December 09, 2013

International

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Agrahayan 25, 1420 Safar 5, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 254

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EC may assess Taranco’s polls shift call today CEC says everything is possible within rules Rakibuddin said the UN assistance n Kamran Reza Chowdhury, for holding the upcoming polls, among Sheikh Shahariar Zaman and Mohammad Zakaria

The Election Commission is likely to assess the possibility of rescheduling the upcoming parliamentary polls at a meeting today.

Wishing not to be named, an election commissioner yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the meeting would discuss UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco’s proposal for shifting the January 5 elections.

“He [Fernandez-Taranco] wanted to know if the elections could be shifted at this stage,” CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told reporters at a press conference after his meeting with the UN envoy that had started at 11am.

The CEC told the UN envoy that “everything is possible if the political parties reach a consensus on it, but that must be within the rules.”

other polls-related issues, also came up for discussion at the meeting with Fernandez-Taranco.

He said the issue of consensus had been compounded as the political parties were yet to sort out their differences of opinion on the polls.

“We should not disclose anything more as the UN delegation has been trying to hammer out a solution to ensure participation of all political parties [in the next general elections],” said Rakibuddin Ahmad.

The BNP-led opposition alliance’s announcement of boycotting the elections under Sheikh Hasina’s interim government has put before the ruling Awami League the great challenge of keeping the Jatiya Party in the race.

But Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has threatened to follow the BNP’s path  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Activists of the 18-party alliance wield a sword and bamboo sticks on their way to join a procession supporting the alliance’s blockade in Meherpur yesterday

JP’s resignation drama lingers

Jamaat calls hartal as Molla death Miazee and n Manik warrant issued Abu Bakar Siddique n Udisa Islam and Kailash Sarkar Jatiya Party ministers are yet to tender With the issuance of the death warrant against convicted war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, the process has moved one more step towards his execution.

The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday issued the warrant after it had received the copy of the full verdict given by the Appellate Division on September 17 on two appeals filed against the tribunal’s judgement.

Around 12:30pm, tribunal Registrar AKM Nasir Uddin told reporters that the warrant had been sent to the home ministry, the Dhaka district magistrate and the Dhaka Central Jail authorities.

He said: “We have already received the Appellate Division’s judgement and all the documents we had sent earlier. On receiving those, the documents were submitted to tribunal 2.”

Around 4pm, Arunabh Chakrabarty, deputy registrar of the tribunal, was seen getting into a car with the death warrant wrapped in a red cloth as is the custom.

The tribunal registrar later confirmed reporters that the warrant for execution of Quader Molla’s death sentence had been sent to the jail authorities.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

their resignation letters to the prime minister since the resignation drama unfolded five days back when JP Chairman HM Ershad declared his party would not take part in the next poll.

Ruhul Amin Hawlader, secretary general of JP, told reporters yesterday they would send resignation letters to the premier today by post as they

failed to get the PM’s appointment.

However, he told the Dhaka Tribune at 8pm that he had given the resignation letter of six ministers and one adviser to one of his office staff but he does not know whether he (office staff ) had sent those or not.

He also said if he did not send those letters they would be sent on Monday.

JP is buying time by lingering the resignation drama to bargain with the government, sources said.

Meanwhile, the ministers who were

Activists of opposition BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami have allegedly hacked a witness against war crimes convict Delawar Hossain Sayedee, and beat up his wife in a sneak attack on their Pirojpur house at Parerhat early yesterday.

The condition of the witness, Golam Mostafa, is stated to be critical as he was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from Khulna for treatment.

His wife received minor injuries to her hand during the attack around 3am.

Mostafa’s son Hafizur Rahman, 20,

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

‘EC likely to face legal hurdle if polls rescheduled’ n Mohosinul Karim

CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar FernandezTaranco in conversation at the Election Commission yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM

Sayedee witness injured in attack n Emran Hossain Emon

“forced” to resign will try to convince HM Ershad to join the 10th National Parliament Election, party insiders added.

HM Ershad still remains adamant that he would not join the election though some ministers including Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader are trying to use it for personal gain, a presidium member of JP wishing anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune.

They do not need the premier to

called another witness against Sayedee Ruhul Amin Nobin immediately after the attack. Hafiz told Nobin that he had recognised two of the three attackers who chopped his father with a machete. They were activists of BNP and Jamaat, he said.

The Dhaka Tribune talked to Nobin yesterday evening but could not reach Hafiz.

“The miscreants entered the house by digging a tunnel through the earthen floor. They had accomplices waiting outside who escaped as the victims’ cry for help alerted the neighbours,” said Nobin.

Pirojpur Police Superintendent Akhteruzzaman said he had not considered the attack as a simple incident of burglary.

The attack came only a week after police guard at Mostafa’s house at Hoglabunia village under Parerhat union of Zianagar was withdrawn. Earlier consistent threats on Mostafa’s life forced the authorities to deploy law enforcers.

Mostafa had filed several general diaries with Zianagar police station in the last two years.

Earlier, the house of complainant  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

INSIDE News

3 Vandalism, crude bombs blasts and arson attacks marked the second day of the nationwide 72-hour road-rail-waterways blockade called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance yesterday.

5 Dhaka North City Corporation has missed the deadline for completing work on an escalator foot bridge at Banani which was due to open on November 30.

Nation

6 Commercial orange growers in the subHimalayan northern districts are expecting a bumper orange crop this season, in line with positive the trend of the past few years.

Business

B1 A social obligation fund of Tk333 crore contributed by four mobile phone operators in Bangladesh remains idle for lack of a guideline on how to use the money.

It is now a daunting task for the Election Commission to defer the polls schedule as the deadline for submitting nomination papers has already passed, said a number of ministers.

Moreover, if any one of the candidates, likely to be elected unopposed, files a writ petition challenging the deferment it will push the country into a new crisis, they said.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

DHAKA TRIBUNE

BNP likely to extend blockade till Thursday n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Amid UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco’s visit to broker a political deal the BNP-led 18-party alliance is planning to extend its ongoing 72-hour rail-road-waterways blockade until Thursday.

Some senior leaders even wanted to carry on with the programme until December 13 as it is the last date for withdrawal of nomination.

However, some other leaders said as the day is Friday and there is a possibility of election rescheduling they should end the blockade on Thursday.

The announcement of extension of the blockade might come today.

The UN chief’s visiting envoy on Saturday at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina enquired whether there was any scope for deferring the 10th general election, now scheduled for January 5.

Just after a day, a senior Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu said his party had no problem if the polls were to be rescheduled to a later date.

Another senior leader of the party seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that the ongoing programme

would not be postponed even if there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

BNP again asked the government to take initiative to hold an inclusive election under a non-partisan government while Taranco is pursuing the political parties to resolve the crisis through talks.

P3 TWO KILLED Issuing a note of warning RA Gani, BNP standing committee member, at a press briefing at chairperson’s Gulshan office said: “If you fail to feel the pulses of people and take steps to hold elections under a partisan government you have to take the responsibility for any untoward incidents.”

Gani, who was out of active politics for a long time briefed the media yesterday as the senior leaders went into hiding to avert arrest, said they are determined to stay put on the street.

“We will refrain ourselves from the movement only for a brief period of time only when we get any positive signal from the government,” he said adding that otherwise the blockade programme will continue.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, December 9, 2013

OSD officials demand promotion Karim and Rabiul n Mohosinul Islam A section of civil servants, who are now officers on special duty (OSD), are now demanding new postings and promotions.

Following the sudden activities of the OSD officials, many bureaucrats expressed concerns that a conflict was going on between officers loyal to the government and those loyal to the opposition.

Being made OSD is usually considered a punishment for government officers, as they are not assigned any desk or work, but must still attend the office regularly. However, they are allowed to draw monthly salaries and allowances.

Yesterday a group of about eight officers on special duty went to meet Abdus Sobhan Sikder, senior secretary of the public administration ministry.

When the officers reached his office at the secretariat, the secretary was about to go out, but they compelled him to stay in his room and listen to their appeals.

“We met the secretary to request him to give us promotions and postings, as we have been languishing as OSD for a long time,” Abdul Bari, a joint secretary who was the deputy commissioner of Dhaka during the previous BNP-led alliance government, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Bari was allegedly involved in organising the much talked about Uttara conspiracy, when a section of pro-BNP public servants held a meeting at the former energy adviser Mahmudur Rah-

man’s Uttara office on November 24, 2006, ahead of the cancelled January 2007 general elections.

Thirteen government officers, who secretly attended the meeting, were shunted aside and made OSD. Despite repeated attempts yesterday, Sikder could not be reached for comments.

The officers had earlier tried to meet the cabinet secretary, but he was not available.

Meanwhile, a large number of law enforcers, including officers from the detective branch of police, were present at the public administration ministry yesterday, apparently to keep an eye on the volatile situation prevailing there.

While entering the library at the public administration ministry, joint secretary Bijon Kanti Das, who was personal secretary to the former public works minister Mirza Abbas, got into an altercation with some law enforcers.

Talking to this correspondent, Das said a tense situation arises whenever a group of officials sits together.

“We are not allowed to enter the library room and sit there,” another senior officer, who is OSD, told this correspondent - on condition of anonymity Sources said officers on special duty generally sit in the library room and put their signatures in attendance books.

They also spend their time chatting or reading newspapers there.

A home ministry official, who looks after security at the secretariat, claimed that the situation at the secretariat was now “calm and quiet”. l

Two youths killed in Narsingdi n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi Police found two bodies in Narsingdi yesterday. The deceased were Shafiqul Islam Rusel, 24, from Nagoriakandi in Narsingdi town, and another youth whose body was found in Kajair village under Palash upazila.

Police said Shafiqul was working in the town’s Momin Textile Mills.

Police suspect that Shafiqul’s friends strangled him on Saturday night, over a romantic conflict.

Shafiqul’s family members alleged

that his friend Mamun, along with some others, called Shafiqul when he was returning home from his work place and then killed him.

The victim’s elder brother said Shafiqul had an emotional relationship with Mamun’s sister.

Shafiqul’s body was dumped in a drain. Palash police, who recovered the other body, suspected that unidentified people stabbed the youth to death.

Two separate cases were filed with Narsingdi and Palash police stations. l

BNP likely to extend blockade till Thursday  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Another senior leader said if election schedule was not suspended they would launch a non-cooperation movement from Saturday as the last date of nomination withdrawal would expire on December 13.

“BNP wants dialogues to resolve the crisis. We are urging the prime minister again to step down and accept the demand for an election under a non-par-

tisan government and save the nation,” Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP joint secretary general, said in a press release.

Salahuddin also said they believed that election was the only democratic and constitutional way of power change or takeover.

“But the prime minister is determined to hold a lopsided poll as Awami League will face massive debacle if the election is held in a credible manner.” l

Jamaat calls hartal as Molla death  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

When asked about the next proceedings, Nasir said the tribunal had no further involvement after sending the warrant. “Now it is the duty and decision of the jail authorities.”

Around 4:30pm, Jail Super Forman Ali said he had received the warrant.

He would take the next step on order of the home ministry.

The government claims there is no scope for filing a review petition against an Appellate Division verdict, but the defence maintains that they can appeal according to the constitution.

Protesting the death warrant, Jamaat declared a countrywide daylong shutdown for today, terming the move “a planned political killing.”

Welcoming the death warrant, activists of Ganajagaran Mancha brought out a torch procession last evening in Shahbagh and Dhaka University areas.

They will also hold a procession this morning, protesting the Jamaat hartal.

On September 17, the Appellate Division sentenced Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Quader Molla to death, overturning the tribunal’s life-term sentence delivered on February 5. The full verdict was released on Thursday. On that evening, the convict was shifted from Kashimpur Jail to a condemned cell of the Dhaka Central Jail.

Jail authorities said Quader Molla remained unmoved when he was told that a death warrant had been issued against him. The convict was yet to express his desire to seek the president’s clemency.

Officials of the jail and the Dhaka District Administration said they were prepared to execute the death sentence.

“Although we have not yet received any formal directive regarding the execution of the death sentence against of Quader Molla, the jail authorities are prepared to smoothly implement any

order from the higher authorities,” said Assistant IG (prisons) Zahir Uddin Babar.

Meanwhile, senior defence counsels including Abdur Razzak, Tajul Islam and Shishir Monir pleaded to the tribunal to meet their client at the jail.

In his brief reaction, Tajul yesterday said: “We have not got the certified copy of the full verdict. So we cannot take any decision.”

He added that if the government had tried to execute the verdict in the meantime, “then it will go against the constitution and the laws of the country. And it may be identified as a killing.”

Hasan Jamil, son of Quader Molla, said nobody from the government had told them anything. He claimed that in the afternoon they had told the Supreme Court registrar about filing a review petition against the Appellate Division order.

AKM Shamsul Islam, registrar of the Supreme Court, denied the claim and said: “I am not informed about this. If they want to submit a review petition, they have to do it with the court concerned and during the office hour.”

Quader Molla’s lawyers, however, maintain that there is a provision to review the Supreme Court’s ruling, which raised his sentence from a life term to death sentence.

Tajul claimed that the Appellate Division never increased life-term to death penalty, “so we have enough chance to file the petition.”

On the other hand, prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said after release of the full verdict what left are the routine works.

Regarding review petition, he said it was a matter of the government as per section 20(3) of the tribunal act.

MK Rahman, coordinator of the tribunal, said Quader Molla could only seek the president’s clemency and there was no scope for a review after the Appellate Division had given its order. l

PM meets president n BSS Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on President Abdul Hamid at his official residence Bangabhaban yesterday evening.

During the meeting that lasted for an hour from 6:25pm, Hasina apprised the president of the country’s overall situation, President’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said at a press briefing.

The premier also enquired about the health condition of the president as he returned home on Friday after medical check-up and eye treatment in Singapore.

They also discussed Hamid’s South Africa visit to pay respect to the memories of legendary leader Nelson Mandela.

The president will leave Dhaka today to pay last respect to Mandela on behalf of himself and the people of Bangladesh. Many heads of state and government are set to go to South Africa too. l

BNP leader, AL activist killed

n Tribune Report

16 parties to contest, if JP boycotts polls n Mohammad Zakaria If HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party does not participate in the 10th parliamentary elections on January 5, there will be candidates from only 16 political parties, out of 40 registered with the Election Commission.

EC officials said if the JP candidates withdrew their applications, around 150 candidates of the Awami League would be elected uncontested.

After Ershad’s directive on Thursday, JP’s MP aspirants have started withdrawing their nominations. Four ministers of the party have also responded to the call to resign from the interim cabinet, while two other ministers and an adviser are yet to decide their move.

Nomination papers of 215 JP candidates have been accepted by the EC. Of them, several leaders, including Ershad, submitted nominations for more

than one constituency.

The party chief is yet to withdraw the three nomination papers he had filed.

The deadline ends on December 13.

According to the EC report prepared after scrutiny, there are 847 candidates from 17 registered political parties. As many as 1,107 candidates of 19 parties submitted nomination papers. The EC yesterday corrected the list of parties contesting in the polls. l

A BNP leader and an Awami League activist were killed by criminals in Kushtia and Satkhira yesterday.

Police said unidentified criminals shot BNP leader Munshi Rashidur Rahman, 45, dead. He was also the chairman of Jagannathpur union parishad.

Quoting witnesses, police said a gang of 5-6 masked criminals, riding motorcycles, opened fire on Rashidur around 6pm. He later died at Kushtia General Hospital at 8:30pm.

In Satkhira, criminals stabbed Azahar Ali Morol, 55, an AL activist from Amtali village in Sadar upazila, early yesterday over previous enmity.

Azahar’s wife Nilufar Begum said a group of 12-14 people set fire to their house around 1:30am. As Azahar came out of the house, the criminals stabbed his head and cut tendons of his legs.

He later died at Satkhira Sadar Hospital around 7:45am. l

EC may assess Taranco’s polls shift call today  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

unless the current polls schedules are changed.

Fernandez-Taranco also had a meeting with BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury last night. The BNP leader later said the content of the one and a half hourslong meeting was “sensitive.”

“The party chairperson [Khaleda Zia] has a meeting with Taranco tomorrow, after which we will tell you everything,” he said.

On his five-day visit to the country, Fernandez-Taranco met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday and asked her if the polls could be shifted for accommo-

dating the main opposition party. Hasina suggested that the UN envoy talk to the EC. Fernandez-Taranco had a two-hourlong one-to-one meeting with Rakibuddin who later briefed some of the commissioners about the contents of the meeting.

Former CEC ATM Shamsul Huda sees no problem in changing the polls schedule now although eight candidates have apparently been elected uncontested.

“We changed polls schedules three times for holding an inclusive election.

The commission has the authority to bring any changes to the schedule for a greater cause,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said it was up to the EC to decide whether to reschedule the polls and

how, or declare a fresh timetable.

Shamsul Huda said the precedence of changing election schedule would help the court to settle the issue if anyone challenged such decision.

After his meeting with the CEC, Fernandez-Taranco went to the Prime Minister’s Office for a meeting with Gowher Rizvi. He also had talks with the Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad and a group of civil society members later.

Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader told reporters that Ershad had proposed shifting the polls date by at least 10 days and tagged the condition for ensuring participation of all political parties.

Dr Kamal Hossain, Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Dr Shahdeen Malik and Badiul Alam Majumder met Fernandez-Taranco at the Hotel Sonargaon.

Dr Kamal Hossain told the UN envoy that law did not stand in the way of deferring the polls. He said the attempted one-sided polls should be stopped.

Lawyer Shahdeen Malik said nobody wanted a one-sided election.

“The elections in 2008 had 87% turnout. People want to see that kind of polls,” he told reporters.

SHUJAN’s Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said the CEC had already said if there was a compromise, the election schedule could be extended. l

‘EC likely to face legal hurdle if polls rescheduled’  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

BNP has no scope for participating in the 10th parliamentary election as it has missed the deadline.

If a candidate elected unopposed files a writ petition against the decision of the EC it will create a new crisis and that does not mean “we are going to do it but we cannot assure either that someone will not do it”, said a minister in return for anonymity.

“We have no such plan but someone might file it if the EC takes the initiative to reschedule the polls schedule. In that case we have nothing to do,” he said.

If the move initiated by the foreign dip-

lomats produces any conclusive result the EC will go ahead with the election.When asked about the possibility of such move Communications Minister Obaidul Quader declined to comment on it.

“The EC has the sole authority. We will just assist them to hold a peaceful, free and fair election,” he said.

The minister went on to say that they had no option but to go for the polls in due time as per the constitution.

A move is on to come to a consensus. But, it’s yet to get any logical conclusion. The crisis may persist until and after the election, he doubted.

Meanwhile, Awami League Adviso-

Sayedee witness injured in attack  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

of the case against Sayedee, Mahbubul Alam Howlader, who also testified at the war crimes tribunal, was attacked by over 200 Jamaat-BNP activists on October 28.

According to Nobin and another witness who the Dhaka Tribune contacted to learn about the attack’s context, Mostafa was an active witness in the case who not only testified against Sayedee, but also had visited the other prosecution witnesses to inspire them to stand against Sayedee.

The prosecution could not produce at least 15 witnesses in Sayedee case as many of them had either fled their houses or refused to turn up at the tribunal to testify. The tribunal had to accept their statements recorded by the investigation officer as evidence at the end of proceedings.

“The criminals entered the house by digging a tunnel to give the impression that it was an attempt of burglary,” said Nobin.

But Hafiz told him that the attackers had not looked for valuables and swooped on his father at once they were inside the house.

Another witness, who did not dare stand against Sayedee at the tribunal, told the Dhaka Tribune from Pirojpur that a group of Jamaat cadres had entered the area, apparently to attack the witnesses.

From the dialect they use, it is evident they were hailing from Jhenidah or Satkhira. A shopkeeper nearby Mo-

stafa’s house saw the group talking about him around 7:30pm on Saturday, hours before the witness was attacked.

“Do not come out of home whoever calls you in the night,” the shopkeeper alerted the witness.

At the end of last month, a group of 10-12 youths had gone to Nobin’s house in the evening and threatened that they had some issues to be settled with him.

They warned Nobin from the courtyard as the collapsible gate to his house had been locked.

Prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said the way the threats and attacks were occurring “is clearly indicative of Jamaat-BNP being on the prowl.” He refrained from making further comment as he could not hear about the attack from critically injured Mostafa.

Investigators at the International Crimes Tribunal said such attacks on witnesses had made the fate of the pending cases uncertain. “Many witnesses will not turn up at the tribunal to testify.”

Pirojpur Police Superintendent Akhteruzzaman said Mostafa has been a brave witness against Sayedee who moved around openly and encouraged other witnesses against Sayedee. He had enemies, mainly for giving deposition against the Jamaat leader.

The police have already picked up a man who they suspect to have dug the tunnel. He man is known to be a BNP activist. l

ry Council member Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said the ruling party had no problem if the polls were to be rescheduled to a later date.

“But the matter is entirely up to the EC,” Amu, who is also the minister for land and disaster management, told reporters at his office.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said citizens would not go for vote if an opposition did not participate in the election.

“That election will be questionable,” the finance minister told the reporters in reply to a question yesterday at his secretariat office.

The statement came after UN Assis-

tant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if the polls could be deferred.

Amu asserted that Awami League could come to a political consensus with BNP but there would be no compromise with the war crimes issue.

The elections are slated for January 5.

Jatiya Party, which decided to participate in polls and joined the pollstime cabinet, is now demanding a deferral seeking elections with the participation of “all parties.” The main opposition BNP, however, has been against this polls-schedule from the very beginning. l

JP’s resignation drama lingers  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

submit their resignation as there is a separate wing to receive letters and other documents at the PM’s office, he added.

The confusion was created when Hawlader yesterday evening said they would send the resignation letters to the PM’s office by post.

The JP chairman directed his party ministers to resign from polls-time cabinet and withdraw their candidatures from the 10th National Parliament Election on Wednesday after his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh.

On December 5 four ministers from JP, who were the members of polls-time cabinet, handed over their resignation letters to Ershad in reply to his call.

The ministers are Ruhul Amin Hawlader, GM Quader, Mujibul Haq Khan Chunnu, and Salma Islam.

However, Rowshan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud, and Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, advisor to the prime minister submitted their resignation letters to party Chief HM Ershad yesterday morning, after 5 days into his instruction.

Meanwhile, JP Chief HM Ershad said he would try to persuade BNP to join the polls if President Abdul Hamid initiated a move for a consensus.

While talking to waiting reporters the JP chief made the comment at 6am in the morning at his Baridhara resi-

dence, Ershad’s press secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy confirmed the Dhaka Tribune.

“But Awami League wants one-sided polls and they want to score a goal in an empty field,” Ershad said. “Can this be tolerated?”

“The main problem of the country is now Hasina. BNP is unwilling to participate in polls under her supervision,” he said.

In the late evening, Hawlader went to Bangabhaban to meet President Abdul Hamid. He told reporters: “Our chairman sent me to inquire about the present’s health condition following his medical check-up in Singapore.”

He said they also discussed the latest political situation, but did not discuss anything about their resignation from the cabinet.

However, Hawlader said they would not join today’s cabinet meeting.

Jatiya Party has hit the headlines in recent times with its unpredictable political flip-flop centring the upcoming elections.

In his latest move, Ershad said he would participate in the upcoming elections if all other parties join the fray.

Earlier he said he would boycott polls.

In November, an interim cabinet was formed as per ruling Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s proposal for an “all-party” cabinet to oversee the upcoming polls. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Monday, December 9, 2013

Two killed as road-rail-waterways blockade continues One of them succumbs to injuries she received last week n Tribune Report At least two persons were killed yesterday on the second day of 72-hour road-rail-waterways blockade called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.

Masud Ahmed, Bangladesh Chhatra League vice-president of Chhatak Technical School and College unit, was killed as clash took place between BCL and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj last night.

Masud was declared dead around 8pm after he was whisked off to Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet yesterday evening, police said.

A doctor of the emergency unit of the hospital Khairul Bashar said Masud’s head was smashed by a brick.

P5 MORE ON BLOCKADE However, local BCL leaders claimed that Masud died as JCD men opened fire on him.

The clash started after a group of JCD activists intercepted a BCL man near Chhatak upazila town this afternoon, said Officer-in-charge of Chhatak Police Station Shahjalal Munshi.

He said, the law enforcers fired 199 rounds of rubber bullets and 65 teargas canisters to disperse the activists.

Another victim was Rehana Pervin, 24, who died at Enam Medical College in Savar Sunday evening.

She was injured when she was scrambling out of a running bus that came under petrol bomb attack by miscreants on December 2. She was undergoing treatment at the hospital where she died yesterday Meanwhile, vandalism, crude bombs blasts and arson attacks marked the second day of the nationwide 72hour road-rail-waterways blockade

called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance yesterday.

Stray incidents of violence were reported from Jhenaidah, Sumanganj, Natore, Narail, Khulna, Chittagong, Bogra, Savar, Narayanganj and some other places in the country.

The capital also saw incidents of violence where a 12-hour shutdown was enforced by city unit BNP protesting the arrest of its Convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The countrywide blockade will continue until 6:00am Tuesday if it is not extended further as done during the previous two spells.

Yesterday some district units of BNP and its wings observed hartal while for Monday hartal has been called in Brahmanbaria, Faridpur, Feni, Munshiganj, Barisal, Barguna, Natore, Norail, Jhenaidah yesterday.

In the capital opposition activists blasted crude bombs and brought out processions in different parts of the capital, including Uttar Badda, Naya Bazar and Basabo areas and torched a bus at Jatrabari.

No inter-district bus left Dhaka but launch and train communications were almost normal.

Outside Dhaka BNP men locked in clashes with police in Jhenaidah leaving seven people injured including three cops.

Police said BNP men brought out a procession at Arappur Bus Stand around 11:00am and blocked Jhenaidah-Kustia road. As police tried to disperse them they hurled brick chips at police and blasted three cocktails.

Later a chase and counter-chase took place while police had to fire bullets from shotgun and teargas shells to disperse them.

At least 50 people were injured in a half-hour long clash between AL and

BNP activists at Chhatak in Sunamganj.

Police later took the situation under control.

Meanwhile, in Chittagong blockaders vandalised 10 vehicles and blasted crude bombs and attempted to block roads at different areas.

An official of a private bank, Sabuj Chowdhury received splinter injuries in his back as blockade supporters hurled crude bombs at Kotwali around 9:00am when he was going to his workplace from his residence at Dewanhat.

JCD enforced hartal in the district.

At Mirsarai upazila of Chittagong pickets attacked two bridal party buses injuring seven people by pelting brick chips at Khajuria village. Later police escorted the bus to destination.

A battery-run three-wheeler’s driver was injured as activists of Shibir vandalised three vehicles in Khulna city in the morning. They also blasted five crude bombs.

In Bogra, pickets vandalised a motorcycle and burnt tyres on the Bogra-Dhaka highway during a daylong hartal enforced by the opposition protesting “the conspiracy” against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and other opposition leaders.

In Meherpur police foiled an attempt of arson attack on Gangni Upazila Election office in the morning but could not spare the office from vandalizing. The blockaders also vandalized a Jubo League leader’s office and several shops.

In Barisal, on Saturday night pickets set fire to a bus and a tempo at Kalizira area. The pickets in Chandpur vandalized at least 10 CNG-run auto rickshaws. Police picked up six pickets.

On the other hand, AL cadres ransacked upazila BNP office and police detained upazila BNP president and ac-

Police swoop on leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal and arrest several of them as they bring out a procession in the capital’s Tejgaon yesterday demanding the release of Sadeq Hossain Khoka DHAKA TRIBUNE tivists in Mehendiganj upazila in the afternoon. Police charging baton disbursed the procession and arrested upazila BNP president Labu and JCD activist Mamun from the spot and injured 4 activists.

Meanwhile, in Narayanganj pickets torched a bus and a truck and vandalized a number of vehicles after pouring petrol at Chandmari of Fatullah and at Bhulta of Rupganj.

The pickets locked into clashes as police barred them. At Bhulta they also vandalized 3-4 vehicles on Dhaka-Sylhet highway.

In Noakhali, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between police and blockaders in Sonaimuri area when the police tried to disperse the blockaders around 10 am. In Savar pickets torched a taxi cab in the morning.

Meanwhile police nabbed two Shibir men redhanded in Gazipur while blasting crude bombs. Police also arrested three Shibir men with several crude bombs in Munshiganj. Four BNP activists including a union level leader were arrested in Munshiganj for torching the launches and two buses at Mawoa on Saturday.

In the capital, blockaders set fire to a passenger bus and exploded three to four homemade bombs at Matuail. At Pallabi a mobile court awarded a JCD activist Md Farid Hossain six-month jail after he was nabbed from a procession from which a number of cocktails were blasted around 7:45am.

Police arrested two persons from Gulshan post office area with a powerful bomb last night.

Incidents of cocktail blasts were also reported from Tanti Bazar intersection and Bongshal intersection in the old town. l

Nanak, 17 others acquitted of arson case Tribunal gives Yusuf options

CPA initiates waterway transportation of n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu containers today

n

Tushar Hayat, Chittagong

Waterway transportation of containers between Chittagong Port and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, a special arrangement to ease businessmen’s sufferings during the ongoing political unrest in the country, starts from today, one month after the inauguration of the Inland Container Depot (ICD).

Captain Nazmul Alam, deputy conservator of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), yesterday said a vessel, MV Pangaon Success, was being laden with containers, adding that it would leave the port for Pangaon in the morning [today].

He also said the vessel would carry 20 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) of containers stuffed with imported goods of the Walton Group. 50 empty containers will also be sent to Pangaon with the vessel.

A top official of the CPA said they were sending containers to Pangaon with the consent of the importers and owners of the containers.

Sayad Jamal Ahmed, acting president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the initiative would ease the suffering of business people who have not been able to transport containers by road because of the continuous hartals and blockades.

“We would have benefited more had the CPA taken such an initiative sooner after the inauguration of the ICD,” he added.

CPA sources said they had procured three vessels – Pangaon Express, Pangaon Success and Pangaon Vision – from China at a cost of Tk45 crore. The vessels will carry containers to and from the terminal, each of the vessels is capable of carrying 180 TEUs of containers.

Meanwhile, Captain M Shahajahan, a member of the CPA, said they could not make the ICD operative immediately after the inauguration, as the procured vessels were yet to be registered with the Mercantile and Marine Department, and command of the terminal had not been fixed. l

A Dhaka court yesterday acquitted 18 accused including present lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak in a case filed in connection with arson attack on a BRTC double-decker near then Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on June 4, 2004.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Keshob Roy Chowdhury yesterday passed the acquittal order on the basis of final report pressed by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Criminal Investigation Department Khondoker Md Abdul Halim on February 7, 2013.

On September 24, 2013, the court mentioned in its order that at first the investigation officer of the arson case submitted the final report on January 14, 2009, but police filed Naraji petition against the report on July 13, 2010.

The court allowed the petition and ordered that the case be reinvestigated.

The ASP further investigated the case and pressed the latest report on February 7, 2013.

According to the latest probe report, the DB police obtained confessional statements under duress as regards the arson case from the two accused – Shafiqul Islam Kalu and Md Masum – who were originally detained on charges of mugging.

On July 14, 2004, Masum made confessional statement under DB police threat.

According to his confession, Nanak, then Jubo League general secretary, lawmaker Mirza Azam and then city AL organising secretary Sayeed Khokon were among those accused and also masterminds behind the arson attack.

Again on July 28, 2004, Shafiqul made the same statement.

Later, the two were shown arrest in the arson case, according to the final report.

The report also said Shafiqul Islam Kalu was arrested on June 3, 2004 in the mugging case filed with Ramna police station, and so he was in police custody, and his confession about the involvement of those accused in the

arson case was false and fabricated.

The report added that the confessional statements of the bus conductor and helper were also false.

It also mentioned that the latest investigation did not find the accused involved in the arson attack.

“The court order came out today (Sunday) though the order was actually passed on September 24, 2013,” said General Recording Officer SubInspector Mahmudur Rahman.

Among those acquitted of the arson case are lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL leaders Mirza Azam and Sayeed Khokon, AFM Mizanur Rahman, Shafiqul Islam Kalu, Md Masum, Md Monir, Dinesh Sarker, Abdul Mannan, Md Jahangir Alam, Shahidul Islam Thandu and others.

On June 4, 2004, then opposition party Awami League called a countywide hartal. In the evening, a BRTC double-decker was set ablaze near then Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

The arson attack left seven individuals died on the spot and four succumbed to their injuries later. l

The new pay scales of Bangladesh Bank and four state-owned commercial banks will not be executed during the rest of the polls-time government’s tenure because of legal complexities.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said: “The prime minister and the secretary committee gave

n Udisa Islam The war crimes tribunal yesterday gave accused AKM Yusuf four options to continue the trial process as the conducting defence lawyer remains absent for the last two weeks because of hartals and blockade.

The International Crimes Tribunal 2 asked Yusuf whether he would question the witness himself, order the junior counsel to cross examine, appoint new counsel or else the tribunal can appoint a new lawyer.

After recording testimony of the 15th prosecution witness, Sunil Kumar Dakua, 67, the tribunal asked junior defence counsel Gazi MH Tamim to cross examine the witness, who did not mention Yusuf’s name in his deposition.

Tamim began grilling the witness, but after some time he told the tribunal that he needed to consult the

senior counsel to continue the crossexamination and sought adjournment for a day.

Expressing discontent, the tribunal then said conducting lawyer Mizanur Rahman had been absent since November 25 citing “personal difficulties.” The court proceedings cannot run this way.

The tribunal said political activities would continue “but we have to work.

If this case runs this way, then it will be harmful for you. You cannot stay unundefended. So we alert you.”

It asked Yusuf to respond to the options by tomorrow and set today for further proceedings in the case.

The same tribunal earlier cancelled cross-examination of three witnesses as the defence lawyers remained absent during the proceedings. The tribunal yesterday vtold Yusuf: “Everybody is doing their job amid the current political situation except for your counsel.” l

Last chance for review hearing against Azhar n Udisa Islam

People waiting for long hours tries to board a train at the Kamalapur Railway Station yesterday as trains were scarce because of 18-party alliance blockade programme and BNP city unit 12-hour hartal DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bank pay scale not in present government’s tenure n Tribune Report

as defence remains absent

their consent, but we cannot issue the gazette notification on executing the Bangladesh Bank pay scale because of the legal complexities.”

The execution of the pay scale for Bangladesh Bank depends on exempting it from the Services (Reorganisation and Conditions) Act 1975, which is not easy as parliament is not in session now.

“So, there is no possibility that the new pay scales will be executed within the present government’s tenure. The next elected government will execute them,” Muhith told reporters at his Secretariat office.

In reply to a question, he, however, said the Grameen Bank election rule would be executed “as the Grameen Bank law 2013 has been enacted.”

He said: “We have already asked the law and parliament affairs ministry to implement the Grameen Bank election rule within a short time.

“The Grameen Bank Commission will submit the final report, but we do not know when. We have not been able to establish the relation between Grameen Bank and its 54 associate organisations.” l

The International Crimes Tribunal has given the defence of alleged alBadr commander ATM Azharul Islam scope to take part in the hearing on a review petition they had filed against indictment.

The tribunal yesterday was irked as the defence counsels had repeatedly been absent during the blockade days on ground of “personal difficulties.”

As Abdur Razzak, senior defence counsel for the Jamaat leader, did not attend the proceedings, the threemember tribunal set tomorrow for the hearing and recording testimony of three witnesses in camera.

Azhar was indicted on November 12 for his involvement in crimes against

humanity in Rangpur during the 1971 Liberation War. Yesterday was also fixed for hearing on the contempt issue against Human Rights Watch, a New York-based rights group. Asaduzzaman, counsel for the HRW, came up with an adjournment petition seeking four weeks time and some documents from the prosecution.

Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum told the tribunal that they would give the defence the papers immediately. Then the tribunal fixed January 7 for reply on the contempt notice.

The same tribunal yesterday deferred until December 29 the date of pronouncing order on the contempt notice issued against two journalists of London-based weekly The Economist. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, December 9, 2013

Combating corruption still very slow Despite improving position in the CPI, the average level is yet far away n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Bangladesh is going through a slow process in combating corruption which is far away from the satisfactory level, prominent citizens yesterday said.

They said Bangladesh had improved its position in Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 but it is very little and unsatisfactory because the country is still far away from reaching the average level which is 43 in the index.

Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman M Bodiuzzaman observed that the country had to go a long way to see progress in the scenario. “The progresses made were slow and are not satisfactory”.

Bangladesh climbed seven places in the ranking of 177 countries this

year to 136th position, while its benchmark score improved by one point to 27, according to CPI 2013, prepared by Berlin-based NGO Transparency International.

The chairman also said a provision of recently passed Anti-Corruption Commission (Amended) Act 2013 will worsen the scenario if it continues.

“Most of the corruption is being done in the public sector and with the recently passed law we need to be depended on some government authorities to combat corruption,” he said.

The parliament on November 10 approved the controversial bill further curbing the power of the already beleaguered institution with a provision that made it mandatory for the ACC to have “prior approval” of the government be-

fore filing cases against judges, magistrates and public servants.

The chairman emphasised the need for creating awareness among mass people saying.

Most of the corruption is being done in the public sector and with the recently passed law we need to be depended on some government authorities to combat corruption As like the other countries across the world, Bangladesh is set to observe International Anti-Corruption Day today.

With the theme Act Against Corruption Today the United Nations declared December 9 as the Anti-Corruption Day to strengthen the anti-graft movement

across the world.

On October 31, 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the convention came into force in December 2005.

Former adviser to the caretaker government AB Mirza Azizul Islam said the CPI survey shows some developments but the perception among the people remains the same as in the past.

Answering a question in regards to the role of ACC law, Islam said: “Corruption is acute in public sector. If the graft busting agency needs to take prior approval from authorities for taking action against the government officials, the accused official directly gets defence from the government.”

Several organisations in Bangladesh

are set to observe the day through different programmes.

The ACC will hold rally, discussion programme and awareness rising cultural programme in the capital while the other offices will organise human chain, rally, discussion programme and awareness rising cultural programme across the country.

Reporters Against Corruption (RAC) will hold a human chain at Segunbagicha in the morning.

Transparency International Bangladesh will hold an award-winning ceremony of Investigative Journalism Award 2013 at the Brac Centre Inn in the morning.

The graft campaigners will also organise a human chain and a cartoon exhibition at the University of Dhaka today. l

Four Sonali Bank officials defy ACC notices n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Ignoring a notice issued by the Anti-Corruption Commission’s, four Sonali Bank Limited officials accused of being involved in the Hallmark scam did not appear at the ACC headquarters yesterday.

The ACC, on November 28, served notices to nine top officials of the Sonali Bank, ordering them to give statements in the case of the embezzling of almost Tk372 crore from Sonali Bank’s Ruposhi Bangla branch in the capital.

Violating the bank’s rules, officials of the Sonali Bank and five business entities of Hallmark Group allegedly embezzled the money between October 2011 and May 2012.

The officials, who flouted the notices, were, the former general manager at the Sonali Bank, Noni Gopal Nath, assistant general managers M Kamrul Hossain Khan and M Saiful Hasan, and executive officer Mohammad Abdul Matin, said ACC Deputy Director and probe team head, Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shibli.

Meanwhile, the commission has interrogated five officials of the bank accused on the same charges. The officials were, the banks former general managers Sabita Siraj (PRL) and ANM Masrurul Huda Siraji, deputy general manager Kaniz Fatema Chowdhury, assistant general manager Ashraf Ali Patwary, and M Khurshid Alam.

The commission, on January 1, filed 26 cases against 17 Sonali Bank officials and 18 top officials of the business entities; on charges of swindling over Tk350 crore from the bank.

Among the officials, Hallmark Group Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, General Manager (Commercial) Tushar Ahmed, Sonali Bank Deputy Managing Director Atiqur Rahman, General Manager Mir Mohidur Rahman, Deputy General Managers Sheikh Altaf Hossain, Shafiz Uddin Ahmed, and AKM Azizur Rahman (also former manager of the Ruposhi Bangla Branch) are currently in custody while the remaining 17 have absconded. l

WEATHER

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

Night temperature might rise slightly and day temperature might remain nearly unchanged 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 30.3 degree Celsius was recorded at Sitakunda and lowest 13.3 degrees at Chuadanga yesterday.

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

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

28.8 26.8 28.4 27.6 28.0 28.8 29.7 30.0

18.0 19.5 15.7 16.6 16.5 26.0 16.7 21.0

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:09am 6:29am 11:51am 3:36pm 5:12pm 6:33pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Khoka sent to jail n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday ordered to send detained BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka to jail rejecting his bail plea and police’s remand prayer in an attempt to murder case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Atiqur Rahman passed the order.

The magistrate also ordered the investigation officer to quiz him at jail gate if needed and the jail authorities to give him division.

Investigation officer Md Abu Zafar Talukder Manik produced Khoka before the court, showing him arrested in a case filed with the Tejgaon police station and sought 10 days’ remand.

The case was filed in connection with vandalism and arson attack on vehicles in front of Halim Community Centre in Tejgaon during an opposition hartal on October 26.

Earlier, Khoka was taken on two-day remand in a case filed with the Shahbag police station for setting a bus on fire.

Khoka was picked up by members of Rab and DB police from the capital’s Uattra on December 4. l

Mahmudur sent to jail after remand n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Only a few vehicles on the roads in Gulshan 2 of the capital during the 18-party-sponsored 72-hour blockade and 12-hour hartal enforced by BNP city unit yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

A Dhaka court yesterday sent Daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmadur Rahman to jail after completion of six days’ remand in two cases filed with the Tajgoan police station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Salam passed the order after police produced him before the court.

On April 11, he was placed on six days’ remand when Tajgaon police sought remand in two cases. That remand, however, was not executed.

So, on December 3, police sought permission to execute the six days remand, which the court granted.

Mahmadur Rahman told the court that police had not given him any food and place to sleep during the remand.

He alleged that it was a violation of human rights and international laws.

On April 11, police arrested Mahmudur Rahman from his Karwan Bazar office in the capital on charge of sedition by publishing the Skype conversation between Justice Md Nizamul Huq, former chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal 1, and Ahmed Ziauddin, an expatriate Bangladeshi legal expert.

On the same day, he was placed on 13 days’ remand in three cases filed in connection with the publication of the reports and the torching of vehicles hours after he was arrested at his office. l

Returning officers asked Hearing on charge framing of to form monitoring teams Khaleda Zia deferred again n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has asked the returning officers to form three monitoring teams for each constituency.

In a circular issued yesterday, the EC asked the returning officers to inform the commission about completing formation of the teams for vigilance and observation, election monitoring, and law enforcement agencies as soon as possible.

The circular states that the ROs will allocate symbols to candidates and in cases of demand for the same symbol, the RO concerned will conduct a lottery for allocating symbols among them EC officials said the vigilance and observation teams led by the returning officers had been formed to ensure free and fair manner of holding the polls.

The teams would work in district and

metropolitan areas while similar teams led by assistant returning officers would work at upazila level.

The team will monitor violation of electoral laws and election expenditure of candidates. If any candidate violates the electoral laws and the polls expenditure ceiling, it will report the matter to the electoral enquiry committee.

The election monitoring teams will see if candidates obey the electoral code of conduct and report to the EC every five days.

The circular asked the returning officers to maintain a neutral environment in their constituencies and warned them of stern action in case of failure.

The EC yesterday also issued a circular on allocation of election symbols for the contesting parties and candidates.

The circular states that the returning officers will allocate symbols to candidates. If more than one independent candidates in a constituency want the same symbol, the returning officer concerned will conduct a lottery for allocating symbols among them. l

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday deferred until January 12 the hearing on charge framing against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and eight others in connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case and Zia Charitable Trust graft case.

Defense Counsel Md Sanaullah Miah submitted two separate petitions for time extension yesterday.

Khaleda Zia could not appear before the court due to security reasons as a countrywide blockade programme was going on, said Md Sanaullah Miah.

Acting Judge Md Mozammel Hossain of the Special Judge Court-3 passed the order after hearing the petitions.

The charge framing hearing of the cases have been deferred several times so far, as Khaleda did not turn up to the court on different grounds.

Earlier, on June 16, the court had deferred the hearing in the two draft cases until July 21.

On July 21 after deferring the hearing until August 18 the court, however,

said this would be “the last time” the hearing on the charge framing was deferred.

On August 18, a Dhaka court deferred until September 16 the chargeframing hearing in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case for the sixth time.

Zia Charitable Trust graft case On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Tejgaon police station accusing the four, including Khaleda, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid, the investigation officer of the case, pressed charges against the accused on January 16, 2012.

According to the case statement, a 2809 square metre piece of land in the city’s Kakrail area was bought by the trust from one Suraiya Khanam in January 2005, for Tk6.52crore.

ACC alleged that Tk1.25crore of the amount was earned beyond the trust’s known sources of income.

The three accused are Harris Chow-

dhury, Khaleda’s former political secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary (APS) of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka were present before court.

Of them, Harris is absconding while the rest two appeared before the court.

Zia Orphanage Trust graft case ACC filed the case with the Ramna police station on July 3, 2008, accusing Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others of misappropriating over Tk 2.10 crore, which came as “grants” from a foreign bank for the orphans.

ACC deputy director Harunur Rashid submitted a charge sheet in the case on August 5, 2010.

The other accused are Mominur Rahman, nephew of late president Ziaur Rahman; Khaleda’s former Principal Secretary Dr Kamaluddin Siddique; and former BNP lawmakers Kazi Salimul Haque and Sharfuddin Ahmed.

Khaleda last appeared before the court on January 15 when she secured a permanent bail in the graft case. l

Cyclonic storm ‘Madi’ moves north of its position Ports asked to hoist warning signal two

n Tribune Report The severe cyclonic storm “Madi,” formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, moved slightly north-northeastwards over the same area yesterday, according to the Bangladesh Department of Meteorology (Met) office.

It was centered at 6pm noon on Sunday about 1,330km southwest of the maritime ports of coastal district of Chittagong, 1,265km southwest of Cox’s Bazar and 1,280km south-south-

west of Mongla in Bagerhat.

The storm was feared to intensify further and take a northerly course, Bangladesh Department of Meteorology added.

The ports were advised to keep hoisted distant warning signal no two (2).

All fishing boats and trawlers over the deep sea were asked to stay close to the North Bay. They were also advised to proceed with caution until further notice.

This fishing boats were asked not to venture into the deep sea. l

Leader and activists of Rajshahi unit BNP vow that they will resist the next general elections yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Escalator footbridge at Banani yet to be opened

PRIMARY TEACHERS RECRUITMENT TEST

Probe finds evidence of question paper leaks

n Mushfique Wadud Officials of north city corporation blame the ongoing political unrest for the delay Chairman and CEO of the company, A probe body, formed to investigate the “After finishing the construction, en- the DNCC approval for the footbridge’s n Tazlina Zamila Khan Md Shahid Ullah said: “We have opened allegations of question paper leaks in a gineers of the contractors of the project, design.

The Dhaka North City Corporation has missed the deadline for completing work on an escalator foot bridge in the capital’s Banani area which was due to open on November 30.

Officials of Dhaka North City Corporations have blamed the ongoing political unrest for the delay while construction work at the site was yet to be completed.

Md Mofizur Rahman Khan, executive engineer of the project, said: “The foundation work is going on and due to the blockade programmes contractors are scared to work.”

MAQ International, will install the escalator. If the political situation remains normal, the escalator is expected to arrive in the capital by December 15. I hope footbridge can be opened for public use within this year,” he said.

Besides, DNCC will apply to Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) for power connections for escalators, Mofizur said.

However, General Manager of MAQ International, Syed Mohammad Abduhu told the Dhaka Tribune that the delay was caused as it took time to get

“A Bangladesh-Malaysian joint venture company was the consultant, who had prepared the detailed design, which was then sent for DNCC’s approval. Only after getting the approval could we start work,” he said.

The company has been awarded Tk20crore for building a total of 18 bridges across the capital.

“It is going to be the first footbridge with escalator in the country,” Abduhu said.

Sub-contractors of the project, Horizon Techno Ltd, are importing the escalators from Malaysia.

a letter of credit (L/C) with one of the private banks. We will import the escalator as soon as the contractors finish construction.” Earlier on September 30, Chief Engineer of DNCC Brig Gen Md Abul Khair said the bridge would be completed by November 30.

The bridge will have two moving staircases and is being constructed as part of the Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project (CASE) under the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The World Bank has provided Tk3b for the CASE project. l

recruitment test for assistant primary school teachers, found evidence suggesting that papers were leaked in at least 17 districts.

Based on the findings, the ministry of primary and mass education cancelled the tests held in those districts yesterday. SM Ashraful Islam, additional secretary of the ministry, said candidates of those districts would have to sit the exam again.

The districts are Dhaka, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur,

Police waylay activists of the BNP-led 18-party as they bring out a procession in Meherpur yesterday

Maniruzzaman Memorial Fund established at DU

n Arif Ahmed

A fund entitled “Poet Prof Dr Mohammad Maniruzzaman Memorial Lecture Fund” has been set up at the Department of Bangla at Dhaka University.

Rashida Zaman, wife of late Prof Mohammad Maniruzzaman, handed over a cheque for Tk7lakh to DU Treasurer Prof Md Kamal Uddin on Tuesday to initiate the fund.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Department of Bangla Chairperson Prof Siddiqua Mahmuda, and acting Registrar Syed Rezaur Rahman were also present on the occasion.

A memorial lecture on Poet Prof Mohammad Maniruzzaman will also be arranged every year under the auspices of the university Bangla department.

On the occasion of the fund’s initiation, DU VC thanked Rashida Zaman for setting up the fund at Dhaka University to perpetuate the memory of her husband. He also said Mohammad Maniruzzaman will live forever as a result of his outstanding contributions in the fields of education, research and culture. Mohammad Maniruzzaman was a renowned poet and former professor of the DU Bangla department. He was born in 1943 and died in 2008. l

The second of the 72-hour countrywide blockade, sponsored by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, passed yesterday with sporadic incidents including arson attacks, explosions of crude bombs, and roads blockades.

The blockade programme and daylong shutdown ran simultaneously in Chittagong, as Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of BNP, enforced the strike, demanding the immediate release of its president and general secretary.

A bank employee was injured after the blockaders blasted several crude bombs in Dewanbazar area around 9am. Sabuj Chowdhury, an IT officer at Exim Bank’s Khulshi Branch, was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

The blockade campaigners brought out a sudden procession from Nasirabad Housing Society area around 8am.

Police said the blockaders blasted several bombs and torched a number of tyres. Later, police went to the spot and extinguished the fire. Nobody was arrested.

The examinations and classes at different educational institutions were held as per schedules.

The roadside shops, shopping malls and business establishments remained opened.

Railway communication on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Chittagong- Sylhet routes was almost normal.

All trains left from Chittagong railway station despite some delays for a few hours, said Shamsul Alam, manager of Chittagong railway station.

The long distance and inter-district buses and other goods-laden vehicles, stayed off the roads however.

The blockade supporters brought out a sudden procession from Nasirabad Housing Society area around 8am Loading and unloading of cargofrom the ships at the port was almost normal, but transportation of export-import goods was hampered due to the disruption of vehicular movement, said Port Secretary Syed Farhad Uddin.

In Barisal, the blockade was marked with barricaded roads and highways, crude bomb blasts and the torching of vehicles.

Police arrested Riazur Rahman Riaz, joint secretary of the city unit JCD, during picketing.

Pickets set fire to a bus and a tempo in Kalizira area of the city Saturday night.

They also tried to torch a truck in Rupatali area, but failed as rivals chased them.

Activists of the 18-party alliance blocked roads, hurled bombs and staged demonstrations at Nobogram Road, Bogura Road, Kawnia and BM College areas of the city in morning.They also blocked the Barisal-Dhaka Highway at Raintree Tala, the Barisal-Banaripara road at Tetultala and the Barisal-Babuganj road at Lakutia.

Charging with batons at the blockaders, police disbursed pickets and removed road blocks from different points in the city.

No long-distance buses left Barisal Nathullabad and Rupatali bus terminals during yesterday’s blockade.

In Barisal, transactions at financial institutions, and attendance at educational institutions and judicial and administrative offices was limited.

In Lakshmipur, the Jamaat-Shibir activists put up barricades at different points on the Laxmipur-Dhaka highway by placing logs and burning tyres.

The blockade supporters brought out separate processions at Mandani Bazar, Dalal Bazar, College road, Noth Temuhoni and South Temuhoni.

In Bogra, opposition activists blocked Bogra-Rangpur highway by burning tyres and placing logs at the Matidhali crossing and by bringing out a procession at Yakubia crossing.

In Natore, blockaders vandalised a

covered van of a courier service at Harishpur bypass crossing.

In Narail, Blockaders put up barricade at Taltola on the Narail-Lohagara road and at Tolaram on the Narail-Jessore road by setting petrol fires and placing logs.

They also blasted several crude bombs.

In Sathkhira, 18-party activists put up a barricade at Kadamtola on the Sathkhira-Jessore road and held a demonstration there.

In Noakhali, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between police and blockaders in Sonaimuri area when the police tried to disperse the blockaders around 10 am.

In Jhenaidah, at least 10 people were injured including three members of the police as blockade supporters clashed with them in the district’s Arrappaur area, yesterday morning. The injured policemen were SI Mizan Moitra and Constables Mithun and Shova.

Police said they fired rubber bullets and launched teargas shells to disperse the blockaders around 11am. The injured were admitted to several clinics.

After the end of 131-hour blockade programme, which was protesting the election schedule, BNP Joint Secretary General Salauddin Ahmed announced the 72-hour nationwide blockade through a video message sent from an undisclosed locationon Thursday. l

Deputy commissioners to work as governing bodies of NU colleges n Tribune Report

The newly appointed Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Hanne Fugi Eskjaer pays a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter’s office yesterday morning DHAKA TRIBUNE

Lalmonirhat, Narayanganj, Cox’s Bazar, Satkhira, Pabna, Jhenaidah, Rajbari, Meherpur, Khulna, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj.

Sources said the test was held on 8 November at 1,362 centres across the country. Approximately 968,127 contenders took the exam, competing for the 7,000 posts available.

The allegations of a leak arose soon after the exam, from candidates who challenged its credibility. They said question papers were leaked the night before the exam.

The ministry ruled out the allegation initially but later, on 12 November, formed a committee to look into the matter. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sporadic violence marks countrywide blockade n Tribune Report

5

Monday, December 9, 2013

The governing body, or ad hoc committee chairmen, of colleges affiliated with the National University, will have to discontinue their work during the 10th parliamentary elections, as per the Election Commission decision.

The commission decided that the chairmen, who are taking part in the upcoming elections, cannot continue their work during the interim period, according to a NU press release.

The release signed by information and public relation director, Fayzul Karim, stated that during the interim period the divisional commissioners of the seven divisions would work as the governing bodies of the colleges affiliated to National University.

Earlier on December 1, the educa-

tion ministry issued a similar circular saying that Jatiya Sangshad candidates who are participating in the 10th parliamentary election cannot work as managing committee chairmen of schools.

Teachers of schools and colleges have a role in conducting elections; as schools, madrassa and colleges are used as polling centres Instead the divisional commissioner, or deputy commissioner, or Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), would monitor the school activities and would sign off salary sheets during this time.

Teachers of schools and colleges have a role in conducting elections; as schools, madrassa and colleges are used as polling centres. l

German Professor calls on DU VC n Tribune Desk Dr Claus H Ruescher, Professor of the Department of Mineralogy at the University of Hannover, Germany, called on Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique at the latter’s office yesterday.

During the meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interest specially the possibilities of strengthening the ongoing collaborative academic and research programmes between University of Dhaka and the University of Hannover, reports BSS. They stressed the need for signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions to expedite joint collaborative programmes.

Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said Dhaka University has many Memorandum of Understandings with different universities in Germany and these collaborations would be strengthened in the days to come. Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique thanked the guest for his visit to DU and his keen interest in its academic activities.

Prof Dr Altaf Hussain, Prof Dr Aftab Ali Shaikh and Dr Tapas Debnath of the Department of Chemistry of Dhaka University were also present at this occasion. l

BNP leader shot dead in Kushtia n Tribune Desk A BNP leader and union parishad chairman was shot dead by unidentified miscreants at Mahendrapur Bazar in Kumarkhali upazila yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Munshi Rashidur Rahman, 45, joint general secretary of Kumarkhali upazila unit BNP and chairman of Jagannathpur union parishad.

Quoting witnesses, police said a gang of 5/6 masked criminals, riding on motorcycles, swooped on Rashidur at the bazaar around 6pm and opened fire on him, leaving him critically injured.

The BNP leader was rushed to Kushtia General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

No one was arrested by the filing of this report at about 8 pm.

Rashidur was elected chairman of the Jagannathpur union parishad thrice.

Meanwhile, local BNP called a daylong hartal in the district for today, protesting the killing of its leader. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, December 9, 2013

Positive results inspire northern orange farmers n Tribune Report Commercial orange growers in the subHimalayan northern districts are expecting a bumper orange crop this season, in line with positive the trend of the past few years.

Farmers, especially in Panchagarh and Thakurgaon, said they were confident they could replicate past years’ successes, according to BSS. The Orange harvest has already begun in these areas. According to Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam, a horticulture specialist at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the number of orange growers in the region has increased in recent years, as commercial farming has proved to be profitable. The growers cultivate the fruit in orchards as well as at their homes.

Orange farming started growing in popularity in 2006, when the DAE undertook a five-year project called the Orange Development Project. Currently there are approximately 315,000 orange trees on approximately 460 orchards of

various sizes, covering about 245 hectares of land in the region.

The success of the project turned on a number of initiatives: distributing new saplings, nurturing old trees, and setting up new orchards. It ended in June 2011 and has not been renewed since.

Currently there are approximately 315,000 orange trees on approximately 460 orchards of various sizes, covering about 245 hectares of land in the region Asir Uddin Ahammed, an orange farmer, told BSS that farmers like him had faced problems setting up new orchards since the project expired. He demanded “a new lease of life” for the project, to further strengthen and popularise the industry.

According to DAE’s Deputy Directors Nazrul Islam of Panchagarh and Belayet Hossain of Thakurgaon, commercial orange cultivation could radically change the economy of the region. l

Two labourers cut a log to remove it from the Comilla-Chandpur road in Chandpur yesterday. Blockaders put the log on the road in a bid to disrupt communication

Bumper production of winter vegetables Woman overcomes poverty by farming in Narsingdi likely in south-western region n

Tribune Desk

This Robi season, farmers and officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper production of winter vegetables in the South-western region under Khulna division.

DAE sources said farmers in 10 Southwestern districts cultivated winter vegetables on 69,016 hectares of land this year, with a target to produce 12.90lakh tonnes of vegetables.

Farmers are getting a yield of at least 18-19 tonnes of vegetables per hectare of land. The variety of winter vegeta-

bles available at the district’s kitchen markets has increased, the sources said.

Additional Director of Jessore regional DAE M Abdul Mannan said necessary steps had been taken to ensure a supply of improved quality seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and other agriproducts for the growers at fair prices to boost winter vegetables production, according to BSS. The DAE and Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) have distributed sufficient quantity of quality seeds, other agro-inputs among the farmers and provided them with necessary technical assistance, he said.

Of the total, 15,176 hectares of land were brought in Jessore with the production target of 2,83,791 tonnes vegetables, 2,722 hectares in Narail with production target of 50,901 tonnes, 10,608 hectares in Jhenidah with production target of 1,98,370 tonnes, 3,833 hectares in Magura with production target of 71,677 tonnes, 6,855 hectares in Kushtia with production target of 1,28,189 tonnes of winter vegetables.

Different banks, including Bangladesh Krishi Bank and NGOs have disbursed agriculture loans among the farmers to make the programme a success. l

n

Our correspondent, Narsingdi

Against all odds, 30-year-old Lovely Aktar is setting an example by becoming self-reliant through agriculture.

In April this year, with support from the local Department of Agriculture Extension, Lovely went to China to receive training on the use of Super Hybrid Rice production technology. The China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center (CNHRRDC) and the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center (HHRRC) hold the training programme at Mapoling in China’s Farong dsitirct.

“Initially my journey was not smooth,” Lovely recalled.

Twelve years ago, when her husband left with her dowry after just six months of marriage, Lovely was devastated. She and her father were living a life of extreme poverty in a bamboo made shanty.

Yet the 18-year-old Lovely did not lose hope. She took out a loan from some intermediaries and mortgaged two bighas

of land from her neighbour. With dedication and hard work, Lovely began farming paddy. Gradually she mortgaged more land and, with the help of AED, achieved remarkable success in paddy cultivation.

During the last Boro season, she produced over 400 maunds of paddy on 18 bighas of land. This Aman season, she is expecting to produce 300 maunds on 20 bighas of land.

“I’m financially solvent now. I make a comfortable living and I have reconstructed my father’s old shanty into a tinshed building.” Deputy Director of AED Narsingdi Muksed Ali appreciated Lovely for showing that poverty could be alleviated by self-endeavor.

“In order to live with dignity we have to be self-reliant and curb our dependency on others,” said Lovely.

She urged the government to extend the availability of low-interest loans, so all poor women can have the opportunity become self-reliant. l

FOCUS BANGLA

Gaibandha free day marked

n Tribune Desk

People from all walks of life celebrated the day of freedom from the Pakistan occupation forces in 1971 in a befitting manner with mixed feelings of grief, pleasure and pride.

On December 7 in 1971, valiant freedom fighters (FFs) liberated Gaibandha town defeating the Pakistan occupation forces who entered Gaibandha town on April 17 in 1971 and stationed themselves at a wireless office and then Helal Park now it is Gaibandha stadium, reports BSS. A team of FFs over 350 led by company commander Mahbub Elahi Ranju Bir Protik entered the town through Pulbandi area with great joy and pride bearing the flag of independent Bangladesh and shaking hands with the people standing on both sides of the streets.

Among others, freedom fighters, Wasiqur Mohammad Ikbal Mazu, Maminur Rahman Jubel, Mahmudul Haque Sahjada, Mujibul Haque Sana, Raza Miah, Sirajul Islam, Imam Hossain, Dhiru Miah and Imdadul Haque Bablu accompanied the team. l

Two killed in separate accidents n Tribune Report

No long-distance buses left Khulna bus terminal yesterday, the second day of the 72-hour blockade

FOCUS BANGLA

At least two people were killed and two others injured in separate accidents in Chittagong and Gazipur yesterday.

In Chittagong, a banker, Atik Ullah Parvez, 30, was killed in a road mishap when a truck hit his motorbike from behind at Kala Mia Bazar area in the city early yesterday. Later, he was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in critical condition, where on-duty doctor pronounced him dead, said Nayek Abdul Bashar of CMCH police outpost.

Drug-addict father kills son in Chuadanga

Husband tortures wife for dowry in Mymensingh

n Tribune Desk

n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

A boy was killed as his drug-addict father allegedly threw him onto the ground at Par Laxmipur village in Alamdanga upazila on Saturday night.

The victim was identified as Mostakin Rahman alias Noyon, 5, son of Kalu Joarder and Khadiza Begum of the village.

Witnesses said Kalu used to take drugs and beat his wife frequently.

On the fateful night, Kalu took drugs and started beating Khadiza at their residence, reports UNB. Seeing his mother being assaulted, Mostakin began crying which prompted his father to slam him.

As the minor boy continued to cry, Kalu took him up and threw him onto the ground forcefully, leaving him dead on the spot.

Hearing crying, locals rushed in and caught the killer while trying to flee. Later, they handed him over to police.

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Alamdanga police station, said they had recovered the body and sent it to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital for autopsy. l

A Belabo woman in Gafargaon upazila was tortured by her husband for a larger dowry.

The victim was Rima Akhtar.

Police said Rima’s husband, Sohel Miah, and her in-laws subjected her to torture for dowry.

Sources said Rima, an orphan and daughter of the late Chandu Miah of the village of Belabo, was married to Sohel from the same village four years ago.

Sohel took around Tk1,60,000 in cash as dowry, police said, quoting Rima.

Rima had a two-year-old daughter.

Five months ago, Sohel married another girl at Masterbari in Bhaluka without Rima’s permission and started to torture her.

Recently, Sohel demanded a fresh dowry of Tk3,00,000 from Rima and threatened to drive her out of his house if she failed to meet the demand.

As Rima expressed her inability to meet the demand, an altercation broke out and Sohel and his family members allegedly beat her several times.

They also shaved off her hair and

Man found dead in Khulna

A middle-aged man was found dead at an orchard in Kashimnagar area of Paikgachha upazila in Khulna yesterday morning. Locals spotted the body of Harun-or-Rashid, 40, son of one Nafel Morol of Machhiara village in Tala upazila in Satkhira and informed police who later recovered and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Police said Harun might have been strangulated ,and the body was dumped in the abandoned orchard owned by Swapon Kumar of Kashempur area. Police arrested two persons – Harun’s second wife Chaina Khatun and her nephew Billal – suspecting their involvement in the killing. UNB

‘I have already talked to the local administration and police, telling them to handle the case seriously’

Schoolgirl ‘commits suicide’ in Barisal

A schoolgirl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her house at Jamir Khan Road in the city early yesterday. The deceased was identified as Dola Aktar, 13, class VIII student of Barisal Government Girls’ School and daughter of Luthfunnesa Begum, staff nurse of Barisal Sher- E-Bangla Medical College Hospital and Shahidul Islam, a retired bank officer. Police recovered the hanging body of Dola from her bed room early in the morning and sent it to hospital for autopsy. Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said an unnatural death case was filed. UNB Victim: Rima

ered the body of an unidentified person, aged around 38, near Sukundirbag area at Tongi yesterday.

Sub-Inspector Obaidur Rahman of Tongi railway police outpost said local people found the body beside the Dhaka-Mymensingh rail track and informed police. Later, police recovered the body around 11:30am and sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

The police official also suspected that the deceased might have been killed under a train, adding that a case was filed in this connection. l

NEWS IN BRIEF

confined her in a room on Wednesday night.

After hearing what had happened, locals rescued Rima on Thursday morning and caught Sohel red-handed.

They handed Sohel to village police but some influential person helped him escape from police custody, said the officer-in-charge of Pagla police station.

A poor Rima, along with her daughter, is now passing her days in misery.

Selim Ahmed, chairman of the local Moshakhali union parishad said the culprits must be brought to book.

“I have already talked to the local administration and police, telling them to handle the case seriously,” he said.

Rima filed a case with the local police station accusing nine persons including Sohel and his mother Shahor Banu.

At the time of filing this report, nobody has been arrested in connection with the case. l

On the other hand, one Monir, 16, was injured when he was hit by a speedy bus in front of Chittagong Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board building at Muradpur area, around 10:30am when he was crossing the road.

Later, he was admitted to the CMCH. Elsewhere at Chittagong railway station, one Abdus Sukkur, 8, a street boy, lost his two legs as a train ran over him around 8:30am, said CMCH police sources, adding that he fell under the train accidentally.

Meanwhile in Gazipur, police recov-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Wheat production target fixed at 15,000 tonnes in Panchagarh

The production target of wheat has been fixed at 15,000 tons in Panchagarh in the current season. Agriculture Extension Department office sources said a total of 5,000 hectares of land has been brought under wheat cultivation in all five upazilas of the district with a production target of 15,000 metric tonnes of wheat. Agriculture Extension Department has provided training, distributed seeds among the wheat farmers. Deputy Director of DAE of Panchagarh Md Nazrul Islam said farmers of the district are hopeful of a bumper production of wheat if weather remains good in the current season. BSS

Freedom fighter dies in Chuadanga

Freedom fighter Azizul Haqu, son of late Joynal Sheikh of Chondipur village under Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga died of heart attack at his village home on Saturday.

He was 62. He was laid to rest with full state honour at his family graveyard after holding namaj-e-janaja at the mosque of his village home on the same day. He left behind his wife, two sons and one daughter and host of relatives, friends and well-wishers to mourn his death. Among others, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Damurhuda Faridur Rahman, Damurhuda upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad Commander Asiruddin, local freedom fighters, his relatives and villagers attended the funeral. BSS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Monday, December 9, 2013

Politics is hard work: Are we willing?

W n Jyoti Rahman

ill future historians think of 2013 as a pivotal year for Bangladesh? If they were to do so, it will not be because of anything that happened in the first half of this eventful year. The Shahbag Awakening, violence following the verdict in Delwar Hossain Sayedee’s war crimes case, peaceful and violent rallies by Hefazat-e-Islam, the Rana Plaza tragedy — none of these will rate alongside even 1975 or 1990, let alone 1947 or 1971.

All those events, and yet, as the year draws to a close, we are seeing replays of a drama we witnessed in Decembers past, where a government wants to hold an election come what may, citing the Holy Constitution, while the opposition wants to resist it at any cost, citing the fear of rigging.

The political gridlock leads to violent images like the one above.

We just can’t live like this, lurching from crisis to crisis every five years, and then acting all surprised and puzzled when things fall apart. Our political culture will never mature until we stop expecting army interventions anytime things go south

The image is from October 28, 2006.

The December of that year was much like this December, and the one from 1995, and that of 1987. And as in every such December, our opinion-making, chattering, urban bhadralok class is up in arms about how our politicians are yet again failing us, how Bangladeshis are held hostage to the two feuding leaders, how the people are victims who don’t care about either parties and vote for them because there is no choice.

Are the people really victims who lack any alternative, hostages to the whims of the two sides? Nearly a quarter century, four national elections and dozens of local ones have passed – how long does it take for an alternative to emerge? And it’s not like no one has tried to break through – leftists, Islamists, NGO wallahs, army officers, barristers, doctors, businessmen, Kamal Hossain, Muhammad Yunus, HM Ershad, Kader Siddiqui, Badruddoza Chowdhury, Oli Ahmed, Salman F Rahman, Moeen U Ahmed, Mannan Bhuiyan, there haven’t been any shortage of third force aspirants.

Chances are that when, rather than if, an election is held, four out of five voters will vote for the same parties and candidates who won the last four elections. Even if there is a military coup, and the generals successfully send the two ladies packing, they will still rely on the same individuals who make up the two largest parties.

Perhaps it’s time the chatter-

ing bhadraloks finally accept that politics is hard work, and the politicians actually do cater, albeit in a haphazard and less-than-satisfactory ways, to the people.

Politics is hard work. Not just in Bangladesh, but everywhere. It’s tedious, unglamorous. Quite boring really. In fact, the exciting stuff, the kind that gets you on the cover of Time magazine, that stuff is usually all tip, and little iceberg.

The cover of Time Magazine? Let’s go back a few years, to 2011. That year, Time Magazine named “the protester” the person of the year. That year began with popular uprisings that toppled long standing regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.

In Libya, the uprising turned into an insurgency that, with the help of NATO airpower, brought down the Qaddafi regime. Massive protests rocked depression-affected economies of southern Europe. Closer to home, India saw large rallies against corruption.

In America, the Occupy movement captured a lot of media attention.

It would be quite unfair to say that the protests achieved nothing. Arguably, Tunisia is a better place today for the protests. Arguably, President Obama would not be talking about inequality had it not been for the Occupy movement. But the contemporaneous commentaries about the protests seem quite hyperbolic with the benefit of hindsight.

These were not quite earth shattering, world changing events. President Obama can have a dozen speeches about inequality, but it’s unlikely to change a single thing on Capitol Hill.

And whatever gains have been made in Tunis is clearly off set by the setbacks in Cairo. In the largest Arab country, secular liberal urbanites – at the risk of oversimplifying, the kind of people who flocked to Shahbag – could not organise themselves into a credible political party, lost terribly to the Islamists at the polling booth, went back to the street again to bring down a democratically elected president, and handed the country back to the generals who rule by decree, much like Hosni Mobarak did for three decades.

Politics is hard work. Protesting this, demanding that, marching in the street, singing rousing anthems – that’s not politics.

Even if they get you on the cover of Time Magazine, that stuff, without any organisation, will matter naught.

Did the Shahbag revellers really believe that they were changing the course of history? Their naivete might be forgiven, but what excuse did their elder cheerleaders have? How could those who lived through the 1968-69 uprising that brought down the Ayub regime – across the political aisle this includes everyone from Motia Chowdhury, Nurul Islam Nahid, Rashed Khan Menon to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Tariqul Islam – ever believe that nonsense?

Did they forget that despite taking a leading role in that uprising, the leftists lost the political advantage

to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League?

Did the leftist cheerleaders of Shahbag learn nothing from their lived experience, never mind the histories of other uprisings in Tehran and St Petersburg and Paris?

Did they forget that politics is hard work, that one needed an organisation, a clear manifesto, and some strategies to attain power?

Those pundits who are now braying for some messiah to deliver us from the two battling begums – do they understand politics is hard work?

Faham Abdus Salam writes about the bhadralok mentality on nuraldeen. com (translation by DT): I got a taste of the civil mentality while conversing with a reputable English columnist from Bangladesh. Regarding the AL-BNP issue he said, ‘Why don’t the two hire a place and fight it out and leave us alone ... you AL-BNP guys fight, just leave us in peace.’

I agree with Faham’s thesis: Everyone believes that this country is not the personal property of Sheikh Hasina or Khaleda Zia. But what they don’t believe is – This country is mine, I own it, and it is my responsibility to leave behind a livable country for my next generation. That’s why it’s the duty of us all to make sure that no one is able to subject this country to his or her own whims and wishes.

BNP and AL are the reality in Bangladesh – your duty doesn’t just end at voting in elections. If you don’t make sure that no one else from these parties becomes another Hasina, you will definitely lose the peace you have (translation by DT).

The thing is, I am not sure any amount of trying by any bhadralok pundit would have mattered.

For one thing, on a number of issues,

stake game, one that has been entirely predictable, and was indeed predicted: The prime minister knows she can count on the millions of AL voters, in every moholla and para of every city, town and village. If BNP leadership can be neutralised, that will be sufficient for a re-election. If not, in the lead up to the election, in 30,000 centres around the country, many anti-AL voters could be disenfranchised through targeted violence and intimidation. Essentially, what many Hindu voters in southern Bangladesh experienced in previous elections could happen to the anti-AL voters across the country.

And all these could happen days and weeks before the actual election day, with the state machinery playing an active role in it. Indeed, the election day could well be very peaceful, even festive.

Even if they tried, what difference could a Zafar Sobhan or an Anisul Haque have made to the prime minister’s high stake gambit?

Politics is hard. Hasina Wazed knows it, even if the bhadraloks don’t.

Perhaps these bhadraloks had a better shot trying to shape BNP’s thinking? I personally think so. But I doubt most of the chattering class feels that way.

Here is how Shayan S Khan has put things recently in his facebook wall: Khaleda Zia said: “On one hand fake charges of terrorism are being brought against the opposition leaders, on the other hand a minister is saying that the leaders would be released if the opposition comes to an understanding with the government. It has become clear that the opposition leaders are indeed being held on fake charges’ (translation

by DT).

Try seeing things from Hasina’s perspective. Politics in Bangladesh is winner-takes-all. The rules of the game were not set

by Hasina Wajed. She is not the first one to try to win at any cost.

She has merely taken things further than her predecessor

“When Khaleda Zia makes a point like the one above, instead of holding on to the offer as a political card, it signals an essential difference between herself and Sheikh Hasina, whose every pronouncement seems aimed at scraping whatever political advantage she can for herself out of any situation.

“Thanks to a media and cultural environment historically more saddled in its disposition towards Awami League politics, for a very long time now, an impression has been cemented in the collective psyche of a certain segment of the population (largely confined to the chattering classes of the capital) that Bangabandhu’s daughter, riding the good ship Joy Bangla that her father built, was obviously more preferable to Zia’s widow.

“I know within my social and familial setting it was as if axiomatic. It was hard to realise this “truth” seemed erected on a strange, untouchable pedestal bereft of any objective analysis, or evidence emerging to support it. To be fair, one didn’t really come across much overwhelming evidence to the contrary either.

Those pundits who are now braying for some messiah to deliver us from the two battling begums – do they understand politics is hard work?

Awami-leaning elders such as ABM Musa or Rehman Sobhan did caution the prime minister. And she snubbed them.

Why wouldn’t she? Try seeing things from her perspective. Politics in Bangladesh is winner-takes-all. The rules of the game – unitary state, unicameral legislature, first-past-the-post voting, the Article 70 – were not set by Hasina Wazed. She is not the first one to try to win at any cost.

She has merely taken things further than her predecessor. We don’t know if the BNP chief would have been quite as ruthless – I personally doubt that she would have – but what the prime minister is doing is hardly madness, there is in fact a lot of method in it.

The prime minister is playing a high

plice to possible dictatorship.

The exception is, of course, Mahmudur Rahman.

He might not consider himself a bhadralok. And others of his class might not want to treat him as one of their own. But make no mistake, a graduate of the country’s two best educational institutions, a successful executive in both private and public sector, Mahmudur Rahman is every bit bhadralok as Mahfuz Anam or Abed Khan. And more than any other bhadralok of our time, Mr Rahman has thrown himself whole heartedly into politics, embracing lengthy prison terms for his cause.

Politics is hard work, and hard work is not something Mahmudur Rahman shies away from. He is willing.

And yet, he has failed.

He single handedly took on the mighty Shahbag, broke it, and then ... nothing.

Politics is hard work, and merely willing is not enough.

Again, let’s go back to Egypt. Muslim Brotherhood won decisively at the ballot box. They had been waiting for eight decades. Here was an organisation with a clear manifesto that finally attained power, and lost it before they could implement anything.

A different example perhaps, from an established democracy. The American Tea Party movement has gained control of one of their two mainstream parties. This faction controls the agenda in the American Congress. In October, they tried to break the Obama presidency, risking US sovereign default and a possible global economic meltdown in the process. And they lost.

Politics is hard work. It’s more than just protest. Even grabbing power is not enough. One needs to exercise that

“But it lasted only until I learned to think for myself, and became open to the idea that supposed ‘truths we’d been fed before developing a way to think could be overturned. And if more of us could affect the same, and carry out a fair assessment of the two women’s words and deeds over the last 12 years in particular, the least we would realise is this: at no point did Khaleda Zia take any prerogative to assume this country’s fate was subservient to her own will to power, or that the essence of its 140-50-60 million people, its raison d’être, hers to fashion.” Sad but true.

So, instead of trying to shape the mainstream politics, our chattering class – with one important exception – is either willing or unwitting accom-

power to achieve one’s ends.

Mahmudur Rahman, of course, did not even attain power. But one must ask, what would he have done had the government fallen in the first week of May? And if toppling the government was not the main point of Hefazat, then what was it he was trying to achieve?

Of course, there was brutality on May 5. Of course, AL’s hands are bloody.

But Mahmudur Rahman’s aren’t clean either.

And that brings us to today’s crisis. One way or other, the current gridlock will be resolved before long.

Something will give. In fact, we can, with some confidence, predict how things will end. There are really three options.

It is quite possible that there will be some compromise – perhaps the prime minister will step down, or BNP will agree to join even with the PM at the end – followed by an election, which if the polls are any guide, BNP wins comfortably. That’s the optimistic scenario.

More pessimistically, there will not be any compromise, and we will be looking at either a neo-Baksal regime or a good old fashioned military coup.

Many of our pundit classes are already braying for the last outcome. Let me put it to these folks as bluntly as possible: stop thinking of the army as the deus ex machina. The situation currently playing out was perfectly predictable years ago; your silence and passive acceptance at that time also implies acceptance of the current state of crisis.

We just can’t live like this, lurching from crisis to crisis every five years, and then acting all surprised and puzzled when things fall apart. Our political culture will never mature until we stop expecting army interventions anytime things go south. I always hear the common lament that democracy in this country is limited to voting every five years. Well, our bhadraloks need to start participating in the hard work of politics more frequently than once every five years. l The title of this post is an echo of Naeem Mohaiemen’s March 2013 essay on Shahbag “History is hard work, but are we willing?” I have benefited a lot from debating him, Rumi Ahmed, and EH. Jyoti Rahman is a political blogger.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Monday, December 9, 2013

France: Nearly 400 killed CAR president ‘not in in last three days in Bangui complete control’ n AFP, Paris French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that nearly 400 people were killed in the last three days in violence in the Central African Republic capital Bangui, but that calm had returned.

“We have counted 394 dead in the last three days. Calm has returned to Bangui even if there are still some abuses here and there,” Fabius told

France 3 television.

French troops poured into the impoverished landlocked country on Saturday after President Francois Hollande announced he was boosting a UN-mandated French force to 1,600 soldiers.

“There are a certain number of operations under way throughout the country, and operations to disarm Seleka will begin,” Fabius said, referring to the mostly Muslim rebel

fighters who were behind a coup in March.

“Our role is loud and clear, and it is first of all a security role. The order has been given to disarm and confine to quarters, we are doing this with the Africans” from the 2,500-strong MISCA force, Fabius said.

“The problem is that some (Seleka fighters) are abandoning their fatigues to dress as civilians, making it difficult.” l

Internally displaced people line up to access the Don Bosco Centre outside Bangui

AP

n Agencies

The president of the Central African Republic has told Al Jazeera that he is not in complete control of his country.

Michel Djotodia said he could not stop armed groups operating in the country, as a wave of killings left hundreds dead in just a few days.

“It is too much to say I have no control. I control my men. The men I can’t control are not my men,” said Djotodia, who came to power after a mainly-Muslim armed group now known as Seleka overthrew President Francois Bozize earlier this year.

The mostly Muslim former rebels who control the country are patrolling neighbourhoods across the capital of Bangui, despite an order to return to their barracks.

The Red Cross says 400 bodies have been found after three days of fighting between Seleka and a largely-Christian armed group named Anti-Balaka [“anti-machete,” the weapon of choice of many Seleka fighters].

Meanwhile, thousands more international troops are on their way to the embattled country. The African Union has around 2,500 troops there now, but is increasing that to 6,000. In addition, 1,200 French troops have been bolstered by the arrival of 400 more soldiers.

On Saturday, the country’s interim authorities ordered all forces except foreign peacekeepers and the presidential guard off the streets of Bangui, after a hospital in the capital was been attacked by Seleka rebels.

The gunmen reportedly pulled injured victims from Bangui’s Amitie hospital, and shot dead at least ten.

The hospital has since been abandoned.

Al Jazeera has learned that the Anti-Balaka group contains elements of Bozize’s army, and is regrouping outside the capital, awaiting reinforcements.

French President Francois Hollande also said on Saturday it would be difficult for the current head of Central African Republic to stay in place because he let the crisis there unfold.

“I don’t want to point fingers but we cannot keep in place a president who was not able to do anything, or even worse, who let things happen,” Hollande said in an interview broadcast on the France 24 TV channel.

He said elections should be held before 2015 when Djotodia’s mandate ends. “The idea is to head as fast as possible towards elections,” he said.

Patrolling main roads French forces started deploying to the north and west of the country to secure main roads and towns outside the capital, French army spokesman Gilles Jarron said on Saturday.

“Peacekeepers are patrolling the main roads. This is helping keep the looting down. But the atrocities are inside the neighbourhoods,” said Amy Martin, head of the UN officer for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“If they can get into the neighbourhoods, we might start seeing a reduction in these crimes. The level of atrocities and the lack of humanity, the senseless killing defies imagination,” Martin said.

The latest bloodshed started on Thursday as armed Christians from Anti-Balaka raided Muslim neighbourhoods, in a country that has been seeing tit-for-tat violence between rival armed groups since Bozize’s downfall in March. l

Bosnian Serb opposition Ukraine opposition hopes for walks out at 2014 budget million-strong protest n Reuters, Banja Luka

Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic approved a budget for 2014 late on Saturday after opposition deputies walked out in protest at what they said were unclear proposals being pushed through in an emergency parliamentary session.

Each one of Bosnia’s state and regional governments had to meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deadline of Dec. 9 to secure new funds and approve a larger stand-by loan.

Bosnia’s two regions, the Federation dominated by Muslim Bosniaks and Croats, and the Serb Republic, urgently need the cash to plug soaring deficits in their 2013 and 2014 budgets.

The Federation passed a 2014 budget on Friday. The national parliament, comprising deputies from both regions, has yet to set a date for the vote on next year’s budget.

A delay in its adoption may cause problems with the disbursement of a new 48 million euro ($66 million) in-

stallment under an IMF two-year 385 million euro loan, and its extension and enlargement by additional 150 million euro.

The IMF has asked that Bosnia’s consolidated deficit of government budgets should meet a 2 percent target in 2014.

Serb Republic opposition deputies said that the budget of 2 billion Bosnian marka (1 billion euro) did not clearly set out the size of its deficit and how it will be covered.

The budget revenues were projected at 1.62 billion marka and spending at 1.53 billion marka. Debt payments amounted to nearly 490 million. Longterm borrowing, including the IMF funds, was 245 million and short-term borrowing 45 million.

Trade unions for public sector workers, including teachers and policemen, protested on Saturday outside parliament demanding their wages be raised 5 percent. The government cut the wages of public employees last year. l

Venezuelan president Al Qaeda thrives in Yemen faces first electoral test amid weak security n AP, Caracas President Nicolas Maduro faces his first electoral test since being elected nearly eight months ago, as Venezuelans go to the polls on Sunday to judge his government’s response to their nation’s mounting economic troubles.

The vote for mayors and city councils in this deeply polarised country was bound to be competitive after Maduro defeated opposition leader

Henrique Capriles by a razor-thin margin in the election held in April to choose Hugo Chavez’s successor following his death from cancer.

Capriles has refused to recognise the results, alleging fraud. Since then, Venezuela’s economic troubles have deepened, with inflation touching a two-decade high of 54 percent, and shortages of everything from toilet paper to milk spreading while the black market value of the currency plunges. l

A member of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council tests a voting machine at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela AP

n AFP, Kiev

A pro-European union activist holds a cut-out of paper heart as she addresses to police at Presidential office in Kiev AP Ukrainian people and not just the opposition,” said Arseniy Yatsenyuk, leader of Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party.

The protests in Ukraine have raged

n Reuters, Manama

Brazen al Qaeda attacks on top government targets in Yemen are unlikely to abate while security services remain divided, ill-equipped and infiltrated by militants, and efforts to repair the country’s fractured political life remain stalled.

An al Qaeda-affiliated group attacked the defence ministry in Sanaa on Thursday, killing 56 people, in a harsh reminder that extremist groups are able to operate in heavily secured areas of the capital despite a security crackdown. It was the worst such attack in 18 months, heightening concerns about threats emanating from a country that flanks international shipping lanes and shares a long border with the world’s top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia.

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), an offshoot of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is among the most active arms of the global jihadi network and wants to topple the government and impose its own strict version of Islamic law.

Analysts and officials see no early end to the violence.

“This demonstrates the seriousness of ... terrorist attacks, it demonstrates that al Qaeda obviously has planners, and executors and capabilities,” Ye-

men’s Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told Reuters on the sidelines of a security conference in the Bahraini capital Manama.

Islamist insurgents took advantage of the chaos of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s overthrow after months of mass protests in 2011 to seize several southern cities, but were driven out in a government offensive a year later aided by US drone strikes.

But divisions within Yemen’s security services - loyal to rival Yemeni leaders, including Saleh himself - have made it all the more difficult to confront the militants.

The security services also have to contend with fighting southern secessionists and a rebellion in the north that has flared up in recent weeks, killing more than 100 people.

“If al Qaeda is indeed responsible (for the defence ministry attack), which seems likely at this point, it sends a strong message that they can strike where the government is strongest,” the International Crisis Group’s seniorYemen expert April Longley Alley told Reuters.

“Looking ahead, these attacks are likely to continue and even increase in frequency as long as there is no strong political settlement and the military-security services remain divided and weak,” she said. l

A wave of bombings mostly targeting Shia areas in and around Baghdad killed at least 35 people Sunday as surging violence spurs concerns Iraq is falling back into all-out conflict.

The blasts, including seven car bombs, are the latest in a months-long rise in bloodshed that has forced the authorities to appeal for international help just months before the country’s first elections in four years.

Officials have pointed the finger at Al-Qaeda-linked militants emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, but analysts and diplomats say the government has not done enough to address underlying domestic problems fuelling the violence.

At least 13 bombs exploded from around mid-day (0900 GMT) across Baghdad province, targeting mostly Shia areas.

They killed at least 35 people and wounded more than 110 overall, according to security and medical officials.

The deadliest of the violence hit Al-Amil and Bayaa neighbourhoods in south Baghdad, with separate bombings killing five people in each area.

Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan gave a far lower toll for the Baghdad violence, saying three people were killed and 10 wounded.

Officially released death tolls are consistently far lower than those from other sources, and the interior ministry has sharply criticised media organisations for reporting figures higher than those it gives.

Attacks also hit areas outside the Iraqi capital.

A car bomb exploded near Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding four, while a roadside bomb in the northern city of Mosul wounded five people.l

Ukraine opens probe into alleged attempts to ‘seize power’

n AFP, Kiev Ukraine’s opposition hoped Sunday to muster a million-strong rally in a new push to wring concessions from President Viktor Yanukovych in a bitter confrontation over a rejected EU pact.

Yanukovych’s decision to drop political and free trade agreements with the EU in favour of tighter Russian ties and a crackdown on an opposition rally plunged the ex-Soviet nation into its worst political crisis in a decade.

The president incensed the opposition and its supporters further by discussing the signing of a strategic partnership treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday.

Opposition leaders said Saturday that they would not sit down for talks with Yanukovych unless he dismissed the government, released arrested protesters and punished riot police officers for crushing an opposition rally last week. “This is an ultimatum of the

Baghdad area bombings kill 35 n AFP, Baghdad

for over two weeks after the government abruptly announced it was halting the work on the agreements with the European Union. l

Ukraine’s security service on Sunday opened a criminal probe into alleged attempts by individual politicians to seize state power, as mass protests against President Viktor Yanukovych raged in Kiev.

An investigation has been opened “into the illegal actions by certain politicians aimed at the seizure of state power,” Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) spokeswoman Lada Safonova told AFP. The politicians were not named but the probe appears to target opposition figures who have repeatedly called on Yanukovych to quit and urged demonstrators to blockade government buildings.

Safonova added that the investigation had been launched under the first article of chapter 109 of the Ukrainian criminal code on actions aimed at violently changing or overthrowing the constitutional order. Those convicted under these charges could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail. l

WORLD WATCH Saudi beheads Pakistani drug trafficker

Saudi authorities beheaded a Pakistani man on Sunday after he was convicted of smuggling drugs into the ultra-conservative Gulf state, the interior ministry said. Mohammed Zayer Khan Qol was arrested as he was “smuggling a large amount of heroin” into the kingdom, said the statement published by the official SPA news agency. His beheading in the western region of Mecca brings to 73 the number of executions carried out in Saudi Arabia this year, according to an AFP count. In 2012, the Saudis carried out 76 executions, according to a tally based on official figures. Human Rights Watch put the number at 69. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the oil-rich nation’s strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

Dalai Lama not to attend Mandela funeral

The Dalai Lama, who has twice since 2009 been denied a visa for South Africa, is not planning to attend his fellow Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela’s funeral, his spokesman said Sunday. “He has no plans to go,” spokesman Tenzin Takhla told AFP in the northern Indian hilltop town of Dharamsala where the Tibetan spiritual leader is headquartered. Takhla did not say why the Dalai Lama would not attend Mandela’s national memorial service on Tuesday or the December 15 burial at his boyhood home of Qunu. But the Dalai Lama was controversially denied a visa

to South Africa in 2011 after being invited to give a lecture as part of celebrations for the 80th birthday of Mandela’s fellow anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu. It was the second time that Pretoria had denied the Dalai Lama entry after refusing him a visa in 2009. The Dalai Lama has been based in India since he fled China in 1959 followed a failed anti-Beijing uprising in his homeland. China seeks to curb his overseas travels, and warns foreign governments that any visit by the spiritual leader would harm relations.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist and of fomenting trouble in his homeland. The Dalai Lama says he merely seeks more autonomy for his people though non-violent means.

US attempts to halt auction of Native American artefacts

International campaigners are making last-minute efforts to halt the sale in Paris of sacred ceremonial masks and headdresses from Native American tribes.

The US embassy appealed to the auction house to delay the sale, due to be held on Monday and Tuesday, so the 25 items from the Hopi and San Carlos Apache tribes can be identified to see whether they can reclaim them. The battle follows attempts to halt an auction of 70 Hopi masks in Paris in April. On Friday, Survival International, which campaigns for the rights of indigenous peoples, lost a legal challenge over latest auction. The French judge, Claire David, said neither moral nor philosophical considerations could justify preventing a legal sale.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Thai crisis deepens as opposition quits Parliament n AP, Bangkok

India’s main opposition (BJP) supporters celebrate the party’s lead in various state Assembly elections in Hyderabad, India

India’s congress party punished in state polls, early results show n Reuters, New Delhi India’s Congress party was headed for a bruising defeat in key state elections, including in the capital, early results showed on Sunday, underlining the struggle it will face to cling to power in a national election due by May. Congress, led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, has led the national government for two terms and is facing widespread voter anger over corruption, slowing growth and stubborn inflation.

Its main opponent, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was the clear winner in three big states that went to the polls, though with the count still on it was a neck-and-neck race in a fourth.

Markets are closely tracking the outcome of the elections, considered a bellwether of support for the BJP’s business-friendly candidate for prime minister, Narendra Modi. Bond, rupee and share prices rose last week after exit polls predicted a strong BJP performance.

Israel’s Peres ready to meet Iranian counterpart

n AP, Jerusalem

Israel’s president says he would be willing to meet his Iranian counterpart if it would help reduce Mideast tensions.

Israel and Iran are bitter enemies, and Israeli leaders have voiced skepticism about the recent nuclear deal between Iran and the international community. It’s highly unlikely that Iran would agree to such a meeting.

Addressing a business conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres said he hoped that world powers in the coming months of talks would peacefully be able to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Asked if he’d meet Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, Peres said: “Why not?

I don’t have enemies.”

But he said Rouhani’s influence is limited, and there are other hardline “structures” in Iran that may not support his outreach to the West. l

Philippines, rebels sign accord n AFP, Manila The Philippine government and the main Muslim rebel group on Sunday signed a crucial power-sharing accord, paving the way for a final peace agreement, government statements said.

The accord, signed by negotiators from the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Kuala Lumpur, is another step towards finally ending a decades-long Muslim rebel insurgency in the south that claimed an estimated 150,000 lives. “The signing of the Annex on Power Sharing ensures the achievement of a genuine and viable autonomy for the Bangsamoro (Filipino Muslims),” Teresita Deles, the head of the government peace panel, said in a statement.

“It has been a very difficult round but we were able to overcome a lot of obstacles,” she added. President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Herminio Coloma said the president had been informed of the signing of the annex and had congratulated both parties. l

However, it was unclear how far Modi’s vigorous campaigning of recent months had contributed to the BJP’s strong showing.

“You can argue about the extent of a Modi wave, but you can’t deny that this verdict is an anti-Congress tsunami,” Headlines Today TV news anchor Rahul Kanwal said in a Tweet.

The Congress party’s poor performance in the state assembly elections may bring fresh pressure for an overhaul of its national campaign, which is headed by Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi is the next in line in a political dynasty that began with his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. Gandhi’s campaign, focused on the Congress government’s welfare programmes, has failed to capture the imagination of many of India’s aspirational young voters.

However, Congress played down ramifications of the state elections setback.

“We accept the verdict of the peo-

AP

ple and we will introspect,” said Congress minister Jayanthi Natarajan.

“This is by no means the full picture for the general elections.”

While the results are expected to add to the momentum Modi has built in dozens of packed rallies in recent months, India’s fragmented political landscape makes national elections harder to predict.

In three of the four state elections counted on Sunday, the election was a two-way race between the BJP andCongress, which is unusual in a country whose states are increasingly governed by powerful regional parties. In the past, strong state results have not always translated into success in national elections.

In Delhi, the one state which saw a three-way contest, the BJP’s likely victory after 15 years of Congress rule was tempered by an unexpectedly strong showing by the new anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, which could deny it the majority required to rule. l

Thailand’s main opposition party resigned from Parliament on Sunday to protest what it called “the illegitimacy” of a government with which it can no longer work. The move deepens the country’s latest political crisis one day before new street demonstrations that many fear could turn violent.

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut told The Associated Press his party could not work in the legislature anymore because the body is “no longer accepted by the people.”

The minority Democrats are closely aligned with anti-government protesters who have staged the country’s biggest rallies in years. The demonstrations began last month and are aimed at ousting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose democratically elected government came to power in a landslide vote in 2011 that observers said was free and fair.

The Democrats have not won an election since 1992, and some of their leaders appear to have given up on electoral politics because they cannot win. The protesters are demanding a non-elected people’s council lead the country instead.

Thailand has been plagued by political turmoil since Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a former premier, was toppled in a 2006 military coup.

In broad terms, the confrontation pits the Thai elite and the educated middle-class against Thaksin’s power base in the countryside, which benefited

from populist policies designed to win over the rural poor.

At least five people have been killed and at least 289 injured since the latest unrest began. Several days of violence ended suddenly last week as both sides paused to celebrate the birthday of the nation’s revered king, who turned 86 Thursday. But protesters have vowed a final showdown Monday in Bangkok and will march en masse from a government complex they seized to Yingluck’s office.

Democrat leader and former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters the resignations were effective immediately.

He said Yingluck’s government has been “illegitimate” ever since her ruling party tried to ram through an amnesty bill that critics allege was mainly designed to bring back Thaksin from exile. Thaksin lives in Dubai to avoid a jail sentence for a corruption conviction he says was politically motivated.

“The solution to our current problems needs to start with the showing of responsibility,” Abhisit said. “The prime minister has never showed any responsibility or conscience.”

Abhisit also criticized Yingluck’s Pheu Thai party for trying to amend a clause in the constitution that would have transformed the Senate into a fully elected body. Currently about half its members are selected by a panel of judges and heads of independent state agencies. The Constitutional Court sharply scolded Yingluck’s party for the move. l

UN inspectors visited an Iranian plant on Sunday linked to a planned heavy-water reactor that could yield nuclear bomb fuel, taking up an initial offer by Tehran to open its disputed nuclear programme up to greater scrutiny.

The increased transparency is one of the various spin-offs from an interim deal that Iran struck with six world powers last month to curb its nuclear programme in return for some easing of sanctions.

It was the first time in more than two years that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been allowed to go to the Arak heavy water production plant, which is designed to supply a research reactor under construction nearby.

Iran’s heavy water work is of great

concern for the West because it could in theory be used in the process of making a nuclear bomb, although Tehran says the programme is for peaceful purposes.

Two inspectors arrived in Tehran on Saturday and met experts from Iran’s own atomic energy agency before travelling to Arak in the evening, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported.

“The inspection is under way and will be finished this afternoon, and they (the inspectors) will return to Tehran,” said Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Iranian atomic energy agency. “The inspectors will go back toVienna tonight.”

Officials from Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia are to meet on Dec. 9-10 inVienna, where the IAEA is based, for expert-level talks on implementing the interim accord. l

An elderly Thai woman shouts anti-government slogans during a rally at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok AP

n AFP, Tehran The funeral service of Nelson Mandela could be a “trap” for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani because he could run into US President Barack Obama, a hardline Iranian daily warned Sunday.

The Islamic republic has yet to announce who will travel to South Africa for Tuesday’s memorial service and next Sunday’s funeral for the late president and Nobel laureate.

Hardline newspaper Kayhan warned in an editorial that if Rouhani attends it could bring him face to face with Obama, “head of the Great Satan government.” “Some domestic and foreign media outlets are using the funeral ceremony as a pretext to push Rouhani towards a meeting with the head of the Great Satan government,” Kayhan said.

Rouhani, a moderate, defeated a pool

of conservatives in a June presidential election after vowing to engage with the West. Since then there has been a thaw in ties between Iran and world powers.

The most remarkable development was a 15-minute telephone call between Obama and Rouhani in September, as the Iranian president was ending a visit to the US for the UN General Assembly.

The call was the first contact between leaders of the two nations since diplomatic ties were severed more than three decades ago over the hostage-taking at the US embassy in Tehran.

The Kayhan editorial, headlined “Satan lays a trap, this time in Johannesburg,” recalled comments by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Rouhani’s September trip to New York.

“Some of what happened in the New York trip was not appropriate,” Khamenei said at the time, without elaborating. l

South Korea extends its air defence zone to overlap with China’s n Agencies South Korea says it has extended its air defence zone to partially overlap with a similar zone declared by China two weeks ago that has sharply raised regional tensions.

Beijing’s declaration of an air defence identification zone in an area that includes islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan has triggered protests from the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Announcing the expansion of its own zone to include two territorial islands to the south and a submerged rock also claimed by China, South Korea’s defence ministry said the move would not infringe on neighbouring countries’ sovereignty.

“We believe this will not significantly impact our relationships with China and with Japan as we try to work for peace and co-operation in north-east Asia,” defence ministry head of policy Jang Hyuk told a briefing.

“We have explained our position to related countries and overall they are in agreement that this move complies with international regulations and is

UN decries ‘slow, uneven’ use of law protecting afghan women n Reuters, Kabul Afghanistan is failing to use a law designed to protect women from violence in a country regularly voted one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman, the United Nations said on Sunday.

The plight of women in Afghanistan captured the world’s attention during the 1996-2001 rule of the Taliban when women were not allowed to leave their houses without a male relative, girls were barred from school and adulterers were shot or stoned to death.

Women have since won back rights to education and work, but there are fears these freedoms are shrinking as Nato-led forces prepare to leave Afghanistan by the end of next year.

The United Nations examined the Elimination of Violence Against Women law, enacted as a presidential decree in 2009 and passed by parliament earlier this year.

“The landmark law ... was a huge achievement for all Afghans, but implementation has been slow and uneven,” UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said in a report released on Sunday.

There had been an increase in reporting violence against women but a failure to prosecute, said the head of the UN human rights office in Afghanistan, Georgette Gagnon.

Registration of reports of violence had risen 28 per cent over the year, but use of the law had increased by only two per cent.

“This suggests that use of the law to prosecute perpetrators of violence against women remains low,” she said. l

Iran says opposes foreign presence in Afghanistan n AP, Tehran

UN inspectors visit Iran site Mandela funeral could linked to nuclear programme ‘trap’ Rouhani: Iran media n Reuters, Dubai

9

Monday, December 9, 2013

not an excessive measure,” he said, adding the ministry’s top priority was to work with neighbouring countries to prevent military confrontation.

An undated picture made available on 08 December 2013 shows a maritime science research station set up on the South Korea-controlled underwater reef of Ieodo (L) and Marado Island (R), at sea, South Korea. South Korea announced an expanded air defense zone on 08 December EPA

South Korea had objected to last month’s move by China as unacceptable because its new zone includes a maritime rock named Ieodo, which Seoul controls, with a research station platform built on it. China also claims the submerged rock.

But South Korea’s reaction to Beijing has been more measured than the sharp rebukes delivered from Tokyo and Washington, reflecting a sensitivity towards Seoul’s largest trading partner.

The extension of South Korea’s zone will not apply any restrictions to the operation of commercial flights, the defence ministry said separately in a statement. The move would take effect on 15 December, it said. It will also overlap with Japan’s air defence zone, Jang said.

There was no immediate reaction from China, although Beijing’s response to news last week that South Korea was reviewing its options on the air defence zone was relatively low key. l

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says his country opposes the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan and the region.

A Sunday report by the official IRNA news agency quotes Rouhani as telling visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai: “We believe that all foreign forces should leave the region and that the security of Afghanistan should be handed over to people of the country.”

Iran has long opposed a planned agreement to allow US forces to remain stationed on its doorstep in neighbouring Afghanistan. The two countries have about 945 kilometers (580 miles) of common borders.

The United States is pressing Karzai to sign the deal to extend its military presence past 2014, when Nato and United Nations mandates expire and all foreign troops leave the country. l

Hagel backs Nato force in Afghanistan post-2014

n AFP, Kandahar

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told American troops on Sunday that he supports a Nato force in Afghanistan after 2014, as Washington and President Hamid Karzai wrangle over a stalled security pact.

Hagel travelled to bases in south Afghanistan to meet troops a day after further tensions arose over the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which would allow some Nato forces to stay in the country after most combat troops withdraw next year.

“I believe there is a role for our coalition partners and the United States, but that depends on the Afghan people,” Hagel told soldiers in a question-and-answer session at Camp Bastion in Helmand province.

“If the people of Afghanistan want to continue that relationship, then we will.”

US commanders were looking at “a new phase for our mission to train, assist, advise and counter-terrorism,” he added.

Meetings with Karzai have been customary over the years for Pentagon chiefs, but Hagel had no plans to meet the Afghan president during his weekend visit.

On a stop in Kandahar on Sunday, Hagel acknowledged “uncertainty about what happens next” for Nato forces after 2014.

“I have hope that the BSA will get signed,” he said.

Since President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice and top diplomat John Kerry had already had frank discussions with Karzai urging him to sign the security agreement, Hagel said on Saturday there was no point in him repeating the US position. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, December 9, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Hussain Mohammad Ershad December 4

Election date flexibility is key

U

N assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco was right to ask the prime minister on Saturday if the polls-schedule can be deferred.

The UN envoy has been meeting with leaders of the AL, BNP and Jatiya party, as well as with civil society representatives in order to seek a deal to increase participation ahead of the elections, currently scheduled for January 5.

We welcome his question.

Every effort should be made to end the deadlock and increase participation in the elections.

The constitution The polls need to be seen to be fair and free and increasing allows room to extend participation will help to ensure the time limits for this outcome. holding an election, The constitution allows room so there is no need to extend the time limits for to be rigid about the holding an election, so there is January 5 date no need to be rigid about the January 5 date. Potentially, an election can be held under the Constitution up to 90 days from January 24, so there is still time available to negotiate a compromise that is supported by all parties.

Some AL leaders have responded positively to the question of showing flexibility on the election date. We hope that all parties can take advantage of Mr Taranco’s visit to use the possibility of extending the election timetable, in order to reach agreement.

Once HM Ershad was called the autocratic president of Bangladesh. Now a member of the grand alliance calls him a democratic leader.

A few days ago, Ershad seemed to realise that if he participated in the next election without all of the parties participating as well, the public would spit at him and jail would be a better place for him. But the people will not spit at him; rather they will love him more if he refused to participate.

There are three alternatives to save the nation: Sheikh Hasina steps down, Khaleda agrees to participate in the election, and Ershad declares that he and his party will not take part in the next election.

Sheuly Haque, Sirajgonj

A

CROSSWORD

Save people, Khaleda tells party men December 3

Vikram Khan Go to the DMCH burn unit and tell your tales to the burn victims and their family members!

Wakho Why so late, madam? :-( We See What You Do You know when you call hartal or whatever that people will die. Sweet though it is, is it not a little late to be going into bat for the innocents?

Statesmanship the need of the hour December 2

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DOWN 1 Doll (6) 2 Flightless bird (3) 3 Duration (4) 4 Slender support (4) 5 Festive occasions (5) 6 Accustomed (6) 7 Fate (3) 13 Behold! (2) 14 Ripe (6) 16 Denial (2) 17 Postpones (6) 19 Giver (5) 20 Accordingly (2) 23 Snare (4) 24 Distress signal (3) 26 Consumed (3) 27 Born (3)

FarHana Rahman Prova Good going Bangladesh!

nds This society, as a matter of fact, by tradition possesses the unique capacity to misuse or abuse everything the civilisation till date has offered it, and in this respect it remains unsurpassed in this world. Be it knowledge, intelligence, ingenuity, modern electronic gadgets and machinery, religion, democracy, liberalism, logic, media, you name it all, these are being abused by all and sundry for personal or group aggrandisement. So why should they make an exception in respect of the constitution? Consistency is the hallmark of our character, though it is a virtue of only donkeys with which we can safely be compared.

Xcel Sabbir Now the arson attacks have become a headache for all.

Hashem “Patriotism is dead.” It looks that way. Facts that politicians spin in the US versus sacrifice for something much bigger. And a passionate cry.

Nobody has done anything. Now there is something big at play that will make us suffer more. We have allowed things to reach this point. We will all have to answer on Judgment Day. Jay It is true that both scenarios of preserving the constitution and changing it cost lives. The motives behind it set the two apart. One is pure. The other is eye-opening. Our politicians don’t have any good motives, so we see see-sawing all the time with nothing being achieved. We need to take responsibility because they can’t.

Andaleeve’s brother Ashik resigns from BJP

1,107 aspirants to vie for 300 seats December 3

PA So, AL is repeating BNP’s mistake.

Riffat Imam Auditho It will be 886 if Jatiyo Party members withdraw their nomination papers. In fact, it will be an all-time lowest!!

UN’s Walker avoids media after meeting CEC December 3

The CEC has already said that the election can be rescheduled if BNP wants to join the election.

WaliulHaqueKhondker

Drivers march to besiege Khaleda’s house December 3

December 3 He should have done this much earlier, but better late than never.

SY

Many truckers have killed people and gotten away with it. Now they know what it feels like to lose loved ones. rutland

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS 1 Writers of verse (5) 5 Charge (4) 8 Hand covering (6) 9 Showy feather (5) 10 Bunch (4) 11 Live coal (5) 12 Tree (3) 15 Transmit (4) 18 Ugly amphibians (5) 21 Female deer (3) 22 Sound car horn (4) 24 Whirled (4) 25 Scope (5) 28 Revolve (6) 29 Prophet (4) 30 Looks slyly (5)

Sallyann Hall So incredibly sad to see innocent people being indiscriminately targeted. Take care beautiful Bangladesh.

Morning constitutional December 3

Be Heard

s of now over 10% of seats are not being contested in the scheduled parliamentary election.

The Election Commission has scrutinised and approved the nominations of 33 Awami League candidates in seats which have not been contested. This means that ruling party candidates are likely to be declared winners without being contested in fully 11% of all constituencies.

According to the EC, only two candidates are contesting each other in 103 parliamentary seats, mostly consisting of nominees from the Awami League and Jatiya Party. So far, seven Jatiya Party candidates have applied to withdraw nominations, but this number may rise much higher if other Jatiya Party candidates pull out as well.

The precedents for such a The spirit of our high number of uncontested democracy is seats are not positive. Since the undermined by resumption of parliamentary such a high level of democracy in 1991, there have uncontested seats in been two elections held with a an important national significant number of uncontestelection ed seats. The general election on February 15, 2006 was boycotted by all major parties except for the BNP, and 49 BNP candidates were elected uncontested. In the January 22, 2006 election, 18 BNP candidates were elected uncontested, but those polls ended up cancelled.

In both the 2001 and 2008 general elections which were participated in by all major parties, no seats were uncontested.

Clearly, while there has also been a fall in the overall number of nominations received by the EC, the main reason for the rise in the number of uncontested seats is the non-participation of major parties.

This is self evidently a cause for concern. The spirit of our democracy is undermined by such a high level of uncontested seats in an important national election.

December 3

Shafiq Majumder So very sad that innocent people are victims.

In 42 years, we have failed to come up with any good leaders. Now the country has gone to the dogs. And do they really expect the people to participate in these farcical polls? They are just wasting public money and lives. parveen

Uncontested seats harm elections

More patients for DMCH burn unit

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

Sudoku

Op-Ed

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Monday, December 9, 2013

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All eyes on Taranco

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n Towheed Feroze ith the political situation locked in a stalemate, the question of what will happen to the country is now left without any answers. Even the most seasoned politicians and the avid political experts who have presented various roadmaps out of a political mess are now left without any plausible answer.

The thing is, how can one provide a solution to a problem when the political forces cling on to the problem itself?

So, evenings that were passed in heated discussions are now spent in mourning for the unfortunate public, unarguably the victims of this putrid political game. And there is something else to do too!

A simple gesture of goodwill mixed with compassion can immediately pull the country from the edge of disaster

Hope that Taranco, the UN spokesperson who is in the city at the moment with mediation experts and others, manages to broker a compromise. Sounds easy but there is a saying, one can take a horse to the pond but cannot make it drink unless the animal wants to.

Most people have stopped expecting any miracle from our leaders, and once more we look to external help – an indication that immaturity plagues us still. In fact, we never grew up to develop maturity.

That is exactly why, in denouncing the years of imperial rule, we should pause and read the historical facts instead of being swayed by blind emotion.

British imperialism overpowered

us because our local kings and queens began to include the foreign trading companies and their paid armies to settle local scores. Naturally, when someone asks an outsider to solve domestic issues, the third force will someday take over.

Anyway, imperialism of the old format is long gone but, in its new avatar, the eventual impact remains the same.

Call outsiders to settle domestic problems, and stand to be deemed a weak nation at the global stage.

The news of Bangladesh sliding into a cauldron is common knowledge with many expatriates stating assertively that they had done the right thing to leave the country to settle in some other nation for good.

Don’t blame them because this is the first time when public buses with passengers have come under wrath. To be frank, human lives were snubbed out just for political motives.

As soon as someone dies in the burn unit, the blame game is on – we are clean, the other party is the scarred one.

Whatever the case, the learning from the current state of national paralysis is that the masses, the main component in what we know as democracy, are expendable in the elaborate political conflict.

The people are only needed during the vote, because in order to play out the charade of democracy there is no way to leave these hapless souls aside.

Unfortunately, the public keep on playing to the tunes though it’s about time they demand an explanation.

Interestingly, this is also the month of liberation – the time we celebrate so vocally the attainment of independence for the loss of so many lives.

As a member of the general public, this writer fails to reconcile the spirit of independence with the current state of affairs, where dogged intransigence seems to be ruling supreme.

Wonder what the veteran freedom fighters are thinking and what their answers may be if asked about the risks they took for a nation which 42 years later is woefully stuck in a quagmire of petty political point scoring.

Anyway, as the BBC runs a report

Our country is at the tipping point; it’s time we set things right stating that Bangladesh is on the brink, we like to think that even at the last moment there is always a way to come back from the precipice.

Locally, we have failed to come to a solution so now there is a UN team to try. Reportedly there will be an attempt to make the opposing parties accept a settlement and the nation cannot but hope that sense prevails.

But then, what if the mission fails?

There is talk that an emergency will be declared and elections called.

Honestly speaking, the government elected in such a poll would have no credibility. The country will again slip into an abyss. If that happens, the impact will be long-lasting – directly affecting trade, exports, and the steady GDP. Conspiracy theorists say that

the ultimate plan is to destabilise the country which, despite a global economic downturn, managed a steady economic momentum.

Right, let’s not get entangled in dark theories yet because, from the people’s perspective, we see a simple gesture of goodwill mixed with compassion can immediately pull the country from the edge of disaster.

If Taranco and group manage to pull off an understanding, the nation can give democracy another chance.

But solution or not, for some, 2013 will be the year when their near ones were burnt as political pawns. For them, no mediation team and words of solace will be enough. l

single rickshaw, however, is inexcusable, though it is seen on our roads often enough.

Finally, the rickshaw is fragile and risky. It is so light that the slightest knock from any sort of beefier vehicle could send it flying into space. The rickshaw-puller and passenger both take chances with their lives every time they get on. If a four-wheeler hits you from behind with any momentum whatsoever, that’s the end of that rickshaw, and possibly you.

ment take so long to happen?

It is probably because, in spite of looking pretty nifty at first glance, it is a horrible idea. This is evolution for the worse. The rickshaw needs to backtrack and revert to its organic form, because we have screwed it all up.

These battery-wheelers are much more susceptible to accidents than regular ones because of their flawed design. A rickshaw is meant to be pedalled manually, so it can go at 5km to 10km per hour at most. Even though its structure makes it vulnerable at any speed, when a battery-mechanism propels the thing forward at four times the speed that its structure should ever be moving, the rickshaw is well and truly out of its element.

The puller, no matter how skilled, is unable to control the rickshaw. There are no brakes adequate for this kind of speed. The risk of accidents is thus extremely high. So much for a newer model.

There is a ban on this type of rickshaw as there should be. But unfortunately, as with many other things on our roads, a ban only means another opportunity for law enforcers to get their palms greased. Meanwhile, commuters continue to gamble with their lives because they really don’t have a choice.

Change is good, and technology should be making our lives easier.

Innovations are seen everywhere, every year, from cars to fighter jets to bicycles. There is no reason our very own rickshaw should be left out. But we should do it properly, with a little more thought.

We should increase our safety, not reduce it. Our engineers could think about a speed limit on the engines, for example. That would make life easier for the rickshaw-puller without raising the risk level. If we’re going to use technology to move forward, let’s at least do it a bit more carefully. l

Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

Rickety rides n Abak Hussain

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s the general strikes and blockades rage on, rickshaws reign supreme on Dhaka streets. A large part of the character of Dhaka city has always come from its rickshaws. They are part of our brand.

Rickshaws and the artwork that adorn them exert tremendous fascination over many, especially foreigners, with an interest in all things ethno-chic. They have a reputation for being simple, green, and aesthetically pleasing, in contrast to the gas-guzzling automobiles that serve the global corporate nexus. Rickshaw art is now its own legitimate genre, with well-off people showcasing them on their coffee tables.

That particular image of the rickshaw is a nicely packaged one.

Although Bangladesh certainly was not the birthplace of the rickshaw (it is well known that the origin of the name is Japanese), it is one of those things we have no qualms about claiming as truly Bangalee, along with the hilsa, the Jamdani sari and the Fazli mango.

But for those of us who live in this chaotic metropolis, the romance of it all has to be set aside while we try to get to work, school, or to see the doctor. With crude bombs and Molotov

cocktails being tossed indiscriminately at cars, buses and other engined vehicles, rickshaws have become the preferred mode of transportation for many people in the city.

Even those not so accustomed with these rickety rides are getting used to hopping on. The nation is choking from a political crisis that shows no signs of coming to an end, and not showing up for work is simply not an option.

The rickshaw is not a very fastevolving creature. Even those with far-reaching memories of our city will tell you that, since the origin of cycle rickshaws up until the present day, there have been few, if any, structural changes.

Here’s the basic arrangement. The sweaty, lungi-clad rickshaw puller pedals while sitting on a plastic seat.

Up to two passengers legitimately sit in the back. A hood, which was not designed with basketball players in mind, may be pulled up in the event of rain or too much sun.

Sometimes three passengers will get on. That is not the most comfortable kind of ride for the passengers, and is certainly hard on the puller, but is understandable for short distances, and when the group is hard to break in half. Four passengers hopping on a

NASHIRUL ISLAM

When a battery-mechanism propels the thing forward at four times the speed that its structure should ever be moving, the rickshaw is well and truly out of its element

And there’s not much you can do about it. Maybe this was not a problem in Japan in the beginning of the 20th century, when there weren’t many punk kids on the road with the tendency to step on the gas a little too hard.

In 21st century Dhaka though, this has become an issue. Our roads have changed (for the worse). The number of people, hence number of cars, has changed (for the worse). And yet, in all this time, the rickshaw has not evolved beyond its flimsy origins: tough on the puller, dangerous for both puller and passenger.

Until now. The humble, analog rickshaw has evolved by merging with battery-powered machinery. These new cyborgical rickshaws, seen in increasing numbers on the streets of Dhaka, significantly reduce the exertion required by the rickshaw-pullers.

But in that case, why did this develop-

Abak Hussain is Senior Staff Sub-Editor at the Dhaka Tribune.

AFP

A call to the citizens n MH Bari

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t seems that our leading political parties have no principles, no ideology, no set policy and no goal, except to retain power or gain power.

There are no rules in the game except that: “We must win and the other must lose, and everything else must be made subservient for this.”

Sporadic violence is engulfing the entire country. The number of the dead is rising by the hour. As the scale of violence gets bloodier every passing hour with no sign of abating, terror has gripped the populace. Common, law-abiding, and peaceful citizens have become helpless hostages to the madness all around.

The international community has called for restraint. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon again has called for an “inclusive, non-violent and credible” election in Bangladesh and encouraged the two major political parties to engage in constructive dialogues to that end. But neither side seems willing to heed the UN’s plea.

Since the onus of establishing order and peace is on the ruling Awami League, it must come out of the box of conventional thinking. Dialogue among the parties embroiled in the present crisis is still possible. In the diplomatic world, it is happening often between arch enemies even in the midst of a bloody war. And it is only logical that the lead should be taken by the party in power.

Authoritarian tendency to hang on to power even after the term in office is over became discernible since the first general election of 1991. Distrust between both the dynastic claimants to power grew over time. This undemocratic desire to deny the opponent political camp a fair environment to vie for power through elections prepared the ground for the entry of extremist behaviour in political practice. At a par with militancy in political polemic, political encounters also started to get more violent and bloody on the street.

There is no doubt that the nation is passing through the worst of times in terms of confrontation between the government and the political parties in the opposition. It is really a critical juncture for the nation.

Society is now dangerously polarised. Never before, since independence, has the nation been forced into such an artificially created crisis. And all this is the product of chicanery and Machiavellianism in order to get political mileage out of them against the adversary.

How power is transferred from one government to the next is an indicator of a democracy. At the end of its term, a democratic government hands over power to the next elected government peacefully and smoothly.

It is unfortunate that four decades after our independence, we could not find a transparent and peaceful mechanism for the transfer of power.

As a result, we see at the end of every regime a severe confrontation among

political parties, where common people are the worst victims. Past elections have been marked by continuous hartals, vandalism and attacks on the public.

The impartiality of the caretaker governments, which successfully managed to hold the last four general elections in a free and fair environment and earned national and international acclaim, had been subject to criticism mainly for the trust deficit on the part of the losing parties.

In view of the current stand-off, one feels that there is no scope to hold parliamentary elections peacefully without a non-partisan government, and it is believed to be the opinion of the majority of the people of the country. The government must respect the people’s voice.

It has become necessary for all the conscious citizens of this country to find ways to salvage democracy as early as possible

Since the current standoff is of an intensive variety and political leaders seem extremely stubborn, it has become necessary for all the conscious citizens of this country to find ways to salvage democracy as early as possible.

All our editors, senior journalists, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, accountants, retired civil and military bureaucrats and civil society members should be united in making the following proposals: The President shall dissolve the parliament; PM’s executive powers shall be dissolved for election time; main opposition shall run five important ministries like home, defence, finance, foreign and commerce during election time; and the EC should be revamped: The activities of the present chief election commissioner and other election commissioners have recently raised confusion, amounting to a sense of scepticism as to their capabilities. The EC should be thoroughly re-organised.

The following pledges must also be made by the political parties: Democratic norms shall be practiced in the party; party chief and head of state shall be different people; tenure of government shall be four years; there shall be a balance of power between the president and prime minister; Constitutional bodies shall be allowed to work independently, and a national advisory council shall advise the government on policy issues.

We must put pressure on them to accept the proposals for the greater interest of the country. Time is running out and we cannot wait anymore. We want the hooliganism to end.

MH Bari works in the global marketing of seafood from Bangladesh.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Monday, December 9, 2013

Rafiqun Nabi’s Quest for Reality marks his 70th birthday n Entertainment Desk Rafiqun Nabi, widely known as the creator of the cartoon character Tokai, is one of the artists who has paved the way for the practice of contemporary art in Bangladesh, even before the country’s independence. On the occasion of the 70th birthday of the noted artist, a remarkable exhibition titled Quest for Reality was inaugurated at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts on December 7, it will continue until December 19.

An extensive display of 120 artworks includes an elaborate collection of Nabi’s water colours, oil paintings, wood engravings and many other mediums, which show that the artist has explored a diverse range of genres in the field of art. His wide expertise in the field has inspired many novice artists as well as connoisseurs.

About his ongoing show, the humble Nabi said: “Nowadays, there is a vibrant and diverse art environment and I think

my previous works can be judged as ‘out of tune.’ But, with the help of my wife and the Bengal Gallery, collections of my artworks are now showcased, spanning the last five decades.” From his institutional study till now, the artist has displayed his works, which show artistic evolution over time.

During the sixties, the rebellious artist, Nabi was busy drawing posters protesting the repression under the ruling Pakistani forces. Also, his illustrations and satirical cartoons showing the unfolding abyss of political unrest were very powerful in encouraging the spirit of the patriotic Bangladeshis.

“At that time, it was not easy for an artist to embark on a journey alone, because of the political discontent. Along with me, a group of artists witnessed the language movement and eventually the war of independence. Through our artistic creations, we unfolded the unrest of the political condition, which helped us to establish ourselves as Bengalis.”

In 1973, Nabi studied in Greece and became interested in wood engraving. He mentions: “My stay in Greece helped me to acquire the skill of wood engraving. Although, right now, I am focused on painting, and am settled on one medium, my students benefit through my exposure to wood engraving.”

Talking about his experience as an artist, he said: “If one can remain focused on a discipline for such a long time, one is bound to attain some success, provided there is mental and material substance of course.”

He further adds: “There is no finishing line and no ultimate trophy. What I left behind and what I gained is not relevant for me. The innate desire to excel in my art will always be there, if I can do that, I believe I will be content.”

The exhibition was attended by Begum Jahanara Abedin, widow of Zainul Abedin, Qayyum Chowdhury, and Chairman of the Bengal Foundation Abul Khair. l

Dhallywood’s new heart throbs Mahiya Mahi and Arifin Shuvoo, will be seen together for the first time with their sizzling chemistry in the action thriller movie Agni. Directed by Iftakar Chowdhury, the film will hit the theatres in the first week of February

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 Artworks by Rafiqun Nabi

Chondraboti airs on Channel 9 n Entertainment Desk Drama series Chondraboti begins on Channel 9. Written and directed by Anjan Aich, it will be aired every Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 8:25pm.

Popular TV actors Jayanto Chatto-

padhyay, Hasan Imam, Suborna Mustafa, Bonnya Mirza, Saberi Alam, Shahed Sharif Khan, Maznun Mizan and many more stars can be seen in the drama. The series is about the frauds commonly done by the pirs, influential people who are believed to have

A scene from Chondraboti

supernatural power to solve different kind of physical and psychological problems.

Set in the backdrop of a village, the story of the drama series revolves around pir Fazlu who is very popular with the villagers.

Moreover many people from distant places also come to him for treatments. Fazlu has two assistants, Rinku and Sushil and they work very hard to spread his popularity.

Fazlu has a daughter named Chondraboti who is also very clever and smart, and the youngsters of the village have special interest in her.

One day, a girl from a different village comes to seek help from Fazlu and eventually someone rapes her. Police come to investigate the case and Fazlu and his assistants fall into deep trouble.

A young doctor named Kamal comes to the village and the fate of Fazlu becomes more uncertain. The story moves on with different snags in the life of Fazlu and his family. l

Shilpakala Academy celebrates Nobanno n Afrose Jahan Chaity Nabanno Utshob (Bengali traditional crop harvest celebration) is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in Bangladesh. In the urban milieu, the occasion was observed with an array of colourful programmes on the open premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on December 7.

Nabanno’s most attractive facet is pitha (a kind of cake made by rice flour) and the event offered the city dwellers a variety of delicious pithas displayed in different stalls.

A huge crowd enjoyed the programme which also featured music and dance recitals.

The festival was opened with a welcome speech from Sohrab Uddin, director of Music and Dance department of BSA. Director of BSA Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the show with the Secretary of Cultural Ministry, Ronojit Kumar Biswas present as a special guest.

Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad’s artists performed the songs titled Kanna Hshir Dol

Dolano and Poush Toder Dak Diyechhe in chorus. BSA Repertory Sangeet Dal presented folk songs, Heicha Malo Dhan Ho and Aj Jibon Khuje Pabi this was followed by a group dance recital of Baje Re Bangladesher Dhol choreographed

by Kobirul Islam Ratan. Rewaj Performers School staged a group dance to Baro Masher Dhol, choreographed by Munmun Ahmed and then, the cultural organization Bonnishika’s chorus rendition of the songs Kati Dhan Kati Dhan Ayre and Jhilmil Jhilmil JhilerJole were enjoyed by the audience.

Mokhlesur Rahman Mintu, Nasima Khan Bokul, Jalal Uddin Hira, Dipta Rajbongshi, Poli Rahman Yasmin Ali, Abu Bakar and Tapan Chowdhury performed solo numbers on popular folk songs related to the festival. Solo recitations

by Tamanna Tithi, Shahidul Islam Naju and Rabi Sankar were appreciated by the audience.

Finally popular band Joler Gaan closed the festival with their lively and audience-winning performance. l

Eminent dancer Munmun Ahmed (first from right) and her team perform at the Nobanno celebration

LiLo accused of assault

by Paris Hilton’s brother

Deepika optimistic about appearing in Hollywood

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk

Paris Hilton’s little brother was badly beaten at a party and claims that Lindsay Lohan orchestrated the assault.

The party took place at a Miami mansion where the recently rehabilitated actress has been staying while in town for an art festival. It was a particularly

raucous affair that lasted from Friday night until well into Saturday morning.

According to TMZ people overheard Hilton saying derogatory things about Lohan and shortly afterwards he was jumped on. 24-year-old Hilton contacted the police and allegedly told them that the troubled starlet approached him at the party with a male friend and began yelling: “You talked rubbish about me to my boyfriend, this is what you get.”

Her male accomplice began to punch Hilton while Lohan giggled and encouraged the violence.

Lohan is vigorously denying the accusation and claims that she wasn’t even present when the attack occurred but TMZ has obtained footage of Hilton confronting Lohan after the vicious assault.

Apparently Hilton does not know the identity of his attacker but is positive his sister’s former friend is behind it. l

For the first time ever, the superstar has painted the first poster for his upcoming film, Jai Ho. He was keen to have his fans on his flagship poster, so thousands of faces have been merged to make a close up shot of him.

Actress Deepika Padukone does not regret being unable to make her Hollywood debut in Fast and Furious 7 and says she is open to doing films in the West even if the role is small.

Deepika was offered a part in Fast and Furious 7 movie, but she could not do it because of her commitments to the makers of Ram-Leela.

“I don’t regret it. I had to work out things for Ram-Leela here, I couldn’t have left the process mid way, I had given my commitment here first. Looking at the way the film (Ram-Leela) has got response, I feel good as my hard work has paid off,” Deepika said in an interview.

“I would love to do a Hollywood film. The reason for me to do a Hollywood film is same as what I do here in Bollywood,” she said.

When asked if she would be ok doing a small role in a Hollywood film, Deepika said, “There is nothing like a small role. The role has to be of impact, this is what matters, the length of it (role) doesn’t. A good actor can make a presence felt even in a short time.”

Deepika is basking in the success of her fourth consecutive hit this year Ram-Leela - after Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express. She is touted as the Rs6bn heroine, going by the total collections of all the four films released this year. l

SADIA MARIUM

Did you know?

Tottenham and Newcastle are yet to score more than twice in a Premier League game this season

Sport

Monday, December 9, 2013

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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0 9 7 DAYS TO GO

14 Australia four wickets away

15 Proteas crush India to seal series

‘The most eventful year of my career’ BCB strengthens n Shishir Hoque

meets. There was stability in my performance, rarely been very poor in any tournament.

The first golfer from the country to play in the World Cup of Golf, Siddikur Rahman never imagined he would reach such a status in Bangladesh. The Kurmitola Golf Club, the cradle of his humble beginning, now identifies itself, as Siddikur’s home ground.

“Well done, well done!”- was the call of the people at the Kurmitola Golf Club, as Siddikur entered the club premises yesterday for the first time after the World Cup and his victory in the Hero Indian Open last month. The 29-year old was tranquil and graciously greeted fans and well-wishers. Siddikur is here for two or three more weeks before he takes part in Kings Cup in January.

Siddikur later spoke about his experience at the World Cup of Golf, the Hero Indian Open and the recently concluded Hong Kong Open.

There’s something inconsistent in your performances. In some tournaments, you were in contention to become champion but later ended second or third. How do you see that?

Actually, I have to work out more to solve this problem. Earlier I used to play “save” game but you can’t win with save strategy, but now I’ve changed that. I started playing aggressive and after that, I won the Hero Indian Open. I enjoyed it but I’m still working on reducing my errors so that I can play aggressive with control.

You won two Asian Tour title, one in Brunei Open in 2010 and the other was the Hero Indian Open this year. Which achievement do you think is best in your career?

Of course, the Hero Indian Open. I played the best golf of my career there.

The first title- I never even dreamt that I would have won that - created a way to go further in my career. Now, am confident that I could win any tournament.

Being the first golfer from the country to represent Bangladesh in World Cup of Golf, how was the experience?

Unfortunately I couldn’t perform as well in the World Cup as I expected. But the experience I gained playing there will help me in the future. The golf course is a different, one something I never thought. My preparation was satisfactory and I thought I could finish at a respectable place in the world cup. The weather was one of the factors which I struggled to cope up with earlier. The course was also slippery.

The world cup experience was great. I would never have imagined what a great achievement it was for me if I hadn’t been there. It (Melbourne) was one of the best golf courses in the world, may be in top five. I have a plan that I will play in big tournaments in future and I think this world cup experience will help me do better there.

This is probably the most eventful

How was the response from others after you won the Hero Indian Open and also played the World Cup for the first time?

Siddikur Rahman, the brand of Bangladesh in the international golf arena

year of your career. Evaluate your performance this year. Are you satisfied?

Of course, I’m very happy. Because apart from Hero Indian Open, I finished in the top 10 in many tournaments this year. I was in the top 10 in seven tournaments out of almost 20, I think I’ve been the best player of the Asian Tour players this season. If you look at my

Second Youth ODI deferred to today n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The second Youth ODI between Bangladesh Under-19 and West Indies Under-19, which was supposed to be played yesterday, was postponed to today for security reasons. The match will be played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chittagong.

BCB officials said the deferral was made because the West Indies team were “feeling insecure” after crude bombs blasted near their hotel, Hotel Agrabad, on Saturday night during the 72-hour nationwide blockade.

“Few crude bombs were exploded near Hotel Agrabad with loud sounds last night, however, no unwanted incident happened,” AJM Nasir Uddin, di-

rector of BCB, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Because of that, they did not want to play this morning feeling insecure.

We have postponed today’s match. It will be held at the same venue tomorrow 9:30am,” he said.

“The third match was supposed to be held at MA Aziz Stadium. The venue is near to a local BNP office, Nasiman Bhaban. We have also changed the venue for that match to the divisional stadium to evade any untoward situation,” added the director. The third match will be held on December 11.

Following the incident, security measures were strengthened in the area and the game venue, said Banaz Kumar Majumder, additional commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police. l

COURTESY

stats, which I analyze very often, I’m very happy with my stats too.

Do you think this is the best season in your career?

Yes, this year has been so good for me. I won Hero Indian Open and played well in most of the tournaments. After 2010, I finished second around seven times and finished in the top 10 in around 30

Casillas unhappy with World Cup draw format n AFP, Madrid

Spain captain Iker Casillas has said he doesn’t believe the world champions should have been paired with Holland in their group for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. The world champions will play the Dutch in their first game on June 13 in a repeat of the 2010 final which Spain won 1-0.

“It is true that I don’t agree how they did the draw,” he said on Sunday.

“In any case it is not us who decide how they do it and where they decide which team is better than another.

“It was a difficult draw for the team.

We start against the runners-up in the World Cup, who have also had a fantastic qualifying campaign. l

One of the top level players Adam Scott, with whom I also played in 2010, congratulated me when I met him at the World Cup. You can’t imagine, the green keepers in Australia also recognized me and congratulated me. I really feel proud for that.

What is the reason behind the failure in the last tournament (Hong Kong Open)?

I’m physically not well. I had a bad cold and couldn’t sleep at night so it affected my performance. I’ve played in Hong Kong twice. The course is super but my performance has never been good there. l

security for U-19s n Mazhar Uddin Akram Khan, chairman of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operations and a board director, and Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, the acting CEO of BCB, assured the visiting West Indies Under-19 team of strengthening security measures during their ongoing tour.

The board will not compromise with matters that concern the wellbeing of international teams, said a BCB media release yesterday.

The second Youth ODI between Bangladesh and West Indies scheduled at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, yesterday had to be shifted today as the visitors refused to play the match for security reasons.

However, Akram informed that the security agencies have assured proper safety of the visiting side and the West Indies team is now ready to play.

“The security agencies have assured the players and management that there was no risk to their safety. Nevertheless security measures will be reinforced further as we will not compromise with matters that concern the well-being of

international teams.

The West Indies Under-19 have expressed their confidence in the arrangement and it has been decided that the second match will get underway tomorrow (today),” he said.

Meanwhile, BCB’s acting CEO Nizam also echoed Akram and said the board will give more security to the visiting team and they are communicating with the West Indian board constantly, “This is a one-off incident. There is nothing to be panicky about. We had given them more than the normal security. We met them and discussed regarding the security concerns. We have increased the security levels and for tomorrow (today) we have given them more than their normal security,’ he added.

Nizam also informed that the third ODI of the series on December 11 which the board earlier planned to hold at the Cox’s Bazar Stadium has been shifted to Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. He added that the decision was not made after the security incident rather they earlier decided that they should not move much. l

Zia wins first game in London Classic n Raihan Mahmood

Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman beat Puccini Jack of Australia in the first round of the 5th London Chess Classic FIDE Open at the Olympia Conference Center, Kensington in London yesterday.

In the 2nd round, Zia is pitted against FM Stigar Petter of Norway, A total of 184 players, including 22 grandmasters from 40 countries, are participating in the event.

Meanwhile another Bangladesh GM Niaz Murshed earned 2 points at the end of the 3rd round of the SREI International Grandmaster Chess Tournament at Kolkata on Sunday. After winning his games in the first two rounds, Niaz lost to GM Ter-Sahakyan Samvel of Armenia in the third round. Md. Sharif Hossain and Zoar Haque Prodhan, the other Bangladeshi players in the tournament, have one point each at the end of the 3rd round. l

Adjusting with the conditions was tough: Hemanta n Raihan Mahmood Vincent Hemanta Biswas, the national U-19 captain, currently trying out for Netherlands under FC Twente, braved the low temperatures in demonstrating his skill and the value he would bring to the European club. The youngster shared gave an account his what he was going through via e-mail.

“I feel proud to be the first player representing Bangladesh in FC Twente trials, I am very happy here” said Hemanta.

However the conditions were not very convenient for him. “The temperature in Holland is very low so it was

tough for me to adjust with the conditions,” though the youngster.

The difference of football infrastructure was visible to the national U-19 captain. “I am impressed with the infrastructures of FC Twente. In Holland, each club has their own stadium, whereas we have no club grounds forget a stadium,” he said.

He was also impressed with the method of training, “The difference of training is vast, there are a lot of new and varied practice methods and each day, a new method is applied and they have a lots of equipment also.”

Hemanta was confident of passing the trials. “I have the confidence to pass

the trials and I will wait for the results.

The presence of Bimal Gharti Magar is not a pressure for me, he encourages me to face the tough challenges. My coach Rene Koster is also a big inspiration for me” said Hemanta.

The youngster said he has visited some historical places. “We visited some historical places and I got opportunity to pray in church. We went karting 10 a few days back,” disclosed Hemanta.

On Sunday, the Bangladeshi visited the Ajax Amsterdam and is scheduled to play a trial match against the U-17 side of FC Twente tomorrow. Rene Koster and Hemanta are scheduled to fly back to the country on Wednesday.l

Brazil fired up but not complacent: Scolari n AFP, Costa Do Sauipe Luiz Felipe Scolari said his side would not be complacent following a World Cup draw Friday which put the hosts in Group A with Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon.

The five-time champions, desperate to win the trophy on home soil for the first time -- they lost out to Uruguay in 1950 in the final match in Rio and only broke their duck eight years later in Sweden -- will meet the Croatians in the June 12 opener in Sao Paulo.

But although their group does not look daunting on paper, Scolari, who led the Selecao to their last title in 2002, told reporters the favourites must not count their chickens.

“I am satisfied with the draw. But we shall be paying close attention to the opening phase,” said ‘Felipao’, praised earlier by President Dilma Rousseff for his previous efforts in winning not just the World Cup but the Confederations Cup last June.

“That should give us an incentive,”

said Scolari, who endured recent career flops at Chelsea and Palmeiras but who has galvanised the samba stars since beginning a second spell at the helm a year ago.

Asked if he had looked beyond the group phase, Scolari said no.

Brazil lost to the Mexicans in the Olympic final in London last year to leave them without the only title still missing from their collection.

Mexico “is a classic going way back,” Scolari said.

“I am happy with the match sequence,” added Scolari following a draw which sees Brazil start off in Sao Paulo before taking on the Mexicans in the heat of Fortaleza on June 17 and finishing with Cameroon on June 23 in Brasilia at the national stadium.

Former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, winning coach with the Selecao in 1994 in the United States and now assisting Scolari as technical coordinator, said the World Cup had now essentially begun.

“The Cup starts when you know who you are up against. The Cup starts now,” said Parreira, who dubbed the

opening gambit against the Croatians as crucial.

“The opening game generates enormous pressure. Win the first match and you are well on the way to making it through,” said Parreira.

The Brazilians edged out Croatia in the 2006 group phase in Germany and the Croatians have not forgotten that as they target ‘revenge’.

“You beat us in Germany -- but this is a second chance for us,” said Croatia coach Niko Kovac.

“It will be a great opening of the championship, a small Croatia against a big Brazil. Brazil will be a special motive for my team.”

Croatia’s former legendary coach Miroslav Ciro Blazevic, who led the country to third in the 1998 World Cup in France, said it was “evident that Brazil and Croatia are favourites” in Group A. “But it does not mean that we should not be wary of Mexico and Cameroon.

But, the draw offered something else, a big plus, and that is that the Croatia team, which is the country’s best ambassador, opens the World Cup against Brazil,” the 78-year-old Blazevic emphasised. l

Vincent Hemanta Biswas going through a practice session in FC Twente

COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Monday, December 9, 2013

Australia four wickets away n AFP, Adelaide

England's Kevin Pietersen looks at the stumps after he was bowled out by Australia's Peter Siddle (L) during the fourth day of the second

Beleaguered England survived their first full day of resistance Sunday but the prospect of another heavy defeat loomed large heading into the final day of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.

The Ashes holders were set an improbable target of 531 runs over the final two days to prevent the rampant Australians from charging to a two-nil lead in the five-Test series.

The tourists have four wickets left and will go into Monday’s fifth day without their front-line batsmen after a confrontational and tense day’s cricket. Rain is forecast on the final day.

At the close, England were fighting hard at 247 for six with Matt Prior on 31 and Stuart Broad not out 22. They trailed Australia by 284 runs.

“We know it’s not going to be easy, the boys at the lower end have troubled us in the past so we’ve got to come prepared, be switched on and give it to them early in the morning,” Australia paceman Peter Siddle said.

England had a minor triumph when they passed 200 for the first time in four innings in the series, but defeat looked inevitable after losing the first Gabba Test by 381 runs.

Joe Root, elevated to the number

team’s 381-run victory in the first Test in Brisbane, which was tarnished by constant sledging as frustrations boiled over.

The insults resurfaced Sunday but players from both sides said the confrontations were unremarkable in the tradition of hard-fought Ashes contests.

“I didn’t feel there was anything going on out there,” said Joe Root, who scored a fighting 87 for England.

“You want to play hard cricket and it’s Ashes cricket. You’d expect that.

You’d be disappointed if there wasn’t a bit of rivalry and I think it makes entertaining cricket to watch, and it’s certainly good to be involved in that out there in the middle.

“You know you’re in a battle and have got to front up and fight for your country.”

dreams did I think that Nelson Mandela would pitch up at the final wearing a Springbok on his heart,’’ South Africa’s captain on that day, Francois Pienaar, said. ‘’When he walked into our changing room to say good luck to us, he turned around and my number was on his back. It was just an amazing feeling.’’

Mandela also could leave millionaire sportsmen like David Beckham and Tiger Woods star-struck. ‘’Allow me to introduce myself to you,’’ Mandela joked to then-England captain Beckham when they met in 2003.

A young Woods came out of his audience with Mandela clutching a copy of his autobiography.

Beckham, sitting on the arm of Mandela’s chair, said his meeting was ‘’an

SCORE CARD, DAY 4 AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS

570 for 9 declared (M. Clarke 148, B. Haddin 118; S. Broad 3-98) ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS

172 (I. Bell 72 not out, M. Carberry 60; M. Johnson 7-40) AUSTRALIA 2ND INNINGS

(132 for 3 declared) Alastair Cook c Harris b Johnson Michael Carberry c Lyon b Siddle Joe Root c Haddin b Lyon Kevin Pietersen b Siddle Ian Bell c Johnson b Smith Ben Stokes c Clarke b Harris Matt Prior not out Stuart Broad not out Extras (lb1, w3, nb1) Total (6 wkts; 90 overs)

Tensions rise in Ashes Stars lit up for sports-mad Mandela n AFP, Adelaide

ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS

1 14 87 53 6 28 31 22 5 247

Fall of wickets 1-1 (Cook), 2-20 (Carberry), 3-131 (Pietersen), 4-143 (Bell), 5-171 (Root), 6-210 (Stokes) Bowling Harris 17-3-45-1 (1nb, 2w), Johnson 218-53-1 (1w), Siddle 13-4-21-2, Lyon 26-778-1, Watson 6-3-6-0, Smith 7-0-43-1

three spot vacated by Jonathan Trott, showed plenty of fight to hold out for 267 minutes for 87 while Kevin Pietersen contributed 53 off 99 balls.

“If there’s a bit of weather about I think we might be able to (save it),” Root said. “I think we’re obviously up against it. I thought Mattie (Prior) and Stuart (Broad) were exceptional and they’re going to have to continue to do that again tomorrow as well.”

Debutant Ben Stokes dug in and resisted for 90 balls before he was caught at second slip off Ryan Harris for 28 with six overs left in the day. Stokes had an ugly brush of shoulders with Mitchell Johnson in the previous over.

Root (87) missed out on his third Test century in unfortunate circumstances. He played back to spinner Nathan Lyon and got an inside edge that ran off his pad for wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to dive forward and take his 200th Test catch.

Siddle grabbed the crucial breakthrough, ending England’s first century partnership of the series when he bowled Pietersen off an inside edge.

And shortly before tea, Ian Bell was out for six after playing an injudicious shot off leg-spinner Steve Smith.

Pietersen put on 111 runs for the third wicket with Root after the tour-

A physical confrontation and verbal sparring again marred a tense day on Sunday as Australia closed in on victory over England in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.

Australia’s fearsome fast bowler Mitchell Johnson appeared to brush shoulders with England debutant Ben Stokes, and Matt Prior (31 not out) had a running verbal battle with several Australian players in the day’s final overs.

The Australians are poised for victory and a 2-0 series lead heading into Monday’s final day, with England hanging on at 247 for six while chasing an improbable target of 531 runs.

Australian skipper Michael Clarke was fined 20 percent of his match fee for threatening tailender James Anderson with a broken arm in the home

n AP

‘’Sport has the power to change the world,’’ Nelson Mandela said in 2000. ‘’It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.’’

A statesman, Mandela did not just have brushes with sport, timed for political gain. He embraced them wholeheartedly - rugby, football, cricket, boxing, track and field. He truly loved athletic contests, with their celebration of humanity and the way they united teammates, fans and countries in triumph and, sometimes, despair. At one time in his youth, Mandela cut an impressive figure as an amateur boxer.

On June 24, 1995, Mandela and South Africa were triumphant at the Rugby World Cup. ‘’Not in my wildest

amazing honour,’’ even if Mandela was not sure what to make of the star’s hairstyle of the moment - dreadlocks. ‘’I’m too old to express an opinion on the latest developments for young people,’’ Mandela said with a laugh. In fact, Mandela never lost touch. It was part of what made him an inspiration for sportsmen and women. l

SHOPPER’S DELIGHT?

A scoreboard showing a picture of former South African President Nelson Mandela, is seen before the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Fiorentina at the Olympic stadium in Rome December 8, 2013. South African anti-apartheid hero Mandela died

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (2-L) and FIFA President Joseph Blatter (2-R) are flanked by presenters Rodrigo Hilbert

The New Jersey Devils hold a moment of silence for Nelson Mandela prior to their game against the Detroit Red Wings at the

Real Madrid footabll team observe a minute of silence to pay tribute to late anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela prior to the

A portrait of former South African President Nelson Mandela is projected on a giant screen during a minute of silence ahead of the

Castres's lock Pedrie Wannenburg (L) and teammate flanker Ibrahim Diarra observe a minute of silence in

jvhbj

(From L) Barcelona's Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo, Barcelona's Maciej Lampe and Barcelona's Erazem Lorbek observe a minute of

England cricketers observe a minutes silence to mark the passsing of former South African president Nelson Mandela on

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Ibrahimovic on fire as PSG demolish Sochaux n Reuters, Paris

QUICK BYTES

Van Persie speculation ‘nonsense’: Moyes Manchester United manager David Moyes has dismissed suggestions that Dutch striker Robin van Persie is unhappy at Old Trafford, after a shock 1-0 loss at home to Newcastle United. The defending champions have now lost five matches in the Premier League, which is the same number of defeats as they suffered in each of the last two seasons.

Van Persie returned to the starting XI for the Newcastle match on Saturday following almost a month out with a groin problem. Former Liverpool player and television pundit Mark Lawrenson has claimed that the Dutchman is not content at United and may even have submitted a transfer request. But Moyes is adamant that he has no problems with the striker and issued a forceful rebuttal of the claims. “That is absolute nonsense. I don’t know what harder or tougher word I could say, but that’s as good as I’ve got,” said the Scot.

–AFP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two late goals and set up two more as Paris St Germain returned to winning ways with a thumping 5-0 victory over visitors Sochaux to open up a fourpoint lead at the top of Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic grabbed the final two goals in the 87th minute and in stoppage time having already set up Thiago Silva for the early opener and Edinson Cavani for the third past the hour, with Ezequiel Lavezzi also finding the net in between.

The win put the champions, who surprisingly suffered their first defeat of the season at Evian Thonon Gaillard on Wednesday, on 40 points from 17 games ahead of second-placed Lille. Sochaux remain bottom on eight points. l

Sao Paulo’s goalscoring keeper postpones retirement

Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni, scorer of more than 100 goals from free-kicks and penalties, has postponed his retirement and is to play on for a 22nd season at the club. The 40-year-old, who has won every possible title including the Brazilian championship, the Sao Paulo championship, the Club World Cup and Libertadores Cup, had been due to quit this month but said the club had persuaded him to change his mind. “Sao Paulo is my second home. I adore this place, it’s practically my life,” he told the club website (www.saopaulofc.net). “Also, the club president Juvenal Juvencio has insisted that I stay and I was also swayed by the declarations of (coach) Muricy Ramalho who asked for me to stay. It’s always good to have the confidence of the people who are in command at the club.

“I will do everything I can so that 2014 is a better year for us.”

–Reuters

Arsenal face Spurs in FA Cup third round

Premier League leaders Arsenal will face arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the pick of next month’s FA Cup third round ties after the north London duo were drawn against one another on Sunday.

Between them the clubs have won the FA Cup 18 times, although Arsenal haven’t lifted the trophy since 2005 -- their last major piece of silverware -- while the last of Spurs’ eight Cup final wins was in 1991. The other all Premier League ties pit Norwich against Fulham, with Newcastle at home to Cardiff and West Brom welcoming Crystal Palace to the Hawthorns. FA Cup holders Wigan, now in the second-tier Championship following relegation last season, begin their defence against MK Dons while Manchester City, last season’s beaten finalists, travel to nearby Blackburn Rovers.

–AFP

Jimenez wins record-equalling fourth Hong Kong Open

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez won the $1.3 million Hong Kong Open in a three-way playoff Sunday, clinching the title for a record-equalling fourth time and securing his 20th European Tour victory. The 49-year-old Spaniard birdied the first extra hole at the Hong Kong Golf Club to defeat Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and Stuart Manley of Wales and collect a winner’s cheque of $216,660. Jimenez raised his arm to the air as a fifteen-foot-plus putt dropped into the hole on the eighteenth green -- much to the delight of an adoring crowd in the southern Chinese city.

The victory saw the popular Jimenez match the Taiwanese Hsieh Yung-yo’s four wins at Fanling in the 1960s and 1970s and break the record he set last year as the oldest European Tour winner.

“It’s very nice to win a fourth title and for two years in a row,” a delighted Jimenez said. “It’s a very sweet victory.”

–AFP

RESULTS PSG

5-0

Sochaux

Lorient

2-0

Rennes

Reims

1-0

Nice

Valenciennes

1-1

Silva 14, Lavezzi 47, Cavani 62, Ibrahimovic 87, 90+1 Jouffre 8-p, 87 Charbonnier 90+3

Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) vies for the ball against Everton's Costa Rican midfielder Bryan Oviedo (R) during their English Premier League match at The Emirates Stadium in north London yesterday AFP

Doumbia 18

Guingamp

Sankhare 70

Leaders Arsenal lose points Roma end winless run n AFP, London Premier League leaders Arsenal were left five points clear at the top of the Premier League after visitors Everton fought back to claim a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

It seemed the Gunners were about to go seven points clear of secondplaced Liverpool when club record signing Mesut Ozil fired them into the lead with just 10 minutes left at the Emirates Stadium.

But four minutes later Everton, fresh from a win away to champions Manchester United in midweek, equalised when Gerard Delofeu smashed he ball home from 10 yards.

The point kept Everton in fifth place.

Earlier, relegation-threatened Fulham gave Rene Meulensteen his first win as their manager with a 2-0 victory

over Aston Villa at Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Sunday.

Steve Sidwell put the home side in front in the 21st minute when he scored against his old side after lofting the ball over the advancing Brad Guzan.

RESULTS Arsenal Ozil 80

Fulham

1-1 2-0

Sidwell 21, Berbatov 30 (P)

Everton

Deloufeu 84

Aston Villa

On Saturday

Sunderland Johnson 37

1-2

Tottenham

Paulinho 43, O’Shea 50-og)

Fulham, who previously hadn’t scored two goals at home all season, then doubled their lead through a controversial penalty nine minutes later.

Alex Kacaniklic broke clear and charged into the box where he ap-

peared to make the initial contact with Villa’s Leandro Bacuna.

But the referee Mike Dean awarded a penalty and Dimitar Berbatov, after selling Guzan a dummy, rolled the ball into the bottom corner.

Victory saw Fulham, beaten 2-1

by Tottenham in Meulensteen’s first game in charge on Wednesday after he succeeded fellow Dutchman Martin Jol, climb one place into 18th spot but remain in the relegation zone.

Villa’s defeat means both Swansea and Hull will have the chance to leapfrog them into the top half of the table when they meet at the Liberty Stadium on Monday.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur pursued their Premier League revival by coming from behind to win 2-1 away to bottom club Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. l

n AFP, Milan

RESULTS

Mattia Destro struck a second-half winner on his return from a long injury lay-off to hand Roma a 2-1 win at home to Fiorentina which reduced the gap on leaders Juventus to three points on Sunday.

A run of four consecutive draws, coupled with Juventus’s 2-0 win away to Bologna on Friday, had left Roma with a six-point deficit to the Serie A champions.

Meanwhile on Saturday, Napoli dropped two precious points in the Italian title race on Saturday after Dujan Basta levelled late on for Udinese to grab a share of the spoils from a 3-3 draw.

Earlier, Mario Balotelli scored a brace, including a stunning free-kick seven minutes from time, to help secure a share of the points for Milan in a hardfought 2-2 away draw to Livorno. l

Roma

2-1

Cagliari

2-1

Verona

2-1

Atalanta

Sampdoria

2-0

Catania

Sassuolo

0-1

Torino

1-0

Maicon 7, Destro 67 Sau 76, 90+2 Gomez 82, Jorginho 87-p Eder 54, Gabbiadini 77

Glik 19

Fiorentina

Vargas 29

Genoa

Gilardino 16 Denis 42

Chievo

Thereau 55

Lazio

Saturday Livorno

2-2

Napoli

3-3

Siligardi 26, Paulinho 58 Pandev 38, 41, Dzemaili 71

AC Milan

Balotelli 7, 83

Udinese

Fernandez 45-og, Fernandes 70, Basta 80

Openers lead in Proteas series win n AFP, Durban Batting prodigy Quinton de Kock hit his second successive century to set up a convincing, series-clinching 134run win for South Africa in the second one-day international against India at Kingsmead on Sunday.

De Kock made 106 in a South African total of 280 for six in a match reduced to 49 overs a side after a late start because of a wet outfield.

India lost four early wickets against the South African fast bowlers and limped to 146 all out, enabling South Africa to clinch the three-match series with a game to spare.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe took four for 25 and Dale Steyn three for 17 as India, the world’s top-ranked one-day team, were humiliated for the second time in four days.

Hashim Amla also hit a century for South Africa, making exactly 100. De Kock and Amla put on 194 for the first wicket to follow up their opening stand of 152 in the first international in Johannesburg on Thursday.

On both occasions, South Africa

were sent in by Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

It was the third century in 15 oneday internationals for the left-handed De Kock, who turns 21 on December 17.

He hit nine fours in a 118-ball innings.

BRIEF SCORE South Africa 280 for 6 De Kock 106, Amla 100, Shami 3-48) India 146 all out Raina 36, Jadeja 26, Tsotsobe 4-25 South Africa won by 134 runs Man of the match: Q De Kock His successful partnerships with Amla at the top of the order have put the one-day international career of Test captain Graeme Smith in doubt.

Smith was released from the rest of the three-match series in order to concentrate on his preparation for two Test matches against India, starting on December 18.

Unlike in the first match, where there was a torrent of 206 runs in the last 20 overs, with South Africa finishing on 358 for four, India fought back

after breaking the opening stand with the first ball of the 36th over, the third of the batting power play.

On a slower pitch than that used at the Wanderers, six wickets fell in the last 14 overs and produced 86 runs, including 20 in the last over.

India got off to a bad start when Shikhar Dhawan slapped Steyn to backward point and was out without scoring.

Virat Kohli survived some hostile short-pitched bowling from Steyn before being caught behind off Tsotsobe, also without scoring.

Ajinkya Rahane was caught behind off Morne Morkel for eight and India crashed to 34 for four when Rohit Sharma (19) pulled Tsotsobe powerfully and Amla held a superb reflex overhead catch at short midwicket.

Both teams wore black armbands and the players and crowd stood for a minute’s silence in memory of former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday.

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, the former Archbishop of Cape Town, said a prayer before the singing of the national anthems. l

Quinton de Kock (L) celebrates his century with Hashim Amla during their 2nd ODI against India at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead yesterday INTERNET

Real red-faced after draw

DAY’S WATCH

n Reuters, Madrid

Ten Sports 06:00AM Women Hockey World League Final Junior Hockey Mens World Cup 02:30PM Argentina v Spain 04:30PM Australia v France 06:30PM England v Malaysia 08:30PM S Africa v New Zealand Star Sports 4 2:00AM English Premier League Swansea v Hull City

15

Monday, December 9, 2013

The two-day long Mobil Cup Golf tournament commenced at the Kurmitola Golf Course on Saturday

COURTESY

Real Madrid were held to an embarrassing 0-0 draw at third-tier Olimpic de Xativa in the King’s Cup last 32, first leg on Saturday as they came down to earth with a bump after a series of big wins.

Real, the world’s richest club by income, were missing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Xabi Alonso but a team packed with internationals still failed to see off lowly opponents at their tiny stadium near Valencia.

In Saturday’s other first legs, holders Atletico Madrid eased to a 4-0 win at third-tier Sant Andreu thanks to an Arda Turan double and a goal apiece from David Villa and Raul Garcia.

Athletic Bilbao were beaten 1-0 at La Liga rivals Celta Vigo, Getafe were held to a 1-1 draw at second-division Girona and Levante lost 1-0 at Recreativo Huelva, who also play in the second tier. l

RESULTS Sant Andreu

0-4

Atletico Madrid

Raul Garcia 12, Turan 20, 56, Villa 84

Girona

1-1

Celta Vigo

1-0

Athletic Bilbao

Olimpic Xativa

0-0 1-0

Real Madrid

Timor 15 Mina 71

Recreativo Huelva Ruyman 90

Getafe

Marica 37

Levante

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, December 9, 2013

Winter calm at sea cheers up human traffickers n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The calm in the Bay of Bengal and a strong presence of law enforcers in Cox’s Bazar have made human traffickers to base their activities in the Chittagong city and its outskirts as winter approaches.

Police yesterday nabbed three alleged human traffickers and rounded up 31 people from a residential hotel in the port city’s Bahaddarhat area. Police said they were all amassed in the hotel before being ported off to Malaysia illegally. They have all been brought from the south-western district of Madaripur.

In November, police arrested six human traffickers in the city and rounded up 23 people who were ready to be shipped off to Malaysia.

According to traffickers arrested earlier, four trafficking syndicates are currently active in the country.

The first syndicate targets illiterate people who have the ability to give money. The second group assembles them; the third arranges for the water vessels needed to ship them abroad; and the fourth group accompanies these people abroad and make sure that they can get into the foreign country without legal documents.

Sources said the traffickers mainly use the coastal areas of Bashkhali, Maheshkhali, Teknaf and Cox’s Bazar as the embarkation points.

Mohammad Shahidullah, additional deputy commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, told the Dhaka Tribune that the gang usually used the Teknaf

route for trafficking people abroad.

“However, they prefer the Chittagong route in winter as the sea remains calm. They mainly target the poor, illiterate and unemployed people from the northern districts and rob them of huge amounts,” he said.

Specialists say the key members of the syndicates are usually expatriate Bangladeshis living in various countries. These expatriates maintain strong network abroad so that they can traffic people from Bangladesh.

Dr Zakir Hossain, professor of law at the Chittagong University, said: “Chittagong is not a new route for the traffickers. As Border Guard Bangladesh and Coast Guard are strengthening vigilance in some of the border areas, Chittagong stands out to be a relatively safe

option. These traffickers just make sure that the people are put on board some of the foreign vessels that come to the Chittagong port.”

“As the sea is vast and it is not always possible to keep watch on every corner, the task of the traffickers gets easy,” Zakir explained.

“Compared to any other time of the year, more people – lined up for being trafficked – are rounded up during winter from the port city because the sea remains clam,” said Col Miftah Uddin Ahmed, commanding officer of Rab 7.

Captain Selim Reza Harun, zonal commander of Bangladesh Coast Guard, said the traffickers were stuck inland because it was virtually impossible for anyone to travel illegally on sea because of their strong vigilance. l

31 rescued before being trafficked to Malaysia n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Police nabbed three alleged human traffickers and rescued 31 people from a residential hotel in Chittagong yesterday.

Abdu Rouf, OC of Chandgaon police station in the port city, said the arrests were made in a hotel named Al-Sakera in the Bahaddarhat area around 2:30am on a tip-off.

He said the people lined up for being trafficked were all from the south-western district of Madaripur and were headed for Malaysia by sea.

The alleged traffickers were Jafor Alam, 35, his brother-in-law Mujibur Rahman, 26, from Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar, and Bacchu Talukder, a “human trafficking vendor” from Madaripur.

Police also claimed to have identified the gang leader of the racket Jamal, from Cox’s Bazar, and were conducting

drives to pick him up, said Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf, assistant commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police.

Bacchu told police that he had connection with his younger brother Israfil, an expatriate Bangladeshi living in Malaysia. Each of those 31 were supposed to pay Tk2.4 lakh upon arrival in Malaysia. Bachchu’s duty was to take them to Chittagong.

Mujibur and Jafor, the other two arrested, were supposed to send the people to the city’s Natun Bridge area for putting on board a foreign ship. Jamal had a secret deal with the ship which had been waiting at the Bay of Bengal for carrying the 31 to Malaysia.

The Dhaka Tribune reporter visited the Chandgaon police station, where the 31 had been kept, and talked to some of them. He found out that most of them were illiterate and poor. l

Political stalemate to affect growth: IMF n Asif showkat Kallol The political violence coupled with the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections slated for January 5, will adversely affect Bangladesh’s growth and investment in the country, revealed a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Growth prospects could further be dampened by a loss of confidence and a slump in investment and consumption and balance of payment(BOP) pressure could emerge from lost export production,” it said.

The IMF staff report was released following the approval of the fourth installment of the extended credit facility (ECF) on November 27.

Regarding policy response to mitigate and off-set the BOP pressure, and emerging loss of export production,the IMF said:“Automatic fiscal stabilisers should be allowed to operate, and assuming the turbulence is temporary, reserve buffers should be used to cushion the shock and smooth exchange rate volatility, while sterilising any intervention to prevent excessive monetary tightening.”

Automatic fiscal stabilisers denote

not giving any extra fund or support to sectors, which will be affected by the political tension and associated nationwide general strikes (hartals), which have intensified since February this year, in the lead up to the national elections, slated for January 5.

The protests were further spurred by the war crimes trials and verdicts and by political gridlock over establishing a transitional government to oversee the election period, according to the IMF staff mission report.

Meanwhile, IMF has observed that with the uncertainty and disruption during the pre-election period, the country’s GDP growth in the current fiscal year is projected to decline to 5.5% against the government target of 7.2%.

In the last four FYs, Bangladesh achieved an average of 6.2% GDP growth.

The risks from the external environment could originate from a growth downturn in Europe or from the withdrawal of preferential market access under the European Union’s GSP, which arises out of a perceived lack of progress in labour standard and workers’ safety condition. l

Police arrest three human traffickers and rescued 31 people from a residential hotel in Chittagong Sunday

Counterfeit medical certificate business rampant at DMCH n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Selling fake medical certificates in exchange for money has turned into a profitable business for a racket of counterfeiters at the DMCH. This racket has been reportedly counterfeiting the signatures of responsible doctors and the stamp pads of the DMCH to issue the fake MCs for each of which they charge Tk10,000-Tk50,000.

An MC is a statement from a physician that attests to the result of a medical examination of a patient that can later serve as a document to be used for various purposes, including police investigations.

The issue had come to the forefront in recent times after a number of courts and police stations sent back more than 200 MCs for rechecking. Apparently, those MCs had something wrong in them that raised suspicion about their genuineness. Many of these fake certificates were issued from January to November.

In July, the Dhaka Tribune ran a story about the fact that the DMCH did not have any designated form for issuing medical certificates. The MC forms ran out many years ago and had never been reprinted. The MCs had been issued on white papers ever since.

Seeking anonymity, several high officials of DMCH have confirmed the

issue and said 95% of those sent back MCs were found to be fake.

They said some of the patients, after taking first aid from the hospital’s emergency wing, paid the counterfeiters certain amounts for fake MCs and produced those before the courts. The hospital authorities had nothing to do with and knew nothing about those documents.

DMCH Director Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman is confident that no doctor or employee of the hospital is involved with issuing fake MCs Admitting that the ill practice had been on the rise in recent times, DMCH Deputy Director Musfiqur Rahman said: “Nobody can directly issue a medical certificate to a patient without the director’s permission. Every patient must apply for an MC either through police or a court. The patient also needs to produce the original ticket [issued at the time of admission] and the release letter with the application.

“Then police will file a prayer to the hospital for an MC. Upon the police prayer, the assistant registrar and the record keeper of the hospital will verify the information of the patient and then send the certificate to the police station

or the court concerned,” Musfiqur said.

He added that the DMCH authority had issued a total of 669 MCs in legal ways from January to November.

However, there are allegations that the patients often go to the counterfeiters because the legal procedure for getting an MC from the hospital was too lengthy. Sometimes, the officials concerned “deliberately” harass the patients for issuing certificates.

The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that although there is a strict order from the hospital director to not take more than 72 hours for issuing an MC, patients have said the process takes at least 15 days. Sometimes, the hospital takes four months to issue an MC. DMCH Record Keeper Abdul Hannan told the Dhaka Tribune that most patients did not know that they must produce the ticket and release orders with applications.

DMCH Director Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman is confident that no doctor or employee of the hospital is involved with issuing fake MCs. “We are really in trouble with this.

I urge people to not get any medical certificate by paying anyone. Medical certificates are given for free. The only thing needed is proper submission of application,” Mustafizur said. l

Fertiliser supply disrupted n Rabiul Islam Despite the availability of sufficient stocks, the supply of both urea and non-urea fertilisers to dealers has been disrupted due to the ongoing countrywide blockade, officials said.

On the other hand, farmers claimed that taking advantage of the non-stop shutdown, a group of unscrupulous traders were selling fertilisers at higher prices, asserting that there were no stocks in reserve.

If the opposition blockade continues, the Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) fears that rice growers may wage a movement to ensure adequate supplies during the upcoming boro season, the peak time for fertiliser consumption.

Alongside boro production, nonurea fertilisers, including MOP and DAP, are also being used for potato and vegetable cultivation in the winter season, officials said.

According to Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, stocks of urea fertiliser at dealer level came down to 77,000 tonnes, against a national stock of about 5.69 lakh tonnes, on Saturday.

Saturday’s figures for non-urea fertilisers show that DAP (diammonium phosphate) stocks stood at 43,000 tonnes at dealer level, against 3.6 lakh tonnes nationally, while MOP (muriate of potash)

stood at 47,000 tonnes, against 2.86 lakh tonnes at national level, and TSP (triple super-phosphate) stood at 38,000 tonnes, against 3.2 lakh tonnes of national stock.

BFA president Kamrul Ashraf Khan said there were enough stocks of urea and non-urea fertilisers, but supplies at field level could not be ensured due to the ongoing blockade.

“We fear that the growers may launch a movement demanding fertilisers in the current peak season,” Kamrul said.

The prices of fertilisers have also increased due to the gap between demand and supply, the BFA leader said.

SM Nazmul Islam, secretary to the agriculture ministry, said the government was trying to get supplies to the dealers, so fertilisers would be available for the growers. He also claimed that prices may have increased due to higher transport costs.

“As transport charges go up during blockades, fertiliser prices may also go up. But we will conduct mobile courts to check it,” Nazmul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune at his office yesterday.

The secretary also said sufficient amounts of fertilisers were in stock for use in boro cultivation, which starts next week.

He added that waterways were still open for transporting fertilisers, to balance out the loss of other transportation routes. l

CPA initiates waterway transportation of containers n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong Waterway transportation of containers between Chittagong Port and Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, a special arrangement to ease businessmen’s sufferings during the ongoing political unrest in the country, starts from today, one month after the inauguration of the Inland Container Depot (ICD).

Captain Nazmul Alam, deputy conservator of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), yesterday said a vessel, MV Pangaon Success, was being laden with con-

tainers, adding that it would leave the port for Pangaon in the morning [today].

He also said the vessel would carry 20 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) of containers stuffed with imported goods of the Walton Group. 50 empty containers will also be sent to Pangaon with the vessel.

A top official of the CPA said they were sending containers to Pangaon with the consent of the importers and owners of the containers.

Sayad Jamal Ahmed, acting president of the Chittagong Chamber of

Commerce and Industry, said the initiative would ease the suffering of business people who have not been able to transport containers by road because of the continuous hartals and blockades.

“We would have benefited more had the CPA taken such an initiative soon after the inauguration of ICD,” he added.

CPA sources said they had procured three vessels – Pangaon Express, Pangaon Success and Pangaon Vision – from China at a cost of Tk45 crore. The vessels will carry containers to and from the terminal, each of the vessels is capa-

ble of carrying 180 TEUs of containers.

Meanwhile, Captain M Shahajahan, a member of the CPA, said they could not make the ICD operative immediately after the inauguration, as the procured vessels were yet to be registered with the Mercantile and Marine Department, and command of the terminal had not been fixed.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Chittagong Port Authority jointly built the ICD at a cost of Tk154 crore.

The terminal, inaugurated by Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 7 this year, is expected to play a positive role in the country’s economic development, by opening up a new horizon in the transportation of exported and imported goods through the waterways.

The project aims to help ease the pressure of cargo movement on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway and railway corridors.

The terminal has a storage capacity of 3,500 TEUs of containers and is capable of handling 116,000 containers annually. l

FOCUS BANGLA

Two suspected bomb-makers seriously burnt n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Two men who sustained severe burn injuries, while allegedly making crude bombs, were admitted to the burns and plastic surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital early yesterday.

The suspected bomb-makers, Saiful Islam, 30, and Mohammad Ripon, 35, were undergoing treatment at the ICU as their respiratory tracts were damaged by fire, Dr Partha Shankar Pal, the unit’s residential surgeon, said.

Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, officer-in-charge of Feni police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that the suspects reportedly burned themselves while making bombs on Saturday in an abandoned poultry farm at Motobi in Laxmipur under Feni district.

After hearing a loud explosion, police rushed to the farm, but the men had already fled the scene, Moazzem said. They were later found getting treatment at the government-run hospital in Dhaka.

The officer added that a number of cases were filed against the two suspects in connection with the bomb-making incident.

However, the injured men and their family members claimed that they received burns when pickets hurled a petrol bomb at their CNG auto-rickshaw on Hospital Road in Feni. Saiful identified himself as a passenger, while Ripon said he was the driver of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, when a Dhaka Tribune correspondent in Feni visited the area yesterday to verify their claim, patrol police and local residents said no vehicles were set on fire there on Saturday evening.

Furthermore, locals said Ripon was well-known as “boma” Ripon, and he was injured once before while making bombs during the last local government elections. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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Business

B2 Voice market flattens out, data booming

B3 Exports still growing

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

Business www.dhakatribune.com/business

Tk333 crore telecom fund kept useless n Muhammad Zahidul Islam A social obligation fund (SoF) of Tk333 crore contributed by four mobile phone operators in Bangladesh remains idle for lack of a guideline on how to use the money.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) could not yet formulate the guideline although the operators have been complying with the obligation since November 2011.

The fund should be administered by the guideline under the law that made it mandatory for the operators to contribute 1% of their revenue meant for development of the country’s telecommunication infrastructure.

The mobile phone operators now raised their voice and wanted to be a part of formulating the rule.

“It is our contribution, so we should know how this amount will be managed,” Mahmud Hossain, Chief Corporate Affair Officer of Grameenphone told Dhaka Tribune recently.

Mobile operators also shared their views with a group of journalists recently.

“Government should finalize the rule immediately and sit with us and other stakeholders. We need to create opportunities for improving life of every citizen,” said Zakiul

Islam, senior director (regulatory & legal affairs) of Banglalink.

Mahmudur Rahman, executive vice president of Robi, said: “The government can do a lot with the money and we want to be part of the body that would manage the fund.”

He said they have plans for using the fund and ready to come forward with the idea if the government seeks help.

‘Government should finalize the rule immediately and sit with us and other stakeholders. We need to create opportunities for improving life of every citizen’ Earlier, Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said: “Formulation of the rules for using the fund is now at final stage. It has been awaiting finance ministry’s approval for last couple of months.”

The money is now in an account of BTRC, which is being increased by around Tk500m every quarter.

BTRC officials said once the rules get approval, they will start using the money for development of the country’s telecom and ICT sector and bridging the digital divide.

Budget to be cut as foreign fund inflow falls n Tribune Report

But in the draft rule, there are provisions to take different secretaries as the board members like social welfare ministry, operators said.

“The money should be spent for the development of telecom and ICT sector, creating connectivity as happened in different other countries earlier,” said another executive from a different mobile phone operator.

BTRC had sent a draft rules on SoF to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication in June 2012. The telecom ministry forwarded it to the finance ministry for approval.

After the launch of the fund in late 2011, the regulator realised Tk22.3 crore during the last two months of that year.

In 2012, BTRC received Tk414m in first quarter, Tk43.7 crore in second quarter, Tk45.7 crore in third quarter and Tk43 crore in fourth quarter while in 2013, it collected Tk43.7 crore in the first quarter and another 93.6 crore from the last two quarter.

Although it is mandatory for all six operators, two operators – the privately-run Citycell and the state-run Teletalk – have not paid any amount so far. BTRC, however, kept its eyes close.

An official in BTRC’s accounts department said the two operators’ money would have added Tk15 crore to Tk17.5 crore in extra to the fund. l

BREAKDOWN OF SoF CONTRIBUTIONS WORTH TK333.1 CRORE

R Tk6 obi 21 9.8 %, cro re Ban g Tk7 lalink 3.8 22% cro re ,

Airtel 7%, Tk21.5 crore

50%

Tk168 crore

22%

Tk73.8 crore

21%

Tk69.8 crore

7%

Tk21.5 crore

Gra me enp Tk1 50%, hone 68 cro re

A H Mamun/DT Infographic

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said development budget will need to be slashed in the current fiscal year as inflow of foreign loans and aids is dropping sharply.

“Due to the continuous blockades, inflow of foreign assistance has come down, which will require us to cut current fiscal’s budget,” finance minister told journalists at his secretariat office yesterday.

‘It’s very worrying situation for the economy. If there is no economic activities, there will be no development’

He said the country’s economy is suffering now as 18-party opposition continue to enforce blockades back-to-back.

“It’s very worrying situation for the economy. If there is no economic activities, there will be no development.”

He further said economic forecast cannot be made until the end of the political violence on the streets.

“Projection of the country’s economic growth will be difficult if political instability and violence goes on.”

He claimed the government is continuing its efforts to tackle the situation.

AMA Muhith blamed BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami for violence across the country.

“Blockade is a latest gift from the opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia for the country. She becomes Amir of Jamaat” “Burning people and vehicles is their (BNP and Jamaat) political culture.”

“But they will not be allowed to do it for long. People will stand against it,” finance minister warned.

Outlay of the current fiscal year budget is Tk 2.22tn which is 16% higher than size of the budget of fiscal year 2012-13.

The size of the revenue amount Tk 1.67tn while the budget deficit stands Tk 550, which is 4.6% of the gross domestic product .

The government expects Tk 6,670cr in foreign grants. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

Voice market flattens out, data booming n Truibune Report

RMG workers to get trade unionism training n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Outgoing managing director and chief executive officer of mobile operator Robi, Michael Kuehner said voice market of Bangladesh becoming stagnant while the data market is booming.

“Voice revenue is flattening out whereas the data market growth is really very fast in Bangladesh,” he said while speaking at a meet with the country’s telecom reporters in Dhaka yesterday.

“Currently data growth is really fast in the country, and we are optimistic about it.”

Michael Kuehner is also chairman of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB). The members of Telecom Reporters’ Network Bangladesh (TRNB) meet him in his office.

The outgoing Robi MD has worked in Bangladesh for last four and a half years in the post. He is going into retirement this month.

“Though there are lots of problem in politics and other areas, people of this country must be saluted for their resilience. The country continues to achieve 6% GDP growth despite the problems,” said sexagenarian Mi-

US Labour Department and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will launch an awareness and training programme for readymade garment workers on their responsibility and rights in practicing trade union.

Officials told a meeting at the BGMEA building in Dhaka yesterday. The US labour and state departments’ officials and BGMEA and BKMEA leaders were present at the meeting. The US Labour Department will fund the awareness programme, said BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim quoting Jeff Wheeler, International Relations Officer of US Labour Department.

“The delegates told us that the US government has already provided $1.4m for the better work programme aimed at training up RMG workers,” he added.

In reply to a question, Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune: “We will welcome trade unionism, if it comes in a constructive way.” BGMEA president Atiqul Islam said: “Allowing trade unions in the RMG sector is not a matter of BGMEA, it’s a matter of owners.” l

Outgoing Robi CEO Michael Kuehner tells telecom reporters

Robi CEO Michael Kuehner receives a bouquet of flowers from telecom reporters at his office in yesterday chael Kuehner, a German nationale.

While referring to the country’s telecom sector, he said the market is highly taxed although the revenue generation is low.

“Such kind of situation was a challenging me.”

“But my focus was not on revenue, though important, I concentrated on the culture (of Bangladesh),” added Robi’s CEO.

According to data, Robi under Michael Kuehner’s leadership has become the second largest mobile phone operator in the country in terms of revenue and started making profit. He changed the operator’s name from Aktel to Robi.

Executive Vice President of Robi Mahmudur Rahman and TRNB president Abdullah Mamun, among others were also present. l

Ceramic Association holds its 11th AGM

SIBL holds board meeting

Bangladesh Ceramic Wares Manufacturers’ Association (BCWMA) recently held its 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at a local hotel in the city.

The meeting was presided over by the company president Md Shirajul Islam Mollah. Meeting agenda included review of firm commitment for playing a stronger role to boost the ceramic sector, said a press release.

Vice president Moynul Islam, general secretary Rizvi Ul Kabir, finance secretary Irfan Uddin Rifat, organising secretary MA Jabbar and members of the BCWMA Rashed Maksud Khan, Shah Sayed Iman Ullah, Gazi Md Humayun Kabir, SB Zaman, Maksud Ali Badal, Rafiquzzaman Bhuiyan were also present at the meeting. l

The 184th meeting of the Board of Directors of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) was held at its boardroom on Saturday. The meeting was presided over by the Board of Directors Chairman AK Azad. The board approved a number of investment proposals and discussed various issues relating to policy matters of the bank.

Among others board’s vice-chairmen Alhaj Syed Nurul Arefeen, directors Alhaj Akkas Uddin Mollah, Anwer Hossain Khan, Alhaj Mohammed Solaiman, Alhaj Abdul Halim, Alhaj Mohammad Hasan, Alhaj Mohiuddin Ahmed, Alhaj Mohammad Younus, Alhaj Md Sanaullah Shahid, Alhaj Khandoker Sakib Ahmed, Alhaj Tofazzal Hossain, managing director Farman R Chowdhury, deputy managing directors Md Abdul Jabber Chowdhury and Md Setaur Rahman were present in the meeting. l

BCBL opens new branch Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited inaugurated its 41st branch recently in Barisal.

The Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited Board of Directors Chairman Md Yousuf Ali

Howlader inaugurated the branch as the chief guest. CEO and Managing Director Abu Sadek Md Sohel was also present at the occasion as special guest. l

Sheltech holds ‘Year Ending Sale’

AIBL Capital Market Services holds board meeting The 22nd board meeting of AIBL Capital Market Services Ltd was held at the board room of the organisation. Chairman Badiur Rahman presided over the meeting. The meeting discussed the overall business performance of the organisation. l

Sheltech have initiated ‘Year Ending Sale’ which will continue round the month of December to sell out the small pieces of lands next to Dhaka city.

Having suitable locality, attractive architectural view, quality construction and modern lifestyle make it lucrative for the clients, said a press release. Conscious clients can avail the offer along with special benefit for one-time payment.

The current market is very favourable for apartment buyers because prices of commodities are increasing along with inflation rate and construction material prices, but apartment price is being stable said Sheltech at the press release l

NCC Bank has constructed two rain shades for walkers at Uttara Sector-13 Lake Park, Dhaka as part of Bank’s corporate social responsibility. Managing Director and CEO of NCC Bank Mohammed Nurul Amin recently inaugurated the rain shades as chief guest

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

3

Exports still growing

WB: Investment into emerging November sees 5% growth despite political unrest, RMG industry setbacks markets to fall n in 2014 Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The country’s export earnings rose to US$12bn in July-November period of the current fiscal year, posting over 18% growth over the same period last year.

Bangladesh fetched $2.22bn in November, which is over 5% higher than the previous month’s export earnings of $2.11bn, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data released yesterday.

“The July-November exports stood at $12bn, which was $10bn in the same period last year. But it would have been better had there been no political unrest,” said an EPB official, who requested not to be named.

He said shipment of RMG sector, the highest foreign currency earner, was severely affected.

“It is astonishing that export earnings showed positive trend in November despite having political unrest that almost collapsed the supply chain.”

The official said shipment of RMG products has almost halted in the recent time due to political violence including arson and vandalism of goods laden trucks.

The government set $30.5bn export target for the current fiscal, which is around 13% higher than the last fiscal’s earning of $27.01bn. l

n Reuters

Foreign direct investment into emerging markets should decline next year because of persistent concerns about the global economy, the World Bank’s political risk insurance arm said on Thursday.

For the first time in five years, companies listed macroeconomic instability as their biggest constraint for investing in emerging markets over the next three years, according to the report from the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.

“The persistent global economic uncertainty appears to have tainted the overall mood, with economic pessimism underpinning the expected stagnant FDI levels,” MIGA said in the report.

The findings suggest that the global recovery is still finding its footing after the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

A truck drives past piles of containers in the Chittagong Sea Port

DHAKA TRIBUNE

PM seeks more Stocks upbeat on UN official visit Danish investments n Tribune Report in Bangladesh n Tribune Business Desk Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought more Danish investments in various sectors including ICT, energy and power, marine fisheries, aquaculture, infrastructure development, agro-industry and frozen food industry in Bangladesh.

She made the request when newly appointed Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Hanne Fugi Eskjaer paid a courtesy call on her at her office in Dhaka yesterday, reports UNB. PM’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed the reporters after the meeting.

Terming Bangladesh as most vulnerable to climate change, Hasina said Denmark can help Bangladesh with green technology to face adverse impacts of global warming.

She mentioned that DANIDA is helping Bangladesh in poverty reduction, agriculture, fisheries, water transport, water supply and sanitation, integrated rural development and mass education.

Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the interest of the biggest Danish Wind Energy Company – Vestes – to invest in wind power and sea platform based power production in Bangladesh.

The Danish envoy stressed the need for more cooperation in shipbuilding and climate change issues. l

Stocks rose yesterday as investors reacted positively to the visit of a high UN official to persuade the two rival political parties come into negotiation table.

The country is going through a political turmoil as the government and the opposition are still divided on a polls-time administration while the national election is scheduled on January 5, 2014.

The market opened on upbeat note and the momentum continued till the end of the session with significantly increased trading activities compared to previous two sessions.

The benchmark DSEX rallied more than 25 points or 0.7% to close at 4302.

The blue chip index DS30 added 3 points or 0.3% to settle at 1501.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Categories Index, CSCX, also gained 58 points to 8430. The total DSE turnover stood at over Tk500 crore, which was about 20% higher over the previous session.

“Apparently, market greeted recent ef-

forts to end political deadlock. It sparked some optimism among the investors,” said IDLC Investments in its market analysis.

According to it, as investors became hopeful on a solution to political impasse amid UN official visit, the market ended in the green. Lanka Bangla Securities stated: “Market enjoyed a gaining streak after fall in last two consecutive sessions.”

Investors focused more on low-priced, volume-driven trades and putting small cap companies on the top of movement.

Not surprisingly, textile sector, which consists mostly of small cap companies, gained the highest which around 4%.

Among major sectors, life insurance gained 2%, followed by engineering 1.82%.

The other major sectors – non banking financial institutions and pharmaceuticals and telecommunications - ended flat.

Food and Allied was the largest losing sector declining 1.6%.

Of 287 issues traded, 205 gained, 47 declined and 35 remained unchanged on the DSE. l

MIGA aims to encourage FDI into emerging markets by protecting private investors from such political risks as war and sovereign default

In its latest global economic snapshot in October, the International Monetary Fund cut its world growth forecasts for the sixth straight time in two years, warning about a sluggish expansion in the developing world.

Overseas financing into developing countries is set to fall 4.5% next year after rising 2% in 2013, the MIGA report said.

However, at around $600bn a year, FDI to emerging markets is close to quadruple the levels seen a decade ago, it added.

Growing investments into sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are a bright spot, although Europe and Central Asia are seeing declines.

But MIGA said most of the 459 companies it surveyed about their activities in emerging markets were not planning to withdraw or cancel existing investments.

MIGA aims to encourage FDI into emerging markets by protecting private investors from such political risks as war and sovereign default.

It said the market for political risk insurance expanded 33% last year to $100bn, a historic high, and is on track for similar growth this year, even as FDI is falling.

Investors are most concerned about instability in the Middle East and North Africa, expropriations and legal disputes with governments in Latin America, contract renegotiations in countries with natural resources and general capital constraints, MIGA added. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

Pakistan turns to China for development n AFP, Islamabad Pakistan’s launch of work on its largest nuclear power plant last week is the latest example of big-money Chinese infrastructure projects in the troubled nation.

Cash-strapped Pakistan, plagued by a bloody homegrown Taliban insurgency, is battling to get its shaky economy back on track and solve a chronic energy crisis that cripples industry.

Politicians in Beijing and Islamabad are fond of extolling the profundity of their friendship in flowery rhetoric and on the ground this has translated into around 10,000 Chinese engineers and workers flocking to Pakistan.

Chinese companies are working on more than 100 major projects in energy, roads and technology, according to Pakistani officials, with an estimated $18bn expected to be invested in the coming years.

“Some projects are being done by the government, then most of the projects are being done by the Chinese companies, by the provinces and also with the state enterprises and authorities,” Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s federal minister for planning and development, told AFP. “In the energy sector, Chinese engineers are building up to 15 power projects that include hydel (hydroelectric), thermal and nuclear plants.”

Pakistan faces an electricity shortfall of around 4,000 megawatts in the sweltering summer, leading to lengthy blackouts that make ordinary people’s lives a misery and have strangled economic growth.

To combat the crisis, Pakistan has sought Chinese help in building power generation projects across the country, including nuclear.

Aside from the 2,200 MW project near Karachi launched by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week, Chinese companies built two of Pakistan’s three operational reactors.

Chinese engineers are also busy in the construction of a 969 MW hydropower project in Kashmir. They have also committed to generate 6,000 MW of electricity from coal and wind in southern Sindh province.

But cooperation goes beyond energy.

Visiting in May during his first overseas trip after taking office, Chinese Premier Li

A Chinese engineer (left) supervise workers building a bridge over a river in Ghari Dopatta, some 22 kms from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistaniadministered Kashmir AFP Keqiang linked growth in his country’s restive west with that in Pakistan, saying the two sides wanted to create an “economic corridor” to boost development.

The concept involves improving road and rail networks to link China through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea and planning minister Iqbal said its benefits would extend to other neighbouring countries.

“The biggest flagship project is going to be the economic corridor. I hope with its completion, we will be able to create opportunities not just for China and Pakistan but for the entire region,” he said.

“If the economic corridor is constructed, trade between China and India can also take

place from this corridor. Similarly, trade between China and Central Asia and also between India and Central Asia can take place,” Iqbal said.

In January the Pakistani cabinet approved the transfer of Gwadar port, strategically located in the country’s far southwest, to a Chinese state-owned company.

Once the road network is improved, Gwadar will slash thousands of kilometres off the distance oil and gas imports from Africa and the Middle East have to be transported to reach China.

The bloody six-year Taliban insurgency and threat of expat workers being kidnapped and beheaded by militants has made many

foreign firms wary of investing in Pakistan.

Chinese engineers on construction sites are guarded at all times by armed policemen, and some AFP spoke to seemed happy with their time in Pakistan.

“Pakistani people are very friendly with Chinese. That is why I am here since last three years and I will spend some more years over here,” said Wang Yanjun, supervising a road-building project in Muzaffarabad, the main town in Pakistani Kashmir.

“They provide respect and support to Chinese, so cooperation between China and Pakistan is increasing. I think we will do much more development projects in future than now.” l

Banks trim risk but fail to raise provisions ahead of EU review n Reuters Most of Europe’s big banks shed risky assets in the quarter to September, but they have yet to take extra provisions against doubtful loans to show they have put the financial crisis behind them in time for a critical review by regulators.

After reckless lending brought several banks and some governments to their knees during the global crisis, which is still playing itself out in a number of euro zone countries, next year’s Asset Quality Review (AQR) by the European Central Bank will judge whether the banks have done enough to recognise and provide for losses on their loan books as of December 31.

The results feed into EU-wide stress tests that assess whether banks need to raise more capital to insulate themselves against future economic and financial shocks.

A Reuters analysis of the third-quarter results of Europe’s 30 largest banks found that almost two thirds of the 27 that report detailed quarterly figures said their balance sheets were less risky at the end of September than at the end of June.

Cutting risk means they need less capital.

Assets such as unsecured personal loans, distressed commercial loans and certain derivatives carry a higher risk weighting, while government bonds are unweighted.

Swiss bank UBS cut 9bn Swiss francs of risk-weighted assets (RWA) in the quarter by

exiting derivatives positions, while Spain’s Bankia traded risky real estate assets with national “bad bank” Sareb for 19.5bn euros of government-guaranteed bonds.

But almost two thirds of the banks took lower charges for loan losses in the third quarter than a year earlier, and the ‘coverage ratio’ - what they set aside for losses relative to their stock of impaired loans - rose only marginally.

John Paul Crutchley, co-head of European banking at UBS, thought they would have increased provisions, drawing a parallel with the way US banks position themselves and their balance sheets before the Federal Reserve’s annual review, so the review won’t unearth nasty surprises.

“It’s probably because at the Q3 stage

there was a complete unknown about how the ECB was going to conduct these asset quality reviews (in euro zone countries) and stress tests,” London-based Crutchley added.

He and Berenberg’s London-based banks analyst James Chappell expect to see more action in the fourth quarter, as banks learn more about the standards the ECB will apply in the euro zone and national regulators will apply elsewhere.

At a recent industry event in Brussels, the head of the ECB’s AQR working group, Dutch regulator Anthony Kruizinga, was asked how banks should prepare their year-end statements if details of the AQR remain unclear.

Banks should be more prudent, he replied. The DNB and ECB both declined to elaborate. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

5

Indian government wakes up to risk of Hotmail, Gmail n AFP, New Delhi Worried by US spying revelations, India has begun drawing up a new email policy to help secure government communications, but the man responsible for drafting the rules still regularly uses Hotmail.

Like many of his peers in ministries across New Delhi, IT Minister Kapil Sibal’s office recently sent an email inviting journalists to the launch of his new personal website using the free email service.

Others, including senior foreign ministry officials, the information and broadcasting minister and the health ministry secretary, also use Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo instead of their government accounts.

When asked why he continued to use his Hotmail for official use, Sibal declined to comment, but a senior bureaucrat in his ministry admitted that he personally preferred Gmail because it is “just a lot easier”.

“We keep moving, get different designations, go different places and with that, our emails change. You lose contacts and important emails, which you don’t need to worry about with a Gmail account,” the bureaucrat told AFP. “To be honest, the quality of our official mail isn’t that great yet. It still needs some work,” he added on condition of anonymity.

Indian Information Technology (IT) professionals work on their laptops during an ‘Open Hack Day’ programme organised by the global search engine Yahoo! in Bangalore AFP IT security expert Sunil Abraham said the use of Gmail and the like was highly risky since the American services had their servers in the US and the National Security Agency has been known to tap into their database systems.

It is unclear how many state and federal public workers actively use popular email services for office, but some of the estimates are startling.

“As much as 90% of government officials use private email (services) for official use ... that’s because their official email is not as stable or speedy,” said Abraham, executive director of the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society.

In September Sibal’s ministry announced a new “Email Policy of the Government of India” in the wake of spying allegations about

the NSA revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

NSA’s tentacles not only crept into the Indian embassy in Washington and its UN office in New York, but also accessed email and chat messenger contact lists of hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens worldwide, according to media reports.

During a single day last year, the NSA’s Special Source Operations branch collected 444,743 email address books from Yahoo, 105,068 from Hotmail, 82,857 from Facebook, 33,697 from Gmail and 22,881 from unspecified other providers, The Washington Post said, according to an internal NSA presentation.

The $11m Indian project aims to bring some five million public employees onto the government’s email domain powered by the

National Informatics Centre (NIC) as early as mid-December.

It is awaiting clearances and suggestions from all ministries before the proposal goes to the cabinet this month.

J Satyanarayana, secretary of the department of electronics and IT, dismissed claims that the policy was too late and was a response to the Snowden scandal.

“The policy is not a reaction to any global spying revelations, it was already in the works.

It is just a mere coincidence that both came around the same time,” he said.

Some cyber security experts say bringing millions aboard a centralised server could make a hacker’s job easier, with all critical government information available on a single platform. l

Nike, Adidas square off for Brazil World Cup in ongoing brand battle n Reuters When soccer teams battle for the World Cup in Brazil next year, another fight for global supremacy will be played out on the pitches - between Adidas and Nike.

In the next round of their tussle to be the world’s biggest sports brand there is everything to play for.

Nike currently owns 14.6% of the global sporting goods market to Adidas’ 11.4%, and is whittling away at the German brand’s No. 1 position in Europe. Adidas held 13.2% of the western European sporting goods market in 2012 to Nike’s 12.4%, according to Euromonitor data.

“It’s not easy to evaluate (next year’s) collections. Adidas is definitely putting a lot of effort into winning lost ground, but a company like Nike won’t rest on its laurels,” said Hans Allmendinger, head of marketing for German sporting goods retailer Sport2000.

Adidas has for more than 40 years decorated soccer kit and shoes with its distinctive parallel lines logo. It has strong partnerships setting it up

well for the coming challenge: a close relationship with German club Bayern Munich, of which it owns 9%, and with FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, for whom it designs official World Cup kit.

Adidas has forecast record 2014 soccer sales of over 2bn euros and aims to boost group sales to 17bn euros ($23bn) in 2015.

gust31, it posted an 8% jump in sales in Europe. Over the same period, Adidas’ European sales fell 7%.

Adidas is pulling out all the stops to make its presence felt in Brazil, where Nike sponsors the national team.

Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times and the country is a byword for stylish

‘That will be ruffling a few feathers,’ said Berenberg Bank analyst John Guy. ‘They’ve certainly got a few tactical moves up their sleeves to consolidate their position against Nike and that’s good to see’ US Nike, meanwhile, only entered the soccer market in 1994. But already it has several major partnerships with clubs, including English champions Manchester United.

The owner of the distinctive ‘swoosh’ or tick logo, does not give forecasts for individual sport categories, but it is predicting group sales of up to $30 billion by 2015 - suggesting it thinks it can put in a sufficiently strong performance during the World Cup to stretch its global lead over the German company - and maybe beat it at home too.

In Nike’s first fiscal quarter of 2013, ended Au-

soccer, meaning there is a huge buzz around the tournament - and Nike’s designs.

Adidas is aiming to make its presence felt with players like Lionel Messi and Mesut Ozil, who play for Adidas-sponsored national teams Argentina and Germany - and the launch of the official match ball, the “Brazuca” - on sale for $160 but free to Brazilians born on its launch day.

Given the scale of the battle however it will also be using what is politely known as “ambush marketing.” Soccer watchers cite as an early example in this year’s World Cup campaigns the

launch of a new soccer top for the Palmeiras club in the yellow, green and blue worn by the Brazil national team.

“That will be ruffling a few feathers,” said Berenberg Bank analyst John Guy. “They’ve certainly got a few tactical moves up their sleeves to consolidate their position against Nike and that’s good to see.”

Klaus Jost, president of the world’s largest sportswear retailer Intersport, said Nike’s roster of top soccer players like Frenchman Franck Ribery and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the reasons for Nike’s increasing sales in Europe.

“It’s much more about creating the right image,” he told Reuters. “Stars like Ribery, Ronaldo and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic have such an attraction that many kids want to copy them.”

Big name endorsements are also responsible for Nike’s broader success.

Retailers say the US brand has gained market share this year thanks to well designed, comfortable products such as the top-selling Nike Free sneaker - and getting its performance-enhancing shoes on the feet of the biggest sports stars. l

6

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

DSEBroadIndex:4302.57⇑0.59%,Turnover:5265.94M.Tk⇑19.22%,PE:13.20 Turnover 5,944.23MTk.⇑20.75% 8 December2013 MarketCap.2,078.19BTk.⇑0.53% CSEAllShareIndex:13338⇑0.73%,Turnover:678.28MTk.⇑34.15%,PE:13.00 Combined Turnover Leader Generation Next Fashions-A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Delta Life Insu. -A R. N. Spinning-A Argon Denims Ltd-A

CompanyCode | EPS | BV | Volume Traded (Share) DSE/CSE: ClosePrice ⇓/⇑ Chn % | Avg.Price | Hi / Lo

BANK ABBANK | 2.95 | 32.60 | Vol. 577977 D: 27.20 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.26 | 27.70 / 25.00 C: 27.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.43 | 27.60 / 27.00 CITYBANK | 1.15 | 25.97 | Vol. 465150 D: 20.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 20.75 | 21.00 / 18.80 C: 20.80 ⇑ 1.46% | 20.85 | 21.10 / 20.70 IFIC | 1.10 | 18.34 | Vol. 1254190 D: 33.30 ⇑ 0.30% | 33.61 | 34.30 / 31.00 C: 33.30 ⇓ 0.30% | 33.47 | 34.10 / 30.10 ISLAMIBANK | 3.78 | 27.16 | Vol. 218853 D: 35.40 ⇓ 0.84% | 35.56 | 36.00 / 34.00 C: 35.40 ⇓ 0.56% | 35.52 | 35.90 / 35.20 NBL | 1.05 | 15.76 | Vol. 1196019 D: 12.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.25 | 12.40 / 11.40 C: 12.30 ⇑ 0.82% | 12.26 | 13.00 / 12.00 PUBALIBANK | 1.92 | 21.18 | Vol. 211373 D: 32.40 ⇑ 0.31% | 32.29 | 32.80 / 29.50 C: 32.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 31.81 | 32.40 / 31.30 RUPALIBANK | 6.70 | 64.27 | Vol. 51696 D: 65.00 ⇓ 0.61% | 65.31 | 66.70 / 62.00 C: 66.00 ⇓ 0.30% | 66.44 | 68.00 / 65.80 UCBL | 1.90 | 21.72 | Vol. 2773608 D: 24.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.84 | 26.00 / 22.50 C: 24.80 ⇑ 0.40% | 24.88 | 25.10 / 24.70 UTTARABANK | 3.42 | 26.97 | Vol. 265610 D: 31.50 ⇓ 0.63% | 31.65 | 33.00 / 30.00 C: 31.50 ⇓ 0.32% | 31.62 | 32.00 / 31.30 ICBIBANK | -1.60 | -13.03 | Vol. 166400 D: 6.80 ⇓ 1.45% | 6.90 | 7.00 / 6.50 EBL | 3.91 | 28.22 | Vol. 164980 D: 29.30 ⇓ 0.34% | 29.57 | 30.00 / 27.00 C: 29.00 ⇑ 1.05% | 28.99 | 29.00 / 28.80 ALARABANK | 2.03 | 14.91 | Vol. 2028923 D: 19.40 ⇓ 1.02% | 19.55 | 19.80 / 18.00 C: 19.50 ⇓ 1.02% | 19.59 | 20.00 / 19.40 PRIMEBANK | 2.89 | 22.40 | Vol. 117362 D: 24.40 ⇓ 0.41% | 24.11 | 25.00 / 22.50 C: 23.80 ⇓ 2.86% | 23.80 | 24.00 / 23.60 SOUTHEASTB | 1.89 | 22.66 | Vol. 751614 D: 18.60 ⇑ 0.54% | 18.56 | 18.80 / 17.00 C: 18.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.51 | 18.90 / 18.00 DHAKABANK | 1.46 | 18.08 | Vol. 153363 D: 19.20 ⇑ 0.52% | 19.27 | 19.50 / 17.30 C: 19.30 ⇑ 2.12% | 19.43 | 20.00 / 19.20 NCCBANK | 1.90 | 15.88 | Vol. 806279 D: 13.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.92 | 14.50 / 12.80 C: 13.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.96 | 14.10 / 12.60 SIBL | 2.05 | 14.47 | Vol. 659993 D: 13.40 ⇓ 0.74% | 13.48 | 14.00 / 12.20 C: 13.50 ⇓ 0.74% | 13.50 | 13.60 / 12.80 DUTCHBANGL | 11.57 | 54.27 | Vol. 28160 D: 101.4 ⇑ 2.63% | 100.95 | 102.9 / 96.00 C: 107.0 ⇑ 9.18% | 107.00 | 107.0 / 107.0 MTBL | 1.17 | 17.27 | Vol. 107600 D: 16.20 ⇑ 2.53% | 16.26 | 16.40 / 15.70 C: 16.10 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.04 | 16.50 / 15.60 STANDBANKL | 2.33 | 14.41 | Vol. 687558 D: 15.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.31 | 15.60 / 13.80 C: 15.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.25 | 15.40 / 14.20 ONEBANKLTD | 2.35 | 15.34 | Vol. 1134841 D: 16.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.79 | 18.00 / 15.20 C: 16.80 ⇑ 0.60% | 16.88 | 17.00 / 16.70 BANKASIA | 1.35 | 20.80 | Vol. 51868 D: 18.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.75 | 19.30 / 17.20 C: 19.00 ⇑ 1.06% | 18.96 | 19.00 / 18.90 MERCANBANK | 2.07 | 16.59 | Vol. 2932200 D: 16.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.42 | 16.60 / 15.00 C: 16.50 ⇑ 1.23% | 16.45 | 16.70 / 16.30 EXIMBANK | 1.80 | 14.31 | Vol. 534426 D: 12.60 ⇓ 0.79% | 12.73 | 13.00 / 11.80 C: 12.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 12.78 | 12.90 / 12.50 JAMUNABANK | 2.47 | 18.56 | Vol. 167250 D: 16.70 ⇑ 1.83% | 16.66 | 16.80 / 15.00 C: 16.40 ⇑ 1.86% | 16.37 | 16.50 / 16.30 BRACBANK | 1.51 | 24.87 | Vol. 351016 D: 32.00 ⇑ 0.95% | 32.03 | 33.00 / 29.50 C: 31.60 ⇑ 0.64% | 31.57 | 31.90 / 31.40 SHAHJABANK | 2.61 | 14.47 | Vol. 501734 D: 17.10 ⇓ 1.72% | 17.24 | 17.50 / 16.00 C: 17.30 ⇓ 0.57% | 17.36 | 17.60 / 17.20

Vol. 13689120

TO M. Tk.

% of TTL

Avg. P

484.39

8.15

35.38

4844500

319.60

5.38

1048800

306.48

5.16

4836526 2039240

292.22

DSE Gainer

A%

CP

DSE Loser

C%

A%

CP

26.27

18.79

107.20

Aftab Auto.-A

-7.28

-8.50

94.30

BD Building Systems -N

9.78

7.14

78.60

Eastern Housing-A

-4.71

-2.32

54.60

Rupali Life Insur.-A

9.75

8.39

124.90

Bata Shoe Ltd.-A

-3.55

-2.79

700.40

9.51

7.84

35.70

JMI Syringes MDL-A

-3.32

-2.07

218.30

9.42

7.69

20.90

United Insur-A

-3.30

-2.72

44.00

3.02

37.14

Hakkani P& Paper-B

2.88

84.01

Deshbandhu Polymer-A

179.63 171.31

65.97

C%

Eastern Cables-Z

PREMIERBAN | 1.18 | 13.95 | Vol. 518457 D: 11.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.62 | 11.80 / 11.00 C: 11.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 11.55 | 11.70 / 11.50 TRUSTBANK | 0.50 | 18.00 | Vol. 580257 D: 20.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.30 | 22.00 / 19.00 C: 21.00 ⇓ 0.94% | 21.43 | 21.90 / 20.80 FIRSTSBANK | 1.85 | 13.89 | Vol. 878736 D: 15.40 ⇑ 0.00% | 15.55 | 16.20 / 13.90 C: 15.50 ⇑ 0.65% | 15.51 | 15.80 / 15.40 NON BANKING F I IDLC | 4.43 | 29.18 | Vol. 89699 D: 60.10 ⇑ 0.50% | 60.22 | 60.80 / 58.00 C: 60.80 ⇑ 0.66% | 61.15 | 61.80 / 60.40 ULC | 1.80 | 14.90 | Vol. 126929 D: 29.20 ⇑ 1.04% | 29.04 | 30.00 / 26.50 UTTARAFIN | 7.16 | 41.54 | Vol. 69695 D: 79.70 ⇑ 0.89% | 79.98 | 80.90 / 77.00 C: 79.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 79.80 | 80.50 / 78.70 MIDASFIN | 0.16 | 10.21 | Vol. 2100 D: 29.60 ⇑ 1.02% | 29.50 | 30.00 / 29.50 C: 27.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 29.00 | 27.10 / 27.10 FLEASEINT | 2.34 | 13.93 | Vol. 590842 D: 29.50 ⇑ 0.68% | 29.62 | 29.90 / 28.50 C: 29.50 ⇑ 1.37% | 29.57 | 29.80 / 29.40 PLFSL | 1.37 | 17.48 | Vol. 438404 D: 23.40 ⇑ 0.86% | 23.49 | 25.00 / 21.00 C: 23.40 ⇑ 0.43% | 23.54 | 24.00 / 21.00 PRIMEFIN | 0.87 | 17.88 | Vol. 164160 D: 24.30 ⇑ 1.25% | 24.28 | 24.50 / 21.60 C: 24.30 ⇑ 1.25% | 24.41 | 24.60 / 23.50 PREMIERLEA | 0.10 | 11.37 | Vol. 116525 D: 10.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 10.01 | 10.10 / 9.00 C: 10.20 ⇑ 0.99% | 10.23 | 10.60 / 10.10 ISLAMICFIN | 1.03 | 15.48 | Vol. 217688 D: 16.50 ⇑ 1.23% | 16.63 | 17.00 / 15.00 C: 16.70 ⇑ 2.45% | 16.66 | 16.80 / 16.50 LANKABAFIN | 1.61 | 31.07 | Vol. 464941 D: 55.10 ⇑ 2.61% | 55.04 | 55.50 / 50.00 C: 55.20 ⇑ 2.99% | 55.13 | 55.50 / 54.90 BIFC | 0.15 | 18.58 | Vol. 125157 D: 16.00 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.01 | 16.20 / 15.00 C: 16.00 ⇑ 1.27% | 16.11 | 16.50 / 16.00 IPDC | 1.23 | 19.43 | Vol. 93500 D: 18.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 18.05 | 18.30 / 17.80 C: 18.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 18.00 | 18.00 / 18.00 UNIONCAP | 0.54 | 17.85 | Vol. 19435 D: 28.10 ⇓ 1.06% | 28.16 | 28.50 / 27.50 C: 28.00 ⇑ 1.82% | 27.97 | 28.50 / 27.50 BDFINANCE | 0.57 | 14.77 | Vol. 159621 D: 18.60 ⇑ 0.54% | 18.70 | 19.10 / 17.00 C: 18.40 ⇑ 0.55% | 18.51 | 18.70 / 18.30 ILFSL | 0.35 | 12.19 | Vol. 264755 D: 14.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.46 | 15.10 / 13.50 C: 14.30 ⇓ 1.38% | 14.40 | 14.70 / 14.20 PHOENIXFIN | 2.46 | 19.39 | Vol. 143537 D: 32.70 ⇑ 2.51% | 32.59 | 32.90 / 29.00 C: 32.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.20 | 32.20 / 32.20 FASFIN | 0.19 | 13.56 | Vol. 353051 D: 13.80 ⇑ 0.73% | 13.93 | 14.30 / 12.50 C: 13.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 13.82 | 14.00 / 13.70 DBH | 4.47 | 21.27 | Vol. 25543 D: 54.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 54.25 | 54.80 / 50.00 C: 56.00 ⇑ 0.90% | 55.84 | 56.00 / 55.40 NHFIL | 0.57 | 12.70 | Vol. 161035 D: 30.60 ⇑ 0.66% | 30.89 | 31.20 / 27.50 C: 30.60 ⇑ 0.33% | 30.61 | 31.20 / 30.10 BAYLEASING | 0.72 | 25.55 | Vol. 161164 D: 28.80 ⇑ 1.77% | 28.90 | 29.10 / 26.00 C: 28.60 ⇑ 0.70% | 28.67 | 30.00 / 26.30 ICB | 89.23 | 607.74 | Vol. 2600 D: 1509 ⇑ 0.63% | 1510 | 1518 / 1503 GSPFINANCE | 1.63 | 22.23 | Vol. 118927 D: 25.40 ⇑ 1.20% | 25.58 | 25.90 / 24.00 C: 25.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 25.61 | 26.00 / 25.50 FAREASTFIN | 0.68 | 13.64 | Vol. 801000 D: 14.10 ⇓ 0.70% | 14.24 | 14.40 / 14.00 C: 14.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 14.27 | 14.40 / 14.10 INVESTMENT 3RDICB | 26.16 | 235.16 | Vol. 100 D: 191.3 ⇑ 0.47% | 191.30 | 191.3 / 191.3 6THICB | 10.99 | 60.14 | Vol. 11400 D: 53.20 ⇑ 0.38% | 53.16 | 53.50 / 53.00 8THICB | 12.47 | 70.07 | Vol. 3000 D: 53.70 ⇓ 0.19% | 53.67 | 53.90 / 53.70

AIMS1STMF | 3.02 | 15.70 | Vol. 182000 D: 38.50 ⇓ 0.52% | 38.64 | 39.00 / 38.40 C: 38.60 ⇑ 1.05% | 38.60 | 38.70 / 38.50 ICBISLAMIC | 2.21 | 26.81 | Vol. 5000 D: 18.10 ⇑ 0.56% | 18.20 | 18.50 / 17.90 GRAMEEN1 | 6.26 | 33.23 | Vol. 90500 D: 43.40 ⇑ 0.70% | 43.52 | 44.20 / 43.30 C: 43.90 ⇑ 1.86% | 43.48 | 43.90 / 43.10 ICB1STNRB | 4.06 | 35.31 | Vol. 29500 D: 25.40 ⇑ 0.40% | 25.46 | 25.50 / 25.30 ICB2NDNRB | 2.49 | 16.24 | Vol. 99500 D: 9.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.89 | 10.00 / 9.80 C: 10.00 ⇑ 1.01% | 10.00 | 10.00 / 10.00 GRAMEENS2 | 2.17 | 16.41 | Vol. 384300 D: 16.10 ⇑ 0.63% | 16.18 | 16.30 / 16.00 C: 16.10 ⇓ 0.62% | 16.15 | 16.20 / 16.10 1STPRIMFMF | 0.64 | 11.63 | Vol. 521500 D: 22.10 ⇑ 0.91% | 22.16 | 22.40 / 22.00 C: 22.40 ⇑ 1.82% | 22.28 | 22.40 / 22.10 EBL1STMF | 0.55 | 12.62 | Vol. 1336747 D: 7.00 ⇓ 1.41% | 7.11 | 7.20 / 7.00 C: 7.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.10 | 7.10 / 7.00 ICBAMCL2ND | 0.60 | 12.12 | Vol. 115500 D: 5.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.97 | 6.00 / 5.90 ICBEPMF1S1 | 0.52 | 11.32 | Vol. 210500 D: 5.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.93 | 6.10 / 5.90 TRUSTB1MF | 0.75 | 11.65 | Vol. 270249 D: 7.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.46 | 7.60 / 6.60 C: 7.40 ⇓ 1.33% | 7.42 | 7.50 / 7.40 PRIME1ICBA | 0.42 | 11.18 | Vol. 352500 D: 5.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 5.68 | 5.80 / 5.50 C: 5.70 ⇑ 3.64% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.60 DBH1STMF | -1.12 | 10.15 | Vol. 283500 D: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.69 | 5.80 / 5.60 C: 5.80 ⇑ 3.57% | 5.69 | 5.80 / 5.60 IFIC1STMF | 0.83 | 11.88 | Vol. 317748 D: 6.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.71 | 6.80 / 6.60 C: 6.70 ⇑ 1.52% | 6.70 | 6.70 / 6.50 PF1STMF | 0.51 | 11.11 | Vol. 119000 D: 5.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.59 | 5.70 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.53 | 5.70 / 5.50 ICB3RDNRB | 0.00 | 10.60 | Vol. 181000 D: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.35 | 5.40 / 5.30 C: 5.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.33 | 5.40 / 5.30 1JANATAMF | 0.78 | 10.68 | Vol. 121500 D: 6.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.10 | 6.10 / 5.90 C: 6.00 ⇓ 1.64% | 6.00 | 6.00 / 6.00 GREENDELMF | -0.82 | 9.72 | Vol. 165000 D: 5.30 ⇓ 1.85% | 5.39 | 5.50 / 5.30 C: 5.40 ⇓ 1.82% | 5.45 | 5.50 / 5.40 POPULAR1MF | 0.77 | 11.38 | Vol. 330615 D: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.15 | 6.50 / 5.90 C: 6.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.16 | 6.20 / 6.10 IFILISLMF1 | 0.00 | 10.45 | Vol. 134000 D: 5.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.74 | 5.90 / 5.70 C: 5.70 ⇓ 1.72% | 5.70 | 5.80 / 5.70 PHPMF1 | 0.63 | 10.92 | Vol. 817500 D: 5.50 ⇓ 1.79% | 5.57 | 5.70 / 5.50 C: 5.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 5.62 | 5.70 / 5.60 AIBL1STIMF | -0.07 | 9.25 | Vol. 28500 D: 6.90 ⇓ 1.43% | 6.95 | 7.10 / 6.90 MBL1STMF | -0.16 | 9.08 | Vol. 27000 D: 6.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 6.19 | 6.30 / 6.20 C: 6.10 ⇓ 4.69% | 6.10 | 6.10 / 6.10 SEBL1STMF | 0.94 | 11.85 | Vol. 342150 D: 7.90 ⇓ 1.25% | 8.02 | 8.10 / 7.90 C: 8.00 ⇓ 1.23% | 7.92 | 8.00 / 7.60 EBLNRBMF | 1.07 | 10.88 | Vol. 8000 D: 7.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.63 | 7.60 / 7.50 RELIANCE1 | 0.95 | 10.33 | Vol. 327100 D: 8.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.53 | 8.70 / 8.40 C: 8.70 ⇑ 2.35% | 9.24 | 9.30 / 8.50 LRGLOBMF1 | 0.45 | 10.78 | Vol. 72000 D: 6.60 ⇓ 1.49% | 6.71 | 6.90 / 6.60 ABB1STMF | 0.92 | 10.63 | Vol. 379584 D: 7.30 ⇑ 1.39% | 7.31 | 7.40 / 7.00 C: 7.20 ⇓ 2.70% | 7.20 | 7.20 / 7.20 NLI1STMF | 1.17 | 12.22 | Vol. 684700 D: 9.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.12 | 9.40 / 9.00 C: 9.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.10 | 9.10 / 9.10 FBFIF | 1.30 | 10.27 | Vol. 3000 D: 8.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 9.00 | 9.00 / 8.70 NCCBLMF1 | 1.16 | 10.48 | Vol. 43000 D: 8.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 8.23 | 8.40 / 8.20

ICBSONALI1 | 0.00 | 10.39 | Vol. 472500 D: 7.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.90 | 8.00 / 7.80 C: 8.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.98 | 8.00 / 7.90 EXIM1STMF | 0.00 | 10.91 | Vol. 27500 D: 7.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.81 | 7.90 / 7.80 C: 7.50 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.50 | 7.50 / 7.50 ENGINEERING AFTABAUTO | 3.60 | 50.81 | Vol. 972410 D: 94.30 ⇓ 7.28% | 93.67 | 98.00 / 85.90 C: 94.60 ⇓ 6.89% | 94.04 | 95.90 / 92.90 AZIZPIPES | 0.39 | -42.04 | Vol. 41550 D: 19.00 ⇑ 9.20% | 18.54 | 19.10 / 17.80 C: 19.50 ⇑ 9.55% | 19.36 | 19.50 / 19.10 OLYMPIC | 5.23 | 14.73 | Vol. 163405 D: 152.4 ⇓ 0.13% | 153.34 | 154.9 / 145.0 C: 152.5 ⇓ 0.20% | 152.80 | 154.1 / 151.0 BDLAMPS | -5.31 | 37.07 | Vol. 16550 D: 140.1 ⇓ 0.64% | 141.02 | 143.5 / 138.1 C: 140.0 ⇓ 0.14% | 141.05 | 142.5 / 136.0 ECABLES | 6.10 | 23.97 | Vol. 263180 D: 107.2 ⇑ 26.27% | 100.94 | 109.8 / 82.00 C: 104.1 ⇑ 29.96% | 103.91 | 98.70 / 100.0 MONNOSTAF | 5.31 | 44.78 | Vol. 1250 D: 311.6 ⇓ 1.36% | 312.00 | 319.6 / 308.1 SINGERBD | 9.99 | 45.74 | Vol. 67962 D: 194.1 ⇓ 0.92% | 195.21 | 196.2 / 183.0 C: 193.4 ⇑ 0.10% | 194.15 | 196.8 / 193.0 ATLASBANG | 9.14 | 222.05 | Vol. 14349 D: 163.4 ⇑ 0.12% | 163.22 | 165.0 / 147.0 BDAUTOCA | -0.43 | 5.68 | Vol. 43600 D: 35.60 ⇓ 0.56% | 36.10 | 37.00 / 35.20 QSMDRYCELL | 1.06 | 52.31 | Vol. 238495 D: 36.10 ⇑ 1.69% | 36.28 | 37.00 / 34.00 C: 36.50 ⇑ 3.11% | 36.33 | 37.00 / 35.60 RENWICKJA | 5.77 | -31.13 | Vol. 9700 D: 148.8 ⇓ 0.33% | 150.72 | 152.9 / 148.1 NTLTUBES | 0.67 | 311.00 | Vol. 84760 D: 77.00 ⇑ 0.92% | 77.18 | 78.10 / 70.00 BDTHAI | 0.43 | 39.35 | Vol. 1423815 D: 30.20 ⇑ 6.71% | 29.89 | 31.00 / 26.00 C: 30.50 ⇑ 7.39% | 30.03 | 30.90 / 28.10 ANWARGALV | 0.52 | 8.10 | Vol. 479500 D: 30.50 ⇑ 4.10% | 30.11 | 31.50 / 28.40 C: 30.60 ⇑ 1.66% | 30.09 | 32.00 / 28.10 KAY&QUE | -3.89 | 6.03 | Vol. 10000 D: 16.10 ⇑ 3.21% | 16.10 | 16.30 / 15.50 RANFOUNDRY | 2.84 | 18.62 | Vol. 105500 D: 102.6 ⇑ 3.43% | 101.35 | 105.0 / 96.40 C: 99.50 ⇑ 1.02% | 99.55 | 97.00 / 102.0 SALAMCRST | 3.31 | 20.00 | Vol. 393020 D: 43.50 ⇑ 1.87% | 43.72 | 44.50 / 39.00 C: 44.00 ⇑ 2.80% | 43.69 | 44.40 / 43.00 GOLDENSON | 3.70 | 28.70 | Vol. 1356120 D: 50.40 ⇑ 2.86% | 49.82 | 51.00 / 45.00 C: 50.70 ⇑ 3.47% | 50.57 | 51.50 / 49.60 BSRMSTEEL | 3.06 | 19.53 | Vol. 137667 D: 71.90 ⇑ 0.70% | 72.21 | 73.10 / 67.00 C: 72.70 ⇑ 1.96% | 72.73 | 73.10 / 72.00 NAVANACNG | 4.09 | 27.04 | Vol. 66706 D: 66.70 ⇑ 1.21% | 66.67 | 67.00 / 60.00 C: 66.30 ⇑ 0.45% | 65.88 | 66.50 / 65.70 DESHBANDHU | 0.26 | 10.67 | Vol. 1971352 D: 20.90 ⇑ 9.42% | 20.59 | 21.00 / 17.80 C: 21.00 ⇑ 9.95% | 20.64 | 21.00 / 19.40 GPHISPAT | 2.11 | 15.27 | Vol. 745660 D: 56.50 ⇑ 0.89% | 56.95 | 60.00 / 51.00 C: 56.10 ⇓ 0.18% | 56.43 | 57.00 / 55.90 BENGALWTL | 3.85 | 24.30 | Vol. 1943600 D: 65.90 ⇑ 6.46% | 65.34 | 67.30 / 62.80 C: 66.90 ⇑ 7.90% | 66.00 | 67.40 / 62.20 BDBUILDING | 1.33 | 12.70 | Vol. 1654500 D: 78.60 ⇑ 9.78% | 76.26 | 78.70 / 71.00 C: 78.80 ⇑ 9.90% | 76.81 | 78.80 / 73.30 NPOLYMAR | 2.38 | 32.89 | Vol. 259002 D: 61.10 ⇓ 1.13% | 61.49 | 62.70 / 56.00 C: 63.20 ⇑ 1.94% | 61.95 | 63.90 / 60.30 FOOD & ALLIED APEXFOODS | 2.54 | 90.81 | Vol. 25000 D: 93.80 ⇓ 1.26% | 94.75 | 96.00 / 93.00 C: 93.50 ⇓ 2.50% | 94.19 | 95.00 / 93.00 BANGAS | 7.20 | 50.27 | Vol. 92853 D: 484.4 ⇓ 2.63% | 487.25 | 504.0 / 470.0 C: 485.6 ⇓ 2.10% | 486.35 | 495.0 / 482.1

BATBC | 65.69 | 117.22 | Vol. 350 D: 1665 ⇓ 2.16% | 1666 | 1666 / 1665 GEMINISEA | -15.39 | -5.70 | Vol. 1700 D: 159.3 ⇓ 2.87% | 159.41 | 160.6 / 157.0 NTC | 29.88 | 110.05 | Vol. 100 D: 815.0 ⇓ 0.05% | 815.00 | 815.0 / 815.0 ZEALBANGLA | -28.94 | -221.34 | Vol. 300 D: 7.80 ⇑ 4.00% | 6.67 | 7.90 / 7.80 AMCL(PRAN) | 6.85 | 57.14 | Vol. 72500 D: 200.9 ⇑ 1.06% | 201.32 | 204.8 / 197.7 C: 200.5 ⇑ 1.98% | 200.97 | 204.0 / 197.0 SHYAMPSUG | -45.77 | -396.49 | Vol. 700 D: 6.90 ⇓ 1.43% | 7.14 | 7.00 / 6.90 RAHIMAFOOD | 0.52 | 4.45 | Vol. 615830 D: 70.10 ⇑ 9.02% | 68.26 | 70.70 / 64.00 C: 70.60 ⇑ 9.29% | 68.58 | 71.00 / 66.10 FUWANGFOOD | 0.94 | 12.28 | Vol. 341931 D: 23.40 ⇓ 0.43% | 23.50 | 24.00 / 22.00 C: 23.60 ⇑ 0.43% | 23.52 | 23.80 / 23.30 BEACHHATCH | 1.01 | 12.48 | Vol. 1351950 D: 22.70 ⇑ 5.58% | 22.57 | 23.00 / 20.00 C: 22.90 ⇑ 6.51% | 22.65 | 23.10 / 21.90 FINEFOODS | 0.05 | 10.63 | Vol. 486857 D: 21.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.96 | 22.50 / 21.00 C: 21.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 22.02 | 22.40 / 21.60 RDFOOD | 0.91 | 16.84 | Vol. 1425700 D: 25.10 ⇑ 3.29% | 24.88 | 25.40 / 22.50 C: 25.20 ⇑ 4.56% | 24.92 | 25.40 / 24.30 GHAIL | 2.31 | 24.36 | Vol. 1415100 D: 44.90 ⇑ 4.42% | 44.93 | 45.40 / 40.00 C: 45.00 ⇑ 4.41% | 44.96 | 45.50 / 40.20 FUEL & POWER LINDEBD | 31.71 | 144.00 | Vol. 7900 D: 637.9 ⇑ 0.79% | 639.87 | 643.9 / 623.0 PADMAOIL | 27.62 | 79.74 | Vol. 122106 D: 318.7 ⇑ 0.31% | 320.61 | 325.0 / 305.0 C: 321.1 ⇑ 0.75% | 320.14 | 324.0 / 315.0 EASTRNLUB | 5.33 | 71.01 | Vol. 300 D: 323.0 ⇓ 0.40% | 323.33 | 325.0 / 320.0 BDWELDING | 0.33 | 16.82 | Vol. 747147 D: 22.90 ⇑ 4.09% | 22.70 | 23.20 / 20.00 C: 22.70 ⇑ 2.71% | 22.67 | 22.90 / 22.30 SUMITPOWER | 3.17 | 19.26 | Vol. 761871 D: 39.40 ⇑ 1.81% | 39.25 | 39.90 / 35.00 C: 39.30 ⇑ 1.55% | 39.22 | 39.90 / 38.90 DESCO | 2.34 | 31.27 | Vol. 114261 D: 59.40 ⇓ 0.34% | 59.49 | 60.00 / 55.00 C: 59.70 ⇓ 1.00% | 59.63 | 60.30 / 58.30 POWERGRID | 2.19 | 63.69 | Vol. 65197 D: 55.10 ⇑ 0.55% | 55.39 | 55.90 / 51.00 JAMUNAOIL | 19.83 | 57.32 | Vol. 317548 D: 208.1 ⇓ 1.00% | 209.41 | 211.6 / 200.0 C: 209.4 ⇑ 0.14% | 209.67 | 212.0 / 208.5 MPETROLEUM | 21.34 | 59.26 | Vol. 174989 D: 223.5 ⇓ 0.71% | 224.60 | 226.9 / 206.0 C: 223.7 ⇓ 1.15% | 224.51 | 226.0 / 223.6 TITASGAS | 9.20 | 46.26 | Vol. 307727 D: 74.10 ⇓ 1.46% | 74.16 | 75.30 / 68.00 C: 74.20 ⇓ 1.33% | 74.16 | 77.00 / 74.00 KPCL | 4.73 | 15.86 | Vol. 220858 D: 49.60 ⇑ 0.40% | 49.78 | 50.50 / 46.00 C: 49.60 ⇑ 1.02% | 49.83 | 50.00 / 49.10 BEDL | 1.48 | 19.43 | Vol. 1057786 D: 33.00 ⇑ 2.80% | 32.82 | 34.00 / 29.00 C: 32.90 ⇑ 2.17% | 32.71 | 33.00 / 29.00 MJLBD | 2.73 | 30.24 | Vol. 83693 D: 75.70 ⇑ 0.13% | 75.53 | 76.10 / 70.00 C: 74.60 ⇓ 1.06% | 74.96 | 75.60 / 73.10 GBBPOWER | 1.86 | 22.63 | Vol. 747449 D: 29.50 ⇑ 1.72% | 29.47 | 29.90 / 26.20 C: 29.40 ⇑ 1.03% | 29.50 | 29.90 / 29.20 SPPCL | 3.81 | 23.34 | Vol. 1452580 D: 64.00 ⇑ 4.58% | 63.10 | 64.30 / 55.10 C: 64.10 ⇑ 5.08% | 63.21 | 64.70 / 61.70 JUTE JUTESPINN | -48.14 | -39.89 | Vol. 11200 D: 88.30 ⇑ 3.03% | 89.82 | 91.30 / 86.40 NORTHERN | -9.98 | -18.22 | Vol. 1000 D: 33.20 ⇑ 3.75% | 33.00 | 35.20 / 29.30 SONALIANSH | 2.65 | 226.00 | Vol. 75850 D: 154.7 ⇑ 3.34% | 154.74 | 163.0 / 149.5 TEXTILE AL-HAJTEX | 2.22 | 16.53 | Vol. 143800 D: 79.60 ⇓ 0.13% | 80.64 | 82.60 / 79.00

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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7

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

December 08, 2013 Sectotal Index: BANK: 37,713.80 ⇑ 0.11% NBFI: 20,308.56 ⇑ 1.00% INVS: 4,792.84 ⇓ 0.07% ENGG: 6,517.28 ⇑ 2.48% FOOD: 10,136.11 ⇑ 1.22% F&P: 10,351.04 ⇑ 0.03% TEXT: 3,683.74 ⇑ 3.79% PHAR: 18,386.24 ⇑ 0.84% PAPR: 1,165.85 ⇑ 3.65% SERV: 3,025.22 ⇓ 0.38% LEAT: 5,348.31 ⇑ 0.29% CERA: 538.95 ⇑ 0.88% CMNT: 4,346.25 � 0.00% INFO: 7,624.44 ⇑ 1.46% GINS: 9,149.47 ⇑ 0.24% LINS: 124,754.56 ⇑ 2.01% TELC: 1,368.90 ⇑ 0.27% MISC: 6,578.00 ⇑ 0.61% RAHIMTEXT | 4.65 | 56.68 | Vol. 18210 D: 272.5 ⇑ 8.74% | 269.76 | 272.5 / 240.0 SAIHAMTEX | 2.75 | 29.50 | Vol. 574500 D: 28.80 ⇑ 3.23% | 28.77 | 29.00 / 28.30 C: 28.70 ⇑ 2.50% | 28.65 | 29.40 / 28.30 MODERNDYE | 0.91 | 10.37 | Vol. 2250 D: 100.6 ⇓ 0.49% | 100.89 | 103.0 / 100.0 DSHGARME | 0.88 | 12.12 | Vol. 63300 D: 72.00 ⇓ 2.04% | 72.88 | 74.80 / 71.70 DULAMIACOT | -1.90 | -29.70 | Vol. 1700 D: 7.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.65 | 7.90 / 7.70 TALLUSPIN | 1.75 | 16.17 | Vol. 3373145 D: 38.80 ⇑ 1.57% | 39.10 | 39.50 / 38.00 C: 38.90 ⇑ 1.57% | 39.15 | 39.70 / 38.60 APEXSPINN | 2.01 | 49.32 | Vol. 21000 D: 75.90 ⇑ 4.83% | 75.95 | 78.00 / 73.10 MITHUNKNIT | 2.87 | 20.53 | Vol. 143578 D: 83.60 ⇑ 0.72% | 83.92 | 85.60 / 75.00 C: 83.80 ⇑ 0.24% | 84.64 | 86.60 / 83.50 DELTASPINN | 3.06 | 26.84 | Vol. 975700 D: 31.70 ⇑ 5.67% | 31.42 | 31.90 / 30.20 C: 31.70 ⇑ 5.67% | 31.39 | 31.90 / 30.30 SONARGAON | 0.27 | 34.50 | Vol. 769764 D: 19.50 ⇑ 8.94% | 19.26 | 19.60 / 17.00 C: 19.60 ⇑ 9.50% | 19.34 | 19.60 / 18.50 PRIMETEX | 1.21 | 59.34 | Vol. 732000 D: 26.90 ⇑ 7.17% | 26.49 | 27.30 / 25.30 C: 27.00 ⇑ 7.14% | 26.53 | 27.50 / 25.50 ALLTEX | -1.26 | 8.10 | Vol. 63500 D: 7.20 ⇑ 0.00% | 7.23 | 7.30 / 7.20 C: 7.40 ⇑ 2.78% | 7.22 | 7.40 / 7.20 ANLIMAYARN | 1.36 | 11.99 | Vol. 378000 D: 28.70 ⇑ 0.70% | 29.09 | 29.50 / 28.50 C: 29.10 ⇑ 1.39% | 29.24 | 29.60 / 28.90 HRTEX | 2.08 | 14.92 | Vol. 810747 D: 44.90 ⇑ 4.18% | 45.07 | 45.90 / 42.00 C: 45.30 ⇑ 4.38% | 45.17 | 46.00 / 43.70 CMCKAMAL | 1.37 | 19.31 | Vol. 1597871 D: 33.20 ⇑ 3.43% | 33.43 | 33.90 / 30.00 SAFKOSPINN | 0.95 | 21.78 | Vol. 1264906 D: 27.90 ⇑ 6.90% | 27.60 | 28.20 / 24.20 C: 27.90 ⇑ 6.49% | 27.63 | 28.40 / 26.50 SQUARETEXT | 4.32 | 31.82 | Vol. 85990 D: 93.00 ⇑ 0.43% | 93.16 | 93.90 / 85.00 C: 92.90 ⇑ 0.54% | 92.98 | 93.00 / 92.70 METROSPIN | 0.56 | 17.71 | Vol. 1709638 D: 22.50 ⇑ 7.66% | 22.15 | 22.80 / 19.50 C: 22.60 ⇑ 7.11% | 22.09 | 22.70 / 21.20 MAKSONSPIN | 0.16 | 20.55 | Vol. 5603091 D: 20.50 ⇑ 6.77% | 20.13 | 21.10 / 17.60 C: 20.40 ⇑ 6.81% | 20.13 | 20.60 / 19.50 DACCADYE | 0.93 | 25.85 | Vol. 634921 D: 25.20 ⇑ 1.61% | 25.27 | 25.50 / 23.50 C: 25.30 ⇑ 2.02% | 25.30 | 25.50 / 23.50 RNSPIN | 2.80 | 16.58 | Vol. 4836526 D: 36.90 ⇑ 2.79% | 37.15 | 37.70 / 33.00 C: 37.00 ⇑ 2.49% | 37.11 | 37.80 / 36.50 BXSYNTH | 0.93 | 25.42 | Vol. 397081 D: 16.90 ⇑ 2.42% | 16.92 | 17.10 / 16.50 C: 17.00 ⇑ 2.41% | 17.01 | 17.50 / 16.50 MALEKSPIN | 2.81 | 43.48 | Vol. 1950140 D: 28.90 ⇑ 3.21% | 29.07 | 29.70 / 26.00 C: 29.10 ⇑ 3.19% | 29.27 | 29.70 / 28.50 ZAHINTEX | 1.20 | 31.07 | Vol. 1359950 D: 28.90 ⇑ 7.84% | 28.60 | 29.00 / 25.00 C: 28.80 ⇑ 7.46% | 28.53 | 29.00 / 27.70 SAIHAMCOT | 1.92 | 23.62 | Vol. 815500 D: 24.80 ⇑ 3.77% | 24.74 | 25.10 / 24.30 C: 24.80 ⇑ 3.33% | 24.77 | 25.20 / 24.30 GENNEXT | 1.68 | 15.15 | Vol. 13689120 D: 35.90 ⇑ 7.49% | 35.36 | 36.20 / 31.50 C: 36.30 ⇑ 8.36% | 35.60 | 36.70 / 33.90 ENVOYTEX | 3.10 | 37.86 | Vol. 2700720 D: 57.70 ⇑ 4.72% | 57.55 | 58.80 / 50.00 C: 57.80 ⇑ 4.52% | 57.65 | 58.50 / 55.50 ARGONDENIM | 1.89 | 38.86 | Vol. 2039240 D: 84.60 ⇑ 4.96% | 84.01 | 85.20 / 73.00 C: 84.00 ⇑ 3.45% | 83.61 | 85.00 / 80.00 FAMILYTEX | 3.72 | 14.68 | Vol. 425500 D: 56.00 ⇑ 5.66% | 55.20 | 56.40 / 53.70 C: 55.90 ⇑ 6.68% | 55.16 | 56.00 / 54.00 PTL | 2.12 | 20.06 | Vol. 4844500 D: 66.50 ⇑ 5.39% | 65.96 | 68.30 / 63.60 C: 66.40 ⇑ 5.73% | 66.03 | 68.40 / 63.70 PHARMACEUTICAL & CHEMICAL

AGNISYSL | 0.96 | 14.90 | Vol. 343193 D: 21.90 ⇑ 2.82% | 21.98 | 22.20 / 21.00 C: 21.90 ⇑ 2.82% | 21.97 | 22.20 / 21.70 DAFODILCOM | 0.85 | 10.99 | Vol. 400500 D: 13.70 ⇑ 1.48% | 13.68 | 13.90 / 13.50 C: 13.80 ⇑ 2.22% | 13.76 | 13.80 / 13.60 AAMRATECH | 1.33 | 19.91 | Vol. 818900 D: 35.90 ⇑ 1.99% | 35.86 | 36.20 / 32.00 C: 35.90 ⇑ 1.70% | 35.94 | 36.80 / 35.60

AMBEEPHA | 3.94 | 26.15 | Vol. 14100 D: 282.3 ⇓ 1.19% | 283.54 | 287.8 / 280.7 C: 280.5 ⇓ 1.23% | 280.75 | 284.2 / 276.1 BXPHARMA | 3.77 | 52.55 | Vol. 188437 D: 46.60 ⇑ 0.43% | 46.69 | 47.20 / 42.50 C: 46.70 ⇑ 0.43% | 46.78 | 47.40 / 46.50 GLAXOSMITH | 20.25 | 123.32 | Vol. 550 D: 967.1 ⇑ 0.26% | 967.27 | 968.0 / 965.0 ACI | -5.82 | 126.42 | Vol. 14380 D: 176.7 ⇑ 1.49% | 177.35 | 178.5 / 157.0 C: 175.2 ⇑ 2.46% | 175.20 | 178.9 / 172.1 RENATA | 33.57 | 138.83 | Vol. 22106 D: 755.4 ⇑ 2.27% | 749.36 | 762.0 / 737.0 RECKITTBEN | 27.16 | 78.89 | Vol. 200 D: 891.0 ⇑ 0.07% | 891.00 | 891.0 / 891.0 PHARMAID | 1.39 | 26.19 | Vol. 64050 D: 178.3 ⇓ 1.65% | 182.30 | 189.0 / 178.0 KOHINOOR | 11.46 | 15.99 | Vol. 2000 D: 358.7 ⇑ 2.87% | 359.00 | 370.0 / 345.0 IBNSINA | 3.44 | 34.02 | Vol. 69900 D: 107.6 ⇓ 0.09% | 107.95 | 109.2 / 107.0 C: 107.2 ⇑ 0.00% | 107.41 | 108.0 / 106.8 ORIONINFU | 1.27 | 7.00 | Vol. 137000 D: 42.40 ⇑ 1.68% | 42.53 | 43.10 / 42.10 C: 42.70 ⇑ 2.89% | 42.46 | 43.00 / 42.20 SQURPHARMA | 6.93 | 37.18 | Vol. 279257 D: 194.8 ⇓ 0.05% | 194.85 | 196.5 / 181.7 C: 195.3 ⇑ 0.15% | 195.11 | 196.0 / 193.7 IMAMBUTTON | -1.51 | 4.16 | Vol. 47500 D: 7.10 ⇓ 1.39% | 7.17 | 7.30 / 7.10 C: 7.10 ⇓ 1.39% | 7.12 | 7.20 / 7.00 KEYACOSMET | 1.55 | 21.54 | Vol. 1045211 D: 27.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 27.47 | 28.00 / 25.00 C: 27.50 ⇑ 1.85% | 27.51 | 27.70 / 27.20 BERGERPBL | 32.46 | 100.20 | Vol. 200 D: 859.3 ⇑ 2.91% | 860.00 | 860.0 / 859.0 C: 823.0 ⇑ 2.75% | 823.00 | 823.0 / 823.0 ACIFORMULA | 3.33 | 38.08 | Vol. 147800 D: 81.40 ⇑ 4.49% | 81.81 | 84.00 / 77.50 C: 81.90 ⇑ 5.00% | 81.91 | 83.00 / 78.10 MARICO | 27.53 | 62.47 | Vol. 3500 D: 759.9 ⇓ 0.25% | 760.90 | 766.0 / 756.1 C: 751.0 ⇑ 0.13% | 751.00 | 751.0 / 751.0 BEACONPHAR | 0.04 | 12.01 | Vol. 250100 D: 13.10 ⇑ 1.55% | 13.07 | 13.20 / 12.00 C: 13.20 ⇑ 0.76% | 13.15 | 13.60 / 13.10 ACTIVEFINE | 3.23 | 13.89 | Vol. 808898 D: 88.50 ⇑ 1.84% | 88.46 | 89.40 / 79.00 C: 88.70 ⇑ 2.90% | 88.35 | 91.00 / 87.40 SALVOCHEM | 0.68 | 10.57 | Vol. 872308 D: 23.00 ⇑ 4.55% | 22.85 | 23.20 / 20.00 C: 22.90 ⇑ 3.62% | 22.89 | 23.10 / 22.30 GHCL | 2.14 | 57.31 | Vol. 927250 D: 62.70 ⇑ 7.18% | 61.95 | 63.20 / 59.40 C: 62.80 ⇑ 7.53% | 61.72 | 63.40 / 60.20 ORIONPHARM | 5.02 | 68.68 | Vol. 1256960 D: 61.80 ⇑ 1.64% | 61.95 | 62.90 / 55.00 C: 62.00 ⇑ 1.97% | 62.22 | 63.20 / 56.00 JMISMDL | 1.12 | 12.83 | Vol. 231500 D: 218.3 ⇓ 3.32% | 221.84 | 233.0 / 216.2 C: 219.6 ⇓ 3.05% | 223.33 | 230.0 / 218.0 CENTRALPHL | 1.62 | 12.24 | Vol. 2876725 D: 43.90 ⇑ 4.77% | 43.89 | 44.80 / 37.80 C: 44.00 ⇑ 4.76% | 44.00 | 44.80 / 42.90 PAPER & PACKAGING HAKKANIPUL | 0.51 | 31.01 | Vol. 88000 D: 35.70 ⇑ 9.51% | 34.93 | 35.80 / 33.30 C: 36.60 ⇑ 9.91% | 35.96 | 36.60 / 33.00 SERVICE SAMORITA | 2.49 | 57.42 | Vol. 64568 D: 96.60 ⇓ 3.21% | 97.13 | 100.5 / 92.00 C: 96.60 ⇓ 3.40% | 96.53 | 96.70 / 96.00

SAPORTL | 1.23 | 38.39 | Vol. 599824 D: 30.30 ⇑ 2.36% | 30.18 | 30.80 / 28.00 C: 30.40 ⇑ 2.36% | 30.32 | 31.00 / 29.60 EHL | 2.81 | 18.44 | Vol. 1414136 D: 54.60 ⇓ 4.71% | 54.78 | 57.30 / 53.00 C: 54.80 ⇓ 4.20% | 55.13 | 57.00 / 54.00 LEATHER APEXTANRY | 6.57 | 69.38 | Vol. 234870 D: 132.7 ⇑ 6.42% | 130.52 | 134.0 / 124.0 C: 131.5 ⇑ 5.45% | 132.43 | 136.5 / 130.0 BATASHOE | 49.12 | 135.53 | Vol. 21300 D: 700.4 ⇓ 3.55% | 706.41 | 715.0 / 700.0 C: 697.1 ⇓ 1.33% | 712.44 | 718.0 / 697.1 APEXADELFT | 23.01 | 203.26 | Vol. 38800 D: 402.6 ⇑ 0.62% | 402.66 | 408.0 / 400.0 C: 400.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 400.00 | 435.0 / 365.0 SAMATALETH | 0.22 | 12.93 | Vol. 74000 D: 18.20 ⇑ 8.98% | 18.17 | 18.30 / 17.00 C: 17.50 ⇑ 6.06% | 17.61 | 18.10 / 16.50 LEGACYFOOT | 0.63 | 17.19 | Vol. 767413 D: 43.10 ⇑ 0.23% | 43.26 | 44.20 / 39.00 C: 43.20 ⇑ 0.70% | 43.21 | 44.30 / 42.00 CERAMIC MONNOCERA | 0.35 | 95.30 | Vol. 59050 D: 34.00 ⇑ 0.00% | 34.25 | 35.70 / 33.80 C: 34.20 ⇑ 0.59% | 34.10 | 35.70 / 34.00 STANCERAM | 1.12 | 15.49 | Vol. 3500 D: 38.60 ⇓ 1.78% | 38.57 | 39.10 / 38.50 FUWANGCER | 0.65 | 12.70 | Vol. 1160615 D: 21.60 ⇑ 0.47% | 21.67 | 22.00 / 20.50 C: 21.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 21.85 | 22.20 / 21.50 SPCERAMICS | 0.62 | 30.92 | Vol. 389820 D: 18.30 ⇑ 1.10% | 18.43 | 18.70 / 16.80 C: 18.50 ⇑ 1.65% | 18.58 | 18.70 / 18.30 RAKCERAMIC | 1.98 | 16.76 | Vol. 113415 D: 52.50 ⇓ 0.38% | 52.83 | 53.80 / 48.00 C: 53.10 ⇑ 0.95% | 53.06 | 53.70 / 52.80 CEMENT HEIDELBCEM | 22.85 | 111.50 | Vol. 34780 D: 388.3 ⇑ 0.52% | 387.52 | 390.0 / 370.0 CONFIDCEM | 6.23 | 90.76 | Vol. 198002 D: 124.3 ⇑ 0.57% | 124.25 | 125.0 / 118.0 C: 124.6 ⇑ 0.65% | 124.16 | 125.8 / 123.1 MEGHNACEM | 6.28 | 33.81 | Vol. 109500 D: 129.2 ⇑ 0.23% | 129.84 | 131.5 / 128.3 C: 130.4 ⇑ 1.64% | 130.36 | 132.9 / 130.0 ARAMITCEM | 3.03 | 14.65 | Vol. 522225 D: 90.00 ⇑ 4.29% | 90.11 | 92.50 / 85.00 C: 91.20 ⇑ 4.83% | 90.64 | 92.90 / 88.00 LAFSURCEML | 1.60 | 7.22 | Vol. 322000 D: 32.90 ⇑ 0.00% | 32.99 | 33.20 / 32.90 C: 32.70 ⇓ 0.61% | 32.98 | 33.20 / 32.50 MICEMENT | 4.48 | 37.67 | Vol. 111835 D: 83.00 ⇑ 0.24% | 82.97 | 83.80 / 75.00 C: 82.90 ⇑ 0.24% | 82.80 | 83.50 / 82.00 PREMIERCEM | 5.00 | 32.60 | Vol. 142000 D: 101.6 ⇓ 0.10% | 101.76 | 102.7 / 101.1 C: 101.1 ⇓ 0.98% | 101.77 | 103.5 / 100.3 IT IINDUSTRIES ISNLTD | 0.28 | 17.31 | Vol. 212193 D: 19.20 ⇑ 1.59% | 19.25 | 19.60 / 17.80 C: 19.30 ⇑ 1.05% | 19.14 | 19.90 / 18.80 BDCOM | 1.40 | 14.41 | Vol. 251331 D: 26.20 ⇑ 1.16% | 26.16 | 26.40 / 24.20 C: 26.10 ⇓ 0.76% | 26.07 | 26.30 / 25.80 INTECH | 0.94 | 10.08 | Vol. 211170 D: 16.40 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.50 | 16.80 / 15.30 C: 16.50 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.48 | 16.60 / 16.30

GENERAL INSURANCE BGIC | 1.65 | 20.33 | Vol. 10910 D: 29.70 ⇑ 0.68% | 29.63 | 30.30 / 28.00 C: 30.00 ⇑ 2.39% | 29.81 | 30.00 / 29.40 GREENDELT | 4.05 | 64.44 | Vol. 39417 D: 87.40 ⇑ 1.51% | 87.37 | 88.50 / 80.00 C: 85.60 ⇑ 1.30% | 85.60 | 85.60 / 85.60 UNITEDINS | 2.47 | 21.04 | Vol. 15800 D: 44.00 ⇓ 3.30% | 44.75 | 45.30 / 44.00 PEOPLESINS | 2.05 | 20.72 | Vol. 214655 D: 36.10 ⇑ 3.44% | 36.17 | 36.80 / 35.00 C: 36.00 ⇑ 3.15% | 38.30 | 38.30 / 36.00 EASTERNINS | 2.22 | 35.88 | Vol. 25710 D: 37.80 ⇓ 0.26% | 37.81 | 38.60 / 34.50 JANATAINS | 0.78 | 17.07 | Vol. 102420 D: 27.40 ⇓ 0.36% | 27.55 | 28.10 / 26.00 C: 27.60 ⇑ 0.36% | 27.20 | 27.70 / 26.50 PHENIXINS | 2.70 | 20.96 | Vol. 32375 D: 42.60 ⇑ 0.71% | 42.73 | 43.30 / 42.30 C: 41.50 ⇓ 2.35% | 41.42 | 42.00 / 41.10 EASTLAND | 4.06 | 23.29 | Vol. 70200 D: 48.50 ⇑ 1.25% | 48.35 | 49.00 / 47.70 C: 47.70 ⇓ 0.83% | 47.70 | 47.70 / 47.70 CENTRALINS | 1.54 | 19.04 | Vol. 5020 D: 29.80 ⇑ 2.05% | 29.80 | 29.90 / 29.40 KARNAPHULI | 1.56 | 19.42 | Vol. 23260 D: 24.40 ⇑ 1.24% | 24.38 | 24.60 / 22.80 RUPALIINS | 2.76 | 23.38 | Vol. 85052 D: 33.70 ⇑ 1.20% | 33.73 | 34.00 / 33.00 C: 34.00 ⇓ 2.02% | 34.03 | 34.20 / 34.00 FEDERALINS | 1.10 | 10.98 | Vol. 121210 D: 24.40 ⇑ 0.83% | 24.39 | 24.60 / 24.10 C: 24.50 ⇑ 0.82% | 24.51 | 24.70 / 24.20 RELIANCINS | 3.93 | 61.52 | Vol. 500 D: 73.00 ⇑ 0.69% | 73.00 | 73.00 / 73.00 PURABIGEN | 1.05 | 18.71 | Vol. 170624 D: 23.60 ⇑ 0.43% | 23.70 | 23.80 / 23.00 PRAGATIINS | 2.01 | 50.30 | Vol. 14490 D: 57.60 ⇑ 1.05% | 57.21 | 58.70 / 54.00 PRIMEINSUR | 2.14 | 14.14 | Vol. 79153 D: 33.70 ⇑ 5.31% | 33.11 | 34.00 / 31.40 PIONEERINS | 3.11 | 23.84 | Vol. 147023 D: 67.40 ⇑ 0.60% | 67.30 | 68.10 / 65.00 MERCINS | 1.53 | 14.50 | Vol. 137316 D: 27.60 ⇑ 2.60% | 27.32 | 28.00 / 25.00 C: 27.60 ⇓ 2.82% | 27.14 | 27.70 / 26.60 AGRANINS | 1.73 | 14.39 | Vol. 75611 D: 27.60 ⇑ 2.60% | 27.39 | 28.00 / 25.00 GLOBALINS | 1.09 | 11.78 | Vol. 77045 D: 28.90 ⇑ 2.48% | 28.85 | 29.10 / 26.00 NITOLINS | 2.59 | 15.41 | Vol. 32500 D: 34.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 34.40 | 34.50 / 33.90 ASIAPACINS | 1.84 | 13.76 | Vol. 38620 D: 29.80 ⇑ 0.34% | 29.78 | 30.70 / 28.00 SONARBAINS | 1.68 | 13.38 | Vol. 127078 D: 25.00 ⇑ 3.31% | 25.13 | 25.40 / 23.00 PARAMOUNT | 1.26 | 13.19 | Vol. 16981 D: 24.50 ⇑ 2.08% | 24.58 | 25.00 / 24.40 C: 26.70 ⇑ 0.00% | 24.10 | 26.70 / 26.70 CITYGENINS | 1.65 | 14.26 | Vol. 101265 D: 27.30 ⇑ 0.00% | 27.44 | 27.70 / 26.50 C: 27.30 ⇓ 0.73% | 27.31 | 27.40 / 27.20 CONTININS | 1.41 | 15.68 | Vol. 133043 D: 30.30 ⇑ 3.06% | 29.94 | 30.50 / 28.00 C: 29.50 ⇓ 1.01% | 29.50 | 29.50 / 29.50 TAKAFULINS | 2.19 | 15.17 | Vol. 117901 D: 38.60 ⇑ 0.78% | 38.87 | 40.00 / 37.50 C: 39.50 ⇑ 2.60% | 39.50 | 39.50 / 39.50 STANDARINS | 2.58 | 13.99 | Vol. 31983 D: 40.10 ⇓ 1.96% | 40.25 | 41.50 / 38.00 C: 40.10 ⇑ 0.25% | 40.10 | 40.10 / 40.10 NORTHRNINS | 1.77 | 11.15 | Vol. 54712 D: 41.40 ⇑ 0.49% | 41.38 | 42.00 / 39.00 C: 41.30 ⇓ 0.48% | 41.15 | 41.50 / 41.00 REPUBLIC | 2.14 | 12.42 | Vol. 70363 D: 42.60 ⇑ 1.19% | 42.67 | 43.00 / 41.00 C: 42.50 ⇑ 0.71% | 42.93 | 43.10 / 42.40

ASIAINS | 1.56 | 17.34 | Vol. 51725 D: 27.70 ⇑ 1.84% | 27.69 | 28.10 / 25.00 C: 27.30 ⇑ 0.37% | 27.33 | 28.40 / 27.20 ISLAMIINS | 1.29 | 11.96 | Vol. 32000 D: 33.40 ⇑ 0.30% | 33.56 | 34.00 / 33.40 PROVATIINS | 1.90 | 14.30 | Vol. 50050 D: 28.80 ⇑ 2.13% | 28.93 | 29.20 / 26.00 C: 29.80 ⇑ 4.56% | 29.43 | 29.80 / 25.70 DHAKAINS | 2.84 | 18.02 | Vol. 108625 D: 40.80 ⇑ 0.00% | 41.19 | 41.80 / 40.00 C: 40.90 ⇑ 0.25% | 40.90 | 41.70 / 40.00 LIFE INSURANCE NATLIFEINS | 12.34 | 80.99 | Vol. 76160 D: 278.5 ⇑ 5.29% | 274.59 | 280.0 / 260.0 C: 270.0 ⇑ 3.85% | 270.00 | 270.0 / 270.0 DELTALIFE | 38.53 | 189.40 | Vol. 1048800 D: 289.6 ⇑ 0.07% | 292.13 | 296.5 / 287.8 C: 290.1 ⇑ 0.00% | 292.84 | 297.5 / 288.0 SANDHANINS | 2.39 | 28.22 | Vol. 104920 D: 74.10 ⇑ 2.07% | 74.14 | 75.10 / 70.00 C: 73.10 ⇑ 0.69% | 73.20 | 74.00 / 73.10 POPULARLIF | 3.70 | 715.41 | Vol. 21271 D: 231.2 ⇑ 0.13% | 233.48 | 243.0 / 230.0 FAREASTLIF | 9.21 | 60.79 | Vol. 258267 D: 102.9 ⇑ 2.69% | 104.61 | 105.3 / 95.00 C: 101.7 ⇑ 3.67% | 102.37 | 107.5 / 88.30 MEGHNALIFE | 10.82 | 48.87 | Vol. 241480 D: 115.9 ⇑ 4.23% | 115.11 | 116.5 / 107.0 C: 116.0 ⇑ 6.42% | 116.28 | 117.0 / 113.9 PROGRESLIF | 2.30 | 31.45 | Vol. 7712 D: 121.9 ⇑ 5.63% | 121.76 | 124.0 / 110.0 PRAGATILIF | 0.60 | 30.15 | Vol. 33175 D: 165.8 ⇑ 6.69% | 165.42 | 168.2 / 154.0 PRIMELIFE | 5.51 | 27.10 | Vol. 22837 D: 102.6 ⇑ 2.50% | 102.67 | 104.0 / 95.00 C: 100.0 ⇑ 0.00% | 103.16 | 104.9 / 100.0 RUPALILIFE | 3.75 | 31.25 | Vol. 321165 D: 124.9 ⇑ 9.75% | 124.24 | 125.1 / 110.0 C: 123.6 ⇑ 9.96% | 122.83 | 123.6 / 117.2 PADMALIFE | 1.63 | 25.76 | Vol. 609900 D: 66.20 ⇑ 1.22% | 66.32 | 68.30 / 58.90 C: 66.10 ⇑ 1.07% | 66.73 | 68.00 / 64.10 SUNLIFEINS | 0.00 | 0.00 | Vol. 584800 D: 62.80 ⇑ 2.95% | 63.28 | 65.00 / 57.00 C: 62.70 ⇑ 3.47% | 63.30 | 64.30 / 61.50 TELECOM GP | 12.96 | 26.26 | Vol. 388082 D: 207.3 ⇑ 0.44% | 207.00 | 207.5 / 195.0 C: 206.8 ⇑ 0.24% | 206.40 | 207.0 / 205.5 BSCCL | 5.82 | 26.38 | Vol. 226433 D: 173.6 ⇓ 0.06% | 174.00 | 175.9 / 160.0 C: 173.8 ⇑ 0.35% | 174.03 | 175.0 / 173.1 TRAVEL & LEISURE UNITEDAIR | 1.10 | 12.87 | Vol. 3441526 D: 16.60 ⇑ 0.61% | 16.74 | 17.50 / 14.90 C: 16.60 ⇑ 0.00% | 16.71 | 17.00 / 16.50 UNIQUEHRL | 4.02 | 86.29 | Vol. 411980 D: 82.10 ⇑ 0.49% | 82.35 | 83.10 / 74.00 C: 81.90 ⇑ 0.12% | 82.32 | 83.30 / 81.70 MISCELLANEOUS ARAMIT | 16.07 | 99.93 | Vol. 11300 D: 343.4 ⇑ 0.18% | 345.93 | 358.9 / 341.7 BSC | 1.77 | 565.82 | Vol. 57840 D: 441.8 ⇑ 0.06% | 443.83 | 448.8 / 441.0 C: 441.0 ⇓ 0.29% | 442.82 | 449.0 / 440.0 GQBALLPEN | 6.55 | 250.45 | Vol. 123100 D: 155.3 ⇑ 2.10% | 156.13 | 158.0 / 154.9 C: 157.0 ⇑ 2.95% | 156.51 | 158.0 / 155.0 USMANIAGL | 3.45 | 27.20 | Vol. 119462 D: 138.1 ⇓ 0.29% | 139.62 | 141.0 / 135.0 C: 136.6 ⇓ 1.51% | 138.96 | 141.5 / 135.0 SAVAREFR | 0.14 | 10.57 | Vol. 800 D: 59.10 ⇓ 2.31% | 58.75 | 62.90 / 58.30 BEXIMCO | 3.24 | 86.74 | Vol. 1753092 D: 33.70 ⇑ 0.90% | 33.81 | 35.00 / 30.10 C: 33.90 ⇑ 1.19% | 33.98 | 34.30 / 33.70 SINOBANGLA | 1.75 | 21.01 | Vol. 300000 D: 23.30 ⇑ 4.02% | 23.14 | 23.40 / 22.80 C: 23.30 ⇑ 3.10% | 23.12 | 23.40 / 23.00 MIRACLEIND | 0.09 | 14.41 | Vol. 284500 D: 17.10 ⇑ 0.00% | 17.22 | 17.40 / 16.70 C: 17.10 ⇓ 1.16% | 17.32 | 17.70 / 16.80 BOND

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013

Fama says risk of global recession in 2014 n Reuters One of the three Americans who won this year’s Nobel prize for economics said bloated public deficits on both sides of the Atlantic meant that recession remained a real risk for 2014.

Eugene Fama, who shares this year’s 8 million crown prize with Robert Shiller and Lars Peter Hansen, said on Saturday that highly indebted governments in the United States and Europe posed a constant threat to the global economy.

“There may come a point where the financial markets say none of their debt is credible anymore and they can’t finance themselves,” he told Reuters in the snow-covered Swedish capital, where he will receive his prize on Tuesday. “If there is another recession, it is going to be worldwide.”

Fama, who has been called the father of modern finance and shared the economics prize for research into market prices and asset bubbles, played down this week’s strong US labour market data. “I am not reassured at all,” he said. The US jobless rate fell to a fiveyear low of 7% in November, and employers hired more workers than expected.

“The jobs recovery has been awful. The only reason the unemployment rate is 7 percent, which is high by historical standards in the US, is that people gave up looking for jobs,” he said. “I just don’t think we have come out of (recession) very well,” he said.

Fama, who argued in 1970 that markets are efficient and that prices reflect all publicly available information, said he will give his prize money to the University of Chicago, where he is a professor.

Asked what he thought of current high prices in the stock market, Fama said he be-

University of Chicago Professor Eugene Fama is pictured in his house with his wife Sally after finding out he won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics in Chicago, Illinois REUTERS lieved companies had become much more efficient after the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

“The response of companies after the recession was to slim down, get much more ef-

fective and they got very profitable, so their prices continue to appreciate,” he said.

Fama’s theory implied that one cannot systematically outperform the market. He

said he keeps his personal investments entirely in index funds, a type of mutual fund that tracks the performance of a market index such as the S&P 500. l

Consoles, online games to keep market soaring to 2017 Global house prices n AFP, Paris The global video gaming market is set to grow 11.1% a year until 2017, boosted by a new generation of consoles and the increasing popularity of online games, according to IDATE digital research and consultancy firm.

The market, estimated at 53.9bn euros ($73.8bn) this year, is expected to soar to

82.1bn euros in 2017, the France-based firm said in a report.

Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, which are jostling for control of the gaming market, have each released the latest versions of their consoles ahead of the Christmas shopping season. The wave of new devices is expected to keep the market buoyant until 2017, IDATE said.

Global video games market Forecasted sales by segment, 2013-2017 Mobile Online software software

Offline Handheld software software

53.9bn euros

2013

64.9bn

2014

75.9bn

2015 2016

82.2bn

2017

82.1bn

Source: IDATE, AFP

Handheld hardware

Console software

Console hardware

Home consoles like Sony’s PlayStation or Microsoft’s Xbox, which make up 31 percent of the market today, are expected to have a 40% share of the total market in 2017.

Handheld consoles such as Nintendo’s 3DS or Sony’s PSVita, which have a share of about 22 percent in 2013, are projected to record declining share to 13% in 2017, in the face of increasing strong competition from tablets and mobile phones.

“Smartphones and tablets offer a radically different experience, and... in terms of the budget, the tablet is a significant competitor for the consoles,” Laurent Michaud, who is in charge of gaming research at IDATE. “The choice of purchase between the tablet and the console will determine the success of this generation of machines,” he said.

The offline computer game is expected to record an irreversible decline, while this year online games are emerging as the leader. The increasing popularity of online games stems from the fact that they dominate the gaming industry in China and South Korea, Michaud noted.

“They are games oriented towards ‘Free2Play’ and it is no surprise that they are gaining colossal success because the games are good,” he said, referring to the downloadable games. l

hit new peak, led by emerging Asia n Reuters Booming housing markets in emerging Asia have pushed global residential property prices to a new peak, according to a report on Friday.

Consultancy Knight Frank’s global house price index rose 4.6% over the 12 months to the end of September, taking it 4% higher than its previous peak in the second quarter of 2008.

“The index’s strong performance has been assisted not just by headline grabbing price rises in Dubai, China and Hong Kong, but also in a number of emerging markets,” said Kate Everett-Allen, associate at the London-based property consultancy.

Dubai topped the index, as house prices there rose more than a quarter over the last 12 months, followed by China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Struggling southern European economies filled the lower reaches of the index, with house prices falling steeply in Croatia, Spain and Greece. l