted for his comment said, the soil of Jhenaidah and surrounding districts was most suitable for Transplanted Aman and other varieties of paddy as the climate was most favourite in the season.

The deputy director said, the farmers of the district were almost aware on crop production issues as the field level officials of the DAE were engaged in motivating the farmers, as well as providing training on crop management. It has been helping aware the farmers to boost production.

The DAE official also said, the production might be increased more if the soil fertility could be enhanced.

Joynul Abedin blamed the least presence of the organic matter in soil as the farming land requires at least five per cent organic matter in soil, while the presence of the organic substances in the soil of the south-western districts was about one per cent. Further, the farmers were not enough aware about insufficient milk formation in the paddy grains. l

those cases and police arrested him this morning. – BSS

Two jailed for taking hemp in Nilphamari

A mobile court yesterday convicted two youths and sentenced them to three months imprisonment for taking hemp in Syedpur upazila. The convicts are Al-Amin, 20, son of Joynal Abedin in Shahebpara Karkhana gate area and Kamruzzamal, 26, son of Abdul Hamid in Shashkandar Dangapara of the upazila. Syedpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Shafikul Islam delivered the verdict. – BSS

Villagers stage demo for smooth power supply n Our Correspondent, Sherpur Inhabitants of Ramerchar village under Balayerchar union of Sherpur sadar upazila have been staging demonstrations for last few days, demanding smooth power supply.

Residents of the village said their village had not been brought under power supply coverage, although locals of other villages have power connections.

School-going students are the worst sufferer of the situation, they said, adding that they could

not study properly for lack of electricity. Moreover, power cut has been badly hampering irrigation and also Irri-Boro cultivation, causing sufferings of local farmers.

Agitated locals said Awami League lawmaker from Sherpur-1 constituency Md Atiur Rahman had assured them of smooth power supply in the village, but he could not keep his words that irritated local people.

They also vowed to continue their demonstration until their demand is met. l

The Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) has been improving life standard of some 1.5m extremely poor people living in remote char (shoal) areas on the Brahmaputra basin very effectively in recent years.

Under the comprehensive programme, about 106,000 have-nots group landless and distressed families have achieved self-reliance bidding good-bye to the century-old seasonal ‘monga’ through eradicating abject poverty during the past eight years.

Sources said the UKaid through the Department for International Development and Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development (Aus AID) have been funding CLP implementation, reports BSS.

Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division with the management through Maxwell Stamp Plc. Executive Director of Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said the char people had to live in utter poverty for decades together, but they are now moving towards sustainable uplift and lead meaningful life.

The CLP has been working with the extremely poor households living on riverine island chars to improve their livelihoods and has raised plinths for over one lakh char families so far in the remote char areas since 2004 in ten northwestern districts. l

8 Police detain 15 radical Islamists in Moscow n AFP, Moscow Russia’s interior ministry said Wednesday its agents had detained 15 radical Islamists in Moscow who belonged to a banned offshoot of the al-Qaeda terror network.

The ministry said members of Takfir wal-Hijra – a group formed in Egypt in the 1960s and outlawed in Russia in 2010 – had been discovered hiding weapons and explosives in their apartments but provided few other details.

It said the group had been funding its activities by “conducting general crime.”

Takfir wal-Hijra was quashed in Egypt in the 1970s but is believed to have cells linked to al-Qaeda in several European and other countries.

Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency said the banned organisation’s activities were first discovered in former Soviet republics such as Ukraine about five years ago.

But RIA Novosti said experts doubted whether Takfir wal-Hijra members in the region had actual links to the original organisation in Egypt or had simply assumed the name of a relatively well-known terror group. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Syria says it won’t give Latvian PM resigns over deadly supermarket cave-in up power in peace talks n

n AP, Damascus

AFP, Riga

Latvia’s prime minister resigned on Wednesday in the wake of a supermarket roof cave-in that killed 54 people in the country’s worst-ever peacetime disaster.

“Considering the tragedy and all related circumstances...a new government is needed that has the clear support of parliament,” Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters as he fought back tears.

“Therefore I have submitted my resignation from the post of prime minister,” he said after a meeting with President Andris Berzins.

It was not immediately clear whether the president would push for a snap election or try to form a new government with the existing parliament.

The next regularly scheduled elections are set for October 2014.

Berzins for his part said top security officials would meet on December 4 to discuss the fallout from last week’s deadly collapse. The political thunderbolt comes just weeks before Latvia enters the eurozone in January, an un-

Latvia’s Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis speaks during a news conference in Riga REUTERS popular move that Dombrovskis made a policy cornerstone for his adminstration.

Fifty-four people died and 40 others were injured when the roof of a Maxima supermarket came crashing down last week in the Zolitude suburb of the capital Riga. The November 21 building disaster, among Europe’s worst in de-

cades, has left the Baltic state of two million people reeling. The premier’s resignation comes amid growing pressure to find the cause of the collapse, with debate focused on whether sub-standard materials were used in construction or if the award-winning project contained a design flaw. l

The Syrian government said Wednesday it will participate in UN-sponsored peace talks aimed at ending the country’s civil war, but insisted that it is not going to the conference to hand over power.

The United Nations on Monday announced that the long-delayed peace talks will begin Jan 22 in Geneva.

The meeting, which would be the first face-to-face talks between the President Bashar Assad’s government and its opponents since the Syrian war began, has raised hopes that a resolution to a conflict that activists say has killed more than 120,000 people could be within reach.

But huge hurdles remain, including a decision on the full list of participants.

The main Western-backed Syrian opposition group has said it is ready to attend, but wants the government to establish humanitarian corridors and release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure before it makes a final decision.

Israel turning blind eye Iran hard-liners criticise Geneva deal to settler violence: NGO n AP, Tehran

n AFP, Jerusalem Israel is failing to penalise Jewish settlers for attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank who enjoy “virtual impunity” from prosecution, Ramallah-based rights group Al-Haq said on Wednesday.

In a 40-page report, al-Haq also called on the international community to avoid funding settler groups, a day after Israel and the European Union reached a compromise deal over funding for bodies operating in the occupied West Bank or east Jerusalem.

Settlers carrying out attacks, which involve the use of “live ammunition” and “the destruction and denial of access to property” have been left unpunished by the Israeli authorities, alHaq charged.

“Settlers involved in the planning and perpetration of such acts have remained largely immune from the enforcement of the law and, in some cas-

es, have even benefited from official support from state authorities,” it said.

“Israeli settlers enjoy virtual impunity for crimes against Palestinians, and benefit from the protection of Israeli domestic laws.”

The report was referring specifically to so-called “price tag” attacks, a euphemism for hate crimes by Jewish extremists which often involve vandalism and in some cases physical injury.

Such attacks initially targeted Palestinians in retaliation for state moves to dismantle unauthorised settlement outposts but later became a standard response following any anti-Israeli violence.

Price tag attacks “facilitate the transfer of Palestinians off their land to make way for the construction of settlements,” al-Haq said.

The report also called on the international community not to fund any organisations or individuals associated with Israeli settlements. l

Israel: EU deal does not ‘punish’ Israeli groups n AP, Jerusalem Israel’s deputy foreign minister says Israeli groups operating in the occupied territories will not be “punished” under an agreement with the European Union over a funding ban.

Zeev Elkin told Israel Radio that a compromise reached will allow groups who operate in the West Bank or east Jerusalem to apply for European funding for a 70 billion euro research project

known as “Horizon 2020.” But money given would not be allowed to serve projects in those territories, which the Palestinians want as part of a future state.

Elkin said Wednesday that Israel would compensate institutions ineligible for EU funding.

EU guidelines prevent funding for projects or institutions in territories Israel captured in 1967. The guidelines complicated Israeli efforts to sign on to the research project. l

Hard-line Iranian politicians publicly criticised the deal reached in Geneva last week over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, an agreement that has largely been welcomed by Iranians.

Hard-line lawmaker Ruhollah Hosseinian said the deal was so vague and conditional that it may finally lead to a shutting down of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Hamid Rasaei, another hard-line legislator, has called it “a poison chalice.”

Most lawmakers supported the deal, saying it eases sanctions that world powers have placed on Iran and prevents them from imposing new ones.

Discussions about it were broadcast live on state radio as Foreign Minister

media manipulation,” Rasaei said.

Zarif has argued that the deal has caused serious cracks in the sanctions regime and prevents the UN Security Council and world powers from imposing new ones. The deal, he said, also provides sanctions relief in return for Iran scaling down its enrichment program but allows it to continue enriching under 5%.

Government supporters have hailed Zarif as “ambassador of peace,” calling negotiations a diplomatic victory for Iran. Others say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s angry reaction shows it was a triumph.

Netanyahu called the deal last week a “historic mistake” that makes the world a “much more dangerous place.” He added that Israel is not bound by it. l

Egypt: 24 detained for holding protest n AP, Cairo Egypt’s state news agency says the prosecutor general has ordered a four-day detention for 24 activists detained while protesting a newly passed law criminalising demonstrations without permits.

MENA also says the prosecutor on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for two leading activists accused of inciting demonstrators. He also released more than 10 female protesters. Witnesses say the women were released in the desert in the middle of the night.

On Tuesday, security forces used water cannons to break up the demonstration outside Cairo’s upper house of parliament, where protesters denounced a proposed constitutional amendment allowing military courts to try civilians.

Many observers said police behaviour was reminiscent of the days former President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s long-time autocrat ousted in 2011. l

Iraq: 13 executed corpses found as attacks kill 5 n AP, Baghdad

China aims to harness religion to promote harmony

Police around Iraq’s capital found the corpses of 13 men Wednesday apparently gunned down in executions, as other attacks in the country killed at least five, authorities said.

Officers found eight corpses dumped in farmland in the Sunni-dominated Arab Jabour district, a police officer said. All of the dead, men believed to be between the ages of 25 to 35, suffered gunshot to their heads, he said.

Arab Jabour, a former insurgent stronghold, is located about 25 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Authorities found another five corpses in a vacant lot in a residential area of the capital’s northwestern Shula neighbourhood, the officer said. The slain men, all in their 30s, had their hands and legs tied and suffered gunshots in heads and chests, he said. Officers found no identification on the corpses.

The discovery of executed corpses is a grim reminder of Iraq’s sectarian warfare in 2006 and 2007, when both Shia and Sunni death squads used to roam the streets and raid homes to round up people. Authorities later found the victims’ corpses mutilated and left on the street. l

China should harness the positive influence of moderate religious believers, including their traditions of benevolence and tolerance, and recognise their contributions to society, the country’s top religious affairs official wrote on Tuesday.

The ruling and officially atheist Communist Party, which values stability above all else, has tried to co-opt religion in recent years as a force for social harmony in a country where few believe in communism any more.

Wang Zuoan, head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, wrote in the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily that even though most people in China have no religion, those who do have an important role to play in promoting harmony.

“We should pay great attention to the eagerness of religious believers,” Wang wrote. “Foster the positive contents of religion, expound upon religious doctrines which accord with the development needs of society.”

He added, “Guide religious believers to have correct beliefs and follow correct practices, carry out the religious principles of reconciliation, benevo-

n Reuters

Mohammad Javad Zarif briefed lawmakers on it.

“We should tell the people what we have lost and what we have gained and why,” Hosseinian told the house. “It practically tramples on Iran’s enrichment rights... Uranium enrichment restrictions in the final stage and constraints in the first stage mean that enrichment in Iran is headed toward self shut-down.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has publicly supported the country’s nuclear negotiators. Yet, it has not stopped hardliners from criticising the agreement.

“A chalice of poison has been given to the people but (the government) is trying to show it as a sweet drink through

lence, tolerance and moderation.”

President Xi Jinping wants the party to be more tolerant of traditional faiths in the hope these will help fill a vacuum created by the country’s breakneck growth and rush to get rich, sources told Reuters in September.

Believers should be allowed to “earnestly practice what they advocate” and “form a common consensus on promoting social stability and harmony ... under the leadership of the party and the socialist system,” Wang added.

About half of China’s estimated 100 million religious followers are Christians or Muslims, with the rest Buddhists or Daoists, the government says, though it thinks the real number of believers is probably much higher.

Rights groups say that despite promises to allow freedom of belief, the government in practice enforces tough controls, especially on Christians, Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists.

Beijing has also banned several spiritual groups as “evil cults.”

Wang had written in April that the country was struggling to banish superstitious beliefs about events such as sickness and death, and warned against people being misled.l

Egyptian police arrest a protester in Cairo, Tuesday, after they fired water cannons to disperse two protests by dozens of secular anti-government activists AP

French court upholds dismissal over Islamic headscarf

n AFP, Paris

A Paris appeal court on Wednesday upheld the right of a nursery to fire a female employee who insisted on wearing an Islamic headscarf at work.

In the latest round of a long-running legal battle, the court overturned a controversial March 2013 ruling that the “Baby-Wolf” kindergarten in the Paris suburbs had been guilty of religious discrimination when it dismissed Fatima Afif in 2008.

Afif was sacked after telling her employer that, on her return to work following five years of maternity leave, she wished to wear a headscarf at all times.

The head of the day nursery refused, citing the establishment’s rules that employees had to be neutral in terms of philosophy, politics and faith. That led to a stand-off and Afif being made redundant.

Wednesday’s verdict supporting the nursery’s action was hailed as a landmark decision by supporters of secular education.

Lawyers for Afif said it was “very probable” that they would launch another appeal and she herself has said she is prepared to take her case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights. l

In a statement Wednesday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the government will attend, saying Assad will send an official delegation to the Geneva conference.

The ministry stressed that the representatives “will be going to Geneva not to hand over power to anyone” but to meet with those “who support a political solution for Syria’s future.”

The Syrian opposition and its Western supporters insist that Assad cannot be part of a transitional government.

In a jab at Britain and France, the Foreign Ministry said that if Paris and London “insist on holding fast to these illusions” that there is no place for Assad in a transitional period, then “there is no need for them to attend Geneva 2.”

“Our people will not allow anyone to steal their right to decide their future and leadership and the main goal of the Geneva conference is to fulfil the interests of the Syrian people alone, and not those who shed their blood,” the statement said. l

Saudi reassessing ban on women drivers: activists n AFP, Riyadh Saudi authorities are reassessing a controversial ban on the right for women to drive in the ultra-conservative kingdom, activists said on Wednesday, citing the interior minister.

“Rest assured that the issue is being discussed, and expect a good outcome,” Prince Mohammed bin Nayef said, according to Aziza al-Yusef who met him along with fellow activist Hala al-Dosari.

Yusef said the meeting took place at the minister’s office, but through a video conference, in compliance with strict rules of segregation between men and women.

But the top security chief stressed that the globally unique ban on driving for women was “a matter to be decided by the legislative authority,” Yusef told AFP. Saudi Arabia has an all-appointed consultative Shura Council, with no elected parliament. The council makes recommendations to the government, but the king remains the absolute legislator.

“We expect a royal decree that gives us this right,” Yusef said.

Three of the recently appointed 30 female members of the council presented a recommendation last month that women be given the right to drive.

But the male-dominated 150-member assembly rejected the recommendation without passing it to the government.

Prince Mohammed told the activists the kingdom was “governed by sharia” Islamic law, Dosari wrote on Twitter, adding that activists insisted women’s “rights do not violate sharia law, and should not be measured by the opinions of extremists.” l

WORLD WATCH Missing German-Egyptian author resurfaces in Cairo

Germany’s Foreign Office says a German-Egyptian novelist who disappeared in Cairo a few days ago has resurfaced.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said Wednesday that Hamed Abdel-Samad, known for critical and sometimes provocative statements on religion and society, resurfaced Tuesday and has been in contact with the German ambassador in Cairo. He disappeared on Sunday. The spokesperson, who talked on condition of anonymity in line with department policy, declined to comment on reports that Abdel-Samad had been kidnapped.

Egyptian officials had said Monday initial investigations pointed to a financial dispute, although authorities were also looking into suspicions that radicals had kidnapped the writer.

Los Angeles judge orders cooldown at US hot sauce factory A judge has given a dose of cold water to the hot sauce Sriracha, ruling Tuesday that the factory that manufactures the trendy condiment must partially shut down after neighbours complained of the spicy smells it was producing. Judge Robert H O’Brien found in favour of the city of Irwindale where Sriracha recently relocated, saying sauce maker Huy Fong Foods must stop any operations that could be causing the odours and make changes to mitigate them.

China says it monitored defiant US bomber flights

China acknowledged Wednesday it let two American B-52 bombers fly unhindered through its newly declared air defence zone in the East China Sea despite its earlier threat to take defensive measures against unidentified foreign aircraft. The US flights, which tested the Chinese zone for the first time since it was declared over the weekend, raised questions about Beijing’s determination to enforce its requirement that foreign aircraft identify themselves and accept Chinese instructions. China’s lack of any action suggested that it was merely playing out a diplomatic game to establish ownership over the area rather than provoke an international incident.

Knightstown police chief to be shot with taser to raise money

Knightstown police Chief Danny Baker has used pig roasts and golf tournaments to augment his department’s shrinking budget, but badly in need of $9,000 for a new squad car, he’s reprising his most shocking fundraising approach to date: getting shot by a stun gun. The jocular 63-year-old chief and another Knightstown official were planning to have a detective shoot them with a Taser at a free event Wednesday night in the middle school gym in their small eastern Indiana town. Spectators — who Baker hopes feel compelled to donate — will get a firsthand look at how 50,000 volts of low-amp electricity affects the human body.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Pakistan breaks ground on big nuclear plant n AP, Karachi Pakistan has broken ground on what will be the country’s largest civil nuclear power plant, which is being built with help from China.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif performed the ground breaking ceremony in the southern city of Karachi on Tuesday. He said the plant will take 72 months to complete and will produce 2,200 megawatts of electricity.

An Indian paramilitary soldier stands near the Russian-built Kudankulam Atomic Power Project, at Kudankulam, about 700 kilometers (440 miles) south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India AP

Blast near Indian nuclear plant kills six n AP, New Delhi A crude bomb exploded near a nuclear plant in southern India, demolishing two houses and killing six people, police said Wednesday. One of three people seriously injured was identified by police as an anti-nuclear activist and a suspect in the case.

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power

Afghan gunmen kill six local staff of French aid group n AFP, Mazar-i-Sharif Suspected Taliban gunmen on Wednesday shot dead six local staffers working for the French aid group ACTED on rural development projects in northern Afghanistan. The men were dragged from their car in the Pashtun Kot district of Faryab province, which borders Turkmenistan, before being gunned down, provincial police chief Nabi Jan Mullahkhail told AFP. “They were travelling in a car from (the provincial capital) Maimana to Almar district,” he said. “They were chased by Taliban suspects and their car stopped in Pashtun Kot.” ACTED (the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development) condemned the killings and clarified the death toll at six after local officials earlier said seven people had died.

“Six Afghan employees were killed following an ambush that targeted a team of seven people. One person was injured,” ACTED spokesman Adrien Tomarchio said in a statement from Paris.

“They were killed in the course of their work to support development in the north. We deplore the deaths of our colleagues while they were carrying out their duties. “Today our thoughts are with the families and relatives of our lost colleagues and to our teams in Afghanistan.”

ACTED is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1993 that runs reconstruction projects in Afghanistan and across the developing world. It runs 34 projects in Afghanistan, and last year had 864 local staff and 13 international staff in the country, according to its website. l

Philippines says China carrier’s mission ‘raises tension’

Plant, which has inspired years of protests by local residents in Tamil Nadu state, was unaffected by the blast and operating normally, police said.

The bomb likely went off accidentally as suspected activists were making several crude explosive devices Tuesday night in a house 15 kilometres from the plant, police superintendent Vijayendra Bidari said.

Police recovered two unexploded bombs from the site and are seeking an anti-nuclear activist for questioning.

Another anti-nuclear activist was being treated in a hospital for serious injuries from the blast, and had yet to be questioned, Bidari said. Among the six killed were a women and three young children, police said, without saying if they had been in the house or nearby. l

Maoist insurgents ambushed a security patrol and killed four troopers in central India on Wednesday, police said, the latest bloodshed in a lengthy conflict over land, jobs and power.

The rebels triggered a small bomb and then opened fire on a patrol in a district of Chhattisgarh state long considered a Maoist stronghold, a senior district police officer said.

Rebels stole weapons from the Central Reserve Police Force officers killed in the attack, which occurred in a forested area of Bijapur district, 485km from the state capital Raipur.

“At least four security forces were

killed and three injured in the ambush,” officer Sukhnandan Rathor told AFP by phone from Bijapur city.

He could not confirm whether any Maoists also died in the ambush but television station NDTV said four of the attackers were also believed to have been killed.

Maoists earlier this month killed two security officials and a civilian in the state’s Sukma district.

In neighbouring Orissa state, security forces killed 14 Maoist guerrillas in September. The Maoists have grown from a rag-tag band of ideologues into a potent insurgent force, creating a so-called “Red Corridor” that stretches throughout central and eastern India. l

Indonesia ready to work with Australia again n AP, Jakarta The political row over allegations that Australia spied on Indonesia appeared to ease Wednesday after their leaders issued conciliatory statements and agreed to set up “a code of conduct.”

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters he will send either Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa or a special envoy to Australia to discuss the code of conduct that would allow the two countries to continue cooperating on a number of issues, including intelligence information sharing, military and police.

Jakarta downgraded its rela-

tions with Australia last week after it emerged that the phones of Yudhoyono, his wife and other leaders were bugged by Australian agencies in 2009.

Following the reports, cooperation between the militaries and law enforcement agencies of the two countries was suspended, including work on the thorny issue of people smuggling. Indonesia also recalled its ambassador to Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot has refused to confirm or deny the reported allegations, which emerged from documents provided by US National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. l

Singapore says no desire to ‘harm’ Malaysia n AFP, Singapore Singapore has assured Malaysia that it will not do anything to harm relations as the city-state grapples with allegations that it was part of a US-led electronic spying operation in Asia.

“We have no interest in doing anything that might harm our partners or the friendship between our two countries,” Ong Keng Yong, Singapore’s high commissioner (ambassador) to Malaysia, said in comments carried by the Straits Times newspaper on Wednesday.

“We have an excellent bilateral relationship and cooperate closely on many matters of common interest,” he said without addressing the spying issue directly. Singapore’s envoys to Malaysia and Indonesia were summoned by their host governments Tuesday following an Australian media report that implicated Singapore and South Korea in a spying ring.

Singapore’s foreign and defence ministries have not replied to AFP queries about the report, based on leaks provided by fugitive former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. l

Pakistan names new army chief n AFP, Islamabad Pakistan named a new army chief on Wednesday, promoting a veteran infantry commander to the most powerful position in the troubled nuclear-armed nation battling a homegrown Taliban insurgency.

General Raheel Sharif will take over as head of the 600,000-strong army from General Ashfaq Kayani, who is retiring after six years at the helm.

The change of command comes with the country facing a daunting array of challenges – the six-year Taliban campaign which has claimed thousands of lives, vexed relations with India and the winding-down of the 12-year Nato mission in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Sharif, a veteran infantry commander whose elder brother won Pakistan’s highest military award for valour in the 1971 war with India, will formally take command on Thursday.

A message from the office of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif confirmed Gen Sharif had been made chief of the army staff and General Rashid Mehmood had been made chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee.

The prime minister’s statement also named Khwaja Asif, the minister for water and power, as the new defence minister. The post had been vacant since the May general election.

Departing commander Kayani has served as army chief since 2007 and has been given much credit for resisting the temptation to meddle overtly in politics.

When he confirmed his retirement last month he stressed that the armed forces “fully support and want to strengthen” democracy. l

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in Australia n AP, Sydney

Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, walks with New South Wales state governor Marie Bashir at Government House in Sydney AP

DREAMING OF EU

n AFP, Manila

The Philippines Wednesday criticised China’s dispatch of its first aircraft carrier to the South China Sea, saying it “raises tension” in waters where the two Asian neighbours are locked in a territorial dispute. “Its deployment does not contribute to collective efforts to strengthen regional stability and instead serves to strengthen the status quo,” foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a statement. “Its deployment raises tension,” he said, adding it was contrary to efforts by governments in the region to craft a “Code of Conduct” in the South China Sea. The newly-commissioned Liaoning left its home port of Qingdao on Tuesday on a training mission to the South China Sea, accompanied by two missile destroyers and two missile frigates, the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday. The deployment comes amid heightened tensions between China and its neighbours over disputed waters, with Beijing declaring air defence rights over islands controlled by Japan at the weekend, provoking a furious international reaction. l

Critics have said that China’s assistance to Pakistan would violate nonproliferation agreements. China has said the deal would be carried out in line with “international obligations” and subject to international safeguards and supervision.

Pakistan is desperately in need of additional electricity since the country currently faces rolling blackouts. The nuclear deal with China represents a continuation of the strong alliance between the two countries. l

Maoists kill four troopers in central India n AFP, Raipur

9

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thailand cuts interest rate amid political strife n AP, Bangkok

Students attend a rally in support of EU integration in Kiev November 26, 2013. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich poured scorn on his jailed rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, on Wednesday, saying the question of her imprisonment should not hinder Kiev’s integration with the European Union REUTERS

Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi defended herself on Wednesday against criticism that she should be doing more on behalf of a Muslim minority group that has been targeted by sectarian violence in parts of the predominantly Buddhist nation.

“I have always defended those whose human rights have been attacked,” Suu Kyi said in response to a question during a ceremony in her honour at Sydney’s Opera House. “But what people want is not defence but condemnation. They’re saying why am I not condemning this group or why am I not condemning that group. ... I am not condemning because I have not found that condemnation brings good results. What I want to do is to achieve national reconciliation.”

Over the past two years, sectarian violence in Myanmar has left more than 240 people dead and forced another 240,000 to flee their homes, most of them members of the minority Rohingya community. Suu Kyi, who became known as a human rights heroine when she fought against the nation’s previous military regime, has been criticised for not responding more aggressively to the issue. She declined to meet with an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation delegation that recently visited Myanmar to look into the violence.

Suu Kyi, who is in Australia on a fiveday trip to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, also disagreed with descriptions of the violence as “ethnic cleansing.” l

Thailand’s central bank unexpectedly lowered the cost of credit Wednesday as escalating protests to topple the government add to pressure on the economy.

The Bank of Thailand said it lowered its policy interest rate by a quarter%age point to 2.25%, hoping to stimulate lending and investment.

Flag-waving protesters vowing to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra took to the streets of Bangkok for a fourth straight day Wednesday.

They are threatening to occupy every government ministry after invading the Ministry of Finance and turning it into an ad-hoc protest headquarters.

The central bank said in a statement that the “ongoing political situation” could compound existing weaknesses in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Business confidence is fragile and government plans for $69.5bn of spending on high speed rail and other transport infrastructure have been

delayed by legal challenges.

Thailand’s third quarter economic growth was weaker than expected and a recovery in exports has not gained traction, the bank said.

Known mainly for its southern resort islands and high quality rice, Thailand is also a manufacturing base for electronics manufacturers and several global automakers, including General Motors Co and Toyota Motor Corp.

A Thai tourism official said the protests have deterred 300,000 tourists so far at a cost of half a billion US dollars.

Thailand’s visitor arrivals totaled 22.3 million last year.

Protest leaders say they want to replace the government with a non-elected council to eliminate the political machine of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted as premier in a 2006 coup following months of street protests against corruption and patronage politics.

Thailand’s current prime minister is Thaksin’s younger sister, who led her party to a landslide victory in 2011 elections. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Tackle the root causes of violence against women

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ovember 24 marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. With violence against women on the rise, it is more urgent than ever that we meaningfully address the root causes of this problem.

Between January 2009 and March 2013, 22,701 incidents of violence against women and girls took place, including gang rape, murder, dowry related violence, trafficking and acid attacks.

There are serious systemic factors that are allowing this An effective strategy type of crime to escalate. Our to end violence current laws are inadequate against women to address the various threats needs not just better that women and girls face and law enforcement. It there is little political will to requires a change in change this fact. For example, both archaic attitudes in spite of a directive from the and laws High Court to the government in 2009 to enact a comprehensive law on sexual harassment, little action has been taken.

Poor implementation of existing laws and the slow pace of trials in delivering justice also create an environment of impunity that can encourage perpetrators.

We also need to fundamentally rethink the social norms that are often factors in giving rise to the abuse of women and violence in the first place. The changing economic reality is challenging the traditional role of men as primary income earners and authority figures. Young men in particular need to be better educated to deal with the increasingly empowered role of women.

An effective strategy to end violence against women needs not just better law enforcement. It requires a change in both archaic attitudes and laws and dialogue to overcome outdated social norms.

We pray for the people of Philippines

RMG new wage Tk5,300

Recently, the people of Philippines had to face a natural calamity of a great magnitude; Typhoon Haiyan swept over the country leaving a trail of devastation. It was a category 5 typhoon, with maximum sustained winds estimated at 315 kilometers per hour; it is believed to be the strongest wind recorded.

At least 10,000 people lost their lives, and the scene of destruction is so tragic that one cannot help gasping with pain and disbelief. Thousands of people were injured; without food, water, and shelter, they are passing their days in great misery. The United States, Australia and the United Nations have mobilised emergency aid to the Philippines. We hope other countries will also come forward to help the victims of the typhoon.

We are praying so that they can overcome this misfortune and we feel deep sympathy for them and pray that everything returns to normal, very soon.

Nur Jahan, Chittagong

Khwaja Anas Nasarullah For how long does the public think the RMG industry will keep laying golden eggs? When the RMG industry closes down, that’s when the public will realise how ridiculous their demands were.

The world is watching November 22

The opposition party can think of no better way to press their case than to shut the country down, burn buses, and cause mayhem, for it’s no more a civil political party. By joining hands with terrorist outfits, they are out to seize power at any cost.

Hafeejul Alam The lobbying by the wealthy Jamaat, for over a considerable length of time, may have given rise to the sudden Western attention to Bangladesh’s state of affairs.

But I find the deliberations inherently contradictory, because on the one hand they apprehend the reemergence of “extremism” and on the other hand they are critical about the ICT proceedings! Well, one can’t have the cake and eat it also!

Waliul Haque Khondker

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

Media should be free of patronage

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he information ministry has given its approval to 13 new television channels, 14 FM radio stations and 60 community radio stations as the current government steps down. While any healthy democracy requires healthy and competitive media, monopolistic practices and patronage by political parties as is happening in Bangladesh is not a good sign.

The new television channels will be an addition to the 27 channels that already exist. And yet, this excess of Matters such as channels is not an indication media ethics are also of diverse ownership, because ignored, resulting in they are almost all tainted by widespread political the appearance of partiality bias all over our due to political benefaction. airwaves, to say It is unclear as to what kind of scrutiny these license applinothing of low quality cations actually go through. As has been seen in the past, new licenses mostly go to ruling party-backed media houses, who do little more than pay lip-service to government agendas. Most of the new licenses granted by the AL government were to AL ministers, advisers, and lawmakers.

The licenses are rarely based on any actual professional commitment that would enrich our broadcast media and improve their standards overall. Matters such as media ethics are also ignored, resulting in widespread political bias all over our airwaves, to say nothing of low quality.

Such bias compromises the credibility of media, as well as our democracy.

Nazmul Khair I think this wage is enough for any primary label worker. He/she can earn well with OT and others.

Hasina, family fly for Umrah today

Interpreting Digital Bangladesh: A note to critics

November 21

It is good to seek the blessings of Allah anytime.

Shanta Jesmina

November 20

The changes that happened in the last few years are too evident to avoid, even to the fears of the critics of AL government. A lot of good things really happened in the broader areas of society through the DB projects.

Only one thing I am still very annoyed about, that is the fuel of ICT, “internet bandwidth.” Bangladesh now has a total 260GBps internet speed. And only 11% (less than 30GBps) of it is now used by the entirety of Bangladeshi internet users.

What exactly is the government doing with the remaining 89% speed? It is obtained with people’s money. And we deserve to use it at a reasonable cost. It is obvious that the government could sell a 10mbps or more unlimited connection at half the price of what we pay for a 1mbps limited volume connection nowadays and still be profitable.

There’s no point in wasting 89% of internet speed while we keep seeing the loading screens everywhere. The government must do something about it to really take the Digital Bangladesh to DB2.0 level.

Mohammad Tauheed

Hefazat calls Ershad ‘AL slave’

November 21 After nearly 20 years of HM Ershad, they only get it now? frkislam

But who is paying for this trip? Hope it’s not my money.

Parveen Ahmed Very interesting!

Abdul Nabi

Tk8 expenditure per voter November 22

What can Tk8 buy these days?

PA Why should a farce be held at the cost of the taxpayers’ money?

Habibur Rahman What a joke! Said by EC. Suvra Saha

Country may get a DNA database centre soon

November 20 Even then, politicians and people who work for them will get away with crimes. Bangladesh is corrupt, through and through. nafiz.t

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Additional payment (5) 4 Straight and limp (4) 7 Literary ridicule (6) 8 Gathering of witches (5) 10 Nourish (4) 11 Skilled (5) 12 Greek letter (3) 14 Slender support (4) 17 Transmit (4) 19 Fuss (3) 20 Mature (5) 23 Bill of fare (4) 25 Bodies of water (5) 26 Quantity (6) 27 Wagers (4) 28 Divine messenger (5)

November 21

November 24

DOWN 1 Two-headed muscle (6) 2 Second hand (4) 3 Of sound mind (4) 4 Elevates (5) 5 Land measure (3) 6 Required (6) 9 Conceited (4) 13 Calm (6) 15 Weapon of war (4) 16 Small piece (6) 18 Percussion instruments (5) 21 Excuse (4) 22 Deserve (4) 24 Fastener (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Justice for Pilkhana n Saquib Rahman

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Whose court is the ball in?

BIGSTOCK

What the president can do

I

n Ali Riaz s the ball in the president’s court now? As violence has gripped the country and more lives have been lost in the past few days, the question has gained currency.

Each day that the stand-off between the ruling alliance and the opposition remains unresolved brings more mayhem and misery for the citizenry, and adds more uncertainty to the upcoming election. Safety and security have now become a matter of chance: insecurity is the norm in the country.

Members of the law enforcing agencies are becoming targets, and loss of property – state and personal – is an issue nobody seems to care about anymore.

For years, particularly in recent months, warnings that the absence of a compromise between the ruling and the opposition parties on the nature and leadership of the election-time government will bring chaos have gone unheeded. I wish I could say that the nation has reached the end of this ordeal; on the contrary, unfortunately this could well be the beginning.

The prudence of the Election Commission (EC) has been brought into question. The EC’s decision to announce the election schedule when some form of a conversation between two secretary generals was getting off the ground might be justifiable on the ground of legal requirements, but one can hardly escape the fact that it has added fuel to the fire.

The consequences of announcing the schedule without discussion with the parties who are inclined to join the election demonstrates that the EC has either failed to understand the gravity of the situation or is unconcerned about the consequences of its actions.

Ignoring the opposition’s threat to unleash disorder won’t make it go away. It is only in the world of Harry Potter that “he-who-can-not-be-named” does not appear if you don’t say the name.

The indication by the EC that the schedule is open to change, if the opposition joins the election can be seen as damage control. In 2008 the schedule was changed thrice to ensure

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the BNP’s participation. The EC, which should have acted soon after October 25 waited until the Parliament was adjourned; but is it now in acting with unseemly haste to catch up?

While the ruling party remains unwavering on the stance that the elections will be held “on time” – which means by January 24, 2014 – if necessary without the participation of the opposition, particularly the BNP, the opposition has resorted to violence to make it impossible to hold the election; therefore, as of today, a common meeting point remains elusive. The wanton violence, which has a high human cost, cannot be justified in any situation. Continued violence will only exacerbate the crisis.

when asked, that the president has very little constitutional power.

That being said, there is one provision that gives the president a small window of opportunity to demonstrate his willingness to engage in the resolution of the political impasse.

That is Article 48 (5); which states, “The Prime Minister shall … submit for the consideration of the Cabinet any matter which the President may request him to refer to it.”

Granted, one can validly argue that this is too limited a power to have any consequences. Whether the PM and/or cabinet will agree to make any changes is a different question. As to the question what role the cabinet can play if the president sends an issue to

It is still primarily the ruling and the opposition parties who can stop this mayhem and find a solution, if they choose to do so.

However, the president can take this opportunity to remind them

Six eminent citizens met President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday. The delegation included Barrister Kamal Hossain and Shahdeen Malik, both known experts on constitution, Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Akbar Ali Khan and Sultana Kamal, who served caretaker governments at different times, and Badiul Alam Mazumdar, who has written extensively on issues of election and governance. (A delegation of the opposition alliance led by Khaleda Zia also met the President on 19 November). The delegation knew, perhaps better than us, that the President has no constitutional “power” to intervene. The constitution stipulates, in Article 48(3): “In the exercise of all his functions, save only that of appointing the Prime Minister pursuant to clause (3) of article 56 and the Chief Justice pursuant to clause (1) of article 95, the President shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.”

Therefore, the president’s hands are tied. Some members of the current delegation, for example Shahdeen Malik, admitted on a previous occasion,

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discuss, Shahdeen Malik responded: “It is the cabinet that has the right to reject or accept the same.”

Even if the cabinet desires to do something, it too can do nothing unless the PM agrees and acts. However, such a step will send a message that the President is inclined to see a resolution. This is where the issue of “moral authority” comes in. In a country, where no previous President has set an example of digressing from the ruling party on a critical issue nor has anyone ever exercised his “moral authority,” will the current president do it? Can he do it?

Ruling party activists may object to the suggestion that the President takes a stand different from the ruling party and remind us that neither Abdur Rahman Biswas nor Iajuddin Ahmed, both BNP nominees, weighed in during previous political crises. History will not judge them kindly; we have no reason to believe otherwise.

But it is unfair to equate President Hamid with either of them, at least until now. In years to come, will histo-

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rians write in one broad stroke that in each instance of political crisis incumbent presidents were asked to exert the moral authority and none did? We will soon know the answer.

The president may seek to limit the power of the incumbent prime minister, through amendments of the rules of business. The all-powerful prime minister position is not conducive to democracy at any time. More so in case of a cabinet which is supposed to be working for creating an environment for an inclusive election.

The inclusion of a new provision in the rules of business that the interim cabinet can make decisions on the basis of consensus, has been proposed by these eminent citizens. Whether this will be enough to create a level playing field is an open question; but it surely will send a message that the president has acted and that both the “interim cabinet” and the prime minister are willing to make some concessions.

The call for the president’s engagement has come from a group of people who are linked to neither the ruling party nor the opposition. This provides the president with some maneuvering space. He can claim that he is not acting to “appease” the opposition but to respond to the “concerns” of the citizens. While it’s encouraging to hear that the president has confirmed that “he was trying to resolve the political standoff,” time is running out.

The constitution has not given the president enough power, neither has it placed him in equal status to the government and opposition parties in terms of resolving the political deadlock. Thus, it would be unfair and erroneous to say that: “The ball is in the president’s court.”

It is still primarily the ruling and the opposition parties who can stop this mayhem and find a solution, if they choose to do so. However, the president can take this opportunity to remind them, particularly the ruling party, as to what can and should be done. l

hundred and fifty-two jawans were given the death penalty by the court. There is absolutely no reason why the verdict shouldn’t be satisfactory for the families of the martyred officers – though the opportunity of appeal to the High Court and Supreme Court remains open. Despite prevailing political turmoil and the upcoming national election, the government’s action is fairly admirable.

Having had that satisfaction, under these circumstances, we are truly awaiting justice at the end of the day.

Since November 5, I have been asked by my friends and acquaintances what our feelings are regarding the verdict.

Have the Shaheed families gotten justice? The most appropriate answer I could come up with has been: “So far, so good.”

Since my father was brutally killed in the Pilkhana carnage, my views are different from those of Human Rights Watch, which is opposed to capital punishment. However, their Asia director’s write-up in The Daily Star on the day of the judgment greatly focused on credibility of proper inquiry and investigation – the reports that have not been made public and providing a blurred or unclear vision of those involved, or the abettors of the mass killing.

Brad Adams concluded on behalf of HRW, that a retrial should be considered. I believe the government could make the report public to give it greater transparency in terms of the inquiry and investigation in the case of such a national tragedy.

Apart from the details of the tragic incident, the exposure of the men behind the guns remains to be seen.

Punishment of an abettor or conspirator in accordance with Penal Code 1860 is clearly the same as for the perpetrators.

Interestingly, something I found common among the families of the Shaheed Officers as well as those of the accused, is the belief that there must have been a third party who played the bigger role, having camouflaged the incident – since a person like DAD Tawhid and others were undoubtedly not such great masterminds as to have planned such a bloodbath alone.

Dal-bhat, disparity in salary scales, and facilities offered to defence service officers are not good excuses. In every service sector, such complaints or grievances abound. But for those cases, conspiracies to put the high

commands to death, like the Pilkhana incident, are not hatched. If it was so, there would have been such an incident in a factory or company every year in Bangladesh!

The victims’ families still fervently seek that a judicial inquiry commission be set up under a retired Supreme Court justice to carry out an in-depth investigation, considering that the Pilkhana carnage is one of the biggest criminal cases we’ve had.

The commission would have access to all legal documents, and investigate the involvement of BDR jawans, as well as outsiders, in a bid to unearth the real mysteries behind the massacre that took away the lives of 57 brilliant officers of the Bangladesh Army and 17 civilians.

The people of the country, and families of victims, have a right to know the actual motive of the mutiny, and who was really behind the conspiracy

Our expectation from the commission is that their findings be made public.

In that case, not only can the abettors be spotted, but also, details of the incident starting from the initial planning/ movement/distribution of leaflets containing materials instigating the jawans to take up arms against their officers, can be known.

The people of the country, and families of victims, have a right to know the actual motive of the mutiny, and who was really behind the conspiracy – a grievous blow to the country’s military. Nasiruddin Pintu of the BNP, and Torab Ali of the Awami League, have been sentenced to life in prison.

The judicial commission, I am sure, will be able to find out the truth from them and all others associated with the brutal killings in Pilkhana on the day. Investigations need to be conducted to get hold of the masterminds behind the tragedy.

Only then shall justice be complete.

The families of the victims will find some solace, and the departed souls of 57 brilliant sons of the soil will rest in peace. l Saquib Rahman is the son of Shaheed Col Quadrat Elahi Rahman Shafique, ndc, psc, and a student of criminology and criminal justice.

Ali Riaz is Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars at Washington DC, USA.

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SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

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If God went to business school n Mamun Rashid

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he title is derived from an interesting book written by two Indian professionals: Anand and Mani Ganesh. Anand, now working for Citibank, is a 2010 batch MBA from FMS, Delhi. Mani is an engineer currently employed by Siemens. They met at the Delhi College of Engineering while Anand obtained his business degree afterwards. They had their interesting stories narrated in the book.

I won’t get into the details highlighted in the book. I was rather thinking: What would have happened if God went to a business school in Bangladesh? He would possibly have spoken more about profit, bottom lines, strategic direction, vision and mission statements, shared vision, principle-centred business, people centric organisation, client-driven companies, a winning combination between employees and clients, or even the “employees first clients second” principle.

He would have talked more on giving back to the community, or corporate social responsibility, leverage buyouts or mezzanine finance, current assets or quick ratios. He would have

talked about internal cash generation or cash flow statements, tier-II capital or subordinated loans. And about best management practices or success transfers, shifting consumer choices, market dynamics, opportunity space, distribution channel management, and innovation.

These are different from classes in economics or statistics. In an economics class we get to hear more about growth, development, distributive justice, and inclusive development.

Recently, we have seen a surge in the number of approved private universities. Most of these are nothing beyond business schools. Business school enrolment occupies more than 70% of the total student body in these universities, if not more. Looking at private sector-led growth these days, it is obvious that young kids would want to obtain a business degree.

They need cushy jobs, fast promotions, and lots of money. Most of them believe in the survival of the fittest, or the performance driven culture. Jobs run after them. I am told that each year the market needs 60,000 young graduates to join the league, whereas the actual supply is much less than the

required number. Universities produce around 35,000 business graduates each year.

What does the market want to see in them? That they are well-dressed, articulate, hard-working, computer literate, and aware of what’s happening around them. While we may have some reservations regarding what is being taught in our business schools, we at least know that these boys and girls are above-average English speaking, and have respectable IT literacy.

If paid well, they can work long hours and deliver at the end of day.

With increasing globalisation, many of these boys and girls are becoming multilingual too. Gradually they are driving the economy forward. One would be amazed at the number of young mothers, professionals, and executives with non-business backgrounds enrolling for their MBA and EMBA degrees.

More and more young Bangladeshi executives with business degrees are finding themselves transferred to overseas markets in the Far East, Middle East and Europe. Global employers are finding them extremely hard-working and honest, with respectable work ethics.

Yes, they could be a little better.

Their English could be globally compatible, they could be more appropriately dressed, and they could be wellread. They are not to be blamed solely for these deficiencies. They don’t have many role models in front of them.

With the fast growth of business schools, many of them have to compromise with their intake quality.

Our college education is to be blamed much for producing non-thinking young men and women. In the universities, we get to see mostly the typical teachers not focusing much on critical thinking, presentation skills, and team building.

Most of the leadership in Bangladeshi business schools comes from non-business backgrounds, without a clear understanding of how business graduates should talk, behave, or carry themselves. Most of the teachers, though academically fit, were not trained in pleasant classroom experience techniques. Many private universities don’t have reasonably resourced libraries.

Even if a few of them do, these are rarely visited by faculties and students. Many of these business

schools are failing to attract good faculty, hence are being run by the part-time faculty members without much commitment to the success of the students.

Most of the leadership in Bangladeshi business schools comes from non-business backgrounds, without a clear understanding of how business graduates should talk, behave, or carry themselves

Yet, the graduates of many business schools of Bangladesh are making their mark in the business world. Most of their employers are happy with them. They are able to bring in visible changes in the way business is run in Bangladesh.

With a bit more thoughtful and hands-on university management, I am sure that Bangladeshi business graduates will make their presence felt in the global arena. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Year’s biggest music festival begins

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Bangladeshi artists in focus

Over 41,000 people registered to attend Bengal Classical Music Festival 2013 n Entertainment Desk The country’s biggest rendezvous of music lovers—Bengal Classical Music Festival 2013—begins today at the Bangladesh Army Stadium.

Claimed as world’s largest classical music festival, the event, once again, is all set to entertain music aficionados with its grandeur and splendid arrangements consisting vocal, dance and instrument recitals by the greatest maestros of Hindustani Classical Music. Apart from performances by famed Indian geniuses, a

number of Bangladeshi artists will also enrich the show with their dexterous presentations.

A staggering number of over 41 thousand people have already registered for the much awaited event which promises to be even bigger and better this year.

Last year’s monumental success prompted and encouraged Bengal Foundation to come up with the second installment, said Abul Khair, chairman of Bengal Foundation, in a press conference held recently. He also said that this kind of arrangements is a key

to generate interest among the new generation to become passionate about classical music which has a deep rooted bond with Bangladeshi cultural heritage.

Every day, of the four days of the event, the gates of the venue will open at 4pm and the programme will continue till 5am in the morning and the generous organisers of Bengal Foundation has arranged transportation for their registered guests and all buses will leave pick-up points across Dhaka at 4pm and will leave the venue between 5:30am for drop-off. The route chart of

shuttle service can be followed at the official website of Bengal Foundation.

Along with a huge food court that will offer a wide variety of choices for the crowd, this time’s arrangement will also provide improved on-ground facilities, Wi-fi zones, so that people may remain connected. E-tickets must be presented every time when entering the venue during the four days of the event.

Last year, the majestic event was dedicated to Ustad Alauddin Khan while this year’s festival is dedicated to Gyantapas Professor Abdur Razzaq. l

Today’s Indian artists

Participant tabla players in a rehearsal session

Tabla players to demonstrate their skills n Punny Kabir Four Bangladeshi accomplished tabla players are prepared to set the stage on fire, today, the opening day of Bengal Classical Music Festival.

The talented artists are: Swarup Hossain, Md Zakir Hosen, Iftekhar Alam Prodhan and Goutom Sarker.

Alamgir Parvez will accompany the quartet with harmonium.

Dhaka Tribune caught up with the artists in a rehearsal session and learned about their planned performance and more.

Vishal Krishna Pandit Tejen Majumdar Pandit Rajan Mishra and Pandit Sajan Mishra

How excited are you to perform in such a big event?

Vidushi Girija Devi

Vidushi Kaushiki Chakrabarty

Arindam, Chittagong to stage Kobi in Dhaka n Entertainment Desk Theatre troupe Arindam Natyo Shomproday, Chittagong will stage Kobi at the Experimental Hall at 7pm today. The play has been supported by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation.

The play is an adaptation of leading Bengali novelist Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay’s classic novel of same title.

The script has been written by Symon Zakaria and the production is directed by Shamim Hasan.

Tarasankar, a wizard of a storyteller has knitted two stories together, as only a master writer can.

At first, it talks about a youth named

Nitai, who ends up being a prolific writer from a folk singer.

The story then goes on to potray the happiness and struggle of a troupe named Jhumur Dal, who entertains the local people with music and dance. Through their performances, the troupe’s agony could be noticed vividly.

Basanta is a rural singer from the troupe and through this character, Tarasankar has successfully naratted the hardships of the Jhumur Dal. Struggling to survive with the bare minimum, Basanta dies of pulmonary disease. It also showcases the controversial love triangle between Nitai, Thakur Jhi and Basanta. l

Ayan Sengupta

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COMEDY 10:00am Z Cafe Just For Laughs

10:30pm Star World

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MISC 3:30pm Discovery Man Woman Wild

7:30pm AXN The Voice

A scene from the play

Nigella took coke daily for 10 years n Entertainment Desk Nigella Lawson, the TV chef and selfstyled “domestic goddess,” had a chronic drug habit and secretly used cocaine, cannabis and prescription pills “daily” for more than a decade, a court has heard.

As the very public disintegration of her marriage to the tycoon Charles Saatchi returned to the spotlight, the allegations were made by lawyers defending two Italian sisters, Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who worked as assistants to the couple in their London family home.

The pair is accused of defrauding Lawson and Saatchi, who divorced in July, ending a 10-year marriage, of more than £300,000 while working as their assistants.

But according to the assistants’ testimony, Lawson had a verbal understanding with the Grillos that they could use Saatchi’s company credit card for their personal use in return for keeping quiet about her drug use.

The drug claims first emerged in a pre-court trial hearing on November 15 when Anthony Metzer, representing Elisabetta Grillo, took the unusual step of lodging a “bad character application” in order to question Lawson’s reliability as a witness for the prosecution.

Metzer told Isleworth Crown Court in west London the application “relates to Miss Lawson’s alleged taking of class A and class B drugs and her unauthorised use of prescription drugs” and that it was kept as a “guilty secret” from her husband. l

SADIA MARIUM

Md Zakir Hosen: Last year three of us accompanied other artists’ during their performances. The promotion– from being an accompanist to main artist—is really very encouraging and exciting.

Goutom Sarker: We will be playing on the same platform where many of our gurus from India will also perform.

That is one of the biggest achievements for us.

Swarup Hossain: My participation was in uncertainty since I lost my father only a few days back. He was my source of inspiration to continue my journey in music. So, his death simply broke me. But my family members, teachers, friends and others encouraged me a lot and finally I’m going to perform.

Iftekhar Alam Prodhan: It is a big honour and all thanks go to Bengal for providing us with such a majestic event.

What will you present today?

Swarup: We will present a 25-minute composition based on tri taal. Ranging from slow tempo (bilambit) to fast (drut), we will play many variations of the rhythm.

Are there rooms for improvisations?

Zakir: The presentation combines group and solo performances in different segments. In solo parts, we will improvise on the rhythm with our own skills and tastes. With the limited timeframe, we will try to give our best.

What is the biggest challenge to perform at a platform like this?

Iftekhar: Round the year we hardly perform tabla solos in our country. We generally perform as accompanists. So, our preparation is not strong enough to compete with the Indian master players. Tabla has not yet been recognised as a solo art here in this country.

What do you expect from the audience?

Goutom: The audiences have always been supportive towards us. But, as Iftekhar addressed that Bangladeshi audience is not yet accustomed with tabla as a solo art, Bengal’s such initiative will help them appreciate it more. l

Lead characters of the drama Monsoon Rain

Monsoon Rain airs tonight n Entertainment Desk

The series drama Monsoon Rain will air today at 8:20pm on Channel 9. The drama features prominent actor Mahfuz Ahmed, Lutfor Rahman George, Bonna Mirza, Shahed Sharif Khan, Nafisa, Hillol and many more.

Monsoon Rain is an adventurous story about a group of people who goes to Nepal for retreat. However, after spending some time the group separates from one another. The members

in the group starts developing antagonistic feelings towards each other after several incidents that reveals the more primal instincts such as hate, jealousy and selfishness of each individual. At one point, they get to know that their tour is a conspiracy and were a façade for someone’s business purpose.

Hence, everyone is at danger and starts to wonder whose life is at risk. A mysterious man enters the group and saves them all. In between the threat, everyone starts caring for each other. l

Ash-Abhi set to move out of Bachchan house Saif Ali Khan claims Hindi films n as good investment Entertainment Desk

Celebrity couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are reportedly planning to move out of the Bachchan mansion Jalsa, where they have been living since their marriage six years ago.

According to reports doing the rounds, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is keen to move out and live separately with her daughter Aaradhya and husband Abhishek.

Apparently, there seems to be a bit of friction between Aishwarya Rai and mother-in-law Jaya Bachchan, who is said to be keeping a tab on her activities. Reports further suggest that Jaya Bachchan is believed to be constantly interfering with her private life.

Reportedly, Jaya Bachchan expects her daughter-in-law to update her on all matters including professional, which isn’t quite appreciated by Aishwarya Rai. However, the duo have always

n Entertainment Desk

looked extremely comfortable in each others presence whenever they’ve been spotted in public.

Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek and daugh-

ter Aaradhya recently returned from a family holiday in Dubai. They were accompanied by Aishwarya’s parents, her brother and her sister-in-law. l

In over two decades of association with Hindi films - as an actor, and now as a producer - Saif Ali Khan says his best investment ever has been to join the Indian movie industry, where the business is now almost “doubling.” “My best investment is to join Bollywood. It’s such a good investment. The business is doubling. When we started, things were not the same. It’s a great time now for the filmmakers and actors,” Saif, who made his acting debut with 1992 film Parampara, said in an interaction.

From featuring in pot-boilers like Yeh Dillagi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Kachche Dhaage and Hum Saath-Saath Hain:We Stand United, Saif went on to do differentiated roles post 2000.

He was seen in a different avatar in Dil Chahta Hai, and then went on to star in key roles in movies like Kal

Ho Naa Ho, Ek Hasina Thi, Hum Tum, Parineeta and Salaam Namaste.

Omkara came as an image-breaker for Saif, and he was noticed in films like Race, Tashan, Love Aaj Kal, Kurbaan and Aarakshan.

Now awaiting the release of rustic action piece, Bullett Raja, the National Award-winning actor is glad to be a part of the present “exciting phase in Indian cinema, where “experimentation” seems to be the key.

“I don’t think I could have done such a role (as in Bullett Raja) two or five years back,” said the 43-year-old, who plays a gangster in the Tigmanshu Dhulia-directed film, which releases Friday.

“Now I think I am ready for these kinds of roles. Now I feel I have understood my work, and different kinds of films are being made. So, it’s an exciting phase,” he added. l

Saif Ali Khan in Agent Vinod

Did you know?

Not only was Shane Long’s second goal on Monday the 300th Premier League goal of the season, it was also WBA’s 300th in the PL

Sport

14 Chelsea qualify despite Basel defeat, Barca lose

13

Thursday, November 28, 2013

DHAKA TRIBUNE

14 Argentine child Messi lookalike makes headlines

15 Nepal, UAE book tickets to Bangladesh

Mushfiq gains long-term captaincy

Vice-presidency poll to be held soon take some more time. n Minhaz Uddin Khan “Few names came up for the chief

Sheikh Jamal’s Haitian forward Sony Norde shoots during his team’s practice session at the club ground yesterday

MUMIT M

MSC stand in Jamal’s way The two sides meet for the first time in Federation Cup history

n Raihan Mahmood The first ever e n c o u n t e r between big names Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Dhaka Mohammedan in the history of the Federation Cup promises a thrilling football match as the losers will bow out of the season’s first tournament. After the group stages it is also the first high-voltage match of the season between latest powerhouse Sheikh Jamal and traditional Black and Whites meet in the first quarterfinal of the Walton Federation Cup at 5:00pm at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.

The knock-out stage match is expected to be a lively encounter as Jamal, the best team on paper, will be focused upon taking a big step towards the first title of the season while Mohammedan, backed by their strong base of supporter, will be looking for-

ward to pull out a victory that will boost their morale for the upcoming challenges.

The two teams moved into the quarterfinals in contrasting ways with Jamal edging past Feni Soccer 1-0 and Mohammedan losing to arch-rivals Abahani 2-0 in their last respective matches. Jamal holds the upper hand over their opponents in the foreign players’ department. Haitian Sony Norde and Wedson will be the key in Jamal’s performance today while Mohammedan will be relying upon the national duo Zahid Hasan Emily and winger Zahid Hossain.

Josef Afusi, the Nigerian coach of Jamal conducted a serious training session yesterday at the club ground that contained video session and tactical sessions. “It will be a challenging one, Mohammedan is a traditional powerhouse, they are a good team and we are ready for the fight. They have got matured players. Tomorrow it will be an open game as Mohammedan definitely

CEO comments irk BCB n Mazhar Uddin The Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury’s comment on the issues raised earlier by two Zimbabwean cricketers who played for Brothers Union in the Dhaka Premier League have taken few of the board directors by surprise.

Zimbabwe cricketers Sean Williams and Sean Ervine complained to the media, both national and international, that they were not paid by the club and left stranded at a Dhaka hotel for seven days. The complaint brought a stern reaction from the BCB acting CEO, who said that the board will take action against the Zimbabwean nationals for tarnishing the image of the country, reported a daily newspaper on Tuesday.

However, an influential director of the BCB who requested for anonymity countered the comment of the CEO and informed that a cricketer has the right to complain when things are not right and also said that he is disappointed about what happened with the two cricketers.

“The issue was not raised at the board level. A cricketer can always talk to the media if things are not right and there is no one to help him out. It is disappointing that they (Ervine and Williams) went through such an experience,” said the director.

He added, “To be honest I don’t know if there is any rule mentioned in the constitution on the issue. I don’t understand how Sujon (Nizam Uddin) could

make such comments to the media.”

Whereas as the board should have had taken care of the situation and take steps against the club who actually tarnished the image of the country for harassing two international cricketers in Bangladesh.

When the cricketers could not reach the club that failed to pay them in a timely manner, they informed the media and the situation was resolved as a result. But the board rather stated of

To be honest I don’t know if there is any rule mentioned in the constitution on the issue.

I don’t understand how Sujon (Nizam Uddin) could make such comments to the media taking action against the two victimised cricketers instead of acknowledging their own mishandling of the matter.

However Nizam was found with a softened tone by the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. The BCB official said that the issue was not a big enough to discuss and the board would look into the matter closely before making a decision as to how to proceed.

“I don’t think it is a very big issue and we would like to investigate the whole issue and then we can talk about this,” he said yesterday.

The CEO also informed that the BCB has the right to take action against any person who damages the image of the board informed Nizam. l

will have the hunger to win the match to proceed to the semis and in the consequence we will get chances, it would be a good match as there are only one option - to win the match and stay alive in the tournament. We are not taking anything for granted,” said Afusi.

Afusi hoped to fire in all cylinders in the match and said, “We have played two matches so far and grabbed full points. Things were not easy as we thought. We may have won by 2-0 and 1-0 margins, but you have to know that they both were Bangladesh Premier League teams and they definitely have some quality.

“I admit the fact we could have won by bigger margin but it’s not so easy. As I earlier said that I am not satisfied with the forward line I have asked them to concentrate more, I also would like to see my midfield more linked with the forward line, the supply would have to be resourceful,” said the Nigerian.

“We will not depend on Sony Norde, the whole team wants to get involved

in the success. Sony has scored three goals, it’s the starting of the journey and he will be scoring more after he gets into the gear,” he added.

Meanwhile, his counterpart Jewel Rana eyes nothing but a win in the game. “There is no option apart from a victory,” he said before adding, “Jamal is the best team on paper, but the in the field there are no such thing. We want to perform and win the match.”

The former national captain Rana also wants his players to show “mental integrity.”

“The senior players have to perform and provide the required elements, we must not repeat the silly mistakes of not marking the players,” he said.

“We don’t want to concede early goals. There is plenty of time and we have to utilise the chances. Our simple plan is not allowing Jamal any free space. There will be some plans to mark Sony Norde, the match is like a final to us, however , Hemanta’s vacuum is a blow to the team,” said Jewel . l

Mushfiqur Rahim’s tenure as the national team captain has been extended by 14 months until the ICC World Cup 2015, it was decided in the second meeting of the first elected committee of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). This fulfilled the wish of the wicketkeeperbatsman, whose reign as skipper ended with the conclusion of the bilateral home series against New Zealand earlier this month, who earlier wanted the position for a longer period as it will help him plan long-term strategies with the team.

The national skipper targeted consistency for the team after the BCB handed him the responsibility. “I feel honoured by the faith the board has shown in my ability to lead the Bangladesh team. This is also a fantastic opportunity for me to plan for the future with Shane (national team head coach Shane Jurgensen), the players and the rest of the management,” said Mushfiq who has been at the Tigers’ helm since September 2011.

“We have started to develop a better degree of consistency in recent times and I will try my heart and soul to maintain that positive vibe. I am confident that I will receive the full support of the players and the board in our continuous quest to improve,” said the wicketkeeper-batsman.

In the vibrant meeting it was also decided that a secret ballot election will be held for the senior vice-president posts.

Sources informed that the BCB president Nazmul Hasan learnt that most of the directors are looking forward to the position and thus they decided to run a poll among the executive committee members. It was also learnt the BCB president asked the interested directors to submit their names.

Choosing the national chief selector was also an agenda in the meeting and though it was thought the name will be revealed yesterday, the board decided to

selector’s post, but we are yet to decide.

Hopefully it will be done in a day or two,” said BCB president Nazmul to the media yesterday.

He further informed that former national cricketer and chief selector Faruk Ahmed’s name was discussed for the position along with names of Minhazul Abedin, Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mashud Pilot. Sources informed the board is also considering promoting one of the two existing selectors, Minhazul or Habibul, while they are looking at other available options as well. The chief selector’s post went vacant after Akram Khan got elected as a board member.

The meeting also discussed the possibilities of penning a long-term television right which will be efficient and sustainable, something the BCB has long been waiting for. However, there was no concrete solution and rather it was decided to float immediate tender for media rights worldwide forthe upcoming home series against Sri Lanka.

The board directors also discussed of holding a Twenty20 tournament for the national cricketers who have no competitive cricket until the Sri Lanka series.

“We have planned to start the national camp in a week time. First they will attend a fitness camp and when it ends, we plan to hold a Twenty20 tournament which will help them get ready for the World Cup 2014,” said Nazmul.

He further informed, the four zonal teams will play in the tournament which will also include the national cricketers followed by the National Cricket League in order to make the Tigers play some longer version of cricket before facing Sri Lank in two-match Test series. The financial grant for Dhaka Premier League clubs for the 2012-13 was also locked in the meeting. The six Super League clubs will receive Tk3.5m each while the other teams will get Tk2.5m each. l

BOA mulls TT camp n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) is planning to include table tennis along with four other disciplines for the projected long term isolated training camp ahead of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2014. The camp is expected to get underway from January 1, 2014. Omitting athletics and swimming, BOA earlier finalized the list of 26 athletes

from four disciplines—shooting, archery, boxing and taekwondo. The decision to add table tennis or not will be finalized at the next executive meeting scheduled to be held in the first week of December.

The previous records of table tennis was overly promising - Bangladesh only won three bronze medals at the last edition of South Asian Games in 2010, compared to the six silver medals they claimed in swimming. l

Hemanta flies for FC Twente trials n Shishir Hoque Hemanta Vincent Biswas expressed his gratitude to the Dutch coaches Lodewijk de Kruif and Rene Koster for giving him the opportunity to try out for Dutch professional club FC Twente.

The Bangladesh Under-19 national football team skipper left Dhaka yesterday accompanied by the national team’s Dutch assistant coach Rene Koster.

Rene, before leaving, promised to provide all kinds of supports to Hemanta during his trial period at FC Twente.

The Mohammedan midfielder is expected to stay at the club for about a month while Rene might return to Dhaka in two weeks. The duo will first go to Nepal and pick up Nepal U-16 captain Bimal Gharti Magar, who will also travel to Netherlands for trials. Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif, using his connections at FC Twente, acted as a scout and made the connection between FC Twente and Hemanta.

“I’m really grateful to the coaches. I will try my best on trial to repay the faith they have put in me,” Hemanta said before he leaving Dhaka.

The young player from Dinajpur, who came through BKSP, caught Kruif and Koster’s attention during the U-19 training camp for the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, which were held in Iraq last month. Hemanta made his professional football debut with Mohammedan in the ongoing Walton Federation Cup. l

Nazmul Hasan (C), the president presided over the directors meeting of the BCB at the SBNS yesterday

COURTESY

BCB assigns roles to directors n Mazhar Uddin The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the names of chairmen of the boards standing committee’s after Nazmul Hasan became the first elected president of the board in October 12.

The second meeting of the newly elected BCB directors took place yesterday and 18 chairmen of the standing committee were selected. Only the post of chairman of the working committee remains open. The BCB president Nazmul informed that the posts are given for six months only.

“After six months we will assess their (chairmen’s) work decide if to keep them or replace,” said Nazmul.

Three former national captains Akram Khan, Khaled Mahmud and Naimur Rahman – were elected chairman of the cricket operations, game development and age level tournament committee respectively.

Akram Khan, who left his chief selector post after deciding to run in the BCB elections, replaces Enayet Hossain Siraj as chairman of the all important Cricket Operations committee, Khaled Mahmud replaces another former captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu in the game development department while Naimur Rahman was selected to head the age level tournament committee.

Jalal Yunus retained his position as the chairman of the media committee, anoth-

er influential director - Dr. Ismail Haider Mallick - took the charge of the logistic and protocol committee and newly elected director Manzur Kader was named chairman of the security committee.

Meanwhile, Kazi Inam Ahmed, another newly elected director, took charge of the important department of marketing and commercial committee, replacing Ahmed Sajjadul Alam. Kazi Inam told the media that his first priority would be arranging great TV deals for international series’.

“My first priority will be taking good and sustainable TV right deals for the board to highlight and marketing Bangladesh cricket to the world for the upcoming years,” he declared. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, November 28, 2013

AFC, Oceania in talks over combining World Cup slots n Reuters, Kuala Lumpur The Asian and Oceania football confederations have opened discussions about combining World Cup slots to improve their qualification chances at future tournaments, AFC President Sheikh Salman said.

Both regions suffered heavy defeats in the intercontinental playoffs for the 2014 World Cup last week with Oceania champions New Zealand thrashed 9-3 over two legs by Mexico, while the AFC’s Jordan were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Uruguay.

Asia currently has four automatic qualifying berths for the World Cup, with the fifth-placed team going into an intercontinental playoff, while Oceania has no automatic spot and the champions must also go through a playoff.

Australia made the move to the AFC in 2006, which increased Asia’s World Cup places to four and a half, and AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa was open to incorporating the half slot from the OFC in some way.

New Zealand were Oceania’s last representatives at a World Cup when they qualified by beating Sheikh Salman’s Bahrain in a two legged playoff for the 2010 finals in South Africa.

That 1-0 aggregate success made New Zealand just the fourth OFC side to play at a World Cup after their first appearance in 1982 and Australia in 1974 and 2006. Any possible move would require approval from FIFA, who conducted a draw to see which confederations would face off for the final places in Brazil 2014 with the AFC drawing CONMEBOL and OFC against CONCACAF. l

Ajax Amsterdam's Danny Hoesen (L) celebrates his goal with team mate Davy Klaassen (R) during their Champions League group H match against Barcelona at Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam on Tuesday

REUTERS

Chelsea qualify despite Basel defeat, Barca lose n Reuters, London Chelsea reached the Champions League knockout stage on Tuesday despite a 1-0 defeat by Basel in Group E after a late Mohamed Salah goal shocked the 2012 title winners with Jose Mourinho saying they deserved to lose.

Barcelona, without Lionel Messi but already into the last 16, went two goals down in Amsterdam but looked a different side in the second half after Ajax’s Joel Veltman was sent off.

Xavi pulled a goal back but Ajax held on to inflict Barca’s first defeat this season under new coach Gerardo Martino and the Dutch side now visit AC Milan next month with all to play for.

Milan thrashed Celtic 3-0 away and have eight points to Ajax’s seven in Group H after ending the Glasgow side’s hopes Three sides in Group F - Arsenal, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund - all still

harbour hopes of reaching the last 16.

Arsenal have 12 points after beating visitors Olympique Marseille 2-0 thanks to a double from England midfielder Jack Wilshere, while Dortmund, last season’s losing finalists, join Napoli on nine points after beating the Italians 3-1.

Arsenal travel to Napoli on Dec. 11 while Dortmund play at Marseille, who have yet to earn a point and have now lost eight successive Champions League matches over two seasons.

In Group G, Zenit St Petersburg and Porto still have a chance of joining section winners Atletico Madrid in the last 16. Zenit drew 1-1 at home to the Spaniards to reach six points while Porto have five after a 1-1 draw with Austria Vienna.

Mourinho’s Chelsea side failed to manage a shot on goal in the first half against Basel who themselves could not find a way past Petr Cech to make their dominance count.

The visitors were little better in the second period and Salah made them pay in the 87th minute, the Egyptian collecting a long pass and lifting the

ball over Cech for the winner.

Basel’s double triumph over the English side gives them eight points, one fewer than Chelsea. Basel travel to Schalke 04, who drew 0-0 with Steaua Bucharest and have seven points, in

Argentine eight-year-old Messi lookalike makes headlines n Reuters, Buenos Aires

An Argentine eight-year-old prodigy from the southern Andes who could be mistaken as a clone of Lionel Messi may soon be taking the same road to soccer glory as the Barcelona ace.

Claudio Nancufil, small for his age, has become a media sensation since emerging as an unusual talent at the modest Martin Guemes club in the ski resort of Bariloche.

“As soon as he started to play (aged four) he was already different from all the rest of his playmates with regards to technique,” club president Marcelo Ernalz said.

“How he takes the ball stuck to his foot, brakes, stops, kicks, scores, shoots on goal, from when he was little he had all these distinct qualities,” said Ernalz, who also trains one of the age group teams at his club.

Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have shown interest and the boy could go to Spain for trials in the New Year, according to the Madrid newspaper El Confidencial.

Ernalz told Reuters that Spaniard Manuel Otero, manager of Barcelonabased PR agency Suenos Comunicaciones (dreams communications), visited the Nancufil family in Bariloche when he heard of Claudio’s talent and offered to represent them.

“After the Christmas holidays, ‘Claudito’ (little Claudio) will go to try out with these three Spanish teams and then we’ll see what each of them offers

us,” said Otero, whose agency normally has actors and musicians on its books.

Big Argentine clubs are also interested.

“We’ve had an invitation from River Plate for him to train for a week with them,” Otero added in a report in El Confidencial. “(The family) are not closing any

Claudio Nancufil

REUTERS

doors and England could also be a great destination for the player.”

Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly interested in Nancufil, set to be part of a documentary on Argentine football.

“The BBC is preparing documentaries in the run-up to the World Cup in Brazil and with Argentina they want to unite the past, present and future,” Otero said.

“For this, they plan to bring together Diego Armando Maradona, Lionel Messi and Claudio Nancufil and with the participation of (World Cup-winning coaches Cesar Luis) Menotti and (Carlos) Bilardo.”

Such were the similarities in talent observers saw in Nancufil with Messi at the same age, dribbling past bigger and older boys with ease, that he was called the “Messi of the snows”.

“We’re happy because both the kid and his family deserve an opportunity like this,” Ernalz told Argentina’s Cadena 3 in a recent interview.

“He’s physically small and had the same growth problems detected in Messi when he was little, and he’s getting hormone treatment.”

His mother Viviana said Claudio, who is from a humble background with origins in the Mapuche indians of the southern Andean mountain range, could not explain how he played.

“We asked him, how do you do that?

And he said, ‘I don’t know. I just get it in my head and my feet move on their own. It’s like that,” she told Reuters. l

hour to end Celtic’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Barcelona suffered an early shock in Amsterdam after a goal by Ajax midfielder Thulani Serero. The Spanish side’s defence allowed a cross from Ricardo van Rhijn to reach the South Africa international who netted from close range.

The surprises continued when Danny Hoesen added a second for the hosts just before halftime but Xavi pulled one back for the 2009 and 2011 European champions from the penalty spot four minutes after the break.

Atletico Madrid dropped their first points of this season’s competition in the 1-1 draw in St Petersburg. Adrian Lopez put the group winners ahead shortly after halftime before a Toby Alderweireld own goal secured a point for the Russian side.

Austria Vienna, with only one point from four games, went ahead against the run of play at Porto through Roman Kienast in the 11th minute - their first goal in this season’s group stage. l

the final round next month and one of the two will qualify.

Wilshere put Arsenal in front after 30 seconds with a superb curled shot but Germany’s Mesut Ozil missed the chance to put the Londoners two-up when his

penalty was saved before halftime.

Wilshere gave Arsenal breathing space with a second after 65 minutes and they coasted home. A draw in Napoli will book them a place in the last 16 and manager Arsene Wenger said he felt that was well within their capabilities.

In Dortmund, Borussia went 1-0 up with a 10th minute penalty, Marco Reus putting the spot kick away after Robert Lewandowski was fouled following a corner. Jakub Blaszczykowski doubled the home side’s lead on the hour.

Lorenzo Insigne pulled one back for Napoli five minutes after coming on as a substitute from a fine pass by Gonzalo Higuain but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured the three points for Dortmund with a goal 12 minutes from time.

Kaka put Milan ahead in Glasgow with the simplest of close-range headers from a corner and Milan grabbed their second via Cristian Zapata Helped by another static display from the Celtic defence shortly after halftime.

Mario Balotelli added a third on the

United plane aborts landing in Germany

Swans looking for spring season in Europa League

n Reuters, London

n AFP, Paris

Manchester United’s plane had to abort its landing seconds from touchdown as the squad flew to Germany for yesterday’s Champions League match with Bayer Leverkusen, British media reported.

The chartered 185-seater Monarch Airlines Airbus 321 jet circled before landing safely at the second attempt, 10 minutes late at Cologne’s Konrad Adenauer Airport on Tuesday.

United central defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted: “Landed in Germany .... just .... I’ve only just recovered after that choppy landing!” l

Valencia travel to Wales today with their place in the Europa League knockout phase assured and a matter of pride to play for against a Swansea side looking to lay down new landmarks in their European history.

With two matches remaining in the 12 group, round-robin format, Tottenham, Salzburg, Esbjerg, Ludogorets Razgrad, Fiorentina and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk are also certain to be in the hat for the round of 32, as the long journey to the May 14 final in Turin continues.

Swansea are on the brink of playing in the spring phase of a European competition for the first time in club history, a far cry from their last continental appearance when they were hammered 10-1 on aggregate in the 1991-92 Cup Winners’ Cup, by Monaco.

Seven-time French champions Lyon can also advance after a stuttering start to their season under Remi Garde, and the embarassment of failing to reach the knockout phase will only compound their misery of falling in the final Champions League qualifying round at the hands of Real Sociedad.

They host Group I leaders Real Betis at the Gerland stadium, trailing by two points with Vitoria de Guimaraes a further two back and on the road at Croatia’s winless outsiders Rijeka Alexandre Lacazette has been Lyon’s main source of goals in domestic action with six, but their inability to

Fifa reject Burkina Faso’s Algeria appeal n AFP, Paris

Burkina Faso’s appeal against their elimination from World Cup qualifying

by Algeria has been rejected, FIFA said on Tuesday.

The Burkina Faso football federation (FBF) had claimed Algeria defender Madjid Bougherra was ineligible for the teams’ play-off match in Algiers last week.

But FIFA told AFP on Tuesday that: “Burkina Faso had not respected the formal conditions for an appeal” and that “Algeria had not committed any infraction”. l

kill off matches came back to haunt them again at the weekend when they were pegged back to 1-1 at home to third from bottom Valenciennes.

English FA Cup winners Wigan will keep their adventure going if they can defeat Zulte Waregem and already qualified Rubin Kazan avoid defeat at home to Slovenia’s NK Maribor in Russia. l

FIXTURE Kuban Swansea City Chornomorets Ludogorets Elfsborg Esbjerg Rubin Kazan Wigan Dnipro Paços de Ferreira Apoel Nicosia Bordeaux Racing Genk R Vienna Liberec Sevilla FC Lyon Rijeka Legia Warsaw Trabzonspor Anzhi Tromso Karagandy AZ Alkmaar

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

St Gallen Valencia Dinamo Zagreb PSV Salzburg Standard Liege NK Maribor Zulte-Waregem Pandurii Fiorentina M Tel-Aviv Eintracht D Kiev FC Thun SC Freiburg Estoril Real Betis Guimaraes Lazio Apollon Sheriff Tottenham Salonika M Haifa

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Accident at Brazil World Cup stadium kills three n Reuters, Sao Paulo

QUICK BYTES

China’s ZZ tops Nekounam for AFC award China’s Zheng Zhi beat Iranian star Javad Nekounam to the Asian player of the year award Tuesday after leading Guangzhou Evergrande to a breakthrough regional title. The 33-year-old, captain for his club and country, said it was a “special feeling” to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) prize after a distinguished career at home and in Europe. Earlier this month the ex-Charlton Athletic and Celtic midfielder skippered Marcello Lippi-coached Guangzhou to the AFC Champions League title, China’s first Asian trophy in 23 years. “There is a special feeling of winning this award at the age of 33. It’s a big occasion for me to win this award,” he said, after being showered with tickertape at a gala awards show. “This season has been fantastic not only for me but the whole team... we are looking for the unique treble after winning the ACL (Champions League) and the (domestic) league, so it’s been a memorable one.”

–AFP

Blatter slams European media over Qatar Fifa boss Sepp Blatter condemned European media for “attacking” 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar Tuesday, days after slamming European countries and companies over the controversial tournament. The veteran Swiss said media had been unfair to Qatar as he made an impassioned defence of the event to delegates at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) awards in Kuala Lumpur. “It is not fair when the international media and especially European media are taking up the focus of an Arab country here in Asia, and attacking, criticising this country,” Blatter said. “We are defending it. We have taken the decision to play a World Cup in the Arab world and we have taken the decision to play in Qatar and we will go and play this... in 2022 in Qatar,” he added, to loud applause at the gala dinner.

–AFP

Bendtner apologises after arrest Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner apologised Tuesday after being arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage at his apartment block. The 25-year-old was held by police in Hertfordshire, north-west of London, on Monday in connection with damage to a building where he lives in the Bushey area.

Bendtner, writing on his Instagram account on Tuesday, said he’d accidentally damaged a door he tried to force open after it became stuck. “On Saturday night after our win against Southampton I went out with my family and friends for dinner,” he wrote. “After our dinner we all wanted a night swim in my gym so we changed to shorts and brought towels down.

–AFP

UAE players celebrate with coach Aaqib Javed after qualifying for the World T20 after their qualifier match against Netherlands in Abu Dhabi yesterday

Nepal, UAE book tickets to Bangladesh n Agencies Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets off the final ball yesterday to clinch qualification for the ICC World Twenty20 2014 while wins for Papua New Guinea and Scotland kept their chances alive.

In the afternoon match, United Arab Emirates beat the Netherlands by 10 runs to also qualify.

Nepal and UAE join Afghanistan and Ireland in making it through from the ICC World Twenty20 2014 Qualifier, and they progress to the semi-finals of this tournament.

Hong Kong, who just failed to defend a score of 143 for eight, will play Papua New Guinea with the winner also qualifying. Scotland will meet the Netherlands in their final play-off game.

Batting first, Hong Kong made good progress as Waqas Barkat and Nizakat Khan both made 25, and further runs

were added later on by Munir Dar (20), Babar Hyat (10) and Tanwir Afzal (25).

Jitendra Mukhiya took three for 23 and Avinash Khan two for 28.

Nepal openers Subash Khakurel (16) and Sagar Pun (22) got the run chase off to an excellent start and after they were dismissed by Tanwir and Haseeb Amjad respectively, Gyanendra Malla’s 30 in 27 balls and Paras Khadka’s 46 in 39 looked to be setting Nepal on course for the win.

However, Aizaz Khan removed Malla and Khadka was run out to set up a tense finish, made even more so when Binod Bhandari (7) also fell.

Sharad Vesawkar was Nepal’s hero, hitting an unbeaten 13 in seven balls including the winning single from the final ball of the game as he and Pradeep Airee (3 not out) took 13 runs from the final over to win.

While Nepal can look forward to a semi-final and a trip to Bangladesh,

DAY’S WATCH Ten Golf 12:00PM Indonesian Open Day One 06:00PM Alfred Dunhill Championship Day One Uefa Europa League 2013/14 Ten Sports 12:00AM Lyon v Real Betis 2:00AM Wigan Athletic v Zulte-Waregem Ten Action 12:00AM Tromso v Tottenham Hotspur 2:00AM Swansea City v Valencia Ten HD 12:00AM Sevilla FC v Estoril 2:00AM Ludogorets Razgrad v PSV

Hong Kong will face Papua New Guinea, who beat Namibia by 25 runs, for another chance to qualify.

Geraint Jones (36), Tony Ura (34) and Jack Vare (30) were in the runs for them as they posted 145 for four as Nicholaas and Bernard Scholtz took two wickets apiece.

Namibia then collapsed to 16 for four and as Pipi Raho took three for 10 with Willie Gavera, John Reva and Christopher Amini taking two apiece, Namibia were bowled out in 18.1 overs.

Scotland proved far too strong for Italy in their seven-wicket win.

Andy Northcote top scored with 46 not out as Italy posted 125 for eight, their innings stuttering as Neil Carter and Safyaan Sharif grabbed a brace of wickets.

Scotland’s opening pair Richie Berrington (52) and Calum MacLeod (56) then put them on course for victory with a 112-run stand and although It-

aly picked up three wickets in quick succession, they came too late to stop Scotland cruising home in 17.3 overs.

It was a much closer game between hosts UAE and the Netherlands.

Khurram Khan made 32, Mohammad Shafiq 25 and Asim Kurshad 17 as the UAE posted 117 for eight; their bowlers then delivered a superb performance to hold the Dutch to just 107 for nine to clinch a 10-run win.

Ahsan Malik had earlier taken four for 17 for the Netherlands but their batsmen were unable to overhaul a relatively modest total.

They started poorly by losing openers Stephan Myburgh and Michael Swart for six and one respectively and never recovered.

Wesley Barresi went for 11 and although Eric Szwarczynski made 23, Ben Cooper 20 and Michael Rippon 19, they fell short, Nasir Ajaz taking three for 21. l

Honda wins Best Footballer in Asia Award n Raihan Mahmood

Ajax supporter injured in goal celebration An Ajax Amsterdam fan was seriously injured after falling from the stands at the Amsterdam Arena as he celebrated a goal in Tuesday’s Champions League game against Barcelona, Dutch media reported. He fell some 10 metres onto the dust track around the pitch after Danny Hoesen scored just before halftime to put Ajax 2-0 ahead in their Group H match. The unidentified supporter was treated by medical staff, who arrived in a trauma helicopter at halftime and two ambulances, which collided with each other as they departed the track. One took the fan to hospital, reports added.

–Reuters

INTERNET

A crane collapsed on Wednesday at the construction site of a future World Cup soccer stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, killing at least three people and apparently causing damage to the structure.

The stadium, which was scheduled to be finished in the next month or so, is to be the site of the opening game and five other matches when Brazil hosts the 2014 soccer World Cup in June and July.

A spokeswoman for the Sao Paulo state military police confirmed the deaths.

Brazil has struggled to deliver stadiums, public transportation improvements and other World Cup-related projects within the timelines specified by world soccer body FIFA. Some construction sites, such as a new terminal at Sao Paulo’s international airport, are being built around the clock seven days a week to try to finish them before the Cup. The Sao Paulo stadium, formally called Arena Corinthians but known locally as “Itaquerão,” is being built

by Brazilian industrial conglomerate Odebrecht SA, which recently said the arena was 94 percent complete. l

Shikhar Dhawan raises the bat after reaching his century against West Indies during their 3rd ODI in Kanpur yesterday INTERNET

Dazzling Dhawan powers India to series win n Agencies India today clinched the ODI series against West Indies 2-1 with a comfortable five-wicket victory in the third and final match here, riding on Shikhar Dhawan’s sparkling century.

The Indians first restricted West Indies to 263 for five and then overhauled the target with 23 balls to spare to lift yet another ODI trophy at home.

Dhawan stole the limelight with an attacking 119 that came off 95 balls, his fifth ODI hundred, while Yuvraj Singh notched up a 74-ball 55 to seal the issue for the home side at the Green Park Stadium which was hosting an international game after a gap of nearly four years.

It was a welcome return to form for Yuvraj, who cautiously put together 129 runs for the third wicket with Dhawan to set the platform for the easy win.

Earlier, the trio of Kieran Powell, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo struck half-centuries to propel West Indies to a challenging total.

Powell (70) carried on his good form from the last match and registered his second fifty of the series. Together with Samuels (71), he shared a 117-run second-wicket partnership to lay the foundation for West Indies after the visitors were put into bat by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

BRIEF SCORE India 266 for 5 (Dhawan 119, Yuvraj 55) beat West Indies 263 for 5 (Samuels 71, Powell 70, Darren Bravo 51*) by five wickets Towards the end, Darren Bravo (51 not out) and Darren Sammy (37 not out) played aggressively to take West Indies past the 260-run mark.

Comfortably placed at 137 for one at one stage, West Indies looked set for a big score but India staged a comeback with quick wickets to restrict West Indies to the manageable score.

For the hosts, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with figures of two for 45 from his quota of 10 overs. l

Nepal's Avinash Karn celebrates with fans after they qualified for World T20 yesterday

Lehmann dismisses England peace talks n AFP, Sydney Australia coach Darren Lehmann has rejected the idea of a meeting with England counterpart Andy Flower to set some sledging ground rules ahead of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.

Flower told British media that the right balance needed to be found with on-field banter after frustrations boiled over on the final day of the first Test in Brisbane, with Australian skipper Michael Clarke fined 20 percent of his match fee.

“Now you have brought it up (talking to Lehmann) I’ll have a think about it,” Flower said. “A balance has got to be found on the pitch between competitiveness and not overstepping the line.”

But Lehmann said talks on the issue were not necessary as he looks to build on Australia’s huge victory in Brisbane that left England bruised and battered. l

Keisuke Honda became the first voted winner of Best Footballer in Asia Award. The Japanese star, who plays for CSKA Moscow, finished ahead of Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso and Darío Leonardo Conca, both playing for Guangzhou Evergrande FC. The Best Footballer in Asia Award was launched earlier this year by Titan Sports of China. Journalists representing AFC national associations and several European journalists who cover Asian football voted for the winner. Each voter chose five players and points were awarded as followed - five points for a first place in a voters’ list, four points for second, three points for third, two points for fourth, and one point for fifth.

As the result, Keisuke Honda

claimed a total of 46 points, leaving Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso and Darío Leonardo Conca tied in second place with 32 points each. The fourth place went to Son Heung-Min of Bayer Leverkusen and Zheng Zhi of Guangzhou Evergrande, who finished on par with 31 points.

Honda has been playing for CSKA Moscow since 2010 and he is linked in a move to AC Milan next season. l

England ‘heartbroken’ by Trott exit: Broad

Pakistan win first ODI series against Proteas

n AFP, London

England all-rounder Stuart Broad said on Wednesday that Jonathan Trott’s shock departure from the Ashes tour was “heartbreaking”, but pledged that the squad would rally round him.

Trott left Australia after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) revealed on Monday that he has been suffering from a stress-related illness.

The South Africa-born batsman’s exit came after he twice fell cheaply to Mitchell Johnson in England’s heavy 381-run loss to Australia in the first Test in Brisbane.

The tourists now travel to Alice for a two-day warm-up match against a CA Chairman’s XI on Friday and Saturday, before flying south to Adelaide for next week’s second Test. Although England are primarily focusing on restoring parity in the five-Test series, Broad says that the players’ thoughts are also with the departed Trott.

“It’s heartbreaking for us to lose Trotty,” Broad told BBC Radio 5 Live.l

n Reuters Pakistan won a bilateral one-day international series against South Africa for the first time when they claimed a onerun victory in a thrilling finale in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

BRIEF SCORE Pakistan 262 (45 overs) Shehzad 102, Steyn 6-39 South Africa 261 for 6 (45 overs) Amla 98, de Villiers 74, Junaid 3-42) Pakistan won by 1 run Pakistan now lead the three-match series 2-0 with one to play, their victory set up by a superb 102 from Ahmed Shehzad in a match reduced to 45 overs per side after early rain.

The visitors were sent into bat in South Africa’s 500th ODI match and amassed a sizeable 262 all out on the back of Shehzad’s ton and a pair of 42s from Sohaib Maqsood and Umar Akmal.

Dale Steyn continued his excellent recent form with the ball to record careerbest figures of six for 39, a lone hand in a Proteas attack that otherwise battled to contain the visiting batsmen.

South Africa looked to have paced their chase well. Captain AB de Villiers smashed a whirlwind 74 from 45 balls and opener Hashim Amla fell two runs short of his century in the last ball of the penultimate over.

But needing nine off the final over to win with five wickets remaining, the impressive Junaid Khan (three for 42) bowled a number of yorkers that the South African batsmen could not get off the square.

The home side needed a six off the last ball but Khan’s legside delivery flicked the pads of David Miller and raced to the fine leg boundary for a four as South Africa ended their innings on 261 for six.

The third and final one-day international will be played in Pretoria on Saturday. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Budget revision meeting starts 22 days earlier

Hollywood producer was Israeli spy

n BBC

It is not ‘proper’ for the interim government to revise budget: Mirza Aziz n Asif Showkat Kallol Drained out funds and decline in earning have led the government to start the meetings on revising the fiscal budget early this year.

A senior official of the Finance Division said with all government departments having exhausted their allocations, Finance Minister AMA Muhith wanted to revise the budget before the present government’s tenure ended on January 24, 2014.

To that end the government plans to hold the budget revision meeting 22 days before the normal time, but analysts believe that an early budget revision is not appropriate for an interim government.

Usually, the meeting is held on January 7-24, but Finance Division officials said this time the meeting with 65 ministries and divisions would be held from December 15 to January 14.

Earlier, at a meeting of the fiscal coordination council, the finance minister said: “We have no choice but to revise the current fiscal budget three months early as we fear economic indices may drop because of hartals.”

Usually, a fiscal year’s budget is revised in the middle of March, but now the government wants to do it before January 24 next year.

Dr Mirza Azizul Islam, former adviser to a caretaker government, said it would not be appropriate for the interim administration to revise the budget as the prime minister had declared that it would not make any policy decisions.

“The government suspended the Executive Committee of National Eco-

nomic Council on Wednesday because it makes policy decisions,” he said.

The former adviser said the government usually made major policy decisions while revising a budget.

Zaid Bakht, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, said the prolonged political deadlock would stagnate the country’s economic activities and revenue earning while the growth and employment would also be affected.

National Board of Revenue Chairman Ghulam Hussain said hartals and blockades severally hampered revenue earning in the past five months, resulting in a revenue shortfall of Tk35bn.

“We will not maintain the 22% revenue growth in the current fiscal year. The board will calculate the total revenue shortage after December, he said.

The total expenditure in the FY201314 budget was estimated at Tk2.22 trillion, but the revenue earning stands at Tk1.67tr with a deficit of Tk550bn. Bank borrowing is estimated at Tk259.93bn.

Meanwhile, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank expressed concerns that the impending street agitation in the run-up to the national elections would take a heavy toll on Bangladesh’s economy and its growth.

They estimated that the country’s GDP would remain below 6% in the current fiscal year although the finance ministry expected it to grow to 6.6% compared to 6.3% of the previous fiscal year.

The government has a budgetary target of achieving 7.2% GDP growth in the current fiscal year. l

Five compartments of Agnibina Express topple off the tracks after pro-blockade activists of the opposition alliance removed railway fishplates in Gazipur’s Rajendrapur area yesterday DHAKA TRIBUND

Locals save train with 500 people from accident n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Over 500 passengers on Wednesday escaped an inevitable catastrophic consequences as local people stopped an inter-city train heading towards a railway bridge from which blockade enforcers removed fish-plates.

The opposition-backed blockade enforcers removed fish-plates on the 279 number bridge located between Joypurhat and Jamalganj stations in Joypurhat district.

The railway officials said the train Simanto Express headed for Khulna starting from Syedpur early Wednesday. Little did the train driver know about the lurking danger over a canal.

“One of our brothers noticed that some fish-plates of the rail track on the

bridge were missing. He then informed others to come and save the approaching train from the disaster,” one of the witnesses named Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

“The train was sure to plunge headlong into the canal had we not waved it down,” he said.

“Over 500 passengers were on board the train. Unless the people came forward there could have been a fatal accident,” Sujit Kumar Biswas, the divisional traffic officer, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the train stopped just near the bridge around 7:35am. The train was then backed to Jamalganj station.

Railway technicians fixed the track around 9:40am. The train resumed its journey around 9:50am, he said.

Port workers in trouble as blockade rolls into 3rd day n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat The countrywide blockade enforced by the opposition alliance had a knock-on effect on the livelihoods of the thousands of port and waterside workers involved with the Burimari Land Port, as they became unemployed overnight because of the protest programme.

Activities in the port in Lalmonirhat have ground to a near-halt since early Tuesday and the one-day extension to the blockade period may all but worsen their crisis.

Without work and contracts, the workers – stevedores, dockworkers, porters, etc. – are struggling to manage meals for their families, while many have borrowed money from local money-lenders with high interest rates.

Salatul Islam, 55, a dock labourer, said programmes such as strikes, shutdowns and blockades were “a curse” for the port workers since these meant a situation of unemployment and underemployment for them.

“Generally, we earn Tk250-300 per day in the port, by loading and unload-

Day labourers depended on Burimari land port face livelihood crisis ing ships coming in from India, Nepal and Bhutan. This is our only source of income and our families depend on what we earn from the port. But what can we do when there is no work?”

A Hollywood producer behind hit films such as Pretty Woman and Fight Club has said he spied for Israel in support of its nuclear programme.

Arnon Milchan, who was born in what is now Israel, gave an account to Israeli investigative programme Uvda.

Milchan said he performed dozens of clandestine missions on behalf of Israel after he was recruited by Shimon Peres, now Israel’s president.

“I did it for my country and I’m proud of it,” he said.

Milchan, 68, said he was recruited to Israel’s Bureau of Scientific Relations, a secretive organisation founded to supply the nation’s nuclear programme, in the 1960s by Peres.

His activities continued after he became a high-profile Hollywood producer, rising to chairman of film company New Regency.

He produced such hits as Mr and Mrs Smith and LA Confidential, and worked with famed directors including Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski and Oliver Stone. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

“These political programmes are like a curse for us, for they mean only unemployment for us and starvation for our families.”

Mashiur Miah, 50, another worker,

said he had borrowed Tk1,000 from a money lender on condition that he would pay Tk250 extra during each month of repayment. “I hate hartals and blockades. But who cares? Workers like us live from hand to mouth and we are important to politicians only when the polls come.”

Worker Taherul Islam lives along with four members of his family on a khas land and is the only breadwinner.

He said a “no-work situation” in the port meant no food for his family, and extra hours of work when port activities returned to normal.

There are at least 5,000 workers involved with the port – considered the third biggest of its kind in the country. “Blockade and such programmes put the livelihoods of these labourers in jeopardy. Political parties should be careful about keeping land ports out of the purview of their political programmes,” said Safor Uddin, president of Burimari Land Port Sangjukta Sramik Federation.

“It is important because each of these labourers has a family of their own to feed.” l

The railway officials said the railway was the most affected by the blockade programme.

According to the situation reports prepared up to 2:00pm Wednesday, the pro-blockade activists cut tracks, removed fish-plates, carried out arson attacks and set the coaches and engines on fire in at least 12 spots since the blockade started on Tuesday.

The destructive activities caused derailment of many trains causing immense sufferings to the common passengers who had to wait at deserted locations for hours.

On Wednesday, the director general of the Ansar forces had a meeting with the director general of the Bangladesh Railway to find out strategies to check the violence on the trains.

The railway authorities have identified 580 vulnerable points where the attackers can carry out sabotage.

The meeting decided to deploy 908 Ansar members – four members at each of the 227 points – Syed Zahurul Islam, director (traffic) of the railway, told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday.

The railway staff, Railway Nirapatta Bahini and other forces will guard the rest vulnerable points, he said.

“This is an encouraging initiative of the people to protect the railway from destruction save people’s lives. It will inspire others to do the same,” Khalilur Rahman, an additional director general, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The railway authorities on Wednesday appealed to people to protect the state-owned entity from sabotages. l

Poverty: boy drinks dog-milk for 6yrs

n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha Poverty is said to have forced a minor to drink dog-milk to quell his hunger for over six years in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, a matter of dismay to locals.

The incident has created a sensation among locals, with bystanders regularly crowding around to see the unbelievable sight. The boy is Shakil Ahmed, 8, son of a poor family of Mojaffar Ahmed and Afruza Begum.

Locals said the boy grew into the habit

of drinking dog-milk after finding no other way out of hunger when his mother used to leave him for work as a domestic helper.

He began by drinking the milk of his pet dog and is said to have continued this habit ignoring the prohibition and rebuke of his parents and neighbours.

“I feel no hesitation,” Shakil told this correspondent when Dhaka Tribune went to meet him. Though his pet dog died, he could not stop the practice. Shakil says he drinks dog-milk whenever he sees a mother dog. l

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Business

B2 Robi hits 16% revenue growth in Q3

B3 Investors may have to

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

Mega windmill on the cards PIA Group with home energy company to set up the project at Anwara

n Aminur Rahman Rasel The consortium of PIA Group LCC and Bangladesh Alternative Energy Systems Limited will set up the country’s largest wind-based power project at Anwara in Chittagong with 100 megawatt generation capacity.

Power Development Board (PDB) will buy per unit electricity for 12 US cents (Tk9.87) from the project for 20 years.

The tariff rate will remain unchanged, said the official sources.

The cabinet committee on public purchase on November 14 approved the plant under the Power and Energy Quick Supply (special provision) Act. The company proposed to implement the project within 18 months from the effective date of contract signing with PDB. Wind power technology is one of the cheapest clean power options.

Bangladesh is almost solely dependent on fossil fuel to generate power.

Not only does this cost a large amount of forex for the country, fossil fuels are finite resources and not environmentally sustainable in the long run.

The consortium Spain-Bangladesh jointventure (JV) company – PIA Group LCC, and Bangladesh Alternative Energy System Ltd (BAEC) had already conducted a wind mapping to assess the prospect of producing the electricity from the proposed plant, officials said.

The BD-Spain JV Company will invest about $220m for installing the wind-based power plant.

The company has already informed the Power Division to purchase nine acres of

land at Anwara for setting up the power project.

Bangladesh is heavily dependent on natural gas and oil-based power plant. Most plants are run by the natural gas and furnace oil.

Wind power production is a new experience for the country.

The PIA Group LCC & BAEC JV will install 44 wind turbines – each having 2.3mw capacity.

PDB officials said they had paid Tk69.17m as electricity purchase bills for 20 years.

On December 19 last year, the cabinet committee on public purchase approved IPP-Taylor Engineering and PH Consulting Inc. USA and Multiplex Green Energy Ltd JV for installing a 60mw capacity wind-based power station in Cox’s Bazar.

According to the growth, the demand for electricity was forecasted to reach 24,000mw in 2021 and 40,000mw in 2030.

Of the demand, the government has a plan to generate 10% of electricity from renewable energy sources.

A source in the power division said 50 to 200 megawatt of power could be generated from wind power in different coastal and inland sites.

Bangladesh Power Development Board installed wind mills in Kutubdia and Feni to generate 1.0mw of power from each project.

But the projects failed as the Kutubdia project having 1.0mw generation capacity with 50 turbines was hit hard by cyclone Aila and the Feni project having 225kw production capacity with four turbines was closed because of inappropriate wind mapping. l

BB launches cost of fund index n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has launched a cost of fund index for financial institutions to rationalise their interest rate, service charges and commissions for protecting the interest of the customers.

“We are going to implement a new monitoring system named base rate system.

Its main component is cost of fund index,” Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said, launching the index at its headquarters in Dhaka yesterday.

“We have to be careful so that efficiency or inefficiency of fund management of financial institutions is not directly imposed on the clients.” Evaluating the interest rate will be easy for financial institutions by using this cost of fund index as reference rate.

‘We have to be careful so that efficiency or inefficiency of fund management of financial institutions is not directly imposed on the clients’ As a result, customers’ interest will be protected and there will be a healthy competition among the financial institutions.

The formulation of this identical base rate method will create level playing field in the overall financial sector, said the central bank governor.

By this based rate system, he said transparency and accountability will be ensured in fixing the interest rate and profit of financial institutions will be sustained.

A large part of funds of financial institutions comes from bank loan. So the fund cost index will play a role to protect the customers’ interest in the financial institutions. l

Remittance falls from top sources n Tribune Report Remittance inflows from top five countries have dropped by 22% in first four months of the current fiscal year, showed Bangladesh Bank data.

The countries include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the UK and Malaysia.

During the July-October period, Bangladesh received a total of $2.8bn from the wage earners in those countries, according to the data.

The figure was $3.4bn in the same period last year.

Bangladeshi people living in Saudi Ara-

bia sent the highest amount of remittance in four months, which amounted to nearly $944m.

The figure from the UAE totalled $849m and from Kuwait $361.38m.

During the same period last year, the Bangladeshi wage earners in Saudi Arabia sent $1.31bn, the UAE $991m and Kuwait $400m.

In the four months of the current year, Sonali Bank channeled $475.35m, followed

by Agrani Bank $510m, Janata Bank $439m and Rupali Bank $46.28m.

Remittance inflows from these countries and the US constituted 80.87% of total amount in fiscal year 2012-13.

The data showed continuous drop since 2009-10 with the exception of 2010-11.

In 2009-10, the portion was 83.76% and the following year saw rise to 84.20%. In 2011-12 it fell to 82.63% and to 80.87% in 2012-13.

Saudi Arabia is the biggest destination of overseas employments for the Bangladeshi workers.

But the country stopped recruiting from Bangladesh in 2008, alleging that a large number of Bangladeshis were living there without any valid document.

Saudi Arabia used to hire over 100,000 workers from Bangladesh every year. In 2008, a number of 132,000 Bangladeshi

workers went to the country.

But the number came down to only 14,666 just in the following year.

In the current year till October, only 12,040 Bangladeshi workers found jobs in Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia said it is going to resume recruiting from Bangladesh soon. Then remittance inflow from the country could be expected to increase further,” said a senior official of Bangladesh Bank.

He said the country is currently in need of workers after conductive a massive drive against undocumented migrant workers.

The recruitment remained suspended for more than four years. l

2 BITF begins today n Tribune Report A three-day Bangladesh International Truism Fair (BITF) begins in Dhaka today amid political unrest. It is scheduled to be inaugurated at 3:45pm at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).

Participants from USA, Europe, Middle East and South Asia, including the Indian states, are expected to attend the fair, organisers said. Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development and Association of Travel Agents are jointly organising the fair.

There will have 155 stalls to display products by travel agents, tour operators, hospitals, hotels and resorts, airlines, financial institutions, national tourism organisations, online sellers and other tourism service providers from 25 countries.

Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Bangladesh Tourism Board, Bangladesh Inbound Tour Operators Association and Bangladesh International Hotel Association will provide support. l

Oil prices mixed ahead of US inventory report

n AFP, Singapore Oil prices were mixed in Asian trade yesterday as dealers anticipated a further increase in US crude stockpiles, indicating weak demand in the world’s top crude consumer.

New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for January delivery, was down 25 cents at $93.43 in afternoon trade while Brent North Sea crude for January gained six cents to $110.94.

“The focus is currently on the US inventory figures where we are likely to see a further increase,” Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, told AFP. “There has been a few refinery closures in the US, and supply will remain on the high side even as we enter the winter season,” he said.

Analysts expect the Department of Energy’s weekly report on Wednesday to show an increase of 500,000 barrels in crude inventories for the week ending November 22.

Over the nine previous weeks the inventories grew by 32.8 million barrels to 388.5 million.

A rise in US stockpiles indicates weak demand in the world’s biggest economy and oil consuming nation, putting downward pressure on prices.

Investors are also digesting the implications of the weekend agreement between world powers and Iran, in which the major oil producer will get modest sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its disputed nuclear programme.

“While there is an understanding that there won’t be a significant change in Iran supply, investors also know there is a possibility of a process that could lead towards further relaxation or complete removal of sanctions,” Spooner said.

The Islamic republic has been crippled by a series of UN and US sanctions aimed at bringing an end to its nuclear drive, which the West claims is being used to develop atomic weapons. Iran denies the assertion. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

Robi hits 16% revenue growth in Q3 n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Mobile phone operator Robi has reported Tk11.73bn revenue earning in the third quarter of 2013, registering 16% growth from the same quarter of last year.

Robi sources said its profit after tax amounted to Tk1.42bn during the period.

According to the operator, the growth was generated from the increased value added services (VAS).

The country’s second largest mobile phone operator in terms of revenue is going to present its business updates on the quarter today at a press conference in Dhaka.

The operator has continued making profit for four consecutive quarters, showed the figures available on the website of Axiata Ltd, parent company of Robi.

In the first nine months of 2013, Robi

managed to make a total of Tk3.66bn net profit.

According to the operator, the growth was generated from the increased value added services (VAS) But in the same period of previous year, it incurred a net loss of Tk336m.

According to the Axiata’s post-September presentation, the total number of Robi subscribers stood at 28.8m.

However, the operator’s total revenue growth in terms of users increase dropped to Tk160 monthly from Tk168 last year.

The average per subscriber use fell to 151 minutes per month from 161 minutes last year. l

Alliance may start RMG factory inspection next week n Tribune Report The North American Alliance for Bangladesh Workers Safety, a US-based clothing retailers’ platform, likely to start factory inspection on fire and building safety from next week.

“They will start the inspection from the by first week of December on a set of common standards they approved earlier,” BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim told Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The Alliance’s board has adopted the Fire Safety and Structural Integrity Standards and established a committee of third-party experts to assist implementation to carry forward with establishing its next set of milestones, said a statement of the alliance recently.

The Alliance Standards aligned with the Bangladesh National Building Code, and are reflective of input received from multiple expert stakeholders during their development, it added.

The Standards are a meaningful contribution to the shared effort to improve fire and building safety in Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector and it would continue to use these standards as the basis for ongoing collaboration among all entities invested in ensuring that inspections and remediation efforts are as consistent as possible, it said.

The alliance will inspect 500 garments factory to improve fire and building safety, while the Accord on Fire and Building Safety, a platform 101 European retailers, will inspect over 1,700 factories to be completed by July next year.

The alliance launched a five-year project to inspect RMG factory, from which they source clothes, to improve safety standards.

The US retailers took the initiatives following the Rana Plaza collapse in April, which killed more than 1,100 workers, putting pressure on the manufacturers to address safety.

‘They will start the inspection from the by first week of December on a set of common standards they approved earlier’

Meanwhile, teams led by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) started assessing the factory buildings that are not part of Alliance or Accord, both for structural integrity, and fire and electrical safety.

As of yesterday, the BUET teams inspected 30 factories in Dhaka, Savar and Gazipur areas. l

Bangladesh Tourism Night held in Sydney n Tribune Business Desk Aus Bangla Tourism Pty Ltd hosted “Bangladesh Tourism Night” at Petersham Town Hall in Sydney, Australia as to promote Bangladesh as a great tourist destination.

‘Bangladesh Tourism Night’ held on November 23 was designed to help aid Aus Bangla Tourism goal to celebrate the unique prospects that Bangladesh offers to tourists.

Director of Aus Bangla Tourism in Sydney, Fuad Ahmed, director of Aus Bangla Tourism in Bangladesh, Ishtiaque Ahmed and Md. Arif Ahmed, country manager in Bangladesh contributed to the success of the event, said a press release.

The tourism night was aimed at uniting Bangladeshis and Australians to appreciate the distinctive pleasures that Bangladesh offers to tourists and hopefully expanded the views of everyone on what an amazing place Bangladesh can be to visit, said the director of Aus Bangla Tourism.

Bangladesh needs more tourism exposure to the outside world and to encourage more tourists to come experiencing the wonders of natural Bangladesh, he added. l

Citycell launches ‘Ultra Utshob’ n Tribune Business Desk Citycell has launched a special campaign titled “Ultra Utshob” throughout the country recently, which will continue until further notice.

Under the campaign, the customers will enjoy attractive offers at the Citycell customer care centres and customer care points, said a press release.

The offers include free RIM replacement, free transfer of ownership, free modem servicing, modem exchange offer, bonus for plan upgrade and recharge offer. l

NCC Bank donates books to Feni College n Tribune Business Desk NCC Bank Ltd has donated 400 books worth of Tk100,000 to Feni Government College as part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility.

The bank’s chairman Md Nurun Newaz Salim handed over the books to the college Principal Prof Utpal Kanti Baidya on Monday, said a press release.

“Our bank is not only a profit-earning organisation but also working for social welfare, which will continue in future as well,” said the chairman.

The bank’s managing director Mohammed Nurul Amin, additional managing director Golam Hafiz Ahmed, deputy managing director Akhtar Hamid Khan, senior executive vice president Md Fazlur Rahman and executive vice presidents Sirajul Islam and Mohammed Wahedur Rahman were also present. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

3

TK9BN STOCK REFINANCE SCHEME

Investors may have to wait for some time more

Poll finds India suffering doubles as economy weakens

n Tribune Report

n AFP, New Delhi

Deadline for submission of loan application under the Tk9bn capital market refinance scheme is likely to be extended by one month due to tepid response from small investors.

The deadline expires this month. Since launching of the scheme in late August, a few investors have applied for the loans – out of nearly 1m affected in stock market debacle about three years back.

“We want one more month as response so far remains poor,” said Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association President MA Hafiz, after a meeting with Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) in Dhaka yesterday.

“We also demanded relaxing conditions for the loan. The regulator assured us to consider the demand.”

The supervision committee of the scheme earlier set 18 conditions, including clearance from the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) for all sponsor-directors of a merchant bank or a brokerage house and giving 50% waiver interest on the margin loans against the investors’ accounts.

It is difficult to provide CIB clearance for all sponsors-directors within the deadline and the merchant banks and stockbrokers are reluctant to waive interest on margin loans, said a merchant banker.

Under the loan distribution guideline, the

Suffering in India has more than doubled in recent years with one in every four Indians now bearing the brunt of the nation’s sharply weaker economy, a global poll released Wednesday showed.

The increase in “suffering” in the nation of 1.2 billion people had a ripple effect across South Asia - which led the world in suffering - owing to India’s strong economic ties with its neighbours, Gallup said in a statement.

“The significant deterioration in Indians’ wellbeing is likely to be rooted in the country’s disappointing economic performance,” the US-based pollster worldwide said.

“Average suffering in India more than doubled between 2006 to 2008 and 2010 to 2012. In 2012, a full quarter of Indians were suffering.”

Gallup classified respondents to the survey as “thriving,” “struggling,” or “suffering” according to how they rated their current lives and future prospects on a scale of zero to 10.

According to Gallup, suffering on average has increased worldwide in recent years.

Fourteen percent rated their lives poorly enough to be considered suffering in 2012, up from 11% in 2006-08.

South Asia topped the regions for suffering, with the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa tied for second-place with 21%.

“Suffering in the (South Asian) region has increased enormously since the beginning of the global financial crisis, averaging 12% between 2006 and 2008, and 22% between 2010 and 2012,” Gallup said.

Australia and New Zealand were the countries considered most thriving, with just two percent of their population seen as suffering.

India’s economic growth sunk from 9.4% in the first quarter of 2010 to 4.4% in the second quarter of 2013, the worst quarterly rate since 2002.

Data on Friday is expected to show growth still below five percent, despite efforts by the scandal-tainted Congress government to revive the economy before elections due by May. The survey comes after a political row in India over how to accurately measure poverty, with the government issuing figures in August showing poverty has been slashed by a third since 2004.

The government said 138 million Indians had emerged from poverty between the fiscal years 2004/05 and 2011/12, leaving the official number of poor at 269 million.

The World Bank in a recent report said India has the greatest share of the world’s poorest - one-third living on $1.25 a day or less --or 400 million.

Gallup said its results were based on interviews with 230,083 adults in 2012 in 143 countries and that the poll’s margin of error was less than one percentage point. l

state-run Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), which has already received Tk3bn as first installment of the Tk9bn refinance scheme at 5% interest rate from the central bank, will lend to merchant banks and stockbrokers at 7%.

The merchant banks and stockbrokers will then disburse the fund to the retail investors at 9% interest rate.

Then, the borrowers will have to repay the loans in three-month installments to the loans to ICB that will subsequently deposit the received amount to the refinance fund.

The regulator will have the authority to

cancel licences of the merchant banks and stockbrokers if they fail to repay the loans on time, the guideline said.

The affected retail investors, who had investment up to Tk1m from January 2009 to November 2011, are eligible to receive loan from the specialised fund.

The BSEC has identified 954,000 affected small investors to be brought under the facility of refinance scheme.

The government in March 2012 had announced a compensation package that included an interest waiver on margin loans for the investors. l

Rahim Textile under BSEC lens

Stocks end flat in volatile trading

n Tribune Report

Stocks ended flat amid volatile trading yesterday as late profit booking cut early gains.

The market moved between positive and negative throughout the session with intra-day volatility of more than 50 points.

The benchmark index, DSEX, ended at 4,268 with slight fall of nearly 9 points or 0.2%, hitting highest its 4,315 in the morning and lowest 4,262 in the midsession.

However, the DS30 Index comprising blue chips rose over 7 points or 0.6% to 1,516.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, was down 29 points to 8,390.

Cautious trading pushed turnover down below Tk6bn-mark as DSE turnover was Tk5.9bn, a fall of more than 20% over the previous session.

Market passed a volatile trading session with lower turnover, indicating investors staying on the sidelines to observe market movement, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its market analysis.

It said throughout the session, market exhibited a zigzag pattern as buyers and sellers both were confused about their trade execution.

Market closed flat without having any clear direction because of the cautious trading behavior of both buyers

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has instructed Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited (DSE) to investigate into the reasons behind unusual price increase of shares of Rahim Textile Mills.

The regulatory order came due to the abnormal price hike of the stock in last several months, said a statement of the company yesterday.

Yesterday, it closed at Tk232 a share, an increase of more than 35% over the last six months.

During the period it peaked as high as Tk346, which is more than 100% higher than its lowest price of Tk171 recorded six months earlier.

Last week, in response to a DSE query, the company had informed that there was no undisclosed price sensitive information of the company for the recent unusual price hike.

The company’s third quarter profit dropped 15% to Tk1m, according to its un-audited quarterly accounts for the quarter ended on September 30.

Its sponsor/director has a stake of 80.17%, institute 7.69% and public 13.04% in the company listed in 1988. l

n Tribune Report

and sellers, it said.

It seems investors are eyeing on imminent political outlook of the country and still remain unsure whether upcoming national election will be held peacefully, according to it.

Losers took a marginal lead over the gainers as out of 287 issues traded, 110 advanced, 136 decline and 41 remained unchanged.

IDLC Investment said while market struggled to remain positive, waves of sell pressure beat it down, in frequent intervals, causing it to close flat.

Hovering political uncertainty coupled with absence of any major upcoming dividend or earnings declaration in the near term has created a vacuum of motivation in the market, causing activities in the market to drop by 20%, it said.

All the major sectors managed to end in green except banks which saw a loss of 0.74%. Telecommunications performed best among all the sectors with a rise of over 2%, followed by financial institutions 0.8% and pharmaceuticals 0.6% and power 0.2%.

Delta Life Insurance was the most traded stocks with shares worth Tk640m changing hands.

It was followed by RN Spinning, Envoy Textile, Meghna Petroleum, Generation Next Fashion, Paramount Textile, Central Pharmaceuticals and Orion Pharmaceuticals. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

ANALYSIS

No checkouts, no chocolate: Online shopping hits impulse buys n Reuters For consumers, one of the great things about shopping online is bypassing the queue to check out. For producers of the candy, magazines and drinks often sold there, it’s a problem.

In Britain, the country where e-commerce is most popular, about 13% of people do all or most of their grocery shopping online. Yet this only accounts for 5% of overall spending, suggesting consumers spend more when they visit a store. That is because online shoppers search for what they need, usually sticking close to their shopping lists. They don’t spontaneously buy magazines they opened while waiting to pay, or chocolate to eat on the go.

Elizabeth Clark, a 40-year-old teacher in Liverpool, England now does most of her shops on the internet, and says she ends up buying fewer sweets, newspapers, toys and wine.

“In the supermarket, obviously you walk past it and you see a special offer and you think ‘Oh, I’ll have that’,” she said.

Even though retailers try to do the same thing by flagging special offers at online checkout, it doesn’t usually work. “I always just press ‘next, next, next, next’ without even reading them, deliberately, because I don’t want to be tempted.” Companies most at risk are Mondelez International, Mars Inc and Nestle, the top three candy makers, soda makers like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, and magazine publishers like Time Warner and Hearst Corp.

The latest survey of European shoppers by IRI found that 73% spent more time planning shopping in order to avoid non-essential purchases amid the economic slowdown.

“Shoppers are reducing their impulse purchasing,” said Cristina Lazzaroni, who monitors the confectionary market for IRI in Italy, where online shopping is less of a habit.

And when they do buy chocolate at stores, more Italian shoppers are buying larger takehome tablets instead of single-serve snacks,

A worker gathers items for delivery from the warehouse floor at Amazon’s distribution centre in Phoenix, Arizona REUTERS Lazzaroni said, noting that the shift can hurt the bottom line as smaller packages often carry higher margins. IRI said sales of confectionary fell 2.4% in Italy in the last year.

Worldwide, the retail confectionery market is worth $196.5bn, according to Euromonitor International, up 5.6% from a year ago. Nearly all sales are from stores, though online made up 0.9% this year, up from 0.6% in 2008. That is the same amount as purchased through vending machines.

Candy lag

Grocery is one of the last areas of retail to go online, due to challenges around delivery and perishability, but a shift is underway. Amazon.com is expanding its grocery business in the United States and abroad, and traditional grocers are boosting their own digital capa-

bilities as well. In the United States, Bernstein Research estimates that about one quarter of spending on consumer goods - some $222bn a year - will ultimately be spent online.

Not surprisingly, non-perishables enjoy the most online purchasing, with skin care products deriving 12.2% of sales online, Bernstein found, way ahead of the 2.4% average. Confectionary and biscuits were at less than 1%.

Of Britain’s 7 million online grocery shoppers, only 12% visit a confectionery-related webpage, and just half of those actually buy anything there, according to Kantar Media.

When asked about efforts to lift sales online or at check-out, Hershey and Mars did not offer examples or make anyone available to discuss. Hershey said its sales have grown at a rate above the industry average for the past several years. A Nestle spokeswoman said: “The on-

line channel represents an opportunity for confectionery. It is an important channel for us and we are experiencing much success. The path to purchase for confectionery is nonetheless different online versus traditional channels.”

Online grocery sales will roughly double on average by 2016 in five key European markets Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands - the food and consumer goods research group IGD predicts.

That is prompting many retailers to invest in convenience store formats, where shoppers can top up online orders with fresh goods, instead of trekking to large out-of-town supermarkets. They are also building collection points for goods bought online, which is an area where more impulse buys could happen in future. “This is going to become more and more a magic moment when retailers need to take advantage of having their customer in a buying mode,” said John Sheldon, global head of strategy at consultants eBay Enterprise.

Technical revolution

while the bulk of grocery shopping looks set to remain in stores, technology is also putting impulse buys at risk there. Retailers are looking for ways to make payments easier for their customers, either by allowing them to check out their goods on the go on their smartphones or by introducing faster tills, for example by scanning whole baskets.

“The check out is still complex, costly, not terribly consumer friendly,” said Simon Hay, chief executive of Dunnhumby, the customer science company owned by the world’s third biggest retailer Tesco. “The biggest value is getting the return shopping trip,” he said, noting that items potentially lost at check-out were small and incremental from the retailer’s perspective. The growth of mobile shopping, either in store or on the go, is also a threat, especially as small screens limit the opportunity to try to tempt shoppers with impulse buys. l

Trade diplomats fail to reach pre-summit deal: WTO chief n AFP, Geneva Negotiators holding marathon talks in Geneva have failed to produce a deal to put on the table at a crunch summit next week, World Trade Organisation chief Roberto Azevedo said Tuesday.

“The reality is that we have proved that we can’t cross the final yard here in Geneva. The process here is over,” Azevedo told reporters.

“This is not about shortness of time. If we had a few more weeks, we would still not make it,” he said.

“If we are to get this deal over the line, we will need political engagement and political will,” he added.

Earlier Tuesday, the WTO’s 159 member economies had held a crunch meeting to decide whether they had made sufficient headway to put a formal draft document before trade ministers at the WTO’s December 3-6

summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

They pored over a 53-page draft accord which still contained an array of negotiating options that needed honing down, drawn up after last-ditch, round the clock talks.

Negotiators from the WTO’s member economies have spent weeks scrambling to bridge

bitter differences and try to revive talks on an accord to ease barriers to global commerce.

Azevedo, the Brazilian former trade envoy who was sworn-in as WTO director general in September, has warned that the negotiating must not be left until the Bali summit.

Bali is seen as perhaps the last chance to revive the WTO’s so-called “Doha Round” of talks, launched in 2001 at a summit in Qatar.

The round’s goal is to produce a wide-ranging global accord on opening markets and removing trade barriers, with a key goal being to harness international commerce to develop poorer economies.

By some estimates, Azevedo noted, a final deal could provide a $1tn boost to global commerce.

But the talks have stalled as rich countries, emerging powers and the world’s poorest nations spar over the concessions needed.

Azevedo, however, cautioned that the

splits were more complex.

“There is not a north-south divide,” he said.

Negotiators had long ruled out the chances of Bali reviving the Doha Round, and instead tried to draw up lower-level thematic accords for the summit, which could be fed into a wider package later.

One covers “trade facilitation”, which involves simplifying customs procedures in an effort to make commerce smoother, and where divisions centre on the time-lag developing countries would get to fall into line, plus the support they would get from donors to do so.

Another division is over “food security”, pushed by India, under which developing countries want to be allowed to subsidise grain stockpiling to help low-income farmers and consumers - stocks that critics warn could end up on the open market, skewing trade. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

5

Motorola low-cost smartphone hits US early n AFP, Washington

Motorola’s smartphone aimed at costconscious consumers hit the US market ahead of schedule on Tuesday, in time for the key holiday season.

The Moto G was made available on Google-owned Motorola’s website at an off-contract price starting at $179.

“We’re giving people plenty of mobile goodness to gobble up this holiday season,” the company said on its blog as it started sales just ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

US President Barack Obama talks about the Affordable Care Act in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington

The handset packs in a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5-megapixel and 1.3-megapixel cameras front and rear The device is being sold at “one third of the price of current high-end phones, for a smartphone stuffed with plenty of great features,” the blog posting said.

The Moto G had been expected in the United States in early 2014, but Motorola said its versions using GSM networks were being sold now.

It is currently on sale in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Britain, Germany, France, and Canada and will be sold in more than 30 countries by early 2014, according to the company.

The new device is a low-cost version of the Moto X released earlier this year in the United States, lacking some features such as a high-density camera and the ability to access the fastest networks.

But the cost is not as low in some countries. In Brazil for example, known for high electronics duties, the lowest price for the Moto G will sell for around $280, or 650 reals. That is still well below the price of an iPhone, which can cost more than $1,000 in Brazil, or premium phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S4.

The Moto G features a 4.5 inch (11.5 cm) display and all-day battery, and will include the latest versions of the Google Android operating system.

The handset packs in a 1.2GHz quadcore Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5-megapixel and 1.3-megapixel cameras front and rear.

Some analysts say the handset is not aimed at buyers of high-end devices like the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S4, but those who might otherwise buy a low-cost smartphone such as those on the Firefox operating system. l

REUTERS

US government plan adjusts 2014 risk payments for health insurers n Reuters The US government has issued a proposal that would likely increase risk payments in 2014 to health insurers offering plans on the Obamacare exchanges after the companies complained a recent policy change allowing people to keep their insurance policies had changed the financial equation.

The rule, published on Monday in the Federal Register, lowered the threshold at which risk payments kick in for the sickest health plan members. The government proposed paying insurers 80% of claims greater than $45,000 in 2014. Previously the lower limit was $60,000.

There is a 30-day comment period for the proposed rule.

In addition, the government has proposed a state-specific adjustment for risk payments based on how many people in the state extend their current polices, Citibank analyst Carl McDonald explained in a research note.

The exchanges are being created as part of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law. An estimated 7 million people are expected to sign up.

Insurers including Aetna Inc, Humana Inc, WellPoint Inc, Cigna Corp, UnitedHealth Inc and Molina Healthcare Inc have all offered plans on the state-based exchanges.

“Whether good or bad, it’s always worth pointing out that most of the publicly traded plans have little existing exposure to the individual market, while the exchange par-

ticipation of several plans is quite limited in 2014,” McDonald wrote.

As an incentive for participating in the exchanges, the insurers were promised certain risk payments for the first three years to help offset uncertainty about the health of participants.

Technology problems on the exchange have slowed enrolment significantly, calling into question whether insurers will get the mix of healthy and sick people on which they had based their premium rates.

When Obama announced a plan about two weeks ago to allow individuals to keep their current plans longer, insurers complained it would remove even more people from the pool of applicants and asked for adjustments to the risk payments. l

Smartphone sales top one billion, keep growing: survey n AFP, Washington Global smartphones sales will top one billion for the first time this year, and keep growing at a steady pace for the next four years, a market tracker said Tuesday.

The forecast by International Data Corporation showed smartphone growth of 39.3% this year over 2012, a pace that will moderate in the next few years.

One key factor in the marketplace is the decline in smartphone prices, according to IDC. The average sales price this year is estimated at $337, down 12% from a year ago.

And IDC predicts it will drop further to $265 by 2017.

“The key driver behind smartphone vol-

umes in the years ahead is the expected decrease in prices,” said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.

“Particularly within emerging markets, where price sensitivity and elasticity are so important, prices will come down for smartphones to move beyond the urban elite and into the hands of mass-market users. Every vendor is closely eyeing how far down they can price their devices while still realizing a profit and offering a robust smartphone experience.”

IDC expects the smartphone shipments to hit 1.7 billion by 2017, with the growth rate easing to an average of 18.4% in the coming year.

“The game has changed quite drastically

due to the decline” in prices, said IDC analyst Ryan Reith.

“Just a few years back the industry was talking about the next billion people to connect, and it was assumed the majority of these people would do so by way of the feature phone. Given the trajectory of (prices), smartphones are now a very realistic option to connect those billion users.”

The fastest growth in smartphones will be in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions, each expected to see increases of around 23% in the next four years.

North America, which already has a large number of smartphones, will see growth slow to a 7.8% pace and Europe’s pace of increase will ease to 11.1%, IDC said. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Share

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

DSEBroadIndex:4268.66⇓0.21%,Turnover:5803.01M.Tk⇓20.09%,PE:13.12 Turnover6,419.07MTk.⇓20.44% 27November2013 MarketCap.2,061.36BTk.⇑0.09% CSEAllShareIndex:13291⇓0.16%,Turnover:616.06MTk.⇓23.57%,PE:12.93 10000 9000 8000

TO (Value) DSE Index

7000

4500 4400 4300

Combined Turnover Leader

Vol.

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

Avg. P 277.42

6000

4200

Delta Life Insu. -A

2389850

663.00

10.33

5000

4100

R. N. Spinning-A

8539343

322.29

5.02

37.74

4000

4000

Paramount Textile Ltd.-N

4400750

239.95

3.74

Envoy Textiles Ltd-N

3627560

3.46

3000 2000

3900

0

3700

31 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27

1000

3800

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 590851 D: 27.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.15 | 29.00 / 24.50 C: 27.00 ⇓ 0.74% | 27.08 | 27.40 / 26.90 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 553057 D: 20.70 ⇓ 1.43% | 20.91 | 23.00 / 19.00 C: 20.60 ⇓ 1.90% | 20.82 | 21.30 / 20.50 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 1438741 D: 32.00 ⇓ 1.84% | 32.38 | 35.00 / 29.90 C: 31.90 ⇓ 2.15% | 32.30 | 33.60 / 31.70 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 158587 D: 35.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 35.71 | 36.00 / 33.90 C: 35.90 ⇓ 0.28% | 35.84 | 36.00 / 35.80 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 1650115 D: 12.30 ⇓ 0.81% | 12.38 | 12.60 / 11.30 C: 12.40 ⇓ 0.80% | 12.41 | 12.60 / 12.30 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 647116 D: 31.40 ⇑ 0.64% | 31.14 | 31.90 / 29.00 C: 31.20 ⇑ 0.32% | 31.07 | 31.60 / 30.70 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 33900 D: 63.90 ⇓ 1.69% | 64.52 | 65.10 / 63.50 C: 64.20 ⇓ 1.68% | 64.18 | 64.50 / 63.20 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 3285030 D: 24.60 ⇓ 0.81% | 24.82 | 26.00 / 22.50 C: 24.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.93 | 25.40 / 24.60 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 480937 D: 30.80 ⇓ 0.65% | 30.90 | 31.20 / 29.00 C: 30.80 ⇓ 0.96% | 30.90 | 31.30 / 30.60 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 63000 D: 6.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.29 | 6.40 / 6.20 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 410130 D: 28.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.03 | 28.40 / 26.50 C: 28.00 ⇑ 0.36% | 27.82 | 28.00 / 27.50 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 2329600 D: 18.90 ⇓ 3.57% | 19.31 | 20.00 / 18.10 C: 19.20 ⇓ 2.54% | 19.40 | 20.00 / 18.00 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 210248 D: 23.10 ⇓ 1.70% | 23.48 | 24.70 / 22.00 C: 23.70 ⇓ 3.27% | 23.66 | 23.70 / 23.60 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 865023 D: 18.00 ⇑ 0.56% | 18.07 | 18.50 / 16.20 C: 17.80 ⇓ 1.11% | 18.02 | 18.30 / 17.00 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 241664 D: 19.10 ⇓ 0.52% | 19.31 | 20.00 / 18.00 C: 19.40 ⇑ 1.04% | 19.32 | 19.50 / 19.20 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 723902 D: 13.90 ⇓ 0.71% | 14.01 | 15.00 / 12.90 C: 14.00 ⇓ 0.71% | 14.05 | 14.40 / 13.90 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 1038161 D: 13.50 ⇓ 2.88% | 13.66 | 14.50 / 12.80 C: 13.80 ⇓ 1.43% | 13.79 | 15.00 / 13.00 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 31000 D: 96.50 ⇓ 1.93% | 97.27 | 99.00 / 95.50 C: 98.00 ⇓ 2.00% | 98.50 | 99.00 / 98.00 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 78565 D: 15.90 ⇓ 0.63% | 15.99 | 17.00 / 15.10 C: 16.00 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.00 | 16.00 / 16.00 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 657526 D: 14.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.98 | 16.00 / 13.50 C: 15.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.96 | 15.00 / 14.90 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 1566400 D: 16.30 ⇓ 1.81% | 16.51 | 18.00 / 15.00 C: 16.40 ⇓ 1.20% | 16.60 | 17.00 / 16.30 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 210100 D: 18.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.52 | 18.80 / 17.90 C: 18.90 ⇑ 0.53% | 18.93 | 19.00 / 18.70 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 1806044 D: 15.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.75 | 16.20 / 14.20 C: 15.70 ⇓ 1.26% | 15.81 | 16.50 / 15.60 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 1112442 D: 12.80 ⇓ 1.54% | 12.92 | 13.50 / 11.90 C: 12.90 ⇓ 1.53% | 12.96 | 13.10 / 12.80 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 165861 D: 16.50 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.49 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.10 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.12 | 16.30 / 15.70 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 304624 D: 31.10 ⇓ 0.96% | 31.27 | 31.90 / 29.50 C: 30.80 ⇓ 0.96% | 30.84 | 31.40 / 30.70 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 540200 D: 17.40 ⇓ 0.57% | 17.39 | 18.00 / 15.80 C: 17.30 ⇓ 1.70% | 17.44 | 17.70 / 17.30 PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 770089 D: 11.70 ⇓ 0.85% | 11.77 | 12.10 / 10.80 C: 11.60 ⇓ 1.69% | 11.72 | 12.00 / 11.50

Generation Next Fashions-A

6617140

222.26 214.92

3.35

TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 352134 D: 19.90 ⇑ 1.53% | 19.84 | 20.00 / 17.70 C: 19.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.00 | 19.60 / 19.60 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 654785 D: 15.40 ⇓ 1.28% | 15.61 | 16.20 / 14.60 C: 15.50 ⇓ 3.13% | 15.70 | 16.50 / 14.50 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 222095 D: 60.40 ⇓ 0.49% | 60.70 | 61.30 / 56.00 C: 61.10 ⇑ 0.33% | 61.07 | 62.20 / 60.70 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 220811 D: 29.00 ⇑ 0.35% | 29.15 | 29.70 / 27.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 104481 D: 79.90 ⇓ 0.62% | 80.08 | 83.50 / 73.00 C: 80.50 ⇑ 0.75% | 80.27 | 81.30 / 80.00 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 4500 D: 29.10 ⇓ 0.34% | 29.11 | 29.50 / 29.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 417382 D: 29.20 ⇓ 2.01% | 29.53 | 30.40 / 27.00 C: 29.40 ⇓ 1.67% | 29.73 | 30.90 / 29.10 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 561500 D: 23.90 ⇑ 0.84% | 24.05 | 24.50 / 21.50 C: 24.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.00 | 24.30 / 23.70 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 251566 D: 23.90 ⇓ 0.83% | 24.05 | 24.90 / 22.00 C: 23.90 ⇓ 1.24% | 24.12 | 24.40 / 23.90 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 151150 D: 10.00 ⇓ 0.99% | 10.07 | 10.30 / 9.50 C: 10.10 ⇓ 0.98% | 10.14 | 10.30 / 10.00 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 289937 D: 16.60 ⇓ 0.60% | 16.63 | 18.10 / 15.10 C: 16.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.97 | 17.50 / 16.60 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 663668 D: 53.10 ⇓ 1.12% | 53.63 | 54.30 / 48.50 C: 53.30 ⇓ 1.11% | 53.53 | 54.40 / 53.00 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 121500 D: 16.30 ⇓ 1.81% | 16.49 | 17.00 / 16.30 C: 16.50 ⇓ 0.60% | 16.54 | 16.60 / 16.50 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 105408 D: 18.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.48 | 18.90 / 16.90 C: 18.30 ⇓ 1.08% | 18.29 | 18.40 / 18.20 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 53423 D: 28.50 ⇓ 1.04% | 28.67 | 29.50 / 26.00 C: 28.80 ⇓ 0.35% | 29.28 | 29.60 / 27.80 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 282256 D: 18.20 ⇓ 0.55% | 18.12 | 18.50 / 16.50 C: 18.40 ⇓ 0.54% | 18.46 | 18.60 / 18.10 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 391075 D: 14.40 ⇓ 0.69% | 14.58 | 14.80 / 13.20 C: 14.70 ⇑ 0.68% | 14.65 | 15.20 / 14.50 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 276320 D: 31.90 ⇓ 2.15% | 32.26 | 35.50 / 31.00 C: 32.40 ⇓ 0.92% | 32.28 | 33.00 / 32.00 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 332770 D: 13.70 ⇓ 0.72% | 13.86 | 14.20 / 13.50 C: 13.80 ⇓ 0.72% | 13.92 | 14.00 / 13.70 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 61439 D: 54.20 ⇑ 0.18% | 54.20 | 55.60 / 50.00 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 181550 D: 30.40 ⇓ 1.94% | 30.59 | 31.30 / 30.10 C: 30.40 ⇓ 2.56% | 30.63 | 31.50 / 30.20 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 138520 D: 28.50 ⇓ 1.38% | 28.78 | 29.50 / 27.00 C: 28.70 ⇓ 1.37% | 28.81 | 29.00 / 28.70 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 5336 D: 1528 ⇑ 2.52% | 1517 | 1550 / 1483 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 75210 D: 25.60 ⇓ 1.16% | 25.68 | 26.50 / 23.50 C: 25.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.24 | 27.50 / 25.00 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 859000 D: 14.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.02 | 14.20 / 14.00 C: 14.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.00 | 14.20 / 13.90 INVESTMENT 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 500 D: 155.1 ⇓ 2.82% | 156.00 | 155.5 / 155.0 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 13100 D: 53.70 ⇓ 0.92% | 53.82 | 54.30 / 53.10 7THICB | 13.53 | 98.60 | Vol. 1000 D: 88.00 ⇑ 0.46% | 88.00 | 88.00 / 88.00 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 6000 D: 53.20 ⇓ 0.37% | 53.17 | 53.40 / 53.00 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 303250 D: 38.90 ⇓ 0.77% | 39.05 | 40.10 / 38.70 C: 39.20 ⇑ 1.55% | 39.19 | 40.00 / 38.50

DSE Gainer Rahima Food -A

C% 9.74

A% 4.39

CP 46.20

DSE Loser Libra Infusions-A

C% -8.74

A% -8.71

CP 373.00

Northern Jute-Z

9.62

9.62

31.90

Delta Life Insu.-A

-8.73

-8.46

276.10

54.53

Savar Refractories-Z

9.04

9.04

57.90

Modern Dyeing-B

-6.53

-10.77

94.50

61.27

Maksons Spinning-A

6.63

3.22

19.30

BD Building Systems -N

-5.75

-6.88

68.90

32.48

Argon Denims Limited-A

6.53

3.84

ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 33500 D: 17.90 ⇓ 1.10% | 18.03 | 18.40 / 17.60 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 223500 D: 43.80 ⇓ 0.68% | 43.96 | 44.80 / 43.70 C: 43.80 ⇓ 1.57% | 43.91 | 44.50 / 43.50 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 7500 D: 25.90 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.00 | 26.00 / 25.20 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 301000 D: 9.90 ⇓ 1.00% | 9.98 | 10.10 / 9.90 C: 10.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.00 | 10.00 / 10.00 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 594200 D: 16.20 ⇓ 1.22% | 16.36 | 16.60 / 15.50 C: 16.40 ⇓ 1.20% | 16.39 | 16.50 / 16.20 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 480000 D: 21.70 ⇑ 0.46% | 21.91 | 22.30 / 21.60 C: 21.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.78 | 22.00 / 21.70 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 288187 D: 7.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.09 | 7.10 / 6.60 C: 7.10 ⇑ 1.43% | 6.95 | 7.10 / 6.50 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 39500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.04 | 6.10 / 6.00 C: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.93 | 6.00 / 5.90 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 195000 D: 6.10 ⇓ 1.61% | 6.12 | 6.20 / 6.00 C: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.04 | 6.20 / 6.00 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 347576 D: 7.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.45 | 7.50 / 6.80 C: 7.40 ⇓ 1.33% | 7.40 | 7.50 / 7.30 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 36500 D: 5.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 5.53 | 5.60 / 5.40 C: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.60 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 314500 D: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.70 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.71 | 5.80 / 5.60 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 368000 D: 6.60 ⇓ 1.49% | 6.67 | 6.90 / 6.60 C: 6.70 ⇑ 1.52% | 6.70 | 6.70 / 6.70 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 107000 D: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.77 | 5.80 / 5.70 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.70 | 5.70 / 5.70 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 311000 D: 5.30 ⇓ 1.85% | 5.39 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.20 ⇓ 5.45% | 5.29 | 5.50 / 5.20 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 315000 D: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.07 | 6.20 / 6.00 C: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.07 | 6.20 / 6.00 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 277000 D: 5.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.41 | 5.50 / 5.40 C: 5.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 5.42 | 5.50 / 5.40 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 540338 D: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.20 | 6.30 / 5.50 C: 6.20 ⇓ 1.59% | 6.18 | 6.20 / 6.10 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 978500 D: 5.80 ⇓ 1.69% | 5.87 | 6.00 / 5.80 C: 5.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.85 | 5.90 / 5.80 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 684500 D: 5.60 ⇓ 1.75% | 5.71 | 5.90 / 5.60 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.76 | 5.80 / 5.70 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 16000 D: 6.90 ⇓ 1.43% | 6.96 | 7.10 / 6.90 C: 7.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.00 | 7.00 / 7.00 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 143000 D: 6.20 ⇓ 1.59% | 6.25 | 6.60 / 6.20 C: 6.40 ⇓ 3.03% | 6.40 | 6.40 / 6.40 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 254900 D: 8.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.01 | 8.10 / 7.30 C: 7.90 ⇓ 1.25% | 7.98 | 8.00 / 7.90 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 500 D: 7.40 ⇑ 1.37% | 7.40 | 7.40 / 7.40 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 200650 D: 8.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.79 | 8.90 / 8.20 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.45 | 10.78 | Vol. 281500 D: 6.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.76 | 7.00 / 6.50 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 326500 D: 7.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.24 | 7.30 / 7.20 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 702600 D: 9.00 ⇓ 1.10% | 9.05 | 9.20 / 8.30 C: 8.90 ⇓ 3.26% | 8.95 | 9.10 / 8.90 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 35000 D: 8.30 ⇓ 3.49% | 8.40 | 8.80 / 8.30 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 445000 D: 8.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 8.04 | 8.20 / 7.90 C: 8.20 ⇓ 1.20% | 8.04 | 8.30 / 8.00 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.03 | 56.91 | Vol. 381767 D: 102.8 ⇑ 2.70% | 102.32 | 103.9 / 95.00 C: 104.0 ⇑ 3.48% | 102.93 | 105.2 / 101.0

73.40

Shampur Sugar-Z

-5.71

-5.71

6.60

AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 16150 D: 17.40 ⇓ 1.14% | 17.53 | 17.90 / 17.30 C: 18.10 ⇓ 3.72% | 18.04 | 18.40 / 18.00 OLYMPIC | 5.23 | 14.73 | Vol. 350679 D: 157.1 ⇓ 0.38% | 157.45 | 163.8 / 145.0 C: 156.8 ⇑ 0.51% | 157.15 | 158.2 / 156.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 16700 D: 129.6 ⇑ 1.17% | 128.97 | 130.0 / 125.6 C: 127.5 ⇓ 0.39% | 128.27 | 130.0 / 125.5 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 13710 D: 80.50 ⇑ 0.25% | 80.22 | 80.90 / 78.00 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 1550 D: 317.9 ⇓ 1.97% | 319.35 | 338.0 / 307.5 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 74300 D: 192.9 ⇓ 0.72% | 193.41 | 198.0 / 185.0 C: 192.6 ⇓ 0.52% | 192.85 | 194.8 / 192.0 ATLASBANG | 9.14 | 222.05 | Vol. 29605 D: 167.0 ⇓ 2.11% | 167.84 | 171.0 / 154.0 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 27700 D: 28.90 ⇓ 2.36% | 28.92 | 29.40 / 28.50 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 279254 D: 36.00 ⇓ 1.10% | 36.16 | 38.00 / 33.00 C: 35.80 ⇓ 2.98% | 36.43 | 37.00 / 35.60 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 10450 D: 143.0 ⇓ 2.19% | 144.59 | 148.8 / 142.2 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 36904 D: 71.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 72.01 | 73.00 / 69.20 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 271163 D: 27.20 ⇓ 1.45% | 27.50 | 28.70 / 25.00 C: 27.30 ⇓ 1.80% | 27.76 | 28.50 / 27.30 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 93500 D: 23.90 ⇓ 2.05% | 24.17 | 24.60 / 23.50 C: 24.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 24.15 | 24.50 / 24.00 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 9500 D: 15.40 ⇑ 0.65% | 15.47 | 15.50 / 15.40 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 26000 D: 82.40 ⇓ 0.12% | 82.50 | 84.10 / 82.10 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 535800 D: 44.90 ⇓ 2.60% | 45.32 | 46.90 / 44.60 C: 44.80 ⇓ 3.03% | 45.44 | 46.50 / 44.60 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 1039125 D: 51.70 ⇓ 0.58% | 51.84 | 52.50 / 47.00 C: 51.10 ⇓ 2.29% | 52.06 | 53.40 / 50.80 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 411725 D: 72.00 ⇓ 0.69% | 72.13 | 73.30 / 65.30 C: 72.20 ⇓ 1.37% | 72.28 | 73.60 / 71.70 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 163466 D: 68.20 ⇑ 0.44% | 67.91 | 68.80 / 62.00 C: 67.90 ⇑ 1.04% | 67.70 | 68.80 / 67.00 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 448728 D: 18.30 ⇓ 2.14% | 18.49 | 19.00 / 17.00 C: 18.40 ⇓ 2.13% | 18.49 | 19.00 / 18.20 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 986620 D: 58.00 ⇓ 1.53% | 59.14 | 60.60 / 53.10 C: 57.90 ⇓ 3.18% | 59.21 | 60.00 / 57.10 BENGALWTL | 3.85 | 24.30 | Vol. 2414800 D: 60.00 ⇓ 5.36% | 61.82 | 64.80 / 59.50 C: 59.80 ⇓ 5.68% | 61.64 | 65.90 / 58.00 BDBUILDING | 1.33 | 12.70 | Vol. 2098000 D: 68.90 ⇓ 5.75% | 70.80 | 75.00 / 66.50 C: 68.80 ⇓ 5.88% | 71.08 | 76.70 / 67.10 NPOLYMAR | 2.38 | 32.89 | Vol. 259800 D: 54.70 ⇑ 1.67% | 54.77 | 56.00 / 53.40 C: 52.60 ⇓ 5.73% | 53.68 | 54.90 / 52.10 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 52800 D: 89.00 ⇑ 2.18% | 87.67 | 89.90 / 87.00 C: 87.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 87.10 | 87.10 / 87.10 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 75502 D: 445.1 ⇑ 0.43% | 442.37 | 459.9 / 415.0 C: 441.2 ⇓ 0.38% | 441.21 | 455.0 / 427.2 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 3800 D: 1661 ⇑ 0.08% | 1661 | 1666 / 1658 GEMINISEA | -15.39 | -5.70 | Vol. 400 D: 154.8 ⇑ 1.71% | 155.00 | 156.5 / 150.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 600 D: 815.0 ⇑ 0.42% | 815.00 | 819.0 / 810.0 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 30900 D: 183.6 ⇓ 0.05% | 184.44 | 188.8 / 183.2 C: 183.0 ⇑ 0.38% | 183.71 | 187.9 / 183.0 SHYAMPSUG | -45.77 | -396.49 | Vol. 100 D: 6.60 ⇓ 5.71% | 6.60 | 6.60 / 6.60 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.52 | 4.45 | Vol. 1182000 D: 46.20 ⇑ 9.74% | 44.69 | 46.30 / 42.70 C: 46.50 ⇑ 9.93% | 45.01 | 46.50 / 42.80

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0

11000 31 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27

FUWANGFOOD | 0.94 | 12.28 | Vol. 772984 D: 24.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 23.99 | 24.60 / 23.00 C: 24.00 ⇓ 0.83% | 24.07 | 26.00 / 23.50 MEGHNAPET | -0.50 | -1.52 | Vol. 18000 D: 6.60 ⇑ 1.54% | 6.60 | 6.60 / 6.60 MEGCONMILK | -7.48 | -23.70 | Vol. 19500 D: 7.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 7.08 | 7.20 / 7.00 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 654654 D: 21.40 ⇓ 2.73% | 21.73 | 22.50 / 20.00 C: 21.50 ⇓ 2.71% | 21.75 | 22.30 / 21.20 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 286500 D: 18.20 ⇑ 1.68% | 18.19 | 18.60 / 17.70 C: 18.20 ⇑ 1.11% | 18.25 | 18.60 / 17.70 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 978806 D: 24.10 ⇓ 0.82% | 24.26 | 24.80 / 22.00 C: 24.10 ⇓ 2.03% | 24.32 | 24.90 / 24.00 GHAIL | 2.31 | 24.36 | Vol. 1162980 D: 45.70 ⇓ 2.77% | 46.16 | 47.20 / 42.50 C: 45.40 ⇓ 2.58% | 46.04 | 47.60 / 42.00 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 20150 D: 625.5 ⇑ 0.21% | 626.90 | 628.0 / 620.3 PADMAOIL | 27.62 | 79.74 | Vol. 137407 D: 313.0 ⇑ 0.19% | 312.43 | 317.6 / 300.0 C: 313.8 ⇑ 0.74% | 312.94 | 317.9 / 310.0 EASTRNLUB | 5.33 | 71.01 | Vol. 850 D: 311.7 ⇓ 3.50% | 311.76 | 320.0 / 310.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 512452 D: 22.20 ⇓ 3.06% | 22.51 | 23.30 / 21.00 C: 22.30 ⇓ 2.62% | 22.71 | 23.30 / 22.20 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 1404046 D: 40.50 ⇓ 2.41% | 41.00 | 42.30 / 37.50 C: 40.70 ⇓ 1.69% | 40.95 | 42.00 / 40.40 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 130631 D: 59.80 ⇓ 0.33% | 59.88 | 60.80 / 56.00 C: 60.20 ⇑ 0.84% | 60.47 | 61.00 / 59.90 POWERGRID | 2.19 | 63.69 | Vol. 76005 D: 56.10 ⇑ 2.00% | 55.36 | 56.70 / 54.50 C: 56.00 ⇑ 1.45% | 55.63 | 56.00 / 55.00 JAMUNAOIL | 21.81 | 72.05 | Vol. 412837 D: 244.7 ⇑ 0.58% | 244.33 | 246.5 / 225.0 C: 243.7 ⇓ 0.04% | 243.73 | 249.5 / 242.5 MPETROLEUM | 25.61 | 71.11 | Vol. 760387 D: 282.3 ⇑ 1.62% | 280.96 | 284.0 / 254.0 C: 282.0 ⇑ 1.26% | 281.27 | 285.0 / 277.5 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 384532 D: 74.50 ⇑ 0.54% | 74.27 | 75.00 / 67.00 C: 74.00 ⇑ 0.54% | 73.90 | 74.20 / 73.10 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 481590 D: 51.90 ⇑ 0.39% | 52.42 | 54.00 / 48.00 C: 51.60 ⇓ 1.15% | 52.03 | 53.20 / 50.00 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 1858495 D: 33.50 ⇓ 1.18% | 33.73 | 35.50 / 30.60 C: 34.00 ⇓ 1.73% | 33.78 | 34.90 / 33.20 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 109796 D: 73.30 ⇓ 0.95% | 73.23 | 74.20 / 68.00 C: 73.10 ⇓ 0.27% | 72.75 | 73.50 / 72.20 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 1245937 D: 30.10 ⇓ 2.59% | 30.31 | 31.40 / 27.90 C: 30.20 ⇓ 2.58% | 30.46 | 31.60 / 30.00 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 1551250 D: 63.90 ⇓ 1.84% | 65.00 | 66.90 / 60.00 C: 64.30 ⇓ 1.38% | 65.27 | 67.50 / 63.70 JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 9200 D: 75.30 ⇓ 4.20% | 75.22 | 78.70 / 73.20 NORTHERN | -9.98 | -18.22 | Vol. 800 D: 31.90 ⇑ 9.62% | 31.90 | 31.90 / 31.90 SONALIANSH | 5.54 | 218.80 | Vol. 8400 D: 133.1 ⇓ 0.15% | 133.45 | 134.8 / 132.4 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 72200 D: 73.70 ⇓ 1.73% | 74.22 | 77.50 / 73.20 RAHIMTEXT | 4.65 | 56.68 | Vol. 1050 D: 232.9 ⇓ 1.90% | 233.33 | 236.0 / 231.5 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 659200 D: 29.60 ⇑ 1.37% | 29.73 | 30.20 / 29.00 C: 29.80 ⇑ 1.02% | 29.84 | 30.20 / 29.00 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 2050 D: 94.50 ⇓ 6.53% | 94.63 | 99.90 / 91.50 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 29600 D: 64.00 ⇑ 0.31% | 64.59 | 65.60 / 63.40 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 6400 D: 7.50 ⇓ 1.32% | 7.50 | 7.70 / 7.40

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

7

November 27, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 37,250.72 ⇓ 0.89% NBFI: 20,252.72 ⇓ 0.45% INVS: 4,830.70 ⇓ 0.46% ENGG: 6,441.19 ⇓ 0.52% FOOD: 9,820.03 ⇓ 0.26% F&P: 10,532.83 ⇑ 0.09% TEXT: 3,575.34 ⇑ 1.08% PHAR: 18,390.73 ⇑ 0.44%

PAPR: 1,029.79 ⇓ 3.53% SERV: 3,111.98 ⇓ 0.71% LEAT: 5,188.95 ⇓ 0.88% CERA: 537.28 ⇓ 1.76% CMNT: 4,278.37 ⇓ 0.13% INFO: 7,570.38 ⇓ 0.44% GINS: 9,321.61 ⇓ 0.05% LINS: 122,324.93 ⇓ 3.65% TELC: 1,352.70 ⇑ 1.99% MISC: 6,627.82 ⇓ 1.59% TALLUSPIN | 1.75 | 16.17 | Vol. 1809850 D: 36.80 ⇓ 1.60% | 37.11 | 39.00 / 36.60 C: 36.80 ⇓ 1.87% | 37.09 | 38.50 / 36.70 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 4800 D: 68.80 ⇓ 2.96% | 68.75 | 69.30 / 68.50 MITHUNKNIT | 2.87 | 20.53 | Vol. 98240 D: 73.10 ⇓ 0.68% | 73.43 | 74.70 / 72.80 C: 73.40 ⇓ 1.48% | 73.80 | 74.50 / 73.10 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 26.84 | Vol. 371200 D: 30.20 ⇓ 0.98% | 30.41 | 31.30 / 30.00 C: 30.60 ⇓ 1.61% | 30.79 | 31.40 / 30.50 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 222215 D: 18.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.16 | 18.70 / 17.00 C: 18.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.43 | 18.80 / 18.00 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 199000 D: 25.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 26.03 | 26.50 / 25.50 C: 25.80 ⇑ 0.78% | 26.08 | 27.00 / 25.60 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 383500 D: 7.30 ⇑ 1.39% | 7.33 | 7.50 / 7.20 C: 7.30 ⇑ 1.39% | 7.32 | 7.40 / 7.20 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 75770 D: 26.20 ⇓ 1.87% | 26.35 | 27.10 / 24.30 C: 26.30 ⇓ 2.59% | 26.35 | 26.40 / 26.30 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 644433 D: 40.50 ⇑ 1.76% | 40.82 | 42.50 / 36.00 C: 41.40 ⇑ 3.24% | 40.78 | 43.40 / 40.00 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 2581125 D: 34.80 ⇑ 1.16% | 35.00 | 36.00 / 31.50 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 428360 D: 26.40 ⇓ 0.75% | 26.93 | 27.70 / 24.70 C: 26.50 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.86 | 27.40 / 26.20 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 60354 D: 92.60 ⇑ 0.33% | 92.65 | 93.00 / 90.00 C: 91.90 ⇓ 0.33% | 91.91 | 92.00 / 91.90 METROSPIN | 0.56 | 17.71 | Vol. 1680580 D: 22.10 ⇑ 3.27% | 21.95 | 22.70 / 20.00 C: 22.20 ⇑ 3.74% | 22.06 | 22.70 / 21.00 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 8471783 D: 19.30 ⇑ 6.63% | 18.92 | 19.60 / 16.50 C: 19.50 ⇑ 7.73% | 18.96 | 19.80 / 18.00 DACCADYE | 1.02 | 28.44 | Vol. 1305754 D: 28.20 ⇓ 1.74% | 28.30 | 29.00 / 26.00 C: 28.30 ⇓ 1.39% | 28.34 | 28.90 / 28.10 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 8539343 D: 37.80 ⇑ 3.00% | 37.72 | 38.50 / 33.50 C: 37.90 ⇑ 2.71% | 37.87 | 38.60 / 36.70 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 737481 D: 17.60 ⇓ 1.68% | 17.88 | 18.50 / 17.00 C: 17.70 ⇓ 1.12% | 17.85 | 18.40 / 17.50 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 2482450 D: 30.00 ⇓ 0.66% | 30.19 | 30.90 / 27.20 C: 29.90 ⇓ 1.32% | 30.07 | 30.60 / 29.70 ZAHINTEX | 1.20 | 31.07 | Vol. 337050 D: 27.70 ⇓ 0.36% | 27.83 | 28.20 / 26.00 C: 27.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.80 | 28.10 / 27.50 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 815250 D: 25.60 ⇑ 1.19% | 25.63 | 25.90 / 25.20 C: 25.70 ⇑ 0.39% | 25.69 | 26.00 / 25.30 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 6617140 D: 31.90 ⇓ 4.20% | 32.48 | 34.00 / 30.00 C: 32.00 ⇓ 3.32% | 32.51 | 33.80 / 31.70 ENVOYTEX | 3.19 | 39.00 | Vol. 3627560 D: 61.50 ⇓ 0.32% | 61.27 | 62.30 / 55.60 C: 61.10 ⇓ 0.81% | 61.18 | 62.40 / 60.20 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 1659600 D: 73.40 ⇑ 6.53% | 72.53 | 74.80 / 65.00 C: 73.20 ⇑ 7.02% | 72.63 | 73.90 / 68.00 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 450500 D: 53.30 ⇑ 0.38% | 53.29 | 54.20 / 53.00 C: 53.00 ⇑ 0.57% | 52.97 | 53.50 / 52.50 PTL | 2.25 | 21.72 | Vol. 4400750 D: 54.80 ⇑ 2.05% | 54.50 | 55.90 / 52.50 C: 54.90 ⇑ 2.04% | 54.64 | 56.10 / 52.50 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 12701 D: 267.6 ⇓ 3.18% | 270.48 | 276.0 / 266.0 C: 265.6 ⇓ 4.25% | 268.97 | 280.0 / 265.1 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 237928 D: 48.90 ⇓ 0.20% | 48.90 | 50.00 / 44.10 C: 48.80 ⇓ 0.61% | 48.87 | 49.20 / 48.50 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 500 D: 961.0 ⇓ 0.58% | 962.00 | 965.0 / 953.6 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 8078 D: 174.8 ⇑ 0.29% | 173.57 | 180.0 / 157.0 C: 172.2 ⇓ 0.92% | 172.30 | 173.0 / 172.0 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 11050 D: 729.5 ⇑ 0.19% | 726.24 | 730.2 / 723.0

RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 5300 D: 900.9 ⇑ 0.55% | 900.94 | 950.0 / 850.0 PHARMAID | 1.39 | 26.19 | Vol. 20350 D: 162.0 ⇓ 0.49% | 163.14 | 166.9 / 161.5 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 57220 D: 102.4 ⇓ 0.10% | 102.12 | 103.4 / 100.0 C: 101.5 ⇓ 0.49% | 102.09 | 104.0 / 101.3 LIBRAINFU | 4.21 | 1567.59 | Vol. 200 D: 373.0 ⇓ 8.74% | 373.00 | 373.0 / 373.0 ORIONINFU | 1.27 | 7.00 | Vol. 160200 D: 42.60 ⇓ 3.40% | 43.49 | 44.80 / 42.20 C: 42.70 ⇓ 3.39% | 43.43 | 44.30 / 42.10 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 526192 D: 194.2 ⇑ 1.84% | 192.64 | 205.7 / 180.0 C: 193.4 ⇑ 1.68% | 192.17 | 195.0 / 189.6 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 11000 D: 7.60 ⇑ 1.33% | 7.68 | 7.70 / 7.60 C: 7.30 ⇓ 6.41% | 7.30 | 7.30 / 7.30 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 1772237 D: 28.10 ⇓ 1.75% | 28.40 | 31.40 / 25.80 C: 28.10 ⇓ 2.09% | 28.40 | 29.30 / 28.00 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 1050 D: 838.4 ⇓ 5.28% | 838.00 | 846.0 / 835.0 C: 820.0 ⇓ 1.20% | 820.00 | 820.0 / 820.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 11900 D: 74.90 ⇑ 0.27% | 75.00 | 77.00 / 74.30 C: 75.00 ⇓ 1.70% | 75.04 | 75.10 / 75.00 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 13800 D: 757.7 ⇑ 0.29% | 756.81 | 760.0 / 755.5 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 1262875 D: 13.70 ⇑ 1.48% | 13.91 | 14.30 / 12.70 C: 13.60 ⇓ 0.73% | 13.81 | 14.10 / 13.40 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 502537 D: 84.50 ⇓ 1.29% | 84.96 | 87.00 / 83.00 C: 84.80 ⇓ 1.40% | 85.12 | 86.00 / 84.30 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 1178263 D: 23.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.36 | 24.00 / 21.00 C: 23.30 ⇓ 0.43% | 23.33 | 24.00 / 22.80 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 1023750 D: 57.90 ⇓ 4.30% | 59.03 | 61.50 / 57.50 C: 58.10 ⇓ 4.44% | 59.27 | 61.50 / 57.80 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 2476040 D: 65.10 ⇓ 0.46% | 65.63 | 67.70 / 59.00 C: 65.00 ⇓ 0.31% | 65.56 | 67.70 / 64.20 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 129500 D: 184.5 ⇓ 1.81% | 187.12 | 192.5 / 183.0 C: 186.5 ⇓ 1.22% | 189.10 | 191.0 / 186.0 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 4453600 D: 43.70 ⇑ 5.30% | 42.23 | 45.50 / 37.50 C: 43.90 ⇑ 5.28% | 42.42 | 45.80 / 39.60 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 25500 D: 27.20 ⇓ 1.09% | 27.21 | 27.40 / 27.00 C: 27.50 ⇓ 9.24% | 27.49 | 27.60 / 27.40 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.49 | 57.42 | Vol. 94000 D: 91.50 ⇓ 4.69% | 92.86 | 95.20 / 91.10 C: 91.50 ⇓ 3.17% | 92.79 | 94.00 / 91.00 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 711217 D: 30.80 ⇓ 3.14% | 31.39 | 32.70 / 29.50 C: 31.00 ⇓ 2.21% | 31.52 | 32.20 / 30.70 EHL | 2.81 | 18.44 | Vol. 461596 D: 52.70 ⇓ 2.59% | 53.34 | 55.00 / 52.40 C: 53.00 ⇓ 2.75% | 53.62 | 55.40 / 52.80 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 80500 D: 120.6 ⇓ 0.25% | 120.68 | 122.0 / 119.0 C: 120.0 ⇑ 0.84% | 118.07 | 120.0 / 117.0

BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 20200 D: 726.1 ⇑ 1.04% | 724.40 | 730.8 / 719.0 C: 701.0 ⇓ 2.64% | 710.50 | 720.0 / 701.0 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 23000 D: 376.8 ⇑ 0.69% | 376.17 | 379.5 / 372.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 2500 D: 14.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.00 | 14.00 / 14.00 C: 13.80 ⇑ 5.34% | 13.80 | 13.80 / 13.80 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 414500 D: 34.80 ⇑ 4.82% | 34.24 | 35.30 / 33.10 C: 34.80 ⇑ 3.88% | 34.60 | 35.30 / 33.10 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 38866 D: 33.80 ⇓ 3.15% | 34.17 | 36.00 / 31.50 C: 32.70 ⇓ 6.57% | 33.13 | 33.80 / 32.60 STANCERAM | 1.12 | 15.49 | Vol. 6000 D: 36.40 ⇓ 4.46% | 36.50 | 39.00 / 36.20 FUWANGCER | 0.65 | 12.70 | Vol. 1408609 D: 20.80 ⇓ 2.80% | 20.80 | 21.70 / 20.00 C: 20.90 ⇓ 2.79% | 20.78 | 22.00 / 20.20 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 817583 D: 19.00 ⇓ 2.56% | 19.11 | 19.90 / 18.00 C: 19.00 ⇓ 4.04% | 19.20 | 20.10 / 17.90 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 143809 D: 53.10 ⇓ 1.12% | 53.38 | 54.00 / 48.50 C: 53.10 ⇓ 0.38% | 53.40 | 54.40 / 53.00 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 39400 D: 384.5 ⇑ 1.10% | 383.45 | 388.9 / 375.0 C: 382.0 ⇑ 1.35% | 382.56 | 384.7 / 370.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 331341 D: 122.0 ⇓ 0.81% | 122.41 | 128.0 / 121.8 C: 122.2 ⇓ 1.29% | 122.47 | 125.0 / 122.1 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 47100 D: 124.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 124.02 | 125.1 / 122.3 C: 125.0 ⇑ 0.81% | 123.98 | 125.5 / 123.1 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 90000 D: 70.40 ⇓ 0.98% | 70.59 | 71.60 / 70.00 C: 70.90 ⇓ 1.53% | 70.78 | 71.00 / 70.50 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 394000 D: 32.40 ⇓ 0.61% | 32.51 | 33.00 / 32.30 C: 32.40 ⇓ 0.31% | 32.41 | 32.60 / 32.30 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 194346 D: 83.50 ⇓ 0.83% | 83.83 | 86.00 / 78.00 C: 83.50 ⇓ 1.18% | 83.69 | 85.00 / 78.20 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 138000 D: 99.10 ⇓ 0.90% | 99.71 | 102.9 / 98.50 C: 99.40 ⇓ 1.19% | 99.95 | 99.80 / 100.0 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 121457 D: 17.00 ⇓ 1.16% | 17.12 | 17.90 / 16.00 C: 17.10 ⇓ 1.16% | 17.14 | 17.40 / 17.00 BDCOM | 1.40 | 14.41 | Vol. 160541 D: 25.50 ⇓ 0.78% | 25.65 | 26.00 / 24.50 C: 26.80 ⇑ 5.10% | 26.80 | 26.80 / 26.80 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 163625 D: 15.80 ⇓ 0.63% | 15.88 | 16.00 / 15.00 C: 15.80 ⇓ 0.63% | 15.77 | 16.00 / 15.60 AGNISYSL | 0.96 | 14.90 | Vol. 450150 D: 21.90 ⇓ 0.45% | 21.99 | 22.30 / 21.10 C: 21.70 ⇓ 1.36% | 21.81 | 22.20 / 21.60 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 530540 D: 13.50 ⇓ 1.46% | 13.56 | 14.00 / 13.00 C: 13.60 ⇓ 0.73% | 13.57 | 13.70 / 13.50 AAMRATECH | 1.33 | 19.91 | Vol. 1213350 D: 35.90 ⇓ 2.71% | 36.49 | 37.80 / 33.50 C: 36.00 ⇓ 2.70% | 36.61 | 38.10 / 35.80

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 52108 D: 30.00 ⇓ 0.99% | 30.17 | 30.50 / 28.00 C: 30.70 ⇑ 1.32% | 30.11 | 30.70 / 30.00 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 99099 D: 81.50 ⇑ 2.00% | 80.40 | 83.80 / 77.00 C: 82.50 ⇑ 3.25% | 81.68 | 82.60 / 80.00 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 1722 D: 43.20 ⇑ 0.23% | 42.90 | 43.90 / 40.00 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 173850 D: 35.90 ⇑ 1.13% | 36.06 | 36.80 / 34.40 C: 35.40 ⇑ 0.85% | 35.92 | 36.00 / 35.40 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 7462 D: 38.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 38.27 | 38.80 / 38.10 C: 40.00 ⇑ 5.26% | 39.87 | 40.00 / 40.00 JANATAINS | 0.78 | 17.07 | Vol. 176400 D: 28.20 ⇓ 1.05% | 28.26 | 28.80 / 28.00 C: 28.00 ⇓ 1.06% | 28.05 | 28.90 / 27.90 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 212358 D: 42.00 ⇓ 3.00% | 42.14 | 43.40 / 41.90 C: 43.70 ⇑ 0.46% | 43.71 | 44.00 / 43.00 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 124800 D: 48.30 ⇓ 1.63% | 48.51 | 49.60 / 48.10 C: 49.70 ⇑ 0.81% | 48.98 | 50.40 / 48.00 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 39125 D: 29.60 ⇓ 2.31% | 29.79 | 30.30 / 27.80 C: 30.20 ⇓ 0.33% | 30.20 | 30.20 / 30.20 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 51360 D: 24.30 ⇓ 0.41% | 24.49 | 24.80 / 23.00 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 110821 D: 33.60 ⇓ 1.18% | 33.70 | 34.30 / 32.00 C: 33.90 ⇓ 1.17% | 33.80 | 33.90 / 32.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 173198 D: 24.50 ⇓ 1.61% | 24.76 | 25.20 / 23.00 C: 24.50 ⇓ 2.39% | 24.83 | 25.30 / 24.50 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 8759 D: 73.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 73.00 | 77.60 / 71.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 163060 D: 23.60 ⇓ 1.67% | 23.81 | 24.20 / 22.50 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 3700 D: 57.70 ⇓ 2.20% | 57.84 | 58.30 / 57.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 44516 D: 32.20 ⇓ 1.23% | 32.58 | 33.80 / 30.50 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 40000 D: 67.30 ⇓ 0.88% | 67.23 | 69.40 / 66.60 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 117848 D: 27.60 ⇓ 1.43% | 27.82 | 29.80 / 26.50 C: 28.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 28.15 | 28.30 / 27.00 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 65659 D: 27.50 ⇓ 2.48% | 27.70 | 28.70 / 26.50 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 60842 D: 28.60 ⇓ 1.38% | 28.68 | 29.20 / 27.00 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 13977 D: 34.00 ⇓ 0.29% | 34.06 | 34.30 / 32.00 C: 35.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 35.00 | 35.00 / 35.00 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 67500 D: 30.60 ⇓ 0.65% | 30.60 | 31.70 / 30.20 C: 31.30 ⇑ 0.97% | 32.52 | 33.30 / 31.00 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 123506 D: 25.00 ⇓ 1.96% | 25.30 | 25.80 / 24.70 C: 25.00 ⇓ 6.02% | 25.01 | 25.30 / 24.40 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 47754 D: 24.80 ⇑ 0.40% | 24.95 | 25.60 / 24.50 C: 24.70 ⇓ 1.20% | 24.70 | 24.70 / 24.70 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 74302 D: 28.20 ⇓ 1.05% | 28.40 | 29.00 / 26.00 C: 28.50 ⇓ 2.73% | 28.50 | 28.50 / 28.50 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 201000 D: 30.70 ⇓ 0.65% | 30.70 | 31.40 / 30.20 C: 30.10 ⇓ 2.59% | 30.45 | 30.50 / 30.10 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 216990 D: 39.00 ⇓ 3.23% | 39.61 | 40.90 / 38.90 C: 39.40 ⇓ 2.23% | 39.38 | 39.70 / 39.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 49938 D: 42.30 ⇑ 3.17% | 42.47 | 43.80 / 37.90 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 58882 D: 42.30 ⇓ 0.24% | 42.71 | 43.20 / 39.00 C: 42.20 ⇓ 2.09% | 42.15 | 42.20 / 42.10 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 197202 D: 42.80 ⇓ 1.61% | 43.15 | 44.20 / 42.00 C: 43.00 ⇓ 1.83% | 43.02 | 43.10 / 42.90 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 62942 D: 27.30 ⇓ 2.50% | 27.60 | 28.00 / 26.00 C: 27.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 27.32 | 27.60 / 27.40 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 19604 D: 33.90 ⇓ 1.45% | 33.87 | 34.50 / 31.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 32021 D: 28.40 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.54 | 29.40 / 28.00 C: 29.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.00 | 29.00 / 29.00

DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 69500 D: 41.70 ⇓ 0.71% | 41.76 | 42.20 / 41.40 C: 42.40 ⇓ 1.17% | 42.39 | 42.50 / 42.10 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 9573 D: 249.8 ⇓ 0.72% | 250.72 | 252.0 / 240.0 C: 251.5 ⇓ 5.09% | 251.50 | 252.0 / 251.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 2389850 D: 276.1 ⇓ 8.73% | 276.92 | 299.0 / 276.1 C: 292.0 ⇓ 8.72% | 292.35 | 319.0 / 292.0 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 33662 D: 71.30 ⇓ 2.06% | 72.02 | 73.70 / 70.00 C: 71.20 ⇓ 2.86% | 71.26 | 71.60 / 71.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 8668 D: 217.4 ⇑ 0.60% | 217.47 | 224.0 / 209.9 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 122592 D: 98.60 ⇑ 0.10% | 98.61 | 102.0 / 95.00 C: 97.60 ⇓ 0.81% | 97.76 | 99.00 / 97.10 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 27550 D: 108.6 ⇑ 0.00% | 109.47 | 114.9 / 107.6 C: 107.3 ⇓ 1.56% | 107.81 | 110.0 / 106.0 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 6000 D: 114.6 ⇑ 0.79% | 114.67 | 116.0 / 110.3 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 26745 D: 158.4 ⇓ 4.64% | 159.54 | 169.9 / 149.9 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 16833 D: 96.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 96.65 | 100.0 / 92.00 C: 103.9 ⇑ 0.00% | 98.93 | 103.9 / 103.9 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 60000 D: 101.8 ⇓ 3.32% | 103.07 | 107.0 / 101.1 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 56720 D: 57.10 ⇓ 0.52% | 57.35 | 58.90 / 54.00 C: 56.90 ⇓ 1.22% | 57.10 | 58.90 / 56.80 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 322050 D: 56.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 56.15 | 57.20 / 50.60 C: 55.70 ⇓ 0.18% | 55.77 | 56.30 / 55.00 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 515784 D: 205.6 ⇑ 2.80% | 204.46 | 206.5 / 198.0 C: 204.9 ⇑ 2.40% | 203.75 | 208.0 / 201.0 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 321452 D: 170.1 ⇑ 0.71% | 170.65 | 180.0 / 155.0 C: 170.1 ⇑ 0.53% | 170.35 | 172.5 / 169.0 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 5609739 D: 17.20 ⇓ 1.15% | 17.31 | 18.50 / 16.10 C: 17.20 ⇓ 1.15% | 17.30 | 17.70 / 17.10 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 911460 D: 86.10 ⇑ 2.26% | 85.86 | 86.90 / 76.00 C: 86.10 ⇑ 1.65% | 85.94 | 86.90 / 84.50 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 2700 D: 339.4 ⇑ 1.31% | 339.26 | 344.0 / 332.5 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 59860 D: 439.0 ⇓ 0.45% | 441.65 | 451.3 / 436.3 C: 436.8 ⇓ 0.91% | 439.74 | 451.0 / 434.3 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 33715 D: 142.1 ⇑ 0.21% | 142.49 | 144.6 / 135.0 C: 143.0 ⇑ 0.28% | 142.28 | 144.8 / 141.5 USMANIAGL | 3.45 | 27.20 | Vol. 56550 D: 130.5 ⇓ 0.68% | 131.23 | 135.0 / 129.1 C: 128.8 ⇓ 2.42% | 128.32 | 129.0 / 128.0 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 100 D: 57.90 ⇑ 9.04% | 57.90 | 57.90 / 57.90 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 2238813 D: 35.50 ⇓ 3.27% | 36.10 | 40.00 / 33.10 C: 35.60 ⇓ 3.26% | 36.11 | 37.40 / 35.40 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 208500 D: 22.30 ⇓ 1.33% | 22.50 | 23.00 / 22.10 C: 22.50 ⇓ 0.44% | 22.51 | 22.90 / 22.20 MIRACLEIND | 0.09 | 14.41 | Vol. 179800 D: 15.00 ⇓ 2.60% | 15.24 | 16.00 / 15.00 C: 15.00 ⇓ 3.85% | 15.31 | 16.00 / 15.00 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 825 D: 983.5 ⇑ 0.82% | 981.71 | 985.0 / 980.0 C: 966.5 ⇑ 0.52% | 966.50 | 966.5 / 966.5 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 234 D: 880.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 880.00 | 880.0 / 880.0 C: 880.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 880.00 | 880.0 / 880.0

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2013

‘Every move is an opportunity’ M Nooruddin Chowdhury, a Transportation & Supply Chain Management Professional & operations expert shared his insights about the increasing need for logistical expertise in trading

T

n Tasnuva Amin Nova

here is no debate about our world being shrunk into a global village. As I type away on my laptop while humming to the Winds of Change by the Scorpions playing on my iPod, I irreproachably concede to the “internationalisation” of my lifestyle. I’m sure we all do. Even the most hardcore opponent of globalisation will appreciate the convenience that international trade has brought about in our lives.

Reflecting back, even a decade ago, we would have to rely on our relatives and friends to bring us foreign products from their trips abroad. But nowadays a product in a local market is as distant as a product in any other country. Thanks to companies like DHL that offer logistics solutions to customers worldwide to simplify the geographical barriers and enhance the consumer experience at a local level.

Being a developing country actively engaged in national and global trade, Bangladesh needs the logistical assistance in trading to keep up with the global players. In a recent interview, M Nooruddin Chowdhury, Country Manager of DHL Global Forwarding (Bangladesh) Limited, shared with Dhaka Tribune.

“Bangladesh’s strategically located geographical location puts us at the right point.

Our geographical linkage to countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan even China opens up huge trading opportunities for us. There is also the possibility of developing road connectivity with Thailand which can connect us to the tiger economies of the ASEAN countries within Asia,” said the Country Head of the global market leader in the logistics industry.

Nooruddin especially emphasised the government’s role in increasing mobility within neighbouring countries saying “every move is an opportunity as it brings in additional revenue.” Trade relations with our neighbours, thus need to be strengthened by enabling proper transportation systems in terms of road, rail, river routes as and where applicable.”

Citing example from the RMG sector, Nooruddin explains how logistics companies optimise time, freight and space to minimise

Designation: Country Manager, DHL Global Forwarding (Bangladesh) Education: Master’s in Commerce (Finance), University of Chittagong

Career background: Shipping, transport, logistics, supply chain Hobbies and interests: Traveling, Future Tech, Cars, Ancient history & archeology.

Favorite Quote: A leader leads by example not by force - Sun Tzu Favorite Book: Execution – The discipline of Getting things done, Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan Most memorable incident: When I took my daughter on my lap for the first time!

Favorite historical figure: Mahatma Gandhi Social Achievements: Red Crescent Society of Bangladesh has awarded in 2013 for arranging huge number of participations in Blood Donation and enthusiasm to volunteer, Ex com Member in Bangladesh FICCI the cost of these companies. In addition to cost-reduction, companies such as DHL also ensure safety and security of cargo so as to assuage the risks and uncertainties associated with trading abroad. In addition to this, DHL Global Forwarding also helps companies with information about importing and exporting goods and services.

The company has recently arranged the cold chain transshipment of pharmaceutical products to Europe. Elaborating on the achievement, Nooruddin pointed out that they had to overcome certain challenges pertaining to government rules and regulations.

Since the pharmaceutical industry manufactures products which are sensitive to environmental conditions, additional care needs to be taken in transporting them.

Talking about the potential for increasing international trade for Bangladesh, Nooruddin

said that Bangladesh has the resources to expand manufacture of shoes, furniture, handicrafts and leather goods to a greater extent. He acknowledges the need for more investment in these sectors for them to be able to move into foreign markets. As far as logistics and supply chain requirements of trading are concerned, Nooruddin vouches that the logistics facilities of DHL are capable of maintaining the distribution, international supply chain and reverse logistics for these companies.

In order to comply with ethical standards, IT infrastructure and in compliance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004), DHL Global Forwarding takes on additional initiatives to train its employees to adapt to global standards as well following six sigma methodology to improve processes and systems .

The global logistics company has also

launched a special training session titled “Business Continuity Management,” following the new ISO 22301-2012 to equip the workforce with the know-how of disaster recovery plans.

In the event of any disaster, these trained personnel will apply their expertise in minimising the impacts of the disaster on the company’s operations and its customer service.

“Logistics is an exciting industry to be in and the opportunities for growth are very high. As companies are concentrating more on their core functions, they are seeking for third parties for value addition and supply chain requirements.

“However there is a deficiency of talent in this industry. That’s why we invest so much on training our employees. Universities need to address the lack of talent to encourage the growth of the logistics industry”, concludes Nooruddin Chowdhury. l

Deal failure overshadows looming WTO summit n AFP, Geneva Negotiators have failed to fix a deal for a crunch summit next week, casting a shadow over efforts to revive stalled talks on slashing barriers to global commerce, the head of the WTO said Tuesday.

“The reality is that we have proved that we can’t cross the final yard here in Geneva. The process here is over,” World Trade Organisation chief Roberto Azevedo told reporters after a marathon session ended without a final accord.

Underlining that trade diplomats got achingly close before positions hardened over recent days, Azevedo threw the ball into the court of trade ministers who will meet from December 3-6 at a WTO summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

“If we are to get this deal over the line, we will need political engagement and political will. Ministers will have to decide what kind of future they want to see both for the issues that are on the table today and for the WTO,” he added.

The Bali summit is seen as perhaps the last chance to revive the WTO’s “Doha Round” talks, launched in 2001 at a summit in Qatar, and on-off from the outset.

US trade ambassador Michael Punke gave a bleak assessment Tuesday.

“A once-in-a-generation opportunity may have slipped our grasp,” he told fellow negotiators.

Mexican trade envoy Fernando de Mateo struck a different tone, telling reporters: “Hope is the last thing that you lose. We’re so near that

it’s not impossible.”

And in a statement, European Union trade chief Karel De Gucht said: “As we are so close to the shared objective, we should not give up.”

The Doha Round aims to produce a wide-ranging accord to open markets and remove trade barriers, with a key goal being to harness international commerce to develop poorer economies.

By some estimates, Azevedo noted, it could provide a $1tn boost to global commerce. l