08 December 2013

Business

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Agrahayan 24, 1420 Safar 4, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 254

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Nelson Mandela: No ordinary politician

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UN asks if polls can be deferred

Child, father wounded by police bullets n Kailash Sarkar

Hasina shows Taranco way to the EC Reza Chowdhury, n Kamran Sheikh Shahariar Zaman and Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The UN chief’s visiting envoy Oscar Fernandez-Taranco yesterday at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina enquired whether there was scope to shift the 10th general election date, now scheduled for January 5, apparently to ensure main opposition BNP’s participation.

He also observed that negotiation for restoration of a non-party caretaker government was not needed, rather “an even-playing field for all political parties is a necessity,” Prime Minister’s Adviser Gowher Rizvi told reporters after the meeting at Ganabhaban.

Hasina said changing the election date was completely the decision of the Election Commission, which is constitutionally mandated to hold the elections, not the government.

She said her government “wanted an inclusive election,” as Taranco stressed, provided that it must be held

INSIDE News

3 Businessmen had threatened to besiege the offices of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia if they did not take appropriate steps soon to resolve the country’s prevailing political gridlock.

Nation

5 Hundreds of farmers demonstrated in front of a fertiliser dealer’s shop and confined him by blockading the Lalmonirhat-Mogholhat road on Friday, while others demonstrated at Hatibandha in Lalmonirhat yesterday protesting the unexpected price hike of fertilisers.

within the constitutional provisions.

Meanwhile, BNP chief Khaleda Zia in her meeting with Taranco later reportedly said suspending or deferring the election schedule would not resolve the crisis.

When Taranco reminded the BNP chief about the constitutional obligation to hold the polls by January 24, according to sources, Khaleda had referred to several formulas presented by different parties and civil society members on the formation of an interim government as a possible solution.

Apart from holding a meeting in presence of other Awami League leaders, the UN assistant secretary-general for political affairs and the PM had oneto-one session for more than one hour.

For around two hours Taranco discussed different issues with Khaleda and her team at the opposition leader’s Gulshan residence. BNP leaders Abdul Moyeen Khan, Reaz Rahman, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Sabihuddin Ahmed were present.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

A six-year-old boy and his father sustained bullet wounds during a clash between police and Jamaat-Shibir in the capital’s Malibagh yesterday.

Md Maher Alam, an upper-play group student at the Shahid Lieutenant Selim Shikkhaloy, and his father Mohammad Abdul Majed, 45, an official of Centre for Mass Education and Science, were returning to their Noyatola residence in Moghbazar from the Malibagh bazar around 11am, when they got caught.

P16

Police are going to reinforce their positions by arming themselves in a bid to rein in the volatile political situation and stabilise the law and order in the country ahead of the national election.

As part of the move, the purchase of huge arms and ammunition and other operational equipment is underway.

Sources in the equipment unit at the police headquarters said it recently floated separate tenders to purchase 3,500 firearms, 71,800 gas grenades, gas guns and tear gas shells, 55,000 batons, 7,500 handcuffs, 26,000 jackets and vests, 5,000 ropes, 20,000 head safety gears, 8,000 bandoliers (bullet keepers), 25,000 slings for preserving bullets, 90,000 pairs of boots and various other necessary materials.

According to the sources, the usage of a large quantity of bullets and

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PMO

Rawshan, Anisul, Bablu buying time Two Jatiya Party ministers Rawshan Ershad and Anisul Islam Mahmud and PM’s Adviser Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu were yet to submit their resignation letters to the party chief until yesterday.

Rawshan did not go to the party chairman’s residence President Park,

located at Baridhara, yesterday while Anisul last met him on Thursday, when HM Ershad had declared to boycott the polls, and directed all his party men to submit resignations and withdraw candidature.

But Bablu did not meet Ershad for a single day since that day. He has also been absent at the party office.

Meanwhile, JP Secretary General

Police reinforcement on the cards to tame violence centring polls n Kailash Sarkar

Ruhul Amin Hawlader and Mujibul Haq Khan Chunnu, who among four submitted resignations to Ershad on Thursday, are trying to convince him not to quit the polls-time government, party insiders say.

“We are trying to persuade Ershad so that he changes his decision and participate in the 10th general

The two were taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital with splinters of rubber bullets on the forehead and head of Maher and back and legs of his father.

Majed told the Dhaka Tribune: “There was no procession or gathering.

But suddenly, several bombs exploded.

Then we tried to run to safety, but bullets hit us.”

Witnesses said 10-12 Jamaat-Shibir men exploded a number bombs on the road prompting police to open their shotguns.

UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco calls on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban yesterday

Bakar Siddique and n Abu Manik Miazee

tear gas shells to deal with clashes centring the verdict against the war criminals, face-offs with the Hefazat-e-Islam and the ongoing hostile encounters between police and anti-government elements resulted in a shortage of the stockpiles.

The highest amount of bullets, tear gas shells, gas grenades and sound grenades were spent on the confrontation with the Hefazat-e-Islam “The purchase of arms and ammunition and other combat equipment is a regular process, but this year the police had to spend a record number of bullets and tear gas shells along with a large number of gas grenades and sound grenades in various encounters with Hefazat and the Jamaat-e-Islam,” said a senior police official in the headquarters on condition of anonymity.

He said on May 5 and 6, the

highest amount of bullets, tear gas shells, gas grenades and sound grenades were spent on the confrontation with the Hefazat in Dhaka, Manikganj, Narayanganj and Chittagong.

Besides, to tame the ongoing violent political situation, police resort to firing of tear gas canisters and charging of batons almost regularly.

“Police reinforcement will be necessary to deal with any untoward situation centring the upcoming election,” added the police official.

Kamrul Hasan, assistant inspector general (equipment), however, did not make any comment on the purchase, terming it “secret.”

It should not be made public, added the police high-up.

But sources in the “Equipment” unit said a tender was floated on September 26 asking for the supply of 1,000 pieces of 9mm pistols,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

PICTURE

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Violence marks beginning of 72-hour blockade n Tribune Report The fresh spell of nationwide 72-hour road-rail-waterway blockade, called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance was marked by stray incidents of vandalism including arson attack on steamers and buses, clash between pickets and police yesterday.

In Jessore, blockaders attacked a convoy of the Border Guard of Bangladesh, in response the troops fired 50 rounds of bullets.

A bus helper suffered severe burn injuries after pickets set fire to the vehicle, which he was sleeping in at Louhajang upazila in Munshiganj.

The pro-blockade activists also set fire to three launches, and a bus while they vandalised a water vessel in the district, a couple of hours before the blockade began at 6am.

The opposition activists blasted crude bombs, vandalised vehicles, brought out processions and clashed with law enforcement force at different parts of the capital, including Rampura, Bhasantek, Khilgaon, Tejgaon and Jatrabari areas in the morning. Several people were arrested from different areas.

In the capital’s Dholaipar, blockaders burned a stationed bus around 4:30am in the morning.

Meanwhile, a minor boy and his father suffered bullet wounds as police opened fire on a Jamaat-Shibir procession at the city’s Malibagh Chowdhury Para area around 11am.

The injured were, NGO employee Majedur Rahman, 45, a resident of East Nayatola in the city and his son Mahir Ahmed, 6.

Besides, blockaders blasted crude bombs and set fire to a vehicle in Gabtoli. Later, Gabtoli police arrested a man along with a handmade bombs.

Police in Old Dhaka and Rampura, rounded up seven people including six Jamaat-Shibir activists.

At Islampur, a clash between Shibir activists and police took place around 8:45am.

Jamaat-Shibir members brought out a procession in the morning, and tried to restore to vandalism in Rampura as well. After being resisted by police, they hurled several crude bombs at the law enforcers.

The blockade in capital was apparently slack compared to previous ones with vehicles on road, and launches running the waterways, but no inter-district bus left the terminals.

The opposition alliance has already enforced 202 hours of road-rail-waterway blockade across the country in two spells – 71-hour and 131-hours. The back-to-back programmes were being

Scared passengers jump out of the windows of a bus as blockade supporters set the vehicle on fire in city’s Shajahanpur area on the first day of 72-hour countrywide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance DHAKA TRIBUNE enforced since the announcement of the schedule for the 10th parliamentary elections on November 25.

Several incidents of clashes, arson and vandalism were also reported in Jessore, Munshiganj, Chittagong, Gazipur, Jamalpur and Satkhira.

After being attacked by blockaders, the BGB fired around 50 rounds of gun shots to disperse them at Rupdia under Kotwali police station in Jessore around 3pm on Saturday. At least seven blockaders were hurt in the attack, claimed Jamaat.

Lieutenant Colonel Matiur Rahman, commanding officer, 26 BGB Battalion told the Dhaka Tribune that the escorts of Brigadier General Shamsur Rahman, regional commander of Border Guard Bangladesh fired around 50 rounds in the air as his motorcade came under attack by the blockaders at Rupdia on the Jessore-Khulna Highway around 3pm.

“The BGB official was returning from Khulna after attending a meet-

ing,” he said.

“The blockaders hurled cocktails at the BGB vehicle.”

However, Master Noor-un-Nabi, general secretary, Jessore district unit of Jamaat-e-Islami told the Dhaka Tribune that at least seven of their activists were hurt as the BGB men charged baton on them. He, however, refused the information of attacking BGB. In Munshiganj, Alamgir, 23, a helper, was sleeping inside a bus of Great Bikrampur Paribahan parked on the Mawa launch terminal parking yard, when pro-blockade activists torched it. He was brought immediately to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital with 20% burn injuries.

Doctors said his throat was critically burnt making him vulnerable.

The pro-blockade activists also set fire to MV Rajib-2, MV Masum and vandalised MV Sajal-1 anchored at Mawa Terminal and torched a bus of Gangchil Paribahan parked at a petrol pump’s parking.

Fire service and locals put out the blaze, said Abul Kalam, officer-in-charge at Louhajang Police Station.

In Gazipur, pro-blockaders torched a sub-inspector’s motorcycle at Joydebpur bus stand from a procession.

Police said the procession was parading from Joydebpur bus stop, where several small vehicles were vandalised.

As police barred the procession, they torched the motorcycle parked beside and engaged in a clash with cops.

In Chittagong, pro-blockade activists torched at least two vehicles and vandalised 10 others. They also blasted crude bombs and attempted to block roads at different areas in the port city and elsewhere in the district while police dispersed them and took control of the situation. No casualty was reported.

Creating blockade on roads, chases-counter chases between AL and BNP activists, and exchanging bullets marked the blockade in Jamalpur.

AL Activists chased the opposition activists to take position at Chapar Kona Jamtola intersection under Sharishabari upazila in the morning which turned into the chase-counter chase.

Later, police came and fired 8-9 rounds of blanks and charged baton, leaving five people injured.

Meanwhile, at Melandaho upazila, BNP activists brought out a procession wearing shrouds. They torched a local Al office.

In the meantime, three youths sustained serious injuries while making bombs at an abandoned house at Laxmipur under Motbee union of Feni Sadar around 5pm. The injured were identified as Ripon, 34, Saiful, 32, and Shwapon.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, meanwhile, has called hartals in Chittagong for Sunday and in Rangpur and Narail for Monday, demanding immediate release of the party president and general secretary. l

Junaid Babunagari, secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, has urged Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad to remain firm on his decision of not joining the upcoming parliamentary election.

He made the urge in a statement issued yesterday by the Chittagong-based

Child, father wounded by police bullets  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

This correspondent tried to talk to the boy but he seemed severely traumatised from the incident.

Md Ashrafuzzaman, deputy commissioner of police, said although the injuries were not serious, police could have been more responsible.

“I have decided to visit the child and would take measures for counseling if required,” the DC said. l

Police reinforcement on the cards to tame violence  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

500 SMGs, 2,000 pieces of 12 bore shotguns and 65,000 pieces of tear gas shells while a similar tender on October 13 asked for armored personnel carriers and 14 other vehicles.

Besides, on September 08, police department tendered for a supply of 4,800 38mm tear gas shells, 2,000 gas grenades and 2,000 sound grenades.

Accordingly, on September 10, a tender was floated for the supply of 6,500 pieces of bullet-proof vests 14,500 pieces of splinter-proof jackets, 20,000 safety head gears, 20,000 pieces of shin pads, 2,000 litres of arms cleaner oil, 2,000 litres of arms cleaner grease and 5,000 pieces of life jackets.

On September 25, police asked the bidders to supply 55,000 pieces of batons, 75,000 pairs of handcuffs, 5,000 pieces of prisoners-ropes, 8,000 pieces of bandoliers for keeping bullets, 25,000 pieces of slings for carrying firearms and 90,000 pairs of boots. l

Islamist group.

“The role of Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad is very important during such critical turning of politics,” he said.

His decision for not joining the polls without participation of all parties had fulfilled the expectation of the people, the Hefazat leader said.

He said the JP chairman could play a significant role in the current political perspective to ensure level playing field for the next general polls.

He added that the devoted Muslims had never expected the JP chairman to be used for establishing atheism instead of playing his due role.

The giant neighbouring country did

not want the Bangladeshi nationalist force to come to power. Therefore, it was high time for Bangladeshi nationalist force to remain united forgetting all differences to recover the nation from present uncertainty, Babunagari said.

Earlier on November 23, Babunagari stated that though Ershad had taken blessings from the Hefazat-e-Islam

As the Election Commission’s scrutiny has been completed, it is evident that 33 Awami League candidates will be declared elected – uncontested – in the January 5 elections. But the number may increase if Jatiya Party candidates withdraw their nominations in line with the party chairman’s announcement.

According to the EC report, only two candidates are contesting in 103 parliamentary seats, where most of contenders are from the Awami League and HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party.

So far, seven Jatiya Party candidates have applied for withdrawing nominations.

An official said the commission had not collected applications for withdrawing nomination papers from the field-level. “We will start the process from Sunday [today].”

Ershad backtracked from the polls only a day after joining the polls-time government and announcing MP aspirants.

He has asked party leaders to tender resignations and withdraw their nomination papers. However, he later agreed to join polls if the schedule was changed and participation of all parties was ensured.

The ruling Awami League and its allies are determined to hold the election on January 5 while the opposition alliance has been observing blockades and hartals since the announcement of the schedule on November 25.

After the beginning of parliamentary democracy in 1991, no candidate was elected uncontested in the elections except for the 1996 one. That election was boycotted by all parties except for the BNP and some other small parties.

In the much-disputed elections held on February 15 that year, 49 candidates of the BNP were elected uncontested.

The BNP then won 279 seats out of 290.

Elections to 10 parliamentary constituencies were not held due to unavoidable circumstances.

In the January 22, 2006 election, 18 candidates of the BNP were elected uncontested. But the polls were cancelled after the declaration of emergency.

A senior official of the EC yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that if the election was held in participation of all parties, there would be no uncontested candidates. l

Two held with Tk19.30 lakh n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

chief Shah Ahmad Shafi, his current political stance would turn it into a “curse” for him.

He made the remark six days after the former military dictator met Shafi in Chittagong. He went to the port city a day after announcing he was leaving the ruling alliance to form a new one. l

Police held two with Tk19.30lakh from Patiya upazila in Chittagong yesterday while going to Cox’s Bazar from the city in a Pajero jeep carrying the national flag.

The arrestees are Syed Alam, 25, and Rabiul Alam, 21, both hailing from Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, said Mafiz Uddin, officer-in-charge of Patiya police station.

He told the Dhaka Tribune that on-duty police seized the duo around 1:30pm as their vehicle was carrying the national flag. l

ka Tribune that the party would issue a letter to the Election Commission.

It would be applicable for all the JP candidates.

Meanwhile, expelled Jatiya Party leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed yesterday said: “I have information from reliable sources that Rowshan Ershad will replace HM Ershad as the party chairman.”

At a press briefing held at his Gulshan residence, he said: “I have also heard that Ershad may travel abroad citing health reasons.”

Kazi Zafar added that several Jatiya Party ministers including Hawlader were not willing to give up their posts.

Refuting the claims, Ershad said

he would remain the party chief until death. “There is even no chance for anyone to take up the post of an acting chairman. Those who are spreading rumours are intending to confuse people.”

Speaking to journalists at his residence, the former military dictator said: “The chairman of Jatiya Party is still alive. I am the chairman until death. I do not give power to anyone else.”

Regarding the resignation of his party leaders, Ershad said: “It does not matter at all whether the ministers retain or leave, resign or not. I am all-inall in the party.” l

ed the prime minister as telling Taranco, who came to Dhaka on Friday.

Immediately before meeting the premier, the UN envoy sat with a delegation of the ruling Awami League at the Sonargaon Hotel. Ashraf led the delegation that included Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Gowher Rizvi, Col (retd) Faruk Khan, Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif and Shahed Reza.

“We have not discussed any specific issue,” Ashraf told reporters after the meeting adding that they would discuss specific issues in the next two meetings.

Citing the visit of Ban Ki-moon to Dhaka in 2008, Ashraf said they had a very fruitful meeting with him, and as a result, a participatory election could be held.

“We hope that this dialogue will also be successful,” he said.

Taranco’s meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali was preceded by sittings with Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and the Dhaka-based diplomats who reportedly briefed him about the country’s political situation.

In his meeting with the foreign minister, the UN envoy said time was very limited and the door should be kept open for dialogue to reach a solution to hold a non-violent, credible and inclusive election, said a diplomat.

He also expressed serious concern over the violent activities, the diplomat said, adding: “He categorically said violence is not acceptable.”

Since his arrival on a political mission, Taranco also had meetings with the members of diplomatic community including US Ambassador Dan Mozena yesterday. l

Babunagari urges Ershad to stick to his decision n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong

More uncontested MPs if Jatiya Party withdraws n Mohammad Zakaria

Rawshan, Anisul, Bablu buying time  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

election,” Chunnu told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday evening.

The four ministers had series of meetings with Awami League leaders and Ershad yesterday. The two others are Ershad’s brother GM Quader and Salma Islam.

They also went to the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday to meet premier Sheikh Hasina, but failed to get her appointment.

Howlader told journalists that the four ministers were awaiting the premiere’s appointment.

While briefing media after a meeting with the party chief, he said the JP min-

isters were set to submit their resignation letters to the prime minister today.

“Though we need to seek an appointment with the prime minister, we are yet to get it,” he added.

Six ministers of the 29-member polls-time cabinet, who took oaths on November 18, are from the Jatiya Party.

However, Ershad is yet to withdraw the three nomination papers he had submitted to the returning officer’s office though timeline for withdrawal of nomination papers began yesterday. The deadline ends on December 13.

Sunil Shuvo Roy, press and political secretary of Ershad, told the Dha-

UN asks if polls can be deferred  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Later, the UN envoy also had one-toone meeting with Khaleda for about 10 minutes.

BNP would not formally disclose the content to the media. “This is not possible to say anything at this moment. It can be possible to brief the media after the process is complete,” Shamsher told waiting reporters after the meeting.

However, sources in the BNP said Khaleda had told Taranco that no election was possible under the current administration and the prevailing political circumstances.

The BNP has long been opposing to participate in the general elections under Sheikh Hasina as the chief of interim government.

Neither the BNP chief nor the UN envoy gave any formula, said sources.

Taranco will again meet the BNP chief tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Awami League briefed media twice about the meetings with the UN envoy – first, after a delegation led by General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam met him, then again after the meeting with the PM. Briefing the reporters, Gowher Rizvi, who attended the meeting that held from 4:10pm to 4:49pm at Ganabhaban, said Taranco had brought with him a special message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who referred Bangladesh as a model of “development, democracy and communal harmony.”

He said the UN wanted no change to the “status.”

“The election issue came at one stage of the meeting,” the adviser said.

Gowher Rizvi said the UN chief had

appreciated the prime minister’s move to hold an election participated by all parties.

“He [Taranco] said restoration of the [non-party] caretaker government is not a necessity. He stressed whether the need for an even playing field can be ensure.

“Taranco has enquired whether the election date can be shifted. The honourable prime minister has replied that [Taranco should] ask the Election Commission [about it].”

According to the adviser, the prime minister has made it clear that the government is not intervening in the functions of the EC to hold a free, fair and unbiased election.

“Our effort is to hold an election with the participation of all parties, but it must be within the [framework of the] constitution,” Gowher Rizvi quot-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Sunday, December 8, 2013

BNP asks public servants not to serve ‘illegal’ orders n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Main opposition BNP has urged the government officials to not get involved with the procedures for the “one sided” election and also urged the Election Commission to suspend the schedule.

“We urge all government officials to carry out their duties neutrally to serve the people and the country. Do not be used as tools for any person or party’s illegal intentions,” Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP’s joint secretary general, said in a video message.

Urging people to get united to force the government to step down, the opposition spokesperson said: “The international community does not want a one-sided election. A large section of teachers has already expressed their reservation about carrying out polls duty.”

On the first day of the ongoing 72-hour nationwide rail, road and waterway blockade, more than 217 had been injured and at least 103 bullet hit Salahuddin alleged that the government wanted to hold “farcical polls” because it was scared of a “level playing field.”

Asking the EC to suspend the schedule, Salahuddin said: “Suspend the election schedule immediately, otherwise you will have to face justice one day.”

The BNP leader claimed that on the first day of the ongoing 72-hour nationwide rail, road and waterway blockade, more than 217 had been injured, at least 103 bullet hit and over 300 opposition leaders and activists arrested.

Salahuddin has been maintaining communication with the media through video messages and press releases since November 30, when BNP’s crisis-time spokesperson Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was arrested from the Nayapaltan office.

Designated opposition spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, also the acting secretary general of BNP, along with most of the senior opposition leaders, has been hiding to avoid arrest. l

Members of business community after holding a humane chain in front of BGMEA office join a mass signature campaign expressing their concerns over current political crisis and requesting the government and the opposition to resolve the political deadlock to create a favorable environment for business SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Businessmen warn Hasina and Khaleda n Tribune Report The Country’s businessmen had threatened to besiege the offices of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia if they did not take appropriate steps soon to resolve the country’s prevailing political gridlock.

From a human chain programme organised by the BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA in front of the BGMEA premises in the capital’s Kawran Bazar yesterday, the warning was made. The programme was organised with an aim to put pressure on political parties to

come to a consensus in resolving the ongoing political crisis.

Meanwhile, the FBCCI is scheduled to hold a flag demonstration bearing “white flag” with participations of the country’s businessmen on December 15.

“If the political leaders do not take any steps within 3-4 days, we will protest along with our four million workers,” BGMEA President M Atiqul Islam warned.

“If the political crisis continues, we will not be able to pay workers’ salary and over times, banks loans, LCs payment, insurance premiums,” Islam said.

FBCCI Vice-President Helal Uddin

urged the politicians to stop politics of arson and vandalism.

The apparel apex trade body leaders also urged the political parties to keep the vehicles carrying RMG goods out of purview of hartals and blockades.

“Ensure security, or quit from politics,” said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, former BGMEA president, pointing a finger to the government.

“We were supposed to stay in factories but because of sick politics we are on the streets,” said Annisul Huq, former FBCCI president, and added: “Please, open the motherly heart and

Secretariat’s pro-opposition staff reorganise n Mohosinul Karim

Ahead of the parliamentary elections, leaders of pro-opposition employees’ organisations at the Secretariat have resumed their activities to realise several demands – breaking the silence after roughly five years.

Their activities are seen inside the country’s administrative hub recently, when the country’s political situation is volatile centring the next general elections, slated for January 5.

The pro-government organisations term those activities baseless as most of the seven demands put forward by the pro-opposition organisations have already been met or are under consideration.

Some suspect that untoward incidents might take place given the confronting atmosphere prevailing in the Secretariat between the two groups.

Nazrul Islam, president of Shachibaloy Karmakarta Karmachari Sangjukta

Parishad, claimed that they had no ill motives behind being reorganised.

“We have already submitted to the government our seven-point demands which are promotion and creation of new posts, upgrading job status, increasing pay scales, eliminating discriminations, introducing risk allowances and confirmation of service for the work-charged employees. We are moving ahead to realise these demands,” he said.

On December 2, they had been chased by the pro-government officials and employees when supporters of the pro-opposition organisation went to the finance ministry to meet the minister.

Other officials and law enforcers intervened to quell the untoward situation.

In late October, a section of pro-opposition public servants, terming themselves “patriot” employees, distributed anti-government leaflets inside the Secretariat raising allegations of corruption and misuse of power

against several ministers, advisers and top-level civil bureaucrats.

The pro-opposition organisations are Bangladesh Shachibaloy Karmakarta Karmachari Sangjukta Parishad led

by Nazrul Islam and Mahe Alam; Secretariat Personal Officers’ Association of Sultan Ahmed and Kamal Hossain; Stenotypist cum Computer Operators’ Association led by Hannan Sardar and Zillur Rahman Rashed; Office Assistant cum Computer Operators’ Association of Md Salauddin and Yusuf Mridha; Secretariat Computer Employees’ Association led by Nizamul Hassan and Nazrul Islam; Secretariat Accounts Officers’ Association headed by Aktar Hossain and Parvez Ahmed; and Secretariat Grade IV Employees’ Association led by Rahmat Ullah and Azim Uddin.

The Sangjukta Parishad was earlier led by pro-government leader Nizamul Haq Bhuiyan Milon. A section of pro-opposition employees coming out of the organisation formed a new one

with the same name under the leadership of Nazrul and Mahe Alam.

Their movement is backed by a non-cadre assistant secretary of the finance division and two pro-opposition senior journalists, pro-government employees’ leaders allege.

They said there was no significant issue to launch a movement as most of the demands had already been fulfilled. The government also announced the pay commission to increase salaries and facilities for the public servants.

Ruhul Amin, secretary general of Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees’ United Council, claimed that the pro-opposition officials and employees had been reorganising to create an anarchic situation in the administration.

Milon said, “A section of pro-opposition officers and employees are trying to achieve their goals by cashing in the current political turmoil. The employees and officials will resist them.” l

EC cancels 260 nominations n Mohammad Zakaria

A man in Chittagong expresses pent-up anger over the violent political atmosphere yesterday by holding a placard that says 'I neither support Sheikh Hasina nor Khaleda Zia; I only want to live a safe life and enjoy the rights a citizen is entitled to' DHAKA TRIBUNE

Election Commission cancelled 260 nominations out of a total 1107 submitted for the 10th parliamentary election slated for January 5.

About 46 out of the 260 till yesterday appealed to the commission against the rejection of their nomination during the scrutiny.

The returning officers cancelled maximum 76 independent candidates’ nominations for anomaly on their one percent of voters’ signature. Nomination of both Awami League and Jatiya Party candidates were cancelled as they did not submit proof of the party nomination.

The EC cancelled 40 candidates’ nominations for loan, bill and tax defaults, 39 candidates’ nomination were cancelled for providing wrong and incomplete information and 12 nominations were cancelled for participating in the polls without leaving their posts at office of profit.

Besides, 23 candidates’ nominations were cancelled for not submitting the proof of party nomination and 45 can-

didates’ nominations were cancelled for other reasons.

The commission did not provide any reason for cancelling the rest of the 25 candidates’ nominations.

Those whose nominations were cancelled on December 6, can file appeal to the EC till Monday and those whose nominations were cancelled on December 5, can appeal by Sunday.

A senior EC official yesterday said the commission would hold hearing of appeal from December 10 to December 12.

There were 847 valid candidates for the 10th parliamentary polls while 1,450 candidates for the February 15 elections in 1996.

Meanwhile, following the scrutiny, there was no valid candidate in the Laxmipur-3 parliamentary constituency.

The returning officer cancelled Jainal Hazari’s nomination for not paying up gas bill and taxes.

According to the EC, 20 out of the 40 registered political party were contesting in the 10th parliamentary elections. l

close the violent heart.”

Anisur Rahman Sinha, former BGMEA president, said, “Do not push the country along with this industry towards destruction for the sake of party’s interests.”

Meanwhile, Mostafa of Dress Up Limited said, “It is high time to boycott the fake politicians,” adding that they did not want the politics, which would push the country backward.

The country’s RMG sector and economy were at stake for the interest of the politicians, said Abdul Muktadir, director of FBCCI, adding that only the poli-

tician would be benefitted from politics and it [the RMG industry] would be the victims.

Civil society members, several chamber leaders and workers’ leaders expressed solidarity with the BGMEA, demanding an end to the ongoing political unrest in the country and to take necessary measures to come to a consensus.

Meanwhile, the businessmen observed “one minute silence” to show respect to Nelson Mandela, the great South African leader, who passed away on Friday. l

Two ‘Chhatra Dal’ men nabbed for Shahbagh arson attack n Kailash Sarkar Detective Branch of Police on Friday night arrested a “ward-level leader and an activist of Chhatra Dal” at the capital’s Shantinagar and Bongshal areas, claiming they were among those who had set fire to a bus in Shahbagh on November 28.

DB produced Md Uzzal Hossain, 26, president of ward 70 unit Chhatra Dal of Dhaka, and Sohel Chan alias Milin, 28, before journalists in a briefing yesterday. DB officials said Uzzal was the alleged planner of the arson attack.

The arson attack left 19 people severely burnt, of whom three had already died and several others were undergoing treatment at Burn Unit of the DMCH However, no one was allowed to talk to the two arson attack suspects.

The two were placed on a three-day remand yesterday after they had been produced before a Dhaka court. Sanwar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of DB, said police had sought 10 days’ remand for each.

The arson attack left 19 people severely burnt, of whom three had already died and several others were undergoing treatment at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of the Dhaka Medi-

cal College Hospital.

“A group of seven to eight criminals took part in the arson attack and with Uzzal and Milon. So far, we have three of them. Another Chhatra Dal activist Sabbir was arrested two days ago in the capital,” said DB Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam said at the briefing.

Monirul also said: “Following directives from senior party leaders, the detained criminals have so far carried out some 50 attacks on vehicles with petrol and crude bombs.

“In exchange of money, the gang carried out almost all the arson and bomb attacks on vehicles and on public, that took place in last few months at the capital’s Bongshal, Kotwali, Sutrapur, Paltan, Motijheel, Ramna, Shahbagh and the adjoining areas,” said the DB official.

When asked, he claimed that the other members of the gang and their financers were known to police, but he declined to disclose their identities.

ADC Sanwar, who led the arrest drives, got confirm about their involvement with the arrest using modern technology which showed that the two were present at the spot during the attck.

After the deadly arson attack, police filed a case accusing 14 top leaders of BNP and its wings. BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was arrested on December 4 and Vice-Chairman Sadeq Hossain Khoka on December 5 in connection with the case. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, December 8, 2013

MARITIME BOUNDARY DISPUTE WITH INDIA

Hearing to begin tomorrow n UNB The hearing on the case related to the Bay of Bengal maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and India will begin at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Netherlands on Monday.

A Bangladesh delegation is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Hague on Sunday to join the eight-day hearing at the five-member tribunal.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali, former foreign minister and agent of the case Dr Dipu Moni and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque are likely to be in the delegation.

As Dipu Moni is the agent of the case, the government is sending her to attend the hearing considering the country’s interest, said a diplomat.

The Netherlands-based PCA is expected to deliver its judgment by the first half of the next year, foreign ministry sources said.

The arbitrary tribunal members are Prof Dr Rüdiger Wolfrum (President), Judge Thomas A Mensah, Dr Pemmaraju Sreenivasa Rao, Prof Ivan Shearer,

Judge Jean-Pierre Cot, according to PCA documents.

Bangladesh is represented by Dipu Moni (Agent) and Deputy Agent of Bangladesh and Secretary of the Foreign Ministry’s Maritime Affairs Unit Rear Admiral M Khurshed Alam (retd).

On the other hand, India is represented by Agent and Joint Secretary and the Legal Advisor of the Ministry of External Affairs Dr Neeru Chadha and Co-agent Joint Secretary (BSM), Ministry of External Affairs, Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Deputy Agent Director (BSM), Ministry of External Affairs, Puneet Agrawal.

On October 8, 2009, Bangladesh instituted arbitrary proceedings concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and India pursuant to article 287 and Annex VII, Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Bangladesh won a landmark verdict against Myanmar on March 14, 2012 at the ITLOS and through the verdict, Bangladesh sustained its claim to the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic and territorial rights in the Bay of Bengal. l

A CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver tries to put off the flame as blockade supporters set his vehicle on fire in the city’s Shajahanpur area on the first day of 72-hour countrywide blockade imposed by the BNP-led 18-party alliance DHAKA TRIBUNE

‘Political psychopaths will dry out’ n Tribune Report

Political psychopaths are destining to be doomed, former chief adviser to the 1996 caretaker government Justice Habibur Rahman said yesterday.

“Let the present state of things not be a cause for despair. Do not get disheartened. Like cyclone and sidr, the activity of political psychopath will not be able to sustain themselves. They will dry out. They are destining to be doomed,” he said at the 15th convocation of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) at the Army Stadium.

“I say, you shall overcome all hurdles on your way and you will surely

Chhatra Dal locks the CU main gate n FM Mizanur Rahaman Activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of BNP, of Chittagong University unit yesterday locked the main gate of the university, protesting the arrest of its unit president.

Earlier on Thursday, Abdul Kadir Bhuiyan Jewel, president of CU Chhatra Dal, was arrested from the capital’s Uttara in an arson case.

Witnesses said a group of Chhatra Dal men locked the main gate of the university around 8am and staged a demonstration.

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of CU police outpost, said on information they rushed to the spot and broke the lock after 30 minutes, adding that the Chhatra Dal activists fled the scene sensing presence of police. l

WEATHER

Dry weather likely n UNB Weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky over the country having chances of light rain or thundershowers at one or two places over Chittagong division until 6pm today.

Night temperature might rise by 1-2 degree Celsius and day temperature might fall slightly over the country, Met office said. The sun sets in the capital at 5:12pm today and rises at 6:30am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 30.2 degree Celsius was recorded at Comilla and Sitakunda and lowest 12.5 degrees at Dinajpur 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

28.7 27.1 28.0 27.5 28.8 28.6 29.0 30.0

16.8 18.2 15.0 15.4 16.5 15.5 16.8 18.5

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:09am 6:28am 11:50am 3:35pm 5:11pm 6:32pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

conquer,” he told the students.

As many as 182 students, made up of 179 undergraduates and three graduates, have earned academic honours.

Five of them – two from the undergraduate and three from the graduate classes – have received the Chancellor’s Award (gold medal) for completing their programmes with a perfect CGPA of 4 out of 4. They are Tanzina Ahmed Choudhury (valedictorian), Nazia Sultana (valedictorian), Shampa Sadia, Sayema Sultana and Ahmad Mufassir Masum.

A record number of 1,955 students attended the convocation. Of them, 1,246 are undergraduates and 709 grad-

uates from various programmes of the university.

The convocation began after paying homage to South Africa’s anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, through one minute of silence.

As delegated by the president and chancellor of IUB, Abdul Hamid, ViceChancellor Prof M Omar Rahman conferred the degrees to the graduates.

Justice Habibur was the Convocation Speaker.

IUB Board of Trustees Chairman Rashed Chowdhury, IUB founding Trust Chairman Saifur Rahman and Registrar Tanvir A Khan also spoke on the occasion. l

JSC QUESTION LEAK

Probe committee blames coaching centres n Mushfique Wadud The committee, formed to investigate allegations of Junior School Certificate and Junior Dakhil Certificate examination questions being leaked, blamed coaching centres for spreading rumours about the leak.

The board formed a three member committee in mid November following allegations of question paper leaks The committee suggested law-enforcing agencies to take actions against coaching centres to prevent such incidents in future.

“We have got the report and will take action according to the suggestions of the report,” said Chairman of Board of Intermediate and Secondary

Education Taslima Begum.

She, however, told the Dhaka Tribune that the committee did not find any proof that question papers were leaked.

“We have collected some questions that were said to be leaked but they did not match with the main question paper,” she added.

She also said because of blockade and hartal programmes, schedule of the examinations were disorganised and this too was a reason for creating much confusion amongst guardians and teachers.

The board formed a three member committee in mid November following allegations of question paper leaks.

In several examinations, there were rumours that the question papers were allegedly leaked. Many guardians claimed that they purchased question papers from different coaching centres. l

BBC BANGLADESH SANGLAP

AL is negotiating with JP: Suranjit n Rabiul Islam Awami League advisory council member Suranjit Sen Gupta has hinted that the party is engaged in a negotiation with Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, who has recently declared to boycott the upcoming polls.

“Of course, we cannot expect that there would not be any bargaining and counter-bargaining in politics,” Suranjit said while speaking as a panelist of BBC Bangladesh Sanglap at Biam auditorium yesterday.

He also pointed out that Ershad had

joined the polls-time government because he had earlier decided to contest the polls. “I believe that the latest problem with Ershad would end through talks,” he said.

Another panelist BNP chairperson’s adviser Khandker Mahbub Hossain claimed that Ershad’s decision to not go to the polls had “jeopardised” the government. He expressed hopes that Ershad would maintain his stance.

The BNP leader also said if army came for the greater interest of the country and democracy, then it was a different thing but they did not “want

US for immediate talks to end unrest n Tribune Report

Political parties in Bangladesh must come together immediately to halt a spate of violence and ensure free and fair elections next month, a top US official said.

“We believe the need is now even more urgent for the major political parties to engage immediately in constructive dialogue, to find a way forward, to hold elections that are free, fair and credible,” said Deputy Spokeswoman of the State Department Marie Harf.

Violence of any kind was “not acceptable” and it “must stop immediately,” she said, according to an AFP report.

It says at least 67 people have died in clashes since October when an 18-party opposition movement launched a wave of protests calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign before the January 5 polls.

The opposition, led by Hasina’s bitter rival, Khaleda Zia, fears the premier

Marie Harf (right) will try to rig the vote in a country which for decades has been plagued by coups and political upheaval, says the report.

In the latest incident, suspected opposition activists on Wednesday derailed a train in Gaibandha by re-

Government lying about CHT accord: Santu Larma n Our Correspondent, Rangamati Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council President Jyotirindra Bodhipriya (Santu) Larma yesterday said the government was always lying about the CHT accord.

If Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council (CHTRC) and three hill districts council acts do not become effective immediately, the hill people would be deprived of their basic rights, he said.

Santu Larma said this while speaking on the present condition and effective steps necessary to implement the CHT accord.

The discussion was organised by Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council supported by Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) to mark the 16th anniversary of the CHT accord.

The civil society people and media personalities attended the programme.

The government violated the accord through the 15th amendment by labelling the indigenous people inhabiting in the region as Bangalee, added Santu Larma.

He also demanded that the CHTRC and there hill district council acts plus CHT accord be fully implemented in no time. l

interference because it was dangerous.”

Founding president of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Selima Ahmad observed: “We never want army interference.”

Suranjit Sen said: “We have to solve our problems ourselves because an ‘umpire’ cannot establish democracy anywhere in the world.” Political analyst Forhad Mazhar said: “We do not expect interference of army; but given the current situation, it is hard to assume anything.”

Khandkar Mahbub observed: “The foreign diplomats can give us good advice during political crisis.” l

FILE PHOTO

moving metal links holding the tracks together, killing at least three people and injuring dozens.

The opposition movement intensified recently after the Election commission announced the polls schedule on November 25. l

Freedom fighters’ rally on December 10

n Mohosinul Karim

Sammilito Nari Samaj, a women’s organisation, yesterday brings out a procession holding black flag in the city’s Shahbagh area demanding cancellation of upcoming ‘one-sided election’ MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

To protest against the ongoing destructive activities of anti-liberation Jamaate-Islami and its student front Chhatra Shibir, freedom fighters across the country will organise a rally on December 10.

The rally will be held at 2pm at the Central Shaheed Minar under the banner of “Muktijuddher Chetona Bastobayan Moncho,” a new platform of freedom fighters formed on December 4.

Shajahan Khan, shipping and liberation war affairs minister and convener of the platform, announced the programme at a press conference held at the liberation war affair ministry yesterday.

The minister urged all freedom fighters and their spouses, students, political, cultural and business leaders, journalist leaders, officials and employees, and the pro-liberation people to join the rally.

He claimed that main opposition BNP and its allies Jamaat-Shibir activists were conducting violence and sabotages all over the country to foil the initiative of the government to execute the war crimes trial verdicts.

“They are destroying the state’s assets, attacking the houses and business organisations of freedom fighters and believers of liberation war’s spirit. We should resist them together,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Farmers protest price hike of fertiliser Retailers claim they have to buy at high prices as blockades hamper supply n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat Hundreds of farmers demonstrated in front of a fertiliser dealer’s shop and confined him by blockading the Lalmonirhat-Mogholhat road on Friday, while others demonstrated at Hatibandha and blockaded the Lalmonirhat- Burimari Highway in Lalmonirhat yesterday protesting the unexpected price hike of fertilisers.

Farmers alleged that the dealers suddenly increased the price of fertilisers by saying that they do not have enough stock as vehicles cannot move because of the countrywide blockades.

Retailers claimed that they sell the products at a high price as they had to buy the products at high prices, while dealers claimed that they had to increase the price of fertilisers as they do not get enough supply as transport facilities are not available due to countrywide blockades.

But the assistant director of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Cor-

Farmers block Lalmonirhat-Burimari Highway yesterday protesting the price hike of fertiliser yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE poration (BADC) of Lalmonirhat said there is no fertilizer crisis in Lalmonirhat as there are at least 6,500 metric

tonnes of MOP, DAP and TSP fertilisers in the buffer store house.

Farmers said they are now frustrat-

ed as they have been purchasing different fertilisers at high rates that are double than the government fixed rates in the local markets in Lalmonirhat.

Now per kg urea has been selling at Tk26 to Tk28 while the government fixed rate is Tk14; per kg MOP has been selling at Tk24 to Tk26, per Kg DAP at Tk48 to Tk50 and per kg TSP has been selling at Tk35 to Tk40 while the government rate for the products are respectively Tk13, Tk25 and Tk20 in the local markets.

Haider Ali, 38, a farmer from Durakuti village of Lalmonirhat sadar, said he purchased per kg urea at Tk29, TSP at Tk40 and DAP at Tk50 from Bogdadi traders last week.

He also said, “I purchased fertilisers at high rate as the dealer Rafiqul Islam created artificial crisis.”

Another farmer Mantaz Ali from Karnapur village in Lalmonirhat sadar, said: “I purchased fertilisers at double rate from a local fertiliser trader Bhola Miah at Mogholhat Bazar last week.”

He added that “If we try to purchase

fertilisers at government fixed rate, traders denied to sell the products.”

Bhola Miah, a retailer at Mogholhat Bazar in Lalmonirhat sadar, said as a retailer, he had to sell the products at high prices because he had to purchase the fertilisers from the dealers at high rates.

Rafiqul Islam, a dealer at Durakuti Bazar in Lalmonirhat sadar, whom farmers confined for four hours on Friday, said not only he, but all the dealers are selling fertilisers at high rates as they do not take the allotment from the buffer store room because of lack of transport facility due to the blockades.

But the Assistant Director of Lalmonirhat BADC Abdul Goni said there is no fertiliser crisis in Lalmonirhat as they have enough fertilisers in their stock.

He said a total of 115 dealers in Lalmonirhat are contracted with the government to sell the fertilisers at government fixed rates, and the dealers who increased the prices illegally will be black listed and the black listed dealers will lose their dealerships. l

5 Pregnant wife strangled by in-laws n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi A pregnant wife was strangled death by her in-laws at Baznab village under Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi yesterday over family feud.

The deceased Tania Khatun, 22, wife of Rokan Mia, was a five-month pregnant.

Police and witnesses said Tania married Rokan of the same village around 16 months ago, adding that Rokan works in a foreign country and in absence of her husband, her father-in-law and other in-laws used to torture her.

Yesterday, Tania had a quarrel with her father in-law Benu Molla and at one stage Benu with help of other inlaws strangled her to death and tried to make up the incident a Suicide, they added.

On information, Shibpur police recovered the body and sent it to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

A case was filed with Shibpur police station, but no one was arrested till filing the report. l

NETRAKONA BOMBING

Verdicts yet to be executed after 8 years n Our Correspondent, Netrakona Though eight years have passed, the convicts of the Netrokona JMB bombing are yet to be executed.

On December 8, 2005, nine people were killed and over 50 were injured after suicide-bombers of Islamist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh plotted an attack.

Netrakona Udichi Shilpi Goshti has taken up various programmes including a protest procession and a discussion meeting to observe the day.

Khwaza Haider, 38, joint secretary of Netrakona Udichi Shilpi Goshti, Rani Begum, 35, wife of a police sub-inspector and beggar Joinal, 55, lost their lives that day on the spot.

Moreover, according to the victims’ families, no government officials have visited them and neither have they received any aid from the administration.

During a visit to the house of Shahanaz Begum, 31, wife of Khwaza Haider, the Dhaka Tribune found out that her family was yet to get any monetary help from the government.

She said, “No minister, not even the Netrakona deputy commissioner visited my house or came to our aid.” “We

have become simply helpless after the death of Haider as he was the only earning member of the family,” she added.

Shahanaz, mother of two– Shiplu, 16, and Shaon, 8 – maintains a family of four including her elderly mother-in-law.

In reply to a question, she said, “I do not feel like seeking any help from the government because of its failure to punish the culprits involved.”

Udichi leader Sudipta Paul Shelly, another dead of the attack, was also the lone earning member of her family. After her death, Shelly’s elderly parents Sushil Paul, 69, and Aruna Paul, 59, along with her ailing brother have also become helpless. Aruna Paul is suffering from a serious disease but is unable to buy medicine because of monetary problems. They too claimed that they did not receive any help from the government.

On 17 February, 2008, Dhaka’s Speedy Tribunal Court 2 sentenced three JMB bombers, Salah Uddin, Ashaduzzaman and Yunus, to death for their involvement in the Netrakona blast but the verdicts are yet to be executed.

On the issue, Golam Mohammad Khan Pathan Bimol, public prosecutor of Netrakona Judge Court, said police have yet to arrest one of the bombers, Yunus. l

Activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal blockade a road at Siddhirganj of Narayanganj demanding the release of a local leader yesterday

Six killed, two injured in road accidents in three districts n Tribune Report

A total of six people were killed and two others were injured in separate

road accidents in the country over the last two days.

In Chittagong, a motorcyclist was killed after being hit by a truck on

Mother of Riaz Mahmud breaks down in tears at her son’s death

FOCUS BANGLA

the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway near Barawlia of Sitakunda upazila in Chittagong yesterday, reports our correspondent.

The dead Md Amir Ali, 30, was the son of late Omor Uddin from Shalmara in Kurigram district.

Officer-in-Charge Sayed Jakir Hossen of Barawlia Highway Police Outpost said the accident took place after a speeding truck hit the motorbike from behind in front of International Islamic University, Chittagong.

In another incident, a college student was killed after a bus hit his bicycle at Badamtoli in Mirsarai upazila of the district yesterday.

The deceased Riaz Mahmud, 17, was a second year student of Prof Kamal Uddin Chowdhury College at Abu Torab in the upazila.

Witnesses said the accident took place around 8:30am when a Green

Promotion of raised-bed technology underscored n Tribune Report Substantial and sustainable promotion of raised-bed technology in the farming field has become an urgent need for boosting crop production to feed the gradually increasing population.

Sharing his expertise Dr Israil Hossain, principal scientific officer of regional wheat research centre (RWRC), said the raised-bed facilitates sowing without waste of time allowing crop growth to better match water availability.

In addition to wheat, the farmers were seen adopting the method in some other seasonal crops like mugbean, maize, potato and lentil for the last couple of years.

Under the conventional system, he said, the single largest constraint requires planting of wheat in the region late in winter leading to a poor yield. Sowing bed could be a

good alternative to the country’s dominant wet culture, he said.

Bed planting improves water distribution and irrigation efficiency, gives better results in using fertilisers and pesticides and reduces weed infestation and crop lodging. It saves crops from disturbance from rats, Hossain opined.

The pattern helps farmers save 30% irrigation water and 30 to 40% of seeds and fertilisers. To maintain soil health, he said, it could be advisable to grow rice using a different system in order to improve compatibility between monsoon rice and upland winter crops.

Senior Scientific Officer Dr Ilias Hossain said the agriculture system of the region including its drought-prone barind tract has started facing problems especially water-stress condition due to multifarious reasons including the adverse impact of climate change. l

Line bus hit Riaz’s bicycle while he was on his way to private coaching classes, leaving him dead.

Police recovered the body and sent it to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy and managed to seize the bus, the driver unfortunately managed to escape.

In Narayanganj, at least three people were killed and two others injured after a private car rammed into a covered van on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Kanchpur early yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Jashimuddin, 36, son of Abdul Jalil of Bajankara village in Chauddagram upazila of Comilla district, Mostofa Mia, 56, son of Hafez Ahmed of Charipur village, and Abdul Alim, 32, son of Abdul Haque of Daulatpur village in Feni district.

Sohel Ahmed, in-charge of Kanchpur highway police camp, said the ac-

cident took place in the area when the Dhaka-bound private car slammed into the covered van from behind, leaving three passengers of the car dead on the spot and two others injured.

In Sylhet, a schoolgirl was killed in a road accident on the Sylhet-Fenchuganj Road in Mohammadpur area in the Dakkhin Surma upazila on Friday.

The deceased Mashrafa Ahmed Suma, 11, was daughter of Helal Ahmed of the area and a class V student of a local primary school.

Sources said the accident took place on the road around 4pm when a private car ran over Suma when she was returning home from a marriage ceremony on foot along with her family members. Duty doctors declared her dead after she was taken to the hospital, sources added.

The car sped away after the incident, they said. l

FOCUS BANGLA

Depression turns into storm ‘Madi’ northwards n UNB The depression over the southwest Bay and adjoining areas moved slightly northwards and intensified into cyclonic storm “Madi” over the same area yesterday.

Met office sources said it was likely to intensify further and move in a northerly direction. Sea will remain very rough near the storm centre.

Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla had been advised to hoist distant warning signal no two.

All fishing boats and trawlers over the deep sea had been advised to come close to north Bay and proceed with caution till further notice.

They were also advised not to venture into the deep sea. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Feature

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Nelson Mandela: No ordinary politician

n AFP, Bryan Pearson So what, exactly, is it that makes Nelson Mandela so special?

Apart from the fact that he emerged from 27 years in apartheid prisons bearing so little malice. And that he insisted on “reconciliation” being central to a truth commission in order to heal

While he passes from this physical world, his vision, his strength and courage, his perseverance and integrity, his humility and magnanimity are a shining example to all those who strive to create a better and more just world, and will remain so for generations to come.

-Muhammad Yunus

wounds caused by years of bitter racial hatred.

And that he donned a Springbok jersey and took to the field during the 1995 rugby World Cup final in a bold bid to unite the nation behind the mainlywhite South African team.

And that he stepped down after just one term as president, unlike too many

world leaders who, once given a whiff of power, cling to it until it destroys them or they destroy the nation they are leading.

These are some of the anti-apartheid icon’s better known qualities.

But for journalists lucky enough to track his remarkable career there was more, much more.

This was no ordinary politician.

On the campaign trail, Mandela never failed in the morning to ask journalists how they had slept and whether they had managed to get some breakfast. He came to know many reporters and photographers by name, stopping often to speak to them and adding without fail: “How very nice to see you again.”

One of the many defining moments of his relentless efforts to reconcile deeply divided communities came when he visited Betsie Verwoerd, widow of the architect of apartheid, Hendrik Verwoerd, who had effectively put Mandela in jail.

The “tea with Betsie” meeting took place at her home in a whites-only enclave known as Orania in Northern Cape in August 1995. Mrs. Verwoerd, then 94 and very frail, afterwards said

little apart from the fact she was happy the president had visited her.

Her granddaughter, Elizabeth, was less welcoming, reportedly stating that she wished rather that he had been “president of a neighbouring country.”

Mandela was gracious and generous, saying the way he had been received in Orania “was as if I was in Soweto,” the sprawling black township outside Johannesburg where he is regarded as a hero.

Months earlier, on April 27, 1994, journalists gathered at a school outside Durban where Mandela was to cast his ballot in the country’s first all-race election. We all thought: “Is this really happening? Is Mandela really voting? Is apartheid really ending?”

Yes it was. Mandela made a brief speech stressing the dawning of “a new South Africa where all South Africans are equal.” Then he dropped his ballot into the box and, literally glowing in the early morning sunlight, smiled long and happily. It was the kind of smile that you know is not put on for the cameras. The kind that wells up from the very depths of the soul. In Mandela’s case, a very rare soul indeed. l

MADIBA’S WALK TO FREEDOM 1918

Born in the Eastern Cape

1962

Mandela’s visit to Bangladesh n Tribune Desk Mandela visited Dhaka in March 1997 to celebrate Bangladesh’s 25th year of independence. At the time, he was the president of South Africa. Also present were Palestine’s president Yasser Arafat and Turkey’s president Suleyman Demirel.

They visited Sriti Shoudho, laid laurels for the fallen martyrs of the war, and planted trees around the premises.

Following the festivities the three leaders visited Suhrawardy Udyan, where Nelson Mandela delivered his only speech in Bangladesh. Here are excerpts from that speech:

“I have come to Bangladesh to pay homage to a nation that has fought for its sovereignty. Celebrating this blood-

Standing in this great country today, I also want to be a friend of Bangladesh. While Bangladesh celebrated its independence, our democracy was in its infancy soaked independence, I am here to say today that escaping the clutches of oppression and autocratic rule is never easy.

“I have deep respect for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Standing in this great country today, I also want to be a friend of Bangladesh. While Bangladesh celebrated its independence, our democracy was in its infancy.

We were just crawling from the darkness of racism towards the light of freedom.

“Despite being so far away, the people of Bangladesh were not callous to what South Africa was facing. You all know that freedom is not complete till everyone is free. Standing here as a friend of Bangladesh, I want to say that we will fight hunger, poverty and any other problem facing us.” l

A leader locked up: Mandela’s life in captivity n Tribune Desk

In his autobiography, “A Long Walk to Freedom,” he wrote: “Prison is itself In 1961 Nelson Mandela and became a tremendous education in the need the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the for patience and perseverance. It is, armed wing of the African National above all, a test of one’s commitment.”

Upon arrival at the Robben Island Congress. In 1962 he was captured, and sentenced to five years in prison for airstrip, Mandela, with others, was leaving the country illegally and incit- handcuffed, loaded into a vehicle and ing a strike. In 1963 he was sentenced taken into an old building, where he was issued with prison clothes, shorts to life for sabotage.

On June 12, 1964, Mandela and his pants, no socks and sandals - not shoes.

As the apartheid logic of racial segco-accused were flown by a military regation extended to the prison sysplane to Robben Island Prison. tem, African prisoners received different food rations and clothes in contrast to their Indian and Coloured inmates.

“Like everything else in prison, diet is discriminatory,” Mandela wrote in his autobiography. “Food was the source of many of our protests, but in those early days, the warders would say: ‘Ag, you kaffirs are eating better in prison than you ever ate at home!’ For supper, Coloured and Indian prisoners received a quarter loaf of bread and a slab of margarine. Africans, it was presumed, did not care for bread as it was a “European” type of food.”

Mandela remembers the guard who brought his food saying: “Here is your brown sugar for the porridge. You know - the white sugar is reserved for us white people.”

A letter Madiba wrote in the most beautiful Mandela’s former prison cell, was about four square metres in size. A Afrikaans in 1975 to Tafelberg Uitgewers

deep and a shallow plate, a spoon, a small wardrobe, a two-centimetrethick sleeping mat and a blanket were all that lay inside. It was Mandela’s home for 18 years. Here his name was simply “46664.”

“Every hour seemed like a year,” Mandela wrote of his time in captivity.

“I found myself on the verge of initiating conversations with a cockroach.”

Another inmate, Mac Maharaj, who

Mandela’s former prison cell, was about four square metres big. A deep and a shallow plate, a spoon, a small wardrobe, a two-centimetrethick sleeping mat and a blanket were all that lay inside went on to serve as transport minister under Mandela’s presidency, remembers the close bonds the inmates formed in prison.

“All around the world, prison has got its black humour, and we did laugh a lot and rib each other in those times.

With extreme suffering and physical and psychological pain it is part of your defence mechanism; to be able to laugh at yourself.”

“Sometimes you miss it, and there’s something to miss because we were forced to live so closely with each other - you had no material trappings to surround yourself with, none of the peo-

A funeral fit for the father of a nation n Tribune Desk South Africa is readying itself for the arrival of a flood of world leaders for the funeral of Nelson Mandela.

Thousands of mourners continued to flock to sites around the country Saturday to pay homage to icon of the struggle for freedom.

The gathering of world leaders wil be the largest in South Africa since Mandela was inaugurated as its first black president in 1994.

South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday announced a 10-day period of mourning following the death of Nelson Mandela.

Dec 6: Mandela passed away at 8:50 pm on Thursday (local time), surrounded by his family. During his final hours, Mandela would have also been surrounded

by Thembu elders.

Dec 8: Declared as a national day of prayer and reflection. “We call upon all our people to gather in halls, churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and in their

homes to pray and meditate, reflecting on the life of Madiba and his contribution to our country and the world,” President Zuma said.

Dec 9: Both houses of parliament will be recalled from recess for a special joint sitting in honour of Mandela’s legacy.

Dec 10: A memorial service will be held at a 90,000plus capacity stadium in at Johannesburg’s Soccer City, which hosted the 2010 World Cup final, where Mandela made his last major public appearance.

Dec 11-13: Mandela’s remains will lie in state at the seat of government, the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where he served as the first president of this young democracy Dec 15: The official state funeral, after which he will be flown to Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, for a private burial. Qunu is the hilly rural area where Mandela was born and grew up. Mandela will be buried next to the remains of his family, including his three deceased children. l

ple you would normally count as family and loved ones to be cushioned by.

You had to rely on a sense of comradeship - that was the only thing that held you together.”

During his time at the quarry at Robben Island, Mandela was exposed to the glare of the sunlight reflecting off the bright lime, resulting in eye damage. This was in spite of a three year fight against prison authorities to obtain dark glasses for protection.

In later years, prisoners used to enjoy certain privileges, such as gardening and playing tennis.

“We opened up tennis balls and put in secret messages. We casually threw the balls over the wall into the other section - so we could communicate with each other,” said Itumeleng Makwela, an ANC member and fellow inmate of Mandela’s.

Mandela and his co-prisoners were not allowed any newspapers and did not have a radio. Mandela and his comrades were also forbidden from keeping watches or clocks. He initially made a calendar on the wall of his cell. Later he was allowed to order a desk calendar a year from South African Tourism, with scenic photographs and the words ‘Land of Golden Sunshine,’ an Irony indeed considering the misery of Robben Island.

In 1986, Mandela was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison outside Cape Town.

For the next six years he was kept in almost total solitary confinement.

He was released in 1990. l

Arrested, convicted of incitement and leaving country without a passport, sentenced to five years in prison

1990

Freed from prison

1993

Wins Nobel Peace Prize

1994

Elected first black president of South Africa

2013

Dies after prolonged illness

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Sunday, December 8, 2013

No child’s play How handmade toys have reimagined rural employment in Bangladesh

s you make your way through the narrow, crowded, muddy and unpaved streets of Dhaka’s Natun Bazaar, buffeted by a mixture of smells of sewage, snack stalls, garbage and sweat of the people around you, the last thing you would expect to find here is a factory that produces beautiful, handcrafted toys that are sold at upscale shops in Europe and North America. And yet, improbably, this is the neighbourhood that houses the head office and finishing centre for Hathay Bunano, a social business that does just that.

The Hathay Bunano office and production/finishing centre is housed in a modest four-story building, so modest, in fact that there isn’t even paint on the walls (although, I was told that they have moved in there very recently).

However, it’s clean, with lots of windows that let in sunlight and fresh air. Inside, one would find stacks of unfinished toy parts (a bunny rabbit with a missing face), or finished toys packed in clear plastic bags, yarn in all the cheerful colours of the rainbow.

In the midst, groups of women sit at tables knitting, joining pieces and putting the finishing touches on toys with assured, astonishing speed.

necessary. For children between three and six years, preschool facilities with trained teachers are also provided on the premises.

In fact, one of the loveliest parts of my visit to the Natun Bazar finishing centre was to see groups of happy children noisily participating in their pre-school classroom right next to the production floor or occasionally running over to their mothers who were working.

The crèche for the babies is clean, bright, with lots of toys. This is a stark contrast to the conditions in the RMG sector where it’s not unusual for a woman to be fired for getting pregnant and childcare facilities are provided in only a fraction of the factories.

The Hathay Bunano women are paid according to the number of pieces they produce, a model that incentivises the more-skilled workers. The rate of compensation is 25 percent higher than the official minimum wage and 150 per cent higher than similar work in rural areas.

Considering that living costs are much lower in rural areas, this means that the disposable income available to the women often end up being much higher than their counterparts in the RMG sector.

The workers are provided free training on knitting and crochet for six weeks. Women who show particular

As a social business, Hathay Bunano also makes it a point to work with the most disadvantaged and margnisalised. Their rural production model enables them to employ relatively low-skilled, sometimes illiterate women at the villages for the more labour-intensive tasks

Just like their head office, the story of Hathay Bunano is one made up of seemingly incongruent parts that still somehow come together to form a truly inspiring tale of entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and a uniquely Bangladeshi success story.

Hathay Bunano is the brainchild of Samantha Morshed, a Brit, and her British-Bangladeshi husband Golam Morshed. The company was started in 2004 out of a conviction that the handicraft tradition in Bangladesh can be used to create world-class products while providing decent employment opportunities for poor rural women.

On one of her first visits to Bangladesh in the mid 90s, Samantha was taken aback by the desperate poverty of rural women. Many of these women were artisans, making traditional embroidered items that were sold in the local market to tourists. However, there was little possibility that these would reach the scale where decent, sustainable income can be generated for the artisans.

At the same time, Samantha was inspired by the fast-growing ready-made garment industry (RMG) in Bangladesh that was producing clothing at the scale, quality and attractiveness required for the global market. An avid knitter herself, Samantha combined these elements to come up with the idea of knitted and crocheted children’s clothing and toys that can be produced by rural women with a small amount of training. And thus, Hathay Bunano was born.

aptitude can develop and grow within the organisation by receiving further training to become supervisors or trainers themselves.

Ultimately, some of these women go on to assume overall responsibility for entire production centres. Training on administrative tasks and accounting is also provided, when the role requires these skills.

Bringing employment opportunities to the most disadvantaged As a social business, Hathay Bunano also makes it a point to work with the most disadvantaged and margnisalised. Their rural production model enables them to employ relatively lowskilled, sometimes illiterate women at the villages for the more labour-intensive tasks, whereas the more highskilled tasks, such as finishing, quality control, etc, are done at the Dhaka head office.

It also works with organisations such as the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) to find

chars, refugees and indigenous people living in the hill tracts.

Making the most of local resources Samantha and Golam are equally critical of both traditional development projects that are overly prescriptive to their beneficiaries and of the RMG sector, which has centralised economic activity in the urban centres, forcing young women to move to the cities where the high living costs lead them to live in slum-like conditions.

The Hathay Bunano approach, on the other hand, brings the work to the workers and takes advantage of one of the abundant resources of Bangladesh – labour. They have opted for a labour-intensive production process that minimises investment in mechanisation but creates more jobs.

For example, at the Natun Bazaar centre I saw a woman spinning organic cotton yarn by hand. This is surely a slower method than using a machine, but when asked about it the managers informed me that not only is hand-spinning cheaper, but it also preserves the integrity of the yarn better than machine spinning. Of course, it also creates a job for the spinner.

Hathay Bunano has demonstrated that a distributed production model can work efficiently and profitably in spite of the meager transportation infrastructure in Bangladesh. All the raw materials and the finished parts are transported around the country on top of public buses as unaccompanied baggage.

Mobile phones are put to excellent and innovative use to ensure that packages arrive safely, a method that Hathay Bunano claims has a 100% success rate thus far. When packages are checked in at the bus station at either end, a mobile phone number is provided with the package. When an employee comes to collect the package on the other end they are identified using a missed call from the registered number.

The Morsheds also stress the importance of working with local people as partners so that their knowledge and innovative potential can be put to good use. One story that Samantha

that many surface obstacles businesses face can be overcome if the local knowledge is consulted.

The innovative business model of Hathay Bunano has received accolades and praise in the international arena, including from the Clinton Global Initiative. Samantha was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her work and most recently a detailed case study on Hathay Bunano was featured in MIT’s Innovations magazine.

What’s next for Hathay Bunano?

Since its humble beginning in 2004 with one rural centre, Hathay Bunano has steadily grown over the years and it currently employs 6,500 women in 64 rural production centres around the country. Spurred by this success, in 2010 they launched their own brand of children’s toys, Pebble, which is currently being sold in upmarket toy stores in Europe, North America, South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The Pebble children’s items are labelled “Made in Bangladesh,” with tags that include a Bangladeshi flag, something that surely contributes to a positive branding for Bangladesh.

A new, special line of animal toys

One of the loveliest parts of my visit to the Natun Bazar finishing centre was to see groups of happy children noisily participating in their pre-school classroom right next to the production floor or occasionally running over to their mothers who were working

Putting the welfare of the workers first From the very beginning, the welfare of the women workers has been at the heart of the Hathay Bunano approach.

It follows a distributed production model where the basic toy parts are made in rural production centres, thus bringing the work to the women who need it.

This allows the women to stay in their own communities and work within walking distance of their homes. Flexible working hours aim to accommodate the lifestyle and responsibilities of the women, such as agricultural seasons or attend school while working.

Since most of the women are between 18 to 30 years of age, availability of childcare is crucial to their ability to work. Young mothers working for Hathay Bunano can leave their babies at the crèche in the production centre premises until the age of three.

This enables them to check up on and breastfeed their babies when

The Pebble children’s items are labelled “Made in Bangladesh,” with tags that include a Bangladeshi flag, something that surely contributes to a positive branding for Bangladesh

PHOTOS: COURTESY

A

n Farzana Nawaz

employment for disabled women.

In fact, the nature of the work is particularly well-suited for the disabled.

At the Natun Bazar finishing centre I met Shima, a young woman in a wheelchair who has been working with Hathay Bunano for over five years. Shima was a patient at the CRP when she found out about Hathay Bunano and decided to come to work for them. In addition to working there, she also lives on the office premises, along with a few other disabled colleagues, an arrangement she seemed quite happy about.

Hathay Bunano has also teamed up with NGOs and development organisations to bring employment opportunities to the extreme poor living on

relishes telling is, in the early days of the business they received a lucrative order where the pattern required using a cable needle (a miniature knitting needle).

Samantha couldn’t find this type of a needle in the local market and she despaired that the order would need to be turned down as it is too expensive to import the needles. Then, a woman working at one of the rural production centres asked her what a cable needle looked like. When Samantha showed her she said she would try to see if a solution could be found.

A few days later she returned with a batch of cable needles made from bamboo (at the bargain price of Tk. 2 per piece) and the order was saved.

This story wonderfully demonstrates

have been also created which features animals native to Bangladesh, such as the Bengal tiger, Tokay gecko, owl, and otter.

One of the remarkable aspects of Hathay Bunano’s growth is that all of it happened without external investors or debt. The owners have made it their mission statement to prove that it is possible to create market-drive rural employment in Bangladesh without donor grants or bank loans. By any measure, their effort is a success.

Pebble toys are now available in a growing number of stores in Bangladesh. In line with the ethos of the company, the aim is to sell them within a price range that is affordable for the middle class customers here.

Samantha is determined that the toys

are not perceived as luxury items only affordable to the very rich.

The story of Hathay Bunano brings together two of Bangladesh’s greatest traditions – handicrafts and social business. It also shows what is possible if entrepreneurs are willing to exercise creativity to make the local conditions work for their business.

But most importantly, it shows that profitability doesn’t have to come at the expense of the workers and that given the chance, poor rural artisan women in the villages can create products that can compete with the best in the world. And that’s no child’s play. l Farzana Nawaz is a GIZ returning expert and editorial fellow at the Dhaka Tribune. She can be reached at farzana.nawaz@gmail.com.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Tolerance can resolve Iran political Iran diplomacy must be backed by military power: US prisoner issue: Rouhani n

Manama, Bahrain

Diplomacy with Iran must be backed up by US military might, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said Saturday in a speech to Gulf allies anxious over a nuclear deal with Tehran.

Hagel promised the United States would maintain a 35,000-strong force in the Gulf region, as well as an armada of ships and warplanes, despite the recent accord with Tehran.

Speaking at a security conference in Bahrain, he said the interim deal with Iran to roll back its nuclear programme was a risk worth taking, but that Western diplomacy should not be “misinterpreted.”

“We know diplomacy cannot operate in a vacuum,” he said.

“Our success will continue to hinge on America’s military power, and the credibility of our assurances to our allies and partners in the Middle East.”

The Pentagon “will not make any adjustments to its forces in the region – or to its military planning – as a result of the interim agreement with Iran,” he added.

In a trip meant to reassure Gulf allies wary of America’s diplomatic opening with Iran, Hagel highlighted an array of US weaponry and resources deployed in the region.

“We have a ground, air, and naval presence of more than 35,000 military personnel in and immediately around the Gulf,” he said.

The military footprint includes 10,000 US Army troops with tanks and Apache helicopters, roughly 40 ships at sea including an aircraft carrier battle group, missile defence systems, radar,

surveillance drones and warplanes that can strike at short notice, he said.

“Coupled with our unique munitions, no target is beyond our reach,” said Hagel, in an apparent reference to “bunker buster” bombs designed to penetrate deeply buried targets.

A senior US defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters the speech sent a message of solidarity to Gulf allies while also conveying a warning to adversaries “that any sort of mythology of American retreat is just wrong-headed.”

The military footprint includes 10,000 US Army troops with tanks and Apache helicopters, roughly 40 ships at sea including an aircraft carrier battle group, missile defence systems, radar, surveillance drones and warplanes that can strike at short notice Gulf allies, especially Saudi Arabia, are concerned over the November 24 interim accord between world powers and Iran that offers limited relief from Western sanctions in return for Tehran rolling back elements of its nuclear programme.

The nuclear deal has strained US relations with the mostly Sunni Gulf Arab states that view Shia Iran as a dangerous rival.

The Iran accord topped the agenda in Hagel’s talks with Gulf counterparts on Friday, which included a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s new deputy defence minister, Prince Salman bin Sultan.

Hagel stressed “the centrality of the defence partnership in maintaining the long-standing ties” between the United States and the Saudi kingdom, officials said.

Hagel said he would hold talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday and also visit Qatar, but he headed first to Afghanistan, where efforts for a deal allowing NATO troops to stay in the country beyond next year have stalled.

Washington’s reluctance to intervene against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a staunch ally of Tehran, as well as budget pressures and a US “rebalance” to Asia, have added to the doubts among Gulf governments about America’s staying power in the region.

Hagel acknowledged that “anxieties” in the Gulf were running high.

“Questions have been raised about America’s intentions, strategy, and commitment to the region,” he said.

But he promised Washington “will remain fully committed to the security of our allies and our partners in the region.”

Although the Pentagon faced the prospect of steep budget cuts, Hagel suggested the big presence in the Middle East would remain a top priority and largely shielded from spending reductions.

In addition to keeping a robust US force in place, Hagel vowed to bolster the military strength of Gulf states, urging regional cooperation on missile defence.

Hagel only briefly mentioned the popular unrest that has swept aside or challenged regimes across the Middle East. l

n AFP, Tehran Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told university students Saturday that tolerance could resolve the issue of political prisoners, as some of them chanted for opposition leaders under house arrest to be freed.

“My government is committed to the promises it has made to the people, but we need to create internal consensus to achieve the objectives,” Rouhani told students at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran.

“We need tolerance and patience...

We need to distance ourselves from an emotional atmosphere. Reason and moderation can resolve the issues,” he added during the meeting, organised to mark Students’ Day. He was speaking in reaction to some students chanting slogans calling for the release of political prison-

ers. Among them are opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who have been kept under house arrest since February 2011 and without being officially charged.

Those chants provoked opposing slogans from students affiliated with the Basij militia, who called for “seditionists” to be hanged. That is a term coined in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential election to describe pro-reform supporters of Mousavi and Karroubi, who took to street in massive protests.

In response to the chanting, some of which was broadcast on state television, Rouhani called for the resolution of this thorny issue, which has shadowed his government since taking office in August.

“If we cannot solve an internal issue of ours with calm and reason, within the framework of the law and with in-

ternal consensus, how can we resolve the complicated issues of the region and the world,” he asked.

Rouhani, a moderate mid-ranking cleric who campaigned for more domestic freedom, defeated a pool of conservatives with key backings from Iran’s marginalised pro-reform factions.

Following the release of several prisoners in September, he expressed hope that more would be freed but made no direct promises.

Government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said last week that “lifting the house arrests” was on “the president’s agenda,” adding that the administration preferred to talk less and instead take more action on such issues.

“People should trust this administration. For some issues, it is better for the government to act instead of talk,” Nobakht said. l

IAEA inspectors in Iran for heavy water plant n AFP, Tehran Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog arrived in Iran Saturday to visit the still-unfinished Arak heavy water plant for the first time in more than two years, the ISNA news agency reported.

The two inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency will begin their work on Sunday at the site, 240 kilometres (150 miles) southwest of the capital, but ISNA did not say how long they would be there.

The inspection comes within the

framework of a mid-November agreement between Iran and the IAEA that also allows the IAEA access to a uranium mine in Gachin, in the country’s south.

The IAEA regularly visits the works on the reactor, but says it has not received any new design details since 2006. And inspectors have not been to the heavy water plant since August 2011.

The Arak reactor is of concern to the international community because Tehran could theoretically extract weap-

ons-grade plutonium from the its spent fuel.

Under a deal reached last month with world powers in Geneva, Iran agreed that it would not commission the reactor or transfer fuel or heavy water to the site for a period of six months.

However, construction delays have effectively made that a moot point, as the authorities had not hoped to finish work before the end of 2014. Subsequently, they said that target would not be met, without giving a new date. l

Peace with Palestinians not imminent: Lieberman n AFP, Jerusalem

Egyptian women members of the Muslim Brotherhood hold roses as they stand in the defendants’ cage dressed in prison issue white during their trial at the court in the Egyptian Mediterranean city of Alexandria on December 7 AFP

Israeli Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are unlikely to bear fruit within the envisioned nine-month timeframe but that dialogue should continue.

His remarks Friday evening contrasted with those of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who said peace was closer than it had been in years.

Speaking to the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy in Washington and quoted on its website, Lieberman said: “Today the trust between the two sides is about zero. It’s impossible to create peace if you don’t have any credibility.

“I don’t believe it is possible in the

next year... to achieve a comprehensive solution to achieve some breakthrough but I think it is crucial to keep our dialogue.”

He said it was crucial “because, even if you are not able to resolve the conflict, it’s very important to manage this conflict.”

Kerry, speaking Friday at the end of a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories and talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, was upbeat despite the negotiations he brokered having made little visible headway since they began in late July.

“I believe we are closer than we have been in years to bringing about

the peace and the prosperity and the security that all of the people of this region deserve,” Kerry said.

Lieberman is on his first trip to Washington since regaining his post last month after being cleared of corruption charges, and is there for talks with Kerry and with UN chief Ban KiMoon.

The right-wing leader quit in December 2012 after being charged with fraud and breach of trust.

His trip comes as Israel lobbies intensely for a tougher position from Washington in talks between major powers and Iran on its controversial nuclear programme, which were buoyed by a landmark interim deal last month. l

14 of 21 female protesters given suspended sentences

Hagel visits Kabul with a hung troop accord

n AFP, Alexandria

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel flew into Kabul on Saturday amid frustration in Washington over the Afghan president’s refusal to sign an accord allowing NATO troops to stay in the country beyond next year.

US officials said no meeting was scheduled with President Hamid Karzai, but the president’s spokesman said Karzai and Hagel were due to hold talks later Saturday – the latest sign of discord between the allies.

Washington and its allies have appealed to Karzai to sign the Bilateral

The lawyer for 21 Egyptian women and girls jailed over an Islamist protest told appeal courts Saturday there was no evidence of their guilt and urged judges to free them.

Wearing handcuffs but holding red roses, the 21 appeared in Alexandria courts in white prison garb in a case that has sparked an outcry.

Many bore the word “Freedom” written in Arabic and English on the palms of their hands, and smiled from

the metal-caged dock. The women and girls were convicted last month of taking part in a violent protest demanding Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s reinstatement following his overthrow by the army in July.

Fourteen women previously sentenced to 11 years in jail were ushered into the cage in the courtroom as the appeal by the seven girls was heard in an adjacent juvenile court.

Their harsh sentences had shocked even supporters of the military-installed government. l

n AFP, Kabul

Security Agreement (BSA), which lays out the rules for US and NATO troops to operate in the country after 2014 on a mission focused on training and countering Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.

“Secretary Hagel does not plan to meet with President Karzai while in Afghanistan,” a senior US defence official told reporters at the start of Hagel’s unannounced visit.

“The United States has made its position on the BSA clear. And just two days ago, President Karzai repeated his position to senior US officials that he is not yet ready to sign the BSA and provided no timeline or practical step for doing so.”

But Karzai’s spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP that the Afghan president was expecting to hold talks with Hagel – setting the stage for another diplomatic row after a long series of public disagreements.

“In our schedule for the president today we have a meeting with Secretary Hagel this evening with the president followed by a dinner with him,” Faizi said, adding that Afghanistan was keen to discuss sticking points over the BSA. “If there is any story around that the guest will be in Kabul but will not meet with the president that is false,” Faizi said. l

Outraged Ukrainians protest leader’s Russia overture n AFP, Kiev Outraged Ukrainians rallied in central Kiev on Saturday after President Viktor Yanukovych discussed a new strategic partnership agreement with Russia’s Vladimir Putin upon rejecting a historic EU deal.

Several thousand supporters of Western integration braved swirling winds and a heavy snowfall to maintain control of the capital’s iconic Independence Square for the seventh successive day.

Some volunteers wrapped themselves in wool blankets as they handed out breakfast from a makeshift kitchen to the multifaceted crowd. Others swept up garbage around a few dozen tents set up between barricades on the sprawling square.

Protest organisers expect up to 300,000 to turn out on Sunday for the largest demonstration since the 2004

pro-democracy Orange Revolution first nudged the former Soviet nation of 46 million closer to the West.

The embattled Ukrainian president held unannounced talks with Putin in Russia on Friday after completing a mission to China aimed at drumming up backing for his cash-strapped government.

Yanukovych’s official website said the meeting at Putin’s Black Sea retreat in Sochi – their fourth in just over a month – focused on “trade and economic cooperation ... and preparation for the future treaty on strategic partnership.”

But some reports said the two also talked about Russia providing Ukraine with billions of dollars in loans and cheap gas in return for its decision to spurn an EU trade agreement that would have opened the way to its membership in the 28-nation bloc. l

US war veteran released from N Korea as Biden visits DMZ n AFP, Seoul North Korea Saturday released a detained American veteran of the Korean War as US Vice President Joe Biden visited the world’s last Cold War frontier.

US officials said Merrill Newman, an 85-year-old from California, headed home after arriving in Beijing.

North Korea deported him “from a humanitarian viewpoint,” its official Korean Central News Agency said, citing his “sincere repentance” as well as his age and health condition.

His release came hours before Biden visited the demilitarised zone which has split the Korean peninsula since the 1950-1953 Korean War. Wearing a baseball cap and brown bomber jacket, Biden visited a frontline hilltop observation post and surveyed the North Korean landscape through a pair of binoculars.

“The DPRK (North Korea) today released someone they should never have had in the first place, Mr. Newman,” Biden said earlier after laying a wreath at the war memorial in Seoul.

“It’s a positive thing they’ve done,” said Biden, visiting South Korea as the last stop on a three-country Asia tour that has already taken him to Japan and China.

Biden also urged Pyongyang to free another US citizen, Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator who was arrested a year ago and sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour on charges of seeking to topple the government. l

Germany to sell two destroyers to Israel n AFP, Berlin

A piano decorated with the EU flag is displayed in front of riot police during a picket held outside the presidential office in Kiev on December 7 AFP

Germany will sell two destroyers to Israel for one billion euros ($1.3 billion), the Bild daily reported Saturday.

The torpedo-carrying war vessels will be used to protect Israeli pipelines, the paper said, without citing a source.

The report said Israel’s national security adviser, Yossi Cohen, was in Berlin last week.

A German government spokeswoman reached by AFP confirmed Cohen’s visit but declined to elaborate. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Afghanistan won’t bow to US ‘pressure’ over security pact -official n Reuters, Kabul A senior aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused the United States on Friday of trying to pressure elements of his government to accept a security deal that would shape the post-2014 US military presence in the country.

The bilateral security pact (BSA) was thrown into doubt last month when Karzai said he would sign only if new conditions were met, and even then only after April elections.

If the pact is not signed Washington says it will consider a complete military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which remains embroiled in the insurgency of the Islamist militant Taliban.

Failure to sign could could also put Western aid running to billions of dollars in serious jeopardy, exposing the central Asian country’s shaky economy to collapse.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Washington’s top diplomat for Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins, have all visited Karzai recently to convince him to sign by the end of the year.

“There is no doubt that certain ele-

ments within the Afghan government are facing pressure from the US However, this will not achieve anything,” Karzai’s spokesman, Aimal Faizi, told Reuters in an emailed statement.

“If there is a perception in Washington that certain elements in Kabul can force President Karzai to succumb to any pressure, it is seriously flawed and mistaken.”

Faizi declined to elaborate on who these “elements” were.

Robert Hilton, spokesman for the US embassy in Kabul, declined to respond, only repeating that it was the view of the United States that signing the document “promptly” was in the interests of both countries.

There are 47,000 US troops in Afghanistan. The United States has been in discussions with Afghan officials about keeping a residual force of about 8,000 troops after the end of the Nato combat mission next year.

On Wednesday Karzai reacted angrily to a comment by Kerry at a Nato meeting in Brussels that the Afghan defence minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, could sign the document instead of the president.

Honduras left seeks annulment of presidential vote results n AFP, Tegucigalpa The leftist Libre party in Honduras late Friday formally asked election officials to overturn the results of the November 24 presidential election, which their candidate claims to have won.

A document formally requesting the annulment was delivered by ex-president Manuel Zelaya, accompanied by his wife, Libre candidate Xiomara Castro. Officials earlier declared conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez the election winner.

Zelaya told AFP that the document he submitted included proof of “clear” voter fraud.

“It was a well-done fraud,” said Ze-

laya, who claimed that officials at 2,800 voting stations conspired to throw the election for Hernandez.

He insisted that votes were also bought, “because at the other voting stations, all 12,000 of them ... Xiomara won.”

Zelaya was deposed at gunpoint in a June 2009 coup after he aligned Honduras with the leftist governments of Cuba and Venezuela.

This led to 100 days of unrest that included massive street protests and a crackdown on leftist activists.

The possible unrest poses a serious threat to governing in Honduras, the second poorest country in the western hemisphere after Haiti. l

Three members of ‘Muslim patrol’ jailed in London n AFP, London Three members of a self-styled “Muslim patrol” in London who harassed passers-by for wearing short skirts, holding hands and drinking alcohol have been jailed, in a conviction welcomed by the local mosque on Saturday.

The men were jailed for up to 16 months on Friday after admitting a variety of public order and assault charges during ‘patrols’ in December 2012 and January 2013.

One of the incidents was filmed by the gang and posted on YouTube, causing widespread public outrage and raising tensions in an area already targeted by far-right groups because of its large Muslim population.

“These men routinely threatened and intimidated innocent members of the public whom they perceived to be behaving in an ‘un-Islamic’ manner,”

said prosecutor Baljit Ubhey.

“They would roam the streets, seeking out victims whom they could target, and chanting threats to ‘kill the non-believers.’

“On the nights in question they confronted and aggressively intimidated a couple who were holding hands in the street, a group of friends who were drinking alcohol, and a girl whom they deemed to be dressed provocatively.”

Some of the patrols took place near the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, which hosts 7,000 worshippers on a typical Friday and has strongly condemned the harassment.

The mosque says Muslims in the area have been attacked and it has received hate mail as a result of the patrols.

Executive director Dilowar Khan welcomed Friday’s convictions, saying bullying was un-Islamic and the men’s actions were “pathetic.” l

A year-long negotiation over the text of the document was thought to have been concluded last month when an assembly of Afghan tribal elders and politicians, called a loya jirga, approved the pact. But Karzai surprised everyone during concluding remarks by saying he still had important demands.

They relate to a desire for the United States to kick-start a nascent peace process with the Taliban, and an end to raids on Afghan homes by US forces pursuing militants.

“We cannot allow business as usual for the US after the signing of the BSA,” Faizi said. “It simply cannot be another ten-year chapter of raids on Afghan homes, civilian casualties and seeking peace in Afghanistan.”

On Thursday, influential US Democratic SeNator Carl Levin questioned the Obama administration’s insistence that Karzai was the appropriate person to sign a security deal, and by the end of 2013. [ID: nL2N0JK26J] In a letter to US President Barack Obama, Levin suggested Washington wait for a “more reliable” leader to take office. (Editing by Mark Heinrich) l

Mandela’s village awaits the final return of their son n AFP, Qunu, S Africa In Nelson Mandela’s childhood village of Qunu residents are solemnly preparing for the final return of their beloved son, who will be laid to rest among them a week from now. Meanwhile, the rest of South Africa has been preparing for a funeral for the ages.

Elderly men in the picturesque village dotted with traditional round huts bow their heads and lower their voices when they speak of the anti-apartheid hero who has “returned to his ancestors.”

Here there has been no explosion of public emotion as seen in Johannesburg, no singing to celebrate Mandela’s 95 years, no all-night vigils.

His home, overlooking the hills and valleys of the Eastern Cape – where Mandela said he spent his happiest childhood days – is sombre and eerily quiet.

“We are in mourning, he deserves our greatest last respects,” said Chief Mfundo Mtirara, Mandela’s nephew.

Mean while, South Africa has prepared a sweeping, emotional farewell to Nelson Mandela – a funeral that will draw an unprecedented gathering of world leaders and luminaries, reflecting the anti-apartheid icon’s transcendent influence.

Presidents, heads of government

Children hold earthen lamps in tribute to former South African President Nelson Mandela, organised by Aafia Movement in Karachi December 6 REUTERS and royalty from every corner of the globe will be among those seeking to pay their respects to modern South Africa’s founding father, who died late Thursday aged 95, surrounded by friends and family.

The sheer scale of the event and of the global attention and emotion surrounding it has had observers searching back decades for a precedent, with

Thai police to rebuild barricades after protest warnings n AFP, Bangkok Thai authorities said Saturday they would rebuild barricades around key state buildings in Bangkok after opposition protesters called for a final push to topple the government.

The kingdom remains tense following several days of street clashes between police and demonstrators seeking to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and curb the political influence of her brother Thaksin.

After the clashes, during which riot police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against stone-throwing demonstrators, the government ordered police to ease tensions by taking down barriers around key buildings including Government House.

But the barricades are set to be rebuilt ahead of a threat by anti-government protest leaders to turn Monday into “judgement day” for their efforts to overthrow the government.

“Police will erect barricades – especially around Government House and Parliament,” said Paradorn Pattnatabut, chief of the National Security Council.

Although the protests are “losing momentum” he said thousands of police would still be deployed on Monday.

“I am confident that there will be no violent incidents on Monday,” he said, expressing hope the five week standoff could still be resolved through negotiation.

Firebrand protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, who faces an arrest warrant for insurrection, on Friday issued a rallying cry for a final push to overthrow the government.

Vowing to surrender to authorities unless enough people show up for Monday’s rallies he said protesters would target the government’s headquarters.

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

An anti-government protester carries his breakfast past a mural near the Government House in Bangkok on December 7 AFP Suthep has repeatedly set deadlines for his movement, but protests have continued.

“If people turn out in their millions (on Monday) it’s sure that things will change,” Akanat Promphan, Suthep’s step-son and spokesman for the opposition protesters, told reporters Saturday.

He said he was concerned there could be “violent clashes and loss of life.”

Thailand has been periodically rocked by sometimes bloody unrest since Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon-turned-premier, was deposed by royalist generals in a coup seven years ago.

His sister’s government has been shaken by weeks of rallies by protesters, a mix of royalists, middle class and other Thaksin opponents, attempting to unseat her and suspend the country’s democracy in favour of an unelected “People’s Council.”

The unrest has left five people dead

MARS AVANT FOR PEACE French militaries, arriving from Cameroon, drive on a road leading to Bouar on December 7, 2013. France deployed nearly 1,000 troops on December 6, 2013 to help restore security in simmering Central African Republic as residents sought refuge from sectarian clashes which the Red Cross says has killed at least 300.

All 1,200 French troops pledged for a UN-mandated force in the violencehit Central African Republic have now deployed, France’s defence ministry said Saturday.

“We are 24 hours ahead of schedule with the total deployment,” a ministry official said, after a 200-strong contingent of reinforcements crossed the border from neighbouring Cameroon on Saturday.

France already had several hundred troops stationed in the CAR before the latest outbreak of violence in its former colony.

President Francois Hollande announced the deployment on Thursday after receiving UN approval, saying it was designed to protect the population and restore stability AFP

and more than 200 injured in Bangkok.

Demonstrators and police in Bangkok have observed a temporary truce since Wednesday for the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is treated as a near-deity by many Thais.

Thailand’s political conflict broadly pits a Bangkok-based middle class and royalist elite backed by the military against rural and working-class voters loyal to Thaksin.

He went into exile in 2008 to avoid jail for a corruption conviction which he says was politically motivated, but critics say he still controls his sister behind the scenes.

The recent protests were triggered by an amnesty bill, since abandoned

by Yingluck’s ruling party, which opponents feared would have cleared the way for his return.

They are the biggest and deadliest street demonstrations since 2010, when dozens of people were killed in a crackdown on mass pro-Thaksin rallies in Bangkok. l

some citing the funerals of Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill.

The government announced Saturday that his coffin would be taken in a cortege through the streets of Pretoria each morning, giving the millions of South Africans still coming to terms with the death of their first black leader an opportunity to say a final farewell. l

Iran says Afghan president to visit Sunday n AFP, Tehran Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to visit Iran on Sunday straight after an awkward visit to Kabul by US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, an Iranian official said.

To the growing dismay of Washington, Karzai has been refusing to sign a deal allowing Nato troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond next year, a position strongly backed by Iran.

Hagel flew into Kabul on Saturday amid disagreement over whether he would even meet the Afghan president in the face of the security pact row.

US officials said no meeting was scheduled, but in the latest sign of discord between the allies, the president’s spokesman said Karzai and Hagel were due to hold talks later Saturday.

Washington and its allies have appealed to Karzai to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which lays out the rules for US and other Nato troops to operate in the country after 2014 on a mission focused on training, and countering al-Qaeda-linked extremists.

“Secretary Hagel does not plan to meet with President Karzai while in Afghanistan,” a senior US defence official told reporters at the start of Hagel’s unannounced visit.

“The United States has made its position on the BSA clear. And just two days ago, President Karzai repeated his position to senior US officials that he is not yet ready to sign the BSA and provided no timeline or practical step for doing so.”

Iran voiced criticism on Tuesday of the proposed pact, saying it would not serve the interests of its eastern neighbour.

“Iran does not see the signing and ratifying of this security pact to be beneficial for the long-term interests of the people and government of Afghanistan,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said. l

Oman opposes union of Gulf states n AFP, Manama Oman opposes upgrading the Gulf Cooperation Council to a union of six nations, an idea first mooted by regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, Muscat’s foreign minister said on Saturday.

The union issue is on the agenda of the GCC summit to be held on Tuesday in Kuwait.

“We are against a union,” Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

The annual forum on security is also being attended by senior world officials including British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel.

Alawi was speaking after Saudi Assistant Foreign Minister Nizar Madani in a speech called on Gulf states to unify against dangers in the region.

“We will not prevent a union, but if it happens we will not be part of it,”

Alawi told AFP on the sidelines of the gathering.

If the five other GCC members – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar – decide to form a union, “we will simply withdraw” from the new body, he said.

Riyadh’s idea of upgrading the GCC was first proposed in 2011 and supported

by Bahrain. But because of reservations by some members, it was put on hold.

Kuwait and Qatar have since expressed their backing, but the UAE’s position on the proposal is not known.

Formed in 1981 as a buffer against Shia-dominated Iran across the Gulf, the mainly Sunni GCC states sit on around 40 % of proven global crude reserves and around 25 % of natural gas deposits.

Unlike Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, locked in a decades-long rivalry with Iran, Oman maintains good relations with Tehran. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

BGMEA: Trained goons attack Standard Group factory

Wake up to the economic costs of political unrest

November 30

This is an act of terrorism. The purpose was to scare the factory owners into surrendering to the mercy of the attackers. They destroyed property and put lives at risk. Furthermore they rendered thousands of workers out of work.

Though the cause of worker’s rights, fair wages and right to speak their demands must be upheld, this is not an example of the exercise of their rights. This was an act of war against the economy and people of Bangladesh.

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vidence is mounting of the damage being done to the economy by the prolonged period of blockades and hartals caused by the political crisis.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue and Policy Research Institute have highlighted disruption to transport and the supply chain as the main reason for food inflation hitting a seven month high of 8.55% in November. Supplies of essentials like fish, pulse and vegetables Government are being slowed down and the economists claimed resulting price hikes are hitting consumers hard that the political Export industries have been turmoil would have particularly hard hit as they no major effect on suffer not only from lost prothe economy, but duction days when factories this data shows it are closed, but the disruption is already having a to transport is reducing both major negative impact access to raw materials and their ability to ship finished goods to market.

Another concern is that Bangladesh Bank’s latest data shows that remittances received fell 14% in November. While this vital source of income which accounts for 11% of GDP has tended to grow throughout past periods of political strife, it will be a major concern if remittance income continues to drop.

Last week government economists claimed that the hartals and unrest would have no major effect on the economy, but this data shows that political turmoil is already having a major negative impact. Regardless of the lip service political leaders are paying to the plight of innocent victims, the cost of the economic damage being done by blockades and strikes is mounting.

Our leaders must wake up to reality and take action to stop damaging the country further.

December 3

Tajia E Barkat We need more of this! More of it!!

Iqbal Uddin Yes, we want responsible politics and leaders.

Government thinks political unrest won’t affect economy December 1

Tahmidur Rahman The headline cracks me up, haha!

Shahid Imon I do agree with Dr Mirza Aziz that the economy is already facing downward trends that Prof Shamsul Alam and other AL-aligned economists cannot hide. Economic growth has declined for the past three consecutive years, and there has been a large gap between the projected growth of the 6th five year plan and actual growth.

The economy was expected to grow at 7.6% in 2013-14, yet most projections indicate that it could grow between 5.5 to 6%.

Rizvi arrested in dramatic pre-dawn raid December 1 The sudden call for blockade in the pre-midnight hours that has plunged the nation into a deep sea of random killings, burnings, lootings, and you name it, was no less dramatic. nds

‘Govt wants permanent solution on polls-time cabinet’

Risk of losing EU market access is real

December 3

Inu is wrong in saying this. A caretaker government is the only permanent solution.

Khwaja Anas Nasarullah

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U Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht has warned that there is still a risk of Bangladesh’s privileged access to the European market being suspended if the ongoing programmes to improve safety and compliance do not succeed.

Bangladesh enjoys duty-free and quota-free access to the EU which is the largest export destination for the garment sector. The commissioner’s statement underlines the seriousness of the challenge facing the RMG sector. While While the suspension the suspension of the US GSP of the US GSP was was largely symbolic and had largely symbolic any a minimal effect on our export similar measure from revenues, any similar measure the EU could have from the EU could have bigger, bigger, devastating devastating consequences. consequences Thus far the EU has been a collaborative trade partner and they have worked with the government to develop a mutually agreed roadmap to improve the security of factories and working conditions in the Bangladeshi RMG sector.

However, the lack of progress in implementing the roadmap is threatening to jeopardise one of our most valuable trade relationships.

The statement of the EU commissioner is not dissimilar to recent statements made by other foreign delegates on our current political crisis, urging our leaders to act for compromise before the country succumbs to complete political and economic catastrophe. The government must work to ensure that all stakeholders in the RMG sector make progress on improving compliance and modernising the industry.

Capable mature leadership is required by all political parties to prevent the country’s economy falling into the abyss.

Syed Ashraf’s motorcade attacked December 2

The public safety of the general people is worsening day by day. Now our Bangladesh has been turned into a country of violence, torching public wealth including garment factories, shops, auto rickshaws, tempus, buses, cars, and state-owned trains, and uprooting rail lines. The 72-hour blockade has been extended to Thursday. The commoners don’t know what will be BNP’s next programme, or how long it will last.

Before declaring the next programme, we request the government to do something to ease the ongoing political deadlock. The whole country is burning now. The poor are suffering as they cannot go out to earn their daily bread. The economic condition has been paralysed. If the government cannot bring BNP to the election, it is a political failure for the government. And if the government cannot handle the opposition properly (stop BNP from declaring destructive political programs), then this is nothing more than a failure to protect democracy.

Lutfor Rahman

Khaleda: Government using intel agencies November 30 If the government doesn’t use intelligence services to figure out the masterminds behind the arson and anarchy, then the obvious mode of dealing with such brutalities would be to arrest in an arbitrary manner. She (Khaleda) should have rather made a televised statement to tell her supporters to not use destructive tactics, ie burning people and destroying national infrastructure.

Binodbangali

Shafi Brave faces of the people of Bangladesh. We salute you, we all are with you. In every part of the country, the ordinary citizens should come out and warn politicians: End your greed for power, carry out responsible politics, and love and work for the people. Only then people will vote for you.

Hanif Repon Thanks for your selfless initiative. I salute you.

You are real patriots. Thanks again. May the great Allah bless you.

Shopno Lok I do agree with all of the points, but if the majority of the general people like “family’ism” in the politics, and choose their representatives from them, then what can you and I do? One just cannot force them.

Shafiq Majumder Educate people, vote only for caring politicians.

Tanvir Hossain That’s more like it.

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Insect (4) 4 Not hollow (5) 8 Incentive (6) 9 Self-satisfied (4) 11 Of the tides (5) 12 Dash (4) 14 Golf mound (3) 15 Laid bare (6) 19 Garb (6) 21 First woman (3) 22 Court attendant (4) 24 Farm animals (5) 27 Criminal group (4) 29 Drapery hiding curtain rail (6) 30 Very hard mineral (5) 31 Ooze (4)

Stop killing us, people urge politicians

DOWN 1 Fuel (3) 2 Talisman (6) 3 Roman garment (4) 4 Use a seat (3) 5 Sheeplike (5) 6 Was ahead (3) 7 Deceive (6) 10 Encounter (4) 13 And not (3) 14 Confused mass (6) 16 Vigour (3) 17 Nullify (6) 18 Level (4) 20 Bury (5) 23 Matures (4) 25 Monkey (3) 26 Arch (3) 28 Opening (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

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Of blockades and apologies n Mahdin Mahboob

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nough has been said about blockades, hartals, and the related violence in Bangladesh in talk shows, newspapers and in the media in general. Unfortunately, not enough has been done to stop it from happening.

Isn’t it about time that all political parties apologise to the nation for all their misdeeds done over the years

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A disunited nation

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n Matthew Islam

or the purpose of this piece, let me pretend as if I am not insulted gravely by everyone in the world telling us how to conduct an election. Let me for a moment forget how infinitely puny, petty, and self-destructive we look to an external audience. I am particularly perplexed about the sudden drum beat around the world regarding our domestic political discourse.

Let me not even address the New York Times’s most uninformed and childish editorial suggestions recently, about sanctions being levied on Bangladesh related to our present set of political problems.

Look, I don’t underestimate that the present situation is a serious problem that needs addressing, but I do not believe for a moment that we are totally impotent to resolve it ourselves. Resolution to any problem lies in facing what makes it a problem in the first place.

That often means seeing circumstances to their bitter realisations without interruption.

In this instance, that means, to see how far the opposition will go in its thirst for power and how hard the incumbent grabs on to it.

Everyone is watching closely what is happening and when push comes to vote, they will judge what is right and what is wrong. In a one-sided election, that will mean not going to the booth as an ultimate rejection of political rhetoric and if an all party

participatory election is held, (one can only dream) the Bangladeshi people will choose, like in many instances before, the inept leaders that best suits their swinging moods.

Besides, if our voting right, the only say we have in our fate as a people every half a decade, is truly taken away, the people, I believe, will resolve to fight such a move in great numbers without a doubt.

the UN has to help broker anything, there must be only one demand: All violence must stop.

That demand must not be contingent on anything else. The “hop on, hop off ” attempts of world leaders and their representatives coming to Bangladesh to help a situation will do any real measurable good, if that benchmark is the only goal.

Threats, warnings and coercions

The advisable call right now would be to ask emphatically for violence to cease, to invite all parties to join the January 5 elections and if such a deal were to be brokered, to ask the EC to accommodate such a move

The opposition in that scenario wouldn’t have to resort to the desperate measures of terrorising common people in the way they are today. People don’t care about what’s going on beyond being safe and going about their daily chores because they know they will have a chance to express their discontent in the booths come January 5 or boycott the polls altogether.

All the last minute shuttle diplomats, including Mr Taranco must acknowledge that reality. We are an disunited nation of people. There are serious divisions rooted in decades of bloodletting but that we have major consensus on one issue from every side excluding the opposition, that maiming of innocents must cease. If

to have dialogue with a petulant opposition, who have now voluntarily boycotted an election, are not going to bear any fruit because it will seem too inclusive of those who are perpetrating acts of terrorism on the people of Bangladesh on purpose and hence the discussions will not happen in good faith and will be futile.

Unless the opposition publicly commits to renounce violence, they should not be party to any dialogue at all. Bending backwards cannot be a legitimate recommendation.

For the UN, US, India, UK and Europe, the advisable call right now would be to under the present circumstances, ask emphatically for violence to cease, to invite all parties to join the January 5 elections and if

such a deal were to be brokered, to ask the EC to accommodate such a move and assist the government to have an internationally monitored elections

by January 24, 2014, if so invited.

Under our present legal framework, if something is problematic and unacceptable than to recommend, for appropriate changes be made by any future government. If anything else is demanded, proposed or coerced, that would be intervening in the internal politics far beyond the acceptable levels that they have already done within our political landscape.

We all must be alert to the ramifications of belittling democracy to a level where it is seen only to function with the assistance and interference of foreign powers. That is a most dangerous and irresponsible perception to set, and will set a preposterous precedent that we will revert to every five years without working hard amongst ourselves to reach some sort of an agreement.

Finding a solution to this is part of our democratic development that we need to work out ourselves.

Addressing foreign insecurities and interests must remain a distant second to our journey as a democratic nation. So feel free to help Mr Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, but tread cautiously because you may be negatively interfering in the natural course of things. l

What I find most disturbing, as a common citizen of this country, is that most of the politicians here care little about the people they represent and care much more about either getting to power or holding on to it by any means possible.

It is no secret that some of the major political parties in this country have strong ties with foreign powers, and it is speculated that some of these external powers spend huge amounts of money during our national elections to see their favourite party in power.

Understandably enough, they do this so that after the elections, decisions and policies are taken in their favour.

A few days back, there was an official apology from a political party for their picketers having thrown a brick at an embassy car on a hartal day. Also, it was seen in the recent past that during the visit of foreign high officials, hartals and blockades by opposition parties were not announced, or were postponed.

Very nice. As a Bangladeshi I appreciate the party’s official apology to the concerned country and embassy (in the first case) and the courtesy shown to foreign diplomats by not calling hartals during their visits (the second case mentioned above).

But isn’t it about time that all political parties apologise to the nation for all their misdeeds done over the years during their enforced hartals and oborodhs and promise to never call for such things again? There have now been too many cocktail and petrol bomb casualties, too many thousands of working and schooling hours lost, too many

Matthew Islam is a Barrister-at-Law, a textile businessman, and a columnist at the Dhaka Tribune. He can be contacted on Twitter via @matthewislam.

millions of Takas in financial losses, and the politicians have tested the general people’s patience far too much.

The 160 million people of Bangladesh want an immediate stop to the killing, mayhem, and excessive violence that they are tired of seeing and suffering from. All we want is a guarantee to be able to come back home safe and sound after a hard day’s work.

If the opposition really has problems, they should discuss them in either the parliament, or organise peaceful sit-in programs in public places, like it was done by the Shahbagh Ganajagaran Mancha, and press home their demands. Some might argue that if they try to do so, law enforcers would drive them away.

Firstly, the people would like to see an opposition who would be brave and resilient enough to participate in sit-in programs even if the law enforcers try to drive them away. Secondly, the people would like to see a government who would listen to people’s demands and protests, not one that uses brute force to stop the people’s voice.

People of Bangladesh want an immediate stop to the killing, mayhem, and excessive violence. All we want is a guarantee to be able to come back home safe and sound after a hard day’s work

It is important for our politicians to understand that the vast majority of people in the country, at the end of the day, do not really care about who comes to power. They want their own and their family’s safety, security, and happiness. Mad, brutal fights on the streets at the cost of human lives are only taking the people further away from the politicians and the parties.

If the “aam jonota” really do wake up from their slumber, like they did to get rid of the colonial British and the West Pakistani rulers, they will be very difficult to control. l Mahdin Mahboob teaches engineering at ULAB.

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

A spineless response n Dwitiya Jawher Neethi

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angladesh is in a state of more turmoil than usual. Seeing the instability and the suffering is making some people, with a strange psychological condition called “humanity,” very agitated. Amongst all the turbulence, our political leaders are trying hard to restore peace and harmony.

The prime minister is inviting talks and deliberation between the two parties. She is in no mood to negotiate, but wants to talk. Fair enough!

But inviting the BNP for a nice, warm dialogue after yanking their sorry bottoms to prison may not be acceptable to them. Or, since the PM knows exactly where they are (in prison), she could meet them there and have the lively discussion she has been offering.

The PM also needs to make sure her

bid to HM Ershad is the highest. She is causing a lot of stress for the poor man and his accountant. Because of these shenanigans, HM Ershad threatened to kill himself.

A man needs one bullet from one gun to pop his clogs. This man had four pistols ready and we all know it is nearly impossible for him to make up his mind

I personally wouldn’t worry too much about it though. A man needs one bullet from one gun to pop his clogs. This man had four pistols ready and we all

know it is nearly impossible for him to make up his mind.

On the other hand, Begum Khaleda Zia’s nonchalance, while her Jamaat and Shibir men burn the country to the ground, is completely justified.

After all, she is reading “The Political Thought of Tarique Rahman.” Reading a deep and complex political text has that effect on you.

These thoughts came to author Tarique Rahman while he was either ill or being enlightened (we are not sure) during his exile in the UK. His innocent friends were in jail at the time, and that must have also affected his intellectually riveting political thoughts.

Along with awe-inspiring political leaders, we also have a very active and responsible civil society. They are very civil. They have trouble accepting the political situation. Hence, they try

to do something direct about it. That direct-initiative-taking nature has led them to talk at talk shows late at night.

So many talk shows and so much talking helps make this country a better place every day.

Although, private property has been vandalised, minority communities attacked, railway tracks uprooted, and people have been burned alive, I am perfectly comfortable leaving this situation up to our benevolent leaders. I look forward to voting in the next election (if any) and flaunting the black mark on my thumb. That real mark of democracy fills me with pride and honour.

People around the world demand jobs, a review of their tax money, better public services and so on from their governments. Such morons!

Do they not know that the people in government are busy striking

lucrative business deals and grabbing resources? Where are they getting these crazy ideas? Our demands are plain simple.

People around the world demand jobs, a review of their tax money, better public services and so on from their governments.

Do they not know that the people in government are busy striking lucrative business deals and grabbing resources?

Please don’t kill us, and if possible, only if it is not too much trouble and only if you have other forms of entertainment, don’t throw that cocktail at us. l Dwitiya Jawher Neethi is a researcher at the Centre for Policy Dialogue.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Tareque Masud Festival ends n Shadma Malik The two-day Tareque Masud Festival ended yesterday at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy with the screening and DVD launch of Fera, a 38-minute documentary on Tareque Masud made

by Proshoon Rahmaan and produced by the Tareque Masud Memorial Trust.

The Tareque Masud Memorial Trust organised the festival to inspire the creative young minds by showing his works.

The organisers said although Tareque died untimely, his work was still boosting the potential of young filmmakers.

The last day also featured the awards giving ceremony of the Tareque Masud Short Film Competition.

The festival began on December 6, to mark the 57th birth anniversary of the prolific filmmaker. On the first day, a book titled Cholochitra Lekha: Scripts & Songs by Tareque Masud was launched.

Tareque’s book is divided into three segments: documentary, feature and short films; and his seventeen most acknowledged songs.

About the book, Catherine, his wife, said: “This book is about the creative process - about how a screenplay is turned into a movie. His screenplays and songs would surely benefit the institutional study of film in the country.”

Moreover, the first day programme featured a premiere show of the digitally remastered version of Tareque Masud’s first film Adam Surot.

Based on noted artist SM Sultan’s life, Adam Surot, subtitled The Inner Strength, was cinematographed by Mishuk Munir, who was also killed in that

Poster of Tareque Masud’s landmark documentary Adam Surot road crash that took away Tareque.

Catherine, also executive director of the film, said the artist himself was the first audience of Adam Surot. They showed him the film at his Narail home two decades ago.

The new 47-minute remastered version is an intimate portrait of Sultan and the transition period of his style, said Khushi Kabir, one of the distinguished guests on the closing day.

Adam Surot starts with a scenic portrayal of Chitra River that has always immensely influenced Sultan’s work. It highlights how the life and philosophy of Sultan were reflected in his creations.

A confirmed bachelor, Sultan lived in a house in Narail, his hometown, and showed children how to paint. With the talent that he had, he could have lived a life of extreme grandeur and acclaim

in a developed country; but instead, he chose the life of solidarity in his small hometown because he was in love with the peasants of Bangladesh.

In the interview in the documentary, Sultan talks about how the peasants became the subjects of his paintings.

“My painting is about peasants and they are for the commoners. In every painting, their muscles grow more powerful, depicting their bravado.”

The programme also presented an half an hour interview, that was shown before the screening of the documentary, where Tareque talks about the making of Adam Surot in 1981. He mentioned writer Ahmed Chhafa’s writing inspired him to make a film on Sultan.

But Sultan never wanted to be the focus of the film – that was his condition.

The artist wanted the peasants – the subjects of his paintings – to be the subject of the film as well.

Travelling with Sultan, Tareque was inspired by his philosophy. The director learnt to see the graam Bangla – the countryside – through Sultan’s eyes.

Tareque said it was the artist’s ideologies that made him give up the shortcuts and take the difficult but proven way to become a filmmaker.

In the interview, Tareque also said Adam Surot was his first effort at making a film and also to uphold Sultan’s philosophy. But it was his next film Matir Moina – subtitled The Clay Bird – actually reflected the experiences that he had gained from making Adam Surot and also the time he had spent with Sultan.

The DVD of the digitally remastered Adam Surot will be released next year. l

Three brothers to appear together on screen n Entertainment Desk Three brothers, Shatabdi Wadud, Shamapti and Auditi Mahmood have appeared together for the first time in the new three-episode story of popular drama series DB which began on ATN Bangla yesterday.

The story revolves around a betrayer who opens a fake Facebook account by the name of a director who offers those people who are interested to work the in media. In this story, Shatabdi acts in the director’s character where Samapti is seen as a DB officer and Auditi is playing the character of another such betrayer.

While talking about acting in the drama together, Shatabdi Wadud shared, “I felt really great to act in this drama with my brothers together. I feel more energetic when my brothers are around me.”

The drama series is written by Litu Shakhawat and directed by Shahiduzzaman Selim. l

Popular band Meghdol performs at Chhobir Haat as a part of a series of programmes marking the occasion of tenth anniversary of Chhobir Haat on December 6. The programme started with the folk songs performed by a newly formed band of folk singers Lokorong. By playing Jaari song and other genres of folk songs, the band captivated the audience and gave them the feel of get back to their roots once again.

The programme was followed by a lively performance of folk fusion band Joler Gaan who enchanted the city audience by performing songs having flavours of serenity of nature and simplicity of rural life. On December 16, 2003, a group of creative young minds who graduated from the Fine Art, University of Dhaka initiated Chhobir Haat as an artistic development and exchange SADIA MARIUM

ON TV

Guitar used by Bob Dylan to ‘go electric’ auction record

MOVIE 9:30pmWB 21

9:30pm HBO

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

n Entertainment Desk The electric guitar Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, when the acoustic troubadour shocked traditionalists with a set of rock and roll, sold for $965,000 on Friday, a world auction record for a guitar.

The 1964 Fender Stratocaster, along with five song lyrics left on a private airplane by the songwriter and his band in the months after the Rhode Island festival, were part of six lots in a special sale of Dylan material in New York.

An absentee bidder bought the Fender Stratocaster with a classic sunburst finish, its original case and black leather guitar strap for nearly double its high pre-sale estimate.

The previous auction record for a guitar was for Eric Clapton’s Fender Stratocaster, which fetched $959,500 in 2004.

Only one of the five lyrics sheets sold for $20,000, bringing the auction total to $985,000. That was a handwritten and typed version of 1965’s I Wanna Be Your Lover.

Friday’s sale came just a day after rocker Bruce Springsteen’s 1974 handwritten draft for Born to Run went for $197,000 in New York.

COMEDY 2:30pm Star World The Crazy Ones

9:00pm Z Cafe

Malibu Country

DRAMA 4:30pm Colors Ranjhana

8:00pm Sony Aadalat

NEWS 6:00pm Boishakhi Tv

Rolling Stone magazine has cited Dylan’s performance at the Newport festival as one of the most notable events in music history, according to Christie’s.

Dylan, one of rock’s most influential songwriters, wrote and sang Blowin’ in the Wind, Like a Rolling Stone, Mr Tambourine Man and the 2001 Oscar-winning Things Have Changed. He also used the guitar in 1965 for recording sessions for the album Bringing It All Back Home. l

Evening news bulletin

6:00pm Maasranga Tv

Maasranga National News

MIXED 10:30am Travel XP Hills And Valleys

8:30pm Vh1 Top Ten

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

Pacific Rim in 3D Purno dhorgho prem kahini Riddick The Conjuring Titanic (3D) Level 8, Bashundhara City Panthapath

Exhibition

Solo Painting Exhibition

By Nurun Naher Supti Time: 3pm – 9pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka 26 Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi Quest for Reality Rafiqun Nabi

Time: 12pm-8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House No 42, Road No 16, Sheik Kamal Sarani, Dhanmondi, City of Rhythm Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed Time: 12pm to 8pm

Institute of Asian Creatives House 9, Road 36, Gulshan 2

Theatre

Tringsha Shatabdi Theatre troupe Swapnadat Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Drama series Ghurnipak airs on SATV

n Entertainment Desk Drama series Ghurnipak depicting hiccups in love affairs in common peo-

ple’s lives will air on SATV tonight at 8:30pm.

The plot of the drama revolves around a few characters who fall in

love, experience some unexpected troubles and sometimes, life embrace them with good turns and boast them to move forward with positive spirit.

Young hearts Tushar and Rashi are in deep love but the guy’s family does not accept Rashi primarily. The heartbroken Tushar then commits suicide.

Realising their fault, his family then apologises to Rashi and begins to take care of her as a daughter.

Another story goes parallel which is about Toma and Likhon. Toma was born and brought up in Canada but while visiting Bangladesh, she falls in love with Likhon. They get married soon but later she finds they don’t have a good understanding. However, they

also try to continue their family but doctor says Toma is unable to conceive.

The frustrated Toma asks Likhon for divorce and after that she flies for Canada. When Likhon starts for a new life with Laboni, Toma comes back with her child Tonmoy from Canada after four years. Likhon discovers that he is the father of the child. Toma, Laboni and Likhon start for an unknown journey from there on.

Written by Faria Hossain and directed by Ziya Rayhan, the drama series features popular soap actors, Jitu Ahsan, Romana, Mimo, Sabbir Ahmed, Abid Rehan, Shorna, Jahid Hossain Shobhon, Shorna, Ferdousy Lina, Sheli Ahmed, Momin Babu, Rimu and many more. l

Parineeti and Aditya begin shooting for Daawat-e-Ishq n Entertainment Desk Actor Aditya Roy Kapur, who is working under filmmaker Habib Faisal’s direction in Daawat-e-Ishq, says he is one of the finest in the industry. He also has praises for his co-star Parineeti Chopra.

Faisal’s earlier works include Do Dooni Chaar and Ishaqzaade.

“It’s a pleasure to work with Habib.

He is one of the finest filmmakers in the industry. It makes a big difference to work with such a filmmaker,” said Aditya.

“His vision and the way he shoots his films is different. We have finished shooting for our film in Lucknow and Hyderabad and the rest of it will be shot in Mumbai,” he added.

Praising Parineeti, he said: “She is full of fun and she is very spontaneous.

We are having a good time shooting for the film. The film is a light-hearted love story.”

Parineeti has earlier worked with Faisal in Ishaqzaade, but it’s a first-time experience for Aditya. l

R... Rajkumar gets negative reviews n Entertainment Desk Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha pair up for the first time in Prabhu Deva’s R... Rajkumar, but their sizzling chemistry fails to impress the critics for having a poor screenplay in the movie.

R... Rajkumar attempts to make you laugh, but fails. Shahid Kapoor tries to fit into Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar’s action-hero mould, but disappoints. Prabhu Deva intends to make another blockbuster like Rowdy Rathore and Wanted, but messes up. Read what critics feel about the movie.

From one critic’s point of view, watching this film is like being trapped.

Hindustan Times review says: “For all of two-and-a-half excruciating hours, in a torture chamber with no escape channel in sight. It is a dreadfully painful and numbingly grotesque drama that could put one off Bollywood action flicks for a while. Saddled with a scratchy screenplay that goes round in circles, Shahid Kapoor ends up looking

more moronic than macho.”

Shubhra Gupta, Indian Express, writes: “Prabhu Deva has designed a film that gives us everything that Bollywood doesn’t need at this point: a setting that has no roots (where is this village, who are these people?), an atmosphere brimming with viciousness, crudity, and misogyny (the lead female part is barter between men), and a hero who stands for nothing.”

First Post’s Mihir Fadnavis’ take: Never before in the history of Hindi cinema has a film so astutely relayed its intentions from the makers of the film to the viewers. The film is a thoroughly laugh-free, idiotic, juvenile, maddening, moronic, outdated gulag of guano that galls and irritates with every passing second of its interminable stream of swill pretending to be humour.”

Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama, writes: “Shahid is at home when he has to sing songs and romance Sonakshi, but looks far from convincing when he has to act as a super-hero.” l

Did you know?

India’s 141-run defeat was their second heaviest run-margin loss against South Africa. They lost by 157 runs at Durban in Nov 2006

Sport

Sunday, December 8, 2013

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

0 9 8 DAYS TO GO

14 Rain helps West Indies great escape

15 Johnson takes magnificent seven to scar England

Manik furious over penalty decision n Raihan Mahmood Muktijoddha coach Shafiqul Islam Manik termed the win over Team BJMC in the second semi-final of the Walton Federation Cup as the victory of the truth.

Manik said the decision of the penalty against them during the game was pre-decided. “Firstly I will say that it was not a penalty, the BJMC forward can’t touch my goalies body. It was a foul in our favour, but instead the referee awarded a penalty to them. I think it was pre-decided because within one minute two decisions went against us.

The off-side against us in the previous minute was not an off-side as per the new rule” said Manik during the postmatch conference at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

However, Manik was relieved to see that his team reached a major final after 2005 and said, “We took the field for a win, that was our motivation and we proved that with our fighting spirit. The conditions were tough and the win will boost us for a tough final against Sheikh Jamal, definitely a powerful side.”

Russell Mahmud Liton, who came on as a substitute goalkeeper in place

Mobil Cup begins n Raihan Mahmood

The two-day long Mobil Cup Golf tournament commenced at the Kurmitola Golf Course yesterday. Lt General Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Dhaka Cantonment inaugurated the tournament as chief guest.

Tanjil Chowdhury, director, MJL Bangladesh Limited Md Sanaul Haque, CEO, MJL Bangladesh Limited, Major General Mizanur Rahman, Area Commander, Logistics Area, Dhaka Cantonment & Vice-President, KGC, Brig Gen Abidur Reza Khan (Rtd), chairman Tournament Committee, senior officers of Bangladesh Armed Forces & MJL Bangladesh Limited were among others present during the occasion. l

of experienced Aminul said, “I was not nervous when the match went to tie-breakers. I played a couple of tough matches for the national U-19 team and went through the same situation.

“As the second choice goalkeeper I always have the feelings that I have to topple Aminul bhai whenever I get a chance,” said Liton who is also the elder brother of national defender Mamun Khan.

BJMC coach Ali Asgar Nasir said his team did not play to the expected level. “The way we played in the quarters was not present in the semis. The foreign players of Muktijoddha played better than my foreign players. However, I also have to say they did not practice with the team for a long time,” said Nasir who also thought that the referee was the best person to adjudge the penalty.

Meanwhile, Ismael Bangoura reflected his thoughts on the penalty shout and said, “As per the rules I don’t want to touch the goalkeepers body, but I tried my best as we were trailing by a goal. I don’t know whether I committed an offense as it happened in a fraction of a second.” l

Muktijoddha goalkeeper Rasel Mahmud Liton saves a penalty during the tie-breaker against Team BJMC in the Walton Federation Cup semi-final match at BNS yesterday

Muktis finally break jinx n Shishir Hoque Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra will finally get a shot to end their title drought as the Reds edged past Team BJMC in the penalty shootout to reach the final of the Walton Federation Cup yesterday. The 5-3 win in tiebreaker also meant Muktijoddha broke the eightyear curse of reaching the final of any major competition.

The sides couldn’t be separated in the stipulated time as the score was locked 1-1 before Muktijoddha’s substitute goalkeeper Rasel Mahmud Liton

became the hero denying Khan Md Tara of BJMC in the third kick of the shootout.

All eyes were on the African strikers of both the sides as it was expected that they would make the difference in the end. Muktis’ Nigerian recruit Eleta Kingsley marched ahead by grabbing the lead in the 76th minute, before BJMC’s Guinean forward Ismael Bangoura hit back three minutes from time to cancel the lead through a controversial penalty decision.

However, Kingsley had the last laugh as he successfully converted the last penalty kick after Liton, who replaced veteran Aminul Islam in the second-half, produced a superb save to

Yogendran clinches Bangladesh Open n Raihan Mahmood Former Malaysian international Yogendran Khrishnan pulled an upset to beat top seeded Chinese Taipei shuttler Hsu Jen Hao 23-21, 21-14 in the final of the men’s singles of the YonexSunrise Bangladesh Open International Badminton Challenge at the Shaheed Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium yesterday.

However Pai Hsiao Ma, the top seeded Chinese Taipei woman faced no difficulty to win against Saili Rane of India 21-10, 21-13 in the women’s singles.

The final arrived as a golden day for Khrishnan, who in his peak was the 26th ranked player in the world in 2006. He retired from the international circuit in 2008 and became a coach. He also brought seven budding Malaysian players and two New Zealand players from his academy for the meet. “I played in the tournament for two reasons, to test where I stand now and to motivate my students. It’s definitely

a big motivation for them to see that their coach won a title. I believe they will also try to win titles very soon,” said Yogendran.

Yogendran is not a tourist in Dhaka as he has played in Dhaka badminton league for two clubs. “It’s my fourth visit to Dhaka, I played for Knit Concern in 2010 and Dewan Textiles and I also have idea about the Bangladesh badminton,” he said.

“I think Bangladesh has the talents, but no consistent training program, without the consistent training program it almost impossible to flourish in the international circuit, my realisation is in 2010 the standards were higher than the present, maybe all those players have got old and the pipeline was not adequate. In our country the players can get consistent training in both national and club levels,” added Yogendran.

The title was not a new one for Yogendran as he has earlier won Malaysian national junior, Australian

Open, New Zealand Open in his heydays.

Hsu Jen Hao, the student of National Sports University liked the overall atmosphere of and said Bangladesh players need improved training to flourish.

However it was a heart break for Indian Saili Rane who was looking forward to win the title. The Mumbai girl, an amid follower of Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal, tried her best but could not match the prowess of her Taipei opponent who deservedly won the title.

Liang Jui Wei and Liao Kuan Hao Chinese Taipei became the champions in the men’s double event with a 21-13, 21-14 points victory over their compatriots Hung Ying Yuan and Cheng Heng Su in the final.

Meanwhile in the women’s doubles, Indian pair Prajakta Sawant and Arathi Sara Sunil defeated their countrymen Dhanya Nair and Mohita Sahdev by 2220, 15-4 to win the title. l

earn them the advantage.

Muktijoddha could have easily taken the lead in the 13th minute of the game but Kingsley’s attempted header on a long throw hit the second bar be-

RESULT Muktijoddha Kingsley 76”

1-1

(5-3)

Team BJMC Bangoura 87”

fore Bipul headed the ball over the crossbar off the rebound. Four minutes later, Kingsley was again denied and this time BJMC goalkeeper parried the header away for a corner.

BJMC was equal to their task and almost scored from a quick counterat-

dha before Bangoura won a penalty in the next minute and converted it himself.

BJMC’s Aminul Rahman Shojib had the first real chance three minutes into the extra time but his shot went just wide from the edge of the box. Muktijoddha also squandered an opportunity in the 102nd minute when Nkwocha received a long ball from Biplob only to send it over the bar.

The thrilling victory will definitely work as a motivation for Muktijoddha who will face a stronger Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in the final on December 13 (Friday). Muktijoddha has not won the Federation Cup since 2003-04 and last reached the final in 2005 when they lost to Brothers Union. l

Shakib invites Ershad to his reception n Minhaz Uddin Khan

National ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan met Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday evening to invite him at his wedding reception. Shakib reached Ershad’s Baridhara residence at 6:29pm in the evening and stayed there for around 15 minutes.

The star cricketer got married last year and due to unavoidable circumstances failed to host the reception. His wedding reception is to be held on December 15.

Close sources to Shakib informed that most of the invitation cards have been dispatched. It was learnt that Shakib will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition party Begum Khaleda Zia and invite them to the reception. l

National all-rounder Shakib al Hasan (L) visits Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad at his Baridhara residence yesterday evening DHAKA TRIBUNE

T20 Challenge series deferred by a day n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh Badminton Federation President Rubaba Dowla hands over the prize to the men’s singles winner Yogendran Khrishnan after the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh Open International Badminton Challenge final at the Shaheed Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium yesterday COURTESY

tack, but Abdullah Al Parvez’s clever back heel from a close range went straight to Aminul Islam’s gloves.

Zahid Parvez’s corner from the right found Kingsley unmarked inside the box and this time the Nigerian made no mistake in finishing the header inside the opponents net.

BJMC was not to end the game without a fight and they went all out in search of the equaliser. It seemed it was Muktis goalkeeper Liton against BJMC as the goalie made two great saves, Bangoura’s powerful volley from 20 yards out and Samson’s header, in successive minutes, 81 and 82, to keep them in the game.

Offside ruled out a goal for Muktijod-

MUMIT M

The Twenty20 Challenge series between the national team and Bangladesh “A” has been postponed by a day due to the ongoing political unrest in the country.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) through a media release yesterday informed that the first game of the threematch series will be held on December 11 instead of December 10 at the Shere-Bangla National Stadium.

The second and third match will be played on December 12 and 14 respectively at the same venue.

The first two matches will begin at 5pm while the final game will be a day match starting at 1pm. Both the nation-

al and “A” team squad will start training from tomorrow.

BCB arranged the series between the top string sides as part of the Tigers’ preparation for the ICC World Twenty20 in March.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim will be leading the national side while Nasir Hossain will be in charge of the second string national side.

The series will also be an acid test for middle-order batsman Nasir who is on the radar of the national selectors for becoming the next national vice-captain. The national selection panel at the moment are looking to replace Mahmudullah as the vice-captain and Nasir is a top candidate for the position. l

Brazil already eyeing last 16 after favourable draw n Reuters, Costa Do Sauipe World Cup hosts Brazil might not admit it but they will already have one eye on the last 16 and a potential clash with holders Spain or Netherlands after a favourable draw on Friday.

Brazil’s Group A opponents came out as Croatia, who they face in the opening match on June 12, Mexico and Cameroon and they are hot favourites to qualify in first place.

If they do they will face the runnersup in Group B, which contains world and European champions Spain plus Netherlands, who lost to the Spanish in the 2010 final, Chile and Australia.

The winners of Group B will face the Group A runners-up. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

SCORE CARD NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS

609-9 dec (Taylor 217 n.o., McCullum 113, Rutherford 62, Fulton 61; Best 3-148) WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS 213

(Chanderpaul 76; Southee 4-52, Boult 3-40) WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS

(overnight 443-6) D. Bravo b Boult D. Sammy c Sodhi b Southee S. Shillingford c Taylor b Wagner T. Best c Taylor b Wagner S. Gabriel not out Extras (b4, lb7, w5, nb2) Total (all out; 162.1 overs)

218 80 15 3 0 18 507

Bowling Southee 29.1-4-101-2, Boult 35-1181-2 (1w), Wagner 30-3-112-3 (2nb), Anderson 14-2-29-1, Sodhi 49-7-155-2, Redmond 5-1-18-0 NEW ZEALAND 2ND INNINGS

P. Fulton c Ramdin b Shillingford 3 H. Rutherford c Gabriel b Shillingford 20 Redmond c Deonarine b Shillingford 6 R. Taylor not out 16 B. McCullum c Ramdin b Shillingford 9 C. Anderson not out 20 Extras (b1, lb3, w1) 5 Total (4 wickets; 30 overs) 79 Bowling Best 8-1-26-0, Shillingford 15-5-26-4, Gabriel 5-1-16-0, Deonarine 2-0-7-0 Match drawn

Barcelona bounced back from consecutive defeats away to Ajax and Athletic Bilbao with a 4-1 win at third-tier Cartagena in the first leg of their Copa del Rey fourth round tie on Friday.

Fernando fired the hosts into a shock lead after just 16 minutes.

Pedro Rodriguez calmed the visitors’ nerves eight minutes before the break with an equaliser and Fabregas completed the turnaround with a neat finish seven minutes later.

Pedro did eventually finally make it 3-1 15 minutes from time when he finished expertly from Sanchez’s pass.

Jean Marie Dongou rounded off the scoring in stoppage time with

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Rain helps WI great escape n AFP, Dunedin New Zealand were stranded an agonising 33 runs short of their first Test victory in more than a year Saturday when rain washed out the final session of the first Test against the West Indies in Dunedin.

After four days of bright sunshine, the heavy downpour began at tea on the final day when New Zealand were 79-4 chasing 112 for victory.

After wrapping up the West Indies second innings for 507 before lunch, the modest target appeared a formality despite the forecast rain.

However, the New Zealand batsmen faltered from the start and were rapidly reduced to 44-4 before Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson arrested the slide.

Anderson finished not out 20 with Taylor on 16, and a Test that at one stage looked as if it would be over in four days instead petered out to a draw on the fifth.

“We would have won that, I believe, if it hadn’t rained,” said a dejected Brendon McCullum who is yet to taste

Barca back to winning ways in Cup opener n AFP, Madrid

Sport

RESULTS Lleida

1-2

Villarreal

2-2

Algeciras

1-1

Real Sociedad

Racing Santander

0-1

Sevilla

Valladolid

0-0 1-4

Rayo Vallecano

Milla 56 Dos Santos 22, Aquino 90 Alfaro 64

Cartagena

Fernando 16

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum shake hands after their match was called off as draw because of rain on the fifth day of their 1st Test at University Oval in Dunedin yesterday AP

Hangeland ruled out for six more weeks

Everton set crosshairs on Gunners

AFP, London

Fulham’s bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League suffered a major blow on Friday when Brede Hangeland was ruled out for another six weeks.

Hangeland had already been sidelined for a month with sciatic nerve damage in his right leg, but the Norway defender has now been told he needs surgery to cure the problem. Fulham had hoped to bring the 32-year-old back to full fitness without an operation.

But Cottagers manager Rene Meulensteen revealed on Friday that Hangeland has decided to have the surgery and will need six more weeks to recover.

Meulensteen, whose team are third bottom of the table and three points from safety. l

Real Betis

Verdu 26-p, Molina 44

Elche

Pelegrin 61, Boakye 66 Griezmann 59 Jairo 5

Barcelona

Pedro 36, 75, Fabregas 43, Dongou 90

The second one-day international between South Africa and India will go ahead in Durban today and will be marked by a tribute to former president Nelson Mandela Cricket South Africa confirmed the fixture would be played after discussions with the government following Mandela’s death on Thursday at the age of 95.

“We have taken this decision in consultation with Sport and Recreation South Africa,” CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement on Friday.

“We will, of course, appropriately mark the passing away of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the father of our nation and one of the world’s greatest icons.”

Soccer and golf had already stated they would go ahead with their programmes.

The League Cup soccer final between Orlando Pirates and Platinum Stars will take place on Saturday evening after an emergency meeting of stakeholders.

The local Premier Soccer League also confirmed that all other matches in the top two tiers would be played as scheduled, though none will be staged on the day of Mandela’s funeral on Dec. 15. l

success in 10 Tests since replacing Taylor as captain after their last win in Sri Lanka in November last year.

“It was disappointing to set ourselves up and be 33 short.”

The New Zealand top order failed to read spinner Shane Shillingford, who was inconsequential in the first innings but produced exceptional figures of four for 26 off 15 overs on a well-worn pitch in the second.

After lunch Aaron Redmond (six) turned Shillingford into the hands of Narsingh Deonarine at leg slip and Hamish Rutherford (20) was lured into a favourite heave shot that went straight to Shannon Gabriel waiting at long on.

It was a New Zealand performance far removed from the determination shown in the first innings when they amassed 609-9 declared, led by a career-best 217 not out from Ross Taylor, and whittled the West Indies out for 213.

West Indies were eventually dismissed for 507 on the final day, with Bravo, who was dropped on 82, making a career best 218. l

n

his first senior goal for Barcelona on the rebound after Pedro had struck the post. l

South Africa, India go ahead with ODI cricket series n Reuters, Cape Town

n AFP, London

The strength of Arsenal’s grasp on top spot in the Premier League will be tested on Sunday when Manchester United’s latest conquerors Everton visit the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal have bounced back from their 1-0 loss at United last month with three consecutive victories, culminating in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Hull City, but the chasing pack remain on their tails.

The London club could have had their lead whittled down to a single point by the time they take to the field on Sunday, if second-place Chelsea emerge victorious from their trip to Stoke City 24 hours earlier.

Third-place Manchester City and

fourth-place Liverpool also have opportunities to close the gap, while Everton themselves know that a win would take them to within just four points of Arsene Wenger’s side.

While Arsenal have twice tasted defeat this season, and both United and City have been beaten on four occa-

FIXTURES Arsenal v Everton Fulham v Aston Villa sions, Everton have lost just once, at City on October 5.

Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford was Everton’s first league success at United since August 1992 and will give them the belief that they can end a similar run of 17 games without victory

at Arsenal that stretches back to January 1996.

Bryan Oviedo was Everton’s matchwinner at United, netting in the 86th minute to claim his second goal since coming into the team at left-back in place of injured England international Leighton Baines.

Baines has been linked with a move to United but manager Martinez rejected suggestions that the Costa Rica international was being groomed as his successor. Wenger, meanwhile, is likely to restore Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and Olivier Giroud to his starting XI, having made five changes for the victory over Hull.

However, right-back Bacary Sagna and forward Lukas Podolski are not yet ready to return from their respective hamstring injuries. l

REACTIONS TO WORLD CUP DRAW GROUP A LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI

BRAZIL, CROATIA, MEXICO, CAMEROON NIKO KOVAC

MIGUEL HERRERA

VOLKER FINKE

GROUP B VICENTE DEL BOSQUE

(Brazil coach)

(Croatia coach)

(Mexico coach)

(Cameroon coach)

(Spain coach)

“I am satisfied with the draw. But we shall be paying close attention to the opening phase. That should give us an incentive. I am not concerned with the second phase. Mexico is a classic going way back, I am happy with the match sequence.”

“Brazil in the first game with the whole world watching, it will be something.

We will try to make it difficult for them. Look at 2006, we gave them a very difficult game.

I think Brazil is the obvious favourite but second place is wide open.”

“This group is hard.

The teams are strong and solid, but the style will allow Mexico to play nice football. Mexico always gives Brazil indigestion.”

“You know when you play a group match against Brazil it’s more than just a normal game given you’re up against the emotion of the whole country.”

“It is another draw, it is obviously going to be difficult to qualify. I said to people this morning we were going to get Holland and we did, in the first game no less.”

GROUP C JOSE PEKERMAN

COLOMBIA, GREECE, IVORY COAST, JAPAN FERNANDO SANTOS

(Colombia coach)

“I think it will be a very even group and attractive thanks to the styles of the teams. We have faith in our own potential, but the people of Colombia must understand that a World Cup is something different.”

“I am happy with the draw. There were more difficult teams than those that are in our group. Every football school is different and they say we play defensively, but we will see that in practice.”

REINALDO RUEDA

“With due respect to Greece, we are pleased to have avoided a top European team.

It is one thing to find the Netherlands or France in your group and completely another to take them on.”

DIDIER DESCHAMPS

LUIS FERNANDO SUAREZ

(Ecudaor coach)

(France coach)

(Honduras coach)

“I was the coach of Honduras in 2010 and now destiny makes me face them with Ecuador. That’s football, and that’s life.

They will be difficult opponents.

Switzerland and France? Both of them have different styles.

“It’s always difficult to talk about a draw but it’s true, I won’t hide it from you (my happiness), it could have been tougher.”

“I leave with a good taste in my mouth, with one exception: I didn’t want to face Ecuador. Not only for them, but also for the country. Ecuador helped me to develop my career, I owe them many things.”

GROUP G JOACHIM LOEW

“In the last two World Cups, the draw was unkind. We lost to Argentina and the Netherlands in 2006 and Brazil and Portugal in 2010. This time, God has answered our prayers. The draw has given us a good chance.”

(Japan coach)

SWITZERLAND, ECUADOR, FRANCE, HONDURAS

(Switzerland coach)

“This group will not be a stroll.

Ecuador and Honduras are technically and tactically strong. France are the favourites. We hope to make the last 16 with them.”

ALBERTO ZACCHERONI (Former Ivory Coast coach)

(Greece coach)

GROUP E OTTMAR HITZFELD

YEO MARTIAL

GERMANY, PORTUGAL, GHANA, USA PAULO BENTO

KWESI APPIAH

JURGEN KLINSMANN

SPAIN, NETHERLANDS, CHILE, AUSTRALIA JORGE SAMPAOLI

LOUIS VAN GAAL

(Australia coach)

“Really tough group, so we will try to be competitive enough to qualify. Del Bosque didn’t want Chile, but we also didn’t want Spain.”

“It’s difficult, Spain want to get to the final as do we.

Even if we win the group we may have to play Brazil in the last 16. Chile are also a good side and Australia, well our history against them is very bad.

We play Spain first – I hope they will not be in their peak form.”

“This is the World Cup. It’s the best football nations on the planet and we will embrace the challenge that lies ahead of us. We wanted to play some big nations. We want to test ourselves against the best nations on the biggest stage”

JORGE LUIS PINTO

ROY HODGSON

GROUP D DIEGO LUGANO

URUGUAY, COSTA RICA, ENGLAND, ITALY

(Uruguay captain)

“I believe this is the most difficult group, it will be the biggest challenge of our careers, of our lives. If we could have chosen, we would not have chosen to have two other former champions in our pool.”

(Costa Rica coach)

“I believe in my team because we know how to act against the big teams. The other three are all world champions and we will play them with pleasure.”

GROUP F ALEJANDRO SABELLA (Argentina coach)

“We did not go into a group of death, there are other groups which are more complicated, more difficult.

Geographically, the draw was also positive.”

CESARE PRANDELLI (England coach)

(Italy coach)

“It’s a tough group.

In Italy and Uruguay it’s almost as though we have got two number one seeds in our group. Italy were very unlucky not to be seeded in the first eight. We know how good Italy are because we lost to them in the quarter-finals at the Euros.”

“It’s a difficult group. It will be tough, but we’ll be going there well prepared and determined to do well. You never win matches on paper, it’s 11 against 11 and if we prepare well we can win all three of our matches.”

ARGENTINA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, IRAN, NIGERIA SAFET SUSIC

DANIEL AMOKACHI (Bosnia coach)

“We can’t be unhappy despite the fact we are in a group with Argentina who are one of the favourites for the title. Of the other teams, one is weaker than us – Iran

GROUP H MARC WILMOTS

ANGE POSTECOGLOU

(Netherlands coach)

(Chile coach)

CARLOS QUEIROZ

(Nigeria ass. coach)

“It’s a good group for us. Argentina are the world powers, but you cannot afford to under-rate Iran or Bosnia.

We will respect all the teams and take it game after game.

Overall, it’s a good draw.”

(Iran coach)

“It is an honour, it’s just for us to enjoy now. We will play against the best teams in the world and it’s a great opportunity for us to progress and be a better team.”

BELGIUM, ALGERIA, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA VAHID HALILHODZIC

FABIO CAPELLO

HONG MYUNG-BO

(Germany coach)

(Portugal coach)

( Ghana coach)

(USA coach)

(Belgium coach)

(Algeria coach)

(Russia coach)

“So, we will be meeting old friends. It’s already something special to have the USA in our group. Klinsmann and I have had a very good and close relationship for a long time. We have always exchanged ideas on a regular basis, but that will certainly change before the World Cup match.”

“I consider Germany as favourites because of their potential and history. The USA and Ghana are well-organised sides who have players with lots of experience in the European leagues. We lost 1-0 to Germany in the first match of Euro 2012, but we played a good game.”

“All the teams in our group are good. Our opening game is against the United States, who have improved greatly, but I have total confidence in my team. I believe we will prepare very well and go past the group phase.”

“That’s one of those crazy stories football writes. It is a tough group, which couldn’t have been harder. But we have built up our self-confidence over the last two and a half years and we have the most successful year in the 100 years of US football behind us.”

“It could have been worse. There are three finals to play.

Belgium and Russia are perhaps the favourites. The aim is to get out of the first round. I am satisfied as all the matches are close to our base.”

“We could have had a much more difficult group but there’s no easy group. Belgium have a lot of quality. In my opinion, they could well be one of the surprises. I also know Russia well, they have a great coach.

South Korea are also very skilful, lots of passing, movement.”

“I’m pleased with the draw. Some of the other groups consist of much stronger teams.

Belgium is currently one of the strongest European teams. We have met South Korea recently in a friendly in Dubai and they also look serious and competitive.”

(South Korea coach)

“We played a friendly against Russia in November but we will have to study them again, things changed.

People may think it’s an easy group, but it’s not true.”

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Juve open up six-point lead

QUICK BYTES Woods ties course record 62 for World Challenge lead

n AFP, Milan

Tiger Woods matched his own Sherwood Country Club course record on Friday with a 10-under 62 to take the lead in his World Challenge. The world number one, who started the day four shots off the lead, had 10 birdies and no bogeys for an 11-under total of 133.

That gave him a two-shot lead over firstround leader Zach Johnson, who had four birdies in a four-under 68 for 135. “It was good today,” said Woods, who has won this 18-man tournament he hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation five times. He set the course record of 62 in the second round in 2007, en route to one of those triumphs. “I only made probably two putts that were downhill. I hit a lot of good shots, leaving myself in these spots so my putts weren’t really that difficult to make.”

Woods saw a long putt at the seventh curl around the hole and drop in the back for birdie. He kept his momentum with a key two-putt par at the par-three 12th and birdied 13 despite a tough lie in a bunker with an acorn behind his ball.

–AFP

Tendulkar mourns ‘truly inspirational’ Mandela

Indian cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar on Friday remembered South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela as a “truly inspirational human being” who would live in his “heart forever”. Tendulkar was part of the Indian team that toured South Africa in 1992-93, the first side to play a Test series after it was brought back into the sporting mainstream following an apartheid-induced ban. The touring squad met Mandela, who was then yet to become president, at the African National Congress headquarters in Johannesburg and presented him with a bat signed by all the team members. The players got another opportunity to meet Mandela when he came to the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg to watch a match. “When I met Mr Mandela it was one of the most memorable days of my life,” Tendulkar, who retired last month as the world’s leading Test and one-day batsman, tweeted on Friday.

–AFP

'Pakistan will not take Afghanistan lightly' Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez stressed his team will not take Afghanistan lightly in the first-ever Twenty20 international between the two nations in Sharjah on Sunday. War-ravaged Afghanistan have earned a reputation of being a dangerous team in the shortest format of the game, having last month qualified for their third successive World Twenty20 -- to be held in Bangladesh in March-April next year. Earlier this year, Afghanistan also qualified for the 2015 World Cup (50 overs) to be held in Australia and New Zealand. They have an improved Twenty20 record, winning 11 of the 21 they have played so far, although all their four matches against Test playing nations in the last two World Twenty20s ended in defeats.

They lost to South Africa and India in the 2010 World Twenty20 held in the West Indies and two years later lost to England and India in Sri Lanka. But Hafeez warned his team, which slumped from two to four in ICC T20 rankings after losing three of their four games against South Africa last month, on complacency. “We will definitely not take Afghanistan lightly because they are a dangerous side and the shortest format suits them,” Hafeez said on Saturday.

–AFP

Southampton's Dani Osvaldo (L) shoots to score a goal during their English Premier League match against Manchester City at St Mary's stadium in Southampton yesterday

United sink further, Chelsea crash at Stoke n AFP, London

Manchester United’s dismal season lurched into crisis on Saturday after a 1-0 loss at home to Newcastle United condemned the champions to their fifth defeat of the campaign.

Yohan Cabaye’s goal just after the hour gave Newcastle their first victory at Old Trafford since 1972 and consigned United to back-to-back home defeats in the league for the first time since May 2002.

Having lost 1-0 to Everton on Wednesday, United have now lost as many games as they did in the whole

of last season’s title-winning campaign and David Moyes’s side could fall 15 points behind leaders Arsenal before the weekend is out.

United restored Robin van Persie to their starting XI following a four-game absence with a groin strain, but the closest they came to scoring was a Patrice Evra header that hit the post early in the second half.

Newcastle hit the champions with a sucker-punch in the 61st minute, with Moussa Sissoko galloping down the right flank after winning a duel with Evra before cutting the ball back for Cabaye to sweep home.

The dominant team of the Premier League era, United remain in ninth

Seven-star Bayern crush Bremen n AFP, Berlin

France’s Franck Ribery produced a commanding display as Bayern Munich extended their record unbeaten Bundesliga run to 40 matches with a 7-0 away romp at Werder Bremen on Saturday.

Ribery staked his claim for the 2013 world footballer of the year award, which will be announced on January 13, by creating two goals and scoring twice in the rout as European champions Bayern warmed up for Tuesday’s final Champions League match at

home to Manchester City.

Fourth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach stayed in touch with the league leaders as they picked up their sixth-straight win with a 2-1 win at home to Schalke 04, whose coach Jens Keller has been told a decision on his future will be made over the winter break.

Schalke must beat Swiss champions FC Basel on Wednesday to reach the Champions League’s knock-out phase and another defeat could be Keller’s last having taken charge of the Royal Blues in December 2012. l

JUST MARRIED

DAY’S WATCH

place in the table, 12 points below Arsenal, while Newcastle climb to sixth.

Chelsea slipped to third place after on-loan Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi scored a stunning last-minute winner to give Stoke City a 3-2 victory at the Britannia Stadium.

Jose Mourinho’s side were on course for a point after Andre Schurrle claimed a brace either side of goals from Peter Crouch and Stephen Ireland, only for Assaidi to cut in from the left and dispatch a glorious decisive strike at the death.

City fell one place to fourth, five points behind Arsenal, after drawing 1-1 at Southampton.

Sergio Aguero gave City a 10thminute lead by dispatching a low cross

11:00AM Hong Kong Open Day Four Ten Cricket 02:00PM India Tour of South Africa 2nd ODI Star Sports 4 5:30PM Italian Serie A AS Roma v Fiorentina English Premier League 7:30PM Fulham v Aston Villa 10:00AM Arsenal Everton 1:45AM Italian Serie A Inter Milan v Parma Star Sports HD1 Italian Serie A 8:00PM Torino v Lazio Star Sports 4 Bangladesh top order batsman Marshal Ayub and his newly wedded wife Sharmin Ahmed Bithi pose for a photo during their wedding reception on Friday COURTESY

from Aleksandar Kolarov, but Dani Osvaldo produced a stylish equaliser shortly before the interval, slipping past Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta before curling home.

Liverpool capitalised on Chelsea and City’s slip-ups to steal into second place – above Chelsea on goal difference – by winning 4-1 at home to West Ham United in a game that featured three own goals.

Goals from Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh saw third-bottom Crystal Palace close to the brink of safety with a 2-0 success at home to Cardiff City, while goals from Gary Hooper and Leroy Fer gave Norwich City a 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion. l

RESULTS

Crystal Palace 2-0 Jerome 6, Chamakh 58 Liverpool 4-1 Demel 42-og, Sakho 47, Suarez 81, O’Brien 84-og Man United 0-1 Southampton 1-1 Osvaldo 42 Stoke 3-2 Crouch 42, Ireland 50, Assaidi 90 West Brom 0-2

Cardiff West Ham Skrtel 66-og

Newcastle Cabaye 61 Man City Aguero 10 Chelsea Schurrle 9, 53

Norwich Hooper 13, Fer 89

RESULTS

M’gladbach 2-1 Schalke 04 Raffael 25, Farfan 17-p Kruse 45+1-p VfB Stuttgart 4-2 Hanover Harnik 13, Sobiech 28, Ibisevic 33, Sane 31 Traore 51, Rausch 83 Werder Bremen 0-7 Bayern Munich Lukimya 21, Buyten 27, Ribery 38, 82, Mandzukic 60, Mueller 68, Goetze 90 Hamburg 0-1 Augsburg Bobadilla 18 Frankfurt 1-2 Hoffenheim Joselu 48 Schipplock 46, Roberto Firmino 51

Johnson takes magnificent seven to scar England n Reuters, Adelaide

Ten Golf

6:00AM (Monday) Australia v England Second Test, Day 5

REUTERS

Arturo Vidal and Giorgio Chiellini struck in either half to hand Juventus a 2-0 away win at Bologna on Friday which gave the Serie A leaders a sixpoint lead over second-placed Roma.

Four days ahead of a crucial trip to Istanbul, where Juve need a point against Galatasaray to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, coach Antonio Conte left a host of regulars on the bench.

However their absences did not hinder the champions, who opened the scoring through Vidal on 12 minutes before Chiellini headed home at the death.

Fabio Quagliarella and Mirko Vucinic led Juve’s attack, leaving Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente to make later appearances from the bench, while Angelo Ogbonna replaced centre-back Leonardo Bonucci.

Mauricio Isla and Federico Peluso were also deployed as wing-backs in place of Stephan Lichsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah, while Paul Pogba took the injured Andrea Pirlo’s role in the centre of midfield.

Despite the reshuffling, Juve had no trouble dictating play against a side that has only one home win so far this season and were sent crashing out of the Italian Cup at home by Serie B side Siena on Tuesday.

Juve should have had several goals by the interval but Quagliarella and Claudio Marchisio spurned early chances against impressive home ‘keeper Gianluca Curci. l

Wrecking ball Mitchell Johnson laid further scars on England’s battered psyche with a stunning seven-wicket haul that skittled the tourists for 172 and put Australia in complete control of the second Ashes test after the third day on Saturday.

The red-hot Queenslander unleashed a withering spell of pace bowling at Adelaide Oval to take three wickets in his second over after lunch, then cleaned up the tail before tea to leave England 199 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

With the luxury of a further two days’ play, Australia captain Michael Clarke sent his batsmen in to give his bowlers a rest and fired by an unbeaten 83 from opener David Warner, they pushed the lead to a mammoth 530 runs.

Australia will make England sweat in the field until close to lunch on day four, which is forecast to be a sweltering 32 degrees Celsius, before their bowlers push for the win on a pitch showing ample turn and reverse swing.

No team has ever made more than 418 in a fourth innings chase, and

England, improbably, are staring at a 2-0 deficit in the five-test series ahead of a trip to Johnson’s favourite hunting ground in Perth where England have not won since 1978.

Only months after returning home from England in ignominy after a third straight Ashes defeat, Australia’s turnaround has been little short of astonishing, and the principal architect has been the man selectors snubbed for the northern series.

Following nine wickets and a manof-the-match performance to rout England in the series-opener in Brisbane, Johnson’s 7-40 was the best Ashes haul in over 100 years at Adelaide Oval and featured two hat-trick chances that ultimately went begging.

In Australia's second innings, England paceman James Anderson captured two quick wickets in opener Chris Rogers and Shane Watson but Warner and Clarke steadied the ship with a 61-run partnership.

Clarke was bowled by Panesar for 22 with a delivery that turned sharply and would give plenty of encouragement to Australia’s spinner Nathan Lyon. Steven Smith (23 not out) added another 67 with Warner before stumps. l

SCORE CARD Australia 1st innings 570 for 9 declared (M. Clarke 148, B. Haddin 118; S. Broad 3-98) England 1st innings (overnight 35 for 1) Alastair Cook b Johnson 3 Michael Carberry c Warner b Watson 60 Joe Root c Rogers b Lyon 15 Kevin Pietersen c Bailey b Siddle 4 Ian Bell not out 72 Ben Stokes lbw b Johnson 1 Matt Prior c Haddin b Johnson 0 Stuart Broad b Johnson 0 Graeme Swann c Clarke b Johnson 7 James Anderson b Johnson 0 Monty Panesar b Johnson 2 Extras (lb3, w2, nb3) 8 Total (all out; 68.2 overs) 172 Bowling Johnson 17.2-8-40-7 (2nb, 1w), Harris 14-8-31-0, Lyon 20-5-64-1, Siddle 14-434-1 (1nb, 1w), Watson 3-3-0-1 Australia 2nd innings Chris Rogers c Haddin b Anderson 2 David Warner not out 83 Shane Watson c Carberry b Anderson 0 Michael Clarke b Panesar 22 Steve Smith not out 23 Extras (b1, lb1) 2 Total (3 wkts; 39 overs) 132 Bowling Anderson 7-1-19-2, Broad 6-0-19-0, Swann 9-3-31-0, Stokes 7-3-20-0, Panesar 10-0-41-1

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Truck freight cost goes through the roof The carrier owners charge shippers much more than normal for transporting goods to seaport n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Truck freight charges have risen five times more than normal over the last three weeks in the wake of political unrest causing disruption in domestic and international supply chain management.

As of Friday, a truck fare rose to Tk125,000 from Tk20,000 to carry goods back and forth between Dhaka and Chittagong in comparison with the freight charges in the third week of November.

Generally, a lorry charges Tk12,000 to Tk20,000 on the Dhaka-Chittagong route, but because of blockades and hartals the fare has gone through the roof.

As per the data of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owners’ Association, the freight rate on the route has risen to Tk1,25,000.

In the third week of November, a trucker charged between Tk12,000 and Tk20,000 to transport goods between the two metropolises.

The hike in freight rate ranged between Tk40,000 and Tk50,000 following a 72-hour blockade enforced on November 26 by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.

The fare further rose to Tk1,00,000Tk1,25,000 after the second phase of the six-day blockade that ended in the first week of December.

“I freighted goods to the Chittagong port by a truck which charged me TK1,25,000,” said Syed Faizul Ahsan, managing director of Dotcom Sweater Limited.

There was no way but to comply with the freight cost as it was necessary to deliver the shipment before the deadline, he added.

Talking to the Dhaka tribune, Ashraful Alam, owner of Top and Bottom, RMG factory, said on Friday he sent RMG products to the port city on a freight cost of Tk85,000 which was

A truck, laden with 17,600kg of fine rice burnt, at the Bypass Muslim intersection in the Rajshahi city after miscreants set fire to it Friday night. The truck was going to Kushtia via Rajshahi DHAKA TRIBUNE Tk16,000 only in normal circumstances.

“Since there is hardly any scope for domestic air freight, we are compelled to use lorries for transportation of goods to the seaport and we have now been hostage to high freight charges,” he said, adding that the volatile political situation hit the business hard.

“Having no alternative to sending RMG products to the port for sea

freight, we are subjected to pay as much as the carrier owners charge us as freight cost,” said Shahidullah Azim, BGMEA vice-president.

“I will incur a loss of Tk4m to Tk4.5m if I fail to deliver a shipment before deadline.”

Truck owners capitalised on the situation, said Rustom Ali Khan, Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owners’

Victims of political violence face long-term effects, traumas n

Ashif Islam Shaon

Victims of the recent political violence, who have been recovering from their injuries at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in the capital,were faced with risks of sustaining long-lasting effects of the trauma.

Among the six victims, the youngest, Lima would apparently be the worst sufferer. The three and a half yearsold baby-girl lost fingers from her right handwhile, among the two police constables, who were hurt in a bomb blast near the BNP slum area, Constable Abdul Mannan’s hand would take more than a year to recover, the doctors said.

Yesterday Lima was seen sleeping in a bed around 3pm. Her mother, garment worker, Shohagi and father a driver, Al-Amin were beside her.

“Doctors have given her sedatives asshe cries out in pain, whenshe is awake,” said Shohagi.

Shohagi has remained absent in his workplace since her daughter was injured while playing with a cocktail ducked in red tape, mistaking it as a ball.

Now, her parents had three things to worry about, if their employers would

sack them for being absent at their work place, how they would afford Lima’s treatment costs over Tk1000 every day and lastly, when Lima grows up, who would marry a girl without fingers, said Lima’s parents.

“Those who had made the bomb or abandoned it in front our house, will never know what they have done to us. May Allah bless them so they do not do these things again,” said AlAmin.

He said many people came to the hospital to see her daughter since the incident. Hospital doctors were also being kind, taking extra care.

“A woman came here three days back and gave Lima a set of dolls to play. See, apart from the criminals, there are kind people in the world as well,” said Shohagi.

“Lima wakes up sometimes and stares at those dolls. She seems happy at that time,” she said.

In another room in the same hospital,Constable Abdul Mannan was lying down on a bed, with serious injuries in his left hand, throat, and legs. His collogue Md Habil was in the bed next to him,in a relatively condition than Mannan.

Mannan, who drove a police vans, said god saved him that day.

“We were on petrol duty near the BNP slum, and I was on the driving seat. Suddenly someone hurled a bomb that broke the windshield and exploded inside the driver’s cabin,” he said.

“I lost grip of the steering, but kept going. They hurled three more bombs at the car.”

Finally, Mannan, who could not use the hands to open the door to escape, jumped off the running car. The car stopped some yards away after hitting a road island.

“The youths were chasing our car.

They charged two more bombs, as I fell and was crippling on the road. But Habil Bhai, who was beside the driver’s seat came out from the car and fired his shotgun to drive away the youths,” he said.

Doctors have so far conducted three operations on his left hand. Mannan is in better shape now but yet to be fit enough to be released from the hospital.

Asked if he was scared of going back on duty again, he said, he did not care.

“It’s not easy to be a driver of a police van. Previously I was in the riot police. So, I know what the worst situation can look like. I will definitely go back to his work again with courage,” he said. l

Association.

“Over the last couple of weeks, most truck owners had no business, and Friday was an opportunity for us to compensate for the loss,” he added.

On the other hand the owners are reluctant to ply their vehicles witnessing several incidents of arson attack on their vehicles during hartal and blockades.

According the association, over 80

vehicles had been torched by blockaders recently.

“Our business is now crippled as we cannot ply our trucks fearing vandalism and arson attack,” said Rustom.

Meanwhile, apparel manufacturers show little interest in sending products under police escort to Chittagong port during the ongoing countrywide blockades crippling the country’s economy. l

Over 1,000 export goods-laden vehicles stranded n Tushar Hayat , Chittagong Over 1,000 export goods-laden vehicles remained stranded at different points on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway yesterday due to the blockade enforced by the BNP led 18-party alliance.

Later, they were taken to the Chittagong Port under police protection.

Sayad Zakir Hossain, OC of Highway police outpost at Barabkund, told the Dhaka tribune that they had given protection to more than 1,000 vehicles, mostly container lorries and trucks, while passing through the Sitakund area.

“Rush of export goods-laden vehicles began on the highway forthwith the pause of blockade. However, many vehicles got stuck at Comilla, Feni, Morsharai and Sitakund because of the fresh blockade,” he said.

Sayad Farhad Uddin Ahmed, secretary to the Chittagong Port Authority, said: “We are taking measures to bring export containers from Kamalapur ICD by the waterway.”

CPA sources said they had released 5,912 TEUs of containers from the port on Thursday night and Friday. There were 21,000 TEUs of imported containers at the port currently, they added.

Sources at CPA and depots said there was no apprehension of container congestion immediately at the port that has the capacity to house 30,000 TEUs of containers.

Mahabubul Alam, president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, appreciated the move of the law enforcing agencies.

He said the business community would have been benefited had such move was taken earlier.

“We are requesting to continue such cooperation for carrying export and import goods for the sake of keeping the national economy on roll,” he added. l

Another bus helper burnt in sleep n Mohammad Jamil Khan Yet another bus helper is now suffering from 20% burn injury at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after pro-blockaders set ablaze a parked bus at Mawa in Munshiganj in the early hours of Saturday.

The condition of bus helper of Great Bikrampur Paribahan Mohammad Alamgir Sheikh, 25, was critical as his respiratory track was badly affected by the burn, Partha Shankar Pal, residential surgeon of the burn unit said.

Mohammad Abul Kalam, officer-in-charge of Munshiganj Police Station, said pickets set fire to three launches and two parked passenger buses at the terminal around 2:30am.

Kanak, driver of the bus, last night said after dinner they left Alamgir alone to take care of the bus around 2am. Miscreants broke open the window of the bus and sprayed petrol before they put it on fire.

As Alamgir woke up and shouted for help terminal guards came to his rescue but by the time the fire burnt his face, neck, two hands and legs, says Kanak.

Coming from Shreenagar of Munshiganj he is the son of Younus Sheikh.

Alamgir was taken to the DMCH around 4am. His elder brother, Anis Sheikh, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was scheduled to visit his village home on Saturday.

As this correspondent visited the hospital he found Alamgir writhing in pain and was unable to speak as his neck was severely damaged from the fire.

Victim’s maternal aunt Jhanu Akter was taking care of him as his mother was yet to come because of blockade.

Earlier on Thursday evening, a bus helper died after pickets set fire to a parked bus in Sayedabad area while the helper was fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the condition of five blockade victims undergoing treatment at the ICU were stated to be still critical. l

A relative tenders Alamgir Sheikh at the DMCH burn unit yesterday Mahmud Hossain Opu

Citycell subscribers out of network n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

Six-year old Maher, lying in his mother’s lap at the DMCH, has not been talking since he was hit by bullet splinters after police opened fire during a clash with Jamaat-Shibir men in the capital’s Malibagh yesterday. Story on Page 1 MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

At least 15% of Citycell subscribers, the country’s oldest mobile phone operator, have been without network since Friday night.

According to Citycell officials, more than 250,000 subscribers went out of network.

They said the dilemma occurred because of a hard disk crash on their database.

“We are trying our level best to solve the problem. We have already recovered networks of about 200,000 subscribers, only a few are left,” Mehboob Chowdhury, chief executive officer of Citycell told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“The tension would ease within hours of the problem being solved,” he said.

Many Citycell subscribers, mostly from the capital, said they had been facing disruptions on their mobile networks since Friday evening.

Some even went out of network at night, they alleged.

Contacted, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission officials said they did not know anything about the issue.

“Hearing about the debacle, we thought that Citycell’s license might have been cancelled as the issue had been on discussion for quite some time,” said Hafiza Begum, an advocate of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

Earlier on Wednesday, BTRC issued a letter to Citycell giving a 15-day ultimatum to pay its license renewal fee, revenue sharing and social obligation fund and annual spectrum charges, totalling to an amount of around Tk2.5b.

Failure to deposit the outstanding amount within the deadline, Citycell would lose its license as per the decision of BTRC, which came on November 24.

However, a Citycell official said they

had not faced any problem regarding the license yet.

“After solving the problem we will send SMSs to the affected subscribers’ regretting the inconvenience. We will also compensate them with Tk20 which will be valid for next 15 days” the official added.

For last 18 months, the number of Citycell subscribers has been declining continuously.

In October the number came down to 1,340,000 which was 1,800,000 in April 2012.

45% of Citycell is owned by Singapore’s SingTel, 31.43% by Pacific Motors Ltd and 23.57% by Far East Telecom Ltd. SingTel had stopped funding Citycell in 2012, and according to its 2013 annual report it placed a zero value in its ownership stake in Citycell.

Earlier this year, other telecom operators of the country faced similar problems with their networks while processing 3G services. l

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Continue to the Business section...

Business

B2 Businesses demand interest waiver

B3 Insurer skips claim for 11yrs

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

WTO adopts historic trade reform deal Bangladesh to get greater market access n Meer Saiful Islam, from Bali, Indonesia The world Trade Organisation (WTO) has adopted its first ever trade reform deal in a historic move concluded in Bali, Indonesia yesterday with Bangladesh reaping its desired outcome for a greater duty-free and quota-free market access in the developed and developing countries.

The approval came after Cuba dropped a last-gasp threat to veto the package of measures.

The objectives of the deal is to slash red tape at customs around the world, give improved terms of trade to the poorest countries, and allow developing countries to skirt the normal rules on farm subsidies if they are trying to feed the poor, WTO said, releasing the draft on the last day of the four-day meeting.

“For the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered,” WTO chief Roberto Azevedo told ministers, who were exhausted after the talks which had dragged into an extra day.

“This time the entire membership came together. We have put the ‘world’ back in World Trade Organisation,” he said. “We’re back in business ... Bali is just the beginning.”

The talks, which had opened on Tuesday, nearly came unstuck at the last minute when Cuba suddenly refused to accept a deal that would not help open the US embargo of the Caribbean island, forcing negotiations to drag into yesterday morning. Cuba later agreed on a compromise with the United States.

Products of Bangladesh as also other least developed countries will get an increasingly

Director-General Roberto Azevedo gestures as he is congratulated by delegates after the closing ceremony of the ninth World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali REUTERS greater market access to the developed and developing countries as the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) closed the deal.

Bangladesh, being a member of the LDCs, will also be benefited from the Bali deal, as all products from all LDCs will enjoy zero-duty under the agreement, WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said on the sidelines of the press conference.

“Bali package is a strong commitment by the WTO member countries. Bangladesh will also enjoy greater market access to the developed countries under the package.”

According to the deal, the developed and developing countries that do not yet provide

duty-free and quota-free market access for at least 97% of products originating from LDCs shall seek to improve their existing DFQF coverage to provide increasingly greater market access to LDCs prior to the next ministerial conference.

The members shall notify DFQF schemes and any other relevant changes pursuant to the transparency mechanism for Preferential Trade Arrangements.

“Countries like Bangladesh will get the enhanced trade facilities through negotiation,” said an official.

He said Ticfa would provide a platform to facilitate the negotiation with USA – a market Bangladesh is eagerly waiting for du-

ty-free market access.

“We’re satisfied... what we had proposed was accommodated,” said Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, who led the Bangladesh delegation to the ministerial meeting.

Another official said it was good to see that a roadmap for Doha Development Agenda should be fixed within 12 months from the declaration.

All the developing countries, including LDCs, would also enjoy the advantage until a decision is taken in this regard, he added.

The other issues having interest of Bangladesh and other LDCs, were simplified preferential rules of origin for LDCs, making it easier to identify products as their own products, and qualify for preferential treatment in importing countries.

In the final negotiation held Friday night, firstly, Cuba opposed the trade facilitation issue as US has some embargoes in trade with Cuba. Later, three other Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela also joined in the league of Cuba and started opposing the trade facilitation issue.

“The deal will benefit to all of the WTO members,” Azevedo told the press conference after striking the deal.

According to an estimate, at least 10% to 15% cost of doing business which is nearly equivalent to $1trn of the annual global trade, is possible to save through implementation of trade facilitation agreement.

“In the agreement, I will focus on development issues. We have 12 months in our hands to prepare a roadmap for Bali package,” he said. l

No development fund to be released in December

Over-disbursements mark first half of fiscal; IMF mission due this month for ECF review budget discipline could be further compromised government has to halt fund release at the end considerations were allegedly there in the fund n Asif Showkat Kallol in the coming months. of its tenure to remain in conformity with IMF releases, leading to over disbursement.

The government has decided not to release any fund until the end of December as expenditures have already exceeded the limit set for the first half of current fiscal year.

During the month, money will be disbursed only to meet urgent necessities, said official sources.

An International Monetary Fund team is due in Dhaka in late this month for a review decide on the release of fifth instalment of extended credit facility loans.

As per IMF condition, there cannot be any financial mismanagement in the government such as over expenditures that cross periodical limits.

The government wants to show the IMF mission a good picture of its coffer condition. Political

The finance division is not currently dealing with any fund release proposals from different ministries and divisions.

B3 IMF RAISES CEILING It has also temporarily stopped disbursement of equity and entrepreneurship fund and giving money to overcome of capital shortage of four state-owned commercial banks.

Foreign tours of high government officials have been halted for the time being. Former adviser to a caretaker government Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam blamed the finance division for the situation.

“It (finance division) has not performed its duties properly. As a result, the

conditions,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

“The government says that more than half of total fiscal budget (Tk2.22tr) has been released already. But it does not usually happen as hartals and blockades slow down projects implementation.”

Official sources said a huge fall in revenue earning also had a negative impact on the budget fund.

An official said finance ministry disbursed half of contingency fund of Tk1200 crore in first five months of the fiscal while the remaining fund is booked already for the ministries, he added.

Officials said the next elected government might face problems to meet any extra or unpredicted expenditures. They apprehended that

“Such indiscipline in financial management is not new during the tenure of the present government. It also happened before this time,” said Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam.

In 2011-12, the national budget came under severe pressures due to heavy bank borrowings to pay subsidies on fuel oil, fertilisers and food.

In the same year, the government borrowed in less than eight months Tk18,957 crore, the target set for the fiscal, to meet deficits, pushing the first quarter’s inflation to 11.41%.

The government’s budget management is now heading towards same direction of two years ago as it has already borrowed Tk9,634.11 crore from commercial banks in first three months of the current fiscal, officials fear. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

Businesses demand interest waiver n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong Hurt by the ongoing political turmoil, business leaders in Chittagong demanded exemption from loan interest and deferment of repaying instalments.

They were speaking at a views exchange meeting held in the port city yesterday.

“Many of the businesses in the port city will be bankrupt if they are forced to pay loan interests and instalments now,” said Mahabubul Alam, president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

He said they are also facing difficulties in paying salaries of their employees.

“We are hurt by political unrest. Production in factories has slowed while shops remain closed.”

In these circumstances, CCCI president demanded interest-waiver and rescheduling of loans.

Former CCCI president Mirza Abu Mansur urged the finance minister and Bangladesh Bank governor to take steps in this regard.

“Most of businesses are incurring huge losses as political instability continues. In this situation, it is not possible to meet high interest rates of banks,” he said.

Besides, Shakhawat Hossain, general secretary of Export Oriented Ship Building Industry Association, alleged that businesses in Chittagong are being refused loans by the banks for the past four months.

“All the banks are saying loan proposals will be considered only after the national polls.”

In response to the demand of businesses, Shahabuddin Alam, vice chairman of Mercantile Bank, said exemption from loan interests is not possible, but time for paying instalments could be deferred by four months.

KM Mostafizur Rahman, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Bank in Chittagong, suggested the business community place and discuss the issue with finance minister, Bangladesh Bank governor and chairman of National Board of Revenue.

The meeting was also addressed by Sayad Jamal Ahmed, vice president of CCCI, Abdul Wahab, first vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA), Abdur Rab, general manager of Sonali Bank, and Mazharul Hoque Shah, a CCCI director. l

Union Bank opens its Khatunganj Branch n Tribune Report The Union Bank has launched a branch at Khatunganj in Chittagong yesterday.

The bank’s managing director Abdul Hamid inaugurated the branch at Siddique Tower of the area as chief guest in presense of SAM Hamidullah, senior executive vice-president and Abdul Kader, public relation officer at the inauguration programme.

Abdul Hamid said they would provide best services with latest banking technology in different sectors, including export-import, agriculture and micro-credit businesses. l

Mercantile Bank Limited (MBL) Chairman M Amanullah inaugurated 88th branch “Nawabpur Road Branch” as chief guest of the opening ceremony at N B C Tower, Nawabpur Road in Dhaka

The sixth branch of NRBCB was inaugurated at Chinishpur, Narsingdi. NRBCB Sponsor Rafiqul Islam Khan inaugurated the branch on Saturday

ICCB President: Over cautious steps hamper credit flow to private sector n Tribune Business Desk Over cautious steps by the commercial banks are hampering the credit flow to the private sector of the country, said Mahbubur Rahman, president of International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICCB).

He said so while attending an ICC workshop on credit risk management, organised

by ICCB in Dhaka yesterday, according to a press release.

“The much needed credit flow for the private sector is very low and depressing due to over cautious steps by the commercial banks,” said the ICCB President.

He suggested that the commercial banks and financial institutions must develop a sound and accountable credit management system for avoiding such risks, said the press release.

To avail of trade facilitation opportunities and also to become a middle-income country within the next few years, Bangladesh must create a congenial environment for development of a sustainable private sector, he added.

“For this, credit to the private sector as well as investment to the infrastructure is of utmost importance,” he said.

More than Tk4,000 crore have been siphoned out from two state-owned banks alone, he mentioned, adding such incidents have raised serious question as to the efficiency of the bank managements, including the board as well as the central bank’s failure to take drastic and timely action to stop such practices.

Mamun Rashid, chairman of ICCB Standing Committee on Banking, Technique and Practices along with Mohammed Hossain, former National Fraud Risk Detection and Mitigation Adviser of Bangladesh Bank, among others, spoke at the workshop.

A total of 88 senior and mid-level executives from banks and financial institutions participated in the workshop. l

Hotel Peninsula holds corporate night in Chittagong n Tribune Report

Meghna Bank opens new branch The fifth branch of Meghna Bank Limited (MBL) was inaugurated by its Vice Chairman Abdul Alim Khan Selim at Ashulia yesterday.

Director M A Malek, Md Ali Azim Khan, Managing Director & CEO Kaiser A Chowdhury, Additional Managing Director Md Mohashin Miah, sponsors, senior executives, local elites and business persons were also present in the inauguration ceremony. l

The 300th Meeting of the Board of Directors of Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) was held at the Corporate Office of the bank on Friday. SIBL Board of Directors Chairman Major (Retd) Dr Md Rezaul Haque presided over the meeting. Managing Director Md Shafiqur Rahman, Directors, and senior executives of the bank were present in the meeting

Four-star hotel, Peninsula Chittagong organised a corporate night in Chittagong city on Friday. The festival was held at the Club-21 located inside the hotel.

Forest and Environment Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud attended the programme as chief guest while Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, a presidium member of Awami League, and Mohammed Safiqul Islam, commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) were special guests.

The event was presided over by Mustafa Tahseen Arshad, managing director of the hotel. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

Insurer skips claim for 11yrs

IMF raises external debt ceiling

Even the regulator’s intervention could not settle the issue n n Jebun Nesa Alo A client could not recover its insurance claim for last 11 years from an insurance company which didn’t show any care to the existing rules and the regulator’s directives.

The intervention of the country’s insurance regulator has so far failed to settle the issue.

Dhaka Tribune availed of the information from Insurance Development Regulatory Authority (IDRA) in this regard.

Uttara Cold Storage Ltd, a company that stores perishable food items in a refrigerated condition, alleged that its claim of Tk800,000 has been constantly denied by Purabi Life Insurance since 2002.

After having failed to get the money in last one decade, Uttara Cold Storage, on 15th September 2013, filed a complaint in this regard with IDRA. While dropping the complaint, Uttara sought intervention of the regulator to make Purabi responding to the claim.

On the basis of the complaint, IDRA, through a letter on 24 October, asked the insurer to present their arguments in this respect within seven days of receiving the letter.

Purabi Insurance, however, has not replied the regulator’s letter yet.

When contacted, Purabi General Insurance’s managing director MA Kashem said he was not aware of it.

According to the IDRA papers, Uttara Cold Storage took three fire insurance policies in 2002 from Purabi.

In the same year, Uttara met an accident

in which the key machineries broke down and got out of operation.

The policy term period was till February 27, 2003.

Uttara said it filed the claim to the insurer within the valid period of the policy.

The insurer appointed a surveyor namely Dolphin Survey and Inspection to conduct a survey on the claim in 2002.

The surveyor submitted an inspection report citing damages worth Tk829,234.

On March 24, 2013, IDRA issued a letter directing all insurance companies to inform the regulator about claims within two days of submission by the policyholders, shareholders or stakeholders

Uttara appealed to then regulator to take necessary steps to get their money as per the survey report.

The regulator sat with the officials of Purabi Insurance and its client Uttara Cold Storage in December in the year.

After reviewing all documents, the regulator directed the company to meet the claim within 30 days.

There are allegations from different firms that Purabi Insurance adamantly deny to meet claims of its clients.

When contacted MD of Purabi Insurance

recently, he refused to talk on the issue with this correspondent. But few minutes later, a man introducing himself as a journalist called this correspondent on behalf of MD. That “journalist” asked: “Why did you call MD, and what is your interest.”

He was talking on many irrelevant issues like “I have contact all journalist leaders,” etc., but was never responding to any questions from this side.

Though that man said he was a journalist, he never revealed at which media house he worked or he was a freelancer.

However, denying claims is not the case of only Purabi Insurance. The country’s most of the insurance companies commonly refused to meet the clients’ claims as per policies.

Even IDRA often fail to recover money of claims from the insurers.

“Many companies have a tendency of not honouring the claims,” said IDRA Chairman M Shefaq Ahmed.

The companies also allegedly do not inform IDRA about claim settlements, defying a recent directive of the regulator.

On March 24, 2013, IDRA issued a letter directing all insurance companies to inform the regulator about claims within two days of submission by the policyholders, shareholders or stakeholders.

Besides, companies are also bound to inform the authority about monthly reviews on initiatives taken against the claims.

But no company has complied with the directive so far, except the foreign insurance giant, Metlife Alico. l

Bearish mood grips stock market n Tribune Report Bearish sentiment continued to hit stock market for the second consecutive week, as investors preferred to stay on the sidelines in the wake of deepening political crisis.

The market, however, recovered some losses in the past week that ended on Thursday in comparison to the previous week.

The benchmark DSEX rose marginally 46 points or 1% to close at 4277, lifted by heavyweight banks that rallied more than 6%.

However, the DS30 Index comprising blue chips 40 points or 2.6% to close 1504.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Category Index gained 90 points or 1% to close at 8372.

Investor present on the trading floor was very thin throughout the week because of the blockade enforced by BNP-led 18-party alliance.

Risk-averse investors refrained from putting fresh funds in the past week, making the turnover to decline more 30% to Tk400 crore over the previous week’s average of Tk600 crore.

Although the market managed to close positive, quick profit booking and politi-

cal uncertainty have ruled the market, said stock brokers.

They said investors adopted ‘wait-andsee’ policy due to fresh deepening political turmoil in the run up to the general election scheduled for early next month.

‘If this sort of political deadlock prolongs, corporate profitability will be seriously hampered’ Market recovered from previous week’s shock but investors are still fragile about future direction, said Lanka Bangla Securities, in its weekly market analysis.

The week started with a huge red day in continuation of last week. Following two days were under the control of buyers. Again last two trading days were mild reds.

The leading brokerage firm Lanka Bangla said investors are skeptical about the domestic business climate. “If this sort of political deadlock prolongs, corporate profitability will be seriously hampered.”

It said RMG export is being seriously ham-

pered as road transport is being hampered due to continuous nationwide strikes. On the other hand, domestic market is swelled with idle liquidity. Call money rate has come down to around 6%.

IDLC Investments, one of leading merchant banks, said so market participants are in a continuous fix whether to take position or stay in a side line to observe where political situation of Bangladesh goes.

Nevertheless, the week was not dull; rather confusion spurred sharp volatility in the market, generating significant return from micro cap stocks, it said.

Banks gained over 6%, the most in the past week, followed by telecommunications with 1.6% and pharmaceuticals 0.6%.

Fuel & power and financial institutions were the worst losers edging lower.

Delta Life Insurance was the week’s top turnover leader with shares worth Tk200 crore changing hands followed by Paramount Textile, Generation Next Fashion, RN Spinning and Bangladesh Building Systems.

Rahima Food was the week’s top gainer, posting a rise of over 39% while Meghna Petroleum was the week’s worst loser with a fall of 20%. l

3

Asif Showkat Kallol

International Monetary Fund has raised ceiling of non-concessional external debt by $1.25bn as of June 2014 for Bangladesh.

Earlier, the ceiling of the debt taken from international sources now reached $5.75bn from $4.5bn, according to an IMF staff report.

The lender added the new ceiling would be $6bn for the July-December period of 2014.

Bangladesh’s officials said ceiling has been raised to meet appetite of external borrowing for the projects taken by the government at the end of its tenure. The last-moment projects are usually politically motivated.

The report came after approving the fourth instalment of ECF on November 27.

According to the report, the total loan and guarantee stands at $5.89bn from July 2013 to December 2014.

The government has already received non-concessional loans and supplier credits from China and India at the end of its tenure.

Dr Zaid Bakht, research director of Bangladesh Institution of Development Studies (BIDS) said such high cost foreign loans might result in macro-economic instability in future. l

GP brings 3G to Khulna n Tribune Report Mobile phone operator Grameenphone has launched third generation (3G) mobile broadband service in Khulna.

Ferdousi Ali, a social worker, inaugurated the service yesterday at a colourful function at the Grameenphone’s regional office.

Khulna city mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, president of Khulna Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Kazi Aminul Haque, CEO of Khulna City Corporation Shapon Kumar Ghosh, commanding officer of RAB-6 Lt Col Enamul Ali and Khulna Club president Kazi Monirul Haque were present in the evening session.

The areas of Khulna City and its outskirts brought under Grameenphone’s 3G coverage include Chanmari, Rupshaghat, Tootpara, Launchghat, Khan Jahan Ali, Sondanga, University, Kotwali, KUET, Faragi Para, New Market, Shib Bari, Moyla Pota, Boyra, Gollamari, Boikali, Kahlishpur, Notun Rastha, Fulbarigate, Shiromoni and Chalna Ferry Ghat. l

Dollar edges up in Asia before US jobs data n AFP, Tokyo The dollar edged up in Asia Friday ahead of US jobs data later in the day that are seen as key to the Federal Reserve’s plans for its stimulus programme.

The greenback fetched 101.91 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, up from 101.77 yen in New York Thursday.

The euro bought $1.3663 and 139.30 yen, against $1.3666 and 139.08 yen in US trade. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

Navigating the waters at networking events 10 tips for shy and introverted professionals to conduct themselves well and succeed at networking events n Career Desk The attempt to break the shell of introverted individuals starts at school – through a variety of show and tell, presentations and team assignments. As time CAREER progresses, one participates ASCENT in debates, monologues, research, job interviews and a plethora of group activities. These are all mandated by schools and universities and there is no way out of it, so one has to make do. However, as an adult and a professional at a networking event, your motivation is no longer that you have to, but that you should because it will potentially pay unanticipated dividends to you career success.

Not everyone is a social butterfly, and for more withdrawn and reserved individuals, it can be extremely trying to successfully network with people at work events. You are in the midst of strangers, all seeking similarly self-interested outcomes, and your only value is whatever value you hold for the person that you are talking to. Following is a compilation of tips that may help you navigate successfully through a networking event.

1. Use impersonal networking prior to the event. The easiest way is to email the organisers to ask them a relevant question such as expected dress code, guest list or directions to the venue.

This way, you have an excuse to start a conversation with the person who helped you once you get to the venue.

You can also ask this person to introduce you to people.

2. Use networking sites to connect with guests before and after the event. If the event has a page on networking sites,

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All the friends that you have now were once strangers. Treat everybody you meet at the event as potential friends.

connect with other guests on the page with relevant discussion. After you have met them at the event, you may connect further through the site.

3. Research the people that you expect or hope to meet at the event. Google their names and their companies to learn more about them. When you speak with them, they will be impressed with how well informed you are. They will also be interested in the conversation because people

love to talk about themselves. Make sure you do not research them so thoroughly that you come off as a stalker.

4. Prepare some topics of discussion in advance that are relevant to your field.

Search online and read up on current events that are relevant for discussion at the event. When discussing a topic, ask open-ended questions such as “What do you think of - ?” and “What are your thoughts on - ?”

5. Bring a wingman who can work as your own personal PR agent. Find someone you are comfortable with and more importantly someone who is relevant to the event, and you will not feel awkward or alone. Having someone you can count on is an instant confidence boost. Additionally, you can network as a duo and manage

Resume faux pas one needs to avoid n Saif Kamal It is a common practice for job seekers to create one generic resume and send it for every single job. This hardly ever works. Each company has its own set of skills which they are looking for in prospective candidates for specific roles. These are skills that you might have gained through a specific task at your current or previous job, but are not emphasised enough or hidden behind inept language. Do not fall victim to the most common gaffes job seekers make when sending their resumes to organisations.

Know the needs: Having a generic resume does not set you apart from the crowd. Before applying for a position, make sure you read the job description thoroughly. Pick out and highlight key words from it to use aptly in your resume. I shouldn’t even have to mention the importance of running a grammatical check.

Photo dilemma: It surprises me how few people know about pictures on resumes. It is best not to have a picture. However, if you are interested in showing your impressive face, please do not put a side profile picture.

Take a picture with a white background and a friendly expression. Do not attach the picture separately with the resume; make it a part of it.

For international firms: Internationally, many companies usually do not insist you mention your sex and marital status. Why? It may unintentionally affect their decision and you may become an inadvertent victim of discrimination.

Things they do not need to know: The potential employer does not need to know the names and birthdates of your parents, siblings, pets, their professions, the number of children you have or your religion! l

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to slip in praises for one another. You can also meet people individually, and introduce each other to new acquaintances.

Arrive early, before people have already formed little conversation groups. This also allows you to figure out the venue and possibly have a look at the guest list and make a mental note of people you must meet. This also allows you to welcome people as they arrive, which is the easiest ice breaker.

There are two different areas at any event – high traffic areas and low traffic areas.

It is easier to strike up a conversation at high traffic areas (such as washroom queue, buffet table, balcony or terrace) but these conversations are shorter in length. For a longer conversation, target low traffic areas.

When targeting groups, stand about an arm’s length away, listen to the conversation and make eye contact with a friendly face. If you are invited into the conversation, join in, and if not move on within a minute. If there are more than three people already in a group, everyone will not be equally included in the conversation.

If there are just two people talking to one another, chances are they do not want a third person joining in.

Keep your first contact with people simple. Make eye contact, smile, say hello, extend hand for a handshake and introduce yourself. Be the first to say hello instead of waiting for others to greet you.

Think positively and be friendly to everyone. All the friends that you have now were once strangers. Treat everybody you meet at the event as potential friends. They are there because they want to meet new people, so do not be afraid to walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

5

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

Four hacks to expertly close a job interview n Ahsan Sajid In spite of the uniqueness of each position, all employers use common practices to select their number one candidate. Whether the job is to conduct a trafYOUR CUP fic survey or write copy, it is OF TEA possible to ace a job interview with the same tactics if you anticipate the interviewer’s expectations and play to it. Closing an interview well is paramount to its success – it is also the step a lot of people often miss. Use the following five hacks to close a job interview expertly.

Ask for a card: This is a basic, and chances are you probably will not have to ask for it.

But in case you are not presented a card at the beginning of the interview, once it is over, ask for it before saying thank you and making your exit.

Make a follow up plan: Before leaving, make

sure you plant a seed for a follow up. Tell your interviewer how exciting you find the company and how it is in line with your vision for your career, adding that you’ll be in touch with them. This way when you do a follow up call or email, it will not be out of the blue.

Send a thank you note: The faster you follow up, the better the chances that they’ll remember you. However, you cannot exactly follow up regarding the interview the same day without coming off as obstinate. It is better to email them a thank you note right after the interview. It might not make a big difference but it’ll definitely put you at the top of their mind.

Call back during early hours: Find out from the front desk what the company’s hours of operation are, and when you make a follow up call, make sure it’s right after your potential interviewer gets to work. Generally people make more positive decisions in the morning and it also shows that if you are hired, you will be a punctual employee. l

Are you procrastinating? n Career Desk Simply defined, procrastination is putting off to-do things that one should be focusing on right now, usually in favour of doing something that is more enjoyable or comfortable but not as important. Procrastination occurs when there is a significant gap between when one intends to do a task, and when one actually does it.

If you have found yourself procrastinating, you’re not alone. Everyone procrastinates to some degree. However, some fall prey to a cycle of procrastination so unceasingly that it disrupts their life and career and gets in the

GraphicDesigner: I’ve been into art since I was a kid, and I’ve since moved to digital media, and while I was in university I worked on a ASK MENTOR number of inter-university newsletters as an illustrator.

After university, I started working as a management trainee like almost all of my friends.

What I really want to do is graphic designing, but my only experience with it is university newsletters and nothing professional. What are the chances of me finding a decent job as a graphics designer in Dhaka without much of a portfolio or job experience? I’m very good at what I do; I just don’t have any experience to prove it right off the bat.

Mentor: Well, the world of such creatives in Bangladesh is divided into two, the semi skilled operators (with not much creative skill) and the creative graphic designers. The latter is as low in numbers as the number of jobs available.

However, things are now gradually becoming better and you have animation companies such as Toon Bangla, and a number of firms which take outsourced work. Ideally, people think of advertising as the place to be. I feel for someone who is creative, it is a place for suffocation. You

way of them fulfilling their potential.

If you are honest with yourself, you should already know if you’re procrastinating or not. To be sure, check the following list of common procrastination habits and ask yourself if you are guilty of it.

Putting off an unimportant task isn’t procrastination; it’s prioritisation. If you have a genuinely good reason to put something off, you are probably not procrastinating.

However, if you are simply making an excuse, and you should know if you are, you are procrastinating and the more you do it, the more exponentially your to-do list is going to grow! l

should get into a firm, learn the skills and make the connections, and get into freelancing.

MastersHopeful: I did my undergrads in the country, and assumed with my grades it’d be easy to do my postgraduate work at a dream university in Canada. However, I realise that despite the grades, given my financial situation it is not feasible right away.

I have about two years set out to save for my postgrads, but some friends are suggesting if I do a Master’s here right now, it’ll be easier to get into my university of choice in two years. This doesn’t sound like the smartest idea, I need to know if there is any truth to this? I love being involved in academic work, and the thought of continuing right away instead of waiting two years is appealing, but I do not want to waste money or time.

Mentor: It truly depends in what you plan to major in. Canadian universities have some tricky thing when it comes to masters, usually business grads need work experience in the subject he wants to major in, unlike their counterpart in the US. Work experience always helps when it comes to masters, however if you want to study a subject that requires research (mainly scientific) then going directly for your masters is a good option.

Email us at career@dhakatribune.com for your opinions, feedback and career-related queries.

Are you filling out your entire day with easy, low-priority tasks from your list of things to do?

Do you have to read an email several times before starting work so you can figure out what to do with them?

Do you feel the need to get some fresh air, stretch your legs and get a cup of coffee a minute after you sit down with a high priority task?

Are you intentionally avoiding looking at your to-do list even though you know you’ve left something important undone?

Are you getting sucked into unimportant conversations in real life, or online, or saying yes to unimportant tasks to fill your time instead of attending to the important ones already on your list?

Are you simply waiting for the “mood” to strike?

Import-Export lingo Follow this career expert on Twitter to stay on the edge of your career Jason Averbook @jasonaverbook Jason Averbook is recognized as one of the top thought leaders in the space of HR and workforce technology and currently holds an executive position with Appirio—one of the fastest growing cloud powered firms in the world. Prior to Appirio, Jason was the chief executive officer of the company he co-founded Knowledge Infusion and held senior positions at both PeopleSoft and Ceridian Corporation.

Thus far, he has gained 20 years of invaluable experience helping organisations resolve common business problems through the use of technology solutions.

Jason has been a contributor to Inc., Businessweek, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CIO Magazine, HR Executive Online, Talent Management Magazine, NPR, SHRM, IHRIM and other well-known publications.

He has been named as one of the 10 World’s Most Powerful HR Technology Experts. l

n Career Desk Bill of lading (noun) – list of goods and shipping instructions; waybill

BIZ VOCAB

C&F (abbreviation) – cost and freight: includes shipping to named port but not insurance

CIF (abbreviation) – cost, insurance and freight: includes insurance and shipping to named port Certificate of origin (noun) – a document that shows where goods come from Declare (verb) – to make a statement of taxable goods Freight (noun) – goods being transported; cargo Letter of credit (noun) – a letter from a bank authorizing a person to draw money from another bank Packing list (noun) – a document that is sent with goods to show that they have been checked Pro forma invoice (noun) – an invoice or request for payment sent in advance of goods supplied Quay (noun) – a solid, artificial landing place for loading and unloading ships; wharf l

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

DSEBroadIndex:4277.39⇑1.10%,Turnover:21434.86M.Tk⇓30.47%,PE:13.16 Turnover:24,222.20 MTk.⇓29.86% 1-5 December2013 MarketCap.2,067.26 BTk.⇑1.11% CSEAllShareIndex:13241⇑1.10%,Turnover:2787.89MTk.⇓24.85%,PE:12.92 Combined Turnover Leader Delta Life Insu. -A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Meghna Petroleum -A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 2819065 D: 27.10 ⇑ 1.50% | 27.33 | 29.50 / 23.50 C: 27.40 ⇑ 2.24% | 27.44 | 28.90 / 25.00 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 2501700 D: 20.60 ⇑ 1.98% | 20.54 | 21.50 / 18.00 C: 20.50 ⇑ 0.99% | 20.48 | 21.30 / 19.00 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 6984986 D: 33.20 ⇑ 4.73% | 33.46 | 35.70 / 29.00 C: 33.40 ⇑ 5.36% | 33.45 | 35.50 / 30.90 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 1465356 D: 35.70 ⇑ 0.56% | 35.65 | 37.00 / 32.00 C: 35.60 ⇓ 0.28% | 35.67 | 36.80 / 35.10 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 11565711 D: 12.20 ⇑ 1.67% | 12.18 | 13.00 / 11.00 C: 12.20 ⇑ 0.83% | 12.15 | 12.80 / 11.00 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 1944647 D: 32.30 ⇑ 3.86% | 32.32 | 33.10 / 28.00 C: 32.10 ⇑ 2.88% | 32.10 | 33.00 / 30.50 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 198250 D: 65.40 ⇑ 2.67% | 64.84 | 67.00 / 61.00 C: 66.20 ⇑ 1.85% | 66.17 | 67.90 / 63.00 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 12911761 D: 24.70 ⇑ 1.23% | 24.65 | 27.00 / 21.20 C: 24.70 ⇑ 1.23% | 24.66 | 25.90 / 23.00 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 2055553 D: 31.70 ⇑ 3.26% | 31.81 | 33.10 / 28.00 C: 31.60 ⇑ 2.60% | 31.60 | 32.80 / 29.80 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 4835800 D: 6.90 ⇑ 11.29% | 6.91 | 7.40 / 6.00 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 612013 D: 29.40 ⇑ 4.63% | 29.38 | 30.00 / 25.30 C: 28.70 ⇑ 3.24% | 28.72 | 29.00 / 26.70 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 11496671 D: 19.60 ⇑ 4.26% | 19.51 | 20.90 / 16.90 C: 19.70 ⇑ 5.91% | 19.95 | 21.10 / 18.20 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 3887259 D: 24.50 ⇑ 6.06% | 24.51 | 25.30 / 21.00 C: 24.50 ⇑ 6.99% | 24.50 | 24.80 / 21.00 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 4376620 D: 18.50 ⇑ 3.35% | 18.55 | 19.00 / 16.00 C: 18.60 ⇑ 4.49% | 18.47 | 18.80 / 17.10 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 835041 D: 19.10 ⇑ 1.60% | 19.03 | 20.00 / 16.80 C: 18.90 ⇑ 0.53% | 18.85 | 19.50 / 17.70 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 3888955 D: 13.90 ⇑ 0.72% | 13.84 | 15.00 / 11.90 C: 13.90 ⇑ 1.46% | 13.88 | 15.00 / 13.00 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 3436498 D: 13.50 ⇑ 1.50% | 13.55 | 15.00 / 11.60 C: 13.60 ⇑ 1.49% | 13.53 | 14.00 / 11.90 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 128150 D: 98.80 ⇑ 3.24% | 98.76 | 100.9 / 90.00 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 202296 D: 15.80 ⇑ 1.28% | 15.85 | 16.60 / 14.50 C: 16.20 ⇑ 3.18% | 16.00 | 16.40 / 14.80 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 3017478 D: 15.20 ⇑ 2.70% | 15.13 | 16.00 / 13.20 C: 15.20 ⇑ 4.11% | 15.02 | 15.60 / 14.00 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 7144752 D: 16.70 ⇑ 3.73% | 16.70 | 18.00 / 14.40 C: 16.70 ⇑ 3.73% | 16.69 | 17.60 / 15.10 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 1357621 D: 18.70 ⇑ 1.08% | 18.62 | 19.70 / 16.60 C: 18.80 ⇑ 0.53% | 18.80 | 19.20 / 17.80 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 11522664 D: 16.40 ⇑ 5.81% | 16.25 | 17.20 / 14.00 C: 16.30 ⇑ 5.16% | 16.15 | 17.40 / 14.90 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 4244900 D: 12.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.65 | 14.00 / 11.00 C: 12.80 ⇑ 1.59% | 12.73 | 13.50 / 11.00 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 804077 D: 16.40 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.37 | 17.00 / 14.80 C: 16.10 ⇑ 1.90% | 16.10 | 16.60 / 15.00 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 1308417 D: 31.70 ⇑ 3.26% | 31.64 | 32.40 / 28.00 C: 31.40 ⇑ 3.63% | 31.36 | 32.60 / 27.20 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 2980918 D: 17.40 ⇑ 0.58% | 17.30 | 18.30 / 15.00 C: 17.40 ⇑ 1.75% | 17.11 | 18.50 / 15.80 PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 2866261 D: 11.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.56 | 12.20 / 10.10 C: 11.60 ⇑ 0.87% | 11.57 | 12.10 / 11.10 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 4949248 D: 20.90 ⇑ 7.73% | 20.91 | 21.80 / 17.40 C: 21.20 ⇑ 9.28% | 21.12 | 21.70 / 18.50

Vol. 7562540

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

2,209.39

9.12

21224250

1,211.06

5.00

3983938

895.06

3.70

Generation Next Fashions-A

24519880

R. N. Spinning-A

21817203

795.56 790.46

3.28 3.26

FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 4685005 D: 15.40 ⇑ 1.32% | 15.40 | 17.20 / 13.40 C: 15.40 ⇑ 0.65% | 15.35 | 16.60 / 14.50 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 504706 D: 59.80 ⇓ 0.33% | 59.97 | 62.90 / 53.00 C: 60.40 ⇓ 0.33% | 60.29 | 62.30 / 56.00 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 726638 D: 28.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.95 | 31.20 / 26.00 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 338506 D: 79.00 ⇑ 0.13% | 79.54 | 82.00 / 71.10 C: 79.90 ⇑ 1.27% | 80.31 | 81.90 / 76.80 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 21165 D: 29.30 ⇑ 1.03% | 29.33 | 30.00 / 27.50 C: 27.10 ⇓ 1.45% | 27.05 | 27.20 / 27.00 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 3159217 D: 29.30 ⇑ 1.74% | 29.27 | 30.90 / 26.00 C: 29.10 ⇑ 1.04% | 29.20 | 31.10 / 27.00 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 2235212 D: 23.20 ⇓ 0.85% | 23.28 | 25.00 / 21.00 C: 23.30 ⇓ 1.27% | 23.31 | 24.50 / 22.40 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 832039 D: 24.00 ⇑ 1.27% | 24.14 | 25.50 / 22.50 C: 24.00 ⇑ 0.84% | 24.15 | 25.20 / 23.10 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 539218 D: 10.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.02 | 10.20 / 9.10 C: 10.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.03 | 10.50 / 10.00 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 1577782 D: 16.30 ⇓ 1.21% | 16.43 | 17.50 / 14.90 C: 16.30 ⇓ 1.21% | 16.47 | 17.40 / 15.90 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 1997750 D: 53.70 ⇑ 1.32% | 53.88 | 57.50 / 47.80 C: 53.60 ⇑ 0.94% | 53.84 | 56.80 / 51.20 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 634446 D: 15.90 ⇓ 1.24% | 15.98 | 16.40 / 14.90 C: 15.80 ⇓ 2.47% | 15.93 | 16.70 / 15.00 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 225027 D: 18.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.15 | 18.60 / 16.00 C: 18.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.30 | 18.30 / 17.10 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 169705 D: 28.40 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.37 | 29.90 / 26.00 C: 27.50 ⇓ 4.51% | 27.53 | 28.50 / 27.50 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 829167 D: 18.50 ⇑ 1.65% | 18.48 | 19.30 / 16.50 C: 18.30 ⇑ 0.55% | 18.31 | 19.00 / 17.00 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 1153826 D: 14.30 ⇓ 0.69% | 14.40 | 15.20 / 12.80 C: 14.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.51 | 15.40 / 12.80 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 1254179 D: 31.90 ⇑ 1.27% | 32.12 | 34.20 / 28.00 C: 32.20 ⇑ 2.55% | 32.18 | 34.00 / 30.00 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 1419691 D: 13.70 ⇓ 0.72% | 13.82 | 14.30 / 12.90 C: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.85 | 14.60 / 13.00 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 183874 D: 54.30 ⇑ 1.50% | 54.35 | 55.00 / 48.00 C: 55.50 ⇑ 2.59% | 55.50 | 56.00 / 54.70 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 941927 D: 30.40 ⇑ 1.67% | 30.57 | 31.00 / 28.00 C: 30.50 ⇑ 1.33% | 30.57 | 31.00 / 29.00 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 508053 D: 28.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 28.33 | 30.00 / 25.00 C: 28.40 ⇓ 1.05% | 28.34 | 31.00 / 26.00 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 14400 D: 1499 ⇓ 1.20% | 1505 | 1529 / 1480 C: 1520 ⇑ 0.61% | 1520 | 1520 / 1500 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 386371 D: 25.10 ⇓ 1.18% | 25.33 | 26.50 / 22.40 C: 25.50 ⇑ 0.39% | 25.43 | 26.10 / 24.20 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 4482500 D: 14.20 ⇑ 2.16% | 14.26 | 14.80 / 13.50 C: 14.20 ⇑ 2.16% | 14.28 | 14.90 / 13.50 INVESTMENT 1STICB | 75.63 | 942.30 | Vol. 450 D: 878.0 ⇑ 0.92% | 878.00 | 878.0 / 878.0 2NDICB | 44.10 | 253.11 | Vol. 1000 D: 272.0 ⇓ 1.38% | 272.00 | 272.0 / 265.0 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 450 D: 190.4 ⇓ 2.46% | 191.11 | 192.0 / 190.0 5THICB | 23.45 | 188.92 | Vol. 2100 D: 150.0 ⇓ 3.29% | 150.00 | 150.1 / 146.5 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 46100 D: 53.00 ⇑ 0.38% | 53.00 | 54.00 / 51.50 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 29000 D: 53.80 ⇑ 1.51% | 53.78 | 55.00 / 52.50 AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 1139000 D: 38.70 ⇓ 0.51% | 38.69 | 39.90 / 37.70 C: 38.20 ⇓ 2.05% | 38.21 | 39.00 / 37.50

C%

A%

CP

DSE Loser

C%

A%

CP

Rahima Food -A

39.18

44.13

64.30

Meghna Petroleum-A

-20.26

-19.16

225.10

AramitCement-A

23.64

24.90

86.30

Jamuna Oil-A

-13.60

-13.28

210.20

224.67

BD. Autocars -B

23.45

18.82

35.80

Dacca Dyeing-A

-12.06

-11.98

24.80

32.45

Rangpur Foundry-A

20.39 22.06

99.20

Envoy Textiles Ltd-N

-10.41

-10.89

55.10

Anwar Galvanizing-B

0.08

29.30

GPH Ispat Ltd-A

-7.44

-4.73

56.00

Avg. P 292.15 57.06

36.23

DSE Gainer

20.36

ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 147000 D: 18.00 ⇑ 0.56% | 18.00 | 18.50 / 17.40 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 562500 D: 43.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 43.27 | 44.80 / 42.00 C: 43.10 ⇓ 0.23% | 43.13 | 44.80 / 42.10 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 21000 D: 25.30 ⇓ 2.69% | 25.30 | 26.00 / 25.20 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 576500 D: 9.80 ⇓ 1.01% | 9.84 | 10.10 / 9.70 C: 9.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.86 | 9.90 / 9.50 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 2034350 D: 16.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 16.14 | 16.70 / 14.50 C: 16.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.19 | 16.60 / 15.80 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 2838000 D: 21.90 ⇑ 3.79% | 22.01 | 22.90 / 20.50 C: 22.00 ⇑ 3.77% | 22.30 | 23.00 / 19.10 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 1637284 D: 7.10 ⇑ 1.43% | 7.17 | 7.40 / 6.40 C: 7.10 ⇑ 1.43% | 7.10 | 7.30 / 6.80 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 416500 D: 5.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.93 | 6.10 / 5.80 C: 5.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.90 | 6.00 / 5.90 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 333000 D: 5.90 ⇓ 1.67% | 5.98 | 6.10 / 5.90 C: 5.90 ⇓ 3.28% | 5.90 | 6.10 / 5.90 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 1902837 D: 7.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.40 | 7.80 / 6.70 C: 7.50 ⇑ 1.35% | 7.48 | 7.70 / 7.00 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 1001000 D: 5.60 ⇑ 3.70% | 5.63 | 6.00 / 5.20 C: 5.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.52 | 5.90 / 5.40 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 846500 D: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.65 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.57 | 5.80 / 5.50 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 1215113 D: 6.70 ⇑ 3.08% | 6.74 | 6.90 / 6.00 C: 6.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.61 | 6.80 / 6.20 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 696000 D: 5.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 5.57 | 5.80 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.59 | 5.80 / 5.40 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 1007000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.33 | 5.40 / 5.10 C: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.30 | 5.40 / 5.20 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 589500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.00 | 6.10 / 5.90 C: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.22 | 6.30 / 5.90 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 704000 D: 5.40 ⇑ 1.89% | 5.40 | 5.60 / 5.30 C: 5.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 5.45 | 5.50 / 5.30 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 2274276 D: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.11 | 6.60 / 5.50 C: 6.10 ⇓ 3.17% | 6.14 | 6.50 / 5.90 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 2287500 D: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.78 | 6.10 / 5.60 C: 5.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.80 | 6.10 / 5.70 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 2362500 D: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.67 | 5.80 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.58 | 5.80 / 5.50 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 102500 D: 7.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.08 | 7.40 / 6.90 C: 6.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.81 | 6.90 / 6.50 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 355000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.27 | 6.30 / 6.00 C: 6.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.40 | 6.40 / 6.10 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 1724200 D: 8.00 ⇑ 1.27% | 8.03 | 8.30 / 7.20 C: 8.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.08 | 8.20 / 7.90 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 215000 D: 7.50 ⇑ 1.35% | 7.55 | 7.80 / 7.40 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 1281700 D: 8.50 ⇓ 1.16% | 8.55 | 9.00 / 7.70 C: 8.50 ⇓ 3.41% | 8.52 | 8.80 / 8.40 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.45 | 10.78 | Vol. 319500 D: 6.70 ⇓ 1.47% | 6.70 | 6.90 / 6.60 C: 6.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.70 | 6.70 / 6.70 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 1115728 D: 7.20 ⇓ 2.70% | 7.21 | 7.50 / 7.00 C: 7.40 ⇑ 1.37% | 7.40 | 7.80 / 7.40 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 3317750 D: 9.10 ⇑ 1.11% | 9.18 | 9.70 / 8.30 C: 9.10 ⇑ 1.11% | 9.10 | 9.40 / 8.90 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 22000 D: 8.90 ⇑ 1.14% | 8.91 | 9.20 / 8.40 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 71000 D: 8.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.25 | 8.60 / 8.10 ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 1401500 D: 7.90 ⇓ 1.25% | 7.96 | 8.40 / 7.70 C: 8.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 7.98 | 8.30 / 7.70

EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 52500 D: 7.80 ⇑ 1.30% | 7.88 | 8.00 / 7.80 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 4.03 | 56.91 | Vol. 2096800 D: 101.7 ⇓ 1.26% | 102.37 | 108.0 / 92.00 C: 101.6 ⇓ 1.17% | 102.39 | 103.9 / 100.0 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 35350 D: 17.40 ⇑ 0.58% | 17.63 | 17.80 / 17.40 C: 17.80 ⇓ 1.66% | 17.80 | 18.30 / 16.90 OLYMPIC | 5.23 | 14.73 | Vol. 959964 D: 152.6 ⇓ 0.78% | 153.00 | 156.3 / 140.0 C: 152.8 ⇓ 0.71% | 152.69 | 156.1 / 146.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 128198 D: 141.0 ⇑ 10.76% | 140.31 | 144.0 / 120.0 C: 140.2 ⇑ 6.45% | 140.53 | 142.8 / 124.5 ECABLES | 2.04 | 18.87 | Vol. 320200 D: 84.90 ⇑ 6.13% | 84.97 | 87.90 / 80.80 C: 80.10 ⇑ 10.79% | 80.05 | 88.00 / 73.30 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 7300 D: 315.9 ⇑ 2.66% | 316.47 | 329.0 / 296.0 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 325934 D: 195.9 ⇑ 1.45% | 196.66 | 198.5 / 182.0 C: 193.2 ⇑ 0.10% | 193.90 | 197.6 / 188.0 ATLASBANG | 9.14 | 222.05 | Vol. 85454 D: 163.2 ⇓ 2.39% | 162.63 | 165.0 / 146.0 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 500550 D: 35.80 ⇑ 23.45% | 35.48 | 36.00 / 28.70 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 1007201 D: 35.50 ⇑ 1.14% | 35.54 | 37.00 / 32.00 C: 35.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 35.45 | 38.40 / 33.00 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 65700 D: 149.3 ⇑ 6.64% | 152.71 | 159.0 / 138.0 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 318864 D: 76.30 ⇑ 6.42% | 76.33 | 77.90 / 68.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 1662892 D: 28.30 ⇑ 5.60% | 28.41 | 29.00 / 24.00 C: 28.40 ⇑ 5.19% | 28.44 | 29.10 / 25.70 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 1966000 D: 29.30 ⇑ 20.08% | 29.50 | 30.20 / 24.30 C: 30.10 ⇑ 22.86% | 29.65 | 30.60 / 24.30 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 46500 D: 15.60 ⇑ 1.30% | 15.60 | 16.00 / 14.60 C: 15.90 ⇑ 7.43% | 15.90 | 15.90 / 15.00 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 706000 D: 99.20 ⇑ 20.39% | 100.97 | 104.9 / 82.00 C: 98.50 ⇑ 28.42% | 101.65 | 110.0 / 83.50 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 1379160 D: 42.70 ⇓ 2.95% | 42.79 | 44.00 / 38.00 C: 42.80 ⇓ 2.51% | 42.94 | 45.40 / 37.90 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 2744714 D: 49.00 ⇓ 2.78% | 49.14 | 51.00 / 44.00 C: 49.00 ⇓ 2.97% | 49.09 | 52.00 / 47.00 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 1019394 D: 71.40 ⇓ 0.83% | 72.01 | 76.00 / 65.00 C: 71.30 ⇑ 0.28% | 71.39 | 76.00 / 68.00 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 474591 D: 65.90 ⇓ 2.51% | 66.60 | 69.50 / 60.00 C: 66.00 ⇓ 0.75% | 66.28 | 67.50 / 62.00 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 2799750 D: 19.10 ⇑ 4.95% | 19.12 | 19.50 / 16.30 C: 19.10 ⇑ 3.80% | 19.08 | 19.40 / 17.50 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 2942690 D: 56.00 ⇓ 7.44% | 56.61 | 62.00 / 51.00 C: 56.20 ⇓ 6.80% | 56.66 | 61.00 / 53.90 BENGALWTL | 3.85 | 24.30 | Vol. 9159400 D: 61.90 ⇑ 3.00% | 62.54 | 67.00 / 58.20 C: 62.00 ⇑ 3.33% | 62.55 | 66.80 / 58.40 BDBUILDING | 1.33 | 12.70 | Vol. 8489000 D: 71.60 ⇑ 8.32% | 71.18 | 76.60 / 63.50 C: 71.70 ⇑ 8.14% | 71.31 | 76.50 / 63.60 NPOLYMAR | 2.38 | 32.89 | Vol. 1818889 D: 61.80 ⇑ 11.96% | 63.25 | 64.50 / 54.00 C: 62.00 ⇑ 13.76% | 63.90 | 65.60 / 54.90 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 273950 D: 95.00 ⇑ 8.70% | 96.10 | 97.80 / 85.70 C: 95.90 ⇑ 10.10% | 96.27 | 98.00 / 86.00 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 426357 D: 497.5 ⇑ 12.33% | 501.77 | 511.9 / 415.0 C: 496.0 ⇑ 12.55% | 500.33 | 510.0 / 441.1 BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 97150 D: 1702 ⇑ 2.46% | 1753 | 1757 / 1635 GEMINISEA | -15.39 | -5.70 | Vol. 5100 D: 164.0 ⇑ 2.56% | 164.21 | 174.5 / 152.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 3000 D: 815.4 ⇑ 0.77% | 815.24 | 820.0 / 800.0 C: 815.0 ⇑ 0.83% | 815.00 | 815.0 / 815.0

ZEALBANGLA | -28.94 | -221.34 | Vol. 2100 D: 7.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.50 | 7.70 / 7.50 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 414980 D: 198.8 ⇑ 9.35% | 202.86 | 207.8 / 179.3 C: 196.6 ⇑ 8.98% | 202.20 | 209.9 / 175.1 SHYAMPSUG | -45.77 | -396.49 | Vol. 10900 D: 7.00 ⇑ 4.48% | 7.00 | 7.30 / 7.00 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.52 | 4.45 | Vol. 4620650 D: 64.30 ⇑ 39.18% | 64.41 | 65.90 / 48.30 C: 64.60 ⇑ 38.92% | 64.39 | 66.00 / 49.00 FUWANGFOOD | 0.94 | 12.28 | Vol. 2358635 D: 23.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.71 | 24.00 / 21.00 C: 23.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 23.66 | 24.00 / 22.50 MEGHNAPET | -0.50 | -1.52 | Vol. 125000 D: 6.50 ⇓ 1.52% | 6.58 | 6.70 / 6.40 MEGCONMILK | -7.48 | -23.70 | Vol. 123000 D: 7.20 ⇑ 1.41% | 7.18 | 7.40 / 7.10 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 2296877 D: 21.50 ⇑ 1.90% | 21.57 | 23.00 / 19.00 C: 21.50 ⇑ 1.42% | 21.65 | 22.00 / 19.70 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 4512801 D: 21.70 ⇑ 16.04% | 22.33 | 23.20 / 18.30 C: 21.90 ⇑ 16.49% | 22.33 | 23.00 / 19.00 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 3194532 D: 24.30 ⇑ 1.67% | 24.27 | 25.00 / 21.90 C: 24.10 ⇑ 0.84% | 24.23 | 24.70 / 22.80 GHAIL | 2.31 | 24.36 | Vol. 4416450 D: 43.00 ⇓ 1.38% | 43.10 | 45.50 / 38.00 C: 43.10 ⇓ 1.15% | 43.21 | 45.60 / 41.00 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 37286 D: 632.9 ⇑ 1.82% | 632.99 | 635.0 / 600.0 PADMAOIL | 27.62 | 79.74 | Vol. 983399 D: 317.7 ⇑ 1.18% | 320.51 | 330.0 / 298.0 C: 318.7 ⇑ 2.25% | 320.29 | 329.9 / 309.0 EASTRNLUB | 5.33 | 71.01 | Vol. 2100 D: 324.3 ⇑ 4.58% | 323.75 | 338.0 / 308.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 1727080 D: 22.00 ⇑ 0.92% | 22.18 | 23.00 / 19.90 C: 22.10 ⇑ 1.38% | 22.14 | 22.60 / 21.10 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 3620124 D: 38.70 ⇓ 2.03% | 38.84 | 40.60 / 35.00 C: 38.70 ⇓ 1.28% | 38.87 | 40.60 / 37.00 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 484469 D: 59.60 ⇓ 0.17% | 59.81 | 60.40 / 55.00 C: 60.30 ⇑ 1.01% | 60.45 | 63.60 / 54.00 POWERGRID | 2.19 | 63.69 | Vol. 508726 D: 54.80 ⇓ 3.18% | 54.96 | 55.80 / 49.00 C: 54.10 ⇓ 4.08% | 54.23 | 57.00 / 52.00 JAMUNAOIL | 19.83 | 57.32 | Vol. 2118871 D: 210.2 ⇓ 13.60% | 210.84 | 242.5 / 200.0 C: 209.1 ⇓ 13.99% | 210.57 | 246.0 / 208.4 MPETROLEUM | 21.34 | 59.26 | Vol. 3983938 D: 225.1 ⇓ 20.26% | 227.12 | 238.5 / 210.0 C: 226.3 ⇓ 19.75% | 227.32 | 232.9 / 220.0 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 1509478 D: 75.20 ⇑ 0.80% | 75.06 | 75.50 / 66.10 C: 75.20 ⇑ 0.67% | 74.88 | 75.50 / 72.50 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 1113807 D: 49.40 ⇓ 1.40% | 49.55 | 51.40 / 44.00 C: 49.10 ⇓ 2.58% | 49.24 | 51.60 / 45.00 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 4089940 D: 32.10 ⇓ 2.43% | 32.12 | 34.50 / 28.30 C: 32.20 ⇓ 2.13% | 32.18 | 34.00 / 29.50 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 534333 D: 75.60 ⇑ 3.56% | 75.13 | 77.00 / 66.00 C: 75.40 ⇑ 4.29% | 74.81 | 75.80 / 68.20 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 3498354 D: 29.00 ⇓ 1.69% | 29.20 | 30.50 / 26.00 C: 29.10 ⇓ 1.36% | 29.34 | 30.50 / 27.00 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 4358890 D: 61.20 ⇓ 2.86% | 61.36 | 64.30 / 55.00 C: 61.00 ⇓ 3.63% | 61.18 | 64.20 / 58.00 JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 45500 D: 85.70 ⇑ 7.39% | 85.21 | 86.00 / 77.10 NORTHERN | -9.98 | -18.22 | Vol. 7000 D: 32.00 ⇑ 0.31% | 32.00 | 32.80 / 29.30 SONALIANSH | 2.65 | 226.00 | Vol. 133680 D: 149.7 ⇑ 11.80% | 147.38 | 150.0 / 130.0 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 574233 D: 79.70 ⇑ 9.48% | 79.17 | 80.60 / 65.00 STYLECRAFT | 20.00 | 287.30 | Vol. 100 D: 1077 ⇓ 6.25% | 1077 | 1077 / 1077 RAHIMTEXT | 4.65 | 56.68 | Vol. 11350 D: 250.6 ⇑ 13.19% | 246.29 | 251.5 / 224.0

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

DEC 01-05, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 37,670.50 ⇑ 5.08% NBFI: 20,108.15 ⇑ 2.66% INVS: 4,796.07 ⇑ 1.01% ENGG: 6,359.78 ⇑ 3.14% FOOD: 10,013.85 ⇑ 3.10% F&P: 10,347.59 ⇑ 1.63% TEXT: 3,549.23 ⇑ 4.58% PHAR: 18,233.82 ⇑ 2.11% PAPR: 1,124.84 ⇑ 7.72% SERV: 3,036.77 ⇑ 2.00% LEAT: 5,332.73 ⇓ 0.42% CERA: 534.23 ⇑ 3.69% CMNT: 4,346.28 ⇑ 3.20% INFO: 7,514.36 ⇑ 2.85% GINS: 9,127.86 ⇓ 0.04% LINS: 122,294.16 ⇑ 2.79% TELC: 1,365.28 ⇑ 3.04% MISC: 6,538.04 ⇑ 1.90% SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 1653900 D: 27.90 ⇓ 4.45% | 28.04 | 28.90 / 27.00 C: 28.00 ⇓ 4.11% | 28.17 | 29.00 / 27.00 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 18300 D: 101.1 ⇑ 9.06% | 102.33 | 109.9 / 95.00 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 382400 D: 73.50 ⇑ 10.53% | 75.60 | 77.90 / 66.40 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 26500 D: 7.80 ⇑ 2.63% | 7.76 | 8.00 / 7.30 TALLUSPIN | 1.75 | 16.17 | Vol. 6999643 D: 38.20 ⇑ 5.52% | 37.85 | 38.70 / 32.50 C: 38.30 ⇑ 5.51% | 37.88 | 38.80 / 34.40 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 53000 D: 72.40 ⇑ 6.63% | 72.33 | 73.40 / 66.80 C: 73.00 ⇓ 9.77% | 73.00 | 73.00 / 73.00 MITHUNKNIT | 2.87 | 20.53 | Vol. 885480 D: 83.00 ⇑ 14.96% | 82.80 | 85.00 / 70.50 C: 83.60 ⇑ 16.60% | 84.05 | 86.70 / 69.00 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 26.84 | Vol. 2055900 D: 30.00 ⇑ 0.67% | 29.85 | 30.70 / 26.50 C: 30.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.90 | 31.60 / 27.90 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 760590 D: 17.90 ⇑ 1.13% | 17.93 | 18.20 / 16.50 C: 17.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.94 | 18.50 / 16.50 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 668000 D: 25.10 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.06 | 25.70 / 24.20 C: 25.20 ⇑ 0.80% | 25.18 | 25.50 / 24.40 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 460000 D: 7.20 ⇓ 2.70% | 7.21 | 7.30 / 7.10 C: 7.20 ⇓ 1.37% | 7.23 | 7.50 / 7.10 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 1247530 D: 28.50 ⇑ 9.20% | 28.42 | 30.10 / 23.50 C: 28.70 ⇑ 10.38% | 28.49 | 29.00 / 25.70 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 1947350 D: 43.10 ⇑ 5.12% | 41.64 | 43.20 / 37.00 C: 43.40 ⇑ 5.85% | 41.75 | 43.50 / 37.20 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 7101714 D: 32.10 ⇓ 4.18% | 32.24 | 35.00 / 29.00 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 1194078 D: 26.10 ⇑ 1.95% | 26.06 | 27.20 / 22.50 C: 26.20 ⇑ 1.95% | 26.14 | 27.40 / 24.50 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 397532 D: 92.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 92.67 | 94.60 / 89.00 C: 92.40 ⇑ 0.11% | 92.62 | 94.90 / 91.20 METROSPIN | 0.56 | 17.71 | Vol. 4129974 D: 20.90 ⇓ 5.43% | 21.07 | 22.10 / 20.00 C: 21.10 ⇓ 4.95% | 21.14 | 22.70 / 20.40 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 16699139 D: 19.20 ⇑ 2.13% | 19.11 | 20.00 / 16.40 C: 19.10 ⇑ 1.60% | 19.07 | 19.70 / 17.50 DACCADYE | 0.93 | 25.85 | Vol. 2462258 D: 24.80 ⇓ 12.06% | 24.91 | 26.20 / 23.00 C: 24.80 ⇓ 12.37% | 24.70 | 26.00 / 24.10 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 21817203 D: 35.90 ⇓ 3.23% | 36.09 | 38.10 / 32.00 C: 36.10 ⇓ 2.43% | 36.22 | 37.90 / 34.80 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 2093167 D: 16.50 ⇓ 4.07% | 16.63 | 17.50 / 15.00 C: 16.60 ⇓ 2.92% | 16.73 | 17.40 / 16.40 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 5912750 D: 28.00 ⇓ 3.11% | 28.24 | 29.80 / 25.00 C: 28.20 ⇓ 2.42% | 28.33 | 29.70 / 25.00 ZAHINTEX | 1.20 | 31.07 | Vol. 1009650 D: 26.80 ⇓ 1.47% | 26.82 | 28.70 / 25.00 C: 26.80 ⇓ 1.47% | 26.95 | 27.10 / 26.00 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 2658750 D: 23.90 ⇓ 5.16% | 24.01 | 25.00 / 23.30 C: 24.00 ⇓ 4.38% | 23.97 | 25.10 / 23.30 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 24519880 D: 33.40 ⇑ 3.09% | 33.35 | 33.90 / 28.50 C: 33.50 ⇑ 4.04% | 33.39 | 34.10 / 29.70 ENVOYTEX | 3.10 | 37.86 | Vol. 5755670 D: 55.10 ⇓ 10.41% | 54.60 | 59.50 / 48.50 C: 55.30 ⇓ 9.49% | 54.75 | 59.50 / 53.00 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 6550035 D: 80.60 ⇑ 14.33% | 78.75 | 80.90 / 63.00 C: 81.20 ⇑ 14.04% | 78.27 | 81.80 / 67.90 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 3728000 D: 53.00 ⇑ 1.34% | 53.22 | 54.60 / 48.10 C: 52.40 ⇑ 1.16% | 52.35 | 53.90 / 48.00 PTL | 2.12 | 20.06 | Vol. 21224250 D: 63.10 ⇑ 12.48% | 61.13 | 63.20 / 49.80 C: 62.80 ⇑ 11.74% | 60.59 | 62.80 / 49.70 Pharmaceutical & Chemical AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 85916 D: 285.7 ⇑ 8.96% | 292.31 | 298.0 / 257.0 C: 284.0 ⇑ 10.94% | 289.00 | 295.0 / 266.0 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 1116156 D: 46.40 ⇓ 2.93% | 46.61 | 50.00 / 41.80 C: 46.50 ⇓ 1.90% | 46.51 | 48.70 / 43.00

GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 3000 D: 964.6 ⇓ 1.05% | 965.00 | 970.0 / 921.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 39242 D: 174.1 ⇑ 0.93% | 173.99 | 183.0 / 158.0 C: 171.0 ⇓ 0.58% | 171.00 | 175.0 / 166.2 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 46859 D: 738.6 ⇑ 1.03% | 737.70 | 741.0 / 700.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 700 D: 890.4 ⇑ 0.04% | 890.00 | 902.0 / 881.0 PHARMAID | 1.39 | 26.19 | Vol. 350250 D: 181.3 ⇑ 13.60% | 177.03 | 181.3 / 156.6 KOHINOOR | 11.46 | 15.99 | Vol. 3130 D: 348.7 ⇓ 1.77% | 348.45 | 350.0 / 340.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 523196 D: 107.7 ⇑ 6.42% | 108.13 | 110.3 / 96.00 C: 107.2 ⇑ 5.51% | 109.73 | 111.1 / 100.4 LIBRAINFU | 4.21 | 1567.59 | Vol. 10000 D: 456.7 ⇑ 17.10% | 456.88 | 470.0 / 410.0 ORIONINFU | 1.27 | 7.00 | Vol. 592600 D: 41.70 ⇓ 0.48% | 41.73 | 43.50 / 38.60 C: 41.50 ⇓ 0.95% | 41.50 | 42.90 / 39.40 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 2199503 D: 194.9 ⇑ 0.83% | 194.56 | 200.1 / 179.0 C: 195.0 ⇑ 1.30% | 194.79 | 196.0 / 188.0 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 88500 D: 7.20 ⇓ 4.00% | 7.29 | 7.60 / 7.00 C: 7.20 ⇓ 1.37% | 7.20 | 7.50 / 7.20 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 5730116 D: 27.00 ⇓ 0.74% | 27.13 | 29.00 / 23.90 C: 27.00 ⇓ 1.46% | 27.01 | 28.10 / 24.00 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 5900 D: 835.0 ⇓ 1.42% | 835.00 | 859.0 / 825.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 149070 D: 77.90 ⇑ 6.13% | 77.11 | 79.00 / 73.00 C: 78.00 ⇑ 5.69% | 77.56 | 79.00 / 73.00 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 21400 D: 761.8 ⇑ 0.73% | 762.18 | 765.0 / 746.3 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 1215400 D: 12.90 ⇓ 3.73% | 12.98 | 14.30 / 11.70 C: 13.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.03 | 13.40 / 11.90 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 1669251 D: 86.90 ⇑ 3.58% | 87.22 | 90.00 / 75.00 C: 86.20 ⇑ 4.11% | 86.78 | 88.00 / 81.00 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 3206250 D: 58.50 ⇑ 5.60% | 58.55 | 62.00 / 54.90 C: 58.40 ⇑ 5.04% | 58.82 | 61.40 / 55.00 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 5969945 D: 60.80 ⇓ 2.56% | 60.98 | 63.50 / 54.00 C: 60.80 ⇓ 2.41% | 60.91 | 63.80 / 55.00 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 1330000 D: 225.8 ⇑ 19.03% | 226.53 | 232.0 / 190.0 C: 226.5 ⇑ 18.46% | 228.24 | 231.9 / 193.0 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 11099175 D: 41.90 ⇓ 2.56% | 41.46 | 45.00 / 35.10 C: 42.00 ⇓ 2.10% | 41.68 | 44.20 / 37.90

BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 70300 D: 726.2 ⇑ 0.28% | 726.72 | 747.0 / 719.9 C: 706.5 ⇓ 3.65% | 706.50 | 752.0 / 706.5 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 338810 D: 400.1 ⇑ 6.69% | 399.65 | 407.9 / 370.0 C: 400.0 ⇑ 2.56% | 401.00 | 405.0 / 400.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 89000 D: 16.70 ⇑ 19.29% | 16.75 | 16.80 / 14.00 C: 16.50 ⇑ 19.57% | 16.45 | 16.50 / 13.90 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 4038674 D: 43.00 ⇑ 17.17% | 43.59 | 44.50 / 35.00 C: 42.90 ⇑ 16.26% | 43.24 | 44.50 / 36.80 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 272350 D: 34.00 ⇑ 0.59% | 34.73 | 35.40 / 32.60 C: 34.00 ⇓ 0.29% | 35.24 | 35.80 / 32.60 STANCERAM | 1.12 | 15.49 | Vol. 24020 D: 39.30 ⇑ 1.81% | 38.98 | 39.90 / 36.60 C: 37.50 ⇑ 0.54% | 37.50 | 37.50 / 35.30 FUWANGCER | 0.65 | 12.70 | Vol. 10308373 D: 21.50 ⇑ 1.42% | 21.82 | 23.00 / 17.90 C: 21.70 ⇑ 1.88% | 22.05 | 22.90 / 19.20 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 1849848 D: 18.10 ⇓ 4.23% | 18.25 | 19.50 / 16.40 C: 18.20 ⇓ 2.67% | 18.33 | 19.20 / 17.60 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 734137 D: 52.70 ⇑ 0.96% | 52.82 | 53.80 / 46.00 C: 52.60 ⇑ 0.96% | 52.59 | 53.80 / 50.00 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 210860 D: 386.3 ⇑ 0.91% | 386.17 | 394.0 / 375.1 C: 386.0 ⇓ 0.34% | 385.17 | 390.5 / 375.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 589559 D: 123.6 ⇑ 1.90% | 124.35 | 126.5 / 117.0 C: 123.8 ⇑ 1.89% | 123.91 | 125.2 / 118.4 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 281700 D: 128.9 ⇑ 4.88% | 129.02 | 132.0 / 122.1 C: 128.3 ⇑ 2.64% | 129.27 | 131.0 / 121.5 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 1349425 D: 86.30 ⇑ 23.64% | 86.97 | 89.00 / 69.50 C: 87.00 ⇑ 24.11% | 87.00 | 87.00 / 70.10 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 3239000 D: 32.90 ⇑ 0.92% | 33.14 | 33.80 / 32.20 C: 32.90 ⇑ 1.54% | 33.22 | 33.50 / 32.00 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 568137 D: 82.80 ⇑ 0.24% | 83.35 | 87.00 / 74.00 C: 82.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 82.65 | 83.90 / 80.30 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 772800 D: 101.7 ⇑ 1.90% | 102.61 | 106.4 / 96.50 C: 102.1 ⇑ 2.10% | 102.74 | 105.0 / 96.00

SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.49 | 57.42 | Vol. 444602 D: 99.80 ⇑ 9.91% | 100.42 | 105.0 / 88.30 C: 100.0 ⇑ 10.86% | 100.28 | 101.3 / 91.00 SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 2091884 D: 29.60 ⇓ 1.33% | 29.88 | 33.00 / 27.00 C: 29.70 ⇓ 0.67% | 29.93 | 31.00 / 29.00 EHL | 2.81 | 18.44 | Vol. 3349733 D: 57.30 ⇑ 9.14% | 56.08 | 58.00 / 49.00 C: 57.20 ⇑ 8.95% | 56.29 | 58.00 / 48.00

IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 1065368 D: 18.90 ⇑ 10.53% | 19.10 | 19.50 / 16.00 C: 19.10 ⇑ 11.70% | 19.21 | 19.50 / 17.30 BDCOM | 1.40 | 14.41 | Vol. 692218 D: 25.90 ⇓ 0.38% | 26.04 | 28.00 / 23.40 C: 26.30 ⇑ 4.37% | 25.81 | 26.50 / 23.50 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 1202327 D: 16.30 ⇑ 4.49% | 16.40 | 16.80 / 14.20 C: 16.40 ⇑ 3.80% | 16.41 | 16.70 / 15.60 AGNISYSL | 0.96 | 14.90 | Vol. 981384 D: 21.30 ⇓ 0.47% | 21.46 | 22.00 / 19.00 C: 21.30 ⇓ 1.84% | 21.39 | 21.70 / 20.00 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 1311789 D: 13.50 ⇑ 1.50% | 13.56 | 14.50 / 13.20 C: 13.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.55 | 14.50 / 12.30

LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 595950 D: 124.7 ⇑ 4.53% | 125.47 | 129.0 / 115.0 C: 124.7 ⇑ 4.97% | 125.68 | 133.3 / 115.1

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 197690 D: 29.50 ⇓ 1.01% | 29.85 | 30.10 / 27.00 C: 29.30 ⇓ 0.68% | 29.28 | 30.40 / 28.50

PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 450000 D: 32.60 ⇑ 18.12% | 32.39 | 32.70 / 27.00 C: 33.30 ⇑ 16.43% | 32.52 | 33.30 / 27.40

GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 806758 D: 86.10 ⇑ 1.53% | 85.84 | 96.00 / 78.00 C: 84.50 ⇑ 0.24% | 84.56 | 96.00 / 84.50 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 28110 D: 45.50 ⇑ 5.32% | 46.00 | 46.30 / 41.50 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 539114 D: 34.90 ⇓ 0.57% | 35.44 | 37.50 / 31.60 C: 34.90 ⇓ 0.29% | 35.13 | 36.00 / 33.00 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 70099 D: 37.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 37.91 | 38.80 / 34.50 C: 37.70 ⇓ 0.79% | 37.72 | 40.00 / 35.30 JANATAINS | 0.78 | 17.07 | Vol. 476800 D: 27.50 ⇓ 1.43% | 27.59 | 28.70 / 25.50 C: 27.50 ⇓ 1.43% | 27.49 | 28.80 / 27.00 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 191686 D: 42.30 ⇑ 0.71% | 42.05 | 45.00 / 37.00 C: 42.50 ⇓ 2.75% | 38.44 | 42.50 / 40.40 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 334182 D: 47.90 ⇑ 0.42% | 48.12 | 51.70 / 43.50 C: 48.10 ⇓ 3.22% | 48.06 | 49.00 / 47.80 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 74021 D: 29.20 ⇓ 0.68% | 29.27 | 30.30 / 26.80 C: 29.20 ⇑ 0.69% | 26.30 | 29.20 / 29.10 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 190776 D: 24.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.05 | 25.20 / 22.00 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 344983 D: 33.30 ⇓ 1.48% | 33.48 | 34.90 / 31.80 C: 34.70 ⇑ 3.27% | 33.39 | 34.70 / 32.50 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 634157 D: 24.20 ⇓ 1.63% | 24.30 | 25.90 / 22.00 C: 24.30 ⇓ 0.41% | 24.23 | 25.50 / 23.50 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 13357 D: 72.50 ⇑ 3.57% | 69.90 | 73.90 / 69.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 614516 D: 23.50 ⇓ 0.42% | 23.53 | 24.20 / 22.00 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 32771 D: 57.00 ⇓ 1.21% | 57.13 | 59.50 / 55.00 C: 56.00 ⇓ 8.05% | 56.00 | 56.00 / 56.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 212604 D: 32.00 ⇓ 0.31% | 31.99 | 32.90 / 30.00 C: 31.00 ⇓ 7.74% | 31.00 | 31.00 / 31.00 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 328420 D: 67.00 ⇓ 0.30% | 67.17 | 70.80 / 63.00 C: 65.00 ⇓ 7.14% | 65.00 | 65.00 / 65.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 300368 D: 26.90 ⇓ 1.47% | 27.08 | 28.60 / 24.50 C: 28.40 ⇑ 1.43% | 28.22 | 28.40 / 25.70 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 250642 D: 26.90 ⇓ 1.10% | 27.03 | 29.00 / 24.30 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 145185 D: 28.20 ⇑ 0.71% | 28.28 | 29.00 / 25.90 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 66085 D: 34.30 ⇑ 1.18% | 34.37 | 35.00 / 32.50 C: 37.00 ⇑ 5.71% | 37.00 | 37.00 / 35.00 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 202750 D: 29.70 ⇓ 2.62% | 29.84 | 31.10 / 28.00 C: 29.90 ⇓ 4.47% | 29.20 | 29.90 / 28.50 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 395881 D: 24.20 ⇓ 1.63% | 24.34 | 26.00 / 22.00 C: 24.40 ⇑ 1.67% | 24.40 | 24.40 / 24.40 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 183579 D: 24.00 ⇓ 2.83% | 24.20 | 25.50 / 22.00 C: 26.70 ⇑ 9.88% | 26.70 | 26.80 / 23.70 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 468912 D: 27.30 ⇓ 2.50% | 27.17 | 28.20 / 24.90 C: 27.50 ⇓ 2.48% | 27.15 | 28.90 / 26.80 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 454835 D: 29.40 ⇓ 1.67% | 29.43 | 30.90 / 27.50 C: 29.80 ⇓ 0.67% | 29.76 | 31.00 / 29.00 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 713201 D: 38.30 ⇓ 0.78% | 38.56 | 40.00 / 35.00 C: 38.50 ⇓ 1.28% | 38.45 | 39.90 / 36.00 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 166668 D: 40.90 ⇓ 0.24% | 39.96 | 42.90 / 37.00 C: 40.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 38.00 | 40.00 / 40.00 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 147175 D: 41.20 ⇓ 1.20% | 41.20 | 45.00 / 37.50 C: 41.50 ⇑ 0.48% | 43.57 | 44.60 / 40.40 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 399763 D: 42.10 ⇓ 0.94% | 42.27 | 44.00 / 38.50 C: 42.20 ⇓ 0.71% | 41.84 | 43.00 / 41.00 ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 165685 D: 27.20 ⇓ 0.37% | 27.39 | 28.30 / 24.50 C: 27.20 ⇓ 1.45% | 27.15 | 28.10 / 26.00 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 142725 D: 33.30 ⇑ 0.30% | 33.43 | 36.00 / 30.00 C: 33.00 ⇑ 1.23% | 33.00 | 33.00 / 33.00 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 322759 D: 28.20 ⇓ 0.35% | 28.35 | 31.00 / 26.00 C: 28.50 ⇑ 0.71% | 28.50 | 29.50 / 27.30

DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 351350 D: 40.80 ⇓ 0.97% | 40.73 | 42.70 / 37.00 C: 40.80 ⇓ 0.73% | 40.80 | 43.30 / 39.90 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 57824 D: 264.5 ⇑ 6.83% | 263.66 | 269.0 / 245.0 C: 260.0 ⇑ 4.00% | 260.00 | 265.0 / 248.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 7562540 D: 289.4 ⇑ 9.83% | 292.83 | 313.0 / 259.8 C: 290.1 ⇑ 8.77% | 292.65 | 313.4 / 260.0 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 279990 D: 72.60 ⇑ 2.98% | 73.16 | 75.90 / 65.00 C: 72.60 ⇑ 1.26% | 72.60 | 75.60 / 68.00 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 90736 D: 230.9 ⇑ 0.35% | 230.54 | 248.0 / 217.0 C: 225.0 ⇓ 9.27% | 225.00 | 246.1 / 225.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 306473 D: 100.2 ⇑ 1.73% | 101.43 | 105.9 / 88.00 C: 98.10 ⇓ 0.10% | 98.11 | 108.1 / 95.00 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 327640 D: 111.2 ⇑ 3.83% | 112.04 | 114.8 / 100.0 C: 109.0 ⇑ 1.87% | 109.00 | 113.0 / 105.0 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 54023 D: 115.4 ⇑ 3.87% | 115.63 | 128.0 / 105.0 C: 115.6 ⇑ 21.56% | 115.60 | 130.0 / 110.1 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 141379 D: 155.4 ⇓ 3.90% | 155.59 | 176.9 / 145.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 98057 D: 100.1 ⇑ 3.84% | 101.10 | 105.0 / 90.00 C: 100.0 ⇓ 3.75% | 100.00 | 100.0 / 94.00 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 653300 D: 113.8 ⇑ 11.02% | 114.62 | 123.0 / 92.50 C: 112.4 ⇑ 7.05% | 112.20 | 122.0 / 101.1 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 2168420 D: 65.40 ⇑ 13.94% | 66.64 | 72.80 / 51.90 C: 65.40 ⇑ 13.94% | 66.72 | 69.30 / 57.00 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 2198600 D: 61.00 ⇑ 9.32% | 61.27 | 64.50 / 50.00 C: 60.60 ⇑ 9.19% | 60.91 | 65.00 / 54.60 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 1933000 D: 206.4 ⇑ 1.57% | 205.82 | 208.1 / 199.5 C: 206.3 ⇑ 2.03% | 205.51 | 208.2 / 199.6 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 1300074 D: 173.7 ⇑ 1.64% | 174.67 | 180.1 / 155.0 C: 173.2 ⇑ 2.12% | 175.03 | 184.8 / 155.0 Travel & Leisure UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 16724388 D: 16.50 ⇓ 2.37% | 16.61 | 17.30 / 14.80 C: 16.60 ⇓ 1.78% | 16.64 | 17.40 / 15.30 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 2308868 D: 81.70 ⇓ 2.97% | 82.28 | 84.50 / 74.00 C: 81.80 ⇓ 2.73% | 82.12 | 84.50 / 81.00 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 28700 D: 342.8 ⇑ 1.39% | 352.27 | 369.9 / 333.0 C: 327.0 ⇑ 2.19% | 327.00 | 327.0 / 310.0 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 292480 D: 441.5 ⇑ 2.14% | 444.12 | 450.0 / 426.0 C: 442.3 ⇑ 2.50% | 443.60 | 453.0 / 425.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 292570 D: 152.1 ⇑ 7.64% | 149.46 | 152.9 / 132.0 C: 152.5 ⇑ 8.23% | 150.45 | 153.8 / 138.5 USMANIAGL | 3.45 | 27.20 | Vol. 347002 D: 138.5 ⇑ 7.53% | 139.25 | 141.7 / 124.0 C: 138.7 ⇑ 9.90% | 139.33 | 140.9 / 127.0 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 3850 D: 60.50 ⇑ 4.49% | 60.00 | 61.90 / 53.20 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 7716531 D: 33.40 ⇓ 3.47% | 33.56 | 36.00 / 29.70 C: 33.50 ⇓ 2.33% | 33.60 | 35.50 / 31.00 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 630500 D: 22.40 ⇑ 2.75% | 22.39 | 22.60 / 21.10 C: 22.60 ⇑ 3.67% | 22.55 | 22.80 / 21.20 MIRACLEIND | 0.09 | 14.41 | Vol. 1875657 D: 17.10 ⇑ 11.76% | 17.07 | 17.60 / 15.00 C: 17.30 ⇑ 11.61% | 17.18 | 17.90 / 15.20 BOND IBBLPBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 985 D: 986.0 ⇑ 0.38% | 985.71 | 990.0 / 970.3 C: 1002 ⇑ 0.20% | 1002 | 1004 / 1000 ACIZCBOND | 0.00 | 1000.00 | Vol. 1104 D: 882.0 ⇑ 0.23% | 888.89 | 890.0 / 880.0 C: 880.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 880.00 | 900.0 / 880.0 BRACSCBOND | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 10 D: 1010 ⇑ 1.00% | 1000 | 1020 / 1000

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2013

No fear of ‘Mandela crash’ for Africa’s largest economy n AFP, Johannesburg

Trade ministers and representatives attend the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on December

Trade pact deadline in doubt as talks start in Singapore n AFP, Singapore Trade ministers from the United States and 11 other countries opened talks yesterday in an attempt to meet a US deadline to forge a trans-Pacific trade pact before the end of the year.

However, analysts said an agreement on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was unlikely to be reached during the fourday meeting, and activists slammed the US for its “manipulative” tactics in a bid to get a deal done.

The TPP is being negotiated by 12 nations - Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam - that together make up 40% of the global economy.

Washington has spearheaded the secretive talks, which have been denounced by non-government groups for their alleged lack of transparency.

The ministers, who arrived in Singapore from the just-concluded World Trade Organization talks in Bali, did not issue any statement as they began the meeting.

President Barack Obama has hailed the TPP as a centrepiece of renewed US engagement in Asia, saying it contains market-opening commitments that go well beyond those made in other free-trade accords.

But the complexity of the issues has already caused negotiators to miss the original 2012 deadline set by Obama to reach a deal, with the new target also looking unlikely.

“They aren’t very far away from a deal but my own guess is that they are more likely to conclude around March,” said Deborah K. Elms, a specialist on the TPP at the S Rajarat-

nam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore.

She said that the year-end deadline had already “looked problematic for months” as differences remained.

Elms, however, said there was a “very slim chance” that the ministers might announce a “political agreement”.

“This means that they take the photographs in Singapore ... and announce a deal and then finish up the hard parts later,” said Elms, head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations at RSIS. “But this strategy seems a bit risky to me, as it means that they really have to sort out the last remaining tough spots and do it rather hastily afterwards.”

US Vice President Joe Biden, who is in South Korea on the final leg of a Northeast Asia tour, said that more work would be needed to secure a deal before the year-end deadline.

“We have to end the bureaucratic hurdles that close off trading in key sector trading like autos and agriculture,” said Biden, who also welcomed South Korea’s interest in joining the TPP talks.

“We have to agree on final regulations that allow financial institutions to operate fully.”

While in Japan on Tuesday, Biden pushed Tokyo to step up efforts to open its auto and farm markets.

Foreign automakers have long complained that Japanese authorities erect huge barriers to its lucrative market and Tokyo has insisted it will never lift all tariffs on sensitive farm products amid strong domestic opposition to opening up the sector.

TPP negotiators have also been divided

AFP

over patent issues, in particular on medicines.

US negotiators, backed by the powerful pharmaceuticals industry, want drug companies to extend patent protection beyond the typical 20-year limit.

Drug firms say this is necessary to allow them to recover investments and continue research for fresh cures.

But activist groups like humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) say such patent protection would restrict access to cheaper generic drugs for millions of poor people.

Negotiators are ironing out kinks over a provision that allows companies in any of the TPP countries to bid for government procurement contracts within the trade grouping.

There are also disagreements over textiles as well as on the treatment of state-owned enterprises deemed to have an undue advantage over private firms, analysts said.

Activists monitoring the talks criticised the US for its negotiating tactics.

Nobuhiko Suto, a Japanese former MP from the opposition DPJ party, said the US was breaking the rules by holding parallel talks with individual countries on issues that should be discussed multilaterally.

“The US acts as if it knows everything,” he told reporters at a press briefing on the sidelines of the talks.

Jane Kelsey, a law professor at the University of Auckland, called the talks a “very manipulative process because it marginalises those that are potential critics and makes it harder for them to continue rejecting compromised deals”. l

Economists slapped down speculation that Nelson Mandela’s death could prompt an economic and financial slump in South Africa, but warned the gains he inspired remain fragile.

Analysts pointed to a strong showing by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Friday and the rand despite news of his death, dismissing doomsayers who predicted the 95-year-old’s demise would spark a crisis.

The JSE All Share index was up around one percent and the rand rose against the dollar by almost the same amount.

“The lack of reaction in ZAR (rand) today has been notable - the Zimbabwe scenario doomsayers have been silent so far,” said Peter Attard Montalto of Japanese bank Nomura. “However, there is a disturbing minority in the South African finance community who push this line.”

Still, Mandela’s death prompted some introspection about his role in shaping the economy and its direction.

“Mandela’s role in the political development of South Africa is unquestionable,” said Shilan Shah, Africa Economist with Capital Economics.

“Significant economic progress was also made under his leadership. However, this is now in danger of being undone.”

Mandela’s boosters say he provided a stable political platform for the South African economy to recover from years of economic sanctions, while involving black workers.

He also rebuilt institutions riddled with nepotism, which for decades employed white workers regardless of their skill.

“Between 1980 and 1993, real GDP growth averaged 1.4% per annum. Between 1994 and 2012, average growth has risen to 3.3%,” said Shah. But twenty years after the end of apartheid South Africa remains one of the most unequal places on earth. The economy is growing far too slowly to bring down unemployment, which stands at around 25%.

Some blame Mandela’s administration for sowing the seeds for today’s problems, particularly corruption and mismanagement on the part of the ANC government. Critics say Mandela was too eager to promote anti-apartheid allies to positions of power, despite shortcomings.

“Did he have weaknesses? Of course he did,” said friend, archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu Friday.

“Among them his steadfast loyalty to his organisation, and to some of his colleagues who ultimately let him down. (He) retained in his cabinet, underperforming, frankly incompetent ministers.”

Attard Montalto also questioned Mandela’s decision to “create a cadre of rich black empowerment businessmen who were not industrialists or really (if we are honest) job creators.” The drive to rebalance white dominance of the economy remains highly controversial.

And his embrace of labour may have led to a governing alliance between the ANC, unions led by COSATU and the South African Communist party, which while creating stability, seems to have made serious economic reform all but impossible. l